ã€ŠTwo-Faced Husband, Have Some Decency!ã€‹


 Chapter 1 - Do You Have a Boyfriend Yet?

    <h4>Chapter 1: Do You Have a Boyfriend Yet?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Miss Song, when I heard that I was going to meet the architect from yourpany today, I thought I would be meeting a man! I didn¡¯t imagine you to be a woman and a really young one at it,¡± said the middle-aged man sitting next to her at the dining table.

    He carried a beer belly typical of men in their forties. Song Yu could smell alcohol in his breath as he spoke.

    ¡°Manager Luo, don¡¯t underestimate Sister Song. She¡¯s experienced despite her young age. She has handled the design for many projects. For instance, residences such as Park Royale and the Beautiful Time were designed by Sister Song. Her architectural style is well recognized by the industry.¡± Xiao Chen <sup>1</sup>passed Song Yu¡¯s design over to Manager Luo. Xiao Chen was from the sales department and was tasked to take care of the quotation this time.

    In general, those who started their career in sales would be rtively young. For instance, Song Yu graduated a year ago when she was twenty-four. Xiao Chen was younger than Song Yu by two years.

    ¡°Manager Luo, please take a look. Furthermore, while ourpany¡¯s price isn¡¯t the lowest, it¡¯s definitely the fairest. Our projects had always gone well and to-date, we haven¡¯t received anyints. The feedback on our residential development is also very good.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no rush.¡± Luo Yushu brushed it aside and continued to pour alcohol for Song Yu. ¡°Miss Song, it¡¯s a rare urrence for me to meet such a young and beautiful architect who is at the same time talented. Cheers, this is for you.¡±

    ¡°Manager Luo, Sister Song has a low tolerance for alcohol. Let me take this.¡± Xiao Chen offered to take it for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure she can handle a ss or two...¡± Luo Yushu acted as if he was slightly annoyed. ¡°I can tell that Miss Song is who is someone easy going.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and picked up the ss. ¡°Manager Luo, I appreciate your favor but I¡¯m actually allergic to alcohol. I can tolerate a ss or two but not more than that. It would be a bummer if rashes creep all over my face or if I puke and make a mess, no?¡±

    ¡°Sure, just take this,¡± said Luo Yushu happily.

    Song Yu downed it in one shot. Luo Yushu was delighted. ¡°Wonderful! Miss Song, in addition to being so understanding, you¡¯re also young and beautiful. Do you have a boyfriend yet?¡±

    Song Yu suddenly put her hand over her stomach and said, ¡°I¡¯m beginning to feel nauseous. Apologies, Manager Luo, I have to go to the washroom.¡±

    Song Yu ran out before Luo Yushu could say anything else.

    She entered the washroom. She propped herself up against the sink using both hands. She let out a sigh of relief. She was afraid that by giving Luo Yushu an inch, he would demand a mile. She had to excuse herself from there!

    She lingered for a while but did not dare to stay too long. She began to step out.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± She heard a surprised voice.

    Song Yu saw there was a group of threeing at her. The one who called her out was Guan Xiaolin, a friend she had known since childhood.

    Ever since her family dered bankrupt, she kept in contact with only a few people; Guan Xiaolin was one of them.

    The two next to her looked familiar but that was it, she could not recall who they were.

    ¡°Song Yu? Is that really you? I wouldn¡¯t have recognized you if she didn¡¯t call you out,¡± said one of them. ¡°I recall that your family dered bankrupt during the second year of high school. I haven¡¯t heard from you ever since. Why didn¡¯t you contact us? Even if you were broke, did you think we would give you a cold shoulder?¡±

 Chapter 2 - A Mellow Baritone Rang from Above

    <h4>Chapter 2: A Mellow Baritone Rang from Above</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Song Yu, are you here for dinner?¡± asked the otherdy curiously. She had malicious intent written all over her face.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Song Yu had no intention of borating further.

    It was not easy to set up a meeting with someone from Qilin. Hence, she selected a posh restaurant, Shengyue, to demonstrate her sincerity. She took a calcted risk by doing so, little did she know that she would be so unfortunate to bump into her old acquaintances from the upper social circle.

    ¡°What a coincidence! We¡¯re here for a gathering,e and join us! They¡¯re all our ssmates from Jixia High School. We haven¡¯t seen you ever since your family went broke and transferred schools, let¡¯s catch up! What¡¯s up with your family now?¡± As she spoke, she wanted to drag Song Yu along by grabbing her arm.

    ¡°No, I have something to attend to. Sorry, I¡¯ve got to go.¡± Song Yu dodged.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the rush? If you¡¯ve got an appointment with someone, you can get them to join us. We mean no harm. We were ssmates once and we care about you. If you¡¯re caught in any trouble, we can even help you out.¡± She could not hide the look of disdain on her face as she spoke.

    ¡°Song Yu, indeed! We mean well. I can tell you¡¯re having a tough time by the way you dress, where did you get these from? The Song Yu I knew would never wear something like this. We can lend a hand if you¡¯re in such bad shape. I have lots of clothes that I no longer bother to wear. Given we are simr in size, I can give you the clothes I no longer want. Even those clothes would look better than what you¡¯re wearing now.¡±

    ¡°Lijun, don¡¯t say that. Look, Song Yu is in her business suit. I suppose you¡¯re here for business? It¡¯s quite a pity that the daughter of the Song family has to close deals over dinner tables.¡± Thedy who spoke first responded with a peculiar tone, ¡°I heard that women are often in the unfavorable position when they¡¯re the ones to close the deal.¡±

    Her intonation and expression suggested that Song Yu had to use underhanded tricks to be granted the business.

    ¡°Li Qianyi, Wu Lijun, that¡¯s enough! You better get going if you¡¯re here to y a joke on Song Yu. Before this, Song Yu was someone you couldn¡¯t even im a connection with. Now that she¡¯s in dire straits, you¡¯re rubbing salt on her wound. You should be ashamed of yourselves,¡± Guan Xiaolin wore a cold expression and said.

    ¡°Although my family went bankrupt, I¡¯m earning my own living. Regardless of your disdain on what I use or wear, I earn an honest living and I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that I should be ashamed of,¡± Song Yu spoke indifferently. It made them feel as though they should be the ones being scorned at.

    ¡± Song Song <sup>1</sup> ...¡± Guan Xiaolin stunned as she tried to speak, then stared wide open at what was behind Song Yu.

    She was not the only one, as Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun behaved simrly. Their faces wore aplex expression as if they were utterly stunned.

    Song Yu was struck. She did not think that her words would have such an impact on them. Before she turned around, she could sense a strong presence behind her back. What hovered above her head was a shadow of a man.

    ¡± Xiao Yu <sup>2</sup> .¡± A voice seemed to be approaching like a mellow baritone rang from above.

 Chapter 3 - Why Did He Have To Kiss Her After Getting Her Out Of Trouble?

    <h4>Chapter 3: Why Did He Have To Kiss Her After Getting Her Out Of Trouble?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Xiao Yu.¡± A voice seemed to be approaching like a mellow baritone that rang from above.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were pecked before she could even respond. She could see the face clearly even though he moved as quick as a sh.

    ¡°What took you so long? I thought you got into trouble.¡± The voice next to her ear was incredibly intimate.

    Song Yu looked up in surprise. She stared at the familiar face ¨C handsome and mature. His eyes could not be seen clearly as his sses were reflecting light.

    Why was he there?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ignoring the shocked expression on their faces, Qi Chengzhi went ahead and grabbed the stunned Song Yu¡¯s shoulder. He walked past Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun as if they were transparent.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart was still pounding. She could notprehend the whole event of what had just happened.

    ¡°Xiaolin, what just happened? Wasn¡¯t that Young Master Cheng? When did Song Yu get associated with him? Didn¡¯t... Didn¡¯t she call off the engagement with his younger brother, Qi Chengji? Why is she with the elder brother now?¡± Li Qianyi was still stunned by the incident.

    She gazed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tall and erect back and thought, ¡®He is definitely beyond my reach, how does Song Yu possibly do it?¡¯

    ¡°Which room are you heading to?¡± he asked.

    Song Yu was still dazed from the kiss before and the warmth on her shoulder. She did not hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s question.

    ¡°Which room?¡± he asked again. He was no longer murmuring like a lover. He reverted back to his normal voice as he spoke ¨Cposed and cold.

    Song Yu finally recovered from her daze. She turned around frantically and she realized they were standing right outside the room she was headed to.

    ¡°This is it,¡± Song Yu said as she tried to keep her cool.

    ¡°You¡¯re wee,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied as he opened the door. Song Yu could not stop him in time as it all happened within the blink of an eye. She still wondered if his reply was about getting her out of trouble or getting her to the room.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face clouded over when he was greeted by a foul smell ¨C a mixture of alcohol and food as he entered the room.

    ¡°Miss Song, you¡¯re...¡± Luo Yushu turned around as he heard the door opened. ¡®ng!¡¯ The fully-filled ss that he heldnded on the table; alcohol dripped along the side of the table onto his pants.

    ¡°Di... Director!¡± Luo Yushu stood up all of a sudden. His gaze fell on the hand on Song Yu¡¯s shoulder. His face turned pale as he was bewildered to have thought about that wicked intention of sleeping with Song Yu.

    ¡°Sister Song?¡± Xiao Chen was surprised too. He did not expect this sudden twist of plot ¨C went to the toilet and brought a man back. What was more ¨C the man was the director of Qilin!

    Song Yu was still in the state of absentia when she touched her lips. She thought to herself, ¡®It was nice that he got me out of trouble, but why did he kiss me? Was he afraid that it was not realistic enough?¡¯

 Chapter 4 - Our Director Did Not Particularly Enjoy Helping Others

    <h4>Chapter 4: Our Director Did Not Particrly Enjoy Helping Others</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi caught her little jittery act. His unfathomable smile made Luo Yushu feel so guilty that he wanted to kowtow and admit his fault.

    He nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯m just passing by.¡± Then, left the room immediately after he said so. Not once did he turn back, as if he was actually just passing by and had nothing to do with Song Yu.

    ¡°Song... Miss Song, the director and yourself are...¡± Luo Yushu¡¯s legs were trembling as he cautiously asked.

    ¡°Nothing. I got into trouble with some drunk hooligans outside and Young Master Cheng came to my rescue.¡± Song Yu organized her thoughts and put on a formrized smile.

    Nobody other than Song Yu would know who the real hooligan was.

    Luo Yushu could not believe it. He knew that their director was not the kind who particrly enjoyed helping others.

    ¡°Then, why was the director¡¯s hand on your shoulder? Miss Song, please forgive me if it¡¯s too intrusive of a question to ask, ¡± said Luo Yushu cautiously as he apologetically smiled.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to hide. The most effective way to get rid of a hooligan is by pretending to be my boyfriend,¡± Song Yu exined.

    Luo Yushu was dire to ask, ¡®This is an upmarket restaurant, where could the hooligane from?¡¯ Looking at Song Yu¡¯s sincere smile, he decided to keep the question to himself.

    Post the incident, as Luo Yushu feared the possible consequences, he gave up on the thought of making Song Yu drunk. He behaved himself while he interacted with Song Yu. Keeping conversations that were only business-rted, he also epted the portfolio that contained Song Yu¡¯s previous architectural designs.

    After the dinner, Song Yu said, ¡°Xiao Chen, please send Manager Luo home.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Luo Yushu spoke tedly as he was a little tipsy from the drinks.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure.¡± Xiao Chen lent an arm to support Luo Yushu. ¡°Sister Song, will you be alright alone?¡±

    ¡°No problem.¡± Song Yu shook her head.

    After Xiao Chen left with Luo Yushu in his arms, Song Yu then let out a sigh of relief as she left the restaurant.

    There was a silver Buick Regal by the roadside in front of the restaurant. A man who leaned on the car shouted as he saw Song Yu, ¡°Song Song!¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi! What¡¯re you doing here?¡± Song Yu trotted toward him in her high heels.

    ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a cab at this hour. I¡¯m here to pick you up and to check on you.¡± Jian Yi smiled and gazed into Song Yu¡¯s eyes. His smile was as gentle and refreshing as the moon above.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet but Luo Yushu promised to rmend me to his supervisor.¡± Song Yu sighed.

    ¡°Come, get in.¡± Jian Yi invited as he held the car door for her.

    Right behind them, there was a Range Rover. Qi Chengzhi retracted his hand from opening the car door as he watched Song Yu entering Jian Yi¡¯s car.

    He smiled and sighed silently, ¡®Who would¡¯ve thought that once again, I let someone else pick her up under my watch?¡¯

    As the Buick Regal sped away, Qi Chengzhi followed behind closely.

    At the entrance of the restaurant, Li Qianyi sneered. ¡°Song Yu is indeed capable. Just before, she was flirting with Young Master Cheng and now, she got on another man¡¯s car.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin watched as the car disappeared into the distance without a word.

 Chapter 5 - The Delicate Fragrance of Song Yus Lips Still Lingered In Between His Lips

    <h4>Chapter 5: The Delicate Fragrance of Song Yu¡¯s Lips Still Lingered In Between His Lips</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Xiaolin watched as the car disappears into the distance without a word.

    ¡°Thanks for helping me out this time. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would never have the chance to even see him in person.¡± In the car, Song Yu turned to look at the clean-shaven and handsome side profile of Jian Yi. This was the man that she had been in love with for thirteen years.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do much. I¡¯m merely a manager in Qilin¡¯s engineering department. If I could I would have helped you pull the strings directly,¡± said Jian Yi as he smiled.

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°You¡¯ve helped me a lot.¡±

    It would be impossible for a fresh graduate like her to get an architect job if it was not for Jian Yi¡¯s rmendation.

    By the time she graduated from university, Jian Yi had already built a substantialwork within Qilin. Through connections, he introduced her to thepany, Chengshi.

    Subsequently, she was admitted to postgraduate study ¨C all when she worked part-time at Chengshi ¨C and graduated a year ago.

    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Jian Yi parked the car downstairs and he got off with Song Yu.

    ¡°Thanks. Drive home safe,¡± said Song Yu. Not only did the winter breeze mess up her hair, but her voice also sounded as if it was dispersed in the wind.

    ¡°Song Yu, I want to let you know that you don¡¯t ever need to thank me for anything.¡± Jian Yi gazed at her softly as if he was trying to convey a message.

    Song Yu blushed at thatment and lowered her head shyly.

    ¡°It¡¯s cold, head indoors. I will leave when I see your lights on,¡± said Jian Yi.

    Song Yu nodded. Halfway through, she turned around to look at Jian Yi again before she went upstairs.

    Qi Chengzhi wound down the car window and lit up a cigarette. Jian Yi drove away when he saw Song Yu¡¯s house brighten up.

    He positioned the cigarette between his lips with his slender index and middle finger and let go the moment it touched his lips.

    He opened the door and threw the unsmoked cigarette on the floor then extinguish it with the sole of his shoe.

    The delicate fragrance of Song Yu¡¯s lips still lingered in between his lips and he did not want the cigarette to ruin it.

    He lowered his head and looked at the zipper on his pants ¨C the calmed penis. He let out a bitterugh.

    Shamefully, he got an erection from a light peck.

    He dialed a number using his cellphone. Qi Chengzhi said with his usual cold andposed voice, ¡°Chenglin, it¡¯s me. I¡¯ll take care of the hotel development project.¡±

    He hung up after he made the message clear. On the other side of the phone, Qi Chenglin was still puzzled by the purpose of the call.

    As Song Yu got home, she reached for the switch. Her small studio apartment lit up.

    Property prices in B City <sup>1</sup> were insanely high. The rental for a studio apartment was near the upper limit of her budget.

    Song Yu kicked away her high heels and crashed on her bed. She let out a long sigh, then closed and rubbed her eyes. It was a long day, she felt so tired that she did not want to move anymore.

 Chapter 6 - Why Would Someone as Unfathomable as Him Be Interested in Me?

    <h4>Chapter 6: Why Would Someone as Unfathomable as Him Be Interested in Me?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At that ungodly hour, her phone rang. Song Yu let out a sigh and answered the call as she saw that it was from Guan Xiaolin. ¡°Xiaolin.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, are you home already?¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s voice could be heard from the other end of the call.

    ¡°Yea, I just arrived.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun to behave like that at the restaurant just now. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have called out to you. That¡¯s just how they¡¯re like. I hope you don¡¯t take it to heart. I won¡¯t hang out with them again in the future,¡± said Guan Xiaolin angrily.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me to let it go but you seem angrier than me.¡± Song Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. I was never close to them. It took me some time to recall who they are by their names. Furthermore, we hold different values. I don¡¯t think being self-sufficient is anything to be ashamed of. Don¡¯t stop hanging out with them because of this small matter. After all, connections matter to you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re still like the Song Yu I used to know. It¡¯s hard for you to care about anything as if nothing can make you angry. It seems like I have more of a role in your life than yourself.¡± Guan Xiaolin shook her head as she did not know whether tough or cry.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re doing this for my goodness¡¯ sake. I appreciate it. I don¡¯t think I should even get angry at such trivial matters, it¡¯ll be at the expense of my health,¡± Song Yu spoke softly.

    ¡°Fine, I can¡¯t beat you in that. By the way, Song Yu, be honest with me. What¡¯s between you and Qi Chengzhi? Are you dating? I can¡¯t believe that you¡¯re hiding such big news from me. Do you really treat me as your friend?¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s did not sound angry saying that.

    ¡°Don¡¯t dramatize things. Since I transferred in the second year of high school after the bankruptcy, the engagement with the Qi family was also broken. I didn¡¯t keep in touch with anyone from that circle except for you and you know this. I¡¯ve never seen Qi Chengzhi for as long as my family has been bankrupt. I was scared of him even during my engagement with Qi Chengji. Furthermore, why would someone as unfathomable as him be interested in me?¡± Song Yu exined. She began to feel a slight headache at the mention of Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Really?¡± Guan Xiaolin sounded suspicious because of how dazzling and shocking the kiss was. She could not wipe the image off her head.

    Song Yu could not be bothered to exin further. ¡°Well, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    ¡°I believe you. What¡¯s with the rush?¡± Guan Xiaolin continued, ¡°I wanted to call out to you when you were getting on Jian Yi¡¯s car at the entrance of the restaurant. However, it was just toote. You guys had left.¡±

    The conversation went on with Guan Xiaolin until Song Yu let out a yawn identally. She could hide her fatigue no more and this was caught by Guan Xiaolin. Xiaolin urged Song Yu to get some rest and hung up after.

    Song Yu dragged her tired body to the bathroom, removed her makeup, and took a shower before she went to bed. She fell asleep the moment she closed her eyes.

 Chapter 7 - Being Unceremonious and Imposing At The Same Time

    <h4>Chapter 7: Being Unceremonious and Imposing At The Same Time</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    A fifteen-year-old teenager was besieged by a bunch of high school students. When a twelve-year-old girl stumbled upon them, she got her bodyguard to save him.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked the girl. She was smiling. Her eyes were gentle and kind like the spring breeze.

    ¡± Jian Yi <sup>1</sup> ,¡± he answered, bearing the pain.

    ¡± Jian Yi <sup>2</sup> ? Do you by any chance have any siblings called Jian Dan <sup>3</sup> ?¡± the girl joked.

    ¡°...¡±

    The scene changed. A chubby kid¡¯s hand was holding a pen ¨C arger hand was guiding the smaller chubby hand to write on a paper.

    Before she could see what was written, the scene was suddenly flooded. Water entered her orifices ¨C her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. Whenever she tried to breathe, water would rush in through her nostrils and throat. She could neither speak nor breathe and the pain in her chest caused her to cry out.

    Song Yu woke up with a jerk. She touched her forehead and it was soaked with cold sweat. She saw a dawning sky as she turned to look out of her window. After taking a nce at the time, she got out of bed.

    Song Yu was baffled as to why would she dream of such weird dreams. The first dream was when she first met Jian Yi. Ever since she saved him from the pinch, they became good friends. Together with Guan Xiaolin, the three became inseparable.

    The third dream was about the incident where she almost drowned. It had been a long time since itst appeared in her dreams.

    As for the second dream, she was certain that she had never experienced it before.

    She was also certain that she did not lose any memories upon bring saved from drowning. She was unable to make head or tail of the second dream.

    Song Yu shook her head and washed away the cold sweat. She headed out for work after dressing up and a simple breakfast.

    ¡°Song Yu, I heardst night the damsel in distress was saved by a hero! Tell me what¡¯s between you and the Qi family¡¯s eldest son! He even had his hand on your shoulder!¡± The moment she entered the office, Ruan Danchen dragged her aside. His twinkling eyes were expressing curiosity for gossips.

    Song Yu was stunned for a while. She could not bring herself tough nor to cry and said, ¡°Is that from Xiao Chen? I didn¡¯t expect a man to spread gossip so soon! I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re so credulous. To him, helping me was a piece of cake. If there was really something between us, would I need to spend so much time and effort and exhaust all possibilities just to get to Luo Yushu?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true. However, given that you¡¯ve had the encounter with the eldest son of Qi family, why don¡¯t you take the opportunity?¡± Ruan Danchen put a finance magazine on Song Yu¡¯s table and said, ¡°A man of such quality isn¡¯tmon.¡±

    Song Yu lowered her head and nced at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s photo on the magazine cover. He looked as if he was casually sitting there with no intention to pose for the shoot. Being merely thirty-four-year-old, his depth and reservation could still make one tremble in fear. He was a man who was unceremonious, but at the same time, he had an imposing manner.

    ¡°Stop dreaming. It¡¯s more realistic for me to wish that we win the tender for Qilin¡¯s hotel development project.¡± As Song Yu spoke, the phone rang and she answered.

    It was from Luo Yushu. ¡°Miss Song, I¡¯ve handed your design to the management. Our director would like to meet you in person to discuss the design.¡±

 Chapter 8 - It Was As If He Was Dealing With The Directorâ€™s Wife

    <h4>Chapter 8: It Was As If He Was Dealing With The Director¡¯s Wife</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It was from Luo Yushu. ¡°Miss Song, I¡¯ve handed your design over to the management. Our director would like to meet you in person to further discuss the design.¡±

    ¡°In person?¡± Song Yu voiced her doubt uncontrobly.

    ¡°Yes, our director ces great importance to the development of this leisure hotel project so he¡¯s personally taking over responsibilities for it,¡± said Luo Yushu. His tone became even more polite.

    The director¡¯s special assistant, Cheng Dongge, came looking for him even before Luo Yushu handed in the design that morning. He expressed that the director would be personally responsible for the project and wanted Luo Yushu to contact Song Yu.

    Luo Yushu immediately connected the dots as he recalled the ambiguous interaction the two have had the night before. He would not believe Song Yu¡¯s denial of her rtionship with the director even if he was going to be beaten to death.

    ¡°When will Young Master Cheng be free?¡± Song Yu would not let an important business deal such as this go despite how shady it seemed.

    ¡°Tomorrow morning at eleven. Would you be free then, Miss Song?¡± Luo Yushu¡¯s attitude toward her was as if she was the director¡¯s wife. ¡°The director only has this one-hour slot before lunchtime tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Sure, I¡¯ll be there on time. Thank you so much, Manager Luo.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, I didn¡¯t do anything. Miss Song, it¡¯s all because of your excellent design. I¡¯ll need you to hook me up the next time we¡¯re working together.¡±

    She shook her head after he hung up. It was weird, as she would not be able to hook him up in any way.

    Ruan Danchen spoke excitedly, ¡°How was it? Was it sessful?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. He just asked me to bring the design to him tomorrow for further discussion. It¡¯s not for certain yet.¡± Song Yu was not confident until she could secure the contract.

    ¡°Given that you¡¯ll be discussing the matter in person, there¡¯ll definitely be a chance! Do you think that Qi Chengzhi...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare!¡± Song Yu interrupted her.

    ¡°Yo, Song Yu, you have skills, don¡¯t you. Being able to hook up with someone so powerful just over one dinner. Where did you have this dinner, I wonder?¡± Wang Liwei spoke sarcastically with a peculiar tone.

    ¡°We had it at Shengyue. You can check it out next time,¡± Song Yu replied as if she did not get what Wang Liwei was implying.

    ¡°You know that¡¯s not what I mean! I heard Luo Yushu is famous for taking advantage of women during business meetings. I don¡¯t know what dirty tricks you¡¯ll have to resort to in order to get this deal.¡± Wang Liwei ndered her directly as jealousy suffused her face.

    ¡°Who knew? Maybe you guys were eating in the hotel room!¡±

    ¡°I have much higher standards than you. I¡¯m not going to fall head over heels just because someone carries the title of manager. Maybe you can try sleeping with Luo Yushu and see if you can score the case?¡± Song Yu sneered.

    ¡°You...¡±

    ¡°This is a workce, not somewhere for you to create unnecessary drama. If you have so much time, why don¡¯t you design something useful instead? Make use of the space you¡¯re upying. I have to work.¡± Song Yu lowered her head and began studying the information regarding Qiling¡¯s leisure hotel. She no longer entertained Wang Liwei.

    ¡°Hmph! Who do you think you are? How sanctimonious!¡± Wang Liwei returned to her seat in distaste.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes nced over the magazine at the side. She hesitated for a moment before flipping through it.

 Chapter 9 - Song Yu Felt Rather Anxious to Spend Time Alone with Qi Chengzhi

    <h4>Chapter 9: Song Yu Felt Rather Anxious to Spend Time Alone with Qi Chengzhi</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes nced over the magazine at the side. She hesitated for a moment before flipping through it.

    It was mentioned in the magazine that Qi Chengzhi had volunteered to be transferred from Qilin Technology to Qilin Property <sup>1</sup> as the director. While it seemed like he was promoted from being a general manager to a director, the reality was that Qilin Property was a subsidiarypany of Qilin Technology. It was actually a demotion.

    The public suspected that Qi Chengzhi got into conflict with the family. A daring reporter questioned him on the possibility, to which Qi Chengzhi replied, ¡°I like to be addressed as the director.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu arrived at Qilin as agreed. In fact, she arrived earlier than the appointment time.

    ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, I have an appointment with Young Master Cheng,¡± said Song Yu as she stood in front of Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng is still in a meeting, Miss Song. Please wait for a moment,¡± said Cheng Dongge.

    Song Yu smiled and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m early after all.¡±

    Cheng Dongge smiled and ordered someone to serve coffee and snacks.

    Song Yu only had the coffee and not the snacks. What she did not expect was that the meeting wouldst until twelve noon.

    When Qi Chengzhi came out of the conference room, he halted as he saw Song Yu. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t expect the meeting tost this long. Let¡¯s have lunch together and we can discuss there.¡±

    Song Yu no longer thought that Qi Changzhi was intentionally putting on airs by making her wait as she saw his beaten expression. The two then headed to a restaurant nearby and got a private room.

    Song Yu felt rather anxious to spend time alone with Qi Chengzhi but it was not because she was afraid of being taken advantage of.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, this is the first cut of my design proposal. Let me know where you¡¯d like me to amend as appropriate.¡± Song Yu passed her design proposal over to Qi Changzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi only took one nce before he closed it. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have cut the tiespletely back then, Chengji was worried about you when you lost contact.¡±

    ¡°I needed to have a clean break from my past. Given that my family was bankrupt, I no longer belonged to that world. Clinging on to it only made me feel ufortable. I also didn¡¯t have any intention to keep in touch with anyone from that world.¡± Song Yu did not like to look back. She tried to get back on topic. ¡°Young Master Cheng, my design proposal...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi interrupted her. ¡°Why do you work in this industry then? You¡¯ve met with many of the top management in the industry. Someone will recognize you one day.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, none of them did. Only those in the top hierarchy would know I was engaged with Chengji. Even then, it was only a handful of them. Even though I was exposed to the top management from variouspanies throughout the years, none of them has recognized me. They wouldn¡¯t even associate my name to that ¡®Song Yu¡¯. None of my colleagues are aware as well.¡±

    The ¡®Great Eight Family¡¯ was not something everyone would know about.

    ¡°How long have you been working in thispany?¡±

    Song Yu gave up on trying to bring the topic back to her design proposal. She answered to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s curiosity, ¡°Three years.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I¡¯m just trying to make a living on solid grounds now. I don¡¯t want to talk about the past, neither do I want to get involved with the people from before.¡± Song Yu spoke quickly, in case she was interrupted again, ¡°Qilin¡¯s development of this seven-star leisure hotel is an opportunity every architect in the country is eyeing on.¡±

 Chapter 10 - The Tension Continued to Build up until It Became Quintessential

    <h4>Chapter 10: The Tension Continued to Build up until It Became Quintessential</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I¡¯m just trying to make a living on solid grounds. I don¡¯t want to talk about the past, neither do I want to get involved with the people from before.¡± Song Yu spoke quickly, in case she was interrupted again, ¡°The seven-star leisure hotel that Qilin wants to develop is a great opportunity for every architect in the country.¡±

    ¡°Typically, only foreign architects are hired to take part in andmark project like the seven-star hotel. Even if local architects were to bid for the project, they wouldn¡¯t be given a chance. Hence, this time it¡¯s not merely a big project for me. It¡¯s an opportunity for me to gain a foothold and a name in the industry. I¡¯m going to give my all this time.¡±

    ¡°I have to admit, I don¡¯t have a huge advantage over mypetitors. I¡¯m rtively inexperienced and all my previous designs were for residential developments. But if there¡¯s one thing I can say for sure about myself, it would be that my design style is unique. It¡¯s going to be topical if Qilin hires someone fresh for the project.¡±

    She did not know whether her statements struck a chord, but Qi Chengzhi had turned the pages and begun to read the document in detail.

    Song Yu was fidgety throughout the dinner. She had no idea what she was eating, as she paid full attention to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression. Unfortunately, he did not reveal any of his thoughts. She had no idea whether he was satisfied or not.

    Qi Chengzhi closed the document. ¡°I will take this back and look into it in detail. This time around, there are a lot ofpanies bidding for this project. I need to make aparison, and hence I can¡¯t give you an answer straight away.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. I will send you back to thepany.¡± Qi Chengzhi stood up.

    ¡°I will take a cab back.¡± Song Yu followed suit.

    ¡°Do you want to skip the afternoon¡¯s work?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch.

    Song Yu took note of his action and nced over her watch as well. She then realized it was already a quarter past one, and in fifteen minutes¡¯ time, she would need to clock in at work. She only took the morning off.

    ¡°I will have to trouble you, Young Master Cheng.¡±

    There was less space in the car than in the private room. Seated at the passenger seat, the man next to her exerted a forceful presence, so she was careful not to breathe too hard.

    She did not have anything to say, as was the same with Qi Chengzhi. The tension continued to build up until it became quintessential.

    Her phone hummed in her bag. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief and picked it up. ¡°Mum.¡±

    ¡°Come home for dinner tonight. Call Jian Yi along too. He has helped you a lot in work and I¡¯ve been wanting to thank him,¡± Yu Qianyin said.

    ¡°Why so sudden? I¡¯ll have to call and ask first. I¡¯m not even sure if he¡¯s free.¡±

    ¡°I asked. He said he¡¯s free and he¡¯ll pick you up after work,¡± said Yu Qianyin.

    ¡°Mom.¡± Song Yu sighed, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡±

    ¡°Am I not telling you ahead of time? Jian Yi is a great guy and I can see he¡¯s interested in you. If you like him, you should tell him soon. Otherwise, a great guy like him will be snatched away if you keep mum about it.¡± Yu Qianyin spoke matter-of-factly, ¡°You two exchange flirting nces all the time, but just don¡¯t want to decide on the rtionship. Do you know how anxious it makes me to just watch from the side?¡±

 Chapter 11 - Such an Indecent Private Life

    <h4>Chapter 11: Such an Indecent Private Life</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What are you talking about? Alright, I will see what I can do. Uhm, bye.¡± When Song Yu hung up, she nced at Qi Chengzhi, feeling embarrassed.

    She was aware of how loud her phone was especially after Ruan Danchen had mentioned that she needed to change her phone. Otherwise, people could easily snatch her business away just by eavesdropping her conversations without needing to go through the messages on her phone.

    To her surprise not only did Qi Chengzhi not nce at her, he also did not have any reaction at all.

    When she arrived at the office, Song Yu said dryly, ¡°Thanks for sending me back.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and said nothing.

    Back in the office, Ruan Danchen went straight to the point. ¡°How did it go?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. He took the design proposal and he said he needed time to look over it. It¡¯s toopetitive this time around.¡±

    ¡°Hmph... Someone thought she could be the designer for andmark building! She should really keep her self-centeredness in check,¡± Wang Liwei sneered at the side.

    ¡°No need to entertain her, she¡¯s just a crazy b*tch.¡± Ruan Danchen pulled Song Yu away.

    ¡°Who did you call a b*tch?¡± Wang Liwei stood up and red at them.

    ¡°It¡¯s referring to whoever that reacted to that,¡± said Ruan Danchen bluntly.

    Song Yu shook her head to express that there was no need to lower herself to Wang Liwei¡¯s level.

    When the workday was over, Wang Liwei saw Jian Yi waiting for Song Yu at the entrance of thepany. She said with a peculiar tone, ¡°Such an indecent private life.¡±

    When Song Yu saw that the back seats were full of gifts, she asked, ¡°Why did you buy so much stuff? It¡¯s not the first time you¡¯ve been to my ce for dinner.¡±

    ¡°They are all inexpensive but practical stuff.¡± Jian Yiughed.

    ¡°The fact that you bought so much is going to make my mom call me out for being inconsiderate,¡± Song Yu said after letting out a sigh.

    ¡°That¡¯s how I can get auntie to invite me over more frequently!¡± Jian Yi nced at her, implying something more with his words.

    The car stopped at Song Yu¡¯s house. It was an old residential area. Looking at the crude brown mud wall, Song Yu thought to herself that her parents would have never imagined to be staying in a ce like this. The bankruptcy had changed everything.

    The two-bedroom house her parents stayed in was not much bigger than her small apartment.

    The moment they stepped in, Yu Qianyin weed them warmly. ¡°This kid... Why do you always bring so much stuff over? Song Yu, you should¡¯ve stopped him!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Song Song. She didn¡¯t know about it.¡± Jian Yi smiled and sent everything to the kitchen.

    ¡°Dinner is almost ready. Go and take a seat. Song Yu¡¯s dad talks about you all the time. You... You wouldn¡¯t evene if it weren¡¯t for my invitation.¡± Yu Qianyin waved her spat around as if she was angry.

    ¡°I¡¯m just afraid that if I visited too often, you guys wouldn¡¯t appreciate me as much.¡± Jian Yi walked into the kitchen and continued, ¡°Auntie, your cooking is beyond words. This smells so good.¡±

    ¡°Sweet talk. I would appreciate it more if you visited every day. Regardless of how good my cooking is, it doesn¡¯t motivate you to visit enough.¡± While it seemed like Yu Qianyin wasining, she was smiling brightly.

    Song Yu could never imagine that Yu Qianyin, who had never cooked before the bankruptcy, would get used to the lifestyle of a typical housewife.

 Chapter 12 - Im Heading to Your House

    <h4>Chapter 12: I¡¯m Heading to Your House</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu could never imagine that Yu Qianyin, who had never cooked before bankruptcy, would ever get used to the lifestyle of a typical housewife.

    ¡°Stop hanging around here. It¡¯s greasy and smelly. Go out and chat with Mr. Song. Song Yu, stay around and help.¡± Yu Qianyin chased one away and kept the other around.

    Jian Yi smiled and nced at Song Yu before he heading out.

    Yu Qianyin grabbed Song Yu and whispered in her ear, ¡°You need to make it clear to me today. What do you think about Jian Yi? Do you like him?¡±

    ¡°Mom, can you not?¡± Song Yu said. Her face was flushed.

    Yu Qianyin knew her daughter well. She could tell Song Yu was into Jian Yi by her reaction.

    Yu Qianyin was raging at Song Yu¡¯s cowardice. She poked her head and said, ¡°Look at yourself! If you like someone, you have to go for it instead of waiting for him toe after you. If that¡¯s your approach, the dinner will turn cold! You¡¯ve been passive ever since you were little. You weren¡¯t bothered when Qi Chengji fell in love with someone. On the contrary, you supported him! Now, you¡¯re doing the same thing with Jian Yi. If Jian Yi gets sick of waiting and goes for someone else instead, what¡¯re you going to do?¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t many good men around. Thepetition for a good man is going to be fierce. If one appears, a bunch of women will pounce at him like hungry tigers while you¡¯re still dawdling about! All you know is work and more work! If you¡¯re always so busy, when will you have the time to date? How many men would like a woman who only cares about her career?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I got a call. Let me pick it up!¡± Song Yu quickly took out the ringing phone from her pocket.

    Yu Qianyin was so angry that she expanded more energy while stir-frying, causing a loud ttering sound as the spat hit the wok.

    ¡°Hello.¡± Song Yu picked up the call.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me, Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    Song Yu was stunned. She did not ask why he had her number. It was simple¡ªLuo Yushu had it.

    The sound of the kitchen hood was too loud, hence she stepped out.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look at your design proposal. The idea is good, but I need to discuss some areas with you. Are you avable right now? I¡¯m heading to yourpany <sup>1</sup> .¡± Over the phone, Qi Chengzhi soundedposed.

    ¡°This...¡± Song Yu looked at the door behind and asked, ¡°Is it okay if we talk over it tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°I have an appointment with Guanyu¡¯s architect tomorrow. By the day after we will have the meeting to discuss whose design we are going to use.¡±

    ¡°...¡± It meant that there would be no other time other than tonight. If she could not answer Qi Chengzhi¡¯s questions, any w in the proposal could cause her to lose the bidding opportunity.

    ¡°I will head back now,¡± said Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up and began to hum happily. ¡± There¡¯s no need to be obsessed with me, as I¡¯m just a legend. I¡¯ve never felt lonely because you¡¯re always there with me. <sup>2</sup> ¡±

    While humming, he called someone. ¡°Changju, how about we have an artificial snow show tonight?¡±

    Song Yu returned home and hesitated to enter the kitchen. ¡°Mom...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yu Qianyin could tell that Song Yu had something to say just by looking at her behavior.

 Chapter 13 - When Will She Be Able to Get Married?

    <h4>Chapter 13: When Will She Be Able to Get Married?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Yu Qianying could tell that Song Yu had something to say just by looking at her behavior.

    ¡°Nothing, just somest-minute matters with thepany, which I¡¯ll have to...¡±

    ¡°Are you working overtime again? You¡¯re always working overtime, for you toe home is such a rare asion. I even thought of hooking you up with Jian Yi but you¡¯re not making it any easier for me. Maybe you should just spend the rest of your life with your job!¡±

    ¡°Ma. This business really is important.¡± Song Yu acted like a spoiled child and tugged lightly at Yu Qianying¡¯s woolen sweater.

    Yu Qianying shook Song Yu¡¯s hand off moodily. ¡°Go, go, go! Go and take care of your business!¡±

    The argument from the kitchen could be heard from the living room, prompting Jian Yi and Song Donglin to enter the kitchen.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Song Donglin removed his presbyopia sses and rubbed its lens against his shirt.

    ¡°All she knows is to work and she never knows when toe home! It was so difficult to get her toe home today! Yet she said she has to leave just after one phone call. All she thinks about is her business. When will she be able to get married?¡± Yu Qianying was curt in front of Jian Yi, as if her words were specifically directed for him to hear.

    Song Yi smiled shyly at Jian Yi. He returned her smile with a wink and a smile of his own.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Jian Yi, I have some matters that need to be dealt with immediately.¡± Song Yu walked over to Jian Yi, then looked down and pouted her lips. ¡°I was the one who invited you over for dinner yet I can¡¯t finish the meal with you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, there¡¯s always another time. Let me drive you there.¡± Jian Yi had been meaning to pat her head ¨C he lifted his hand to do so but stopped halfway since he felt that it was improper to pat her in front of her parents.

    Before Song Yu could answer, Yu Qianying snapped and said, ¡°Nonsense! The traffic is congested at the moment. It was already half past seven when you came. The journey to send her ande back will take two hours and the food would be cold by then. You were invited here because we wanted to have dinner with you. Let her go herself. You stay here.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about me. It¡¯s only gonna take a while for me to reach there by cab. You don¡¯t need to send me.¡± Song Yu smiled and touched his shirt sleeve lightly to make him feel more at ease.

    ¡°Ma, I¡¯ll be back on Saturday. Promise,¡± Song Yu turned and said.

    ¡°Tell me only if you¡¯re certain you cane back. I don¡¯t want to be cooking spicy stir-fried squid if you¡¯re not eating.¡± Despite pulling a long face, Yu Qianying still loved Song Yu dearly, and was she not hinting that she would be cooking Song Yu¡¯s favorite spicy stir-fried squid?

    Song Yu smiled and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll get going. I¡¯ll call you both tonight.¡±

    Jian Yi still insisted on sending her while Yu Qianying adamantly prevented him from doing so.

    Song Donglin spoke only after Song Yu left. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for our daughter to make money. She may always be busy with work but she¡¯s doing so for the sake of this household. Don¡¯t be so hard on her all the time.¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s sighed while her eyes were turning red. She nced at Jian Yi and brought out the dishes she cooked. She shook her head as she said, ¡°Song Yu, my child, we¡¯ve been burdening you.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu hailed a cab once she stepped out of the house. Public transport was chocked full of people at that time and it was next to impossible to squeeze in them. Even the taxis were all booked and she had no choice but to take an unlicensed vehicle since she was afraid to keep Qi Chengzhi waiting.

    It was half past eight by the time she reached the apartment building¡¯s entrance. The sky was pitch ck and tiny fragments of snow were falling.

 Chapter 14 - She Distanced Herself Awkwardly from Qi Chengzhi

    <h4>Chapter 14: She Distanced Herself Awkwardly from Qi Chengzhi</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The sky was pitch ck by the time she reached the apartment building¡¯s entrance; tiny fragments of snow were falling too.

    Song Yu rubbed her cold, reddened hands and entered the building.

    It was an old building and there were no elevators, so she took the stairs two at a time. Upon reaching the fourth floor, she looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi leaning on her house door. He was scrolling through his phone and she had no idea what he was looking at.

    Qi Changzhi turned his head and looked on quietly while she was halfway up the flight of stairs ¨C he must have heard her footsteps.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Qi Chengzhi stood there silently; his gaze was indifferent and he seemed neither worried nor impatient. The phrase ¡®taking things easy makes life smooth sailing¡¯ surfaced inexplicably within her mind.

    With her head lowered, she walked up thest few flights of stairs silently and noticed a pile of cigarette butts beside his feet.

    ¡°Have you been waiting long, Young Master Cheng?¡± Song Yu lifted her head but was unable to see his eyes clearly because of his spectacles.

    ¡°Mm.¡± He admitted bluntly without even the slightest greeting.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu nced at him one more time but was still unable to discern whether he was angry. She spoke no further and unlocked her front door.

    As Song Yu walked forward to the door, Qi Chengzhi simply stood where he was; he did not give way. His tall posture stood inclined to one side and took up almost half the width of the doorway. That caused her shoulder to brush against his chest. Song Yu trembled slightly when she felt the heat and her gait became stiff.

    She felt as though Qi Chengzhi was following closely behind her. Her back could almost feel the warmth emanating from his body. His eyes looked directly at the back of her head causing the back of her head to feel blisteringly sore.

    As the door closed behind them, Qi Chengzhi scrutinized her tiny home.

    It was an apartment home, whereby the living room also served as a dining room and the coffee table was ced beside the dining table. The addition of a sofa made the ce seem even more cramped.

    It went without saying that when Song Yu was alone, she moved about freely in the small space and she never felt smothered even after a long time living in this house. However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s presence made the ceiling seem extremely low, his head could easily touch the ceiling. The view itself was suffocating and Song Yu had difficulty breathing.

    She distanced herself awkwardly from Qi Chengzhi. He noticed it but did not bat an eyelid.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Qi Chengzhi sat down on the sofa. His bent his legs and had a somewhat sullen disposition.

    ¡°I was just about to when you called, Young Master Cheng,¡± Song Yu replied straightforwardly and her tone seemed to have a touch of dissatisfaction.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. ¡°I haven¡¯t either, and I¡¯m feeling peckish.¡±

    ¡®In that case, why did you not eat beforeing?¡¯ Song Yu was speechless.

    She turned her head and looked out the window. She gazed at the sky and the gracefully falling snow. ¡°Do you want to get something?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like it.¡± Qi Chengzhi leaned back on the sofa with his rxed attitude.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go out and buy something then.¡±

    Just as she was about to leave the house, Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°It¡¯s dark and cold. It¡¯ll be too dangerous for ady like you to go out alone.¡±

    ¡®If you were truly worried, how about you go by yourself?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ll order takeout.¡± Song Yu scrolled through her phone to search for the number of the nearest takeout.

 Chapter 15 - Is It Possible for You to Have A Simple Meal, Young Master Cheng?

    <h4>Chapter 15: Is It Possible for You to Have A Simple Meal, Young Master Cheng?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ll order takeout.¡± Song Yu scrolled through her phone to search for the number of the nearest takeout.

    ¡°I don¡¯t fancy takeout from regr restaurants.¡± Qi Chengzhi twitched his lips in disdain, as though food from those ces would insult his stomach.

    ¡°How about something from Dynasty <sup>1</sup> then?¡± Song Yu tried suggesting but in her mind, she was silently criticizing him for being such a fussy man.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and said, ¡°Dynasty is so far away from here. I¡¯ll die from hunger by the time food arrives.¡±

    ¡°...¡± ¡®Is it even possible for you to have a meal normally, Young Master Cheng?¡¯

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you cook me something? Any light, homely dish will do.¡± Qi Chengzhi took off his sses. Warm indoor winds had caused his lens to turn foggy.

    He might as well not put them on again, so he simply ced it somewhere on the coffee table.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t eat at home often since I work overtime on most days. I don¡¯t have any ingredients to cook with at home because they¡¯ll turn if I stored them too long.¡± Song Yu felt somewhat embarrassed. ¡°I do have instant noodles, I can cook it if you want.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up cynically at her without lifting his head, making her feel as though she hadmitted some heinous blunder.

    He got up and responded bluntly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going out to eat?¡± Song Yu followed him and asked.

    ¡°To buy groceries.¡± Qi Chengzhi was already heading to the door.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t feel like budging. Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to find a restaurant than to buy groceries and cook?¡± Song Yu blurted without giving it much thought.

    Without a sign, Qi Chengzhi stopped abruptly. Song Yu nearly ran into him. Although she managed to halt her steps in time, at that instant, both of them were in very close proximity to each other.

    She lifted her head up and saw his unhappy expression. His eyes simply squinted at her without saying a word.

    Not many were able to bear it when Qi Chengzhi disyed such a look; many felt rather apprehensive.

    ¡°Hehe, Young Master Cheng, you want to go get groceries, yes?¡± Song Yu curried his favor with a smile.

    Qi Chengzhi sneered and turned around, leaving her with a cold figure of his back.

    Both of them got in the car and went to the nearest supermarket. A thickyer of snow had umted on the ground but driving was not hampered.

    Song Yu thought of a question. ¡°Young Master Cheng, how did you know my address?¡±

    ¡°You were my younger brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e and someone whom I may potentially cooperate with in the future, but whatever the role may be, I have to find out more about you. I got your address simply by asking yourpany,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied insipidly as he parked his car at the carpark.

    Ruan Danchen was the only one in thepany that knew her address. Song Yu made a mental note. She would have a word with her so that in the future, Ruan Danchen would not simply share Song Yu¡¯s personal information to anyone else.

    Surprisingly, Qi Chengzhi insisted on buying vegetables in the supermarket despite not knowing what most of those vegetables were. He would point at one and go, ¡°What¡¯s this,¡± then at another and ask, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    It made Song Yu feel as though she was conducting a field trip.

    After choosing those that he wanted to eat and paying for them, Qi Chengzhi turned back and went in again. Before entering the supermarket, he said to her, ¡°I just remembered there¡¯s something I need to buy. Wait for me outside.¡±

    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡ª ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¡ª ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Anonymous <sup>2</sup> : Young Master Cheng, tell me the truth. It was because of Song Yu¡¯s call that you purposefully asked her toe back, right?

    Boss Qi: ...

    Anonymous: Do you know how much Song Yu dislikes you?

    Boss Qi: ...

    Anonymous: You went in again. What are you buying exactly?

    Boss Qi: Scram.

    Anonymous: ...

    Stay tuned for the next chapter to know what Young Master Cheng bought.

 Chapter 16 - Is It Nice to Deceive Others and Yourself Like This, Young Master Cheng?

    <h4>Chapter 16: Is It Nice to Deceive Others and Yourself Like This, Young Master Cheng?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After choosing what he wanted to eat and paying for them, Qi Chengzhi turned back and went in again. Before heading back in, he said to her, ¡°I just remembered there¡¯s something I need to buy. Wait for me outside.¡±

    All Song Yu could do was wait for him outside the checkout counter. She then saw Qi Chengzhi carrying a small box of God-knows-what while making payment.

    As she looked and looked at him, she felt that there was something odd about his facial appearance. She could not pinpoint what made her feel that way, so she kept staring absent-mindedly at him.

    ¡°Are you staring at me like an idiot because you finally noticed that I look good?¡± At some point in time, Qi Chengzhi was already in front of her. His hand held the stic bag but its contents could not be seen.

    ¡°You¡¯re not wearing sses!¡± Song Yu eventually noticed the thing that made her perplexed.

    ¡°I left it on your coffee table. I forgot to wear them,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied.

    Song Yu then felt lightness in her hands; he had taken the vegetables from her.

    ¡°You can drive without any issues?¡± idents could happen easily in the dark of night.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with my eyesight.¡± He nced at her. ¡°They¡¯re non-prescription sses.¡±

    ¡°Why do you wear them, then?¡± Song Yu looked up and noticed that his eyes were rather attractive without the shield of the spectacles. They were as enigmatic as a Westerner, and his imposing manner was even more obvious than before.

    ¡°Wearing sses makes me appear more easily dealt with.¡± The refined image exuded by those sses deceived plenty of people in the business world, but after those people were put at a disadvantage by him, few idiots would fall for the same trick again.

    ¡°Is it nice to deceive others and yourself like this, Young Master Cheng?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu immediately tidied things up once the both of them got home. It did not take much time to whip up two or three simple dishes.

    Qi Chengzhi waited alone, so in the meantime, he entered Song Yu¡¯s bedroom.

    It was a simple bedroom¡ªthere was a bed, a dressing table, and a work desk. On top of the work desk was a notebook and some documents. Evidently, her bedroom also functioned as a study room for her work.

    There was a piece of drawing paper beside the notebook. On it was the drawing of a building and itsyout ¨C it corresponded with the concept that was brought forward when she presented her proposed design to him.

    However, the design diagram was a mere sketch.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, dinner¡¯s ready.¡± Song Yu stood at the doorway and felt rather uneasy when she saw him standing in the personal space that was her bedroom.

    He seemed to upy almost the whole bedroom despite being by himself. It was as though he could see through all of her with his sudden intrusion into her most personal space.

    ¡°Is this the design for the leisure hotel?¡± Qi Chengzhi held up the drawing paper and asked.

    Song Yu nodded.

    He ced the paper down and walked out, but Song Yu still felt his energy lingering around in the room. The ce where he stood felt different than it was before.

    ¡°Why did you design it now? Wouldn¡¯t your drawing be in vain if yourpany wasn¡¯t chosen eventually?¡± He sat down and looked at the food before him.

 Chapter 18 - She Would Have Thought He Was Taking Liberty with Her

    <h4>Chapter 18: She Would Have Thought He Was Taking Liberty with Her</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She wondered if she would ever be able to have a good night¡¯s sleep on that bed again. She feared that the exact scene¡ªof Qi Chengzhi lying on her bed that night¡ªwould pop up in her mind once sheid down on it.

    Song Yu could feel her face burning. She dropped her gaze quickly.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed to be fully absorbed in her draft. He was not aware of her presence.

    To make her presence felt, she had no choice but to break the silence first and said, ¡°Young Master Cheng, do you have any other questions on the design proposal?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up, reacting to her voice. For a brief moment, he looked dazed. The look faded away as Song Yu¡¯s question interrupted the flow he was in while studying the design proposal.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m not aware that you have your draft here. Let¡¯s base our discussions on this. It¡¯d be easier,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi. He continued to study the draft before him.

    Song Yu was not sure whether it was a blunder. She went straight to the point, ¡°Uhm, Young Master Cheng, are youing down? We can continue our discussion here.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up, with a slightly stunned expression, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over here?¡±

    Song Yu looked back and forth at him and at the bed. She blushed. Deep inside, she was sulking.

    It seemed like he did not mean any harm. If not for his surprised look and serious tone, she would have thought he was taking liberty with her.

    Judging from Song Yu¡¯s expression, Qi Chengzhi, atst, acknowledged how the statement sounded inappropriate. He smiled apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too absorbed in this and said something inappropriate.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took off from the bed, carrying the design with him. He sat down at theputer desk. Song Yu carried a chair and sat next to him.

    Theputer desk was not big, and since both of them were staring at the same piece of paper, they were in close proximity.

    ¡°I feel that, given it¡¯s andmark building by a Chinese designer, there¡¯s nothing we¡¯re more familiar with than the ancient Chinese buildings. If we were to pursue a contemporary design blindly, it may end up being neither fish nor fowl. However, given a ssic one like Dynasty¡¯s is already in the city, I¡¯ve referred to the Star Pce <sup>1</sup> from Chinese mythologies and the Babel from the Bible for Qilin¡¯s hotel.¡±

    Song Yu halted unnaturally. Qi Chengzhi was indeed getting too close.

    His chest brushed her shoulder and arm as he leaned forward to get a clearer view of the paper. Simrly, as his head leaned closer, she could feel his breath on her ears. The warmth had blurred her consciousness. She was not sure what words she was uttering.

    Song Yu could feel her mouth getting dry. She licked her dry lips. She took a sip of water that was conveniently by her side.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her intently from the side. He did not hide his desire, and it made Song Yu feel nervous and awkward. She wanted to ignore it, but his gaze was too intense, and the two were too close.

    For theck of a better option, Song Yu turned around to ask what the matter was with him.

    Unexpectedly, it was not the intense stare that she had expected¡ªQi Chengzhi looked embarrassed.

    He pointed at the cup Song Yu was holding. Embarrassed, he said, ¡°That¡¯s my cup.¡±

 Chapter 18 - She Would Have Thought He Was Taking Liberty with Her

    <h4>Chapter 18: She Would Have Thought He Was Taking Liberty with Her</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She wondered if she would ever be able to have a good night¡¯s sleep on that bed again. She feared that the exact scene¡ªof Qi Chengzhi lying on her bed that night¡ªwould pop up in her mind once sheid down on it.

    Song Yu could feel her face burning. She dropped her gaze quickly.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed to be fully absorbed in her draft. He was not aware of her presence.

    To make her presence felt, she had no choice but to break the silence first and said, ¡°Young Master Cheng, do you have any other questions on the design proposal?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up, reacting to her voice. For a brief moment, he looked dazed. The look faded away as Song Yu¡¯s question interrupted the flow he was in while studying the design proposal.

    ¡°Oh. I¡¯m not aware that you have your draft here. Let¡¯s base our discussions on this. It¡¯d be easier,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi. He continued to study the draft before him.

    Song Yu was not sure whether it was a blunder. She went straight to the point, ¡°Uhm, Young Master Cheng, are youing down? We can continue our discussion here.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up, with a slightly stunned expression, and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe over here?¡±

    Song Yu looked back and forth at him and at the bed. She blushed. Deep inside, she was sulking.

    It seemed like he did not mean any harm. If not for his surprised look and serious tone, she would have thought he was taking liberty with her.

    Judging from Song Yu¡¯s expression, Qi Chengzhi, atst, acknowledged how the statement sounded inappropriate. He smiled apologetically, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was too absorbed in this and said something inappropriate.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took off from the bed, carrying the design with him. He sat down at theputer desk. Song Yu carried a chair and sat next to him.

    Theputer desk was not big, and since both of them were staring at the same piece of paper, they were in close proximity.

    ¡°I feel that, given it¡¯s andmark building by a Chinese designer, there¡¯s nothing we¡¯re more familiar with than the ancient Chinese buildings. If we were to pursue a contemporary design blindly, it may end up being neither fish nor fowl. However, given a ssic one like Dynasty¡¯s is already in the city, I¡¯ve referred to the Star Pce <sup>1</sup> from Chinese mythologies and the Babel from the Bible for Qilin¡¯s hotel.¡±

    Song Yu halted unnaturally. Qi Chengzhi was indeed getting too close.

    His chest brushed her shoulder and arm as he leaned forward to get a clearer view of the paper. Simrly, as his head leaned closer, she could feel his breath on her ears. The warmth had blurred her consciousness. She was not sure what words she was uttering.

    Song Yu could feel her mouth getting dry. She licked her dry lips. She took a sip of water that was conveniently by her side.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her intently from the side. He did not hide his desire, and it made Song Yu feel nervous and awkward. She wanted to ignore it, but his gaze was too intense, and the two were too close.

    For theck of a better option, Song Yu turned around to ask what the matter was with him.

    Unexpectedly, it was not the intense stare that she had expected¡ªQi Chengzhi looked embarrassed.

    He pointed at the cup Song Yu was holding. Embarrassed, he said, ¡°That¡¯s my cup.¡±

 Chapter 19 - Since Youve Asked, I Will Stay The Night

    <h4>Chapter 19: Since You¡¯ve Asked, I Will Stay The Night</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He pointed at the cup Song Yu was holding and said embarrassedly, ¡°That¡¯s my cup.¡±

    ¡®Thud!¡¯

    Song Yu ced the cup hard on the desk. Some water sshed out.

    ¡°I will go and get another cup of water.¡± She stood up and walked out of the room stiffly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze followed her out, and he noted the nape of her neck blushing.

    He grinned. He took the cup and drank a sip of water at the same ce where her lips left a light stain.

    When Song Yu returned, the two carried on with the discussion. Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch, ¡°It¡¯s already 12.30am. Apologies, I wasn¡¯t paying attention to the time and dragged the discussion too long.¡±

    ¡°No worries. This is a big case. Young Master Cheng, as long as you¡¯re satisfied, that¡¯s what matters. This is just a draft and there will be several revisions after this. Young Master Cheng, what do you think about the design?¡± Song Yu probed. She wanted to know her chances.

    ¡°Not bad.¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded without implying anything. He bent his head to look out the window.

    ¡°Eh? When did it start snowing so heavily?¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke as he walked to the window.

    Song Yu followed suit. Unexpectedly, the snow flurry had turned into a snowstorm. The winter night wind was violent, and it was worsening.

    Looking across the horizon, it was all covered in silvery white snow. The snow seemed to light up the night.

    The snow covering had reached the level of half a tire.

    ¡°The snow covering is too thick for a smooth ride.¡± While Qi Chengzhi seemed to just be mumbling to himself, his eyes were fixed on Song Yu. The implication was obvious.

    ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s lips trembled a little. She was not sure what to say.

    ¡°ident tends to happen during midnight, particrly during a heavy snowstorm.¡± He withdrew his eyes from Song Yu and mumbled to himself by the window.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu could not stand his grumbling. She probed, ¡°Young Master Cheng, how about you stay overnight?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned his head slowly. He nodded, taking the statement seriously, ¡°Since you asked, I will stay overnight.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    It was just a superficial remark. She did not mean what she said.

    ¡°I will go and take a shower.¡± Qi Chengzhi began to step outside. He looked back at the door and asked, ¡°Do you have clothes I can wear?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Song Yu answered honestly.

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing and continued walking. He thought to himself, ¡®Good. It means no man stays here.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi brought a shopping bag into the bathroom when Song Yu was not paying attention. He¡¯d stopped by the supermarket before this.

    A pair of briefs was inside the bag.

    While Qi Chengzhi was showering, Song Yu ced pillows and a fresh nket on the sofa in the living room.

    Next, she brought in a spare toothbrush.

    She kept a few spare toiletries at home in case they ran out¡ªshe was usually so busy with work that she had no time to purchase them.

 Chapter 20 - Song Yu Almost Fainted The Moment She Walked In

    <h4>Chapter 20: Song Yu Almost Fainted The Moment She Walked In</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She kept a few spare toiletries at home in case they ran out¡ªshe was usually so busy with work that she had no time to purchase them.

    When Qi Chengzhi got out of the shower, still wearing a shirt and long pants, Song Yu let out a sigh of relief.

    Fortunately, he did not use ¡®not having any clothes to wear¡¯ as an excuse toe out naked.

    His hair was notpletely dry¡ªshe could tell from its slight dampness. It was obvious he did not have the patience to dry his hairpletely. It was a low-effort blow-dry work.

    Qi Chengzhi saw the pillows and nket on the sofa as he got out. Calmly, he asked, ¡°Are you not showering?¡±

    Truth be told, she was fidgety by the sudden appearance of a man in her home. She was trying to tread carefully and showering was not a matter to be treated lightly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude toward her went way back. He treated her in a neutral manner. Sometimes the way he looked at her would make her feel a chill down her spine.

    Considering the fact that Qi Chengzhi was the least likely person to do anything to her, she carried her pajamas into the bathroom.

    Song Yu showered quickly. It felt uneasy to have a man at home.

    She blew dry her hair after showering to prevent any wet-look temptation.

    When she got out of the shower, she was shocked that nobody was on the sofa.

    Without any apparent reason, she had an intuition that she knew where he was. She walked toward her bedroom.

    Song Yu almost fainted the moment she walked in.

    Qi Chengzhi had already taken off his clothes and was in her nket, on her bed.

    He put both his hands under his head and bent to look at the rapid snow fall outside the window.

    His shoulder and arms dangling out from the nket were not covered. She assumed that underneath the nket he was wearing nothing.

    ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± Qi Chengzhi withdrew his gaze from the window and turned to look at her. ¡°I tried lying on the sofa just now, but it seems like a three-seater sofa is too short for me. Half of my legs were dangling and it was really ufortable. You¡¯re shorter than me. I suppose you¡¯d fit better on the sofa.¡±

    He smiled at her when he was done talking. This smile seemed to suggest that he was fawning over her.

    Song Yu felt certain that she misunderstood the message.

    Given the statement and the fact that he was a big client that she had to carefully nurture, she decided it was not a worthy pursuit to fight over the bed.

    She pulled out a forceful smile and said, ¡°It was my intention to sleep on the sofa anyway. I didn¡¯t make it clear to you just now, Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mocking gaze revealed that he clearly did not believe it.

    Song Yu said, ¡°I will go to bed now. Goodnight.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not say a word. He shut his eyes immediately.

    Song Yu closed the door and went to the sofa.

    The nket had been in the storage for a while and smelled like mothballs. In addition to the unfamiliar smell, the image of Qi Chengzhi being naked in her bed was stuck in her mind. It was too intimate a scene.

    The nket was something that came in close contact with her on a daily basis. However, as of then, nothing was separating it from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body. All of a sudden, Song Yu¡¯s entire body felt uneasy. Unable to fall asleep, she tossed and turned on the sofa.

 Chapter 21 - Qi Chengzhi Felt as Though He Dug His Own Grave

    <h4>Chapter 21: Qi Chengzhi Felt as Though He Dug His Own Grave</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The nket was something that came into close contact with her on a daily basis. However, as of then, nothing was separating it from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body. All of a sudden, Song Yu¡¯s entire body felt uneasy. Unable to fall asleep, she tossed and turned on the sofa.

    Back in the bedroom, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s situation was far worse than Song Yu¡¯s.

    He had just seen her standing at the bedroom doorway, dressed only in a nightgown. Coupled with the scent of body lotion emanating from her body, he inadvertently got hard.

    The memory of seeing her dressed that way surged uncontrobly from the depths of his mind, causing the heat in his body to slowly rise.

    He took a deep breath in an attempt to suppress it, but once again, it was her aroma that entered his nose.

    It surrounded himpletely; after all, he was wrapped in her nket and sleeping on her bed.

    Qi Chengzhi felt as though he dug his own grave. He brought upon the suffering on himself and his restlessness could no longer be quelled.

    He switched to lying on his belly and buried his face in Song Yu¡¯s pillow. He sniffed it and discovered that the scent of her hair was still present.

    Then, he paused momentarily. He thought of something and curled his lips upward. He proceeded to rub the back of his head all over the pillow and was satisfied only after he could smell his own scent on it.

    He did not stop there, though. Next, he was rolling from one side of the bed to the other.

    Despite having taken a shower, his natural male pheromones were notpletely eliminated. At that point, the bedsheets had been rubbed all over by him and the faint smell of his pheromones could actually be picked up by the nose.

    He finally stopped after rolling around on the bed for quite some time.

    Another idea then sprang to his mind. He reached under the covers for moment, grabbed his underwear, and tossed it out.

    After that, he wrapped all four limbs around the nket and sandwiched it tightly; another round of rubbing was underway.

    Once he could smell the amalgamation of both their scents on the bedsheet, pillow, and nket, Qi Chengzhi finally closed his eyes in satisfaction.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu slept particrlyfortably. She vaguely felt as though she was sleeping on her familiar bed¡ªwhere the mattress was soft, the sheets were clean, and there was no smell of mothballs¡ªinstead of the sullen sofa.

    She felt something wrapping around her, and all of a sudden, she felt an oing pressure on her body. It was not really heavy, but the feeling was akin to being trapped firmly by a thick wall.

    In her dreamy and unconscious state, she stretched out her hand and tried pushing, but her soft hands came into contact with satiny, silk-like skin.

    Something soft wasing into contact with her lips. Their wetness, warmth, and tingling silkiness made her feel as though an electrical current was flowing through her lips.

    ¡°Mmgh...¡± she mumbled in her sleep. She had no idea what kind of dream she was having, but the tender feelings cause her to utter subconsciously, ¡°Jian Yi...¡±

    As her lips parted, a gush of velvety warmth entered her mouth, bringing with it a vigorous enthusiasm that was far from the gentleness of before. On the contrary, it was intense, and it filled her mouthpletely.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Note from the author: After writing two chapters, we can passionately celebrate the first kiss ~~make sure to bookmark~~

 Chapter 22 - What Are You Doing, Aili?

    <h4>Chapter 22: What Are You Doing, Aili?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As her lips parted, a gush of velvety warmth entered her mouth, bringing with it a vigorous enthusiasm that was far from the gentleness of before. On the contrary, it was intense, and it filled her mouthpletely.

    ¡°Unggh...¡± Song Yu knit her brows. She felt sore and finally realized that something was not right. She opened her eyes, and upon seeing the person on top of her, her heart was sent into a frenzy.

    Qi Chengzhi!

    He was fully naked and on top of her. Her shoulders were held down and both of their bodies were intimately rubbing against each other, leaving her rattled and confused.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes opened wide in bewilderment. With a strength that came from nowhere, she forcefully kicked him off the bed.

    Along with an audible thud, Qi Chengzhi sat up in a daze and grumbled, ¡°Aili, what are you doing?¡±

    She frantically got off the bed and was so incensed that she could barely stand firm.

    It was a bad enough start to the morning when out of the blue, he carried her to the bed just to take advantage of her. Worse still was that he mistook her for another woman!

    Song Yu was so angry that her entire body was trembling. Apanying that anger was a feeling that she had been wronged, and tears began swirling around her eye sockets.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I allowed you to stay because I trusted you. Let me tell you this, I¡¯m not someone who will betray herself just for the sake of business!¡± Her face was red from indignation, while her voice faltered because her anger and hurt had reached their peak.

    She could care less whether Aili was a real person or simply a ruse.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression abruptly turned cold. His unsightly sternness led Song Yu to feel scared, and her heart felt like it had dropped.

    It was she who suffered the wrong, but why was she so afraid?

    ¡°I, Qi Chengzhi, am not a person who would use business to take advantage of women! If I did, I would¡¯ve had plenty of women at my side by now!¡± His unfeeling voice brought with it a hint of anger, and it was the first time he spoke to Song Yu in that manner.

    ¡°I was obviously on the sofa. I couldn¡¯t possibly have crawled up the bed on my own,¡± Song Yu asked, and her expression remained unchanging.

    ¡°I woke up in the middle of the night to get some water. You didn¡¯t look at peace when you curled up on the sofa, so I carried you here. It¡¯s a queen-sized bed anyway, and it¡¯s not like I was going to do anything to you.¡± Qi Chengzhi kneaded the outer corner of his eyes and was feeling rather embarrassed too. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be dazed and half-conscious. When I felt that someone was beside me, I just...¡±

    Song Yu looked over to the table and sure enough, there was a half-empty ss of water.

    ¡°Regarding this, I apologize. But I hope that you¡¯ll apologize to me too since you insinuated that I used business to take advantage of you,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied categorically. His words were filled with righteousness that was both imposing and insistent.

    All Song Yu could feel was an inability to even mention those words. Why did she have to apologize when it was she herself who received a pinning down and a kiss that was wholly uncalled-for?

    Irrespective of anything, she found herself unable to utter those words of apology.

    Seeing as she was lowering her head and keeping silent, Qi Chengzhi sneered. He picked up his shirt and trousers from the back of the chair and went out of the bedroom.

    As she looked at him from behind, Song Yu had a sudden realization ¨C all that time she was talking to him, he was stark naked save for a pair of underwear!

    Once she calmed herself down, she decided to apologize to him. She had to suck it up for fear that the misunderstanding might lead to her being struck off from the name-list ofpetitors.

 Chapter 23 - I Bumped into A Rabid Dog on The Way Here and It Was Scary

    <h4>Chapter 23: I Bumped into A Rabid Dog on The Way Here and It Was Scary</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Once she calmed herself down, she decided to apologize to him. She had to suck it up for fear that the misunderstanding might lead to her being struck off from the name-list ofpetitors.

    Right when she was about to go out, she heard the sound of a closing door.

    To her surprise, Qi Chengzhi was no longer there once she went out.

    When she leaned on the window, she saw Qi Chengzhi leaving the building and entering the car. Song Yu sighed and got herself ready for work.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi closed the car door roughly. He lit a cigarette and took a deep, spiteful breath. Then he tossed it resentfully on the snow-covered ground.

    When he heard her utter the name ¡®Jian Yi¡¯, he felt a disgustingness that was akin to swallowing a fly.

    The original n was to hug her, but after hugging her, he felt like kissing her, thinking that a gentle kiss might not be enough to wake her up. He never expected her to call out that disgusting name, so in a moment of anger, he began using force.

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep, intense breath and drove off with a sour face.

    A simr expression was stered on Song Yu¡¯s face when she arrived at thepany, prompting Ruan Danchen to ask, ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did someone annoy you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I bumped into a rabid dog on the way here. It was scary.¡±

    ¡°Achoo!¡± Qi Chengzhi sneezed from within his office.

    ...

    ...

    Throughout the day, Song Yu felt apprehensive and uneasy. The incident with Qi Chengzhi that morning was an unpleasant one, and she wondered if there was still any hope for her business.

    The thought of giving him a call and apologizing surfaced a few times in her mind, but she could not bring herself to do it.

    Eventually, she received a call from him once she got off work.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng?¡± Song Yu picked up the call nervously.

    ¡°I left my sses at your home. I¡¯lle by tonight and get them,¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke from the other end.

    She did not envisage that the call would be about the spectacles. After what happened that morning, she was wary of simply inviting him over, so she replied, ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with your eyesight, right?¡±

    ¡°I need to put up a front when dealing with others.¡± A righteous and self-confident voice transmitted from the other end.

    ¡°...¡±¡®No one would believe you even with that front.¡¯

    ¡°You do have other sses, don¡¯t you?¡± There was no reason to insist on that particr pair.

    ¡°It¡¯s my favorite pair.¡± At that point, she had the feeling that he was being rather unreasonable.

    Song Yu thought for some time, but her only reply was, ¡°How about we meet somewhere, I¡¯ll bring them over to you.¡±

    ¡°Are you worried that I might take advantage of you?¡± Qi Chengzhi said sarcastically.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Okay then, send them over to the Red Roof Club. I¡¯ll be there with a few friends.¡± He no longer insisted oning to her.

    ¡°...¡± Those friends of his were surely familiar with who she was, and she dreaded to meet them.

    ¡°You¡¯re scared toe out and meet people now?¡± He hit the nail on the head with that question.

    ¡°I have no problem meeting anyone. I¡¯ll send them to you,¡± Song Yu replied.

 Chapter 24 - Qi Chenglin Seemed Adamant for Her to Stay

    <h4>Chapter 24: Qi Chenglin Seemed Adamant for Her to Stay</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I have no problem meeting anyone. I¡¯ll deliver them to you,¡± Song Yu replied.

    She went home, found the sses on the table, then took a cab to the Red Roof Club.

    The Red Roof Club used to be the prince¡¯s residence. It was one of the finest clubs in the whole of B City, possibly even the whole country. Its members consist not only of those who have the money but with requisite social status; anyone who was rich enough to pay its membership fees had the rights to be epted as a member.

    Rows of expensive cars were parked at the entrance when Song Yu arrived. The scene was more or less on par with those viral pictures of expensive cars lining Dubai¡¯s streets.

    She called Qi Chengzhi to ascertain the room he was in.

    Upon entering the club, she spoke with an attendant and was was then led to the room by the regally-dressed attendant. Before she could go in, the attendant knocked on the door and opened it for her.

    Deep down, she was prepared for the possibility that she would meet those who knew her from the past but was taken by surprise.

    Aside from Qi Chengzhi, there was Yan Beicheng, Chu Zhaoyang, Wei Zilin, and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s younger male cousin, Qi Chenglin. All of them were members of The Great Eight Families.

    Song Yu was not at all acquainted with these people; she only knew their names but was able to match those names to their faces.

    During the time she was engaged to Qi Chengji, the two of them were still very young. However, that group of people had long reached adulthood and made a name for themselves in their own respective fields.

    Back in the day, she never attended dinner parties. Even if she did, she would not have mingled with people like them.

    She was still a kid back then; for them at least.

    Uponying eyes on her, the group stared nkly. It was evident that she looked familiar but they were unable to put their finger on a name in that short moment.

    Song Yu smiled bitterly in her heart. It was seven years ago, after all.

    Qi Chenglin was the only one to react. ¡°Song Yu? I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s you. The little girl has grown up to be a fine youngdy.¡±

    The rest finally had their ¡®oh¡¯ moment after Qi Chenglin speak.

    Song Yu greeted each one of them and passed the spectacles over to Qi Chengzhi.

    The group felt that something was in the air when they saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s expressions.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, here are the sses. I won¡¯t bother you further,¡± Song Yu said. She then waved at the others and began to leave.

    ¡°Song Yu, it is rare to have you here, why don¡¯t you stay and have some fun?¡± Qi Chenglin pointed to the poker cards he was holding.

    Song Yu smiled politely and shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how.¡±

    ¡°Well, just sit around and observe. It¡¯s been such a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, so treat this as a little chat to reminisce about the old times.¡± Qi Chenglin seemed adamant for her to stay.

    On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression did not change even a single bit.

    ¡°I...¡± As soon as she opened her mouth, her phone rang. She took it out and saw that it was Jian Yi, so she smiled at Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯ll have to take this call.¡±

    She rushed out of the room once she finished her sentence.

    Qi Chengzhi ¨C who had been silent until then ¨C stood up and also made his way out. Qi Chenglin asked from behind, ¡°Big brother, where are you going?¡±

 Chapter 25 - Could It Be That He Fallen for His Brotherâ€™s Ex-FiancÃ©e?

    <h4>Chapter 25: Could It Be That He Fallen for His Brother¡¯s Ex-Fianc¨¦e?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi ¨C who had been silent until then ¨C stood up and also made his way out. Qi Chenglin asked from behind, ¡°Big brother, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°The toilet,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied as he left.

    ¡°Toilet? Isn¡¯t there a toilet inside here?¡± Yan Beicheng questioned.

    Chu Zhaoyang touched a card and remarked, ¡°I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s going to look for Song Yu! Chenglin, what¡¯s the matter with Chengzhi and Song Yu? They don¡¯t seem to be getting along well!¡±

    ¡°Whoa, could it be that he had fallen for his brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e?¡± A twinkle of interest glimmered in Yan Beicheng¡¯s eyes.

    Being no longer able to resist being curious, even Wei Zilin lifted his head and looked at Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know the specific details. My big brother¡¯s way of thinking is anyone¡¯s guess.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. ¡°There¡¯s one thing that I know, though. Three years ago, when Song Yu joined Chengshi Infrastructures, my big brother voluntarily requested a transfer to be the chairman of Qilin Properties.¡±

    ¡°I never thought that our Young Master Cheng is seeded with infatuation,¡± Yan Beicheng teased.

    Qi Chenglin shot him a nce. ¡°Try saying that in front of my brother.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yan Beicheng shut up immediately.

    ...

    ...

    As Qi Changzhi followed Song Yu out, he saw Song Yu at a corner. Her head was low as she spoke with Jian Yi on the phone and it seemed like she was talking about something personal.

    He nced indifferently at her and began walking toward the other direction.

    Right after finishing her call, she bumped into Qi Chengzhi. He had walked toward the other end of the corridor but then decided to walk toward her instead.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t wanna stay here anymore, then don¡¯t. I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her putting her phone away.

    ¡°I won¡¯t trouble you, Young Master Cheng. I¡¯ll just take the cab.¡± Song Yu rejected bluntly.

    Qi Chengzhi then scoffed. ¡°A cab, here? I¡¯d like to see you get one.¡±

    It was then that Song Yu remembered how secluded the Red Roof Club was. Everyone was rich, cabs would never pass through that area.

    In the end, she still got on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car.

    ¡°Seatbelt,¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled expressionlessly.

    Song Yu lowered her head and silently warned herself not to make a fool of herself again. Her hands were trembling as she put her seatbelt on.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, about this morning, I apologize,¡± Song Yu said with her head still lowered.

    Qi Chengzhi shot her a nce and she continued, ¡°I hope Young Master Cheng won¡¯t be prejudiced with my design after what happened this morning.¡±

    ¡®Screech...¡¯ Qi Chengzhi abruptly stopped his car by the roadside. His sudden braking caused Song Yu¡¯s body to be thrown forward and back again.

    ¡°Really, Song Yu? First, you insult my integrity, then you insult my work ethic?¡± He turned his head and looked coldly at her. She was shivering from his frigid stare.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once more, I¡¯ll never let my personal life interfere with the decisions I make at work. Even if I slept with you this morning, I wouldn¡¯t give you the business simply because we slept. As for the insults directed at me, I don¡¯t want to hear theming out from your mouth again.¡±

 Chapter 26 - It Is Futile for Some People to Work Hard

    <h4>Chapter 26: It Is Futile for Some People to Work Hard</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you once more, I¡¯ll never let my personal life interfere with the decisions I make at work. Even if I slept with you this morning, I wouldn¡¯t give you the business simply because we slept. As for the insults directed at me, I don¡¯t want to hear theming out of your mouth again.¡±

    Song Yu spoke with a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Her face was ghostly pale.

    Qi Chengzhi stiffened his lips for a long time before he spoke coldly, ¡°Get out of my car!¡±

    Song Yu did not say a word. She unbuckled the seatbelt with a lowered head, opened the door and got off.

    The moment the door closed the Range Rover sped away.

    Song Yu let out a sigh. Fortunately, she was dropped off in the city, she could then order a cab back home.

    Back home, she took her pajamas to the bathroom for a shower and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s briefs hanging on the hook.

    No other man had ever stayed overnight other than Qi Chengzhi.

    There was something she could not figure out. He wore briefs that morning when he left, it was highly unlikely that he brought a spare everywhere he went?

    Song Yu seemed to havee around to something. With a straight face, she grabbed the briefs and chucked it into a bin.

    ...

    After the incident, she had not heard from Qi Chengzhi. No decision was made on Qilin¡¯s end about who was awarded the leisure hotel contract.

    The news would definitely spread within the circle if it was known.

    Song Yu was kept on her toes as they parted on bad terms thest time they met. She was afraid to call Qi Chengzhi.

    When she got to the office that morning, she bumped into Ruan Danchen at the entrance. The two joked andughed along the way to the office.

    Ruan Danchen was curious. ¡°What¡¯s with themotion? Manager Wang from the engineering department is also here.¡±

    In addition to Manager Wang from the engineering department, Xiao Chen from the sales department was there too.

    Ruan Danchen whispered, ¡°Could it be that we won the Qilin business?¡±

    Xiao Chen¡¯s expression was unnatural and sympathetic when he saw Song Yu. Song Yu felt that something was off.

    ¡°Aye, Song Yu! You¡¯re here!¡± Taking the steps in her stiletto, Wang Liwei swayed her hips as she walked toward Song Yu. She greeted Song Yu with unprecedented warmth and a fake smile that was brought to the next level.

    ¡°Heh, it¡¯s all thanks to you that Qilin awarded the seven-star hotel contract to us! I¡¯m just about to head over to Qilin with Manager Wang and Xiao Chen to sign the contract.¡± Wang Liwei beamed proudly. ¡°I really have to thank you fornding me the opportunity to design a seven-star hotel. I will buy you dinner tonight!¡±

    ¡°What do you mean? What do you mean that it¡¯s all thanks to Song Yu and what do you mean by you¡¯re designing? Song Yu is the one who won the business, why are you the one going to sign the contract?¡±

    ¡°What does this mean? Well, it is what it is. This business belongs to me now.¡± Wang Liwei sneered. ¡°That¡¯s why it¡¯s futile for some people to work hard. In the end, what she does is only paving the path for others but she reaps no benefit. Hehe.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to sleep with Luo Yushu to see if I can score this business? I didn¡¯t need to do that and now this business is mine.¡± Wang Liwei beamed in high spirits. She nced at her watch. ¡°Well, no time for more chatter. We¡¯re going to bete. Manager Wang, let¡¯s go!¡±

 Chapter 27 - Qi Chengzhi Was Not One to Treat His Business Lightly

    <h4>Chapter 27: Qi Chengzhi Was Not One to Treat His Business Lightly</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to sleep with Luo Yushu to see if I can score this business? I didn¡¯t need to do that and now this business is mine.¡± Wang Liwei beamed in high spirits. She nced at her watch, ¡°Well, no time for more chatter. We¡¯re going to bete if we stick around. Manager Wang, let¡¯s go!¡±

    Done showing off, she walked out in her stilettos making the click-ck sound with every step.

    When Manager Wang walked pass Song Yu, he nced at her sympathetically. He knew the hard work she had put in to win the case, but in day and age, hard work was not enough. He shook his head and sighed as he left.

    Song Yu was left stunned. Wang Liwei¡¯s words rang in her ears.

    All of a sudden, she ran out of the office.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Ruan Danchen called out to her worriedly from behind.

    Song Yu took a turn to the stairs and called Qi Chengzhi. His cold butposed voice rang from the phone. ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯re not going to let private matter affect your business decisions? What are you trying to prove by having another architect to sign the contract?¡± Song Yu was so frustrated that she left her manners behind.

    Qi Chengzhi was dumbfounded. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°What do I mean? Are you ying innocent now? Don¡¯t you know that my colleagues are heading over to sign the Qilin contract?¡± Song Yu asked coldly.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned. ¡°I know. I am the one who sent someone to inform yourpany.¡±

    The hand that she used to hold her phone shook terribly. ¡°Yeah, but the architect assigned to sign the contract is another person! Young Master Cheng, please be forefront with me if I¡¯ve offended you. Why do you have to backstab me? I¡¯m just an insignificant character. Doing this to someone like me is demeaning to your stature.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips were tight. The moment he spoke again, his voice was as cold as ice. ¡°Song Yu, did you forget what I told youst time? Stop insulting my integrity. I didn¡¯t know about this incident but I will investigate. Qilin isn¡¯t a ything for others.¡±

    ¡°Did you really not know about it?¡± Song Yu was stupefied. Her tone changed and she was not as angry as before.

    Qi Chengzhi already hung up. There was no reply.

    Song Yu stared at her phone nkly. She was ming herself for rushing to a conclusion. She was too angry to think straight.

    Qi Chengzhi was not someone who would treat his business lightly.

    Ruan Danchen went straight to Song Yu when she returned to the office. ¡°Song Yu, I rified with the manager just now. It was apparently Director Zhao¡¯s instruction. She hinted at me that Wang Liwei has been sleeping with Director Zhao. It¡¯s apparently public knowledge within thepany. Otherwise, with her skills, she would have been fired a long time ago. The business deal is probably done over pillow talk.¡±

    Song Yu could not imagine Director Zhao, a man in his fifties, to make such a bad move that could potentially jeopardize his ownpany!

    ¡°I will rify with Director Zhao,¡± said Song Yu. She took the elevator and head upstairs.

 Chapter 28 - Are You Not Worried You Will Be Sued to Bankruptcy By Qilin If Anything Goes Wrong?

    <h4>Chapter 28: Are You Not Worried You Will Be Sued to Bankruptcy By Qilin If Anything Goes Wrong?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I will rify with Director Zhao,¡± said Song Yu. She took the elevator and head upstairs.

    She walked to Director Zhao¡¯s office and barged in without knocking on the door.

    Manager Li from the finance department was in the midst of a discussion with Director Zhao. He turned around and he was startled by Song Yu¡¯s sudden barging in.

    ¡°Song Yu, we¡¯re having a discussion here,¡± said Manager Li in a displeased tone.

    ¡°Step out first. We can continueter.¡± Director Zhao dismissed Manager Li.

    After Manager Li had left, Song Yu closed the door and came forward to Director Zhao.

    ¡°Director Zhao, Qilin selected us because of my design. Why did you hand my hard-earned contract to Wang Liwei?¡± Song Yu cut straight to the point.

    ¡± Xiao Song <sup>1</sup> , calm down.¡± Director Zhao pointed at the chair opposite of him. ¡°Please sit.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± said Song Yu in a cold tone.

    Director Zhao¡¯s face sunk a little. He said, ¡°Do you still remember Huailu Estate? Yourmercial-titled residence design for them received great des. As a result, this time around they wanted to appoint you for the design. The customer is king. We can¡¯t object them. If you were designing for Qilin, you will not have the time to work on Huailu. I had no other choice. How about this? Topensate you, I will give you eighty percent of the revenue from Huailu¡¯s project.¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath but she could not suppress her resentment. ¡°Director Zhao,pared to Qilin¡¯s seven-star hotel, the entire revenue from Huailu¡¯s project isn¡¯t even a hundredth of Qilin¡¯s. Any sensible person would not give up the opportunity to design andmark building in favor of an unknownmercial-titled residence. Do I look like an idiot to you? The opportunity to design andmark building is so difficult toe by for an architect and I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware. For this opportunity, the amount of effort I¡¯ve put in... Well, I don¡¯t think I need to borate further. There¡¯s no other reason why Qilin would award the contract to Chengshi. You did not only let someone else steal the thunder but also tried to dismiss me with just amercial-titled residence project? If you¡¯re not feeling guilty, why are you giving me eighty percent of the revenue? I¡¯ve been working here for three years and I don¡¯t im that I¡¯ve made any heroic contributions. However, along the way I have worked conscientiously and to the best of my ability. This has helped in building thepany¡¯s reputation. I swallowed all the injustices I¡¯ve faced before but this time it¡¯s too much!¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, mind your attitude!¡± Director¡¯s face sunk. He could not keep up a positive expression with her usations.

    ¡°Attitude? What attitude do I need? Will you award me the business just because of a good attitude? A tremendous amount of effort is nothingpared to sleeping with you! Everyone in thepany knows you¡¯re keeping her as a mistress! Your failure in distinguishing between professional and private interests is terribly disappointing! If I let this go today, Wang Liwei¡¯s name would be stamped on all my future designs! What¡¯s more astonishing is that you let Wang Liwei, a half-baked architect, to design a seven-star hotel! Even if she¡¯s using my design, it will not work without detailed calctions. Are you not worried you will be sued to bankruptcy by Qilin if anything goes wrong?¡±

 Chapter 29 - Do You Think You Will Be What You Are Today If It Werenâ€™t for Chengshi?

    <h4>Chapter 29: Do You Think You Will Be What You Are Today If It Weren¡¯t for Chengshi?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What¡¯s more astonishing is that you let Wang Liwei, a half-baked architect, to design a seven-star hotel! Even if she¡¯s using my design, it will not work without detailed calctions. Are you not worried you will be sued to bankruptcy by Qilin if anything goes wrong?¡±

    ¡®Thump!¡¯ Director Zhao smacked the table violently and stood up. He pointed at Song Yu¡¯s nose and shouted angrily, ¡°Song Yu, I treated you with respect but it seems like my respect was underappreciated. If you feel wronged and don¡¯t wish to stay in thepany, leave now! We¡¯ve treated you well enough by giving you amercial-titled residence to work on. Thepany doesn¡¯t need people who can¡¯t work well with other employees. Losing an architect like you isn¡¯t going to make a dent to ourpany! Do you think you¡¯re that great? Didn¡¯t you enter here through the back door? Do you think you¡¯ll be here today if it weren¡¯t for Chengshi? Why don¡¯t you go out and ask whether any otherpany would want to employ an architect like you!¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to continue working with apany that treats its employees like cannon fodder. I¡¯ll tender my resignation letter to the human resources department by tomorrow.¡± Since the situation had already escted to that extent and being able to vent by yelling back at the director, her mood surprisingly turned calm.

    She walked out of the office upon finishing herst words and the first person she saw was Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you really resigning?¡± Ruan Danchen went up to Song Yu. Thetter¡¯s shouts with Director Zhao could be heard throughout the corridor.

    Those from outside the director¡¯s office peeked out and chattered. asionally, they would turn their head at her.

    Although many knew of the injustice, none were willing toe to her defense. The most they could do was sympathize with her in silence.

    ¡°What else can I do? If there is a first time, there will be a second time. If I let them be now, what would the future be?¡± Song Yu felt slightly discouraged.

    There was nothing Ruan Danchen could say, so she simply sighed.

    Song Yu gathered her belongings since she would be resigning soon. She did not have much left at thepany, so she tossed all her personal belongings into her bag and made her move.

    She took a cab from the entrance of thepany and received a call from Guan Xiaolin not long after she got in the vehicle.

    ¡°Song Song, congrattions! I heard that Qilin¡¯s business has been given to you and Chengshi. You¡¯re going to be the next famous architect in the industry!¡± Guan Xiaolin giggled and said.

    ¡°I resigned,¡± Song Yu replied with a bitter smile.

    ¡°What happened? Weren¡¯t you assigned to design the hotel? Why did you resign? Aren¡¯t you on the way to sign the contract with Qilin?¡± Guan Xiaolin asked suspiciously.

    Song Yu exined everything to her sinctly.

    ¡°That old bag! How shameful!¡± Guan Xiaolin remarked angrily. ¡°I told you from the beginning toe directly to ourpany. You resigned at just the right time. Join us at Guanyu. Sooner orter you¡¯ll be the chief. And also, I¡¯m here, so no one would dare to bully you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll think about it,¡± Song Yu replied softly.

    Guan Xiaolin noticed that there was something off with Song Yu¡¯s tone, so she asked, ¡°You... are okay, right? Where are you now? I¡¯ll head to you.¡±

    ¡°No, please don¡¯t.¡± Song Yu rejected immediately. ¡°I want to be alone for now. Please don¡¯te and look for me. Don¡¯t worry, okay. I won¡¯t do anything stupid. This is nothingpared to going through bankruptcy and I¡¯ve gone through that.¡±

 Chapter 32 - Youâ€™d Better Slay Them Without Thinking Twice

    <h4>Chapter 32: You¡¯d Better y Them Without Thinking Twice</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Hahaha, when Manager Wang said ¡®You troublesome fool, what a joke,¡¯ he was truly venting his heart out! I wish I could see how Wang Liwei cried at that time!¡± Ruan Danchen wasughing uncontrobly and Song Yu was listening to herugh for a rtively long some time.

    After she was doneughing, she continued. ¡°Manager Wang went straight to Director Zhao¡¯s office. He¡¯s is the only one in thispany who isn¡¯t afraid of Director Zhao. Since he¡¯s the one in charge of engineering contracts, he knows a lot of people, from those who follow the book to those who don¡¯t. Much of thepany¡¯s revenue depends on Manager Wang, that¡¯s why Director Zhao is courteous toward him.¡±

    ¡°Those from the director¡¯s office said that Manager Wang spent quite some time yelling in there. In the end, he forced Director Zhao to fire Wang Liwei, or he would no longer be able to work there.¡± Ruan Danchen then said, ¡°Needless to say, Director Zhao wasn¡¯t willing to do that, so he tried his best to reason, saying that he would bring Wang Liwei to apologize to you and let youe back to thepany. Only then did Manager Wang let the matter go.¡±

    ¡°Still, Wang Liwei went to Director Zhao and cried. Sheined plenty about you but Director Zhao insisted on bringing her over to apologize to you. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it because this is a really big issue. When Special Assistant Cheng said hisst sentence, that there will no longer be an opportunity for Qilin and Chengshi to work together, Chengshi immediately lost one of its biggest clients. And, this matter is a bad image for thepany. Offending Qilin will lead to other bigpanies choosing not to work with us anymore.¡±

    ¡°This time, Director Zhao will need you toe back and clean up the mess. He¡¯ll be treating you really good for sure. So, don¡¯t resign, cause it¡¯s a pain to find a good job nowadays. By the time theye and say sorry, you¡¯d better y them. Don¡¯t think twice!¡±

    Having listened to all that, Song Yu told Ruan Danchen not to give Director Zhao her address. She wanted a few days of peace.

    Ruan Danchen heard those words and replied happily, ¡°You got it. They ought to be made to wait a few days. They brought it upon themselves.¡±

    Song Yu hung up and switched her cell phone off.

    ...

    ...

    During the few days of her solitude, Song Yu neither kept up to date with news nor left the house. If she was hungry, she ordered delivery and her days were spent watching American television series.

    At thepany, Director Zhao kept pestering Ruan Danchen. Song Yu could not be located since her phone was off. Ruan Danchen gave him the same answer, that there was nothing she could do since Song Yu¡¯s phone was off and her whereabouts were unknown.

    He then asked Ruan Danchen for Song Yu¡¯s address. He located Song Yu¡¯s form in thepany¡¯s human resources records but the address was no longer up to date since she did not stay in that house anymore.

    Ruan Danchen shrugged in reply, ¡°It¡¯s not that address? Did she move to a new one? When? I didn¡¯t even know.¡±

    Director Zhao scratched his head in utter helplessness.

    After three whole days of being alone at home, Song Yu finally switched on her cell phone.

    As the device turned on, a flurry of unending missed-call notifications popped up. The phone was close to exploding.

    Song Yu saw that all of them were calls from thepany and cleared them without batting an eye.

    Right when she was done doing so, another phone call came.

    Song Yu picked it up and said, ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Xiao Song.¡± It was Director Zhao¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 31 - You Troublesome Fool, What A Joke

    <h4>Chapter 31: You Troublesome Fool, What A Joke</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°We chose to sign a contract with Chengshi because we like Miss Song¡¯s design. However, yourpany simply sent over some unknown architect to meet us without even extending the courtesy of calling us. It has made Young Master Cheng doubt your sincerity,¡± Cheng Dongge exined icily.

    ¡°If a change in architect can happen so simply, who knows what other unforeseen events might happen in the future? Our project is a huge one and if there¡¯s no stability within Chengshi, how would we be confident in handing over the task to yourpany?¡± Cheng Dongge remained expressionless and told them, ¡°You may leave.¡±

    ¡°Then... Then what about the engineering contract...¡± Manager Wang asked despite not having much hope for the answer.

    ¡°You and thepany are considered as one. Even though that contract <sup>1</sup> was signed separately, we won¡¯t be signing the engineering contract with yourpany. I refer you to what I said previously, that yourpany isn¡¯t stable and you went back on your words. Yourpany reced the architect without even notifying us, therefore we find ourselves unable to trust that the engineering construction of this project will be problem-free under your supervision.¡±

    ¡°We will once again consider otherpanies. This incident with Chengshi has caused us significant losses. We have suffered losses from the day we bought thend up until today. Another day¡¯s dy will cause more losses. We won¡¯t continue to pursue this matter with Chengshi but I believe there won¡¯t be another opportunity for both of us to work together. You may leave.¡± Cheng Dongge left after finishing his statement, bringing thewyer along with him.

    They could even hear Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice from outside. ¡°Secretary Liu! Send them on their way.¡±

    Wang Liwei bit her lip while her pale face ¨C now distorted because of those insults ¨C transformed into all sorts of ugly expressions.

    She expected to be feeling proud and pleased, but little did she know that she would have to suffer various forms of humiliation.

    What was so good about Song Yu!

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Manager Wang groaned and looked unhappily at Wang Liwei. ¡°You troublesome fool. What a joke. Now you¡¯ve also caused the engineering department to lose out!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was searching for vacancies online when she received a call from Ruan Danchen.

    Going to Guanyu was thest resort. Working under her friend might cause a deterioration of their friendship. That was the reason she declined when, right after her graduation, Guan Xiaolin offered her toe to Guanyu.

    However, jobs were no longer easy toe by, especially in the field of architecture. Not only was experience needed, there was also a requirement that one must have the reputation for getting awards.

    It had only been three years since she entered the field and this was the lowest requirement to all vacancies avable. She was still a neer in the industry.

    She greeted Ruan Danchen after picking up the call and the first thing she heard was Ruan Danchen¡¯s excited voice. ¡°Song Yu! Don¡¯t look for a job yet and don¡¯t resign so quickly. Do you know what happened when Wang Liwei went to sign the contract at Qilin today? I sure wished I was there! It was all drama! Xiao Chen came back and told me everything so vividly!¡±

    She then recounted to Song Yu what Xiao Chen had told her.

    ¡°Hahaha, when Manager Wang said ¡®You troublesome fool, what a joke,¡¯ he was truly venting his heart out! I wish I could see how Wang Liwei cried at that time!¡± Ruan Danchen wasughing uncontrobly, and Song Yu was listening to herugh for a rtively long some time.

 Chapter 32 - Youâ€™d Better Slay Them Without Thinking Twice

    <h4>Chapter 32: You¡¯d Better y Them Without Thinking Twice</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Hahaha, when Manager Wang said ¡®You troublesome fool, what a joke,¡¯ he was truly venting his heart out! I wish I could see how Wang Liwei cried at that time!¡± Ruan Danchen wasughing uncontrobly and Song Yu was listening to herugh for a rtively long some time.

    After she was doneughing, she continued. ¡°Manager Wang went straight to Director Zhao¡¯s office. He¡¯s is the only one in thispany who isn¡¯t afraid of Director Zhao. Since he¡¯s the one in charge of engineering contracts, he knows a lot of people, from those who follow the book to those who don¡¯t. Much of thepany¡¯s revenue depends on Manager Wang, that¡¯s why Director Zhao is courteous toward him.¡±

    ¡°Those from the director¡¯s office said that Manager Wang spent quite some time yelling in there. In the end, he forced Director Zhao to fire Wang Liwei, or he would no longer be able to work there.¡± Ruan Danchen then said, ¡°Needless to say, Director Zhao wasn¡¯t willing to do that, so he tried his best to reason, saying that he would bring Wang Liwei to apologize to you and let youe back to thepany. Only then did Manager Wang let the matter go.¡±

    ¡°Still, Wang Liwei went to Director Zhao and cried. Sheined plenty about you but Director Zhao insisted on bringing her over to apologize to you. She couldn¡¯t do anything about it because this is a really big issue. When Special Assistant Cheng said hisst sentence, that there will no longer be an opportunity for Qilin and Chengshi to work together, Chengshi immediately lost one of its biggest clients. And, this matter is a bad image for thepany. Offending Qilin will lead to other bigpanies choosing not to work with us anymore.¡±

    ¡°This time, Director Zhao will need you toe back and clean up the mess. He¡¯ll be treating you really good for sure. So, don¡¯t resign, cause it¡¯s a pain to find a good job nowadays. By the time theye and say sorry, you¡¯d better y them. Don¡¯t think twice!¡±

    Having listened to all that, Song Yu told Ruan Danchen not to give Director Zhao her address. She wanted a few days of peace.

    Ruan Danchen heard those words and replied happily, ¡°You got it. They ought to be made to wait a few days. They brought it upon themselves.¡±

    Song Yu hung up and switched her cell phone off.

    ...

    ...

    During the few days of her solitude, Song Yu neither kept up to date with news nor left the house. If she was hungry, she ordered delivery and her days were spent watching American television series.

    At thepany, Director Zhao kept pestering Ruan Danchen. Song Yu could not be located since her phone was off. Ruan Danchen gave him the same answer, that there was nothing she could do since Song Yu¡¯s phone was off and her whereabouts were unknown.

    He then asked Ruan Danchen for Song Yu¡¯s address. He located Song Yu¡¯s form in thepany¡¯s human resources records but the address was no longer up to date since she did not stay in that house anymore.

    Ruan Danchen shrugged in reply, ¡°It¡¯s not that address? Did she move to a new one? When? I didn¡¯t even know.¡±

    Director Zhao scratched his head in utter helplessness.

    After three whole days of being alone at home, Song Yu finally switched on her cell phone.

    As the device turned on, a flurry of unending missed-call notifications popped up. The phone was close to exploding.

    Song Yu saw that all of them were calls from thepany and cleared them without batting an eye.

    Right when she was done doing so, another phone call came.

    Song Yu picked it up and said, ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°Uh, Xiao Song.¡± It was Director Zhao¡¯s voice.

 Chapter 33 - Youâ€™re Really Full of Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 33: You¡¯re Really Full of Yourself</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Uh, Xiao Song.¡± It was Director Zhao¡¯s voice.

    Song Yu replied indifferently, ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°Er, this is Director Zhao,¡± came the embarrassed answer.

    ¡°Oh. Director Zhao. Is there anything?¡± she asked inly.

    ¡°Hehe, Song Yu, I¡¯ve been looking for you these past few days, why didn¡¯t you turn on your phone? Whatever I said the other day was in a moment of anger. Don¡¯t take them to heart. When will youe back to work?¡± Director Zhao kept his ego in check.

    ¡°Oh? But I meant those words that I said that day,¡± Song Yu remarked sharply.

    ¡°Xiao Song, it was my fault.¡± Deep down, Director Zhao was not very pleased. Song Yu was nothing but a mere employee, but at that moment, he was lowering his voice to beg her.

    Earlier on, he confirmed with human resources that Song Yu had yet to hand in her resignation letter. He feared that she was standing her ground arrogantly, on the basis that she got wind of Chengshi¡¯s failed agreement and knew that thepany was about to rely on her.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare, it would be shameless of me. There would be no Song Yu today if there were no Chengshi. When Chengshi signed someone like me, a newbie with no experience, the truth is that I should be the one to be eternally grateful to thepany.¡± Song Yu paused her video and put down her tabletputer.

    ¡°Song Yu, it was imprudent of me to say those words. Please don¡¯t take them to heart. I called you today to specifically offer my apologies to you because my actions caused you to be disillusioned with thepany.¡± On the other end of the phone, Director Zhao had a hideously sour expression, but his voice remained genial.

    ¡°I know there¡¯s some friction between you and Wang Liwei, so how about I bring her over to personally visit you and apologize? If you¡¯re willing toe back and take on Qilin¡¯s business, we¡¯ll have a good discussion about whatever conditions you have.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to visit me. If Director Zhao sincerely wants to meet me, we¡¯ll arrange a ce.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure, sure.¡± Director Zhao replied hastily in case she came to regret her decision. He immediately decided on a nearby coffee shop and said that he would be there in half an hour¡¯s time.

    Song Yu hung up and smiled despondently.

    In truth, she had be disillusioned with suchpanies, but the chance to design andmark building was far more important than her feeling of being wronged.

    Perhaps that was reason enough for her to go back to Chengshi.

    Song Yu tidied her things up and sat back down to continue her television series. She watched them until it was ten minutes past the agreed meeting time ¨C only then did she head out.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu waste, and she entered leisurely into the coffee shop. The first thing she saw was Wang Liwei¡ªwho looked impatient¡ªtelling something to Director Zhao.

    Even though Song Yu could not hear them, she could guess that Wang Liwei was badmouthing her.

    Director Zhao¡¯s face was embittered too, but he suppressed it as much as he could.

    ¡°Sorry to keep you waiting.¡± Song Yu sat opposite them.

    ¡°You¡¯re really full of yourself. Look at howte you are. Do you really think that thepany cannot survive without you?!¡± Wang Liwei remarked sharply and ignored the fact that Director Zhao was holding her back.

 Chapter 34 - Who Knows, Maybe Youâ€™ve Served Both the Master and the Servant

    <h4>Chapter 34: Who Knows, Maybe You¡¯ve Served Both the Master and the Servant</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°You¡¯re really full of yourself. Look at howte you are. Do you really think that thepany cannot survive without you?!¡± Wang Liwei remarked sharply and ignored the fact that Director Zhao was holding her back.

    As the cafe was rtively quiet at that moment, everyone could hear Wang Liwei clearly.

    Song Yu sneered. She stood up and said, ¡°It seems like there¡¯s no room for discussion.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu! Song Yu!¡± Out of a sense of urgency, Director Zhao grabbed Song Yu¡¯s arm. ¡°Take a seat first.¡±

    After a deliberate effort in trying to get Song Yu to stay, Director Zhao turned around and barked at Wang Liwei, ¡°What did I tell you before? I brought you here to apologize! If you can¡¯t mind your manners, you should leave now.¡±

    Wang Liwei was shaken by the harsh tone. She kept her mouth shut¡ªother than sessfully getting into Director Zhao¡¯s bed, she had nothing else to offer.

    She shared half the responsibility for thepany¡¯s loss this time. She became more well-behaved after being scolded by Director Zhao.

    She was well aware that she could only get by through the back door. She would not be able to get a job elsewhere with her ability.

    The waiter came by, and Song Yu ordered a cup of coffee. Director Zhao spoke again when the waiter left, ¡°Song Yu, I admit it, it¡¯s our fault. As long as you¡¯re willing to work for us again, we will satisfy all your requirements. From now onward, you will be the chief architect of ourpany.¡±

    Song Yu remained silent, carrying a cynical smile on her face. Director Zhao was restless, and he thought to himself, ¡®Is this offer not attractive enough?¡¯

    In reality, with Song Yu¡¯s experience, she still had a long way to go before she could fit the hat of a chief architect. This advancement had brought her status up by leaps and bounds.

    After a while, the waiter served the coffee.

    Song Yu then turned to look at Wang Liwei, ¡°Say sorry, and that you promise you will never steal my case again. You also need to admit that all you¡¯re good at is selling your body.¡±

    Wang Liwei looked up and red at her fiercely. Her expression was mean and ferocious.

    ¡°Song Yu! You¡¯ve crossed the line!¡± How could she utter such words?!

    Director Zhao, who was sitting next to her, had a concerned expression. The statement implied that Wang Liwei had sold her body to him.

    Song Yu had blemished the both of them in one statement.

    ¡°During the signing, just because you weren¡¯t there, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengzhi imed that I¡¯ve stolen the business from you without even rifying! If this was not due to private interest, how could that happen? Who knows, maybe you¡¯ve served both the master and the servant!¡± chided Wang Liwei acerbically. Her voice was audible in the quiet cafe.

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what dirty tricks you¡¯ve used, or what you¡¯ve done to please Qi Chengzhi in bed to have led him to renege on the signing of the contract in the veryst minute.¡± Wang Liwei sneered, and with a tone of disgust, added, ¡°I wonder how many men you¡¯ve slept with to attain that kind of skills!¡±

    Just when Wang Liwei was done, she stood up abruptly and let out a piercing scream.

    ¡ª-

    ¡ª-

    As Young Master Cheng had not appeared in two days, to save you from your misery and longing, Anonymous gathered the courage to interview Young Master Cheng again.

    Anonymous began, ¡°Young Master Cheng, the readers have missed you a lot since you haven¡¯t appeared in a while. What shall we do?¡±

    Holding his phone, Boss Qi¡¯s two fingers were at the corner of the phone screen. He replied in an indifferent tone, ¡°Let them wait.¡±

    Anonymous was persistent. ¡°When will you appear again with your knavery? Can you let us know?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Boss Qi ordered, ¡°Get lost.¡±

    Boss Qi went ahead to zoom in on the picture. Cheng Dongge stealthily took a peek at it¡ªit was a zoomed-in image of Song Yu¡¯s lips.

    Anonymous and Cheng Dongge were both at a loss of words.

 Chapter 35 - You Can Try Throwing It at Me !

    <h4>Chapter 35: You Can Try Throwing It at Me !</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Just when Wang Liwei was done, she stood up abruptly and let out a piercing scream.

    The cup of coffee in front of Song Yu was empty.

    Song Yu poured the hot coffee the waiter served on Wang Liwei¡¯s face right after she uttered those words.

    The coffee was all over her hair and face. Her clothes were stained by the coffee, and it was dripping from her hair,shes, mouth, and her chin.

    Her face was red from the hot coffee, and her makeup was all messed up¡ªthe ck mascara and eyeliner she wore were smudged. The mixture of coffee and smudged makeup was a startling sight. She was in shambles.

    ¡°Ah! It hurts!¡± Wang Liwei was still screaming. She hastily drew tissue paper to dry herself up, not knowing whether she had been disfigured.

    Song Yu looked at her hastiness in trying to salvage the situation. She spoke coldly, ¡°Selling the body is a skill mostly unique to you.¡±

    Wang Liwei was full of vengeance and went straight to the coffee in front of her without thinking.

    ¡°You can try throwing it at me.¡± Song Yu stayed in her ce and warned with her ice-cold voice.

    Meeting Song Yu¡¯s cold eyes, Wang Liwei did not know why she could not find the courage to pour the coffee on her.

    Even though the Song Family had gone broke, Song Yu was still from a prestigious family. The status of her family was akin to that of the Qi Family, which was the reason for the engagement. She was born with this grandeur, and it was something innate.

    Wang Liwei had never seen anything like that. It was unsurprising that she was afraid.

    ¡°Wait for me at the car!¡± Director Zhaomanded Wang Liwei.

    If she stayed around, she would only offend Song Yu more.

    ¡°She¡¯s too much!¡± Wang Liwei cried to Director Zhao for her grievance.

    ¡°I told you to wait for me at the car!¡± Director Zhao spoke with a stern voice, and the anger on his face sent Wang Liwei to her ce.

    She was afraid that Director Zhao would break up with her. She did not continue with her plea.

    Before she left, she red at Song Yu resentfully.

    Wang Liwei was by the door of the cafe, and just when she was about to step out she heard Song Yu¡¯s audible and arrogant voice, ¡°For Qilin¡¯s case, I want a twenty percent cut once it¡¯s closed.¡±

    Wang Liwei was gnashing her teeth. She held tightly on the door handle while she waited for Director Zhao¡¯s response. Director Zhao hesitated for a while before agreeing, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Pom!¡±

    Wang Liwei stepped out. She mmed the door.

    Director Zhao did not expect that Song Yu wouldmit such daylight robbery. Twenty percent was a lot to ask.

    Unfortunately, he had no other choice but to agree.

    However, this was with the pretext that Song Yu was sessful. If she returned and failed to close the case, she would no longer have a ce at Chengshi.

    He would return every humiliation he received from her that day.

 Chapter 36 - She Gave Qi Chengzhi a Call but The Call Hung up Just after One Ring

    <h4>Chapter 36: She Gave Qi Chengzhi a Call but The Call Hung up Just after One Ring</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He would return every humiliation he received from her that day.

    Director Zhao kept the thoughts to himself and said, ¡°You¡¯ve taken a long break. Why don¡¯t you follow me back to the office?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be in the same car as Wang Liwei,¡± Song Yu spoke frankly. ¡°You guys can go ahead. I will go home and pack my things. I can go to the office by myself.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± nodded Director Zhao. He paid and left.

    Song Yu could finally loosen up. She leaned back on her chair and sat for a while longer before heading home.

    Along the way, Song Yu was thinking about what Wang Liwei said.

    Recollecting what happened that morning, from the call to Qi Chengzhi, he obviously was not aware that Wang Liwei had stolen her case. However, after the conversation, Qi Chengzhi became informed of the issue during the signing.

    It seemed like what Cheng Dongge said to Wang Liwei was intentional.

    Song Yu let out a sigh. She was in deep remorse to have put the me on Qi Chengzhi.

    When she was home, she gave Qi Chengzhi a call.

    It hung up just after one ring.

    Song Yu frowned, could it be that he was in the meeting?

    Pinching on the lunch break timing, she called Qi Chengzhi again. Once more, the call ended after one ring.

    Song Yu nced at her phone, could it be that he had social events to attend over lunchtime?

    She packed her stuff and went to the office. Wang Liwei had a change of clothes and had tidied her self up. When she saw Song Yue in, resentment was written all over her face.

    ¡°Song Yu! You¡¯re finally back!¡± Ruan Danchen pulled her over delightfully. She reported everything that had happened in the office over thest few days to her.

    ¡°Wang Liwei was in a pinch these few days. Manager Wang always looks pissed whenever she¡¯s around. It¡¯s important for us in this industry to have a good rtionship with the engineering department. They run the show, and hence it¡¯s often the case that making them happy is our priority. However, nowadays Manager Wang treats Wang Liwei as if she is his mortal enemy who had stolen his job. He either looks away or sneers whenever he sees Wang Liwei.¡±

    While she was talking, Wang Liwei called out with her coquettish voice, ¡°Manager Wang.¡±

    Song Yu looked up. Manager Wang was stepping into the design department of the office. He ignored Wang Liwei¡¯s greetingpletely and walked straight to her.

    ¡°Song Yu, I heard you¡¯re back.¡± Manager Wang walked toward her.

    Song Yu quickly stood up, ¡°Yeah, I apologize for the many troubles I¡¯ve caused you, Manager Wang.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. d you¡¯re back. All you should focus on is scoring the case from Qilin; otherwise, it¡¯s a great loss on our side. There¡¯s no need to care about those who don¡¯t know their ce.¡± Manager Wang had gangs in hiswork. His speech carried a code of brotherhoodmon among gangs. He did not try to suppress his voice. Whatever he said was audible to Wang Liwei. She could only curse in her heart.

 Chapter 37 - Young Master Cheng Would be Attending a Dinner at Dynasty Tonight

    <h4>Chapter 37: Young Master Cheng Would be Attending a Dinner at Dynasty Tonight</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. d you¡¯re back. All you should focus on is scoring the case from Qilin; otherwise, it¡¯s a great loss on our side. There¡¯s no need to care about those who don¡¯t know their ce.¡± Manager Wang had gangs in hiswork. His speech carried a code of brotherhoodmon among gangs. He did not try to suppress his voice. Whatever he said was audible to Wang Liwei. She could only curse in her heart.

    Even Director Zhao favored Manager Wang over others.

    No one knew why Manager Wang hated Wang Liwei so much. This time around, Wang Liwei had learned her lesson and did not greet him when he passed by her ce to avoid getting another cold shoulder from him again.

    In the end, Manager Wang still humphed angrily at her before leaving.

    After sending Manager Wang off, Ruan Danchen nudged Song Yu and gloated, ¡°Now you know what an abyss of misery Wang Liwen¡¯s suffering from these few days?¡±

    Song Yu went on and told him about how Director Zhao brought Wang Liwen over to apologize to her, and how she dealt with Wang Liwei. Ruan Danchen raised his thumb towards her with gleaming eyes and eximed, ¡°You¡¯re not so bad yourself!¡±

    After returning to her own ce, Song Yu gave Qi Chengzhi a call. However, it was just like before where he hung up after ringing just once.

    Song Yu let out a sigh. He hung up on her so many times. It would not be possible for him to be busy all the time, right?

    She knew that Qi Chengzhi was probably angry at her.

    She did not expect such pettiness from a grown man.

    Song Yu shook her head and typed out a message, ¡°Young Master Cheng, I am sorry that I misunderstood you previously. I apologize to you sincerely. This has nothing to do with the business. I also know that you¡¯re not someone who muddles formal and private affairs together. Please forgive my impudent remarks. I am fully aware of my mistake, so sorry about that.¡±

    She went through the message once after she was done writing to ensure that everything was alright before sending it out.

    Just a secondter, she got the notification that confirmed the message was delivered to the recipient.

    Song Yu kept on waiting until it was almost time to get off from work, but she still had not received a reply from Qi Chengzhi.

    She gave him another call, but it got cut off once again.

    After giving a thought, she dialed Cheng Dongge¡¯s number. When she heard his voice, Song Yu said, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, it¡¯s me, Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Hi, Miss Song,¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s tone was very polite.

    ¡°I want to ask if Young Master Cheng has any other ns for the day?¡± Song Yu tried to ask and test the waters.

    Based on Young Master Cheng¡¯s status, his schedule would not be easily revealed. She was also not expecting Cheng Dongge to tell her directly.

    This was thest resort she chose since Qi Chengzhi was not willing to pick up her phone call. She already nned to grind Cheng Dongge until he reveals Qi Chengzhi¡¯s schedule.

    What she did not expect was for Cheng Dongge to blurt out directly, ¡°Young Master Cheng will be attending a dinner at Dynasty tonight.¡±

 Chapter 38 - Qi Chengzhi Overtook her and Walked Toward His Car

    <h4>Chapter 38: Qi Chengzhi Overtook her and Walked Toward His Car</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    What she did not expect was for Cheng Dongge to blurt out directly, ¡°Young Master Cheng will be attending a dinner at Dynasty tonight.¡±

    Song Yu had so much to say but she could not utter a single word as she was shocked by Cheng Dongge¡¯s cooperation. She gaped in shock.

    ¡°So... Is Young Master Cheng busy today?¡± Song Yu added on.

    ¡°Still manageable,¡± Cheng Dongge took out a notebook and started to iterate Qi Chengzhi¡¯s schedule for the whole day. It was so detailed that the only thing that he did not tell Song Yu was when and the number of times Qi Chengzhi went for toilet breaks.

    Song Yu listened and felt that Qi Chengzhi was not really busy today. As expected, he did not answer her phone call deliberately.

    ¡°Miss Song, do you want to know about Young Master Cheng¡¯s schedule for tomorrow?¡± Cheng Dongge asked eagerly over the phone.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, are you sure it¡¯s okay to share Young Master Cheng¡¯s schedule with others so easily?¡±

    ¡°Haha,¡± Cheng Dongge hung up right after.

    After Song Yu got off from work, she packed her things and took a ride to Dynasty.

    She entered a cafe opposite of Dynasty and sat at a window seat that had a direct view of the Dynasty¡¯s entrance. She ordered a cup of coffee and a slice of cheesecake and waited.

    She paid and left when she saw it was almost time. She waited at the roadside near to the entrance of Dynasty and waited with both her hands in her pockets.

    The night wind howled violently, filling her ears with whooshing sounds.

    Song Yu adjusted her scarf upwards to cover most of the area around her ears, mouth, and nose, but both of her cheeks were reddened due to the strong wind.

    She checked the time periodically while she was waiting. After about an hour, a few people appeared at the Dynasty¡¯s entrance.

    One of them was Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi nced towards her direction carelessly and refocused on the people beside him. It was not evident if he saw her during that brief nce.

    She could see that Qi Chengzhi gave some orders to someone beside him with a lowered voice, and that person nodded and trotted away shortly after.

    The remaining ones looked like his customer. One of them could not even stand straight and required the support of two people to hold him up.

    The other one was also tipsy as he had a wobbly stance.

    They chatted a bit with Qi Chengzhi before he saw the Dynasty¡¯s valet drove the car over. They bid farewell and entered the car.

    After that, Qi Chengzhi walked down the stairs from the Dynasty¡¯s entrance slowly and came towards her direction. He stood in front of her, but his eyes were staring ahead of her as if he could not see her.

    Song Yu took a breath, the strong wind made her nasal cavity a little ufortable.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± she called out.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi stood there and said nothing.

    At that moment, the Dynasty¡¯s valet drove Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover over. He alighted and handed Qi Chengzhi the car keys with both of his hands respectfully.

    Qi Chengzhi overtook her and walked towards his car.

 Chapter 39 - What Was Young Master Cheng Talking About

    <h4>Chapter 39:What Was Young Master Cheng Talking About</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It is rmended to go through the previous chapter before reading this chapter. Read word by word and rte it to this chapter. The part involving the Dynasty¡¯s entrance is key~

    ¡ª¡ª

    Qi Chengzhi overtook her and walked towards his car.

    Song Yu was so desperate that she turned around and caught his sleeve, ¡°Young Master Cheng, sorry. I came with all sincerity to apologize. I misunderstood you, and I¡¯m really sorry about that.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped, turned around to look at her. He stared at her for so long that Song Yu started to panic.

    After quite some time, he finally opened his mouth and asked, ¡°Do you know how to drive?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Song Yu nodded.

    Although she did not own a car, she acquired the driving license when she was trying to find a job.

    Qi Chengzhi shoved the car keys into her hands, ¡°You¡¯ll drive. I can¡¯t drive since I drank alcohol tonight. I¡¯m having a headache now. If you have anything to say, say it after you send me back.¡±

    Song Yu nked out for two seconds. She could smell the faint scent of alcohol and tobo.

    Inparison to those drunken guys who just left, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s department was so much better.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your driver?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Chang Lai is on leave tonight, he¡¯s having diarrhea,¡± Qi Chengzhi turned around after answering her and walked to the other side of the car without hesitating. He opened the passenger seat¡¯s door and sat himself down.

    Song Yu was forced to sit in the driver¡¯s seat. She started the car and stepped on the elerator after Qi Chengzhi mentioned the street address.

    Shortly after they left, Chang Lai trotted his way back. He was sweating in this bleak midwinter night after all that running.

    He was carrying a bag from the pharmacy. Qi Chengzhi ordered him to buy a bottle of hangover medications at the entrance just now. Chang Lai ran through several streets before he could find a pharmacy as there was none nearby. He was afraid that Qi Chengzhi would run out of patience waiting for him, and therefore, he ran all the way back amidst the strong winds.

    However, he looked around and was not able to find Qi Chengzhi and his car anywhere.

    Chang Lai was very worried that he would lose his job over ipetence. He called Qi Chengzhi as he trembled in fear, ¡°Young Master Cheng, where are you, sir? Where¡¯s the car?¡±

    In the car, Qi Chengzhi remained extremely calm, ¡°Just take a good rest since you¡¯re having diarrhea. Go and visit the hospital if it worsens, don¡¯t worry about me.¡±

    He hung up the phone right after.

    Chang Lai stared as his cellphone in the wind and wondered if it was faulty.

    What was Young Master Cheng talking about?

    Chang Lai called for help, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, Young Master Cheng...¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the car, Qi Chengzhi fell silent again after hanging up the phone call. Song Yu could not stand the awkwardness in the atmosphere. Also, she had no idea if Qi Chengzhi had decided to forgive her or not.

    She secretly stole a nce of the side view of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frosty face. Song Yu spoke with her heart thumping violently on her chest, ¡°Haha, never thought that Young Master Cheng is so considerate of your subordinate.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, that¡¯s why I¡¯m well respected by my employees,¡± there was an unprecedented firmness in his tone.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu almost stepped on the emergency brake because of his response. Luckily, she refrained from doing so, but she could not help but took a nce at him.

    ¡ª¡ª¡ª-

    Have you read each sentence of the previous chapter? I¡¯m sure you know what¡¯s going on right? It¡¯s not that Young Master Cheng is avoiding Song Yu, he just needs to think through it carefully, haha...

 Chapter 40 - How Can Someone Be So Shamelessly Narcissistic

    <h4>Chapter 40: How Can Someone Be So Shamelessly Narcissistic</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu almost mmed on the brake because of his response. Fortunately, she refrained from doing so, but she could not help but nce at him.

    How can someone be so shamelessly narcissistic?

    ¡°What¡¯re you looking at?¡± Qi Chengzhi gave her the side-eye.

    ¡°Nothing, I was just thinking how nice it is to be working with someone like Young Master Cheng,¡± Song Yu said dryly. She could not explicitly express her thoughts that he was so shamelessly narcissistic.

    ¡®Mm¡¯. Qi Chengzhi responded indifferently. He closed his eyes and looked as if he was pondering about something.

    Song Yu felt that it would be a waste of effort to figure out this man¡¯s thought and what he meant by ¡®Mm¡¯. Hence, she left the conversation hanging there.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu drove to the basement of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house and parked the car in the garage. She then followed Qi Chengzhi into the lift.

    Like an attendant, she followed him throughout the journey with her head lowered.

    Upon entering, Qi Chengzhi switched on all the indoor lights. Song Yu could not help but observe the furnishing of the house.

    The interior design of his house was simple and straightforward. It had a hue of cold colors, simr to a typical dwelling of a man. There was no sign of knick-knacks; those that were usually favored by women. Although it looked ssy, it felt more like a showroom where itcked the feeling of home.

    All his furniture were modern-themed and undoubtedly sourced from luxurious brands. Although Song Yu was in the line of architecture, she still had some knowledge for interior design and was able to identify an inconspicuous ashtray to be worth over ten thousand yuan.

    ¡°Make yourself at home, I¡¯m going to take a bath,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. He loosened his necktie and threw it onto the sofa before entering his bedroom.

    Song Yu recalled the events that happened after Qi Chengzhi took a bath previously. Her face started to flush as it happened only a few days ago.

    She gently pped herself on the face and tried to regainposure but her cheeks only turned redder after the pping.

    She went to the kitchen and opened the fridge. To her surprise, it was filled with food including vegetables, fruits, meats, and beverages. It wasplete.

    It seemed like the maid he hired had been replenishing the groceries.

    Song Yu picked the ingredients to make hangover soup for Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi came out after finished bathing but he observed no signs of Song Yu in the living room except for her bag.

    His hair was still damp and he was dressed in casual clothes. It was very different from his usual outfit where he was all suited up. He looked like he returned to earth from the ethereal, other-worldly heavens. Song Yu was not quite used to it.

    He was not wearing his sses. She assumed that he probably does not wear them at home. She wondered how many people had seen him without them.

 Chapter 41 - You Sounded as if Iâ€™m Your Husband Thatâ€™s Under Your Control

    <h4>Chapter 41: You Sounded as if I¡¯m Your Husband That¡¯s Under Your Control</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He was not wearing his sses. She assumed that he probably does not wear them at home. She wondered how many people had seen him without them.

    When she approached him with a bowl of soup in her hands, she could smell the slight fragrance of the body shower as well as the pleasant scent of a man.

    ¡°You just had alcohol. I made a bowl of soup, it¡¯s good for a hangover. Have some, it¡¯ll help you feel better.¡± Song Yu pointed to the bowl in front of him.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her with a burning gaze. It did not look like he was pleased. His gloomy expression made it obvious that he was angry, but Song Yu had no idea what did she do that pissed him off.

    ¡°You... are you unhappy that I went ahead and rummage through your kitchen without your permission?¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice diminished due to anxiety.

    He asked in a lowered voice, ¡°Are you that desperate to score this business deal?¡±

    Song Yu was slightly shaken. It dawned on her immediately that he misunderstood her intentions and thought that she was pleasing him in exchange for the business deal.

    ¡°I did not cook this soup to please you for the business deal.¡± She thought that there was a need to rify herself. ¡°I¡¯m not here to discuss business tonight. Let¡¯s just put that aside. All I want to do is to apologize.¡±

    ¡°I called you today but you didn¡¯t answer, you didn¡¯t reply my messages either. That¡¯s why I went to look for you at Dynasty. I misunderstood you thest time, I¡¯m really sorry. It won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not say a word. He held the bowl up and started drinking it but his expression was evidently lighter.

    After gulping down half a bowl of soup, he stopped suddenly and raised his head with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Did you know that the way you mentioned how you called and messaged me just now sounded as if I¡¯m your husband who¡¯s under your control.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red instantly. She lowered her head and muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that.¡±

    ¡®Bang!¡¯

    Who knew what got to him this time. Qi Chengzhi mmed the bowl onto the table. There was still a bit of soup left undrunk.

    Song Yu was stunned. She raised her head to look at him. She had no idea what tantrum he was throwing, he had switched moods three times within a minute.

    ¡°I¡¯m done drinking!¡± Qi Chengzhi stood up and picked the jacket that he threw on the sofa earlier. ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll send you home.¡±

    ¡°I thought you can¡¯t drive, you drank just now.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s speedy actions left Song Yu stupefied as she remained seated on the sofa staring at him.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and teased, ¡°So, do you n to stay the night?¡±

    Song Yu stood up with flushed cheeks when she thought of that morning¡¯s kiss. ¡°I can call a cab.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi already took the car keys and walked out. ¡°I drank the hangover soup.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu hurried and followed.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi stopped the car at her lobby. As she was leaving the car, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve recently been in touch with Guanyu. Once they knew that Qilin did not sign the contract with Chengshi, they were proactive and they showed us a lot of sincerity in continuing with this project.¡±

    ¡ª¡ª¨C

    Happy Mid-Autumn Festival everybody... Were you guys disappointed when Young Master Cheng didn¡¯t ask Song Yu to stay over? Do you guys want to know why Young Master Cheng let such an opportunity slip away? Ponder on...

 Chapter 42 - It Felt As Though He Was Right Beside Her

    <h4>Chapter 42: It Felt As Though He Was Right Beside Her</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi stopped the car at her lobby. As she was leaving the car, he said, ¡°We¡¯ve recently been in touch with Guanyu. Once they knew that Qilin did not sign the contract with Chengshi, they were proactive and they showed us a lot of sincerity in continuing with this project.¡±

    Those words led Song Yu to release her grip on the car door handle. She turned to look at Qi Chengzhi.

    The inside of the car was dark; on the outside of the car, a couple of streetlights were not working. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face was obscured in the dark and even without wearing sses, it was hard to see his ever-enigmatic facial features.

    ¡°This event has made me question Chengshi¡¯s approach. All that yourpany cares about is internal politics andpetition, while the client¡¯s best interests are set aside. I don¡¯t feel reassured, so I will reconsider everything pertaining to the signing of the contract. I really do like your design but I need to think it over and consider all the factors.¡±

    ¡°Although Zhao Rongcheng has gotten you back, the contract will not necessarily be awarded to you again. I know that you had no fault in this because you are also a victim. But things have turned out this way and I can¡¯t y a fool with this huge business, such carelessness simply cannot be overlooked.¡±

    ¡°This time, Guanyu has gotten in touch with us and I¡¯ve decided to let thempete. When the timees, whoever that has what it takes will get it. There¡¯s something I originally wanted Cheng Dongge to inform you of tomorrow ¨Ce over to Qilin after work on the evening of the day after, which is Friday. You and Guanyu¡¯s architect will be meeting at Qilin¡¯s entrance. Ourpany, including myself, Luo Yushu, and the engineering department¡¯s manager will bring everyone to the project site.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be staying there for the weekend and you both can inspect the site. When we return, you¡¯ll both be asked to present a design n, but this time, I don¡¯t just simply want a simple verbal concept of the design, I want a fully amended n,plete with the height, load-bearing capacity, and any other precise measurements.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll decide only afterparing the two,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu nodded. She was not at all dissatisfied with his decision. ¡°I understand. This time, I¡¯m determined to win. Young Master Cheng, I can safely assure you that the same thing will never happen in the future.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not immediately dere his stand on things but simply said, ¡°You may go up.¡±

    He looked as Song Yu got down from the car and disappeared through the doorway but he did not leave immediately. He looked up to see that the light in Song Yu¡¯s home had been switched on.

    He ced his hands in his pocket but they came up empty. Puzzled, he subsequently realized that he was wearing house clothes, the pockets of which did not contain any cigarettes.

    With a smile and a shake of the head, he started the car and left.

    ...

    ...

    After her bath, Song Yuy down on her bed. Her body was curled up and she was lying on her side. cing her nose close to her pillow, she sniffed it a few times. To her surprise, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smell was still present.

    In recent days, she found it hard to sleep because of his scent. She wondered how he slept because, within merely a night, her pillow, bedsheet, and nket were all imbued with his smell.

    As long as she closed her eyes and breathed that scent, it felt as though he was right beside her.

 Chapter 43 - We Mustnâ€™t Let Matters at Work Affect Our Friendship

    <h4>Chapter 43: We Mustn¡¯t Let Matters at Work Affect Our Friendship</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As long as she closed her eyes and breathed that scent, it felt as though he was right beside her.

    His face ¨C with that kind of half-smiling, mocking expression that no one could see through ¨C repeatedly appearing within the recesses of her mind. There was also his kiss and the scene of him making himselffortable on her bed.

    Song Yu felt her lips heat up. She tossed and turned from sheer irritation and could not fall asleep even though she closed her eyes. Hence, she made a mental note that she ought to wash the bedsheet and nket at the soonest avable opportunity.

    ...

    ...

    When Friday came, Song Yu told Director Zhao about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s decision. Director Zhao was filled with regret because if it were not for Wang Liwei, the project would have been Chengshi¡¯s and all these inconveniences would not have urred.

    Song Yu brought luggage with her to work. It was only a simple holdall as she will only be away for a weekend; she did not bring too many things. After she got off work, she brought it with her to Qilin.

    ¡°Song Song!¡± Just before she reached Qilin¡¯s entrance, she saw Guan Xiaolin waving at her. Guan Xiaolin smiled and walked to her, then both of them walked together to the entrance.

    ¡°Why did youe here personally?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°My father is worried. He wanted me toe so I could help if necessary.¡± With a nose-scrunching smile, Guan Xiaolin wrapped her arm around Song Yu. ¡°My father is really anxious about this business. He refused to ept defeat when Qilin announced that the project was given to Chengshi. But after the deal fell through and Qilin began to consider Guanyu, my father said that this time, he wouldn¡¯t lose.¡±

    All of a sudden, Guan Xiaolin stopped talking. She exined nervously, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to bring it up on purpose.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Song Yu smiled and did not take the matter to heart.

    ¡°Why did you go back to Chengshi?¡± Guan Xiaolin frowned. ¡°Why go back to this kind ofpany? Aren¡¯t you afraid that the same thing¡¯s gonna happen again?¡±

    ¡°If I didn¡¯te back, I would have lost the chance to design a seven-star hotel.¡± Song Yu understood that fact. The wind had messed up her hair, so she brushed the stray strands aside. ¡°You said that I could go to Guanyu, but one of Guanyu¡¯s employees was in charge of this undertaking from the very beginning. A neer like me wouldn¡¯t have had the power to take that assignment away now, would I? Even if you¡¯re there, you wouldn¡¯t be supportive of me doing that, right? Not to mention that your boss is your father. And I cannot possibly be offending a new colleague on the first day. So, other than going back to Chengshi, there¡¯s no other choice left for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay, no more talking about this. Since you¡¯ve already made your decision, all I can do is support you. But we¡¯repeting against each other now, so I won¡¯t be going easy on you!¡± Guan Xiaolin smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give it my best too.¡± Song Yu nodded.

    ¡°Mm, but no matter the oue, we mustn¡¯t let matters at work affect our friendship,¡± Guan Xiaolin remarked. However, her expression betrayed her confidence that she woulde out victorious in the end.

    When they entered Qilin¡¯s lounge, there was already a woman sitting on the sofa. She presented herself in an astute and experienced manner; she looked like she was older than Song Yu by about two years.

    Upon seeing the both of them, the woman weed them over and listened as Guan Xiaolin introduced her to Song Yu. ¡°This is Fu Junya, ourpany¡¯s architect. She¡¯ll be tasked with designing the hotel.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Our Director Is Well-Loved by All of Qilinâ€™s Employees

    <h4>Chapter 44: Our Director Is Well-Loved by All of Qilin¡¯s Employees</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Upon seeing the both of them, the woman weed them over and listened as Guan Xiaolin introduced her to Song Yu. ¡°This is Fu Junya, ourpany¡¯s architect. She¡¯ll be tasked with designing the hotel.¡±

    Fu Junya extended her hand and smiled. ¡°Nice to meet you. In the past, Director Guan mentioned that she had a talented and very beautiful friend who was working at Chengshi as an architect. Today, we finally meet.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and they shook hands. They then exchanged a few polite greetings.

    Ten or so minutes passed when the sounds of ¡®Hello, Director¡¯ began to resound. Looking over, Qi Chengzhi was walking over with Luo Yushu and Jian Yi tagging along. Bearing an upright posture and dressed suavely in a suit, he walked ahead of them. His great strides lent him an air of pride and respectableness.

    Song Yu overheard Fu Junya¡¯s whispers to Guan Xiaolin, ¡°Director Guan, Young Master Cheng looks even more handsome in person than in the magazines!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stood before all of them and received a session of salutations. ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    He nodded his head austerely. Behind him, Jian Yi secretly winked at Song Yu, turning her professional business smile into one that was warmer and more sincere.

    Realizing the direction of her gaze, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face soured immediately, and he simply uttered a cold ¡®Let¡¯s go¡¯ before leaving.

    Even those among them who were quick-thinking had little time to react. Luo Yushu and Jian Yi hurriedly caught up with him.

    Chang Lai was already standing in front of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover. The one person who boarded that car was Qi Chengzhi, while the rest of the people sat in the vehicle behind it: a Mercedes-Benz Mini Passenger Van.

    The project site for Qilin¡¯s seven-star leisure hotel was situated in the suburbs of B City, and the journey there took no less than two to three hours.

    Along the way, Luo Yushu was very much interested in Song Yu¡¯spany. He asked her how the work atmosphere was like, how the colleagues were, and what kind of person Director Zhao was.

    On one hand, Song Yu¡¯s was hesitant to answer, but on the other, she replied without thinking too much. Naturally, her statements were half-truths and she was careful when answering him.

    Eventually, Luo Yushu remarked, ¡°Ourpany¡¯s benefits are really good. Our basic sry is high, ourmissions are high, and we don¡¯t only have year-end bonuses, we have mid-year bonuses too.¡±

    ¡°Ourpany¡¯s colleagues are all kind to one another, and there¡¯s absolutely no such thing as taking someone else¡¯s business.¡±

    ¡°Our Director is not out of touch with people. He treats all his subordinates with empathy and care. He has self-respect and would never engage in illicit affairs with his female subordinates.¡±

    ¡°Our Director is fair and doesn¡¯t practice nepotism. Anyone, even those with no background, would equally be able to seed in Qilin.¡±

    ¡°Our Director...¡±

    Throughout the journey, Luo Yushu had unending praise for his Director. Everyone could hear what he said and they wondered if he was attempting to poach talent from Chengshi.

    Once in a while, Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya would look curiously at Song Yu, and they noticed that she was also finding it odd.

    Having reached the hotel where they were supposed to check-in for the night, Luo Yushu concluded, ¡°Our Director is well-loved by all of Qilin¡¯s employees.¡±

    Once the car was stopped, Luo Yushu ¨C who by then had attracted the stares of everyone ¨C was the first to step out of the car.

    They entered the hotel lobby and saw Chang Lai helping Qi Chengzhi check-in. Luo Yushu sneakily ced his hand in front of his body. From afar, he signaled an ¡®OK¡¯ to Qi Chengzhi.

 Chapter 45 - You Were Given the Wrong Room Card

    <h4>Chapter 45: You Were Given the Wrong Room Card</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    They entered the hotel lobby and saw Chang Lai helping Qi Chengzhi check-in. Luo Yushu sneakily ced his hand in front of his body. From afar, he signaled an ¡®OK¡¯ to Qi Chengzhi.

    When Song Yu entered, she saw Qi Chengzhi standing much straighter than before. He had on an almost arrogant expression on his face.

    ¡°Was the journey alright?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. It appeared as though he stood even straighter.

    ¡°It was okay. Manager Luo kept praising you,¡± Song Yu replied. She thought that he did so because he wanted her to be his messenger.

    ¡°Oh?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow. His lips began curling ever so slightly, but he had no idea what was it he was expecting.

    ¡°I think Manager Luo really looks up to you.¡± She was determined to put in a good word for him.

    ¡°...¡± Ever the expressionless man, Qi Chengzhi stood before her and did not move. He waited for her next sentence, but she seemingly had nothing further to say, so he asked, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    ¡°Manager Luo is a really good employee. He is deeply proud of being a part of Qilin.¡± Song Yu thought that Qi Chengzhi did not believe her, so she spoke with added seriousness and sincerity.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi turned and left. How did Manager Luo handle things!

    Song Yu waspletely clueless as to why Qi Chengzhi was so angry, but since she did not want to think about it, she went directly to the front desk to settle her check-in. Coincidentally, Jian Yi was just ahead of her.

    When the front desk handed over the key card to Jian Yi, Song Yu purposefully took a glimpse at the room number that was written on his card.

    Just as Song Yu¡¯s turn came, Luo Yushu rushed over and pulled her aside, saying, ¡°Miss Song, I¡¯ve already taken care of it for you and the others. This is your key card. Miss Guan is waiting for you by the elevator, you¡¯d better get going.¡±

    ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Song Yu had to leave first. As she walked, she looked at her card and could not help but smile¡ªher room was right next to Jian Yi¡¯s.

    ¡°Song Song, hurry up, it¡¯s been a tiring trip, we¡¯d better get back to our room to rest.¡± Guan Xiaolin dragged her into the elevator.

    With card and luggage in hand, Jian Yi was heading to the elevator but was stopped by the hotel manager.

    ¡°My apologies, sir, owing to our front desk¡¯s carelessness, you were given the wrong room card.¡± The smiling manager presented another card with both hands. ¡°This is yours.¡±

    ¡°No worries.¡± Jian Yi smiled and returned the original card to the manager.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu ran a bath to rid her of her exhaustion. She then called room service and requested for dinner to be sent to her room.

    She did not ask Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin out for a meal because the three of them were there on different capacities, making for a rather delicate situation.

    Guan Xiaolin was her directpetitor while Jian Yi was the manager of the clientpany¡¯s engineering department. Meeting with Jian Yi would fuel a misunderstanding among Qilin¡¯s people.

    After her meal, she sat on the bed and turned on the television. She switched through all channels but did not find anything to her liking, so she settled on a random Korean television series.

    She had absolutely no idea what it was about because her attention was not focused there. She could only hear the television¡¯s noise since her mind had already floated elsewhere.

 Chapter 46 - They Were Always More Than Friends but Less Than Lovers

    <h4>Chapter 46: They Were Always More Than Friends but Less Than Lovers</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She had absolutely no idea what it was about because her attention was not focused there. She could only hear the television¡¯s noise since her mind had already floated elsewhere.

    When she was fifteen-years-old, the Qi family and the Song family decided for her to be engaged with Qi Chengji. However, they were still young at the time, so the engagement was a simple one that only those within the rich circle knew about.

    At fifteen-years-old, Song Yu had no way of refusing, since she had no authority to say no to her family.

    Back then, she, Guan Xiaolin, and Jian Yi were always together. He matured into a handsome sunshine of an eighteen-year-old young man, and she began to develop feelings for him.

    Those days, she already understood the disparity between their family backgrounds, but she never took it seriously. She was at an age where love trumped everything else.

    She was his gentle counterpart, and once in a while, their chemistry could be seen in the way they looked at each other. There was also a strong attraction in the air when they were alone, but neither had ever truly said anything about it, so throughout that time, they were always more than friends but less than lovers.

    After finding out about her family¡¯s decision, she ran in search of Jian Yi. He heard what she had to say, and although hurt shed across his handsome face, he managed to suppress them after some time. He then said hoarsely, ¡°Congrattions. I forgot that Song Song is already grown up.¡±

    ¡°My engagement, don¡¯t you have anything to say about it?¡± Her lips, along with her voice, was trembling.

    He patted her on the head and said, ¡°As long as he treats you well.¡±

    That day, she ran back home, hid in her room, and cried the whole night.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes were inmed. She felt heartbroken whenever she recalled all that.

    She pressed her hand on her chest and thought about what Yu Qianyin said to her, ¡°You¡¯ve been passive ever since you were a kid. You weren¡¯t bothered when Qi Chengji fell in love with someone. On the contrary, you supported him! Now, you¡¯re doing the same thing to Jian Yi. If Jian Yi gets sick of waiting and instead goes for someone else, what¡¯re you going to do?¡±

    Yes, what was she going to do? Was she really willing to let it slip by again?

    Her eyes came into focus and she gradually returned to her senses. The actor¡¯s lines from the television were understandable once again.

    Song Yu looked at her watch. It was nine twenty-five. She got off the bed and walked to her door. Grabbing her key card, she walked out and stood right in front of the next room¡¯s door.

    She took a really deep breath and held it in. That gulp of air was retained at her throat, and she pressed the doorbell, leaving behind any regrets.

    It rang, but no one came to the door. She wondered if he had gone out because there was something he needed to do, or maybe Qi Chengzhi called him for a meeting and that was why he was not in.

    She pressed the doorbell again, and if no one came to the door, she would go back. It would be a shame though because it took a lot for her to work up the courage.

    Song Yu sighed and heard nothing from the room, so she got ready to leave. Then, her eyes spotted the door handle turn ever so slightly.

    In a moment the door would be open, but Song Yu immediately grabbed it and prevented the person inside from turning it all the way.

 Chapter 47 - Donâ€™t Open the Door, Iâ€¦ Have Something to Tell You

    <h4>Chapter 47: Don¡¯t Open the Door, I... Have Something to Tell You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As she saw the door was opening, Song Yu quickly grabbed the doorknob before the person inside could proceed.

    ¡°Don¡¯t open the door!¡± Speaking in an anxious tone, Song Yu repeated, ¡°Don¡¯t open the door. I... have something to tell you. Let¡¯s just do this with the door between us. If I were to say it face to face, I would have lost the courage.¡±

    She could feel the resistance loosen. The person on the other side had stopped attempting to open the door. She rxed and put both her hands on the door. She rested her forehead on the cold wooden door, lowered her head, and stared at the doorknob unconsciously.

    ¡°When I was fifteen, you didn¡¯t stop me from getting engaged to Qi Chengji. Back then, I put the me on you for doing nothing. However, with maturity, I now know that there was nothing you could do. You couldn¡¯t do anything but to pass me your blessing. If you did as I wished by confessing and blocking the engagement, I would be the one who would¡¯ve ended up in a pinch. I would try my best to go against the engagement, but the reality was that the ending would be the same.¡±

    ¡°My family would have stopped me from seeing you again, and I would still end up with Qi Chengji. I could have even lost the chance to see you again.¡±

    ¡°Because of that, you couldn¡¯t be so selfish to express what your heart truly desired. I finally understand it these days. Qi Chengji and I were still young. Who knew what the future would hold? It was just an engagement. Nobody could say for certain what¡¯s going to happen in the future.¡±

    ¡°Subsequently, my family went bankrupt and naturally, the engagement with Qi Chengji broke off. I was no longer the daughter of Song Family, and many had pitied me. I fell from the cloud in one night, and I had nothing left. I even had to go through days that were tougher than the average person.¡±

    ¡°I held no grudge. It wasn¡¯t as bad as what people thought. On the contrast, I was rather happy. To me, an average person¡¯s life is more meaningful than being ady from a notable family who had no control over her life. While materialistically speaking, it wasn¡¯t as good as before, but I didn¡¯t need the luxury.¡±

    ¡°Through my own ability, I¡¯ve improved my life bit by bit. I have food to keep me from being hungry and clothes to keep me warm. I also have some extra for leisure. Although work is rather busy,pared to the constant scheming and fighting among the rich and powerful, life is more fulfilling. A busy life is a meaningful life.¡±

    ¡°There was more freedom in being ordinarypared to the days when I was still a part of the rich and powerful. After we went broke, I transferred to a public school to continue my third year of high school. While my result sufficed to qualify for University A, I went to University B because of the schrship. It would help reduce my family¡¯s burden.¡±

    ¡°During the four years in university, I took up part-time jobs and in between studying and working, I had no time to even think about rtionships or love. It was not something that I deemed substantial. By the time I graduated from university, I hadnded a job in Chengshi. It was apetitive industry, and I had the lowest qualification among the architects. I could only pursue further studies and continue on the path of keeping a job while studying. When I first started, naturally I had to put in more effortpared to others to be recognized. Adding to that, I had my postgraduate studies, I would say that during those times I had to squeeze really hard to find time to sleep.¡±

 Chapter 48 - Jian Yi, I Like You

    <h4>Chapter 48: Jian Yi, I Like You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°During the four years in university, I took up part-time jobs and in between studying and working, I had no time to even think about rtionships or love. It was not something that I deemed substantial. By the time I graduated from university, I hadnded a job in Chengshi. It was apetitive industry, and I had the lowest qualification among the architects. I could only pursue further studies and continue on the path working while studying. When I first started, naturally I had to put in more effortpared to others to be recognized. Adding to that was my postgraduate studies, I would say that during those times I had to squeeze really hard to find time to sleep.¡±

    ¡°To me, a rtionship is still a luxury.¡± Song Yu took a deep breath. ¡°Now that I¡¯m finally on the right track and with less crazy work hours, I¡¯ve been thinking about something that has bothered me more than once.¡±

    ¡°My mom is right. If there¡¯s someone I like, I should go for it. Regardless of what you think, I feel that I need to let you know about my feelings. That¡¯s the only way for me to not have any regrets. I will stop asking myself ¡®what-ifs.¡¯¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, I like you.¡± She pressed her forehead on the door and spoke softly. She could hear her heart pounding violently.

    It was as if a fire had started in her heart and spread all the way to her head. Her face was burning.

    At that moment, she felt like she could no longer breathe.

    ¡°If... If you reciprocate, open the door. I want to say it to you in-person,¡± she said. She was suffocating as she continued, ¡°If you don¡¯t see me that way, I apologize for acting up. You can pretend you heard nothing tonight. You don¡¯t need to open the door, and you don¡¯t need to feel bothered by it. Just pretend nothing ever happened. We are still good friends, and I won¡¯t have a second thought about you.¡±

    Song Yu stopped and lowered her nce to the doorknob.

    There was no movement. Her heart sank. She was disappointed even though she acted like she would not be bothered by it. It was hard not to be disappointed as she had been in love with him for so many years. She had always thought he shared the same feelings.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes hurt and she felt her tears welling up. Just when she was ready to retreat into her room, the doorknob turned.

    ¡°Creak!¡±

    The door opened.

    At first, Song Yu saw a pair of slippers. Extending from there, she saw a pair of long, naked legs. Up to the level of the knees, there was a white towel.

    Her eyes continued to move up. At the waist level where the towel was tied, she could see a t and toned abdomen. The abs muscles were clearly defined, akin to those photoshopped models in the magazines. His rock-hard abs were exhibiting the strength underneath.

    She did not think Jian Yi was naked!

    Song Yu could feel her face burning and steaming out of her ears.

    Standing at the door, he was so close to her. She could feel the radiating heat from his chest on her forehead.

    Song Yu was too shy to lift up her head. Her face was all red, and she was staring at her feet, not knowing what to do. She was afraid to look up because the scene was too provocative.

 Chapter 49 - Good Girl, Donâ€™t Joke Around

    <h4>Chapter 49: Good Girl, Don¡¯t Joke Around</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu could feel her face burning and steaming out of her ears.

    Standing at the door, he was so close to her. She could feel the radiating heat from his chest on her forehead.

    Song Yu was too shy to lift up her head. Her face was all read, and she was staring at her feet, not knowing what to do. She was afraid to look up because the scene was too provocative.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I...¡± Song Yu hesitated. She was conflicted.

    ¡°Good girl, don¡¯t joke around,¡± a gentle voice rang from above, but the voice did not belong to Jian Yi. ¡°I¡¯ve already taken off my pants, and you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re into another man?¡±

    His tone was pampering as if he was educating a naughty child.

    Song Yu froze when she heard the voice. She looked up unbelievably, ignoring the fact that she was embarrassed to look at his bare chest.

    She recalled seeing Jian Yi¡¯s room number on her card. Why was Qi Chengzhi here?

    It was apparent from the way he dressed that he was not here for Jian Yi. He was the rightful guest of the room.

    Song Yu was stunned. She had gathered the courage to confess but to the wrong person!?

    ¡°You...¡± Song Yu was still in a daze. Despite how astute she usually was, her brain was frozen.

    When she was confessing, he was taking his pants off?

    This had to be a joke!

    Song Yu¡¯s expression was as if a heavy blow just hit her. While she was still startled, Qi Chengzhi pulled her over and closed the door.

    Before she recovered, Qi Chengzhi pushed her against the wall.

    Song Yu, all flushed felt the heat underneath the towel. She tried to get away, but she had nowhere to hide.

    His hair was still wet. It suggested he was just done with showering when she entered. It exined why he did not open the door right away upon the first ring.

    The water dripping from his hair onto her shoulder and neck gave her skin a chilling sensation.

    ¡°All you¡¯ve said just now gave me a hard-on, but you called out to Jian Yi in the end? What are you going to do about this?¡± He used her with a nk expression. His tonality was so harsh, it was as if she had indeed bullied him.

    She took a deep breath, and her face was as red as an apple.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know you¡¯re here. I nned to...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes. He knew what she was going to say and he knew it was not something that was going to be pleasing. He lowered his head and silenced her. Without hesitation, he invaded her lips.

    His kiss was like a storm, and he gave her no breaks. His lips met with hers tightly. Song Yu was kissed senseless. She could not utter a word, nor did she have the energy to push him away.

    She was trapped between his chest and the wall.

    She did not know what to do, and her reaction speed was declining. Unknowingly, she rested her hands on his chest.

    She intended to push him away, but the moment she felt his chest, she lost the energy to.

    Her fingers curled a little,ing into contact with his skin. She felt like she was against a solid wall.

 Chapter 53 - I Just Wanted to Tell You that Song Yu Came Out from Qi Chengzhiâ€™s Room Last Night

    <h4>Chapter 53: I Just Wanted to Tell You that Song Yu Came Out from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Room Last Night</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Jian Yi sprung up and shot her an unfriendly nce, ¡°Eat your food!¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to tell you that Song Yu came out from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s roomst night.¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s words halted Jian Yi¡¯s footsteps and got him to sit down again.

    Guan Xiaolin smirked in satisfaction. She had never seen such a tensed expression from Jian Yi before, and she continued, ¡°I nned to have a chat with herst night, but guess what? I saw her running out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room with her hair and clothes all messed up. Her face was bright red as if she had done something she shouldn¡¯t. Qi Chengzhi came out with her and stood at the hallway. He wasn¡¯t wearing anything except for a bath towel.¡±

    ¡°Both of them are single. Based on their disheveled look, what else could they have been doing?¡± Guan Xiaolin shook her head as if she was disappointed and in pain, ¡°I can¡¯t understand, is Song Yu so desperate to close this business deal? How could she do something like this.¡±

    Jian Yi pulled a long face. When he was about to defend Song Yu, Guan Xiaolin broke into a friendly smile and waved to the back of him, ¡°Song Song, we¡¯re here!¡±

    Song Yu nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to take her breakfast before sitting down.

    When Song Yu was eating her porridge, she noticed that Guan Xiaolin kept looking at her from time to time¡ªcausing her to identally bite her tongue.

    Song Yu could not eat in peace with Guan Xiaolin acting like this.

    Guan Xiaolin licked her lips before asking embarrassedly, ¡°Song Song, I went to look for youst night, but I saw you came out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room. Both of you looked a bit...¡±

    ¡°Song Song, you wouldn¡¯t do that for the business right...¡± Guan Xiaolin bit her tongue, but the insinuation was obvious.

    Song Yu closed her eyes and her facial expression turned cold. When she lifted her head again, she looked at Guan Xiaolin with an extremely stern look. One could say that it was a little distant. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sell myself no matter what. It¡¯s just a business deal. If I lost, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not up to par. I¡¯m all for transparency and integrity when ites topetition. Never once was I involved in unorthodox methods, nor will I ever exchange my body for business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that this business deal is very important to me, but I would never sleep with Qi Chengzhi just to get that deal. That¡¯s what you were implying just now right? Also, Qi Chengzhi became who he is now because he¡¯s not the kind that would indulge in desires and neglect work. If he gave the business to whom he slept with, both of us don¡¯t have the chance to fight for this deal. He doesn¡¯t need to use deals in exchange for thepany of women. He already has so many women in his bed, he doesn¡¯t need me at all.¡±

    ¡°If you saw clearlyst night, you¡¯ll notice that Manager Luo was also at the doorstep. Even if Qi Chengzhi was really in the mood, he wouldn¡¯t have done it in front of a subordinate,¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    Guan Xiaolin smiled awkwardly in regret and said softly, ¡°Song Song, that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be taken advantage of, I...¡±

 Chapter 51 - How Could He Act Indecently In Front of His Subordinate

    <h4>Chapter 51: How Could He Act Indecently In Front of His Subordinate</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯m about to leave,¡± Song Yu said in a hurry. She lowered her head and dared not look at Qi Chengzhi and Luo Yushu.

    When she reached the door, she was sandwiched by Luo Yushu from the outside and Qi Chengyu from the inside. There was only a very limited amount of space left for Song Yu to pass through.

    Even if she tried to go through horizontally, she still had to squeeze past Qi Chengzhi.

    Their bodies would definitely collide.

    Song Yu clenched her fist and seethed when she saw that he was not going to move aside, ¡°Young Master Cheng, please let me through.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled gently and leaned towards one side. He did not move awaypletely, but the space he offered was only sufficient for Song Yu to pass through sideways.

    Song Yu lowered her head as Qi Chengzhi kept staring at her with a mocking smile and an intense gaze. It made her scalp tingle and she almost forgot how to walk, making her almost walk with both her hands and foot in sync.

    Song Yu walked carefully as she did not want toe into contact with his naked chest. However, the more careful she tried to be, the slower she was and the more she got affected by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze.

    Luo Yushu had already moved aside much earlier on. He dared not touch a single hair of Song Yu as he was afraid that he might anger Qi Chengzhi.

    However, he had a clear view of what was happening by observing from the side.

    Their director¡¯s gaze was so hungry as if he wanted to swallow thedy whole in that instant.

    Even Luo Yushu who was not involved could feel the tingles on his scalp. Imagine the pressure Song Yu was experiencing at the moment.

    Suddenly, Qi Chengzhi lunged forward with his body and stuck tightly to Song Yu. Her body was pushed by him against the doorframe.

    Song Yu bit onto her lips desperately and lifted her head to stare at him angrily with an embarrassed expression.

    How could he act indecently in front of his subordinate!

    His solid chest pressed on her tightly. There was something even harder that was prodding her abdomen across the bath towel. Song Yu dared not struggle this time and could only let him have his way.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi turned around and stared at Luo Yushu, ¡°Why did you push me!¡±

    Then, he took a step back righteously with his head held high and an upright back, as if he knew nothing about what indecent acts meant.

    Luo Yushu secretly pouted his mouth at a corner and thought, ¡®Director, if you want to y innocent, you should at least put on some clothes before you do that.¡¯

    Song Yu was so embarrassed and blushed that her face could almost bleed. At that moment, she had no room for manners and dashed out the door without any greetings.

    Her room was just beside his. It only took her two strides before she reached her door.

    However, Qi Chengzhi did not close his door. Instead, he walked out from his room with only a bath towel around his waist. He stood shamelessly at the hallway and observed how Song Yu fumbled with the keycard with his arms folded across his chest.

    Song Yu panicked under the gaze of Qi Chengzhi, and she could not manage to insert the keycard.

    Song Yu finally inserted the keycard with much difficulty, seeing that her hands were shaking. ¡°Beep,¡± Song Yu opened the door and rushed into the room before mming the door in front of Qi Chengzhi.

 Chapter 52 - If Song Yu Knew About You And

    <h4>Chapter 52: If Song Yu Knew About You And</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu finally inserted the keycard with much difficulty, seeing that her hands were shaking. ¡°Beep,¡± Song Yu opened the door and rushed into the room before mming the door in front of Qi Chengzhi.

    Guan Xiaolin stood at the entrance of the hallway. She wanted to look for Song Yu, but after witnessing what just happened, she turned and left without saying a thing.

    ...

    Song Yu copsed onto the bed once she entered her room. Her face was boiling, and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s scent lingered in her mouth.

    The television behind her was still airing the same Korean drama before she left. The main actor was confessing to the lead actress, his words made her even more restless.

    Song Yu turned around just to see that both characters were kissing. No need to mention the restlessness of her heart in that moment.

    She pressed her lips tightly and rubbed violently with her fingers until she felt pain. She then turned off the television with a disturbed expression and buried her head into the bed.

    The sheets in her house were filled with his scent¡ªeven her mouth was filled with his scent!

    ...

    ...

    Luo Yushu left Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room in confusion. Earlier on, it was Qi Chengzhi who mentioned that he had some things to discuss. He came, but Qi Chengzhi did not say anything. Instead, he let him watch a documentary film in his room for a while before asking him to leave.

    Qi Chengzhi was alone. He wore a pair of long pants but his upper body remained bare.

    He sat on the chair at the balcony and lighted a cigarette.

    Song Yu confessed outside his door. Although he was pretty sure that was not meant for him, he could still tick all the boxes if he put himself in the scenario.

    He was slowly engrossed in his thoughts. She managed to ignite a spark in his heart.

    However, he still heard that two disappointing words ¡ª Jian Yi.

    He squinted and took a drag on the cigarette.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Guan Xiaolin went to the buffet restaurant early in the morning. Song Yu had not arrived yet, but she saw Jian Yi.

    She took some food and sat down at Jian Yi¡¯s table.

    Jian Yi was all alone. He simply nced at Guan Xiaolin when she sat down and kept his distance.

    ¡°Jian Yi, when did our rtionship be so strained,¡± Guan Xiaolin put on a long face. She thought about how Jian Yi was still so close to Song Yu, but not to her. She was not very happy about that.

    ¡°I¡¯m full, you take your time,¡± Jian Yi put down his chopsticks. There were still two Xiaolongbaos and half a serving of fried noodles left untouched.

    ¡°Do you really dislike seeing me? Are you happy if the one you met was Song Yu? You¡¯re all smiles and grins towards Song Yu, but you treat me like this. If Song Yu knew about you and...¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s expression was cold but the way she leered was unsettling.

    Jian Yi sprung up and shot her an unfriendly nce, ¡°Eat your food!¡±

 Chapter 53 - I Just Wanted to Tell You that Song Yu Came Out from Qi Chengzhiâ€™s Room Last Night

    <h4>Chapter 53: I Just Wanted to Tell You that Song Yu Came Out from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Room Last Night</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Jian Yi sprung up and shot her an unfriendly nce, ¡°Eat your food!¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to tell you that Song Yu came out from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s roomst night.¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s words halted Jian Yi¡¯s footsteps and got him to sit down again.

    Guan Xiaolin smirked in satisfaction. She had never seen such a tensed expression from Jian Yi before, and she continued, ¡°I nned to have a chat with herst night, but guess what? I saw her running out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room with her hair and clothes all messed up. Her face was bright red as if she had done something she shouldn¡¯t. Qi Chengzhi came out with her and stood at the hallway. He wasn¡¯t wearing anything except for a bath towel.¡±

    ¡°Both of them are single. Based on their disheveled look, what else could they have been doing?¡± Guan Xiaolin shook her head as if she was disappointed and in pain, ¡°I can¡¯t understand, is Song Yu so desperate to close this business deal? How could she do something like this.¡±

    Jian Yi pulled a long face. When he was about to defend Song Yu, Guan Xiaolin broke into a friendly smile and waved to the back of him, ¡°Song Song, we¡¯re here!¡±

    Song Yu nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to take her breakfast before sitting down.

    When Song Yu was eating her porridge, she noticed that Guan Xiaolin kept looking at her from time to time¡ªcausing her to identally bite her tongue.

    Song Yu could not eat in peace with Guan Xiaolin acting like this.

    Guan Xiaolin licked her lips before asking embarrassedly, ¡°Song Song, I went to look for youst night, but I saw you came out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room. Both of you looked a bit...¡±

    ¡°Song Song, you wouldn¡¯t do that for the business right...¡± Guan Xiaolin bit her tongue, but the insinuation was obvious.

    Song Yu closed her eyes and her facial expression turned cold. When she lifted her head again, she looked at Guan Xiaolin with an extremely stern look. One could say that it was a little distant. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t sell myself no matter what. It¡¯s just a business deal. If I lost, it¡¯s because I¡¯m not up to par. I¡¯m all for transparency and integrity when ites topetition. Never once was I involved in unorthodox methods, nor will I ever exchange my body for business.¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true that this business deal is very important to me, but I would never sleep with Qi Chengzhi just to get that deal. That¡¯s what you were implying just now right? Also, Qi Chengzhi became who he is now because he¡¯s not the kind that would indulge in desires and neglect work. If he gave the business to whom he slept with, both of us don¡¯t have the chance to fight for this deal. He doesn¡¯t need to use deals in exchange for thepany of women. He already has so many women in his bed, he doesn¡¯t need me at all.¡±

    ¡°If you saw clearlyst night, you¡¯ll notice that Manager Luo was also at the doorstep. Even if Qi Chengzhi was really in the mood, he wouldn¡¯t have done it in front of a subordinate,¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    Guan Xiaolin smiled awkwardly in regret and said softly, ¡°Song Song, that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be taken advantage of, I...¡±

 Chapter 54 - It Still Doesnâ€™t Count As A Relationship Even After We Kissed?

    <h4>Chapter 54: It Still Doesn¡¯t Count As A Rtionship Even After We Kissed?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Xiaolin smiled awkwardly in regret and said softly, ¡°Song Song, that wasn¡¯t what I meant. I¡¯m just afraid that you¡¯ll be taken advantage of, I...¡±

    Song Yu stood up before Guan Xiaolin could finish her sentence. She said coldly, ¡°I¡¯ll head back first. I have a lot to prepare for the site visitter.¡±

    Song Yu left without turning back. Jian Yi snickered sarcastically and also left.

    Guan Xiaolin was left sitting alone. She threw the chopsticks with an annoyed expression and left too.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu walked towards her room with her head lowered. All of a sudden, a pair of intricate men¡¯s leather shoes appeared in her sight.

    Her vision followed the leather shoes upwards and saw Qi Chengzhi leaning against the door of her room. He totally ignored the ¡°No smoking¡± sign on the wall and puffed in and out.

    The way he smoked with his eyes half-closed looked quite rogue, not like his usual calmposure. At that moment, he looked like the licentious type during his younger days.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. The back of her ears started tingling and she dared not look at him directly, ¡°What are you doing here, Young Master Cheng?¡±

    ¡°Waiting for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi towered over her after he straightened his body. Her head was only up to his chest, she instantly felt pressured.

    Song Yu unconsciously backed away under pressure, ¡°Young Master Cheng, you¡¯re my customer. I¡¯m worried that this will give others a bad impression.¡±

    ¡°Bad impression? There¡¯s only two of us here, who¡¯s watching?¡± Qi Chengzhi continued to press forward when she backed away.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what you think of me, but I¡¯m not someone who will apany you to y games. You clearly heard what I saidst night, I already have someone that I like,¡± Song Yu dared not make direct eye contact with him and kept on backing away with her head lowered. She felt suffocated.

    In the end, she was cornered to the wall and could not step back anymore.

    Qi Chengzhi smoked his cigarette and lowered his head suddenly. He puffed out a thin line of smoke onto her lips, ¡°Does the person you like know about our rtionship?¡±

    Song Yu finally lifted her head, her heart was racing when she saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s teasing expression, ¡°We do not have any rtionship.¡±

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t count as a rtionship even after we kissed?¡± Qi Chengzhi askedughingly.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu pressed her lips together without answering.

    She heard Qi Chengzhiughing gently above her head. His raspyughter danced in his throat, she felt as if she was tickled by countless tentacles.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be sooner orter,¡± Qi Chengzhi said firmly.

    They could hear Luo Yushu and Fu Junya¡¯sughter and conversation from afar. Their voices were slowly approaching them.

    Song Yu looked over in distress. She was afraid that they would appear around the corner and saw that Qi Chengzhi was with her.

    ¡°Someone¡¯sing, I don¡¯t want them to misunderstand!¡± Song Yu said desperately.

    However, Qi Chengzhi remained motionless. He was like a wall in the dead end, blocking her waypletely.

    At that instant, their footsteps were clearly audible. Song Yu knew that they were approaching very soon.

 Chapter 55 - Miss Song Is Always on Her Phone Because She Is Talking to Her Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 55: Miss Song Is Always on Her Phone Because She Is Talking to Her Boyfriend</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At that instant, their footsteps were clearly audible. Song Yu knew that they were approaching very soon.

    Qi Chengzhi took a few steps back before he turned around and left.

    At the same time, he said gently, ¡°Are you sure that he likes you? Especially when he needed you to confess your feelings before he decided to make a move?¡±

    By the time Luo Yushu and the rest came over, Qi Chengzhi had disappeared.

    ¡°Miss Song?¡± Luo Yushu greeted politely. He found it strange that Song Yu was standing with her back against the wall.

    He thought he saw the director in the room earlier.

    ¡°Manager Luo, Miss Fu,¡± Song Yu recollected herself and chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m about to head back to my room and get ready to leave.¡±

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to make a move now,¡± Luo Yushu replied and left with Fu Junya.

    ...

    ...

    When everyone gathered and made their way to the project site, Qi Chengzhi did not interact with anyone, not even Song Yu. It was as though nothing happenedst night.

    Song Yu wondered if she was imagining things¡ªwhenever she interacted with Jian Yi, she could feel Qi Chengzhi¡¯s burning gaze on her. His gaze made her feel like her back was on fire in the freezing cold weather.

    While talking to Jian Yi, Song Yu could not help but steal a nce at Qi Chengzhi. Her gaze was met with his, and he stared at her candidly.

    As everyone was focused on Jian Yi¡¯s exnation, they did not notice this.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t Qi Chengzhi being a little too obvious, to think that he¡¯s doing this in front of everyone?¡¯ Song Yu thought.

    Song Yu looked away as though she had just been scalded. Her huge reaction attracted Jian Yi¡¯s attention. He asked, ¡°Song Yu, what¡¯s happening?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head before replying, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smirked.

    Song Yu¡¯s phone vibrated. She reached for her phone and found a message in her inbox. The sender was Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Why were you looking at me earlier?¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips and was rendered speechless by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s despicable acts.

    If it was not for his intrusive gaze, she would not have looked at him.

    She put her phone back into her pocket, refusing to reply.

    A few secondster, her phone vibrated again. It was a message from Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Missing me?¡±

    ¡®I have never seen someone so shameless,¡¯ she thought.

    Song Yu ignored him again.

    Her phone vibrated again, the message came quicker than earlier. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell Jian Yi the truth when he asked you about it earlier? Are you feeling guilty because I¡¯m in your heart?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu gritted her teeth.

    As she was checking her phone so frequently, everyone took notice of that.

    Fu Junya smiled and asked, ¡°Miss Song, are you on your phone all the time because you¡¯re talking to your boyfriend?¡±

 Chapter 56

    <h4>Chapter 56: My Phone Might Be Infected With A Virus, That Would Exin Why I Am Getting So Many Junk Messages</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Fu Junya smiled and asked, ¡°Miss Song, are you on your phone all the time because you¡¯re talking to your boyfriend?¡±

    Fu Junya was smiling but her intention was bad. She was insinuating that Song Yu was not focusing at work as she was chatting on her phone all the time.

    ¡°No. My phone might be infected with a virus, that would exin why I¡¯m getting so many junk messages,¡± Song Yu said expressionlessly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was speechless.

    Shortly after, Song Yu received another message from Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Junk messages? Do you still want the contract to go through or...?¡±

    He took advantage of Song Yu¡¯s weakness. She had no choice but to reply him on text, ¡°You won¡¯t let our private matters affect our work right?¡±

    This time around, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone finally vibrated. As he checked the message, his eyes were smiling.

    After reading Song Yu¡¯s reply, he replied hastily. ¡°I said I would never sleep with a woman in exchange for an order. Have we slept with each other yet?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face darkened and decided to shut down her phone altogether.

    ...

    ...

    When they were on their way back to the hotel at noon, Guan Xiaolin suggested having dinner together. Her reasoning was that as everyone was leaving the day after, this would be thest time they had a gathering. It would be a good opportunity for everyone to gather for onest time.

    Song Yu was the first to decline. She said she was too tired and wanted to rest.

    The reality was that she was bothered by what Guan Xiaolin said earlier that morning.

    She was unsure if Guan Xiaolin was acting in her best interest, or if she was merely expressing concern. Seeing how they were friends, she would expect Guan Xiaolin to know how she was like as a person.

    To think that Guan Xiaolin used her of prostituting herself for the sake of business. This made her extremely ufortable.

    Moreover, Guan Xiaolin had always known that she liked Jian Yi.

    The fact that Guan Xiaolin said that in front of Jian Yi made her extremely upset. She found it impossible to connect with Guan Xiaolin anymore.

    Qi Chengzhi said no to the gathering too. ¡°Not free,¡± he replied without borating further and did not respond to anyone.

    No one dared to ask him why.

    Since Qi Chengzhi was not going, Luo Yushu followed suit and decided not to go as well. Jian Yi found it inappropriate to go alone and Guan Xiaolin¡¯s n fell through.

    After returning to the hotel, Song Yu stayed in her room and did not head out anymore. She packed up and got ready for their departure tomorrow morning.

    She took a shower and was in the white bathrobe provided by the hotel. To make sure that Qi Chengzhi would not seed in taking advantage of her, she kept her undergarments on.

    She dried her hair as she walked out of the shower. When she passed by the door, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doorbell ringing.

    A voice spoke after the door opened. She froze after realizing who was on the other side of the door. ¡°Young Master Cheng, I have a few new ideas about the hotel design proposal that I would like to discuss with you. Are you free to talk now?¡±

    The bad sound instion in the hotel rooms coupled with the fact that her room was next to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room allowed her to hear Guan Xiaolin¡¯s voice clearly.

 Chapter 57 - Are You Here to Talk About Design, or Are You Here to Talk About Production?

    <h4>Chapter 57: Are You Here to Talk About Design, or Are You Here to Talk About Production?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The bad sound instion in the hotel rooms coupled with the fact that her room was next to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room allowed her to hear Guan Xiaolin¡¯s voice clearly.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s room was upstairs and she made her way down purposefully and rang Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doorbell. Song Yu refused to specte whether her real intention was to discuss the design proposal or if she had something else in mind.

    However, Guan Xiaolin¡¯s intention was obvious.

    Song Yu leaned on the door. Her chest was stuffy and she did not know what Qi Chengzhi nned to do.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Guan Xiaolin who was wearing a tight ck dress with thin straps. She was showing off her fair shoulders and chest. Her cleavage was in clear sight as well. The hem of her dress rested slightly below her butt, revealing her fair and long legs.

    Guan Xiaolin blushed as Qi Chengzhi gave her a once-over. The pinkish tint on her face and shoulder made her extremely seductive.

    She lowered her head as though she was too shy to look at Qi Chengzhi. Due to that, she did not notice the calmness in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Are you here to talk about design, or are you here to talk about production?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked coldly with his hands in his pockets.

    Guan Xiaolin was stunned. It took her a while to understand what Qi Chengzhi was referring to when he said ¡®production¡¯. Her blush deepened immediately.

    The quiet and ssy man greeted Guan Xiaolin with dirty jokes. Guan Xiaolin felt her body heating up and she almost copsed weakly against the door frame. Her heart was beating fast.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intense gaze gave her butterflies in her chest.

    She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to be so direct. She wondered if the same thing happened to Song Yust night.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng...¡± Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face was blushing as she murmured his name seductively. She peeked at Qi Chengzhi before averting her gaze again. ¡°If Young Master Cheng feels like it, then...¡±

    ¡°One second,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly before turning around and returning to his room.

    Guan Xiaolin trailed after him. After taking two steps forward, Qi Chengzhi turned around and said icily, ¡°I told you to wait outside, you¡¯re noting in.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin froze immediately. She was unsure about what she should do.

    ¡°Haha, Young Master Cheng...¡± She tried to mask her embarrassment withughter. However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s icy gaze stopped her from trying to sneak in.

    ¡°Wait outside.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin stoppedughing altogether. She bit on her lips and retreated in embarrassment. She stood by the door as she observed the invisible boundary that she dared not cross.

    Qi Chengzhi reached for his phone on the table and took a seat directly opposite of the door. He was a few meters away from Guan Xiaolin.

    There was quite some distance between them but he refused to let Guan Xiaolin in. Qi Chengzhi looked at Guan Xiaolin coldly from where he sat.

    That was the moment when Guan Xiaolin realized that she had been humiliated by him.

 Chapter 58 - Since Then, Luo Yushu Took Song Yu Even More Seriously Than Before

    <h4>Chapter 58: Since Then, Luo Yushu Took Song Yu Even More Seriously Than Before</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    That was the moment when Guan Xiaolin realized that she had been humiliated by him.

    She became paler as she looked at the taunting expression on his face. She felt naked and all she wanted was to bundle herself up.

    When she was about to leave, she heard Qi Chengzhi speaking over the phone. ¡°Manager Luo, Miss Guan has some new ideas about the design proposal. She would like to talk about it now. Pleasee over and get her.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°She is at my door now. Come down and get her.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin was not about to wait for Luo Yushu toe for her as that would add on to her humiliation.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I see you¡¯re not free today. I¡¯m going to make a move then. Please, don¡¯t bother Manager Luo about this. I¡¯m heading off now.¡± Song Yu was listening closely with her ears pressed against the door. She noticed the change in Guan Xiaolin¡¯s tone; Guan Xiaolin¡¯s tone stiffened up in humiliation. Song Yu heard footsteps before the corridor fell silent again.

    Song Yu felt the rock being lifted from her chest. She was at ease and did not feel suffocated. The corner of her lips curled slightly.

    For a moment, she could not hear anything that Qi Chengzhi said. All she heard was Guan Xiaolin¡¯s voice at the end. She was unsure how Qi Chengzhi turned Guan Xiaolin down.

    When she could not hear anything anymore, Song Yu opened her door sneakily and peeped around. She saw Guan Xiaolin on her way out and disappeared around the corner.

    ¡°Heard everything?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s teasing voice greeted her from above.

    Song Yu raised her head too fast and almost strained her neck.

    She saw Qi Chengzhi leaning against the wall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. One of his feet was tiptoeing and he looked at her with amusement.

    His expression made it seem like he was making fun of her.

    Song Yu blushed and retracted her head before closing the door without saying a word. ¡®Kacha.¡¯ Qi Chengzhi heard Song Yutching her door.

    ¡°Director!¡± Luo Yushu hurriedly made his way over. His beer belly bounced up and down as he jogged.

    ¡°Where is Miss Guan?¡± Luo Yushu looked around and stole a peek at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room. He did not see Guan Xiaolin anywhere.

    ¡°She just left. You should leave too,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied before turning around and went back into his room. He locked Luo Yushu out.

    Luo Yushu looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room door before ncing at Song Yu¡¯s room door.

    On his way here, he knew that Guan Xiaolin came for the director with sneaky intentions in mind. She probably wanted to offer herself up, but the director was not interested. Since then, Luo Yushu took Song Yu even more seriously than before.

    After returning into her room, Song Yu blew dry her hair. She was bothered by what happened earlier.

    She did not expect Guan Xiaolin to do that. Seeing how Guan Xiaolin¡¯s outfit was not what she wore in the day, it was apparent what her intention was.

    Song Yu¡¯s suspicion was confirmed. Earlier that day, Guan Xiaolin was advising her to not prostitute herself for the sake of business, to think that Guan Xiaolin would change so drastically and came for Qi Chengzhi herself!

    Song Yu shook her head and her heart ached. Something hade between her and her childhood friend, Guan Xiaolin.

 Chapter 63 - Song Yu Could Not Imagine How He Could Have Climbed Up the Poles

    <h4>Chapter 63: Song Yu Could Not Imagine How He Could Have Climbed Up the Poles</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, a day after submissions, she received a phone call from Qi Chengzhi whilst she was in the office. "Song Yu, the design you submitted is exactly the same as Guanyu''s."

    "How''s that possible!" Song Yu stood up abruptly and nearly sent the chair tumbling.

    Her sudden actions caused the rest of the office to look at her.

    Song Yu nced at them and rushed out of the office. When she reached the stairs, her body turned weak immediately, and she leaned against the icy wall.

    It was then that she noticed her body was feeling cold. She had no idea where the strength thatpelled her to walk all the way there came from.

    "Impossible!" Song Yu mumbled again as her voice faltered. Unbeknownst to her, she was grasping her cell phone very tightly.

    On the other end of the phone, Qi Chengzhi was looking at the two sets of simr designs that wereid in front of him. His slender, well-defined fingers tapped lightly on his cell phone casing. "Okay, how about youe over here in the evening. The relevant people from Guanyu will also be here. Whatever the problem may be, we''ll discuss it face-to-face then."

    Song Yu nodded. In her absent-mindedness, she forgot that they were talking through the phone and that Qi Chengzhi was not able to see her action.

    After arranging a time, Song Yu rxed the hand which was holding her phone to her side. Her back remained in contact with the wall as she slid down and crouched there.

    She ced her hand on her forehead and recalled the time she lost the design drawing. She remembered Guan Xiaolin''s phone call, where she was told that Guanyu was one step ahead of her and had already submitted their design drawing.

    From that perspective, it seemed as though she would not be able to exculpate herself.

    She remained at the staircase for quite some time, going back to the office only when she could no longer bear the cold.

    As soon as she entered, she saw Wang Liwei sporting a disgusting smile. "Song Yu, Director Zhao wants to see you."

    Song Yu surmised that Wang Liwei gave the design drawing to Guanyu in addition to stealing it. Wang Liwei was someone Song Yu despised from the bottom of her heart.

    She kept quiet and walked to Director Zhao''s office. He had a sour look when he said, "Song Yu, I just got a call from Guanyu. They said you stole their design. Now there are two identical designs submitted to Qilin. Fortunately, Guanyu was the first to submit, so the conclusion to this is fairly obvious, and because Miss Guan pleaded on your behalf, this matter will not be pursued. Hopefully, you''d take the initiative to withdraw from thepetition.

    "Song Yu, what I did regarding the contract signing was improper, but I''ve apologized to you. I''ve given you a raise, and I''ve done it in all sincerity. I didn''t expect that you''d still harbor hard feelings. You treated thepany''s reputation and our business as a joke!"

    Song Yu pursed her lips and asked unemotively, "Director Zhao, are you suggesting that I stole Guanyu''s design on purpose just so Chengshi wouldn''t get this business?"

    "Up till this point, everything seems to suggest exactly that!" Director Zhao had a stony expression, and his gaze turned fierce as well.

    "Director Zhao, have you forgotten that in the past few days, my design was stolen? Right after that, Guanyu submitted a design that was identical to mine. Who did this? Shouldn''t you be investigating it, Director Zhao? Pointing the finger at me will only harm thepany!" Song Yu''s expressions turned simrly frigid.

    "Well, it''s because we investigated that we came to you! You say that your design was stolen, but who stole it, and how was it stolen? Where''s the proof? You locked your drawer and the design disappeared; this is all your one-sided story! Who knows, you and Guanyu may have conspired to do this! If that weren''t the case, why didn''t Guanyu pursue an issue as important as stolen documents?" Director Zhaombasted before sneering.

    "In that case, haven''t you thought about the consequences it would have on me if word spreads out? Stealing designs out of jealousy will send my career down the drain! How much hate would I need to have for yourpany that I would be willing to risk my entire future? Okay, you said that I conspired with Guanyu. Let''s assume I did and I had a business transaction with them. I destroy yourpany and go to Guanyu, but if a client sees my name, who would dare to task me with designing for them? Didn''t this point cross your mind, Director Zhao?" Song Yu took no liberty with her mocking tone and derisive jeer.

    "Whatpany would want an architect that has no clients? I sure as hell wouldn''t want to be like Wang Liwei," Song Yu scoffed.

    Director Zhao''s blood began to boil. Never did he expect that at that juncture, Song Yu did not forget to bring that up to spite him.

    "I''ll be going to Qilin this evening to confront Guanyu. I never harmed thispany, so if there was any stealing of designs involved, Guanyu stole mine. If I can''t prove this, and it causes a loss to thepany, I''ll resign!" Song Yu spat out those words and stormed out of the office.

    She could not care less about how displeased Director Zhao looked. With all the things that happened, Song Yu was not about to be courteous with him.

    If she could not get Qilin''s business, she would resign.

    If, after that, she was still in charge of Qilin''s project, Director Zhao had to treat her with respect. He would not dare to bother her anymore, and she would no longer have to be worried.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    That evening, Song Yu went to Qilin at the agreed-upon time.

    Contrary to her expectation that hostility was awaiting her, Cheng Dongge was actually very courteous toward her. "Miss Song, Guanyu''s personnel are already waiting inside."

    Song Yu nodded and entered the office. She noticed that Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya were present too.

    At that point, the twodies were seated opposite of Qi Chengzhi, separated by Qi Chengzhi''s wide work desk. He was silent, and so were Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya.

    Upon seeing Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi nodded at her. He put on a very professional look and gestured with his chin. "Sit."

    Song Yu saw an empty seat beside Guan Xiaolin. Knowing that it was reserved for her, she took her seat there.

    During that moment, Song Yu felt uneasy sitting beside Guan Xiaolin.

    Qi Chengzhi''s handsome jaw tensed up, and his stern contours were still present even when his lips parted. "Since everyone''s here, let''s begin. These are both your designs. Please, have a look."

    Heid out both designs in front of them, and although Song Yu somewhat knew of it earlier on, it still disgusted her to see them with her very own eyes.

    Both their designs were the same!

    The only differences were in the lines drawn, their handwriting, and the inscription.

    "Young Master Cheng!" Guan Xiaolin eximed before Song Yu could say anything. "Before anything else, let me make my case."

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her. His spectacles obscured his eyes somewhat, but even then his gaze was still very rattling.

    Momentster, he remarked curtly, "Talk."

    Guan Xiaolin licked her lips and smiled awkwardly. She tightened her grip on her knees and said, "Guanyu will not pursue this matter. Song Yu''s actually my good friend, and ever since her family''s bankruptcy, her life isn''t too good anymore. Song Yu''s character is someone eager to get ahead in life, and she crossed the line this time because she really wanted the project. Although her means of doing so were inappropriate, as a friend, I understand herpletely.

    "So, I hope that Qilin won''t press on with the matter too. Don''t make this public either. I don''t want Song Yu''s name to be tarnished in this industry since she''ll be depending on this for her livelihood. Just treat this matter as though it never happened, but since the design is identical, I think it''s best that Song Yu withdraw herself from thepetition. That''s enough for me," Guan Xiaolin exining and looked at Qi Chengzhi with the utmost sincerity.

    Qi Chengzhi''s lips curled, but he remained silent.

    Song Yu, on the other hand, could not believe that Guan Xiaolin twisted the facts and made such pompous remarks!

    She had always trusted Guan Xiaolin. Even after the bankruptcy, Song Yu cut off all contact with everyone, with Guan Xiaolin being the sole exception.

    Little did she expect that Guan Xiaolin would sling mud at her like that!

    Song Yu recalled how Guan Xiaolin asked Jian Yi why Song Yu came out of Qi Chengzhi''s room. Then Song Yu remembered how the night after, Guan Xiaolin came to Qi Chengzhi''s door and tried to offer herself to him. Song Yu''s ears were ringing with what Guan Xiaolin said just moments ago.

    Song Yu felt a disappointment that she never once experienced in her life. The plot against her, one that was a result of her friend''s betrayal, was like a knife that pierced deep into her heart. It was so painful that her entire body was shuddering.

    Her eyes felt sore, and the pain she felt suffocated her somewhat.

    "Guan Xiaolin." Song Yu was frightened by her own voice as well, as it was unusually unfriendly and calm. Her helplessness she felt deep within her heart was not shown at all. "Do you dare to look me in the eye and repeat that again?"

    Perhaps she underestimated Guan Xiaolin''s shamelessness.

    Guan Xiaolin did turn around. She even held Song Yu''s hand and stared at thetter''s face without even blinking. With a face full of sincerity, she said, "Song Song, I know you''ve put in a lot of effort for this project and you wanted to use this opportunity to prove yourself. I totally understand why you did something so rash under such circumstances. But I hope that you won''t do something hical like this ever again. Once is enough. I can decide not to pursue it on behalf of Guanyu, but I hope that you will realize your mistake and never do such a thing in the future."

    Song Yu smiled bitterly. She was so angry that she could not say a single word.

    She never knew that Guan Xiaolin was able to distort the truth to such an extent!

    Song Yu withdrew her hands immediately. Guan Xiaolin''s touches were disgusting, and it felt like her hands were dirty.

    She kept quiet, and the one who spoke was Qi Chengzhi, surprisingly. His voice was as insipid as ever andpletely devoid of any emotion. "I truly admire the rtionship between Miss Guan and Miss Song."

    Guan Xiaolin finally shifted her gaze to Qi Chengzhi''s face. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, seemingly rather shyly, and every movement she made was modestly gentle.

    "On to serious business," Qi Chengzhi said coldly. "Miss Fu, you''re the architect in charge of this, yes?"

    "Yes." Fu Junya nodded immediately.

    "So, this design. You drew it?" Qi Chengzhi pushed forward one of the design ns to Fu Junya.

    "That''s right." Fu Junya nodded again, but for reasons unknown to her, apprehension began to surface in her heart.

    "When did you start drawing this design?" Qi Chengzhi asked again.

    Fu Junya recited the answer that she had prepared beforehand. "Aftering back from our visit to the construction site, of course. I began immediately after that."

    "But this is remarkably different from the earlier design that you came to us with." Qi Chengzhi answered bluntly.

    "Young Master Cheng, do you remember when I came looking for you saying that we have a new idea for the design? It was at that time. After seeing the site, I talked with Junya and we decided to modify the design." Guan Xiaolin smiled inly.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and held his phone. He swiped a few times on the screen and clicked on a picture, which she showed Guan Xiaolin. "Does this picture look familiar to you?"

    "This is¡­" Guan Xiaolin looked at the picture of the draft design in Qi Chengzhi''s phone. Although it was not asplete as the finished design, the outline was already visible.

    Guan Xiaolin looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi, but what she did not know was that Song Yu recognized the picture as being from the night that Qi Chengzhi went to her house. He saw the design and must have taken a photo of it at some point.

    "This picture was taken a week before the failed first negotiation with Chengshi. That time, Miss Song showed me her sketch. Unless you drew that much earlier than that, it''s impossible that Miss Song stole Guanyu''s design." Qi Chengzhi took back his phone and prevented Guan Xiaolin from getting a chance to touch his fingers.

    "As to who it was exactly that did the stealing, I''ve already known that from the start. I called all of you here simply to give you onest chance. You said it earlier, Miss Guan, if you admit to it, then I won''t divulge the truth to the public. Guanyu is a respectablepany. There''s no need for Guanyu''s reputation to be harmed simply because of one architect, but it seems like you haven''t understood the gravity of this situation, Miss Guan."

    Both Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya''s expressions changed dramatically. Neither of them expected that Qi Chengzhi had contact with Song Yu from such an early stage.

    Fu Junya did not agree to the shenanigans in the beginning, since she had no intention of treating her future as a joke. Guan Xiaolin however, persuaded her by saying that Song Yu slept with Qi Chengzhi. If Guan Xiaolin was the one who could get into his bed, the project would have been hers as well, without any sort of fuss.

    Otherwise, from what Guan Xiaolin said, there might be a possibility that Fu Junya would never be able to continue working at Guanyu, or for any otherpany in a rted field for that matter.

    Once the harsher words were all said, Guan Xiaolin made a few gentler remarks, saying that the project was important to Guanyu, and assuring that it would all go without a hitch because there was no evidence. Song Yu could do nothing but suffer that loss.

    However, nothing went ording to n!

    Guan Xiaolin stood up suddenly, saying. "I''m sorry, ourpany will never do such an hical thing. Still, we can''t guarantee that our subordinates practice professional ethics. If that''s truly the case, we won''t tolerate it. Young Master Cheng, I''d like to talk with Junya in private. Is that okay?"

    "Outside the door, right-hand side meeting room. Special Assistant Cheng will lead you," Qi Chengzhi remarked curtly.

    Guan Xiaolin nodded and brought Fu Junya out.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only two people left in the office. Song Yu was once again going through the ordeal where she had to be careful even when breathing.

    Her gaze was directed downward and her scalp was feeling numb under Qi Chengzhi''s direct stare.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned back casually and asked, "Were you afraid when you came?"

    "With this kind of thing happening, of course I am," Song Yu replied earnestly.

    In all honesty, her fear was practically sky-high.

    "You regretted letting me visit you at home." Qi Chengzhi then asked, as if holding back a chuckle, "Do you still regret it?"

    "¡­" Song Yu ignored his question. "Thank you for this."

    "How do you n on thanking me?" Qi Chengzhi inteced his fingers together. He looked very reserved and extremely serious, and from his look alone, she would never have imagined that he would say the kind of words. Those remarks were usually only made in TV shows, under circumstances where the character decides to do something naughty.

    "¡­" Song Yu was speechless. She did not expect that he would want a mile after being given an inch.

    Qi Chengzhi took out a cigarette and ced it between his lips. He then took out his exquisite-looking lighter and was about to light it up. Song Yu, however, let out an almost unnoticeable frown, which caused him to halt his actions in frustration.

    The cigarette remained in his lips. He closed his eyes and twirled the lighter in his hands, but he did not light up his smoke.

    He looked very uneasy at that point and coupled with those non-prescription sses that he was wearing, no one knew what he was mulling over at that time.

    With the cigarette still in between his lips, he said, "I''ll ept your thanks, but I''ll decide how you should return the favor. Let me think about, and I''ll let you knowter. When that timees, you''ll repay me then."

    He had just finished speaking when Guan Xiaolin brought Fu Junya in.

    Fu Junya''s face was pale and her eyes were red. Tears flowed down her face in a continuous stream.

    Guan Xiaolin put on a regrettable face, saying, "Young Master Cheng, we didn''t expect Guanyu to be at fault for this. I''ve already asked Fu Junya about this, and she was the one who fraudulently copied Song Yu''s design. This matter is a disgrace to ourpany. I''ve already terminated her employment with us, as of immediately. Song Yu, I''m sorry that you''ve suffered this injustice."

    Ignoring Guan Xiaolinpletely, Song Yu stood up and asked Fu Junya, "How did you get my design?"

    Fu Junya sniffled and said, "Some¡­ Someone sent it anonymously to me."

    Song Yu did not buy such an excuse at all. She smirked and said, "You''re quite brave to use a design of unknown origin, Miss Fu."

    Fu Junya could not understand why Guan Xiaolin told her to use such an excuse.

    They had nothing to do with Wang Liwei, which begged the question of why she should be protected.

    Song Yu formed her hands into a fist and heard Qi Chengzhi''s insipid voice. "Song Yu, go back, prepare, and bring someone with you tomorrow to sign the agreement. You stay back, Miss Guan."

    After Song Yu said her goodbye, Fu Junya left as well. They walked together out of thepany, but neither said a word to each other.

    Song Yu did not know what benefits Guan Xiaolin gave to Fu Junya. tant giarism was not something that Fu Junya would be brave enough to do herself. It was impossible to think that Guan Xiaolin did not have a hand in it.

    All those nasty remarks that Guan Xiaolin directed at Fu Junya were etched in Song Yu''s memory.

    There was nothing Song Yu could do though as it was Guanyu''s internal matter.

    Once out of Qilin, she took a cab back to Chengshi.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    "Miss Guan, whether you have a hand in this or not, it will be a severe blow to Guanyu if word gets out. Besides, if Qilin''s public deres that we will never cooperate with Guanyu ever again in the future, I''d think that it would be hard for Guanyu to continue surviving in this field." The cigarette that had been in his mouth for ages was lit up, and he smoked it enjoyably.

    Guan Xiaolin was mesmerized. She felt that Qi Chengzhi was simply too charming, and his maism was something no other men could hope to even achieve.

    "Young Master Cheng," Guan Xiaolin''s body swayed and she went around him to sit at the edge of his work desk. Her fair-skinned thighs were exposed, and she crossed her legs seductively, one over the other.

    "I''ve already fired the person that ought to be fired. I''ll do anything for you as long as you don''t go hard on Guanyu." Guan Xiaolin looked down with those lustful eyes of hers. One hand was ced on Qi Chengzhi''s shoulder while the other was creeping up his chest.

    "Seems like you and I are on the same page." Qi Chengzhi took out his phone and went to his contacts. He searched for the name of Haichen Corporation''s director and said, "Women who think they''re good-looking are usually really horny. It''s humiliating when they don''t find a suitable partner, but if they can''t even find a partner at all, then they''re just in stupid."

    Guan Xiaolin''s expression changed drastically. She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to humiliate her there. She retracted her hands immediately and looked at Qi Chengzhi''s phone.

    "Young Master Cheng, what do you want from me?" Guan Xiaolin''s expression changed yet again as she saw the name of Haichen Corporation''s director in Qi Chengzhi''s phone.

    Haichen Corporation was one of the clients that Guanyu was trying hard to get.

    Guan Xiaolin grabbed his phone hurriedly. His long fingers were still clipping his cigarette, and he did not rush to get it back. With a rxed posture, he said, "I told you, I can make Guanyu''s progress in this field difficult."

    "What do you want me to do, Young Master Cheng. Just say it." Guan Xiaolin hoped to be able to seduce him, but she did not expect him to be so direct. She no longer dared to let herself loose around him.

    "Help me with a small matter." Qi Chengzhi flicked off the ash from his cigarette.

    Ten minutester, Guan Xiaolin went out of the office. From Cheng Dongge''s estimation, her expression was exceedingly ugly and her heart was filled with resentment.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu went back to thepany to find Wang Liwei in the midst of doing her fingernails. Thetter looked up and snarked, "I heard you giarized Guanyu''s picture? Song Yu, oh Song Yu. What can I say about you? You lost your design, and when you couldn''te up with one in time, you stole someone else''s, right? You''re such a disgrace."

    Fu Junya did not reveal who it was that gave her the design and Song Yu had no evidence that it was Wang Liwei. However, Wang Liwei''s attitude prompted Song Yu to go up to her.

    Song Yu gave Wang Liwei a tight, hard p, after which she turned around and headed straight into Director Zhao''s office.

    Wang Liwei was stunned by Song Yu''s sudden p, leaving her unresponsive for a few moments. Once she finally came back to her senses, her face was stinging and Song Yu''s presence was long gone.

    "SONG YU!" Wang Liwei chased her to the office and shrieked in the hallway.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu barged into Director Zhao''s office without so much as a knock on the door.

    Director Zhao frowned, thinking that Song Yu was getting more and more out of hand. Was she being sowless because she was acting out in despair?

    Before he could even rebuke her, he heard Song Yu say, "I''ll bring Xiao Chen and Manager Wang to sign the contract at Qilin. I won''t take my anger out on thepany because of a personal matter, and I hope that Director Zhao will also put work-rted matters first!"

    A mixture of emotions appeared on his convoluted face. He could hardly believe it when Song Yu really managed to snag the project back.

    The design was simr, was it not?

    Guanyu was the first to submit their design, right?

    How did Song Yu manage to do that!

    Faced with Director Zhao''s surprise, Song Yu did not try to mask her wry smile. She turned around and left the office.

    Wang Liwei was waiting right outside the door. Once Song Yu appeared, Wang Liwei pointed to her nose and sted, "Song Yu, you stole someone else''s design and the contract is gone. What kind of person are you for using me as your punching bag?"

    "No one in thepany knows about this. How did you know? If it wasn''t for Guanyu calling Director Zhao, even he wouldn''t know. You may have slept with him, but would he reallye to you and tell you this kind of thing?" Song Yu cocked a brow coldly.

    "And also, when my design went missing, I was only told today that my design with Guanyu''s was simr. Thank goodness Qilin was fair with me, and the contract is still mine. As for how my design went missing and how it managed to fall into Guanyu''s hands, I''ll definitely look into it," Song Yu remarked icily.

    "What do you mean the contract''s still yours?" Wang Liwei''s face turned unpleasant. "Song Yu, don''t try to act like you''re innocent in front of me. The evidence is there. No one will believe that the contract is still yours unless you went and slept with Qi Chengzhi in exchange for it!"

    Song Yuughed out of spite. "I won''t even do such a thing, but you, you like using that kind of method, don''t you? How sad. He doesn''t even like you at all."

    After saying that, she turned to Ruan Danchen and said, "Danchen, I won''t be staying at thepany after noon. It disgusts me to see Wang Liwei. If Director Zhao asked, just tell him what I told you."

    "OK!" Ruan Danchen obliged happily.

    By virtue of such an important business Song Yu managed to obtain, Director Zhao would never hold it against her for such a petty thing. That was why Ruan Danchen did not stop Song Yu.

    Song Yu''s words angered Wang Liwei to no end, but unfortunately, Song Yu was already long gone.

    Wang Liwei stomped her foot angrily, and upon realizing that she could no longer irritate Song Yu, she went to her seat. She decided to re at Ruan Danchen, but Ruan Danchen simply responded by rolling her eyes.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu left the premises and decided not to go back to workter in the afternoon.

    She went home to see her parents, saying that she had nothing more to do and so she came home earlier. Yu Qianying was really happy to hear that and had Song Yu stay over for dinner. Song Donglin was told to get some ingredients from the supermarket. An extravagant dinner would be made that night.

    When they were eating, Yu Qianying could not resist harping on about Jian Yi.

    It would have been much better if Yu Qianying had just kept quiet. Whenever the subject of Jian Yi was brought up, Song Yu remembered the mishap she had when she confessed to the wrong person back in the hotel. The confession-gone-wrong led her to meet head-on with Qi Chengzhi, being on the receiving end of his passionate yet overpowering kiss.

    Song Yu''s face was burning and her face was insanely red.

    Yu Qianying misunderstood the blush and blurted out, "Look at you. Whenever Jian Yi is mentioned, your face gets so red. Isn''t it because you really like him?"

    "Enough, don''t keep nagging her. You know that men will hop on the high horse and won''t appreciate it properly if a woman is too eager. Men are like that. It''s not good to rush her," Song Donglin interjected, unable to stand the scene in front of him. He took a piece of chili chicken for Song Yu. "Let our daughter have her meal in peace."

    Yu Qianying mumbled but did not press on, perhaps because she finally realized that Song Donglin was speaking rationally.

    After dinner, Song Yu spent some time talking to them before leaving the ce.

    Once she returned to her apartment building, she passed by a silver Audi. The car door swung open barely moments after she walked past it.

    "Song Song!" Guan Xiaolin came down from the car and called out to Song Yu.

    Song Yu stopped and turned to see Guan Xiaolin walking over. Guan Xiaolin looked at her and lowered her gaze. "Song Song, I¡­ I came to apologize for what happened this morning."

    "It''s nothing. You were just doing your job. Our stands are different, that''s all." Song Yu looked at her unemotively, while her heart instinctively put up a barrier.

    Earlier that morning in Qilin, Song Yu could not see clearly due to her anger and disappointment.

    Under the glow of the streetlights, she looked at Guan Xiaolin and noticed all of a sudden, that her childhood friend was no longer someone she knew.

    Guan Xiaolin''s face was full of worry and regret, but Song Yu felt that it was insincere. Perhaps that was due to the prejudice Song Yu formed toward Guan Xiaolin as of then.

    "Song Song, I know you haven''t forgiven me yet. I disappointed you when I did not trust in you this morning." Guan Xiaolin''s voice was trembling from the cold. "It''s cold out here. Can we talk inside?"

    ''If it''s cold, then you should''ve worn more clothes when you came.'' Song Yu had to restrain herself from saying that. She turned around without a word and walked to her unit.

    Guan Xiaolin hurried behind her, and because it was difficult to walk in high heels, she made sure to be cautious.

    Having entered the house, Song Yu neither took off her jacket nor sat down, and it was obvious that she did not want Guan Xiaolin to stay around long.

    "Sorry, I just came back and I didn''t turn on the water dispenser. I don''t have any warm water right now."

    "It''s okay. I won''t bother you for long." Guan Xiaolin smiled uneasily. She walked forward and held Song Yu''s hand intimately. "Song Song, I was wrong to doubt you this morning. I''m really sorry. Fu Junya is one of ourpany''s more experienced architects. She received quite a lot of projects as well. I''ve always trusted her, but I never expected her to do this kind of thing."

    Song Yu kept quiet and simply stared frigidly.

    "Song Song, can you forgive me? I hurt you and I''m really sorry," Guan Xiaolin pleaded.

    Song Yu retracted her hand immediately and remarked bluntly, "There''s nothing to forgive. I already said that you''re just doing your job. Since you fired Fu Junya, this matter is in the past, and there''s nothing more to talk about."

    "Are we still friends then?" Seemingly oblivious to Song Yu''s hostility, Guan Xiaolin once again held Song Yu''s hands.

    Song Yu kept quiet and refused to be dragged into the question of whether they were still friends or not. She knew that Guan Xiaolin would continue to bother her even if she made things clear.

    She was far too tired to be bothered by Guan Xiaolin.

    Nevertheless, Guan Xiaolin treated the silence as acquiescence. She smiled happily and jiggled Song Yu''s hand like a mid-teen girl. "That''s just perfect. I knew that Song Yu''s a kind-hearted person who wouldn''t get angry at me."

    "Oh yes, the picture that Young Master Cheng showed us today, when was that?"

    Song Yu''s stare became ice-cold. At exactly that moment, her phone buzzed briefly inside her pocket.

    She took the opportunity to loosen herself from Guan Xiaolin''s hand and took out her phone. It was a message from Jian Yi. [Song Yu, I''m downstairs, can youe out for a bit?]

    Song Yu looked up and saw that Guan Xiaolin''s eyes were staring intently at the phone. "Who messaged you? Qi Chengzhi?"

    Song Yu ced her phone back into the pocket and said, "I have something I need to do. I don''t know when I''lle back. You''re free to wait here if you want, but if you don''t want to wait, please make sure you close the door."

    "Going on a date with Qi Chengzhi?" Guan Xiaolin managed to sneak in another snarky remark.

    Song Yu went out of the house in silence,pletely ignoring Guan Xiaolin.

    Downstairs, the parking spot in front of the entrance was upied by Guan Xiaolin''s car. Song Yu looked around and saw that Jian Yi''s car was parked on the opposite side of the road.

    He was standing in front of the car and leaning against the car door. Both his hands were ced inside his pockets.

    Song Yu half-jogged over to him and smiled, calling out, "Jian Yi."

    However, his expression seemed sullen, and something was clearly not right.

    Under the dim light, he lowered his head and his face looked like it was shrouded.

    "What is it?" Song Yu''s smile disappeared as well, and she looked suspicious.

    "I heard that¡­your design was the same as Guanyu''s, but Qi Chengzhiter gave the contract to you." Jian Yi''s voice was deep and his mien was tense.

    Song Yu''s expression sank immediately. Her eyes narrowed and she tried hard to suppress the anger within her. With a sulky voice, she said, "You don''t trust me too? You think that I did something that went against my principles just to get the contract?"

    She was able to dismiss everyone else''s remarks as mere jibes.

    However, it felt vastly different then, because the one ming her was Jian Yi!

    His distrust and doubt made her feel incredibly disappointed.

    "The design I did was stolen by Wang Liwei. She betrayed Chengshi to Guanyu, but lucky for me, Qi Chengzhi saw my draft before that. That was how I managed to prove my innocence. I don''t care if others doubt me, but it really hurts if you''re the one that''s doubting me, Jian Yi! I always felt that you should trust my character, but I never imagined that the trust between us is so fragile!"

    Song Yu turned her back in dismay and did not wish to talk with him any further. Jian Yi grabbed her arm though, pulling her back and drawing her into his embrace.

    He hugged her tightly, locking her in and trapping her in his arms.

    "I trust you, but I''m jealous!" Jian Yi hugged her tightly. His chin was touching the top of her head, and it was like she could feel his Adam''s apple vibrating.

    "I heard from Guan Xiaolin that she saw youing out from Qi Chengzhi''s room. I know you didn''t do anything with him, but when I heard it, I just felt disgusted. It''s a terrible feeling when you see your own woman exiting from another man''s room.

    "I like you. Don''t you realize that at all? I can''t take it when you''re close with another man. I trust you, but I don''t trust Qi Chengzhi. I''m worried that he might have ill intentions for you."

    Song Yu''s anger disappeared immediately and was reced with a gentle warmth. She raised her hands slowly and allowed her body to feel his warmth. Slowly but surely, she returned the hug.

    "There''s nothing between us."

    "Then be my girlfriend. No matter how many men like you, it''ll kill off their hopes." Jian Yi took a step back and looked at Song Yu, waiting for her answer.

    Song Yu smiled shyly. "What do you mean many men. It''s not like I''m that attractive."

    "In my eyes, you''re the best. If a man can''t notice you, he''s blind." Jian Yi''s eyes lit up with sincerity and tender sentiment. He smiled suddenly and said, "It''s contradictory, isn''t it? I feel like men who don''t see your beauty have terrible eyesight, but if any man looks at you, I''ll be extremely jealous."

    - - - - - - -

    It''s  going on the shelf today <sup> 1 </sup></anno> . Thanks to all those who were the first to subscribe. Today''s two chapters had a 20k word-count. This is the first. There''s another 10k word chapter plus a mini-scene interaction between Young Master Cheng and Yan Beicheng. Continue to click on the next one yo~~ this one is about Jian Yi seducing Xiao Yu, but don''t be anxious, in the next one Young Master Cheng will have a rival in love~~

    The following word count is not included in the fee~

    Time for an out-of-story interview:

    Old Man: "After so many days, Young Master Cheng, you are finally able to meet Song Yu. She walks into your office, and you look at her with those serious eyes. What is in your mind exactly?"

    Boss Qi raises an eyebrowzily: "Sleeping with her."

    Old Man: "¡­"

    Old Man: "A lot of things are happening with Song Yu''s work, and all you think about is sleeping with her. That''s not very nice is it?"

    Boss Qi nces askance: "The whole purpose of this business is to sleep with her."

    Old Man: "¡­"

    How''s the mini scene? Happy with it? If you''re happy, please vote~ This month there will be a spurt of new chapters, even though it''s thest third of the month, but I still want to make an effort and push out ten. So, all you little goblins, cast your monthly votes for the new chapters and remember to use the web client to cast your votes~~

    </annotations>

    <li data-annotation-id="9c99fa18-66bd-2c40-bead-386db6890edb"> ÉÏ¼Ü ¨C it literally means ''going on the shelf'', but in web novel terminology, it means the author has begun to receive fees from the readers to continue reading.

    </li>

 Chapter 60

    <h4>Chapter 60: Instead of Wasting Your Time Looking for the Design Diagram, You Should Start Looking for a New Job Online!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Shortly after you left, I left for a client meeting. There was no one in the office...¡± Ruan Danchen paused momentarily before continuing, ¡°No! Wang Liwei was at the lounge. I didn¡¯t see hering out! After I left, Wang Liwei was the only one left in the office!¡±

    Song Yu was stunned. Ruan Danchen stomped her feet andined, ¡°It¡¯s got to be her. She felt humiliated about the Qilin incident and has been looking for an opportunity to take revenge on you!¡±

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, how shameless do you have to be to talk behind my back?¡± Wang Liwei walked in on her high heels. Her face darkened after hearing Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Wang Liwei, was it you who took Song Yu¡¯s design diagram?¡± Ruan Danchen squinted as she asked.

    ¡°Design diagram? What¡¯s the design for?¡± Wang Liwei asked cheerfully.

    ¡°Stop acting dumb! I¡¯m talking about the design diagram for Qilin¡¯s leisure hotel. After I left, you were the only one in the office. Speak up! Were you the one who took it!¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a raised voice as she could no longer control her temper.

    ¡°Stop trying to frame the innocent! You¡¯re not right just because you raised your voice. How dare you try to pin this on me when she¡¯s the one who should be keeping her own design diagram safe? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m letting you do this. Maybe you¡¯re the one who took it! After Song Yu left, I went to the lounge. You were alone in the office! Moreover, I¡¯ve been meeting clients and I¡¯m not even the slightest bit interested in her design diagram!¡± Wang Liwei slung her bag onto the table and shouted loudly.

    ¡°Now you¡¯re just spouting nonsense!¡± Ruan Danchen replied in anger.

    Wang Liwei smiled coldly, ¡°Why? You¡¯re not the only one who can make usations. Song Yu, you¡¯ve got to watch out. Even though Ruan Danchen is close to you, you can¡¯t be sure of her true intentions!¡±

    Ruan Danchen was angry and her face was red.

    Song Yu took a deep breath as she tried to suppress the difort and frailty in her heart. She spoke as calmly as she could, ¡°The design diagram was locked away safely in the drawer. The drawer was still locked when I got back, but the design diagram was nowhere to be found. Wang Liwei, I know we had our differences but this deal is important to thepany. Whether the deales through or not, it has a direct impact on thepany. There is no point for you to mess around with thepany¡¯s prospect because of our personal issues.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re the one who took the design diagram, I¡¯ll pretend as though nothing has happened as long as you return it to me now. I don¡¯t think Director Zhao would still favor you after you made thepany sustain losses.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re the one who lost the design diagram. Don¡¯t try to use this as an excuse to hide your fear of losing against Guanyu. Let me tell you this, I¡¯m not going to let you frame me for this. I did nothing wrong. Just because Director Zhao favors you now, it doesn¡¯t mean that you can bully me! If you have time to act like a crazy person, you should use the time to try and fix your own mistake!¡± Wang Liwei ced her arms on her waist as she shrieked.

    ¡°Hmph! I would like to see how you can keep your job after making such a huge mistake and losing the project with Qilin! Instead of wasting your time looking for the design diagram, you should start looking for a new job online!¡± Wang Liwei made fun of Song Yu¡¯s predicament.

 Chapter 61 - You Should Not Frame Your Colleague in Hopes of Evading Punishment, That Is Not Good

    <h4>Chapter 61: You Should Not Frame Your Colleague in Hopes of Evading Punishment, That Is Not Good</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Hmph! I would like to see how you can keep your job after making such a huge mistake and losing the project with Qilin! Instead of wasting your time to look for the design diagram, you should start looking for a new job online!¡± Wang Liwei made fun of Song Yu¡¯s predicament.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lose the design diagram, I left it in the drawer. We are colleagues here and I¡¯m just doing my job. I have no intention of bullying anyone. I¡¯m going out for coffee now, I hope that the design diagram will reappear on my table when I get back,¡± Song Yu clenched her fist and said.

    She had no doubt that it was Wang Liwei who stole her design diagram.

    Even though she knew, there was nothing that she could do about it. Song Yu felt suffocated.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that! I mean what I said, I didn¡¯t take it! I can get Director Zhao and the security guards over, you can rummage through my bags and drawers in front of them. However if you couldn¡¯t find it, I want you to apologize to me!¡± Wang Liwei raised her chin and said maliciously.

    ¡°Nice try! You went out once earlier, how am I supposed to know where did you leave the design diagram? Clearly, we won¡¯t be able to find anything!¡± Ruan Danchen gritted her teeth as she wondered how can a person be so shameless!

    ¡°How dare you make false usations against me! I will not let you guys off the hook so easily!¡± Wang Liwei cried as she said. She turned around and left.

    After some time, Wang Liwei reappeared. This time, she brought Director Zhao along with her.

    ¡°Director Zhao, I haven¡¯t done anything! They¡¯re ndering me and they think they can get away with it just because they are handling a big deal. At this rate, I might as well leave!¡± Wang Liwei whimpered.

    Director Zhao patted Wang Liwei on her shoulder and his face darkened. ¡°I¡¯ve heard about the incident. Song Yu, you¡¯re going to need evidence if you want to use Xiao Wang of something. It¡¯s not appropriate for you to direct usations at her without any evidence at all.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, are you saying that the design diagram that I locked up in the drawer disappeared on its own after growing a pair of wings?¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice tensed up.

    ¡°You said that it¡¯s locked up in the drawer, right? How can Xiao Wang unlock your drawer and take away your design diagram without a key? Xiao Song, it¡¯s fine if you lost the design diagram. There¡¯s still time for you to fix your mistake. However, you should not frame your colleague in hopes of evading punishment, that is not good.¡± Director Zhao spoke sternly.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Song Yu was so angry that sheughed in response. Only Director Zhao had the audacity to say something so biased.

    ¡°Song Yu, hurry up andplete the design diagram. We can¡¯t afford to make any mistakes and lose the contract again. Otherwise...¡± Song Yu would be sacked.

    Director Zhao did not finish his sentence, but everyone knew what he was trying to say.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put this behind us,¡± Director Zhao said as he patted Wang Liwei on the shoulder. ¡°Xiao Wang, don¡¯t be too upset about this. Song Yu was too anxious and lost her judgment. It¡¯s not umon. We¡¯re all colleagues who will be working together in the future, let¡¯s not be too petty.¡±

    ¡ª

    As I have been getting a lot of questions about this, I shall answer everyone here instead of replying all of you personally:

    I got the idea for Gentlemen Seven from Qi, Chu, Yan, Han, Zhao, Wei, and Qin of the Warring States. The background setting was exined in Sishen 4. Along with Wey, the descendants of these eight nations formed the Eight Great Families now. As Wey was not a part of the Seven Warring States, it was categorized into Sishen. So, there will be a story about Yan Beicheng as he was one of the seven gentlemen. Even though Qi Chenglin and Wei Zilin were not a part of the gentlemen seven, there will be stories about them in the supplementary edition as well. As I have rified here, I will not be replying toments rting to this issue anymore!

 Chapter 62 - Song Yu, the Design You Submitted Is Exactly the Same as Guanyuâ€™s

    <h4>Chapter 62: Song Yu, the Design You Submitted Is Exactly the Same as Guanyu¡¯s</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s put this behind us,¡± Director Zhao said as he patted Wang Liwei on the shoulder. ¡°Xiao Wang, don¡¯t be too upset about this. Song Yu was too anxious and lost her judgment. It¡¯s not umon. We¡¯re all colleagues who will be working together in the future, let¡¯s not be too petty.¡±

    Wang Liwei whimpered before replying, ¡°Director Zhao, I want Song Yu to apologize for making false usations against me!¡±

    Director Zhao sighed and looked at Song Yu ufortably. ¡°Xiao Song, honestly, you didn¡¯t handle this well. How about you apologize to Xiao Wang and in exchange, Xiao Wang will stop making a fuss about it. Both parties take a step back and reach apromise. What do you think?¡±

    Song Yu smiled coldly. She looked at the pretentious duo and started to pack up her belongings.

    Director Zhao was horrified. He asked, ¡°Song Yu, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, don¡¯t worry. Even if I were to resign, I¡¯ll make sure that I¡¯m named as the designer of Qilin¡¯s hotel before I hand in my resignation letter. Since we can¡¯t find the design diagram, I¡¯m going to head home and focus on redrawing it. At least we don¡¯t have to worry about my design diagram disappearing anymore. I won¡¯t being into the office until I¡¯ve submitted the design diagram.¡±

    Song Yu packed up and made a copy of the data she worked on earlier before deleting everything from theputer. She took that extra step to prevent unwanted incidents from happening again.

    Fortunately, she still had the data with her. She would not have enough time if she had to recalcte everything.

    After packing up, Song Yu made her way out but was intercepted by Wang Liwei. ¡°Song Yu, don¡¯t even think of leaving before you apologize to me!¡± Wang Liwei said as she gripped Song Yu¡¯s arm.

    Song Yu turned around and stared at Wang Liwei icily. Her icy gaze stunned Wang Liwei momentarily. ¡°Be grateful that you¡¯re getting away with this. Don¡¯t be too greedy.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s icy gaze took Wang Liwei by surprise. She loosened her grip on Song Yu.

    Song Yu shook off her hands and barged out of the office.

    Director Zhao did not expect Song Yu to act on her words and left so suddenly. He felt embarrassed. Wang Liwei trailed behind Director Zhao and smirked at Ruan Danchen, as though she was saying, ¡®This is what you get for not ying by my rules.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen smiled icily. ¡°With people like you in the office, soon there will be no one good left here. No one will be able to put up with you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen left after she spoke. Director Zhao¡¯s face darkened.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu began to work on her design diagram. She received a call from Guan Xiaolin.

    Guan Xiaolin asked her about her design diagram and told her that Guanyu submitted their design diagram.

    Finally, Song Yu managed to submit the design diagram right before the deadline set by Qi Chengzhi.

    However, a day after submissions, she received a phone call from Qi Chengzhi whilst she was in the office. ¡°Song Yu, the design you submitted is exactly the same as Guanyu¡¯s.¡±

    ¡ª

    The book will be listed tomorrow. Judging from the content till now, I am sure that everyone could tell that this is going to be a sweet and romantic storyline? Unlike before, this time you all will not have to brave through the heartbreaking bits. Rest easy and immerse yourself in the story. Let us see how Young Master Cheng is going to seduce Xiao Yu!

 Chapter 63 - Song Yu Could Not Imagine How He Could Have Climbed Up the Poles

    <h4>Chapter 63: Song Yu Could Not Imagine How He Could Have Climbed Up the Poles</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, a day after submissions, she received a phone call from Qi Chengzhi whilst she was in the office. "Song Yu, the design you submitted is exactly the same as Guanyu''s."

    "How''s that possible!" Song Yu stood up abruptly and nearly sent the chair tumbling.

    Her sudden actions caused the rest of the office to look at her.

    Song Yu nced at them and rushed out of the office. When she reached the stairs, her body turned weak immediately, and she leaned against the icy wall.

    It was then that she noticed her body was feeling cold. She had no idea where the strength thatpelled her to walk all the way there came from.

    "Impossible!" Song Yu mumbled again as her voice faltered. Unbeknownst to her, she was grasping her cell phone very tightly.

    On the other end of the phone, Qi Chengzhi was looking at the two sets of simr designs that wereid in front of him. His slender, well-defined fingers tapped lightly on his cell phone casing. "Okay, how about youe over here in the evening. The relevant people from Guanyu will also be here. Whatever the problem may be, we''ll discuss it face-to-face then."

    Song Yu nodded. In her absent-mindedness, she forgot that they were talking through the phone and that Qi Chengzhi was not able to see her action.

    After arranging a time, Song Yu rxed the hand which was holding her phone to her side. Her back remained in contact with the wall as she slid down and crouched there.

    She ced her hand on her forehead and recalled the time she lost the design drawing. She remembered Guan Xiaolin''s phone call, where she was told that Guanyu was one step ahead of her and had already submitted their design drawing.

    From that perspective, it seemed as though she would not be able to exculpate herself.

    She remained at the staircase for quite some time, going back to the office only when she could no longer bear the cold.

    As soon as she entered, she saw Wang Liwei sporting a disgusting smile. "Song Yu, Director Zhao wants to see you."

    Song Yu surmised that Wang Liwei gave the design drawing to Guanyu in addition to stealing it. Wang Liwei was someone Song Yu despised from the bottom of her heart.

    She kept quiet and walked to Director Zhao''s office. He had a sour look when he said, "Song Yu, I just got a call from Guanyu. They said you stole their design. Now there are two identical designs submitted to Qilin. Fortunately, Guanyu was the first to submit, so the conclusion to this is fairly obvious, and because Miss Guan pleaded on your behalf, this matter will not be pursued. Hopefully, you''d take the initiative to withdraw from thepetition.

    "Song Yu, what I did regarding the contract signing was improper, but I''ve apologized to you. I''ve given you a raise, and I''ve done it in all sincerity. I didn''t expect that you''d still harbor hard feelings. You treated thepany''s reputation and our business as a joke!"

    Song Yu pursed her lips and asked unemotively, "Director Zhao, are you suggesting that I stole Guanyu''s design on purpose just so Chengshi wouldn''t get this business?"

    "Up till this point, everything seems to suggest exactly that!" Director Zhao had a stony expression, and his gaze turned fierce as well.

    "Director Zhao, have you forgotten that in the past few days, my design was stolen? Right after that, Guanyu submitted a design that was identical to mine. Who did this? Shouldn''t you be investigating it, Director Zhao? Pointing the finger at me will only harm thepany!" Song Yu''s expressions turned simrly frigid.

    "Well, it''s because we investigated that we came to you! You say that your design was stolen, but who stole it, and how was it stolen? Where''s the proof? You locked your drawer and the design disappeared; this is all your one-sided story! Who knows, you and Guanyu may have conspired to do this! If that weren''t the case, why didn''t Guanyu pursue an issue as important as stolen documents?" Director Zhaombasted before sneering.

    "In that case, haven''t you thought about the consequences it would have on me if word spreads out? Stealing designs out of jealousy will send my career down the drain! How much hate would I need to have for yourpany that I would be willing to risk my entire future? Okay, you said that I conspired with Guanyu. Let''s assume I did and I had a business transaction with them. I destroy yourpany and go to Guanyu, but if a client sees my name, who would dare to task me with designing for them? Didn''t this point cross your mind, Director Zhao?" Song Yu took no liberty with her mocking tone and derisive jeer.

    "Whatpany would want an architect that has no clients? I sure as hell wouldn''t want to be like Wang Liwei," Song Yu scoffed.

    Director Zhao''s blood began to boil. Never did he expect that at that juncture, Song Yu did not forget to bring that up to spite him.

    "I''ll be going to Qilin this evening to confront Guanyu. I never harmed thispany, so if there was any stealing of designs involved, Guanyu stole mine. If I can''t prove this, and it causes a loss to thepany, I''ll resign!" Song Yu spat out those words and stormed out of the office.

    She could not care less about how displeased Director Zhao looked. With all the things that happened, Song Yu was not about to be courteous with him.

    If she could not get Qilin''s business, she would resign.

    If, after that, she was still in charge of Qilin''s project, Director Zhao had to treat her with respect. He would not dare to bother her anymore, and she would no longer have to be worried.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    That evening, Song Yu went to Qilin at the agreed-upon time.

    Contrary to her expectation that hostility was awaiting her, Cheng Dongge was actually very courteous toward her. "Miss Song, Guanyu''s personnel are already waiting inside."

    Song Yu nodded and entered the office. She noticed that Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya were present too.

    At that point, the twodies were seated opposite of Qi Chengzhi, separated by Qi Chengzhi''s wide work desk. He was silent, and so were Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya.

    Upon seeing Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi nodded at her. He put on a very professional look and gestured with his chin. "Sit."

    Song Yu saw an empty seat beside Guan Xiaolin. Knowing that it was reserved for her, she took her seat there.

    During that moment, Song Yu felt uneasy sitting beside Guan Xiaolin.

    Qi Chengzhi''s handsome jaw tensed up, and his stern contours were still present even when his lips parted. "Since everyone''s here, let''s begin. These are both your designs. Please, have a look."

    Heid out both designs in front of them, and although Song Yu somewhat knew of it earlier on, it still disgusted her to see them with her very own eyes.

    Both their designs were the same!

    The only differences were in the lines drawn, their handwriting, and the inscription.

    "Young Master Cheng!" Guan Xiaolin eximed before Song Yu could say anything. "Before anything else, let me make my case."

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her. His spectacles obscured his eyes somewhat, but even then his gaze was still very rattling.

    Momentster, he remarked curtly, "Talk."

    Guan Xiaolin licked her lips and smiled awkwardly. She tightened her grip on her knees and said, "Guanyu will not pursue this matter. Song Yu''s actually my good friend, and ever since her family''s bankruptcy, her life isn''t too good anymore. Song Yu''s character is someone eager to get ahead in life, and she crossed the line this time because she really wanted the project. Although her means of doing so were inappropriate, as a friend, I understand herpletely.

    "So, I hope that Qilin won''t press on with the matter too. Don''t make this public either. I don''t want Song Yu''s name to be tarnished in this industry since she''ll be depending on this for her livelihood. Just treat this matter as though it never happened, but since the design is identical, I think it''s best that Song Yu withdraw herself from thepetition. That''s enough for me," Guan Xiaolin exining and looked at Qi Chengzhi with the utmost sincerity.

    Qi Chengzhi''s lips curled, but he remained silent.

    Song Yu, on the other hand, could not believe that Guan Xiaolin twisted the facts and made such pompous remarks!

    She had always trusted Guan Xiaolin. Even after the bankruptcy, Song Yu cut off all contact with everyone, with Guan Xiaolin being the sole exception.

    Little did she expect that Guan Xiaolin would sling mud at her like that!

    Song Yu recalled how Guan Xiaolin asked Jian Yi why Song Yu came out of Qi Chengzhi''s room. Then Song Yu remembered how the night after, Guan Xiaolin came to Qi Chengzhi''s door and tried to offer herself to him. Song Yu''s ears were ringing with what Guan Xiaolin said just moments ago.

    Song Yu felt a disappointment that she never once experienced in her life. The plot against her, one that was a result of her friend''s betrayal, was like a knife that pierced deep into her heart. It was so painful that her entire body was shuddering.

    Her eyes felt sore, and the pain she felt suffocated her somewhat.

    "Guan Xiaolin." Song Yu was frightened by her own voice as well, as it was unusually unfriendly and calm. Her helplessness she felt deep within her heart was not shown at all. "Do you dare to look me in the eye and repeat that again?"

    Perhaps she underestimated Guan Xiaolin''s shamelessness.

    Guan Xiaolin did turn around. She even held Song Yu''s hand and stared at thetter''s face without even blinking. With a face full of sincerity, she said, "Song Song, I know you''ve put in a lot of effort for this project and you wanted to use this opportunity to prove yourself. I totally understand why you did something so rash under such circumstances. But I hope that you won''t do something hical like this ever again. Once is enough. I can decide not to pursue it on behalf of Guanyu, but I hope that you will realize your mistake and never do such a thing in the future."

    Song Yu smiled bitterly. She was so angry that she could not say a single word.

    She never knew that Guan Xiaolin was able to distort the truth to such an extent!

    Song Yu withdrew her hands immediately. Guan Xiaolin''s touches were disgusting, and it felt like her hands were dirty.

    She kept quiet, and the one who spoke was Qi Chengzhi, surprisingly. His voice was as insipid as ever andpletely devoid of any emotion. "I truly admire the rtionship between Miss Guan and Miss Song."

    Guan Xiaolin finally shifted her gaze to Qi Chengzhi''s face. She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, seemingly rather shyly, and every movement she made was modestly gentle.

    "On to serious business," Qi Chengzhi said coldly. "Miss Fu, you''re the architect in charge of this, yes?"

    "Yes." Fu Junya nodded immediately.

    "So, this design. You drew it?" Qi Chengzhi pushed forward one of the design ns to Fu Junya.

    "That''s right." Fu Junya nodded again, but for reasons unknown to her, apprehension began to surface in her heart.

    "When did you start drawing this design?" Qi Chengzhi asked again.

    Fu Junya recited the answer that she had prepared beforehand. "Aftering back from our visit to the construction site, of course. I began immediately after that."

    "But this is remarkably different from the earlier design that you came to us with." Qi Chengzhi answered bluntly.

    "Young Master Cheng, do you remember when I came looking for you saying that we have a new idea for the design? It was at that time. After seeing the site, I talked with Junya and we decided to modify the design." Guan Xiaolin smiled inly.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and held his phone. He swiped a few times on the screen and clicked on a picture, which she showed Guan Xiaolin. "Does this picture look familiar to you?"

    "This is¡­" Guan Xiaolin looked at the picture of the draft design in Qi Chengzhi''s phone. Although it was not asplete as the finished design, the outline was already visible.

    Guan Xiaolin looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi, but what she did not know was that Song Yu recognized the picture as being from the night that Qi Chengzhi went to her house. He saw the design and must have taken a photo of it at some point.

    "This picture was taken a week before the failed first negotiation with Chengshi. That time, Miss Song showed me her sketch. Unless you drew that much earlier than that, it''s impossible that Miss Song stole Guanyu''s design." Qi Chengzhi took back his phone and prevented Guan Xiaolin from getting a chance to touch his fingers.

    "As to who it was exactly that did the stealing, I''ve already known that from the start. I called all of you here simply to give you onest chance. You said it earlier, Miss Guan, if you admit to it, then I won''t divulge the truth to the public. Guanyu is a respectablepany. There''s no need for Guanyu''s reputation to be harmed simply because of one architect, but it seems like you haven''t understood the gravity of this situation, Miss Guan."

    Both Guan Xiaolin and Fu Junya''s expressions changed dramatically. Neither of them expected that Qi Chengzhi had contact with Song Yu from such an early stage.

    Fu Junya did not agree to the shenanigans in the beginning, since she had no intention of treating her future as a joke. Guan Xiaolin however, persuaded her by saying that Song Yu slept with Qi Chengzhi. If Guan Xiaolin was the one who could get into his bed, the project would have been hers as well, without any sort of fuss.

    Otherwise, from what Guan Xiaolin said, there might be a possibility that Fu Junya would never be able to continue working at Guanyu, or for any otherpany in a rted field for that matter.

    Once the harsher words were all said, Guan Xiaolin made a few gentler remarks, saying that the project was important to Guanyu, and assuring that it would all go without a hitch because there was no evidence. Song Yu could do nothing but suffer that loss.

    However, nothing went ording to n!

    Guan Xiaolin stood up suddenly, saying. "I''m sorry, ourpany will never do such an hical thing. Still, we can''t guarantee that our subordinates practice professional ethics. If that''s truly the case, we won''t tolerate it. Young Master Cheng, I''d like to talk with Junya in private. Is that okay?"

    "Outside the door, right-hand side meeting room. Special Assistant Cheng will lead you," Qi Chengzhi remarked curtly.

    Guan Xiaolin nodded and brought Fu Junya out.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only two people left in the office. Song Yu was once again going through the ordeal where she had to be careful even when breathing.

    Her gaze was directed downward and her scalp was feeling numb under Qi Chengzhi''s direct stare.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned back casually and asked, "Were you afraid when you came?"

    "With this kind of thing happening, of course I am," Song Yu replied earnestly.

    In all honesty, her fear was practically sky-high.

    "You regretted letting me visit you at home." Qi Chengzhi then asked, as if holding back a chuckle, "Do you still regret it?"

    "¡­" Song Yu ignored his question. "Thank you for this."

    "How do you n on thanking me?" Qi Chengzhi inteced his fingers together. He looked very reserved and extremely serious, and from his look alone, she would never have imagined that he would say the kind of words. Those remarks were usually only made in TV shows, under circumstances where the character decides to do something naughty.

    "¡­" Song Yu was speechless. She did not expect that he would want a mile after being given an inch.

    Qi Chengzhi took out a cigarette and ced it between his lips. He then took out his exquisite-looking lighter and was about to light it up. Song Yu, however, let out an almost unnoticeable frown, which caused him to halt his actions in frustration.

    The cigarette remained in his lips. He closed his eyes and twirled the lighter in his hands, but he did not light up his smoke.

    He looked very uneasy at that point and coupled with those non-prescription sses that he was wearing, no one knew what he was mulling over at that time.

    With the cigarette still in between his lips, he said, "I''ll ept your thanks, but I''ll decide how you should return the favor. Let me think about, and I''ll let you knowter. When that timees, you''ll repay me then."

    He had just finished speaking when Guan Xiaolin brought Fu Junya in.

    Fu Junya''s face was pale and her eyes were red. Tears flowed down her face in a continuous stream.

    Guan Xiaolin put on a regrettable face, saying, "Young Master Cheng, we didn''t expect Guanyu to be at fault for this. I''ve already asked Fu Junya about this, and she was the one who fraudulently copied Song Yu''s design. This matter is a disgrace to ourpany. I''ve already terminated her employment with us, as of immediately. Song Yu, I''m sorry that you''ve suffered this injustice."

    Ignoring Guan Xiaolinpletely, Song Yu stood up and asked Fu Junya, "How did you get my design?"

    Fu Junya sniffled and said, "Some¡­ Someone sent it anonymously to me."

    Song Yu did not buy such an excuse at all. She smirked and said, "You''re quite brave to use a design of unknown origin, Miss Fu."

    Fu Junya could not understand why Guan Xiaolin told her to use such an excuse.

    They had nothing to do with Wang Liwei, which begged the question of why she should be protected.

    Song Yu formed her hands into a fist and heard Qi Chengzhi''s insipid voice. "Song Yu, go back, prepare, and bring someone with you tomorrow to sign the agreement. You stay back, Miss Guan."

    After Song Yu said her goodbye, Fu Junya left as well. They walked together out of thepany, but neither said a word to each other.

    Song Yu did not know what benefits Guan Xiaolin gave to Fu Junya. tant giarism was not something that Fu Junya would be brave enough to do herself. It was impossible to think that Guan Xiaolin did not have a hand in it.

    All those nasty remarks that Guan Xiaolin directed at Fu Junya were etched in Song Yu''s memory.

    There was nothing Song Yu could do though as it was Guanyu''s internal matter.

    Once out of Qilin, she took a cab back to Chengshi.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    "Miss Guan, whether you have a hand in this or not, it will be a severe blow to Guanyu if word gets out. Besides, if Qilin''s public deres that we will never cooperate with Guanyu ever again in the future, I''d think that it would be hard for Guanyu to continue surviving in this field." The cigarette that had been in his mouth for ages was lit up, and he smoked it enjoyably.

    Guan Xiaolin was mesmerized. She felt that Qi Chengzhi was simply too charming, and his maism was something no other men could hope to even achieve.

    "Young Master Cheng," Guan Xiaolin''s body swayed and she went around him to sit at the edge of his work desk. Her fair-skinned thighs were exposed, and she crossed her legs seductively, one over the other.

    "I''ve already fired the person that ought to be fired. I''ll do anything for you as long as you don''t go hard on Guanyu." Guan Xiaolin looked down with those lustful eyes of hers. One hand was ced on Qi Chengzhi''s shoulder while the other was creeping up his chest.

    "Seems like you and I are on the same page." Qi Chengzhi took out his phone and went to his contacts. He searched for the name of Haichen Corporation''s director and said, "Women who think they''re good-looking are usually really horny. It''s humiliating when they don''t find a suitable partner, but if they can''t even find a partner at all, then they''re just in stupid."

    Guan Xiaolin''s expression changed drastically. She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to humiliate her there. She retracted her hands immediately and looked at Qi Chengzhi''s phone.

    "Young Master Cheng, what do you want from me?" Guan Xiaolin''s expression changed yet again as she saw the name of Haichen Corporation''s director in Qi Chengzhi''s phone.

    Haichen Corporation was one of the clients that Guanyu was trying hard to get.

    Guan Xiaolin grabbed his phone hurriedly. His long fingers were still clipping his cigarette, and he did not rush to get it back. With a rxed posture, he said, "I told you, I can make Guanyu''s progress in this field difficult."

    "What do you want me to do, Young Master Cheng. Just say it." Guan Xiaolin hoped to be able to seduce him, but she did not expect him to be so direct. She no longer dared to let herself loose around him.

    "Help me with a small matter." Qi Chengzhi flicked off the ash from his cigarette.

    Ten minutester, Guan Xiaolin went out of the office. From Cheng Dongge''s estimation, her expression was exceedingly ugly and her heart was filled with resentment.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu went back to thepany to find Wang Liwei in the midst of doing her fingernails. Thetter looked up and snarked, "I heard you giarized Guanyu''s picture? Song Yu, oh Song Yu. What can I say about you? You lost your design, and when you couldn''te up with one in time, you stole someone else''s, right? You''re such a disgrace."

    Fu Junya did not reveal who it was that gave her the design and Song Yu had no evidence that it was Wang Liwei. However, Wang Liwei''s attitude prompted Song Yu to go up to her.

    Song Yu gave Wang Liwei a tight, hard p, after which she turned around and headed straight into Director Zhao''s office.

    Wang Liwei was stunned by Song Yu''s sudden p, leaving her unresponsive for a few moments. Once she finally came back to her senses, her face was stinging and Song Yu''s presence was long gone.

    "SONG YU!" Wang Liwei chased her to the office and shrieked in the hallway.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu barged into Director Zhao''s office without so much as a knock on the door.

    Director Zhao frowned, thinking that Song Yu was getting more and more out of hand. Was she being sowless because she was acting out in despair?

    Before he could even rebuke her, he heard Song Yu say, "I''ll bring Xiao Chen and Manager Wang to sign the contract at Qilin. I won''t take my anger out on thepany because of a personal matter, and I hope that Director Zhao will also put work-rted matters first!"

    A mixture of emotions appeared on his convoluted face. He could hardly believe it when Song Yu really managed to snag the project back.

    The design was simr, was it not?

    Guanyu was the first to submit their design, right?

    How did Song Yu manage to do that!

    Faced with Director Zhao''s surprise, Song Yu did not try to mask her wry smile. She turned around and left the office.

    Wang Liwei was waiting right outside the door. Once Song Yu appeared, Wang Liwei pointed to her nose and sted, "Song Yu, you stole someone else''s design and the contract is gone. What kind of person are you for using me as your punching bag?"

    "No one in thepany knows about this. How did you know? If it wasn''t for Guanyu calling Director Zhao, even he wouldn''t know. You may have slept with him, but would he reallye to you and tell you this kind of thing?" Song Yu cocked a brow coldly.

    "And also, when my design went missing, I was only told today that my design with Guanyu''s was simr. Thank goodness Qilin was fair with me, and the contract is still mine. As for how my design went missing and how it managed to fall into Guanyu''s hands, I''ll definitely look into it," Song Yu remarked icily.

    "What do you mean the contract''s still yours?" Wang Liwei''s face turned unpleasant. "Song Yu, don''t try to act like you''re innocent in front of me. The evidence is there. No one will believe that the contract is still yours unless you went and slept with Qi Chengzhi in exchange for it!"

    Song Yuughed out of spite. "I won''t even do such a thing, but you, you like using that kind of method, don''t you? How sad. He doesn''t even like you at all."

    After saying that, she turned to Ruan Danchen and said, "Danchen, I won''t be staying at thepany after noon. It disgusts me to see Wang Liwei. If Director Zhao asked, just tell him what I told you."

    "OK!" Ruan Danchen obliged happily.

    By virtue of such an important business Song Yu managed to obtain, Director Zhao would never hold it against her for such a petty thing. That was why Ruan Danchen did not stop Song Yu.

    Song Yu''s words angered Wang Liwei to no end, but unfortunately, Song Yu was already long gone.

    Wang Liwei stomped her foot angrily, and upon realizing that she could no longer irritate Song Yu, she went to her seat. She decided to re at Ruan Danchen, but Ruan Danchen simply responded by rolling her eyes.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu left the premises and decided not to go back to workter in the afternoon.

    She went home to see her parents, saying that she had nothing more to do and so she came home earlier. Yu Qianying was really happy to hear that and had Song Yu stay over for dinner. Song Donglin was told to get some ingredients from the supermarket. An extravagant dinner would be made that night.

    When they were eating, Yu Qianying could not resist harping on about Jian Yi.

    It would have been much better if Yu Qianying had just kept quiet. Whenever the subject of Jian Yi was brought up, Song Yu remembered the mishap she had when she confessed to the wrong person back in the hotel. The confession-gone-wrong led her to meet head-on with Qi Chengzhi, being on the receiving end of his passionate yet overpowering kiss.

    Song Yu''s face was burning and her face was insanely red.

    Yu Qianying misunderstood the blush and blurted out, "Look at you. Whenever Jian Yi is mentioned, your face gets so red. Isn''t it because you really like him?"

    "Enough, don''t keep nagging her. You know that men will hop on the high horse and won''t appreciate it properly if a woman is too eager. Men are like that. It''s not good to rush her," Song Donglin interjected, unable to stand the scene in front of him. He took a piece of chili chicken for Song Yu. "Let our daughter have her meal in peace."

    Yu Qianying mumbled but did not press on, perhaps because she finally realized that Song Donglin was speaking rationally.

    After dinner, Song Yu spent some time talking to them before leaving the ce.

    Once she returned to her apartment building, she passed by a silver Audi. The car door swung open barely moments after she walked past it.

    "Song Song!" Guan Xiaolin came down from the car and called out to Song Yu.

    Song Yu stopped and turned to see Guan Xiaolin walking over. Guan Xiaolin looked at her and lowered her gaze. "Song Song, I¡­ I came to apologize for what happened this morning."

    "It''s nothing. You were just doing your job. Our stands are different, that''s all." Song Yu looked at her unemotively, while her heart instinctively put up a barrier.

    Earlier that morning in Qilin, Song Yu could not see clearly due to her anger and disappointment.

    Under the glow of the streetlights, she looked at Guan Xiaolin and noticed all of a sudden, that her childhood friend was no longer someone she knew.

    Guan Xiaolin''s face was full of worry and regret, but Song Yu felt that it was insincere. Perhaps that was due to the prejudice Song Yu formed toward Guan Xiaolin as of then.

    "Song Song, I know you haven''t forgiven me yet. I disappointed you when I did not trust in you this morning." Guan Xiaolin''s voice was trembling from the cold. "It''s cold out here. Can we talk inside?"

    ''If it''s cold, then you should''ve worn more clothes when you came.'' Song Yu had to restrain herself from saying that. She turned around without a word and walked to her unit.

    Guan Xiaolin hurried behind her, and because it was difficult to walk in high heels, she made sure to be cautious.

    Having entered the house, Song Yu neither took off her jacket nor sat down, and it was obvious that she did not want Guan Xiaolin to stay around long.

    "Sorry, I just came back and I didn''t turn on the water dispenser. I don''t have any warm water right now."

    "It''s okay. I won''t bother you for long." Guan Xiaolin smiled uneasily. She walked forward and held Song Yu''s hand intimately. "Song Song, I was wrong to doubt you this morning. I''m really sorry. Fu Junya is one of ourpany''s more experienced architects. She received quite a lot of projects as well. I''ve always trusted her, but I never expected her to do this kind of thing."

    Song Yu kept quiet and simply stared frigidly.

    "Song Song, can you forgive me? I hurt you and I''m really sorry," Guan Xiaolin pleaded.

    Song Yu retracted her hand immediately and remarked bluntly, "There''s nothing to forgive. I already said that you''re just doing your job. Since you fired Fu Junya, this matter is in the past, and there''s nothing more to talk about."

    "Are we still friends then?" Seemingly oblivious to Song Yu''s hostility, Guan Xiaolin once again held Song Yu''s hands.

    Song Yu kept quiet and refused to be dragged into the question of whether they were still friends or not. She knew that Guan Xiaolin would continue to bother her even if she made things clear.

    She was far too tired to be bothered by Guan Xiaolin.

    Nevertheless, Guan Xiaolin treated the silence as acquiescence. She smiled happily and jiggled Song Yu''s hand like a mid-teen girl. "That''s just perfect. I knew that Song Yu''s a kind-hearted person who wouldn''t get angry at me."

    "Oh yes, the picture that Young Master Cheng showed us today, when was that?"

    Song Yu''s stare became ice-cold. At exactly that moment, her phone buzzed briefly inside her pocket.

    She took the opportunity to loosen herself from Guan Xiaolin''s hand and took out her phone. It was a message from Jian Yi. [Song Yu, I''m downstairs, can youe out for a bit?]

    Song Yu looked up and saw that Guan Xiaolin''s eyes were staring intently at the phone. "Who messaged you? Qi Chengzhi?"

    Song Yu ced her phone back into the pocket and said, "I have something I need to do. I don''t know when I''lle back. You''re free to wait here if you want, but if you don''t want to wait, please make sure you close the door."

    "Going on a date with Qi Chengzhi?" Guan Xiaolin managed to sneak in another snarky remark.

    Song Yu went out of the house in silence,pletely ignoring Guan Xiaolin.

    Downstairs, the parking spot in front of the entrance was upied by Guan Xiaolin''s car. Song Yu looked around and saw that Jian Yi''s car was parked on the opposite side of the road.

    He was standing in front of the car and leaning against the car door. Both his hands were ced inside his pockets.

    Song Yu half-jogged over to him and smiled, calling out, "Jian Yi."

    However, his expression seemed sullen, and something was clearly not right.

    Under the dim light, he lowered his head and his face looked like it was shrouded.

    "What is it?" Song Yu''s smile disappeared as well, and she looked suspicious.

    "I heard that¡­your design was the same as Guanyu''s, but Qi Chengzhiter gave the contract to you." Jian Yi''s voice was deep and his mien was tense.

    Song Yu''s expression sank immediately. Her eyes narrowed and she tried hard to suppress the anger within her. With a sulky voice, she said, "You don''t trust me too? You think that I did something that went against my principles just to get the contract?"

    She was able to dismiss everyone else''s remarks as mere jibes.

    However, it felt vastly different then, because the one ming her was Jian Yi!

    His distrust and doubt made her feel incredibly disappointed.

    "The design I did was stolen by Wang Liwei. She betrayed Chengshi to Guanyu, but lucky for me, Qi Chengzhi saw my draft before that. That was how I managed to prove my innocence. I don''t care if others doubt me, but it really hurts if you''re the one that''s doubting me, Jian Yi! I always felt that you should trust my character, but I never imagined that the trust between us is so fragile!"

    Song Yu turned her back in dismay and did not wish to talk with him any further. Jian Yi grabbed her arm though, pulling her back and drawing her into his embrace.

    He hugged her tightly, locking her in and trapping her in his arms.

    "I trust you, but I''m jealous!" Jian Yi hugged her tightly. His chin was touching the top of her head, and it was like she could feel his Adam''s apple vibrating.

    "I heard from Guan Xiaolin that she saw youing out from Qi Chengzhi''s room. I know you didn''t do anything with him, but when I heard it, I just felt disgusted. It''s a terrible feeling when you see your own woman exiting from another man''s room.

    "I like you. Don''t you realize that at all? I can''t take it when you''re close with another man. I trust you, but I don''t trust Qi Chengzhi. I''m worried that he might have ill intentions for you."

    Song Yu''s anger disappeared immediately and was reced with a gentle warmth. She raised her hands slowly and allowed her body to feel his warmth. Slowly but surely, she returned the hug.

    "There''s nothing between us."

    "Then be my girlfriend. No matter how many men like you, it''ll kill off their hopes." Jian Yi took a step back and looked at Song Yu, waiting for her answer.

    Song Yu smiled shyly. "What do you mean many men. It''s not like I''m that attractive."

    "In my eyes, you''re the best. If a man can''t notice you, he''s blind." Jian Yi''s eyes lit up with sincerity and tender sentiment. He smiled suddenly and said, "It''s contradictory, isn''t it? I feel like men who don''t see your beauty have terrible eyesight, but if any man looks at you, I''ll be extremely jealous."

    - - - - - - -

    It''s  going on the shelf today <sup> 1 </sup></anno> . Thanks to all those who were the first to subscribe. Today''s two chapters had a 20k word-count. This is the first. There''s another 10k word chapter plus a mini-scene interaction between Young Master Cheng and Yan Beicheng. Continue to click on the next one yo~~ this one is about Jian Yi seducing Xiao Yu, but don''t be anxious, in the next one Young Master Cheng will have a rival in love~~

    The following word count is not included in the fee~

    Time for an out-of-story interview:

    Old Man: "After so many days, Young Master Cheng, you are finally able to meet Song Yu. She walks into your office, and you look at her with those serious eyes. What is in your mind exactly?"

    Boss Qi raises an eyebrowzily: "Sleeping with her."

    Old Man: "¡­"

    Old Man: "A lot of things are happening with Song Yu''s work, and all you think about is sleeping with her. That''s not very nice is it?"

    Boss Qi nces askance: "The whole purpose of this business is to sleep with her."

    Old Man: "¡­"

    How''s the mini scene? Happy with it? If you''re happy, please vote~ This month there will be a spurt of new chapters, even though it''s thest third of the month, but I still want to make an effort and push out ten. So, all you little goblins, cast your monthly votes for the new chapters and remember to use the web client to cast your votes~~

    </annotations>

    <li data-annotation-id="9c99fa18-66bd-2c40-bead-386db6890edb"> ÉÏ¼Ü ¨C it literally means ''going on the shelf'', but in web novel terminology, it means the author has begun to receive fees from the readers to continue reading.

    </li>

 Chapter 64 - There Were Millions of People I Could Have Met, But as It Turned Out, You Were Here

    <h4>Chapter 64: There Were Millions of People I Could Have Met, But as It Turned Out, You Were Here</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°In my eyes, you¡¯re the best. If a man can¡¯t notice you, he¡¯s blind.¡± Jian Yi¡¯s eyes lit up with sincerity and tender sentiment. He smiled suddenly and said, ¡°It¡¯s contradictory, isn¡¯t it? I feel like men who don¡¯t see your beauty have terrible eyesight, but if any man looks at you, I¡¯ll be extremely jealous.¡±

    Song Yuughed. The corner of her lips opened gently, like a lily that suddenly flushed pink. The whole world seemed to turn bright and beautiful.

    Jian Yi saw everything and felt his heart pound. He could not control himself from lowering his head and giving her a kiss on the corner of her lips.

    Upstairs, Guan Xiaolin opened the window and was able to see their actions clearly. She took her phone out and adjusted its lens, then she took a few sessive shots.

    Her expression turned more and more frigid as she looked at the two embracing.

    Jian Yi aside, it never crossed Guan Xiaolin¡¯s mind that even Qi Chengzhi would have his heart set on Song Yu.

    When Qi Chengzhi told Guan Xiaolin his wishes that day, she was extremely shocked.

    Before she went off, she had already walked to the door, but Qi Chengzhi called out to her and warned, ¡°Stay away from Song Yu. Don¡¯t you dare use your despicable methods on her again.¡±

    Recalling that warning, Guan Xiaolin trembled intensely in anger.

    Song Yu and Jian Yi said their goodbyes and returned home. Guan Xiaolin was nowhere to be seen, and no one knew the exact time that she left.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu and Manager Wang brought Xiao Chen with them over to Qilin to sign the contract.

    Previously, it was only Cheng Dongge and thewyer who were present, but on that day, Qi Chengzhi was there too.

    Manager Wang was somewhat taken aback by that. He was but the manager of a small department, so it came as a shock that a simple contract signing could elicit the attendance of Qilin¡¯s director.

    Almost involuntarily, he recalled the rumors surrounding Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    They seemed to have a different kind of rtionship. It was certain that Qi Chengzhi viewed Song Yu in a special light because there was absolutely no need for him to take the trouble to attend the simple signing of a contract.

    He could not help but attach even more value to Song Yu. He improved his rtionship with her subtly and even showed a great deal of consideration toward her.

    On that asion, the signing went smoothly and problem-free.

    Once it was done, Manager Wang ttered them with somepliments. Then, along with Song Yu, the two of them bid the others goodbye.

    While Qi Chengzhi sat in the meeting room, he could still hear Manager Wang speaking with Song Yu outside. ¡°Xiao Song, it¡¯s all thanks to you that the contract has been signed. How about we go celebrate and have dinner tonight, on me. I can¡¯t treat you to Dynasty though, but I definitely can treat you to Shengyue.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Manager Wang, I¡¯m meeting someone tonight.¡± Song Yu unwittingly revealed her womanly charm when she said those words.

    Manager Wang knew that she would not have made up that reason to decline him. She must have had ns, so he chuckled and said, ¡°A date with the boyfriend, eh? Good, good. Well, in that case, I won¡¯t butt in. There¡¯s always next time.¡±

    Their voices subsequently became more distant.

    The word ¡®boyfriend¡¯ caused Qi Chengzhi to squint. He held his handphone with an extremely sour face and scrolled through the pictures¡ªthey were of Song Yu and Jian Yi hugging the night before.

    His gaze was so intense that it appeared as though it could burn a hole through the screen. His face, meanwhile, was stiff and motionless.

    Qi Chengzhi left her alone for a second and she was already fickle enough to be with that other man!

    Fuming with anger, he took out a cigarette. He lit it up and took a deep, intense breath, but his anger still had not dissipated. He nced once more at his phone and felt it to be an eyesore, so he deleted each photo and tossed the phone out.

    ...

    ...

    It was the first official date between Song Yu and Jian Yi. Before she got off work, she intentionally went to the restroom to re-apply some makeup.

    ¡°Yo, you¡¯re looking beautiful. Got a date?¡± Ruan Danchen poked her and asked softly.

    Song Yu blushed and replied, ¡°It¡¯s to celebrate me sessfully getting Qilin¡¯s business.¡±

    ¡°Yeah right!¡± Ruan Danchen rolled her eyes at Song Yu.

    Song Yu blushed as she left the office. Jian Yi¡¯s Buick Regal was parked at the entrance and he stood in front of the car while waiting for her.

    She walked over to Jian Yi and smiled embarrassedly when she saw his gaze, a gaze which seemed to proim loudly that ¡®this is my girlfriend¡¯.

    Before their feelings were made known to each other, there was never any unease when they met. They joked around like friends and everything was natural between them.

    Funnily enough, it felt different when they decided to date. Song Yu unexpectedly found herself shying away from looking him in the eye.

    Her delicate and charming demeanor caused Jian Yi¡¯s heart to flutter. He suppressed his racing mind and opened the passenger seat whilst saying, ¡°Hop on in.¡±

    Song Yu sat down and waited for Jian Yi to start the car. She then asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°How about Shengyue? To celebrate our first date and your sess in getting Qilin¡¯s business,¡± Jian Yi said.

    With his right hand stretched out, he held her hand after starting the car.

    Song Yu saw her hand being wrapped in his and felt the heat from his palming into contact with the back of her hand. She trembled, but did not break away from it.

    Immersed in sweetness, they failed to notice a Jaguar behind them. It was parked at Chengshi¡¯s entrance right from the beginning. Moments after the Buick Regal left, the Jaguar left too, tailing the Buick Regal constantly from behind.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, Director Zhang and the others are already at the restaurant. When will you be arriving?¡± Qi Chengzhi received Cheng Dongge¡¯s call from the Bluetooth earpiece he was wearing.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be going tonight. Ask Chenglin to keep thempany.¡± He hung up as soon as he finished his sentence. Noticing that he was fast approaching a traffic light, he braked.

    A Mercedes-Benz SUV sped past him on the oppositene.

    ¡°I think I saw Chengzhi just now.¡± Seated on the Benz¡¯s front passenger seat was Yan Beicheng, who turned his head to look.

    Wei Zilin, the driver, nced at the rear-view mirror and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t see any Range Rover!¡±

    ¡°Not the Range Rover, a Jaguar.¡± Yan Beicheng stopped looking only when the car waspletely out of sight.

    ¡°You must¡¯ve been mistaken. He doesn¡¯t drive a Jaguar,¡± Wei Zilin replied. He did not make anything of it.

    ¡°But it really looks like him.¡± Yan Beicheng insisted, so he gave Qi Chengzhi a call.

    As the light turned green, Qi Chengzhi drove fast in order to catch up. He nearly lost his patience when his phone started ringing.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± He heard Yan Beicheng ask.

    ¡°Driving.¡± Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips.

    ¡°Where to?¡± Yan Beicheng asked again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Qi Chengzhi rapidly caught up with the Buick Regal.

    ¡°...¡± A rather lost-for-words Yan Beicheng asked, ¡°What car are you driving today?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi hung up.

    ¡°...¡± Yan Beicheng stared at his phone and did not react for quite some time.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Wei Zilin looked at him.

    ¡°He hung up on me when I asked what car he was driving.¡± Yan Beicheng had absolutely no idea what Qi Chengzhi was up to.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi stopped right in front of Shengyue. He saw a waiter leading Jian Yi and Song Yu to their table. Even the dishes that Jian Yi ordered could be seen with utmost rity.

    He tapped on his phone a few times and called Chang Lai. ¡°Get the Range Rover here to Shengyue. Now.¡±

    He then called another number. ¡°It¡¯s me. How are you and your boyfriendtely? No, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯m at Shengyue meeting a client, and coincidentally, I saw him having a meal with another woman, and they¡¯re constantly touching each other.¡±

    While saying that, Qi Chengzhi looked on as Jian Yi held the menu and began ordering. Jian Yi was still well-behaved with Song Yu and there was no physical contact yet.

    All the dishes that Jian Yi ordered were Song Yu¡¯s favorites. When Song Yu saw that he remembered all her favorite dishes, a feeling of tenderness surfaced within her heart.

    Jian Yi took out his phone and made a note in his calendar. He told Song Yu, ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to remember our first date so we have another anniversary to remember.¡±

    Before he could put it away, a call came. Jian Yi¡¯s expression turned slightly dispirited.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Song Yu asked after noticing his expression.

    He sighed helplessly and said, ¡°It¡¯s thepany. I don¡¯t know what¡¯se up. I¡¯ll go and take the call.¡±

    Raucous sounds of conversation filled the restaurant, so Jian Yi had to step out to answer the call.

    As he was taking the call, most of the dishes they ordered had been served.

    Song Yu waited instead of starting the meal by herself. She directed her gaze through the restaurant¡¯s French windows and onto Jian Yi¡¯s back as he talked on the phone.

    He shifted his body sideways when he spoke, and Song Yu managed to glimpse at the side profile of his solemn expression.

    Perhaps he sensed that she was looking at him, because he turned and looked in her direction, making eye contact in the process.

    Jian Yi shed her an affectionate smile, and his solemn expression turned into one that was full of warmth. After a pause, he shifted his gaze away and continued talking in all seriousness.

    About ten minutester, Jian Yi returned. His body was warm before he went out, but by the time he went back in, the cold from outside made him chilly, too.

    He sat down and apologized regretfully, ¡°Song Song. Thepany had somest-minute issues and they asked me to go back. I have to go. I spoke with them for quite a while, but they disagreed and insisted that I go back.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You should rush there now.¡± Song Yu smiled empathetically.

    ¡°Today was supposed to be our date. I even nned everything for this important day.¡± Jian Yi was slightly frustrated.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always been asked to go to thepany at thest minute too, so I can understand these things. I¡¯m okay.¡± Song Yu extended her hand toward Jian Yi¡¯s direction but hesitated momentarily, causing her fingernails to gently brush against his fingers.

    Her fingers trembled like they were scalded, but she maintained them determinedly in that position.

    Jian Yi smiled warmly and turned his hand over to hold hers. His fingertips were rubbing lightly against her finger joints.

    ¡°Okay. Once everything that we ordered has been served, I¡¯ll ask the waiter to pack them up to go. Then I¡¯ll send you back home,¡± Jian Yi said.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Song Yu watched as the waiter served thest two dishes. She continued her words only after the waiter left. ¡°I¡¯ll take my time and eat here. The food won¡¯t taste as good if it¡¯s packed and brought home. If you¡¯re done with work and I¡¯m still here, you cane pick me up. If I¡¯ve finished and you¡¯re still at work, I¡¯ll go back myself.¡±

    Jian Yi frowned. ¡°Leaving you alone here is...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Song Yu urged him with a smile. ¡°You¡¯d better get going. Drive safe. It¡¯s dark outside, so don¡¯t drive too fast.¡±

    Jian Yi nodded and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    He stood up and hesitated for a moment before stooping across the table and kissing Song Yu on the cheek.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s action of lighting his cigarette was momentarily halted. The corner of his lips twitched coldly and he proceeded to light the cigarette. With a deep puff, he watched as Jian Yi stepped out of the restaurant.

    Song Yu did not find the food too appetizing because she was the only one who was eating alone. The remaining tables were either filled with couples or lively family gatherings.

    Eating alone amongst a crowd of people made her feel uneasy, so she might as well surf the while she ate. Doing so would enable her not to pay too much attention to her surroundings.

    The cheek which Jian Yi kissed was warm and tingly. The throbbing feeling on her cheek was akin to popping candy¡ªsomething she used to eat when she was young.

    ¡°Long time no see, Song Yu.¡± The crisp, cold, haughty, and slightly disdainful voice of a woman sounded from above Song Yu¡¯s head.

    A startled Song Yu lifted her head, but before she could get a closer look, the other person had already taken a seat opposite her. The person then looked insipidly at the food.

    ¡°Song Yu, do you still remember me?¡± With a proud attitude, Qi Chengyue looked askance at her.

    Song Yu ced her chopsticks down and sat somewhat straighter. She nodded her head and replied slightly indifferently, ¡°Miss Qi. What a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a coincidence.¡± Qi Chengyue shed an ice-cold smile. ¡°I came here specifically to meet you.¡±

    Song Yu was shocked into silence. She did not understand why Qi Chengyue would want to look for her.

    Both of them met a few times when they were young, mostly when Song Yu was a guest at the Qi family house. Qi Chengyue would be there sometimes, but the two of them never had the chance to y together, so they were never too familiar with each other.

    ¡°After the bankruptcy, our family did not keep in touch with yours. I didn¡¯t expect you to be all grown up after all these years, and that you¡¯d be willing to be the side chick who butts into another person¡¯s rtionship. You seemed to be pretty noble and above this sort of thing in the past. Is it because you¡¯ve always kept that side of yourself hidden well, or have your standards dropped because your family¡¯s financial situation turned bad?¡± Qi Chengyue looked at her with a frigid stare. Her words were so derisive that she could not even keep up her indifferent smile.

    Song Yu frowned and looked carefully at Qi Chengyue. As the Qi family¡¯s youngdy, she presented herself much more exquisitely than anybody else. From her clothes down to her temperament, she was the textbook example of a celebrity.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice sank.

    ¡°Jian Yi is my boyfriend. Do you understand now?¡± Qi Chengyue sneered at her. ¡°We¡¯ve even discussed when we should get engaged. We¡¯re at a point where we¡¯re talking about marriage, and I was preparing to bring him home to meet my parents.¡±

    ¡°In the past, he¡¯s taken very good care of you. I know about all that, but I¡¯ve never interfered because I knew he acted appropriately. With a girlfriend like me, he naturally wouldn¡¯t leave me for you. His feelings for you are simply because of his greediness; he wanted to experience someone new.¡±

    ¡°All you can provide him is a fleeting high, but I can provide status, power, and a stable family background. So, no matter what happens, it¡¯s impossible that he¡¯d break up with me. I came here today to remind you not to waste your promising youth on him. Have some self-respect. Stay as far away as you can from someone else¡¯s man.¡±

    ¡°I never knew that he had a girlfriend. Why would he confess to me then, if he had one already?¡± Song Yu¡¯s brows were knit in a frown.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart sank down right after she heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words. It was hard not to have suffered a crushing blow from it.

    However, she thought to herself and realized she never asked Jian Yi about his status. She trusted him. Before a confirmation could be sought, it was equally probable that Qi Chengyue had liked Jian Yi all along, and made those remarks on purpose.

    Such a scenario was not impossible.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been together for two years. Qi Chengyue said bluntly. ¡°I got to know him in one of Qilin¡¯s annual meetings. If it wasn¡¯t for that, do you think someone like him ¨C with his age and qualifications ¨C would be able to take up the position of the engineering department¡¯s manager? Qilin isn¡¯t your run-of-the-millpany, and because it¡¯s such a huge conglomerate, there¡¯s plenty of talent in it. Jian Yi¡¯s turn would never havee. It was because of his rtionship with me that he is sessful today, and in the future, I¡¯ll give him even more.¡±

    ¡°Tonight¡¯s your date night, isn¡¯t it? Where is he? Why is he gone? He received a call just now, didn¡¯t he? Well, I was the one who called him. He told me he was having dinner with a client. Think about it, Song Yu, if anyone asked, he¡¯ll be afraid to acknowledge you. You¡¯re nothing but a ¡®client¡¯.¡±

    ¡°When he left, what did he tell you? That¡¯s he had matters to attend at thepany?¡± Qi Chengyue mocked.

    ¡°I told him to wait for me at home. He¡¯s there right now. If you don¡¯t believe me, you¡¯re free to see for yourself if he¡¯s really at thepany.¡±

    Upon seeing Song Yu¡¯s pale face, Qi Chengyue wore a victorious smile. She took out her phone, dialed Jian Yi¡¯s number, and put it on the loudspeaker.

    ¡°Chengyue?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s faintly gentle voice sounded from the phone.

    Song Yu froze. Her heart began sinking, and her eyes stared intently at the cell phone Qi Chengyue ced on the table.

    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Qi Chengyue was all smiles as she continuously looked at Song Yu¡¯s face.

    ¡°On my way home,¡± Jian Yi said. The truth to the lie he told Song Yue earlier had been exposed by none other than Jian Yi himself.

    Song Yu gasped and felt a sourness in her throat.

    He really did lie to her.

    By then, she truly believed Qi Chengyue¡¯s words.

    What else did Jian Yi lie to her about?

    If he already had a girlfriend, why did he not make things clear to her? Why, then, did he still choose to confess to her?

    ¡°Have you finished dealing with your client?¡± Qi Chengyue questioned.

    ¡°No. I let a colleague of mine take care of it. Didn¡¯t you want to meet me?¡± Jian Yi asked in return.

    ¡°I¡¯m more important than the client?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice became more tender and her face had a pleased smile. It was a provocation for the already depressed Song Yu.

    ¡°Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have abandoned the client.¡± Jian Yi¡¯s gentle chuckle could be heard from the phone.

    ¡°Wait for me at home then.¡± Qi Chengyue hung up afterpleting her sentence.

    ¡°Do you believe me now?¡± The phone was put away. ¡°No matter how much he sweet talks you, I can take him away from your side with a simple phone call. That¡¯s the extent of your ce in his heart. I was never worried to begin with, because no matter what he does outside, he¡¯ll always return to me. That¡¯s why I can forgive him. As for you, know where you stand.¡±

    Song Yu lowered her head. Her heart was going wild and she kept hearing Jian Yi¡¯s words beside her ear.

    ¡®I¡¯m more important than the client?¡¯

    ¡®Of course. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t have abandoned the client.¡¯

    Client...she was only a client.

    Faced with Qi Chengyue, Song Yu was nothing but a client.

    The night before, he had told her he was jealous, that he liked her, and his gaze never wavered from her.

    They knew each other for twelve years, and because she never heard about him having a girlfriend, she always thought that his heart only had her.

    Even during the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, he never left her side. He supported her, helped her find a job, and took care of her.

    If she met a client, he would pick her up at night.

    If she worked overtime, he delivered supper to her.

    His life seemed to revolve around her and there was no time for him to be in a rtionship.

    Even her parents thought that they liked each other and that sooner orter, they would end up together.

    All of a sudden, she doubted whether there was any truth to the things that Jian Yi had told her previously.

    To what extent was he truly sincere with all the care that he gave to her?

    Suddenly, a cold ssh of water jolted Song Yu back to her senses. The ss in front of her¡ªJian Yi¡¯s ss¡ªwas empty.

    Qi Chengyue ced the ss loudly on the table. The ensuing ¡®thud¡¯ attracted the attention of all those beside them.

    ¡°An educated person who¡¯s willing to be a mistress. Shameless thing!¡± Qi Chengyue scolded loudly and abruptly, and with a face full of scorn. Her eyes even turned teary, and her pleased expression was no longer present.

    Qi Chengyue shouted on purpose so that everyone else¡¯s attention would be directed onto Song Yu.

    Looking at her wet body as well as her hair sticking to her scalp and face, voices of disdain were heard.

    ¡°So, she¡¯s a mistress, shame on her!¡±

    ¡°She looks pure. Didn¡¯t expect her to be a lowlife deep inside.¡±

    ¡°Nowadays, the purer one looks, the more despicable they are on the inside. It¡¯s trendy to be a green tea b*tch <sup>1</sup> after all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s much too kind to have the real partner show up and ssh water on her. People like her should just be gangbanged <sup>2</sup> a few times.¡±

    Song Yu did not dare to lift her head up. Droplets of water were on her face, but at the same time, it was sore from a painful heat. Her eyes were incredibly sore and slightly warm too. Hot tears flowed down and mingled with the cold water, making it hard to differentiate the two.

    Qi Chengyue went back to her car, which was parked in front of Chengyue, and sat at the back seat. She ordered her driver, ¡°Drive¡±. Then, she took out her phone and scrolled through the pictures.

    There were photographs of Jian Yi sending Song Yu home, Jian Yi opening his car door for Song Yu to enter, and Jian Yi standing by the roadside while touching Song Yu¡¯s hair. There was also a picture from the night before, when Jian Yi and Song Yu were hugging each other.

    Qi Chengyue was expressionless when she deleted all those images.

    A fric Song Yu then grabbed her bag and fled ashamedly out of the restaurant. Someone then stuck out a leg, causing her to trip and fall onto the ground.

    She intentionally wore high heels and a skirt that night. Her knees¡ªwhich were covered only in a pantyhose¡ªknocked against the hard, ice-cold marble floor of the restaurant. The pain caused her to tremble.

    Her fall elicitedughter.

    There were even praises for whoever it was that stuck their foot out.

    Song Yu cut a sorry figure as she got up from the floor. Thankfully, no one else stuck out another foot to trip her, and she eventually made it out of the restaurant.

    Once she got out, though, the cold night wind struck her. Her hair, as well as the upper front part of her clothing, was extremely wet, and her soaked sweater was sticking tightly to her skin. The blowing wind brought about a bone-chilling coldness, and it felt like she would freeze up soon.

    Song Yu wrapped herself tightly in her overcoat. She walked hurriedly to the side of the road because she wanted to take a cab.

    Her head was lowered because she did not want to look at anyone, so she bumped against a buff chest.

    ¡°Song Yu?¡± Hearing the voice, Song Yu looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frowning face.

    Other than the frown, there was no other expression on his face. His tall body cast a shadow on her head and shielded her from the cold wind.

    He stood before her with his arms around her. He was firm and steady, like a refuge in the middle of a stormy sea.

    The heat from his palm seemed to flow steadily through her arms and onto her body. It was like his embrace was slowly making her feel warm again.

    For some reason, she felt at peace when she saw him. Whatever fears she had prior to seeing him disappeared in a sh.

    At that moment, a sentence inexplicably surfaced within her mind:

    ¡®There were millions of people I could have met, and yet, you were here.¡¯

    She tilted her head up and, perhaps because she had someone to lean on, her tears began flowing even more fervently.

    Unable to utter a single word, she simply cried.

    Qi Chengzhi let out an almost-unnoticeable sigh. ¡°You should get in the car.¡±

    Song Yu was brought to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover. He turned on the warm air and took a cloth from the glove box and said, ¡°Wipe your tears.¡±

    She absent-mindedly wiped her hair. Her hands felt incapable of exerting any energy because her brain was filled with Jian Yi lies¡ªlies thatnded her in the predicament she was facing then.

    No matter how much she liked Jian Yi, she was not willing to go so far as to be his mistress.

    Originally, she anticipated the day with all her heart. It was supposed to be a sweet date for them, but she never imagined that it would turn out to be so traumatic.

    Sensing a pressure on her head, she was startled back to her senses. She felt a pair ofrge hands pressing the cloth on her head and rubbing her wet hair.

    Song Yu turned to look. Qi Chengzhi must have had seen how she wiped her hair and deduced that it would take hours for it to dry if she continued wiping the way she did. In light of that, he decided to do it for her.

    His sses had been taken off and were ced somewhere on the dashboard. White fog appeared on the lens as a result of the warm air.

    ¡°Let me...¡± The rest of her sentence disappeared under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze. A speechless Song Yu let go of both her hands and lowered her head so he could wipe her hair.

    The cloth was thoroughly soaked when her hair was wiped half-dry. Qi Chengzhi threw it to the back seat.

    ¡°Where to?¡± He asked.

    Song Yu remembered Qi Chengyue¡¯s words, and by some curious coincidence, she blurted out Jian Yi¡¯s address.

    She only noticed her involuntary actions when Qi Chengzhi had started the journey to Jian Yi¡¯s ce.

    ¡°Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s rtionship, you knew about it from the start?¡± Song Yu clutched her bag tightly.

    He knew about it but never said anything?

    ¡°Jian Yi and Chengyue?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her with reservation. ¡°What about them? Why do you mention the two of them?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ve been in a rtionship for two years. You didn¡¯t know?¡± Song Yu asked. She did not believe his words entirely.

    How could he not know when they were so closely rted?

    Qi Chengzhi simply frowned and exined in a low voice, ¡°She¡¯s my younger cousin. I¡¯m not close to her. I heard from my second uncle that she had a stable boyfriend, although she never brought him home before, so I don¡¯t really know.¡±

    He turned and looked at her. ¡°Chengyue and Jian Yi are together?¡±

    Song Yu nodded and averted her gaze.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve no idea,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied insipidly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If it was really kept a secret, it¡¯d be impossible for someone to know.¡± Song Yuughed in distress. ¡°I¡¯ve known Jian Yi for thirteen years, and I assumed I understood him. I was always with him, but I still didn¡¯t know that he had been in a rtionship with Qi Chengyue for two years.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced momentarily at her and kept silent.

    ...

    ...

    The Range Rover could not park below Jian Yi¡¯s apartment; it could only park beside the building. Song Yu got off the car by herself. Qi Chengzhi did not follow, and she failed to realize that. At that moment, it was impossible for her to pour all her thoughts to Qi Chengzhi.

    As soon as Song Yu walked into Jian Yi¡¯s apartment building, Qi Chengzhi turned the car around, enabling him to leave immediately at a moment¡¯s notice.

    The building Jian Yi rented his apartment at had an elevator. It was not as old as the one Song Yu rented, where the only way to go up was by climbing the stairs.

    When she reached the twelfth floor, the elevator door opened. The first thing she heard was a woman arguing.

    ¡°Jian Yi. Four years of university. I¡¯ve supported you financially for four years. Your school fees, your living expenses, I paid for everything. Even going on dates or getting a room, I paid for all that. It¡¯s like I¡¯m paying money to beg you to sleep with me. Yes, of course I¡¯m happy to do all that, I¡¯m happy as long as I¡¯m your girlfriend, but when you entered Qilin and got together with Qi Chengyue, you simply cast me aside. What kind of person are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m no match for Qi Chengyue. I admit it. The Guan family isn¡¯t nearly as good as the Qi family, but why did you get together with Song Yu when you¡¯re still dating Qi Chengyue? I know I¡¯m not better than Qi Chengyue, but how am I not better than Song Yu? In the past when the Song family was still strong, you had eyes only for Song Yu, but the Song family has nothing now. My family background is better than hers by God-knows-how-much and I don¡¯t look any less pretty than her. If you¡¯re really willing to find another woman behind Qi Chengyue¡¯s back, why didn¡¯t you look for me?¡±

    ¡°If you wanted a lover, why didn¡¯t you find me? You know that I can ept being your lover and that the Guan family will still help you. What¡¯s your purpose of getting together with Song Yu? What do you make of everything that I¡¯ve given you the past few years? Jian Yi, you¡¯ve made a fool out of me!¡±

    ¡°Guan Xiaolin, I¡¯ve been together with Qi Chengyue for a long time. Haven¡¯t you epted that from the beginning? Why the hell are you here now?¡± Jian Yi asked in irritation.

    Song Yu had never heard such an irritated, cold, and emotionless tone from Jian Yi.

    ¡°BECAUSE YOU WENT FOR SONG YU!¡± Guan Xiaolin screamed hysterically. She stretched out her neck and gave him a dissatisfied stare. ¡°I can ept that you went for Qi Chengyue, but after all these years, you still went back to Song Yu! I can¡¯t ept that! If you can be with Song Yu, why can¡¯t I be with you?!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for you to remain unepting about. Don¡¯t you understand? Why would I be with you back then if it weren¡¯t for your money? I¡¯m simply a man that you bought with your money. Don¡¯t grab me like a madwoman. Why did I look for Song Yu instead of you? Do you really want me to spell it out? Because I like her. You, I used you from the beginning until the end. That¡¯s all there is to it. I used you. Can¡¯t you see that?¡±

    ¡°JIAN YI, YOU B*STARD!¡± Guan Xiaolin grabbed his fist and shouted. With a face full of tears, she said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell Qi Chengyue? What do you think she¡¯ll do to Song Yu if she found out? If she can¡¯t bring herself to leave you, she can definitely bring herself to do something to yourdy! Why do you think your secretaries keep changing? Even though nothing happened yet, she still harbors doubts about you. What¡¯s gonna happen if I tell her about Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°Heck, I¡¯ll even tell Song Yu all about your true colors!¡± Guan Xiaolin shouted fiercely.

    ¡°Tell her? Then won¡¯t you expose yourself too? You¡¯ve always considered yourself to be her best friend. You know she likes me and yet you seduce me, pretending as though you and I never had any rtionship. You listened as she told you how she liked me and you lied to her all those years. On one hand, you treat her as a friend but on the other, you¡¯re scheming against her. How are you gonna tell her all that?¡± Jian Yi sneered.

    ¡°What about it? She has her guard up against me anyways, at most, if worsees to worst I¡¯ll simply sink into despair! I just can¡¯t stand to see things going well for you! What are you gonna do about that, huh?!¡± Guan Xiaolin iled her arms all of a sudden, and her face was flushed with anger.

    ¡°You crazy woman, tell her then! Since she¡¯s got her guard up against you, try and see if she believes your words!¡± Jian Yi held her wrist and screamed, ¡°LEAVE!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t pull me, I¡¯m not leaving! Why are you so anxious for me to leave? Qi Chengyue¡¯sing soon, are you afraid to let her see me? I¡¯m not leaving! I¡¯ll be d to let her see me!¡± Guan Xiaolin shouted because she refused to give in.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pull me! I¡¯m not gonna leave! I¡¯m not leaving! Jian Yi, you¡¯re hurting me! Let me go! Let...¡±

    Song Yu had long lost the energy to remain standing, so she leaned on the wall. With her own eyes, she saw how Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin were struggling. Both of them pushed and pulled at each other as they came out, and Song Yu¡¯s gaze met with Guan Xiaolin¡¯s.

    Guan Xiaolin restrained her voice and looked straight behind Jian Yi.

    Jian Yi turned his head slowly. The instant he saw Song Yu, his brain froze.

    ¡°Heh!¡± Song Yuughed in distress and did not want to see either of their faces.

    In a sh, the two people whom she knew for ten or so years had beplete strangers. It felt like she never truly knew them.

    Moments ago, she watched as the two of them tussled with each other. Guan Xiaolin had on a fierce expression due to the anger, and Jian Yi had a frigid expression that Song Yu had never seen until then. Just like that, they became so distant, so ugly, and so cruel.

    ¡°Song Song...¡± Jian Yi froze and unconsciously let go of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand. He looked at Song Yu like someone who had lost his head out of fear.

    In Song Yu¡¯s eyes, his expression was that of a guilty conscience.

    A feeling of loathing suddenly came over Song Yu. He had an expression of helplessness and repentance as if he really was afraid to lose everything he loved, but Song Yu doubted if it was even genuine at all.

    Without saying a word, Song Yu turned and pressed the elevator button.

    The elevator stopped on that very floor but did not move. She pressed the ¡®down¡¯ button and the elevator doors opened.

    Song Yu walked in. Jian Yi muttered a soft ¡®Song Song¡¯ and intended to go after her, but Guan Xiaolin grabbed his wrist and prevented him from leaving.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I want you to exin everything to me today. Don¡¯t you think about going anywhere else!¡±

 Chapter 72 - Qi Chengzhi, Enough Already!

    <h4>Chapter 72: Qi Chengzhi, Enough Already!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Instead of rejecting his advances, a frightened Song Yu became incredibly nervous. She held her breath unknowingly and leaned backward, causing the back of her head and her body to press tightly against the car seat.

    His face was almost stered against hers. She breathed in the faint and indescribably intoxicating amalgamation of tobo and cologne.

    Simply smelling that scent was enough to make Song Yu¡¯s face redden. It sent her heart into a frenzy, and she was unable to resist its effects on her.

    The absence of his sses enabled his thickshes to be disyed right in front of her eyes.

    His eyelids gently tremored, and his eyshes moved too. A gentle shadow was produced beneath his eyes, and it made her unable to control herself from touching him.

    It took a lot of effort for her to restrain herself, but her gaze¡ªwhich had a mind of its own¡ªshifted to his lips. Reminiscing the passionate intensity with which he kissed her, it felt so familiar to her, as if it happened just moments ago.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips began heating up and they trembled involuntarily.

    Noticing his outstretched hand nearlying into contact with her cheek, Song Yu closed her eyes intuitively.

    However, she did not feel his warm hands even after some time had passed. Puzzled, she lifted her eyelid ever so slightly and noticed a smirk on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face. He pulled the seatbelt from across her body and buckled her up.

    Song Yu was so embarrassed that her face turned red in that instant. Heughed at her because she had allowed her vivid imagination to run wild.

    Although the seatbelt had been fastened, Qi Chengzhi still remained in the same position. His right hand, which was originally grasping the seatbelt, shifted rapidly to her waist. He brushed aside her wool jacket and gently caressed her waist. Her thin, skin-tight sweater was the only thing separating them.

    Song Yu trembled from the scalding heat. Afraid to lift her head up, she looked down but did not close her eyes.

    Sporting a high ponytail, she looked just like a young and innocent student. Although she was wearing a pure-white wool jacket, it was no match for the fairness of her near-translucent skin. Her cheek, however, was flushed pink due to the chilliness of the wind that blew on her face moments ago.

    Below her straight and beautiful nose, her pink lips were moist and enticing.

    Locked quietly in his embrace, her submissiveness made him feel as though time paused right in the middle of that tranquil moment.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head slowly and pressed his lips gently on hers. His soft strokes tempted her to lose herself and open her mouth; his tongue then made its assault by parting through her lips and her pearly white teeth.

    As his tongue was assailing, he suddenly applied more pressure to his kisses. The back of her head was pressed hard against the chair and rubbed against it, creating a scratching sound.

    His kisses became more intense and forceful, as though the word gentle was not in his dictionary. He was a man who acted on his own volition.

    Song Yu lost all sense of herself when he was kissing her. He was the one who lead the way. Both of Song Yu¡¯s hands were unable to resist moving over to his chest. Separated only by the fabric of his shirt, she could feel his body heat and the rapid thumping of his heart.

    She was in a daze because his kisses made her brain somewhatcking in oxygen. She felt him release her gradually, but he did not immediately break away.

    With his forehead pressed against hers, his lips still appeared to be rubbing against hers.

    Their breaths were released onto their lips, and they were both so warm that they could not feel the cold wind outside.

    ¡°I take it that you thought it through,¡± Qi Chengzhi said hoarsely. His lips were still sticking to hers, and it felt like his hoarse voice was entering her mouth.

    Even after he sat back on his seat, Song Yu still did note back to her senses. She had no idea what had just happened.

    When her brain finally started to work again and she collected her thoughts, she remembered the words he said. By then though, it was toote, and a considerable amount of time had passed since then.

    ¡®I take it that you thought it through.¡¯

    Did she think it through?

    What exactly did she think though? The man was simply making decisions on her behalf.

    Her face still remained warm and she had yet to recover from the effects of the kiss.

    His warmth and taste lingered on her lips and teeth. The taste of his tongue was delicate, and it had a hint of tobo.

    Her disconcerted thoughts had no order to them, and she simply looked down. All of a sudden, arge hand appeared.

    His sturdy, slender hand extended over and held her hand.

    Song Yu looked down at his exquisite hand. It was like the meticulous sculpture of an artist.

    It was fair, slender, and had an unwavering steadfastness to it.

    The nails on his fair and well-defined fingers were clipped neatly, but his manly scent still emanated even from the tiniest of cracks.

    Song Yu nced at him. He was looking directly in front, but from the side, a rxed brightness could be seen in his face.

    She wanted to pull her hand back, but he gripped it incredibly tightly. Sensing that she intended to retract her hands, he grasped her even more forcefully.

    Even if Song Yu had never been with a man before, she clearly understood what Qi Chengzhi was insinuating.

    A rush of blood surged to her brain¡ªshe was only using her fingertips...to hold his finger, but she saw that his words escted to lewdness!

    It was thest straw for Song Yu. She turned her red, shy, and furious face away. No longer able to take it, she pulled her hand back with all her might. As she did so, she eximed shyly and angrily, ¡°Qi Chengzhi, enough already!¡±

    She pulled her hand back forcefully, but Qi Chengzhi was also forcefully holding on to her. He even had a forgiving tone as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. If you do that, we¡¯ll get into an ident.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Song Yu was terribly infuriated, but she could not talk back to him.

    She was no match for someone who was not only shameless but could also put on a show of deadly earnestness while inverting right and wrong.

    Her thoughts unwittingly floated back to the first time he came over to her house to discuss the design. He sat on her bed, and inplete deadpan, asked if she would sleep with him.

    Now that she thought about it, he was tantly and purposely having his way with her like a rascal. To think that she did not suspect it all it! She had been too innocent back then!

    ¡°Alright, stop fussing around. We¡¯re here.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice jolted her back to her senses.

    It was then that Song Yu realized they were already at the Red Roof Club.

    Although Qi Chengzhi did not mention anything about it, Song Yu took one look at the Red Roof Club and feared that she might have to meet Yan Beicheng as well as the others.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re just having a meal.¡± Qi Chengzhi stopped the car and only let go of her hand because he needed to take the car keys out.

    How could she not be nervous? Song Yu nced at him and thought for a moment. When she met Yan Beicheng and the others previously, she met them in the capacity of an ordinary architect who wanted to get Qilin¡¯s business. This time around, what would her capacity be if she met them again?

    As she was still thinking, Qi Chengzhi had already put on his sses and opened the car door. Before he got down, Song Yu grabbed his shoulder hurriedly and said, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped his motion of getting down the car, turned around, then looked suspiciously at her.

    Song Yu fished out a packet of tissues from her bag. She took a piece and gave it to him, remarking uneasily, ¡°There¡¯s still lipstick on your mouth. You should wipe it off before going in.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at her hand and the tissue, then he looked up at her again. He did not take the tissue, but instead, he grabbed her waist suddenly. He carried her to hisp and hugged her tightly.

    She was trapped in between him and the steering wheel. Her back felt rather painful as it was pressed against the steering wheel, so she had no other choice but to lean into his embrace.

    She pushed him a good few times because they were in front of the club¡¯s entrance. Guests or attendants mighte and go at any time, and it would be terrible if someone saw them like that.

    Furthermore, the door to the driver¡¯s seat was still wide open!

    Qi Chengzhi did not let go. On the contrary, he hugged her even tighter.

    Her high ponytail gave her a look of freshness and purity. Her exposed, fair-colored neck was beautifully and seductively contoured.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and ced his lips on the supple skin of her neck, kissing her skin and rubbing against it.

    Song Yu felt numb and ticklish from his rubbing, so she pulled back.

    Another day had passed, and a new set of stubble had grown. Although they just emerged and it was virtually impossible to measure their length, the rubbing and pricking of her skin were unbearable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rub like that, it¡¯s painful,¡± Song Yu protested and shifted her neck to the side in order to avoid it.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped as shepleted her sentence. He raised his head and saw that the lipstick had been rubbed onto her neck.

    He looked at Song Yu¡¯s neck. In the beginning, it was fair, but rubbing his freshly-emerging stubble on it made it red, and it did seem rather unsightly.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted unhappily. Song Yu was curious: it was he who rubbed her neck until it was red, but why was he was the unhappy one? Was he angry because her skin was too delicate or because his stubble was too rough?

    Song Yu watched as his thin lips¡ªwhich he forbade any stranger froming into contact with¡ªpursed and became even sterner.

    He kneaded his fingertips gently against the redness on her neck, as if he was trying to rub the redness away.

    Well, if he did not use his stubble to rub against her, she would not have been sore.

    Before she could say that, Qi Chengzhi lowered his head again.

    He no longer went and rubbed over her neck. His actions became light touches here and there. He kissed the parts she suffered abrasion with the gentlest of kisses. One after another, the kisses were moist and soft; tender and intimate. Once in a while, the tip of his tongue would lick her wounds.

    The numbing, tickling feeling made Song Yu unable to refrain from giggling, but her body was so weak that she could not even generate the slightest amount of strength to avoid him.

    However, those tender kisses began turning into more forceful ones, and those light pecks turned into heavy kisses. Somewhere along the line, his hand found its way into her sweater and onto her breast.

    Song Yu¡¯s was shocked back to her senses. She began to struggle and frantically pushed him away with all of her strength. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, we¡¯re in public! Stop!¡±

    He remained steadfast and held on to her as though he did not hear a thing.

    ¡°Are we going in or not!¡± Song Yu asked manically. Her body was trying its best to lean backward.

    Her back pressed ufortably against the steering wheel, and the pressure she applied inadvertently led to the horn being pressed. ¡®Ba...¡¯ came the loud, ear-piercing sound.

    Perhaps due to the sudden and loud sound produced by the horn, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind began to think straight.

    He slowly let her go, but the fire in his eyes still remained.

    His cheeks were flushed as he took a deep breath and looked at the panic-stricken Song Yu.

    After exhaling the breath of air, he ced both hands onto her waist and held her tightly. Gnashing his teeth, he said, ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯m going to take care of you!¡±

    His sentence choked Song Yu up and made her forget to breathe. Her face turned red too.

    His incredible patience could be seen in his stern and rigid facial expression. The threats he uttered were apanied by a conquering, beast-like radiance that had umted in his eyes. Her heart began to palpitate and she was slightly scared.

    Qi Chengzhi carried her up and ced her back down on the front passenger seat. He then promptly got off the car.

    Song Yu felt weak in her knees. She calmed herself for a moment before opening the car door and getting off. She looked down and dared not nce at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze, which seemed to be rife with the desire to devour her.

    She was never one for wearing gloves; it was her habit to ce her hands into the pockets of her overcoat.

    Qi Chengzhi locked the car and saw her actions. He ced his hand suddenly into her pocket and held her hand, wrapping it in his sturdy palm.

    Then, he took her hand out of her pocket and ced it into the pocket of his jacket.

    Such a move would inevitably mean that she would be close to him. Their arms intersected, and it was indescribably intimate when his manly fragrance wafted continuously toward her.

    His pocket was warm, and his palm was hot. The heat from his palm transmitted to all parts of her body.

    Song Yu could not resist looking up at him. His gaze remained fixated ahead, and there was not even the slightest emotion on his face. His intentions werepletely unconjecturable, and his expressionless face waspletely at odds with his actions.

    After walking for a bit, Song Yu, who by then had turned calm after being blown by the cold wind, remembered the incident involving her house key.

    ¡°You opened the door for mest night. My house key is with you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Song Yu lifted her head and looked up at him.

    Qi Chengzhi glimpsed at her frigidly and did not reply.

    When he did not answer, Song Yu panicked. The hand that was inside his pocket pinched the web between his thumb and forefinger. ¡°Is it with you or not? If it¡¯s been taken by someone else, it¡¯s going to be really dangerous, and I¡¯d have to change my locks!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi once again gazed indifferently at her, and finally opened his mouth and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to change the locks.¡±

    His words implied that the keys were with him.

    Immediately, Song Yu stretched out her other hand¡ªthe one that was not being held by him¡ªand ced it palm-up in front of him. ¡°Well, please return them to me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi gazed down. He nced briefly at her outstretched palm. Ignoring her question, he continued looking ahead of him.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand was still outstretched in front of him, and if she were to keep it up, her hand would turn red from the cold wind.

    Qi Chengzhi finally said, ¡°Put your hand back into your pocket. It¡¯s too cold for you to be taking them out.¡±

    ¡°...¡±¡±Then return my keys to me!¡±

    Song Yu only retracted her hand back when an attendant of the Red Roof Club, who was dressed in the regal clothes of the Qing dynasty, weed them in. It was not very nice to be arguing in public.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± the waiter greeted respectfully as his eyes instinctively darted to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket.

 Chapter 73 - All You Cradle-Snatchers Donâ€™t Take Advantage of Me

    <h4>Chapter 73: All You Cradle-Snatchers Don¡¯t Take Advantage of Me</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± the waiter greeted respectfully as his eyes instinctively darted to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand was firmly entrenched in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket; their hands entangled. A sweet and loving scene to any onlookers.

    The waiter had never seen Qi Chengzhi bring anydies to their establishment before. Now with Song Yu in tow,pounded with the disy of such affection and intimacy, the waiter could hardly be med for his double take.

    Years working in Red Roof Club, the waiter had seen people from all walks of life, including the female escorts that weremonly brought in by the young heirs of prestigious families or high-ranking CEOs.

    Song Yu, however, bore no semnce to those female escorts. She had an air of modesty and innocence with none of the usual pretenses. Her lightly-tinted red lips, along with her fairplexion, gave her a youthful demeanor.

    She was like a breath of fresh air after years of musky colognes and overwhelming perfumes.

    The waiter allowed his gaze to linger, just to realise Qi Changzhi¡¯s stare fixed on him when he snapped out of it. It was a stare colder than the winter winds.

    The waiter shivered and averted his eyes from the youngdy. He nodded his head in acquiescence. ¡°Young Master Cheng, this way please.¡±

    They were escorted to a room. As she stood at the door, Song Yu realized that it was the same room she visited when delivering the sses.

    Thoughts of the people beyond the door made Song Yu retract her hand, but Qi Chengzhi quickly tightened his grip in response, holding her hand captive.

    Simultaneously, he scowled at her.

    The sternness of his look quelled any resistance from her end.

    Song Yu felt slightly guilty at this, as if she had done something wrong. Her hand remained obediently in his pocket, epting its fate of being held.

    The waiter gave the door two perfunctory knocks before opening it. Qi Chengzhi entered the room with Song Yu in tow and the waiter quietly shut the door.

    Qi Chengzhi halted his footsteps right after the doorway and regarded the crowd inside with amusement.

    It was the same old crowd asst time. Yan Beicheng and the others were seated around the round table, leaving one empty chair clearly meant for Qi Chengzhi.

    The meal was not served, which probably meant that they were all waiting for Qi Chengzhi.

    Their initial gaze fell on Qi Chengzi, then to Song Yu beside him, and finally to the linked hands between them.

    Disbelief crossed their faces,. ¡®How long have they been together? Is it confirmed now that they¡¯re holding hands?¡¯

    As the initial shock faded, their expressions molded into enjoyment. ¡®Qi Chengzhi truly is ady-charmer! Didn¡¯t take him long to get the girl.¡¯

    Under scrutiny of the men, Song Yu resisted the urge to hide behind Qi Chengzhi.

    It would be embarrassing if she could not even handle this modicum of attention.

    Song Yu steeled her resolve as Qi Chengzhi nonchntly pulled her to the table.

    The empty seat was between Qi Chenglin and Chu Zhaoyang. Aware of the situation, Qi Chenglin and Wei Zilin both shifted one seat to allow Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sit together at the table.

    Song Yu was d that she was seated beside Qi Chenglin, whom she felt was friendlier than Chu Zhaoyang.

    Across the table, Yan Beicheng whipped out his phone and started texting furiously.

    After a moment, he put his phone away. With glee in his eyes, he spoke, ¡°Song...¡±

    ¡°Sister-inw.¡± Qi Chengzhi interrupted with a tone that brook no dissent.

    Yan Beicheng nearly choked on the air he breathed. That girl Song Yu looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. The thought of calling someone that young ¡®sister-inw¡¯ was unsettling.

    ¡°Sister-inw!¡± As Yan Beicheng was struggling to get the words out, Qi Chenglin happily obliged.

    Yan Beicheng cursed Qi Chenglin under his breath. He was a man of thirty odd years, calling a girl as young as Song Yu ¡®sister-inw¡¯ with all the willingness and eagerness of a young child.

    Right after Qi Chenglin¡¯s salutation, Wei Zilin followed suit as if not wanting to lose out. ¡°Sister-inw!¡±

    Song Yu was growing steadily ufortable by each greeting. She did not think that Qi Chengzhi would introduced her as such.

    Justst night, she was wondering if this was just a game for Qi Chengzhi.

    Now, however, it seemed that he was actually serious about this.

    If all of this was just a fling, he would not have brought her to meet important people like them. He would not have insisted that they should call her ¡®sister-inw¡¯ and acknowledge her status.

    The salutation ¡®sister-inw¡¯ was not easily uttered by these powerful men.

    Song Yu involuntarily looked to Qi Chengzhi. The man was casually flipping through the menu.

    Feeling her gaze on him, Qi Chengzhi shifted his attention from the menu to her.

    Caught off guard, Song Yu was paralyzed by the warmth in his look.

    This time, she was sure of it. Staring straight at him, the affection never left his eyes.

    The warmth and affection in his eyes felt like aged wine, one sip of it and one would be drunk on it.

    Song Yu felt her face reddened and her heartbeat quicken.

    Her downcast eyes showcased those long eyshes that fluttered like a butterfly¡¯s wings. Qi Chengzhi swallowed the urge to kiss theshes.

    Yan Beicheng cursed again under his breath, ¡°The f*ck.¡± He called out to Wei Zilin, ¡°Wei Zilin, have you lost your principles? Qi Chenglin calling her sister-inw is premature, but she could eventually marry into the family. But you? You¡¯re not even their family.¡±

    The idea of marriage startled Song Yu. ¡®Would that really happen?¡¯ she thought.

    In her distraught state, she had a mind to ask Qi Chengzhi for the answer.

    When she looked up, she could see the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile, his eyes still regarding her with fondness.

    Song Yu looked away and felt her heart race like a horse on a racetrack. She was not used to the level of affection he was showing.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on with him today? Is he sick?¡¯

    She could not even hold his usual calm gaze, let alone this.

    As she was deep in thought, a hand came and rested on top of her fingers that were worrying her pants. The strong hand held firm and the slightly calloused thumb rubbed gently at her palm.

    She gradually allowed herself to rx and gingerly intertwined their fingers.

    Qi Chengzhi showed no outward emotions at her tightening grip but a hint of a smile graced the edges of his eyes. He gently squeezed her hand.

    Seeing her hand grasped in his, Song Yu could not believe this was real. In the background, Wei Zilin spoke out, ¡°I have a sister-inw who¡¯s of the same age as Song Yu. When she married into the family, she was only eighteen. Song Yu here is twenty-five. I don¡¯t see anything weird about that. I¡¯m used to it by now, so I don¡¯t know what principles are you talking about?¡±

    Yan Beicheng huffed and looked at Chu Zhaoyang.

    Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s face betrayed nothing. Qi Chengzhi was not much of a talker, but his words could cut.

    Chu Zhaoyang was basically a mute, expecting him to say a few words was just hope wasted.

    Even though Qi Chengzhi told them to call Song Yu sister-inw, it was understood that he was excluded from saidmand.

    The fact that he nodded at Song Yu was sufficient to show his acknowledgment of her status.

    Yan Beicheng took a cigarette and held it between his fingers. He leaned back in his chair, angling his body to face the couple. With his cigarette hand resting on the table, he looked like a gangster.

    Among all the gentlemen present, Yan Beicheng¡¯s stance on the couple was the most obvious.

    ¡°Chengzhi, I acknowledge Song Yu¡¯s status. She is my sister-inw and anyone who dares harm her will have me answer to. But if you want me to call someone so young sister-inw, I honestly can¡¯t bring myself to do it. When I was running amok, she was still in kindergarten ying with her snot. All you cradle-snatchers. First it was Wei Zilin, now you too. Don¡¯t take advantage of me,¡± Yan Beicheng ranted off. The cigarette wobbled precariously between his fingers, looking as if it would plunge to its death without ever being lit.

    The corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eye twitched as his expression darkened.

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s sentiment indirectly pointed out the age gap between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    The age gap between Song Yu and himself had always been a thorn in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side.

    Based on real-world statistics, women outlived men on average, and he was nine years older than Song Yu. In times of idleness, thoughts of the far, far future troubled him.

    He debated on whether to write up a will, just in case he died first. A use would be added beneath all the important details to prevent Song Yu from straying after his death.

    He was a selfish man through and through. Even after death, he would want the things that were his to remain as such forever.

    Yan Beicheng took out his lighter. Ruffled by the words ¡ª more specifically the thoughts and emotions evoked by said words ¡ª Qi Chengzhi coldly spoke, ¡°Song Yu doesn¡¯t like the smell of smoke. Hold it.¡±

    Yan Beicheng stopped his actions. He was dumbfounded by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s orders.

    ¡°But... most of the gang have some level of nicotine addiction.¡± The words rushed out of his mouth, though he slowly packed away his cigarette.

    Song Yu was feeling apologetic for having them make concessions for her, they hardly knew her. She had a certain degree of respect for these men and did not want them to think of her as such a bother. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Please do as you will and don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not that against smoking.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned and looked at her pointedly. ¡°Oh? With them, you¡¯re fine with the smoke but you frown when I light only one cigarette?¡±

    Her face turned red at being called out. Song Yu never verbally expressed her disapproval of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smoking habits, yet he noticed her bodynguage.

    ¡°Haha, we¡¯re not that addicted to nicotine,¡± Qi Chenglin proimed jovially. No one else seemed to be itching for a cigarette, including Yan Beicheng.

    Even the quiet Chu Zhaoyang was putting back his cigarette, though no one saw him taking it out in the first ce.

    ...

    ...

    How rare for Qi Chengzhi to be bringing ady; Song Yu, of alldies. This was the first formal introduction and Qi Chengzhi was not shy about it. All in all, it was a happy asion and they ordered a generous amount of alcohol.

    That night, Qi Chengzhi was the man of the hour. No one dared to pressure Song Yu to drink, so they let her have her fruit juice in peace. Qi Chengzhi on the other hand, they were not able to let pass.

    ¡°Finally someone wants Qi Chengzhi. After so many years of bachelorhood, it must have been difficult,¡± Yan Beicheng howled.

    Holding his beer, Qi Chenglin joined in the fun. ¡°After all these years, I finally know how my sister-inw looks like.¡±

    A tremor went through her hand that was holding the chopsticks, almost making her drop the cutlery.

    Hearing Yan Beicheng and Qi Chenglin¡¯s words, could it be that Qi Chengzhi had never dated?

    Impossible.

    The man never cared for his reputation and took every opportunity to behave like a hoodlum. She doubted that he could stay single.

    Song Yu chanced a nce at Qi Chengzhi. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood, despite knowing his buddies were goading him to drink. They wereing up with all sorts of weird facts and reasons to invite him to drink and he did not decline. One ss after another, Qi Chengzhi downed the alcohol.

    Although he drank excessively, Song Yu stayed mum. She trusted him to know how to pace himself and not get t-out drunk. She figured trying to stop him in front of his friends would only kill the mood.

    The drinking went on and one by one, the grown men rushed in and out of the restroom to relieve their dders.

    When it was Song Yu¡¯s turn, she found Qi Chenglin hogging the ensuite restroom.

    She decided to go to the restroom outside and informed Qi Chengzhi.

    Despite the heavy drinking, Qi Chengzhi appeared to be quite sober, his clear eyes were attentive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± He put down his chopsticks and proceeded to get up.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Song Yu quickly pulled him back to his seat. ¡°I can go myself.¡±

    Fearing that he would push the matter, Song Yu hastily left the room.

    As she escaped, the forgotten phone on the table started to ring.

    Qi Chengzhi looked sharply at the foreign number on the screen. His lips pursed at the offending call.

    He picked up the phone after a few rings, swiping the phone with his long fingers. He put the phone to his ear but said nothing.

    ¡°Song Song, it¡¯s me.¡± The longing voice of Jian Yi sounded from the phone.

    Anger shed in his eyes. Qi Chengzhi had blocked Jian Yi¡¯s original number, yet here he was with a new number.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up, not wanting to him a chance to borate. He skillfully dragged this number into the block list. He wondered how many new numbers would Jian Yi use to get to Song Yu.

    Jian Yi stared at his phone screen, the words ¡®Call ended¡¯ was a clear sign of rejection. His heart filled with sorrow as he leaned against the cold corridor wall.

    ¡®Now she doesn¡¯t even want to speak to me?¡¯ he thought.

    She used to love chatting with him.

    No matter howte, knowing that it was him calling would enliven her, the drowsiness in her voice reced with enthusiasm.

    Jian Yi could almost taste the bitterness in his mouth. He turned around to walk back and that was when he saw Song Yu walking in his direction.

    For a second, he thought he was hallucinating.

    ¡®If Song Yu is here, then who was that on the phone?¡¯

    ¡°Song Song.¡± Jian Yi gravitated toward Song Yu. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Song Yu did not expect to run into Jian Yi here. Clearly fate was ying tricks on her.

    She nodded impassively and greeted, ¡°Mister Jian.¡± Then, she brushed past him and left.

    Song Yu used to smile whenever they met and look where they stand now. Jian Yi could not stand it.

    He attempted to grab Song Yu¡¯s arm, just to talk to her, but he was a step toote. Song Yu had quickened her steps and slipped through his fingers.

    He thought about chasing after her but was interrupted by a voice behind him, ¡°Jian Yi, what are you doing outside? We¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    Qi Chengyue walked up to Jian Yi, following his line of sight but seeing nothing. Song Yu had already fled the scene.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as she linked arms with him. Dazed by the turn of events, a slight frown formed on his face.

    ¡°Nothing. Just came out for some air.¡± Jian Yi shifted his focus to Qi Chengyue. He put on his best fake smile to cate the girl.

    Qi Chengyue was born with delicate and attractive features that rivaled that of a post-cosmetic enhancement celebrity. However, Jian Yi just could not replicate the feeling of affection that he had for Song Yu.

    Song Yu had always been his dream girl, ever since he was a young boy. She represented the part of him that was pure and innocent.

    Qi Chengyue smiled sweetly andced her fingers through his hand.

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re not used to this and you may not like theirpany, but they are the young generation of the families. Socializing with them will only benefit you,¡± Qi Chengyue encouraged him in a soft tone.

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Jian Yi gave her a gentle look. He caressed her face and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

    This whole time Song Yu was standing at the corner of the corridor wall and listened in on Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s conversation. She shook her head and decided to leave.

    Song Yu cautiously peeked around the corner. There was no signs of Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue. She overheard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words about leaving and figured that they would have been gone by now.

    She did not want to confront the couple, especially since Qi Chengyue thought the world of Jian Yi and believed that every girl was out to steal him. Her ego was too much for Song Yu to handle.

    Checking that the coast was clear, Song Yu made her way back. As she was approaching their room, a group of five was being led down the corridor by the waiter.

    Song Yu knew the five people. They were her schoolmates back in Jixia High School and among them were Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun.

    Due to the unfortunate incident at Shengyue, Song Yu knew that the two would not let her off the hook so easily.

    Song Yu sighed, fate was truly not on her side.

    ¡®Should have stayed home today. First I run into Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue, now it¡¯s this bunch of people.¡¯

    Song Yu internally debated on the ways to extricate herself from this social encounter. Retreating back to her corner seemed unfeasible, especially after Li Qianyi called out, ¡°Song Yu! What a coincidence!¡±

    Song Yu exhaled a deep sigh and forced the corners of her mouth to rise to the asion. She walked over to them. ¡°Yeah, what a coincidence indeed.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Li Qianyi gave her a cursory look over, not even bothering to hide her disdain and contempt. ¡°Here to entertain guests?¡±

    Thest time they met at Shengyue, Song Yu was apanied by Qi Chengzhi. That day, Li Qianyi was courteous toward her for fear of reprisal. She even went and ask Guan Xiaolin about them.

    Now that Qi Chengzhi was not around, Li Qianyi had no reasons to y nice.

    Back in the old days, Song Yu used to be the leading light in Jixia High School, her reputation stifling all the female student poption. Now that her star had faded, Li Qianyi could hardly wait to rub salt in the wound.

    Standing next to Li Qianyi, Wu Lijun giggled behind her hand. The demeaning look she gave Song Yu was as if she stumbled upon obscenity. ¡°Song Yu, even though you lost your status as ady from a notable family, that face of yours still gets you to ces huh? Shengyue, now Red Roof, you just keep climbing up the ranks. Your employer must like you a lot to bring you to Red Roof Club, this ce is not cheap.¡±

 Chapter 67 - Song Yu, Why Is Your Face So Red?

    <h4>Chapter 67: Song Yu, Why Is Your Face So Red?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu stopped and took a deep breath before turning around slowly.

    Sheughed bitterly when she saw Jian Yi¡¯s painful expression, ¡°What do you want from me? You want to be with me but at the same time, you¡¯re unwilling to let Qi Chengyue go? She will be the one that people see and I¡¯ll need to hide in the dark. Is this what you¡¯ve nned in mind?¡±

    Jian Yi did not speak as if he was in silent acquiescence.

    ¡°p!¡±

    Song Yu gave him a hard p, ¡°Jian Yi, shame on you! How dare you think of such things in front of me! I won¡¯t stop you from liking me, but I will never fall for you again. From now onwards, stay away from me. If you really can¡¯t control your heart and really like me that much, do it discreetly. You don¡¯t have to make me aware of it!¡±

    Song Yu flung the hand that was grabbing her other arm off and walked out of the restaurant hastily.

    She did not return to the office and just walked aimlessly on the street. She was affected by Jian Yi¡¯s words just now and felt even more ufortable.

    Song Yu remembered that incident where she had fallen into the water when she was young, and it was Jian Yi who discovered and saved her.

    When she regained consciousness, Jian Yi was guarding her beside the hospital bed with a pale expression and bloodshot eyes.

    Guan Xiaolin said that Jian Yi stayed by her side the entire night without eating or drinking a sip of water.

    Jian Yi was so worried that he almost cried when he carried her out of the water and saw her lifeless expression.

    That was also the first time where Jian Yi expressed his feelings in front of her. He hugged her tightly in his arms the moment she was awake and mumbled, ¡°You scared me to death, I almost died on the inside. Thank goodness you¡¯re okay. You¡¯re not allowed to be in such a dangerous situation anymore!¡±

    She could feel his kiss on her hair, and her ears on his chest could hear his heartbeat thumping rapidly.

    At that time, his chest was still quite bony. The scent of grass and moisture lingered on his shirt, but the pair of lips on her hair was burning hot.

    After that, Jian Yi suffered from a high fever.

    It was due to the fact that he never left her side since the moment he saved her up until when they were in the hospital. His clothes were drenched after jumping into the water, but he did not leave her for a second to change or even close his eyes for a minute. He was beside her the whole time.

    When she was unconscious, he already felt that his body was not feeling well. However, he tolerated and waited until she woke up. Only then, he could be at ease and that was when he fell sick.

    Even during the fever, he was still calling out her name, ¡°Song Song... Song Song...¡±

    One after another.

    That incident assured her belief that he liked her, even though he had never confessed to her.

    What else could it be when one was willing to help to such an extent?

    However, at this moment, Song Yu could only shake her head in distraught as she had no clue anymore.

    Maybe, she did not know anything about Jian Yi¡¯s true feelings.

    Her thoughts were brought back by the growling sounds of her stomach.

    Song Yu rubbed her hungry tummy as she turned around. After looking left and right, she just walked into a snack bar and ordered a te of fried noodles.

    ...

    ...

    When it was about time to leave for work, Song Yu received a call from Yu Qianyin who asked her to go home for dinner.

    When Song Yu took her keys out to open the door after she reached home, she could hear the sounds of chit-chat inside.

    Song Yu froze in ce when she heard Yu Qianyin called out ¡°Jian Yi¡± again and again.

    She secretly closed the door before anyone noticed and turned around to leave.

    On her way out, she called Yu Qianyin, ¡°Mum, I can¡¯t go back tonight as I need to work overtime.¡±

    ¡°What happened? I thought you said there¡¯s no overtime tonight when I called you earlier?¡± Yu Qianyin asked, ¡°I finished preparing dinner and I¡¯m just waiting for you!¡±

    ¡°I received the notice at the veryst minute,¡± Song Yu sat in her car. She pinched the corner of her eyes wearily when she felt a migraine building up.

    ¡°Song Yu, I asked you toe home because I have something to ask you,¡± Yu Qianyin spoke in a more serious tone.

    Song Yu felt her migraine worsen, waves after waves of pain hit her temples.

    She shut her eyes and said weakly, ¡°Mum, if you have anything to ask, just ask me now. It¡¯s not good to hold it in.¡±

    ¡°This child!¡± Yu Qianyin had gotten slightly angry after being stifled by her, but she calmed down and continued, ¡°I heard that you are quite close to Qi Chengzhi these days?¡±

    ¡°Mum, who told you about this?¡± Song Yu opened her eyes. She thought of the chatters in her house that she heard by the door, ¡°Did Jian Yi told you?¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Yu Qianyin hesitated for a moment and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to bother who told me, it this true?¡±

    Song Yu nced to the window and saw that she reached her destination. She stood up and alighted hurriedly.

    ¡°Mum, ourpany has business rtions with Qi Chengzhi. My meetings with Qi Chengzhi to discuss work will be inevitable. There¡¯s nothing more than that, don¡¯t make unnecessary assumptions. To be in this line of work, it would be impossible if you want me not to meet people from the Qi family.¡±

    ¡°I know, just that...¡± Yu Qianyin stopped halfway, ¡°Forget about it, it¡¯s fine if there¡¯s nothing between you two. Not to mention that you canceled your marriage with Qi Chengji. If you get together with the elder brother of the person you canceled your marriage with, it¡¯ll be bad if rumors start to spread. The Qi family¡¯s snobbish attitude towards us when our family had some issues were not very nice. Avoid dealing with that family if you can.¡±

    ¡°I know that, mum. It¡¯s strictly business only. He¡¯s currently a big customer of ourpany. I will be fired if I mistreated him.¡±

    ¡°Hai!¡± Yu Qianyin let out a sigh from the other side of the phone. Song Yu knew that she was still worried.

    After Song Yu went up the stairs, she took her keys out to open the door. She walked in and slumped onto the sofa in exhaustion and said, ¡°Mum, it was Jian Yi who told you I have a rtionship with Qi Chengzhi right? Did you invite him over to our house for dinner tonight as well?¡±

    ¡°This...¡±

    ¡°Mum, if you invite Jian Yi over for dinner next time, please don¡¯t ask me toe home,¡± Song Yu said coldly. She felt no obligations to hide things for the sake of Jian Yi.

    ¡°This child! How can you say that? Did you quarrel with Jian Yi? It¡¯s not necessary to act like this over an argument! Only Jian Yi can tolerate your bad temper!¡± Yu Qianyin nagged.

    ¡°Mum, you still want me to be together with Jian Yi?¡± Song Yuughed bitterly.

    ¡°Why, you think he¡¯s not good enough for you?¡± Yu Qianyin followed up quickly.

    ¡°Do you really want me to be with him even if he already has a girlfriend? He was dating Guan Xiaolin throughout four years of college. His study fees and expenses were all sponsored by Guan Xiaolin. He¡¯s dating Qi Chengyue now. They started dating two years ago and he hid it from us. Of course, he probably thought that there was no need to inform us. However, he still came and told me he likes me even though he is still involved with Qi Chengyue.¡±

    ¡°He can¡¯t bear to break up with Qi Chengyue. In other words, he wants me to be his secret lover. Are you sure that you want me to be with someone like him? Do you know how humiliated I felt when Qi Chengyue came to find me and told me that I¡¯m a mistress? Do you still believe his words about Qi Chengzhi and me? I don¡¯t know what was his intention when he told you, but one thing I¡¯m sure about is that I¡¯m never going to believe this guy anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mum, you¡¯re a smart woman. Please think through this thoroughly.¡± Song Yu hung up right after she finished.

    Yu Qianyin was on the balcony staring at her phone nkly. She turned around and looked at Jian Yi who was ying chess with Song Donglin through the window in between the balcony and the living room.

    She sighed and went back into the house. After that, her attitude towards Jian Yi became much more mannered and distant, not as friendly as before.

    Yu Qianyin also let her guard down about Qi Chengzhi after hearing what Song Yu had mentioned.

    ...

    ...

    The groundbreaking ceremony of Qilin¡¯s seven-stars leisure hotel was held at the construction site. Both Qilin and Chengshi were attending.

    Qilin invited a huge bunch of reporters, as well as an actress named Shu Li. She was crowned with the title of a goddess after she earned her fame by participating in a teen film.

    Qilin publicized the rendering of the leisure hotel. It looked so majestic that all the reporters present were in awe.

    Song Yu was introduced as the designer of the leisure hotel as well.

    No one expected that Qilin would find a local architect for this leisure hotel project, not to mention she was still such a young novice.

    This showed that Qilin was very bold in their decision. They were confident enough to promote a local architect who was a new talent as well, which was not whatpanies would usually do. This alone was able to catch the attention of others.

    Not only was Song Yu¡¯s hotel design mature and bold, but she was also a beautifuldy. This made her the topic of interest, which gained the attention of the reporters. They started asking her questions.

    However, everything changed after Shu Li arrived.

    The reporters redirected their focus to Shu Li.

    Shu Li and Qi Chengzhi arrived together. Both of their arrivals were quite eye-catching.

    They looked good together. Qi Chengzhi was well known for his striking appearance, while Shu Li¡¯s image as a youthful beauty was also deeply ingrained in the public eye. She had a fairplexion and delicate features. When she smiled, two tiny dimples could be seen. She stood beside Qi Chengzhi with blushing cheeks, looking ever so shy.

    Song Yu looked at these two who looked sopatible with each other, especially the shy smile on Shu Li¡¯s face. She felt a little stuffy even though it was in the middle of the winter season.

    ¡°Miss Shu, the sources of a magazine showed a picture of you dining with Young Master Chengst night. Are you two currently dating? Did youe to support because of Young Master Cheng?¡± a reporter asked.

    Shu Li¡¯s cheeks were getting redder and her dimples started to show faintly when she smiled. She said shyly, ¡°Young Master Cheng and I are still friends. He¡¯s a very thoughtful person. He knew that I rarelye to B City, and he heard that I haven¡¯t eaten since I alighted from the ne. He was just carrying out the duties of a host. There were other colleagues presentst night, as well as my assistant. We didn¡¯t dine alone.¡±

    Even though Shu Li exined, the reporter was very sharp and caught on to the word ¡°still¡±.

    ¡°Still friends, meaning there¡¯s a possibility for future rtionships. Is that what you¡¯re trying to say, Miss Shu? You two looked verypatible when you stood beside each other. Do you have feelings for Young Master Cheng?¡± the reporter followed up with another question.

    Shu Li blushed in embarrassment and discreetly nced at Qi Chengzhi shyly as if she had something to say but held it in.

    She had to raise her head in order to see his face due to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tall physique.

    He stood beside her as if he had blocked all the chilling winds for her. She felt a warm sensation when she went near his arm.

    She thought of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s background status. He had a celebrity-like physique, but he did not have the superiority that most of the other celebrities had.

    Every move he made exuded calmness and intelligence.

    Naturally, Shu Li¡¯s heart fell for Qi Chengzhi.

    Probably no one would ever reject the opportunity to be his girlfriend. They would most likely be ever so eager to jump into his arms.

    What actresses like her wanted most was just to find someone with high social status, and Qi Chengzhi was the one at the top of the circle.

    If she managed to be his girlfriend, she would be admired by most of the people.

    Qi Chengzhi had never been involved in any scandals because he always kept his distance from women. He would take it really seriously once he gets involved with a woman.

    Shu Li understood this very well.

    Shu Li¡¯s silent acquiescence caused excitement among the reporters as this would be a juicy material.

    However, the corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled upwards and spoke into the microphone, ¡°Miss Shu is not my type.¡±

    This caused an uproar at the scene. The reporters were shocked as they did not expect Qi Chengzhi to be so heartless to reject her straight away.

    Did he not notice Shu Li¡¯s embarrassed expression?

    It was obvious that it was one-sided¡ªwhile the falling petals pined for love, the merciless brook babbles on.

    Shu Li¡¯s face turned pale instantly and her smile froze. She stood there awkwardly while she tried to maintain her faltering smile. The corner of her mouth kept twitching.

    However, she dared not say a word even if she had to bear such humiliation because it was Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Just like what Miss Shu had mentioned, the senior management of Qilin were all present yesterday. We wanted to show our sincerity in inviting Miss Shu to endorse us. Our rtionship is professional,¡± Qi Chengzhi said indifferently.

    ¡°What is your type then, Young Master Cheng?¡± the reporter asked immediately.

    Not sure if she was hallucinating, Song Yu could feel Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze turned towards her direction and said, ¡°You guess.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The reporter almost blurted out saying that, ¡®You can guess if I¡¯m willing to guess or not.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After the groundbreaking ceremony was over, they had a banquet dinner at Dynasty.

    Qi Chengzhi entered his Range Rover and Chang Lai drove him back to the city from the construction site.

    If it was not for his words, Shu Li would have been thick-skinned and taken the initiative to ask for a ride from Qi Chengzhi.

    Nheless, she was just humiliated by him. Even if she wanted to, she still had to slow down and catch her breath. She directed her anger towards the reporter who asked such unnecessary questions and entered the car that Qilin prepared with an unhappy expression.

    The difference between the groundbreaking ceremony and banquet dinner was that the former was only attended by Qilin and Chengshi, but many industry insiders were invited to thetter event.

    Almost all of Chengchi¡¯s employees attended, including Guan Xiaolin who was on the list of invitation.

    Song Yu and Ruan Danchen sat in the car that Chengshi sent over. Song Yu¡¯s cell phone vibrated with a ¡®beep¡¯.

    She took it out and saw a message from Qi Chengzhi, ¡°How was my answer just now?¡±

    In actual fact, Song Yu was quite happy about it, but she would never admit it. She answered him as if nothing happened, ¡°It¡¯s okay if Young Master Cheng feels the same.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled after he saw her message and replied, ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious what¡¯s my type?¡±

    Song Yu saw the reply and gave a thought before writing, ¡°I better not guess what Young Master Cheng is thinking.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s too old, I like younger ones,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s text and wonder what Shu Li would feel if she saw this.

    Shu Li gained her fame in theter years of her career. She would be twenty-seven years old this year ording to Wikipedia. She was not that old.

    Qi Chengzhi was already a thirty-four-year-old man. How young would he want his partner to be?

    Song Yu had no idea how to reply to this message of his.

    She rubbed against the screen, retrieved the keyboard, and turned it off again while she stared nkly at the screen.

    Before she could even answer it, Qi Chengzhi followed up with a message, ¡°I like the one that is younger than me by nine years old.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. It was not that she wanted to gloat but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words made her mind thought of something else.

    She could feel a gush of heat rushed up to her face. Song Yu put down her phone with a blushed face.

    Ruan Danchen, who was right beside Song Yu, asked curiously, ¡°Song Yu, why¡¯s your face so red?¡±

 Chapter 68 - Qi Chengzhi Hugged Her Before She Could Finish Her Sentence

    <h4>Chapter 68: Qi Chengzhi Hugged Her Before She Could Finish Her Sentence</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen, who was right beside Song Yu, asked curiously, ¡°Song Yu, why¡¯s your face so red?¡±

    ¡°The wind outside caused it,¡± Song Yu answered with a nk expression.

    Qi Chengzhi was satisfied with what he said and before he said it out loud, he scrutinized his words repeatedly and anticipated Song Yu¡¯s reaction.

    He was quite pleased even though she did not respond any further.

    ...

    ...

    Soon enough they reached Dynasty. To keep herself warm, Song Yu wore a ankle-length ck dress paired with a fur shawl.

    Although the banquet hall had air-conditioning, it was difficult to avoid feeling cold due to the weather outside.

    ¡°Look at Shu Li. She has the heart of a warrior. Qi Chengzhi made it so obvious but she¡¯s still shamelessly trying to get close to him. You just can¡¯t help praising these female celebrities for their incredible persistence,¡± Ruan Danchen whispered in Song Yu¡¯s ear.

    Upon hearing that, Song Yu looked over and saw Shu Li standing in front of Qi Chengzhi yet again. Sheughed while talking to him.

    Shu Li was giggling away engagingly, but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was theplete opposite. He listened to her unemotively and only said a few words here and there. Despite not knowing what he was saying, it was clear from his expression that he found her rather hard to deal with.

    All of a sudden, Qi Chengzhi looked over and met Song Yu¡¯s gaze.

    He raised an eyebrow and curled the corner of his lips ever so slightly as if pleased that he caught her staring at him.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened; she froze and did not know what to do.

    Turning her head away right then would make it seem like she wascking in confidence.

    Maintaining the gaze, however, felt somewhat too brazen.

    Neither of them turned away and Qi Chengzhi continued looking at her as before, but his smile became progressively more obvious.

    With champagne in hand, Jian Yi seemed to be the only one there who noticed the exchanging of nces and the small gestures between the two. His face turned sullen as he pressed his fingers so hard against the ss that his fingernails turned pale, almost white, because of the blood restriction.

    Just as Song Yu was stuck in the gaze, she heard Guan Xiaolin¡¯s voice. ¡°Song Song.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s gathered herself and saw Guan Xiaolin ¨C whose appearance seemed faintly deste ¨Cing toward her.

    Beside Song Yu, Ruan Danchen wondered how Song Yu managed to get acquainted with the Guan family¡¯s elder daughter. Even more surprising was how evidently close they were based on how Guan Xiaolin addressed her.

    Ruan Danchen left silently without asking her anything.

    ¡°Song Song, I know you¡¯re mad at me. At that time, I wasn¡¯t thinking straight . I fell for him, but hiding it from you wasn¡¯t done on purpose,¡± Guan Xiaolin spoke pitifully and seemed to be on the verge of tears.

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Miss Guan, we¡¯re in public. Please don¡¯t insist on grabbing me. It¡¯s unbing.¡±

    ¡°Song Song, you¡¯re not willing to forgive me, are you?¡± Guan Xiaolin not only refused to release Song Song, she gripped even harder.

    ¡°This has nothing to do with forgiveness.¡± Her face remained impassive as she forcefully pulled her hand away. ¡°Us no longer being able to remain friends has nothing to do with Jian Yi. But it has everything to do with your conduct, which has left me bitterly disappointed. I don¡¯t know what else you¡¯d be willing to do to me, and I¡¯m afraid to trust you again. In the future, let¡¯s just nod if we meet. Don¡¯t ever greet me so intimately in the future.¡±

    ¡°Song Song, I was angry when I said all those words that day, I...¡±

    Song Yu has had enough of it. If she did not hear those words the other day, she would never have found out what Gaun Xiaolin really thought of her; she would never have known that Guan Xiaolin treated her aspetition and had such a tremendous opinion against her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I have to go to the toilet. Excuse me,¡± Song Yu replied frostily. She could care less about Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face as she turned her back and left.

    She did actually go to the restroom, but not to do any business; she simply wanted to hide away from people and collect her thoughts.

    It would have never urred to her that attending a banquet could bring up so much heart-breaking things.

    Song Yu sighed and massaged her temples, being careful not to ruin her makeup. She then left the restroom.

    As soon as she opened the door, she ran into the embrace of a man.

    ¡°So...¡± Before she could finish uttering the word ¡®sorry¡¯, she lifted her head and her voice came to an abrupt halt.

    ¡°Song Song.¡± Jian Yi hugged her, pressed his lips against her hair, and mumbled.

    A faint alcoholic scent was on him and Song Yu¡¯s stiff body could not move. ¡°You¡¯re drunk. Let go of me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let go. Song Song, don¡¯t leave me, I beg you,¡± Jian Yi said in a low voice, ¡°I hate it when I¡¯m only able to see you from afar. I hate it when we drift apart. Song Song, I worked hard and climbed up just so I can be together with you. I never wanted to lie to you.¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, aren¡¯t you afraid that someone mighte in the toilet, see you hugging me, and pass the word on to Qi Chengyue?¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    Jian Yi froze for a moment and hesitated before slowly letting her go.

    Song Yu sneered. ¡°A mere mention of Qi Chengyue¡¯s name and you¡¯re already scared. And you want to be together with me when you¡¯re like that? Your version of being together is wanting me to go around with you in secret? If I was really that important to you, how could you do that to me? If it¡¯s like this, you¡¯ll never be on par with me.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t get involved with me anymore!¡± Song Yu said determinedly. ¡°Don¡¯te to my house and look for my parents. Where did you get the audacity to meet them? You nder me in front of them like a coward, but to what end?¡±

    ¡°That day...you went back?¡± Jian Yi asked softly. His fist which hung beside his body tightened before rxing.

    ¡°Yes. The second I heard your voice, I left. This is my attitude. Don¡¯t make me hate you even more than I do now.¡± Song Yu stared at him scornfully and took two steps back. Once there was some distance between them, she walked right past him.

    When she did so, she immediately walked along the other side of the corridor wall. It was the one further from him, since she felt disgusted if she was near him.

    Jian Yi followed her with his gaze. He looked as she walked along the opposite wall, as if wanting to stay as far away from his as possible. Jian Yi¡¯s eyes began tearing and balled his hands into fists.

    If he wanted he could take one stride forward, extend his hand, and hold her.

    However, he did not. With a hurt expression and an aching throat he looked at Song Yu with his eyes wide open. Every step she took, she became more and more distant.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu walked out of the restroom corridor and was about to enter the banquet hall, but she was obstructed at the entrance leading up to the hall.

    Qi Chengyue, dressed in a Western-style gown that was far more expensive than the long dress that Song Yu wore, was standing proudly there.

    Song Yu had no intention of crossing her path too often. Perhaps because of her status as the Qi family¡¯s youngdy, she was used to being pampered as a child, and in turn, it caused her to develop a crafty and unreasonable attitude.

    Coupled with the incident at Shengyue, Song Yu¡¯s unfavorable impression toward Qi Chengyue had peaked.

    She surmised that Qi Chengyue was obstructing her way on purpose.

    Song Yu nodded indifferently and greeted, ¡°Miss Qi.¡± Then she decided to walk past her and back to the banquet hall.

    Qi Chengyue shifted her position and once again blocked Song Yu from leaving.

    Such unnecessary altercations made Song Yu truly angry. She did not look pleased with Qi Chengyue.

    She pursed her lips tightly and shot Qi Chengyue a cold stare.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression turned even colder after being provoked by Song Yu¡¯s attitude. Song Yu was a bankrupt who could only afford to wear a cheap long dress to a formal event, and yet, she was pretending to be all high and mighty! Not to mention her annoyed and indignant attitude toward Qi Chengyue at that moment!

    With her hands crossed in front of her bosom, Qi Chengyue remarked coldly, ¡°Song Yu, you don¡¯t seem to care at all about what I told you the other night. You¡¯re tantly seducing Jian Yi in public! Are you really that unashamed?¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi. Please watch your words. I never contacted Jian Yi since meeting you the other night. I despise being a mistress, especially that of men like Jian Yi. I didn¡¯t fall so deep in love with him that I¡¯d be willing to sacrifice all the integrity I held until now. Furthermore, he¡¯s not that special for me to be willing to care less about everything else in the world.¡±

    ¡°And you, standing here, blocking me, and questioning me like some vixen. How about you consider whether this is befitting of someone whose status is the Qi family¡¯s youngdy.¡± Song Yu pursed her lips unsympathetically and mustered a forced smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think you can talk about all this and change the subject, Song Yu!¡± There was a malevolence in Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression when she was angry. In a moment of agitation, she grabbed Song Yu¡¯s wrist and held it tightly.

    Song Yu felt pain and frowned. ¡°Let me go!¡±

    ¡°I just saw youing out before Jian Yi did. Are you that unwilling to let him go? That in love with him? To the point where you¡¯d want to wrap yourself around him even in public? What did you tell him that made him insist oning to see you?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, there¡¯s plenty of men out there. Why must you like another woman¡¯s man? Are other woman¡¯s men really that much better?¡± Qi Chengyue gripped Song Yu¡¯s hand with added force, but her voice was still kept low, since she feared the humiliation that might befall her if someone heard them.

    Song Yu sighed helplessly. No matter what she did, Qi Chengyue seemed incapable of reason andprehension.

    Qi Chengyue was the sole female child in her family. Since young, her parents spoiled her to unheard-of-heights and raised a child that had the temperament of an heiress. She was also incredibly stubborn, and regards everything she says as correct, while others were always wrong.

    If she had a strong belief about something, she would not listen to whatever exnation someone else had for her.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re bankrupt. You¡¯ve worked so hard to win Qilin¡¯s business. Youck money, don¡¯t you? How much do you want? Tell me. Is a hundred thousand enough? Stay away from Jian Yi, stop being involved with him, and stop bothering us. I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± Qi Chengyue words revealed her impatience.

    She appeared to have been mentally and physically exhausted from Song Yu¡¯s involvement, and was no longer able to stand her.

    Song Yu seemed to be utterly exasperated at Qi Chengyue¡¯s one-sided dialogue, and was unable to speak any words of her own. She raised up the hand that Qi Chengyue held and used all of her force to shake off the grip. Song Yu was able to break free of it partly because Qi Chengyue loosened her grip moments ago.

    Song Yu sneered and straightened her posture. ¡°Miss Qi, don¡¯t go wild with your imagination. All this while, I didn¡¯t get involved with him. I was avoiding him! He was the one who secretly followed me and kept me from leaving. I hope that you can take better care of your boyfriend, and don¡¯t always let him get involved with me. I feel trapped!¡±

    ¡°Also, rather than alwaysing for me, why don¡¯t you keep your boyfriend in check and stop him from finding other women. If he can look for me today, he can look for someone else tomorrow. With so many women out there, can you control him? There will definitely be someone who wouldn¡¯t mind being a mistress, so rather than going out and searching for his women, you¡¯d be better off nipping it in the bud.¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi, you have quite the guts to trust such a man and be with him, but I don¡¯t.¡± Song Yu finished her sentence and walked off into the banquet hall, abandoning Qi Chengyue, whose face was distorted from anger by then.

    Qi Chengyue was still standing outside, but Song Yu could care less about what the former was feeling.

    Song Yu felt somewhat irritated, perhaps because the temperature inside the banquet hall was much warmer than that outside. At that moment she felt especially thirsty for something cold, or maybe even immersing herself in some cold water.

    A surge of warmth began filling her eyes. She closed them and felt the tears within.

    She held it in for fear that she might disappoint herself and cry at that moment.

    After a long while, she controlled her emotions to the best of her ability and once again opened her eyes.

    Scanning the surroundings for Ruan Danchen, Song Yu finally noticed her hiding in a corner where she was holding a te and eating. The te was filled with fresh seafood from the buffet table.

    Seeing that Ruan Danchen was ratherfortable being alone, Song Yu did not go over. She went past everyone and headed for the balcony instead.

    The banquet hall¡¯s balcony protruded out, with the railings extending through opposite ends of the banquet hall, forming an indented shape <sup>1</sup> . Consequently, the space was somewhat cramped, but at least it was able to offer a chance to view the scenery.

    She did not go to the more concealed area of the wall, but she avoided positioning herself directly in front of the balcony¡¯s entrance. She rested her forearms on the railings and surveyed the nightscape outside Dynasty. However, she was not truly absorbing and enjoying the vibrant colors exhibited in the night.

    She was simply staring nkly at the distance. The cold wind reached her eyes and made them sore. Tears began flowing, but she did not know whether they were the tears that she held back earlier, or whether the tears were caused by the wind.

    With her shawl around her shoulders, her fingers gently wiped the tears away to prevent ruining her eyeliner.

    While the cold might be bone-chilling, she felt that it was doing her good by giving her restless mind some rity.

    ¡°Jian Yi,e with me!¡±

    ¡°Chengyue, it wouldn¡¯t be nice for people to see us going to the balcony. They¡¯ll gossip.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of gossip! What are you so scared for?!¡±

    ¡°No, Chengyue, the balcony is where banquet guests have their secret rendezvous, we...¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, if you don¡¯t want to be alone with me, just tell me already!¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t mean that. Forget about it, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Song Yu heard their low voicesing nearer and nearer. She looked back hurriedly and discovered that they were heading in her direction.

    Song Yu was not in the mood to see either one of them, let alone the both of them together.

    In a frenzy, she took a step back and hid in the concealed ce behind the wall.

    Right when she squeezed in she bumped into a solid chest.

    Song Yu looked up in astonishment and saw Qi Chengzhi, whose face was obscured in the dark.

    ¡°You...¡±¡®Why was he there!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her before she could finish her sentence. Both his arms locked around her waist, and she could even feel his hands through the thin fabric of her dress. The heat from his hands transmitted onto her skin, warming her, and leaving her feeling flustered.

    The next second, he carried her and turned her around so her back was facing the icy wall. She was trapped between the wall and his chest.

    He pressed himself onto her and exerted some amount of force to keep her pressed against the wall. They were so close to each other that there was not the slightest space between them.

    Pressed in such a manner, Song Yu was unable to retreat. Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were right outside, and if she went out, she would meet them. In addition, Qi Chengzhi was being difficult and if she actually did step out, the ensuing scene would be ridiculously unimaginable.

    Song Yu felt confused. As her head leaned back against the wall, Qi Chengzhi still continued pressing forward, up until his chest was against her face.

    Such contact would cause a lipstick stain to remain on his white shirt, and those who saw it would definitely think that something was up.

    Song Yu did not dare to move. Her heart was beating violently, it felt as though it would jump out from her throat at any time.

    Her face was pressed firmly against his chest, and a stain was left on his white shirt.

 Chapter 69 - Qi Chengzhi, You Rascal, Thereâ€™s No One Outside Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 69: Qi Chengzhi, You Rascal, There¡¯s No One Outside Anymore</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her face was pressed firmly against his chest, and a stain was left on his white shirt.

    His body was cold as a result of staying outside for quite some time. On him was the smell of frost and a faint whiff of tobo.

    She never liked the smell of tobo; of the reasons she used to like Jian Yi so much was because he was not a smoker. His smell was always light and fresh, with a sunny feel to it.

    However, the faint smell of tobo emanating from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body was pleasantly muddled. It had the sexiness of a mature man.

    She did not know how long Qi Chengzhi was there, but she was sure that he was there from the moment she arrived. He was simply keeping quiet all along.

    Smelling the scent on his body made her even more flustered.

    She could feel his warm energy radiating all over her face and she could smell the scent of his tobo.

    Her heart began beating even faster and more erratically. She could clearly feel the closeness between them, but she did not dare to lift her head.

    She subsequently felt his dry, warm lipsnding on her temples. They rubbed gently against her temples while he exhaled on her reddened ears.

    Goosebumps raised on Song Yu¡¯s neck, and his gentle strokes caused her to shiver intensely.

    Her hands ¨C which were ced on his chest ¨C made an attempt to push him, but he would not budge. All she could do was whisper softly, ¡°Don¡¯t be like this...¡±

    ¡°Shh...¡± His lips reached and pressed against her ears. A breath was exhaled into her ears and he softly said, ¡°Don¡¯t talk. They might hear you.¡±

    Song Yu suppressed her desire to moan by biting her lips. She was truly afraid to make a sound and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips were left to roam between her earlobe and cheek.

    She looked as the ces touched by his lips became redder and warmer. Her cheek, baked by his warmth, began emanating a richer scent.

    ¡°Jian Yi, do you still have feelings for Song Yu? She walked to the bathroom and you followed right behind her! Aren¡¯t you concerned that people might gossip since you¡¯re doing it so publicly?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s questioning voice resounded. Song Yu¡¯s body stiffened because of it and there was even a gradual drop in Song Yu¡¯s body temperature.

    Jian Yi¡¯s expression could not be seen, but his patient voice could be heard. ¡°There¡¯s nothing between us anymore. It was a coincidence. When we met at the corridor, all I did was nod at her.¡±

    ¡°Is that the truth?¡± Qi Chengyue seemed distrustful and there was still some doubt in her voice. However, her voice was no longer as hardened as before and began to be sound more peaceful.

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s nothing but a childhood friend. She¡¯s having some difficult times and because she helped me back then, I¡¯m now helping her as much as I can. There¡¯s nothing between us. You¡¯ve really misunderstood our rtionship,¡± Jian Yi patiently exined. He walked over to Qi Chengyue, wrapped his hands around her arm, and pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you already? I was worried you¡¯d misunderstand and get jealous.¡±

    Qi Chengyue had a shy smile. Her fingers, with their exquisitely painted nails, fiddled with the shirt buttons closest to his stomach. In a soft-spoken and sweet manner, she asked, ¡°You said that you and Song Yu are just friends who grew up together, what about me?¡±

    ¡°You?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s voice seemed to be cheery but somewhat vague. ¡°You are the one and only woman that I want in this life.¡±

    Qi Chengyue cuddled happily into his embrace. She lifted her head and said coquettishly, ¡°Say you love me.¡±

    ¡°I love you.¡± Goosebumps formed all over Song Yu¡¯s body upon hearing Jian Yi¡¯s words of adoration spoken in his sickening voice.

    Subsequently, the two of them became quiet but footsteps of them leaving were not heard.

    After about two seconds, she heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s faint breathing and urgent moans.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned pale and her eyes were filled with loneliness.

    She knew early on that Jian Yi would cover up the truth from Qi Chengyue, but she still could not bear to hear iting directly from him.

    Song Yu ¨C somewhat mockingly ¨C wondered whether it was an improvement to hear Jian Yi upgrade her from being a client to a childhood friend.

    He was afraid to even admit that he liked her. What grounds did he have for confessing to her and begging her to never leave him?

    Song Yu smiled bitterly. Despite saying that she would sever all ties with him, there remained the undeniable fact that for thirteen years, he was the only man in her heart. Letting go was easier said than done.

    Even though she was disappointed with him, hearing his words still had an effect on her.

    Qi Chengzhi noticed her painful expression and closed his eyes. All of a sudden, he lowered his head and kissed her on the lips.

    The back of her head was pressed hard against the wall, and her lips were strongly pressed against his. His fiery tongue pried her lips open and entered her mouth, making its urgent and intense assailment.

    A startled Song Yu then tried pushing him, but to no avail. He was holding her in a firm grip.

    His hand, which held her waist, traveled upward and grabbed her left breast. Her dress was the only thing separating her breast from his hand.

    She felt as though her heart was burning because his hand was positioned where her heart was.

    His clean, fresh taste flooded her mouth. His overpowering and potent kiss weakened her resistance. Unwittingly, she became obedient.

    She lost herself unintentionally in his overbearing assault and was red from head to toe.

    His kisses traced slowly across the corner of her lips to her earlobe, then they softly reached her neck and corbone. He moved her shawl aside.

    All Song Yu felt was a chilliness in her front. She looked down and saw him stretching her cor to bury his head in her breasts.

    The chilliness, coupled with him pouncing on her, jolted Song Yu awake. In a sh, her face turned as red as a well-done piece of shrimp. With anger and shyness, she pushed him, ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    ¡°Shhh, don¡¯t let them hear us,¡± Qi Chengzhi said softly without moving from his position. His lips rubbed gently against her skin as he spoke.

    Song Yu was speechless. She bit her lip while her body trembled like a sieve. Suddenly though, she felt that something was not right: it had been quiet outside for quite some time.

    At some point in time, Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi had long left.

    Song Yu voiced out in anger, ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you rascal, there¡¯s no one outside anymore!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi finally looked up and straightened his body. He then lowered his head, pressed tightly against her lips, and lifted her up with both his hands.

    The raging heat just beneath his pant zipper was embedded between her thighs, separated only by her dress. His hips gyrated slightly and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t you just love it when I¡¯m being a rascal toward you?¡±

    Song Yu and her reddened face was not able to deny it.

    Being in his embrace with a reddened, near-drunk expression, and a near-lustful look, any denial would not have been persuasive in the slightest.

    Furthermore, her whole body was weak, a surge of wetness was reminding her how much of an effect he had on her. No matter how guilty she felt, she was unable to utter a single word to deny him.

    Her bashful appearance invoked a passion within Qi Chengzhi. He lowered his head to kiss her, but was stopped by a voice. ¡°Eh? You¡¯re here too, Young Master Cheng?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi acted quickly to block Song Yu from view. He pressed the back of her head and buried her face deep in his embrace. Song Yu did not notice, but at some point, he had messed up her long hair and caused it to drape over her cheek in order to obscure her face from the other party.

    He turned his head and saw that the other party was the son of a real estatepany¡¯s boss: someone who also attended the banquet that night. With a woman in his arms, it seemed that he, too, decided to have a romp in the balcony.

    Qi Chenghi pursed his lips and remained silent. His face did not seem remotely happy at the interruption.

    Song Yu froze in shock. She buried her face tightly against his chest and pulled tightly at his shirt because she was afraid that they might recognize her.

    The other party reacted smartly by saying politely, ¡°Since Young Master Cheng is here, I won¡¯t be a bother.¡±

    Once he finished that sentence, he brought hisdy friend away immediately without daring to see the woman whom he was sheltering in his embrace.

    If Qi Chengzhi could go to such lengths to protect that woman, it was definitely not something to be curious about.

    Qi Chengzhi helplessly let out a breath. It was not the kind of ce where he should be getting intimate with Song Yu, so he let her go and gently held her in his arms to prevent her from copsing.

    Song Yu¡¯s body was dripping in cold sweat because of the scare, but she gradually regained her cognition.

    She saw his crumpled suit, the lipstick stain on his lips, and another lipstick stain on his white shirt. All of it resulted from the both of them rubbing against each other during the hug.

    As for herself, she knew she was in no condition to see anyone else despite not having a mirror to see herself.

    Her hair was messed up, her lipstick was gone, and her face was insanely red.

    In such a condition it was no good for them to leave the balcony.

    Even if they went out one after the other, someone might notice. If they connected the dots by seeing their appearance, it would be fairly obvious that something had happened there between them.

    ¡°Us, like this...we can¡¯t go in...¡± Song Yu¡¯s lips were still swollen and numb as though she ate something spicy. Even the tone her of voice had changed.

    ¡°Do you want to leave?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. His burning gaze made Song Yu feel rather unbearable.

    If she went with him, she did not know if she would be able to go home in one piece.

    If she did not, she remained in a condition where she was not able to see anyone and she also did not have the faintest intention of loitering around in the party anymore.

    She might even vomit if she saw Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue.

    Just when she hesitated, Qi Chengzhi had already jumped out of the balcony and stood on the grass outside.

    The banquet hall was on the first floor, so it would be easy to jump over the wall.

    Qi Chengzhi stood outside of the railings. He looked up at her and extended the well-defined fingers of his hand. ¡°Coming?¡±

    Song Yu stood where she was and looked at him hesitantly.

    He was still wearing his sses, but his hair turned messy because she had tousled his hair in her moment of disorientation. In turn, it made him look much younger than his age of thirty-four years.

    The eyes which looked at her were provocative, making him seem even more irreverent and unruly. He looked rebellious all of a sudden.

    Song Yu could not help but wonder just how unrestrained was he during his rebellious youth.

    Back then, Qi Chengji mentioned to her before that Qi Chengzhi, together with Wei Ziqi, were famous for being uncontroble.

    Seeing how calm he was in recent years, she found it hard to imagine that he went through such a period.

    At that moment, however, his look was one that vaguely resembled his earlier days.

    ¡°If you¡¯re noting, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Qi Chengzhi twitched a brow and retracted his hand. He was about to turn around and leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Song Yu blurted out without thinking carefully.

    When she saw him turn and begin to leave, she understood that she did not want him to leave her alone and go off.

    The moment she saw him turn around, her heart became somewhat fric, as if she was about to lose the only thing she could hold on to.

    Like making an important decision she knew what the future might hold for her if she left with him then: it was highly likely that her life would turn upside-down again.

    Her expression seemed quite serene as she stepped forward and stared at him with both her eyes.

    The corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled slightly, and he once again extended his hand to her.

    She looked down at his clean palms withplex lines and his long and well-defined fingers.

    She lowered her hand slowly to his and was pulled to the railings by him.

    Then, he let her go. Subsequently, his hands held her tightly on the waist and lifted her whole body up.

    Song Yu matched the motion of her legs with the rhythm and she finally crossed over the railings.

    Her body failed to steady itself when she reached the ground, and she involuntarily fell forward into his embrace.

    Qi Chengzhi stood firmly and without taking a half-step back, he safely guided her down.

    Song Yu pressed both her hands on his shoulders and steadied herself.

    When her face bumped gently onto his chest, his pure and raw fragrance came crashing toward her, her fuzzy brain fell into a dizzy state.

    His warm hands ¨C which had a searing hotness to them ¨C held both sides of her waist, but all of a sudden, they shifted to her back. His hands ran under her shawl and came into direct contact with her exposed skin.

    Song Yu was jolted by those warm, burning palms.

    Immediately after that Qi Chengzhi hugged her abruptly and gave no chance for her to react. His hands wrapped tightly around her body and caused her cheek to press against his slightly chilly shirt. Her ears were pressed against the buttons of his shirt.

    There was some slight pain in her ear due to the shirt button, and also due to being hugged tightly by him.

    His hug was so incredibly tight that it agitated her.

    A strong, lustful, and quiet force transmitted to her through the hug. She could feel his lipsnding on her head and touching her hair; kissing, smelling.

    His moist, warm lips were tangled in her hair, and he began kissing her from the top of her ear, making his way down to the earlobe, then to her neck.

    Those light kisses tickled her and made her shiver.

    She felt cold at first, but after that, she felt almost unbearably hot.

    Hearing him inhale the scent of her neck and feeling him gently rubbing her itch ¨C all in between his breaths ¨C made her skin turnpletely red.

    Song Yu clenched her teeth and stayedpletely still. Her head was buried in his chest and she did not say a single word.

    She gripped his ck wool jacket tightly and was unable to control her faltering voice. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, please don¡¯t.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi applied pressure to her lower back, allowing her abdomen toe into contact with him so she could feel the shocking heat through his pants. ¡°You feel it too, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Song Yu bit her lip and suppressed a moan that nearly escaped her mouth.

    He sighed softly, as if rueing that they were not at the right ce. His light, warm breath brushed over her cheek, causing it to turn even redder than before. She felt as hot as how it would feel to be inside a stove. By then, the heat was insufferable and she was close to exploding.

    His lips remained stered against his cheek as they parted open to speak. They rubbed against her skin in the process. ¡°We¡¯ll leave here.¡±

    After hearing those words, both legs suddenly left the ground, as if her whole body was levitating.

    She let out a soft, startled gasp, but her whole body had already been lifted up horizontally.

    ¡°I can walk by myself, put me down!¡± Song Yu eximed in astonishment. She not only felt incredibly hot, she felt incredibly limp too.

    ¡°That¡¯s loud of you. Do you want someone to see us?¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and raised his eyebrow slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Song Yu immediately quieted down. She looked down and was afraid of looking at Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Please put me down. It won¡¯t be good if anyone saw.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi let go abruptly, causing Song Yu to fall and nearly expose her bottom to him.

    She gasped and jumped up in shock. Her hands were not holding onto anything before, but at that moment, they were wrapped tightly around his neck while her body was pressed onto his.

    ¡°Hang on tight.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep and steadfast voice sounded from the top of her head. It was as if his lips were tightly pressed against her head as he spoke.

    His low-pitched voice turned into tiny electric currents, creeping across her scalp and entering her body, causing goose bumps to form.

    As long as she heard his voice, her heart would be calm, every single time. Whatever fear or nervousness that she had would disappear immediately.

 Chapter 77 - Song Yu Only Had Four Words for Him: â€˜You Are an Animal!â€™

    <h4>Chapter 77: Song Yu Only Had Four Words for Him: ¡®You Are an Animal!¡¯</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His legs were on top of hers and he wrapped them within his own. He trapped her arms in his and enveloped her in his embrace.

    Despite wearing a nightgown, she could still feel the scalding heat transmitting from his skin.

    Her cheek was pressed against his satiny skin and she felt his incredible warmth.

    Since her arms were also locked by him, she had nowhere to ce them. All she could do was align them stiffly by her side, as though she was bound by an invisible rope.

    Qi Chengzhi curled his lips on top of her head. He grabbed her hand and ced it on his waist, whereby his firm yet flexible muscles were able to sense the softness of her hands. Unable to restrain his emotions, he wrapped her even tighter in his embrace.

    ...

    ...

    In her hazy morning slumber, Song Yu felt a hand crawling up her body. It began its journey from her belly up and her skin began to feel cold.

    Her breast felt warm and slightly sore, as if someone was grabbing it. Her lips were parted open and a warm tongue entered into her mouth. Her breathing was difficult. Coupled with the disturbance, she was no longer able to continue sleeping.

    She stretched her hand out subconsciously and touched against a smooth, warm chest. She opened her eyes abruptly and saw a familiar sight ¨C that of Qi Chengzhi pressing his kisses onto her. On the previous asion, though, her clothes were intact, but as of then, her nightgown had been raised up to her neck. Her body felt hot from being touched and her breathing became stifled almost involuntarily.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡± She opened her mouth and her face was frighteningly red.

    He trailed his kisses from the corner of her lips to her neck, then continued heading down past her nightgown. His body forced its way in between her thighs, enabling her to feel his erection with the utmost rity.

    ¡°No! This is too fast!¡± Song Yu was rather terrified. With both her hands, she pushed on his shoulders. If things continued as before, she was afraid that she might not have the strength or the determination to turn him down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet! Qi Chengzhi, you said you wouldn¡¯t...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up abruptly, revealing the zing fire of his intimidating eyes. They burned Song Yu¡¯s eyes, skin, and cheek to the point of soreness. As a result, she trembled and did not dare to look at him.

    ¡°Please, let go of me first,¡± Song Yu muttered softly and pushed down on his shoulders, despite being rather scared.

    If he kept on persisting, she felt that would be unable to refuse him firmly.

    She did have feelings for him, even until then.

    She straightened her nightgown immediately. For her to be naked in front of him so suddenly, she found it indescribably embarrassing and her whole body was feeling warm.

    ¡°But I¡¯m already like this. You need to help me.¡± His exceptionally hoarse voice contained a touch of unbearable desire.

    He twitched ever so slightly and it immediately elicited an intense gasp from Song Yu. He knew right then that she had felt it.

    Song Yu pulled herself back. Her gaze shifted down involuntarily from his face; his ¡®tent¡¯ was even more erect aspared to that of the previous night.

    She originally thought thatst night¡¯s incident opened her eyes. The memory of his astonishing size was not yet erased from her memory. Just shortly after ¨C on the next morning ¨C a much newer impression of it was imprinted in her mind.

    ¡°Help me.¡± He leaned to her and rubbed his smooth lips against her ear.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was so warm that she had virtually lost all sense of reason. Her lips trembled as she asked, ¡°How... How should I help?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a sudden kiss and slid his hand down her arm. Gripping her hand, he guided her into his pants. The sounds of her trembling breaths echoed right beside his ear.

    ....

    ...

    Song Yu was in the kitchen preparing a sandwich for breakfast. Her right hand trembled because his heat still lingered there.

    She lifted her trembling hand and smelled it. The strong scent of his male hormones was still present.

    He had asked her to help him relieve himself and after the deed was done, he had a gratified and pleasurable expression on his face. Song Yu felt an abnormal, shy anger. A knife ¨C which she used to cut the crusts off of toast ¨C was held in her hand, but her shy yet angry expression made it seem like she was holding the knife to murder someone.

    In the end, she pressed the knife down in fury and sliced off the crusts with force.

    Qi Chengzhi was fairly calm despite being the main culprit. He had already changed into a fresh set of clothes and the ones he wore the night before was left with Song Yu, so she could help him wash them.

    He opened the television and surfed through the channels, treating the ce as though it was his own home.

    Song Yu brought over the sandwiches and some freshly brewed coffee for him. His gaze shifted instantaneously from the television to her body. His prative and possessive gaze made Song Yu¡¯s hair stand on end.

    Seeing him dressed so prim and proper in his tailored suit, he looked like a model who was owned only by those who were very sessful.

    Song Yu could not deny that he was the one man who had the most character when wearing a suit.

    At that moment, however, Song Yu only had four words for him: ¡®You are an animal!¡¯

    His gaze was brazenly disying his desire to eat her up and under that gaze, Song Yu¡¯s hands felt weak, nearly causing the coffee cup to fall.

    Within the next second, the hand which held the cup had been steadied by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. The coffee was held firmly in her hand and not a drop was spilled.

    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± His rich voice had a hint of yfulness.

    His repeated teasing sent her into a flying rage. She shot him a nce and remained silent.

    Since he was already half-satisfied by early morning, his mood was exceptionally good and he decided not to take it to heart. He took the coffee cup from her hands, seated himself on the dining table, and took a couple of bites from the sandwich.

    After breakfast, he walked to the door with his luggage bag. Noting that Song Yu remained temperamental and was not following him, he extended his hand toward her. ¡°Come. I¡¯m going to the airport but I¡¯ll send you to the office first.¡±

    Song Yu was so astonished that she forgot about her anger. She asked, ¡°You¡¯re really going on a business trip?¡±

    ¡°You thought I lied?¡± he asked half-smilingly, and because he knew he saw through her, he had a somewhat mocking expression.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened in embarrassment. In order to hide it, she looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

    She really thought that Qi Chengzhi cooked up an excuse just toe over and stay the night.

    Song Yu packed her things in a hurry, grabbed her bag, then followed Qi Chengzhi out.

    Chang Lai stood in front of the Range Rover and watched as the both of them came out from the building one after the other.

    Never before did Chang Lai see Qi Chengzhi expressing such an outward radiance. His carefree demeanor was happiness to the core.

    Chang Lai then looked at Song Yu. Her face was still red and she would steal nces at Qi Chengzhi once in a while. Chang Lai understood immediately after seeing that.

    ¡°Miss Song,¡± Chang Lai greeted respectably.

    Song Yu shed him a smile and sat at the back together with Qi Chengzhi.

    On that asion, Qi Chengzhi did not insist. Instead he agreed to drop her off some distance away from Chengshi.

    However, Song Yu did not rush to get off the car. She just sat there, not knowing why she was hesitating. Qi Chengzhi was running out of time but he did not urge her to go.

    After a while, Song Yu looked to him and said softly, ¡°That... your business trip. Take care of yourself.¡±

    She finished her sentence hastily. Her mind began to numb and she wanted to get off the car. She was embarrassed to look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pleased expression.

    Just as her hand touched the door handle, she was pulled back by him. He ced his hands against the door and gave her a fervent kiss.

    Upon releasing her, his lips were tainted with her lipstick and his clear eyes were now misty.

    With her reddened face, Song Yu nced at Chang Lai, who was seated in front. From the rear-view mirror, she noticed that he had long closed his eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi noticed her small actions and smiled. He then sat back down, looked ahead, and his face reverted to the dignified expression befitting of Qilin¡¯s director.

    Before she opened the door and got off, Song Yu twitched her lips and wondered how Qi Chengzhi was so skilled at putting up a fa?ade.

    Chang Lai finally opened his eyes and realized how perilous his job would be from then onward. At any given time, the director would randomly do an action, as if to test how fast he reacted!

    Through the rear-view mirror, he saw the lipstick on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips. It was a total contrast to thetter¡¯s austere expression.

    ...

    ...

    Year-end was approaching soon, and manypanies were preparing for the holidays. Some had even begun their holidays. Many construction workers had already pocketed their wages and returned home for the new year, so Qilin¡¯s leisure hotel would have to wait until after the new year to begin work officially.

    Owing to the increased passenger transportation around New Year and the fact that nearly half of thepany were foreigners, they had their annualpany party at Shengyue. The next day, they would officially begin the holidays.

    There was nothing particrly special about Chengshi¡¯s annualpany party. After Director Zhao¡¯s speech, everyone ate and drank, and after that came the lucky draw.

    Song Yu was never lucky with lucky draws, therefore she paid little attention to the lively presenter onstage. Instead, she was savoring her dessert leisurely.

    On the table, her phone vibrated. Song Yu checked her phone, and surprisingly, it was a text from Luo Yushu.

    [Miss Song, our client insisted on dragging our director to a nightclub. He didn¡¯t want to go but he was unable to reject the invitation. Don¡¯t you worry, though. Not a single woman is by his side now. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as upright as our director.]

    Song Yu stared at the message for a moment. She wondered why Luo Yushu would send her that message out of the blue.

    On the other end of the phone, Luo Yushu looked dumbfounded as Qi Chengzhi held the former¡¯s phone and seemed to be typing something.

    Moments earlier, Qi Chengzhi simply told him, ¡°Lend me your phone for a second.¡±

    The phone had yet to be returned to him.

    After sending a message, Qi Chengzhi typed another one: [Jian Yi¡¯s hugging another woman by the way!]

    Qi Chengzhi read the text a couple of times and felt that it was a bit too deliberate, so he cleared the message and did not send it.

    With a cigarette between his lips, he looked around him. The client really did request a girl for him and the most popr one no less. Her name was Manfei or something like that, but still, he declined.

    Manfei¡¯s original intention was to throw herself all over him. After all, only few clients were as handsome and as charming as Qi Chengzhi. Manfei was clever; she knew that if she would get some benefits even if she slept with him for just one night.

    However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stern face was very intimidating and before she could throw herself onto him, she retreated in embarrassment and fear.

    Whether intentionally or otherwise, Qi Chengzhi proceeded to hint at her. ¡°There, that guy, he¡¯s the manager of ourpany¡¯s engineering department. He¡¯s got a great future ahead of him.¡±

    With that, Manfei went over and sat beside Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengzhi did not know how Jian Yi acted under normal circumstances but taking into ount his rtionship with Qi Chengyue, it was certain that he would not simply fool around in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s presence.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted. Luo Yushu ¨C who had been observing Qi Chengzhi from the beginning ¨C felt a shiver out of nowhere. He felt that his director¡¯s expression was incredibly terrifying.

    Right when that thought popped up, Qi Chengzhi looked over to him abruptly. Luo Yushu was given a massive shock and he nearly jumped up from the sofa.

    ¡®Did I just catch him red-handed looking at me?¡¯

    The cigarette was still clipped in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips when he called Luo Yushu over.

    Luo Yushu felt a quivering over him and he went over while trembling in trepidation. He tested the waters. ¡°Director?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi returned the phone and said, ¡°When you hear me say ¡®Sorry¡¯ter, take a picture from here.¡±

    He then paused for a moment and squinted. ¡°Make sure the picture you take is of a much broader area.¡±

    ¡®Much broader area? How big should the area be?¡¯

    Luo Yushu looked down at his phone which was shoved back to him and looked up again. He saw Qi Chengzhi get up and walked forcefully over to Jian Yi, as if it was entirely not random and abnormal.

    Even though Jian Yi was slightly surprised to see Qi Chengzhi, thetter pretended as though he did not see anything. That was precisely Qi Chengzhi¡¯s style ¨C he appeared to be minding his own business and his actions did not raise anyone¡¯s suspicions.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand, as if to take the cigarette from his lips. Midway through, he elbowed Jian Yi all of a sudden causing Jian Yi to bump against Manfei and press her against the sofa.

    He took the cigarette from his lips and said inly, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Luo Yushu¡¯s quick-wits led him to snap a picture of Qi Chengzhi immediately, and it was only natural that Jian Yi was in the frame.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi ced the cigarette between his lips and sat back down with Luo Yushu.

    Luo Yushu looked at Jian Yi with sympathy. ¡®What did this fe do to offend the director? Could it be that his rtionship with Miss Qi did not receive the director¡¯s blessing?¡¯

    Jian Yi got off of Manfei immediately. He looked over to Qi Chengzhi with a tensed face and squinted eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi took the phone from Luo Yushu without ncing in Jian Yi¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Hehehe, you look so gentle but you¡¯re actually aggressive.¡± Manfei giggled crisply and threw herself on Jian Yi.

    He frowned and pushed her away somewhat roughly. He sat somewhere else by himself, far from anyone else and watched Qi Chengzhi with a gloomy expression.

    Manfei fell backward on the sofa after being pushed. She sat back up with an embarrassed and unhappy expression. First, she was rebuffed by Qi Chengzhi; next came Jian Yi¡¯s unsympathetic rejection. Her face turned into ugly shades of blue and white but she did not seek Jian Yi out anymore. She decided it was better to sit there and ignore everyone.

    As for the rest of the girls, they were d to see a deted Manfei but no one dared to approach Qi Chengzhi or Jian Yi for fear that they, too, would turn out like Manfei.

    ...

    ...

    Not long after Song Yu ced her phone down, she received another message. It was also from Luo Yushu. When she opened it, it was a picture.

    In the picture, Qi Chengzhi was seated and smoking a cigarette. His expression seemed impatient, like he despised being in such a ce. Beside him was a man pressing down another woman on the sofa.

    Song Yu looked closer and realized that the man on top of the woman was Jian Yi!

    She shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡®Why am I not surprised?¡¯

    ¡®Jian Yi used women to secure his future but what would he get by ying around with some girl in a nightclub?¡¯

    Her gaze shifted again to Qi Chengzhi. His cold expression made him look refreshingly clean in such a filthy ce. With a cigarette in between his long fingers, he seemed to be in his own world andpletely at odds with such a rotten ce.

    She had the sudden thought of wanting him toe back as soon as possible, she did not want him to stay there and be touched by all those women, since he would be soiled if they touched him.

    Song Yu found it hard to restrain the thirst in her heart. She searched for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s contact and clicked on the messaging feature

    Although it was always Qi Chengzhi who took the initiative, she never really said anything in clear-cut terms to him. She was merely on the receiving end of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s step-by-step coercion.

    Despite saying that she had yet to think it over, in reality, did it not mean that she was yielding after making a show of resistance?

    The truth was that deep down, she liked him!

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi went on the business trip, she did not contact him and neither did he contact her.

    It was almost New Year¡¯s Eve and she decided she had to at least send him a text!

    Song Yu looked at the empty text-input box. She thought for a moment and entered a sentence.

    [You busy? Don¡¯t smoke so much.]

    Qi Chengzhi was holding Luo Yushu¡¯s phone and looking at the pictures. The more he looked, the more pleased he became. Luo Yushu took a great picture from that angle, as it made him look very self-contained.

    Of course, Qi Chengzhi felt that it was all because of his faultless figure.

    He patted Luo Yushu on the shoulder encouragingly. ¡°You did well. You¡¯re a promising one for this year¡¯s best employee award.¡±

    Luo Yushu was overwhelmed by the kind words.

    In the midst of admiration, Qi Chengzhi felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket.

    He took his phone out and noticed that it was a text from Song Yu. He turned happy almost immediately and returned Luo Yushu¡¯s phone. Since Luo Yushu¡¯s job was done, Qi Chengzhi sent him on his way.

    Qi Chengzhi walked out of the room with his phone in his hand and leaned on the wall of the outside corridor. Then, he opened the text.

    After reading it, he instantly put out his cigarette.

    He exhaled the puff of smoke that was held in his lungs, then began typing quickly.

    [With the client. Bored. Have you eaten? Did you miss me these few days?]

    His thumb hovered over the send button for a long time but he decided to delete the whole text. Recing everything with a cold ¡®Mm¡¯ he then proceeded to send it out.

    Song Yu mustered up a lot of courage just to send a short text but all she received was a single word reply. She was disappointed and slightly apprehensive.

    ¡®Did he change his mind after going on the business trip?¡¯

    Song Yu found his coldness a bit hard to bear. She did not know what he was thinking at that point, so she did not reply his text and simply ced the phone onto the table.

    Deep down, Song Yu was reserved and passive. Had it not been for that, she would not have kept her feelings from Jian Yi all those years and waited until she had the courage to confess to him.

    With Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold ¡®Mm¡¯, whatever courage that had been fired up within her was extinguished once again.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned on the wall for a long time but had yet to receive a reply. He had an intense frown as he stared at the message. The screen disy locked itself a couple of times. He turned it on and left it to lock again by itself. There was still no text from her.

    After some thought, he decided to call her.

    Song Yu ate some cake but found it tasteless, and all of a sudden, she felt disgusted with the sweetness of the cake.

    She was about to have a drink of water when the phone rang. Once she saw Qi Chengzhi on the screen, she felt inwardly angry, so she did not make up her mind on whether to pick up the phone or not. She simply stared indecisively at the phone.

    ¡°You¡¯re not picking it up?¡± Ruan Danchen saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name on the screen and raised an eyebrow at Song Yu.

    Song Yu frowned and refused to pick up. She turned to Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Tell me, I sent him a message, two sentences, and he only replied me with an ¡®Mm¡¯. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    If it were any other guy, Ruan Danchen would say that the man was disinterested, impatient, and distancing himself to enable an automatic breakup.

    However, since it was Qi Chengzhi, Ruan Danchen dared not used the same reasoning.

    ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t think so much. He looks like someone who doesn¡¯t talk very much, right? Do you text him often?¡±

    ¡°Actually, no, I don¡¯t.¡± Song Yu shook her head.

 Chapter 71 - Instead of Rejecting His Advances, A Frightened Song Yu Became Particularly Nervous

    <h4>Chapter 71: Instead of Rejecting His Advances, A Frightened Song Yu Became Particrly Nervous</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Although Wang Liwei suffered a terrible downfall, Song Yu had no pity for her, because such a predicament would not have befallen her if she did not willingly be a married man¡¯s mistress. For that, she only had herself to me.

    However, did Qi Chengzhi really do all that for Song Yu?

    Song Yu¡¯s heart became more confused and irritated. She flipped her nket and hid under it.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s taste was all she could taste in her mouth, and she could still feel the heat from his lips on her face. She felt a numbing heat, akin toing into contact with electricity.

    She did not know what her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi were.

    It was evident that she liked Jian Yi for many years, but even though he had let her down, it seemed only natural that Jian Yi should remain in her heart.

    However, Song Yu waspletely unable to resist Qi Chengzhi when faced with his kiss.

    Song Yu never dared to get too close to him, simply because she was afraid that he was the kind of elder son from a prestigious family who did not take feelings seriously.

    She could never predict his actions or understand his thoughts, but then again, she also never had the courage to ask.

    However, Song Yu could not help but wonder if Qi Chengzhi meant what he said that night.

    If he was really serious about going after her, she knew that she was no match for him. Even though she did not know how long he would keep up his efforts toward her, she knew that she could not resist him for long. Eventually, she would surrender and run straight into his sweet trap.

    Furthermore, knowing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s character, if he did not get her, he would never give up.

    Could it be that she was about to run submissively into his arms?

    Song Yu tossed and turned on her bed in agitation. The nket stifled her breathing, so she opened it and popped her head out for some fresh air before covering herself back again.

    After a while, she started shuffling in her cocoon of a nket. She sat up abruptly and pushed the nket down to her waist.

    She rubbed her face in irritation and went to the toilet.

    Water from the shower flowed all over her body and along the lines of her fair, supple skin.

    Her water-soaked hair stuck against her shoulder and her chest. The water flowed from the tips of her hair and formed tiny rivers¡ªthey flowed past her back, but never through her cleavage, though they converged right in her valley-like bush.

    Her own bodily wetness still remained. It was especially thick and silky, and it was showing no sign of ceasing.

    It was especially so when she popped her head out from the nket and was unable to sleep. Qi Chengzhi was all that she thought of. Whenever he popped up in her mind, his face¡ªwhich had a way of making a person fluster¡ªseemed to appear and magnify right in front of her eyes.

    His appearance and his thin lips were portrayed in her mind like arge close-up photo.

    Every single time she thought about his lips, she would recall his kiss. Once she thought of everything that he did to her, her wetness could not contain itself, and even until then, it was surging out continuously.

    Song Yu looked down and felt somewhat ashamed. When did she thirst so hard for a man?

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu woke up at about five in the morning. Being utterly unable to fall asleep, she tossed and turned the whole night. Qi Chengzhi would appear in her thoughts whenever she closed her eyes, and irrespective of how many times she brushed her teeth and how meticulously she bathed, her mouth and body still had Qi Chengzhi¡¯s scent. She was unable to rid herself of it.

    Since she was unable to sleep, she did not have a good night¡¯s rest, and it affected her energy levels.

    Fazed and bemused, she went to the toilet. She saw her face in all its naturalnessplete with dark eye bags¡ªand was given quite the shock.

    She sshed some cold water on her face to wake herself up. Just as Song Yu was applying concealer on her eye bags, her phone vibrated and hummed on the table.

    cing the concealer down, she clicked on the message. When she saw the name Qi Chengzhi, her subconscious mind only thought of tossing it away.

    Finally, she opened it and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sinct question, ¡°Did you think it through?¡±

    If she did think it through, would she have had a sleepless night?

    Her heart was feeling frustrated right from the beginning, but seeing his text added to the frustration.

    She ced the phone down without replying and continued applying makeup.

    Song Yu looked much more presentable when she was done. After a simple breakfast of milk and a few slices of bread, she took her bag and headed for the door.

    Her habit before leaving was to take the key from the shoe cab beside the door, but when she searched for it, the key was not there..

    Song Yu then realized that she only remembered inserting the key into the keyhole. She did not recall having opened the door herself.

    How did she enter, then?

    The previous night, her mind was rattled because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s kiss. Once she remembered that, she could not prevent herself from remembering that he kissed her by pressing her onto the door.

    Subsequently, it seemed as though he was the one who turned the key and opened the door, before pushing her in and closing the door behind her.

    She did not touch the key throughout the sequence of events.

    Song Yu opened the door hurriedly, but there was no key in the keyhole. Could Qi Chengzhi have taken it?

    She grumbled. Her original intention was to ignore him, but because of the key, she had to contact him sooner orter.

    Song Yu located her spare key from the television cab and headed for work.

    Wang Liwei¡¯s absence made the office seem that much more harmonious¡ªit was like the air became fresh again.

    Ruan Danchen looked left and right, then slid her chair over to Song Yu.

    ¡°Song Yu, what¡¯s up with you and Jian Yi?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    Song Yu had just turned on herputer when she heard Jian Yi¡¯s name, and although she felt embittered, she kept a straight face and pretended she did not mind. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°When you were gonest night, I saw Qi Chengyue bringing him around. He was being introduced to all the bosses there. They seemed too close to simply be colleagues. It was clear that Qi Chengyue seized the opportunity to make their rtionship public.¡± Ruan Danchen frowned.

    ¡°Before this, Jian Yi was always looking for you. He¡¯d even help you with this and that. I always thought he liked you, but how did he end up with Qi Chengyue? What¡¯s he up to?¡± Ruan Danchen asked unhappily.

    ¡°It was my misunderstanding. In fact, he¡¯s been with Qi Chengyue for two years,¡± Song Yu exined briefly without going too much into detail. Qi Chengyue¡¯s usation that she was his mistress was not something worthy of bringing up.

    Song Yu had no intention of remembering what happened that night. It would always remain a stain in her heart.

    ¡°If you were the only one who thought he liked you, that¡¯d be a misunderstanding, but even I thought the same. Everyone thought the same. Have all of us fallen into the same misunderstanding?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression sank. ¡°Since he has a girlfriend, he shouldn¡¯t have done anything that would cause people to misunderstand. Was he nning on two-timing? On one hand he could win over Qi Chengyue and climb up the corporatedder. On the other hand, he¡¯d have a hold on you.¡±

    ¡°You could say that Qi Chengyue gives him a career, while you are his love. He wants to get both career and love.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯sparison led Song Yu to a realization.

    He got together with Qi Chengyue for the sake of entering the Qi family. It was all for his future.

    When he looked for Song Yu, it was probable that he meant what he said, that he liked her.

    Regardless, his love for her was not strong enough that he would let go of his bright future.

    Song Yu shook her head and smiled bitterly. Her sudden realization led her expression to turn much brighter.

    ¡°Yourparison is quite on point.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look sad?¡± Ruan Danchen was curious.

    Ruan Danchen asked that question not because seeing Song Yu happy was unbearable, but because Song Yu undoubtedly liked Jian Yi, and for Song Yu to be lied to by a man she loved, how could she still smile and be at ease?

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t take it at first, but after thinking about it, why should I suffer like hell for someone like him when he wouldn¡¯t even take me to heart? And also, it would be impossible for us to start over. Even if he broke up with Qi Chengyue and came for me again, I wouldn¡¯t dare to promise him anything. It¡¯s not worth the suffering.¡± Song Yu smiled and shrugged her shoulders. A tiny voice in her reminded her: did she suffer that much lesser after Qi Chengzhi appeared?

    ¡°I never expected that you had it all figured out.¡± Ruan Danchen felt much less tense after knowing that Song Yu was not terribly affected by it. ¡°Hmph! Last night he even had the guts to ask me where you went!¡±

    ¡°Luckily, I was smart enough to notice that both of you had issues. I immediately told him off, ¡®Aren¡¯t you afraid that Qi Chengyue might notice you snooping around in search of Song Yu?¡¯¡± Ruan Danchen mimicked the expression she had when dealing with Jian Yi the night before.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen how fierce he looked at me at that time! I immediately felt odd. How could a wretched rat like him show me that kind of expression and me me?¡± She rolled her eyes the instant she thought of Jian Yi.

    ¡°Then I said, if you don¡¯t like the atmosphere in the banquet tonight, you¡¯re free to go. He didn¡¯t say anything after that.¡± Ruan Danchen batted her eyelids and looked at Song Yu.

    Song Yu felt like she was no longer able to evade Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s brain was quick¡ªSong Yu barely mentioned anything about Jian Yi¡¯s situation, but Ruan Danchen was already able to guess the full story.

    Before Song Yu could find an excuse to slip away, Ruan Danchen leaned closer once more. Her eyes seemed to be probing around, and her stares intimidated Song Yu.

    ¡°You said you went to the restroomst night. But after that, I didn¡¯t see youe back. Where did you go? Not to mention, you look exhausted when you came into the office. Your concealer isn¡¯t doing a good job of concealing your eyebags. Who did you fool around withst night?¡± Ruan Danchen looked at Song Yu from head to toe in suspicion. ¡°Even though your face looked tired, your eyes seem to have a bit of passion...¡±

    Ruan Danchen then squinted suddenly. ¡°Last night, Qi Chengzhi also disappeared halfway through the party. Could the two of you have been together?¡±

    Without waiting for Song Yu to exin, Ruan Danchen nodded knowingly. ¡°No wonder you¡¯re not sad about the whole Jian Yi thing. It seems you¡¯ve found someone better.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re mistaken. I didn¡¯t...¡± Song Yu rushed to exin, but the reality was that Ruan Danchen guessed everything correctly. Even if Song Yu wanted to exin, it would not be convincing. At that moment, she could note up with a good excuse, and when she thought about how Qi Chengzhi hugged her the night before, her face turned red.

    By then, Ruan Danchen was doubly and triply certain.

    She looked at Song Yu with the consoling expression of an old friend and gave thetter a gratified pat on the shoulder. ¡°I finally got everything straight. I always felt that Qi Chengzhi had naughty intentions toward you, I finally saw it from you! He¡¯s much better than Jian Yi, and if you went out with such a high-quality man, you¡¯ll be sending everyone else on their way. If Jian Yi knew, he¡¯ll hate it so badly!¡±

    After finishing her sentence, she slid back to her desk on her chair and did not give Song Yu any opportunity to exin.

    Not longter, they were both called to a meeting, and during the meeting, Qi Chengzhi sent another message with the same five words, ¡°Did you think it through?¡±

    Irritated, Song Yu switched off her phone.

    When the meeting ended, she was worried that a client might call, so she switched it back on. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that there were no further messages from Qi Chengzhi.

    During lunchtime, her phone buzzed yet again on the table. Song Yu opened, and saw that it was Qi Chengzhi, with the same five words, ¡°Did you think it through?¡±

    Along with those five words, the image of his annoying face popped up in her mind.

    He was usually a man of few words, but why did he do things in such a clingy and irritating manner?

    ¡°Who messaged you? Qi Chengzhi?¡± Ruan Danchen was still chewing on her chicken thigh. She noticed that Song Yu looked displeased, but at the same time, her face was reddened, making for a very contradictory expression.

    ¡°No. It¡¯s an advertisement.¡± Song Yu was ruffled, and she dared not look at Ruan Danchen. She simply looked down and ate her curry rice.

    Ruan Danchen was having none of it. She chewed on her chicken thigh a few more times and gulped it down hurriedly. Then she asked, ¡°If it¡¯s an advertisement, why¡¯s your face red?¡±

    ¡°The advertisement is for Durex Extra Ribbed.¡± Song Yu kept her head low and continued eating.

    ¡°Why did you receive such an advertisement out of the blue? Have you bought it before?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind caught on rapidly.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu decided that she was digging her own grave if she continued talking¡ªshe was better off keeping quiet and eating her lunch.

    ...

    ...

    Before she got off work, Song Yu was clearing up the things on her table. Then, another message came.

    Seeing that it was from Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu already knew what the message was without even clicking it¡ªit would still be the same five words, ¡°Did you think it through?¡±

    Did he not consider the fact that him constantly bugging her gave less time to think?

    When she really did click in, it was still those five words. In addition to the previous messages, they formed a nice, neat line on her phone screen.

    As soon as she exited the messages, Qi Chengzhi called her. Upon seeing his name on the screen, Song Yu¡¯s heart turned frantic. Before she could think clearly about what she wanted to do, her finger shuddered, and she declined the call by ident.

    Although it was an involuntary action, Song Yu still breathed a sigh of relief.

    However, barely two seconds after she calmed down, thendline phone on her work desk began ringing.

    Although the caller¡¯s number was disyed on the phone, Song Yu never made it a habit to see those digits. The long line of numbers made her eyesight blurry, and it was not like she would know who the caller was anyway.

    Nowadays, a person¡¯s number could be recorded in a phone¡¯s address book, and few people would take the time to remember a phone number.

    So, Song Yu picked up the phone without even looking at the number. ¡°Hello, this is Chengshi Infrastructures.¡±

    ¡°Why did you reject the call?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked disgruntledly.

    ¡°My hands trembled. It was an ident,¡± Song Yu said. It was the truth, but it did not sound convincing.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi remained silent¡ªclearly, he did not believe her words. ¡°The messages I sent you, why didn¡¯t you respond?¡±

    ¡°...¡± How should she respond? She simply kept quiet.

    Since she did not answer, Qi Chengzhi said impatiently, ¡°Since you¡¯re off work, why don¡¯t youe down already.¡±

    ¡°You...came to thepany?¡± Song Yu could not imagine that he would actuallye to her. Did he not understand the word restraint?

    ¡°...¡±

    When she did not hear an answer from him, she assumed that he silently affirmed it and felt no need to answer her.

    Song Yu did not realize that she was beginning to understand Qi Chengzhi more and more.

    ¡°I need to work overtime today.¡± Song Yu took out the stuff she packed in her bag and ced them back on the table. She dilly-dallied and foresaw that she would be wasting her time in thepany.

    The sound of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s scoffing could be heard through the phone. He then said, ¡°Do I need to give Zhao Rongcheng a call?¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips immediately. In her mind, she knew that there was no way out, so she sighed and answered, ¡°I¡¯m going down now.¡±

    She hung up, grabbed her bag, and intended to head out, but then she sat back down again.

    She waited until the office was almost empty, then she walked out.

    Once she was out of thepany, she did not spot Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover on the strip of road closest to thepany entrance. She subsequently directed her gaze to the opposite road.

    As expected, the Range Rover was parked there.

    There were no traffic lights around her vicinity. If she wanted to make use of a traffic light and cross the road, she would have to walk much farther.

    All Song Yu could do was carefully avoid the oing cars as she walked across to the opposite side of the road.

    When she walked to the front passenger side of the car, she looked left and right. Satisfied that there was no one she knew, she got into the car as fast as she could.

    The car heater was turned on, but the window on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side was wound down.

    He was not wearing his sses¡ªthey were ced on his dashboard.

    He wore a camel-colored, sheep¡¯s wool overcoat on top of his ck suit. His left hand held a cigarette. He squinted and took a puff from it, then he ced it out the window and flicked it.

    Even though the window was open, the car still smelled of tobo.

    Song Yu was appealed by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smoking because it was very manly, but she did not like the smell of smoke.

    The tobo smell and the stuffiness inside the car made Song Yu¡¯s eyes felt rather sore, so she could not help but frown.

    Upon noticing her reaction, Qi Chengzhi opened the car door quietly and threw the cigarette onto the floor. He extinguished it with the sole of his shoe and proceeded to shut the door. He waited until the smoke dissipated from the car before winding up the window.

    ¡°What took you so long?¡± he turned and asked.

    Ten minutes ago, she hung up and said that she would being down immediately. He waited and waited but she had yet to appear, so he lit a cigarette out of boredom.

    He had never waited that long for anyone. He would have been long gone if anyone had kept him waiting for more than a minute.

    On that asion, Qi Chengzhi felt somewhat impatient after being made to wait for so long, but the instant he saw her walking out of thepany entrance, his mood turned calm for some reason.

    Wrapped in a white-colored, sheep¡¯s wool overcoat, she stood with grace and neatness¡ªher purity was a beautiful sight.

    In a sh, he felt as though he was transported back to the time when she was still in high school. Back then, she was beautiful, quiet, and had the innocence of youth.

    The years passed by in the blink of an eye and she became much more beautiful.

    Qi Chengzhi felt satisfied when he saw her search around and walked slowly over to him.

    Some people were worth the wait.

    Moments ago, when she stood by his car and looked around suspiciously and carefully, Qi Chengzhi already knew what she was thinking.

    He understood, but he was still unable to prevent his feelings of shame and depression from surfacing.

    When he asked her the question, Song Yu looked nervously at him, as if thinking about whether she should tell him the truth.

    ¡°I was afraid someone from thepany might see me and gossip about it,¡± she looked down and answered softly. She nervously looked up at him because she feared that he would be angry.

    At times, Qi Chengzhi had little consideration.

    His face remained unemotive and he said nothing. His eyes stared at her and made her feel unnerved because she could not see whether he was angry or not.

    Although he was gloomy because it seemed like it was something bad, he was actually d that Song Yu told him the truth instead of concocting something simply to please him.

    As a result of that contradictoriness, all of a sudden, Qi Chengzhi moved closer to her.

    Instead of rejecting his advances, a frightened Song Yu became particrly nervous. She unknowingly held her breath and leaned backward, causing the back of her head and her body to press tightly against the car seat.

 Chapter 72 - Qi Chengzhi, Enough Already!

    <h4>Chapter 72: Qi Chengzhi, Enough Already!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Instead of rejecting his advances, a frightened Song Yu became incredibly nervous. She held her breath unknowingly and leaned backward, causing the back of her head and her body to press tightly against the car seat.

    His face was almost stered against hers. She breathed in the faint and indescribably intoxicating amalgamation of tobo and cologne.

    Simply smelling that scent was enough to make Song Yu¡¯s face redden. It sent her heart into a frenzy, and she was unable to resist its effects on her.

    The absence of his sses enabled his thickshes to be disyed right in front of her eyes.

    His eyelids gently tremored, and his eyshes moved too. A gentle shadow was produced beneath his eyes, and it made her unable to control herself from touching him.

    It took a lot of effort for her to restrain herself, but her gaze¡ªwhich had a mind of its own¡ªshifted to his lips. Reminiscing the passionate intensity with which he kissed her, it felt so familiar to her, as if it happened just moments ago.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips began heating up and they trembled involuntarily.

    Noticing his outstretched hand nearlying into contact with her cheek, Song Yu closed her eyes intuitively.

    However, she did not feel his warm hands even after some time had passed. Puzzled, she lifted her eyelid ever so slightly and noticed a smirk on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face. He pulled the seatbelt from across her body and buckled her up.

    Song Yu was so embarrassed that her face turned red in that instant. Heughed at her because she had allowed her vivid imagination to run wild.

    Although the seatbelt had been fastened, Qi Chengzhi still remained in the same position. His right hand, which was originally grasping the seatbelt, shifted rapidly to her waist. He brushed aside her wool jacket and gently caressed her waist. Her thin, skin-tight sweater was the only thing separating them.

    Song Yu trembled from the scalding heat. Afraid to lift her head up, she looked down but did not close her eyes.

    Sporting a high ponytail, she looked just like a young and innocent student. Although she was wearing a pure-white wool jacket, it was no match for the fairness of her near-translucent skin. Her cheek, however, was flushed pink due to the chilliness of the wind that blew on her face moments ago.

    Below her straight and beautiful nose, her pink lips were moist and enticing.

    Locked quietly in his embrace, her submissiveness made him feel as though time paused right in the middle of that tranquil moment.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head slowly and pressed his lips gently on hers. His soft strokes tempted her to lose herself and open her mouth; his tongue then made its assault by parting through her lips and her pearly white teeth.

    As his tongue was assailing, he suddenly applied more pressure to his kisses. The back of her head was pressed hard against the chair and rubbed against it, creating a scratching sound.

    His kisses became more intense and forceful, as though the word gentle was not in his dictionary. He was a man who acted on his own volition.

    Song Yu lost all sense of herself when he was kissing her. He was the one who lead the way. Both of Song Yu¡¯s hands were unable to resist moving over to his chest. Separated only by the fabric of his shirt, she could feel his body heat and the rapid thumping of his heart.

    She was in a daze because his kisses made her brain somewhatcking in oxygen. She felt him release her gradually, but he did not immediately break away.

    With his forehead pressed against hers, his lips still appeared to be rubbing against hers.

    Their breaths were released onto their lips, and they were both so warm that they could not feel the cold wind outside.

    ¡°I take it that you thought it through,¡± Qi Chengzhi said hoarsely. His lips were still sticking to hers, and it felt like his hoarse voice was entering her mouth.

    Even after he sat back on his seat, Song Yu still did note back to her senses. She had no idea what had just happened.

    When her brain finally started to work again and she collected her thoughts, she remembered the words he said. By then though, it was toote, and a considerable amount of time had passed since then.

    ¡®I take it that you thought it through.¡¯

    Did she think it through?

    What exactly did she think though? The man was simply making decisions on her behalf.

    Her face still remained warm and she had yet to recover from the effects of the kiss.

    His warmth and taste lingered on her lips and teeth. The taste of his tongue was delicate, and it had a hint of tobo.

    Her disconcerted thoughts had no order to them, and she simply looked down. All of a sudden, arge hand appeared.

    His sturdy, slender hand extended over and held her hand.

    Song Yu looked down at his exquisite hand. It was like the meticulous sculpture of an artist.

    It was fair, slender, and had an unwavering steadfastness to it.

    The nails on his fair and well-defined fingers were clipped neatly, but his manly scent still emanated even from the tiniest of cracks.

    Song Yu nced at him. He was looking directly in front, but from the side, a rxed brightness could be seen in his face.

    She wanted to pull her hand back, but he gripped it incredibly tightly. Sensing that she intended to retract her hands, he grasped her even more forcefully.

    Even if Song Yu had never been with a man before, she clearly understood what Qi Chengzhi was insinuating.

    A rush of blood surged to her brain¡ªshe was only using her fingertips...to hold his finger, but she saw that his words escted to lewdness!

    It was thest straw for Song Yu. She turned her red, shy, and furious face away. No longer able to take it, she pulled her hand back with all her might. As she did so, she eximed shyly and angrily, ¡°Qi Chengzhi, enough already!¡±

    She pulled her hand back forcefully, but Qi Chengzhi was also forcefully holding on to her. He even had a forgiving tone as she replied, ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss. If you do that, we¡¯ll get into an ident.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Song Yu was terribly infuriated, but she could not talk back to him.

    She was no match for someone who was not only shameless but could also put on a show of deadly earnestness while inverting right and wrong.

    Her thoughts unwittingly floated back to the first time he came over to her house to discuss the design. He sat on her bed, and inplete deadpan, asked if she would sleep with him.

    Now that she thought about it, he was tantly and purposely having his way with her like a rascal. To think that she did not suspect it all it! She had been too innocent back then!

    ¡°Alright, stop fussing around. We¡¯re here.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice jolted her back to her senses.

    It was then that Song Yu realized they were already at the Red Roof Club.

    Although Qi Chengzhi did not mention anything about it, Song Yu took one look at the Red Roof Club and feared that she might have to meet Yan Beicheng as well as the others.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. We¡¯re just having a meal.¡± Qi Chengzhi stopped the car and only let go of her hand because he needed to take the car keys out.

    How could she not be nervous? Song Yu nced at him and thought for a moment. When she met Yan Beicheng and the others previously, she met them in the capacity of an ordinary architect who wanted to get Qilin¡¯s business. This time around, what would her capacity be if she met them again?

    As she was still thinking, Qi Chengzhi had already put on his sses and opened the car door. Before he got down, Song Yu grabbed his shoulder hurriedly and said, ¡°Wait!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped his motion of getting down the car, turned around, then looked suspiciously at her.

    Song Yu fished out a packet of tissues from her bag. She took a piece and gave it to him, remarking uneasily, ¡°There¡¯s still lipstick on your mouth. You should wipe it off before going in.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at her hand and the tissue, then he looked up at her again. He did not take the tissue, but instead, he grabbed her waist suddenly. He carried her to hisp and hugged her tightly.

    She was trapped in between him and the steering wheel. Her back felt rather painful as it was pressed against the steering wheel, so she had no other choice but to lean into his embrace.

    She pushed him a good few times because they were in front of the club¡¯s entrance. Guests or attendants mighte and go at any time, and it would be terrible if someone saw them like that.

    Furthermore, the door to the driver¡¯s seat was still wide open!

    Qi Chengzhi did not let go. On the contrary, he hugged her even tighter.

    Her high ponytail gave her a look of freshness and purity. Her exposed, fair-colored neck was beautifully and seductively contoured.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and ced his lips on the supple skin of her neck, kissing her skin and rubbing against it.

    Song Yu felt numb and ticklish from his rubbing, so she pulled back.

    Another day had passed, and a new set of stubble had grown. Although they just emerged and it was virtually impossible to measure their length, the rubbing and pricking of her skin were unbearable.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rub like that, it¡¯s painful,¡± Song Yu protested and shifted her neck to the side in order to avoid it.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped as shepleted her sentence. He raised his head and saw that the lipstick had been rubbed onto her neck.

    He looked at Song Yu¡¯s neck. In the beginning, it was fair, but rubbing his freshly-emerging stubble on it made it red, and it did seem rather unsightly.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted unhappily. Song Yu was curious: it was he who rubbed her neck until it was red, but why was he was the unhappy one? Was he angry because her skin was too delicate or because his stubble was too rough?

    Song Yu watched as his thin lips¡ªwhich he forbade any stranger froming into contact with¡ªpursed and became even sterner.

    He kneaded his fingertips gently against the redness on her neck, as if he was trying to rub the redness away.

    Well, if he did not use his stubble to rub against her, she would not have been sore.

    Before she could say that, Qi Chengzhi lowered his head again.

    He no longer went and rubbed over her neck. His actions became light touches here and there. He kissed the parts she suffered abrasion with the gentlest of kisses. One after another, the kisses were moist and soft; tender and intimate. Once in a while, the tip of his tongue would lick her wounds.

    The numbing, tickling feeling made Song Yu unable to refrain from giggling, but her body was so weak that she could not even generate the slightest amount of strength to avoid him.

    However, those tender kisses began turning into more forceful ones, and those light pecks turned into heavy kisses. Somewhere along the line, his hand found its way into her sweater and onto her breast.

    Song Yu¡¯s was shocked back to her senses. She began to struggle and frantically pushed him away with all of her strength. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, we¡¯re in public! Stop!¡±

    He remained steadfast and held on to her as though he did not hear a thing.

    ¡°Are we going in or not!¡± Song Yu asked manically. Her body was trying its best to lean backward.

    Her back pressed ufortably against the steering wheel, and the pressure she applied inadvertently led to the horn being pressed. ¡®Ba...¡¯ came the loud, ear-piercing sound.

    Perhaps due to the sudden and loud sound produced by the horn, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind began to think straight.

    He slowly let her go, but the fire in his eyes still remained.

    His cheeks were flushed as he took a deep breath and looked at the panic-stricken Song Yu.

    After exhaling the breath of air, he ced both hands onto her waist and held her tightly. Gnashing his teeth, he said, ¡°Sooner orter, I¡¯m going to take care of you!¡±

    His sentence choked Song Yu up and made her forget to breathe. Her face turned red too.

    His incredible patience could be seen in his stern and rigid facial expression. The threats he uttered were apanied by a conquering, beast-like radiance that had umted in his eyes. Her heart began to palpitate and she was slightly scared.

    Qi Chengzhi carried her up and ced her back down on the front passenger seat. He then promptly got off the car.

    Song Yu felt weak in her knees. She calmed herself for a moment before opening the car door and getting off. She looked down and dared not nce at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze, which seemed to be rife with the desire to devour her.

    She was never one for wearing gloves; it was her habit to ce her hands into the pockets of her overcoat.

    Qi Chengzhi locked the car and saw her actions. He ced his hand suddenly into her pocket and held her hand, wrapping it in his sturdy palm.

    Then, he took her hand out of her pocket and ced it into the pocket of his jacket.

    Such a move would inevitably mean that she would be close to him. Their arms intersected, and it was indescribably intimate when his manly fragrance wafted continuously toward her.

    His pocket was warm, and his palm was hot. The heat from his palm transmitted to all parts of her body.

    Song Yu could not resist looking up at him. His gaze remained fixated ahead, and there was not even the slightest emotion on his face. His intentions werepletely unconjecturable, and his expressionless face waspletely at odds with his actions.

    After walking for a bit, Song Yu, who by then had turned calm after being blown by the cold wind, remembered the incident involving her house key.

    ¡°You opened the door for mest night. My house key is with you, isn¡¯t it?¡± Song Yu lifted her head and looked up at him.

    Qi Chengzhi glimpsed at her frigidly and did not reply.

    When he did not answer, Song Yu panicked. The hand that was inside his pocket pinched the web between his thumb and forefinger. ¡°Is it with you or not? If it¡¯s been taken by someone else, it¡¯s going to be really dangerous, and I¡¯d have to change my locks!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi once again gazed indifferently at her, and finally opened his mouth and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to change the locks.¡±

    His words implied that the keys were with him.

    Immediately, Song Yu stretched out her other hand¡ªthe one that was not being held by him¡ªand ced it palm-up in front of him. ¡°Well, please return them to me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi gazed down. He nced briefly at her outstretched palm. Ignoring her question, he continued looking ahead of him.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand was still outstretched in front of him, and if she were to keep it up, her hand would turn red from the cold wind.

    Qi Chengzhi finally said, ¡°Put your hand back into your pocket. It¡¯s too cold for you to be taking them out.¡±

    ¡°...¡±¡±Then return my keys to me!¡±

    Song Yu only retracted her hand back when an attendant of the Red Roof Club, who was dressed in the regal clothes of the Qing dynasty, weed them in. It was not very nice to be arguing in public.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± the waiter greeted respectfully as his eyes instinctively darted to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket.

 Chapter 73 - All You Cradle-Snatchers Donâ€™t Take Advantage of Me

    <h4>Chapter 73: All You Cradle-Snatchers Don¡¯t Take Advantage of Me</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± the waiter greeted respectfully as his eyes instinctively darted to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand was firmly entrenched in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pocket; their hands entangled. A sweet and loving scene to any onlookers.

    The waiter had never seen Qi Chengzhi bring anydies to their establishment before. Now with Song Yu in tow,pounded with the disy of such affection and intimacy, the waiter could hardly be med for his double take.

    Years working in Red Roof Club, the waiter had seen people from all walks of life, including the female escorts that weremonly brought in by the young heirs of prestigious families or high-ranking CEOs.

    Song Yu, however, bore no semnce to those female escorts. She had an air of modesty and innocence with none of the usual pretenses. Her lightly-tinted red lips, along with her fairplexion, gave her a youthful demeanor.

    She was like a breath of fresh air after years of musky colognes and overwhelming perfumes.

    The waiter allowed his gaze to linger, just to realise Qi Changzhi¡¯s stare fixed on him when he snapped out of it. It was a stare colder than the winter winds.

    The waiter shivered and averted his eyes from the youngdy. He nodded his head in acquiescence. ¡°Young Master Cheng, this way please.¡±

    They were escorted to a room. As she stood at the door, Song Yu realized that it was the same room she visited when delivering the sses.

    Thoughts of the people beyond the door made Song Yu retract her hand, but Qi Chengzhi quickly tightened his grip in response, holding her hand captive.

    Simultaneously, he scowled at her.

    The sternness of his look quelled any resistance from her end.

    Song Yu felt slightly guilty at this, as if she had done something wrong. Her hand remained obediently in his pocket, epting its fate of being held.

    The waiter gave the door two perfunctory knocks before opening it. Qi Chengzhi entered the room with Song Yu in tow and the waiter quietly shut the door.

    Qi Chengzhi halted his footsteps right after the doorway and regarded the crowd inside with amusement.

    It was the same old crowd asst time. Yan Beicheng and the others were seated around the round table, leaving one empty chair clearly meant for Qi Chengzhi.

    The meal was not served, which probably meant that they were all waiting for Qi Chengzhi.

    Their initial gaze fell on Qi Chengzi, then to Song Yu beside him, and finally to the linked hands between them.

    Disbelief crossed their faces,. ¡®How long have they been together? Is it confirmed now that they¡¯re holding hands?¡¯

    As the initial shock faded, their expressions molded into enjoyment. ¡®Qi Chengzhi truly is ady-charmer! Didn¡¯t take him long to get the girl.¡¯

    Under scrutiny of the men, Song Yu resisted the urge to hide behind Qi Chengzhi.

    It would be embarrassing if she could not even handle this modicum of attention.

    Song Yu steeled her resolve as Qi Chengzhi nonchntly pulled her to the table.

    The empty seat was between Qi Chenglin and Chu Zhaoyang. Aware of the situation, Qi Chenglin and Wei Zilin both shifted one seat to allow Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sit together at the table.

    Song Yu was d that she was seated beside Qi Chenglin, whom she felt was friendlier than Chu Zhaoyang.

    Across the table, Yan Beicheng whipped out his phone and started texting furiously.

    After a moment, he put his phone away. With glee in his eyes, he spoke, ¡°Song...¡±

    ¡°Sister-inw.¡± Qi Chengzhi interrupted with a tone that brook no dissent.

    Yan Beicheng nearly choked on the air he breathed. That girl Song Yu looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old. The thought of calling someone that young ¡®sister-inw¡¯ was unsettling.

    ¡°Sister-inw!¡± As Yan Beicheng was struggling to get the words out, Qi Chenglin happily obliged.

    Yan Beicheng cursed Qi Chenglin under his breath. He was a man of thirty odd years, calling a girl as young as Song Yu ¡®sister-inw¡¯ with all the willingness and eagerness of a young child.

    Right after Qi Chenglin¡¯s salutation, Wei Zilin followed suit as if not wanting to lose out. ¡°Sister-inw!¡±

    Song Yu was growing steadily ufortable by each greeting. She did not think that Qi Chengzhi would introduced her as such.

    Justst night, she was wondering if this was just a game for Qi Chengzhi.

    Now, however, it seemed that he was actually serious about this.

    If all of this was just a fling, he would not have brought her to meet important people like them. He would not have insisted that they should call her ¡®sister-inw¡¯ and acknowledge her status.

    The salutation ¡®sister-inw¡¯ was not easily uttered by these powerful men.

    Song Yu involuntarily looked to Qi Chengzhi. The man was casually flipping through the menu.

    Feeling her gaze on him, Qi Chengzhi shifted his attention from the menu to her.

    Caught off guard, Song Yu was paralyzed by the warmth in his look.

    This time, she was sure of it. Staring straight at him, the affection never left his eyes.

    The warmth and affection in his eyes felt like aged wine, one sip of it and one would be drunk on it.

    Song Yu felt her face reddened and her heartbeat quicken.

    Her downcast eyes showcased those long eyshes that fluttered like a butterfly¡¯s wings. Qi Chengzhi swallowed the urge to kiss theshes.

    Yan Beicheng cursed again under his breath, ¡°The f*ck.¡± He called out to Wei Zilin, ¡°Wei Zilin, have you lost your principles? Qi Chenglin calling her sister-inw is premature, but she could eventually marry into the family. But you? You¡¯re not even their family.¡±

    The idea of marriage startled Song Yu. ¡®Would that really happen?¡¯ she thought.

    In her distraught state, she had a mind to ask Qi Chengzhi for the answer.

    When she looked up, she could see the corners of his mouth tugging into a smile, his eyes still regarding her with fondness.

    Song Yu looked away and felt her heart race like a horse on a racetrack. She was not used to the level of affection he was showing.

    ¡®What¡¯s going on with him today? Is he sick?¡¯

    She could not even hold his usual calm gaze, let alone this.

    As she was deep in thought, a hand came and rested on top of her fingers that were worrying her pants. The strong hand held firm and the slightly calloused thumb rubbed gently at her palm.

    She gradually allowed herself to rx and gingerly intertwined their fingers.

    Qi Chengzhi showed no outward emotions at her tightening grip but a hint of a smile graced the edges of his eyes. He gently squeezed her hand.

    Seeing her hand grasped in his, Song Yu could not believe this was real. In the background, Wei Zilin spoke out, ¡°I have a sister-inw who¡¯s of the same age as Song Yu. When she married into the family, she was only eighteen. Song Yu here is twenty-five. I don¡¯t see anything weird about that. I¡¯m used to it by now, so I don¡¯t know what principles are you talking about?¡±

    Yan Beicheng huffed and looked at Chu Zhaoyang.

    Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s face betrayed nothing. Qi Chengzhi was not much of a talker, but his words could cut.

    Chu Zhaoyang was basically a mute, expecting him to say a few words was just hope wasted.

    Even though Qi Chengzhi told them to call Song Yu sister-inw, it was understood that he was excluded from saidmand.

    The fact that he nodded at Song Yu was sufficient to show his acknowledgment of her status.

    Yan Beicheng took a cigarette and held it between his fingers. He leaned back in his chair, angling his body to face the couple. With his cigarette hand resting on the table, he looked like a gangster.

    Among all the gentlemen present, Yan Beicheng¡¯s stance on the couple was the most obvious.

    ¡°Chengzhi, I acknowledge Song Yu¡¯s status. She is my sister-inw and anyone who dares harm her will have me answer to. But if you want me to call someone so young sister-inw, I honestly can¡¯t bring myself to do it. When I was running amok, she was still in kindergarten ying with her snot. All you cradle-snatchers. First it was Wei Zilin, now you too. Don¡¯t take advantage of me,¡± Yan Beicheng ranted off. The cigarette wobbled precariously between his fingers, looking as if it would plunge to its death without ever being lit.

    The corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eye twitched as his expression darkened.

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s sentiment indirectly pointed out the age gap between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    The age gap between Song Yu and himself had always been a thorn in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side.

    Based on real-world statistics, women outlived men on average, and he was nine years older than Song Yu. In times of idleness, thoughts of the far, far future troubled him.

    He debated on whether to write up a will, just in case he died first. A use would be added beneath all the important details to prevent Song Yu from straying after his death.

    He was a selfish man through and through. Even after death, he would want the things that were his to remain as such forever.

    Yan Beicheng took out his lighter. Ruffled by the words ¡ª more specifically the thoughts and emotions evoked by said words ¡ª Qi Chengzhi coldly spoke, ¡°Song Yu doesn¡¯t like the smell of smoke. Hold it.¡±

    Yan Beicheng stopped his actions. He was dumbfounded by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s orders.

    ¡°But... most of the gang have some level of nicotine addiction.¡± The words rushed out of his mouth, though he slowly packed away his cigarette.

    Song Yu was feeling apologetic for having them make concessions for her, they hardly knew her. She had a certain degree of respect for these men and did not want them to think of her as such a bother. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Please do as you will and don¡¯t worry about me. I¡¯m not that against smoking.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned and looked at her pointedly. ¡°Oh? With them, you¡¯re fine with the smoke but you frown when I light only one cigarette?¡±

    Her face turned red at being called out. Song Yu never verbally expressed her disapproval of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smoking habits, yet he noticed her bodynguage.

    ¡°Haha, we¡¯re not that addicted to nicotine,¡± Qi Chenglin proimed jovially. No one else seemed to be itching for a cigarette, including Yan Beicheng.

    Even the quiet Chu Zhaoyang was putting back his cigarette, though no one saw him taking it out in the first ce.

    ...

    ...

    How rare for Qi Chengzhi to be bringing ady; Song Yu, of alldies. This was the first formal introduction and Qi Chengzhi was not shy about it. All in all, it was a happy asion and they ordered a generous amount of alcohol.

    That night, Qi Chengzhi was the man of the hour. No one dared to pressure Song Yu to drink, so they let her have her fruit juice in peace. Qi Chengzhi on the other hand, they were not able to let pass.

    ¡°Finally someone wants Qi Chengzhi. After so many years of bachelorhood, it must have been difficult,¡± Yan Beicheng howled.

    Holding his beer, Qi Chenglin joined in the fun. ¡°After all these years, I finally know how my sister-inw looks like.¡±

    A tremor went through her hand that was holding the chopsticks, almost making her drop the cutlery.

    Hearing Yan Beicheng and Qi Chenglin¡¯s words, could it be that Qi Chengzhi had never dated?

    Impossible.

    The man never cared for his reputation and took every opportunity to behave like a hoodlum. She doubted that he could stay single.

    Song Yu chanced a nce at Qi Chengzhi. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood, despite knowing his buddies were goading him to drink. They wereing up with all sorts of weird facts and reasons to invite him to drink and he did not decline. One ss after another, Qi Chengzhi downed the alcohol.

    Although he drank excessively, Song Yu stayed mum. She trusted him to know how to pace himself and not get t-out drunk. She figured trying to stop him in front of his friends would only kill the mood.

    The drinking went on and one by one, the grown men rushed in and out of the restroom to relieve their dders.

    When it was Song Yu¡¯s turn, she found Qi Chenglin hogging the ensuite restroom.

    She decided to go to the restroom outside and informed Qi Chengzhi.

    Despite the heavy drinking, Qi Chengzhi appeared to be quite sober, his clear eyes were attentive.

    ¡°I¡¯ll apany you.¡± He put down his chopsticks and proceeded to get up.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Song Yu quickly pulled him back to his seat. ¡°I can go myself.¡±

    Fearing that he would push the matter, Song Yu hastily left the room.

    As she escaped, the forgotten phone on the table started to ring.

    Qi Chengzhi looked sharply at the foreign number on the screen. His lips pursed at the offending call.

    He picked up the phone after a few rings, swiping the phone with his long fingers. He put the phone to his ear but said nothing.

    ¡°Song Song, it¡¯s me.¡± The longing voice of Jian Yi sounded from the phone.

    Anger shed in his eyes. Qi Chengzhi had blocked Jian Yi¡¯s original number, yet here he was with a new number.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up, not wanting to him a chance to borate. He skillfully dragged this number into the block list. He wondered how many new numbers would Jian Yi use to get to Song Yu.

    Jian Yi stared at his phone screen, the words ¡®Call ended¡¯ was a clear sign of rejection. His heart filled with sorrow as he leaned against the cold corridor wall.

    ¡®Now she doesn¡¯t even want to speak to me?¡¯ he thought.

    She used to love chatting with him.

    No matter howte, knowing that it was him calling would enliven her, the drowsiness in her voice reced with enthusiasm.

    Jian Yi could almost taste the bitterness in his mouth. He turned around to walk back and that was when he saw Song Yu walking in his direction.

    For a second, he thought he was hallucinating.

    ¡®If Song Yu is here, then who was that on the phone?¡¯

    ¡°Song Song.¡± Jian Yi gravitated toward Song Yu. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Song Yu did not expect to run into Jian Yi here. Clearly fate was ying tricks on her.

    She nodded impassively and greeted, ¡°Mister Jian.¡± Then, she brushed past him and left.

    Song Yu used to smile whenever they met and look where they stand now. Jian Yi could not stand it.

    He attempted to grab Song Yu¡¯s arm, just to talk to her, but he was a step toote. Song Yu had quickened her steps and slipped through his fingers.

    He thought about chasing after her but was interrupted by a voice behind him, ¡°Jian Yi, what are you doing outside? We¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    Qi Chengyue walked up to Jian Yi, following his line of sight but seeing nothing. Song Yu had already fled the scene.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as she linked arms with him. Dazed by the turn of events, a slight frown formed on his face.

    ¡°Nothing. Just came out for some air.¡± Jian Yi shifted his focus to Qi Chengyue. He put on his best fake smile to cate the girl.

    Qi Chengyue was born with delicate and attractive features that rivaled that of a post-cosmetic enhancement celebrity. However, Jian Yi just could not replicate the feeling of affection that he had for Song Yu.

    Song Yu had always been his dream girl, ever since he was a young boy. She represented the part of him that was pure and innocent.

    Qi Chengyue smiled sweetly andced her fingers through his hand.

    ¡°I understand that you¡¯re not used to this and you may not like theirpany, but they are the young generation of the families. Socializing with them will only benefit you,¡± Qi Chengyue encouraged him in a soft tone.

    ¡°I know. Don¡¯t worry about me.¡± Jian Yi gave her a gentle look. He caressed her face and gave her a kiss on the forehead.

    This whole time Song Yu was standing at the corner of the corridor wall and listened in on Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s conversation. She shook her head and decided to leave.

    Song Yu cautiously peeked around the corner. There was no signs of Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue. She overheard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words about leaving and figured that they would have been gone by now.

    She did not want to confront the couple, especially since Qi Chengyue thought the world of Jian Yi and believed that every girl was out to steal him. Her ego was too much for Song Yu to handle.

    Checking that the coast was clear, Song Yu made her way back. As she was approaching their room, a group of five was being led down the corridor by the waiter.

    Song Yu knew the five people. They were her schoolmates back in Jixia High School and among them were Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun.

    Due to the unfortunate incident at Shengyue, Song Yu knew that the two would not let her off the hook so easily.

    Song Yu sighed, fate was truly not on her side.

    ¡®Should have stayed home today. First I run into Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue, now it¡¯s this bunch of people.¡¯

    Song Yu internally debated on the ways to extricate herself from this social encounter. Retreating back to her corner seemed unfeasible, especially after Li Qianyi called out, ¡°Song Yu! What a coincidence!¡±

    Song Yu exhaled a deep sigh and forced the corners of her mouth to rise to the asion. She walked over to them. ¡°Yeah, what a coincidence indeed.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Li Qianyi gave her a cursory look over, not even bothering to hide her disdain and contempt. ¡°Here to entertain guests?¡±

    Thest time they met at Shengyue, Song Yu was apanied by Qi Chengzhi. That day, Li Qianyi was courteous toward her for fear of reprisal. She even went and ask Guan Xiaolin about them.

    Now that Qi Chengzhi was not around, Li Qianyi had no reasons to y nice.

    Back in the old days, Song Yu used to be the leading light in Jixia High School, her reputation stifling all the female student poption. Now that her star had faded, Li Qianyi could hardly wait to rub salt in the wound.

    Standing next to Li Qianyi, Wu Lijun giggled behind her hand. The demeaning look she gave Song Yu was as if she stumbled upon obscenity. ¡°Song Yu, even though you lost your status as ady from a notable family, that face of yours still gets you to ces huh? Shengyue, now Red Roof, you just keep climbing up the ranks. Your employer must like you a lot to bring you to Red Roof Club, this ce is not cheap.¡±

 Chapter 74 - Whose Kid Is This? So Stupid That Theyâ€™d Flirt with My Girl Right in Front of Me.

    <h4>Chapter 74: Whose Kid Is This? So Stupid That They¡¯d Flirt with My Girl Right in Front of Me.</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Standing next to Li Qianyi, Wu Lijun giggled behind her hand. The demeaning look she gave Song Yu was as if she stumbled upon obscenity. ¡°Song Yu, even though you lost your status as ady from a notable family, that face of yours still gets you to ces huh? Shengyue, now Red Roof, you just keep climbing up the ranks. Your employer must like you a lot to bring you to Red Roof Club, this ce is not cheap.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s expression sunk thoroughly. The insinuation behind Wu Lijun¡¯s words were so clear-cut that there was no way Song Yu could have missed the underlying meaning.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say stuff like that, Lijun. Maybe the circumstances in Song Yu¡¯s life were so dire that she had to no other choice. Back in the day, she was the noblest and most beautiful girl in the school, and yet today she¡¯s facing such hardships. What she¡¯s doing is no more than sitting around the drinking table,ughing and befriending her clients, and now she¡¯s...¡± Li Qianyi put on a hesitant appearance.

    She paused her sentence halfway and shook her head in dismay. ¡°Song Yu, if you really need help, tell us. We¡¯re all friends and I¡¯m sure there¡¯s something we can do to help. Don¡¯t degrade yourself. Secrets can¡¯t be kept forever and if your reputation turns bad, how¡¯re you going to marry next time?¡±

    From the looks of it, Li Qianyi¡¯s words seemed to show concern toward Song Yu. In actuality, each of those sentences ndered her by saying that she made a living through sleeping with and befriending guests.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression turned stone-cold and an uncontroble anger was burning within her heart.

    At first, these people had nothing to do with her so there was no need for her to exin anything to them or clear her reputation. She wanted to just nod and make sure she never cross path with them again in the future. After hearing their words, though, she was unable to resist firing back some of her own.

    She became nk, however, just as soon as she wanted to speak.

    Standing a mere few steps behind them was Qi Chengzhi.

    There was a cigarette in between his lips. His suit jacket had been left inside the room and his dress shirt was folded up to the elbows, revealing his strong forearms.

    His necktie ¨C the tail end of which was stuffed into the cket of his shirt ¨C was loosened considerably and three of his shirt buttons were opened. His left shoulder leaned against the wall, supporting his lean figure. Such a pose made his legs look much longer than it normally was.

    Having listened to Li Qianyi¡¯s words, Qi Chengzhi squinted. His clean, well-defined, and slender fingers reached for the cigarette; a puff of smoke was then exhaled from his stern-looking lips.

    Even in such a time, Song Yu still became absent-minded when looking at him. She felt that he had a bad-boy look. She began to feel worried for Li Qianyi and her group as she saw he squint.

    She did not notice when he arrived, how long had he been standing there, or how much of their conversations had he heard.

    Nheless, her heart calmed down the instant she saw him. The anger she previously had disappeared and she realized that Li Qianyi¡¯s words were undeserving of her wrath.

    Her heart had something to rely on and the thing she wanted to do most was to run right into his embrace.

    During the moment where Song Yu went nk and was unable to refute them, a man behind Li Qianyi said, ¡°Song Yu, why waste yourself on them? The men you befriend must be rather old, right? They¡¯d have a wife. And since they¡¯re middle-aged, their body, their looks, not to mention their stamina, won¡¯t be any good.¡±

    ¡°If you wanted to find someone, you might as well find me. It won¡¯t be a one-off transaction with me. Cars, houses, and just about everything, will be yours if you be my woman. I guarantee you¡¯ll be as well-off as you were previously. And if you go out with me, no one would dare to look down on you,¡± Gao Jingqiu proimed arrogantly. His gaze swept across Song Yu¡¯s face but he was not able to contain the redness of his lust and desire.

    In truth, he liked Song Yu ever since they were in Jixia High School.

    At that time, however, Song Yu was betrothed to Qi Chengji and there was no way he could offend the Qi family.

    He knew that plenty of guys in high school liked Song Yu, but no one dared to hit Song Yu up because that would be interfering with the Qi family.

    The opportunity came when the Song family went bankrupt some timeter. It was a pity, though, because by then, he lost contact with Song Yu.

    Song Yu remained in Gao Jingqiu¡¯s heart for a long time. Although he feared that he would not see her again in his lifetime, the feelings he had for her were kept buried in his heart.

    He did not expect the heavens to look kindly upon him, for it was to his surprise that he met her there. Naturally, he would not let go of this opportunity.

    Li Qianyi and the others seemed to suggest that Song Yu had slept with many men. Despite feeling disgusted, he saw how Song Yu¡¯s pure and beautiful face looked seventeen or eighteen instead of twenty-five. Then, he felt as though he did not care how many men Song Yu slept with, all he cared about was to sleep with her.

    After all, it did not matter if she was pure and clean, he would not marry her anyway. Even so, it was enough for him if he could make sure that he was her only man in the future.

    It was such a coincidence that Song Yucked money. Was that not a sign that the Almighty was on his side?

    Gao Jingqiu became more and more pleased. The corner of his lips could not resist curling up into a confident smile, as though he already had Song Yu eating from the palm of his hand.

    Song Yu was so infuriated she did not know whether tough or cry. From the very beginning, she did not even say a single word, but those people had already drawn up their own conclusions for her. Theypletely disregarded the truth and they simply decided that whatever came out from their mouths was the correct version of events.

    It wasughable to see them believing that they were infallible.

    ¡°Whose kid is this? So stupid that they¡¯d flirt with my girl right in front of me.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold voice was heard just as words were about to spill from Song Yu¡¯s mouth.

    He threw the cigarette onto the floor and crushed it with his feet before walking toward her.

    cing his hands into his pant pockets, he walked over leisurely, with a confidence that seemed to stem from having everything in control.

    She looked at Qi Chengzhi and then at the group who was in front of her. They were about the same age as her, around twenty-five. Gao Jingqiu alone had a distinct temperament, since he was the pampered son of a wealthy family. However, whenpared to Qi Chengzhi, he was nothing but a na?ve kid who could not possibly be on par with Qi Chengzhi.

    If it were any other day, Qi Chengzhi would not have even looked at them.

    Qi Chengzhi walked over to Song Yu¡¯s side and ced his hand over her shoulders. He nced at Gao Jingqiu and sneered suddenly, ¡°I don¡¯t have a wife, neither am I middle-aged. As far as I know, my looks, my body, and my stamina isn¡¯t too bad. And I never knew that for one to be my girlfriend would be self-degrading.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu¡¯s face turned red immediately. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s askance gaze and that brief mockingughter was a clear indication of how lightly Qi Chengzhi regarded him.

    Nevertheless, Gao Jingqiu was afraid to refute him.

    Faced with Qi Chengzhi, he had no right to even raise his head.

    There was an inevitable and vast change to their expressions. Once the redness of his humiliation began to subside, a pale white expression was all he had on his face.

    He never imagined that Song Yu¡¯s current boyfriend was Qi Chengzhi!

    His words seemed to show that he was not simply ying around with Song Yu. In effect, he said that she was his girlfriend!

    His hopes of getting her were all but dashed. Those days, when she was still engaged with Qi Chengji, he did not dare to try and win her over. What more when her man was reced by the even more frightening Qi Chengzhi?

    He was still clueless how she ended up with the elder brother after breaking up with the younger one. Surely it would not be nice if words had spread out?

    However, he was not thinking of all that at the time. He thought about the words that he said previously and was not only anxious, but scared too. With no idea how Qi Chengzhi would deal with him, he was afraid to look directly at Qi Chengzhi.

    There was none of that arrogance he disyed previously. In ce of it was a petrified look that was absolutely disgraceful.

    Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun were even more nervous. ¡®Didn¡¯t Guan Xiaolin say that Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were not involved with each other?!¡¯

    All they hoped for was that Qi Chengzhi camete and did not manage to hear what they said.

    Pale-faced, their singr intention was to keep their heads low and leave; a far cry from their prior enjoyment ofughing at Song Yu¡¯s misfortune.

    Song Yu saw how nervous they were but was not at all sympathetic toward them. Sympathy was reserved only for those deserving of it. If Qi Chengzhi did not appear, they would not have let her go and if that happened, the embarrassed party would have been her.

    In light of that, Song Yu ignored their anxiousness without feeling burdened by it. She turned and looked at the reliable person beside her ¨C the handsome, sculpture-like man ¨C and said, ¡°Why did youe out?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ignored them as well. He looked at Song Yu and saw her calm expression. He noticed happiness in both her eyes but he did not overlook the anger and frustration that was present when she was targeted by those people.

    The warm hand that he wrapped behind her back held her even more firmly as he massaged her slender shoulders. His expression was reserved. ¡°You went to the bathroom for a very long time. I was worried that you ran into some trouble, so I went out to look around.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s enigmatic eyes then looked up at the regally-dressed attendant ¨C who was preparing to escort Li Qianyi and co back into their room ¨C and ordered, ¡°Call Yan Beicheng out.¡±

    Afraid to slight him, the attendant deserted Li Qianyi¡¯s group and ran into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room without even knocking the door.

    Not longter, Yan Beicheng came out while smoking his cigarette.

    Sans tie, three buttons of his navy dress shirt were unfastened and his sleeves were folded a few times right up his arm. Both his hands were ced inside his pant pockets.

    If Qi Chengzhi looked like a bad boy with a cigarette between his lips, Yan Beicheng would look as though he was itching to explode; his squinted eyes and rxed smoking suggested it.

    At first, she thought that Yan Beicheng woulde out only by himself. Surprisingly, a few steps behind him were Qi Chenglin, Wei Zilin, and Chu Zhaoyang.

    They either had a cigarette between their lips or between their fingers. They were taking advantage of her absence in the room to smoke a couple of rounds, it seemed.

    Very consciously, they threw down and extinguished their cigarettes once they walked along the corridor and stood behind her.

    As they stood behind her, they made for such an intimidating line-up that one would dread to open one¡¯s eyes. Li Qianyi and her friends trembled immediately upon seeing them.

    Li Qianyi¡¯s group were not a match for even one person in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s group.

    It scarcely crossed Li Qianyi and her group¡¯s mind that Song Yu would be involved in such an elite circle.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Yan Beicheng looked at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, then at Li Qianyi and the gang. He squinted his eyes teasingly.

    Just by looking at the anxiously-pale expression that adorned the faces of Li Qianyi and her friends, Yan Beicheng surmised that Qi Chengzhi found them bullying Song Yu.

    ¡°Have your club¡¯s standards dropped so low that anyone can enter? Didn¡¯t your club stipte from the beginning that only those of the upper ss are allowed? Why is it that those who simply have the money can also pass themselves off as being upper ss?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked askance at Yan Beicheng.

    Li Qianyi and her group were thoroughly insulted by his words but they did not speak even though they were angry.

    ¡°Did they pick on our sis-inw?¡± Yan Beicheng squinted. Back in the room, he clearly could not bring himself to call her his sister-inw but it came out so naturally then. Evidently, he was giving Song Yu face by calling her that in front of those people.

    As a result of Yan Beicheng¡¯s words, Li Qianyi¡¯s and Wu Lijun¡¯s lips trembled slightly. Even those who were utterly brainless would know the significance of someone like Yan Beicheng calling her his sister-inw.

    Qi Chengzhi was serious with Song Yu?

    Qi Chengzhi did not speak. Without needing to disy his anger, his sternly-pursed lips and expressionless face was enough to make the other party feel nervous.

    ¡°My sis-inw was wronged on your turf. You decide how to settle the situation!¡± Qi Chenglin ced both hands into his pant pockets and remarked frigidly.

    Wei Zilin chuckled softly and snickered, ¡°Your club seems to be less and less picky in choosing guests. Since today¡¯s good spirits has been ruined, perhaps our bros can¡¯t have their fun anymore in the future?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang, a man of few words, simply had a stony expression when summing up everything in three words. ¡°Such low standards.¡±

    Yan Beicheng chuckled a simple ¡®Hehe¡¯ and turned to the attendant. ¡°Send these five people out. Remember their names, their faces, and ban them for life from this club.¡±

    The expression of all five changed drastically into a contorted ugliness as a result of the insults.

    Gao Jingqiu had enough. How could he take such relentless insults!

    Hembasted, ¡°We are paying guests of the club. Young Master Yan, is this how you treat your guests?¡±

    ¡°Guest or not, you have to follow my standards. Guests of our club must fulfil the prerequisite of being those who have attained certain social status. Do you and your bunch of family-dishonoring jokers fulfil that requirement? If no, then please leave immediately. Don¡¯t tarnish our club by being here.¡± Yan Beicheng waved his hands, as if to shoo off a fly.

    Noticing them standing still with their ever-changing expressions, Yan Beicheng¡¯s temper red up. In a moment of impatience, he ordered the attendant, ¡°Call security! Throw them out!¡±

    ¡°No need, we¡¯ll go,¡± Li Zhuoan said calmly while standing beside Gao Jingqiu. He had listened to the jibes aimed at Song Yu earlier on but he neither stopped Li Qianyi nor participated in the insults.

    He seemed to be the brains of the group, since no one refuted him when he said those words. On close inspection, he did seem more level-headed and more mature than the others.

    Furthermore, if they really were escorted out by security, the ensuing ruckus would be massive and it would be even more humiliating.

    Knowing that Yan Beicheng was not ying the fool, all that Li Qianyi and her group could do was preserve thest shred of their dignity and head down with Li Zhuoan.

    Li Zhuoan took a few steps forward past Li Qianyi and stopped in front of Song Yu.

    ¡°They were taking things too far with what they said just now. It was a misunderstanding, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Li Zhuoan said softly. His clear eyes, under his long eyshes, looked at Song Yu¡¯s fair-skinned face.

    Before Song Yu could say anything, Qi Chengzhi squinted and said amorously, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He ced his arms around Song Yu¡¯s shoulders and walked past the room that Li Zhuoan and the gang was previously in, leaving thetter stranded awkwardly without hearing a reply from Song Yu.

    Li Zhuoan smiled bitterly and turned around to look. Li Qianyi and the others were still reeling from the blow and no one noticed what Li Zhuoan had done.

    Qi Chengzhi hugged Song Yu even tighter, so tight that her shoulder was beginning to feel sore from the grasp of hisrge hand.

    He looked at her beauty and could not help but feel a surge of anger. Such a fickle woman! A simple trip to the bathroom was enough for her to attract other men!

    The mere thought of it sent his blood boiling. He could care less if there was a hoard of people looking at him, he simply lowered his head and nted a fierce kiss on her lips.

    ¡°Ngh...¡± Song Yu was shocked because she never imagined he would kiss her so abruptly as to whenever he felt like it; they were still walking when the kiss happened.

    Pressure on her lips forced them to open involuntarily. The taste of tobo and hard liquor surged forth with force. After a bout of unbridled slurping and stirring, he released her.

    She did not resist even though she knew she was shy. His kisses left her redder than a plum. With her lips still tender and moist, she found that her breathing turned heavy. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s anger subsided and was reced with an upbeat feeling. The corner of his lips curled up unknowingly.

    Song Yu simply felt confused because she did not know what was it that came over him. His feelings were just like a thunderstorm,ing in bursts and bursts.

 Chapter 75 - â€˜The Qi Familyâ€™s Xiao Yuâ€™ and â€˜My Bossâ€™

    <h4>Chapter 75: ¡®The Qi Family¡¯s Xiao Yu¡¯ and ¡®My Boss¡¯</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu just felt confused because she did not know what was it that came over him. His feelings were just like a thunderstorm,ing in bursts and bursts.

    Yan Beicheng insisted on watching the five of them leaving, just in case something happened.

    The others began walking; they followed behind Qi Chengzhi and went into the room.

    Li Qianyi¡¯s clique did not notice Gao Jingqiu <sup>1</sup> ¡®s incongruous behavior, but Qi Chenglin and the group sure did.

    It was especially so when Qi Chengzhi kissed Song Yu; Gao Jingqiu¡¯s [1] face tensed up in bitter agony.

    Qi Chengzhi slew his rival in love with almost no effort.

    Of course, the facial expressions on Li Qianyi and her other friends were no better than Li Zhouan¡¯s and it made for a splendid sight.

    After Yan Beicheng came back to the room, everyone¡¯s mood seemed unaffected by everything that happened just moments ago outside. After all, they would scarcely have taken the matter to heart if those small fry were regarded as insignificant people.

    No one suggested to continue having fun at some other ce after dinner. The addition of Song Yu felt like any other day to them. They were not the kind of people who would go to nightclubs just to find women to frolic around with, since each of them were boastful and proud people.

    Previously, when Yan Beicheng just came back to the country, a bunch of rich entrepreneurs¡¯ kids <sup>2</sup> hosted a weing reception for him in a bar. In the private room of that bar, all of them immediately engaged in an orgy. Yan Beicheng was disgusted. Even though he did not leave, he sat by himself at a corner and was bored to death. One of the women tried hitting him up but she was asked to leave him alone.

    Qi Chengzhi remembered that Song Yu had work tomorrow and should not be going to bed toote, so he called Chang Lai to bring the car over.

    The others, after having some drinks themselves, called their own drivers as well.

    Before going up the car, Qi Chenglin and Wei Zilin shouted, ¡°Bye, sis-inw!¡±, causing Song Yu to feel embarrassed.

    ...

    ...

    On the car, Song Yu felt bored, so she took out her phone and logged into her WeChat to see if there were any messages for her.

    To her surprise, Ruan Danchen¡¯s message was the first thing she saw after logging in.

    [Song Yu! I saw you getting on a Range Rover! It¡¯s Qi Chengzhi¡¯s isn¡¯t it? Come on little girl, you think no one would see you if you left the officete? I knew there was something going on when you were trying to drag your time in the office!] <sup>3</sup>

    Song Yu heart thumped madly, and she had something of a guilty conscience. The feeling was not unlike that of getting caught in an affair.

    The way Qi Chengzhi kissed her after she went up the car made her feel especially guilty, despite the fact that the car windows¡¯ tint being thick enough that Ruan Danchen could not have possibly have seen it.

    She snuck a peek at Qi Chengzhi and saw him sitting primly. He looked especially sanctimonious then, perhaps because his driver, Chang Lai, was in the car.

    Looking at the side profile of his face in the duskiness of the car, he seemed sterner and graver, like a carving from one of the great masters.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened as she withdrew her gaze. Before she could think clearly, her brain typed feverishly and she sent a simple [Mm...].

    Ruan Danchen seemed to have her WeChat open constantly, for she replied with loads of exmation marks barely moments after Song Yu¡¯s message was sent.

    [ ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ]

    [You¡¯re really getting close with him???!!!]

    Before Song Yu could even reply, Qi Chengzhi was already looking in her direction. He asked in a deep tone, ¡°Why is your face red?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, maybe the car¡¯s air-condition is a bit warm,¡± Song Yu mumbled as she beat around the bush.

    Her expression, though, was nothing short of guilty, so Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes and looked unemotively at her.

    His look only served to make her even more sheepish. She hid her gaze and dared not look at him.

    ¡°Who are you texting with?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. His expression seemed displeased.

    ¡®Her face became red just from texting, is she texting with a man?¡¯

    ¡°A colleague.¡± Afraid that he might misunderstand, Song Yu added, ¡°Ruan Danchen, actually.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow. ¡®Why the hell would her face be so red if she was talking with a woman?¡¯

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± He leaned closer to try and peek at it.

    Noticing his presence inching ever closer, Song Yu covered the screen hurriedly and kept her phone.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± She was quite embarrassed to let him see what Ruan Danchen said, especially in light of her indirectly admitting her rtionship with Qi Chengzhi. It made her seem rather thick-faced.

    However, Qi Chengzhi was one step ahead of her and he managed to snatch the phone away.

    ¡°Don¡¯t take it!¡± Song Yu grabbed his arm, but no matter what she did, her arm was no match for his.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I see it? What¡¯s so shameful?¡± He held the phone and stretched her arm out so she would not be able to reach it.

    Song Yu remembered that Chang Lai was in the car. She was embarrassed to make too much of a fuss and she also could not stick herself directly into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest. All she could do was to release her grip resentfully and let her feelings sink into despair.

    She sat there ufortably with her reddenedplexion and dared not look at what Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reaction would be after he read the text. Her head was lowered to the point where her chin was nearly touching her corbone.

    Looking at how she stopped grabbing and instead lowered her head as if having a guilty conscience, Qi Chengzhi snickered in his heart and proceeded to read the text.

    Like dark clouds opening up to reveal a clear sky, his countenance brightened up considerably.

    By andrge, it was her reply, ¡°Mm...¡±, that made his lips curl up even more.

    ¡°How do you n on replying?¡± He smiled and looked askance at her. His gratified low voice were like tentacles that tickled her heart.

    ¡°I¡¯ll reply tomorrow!¡± Song Yu blushed and took the phone back.

    His expression seemed to suggest that he was teasing her for being so thick-faced. It made her feel very much ashamed.

    Qi Chengzhi sneered gently and nced at her phone. He asked insipidly, ¡°What app is that?¡±

    Song Yu turned and looked at him in shock, with her mouth wide agape. It never crossed her mind that Qi Chengzhi would ever ask that kind of question. ¡°It¡¯s WeChat. Don¡¯t you know what that is? Everyone¡¯s using it, from eighty-year-olddies to three-year-old children. Even my parents use it every day at home! You really don¡¯t know about it?¡±

    It was obvious that Qi Chengzhi was being looked down upon. His expression was sullen and he remained silent; his simply looked ahead and sat still.

    Knowing that his pettiness had acted up, she ignored him. Both of them remained silent and simply sat there, causing Chang Lai to feel great psychological pressure.

    After a moment of silence, a cell phone was suddenly thrown over to Song Yu¡¯sp. As soon as she looked down, she heard Qi Chengzhi say, ¡°Download it for me.¡±

    Song Yu knew what to do next from her brief, prior experiences. Saying nothing further, she downloaded WeChat for him and once the download wasplete, she prodded his arm with the phone.

    Qi Chengzhi looked down and she said, ¡°You have to create a password yourself.¡±

    He looked at her. Instead of taking the phone, he said, ¡°You create one for me. Use my birthdate and yours.¡±

    ¡°Well, you should do it yourself. I don¡¯t know when your birthday is,¡± Song Yu said without thinking much.

    The creases of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thin lips formed a line, while the deepness of his gaze produced numbness in her head. ¡°March seventeenth. Remember it.¡±

    Like an obedient student, she nodded in silence and entered his desired numbers.

    As soon as it was logged in, it was only natural that Qi Chengzhi had no friends. He twitched his lips and said, ¡°Add your number.¡±

    Song Yu fiddled with the phone and showed it to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Done.¡±

    ¡°Are you Feather <sup>4</sup> ?¡± Qi Chengzhi saw the screen pop up with a close friend. Her icon was even that of a cartoon feather.

    ¡°Yup.¡± Song Yu nodded. Qi Chengzhi was still Qi Chengzhi, as he had yet to set his nickname.

    ¡°Change your name.¡± His bony fingers tapped his knee a few times. ¡°Change it to ¡®The Qi Family¡¯s Xiao Yu¡¯.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu dawdled for some time before mumbling, ¡°That... I have lots of friends and also colleagues from thepany, they can easily make the connection. They¡¯ll gossip if they saw that name. Even from the very beginning, people thought I got the business in exchange for sleeping with you. If they saw such a name, I can¡¯t imagine what else they¡¯d say.¡±

    ¡°Also, my parents are on WeChat too. My mom once warned me not to get involved with you. If she saw it, she¡¯d definitely intervene.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips again and looked intently at her.

    It was a look that always caused her scalp to feel numb, as though she hadmitted some great misdeed.

    Song Yu held his arm immediately to try and curry favor with him. ¡°We can change the settings for this. If you want, I can change the settings so it bes something only the two of us can see. The result will be the same.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent for some time but nodded reluctantly in the end. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Without further ado, Song Yu immediately set the name to ¡®The Qi Family¡¯s Xiao Yu¡¯. When she logged in, she felt as though her phone was exceptionally warm. Looking at those five words made her heart go wild.

    When Song Yu was setting up everything for Qi Chengzhi, he took her phone silently and opened the chat with Ruan Danchen.

    Song Yu had yet to reply Ruan Danchen¡¯s question.

    It took only a few simple taps for Qi Chengzhi to understand how WeChat worked.

    He chose a shy emoji and added another word behind it. ¡°Mm.¡±

    After sending the message, he took advantage of Song Yu¡¯s inattentiveness and slyly slipped the phone beside her thigh.

    ¡°Done.¡± Song Yu handed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone back to him. Beside the icon of the cartoon feather, the word ¡®Feather¡¯ was reced with ¡®The Qi Family¡¯s Xiao Yu.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mood turned exceptionally good. The sullenness in his expression dispersed and there was a twinkle in his eyes as he saw those five words. The more he looked at them, the more he liked it.

    He raised his eyebrow and looked at Song Yu. Then, he pointed at the screen of her phone and said, ¡°Change your settings for my name too. Change it to ¡®My Boss¡¯.¡±

    ¡°If I change it to that name, what if I mistake it for Director Zhao¡¯s text?¡± Song Yu said that on purpose because she felt that his name change request was too intimate!

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked intently at her, causing her to wonder if he knew the destructive effect of such gazes toward her.

    He pursed his lips and snickered. ¡°You added Zhao Rongcheng as your friend?¡±

    ¡°No, of course not,¡± Song Yu blurted out the truth without thinking. She regretted it immediately after finishing her words and seeing Qi Chengzhi squint at her.

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing but simply scoffed. His mocking tone was obvious.

    Song Yu looked down and kept quiet. Then she changed the settings earnestly.

    ...

    ...

    The car stopped right below the apartment. Song Yu felt awkward. It was not the first time that Qi Chengzhi sent her home, but it was the first time that he did so with their new status.

    ¡°Well... I¡¯ll be heading up. Take care on the road,¡± Song Yu looked down and said. She was slightly afraid to look at him. Her reddened face was illuminated by light that shone through the dark car windows.

    She fluttered her eyshes and opened the car door immediately to get down.

    Right after that, she heard the sound of another car door closing behind her. Qi Chengzhi had followed her down.

    She thought that Qi Chengzhi would follow her up and she was just about to decline, since she knew that it would spell trouble for her to invite Qi Chengzhi into her home.

    To her surprise, he simply stood in front of her and held her hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re just going to go up like that?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s low voice seemed to tickle her itch as it resonated in her mind.

    Song Yu looked up. Her momentary confusion turned to rity of understanding once she saw the burning fire in his eyes.

    She hesitated for a while and looked into the car. The tint was much darker in the night and she could not see a thing.

    ¡°Chang Lai won¡¯t look.¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed her palm and urged.

    ¡®Could this man stop being so smart?¡¯

    Song Yu was not too happy after being exposed just like that.

    She had never initiated a kiss before. If she did so at that moment, it would amount to affirming her rtionship.

    By bringing her to meet with Yan Beicheng that evening, he was quietly trying to set her mind at ease and show that he was serious. Even so, she was notpletely at peace and there was always the slight feeling that everything was unreal. She was afraid of jumping to conclusions too early with the rtionship, and at that moment, she could not contain her shyness.

    After much holding back and hesitation, she could no longer withstand his fixed eyes and prating stare. She felt numbness in her mind. His appearance as of then seemed to force her into making a decision and prevent her from shying away.

    Song Yu closed her eyes while her heart was beating madly. She summoned up the courage and lightly kissed him.

    With that kiss, it felt like that chapter had been closed and she had ¨C by her own volition ¨C acknowledged their rtionship.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes looked even more intense and pulled her abruptly into his embrace in order to give her a solid kiss on the lips.

    His arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. In her nervousness and anxiousness, she felt her lower belly pressing against the heat below his belt. She could feel the heat getting more intense with the utmost rity.

    Being much taller than her, he was lowering his head to kiss her, so much so that there was even a slight hunch to his back. Her head was made to curl backward and such an action was quite intimate in nature.

    His released her from his lips only when she was shivering from his heat.

    He pressed on her lower back with his warm palm and pinned himself to her lower belly. He rocked his hips and ced his lips close to her ear. His voice was hoarse and the warmth of his breath caressed her ears. ¡°Can you feel it?¡±

    Song Yu was afraid to move and she also did not dare to touch him. It never crossed her mind that a simple kiss could elicit such a reaction from him.

    ¡°I need to go up...¡± Her voice was as soft as a mosquito¡¯s hum. It was soft, as if she was weak and had little strength.

    Her hands did not dare to push him, and the fact that he was pressing on her lower abdomen made her dread simply moving her hands around. All she could do was remain still in his embrace.

    Her blush traveled all the way up to her ears, then down toward her shirt cor.

    Seeing all that made Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart flutter. The arousal that he had was simply indescribable.

    His moist lips shifted slowly from her ear to her cheek, rubbing gently against them once in a while. He saw as her cheek became redder and redder, while she felt hotter and hotter.

    Her drooping eyshes made her seem exceptionally beautiful under the moonlight.

    With an unrelenting sigh, he finally let go of her. His voice was filled with regret as he said, ¡°Go up then.¡±

    Song Yu did not hesitate because she knew that if things continued as before, she was afraid she would not be able to control herself from getting lost in his seduction.

    Feeling anxious, she turned around and ran for home without even managing to bid him goodbye.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help chuckling and shaking his head as she disappeared into the building as though she was running for her life.

    It was only when the lights in her apartment were lit up that he went back in the car and asked Chang Lai to begin driving.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yuid down on the bed with her face still warm. It was like she was roasted over fire while having a fever.

    Beside her hand, her cell phone was vibrating constantly and the notification light on the top left corner was also blinking incessantly.

    She tapped into her WeChat and saw a screenful of messages from Ruan Danchen. All of them were exmation marks.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s endless slew of messages still continued to pop up on the screen.

 Chapter 76 - Qi Chengzhi Carried Her into The Bedroom With A Few Steps

    <h4>Chapter 76: Qi Chengzhi Carried Her into The Bedroom With A Few Steps</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s endless slew of messages still continued to pop up on the screen.

    [You¡¯re really together with Qi Chengzhi! Seriously! Knowing you, what¡¯s more surprising is that you¡¯re openly admitting it.]

    [When did you get together?]

    [Curious how Jian Yi would feel if he found out. Extreme regret for sure!]

    [First time I wished Wang Liwei was still at thepany. Would love to see how jealous she is when she finds out.]

    [Hey? You there]

    [Hello?]

    [Song Yu?]

    [Maybe you¡¯re ignoring me because the both of you are in bed now!] There was even a shocked emoji at the end of the text.

    What was the meaning of all that? There was nothing that she admitted!

    Song Yu harbored suspicions as she scrolled up to check their chat history. Finally, amongst the chunk of messages sent by Ruan Danchen, Song Yu discovered an ¡®Mm..¡¯ apanied by a shy emoji.

    She was certain that she never sent that message but she needed only a split second to know who did it.

    Looking at the time of the message, it was sent at exactly the time when she was busy dealing with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s WeChat.

    That man! To think that he did such a shameless thing so sneakily!

    She dared not reply Ruan Danchen because if she did, she might not be able to escape those questions, which would surely be more and more sagacious; if that happened, she would not be getting any sleep that night.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi had nothing to do in the car, so he decided to check if Song Yu messaged him.

    He tapped on his WeChat app but saw that Song Yu¡¯s icon was inactive. Instead, the top right corner of the interface was rife with notifications.

    Clicking in, he noticed that there was a sudden influx of friend requests.

    Yan Beicheng, Qi Chenglin, Wei Zilin...

    He wanted to ignore all their requests but Yan Beicheng called suddenly.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you¡¯re using WeChat now?¡± Yan Beicheng was making a fuss out of nothing.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi did not feel like answering such a silly question.

    Other than Qi Chengzhi himself, who else would dare to use WeChat on his phone?

    ¡°It really is you!¡± Yan Beicheng¡¯s voice intensified in loudness. He knew Qi Chengzhi all too well and thetter¡¯s reaction was a sign of affirmation.

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ept my friend request?¡± Yan Beicheng asked immediately, ¡°Go and ept it!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi rubbed his eyes. ¡°How am I supposed to do that when you¡¯re calling me?¡±

    Yan Beicheng hung up without saying another word.

    Before Qi Chengzhi could enter WeChat again, a text came. It was Yan Beicheng.

    [ept it immediately!]

    Qi Chengzhi sneered and clicked on each request to ept it.

    After returning to the previous page, above Song Yu¡¯s name was the many notifications from friends and at the very top of the screen, there was a group named ¡®8¡Á8=64¡¯.

    The notification tones beeped non-stop and when Qi Chengzhi clicked in, he saw Yan Beicheng¡¯s message.

    [Friends, let¡¯s all wee Qi Chengzhi!]

    Han Zhuoli: [Where? I don¡¯t see Qi Chengzhi. Don¡¯t mess around, Yan Beicheng.]

    Yan Beicheng: [I¡¯ve already added him as a friend. Don¡¯t you know how to check the group members? Where¡¯s your IQ?]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Hehe.]

    Han Zhuoli: [What¡¯re youughing at, Lao Chu <sup>1</sup> ? ]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [You.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Oh are you now!]

    Wei Ziqian: [What¡¯s all this? Qi Chengzhi¡¯s really on WeChat!]

    Qi Chenglin: [Big bro,e on out!]

    Qi Chengzhi checked out the group members and discovered that they were all from the Eight Great Families. With that, he could roughly guess the meaning of ¡®8¡Á8=64¡ä.

    In that short span of time, Chu Zhaoyang and the others sent their friend requests.

    Qi Chengzhi had no choice but to ept each one of them.

    Back in the group, Wei Zilin sent the emoji of a person holding a trumpet, adding: [Qi Chengzhi, stop lurking and show yourself! Prove that you¡¯re not an impersonator!]

    Qi Chengzhi: [...]

    Once he appeared, the group went berserk.

    Wei Ziqi: [Wifey,e out and see Qi Chengzhi. He knows how to use WeChat!]

    Qi Chengzhi: [...]

    Wei Ran: [Chengzhi, how is Chengji?]

    Wei Ziqi: [....]

    Yan Beicheng: [Tell us who your girlfriend is as proof that you¡¯re the real Qi Chengzhi.]

    Han Zhuoli: [! ! ! The eternal virgin Qi Chengzhi finally has a girlfriend? Who¡¯s thedy?]

    Wei Ziqian: [So you came here just to show off that you¡¯re no longer a bachelor?]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Hehe.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Lao Chu, what¡¯s wrong with you tonight? So sarcastic. You¡¯re still a bachelor you know!]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [...]

    Qi Chengzhi ignored them all and typed out: [How do I kick someone out?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Damn, you still have the same despicable attitude, are we still able to continue being friends!]

    Wei Ziqian: [You¡¯re already insulting people even though you just came here. Can¡¯t you be more friendly and loving for once?]

    Qi Chengzhi: [How do I add someone?]

    Yan Beicheng sent a smirking face emoji: [Wanna add lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu? Look up to your top right, you¡¯ll see the shape of two small people, use that to add.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu? Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend?]

    Yan Beicheng: [Mmhmm, it¡¯s Song Yu.]

    Wei Ziqian: [How coincidental, the same name as his little brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e.]

    Yan Beicheng: [Hehe, it¡¯s the same person.]

    Han Zhuoli: [! ! ! Qi Chengzhi, you¡¯re really one hell of a rascal!]

    Qi Chengzhi did not see their conversation as he was busy adding Song Yu in.

    As soon as she finished her bath, Song Yu heard her phone vibrating incessantly on her bed.

    At first, she thought that it was Ruan Danchen ungging persistence, but to her surprise, she saw a group called ¡®8¡Á8=64¡ä.

    She tapped into in and was given a shock because the group members were from the Eight Great Families and they were spamming like mad.

    Yan Beicheng: [Lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu, what¡¯s your phone number!]

    Han Zhuoli: [Lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu, what¡¯s your phone number!]

    Wei Ziqian: [Lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu, what¡¯s your phone number!]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Mm, phone number.]

    She found herself at wit¡¯s end when faced with them.

    Even before the Song family encountered problems, she knew of those people but never actually interacted with them.

    Seeing them call out ¡®Lil¡¯ sis Xiao Yu¡¯ was theplete opposite of what she imagined their characters to be.

    They were greeting her so ardently that it would seem rude of her did not reply them. Then again, she did not how to respond.

    A message from Qi Chengzhi was her saving grace: [Juste out and say hi. Don¡¯t bother about the things they say.]

    Song Yu replied with an ¡®Mm¡¯ and went back in the group. She sent a smiling emoji and followed up with: [Hello everyone.]

    After that, Wei Ziqi seemed to have lost his mind. He typed nothing but simply spammed a flurry of emojis to cover up their teasing of Song Yu.

    Han Zhuoli: [Are you nuts, Wei Ziqi?!]

    Yan Beicheng: [You idiot. How can Wei Ziqi hold it in when Wei Ran asked about Qi Chengji just now? He definitely dragged her to make some babies. His son is probably spamming here now.]

    Not long after the message was sent, Wei Ziqi sent a voice message. Upon ying it, a tender, sweet-sounding, young voice said, ¡°Uncle Yan, my brother is only three months old. Don¡¯t use him of anything.¡±

    Yan Beicheng: [...]

    ...

    ...

    A bathrobe was the only garment Qi Chengzhi was wearing after having finished bathing. His damp hair was soft; a towel was on top of his head. As he rubbed towel on it, his hair jutted out from underneath.

    Once his hair was about half-dry, his fingers ¨C pale and fresh after the clean bath ¨C reached for the phone on the table-top. He then sat down on the chair beside the window.

    His WeChat was lively but they were all from the ¡®8¡Á8=64¡¯ group. Other than the solitary ¡®Mm¡¯, Song Yu did not send further messages to him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression turned frigid as he tossed the phone over to the table. He fished out a cigarette and squinted his eyes while he smoked. He turned his head and looked outside, then he slowly exhaled a puff of white smoke.

    He looked at the Imperial Pce from a distance. Its red-brick wall appeared rather eerie in the night.

    Moments ago, when he was in the bathroom, he thought of Song Yu. So he relieved himself using his own hand.

    Even after the bath, he still missed the warm feeling he felt when she was in his embrace.

    When Song Yu did not text him, he felt as though he vanished from her thoughts. Surely, he should not be the one who always initiates looking for her?

    Qi Chengzhi felt annoyed when he thought about that.

    He knew that Song Yu had been subverted by himself. Her heart was unable to fixate itself on him as of yet. Part of the reason why she did not hide from his intimate advances was because she was scared of not being able to hide from it. In truth, her feelings toward him all that time were simply lukewarm.

    Qi Chengzhi exhaled intensely and spat out another puff of smoke. His expression was distant and detached.

    Although he only smoked a few puffs from the cigarette, he proceeded to extinguish it in the ashtray. He then got up and rummaged around for a luggage bag.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu locked the door before she slept. After double-checking that she did indeed lock it, she recalled that Qi Chengzhi had a copy of her house key. It would seem too mean if she were to ask someone to change the locks ¨C she thought that it would not be nice of her to do so. On the other hand, she knew better than to underestimate the extent of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s brazenness.

    In the event that something unexpected happened, she set up an anti-theft lock. Regardless of whether the key was able to unlock the door, she had to be the one to open it from the inside. With that, she felt much more at ease and went to sleep.

    Although they only went out for dinner, her high-intensity work during the day made her feel incredibly sleepy by then.

    With a yawn, she fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

    She slept so well that she thought she was dreaming when the doorbell was rung. She turned to her side and continued sleeping.

    However, the ringing sound became clearer and clearer. From her deep sleep, she entered slowly into a half-awake, half-dream state. In her haziness, she wanted to wake herself up but her forehead turned into a displeased frown as a result of being woken up in her sleep.

    The doorbell¡¯s rings showed no signs of stopping and was bing even more persistent.

    She huffed a few times in irritation, subsequently her phone began to ring.

    Her phone screen¡¯s bright light blinded Song Yu. She opened her eyes ever so slightly and strained to see Qi Chengzhi on the screen.

    She answered the call but before she could speak, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s indifferent and slightly annoyed voice. ¡°Open the door.¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Still rather sleepy, she said, ¡°You¡¯re the one ringing the doorbell?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Qi Chengzhi then hung up.

    Song Yu let out a defeated sigh. Dressed only in her nightclothes, she got off the bed and went to open the door.

    Along the way, she passed by the living room, so she switched on all the lights.

    She went up to the door and looked through the peephole to make sure that it was Qi Chengzhi. He was standing in front of the door with an agitated expression, he even brought along a luggage bag with him.

    Song Yu was taken aback. She had nervous thoughts and was unsure of what he was up to.

    Since he brought a luggage bag, did it mean that he brought his essentials and nned to stay there?

    Gulping anxiously, she dreaded to open the door and face him.

    After a moment of thought, she connected the door chain cautiously and opened the door. The size of the opening was exactly the length of the chain.

    With only the small opening, Qi Chengzhi shot a nce at the door chain. His expression then turned gloomy.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Song Yu asked softly. The corridor was not exactly soundproof, and since it was alreadyte, it would not be nice if the neighbors heard them.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep, so I decided to drop by.¡± Impatience prevailed in his expression. Previously, he could just open the door with the key but somehow Song Yu had installed another lock. Was it not a clear sign that she was guarding against him?

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu looked helplessly at him, then at the luggage bad beside him.

    ¡°You¡¯re not letting me in?¡± Qi Chengzhi twitched a brow and asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s sote, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea.¡± Song Yu gnashed her teeth and said decidedly, ¡°It¡¯s better if you go home and sleep.¡±

    She wanted to close the door after finishing her sentence but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand got in the way.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kick up a fuss. I¡¯m going on a business trip tomorrow, that¡¯s why I brought luggage. It¡¯ll only be for one night. Are you really going to let me be tormented in the middle of the night?¡± He looked directly at her and made her feel flustered.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it better if you had stayed back at home all along? It might not have been as tormenting.¡± Song Yu was adamant not to give in, for he was someone who would always want more than what was given.

    ¡°I thought I said I couldn¡¯t sleep at my home?¡± Qi Chengzhi held the side of the door immediately so she would not close the door forcefully. She would be mping on his hand if she did.

    He leaned forward and looked through the opening to gaze at her. ¡°Let me in now, otherwise we¡¯d be disturbing the neighbors.¡±

    Song Yu bit her lips and her face turned so red that blood might even flow out at any time.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I know that if I let you in, it wouldn¡¯t be just to sleep. You don¡¯t need to deny that. But I feel this is going too fast, I¡¯m not ready yet. You bringing me to meet your friends is an affirmation of our rtionship, right? I think.¡±

 Chapter 77 - Song Yu Only Had Four Words for Him: â€˜You Are an Animal!â€™

    <h4>Chapter 77: Song Yu Only Had Four Words for Him: ¡®You Are an Animal!¡¯</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His legs were on top of hers and he wrapped them within his own. He trapped her arms in his and enveloped her in his embrace.

    Despite wearing a nightgown, she could still feel the scalding heat transmitting from his skin.

    Her cheek was pressed against his satiny skin and she felt his incredible warmth.

    Since her arms were also locked by him, she had nowhere to ce them. All she could do was align them stiffly by her side, as though she was bound by an invisible rope.

    Qi Chengzhi curled his lips on top of her head. He grabbed her hand and ced it on his waist, whereby his firm yet flexible muscles were able to sense the softness of her hands. Unable to restrain his emotions, he wrapped her even tighter in his embrace.

    ...

    ...

    In her hazy morning slumber, Song Yu felt a hand crawling up her body. It began its journey from her belly up and her skin began to feel cold.

    Her breast felt warm and slightly sore, as if someone was grabbing it. Her lips were parted open and a warm tongue entered into her mouth. Her breathing was difficult. Coupled with the disturbance, she was no longer able to continue sleeping.

    She stretched her hand out subconsciously and touched against a smooth, warm chest. She opened her eyes abruptly and saw a familiar sight ¨C that of Qi Chengzhi pressing his kisses onto her. On the previous asion, though, her clothes were intact, but as of then, her nightgown had been raised up to her neck. Her body felt hot from being touched and her breathing became stifled almost involuntarily.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡± She opened her mouth and her face was frighteningly red.

    He trailed his kisses from the corner of her lips to her neck, then continued heading down past her nightgown. His body forced its way in between her thighs, enabling her to feel his erection with the utmost rity.

    ¡°No! This is too fast!¡± Song Yu was rather terrified. With both her hands, she pushed on his shoulders. If things continued as before, she was afraid that she might not have the strength or the determination to turn him down.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet! Qi Chengzhi, you said you wouldn¡¯t...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up abruptly, revealing the zing fire of his intimidating eyes. They burned Song Yu¡¯s eyes, skin, and cheek to the point of soreness. As a result, she trembled and did not dare to look at him.

    ¡°Please, let go of me first,¡± Song Yu muttered softly and pushed down on his shoulders, despite being rather scared.

    If he kept on persisting, she felt that would be unable to refuse him firmly.

    She did have feelings for him, even until then.

    She straightened her nightgown immediately. For her to be naked in front of him so suddenly, she found it indescribably embarrassing and her whole body was feeling warm.

    ¡°But I¡¯m already like this. You need to help me.¡± His exceptionally hoarse voice contained a touch of unbearable desire.

    He twitched ever so slightly and it immediately elicited an intense gasp from Song Yu. He knew right then that she had felt it.

    Song Yu pulled herself back. Her gaze shifted down involuntarily from his face; his ¡®tent¡¯ was even more erect aspared to that of the previous night.

    She originally thought thatst night¡¯s incident opened her eyes. The memory of his astonishing size was not yet erased from her memory. Just shortly after ¨C on the next morning ¨C a much newer impression of it was imprinted in her mind.

    ¡°Help me.¡± He leaned to her and rubbed his smooth lips against her ear.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was so warm that she had virtually lost all sense of reason. Her lips trembled as she asked, ¡°How... How should I help?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a sudden kiss and slid his hand down her arm. Gripping her hand, he guided her into his pants. The sounds of her trembling breaths echoed right beside his ear.

    ....

    ...

    Song Yu was in the kitchen preparing a sandwich for breakfast. Her right hand trembled because his heat still lingered there.

    She lifted her trembling hand and smelled it. The strong scent of his male hormones was still present.

    He had asked her to help him relieve himself and after the deed was done, he had a gratified and pleasurable expression on his face. Song Yu felt an abnormal, shy anger. A knife ¨C which she used to cut the crusts off of toast ¨C was held in her hand, but her shy yet angry expression made it seem like she was holding the knife to murder someone.

    In the end, she pressed the knife down in fury and sliced off the crusts with force.

    Qi Chengzhi was fairly calm despite being the main culprit. He had already changed into a fresh set of clothes and the ones he wore the night before was left with Song Yu, so she could help him wash them.

    He opened the television and surfed through the channels, treating the ce as though it was his own home.

    Song Yu brought over the sandwiches and some freshly brewed coffee for him. His gaze shifted instantaneously from the television to her body. His prative and possessive gaze made Song Yu¡¯s hair stand on end.

    Seeing him dressed so prim and proper in his tailored suit, he looked like a model who was owned only by those who were very sessful.

    Song Yu could not deny that he was the one man who had the most character when wearing a suit.

    At that moment, however, Song Yu only had four words for him: ¡®You are an animal!¡¯

    His gaze was brazenly disying his desire to eat her up and under that gaze, Song Yu¡¯s hands felt weak, nearly causing the coffee cup to fall.

    Within the next second, the hand which held the cup had been steadied by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. The coffee was held firmly in her hand and not a drop was spilled.

    ¡°Why are you so nervous?¡± His rich voice had a hint of yfulness.

    His repeated teasing sent her into a flying rage. She shot him a nce and remained silent.

    Since he was already half-satisfied by early morning, his mood was exceptionally good and he decided not to take it to heart. He took the coffee cup from her hands, seated himself on the dining table, and took a couple of bites from the sandwich.

    After breakfast, he walked to the door with his luggage bag. Noting that Song Yu remained temperamental and was not following him, he extended his hand toward her. ¡°Come. I¡¯m going to the airport but I¡¯ll send you to the office first.¡±

    Song Yu was so astonished that she forgot about her anger. She asked, ¡°You¡¯re really going on a business trip?¡±

    ¡°You thought I lied?¡± he asked half-smilingly, and because he knew he saw through her, he had a somewhat mocking expression.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened in embarrassment. In order to hide it, she looked down and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

    She really thought that Qi Chengzhi cooked up an excuse just toe over and stay the night.

    Song Yu packed her things in a hurry, grabbed her bag, then followed Qi Chengzhi out.

    Chang Lai stood in front of the Range Rover and watched as the both of them came out from the building one after the other.

    Never before did Chang Lai see Qi Chengzhi expressing such an outward radiance. His carefree demeanor was happiness to the core.

    Chang Lai then looked at Song Yu. Her face was still red and she would steal nces at Qi Chengzhi once in a while. Chang Lai understood immediately after seeing that.

    ¡°Miss Song,¡± Chang Lai greeted respectably.

    Song Yu shed him a smile and sat at the back together with Qi Chengzhi.

    On that asion, Qi Chengzhi did not insist. Instead he agreed to drop her off some distance away from Chengshi.

    However, Song Yu did not rush to get off the car. She just sat there, not knowing why she was hesitating. Qi Chengzhi was running out of time but he did not urge her to go.

    After a while, Song Yu looked to him and said softly, ¡°That... your business trip. Take care of yourself.¡±

    She finished her sentence hastily. Her mind began to numb and she wanted to get off the car. She was embarrassed to look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pleased expression.

    Just as her hand touched the door handle, she was pulled back by him. He ced his hands against the door and gave her a fervent kiss.

    Upon releasing her, his lips were tainted with her lipstick and his clear eyes were now misty.

    With her reddened face, Song Yu nced at Chang Lai, who was seated in front. From the rear-view mirror, she noticed that he had long closed his eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi noticed her small actions and smiled. He then sat back down, looked ahead, and his face reverted to the dignified expression befitting of Qilin¡¯s director.

    Before she opened the door and got off, Song Yu twitched her lips and wondered how Qi Chengzhi was so skilled at putting up a fa?ade.

    Chang Lai finally opened his eyes and realized how perilous his job would be from then onward. At any given time, the director would randomly do an action, as if to test how fast he reacted!

    Through the rear-view mirror, he saw the lipstick on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips. It was a total contrast to thetter¡¯s austere expression.

    ...

    ...

    Year-end was approaching soon, and manypanies were preparing for the holidays. Some had even begun their holidays. Many construction workers had already pocketed their wages and returned home for the new year, so Qilin¡¯s leisure hotel would have to wait until after the new year to begin work officially.

    Owing to the increased passenger transportation around New Year and the fact that nearly half of thepany were foreigners, they had their annualpany party at Shengyue. The next day, they would officially begin the holidays.

    There was nothing particrly special about Chengshi¡¯s annualpany party. After Director Zhao¡¯s speech, everyone ate and drank, and after that came the lucky draw.

    Song Yu was never lucky with lucky draws, therefore she paid little attention to the lively presenter onstage. Instead, she was savoring her dessert leisurely.

    On the table, her phone vibrated. Song Yu checked her phone, and surprisingly, it was a text from Luo Yushu.

    [Miss Song, our client insisted on dragging our director to a nightclub. He didn¡¯t want to go but he was unable to reject the invitation. Don¡¯t you worry, though. Not a single woman is by his side now. I¡¯ve never seen anyone as upright as our director.]

    Song Yu stared at the message for a moment. She wondered why Luo Yushu would send her that message out of the blue.

    On the other end of the phone, Luo Yushu looked dumbfounded as Qi Chengzhi held the former¡¯s phone and seemed to be typing something.

    Moments earlier, Qi Chengzhi simply told him, ¡°Lend me your phone for a second.¡±

    The phone had yet to be returned to him.

    After sending a message, Qi Chengzhi typed another one: [Jian Yi¡¯s hugging another woman by the way!]

    Qi Chengzhi read the text a couple of times and felt that it was a bit too deliberate, so he cleared the message and did not send it.

    With a cigarette between his lips, he looked around him. The client really did request a girl for him and the most popr one no less. Her name was Manfei or something like that, but still, he declined.

    Manfei¡¯s original intention was to throw herself all over him. After all, only few clients were as handsome and as charming as Qi Chengzhi. Manfei was clever; she knew that if she would get some benefits even if she slept with him for just one night.

    However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stern face was very intimidating and before she could throw herself onto him, she retreated in embarrassment and fear.

    Whether intentionally or otherwise, Qi Chengzhi proceeded to hint at her. ¡°There, that guy, he¡¯s the manager of ourpany¡¯s engineering department. He¡¯s got a great future ahead of him.¡±

    With that, Manfei went over and sat beside Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengzhi did not know how Jian Yi acted under normal circumstances but taking into ount his rtionship with Qi Chengyue, it was certain that he would not simply fool around in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s presence.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted. Luo Yushu ¨C who had been observing Qi Chengzhi from the beginning ¨C felt a shiver out of nowhere. He felt that his director¡¯s expression was incredibly terrifying.

    Right when that thought popped up, Qi Chengzhi looked over to him abruptly. Luo Yushu was given a massive shock and he nearly jumped up from the sofa.

    ¡®Did I just catch him red-handed looking at me?¡¯

    The cigarette was still clipped in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips when he called Luo Yushu over.

    Luo Yushu felt a quivering over him and he went over while trembling in trepidation. He tested the waters. ¡°Director?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi returned the phone and said, ¡°When you hear me say ¡®Sorry¡¯ter, take a picture from here.¡±

    He then paused for a moment and squinted. ¡°Make sure the picture you take is of a much broader area.¡±

    ¡®Much broader area? How big should the area be?¡¯

    Luo Yushu looked down at his phone which was shoved back to him and looked up again. He saw Qi Chengzhi get up and walked forcefully over to Jian Yi, as if it was entirely not random and abnormal.

    Even though Jian Yi was slightly surprised to see Qi Chengzhi, thetter pretended as though he did not see anything. That was precisely Qi Chengzhi¡¯s style ¨C he appeared to be minding his own business and his actions did not raise anyone¡¯s suspicions.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand, as if to take the cigarette from his lips. Midway through, he elbowed Jian Yi all of a sudden causing Jian Yi to bump against Manfei and press her against the sofa.

    He took the cigarette from his lips and said inly, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Luo Yushu¡¯s quick-wits led him to snap a picture of Qi Chengzhi immediately, and it was only natural that Jian Yi was in the frame.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi ced the cigarette between his lips and sat back down with Luo Yushu.

    Luo Yushu looked at Jian Yi with sympathy. ¡®What did this fe do to offend the director? Could it be that his rtionship with Miss Qi did not receive the director¡¯s blessing?¡¯

    Jian Yi got off of Manfei immediately. He looked over to Qi Chengzhi with a tensed face and squinted eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi took the phone from Luo Yushu without ncing in Jian Yi¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Hehehe, you look so gentle but you¡¯re actually aggressive.¡± Manfei giggled crisply and threw herself on Jian Yi.

    He frowned and pushed her away somewhat roughly. He sat somewhere else by himself, far from anyone else and watched Qi Chengzhi with a gloomy expression.

    Manfei fell backward on the sofa after being pushed. She sat back up with an embarrassed and unhappy expression. First, she was rebuffed by Qi Chengzhi; next came Jian Yi¡¯s unsympathetic rejection. Her face turned into ugly shades of blue and white but she did not seek Jian Yi out anymore. She decided it was better to sit there and ignore everyone.

    As for the rest of the girls, they were d to see a deted Manfei but no one dared to approach Qi Chengzhi or Jian Yi for fear that they, too, would turn out like Manfei.

    ...

    ...

    Not long after Song Yu ced her phone down, she received another message. It was also from Luo Yushu. When she opened it, it was a picture.

    In the picture, Qi Chengzhi was seated and smoking a cigarette. His expression seemed impatient, like he despised being in such a ce. Beside him was a man pressing down another woman on the sofa.

    Song Yu looked closer and realized that the man on top of the woman was Jian Yi!

    She shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡®Why am I not surprised?¡¯

    ¡®Jian Yi used women to secure his future but what would he get by ying around with some girl in a nightclub?¡¯

    Her gaze shifted again to Qi Chengzhi. His cold expression made him look refreshingly clean in such a filthy ce. With a cigarette in between his long fingers, he seemed to be in his own world andpletely at odds with such a rotten ce.

    She had the sudden thought of wanting him toe back as soon as possible, she did not want him to stay there and be touched by all those women, since he would be soiled if they touched him.

    Song Yu found it hard to restrain the thirst in her heart. She searched for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s contact and clicked on the messaging feature

    Although it was always Qi Chengzhi who took the initiative, she never really said anything in clear-cut terms to him. She was merely on the receiving end of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s step-by-step coercion.

    Despite saying that she had yet to think it over, in reality, did it not mean that she was yielding after making a show of resistance?

    The truth was that deep down, she liked him!

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi went on the business trip, she did not contact him and neither did he contact her.

    It was almost New Year¡¯s Eve and she decided she had to at least send him a text!

    Song Yu looked at the empty text-input box. She thought for a moment and entered a sentence.

    [You busy? Don¡¯t smoke so much.]

    Qi Chengzhi was holding Luo Yushu¡¯s phone and looking at the pictures. The more he looked, the more pleased he became. Luo Yushu took a great picture from that angle, as it made him look very self-contained.

    Of course, Qi Chengzhi felt that it was all because of his faultless figure.

    He patted Luo Yushu on the shoulder encouragingly. ¡°You did well. You¡¯re a promising one for this year¡¯s best employee award.¡±

    Luo Yushu was overwhelmed by the kind words.

    In the midst of admiration, Qi Chengzhi felt his own phone vibrate in his pocket.

    He took his phone out and noticed that it was a text from Song Yu. He turned happy almost immediately and returned Luo Yushu¡¯s phone. Since Luo Yushu¡¯s job was done, Qi Chengzhi sent him on his way.

    Qi Chengzhi walked out of the room with his phone in his hand and leaned on the wall of the outside corridor. Then, he opened the text.

    After reading it, he instantly put out his cigarette.

    He exhaled the puff of smoke that was held in his lungs, then began typing quickly.

    [With the client. Bored. Have you eaten? Did you miss me these few days?]

    His thumb hovered over the send button for a long time but he decided to delete the whole text. Recing everything with a cold ¡®Mm¡¯ he then proceeded to send it out.

    Song Yu mustered up a lot of courage just to send a short text but all she received was a single word reply. She was disappointed and slightly apprehensive.

    ¡®Did he change his mind after going on the business trip?¡¯

    Song Yu found his coldness a bit hard to bear. She did not know what he was thinking at that point, so she did not reply his text and simply ced the phone onto the table.

    Deep down, Song Yu was reserved and passive. Had it not been for that, she would not have kept her feelings from Jian Yi all those years and waited until she had the courage to confess to him.

    With Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold ¡®Mm¡¯, whatever courage that had been fired up within her was extinguished once again.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned on the wall for a long time but had yet to receive a reply. He had an intense frown as he stared at the message. The screen disy locked itself a couple of times. He turned it on and left it to lock again by itself. There was still no text from her.

    After some thought, he decided to call her.

    Song Yu ate some cake but found it tasteless, and all of a sudden, she felt disgusted with the sweetness of the cake.

    She was about to have a drink of water when the phone rang. Once she saw Qi Chengzhi on the screen, she felt inwardly angry, so she did not make up her mind on whether to pick up the phone or not. She simply stared indecisively at the phone.

    ¡°You¡¯re not picking it up?¡± Ruan Danchen saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name on the screen and raised an eyebrow at Song Yu.

    Song Yu frowned and refused to pick up. She turned to Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Tell me, I sent him a message, two sentences, and he only replied me with an ¡®Mm¡¯. Why¡¯s that?¡±

    If it were any other guy, Ruan Danchen would say that the man was disinterested, impatient, and distancing himself to enable an automatic breakup.

    However, since it was Qi Chengzhi, Ruan Danchen dared not used the same reasoning.

    ¡°I think you shouldn¡¯t think so much. He looks like someone who doesn¡¯t talk very much, right? Do you text him often?¡±

    ¡°Actually, no, I don¡¯t.¡± Song Yu shook her head.

 Chapter 78 - How Fast Of You To Get A New Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 78: How Fast Of You To Get A New Boyfriend</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Actually, no, I don¡¯t.¡± Song Yu shook her head.

    ¡°Exactly, this is probably his texting style. I mean, if he didn¡¯t care about you, he wouldn¡¯t call you now, would he?¡± Ruan Danchen had just only finished speaking when Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call came again.

    Evidently, it was the same ringtone but it carried more urgency when her phone rang a second time.

    ¡°You see? Isn¡¯t he calling you again? If he didn¡¯t care, why would he call you again and again? Go pick it up,¡± Ruan Danchen urged.

    Song Yu smiled awkwardly and brought the phone with her as she walked out of the hall.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head and smiled as she looked at Song Yu¡¯s rear figure. Perhaps Song Yu was oblivious to the fact that her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi were much deeper than she thought.

    If a woman could fret so much over a man¡¯s response, was there really any other reason for such an action if that woman did not love him?

    Song Yu walked to a quiet spot on the corridor and answered the call.

    She barely had the chance to say anything as Qi Chengzhi immediately asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up the call?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu turned to face the wall and watched as the tip of her toes kicked against the skirting of the floor.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked again from the other end. His voice was deep and Song Yu could almost see him frown through the phone.

    ¡°I thought you were busy cause your reply just now was just an ¡®Mm¡¯.¡± Song Yu could not refrain from being slightly resentful. Even her tone had a touch of coquettishness that she was unable to detect.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frown rxed gradually and the pursed lines of his lips softened too. The corner of his lips began curling upward.

    ¡°The client wanted me to drink with him, it wasn¡¯t too convenient,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    Song Yu felt relieved immediately. She looked down and rubbed the edges of her foot against the wall.

    ¡°Miss me already?¡± Qi Chengzhi sounded pleased on the other end of the phone.

    Song Yu did not speak much during the call. Perhaps it was because she was not used to it, since it was the first time they called after they got together. Nevertheless, she thoroughly enjoyed the kind of quiet and blissful atmosphere shared by the both of them.

    Silence triumphed over noise.

    Song Yu was quiet for a moment. She pressed her left index finger on the wall, then her middle finger. Both fingers took on the shape of a tiny person¡¯s legs, taking small steps up the wall.

    ¡°When are youing back?¡± Song Yu asked softly. Despite not actually answering his earlier question, her own question served as an indirect affirmation of it.

    ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve. Morning flight.¡± Qi Chengzhi was pleased when he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be going directly to my grandfather¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± New Year¡¯s Eve was a day of reunion. A big family would be particrly busy and Song Yu had no intention of asking him to meet her on that day.

    Unable to find something to talk about, she became silent again. She then asked, ¡°Are you still smoking?¡±

    ¡°No. I stopped.¡± Qi Chengzhi turned and leaned his right shoulder against the wall.

    Song Yu face felt hot. ¡°Did you stop when I sent you the message?¡±

    Instead of answering, he asked, ¡°How did you know I was smoking?¡±

    Song Yu could simply say that she knew it but facing Qi Chengzhi, she failed to concoct any sort of lie. Even a half-truth was hard for her.

    ¡°Luo Yushu sent me a message saying all of you are at a club, there are even escorts!¡± Song Yu made a show of being slightly more serious. Although Qi Chengzhi¡¯s vicinity was devoid of women in Luo Yushu¡¯s picture, the whole ce was still full of escorts. She found it disgusting and ufortable.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°When did you bribe Luo Yushu to spy on me?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t!¡± Song Yu denied it vehemently because she was afraid there would be a misunderstanding. Men hated women who did such things, what more a man like Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Luo Yushu was the one who sent it to me. Even I was confused when I received it.¡±

    ¡°So, you yourself aren¡¯t curious then?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked, as though he was the one who wanted to relish some control.

    ¡°...¡± Her curiosity had never been strong. She would not think about how he was and what he did when he was drinking and discussing business outside. Besides, she was unable to imagine someone like Qi Chengzhi being in such a disgraceful situation.

    When she received Luo Yushu¡¯s text however, she truly could not contain her curiosity.

    With his handsome and virtuous appearance as well as his strong and slender figure, he was covered in a refined exquisiteness from head to toe.

    Such a man would inherently attract the attention of various women, no matter where he went. It was only then that she did not feel too at east with letting him be out in the open all by himself.

    She felt repulsed when she thought of the women who would throw themselves over him even though he was not a tease.

    After a pause, she answered tranquilly, ¡°I trust that you¡¯re not someone with bad taste.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed. Was that praise for himself or for herself?

    His mood became much better after hanging up. Sternness disappeared from his forehead and he looked much more amicable. He went back into the room and found a nice corner to sit.

    Song Yu stared nkly at her phone. She was still in amazement of how things flowed so naturally when she was with Qi Chengzhi.

    With a slightly shy look, she turned around but was left stunned.

    At some point in time, Qi Chengyue was standing behind her. God-only-knew how long she was eavesdropping on Song Yu¡¯s phone call.

    Such rudeness made Song Yu frown because she felt like it was an intrusion of her privacy.

    ¡°How fast of you to get a new boyfriend,¡± Qi Chengyue asked sarcastically. She had disdain for fickle women like Song Yu.

    Song Yu used to like Jian Yi but it did not take her a long time to getfortable with a new man.

    If Qi Chengyue was not on the phone with Jian Yi at the same time that Song Yu was also on the phone, Qi Chengyue would have thought that Song Yu was getting involved with Jian Yi again.

    Song Yu wanted to ignore Qi Chengyue. She was fed up to even nod at Qi Chengyue and she simply wanted to go back into the hall.

    Qi Chengyue stretched out an arm abruptly and obstructed Song Yu¡¯s path. ¡°You used to like Jian Yi so much but now you¡¯ve found a new lover. You have the audacity, don¡¯t you Song Yu? Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re a bit too fickle?¡±

    ¡°What do you expect me to do? You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯d be involved with Jian Yi if I¡¯m single and now you¡¯re calling me fickle when I have a boyfriend? There¡¯s a limit to stubbornness, you know. If I were you, I¡¯d be rejoicing that I have a boyfriend,¡± Song Yu chided without holding back. Qi Chengyue was unable to utter a single word to refute that statement. Song Yu shot her a nce and walked past her.

    She pitied Qi Chengyue when she thought about the picture that she received, the one where Jian Yi was hugging another woman.

    Someone like Qi Chengyue would have no problem finding any other guy. Why did she have to be so stubbornly attached to someone like Jian Yi?

    Song Yu did not mention anything about the picture. Meddling with the affairs of someone like Qi Chengyue would only lead to Song Yu being admonished.

    Qi Chengyue groaned with an ugly expression. She stomped her foot and gnashed her teeth before leaving.

    By the time Song Yu returned, the lucky draw had concluded and she was shocked to see a Philips hair curler on top of her chair. It was the all-epassing type that could curl coarse hair and delicate hair.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Song Yu picked the hair curler up and sat down.

    ¡°I told you your luck is changing for the better,¡± Ruan Danchen giggled and said. ¡°You¡¯ve been blessed with fortune ever since being together with Qi Chengzhi. Not long after you left, the lucky draw called out your number, so I imed it on your behalf.¡±

    Song Yu broke intoughter.

    ¡®Was Qi Chengzhi really bringing her luck?¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi returned in the noon of New Year¡¯s Eve. He rushed to his grandfather¡¯s ce the instant he came back.

    During the journey, he called Song Yu.

    At that time, she was pasting rhyming couplets on the outside of her door. Once she saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name, she went to the balcony beside the staircase and answered the call.

    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± he said two simple words. It felt like they were an old couple.

    When she heard his voice, she understood what it meant to feel empty all those days before. At that moment, she was feeling content.

    ¡°Tired?¡± She did not overlook the exhaustion in his voice.

    Qi Chengzhiid his head on the chair and massaged the corner of his eyes. However, his lips curled into a faint smile and he said, ¡°Mm, a bit.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not driving, are you?¡±

    ¡°Chang Lai picked me up.¡± The lines on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face began to melt because Song Yu seemed to be slowly entering into a state of self-realization that she was his woman.

    Hearing her gentle, caring voice, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mood became uplifted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t... drink so much at night.¡± Song Yu did not want to say it at first but after some consideration, she decided to just say it.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± he asked.

    ¡°At my parents¡¯ home.¡± From above, Song Yu watched as the trees swayed in the wind.

    ¡°Address.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at his wristwatch and saw that there was still time.

    ¡°You wannae here?¡± Song Yu was shocked because she was afraid to let her parents see him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi remained quiet and waited.

    After all their interactions, Song Yu could roughly make out his character. Such silence was actually a quiet insistence and if she did not tell him, he would not let it slide.

    Furthermore, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s silence only made her feel pressured.

    There was nothing she could do apart from telling him her address.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up and passed the address to Chang Lai. ¡°We¡¯ll head there first.¡±

    Upon ending the call, Song Yu picked up a jacket from inside the house and looked out, standing by the window.

    About half an hourter, a Range Rover approached.

    It was New Year¡¯s Eve and not a lot of people were out at their yard. Everyone was busy getting ready to celebrate the new year.

    Song Yu¡¯s phone rang and on the other side of the phone, a voice spoke. ¡°You cane down now.¡±

    Song Yu dashed downstairs, half running.

    Chang Lai greeted Song Yu with a nod after he got down from the car and stood aside; somewhere near but away from the car. Song Yu wondered why did he have to do so...

    ¡°You... ugh...¡± Just as Song Yu started speaking, the man in the car threw himself at her. She was pressed against the door and being kissed forcefully.

    Song Yu was shocked at first but she slowly rxed her body. She gave in and slipped her finger through his hair, grabbed it hard and kissed back.

    Qi Chengzhi had slightly cold lips but both their lips turned warm upon the interaction.

    Both of them had not seen each other for a long time and had longed for each other. Hence, it was difficult to let go as their skin touched.

    Song Yu had her chest on his. Not only that she could smell the refreshing fragrant on his body, she could clearly feel his heartbeat. Her heart rate increased when she suddenly remembered that Qi Chengzhi came to her before even going back to his family, as nned, upon returning from the trip.

    At this moment, she did not want to let him go. All she wanted was to own this brilliant man entirely by herself.

    Subsequently, the photo in the club of that night emerged in her mind; the proud and aloof figure with a cold expression touched her like never before.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips pursed tighter as her fingernails dug deeper into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s scalp.

    ¡®Shoo... Bang!¡¯

    A firework exploded nearby and Song Yu was frozen in shock.

    Qi Chengzhi loosened his grip on her as he pressed his lips on hers, then proceeded to the corner of her lips.

    There was a peculiar angle of his lips that made her lowered her head uncontrobly to kiss his lower lips. There, she found her lips being poked by his unshaven mustache.

    Song Yu¡¯s initiation had got Qi Chengzhi besotted and aroused; his body could not take it anymore.

    It was only natural that Song Yu felt the changes on his body. With a reddened face, she buried her head into his beefy shoulder.

    ¡°Go home,¡± he said as he pinched her waist. His hands did not let go even though he had instructed her to leave.

    After a while, he knew that he had not much time left. With a sigh, he loosened his grip.

    Song Yu, on the other hand, looked up at him anxiously then angle her gaze downward to the zip at his crotch.

    She did not know what had got hold of her to be eyeing on his crotch.

    At this point, Qi Chengzhi was even more aroused and encouraged. It was as if she was a drug, an addiction he did not want to recover from. Looking at that blushed cheeks and the plump moisturized lips, how could he ever let her go?

    ¡°We¡¯d have to head to a hotel if you don¡¯t...¡± That hoarse voice was so mesmerizing it sounded like vintage wine.

    However, it sent Song Yu dashing out of the car. Back in the car, Qi Chengzhi could only smile as he watched her dwindling figure disappear in a distance. Subsequently, he retrieved a cigarette from his pocket, lit it up, and smoked a puff.

    Qi Chengzhi waited until he made sure that Song Yu entered the house safely before instructing Chang Lai to drive.

    Song Yu dashed into her room with her lips pursed tight, feeling anxious because she was worried that Song Donglin would call her out. That was because Qi Chengzhi kissed her so hard as if he was about to suck her into his body and her lips were always swollen after they make out.

    She could only leave her room after the swelling subside.

    Yu Qianyin was coincidentally back home when Song Yu left her room. Before Yu Qianyin could even organize the groceries that she had bought, she ran to Song Yu, tugged her sleeves and asked, ¡°Are you dating someone?¡±

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Song Yu was shocked. ¡®Was I busted?¡¯

    ¡°Silly! It¡¯s good news that you¡¯re dating, why are you hiding it from us? Uncle Xu from the sixth floor was cleaning his window when he saw you entering a ck jeep, a big car! And you left the car hastily after a long period of time.¡±

    Yu Qianying scrutinized Song Yu¡¯s face. She squinted with the intention of finding a slip-up in Song Yu¡¯s expression. Unfortunately, Song Yu had practiced the art of remaining calm because she had the experience of meeting countless different kinds of people in her field.

    ¡°No, Uncle Xu must¡¯ve made a mistake. I was pasting the couplets at home all this time. Ask dad if you don¡¯t believe me,¡± Song Yu replied with a poker face.

    All of a sudden, Song Donglin ¨C who was busy analyzing his kifu ¨C looked up and blinked his eyes nkly. He was not paying much attention because he entirely focused on studying his kifu.

    Since Song Yu called him, he just nodded and answered, ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°See. If I had a partner, I¡¯d definitely tell you. It¡¯ll save you from harping about it all day and my ears will finally have some peace and quiet.¡±

    Song Yu made quite a show of being earnest, so Yu Qianying was not very sure about it anymore.

    Earlier, she became emotional upon hearing what Lao Xu said. She rushed back home thinking that Song Yu finally had someone and that she no longer had to worry about her.

    Whenever Yu Qianying went out, the people she met would first greet her, followed by ¨C ¡°Is your maiden daughter in a rtionship?¡±

    Every single time, Yu Qianying wouldugh and reply, ¡°Not yet! She hasn¡¯t met the right one. Maybe you can introduce someone?¡± Deep down, however, she felt very ufortable.

    Once her excitement finally calmed down, Yu Qianying ¨C whose happiness was in vain ¨C grabbed Song Yu by the sleeve and began nagging unhappily. ¡°Don¡¯t aim too high! So-so is good enough. You¡¯re already twenty-five, but after tomorrow, you¡¯ll be twenty-six. In the blink of an eye, you¡¯ll turn into an olddy. Let¡¯s see if anyone wants you after that!¡±

    ¡°Men nowadays all want young women. Who would want someone like you, who¡¯s been left behind? You¡¯re always using your beauty to say that this one¡¯s not good enough, that one¡¯s not good enough. Once you¡¯re older, who¡¯s do you think will still look at you?¡±

    ¡°Enough, enough.¡± Song Donglin finally ced his kifu down. He took off his presbyopia sses and said leisurely, ¡°it¡¯s the new year. Don¡¯t keep saying all these negative words to our child. You¡¯re always saying that she doesn¡¯te back, but once she¡¯s back, you nag at her. Do you think she¡¯ll want toe back?¡±

    ¡°Forget about it. I¡¯ll go and make the dumpling fillings,¡± Yu Qianying grumbled as she walked to the kitchen. ¡°No one understands how much I¡¯m worried!¡±

    ...

    ...

    It was almost noon by the time Qi Chengzhi reached his grandfather¡¯s residence. As soon as he entered, he heard the liveliness andughtering from within.

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Aunt Liu was even wearing a shawl on her waist. She saw Qi Chengzhi and smiled immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi shed a rare smile in return and entered the living room.

    Grandfather Qi was seated at the prime seat in the living room. Meanwhile, Grandmother Qi was carrying Qi Chenglin¡¯s five-year-old son, Qi Youxuan, and giving him an endless flow of snacks.

    ¡°Grandma, stop giving him so much snacks. His body weight is already above the norm.¡± Qi Chenglin watched helplessly as his grandmother ignored him and gave Qi Youxuan a packet of QQ Candy. ¡°Our little Youxuan is just the right weight. He¡¯s not heavy at all. How could that doctor be so irresponsible with his words?¡±

    ¡°Not heavy you say? Look at how chubby he is!¡± Qi Chenglin said helplessly.

    ¡°It¡¯s only a tiny bit of fat!¡± The elderlydy asserted her view that her heavy grandson was not fat. ¡°If you¡¯re really worried for him, find him a mother. All you do is talk, but I don¡¯t see you taking good care of your child.¡±

    Five years ago, Qi Chenglin carried Qi Youxuan home, but broke off the engagement with his already-pregnant fianc¨¦e. From then onward, he remained single.

    Her few grandsons were not sparing her any worry. There was nothing she could say about the eldest, Qi Chengzhi. He was already thirty-four but still had yet to have a woman. Gossip about him liking men had started to spread.

    Her second grandson, Qi Chenglin, had a son whose mother no one knew. There was not a single person out there who knew who the mother was, and his son was already so grown-up. With everything in such an unclear state, which woman would be willing to be with him?

    The third grandson, Qi Chengze, was murdered by his wife two years ago. No children were left behind.

    With Qi Chengze as an example, Qi Chenglin¡¯s parents did not simply want him and Qi Chengyue to be in arranged marriages. They allowed the two of them to search for love by themselves. Regardless of how much better someone else¡¯s family background was, their children¡¯s safety was still the most important thing.

 Chapter 79 - Weâ€™ve Just Started Dating. Iâ€™ll Bring Her Home When Weâ€™re In A Stable Relationship

    <h4>Chapter 79: We¡¯ve Just Started Dating. I¡¯ll Bring Her Home When We¡¯re In A Stable Rtionship</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After the incident with Qi Chengze, Qi Chenglin¡¯s parents no longer meddled with their children¡¯s personal life, allowing them to fall in love with whomever they please. Nothing outweighed the safety of their children, not even the prestige of other great families.

    There was nothing bad about the freedom to love. The elders of the Qi family were not elitists. It was just that Qi Chenglin was already in his thirties and with nary ady in sight, so freedom was never the issue. When was the man going to get married?

    Their youngest grandchild, Qi Chengji, was in the military. He had only thepany of burly middle-aged men, so the chances of him getting married were slim to none.

    Only Qi Chengyue showed some promise by bringing back an actual boyfriend. Being dressed up to the nines, Grandmother Qi was fairly satisfied with this man.

    Qi Chenglin was being rebuffed by his grandmother when Qi Chengzhi walked in. He immediately turned to Qi Chengzhi and greeted loudly, ¡°Big brother!¡±

    ¡°Grandpa, grandma,¡± Qi Chengzhi greeted. Qi Chengji, who was still dressed in his military uniform, stepped aside to let Qi Chengzhi sit beside his mother, Xia Wenna.

    ¡°And you! I was just talking about Chenglin. Did you hear what I say? Hurry up and get married. All my younger grandchildren are following your footsteps. They¡¯re probably taking their own sweet time because the eldest isn¡¯t married yet,¡± Grandmother Qi admonished, seemingly angrier after seeing Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve met the one. I¡¯ll bring her over some other time,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly.

    This whole marriage fuss had long since been a neverending topic in family gatherings. When it came to lecturing Qi Chengzhi about marriage, the elderly matron of the Qi family never let an opportunity pass.

    From the olddy¡¯s perspective, hoping for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s marriage was like waiting for a blue moon.

    She had all but given up on Qi Chengzhi. Now, she pinned her hopes on the single Qi Chenglin, who had in tow his young son, Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words did not register with Grandmother Qi. She fed a piece of mandarin orange to Qi Youxuan and continued her rant, ¡°Look at Chengyue, she¡¯s bringing her boy...¡±

    Her words trailed off. The olddy blinked in confusion for a few seconds. She whipped her head around to face her grandson, pushing past Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna in the process. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    Without much inflection in his tone, Qi Chengzhi repeated his words. ¡°I said, I¡¯ll bring my partner over next time.¡±

    ¡°Cough!¡± The sound of Qi Chenglin choking on his tea. He quickly reached for a tissue and watched Qi Chengzhi from behind his hand. ¡®If he brings Song Yu home, there would be such drama...¡¯

    He could not resist the urge to peek at Qi Chengji. ¡®From being his ex-fiancee to sister-inw...¡¯

    ¡°You won¡¯t be bringing a man back right?¡± the grandmother asked. There were rumors surrounding her grandson that she turned a blind eye to but she might just lose it if he really brought home a man.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand stopped. His intention to procure a mandarin orange interrupted. ¡®Where did this olddy get these ideas from?¡¯

    After a slight pause, he got back onto peeling his mandarin orange. ¡°It¡¯s a girl, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Really? When? Just call her over now.¡± The olddy¡¯s eagerness could not be overstated. Her eyes lit up with excitement as she leaned forward. She was truly witnessing the blue moon now.

    The news came like rain after months of drought.

    Even Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna looked at their eldest son with surprise. They had decided to let fate take its course when it came to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s personal life and had kept their worries to themselves.

    Much like three years ago, when Qi Chengzhi resigned from Qilin Technology and took up the managing director position in Qilin Property, his father did not raise any objections.

    Xia Wenna felt tears of joy stinging her eyes. She grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Are you really dating someone? Which family is thisdy from?¡±

    The elders would not demand him to marry ady from a notable family, just a family with moral decency will do.

    ¡°We¡¯ve just started dating. I¡¯ll bring her home when we¡¯re in a more stable rtionship. I don¡¯t want to scare her away,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he peeled another mandarin orange.

    ¡°Aiya...¡± His grandmother had started shedding tears of happiness.

    The family had never seen Qi Chengzhi be so considerate and thoughtful. Although he did not want to frighten thedy by bringing her home too soon, the fact that he had announced her to the family indicated that marriage was a foreseeable oue.

    Tears streamed down the olddy¡¯s face drenching the mandarin oranges. The once sweet and juicy fruits now tasted salty, prompting Qi Youxuan to quickly retrieve some tissues.

    ¡°Thank you, child.¡± Their grandmother sniffled and turned to Xia Wenna. ¡°We thought this day would nevere. Wenna, on the fifteenth day of the lunar calendar,e to the temple with me. We need to pay tribute for this happy asion. If our eldest boy gets married, I will donate a golden statue of Buddha as promised.¡±

    Sitting at the head of the table, the paterfamilias of the Qi family called out, ¡°You and your superstitions!¡± He was a staunch disbeliever of religious traditions.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t see you helping your grandson to find a wife?¡± The olddy blew her nose and the bickering started.

    After some back and forth, Grandfather Qi huffed and continued drinking his tea in resignation.

    ¡°Master, Madam, Miss Chengyue is back.¡± Right after Aunt Liu¡¯s announcement, Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice could be heard. ¡°Grandpa, grandma!¡±

    The voice was apanied by a distinct perfume. Qi Chengyue ran toward her grandmother and hugged her. ¡°Grandma, I missed you so much!¡±

    ¡°My child.¡± The olddy chuckled while patting Qi Chengyue on her arm. ¡°You say that, yet you don¡¯t visit more often.¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m back now. And my boyfriend is here too.¡± Qi Chengyue released the olddy from her embrace and gently swung their linked hands.

    ¡°You¡¯re still acting so childishly even in front of your boyfriend. Not afraid that he willugh at you?¡± her grandmother teased. ¡°Quickly bring him in. Don¡¯t let him stand out there alone for so long!¡±

    Qi Chengyue went out to fetch Jian Yi but not before sticking her tongue out petntly. She came in with Jian Yi on her arm. ¡°Grandpa, grandma, dad, mom, uncle, auntie, let me introduce to you my boyfriend, Jian Yi. He is the manager of the engineering department in Qilin Property.¡±

    With that, she shyly extended her left hand. ¡°Jian Yi, he... he proposed to me.¡±

    The olddy¡¯s excitement was palpable after the news.

    A round of introductions proceeded. Qi Zhongxun and his wife approved of their daughter¡¯s choice. Although his family background was nothing spectacr, he appeared to be a talented and ambitious man, achieving managerial level at his age. If they gave him the required support and opportunities, he would surpass the young men of rich families.

    The key factor was that Qi Chengyue liked him. In the presence of his steadfast demeanor, Qi Chengyue became a so sweet and lovable without her usual temper and tantrums.

    If the man could keep a handle on Qi Chengyue and change her for the better, her parents would be delighted.

    To Qi Zhongliang and his wife, Qi Chengyue was just their niece. Naturally, they would not object as long as her own parents were satisfied with the match.

    When it came to Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°This is my eldest cousin brother, you should know him. He¡¯s your boss at work but at home, you¡¯ll be cousins-inw.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi responded with a nod, then proceeded to take out his phone. He texted Song Yu on WeChat.

    [What are you doing?]

    Jian Yi was put on edge by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s action. His mind fretting over the identity of the recipient. ¡®Was he texting Song Yu?¡¯

    ¡®Had their rtionship progressed to the next stage?¡¯

    Oblivious to his internal discord, Qi Chengyue moved him onward, ¡°This is my eldest brother, Qi Chenglin. And this is my nephew, Qi Youxuan.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gave him a slight nod of acknowledgment. A far colder reception than the parents, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya.

    Jian Yi figured that he could endear himself to the young boy who still carried some of the baby fat on his cheeks. He beckoned the boy. ¡°Hello Youxuan, I brought you a present,e and see if you like it.¡±

    Jian Yi did note empty-handed. From the stash of presents, he took out a bag that contained a boxed Iron Man action figure.

    ¡°Oh! You don¡¯t need to bring presents when youe over,¡± she said, though Guan Liya was impressed by his generosity. The fact that he remembered her precious grandson earned him extra brownies points.

    Through the transparent box, Qi Youxuan saw the Iron Man action figure. He had seen it before when Zhang Mingming showed off his in the kindergarten ss.

    Qi Youxuan looked up from the present and asked Jian Yi innocently, ¡°Uncle, what is this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s an Iron Man toy. I heard that kids these days love this. You don¡¯t know about the Avengers?¡± Jian Yi smiled encouragingly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard of it but I never watched the movies because it¡¯s too violent. Not suitable for kids,¡± Qi Youxuan said, sounding wise beyond his age. Without epting the gift, he climbed into Grandfather Qi¡¯sp and sat there, eyeing Jian Yi with disdain.

    His stare seemed to mean, ¡®First time meeting a child and you already get them something this violent. Really?¡¯

    The gift box hung in mid-air as Jian Yi struggled to keep his cheery facade. ¡®Why are all the Qi family¡¯s men so infuriating?¡¯

    Qi Youxuan ignored Jian Yi and spoke to his great-grandfather. ¡°Great-grandpa, can I have a mandarin orange?¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The old man smiled, pulled his sleeves back and got to peeling a mandarin orange for his great-grandson.

    Guan Liya mused, ¡®When did the boy be so averse to violent movies?¡¯

    ¡®And what about his collection of Transformers and Avengers toys?¡¯

    The boy was just pestering Qi Zhongxun to get him an Iron Man toy the day before yesterday.

    Qi Chengyue red at Qi Youxuan and dragged Jian Yi to her seat. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s the only one in the house these days and he¡¯s been spoiled rotten.¡±

    Jian Yi smiled sheepishly. Grandfather Qi gave the peeled mandarin orange to his great-grandson. When he turned to face Jian Yi, his demeanor was stern and solemn.

    ¡°Let us set a date for our families to meet and dine,¡± the old man said.

    Happiness bloomed in Qi Chengyue¡¯s chest. With Grandfather Qi¡¯s blessing, the family would not be able to object.

    At this time, Qi Chengzhi got his reply from Song Yu.

    [I¡¯m wrapping dumplings.]

    Along with the message came a photo ¡ª a flour-covered hand holding a fat dumpling. Qi Chengzhi could not help the crinkle in his eye. The scene was not missed by Qi Chengji who was beside him.

    ¡®When did his older brother ever showed such emotions?¡¯ His curiosity got the better of him. ¡°Girlfriend?¡±

    ¡®Who could get into his brother¡¯s heart?¡¯

    Qi Chengji leaned forward and attempted to steal a nce of the source of his brother¡¯s glee but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s quick reflexes prohibited it.

    ¡®Who is this precious girl?¡¯

    Coming back to the situation at hand, Qi Chengzhi inquired, ¡°I remembered from thepany¡¯s database that Jian Yi, you¡¯re an only child?¡±

    Jian Yi was suddenly aware that he was overdressed for the asion. He came right after work and did not change into casual attire. The uneasiness he felt from the Qi family¡¯s attention was exacerbated by the physical weight of his suit.

    ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Jian Yi nodded. He could not see where Qi Chengzhi was going with it.

    ¡°Today is New Year¡¯s Eve, don¡¯t you need to go home to see your parents? I understand work takes up a lot of your time.¡± Qi Chengzhi refilled his cup of hot tea. He brought the cup to his lips and blew on the hot tea. The steam rose and condensed on his sses, fogging up the lenses.

    Jian Yi took a second to reply in mirth, ¡°I actually thought of justing over to meet some of the elders and leave for home in the afternoon.¡±

    He ended his sentence with a subtle hint of challenge.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s line of questioning seemed to hint that Jian Yi had neglected his own parents in order to curry favor with the Qi family.

    His reply seemed to cut off any retort from Qi Chengzhi as he nodded and went back to ignoring him.

    The exchange between the two young men ended and Grandfather Qi resumed his perfunctory questions about Jian Yi¡¯s family background ¨C to which he answered with utmost honesty.

    The Qi family could easily investigate his family background, so lying about it did more harm than good.

    Grandmother Qi persuaded Jian Yi to stay for lunch. During the meal, Qi Chengzhi made no contact with Jian Yi, only asionally speaking to Grandfather Qi.

    The young Qi Youxuan was shown to be a picky eater, only eating meat dishes and ignoring all the vegetables. His father, Qi Chenglin, frowned at him. ¡°Eat less meat. Don¡¯t be picky.¡±

    The outburst seemed to have caught Grandmother Qi¡¯s attention and she wheeled on him. ¡°Even your elder cousin has a girlfriend now. When are you going to find one? Your son needs a mother!¡± If looks could kill, Qi Chenglin would be dead now.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin shut his mouth and continued eating. Apparently, teaching one¡¯s child table manners made one the target of old matrons.

    Hearing this exchange, Jian Yi nced at Qi Chengzhi but the man gracefully ate his lunch, unbothered by themotion.

    When lunch ended, Jian Yi took his leave. The unhappiness on Qi Chengyue¡¯s face was tant as she escorted him out of the house.

    Sucking on his ice pop, Qi Youxuan shot Qi Chengzhi a look before running into the bathroom.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows in question and followed his nephew.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked the little boy.

    ¡°Did you forget your promise?¡± Qi Youxuan held his wet, sticky palm out. ¡°You said you¡¯d give me double red packets if I didn¡¯t entertain Jian Yi.¡±

    ¡°Red packets are not traditionally given out today.¡± Qi Chengqiughed at the little boy. ¡°Tomorrow I will give you the red packets, alright?¡±

    Unaffected by his uncle¡¯s teasing, Qi Youxuan nodded his head. ¡°I like the Iron Man toy that he brought but because of uncle, I didn¡¯t take it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi mulled over the issue and took out some cash from his wallet. ¡°You can go buy it yourself.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was clearly pleased with this. He held the ice pop in his mouth as he epted the money with sticky hands. He unzipped his coin pouch which was bursting at its seams with bills and coins of different value, ranging from one hundred yuan to ten cents.

    The boy took the few hundred yuan bills and folded them neatly into his fat coin pouch. Ensuring that the money was secured in his pocket, he removed the ice pop from his mouth and said, ¡°Thank you, uncle!¡±

    Just like that, the boy ran off like a cloud of smoke. On the way to find a quiet spot to count his money, he uttered to himself, ¡°I need to get a bigger pouch for my money. Maybe something like uncle¡¯s leather wallet.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lingered in the bathroom, smoking half a cigarette by the sink.

    His grandparents had no smoking habit and detested the smell.

    When he came out, Qi Chengyue was already back. Her face was stormy ¨C this morning¡¯s cheerful disposition was nowhere to be seen.

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi walked out, she questioned him, ¡°Cousin brother, why did you ask Jian Yi those questions? He was supposed to spend the night here for New Year¡¯s Eve.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sat down on the sofa and gave her a cool stare. ¡°You¡¯ll be marrying him soon. Now, he¡¯s doing his best to please you, so he didn¡¯t make a fuss. But today is an important day for family reunions, didn¡¯t you think about his parents?¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re thinking, with our family¡¯s name and reputation, his parents won¡¯t protest. But do you think this canst forever? If you marry him and treated his parents with such disrespect, he¡¯ll soon grow tired of you.¡±

    ¡°Also, once he enters our family, he will no longer be a meager manager. When he does climb up the ranks and establishes his own business, he won¡¯t need your money or influence. He can explore opportunities elsewhere. Would you be able to hold him back?¡±

    ¡°Another point, Jian Yi will pretty much be a live-in son-inw. Every man has their ego and pride, there is a limit to how much one can stand. When that line is crossed, your rtionship will take a hit. Don¡¯t you think you should be more careful now and avoid unnecessarily needling people when there¡¯s no conflict yet? Rather than fuel this ticking time bomb?¡±

    ¡°Trust my judge of character, Jian Yi is the type who will keep his displeasure to himself and when that builds up, it will explode in your face one day. You are young and your rtionship is still in the honeymoon phase. Give it some time and conflicts will start to emerge, especially with your mercurial temper. Jian Yi may be able to bear you once or twice but trust me, any man who has pride will not take kindly to your immature behavior.¡±

    ¡°You wanted him to abandon his parents ande over to our ce for New Year¡¯s Eve. What were you thinking? He probably dared not to disagree with you knowing full well that you would misinterpret it as him not caring about you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue gaped at her cousin, she was speechless.

    Level-headed as always, Qi Chengzhi looked at her. ¡°I¡¯m just trying to help you.¡±

    ¡°Yes. What Chengzhi said makes sense,¡± Guan Liya voiced her agreement. ¡°You were spoiled since young, if you are serious with Jian Yi you shouldn¡¯t keep throwing tantrums in front of him.¡±

    Being chided by her cousin and mother, Qi Chengyue grudgingly agreed. ¡°I know now.¡± She eyed her cousin brother. ¡°I thought you were getting rid of Jian Yi on purpose because you didn¡¯t like him.¡±

    Her standard interactions with Qi Chengzhi were limited to nods of acknowledgment.

    The sudden onught of words and in-depth analysis of her rtionship was certainly out of character.

    Qi Chengyue thought to herself, ¡®Perhaps blood was indeed thicker than water.¡¯

 Chapter 80 - I Want To Spend The New Yearâ€™s With You

    <h4>Chapter 80: I Want To Spend The New Year¡¯s With You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengyue thought to herself, ¡®Perhaps blood was indeed thicker than water.¡¯

    ¡°His performance in thepany has always been good, he has talent that I can admire. Personally, I¡¯ve never interacted with him much. No conflict there, so why would I dislike him?¡± Qi Chengzhi crossed his legs and leisurely sipped his tea.

    Qi Zhongxun heard his nephew¡¯spliment and thought, ¡®There are few people that Qi Chengzhi admires and to think that Jian Yi would be one of them...¡¯

    ¡°Since you¡¯re his superior, I trust that you¡¯d have a certain degree of understanding of the man. You really think well of him?¡± Qi Zhongxun asked, leaning forward expectantly.

    Qi Chengzhi slowly sipped his tea. Those raven ck eyesid on Qi Zhongxun, a slight nod. ¡°He¡¯s a good candidate.¡±

    At a corner, Qi Chengyue jumped with unrestrained glee. ¡°Dad, I told you. My taste has standards.¡±

    ¡°Alright. You go ahead and discuss with Jian Yi to see when are his parents free. We can set up a date and talk about the wedding at Dynasty Restaurant. We don¡¯t want to overlook his parents,¡± Qi Zhongxun said to his daughter.

    ¡°What¡¯s there to discuss? You can set the date. His parents are sried workers, they can just take a day off. It¡¯s not like they have important fuctions to attend and jam-packed schedules like you,¡± Qi Chengyue spoke dismissively.

    ¡°Have you forgotten all that Chengzhi just said?¡± Qi Zhongxun red at his daughter. ¡°Your words may be tolerated by us but please keep that attitude when you¡¯re meeting Jian Yi¡¯s parents. If you¡¯re can¡¯t bring yourself to respect them, don¡¯t date their only son! If Jian Yi knew of your snobbery, what would he think?¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Qi Chengyue pouted unhappily.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi was driving home when he passed by a store selling healthcare products. He turned into the corner abruptly and parked the car by the street. Momentster, he exited the store with four bags of products and deposited them in the back of the car.

    The dumplings were ready. Yu Qianyin was in the process of collecting the wrapped dumplings when the doorbell rang. Her daughter had gone to wash her hands, so Yu Qianyin called out, ¡°Song Yu, see who is it.¡±

    Song Yu murmured her assent and headed for the door. The door swung open to reveal Jian Yi carrying multiple stic bags in his arms. At this point, Song Yu regretted her decision and decided to undo her mistake by closing the door.

    Sensing the girl¡¯s intention, Jian Yi quickly blocked the door with his shoulder. ¡°Song Song, are you going to hang me out to dry forever? Are we not even friends anymore? I¡¯m here today just to see uncle and auntie.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡± Yu Qianyin was carrying a tray of dumplings into the kitchen and caught sight of Jian Yi standing outside. After all, the kitchen was right beside the main door.

    ¡°Auntie, I was on my way home and thought I¡¯d stop by to see you.¡± Jian Yi looked across Song Yu¡¯s shoulders to greet the elder woman.

    ¡°Don¡¯t dither at the doorway,e on in.¡± Yu Qianyin hurriedly ced the dumplings in the kitchen and head back out. ¡°Song Yu, let Jian Yi in. Why are you blocking the door?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, auntie. I was just dropping by to give you these.¡± Jian Yi set the bags down by the door.

    Yu Qianyin saw the products and huffed, ¡°You¡¯re always buying us such expensive stuff!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that expensive,¡± Jian Yi said to her, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave first.¡±

    ¡°You traveled so far. Why don¡¯t youe in and sit a while?¡± Yu Qianyin squeezed past Song Yu and intended to invite the man in.

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to head back to see my parents.¡± Jian Yi smiled.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s the New Year¡¯s Eve. Okay, I shouldn¡¯t keep you from your parents,¡± the elder woman said, then a thought struck her, ¡°Jian Yi, one moment please.¡±

    Yu Qianyin ran into the kitchen and took out two bags. ¡°You take these back to your home. One is Tieguanyin tea gifted by someone, the other is a set of ceramic knives. The knives may not be practical but they are finely-crafted. You can use them as decorative pieces if you like.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, this...¡± Jian Yi wanted to decline the gifts but the elder woman¡¯s glower made him think twice. ¡°You can gift us things but we can¡¯t return the gesture? These gifts are meant for your parents, so don¡¯t you worry.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I will take them then.¡± Jian Yi graciously epted the gifts with a courteous smile.

    Now that the exchange was over, Yu Qianyin urged her daughter, ¡°Song Yu, walk Jian Yi out would you?¡±

    Trapped under her mother¡¯s supervision, Song Yu bit her lip and walked out of the house begrudgingly.

    Song Yu followed Jian Yi up to the apartment lobby door and said to him in an impassive tone, ¡°See you.¡± She then turned around and headed for the stairs.

    Her departure was halted by a hand gripping her arm, forcing her to look back.

    ¡°Song Song, sometimes I think you still have feelings for me. Why else would you hate me so much? Why hurt me like this if you¡¯ve really moved on?¡±

    Song Yu dislodged her arm from his grip, her voice dripping with ridicule. ¡°You think my treatment toward you is because I hate you and not because I don¡¯t care for you?¡±

    Jian Yi pursed his lips. His warm breath was visible in the cold air.

    ¡°You got together with Qi Chengzhi? He announced to his family today that he has a girlfriend now.¡± Jian Yi¡¯s throat tightened as he said it aloud. He scrutinized Song Yu¡¯s face, looking for a reaction.

    Her face was still as lovely as before but her eyes no longer had the familiar tenderness when she looked at him. Instead, it had evolved into distrust ¡ª and perhaps a hint of disgust, though he would never admit it ¡ª as if he was a stranger.

    Song Yu was mildly surprised at his admission. ¡®Qi Chengzhi told his family?¡¯

    Warmth crept into her chest and nestled there, to think that he had announced their rtionship to his family without any hesitation. She was somewhat nervous about revealing their dalliance to the Qi family and her own parents. However, now that she was being acknowledged as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend by his family, it felt pretty good.

    Song Yu maintained an unperturbed expression despite the creeping warmth in her body. Jian Yi could not decipher her.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi was just toying with you. He was never serious with you. Now that he¡¯s gotten a girlfriend and announced it to the family, you ought to know better.¡± He stared intensely into her eyes. ¡°Did you forget? When your family filed for bankruptcy, how the Qi family immediately called off your engagement.¡±

    ¡°Their family only cares about money. They will never ept you.¡± Jian Yi was agitated. He did not want Song Yu to be corrupted by Qi Chengzhi as she had been one of the best parts of his life.

    Moreover, he could not bear to see Song Yu with anyone but himself.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi may be with you now but he went behind your back and found anotherdy of equal social standing. Please don¡¯t be fooled by him.¡± Noticing her look of indifference and that his words falling on deaf ears, he grabbed her arm and said anxiously, ¡°Are you only willing to believe me when he walks down the aisle with another woman?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, I don¡¯t want to see you hurt.¡±

    Those words prickled Song Yu. Jian Yi was thest person she wanted to hear that line from. She snatched her arm back and gave him a sardonic smile. ¡°Congrattions on getting into the Qi family.¡±

    From his recounts, did he expect her to not pick up on the fact that he had entered the Qi¡¯s family house and met the Qi family?

    At this line, Jian Yi paled and lost his bravado.

    Song Yu let out a harshugh and turned her back to him. On the way up, she heard Jian Yi shout, ¡°Song Song, I¡¯m doing what¡¯s best for you. I would never hurt you!¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s steps did not falter. When she was back inside the house, her mother who was busy preparing New Year¡¯s Eve dinner walked out of the kitchen. ¡°Saw Jian Yi out?¡±

    ¡°Mhmm.¡± Song Yu nodded with no emotion on her face.

    ¡°Jian Yi, that child...¡± Yu Qianyin started, then she seemed to have second thoughts. Though in the end, she could not help herself but say, ¡°Fate didn¡¯t want the two of you together but you shouldn¡¯t hate him. He has helped our family a lot. Even if you can¡¯t be lovers, you should be his friend. He came all the way to our house today with gifts and all you could give him is that long face of yours? Have you forgotten about all the good he brought us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not be friends with some of such bad character,¡± Song Yu replied softly.

    Firecrackers were going off outside and the ruckus made it hard to carry out a conversation. ¡°Sorry, I didn¡¯t catch that,¡± her mother said.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu shook her head and walked away.

    ...

    ...

    After finishing the New Year¡¯s Eve dinner, the Song family gathered in front of the television and watched the Spring Festival G.

    Since the family¡¯s bankruptcy, their New Year¡¯s celebrations have been less festive.

    The Yu family had cut ties with Yu Qianyin. They feared that her family woulde to them and beg for mary assistance.

    Hence, it had been a few years since Yu Qianyin saw her parents and siblings.

    The sound of firecrackers and fireworks outside was unrelenting. Rolls of firecrackers were lit and the unexpected loud explosions startled everyone, overpowering the sound of the television. In retaliation, Yu Qianyin raised the volume of the television to an unhealthy level.

    Song Yu was watching the Spring Festival G while texting Ruan Danchen. A call came in and cut into her texting.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name shed on the phone screen. Song Yu imperceptibly nced at her mother who was sitting beside her. Yu Qianyin was fully entranced by the product advertisement ying on the television. Song Yu took her chance and sneakily slipped away to her own room to take the call.

    One hand on her left ear to block out all the noises, the other holding her phone to her right ear, she answered the call. Before she had a chance to speak, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s familiar voice reverberated. ¡°I¡¯m downstairs.¡±

    ¡®He came over this morning. Why is he here again?¡¯

    Song Yu checked the time, it was already nearing midnight.

    Song Yu knew that going downstairs to meet him was her only option, so she said to the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡± She threw on her down jacket, grabbed her phone and keys, then quietly snuck out of the apartment.

    She scanned for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover around the apartment block but could not find it. She figured it was because of New Year¡¯s Eve and the firecrackers that all the parking lots were upied. Qi Chengzhi probably did not manage to drive his car in.

    Song Yu walked out of the apartmentpound and spotted the Range Rover parked at the side of the corner building.

    Qi Chengzhi was dressed in a casual V-neck ck-and-white-striped sweater and a navy blue woolen coat, a departure from his usual formal attire. d in khaki trousers that entuated his long legs, he was leaning against the back of the Range Rover with his legs crossed.

    A cigarette between his leather-gloved fingers, he asionally took a drag. The white smoke quickly disappeared, chased away by the cold winter winds.

    Song Yu slowed her footsteps down, mesmerized by the man before her.

    He was very different from Jian Yi. Qi Chengzhi emanated an air of nobility that could not be emted.

    Looking at him from afar, she felt a sense of calm wash over her; though as she approached him, she started to feel nervous. When had this be an issue?

    She never knew that the sight of a man quietly smoking would fill her with such contentment.

    Her approach was perceived by Qi Chengzhi and he turned to look at her with tenderness in his eyes.

    Butterflies flitted around in her stomach and her heart started to race.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up straight as Song Yu walked up to him. His body towered over hers as if shielding her from the winds.

    Song Yu lifted her head. Until then, she did not dare to look straight into his eyes so her vision lingered at his chin.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait in the car?¡± she asked. She had only been outdoors for a moment but the howling winds had reddened her cheeks and messed up her hair.

    Song Yu med herself for rushing out, she should have tied her hair up in retrospect.

    While she was thinking this, it did not ur to her that when a woman was worried about her appearance in front of a man, it meant that the man had a foothold in her heart.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gloved fingersbed through her hair. She could smell the leather as he helped tame her disheveled locks.

    When he was done, he opened the backseat door. ¡°Hop in.¡±

    Odd that she was being ushered into the backseat.

    As she was settling down into the backseat, the opposing door opened and in came Qi Chengzhi.

    Suddenly, the backseat felt too small for the two of them. The interior of the car was brightly lit ¡ª a contrast from the street they had been standing on. Song Yu found herself internally panicking at the situation, unsure as to what she should do.

    The windblown scent of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cologne filled the space. Song Yu¡¯s previously frozen face was heating up by every passing second.

    ¡°Why are you here? Aren¡¯t you spending New Year¡¯s at home?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi slowly removed the gloves, revealing a pair of unblemished hands. ¡°I wanted to spend New Year¡¯s with you.¡±

    He tossed away the leather gloves and reached for Song Yu¡¯s cold hands. Using his own body heat, he warmed the small hands sped between his palms.

    Within moments, Song Yu could feel blood flow return to her fingers.

    The man who was supposed to be at the Qi house for New Year¡¯s had abandoned his family and came to find her instead.

    ording to the traditions of the Spring Festival, it was customary to stay up until midnight to wee the new year. This tradition was primarily carried out together with one¡¯s family, yet, here he was.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart had not calmed down. Gathering her courage, she raised her head and looked at his clean-shaven and elegant face. She was met with a pair of focused, ck eyes.

    The whole time that she was staring at his delicate hands, he was looking at her with such intensity.

    Song Yu felt her heart skip a beat, a full-blown blush was forming on her cheeks. ¡°Wait here for a moment, I¡¯ll be right back.¡±

    ¡°Hold up.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s low voice echoed. He took his leather gloves and made her wear them.

    The gloves were fitted for hands much bigger than Song Yu¡¯s. Her fingers filled only two-thirds of the space.

    The leather gloves still had the warmth of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands.

    With her hands protected from the weather, Song Yu jogged back to the apartment block.

    At her house entrance, she stowed the leather gloves into her jacket pockets.

    When she entered her home, she saw her mother in the kitchen cooking dumplings. Hearing the front door close, Yu Qianyin turned around and spotted Song Yu walking in. ¡°Where did you go?¡±

    ¡°I went downstairs to watch the fireworks.¡± Still wearing her down jacket, she walked into the kitchen and said to her mother, ¡°I¡¯ll take over. You go ahead and watch the Spring Festival G with dad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯ve already started cooking. Go and apany your dad.¡± Yu Qianyin was periodically stirring the water to ensure the dumplings did not stick to the pot.

    Song Yu took thedle and steered her mother out from the kitchen. ¡°I¡¯m not very interested in the program. You go watch and rx. We¡¯ll eat the dumplings after midnight.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay. No need to push.¡± Yu Qianyin chuckled and shook her head, returning to the living room.

    Song Yu took out two containers of different sizes ¡ª arge one to hold the dumplings and a smaller one for the vinegar.

    She filled therge container with cooked dumplings and grabbed two pairs of chopsticks. Without saying a word, she left the house.

    Song Yu entered the car. When Qi Chengzhi saw the freshly-cooked dumplings in her arms, he thought to himself, ¡®No wonder she took so long.¡¯

    ¡°Wait.¡± Song Yu leaned forward to the front seat and switched on the radio. She did not need to search for a particr frequency as every station was streaming the Spring Festival G.

    She sat back down. The host was counting down the seconds to the new year.

    On the final count, Song Yu opened therge container. It was a new year.

    ¡°You made these yourself?¡± Qi Chengzhi took a dumpling with his chopsticks.

    ¡°My mom prepared the fillings and we wrapped them together.¡± Song Yu picked a dumpling and smiled. ¡°The ones that are unevenly wrapped like this one is probably my handiwork.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi silently put down his chosen fat dumpling and took the one Song Yu picked. He dipped the distorted dumpling in some vinegar and ate it.

    Outside the car, fireworks lit up the night sky. The colorful disy of lights filtered into the car and cast a hazy shadow on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    They sat in the cramped backseat eating warm dumplings. Apanied by the sounds of celebration through the radio, it was a heartwarming scene.

    He ate the dumplings in one bite, not the least worried about burning his tongue. Even so, Qi Chengzhi looked as graceful as ever.

    ...

    ...

    Back at home, the countdown had ended but Song Yu¡¯s promised dumplings still were not delivered. Yu Qianyin hollered, ¡°Song Yu, are the dumplings ready?¡±

    When a minute passed and there was no reply, Yu Qianyin got up and muttered, ¡°This child.¡±

    She entered the kitchen and Song Yu was nowhere to be seen. The batch of cooked dumplings had disappeared too, while the uncooked dumplings remained where they were when she left.

    ¡°This brat, she said she was going to cook the dumplings and where did she go?¡± Yu Qianyin said in an annoyed tone and started the stove.

    ...

    ...

    They finished the dumplings just as the Spring Festival G ended.

    Qi Chengzhi ced the emptied containers in the passenger seat and switched off the radio.

    The loud and festive performances broadcasted by the radio had stifled any romantic notions but then, awkwardness filled the air again.

    As he sat back down, a ssh of color exploded in the sky and reflected in Song Yu¡¯s face, enhancing her delicate facial features.

    ¡°That... I¡¯ll head home now. Drive safe,¡± Song Yu uttered and turned to leave. His attention on her was making her anxious. However, Qi Chengzhi quickly grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t wished you, Happy Spring Festival,¡± he whispered into her ear. His lips trailed along the shell of her ear.

    Feeling his hot breath on her ear and neck, she clutched at his chest as her heart pounded in abandonment.

    ¡°Happy... Oh...¡± she did not manage to finish her sentence as he kissed her into silence.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms encircled her firmly. A sudden flip and she was on her back on the leather back seats. He continued to kiss her forcefully, his body tucked between her legs.

    One hand maneuvered its way past her down jacket and underneath her sweater. His palm was warm against her skin. As the palm moved upward, Song Yu inhaled sharply, ttening her belly but puffing up her chest.

 Chapter 81 - If You Let Me Go Off Like This, Something Might Happen to Me on The Road

    <h4>Chapter 81: If You Let Me Go Off Like This, Something Might Happen to Me on The Road</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    One hand maneuvered its way down her jacket and underneath her sweater. His palm was warm against her skin. As the palm moved upwards, Song Yu inhaled sharply, ttening her belly but puffing up her chest.

    His tongue drew across her teeth and invaded her mouth after melting her nervousness away. It found her warm, silky tongue, and began its twirling suction. At the same time, his hands pushed her bra up and grabbed the softness beneath it.

    The fireworks outside were still exploding continuously, but the car separated both of them from the outside world. The sounds of explosions could be heard, albeit not so loud that it is ear-piercing. Light of various colors was faintly reflected on the fair skin of Song Yu¡¯s face.

    The world inside the car felt unreal because of the illumination, making it seem like a dream or an illusion. She watched as a preupied Qi Chengzhi held her waist with his hand and propped it up while moving his body toward her.

    Song Yu¡¯s face became red. She moaned softly and held his sweater tightly. She then subconsciously wrapped her legs around his waist.

    Qi Chengzhi did not hold back: he kissed her forcefully and sucked her lips with zeal. His own lips were swollen, and they traveled down to kiss her on the neck as he implored, ¡°Come home with me.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s body turned weak and she shuddered. Her forehead was pressed against the contours of his neck. The parts of her skin that had been brushed over by his lips were so hot that they nearly went up in smoke, and bursts of numbness begin rising to the top of her head.

    ¡°I told my parents I¡¯ll stay there for the night. And tomorrow morning I need to make visits for the new year...¡± She shook her head in disorientation. Her faltering voice reached Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears and made him curse for not being able to have her right then and there.

    He buried his head in her neck and sucked with all of his strength. That left a red, rhombus-shaped mark, and because he still could not bear to let her go, he kept her in his embrace after he sat up.

    Song Yu sat on hisp, and all of her weight was ced on him because she felt extremely weak.

    His arms wrapped tightly around her as though he wanted to knead her into his body. His hips rocked, and with his pants being the only barrier between them, he thrust himself in between her thighs.

    ¡°Then help me. I can¡¯t drive like this.¡± His warm and husky voice entered her ear along with a breath of warm air.

    Song Yu felt incredibly warm. Even though the heater was switched on in the car, she would not have sweated so much in normal conditions. At that moment, all she wanted was to take off her down jacket, but then again, she was afraid to do so.

    She had helped him once in the past. Evidently, there were no other alternatives to a woman¡¯s touch. If there was a first time, there would also be a second time, and it was obvious that he was addicted to it.

    ¡°If you let me go off like this, something might happen to me on the road.¡± He pressed her waist down on himself and urged her. His voice was so hoarse that it seemed to be only a matter of time before it broke.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was unbearably hot since she was buried in his neck and breathing in his bodily scent.

    She was touched that he would leave his family behind just to be with her for the New Year¡¯s countdown, so touched in fact, that she was willing to do anything for him.

    With regards to his subsequent attitude, there was simply no way she could feel disdain for him.

    In her heart, however, she felt a bit irritated, so she asked somewhat timidly, ¡°Do you think you can simply have your way with me because I helped youst time?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not move all of a sudden, and she could feel his hardness with extreme rity.

    He held her shoulders abruptly, pushed her away, and pursed his lips sternly. ¡°If I really did think that I can simply have my way with you, I¡¯ll take you right here and now. And I guarantee you¡¯ll be willing.¡±

    Song Yu did not doubt his words.

    While in his embrace, she was really struggling to control herself because he had all the power in the world to make her lose her thoughts.

    The next moment, she was ced back onto her seat.

    His expression was stretched taut and he leaned back as though he was suffering. He closed his eyes and did not look at her. ¡°Go home.¡±

    Song Yu found the sudden cold shoulder hard to bear. Could she have liked it even more when he seduced her whenever and wherever?

    When she misunderstood him in the past, he gave her the cold shoulder for a few days and did not even pick up her calls.

    Song Yu bit her lip and sat back on hisp. She held his face with both her hands. His subsequent action of looking up allowed her to she leaned onto him and be close with him

    She kissed his stern, delicate lips gently and allowed her fingers to slide into his belt.

    Qi Chengzhi opened his eyes abruptly, looked up sarcastically at her, then curled his stern-looking lips. ¡°Are you simply having your way with me, now?¡±

    Song Yu red at him in bashful anger. He was the perfect example of someone who took for granted an undeserved gain, and he was never one to be the loser.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze turned deep, and after stifling a gentle groan, he ced both hands on the back of her head and kissed her forcefully once more.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi took out some wet wipes from the glovepartment in front, then wiped her hands clean. He held her hand, smelled it, and realized that his manly smell was still present.

    All of a sudden, he felt remorse and disinclined. Everything that she said moments before was the truth. If he kept on doing what he did, he would really be having his way with her as he pleased.

    Even though her hands were clean, he could not forget the feeling when they held his boner, and yet, he still felt as though he did her wrong.

    He looked up and saw her reddened, bashful face.

    She was always so reserved and full of self-control when she was young. It must have been extremely difficult for her to put on a brave face so suddenly!

    He grasped her hand and kissed each fingertip. He then moved to the rest of her fingers, then finally on her palm. There, he gave her a flurry of gentle kisses.

    As he kissed, his gaze was directed toward her face, and he watched as the redness on her face became beautifully tender.

    Song Yu wanted to retract her hand because she felt weird looking at him kiss an area that was smothered in his scent. Before she could do it, however, Qi Chengzhi held tight and did not let go.

    Song Yu could not take the sight in front of her. She lowered her head and bumped into him, causing him to slowly rise up again. At that point, she made her hand into a fist and did not allow him to exin. ¡°I won¡¯t help you a second time if you¡¯re still like this!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. A gentle chuckle seemed to resonate from his throat. After she raised her fist, he kissed the back of her hand and the outer area of her fingers.

    Her phone rang, but he still held onto her and kissed her.

    Song Yu looked at the phone and saw the number of her house phone. Yu Qianying probably called because Song Yu was nowhere to be found.

    At that moment, a thought came to her, and she uttered almost voicelessly, ¡°Damn it!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi finally stopped what he was doing because he wondered what was going on. He looked up at her and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°When I went back just now, it was to cook the dumplings, and I brought those that had been cooked for you to eat. I forgot the ones for my parents. I just left a whole bunch of uncooked ones there and came down.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice became quieter and quieter because she was incredibly scared.

    Those words made Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression soften into a puddle. He finally let go of her hand and relieved her of the pressure before smirking. ¡°You can pick up the call.¡±

    Answering Yu Qianying¡¯s call in front of him was a weird thing to do for Song Yu.

    She turned her back, lowered her head, and picked up the call. ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s voice did not sound happy.

    Even though Song Yu¡¯s back was facing Qi Chengzhi, she could still feel his insistent stare, burning onto the back of her head.

    ¡°To...watch the fireworks...¡± Song Yu was rattled because of Qi Chengzhi, and in that momentary confusion, re-used her earlier excuse because she could not think of another one.

    ¡°What kind of fireworks made you so engrossed that you¡¯d forget to cook the dumplings? It was nice of you to let me watch the g, but the dumplings never arrived when I finished watching! Are the fireworks so amazing that they can turn you into a real flower <sup>1</sup> ?¡± Coincidentally, there were no firecrackers, so for that short moment it waspletely silent. Yu Qianying¡¯s words were transmitting loudly from the phone, and Qi Chengzhi was able to hear them extremely clearly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going home now.¡± Song Yu hung up, turned her head, and noticed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s teasing smile.

    He propped himself against the chair with his elbow and ced his palm to his head. ¡°Surely I¡¯m more entertaining than the fireworks!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu got down from the car immediately. She was about to leave when she stopped and turned to say, ¡°Be safe on the road. Let me know when you¡¯re home.¡±

    Her lowered gaze inadvertently focused on his pants. His zipper was not fastened properly, and his ck underwear was exposed, revealing a bulge.

    Song Yu¡¯s ears felt hot. Dreading to stay there any further, she turned away immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi satzily in the car and watched the silhouette of her running away. He pulled his zipper up only after seeing her disappear from view, then he promptly returned to the driver seat.

    ...

    ...

    As soon as Song Yu stepped into the house, she saw Yu Qianying blocking her at the door.

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not yet asleep?¡± Song Yu tried distracting her in an attempt to slip past her and into the bedroom.

    Yu Qianying, however, was clearly not having any of it. She stopped Song Yu again. ¡°I was confused and angry, I didn¡¯t have the chance to think clearly. You said you went to see the fireworks, so what happened to the dumplings you cooked earlier? Did fireworks eat them up?¡±

    ¡®Qi Chengzhi ate them up.¡¯ Song Yu tensed up her shoulders and did not dare to spit out the truth. She simply said, ¡°I took them down to eat while watching, there were quite a lot of neighbors around so we all ate together.¡±

    ¡°Well, you do know how to enjoy. What about the te?¡± Yu Qianying saw Song Yu¡¯s empty hands and asked. ¡°You ate the te too?¡±

    ¡°te?¡± Song Yu was not able to react in time. As soon as the word ¡®te¡¯ escaped her mouth, she remembered that the container and chopsticks she brought down were left in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car. She was in such a rush that she forgot about them.

    ¡°The te for the dumplings? I don¡¯t suppose you brought them down with your bare hands?¡± Yu Qianying became more and more suspicious. She looked at Song Yu up and down, wondering why her daughter was acting so odd that night.

    Then, she remembered what Lao Xu said earlier that day. Could she have had a boyfriend, but chose to keep it a secret from her family?

    She could not possibly have gone on a date secretly!

    Once Yu Qianying thought of that, her mood improved. ¡®This child, if you have a boyfriend, tell your family! Why hide it?¡¯

    ¡°I gave the rest to one of the neighbor¡¯s kids. I forgot to bring the container back with me. I¡¯ll get it back some other time,¡± Song Yu exined.

    She thought that Yu Qianying would continue to nag, but it came as a surprise when Yu Qianying let the question slide without a fuss. ¡°Hurry up and get ready for bed. We need to wake up early tomorrow for those new year visits.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and went to her room.

    Yu Qianying spotted ck leather gloves jutting out from Song Yu¡¯s down jacket. The size of its fingers seemed to suggest it belonged to a man, and the gloves certainly did not look like it was designed for a woman.

    She ran into the bedroom and grabbed Song Donglin, who had just worn his pajamas and was about to sleep. ¡°Our daughter has a partner!¡±

    ¡°How do you know? Did Song Yu say so?¡± Song Donglin took off his sses, switched on the tablemp, then went to the door to switch off the lights before wrapping himself in his nket.

    Yu Qianying then followed suit and told him everything that she had noticed moments ago.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t have proof, it¡¯s best not to jump to conclusions.¡± Song Donglin gave her a heads-up to prevent her fromining endlessly if she found out that her happiness was in vain.

    Yu Qianying then thought of something, and her excitement extinguished immediately. She had a concerned look when she said, ¡°Say, it¡¯s a good thing for her to find a partner, but why is she afraid to tell us? It couldn¡¯t be someone that she knew we won¡¯t agree on, right?¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t know anything if she doesn¡¯t bring him back to meet us. I¡¯m worried that Song Yu might be tricked. This morning Lao Xu told me that the car Song Yu entered was a huge SUV. He knew it was an expensive car just by looking at it. In Song Yu¡¯s line of work, she probably met many bosses, could she have...¡±

    ¡°Enough, enough. All those bosses are not young anymore, and they surely would have families. Song Yu wouldn¡¯t be so pessimistic that she¡¯d decide to be a mistress now would she! Even if the man¡¯s single, at that age, they¡¯re either widowers or divorcees. Song Yu¡¯s young. She¡¯s a young woman who¡¯s just like a delicate flower. If she found someone like that, wouldn¡¯t it be like pairing a beautiful flower with cow dung?¡±

    ¡°No wonder she didn¡¯t admit it when I asked. Rich people are useless. They wouldn¡¯t take Song Yu seriously and be responsible for her. Don¡¯t all of them only care about a young woman¡¯s beauty? One of these days, a younger, prettier girl would appear, and they¡¯ll just cast aside the one they have now. How can Song Yu be so pessimistic! No, I must talk to her about this! A woman¡¯s reputation and integrity is important. It has everything to do with the major turning points in her life, and she can¡¯t be taking it lightly.¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s temper was like a storm. She would simply go ahead and do something if she thought of it and decided she wanted to do it. Although it seemed like she was just saying those things, she was about to jump off the bed and look for Song Yu.

    Song Donglin grabbed her and pulled her back. ¡°Hold your horses. Don¡¯t just jump to your own conclusions. You¡¯re just guessing blindly here. What if you¡¯re wrong when you question her? Wouldn¡¯t it hurt her if the whole thing is a misunderstanding?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust Song Yu¡¯s character? Song Yu didn¡¯t even pursue Jian Yi after he had a girlfriend, so what makes you think she¡¯ll decide to be the mistress of some rich guy?¡± Song Donglin wanted to tell Yu Qianying that she was also one of the rich ones in the past, but he was afraid to bring up other anciry things that might hurt her, so he refrained from saying them.

    Yu Qianying pped hard on Song Donglin¡¯s thigh, making him reach for the spot and massage it as he grimaced in pain.

    ¡°Song Yu turned pessimistic precisely because of Jian Yi¡¯s rejection! In other words, even though she hasn¡¯t promised anyone anything, some rich man is sure to be chasing after her. What if he keeps up his pursuit of her and she finally can¡¯t take it anymore? What if the rejection provoked her, and she did those things just to spite Jian Yi?¡± From the very beginning, Yu Qianying was scaring herself on the basis of groundless fears. ¡°No, I need to think quickly and find a boyfriend for her, someone who we know the background of.¡±

    Song Donglin shook his head because he could not take it anymore. He remembered that Yu Qianying was undergoing menopause, and there was no use for him to argue with her. He did not say anything further but simply went to sleep.

    Yu Qianying was in a pitiable state. She tossed and turned the whole night, unable to sleep because her eyes were wide open and she was thinking about all sorts of unsavory possibilities.

    Yu Qianying thought about how Song Yu was a genuine darling daughter, but sadly, a forty or fifty-year-old man was going to stain her. Yu Qianying wiped her tears in silence.

    Song Donglin could not stand Yu Qianying¡¯s incessant tossing and turning, which caused the whole bed to rock. He could not fall asleep, and coupled with Yu Qianying stifled tears, how could he possibly fall asleep?

    It was the new year, yet there was all thatmotion.

    With no other choice, he carried his nket and pillow into the living room and slept on the sofa.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu woke up early, only to be given a shock when she saw Song Donglin sleeping on the couch.

    ¡°Dad, why are you sleeping here?¡± Song Yu shook him and watched his eyes opening slowly in confusion.

 Chapter 82 - Would You Still Have the Nerve to Get on Another Manâ€™s Car in the Future?

    <h4>Chapter 82: Would You Still Have the Nerve to Get on Another Man¡¯s Car in the Future?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He was not too happy at first after being dragged along for the New Year¡¯s visit. He heard his mother said that the family they were visiting had a young woman who was single, but he was not expecting much because his standards were high. He was a very proper person, with a stable job, a good sry¡ª he had a home and a car too. He did not fancy most women.

    However, he got very excited when heid eyes on Song Yu. He did not expect that the Song daughter¡ªwhom his mother constantly talked about¡ªwas actually that beautiful. Furthermore, she was not like other women who were high maintenance. She had a quiet and delightful temperament, and she was certainly not the type whose beauty is only skin-deep.

    If he went out with her, he would definitely be able to show-off to his bros.

    Seeing that Song Yu did not answer, Yu Qianying elbowed her subtly, forcing Song Yu to put on a smile and say, ¡°If there¡¯s a chance.¡±

    ¡°You youngsters have a lot inmon. Take the opportunity to talk more.¡± Noticing how Song Yu was ying dumb, Yu Qianying might as well open up the topic herself.

    ¡°Song Yu, what¡¯s your number? You mind exchanging numbers with me?¡±

    Song Yu did not expect Wang Yifeng to be so direct. Since she was in front of both their parents, she felt that it would not be nice to decline, but the truth was that she really did not want to give it to him.

    Wang Yifeng¡¯s intentions were clear. If she gave it to him, what would happen if he bothered her in the future?

    She was not the type of girl who would want a fallback guy. She and Qi Chengzhi were already together, so she wanted to be honest with him.

    Even if she was still apprehensive of their rtionship, she would not find a way out just because of that.

    Moreover, she did not want to give Wang Yifeng false hope.

    Just as she was thinking of an excuse to refuse, her phone rang.

    She saw that it was Qi Chengzhi, so she smiled and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s thepany. I have to take it.¡±

    Song Yu held her phone and answered it only after entering her room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be at your home in half an hour.¡± As a result of talking through the phone, she could not see him, but could only hear his voice. A certain kind of maism was apparent.

    His calm and mature voice sounded much more mellifluous after she had just heard Wang Yifeng¡¯s voice. It caressed her ears and made them feel hot.

    ¡°About that...don¡¯t stop at the entrance to my home! Yesterday, during the day, my neighbor saw us and my mom even asked me about it.¡± Song Yu sat beside the window and asionally pressed her finger on the windowsill.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi kept quiet on the other end of the line. She only heard his unhappy sighs, and they sounded quite heavy.

    Song Yu drew circles on the windowsill with her fingers. She knew he was unhappy for certain, so she exined hurriedly, ¡°It¡¯s because of my connection to Chengji. After the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, the Qi family¡¯s reaction left my parents bitterly disillusioned. I¡¯m worried that my parents wouldn¡¯t be able to handle it if they saw you.¡±

    The Qi and Song families had a long history. From what she knew, they were on very good terms before she was born. Yu Qianying and Xia Wenna were best friends, which was why they made the decision for her and Qi Chengji to get married. It was not merely because of marriage, the rtionship between the two families was very good indeed.

    When the Song family went bankrupt, not only did the Qi family not help out, they ghosted the Song familypletely. Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were very depressed, but Song Donglin fared better because he could control his feelings. For Yu Qianying, bringing up the Qi family would be like striking a nerve, and she still felt that way.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi still remained silent. Song Yu thought that he did not agree since the man was one that was particrly persistent with his own views.

    It was the same with sending her to thepany. She clearly told him to stop farther away, but he would still drop her in front of thepany by keeping quiet about his intention to do so.

    She sighed silently and was about to tell him that he should forget about what she said if he was unhappy. Instead, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold voice then spoke, ¡°Qi Chengji.¡±

    Song Yu thought she heard wrongly, ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengji. If you mention him, say his full name. You don¡¯t have any rtionship with him now. There¡¯s no need for you to call him Chengji so intimately,¡± he eximed.

    ¡®Childish! He wants to have a clear distinction between himself and his brother.¡¯

    ¡°Understood.¡± Song Yu had no choice but to agree, and she did not know whether tough or cry.

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the entrance to the residential area.¡± Qi Chengzhi spewed out that sentence and hung up.

    Song Yu dilly-dallied for a while before going back into the living room. She did not bring up the topic of her phone number, and Wang Yifeng¡ªknowing that it was a silent refusal¡ªdid not ask about it anymore.

    She had just taken her seat when Qi Chengzhi¡¯s message came. He wrote only two words: ¡°Come down.¡±

    Song Yu went into her room to take her jacket. She noticed that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s leather gloves were jutting out of the down jacket she wore the night before. Recalling that it belonged to Qi Chengzhi and that she forgot to hand it back to him, she took them and ced them into her bag.

    Returning to the living room, Song Yu smiled and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry, ourpany has arranged for us to pay our new year¡¯s visits to some clients. I have to go.¡±

    ¡°You should go. Work is important,¡± Mrs. Wang replied with a smile. She then turned and looked at Wang Yifeng. ¡°You should send Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, mypany is nearby. There aren¡¯t many cars today, so the road will be empty. I¡¯ll reach there in no time.¡± Song Yu feared that she would really be unable to wiggle herself out of the situation if Wang Yifeng really wanted to send her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one on the road because everyone¡¯s having a holiday. How are you going to go to thepany?¡± Mrs. Wang asked.

    Wang Yifeng stood up and put on his jacket without saying a word. He smiled at Yu Qianying and Song Donglin. ¡°Uncle, auntie, I¡¯ll send Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Really, it¡¯s okay...¡± Song Yu was expressing genuine opposition, but no one seemed to care.

    ¡°Hehe, thank you for the trouble,¡± Yu Qianqing remarked and considered the matter as settled.

    Song Yu was forced to the point where she could not decline his offer. When they went down, Song Yu stood and remarked seriously to Wang Yifeng, ¡°I¡¯m really okay with going by myself, please don¡¯t go through all the trouble.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no trouble. My car is parked here. I¡¯ll send you to thepany.¡± Wang Yifeng pointed to a row of cars in the parking lot. She did not even know which one belonged to him exactly.

    ¡°I...¡± Song Yu doubted whether to tell him she had a boyfriend.

    Regarding that matter, however, Wang Yifeng did not bring up that topic and did not know whether it was something she should be saying.

    It would only create awkward tension if she mentioned she had a boyfriend without him even asking.

    Wang Yifeng however, did not wait for her to finish her sentence. He left her while waving at her, and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring the car over.¡±

    Song Yu stood there, mouth agape, and unable to stop him. There was nothing else she could do except to take out her phone and send a message to Qi Chengzhi. She told him the whole thing, but omitting, of course, that it was a covert blind date. ¡°He insists on sending me to work. No matter what I said, it was no use. Maybe you can wait for me at thepany?¡±

    Wang Yifeng drove over in his red Toyota Camry, but Song Yu still had not received Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply.

    She sighed and forced herself to sit in the front passenger seat. Deep down, she was nervous about how she had to face Qi Chengzhi.

    He did not even reply to her message. Being a man with a short temper, it was certain that he was very much infuriated at that moment.

    Letting him wait outside was bad enough. If he was told to make a journey to her office, he might even be so angry that he would just leave.

    Once the Camry has driven out of the residential area, Song Yu saw the Range Rover parked there. She breathed a sigh of relief that he had yet to depart.

    Song Yu lowered the mirror and looked at the Range Rover. She saw Qi Chengzhi sitting in the car and looking at her direction. Naturally, he saw her and Wang Yifeng.

    Song Yu cast a helpless expression toward him, but Qi Chengzhi simply scoffed and ignored her by looking away.

    She sat back upright and wound up the car windows again. She lowered her head and felt her scalp hurting badly.

    ncing at the side mirrors of the car, she noticed Qi Chengzhi tailing them.

    Seeing that he followed them instead of just leaving her, Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief. She was even happy because he did not just desert her there in his moment of anger, and she thought about how she would apologize nicely to him.

    Her happiness, however, was short-lived, because it only took a moment for her heart to sink.

    Qi Chengzhi overtook the car abruptly, and it became apparent that he had decided to leave.

    Song Yu looked downcast and her eyshes obscured her eyes. They concealed the boundless disappointment in her heart, and almost involuntarily, her hands grasped her phone even tighter.

    All of a sudden, there was a loud tter, and the car shook violently. Under the inertia, Song Yu fell forward and knocked herself before falling backwards again.

    The sudden impact left Song Yu feeling shocked, and her face turned pale. Panicked and flustered, she looked over and saw that the front of the Camry had rammed into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover.

    Wang Yifeng huffed angrily. He released his seatbelt and flung it toward the door, after which he opened the door and left the car.

    ¡°How the hell did you drive!¡± Moments after Qi Chengzhi got down from the car, Wang Yifeng rushed to him, pointed to his nose, and exploded in anger.

    Wang Yifeng¡¯s driving was pretty alright. There were no traffic lights throughout the strip of road, and because it was the first day of the new year, everyone went home for the holidays, leaving B City looking like a ghost town. Cars were scarce on the road, so it was one of those rare days that the driving speed could somewhat be upped.

    However, the Range Rover went from eighty miles an hour to a sudden halt. Since there was no indication that the car would stop, Wang Yifeng did not manage to brake in time. Although he braked immediately after noticing the halt, it was impossible for a car that was going eighty miles an hour to stop within such a short distance. In the end, the Camry rammed the rear end of the Range Rover with a significant amount of force.

    Song Yu went down and saw that the Range Rover was not in too much of a bad shape. Other than a dent in the bumper and broken rear lights, everything else seemed alright.

    On the other hand, the Camry was in far worse condition, as if it was a testament to the unreliability of Japanese cars. The bo was crushed to the point of it being opened up, akin to the distortion of the earth¡¯s surface during movement of tectonic tes, whereby the curves and bends would render them split wide open.

    The front lights were shattered all over the ground, and the front end of the car was so dented that it waspletely unroadworthy.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me how the hell did I drive?¡± Qi Chengzhi leaned on the door and spoke coldly.

    He took out a cigarette and ced it between his lips. One hand sheltered the cigarette from the wind while the other lit it, and throughout the whole process of lighting up the cigarette, he did not even look at Song Yu.

    She knew that he did that on purpose because he was still angry.

    How petty!

    Upon keeping the lighter, Qi Chengzhi took a puff and used his slender fingers to hold the cigarette. White smoke escaped his lips and disappeared with the cold wind.

    ¡°Tailgating is your responsibility. You crashed into my car, and yet you ask me how the hell did I drive?¡± Qi Chengzhi snickered. Such mockingughter incensed Wang Yifeng even more, and he no longer cared about keeping up appearances with Song Yu.

    He was incensed to the point of being red in the face, and the finger he pointed at Qi Chengzhi was trembling. Qi Chengzhi however, did not seem to have a care in the world while smoking the cigarette.

    Only then did Qi Chengzhi¡¯s slightly squinted eyes looked askance at Song Yu. The expression was a thoroughly teasing one, and it seemed to be telling her, ¡®Did you really ride in this coward¡¯s car?¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who braked without warning in the middle of the road! That¡¯s the reason I bumped into you!¡± Wang Yifeng¡¯s eyes were red, and his heart was full of sorrow when he saw how terrible his car had turned out.

    ¡°Which eye of yours saw that happen?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow and asked.

    ¡°BOTH MY EYES!¡± Wang Yifeng raised his forefinger and middle finger to point at both his eyes.

    ¡°Pity, there are no CCTVs here that could¡¯ve recorded the incident. If the police came, you¡¯re still going to be in the wrong,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while exhaling a puff of smoke.

    ¡°You...¡± Wang Yifeng eventually calmed down and scrutinized his surroundings.

    All of a sudden, he realized that if it really was his fault, then thepensation for the Range Rover...would involve a huge sum of money...

    Wang Yifeng¡¯s face turned blue and white, finally realizing that it was an extortion.

    Qi Chengzhi took out his phone at a moderate pace and called a number. ¡°Lawyer Song, I got into a car ident. I¡¯m okay, but the car¡¯s been hit. Come over and deal with it.¡±

    After that, he called Chang Lai and ordered him to drive another car over.

    During Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone call with Chang Lai, Wang Yifeng was so infuriated that he could care less about Song Yu. He was upied with examining the condition of the crash, while also making the necessary calctions. If his luck was so bad that the responsibility was spread between both parties, he wondered how much his insurance was able to cover and how much extra he would have to fork out.

    Rotten indeed was his luck, for him to suffer such a terrible ident during the first day of the New Year!

    Qi Chengzhi stared impertinently at Song Yu while making his call. His enigmatic eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

    Song Yu understood the warning in his eyes, ¡°Do you still want to stay here?¡±

    His actions made her feel numb in her head, so shepelled herself to say, ¡°That...Mister Wang...¡±

    Wang Yifeng was in an absolutely foul mood. He was crestfallen when he looked at Song Yu. She said to him, ¡°By right, I should be waiting with you here, but I¡¯ve already made an appointment with my director. If I don¡¯t go now, I¡¯ll bete. It¡¯s only because you sent me that the car suffered an ident, so after everything¡¯s settled, I¡¯ll bear the responsibility. Just tell me how much I need to pay.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not your responsibility. I can¡¯t possibly ask you to pay.¡±¡®It¡¯s obviously the responsibility of this man right here, who¡¯s currently smoking without a care in the world!¡¯

    Moreover, even if it was Song Yu¡¯s responsibility, Wang Yifeng took a liking to her, so he would not let her bear the burden of these kinds of stuff. He did not want to leave her with the impression that he was a petty man.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot you had something to attend to. Please go ahead, don¡¯t mind me.¡± Wang Yifeng forced a slight smile.

    Song Yu was genuinely sorry. Her smooth, soft fingertips tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and she apologized, ¡°If it weren¡¯t for sending me, this wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    ¡°It has nothing to do with you. No one could¡¯ve predicted that a madman would be allowed to drive on the road.¡± Wang Yifeng shot Qi Chengzhi a frigid stare.

    Song Yu said goodbye to Wang Yifeng and walked over to the corner of the street.

    On the first day of the New Year, no shops would be open during the morning. The earliest they would begin business was in the afternoon, so all of the shops on the street were still closed. Song Yu could only stand on the side of the road.

    She sent Qi Chengzhi a short message, ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you at the corner of the street.¡±

    The message was sent, and since she was not wearing any gloves, her hands became red and cold despite only holding her phone for a brief moment.

    She ced it back into her pockets along with her hands. After a while, she remembered that she still had Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pair of gloves in her backpack, so she took them out and wore them.

    Wearing them in the daytime, she saw clearly that they looked much bigger than they seemed the previous night.

    They were exceptionallyfortable, so she did not ce her hands into her pockets. Instead, she took her phone out for fear that she would miss any texts from Qi Chengzhi.

    Looking down at the leather gloves, she could not help but think about how she underestimated his temper.

    She thought that at most, he would just leave if he was angry enough. It came as a total shock that he would purposely get into an ident and turn the tables on Wang Yifeng.

    That Lawyer Song, whom Qi Chengzhi phoned, was the best and most famouswyer in the country. With him around, Wang Yifeng would definitely have to makepensation.

    She stood for half an hour in the cold. Even a scarf could not prevent her face from being so frozen that it started to go numb. Her jaw became stiff and she felt as though she could not even say a single word.

    A ck Audi Q7 drove over, made a turn at the corner, and slowed down until it stopped in front of her.

    The rear window was lowered down to reveal Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stern face. He nced coldly and ordered, ¡°Get in.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s head was lowered, and she went in like an obedient housewife. She did not care that she felt hard done by because of her half-hour wait in the freezing cold.

    Qi Chengzhi remained angry at first, but seeing her cold and shivering face, his anger had subsided to half the original amount.

    He shifted his eyes downward and saw her wearing hisrge gloves. The rest of his anger subsequently disappeared.

    Sensing his stares, Song Yu¡¯s face turned embarrassed as she took off the gloves and exined, ¡°I forgot to return them to youst night.¡±

    Her face was still red, and having taken the gloves off, she stuffed them into his hands. He received them and tossed them to one side, then stretched his hand and wrapped her hands with his palms.

    Slowly but surely, her cold hands became warmer and warmer.

    Song Yu stared at his fair, delicate, andrge hand. It resembled the hands of aristocrats¡ªpeople who never undertook any hard work since their birth.

    Hands like his were suited to ying the piano. Putting it another way, he was someone who could strike the piano keys with grace and elegance.

    Her heart was beating furiously and she was blushing. She mustered up the courage to take his hands in hers and wrap them inside her palms.

    Soft and satiny, her thumb rubbed gently against the web between his thumb and forefinger. Her movements seemed to treat him as a beautiful piece of art.

    Her actions of entreating him were coupled with feelings of intimacy that were slowly beginning to develop. It was vastly different from the restraint and ufortableness that she had in the very beginning.

    Even though her movements were only light brushes, the web of his thumb and forefinger felt ticklish, as though a feather was tickling him, stroking the fire that was growing within him.

    Qi Chengzhi then turned his hand and grabbed hers with a bit of force. ¡°Would you still have the nerve to get on another man¡¯s car in the future?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was taken aback. Did he mean that he would cause an ident to every car that she went into?

    Qi Chengzhi cast a sideways nce at her obedient demeanor. However, dissatisfaction slowly began appearing in his heart.

    Keeping her rtionship with him a secret led to her family introducing her to other men. He was like a shameful lover that was she kept outside of the home.

    He introduced her with sincerity to his clique and acknowledged her status openly. He did not mind as much if she did not introduce him to her family, but she even forbade him from meeting her friends.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stare was like a sharp knife. Song Yu felt flustered upon seeing it, and she wondered what was it she did that made him unhappy again.

    She stretched out her hand. The fingers of her left hand were still intertwined within his fingers, while her right hand wrapped itself around his arm. With a fawning smile, she asked, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    It was her first time she took the initiative and became flirty. Her face was red and her scalp felt numb. Although she did not dare to look at him directly at first, she was already looking directly at his face by then.

    He looked down at her and saw her docile, delicate, and yielding expression. Her tenderly-pink face melted his heart and knowing her intentions, a slightly pleased expression shed through the depths of his eyes, but on the surface, he still put on a very solemn look.

    ¡°We¡¯re going to a movie.¡±

    Song Yu blinked her eyes in disbelief. She found herself unable to rte a person of his magnificence with an activity as mundane as watching a movie.

 Chapter 83 - I Canâ€™t Walk Out This Door

    <h4>Chapter 83: I Can¡¯t Walk Out This Door</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu blinked her eyes in disbelief. She found herself unable to rte a person of his magnificence with an activity as mundane as watching a movie.

    One simple look at the man was all it took to know that he was not someone who would watch a movie, even if it was in a private theater.

    He probably did not even have the time to watch a movie, hence his decision to bring her out to do things that normal people would do on normal dates. Song Yu could not help but feel surprised.

    However, she thought wrong because there was no way Qi Chengzhi would have such an ordinary itinerary for his date.

    When Chang Lai reached the airport, Qi Chengzhi brought her down from the car, prompting her to ask, ¡°Aren¡¯t we going to watch a movie?¡±

    ¡°Mm. In Hong Kong.¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and said it as though it were any old excursion.

    ¡°...¡± What kind of movie required them to go to Hong Kong? ¡°I don¡¯t have a travel permit!¡±

    ¡°I got it done for you.¡± He took out a blue booklet and gave it to Song Yu. She opened it and saw that it was her Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau. Her photo was printed on it, and it surely could not have been fake.

    ¡®When did he get this done?¡¯

    There was not even any luggage with them. All they had were the clothes on their backs. It was as if they were taking a day trip to a nearby city, and there was no feeling whatsoever of leaving the country.

    When they reached Hong Kong¡¯s bustling city, Song Yu continued to feel as though everything was so unreal. After all, they were still in B City a few hours ago!

    They sat inside an Audi A8 that Qi Chengzhi somehow managed to get a hold of. ording to Hong Kong¡¯s norms, the driver¡¯s seat was on the right, but in spite of that, Qi Chengzhi drove the car with much ease.

    Once they reached the hotel, Qi Chengzhi let her rest on the sofa while he handled the checking-in.

    Not long after, she saw Qi Chengzhi calling her over from the front desk.

    Even though it was a holiday on the first day of the new year, there were tourists aplenty. Within the swarm of people dealing with their check-ins, Qi Chengzhi still stood out. He remained the most eye-catching person despite being surrounded by a crowd.

    Song Yu walked over to him. He took her hand in the midst of the crowd and brought her to the elevator.

    The room that Qi Chengzhi booked was a suite,plete with a huge bed in the bedroom.

    Song Yu looked at the bed and blushed. Qi Chengzhi was holding her hand, and at that moment, she felt his palm to be scorching hot.

    She did not ask whether he booked only one room. It was a silly question because Qi Chengzhi would obviously not book two rooms.

    He was an adult man, thirty-four years of age.

    Their rtionship had just started, but he had already expressed his fervent desire for her.

    She knew that he would sleep with her sooner rather thanter. Every single step that Qi Chengzhi took was leading them to that singr goal.

    He never hid his intentions.

    During the flight, Song Yu knew that his spontaneous trip to Hong Kong was not going to be as simple as merely watching a movie.

    His intentions were clear and direct, never hidden.

    Throughout the journey, she considered whether she should agree to it.

    She believed that he would not force her if she refused.

    As she looked at the bed, her face felt hot. Her hand was held in hisrge hand, and their fingers were intertwined.

    She raised her head and met with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep gaze. He stared at her, full of desire, and it made her felt so hot that she trembled.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go watch the movie.¡± His deep and delicious-sounding voice turned husky, making his tone seem even deeper than usual. It enveloped her body and made her feel all tingly.

    Under his passionate gaze and hoarse voice, Song Yu felt weak in the knees.

    ¡°If you keep looking at me like that, I can¡¯t walk out this door.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep voice became nearer all of a sudden.

    Somewhere along the line, he lowered his head and spoke as his lips began brushing from the center of her lips to the corners.

    Song Yu tried her best to stifle a moan. Her face was so red that even her ears were feeling hot. She lowered her head in shyness and felt his warm lips rubbing against the corner of her eyes and her forehead.

    A gentle chuckle resounded from the top of her head. She looked up impulsively and saw how he looked when he was genuinelyughing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He kneaded her hand.

    ...

    ...

    The cinema was just nearby. Not three minutes from the hotel was Times Square, and on the thirteenth floor was a cinema called CineTimes.

    Qi Chengzhi asked her to sit while he lined up to buy a ticket.

    She looked as his slender frame stood in the line. Even though he was dressed casually that day, it was still not enough to cover up his aura. He really stood out from the crowd.

    When it was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s turn, he said, ¡°Two tickets to 3D Sex and Zen,¡± without even looking at the screening schedule on the wall.

    It was a youngdy who manned the ticketing counter. She was just about to select the movie when her hand paused. She smiled politely and spoke to him using not-so-fluent Mandarin, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. The screening period for that movie ended a long time ago.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi tapped his fingers impatiently on the table. He finally noticed the screening schedule, so he squinted and asked, ¡°Lan Kwai Fong 3, is it very explicit?¡±

    His Mandarin was good, and it contained a touch of Beijing ent. Upon hearing it, the ticketingdy promptly imagined him as being one of those perverts who came all the way to Hong Kong just to watch their level three <sup>1</sup> films.

    As a result, her smile became more forced, but she tried not to be impolite when she replied, ¡°It¡¯s quite explicit.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded in satisfaction and bought two tickets.

    Song Yu watched as he walked over with a rather pleasant mood. When he went to buy the ticket, she was so engrossed by his shocking behavior that she forgot to ask him what movie they were going to watch.

    She was looking at the movies and there were a few good ones. Some were even screening at muchter times in maind China, so it would be nice to watch it a bit earlier in Hong Kong.

    She did not get up from her seat but instead waited until he sat beside her. Her eyes shifted to the tickets that he was holding and she asked, ¡°What movie did you get?¡±

    ¡°Lan Kwai Fong 3.¡± Qi Chengzhi gave her the tickets so she could see the title clearly.

    ¡°...¡±

    His thoughts were made abundantly clear.

    She could neitherugh nor cry, and she stared at him despite feeling shy. ¡®No wonder you wanted to watch a movie in Hong Kong!¡¯

    On the contrary, Qi Chengzhi felt that there was nothing wrong in his choice of movie, despite her insistent stares. He still had that dignified expression on his face as he sat steadily on the chair. There was even a bit of decorum to the way he carried himself.

    Looking at his appearance then, no one would have guessed that he flew all the way to Hong Kong just to watch some explicit movie. How indecent must one be to even do such a thing?

    When it was almost time to enter the hall, he held her hand and helped her up. She could feel that his grip was much tighter than before. Perhaps it was a sign that he was excited?

    Song Yu shifted her gaze from his hand to the clear outline of his face from the side. He was still as calm and cool as ever.

    The tickets Qi Chengzhi bought were for the VIP screening theater. They were couple box seats no less, and when they sat on it, there was virtually no space between them.

    The theater was still bright and she could see quite a lot of couples. Each pair took their seats on the couple seats surrounding them, and some women were smiling shyly. Their partners would tease them and look at them with gazes that seemed to have some hidden meaning behind them.

    Qi Chengzhi crossed his legs and leaned back contentedly on the soft chair. The movie had yet to begin and the hall was still bright. People were aplenty too, and the voices of people talking made for a bustling atmosphere. Even so, Song Yu felt ufortable because she was trapped in the seat and was alone with Qi Chengzhi.

    She lowered her head and allowed her fingers to fiddle involuntarily with her bag.

    His well-defined hand slid over absent-mindedly and grasped her hand. His thumb gently caressed her thumb and caused her to shudder in her neck.

    He was leaning close to her body, so she looked down and scrutinized his fair hands. A thick fragrance emanated from his body, and she felt that he did not need any help from the movie.

    The theater lights were switched off, and the screen in front lit up.

    She found the movie rather boring and was unable to understand a thing since it was in Cantonese. The storyline was not interesting to her, and her attention was focused only on Qi Chengzhi.

    She felt the motion of his thumb caressing her palm, as well as him leaning closer and closer to her. Even his breath was exhaled all over her ear.

    Song Yu had no choice but to try her best to focus on the movie in order to keep her thoughts upied. Her eyes stared at the screen and she did not dare to turn her head.

    Visual perception was much impaired in the dark, but the darkness only served to enhance her other sensory organs.

    In tandem with the scene in the movie, Song Yu felt ticklish in her neck. She trembled too, and could not help but gulp. Her breathing also turned rough.

    Suddenly, she felt hot breaths exhaled onto her ear. From the corner of her eye, she saw that Qi Chengzhi was leaning closer. His handsome face was within inches of hers, and his warm lips were already exploring her ear.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips and mouth were dry, but she was afraid to lick her lips. Instead, she pursed her lips even tighter. His warm palm shifted from holding her hand to her waist, while his other hand was grasping her gently. Song Yu could no longer concentrate on the movie. She lowered her head and with every breath, she took in his scent.

    His lips moved from her ears to her cheek, then to the corner of her lips, and finallynding firmly on her lips. She wanted to dodge him by moving back, but instead, he conveniently squeezed her into the corner of the box seats. The box seats¡¯ walls were trapping her, while he was blocking her from the front. There was nowhere she could hide.

    Despite the sound of the movie being present in such a public ce, Song Yu still did not dare to let out a sound for fear that others might hear her.

    ¡°Do you still want to continue watching?¡± He pressed down and inhaled. His low voice resounded from the sensitive skin of her neck. Likeing into contact with electricity, she felt numb from both inside and out.

    Song Yu shuddered briefly and held his shirt even tighter using her hands.

    She ced her forehead on his shoulder and shook her head while trembling gently.

    She heard the sound of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intense inhtion and his abrupt shiver from arousal. Such a reaction never once urred on the body of this man, who always maintained his self-control.

    ¡°Wait for me for a moment.¡± She heard him stifle his voice and mutter whilst still cing his lips on her sensitive neck.

    All of a sudden, he left her, and the authentic warmth of his body was gone too. At that moment, she felt an abrupt coldness. Her body leaned back weakly against the corner of the seat. She shivered and was desperate to be in his embrace once again.

    Song Yu bit her lip. When did she start bing as ravenous as a wolf or a tiger?

    She heard a rustling sound, but soon enough, it disappeared.

    Her eyes were already ustomed to the darkness of the movie theater, so she was roughly able to see things. She saw as Qi Chengzhi pounced abruptly on her, hugging her tightly while kissing her fiercely. His thirst for her was evident in his kiss, and it somewhat frightened her.

    He then released her and pulled her up.

    As soon as she stood up, her legs were so weak that she nearly fell down, but he managed to support her by the waist in the nick of time.

    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Qi Chengzhi hugged her. His lips caressed her ears as he asked.

    The couple box seats were at the very back of the hall, and the one Qi Chengzhi chose was the rearmost row, so even if they stood up without moving, they would not be blocking anybody.

    However, judging from the situation, it was highly likely that no one was actually watching the movie.

    She stood still for some time while still in his embrace. She then nodded, because at that moment, she found herself unable to say a word.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed to have seen the nod, despite being in the dark. He held her hand and brought her out.

    As they left the hall, they saw another coupleing out from the VIP theater opposite them. The couple was holding their hands, with the woman red-faced and the man seemingly impatient. Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi probably looked no different.

    Both couples stared nkly at each other for a moment, and the man opposite them shed a smile before leaving.

    It was then that Song Yu realized what the rustling sound was. Qi Chengzhi had put on his overcoat, most likely to conceal his erection.

    During that journey, Qi Chengzhi walked particrly fast. The pavement of Causeway Bay was very narrow, enough for only two people to walk, and that was not even counting the foot traffic going in the opposite direction. They had no choice but to walk one ahead of the other.

    Qi Chengzhi did not let go of her hand all throughout the journey. He took great strides while walking, and Song Yu followed behind him. It was almost as though she had to jog to keep up with him, and it seemed like he was dragging her along.

    Fortunately for her, she was wearing t-soled ankle boots, so it was not too hard to jog, although she was straining to keep up with him.

    A route that originally took three minutes ended up taking half that time, and soon enough, Song Yu was thrust back into the hotel room.

    Barely moments after the door was closed, Song Yu was lifted up. As soon as her legs were lifted up the ground, his kiss came assailing toward her, pressing against her so she was leaning back. Her legs, almost involuntarily, wrapped around his waist. In truth, she did not know what in the world she was doing, but everything just felt so natural.

    She finally came to her senses once her backnded on the softness of the bed, and she knew what was going to happen next.

    She did not resist, and although she shivered from feeling a sudden chill, both her hands mustered up the courage, traveling from his shoulder to his neck, and finally to his nape, where all ten of her fingers interlocked behind it. Her fingertips touched against his short, neat hair behind his nape, and although they pricked her, she fondled them admiringly. Back and forth her fingers caressed his nape, and she felt the gentle and slightly ticklish feeling of his hair when rubbed against her fingers.

    Her actions were equal to her taking the initiative in silence. Waves were surging in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind¡ªhe lowered his head and looked at her blushing face. In sheer excitement, a groan escaped his throat as he kissed her forcefully.

    One by one, her clothes began lessening, and she waspletely oblivious to it in her dazed state. She was fully naked by the time she felt cold, and she was trembling quite severely. Qi Chengzhi, meanwhile, was still fully clothed, and Song Yu¡¯s supple skin turned slightly red after brushing against his sweater as well as his overcoat.

    With an intense look in his eyes, he glued his lips on her and made his way downward. Some kisses were gentle, while others were forceful. Once in a while, he would¡ªby ident¡ªleave some marks on her skin. Song Yu¡¯s hands unknowingly let go of his neck. She grabbed the bedsheets and closed her eyes because she was too shy to look.

    Once she closed them, she could not help but wonder if she was being a bit too open. They were still fresh from rifying their status with each other, and yet she had already gone so far as to let him do whatever he wished to do to her.

    Letting go of her slowly, he tossed his overcoat and his sweater onto the floor. His fiery eyes still maintained his gaze on her.

    Song Yu¡¯s face felt hot, and she was shy. She wrapped the nket around her body hastily. Qi Chengzhi smiled and did not stop her; as far as that action was concerned, he allowed her that liberty.

    She felt as his shoulders wrapped around her tightly, enveloping her in his embrace. Her bones could feel his bones under all his muscles, and although it was slightly painful toe into contact with, she did not seem to mind.

    Every ounce of worry that Song Yu harbored prior had disappeared. She expected to feel regret, but she felt peace of mind when he wrapped her in his embrace, and when she felt the violent beating of his heart on his chest.

    Song Yu began rxing gradually, and deep down, she breathed a sigh of relief.

    It was what it was. Resisting a man like him was futile, and she would have capitted to him sooner orter.

 Chapter 84 - So, Iâ€™m Your â€œBoss and the Bossâ€™ Wifeâ€, Hm?

    <h4>Chapter 84: So, I¡¯m Your ¡°Boss and the Boss¡¯ Wife¡±, Hm?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It was what it was. Resisting a man like him was futile and she would have capitted to him sooner orter.

    There was no escape from a man who chased after her and seduced her out of his own ord. For once, she was brave and followed her own heart. His broad chest gave her such a sense of belonging: it was robust and safe.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡±¡®Don¡¯t you hurt me and make me regret the decisions I¡¯ve made today.¡¯

    He hugged her tightly and lowered his head ever so slightly all while maintaining direct eye contact with her. There was a zing me in his eyes, but the feeling he got when he saw her was that of purity and genuineness, which had no hint of avoidance.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thoughts lit up. He knew what she meant. She was not the type who took things lightly, and because of that, her decision was one that was not made lightly.

    He knew that in making such a decision, for her to be in his arms that day, represented her resolution to trust in him. It also signified that she was serious with her feelings, and would no longer have her guard up against him.

    He looked at her solemnly with a stern, clear expression in his eyes. Although he was silent, Song Yu knew that he knew what she meant.

    Qi Chengzhi tensed up his shoulders and kissed her lips with force. She clung to his neck subconsciously, like a vine wrapping itself around a tree trunk.

    ¡°Wait...¡± In between her erratic breaths, she pushed him.

    Qi Chengzhi was not very happy whenever she stopped him in the heat of such moments. His thick, ck brows knit themselves in a frown.

    ¡°Protection...¡± Song Yu mumbled and blushed.

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed lightly at her. His lips rubbed against her ears and his warm breath caressed them as he said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be nice to have a kid? Are you still afraid that I¡¯ll leave you if we have one?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡± Song Yu did not let him move. She remained insistent. ¡°If it really came to that point in time and you really do want one, I¡¯ll let you have one, of course. But I don¡¯t want you to feel like you¡¯re trapped because of an unexpected pregnancy.¡±

    After all, they had not been together for long, so bringing the topic up would make her seem unashamed, as though she was the one who could not wait. That was the reason why she felt like her ears were burning when she said those words. Even so, she still raised her head and looked at him in all seriousness.

    At that time, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind was filled only with Song Yu words. ¡®If you want one, I¡¯ll let you have one, of course.¡¯

    That one sentence nearly made him surrender himself to her.

    ¡°If I want one, you¡¯ll let me have one?¡± His buttery voice turned hoarse and his insistent gaze nearly made Song Yu feel sore.

    Embarrassed, she did not know how she could ever say those words out loud. Perhaps those sentences that seem like a slip-of-the-tongue were actually words that came from the heart. Her affection and care toward him were far more than she had imagined.

    A gentle, charming chuckle resounded from his throat. She wondered if he wasughing at her for being so thick-faced?

    ¡°What if I want one now? Would you let me have one?¡± he asked again. His voice was hoarse but there was a hint of glee. As the words escaped his lips, they rubbed against the outer edges of her eyebrows, burning her temples.

    Song Yu kept silent and felt that it was better off to bury her head into his neck.

    Qi Chengzhi did not force the issue, considering everything that he had achieved that day.

    Regardless, he was certainly in no rush to have a kid. Not that he did not want to have one with her, but he did not want one too early for fear that the kid woulde between them and take away the time they had with each other.

    He kissed the corner of her lips and pulled himself back somewhat unwillingly. His long arms stretched to the bedhead and pulled out a drawer from the bedside cab. He rummaged inside and found a box of Okamoto condoms that the hotel had prepared.

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her forehead, the corner of her eyes, and the corner of her lips. Subconsciously, his actions showed how much he cherished and treasured her. She dared not look at him. Recalling their actions of intimacy and how well they fit together, she felt that it waspletely unimaginable. How was she able to do such a brave thing? Even until then, she could notprehend it at all, and she felt as though it was not real.

    To think that back then, she was still a student of Jixia High School while he was already Jixia¡¯s headmaster.

    Fast forward, however...

    Song Yu¡¯s face felt hot when she thought about it, she was still in disbelief. She buried her face in his chest with all of her might.

    ¡°Hungry?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was still hoarse, but on that asion, it was due to satisfaction.

    After he mentioned it, she realized she was a bit hungry. She looked out the window and discovered that it was already dark.

    Remembering that they were in Hong Kong, she thought of the street food that was always seen in Hong Kong movies. They were all must-haves.

    ¡°I want to eat fish roe curry, beef entrails, wonton noodles, rice noodle rolls, and egg waffles.¡± With one breath, Song Yu listed out a few of the dishes she saw in Hong Kong movies.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyebrow twitched. He was half-smiling and appeared to beughing at her childishness. He slid down the bed without saying anything making Song Yu feel slightly hollow. Looking at him getting up to make a phone call, she frowned ever so slightly and suppressed a groan that nearly escaped her mouth.

    Without his hugs, she felt cold. Her whole body was ufortable, and it only felt slightly better after she used her nket to cover herself tightly.

    Qi Chengzhi was still naked, and he was disying his handsome, muscr back tantly to her. He was tall, with a height of one hundred and eighty-eight centimeters, aspared to her height of one hundred and sixty-five. She could only manage to reach his chest. Since his back was facing her and was not able to see her, she admired his back openly.

    His body shape was like a standard inverted triangle: the muscles of his shoulder des appeared to form the shape of wings as a result of his workouts, while his waist was constricted. He had a pair of long legs that were not typical of most men. She could not help but remember the time where she saw the muscles of his abdomen when inside the room of a restaurant. They were strong and beautiful. He was the typical example of a person who looked fit when shirtless but slim with clothing.

    At times that he wore a shirt, his body was slender, like that of a model. Perhaps no one knew how intoxicatingly seductive he was under all those clothes. She looked and looked, and smiled unknowingly in satisfaction, and in that smile, there was a possessiveness in her that she herself failed to notice.

    He was a man with a body so capable of turning one into a sinner, and he belonged to her.

    While Song Yu was in the midst of spacing out, Qi Chengzhi had finished his call with room service. He turned around and walked toward her, catching her in the act. Song Yu¡¯s face turned red and she covered her face nervously under the pillow.

    A sh of amusement flickered in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s enigmatic eyes. He once again returned to her side, but she turned her back toward him. He held her hair on her nape and brushed them in the direction of the pillow. It caused Song Yu to tremble lightly, but she refused to look up.

    ¡°One more round?¡± His voice was intoxicating from the beginning, but at that moment, it was deliberately seducing her.

    Song Yu felt embarrassed. She trembled to the point of losing herself and was red from the top of her head to the bottom of her feet.

    ...

    Eventually, he carried her into the bathtub. She barely managed to steady herself when Qi Chengzhi lifted up his long legs and entered too. He did not seem to care that the water in the tub was overflowing because of him.

    Qi Chengzhi did not add any soap to the water. Everything underneath the water was crystal-clear, and she did not dare to let her eyes roam around.

    A simple movement led to ripples forming in the water. Through those ripples, she saw her toes submerged in the water, and they seemed to be melting in the undting waves.

    He never understood why olden texts such as << Water Margin >> and the like were so fond of writing about women¡¯s feet, but right there and then, he realized he liked Song Yu¡¯s.

    She was poking at his calf with her toes when he grabbed her leg abruptly and pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°Are you doing this to shoo me or to seduce me?¡± His head was inclined to one side as he brushed his lips against her ears and uttered his words in a thick, low voice.

    Her face heated up and her brain froze, rendering her unable to reply him. Her saving grace was the doorbell and the sound of the inte, with the hotel staff saying, ¡°Room service.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gazed down at her nk face and kissed her forcefully on the lips. He then got out of the bathtub, grabbed a towel from the rack, wrapped it around his waist, then went to get the door.

    Song Yu seized the moment by getting herself cleaned up as fast as possible before wearing a bathrobe.

    By the time she got out the hotel staff had left. An array of street food was disyed on the table, including some that she did not request for, such as a tter of barbecued and braised meats.

    The wonton noodles were from a famous old shop at Central <sup>1</sup> , the noodles they used were the rare Jook-sing noodles [2]. Their hotel, though, was at Causeway Bay, and it seemed as though the staff expended all that effort and searched everywhere just to fulfill Qi Chengzhi¡¯s requests.

    Although it was street food, Qi Chengzhi sat opposite her and ate with the most graceful mannerism possible.

    Halfway through the meal, Song Yu received a call from home.

    As soon as she picked up, she heard Yu Qianying¡¯s voice. ¡°Where are you? Why didn¡¯t youe back after you left in the afternoon? What time will you be home?¡±

    Song Yu looked at the time and saw that it was already nine. She then looked at the man staring at her while she was on a call, and it was obvious that she would not be able to return home that night.

    She blushed under his gaze and there was no choice but to bite the bullet and lie tantly to Yu Qianying. ¡°After paying the new year¡¯s visit, Director Zhao and his wife treated me to dinner and karaoke. It wouldn¡¯t be very nice to decline. It hasn¡¯t ended yet, and I think it¡¯ll end quitete. You and dad should go to bed first. Don¡¯t wait for me. I worry that I might be a disturbance if I came homete, so I¡¯ll go back to my rental house for the night. I¡¯ll be home tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°In that case, don¡¯t drink! If you drink too much, a girl like you will easily be taken advantage of.¡± Upon finding out that the boss and his wife were treating her, Yu Qianying knew that it was certainly impolite to refuse them. In light of that, she did not say much, save for a few words of advice.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Song Yu was unable to focus her thoughts and simply replied absent-mindedly. In the end she could not take it anymore so she stood up, although her legs became soft and she nearly could not steady herself. She held the chair and ensured she could stand properly before slowly walking to the window. Looking at the bustling and rather stifling nightscape, she felt that Hong Kong¡¯s vibrancy was a bit too overwhelming. Rows upon rows of buildings made her feel as though there was no space for her to take a breath.

    Yu Qianying nagged for a bit longer on the phone, only to be met with Song Yu¡¯s constant ¡®Mms¡¯. Eventually, the call ended, and when Song Yu returned, she noticed that her wonton noodles were gone. In front of Qi Chengzhi, there were two empty bowls.

    Before she could ask why he ate all her noodles, Qi Chengzhi tossed his chopsticks and uttered coldly, ¡°So, I¡¯m your boss and the boss¡¯ wife, hm?¡±

    ¡°...¡±¡®Did he really eat all my noodles because of that?¡¯

    Never did she meet such a short-tempered man. Song Yu took the bowl of fish roe curry and ate them slowly.

    ¡°We should go back earlier tomorrow.¡± Song Yu held the yellowish-orange fish roe with her chopsticks, and noticing that Qi Chengzhi was looking at her without saying a word, she exined. ¡°I¡¯m worried my mom will go to my ce and look for me. If she notices I¡¯m not home, she¡¯ll be even more worried.¡±

    ¡°When we go back, you should move to my ce.¡± Qi Chengzhi felt for a cigarette subconsciously. His fingers had touched the cigarette box, but they paused. He retracted his hand and resisted from smoking.

    If he could abstain from it previously, resisting for a while would not hurt.

    Song Yu paused. All the while, she was the passive force, and because of that, he had always led her blindly. He did not even give her a chance to pause and think about things in detail.

    Song Yu felt that living with him was a step too fast.

    ¡°My lease isn¡¯t due yet, and if I don¡¯t stay there, it¡¯ll be a waste.¡± Song Yu lowered her head and took a bite of the fish roe. She concentrated on eating it and did not look at him, because his eyes were so skilled that they were able to see through a person with one nce.

    Even though she was not lying, at the end of the day, what she said was simply an excuse.

    In the short moment when Qi Chengzhi did not reply, her heart began beating wildly.

    The one disadvantage she had was being with a man whom she had such a disparity in age and experience. She will always be disadvantaged, and she would never be an equal adversary to him.

    After a while, she finally heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s low voice. ¡°How long till it¡¯s due?¡±

    ¡°Three months, I think.¡± Song Yu looked up and paid close attention to his reaction.

    He simply nodded and said nothing further.

    Later on, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang. He went to the balcony to answer it and smoked a cigarette while he was at it.

    Song Yu was also nearing the end of her meal, and she promptly went into the bathroom to wash her face as well as rinse her mouth.

    When Qi Chengzhi finished his call, Song Yu was still inside the bathroom. He wondered why she was taking so long.

    He did not rush to put out the cigarette in between his lips. He walked past the living room and nced at the coffee table. The notification light on Song Yu¡¯s phone was blinking.

    He picked it up and saw a message from WeChat. He then squinted his eyes, because the message was from Jian Yi.

    With the cigarette still in his mouth, he took the phone into the bedroom and checked the cklist. Jian Yi¡¯s number nested firmly within the list.

    In fact, a name that was cklisted from one¡¯s contacts will not affect the status of a friend in WeChat. Jian Yi was never one to use WeChat, so Song Yu forgot that he was on WeChat. She simply cklisted her name on her phone, but in WeChat, she and Jian Yi still remained friends.

    Obviously, Jian Yi knew that she blocked her number, and changing SIM cards repeatedly was not a sensible option. On that day, he remembered all of a sudden that he had WeChat. He was surprised to find that he was still friends with Song Yu when he logged into his WeChat.

    Qi Chengzhi read Jian Yi¡¯s text. ¡°Happy New Year.¡±

    He tsk-ed and held Song Yu¡¯s phone as he got off the bed. He walked to the window and pointed the camera on her phone toward the scenery below. He noticed that his figure was reflected from the re in the window.

    He frowned, and with the cigarette still between his lips, he shifted his angle and pulled the window curtain about halfway so he could hide behind it. The hand that held her phone then stretched out from behind the curtain. Coincidentally, a disy of fireworks illuminated the sky. He took a picture of the fireworks and the ensuing night scenery from inside of the window.

    He opened the picture, looked at it, and felt incredibly pleased to see that the re had reflected the room behind him. Most notably, the disorderly bed could be seen, and the messy clothes belonging to both sexes could faintly be made out.

    Just one look was enough to spur one¡¯s imagination, and Qi Chengzhi could not resist praising his own photography skills.

    After that, he uploaded the photo to her Moments with the following caption, ¡°As long as it¡¯s the right time and with the right person, your feelings will be as bright as the fireworks.¡±

    The location was attached below the photo, and it read: Hong Kong.

    Seconds after the photo was uploaded, an unknown number called her.

    Qi Chengzhi sneered and declined the call firmly. He then conveniently added the number to the cklist.

    As a result of the phone call, Qi Chengzhi was certain that Jian Yi saw the photo that was uploaded. Qi Chengzhi went back into WeChat and cklisted Jian Yi¡¯s WeChat number.

    He ced the phone back on the bedside cab and put out his cigarette.

    When Song Yu was done, she saw Qi Chengzhi sitting on the bed with a pleased look on his face. It seemed he was in a particrly good mood.

    Oddly enough, she noticed that her phone was lying on the bedside cab, when in actual fact, it should have been on the coffee table. It was no wonder, then, that she was unable to locate it, despite remembering clearly that she ced it on the coffee table.

    As she walked over to the bedside, her heart skipped a couple of beats. Qi Chengzhi was just beside her, and simply sleeping with him so intimately made her heart beat much faster. However, she did not feel uneasy. It was only a moment of nervousness, and after it passed, she covered herself in the nket and aligned herself with him. Her actions were gentle and careful, but she could not halt the feeling of nervousness as her heartbeats began quickening. With both hands holding the nket, the smell of tobo began emanating from the nket and from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body.

    Qi Chengzhi did not turn to look at her but under the covers, his hand quietly went over to hold hers. His slightly coarse palm was dry and warm, and it enveloped her hand firmly.

    Song Yu held his hand gently in return. Her heart was thumping at a quickened pace as she moved toward his body. Her other hand wrapped around his arm and he gently leaned on his shoulder.

    Qi Chengzhi turned his head slightly and kissed the corner of her eyes.

    Song Yu¡¯s two hands trembled as she cupped his face. Previously she felt embarrassed to look him directly in the eye, but at that moment, she saw his aroused face up close. It used to be clean and handsome, but at that point in time, it was covered with ayer of wild unruliness, and his warm breaths brushed over her face. She caressed his thick brows and gazed into his enigmatic eyes; they were usually so cold, but they now contained a burning fire of emotion. Her feelings were made to feel unrestrained, and she promptly kissed his eyes.

    When she was done kissing, her cheeks were flush.

    Song Yu gulped, and her toes curled up.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, they rushed and took the earliest flight back to B City. Qi Chengzhi initial n was to have some fun around Hong Kong for the whole day, before returning home only at night. Song Yu¡¯s request, however, disrupted those ns, and because of that, his expression was not very pleased.

    Song Yu meanwhile, was rather happy. When he did not answer her yesterday, she thought he had ignored her question, but as it turned out, he woke her up very early in the morning. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to head back early?¡± He then entered the bathroom.

    On the ne, Qi Chengzhi asked the flight stewardess for a nket right after they took their seat.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like sleeping,¡± Song Yu said as she prepared to tuck the nket away. However, Qi Chengzhi ced his hands firmly on her shoulder and said, ¡°Justy it out. You woke up very early this morning. At least you¡¯ll have some time to sleep.¡±

    Song Yu did not decline any further. She thought that, since the nket has already beenid out, she might as well let her sleepiness take over her.

    Nevertheless, she felt that something was not right once she closed her eyes. There was a rustling noise on her lower person, as though a hand had been stretched over. She opened her eyes abruptly and turned to look at him.

    Since they were in the first-ss cabin, the whole row had only two seats. No one else could possibly be there, other than herself and Qi Chengzhi. She saw how proper he was seated, how unchanging his expression was, and how dignified he was in carrying himself.

    Song Yu inhaled intensely. No wonder he insisted on the nket, he did not intend on preparing it for her to sleep, he had other thoughts in mind!

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu warned softly.

    His expression remained unflinching and he pulled the nket over to himself. Both of them were covered under the one nket, and he pulled her hand toward himself.

    ¡°Sir, would you like another nket?¡± the stewardess walked over and asked as she saw how pitiful they were under that one nket.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red, and although it appeared as though the stewardess saw nothing, her heart was feeling flustered.

    Qi Chengzhi maintained his indifferent look and with a poker-face, he said, ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Chang Lai stood in front of the Range Rover, watching as Qi Chengzhi walked out while holding Song Yu¡¯s hand. Qi Chengzhi looked invigorated and replenished with energy, while Song Yu blushed and stole nces at Qi Chengzhi once in a while.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover was fully repaired, but then again, the ident was not a serious one. Moreover, the car belonged to Qi Chengzhi, so the 4S Automobile shop would surely have taken care of his car before all others.

    In the car, Song Yu received a call from Ruan Danchen.

    Before Song Yu could even say anything, Ruan Danchen asked excitedly, ¡°You went to Hong Kong with Qi Chengzhi? Things are progressing really fast eh! All those clothes on the ground, you¡¯re quite bold aren¡¯t you!¡±

    Song Yu blinked a few times. As smart as Ruan Danchen was, she could not have possibly known that Song Yu went to Hong Kong. Song Yu was left stupefied by those words. After a few more blinks, Song Yu then asked confusedly, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Oh, keep pretending!¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice became slightly higher. ¡°You were the one who took the picture! Although, you didn¡¯t check properly before uploading it, because the windows managed to reflect the bed behind you, and the clothes too. It¡¯s so obvious what you did together!¡±

    ¡°What picture? Where?¡± At that point, Song Yu¡¯s suspicious eyes shifted over to Qi Chengzhi.

    Her cell phone was rather loud, and Qi Chengzhi could hear every single thing Ruan Danchen said. He looked askance at Song Yu, then turned facing outside.

    ¡°On WeChat. Maybe you uploaded it when you were drunkst night?¡± Ruan Danchen remarked. From Song Yu¡¯s words, it appeared as though she had no idea what was going on.

    ¡°Okay, enough. I¡¯ll take a look myself,¡± Song Yu said and hung up. She entered WeChat and saw the picture that was uploaded, as well as the cringe-filled caption apanying it.

    She checked the time of upload and realized it was at the same time she rinsed her mouth in the bathroom.

    Clicking into the picture, she saw exactly what Ruan Danchen mentioned. There was a reflection of the messy bed and the clothes that Qi Chengzhi simply tossed about.

    Their winter clothing was thrown in a pile over the floor, and it was very much eye-catching.

    Looking again at the picture, it was easy to understand what had actually transpired: two adults of the opposite sex would not simply take off their clothes and do nothing.

    When she looked at the time it was uploaded, it was obvious who the culprit was.

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi, but was unable to wrap her mind around the fact that such a cringey sentence originated from the hands of such a serious-looking man.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi continued looking outside and keeping silent.

    ¡°...¡± In the end, Song Yu did not ask about it. Although she was unable to guess his thoughtspletely, she was still able to guess part of it correctly. Thus, she chose not to bring it up and ruin the moment, so she kept her phone back silently.

    After that, her gaze once againnded on the handsome figure of the man beside her: she looked at him from the neat, short hair on his nape, to therge, fair hand ced on top of his knee.

    Thinking about his crazy antics made her smile. She inched slowly toward him, and her timid hands crossed through his arms like a silent thief. Her soft, fair hand went in between his palm and knee. Her fingers subsequently tunneled through the gaps between his fingers, and her hand interlocked gently with his.

    Her hands were exceptionally small inparison to his. Like five buddies who never grew up, it was as if only the tips of her fingers appeared in between the gaps of his fingers.

    Qi Chengzhi did not shift his gaze away from the mirror, but inplete silence, he gripped her hand tighter.

    Song Yu smiled and rested herself on his shoulder.

    Perhaps it was because their intimate rtionship had be a definitive one and their rtionship as a couple was inplete harmony, but she just felt like both their souls were melding together.

    Perhaps, it was also because he was her first, and women often take such things very seriously.

    Therefore, she had formed an indescribable reliance and closeness toward him by then.

 Chapter 85 - Qi Chengzhi, Do You Really, Really Like Me?

    <h4>Chapter 85: Qi Chengzhi, Do You Really, Really Like Me?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Therefore, she had formed an indescribable reliance and closeness toward him by then.

    She did not know how her brain managed to just freeze right then, but perhaps it was because he was in such good spirits. Shepletely forgot who she was dealing with, so she promptly leaned over to his ear and said softly, ¡°Qi Chengzhi, do you really, really like me?¡±

    He liked her to the point of using her phone sneakily to upload a photo in Moments, going so far as to even add a cringey caption which in no way befitted his character.

    Qi Chengzhi did not reply even though a significant amount of time had passed since she finished her sentence. Song Yu lifted her head curiously and saw that at some point, Qi Chengzhi had turned to look outside the window.

    It was hard for her not to feel disappointed. She was eagerly awaiting his response, and she could not help but me herself for being too eager and too pleased that she lost her sense of being.

    Just as she was about to retract her hand, her eyes glimpsed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reddening ears.

    Song Yu was stunned, and the corner of her lips began curling up. She no longer wanted to retract her hand, but instead, held him even tighter as she leaned back on his shoulder.

    After a while, she felt his palm apply more force, holding her even tighter.

    Once they neared the residential area of Song Yu¡¯s parents, she requested Chang Lai to stop the car near the entrance.

    She stole a nce at Qi Chengzhi and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he was not about to express any opinion.

    As the car stopped at the entrance, Chang Lai looked as if he was about to get down from the car and open the door for her.

    Without waiting for Chang Lai to do so, she told Qi Chengzhi softly, ¡°I¡¯ll be going,¡± then turned to open the car door.

    Her hand, however, was still in his grasp. She thought that he would naturally let go, but when she turned, he pulled her toward him suddenly and wrapped his long arms around her waist.

    When she was seated steadily, she was sitting on hisp and was trapped by him.

    ¡°Can you be a bit sincere instead of simply leaving right after saying so?¡± His voice was much deeper than usual, and both his hands were wrapped so tight around her waist that it made her slightly sore.

    Song Yu¡¯s gazended on his somewhat stern-looking lips. At that moment, his slight temper made him look even sterner, and his lips, in turn, were pursed even more tightly.

    She felt a bit unhappy. Moments ago, she put on a brave face and asked if he really liked her. He did not reply, and after that, he even became irritated at her.

    ¡®Such short temper,¡¯ Song Yu thought, but as she stared at his lips, her breathing became even more urgent.

    Chang Lai was no longer in the car. Song Yu looked outside and noticed that Chang Lai went and hid somewhere. There was no one in the vicinity too. She stared at his lips and subconsciously felt as though those lips were waiting in anticipation, so she mustered the courage and leaned forward even though she was blushing.

    Her soft lips touched gently against his, although his sses were in the way. She did not continue kissing, deciding instead to release herself from his grip after that brief peck.

    However, he raised his hand abruptly and took off his sses. Tossing them aside, he then grabbed her and pressed hard against her lips once more.

    The immense pressure caused her to lean back involuntarily. Her back leaned against the headrest, and she was trapped by him.

    His hands supported her lower back and pressed her against his lower front. His lips and tongue were entwined with hers, and he sucked gently on her lip. With force and desire, his tongue and hers weaved with each other.

    The back of Song Yu¡¯s head was pressed against the headrest. She was kissed to the point of being unable to gasp for air, and she mbered on his shoulder helplessly.

    Fortunately, he did let go of her a short whileter. He leaned back against his chair and sat there indolently. At the same time, he brought her down and let hery against his chest.

    His palm moved up from her waist to the back of her head. Once in a while, he would massage her nape as well as the back of her head.

    His forehead was lightly supporting Song Yu¡¯s, and their noses were touching. Their warm breaths merged into one and brushed against the other¡¯s face. It felt warm and ticklish on that cold winter day.

    Qi Chengzhi pecked gently on her lips, then to the corners of her mouth, then back again.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up tonight.¡± His light pecks on her lips, coupled with his husky voice, made her skin feel numb and tingly.

    ¡°I promised my parents I¡¯d stay at home for the new year holidays.¡± Song Yu supported herself on his shoulder, and her fingers subconsciously kneaded the short hair on his nape.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi squinted and stared at her like so for quite some time. He had an unhappy expression.

    His squint was actually pretty terrifying, and at that moment, his grave expression unwittingly made her recall the disparity in their age and experience.

    A simple expression was enough to impart such pressure on a person, and Qi Chengzhi was the only person who had the character as well as the charisma to get away with it.

    At that moment, she felt like a little kid who did something wrong and was waiting to be punished by him.

    Song Yu sighed and spoke even gentler than before. She exined, ¡°I¡¯m always busy during work, and since I¡¯m renting a room, it¡¯s not often that I get to stay with my parents. They are old, too, so I¡¯m taking this chance to be a good daughter and be with them during this hard-toe-by holiday.¡±

    ¡°Also...¡± Song Yu blushed. ¡°It¡¯s only for a few days. When the holiday¡¯s over, our time together won¡¯t be getting any lesser, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt cated. He no longer squinted, and his solemn expression began softening further. He kneaded her back gently and said, ¡°You can go home.¡±

    Song Yu did not move, though. Her face was red and it showed signs of increasing in redness. Her expression, meanwhile, suggested she had something that she wanted to say.

    The hands that were holding her waist gripped tightly all of a sudden, and he pulled her toward his erection, which had been raging since early on. His voice was rich and husky. ¡°Don¡¯t feel like leaving anymore?¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t answered the question I asked just now.¡± When his ears turned red after she asked the question, she knew the answer already. However, Song Yu was like any other woman, and she hoped to hear him actually saying those words himself.

    They were fresh in the rtionship, so perhaps love would be a touch too early, but at the very least, his feelings of liking her should be admitted!

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rxed gaze stared at her, making her feel as though she became a headstrong woman all of a sudden.

    As she was about to give up, she heard his calm and detached voice. ¡°What did you ask me?¡±

    Song Yu sucked air through her teeth and was somewhat unhappy.

    He was clearly pretending. Why else would his ears turn red then if he did not hear the question clearly?

    Moreover, he was as calm as ever, as if nothing happened.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, why do you like me?¡± she blurted out. Her ears and her cheek were burning, and they felt a tingling numbness not unlike that of electricity.

    Some questions can remain in the past if one did not think of them, but once they are remembered, they were hard to forget. One would then ce importance on it and feel annoyed if it was kept continuously inside the heart.

    Even when she still liked Jian Yi, she could not deny that Qi Chengzhi was an exceptionally charming man. Not only was he mature, he also had a respectable status. God-only-knew howrge number of women who swarmed at him. One such example was the female celebrity during the ceremony which marked the start of the hotel project. Such a situation would undoubtedly bemon, and not to mention the daughters of prestigious families who were surely aplenty in his circle.

    Nevertheless, he chose none of them, and neither were there any rumors of him with other women. Song Yu could not wrap her head around why he fancied her and pursued her relentlessly.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled softly as if with a bit of a smirk and curled the corners of his lips.

    Song Yu felt as though heughed at the childishness of her question. He dodged it from the beginning, and at that point, Song Yu was a bit angry at him.

    Without saying anything, she wanted to remove his hand from her waist, but Qi Chengzhi held her even tighter instead. He pulled her toward his raging boner and pressed down on her. He then looked at her slowly.

    After what seemed like half a day, Song Yu finally heard him say. ¡°You make me want to sleep with you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu felt choked all of a sudden. She lowered her head and refrained from looking at him.

    ¡®How could he be so indecent while maintaining such a decent expression on his face!¡¯

    His big response made Song Yu¡¯s legs feel weak.

    Qi Chengzhi let go of his grip and said hoarsely, ¡°If you don¡¯t go, I might bring you home.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s mind was refreshed, and with a hurried motion, she got off hisp as fast as she could.

    Qi Chengzhi mood was good, and he smiled as she rushed out of the car.

    Once Song Yu was out of sight, Chang Lai re-entered the car.

    Moments ago, he smoked a cigarette underneath a tree. Noticing Song Yu¡¯s blush as she came out of the car, Chang Lai guessed that Young Master Cheng must have taken his liberty with her yet again.

    As the saying went, ¡® women at thirty are wolves; at forty, they be tigers <sup>1</sup> ¡®. Would the same then apply to men who were between the age of thirty to forty?

    He felt that Young Master Cheng was bullying Song Yu too much, and he wondered if she was able to take all that.

    Seeing their intimacy all the time made Chang Lai feel quite lonely. Young Master Cheng went about his rtionship without even caring about his subordinate¡¯s feelings. As a result of all that, Chang Lai, too, felt like finding a girl to be in rtionship with.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu headed toward her home, but the blush and desire from her face had not waned. Meanwhile, the thick slickness in between her thighs made her feel especially embarrassed.

    Her leggings were quite thin, and she wondered if Qi Chengzhi felt it just now.

    Her head was hung low as she hurried her footsteps. She did not pay attention to her surroundings, since she simply kept her head low and walked toward her building. All of a sudden though, her arm was grabbed by someone.

    Being pulled, she turned around and saw that it was Jian Yi.

    ¡°Who did you go to Hong Kong with!¡± He frowned and seemed to be controlling his expressions tremendously.

    When he sent a WeChat message to Song Yu the night before, he did not harbor any hopes that she would reply him. He was simply testing around, but not long after he sent the message, he saw that she updated her Moments.

    Upon noticing the reflection in the window, of the messy bed as well as jumbled-up clothes that belonged to both sexes, he smashed his phone because he could not take it.

    Seeing Song Yu¡¯s meandering gaze, how she walked past him without even noticing him, and her flushed appearance, his mind recalled the picture immediately, sending him into a fit of rage.

    Previously, Qi Chengyue told him that Song Yu had a boyfriend, and although she did not know who it was, she felt that they were very close.

    His greatest fear was that the boyfriend was Qi Chengzhi.

    At that moment, if Jian Yi himself could not be with Song Yu, he did not want anyone else to be with Song Yu too. It was a typical case of wanting to eat his cake and still have it too.

    He wanted Song Yu to wait for him until he was strong enough to dispose of Qi Chengyue. After that, he would be together with her.

    Ever since they were teens, Jian Yi could never let her go.

    Song Yu frowned in disdain. She broke free from his grip forcefully and did not want to speak to him. She turned to leave, but Jian Yi blocked her from going.

    The neighbors knew each other well, so a ruckus will no doubt raise suspicions. Song Yu did not want to get involved with him, so she stepped back and ensured there was a distance between them.

    ¡°Jian Yi, whoever I go with doesn¡¯t have anything to do with you, does it? Do you really think your attitude is going to aplish anything?¡± Song Yu sighed in contempt. Neither happy nor angry, she looked at him and shook her head. ¡°Since you already have someone, mind your own rtionship. Why do you have to interfere with mine? Am I supposed to get your permission when I get married next time? Or are you forbidding me to get married and have kids because you want my heart to be yours, even though you¡¯re getting married to someone else?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too selfish? It¡¯s not like I owe you anything. I have no obligation to tell you who I¡¯m with, and I most certainly don¡¯t need your approval. You want me to be single forever, to like only you and you alone, because that will make you happy, right?¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s eyes were red from anger, and he was so infuriated that he could care less about her usations. His heart was focused intently on that one preupation. ¡°Did you go with Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    Song Yu giggled sarcastically as she shook her head. After a gentle snicker, she walked past him.

    Just as she was about to enter the building, he stopped her and pulled her into his embrace. Then he lowered his head and pressed down.

    His lips came in contact with hers, and Song Yu felt incredibly shocked. She was used to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s kiss, so Jian Yi¡¯s taste did not seem right. The feeling did not seem right too, and everything just felt wrong.

    She shut her lips tightly and clenched her teeth to prevent his tongue froming in. She lifted her leg and kicked his calf.

    Jian Yi finally let go after feeling the pain.

    Song Yu had no second thoughts when she pped him in the face. She did not stop to look at his reaction or his hurt; she simply turned and ran up the stairs for fear that he would pursue her.

    Jian Yi did not go after her. He merely listened as her hurried steps became more and more distant above him. His calf was trembling from all the pain.

    His fists and shoulders rxed, and his whole body ¨C drained of energy ¨C leaned against the dirty, dust- and cobweb-filled wall.

    ...

    ...

    Song Donglin was watching the news when Song Yu went home. Yu Qianying was not at home, and ording to Song Donglin, she went out to buy vegetables, apparently.

    Song Yu felt odd as to why her mother would go out to buy vegetables during such a time. She then promptly went into her room.

    Her feelings were turned into a mess by Jian Yi, and without thinking clearly, she dialed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number.

    Barely seconds after ringing, Qi Chengzhi picked it up. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu herself did not why she called him, so she cooked up an excuse and asked, ¡°You home yet?¡±

    ¡°I just sent you off. How can I be home so quickly?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was stern, and there was a sort of rhythm to them.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu said on the bed and allowed her fingers to grab the bedsheet subconsciously. She did not want to hang up, but she did not know what to say to him.

    After a moment of silence, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice seemed quite pleased, and she did not know if she heard wrongly when she heard him say, ¡°Miss me already?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed and kept quiet.

    The truth was that she did miss him.

    She wished that he was beside her, especially after the ordeal with Jian Yi.

    It came to the point where her impulses made her consider staying with him as he said.

    When she grabbed the bedsheet, she even thought about how she should tell her parents about it.

    ¡°Do you want me to pick you up?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked, and his voice seemed much huskier than previously.

    He seemed to suggest that Song Yu was aroused.

    ¡°No,¡± she replied much quicker than before. ¡°I just wanted to ask if you were home, nothing else.¡±

    ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else then we can hang up.¡± For some reason, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice turned cold.

    Song Yu meant to answer, but her room door was suddenly swung open. Yu Qianying came barging in without even taking off the winter clothes, and her body was still cold from outside.

    ¡°Yifeng¡¯sing for dinner tonight. Get yourself ready and don¡¯t disappear midway like you did yesterday! He got into an ident just because he wanted to send you off, and no matter what, you have to show him that you¡¯re apologetic about what happened, do you understand? Yifeng isn¡¯t too bad...¡± Yu Qianying finally noticed that Song Yu was on the phone.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s abrupt entrance made Song Yu unable to hang up her phone on time. The phone was still pressed to her ear as she inclined her head and looked at Yu Qianying.

    Seeing that Yu Qianying paused, Song Yu came to her sentences and spoke to the phone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Director Zhao. I¡¯ll get it done. Mm, yes. Bye.¡±

    Then she hung up nervously.

    ¡°Um, I didn¡¯t know you were in the middle of a call. I didn¡¯t bother your work, did I?¡± Yu Qianying asked somewhat awkwardly.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. What were you saying just now?¡± Song Yu got off the bed and frowned. ¡°Yifeng¡¯sing over?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I arranged for him toe for dinner tonight. He came here yesterday but you had to leave early, so there wasn¡¯t any chance for the both of you to get to know each other. His kindness in sending you got him into an ident with a crazy person, and he had to pay a lot of money. If it wasn¡¯t because of him wanting to send you, the whole thing wouldn¡¯t have happened, so when hees here tonight, thank him and apologize nicely to him.¡± Yu Qianying was angry when she mentioned that ¡®crazy person¡¯.

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re not thinking about setting us up together, are you?¡± Song Yu had no strength to be angry with Yu Qianying¡¯s matchmaking tendencies. All that was left was helplessness.

    ¡°What face is this you¡¯re giving me? Don¡¯t tell me he¡¯s not up to your standard. Which part of him doesn¡¯t match well with you, hm? He¡¯s proper, has a stable job, high pay, and he¡¯s tech-savvy. He wants a house? He gets it. He wants a car? He gets a car. He¡¯s a good person, and he took a liking to you. He¡¯s a good fit for you in so many aspects, what more do you want?¡± Yu Qianying scolded after seeing how picky and unhappy Song Yu was.

    ¡°You¡¯re already so grown up. Don¡¯t pick and choose so much. I really don¡¯t see anything wrong with Yifeng. Also, whether you¡¯re a match or not, you won¡¯t find out if you don¡¯t get to know him. You¡¯re not the type to watch Korean dramas, and I don¡¯t suppose you¡¯re like those eighteen, neen-year-olds who keep on dreaming of meeting a white knight.?

    Song Yu blinked helplessly. Back in Hong Kong, Qi Chengzhi did her throughout the night and she did not get any sleep. Then, she had to rush and take the earliest flight. After that she had to hurry home, and she even had to endure the Jian Yi incident. When she finally came home, Yu Qianying nagged at her yet again. Song Yu felt very irritated from all that.

    ¡°Mom, can you not force this on me every day? These kinds of things depend on fate. Can¡¯t you just let me find one myself? Why do you insist on simply finding any man for me to spend my life with? Do you really want me to live unhappily, marry and have kids, and just spend the rest of my life without feeling anything? I don¡¯t want to be a babymaker, as if life is a mission and I¡¯m merely living as though I must do this and must do that.¡±

    ¡°How am I forcing you? I let you go out and find one, but you haven¡¯t found one! You¡¯re twenty-five, but still, I haven¡¯t seen you bringing anyone home. In two-years time, if we arrange for you to meet a prospective partner, they¡¯ll say you¡¯re old. With this kind of attitude, you can spend your whole life searching, but you won¡¯t be able to find someone to marry. Do you think that every husband and wife in this world are like those in the movies or novels, where you marry only after loving each other to the moon and back? Plenty of people find someone who¡¯s just about right for them and marry when they think the time hase, thenter, they¡¯ll discover that they love their partner very much!¡± Yu Qianying was angry because she felt that her daughter was being too stubborn!

    ¡°But I¡¯m not that kind of person! Say what you will about me living in a dream, but I won¡¯t simply choose someone just to get married. Long ago, when you arranged for me to get married to Qi Chengji, I agreed because I was born in a prestigious family and I don¡¯t have any freedom. After we became bankrupt, I felt free. I can breathe morefortably, and I can do the things I like, but why do you still have to force this kind of thing onto me?¡±

 Chapter 86 - Auntie, Arenâ€™t You Going To Consider Being My Stepmother?

    <h4>Chapter 86: Auntie, Aren¡¯t You Going To Consider Being My Stepmother?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°However, I¡¯m not someone like that. You might say that I¡¯m living in a dream but I won¡¯t settle down with a person casually. Last time, you guys asked me to get engaged with Qi Chengzhi and I agreed to it. This was because I don¡¯t have much personal autonomy since I was born into the rich. After our family went bankrupt, I felt free instead, even breathing felt easier. I was finally able to do the things that I like. Why do you still force me to do things like that?¡±

    ¡°When are you letting me make my own decisions? Let me find someone I really like?¡± Song Yu asked tiredly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the type that you like then? I¡¯m not forcing you into marriage, but you don¡¯t even have a boyfriend. I just want to introduce more guys to you and see whether you can meet one that you like, anything wrong with that? Why can¡¯t you understand me as a mum? If you don¡¯t even go and meet people, where are you going to find the person that you like? I didn¡¯t force you to marry Wang Yifeng, I just wanted you to calm down, be humble and just get to know him. If you find that he¡¯spatible after hanging out for a while, you guys can go ahead and date each other, but I¡¯m not going to force you to marry him even if you two are ipatible?¡±

    Song Yu let out a sigh, she did not want to argue further on this because she knew that Yu Qianying did it for her sake out of good intentions.

    Nheless, even if Qi Chengzhi was not in the picture, Song Yu would not want to be pressurized to such an extent. She had never thought about marriage as a necessity in life. She would rather let things just go with the flow. If she really met the right one, she would get married; if not, she would remain single. It¡¯s not a big deal.

    ¡°I know,¡± Song Yu groaned. She had no choice but topromise.

    Yu Qianying pursed her lips and said with a stiffened tone, ¡°He¡¯sing tonight, behave yourself.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the phone call that had been cut off with a long face. He just heart Song Yu lied through her teeth and called him Director Zhao. He even heard that Yu Qianying was going to introduce her to some men. Did she just deny his existence?

    ¡®How did I fall for such a fickle woman?¡¯ Qi Chengzhi thought while he grinded his teeth. His anger subsided when he logged onto WeChat and saw the picture that was postedst night.

    Chang Lai observed attentively through the rear-view mirror. Young Master Cheng¡¯s expression was rather happy when he was on the phone, especially when he said the phrase ¡®Missed me?¡¯, he had such a coquettish look. How did his expression drop so much in a blink of an eye?

    ...

    ...

    Wang Yifeng came alone that night without Mrs. Wang following. Even without Yu Qianying¡¯s reminder, Song Yu would not pull a face at Wang Yifeng as she would know that guests should be treated mannerly.

    When asked about his car, Wang Yifeng mentioned that he sent it to the factory for repair. Even though the insurancepany had reimbursed most of the damage, he still had to pay quite arge sum by himself. Luckily, it was within his limits.

    After Song Yu left yesterday, the police arrived at the scene. Lawyer Song was also there. They concluded that Wang Yifeng was at fault after judging the situation. He felt that it was unfair to him and could not help but bad mouth Qi Chengzhi in front of Song Yu. However, he had to restrain himself in the presence of Song Yu in order to maintain his image and did not criticize him as much as he did in front of his friends.

    Yu Qianying was cooking in the kitchen while she requested Song Yu to apany Wang Yifeng. Song Yu had to endure even if she was not a fan of him.

    While Wang Yifeng was talking, Qi Chengzhi called. Song Yu threw a nce before excusing herself to answer the call.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the yourmunity entrance. Come over and help me out,¡± QI Chengzhi said over the phone.

    Song Yu was puzzled about what Qi Chengzhi could not manage himself and requires her help. Qi Chengzhi exined, ¡°Chenglin went for outstation and left Youxuan with me. I am a grown man, how do you expect me to take care of a child. I don¡¯t even know what he likes to eat, that¡¯s why I came to you.¡±

    It was not a secret that Qi Chenglin had a son. Everyone knew about that.

    Song Yu did not want to entertain Wang Yifeng in the first ce, so there was no need to mislead him if she did not want any further rtions with him.

    She hung up and put on her coat, went to the kitchen after she took her purse.

    Yu Qianying was busy in the kitchen preparing all kinds of dishes for Wang Yifeng.

    Song Yu let out a sigh. She was holding her phone while she just stood at the door. She hesitated for a while before gathering her courage and said, ¡°Mum, I need to go out for a bit.¡±

    ¡°What happened again, didn¡¯t I told you to stay put at home?¡± Yu Qianying turned around displeased and said, ¡°He¡¯s here already and you¡¯re leaving now, what will he think of this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Danchen,¡± Song Yu had no other choice but to use Ruan Danchen¡¯s name, ¡°You know that she always spend Chinese New Year all alone right. I just called her and she sounded a little weird. It¡¯s too lonely to spend the holidays alone. I don¡¯t know what happened to her, just wanted to go and check out on her.¡±

    Yu Qianying knew about this. She invited Ruan Danchen over during New Year¡¯s Eve, but she rejected.

    Yu Qianying felt more sympathy after listening to her and did not say much further. She took out the dumplings from the fridge that was specially made in excess during the New Year¡¯s Eve to be eaten on the third day of Chinese New Year. She put them into a crisper and handed it to Song Yu before saying, ¡°Bring over for Danchen. I will not bother you this time, but you¡¯re not allowed to do this in the future!¡±

    Song Yu carried the dumplings and left as if she had been pardoned. She mentally apologized to Ruan Danchen and left without saying anything to Wang Yifeng. She thought that Wang Yifeng should have understood after how she reacted on all of their arrangements. She left an embarrassed Yu Qianying that tried to give an exnation to Wang Yifeng.

    When Song Yu just arrived at themunity entrance, she saw the Range Rover parked aside of the road. While she was about to walk over, the backdoor window of the car lowered down and a tiny figure appeared from the inside.

    Qi Youxuan stuck out his head from the window and waved at Song Yu. He called out enthusiastically, ¡°Auntie!¡±

    Song Yu halted suddenly and almost dropped the crisper full of dumplings. She blushed while looking at Qi Youxuan that was smiling brilliantly. She had no idea how to answer him.

    Qi Chengzhi drew a nce on Qi Youxuan through the rear-view mirror before opening the door to alight.

    ¡°Chenglin is having outstation and left him at home with the nanny. He felt too lonely. He was afraid that the kid would be spoiled by the elders at home as you can see he¡¯s already overweight, that¡¯s why he handed him to me,¡± Qi Chengzhi walked towards Song Yu and stood in front of her while he nced at Qi Youxuan who was poking around behind.

    ¡°Although it¡¯s the holidays, I still have to go back to the office to work. I can¡¯t take care of him all the time. I have no prior experience in handling children, so I came to look for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a lowered voice. Not sure whether he did it on purpose but he was exhaling steaming hot air on her forehead which.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu wanted to say that she too had no experience in taking care of children.

    ¡°Also, you know that Youxuan doesn¡¯t have a mother since young. I think it¡¯ll be good for him to have you around and apany him,¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯sst sentence struck directly at the soft spot of Song Yu.

    Song Yu tilted her head slightly, looked pass Qi Chengzhi and nced at Qi Youxuan who was sitting in the car and looking around.

    He should not be considered as fat. He was at most a chubby little guy. He wore a deep blue down jacket with a knitted woolen hat on his head with a snowke pattern. There was even a furry little ball on the tip of the hat. He wore simr-themed woolen mittens that bind his four fingers together. His whole appearance was just exuding cuteness.

    Qi Youxuan waved at Song Yu with his small hands when he saw her walking over.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart melted at that instant as like any other women who have a motherly instinct. She nodded in confusion before she could even understand the whole situation.

    There were not much changes in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression. He lowered his gaze and fixed onto the crisper that she was holding.

    Song Yu felt quite awkward. She could not tell him the truth. At that moment, she felt that the box of dumplings was out of ce.

    She simply stuffed the crisper onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and said straightforwardly without further exnations, ¡°You can keep this.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave a look and brought it to the car without asking.

    Song Yu opened the backdoor and sat together with Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengzhi nced at them and ced the dumplings on the passenger seat without saying a word.

    ¡°Have you guys eaten?¡± Song Yu asked as it was around mealtime.

    ¡°No, I have no experience in kids. I was going to decide after I found you,¡± QI Chengzhi started the car and nced at the back through the rear-view mirror.

    Before Song Yu could ask further, Qi Youxuan tugged on her sleeve. His tiny chubby face looked like he was very excited and eager to please, ¡°Auntie, I want t to eat McDonald¡¯s.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s obedient behavior was nothing like the mischevious side that he acted in front of Jian Yi.

    Song Yuughed. She could not bear to reject such a cute child. In addition, McDonald¡¯s was not that bad. She thought to herself that Qi Youxuan probably did not have much opportunity to eat at McDonald¡¯s when he was with the Qi Family, that was the reason why he liked it so much.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go eat at McDonald¡¯s then,¡± Song Yuughed and said to Qi Chengzhi who was in front driving.

    Qi Chengzhi had no opinions on that and set out to the destination.

    On the way, Qi Youxuan kept addressing Song Yu as ¡®auntie¡¯ until she felt really embarrassed.

    If she denied, it would seem as if she was dismissing the rtionship between Qi Chengzhi and herself. However, if she answered, she felt that it would be deemed as someone who was thick-skinned and over-reacting since they have not reached that stage yet.

    Song Yu sought help by throwing nces to the front, but she could only see Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep, calm eyes through the rear-view mirror. He did not show any reaction and looked like he was not nning to get her out of this situation.

    Without any choice, Song Yu just let Qi Youxuan call her that. She was not going to say anything further since Qi Chengzhi had no qualms with it.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi drove to a supermarket and parked the car at the multistorey carpark. He lead Song Yu and Qi Youxuan to the lift and took them to McDonald¡¯s on the first floor.

    Qi Youxuan dragged Song Yu forward and totally ignored Qi Chengzhi. Finally, they chose to sit in a booth.

    ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll go and buy,¡± Song Yu helped Qi Youxuan to take off his hat and gloves after they enter the shop as the temperature was warmer.

    Qi Youxuan wanted to remove his down coat as well but was stopped by Song Yu. She said, ¡°Wait for a while, take it off when it¡¯s warmer.¡±

    Qi Youxuan could only extend his plump tiny hands and looked towards the counter from afar and said, ¡°I want a Happy Meal.¡±

    After Song Yu confirmed which Happy Meal Qi Youxuan chose, she asked what Qi Chengzhi wanted to eat.

    Qi Chengzhi had never tried it before and he did not really give much thought about it. He just told Song Yu that he would be eating whatever she was going to order.

    When Song Yu left to queue at the counter to order food, the cheerful expression on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face disappeared instantly. His tiny face was especially serious and said in a formal tone, ¡°Uncle, my father is already extremely busy during the working days and he doesn¡¯t have much time to apany me. The Chinese New Year holidays is such a rare asion for me to enjoy fatherly love but you ordered him to go for outstation all of a sudden. You¡¯re being too mean to deprive me of it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi took his wallet out and retrieved two hundred dors. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s big eyes brightened up when he saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s action. He stared fixedly at those two pieces of red banknotes.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at him nonchntly and took one out of the two pieces of banknotes and disyed it in front of Qi Youxuan, ¡°This will be your amodation fee. I¡¯ll give you the remaining one hundred dors after you return.¡±

    ¡°Okay, deal,¡± Qi Youxuan pouted his mouth in distaste and gave Qi Chengzhi the side-eye, ¡°How can you be so calctive with your own nephew. Uncle, auntie is not aware of your treacherous side right? If she knew about your true colors, she definitely will not dare to marry you.¡±

    After he finished saying, he reached out with his two chubby hands to retrieve the hundred dors.

    Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi suddenly retracted his hand when those chubby fingers almost touched it. Qi Youxuan was left with nothing.

    ¡°Uncle!¡± Qi Youxuan was so angry that his cheeks were all puffed out. Before this, his face was already rounded, now he looked even more like a ball. Those pair of big eyes looked at Qi Chengzhi as if they were full of usations.

    This gaze of his always gotten him what he wanted as they always surrender. However, it was not effective on Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips, the banknote was pinned lightly in between his second and middle finger. He said gently, ¡°If your performance is subpar, you won¡¯t be receiving the bnce.¡±

    ¡°I can assure you, uncle, I¡¯ll be at my very best. You have myplete cooperation,¡± Qi Youxuan mentioned. He climbed up the seat and snatched the hundred dors over from his fingertips with much eagerness, for fear that he would turn on his back again.

    Qi Youxuan pinched the money with his tiny hands, it looked massive inparison to the size of his hands.

    He looked at Qi Chengzhi cautiously, before turning his back and raising the banknote high up and observe closely. After a while, he took it down to the eye-level and examined it again.

    Qi Chengzhi just stared at his pretense. His actions seemed to be rather genuine but it would be a different matter about whether he could really differentiate.

    No one knew what Qi Youxuan figured out through his observations, but he nodded in satisfaction as if it was a real deal. Then, he took out a wallet from his school bag.

    Qi Chengzhi felt that the wallet looked a little familiar. When he took a closer look, it was Qi Chengji¡¯s wallet from thirty years ago, and that Qi Chengji stole it from him.

    Qi Youxuan ttened the hundred dor note and put into his wallet carefully before keeping it back in the school bag.

    Song Yu carried a loaded tray and walked over shortly after he finished the whole series of actions.

    The aisle between tables was rather narrow, and there were people walking in and out. Song Yu was paying attention to the path and walked attentively as the tray she was holding consisted of three set meals.

    All of a sudden, a pair ofrge hands appeared in front of her hands that were holding onto the tray. They held onto the tray firmly and shared some of the weight over.

    Based on the attractiveness of this pair of hands in front of her eyes, there was only one possibility ¡ª it belonged to Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu lifted her head and saw his handsome yet serious face. He nced at her gently and took over the tray without saying a word before turning around and walked ahead of her.

    The aisle was full of people. Song Yu could not help but curve the corners of her lip upwards when she followed him behind while looking at his broad and towering back.

    At that moment, she had the urge to hug him from the back and press her face onto his strong and stable back.

    In the end, it was just a thought and Song Yu held it in.

    ...

    ...

    It was obvious that Qi Chengzhi did not enjoy fast food as he barely ate anything. At first, Song Yu was worried that Qi Chengzhi would have a man¡¯s appetite and specially bought a family meal for him, but ended up with a lot food left untouched.

    Nevertheless, Qi Youxuan could really eat. His choice of Happy Mealprised of hamburger and fries. After chomping a few bites on the hamburger, he threw the bitten hamburger back to the container and extended his oily ws towards the chicken wings ced in front of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, as if it was a eating contest.

    When one was full, they would usually overthink stuff. Qi Youxuan was still thinking about the ¡°bad¡± attitude Qi Chengzhi treated him with. He did not trust him and even split the money into two payments.

    How could they maintain their partnership and cooperate harmoniously if they did not even have the basic trust between human?

    Qi Chengzhi was acting like a kid that indulged too much in food and became a little blurry in the head. He rolled his eyes and told Song Yu, ¡°Auntie, my father actually looks quite decent inparison to uncle. He¡¯s also younger, why don¡¯t you give some thought about my father? You don¡¯t need to tie yourself down with a single person, there are so many other choices!¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    After Qi Youxuan finished his speech and happily dived into the wings, his bit into thin air.

    He turned around and saw that Qi Chengzhi snatched the chicken wings from his hand. Qi Chengzhi then continued to say in a serious tone, ¡°Your father specifically told me not to let you eat too much junk food when he sent you over. You should control your weight and follow me to eat more vegetables these two days.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan looked at Qi Chengzhi furiously. ¡®Uncle is obviously taking revenge publicly!¡¯ He thought.

    Qi Youxuan did not manage to eat those chicken wings in the end. His uncle was being too much since he rather let it be leftovers than let him eat them.

    Qi Youxuan stuck out his ball-sized belly and he did not want to think about how full was he. Even if they permitted him to continue eating, he would not be able to take it in anymore.

    ¡°I want to poop,¡± Qi Youxuan massaged his rounded belly after gulping down all the food and let out a loud and foul-smelling fart which surrounded Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and thought about the price he had to pay by using him to win Song Yu over was just too high. He already wanted to send him back.

    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m going to shit my pants!¡± Qi Youxuan used his tiny chubby fingers to cover his backside, where it looked like he was trying to shove the poop back in.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± Qi Chengzhi stood up with a frown on his face. Each time he saw Qi Chengzhi, he would mentally remind himself that having children would be thest resort.

    Qi Youxuan was scooped up by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long arms from the waist before striding towards the washroom inrge steps.

    Song Yu stared from afar until both of them disappeared. She was quite amused by the situation and wondered what would it be when Qi Chengzhi has his own child?

    Qi Chengzhi let Qi Youxuan enter the washroom by himself while he lighted a cigarette at outside.

    While he was smoking halfway, his cellphone rang.

    Qi Chengzhi was still on the phone when Qi Youxuan exited in the middle of adjusting his pants. Qi Youxuan stuck his tummy out to show Qi Chengzhi his belt was still undone, which required his help to buckle on.

    Qi Chengzhi signaled him to look for Song Yu after ncing at him.

    Qi Youxuan had no choice but to go to Song Yu while holding the pants up with his hands.

    Song Yu was waiting for the pair when she lifted her head and looked towards the direction of the washroom. She spotted a rounded head at the corner of the alley that leads to the washroom. He then waved at Song Yu.

    Song Yu was baffled. She took her bag and Qi Youxuan¡¯s jacket and hat before walking over.

    When she reached the washroom, she saw Qi Youxuan was peeking around as if he was afraid to be seen. His face was also blushing.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Song Yu saw that Qi Youxuan was holding his pants tightly while she asked.

    Qi Youxuan said embarrassedly with a flushed face, ¡°I can¡¯t buckle my belt.¡±

    His embarrassed look was extremely cute. Song Yu wanted tough so badly but she could not, afraid that she would hurt the little guy¡¯s dignity. She endured it and acted as if nothing had happened and crouched down to help him.

    Since they were about to leave the ce as well, she helped him to put on his clothes and hat as well.

    No one knew what was going through Qi Youxuan¡¯s mind, but he let out a sigh out of the blue and said, ¡°Auntie, aren¡¯t you going to consider to be my stepmother?¡±

 Chapter 87 - If You Try to Steal My Girlfriend Again, Iâ€™ll Send You Back Home

    <h4>Chapter 87: If You Try to Steal My Girlfriend Again, I¡¯ll Send You Back Home</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    No one knew what was going through Qi Youxuan¡¯s mind but he let out a sigh out of the blue and said, ¡°Auntie, aren¡¯t you going to consider to be my stepmother?¡±

    This time, it was much more serious than before.

    Qi Youxuan felt that Song Yu was demure and good-looking. She was also very attentive to him, thus making her a good candidate as a stepmother.

    Song Yu was caught unprepared by his question. She blushed from the awkwardness and could not think of any appropriate remark to answer him. Suddenly, the ringing that sounded like the monologue from Detective Conan, ¡®There¡¯s only one truth¡¯, in Japanese could be heard.

    Qi Youxuan then retrieved a blue Totoro-styled child cell phone from his pocket. The voice of Detective Conan originated from his cell phone.

    ¡°Hello uncle,¡± Qi Youxuan called out after answering the phone.

    ¡°If you try to steal my girlfriend again, I¡¯ll send you back home. Don¡¯t even think of getting the money.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gentle threat could be heard from the phone. His voice was quite monotonous but it was enough to make Qi Youxuan hung up the phone with an unusually serious expression.

    ¡°Is your uncle okay?¡± Song Yu asked Qi Youxuan while she was helping him adjust his clothes after seeing the serious look on his face.

    When Qi Youxuan was about to start talking when Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold, deep voice called out from his back. ¡°I was on the phone for some work-rted issues and he disappeared in a blink of an eye, that¡¯s why I called to ask where was he.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheeks were all puffed up while he red at Qi Chengzhi angrily.

    He was no match for his uncle if they were topare who was more shameless.

    Qi Chengzhi pouted his mouth at Qi Youxuan sarcastically while he extended his well-structured palm to hold his hand.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Qi Chengzhi in surprise because knowing his uncle¡¯s temper, he would abandon him and left by now. He would never take the initiative and hold his hand. Even when they were in the Qi family house, his uncle had never treated him so well in front of great-grandfather and great-grandmother.

    The next second, Qi Youxuan put the pieces together and understood what was happening.

    Qi Chengzhi held him with his left hand and proceeded to hold Song Yu with his right. This action naturally separated him with Song Yu.

    ¡®Humph!¡¯

    Qi Youxuan mentally judged him with disdain.

    Three of them walked out of McDonald¡¯s. Instead of heading to the direction of the car park, they went to the car essories department.

    ¡°What¡¯re you buying?¡± He led Song Yu into a shop.

    ¡°I¡¯m buying a child safety seat. Since Chenglin asked me to take care of him, I need to fulfill my responsibilities.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep tenor voice was already very pleasing to the ears but this statement made him look exceptionally serious and persuasive.

    Qi Youxuan was the only one who almost puked after hearing what he said.

    Qi Chengzhi spent very little time making the purchase. He did not choose and just follow the salesman¡¯s rmendation. As one would expect, the salesman rmended the most expensive model but he made the purchase without giving much thought.

    When they reached the car park, he fixed the safety seat onto the backseat and let Qi Youxuan sit on it. Then, he tossed his school bag onto the seat beside him which filled up most of the space. Naturally, Song Yu was forced to take the passenger seat in front.

    Suddenly, Qi Youxuan understood the motive behind Qi Chengzhi buying him the safety seat. He even made it sound so noble; being responsible was all an excuse.

    Song Yu felt bad when she saw Qi Youxuan sitting all alone behind through the rear-view mirror. Qi Chenglin was unmarried when he brought a baby Qi Youxuan home out of the blue. No one dared to say anything to him since he was the youngest son of Qi family but there were many people spreading the rumor about him being an illegitimate son.

    He did not have a mother since young. Furthermore, his father was not around him during Chinese New Year but he remained so cheerful. Song Yu felt even more sorry for him.

    She wanted to ask Qi Chengzhi to stop the car at the side of the road and let her apany Qi Youxuan at the back, but her hand that she ced on her knee was suddenly held by arger hand.

    The distance between the driver and passenger seat was not that far but Qi Youxuan could still clearly see the motion of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand extending across the seat.

    Song Yu looked at his warm sturdy hand and said quietly, ¡°The kid¡¯s behind us!¡±

    ¡°Then just sit tight and not to worry.¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and took the opportunity of the red traffic light to nce at her for a good few seconds.

    Song Yu blushed and looked at him in surprise. How did he know what was she thinking!

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi brought them back to his condominium in Viewpark Residence. Song Yu only agreed to go under the coaxing influence of Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chengzhi took the dumplings that Song Yu brought back home to freeze it in the refrigerator.

    Aunt Yang did not even expect the arrival of Little Young Master, it was only natural that she was more startled when she noticed Song Yu.

    She saw them acting all strange and distant the other day. Judging by the interaction today, it seemed like they were in a rtionship.

    Especially when Qi Youxuan called her ¡®auntie¡¯, Aunt Yang was totally dumbfounded. Furthermore, Qi Chengzhi did not oppose the way Qi Youxuan address her. It was obvious that he already acknowledged Song Yu¡¯s status.

    ¡®What will the Qi family think about this?¡¯ Aunt Yang shook her head then proceeded to tell herself that this was not something that she should be worried about.

    Aunt Yang was about to bring Qi Youxuan for a shower but got rejected by him in a serious tone. He said something about men and women should not have physical contact with each other. Shortly after, he turned around and tugged at Song Yu¡¯s sleeve before he shyly said, ¡°Auntie, take me to the shower!¡±

    Song Yu was speechless. ¡°...¡±

    So was Aunt Yang. ¡°...¡±

    In the end, Song Yu brought Qi Youxuan to shower. Aunt Yang went and prepared the guest room that Song Yu had stayed in a few days ago for Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house was a duplex. There were many rooms avable and Aunt Yang could not predict which one Song Yu will be staying in.

    After she finished cleaning the room for Qi Youxuan, Aunt Yang nned to ask Qi Chengzhi but while she was hesitating on how to phrase it, he said, ¡°Aunt Yang, you can rest now. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Song Yu finished bathing Qi Youxuan and blew dry his hair before taking him to the guest room.

    Qi Youxuan had difficulty sleeping so he tossed and turned on his bed. He held onto Song Yu and said, ¡°Auntie, tell me a story!¡±

    Song Yu initially decided to go home after she tucked Qi Youxuan to bed. When she took out her cell phone to check for the time, it was already ten o¡¯clock at night.

    However, her heart was melted by Qi Youxuan¡¯s big googly eyes. Song Yu could not bear to reject him, so she searched for a story on her phone and read it to him.

    Gradually, she heard the sound of steady breathing. Qi Youxuan fell asleep in the midst of listening to the story.

    Song Yu smiled and turned off the tablemp. She made her way to the door through the dark with the help of the light from her cell phone¡¯s screen. She opened the door gently to prevent making any loud noise that might wake that little guy up. Her gaze was fixed at him the whole time to ensure that he was not awakened, only then she slowly backed away from the room.

    Just as she gently shut the door, her footsteps were blocked when she tried to walk backward away from it. She was trapped between Qi Chengzhi and the door but his arms were out of her way. She could leave anytime she desires. However, Song Yu did not move. She did not want to, neither did she have the energy to move.

    ¡°I should be heading home...¡± Song Yu said with a lowered voice. Her trembling voice sounded as if her teeth were ttering in the chilly winds and the volume was so low as if it was stuck in herrynx.

    Even though she said that she did not have the strength to move. Deep down in her heart, she was also unwilling to move. She just wanted to indulge at that moment.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his hands and secured it on the door; the action was made to trap her in his armspletely.

    ¡°Aunt Yang...¡± Song Yu tried very hard to gather her strength and voice out helplessly.

    ¡°She¡¯s resting.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice became extra raspy. Finally, he grabbed her shoulder with one hand and turn her around gently. Song Yu ced both her hands on his chest and finally had a full view of him.

    He was only wearing a silk bathrobe with a wide opening at the neckline. The rope on his waist was holding it loosely, baring the solid muscles inside. The thin robe also entuated his taut figure. His body was exuding a faint scent of the shower gel as he just came out of the shower. The sses on his nose bridge was missing. His features looked very much sharper inparison to the day and it made Song Yu even more fluttered.

    ¡°In all honesty, do you really want to leave?¡± His lips nestled onto hers.

    Song Yu could not refrain but to slide her hands up along his chest and surround his neck. Her soft fingertips caressed the evenly trimmed hair ends behind his neck affectionately. She was blushing and did not know how to agree to his words. Thus, she agreed tacitly without saying a word and took the lead to kiss his warm, thin lips. Her cheeks were burning hot as if it was on fire.

    Once she was enamored of him, her eyes could only take in him and only him. Every movement and action of his looked so good, manly, and sophisticated. From the looks of it, this man have a cold mien but on the inside, he was mischievously viinous. These contradictory aspects made him one of a kind. His charm really managed to pull her heartstrings to the maximum.

    She could only use one expression to describe a man of such magnificent style ¨C unmatched in his generation.

    However, such a uniquely magnificent man belonged to her now.

    Qi Chengzhi smirked while he pressed her lips. He knew that she was easily embarrassed, so he did not tease her further.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu leaned on his body, unable to move as he had a grip around her. Both of them were slightly breathless. She could clearly feel the undtion of his breathing while she leaned on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest.

    He was breathing at a steady rate, it made her felt secured. The up and down motion resembled a boat rocking gently. There were small droplets of sweat on his chest mixed together with hers.

    Song Yu lifted her head and looked at his satisfied, half-opened eyes. He looked like a rascal, the sense of modesty andposure that she saw on the magazine previously was nowhere to be seen. Her fingertips could not resist but to touch his handsome face when she look at him. She traced his delicately charming features. She felt unreal like she was in a dream that such a good-looking man was then hers.

    Qi Chengzhi saw her looking up and traced his face with her soft fingertips; that motion was as light as feather. She probably would never know how immersive her expression looked, where she naturally revealed such deep, tender affection. She rested her chin on his chest, her dark eyes were still a little lost but they were filled with trust.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart fluttered and could not resist himself to nt a kiss on her forehead.

    At that moment, her fingertips had already passed the tip of his nose, sliding gently across his moist lips and reached his scruffy chin. She put some pressure on his stubble with her fingertips and felt an itching sensation. This was all very new to her. She locked gaze with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep, dark eyes looking ever so tenderly at her when she lifted her head. Song Yu¡¯s heartbeat was racing as if she was bewildered by his gaze. She allowed him to give a gentle peck with his stubbly chin.

    Qi Chengzhi grinned slightly. She looked like a small pet with her cheeks all blushed. Her obedient manner stirred something inside him but she suddenly straightened up her body.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qi Chengzhi became serious as he thought she was about to leave. His tone was heavier than normal.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking a bath,¡± Song Yu blushed.

    ...

    ...

    As Qi Chengzhi turned the showerhead off, he immediately carried Song Yu to the bed; there was no intention to wipe their body dry. As a result, the bedsheets were drenched. Song Yu could not sleep and started pondering about the women he got involved in the past. This was an inevitable thought when a woman started to be emotionally involved with someone. They would not be happy after hearing about their partner¡¯s past rtionship but they still insisted on hearing it.

    When Song Yu was thinking halfway, ¡®Aili¡¯ popped up in her mind. Her heart stifled when she recalled that morning when he subconsciously called out this name.

    All of him was already savored by other women, including his kiss, his body, and the sense of charm.

    She was very particr in rtionships. Simrly as to how she could not tolerate Jian Yi. Even if he was willing to cut off all ties for her sake, she would not ept him again.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, how many women have you had before me?¡± She pointed at his firm chest with her fingers. She dared not to lift her head and look at him as she added, ¡°Including serious and casual ones.¡±

    She felt cliche when she asked it out loud but she would feel unsettled if she did not ask him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her and tightened his grip around her. He was perplexed as to where did she gather her energy to think about this after two rounds?

    Song Yu felt a little puzzled when she could not get his answer. She asked with a dejected voice, ¡°Who¡¯s Aili?¡±

 Chapter 88 - Stay Away From That Camry When Youâ€™re Back

    <h4>Chapter 88: Stay Away From That Camry When You¡¯re Back</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu felt a little puzzled when she could not get his answer. She asked with a dejected voice, ¡°Who¡¯s Aili?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    Aili? He had almost forgotten to whom this name belonged to. He had to think for a while before he remembered how it came about.

    ¡°Why are you thinking about these unnecessary things?¡± His moist lips nested against the corner of her eyebrow, breathing warm air onto her eyelid.

    Thin lips caressed her skin and moved downward to cover her lips but Song Yu shied her head away. She suppressed her anger and kicked him at the calf before turning over with her back facing him.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong!¡± Qi Chengzhi frowned. Did he pamper her too much to the extent that she could kick him whenever she wanted?

    Song Yu remained silent with her back facing him.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and let out a sigh. He scooched over and hugged her from the back.

    He had just extended his hand but Song Yu shrugged her shoulders to resist his touch. He was squinting his eyes, they were still reminiscing in the remaining desire from just now. He locked her into his arms with his long limbs and pressed his lips on her hairline, ¡°Stop it.¡±

    Song Yu stopped moving, but she did not turn around either. She was showing her dissatisfaction by not talking to him.

    After a while, she heard his deep, raspy voice echoing from her ears near to her hairline, ¡°I made it up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was startled for a moment but she caught up very quickly.

    It meant that he did that purposely on that morning. How dare he made her apologize!

    He sensed the rxation of her body and tighten his arms to pull her in, sealing the gap between himself and her spine. He spoke into her ears with a lowered tone, ¡°Will you believe me if I told you that you are the only woman I¡¯ve been with?¡±

    How could he be thirty-four years old and only been with her, what about the women before her?

    Song Yu was not sure whether she could believe his words. She felt that he would not lie about these things and should be able to trust him. On the other hand, she felt that this sounded rather unconvincing. No one would believe it even if he told them.

    Her face was so hot that it went numb. She also thought that it would be pointless to entangle herself in this. Suddenly, she felt that she was being unreasonable. Even if he had other women in the past, what could she do?

    She kept her head low without saying a word and turned around in silence. Her amenable manner made it look like Qi Chengzhi was hallucinating the whole thing just now.

    Qi Chengzhi nced her with his clear, dark eyes. There was no sign of anger, but rather with a glimmer of amusement. It was too bad that Song Yu missed that.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep,¡± he said in an endearing tone. He gently pressed her face onto his chest and nted a kiss on the top of her head.

    ...

    ...

    They did not have breakfast at home in the next morning. Qi Chengzhi drove Song Yu and Qi Youxuan to Dynasty because Qi Youxuan insisted on eating breakfast there. Qi Chengzhi seemed to be in a really good mood and agreed.

    When they were about to enter, they met Wei Ziqi and his family at the entrance of Dynasty.

    They left their four-month-old son at home and brought their daughter, Wei Muran with them.

    ¡°Such a coincidence, we¡¯re having breakfast with Yan Beicheng. Join us,¡± Wei Ziqi¡¯s smiling eyes scanned up and down between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi while he spoke.

    Wei Ran greeted Song Yu at aside. Both of them were ssmates before Song Family went into bankruptcy. They lost contact for a period of time, but they reunited with each other and had be friends ever since.

    Song Yu was very happy to meet Wei Ran, thus Qi Chengzhi did not reject the invite. Furthermore, Wei Ziqi rarely came out after he got married and had children. The gathering today was pure coincidence. After that, all of them entered Dynasty together.

    The manager came personally to lead them to Yan Beicheng¡¯s VIP room. After the door was opened, Song Yu was stunned and remained at the doorstep.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Qi Youxuan called out in surprise. He stood there as if he was defeated and wondered if he was going to receive the remaining hundred dors.

    Song Yu stared at the person who should be at outstation sat there leisurely eating his breakfast. She nced at Qi Chengzhi and turn back to look at Qi Chenglin and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be out of town?¡±

    Qi Chenglin took his time and put down the teacup. ¡°Haha,¡± heughed dryly, ¡°Will you believe that I just came back this morning?¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    She turned around to look at the man beside her. Inside her mind, she roughly figured out what happened. After seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s vexed expression, she guessed that Qi Chengzhi probably bribed him with something good.

    However, the man Song Yu was staring at looked at Qi Chenglin with a clear gaze before saying lightly, ¡°Outstation must¡¯ve been tiring. What are you doing outside instead of resting at home?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu was speechless when she saw Qi Chengzhi still giving a righteous look on his face. He showed no sign of self-awareness that his lie was about to be exposed.

    Yan Beicheng secretly pursed his lips at a corner. Qi Chengzhi was as shameless as usual.

    ¡°Haha, sisters-inw, have a seat!¡± Qi Chenglin seemed to be quite used to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shamelessness. He ignored his statement and continued to greet Song Yu and Wei Ran.

    After the few of them sat down, Yan Beicheng called for the server to add on more food items as he did not expect Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to be here.

    While Yan Beicheng was ordering, Song Yu tugged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sleeve. She stuck her neck beside Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears after he turned around and asked softly, ¡°Did you hear what my mum told me over the phone when you called me?¡±

    It could be exined if he heard it as Yu Qianying¡¯s voice was rather loud.

    Song Yu figured that he overheard their conversation, resulting in the whole plot of abducting her out with the help of Qi Youxuan.

    Even though she was tricked by him, she was not angry about it. She wanted to get away from the arrangement with Wang Yifeng anyway. Besides that, she found Qi Chengzhi quite cute acting this way. Deep down in her heart, she was mischievously scheming to make him admit that he was jealous.

    ¡°What did your mum tell you?¡± QI Chengzhi¡¯s expression was ratherplex. His deep gaze hid all of the emotions and asked nonchntly, but he made Song Yu unable to answer for some reason.

    Regardless if he was acting as if he was unaware about it, she could not say that Yu Qianying matchmade her with somebody. How should she phrase it?

    Instead of questioning him, she was left speechless after his question. Song Yu had no choice but to eat with her head lowered.

    Qi Chengzhi took out his cell phone and checked on a newly received message. It turned out to be from Qi Youxuan. After opening the message, it wrote, ¡°Uncle, are you still giving me the hundred dors?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi closed the message silently and kept the cell phone. He picked the chopsticks up and ignored the eager gaze from Qi Youxuan.

    Suddenly, a delicate hand appeared in front of Song Yu¡¯s eyes. He tore a piece of sponge cake and put it on her te. His elegant voice sounded above her head, ¡°Don¡¯t only eat a single item.¡±

    Song Yu listened obediently and took the sponge cake and ate awkwardly.

    ...

    ...

    After finishing breakfast, Qi Youxuan was taken away by Qi Chenglin. He was not able to ask about the oue of that remaining hundred dors.

    Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran would be bringing Wei Muran to the yground. The other also had their own activities, so they went their own way.

    Qi Chengzhi answered a phone call. He could not rest if there was work to be settled in the office because other countries do not consider Chinese New Year holidays simrly to China.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll be there in a while,¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was formal and cold when he spoke about work, without any emotions. It was vastly different from the way he talked to her.

    After he hung up, Song Yu said, ¡°You can leave first if you have something to do. I can take my own ride back.¡±

    He put his phone away and took Song Yu¡¯s hand, covering her hand tightly with his warm palm, ¡°There¡¯s still time to send you back.¡±

    In the end, his Range Rover stopped at themunity entrance of Mr. and Mrs. Song Donglin.

    Song Yu hesitated for a moment before she alighted. She was not able to ignore Qi Chengzhi¡¯s burning gaze.

    She was aware of his intentions after what he did during thest time he had such a burning gaze fixated on her.

    Song Yu blushed slightly. Even though the window tint was very dark and not visible from the outside, she still looked around as if she was about to do something wrong. After that, only she closed in on Qi Chengzhi and pecked him gently on his burning lips.

    His lips had a faint scent of tea which was pleasant and refreshing. The mixture of the scent together with his aftershave left Song Yu bewildered. She could not resist but to kiss him twice more with a fluttering heart. She was already turned on just by smelling his scent.

    She tucked her tummy in and backed away slightly. The gaze under her fluttering eyshes was enchanted. She was fixated on his thin lips, whose outline was even more pronounced when he was not smiling. Her cheeks were flushed and she subconsciously licked her slightly parted lips.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes and observed how she was trying to ¡®seduce¡¯ him. All of a sudden, he pounced on her and pinned her down to the chair and kissed her relentlessly.

    It was not like her gentle peck before. His kiss was so deep that Song Yu could feel his tongue almost reaching her throat. It was pushing her tongue around, curling it and stroking her pte all at once, conquering her mouth in such an intense manner.

    Before they could realize, their lips were already soaking wet.

    Qi Chengzhi held her face and kissed her to his heart¡¯s content before releasing her slowly. Their foreheads were leaning against each other while they panted heavily, their breathing entangling together.

    ¡°Stay away from that Camry when you¡¯re back,¡± he said in a raspy voice while he was still panting slightly.

    Song Yu did not understand what he meant at that time. She was in a daze for quite some time before realizing that the ¡®Camry¡¯ mentioned by him was actually Wang Yifeng.

    ¡°...¡±, Qi Chengzhi did not continue speaking and just looked at her from a distance. His stare made her stressed as if she did something wrong.

    She fiddled with his cardigan unconsciously, pinching and releasing it back and forth. She exined with her head lowered, ¡°My mum called him to the house. I can¡¯t stop her from doing that. Also, even though I could sense that he had feelings for me, I can¡¯t just reject him before he said it out loud.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips. He already looked stern without smiling and this made him look even scarier. He looked like a teacher back in the days about to lecture someone with a ruler in his hand.

    Song Yu surrendered after seeing his expression, ¡°If hees to find me again, I will tell him that I have a boyfriend regardless of whether he confessed or how embarrassing it¡¯ll be. Deal?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression softened instantly. He kissed her again as if it was a reward before asking again, ¡°When are you returning to your own ce?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going back on the night of the sixth day of Chinese New Year because I¡¯m working the next day,¡± Song Yu blushed again right after she nced at him. His eyes were filled with pure desire and she knew exactly what he had in mind.

    Qi Chengzhi tilted his head slightly and buried his face into her neck. He took a deep breath before lifting his head and pinched her waist, ¡°Go home.¡±

    ¡°Have a safe journey,¡± Song Yu was unwilling to part ways with him when she looked at his handsome face zed by ayer of desire. She wanted to stay by his side and follow him.

    She never knew that she would be such a clingy person. All this while, she hated the feeling of others clinging onto her. She preferred to have some space even if she was in a rtionship.

    However, this was not necessarily the case anymore.

    ¡°Send me a message after you reached the office,¡± she looked at him and lowered her head to look at his delicate hands.

    Song Yu alighted after hearing Qi Chengzhi replied with ¡®uhm¡¯.

    After Song Yu was out of sight, only Qi Chengzhi drove away.

    ...

    ...

    When she reached home, Yu Qianying asked her about why did she stay out the whole night, but Song Yu used Ruan Danchen as an excuse to muddle through her questioning.

    Yu Qianying said that Jian Yi dropped by yesterday night, but he left shortly after. It was obvious that he was looking for her. Song Yu nodded her head and said nothing. Yu Qianying let out a sigh. It was indeed not very nice if Jian Yi kepting over even though he already has a girlfriend. However, Yu Qianying still remembered that Jian Yi helped their family through a lot. It was a pity about what happened between Song Yu and Jian Yi.

    Song Yu returned to her bedroom after finished listening to Yu Qianying¡¯s nagging. Shortly after, she received a text from Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯m going to Hond for a business trip, it¡¯ll take around seven to eight days.¡±

    Seven to eight days...

    Song Yu stared at the message. Originally, she thought that they did not have to hide their affection after three more days.

    Song Yu replied to him after giving some thought, ¡°Take care of your body and eat well.¡±

    She received Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply not long after she sent her message. It was exactly the same as thest time he went for outstation, there was only a simple ¡®uhm¡¯.

    Just that this time around, Song Yu was used to his style and did not overthink things.

    After sending the message, Qi Chengzhi thought of something and lifted his head suddenly before ordering Cheng Dongge, ¡°Bring Jian Yi along for this trip.¡± This was to prevent him from bothering Song Yu when he was away.

    ...

    ...

    Work resumed on the seventh day of Chinese New Year. Qilin¡¯s leisure hotel also prepared to begin construction. Song Yu visited the site and got to know the engineering team and rified some architectural issues on the spot. The day was almost gone when she returned to Chengshi.

    Ruan Danchen just came back after meeting clients by the time Song Yu reached the office.

    Ruan Danchen went to fill a ss of water and wheeled over to Song Yu¡¯s side with her office chair. With the ss in hand, she asked softly, ¡°Where did you go on the second night of Chinese New Year?¡±

    ¡°Why? Who told you?¡± Song Yu drank a mouthful of hot water. She had yet to settle down as she had just returned from being outdoors for a whole day.

    ¡°That night, Jian Yi came to look for you at my ce. He left with a long face when he found out you were not with me,¡± Ruan Danchen spoke softly. She leaned closer towards Song Yu and nced at her, ¡°Howe he was looking for you at my ce?¡±

    After seeing Song Yu¡¯s uncertain gaze and her face that turned redder from her already reddened cheeks from the chilly weather, Ruan Danchen raised her eyebrow suddenly and asked with surprise and much interest, ¡°You went to QI Chengzhi¡¯s ce?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu kept her head low and drank water. She was too embarrassed to admit it directly.

    ¡°Not bad, girl!¡± Ruan Danchen could not help but pped her thighs. The resulting sound was rather loud, attracting the neer¡¯s attention. She immediately made an apologetic expression and dragged Song Yu into the lounge and shut the door, where she still lowered her voice and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    Song Yu told her about the excuse she told Yu Qianying. She nced at Ruan Danchen in embarrassment, ¡°That... I probably need your help to cover in the future.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m absolutely fine with that, but how long are you going to keep this from your family?¡± Ruan Danchen asked, ¡°Your mum kept trying to match-make you. It¡¯s not good to dy this. Furthermore, it¡¯s not like Qi Chengzhi could not be seen by others. Your family should be happy if they knew your boyfriend is Qi Chengzhi. Why are you hiding from them?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know about a lot of things...¡± Song Yu hesitated. She took a nce at Ruan Danchen and felt that she was the only person she could trust other than Wei Ran.

    Song Yu became more cautious after what happened with Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin. She contemted on letting Ruan Danchen know so much.

    Nheless, she needed a channel to release all the things that were stressing her mind.

    In addition, she had to learn to trust people again.

    All this time, Ruan Danchen had always went to the extra mile to help her. She should not ask her for help yet not trust her at the same time.

    Song Yu paused for a moment before looking at Ruan Danchen seriously. Then, she slowly revealed what happened to her family, including her rtionship with the Qi Family and the engagement to Qi Chengji. She gave Ruan Danchen a general outline about the rtionships in between but she did not go into the details.

    Ruan Danchen was left gaping in silence. She opened her mouth but could only say ¡®ah¡¯ the whole time. Finally, she tapped on Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°It¡¯s quiteplicated. Your parents might not ept your rtionship with Qi Chengzhi easily. I don¡¯t have much say in this. You¡¯re on your own!¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu remained silent.

    ...

    ...

    After work, Song Yu was contemting whether she should send Qi Chengzhi a text and ask him when would he be back.

    However, Qi Chengzhi already mentioned before he left that the trip wouldst for seven to eight days. It only had been four days since he left. If she asked now, she was afraid that she might disturb his work and that he might find her to be too clingy.

    She walked out of the office subconsciously whilst staring at her cell phone, not noticing the surrounding situation. Suddenly, someone called her, ¡°Song Yu!¡±

    Song Yu gripped on her phone and lifted her head puzzledly. There was no one in front. The voice sounded from behind. She turned her head around and saw Wang Yifeng trotted his way towards her with a smile.

    ¡°I saw you just now and greeted you, but you seem to be very deep in thought where you did not notice and just walked past me,¡± Wang Yifengughed, his gaze was fixated on Song Yu¡¯s face.

    Under close observation, her features were delicate. The fluffy scarf made her oval face look even smaller. Only the pronounced tip of her nose was exposed, which she nestled it against the edge of the scarf. She stared with those pair of crystal eyes, with clear separation of the ck and whites.

    Song Yu exuded a sense of pure qualities as if she was untainted by society.

    The more Wang Yifeng looked at her, the more he liked what he saw. He decided to pursue her seriously.

    Song Yu felt a little ufortable after realizing the close proximity between them. She took a step back and maintained a safe distance. She fixed the mess of her hair blown by the wind before smiling politely at him and asked, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, you¡¯re here to...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to pick you up from work,¡± Wang Yifengughed and look at her. His direct gaze was quite overwhelming.

    Song Yu felt very ufortable under his gaze. It was different from Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was eager and pressing, but there was tenderness in his burning gaze. No matter which kind, her body¡¯s temperature was always rising when he stared at her, blurring her mind in the process.

 Chapter 89 - I Still Prefer You Without Glasses

    <h4>Chapter 89: I Still Prefer You Without sses</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His gaze made Song Yu felt ufortable since it was different from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was luminous, warm, and dominant¡ªalthough at times it can be gentle instead of dominant. Whether it was the former or thetter, she felt hot whenever he looked at her, and her brain would turn into aplete mess.

    Meanwhile, Wang Yifeng¡¯s gaze was too invasive. Both he and Song Yu were still very foreign with each other, and his gaze gave her goosebumps all over her body. She did not like its intrusiveness.

    She shifted her gaze ufortably over to the distance behind him. His Camry was parked just beside the road.

    ¡°Your car is all repaired?¡± Song Yu asked as a gesture of courtesy since she had virtually no idea what to say to him.

    ¡°Yes, the repair work just finished today, so I came to pick you up,¡± Wang Yifeng said. His words had a touch of confidence to them. ¡°Our first two encounters were interrupted by unforeseen events, and we hadn¡¯t had the chance to have a proper conversation. I also feel that it wouldn¡¯t be toofortable to talk to each other when there are so many other people at home, so why not have a meal by ourselves?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I came here directly to pick you up.¡± Wang Yifeng smiled, bowed, and gestured with an outstretched hand as if to say ¡®After you¡¯. ¡°Would you do me the honor of having a meal with me?¡±

    Song Yu looked at his car, then at his outstretched hand, but found it difficult to answer him.

    Noticing that she was glued to the spot and was hesitant, Wang Yifeng found it a bit odd. ¡°Am I being ahead of myself, and you have something to attend to?¡±

    Strands of her hair, blown wayward by the wind, were tucked behind her ear. She did not get into the car with him and simply stood still. She mustered the courage and asked softly, ¡°You... Do you have a thing for me?¡±

    Wang Yifeng did not expect Song Yu to phrase the question so directly. Understandably surprised, he chuckled softly.

    He believed himself to be good-looking; his work and family background was not bad as well. Although it was difficult to buy a house in B City, he was still able to get a loan to finance a house¡ªa hundred and thirty square meters in size and located at the 5th Ring Road¡ªin preparation for marriage. He was also a local resident of B City. A man of his qualities would undoubtedly be able to choose who he wanted to be with, and as of then, he had already rejected a few potential partners who took a liking to him.

    He felt that going after Song Yu would be a walk in the park, and he was determined to get her.

    Hearing the way Song Yu asked her question, heughed confidently and said, ¡°I thought I made it very clear from my actions. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d still have doubts.¡±

    ¡°I just wanted to make sure in case I was mistaken and made things awkward.¡± Song Yu¡¯s hand had been ced inside her jacket pocket all that time, and she was clenching them nervously. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m ttered that you admire me so much, but I can¡¯t return you the favor.¡±

    ¡°Why¡¯s that? Song Yu, I really think you¡¯re amazing, and I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m the kind of person who would make you hate me. Perhaps it won¡¯t be love at first sight for us, but we can try dating each other.¡± Wang Yifeng looked left and right, then touched her arm. ¡°The wind is strong out here. It¡¯s not a ce we can talk. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯d want to talk about, it¡¯d be better to talk about it in the car.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head and evaded his touch. Wang Yifeng saw her action and felt embarrassed in addition to being upset.

    ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. I have a boyfriend, so I can¡¯t date you, even if it¡¯s just to try things out. I¡¯m really sorry to have caused this misunderstanding. I didn¡¯t expect it would give you such a wrong impression. I thought that it¡¯s best to clear things up before the misunderstanding deepens.¡±

    ¡°How?¡± He frowned unhappily. ¡°Auntie Yu told me that you¡¯re still single. Song Yu, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t like me, but you didn¡¯t need to use that kind of excuse to reject me.¡±

    Song Yu pushed aside a strand of hair and replied with a tone appropriate to the situation. ¡°My parents don¡¯t know about my rtionship because I¡¯ve only just gotten together with him for a while. I don¡¯t want my parents to know just yet. My mom, she, if she knew that I have a boyfriend, she would nag at me to bring him home to meet her. If I don¡¯t bring him home, she¡¯ll snoop around by all means necessary, but because the rtionship is still new, I don¡¯t want that stage toe too quick. I¡¯m afraid that he would misunderstand me and that I¡¯ll scare him off.¡±

    When she said that final sentence, Song Yuughed gently as if she was poking fun at herself.

    Her tone was sincere, and when she spoke, it was evident that she was protecting him. The genuineness of her feelings was discernible from her words.

    However, Wang Yifeng found the excuse to be too far-fetched. The man she dated might turn out to be someone subpar, and Song Yu might have decided to keep the rtionship hidden because she knew that Yu Qianying would object if she brought her man home!!

    If her man was good enough, what reason would she have for being all shady? Even if she did not bring him home, she would at least have told her parents about him.

    Keeping his intentions hidden, Wang Yifeng appeared unperturbed by what she said. He smiled and remarked, ¡°Since I¡¯vee here today, even if you don¡¯t want to have a meal with me, at least let me send you home. I wouldn¡¯t be much of a gentleman if I simply ditched you because you have a boyfriend.¡±

    As Wang Yifeng was speaking, Song Yu¡¯s gaze alighted upon the opposite road, where a familiar Range Rover was parked.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat. There was a considerable distance between her and the Range Rover, so she was unable to see the te number, but the mere sight of it brought Qi Chengzhi to mind.

    Although she knew that there was a possibility it was not him, her heartbeat still continued increasing.

    A simple ¡®Excuse me¡¯ was uttered, and she took out her phone to dial Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number.

    It took awhile for him to pick up. Song Yu was rather disappointed and doubtful because of that, and she wondered if she was making a mistake.

    Qi Chengzhi said ¡°Hey¡±, and Song Yu promptly felt sore in her throat when she heard his rich voice. She was momentarily unable to speak, and all she wanted was to listen to his voice a little bit longer.

    ¡°Are you back?¡± Song Yu kept on looking at the Range Rover far ahead.

    ¡°...¡±

    He neither answered nor denied it, so Song Yu¡¯s heartbeat increased even more. ¡°Are you in front of mypany? I saw a Range Rover that looks just like yours.¡±

    She thought that he would not answer her as well, so she looked down in disappointment.

    After a while, his answer sounded through the phone. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s heart began beating so violently that it almost jumped out of her throat. She did not even bother to say goodbye before hanging up, and instead, told Wang Yifeng hurriedly, ¡°My boyfriend came to pick me up, I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    She smiled embarrassedly at him, and as she began walking, she stopped, turned around, and said sheepishly to him, ¡°This...about my boyfriend. Can you keep this a secret for the time being, so my parents wouldn¡¯t know? I want to tell them about this personally. If someone else told them, I¡¯m worried that they might have a bad impression of my boyfriend.

    Seeing how much she protected that man, Wang Yifeng finally understood that his chances were all but gone. Regardless of who that person was, Song Yu had her heart fully set on him.

    Wang Yifeng sighed and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not a talkative person. But if there¡¯s ever any chance, I¡¯d like to meet this man and see what it is about him that made you like him so single-mindedly.¡±

    Was it really single-mindedness?

    Song Yu did not realize that she was already at such a stage. She did not entirely approve of Wang Yifeng¡¯s description, but she simply said, ¡°Thank you,¡± and walked across the road while being mindful of the traffic.

    Wang Yifeng remembered Song Yu¡¯s conversation through the phone. He looked to the opposite side of the road and saw a Range Rover parked there. He then saw Song Yu open the car and walk in.

    He frowned. ¡®Why does that Range Rover look so familiar?¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu opened the door and saw the familiar man seated at the driver¡¯s seat. Once she sat inside and closed the door, the car waspletely filled with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s scent.

    The car was warm and his body did not look cold. There was no indication of how long he had been waiting there.

    Sporting a grey wool overcoat and a ck V-neck T-shirt, his corbone was showing slightly. It was the first time Song Yu felt that a man¡¯s corbone would be so exquisite.

    Perhaps it was exquisite because he himself was exquisite from head to toe.

    She looked at him again and felt that it was a long time since she sawst saw him. Song Yu had never missed someone so much.

    The moment she sat in the car, the thing she wanted to do most was to enter his embrace.

    What she did not expect, however, was for him to look so unexcited. There were no expressions on his face, and when she came in, he simply shot her a brief look.

    However, he was smoking when she came in, but when he saw her, he extinguished the cigarette without saying a word.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re back?¡± Song Yu asked. ¡°You didn¡¯t call me to tell me that you¡¯re here either. What if I didn¡¯t see you and walked all by myself?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her. ¡°If you didn¡¯t see me, you can just let the Camry bring you home then.¡±

    ¡°You saw all that?¡± Song Yu surmised that his sudden temper and odd behavior was because of Wang Yifeng. Instead of being angry, Song Yu found his actions endearing.

    ¡°...¡± He looked askance at her again, then shifted his gaze to the opposite road. The Camry was still there.

    There was no way he would overlook that vibrant red color.

    Song Yu entreated him by leaning over. He was still indifferent, but her not-so-nimble hands squeezed their way into his palm and held his elegant hands.

    ¡°I exined everything clearly to him. You saw that I didn¡¯t enter his car, right? I¡¯ve told him that I have a boyfriend.¡± Her hand rubbed his palm and felt its warmth. She had peace of mind when her hand was within his palm.

    He did not evade her but simply allowed her to endear herself over him. In turn, he gripped her hand even tighter.

    When the reaction finally came, Song Yu smiled fawningly, ¡°You don¡¯t know how worried I was just now when I asked him whether he had a thing for me. If he said no, and it was all my misunderstanding, I¡¯d be so embarrassed. But just to make you happy, I told him everything. He understands too, and he probably wouldn¡¯t look for me again. He even said that he wanted to meet you.¡±

    Just as Song Yu finished her sentence, Qi Chengzhi opened the door with the intention of getting down from the car. Shocked, Song Yu immediately pulled him. She did not know what was going on and assumed that he may have turned even angrier.

    ¡°Why are you going out?¡± Song Yu pulled him back inside and asked distressingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going over to let the Camry look at me. He wants to meet me, doesn¡¯t he? Let me destroy that heart of his.¡± Qi Chengzhi was methodical, and he looked extremely serious about it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get all worked up!¡± Song Yu was truly afraid that he would go over and insist on letting Wang Yifeng see him. She hurriedly stretched herself across hisp and closed the door. ¡°He was saying it for the sake of saying it. My rejection made both of us embarrassed, so of course he would want to say something to end the conversation. It¡¯s just small talk, he doesn¡¯t really want to meet.¡±

    Putting it another way, it would be unwise for him to meet the man whose car he wrecked.

    As a result of the door opening for quite some time, the cold air had entered the car and lowered the temperature within. It took awhile for the heater to dispel the coldness.

    Noticing how Qi Chengzhi kept quiet and only stared at her with those deep eyes, Song Yu acted coy and said shamelessly, ¡°Cover my hands. They¡¯re cold.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at the fair-skinned hands that his palms were holding. His longshes covered part of his eyes, but when he looked up and at her, he was somewhat half-smiling.

    Song Yu¡¯s faced reddened in shyness. He seemed to have noticed her small and covert intentions.

    Even so, she did not retract her hands.

    Under his gaze, her hands were slowly wrapped around hisrge and warm hands. Meanwhile, his slightly rough thumb rubbed slowly against the back of her hand.

    The back of her hand was undoubtedly the only thing that was rubbed by him, but she felt like he was brushing her whole body tenderly. In no time, it was not only her hands that were warm¡ªher whole body was too.

    Song Yu retracted her hands and removed her scarf. She found its thickness stifling to his breathing.

    Qi Chengzhi just had to leaned over at that moment. The eyes on his handsome face widened, and along with his action of leaning over, there was that familiar smell of crisp cleanness. Song Yu¡¯s eyes could not resist staring at his thin lips.

    ¡°Do you miss me?¡± His delicate lips parted way for his breath tond all over her lips. It was numbingly hot.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Song Yu nodded bashfully and her face suffused with red. Her eyshes fluttered and her eyes were slightly half-closed. ¡°I didn¡¯t dare to keep looking for you. I was afraid I¡¯d bother and annoy you during work.¡±

    ¡°Whenever you miss me, call me.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips leaned closer and were about toe into contact with hers, but there was still a tiny gap between their lips. There was a hint of desire in the air, and when he finally spoke, his lips began rubbing ever so subtly on hers.

    Once he finished speaking, Qi Chengzhi leaned forward, hugged her in his embrace, and kissed her firmly.

    After so many days, she was finally able to feel him. Being in his calming embrace, smelling his raw scent, and receiving a forceful kiss from him, Song Yu let out a content moan. She cuddled him and allowed him to kiss her.

    She ced both her arms around his neck and nestled herself voluntarily into him. Then she looked up and returned the kiss.

    Song Yu was still the passive party in epting the rtionship during his first business trip, so she did not feel as much back then. She had put her heart into things by the time it was the second, and it led her to miss him terribly. All that umted longing melted away in that one kiss, and her spontaneity was out of his expectations.

    As their lips parted ever so slightly, he still wished to continue the kiss, so his tongue licked and drew across her lips.

    Ovee with passion, Song Yu lost herself and kissed him a few more times. She tilted her head backward and allowed her hands to roam upward. She ced her hand on his spectacles and removed them.

    To her, the spectacles were wholly superfluous because they were obscuring his eyes.

    ¡°I still prefer you without sses.¡± She looked at his enigmatic eyes. Her voice seemed to betray her intoxication, and her fingertips could not resist touching his eyelids and his eyshes. Then she stretched herself and gave him a kiss on his eyes.

    When she got down and aligned her eyes with his, those happy eyes of his seemed to be teasing her for being so thick-faced. Her seemingly sudden lust for him made her feel embarrassed, and she lowered her head.

    Qi Chengzhi took the spectacles from her hand, but instead of wearing them, he ced them in the center storagepartment between the driver and passenger seats.

    Breaking free from her, Qi Chengzhi tidied up her messed-up hair¡ªof which he was the culprit of¡ªbefore starting the car.

    ¡°Do you have any food at home?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked when they reached a red light.

    ¡°There were extra dumplings that were made in the new year, my mom gave some to me,¡± Song Yu said. She stayed over with her parents during the spring holidays, so naturally, she would not store any food in her apartment, since they would be spoilt by the time she returned.

    She did not have the chance to buy any yet since it was only the first day of work.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi simply looked at her and remained silent.

    When they were almost reaching her home, Qi Chengzhi turned and headed for the nearby supermarket. They bought some fresh ingredients, and while choosing them, Song Yu realized that he did not like the dumplings that much. Other than having to eat it mandatorily on the eve of the new year, it did not seem as though he ate them on normal asions.

    Song Yu remembered the container of dumplings she brought over to his ce during the second day of the new year. He simply received them without saying anything.

    ¡°Remember the dumplings I gave you the other day, if you don¡¯t really like them, don¡¯t force yourself. You can return them to meter,¡± Song Yu said.

    ¡°No need,¡± he replied with a simple sentence and held her hands tightly.

    After that, he brought her to the CK <sup>1</sup> disy shelves and bought a few briefs.

    Song Yu could not help but stare at him. ¡®He surely doesn¡¯tck such garments? If he¡¯s buying them today, he¡¯s buying them to put at my house!¡¯

    She remembered the first night he stayed over at her apartment. He went and bought underwear too, and on the second day, he hung his used underwear in her bathroom.

    He did not exin anything, and his face remained as calm and solemn as ever, as if he did nothing out of the ordinary in the first ce.

    Song Yu did not ask as well, and she just followed him. When they reached the payment counter, Qi Chengzhi conveniently grabbed a box of Durex Fetherlite from the rack.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    The two of them left the supermarket and got into the car. Along the way home, they passed by the bus station not far from her apartment building. Like sardines, groups of people went in and out of the bus. It was already suffocating inside the bus to begin with, but the crowd made it even stuffier inside.

    The crowding in the bus showed not even the minutest sign of ceasing. As one round of people left, another would get on, and it was constantly packed.

    It was then that she saw Song Donglin and Yu Qianying holding a bagful of vegetables. Spring onions and Chinese yams were even jutting out from the bags.

    They were holding bags of various sizes and heading in the direction of Song Yu¡¯s apartment.

    Song Yu came back to her senses, but her face still looked rattled.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at her.

    ¡°My parents. They must¡¯ve thought that I didn¡¯t store any food at home during the holidays, and since today¡¯s the first day of work too, they figured that I didn¡¯t have the time to do grocery shopping. I think that¡¯s why they bought some vegetables and came looking for me. I just saw them beside the road,¡± Song Yu said and looked back once again.

    They were far ahead of Song Donglin and Yu Qianying, but thetter two were undoubtedly heading to her apartment.

    ¡°We can¡¯t cook at my ce today.¡± Remorseful and embarrassed, she looked at Qi Chengzhi and said softly, ¡°Is it okay if you...go back today? If my parents saw you, they might be too shocked...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face sank, and his enigmatic eyes shifted their attention slowly onto her. He remained silent. Song Yu thought she was seeing things when she saw his lips purse slightly tighter than usual.

    Song Yu¡¯s twiddled her fingers mindlessly and was so nervous that even her stomach began to churn. The air pressure within the car seemed to be decreasing steadily, and even her breathing began to be unwell.

    At some point in time, she was so nervous that beads of cold sweat began forming on her back.

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet, leading Song Yu to question whether he agreed to it or not. It was the first time she saw him looking so despondent, and whenever she thought about keeping him a secret, her heart found it hard-to-bear too.

    With her head hung low, she was unaware that the car had stopped below her apartment.

    Qi Chengzhi asked unsympathetically, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going down?¡±

 Chapter 90 - When You Decide to Tell Them, Iâ€™ll Go with You

    <h4>Chapter 90: When You Decide to Tell Them, I¡¯ll Go with You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi asked unsympathetically, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going down?¡±

    Song Yu came back to her senses abruptly. She turned to look at him, but he did not do the same. All he did was allow her to see the cold expression of his side profile.

    With her eyes looking down, Song Yu stretched her hand over to him slowly. His hand¡ªthe fingers of which were well-defined and resting themselves on the gear shift¡ªwas covered by her hands, but he remained aloof and did not grasp it.

    She sighed softly and was only able to say, ¡°Please be careful on the road. Call me when you¡¯re home, or text me, I¡¯m okay with that too. I¡¯m sorry about that.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her and continued being cold. His enigmatic eyes made her unable to see his true mood, but in any case, at least he was willing to look at her.

    Song Yu leaned forward and kissed his thin, delicate, and tightly shut lips. There was no response from him, only coldness.

    She sighed, and with a heavy heart, carried all the ingredients down from the car.

    As soon as she steadied herself and closed the door, Qi Chengzhi started the car immediately and drove away without waiting for her.

    Song Yu looked on as the rear of the car slowly disappeared from view. She turned around only after that.

    Upon reaching home, she sorted out all the things she bought as discovered that there was a CK bag inside. Qi Chengzhi had ced his briefs inside, and when she opened the bag to look inside, she noticed another small stic bag. When she opened the small bag, she saw that it contained the Durex that he had bought so conveniently.

    A red-faced Song Yu knew that Song Donglin and Yu Qianying would be reaching soon. She did not dare to let them see that thing, so she grabbed it and stuffed it inside her bag. Her hands even felt hot when she was holding it.

    After that, she took the few CK briefs out of the bag and ced them in the drawer where she kept her undergarments.

    Arranged together, the distinctness of men¡¯s and women¡¯s undergarments were obvious. Hers were thin, small, and patterned withce, while his were solid ck boxer briefs. Organizing those garments in such a way made it seem like they were living together, and it felt like a whole new kind of intimacy.

    However, her head was hurting from the expression Qi Chengzhi had when she left.

    During that sequence of events, she seemed to notice a hint of devastation in his eyes.

    Before she could go deep in her thoughts, her parents hade knocking on the door. Song Yu ran to open it and pretended that she was inplete shock. ¡°Dad, mom, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your first day of work after the holidays? We remembered that you were alone and you¡¯d have no food at home, so we bought some vegetables, meat, and fruit for you.¡± Yu Qianying and Song Donglin carried the bags and went in one after the other. Song Yu had guessed their intentions correctly.

    Yu Qianying took the stuff from Song Donglin and walked into the kitchen, only to find that there were some groceries on the floor.

    Her shocked voice came ringing from the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯ve grown up, haven¡¯t you? You¡¯re so independent now, and you even know how to buy your own groceries.¡±

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t trouble yourself. Let me do it. Go rest with dad.¡± Song Yu entered the kitchen and saw Yu Qianying gathering up the things that had just been bought and cing them one by one into the fridge.

    ¡°What trouble are you talking about? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been at work all day. Your dad and I are retired and we don¡¯t have anything to do. You should be the one resting.¡± Yu Qianying shooed Song Yu out of the kitchen and did everything by herself.

    Song Yu went to the living room and apanied Song Donglin. She surmised that it was about time Qi Chengzhi reached home, but still, she did not receive any news from him.

    When both her parents had finished dinner and were about to leave, Song Yu was reminded of when she saw them walking out of the cramped public bus while carrying so many things. She took out a hundred and gave Yu Qianying. ¡°Dad, mom, take a taxi back. It¡¯s toote to be using public transport.¡±

    ¡°Taking a taxi home will cost a lot at this hour. Why waste that money? You can use it to eat something a bit better.¡± Yu Qianying refused it.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve already gotten the project for Qilin¡¯s hotel, haven¡¯t I? Once it¡¯s done, and I¡¯m paid, I can even buy a car, so why can¡¯t I afford to pay for the taxi? Keep it. It¡¯ste, it¡¯s cold out there, and it¡¯s a pain to wait for public transport. And also, didn¡¯t I give you some living expenses? Don¡¯t just think about saving them. Enjoy a little when it¡¯s appropriate.¡± Song Yu stuffed the money stubbornly into Yu Qianying¡¯s hands.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy for you to earn money. I thought about saving up some for your dowry.¡± Yu Qianying was muttering under her breath, but Song Yu heard everything clearly.

    Yu Qianying saved half of the monthly living expenses that Song Yu gave.

    ¡°Alright, our child insists on it, so we might as well keep it and take a taxi back home.¡± Song Donglin helped Yu Qianying keep the cash so Song Yu would feel at ease.

    Song Yu, however, was not at ease. She decided to send them off herself by calling a taxi for them. It was only when she saw them get in the car and leave that she finally felt at ease.

    She wrapped her overcoat tightly because the wind made her feel cold. She then took out her phone and walked back home while calling Qi Chengzhi.

    The phone rang a few times but was cut off.

    He had declined her call before when his temper was ring. She surmised that his temper was probably acting up again.

    Song Yu persevered and decided to send him a short text. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    She thought about how he went home alone. The original n was to cook dinner for him since everything they bought was food that he liked.

    By then, however, she had finished her meal, but she did not know if he had a proper dinner.

    Song Yu stared at the phone as she went up to the building. If he did not reply to her messages, did she have to go all the way to find him?

    As soon as she opened the door, a call came. She looked at her phone: it was none other than the man who had been ignoring her calls and messages.

    Song Yu had just picked the call up, and before she could say anything, she heard his sarcastic voice. ¡°Are youing to cook for me if I haven¡¯t eaten?¡±

    His mature voice did a better job at sarcasm than most other people.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words stirred Song Yu¡¯s emotions and caused a sudden impetuousness to surge forth from her heart.

    Before she could think clearly, she took her bag, went into the kitchen, and ced all the vegetables into the bag.

    Yu Qianying did not touch whatever food that Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi bought earlier.

    She wore her shoes while asking him, ¡°Are you home?¡±

    After a while, an unwilling ¡®Mm¡¯ resounded from her phone.

    ¡°Got it.¡± Song Yu went out and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk soon,¡± and promptly hung up.

    By the time she calmed herself down, she was already seated inside a taxi. It was toote for her to regret her actions.

    ...

    ...

    Aunt Yang was cleaning the dining room with a rag. While she cleaned, she nced surreptitiously at Qi Chengzhi eating some dumplings. He took one with his chopsticks and frowned, stuffing them unwillingly into his mouth even though he did not particrly like them.

    She had no idea what had happened because at first, he said he would note home for dinner. In the end, however, he came home by himself with a sullen look on his face. He did not eat anything and even stopped her from making something for him. All he did was take the dumplings out of the fridge and cook them. He clearly did not like to eat them, but he still insisted on chomping down on them.

    The doorbell rang and Aunt Yang went to get the door. From the dining hall, Qi Chengzhi heard Aunt Yang¡¯s shocked voiceing from the porch, ¡°Miss Song!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi immediately froze. He threw his chopsticks and stood up. His movements were quite exaggerated, and he nearly toppled the chair over. An ear-piercing screech was produced when the chair¡¯s legs rubbed abruptly against the floor.

    He supported himself on the chair and tidied up his appearance. Just before he went out, he stopped and turned back into the kitchen. Taking a knife from the rack, he proceeded to look at his reflection and amend his expression into one that was serious and solemn. Then, he ced the knife back down and walked out with his hands ced inside his pant pockets.

    When he reached the living room, Song Yu had already entered the house from the front porch. She had bags of various sizes with her. Qi Chengzhi nced at them and saw that they were the food which both of them bought together earlier.

    Aunt Yang took the vegetables from Song Yu and carried them to the kitchen. Qi Chengzhi simply looked at her without speaking, and Song Yu felt embarrassed.

    She came to his home without even bothering to inform him, but it was only when she was inside his home that she questioned whether she had been too spontaneous.

    ¡°If...you haven¡¯t eaten. I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± Song Yu said stubbornly under his intense gaze.

    She was wearing a random jacket that she had on when she sent Song Donglin and Yu Qianying off. It was not a proper jacket, slightly old and used only when she wanted to buy something from the shops near her residential area.

    There was no scarf around her neck either, and therge neck of her sweater exposed her neck and corbone. Her face was red from the cold, and her hair was messy. It was difficult to describe her appearance as pretty, but it did make one pity for her.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her sad, gentle eyes. They were seducing him so innocently. His throat moved slightly and he took her bag from her in order to ce it on the sofa. He then said, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten.¡±

    Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief when she knew that she did note all the way for nothing. She felt a bit guilty that he had yet to eat anything even though it was already sote.

    She took off her jacket before entering the kitchen. Then, she saw the dumplings on the table and noticed that a small portion had been eaten.

    ¡®Didn¡¯t he say he hadn¡¯t eaten yet?¡¯

    Song Yu stopped in her tracks and looked curiously at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze shifted away from the dumplings and he said, ¡°When you came just now, Aunt Yang was having her meal. I don¡¯t particrly like dumplings but I didn¡¯t want to waste them, so I gave them to her.¡±

    Song Yu was not petty: if he did not like them, then she would not force him to eat them. Letting Aunt Yang have them was just perfect.

    Soon after cing the vegetables in the kitchen, Aunt Yang was about to let the two of them have their space. She heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words, but instead of feeling ashamed, her expression remained as calm as ever.

    ¡°Aunt Yang, I¡¯m so sorry to disturb you having your meal,¡± Song Yu said embarrassedly.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s embarrassed since I ate the dumplings that you¡¯ve given to sir.¡± Aunt Yang smiled.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s all the same no matter who eats it,¡± Song Yu replied.

    ¡°Oh hehe, I won¡¯t be bothering you,¡± Aunt Yang remarked. She went over to carry the dumplings. ¡°I¡¯ll have them in my room.¡±

    Aunt Yang touched her full belly as she walked out of the dining room. She was quite stuffed after dinner, and just looking at the te of dumplings made her feel anxious.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu fastened an apron and opened the cab to find the necessary seasonings. She then opened the fridge and saw that it contained all of the food she brought, making her feel as though everything she brought with her was superfluous.

    Right when she was washing the vegetables, she could feel a change in the kitchen¡¯s atmosphere. Even though her back was facing him, she knew that he hade in. Her movements of washing those vegetables paused momentarily and began slowing down.

    She could feel the energy behind her getting more and more obvious, and her heart began beating faster and faster.

    She wiped her hands dry and turned to see that Qi Chengzhi was already close to her.

    In the wake of his gradual approach toward her, Song Yu leaned on the sink and felt trapped.

    His tall figure stood before her and looked extra handsome because he was not wearing his sses. He lowered his head and looked quietly at her. There was not a single emotion in his deep eyes, but instead, they had an unwavering steadiness.

    Looking at that warm and gentle steadiness made her heartache all of a sudden.

    She recalled his reaction when they parted ways earlier. He was a man of such magnificence, but she had to hide him from others.

    The calmer and gentler he was, the more she found it hard to bear.

    After what seemed like a long and silent gaze, Song Yu felt sore in her throat. Her voice was slightly hoarse when she spoke.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about tonight,¡± she said softly.

    ¡°Am I not fit to be seen by anyone?¡± he asked in a low voice. There were no undtions in his deep voice, but it made her heart feel like exploding.

    ¡°My dad¡¯s a bit better, but my mom¡¯s still resentful toward the Qi family. Before you and I got together, Jian Yi gossiped to my mom, and she came to me asking about you. She didn¡¯t allow us to be together.¡± Song Yu looked at his calm face. A sudden desire to bury herself in his embrace came over her. Doing so made her feel as though there was nothing to think about or worry about.

    ¡°But I know that continuing to keep this a secret isn¡¯t the solution. I¡¯m just worried that my mom wouldn¡¯t agree if they knew.¡± Song Yu looked up at him worryingly. ¡°What if they disagree?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked quietly at her. Hisrge, warm hand held hers tightly, and she could feel the contours of his bones. All of a sudden, her heart was calm.

    ¡°When you decide to tell them, I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he leaned toward her and said softly. There was a certain huskiness in his rich-sounding voice.

    ¡°Okay.¡± With him around, she felt brave and unafraid even if her parents did not agree. He truly did have the ability to make a person feel calm.

    Seeing her with flushed cheeks and looking down, Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and kissed her gently on the lips. Her face had been trembling, but her expression soon turned gentle again.

    He squeezed her hand before letting her go. Without saying anything further, he walked out of the kitchen and sat in the dining table while reading a newspaper.

    Song Yu was able to see him from the kitchen, but within moments of her gazing at him, he looked up from the newspaper and locked his eyes on her. Their gazes were calmly interlocked.

    Her heart skipped a beat and she turned to continue preparing the meal.

    Since she had already eaten dinner, she simply kept himpany while he ate.

    There were not a lot of dishes: one side of greens, another of meat, and an addition of a cold dish.

    Qi Chengzhi ate at a moderate, graceful pace.

    The leftovers were ced inside the fridge. Song Yu promptly went to the living room to put on her jacket, take her bag, and leave. Just as she took the jacket from the sofa, Qi Chengzhi grasped her wrist gently.

    Almost involuntarily, Song Yu released her grip and allowed the jacket to dropdown.

    His other hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her tightly into his embrace. His warm, dry lips brushed against her earlobe and uttered with a hoarse voice into her ear, ¡°You might as well stay here. Don¡¯t leave.¡±

    ¡°I... I didn¡¯t bring any extra clothes...¡± Song Yu was unable to continue her sentence because her lips were attacked by his.

    He hugged her and brought her to the sofa, where he then pushed her down.

    ¡°Aunt Yang... Aunt Yang wille out...¡± Surprised that he was doing it in the living room without bothering to go into his room, she pushed him.

    ¡°She knows you¡¯re here, so she won¡¯te out. Otherwise, why¡¯d you think she¡¯d eat the dumplings in her room?¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed her from her lips to her neck.

    Song Yu buried her head in his neck in shyness. She did not know how she would face Aunt Yang the next day. Aunt Yang would probably think that Song Yu came and did not want to leave.

    Song Yu was still in a daze as her clothes beganing off. Her fingertips dug subconsciously into his flesh and she called out ¡®Qi Chengzhi¡¯ with the utmost urgency.

    He climbed back up and kissed her forcefully on the lips, but his body then stiffened after that. A drop of sweat hit her on her shoulders.

    Song Yu looked at him curiously and held his solemn face with both her hands. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have protection.¡± His husky voice was taut, and unhappiness was brooding within.

    Rumor has it that being on the pill was not good, so when she did not want an ident to happen, he decided from the very beginning that he would not let her be on the pill. He would rather sacrifice a small fraction of his own pleasure.

    However, Qi Chengzhi sulked at having such a thing happen to him.

    ¡°I have them in my bag...¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was soft as she recalled how she stuffed them into her bag because she was afraid her parents might notice.

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet and rummaged through her bag, finding the box of Durex in no time. He took one look and noticed that it was the box he bought from the supermarket earlier on.

    He returned and looked slyly at her. With a husky, teasing voice, he said, ¡°You forgot to bring extra clothes but you remembered to bring this?¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Her face flushed red. It was obviously a misunderstanding, but she was afraid he would be unhappy if she told him the truth. She decided that she might as well keep quiet and let the misunderstanding be.

    She lifted his neck and buried herself in his chest, nuzzling him gently like a pet trying to please its master.

    Qi Chengzhi was greatly aroused by her rubbing, and a fire began surging beneath him. He lowered his head and leaned it to the side, then went in search of her face which had been buried under his neck. His warm lips came into contact with the corner of her eye. Then, he followed the tips of her hair and leaned over to her ear. From there, he went down to her earlobe, then to the back of her ear.

    Song Yu shuddered and finally revealed her face to him. She searched for his lips and kissed down on them.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders tensed up abruptly. He kissed her gently and cherished that moment.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thumb gently rubbed away the sweat from the area around her forehead and the border of her hair. He still felt unsatiated, so he kissed the corner of her lips as well as her eyelids.

    Exhausted and tired, Song Yu wrapped herself around his neck. When he kissed her, he did so while narrowing his eyes like a happy cat. She rubbed his palm in delight.

    He then kissed her forehead and carried her up horizontally. She was tired, and her droopy eyelids opened and closed from time to time. Her head was cedzily on his sturdy chest.

    He carried her into the room and ced her on the bed. The only reason he did it on the sofa was because he was not patient enough to wait until they went up to the room. Nevertheless, he felt that doing it on the bed was much morefortable since it was wide enough for him to do whatever he pleased.

    Qi Chengzhi wanted to lie down with her, but she pushed him and said, ¡°Bring the clothes up from downstairs.¡±

    Her smooth, supple skin could be felt when he was in her embrace. There was absolutely no way he would want to leave that behind. He climbed up stubbornly onto the bed and pressed down on her, indicating that he wanted another round.

    His lips were busy kissing her when she kicked his calf gently. Song Yu said, ¡°Go. Take those clothes, otherwise, it won¡¯t be nice if Aunt Yang saw them tomorrow.¡±

 Chapter 91 - The Director Is Wearing Invisible Spectacles!

    <h4>Chapter 91: The Director Is Wearing Invisible Spectacles!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His lips were busy kissing her when she kicked his calf gently. Song Yu said, ¡°Go. Take those clothes, otherwise, it won¡¯t be nice if Aunt Yang saw them tomorrow.¡±

    Their undergarments were scattered on the floor just beside the sofa, and it would be embarrassing to let someone else see something so personal!

    Even if Aunt Yang knew what they were doing, she should not be allowed to see such a scene!

    Qi Chengzhi squinted and stared at her. To think that she dared to kick him. It made him feel as though his status had turned slightly inferior.

    Feeling weak after seeing him look at her that way, she tried to endear him by leaning into his embrace and pleading gently with him, ¡°Is it alright if you take them? Please? It¡¯s going to be really embarrassing.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s longshes quivered gently and he gave her that indecipherable gaze once more.

    Noticing that she felt flustered and was about to go down herself to tidy things up, he grabbed her waist and said in his rich, deep voice, ¡°Wait here.¡±

    He grabbed a pair of lounge pants from his dressing cupboard and wore them as he went down half-naked.

    Every single scattered item of clothing was picked up by him, andst of all was Song Yu¡¯s thin, itsy-bitsy panties. It was incredibly tiny and thin on his outstretched palm¡ªso thin, in fact, that the slightest amount of force seemed capable of destroying it.

    His eyes were glowing with red-hot passion when he kneaded her panties in his palm. Then, he turned and glimpsed at the Durex box which he tossed over to the coffee table earlier.

    It was a good thing that he went down since it would be ufortable for him to go down and take the box while his pir was erect.

    Having gathered everything, he went back up, only to find Song Yu sleeping.

    She had been on the move constantly throughout the whole day, and after going through a very excitable night, she closed her eyes and fell asleep the instant he left.

    He ced everything down, went up gently onto the bed, then held her in his embrace.

    As light as those movements were, she still woke up when he came into contact with her.

    Her slightly-curled eyshes fluttered a few times before she opened her eyes slowly. She smiled apologetically at him and said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I fell asleep.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and nted a kiss on her forehead. He pulled her face into his chest and rested his chin on her head, saying, ¡°Sleep.¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the morning, Song Yu heard a rustling sound. She opened her eyes and saw the foreignness of the room. Its drabness seemed typical of a man¡¯s ce.

    Even the sheets were imbued with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clean, familiar smell.

    Song Yu then realized that she was in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room.

    She followed the noise that her ear picked up and saw Qi Chengzhi through the transparent ss of the bathroom. He was shaving by the sink.

    Shaving cream surrounded his lips and covered his chin. Three buttons of his dress shirt were open, and he was not wearing a tie. His sleeves were rolled up too, making him look veryid-back.

    The shaving de glided across his skin and swept away the cream to reveal his clean-shaven face.

    His movements were precise, and his strong arms were put on disy.

    It was the first time Song Yu saw a man do something like this. A simple lift of the hand or a minuscule motion was enough to give her an impression of manliness and sexiness.

    Song Yu kept on looking at him until he finished cleaning and came out. There was a delightful smell of aftershave on him.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say anything when you woke up?¡± He nced at her before taking out a necktie from his drawer and tying it in front of a mirror.

    Embarrassed, she blushed, sat up, and covered herself with her nket.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any clothes,¡± she said awkwardly. She fell asleep immediately afterying down the night before, and when she woke up, she realized she did not even have an extra pair of undergarments.

    ¡°There are some undergarments that might suit you in the drawer,¡± he said as hepleted thest knot of his tie. He then walked over to anotherpartment of the dressing cupboard and opened it. ¡°You can choose your clothes here.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s jaw dropped as she looked at the wide-open cupboard. An array of women¡¯s clothes were hung just beside Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clothes, and all of them were so new that their tags were not even removed.

    She wrapped herself in the nket and walked strenuously to the cupboard. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ties, watches, and jewelry were ced in one of the drawers. Below that drawer was where he ced his undergarments, along with those that were meant for Song Yu. It was so intimate that she could feel her face turning red-hot.

    Taking any one of them at random, she noticed that the measurements were correct. She then looked at the clothes and discovered that they, too, were in her size.

    ¡°You bought and prepared all this?¡±¡®Was he plotting to have mee over all along? Why would he prepare everything sopletely if he didn¡¯t?¡¯

    ¡°...¡± He looked at her, took his suit jacket from the hanger, and draped it over his arm. ¡°If you¡¯re ready, go down and have breakfast. You¡¯re going to bete.¡±

    He went down as soon as he finished speaking.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless as she looked at him leave. It seemed to be the case that whenever he had a question he did not want to answer, he would ignore it so effortlessly and change the topic.

    After breakfast, he sent Song Yu to work. Song Yu felt that something was not right, but it was not until the Range Rover reached thepany that she realized what was wrong. At that time, she was just about to get down.

    ¡°Where are your spectacles?¡± She looked at him, then all around him, and noticed that his spectacles were nowhere to be found.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi eyes squinted slightly and he replied simply, ¡°I forgot them.¡±

    ¡°I still like you without them,¡± Song Yu remarked once again and kissed his cheek before getting off.

    A smile began to form on his lips. He looked at her and left only when she entered the building.

    Upon arriving at Qilin, almost everyone had the same reaction: first, their jaw dropped, then they called out, ¡°Director!¡±

    Cheng Dongge stood up when Qi Chengzhi reached the office, and the former greeted out of habit, ¡°Young...¡±

    The subsequent words ¡®Master Cheng¡¯ took a while toe out of his mouth.

    Thus, the conversations throughout Qilin¡¯s day¡ªfrom BBS <sup>1</sup> [1] to rest time¡ªwas filled with the same sentence.

    ¡°The director is wearing invisible spectacles!¡±

    ...

    ...

    As the construction work for the hotel began, Song Yu had to travel to the project site almost daily in order to take a look at the situation there and discuss things with the foreman. Bit by bit, the foundation was established, and she no longer needed to visit the site too regrly, as long as she timed her visits ording to the stages in the blueprint.

    She was in the midst of looking at the blueprint when Manager Wang hurried over. His face was sullen and he did not even bother to greet her before questioning her, ¡°Song Yu, how did youmunicate with Qilin?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Manager Wang?¡± Befuddled, she ced the paper down and stood up.

    ¡°All the construction workers have stopped working. Qilin didn¡¯t pay them. The construction materials and their wages haven¡¯t been paid for, so they don¡¯t want to work and are now going on strike!¡± Manager Wang did not look happy at all. His face suggested that he was fuming in anger.

    ¡°I remember that the first stage isn¡¯tpleted yet. We¡¯re owing them for the second stage, right?¡± Song Yu frowned and asked.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct, but if they don¡¯t receive the down payment for the second stage, they won¡¯t finish up the first stage,¡± Manager Wang said.

    ¡°Have you asked their engineering department?¡± Song Yu¡¯s expression changed as well.

    ¡°They said that the issue was for the finance department, and they felt like there¡¯s a huge problem with our quotation,¡± Manager Wang exined unhappily.

    ¡°Excuses. If it¡¯s really a problem, why didn¡¯t they bring it up when the contract was signed? Both parties cross-checked the quotation.¡± Song Yu grabbed the telephone handset and called Qi Chengyue¡¯s office.

    ¡°Hello, may I ask if Manager Qi is in?¡± She continued speaking into the phone, ¡°... I¡¯m Chengshi¡¯s architect, Song Yu. I¡¯d like to speak with Manager Qi about the construction materials and the paychecks.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu listened to the other end and frowned. ¡°She¡¯s not in? When will she be in? Okay.¡±

    She hung up with a sour face. Qi Chengyue¡¯s secretary said that she was not in, and had no idea when she would be in. Who would believe such ame excuse?

    It scarcely urred to her that Qi Chengyue would bring personal matters into professional dealings.

    She knew that Qi Chengyue was retaliating by causing her trouble on purpose.

    ¡°What? She¡¯s not in?¡± Manager Wang asked.

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s just an excuse. I¡¯ll go and look for her myself.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll inform the construction team,¡± Manager Wang remarked. Chengshi was unable to support their own engineering department, so the construction team had to be outsourced. Manager Wang was familiar with other teams, but each of them had their own projects, so he had to ask a friend to introduce someone reliable. Turns out they were not too reliable after all.

    Song Yu grabbed her bag and phone then rushed to Qilin.

    When she reached the finance department, she chanced upon Qi Chengyueing out of the office to give the secretary some work.

    Song Yu suppressed the anger within her and walked over slowly. She pursed her lips, then said, ¡°It seems Manager Qi is back.¡±

    Qi Chengyue seemed to ignore those words and simply continued delegating tasks to her secretary. After that, she looked up at Song Yu and said, ¡°Miss Song, you¡¯re here about the project yes? Let¡¯s talk inside.¡±

    Upon entering the office, Qi Chengyue made a show of looking at some documents. She did not even look up when she said, ¡°I¡¯m very busy, and I only have five minutes. If there¡¯s any problem, state them within that time, Miss Song.¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips before saying, ¡°This project is Qilin¡¯s. A day¡¯s dy in the work will cause a lot of financial losses to Qilin. Manager Qi, why is it that you didn¡¯t allocate the funds for the project? There must be a reason for doing that, right? Shouldn¡¯t a courtesy call have been made to us if your side is unable to allocate the funds? Now that the workers are making a fuss and going on strike, Qilin¡¯s going to have to be responsible now, wouldn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Amazing, Miss Song, for you toe here and make all sorts of usations.¡± Qi Chengyue finally dropped her ¡®busy¡¯ charade. She tossed the documents onto the table and leaned back on the chair. She rocked left and right and looked at Song Yu.

    ¡°I just want to know why.¡± Song Yu pursed her lips as soon as she finished speaking. Her ming rage was vehemently suppressed.

    ¡°Why? Didn¡¯t Manager Wang from your engineering department alreadye and ask that question? I feel that your quotation is inconsistent with your material expenses. The material is expensive. Is there really a need to use such expensive materials? I¡¯ve asked before, and there won¡¯t be much difference if we used something else.¡± Qi Chengyue twirled a pen in her hand while her eyes casted a stony expression.

    ¡°I know that your architects, and those who are in charge of the engineering contracts, always keep each other informed. Both sides will skim some under-table profits, but I¡¯ll have you know that Qilin¡¯s money won¡¯t be skimmed so easily,¡± Qi Chengyue said coldly.

    ¡°Manager Qi, back then, when I submitted my design, I¡¯ve written down the materials and the cost in clear-cut terms. Our engineering department had alsoid down the quotation in detail, including where the material came from, how much it costs, and even a priceparison of goods from each supplier. Perhaps it isn¡¯t the cheapest material, but it¡¯s superior in terms of the quality-to-price ratio, and the seller is also the most trustworthy. All this has gone through Qilin¡¯s meetings. We were chosen after our quotation and the quotation of otherpanies werepared. It was also Qi... Young Master Cheng who approved it himself.¡±

    ¡°All these things are spelled out clearly in the contract, but now you¡¯re telling me, you think there is an issue with the quotation and the materials. This dissatisfaction of yours, are you thinking of breaching the contract?¡±

    Qi Chengyue mmed both her hands onto the table and stood up. She gave Song Yu a cold stare and said, ¡°Listen closely! The contract states that Qilin has the power to make changes ording to the actual circumstances, and that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m doing now! It¡¯s also to prevent Qilin from suffering losses. You said it yourself when you came in: Qilin will suffer countless losses if there¡¯s even a dy of one day in the project. So, rather than cooking up excuses for me, you might as well go back and think about how you¡¯re gonna change the materials that you¡¯re using.¡±

    ¡°Before the project started there were no problems with the pricing and materials. Why is it now a problem after the project is already underway?¡± Song Yu¡¯s temper was beginning to re, and she took a deep breath in order to calm herself down. ¡°Miss Qi, I hope you¡¯re not bringing personal matters into your professional life.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s sentence made Qi Chengyue¡¯s face turn exceedingly ugly.

    Qi Chengyue stared coldly at Song Yu, and the former¡¯s expression even had a touch of resentfulness that made Song Yu quite taken aback.

    All of a sudden, Qi Chengyue snickered, and her admission caught Song Yupletely by surprise. ¡°I AM putting my personal feelings into my work life. What¡¯re you gonna do about it? Thepany belongs to the Qi family. I can do what I want. Who¡¯s gonna care? You could¡¯ve had the same chance if your family didn¡¯t go bankrupt, but here you are answering me. If I say that I want to change the materials, you¡¯ll have to change it. If I ask you to lower the quotation, you lower it. If you change the materials and I¡¯m still not happy with it, I can ask you to change it again. And again. Until I¡¯m happy with it.¡±

    ¡°And also, keep in mind thepletion date. If it¡¯s pushed back, Qilin will suffer losses¡ªthat¡¯s true¡ªbut it¡¯ll be Chengshi who has topensate us for that loss.¡± Qi Chengyue raised her chin arrogantly and continued her acrimonious words. ¡°I¡¯m using my public position to take revenge for private wrongs. Who told you to seduce Jian Yi so shamelessly? You are constantly trying to steal him from me even though you can¡¯t give him anything.¡±

    Song Yu was so exasperated that sheughed. An indescribable feeling would alwayse over her whenever she was dealing with Qi Chengyue. ¡°I told you earlier that I have nothing to do with Jian Yi. We¡¯re not even friends. If you insist on dwelling on this and refuse to listen to whatever I say, there¡¯s nothing I can do. You are wrong about one thing though. While thepany does, in fact, belong to the Qi family, it does not belong to you. I don¡¯t believe that you have the final say in this, so regarding this matter, I will talk about it with the higher-ups in Qilin.¡±

    Song Yu was fed up with having to deal with someone as stubborn as Qi Chengyue. Thetter mixed private affairs with work affairs and went so far as to form her own delusions about those personal issues. Continuing the conversation would have led Song Yu nowhere.

    She decided to go down to the site and inform the construction workers to continue the job while she brought the matter up with Qi Chengzhi.

    In Qilin¡¯srge lobby, Qi Chengzhi came down to personally send off a client. Qilin¡¯s employees were slowly growing ustomed to the director¡¯s spectacle-less look, but the client still had some getting used to, so they had some polite exchanges.

    While they were talking, Qi Chengzhi noticed Song Yu rushing past him. She did not stop for a second, and it seemed as though she did not notice him when she hurried into Qilin.

    He frowned, and after sending off the client, told Cheng Dongge, ¡°Find out why Song Yu¡¯s at Qilin.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi rushed to Qi Chengyue¡¯s office. Moments ago, Manager Wang called him and exined the problems with the project, saying that Song Yu was going to the site and that Manager Wang himself was heading there too.

    Song Yu might be getting into trouble because of the construction team¡¯s fuss.

    During that time, the whole of Qilin knew of Jian Yi¡¯s rtionship with Qi Chengyue, so the secretary did not stop him when he came.

    ¡°Chengyue, what¡¯s going on with the hotel project? Why aren¡¯t you giving them the funds?¡± Jian Yi asked immediately after entering.

    Qi Chengyue eyes squinted in dismay. ¡°Why? I was repeatedly told that the both of you were no longer in contact, but why is it that in the blink of an eye, I am now being told on?¡±

    Knowing that she was referring to Song Yu, Jian Yi held in his anger and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t Song Yu who told me. It was Manager Wang, from Chengshi¡¯s engineering department. Chengyue, I¡¯m telling you I don¡¯t have anything to do with Song Yu. This is a public problem we¡¯re having here. You can¡¯t just y a fool with this.¡±

    ¡°I also have thepany¡¯s interest at heart. I don¡¯t see any need to spend so much on the construction materials. These things can be discussed, but she simply turned around and left. She has one hell of a temper, thinking that she¡¯s the best architect out there,¡± Qi Chengyue said sarcastically and snorted in disdain.

    ¡°The construction materials can be discussed, but at least pay the workers¡¯ wages.¡± Seeing her cold expression, there was no way he was oblivious to her using public office to avenge personal matters.

    ¡°Impossible! I still need to get to the bottom of why Song Yu¡¯s using such expensive materials. Jian Yi, I¡¯m the manager of the finance department. The things under my consideration are different from yours. The responsibility that I bear is different, too. Whether you believe me or not, I am doing my job without involving my private feelings.¡± Qi Chengyue lips were pursed tight, as if she really had been misunderstood.

    Jian Yi however, did not believe her, but at that moment someone knocked on the door. When the door was opened, it was Xiao Wei, a staff member from the engineering department. ¡°Manager Jian, everything¡¯s ready and we¡¯re all set to go.¡±

    Jian Yi nodded, prompting Qi Chengyue to ask, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To the site. Chengshi¡¯s Manager Wang said that the workers are going on strike. We can¡¯t have Song Yu going there all by herself,¡± Jian Yi said. Just as he was about to leave, Qi Chengyue took a big step forward and mmed the door in Xiao Wei¡¯s face just before Jian Yi could go out.

    She blocked the door and obstructed him. ¡°It¡¯s her responsibility, why should you go there!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not just her responsibility. It¡¯s Qilin¡¯s responsibility. As the manager of Qilin¡¯s engineering department, this project is also under my supervision. Am I not supposed to go and take a look?¡± Jian Yi had a serious face and he was about to open the door.

    Qi Chengyue stubbornly obstructed him and prevented him from going. She snickered in disdain and looked up at him. ¡°Are you going there because of work or because of her? If you¡¯re worried about her, just say it!¡±

    Jian Yi paused and no longer tried to leave. He looked at her intently and his gaze seemed somewhat cold and unhappy.

    His look made her heart sank and she said coldly, ¡°What if I say you¡¯re not allowed to go?!¡±

    Jian Yi looked at her quietly for a moment before saying, ¡°Because of this project, I¡¯d still have to interact with Song Yu even though I don¡¯t interact with her anymore. Our work requires us to interact, and I can¡¯t simply ignore my workmitments just for you. I¡¯ve told you that I¡¯m no longer in contact with her, but you didn¡¯t believe me. If you don¡¯t even have the slightest trust in me, I think we need to re-evaluate our rtionship and see if we can really continue like this. We have a long road ahead of us. We can¡¯t keep arguing about this trivial issue. We¡¯re not even married yet and you¡¯re already so paranoid. I¡¯m tired of you being constantly suspicious of me.¡±

    Qi Chengyue stared at him incredulously. As if a part of her strength had forsaken her, Qi Chengyue whispered in disbelief, ¡°Jian Yi, you want to break up with me?¡±

 Chapter 92 - As Long As You Trust Me

    <h4>Chapter 92: As Long As You Trust Me</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengyue stared at him incredulously. As if a part of her strength had forsaken her, Qi Chengyue whispered in disbelief, ¡°Jian Yi, you want to break up with me?¡±

    ¡°I never thought of breaking up with you, but if you keep second-guessing and using every woman in my life, I really don¡¯t know how long I can tolerate it. A rtionship requires trust on both sides. You have little to no trust in me, and frankly, I¡¯m getting really tired of this. I don¡¯t want to keep arguing with you over Song Yu or some other woman. Chengyue, whether we break up or not, it¡¯s up to you.¡±

    After delivering the final blow, Jian Yi stormed out.

    Qi Chengyue gave chase but the sight of Jian Yi leading Xiao Wei out of the building fueled her bitterness. She walked back into her office and mmed the door in vehemence. Anger and resentment boiled in her with no means of escape. In the end, the negative emotions spilled over and contorted her face.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu arrived at the project site, the workers were scattered about doing anything but the actual work. Some were drinking beer and snacking on peanuts while others were smoking and ying poker.

    Her presence did nothing to deter them. They simply nced at her and went back to doing whatever they were doing.

    Song Yu went up to someone who seemed more approachable than the others and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Manager Liu?¡±

    Manager Liu was the person in charge of the site. His name card had the word ¡®Manager¡¯ printed on it, so Song Yu respectfully indulged the man.

    The worker who previously had an amiable disposition quickly turned stone-faced, he answered in a reluctant tone, ¡°In the house.¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath and turned away, but her path was blocked.

    The crowd in front of her was slowly building. The workers had abandoned whatever activity they were engaged in and were drawing near her.

    Song Yu anxiously tightened her grip on her phone and bag. Her palms were starting to sweat despite the cold weather.

    ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Song Yu took a step back but realized that she was being cornered on all sides.

    ¡°What are we doing? We want money!¡± Manager Liu finally arrived at the scene. With a cigarette in his mouth, he said loudly, ¡°We¡¯re stopping the work. Even my workers need money to eat.¡±

    ¡°Manager Liu, this was exactly what I came here to discuss. This is a big project and we would never intentionally dy payment. We will handle the talks with Qilin Property and keep you up to date. It¡¯s my responsibility to oversee the project, so rest assured. Now, the work for this term is notplete, right? Can your team continue to work on it? I promise before this term ends, the payment for the next term will be on time and not a cent less than what we discussed.¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Manager Liu flicked his cigarette to the ground, ¡°You don¡¯t leave this site until we get the money.¡±

    Before Song Yu could ask what he meant, her phone had been pped from her hand. The device fell and hit a rock. It looked like a lost cause, with the screen cracked and the battery dislodged.

    A few men snatched her bag and threw it on the ground.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Song Yu asked in a high-pitched tone, her calm facade cracked by the show of violence.

    The men dragged her by her arms and she heard Manager Liu ordered, ¡°Lock her up! Until we get our payment, she doesn¡¯t leave the site!¡±

    Song Yu stood no chance, especially when there was so many of them. She was thrown into a simplistic wooden room and the door locked behind her.

    Inside the room, Song Yu massaged her aching wrists and thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t think that they¡¯d be so barbaric.¡¯

    If only they had stopped to think about the consequences of their actions. This incident, if pursued, could be dragged into the courthouse and no one from the team would be spared.

    As an architect, she had to liaise with the engineering and construction team. This was the case for all the projects she handled before.

    Due to theck of staff in Chengshi, she usually did not trouble her coworkers to apany her for site visits. However, this incident was definitely a first.

    She did not know that these people were prone to violence when it came to payment dys. Normally, these issues would be handled quietly and without much fuss as the debtor does not want any bad press.

    If they just wanted to lock her up here, she did not mind.

    She only feared any esction if the payments were not settled today. While they were fine with leaving her alone in the room, that could changeter on. The thought filled her heart with dread.

    The room was barren and chilly, providing little protection against the cold winds. Song Yu shivered. With her phone gone, she did not have any means to get help.

    Song Yu stared out the small window to get a sense of what was going on. Not long after, she saw a car drive into the site and down came Manager Wang.

    Song Yu immediately knocked on the window to attract attention but the room was too far away for Manager Wang to notice the noises she was making.

    From her limited view, it looked like Manager Wang was in a heated argument with Manager Liu. The workers were circling around Manager Wang, making him visibly ufortable though they had not attempted to seize him.

    Song Yu felt the chill in her bones. She sustained some injuries to her hands when they threw her onto the ground. Blood dripped from her palms, and the pain prevented her from rubbing her arms to gain warmth.

    She kept a close eye on the situation with Manager Wang. Suddenly, a police siren was nearing their location. The police cars entered the site and stopped¡ªpolice officers strode out from their vehicles. The police officers shouted warnings and threats as the workers tried to flee, but at the end of it, they were all subdued and interrogated.

    Song Yu could not catch what the police officers were asking. A moment passed and she saw a slender figure. The figure seemed out of ce among the dirty and dusty worksite.

    Qi Chengzhi took great, hurried strides across the dirt and sand.

    Underneath his ck coat, he was dressed in a formal suit. The moment Song Yu recognized him, she let herself breathe a sigh of relief, almost faltering to the ground.

    When she was locked up, her heart filled with such fear and dread but she kept the tears at bay. She was afraid that once the tears started flowing, she would crumble.

    Now that Qi Chengzhi had arrived, Song Yu¡¯s eyes blurred and the tears streamed down uncontrobly¡ªher sobs no longer contained.

    Once she saw him, she realized that Qi Chengzhi was the person that she had been waiting for this whole time.

    While she was fearing the worst, she did not cry as she believed that Qi Chengzhi would always be there to rescue her.

    ¡®The person I love is the greatest hero on earth. One day he will ascend the iridescent clouds and marry me.¡¯

    The familiar line entered her mind and reflected what she was currently feeling.

    Someone unlocked the door and forcefully kicked it down. Qi Chengzhi strode in. Inside the low-ceiling room, his tall frame seemed to take up the whole space and the filthy air became heavier with his breath.

    She saw the worry etched deep on his scowling face. His eyes were locked onto her. While his face was cold from being outside, his eyes smoldered¡ªthey were filled with concern for her.

    Song Yu abandoned all pretenses and ran into his arms with a choked sob.

    She felt herself being hugged tightly, like a baby who was lost then found. The strong arms held her in such a tight embrace that her body ached.

    However, the unwavering strength was exactly what she needed at the moment.

    Her arms circled around his waist and held firm. She buried her face in his chest¡ªher tears staining the well-made suit.

    Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace and felt Song Yu¡¯s face pressed against his heart. The woman of his heart was in his arms.

    He looked down and saw her tear-soaked eyshes, which were darker than usual.

    A pair of dry and thin lipsnded softly on her eye. The dry lips, which were battered by the cold winds, were moistened by the tears.

    He kissed all her tears away. The taste of it was warm and sharp on his tongue.

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and lifted Song Yu into his arms.

    Song Yu wrapped her arms around his neck, uncaring of what other people might think. She clung to him with desperation¡ªher face buried in his chest as she listened to the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

    Manager Wang was giving his statement to the police officers as Qi Chengzhi appeared with Song Yu protectively in his arms. Qi Chengzhi said nothing as he stoically carried the woman into his Range Rover.

    Manager Wang thought to himself, ¡®No wonder Song Yu was the only person that could receive orders from Qilin.¡¯ Sometimes Wang Liwei¡¯s theories were baseless, but this time she hit the nail on the head. It seemed like from now on Chengshi had a new Buddha.

    As Chang Lai drove the car, Qi Chengzhi did not let go of Song Yu. She sat in hisp and rested her head in the crook of his neck.

    While Jian Yi and Xiao Wei were on the road, a police car convoy passed them in a flurry. In the middle of the convoy, a familiar Range Rover sped down the road.

    ...

    ...

    Aunt Yang was shocked to see Song Yu being carried in by Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu did not seem embarrassed by the whole affair but looked very weak.

    Qi Chengzhi ordered Aunt Yang to get the first aid kit. She dutifully attended to Song Yu¡¯s hand wounds. After the blood had been washed off, a close examination concluded that the wounds were not severe. Aunt Yang disinfected the wounds and covered them with some gauze.

    ¡°Are you hurt anywhere else?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked as he checked her.

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Only the cuts on my hands. When they threw me into the room, I fell and injured them. Other than that, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Song Yu was not used to his gentle and cautious demeanor. Her face reddened in embarrassment.

    As she cherished the rare moment of romanticism shown by Qi Chengzhi, he pressed his lips together and his face turned somber.

    Song Yu lowered her head like a kid who had been caught red-handed stealing from the cookie jar. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone was dead serious as he said, ¡°Don¡¯t do something so stupid again. If you¡¯re going to the site, bring some people along.¡±

    Song Yu mumbled a note of agreement and pressed her forehead against his shoulder.

    She felt Qi Chengzhi hug her, and he ced a kiss on her temple. ¡°Stay here tonight.¡±

    Song Yu did not protest. She was shaken up by the incident today and being alone would only bring her nightmares.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi went to the worksite and found it empty. There was not a single person, least of all the one that he wanted to meet. The scene reminded him of the police cars and Range Rover that passed him just now.

    On the road back, he dialed for Song Yu multiple times but no one answered. He was worried about her.

    He reached home and took out his house keys, but realized that the door was not locked. Someone was already home and he could guess who. He opened the door and a figure bounded toward him. The light scent of perfume permeated the air.

    ¡°Jian Yi, you¡¯re back!¡± Qi Chengyue was dressed in afortable long skirt instead of her usual formal attire. Her dimpled smile graced her lovely face.

    She retrieved a pair of house slippers from the shoe rack. As she bent down to ce the slippers in front of Jian Yi, her long hair fell forward from her back.

    Jian Yi quietly looked on. Qi Chengyue bringing the slippers to him was very domestic and gentle. However, he found himself thinking about the idyllic scene with Song Yu in ce of Qi Chengyue.

    Unconsciously, the figures of Qi Chengyue and Song Yu blurred together.

    ¡°Jian Yi, what are you thinking?¡± He stood at the door in a daze, which prompted Qi Chengyue to wave her hand in front of him.

    Jian Yi woke from his daydream and gave a tight-lipped smile, ¡°Nothing much. Just not used to seeing you like this.¡±

    He changed into the house slippers and was dragged to the couch by Qi Chengyue. Seated on the couch, Qi Chengyue grabbed Jian Yi¡¯s hands and started softly massaging his fingers in herp.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I¡¯ve thought about what you said earlier today.¡± Qi Chengyue raised her head and looked at him sincerely. ¡°It was my fault. I didn¡¯t trust you. I will do my best to change, so please don¡¯t be mad at me. Please?¡±

    She smiled timidly¡ªthe dimples appearing on her face made her look especially attractive. ¡°I know I¡¯m stubborn sometimes and have a bad temper. But Jian Yi, I love and care about you. For you, I¡¯m willing to change all the bad parts about me. I never want to break up with you.¡±

    Jian Yi stroked her face with one hand while the other rested in Qi Chengyue¡¯s grip. Her skin was delicate and supple, and her sweet appearance belied her actual age. Nevertheless, she was not Song Yu and would never elicit the strong emotions in Jian Yi¡¯s heart.

    ¡°As long as you trust me,¡± Jian Yi said indifferently.

    Qi Chengyue only paid attention to the words spoken but not the tone it was spoken with. With happiness bubbling in her, she took the initiative and kissed him.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Cheng Dongge came to return the bag that had been snatched in the earliermotion. Her phone was a lost cause, so he only returned the sim card along with a brand new phone. The phone model was thetest in the market, not even avable in China yet. The rich people in China had to go through Hong Kong to get their hands on this model, causing the price to skyrocket tens of thousands of yuan above its original price. To think that Qi Chengzhi allowed Cheng Dongge to buy it for her, he must have spent a lot of money.

    Due to the wounds on her hands, Song Yu took a quick bath and avoided scrubbing her skin.

    Qi Chengzhi was outside the bedroom balcony talking on the phone when she came out of the bathroom. She overheard the salutation used and surmised that it was Lawyer Song on the call.

    Song Yu¡¯s presence did not make Qi Chengzhi lower his voice, the words echoed loudly from the balcony.

    ¡°We will sue those people, but don¡¯t let it turn into a media circus. That will impact Qilin and Chengshi¡¯s business.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yes, consider it as a breach of contract. I n to get a new construction team. Don¡¯t let their manager run away.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all.¡±

    He hung up the phone and came in to see Song Yu lying in bed, looking awfully docile.

    ¡°Is it about the construction team?¡± Song Yu heard him utter a sound of admission.

    Her eyes followed him as he walked to the side of the bed. Nimble fingers unbuckled the leather belt and the suit pants hung dangerously low on his waist. The fingers went on to slowly unbuttoning the shirt he was wearing, revealing parts of his chest and abs. Each action served to taunt her.

    Song Yu subconsciously gulped as her attention was fully focused on the fingers path. Wherever the long and slender fingersnded, her eyesight was sure to follow.

    After removing his shirt and suit pants, Qi Chengzhi was left with only a pair of slim-fitting, ck underpants clinging to his lean and muscr frame. The popr belief was that men favored long legs on a woman, but now, Song Yu felt that the opposite was also true as she stared at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi got into bed and as if they had done this a million times, pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the forehead. His husky voice spoke, ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s hand lightly brushed across his firm chest. She thought back to his rescue from the room she was held hostage and felt gratitude. Under her palm was the strong and steady beat of his heart¡ªwith him, she was safe.

    Every woman has dreamt of a knight-in-shining-armor, a man that was the ultimate goal for her.

    At that moment, Qi Chengzhi resembled that ultimate goal for Song Yu. He may not have crossed any iridescent clouds but he was already the greatest hero on earth to her.

    If she could stay in his embrace forever like this, all would be well.

    As this thought formed in her head, Song Yu was shocked at her internal confession. She almost broke into a cold sweat and her body went rigid.

    After a second, her body immediately rxed.

    Song Yu breathed in the air of calmness that always surrounded Qi Chengzhi. She snuggled against his chest in an act ofplete dependence and affection.

    Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arms around her waist and squeezed. ¡°What are you worrying about? Be honest.¡±

    ¡®Why is he being dense again?¡¯ Song Yu mused. She lifted her head and ced a kiss on his jaw. Worried that his five o¡¯clock shadow would irritate Song Yu, he shaved again at night. The scent of the aftershave still lingered on his face. While the scent was not particrly appealing, on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s skin it was alluring and unique.

    As he lowered his head, Song Yu¡¯s wide, innocent eyes were looking at him with a glint of anticipation.

    The suggestiveness in her eyes coupled with her boldness crumbled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s defenses. The me in his belly rose up to his throat and his voice deepened, ¡°Teasing me?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face slowly burned up¡ªthe redness was visible to Qi Chengzhi¡ªbut she stayed mum.

    ¡°You¡¯re bing naughtier, aren¡¯t you?¡± he whispered at the corner of her lips and smiled faintly. His Adam¡¯s apple bobbed as his lips warned, ¡°You¡¯re stoking the fire, so don¡¯t regret itter, I won¡¯t listen. I won¡¯t let you sleep until I¡¯m satisfied.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu might have gotten herself way in over her head this time.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu woke up the next day, her whole body was sore. It felt like her body had been disassembled and reassembled, but some parts did not fit as it used to.

    Her usatory nce was countered with an amused look. Qi Chengzhi chuckled as he knotted his tie, ¡°What are you ring at? You¡¯re the one who lit the me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±¡®How did she end up with this shameless man?¡¯

    Song Yu mumbled in exasperation and changed into her clothes.

    She was supposed to take a day off today as Qi Chengzhi did not want her to work. He believed that she should rest after yesterday¡¯s incident.

    Song Yu disagreed with him. Yesterday¡¯s incident was indeed terrifying if she were left alone in the aftermath, but after spending the night with Qi Chengzhi she felt much better.

    Qi Chengzhi insisted to drop her off in front of the office. Arguing with him was pointless as he had made up his mind. If her opinions had any weight, she would not need to repeat herself.

    He was determined to fetch her right up to the office door and no protest by her was going to change his mind.

    The office door was just by the side of the road. Jian Yi watched as Song Yu came out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover. Jian Yi gripped the steering wheel so tightly his fingers turned white and the bones looked as if they were going to break the skin.

    A hot sh of anger overtook him and his bloodshot eyes bulged. He quickly drove up to the building as Song Yu entered the office.

    Song Yu ced her things down at her desk. She took out the essentials from her bag and noticed that she had two messages on her new phone.

    The message read, ¡°What happened yesterday? Are you alright?¡±

    The following message was by the same sender, ¡°Did Qi Chengzhi take you back yesterday? Were you with him the whole night?¡±

    Although there was no name to the string of numbers, Song Yu knew who sent the message.

    She did not deign to reply and deleted the message.

    Jian Yi waited in his car outside the office but received no reply from Song Yu. His mind kept reying the scene of Song Yu getting down from the Range Rover. The thought of Song Yu having an intimate rtionship with Qi Chengzhi colored his eyes red with fury. The leather on the steering wheel squeaked under the pressure of his grip.

    ...

    ...

    Moments after Qi Chengzhi walked into his office, Qi Chengyue burst through the door.

    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Why did you force me to take an extended leave?¡± Qi Chengyue rushed to his desk and interrogated him.

    Qi Chengzhi was just about to give Song Yu a call. He put away his phone and looked coldly at his cousin.

    The cold stare stopped her in her tracks as her heart tried to resume its normal rhythm.

    Back when he still wore sses, his re could burn a hole in a person¡¯s heart. Now without the attenuation provided by the sses, the lethality of his re increased multifold. She grew nervous under his stare and numbness crept over her scalp.

    Qi Chengzhi had no scruples about smoking in front of Qi Chengyue. He lit a cigarette and took a long drag, seemingly at ease with the whole situation. He then said apathetically, ¡°You don¡¯t know my reason or did you think I would not see through your ploy? If it is the former, then you¡¯re the dumb one. If it¡¯s thetter, then you¡¯re calling me dumb.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi inclined his head toward her, as if challenging her to pick who was the dumb one.

    His bony and pale fingers tapped the cigarette on the ashtray. ¡°I don¡¯t care about you and Jian Yi¡¯s rtionship, that¡¯s your problem. However, if you bring your rtionship into the office and let it affect your work, then I may have overestimated your capabilities when I made you the finance department manager.¡±

    ¡°The hotel construction project payments and materials were agreed upon after doing some market research with the construction team. Without notifying the Chengshi team or me, you made your own decision to withhold the payment. When did I give you such a right? Your actions have now led to a dy in the construction project, costing thepany a lot of money. The reason why you¡¯re still the finance manager is that you¡¯re my cousin.¡±

    ¡°Letting your personal rtionship interfere with work and taking thepany¡¯s interest as a joke. If it were anybody else I would have fired them. Now, I¡¯m letting you choose. Either take an extended leave until this project isplete or resign from your position.¡±

    The hotel construction project would take at least a few years toplete, did he expect her to not do anything for so long?

    By that time, her position would most likely be filled by someone else.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not satisfied, you can get uncle toe and talk to me. I have no qualms about that.¡± Qi Chengzhi sucked in another breath of nicotineced smoke.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face went through a series of expressions. She knew that this was her own wrongdoing. Although the family pampered her, she would not gain any favors on this issue.

    In the end, she could only ept her punishment.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Qi Chengzhi had a business affair outside of the office and brought along Cheng Dongge and Jian Yi. When Qi Chengyue heard about this, she was ted. She felt that this was Qi Chengzhi giving Jian Yi an opportunity to shine.

    After work, as Qi Chengzhi and the others were getting into the car, Qi Chengyue called out, ¡°Brother!¡± Her hair was messed up as she jogged over to them.

    She soothed the unkempt strands and said breathily, ¡°Brother, are you guys going to Dynasty? I have a school gathering there tonight, can I get a ride?¡±

    This current Qi Chengyue had a pleasant demeanor and a smiling face¡ªa stark difference from the daytime Qi Chengyue who was ill-tempered.

    Other than Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, the family was basically led by Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengyue was not dumb enough to shed all pretense of cordiality with her cousin. She had upset him in the morning and when she had calmed down, she felt guilty and wanted to show her goodwill.

    After a nce, Qi Chengzhi nodded indifferently and got into the car.

    Cheng Dongge sat in the passenger seat, leaving the three of them to squeeze in the backseat. Luckily the Range Rover had a wide backseat, though the two men that were sitting next to each other looked constipated.

    Jian Yi was ufortable with sitting so close to Qi Chengzhi. Every time he looked at Qi Chengzhi, the image of this morning came into full view.

    At this point, Qi Chengzhi took out his phone and dialed a number. He did it quickly so Jian Yi could not see who was the person on the other end.

    ¡°Done with work?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone was gentle as he spoke into the phone. The abrupt change shocked even Qi Chengyue, whom he had just interacted with the utmost indifference. Could this be the girlfriend from his stories?

    ¡°Yes.¡± Song Yu was just preparing to leave the office when Qi Chengzhi called. She decided to stay in the building to take the call. She noticed the gentle tone he was using and thought it odd. His usual tone when he called had the distinctive coolness and bluntness.

    Song Yu blushed and looked around to see if anyone was paying attention. Then she lowered her head and continued the call.

    ¡°I have a business dinner today, so I won¡¯t be able to take you home. You get home safe,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in an overtly affectionate tone that made Qi Chengyue cringe.

    As Qi Chengzhi talked on the phone, he spied Jian Yi¡¯s tightening fist on his knees, to the point where the veins were popping out on the back of his hands.

    Qi Chengzhi let out augh and said, ¡°Wait at home for me.¡±

    He then ended the call.

    Song Yu stared speechlessly at her phone, her attempt to object his statement cut short.

    The home he mentioned clearly meant the mansion he owned in Zhijing Park, she was not that dense.

    She figured she should go to Zhijing Park first so as to not displease him. They would need to discuss the living arrangements as she nned to stay in her own apartment, at least until the lease was up.

    She wanted to take it one orderly step at a time. When the apartment lease was up, she figured they would be at that stage of the rtionship where cohabitation was the next ideal step. Now, it was just a bit too much too soon.

    While on her way back, she texted him a message after some deliberation, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi read the iing message openly, allowing Jian Yi to catch a glimpse of the sender and the content. His fingers clenched even tighter. Qi Chengzhi replied casually, ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°Brother, was that your girlfriend?¡± Qi Chengyue asked curiously, butting past Jian Yi to look at Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Chengzhi smirked.

    Qi Chengyue had never seen Qi Chengzhi in such a pleasant mood before. This made her extremely curious about this girlfriend of his. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were going to bring her home? When are you bringing her back?¡±

    ¡°When she¡¯s ready, I¡¯ll bring her home. I don¡¯t want to pressure her.¡± Qi Chengzhi pocketed his phone and pretended to not notice Jian Yi¡¯s response.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that even you could dote on someone.¡± Qi Chengyue let slip her tongue and bbered.

    ¡°When you meet someone you love, you will instinctively dote on them. You¡¯ve never seen me like this, it¡¯s because there was never someone special.¡± Qi Chengzhi shot a profound look at Jian Yi and continued, ¡°How much a man loves you, can be measured by how much he dotes on you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed and looked at Jian Yi with adoration. She slipped her hand under his palm and interlocked their fingers.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue parted ways with them when they reached Dynasty. She headed toward the room reserved for the Jixia High School reunion. As she walked in, she heard a feminine voice called out, ¡°Chengyue, you¡¯re finally here. We heard a scandalous rumor just now and we need you to confirm the news.¡±

    ¡°What rumor?¡± Qi Chengyue walked over and everyone shifted to let her sit.

    Xia Kewei said, ¡°Before you came, Qianyi and Lijun said your cousin brother, Qi Chengzhi is dating Song Yu.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face instantly turned thunderous. She said coldly, ¡°Where did you hear that nonsense from? That¡¯s impossible.¡±

    Her words made Li Qianyi and Wu Lijun unhappy.

    ¡°We saw them with our own eyes. Also, who dares to simply spread false rumors about Qi Chengzhi?¡± Li Qianyi retaliated in a challenging tone. She sipped her tea and pursed her lips. ¡°We saw them kiss in the Red Roof Club.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe us, you can ask Gao Jingqiu or Li Zhuoan. They were also at the scene. Don¡¯t tell me you all don¡¯t even believe Li Zhuoan¡¯s words.¡± After hearing Li Qianyi¡¯s defense, everyone believed the rumor. Although Qi Chengyue acted like she was reluctant to ept Li Qianyi¡¯s ount, a part of her could see how the pieces of the puzzle fell into ce.

    Li Zhuoan was not a person to spread lies and false truths. He had strong moral principles and therefore, having him as a witness was proof enough.

    ¡°Speaking of this, we¡¯re ming you for our revoked ess to the club, Guan Xiaolin! Last time, we asked you if Song Yu was dating Qi Chengzhi, you swore that they weren¡¯t. So we weren¡¯t all that friendly toward Song Yu that day at the Red Roof Club, and Qi Chengzhi found out. Are you purposely trying to sabotage us?¡± Li Qianyi brought up the distasteful incident.

    Guan Xiaolin gave Li Qianyi a frigid re. She was about to drink her tea when Li Qianyi turned on the offensive. She set her cup down.

    ¡°How long ago was that when you asked me about them? At that point, Song Yu firmly stated that she had no rtionship with Qi Chengzhi. How would I know if they ended up together or not? They were definitely not in a rtionship when the two of you asked me.¡± Guan Xiaolin continued in an annoyed tone. ¡°Also, if it weren¡¯t for your habit of kicking people when they¡¯re down, how would Qi Chengzhi even notice you? If you guys wanted to bully people, at least do it smartly and don¡¯t get caught. Getting kicked out of the Red Roof Club is your own doing, so don¡¯te and me me for it.¡±

    ¡°So, Song Yu really is dating my cousin brother?¡± Qi Chengyue turned to face Guan Xiaolin.

    ¡°That¡¯s what Li Qianyi saw, not me. I can¡¯t confirm anything. But I can say one thing.¡± Guan Xiaolin paused and took a deep breath. ¡°You probably know of the architectural designpetition between Guanyu and Chengshi for the hotel construction project by Qilin. But what you definitely don¡¯t know is that the design Song Yu submitted was exactly the same as what our firm¡¯s architect drew. However, Qi Chengzhi used our firm of stealing Song Yu¡¯s design without hesitation and gave Chengshi the construction project.¡±

    Guan Xiaolinughed mockingly and said, ¡°If there was really nothing between them, that wouldn¡¯t have happened.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression was darkening with each passing second. She thought of the time Qi Chengzhi announced his girlfriend to the family, the time Song Yu was on the phone, the phone call just now in the car. If it was truly Song Yu...

    ¡°If he¡¯s really dating Song Yu, I foresee some uing drama,¡± Wu Lijun said enigmatically. ¡°Song Yu was originally engaged to Qi Chengji. After a failed engagement, shetches on to the elder brother. This is going to be such a scandal in the Qi family!¡±

 Chapter 93 - Qi Chengzhi Did Not Understand How The Universe Bestowed Upon Him This Woman So Dear

    <h4>Chapter 93: Qi Chengzhi Did Not Understand How The Universe Bestowed Upon Him This Woman So Dear</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°If he¡¯s really dating Song Yu, I foresee some uing drama,¡± Wu Lijun said enigmatically. ¡°Song Yu was originally engaged to Qi Chengji. After a failed engagement, shetches on to the elder brother. This is going to be such a scandal in the Qi family!¡±

    ¡°If she were to marry into the family, she¡¯s going to run into Qi Chengji frequently. How would they address each other then?¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not care about the awkwardness between Song Yu and Qi Chengji. She was more worried about the frequent encounters between Song Yu and Jian Yi if they were to be family.

    She was not going to allow this coquettish Song Yu to marry into the Qi family.

    ¡°Marriage is a bit too early for now. She still doesn¡¯t have any status in the family. And as you all have said, she was once engaged to my younger cousin brother. My uncle and auntie won¡¯t stand for such a stain on our family reputation.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s mood darkened as she spoke.

    ¡°Yes, yes.¡± The mood had soured and fires were threatening to burst out in any second. Xia Kewei had to quickly smoothened things over before disaster struck.

    ...

    ...

    At Qi Chengzhi¡¯s table, the sses were piling up as the people drank with reckless disregard. Having someone of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stature attending the dinner was very much an honor. Without his sses, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sharp eyes and handsome face gave him an aura of aristocratic elegance. Thus, he excused himself from the heavy drinking that was going on around the table.

    Other than the few toasts to sess, no one dared to pressure Qi Chengzhi to drink. On the other hand, Jian Yi and Cheng Dongge were not spared.

    Everyone was happily drinking away. Jian Yi and Cheng Dongge were starting to feel tipsy after multiple rounds of beer.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up and excused himself from the table with a slight nod. ¡°Excuse me, I need to make a call.¡±

    Hearing this, Jian Yi¡¯s gaze automatically followed Qi Chengzhi, squinting his eyes in the effort.

    ¡°Manager Jian, drink up...¡± The client beside him raised his ss and pulled his attention back to the table.

    Qi Chengzhi stood by the door and dialed the homendline. Aunt Yang picked up the call and informed him that Song Yu was at the house. The news made Qi Chengzhi smile.

    He did consider the possibility of Song Yu disobeying his orders and going back to her own apartment, hence he made this call.

    ¡°Done with dinner?¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice sounded distant through the phone.

    Her voice had a soothing effect on Qi Chengzhi. He leaned against the wall and put one hand in his pocket. ¡°Not yet, but soon. What are you doing?¡± he said in a gentle, deep tone.

    ¡°Nothing much. Just watching some American drama.¡± With Qi Chengzhi on the phone, she could hardly focus on the television. She paused the program and gave him her undivided attention.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not too tiredter,e and pick me up?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. His hand went to adjust his sses and found nothing. He forgot that he had stopped wearing them.

    He smiled quietly. It had been a while since hest wore his sses, but old habits were hard to change.

    ¡°What time will that be?¡± Song Yu did not bring up the fact that Chang Lai was avable. Since Qi Chengzhi suggested, sheplied. She was happy to make him happy.

    After informing her of the time, Qi Chengzhi hung up the phone. He smiled cheerily at himself before going back into the room.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu put on her winter coat and headed off. She left Aunt Yang to prepare some soup that was said to cure hangovers. Although Qi Chengzhi was a moderate drinker at best¡ªnever drinking past his limits¡ªhaving some warm soup to drink was better than nothing.

    ¡®There was no need to dress up when it was already sote at night,¡¯ she thought as she took a pair of Vans sports shoes from the shoe rack. They made driving much morefortable.

    Arriving at the entrance of Dynasty, Song Yu texted Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯m at the opposite cafe. When you¡¯re done, just let me know.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was just about to reply when Director Wang¡ªchanneling some of that liquid courage¡ªteased from the opposite side of the table, ¡°Seeing Director Qi¡¯s expression, talking to your girlfriend?¡±

    While Director Wang was more or less drunk, his assistant retained some sense of awareness and tried to prevent his boss from speaking any more nonsense. Master Cheng¡¯s personal life was simply not a topic for drunken banter.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi beamed at the question, his handsome features softened as he said, ¡°Yes. She¡¯s picking me up because I drank.¡± The usual Qi Chengzhi would have turned away from such a question and left.

    ¡°Is she here?¡± Director Wang huped. ¡°Then let¡¯s not make her wait. We¡¯ll end it here. It was a pleasure to hear of Director Qi¡¯s girlfriend.¡±

    Song Yu received the call from Qi Chengzhi and left the cafe for Dynasty.

    She was walking toward the entrance when Qi Chengzhi exited with his colleagues and clients. Song Yu stood back, wanting to avoid unnecessary mingling, but she heard one of the middle-agedpanions said, ¡°Director Qi, is that your girlfriend?¡±

    At this hour, the crowd was thin at the entrance of Dynasty. Song Yu stood out like a sore thumb.

    Song Yu saw Qi Chengzhi nod and took it as her cue to walk over. She only then realized that Jian Yi was standing next to Director Wang, his face pinched tight.

    Song Yu stood in a daze for a while before smiling at Director Wang. Qi Chengzhi moved forward and tangled their hands together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. ¡°This is my girlfriend who was worried about my drinking and came to pick me up.¡±

    She smiled awkwardly at that introduction and nodded. She nced at Qi Chengzhi, ¡®This was not what he said on the phone.¡¯

    ¡°Haha, a match made in heaven indeed. Don¡¯t forget me when you¡¯re sending out wedding invites,¡± Director Wang said jokingly.

    Song Yu had not nned for a reveal of their rtionship tonight and was further stunned by Director Wang¡¯s tease of marriage. Luckily Qi Chengzhi stepped in, ¡°For sure.¡±

    Her heart skipped a beat at that promise. Her hand was starting to sweat in his grip as she instinctively held on tighter.

    Qi Chengzhi responded by firming his grip as if his strength could be transferred to her via their linked hands.

    As they parted ways, Qi Chengzhi asked Chang Lai to fetch Director Wang and the other clients back. Song Yu stood aside and watched, ¡®I guess Chang Lai really couldn¡¯t fetch Qi Chengzhi back.¡¯ While her appearance tonight had an ulterior motive, it was not for that sole purpose.

    With the logistics settled, Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu by the hand and left, not sparing Jian Yi a look.

    Song Yu followed Qi Chengzhi silently and did not look back at Jian Yi. Jian Yi watched as the silhouette of the couple holding hands grew smaller and smaller. His fists were clenched tight and a scowl was permanently etched onto his face.

    Once in the car, Song Yu drove without saying a word. The car rolled to a stop in front of a red light and she turned to face the man in the passenger seat.

    His eyes were closed as heid back in the passenger seat. His features were hidden in the shadows of the night.

    ¡°The reason you called me over tonight was that Chang Lai couldn¡¯t send you home, and also partially because Jian Yi was there, right?¡± She shifted her gaze back on the road as she stepped on the gas pedal.

    Few moments passed with nothing but silence, so Song Yu gave up on questioning him. He was probably tired.

    ¡°Was he not always suspicious of us? We¡¯ve confirmed his theories today, so hopefully, he¡¯ll stop mooning over you.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sonorous voice echoed in the quiet car, the coldness in his tone audible.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hint of jealousy made her heartbeat irregrly. She did not know that he was aware of the situation with Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengzhi watched Song Yu through heavy-lidded eyes and teasingly asked, ¡°Not happy that he knows about us?¡±

    Song Yu threw him a nce. ¡°If I¡¯m not happy, would Ie and fetch you?¡±

    Song Yu was focused on making sure they arrived home safe and did not notice the hint of mischief on the face of a fully-awakened Qi Chengzhi. When the car stopped again at another red light, a pale hand inched toward Song Yu¡¯s waist.

    When she came out of the house, Song Yu did not bother to change and just threw a coat over her home clothes. This was made possible by the fact that she had on the beloved ssic velour tracksuit by Juicy Couture¡ªa hot pink one at that.

    The jacket was on the short side while the pants were low-waisted. Although she wore a tank top beneath the jacket, a strip of skin was still showing at her waist.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long finger skittered under the white tank top and started to stroke the soft skin at her waist.

    His rough fingertips on her skin felt like electricity dancing across her skin¡ªa paralyzing sensation.

    He could feel Song Yu clench her abs. Through the soft glow from the night sky, a brilliant blush shed on her adorable face which served to only spur Qi Chengzhi on. He slowly inched his hand upward.

    ¡°Stop it. I¡¯m driving.¡± Song Yu moved away from him but the confined area of a driver¡¯s seat made escaping difficult. She was cornered.

    ¡°Driving? We¡¯re at a red light.¡± A quick survey showed that there was sixty seconds before any driving was required. Qi Chengzhi immediately pulled on his seatbelt and rested his chin on her shoulder. His warm breath wafted toward her face.

    Her nose picked up the faint smell of alcohol and tobo. If it were anyone else, she would be disgusted. However, the smellsbined with the cologne that he wore made it unique and incredibly sexy.

    From the day she met him, she never picked up any scent of female perfume on him. This made her exceptionally happy as it engendered a sense of possession.

    His persistent hot breath on her face made her flush. The redness spreads up her ears and scalp.

    He followed with a series of wet kisses around her ear and the back of her neck.

    ¡°There are cameras!¡± Song Yu was losing herposure fast. How was she going to driveter?

    ¡°At most I¡¯ll pay the fine,¡± he said with a lowered voice. He made his way to the side of her lips and brushing past her face, he kissed her firmly on the lips.

    A sudden loud honk made Song Yu jump and push him aside. The light was green.

    The chorus of honks erupted behind them and as the drivers drove past, they gave her the evil eye.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened with embarrassment and quickly sped off.

    As she drove, Qi Chengzhi ced his hand on her hand that was steering the wheel.

    ¡°In terms of driving, your skills far surpass mine.¡± Song Yu pushed his hand away.

    He unexpectedly let his hand fall and did not resist.

    Song Yu had yet to calm herself before his wandering fingers came for her waist. His fingers danced across the revealed skin and went under the tank top that she was wearing. His hand massaged her waist and gradually inched upward.

    Song Yu gritted her teeth as his movements sent bolts of electricity up her spine. She shook in her seat as she felt like ants were crawling on her skin.

    She took a chance and quickly pped Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mischievous hand.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Her trembling voice lent little weight to hermand, even more so when her abs were spasming under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s touch. ¡°Why don¡¯t youe and drive?¡±

    ¡°I drank.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯szy voice infuriated her to no end.

    ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    They made it back in one piece, a feat that Song Yu did not know how she aplished. She parked the car safely in the garage.

    The garage door closed and Song Yu unbuckled her seatbelt to get down. A strong arm pulled her back into the car by her waist.

    Qi Chengzhi was in a shirt with his sleeves rolled up, his sinewy forearm bare for all to see. Song Yu did not know when he managed to remove his suit jacket and coat.

    She liked to look at his body. He was not overly muscr but exuded a masculine strength and beauty. The sight of his muscles made her want to touch them.

    His strong arm wound tightly around her waist. The atmosphere heated up a notch.

    A secondter, she was pulled back and repositioned on hisp.

    Qi Chengzhi held her by the waist and pressed her against the passenger side door. His torso bore down on her as his lips softly nibbled at her earlobe. She could feel the sexy curve of his lips. The air in the car could spark a me.

    ¡°I was happy that you ignored Jian Yi,¡± he whispered in a deep tone by her ear. She was assaulted from all senses¡ªthe unique smell of tobo and cologne, the sonorous voice in her ear¡ªher body was ready tobust.

    He followed up, ¡°But I saw you pause when you looked at him. That made me a bit unhappy.¡±

    His tie was loosened and three buttons were open on his shirt. It revealed the slender neck and corbone underneath that clean-cut face.

    Song Yu pressed her forehead on his shoulder and angled towards his neck. She breathed in the refreshing scent.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I¡¯ve said this before. When ites to rtionships, I am serious andmitted. Once I¡¯m in, it¡¯s very hard for me to get out. I struggled a lot when I was deciding on whether to date you due to your family background and my past with the Qi family. There were a lot of uncertainties but now I have already decided to be with you despite all the potential risks. I have made my choice and ammitted to you. I am not the type of person who thinks the grass is always greener on the other side. When I saw Jian Yi, I was simply surprised and nothing more. That man is not worth my love, so why should I miss him? It¡¯s unfair to both of us.¡±

    She finished her speech and felt the arm around her tightened possessively to the point that she felt pain. The palm on her back radiated heat and she was pressed against him.

    His lips left her earlobe and as he distanced himself, she caught sight of the burning passion in his eyes. She felt her heartbeat jump as she temporarily forgot how to breathe.

    Qi Chengzhi did not understand how the universe bestowed upon him this woman so dear.

    While her words were not coated with honey, they were words of honesty and passion.

    He kissed her fiercely without hesitation, pinning her to the car window.

    Song Yu cupped his face and returned his fervent kiss.

    Song Yu felt a slight chill and caught on to what Qi Chengzhi was nning to do. She hurriedly pushed at his shoulder. ¡°We¡¯re in the garage.¡±

    The heat behind Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes was enough to quell whatever resistance that was in her. She felt herself tremble uncontrobly.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yuid tiredly in his arms with her head resting on his shoulder. She did not attempt to move as her limbs felt like jelly.

    The garage was closed off and the car had little venttion. As a result, both of them were drenched in sweat.

    A few droplets of sweat dotted across her forehead and temple. She could feel the wetness around his neck as she rested against him.

    Qi Chengzhi shifted his head and ced a kiss on her hairline, tasting the slightly salty bead of sweat.

    He opened the glovepartment with one hand and took out some tissues to clean her up. Meanwhile, Song Yu, too tired andzy, remained unmoving in his arms.

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi gently patted her buttock and said to her, ¡°Lift your butt up, youzy bum.¡±

    Song Yu did as she was told as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She hugged him tightly and spoke into his corbone, ¡°When we¡¯re doing it, he woos and coos with such good temper. When we¡¯re done, he calls mezy.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared nkly for a moment, then let out an unrestrainedugh. He helped her put on her pants and belt before cing her butt onto the driver¡¯s seat. She sat sidesaddle as he got down from the car. He stood at the passenger door and let her out.

    The afterglow was evident in Song Yu¡¯s face and eyes. She looked out at Qi Chengzhi who stood patiently waiting for her. His coat and suit jacket were draped over his arm. His shirt was slightly disheveled without being too obvious.

    It was hard to believe that the steadfast and serious man before her was the same man who was in the car with her. The urgency and persistence he expressed were nowhere to be seen now.

    Song Yu met his eyes and flushed red. His stoic face belied the fiery desire shone in his dark eyes.

    She held onto the passenger seat for support as she stood up but her legs buckled. Her buttnded back onto the passenger seat.

 Chapter 94 - Itâ€™ll Start A Scandal Once It Gets Out!

    <h4>Chapter 94: It¡¯ll Start A Scandal Once It Gets Out!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu held onto the passenger seat for support as she stood up but her legs buckled. Her buttnded back onto the passenger seat.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chengzhi stuck his upper body into the car and saw her blushing face.

    ¡°Just now... I was in the same position since just now. My legs are so stiff now after being curled up for so long. I can¡¯t extend them...¡± Song Yu mumbled with her face still bright red. She was too embarrassed to look at him, thus she lowered her head until her chin was almost touching her vicle, ¡°Also... I¡¯m out of energy.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi fixed his gaze on Song Yu with such an intensity that it made her already exhausted body felt even weaker. Her skin started to feel feverish as well.

    Then, she heard his raspy chuckle over her head. It was only a brief one, but it was so darn sexy.

    Song Yu lifted her head toin as she thought that Qi Chengzhi wasughing at her, but she saw him backed away. He stood beside the car and said stoically, ¡°Come here, I¡¯ll piggyback you.¡±

    Song Yu was shocked. She gaped at the man outside of the car who was standing with such poise.

    It never crossed her mind that he would be willing to do this for her. Such an outstanding guy was able to humble himself and do something so down-to-earth just for her sake.

    She always felt that he was always an extraordinary man. He was not the mundane type of guy at all. She could not imagine him carrying someone on his back, neither could she imagine he would be doing this one day.

    However, his expression and tone remained stoic, like his usual elegant, subdued self. He stood outside and waited quietly for her.

    Song Yu felt warm and fuzzy on the inside. She was so touched that her eyes started to water.

    She moved over to the passenger seat silently. Qi Chengzhi had already turned his back towards her and bent his legs, with his back curved towards the front.

    Song Yu reached out with her hand and ced it on his shoulder. Qi Chengzhi ended up sitting on the edge of the seat. His nice-looking hands supported her by the crook of her knees. The ce that he ced his palm on felt like it was burning.

    He straightened his back and lifted her up. Song Yu crouched and leaned on his stable back. Qi Chengzhi passed his coat and suit that he hung on his arm previously to Song Yu.

    Song Yu tightened her embrace around him. As he walked, the side of her face grazed gently against the newly grown stubble on his chin from time to time. His thin lips were lightly sealed, looking as cold as ever without a smile on his face. Although he was carrying her on his back, his breathing remained calm as if it was not tiring at all.

    Song Yu could not resist but to give a gentle peck on the corner of his lips. Right after that, she was bathing in embarrassment. She found herself bing more thick-skinned while facing him, always making the first move.

    She would never have done any of this back in the day, neither did she thought that she would do it one day.

    After they got into the elevator, Song Yu helped Qi Chengzhi to press the floor button as he was unable to free his hands.

    The elevator door closed slowly. Qi Chengzhi turned around to look at her with a burning gaze.

    Song Yu felt uneasy under his burning gaze. She lowered her head and buried her face into his neck, but she felt his lips pressed against the hairline on her forehead and spoke in a low, raspy voice, ¡°Lift your head up.¡±

    Her hairline was burning hot under the friction of his lips. She lifted her head after hearing his voice. Before she could even have a clearer look, his lips fell onto her soft plump lips and started to pull them into his mouth. Song Yu felt that she almost turned into a woodpecker.

    He gently bit her lips with his teeth to prevent her from retracting. His slick, hot tongue filled with the scent of tobo made its way in after prying open her teeth.

    Song Yu did not shy away. She tilted her head and reciprocated his kiss.

    It was only until the elevator door reopened that Qi Chengzhi was willing to let her go.

    Both of them were out of breath and panted breathily. Their messy breaths intertwined with each other, with their lips basked in it.

    His gaze was burning, the me of desire ignited in those deep, dark eyes. How he wished that he could devour her right then.

    Then, she heard him whispered raspily, ¡°We¡¯ll continue when we get back.¡±

    Song Yu buried her face into his neck right after she heard him. She felt that her whole body was bursting into mes.

    When they reached the door, Song Yu rang the doorbell before burying her face again.

    On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi felt quite pleased with her going in and out of his neck.

    Aunt Yang was shocked to see that Qi Chengzhi piggybacked Song Yu home. She never thought that Qi Chengzhi would do something like this. At that moment, she forgot about what she prepared to say before opening the door and just stared at Qi Chengzhi nkly while he changed into his slippers.

    She had no second thoughts about who Qi Chengzhi was carrying on his back because Song Yu was wearing the exact same outfit when she left.

    He had no intention of putting Song Yu down and nned to carry her back to the bedroom. When he just put on his slippers, he heard a female voice, ¡°Big brother, I heard that you and Song...¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice paused in the middle of the sentence. She was surprised to see Qi Chengzhi carrying a woman on his back. She was unable to identify Song Yu as her face was buried in his neck.

    Her first reaction was disbelief. She could not imagine Qi Chengzhi did such a thoughtful gesture to a woman. His posture was so magnificent, and the woman on his back was being an eyesore¡ªdestroying his exquisite aura and leveling him down from an immortal to a normal human being.

    Her second reaction was to feel relieved. Even if there was something going on between Song Yu and him, it was nothing serious. The person that he truly cared for was the woman on his back.

    Suddenly, it dawned on Qi Chengyue that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s recent behavioral changes, including taking off his sses and piggybacking someone, was probably because of this woman!

    However, in the middle of her thought, Song Yu grew restless once she heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice and struggled to get down from his back.

    Qi Chengzhi finally let her down. Song Yu climbed down with a bright red face. She fixed her hair that was messed up by him in the car moments ago. Her nervousness made it seem like she was caught in the act.

    This time around, Qi Chengyue finally saw clearly that the woman was Song Yu. Those clear, googly eyes were filled with hatred instantly.

    ¡°Bitch!¡± Qi Chengyue shrieked in anger, ¡°How dare you seduce my big brother after you failed to seduce Jian Yi!¡±

    She charged towards her while she scolded, raising her hand and aiming it at Song Yu¡¯s face.

    Nheless, Qi Chengzhi was just beside her. He would never allow her to do anything to his Song Yu. He caught her wrist with his huge hands dryly, his fingertips turned white due to the exertion of a considerable amount of force.

    Qi Chengyue had tearsing out from the corner of her eyes due to the pain. She crouched her body and twisted her arm around before shouting, ¡°It hurts!¡±

    Aunt Yang had already gone back inside hurriedly to stay away from Qi Chengyue after seeing that she bore no good intentions.

    Qi Chengzhi released his grip and forcefully hurled Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand away. Qi Chengyue stumbled a few steps backward and almost fell onto the floor.

    She was holding back her tears and massaged her wrist that Qi Chengzhi almost bruised.

    ¡°I specially came over to confirm after hearing people saying that you¡¯re with Song Yu. Never thought that I¡¯ll see it with my own eyes. How could you hurt me for such a woman!¡± Qi Chengyue lifted her head and red at Song Yu maliciously.

    Qi Chengzhi ignored her and walked Song Yu in with his hands on her shoulders. When they passed by Qi Chengyue, he nced at her coldly.

    His nce made Qi Chengyue felt chills in her heart, and was too scared to step up and block their way.

    When they arrived at the stairway, he squeezed Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°You head up first.¡±

    Song Yu also did not want to face such an unreasonable woman like Qi Chengyue, thus she just nodded and went up the stairs.

    Qi Chengyue chased after them and pointed at Song Yu before screaming, ¡°Song Yu, stay here and confront me if you dare, stop hiding!¡±

    Song Yu had no idea what Qi Chengzhi wanted to confront in her. She did nothing wrong, neither did she betray Qi Chengyue. She came to a halt and snickered, ¡°We don¡¯t really know each other. Who are you to meddle with our business?¡±

    She went upstairs right after finishing her sentence.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression twisted in rage. She screamed at Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Big brother, you¡¯re allowing her to be like this?¡±

    ¡°Did she say anything wrong? Why do I need your permission in order to be with someone?¡± Qi Chengzhi replied coldly while he guarded at the stairs, blocking Qi Chengyue from it.

    ¡°Did you forgot about that incident where she seduced Jian Yi? She liked Jian Yi since she was young. Do you think that such a sentiment can be forgone just like that? She turned towards you just because she knew that Jian Yi was with me so that she could get to Jian Yi through you and continue to bother him! Jian Yi and I are nning to get married, that¡¯s why she plotted her way into the Qi family just so that she can be with Jian Yi all day in the future!¡± Qi Chengyue bellowed, ¡°Can¡¯t you see through such a simple scheme, big brother?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to speak like a human, shut it!¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly. Did Qi Chengyue realize that she was scolding him at the same time?

    ¡°What do you mean that I can¡¯t speak! I am doing this for your own sake so that you won¡¯t be cheated by her in the future!¡± Qi Chengyue blurted out of desperation, ¡°Did you know that she admired Jian Yi for thirteen years? Do you think a woman¡¯s feelings can be dropped just like that? She may seem to be with you on the surface, but inside her heart, she¡¯s thinking about another man!¡±

    ¡°That bitch, she¡¯s already a mistress, what else is she capable of doing... Ahh... Big Brother, what are you doing! Let go of me! It hurts!¡± Qi Chengzhi had a deadly grip on Qi Chengyue¡¯s wrist while she was pointing upstairs with her finger.

    This time, Qi Chengzhi dragged her out without saying a word.

    ¡°Let me go! It hurts! Let me go! Big brother, you can¡¯t be so selfish. Why can¡¯t you be more considerate for my sake! What if my rtionship with Jian Yi is destroyed just because you insisted on being with her! What if she seduced Jian Yi? Break up with her, she¡¯s not the kind of woman that¡¯s worthy of you, worthy of the Qi family! Can¡¯t you be more thoughtful for my happiness?¡± Tears rolled down Qi Chengyue¡¯s cheeks as her wrist was in much pain while being dragged by Qi Chengzhi, but she kept speaking.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips were sealed tightly. Those ever prominent lines entuated his cold-hearted expression. His chin also remained taut while he stayed in silence.

    ¡°You even muddled your profession and personal matters for her sake. But I¡¯m your family! She¡¯s the source of trouble! Big brother, do you think that our family will agree to your rtionship with her? She was engaged to our fourth brother previously, and now she¡¯s messing with you. It¡¯ll create a scandal if the tale of both brothers sharing the same woman gets out! She¡¯s been with both the younger brother and the elder brother, so filthy! Our family will never agree to this!¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice became sharper as if it was about to blow the roof off. Qi Chengzhi felt a sensation of pain in his eardrums with her voice banging over and over.

    He dragged Qi Chengyue to the entrance and threw her out of the door. Her put on a long face and looked at her with a cold stare, ¡°It¡¯s not filthy at all inparison to your thoughts.¡±

    After finishing his sentence, the door was mmed shut with a ¡®bang¡¯.

    Then, he took his phone out to call the security office.

    Outside, Qi Chengyue was still hammering on the door, making thumping sounds as she knocked incessantly.

    ¡°Big brother, open the door!¡± Suddenly, she raised her voice again, ¡°Song Yu, let me tell you this. If you¡¯re thinking of marrying into the Qi family, it¡¯ll only happen in your dreams! Don¡¯t ever think of stepping into the door of Qi family in your lifetime! Jian Yi¡¯s mine and you won¡¯t be able to take him away from me! Big brother, think about my situation. Why must you be with someone who tried to intrude into my rtionship! My whole body feels ufortable just by looking at her!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked displeased and turned around in frustration. He was slightly shocked to see Song Yu before his eyes.

    ¡°Why did youe down?¡± he asked in a softer tone. The only reason he was still frowning was because of Qi Chengyue¡¯s yelling on the other side of the door.

    Even though this was a double-story house and there was no need to worry about the neighbors overhearing those things that Qi Chengyue mentioned, it was still frustrating with her moring outside.

    ¡°The noise is bothering me. I came down to have a look because I heard you chase her out.¡± Song Yu frowned while looking towards the door. ¡°So we¡¯ll just let her make a scene outside?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already informed security, wait for a while,¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and squeezed it gently. He let Song Yu wait in the house while he opened the door and exited.

    Qi Chengyue caught a glimpse of Song Yu in that brief moment when he opened the door.

    ¡°Song Yu,e out and face me! Why are you hiding if you¡¯re not guilty! I did guess correctly, the motive behind you getting involved with my brother is to get to Jian Yi! You couldn¡¯t ept the fact that I¡¯m with Jian Yi, and you want revenge!¡± Qi Chengyue continued to shout at the closed door.

    Song Yu felt annoyed and shook her head. She could not fathom what was wrong with Qi Chengyue psychologically.

    She saw that the hangover soup was already cooked when she went to the kitchen, but it was a little cold after being out for some time. She warmed it up again.

    Qi Chengzhi drank a lot of alcohol that night and he just shared a tender moment with Song Yu. He had no mood or patience to deal with Qi Chengyue.

    He grabbed Qi Chengyue¡¯s arm and dragged her into the elevator. Qi Chengyue was still trying her very best to convince him to break up with Song Yu.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t you selflessly fulfill me for once.¡± The corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth raised to form a cynically arch. He took her out right after the elevator reopened and dragged her out of thepound. The security guards ran overhastily.

    Qi Chengzhi threw Qi Chengyue into the bunch of security guards and said, ¡°Remember this face. Do not allow her to enter if shees again in the future!¡±

    The security guards agreed repeatedly. When Qi Chengyue arrived earlier, the security office called Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house. It was Aunt Yang who picked up and confirmed that Qi Chengyue was his cousin sister, only then did they let her in.

    ¡°Big brother, are you treating me this way just for an outsider? I¡¯m your sister!¡±

    Her words made Qi Chengzhi stop in his tracks, turn around, and walk towards her.

    He walked to the front of Qi Chengyue, his tall physique towered over Qi Chengyue¡¯s head, leaving her under ayer of shade. Qi Chengyue could even smell Qi Chengzhi¡¯s refreshing scent. It was a pleasant smelling cologne. The maturity that exuded from Qi Chengzhi was not found on Jian Yi as he stillcked experience.

    Qi Chengzhi bent down slightly and perched beside her ear. His scent was even more prominent and concentrated.

    ¡°I¡¯m capable of taking my own brother¡¯s fiancee, not to mention that you¡¯re just my cousin sister,¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled in a volume that was only audible to Qi Chengyue.

    When he straightened his body, his expression was unreadable. The dim street lights illuminated his face in a way where the bright and shadowed parts on his face made it look like he had distorted features.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curled up cynically and snickered before turning around to leave. Qi Chengyue was left alone, still stunned by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words.

    Could it be possible that... Qi Chengzhi had his eyes on Song Yu since the beginning?

    She did not dare to believe such a thing is possible. How old was Song Yu when she got engaged to Qi Chengzhi?

    Song Yu was barely in her teenage years. She was just like a child to Qi Chengzhi, what did he find in her?

    Qi Chengzhi was sent away by the guards while she was still in the midst of arranging her thoughts. She sat in her car with her head reying the way Qi Chengzhi defended Song Yu just now.

    With Song Yu being with Qi Chengzhi, even if Jian Yi would not fall for her, she would feel disgusted to see her around all the time.

    Moreover, Qi Chengzhi would be the head of the family in the future. If Song Yu really married him, she would be above her and she has to act in ordance to Song Yu¡¯s mood.

    She definitely had no intention of letting Song Yu live a good life just for the fact that Song Yu flirted with Jian Yi.

    She just wanted to see Song Yu be as miserable as possible in her lifetime!

    Before the Song family went bankrupt, she already disliked Song Yu. Her virtuous aura was revolting. At this moment, she turned a notch up from disliking her into despising her.

    A fallen sparrow would never be able to be a phoenix!

    Qi Chengyue looked at the time before taking out her cell phone and called, ¡°Aunty, it¡¯s me. Am I bothering you?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If not, that¡¯s great. I have something to tell uncle and aunty. I¡¯ve buried it in my heart for quite some time. I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight if I don¡¯t say it out loud now,¡± Qi Chengyue said, hatred and vengeance were clearly written on her hideous face, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go over now.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu passed Qi Chengzhi his slippers upon his return. She helped him off his coat, ¡°I asked Aunt Yang to prepare a hangover soup before I went to pick you up. Drink it while it¡¯s still hot, it¡¯ll warm your body.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sat on the sofa and waved his hand. Song Yu headed over obediently and sat beside him, her body leaned close to his while she rested her head on his shoulders.

    ¡°What did Qi Chengyue say?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother about her. There¡¯s something wrong with her head,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly. He used one hand to hold the bowl up and drink the soup, while the other hand went on to hold Song Yu¡¯s hand and gently caressed the back of her palm.

    ¡°...¡± No matter what, she was still his sister. He did not hold back at all with his words.

    After he finished drinking the hangover soup, Qi Chengzhi left the empty bowl on the coffee table and carried Song Yu by her waist to ce her on his thighs.

    Song Yu felt as if she was very light since he lifted her up with such ease every single time.

    Aunt Yang went back to her room and it seemed like she was not nning toe back. Therefore, Song Yu did not reject and just let him hold her.

    The smell of alcohol on him was not as strong as it originally was. It had almost dissipatedpletely, leaving only his refreshing fragrance and a slight hint of tobo. His burning palms sped tightly on her back and pressed her further into his arms. He buried his face into her neck and inhaled, tickling her with each of his breaths.

    ¡°We¡¯re not done yet,¡± his warm, thin lips tread against the skin on her neck. His low voice was slightly muffled as his mouth was pressed on her skin, making it sound very child-like.

    Song Yu blushed when she felt the warmth on her neck. She poked gently on his solid chest using the soft tip of her index finger and said quietly, ¡°Not here, let¡¯s go inside.¡±

    She could never see the sofa in the same way anymore. She would recall what she did with Qi Chengzhi once she looked at it.

    ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s not thatfortable to do that on the sofa,¡± Qi Chengzhi said seriously before standing up with her still in his arms.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue drove over to Imperial Terrace, where Qi Zhongliang couple was residing. Xia Wenna had ordered the servants to prepare tea. In actual fact, she was about to sleep around this time. However, Qi Chengyue seemed to have something really important to tell her when she called.

 Chapter 95 - Pack Things Up Tonight and Weâ€™ll Come Over Tomorrow To Move the Rest, Hmm?

    <h4>Chapter 95: Pack Things Up Tonight and We¡¯ll Come Over Tomorrow To Move the Rest, Hmm?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengyue drove over to Imperial Terrace, where the Qi Zhongliang couple was staying. Xia Wenna had ordered the servants to prepare tea. In actual fact, she was about to go to bed at that time. However, Qi Chengyue seemed to have something really important to tell her when she called.

    Once Qi Chengyue arrived, she acted all secretive and requested Xia Wenna to clear out the servants.

    ¡°Uncle, aunty, I think that I must let you know about this. Remember when big brother said that he has a girlfriend now?¡± Qi Chengyue put on an act and said.

    ¡°Yes, any problem with that?¡± Xia Wenna answered Qi Chengyue¡¯s opening cleverly.

    ¡°Big brother¡¯s girlfriend is Song Yu,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    Xia Wenna¡¯s hand that was holding the teacup jerked slightly and trembled so faintly that it was almost unnoticeable. However, she regained herposure right away.

    ¡°Song Yu? Are you referring to the one I¡¯m thinking?¡± Xia Wenna¡¯s expression became serious.

    ¡°Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. I attended the gathering of Jixia High School today and heard rumors about it but I couldn¡¯t believe it. I was nning to find big brother tonight to ask him, but I saw him carrying Song Yu on his back and entering the house. Aunty, can you imagine big brother piggybacking someone? I was shocked when I saw that. He chased me away after that. Looks like he¡¯s very serious about Song Yu.¡±

    Qi Chengyue took a sip of tea and posed in a righteous look, ¡°I don¡¯t have the liberty to tell others about big brother¡¯s business. Nheless, everybody knew that Song Yu was previously engaged to fourth brother. Also, the bankruptcy of the Song family stirred up quite the news and all those within our circle knew about it. Now she¡¯s with big brother, and if this goes out... there¡¯s no guarantee of how nasty the rumors are going to be.

    Furthermore, I¡¯m the one managing the finances of the hotel infrastructures. However, big brother put me on leave and banned me from handling matters rted to the hotel just because Song Yu and I had different opinions. Before this, big brother isn¡¯t someone who mixes up his profession with his personal life.¡±

    Xia Wenna listened quietly without saying a word. After Qi Chengyue finished, she said nonchntly, ¡°We¡¯re aware of this.¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked at Qi Zhongliang with an uncertain expression and proceeded to turn and look at Xia Wenna. Were they going to express their opinion instead of just a simple sentence like this?

    However, she dared not say anything further as it may result in a counter-effect. She still could not judge the situation when she left.

    After Qi Chengyue was gone, Xia Wenna and Qi Zhongliang went back to the bedroom. Xie Wenna asked, ¡°What do you think about this?

    ¡°Chengzhi is not one that will cross the boundaries. About what happened to Qi Chengyue during work, just listen and forget about it,¡± Qi Zhongliang said as he changed into his silk pajamas.

    ¡°I¡¯m not referring to that. I was talking about Song Yu. I¡¯m not bothered about what happened at work as I believe in Chengzhi. Nevertheless, she did mention one thing right. Song Yu¡¯s been engaged to Qi Chengji in the past, and now she¡¯s with Chengzhi. After what happened to Chengze, mum and dad told us not to judge their status or force them into an arranged marriage anymore. Also, Chengzhi is already thirty-four years old and haven¡¯t gotten a girlfriend yet. I¡¯ll be thanking Buddha if he can get married and have kids regardless of the girl¡¯s family background. However, to be with someone who was the fiancee of your own brother, this is...¡±

    ¡°If worsees to worst, just introduce him to a few decent ones,¡± Qi Zhongliang replied.

    ...

    ...

    On the second day, Qi Chengzhi sent Song Yu to the office. She went to the pharmacy and bought some morning-after pills during her lunch break.

    He was not prepared when they did it in the carst night, and she had forgotten about it as well.

    She heard that the morning-after pill could be taken within 72 hours after having unprotected sex. Hopefully, it would work.

    When she got off from work that evening, Qi Chengzhi came to pick her up. Song Yu told him that she wanted to go back to her condominium. She was quite worried as it had been several days since she went home.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her without a word. In the end, his Range Rover was parked at the basement of Song Yu¡¯s condo.

    When they opened the door, Song Yu thought of the keys and she could not help but ask him, ¡°When are you returning my keys?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Qi Chengzhi just went straight in and looked around her normal-sized condominium as if he was examining the ce. His towering physique looked like as if he filled up the whole room. Finally, he entered the bedroom.

    When Song Yu changed into her shoes and checked through the whole house to ensure that everything was fine, she followed him into the bedroom. She saw that Qi Chengzhi was staring at the drawer where she kept her lingerie.

    His handsome face looked gentle from the side. The corner of his mouth was curved slightly¡ªseemed like he was in a very good mood.

    Then, his slender fingers picked up one of her panties and put it in his hands to examine carefully. It was smaller than both of his extended palms.

    Song Yu¡¯s face became flushed instantly. She ran over and snatched the panty from his hands, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t I have a look at it?¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled and looked at her teasingly. A spark ignited in his mysterious ck eyes when he sized her up from top to bottom, ¡°I saw what you¡¯re wearing inside this morning.¡±

    Song Yu was so embarrassed that she unknowingly rolled the panty in her hand into a ball. The scene of a grown man holding such a skimpy panty was just too provocative.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her, half-smiling, and circled his arms around in a swift movement. His burning palm pressed against her waist, where she was only wearing a thin shirt that she only wore indoors. He tightened his embrace and locked her in his arms.

    He lowered his head. The lines on his lips looked softer as he curled his lips slightly. He pressed them at the corner of his eyes and nuzzled gently, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to keep the underwear that I boughtst time.¡±

    Song Yu lowered her head and saw the men¡¯s underwear beside her own panties. She could feel her face started to burn immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi closed the drawer and turned around to look at her. He circled her with both his arms around her waist and tightened them.

    His head was kept lowered, with his burning lips grazing downwards slowly from the corner of her eye to her lips. He sniffed the refreshing scent of her lips as if he would never have enough of them.

    He used the tip of his tongue to trace the corners of her lips deliberately, his hot breath wafted on the corner of her lips and cheek, ¡°Since your tenancy is expiring within less than two months,e and stay with me. You¡¯ve stayed at my ce for a few nights. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re used to it by now?¡±

    Song Yu did not want to act pretentiously. When she came to think about it, if she did not go over to his ce, he woulde to hers. There was no difference in doing that. This man would never let her live alone.

    She kept this ce without moving officially to Viewpark Residence was because she wanted to maintain her own independence.

    However, she seemed to be more and more dependent on him as he was always around.

    ¡°Pack things up tonight and we¡¯lle over tomorrow to move the rest, hmm?¡± His voice sounded deep and smooth, soothing her heart in a way thatforted her.

    Those slender, deft fingers pried open the lower hems of her shirt discreetly and crawled up the delicate skin on her back. They moved their way upwards bit by bit, grazing her skin with those rough finger beds. The sensation was so ticklish that it made her body shook violently.

    Song Yu could not hold it in and whimpered. Her whole body copsed in his embrace.

    His lips were pressed against hers from the start. When she opened her mouth, the movement of her lips also rubbed against his.

    ¡°I was about to tell you that tomorrow is my dad¡¯s birthday. I n to go home and apany my parents,¡± Song Yu said softly, her bright red cheeks felt tingly as if there were electricity coursing through them.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow then,¡± his tone was calm and determined, not allowing any further discussions on this issue.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Atst, she started packing her luggage after his carrot-and-stick approach.

    The first thing Qi Chengzhi went for was her lingerie. Song Yu stood aside and looked at him, speechless.

    Both of them packed two luggage bags. Song Yu did not own much. She would not bring everything over as this was just a temporary living space.

    After packing the two luggage bags, there was not much left. Only a few misceneous items remained unpacked. It would be easily cleared in one go if theye over on Sunday.

    Qi Chengzhi met with Aunt Zhang who was living next door when he was loading the luggage into the trunk.

    Aunt Zhang¡¯s eyes were gleaming with a gossipy expression when she askedughingly, ¡°You guys are moving or going somewhere for holiday?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not say a thing and just stood there in an extravagant stance. The reason he chatted with Aunt Zhang thest time was to get into Song Yu¡¯s house. Since Qi Chengzhi had no demands this time around, there was no need to waste his breath.

    Song Yu could not think of how to answer her. Aunt Zhang understood the whole situation when she saw Song Yu blushing, ¡°Moving to live with your boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Uh...uhm,¡± since she guessed it correctly, Song Yu did not hide further and said directly, ¡°Aunt Zhang, my tenancy is due in two months time. I¡¯ll drop by from time to time. Can you please look after the house for me when I¡¯m not around?¡±

    ¡°No worries, I don¡¯t sleep as much as before at this age of mine. I¡¯m not a deep sleeper, I can hear even the slightest movement. I can guarantee that it¡¯ll be taken care of when I¡¯m at home,¡± Aunt Zhang saidughingly. She could not resist it and fixated her gaze on the Range Rover behind her.

    ¡°Wow, what a huge car! Definitely costs a lot right? What¡¯s your boyfriend working as?¡± Aunt Zhang turned her focus onto Qi Chengzhi. This man exuded out an aloof aura that she had never encountered before.

    Even the son-inw of Lao Chen from building two that owned apany did not possess such elegance.

    Song Yu withheld the truth from Aunt Zhang and just briefly skimmed through before bidding farewell.

    Qi Chengzhi did not drive her back to Viewpark Residence, they went to a French restaurant instead. Song Yu felt that he must be having a great mood, or else they would not be having French cuisine. Although French dining was romantic and refined, it was very time-consuming. A meal might take several hours and Qi Chengzhi usually does not have that sort of patience.

    While Song Yu was in the bathroom, Qi Chengzhi received a phone call from home. It was from Xia Wenna.

    ¡°Tomorrow?¡± Qi Chengzhi said stoically.

    ¡°Yes, I heard that Dynasty recently hired a three-star Michelin chef when I was ying mahjong today. They invented many new dishes. You haven¡¯te home for quite some time, let¡¯s gather tomorrow and try out the new dishes at Dynasty,¡± Xia Wenna held the phone nervously while she waited for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply. This son of hers was so intuitive that she was afraid he could sense something wrong through her tone.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes and guessed that they probably nned a blind-date for him.

    It was expected that Qi Chengyue went to gossip to Xia Wenna as she wished nothing but the worst for Song Yu. He would be rather suspicious if Qi Chengyue did not mention about it.

    There would not be such a coincidence for Xia Wenna to call him today when he chased Qi Chengyue out yesterday night.

    Nevertheless, since Xia Wenna did not want to tell him, he just yed along.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll head over tomorrow,¡± Qi Chengzhi agreed.

    Xia Wenna was relieved when she hung up the phone. Luckily he did not notice anything.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu woke up early the next morning. Qi Chengzhi was still sound asleep. Originally, he was holding her when they fell asleep but when she woke up, she flipped his arm and he followed the motion and turned on his back while sleeping.

    He kicked the nket off until it was only covering below his abdomen, revealing his muscr abs that looked rock solid. His arms were resting on his abdomen as he continued to sleep soundly.

    Song Yu tiptoed over to his side after getting dressed. While asleep, his thin lips were closed rxedly, but the lines were still sharp. His eyes looked much softer, probably due to the reason that it was closed, hiding away its intensity.

    She indulged herself by looking at the man¡¯s features while he was asleep. The more she looked, the more she found him wless.

    Some people looked good on the first impression. However, the more you look at them, you would easily discover the imperfections in their features. She could not find any blemishes on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    Song Yu could not help but stare at the gorgeous-looking face that softened up during sleep. She felt warm-hearted when she thought of him lying by her side every night, cherishing her so caringly in his arms.

    She could not resist and lowered her head to nt a kiss on his soft, warm lips.

    When she was about to get up, her waist was mped down suddenly and fell right into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. When she looked up, her eyes met with a pair of bottomless pits.

    It was obvious that she got caught red-handed stealing a kiss. Song Yu blushed in embarrassment. She dare not look at his eyes, not to mention his lips and ended up staring at his bare chest.

    ¡°When did you wake up?¡± She asked quietly with a flushed face.

    ¡°When you kissed me,¡± the corner of his lips curled slightly. His voice was raspy and sluggish as he had just woken up. It was as if every sound of his voice tickled her sensitive spot.

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu was at a loss of words, the man¡¯s voice was so pleasant and sinful at the same time.

    ¡°Do you like me that much?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked raspily. When Song Yu did not answer him, he hugged her closely with his strong embrace and pressed her against him. The burning thing between his legs embedded into hers, which twitched due to his sudden movements.

    Song Yu¡¯s whole body tightened as she took a deep breath, matching his with a gush of moisture.

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu was so embarrassed that she could not utter a single word when she saw his teasing face. This man got such a nerve, the public was misguided by how the magazines described him as a calm and mature person.

    She propped herself against the mattress beside him and struggled to get up, ¡°Let me up first.¡±

    Instead, Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace and flipped over suddenly to pin her down on the bed. He pressed her soft body down and buried his face in her neck and inhaled, and continued to pepper her with kisses.

    ¡°Apany me to sleep for a while more,¡± his face was buried in her neck when he said it. His burning lips grazed against her skin, the stubble that grew overnight scraped across her skin, which caused an itching sensation and a slight soreness.

    ¡°You¡¯ve forgotten that I¡¯m going home today,¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice changed along with her rapid, shallow breathing. Her tummy contracted rhythmically together with his kisses.

    ¡°...¡±, Qi Chengzhi did not say a word. His burning palms slid to her ankles stealthily and hoisted her skirt up.

    His thin lips worked its way up from her neck to the corner of her lips, where it gave a few pecks before moving on to the cheeks, the corner of her eyes, followed by her eyes, between her brows, and went back down along her nose. He kept rotating between these ces for a few rounds but always avoided her lips.

    Song Yu pouted her mouth and leaned forward to press against his lip line eagerly. She did not have second thoughts, some might even say that she was the initiating one.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled against her lips as if he wasughing at her eagerness.

    Song Yu could feel his dextrous, slender fingers climb from her ankles to her waist and hook onto her pantyhose. With her eyes half-closed, she could feel the prominent bone structure of his fingers which was elegant and intricate.

    Song Yu embedded all ten of her fingers onto his shoulders and could not say a word. She could only make whimpering sounds and moaned gently. Suddenly, she bit down on his shoulder in the middle of nting messy kisses.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu hummed.

    Qi Chengzhi responded to her call by kissing her more passionately.

    Song Yu could not resist and put her arms around his neck before biting into his lips and suck feverishly as if she was going to swallow his lips into her mouth.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Qi Chengzhi gave a throaty chuckle after seeing her reaction.

    ...

    ...

    When Qi Chengzhi was all dressed up and left the house with Song Yu, his face looked rejuvenated.

    Song Yu was beside him where she nced at him with her wobbly legs. Looking at his mature, restrained demeanor, she thought to herself, ¡®Who would think that he¡¯s capable of such indecency in the bedroom this morning.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi drove Song Yu home, but he parked the Range Rover at the entrance of the residence.

    While Song Yu was releasing her seatbelt, she saw his hand on the gear with his slender fingers wrapped around it elegantly.

    She turned around all of a sudden and ced her hands on his shoulders to prop herself up before giving a peck on the corner of his mouth, ¡°Drive safe and take care.¡± Then, she proceeded to get down of the car hurriedly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze softened while he gazed at her back.

    She always said this exact phrase almost every single time. He was really touched by her gesture.

    Song Yu received a short text from Qi Chengzhi once she entered the building, ¡°I¡¯lle over to pick you up tonight.¡±

    It was as if he was worried that she would stay overnight. Song Yu replied to him with an ¡°okay¡± with a blushing face as she recalled what happened in the morning. She felt that Qi Chengzhi had quite a demand in that area and wondered if the amount was normal.

    She took out her keys to open the door when she arrived. She heard people chatting casually inside, but only one person spoke the majority of the time. She was curious about who else woulde over.

    She never expected it would be Jian Yi¡¯s parents, Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan.

    ¡°Song Yu¡¯s back!¡± Zhou Mingyan saidughingly.

    Song Yu smiled and greeted them before sitting down.

    Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan just arrived not long ago. Zhou Mingyan took the ck purse beside her and ced it on her legs. The purse was quite bulky and it looked rather garish on her legs.

    Song Yu nced at it casually and saw that it was a Herm¨¨s Birkin bag. Jian Yi¡¯s parents were just working-ss people. Zhou Mingyan used to haggle prices when she bought groceries, how was it possible that she would purchase a bag that costs two years of theirbined sry.

    One would have known who gave this bag after giving some thought. However, the bag that Zhou Mingyan ced on her legs looked out of ce as if a child was carrying an adult bag.

    Zhou Mingyan caught onto Yu Qianying¡¯s gaze and boastedughingly, ¡°Oh, Jian Yi¡¯s fianc¨¦e gave it to me. I heard that this costs more than a hundred thousand. I told her that it was too expensive but she insisted on giving it to me.¡±

    After saying that, she held the bag high up and shook her head while making clicking noises with her tongue, ¡°Tsk, tsk... A bag like that costs more than a hundred thousand, such a scam isn¡¯t it? Only that daughter-inw of mine would be willing to pay for this. It could be that she¡¯s the daughter of a millionaire so a hundred thousand means nothing to her.¡±

 Chapter 96 - Did You Follow Him Intentionally After Knowing That Heâ€™s Having A Blind Date Here?

    <h4>Chapter 96: Did You Follow Him Intentionally After Knowing That He¡¯s Having A Blind Date Here?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After saying that, she held the bag high up and shook her head while making clicking noises with her tongue, ¡°Tsk, tsk... A bag like that costs more than a hundred thousand, such a scam isn¡¯t it? Only that daughter-inw of mine would be willing to pay for this. It could be that she¡¯s the daughter of a millionaire. A hundred thousand meant nothing to her.¡±

    Yu Qianying smiled reluctantly. Not to mention that she felt ufortable, not jealous, when Zhou Mingyan unted intentionally. She thought about what kind of statement was she trying to make¡ªwas it ill-intentioned?

    Moreover, Zhou Mingyan was aware of what happened between Jian Yi and Song Yu. She even mentioned how nice it would be if the two children could be together. Now that she had a rich daughter-inw, she forgot everything that she had said before.

    Yu Qianying only heard from Song Yu that Jian Yi already has a girlfriend. She did not give much thought about it, partly because Song Yu did not tell her the details. That was also why Yu Qianying was not too ufortable with it.

    However, Zhou Mingyan came to her doorstep to boast about how rich the woman that Jian Yi was going to marry was. It sounded as if they were abandoning Song Yu for her money. Yu Qianying was not okay with this.

    Zhou Mingyan took out an invitation card and passed it to her, ¡°Jian Yi is getting married on the 19th of next month. Please grant us with your presence. Don¡¯t have to prepare any mary gift, your presence is good enough. Our daughter-inw¡¯s family doesn¡¯t care about the amount.¡±

    The words of Zhou Mingyan was so repulsive that Yu Qianying could not even maintain the stiffened smile on her face.

    With that being said, she was implying that they were like beggars inparison to them. Their mary gift would be such a small amount that it was negligible.

    This was just another way of saying that they were poor!

    If it was not that they found a rich daughter-inw, the Jian family was worse off than theirs!

    Even before the Song family went bankrupt, they had never once looked down upon the Jian family. What was Zhou Mingyan implying at this moment!

    Just because they gained some wealth from someone else, they came here to unt it in their faces! Are they nuts?!

    Yu Qianying received the invitation with a strained face, ¡°Sure, if that¡¯s the case we won¡¯t follow the tradition. Nowadays, it¡¯s such a pain to worry about the mary gift for the wedding. It should be a celebratory event, but to cause misery upon others would bring no good, others will not give their sincere wishes as well, am I right?¡±

    Yu Qianying opened the invitation while she spoke. Her expression darkened when she saw the bride¡¯s name.

    She obviously knew the rtionship between the Song and Qi families. What was she trying to achieve by sending her the invitation!

    Jian Yi got together with Qi Chengyue secretly and still misled them that Song Yu was the person that he liked. Furthermore, he kepting to their doorstep even though he was about to be the son-inw of the Qi family. How could he be so thick-skinned!

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression changed and said awkwardly, ¡°Aiya, this... I was too preupied with my son¡¯s marriage and forgotten about you guys and the Qi family... haha, it¡¯s okay if you guys can¡¯t be there. I¡¯ll send over the wedding candies.¡±

    ¡°Actually, it would be best if you can let it go. So many years had passed. Or else, the one that suffers the most is yourself,¡± Zhou Mingyan continued, ¡°About this... you¡¯re not upset about Jian Yi marrying Chengyue right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, Jian Yi is not rted to us. What rights do we have to interfere with his choice? We¡¯re not so demanding,¡± Yu Qianying said coldly.

    ¡°Haha!¡± Zhou Mingyanughed dryly, ¡°In fact, we never thought that we would get involved with the Qi family. Even though Chengyue was ady from a noble family, she had no temper or any air of superiority. She treats us extremely well and cares deeply for Jian Yi. In the beginning, I was worried that Jian Yi has to lower himself in front of Chengyue, that he¡¯ll be taken advantage of. However, I find that Chengyue really loves Jian Yi after spending some time with her. She always put him first and that¡¯s really hard toe by.

    Also, the Qi family is rather sincere. They didn¡¯t look down upon us. The engagement dinner was not too borated, only a few close family members gathered together for a meal. We thought that there¡¯s no need to be too extravagant. A grand wedding would suffice. Even so, it¡¯ll be held at Dynasty. Haha...¡± Zhou Mingyan touched her bag and said, ¡°This is my first time going to such a ssy ce to eat. I heard that without the card given by Dynasty, you wouldn¡¯t be able to have a private room. Haha...¡±

    Zhou Mingyan quiet down gradually and looked at Song Yu awkwardly before saying, ¡°We all thought that Jian Yi will be with Song Yu. They lookpatible, but who knew... aish, who can predict fate, am I right? Donglin, Qianying, I¡¯m sorry about that!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for. You also said that we can¡¯t force them if it was not meant to be. Furthermore, we were guessing ourselves without asking for our children¡¯s opinions. Song Yu only sees Jian Yi as her friend, nothing more,¡± Yu Qianyingughed to contend her. She drank a mouthful of tea and could not appease her anger.

    ¡°Is it?¡± Zhou Mingyan was obviously doubting her words. She put on a fake smile and said, ¡°If it¡¯s true, I¡¯m relieved. My whole body felt uneasy once I thought that Jian Yi might have hurt Song Yu¡¯s feelings. I scolded him that day. By the way, Song Yu¡¯s still single at this age? Song Yu, what type of guy do you like? I¡¯ll help you look around. There are many colleagues of mine that have decent children.¡±

    Song Yu was about to brush it off when Qi Chengzhi called her. ¡°Excuse me,¡± Song Yu said before returning to her room and answering the phone call.

    Yu Qianying said smilingly, ¡°Song Yu¡¯s too busy with work, that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t have the time for it. Based on our daughter¡¯s qualities, she can still choose and pick. There¡¯s no need topromise with any Tom, Dick, and Harry. Nowadays, youngsters her age won¡¯t be able to achieve her level of sess without relying on their family background.¡±

    Song Yu could hear Yu Qianying even though she closed the door.

    ¡°I booked a room at Dynasty tonight. Since it¡¯s your father¡¯s birthday, bring them to Dynasty for a meal. I¡¯ve ordered and paid for the dishes. You guys can just go and enjoy,¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow voice sounded from the phone.

    The new phone had great sound quality without any sound leakage. It felt as if he was speaking into her ear. Song Yu¡¯s heart calmed down when she heard his voice.

    Song Yu did not reject Qi Chengzhi¡¯s kind gesture and replied with a supple ¡°okay¡±.

    After ending the call with Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu exited her bedroom and went back to the living room. She saw Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan stood up and bid farewell to her parents.

    Yu Qianying did not even say the conventional greeting to keep them when they left. The moment both of them left, Yu Qianying pointed at the door and shook in anger, ¡°This Zhou Mingyan, what did she mean by saying all that! Who was the one who pestered her all the time and told me that Jian Yi liked our daughter? Look at her gloating in front of us today, acting all new money on us. She doesn¡¯t even know how to boast properly!

    She insisted oning even though she knew about what happened between the Qi family and us. Is she provoking me on purpose? When did we mistreat them when we were in our good days? We did not look down upon them even if they were from the working-ss, neither did we ban Song Yu from befriending Jian Yi. We would always let Jian Yi bring home a portion if we have something good. She came today as if I bullied her in the past and she¡¯s having her revenge! She looks like someone who¡¯s intoxicated by sess! What even is this!¡±

    ...

    ...

    On the other side, Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan were walking out of themunity. Jian Shifu could not help but let out a sigh beforeining, ¡°Why did you say all those things out of the blue? Of all girls, why did Jian Yi choose to be with thedy from Qi family, he even hid it from Song Yu. Jian Yi¡¯s at fault in the first ce, why must youe and rub it in their face!¡±

    Zhou Mingyan could not even pronounce the name of the bag. Before she left the house today, she tried on all of her clothes in her cab. After trying out for half a day, she chose this outfit to match this hundred thousand bag, but it still looked like she was carrying a fake.

    ¡°What about me? When the Song family was rich, they looked down on us. On the surface, they gave us many things but it was all their leftovers. We¡¯re not beggars, why should we be their charity case? Even when they went bankrupt, Yu Qianying was still arrogant. Who is she showing off to?¡± Zhou Mingyan smirked snarkily. She felt her whole body was relieved, ¡°Now that the tides have turned, we can assist them in the future.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Jian Shifu did not know what to say to her. He let out a sigh helplessly and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Zhou Mingyan stood at themunity entrance and yanked him back when she saw Jian Shifu turning to a corner and continue to walk.

    ¡°To the station. Aren¡¯t you going home?¡± Jian Shifu asked in confusion.

    ¡°The public bus? We¡¯re going to be rtives by marriage with the Qi family starting from the next month. The Qi family from the Eight Great Families, are you aware of that? Those reporters will be scrutinizing our every moment. If they took a picture of us taking the bus, how pathetic will we look? We¡¯ll also shame the Qi family, what if they me it on Jian Yi then?¡± Zhou Mingyan stood by the roadside and looked around for an empty taxi, ¡°We¡¯ll take the cab from now onwards. Let¡¯s ask Jian Yi to buy us a car. If not, just tell our daughter-inw directly. It¡¯s just a car, no need to be too luxurious. A couple hundred thousand will do, it¡¯ll not be a problem for the Qi family right?¡±

    Zhou Mingyan waved her hand while she spoke, a taxi parked near her.

    After getting into the car, Jian Shifu shook his head, ¡°You¡¯ll need to learn how to drive if you want to buy a car! Isn¡¯t this too much for a fifty-year-old?¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t know how to drive, learn it then!¡± Zhou Mingyan said it without giving a thought, ¡°It¡¯s only a matter of months, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Jian Shifu stared at her and shook his head again. ¡®Just continue to pretend!¡¯ he thought to himself.

    ...

    ...

    That night, Song Yu did not mention where they were heading to eat. She just told Song Donglin and Yu Qianying to follow her. Only when they reached Dynasty, both of the elders changed their expressions and stared at each other for a few instances.

    They used to be regr customers of Dynasty. They knew about how Dynasty operate.

    After fulfilling all their requirements, they would need to buy a VIP card in order to have their own private VIP room. The grand hall had no such rules, but the price range of its dishes were so expensive that it could not be afforded by themoners.

    They had never been here since they dered bankruptcy. When they looked at it again today, the ancient architectural style seemed to be even more magnificent and unattainable.

    ¡°Song Yu, it¡¯s just a birthday. We can go to some other hotel. Why here?¡± Song Donglin pulled Song Yu over and lowered his voice, afraid that the bellboy would overhear them.

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I borrowed the VIP card from Wei Ran. I want to treat you a nice meal on your birthday,¡± Song Yu said smilingly. She had no choice but to use Wei Ran¡¯s name.

    At that time, Qi Chengji fell head over heels for Wei Ran and ignored his engagement. Yu Qianying did have opinions about Wei Ran, but she went on and married Wei Ziqi, and so she slowly put those judgments away.

    Song Yu gently squeezed Yu Qianying¡¯s hand and said in a lowered voice, ¡°You guys haven¡¯t been here since the bankruptcy right? Mum, you don¡¯t have to bother about what Jian Yi¡¯s mum said. We too can afford Dynasty. Although we may not be able to dine there so frequently, I can still afford toe once in a while.¡±

    Only then Yu Qianying stopped refusing.

    The manager could recognize Song Yu since she came here with Qi Chengzhi before. Qi Chengzhi also specifically reminded him not to blow the cover.

    The service at Dynasty had always been very good. Therefore, even though the manager was especially respectful towards Song Yu, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying did not find it suspicious.

    Yu Qianying was aware of the prices when the dishes were served. After the server left, she started to feel regret. Song Yu had to promise her several times that she could afford it. She saved up the year-end bonus for this, only then did Yu Qianying stoppedmenting any further.

    Although Yu Qianying said that she was worried, both Song Donglin and Yu Qianying enjoyed the meal very much.

    Both of them had not experienced such enjoyment in years. Dynasty used to be only a casual meal to them, but they had to worry about the price of the food now. This made Song Yu¡¯s heart feel sour.

    The faces of Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were filled with reminiscence and mncholy when they experienced the familiar taste and sensations.

    Song Yu could not help but think of Qi Chengzhi. She was sincerely grateful for his thoughtful gesture.

    She took her phone, gave an excuse, and exited the room. Just when she turned around, she collided head-on into someone.

    Song Yu was knocked back a few steps, where she lost her bnce and smashed onto the wall.

    She frowned in pain. Before she could even react, she heard someone scolding arrogantly from the opposite side, ¡°Watch out your steps! Why are you staring at your cell phone instead of where you¡¯re going? Your eyes are useless if you don¡¯t use it!¡±

    Qi Chengyue was stunned when she realized that the person that collided into her was Song Yu. Unexpectedly, she chuckled lightly, ¡°Song Yu, I didn¡¯t know it was you!¡±

    Song Yu frowned and pursed her lips. She did not want to waste her breath on her. She would not apologize as Qi Chengyue was the one who barged towards her.

    When Song Yu turned around to go back into the room without calling Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chengyue voiced out from her back enigmatically, ¡°Eh? What a coincidence to see you here. You can¡¯t be with my big brother, right? He¡¯s here for a meal too. Did you follow him intentionally after knowing that he¡¯s having a blind date here?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s paused her footsteps stiffly and restrained herself from turning around. However, Qi Chengyue was not going to let her go like this. Her voice became sharper after increasing the pitch, ¡°Oh, so you didn¡¯t know that he¡¯s here for a blind date? Didn¡¯t he tell you?¡±

    Qi Chengyue chuckled lightly and pull the strands of hair behind her ears. Then, she strutted in her stilettos and walked right up to Song Yu, where she leaned against the wall and snickered sarcastically, ¡°Seems like my big brother is not so serious about you after all! He¡¯s attending blind dates when he¡¯s with you. You¡¯re just a ything to him! Did he sleep with you and got bored?¡±

    ¡°As ady from the Qi family speaking such profanity in a ce like Dynasty, aren¡¯t you afraid that someone may overhear you?¡± Song Yu gave her a cold stare, her hands that were hidden between the hem of her skirt had been balled up into trembling fists.

    She was falling deep and fast for Qi Chengzhi. Based on her understanding of him, she believed that he would not condone such a despicable act. However, the persistence in Qi Chengyue¡¯s words still made her ufortable inside as if something was biting her heart and it was hurting a lot.

    ¡°Haha, I personalize my words. In front of a bitch, I¡¯m worried that you can¡¯t understand me if I spoke decently!¡± Qi Chengyue crossed her arms and hugged her chest. She sized up Song Yu by scanning her gaze up and down in disdain.

    ¡°Oh, you reminded me of something! Big brother¡¯s blind date today is ady from the Yu family. I think it¡¯s someone rted to your mum¡¯s side! Yu Keyao, is she your cousin sister?¡±

    Since the Song family dered bankruptcy, Yu Qianying¡¯s rtives were afraid that Song Donglin woulde running to them for help. They had cut ties with Yu Qianying right away and refused to recognize her.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s parents had passed away even before they went bankrupt, leaving behind a few sisters and brothers but they were not very close.

    ¡°With that being said, your cousin sister really does resemble your features. She¡¯s younger than you and I think my big brother has quite a good impression of her. Men right, they won¡¯t cherish you after they got what they wanted. Besides, your cousin sister is from a noble family. In terms of status and elegance, she¡¯s much better than you. You were not bad yourself back in the days, but too bad, you were dulled by those difficult times,¡± Qi Chengyue shook her head gently while clicking her tongue.

    ¡°It¡¯s only normal for my big brother to like her. You¡¯re just something new to him, nothing more than that,¡± Qi Chengyue sized her up incessantly and snickered. ¡°You can¡¯t just climb your way into the Qi family. Just be contented and find a normal guy. With your looks, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult for you to find someone. However, there¡¯s only so much you can give and the other aspects are just fit for amoner.¡±

    Suddenly, Qi Chengyue¡¯s sweet-looking face turned into a vicious, cunning expression, ¡°Don¡¯t think that you can get your revenge on me by being with big brother, marrying into the Qi family and step on me. Jian Yi doesn¡¯t want you and you¡¯re just a nobody in my brother¡¯s eyes!¡±

    No matter how much turmoil was going on inside Song Yu¡¯s heart, her face remained expressionless as if she did not hear a word from Qi Chengyue. She said coldly with those rose pink lips, ¡°Which room?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Qi Chengyue was stunned. She asked with astonishment, ¡°Why are you asking this? Are you doubting what I¡¯ve just said? Do you want to go and verify yourself?¡±

    ¡°So what if I do?¡± Song Yu nced at her impatiently, ¡°Which room?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re at Donige. Go and see it yourself if you dare. Prove that I¡¯m not lying.¡± Song Yu already turned around and left before Qi Chengyue finished talking.

    Qi Chengyue was shocked. She could not believe that Song Yu had the courage to go over. She followed behind to see whether she was just bluffing.

    Song Yu did not stop throughout the walk there and came to a halt in front of the door of Donige. Qi Chengyue looked at her in surprise as she did not expect her to reallye over.

    At that moment, she thought that Song Yu was finally going to give in. Instead, she saw Song Yu ced her hand on the doorknob and rotated it without hesitation and opened the door.

    Song Yu remained at the doorstep. The people inside were also startled and turned towards her with astonishment.

    She was more or less familiar with the people inside, including Qi Zhongliang, Xia Wenna and Qi Chengzhi who was sitting beside them with a cigarette between his pale, slender fingers. He looked as refined as always. Yu Zidong, who was sitting diagonally from Qi Chengzhi was slightly unamazed, but he ignored his displeasure and continued to exhale the cigarette smoke.

    Sitting opposite of them was Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua. They were Song Yu¡¯s maternal uncle and aunt. Her cousin sister was sitting beside them, Yu Keyao, where she also sat directly opposite of Qi Chengzhi. The one that received the worst treatment from his second-hand smoke was also Yu Keyao.

    In actual fact, Qi Chengzhi had just arrived moments ago. He predicted that this meal was not merely a simple gathering. He camete on purpose and let the crowd wait for him. When he saw Yu Zidong and his family when he arrived here, he understood instantly and arched his eyebrow.

    He sat down without saying a word, not even a single apology. His coat was suffused with the chilly weather, but he did not take it off before lighting up a cigarette. If it was somebody else, the three people opposite of him would already make a scene. However, Yu Zidong could only suppress his anger even though he was furious that the person sitting opposite him was Qi Chengzhi.

 Chapter 97 - I Agreed to A Family Dinner, Not Dinner with A Blind Date

    <h4>Chapter 97: I Agreed to A Family Dinner, Not Dinner with A Blind Date</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He sat down without saying a word, not even a single apology. His coat was suffused with the chilly weather, but he did not take it off before lighting up a cigarette. If it was somebody else, the three people opposite of him would already make a scene. However, Yu Zidong could only suppress his anger even though he was furious at the person sitting across him was Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Keyao seemedpletely unfazed by the choking smoke that Qi Chengzhi was puffing out. Her monochrome eyes were filled with admiration as they stared adoringly at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s elegant face. He was nothing but handsome in her eyes, and his entire body¡ªeven his fingernails¡ªwere mesmerizing to her.

    At that moment, everyone felt awkward when they saw Song Yu standing at the door.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi seemed to be the only two people whose expressions did not change.

    ¡°Sorry, wrong room,¡± Song Yu said inly and turned to leave without even looking at Qi Chengzhi.

    When Song Yu turned and walked off, she saw an obvious expression of surprise on Qi Chengyue¡¯s face.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes and mouth were wide open as she looked at Song Yu, but she closed her mouth hurriedly only after noticing that Song Yu was walking over. Qi Chengyue did not intend to disy her expression of awe, but her movements were too little toote.

    She never expected that Song Yu would have had such guts!

    Moreover, Song Yu was able to maintain a poker face even though she saw clearly that Qi Chengzhi was in the midst of a blind date.

    Qi Chengyue squinted. She was hardly convinced that Song Yu was unmoved, surmising instead that the calmness was actually feigned!

    As Song Yu walked past, Qi Chengyue sneakily extended her foot out.

    When it came to being around Qi Chengyue, Song Yu retained a sort of intuition¡ªshe was much more aware of her surroundings and she would also have her guard up.

    Spotting Qi Chengyue¡¯s little maneuver, Song Yu walked over and lifted her leg ever so slightly. Without the slightest hesitation, she stomped her heel down on the foot that Qi Chengyue had extended to try and trip her.

    Song Yu made a conscious decision to wear high heels that day in order to match her dress better, so it came as no surprise that her act of stomping down made Qi Chengyue shriek in agony. It was so painful that tears began gushing out. Pale-faced, she slumped to the ground and retracted her leg immediately.

    The pain was so intense that she no longer cared about picking a fight with and scolding Song Yu. Standing up waspletely out of the question, let alone walking; she just sat on the floor without realizing that Song Yu had left. The only thing she was capable of doing was to lean back against the wall and tremble in anguish.

    Her miserable shriek prompted Xia Wenna toe out.

    ¡°Chengyue? What are you doing here?¡± Xia Wenna asked in surprise after noticing her. It was only natural that she did not want to make a big deal out of the blind date and invited other people, hence only her family was present.

    Qi Chengyue was in so much pain that her forehead began to sweat. With the wall as her support, she managed to stand back up although she struggled and shook while doing so. She positioned herself so her center of gravity was on her right foot, and as she leaned against the wall, her pale face mustered up the energy to sh a slight smile. ¡°I¡¯m having a meal with someone here at Dynasty. I didn¡¯t expect to bump into Song Yu when I arrived.¡±

    At the first mention of Song Yu, Xia Wenna could not help but look behind Qi Chengyue, but by then Song Yu was long gone.

    Xia Wenna sighed disappointedly because she was not able to do anything about the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    She and Yu Qianying were childhood friends, but because of that incident, they stopped keeping in contact with each other and went so far as to be enemies.

    In fact, at the time of the bankruptcy, Xia Wenna wanted to support the Song family through their difficulties.

    Back then, they had no choice when the Song family decided to cancel the marriage. When there was word of Qi Chengji¡¯s death in America, it was obvious that the marriage could no longer continue, but even though Qi Chengji came back and proved that it was all a misunderstanding, the Song family had already severed all ties with them. Meanwhile, Chengji had his heart set on Wei Ran, and no amount of persuading could snap him out of his obsession with her. The only logical conclusion was to ax the marriage.

    When all of that happened, Xia Wenna suggested that they help the Song family even though they canceled the marriage. Qi Chengzhi, however, objected. By that time, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s word was nearly gospel in any work-rted decisions, so Qi Zhongliang did not interfere and the matter ended there.

    After knowing that Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were together, Xia Wenna was very much against the two of them being in a rtionship. It was partly because Qi Chengji was her ex-fianc¨¦, but the in truth was that Xia Wenna missed the Song family, hence her decision to introduce Yu Keyao to Qi Chengzhi.

    Xia Wenna thought about how Yu Keyao looked simr to Song Yu, and if Qi Chengzhi liked that kind of woman, he might just take a liking to Yu Keyao.

    There was also the fact that the Yu family was Yu Qianying¡¯s maiden family. If the marriage seeded, Xia Wenna could be the intermediary and hopefully, the Yu family might be persuaded to help out Song Yu¡¯s family financially.

    Qi Chengyue concocted an excuse and left. Meanwhile, Xia Wenna re-entered the room. Her re-entrance made her realize how stifling the smoke waspared to when she was first inside the room.

    Xia Wenna frowned at Qi Chengzhi because she knew he was doing so on purpose. She told him, ¡°Chengzhi, maybe you could put out that cigarette? It¡¯s suffocating and you can see how smokey the room is.¡±

    His fingers clipped the cigarette as he opened his mouth and puffed out a cloud of smoke. He subsequently got up and walked to the door.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qi Zhongliang¡¯s expression turned sour and his tone became much sterner.

    ¡°The smoke is suffocating, isn¡¯t it? I¡¯m going out to smoke.¡± The cigarette was clipped between his lips, and his teeth gripped its butt. His rich voice was not too clear, and his hand was already on the door handle.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what your mother said? She said to stop smoking, not go out and smoke!¡± Qi Zhongliang had an unhappy expression. He had been holding his anger in from the moment Qi Chengzhi came in, but at that point, he found it hard to keep it in.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯ste arrival was one thing, smoking immediately upon arriving was another¡ªobviously, he was doing all that on purpose.

    Yu Keyao had a petnt expression when Qi Chengzhi got up.

    Looking at the deadlock between both sides, Yu Keyao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and uttered softly, ¡°Uncle, I actually don¡¯t mind a man who smokes. As long as it isn¡¯t too excessive, I wouldn¡¯t mind the smoking. Plus...¡±

    A red flush began appearing on Yu Keyao¡¯s face. Her attention was directed shyly onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back. He was facing outside, so Yu Keyao could only look at about three-quarters of his face from the side. In spite of that, her feelings were so stirred that she could not bear to look away.

    Not a word was spoken, although her eyes were full of passion. Her lips, which had pink lipstick applied to them, curled into a modest smile and she said gently, ¡°Plus... I think Big Brother Chengzhi is really charming when he smokes.¡±

    Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna were ted. Although their eldest son¡¯s attitude was nothing to be proud about, they were lucky to have a child whose handsomeness was capable of misleading a young woman¡¯s heart.

    They were very happy to see that in addition to Yu Keyao not being angry, she even had a look that was reminiscent of love at first sight.

    Qi Chengzhi shot Yu Keyao a stony look. She did not expect him to stare at her so suddenly, so she looked down bashfully. Her shy, blushing face was very much capable of eliciting tender affection from others.

    She took a deep breath and decided that she would look up at him and sh him a smile. She figured that a mature man like Qi Chengzhi would not fancy a woman who had no courage to look at him.

    Once she looked up however, her gentle and prepared smile stiffened on her lips. Qi Chengzhi was no longer in the room.

    All she heard was Xia Wenna¡¯s awkward constion. ¡°Keyao, don¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s that temper of his. No one can control him. Even his grandmother has been nagging about finding a woman to keep him in control.¡±

    Yu Keyao could only nod shyly.

    By then, Qi Chengzhi had already rushed over to Song Yu¡¯s room.

    He called her twice, but after two rings, the call was disconnected.

    Qi Chengzhi stood in the walkway outside Song Yu¡¯s room. He still had the cigarette between his lips and he looked down, causing the smoke to rise up and cover his vision gradually.

    He squinted and sent another text to Song Yu. [Come out, I¡¯m just outside of your room door.]

    She still did not reply.

    He stood at the walkway for fifteen minutes and he was almost finished with his cigarette. He narrowed his eyes as he mulled over a way to get Song Yu toe out. He took his phone and decided to send another message, but as soon as he did so, the room door clicked and he watched as it swung open.

    A sentence was on the brink of escaping from his mouth, but his thin and stern lips pursed tight immediately as he stared at the people who were leaving the room.

    Song Yu was not the only oneing out. Song Donglin and Yu Qianying followed closely behind.

    They came out not because Song Yu was finally willing to let him meet them, but it was because they finished their meals and decided to leave.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying werepletely satisfied with the meal, and a content smile adorned their faces. However, they went nk the second they spotted Qi Chengzhi standing outside the door.

    Song Yu did not even look at him as she turned and walked another way. Yu Qianying froze and looked at him without greeting him. Song Donglin was the only one who nodded at him.

    Qi Chengzhi followed silently behind them, but a soft voice suddenly came from ahead. ¡°Auntie, Uncle, you¡¯re here too?¡±

    Yu Keyao stood firmly in front of Song Yu. The former¡¯s white top and peach skirt lent her an air of grace and a bit of charm.

    She had somewhat of an educated and artsy appearance, albeit slightly contrived and not as natural as Song Yu.

    Yu Keyao pushed the hair away from her temples and spoke in a gentle and rxed tone, ¡°I saw elder cousin sister just now, and I didn¡¯t expect auntie and uncle to be here too.¡±

    Ever since Yu Qianying was no longer in contact with the Yu family, she was not that familiar with her niece, and even upon seeing her, there was no feeling of closeness. She asked rather stiffly, ¡°Came here to eat?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Yu Keyao nodded. ¡°My parents are here too. Are you leaving already?¡±

    Upon seeing Yu Qianying¡¯s nod, Yu Keyao remarked, ¡°Uncle, auntie, you cane over to our house when you have the time. It¡¯s been years since west saw you.¡±

    Yu Qianying did not believe that her niece would be so oblivious to the events and circumstances that happened between their families in the past. When Yu Keyao was saying those words, Yu Qianying remembered that Qi Chengzhi was behind them, and not one to be fooled, she knew who those words were really intended for.

    If there was one thing Yu Qianying hated with all her might, it was that kind of charade. Without bothering to be courteous, she sneered and said, ¡°We¡¯ll see about that when your dad and mom wee us themselves. You¡¯re just a small girl, it won¡¯t be nice of you to go against their wishes by simply making promises on their behalf.¡±

    Having finished speaking, she left without waiting to see Yu Keyao¡¯s awkwardly cramped expression.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi.¡± Song Yu, who walked ahead of everyone else, heard the intimacy of Yu Keyao¡¯s voice. ¡°Your mother told me toe and look for you.¡±

    She found it odd that Qi Chengzhi was walking with the Song family, but due to his frigid expression, she dismissed it as mere coincidence and not that he was in contact with the Song family.

    At some point, Qi Chengzhi lit up another cigarette. He took and deep puff and ignored Yu Keyao. He did not even look at her as he continued walking behind Song Donglin.

    Yu Keyao gnashed her teeth and followed behind Qi Chengzhi.

    He followed Song Yu up until they reached the entrance of Dynasty. He stood at the tform outside the door and watched as Song Yu called for a cab.

    Since he had been wearing his overcoat from the moment he arrived, he did not feel the least bit cold.

    On the other hand, Yu Keyao was only wearing a thin top and skirt, so by then, she was already shivering.

    She hugged herself and looked up at Qi Chengzhi, who was beside her, but he did not reciprocate her gaze.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, aren¡¯t you going in?¡± Yu Keyao finally could not take it any longer, and she asked him in a trembling voice.

    ¡°I¡¯ll smoke here at the entrance.¡± Rare indeed was the asion when Qi Chengzhi eventually did reply her. ¡°If you¡¯re cold, you can go inside.¡±

    Song Yu stood at the side of the road and felt Qi Chengzhi¡¯s piercing gaze on the back of her head. Her arms waved even more stiffly and uneasily when she was calling the cab.

    Things, however, were not going well for her. Either the cabs were full or an empty car would drive right past her with their eyes wide open.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stares made her even more irritated. The man was simply standing there quietly, smoking at Dynasty¡¯s entrance, and looking at her. ¡®What does he want?¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m not the one who secretly attended a blind date!¡¯

    She stole a nce at him and saw Yu Keyao still standing beside him. She was saying something to him softly, and she looked up at him as though she was admiring him. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s figure seemed to be evennkier than before.

    They looked so conspicuous together, and it really felt like they were the most well-matched young couple there ever was.

    The more she looked, the more she became angry, and she could not contain herself from letting out an audible ¡®Hmph¡¯.

    Yu Qianying heard her and thought that she had gotten angry because she was unable to hail a cab even though some of the cars were empty. Yu Qianying consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t be upset. If we can¡¯t get a car, we¡¯ll take the public bus. B City¡¯s taxis have always been difficult to get a hold of.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu?¡± At that instant, she heard a voice that seemed more happy than surprised. ¡°Uncle, auntie.¡±

    Song Yu looked over and saw that it was Li Zhuoan, whom she met previously at the Red Roof Club.

    Yu Qianying recognized him too. She had never been that familiar with the Li family, so when it came to Li Zhuoan, she neither felt close nor distant to him.

    After being given a friendly greeting, Li Zhuoan said, ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a cab at this sort of time. Where do you want to go? Let me send you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yu Qianying looked at Song Yu. Thetter did not know Li Zhuoan too well, and she also did not want to keep in touch with those other people from her past. When he offered to send them back, Song Yu was truly at a loss as to what she should reply.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ll take a cab back,¡± Song Yu outrightly refused. Even though she was angry at Qi Chengzhi, she would not think of going into another man¡¯s car right in front of him.

    She had always been the type who would not drag in a third party whenever she was angry. Doing so was childish, and being the mature adult that she was, she would not resort to using such methods to spite Qi Chengzhi. The best thing was for both of them to solve their own problems together. There was no need toplicate simple matters.

    ¡°Song Yu, can you treat this as an apology for what happened back at the Red Roof Club?¡± Li Zhuoan walked over to Song Yu and blocked her hand-waving movements from view.

    Yu Qianying heard their conversation and felt odd. ¡®Could they have met before?¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes and took a deep, intense puff.

    ¡°Look at how strong the wind is on this cold night. You¡¯re still unable to get a cab, and it¡¯s pointless to have your parents bear the cold here.¡± Li Zhuoan was being sincere. His eyes looked directly at Song Yu, making her take a half-step back. She was distancing herself from him subconsciously.

    She looked to the side and saw Song Donglin and Yu Qianying wrapped tightly in their down jackets. The wind made their hair messy, and their faces were beginning to redden.

    Noticing Song Yu¡¯s hesitation, Li Zhuoan turned extra polite and pointed at the side of the road. ¡°My car is here.¡±

    All of a sudden, Song Yu felt heat on her cheeks. She looked away and saw that Qi Chengzhi had extinguished his cigarette and was looking at her with his narrowed eyes.

    His tall, slender figure was fixed to the ground, and despite therge distance between them, an indescribable pressure was mounting on her. Without even realizing it, Yu Qianying had left her side.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart began thumping wildly because of his stare. She had a feeling that if she decided to go with Li Zhuoan, Qi Chengzhi would run over immediately and stop her.

    Almost immediately, Qi Chengzhi stares made her wavering thoughts much firmer.

    ¡°I...¡± Before Song Yu said anything further, Dynasty¡¯s manager came running over while wiping his sweat.

    ¡°Miss Song, the cab is here!¡± Song Yu looked at the direction pointed at by the manager and discovered that a taxi really did stop there.

    Thus, she smiled at Li Zhuoan and said, ¡°Thanks for your offer. The taxi¡¯s here, so we¡¯ll take the taxi.¡±

    Li Zhuoan¡¯s expression soured as he nced at the untimely arrival of the taxi. He then red at the manager and wondered when did Dynasty start helping their customers to get a cab.

    His lips pursed and he handed her his business card. ¡°This is my number. If there¡¯s anything I can help with, just give me a call.¡±

    Since the name card had been offered, it would be impolite for Song Yu not to ept. All she could do was say her thanks and keep it.

    She entered the cab with her parents, leaving Li Zhuoan watching as the cab drove away. He then turned and met with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze.

    Li Zhuoan stared back in provocation, eliciting a smirk from Qi Chengzhi as he ced his hands in his pockets and walked to his just-arrived Range Rover.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu sat in the front passenger seat of the taxi. Suddenly, she saw from the rear-view mirror that a Range Rover was following closely behind them. Her heart began beating madly.

    She snuck a look at her parents who were seated behind and noticed that they were unaware of anything unusual happening.

    How long did Qi Chengzhi decide to follow them for?

    Midway through his drive, Xia Wenna called him. Her anxious voice was heard right after he picked the phone up. She asked him, ¡°Where are you? Why can¡¯t I find you anywhere? Where could you possibly have disappeared to just to smoke a cigarette?¡±

    ¡°I have something to do, so I left. Take your time there,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered inly.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®you have something to do, so you left¡¯? You left without even telling anyone anything? How could you just leave the Yu family hanging!¡± Xia Wenna¡¯s voice became even more urgent. ¡°They¡¯re all waiting for you now!¡±

    ¡°So? Don¡¯t let them wait then,¡± he replied coldly.

    ¡°Where are your manners?¡± Xia Wenna had much to say but was interrupted by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ice-cold voice.

    ¡°It was agreed that this was a family meal, but when I arrived, there were three outsiders. When did the Yu family be the Qi family? I agreed to a family dinner, not dinner with a blind date. I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Once the cab stopped at their building, Song Yu got down. She heard a car driving from behind, and when she turned to look, her heart nearly stopped beating.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover drove all the way in too, and it stopped just beside the building.

    Song Yu looked nervously as the Range Rover¡¯s engine was turned off and there was no movement for some time.

    ¡°Song Yu, let¡¯s go.¡± Yu Qianying and Song Donglin got down and called their daughter.

    ¡°Mm, okay.¡± Song Yu nced at the Range Rover once more before turning and walking into her building. However, she could still feel numbness at the back of her head, as though Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze managed to prate through the car andnd on her.

 Chapter 98 - You Like It If Someone Calls You That? Big Brother Chengzhi?

    <h4>Chapter 98: You Like It If Someone Calls You That? Big Brother Chengzhi?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At home, Song Yu went to the kitchen, sliced some fruits, and brought them out. Throughout their journey, Yu Qianying had been keeping quiet about a question that she had, but as of then, she could no longer keep it in. ¡°What happened between you and Li Zhuoan? You¡¯ve kept in touch with him before?¡±

    ¡°No, we just bumped into each other at the Red Roof Club,¡± Song Yu replied inly, and fearing that her mother might ask her why she went to that ce, she continued exining, ¡°I bumped into some old friends from Jixia High School, both girls and boys. They said a lot of mean things to me. You know those kinds of people; they just love slinging mud at you. Li Zhuoan just looked at them from the side and didn¡¯t stop them. I suppose he felt sorry for me.¡±

    Surprisingly, Yu Qianying¡¯s attention was shifted to thetter part of Song Yu¡¯s sentence. She paid little attention to the Red Roof Club and instead cursed the group of people. After that she said, ¡°That Li Zhuoan, he likes you, doesn¡¯t he?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know actually, but someone like him wouldn¡¯t treat someone so nicely just for the heck of it. Even if he likes me, I wouldn¡¯t ept him. The Li family wouldn¡¯t ept someone like me. Just like those pampered young men from wealthy families, I don¡¯t think he¡¯d be serious about me even if he did like me. I¡¯d be no more than a ything, so why should I waste myself on him?¡± Song Yu remarked calmly.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s fears were alleviated after hearing Song Yu words.

    Song Yu then felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. She took it out, saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name, and went into the room to take it.

    She picked up, but before she could say anything, his rich and sweet-sounding voice resounded from the other end. ¡°Come down. I¡¯m near your house.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m staying here tonight. You should go home,¡± Song Yu replied inly. She had already walked over to the window and looked at the Range Rover below.

    ¡°...¡± She did not hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply, only his breathing. It went on for a long while before he finally said, ¡°If you don¡¯te down, I¡¯ll pay your parents a visit. There¡¯s no time like the present.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu froze. In fact, she knew that he did not want to attend the blind date dinner.

    She was quite aware of that fact when she saw him huffing and puffing away in the room.

    Once she frowned, he stopped smoking in front of her andpletely ignored Yu Keyao. Yu Keyao could suffocate for all he cared. His actions were clearly a deliberate provocation.

    She remembered that he did not even take off his overcoat, which meant that he had just entered the ce.

    Nheless, she still felt extremely unsettled because she noticed the admiration in Yu Keyao¡¯s eyes. She was mad that her man was ogled at by some other woman, even though it was not technically his fault.

    She thought about his slim figure and his handsome face. Why did he have to be so good-looking? Whenever he went out, members of the opposite sex would be attracted to him like bees and butterflies to a flower. It was simply a nuisance!

    When they were at the entrance, she was itching to run up to them¡ªshe wanted to exert all of her energy to pull him away and tell Yu Keyao that he was her man; that Yu Keyao better not think about doing anything funny.

    That was why Song Yu was currently at loggerheads with him.

    ¡°Are youing down or not?¡± he asked again after a moment.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu gnashed her teeth and said, ¡°Wait.¡±

    She wore her overcoat and tidied her things up. Yu Qianying did not make her stay. Song Yu was allowed to leave early because she had to go to work again the next day.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu wrapped herself in her overcoat and looked at the Range Rover not too far away. Her footsteps became slower, and she walked over only after making sure that her expression was a sullen one.

    The smell of smoke crashed into her the instant she entered into the car, no doubt because he had just smoked a few moments ago.

    On that particr night, he had a cigarette in his lips whenever she chanced upon him. She had no idea how many cigarettes he had smoked up until then.

    He nced briefly at her before driving off in silence.

    Then, his warm and slender hand reached over and held her hand, which she ced on top of her thigh. When his well-defined fingers grasped her, his fingertips brushed through the thin tights that covered her thighs. The heat from his fingertips prated her tights, scalding her thigh and making her shiver.

    Song Yu did trust him, but she remained angry nheless. Since her anger had yet to be quelled, she tried breaking free from his grip because she did not want him to hold her hand.

    She exerted all her strength in order to attempt breaking free. Qi Chengzhi maintained his grip on her and did not let go. Finally, he decided that he might as well pull her hand over and rest it on his thigh.

    Song Yu struggled once again but stopped after failing to break free. She looked out of the window in utter dissatisfaction.

    She did not dare to even get on another man¡¯s car, and yet he had the nerve to attend a blind date.

    The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Immediately, she pinched his thigh with all of her might and heard him suck air through his teeth as a result of the pain. Moments ago, his friskiness manifested gradually when her hand was ced on him. Unfortunately for him, he did not expect to be pinched without a single word of warning. Qi Chengzhi felt such a sharp pain that he broke out in cold sweat as his thigh began trembling.

    He gnashed his teeth and turned the steering wheel abruptly. The Range Rover drove through an uneven patch of road and shook for a moment before finally stopping.

    The sudden bumpiness gave Song Yu a fright, and it was only when the car stopped that she realized it was an empty plot ofnd behind her parents¡¯ residential area. Thend had just been ttened in preparation for the construction ofmercial housing, so the area was still bumpy, and deserted at night.

    Qi Chengzhi released his seatbelt, then stretched himself past her waist. All she heard was a patter and her seatbelt had been released as well. Immediately after that, he grabbed her and ced her onto hisp.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not happy, I¡¯ll bring you home and introduce you to my family tomorrow, how about it?¡± he leaned forward and asked in a deep voice as his warm hands clutched her waist.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu kept quiet. ¡®So what? Even if he introduces me, it¡¯s not like the Qi family will ept me.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his strict-looking lips, making his appearance seem even more intimidating. He switched on the light in the car. The yellow illumination radiated on his face and made him look extremely handsome.

    ¡°You came in on purpose and yet you pretended not to know me. You¡¯re good at pretending, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qi Chengzhi clutched her waist even tighter.

    Song Yu felt weak and she leaned involuntarily into his embrace. Her demeanor was nothing short of submissive.

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at her obedient appearance as well as the shy yet seductive blush on her cheek. His nostrils were filled with her faint scent. He leaned over and stered his thin lips onto the corner of her eyes, kissing her gently. Song Yu shuddered from his warmth. The corner of her eyes was moist, and she took in his fresh, tobo-infused scent. His lips looked stern, but in reality, they were gentle and warm; that was precisely what she felt in the corner of her eye. His tender kisses warmed her cheek and the corner of her lips. Just as he was about to kiss her on the lips, Song Yu pushed him away abruptly.

    He did not expect her to react in such a way. His was left to kiss the air when his body was pushed back against the chair. He was not in a good mood, and he narrowed his eyes ever so slightly as he red at her.

    ¡°I heard the girl call you Big Brother Chengzhi. Did that sweet voice melt you on the inside, Big Brother Chengzhi?¡± Song Yu pursed her lips, and her voice was filled with disdain. ¡°You like it if someone calls you that? Big Brother Chengzhi?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression softened tremendously and the corner of his lips could not help but curl up slightly.

    ¡°That someone didn¡¯t make me hard, but you did.¡± His voice became even huskier and richer than before. He pulled her abruptly into his embrace and made sure she was in contact with him.

    When he said ¡®That someone¡¯, it made Song Yu happy, and she did not care whether or not he actually did forget Yu Keyao¡¯s name. She had yet to finish reveling in her delight when Qi Chengzhi pressed himself onto her, and¡ªas if in retribution for her not allowing him to kiss her¡ªbegan attacking her lips forcefully. Song Yu did not push him away anymore. Her back was pressed onto the steering wheel and he explored her mouth with vigor. She did not even have the energy to reply to him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s somewhat swollen lips rubbed against hers as he uttered in his low and husky voice, ¡°Call me Big Brother Chengzhi again.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. When she called him like that, it was to make him feel disgusted, but in the end, it had no effect on him. There was no way she could call him that way again since the mood had changed considerably. She got goosebumps before she could endear herself to him.

    Qi Chengzhi let out a softugh. It was that kind of snicker that made her feel as though he wasughing at her for being jealous. She sucked in a breath of air and intended to protest, but she lost her voice when sheid eyes on his brave, turbulent, and resplendent ck pupils.

    What did he intend to do in the deste wilderness?

    Did he be addicted to getting off inside the car?

    She was stunned into silence by his piercing eyes. Thest time they did in the car, it was in the garage, so she had a sense of security because there were walls surrounding them at least. In the present, they were outside, and although there was no one around them, Song Yu still felt ufortable.

    After a long while, Song Yu felt so choked that her face became red. It was then that he released her and pressed his lips on the corner of hers. The droplets of sweat on his forehead were very sexy in the moonlight.

    ¡°Are you still going to argue with me?¡± Qi Chengzhi remained glued to the corner of her lips as he crooned huskily.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was incapable of saying a word. Her face was already red-hot and she was afraid to let anyone see her.

    Qi Chengzhi then ced his lips on the corner of her eyes and hugged her tightly. ¡°Are you still going to argue with me!¡±

    ¡°No! No! I won¡¯t argue anymore,¡± she whispered as her toes curled up. Her fingers grabbed rightly on the back of his shirt, and she was forced intopliance by him.

    Song Yu eventually threw herself into his embrace. She had unbuttoned a couple of his shirt buttons, and she had no idea that the sudden excitement caused her to be so unrestrained. All traces of shyness vanished from herpletely. Although she could only take a sneak peek at his sturdy chest through the few opened buttons of his shirt, shepletely lost all self-control and tore his shirt from the cor.

    In the heat of the moment, she could care less for opening the buttons one by one. The only thing that could be heard was the sound of buttons hitting the car window before disappearing to God-knows-where. About half of his shirt had been opened, but there still remained a few intact buttons nearer to the shirttail. Song Yu realized that she may have been too ravenous. Then, she ced her cheek on his exposed chest and inserted her fingers in and out of the opening of those still intact shirt buttons.

    ¡°I think Yu Keyao really likes you. I hate the way she looks admiringly at you.¡± As a result of her being estranged from the Yu family, she did not feel much for them. They were like strangers to her, maybe even lesser than strangers.

    In the beginning, when the Song family went bankrupt, Song Yu did not have any hopes that there would be anyoneing to their aid. Theirpany was a big one, and if they wanted to help, they had to shell out a considerable amount of funds to do so. It was not something that could be done on a whim.

    However, the Yu family wasted no time in cutting off ties. It finally opened her eyes to the real character of the Yu family, and from then on, she no longer looked favorably upon them.

    When Yu Keyao fawned over Qi Chengzhi so brazenly, Song Yu felt disgusted at the Yu family.

    As sheid herself on him, she could feel a shudder in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest. He lowered her head in search of her eyes, but eventually, he brushed his lips against her cheek. His freshly-emerging stubble rubbed against her tender cheek and made it somewhat red. Song Yu did not feel pain, only a ticklish numbness. She looked up and made direct contact with his pleased-looking pupils.

    She seldom saw his smiling eyes, and at that moment his lips parted slightly whilst rubbing against her cheek. His husky, sexy voice uttered, ¡°You jealous?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu grabbed his shirt firmly and buried her face in his chest without speaking.

    After a while, he felt her arms enveloping his waist tightly.

    She began speaking after a lengthy silence. ¡°Don¡¯t go on blind dates anymore in the future okay. I know you it wasn¡¯t your intention, but I still can¡¯t take it when I see it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kneaded her hair and nted a kiss on her shiny forehead. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the business card?¡± Qi Chengzhi then asked.

    Song Yu looked at him curiously. She forgot about it momentarily and came to a realization only when his face turned sour. She figured his expression was sullen because he thought about Li Zhuoan.

    She took her bag from the passenger seat beside her and rummaged for the card.

    Without allowing her to take a closer look at it, his snatched the card from her, looked at it with disdain and tore it in half twice. Then he threw the pieces out of the window.

    Her expression was not unhappy, though it was docile and somewhat hazy, even. It was all because they just did it, and the pleasant lingering effects had yet to subside. Song Yu¡¯s reaction was still rather slow, and she looked at him in her adorable, trance-like state.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart was fluttering wildly. He bent down to nt a flurry of kisses on her cheek, then he held her head up and kissed her on the lips.

    He kissed her with the utmost passion, and he nearly went for round two.

    Song Yu was already rather ufortable. The wilderness was unsafe and there was only so much space in the car; like the previous time they did it in the car, her legs became very sore.

    She blushed while pushing him and telling him softly, ¡°Wait till we¡¯re home.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her and sneered lightly, producing waves of numbness and hotness on her cheek.

    At that moment, his open shirt exposed his fair-colored and sturdy-looking chest. His tidy hair had been thoroughly messed up by their antics, and his expression was much more unruly than the solemn seriousness that so often graced his expression.

    Qi Chengzhi carried her and ced her back onto the passenger seat before starting the car and driving away.

    ...

    The next morning, Song Yu continued to sleep. The night before, Qi Chengzhi did her quite well: first in the car, then when they reached home, he pressed her down and did her a second time. Song Yu really wanted to search the web and check if Qi Chengzhi¡¯s desires were out of the norm. If it was an illness, she wanted it cured.

    In the midst of her sound sleep, she felt as though the customary warmth was no longer present. Song Yu did not want to wake up, so she wrapped herself tightly in the nket and curled herself up. She tried to continue sleeping, but her nose became blocked. Her only recourse was to breathe through her mouth.

    Eventually, the difort forced her to open her eyes unwillingly. She noticed Qi Chengzhi all dressed up and sitting beside the bed.

    Since it was Sunday, Qi Chengzhi did not wear his suit-overcoat-dress shirtbination. Rxed, his long legs were crossed and they looked incredibly elegant.

    Then, his bony, well-defined forefinger and middle finger clipped her nose lightly, while a pleasant scent emanated from his fingers.

    Song Yu used the nket to cover everything from her nose down. A smell would undoubtedly have been produced in her mouth after sleeping the whole night. She felt extremely embarrassed whenparing it with his fresh smell.

    Living together would produce plenty of embarrassing moments. Be it a good side or a bad side of someone, all of it would be disyed in full view, and there was no way one could hide from it.

    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± She spoke under the covers and had a muffled voice.

    ¡°You should get up too, so I can bring you back to your apartment and you can pack up and bring over your remaining belongings.¡± Qi Chengzhi whisked the nket away after seeing how she covered herself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t pull it, my breath stinks.¡± Song Yu grabbed a hold of the nket and covered her whole head without letting go.

    Qi Chengzhi whisked it away without warning and leaned over to her. ¡°It just so happens that I¡¯ve brushed my teeth. I¡¯ll clean your mouth for you.¡±

    Once he finished his sentence, he glued himself to her lips and explored the insides of her mouth with his tongue.

    Song Yu was so ashamed that she was scared of showing her face. He just kissed her without thinking that it was unhygienic to do so. She became even more panicky and ashamed when she tasted the minty vor on his tongue and in his mouth.

    ¡°Time to get up.¡± He lifted her up and left her to tidy her things up while he went downstairs.

    After breakfast, he brought her back to her apartment. All her stuff was packed into luggage bags and ced in his car.

    Qi Chengzhi looked to his side andid his eyes on the quiet Song Yu. She would start living with him at his ce once everything was moved over.

    Her head was slightly lowered and her face seemed calm from the side.

    His clean, slender hand extended over and covered her hand resting on her thigh. Slowly, he could feel her hand turning over, and she subsequently held his hand in her soft palm.

    A red light came just in time for him to look over at her from head to toe. His thumb gently caressed her hand as he gazed at the beautiful fingers belonging to both Song Yu and himself.

    Both their fingers were slender and good-looking, making for an exquisitely beautiful sight when intertwined together.

 Chapter 99 - For Now, Youâ€™ll Wear A Couple Ring So Other Men Know That Youâ€™re Taken

    <h4>Chapter 99: For Now, You¡¯ll Wear A Couple Ring So Other Men Know That You¡¯re Taken</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± she asked when she noticed that he was staring quietly at their hands. Song Yu wondered if he had any hidden agendas, so she pinched his hand softly.

    When the light turned green, Qi Chengzhi made a turn without answering her. Finally, he stopped at a branded gship store that was in the business of selling precious stones.

    He told her, ¡°Time to get down,¡± then released his seat belt and got off.

    Song Yu wondered to herself as she followed him off the car. He held her hand and walked toward the jewelry store.

    ¡°Wait.¡± Song Yu stopped him in front of the store.

    He lowered his head and looked at her. Song Yu gazed upon his handsome face and thought that it was a misunderstanding. Fearing that he would poke fun at her, she was silent for some time.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi saw how she lowered her bashful face and felt a stirring passion. His resonant voice softened too, and he pulled her waist so she was in his embrace.

    ¡°That... What are you going to buy here?¡± Song Yu asked softly and her heart was racing.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and pulled her into the shop. The warm voice of a person greeting ¡®Wee¡¯ was followed by a woman¡¯s voice. ¡°Jian Yi, which of these two looks good on me?¡±

    Song Yu froze and looked toward the direction of the voice. Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were choosing a ring while standing by the counter. Song Yu remembered that Jian Yi¡¯s parents came over the day before to give her parents the wedding invitation, so Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were probably there to choose their wedding rings!

    ¡°How may I help you?¡± A store attendant came over when Song Yu was still distracted.

    ¡°Couple rings.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s crisp and resonant voice attracted the attention of Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue.

    Jian Yi¡¯s eyesid upon the hand that Qi Chengzhi ced on Song Yu¡¯s waist. The words ¡®Couple rings¡¯ that Qi Chengzhi uttered rang inside Jian Yi¡¯s mind, turning his expressions stiff and leading him to clench his fist.

    Meanwhile, Qi Chengyue was giving Song Yu the death stare. She did not expect Song Yu to be all lovey-dovey with Qi Chengzhi after seeing him going on a blind date with another woman the day before. ¡®Just how low is Song Yu¡¯s self-esteem?¡¯

    What Qi Chengyue did not know was that Qi Chengzhi sat there for no more than five minutes before he ran out after Song Yu.

    Song Yu cast an indifferent nce at them. Qi Chengyue then sported a hypocritical smile while dragging Jian Yi over to them, ¡°Big Brother, what a coincidence!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded inly and nced at Jian Yi. ¡°Here to choose a wedding ring?¡±

    ¡°Why yes! I just wanted to try all these different styles, but I went through this and that and I still can¡¯t decide on anything.¡± Qi Chengyue stretched out her left hand and looked proudly at the ring she was trying on her ring finger. ¡°How about you help me take a look, Song Yu? We¡¯re both women, so our judgment is more urate than men. After trying so many rings, Jian Yi still said that everything looked beautiful on me.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s much better for you to choose your wedding ring yourself. It¡¯s not that good for others to decide for you, because you¡¯ll me them if it doesn¡¯t look good,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while Song Yu kept quiet. He then continued indifferently, ¡°Take your time.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi had already brought Song Yu over to the counter that disyed couple rings. Their styles were much more minimalist, and in fact, Song Yu did not like anything too fancy. Something simple and understated would be just perfect.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s earlier words caused Song Yu to be unable to stop herself from looking at him, but the man was so devoid of reaction that it seemed as though he never met Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°For now, you¡¯ll wear a couple ring so other men know that you¡¯re taken. When the timees for a wedding ring, we¡¯ll get something more substantial.¡± In the midst of choosing the rings, Qi Chengzhi leaned over suddenly to her ear. His voice was even hoarser because he lowered his volume significantly. Song Yu¡¯s ears turned red from feeling the hotness of his breath.

    Her hands began trembling and she did not dare to look at Qi Chengzhi. Could his words be taken to mean that he was already thinking about marriage?

    Jian Yi failed to restrain himself from looking at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. When he saw how Qi Chengzhi leaned over and whispered intimately into her ear, his stare became so violent that his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.

    ¡°Jian Yi, what do you think about this?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice snapped Jian Yi out of it.

    His gaze shifted over to her hands. The diamond ring looked extremely exquisite when worn on her fair and delicate fingers, but Jian Yi could not process what he saw fully. The only thing shing through his eyes were how Song Yu would look when she wore the couple ring.

    Jian Yi took a deep breath and said, ¡°This one looks nice. It suits you and looks very luxuriant too.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression sank immediately, because she had actually tried on the same ring much earlier.

    ¡°Why? You don¡¯t like it?¡± Jian Yi asked after seeing her changed expression.

    ¡°No. This one then.¡± Qi Chengyue forced out a smile and nced coldly in Song Yu¡¯s direction.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu¡¯s mind was still in a mess because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words. When she finally came back to her senses, a ring was already adorning her middle finger. It was incredibly beautiful despite the absence of a diamond, and she fell in love with it at first sight.

    Although it was simple and did not have a gemstone, it was still considerably expensive due to the fact that it was branded.

    ¡°How about this one?¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and massaged her delicate middle finger gently.

    ¡°It looks good. I like it.¡± Song Yu shed a genuine smile and scrutinized the ring on her finger. ¡°Let¡¯s go with this one.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then took the counterpart to that ring and ced it in front of her without saying anything.

    Song Yu looked at him¡ªa man who kept his feelings to himself¡ªand wondered how he was so good at pretending!

    She giggled, took the ring, and ced his finger slowly into it.

    The absence of ring marks on his fingers was a sign that he did not have a habit of wearing them.

    The white gold ring looked very elegant on his long and slender finger.

    For the first time, Song Yu felt that it was extremely charming for a man to wear a ring. She was thoroughly anticipating how he would look with a ring on his ring finger.

    His fair-skinned, well-defined hand was delicate and debonair; his veins and blood vessels were also faintly discernible ¨C the addition of a ring on his middle finger made her feel as though she had bound him to herself.

    Being the normal human that she was, a feeling of pride surfaced uncontrobly from the depths of her heart: she felt that way because she realized that a man like him belonged to her.

    Adoration filled her heart, and a momentary inability to control her emotions led her to hold his hand up and nt a devout kiss on the finger where his ring was on.

    While waiting for Jian Yi to make payment with his card, Qi Chengyue looked around and managed to catch what Song Yu was doing.

    Disgraceful!

    She stared at Song Yu in disgust and took a few sudden strides over to them.

    ¡°Big Brother, Song Yu, are you done choosing?¡± Qi Chengyue nced at the couple rings on their fingers.

    Qi Chengzhi swiped his card and nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m going for a meal with Jian Yi after this. How about we go together?¡± Naturally, there was no way Qi Chengyue could cause a scene to separate Song Yu from Qi Chengzhi in such a public ce.

    She never once believed that Song Yu liked Qi Chengzhi genuinely. She believed instead that Song Yu was using Qi Chengzhi to get close to Jian Yi.

    It was the perfect opportunity for her to show Song Yu how much she and Jian Yi were in love. She wanted to erase Song Yu¡¯s desire for Jian Yipletely.

    Song Yu, meanwhile, had absolutely no idea what Qi Chengyue was thinking, and because Song Yu did not have any intention of getting involved with Jian Yi, whatever absurdity in Qi Chengyue¡¯s mind naturally did not ur to Song Yu.

    There was no reply from Song Yu, only a frown.

    Qi Chengzhipleted the transaction and walked over to the unhappy Jian Yi, saying, ¡°Sure.¡±

    Song Yu was clueless as to what went on in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind and what could possibly make him say yes. Would it not be digging one¡¯s own grave by having dinner with them?

    In the end, all of them went to a nearby Vietnamese restaurant.

    ¡°Song Yu, I heard that Jian Yi¡¯s parents went and delivered the wedding invitation to your parents. You¡¯lle to our wedding, won¡¯t you?¡± Qi Chengyue smiled and asked. The dimples beside her lips were showing, too.

    ¡°That depends. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯d be working overtime,¡± Song Yu replied simply. She did not want to talk with her so much. Song Yu liked the spicy fragrance from the Vietnamese dishes, but the two people in front of her made her to lose her appetite.

    ¡°Our wedding¡¯s a rare asion, and you and Jian Yi were childhood friends. You muste, no matter what! If you¡¯re working overtime, can¡¯t you just take leave?¡± Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu¡¯s frown and felt pleased at herself, because her guess¡ªthat Song Yu was unable to attend the wedding because of the feelings toward Jian Yi¡ªseemed to be proven right.

    Song Yu kept quiet and said nothing. She had no other excuses and had nothing else to say.

    She looked down and frowned. A pair of ankle boots adorned her feet while a pair of ck tights covered the rest of her legs. Her fair skin, hidden from normal view, was faintly discernible when her knees were bent.

    Under the table, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s concealed hand¡ªnow even more masculine as a result of the newly bought ring¡ªinsisted on sending an electrifying shock through her body.

    Bit by bit, Song Yu became more and more fidgety. Blushing, she turned to look at him, but his expression remained unchanged as he used his chopsticks to pick up a spring roll and dip it in fish sauce. He then ate it in one elegant motion. His upper body above the table did not even move in the slightest, and no one could possibly have made out that he was doing something so naughty under the table.

    Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu and felt increasingly pleased. Song Yu¡¯s blush was an indication of guilty anger, and she even looked at Qi Chengzhi as if pleading for him to back her up.

    It was a pity though, that Qi Chengzhi ignored herpletely. ¡®He¡¯s probably angry that Song Yu still cared for Jian Yi!¡¯

    The redness showed no signs of ceasing from Song Yu¡¯s face. ¡®We¡¯re supposed to be eating! What is he trying to do!¡¯

    Being in a rtionship with him taught her that he was an animal, but she never expected him to have no limits when it came to having his way with her!

    ¡°Jian Yi, I wanna eat the crab curry. Can you remove the shells for me?¡± Qi Chengyue wrapped both her hands around Jian Yi¡¯s arm and threw herself all over him. She looked up at him and acted all kittenish. She made a point to raise her flirty voice so she could attract Song Yu¡¯s attention.

    Jian Yi lowered his gaze to her and was silent for a moment before he took a crab and began deshelling it.

    Qi Chengyue watched as Jian Yi¡¯s fingers were stained yellow from the curry. She looked contentedly at Song Yu and began curling her lips into a goading smile.

    Song Yu could no longer keep herself still, so in her reddened face, she pushed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand to one side and stood up abruptly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡± Song Yu looked down to prevent Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi from seeing her odd demeanor. Then, she hurried away from the table despite nearly stumbling over from feeling weak in her legs.

    Qi Chengyue shifted her gaze away from Song Yu¡¯s scoundrel-like figure and chided sarcastically, ¡°Big Brother, how can you be so patient with a woman who¡¯s obviously so jealous of another man¡¯s woman? I was being romantic with Jian Yi only for a while, and yet she was already unable to bear with it? If she¡¯s married into the family, are you really going to put up with her looking at my man all day?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and ced his chopsticks down slowly. He nced and the both of them and then pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the toilet.¡±

    ¡°Hmph! That two-timing woman. What is it that my big brother likes about her?!¡± Qi Chengyue gazed briefly at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rear figure and continued unhappily, ¡°My big brother is definitely keeping score with her actions. From his look just now, I don¡¯t think he and Song Yu willst long.¡±

    If Song Yu really did break up with Qi Chengzhi, the happiest person would be none other than Jian Yi.

    As someone who was unworthy of Song Yu¡¯s association, he was constantly thinking of how he could once again bring Song Yu back to her rightful position ever since Song Yu was in dire straits. He wanted to keep on bing better and better, so that he could one day save her from her predicament.

    In fact, he conceded that it was his feelings of inferiority that drove his desire to change Song Yu¡¯s position for the better. He wanted her to look up to him; to revere him.

    Song Yu would always leave a mark in his heart; a mark that cannot be removed and will remain forever.

    He knew that it was selfish of him to marry Qi Chengyue while having Song Yu as his lover at the same time, but he was unable to help himself. He wanted her for himself, and he could not bear to see her with a different man.

    Qi Chengyue thought that Song Yu was jealous and that Qi Chengzhi was angry at Song Yu, but Jian Yi knew that Qi Chengyue was mistaken.

    From a man¡¯s perspective, Song Yu¡¯s blush was clearly that of coyness. Although she did re at Qi Chengzhi, there was a certain tenderness in her look.

    On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi had never disyed any sort of anger toward Song Yu, with his face remaining as unemotive as ever.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s statement was nothing but her deluded imagination.

    Jian Yi was still trying to remove the flesh from the crab pincers. The kitchen crew had broken them lightly before serving to enable easier removal, but he exerted too much force by ident and crushed the meat inside.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to show all that to Song Yu. I¡¯m getting married to you, and I¡¯m not involved with her in any way. There¡¯s no point in doing all this,¡± Jian Yi said sullenly.

    ¡°Are you hurt because of what I did to Song Yu?¡± Qi Chengyue mmed the chopsticks on the table and had an ugly expression. ¡°I¡¯ve been patient for a long time. Ever since Song Yu showed up, you looked very absent-minded. Not even a single smile from you. You say that there¡¯s no point in me doing that, but with how you¡¯re carrying yourself, what do you expect me to think?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just thinking things. I¡¯m not acting any different than usual.¡± Jian Yi said coldly, ¡°We¡¯re getting married. If you keep on doing this, when will it ever end? Must Song Yu leave B City for you to feel secure? I don¡¯t want to keep talking about this with you. Have you forgotten what I¡¯ve told you the other day?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t forget.¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s attitude softened up and she wrapped her arm over his. ¡°But can¡¯t we show our affection to each other when we¡¯re in front of Song Yu? If we need to appear as though we are not affectionate with each other, isn¡¯t that a sign that you still care about her?¡±

    ¡°If you insist on doing that, there¡¯s nothing I can say.¡± An audible clink was produced as Jian Yi threw the pincers onto the te. He took a napkin and wiped off the curry from his fingers, then took his phone and got up. ¡°I¡¯m making a call.¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the washroom, Song Yu washed her hands and wiped them dry with a paper towel. Since her palms were still cool froming into contact with water, she patted her hands on her reddened face. She took a few deep breaths and took out her phone in order to send a message to Qi Chengzhi. [Don¡¯t fool around anymore!]

    Having kept her phone, she opened the bathroom door and was blocked by a sturdy chest, and because it caught her by surprise, she nearly rammed head-on into the person.

    Sheid her eyes upon a ck striped shirt and she caught a whiff of that familiar fresh fragrance. Her eyes shifted downward and she saw those delicate fingers holding a phone, the screen of which was disying the message that had sent just moments ago.

    ¡°Is there anyone inside?¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and allowed his fresh scent to crash in.

    Song Yu took a deep and intense breath. She was quivering from head to toe, and her lips trembled so severely that she could not utter even a single word. She could feel her eyshesing into contact with him, and his warm energy was incredibly numbing.

    ¡°We¡¯re at the toilet!¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice faltered as she tried resisting, but her soft voice was absolutely devoid of any persuasiveness.

    ¡°That is why we shouldn¡¯t stand here for too long. It won¡¯t be a nice sight,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked.

    ¡°...¡±¡®He knew that and yet he¡¯s here blocking me?¡¯

    Song Yu¡¯s face was red because of anger and embarrassment. ¡°Go! Don¡¯t stand in my way!¡±

    ¡°Is there anyone inside?¡± Qi Chengzhi ignored her and asked again. His resonant voice circled her cheek and prated slowly into her bones, up into the depths of her heart.

    Her toes were already curling up involuntarily inside her ankle boots, and her belly trembled as she retracted it. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s slender fingers stuffed the phone back into his pocket. Both his hands then rested on her waist, making Song Yu feel his dominance.

    ¡°Do you expect to hold me back like this?¡± Like an electric current, his low voice surged through the top of her head all the way to her lips.

    ¡®But... But we can¡¯t simply do it here!¡¯

    Those were the words that floated in Song Yu¡¯s mind, but for some reason, she had no control over her mouth, and she could only hear herself say, ¡°There¡¯s no one.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze became more intense. He carried her into the washroom and locked the door.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi pretended to make a call, but after making a turn he rxed his phone-holding hand. Looking over, he noticed a washroom at the far end of the corridor. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were standing at the door. Qi Chengzhi hugged her and said something, then carried her abruptly into the washroom.

    He gnashed his teeth hard when he saw that. His hand gripped his phone tightly and walked over. There was even a sign saying that it was thedies¡¯ room.

    He tried twisting the door handle, but the door had been locked in the inside.

    What else could the two of them be doing inside a washroom?

    Jian Yi¡¯s fists were trembling. He retreated back with a few half-steps until he was leaning against the wall. He gnashed his teeth fiercely and both his eyes turned red.

    He never smoked because Song Yu once told him that his scent was very fresh. Back in school, when it was trendy for boys to smoke and show their manliness, he still did not smoke because he was afraid it would obscure the freshness that Song Yu so loved.

 Chapter 100 - Why Did You Accept It Without Checking Who Sent It?!

    <h4>Chapter 100: Why Did You ept It Without Checking Who Sent It?!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He never smoked. The reason for this was Song Yu, who could not stand the scent of cigarettes. She had told him once that she enjoyed his own clean scent. Since then, despite the masculine pull of the action, he had refrained. He recalled her telling him this, and, yet, he remembered how well she got along with Qi Chengzhi, who always had a cigarette in hand.

    Resisting the urge to punch the door, Jian Yi battled the desire to take a few long pulls from a stick.

    ...

    ...

    Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and nervousness. Looking upwards, her eyes met Qi Chengzi¡¯s, who had carried her into a stall. She could not breathe, his arms tight around her. She could not believe that he would dare do something like this in public.

    ¡°How do you feel about Jian Yi getting married?¡± he breathed into her ear. His voice was a low rumble;scivious.

    ¡°I feel nothing,¡± Song Yu muttered reluctantly, slightly irritated by the question. Gazing at the sturdy arms nking her, she gave his arm a harsh nip. Heughed. The husky snickers,bined with thenguorous undtions of his Adam¡¯s apple, made her weak.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi was waiting outside the washroom. His fists were clenched tightly, leaving bright red marks where the nail bit into the skin.

    A middle-aged woman tested the handle in a vain attempt to get in. She tried again, this time shoving the door inwards, but still she could not get it to swing open.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with this thing?¡± she mumbled to herself, before turning towards Jian Yi. ¡°Excuse me, do you know what¡¯s wrong with the door?¡±

    Tightly clenching his fists again, Jian Yi took a sharp, exasperated breath. ring at her, he snapped, ¡°I don¡¯t know. Probably someone locked it from the inside.¡±

    ¡®Could he be mentally disabled?¡¯ she thought, as she stared at Jian Yi, who was still ring at her.

    A few moments passed before she decided to get the waiter. The waiter informed her that, as the door was locked from the inside, there was little he could do, since it would not only be locked buttched too.

    ¡°What do you n to do? There are so many people in this restaurant. They¡¯ll need to go to the washroom. You can¡¯t possibly ask us to hold it in, right?¡± barked the middle-aged woman in displeasure.

    ¡°Even if we hire a locksmith now, it will take some time. How about I bring you to the staff washroom?¡± The waiter suggested.

    Contented with the solution, the woman left with the waiter.

    It was not long before the washroom door clicked open. Jian Yi shoved himself off the wall, clenching his fists impossibly tighter.

    The door inched open, revealing a sheepish Song Yu. From the entrance, she peered left and right. To make matters worse, she was emerging from thedies room in the arms of Qi Chengzhi. It would be obvious to anyone what they had just been doing.

    He ced her down, and they both straightened out their clothes, though it would not hide what they had done. Nheless, it did not stop Song Yu from running a wetb through her hair.

    The tenderness adorning her face was unmistakable. Song Yu¡¯s wide watery eyes were so alluring that Qi Chengzhi could not stop himself from brushing a few kisses at their corners.

    It was then that Song Yu spotted a pair of leather shoes. She froze and slowly raised her head to meet Jian Yi¡¯s reddened eyes.

    Luckily, there was no one in the hallway, save Jian Yi.

    ¡°What is it?¡± demanded Qi Chengzhi, totally unconcerned. When Song Yu did not react, he impatiently pushed the door wide open.

    When he saw Jian Yi, he pouted mockingly then scoffed silently, his eyes filled with contempt.

    Qi Chengzhi ced his hands on Song Yu¡¯s shoulders and steered her out of the washroom. He squeezed her shoulders and said in a lowered voice, ¡°You head back first.¡±

    Daring not to meet his eye, she kept her head low, not out of guilt but embarrassment.

    She obeyed Qi Chengzhi and left without turning back.

    When Song Yu was out of sight, Qi Chengzhi took out a pack of cigarettes. His long slender fingers drew out a stick and lit it.

    Jian Yi thought of Song Yu¡¯s preference back in the day. Why was she not disgusted by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s habit of smoking?

    Suddenly, he had the urge to smoke.

    Qi Chengzhi exhaled a stream of white smoke and cleared his throat gently. He had one hand in his pocket and he said indifferently, ¡°Since you chose materialism, live with your own choices. Chengyue is not a fool. Just give up on Song Yu. Drop any further ideas of her. Stay away from her if you can¡¯t give her anything; stop harassing her.¡±

    Not waiting for an answer, Qi Chengzhi turned and walked off.

    ¡°What if I give up on that!¡± shouted Jian Yi, ¡°What if I break up with Qi Chengyue?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi paused for a slight moment. Jian Yi thought he was afraid. It seemed like the Young Master Cheng could also feel fear.

    But then Qi Chengzhi merely tilted his head and scoffed before continuing on.

    ¡®Breakup?¡¯

    He would be left with nothing. All his efforts would go to waste and he would be back at square one. If this was what he truly wanted, why did he go through all of that in the first ce?

    He would lose everything: power, wealth but, most importantly, Song Yu.

    Breakup? Jian Yi would never do that.

    Qi Chengzhi had seen right through him and that was why he hadn¡¯t further entertained him. Jian Yi felt like he had punched a b of mud, soft and yielding.

    At the end of the hallway, Qi Chengzhi threw the cigarette down, crushing it.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue and Song Yu were the only ones at the table, much to Song Yu¡¯s dismay. She did not want to face Qi Chengyue alone. Despite her pangs of hunger, she did not have much of an appetite.

    ¡°My brother went for a blind date. It¡¯s obvious that he won¡¯t marry you, and yet you still cling to him. How thick can you be?!¡± Qi Chengyue had also, apparently, lost her appetite. She was frustrated. Clutching his phone, it had been a while since Jian Yi had left. At first, she could not help but worry that he had gone to search for Song Yu, but she consoled herself with the fact that her brother had gone after Song Yu first.

    ¡°You have known him all your life and yet you still don¡¯t understand him? He even bought rings. Are you sure he¡¯s not serious?¡± Song Yu did not care much for elucidation, but it did not mean that she would tolerate Qi Chengyue. ¡°Well, if he isn¡¯t serious then why haven¡¯t I seen him purchase rings for the other girls? Plus, ording to Wei Zhiqian, he hasn¡¯t had a girlfriend before. If this doesn¡¯t count as him being serious, then tell me what does, ¡± retorted Song Yu coldly.

    Unable to refute the statement, Qi Chengyue fell silent.

    She had not expected Song Yu to have already met Wei Zhiqian and his group of friends.

    She was stunned. Even she, Qi Chengyue, had not been well acquainted with the members of the Great Eight Families. They had only met at banquets, where there was no real opportunity to be intimately acquainted.

    They were a highly exclusive group, and only cared to maintain rtions with a select few. The only way in was through contact with the selected.

    Qi Chengyue was shocked. She had never expected her brother to treat Song Yu this seriously!

    Had he already told her everything?

    Qi Chengyue stayed solemn and silent for several moments before bursting out into peals ofughter, ¡°Do you think that the Qi family will let you marry him? Why did you think my brother attended a blind date? It¡¯s because aunt and uncle knew about you! That¡¯s why they arranged a blind date for him. It is obvious that they won¡¯t ept you. Stop dreaming!¡±

    She halted her tirade, catching sight of her brother and Jian Yi returning.

    Qi Chengyue did not ask about the phone when Jian Yi returned to his seat. Instead, she peeled a crab w, dipped it in curry and held it up to his mouth, ¡°Jian Yi, try it. It¡¯s delicious, and you didn¡¯t try much when you were peeling them for me.¡±

    Jian Yi looked at her with a frown and pushed Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand away, ¡°I don¡¯t feel like eating. You can have it.¡±

    Qi Chengyue grew insistent, ¡°Just one bite. Try it. It tastes really good.¡±

    Having had enough of his sister¡¯s pretense, Qi Chengzhi stood up. She made it impossible to eat. He pulled Song Yu up and said nonchntly, ¡°You guys carry on. We have to go.¡±

    Upon their departure, Jian Yi shoved Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand away. Curry sttered, leaving a trail of bright yellow spots on her bodice. It would be a chore to get rid of them.

    Qi Chengyue was on the verge of exploding.

    This was her favorite dress. Jian Yi not only dared to sully her dress but to also treat her this abominably?

    How could he?! All she had been was nice to him!

    She was seething with anger. She would have given him ashing had they not been in public. She wanted to know what he truly desired.

    Did he really want to get married?!

    She paused, changing her mind. She bit her lip, as tears formed and her eyes grew damp.

    ¡°Jian Yi, what¡¯s wrong? Why are you so irritable? I was just trying to be nice. Trying to be considerate. I was afraid that you might find me spoilt. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to eat. I¨C ¡±

    Heartbroken, she could not continue. Her lips trembled, as tears trickled down her face.

    Jian Yi looked at her, her long waves of dyed chestnut hair were immacte. Not a single strand or root shone ck.

    She looked fragile and demure, with her tear-stained cheeks, and tresses that cascaded to her waist.

    Jian Yi¡¯s face grew taut, his lipspressing. After a while, he rxed and gently wiped the tears away. ¡°Stop crying! People may think that I¡¯m bullying you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you bullying me? I¡¯ve never cried because of a man. Only for you, only you...¡± Qi Chengyue mewled miserably. She pursed her lips, tears flowing endlessly.

    Love was always peculiar. Jian Yi was from an average family. Even amongst the middle ss, they were just normal. It just so happened that ady from the Qi Family had fallen irrevocably in love with him.

    Even if Qi Chengyue denied it, she could notpletely ignore her instincts. She knew that Song Yu still had a ce in his heart. Nheless, she could not bring herself to let go of him. She would rather sacrifice herself and marry him. She had, after all, failed in her endeavor to throw Song Yu out of their social circle.

    ¡°Okay, how I treated you just now was not right,¡± Jian Yi murmured, ¡°but it¡¯s because you¡¯re always suspicious. I got angry out of frustration. Sorry, I¡¯ll apologize to you. Don¡¯t cry. Please?¡±

    It took a while before Qi Chengyue allowed Jian Yi¡¯sfort to stem the flow of her tears. She looked down, gazing destely at her ruined dress, ¡°This is my favorite dress. I just bought it yesterday.¡±

    ¡°How about I send you home to freshen up, and then we can go and buy a new one?¡± Jian Yi offered cheerily.

    His concern softened her. Abandoning her anger, she decided to follow him.

    The argument had caused a loss of appetite, leading to the parties rising and preparing to leave. But before they could do so, a young waiter stopped them, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you haven¡¯t paid the bill yet.¡±

    Jian Yi was speechless.

    ¡®How disgusting could Young Master Cheng be?¡¯ he wondered.

    ...

    ...

    As she sat in the car, Song Yu gazed downward at the band encircling her finger. She loved it, despite its simplicity. She never tired of gazing at it, though that might be more because of the person and what it represented rather than the band itself.

    She smiled, lost in her thoughts. Her fingers caressed the ring, gently twisting and turning it, unable to look away.

    When Qi Chengzhi caught her smiling, he extended his hand, enveloping hers with his. His hand was dry and warm;forting.

    He stroked the ring, gently grazing her knuckles as he did so. The traffic light flickered red, and Qi Chenzhi took the opportunity to face Song Yu. ¡°You really like it that much?¡± His lips curved upwards into a small smile.

    Song Yu merely hummed as she threaded her fingers through his slender ones, interlocking them into a tight knot.

    He wanted to push her against the door and kiss her. He had wanted to do that the moment he heard her contented little hum.

    He grasped her hand tightly, before bringing it upwards, kissing the ring.

    ¡°You barely ate this afternoon; aren¡¯t you feeling hungry?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. He had noticed that she had barely touched the chopsticks, let alone the food.

    ¡°I¡¯m actually quite hungry,¡± Song Yu admitted, realizing how famished she truly was now that he had brought it up. She rubbed her right hand against her stomach, her left still in Qi Chenzhi¡¯s firm grasp.

    There were only the two of them.

    Qi Chenzhi too was feeling rather peckish¨C a natural oue after the vigorous exercise he had done.

    ¡°What do you feel like eating?¡± Qo Chengzhi nced at her.

    ¡°I have a sudden craving for steamboat.¡± She felt soothed just by the thought of having a warm meal on this cold winter day.

    Qi Chengzhi drove them to one of the most famous Chongqing steamboats in City B. Located in a mall, the restaurant was always crowded with people. It was advertised that all of the ingredients were imported directly from Chongqing, and that not even the level of spice added in had been altered to suit local taste, so as to preserve the authenticity of the soup. Nothing was modified to suit the pte of the denizens of City B.

    Song Yu had heard of this famed purity, but had never had the chance to try it out .

    The reason she had yet to go, despite the shop being affordable, was because they did not ept reservations. The only way to enter was to join a queue, and that meant she would have to wait for an hour¨C or, sometimes, even two¨C to get a seat.

    Despite thete hour, there were people still waiting for tables. Some of the waiting customers were munching on tidbits provided by the restaurant, whilst others were engaged in a game of cards. Seeing the queue, Song Yu stifled her excitement and turned to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Let¡¯s go somewhere else. There are so many people.¡±

    Song Yu knew that queueing was out of the question, since Qi Chengzhi, who was used to preferential treatment, could not even muster up the patience to finish the meal at the French restaurant. To ask him to do so now, when he was on an empty stomach, was out of the question and unreasonable as there were plenty of steamboat eateries in City B.

    As she was about to pull him away a waiter emerged from the restaurant and respectfully called out, ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°Is Yan Beicheng¡¯s room avable?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    ¡°Yes, it is. Please follow me,¡±replied the waiter.

    Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand and followed the waiter. He exined, ¡°Yan Beicheng owns the shop. He reserves a room for himself. The rest of us tend to use it when he isn¡¯t around.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s really interested in the entertainment industry,¡±mented Song Yu, remembering the Red Roof.

    ¡°He noticed that there weren¡¯t any authentic Chongqing steamboat restaurants in City B, and so he started one. It was more of a whim than any real interest. But he still sent some people to conduct a survey at Chongqing, so that he¡¯d be able to hire some of the best chefs. And when he is craving some steamboat, he tends to drag some of us along here as well.¡±

    As he spoke, they entered Yan Beicheng¡¯s private room. The interior was tastefully decorated in the traditional Chongqing style.

    Qi Chengzhi ordered a three-vored pot, some vegetables and their speciality dishes. Service was quick, and it did not take long for the pot to arrive.

    When the soup base began to boil, Song Yu remembered Qi Chengyue¡¯s earlierments.

    ¡°Qi Chengyue told me that your parents are aware of us.¡±

    The corners of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curved upwards slightly as he extended his hands to clutch hers once more. His fingers sought out the band, rubbing the ring.

    ¡°What about us?¡± he asked, arching his eyebrows. He was excited.

    His roguish gaze made her blush. She retracted her hand and ced it under the table, annoyed by his devil may care demeanor.

    In the beginning, before they started dating, he had kissed her forcefully several times, and had kept insisting that there was something between them. Now, as he turned the ring round and round, his teasing felt familiar, even as their words had changed.

    Qi Chengzhi let his hands fall on the table. He met her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to them the moment I find some time.¡± His tone was now serious.

    Qi Chengzhi paused for a moment. ¡°We will go to my grandfather¡¯s. Grandmother had said that she would give me a Gold Buddha statue if I ever found a girlfriend.¡±

    A twinge of nervousness rolled through her, leaving her unable to appreciate the joke.

    Bringing her directly to the elders was a bold move, one that she had not expected.

    Song Yu made no move to reject the oundish statement. To her it was better to get it over and done with.

    So, she nodded.

    Pleased by her acquiescence, Qi Chengzhi softly made his demand. ¡°Give me your hand.¡±

    Song Yu studied him, unmoving. She wasn¡¯t sure what his motives were.

    ¡°Let me hold your hand,¡± he pleaded, urging her by gently tapping his fingers.

    Song Yu blushed. Why did he need to touch her? They were just holding hands; did he have to behave so fervidly, as if his fingers were grazing a different, more intimate part of her?

    She never felt anxious about holding his hand, but something about the way he said it this time caused a flutter of desire to form in her chest.

    Timidly, she ced her hands on the table. He reached for them, and began to stroke. Yearning gripped her.

    ¡°Grandfather and Grandmother Qi will be easier to deal with than my parents. If we manage to convince them, my parents will cease to be a problem,¡± he dered as he caressed her hand.

    Once she understood his motive, the nervousness she felt vanished. Relief washed over her, born from the shelter found beneath his wings. All her problems, all her insecurities, all her worries vanished merely by being beside him.

    ...

    ...

    Upon finishing the steamboat, Song Yu told him that she felt glutted. In response, they both descended the flights of stairs through the mall,pletely ignoring the elevator. The walk to the car park helped ease the indigestion.

    Song Yu had merely nced at the wares as they had walked through the mall. She had no intention of making a purchase, but all the intention to spend as much time as she was able to with Qi Chengzhi.

    As they had passed by a designer outlet, Qi Chengzhi had caught sight of Jian Yi handing his sister a knee-length, white cashmere coat.

    The article of clothing had looked uncannily simr to a piece Song Yu owned.

    Squinting, he had gripped Song Yu¡¯s hand tightly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Song Yu had asked curiously, sensing his distress.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Qi Chengzhi had replied. Turning towards her and blocking her line of sight, he had simply continued gripping her hand and leading her away.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue donned the white coat over her pink dress. Itplemented her chestnut brown tresses and fairplexion well. She looked young and radiant, almost resembling the cover girl of a popr pop magazine.

    ¡°Do I look pretty?¡± Qi Chengyue gave a twirl before facing Jian Yi, who was perched on a sofa. Her broad smile revealed her two dimples.

    Jian Yi watched, bewildered for a moment. The white coat was something he had picked up whilstckadaisically going through the store.

    Song Yu owned a simrly designed coat. The two coats were distinct close-up, but from afar they looked identical.

    Jian Yi was immediately drawn to it. He had taken it off the rack and handed it to Qi Chongyue without a second thought.

    For a split second he had seen Song Yu, but the emergence of the dimples caused the illusion to vanish.

    Disappointed, he hesitantly replied, ¡°Very nice.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was delighted. She thought him to be bewildered by her beauty and decided to purchase the coat.

    ...

    ...

    That night, Jian Yi went to Song Yu¡¯s house.

    He knew that she would not want to see him, but he just could not help it. He was unable to ept the moment of intimacy that he had witnessed.

    Didn¡¯t she like him?

    He knew that she had liked him, so, how could she just turn to another without a second thought?

    Filled with longing, he stood at her front door. He stayed there for a moment before mustering up the courage to knock.

    He knocked until his knuckles were red, but no one answered.

    He turned around, ready to leave, when he heard the door clicked open.

    ¡°Young man, are you looking for Song Yu?¡± Aunt Zhang asked.

    ¡°Is she not in?¡± Jian Yi asked.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know she moved to her boyfriend¡¯s house?¡± Aunt Zhang replied.

    After she uttered those words, Jian Yi¡¯s expression shifted from one of civility to anger. Aunt Zhang, terrified by the alteration, made to shut the door.

    ¡°When did she move out?¡± demanded Jian Yi, closing in. He tried to control his anger by clenching his fists.

    ¡°Yesterday! She has a rather handsome boyfriend, all tall and elegant. And, ording to my husband, the car he drives costs a few million dors. You¡¯re looking¨C¡± before Aunt Zhang could finish, Jian Yi stormed away, his eyes bulging.

    Aunt Zhang patted her chest, feeling shocked. ¡°Who was that man? He¡¯s quite scary.¡±

    Jian Yi dashed to his car. Feeling winded, he felt a deep pain in his chest. However, the agony that seeped deep into the marrow of his bones was not one caused by running.

    This excruciating pain was ten times worse than anything that could be caused by that.

    Opening the glovepartment, Jian Yi took out the pack of cigarettes he had bought from the convenience store.

    Recalling the way Qi Chengzhi had appeared when he smoked, he had bought the pack, along with a lighter, without any further consideration.

    He removed the stic seal and took a stick. The foreignness of the action caused him to fumble as he tried to light the cigarette. After a few tries, the stick was lit.

    His first drag made him choke. It was the wrong technique. His chest was ame, the smoke caught in his throat choking him.

    He coughed desperately, all while holding onto the cigarette. He buried his face into the arm that was clutching the steering wheel.

    All the coughing brought tears into his eyes. The more he coughed, the more the tears gathered. Soon his sleeves were drenched, and he did not want to think about how many of those tears were truly caused by coughing.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu arrived at the office the next morning, she was greeted by the sight of a group of architects gathering around Yan Yushu¡¯s table. He was a new architect at the firm. They were all chatting, causing quite the scene.

    ¡°It¡¯s so nice to be young. A time when romance isn¡¯t dead. My husband doesn¡¯t even care about these gestures anymore. I bet that he doesn¡¯t even know what day it is. We have never once celebrated our wedding anniversary, let alone Valentine¡¯s Day. But back in the day, when we were still dating, we even celebrated our monthsaries. Xiao Yang, just enjoy it all while you¡¯re still young. You won¡¯t be able to in the future.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s happening there?¡± Song Yu asked Ruan Danchen, who was located beside her table.

    Every year, after the Spring Festival, thepany would reorganize the staff seating. This year, Song Yu was seated beside Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Yang Yunshu received a huge bouquet of roses this morning. From the looks of it, I¡¯m guessing there are at least forty to fifty flowers. Aren¡¯t roses especially expensive during Valentine¡¯s Day? It probably costs more than a thousand dors for such a big bouquet. That¡¯s why everyone¡¯s gathering around his desk. But not all of them are there to admire it; some are there out of spite,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    Song Yuughed. She had forgotten that today was Valentine¡¯s Day.

    ¡°How do you guys n to spend Valentine¡¯s Day?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. Knowing Qi Chengzhi, he would take this day seriously.

    ¡°n?¡± Song Yu was baffled. Putting aside her own forgetfulness, she was certain that Qi Chengzhi could not care for the day.

    This morning, he had behaved in his regr cool,posed demeanor. Even if he had known it was Valentine¡¯s, he had not betrayed it.

    Furthermore, he had informed her as he was dropping her off, that tonight he had some important events to attend, therefore it would be Chang Lai who would be picking her up.

    It definitely seemed like he had no ns for Valentine¡¯s Day!

    It was partly because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s disposition she had forgotten about Valentine¡¯s.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this your first Valentine¡¯s as a couple?!¡± Ruan Danchen was doubtful as to theirmitment toward each other.

    As they were talking, a delivery boy came in, holding an enormous bouquet of Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas. ¡°Is there a Miss Song Yu here?¡± he called out over the din.

    The office was already filled with women, attracted by the roses. To make matters worse, most of them were gossip mongers.

    The delivery man¡¯s voice immediately attracted all attention.

    Song Yu felt a shiver running from her head to her toes. Ruan Danchen poked her and said softly, ¡°Never thought that Qi Chengzhi was such a romantic!¡±

    Song Yu was not expecting any flowers, and her bouquet was far bigger than that received by Yang Yunshu. Could this morning have all been an act?

    Giving it some thought, she came to the conclusion that it fitted his manner of handling things.

    She had signed the receipt and taken the flowers when Qi Zhengzhi¡¯s call came in.

    Song Yu ced the flowers on the table, unable to resist the smile that lit her face.

    Although she had forgotten Valentine¡¯s, her heart would still have filled with envy and hurt whenever she saw others receiving gifts from their significant others. Though she would never voice such things to Qi Chenzhi.

    It took her by surprise; that such a reserved man coulde up with such a romantic gesture.

    She answered the call, her voice poignant and soft. ¡°I received your flowers. They¡¯re beautiful. I thought you had forgotten what day it is today.¡±

    From the other side, the line was silent. And it remained silent for quite some time.

    ¡°Why did you ept it without checking who sent it?¡± demanded Qi Chengzhi bluntly.

    Song Yu sat stunned, before she felt a slight tugging on her sleeve. Turning, she saw Ruan Danchen pull a card from the bouquet and hold it out to her.

    ¡®This is to apologize for the Red Roof incident. I hope you will forgive me. If you do, please give me a call.¡¯

    It was signed off by Li Zhuoan. His handwriting was neat with a masculine edge to it. It was almost beautiful.

 Chapter 101 - Miss Yu, I Already Have A Girlfriend.

    <h4>Chapter 101: Miss Yu, I Already Have A Girlfriend.</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It was signed off by Li Zhuoan. His handwriting was neat with a masculine edge to it. It was almost beautiful.

    Stirring up trouble on Valentine¡¯s Day?! What was he trying to achieve?

    Furthermore, how did Qi Chengzhi manage to have such impable timing?!

    Song Yu¡¯s earlier mood hadpletely evaporated. She felt extremely sober. ¡°Director Zhao is calling us for a meeting.¡±

    And, with that, she hung up; not bothering to wait for a response.

    ¡°Wow! This is such a huge bouquet! I¡¯m sure that there must be at least 99 stalks of hydrangeas here!¡± eximed the bevy of women who had been clustered around Yunshu Yan¡¯s table as they migrated to hers.

    ¡°You can put it at the front desk. It looks rather festive,¡± muttered Song Yu, shoving the bouquet into the arms of the receptionist.

    The women surrounding her demanded the identity of the sender, but Song Yu remained silent. Her lips were sealed tighter than a m. She would not budge no matter how hard they tried.

    Eventually, the crowd lost interest and left.

    They held in their dissatisfaction, not daring to voice their feelings given her current social position in thepany.

    Song Yu thought about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reaction to the bouquet as she slumped into her seat. She felt rather worried and decided to give voice to her concerns. ¡°What do you think Qi Chengzhi would like for Valentine¡¯s?¡±

    Having no experience with rtionships, Song Yu had cause for concern.

    Qi Chengzhi would probably not want anything material.

    To top it all off, she did not have the finances to purchase him a gift befitting his position, and she refused to touch any of his funds.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi got angry, huh?¡± teased Ruan Danchen

    ¡°Uhm,¡± came Song Yu¡¯s weak response; her voice timorous and shaky.

    ¡°Well, I have an idea but are you daring enough to pull it off?¡± Ruan Danchen challenged confidently.

    Song Yu¡¯s mind drifted to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°He isn¡¯t easily satisfied,¡± she warned, recalling how petty he could be.

    ¡°Rx, it¡¯s going to be epic!¡± assured Ruan Danchen, giving her a thumbs up.

    Song Yu fell into an apprehensive silence.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was scrolling through his phone when a text alert shed across his screen. Tapping it, he saw a picture of a bouquet of Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas in full bloom.

    Qi Chengzhi took out a cigarette and lit it, all the while ring at the picture.

    He took a few drags from the cigarette, exhaling plumes of smoke, before he decided to call for Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng,¡± acknowledged Cheng Dongge, then waited for a reply.

    Qi Chengzhi took his time. Raising his cigarette, he gave his assistant a cool stare before asking, ¡°What day is it today?¡±

    ¡°Today? It¡¯s the Western Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± replied Cheng Dongge a little surprised. He had not expected Young Master Cheng to ask him such a question.

    Qi Chengzhi, remained silent.

    ¡°The man had the balls to send flowers on Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±

    Qi Chenzhi scoffed, as he recalled how Song Yu had told him that she had not pegged him for a romantic. ¡°I recall you having a girlfriend. So how are you nning to spend Valentine¡¯s day?¡± he asked Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°Young Master, am I not to apany you to the event tonight? Are we not going?¡± Cheng Dongge asked. But before Qi Chengzhi could respond, Cheng Dongge released a few nervous chuckles, continuing,¡±But, after that, I¡¯m nning to propose to my girlfriend.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was speechless.

    Due to the many years spent working for Master Cheng, Cheng Dongge had be rather attuned to the Young Master¡¯s moods. ¡°Young Master, do you want to spend the day with Song Yu?¡± he perceptively asked.

    He was startled by just how serious Young Master Cheng was about Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi blinked owlishly a few times before reverting to his serious, businesslike manner. ¡°Are there any romantic presents?¡±

    Cheng Dongge, baffled by the question, responded slowly. ¡°Well most people today would just send flowers. Those who tend to put in more effort would get their girlfriends something that they were admiring. Nothing special.¡±

    He studied Master Cheng, unable to see him as a romantic.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, roses are a rather popr gift. But, if you really want to make an impression, then try sending her some Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas. Miss Song will be the center of attention, especially if she decides to post it on WeChat Moments. Furthermore, she will be envied by all if you were to get her a ny-nine stalk bouquet. Many women would kill for something like that,¡± suggested Cheng Dongge earnestly.

    In his humble opinion, Master Cheng had chosen the wrong person to seek advice from, since he himself was not much of a romantic. When it came to special asions, such as birthdays, Valentine¡¯s and other anniversaries, he tended to simply follow social norms.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be more creative!¡± snapped Qi Chengzhi, angered by the mere mention of the hydrangeas. His stormy expression grew ever more turbulent with the mention of the ny-nine stalks.

    Cheng Dongge was stunned speechless.

    ¡°Is there anything ssier than Blue Enchantress Hydrangeas?¡± Qi Chengzhi demanded, his lips contorting into a frown

    ¡°Yes, but they are rather difficult to acquire. They are called Rainbow Roses,¡± stammered Cheng Dongge as he keyed the term into his phone. Searching, he passed on the information.

    Arching his eyebrow, Qi Chenzhi asked, ¡°Do you think purchasing a thousand three hundred and fourteen stalk bouquet will suffice?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did now know what to say. And then it dawned upon him how truly difficult the path for Miss Song would be if she were to continue dating the Young Master.

    ...

    ...

    When it was time for lunch, Ruan Danchen wasted not a moment in dragging Song Yu straight into the lingerie department of a nearby mall.

    ¡°Since surprising Qi Chengzhi with gifts is out of the question, you will simply have to dazzle him with your body.¡± Those were Ruan Danchen¡¯s exact words.

    The lingerie sold at the mall, though not overly revealing, did notck in provocativeness. There were low v-neck lounge robes, sheerced baby dolls, and many other items. Song Yu felt rather lightheaded as she stared at the wares. Before she could begin forming a backout n, Ruan Danchentched onto her arm.

    ¡°This is your big move!¡± asserted Ruan Danchen, dragging Song Yu towards the row of dresses.

    ¡°It¡¯s a sure-fire way to snap him out of his jealousy. Why are you feeling shy?! It¡¯s not like you two haven¡¯t been going at it! What is a nightgownpared to being naked?! .¡±

    As she listened to her friend, Song Yu could feel her ears heating up. On the other hand, she knew Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temper.

    Flushing, she hurriedly paid and stuffed the offending article into her bag. As she walked through the store, she could feel the weight of the dress; the knowledge that it was in an opaque bag did nothing to ease her mind.

    Once the purchase had been made, Ruan Danchen lugged her into a convenience store; stopping only once she reached the section filled with condom packets. From far away, Song Yu heard Ruan Danchen saying, ¡°You know his size. Best get a few.¡±

    Song Yu, once again, found herself to bepletely speechless.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Keyao waltzed into Qilin. Her confident gait was abruptly disrupted by a receptionist, who had noticed that she wore no visitor pass.

    ¡°Miss, may I help you?¡± asked the receptionist politely.

    Yu Keyao gave the receptionist an affable smile, before asking, in a low voice, ¡°I¡¯m looking for the director.¡±

    ¡°Do you have an appointment?¡± smiled the receptionist, almost knowingly.

    ¡°No, but you can just tell him that Yu Keyao is here to see him,¡± beamed Yu Keyao in return. She was wearing a light yellow blouse, tastefully paired with a bright red, polka-dotted skirt. The tassels at her hips swaying gently when she walked.

    Toplete the look she wore a camel-colored fur coat. The overall effect was pleasing to the eye. She looked slim, petite.

    The receptionist called Cheng Dongge¡¯s fixed-line, noting the woman¡¯s aristocratic bearing.

    ¡°Please hold,¡± Cheng Dongge ced the phone down and gave Qi Chengzhi¡¯s door a gentle rap. ¡°Young Master Cheng, Yu Keyao is asking for you.¡±

    Qi Chenzhizily blinked, giving Cheng Dongge a look before turning back to hisputer.

    Cheng Dongge returned to his desk and picked up the receiver.

    The receptionist gave Yu Keyao a polite smile, as she put down the receiver. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry miss. The director is in the middle of a meeting.¡±

    ¡°How long will it take?¡± Yu Keyao asked, frowning.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure,¡± the receptionist replied. ¡°These matters are well above my station, miss. Only the senior management has ess to this sort of information. Plus, even if I did have ess to the information, they rarely end on time. Excuse me, but why didn¡¯t you just give Mr. Qi a call to make sure he¡¯s free? Since you know him.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll wait upstairs,¡± Yu Keyao turned around and prepared to enter the lift when once again she was stopped by the receptionist. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. You can¡¯t go up there since you don¡¯t have an appointment, nor did we receive any authorization.¡±

    ¡°But I need to see him for some matters!¡± Yu Keyao frowned irritably.

    She took a deep calming breath before continuing, ¡°Both of our families have known each other for a long time. I even went out with him for a meal recently. And met his parents.¡±

    Blush coloring her cheeks, she shyly continued, ¡°His assistant did not tell him that it¡¯s me, right?¡±

    The receptionist thought of Cheng Dongge and his instructions. He had explicitly told her to tell Miss Yu that the director had no recollection of who she was and that she was to see herself out.

    ¡°The director is in a meeting. No one is allowed to bother him. You can¡¯t expect Special Assistant Cheng to interrupt him in the middle of it for such a small matter.¡± The receptionist struggled to temp her annoyance. Yu Keyao had the elegance of an esteemeddy. While the receptionist had found her attitude rather decent in the beginning, and thought of her as sweet, she was growing increasingly infuriating.

    The receptionist spected that, most likely, she had found a target in the director, and hade to court him.

    ¡°That¡¯s why you can just let me in. I¡¯ll wait upstairs,¡± Yu Keyao said impatiently. ¡°I¡¯m ady from the Yu family. Both of our families are on very good terms. It¡¯s fine if I go up to wait without an appointment. Also, if Big Brother Chengzhi knew that you stopped me from going in after his meeting, you¡¯d be in trouble. Why are you making this difficult? Don¡¯t you value your job?¡±

    ¡°Miss Yu, our director is someone who keeps his private matters separated from his professional. I¡¯m just following the protocols set by thepany. Even if the director got to know about this matter, he¡¯ll not find fault in me. On the other hand, if I do let you up without the director¡¯s permission, I¡¯ll receive a warning letter. But I won¡¯t lose my job.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so stubborn!¡± Yu Keyao stomped her foot angrily, ¡°I¡¯m speechless!¡±

    The receptionist barely kept her smile in ce. She said, ¡°If you really want to wait, you can sit on the sofa over there. The director maye down after his meeting.¡±

    Yu Keyao spun around to where the receptionist had gestured. It was a sofa near the main entrance.

    The expression on her face turned sour instantly, and the little propriety she¡¯d been retaining faded. She snapped, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll stay and wait. We¡¯ll see who¡¯s to me in the end!¡±

    After seeing that Yu Keyao had walked to the sofa, the receptionist rang Cheng Dongge again and briefed him on the whole situation. Cheng Dongge told her to just leave her be, but to stay vignt and prevent her from causing any more of a ruckus.

    Feeling the weight of her added responsibility, the receptionist was in a heightened state of anxiety until the veryst minute of her shift. She kept a constant eye on Yu Keyao, worrying that she would try to sneak upstairs.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Mum, I didn¡¯t even get to see him! Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going anywhere. I picked this date specially to visit him¨C I can¡¯t believe that Qi Chengzhi can¡¯t take a hint. With my beauty and family status, he has no reason to dislike me!¡± Yu Keyao said while ncing towards the elevator. From the moment she had sat down, her gaze had never left it.

    ¡°This is too much! First, he abruptly left, then he didn¡¯t even contact me and now he won¡¯t see me after all the trouble I took toe here!¡±

    She was met with silence.

    ¡°I won¡¯t give up on him! Out of my many suitors, Qi Chengzhi is the only one I like.¡±

    While she was still talking, she spotted Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unmistakable long legs stepping out of the elevator, Cheng Dongge in step beside him.

    Even from afar, Yu Keyao was dazzled by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s winsome features. The longer she watched him, the faster her heart pounded. It almost felt as if it was going to leap out of her throat.

    ¡°Got to go,¡± she dered, promptly hanging up. Rising, she took off.

    The man in front of her had the scent of the night breeze; concinnous and iparable.

    All she could see was him.

    Yu Keyao hastened toward him. Heart racing, her cheeks were stained red with passion and pudeur. She walked up to Qi Chengzhi, stopping him.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi,¡± gushed Yu Keyao, lifting her gaze. Her eyes brimmed with delicate demurity as she stood facing him, her hands gracefully resting atop the strap of her purse. She was the epitome of ady.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his eyes, fixing her with a callous stare. ¡°Who are you? Where is security? How can they openly allow an outsider to obstruct my way?¡±

    Yu Keyao was stunned. Her face was a deep shade of red; birthed by humiliation and contretemps. Her resplendent smile gave way to a nervous twitching at the corners. ¡°I¡¯m Yu Keyao. We shared a meal together.¡±

    She giggled derisively; her pale fingers tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be so easily forgotten.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took his time recollecting, before affording her some recognition. With an insouciant nod, he said, ¡°Miss Yu.¡±

    He then strode out, passing her by.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s hand, that was still teasing her tress, began to tremble. She had never expected Qi Chengzhi to so brazenly abandon her. All at once, she felt the fell stares of the room¡¯s upants and the single contemptuous stare of the receptionist.

    She stiffly turned around and chased after him. In her customary seraphic tone, she said, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, are you free tonight?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± was his pococurante reply.

    ¡°But...today is Valentine¡¯s Day,¡± she interjected tenderly, her gaze overflowing with adoration and warmth.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not free. Miss Yu, I have a girlfriend,¡± informed Qi Chengzhi as he walked.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t possible! Uncle and aunt did not inform me of such a thing! Why did you even attend the...¡± Her cheeks were erubescent as she uttered the final two words, ¡°blind-date.¡±

    Yu Keyao would not believe this reason. To her, he was solely trying to get rid of her.

    Nheless, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rejection was an enigma to her. She was beautiful and hailed from an affluent family. Furthermore, those who were more beauteous than her did not possess the status she did, and if they did, they held not her beauty.

    Didn¡¯t Xia Wenna contact her mother because she had valued her status and background?

    That fateful night, Qi Chengzhi had stolen her heart from the moment he had walked in. She had never thought it possible that such an apollonian creature could exist. The men she had been acquainted with were immediately overshadowed by him.

    The exhrating exuberance of love, at first sight, was so delightful that it was almost indescribable. Her heart had been stolen by the man currently standing in front of her.

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a frigid nce and scoffed. Upon hearing the first half of the conversation, those who did not know better would think that they were in a rtionship.

    ¡°That was a misunderstanding. It was, to my knowledge, a family dinner. I wasn¡¯t expectingpany,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined impassively. He descended the steps and proceeded to his Range Rover.

    Chang Lai stood alongside the car, holding the door open for Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Keyao maintained her stiff expression. She had not anticipated that she would be on the receiving end of such barbarous treatment. He had not even bothered to mince his words in the slightest.

    As Qi Chenzhi boarded the vehicle, Yu Keyao seized the handle of the car door, preventing its closure. ¡°Who¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gripped the frame, attracting Yu Keyao¡¯s serendipitous gaze. His hands were slender and pale; like the rest of him, they were perfect.

    Even the arrangement of his bones was monarchical; every inch of him exuded the chivalry of a gentleman.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s gaze trailed up his arm, stupefied by his sheer beauty.

    Qi Chengzhi continued to emotionlessly stare at her. His dark eyes reflecting nothing.

    Yu Keyao shivered beneath his piercing stare. As if a tendon had been severed, she released the handle.

    Qi Chengzhi, spurning her, wordlessly mmed the door.

    Despite pressing close, the dark tint barely allowed her to glimpse even a faint outline of the passenger.

    Infuriated, Yu Keyao clenched her teeth and dashed to the other side. Wrenching the door open, she threw herself into the seat.

    Qi Chengzhi turned to her with froideur. His lips thinned into a tight line, straining at his jaw.

    For two seconds he glowered at her, then said, ¡°Get out.¡± His phlegmatic tone cloaked the rage he felt.

    Barring the slight tremors, Yu Keyaoughed, and, lowering her head, she asked, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, on your way back could you please drop me off? It¡¯s difficult to get a car at this point in time. I didn¡¯t drive here, you see, and it¡¯s rather cold outside. I...¡±

    She nced at her exposed legs and turned beseechingly to Qi Chengzhi.

    There was no smile this time, instead, she turned herrge, luculent eyes on him. They shimmered like limpid pools of water.

    ¡°It¡¯s out of my way,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi turning away. ¡°Get down.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you please make a tiny detour? I really need a ride home,¡± pouted Yu Keyao miserably. ¡°And, since today is Valentine¡¯s Day, it¡¯s even harder than usual to get a cab. Plus, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s quite pathetic to be standing all alone, waiting for a ride?¡±

    Pursing his lips, he took out his cellphone and punched in a number.

    A momentter, she heard him saying, ¡°Director Yu, Miss Yu is currently at the entrance of mypany. She can¡¯t seem to get a cab. Please send someone to pick her up.¡±

    Hanging up, he opened his door and got down; ignoring Yu Keyao, who sat aghast. Unsactimonously, he opened the car door, yanked her out and shoved her onto the sidewalk. The actionpleted, he alighted, and, before the door could close shut, he barked, ¡°Drive!¡±

    Yu Keyao almost toppled over, after being shoved out. She wobbled dangerously in her high heels for a few steps, before regaining her bnce. Her mind was still in a whirl as she watched the Range Rover meld into the stream of traffic.

 Chapter 102 - Is This Man Romancing Her Now?

    <h4>Chapter 102: Is This Man Romancing Her Now?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Keyao almost fell to the ground after being shoved by Qi Chengzhi. She wobbled a few steps in her high heels before regaining bnce and watched as the Range Rover merged into the stream of cars in a daze.

    Just then, she received a call from Yu Zidong telling her that he sent someone to pick her up.

    ...

    ...

    Liang Lihua was waiting at the hallway entrance to receive Yu Zidong into the house. To her surprise, Yu Keyao appeared behind Yu Zidong and followed him in. ¡®Why did shee home now, wasn¡¯t she supposed to have a meal with Qi Chengzhi?¡¯ she thought to herself.

    ¡°What happened? Didn¡¯t you eat with Qi Chengzhi?¡± Liang Lihua pulled Yu Keyao over and saw the displeased expression on Yu Zidong¡¯s face.

    Yu Keyao told her what happened.

    ¡°He said that he has a girlfriend but I feel like he¡¯s lying to me. Otherwise, why would his parents arrange a blind date for him?¡± Yu Keyao entered and sat down in the living room.

    Liang Lihua nodded and said, ¡°I think Qi Chengzhi must be very arrogant and has very high standards, that¡¯s why he has never found a woman all these years. Also, even if he really does have a girlfriend, his parents probably didn¡¯t approve of her. You still stand a chance and you should seize this opportunity no matter what. Honestly, I did not expect the Qi family to look for us. Think of how the Song family received all those benefits and respect when Song Yu was engaged to Qi Chengji. You must grab hold of Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Back in the days, the Song family managed to gain so many advantages after getting engaged to just the younger son of the Qi family who wasn¡¯t holding any actual power. If you sessfully get engaged to the heir of the Qi family and be Madam Qi, our family will definitely prosper from then onwards!¡± Liang Lihua said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t feel embarrassed. There¡¯s a saying that even the fiercest woman will sumb to a man after his incessant pestering. It works the same for men too.

    ¡°Especially for a personality like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s, he¡¯s the type who doesn¡¯t easily open up his icy cold heart. However, once he falls for you, you¡¯ll be showered with endless blessings. His feelings for you would definitely be transcendent.¡±

    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m aware of this. Don¡¯t you worry, I won¡¯t give up. I truly like Qi Chengzhi. Finally, there¡¯s someone who¡¯s able to touch my heart, this must be fate. We¡¯re destined to be together,¡± Yu Keyao said calmly. Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua nodded as she spoke. They felt a sense of reassurance as they never had to worry much about their daughter.

    Yu Keyao went back to her bedroom to change. She took off her outer coat, exposing her wrists. Suddenly, she felt pulses of burning sensation on the part of the wrist that was held by Qi Chengzhi.

    Even though he did not withhold his strength when he grabbed her, but Yu Keyao felt that despite Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold, expressionless visage, he was still extremely charming.

    A man should be as mature and valiant as he was.

    When he held onto her wrist, she felt weak. When she recalled the scenario of the incident, she really wanted to lunge into his arms and enjoy the feeling of being hugged by him.

    Yu Keyao was so besotted with him that her gaze became dazed as she reminisced. The corner of her mouth lifted subconsciously and she smiled widely as she imagined.

    She could not resist touching the part of her wrist that was held by him. She lowered her head and traced the skin on her wrist with the tip of her nose. It was as if she could still smell the refreshing scent of Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Keyao revealed an infatuated expression on her face. Both her cheeks were blushing, her eyes lost focus long ago and her lips gently imprinted themselves on the skin that was previously held by Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was unable toe home for dinner due to a social event. Without hispany to celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day dinner together, Song Yu lost her appetite to eat.

    She had never felt so lonely before when he had to socialize normally. Perhaps it was because of the special asion today, and possibly having been influenced by the public atmosphere, it made her especially ufortable.

    Aunt Yang had prepared some simple dishes for dinner. Song Yu returned to her bedroom after the both of them had finished dinner.

    The enormous bouquet of roses on the bed was seductively red. Song Yu felt uneasy and just could not bear to look at it.

    When she came home with the bouquet just now, Aunt Yang asked in surprise, ¡°Sir gave this to you?¡±

    Song Yu did not know how to reply and just answered carelessly with ¡°Uhm¡±. With her face blushing red at that moment, she started cleaning up ording to Ruan Danchen¡¯s orders.

    After cleaning up, Song Yu went downstairs and waited in the living room. To her surprise, Qi Chengzhi came back shortly after she had settled down.

    ¡°Why are you home so early?¡± Song Yu walked to the hallway entrance to wee him. However, he did not move and just stood still without changing into his slippers.

    ¡°We¡¯re done discussing with the client, that¡¯s why I¡¯m back early.¡± Qi Chengzhi had one hand behind his back, and he smelled like frost. ¡°Go and put on your outer coat.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re heading out?¡± Song Yu asked, confused. Noticing he was hiding one hand behind his back, she tried to take a peep at it.

    Qi Chengzhi gave a half-smile and urged, ¡°Quickly.¡±

    Song Yu replied with an ¡°Oh¡±. She was still very curious about what he was trying to hide behind him. She gave another nce before going back to the bedroom to grab her coat.

    Qi Chengzhi waited at the entrance. He extended his hand and waved at her when he saw hering over.

    Song Yu¡¯s face heated up. She smiled shyly and ced her hand on his well-structured hand. She felt that this gesture was very meaningful.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand was not cold but rather warm and dry as he was wearing gloves before this.

    He held her hand as they walked into the elevator and pressed the floor buttons. They were going up instead of heading down.

    ¡°I thought we were going out?¡± Song Yu turned her head and looked upwards at him. Wearing only ts, her height was only up to his shoulder level when she stood upright.

    ¡°Just follow me.¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand. Then, he paused for a moment, turned his head suddenly and asked, ¡°Who sent you the bouquet of Blue Enchantress Hydrangea this morning?¡±

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu thought about the misunderstanding this morning. She med herself for not asking clearly before saying things and felt her scalp tingling. ¡°I ced it at the reception this morning.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed and looked at her with a sardonic half-smile on his face.

    ¡°The ¡®business card¡¯ sent it, right?¡± He arched his eyebrow and spread his lips in an enigmatic manner.

    Song Yu was baffled and pondered for quite some time before realizing that the ¡®business card¡¯ that he mentioned was probably referring to Li Zhuoan.

    How could he give him a nickname like this!

    Wang Yifeng was the ¡®Camry¡¯, and Li Zhuoan became the ¡®business card¡¯. It was a rather urate representation!

    ¡°You think that it¡¯s romantic, huh?¡± Qi Chengzhi continued.

    ¡°...¡±, in Song Yu¡¯s heart, she knew that this man was being petty again. At first, she was already prepared tofort him. However, when he came in from the door just now, he seemed like he was in a pretty good mood. Ergo, she thought that he had let the matter slide. Who would have thought that he had remembered it from morning till now.

    Song Yu approached him carefully after seeing his scornful expression. She pressed her body against his arm with her left hand still being held by him. Her right hand slowly slid down along his muscr arm.

    Even though he was thickly wrapped in a suit and an outer coat, she could still feel the prominent edges and lines on his arm.

    Atst, her soft, warm palm reached the back of his hand and she could clearly feel the knuckles and bones on it.

    Just like that, she wrapped his palm in both her hands.

    ¡°At first, I was quite happy when I received the flowers before looking at the sender¡¯s card because I thought you were the one who sent it. When I found outter that it wasn¡¯t you, I immediately gave it to the receptionist,¡± Song Yu said softly in embarrassment. She was rather disappointed when she discovered that he was not the sender.

    She really wanted to say that it was his fault for forgetting what day it was and that he should not me others if they had seized the opportunity to do so.

    However, she did not have the guts to say it in the end.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyebrows rxed and he caressed the smooth skin on the back of her hand with his thumb. ¡°What was written on the card?¡±

    ¡°Nothing special. He just apologized for the Red Roof incident and mentioned to drop him a call if I were to forgive him,¡± Song Yu said honestly. There was nothing to hide anyway.

    He sneered and said sarcastically in a low voice, ¡°Hypocrite.¡±

    ¡°Did you call?¡± he asked after a while.

    ¡°Of course not. Didn¡¯t you tear up the business card? I don¡¯t even have his number,¡± she said gently.

    ¡°So you¡¯ll call him if you have it?¡± he sniggered, his pitch-ck pupils rolled to the corner of his eyes to give her the side-eye.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you¡¯re being unreasonable! You know that I won¡¯t call him even if I have his number. I can roughly guess Li Zhuoan¡¯s motives. Since I¡¯m already with you, why would I stir up unnecessary trouble?¡± Song Yu gave up onforting him. She also thought of forgoing the stuff in the bedroom because she did not want to give it to him anymore.

    His actions were insufferable.

    She had never met such a petty man!

    She let go of his hand angrily and wanted to shake off the other hand that he was holding.

    However, he held onto her hand tightly, and no matter how hard she tried to shake him off, her efforts were futile.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued holding her hand firmly and told her to behave.

    ¡°...¡±, Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were all puffed up. Who was the ill-behaved one!

    How could he be so petty over such a trivial thing, it¡¯s not like she did something unfaithful.

    Song Yu gave up trying to release her hand from his and let him hold on to it. However, her legs moved in the opposite direction to distance herself from him. She turned her head to face the elevator wall, refusing to look at him.

    Qi Chengzhi swept a nce at her, disdained at her childish behaviour. In that instant, he shifted his legs to inch closer to her.

    When he moved closer, Song Yu backed sideways but Qi Chengzhi closed in further. A few stepster, Song Yu found herself pressed against the wall by him.

    Qi Chengzhi spun her around and she was facing him directly, with her back against the wall.

    He embraced her in his arms and pressed onto her body. Song Yu could feel the burning warmth radiating from his body.

    When Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to inch closer to her, she could smell the refreshing scent from his body, mixed slightly with the icy whiff of frost.

    He closed in bit by bit until the tip of his nose was dangerously close to hers, and his scorching breath that was mixed with a hint of tobo wafted her lips.

    ¡°Still want to act up?¡± he said softly. His tone was so mellow, it was as if it formed a tiny stream, smoothly seeping into her mouth.

    ¡°...¡±, it was obviously him acting up, how could he pin this on her!

    Song Yu was riled up by his voice, causing her body to tingle and tremble. She used her free hand to push against his chest. ¡°Get off me, don¡¯t squash me like this!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re always the one who presses onto me, why can¡¯t I do it for once?¡± Qi Chengzhi pressed closely onto her and jerked in between her legs suddenly.

    Song Yu took a shaky breath. This man was a professional hooligan, rolling obscenities off the tip of his tongue so effortlessly. Given his usual serious and solemn demeanor, no one would have ever imagined his actual behavior beneath that facade.

    Her face was blushing furiously, it was so hot as if it was going to explode. She was speechless in that instant, the feeling of helplessness was simr to that of a schr trying to reason with a soldier.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just behave nicely?¡± she said helplessly in a low, softened voice while trembling. ¡°There¡¯s a surveince camera inside the elevator. If someone sees us like this...¡±

    The elevator finally came to a halt. Only then Qi Chengzhi stopped pressing onto her.

    Her reddened face looked so tender and ravishing in his eyes, especially with her head lowered, not daring to look at him. Even though she said no, she did not exert much force on her hand and just let him nestle upon her.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s emotions heightened for a moment that he almost lost control.

    He lowered his head to capture her soft lips, where he took his time to suck them before releasing her.

    At that moment, Song Yu was already in a daze. She did not notice when he dragged her out of the elevator. She just let him hold her hand obediently and followed him blindly.

    After walking a few steps, the unusually strong wind blew her back to her senses. Only then she realized that she had followed Qi Chengzhi to the rooftop.

    Song Yu gaped in awe when she saw a greenhouse made of ss. In it was a big rose blooming like a sea of flowers.

    The upper half of the transparent greenhouse reflected the midnight blue of the night sky. The sea of roses gleamed brilliantly under the illumination of the dazzling lights in the greenhouse.

    ¡°For you.¡± A bloom of rainbow rose appeared in front of Song Yu¡¯s eyes the moment Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow voice resonated above her head.

    Song Yu lifted her head and looked at him in surprise.

    ¡®Is this man romancing her now?¡¯ she thought.

    There were no unusual signs on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face, save for his earlobes reddening a little, but Song Yu did not notice them.

    ¡°I heard that these rainbow roses had to be pre-ordered, but I didn¡¯t manage to buy it today. It took me some effort to find only one of these.¡± His tone was very indifferent, as if he did not care at all. ¡°There are 1314 blooms of roses in this greenhouse. These red roses were transnted here. I¡¯ll ask Aunt Yang to look after them and also get some experts over to check on them routinely.¡±

    ¡°You did all of this today?¡± Song Yu asked in shock. She was sure that he had absolutely no idea what today was before he called her in the morning.

    ¡°...¡±, Qi Chengzhi nced at her and scoffed, ¡°What¡¯s so great about 99 stalks, childish.¡±

    His words indirectly implied his acquiescence. Even though it was rather childish, Song Yu was still very moved by him.

    A man like him was willing to spend his effort on something like this for her. It was not an easy task to transnt that amount of roses and set up the greenhouse in such a short period of time.

    To a man like Qi Chengzhi, he would think that these things are pointless, a waste of manpower and money.

    Nevertheless, he still did these things that were deemed pointless.

    Song Yu lowered her head to look at the rainbow rose in her hand, then looked up at Qi Chengzhi. Coincidentally, he was also looking right at her, his deep, dark eyes filled with tenderness. There was also a slight hint of uneasiness on his charming face. It seemed like it was his first time doing something like this.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She lifted her head to have a clear view of his bright features. She took a small step towards him and slowly touched his waist with her arms before surrounding it shyly and buried herself in his arms.

    Her face was ced right at the position of his heart. She could feel his strong heartbeat. It seemed to beat a little faster than usual at that moment.

    Song Yu nestled in his arms. She could not feel the cold from the chilly wind blowing on the rooftop after being wrapped by him like this.

    She could not resist and tightened her arms and said softly, ¡°Actually, even if you had only given me one stalk, no matter how many more flowers others have gifted, it¡¯ll still pale inparison to yours. Thank you, for making an effort for me on this Valentine¡¯s Day.¡±

    His romance may be a little pretentious and clumsy, but it was extraordinarily valuable because it was from a man as magnificent as him.

    She could also feel his arms tightening around her. His chin gently perched on top of her head. Then, he lowered his head slowly with his lips searching for the hem of her hairline. They followed it and moved downwards, kissing her temples and the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°Raise your head,¡± his raspy voice resonated beside her eyes. She felt her eyes hot from the touch of his kisses.

    Song Yu felt a little feverish. She lifted her head obediently, her flushing cheeks met with his burning gaze, causing a violent spasm in her abdomen.

    His strong arms wrapped around her firmly while he lowered his head to bury his soft lips into hers. His lips looked quite stern but they had such a tender sensation. His warm lips grazed gently on hers, nibbling and sucking both her upper and lower lips, exploring every single inch.

    Song Yu felt her lips were numb and trembling uncontrobly. When he shoved his tongue in her, she had no strength left at all.

    After he released her, she pressed her forehead against his chest and panted heavily. Without any warning, she lifted her head and asked, ¡°It¡¯s considered a vition to build a greenhouse on the rooftop, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m kidding,¡± Song Yu teased jokingly. Both of her hands were holding onto his coat at the back while she tickled him by drawing circles with her fingertips on his lower back.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression turned dark. His eyes burst into mes under her tickles. He tightened his arms in a swift motion and pressed her onto his bulge.

    Song Yu swallowed her saliva sheepishly and wanted to back away at that moment. With Qi Chengzhi¡¯s current condition, it would be adding fuel to the fire if she gave him the present she had prepared.

    Nheless, considering his efforts, Song Yu mentioned, ¡°I have a gift for you too.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrow. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Follow me.¡± Song Yu released her arms that were hugging him and held his hand.

    ¡°Just one moment.¡± Qi Chengzhi tugged her hand.

    Song Yu looked at him with a puzzled expression as he reached out his hand. ¡°Give me your cell phone.¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± She still trusted him even though she felt a little odd. She took out the cell phone from her pocket and ced it on his palm.

    He took her by the hand and unlocked the greenhouse to let her in. Then, he brought her to the center of the greenhouse and looked around before nodding with satisfaction. ¡°Great, now stand here and don¡¯t move.¡±

    While Qi Chengzhi was speaking, he backed away step by step until he reached the entrance. Suddenly, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s that next to your foot?¡±

    Song Yu naturally lowered her head to look at it.

    ¡®Snap¡¯, Qi Chengzhi already captured it with a swift click.

    The captured moment was splendid. Song Yu was holding the rainbow rose with both her hands. When she lowered her head after being tricked by Qi Chengzhi, she looked like she was taking in the scent of the rose in the picture. She was surrounded by a sea of flowers, the image was so magnificent that it felt surreal.

    Qi Chengzhi quickly used Song Yu¡¯s phone to post a status on her WeChat Moments: ¡°Thank you for making such a wonderful memory for me today.¡±

    Attached below the post was the photo that he had taken seconds ago.

    By the time Song Yu walked over, she was just in the nick of time to see Qi Chengzhi uploading the post.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept a straight face as he returned the phone to Song Yu. He said in a steady tone, ¡°I heard that women like to show off the gifts that they have received from men, especially on days like this. Apparently, social media gets flooded with such posts.¡±

 Chapter 103 - Iâ€™m Fetching Your Future Granddaughter-In-Law Over For Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 103: I¡¯m Fetching Your Future Granddaughter-In-Law Over For Dinner</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi kept a straight face as he returned the phone to Song Yu. He said in a steady tone, ¡°I heard that women like to show off the gifts they received from men, especially on days like this. And social media gets flooded with such posts.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. ¡®So he¡¯s showing off on her behalf then?¡¯

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qi Chengzhi had a satisfied expression on his face as he took Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu suddenly understood the intentions behind that WeChat Moment in Hong Kong. It was likely a simr gesture.

    ...

    ...

    Once they entered the elevator, Qi Chengzhi started getting frisky. His hand traveled into her coat and started caressing her waist through the thin blouse. His nose brushed across her face as he left a trail of kisses along the way.

    Song Yu was turned crimson by his actions. She pushed at his waist and said, ¡°There¡¯s a camera. People are watching.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing anything scious, what are you afraid of?¡± Qi Chengzhi hummed. He pecked at the corner of her lips, branding her like a hot iron.

    The taunts and teases were getting on Song Yu¡¯s nerves. She rested her head against his chest and spoke in a quivering voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go home. I have a gift for you.¡±

    ¡°You got me a gift?¡± Happiness in his tone, Qi Chengzhi was curious as to what she had gotten him. He lifted her chin and kissed her on the lips.

    He knew Song Yu would not buy a gift for him using his money, the woman was too proper for that. She would not be able to buy something too expensive with her own budget.

    Her gift was most likely something unrted to material worth.

    They reached home. The sudden shift of temperature from the cold exterior to the warm interior made the body felt even colder.

    Song Yu did not head on to the bedroom just yet. She went to Aunt Yang to get a flower vase. She filled the vase with water and ced the rainbow rose in it.

    Although it stood alone in the vase, Song Yu liked it.

    She returned with the flower vase and followed Qi Chengzhi upstairs.

    They stood in front of the bedroom door when Song Yu blocked Qi Chengzhi¡¯s way. ¡°You...stay out here first.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi obeyed. He was eager to know what gift the blushing Song Yu had nned for him.

    Song Yu did not dare to meet his eyes so she kept her head low. Her blush had spread down to her neck. She opened the door just wide enough for her to slip in without giving him a glimpse of the inside.

    The door shut in his face before he could make out what was going on.

    Song Yu ced the flower vase at the bedside table. She then took the paper bag that contained the sleepwear she bought at the mall during lunch break.

    She headed for the bathroom to change. Looking at her reflection in the mirror, she squirmed in uneasiness.

    The sleepwear was not too unorthodox, just that the skirt was on the short side. While it was not extremely short, bending over would be a problem. The thin straps joined to form a low-cut ¡®V¡¯ at her chest. Song Yu licked her lips and breathed shakily. She anxiously checked her outfit a few more times before donning a bathrobe.

    She took three deep breaths before opening the bedroom door. Her fist clenched tightly at the bathrobe. ¡°Come on in.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows at her attire. He could somewhat guess what her gift was and boy, was he excited for it. He went in and saw the floral arrangement on the bed. Cut roses were arranged into a heart shape with multipleyers of flowers stacking onto each other. Upon closer inspection, he noticed something in the center of the flowers. He held up one of the flowers and found a pack of Durex stuffed within the petals.

    Qi Chengzhi turned and looked at the embarrassed Song Yu, a smile toying at his lips.

    ¡°That...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face burned under his yful gaze. She wondered if this was a bit too presumptuous and felt like Qi Chengzhi was mocking her.

    She blurted out, ¡°I bought them during my lunch break. A few of the different types. I couldn¡¯t think of what to give you, so... Choose yourself!¡±

    ¡°Different types?¡± At that point, Qi Chengzhi sat himself down on the carpet and started to go through his gift in earnest.

    Song Yu was experiencing first degree burns by now. Sooner orter, she was going to explode. She watched him flip through the condoms and silently cursed.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long arm stretched over and pulled her into his embrace. She tumbled headfirst into his chest. The two of them sprawled on the carpet.

    Song Yu stared at the floor. Her hands instinctively clenched at his shirt. While he was waiting outside, Qi Chengzhi had removed his coat and suit jacket. The sleeves were rolled up and his shirt was unbuttoned midway¡ªit gave him a carefree look.

    She could feel his warm breath at this proximity and her hands that were on his chest trembled. ¡°I didn¡¯t pay attention when I was buying. Just bought all the different packagings.¡±

    When she went to pay at the counter, the cashier was baffled. That was the moment she regretted taking up Ruan Danchen¡¯s suggestion.

    ¡°Now tell me, do you like strawberry vor?¡± He whispered and kissed her neck.

    Song Yu¡¯s blush would not let up and her neck was starting to itch. Red to the tips of her ears, she said, ¡°I don¡¯t know. I never tried.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s try it tonight then,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°...¡±

    His fingers trailed down to the belt that held her bathrobe in ce. A skilled tug and the bathrobe came loose. He went still when he saw what she was wearing underneath. The shocking intensity of his passion clouded his eyes and Song Yu was taken aback.

    A moment passed and his deep voice uttered, ¡°I really like this gift.¡±

    Song Yu had no time to react. Her vision was a blur and she found herself pinned to the floor. The straps of her sleepwear had been pulled down. Qi Chengzhi kissed her forcefully as his breathing ran ragged.

    ¡°Want to try that strawberry vor?¡± he murmured.

    ¡°...¡±¡®This b*stard!¡¯

    Actions spoke louder than words and Song Yu wrapped her arms around his neck. She hoisted herself up and gently bit his ear.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. His hoarse voice sounded like a mesmerizing melody yed from an unknown instrument. It was music to her heart.

    He only wanted to tease her and felt unfair if he actually made her do it. He peppered her face with soft kisses.

    ...

    ...

    In the morning, Song Yu slept peacefully in bed. She felt the bed dip on one side and a pair of lips ced kisses along her eyebrows.

    Her eyelids fluttered, her body was reluctant to wake up.

    She resisted opening her eyes up till the pair of lips moved to kiss her own lips. The refreshing scent of mint lingered. The clean-shaven and handsome face of Qi Chengzhi was right in front of her, up close and personal.

    Their eyes met.

    The lips that were kissing her withdrew gracefully.

    Song Yu blinked as a thumb brushed against the corner of her eye. ¡°Look at your eye shit.¡± He showed her his thumb.

    ¡°...¡± After a night¡¯s sleep, did he expect her to look perfect? She had little faith in her morning look and hisments had done nothing to assuage her. ¡°If you don¡¯t like it then don¡¯t kiss my face,¡± she said in an unhappy tone.

    She turned her back against him and buried her face in the nket. She surreptitiously wiped the eye shit from her eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi nudged her shoulder, ¡°It was just a joke. Don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Song Yu shook off his touch and said in frustration, ¡°You¡¯re always making fun of me!¡±

    ¡°Why are you suddenly so mad?¡± Qi Chengzhiughed. Song Yu was always praised for her good nature, so where did this sudden tempere from?

    Song Yu ignored him and shifted further away in the bed.

    Qi Chengzhi did not follow. Instead, he sat at the empty space she left and spoke calmly, ¡°I¡¯m going back to my grandparents¡¯ house today. I wanted to bring you back to make a formal introduction.¡±

    He sensed her muscles tensed for a while. Then, she rxed and rolled over to find Qi Chengzhi¡¯s earnest gaze upon her.

    It seemed like Qi Chengzhi was always the one who woke up first. She saw that he was already kempt and presentable. Of the few times she had caught sight of his sleeping figure, he always looked neat and beautiful, unlike her.

    The faint scent of mint mingled with the scent of his usual cologne.

    He was dressed proper and decent. The image was jarring as Song Yu recalled the ferocity and passion of his actionsst night.

    Apparently, the strawberry vor was not enough to satiate his curiosity. In the end, Song Yu was left with quivering, thighs wet.

    She sat up with the nket wrapped around her naked body. She knew that this day was going toe sooner orter, especially after Qi Chengzhi had mentioned it. She knew, but she was still incredibly nervous.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to tell them who I am?¡± she asked.

    Qi Chengzhi understood the meaning of her question. ¡°Other than my girlfriend, what other status would you have? Sooner orter you will need to present yourself to the family, so there is no point in hiding the truth.¡±

    Song Yu was deep in thought. Her heart was beating erratically in nervousness.

    ¡°Regretting your decision?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow at her while he took hold of her hand.

    ¡°No. Just nervous.¡± Song Yu looked down at his pale and slender hand. She rubbed her thumb across his long fingers.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that big of a matter. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He squeezed her hand. The strength and warmth of his grip reassured her.

    He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. ¡°Go on and have a little more rest.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi left, Song Yu had trouble falling back asleep. She got up and packed her stuff. A call came from Ruan Danchen and she headed out.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi did not expect to see Yu Keyao lounging in the family residence. She was engaged in conversation with Xia Wenna and Qi Chengyue in the living room.

    Apart from the threedies, Qi Zhongxun and his wife, Qi Chenglin, Qi Zhongliang, Qi Chengji, and Qi Youxuan were all seated on the couch.

    On the other hand, Grandfather and Grandmother Qi were nowhere to be seen.

    Qi Chengyue was the first one to spot him and called out, ¡°Big brother!¡± She looked pleased with herself.

    In the end, she felt that she had won their game of one-upmanship.

    Qi Chengzhi did not spare her a look. The smile remained frozen on her face.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s eyes darted between them. It seemed like Qi Chengyue, this little cousin, was not favored by Qi Chengzhi. Perhaps she should reconsider getting too close with Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°You¡¯re back. Come, sit.¡± Xia Wenna beckoned for Qi Chengzhi. The unrestrained glee on her face was concerning.

    ¡°Where¡¯s grandpa and grandma?¡± Qi Chengzhi remained standing where he was and asked coolly.

    His impressive height demanded Xia Wenna to strain her neck just to address him.

    ¡°When we came over, they had already gone out for a stroll. They¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Xia Wenna exined. ¡°Why are you just standing there? Keyao came today with gifts for your grandparents. Isn¡¯t she just lovely?¡± she said suggestively.

    Yu Keyao sat with her hands folded across her knees. Hearing Xia Wenna¡¯s words, she tucked her hair behind her ear and smiled, ¡°It was presumptuous of me toe without notice. I didn¡¯t know that there would be a family gathering.¡±

    She slowly stood from her seat and said, ¡°I think I shall make a move. I¡¯ll drop by to visit grandpa and grandma another day.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯vee a long way. Stay and have dinner with us. This get together happens every week and it¡¯s not a serious affair. Rx,¡± Xia Wenna persuaded.

    ¡°But I¡¯m the only outsider here,¡± Yu Keyao said sheepishly and looked to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Chengzhi...¡±

    At the corner of the room, Qi Youxuan heard the affectionate tone of Yu Keyao and turned to look between Qi Chengzhi and thedy. With Grandfather and Grandmother Qi out, Qi Chenglin made sure that he was not given ess to any junk food. There was nothing to upy Qi Youxuan and he was bored out of his mind.

    Before his eldest uncle came, he had listened in on some of the chatter of the three women. There was something about matchmaking andpliments about Yu Keyao. Something about her beauty and sincerity. Needless to say, it made him want to puke.

    Thatdy now blushed and acted coyly. She reminded him of his ssmate, Tao Baona, who was such a drama queen.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s pudgy hands pushed himself off the couch and exited the living room.

    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not an outsider. I¡¯ve never taken you as an outsider,¡± Xia Wenna said¡ªthe meaning behind her words not lost unto others. Distracted by this turn of events, Qi Chenglin did not notice his son¡¯s absence. He raised an eyebrow and looked to Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s face was flushed and she muttered, ¡°Auntie, this...¡±

    Unable to say whatever she wanted to say, she turned to look at Qi Chengzhi bashfully, ¡°Chengzhi, I...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi only nced at her with indifference and proceeded to stride out of the living room.

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± Xia Wenna hollered behind him but he did not slow down his steps. Thest thing he heard was his mother¡¯s voice saying, ¡°Keyao, sit. We¡¯re all family.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan ran to the bathroom. Before closing the door, his round head peeked out and checked if the coast was clear. Seeing that no one was around, he took out the phone from his pocket. It was a kid¡¯s phone, evident from the Totoro phone case.

    Ruan Danchen had invited Song Yu out and here they were at a Doraemon exhibition. As she handed her phone to Ruan Danchen to take a photo, a call came in.

    It was Qi Youxuan.

    The young boy came over to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house for a sleepover that night and was persistent about exchanging phone numbers.

    ¡°Youxuan?¡± Song Yu answered the call. She waved Ruan Danchen ahead and navigated past the crowd to get to a quiet corner.

    ¡°Auntie, there¡¯s ady in great-grandpa¡¯s house and she¡¯s my uncle¡¯s matchmaking candidate.¡± There was no one in the bathroom but Qi Youxuan spoke into the phone with a hand over his mouth, acting like a spy on a mission.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not know what to say.

    ¡°Auntie, you can¡¯t allow this. Uncle flirts with women everywhere and now one of them hase to our doorstep. You¡¯re too nice. If it was me, I would never stand for this. There¡¯s still time for you to reconsider and be my stepmom,¡± Qi Youxuan said with a straight face.

    ¡°...¡±

    She had no idea how to respond to Qi Youxuan¡¯s childish babbling but his words struck a chord.

    Matchmaking candidat...maybe it was that woman, Yu Keyao.

    Actually, how many candidates were there in line for Qi Chengzhi?

    Qi Youxuan got ready to deliver a spiel in promotion of his dad when suddenly a shadow fell upon him. His mouth gaped speechlessly. The ominous shadow gave off an immense pressure behind him.

    He did not manage to turn around and the phone was already snatched out of his hand. Qi Youxuan lifted his head and saw his eldest uncle.

    ¡®Uncle walks so quietly!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi gave his nephew a sullen nce. The Totoro kid¡¯s phone rested awkwardly in his slender hand.

    Qi Chengzhi brought the phone to his ear and asked, ¡°Where are you?¡±

    The sudden change of voice surprised Song Yu. ¡®When did he get a hold of Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone? Did he hear all the stuff Qi Youxuan said?¡¯

    Song Yu did not take Qi Youxuan¡¯s words to heart but she worried that Qi Chengzhi would berate the young child.

    It was possible based on his usual pettiness.

    ¡°I¡¯m at a Doraemon exhibition with Danchen,¡± Song Yu answered. She scanned the crowd and found her friend taking selfies with Doraemon.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the ce? I¡¯ll go over now,¡± he said. Qi Youxuan pulled at his pants for attention.

    Qi Youxuan held on to his uncle¡¯s pants and whispered, ¡°Uncle, give me back my phone.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi coldly pried open the young boy¡¯s grip from his pants and walked away. ¡°Address.¡±

    ¡°Why are youing over? Don¡¯t you have a guest at home?¡± Song Yu replied gloomily, her heart in a knot.

    Hearing the jealousy in her voice, Qi Chengzhi smiled. He spoke in a teasing tone, ¡°You really want me to entertain the guests?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    The silence prompted him to continue, ¡°Yu Keyao came over.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The trap wasid and she had stumbled into it foolishly. A part of her was reluctant to admit her possessiveness.

    However, she truly did not like the notion of Yu Keyao spending time with Qi Chengzhi. Just the thought of Yu Keyao staring lovingly at Qi Chengzhi made her blood boil.

    Ultimately, she gave him the address.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up and returned the phone to Qi Youxuan. While his nephew presented nopetition, his plot to make Song Yu his stepmom irked Qi Chengzhi.

    He gave his nephew a warning, ¡°Go find another person to be your stepmom. If you¡¯re lucky, you¡¯ll find your own birth mother. Don¡¯t bother your auntie.¡±

    After that, Qi Chengzhi walked away with his hands in his pockets.

    Qi Youxuan was shocked that his uncle said that. Could it be that he still had a chance to find his birth mother?

    There was a risk in finding a stepmom. What if he found one that did not love him? If she gave birth to siblings, then he would be neglected for sure.

    Qi Youxuan mulled over the issue. Perhaps he should start prying into the mystery of his birth mother.

    ...

    ...

    Back in the living room, Yu Keyao was still seated on the couch. She saw Qi Chengzhi walk back into the room and quickly stood up. In a demure tone, she greeted, ¡°Chengzhi.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi walked on as if he did not hear a thing. Yu Keyao¡¯s smile froze in ce, the corners of her lips twitched. She tried to hide her emotions from Xia Wenna but the pain and awkwardness were evident from her expression.

    Hurt shed past the endearing and innocent face of Yu Keyao. Xia Wenna would not stand by this slight.

    She was responsible for connecting the Yu family, yet her son tantly ignored Yu Keyao. Xia Wenna felt the secondhand embarrassment for the Yu family.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Xia Wenna stomped over to her son and blocked his exit. ¡°Where are you headed to? You just got back. Keyao was calling you, did you not hear?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a while. Be back in a second.¡± Qi Chengzhi skirted Xia Wenna and went out the door. He paid no heed to her second question.

    No one in the Qi family could handle Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temper. He normally kept it in check, unlike Wei Ziwei who was unrestrained in his anger. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s anger ran deep and cold rather than loud and hot. Before you could react, he would already have made his displeasure known and felt without any outward signs of hostility.

    Anyways, this thing with Qi Chengzhi and Yu Keyao was not a done deal. There were so many women out there for Qi Chengzhi to choose¡ªas long as they were not Song Yu, Xia Wenna did not mind.

    She let Qi Chengzhi leave. When she came back to the living room, Xia Wenna chuckled sheepishly, ¡°Keyao, don¡¯t mind him. He¡¯s a bit temperamental. No one can really keep him in line, even his dad or grandma. Stay and have dinner with us. He said he would be back in a second and if anything, Qi Chengzhi is as good as his word.¡±

    ¡°You guys can talk during dinner. Maybe get to know each other better. There won¡¯t be any more odd happenings today, so take this chance to bridge the gap,¡± Xia Wenna gently sped Yu Keyao¡¯s hands as she said this.

    ¡°Auntie...¡± Yu Keyao lowered her head as her face turned pink.

    Xia Wenna watched the woman¡¯s reaction and sighed internally. Yu Keyao was a good choice for her son, though she was a bit theatrical with her shrinking violet act. It was bing distasteful. Qi Chengzhi was not very fond of this type.

    However, Xia Wenna had gone through a long list of candidates. Yu Keyao stood out among all thedies from notable families as someone who was well-mannered and well-behaved.

    There was no choice as most daughters from rich families were spoiled rotten. Her own niece, Qi Chengyue, was the prime example. Although she was her aunt, Xia Wenna honestly would not want someone like Qi Chengyue as her daughter-inw.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi stepped out of the mansion proper and ran into his grandparents.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Grandmother Qi asked. She had a small watermelon in her hands, which was requested by Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I¡¯m fetching your future granddaughter-inw over for dinner. You guys can officially meet,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    Grandmother Qi was ecstatic. ¡°Oh! you should have said earlier. I shall get the people to prepare more food. Go and pick her up. Don¡¯t let people wait and dy dinner.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and took two steps before he was arrested by Grandmother Qi. ¡°Is this the one you want to marry?¡±

    ¡°Yes. If not why would I bring her back? She¡¯s the only one I want to marry. There will be no one else,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a certain finality. He wanted to impress upon his grandmother the importance of Song Yu in his life while her identity remained unknown.

    ¡°Aiya!¡± Grandmother Qi was stunned by his deration and almost dropped the watermelon. ¡°The gods be willing! If so, I will bring out the Qi family bracelet meant for the eldest grandson¡¯s wife.¡±

    Grandfather Qi quickly cut in, ¡°Calm down. She hasn¡¯t even entered the family.¡± His wife was too rash. They had not even met this woman and there were no wedding ns yet. The family heirloom was not to be handed out so impulsively.

    ¡°Your eldest grandson¡¯s wife is visiting for the first time and you don¡¯t want to present a wee gift? Don¡¯t be stingy!¡± Grandmother Qi retorted. The watermelon in her hands incited the second round of barrage, ¡°And this watermelon. I said we should buy the big one but no... Someone wanted me to get the small one instead. Now there won¡¯t be enough to serve everyone.¡±

    The veins on Grandfather Qi¡¯s temple throbbed. There was no winning an argument with this woman.

    Their great-grandson¡¯s belly was growing bigger by the day. With his appetite, it did not matter how big of a watermelon they bought, Qi Youxuan would just devour it whole. He was being prudent, not stingy.

    ¡°Wait till the marriage before giving the bracelet. We have a bunch of stuff in the house. Just pick something for the wee gift,¡± Grandfather Qi grumbled.

    The old couple squabbled away while Qi Chengzhi excused himself.

    Grandmother Qi had nothing more to say and angrily shoved the watermelon into the old man¡¯s arms before walking into the house empty-handed.

    When she entered, she was surprised to see a stranger in her living room.

    ¡®Who was this stranger?¡±

    Xia Wenna went forward and exined the situation, ¡°Mother, this is the Yu family¡¯s daughter, Yu Keyao.¡±

    She then whispered into the olddy¡¯s ear, ¡°Do you think she¡¯s a good match for Chengzhi? They met before and Keyao is interested. She came over today to officially introduce herself to you and father so I asked her to stay for dinner. If this match takes off, you will have your granddaughter-inw. Maybe even some great-grandchildren in the near future.¡±

    If it were not for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s parting words outside, Grandmother Qi would have been happy with this turn of events.

    As it stood, her grandson had dered that he had a woman that he wanted to marry. The conviction in his tone far outweighed this matchmake candidate pulled in by his mother.

    In front of Yu Keyao, Grandmother Qi said nothing about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend. Inside her mind, she was worried. When Qi Chengzhies back with his girlfriend, what were they going to do with Yu Keyao?

    ¡°Grandma,¡± Yu Keyao stood up and greeted.

    ¡°Sit, sit,¡± Grandmother Qi smiled politely. Her interest in the girl was mild at best, unlike Xia Wenna¡¯s overwhelming enthusiasm.

    She went straight into the kitchen to order Aunt Liu to prepare more food.

    As Grandmother Qi left the living room, Grandfather Qi walked in with a watermelon. His surprise at seeing a stranger at home was only slightly mutedpared to Grandmother Qi.

    Yu Keyao called out sweetly, ¡°Grandpa.¡± Grandfather Qi was at a loss as to how to respond. He just got out of a heated exchange with his wife and he was not in a good mood.

    In the end, he settled with a nod and grunt. He took the watermelon into the kitchen and huffed when he saw Grandmother Qi. He walked back out with the fruit cut and sat gloomily in his chair.

    Yu Keyao thought to herself, ¡®What¡¯s wrong with them? Do they hate me that much?¡¯

    ¡®Had they already met Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend?¡¯

    Yu Keyao turned to Xia Wenna for some guidance. However, Xia Wenna had no idea how to console the girl so she pretended to not see her pleading looks and focused on eating her fruit.

    Grandmother Qi gave out her orders for the kitchen staff. ¡°Aiya. Forgot to ask Chengzhi what the girl likes to eat.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Miss Yu right outside? I can go ask her.¡± Aunt Liu thought Grandmother Qi was referring to Yu Keyao.

    Grandmother Qi hurriedly waved Aunt Liu back before she went into the living room. Yu Keyao did not need another misunderstanding.

    ¡°Not that one.¡± Grandmother Qi whispered, ¡°What is Wenna doing? Last time Chengzhi already said he had a girlfriend but she¡¯s still finding a match for him. I think he saw Miss Yu out there and decided to bring his girlfriend over for dinner. If he really brought his girlfriend over to antagonize Miss Yu, the Yu family¡¯s image will be affected.¡±

    Aunt Liu decided the world of the rich was a bit tooplex for her and kept mum.

    She was Grandmother Qi¡¯s confidante and had been in the family¡¯s service for a few decades. Grandmother Qi trusted Aunt Liu to keep a secret, which was why she confided in her. She needed to get some of the secrets off her chest to keep herself sane.

    ¡°Great-grandma!¡±

    Grandmother Qi turned around to see Qi Youxuan walking in with his pants half down.

    Qi Youxuan had a bad habit. After doing his business, he had no patience to finish wearing his pants in the toilet. Luckily, Qi Youxuan had themon sense to not do it in public but only at home, he would waddle out of the toilet while pulling his pants up.

    Grandmother Qi helped him to zip and button his jeans. Qi Youxuan¡¯s bulging tummy made it hard to zip and when she was done, his tummy spilled over the waistband of his jeans.

    ¡°You¡¯ve gotten fatter,¡± Grandmother Qi admonished.

    Qi Youxuan worried that his grandmother would side with the other family members and make him go on a diet. However, Grandmother Qi said, ¡°I¡¯ll get you some new pants soon.¡±

    Qi Youxuan breathed a sigh of relief. His pudgy hand reached for a slice of turkey on the countertop. He took a bite and said, ¡°Great-grandma, is auntieing over?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Grandmother Qi raised her head and looked at her great-grandson. ¡°You¡¯re talking about your uncle¡¯s girlfriend? You¡¯ve seen her before?¡±

 Chapter 104 - Iâ€™ll Deal with My Family; All You Have to Do Is Focus on Crushing Yu Keyao

    <h4>Chapter 104: I¡¯ll Deal with My Family; All You Have to Do Is Focus on Crushing Yu Keyao</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Huh?¡± Grandmother Qi raised her head and looked to her great-grandson. ¡°You¡¯re talking about your uncle¡¯s girlfriend? You¡¯ve seen her before?¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± Qi Youxuan gobbled up the rest of the ham. With bulging cheeks, he nodded and mumbled incoherently, ¡°Auntie¡¯s really nice.¡±

    Grandmother Qi became extremely happy when she heard that.

    Qi Youxuan had always been wary of strangers. The outside world called him an illegitimate child because he had been motherless since young.

    Things had improved much since then. No one dared bully him because his great grandfather had taken a more open stand on things.

    Back then, however, when Qi Youxuan was still referred to as the illegitimate child. Many looked down on him. It was a shadow that had burdened him since a young age, and it led him to be particrly wary of outsiders, most of whom he would not ept so readily.

    Jian Yi was one such example.

    However, Qi Youxuan seemed to hold Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend in high regard, and, because of that, Grandmother Qi began to slowlye to a resolution. She wanted to approve of her grandson¡¯s future wife.

    ¡°But I¡¯m sad that Elder Uncle doesn¡¯t want her to be my stepmother.¡± Qi Youxuan grabbed another slice of ham. Upset by his elder uncle¡¯s disapproval, his appetite grew more voracious.

    Grandmother Qi was astonished! Qi Youxuan liked Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend so much that he went from calling her auntie to wanting her as his stepmother! The only reason he would say something like that was if he really liked her!

    Of course, the elderlydy did not take Qi Youxuan¡¯s words too literally. She rubbed a small watermelon and told Aunt Liu to slice it up. She then gave half the melon, along with a spoon, to the little boy and allowed him to eat it in the kitchen.

    As the anticipation for her grandson¡¯s future wife grew, Grandmother Qi dug up some birds¡¯ nests from the cupboard. ¡°We¡¯ll have this for our after-lunch dessert today!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu stood all by herself at the exhibition entrance. When Ruan Danchen found out that Qi Chengzhi wasing, she did not want to be the third-wheel. She left Song Yu to wait outside while she continued having fun inside.

    There, a few ticket sellers were shing tickets for the exhibition. Whenever Song Yu passed them, they would ask, ¡°Want a ticket? They sell for 80 inside, but I¡¯m selling them for 60.¡±

    Song Yu was so bored, she took out her phone to surf the web and scroll through her WeChat Moments.

    As her head was bowed, someone hugged her suddenly from behind. She was startled for a moment, but a faint breeze carrying a scent allowed her to identify who it was. Her initial fear subsided gradually, and her heart grew calm once again.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned over to kiss her cheek. His intimacy in a ce so public and crowded made her feel nervous, yet, still, she did not shy away, greeting him with a blush.

    ¡°Why did youe from this side?¡± Song Yu asked. She was keeping a lookout for the Range Rover while on her phone.

    ¡°There are too many cars. The Range Rover couldn¡¯t stop anywhere near, so I parked a bit farther away and walked here.¡± The warmth and richness of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was otherworldly. His tender gaze made her feel like she was melting to the floor.

    His arms came to wrap themselves lightly around her waist, unconcerned with the idea of her struggling free. She allowed him to stroke his ego when they were outside.

    Her eyes did not stray from him, a result of her submissive nature, even as her cheeks blossomed red. A sense of pride welled within him as he took her in, adoration burning deep. He knew that she allowed him his small victories because it was him; if had been anyone else, she would not have such patience. In light of that, he lowered his head, and his lips met hers.

    Heat crept to her ears.

    ¡°There are so many people here.¡± She pushed at him gently. She would ept a kiss on the cheek, but a kiss on the lips was far too intimate for such a public sphere. The ce was alive with children moring to see Doraemon. There were students from the junior and senior years of high school, too, so her embarrassment at being seen kissing grew tenfold.

    Her struggles excited him, and he lowered his head once more, brushing her lips, finishing what he had started.

    ¡°Mommy, they¡¯re kissing! They¡¯re not ashamed!¡± A puerile voice called out. It was like a wall had wedged itself between them. She evaded his advances; through with indulging him. Not daring to meet the eyes of the parents, she burned with embarrassment. She was afraid that the mother would shoot her a criticizing look, as if to say that Song Yu had corrupted the public by ignoring the presence of adolescence.

    Thankfully, the understanding mother simply dragged her son away, saying, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be rude.¡±

    She then steered her son to the ticket counter.

    Song Yu tugged on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s jacket and pleaded softly, ¡°Stop it, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smiled a small smile, as he grabbed the hand tugging upon his jacket. His fingers glided between the crevices of hers, intertwining them.

    It was only when they reached the car that realization dawned on Song Yu. ¡°Since you came all the way out to get me, where are we going?¡±

    ¡°We are going to visit my grandfather.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued, ¡°My initial n was for me to meet my grandparents and inform them of us. Then to arrange a suitable date for you to meet them. That would have been the proper way of doing things, but I didn¡¯t expect to see Yu Keyao the instant I set foot in my home. So, I thought I would just set the record straight today.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi omitted the fact that Xia Wenna was ying matchmaker, and had already begun treating Yu Keyao like her daughter-inw.

    The decision to bring Song Yu home was for Qi Chengzhi to dere his intentions to his mother and to prevent her from further meddling behind his back.

    He was afraid that Song Yu would feel stressed out if she knew all that information.

    Nevertheless, worry had already set in Song Yu¡¯s thoughts. The fact that Xia Wenna could wee Yu Keyao home was confirmation that she was already very satisfied with Yu Keyao.

    Meeting Yu Keyao on Song Yu¡¯s visit to the Qi family¡¯s residence would cause a tremendous amount of awkwardness for thetter, considering that Song Yu was not someone of high social standing. Furthermore, they were cousins, and Song Yu had also been the ex-fianc¨¦e of Qi Chengji. If Song Yu paid the family a visit, things might turn ugly.

    The situation would be even messier because of Yu Keyao¡¯s presence.

    At the same time, though, she was adamant to go through with this n, so she could tell Yu Keyao personally ¨C and in no uncertain terms ¨C that Qi Chengzhi belonged to her, and that Yu Keyao should back off.

    Song Yu was disgusted with the thought of another woman lusting after him and trying to please his family.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands were gripping the steering wheel firmly, and, for the first time, Song Yu took the initiative and stretched out her hand to hold his.

    He nced briefly at her, seeing anticipation, determination, and nervousness in her face.

    His right hand moved away from the steering wheel and grasped her left hand tightly. His thumb came into contact with the ring on her middle finger. He pulled her hand into hisp and began caressing her ring gently.

    ¡°If you¡¯re ever nervous when we¡¯re there, look at me.¡± Qi Chengzhi massaged her hand. His words were not too overbearing, and it made her feel calm. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side.¡±

    Song Yu, too, massaged his smooth, sharp hand. She was grateful that he did not spurt out ¡®Don¡¯t be nervous¡¯ or other simr titudes.

    With everything jumbling up in a confused heap, the phrase ¡®Don¡¯t be nervous¡¯ was not one that would magically ease her worries.

    She hated men who mouthed off empty sentiments. They were akin to telling someone ¡®Drink more water¡¯ when one was unwell, as if the water would miraculously be able to cure all diseases.

    Not all of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words were filled with emotion, but every single one of them was genuine. On hearing them, Song Yu felt very calm.

    Throughout the journey, their hands were constantly inteced, and oddly enough, Qi Chengzhi was being exceptionally gentlemanly: he did not fool around by cing her hand on top of hisher regions and whatnot.

    As the Range Rover parked at the entrance to the Qi family estate, Song Yu alighted and stared anxiously at the door.

    She was no stranger to the house. Be it as the daughter of a family friend or as a previous wife-to-be, she had entered the house many times before.

    Looking at the door made her feel as if the past was behind her.

    As of then, she would be re-entering the home with a new status, one that made her feel exceptionally anxious.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand and stroked it, softly saying, ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Song Yu held his arm and took a few deep breaths. She paled.

    She licked her lips and turned to look at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°How do I look?¡±

    ¡°Other than a pale face, everything else is alright,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. His slender fingers then began rubbing her face until it was pinkish-red. ¡°There.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being serious. How did Yu Keyao dress up today? I don¡¯t want to lose to her.¡± Song Yu eximed and frowned in annoyance. Recalling howvishly Yu Keyao had dressed back at Dynasty, Song Yu firmly believed that Yu Keyao would have dolled herself up beforeing all the way to the Qi family¡¯s residence.

    ¡°I was so nervous just now that I didn¡¯t think of going home for a change of clothes. I didn¡¯t put too much thought into what I wore because I was going to the exhibition with Ruan Danchen.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to one-up Yu Keyao?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow, and his thin lips twitched almost-smilingly. All of a sudden, there was a hint of diabolicalness. ¡°Simple.¡±

    His voice was low as he drew closer to her, overwhelming her with his fresh fragrance.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart began beating faster. She took a few steps back and poked him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know already?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯srge and muscr hand wrapped around hers, and he pressed her palm gently to his chest, moving it up and down.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing turned heavy and erratic. Breathing shallowly, her chest expanded as her stomach caved in.

    Despite having ayer of cloth between them, she could feel the heat of his chest. Her hands trembled of their own ord, and, since he held them, she had no choice but to keep them on his chest.

    Beneath her hands, Qi Chenzhi burned. She felt as if she were stroking the warm walls of a coal burner. His gradual coercion left her with no other option but to slowly step back.

    Soon she found herself trapped between the door of his Range Rover and him.

    The Range Rover was tall, much taller than her, in fact, and the back of her head was pressed against the car window. Her lips trembled, and her voice ¨C anxious, soft, and faltering ¨C uttered, ¡°We¡¯re in front of the house. Someone might see us.¡±

    The Qi family¡¯s residence was a ssic house with a fully enclosed courtyard.

    Sky-high prices of courtyard houses meant that not many people could afford them. Only locals with Mengyin ancestry and the richest of the rich could afford them.

    However, the area was not entirely upied by the upper ss. There were a few houses ¨C not many ¨C that were owned by some proletarians who had lucked into an inheritance.

    The presence of the middle ss meant that the neighborhood was rather busy.

    ¡°So what if someone sees me kissing my girlfriend out in the open? It¡¯s not a crime, and the police wouldn¡¯t arrest me.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thin lips were brushing against her ear as he said those words.

    ¡°You... Stop it. I¡¯m already worried. If you keep doing this, how would I be able to face your family?¡± Song Yu could not break free and remained pressed against his chest. She pushed him away lightly, but half-heartedly, almost as if she was reluctant to leave his embrace.

    ¡°I¡¯ll deal with my family; all you have to do is focus on crushing Yu Keyao,¡± he said, his voice like fine silk. It was an aphrodisiac, flowing through her heart, meandering down her stomach until it reached her delta. The carnality that filled her was not one that she could easily satiate.

    As he spoke, his warm, attenuated lips nted kisses from her ear to her cheek, before finally meeting her lips. They had a softness that was akin to, but many times more tender than, soft candy.

    He pushed against her until the back of her head was pressed against the car window. All Song Yu could do was mutter incoherently. It seemed as though he would not even allow her breath. He was so warm, so inescapable against her. His scent soaked her, filling her nose and mouth with a spice that made her knees tremble.

    Eventually, after a long time had passed, he let her go. Her lips were moist with his kisses; glistening slightly. There was no doubt that there was no longer any trace of lipstick on her.

    Song Yu was fuming! ¡°Is he helping me or Yu Keyao?!¡±

    It was bad enough that Song Yu¡¯s clothes were too casual, his antics had stripped her of most of her makeup, especially her lipstick ¨C which was the most important part. Not a single bit remained on her lips, and she was sure that she could no longerpare to Yu Keyao!

    Her face was so inexplicably red that Qi Chengzhi could not hold himself back from kissing her again.

    By then her lips were swollen, red and insanely beautiful.

    His exquisite fingers touched her lips and caressed them. The roughness of his fingers sent goosebumps all over Song Yu¡¯s body.

    ¡°If you go in like that, I guarantee Yu Keyao will go mental.¡± Anyone who saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu would immediately know what they had been up to.

    As it turned out, Qi Chengzhi had never attended on defeating Yu Keyao through Song Yu¡¯s beauty. To him, any method was a good method so long as it worked.

    No other method was as effective as the method he had chosen.

    Song Yu still had the capacity to think, despite the dizzying spell of his kiss. She had figured out his intentions. She could not resist when he guided her forward; she was still breathless and enervated from the kiss.

    As they turned, they saw ady who was in the midst of walking her Samoyed dog. Thedy was staring at them in stupefaction.

    Neither of them knew how long she had been staring.

    Song Yu was thoroughly embarrassed and was unable to look up, because thedy might have seen how Qi Chengzhi kissed her. She felt a numbness in her brain, and perhaps that was the reason why she did not hide behind Qi Chengzhi.

    Judging by thedy¡¯s looks, she ought to be someone from around the neighborhood. Song Yu did not want the nearby neighbors to have the impression that Qi Chengzhi had a prudish girlfriend who only knew how to hide behind him when something happened.

    ¡°Auntie Chen,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded and called out coolly.

    ¡°And I thought my eyes were seeing things. I thought you looked like the Qi family¡¯s eldest grandson, but I wasn¡¯t sure. Turns out it is you!¡± Aunt Chen brought the Samoyed over. The dog pressed its wet nose on Song Yu¡¯s leg and sniffed her. After Aunt Chen scolded the canine, it sat obediently on the ground, stuck out its big tongue and began panting heavily.

    ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± Aunt Chen looked at the beet red Song Yu.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied monosybically, then continued, ¡°A girlfriend whom I look forward to marrying.¡±

    Surprised, Aunt Chen studied Song Yu from head to toe and chuckled happily. ¡°Good, good. You finally have a girlfriend. You¡¯re getting married soon, I guess? Your grandmother will be so happy!¡±

    ¡°I brought her over today to meet my grandparents,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked.

    ¡°Is that so? Well, I won¡¯t be holding you up anymore. Go on in!¡± Aunt Chen said her goodbyes and continued walking the dog. Barely a few stepster, she turned around and pondered at their silhouettes. She then decided to spread the word that the Qi family¡¯s eldest grandson had brought a woman back to meet his elders ¨C he was not a homosexual!

    ¡®Then again, why did his girlfriend look so familiar?¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Reeling from the kisses, Song Yu had yet toe to her sensespletely, and coincidentally, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intention of making her forget her anxiousness had been achieved.

    He held her hand and walked toward the entrance, but a few steps before they reached the door, someone swung it open and stopped in astonishment upon seeing the two of them.

    Qi Chengji stared at Song Yu in surprise. Then, he looked at Qi Chengzhi.

    At that moment, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were standing very close together and their arms were interlocked. Song Yu, especially, was almost leaning against Qi Chengzhi, for she was still weak from his kisses.

    Qi Chengji¡¯s gaze then shifted over to their intertwined fingers.

    Song Yu felt heat rise to her face. In the past, she and Qi Chengji had no feelings for each other. Their rtionship was a tonic one ¨C nothing else ¨C there were no feelings of love between the two. Back then, they had even discussed how they would find a way to get out of the arranged marriage when they were adults.

    In spite of that, he was still her ex-fianc¨¦, and with that title hanging over his head, things were always going to be awkward between them.

    However, Song Yu¡¯s purpose on that day was to meet the elders. Song Yu did not simply bury her head in the sand by letting go of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand.

    She felt Qi Chengzhi hold her hand tighter, indicating that he was very satisfied with her actions.

    Qi Chengji never expected Song Yu to be the girlfriend that Qi Chengzhi spoke of.

    How had the two of them ended up together?

    Qi Chengji understood Qi Chengzhi much more than other people because his elder brother had been his role model since they were children. He strove to be like Qi Chengzhi, so it was natural that he would understand his elder brother more than anyone else.

    Qi Chengzhi was not the kind of person who would fall in love with someone at first sight. He must have had his eye set on her for a long time, pursuing her slowly and progressively until, finally, he had her all to himself, adamant to not let go.

    In that respect, Qi Chengji was curious: How long ago did Qi Chengzhi begin eyeing Song Yu?

    Looking at Song Yu¡¯s appearance, Qi Chengji surmised that they had been kissing passionately just moments ago. Did Song Yu even know how red and swollen her lips were?

    None of them said anything. Song Yu was quiet, filled with awkwardness, and Qi Chengzhi probably did not have anything to say. In the end, Qi Chengji coughed and said tensely, ¡°Grandma was worried because you took a long time just toe in. She told me toe out and take a look.¡±

    ¡°Well, I think we shouldn¡¯t let them wait too long.¡± Qi Chengzhi as he guided Song Yu in.

    Once Qi Chengji got over the initial shock, he tried cracking a joke with a half-smile. ¡°Awkward isn¡¯t it? Now I¡¯ll have to call my ex-fianc¨¦e my sister-inw.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ignored his joke and asked, ¡°Is everyone present?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Chengji affirmed but added after some thought. ¡°And Yu Keyao is still there.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi shed a cold smile and was about to open the door. Qi Chengji then recalled Song Yu¡¯s appearance and provided them with a kind reminder. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to wait a bit before going in? Song Yu, she looks...¡±

    ¡°You can go ahead and open the door,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied as if he was oblivious to what Qi Chengji was trying to hint at.

 Chapter 105 - This Is Song Yu, She Used to Be My Brotherâ€™s Ex-FiancÃ©e; Now Sheâ€™s My Wife-To-Be

    <h4>Chapter 105: This Is Song Yu, She Used to Be My Brother¡¯s Ex-Fianc¨¦e; Now She¡¯s My Wife-To-Be</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°You can go ahead and open the door,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied as if he was oblivious to what Qi Chengji was trying to hint at.

    The issue was no longer brought up again by Qi Chengji. He opened the door and went in first.

    Grandmother Qi did not mention anything about Qi Chengzhi bringing his girlfriend back, and although she was still worried that Yu Keyao¡¯s presence would create an awkward situation, she hoped that Yu Keyao would leave as soon as possible, preferably before lunch.

    That was why Grandmother Qi was giving all sorts of hints. At first nce, she seemed to just be having a normal conversation with Yu Keyao, saying that she was worried about Yu Keyao¡¯s health and stuff like that. The truth, however, was that Grandmother Qi was trying to get Yu Keyao to leave. A normal person would have been able to understand that and leave discreetly, but Yu Keyao seemed unaware of those hints and remained glued to the sofa.

    Grandmother Qi also wondered why Xia Wenna would introduce anotherdy to Qi Chengzhi when the young man already had a girlfriend. It was clearly an attempt to destabilize their rtionship!

    Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna¡¯s bad habits were resurfacing again. Did they insist on finding someone who was well-matched in familial status because they looked down on the moner¡¯ status of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend?

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s hatred of their attitude went a long way back. Her words fell on deaf ears and were even refuted by way of preposterous reasonings. She was so fed up with them that she no longer brought up the issue, and that was why she never passed down her generational bracelet to Xia Wenna.

    The olddy told Qi Chengji just to go out and have a look: if Qi Chengzhi really did bring his girlfriend back, Qi Chengji could inform the family and let everyone prepare themselves mentally.

    It was at that moment that there was the sound of a door being opened. The olddy ran to the door and saw Qi Chengji. She asked, ¡°Where are they?¡±

    Qi Chengji could only rub his nose because he had absolutely no clue as to what he was supposed to tell his grandmother. He was afraid of the possibility that his words would provoke her.

    He could barely give her a heads-up in time, as Qi Chengzhi had brought Song Yu inside already.

    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Qi Chengzhi greeted.

    The elderlydy looked over emotionally, but her facial expression then froze. She steadied her spectacles and looked intently at Song Yu, before asking curiously, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the Song girl?¡±

    Song Yu gulped nervously and greeted unconfidently, ¡°Grandmother.¡±

    Her voice, however, was not as calm as she imagined. It was clearly faltering.

    ¡°Why are you...¡± It was only when she noticed them holding their hands tightly that she came to a sudden realization.

    Excitement disappeared from her heart immediately, leaving behind only a chilly coldness.

    ¡°The both of you...¡± She gazed at back and forth from their hands to their faces.

    ¡°Oh dear, oh dear!¡± The olddy massaged her forehead. ¡°Why is my head hurting all of a sudden.¡±

    Those inside heard the ruckus and was curious about what happened outside. They then saw Qi Chengji supporting the olddy as they walked, and immediately behind them was Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    Xia Wenna¡¯s expression changed immediately. It did not cross her mind that when Qi Chengzhi left, it was to bring Song Yu home!

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face turned hideous, and her eyes were wide open in disbelief. The whites of her eyes were so clearly visible, and she was staring at Song Yu in exasperation.

    ¡®She dared toe here?!¡¯

    ¡®How shameless!¡¯

    Out of everyone else there, however, Yu Keyao¡¯s expression was the most shocked.

    ¡°Cousin?¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s jaw dropped and she could not contain her trembling. She could not believe that she was looking at Song Yu, and at the two of them holding hands.

    Yu Keyao then remembered: Qi Chengzhi told her that he had a girlfriend.

    She then thought back about the other night in Dynasty where she saw Qi Chengzhi walking with Song Yu¡¯s family. Although her first thought was that it was sheer coincidence, she now knew that it was not the case.

    From Song Yu opening the door while they were having a meal, to Qi Chengzhi following the Song family out to Dynasty¡¯s entrance for a smoke and watching as the Song family called a cab in the cold wind: none of that was a coincidence.

    Hidden inside the folds of her dress, Yu Keyao¡¯s hands balled into a tight fist.

    ¡®How could it be Song Yu?¡¯

    ¡®The Song family was done for!¡¯

    ¡®Song Yu has nothing now!¡¯

    ¡®How could I lose to Song Yu!¡¯

    She thought about what Liang Lihua told her, that the Song family went through so much simply because of Song Yu¡¯s engagement to Qi Chengji. If Song Yu was together with Qi Chengzhi, was that a sign that the Song family was making aeback?

    Yu Keyao had no intention of relinquishing her status to Song Yu. She fixed her eyes on Song Yu and stared directly at her face.

    Yu Keyao, who was still raging at the bombshell, did not immediately realize the passion in Song Yu¡¯s expression. Thetter¡¯s lips were still swollen¡ªan indication that the two of them were doing ¡®something¡¯ out there.

    She had wanted to do that ¡®something¡¯ with Qi Chengzhi from the moment sheid eyes on him!

    Song Yu shot Yu Keyao a cold stare and felt that thetter was not a threat to her. Instead, all her thoughts were focused on the Qi family¡¯s elders.

    ¡°Chengzhi.¡± Qi Zhongliang¡¯s face was sullen, but he opened his mouth and called out.

    Qi Chengzhi did not give his father the liberty of continuing to speak. He held Song Yu¡¯s hand even tighter and said, ¡°This is Song Yu, my brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e; now she¡¯s my wife-to-be.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    A moment of silence followed his introduction since no one knew what to say to him.

    Their faces though did not look happy at all.

    Qi Zhongliang¡¯s face was sour. He did not even look at Song Yu and was itching to give Qi Chengzhi a good beating. Meanwhile, Xia Wenna had mixed emotions¡ªthere was disapproval, and also disappointment. She looked at Song Yu, pursed her lipstick-coated lips, and shook her head.

    Grandfather Qi let out a cold ¡®Hmph¡¯ and roared hoarsely, ¡°What trouble are you trying to cause?¡±

    Grandmother Qi sighed; she wanted to say something but could not bring herself to do it.

    Song Yu held his hand and shuffled herself closer to him in order to lean against his arm.

    She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to introduce her in such a way. When he told the neighbor outside that she was his ¡®girlfriend¡¯ whom he ¡®looked forward to marrying¡¯, Song Yu thought that he was saying it because it sounded nicer and allowed the neighbor to take them seriously.

    However, introducing her to his family as his wife-to-be was a bit too direct, and Song Yu could not help but look down and focus her gaze on the couple ring on her left hand.

    Qi Chengzhi was far more serious in the rtionship than she had first envisioned.

    She looked up at him and saw his handsome face. His expression was stern at that moment, and although he did not look at her, he grasped her hand tightly and made her feel calm.

    Faced with his family¡¯s speechlessness, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled up in a smile. He held nothing back when he uttered in his rich voice, ¡°Come on, we have to keep the goodies within the family, right!¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    As emotional as she was moments ago, that sentence left her speechless too.

    Qi Zhongliang stood up abruptly. For years, he had never shown an unhappy face to Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Zhongliang had the utmost confidence whenever it came to Qi Chengzhi. As long as the decision was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s, Qi Zhongliang would never interfere, but on that particr day, Qi Chengzhi had the nerve to do something that was so against decent human principles!

    ¡°COME WITH ME RIGHT NOW!¡± Unable to contain his booming voice, Qi Zhongliang roared so loudly that there was a resonant hum in everyone¡¯s ears immediately after.

    Qi Chengzhi paid no heed to the order and stood there without leaving Song Yu¡¯s side.

    Song Yu massaged the thin skin of his palm and whispered, ¡°Go. I¡¯ll be alright by myself here.¡±

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi glued to the spot, Qi Zhongliang nearly rushed out of the living room. He froze midway and neither advanced nor retreated, making for a very awkward sight.

    Grandmother Qi said, ¡°Oh dear,¡± and continued, ¡°Just go there. Nothing¡¯s going to happen if you leave the Song girl here, right? I¡¯ll look after her. It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s going to eat her.¡±

    ¡°Go,¡± Song Yu urged softly.

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi walked to Qi Zhongliang, but before he left, he still managed to knead her hand.

    His movement, though small, was not done with the intention of being covert. Other than Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya, who were unable to spot it due to their position, the rest of them saw his action clearly.

    It was the first time Qi Chengzhi treated a girl so lovingly. He was so protective of her, even when he was dealing with his own family¡ªa fact which shocked everyone there.

    Qi Chengzhi left, and all Song Yu could do was stand awkwardly there.

    ¡°The Song girl, sit down,¡± the olddy said.

    By then, Song Yu felt ufortable no matter where she sat.

    It was all the same, whether she sat beside Xia Wenna or Yu Keyao.

    A tiny head popped up from behind the kitchen door. Qi Youxuan was busy eating his watermelon in the kitchen when he heard some noise in the living room. His great-grandfather seemed to be really angry, so he was afraid of going out.

    When everything was quiet again, Qi Youxuan bravely stuck out his head to check on the situation.

    He was pleasantly surprised to see Song Yu standing there, although she did look at bit lonely.

    Qi Youxuan went back into the kitchen, grabbed his half-eaten watermelon, and ran out.

    ¡°Auntie!¡± Qi Youxuan called out with glee. His chubby arms held the watermelon, and his movements caused the juices from the watermelon to ssh all over his chest and sleeves. His other chubby hand was grasping adle, and he brandished it while running over to Song Yu.

    When he reached where Song Yu was, he inserted thedle into the watermelon and used his free hand to hold Song Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Auntie, when did you arrive?¡±

    ¡°Just a while ago.¡± Song Yu nced at him and found it surprising that there was still someone in the house who genuinely weed her presence.

    ¡°Auntie,e and sit down.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes scanned the surroundings. He intended to bring Song Yu to sit beside his father, Qi Chenglin, but there was no empty space there. In the end, he led her to the space that Qi Zhongliang had previously been sitting at.

    Yu Keyao looked at Song Yu with an unpleasant expression. ¡®Why wasn¡¯t Qi Youxuan as friendly as he was toward me when I came!¡¯

    Hearing him call Song Yu ¡®auntie¡¯ was incredibly revolting for Yu Keyao. If only she could sew the boy¡¯s mouth shut!

    ¡°Auntie, would you like some watermelon?¡± Qi Youxuan scooped up some watermelon. His words were meant for Song Yu, but the scoop was directed toward his own mouth. If Song Yu said yes, he would have to give away that watermelon sincerely.

    ¡°No, thank you. You go ahead and eat.¡± Song Yu smiled, and Qi Youxuan breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Don¡¯t eat so much, otherwise you won¡¯t be able to have a proper mealter.¡± Qi Chenglin could not help but grumble at his son.

    At that time, Grandmother Qi was so at odds over Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu that she could care less about Qi Chenglin.

    Conflicted and confused, she found herself in a hard ce. It was incredible enough that Qi Chengzhi had a girlfriend whom he was serious about marrying. If things went smoothly, Grandmother Qi would have a great-grandson in her arms, but why did the girlfriend have to be Song Yu? What was he trying to do by getting married to his brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e?

    The olddy was still at a loss for words when Qi Zhongliang¡¯s voice roared from the study room. ¡°What¡¯s going on in your mind! He¡¯s your brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e for God¡¯s sake, isn¡¯t there any other woman in the world? What¡¯s wrong with you!¡±

    When everyone remembered that Yu Keyao was still there, their faces turned awkward.

    ¡°Keyao.¡± Xia Wenna turned around and had an unhappy expression. ¡°Since things have turned out like this here, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s not convenient for you to have a meal with us.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s status may soon be revealed to the public because Qi Chengzhi¡¯s character would render separating them difficult. It was, after all, a blemish to the family, so none of them would want an outsider like Yu Keyao to hear them all.

    In fact, Yu Keyao understood that Grandmother Qi¡¯s earlier hinting was to get her to leave, but at that time she yed dumb.

    Xia Wenna¡¯s words, however, were all too clear. Yu Keyao had no choice but to hide her unwillingness and dissatisfaction at being asked to leave. She smiled, stood up, tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and remarked openly, ¡°I understand. It¡¯s inappropriate for me to be here.¡±

    There was nothing else that Xia Wenna could have said. Her upbringing meant that there was no way she could say anything bad about Song Yu in front of Yu Keyao.

    More so, when Song Yu was the daughter of her friend.

    After sending Yu Keyao off, Xia Wenna sat back down. However, she chose to sit beside Qi Chenglin, on Song Yu¡¯s opposite, leaving only Song Yu and Qi Youxuan looking quite lonely by themselves.

    That was when Song Yu truly appreciative and was thankful for Qi Youxuan. He may be a young boy, but by being at her side, he made her feel less lonely than if she were alone.

    ¡°Song Yu,¡± Xia Wenna finally spoke after a lengthy silence.

    Xia Wenna pursed her lips, and her teeth were mping down on the parts of her lip within her mouth. ¡°When we met at Dynasty the other day, we didn¡¯t have the chance to talk. Are your parents well?¡±

    ¡°They are. They¡¯re used to living a normal life. There are perks to the simple life: they don¡¯t need to worry aboutpany matters, they don¡¯t have to attend all sorts of events. Without all that, my father has nothing much to do, so he spends his time analyzing his kifu and talking to the neighbors. He looks more energetic than he wasst time even though he¡¯s aged since then.¡± The hardships and inability to adjust to that life were more prevalent during the period immediately after the bankruptcy, but they left all that in the past because it was many years ago.

    ¡°Your mother, she... Is she still angry with me?¡±

    Song Yu thought for a moment before replying, ¡°I think that¡¯s out of the question because everything¡¯s much calmer now. After all, when such a big business is gone so suddenly, I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone who could keep their cool at the time. In fact, my mother dide to a realization that help should not have been expected. Besides, the Qi family would have had their own things to worry about. The Song family¡¯s debt was too much, even my mother¡¯s rtives simply looked at us without doing anything. They severed all ties with us as fast as they could. There was no point for us to me anyone.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu.¡± Xia Wenna looked down for a moment before looking up at Song Yu. ¡°Whether you believe me or not, I genuinely wanted to help you. When I introduced Yu Keyao to Chenghzi, it was my hope that the Yu family would make amends with the Qi family. As inws, I¡¯d be in a position to plead the Yu family to help the Song family.¡±

    ¡°I really do regret what happened to your family, but I cannot agree to your rtionship with Chengzhi. I think you understand too, that people would be saying stuff about someone who was once engaged to our youngest son but is now in a rtionship with our eldest. Even though there are no blood rtions between you two, this... This is too messy!¡±

    ¡°What mess is there? I brought Song Yu here today for Grandfather and Grandmother to meet her. I never considered whether you¡¯d agree or not.¡± Qi Chengzhi hadpleted his conversation with Qi Zhongliang, and the former walked out right after thetter did.

    Qi Zhongliang¡¯s face was sour because Qi Chengzhi did not seem to fully appreciate their prior discussion.

    Qi Chengzhi maintained hisposure as though nothing happened at all.

    He went and sat beside Song Yu immediately, his insipid gaze turning warm and tender the instant heid eyes on Song Yu.

    Xia Wenna could see the change with utmost rity. She felt shocked because she never thought that Qi Chengzhi would treat Song Yu so specially. That tender gaze was something Xia Wenna had never seen in her son¡¯s eyes.

    Song Yu calmed down immediately after seeing Qi Chengzhi, despite her being somewhat ufortable at first. As her eyes met his gaze and felt its lovingness, a surge of warmth erupted from within the depths of her heart.

    She was particrly desperate to lean against him at that time.

    Qi Chengzhi shifted his attention to Qi Youxuan, but his gaze reverted to the pre-Song Yu coldness. Devoid of emotion, he narrowed his eyes and lifted Qi Youxuan by the cor.

    ¡°Oi, uncle, what are you doing!¡± In the midst of enjoying his watermelon, Qi Yuoxuan¡¯s handheld the fruit tightly when he was suddenly lifted up into the air. His other hand held the scoop and was about to attack Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand with it.

    Just before the scoop came into contact with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand, the man ced Qi Youxuan on Xia Wenna¡¯sp and squeezed himself in between her and Song Yu, thereby separating the two women <sup>1</sup> .

    Xia Wenna pursed her lips tightly and wondered if he was afraid that she would pick on Song Yu.

    ¡®Did he have to be so protective of her?!¡¯

    The sofa became exponentially more crowded after Qi Chengzhi sat down. Qi Youxuan was still a small boy so he did not take up a lot of space, however, Qi Chengzhi inserted himself quite stiffly in the middle.

    Xia Wenna was made to shift her position to the side.

    Song Yu sat with moreposure because she was once again close to Qi Chengzhi. She did not know what to say, so she simply kept her head low. A fair hand then stretched over and covered her hands which were ced on her knees.

    Those bony fingers of his were slender and handsome; such hands would look exceptionally elegant when ying any musical instrument.

    His well-defined fingers held her hand and tunneling through the spaces between her fingers using her fingertips. Meanwhile, his thumb was rubbing gently on the back on her hand.

    The familiar warmth and reliance he emitted caused Song Yu to reciprocate his grip.

    ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother. I brought Song Yu here today to meet the both of you.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at his grandparents and continued inly, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, then there won¡¯t be anyone else whom I can father children with.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± The elderlydy¡¯s heart sank and she could not say anything further.

    Her biggest wish was to see her grandchildren getting married and bestowing many great-grandchildren for her. There was nothing else she wanted.

    However, her eldest grandson¡¯s words suggested that there was no one else for him other than Song Yu.

    If there was no Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi declined to find anyone else who could give birth to great-grandchildren for them. What then?

    Grandmother Qi was conflicted.

    Grandfather Qi looked at Qi Zhongliang, then at Qi Chengzhi. He then looked at Song Yu, and finally at Qi Chengji, eximing, ¡°I¡¯m going for a walk!¡±

    ¡®All this is nonsense!¡¯

    ¡°Chengzhi, how could you say that to Grandpa and Grandma!¡± Xia Wenna chastised unhappily. ¡°Are you using your future child to threaten us?¡±

    ¡°If you want to look at it that way, Mother, it¡¯s fine with me.¡± Qi Chengzhi tugged on Song Yu and stood up. ¡°It¡¯s not easy for me to find someone I like. I am in no position to say that I might or might not meet another person that I like as much as her. If I could¡¯ve made do with anyone earlier, I would¡¯ve done so. There¡¯s no need for me to wait until now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi paused and looked at his grandmother in earnest. ¡°Grandmother, I¡¯m thirty-four this year. Oh, wait. It¡¯s already the new year so let¡¯s just go with thirty-five. If everything goes smoothly, I¡¯m nearing myte thirties by the time I get to marry and father a child. If this is dragged even longer, I really don¡¯t know if I can father any children by then.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear!¡± The olddy ced a hand to her heart and crashed to the sofa in a bout of agony. She turned her face to the side and did not even look at anyone else.

    ¡°SHUT YOUR MOUTH!¡± Qi Zhongliang lost his temper and stood up. ¡°GET OUT! You just had to look for your brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e! You¡¯re not even afraid that people will gossip behind your back! We can¡¯t control you anymore, you¡¯ve gone mad with that love of yours! If you don¡¯t want to have children, don¡¯t! We¡¯re not demanding it from you, now are we? Get out!¡±

 Chapter 106 - It Was Eye-Opening to See Qi Chengzhi Protecting Someone with All His Heart

    <h4>Chapter 106: It Was Eye-Opening to See Qi Chengzhi Protecting Someone with All His Heart</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°SHUT YOUR MOUTH!¡± Qi Zhongliang lost his temper and stood up. ¡°GET OUT! You just had to look for your brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e! You¡¯re not even afraid that people will gossip behind your back! We can¡¯t control you anymore, you¡¯ve gone mad with that love of yours! If you don¡¯t want to have children, don¡¯t! We¡¯re not demanding it from you, now are we? Get out!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi really did bring Song Yu and left without saying goodbye. He had earlier predicted that going there on that day would not end particrly well.

    If it were not Yu Keyao, he would not have made such a drastic change to his initial n.

    His original intention was to take things slowly, first by persuading his grandparents so that they, in turn, would persuade his parents.

    The n had not changed, but the method of execution had be much harder to implement.

    As Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu out the door, Song Yu could hear Qi Zhongliang¡¯s anger when the door behind them had yet to close. ¡°What would people say about our family if they saw this? That we prepared one woman for two sons at the same time? Why the hell is it so hard for the men in our family to find a woman! One is in love with another man¡¯s wife, and the other is in love with his brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e!¡±

    Song Yu felt deeply hurt upon hearing the first few lines of Qi Zhongliang¡¯s rant. He said it as though she was a casual woman who went around being with any man.

    She looked down in despair and wondered if Qi Zhongliang thought that she was a shameless woman.

    Her hand was kneaded gently, and although she did not look up at him, she could hear his mellow voice resounding from the top of her head. ¡°Don¡¯t think so much.¡±

    Song Yu then looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face, only to be interrupted by a scathing remark. ¡°You heard my elder uncle¡¯s words, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    They stopped walking and turned to see Qi Chengyue running over. When she saw that they stopped, she slowed her steps and strutted over with confidence. She had a smirk on her face and she looked at Song Yu with a sideways nce.

    ¡°My opinion isn¡¯t just limited to me. Everyone¡¯s thinking the same thing! I told you that from the beginning, but you used me of targeting you on purpose and looking down on you. Now, even grandpa, grandma, uncle, and auntie have the same attitude toward you. What¡¯s there for you to say? How despicable must you be to get together with the elder brother after being with the younger brother?¡±

    Qi Chengyue felt a chill because her vision shifted inadvertently to Qi Chengzhi. All of a sudden, she froze and was unable to resist looking over at him.

    At that point, she dared not even squeak. She felt her heart nearly stop beating under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frigid re.

    ¡°Go and wait for me in the car.¡± Coldness turned to warmth when his gaze recoiled and was directed onto Song Yu. The mere sight of that left Qi Chengyue fuming, and her enmity for Song Yu only grew.

    What did someone as lowly as Song Yu have that could invoke such feelings of love and protectiveness within Qi Chengzhi?

    Qi Chengyue knew the extent of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temper. The world would turn upside down if there was ever a woman whom he could love so much.

    If a loner like Qi Chengzhi, or even an ordinary man for that matter, could love his girlfriend so dearly, it would definitely attract the seething jealousy of many others.

    Qi Chengyue could not help but think about Jian Yi¡ªhe never protected her like that before.

    It was eye-opening to see Qi Chengzhi protecting someone with all his heart.

    Song Yu nodded and did not object to his order.

    At the end of the day, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengyue were rted to each other. It was always going to be easier for Qi Chengzhi to handle things by himself. Moreover, there was no willingness on Song Yu¡¯s part to deal with Qi Chengyue; after all, she regarded thetter was helplessly insane. The reason for Qi Chengyue¡¯s inted ego was a result of being spoilt all throughout her childhood years, but as egotistical as she may be, there had to be some kind of limit at the very least!

    During the course of leaving the courtyard, Song Yu was still able to hear Qi Chengyue¡¯s ear-piercing voice. ¡°Why do you have to protect her so much? What¡¯s there to her? You¡¯re already hurt because I said a few things to her? Is she so precious to you that no one can say anything about her? If you don¡¯t want to be criticized, you shouldn¡¯t have done such a despicable thing! You shouldn¡¯t be afraid of someone talking about it if you were the one who did such a thing!¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, if you have the guts, stay! Stand here and listen to everything I say! Confront me face-to-face and clear things up! You¡¯re always hiding behind men and pretending to be weak! You¡¯re the most disgusting woman I¡¯ve ever met in my entire life! Getting together with the elder brother after being with the younger, it¡¯s not surprising that someone like you would seduce someone¡¯s man and be willing to be a mistress!¡±

    Song Yu went directly to the car, sat down, and closed the door so she could no longer hear Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice.

    She did not care too much about what Qi Chengyue said. It did anger her, no doubt, but she would not take it to heart because those words came from a deluded woman.

    If she remained outside, she did worry that she would bump into a neighbor who might recognize her.

    It was much better inside the car because the windows were tinted.

    Qi Chengyue scolded and cursed, but gradually lost her confidence because Qi Chengzhi was doing nothing to stop her¡ªhe lit up a cigarette and smoked calmly instead!

    With the cigarette between the contours of his fingers, his movements were graceful as he puffed out clouds of smoke. His eyes narrowed slightly and he seemed to be enjoying himself a fair bit.

    ¡°Go on, keep shouting. Why did you stop?¡± Qi Chengzhi exhaled a breath of smoke and remarked sarcastically, ¡°Is your throat dry? I can go back inside to get you a ss of water so you can continue shouting. Your shouts will attract people, and when theye out to see what¡¯s going on, we¡¯ll see who¡¯s really dragging the Qi family¡¯s dignity down the drain.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was red with anger, but since Qi Chengzhi waspletely unperturbed by her scolding, she felt herself losing control over the situation.

    ¡°Next time, think about Jian Yi if you ever feel the urge to curse at Song Yu. I think the position of Engineering Manager is not his ultimate goal, and neither is it yours,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked leisurely and flicked off some ash from his cigarette. ¡°If Qilin fires Jian Yi, no otherpany would want him. Then you¡¯ll see if he¡¯ll still want you. If that dayes, you¡¯re no longer a goldmine to him. You¡¯ll simply be dirt.¡±

    ¡°Deep down, you know why Jian Yi wanted to be with you. You just can¡¯t bring yourself to ept it. I don¡¯t care whether you love him to infinity and beyond, or you¡¯re so arrogant that you can¡¯t ept that you¡¯re no better than someone else in his heart; after all, you¡¯re going to marry him, aren¡¯t you? You might as well think about whether you¡¯d be able to have that bargaining chip anymore. And also, think about how worthless that bargaining chip is to me.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes were wide open in disbelief. She never imagined that Qi Chengzhi would threaten her so tantly!

    After all, she was his cousin sister!

    She knew early on that he was never a kind-hearted person, but she found it incredulous that he did not hold back against his own family!

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that I¡¯ll tell everyone about how Song Yu seduced Jian Yi? Not to mention Song Yu was your little brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e. With her status, they won¡¯t let her into the Qi family, unless of course, she¡¯s getting married to your little brother. Otherwise, the absurdity of a younger brother¡¯s wife bing the wife of his elder brother is something the family would not permit.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s threats had stuck her nerve, causing her lips to tremble as she spoke.

    ¡°No one in the family agrees to it, and if I told everyone that she tried to get together with Jian Yi, what do you think they¡¯ll say? You heard what elder uncle told you earlier, Song Yu¡¯s a casual woman. If I told them all this, her reputation of being whorish will forever stick with her!¡±

    ¡°Tell them then,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied indifferently. ¡°Was it Song Yu who seduced Jian Yi or Jian Yi who lied to Song Yu? Whether you¡¯re willing to ept it or not, deep down you know. Who do you think gave you those photographs? Who told you that Jian Yi was having a date with another woman? If you say something, you¡¯ve got to have proof. And that proof? You don¡¯t have it. I do. When the timees, we¡¯ll see if it¡¯s Song Yu or Jian Yi who will not be allowed to enter the family. Or maybe, you¡¯re at a point where you don¡¯t care if something happens to yourself as long as you¡¯re able to inflict that suffering on her. Perhaps you¡¯ll be willing to put your wedding at stake just to prevent Song Yu from being a member of the Qi family. In that case, it¡¯s a loss for both sides.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sneered, ¡°I can simply disregard everyone¡¯s opinion and just register my marriage with Song Yu. Can you do that? If you can sever your ties with the family just to marry Jian Yi, what¡¯s going to happen to him? When¡¯s the wedding? It¡¯sing soon, isn¡¯t it? Next week?¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face morphed into all sorts of emotions, settling finally on shock as she took a half-step back and stared in terror at her elder cousin brother. He looked as though his patience was tested for the first time.

    He had nned everything in detail!

    ¡°You¡¯re holding against your own cousin sister?¡± Qi Chengyue turned hysterical because she was unable to control herself. ¡°I¡¯m your cousin sister, she¡¯s nothing!¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled, shook his head, and tossed the cigarette on the ground. He stamped on the barely smoked cigarette and crushed it. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you¡¯d like to tell them, please go ahead. If there¡¯s nothing else you wish to tell me, I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid I¡¯ll tell Song Yu everything?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as soon as Qi Chengzhi turned around.

    By then, Qi Chengzhi no longer wasted his time exining things. He snickered at her and proceeded to leave.

    The sight of his long legs andnky silhouette led Qi Chengyue to have a sudden realization: if Qi Chengzhi dared to mention all those things, he could not possibly have cared if she told anyone.

    Even if Song Yu knew about it and believed it, she might not me Qi Chengzhi.

    He was confident of her feelings toward him.

    Qi Chengyue had a face full of resentment. At first, her expression was merely that of discontent, but it had turned into one that was vengeful.

    From time to time, Song Yu had swayed Jian Yi and aroused him, but even then, Qi Chengzhi would be willing to go against his cousin sister just because of Song Yu!

    What else was Song Yu going to take away from Qi Chengyue?!

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu caught a whiff of tobo on Qi Chengzhi when he entered the car, but she did not ask what he and Qi Chengyue talked about.

    Before she entered the car earlier, she heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s shouts and surmised that a few barbs would probably have been traded between the two of them. It was pointless for her to listen to that exchange.

    The only thing that reyed on Song Yu¡¯s mind was of the olddy clutching her heart while saying ¡®Oh dear¡¯.

    ¡°Will Grandmother be alright? She looked pretty unwell just now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi started the car and glimpsed at her, saying, ¡°Before she retired, Grandmother used to be part of a performing arts group that acts in stage ys.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No wonder you¡¯ve inherited many of her good genes.¡± Song Yu could not help herself from teasing.

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    Once the car was on the move, Qi Chengzhi stretched over and held Song Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat for lunch?¡±

    His palm was dry, but it gave her warmth when it covered her hands; when she was alone in the car earlier, her hands felt rather chilly.

    Song Yu lowered her gaze and focused on his clean hands. The fairness of his skin only served to enhance the purity of his hands.

    All of a sudden, she felt guilty because he risked a bashing at the Qi family home just for her sake.

    Judging from his look, he did not seem to have the mood to eat out.

    ¡°Are you hungry? If you¡¯re not, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll do some cooking for you.¡± She flipped her palm up and slid her fingers in between his so their fingers would be intertwined.

    On that day, she simply wanted to treat him well and make him happy.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll head home. But I¡¯d prefer it if I do you instead.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced briefly at her and rubbed his thumb in the center of her palm.

    Song Yu thought that she had gotten used to his unexpected disys of brazenness, but it surprised her that he was still able to tease her even though he was not in a very good mood.

    Deciding against showing her annoyance, she blushed and leaned over to him. Her head was ced on his shoulders, and her arms wrapped tightly around his.

    Qi Chengzhi tilted his head and looked at her. A glimmer of satisfaction shed through his pupils.

    ...

    ...

    Upon their return to Viewpark Residence, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mood was still no better than it was earlier. Things had not gone ording to n, but his unhappiness was because of what Qi Zhongliang said about Song Yu, and not because he was scolded by his family.

    His father insulted her in front of the family.

    The instant they entered the door, Aunt Yang knew immediately that something was not right.

    Song Yu told Aunt Yang that it was alright and that she could take her rest.

    Worried that Qi Chengzhi might have lost his appetite after what happened at his family home, she searched the inte for some recipes that made use of whatever ingredients that were present at home. She ced emphasis on dishes that were sour, spicy, and capable of whetting the appetite.

    A single-use gloves protected her fingers as she squeezed lemon juice over some chicken and mixed them up. All of a sudden, her movements came to a halt and her hands trembled slightly¡ªit was because of a warmth emanating from behind her, in addition to that fresh scent of his.

    He did note into full contact with her, but she could feel his shirt brushing against her thin clothes. It was enough to elicit a reaction from her.

    Her belly retracted out of nervousness, and his actions of wanting to hug her yet hesitating to do so made her feel very uneasy.

    She felt his hot breath on her temples and turned her head ever so slightly. Looking up, she saw his sturdy chin. It usually looked very serious because of his tenseness, but at that moment, there was a distinct gentleness along its contours.

    Unable to restrain her emotions, she tiptoed and kissed his stubble-covered chin, tasting it ever so slightly with her tongue at the corner of her lips. It was prickly, but her tongue continued rubbing against his chin, and it felt worthwhile for her tongue to be nicked by his stubble.

    ¡°You seem very spontaneous today?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fire was stroked by her actions. She licked him in exactly the same way a dog would like its owner.

    ¡°Consider it a reward for you.¡± Song Yu¡¯s ears became hot. She did not dare to look him in the eye, so she gathered her gaze and concentrated on squeezing out the juice from the lemon. However, that simple task became much more difficult because she was unable to fully exert her energy.

    ¡°You¡¯re satisfied with my behavior today?¡± His erotic voice traveled into her ear and he made a point to brush his lips against her ear as he spoke.

    ¡°Your words today, you mean to say I¡¯m the only person you¡¯d want to have a baby with?¡± In uttering those words, Song Yu could feel numbness in her head and hotness in her ears. She continued determinedly, ¡°I...I¡¯m happy. I wouldn¡¯t want you having a baby with someone else either.¡±

    Song Yu failed to spot how Qi Chengzhi paused nkly behind her. His face¡ªalways masked with self-control¡ªslipped a rare emotional expression. His eyes increased in passion immediately, and his warm palm slid to her stomach, pressing her tightly against him.

    ¡°How about we make one now?¡± With his lips sticking against her earlobe, he could see her vellus hairs prominently against the red of her ears, and it looked as though her ear was covered in a velvety halo. His hand invaded her thin top and squeezed the softness beneath her clothes.

    Song Yu was utterly speechless, but the back of her head was leaning against his shoulders. Earlier that day, she heard how he stated that he would be thirty-five that year, and in the spur of the moment, she wanted so dearly to give him a baby.

    Her obedience made the fire within Qi Chengzhi surge forth. He bent his head sideways and kissed her lips while his hand infiltrated her pants.

    His fingers made her feel a hollow ache that was hard to describe. He cornered her, kissed her, and when she¡ªin her state of emotional abandon¡ªfelt the towering protrusion under his pants zipper, she too was flooding inside her pants.

    Her quiet urging was like a sudden injection of medicine into Qi Chengzhi. He bent her body forward abruptly, and with her pants still hanging on her legs, he slid into her.

    Eventually, Song Yu was so exhausted that he had to carry her to the sofa.

    He was frighteningly violent that day, as if his energy reserves were infinite. With every thrust, he became harder and went in deeper. She felt a certain fullness that was indescribable. Begging him to stop would be futile. He flipped her and did her in different positions while telling her that he was about toe.

    Recalling their earlier moment of madness, Song Yu was scared witless. She was shocked that she had the courage to do such a thing because Aunt Yang could havee out of the room at any time.

    There was a newly installed mirror in front of her in the kitchen. Her body was bent in such an embarrassing position, and although her whole upper body was pressed against the counter, the mirror gave her a view of his thrusting movements as well as the pleasurable and satisfied expression on his face.

    Out of breath, Song Yu was held in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s embrace as he gave her a tender kiss on her lips and forehead. He grabbed her breasts through her shirt and kneaded it.

    ¡°Do you still have any energy?¡± He carried her up and ced her on hisp. The sight of her pinkish lips made him yearn to kiss her, which he did so a good few more times.

    Song Yu thought about how she was supposed to make lunch for him, but they ended up doing it instead. She was truly exhausted.

    She buried her head in his chest. She spoke with a hint of coquettishness as well as resentment. ¡°I¡¯m too exhausted to make lunch.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, does that mean I did you good?¡± Qi Chengzhi said half-smilingly as his hot palm massaged her waist.

    ¡°...¡± Shameless! Song Yu pinched him directly on the waist.

    The flesh on his waist was firm, so her pinching had no effect.

    Qi Chengzhi ced her down on the sofa and stood back up.

    His shirt was wrinkled and he tucked them loosely into his pants. He left the zipper unzipped and only buttoned the button on the waistband. His belt was hanging down on the waist, and as a whole, he looked insanelyid-back.

    Both his sturdy forearms were exposed with a few rolls of his sleeve, and he headed right toward the kitchen.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you going to the kitchen?¡± Song Yu reclinedzily on the sofa and was so drained that she could not move. She turned around slowly and looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back.

    ¡°To cook lunch for you,¡± he said, needing no more than a couple of steps to enter the kitchen.

    Song Yu thought she was hearing things. It was not until she heard the banging of pots and pans that she became curious to see how Qi Chengzhi looked like when he was cooking.

    As much as she did not want to move a single step with her tired legs, she still went ahead and tidied up the clothes. She then stood up and dragged her sore feet over to the kitchen entrance, where she leaned against the doorframe and observed the tall Qi Chengzhi standing in the kitchen.

    He did not wear an apron and merely rolled up his sleeves. He was standing straight and tall, and despite being in the midst of cooking, he looked incredibly sexy.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes darted inadvertently to his muscr back. She knew the extent of handsomeness thaty beneath his shirt, and the thing she most wanted to do then was to rip it off.

 Chapter 107

    <strong>Chapter 107: There Was No Need for Her to Be Demure in Front of a Man Who Was Willing to Roll Up His Sleeves and Boil Soup for Her</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes darted inadvertently to his muscr back. She knew the extent of the handsomeness thaty beneath his shirt, and the thing she most wanted to do then was to rip it off.

    She shook her head and felt her face turn hot. She had turned into a genuine rascal ¨C a female one ¨C and the only reason for that was because she was always around Qi Chengzhi.

    Her legs had a mind of their own, and, soon enough, she was standing behind him.

    She leaned against him gently while he was busy cooking, and wrapped her arms around his stomach. She lowered her hands slightly so that they were neither too close nor too distant from his private part; she did not touch it directly, but neither did she move away from it. Upon feeling it growing noticeably, she flicked it naughtily.

    ¡®Who told him to be the one causing trouble all the time?¡¯

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were exhausted?¡± Qi Chengzhi did not turn his head because he would not have been able to see her anyway, due to her short height. Her face was stuck against his muscr back, and he could even feel her breasts pressed against him through her clothing ¨C he became aroused immediately.

    His voice became husky, hoarse, and somewhat peeved. The woman just had to stir him up when he was in the middle of something.

    ¡°I wanted toe over and see what you looked like when you¡¯re cooking.¡± Song Yu rubbed her cheek all over her back like a little pussy cat. ¡°You¡¯re always the one to hug me from behind when I¡¯m cooking. I wanted to try how it feels for myself.¡±

    ¡°How does it feel?¡± he asked, his voice much huskier. He lowered his gaze to her hands at his waist. He could not take it; that they were just ced there, so he decided to pull them down a few inches and into his pants.

    Song Yu did not stop him; she allowed her hands to be ced on top of it and she even pinched it slightly.

    Qi Chengzhi inhaled sharply and regretted his actions of pulling her hand down.

    Song Yu wrapped her arms around his waist tightly and said, ¡°It feels good. I want to stay like this forever.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi actions turned sluggish, but, all of a sudden, he turned around and caught Song Yu by surprise. He gripped her by her waist, lifted her up, and shifted her position. When things calmed down, she was already sitting atop the kitchen counter. He still had her waist in his hands, and he took advantage of the situation to squeeze in between her thighs and nt an immediate kiss on her lip.

    ¡°You¡¯re bing more and more shameless.¡± Still glued to her lips, his hand grabbed her wrist to make sure that her hands were still inside his pants.

    His words made Song Yu blush, but, for some reason, she felt a surge of enthusiasm. The teasing no longer made her shy away like before, and, instead, she advanced courageously and gave him a passionate kiss.

    She decided that there was no need for her to be demure in front of a man who was willing to roll up his sleeves and boil soup for her.

    Looking at him holding a wok and spat intensified her desire to kiss him. She wanted to do whatever she wanted to him, and, even those that she could not do, she wanted to try her best, at least.

    Qi Chengzhi did not expect her to be so fervent in taking the initiative. In that moment of sheer surprise, he would havee if he did not stop her.

    He took a deep breath and resisteding. He removed her hand from his pants, then tore her pants off. He pressed to her waist, moved forward, and straightened his back in order to preserve hisst shred of his dignity.

    Song Yu lifted her arms and held him tightly. Her eyes looked on as he repeatedly grinded inside of her.

    They reached a point where she was drenched in sweat and hanging onto his body. His shirt stuck to his skin because of her sweat, and he decided it was better to take it off and throw it somewhere on the floor. Her forehead, adorned with beads of sweat, leaned intimately on his sweat-soaked chest.

    Song Yu had never enjoyed the smell of a man¡¯s sweat, since her work required her to go to the construction site and interact with construction workers.

    It was slightly better during wintertime, but, if it was summer, the strong stench of sweat would permeate the air from their bodies. Coupled with that was the smell of smoke that was so pungent, it was as though no amount of washing could remove it. The result was a malodor that was very hard to bear.

    Other than that, a simr smell was present whenever she entered the public bus or train. Although it was not as stinky as that from the construction site, it was still enough to make her wrinkle her nose in disgust.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sweat however, smelled salty, but was not unpleasant at all. Mixed with his crisp, fresh perfume, it had a certain masculine maism to it.

    Her lips were pasted against the sweat from his skin, and, when she pursed them and tasted them, she found it to be salty, and it felt good.

    ¡°What smell is that?¡± Song Yu stopped suddenly. She sniffed the smell and asked, ¡°Why is there a burnt smell?¡±

    ¡°I forgot I was cooking!¡± Her disruption had caused him to forget what he was originally doing, and when he turned around, the chicken inside the wok was already burnt dry.

    ¡°Told you not to disturb me.¡± There was nothing he could because it felt to him like he was dealing with a mischievous girl. He wanted to get angry, but could not, so he gave her a pinch.

    Then he brought her down from the kitchen counter.

    Song Yu may have been exhausted earlier on, but she was still able to take a few steps. After the second round, she waspletely unable to walk, and her backside was numb from sitting on top of the counter.

    Qi Chengzhi ced her on a seat in front of the bar. He let her sit there and helped her straighten her clothes, then gave her some tissues to clean herself up. He subsequently went to look at the food he cooked.

    ¡°If it¡¯s burnt, we¡¯ll just eat them like that,¡± Song Yu remarked from behind him. She was propping up, her cheek with her elbow on the table. Unlike before, both his button and his zipper were left undone. His pants simply hung there, as if it would drop down from his firm buttocks at any given moment.

    Song Yu gulped. His actions caused his pants to flop about, and she wished that they would fall down as soon as possible.

    Qi Chengzhi was busy making observations at the wok, and it was only after a while that he asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your phone?¡±

    ¡°In the living room.¡± He went there as soon as she finished speaking and returned with her phone in his hand.

    ¡°Take a picture and post it to your WeChat Moments. Say that your boyfriend made lunch for you.¡± He ced the phone into her hands.

    From Song Yu¡¯s angle, the only thing that would be captured was his silhouette. Those charred ingredients in the wok would be hidden from view, and no one would know the truth behind the picture.

    Momentarily speechless, Song Yu then replied, ¡°You¡¯re always posting pictures on my Moments. You¡¯re obsessed, and we have to get it cured, you know that?¡±

    Qi Chenghi squinted at her and turned around without saying a word. With a wok in his left hand and a spat in his right, he struck a pose and ordered, ¡°Quick. Take a picture.¡±

    Song Yu had no choice but to hold up her phone and take a picture. She had no idea what drove hispulsiveness.

    He then sat beside her and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. Since he was shirtless, his exposed chest aroused her even though they had justpleted an intimate session.

    Her reddened face enticed him to nt a few kisses on her cheek. He was truly in awe at how she blushed so readily and so often.

    Nheless, he was d that her scarlet face was due to him going close to her.

    ¡°Time to post the picture after taking it,¡± Qi Chengzhi urged.

    ¡°No,¡± she refused outright. She then gazed at him, and, not wanting to cause a misunderstanding, she exined, ¡°You¡¯re showing too much in this picture. Your butt is almost falling out of your pants, and your butt crack is so clear. Am I supposed to let other women salivate over you?¡±

    ¡®Yu Keyao is still a problem that hasn¡¯t been solved!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s enigmatic eyes stared deeply into hers, and there was a glimmer of delight in the depth of his gaze.

    Song Yu found herself unable to look away from his handsome gaze. Curiously, he did not continue to insist on it, but instead kissed her with a loud smack and said, ¡°I¡¯ll cook another dish, and I guarantee it won¡¯t be burnt this time.¡±

    His belt remained unfastened, although he did button up his pants and leave it hanging at his waist. The only thing on disy was his muscr waist, and it conjured up a desire to tear those pants down and marvel at the firm flesh underneath.

    As he was busy stir-frying in the wok, the muscles of his arm appeared briefly whenever he was making use of the spat.

    Song Yu took out her phone and snapped a picture surreptitiously. It was for her own personal use and she had no intention of posting it on her Moments.

    ¡°When did you learn how to cook?¡± Song Yu wondered as she continued resting her cheek on her hand. ¡°You probably don¡¯t have much opportunity to cook since you were born in the Qi family.¡±

    ¡°When I was studying overseas, I¡¯d cook once in a while if I got tired of eating out.¡± Qi Chengzhi brought over the cooked mustard greens to the bar and ced them in front of Song Yu. It would be nice to sit closely with each other and eat at the bar, since it was only the two of them anyway.

    Song Yu looked at his movements and how his long fingers held the te. She could not help but wonder if he was as mature and as serious in college as he was now.

    Most women fancy men who were as mature and as serious as he was. If he was exactly like that when he was in college, how many women would have been attracted to him?

    University days were days where boys would spend their time fooling around and hooking up with girls. She wondered what Qi Chengzhi was doing back then.

    She felt rather weird when realized that she was still in primary school when he was at college.

    ¡®He must have had a girlfriend at that time, right?¡¯

    He might already have experienced love while she was still naive. His charm might be different from what it was now, but girls would still be attracted to him. She felt ufortable and uneasy when she imagined him being involved with some other girl during the exuberance of his youth.

    That helpless regret ¨C that she was born muchter than him ¨C was precisely what she was currently feeling.

    At that moment, she really wished that he was the same age as her. It would have been so much better if she could experience him in his youth, his immaturity, his uninhibitedness, and his adolescence, up until the dignification, the maturity, and the magnificence that he now had.

    She wanted to have made a mark in each step of his life.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, after seeing her in a nk stare.

    He held her and sat parallel to her in front of the bar. At that moment, Song Yu directed her gaze upward at him, and his hands ¨C still warm from the heat of the pan ¨C reached over and covered the back of her neck.

    Still with cheek in hand and elbow on the table, she asked somewhat inquisitively yet regretfully, ¡°What were you like during your university days?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and remained silent, leading Song Yu to think that her question was not clear enough. She asked again, ¡°When I was at university, the boys were always messing around, ying games and getting together with girls. What did you do during your university days?¡±

    He gazed deeply at her and smiled strangely.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± His smiled rattled her so much that she touched her face subconsciously.

    ¡°You want to know how many girlfriends I had when I was at university?¡± He raised an eyebrow and smiled at her.

    Song Yu regarded his smile as being too self-indulgent. She blushed, kept quiet, and used her chopsticks to take some of the vegetables, which she took a small bite out of.

    That was exactly the thought that she had in her heart. Her inability to seamlessly ask an indirect question was perhaps a result of her having no experience in love, since she¡¯d never dated anyone before. It could also be because Qi Chengzhi was a smart man who would always notice even the most indirect things that she did.

    She was, admittedly, rather flustered when she realized he had seen right through her.

    Her continued silence lead him to lean over toward her. The expression in his eyes was somewhat pleased, and the earlier abstruseness had been reced with a glimmering warmth. His eyes crinkled slightly, and his thin lips inched closer to hers without ever touching them. ¡°If I had anyone, will you get angry?¡±

    An intense hotness was present on Song Yu¡¯s face, and her lips trembled due to his breathsnding on them. She looked down and fluttered her eyelids.

    ¡°I won¡¯t get angry. Everyone has a past, and, back then, you wouldn¡¯t have known what was going to happen in the future. You wouldn¡¯t have known that you would be together with me when you were thirty-four years old. You couldn¡¯t have imagined what could possibly happen in thirty years¡¯ time. If you didn¡¯t experience anything, you probably wouldn¡¯t know which woman suited you best,¡± Song Yu said softly. ¡°It¡¯s just... it¡¯s just such a shame that I couldn¡¯t experience all of that with you. From your wild, youthful days to your maturity in adulthood, I was never right by your side to experience all that with you.¡±

    ¡°I really...¡± Song Yu licked her lips and gulped. ¡°...really want to be by your side throughout your whole life.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart pounded much faster than before.

    At that point, he had a singr desire to knead Song Yu into himself, so that the both of them could assimte into one. In that way, their bodies and their souls would never be separated.

    His long fingers had been rubbing the back of her neck gently, but they soon slid to her face and he could not stop himself from lowering his head to kiss her.

    While lingering on her lips, he uttered huskily and softly, ¡°I¡¯m actually really d that you¡¯ve be mine only now that I¡¯ve reached my current age. It¡¯s not entirely because you¡¯re still young, but that¡¯s part of the reason too. I don¡¯t desire you on ount of your age, I¡¯m just d I have the chance to pamper you when you are at this age.¡±

    ¡°If you were with me every step of the way and if we were the same age, you¡¯d have seen me at my craziest. I was not mature enough at that time, and I might have treated you badly. In my younger days, I might not have known how to treasure you or pamper you properly, and I might have lost you due to youthful ignorance. If that had happened, I¡¯d have missed the opportunity of a lifetime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m much more mature now, and I have the proper ability to love you, to protect you. I feel lucky too, because I can show you my mature side ¨C this is my good side, a side that is only present today because of years and years of polishing myself. This way, you wouldn¡¯t hate me, and I will never be inferior to any other man.¡±

    ¡°When Qi Chengji fell for Wei Ran, he was too young and did not have the capability to assume that responsibility. That was why he was sent to the US. Unlike him, even if they wanted to stop me, they can¡¯t. If I were younger, I couldn¡¯t possibly have protected you like how I¡¯m doing now.¡±

    Song Yu listened, but among all the words he said, one word stuck in her mind.

    Love.

    His words ¡®to love you, to protect you¡¯ made her heartbeat increase drastically.

    ¡°You just said you¡¯ll love me, pamper me, and protect me.¡± Her face was red and her ears were burning, but she mustered the courage to look at him in the eye.

    Qi Chengzhi fixed his eyes on her and allowed his enigmatic gaze to pierce into her eyes. A glimmer of delight shed across his pupils and his voice became hoarse. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you want to spend your whole life with me?¡±

    Other than love, there was nothing else that could motivate her to desire spending her whole life with him.

    Song Yu was so shy that she could only blush and keep quiet.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and did not insist that she say out those words. He stood up and went to discard the burnt pieces of chicken, but Song Yu stopped him before he could do so.

    He asked her, ¡°Why are you still eating it when it¡¯s burnt?¡± She had already picked up a piece using her chopsticks, stuffed it into her mouth, and chewed it slowly. ¡°It¡¯s still good! Don¡¯t throw away what you cooked.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her half-smilingly, and there was a bit of glee in his rich voice. ¡°You¡¯re unwilling to throw it away because I cooked it?¡±

    He did not expect Song Yu to admit it so tantly even though her face was red. ¡°Mm, I hate to part ways with anything that¡¯s yours.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression changed abruptly, and his strong hands wrapped around her waist and pressed her into his embrace. His breaths were heavy when he asked, ¡°Do you still want to eat?¡±

    Song Yu threw the chopsticks, giggled, and threw herself flirtatiously over him. She ced her hands gently behind his head, looked up, and although her lips were oily because she had just eaten her meal, she gave him a fat kiss on the cheek.

    ¡°Are you sure don¡¯t want to eat anymore?¡± He narrowed his eyes, locked her in his arms, and hoisted her up to his thighs so he could give her a forceful kiss.

    Song Yu turned away coyly, and replied red-faced, ¡°Stop it, let me eat my lunch.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you tease me?¡± His hands traveled up and grabbed her breasts through her clothes.

    Having done it twice earlier, Song Yu¡¯s bra had been taken off. The shirt she was wearing was extremely thin, so the fabric aligned itself with the curves on her body, entuating the luxuriant outline of her breasts. His stimtion made her nipples hard, forming a pair of small, bean-like protrusions on her top.

    Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were flushed scarlet and she buried her head under his neck. Her voice was soft and pleading, ¡°Three times is too much. I can¡¯t take it anymore. Let me have my lunch.¡±

    Her act of sticking herself onto him stirred Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart; her obedience was something that he loved dearly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face moved closer into her neck, and he inhaled her scent deeply. It was only then that he ced her back onto the barstool and allowed her to eat in peace.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Young Miss...¡± As soon as Aunt He opened the door, Yu Keyao kicked the shoe cab with the high heels she had been wearing with a look of anguish on her face. Infuriated, she ran into the living room and then upstairs into her room, where she flung her bag forcefully onto her bed.

    Her bag struck the soft bed, bounced off it, thennded down once more.

    Soon after, she screamed loudly.

    ¡°What happened? What¡¯s going on?¡± Liang Lihua ran over hurriedly. Aunt He had already told her that Yu Keyao was not in the best of moods. Liang Lihua was just walking over when she heard Yu Keyao¡¯s scream from the walkway.

    Not long after, Yu Zidong also ran out from his study room, no doubt because he heard Yu Keyao¡¯s piercing wail.

    Yu Keyao looked up with a face full of tears. She threw herself dismally and unwillingly into Liang Lihua¡¯s embrace and began crying.

    ¡°Mom, we¡¯ve been tricked. We¡¯ve all been tricked!¡± Yu Keyao leaned on Liang Lihua¡¯s shoulder. Her howls and cries echoed strongly in Liang Lihua¡¯s ears.

    ¡°What actually happened?¡± Liang Lihua tilted her head the other way because Yu Keyao¡¯s deafening shouts had hurt her eardrums.

    ¡°Song Yu! The Song family tricked us all! Song Yu is Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend!¡± Yu Keyao finally let go of Liang Lihua, crying and grumbling with the utmost dissatisfaction.

    ¡°What?! Impossible! That¡¯s absurd¡± Liang Lihua was shocked, but she did not believe it at first.

    ¡°Why is it impossible? Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu back to his grandparents¡¯ ce today! Because of that, his dad scolded him, and Xia Wenna chased me out, saying that it¡¯s a family matter and it¡¯s inappropriate for an outsider like me to be there.¡± She was still crying, but the anger within herpelled her to narrate the entire sequence of events.

 Chapter 108 - Your Solution Is Only Fixing The Symptom But Not The Cause And Itâ€™s Unfair For Song Yu

    Chapter 108: <strong>Your Solution Is Only Fixing The Symptom But Not The Cause And It¡¯s Unfair For Song Yu</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to meet the family. And because of that, there was a confrontation with his dad. Even I got kicked out of the house by Xia Wenna because they didn¡¯t want outsiders eavesdropping,¡± Yu Keyao cried. Her bubbling angerpelled her to spill the beans on the drama that happened in the Qi house.

    ¡°Song Yu must have known that we were on a matchmaking session at Dynasty that day and decided to interrupt. I should¡¯ve known there was something going on between them.¡± Hackles raised, Yu Keyao looked as if she wanted to w at the walls while picturing Song Yu¡¯s face as the target.

    ¡°She¡¯s vile, that girl. First, she gets engaged with the younger brother and now she dates the elder brother. Does she have no shame?¡± the pitch of her voice climbed steadily.

    ¡°Hold your horses,¡± Liang Lihua cated her. ¡°Did you see the Qi family¡¯s reaction to this news?¡±

    ¡°Well, they objected of course!¡± Yu Keyao rambled on, ¡°If word got out, they would be theughing stock of high society. One woman with both brothers. If the Qi family had any sense, they will never agree to the rtionship¡ªevenmonfolk would disapprove of such practice. From being the wife of one son to the other, imagine the tension and stress it will bring to the family if they got married.¡±

    ¡°Then, doesn¡¯t that work in your favor? The family will never ept her. They just need some time to separate Qi Chengzhi from Song Yu. Just be patient. Xia Wenna personally picked you. Clearly, she sees you as a match for her son. Without the family¡¯s approval, Song Yu will never amount to much. If she continues to stay by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side, she¡¯ll only be losing her dignity with nothing to be gained.¡±

    ¡°Now, we¡¯ll just watch from the sidelines. The witch has been served on a tter for the Qi family. While this is a minor roadblock for you, the same can¡¯t be said for the Qi family. They will not let Song Yu win this,¡± Liang Lihua surmised. Who knew that even after her family¡¯s financial downfall, Song Yu was still the center point of drama and scandal.

    ¡°Ugh! But I don¡¯t get it, why her? Looks-wise, we¡¯re equal but I¡¯m younger than her and Ie from a much better family. So why does Qi Chengzhi like her and not me?¡± Yu Keyao said with resentment. ¡°Qi Chengzhi doesn¡¯t even bat an eysh at me. He probably rushed off to bring Song Yu over because he saw me in the house. The whole time they were holding hands and being all lovey-dovey.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s worth nothing. All she has is her pretentious moral high ground and fake values. Disgusting, that¡¯s what she is,¡± Yu Keyao said in a shrill tone. The sight of Qi Chengzhi protectively holding Song Yu¡¯s hand made her quake with anger.

    Liang Lihua patted her hand and turned to Yu Zidong, ¡°After the bankruptcy, we cut ties with them to avoid negative associations. Did you follow up on where they moved to?¡±

    ¡°No. We weren¡¯t on speaking terms so I figured there was no point.¡±

    ¡°Go look into it.¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s attention turned back to Yu Keyao, ¡°Let¡¯s not be hasty and go straight to the Song family. If the Qi family found out, they would think bad of us. Only when the situation turns dire will we pay them a visit.¡±

    Yu Zidong nodded, ¡°Well, that didn¡¯t take too long. Song Yu is now in charge of the design for Qilin¡¯s hotel project. It¡¯s quite a huge deal.¡±

    ¡°As long as Song Yu doesn¡¯t marry Qi Chengzhi. If she does gain the Qi family¡¯s wealth and power, the Song family might decide to take revenge on us for abandoning them during the bankruptcy.¡± Liang Lihua chewed on her lip, ¡°I don¡¯t want to see her snide, victorious face. Once Keyao marries into the Qi family, they¡¯ll have no other avenues.¡±

    A heavy breath was exhaled by Yu Zidong as he said, ¡°We need to stop them on all fronts. Keyao¡¯s marriage to Qi Chengzhi will bring us many privileges and deny the Song family of any. We led the decision to kick Yu Qianyin out of the family. If she wanted revenge, we will most definitely be the number one target.¡±

    Liang Lihua gently rubbed Yu Keyao¡¯s arm to reassure her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Dad and mom will take care of this. With our family background and finances, a downtrodden girl like Song Yu is nopetition.¡±

    Yu Keyao clenched her jaw and said, ¡°I will not lose to Song Yu.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, Song Yu expected Ruan Danchen to be the first person to pester her about her Valentine¡¯s celebration. However, as she ced her bag down, the new architect in their firm ran over to her desk.

    ¡°Song Yu, I saw your WeChat Moments. Was that your Valentine¡¯s gift from your boyfriend?¡±

    Song Yu sat down and looked appraisingly at Yang Yunshu. Although a smile graced her face, Song Yu did not feel the sincerity behind it. In fact, Yang Yunshu¡¯s question sounded a bit probing.

    She had learned to read people during business dealings. Yang Yunshu¡¯s facade did not fool her.

    Song Yu gave her a polite smile and nodded. She proceeded to switch on herputer, acting as if she was going to start work. Despite her efforts, Yang Yunshu stayed at her desk, ¡°So many flowers was in such a big greenhouse. Your boyfriend must be quite rich. What does he work as?¡±

    ¡°Just an ordinary white-cor worker. He¡¯s in a rted field as us,¡± Song Yu replied apathetically.

    ¡°Oh? He must be pretty high up.¡± Yang Yunshu leaned over her monitor and lowered her head, ¡°How did you meet him? Is he local? You probably meet a lot of bosses when you¡¯re talking business. Was that how you two met? Last Friday you received that giant bouquet of blue roses. Seems like you have a lot of suitors. Anyone suitable that you can introduce to me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m new around here, so I don¡¯t really have many clients. Maybe you can bring me along when you¡¯re dining with some clients?¡± the woman suggested giddily. ¡°That way I can meet some potential suitors.¡±

    Song Yu peered at her questioningly, ¡°Don¡¯t you have a boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Ah. He¡¯s just a potential suitor. He hails from beyond the city with a monthly ie of ten thousand yuan. You can¡¯t even afford a toilet in B city with that kind of pay. His family background is average at best. Plus, my family is also not local. If my boyfriend has a simr financial status as me, how will he support my expenses here?¡±

    ¡°I figured in our line of work, we get to meet those high-ranking managers and directors. Who knows, I might meet a suitable partner,¡± Yang Yunshu said and chuckled as if they were best friends chatting about their personal lives. ¡°Do you know any bachelors with good criteria?¡±

    Truth be told, Song Yu did know a bunch of eligible bachelors. Those men in the 8¡Á8=64 group were some of the most eligible bachelors in the city.

    The real question was, ¡®Was Yang Yunshu up to par?¡¯

    ¡°My usual clients that have their own businesses are mostly in their fifties, with sons and daughters, and some even have grandchildren. If they took a liking to you, you¡¯d be their mistress at most. They won¡¯t abandon their families for a mistress so you¡¯ll just be a fling for them. You¡¯re okay with that?¡± Song Yu challenged.

    ¡°Moreover, their children would never allow a mistress to butt into matters such as the family inheritance. How long would youst as a mistress? Do you think you¡¯ll get a house? A car? That¡¯s just a fantasy. When you¡¯re old, you¡¯ll have nothing to your name then.¡±

    ¡°Most of the young bachelors here are non-locals toiling for the future. With the current property prices, even local bachelors wouldn¡¯t be able to afford a house. Instead of prioritizing money, why not just be with someone you love and work hard together. You want to find a rich husband, you think his family isn¡¯t looking for a daughter-inw of high standards as well? ¡±

    A shadow passed Yang Yunshu¡¯s face, ¡°Song Yu if you don¡¯t want to help me, just say it. You don¡¯t have to justify yourself. I have a good job and a good face, why can¡¯t I find a good husband? Do you think only you can find a good suitor? Just because I¡¯m asking you for help, that doesn¡¯t give you the right to look down on me.¡±

    The woman huffed angrily and eyed the ring on Song Yu¡¯s finger. ¡°Your boyfriend is probably not that rich anyway, judging from that shoddy excuse of a ring.¡±

    With those parting words, Yang Yunshu stomped back to her own desk.

    Song Yu feared no reprisal, hence the words were spoken in all honesty. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s s¨¦ attitude had rubbed off on her and she no longer felt the need to navigate each conversation with utmost caution. She could shed the pretenses and vain formalities that were unnoticed by her until today.

    If there was something she did not like, she would just say it out loud.

    Perhaps she had ced emphasis on the wrong things while advising Yang Yunshu, which made her ufortable so she ended up using her of being arrogant.

    If she was a person worthy of a rmendation, Song Yu would not hesitate to help her.

    However, her blind ambition for money was a clear warning sign.

    ¡°What¡¯s with her today?¡± Song Yu whispered into Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head, ¡°Triggered by your WeChat Moments. She was in a good mood on the morning of Valentine¡¯s Day until you got that bouquet of flowers. Then, at night, with that huge greenhouse filled with flowers. Let¡¯s just say she¡¯s not the type who knows how to be happy for others. A ssic green-eyed monster, so just ignore her.¡±

    Ruan Danchen side-eyed Song Yu, ¡°That Valentine¡¯s WeChat Moment, was it posted by Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    The post seemed a tad too showy for Song Yu. It resembled that other post she made when Song Yu was in Hong Kong. Through logical deduction, Ruan Danchen guessed that such a move could onlye from Qi Chengzhi.

    Seeing Song Yu speechless and red in the face confirmed her theory. Ruan Danchen clicked her tongue and said, ¡°Can you convince him to keep a low profile? You might just offend everyone in thepany with all this public disy of affection.¡±

    ¡®Luckily I managed to hold him back yesterday.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu got off work, a call from Qi Chengzhi informed her that he was waiting for her across the office street.

    Now, Song Yu did not bother to hide their rtionship. The news had already spread like fire on her social media, so what was the point of hiding.

    She got into the car. Qi Chengzhi did not drive off towards the direction of Viewpark Residence, which prompted Song Yu to ask, ¡°Where are we going?¡±

    ¡°Today is Wei Ziwei¡¯s son¡¯s hundredth-day banquet. It¡¯s a private asion with only their family, so they called a few of us close friends for dinner at the Red Roof Club,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered. ¡°The two Wei family children and Youxuan will be there, along with my other bachelor friends.¡±

    Thest time when they had breakfast at Dynasty, Song Yu had just started her rtionship with Qi Chengzhi. She was still awkward about the situation and thus, did not chat much with Wei Ran.

    As the host and hostess of the event, Wei Ziwei and Wei Ran were already at Red Roof Club, and they had booked the usual room. Qi Chengzhi mentioned that the room was specially reserved for Yan Beicheng and his friends. Every gathering they had in Red Roof Club was held in this room.

    At this gathering, there were two men that she had never personally meet before, Wei Ziqian and Han Zhuoli. Another two of their friends could not make it due to work and sent presents ahead.

    When Song Yu arrived with Qi Chengzhi, little Muran was collecting red packets for her baby brother. Muran held a sizeable stack of them in her small hands. The red packets appeared to be thin but Song Yu spected that a checkid in each one.

    These men were generous with their wealth and would give gift money that would not fit in the flimsy red packet if presented in cash.

    Qi Youxuan eagerly trailed behind little Muran. His eyes gleamed as he watched the bountiful red packets in Muran¡¯s hands. ¡°How much money? How much? Let me count!¡±

    Muran gave him a judgmental look before handing the neatly-stacked pile of red packets to her mother.

    The slight made Qi Youxuan huff and run to his father. His meaty hands tugged at Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms forcefully, ¡°Dad, when it¡¯s my birthday next month, can we invite all the uncles for my party too?¡±

    Qi Chenglin stayed silent.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s silence forced Qi Youxuan to take matters into his own hands. He turned around and announced to the whole room, ¡°To all the uncles in this room, next month is my birthday and you¡¯re all invited to my party!¡±

    ¡°Your son is quite the money-grubber. Whom does he take after?¡± Wei Ziqian said while munching on sunflower seeds.

    The presence of children today prevented the adults from breaking out the cigarettes. Hence, some junk food was prepared to stave off the addiction.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled lightly and pulled his son to his side on the couch. ¡°I, myself, am curious as to whom he takes after.¡±

    Qi Youxuan only stayed on the couch for a moment. When Song Yu walked in, he shouted animatedly, ¡°Auntie!¡±

    He wiggled down the couch to go to her but was held back by his dad. Qi Chenglin pulled his son into hisp and made him sit still. Did Qi Youxuan not see that his eldest uncle was not in the mood to deal with him?

    Unable to escape his dad¡¯s grasp, Qi Youxuan took out a lollipop from his pocket and unwrapped it with his chubby fingers. The sound attracted Han Zhuoli.

    ¡°Little one, do you have another lollipop?¡± The ban on smoking was making him eat way too much junk food for hisfort. He figured a lollipop would keep his mouth upied with a lower calorific sacrifice.

    ¡°This is the only one. My dad doesn¡¯t let me have more than one.¡± Those big, innocent eyes darted between Han Zhuoli and the lollipop in hand. His mind made up, Qi Youxuan was willing to die protecting the lollipop from this uncle.

    From across the room, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyesight swept past his young nephew. He tugged on Song Yu¡¯s hand and led her further away from Qi Youxuan. He did not need his nephew interfering in his rtionship with Song Yu.

    Song Yu had met his friends on multiple asions. While not on familiar terms, she looked to be more at ease now. Only Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian were unfamiliar to her.

    Song Yu did not participate much in the WeChat group. She felt a bit out of ce as she was not a close friend of these people and did not want to put her foot in her mouth.

    Even now in this gathering, she found herself struggling to engage in conversation with these people and remained politely cautious.

    In the end, Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian introduced themselves first. Thebined effort of the two men¡ªcalling her ¡®lil sis Xiao Yu¡¯ and asking about her¡ªmade Song Yu less nervous despite her reddening cheeks.

    However, when she saw that Wei Ran was free, she excused herself from Qi Chengzhi and his friends.

    A baby stroller stood off to the side of the room, cradling a baby boy who was just waking up to the noise of the crowd. Perhaps sensing theck of attention, the baby opened his mouth and let out a loud cry.

    Wei Ziwei rushed to the stroller and picked up his son. The baby had gained about a pound since his birth, thanks to his mother¡¯s nutritious breast milk.

    Wei Ziwei took every opportunity to let his wife rest since childbirth. These small things such as rocking his son to sleep were handled by him.

    ¡°Look at Ziwei, he¡¯s practically a professional nanny.¡± Wei Ziqian turned to Qi Chengzhi and grinned slyly, eyebrows dancing, ¡°When is it your turn?¡±

    ¡°I heard your family was not happy about this?¡± Han Zhuoli mumbled with a lollipop in his mouth. An overpriced lollipop that cost him fifty yuan. ¡°And Song Yu¡¯s family will probably not agree as well. The path you two chose is one of many obstacles. Might as well make it a shotgun wedding so no one can object.¡±

    Han Zhuoli took the lollipop out and smacked his lips. ¡°Aren¡¯t your grandparents extremely partial towards their great-grandchildren? Especially Grandma Qi. Youxuan is spoiled rotten by her. If Song Yu had a child, your grandma would never let the kid grow up as a bastard child. One word and you two will be off to the altar, regardless of what your parents say.¡±

    ¡°Your solution is only fixing the symptom but not the cause and it¡¯s unfair for Song Yu,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. His grandmother¡¯s protection would onlyst so long.

    If his family did not truly ept her, there would be countless ¡®idents¡¯ and ¡®coincidences¡¯ to make her feel unweed. Even Qi Chengzhi could not block every bullet.

    Wei Ziqian let out a huff of disapproval. He reckoned the ends would justify the means but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s overprotectiveness over Song Yu was in the way of their happy ending.

    Qi Chengzhi ignored his friend. His soft gaze fell upon Song Yu, who was talking with Wei Ran.

    Song Yu felt pinpricks on her neck and looked up instinctively. Their eyes locked on to each other across the room.

    His warm gaze made Song Yu blush and she took out her phone to text him. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡±

    The reply came instantaneously, ¡°Nothing much. You¡¯re a bit far off and I couldn¡¯t resist staring.¡±

    His words made her heart jump with joy and her blood rushed through her veins.

    ¡°Stop staring. Later they¡¯ll tease.¡± Song Yu texted back but to no avail, Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian were already smirking at the two of them.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and relented, turning his gaze away from Song Yu.

    The room was now filled with people. Little Muran needed to pee but the ensuite toilet was upied. Seeing Wei Ran stand, Song Yu quickly volunteered to follow the mother and daughter to the outdoor toilet. After being the butt of Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian¡¯s joke, she needed to cool off her embarrassment.

    Song Yu stayed at the hand washing area as Wei Ran took Muran into one of the toilet cubicles. She washed her hands and stared into her reflection. There was nothing amiss.

 Chapter 109 - If You Have A Man Like This, You Should Treasure Him

    <h4>Chapter 109: If You Have A Man Like This, You Should Treasure Him</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu stayed at the hand washing area as Wei Ran took Muran into one of the toilet cubicles. She washed her hands and stared into her reflection. There was nothing amiss.

    The main door to the toilet opened and a woman walked in. Song Yu did not pay heed to the iing patron and was caught off guard. ¡°Song Yu?¡±

    It was her maternal aunt, Liang Lihua.

    Song Yu shut the water tap and gave her an icy stare.

    It was as much of a surprise for Song Yu as it was for Liang Lihua. It had been a few years since Liang Lihua had to worry about running into the Song family in any of the upscale establishments.

    There was a charity organization founded by the richdies of upper society. Tonight, Liang Lihua and some of the board members were here for a small meeting. Who knew that she would run into Song Yu.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Liang Lihua said unkindly. Reminded by her earlier conversation with Yu Keyao, Liang Lihua¡¯s face darkened. ¡°You¡¯re here with Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s none of your concern,¡± Song Yu replied. She did not bother to greet her with the appropriate salutation.

    Yu Zidong was the second son of the Yu family. Ever since her maternal grandparents passed away, the major share of the Yu familypany fell into the hands of the eldest son, Yu Zixiu. In the earlier years, Yu Zidong had little dedication to thepany. Although he had a high ranking position, he wielded no real power. Everyone in thepany knew that Yu Zidong was only a figurehead. He was well-paid simply because he was born into the right family.

    His wife, Liang Lihua, was no spendthrift either. She urged Yu Zidong to branch out and start his ownpany. They attempted to borrow money from Yu Zixiu for the starting capital but the request was naturally rejected. In the end, Yu Zidong sold off a portion of his shares in thepany¡ªjust enough so that he still retained the benefits.

    The remaining money, they got it from the Song family.

    For that period, Liang Lihua visited Yu Qianying every day andmented about their financial struggles. Yu Zidong also came to her often. He vented about the way their eldest brother sidelined him in the familypany and the difficulties in financing the newpany. There was a general buffer period before a newpany starts to make money. Hence, arge sum of money was needed in the initial phase for investment.

    While Yu Zidong was at work, Liang Lihua would visit Yu Qianying. It always ended with Liang Lihua in tears due to the financial difficulties her family was experiencing. At that time, Yu Qianying was at a good spot in life. Her husband¡¯spany was doing well so she asked Song Donglin to provide them with some mary assistance.

    Liang Lihua would drag Yu Qianying out for meals and entertainment, of which none she would pay for. There were feeble attempts to fight for the check but Liang Lihua never took any money out from her purse.

    When the Song family went on vacations, Yu Qianying would invite Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua to join them¡ªall expenses paid. Tens of thousands of yuan was nothingpared to the few millions that had already been lent out. However, contrary to Liang Lihua¡¯s belief, Yu Qianying¡¯s help was not a matter of course. She felt that it was Yu Qianying¡¯s responsibility to help out her brother and his family unconditionally.

    Every time Yu Qianying gave them the money they requested, Liang Lihua would put on a facade of gratitude and appreciation that would notst a few days. Her true self would burst through the cracks of her facade and then, it was back to the whole-world-owes-me attitude. She thought her life to be the most arduous of all.

    After all the crocodile tears and financial assistance, Yu Zidong¡¯spany managed to rise to a good footing. As thepany grew bigger, the visits by Yu Zidong and his wife became less frequent.

    Then, a snap of fingers by fate and the Song family crashnded in bankruptcy. Unsurprisingly, Yu Zidong¡¯s family cut ties with the Song family without any hesitation.

    Therefore, with regards to her uncle and aunt, there was no love lost between them and Song Yu.

    ¡°I know about your business with Qi Chengzhi,¡± Liang Lihua sneered. Haughtiness was written all over her aging face that was caked with beauty products. She was hardly the same person who came to their house years before, with all the sob stories and requests for money.

    Seeing her now, one would not think that she was once a pitiable housewife.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you two just break up and not waste our time? Don¡¯t tarnish the Yu family¡¯s image.¡± Song Yu stayed silent and Liang Lihua took it as a cue to continue her barrage, ¡°First, you got engaged to the younger brother. Now you¡¯re dating the older one. Do you know no shame? You¡¯re ruining not only the Yu family¡¯s reputation, but the Song family¡¯s as well. Although your family is now bankrupt and ejected from upper society, this news will still be a scandal.¡±

    ¡°We have cut ties with the Yu family, so rest assured, your reputation is safe.¡± Song Yu decided to cut short their conversation, it did not matter anyway. ¡°We¡¯re in public now, so you might want to keep it down if you don¡¯t want the scandal to spread. If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    There was no point in showing respect to someone like Liang Lihua. She sidestepped her aunt to exit thedies. Wei Ran must have heard all this drama while she was in the toilet cubicle.

    Liang Lihua blocked her path and got up into her face. ¡°You admit that this thing is a scandal and you still won¡¯t back down? Song Yu, just break up with him. I¡¯m saying this for your own good. Don¡¯t be a fool!¡±

    ¡°Your advice has been noted. No need to repeat yourself.¡± This conversation was starting to get on her nerves and a hint of annoyance shed across her face as she said, ¡°Please step aside, you¡¯re blocking my way.¡±

    ¡°You insolent child!¡± Liang Lihua eximed and fixed a murderous stare at Song Yu. ¡°I am just being a good aunt and pre-empting you. Your parents will never ept this. You¡¯re basically stealing your cousin sister¡¯s husband!¡±

    Song Yu did not know whether tough or cry at this woman. When Liang Lihua kepting over to the Song family¡¯s house begging for attention and money, Song Yu already felt that her aunt was truly a breed of her own. Today was clear evidence of that hypothesis.

    ¡°Stealing her husband?¡± Song Yu settled for chuckling at her aunt.

    Liang Lihua rambled on as if her iteration was the only valid one, ¡°You saw yourself! Keyao went for a matchmaking date with Qi Chengzhi and the family loves her. Why are you standing in the way? You have no chance of marrying into the family so just break up with Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips and took a deep breath to calm herself. She spoke withposure, ¡°Firstly, I do not have a cousin sister. The Yu family has long since cut ties with us. Secondly, my rtionship with Qi Chengzhi started long before any matchmaking ordeal involving Yu Keyao happened. They went for one matchmaking date and Chengzhi was tricked into it by his family. After that one date, he did not contact Yu Keyao or expressed any liking for her. So why am I the one at fault here? If we¡¯re being honest, Yu Keyao is the one who is standing in the way of us.¡±

    ¡°Also, whether my parents ept us is our business. It has nothing to do with you or Keyao. We don¡¯t need your holier-than-thou attitude or your self-importance butting into our private life.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu! I¡¯m being nice to you and you repay me with this? When did you skin grow so thick? Look at your current status, do you really think you¡¯re a suitable match for Qi Chengzhi?¡± Liang Lihua red derisively at her. ¡°If I were you, I¡¯d go far, far away and never get involved with the people of this circle. If you knew your ce, when Keyao and Qi Chengzhi get married, I can send your family some money to help you guys with the business. Your family can start a newpany, a small one.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, what¡¯s happening?¡± Their heated exchange was interrupted by Wei Ran, who had little Muran in tow. The inquiry appeared innocent but Wei Ran was half aware of the situation.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s demeaning words were audible from the toilet cubicle.

    Luckily, the public bathroom of Red Roof Club had low traffic as every private room had an ensuite toilet.

    Initially, Wei Ran did not want to interfere with Song Yu¡¯s personal matter as she was nothing but an outsider. However, as Liang Lihua¡¯s words became more venomous, she could not help herself.

    Wei Ran¡¯s appearance made Liang Lihua froze.

    In their social circle, Wei Ran was a rare but well-known face. She was the beloved wife of Wei Ziwei. Even their precious daughter, Muran, had a certain recognition in the upper echelons of society. While Liang Lihua had nevere in contact with the Wei family, she could recognize them immediately.

    ¡°I heard some loud voices. Something about you breaking up with Chengzhi?¡± Wei Ran took out her phone, ¡°Do I need to call Ziwei and Chengzhi over?¡±

    At the first sign of an actual fair fight, Liang Lihua let out a disgruntled noise and left without saying a word.

    After she left, Wei Ran asked Song Yu, ¡°Are you alright?¡±

    Song Yu just shook her head and replied, ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    When they got back to the room, Song Yu and Wei Ran spoke nothing of the incident.

    This was Song Yu¡¯s personal matter and Wei Ran did not want to overstep.

    As for Song Yu, Liang Lihua¡¯s words were too ridiculous for her to regale. She had no intentions of breaking up with Qi Chengzhi so there was no point in feeding him such nonsense.

    Song Yu returned to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side. The encounter made her long for hispany.

    She pressed her body against his arm for warmth, looping her right arm around his left arm, and allowing her hand to roam exploratively towards his palm. Her fingers softly probed at the space between his fingers.

    Finally, she interlocked their fingers. Her grip was firm. Her fingers rubbed against the back of his hand and she could feel the tendons beneath his fragile skin. She let her thumb toy with the knobs of his index finger.

    Her left arm was draped demurely on at the crook of his elbow as she leaned towards him. Her whole image was that of a well-behaved and loving wife.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Her behavior was out of the ordinary. Song Yu was usually reserved around his friends and now with the unfamiliar Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian, it was abnormal for her to be so openly affectionate.

    Before this bathroom trip, she blushed like a schoolgirl after just a nce from Qi Chengzhi. Now she was pressed up against his side without shame. Something must have happened.

    ¡°Nothing, don¡¯t worry.¡± Song Yu shook her head and avoided his eyes. She was worried that he would see through her lie. She rested her head on his shoulder and mumbled, ¡°I just missed you.¡±

    His previously rxed hand tightened around hers. His fingers drummed on the back of her hand. ¡°Shall we leave?¡±

    He spoke softly against her forehead¡ªhis deep, alluring voice making her heart flutter. She could feel the warmth of his breath in the pauses between each spoken word.

    Song Yu did not need to lift her head to know that the dark eyes looking at her were filled with desire.

    The tips of her ears burned. She wanted to rify that she said she missed him, not his body and that he should be less presumptuous.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that,¡± Song Yu muttered under her breath and pinched his palm. ¡°I just missed you and wanted to be next to you. Not... I didn¡¯t want to do that.¡±

    ¡°But you pressing up so close to me makes me want to do it.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unupied hand snaked under his left arm and pinched at the soft skin of her tummy.

    Song Yu tried to evade his hand but there was nowhere she could move to. Her skin buzzed where it had been assaulted.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and brushed his lips across her forehead. With half-lidded eyes, he saw the blooming redness on Song Yu¡¯s cheeks.

    Being in close proximity, Qi Chengzhi could smell the faint perfume on her. He lowered his head and nted a wet kiss on her forehead.

    There was pin-drop silence in the room and Song Yu¡¯s face turned bright red. Everyone in the room was looking at them.

    Wei Ziwei had covered Muran¡¯s eyes while Qi Chenglin did the same for Qi Youxuan. They were too tender of age to be exposed to the explicit romantic gestures of adults.

    For the sons, it did not matter much. On the other hand, the daughters might be taken advantage of.

    Wei Ziwei side-eyed the couple who so unabashedly disyed intimacy in such a public setting.

    There was no saving Song Yu¡¯s face now. She clung onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and buried her head into his shoulder, unwilling to meet anyone¡¯s eye. The suggestion to leave early seemed incredibly enticing now.

    Qi Chengzhi surveyed the scene and whipped out his phone. In the WeChat group, he texted, ¡°Stop staring. She¡¯s shy.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s response, ¡°...¡±

    Yan Beicheng fake coughed and cleared his throat before changing the topic. The atmosphere enlivened and everyone diverted their attention from Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief and removed her head from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulder. Her left hand ran through her long, silky tresses that were slightly messed up.

    She attempted to move her right hand but Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip.

    Her hand was held hostage until the waiter served the first dish.

    During dinnertime, Qi Chengzhi made no move to do anything eye-catching, much to Song Yu¡¯s relief.

    When everyone was done with the food, the three children were already tired. Baby Muche was sound asleep in the baby stroller while Muran was in Wei Ziwei¡¯sp trying to sleep but failing due to the noisy surroundings. Her eyelids fought to stay open.

    Qi Youxuan said into his dad¡¯s ear before falling asleep, ¡°Dad, remember to invite these uncles to my birthday. Those who can¡¯t attend should pass on a red packet.¡±

    Qi Chenglin shook his head and said, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±

    Hence, the crowd did not stay any longer.

    Wei Ran invited Song Yu over to the Wei family¡¯s house when she was free. They were in the lobby bidding farewell when six women walked in.

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that Qi Chengzhi? I heard your daughter was on a matchmaking date with him. Does he have a girlfriend?¡± one of the women asked.

    Liang Lihua squinted her eyes, her face froze when she saw the interlinked hands of Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Heh, who knows what rtionship they have between them? It might be a random fling. If not, why would his family arrange for a match?¡± Liang Lihua smiled coldly. ¡°Hold on, let me go and greet him.¡±

    She took a breath and walked straight toward Song Yu. Her beady eyes locked on the happy couple.

    ¡°Oh it really is a fling?¡± someone asked after Liang Lihua left. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Qi Chengzhi hasn¡¯t been seen with a woman for so long, not even a rumor of it. It¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯s out with some random woman.¡±

    ¡°If I had a daughter, I would want him as my son-inw too.¡±

    ¡°Yeah. So I think Lihua will not give up so easily. A man of his family background and conduct is not one to be let go.¡±

    Liang Lihua angrily stomped across the lobby, the knowledge that thedies would be talking behind her back fueled her.

    ¡®Song Yu really is shameless!¡¯

    Hanging around Qi Chengzhi despite her low status, she would be the talk of the town.

    Song Yu spotted Liang Lihua first. She quickly squeezed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand to alert him but as he turned around, Liang Lihua was already standing in front of them.

    ¡°What a coincidence seeing you two here,¡± Liang Lihua greeted with no warmth in her voice. Her icy starended on Song Yu, a silent warning for her to keep her mouth shut.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded but said nothing. He only looked on appraisingly.

    Liang Lihua knew that the other board members were only a stone¡¯s throw away and could hear their conversation. She angled her body so that they could see her expression andughed, ¡°Chengzhi,e over and have lunch with us when you¡¯re free!¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t have the time.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued aloofly, ¡°I¡¯m finding a time to visit Song Yu¡¯s parents.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± The tenuous smile on her face froze, ¡°Do your parents know of this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clicked his tongue and said, ¡°Miss Yu did not tell you?¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi, as your elder, I advise you to be less showy with your affection. It will not bode well for the two of you.¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s sight dropped to the linked hands.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded in reply and walked away with Song Yu.

    His posse walked out of Red Roof together. They even looked over their shoulders before departing and stared at Liang Lihua as if she was some psycho.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s face was tensed with suppressed anger.

    Qi Chenglin nudged his son. Qi Youxuan immediately shouted, ¡°Goodbye uncle, auntie!¡±

    It went without saying, Liang Lihua¡¯s expression darkened a few shades.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi drove for a few miles before asking, ¡°You ran into Liang Lihua in the bathroom, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡®Was there anything this man couldn¡¯t find out?¡¯

    Song Yu felt a bit unhappy that she could never hide anything from Qi Chengzhi.

    Left without a choice, she summarized the events of the night to him.

    ¡°This Saturday is Jian Yi and Chengyue¡¯s wedding. Come with me.¡± A pause which followed with, ¡°The Yu family will be there too.¡±

    Song Yu contemted for a while, then agreed. ¡°Okay.¡±

    It was now a habit for Qi Chengzhi to hold her hand during drives. His pale,rge hand covered her small hand and kept her grounded.

    She once saw a shared message on WeChat moments. It was along the lines of, ¡°When men show these small signs of affection, they truly have you in their heart. If you have a man like this, you should treasure him.¡±

    Reaching for your hand while driving was listed as one of the small signs of affection.

    Previously, Song Yu would worry that it affected his driving but after seeing that message, the gesture was very much weed.

 Chapter 110 - Weâ€™re Not Sneaking Around, Iâ€™m Just Holding My Wifeâ€™s Hand

    Chapter 110: We¡¯re Not Sneaking Around, I¡¯m Just Holding My Wife¡¯s Hand

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Previously, Song Yu would worry that it affected his driving but after seeing that message, the gesture was very much weed.

    Song Yu¡¯s left hand was holding his with their fingersced together. She took his hand to her lips and nted a kiss softly on the back of his hand.

    The sensation he felt on the back of his hand was veryfortable as her lips were soft and moisturized.

    Song Yu thought back to the first day when both of them confirmed their rtionship, and he did the same thing to her.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding ceremony would take ce in Dynasty. Even though Qi Chengyue was marrying Jian Yi, who came from a normal family, the whole of Dynasty was reserved considering the prominent status of the Qi family. They also invited influentials from various sectors.

    Precisely because of the disparity of their status, they did not follow the tradition where both parents of the bride and groom should be sitting together at the same table. Instead, both families sat separately.

    The Qi family¡¯s side included Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, Qi Zhongliang and his wife, Qi Zhongxun and his wife, as well as Qi Chengzhi and Qi Youxuan. There were two empty seats, as Qi Chengji would bete because he was in the army.

    Jian family on the other side had both of Jian Yi¡¯s parents, together with his extended paternal family.

    Even though Zhou Mingyan was not very pleased with the arrangement made by the Qi family¡ªas she felt like they were looking down on them¡ªshe dared not show her dissatisfaction.

    There were not many family friends on their side even though they had invited all of the people they knew of. That included colleagues from Qilin and Jian Yi¡¯s schoolmates.

    The Qi family outnumbered them by a whole lot. Not only the whole Qi family turned up, but other families also made an appearance to show respect to Grandfather Qi.

    Zhou Mingyan felt very nervous in front of all these big shots. This was her first time attending an event with such ostentation. She wore her best outfit together with the Herm¨¨s Birkin bag that was gifted by Qi Chengyue and sat on the chair while she kept her focus towards the direction of the main entrance.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Jian Shifu tugged at Zhou Mingyan¡¯s sleeve and asked quietly.

    ¡°I¡¯m checking to see if Song Donglin and Yu Qianying came,¡± Zhou Mingyan shook him off impatiently as she extended her neck to look further.

    Jian Shifu shook his head and ignored her.

    After a while, Zhong Mingyan got bored and made a cold humph, ¡°I think they don¡¯t have the guts to attend. They knew most of the people here, they would be disgracing themselves if they do show up, wouldn¡¯t they? How could Yu Qianying me the Qi family for not helping them? Why should they offer help in the first ce! How unreasonable of her.¡±

    Right after she finished talking, the whole ce started flooding with whispers. It was not very loud individually, but it became a substantial volume when they collectively whispered at the same time.

    ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Zhou Mingyan looked over puzzledly. She saw Qi Chengzhi holding Song Yu¡¯s hand and entering from the main walkway, ¡°Why is Song Yu here? Who¡¯s that man beside her?¡±

    The man had simr features with the Qi family.

    Wang Yifeng and Jian Yi were college roommates. After graduating, they stayed in contact. The bunch of them¡ªwho were either from B City or had found a job in B City¡ªwould usually gather once in a while. Therefore, all of them were invited to attend Jian Yi¡¯s wedding. They also tried to use this as aworking opportunity to build connections.

    One of the schoolmates from the same table just finished distributing cigarettes. Wang Yifeng was about to light them up when he saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu walking in together. ¡°nk¡±, the cigarette lighter dropped onto the table.

    ¡®Isn¡¯t the guy with Song Yu the same lunatic who knocked his car!¡¯ He thought.

    Then, they saw Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to the main table where the Qi family was sitting. Qi Chengzhi even chivalrously helped Song Yu to her seat, ¡°Sit here.¡±

    ¡°Why is she sitting at the main table!¡± Zhou Mingyan cried out in shock and anger.

    Fortunately, the surrounding murmurs were loud enough to drown her voice out.

    ¡°Who gave her the rights to sit with the Qi family!¡± Zhou Mingyan lowered her voice. She was so furious that her shoulders were shaking, ¡°We¡¯re the groom¡¯s parents and we didn¡¯t even get to sit there. How dare she sit over there!¡±

    Qi Zhongliang¡¯s face dropped. He never thought that Qi Chengzhi would choose such an important day where all of the guests were present to make a public appearance with Song Yu!

    Most of the people there were acquainted with Song Yu. ¡®Isn¡¯t he announcing their rtionship publicly the way he acted?¡¯ He thought.

    How could the Qi family endure this!

    ¡°Chengzhi, what are you doing!¡± Xia Wenna¡¯s voice was tightly wound, where she spoke with a taut face and minimal lip movement.

    ¡°I¡¯m attending a wedding!¡± Qi Chengzhi replied calmly. He poured a cup of tea for Song Yu, each action of his showed a lot of care and consideration.

    ¡°Do you want me to put it so tantly? I don¡¯t agree with your rtionship!¡± Qi Zhongliang said coldly, his stony gaze turned towards Song Yu and said, ¡°Song Yu, I always thought that you¡¯re an understanding child. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re unaware of today¡¯s event. You also clearly know the consequences of showing up here together with Qi Chengzhi, but you still did it. Are you trying to shame our family on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t me her,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly. ¡°It¡¯s my idea to bring her here. I want everyone to know that she¡¯s my girlfriend. She was always the only one and will remain that way. You guys don¡¯t need to introduce women to me anymore and stop misleading others as well. If you don¡¯t like it, I can just leave with her now.¡±

    Qi Zhongliang clenched the muscles around his chin. If Qi Chengzhi left with Song Yu this instant, it would make the spreading rumors worse!

    ¡°Enough!¡± Grandfather Qi voiced out and sipped his tea, ¡°Since you guys came, sit down nicely. Why are you guys bickering on such a blissful asion!¡±

    Qi Zhongliang quieted down with a long face without mentioning anything further since Grandfather Qi intervened.

    There was another family looking worse than Qi Zhongliang¡¯s expression.

    Yu Keyao secretly jabbed Liang Lihua who was sitting beside her. Due to the presence of other guests on the same table, Liang Lihua retrieved her gaze from the Qi family¡¯s table and patted Yu Keyao¡¯s hand, signaling her to endure it.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue was in the dressing room where the makeup artist was doing some finishing touches on her look. There were several knocks on the door of the dressing room before Guan Xiaolin entered.

    ¡°Chengyue, you look so beautiful today,¡± Guan Xiaolin walked over and scanned her from top to bottom, ¡°It¡¯s true that a bride will always be the prettiest.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Qi Chengyue smiled so gleefully that both of her dimples were blooming, ¡°Is everything going well outside?¡±

    ¡°Not bad, all of the guests have arrived. Many people are out there having a good time, the atmosphere¡¯s very jolly. Each of the families also showed their support by showing up, including a lot of important individuals,¡± Guan Xiaolin said, before throwing a nce at Qi Chengyue with hesitation and showing an awkward expression¡ªas if she was about to say something but she was holding it back.

    ¡°What, what happened?¡± Qi Chengyue frowned and shoved the makeup artist who was powdering under her neck away.

    ¡°It¡¯s... your big brother brought Song Yu here. They¡¯re sitting at the main table of the bride¡¯s side. The other guests were quite surprised as they didn¡¯t expect Qi Chengzhi to arrive with Song Yu. Even those at my table could recognize Song Yu. They were also wondering: isn¡¯t she Qi Chengji¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e? Why did she resurface together with Qi Chengzhi holding hands after going radio silent for so many years after their bankruptcy? These were their exact words,¡± Guan Xiaolin ced her hand on Qi Chengyue¡¯s exposed shoulder andforted her softly, ¡°However, you don¡¯t have to worry about that. You are the star today, she can¡¯t steal your limelight.¡±

    Qi Chengyue sprung up and red at Guan Xiaolin angrily, ¡°How did my uncles react? Didn¡¯t they chase Song Yu out?¡±

    ¡°This... our table is quite a distance from the main table. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not very clear about what happened exactly. I only saw them conversing for a while and Song Yu just remain seated the whole time. When I came to find you, she was still there. I¡¯m guessing that she won¡¯t be leaving anytime soon.¡±

    ¡°Get me my parents!¡± Qi Chengyue told one of the makeup artists.

    ¡°Since aunty and uncle areing over, I¡¯ll stay out of your private matters,¡± Guan Xiaolin left together with the makeup artist.

    The makeup artist went to the main table and scooched down to whisper into Guan Liya¡¯s ears. Guan Liya¡¯s expression altered slightly and nced at Song Yu before standing up to leave with the makeup artist hurriedly.

    Once she entered the dressing room, Qi Chengyue ordered the staff members of the wedding reception to leave the room.

    ¡°Mum, why don¡¯t you guys chase Song Yu away? Today¡¯s my big day, my wedding, but she came to make a scene and became the hot topic of the evening. What is this? Is she stirring up trouble on purpose?¡±

    ¡°This matter concerns your big brother¡¯s family. It¡¯s beyond our control, how can we interfere? Also, your uncle already said that she¡¯s not weed here. Who knew that she was so thick-skinned and would continue to sit there. No one can do a thing as she¡¯s under the protection of your big brother. Even Grandfather Qi said let them be if they want to stay. If you chase them away, the rumors will be even worse,¡± Guan Liya exined in disgust.

    How dare Song Yu appeared on her daughter¡¯s big day to disrupt her wedding!

    ¡°We can only settle this matter after the wedding¡¯s over,¡± Guan Liyaforted Qi Chengyue by rubbing her shoulders. ¡°You should calm down first, don¡¯t bother about Song Yu. Today is your wedding day, don¡¯t ruin your mood for someone so insignificant. The bride must look gorgeous, you can¡¯t walk down the red carpet with such a gloomy face. It¡¯s not nice for others to see you like this. You have to value your big day, understand?¡±

    Qi Chengyue sat back down the chair after being pressed down by Guan Liya, but she could not manage to put on a smile.

    ¡°Just one smile,¡± Guan Liya tried her best to coax and persuade her. She even called for the makeup artist to freshen her up. ¡°Jian Yi¡¯s waiting outside. If you walked down the red carpet with your dad putting on this same face, how would Jian Yi feel?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Jian Yi¡¯s outside? Has he seen Song Yu?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression changed immediately.

    ¡°No, how can he be out there. The wedding hasn¡¯t even started yet.¡± Guan Liya wondered why Qi Chengyue reacted so strongly to this and continued, ¡°He has just arrived at the entrance of the red carpet, waiting outside for the wedding to start.¡±

    After much effort, Guan Liya managed to calm Qi Chengyue down and was going to leave her alone. When everything was ready, someone came to cue for the bride. Guan Liya apanied Qi Chengyue to the entrance of the red carpet where Qi Zhongxun was waiting to walk her in.

    Jian Yi was standing at the end of the red carpet. He saw Song Yu before they yed the Wedding March. However, Song Yu was sitting with her back facing him. She did not even look towards his direction.

    When he lowered his gaze, he saw them holding hands under the table.

    In that moment, it was way past the time required to provide heating in B City, but the venue still had central air conditioning. Thus, the temperature was ratherfortable. Song Yu¡¯s palm started sweating since they were holding hands. She felt embarrassed as it was getting moist and wanted to let go, but he did not want to release them.

    ¡°My palm is sweaty,¡± Song Yu said softly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He took her hand and wiped it on his pants a few times. Then he did the same to his hand before holding her again. Song Yu stole a nce at him. She thought to herself, ¡®Why does this man have to hold her hands wherever they go?¡¯ and blushed.

    When she turned around, her eyes met with Grandfather Qi who was ring at her. He saw a blushing Song Yu right after both of them murmured something in secret. His face dropped, with a suppressed voice, he said displeasingly, ¡°What are you guys sneaking around with your hands under the table! Aren¡¯t you ashamed if someone sees this!¡±

    Song Yu wanted to take her hand back once she heard him. However, Qi Chengzhi maintained his tight grip and moved their hands from hisp to the tabletop. He then held her hand openly on the surface of the table.

    ¡°We¡¯re not sneaking around, I¡¯m just holding my wife¡¯s hand,¡± Qi Chengzhi said it in an indifferent tone and squeezed her hand after he was done.

    ¡°Who are you calling your wife. You guys haven¡¯t even gotten married yet!¡± Grandfather Qi red at both of them.

    ¡°That¡¯s only a matter of time,¡± Qi Chengzhi pouted.

    ¡°We¡¯re already stretching out limits, allowing Song Yu to sit here. Don¡¯t push it!¡± Qi Zhongliang felt as if the people around were staring at them and saw how affectionate Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu acted.

    ¡°Sure, if you guys can¡¯t take it, we can leave at once,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly. Qi Zhongliang was speechless at hiseback.

    They would have let them leave just now if they could. There was no need for them to wait until thest moment when the wedding was about to start.

    Qi Chengzhi was about to stand up when Guan Liya rushed back. She sensed the atmosphere was not right and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Sit nicely!¡± Qi Zhongliang said with a warning re.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s bottom that was lifted midway returned to its position. He pouted and continued to hold Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    At that moment, the Wedding March started ying, and the main door at the end of the red carpet opened, where Qi Zhongxun walked in together with Qi Chengyue.

    Guan Liya felt a gush of warmth in her eyes when she saw her daughter dressed in a snowy white wedding gown, looking so innocent and elegant. She felt that it was only yesterday when she was still a toddler, drinking milk on herp. Yet, she was marrying somebody today and would have her own children one day, forming a new family unit.

    She took the tissue on the table to wipe off her teary eyes discreetly.

    Even Song Yu had to admit that Qi Chengyue looked ravishing today. When she looked at her, her stunning looks almost made her forget how bumptious she acted on ordinary days.

    No wonder people said that the bride would always be the most beautiful person.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s gaze was fixated on Jian Yi. She had totally forgotten about Song Yu in the moment. When she saw that Jian Yi¡¯s eyes were also focusing on her, she let out a breath of relief.

    She was relieved when Jian Yi said ¡°I do¡±, her eyes misted over as she could not hold back the urge to cry.

    When it was her turn, she said ¡°I do¡± without hesitation. Then, both Jian Yi and her exchanged rings.

    While watching them, Song Yu could not help but imagine if she and Qi Chengzhi would share a moment like this one day. She was immersed in it and her thoughts began drifting away.

    All of a sudden, she felt a slight pain on her arm where someone had pinched her. ¡°Screech¡±, Song Yu eximed and came back to her senses. She saw Qi Chengzhi looking at her with a displeased expression on his face. His pair of deep-set eyes were as dark as the night, sharp but with a hint of mockery. His hands that were holding hers moved to her waist and cradled her, not before giving her a pinch.

    ¡°Envious of what you see?¡± Qi Chengzhi said into her ears. There was a certain degree of coldness in his mellow tone.

    Nevertheless, the way both of them interacted portrayed a very loving sight to the others. They looked like they were lovers who were whispering intimately.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand crept up to the back of his waist and pinched with force as a revenge of his jealousy and payback for pinching her just now. Although he did not exert much strength in pinching her, she was still quite crossed about his misced jealousy.

    ¡°I¡¯m admiring her that she gets to wear a wedding gown!¡± Song Yu said softly. Her face blushed instantly when she looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s charming face, ¡°Just now, I was thinking...¡±

    ¡°What were you thinking?¡± Qi Chengzhi saw how her blushed face blossomed gorgeously, her eyes were zed with ayer of mist. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her embarrassed look, which made him softened his expression. His sharp eyebrows lighted up gradually like ink smearing over.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Song Yu nudged to escape from his arms but failed.

    His burning lips seared the root of her ears, grazing the fine hairs on her skin. He asked again, ¡°What were you thinking about just now?¡±

    Song Yu nced at him, where she was met with his devilish taunting smile. Her face burned even redder as if he could see through all of her thoughts. She was stunned and sealed her lips shut without saying a word.

    ¡°Could it be that you were imagining how it feels if we were in their shoes?¡± Qi Chengzhi could feel the rising temperature on the top of her ears with his lips when he said this. His stern lips slowly drew into a gentle curvature.

    When he saw that Song Yu remained in silence, he teased in a deep voice, ¡°You want to marry me so badly?¡±

    He guessed exactly what Song Yu was thinking about. When she was watching Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi exchanging rings and saying ¡°I do¡±, she had no sense of difort at all. Instead, she could not help but to imagine them as Qi Chengzhi and her, thinking how would it be like to marry Qi Chengzhi.

    At that very moment, she was so embarrassed that she could feel her face on the verge of exploding. She lowered her head to the extent where it could not be lowered anymore and wanted to bury her head into his neck out of habit. She had forgotten what event they were attending under his teasing.

    Since he had his hands wrapped around her waist, she was almostying in his arms. All she could see was his firm chest, her senses immersed with his refreshing scent. She felt light-headed as she was so deeply enthralled, losing her sense of directionpletely.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Grandfather Qi coughed roughly suddenly and warned angrily with a suppressed voice, ¡°Respect the asion!¡±

    Song Yu immediately came to her senses and realized that her whole body was almost cradled by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. Song Yu felt so embarrassed that she could feel her scalp going numb. She dared not look at the other faces of the Qi family on that table as she knew that their expression would definitely look unpleasant.

    Perhaps they were only one step away from yelling ¡°Shameless!¡± out loud.

    Song Yu shoved Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand away from her waist hastily. Nheless, many of them had caught a glimpse of how intimately both of them acted moments ago.

    Zhou Mingyan gnashed her teeth in anger when she heard the chatters from the table beside, saying that the one who Song Yu entered holding hands with was the eldest grandson of the Qi family, who was also the future heir. If the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji went through sessfully, he would be her brother-inw.

    In spite of that, both of them got together in the end.

    ¡°I never thought that Song Yu was this kind of person!¡± Zhou Mingyan just could not let this go. Her eyes kept staring at the both of them, judging their public disys of affection and the disrespect for the asion. ¡°Before this, didn¡¯t Yu Qianying said herself that she is interested in Jian Yi? She also kept visiting our ce back in the days. Everyone thought that she likes Jian Yi. Now, Jian Yi just got married and she already found someone else! Such a fickle person!¡± Zhou Mingyan continued.

    As a result of Jian Yi marrying thedy of the Qi family, Zhou Mingyan had a sudden boost in confidence as their family received the glory that they had never experienced before, and all of their rtives were trying to get on their good side.

 Chapter 111 - Qi Chengzhi Told Me To Come, Thatâ€™s Why Iâ€™m Here

    <h4>Chapter 111: Qi Chengzhi Told Me To Come, That¡¯s Why I¡¯m Here</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As a result of Jian Yi marrying thedy of the Qi family, Zhou Mingyan had a sudden boost in confidence as their family received the glory that they had never experienced before, and all of their rtives were trying to get on their good side.

    If Song Yu were to find someone else, she would not be opposed to it as she was rather worried that Song Yu might seduce Jian Yi and destroy his rtionship. However, this was based on the premise that Song Yu got together with amoner, who would be the total opposite of the Qi family.

    Instead, Song Yu found Qi Chengzhi, the future sessor of the Qi family. Zhou Mingyan just could not digest the fact that his status was above and beyond Jian Yi.

    ¡°Tone down your voice! It¡¯s not good for our son either if someone heard you. When can you learn to speak ording to the situation?¡± Jian Shifu tugged at Zhou Mingyan forcefully and warned softly.

    ¡°Humph!¡± Zhou Mingyan shoved his arm away reluctantly, ¡°So what if someone heard me? She likes our son, not the other way round! Who knows what kind of tricks she had up her sleeves that were used to entice the eldest son of the Qi family. He must have been unaware of her true colors. It¡¯s better if someone hears me, they¡¯ll know the truth about her and spread it to the Qi family so that they won¡¯t be fooled by her! That Yu Qianying said it herself that she had no rtions with the Qi family, yet she still intends to let Song Yu marry into their family and live a good life? That¡¯s why I said, she would never willingly suffer and live in poverty!¡±

    ¡°Just shut up!¡± For the first time, Jian Shifu could not help it but berate her in such a stern manner, ¡°You just don¡¯t feelfortable if you can¡¯t stir up trouble, huh? Can you keep your mouth in check and behave ordingly? It¡¯s your son¡¯s wedding! Can you just stop picking fights on your own son¡¯s big day?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Zhou Mingyan still refused to back down and wanted to continue arguing, but Qi Chengyue had already changed into a new set of dinner dress and reemerged together with Jian Yi for the toasting ceremony,

    ording to customs, even if the bride and groom¡¯s family sat separately, they should start toasting from the groom¡¯s parents table. Zhou Mingyan adjusted her outfit and waited for them toe over with a smile on her face. However, when she was about to stand up with her bottom in mid-air, Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue turned to the other direction and went to the table with the bride¡¯s parents.

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s smile froze on her face, her facial muscles twitched incessantly as she sat back into her seat stiffly. Then, she saw everyone on that table stood up, except for Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, and Qi Youxuan who was chomping on a chicken drumstick.

    Grandfather and Grandmother Qi received the toast while seated and proceeded to sip from their ss respectively.

    When it was Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s turn, Qi Chengzhi moved her lips indifferently with her right hand holding a ss of red wine, and Jian Yi on her left, ¡°Song Yu, I didn¡¯t expect you toe today.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi told me toe, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here,¡± Song Yu said calmly as she raised her wine ss, ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    She was sincere when she wished them.

    She was not particrly fond of Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue, but she genuinely wanted them to be happy together. That way, Qi Chengyue would not pick on her that often as well.

    She suffered enough because of this couple.

    Qi Chengyue gave them a cold grin and brought her ss over and collided with Song Yu¡¯s ss with a loud clink. Song Yu was not expecting Qi Chengyue to put so much strength in it.

    Song Yu¡¯s ss tipped over towards herself and startled her. It would be toote to avoid it, she could only watch the red wine spill out from her ss onto herself. All of a sudden, a wine ss appeared from beside and shed with Qi Chengyue¡¯s ss forcefully.

    The elegant and fair hand that was pinching the stem of the wine ss was easily recognizable. Regardless of how fleeting the moment was, Song Yu could recognize that the well-structured hand belonged to Qi Chengzhi with only one look.

    Qi Chengzhi flicked his wrist elegantly in a swift motion. Without using much force, he managed to tip Qi Chengyue¡¯s ss over to the other side. Song Yu quickly steadied her ss, the wine-colored liquid swirled a few times in the ss before it gradually calmed down. Song Yu let out a sigh of relief when she did not spill any wine and make a mess of herself.

    However, the bride was not so lucky after all. The wine ss that was supposed to tip over to Song Yu recoiled back towards Qi Chengyue¡¯s direction. Furthermore, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s movement was so sudden and unpredicted that it caught her by surprise. She was even more startled than Song Yu.

    No one was able to shield Qi Chengyue from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unforeseen movement. Her wine ss tilted towards her and the wine sshed all over her dress.

    She was wearing a designer piece that was specially tailored for her. It was a light yellow leather dress with a cute, puffy skirt. The back of the dress was attached to a light yellow veil-like material that extended to her ankles.

    Since the dress was made of soft leather, it was quite water absorbent. The spilled wine immediately created a huge stain on the dress. The wine stain was all over her dress, making it look like menstrual blood.

    Adding to that, the leather material was very smooth as it did not have much friction as the usual textile. The red wine streamed down from her chest till the hem of her skirt and sttered on the floor.

    ¡°Aargh!¡± Qi Chengyue screamed instinctively without caring about her public image. This was her favorite dress among the other outfits for the wedding. She could also wear this dress when she attends a normal banquet in the future. The uniqueness of the dress was also one of the reasons why she fell in love with the dress, as it would portray an entirely different style if the piece of cloth behind was removed.

    However, it was totally ruined today!

    The red wine stains on the leather could not be removed. This outfit would no longer be wearable!

    Even so, this was still secondary. The most important thing was that it ruined her mood today.

    Her luck had gone downhill since the moment she met with Song Yu, not a single thing had worked out in her favor.

    Song Yu came here purposely to make a scene!

    How dare Song Yu disrupt her perfect wedding!

    From her perspective, Song Yu attended on purpose to spite her!

    Or else, why would she destroy her dress with a single toast!

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression became fiercer and was on the verge of bursting out. Guan Liya ran over in a hurry with a tissue in her hands. Sheforted her tantrum while she wiped the red wine stains off her clothes, ¡°How is it? Are you okay?¡±

    Qi Chengyue remained silent and red at Song Yu viciously.

    Guan Liya was extremely nervous as she was afraid that Qi Chengyue would throw tantrums and make a scene. At this moment, she could hear the murmurs and whispers among the guests started to rise again.

    ¡°Bring her back inside to change her clothes,¡± Qi Chengzhi said to Jian Yi in an unconcerned manner.

    Jian Yi pursed his lips tightly and nced at Qi Chengzhi. He put some pressure on the hand that sped her shoulder and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back in to change your clothes.¡±

    ¡°Go and change your dress,¡± Guan Liya advised her while she turned Qi Chengyue around carefully and pushed her gently.

    While Qi Chengyue was being driven away by Guan Liya, she turned her head around with reddened eyes and said to Song Yu with a restrained voice, ¡°Are you satisfied? You had toe and ruin my wedding, don¡¯t you? Song Yu, you¡¯re pushing it way too far!¡±

    Song Yu took a breath in frustration. Qi Chengyue was the one who intended to ssh her with wine but instead pointed the finger at her.

    ¡°We¡¯ve attended your wedding, but we have to leave now as we got other ns,¡± Qi Chengzhi stood by the table with an expressionless face. He acted so impassionately as if this was not his own sister¡¯s wedding and was somebody else¡¯s.

    The glum look of Qi Zhongliang froze on his face. If he knew that it would turn out this way, he should have let them leave much earlier on!

    No one spoke a word after, so Qi Chengzhi took Song Yu¡¯s hand. His palm was bony but firm, it felt especially sturdy against hers.

    Throughout the whole situation, Song Yu never once voiced out her opinion. She just obeyed every one of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s decisions without any resistance.

    When both of them walked to the entrance of Dynasty, Qi Chengji alighted from an army green jeep and was stunned for a moment when he saw them. He knew that his older brother was not afraid of anything, but he did not expect him to bring Song Yu along to an event like this. His actions were purely made to provoke them.

    Before the Qi family could hide the affair between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, he brought her out without giving notice and made everyone aware of their rtionship. He did not allow his family a chance to say ¡®No¡¯!

    Qi Chengji¡¯s gaze naturally focused on their tightly interlocked hands. He met Song Yu when they were very little, and she was younger than him. In his eyes, she was like a sister to the Qi brothers, and the rtionship he shared with her was much closer inparison to Qi Chengyue.

    Furthermore, Song Yu was only in the third of primary school, learning to write Chinese characters when Qi Chengzhi attended college. Qi Chengji could not help but feel weirded out by them getting together as a couple.

    ¡°Why are you guys out here?¡± Qi Chengji asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a bit rowdy in there,¡± Qi Chengzhi said indifferently while he tugged the corner of his mouth with sarcasm.

    ...

    ...

    After Jian Yi brought Qi Chengyue back to the lounge, he let go of her and took out a cigarette and lighter from his pocket. He lit it and smoked while he leaned against the wall.

    He forced himself to learn how to smoke since he choked on his first drag that night outside of Song Yu¡¯s doorstep.

    It sounded rather ironic for someone to learn how to smoke at the age of twenty-eight.

    ¡°Everyone get out!¡± The disheveled state of Qi Chengyue when she entered the lounge startled the makeup artist. The shock on their face irked Qi Chengyue so much that she screamed and chased everybody out.

    When all of them left, Qi Chengyue shrieked loudly, ¡°What was Song Yu trying to do! She just can¡¯t stand that we¡¯re together and had toe and cause trouble, huh? She purposely came today to make a scene! She must have feelings for you, that¡¯s why she¡¯s jealous of me and came after me for revenge!¡±

    Jian Yi took a deep drag of his cigarette out of annoyance, but it still could not quench his anger. He was irritated by Qi Chengyue¡¯sint but he was unable to show it on his face.

    ¡°This is my favorite dress! She purely wants to make a fool of me on my wedding! How did my brother fall for a woman that has such an evil heart! He¡¯s blinded by the sanctimonious mien of hers! She was very good at it since young!¡±

    Jian Yi remained silent while Qi Chengyue kept on going.

    Finally, Jian Yi could not bear the frustration and puffed a cloud of thick, white smoke after a drag before saying, ¡°If you didn¡¯t initiate in the first ce to tip her wine ss intentionally, Qi Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t have stepped in to protect her by knocking onto your ss and spilling it.¡±

    ¡°What did you mean that I did that intentionally! I had no idea! I just touched her ss gently. She just acted as if I bullied her and tried to frame me! I didn¡¯t even exert any force. She tipped it towards herself!¡± Qi Chengyue red at Jian Yi instantly.

    She was so furious that her exposed shoulders that were not concealed by her leather bandeau dress kept shaking, ¡°Are you standing on Song Yu¡¯s side instead of mine?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m merely stating facts, at least from what I saw with my own eyes,¡± Jian Yi exhaled a cloud of smoke, ¡°If you didn¡¯t start it, Qi Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t need to interfere to protect her, and your dress wouldn¡¯t be dirtied. We would still be inside toasting without all those guests gossiping behind our backs.¡±

    ¡°After all, you still choose to be on her side. I¡¯m already your wife from today onwards, why should you trust her instead of me? Don¡¯t you know that Song Yu is very maniptive? Did you think that she¡¯s a good person? If she was that nice, how could she manage to seduce my big brother? She had to be at the top of her game to entice my big brother to the point where he was willing to go against his family to be with her.¡±

    Qi Chengyue squinted her eyes and strode towards Jian Yi¡¯s direction in her heels. She raised her hand and plucked the cigarette off his lips and threw it onto the ground, ¡°When did you learn to smoke!¡±

    Jian Yi pursed his lips tightly and breathed out a puff of white smoke heavily. He said with a deep voice, ¡°I¡¯m too stressed, that¡¯s why I started to smoke.¡±

    Qi Chengyue tightened her chin and thought, ¡®What was the source of his stress?¡¯

    ¡°I told you that there¡¯s nothing between Song Yu and me, but you don¡¯t believe me. Even after she got together with Qi Chengzhi, you still didn¡¯t want to believe it. Chengyue, think about it, weren¡¯t you the one who provoked her every single time? If you didn¡¯t do it, why do you always ended up feeling dejected? You said that you didn¡¯t tip her wine ss on purpose, but you knew clearly if that was the case. If you had behaved appropriately, there wouldn¡¯t be any mishaps at this wedding. You could¡¯ve been much happier. In other words, you inflicted all this anger yourself.¡±

    Jian Yi took a deep breath, the harsh sounds of his breathing were much more noticeable in the quiet room.

    ¡°You should calm down now. I¡¯ll ask them toe in and help you change. We have to continue the toasting ceremony out there. If we keep on staying here, I don¡¯t know how the people out there would judge us.¡±

    ¡°To be frank, you¡¯re just siding her!¡± Qi Chengyue bit her lip as if she was wronged by him. Her tears started filling her eyes, ¡°You¡¯re my husband, shouldn¡¯t you help me like how my big brother helped Song Yu? You should stand on my side no matter what happens. My big brother did that and spilled wine on me, why didn¡¯t you help me out!¡±

    ¡®You should at least ssh some wine on Song Yu and let her leave a mess!¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°Today¡¯s our wedding, do you really want to embarrass yourself by making a huge deal out of it?¡± Jian Yi raised the corner of his lips cynically. He snickered, ¡°You wanted to make our wedding into a drama and let others joke about it?¡±

    Qi Chengyue was speechless. Obviously, she wanted her wedding to be that one of a lifetime moment where it would be perfect and envied by others. However, Song Yu had to appear and ruin it for her!

    She felt so miserable that her eyes could not hold her tears in any longer, warm tears started rolling down her cheeks.

    ¡°All I want was just a beautiful and memorable wedding. Am I wrong to want everything to be perfect? Why... why must Song Yu treat me this way!¡±

    Jian Yi ignored her as he felt that it would just be a waste of effort to talk to her.

    The only thing that he did not expect was that Qi Chengzhi did not bother to think about Qi Chengyue¡¯s position when he protected Song Yu. He came to her rescue without hesitation.

    He opened the door and told the makeup artist who was waiting outside, ¡°Help her to freshen up as quickly as possible.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression was so bitter that she barely ate anything even though the table was filled with luxurious dishes including sea cucumber, abalone, fish maw, and bird¡¯s nest.

    She had just gotten over the fact that Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi started the toasting ceremony at the Qi family¡¯s table. Before they coulde over, that incident happened and both of them had not reappeared since they went back in. She had no chance to receive the toast from her daughter-inw. Song Yu must have done it on purpose!

    Zhou Mingyan figured Song Yu probably got offended when they went to the Song family to boast that day, that was why she caused so much trouble today.

    The rtives sitting at the same table were gobbling down the food, but they did not forget to add fuel to the fire and said, ¡°This is one of the problems marrying a rich wife that you can¡¯t handle. There is noparison between them in terms of status and demeanor since they were not from the same level. That¡¯s why we can¡¯t do much if they don¡¯t respect us. Looking at today¡¯s situation, Jian Yi most likely got married into the Qi family.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s face dropped and pped the chopsticks on the table with a loud ¡®bang¡¯ as she looked at her older brother-inw coldly.

    ¡°Ha ha, Mingyan, don¡¯t take it personally. This guy doesn¡¯t really know how to use his words. However, although what he just said might be hurtful, it¡¯s notpletely unreasonable. Judging from what Jian Yi did today, he let his wife lead him around by the nose. You should speak to him when he returns and put Chengyue in her ce. Even though we are a normal family, but she should pay you the respect as her mother-inw. She can¡¯t just mistreat you because of our family background. Once she marries into the Jian family, you are the mother of her husband. She must prioritize the Jian family before everything as she no longer is thedy from the Qi family.¡±

    ¡°For instance, other than you guys were seated separately from the Qi family, they even started the toasting ceremony at their table. I think that the order shouldn¡¯t depend on our status. This just shows that the Qi family never respected us and Qi Chengyue couldn¡¯t be bothered about you guys. When you go home, you should give them a proper lecture. Or else, if this goes on in the long run, you would lose respect from not only Chengyue, but also Jian Yi himself. In the end, the son that you guys have raised after going through all the blood, sweat, and tears married into a wealthy family. Everyone around us knows about Jian Yi marrying ady from a notable family. They¡¯ll just rub salt into your wounds!¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s oldest sister-inw said.

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression was getting worse as she took in her sister-inw¡¯s words. She felt that what she said was not entirely senseless.

    ¡°Stop talking nonsense! Do you think it¡¯s not chaotic enough? Grandfather and grandmother Qi are sitting on that table. It¡¯s perfectly fine if they started toasting at their table if we were to talk about seniority in the family.¡± Jian Shifu felt that he should not allow his older brother and his wife to sit at this table. They are just a bunch of trouble makers!

    ¡°Younger brother-inw, that¡¯s not necessarily the case,¡± his sister-inw wanted to continue, but Zhou Mingyan interjected coldly, ¡°I feel that sister-inw has a point.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to dinner after leaving Dynasty since both of them had not eaten anything from the banquet.

    Being together with Qi Chengzhi also meant that their dining ce would be quite refined and of good taste. The most frequented ces included Dynasty and Red Roof. Even Shengyue was rarely visited by Qi Chengzhi. Only a handful of ces could satisfy him.

    Since Dynasty was booked by the Qi family for the wedding banquet, they would not be dining there. In addition, Red Roof was quite a distance from here. That was why Song Yu suddenly thought of the roadside eatery when Qi Chengzhi asked her what she wanted to eat.

    The street located opposite of Dynasty across the square was rather famous. Majority of their customers were tourists, the locals seldom go there as the food was priced to scam foreign tourists. Although it was on the pricey end, the food was not bad.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to that street as it was the nearest option.

    They found a parking space and alighted. Once they get out of the car, Song Yu instinctively ced her hand into his palm.

    Since the weather had turned warmer, they would not be needing those bulky down jackets despite still needing to wear a rather thick jacket. Qi Chengzhi was not wearing any gloves, so both of them snuggled closely with their hands and arms interlocked with each other.

 Chapter 112 - I Only Like Qi Chengzhi And No One Else

    <h4>Chapter 112: I Only Like Qi Chengzhi And No One Else</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Since the weather had turned warmer, they would not be needing those bulky down jacket despite still needing to wear a rather thick jacket. Qi Chengzhi was not wearing any gloves, so both of them snuggled closely with their hands and arms interlocked with each other.

    Both of them strolled along the food street.

    She remembered the first time they walked down a food street like this. It was the night when she discovered Jian Yi¡¯s true colors.

    However, her mood for both of these trips was vastly different. Her heart was all over the ce when Qi Chengzhi held her in his arms.

    At this moment, her entire heart belonged to Qi Chengzhi and it felt very calm.

    They walked at a rxed pace even though it was quite crowded with tourists.

    Song Yu lowered her head and looked at the well-structured giant palm that was inteced with hers. This was the hand that blocked Qi Chengyue¡¯s wine ss and prevented her from being publicly embarrassed.

    She never expected him to protect her at the expense of shaming Qi Chengyue in person.

    No matter what, Qi Chengyue was still the bride of the day and his sister. Under normal circumstances, men would usually choose to help Qi Chengyue.

    Song Yu was so touched by his actions. Any woman would hope for their man to stand by their side unconditionally and give a helping hand whenever they needed it.

    Most of the women would also hope for their man to shield them from all harm, like the strong and reliable knight in shining armor they imagined.

    Song Yu¡¯s gaze trailed upwards from his fair-skinned hand to his arm and grazed past his ck cashmere jacket, where she raised her head to look at the side view of his handsome, charming face.

    She could smell his refreshing fragrance in the cool breeze while he was walking beside her. His towering figure made him stand out from the crowd, every part of his body including each strand of hair and pore exuded elegance.

    Song Yu felt overwhelmed and held him even tighter as she leaned further on his arm. Her tender cheeks asionally grazed his jacket due to the movements of their footsteps.

    She gradually rested her forehead on his shoulders and wrapped her other hand around his arm.

    Suddenly, Qi Chengzhi stopped walking. His action was not abrupt as they were walking at a rather slow pace.

    He lowered his head and saw Song Yu¡¯s face with a calm expression. Her drooping eyshes fluttered gently.

    He felt an itch in his heart as if a soft feather was tickling him gently.

    He then lowered his head and kissed her forehead tenderly. His scorching lips grazed her forehead gently and spoke with a mellow voice, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head. Her cheeks were blushing red¡ªlike the red sky that was aglow with sunset. The skin that he kissed felt sleek and hot. She wrapped her hands around his arm strongly as if she wanted to weld him into her own flesh and blood.

    ¡°I just feel that... I¡¯m really fond of you. How lucky am to have you reciprocating my feelings.¡± This was the first time Song Yu confessed to someone. She felt the back of her ears burning, and not daring to lift her head, she continued pressing her forehead against his arms.

    She could feel Qi Chengzhi turning around. Before she even realized, he had extracted his sturdy arm from hers. Then, he tightened his arms around her waist, enclosing her into his embrace.

    Song Yu still could not look at him after her outright confession just now. With her head lowered and burning ears, she could feel his breath approaching her. When her hairline brushed against soft lips, her whole body was so hot that she shuddered. His soft lips then left a burning trail on her skin and gently grazed the tip of her nose beforending on her lips. Her lips trembled upon his contact.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going to fancy anybody else other than me, right?¡± He took a step back with his burning lips still attached to hers, breathing warm air into her mouth when he spoke.

    If it was in the old days, she would be shaking and not saying a word as she was easily embarrassed. To his surprise, she openly answered him with an ¡®uhm¡¯.

    In exchange for her answer, Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace around her as if something rattled him. His searing lips grazed past the corner of her mouth to her ear lobes, where he pressed against her ears and spoke with a low, raspy voice, ¡°How I wish I could ravish you right here, right now.¡±

    After hearing what he said, Song Yu felt as if he was as hot as a grill, like the baking hot metal that was brought out from the fire pit.

    All of a sudden, Song Yu came right to her senses and shuddered violently when a flurry of chill wind woke her. She realized that they were at a crowded food street. What took over her that made her confess to Qi Chengzhi here? She felt extremely embarrassed when she realized that both of them were kissing in the middle of a busy street!

    Song Yu use the corner of her eyes to sneak a peek as she dare not look directly at the people around them. She noticed that many of them were staring.

    Although modern society was more epting and no one would criticize others for kissing in public, people still threw curious nces towards them.

    She stumbled into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze that was full of desire once she lifted her head. His pair of deep-set eyes were devouring her like a whirlpool, leaving her no chance to escape.

    ¡°Let me go first, there are so many people watching us,¡± Song Yu pushed him with flushed cheeks.

    Qi Chengzhi could not resist the shy expression on her face and nted another kiss on her cheek before releasing her. His burning palm went around her waist onto her hands and held it in.

    Throughout the walk, Song Yu did not let her gaze wander around. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow voice sounded above her head, ¡°Have you decided what to eat yet?¡±

    Coincidentally, a breeze of wind mixed with the scent of stinky tofu blew towards their direction. Song Yu gave a quick scan and saw a stall that was selling stinky tofu.

    Suddenly, a devilish thought arose in her mind. She nced at a nicely-dressed Qi Chengzhi and asked, ¡°Have you tried stinky tofu before?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi gave her a nonchnt nce. How could it be possible for him to try something like that?

    Song Yu giggled and dragged him to the stall that was selling fried stinky tofu, ¡°Boss, one serving please.¡±

    Not long after, the stinky tofu was ready. The vendor removed it from the pot and packed it into a paper container before drizzling chili sauce onto it. Song Yu held the container with her hands, the burning temperature out of the pot managed to seep through the box and reach her fingertips.

    Song Yu picked up a piece with a bamboo stick and stuffed it in her mouth. It was so hot that she kept puffing air out with an open mouth. Then, she poked a piece and took it to the corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth and said, ¡°Try it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows with an expression that seemed like he would rather be a thousand miles away instead of eating it.

    Song Yu sent it to his mouth and urged him again, ¡°Just try it!¡±

    He could not resist her prodding and ate one reluctantly, and refused to eat more. When he chewed, he was frowning so tightly that he could pinch a fly in between his eyebrows. He made it seem like eating a piece of stinky tofu was an undignified thing to do.

    In the end, it was Song Yu who finished the rest before throwing the bamboo stick and paper container into the rubbish bin. She curled her palm slightly and brought to her mouth to huff into it. She blocked the exhaled air from escaping and took a sniff. It was filled with the smell of stinky tofu.

    After that, she looked at both sides and saw there were not many people around. She waved her hand at Qi Chengzhi. When he responded and lowered his head, she tiptoed and kissed his lips at the speed of light and gave a swirl in his mouth.

    When shended her heels back onto the ground, Song Yu licked her lips with a blushed face, her crystal clear eyes were gleaming with mischief when she asked, ¡°Does it smell?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi burst intoughter. This was what she had nned all along. He never thought that she had a prankster inside her. The pair of sparkling eyes in front of him looked so exuberant, like those from a mischievous child.

    His athletic hands hooked on the back of her waist and pulled her into his arms, before devouring her entirely.

    ¡°I ate it too, remember?¡± He pecked on her lips gently while he spoke.

    Song Yu grinned shyly with her foreheadid against his chest. She felt as though this man had descended from heaven.

    It felt weird for him to carry out such mundane tasks such as apanying her to stroll at the food street and eating stinky tofu.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her while she lowered her head andid against his chest. Her movements exposed the fair-skinned area on the back of her neck with silky strands of loose hair lying around since she tied her hair up in a bun.

    He lowered his head to give a few pecks on the back of her neck before holding her hand. He continued their stroll with a Song Yu who was blushing the whole way, from the top of her head to her chest.

    Both of them did not look for any restaurant and just ate some snacks along the street, includingmb tribe, pan-fried dumplings, and grilled squid. They were quite full at the end of the trip.

    The image where Qi Chengzhi apanied her to eat along the food street depicted a sharp contrast to his elegant aura.

    Just the thought of him wearing a fine suit while holding a stick of grilled squid, standing together with her by the street. He even had to lean forward to avoid getting sauce on him. He would never be able to uphold his image with him eating this way.

    Song Yu could not help but express her opinion after looking at him eating, ¡°Do you think Yu Keyao will still fancy you if she saw you like this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her and finished off thest piece of squid. Then, he took out a tissue to wipe the sauce off her lips before wiping his own. He scoffed and said, ¡°You think that she¡¯ll get a chance to see me like this?¡±

    She was the only one who could see him like this. Other women would not even stand a chance.

    Song Yu realized what Qi Chengzhi meant and felt a gush of warmth and sweetness in her heart. She stood in ce and could not help but curl her lips into a silly angle.

    While she was still reminiscing, Qi Chengzhi took the bamboo stick from the hands of a dazed Song Yu, wrapped them with the tissue and discarded them in the rubbish bin nearby before returning to hold her hand again.

    After filling their stomachs with food, Qi Chengzhi received a phone call about work-rted matters. He sent Song Yu back to Viewpark Residence before driving back to the office.

    When it was almost time for dinner, Qi Chengzhi called and told her that he was not able toe home for dinner. There was a client that arrived today and they would be having dinner together tonight.

    The corner of Song Yu¡¯s mouth could not resist smiling as she listened to the phone call. The feeling of him calling her to notify her felt very domestic. After knowing that he was fine, she reminded him, ¡°Don¡¯t drink or smoke too much ande home earlier. If the client asked you to go to those ces of entertainment, humph! Be careful and don¡¯t let me find anything suspicious!¡±

    Usually, the men would not be pleased if their women controlled them like this. They would feel frustrated if they were being restricted too much.

    On the contrary, Qi Chengzhi was quite happy. This proved that she cared more about him. He would be upset if she did not say anything.

    He smiled gently, with the look of tenderness in his eyes. His expression caught Chang Lai¡¯s attention and he kept looking at his boss through the rearview mirror.

    ¡°No worries, I will not go to those ces. If the client requests for it, I¡¯ll let Dongge arrange for him. I¡¯ll be back after dinner,¡± Qi Chengzhi turned around and looked outside of the mirror while he spoke. His car passed by a bridal boutique and he could see the mannequins disyed at the window were dressed in all kinds of delicate wedding gowns.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the name of the boutique. It was a famous bridal boutique in B City, where they coborated with a well-known designer from Italy. They would provide limited designs of wedding gown every year exclusively to this bridal boutique. Bookings were also avable to hire the designer to specially tailor a gown.

    ¡°Stop the car,¡± Qi Chengzhi said after hanging up the phone.

    They were not allowed to stop there, but Chang Lai still parked the car and let Qi Chengzhi down. He walked towards the opposite direction for quite some distance and entered the bridal boutique.

    ...

    ...

    Later that night, Song Yu asked Aunt Yang to cook two simple dishes and they ate dinner together. After dinner, she took her iPad and nestled into the soft couch in the living room and watched ¡°The Good Wife¡± while she munched on some strawberries.

    When she saw the characters in the show were chatting away and drinking red wine, she had the sudden urge to have some too. She stood up to retrieve a bottle from the wine cooler at the bar. Just when she poured it into her ss, she heard Aunt Yang¡¯s voice from the entrance, ¡°Madam! Sir has gone out to entertain clients, he¡¯s not at home.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go in and wait then,¡± she heard Xia Wenna answered.

    Song Yu put down the wine and looked around. There was no ce for her to hide. She could already hear Xia Wenna entering the house and decided to face her head-on. While she was about to walk out the living room, she bumped right into Xia Wenna.

    Xia Wenna was shocked as she did not expect Song Yu to be here. She looked at Song Yu¡¯s casual attire and sensed that she was not a visiting guest but rather someone who lived here.

    ¡°Aunty,¡± Song Yu rubbed her fingers nervously. She felt tingles on her scalp under the gaze of Xia Wenna.

    Xia Wenna wore a ck suit. She looked different in the day when she attended the wedding. Her ck hair was bundled up into a bun and secured with a hairpin, giving her a rather stern look.

    She was wearing more makeup to match her ck outfit. Her rosy lips pursed tightly into a thin line.

    Xia Wenna took a deep breath and asked with a deep voice, ¡°You¡¯re living here?¡±

    Song Yu lowered her head as she did not know what to answer her. If she said yes, it would make her look like she was an easy woman.

    ¡°Song Yu, let¡¯s sit down and have a talk,¡± Xia Wenna breathed deeply before she spoke.

    Aunt Yang excused herself to prepare tea in the kitchen, but in fact, she secretly called Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone.

    Song Yu sat down anxiously and opened her mouth widely to inhale, before letting it out shakily.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to move in right away. I always thought that you¡¯re a decent girl. I¡¯ve watched you grow from a young child into ady. You¡¯ve always known how to measure the situation and keep within bounds. You never let the adults worry about you. However, you¡¯re overstepping your limits this time,¡± Xia Wenna¡¯s expression was stern while she breathed in and out heavily.

    ¡°I cleared things up with you thest time we were at the old mansion. I thought that you¡¯ll think through it properly after you went back and make a decision that¡¯s best for all of us. Instead, you moved in here,¡± Xia Wenna pursed her lips. ¡°If you insist to be with Chengzhi, not only will you face the bacsh from others chastising you as a shameless woman, Chengzhi would also be criticized for being together with his younger brother¡¯s fianc¨¦e.

    I sincerely want to help the Song family, even if the union between Chengzhi and Yu Keyao wasn¡¯t sessful. I would still think of something to help the Song family to recover. Thepany may not be as big and prominent as the original one, but a medium-sizedpany would also allow your family to livefortably.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve known you since you were a kid, and had always considered you as my daughter. That was also why Qianying and myself decided to arrange an engagement with you and Chengji. One of the reasons is that both of our families had a good rtionship, and the other reason was that I really like you as a person. I would treat you as my daughter if you became my daughter-inw. However, I don¡¯t ept your current status with Chengzhi.

    Song Yu, what about this? I know many fine gentlemen. Just tell me what qualities you seek, I promise he¡¯ll treat you well even after you guys are married.¡±

    Song Yu looked at the floating tea leaves when Aunt Yang brought the tea over. She said calmly, ¡°I like someone who¡¯s 188 cm tall, with me barely reaching his chest. There¡¯s always a refreshing scent on him. Even though he likes to smoke, the smell of cigarette smoke on him is rather pleasant. He would remain silent when he¡¯s angry and squint his eyes when something against his principles happens. This is how he made others feel defeated.

    He looks studious with sses on, but his gaze is razor-sharp without them. asionally, he acts like a child and throws tantrums, but at other times he¡¯s very understanding. If everything¡¯s exined and made up to him, he¡¯d ept them willingly. Sometimes, he can also be quite shameless and behave immaturely although he¡¯s a fully grown man.

    Nevertheless, he treats me wholeheartedly. He would always put me before himself, even at the expense of his well-being. He would look angry on the surface, but he¡¯ll still endure it and allow me to do things my way. There were many asions like that, but he would never lose his temper at me. He has a high level of self-control. I can be quite thick-skinned when Ifort and tease him so that he has no choice but to not be angry at me anymore.

    Aunty, I really like someone like him. I only like a Qi Chengzhi who acts like this and there¡¯s only one Qi Chengzhi. Others always see him as someone who¡¯s mature and rational, but what they don¡¯t know is that there¡¯s a kid living inside of his heart, making him jealous and petty. However, I only like someone like him. I like each and every one of his characteristics. If these qualities are shown in another man, I would hate them.¡±

    Xia Wenna was pretty shaken up inside. She never knew that side of her eldest son. Was Song Yu really referring to Qi Chengzhi?

    ¡°I was never upset by the fact that the Song family went through bankruptcy. I also never thought about what it is like if we never went bankrupt, neither did I want to stage aeback. If the Song family was not bankrupt, I wouldn¡¯t cancel the engagement with Chengji and I would never have the chance to be with Chengzhi. In a way, I¡¯m d the way things turned out the way it did.

    Furthermore, our family is doing well. We¡¯ve realized who are our real friends and those who are unworthy to stay in contact with. We saw the true colors of the Yu family. My parents also got used to their current lifestyle. My dad no longer needs to exert himself for the sake of thepany, and my mum doesn¡¯t have to put up a pretense and socialize with those rich men¡¯s wives.

    They¡¯re living a stress-free, leisure retirement. They buy groceries and cook daily, have a chat and y chess when there¡¯s time, and travel overseas once or twice a year for a holiday. Other than waiting for a grandchild, they have nothing else to worry about. Isn¡¯t that a good life?¡±

 Chapter 113 - The Truth About The Bankruptcy (Itâ€™s Very Important, Must Read)

    <h4>Chapter 113: The Truth About The Bankruptcy (It¡¯s Very Important, Must Read)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°They are living a stress-free, leisure retirement. They buy groceries and cook daily, chit chat and y chess when there¡¯s time, and travel overseas once or twice a year for holidays. Other than waiting for a grandchild, they have nothing else to worry about. Isn¡¯t that a good life?

    ¡°Even if there¡¯s a chance to rebuild ourpany in the future, I would not agree to it. My parents are getting old, why would they want to burden themselves with it? Also, I could see that my dad has gottenfortable with a leisure lifestyle in these past few years. He may not be able to adapt to corporate life anymore. I don¡¯t want toplicate the simple life that they currently have.¡±

    Xia Wenna¡¯s face dropped. She could not vent her anger on Song Yu since she was the daughter of her good friend.

    However, Song Yu would not budge and this was making Xia Wenna boil.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be considerate for Chengzhi? How would he bebeled if you¡¯re with him? If you like him that much, how can you endure the criticisms that he¡¯ll receive from others? He¡¯s such a proud man, but he¡¯ll be theughingstock of others in the future all because of you.¡± Xia Wenna took a deep breath to hold her anger in. ¡°You like him that much, huh?¡±

    ¡°I think that...¡± Song Yu said as she raised her eyelids and stared at Xia Wenna with a determined gaze, ¡°he wouldn¡¯t care about them. He would not bother about what others think of him. How is it possible for someone as smart as him to be oblivious to the issues we¡¯ll have to face together when he chose to be with me? Maybe he¡¯s the one who has thought about this moreprehensively than the both of us. He wouldn¡¯t choose to be with me if he cares.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always remembered the words that he had said to me. He said, ¡®Not to mention you¡¯re only his ex-fiancee, even if you had gotten married to him and then divorced, don¡¯t you think that I¡¯ll still be able to pursue you if I wanted to?¡¯ So, even if I had gotten married, and he can still be unfazed by that, do you think that he¡¯ll be affected by what others say about him?

    ¡°If he¡¯s so easily affected by what others think and can be kept in check by them, then he¡¯s not Qi Chengzhi.¡± Song Yu then added calmly, ¡°Why would I back out if he¡¯s so determined?¡±

    ¡°You- ¡± Xia Wenna had just started to speak when she heard Aunt Yang¡¯s voice. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re back!¡±

    Xia Wenna turned around and saw Qi Chengzhi walk into the living room without changing into his slippers. He must have been really anxious as he walked in with leather shoes on.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you out entertaining clients? What time is it now? Why are you back so early?¡± Xia Wenna looked at Qi Chengzhi and turned to look at Aunt Yang. Thetter lowered her head and retreated to the kitchen.

    ¡°I promised Song Yu that I¡¯ll be back early,¡± he said indifferently.

    Xia Wenna looked at her watch. ¡®Early? It¡¯s still too early at this hour. The dishes would not be fully served for a normal meal. It was obvious that he rushed back to protect Song Yu,¡¯ she thought.

    She had never seen him being so protective over someone. When Qi Chengji got bullied by Wei Ziqi to the extent that he had almost died in the United States, Qi Chengzhi did not even offer to help much.

    As for today, it was just a coincidence that he was not around when she paid him a visit, but he came rushing home and entered the house without changing into his slippers.

    Song Yu walked to his side and received his coat that he had taken off. Then, she proceeded to the entrance to bring Qi Chengzhi his slippers and ced them beside his feet. Qi Chengzhi took off those leather shoes and slipped into them, where Song Yu went to put his shoes back after that.

    They seemed to be familiar with this routine and performed seamlessly. It was evident that Song Yu had moved in for quite a while.

    Xie Wenna snickered and said, ¡°You weren¡¯t speeding on the way back right? You came home moments after I arrived. How did you manage to travel at such a speed?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained expressionless. He looked down and saw Song Yu gripping his arm gently. He then held her hand and squeezed it softly tofort her.

    ¡°Mum, let¡¯s talk in my study,¡± he said with a deep voice.

    ¡°Why is there a need to talk in your study?¡± Xia Wenna remain seated and nced at Song Yu. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with us talking here?¡±

    ¡°In the future, if you have anything to discuss,e directly to me. You don¡¯t have to ask her to break up with me. She¡¯s not the person who decides whether we¡¯ll break up or not. If she had had a choice, she wouldn¡¯t be staying with me in this house. It was all my idea from the very beginning and she had no say at all,¡± he said impassively without giving others a chance to refute him as he stood in the living room.

    Xia Wenna was still in shock at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words. Without waiting for her response, he turned around and said to Song Yu, ¡°Go to the bedroom first.¡±

    Song Yu looked at Xia Wenna, uncertain. She felt that it was not very nice to do that.

    ¡°Go,¡± he urged again and gave a gentle squeeze on her delicate hand.

    Song Yu gave him a worried nce but still nodded obediently. Then, she walked up the stairs while looking back repeatedly.

    ...

    ...

    Eventually, Xia Wenna followed Qi Chengzhi to his study. While admiring her son¡¯s elegance, she had never imagined that there would be a day where her son would be so protective over a woman and would not let her suffer one bit.

    However, when facing her, Qi Chengzhi disyed a face of nonchnce, the tenderness he had when he defended Song Yu was gone, and Xia Wenna could not help but feel angered by him. No matter what, she was pregnant with him for ten long months and suffered throughbor to give birth to him. How could her son treat his own mother so cold-heartedly?

    ¡°What exactly are we talking about that we have to avoid Song Yu?¡± Xia Wenna stood there and red at Qi Chengzhi exasperatedly.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best for you to take a seat,¡± he said as he pointed towards the sofa near the wall, ¡°or you can lean against something. I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re gonna fall standing in the middle of the room without anything to hold on to.¡±

    Xia Wenna sneered, ¡°Are you going to tell me that Song Yu¡¯s pregnant?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Qi Chengzhi denied. ¡°It¡¯s all right to stand here if you think you can bear with what I¡¯m about to tell you.¡±

    He gave up and turned around to walk to his desk. He opened the cab below and revealed a safe.

    Xia Wenna did not know what to expect after looking at his serious behavior. He definitely did not look like he was joking around. While Qi Chengzhi was opening the safe, she moved to the sofa and sat down.

    Shortly after, Qi Chengzhi walked over with a folder in his hand and passed it to Xia Wenna. ¡°Take a look at this.¡±

    Xia Wenna¡¯s gaze fell on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and moved along his slender fingers to the folder. She was quite confused and blinked doubtfully before taking the folder from him. What could be so important that he had to keep it in the safe?

    She opened the folder and took out the documents inside. After reading the bolded letters on top, her hands shook violently all of a sudden, almost dropping the documents onto the floor.

    She removed all of the documents from the folder in a haste. As she read through the fine print, her expression gradually became pale and ghastly. Her hand that was holding onto the side of the paper trembled uncontrobly. She gripped it so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

    ¡°Song family¡¯s bankruptcy...¡± Xia Wenna¡¯s entire body shuddered before she lifted her head slowly with an ashen face, ¡°that was your doing?¡±

    With his slender fingers, Qi Chengzhi ignited the lighter and lit a cigarette. He took a drag and exhaled clouds of smoke from his stern, thin lips and said, ¡°I caused the Song family to go bankrupt. Since you and Song Yu¡¯s mother are as close as sisters, shouldn¡¯t youpensate her after knowing that your son was the one who led them to bankruptcy?

    ¡°I am the one who caused the downfall of the Song family, where Song Yu has to struggle for survival, endure the dirty looks given by others and attend to all sorts of entertainment. Even so, you still forbid her to be with me and criticize her actions? In fact, she¡¯s the real victim.¡± Qi Chengzhi took another drag impassively without showing any emotion. ¡°Our family is indebted to the Song family since the eldest son destroyed their family while the youngest son broke off the engagement with her. Think about it, don¡¯t you think we owe her too much?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Xia Wenna threw the document onto the desk. She felt as if it was burning in her hands and could not bear the weight of it any longer. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not answer and squinted his eyes before taking another drag.

    ¡°Our family doesn¡¯t need to depend on the Song family¡¯spany. There¡¯s no reason to bankrupt them.¡± Xia Wenna took in a deep breath. She could only feel pain and dryness in her throat, and the suffocating feeling in her chest was agonizing.

    She rubbed her chest and slowly exhaled before saying, ¡°We all thought that Chengji was dead in the United States after that incident years ago. That¡¯s why the engagement between Song Yu and him was automatically called off. It was precisely because of this that the Song family¡¯spany could no longer hide the fact that they don¡¯t have an heir to inherit thepany. Even though I am not familiar with business tactics, but I know that it takes more than a day to bring a wholepany down.

    ¡°It means that you had started targeting the Song family long before Chengji was involved in that incident. Why did you do it?¡± Xia Wenna lowered her gaze and looked at the documents again, but she shied away instantly as if she was scarred by them.

    She ced her left hand on the sofa and gripped it so tightly that her fingers were buried into the sofa. She wanted to stand up but found that she had no strength to do so.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes and puffed out a stream of smoke before he mockingly said, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    Xia Wenna¡¯s expression changed when she thought of a possible reason, but she dared not say it aloud. Her face grew paler over time.

    ¡°Even if nothing had happened to Chengji back then in the United States, you knew that even if he liked Wei Ran, he would not be allowed to be with her because of our family and Wei Ziqi. He would have ended up marrying Song Yu anyway. Unless, the Song family went bankrupt, and Song Yu loses her status and family background to match with ours, or else...

    ¡°That¡¯s why you single-handedly destroyed the Song family with the intention of breaking off Song Yu and Qi Chengji¡¯s engagement,¡± Xia Wenna finished. She stared at Qi Chengzhi while her whole body trembled violently.

    She did not have to wait for his answer to ascertain her spections.

    There was no bad blood between Qi Chengzhi and the Song family. Xia Wenna had to imagine the unimaginable as he had gotten together with Song Yu now.

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed when he heard Xia Wenna continue asking, ¡°When were you interested in her?¡±

    When Song Yu got engaged to Qi Chengji, she was still a high school student and not of age yet. However, he was already a grown man at that time.

    This sounded extremely ridiculous. She looked at her introverted eldest son and could not fathom how a mature man like him could have taken a liking towards Song Yu when she was still a young girl. This was not something a normal man would do!

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi removed the cigarette between his lips and put it out in the ashtray. Then, he walked out of the study with both hands in his pocket.

    Xia Wenna took a final look of the documents before taking her cell phone out to snap photos of the first andst page. She then put the documents back into the folder and sealed it before walking out of the study.

    When she went to the living room, Song Yu was not there anymore. She did not return after Qi Chengzhi told her to go back to the bedroom just now.

    Xia Wenna could not help but peek at the second floor. She felt pain in her chest and sighed heavily. She had no idea what to say after she recalled what she saw from the documents just now.

    Qi Chengzhi was right. No matter what, the Qi family was indebted to the Song family.

    Nevertheless...

    What kind of absurd excuse was this for her to agree to them being together!

    Song Yu was being very restless in the bedroom. She secretly left a small gap at the door to listen to what was going on outside. After hearing Xia Wenna had left, she tiptoed downstairs and saw Qi Chengzhi smoking on the sofa.

    Since she moved in, she had never seen him smoke once. Although she could still smell the cigarette smoke on him, but she has never seen him smoke with her own eyes. She knew that he avoided smoking in front of her.

    At this moment, he was sitting with a dark expression. His face looked rather stern normally when he was not smiling, but he seemed even more unapproachable now.

    The white-colored smoke gradually dissipated upwards, guided by his pale, slender fingers, blurring the features of his face.

    Qi Chengzhi moved his eyelids slightly when he sensed her approaching him. He put out the cigarette and sipped on the tea that Song Yu had drank earlier to mask the scent of cigarette smoke.

    ¡°What did you say to aunty?¡± She sat beside him obediently and ced her bare feet on the sofa. She wrapped his strong arm with both her hands and sniffed the lingering cigarette smoke on him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s deep-set gaze fell onto her bare feet. He checked the floor for slippers but there were nowhere to be seen. He then frowned and said, ¡°Why did youe downstairs without wearing slippers?¡±

    The house was air-conditioned instead of using the heater. Nheless, the living room floor was still very cold as it was made of marble.

    Song Yu tucked in her toes. She felt a little awkward with him staring at her feet.

    ¡°The bedroom was carpeted and warm, so I bared my feet. I guess I¡¯ve forgotten to put the slippers on when I came out,¡± Song Yu said. While she was trying to retract her feet, he covered them with his big, warm hands.

    Theplexion of his palm was simr to her feet. When he ced his hands on her feet, they were very cold, so he proceeded to wrap them up with his hands.

    Song Yu shuddered, her face was flushed red. She tried to retract her legs further but Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip. He used his rough-skinned thumb to caress her delicate sole, sending jolts of electricity to it.

    Song Yu felt warmth starting to spread from her sole, moving up to her calf, her abdomen and continued to her chest and arms.

    His strong palm pressed her feet so that her sole was pinned onto his solid abdomen. Even though there was a thinyer of fabric in between, she could still feel the outline of his firm muscles through her sole.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cover them like that, it¡¯s dirty!¡± Song Yu was flushing badly. She felt ufortable with him holding her leg this way. Especially when his hands were clean and slender, she felt like they would be dirtied by her feet.

    She tried to shake him off her feet but failed to do so. Instead, Qi Chengzhi raised her legs to his mouth and nted a kiss on her big toe.

    Song Yu felt her face burning up as if it was going to explode. Her lips were moving slightly but she could not utter a single word. She also dared not look at his handsome face. The only sensation she felt was the softness of his lips on her ming toe.

    She had totally forgotten what she had intended to ask him. Her brain was in such a mess that it became dysfunctional.

    A few momentster, her feet were all warmed up by his hand. He then carried her into the bedroom and ced her on the bed, his scorching palm moving up inch by inch from her sole to her ankle.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing hastened and started taking deeper breaths when he did that. She was oddly mesmerized by his charming features.

    At this moment, she was all he had in his eyes. She was so enthralled by her own reflection in his jet-ck eyes.

    She thought of his expression when he covered her legs. There was not even a hint of disgust. She used her soft palm to caress his angr cheeks. Stubble had started to grow around his chin and lips area as it was already night time, and he had not shaved yet. Although it was barely visible to the naked eye, it felt a bit scruffy when she touched them.

    Her delicate thumb pads caressed his burning lips gently before she raised her head to kiss them. She pecked him on the lips, kiss after kiss, slowly making her way to his stubbly chin. The bristles were poking her soft lips, reminding her of the obvious difference between a man and a woman. Every part of him exuded a mesmerizing charm.

    Moving along his chin, her lips reached his Adam¡¯s apple. It felt quite hard as if there was a ping pong ball inside. Song Yu was fascinated and kept nting kisses on it.

    Her repeated kisses caused Qi Chengzhi to itch. There was also a pooling heat in his lower abdomen, where he pressed against her with his bulge. He then lowered his head and enclosed her lips with his.

    For whatever reason, the arms around her tightened all of a sudden. It could be that he was affected by the conversation with Xia Wenna where he revealed the documents that he had kept hidden for so many years. He was afraid and felt a heavy weight in his heart.

    Originally, he thought that the documents would never see the light of day and he would take them to his grave. He was never nning to let her go.

    However, he was anxious that the truth would unfold once it got revealed. He was fearful of her reaction if she found out what really happened.

    It was a bold move for him to make that decision. Nevertheless, he did not regret his actions, but it became a ticking bomb buried at the bottom of his heart.

    He was certain that Xia Wenna would not expose him when he showed her those documents. This was to stop her froming after Song Yu.

    He embraced her tightly and gave her a deep kiss, where Song Yu could only mutter a nasal hum.

    She could feel that Qi Chengzhi was very different tonight. His charming face looked very determined, with a hint of wildness between his brows.

    ...

    ...

    Atst, Song Yu leaned in his arms,pletely worn out and unable to gather any strength. He was still hugging her tightly, his arms were like ropes, holding her firmly in ce. He buried his face into her neck, sniffing and kissing it all the way from her earlobes to her ears, before moving upwards to the corner of her eyes and her cheeks.

    His thin lips were zing hot, smoldering her with cigarette smoke and the scent of tea leaves in his mouth. He kissed the corner of her eye to her cheek, before moving slowly to the edge of her mouth and finally reaching her lips, encasing her like a spiderweb.

    His kisses were filled with tenderness and sincerity. Song Yu stretched her eyelidszily and saw his lingering deep-set eyes.

    This flustered Song Yu, as she thought that his eyes looked exceptionally beautiful at this moment. They were not as piercing as usual. This gaze was meant for her and her only, making Song Yu treasure this charming guy even more.

 Chapter 114 - I Canâ€™t Be Going to Your Home Empty-Handed for My First Meeting with Your Parents

    <h4>Chapter 114: I Can¡¯t Be Going to Your Home Empty-Handed for My First Meeting with Your Parents</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu felt emotional from seeing how handsome he looked at that time. The incisive gaze that he so often had was absent, and at that moment, he looked at her like she was the apple of his eye. Song Yu had an even greater appreciation for that handsome and magnificent man.

    As a result of his gaze, a tender lovingness surfaced inexplicably from the bottom of her heart. She stretched herself and kissed him lightly on his eyes. Her thumb then drew gently across his facial features, thinking to herself, ¡®How is it possible for a man to be so handsome?¡¯

    She scrutinized his face in detail and suddenly recalled that he had not answered her question, so she asked again. ¡°What did you talk about with Auntie?¡±

    ¡°What else is there to talk about? The only thing I¡¯d talk about is you and I. I told her not to interfere.¡± Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arm on her and tightened his grip.

    Song Yu sighed. She had been resting her chin on his chest, but at that moment she turned her head slightly so her cheek was resting above his heart. She listened to his heartbeat, which had yet to return to normal speed.

    ¡°Did you rush back specifically for that? It must¡¯ve bothered your work, right?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. I was already thinking about leaving.¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed her forehead. ¡°You told me toe back earlier, didn¡¯t you? I remembered.¡±

    Song Yu smiled, lowered her head, and smelled the sweat on his chest. It was salty, but not pungent in the slightest.

    It was as if nothing that came from him could ever be bad.

    Song Yu frowned, looked up, and asked, ¡°So, do you want to eat dinner tonight, or not?¡±

    Without waiting for an answer, she sat up, counted the hours, and ascertained that he had not had the time to eat something.

    She had overlooked that particr point because she kept thinking about him and his mother.

    ¡°You smoked and drank tea on an empty stomach?¡± She frowned disapprovingly. She then pursed her lips and rebuked him, ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to do that in the future.¡±

    Once she was done talking, she sat up, and not bothering to cover herself in front of him, she moved to get off the bed.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± He sat up immediately too, grabbing her by the waist. He wrapped his arms from behind and ced his warm palms on her belly, after which he nted a kiss on her shoulder.

    ¡°Down. I¡¯ll cook some noodles for you.¡± Song Yu then asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t it ufortable for you because we did some...¡¯exercises¡¯...when you were on an empty stomach?¡±

    ¡°As long as you let me eat ¡®down there¡¯, I won¡¯t feel ufortable at all.¡± He leaned over to her ear and whispered softly. His rich voice was very indecent because of his sexual tone. The eroticism in his voice tunneled through her ear and threaded deep into her body, sending shivers down her spine.

    On the surface, there was nothing too unusual about his words, but it was his hand movements that led her to realize the hidden meaning behind his sentence. Her face turned red immediately!

    A change of tone in those words was enough to make it lewd!

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you... how can you be so shameless!¡± Song Yu could not find any other word that could describe him appropriately. He was so proper when he had clothes on, but the instant he took them off, he was a beast!

    She barely finished her sentence when he pushed her back down onto the bed.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, what are you doing!¡± Song Yu eximed in rm and tried, unsessfully, to stop him.

    ...

    ...

    On that asion, Song Yu¡¯s legs were trembling madly afterward, and she was red from head to toe.

    Shey exhausted on the bed with no energy to get up. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fingers grasped her on her waist and he asked, ¡°Do you still have the energy to cook those noodles?¡±

    Song Yu looked at the time. In fact, it was still early, but she replied rather sheepishly, ¡°Has Aunt Yang slept yet? If she hasn¡¯t, maybe you could ask her to cook a bowl for you.¡±

    Initially, Song Yu wanted to be the one who cooked for him, but she did not expect him to push her back down onto the bed so savagely.

    Song Yu would not agree to him going hungry for the night. At that time, Aunt Yang was not yet asleep, so Qi Chengzhi requested Aunt Yang to cook a bowl of noodles for him.

    Aunt Yang rummaged through the fridge, and upon remembering that the freezer contained some oyster flesh she had bought the day before, she took them out.

    She mulled it over for a moment. Oyster flesh had benefits to men who ate them, and Qi Chengzhi had also been doing ¡®it¡¯ quite frequently as ofte. At thirty-four years of age, he was no longer young. Aunt Yang had never seen him with other women in the past few years, and although she understood that Qi Chengzhi was probably unable to control his excitement once he had Song Yu, doing it too much would be detrimental to his health!

    Song Yu had been cooking his meals recently, so Aunt Yang felt that it was inappropriate to say anything. Aunt Yang wanted her to add some ingredients that would benefit men¡¯s health into those meals, but she felt embarrassed to bring it up. The perfect opportunity came that night, and Aunt Yang really wanted to just toss in every single type of ingredient that could strengthen his body.

    In the end, oyster flesh covered the noodlespletely, so much so that the noodles disappeared underneath the oysters.

    She brought the noodles up to his room and could not resist advising him, ¡°Sir, please eat more oysters. They¡¯re good for you.¡±

    Once Aunt Yang left, Qi Chengzhi carried the bowl of noodles back to Song Yu, and she saw how full of oysters it was. Almost immediately, she was speechless and embarrassed: the thought of Aunt Yang personally bringing the noodles up made Song Yu so ashamed that she did not know how to face Aunt Yang in the future.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qi Chengzhi was curious as to why Song Yu was red-faced.

    ¡°Aunt Yang...¡± She blushed while looking at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Oyster meat is an aphrodisiac for men.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    A mouthful of oysters did not stop his lips from curling into a teasing smile. ¡°Aunt Yang¡¯s afraid that you¡¯re milking me dry?¡±

    Red-faced, Song Yu hugged a pillow and retorted, ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s always so randy. This has nothing to do with me!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi continued eating his noodles while Song Yu sat up. She used a nket to cover herself, and the pillow was still hugged in her embrace.

    ¡°Are you busy tomorrow?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up at her, prompting her to exin, ¡°If you have nothing to do tomorrow, let¡¯s go and meet my parents. You¡¯ve already brought me to the wedding today, so we can¡¯t hide our rtionship anymore. Jian Yi¡¯s parents were there too, and I¡¯m worried that his mother might go and gossip with my mom. So, I was thinking that we should tell them before they hear it from someone else. We can¡¯t drag this on for long. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll have to tell them.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ced his chopsticks down, walked over to the bedside, and picked up his phone from the bedside cab. He called Cheng Dongge and said, ¡°Cancel my itinerary for tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s n will go ahead as usual, but Chenglin will attend on my behalf.¡±

    Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengzhi to cancel his work arrangements directly. She told him after he hung up, ¡°If you¡¯re busy with work tomorrow, you should deal with it first. Don¡¯t just cancel your appointments because of this. It¡¯s the same if I tell them myself.¡±

    ¡°In the event that your mom doesn¡¯t agree, what then? Can you handle it all yourself?¡± He sat on the bed and held her hand with his slender, fair fingers. Noticing how she lowered her head in helplessness, he reminded her, ¡°That is why I told you I¡¯d follow you. I said that before, didn¡¯t I?¡±

    Song Yu leaned forward and rested her forehead on his shoulder. She inhaled the sweat-infused fragrance from his body.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi. Have I ever told you that I feel lucky to have you liking me? Thank you for being so sincere towards me. I¡¯m really happy that you came into my life,¡± she uttered softly as she ced her palm affectionately on his chest.

    His chest was warm, and his thumping heartbeat was pounding gently on her palm.

    Qi Chengzhi ced his arms around her with enthusiasm and hugged her tightly in his embrace. His warm, thin lips brushed through her eyes and then to her cheekbone. ¡°Wanna do it again?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Speechless, Song Yu hit him. He just had to ruin the emotional moment with his words. ¡°Why do you keep thinking about that!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled with a resonance that was akin to the lowest note on a piano; it was rich and seductive.

    He kissed her forehead, hugged her, andid back down. ¡°Time to sleep.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu was still asleep when her lips were being gently kissed by a pair of moist lips. She groaned and strained to open her eyes, which she finally did, although she was still having some blurry vision. Bit by bit, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face slowly began to look crystal clear.

    ¡°What time is it now?¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was hoarse and she was notpletely awake yet. She leaned her head to look at the bedside clock and saw that it was not even eight. ¡°Why did you wake up so early?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to meet your family today?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dry hand crept into the nket and slid to her belly. His fingers gently massaged her there. ¡°We have to leave a little earlier so we can buy something for them. I can¡¯t be going to your home empty-handed for my first meeting with your parents.¡±

    Song Yu was still blurry at first, but those words jolted her awake immediately. She ran off to get herself ready, and after both of them had breakfast at home, they left for the shopping mall.

    In fact, Qi Chengzhi could simply ask Cheng Dongge to help get everything in order. There was no particr need to bring Song Yu to choose what they were going to buy, but because Qi Chengzhi would be showing up in person, he wanted the gift to be sincere.

    He held Song Yu¡¯s hand and they walked side by side. Song Yu watched as he chose those gifts without even the slightest hint of impatience. His slender fingers brushed across those items while his body stood still and upright, lending him an appearance of calmness and dignification.

    Being the busy man that he was, rest days ¨C even on weekends ¨C were hard toe by, but there he was, sacrificing what little time he had to rest in order to prepare himself for the best possible impression on her parents. What other actions could possibly be more deserving of admiration?

    Song Yu looked at his meticulousness and was afraid that his sincerity would be in vain if her mother was still averse to the Qi family. Turning to the man who was cing all of his attention onto the gifts, she said, ¡°Just about all right is good enough.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her with his enigmatic eyes and made her feel shy. She looked down and held the fair, well-defined fingers of his hand.

    He knew exactly what she was worried about, so he kneaded her hand and uttered softly, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Yu Qianying held a bagful of vegetables she just bought from the supermarket and headed toward Song Yu¡¯s apartment.

    She reckoned that Zhou Mingyan mighte over to the house with the wedding sweets and b about how grandiose the wedding was or how many of those important people came to the fore.

    Yu Qianying let out a cold ¡®hmph¡¯. How could she not know about those upper-ss people who attended the wedding?

    Even though Yu Qianying was no longer in that circle for a good few years, at the end of the day, she was still someone who was previously close to the Qi family. Those who were invited would undoubtedly have been close to the Qi family, too. Yu Qianying knew that all too well and did not need Zhou Mingyan to harp on about it.

    It was better for Yu Qianying to grumble about it all with Song Yu, her unmarried daughter.

    Upon reaching the entrance to Song Yu¡¯s unit, Yu Qianying pressed the doorbell a few times, but no one came for the door.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s decision toe over was made at thest minute, so she did not inform Song Yu about it. She went over directly after thinking about how Song Yu was single and had never liked going out even on the weekends.

    Seeing as no one seemed to be in, she took out her phone to call Song Yu. It was then that Yu Qianying spotted Auntie Zhang bringing along a small tow-cart that was used to ce the vegetables she bought.

    Auntie Zhang saw Yu Qianying standing at the entrance to Song Yu¡¯s unit and remembered who she was. Yu Qianying hade over a few times prior, and in the past, Auntie Zhang had met her and even exchanged some friendly conversation with her.

    ¡°Sister Zhang, you went to buy some veggies?¡± Yu Qianying asked with a smile.

    Auntie Zhang picked up the tow-cart and ced it on the ground. She panted and returned the smile. ¡°Looking for Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but she doesn¡¯t seem to be home!¡± Yu Qianying eximed while holding her phone.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t tell you? She moved over to stay with her boyfriend. The lease in this unit is not going to expire for some time, but she¡¯s not staying here anymore. I think her boyfriend is pretty rich, he probably doesn¡¯t mind wasting that remaining rent.¡± Auntie Zhang leaned the tow-cart onto the wall and was in no rush to enter her home.

    Retired and with nothing better to do, gossiping was a fun thing to do, especially if it involved something juicy.

    ¡°Boyfriend?¡± Yu Qianying eximed in shock.

    ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t know? Her boyfriend¡¯s driving one of those cars like those big bosses! I went back and asked my daughter about it, she said it was some rover or something, Land Rover! Yes, it¡¯s called a Land Rover! I forgot what Land Rover, but my daughter said the car was worth a few million!¡± Auntie Zhang was in total admiration when she continued, ¡°Song Yu has quite the skill to be able to find such a rich boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°How does her boyfriend look like? How old is he?¡± Yu Qianying suddenly recalled the time during New Year where Lao Xu told her that Song Yu had gotten into an SUV. At that time, Song Yu did not admit to it, but Lao Xu¡¯s story seemed to be holding water.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s greatest fear was that Song Yu had gotten herself involved with an old man.

    ¡°Thirtysomething, I think. He¡¯s tall, handsome, so fair, so well-groomed. He¡¯s a little aloof though. I didn¡¯t see him smile, but he¡¯s really very handsome!¡± Auntie Zhang giggled. ¡°You¡¯re lucky you know! There¡¯s plenty of rich men, but someone as young and as handsome as him, who¡¯s also rich? A man like that is hard to find!¡±

    ¡°When did she move out?¡± Yu Qianying asked another question.

    ¡°Oh, I think it¡¯s been a while now. Almost two months I guess!¡±

    The both of them exchanged a few more words, and when Auntie Zhang had no other information to give, Yu Qianying left and brought along the vegetables with her.

    She did not know what to feel at that moment. She ought to feel happy since Song Yu had a boyfriend, but there was a part of her that felt worried. ¡®Why must Song Yu hide it from her parents if she was in a proper rtionship?¡¯

    It came to a point where Yu Qianying had to find out about it from an outsider, and she even did not know that her own daughter had moved out. She had no idea when her daughter moved out, nor where she moved out to.

    She even had to hear about the boyfriend¡¯s appearance from an outsider.

    Yu Qianying was suffering quite a bit in her heart. Barely two stepster, she felt her breathing bing stifled. She tapped her fist against her chest a couple of times, and she called home as soon as she was at the bus stop.

    She spoke immediately after she heard Song Donglin¡¯s voice and did not even give her husband the chance to speak. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s in a rtionship. She even went to stay at her boyfriend¡¯s ce. She kept all of it from us. I heard this from her neighbor because there wasn¡¯t anyone in her apartment when I arrived. What is our child up to? It¡¯s such an important thing, but she didn¡¯t even tell us, her own family. When I came, I had to hear about the news from an outsider. As Song Yu¡¯s mother, even I don¡¯t know about this. Someone else had to tell me. How disgraceful is that? She¡¯s being so sneaky with this, is it possible that she¡¯s be someone else¡¯s mistress?¡±

    ¡°I think you should hurry home!¡± Song Donglin¡¯s voice did not seem quite right from the other end of the phone.

    Still angry with Song Yu, Yu Qianying felt odd once she heard Song Donglin¡¯s unusual tone of voice. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Song Donglin stood on the balcony and stole a nce at the living room through the ss window. He kept his voice low as he said, ¡°Liang Lihua¡¯s here, you¡¯d bettere home quick!¡±

    ¡°Liang Lihua?¡± Yu Qianying turned nk and did not react upon hearing those three words. After all, she had not heard that name for quite some time, much less seen that person. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±

    ¡°Your sister-inw!¡± Song Donglin hung up as soon as he said that.

    Yu Qianying still did not know what was happening and why someone she had never kept in touch with for so many years turned up at her doorstep so suddenly. What was going on?

    ...

    ...

    Song Donglin opened the door for Yu Qianying. She did not bring up Song Yu¡¯s issue because Liang Lihua was there. The vegetables were carried into the kitchen and she put on a grave expression before going back into the living room. Liang Lihua was wearing an exquisite and branded outfit; it was Parisian fashion in itstest fall-winter style.

    She sat very upright on the sofa, taking up about only a third of space.

    Liang Lihua was scanning the surroundings as if she found the decorations too in, too inferior to be shown in public, and too despicable for her eyes to see.

    She then noticed Yu Qianying and began looking at her from head to toe. Yu Qianying had put on some weight as a result of failing to pay enough attention to her own health, and a cheap houndstooth jacket was covering that plump body. Her in face was devoid of makeup, and the curls in her hair betrayed the fact that it was the work of some neighborhood barber.

    The present-day Yu Qianying no longer had the refined personality of being Mrs. Song. Her appearance reeked ofmonce milieu, and all the desirable characteristics that she once had waspletely eroded by the peasant lifestyle.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s gaze flickered and she thought, ¡®Things have gone full circle and the pendulum has swung back. Back then, for the sake of the familypany, I risked my dignity just so I could try and curry favor with you. Now, look at where we are?¡¯

    Liang Lihua was now the wife of a respected family, while Yu Qianying was a mere housewife who spent her days cooking and doing other mundane routines.

    ¡°Lady Liang, to what do I owe the pleasure of having youe to my home so willingly?¡± Yu Qianying did not hide her displeasure. ¡°If I remember correctly, the boundaries have been drawn right from the beginning. Am I not already cut-off from being considered a member of the Yu family?¡±

    ¡°How have you been these years, elder sister-inw?¡± Liang Lihua remained unmoved. She picked up the cup of tea in front of her, intending to take a sip, but the mere smell of it was enough for her to know that it was just some ordinary green tea, and not the aged Pu¡¯er that she loved so dearly. She felt it beneath her dignity to be drinking it, so she pursed her lips and ced the cup back down. ¡°I remember that both of you enjoy drinking Longjing tea. I¡¯ll get someone to send you someter.¡±

    ¡°No need for that,¡± Yu Qianying replied coldly. She shot Song Donglin a nce, as if she was chastising him for taking the trouble to offer tea. It was a waste of water and tea leaves. When it came to Liang Lihua, it was best to just send her on her way.

    ¡°Sister-inw, please don¡¯t be so courteous. I didn¡¯t expect your daily lives to be so full of disappointment.¡± Liang Lihua then scanned the living room as she pleased. ¡°It¡¯s just tea leaves. You don¡¯t need to be so courteous with me.¡±

    ¡ª

    Free mini-scene:

    Old man, ¡°Are you nervous to meet your future parents-inw?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    Yan Beicheng, ¡°He¡¯s so nervous he can¡¯t even speak.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Wait till it¡¯s time for you to meet your future inws, then try and take it easy.¡±

    Yan Beicheng, ¡°You think I¡¯m as unlikeable as you?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang, ¡°Hehe!¡±

    Yan Beicheng, ¡°Chu Zhaoyang, what are you trying to imply, you¡¯d better exin yourself!¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang, ¡°Well, you¡¯re pretty likeable, usually.¡±

    Yan Beicheng, ¡°...¡±

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°HAHAHAHA, Yan Beicheng, I have no idea what your temper is like. If I were you, I don¡¯t think I can contain myself.¡±

 Chapter 115 - She Doesnâ€™t Need to Steal Me; Iâ€™m The One Who Came to Her Voluntarily

    <h4>Chapter 115: She Doesn¡¯t Need to Steal Me; I¡¯m The One Who Came to Her Voluntarily</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Sister-inw, please don¡¯t be so courteous. I didn¡¯t expect your daily lives to be so full of disappointment.¡± Liang Lihua then scanned the living room as she pleased. ¡°It¡¯s just tea leaves. You don¡¯t need to be so courteous with me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care for any of those tea leaves. Rather than giving us tea leaves, how about you return the money we borrowed Yu Zidongst time, for him to run thepany? How about that? I won¡¯t even ask for the interest, just the amount we borrowed. I think the total amount we lent you is somewhere around seven or eight billion!¡± Yu Qianying chided as her heart burned with anger.

    Back then, Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua¡¯s constantly spewed out words of gratitude and appreciation when they borrowed money from the Song family, but as soon as the Song family went bankrupt, Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua severed all ties with them. Like wolves, Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua gobbled up all the money that the Song family lent them!

    That was precisely the reason why Yu Qianying felt unworthy of facing Song Donglin ever since the bankruptcy.

    When Yu Zidong needed help, Song Donglin agreed to it without so much as another word, but when Song Donglin needed help, Yu Zidong broke their hearts by hiding away.

    Liang Lihua inhaled sharply through her lips. Yu Qianying¡¯s attitude made Liang Lihua unable to discuss the matter properly. She took a deep breath and said, ¡°What¡¯s seven or eight million? If you put a leash on your daughter, I¡¯ll ask Zidong to give you the money, and you can build yourpany up again. Of course, it won¡¯t be as great as it used to be, but at least it¡¯ll be better than your current situation. I can also bring you back into the upper circle.¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s expression changed. ¡°What does it have to do with Song Yu!¡±

    Liang Lihua lips pursed into a stern line. She took a deep breath and began speaking, ¡°Well, it seems like you still don¡¯t know about the ¡®good deeds¡¯ she¡¯s doing out of the home.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother likes our Keyao. You know full well that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s still single at his age, so his family is getting worried. They were very particr about introducing Yu Keyao to him, but who would¡¯ve known that Song Yu had no self-respect at all! She was angry that her cousin sister is having it good, so she seduced her cousin¡¯s man just to take revenge on us!¡±

    ¡°I came here today to tell you this: teach your daughter some morals. Don¡¯t let her do such shameful things to others. The Qi family doesn¡¯t agree to them being together, and yet she shamelessly came to their home. Are other men not good enough? Or is she unwilling to see her cousin sister in a much better position than herself?¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s words were like a nuclear bomb exploding inside Yu Qianying¡¯s heart.

    Yu Qianying never expected that Song Yu was in a rtionship with Qi Chengzhi.

    When Lao Xu saw the SUV the other day, and when Auntie Zhang mentioned about her thirty-something handsome boyfriend, were they all referring to Qi Chengzhi?

    ¡°Liang Lihua, don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± Yu Qianying could no longer maintain herposure. Liang Lihua¡¯s solemnness did not suggest that she was lying, and in truth, there was no point in making lies about the whole matter.

    Previously, however, when Jian Yi mentioned that Song Yu might be involved with Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu crossed her heart and said that their rtionship was purely a professional one!

    ¡°Nonsense? What do you mean by nonsense? Why should I make this up? There¡¯s nothing morous about her seducing my daughter¡¯s man!¡± Liang Lihua stared frigidly at Yu Qianying, and since thetter was standing up, Liang Lihua stood up too because raising her head and looking up made her feel inferior.

    ¡°Yesterday was Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding. Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi attended the wedding and held hands when they came. Every single guest saw it. It¡¯s clear that the Qi family hates her. They all looked at her like they saw a ghost. Still, she had the decency to sit at their table and kiss around with Qi Chengzhi. Do you know what every guest was saying about her?¡±

    ¡°They said she was shameless. She was engaged to Qi Chengji in the past, but now she¡¯s with the elder brother. What kind of woman could do such a thing? Only a wanton one!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯d better clean your mouth with soap!¡± Yu Qianying shouted furiously because her own daughter was being treated with contempt. She could care less about Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi due to how Liang Lihua was ndering Song Yu.

    ¡°What of it, if the both of them are together? You say that Song Yu stole Yu Keyao¡¯s man, but are Yu Keyao and Qi Chengzhi engaged or married? Are the both of them in a rtionship? All that the Qi family did was introduce Yu Keyao to Qi Chengzhi, and to put it bluntly, it¡¯s just a blind date. Do you really think that after the introduction, Qi Chengzhi would fall in love with her immediately and want to be together with her forever?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing more than a simple introduction. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s not her significant other, so if he wants to be with Song Yu, who are you to stop them? You¡¯re the one who ran over to our home, and yet you have the decency to talk about how unashamed Song Yu was and how Song Yu stole Yu Keyao¡¯s man. It¡¯s only called stealing if the man belonged to Yu Keyao from the start. If not, it could have been your Yu Keyao who stole him!¡±

    ¡°Even if Qi Chengzhi was together with Yu Keyao, who are you to say that he can¡¯t break up with her and like someone else? Are you going to control a man who¡¯s had a change of heart? Whye looking for us? Qi Chengzhi likes our Song Yu, so if you have what it takes, go directly to Qi Chengzhi! Don¡¯t act like an upper-ss woman in front of us! Do you think I¡¯ve forgotten how you conducted yourself in the past?¡±

    Exposed and unmasked, Liang Lihua¡¯s eyes glowered and she gnashed her teeth while shouting, ¡°With your attitude, I don¡¯t me the daughter for doing something as vile as snatching another woman¡¯s man!¡±

    At that point, the doorbell rang.

    Song Donglin ran to the door and peered through the entrance. Speak of the devil. Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, the current subjects of Yu Qianying and Liang Lihua¡¯s argument, were standing right outside the door. Song Donglin was shocked, and he opened the door immediately.

    ¡°The both of you...¡± Song Donglin looked at the two people in front of him. His daughter was standing prim and proper, while Qi Chengzhi was standing behind. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands were carrying various bags of gifts, a mismatch with his solemn and handsome face.

    ¡°Dad, we¡¯re...¡± Song Yu had just opened her mouth to exin when she heard her mother¡¯s unhappy voice. ¡°Watch your damn mouth, Liang Lihua!¡±

    ¡°You guys shoulde in first.¡± Song Donglin muttered softly and looked at Qi Chengzhi.

    Liang Lihua wanted to say something, but when her eyesid upon the two people entering, she paused and trembled in rage.

    ¡°Mom,¡± Song Yu called out.

    Yu Qianying turned around abruptly and fell silent once she saw Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Auntie,¡± Qi Chengzhi greeted inly. Although he was solemn and reserved, his respectful attitude toward elders was still clearly heard from his voice.

    Qi Chengzhi ced the gifts that he bought on the table. Among them was a handheld massager, some health supplements, adies¡¯ scarf, and a watch for Song Donglin.

    Qi Chengzhi poured a lot of thought into those gifts. If they were too expensive, he was afraid that it would give him a bad first impression, so he decided to adapt it to their tastes.

    Gifting a massage chair for their first meeting was a bit too much, so a handheld massager seemed just nice.

    Before the Song family went bankrupt, Yu Qianying was in the habit of collecting scarves. She loved them, and the one that Qi Chengzhi bought was a brand that she liked very much. It was a hobby that she had to give up, since the upkeep of their home was reliant on Song Yu¡¯s wages and what little pension that they had.

    Song Donglin, meanwhile, loved watches, and the one Qi Chengzhi bought was not too expensive, somewhere around the eighteen thousand marks.

    ¡°Dad, mom.¡± Song Yu held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and felt a strengthing from him. She worked up the courage and said, ¡°Qi Chengzhi is my boyfriend, and we¡¯re dating.¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s face turned ugly. Qi Chengzhi was so serious about the rtionship that he even brought gifts to visit Song Yu¡¯s parents!

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tall frame stood there, and not once did he look over to Liang Lihua. He faced Yu Qianying and had an incredibly warm expression on his face. It was obvious that he respected her very much, and it made Liang Lihua feel deeply hurt.

    Yu Qianying was exploding at Liang Lihua¡¯s words earlier, so when she saw Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi standing together, she lost her train of thought.

    She spent a good long while being nk, and when she slowly regained her senses, she nced briefly at Liang Lihua and took a deep breath. ¡°Well, since both of you are here, we can get to the bottom of things right now.¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s gazended on Song Yu¡¯s face. ¡°Song Yu, your aunt came to our house and told me that you stole your cousin¡¯s man. What actually happened?¡±

    ¡°Lady Liang said the same thing to me before. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on in her mind. We were together way before Yu Keyao and Qi Chengzhi met,¡± Song Yu exined. She could feel Qi Chengzhi holding her hand a bit tighter and she looked at him and smiled. ¡°If we¡¯re talking about stealing men, I can only say that Yu Keyao wanted to steal my man. But she failed.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then nodded indifferently at Liang Lihua, as if he just noticed her presence. His voice became even more impassive as he greeted, ¡°Mrs Yu.¡±

    That was the extent of his greeting. His attention then shifted entirely to Yu Qianying and Song Donglin. ¡°Mrs Yu misunderstood, I¡¯m afraid. At that time, my family said they wanted to have a family dinner, but it was only an excuse. I only noticed that Mrs Yu and her family were there when I arrived. Yu Keyao was also there, and it suddenly became dinner and a blind date. So, I left. I was together with Song Yu much earlier than the blind date, it¡¯s just that I didn¡¯t tell my parents then. The misunderstanding happened because my family didn¡¯t know at the time, but now that they do, this kind of thing won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    It was a rare asion for Qi Chengzhi to exin everything so clearly. His handsome face was very sincere and not at all impatient; on the other hand, his rich voice was neither too hurried nor too slow.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rification prompted Yu Qianying to remember Song Donglin¡¯s birthday celebration at Dynasty. Qi Chengzhi must have been referring to that time!

    She met Yu Keyao and also Qi Chengzhi right outside the room door.

    In that case, if Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were together at that time and taking into ount Lao Xu seeing that SUV, then the both of them might have already started dating since the new year.

    To think that they were such good actors when they pretended they did not know each other at Dynasty!

    ¡°Song Yu? Stealing a man? Me?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked insipidly at Liang Lihua. His lips curled into a sarcastic smile. ¡°She doesn¡¯t need to steal me. I¡¯m the one who came to her voluntarily.¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s lips pursed tightly, and she clutched her bag with such anger than her hand was trembling wildly.

    She did not expect to meet Qi Chengzhi there and suffer such humiliation!

    Yu Qianying waggled her eyebrows at Liang Lihua and snickered, ¡°Well, well, sister-inw, it seems like your daughter is the one stealing my daughter¡¯s man, and she wasn¡¯t even sessful in doing that. As the saying goes, it¡¯s much easier for a woman to chase after a man than it is the other way around. If the woman is initiating it, half the work¡¯s already been done. It¡¯s such a pity that Yu Keyao failed so miserably even though she¡¯s the initiating party. Looks like she¡¯s not really that charming. After all, she was rejected even though she practically offered herself to him.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Liang Lihua pursed her lips coldly and shot a disdainful gaze at Song Yu. ¡°Just because they say that it doesn¡¯t automatically mean it¡¯s true. Who knows if they hid some other things from you? Am I just supposed to believe the both of you when you say that you¡¯re together from the start?¡±

    ¡°I came here today to talk about old times and see if there¡¯s anything I can help with. I want to mend our rtionship, but it seems like you don¡¯t want that at all, and I came here for nothing,¡± Liang Lihua held her bag and chided, leaving without so much as another word.

    Song Donglin stood in a position that obstructed her way somewhat. Liang Lihua sported a sullen look and rammed right past his shoulder.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with them? Their whole family is full of ungrateful people who don¡¯t know how to separate truth from fiction!¡± The door was closed, and Yu Qianying shouted furiously at the direction.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like this is the first time you¡¯ve seen her attitude. She¡¯s not worth getting angry over,¡± Song Donglin advised and held her shoulder.

    Yu Qianying turned around and saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu still standing up. She took in a deep breath and exhaled. After looking at them for some time, she said calmly, ¡°Please sit down.¡±

    ...

    ...

    A Volvo stopped at the entrance to the Song family¡¯s apartment building. The driver got off, opened the door, and helped Grandmother Qi out with Aunt Liu behind her.

    Grandmother Qi raised her head, looked up, and sighed audibly. She then ordered the driver to take out and carry the bags of gifts from the rear boot.

    The driver could not handle every bag all at once, so Aunt Liu and Grandmother Qi helped to carry a few.

    It was time for her to send some wedding sweets to the neighbors since Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding was held the day before.

    When they were Xiao Chen¡¯s house earlier, they talked a little, since Xiao Chen was the neighborhood¡¯s know-it-all.

    Grandmother QI found out from Xiao Chen that Qi Chengzhi was kissing his girlfriend out in the open and hugging her so tightly. It was like he wanted to press her into him, and his kisses even left the youngdy out of breath.

    Xiao Chen thought that she was mistaken, but on her second nce, she saw that it really was him. She was shocked because she never thought that Qi Chengzhi would do such a thing in public.

    Was he not always so serious whenever she saw him?

    On that day, he was surprisingly friendly and even greeted her, leaving her feeling quite astonished.

    She mentioned how the youngdy¡¯s face was so red. The youngdy was pretty and obedient, standing quietly beside Qi Chengzhi without talking much. They looked quite fitting with each other.

    Xiao Chen also brought up how Qi Chengzhi was constantly holding the youngdy¡¯s hands, and from the looks of it, he was treasuring her dearly.

    Grandmother Qi questioned Xiao Chen about when all that happened and discovered that it happened when Song Yu was brought home. In light of that, the youngdy that Xiao Chen saw was likely Song Yu.

    As his grandmother, the olddy knew Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude well. He was not someone whose eyes would wander around; if he had his heart set on something, he was a single-minded man. Grandmother Qi did not doubt the status of the youngdy whom Xiao Chen spoke of.

    Grandmother Qi could hear from Xiao Chen¡¯s words that Qi Chengzhi was serious about Song Yu, since he treated her much differently from other people.

    Previously, he did not even have a girlfriend, yet he was now kissing and hugging her out in the street. To what extent did he like her, that he would even disregard his image and lose all control of himself in public?

    Grandmother Qi still had no clue about what the Song family had been up to. A huge rift with the Qi family resulted from the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, and Grandmother Qi was afraid that they would not agree to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rtionship with Song Yu.

    However, Grandmother Qi was eager to hold great-grandchildren in her arms, and when she thought back about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words, she realized what he said was true. If he was not allowed to be together with Song Yu, he might not be able to find a more suitable person in the future.

    He was thirty-four, going on thirty-five in the blink of an eye. He was no longer young, and since he was a fussy person to begin with, God-only-knew how long he would need to find a woman, if he managed to find one at all. He would be forty in a couple of years, so how long more did Grandmother Qi have to wait to carry great-grandchildren in her arms?

    Grandmother Qi thought about it a lot and realized that there was nothing wrong about Song Yu¡¯s background. ¡®Qi Chengji was only engaged to her right? It¡¯s not like they were swapping partners.¡¯

    It was a small matterpared to the olddy¡¯s desire to have great-grandchildren.

    After bidding goodbye to Xiao Chen, the olddy mulled it over while on the way home. Once she reached home, she ordered Aunt Liu to take whatever food and drink that was avable.

    The box of birds¡¯ nests was taken out, along with a crate each of Maotai liquor, red wine, and king crab that were gifts from other people. Grandmother Qi was not about to be stingy.

    She wanted to see what Song Yu¡¯s parents had to say. Grandmother Qi was aware of her own seniority in her family, and with all the gifts at hand, perhaps Song Yu¡¯s parents might not put on a sour look?

    Grandmother Qi was old and her legs were not as strong as they used to be. The absence of elevators in the building meant that she had to walk very slowly. She allowed the driver and Aunt Liu to walk in front of her. The two crates of alcohol were carried by the driver, and she told him to climb up the stairs first. Next was Aunt Liu with the king crab, and finally, Grandmother Qi held the box of birds¡¯ nests.

    Grandmother Qi was fond of going out on walks, but most of the ces she went was t ground, so when she faced the prospect of climbing stairs, tiredness set in barely a few stepster. She took out her handkerchief and wrapped it around her hand before leaning on the wall. A short restter, she resumed her journey up the stairs.

    Liang Lihua ran down the stairs with her lips still pursed tightly and her breathing still heavy.

    She never entertained the possibility that Qi Chengzhi would show up at their doorstep to visit them. Every single sentence that she said prior to his arrival had turned into a joke.

    She still could not understand what was so good about Song Yu. Yu Keyao did not fall short of Song Yu and the Song family had nothing! What use would it be if he got married to Song Yu?

    Regardless, she did not want to lose to the Yu family!

    Her mind was still busy thinking of all that when she ran into the corner of the wine crate that the driver was carrying. Both crates contained liquor and were heavy, so when Liang Lihua bumped into them, nothing happened to the contents of the crate. Instead, it was Liang Lihua¡¯s corbone that felt a sharp pain, forcing her to clench her teeth in agony.

    ¡°My apologies,¡± the driver said immediately.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have eyes? If you see someoneing and you¡¯re carrying so many things, why do you have to insist on going first? Can¡¯t you give way?¡± Liang Lihua suffered hell in the Song family, and when she suffered pain from bumping into the crates, she cursed herck of luck on that day. Her anger had yet to subside, so at that moment, she unleashed it all on the poor driver.

    The driver, Xiao Fan, was a very earnest man. Whenever he went out with the elderly Qi couple, he would always value harmony and calmness before everything else, so when Liang Lihua bumped into him, he could only reply with a simple apology.

    Liang Lihua let out a loud ¡®hmph¡¯ and stomped her way downstairs. She did not even give way when she passed the olddy, bumping directly into her and knocking the box of birds¡¯ nests. The nest rattled within the box as a result of the force from the bump.

    The olddy even heard Liang Lihua¡¯s grumbles after thetter turned a corner to the staircase. ¡°This is exactly the kind of run-down ce where people don¡¯t have any manners! A few boxes and they¡¯re already acting like they¡¯re some parvenu who¡¯s never seen the real world!¡±

    ¡°What kind of peopleins about such a ce butes here anyway?¡± The olddy was seething because she had never met such an unreasonable person before. ¡®She thinks she¡¯s so great just because she has that bit of money? If she has what it takes, why not take out her family¡¯s money and see if she canpare with our mighty Qi family!¡¯

 Chapter 116 - One Is Talking About A Marriage Proposal While the Other Is Visiting the Family-In-Law

    <h4>Chapter 116: One Is Talking About A Marriage Proposal While the Other Is Visiting the Family-In-Law</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What kind of personins about such a ce butes here anyway?¡± The olddy was seething because she had never met such an unreasonable person before. ¡®She thinks she¡¯s so great just because she has that bit of money? If she has what it takes, why not take out her family¡¯s money and see if she canpare with our mighty Qi family!¡¯

    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry, there are all sorts of people nowadays,¡± Aunt Liu consoled her immediately and continued walking up.

    A few stepster, Grandmother Qi let out a ¡®tsk¡¯ before remarking, ¡°Why does that woman look so familiar?¡±

    Plenty of people attended the previous day¡¯s wedding, and as the prestigious elderly couple that they were, Grandfather and Grandmother Qi were seated at the first table, so there were not many people who dared to bother them. The Yu family was not at all importantpared to the Eight Great Families, so they were ced further behind. Grandmother Qi must have seen Liang Lihua but only had a vague impression of her.

    During the wedding, the olddy took the liberty to dress herself up really well, and she had even applied makeup on her face. However, she did not do the same when visiting Song Yu¡¯s parents, since she was worried that doing so would intimidate them. Dressed simply and devoid of makeup, she looked no different than any other olddy. Thus, it was only natural that Liang Lihua was not able to recognize her.

    Meanwhile, Xiao Fan ¨C the driver ¨C recognized Liang Lihua. He told Grandmother Qi, ¡°She¡¯s thedy from the Yu family, the mother of Miss Yu Keyao, whom madam introduced to Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Those words made the elderlydy¡¯s expression turn incredibly ugly. ¡°Hmph! Xia Wenna just had to introduce someone like that! The daughter won¡¯t be any different if the mother has that kind of attitude!¡±

    The olddy then took out her phone and called Xia Wenna.

    Xia Wenna picked up and could only manage to say ¡®Mother¡¯ before the olddy¡¯s unhappy voice began nagging into the phone. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare think about setting up that Yu Keyao with Chengzhi! Don¡¯t you know what kind of people their family are? Her mother is an unreasonable and rude person. Did you expect the daughter would be better? Things will be a mess if our families are rted by marriage!¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned anything from what happened to Chengze? Why must you insist on shoving someone to Qi Chengzhi? Must my older grandson suffer the same fate for you to be happy?¡± the elderlydy vented emotionally and stomped her foot on the stairs. The thought of her dead grandson, and her elder grandson who was not even allowed to find someone he genuinely loved, made her eyes red and teary.

    ¡°Mother, what are you talking about? What happened? Did you bump into Mrs. Yu?¡± Xia Wenna felt so innocent and wondered why she had to suffer such a rebuke for seemingly no reason.

    ¡°My point is, I won¡¯t ept Yu Keyao as a granddaughter-inw!¡± the elderlydy blurted out and hung up resentfully. She then ced the phone back into the pocket and continued climbing the stairs.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu led Qi Chengzhi to the sofa. The home was not big: it was a two-bedroom apartment that was about a hundred square feet at most. It was crowded when there were five people in the living room, but that did not seem to change even after Liang Lihua had left.

    Qi Chengzhi was sitting upright on the sofa, and his expression was a stern one. Most of the time, he appeared unapproachable because of his unsmiling tendencies, and at that moment, ayer of sternness to his countenance made him seem like someone who was looking for trouble.

    Yu Qianying dragged Song Donglin and sat opposite Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. All those years of life in retirement had led Song Donglin to adopt a principle; ignorance is bliss. However, at that moment, his face was filled with a sternness that had not made an appearance for many years.

    ¡°Remember what you said to me when Jian Yi came and told me that something might be going on with the both of you?¡± Yu Qianying looked at Song Yu with a very serious expression. She felt lied to, and there was even a touch of hurt as well as disappointment in her eyes.

    ¡°Mom, at that time, we weren¡¯t together yet.¡± Song Yu made direct eye contact with Yu Qianying and did not feel anxious at all. During that period, they truly were not together yet. At most, it was Qi Chengzhi who was having his way with her, to which she did not reciprocate.

    Yu Qianying looked intently at Song Yu. ¡°I don¡¯t care what your rtionship was at that time, but you couldn¡¯t have been unaware of our family¡¯s rtionship with the Qi family. Even if we put all of this aside, you were once Qi Chengji¡¯s fianc¨¦e. Now that you¡¯re with his elder brother, what would other people say about you? They¡¯ll be saying all kinds of terrible things, and you¡¯re willing to go through all of that?

    ¡°And about the Qi family.¡± Yu Qianying took a deep breath and looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s abnormally stern yet handsome face. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that your family will agree to this. When our Song family went bankrupt, your family did not spare any time in cutting off ties with us. I¡¯m angry, but not too much. After all, even my own siblings did the same, so who am I to me the Qi family, who is neither my family nor enemy?

    ¡°Would the Qi family agree to the both of you in light of Song Yu¡¯s earlier rtionship with Qi Chengji? Also, our family now is just like any other ordinary family you¡¯d meet in the street. We have nothing, and even our savings is only that tiny, little, sad amount. All these years, Song Yu was the one who worked hard to earn money, and whatever she earned, I saved them for her dowry. All that moneybined, the most you¡¯ll be able to afford is an average car. I don¡¯t think your family would even want to look at such a small amount.

    ¡°Will the Qi family agree to us when we have nothing to offer? If they had agreed, they wouldn¡¯t have cut off ties with us in the past. Song Yu is my daughter. I don¡¯t want my daughter to be facing all kinds of usations or insults. Your family would most likely want the both of you to break up!¡±

    Song Yu intended to say something, but she felt her hand being kneaded softly. She looked down and saw his fair, well-defined fingers clutching her. Surges of warmth were transmitting from his palm; it wasforting and reassuring.

    ¡°My side will not have an opinion on this.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rich voice was firm and forceful. The room was quiet and the only thing that could be heard was his resonant voice. ¡°I dated Song Yu because I want to marry her. I won¡¯t let her suffer those usations and insults.¡±

    ¡°Can you speak for the Qi family?¡± Yu Qianying twitched her lip.

    ¡°I can¡¯t.¡± His directness came as a surprise to Yu Qianying.

    Qi Chengzhi then continued, ¡°I won¡¯t speak for them either. This is my business. They cannot make decisions on my behalf. Even if they object, what of it? I won¡¯t decide against marrying her just because of something they said. They aren¡¯t capable of doing that to me.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to be the stereotype that has to get their family¡¯s blessing to get married. Even if they don¡¯t give their blessing, I¡¯ll still marry the person I want to marry. I won¡¯t let Song Yu spend her days suffering with me, nor will I cause her to feel wronged. Everything will remain as it is before the official marriage.¡±

    ¡°Where are you going at?¡± Song Yu could no longer take it. Her ears were already red and she did not know why the topic had changed to marriage all of a sudden. ¡°I brought you here today to meet my parents, to let them know of our rtionship, not for you to propose marriage.¡±

    His firm hand held her tightly and his ck pupils ¨C obscured somewhat by hisshes ¨C nced at her lightly. ¡°Coming here today was to let uncle and auntie know of our rtionship, but other than that, I wanted to let you both know that I am serious with Song Yu. I¡¯m in a rtionship with her because I want to marry her.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t discussed this with her yet, but I¡¯m guessing she doesn¡¯t want things to proceed so quickly and would want us to start with dating first. I understand this, which is why I haven¡¯t said anything to her about it.¡±

    Yu Qianying noticed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand holding Song Yu¡¯s. His five fingers were slender and long, and each finger joint was clear and discernible. The ring he wore on his middle finger was incredibly obvious against the backdrop of his fair fingers.

    She looked at Song Yu¡¯s left hand, which was ced on top of her knee, and noticed the same ring on her middle finger.

    Yu Qianying felt suffocated. In the depths of her heart, she did not agree to them being together because she had no way of finding out whether Song Yu might be suffering all kinds of unsavory verbal abuse from the Qi family.

    The Song family had nothing, not even a good familial background nor a high social standing. If the Qi family began treating Song Yu badly, there may not be anyone to support her, since they would be regarding her as someone who just wanted to im connections with the Qi family. She could be easily bullied because she had no position in the Qi family.

    Yu Qianying was about to open her mouth to say something when the doorbell rang again.

    After ncing at the two of them, she got up and headed for the door.

    She opened the door and saw an olddy standing outside. Yu Qianying was stunned for quite some time before she finally regained her senses. ¡®This olddy looks really familiar. Is she Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grandmother?¡¯

    It had been years since theyst met, and the olddy, who did not wear any makeup, looked much older than before. At that point, Yu Qianying was doubting herself.

    ¡°Xiao Yu!¡± Grandmother Qi greeted with a smile.

    ¡°And you are...¡± Yu Qianying looked at the in-looking olddy in front of her. Then, her eyes shifted to the people behind, all of which were carrying plenty of stuff in bags of various sizes.

    ¡°You don¡¯t remember me? I¡¯m Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grandmother.¡± Grandmother Qi was all smiles as she asked, ¡°Are you free? You¡¯re not busy, are you?¡±

    Yu Qianying was so shocked that she froze and had no idea how to react. It had never urred to her that the Qi family¡¯s matriarch would show up in person.

    The olddy swiveled her neck and raised her left hand to gently strike her own shoulder. ¡°Sigh, we old people simply have to ept our limits. I was just carrying this little thing and I¡¯m already so tired! My hip can¡¯t stand it.¡±

    It was then that Yu Qianying snapped out of it and saw the olddy grimacing at the door. The olddy then ced the thing that she was carrying on the ground and subsequently began massaging her hip.

    That box, however, did not seem heavy at all. There was even an audible rattle, as though it was rather empty when it was ced onto the ground.

    Seeing how Grandmother Qi brought bags of this and that over to meet them, it seemed like she came in peace. ¡®Did shee here to try and convince me not to let Song Yu be with Qi Chengzhi?¡¯

    ¡®If she is, shouldn¡¯t she have just written a cheque?¡¯

    ¡®What¡¯s all this stuff for?¡¯

    Yu Qianying did not know what to think. The only thing she could do was invite the olddy in.

    The olddy happily allowed both Aunt Liu and Driver Xiao Fan to carry those things into the house. As she walked, she said, ¡°These are some things for you to eat and drink. See if there¡¯s any suitable ce to put these? Or better yet, just put them in the kitchen!¡±

    She ordered Xiao Fan to bring everything into the kitchen without even waiting for Yu Qianying¡¯s reply.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even inform you that I wasing, so hasty of me. I didn¡¯t bother you, did I? I¡¯ve known for quite some time that you¡¯re staying here, but I was just too embarrassed toe here in a hurry.¡± The olddy grasped Yu Qianying¡¯s hand warmly and did not give Yu Qianying the opportunity to say anything; she just went on and on like a machine gun.

    On the day Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu home, it was confirmed to them that she was the girlfriend that he spoke of. It was obvious that the Qi family would not just sit around doing nothing. They made sure to dig up every single one of Song Yu¡¯s details in the past year.

    Naturally, her parents¡¯ home was not something that could be hidden from the Qi family.

    Every single time Yu Qianying wanted to speak, Grandmother Qi¡¯s bbering forced those words back in again, and eventually, Yu Qianying did not bother to reply.

    They were walking into the living room anyway, and once the olddy entered, she was given quite the shock when sheid her eyes on her grandson, who was sitting as motionless as a rock on the sofa.

    ¡°Oh dear, why are you here?¡± she eximed in astonishment. She patted her chest a couple of times and was grateful that she did not go there to break the happy couple apart. However, would she face her eldest grandson if she had done that?

    She tried remembering the things she said to Yu Qianying just moments earlier. There was nothing inherently unpleasant in what she said, so she did not have to worry about risking Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unhappiness.

    Qi Chengzhi cocked an eyebrow. He heard everything his grandmother said, of course, so he could roughly guess why she intended to show up. His lips curled up slightly, erasing the stern lines that were originally present.

    ¡°I came here to propose marriage.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was mellow and calm, his then smiling face was no longer there, and his expression looked especially serious.

    Grandmother Qi, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Yu Qianying, ¡°...¡±

    Song Donglin, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I came here to visit my inws. You, though, why did youe all the way here, Grandmother?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at his grandmother half-smilingly and stopped her in her trackspletely.

    Yu Qianying twitched her lips. ¡®In the beginning, he said he came here to introduce himself as her boyfriend, how did it suddenly turn into a marriage proposal? Just how thick-skinned is he?¡¯

    ¡®Inws? I haven¡¯t even agreed to their rtionship. Isn¡¯t that a bit too early?¡¯

    However, it was the next sentence that left Yu Qianying utterly speechless, and it came from the elderlydy¡¯s lips.

    ¡°I¡¯m meeting my family-inw.¡± She sat her bottom on the sofa without waiting for Yu Qianying to say anything. She nced at the coffee table and asked, ¡°Dear, do you have a ss? It¡¯s really cold outside and I¡¯d like to have a cup of hot tea.¡±

    ¡°Please... Please don¡¯t say it like that. I¡¯m not used to it,¡± Yu Qianying replied and put on a bold face. She could not possibly be swayed by a few words from the grandson-grandma duo. ¡°Also, about your grandson and our daughter, we haven¡¯t agreed on anything. He¡¯s just met us today and we haven¡¯t even talked about it. Calling us your family-inw would be too early.¡±

    Yu Qianying remarked and left to the kitchen. She took three cups and invited Aunt Liu as well as Driver Xiao Fan to have tea too.

    The olddy pursed her lips and was not too happy with what Yu Qianying said. She took the cup and sipped a few rather audible mouthfuls of tea. Once the tea had warmed up her body, the olddy feltfortable enough to begin speaking, hence she ced the teacup down.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, look at me. I¡¯m old enough to be your mother, so I¡¯m considered your elder. Please don¡¯t be hasty. Listen to what I have to say.¡± The olddy rubbed her hands and nced at the cup, as if unsure where to begin. ¡°Look at my eldest grandson. He¡¯s handsome, his attitude is admirable, and for so many years he has never been with a woman before. Not even those entertainment and gossip newspapers could get a picture of him doing anything bad. What does this mean? This means our Chengzhi is a very, very self-respecting person. Men like him are difficult to find nowadays.

    ¡°Men like him wouldn¡¯t search for just anydy, but if he finds one that he likes, his heart will be set on her.¡± The olddy then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m not bragging or anything, but in that aspect alone, a person like him ¨C someone who treats a woman with one mind and one heart ¨C is a woman¡¯s dream. How many women have cracked their heads for something that they admire but can never get?

    ¡°I won¡¯t lie to you; I felt the same way when I found out about them and didn¡¯t agree to it. Your Song Yu was previously engaged to our youngest grandson, and I¡¯ve already treated her as my granddaughter-inw at that time. I still keep her in my heart even though we¡¯ve lost contact over thest few years. When she reappeared so suddenly at our home the other day, and Qi Chengzhi said that she was going to be our granddaughter-inw. However, in all honesty, I was briefly unable to ept it at that time.

    ¡°It goes without saying that the whole thing is a mess. People outside would be saying all sorts of things, be it about both our families or my grandsons,¡± the elderlydy said calmly and drank a few more sips of tea due to her thirst.

    ¡°But when I think of it, my grandson really likes Song Yu. Will the unsavory gossipst if they get married? My point is, these two kids love each other, and as long as they¡¯re happy, why should we care about what outsiders say? Am I right, Xiao Yu?¡±

    The olddy then became emotional, and her imagination began running wild. There was a certain radiance to her expression when she continued, ¡°Soon after their marriage, I can hug my great-grandchild and you can hug your grandchild. All of us can live our own lives happily, and there¡¯s no reason for us to care about what others say. It¡¯s not like we have to rely on what people say in order for us to be happy, right? That¡¯s obviously not possible, and our kids will have to suffer because of that. It isn¡¯t worthwhile for us to deprive our kids of happiness just because of some gossip, now is it?¡±

    The crux of it was how hard it was for Qi Chengzhi to find a girl that he truly liked. There was nothing bad about Song Yu, the only issue being her previous engagement with Qi Chengji. Song Yu¡¯s family were good people, and she had a pleasant character too. The olddy had always liked her, and she was deeply regretful when the engagement with Qi Chengji was called off.

    There was nothing more important to Grandmother Qi than holding her great-grandchildren in her arms. She did not care much for anything else.

    ¡°Xiao Song, Xiao Yu, which date do you think would be best?¡± The olddy took out a Yellow Calendar from her bag and said, ¡°I even brought a Yellow Calendar <sup>1</sup> with me.¡±

    ¡°Madam, this is...¡± Yu Qianying did not know what to say to the olddy.

    Grandmother Qi was the oldest and most senior out of everyone there, so Yu Qianying found it inappropriate to say anything too harsh.

    ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re not objecting to us?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s enigmatic eyes were filled with gentle happiness.

    ¡°If I object, are you going to break up with her?¡± The olddy rolled her eyes as if to say ¡®duh!¡¯

    The whole family could object for all he cared, Qi Chengzhi would still go to the civil administration office and register his marriage. What use would objecting be?

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and said, ¡°Han Zhuoli is investing in a new movie. He¡¯ll be shooting at the family home, and they¡¯re looking for an olddy to act with the female lead in one scene. Are you interested, Grandmother? If you are, I¡¯ll let Han Zhuoli know so that he can end his search. There aren¡¯t many lines in the script, it¡¯s just two scenes and it¡¯ll be done in a day, so it won¡¯t tire you.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± The olddy¡¯s eyes lit up and she leaned forward slightly. ¡°What kind of role is that? Let me have one that¡¯s a bit challenging. For instance, my children are not filial and took all my money without caring for me, so my character is forced to live off scraps. Or, or, I can y the role of a woman with Alzheimer¡¯s, someone who¡¯s a bit cuckoo in the head, also discarded by the children. Anything¡¯s fine as long as it¡¯s challenging and I can show my fine acting skills.¡±

    The olddy then sat up straight and smoothened her clothes. ¡°Look at my personality, my energy. One look and you know I¡¯m not some ordinary olddy. It would be such a waste if I¡¯m given a boring role. I¡¯ll only ept something that¡¯s strongly contrasting. Only then will my acting skills be put to the test and I can unleash my specialties.¡±

    She leaned forward once more and took a sip of tea before pointing in front of her. ¡°Have I told you before? I was part of an acting group when I was young. I yed Sanmao <sup>2</sup> , I yed The White-Haired Girl <sup>3</sup> , I even yed the part of Tiemei <sup>4</sup> from The Legend of the Red Lantern. After my retirement, I would go and help out once in a while, and there was once I even yed the part of Grandmother Li [4].¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really know the specifics, but I¡¯ll ask Han Zhuoli. Or maybe I can tell him toe to the home directly, so both of you can talk about the kind of role you want. If the role is too minor for you, and you want to be the lead, you can tell me and I¡¯ll let him make the necessary amendments.¡± Qi Chengzhi took the teapot and poured tea for his grandmother, as well as for Song Donglin and Yu Qianying. He even did so for Aunt Liu and Xiao Fan.

    Aunt Liu and Xiao Fan were quite overwhelmed by that small courtesy, and their hands were shaking while holding their cups.

    Yu Qianying could not help but stare at him. It scarcely crossed her mind that Qi Chengzhi would perform such a personal gesture towards everyone there.

 Chapter 117 - Hearing the Conversation Between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi on the Staircase

    <h4>Chapter 117: Hearing the Conversation Between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi on the Staircase</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Qianying could not help but stare at him. It scarcely crossed her mind that Qi Chengzhi would perform such a personal gesture towards everyone there.

    As insignificant as the gesture was, it was so much more meaningful when it was Qi Chengzhi who did it.

    His fingers were fair-skinned and his finger joints were very distinct. When they held up the teapot, it made up for an elegant sight.

    ¡°Forget about being the lead. I¡¯m too old, I don¡¯t have that kind of energy or strength. Just a scene or two is good enough for me to showcase my acting skills. I don¡¯t mind if it¡¯s a minor scene, I¡¯m going to be a star anyway,¡± she said confidently. Her expression then changed all of a sudden, and she looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Are you bribing me?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not deny it, but simply smiled and replied, ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from.¡±

    The olddy was certain that her grandson was bribing her.

    She wanted to speak, but the doorbell interrupted her.

    Yu Qianying frowned. Visitors just kept on showing up on that day. Was everyone so free on that particr day that they just had toe all at once?

    With no clue as to who came to visit, Yu Qianying stood up and headed for the door. After opening the door and seeing who it was, Yu Qianying¡¯s expression turned sullen.

    ¡°Qianying,¡± Xia Wenna greeted. Her expression was an awkward one and although she wanted to smile, she was somehow unable to do so. She spotted a few pairs of shoes at the door, both men¡¯s and women¡¯s, so she asked, ¡°You have guests?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been years since Ist saw you. What brings you here today?¡± Yu Qianying asked coldly. She was courteous with the olddy, but she treated Xia Wenna with nearly the same attitude as she did with Liang Lihua.

    ¡°If you have guests, I¡¯lle here another day.¡± Xia Wenna felt slightly embarrassed. She was already on the way there when the olddy called her.

    She thought about it the entire night and struggled toe to terms with the decision that she made. She went there with a cheque in her purse.

    She stayed upst night just to make a decision on that issue. Dark eye bags were even present when she left home, and it took her a great deal of makeup to conceal it.

    Her hand then pressed her bag subconsciously. It was like she could feel its weightiness despite not being able to touch the thin cheque that was inside.

    ¡°Why do I hear Xia Wenna¡¯s voice?¡± The olddy¡¯s voice resonated from within the house, and a few secondster, she walked to the door.

    Xia Wenna blurted out in surprise, ¡°Mother, why are you here?¡±

    Grandmother Qi looked at Xia Wenna and then at Yu Qianying. Xia Wenna did not look like she was paying her ¡®family-inw¡¯ a visit, but rather, she seemed intent on tearing the happy couple apart.

    Thus, the olddy walked out, held Xia Wenna¡¯s shoulder, and turned to Yu Qianying, saying, ¡°Xiao Yu, let me talk to my daughter-inw for a moment.¡±

    After saying that, she brought Xia Wenna down to the floor below and heard Yu Qianying closing the door upstairs.

    ¡°Mother, why are you here?¡± Xia Wenna grasped her bag tightly as she was led by the olddy.

    Xia Wenna was unustomed to hearing the olddy call Yu Qiangying ¡®Xiao Yu¡¯.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you either. Why are you here?¡± the olddy retorted with the same question.

    Noticing how Xia Wenna seemed glum, hesitant to speak, and noticeably flustered, the olddy narrowed her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you were going to pressure Song Yu¡¯s parents into convincing Song Yu to break up with Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°Mother, even if they are together, something might happen in the future.¡± Xia Wenna kept her voice low and said, ¡°We might be able to disregard what other people will say, but...¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± The elderlydy became angrier and more angsty. Her grandson was dating a girl before her very eyes, and that was a sign that great-grandchildren were on the horizon. What was all the fuss with Xia Wenna?

    ¡°Do you really like Yu Keyao that much? Do you know what kind of people her family are? They¡¯re all a bunch of snobs!¡± Anger was imminent when the olddy brought up Yu Keyao¡¯s family.

    ¡°I wore in clothes today, without any makeup, and that Yu Keyao¡¯s mother, whatever her name was...¡± the olddy began, prompting Xia Wenna to fill in the nks by uttering ¡®Liang Lihua¡¯ softly. The olddy could care less about the details and simply waved it off.

    ¡°Liang whatever her name was, she bumped into Xiao Fan while he was carrying the crates of wine, and she immediately went crazy. She was being so unreasonable, cursing at us and saying weck manners and all that. I wonder who¡¯s the rude one! She thought that I was some normal olddy, but even if I was, did she have the right to treat me that way? With that hidden maniptiveness of hers, if she knew who I was, I¡¯d probably be able to push her down the stairs, and she¡¯d still be all smiles and apologizing for blocking my way!

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you now, don¡¯t force my grandson to wed a girl he doesn¡¯t like. Chengze¡¯s only been dead for a few years, have you forgotten so quickly? If Chengzhi and Song Yu really love each other and they are happy together, why do you need to care about what other people say? They¡¯re living their lives with each other, and it has nothing to do with any outsider. Are those people going to give you a grandson? Okay, say you separate the two and force Qi Chengzhi to marry another woman. You know Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude, if he doesn¡¯t like her, it means he doesn¡¯t like her. Are you really going to let him spend the rest of his days suffering?

    ¡°If he¡¯s together with someone he doesn¡¯t like, I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll even touch her. If that happens, when will I be able to carry a great-grandchild? Wouldn¡¯t you be worried if the married couple doesn¡¯t have feelings for each other and constantly fight every day?¡± The olddy¡¯s eyes began tearing as she spoke. She took out a handkerchief from her pocket and dabbed her eye sockets before blowing her nose slightly, saying, ¡°Tell me, what if something like Chengze happens again? What then?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m already so old. Do you want me to see my grandson die before me and make me heartbroken? Chengzhi is the brightest prospect in our household, and he¡¯s going to be the leader of the family someday. The Qi family will be relying on him. It would be such a pity if he can¡¯t follow his heart in finding a wife. I¡¯ve thought about it, and I feel sad for all the Qi family grandkids. Every single one, except for Chengyue, are unable to follow their own wishes.¡±

    ¡°Everyone sees them and says that they¡¯re born with a silver spoon. Since young, they get everything they want, and of course, everyone envies that. I, on the other hand, pity them. Why must they be born in a family like the Qi family, to parents like you? Leaving aside Chengze¡¯s death, why did Chenglin bring back Youxuan, whose mother no one even knows? Why did he break up with his fianc¨¦e? Was it not all of you who kicked up a fuss and insisted on them getting married even though he didn¡¯t like her? It ended up as a tragedy, didn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi¡¯s already thirty-five. It¡¯s not easy for him to find a girl he likes. If you still want to break them up, what kind of heart do you have inside your chest? Are you not his birth mother?¡±

    Xia Wenna felt hurt, and her eyes became teary too. With trembling lips, she choked and said, ¡°Mother, these words you¡¯re saying, do you know how hurt I am? I was pregnant for ten months, and I suffered much more giving birth to him than I did with Chengji. How can I not be his birth mother? I want nothing more than to give him the best. Why should I stop him from having his own happiness?¡±

    Xia Wenna sobbed and sniffled, then took out her phone from the bag. She scrolled to the picture she had taken the previous night and showed it to the olddy. ¡°Mother, take a look for yourself.¡±

    The elderlydy sniffled and harbored some doubts as she took the phone from Xia Wenna. She may be old, but she was quite familiar with all those gadgets. Handphones were not a problem for her at least, since she was also fond of scrolling through her WeChat moments every day.

    After her fingers swiped the screen a few times, her expression changed instantly.

    ¡°Where did you get this?¡± the olddy asked solemnly. She lowered her voice as much as she could and her expression was unusually stern.

    ¡°Where else would I get it? How much power would I need to have to even do such a thing? Qi Chengzhi was the one who showed it to me yesterday. Before leaving, I managed to take photos of it.¡± Xia Wenna took the phone back from the olddy and ced it into her handbag.

    ¡°Mother, even if we don¡¯t interfere with them now, can this thing be kept hidden from them for an entire lifetime? If Song Yu finds out, will she still be able to continue being with Chengzhi? The Song family will not just let the matter slide, that¡¯s for certain! If Song Yu finds out after they get married and divorces him, tell me, Mother, is that happiness?¡±

    The olddy¡¯s head hurt immediately. Being of old age, she really did not like these troublesome things. She ced her fingers on the temples and began massaging while constantly eximing, ¡°Oh dear, oh dear!¡±

    ¡°So, what I¡¯m thinking is, before we get to the point of no return, it¡¯s better for them to go through a period of sadness and break up now when their feelings aren¡¯t too deep yet.¡± Xia Wenna then continued, ¡°Regarding all this, Qi Chengzhi is the one who had done something unforgivable to the Song family, but in essence, it¡¯s our family, the Qi family, that had done wrong to the Song family. Mother, tell me, now that you know what¡¯s going to happen in the future, are you still going to let them be together?¡±

    The elderlydy¡¯s heart was in a total mess. She no longer cared about how dirty the wall was and leaned helplessly against it while she massaged her temples.

    ¡°Tell me, did Qi Chengzhi willingly show it to you?¡± the olddy questioned.

    Xia Wenna nodded and exined, ¡°He wants me to feel guilty, to feel that I let the Song family down, so I¡¯ll stop making things difficult for Song Yu by objecting to their rtionship. Of course, I feel terrible for the Song family, so today...I brought them a cheque so they¡¯ll be able to build thepany back up again. It may not be as strong as it used to, but it¡¯ll put them in a better position than they are now.

    ¡°But I¡¯m worried that this thing can¡¯t be kept hidden for long. What¡¯s going to happen then? Wouldn¡¯t the Qi family and the Song family be in an even bigger mess?¡±

    The olddy took in a deep breath, then exhaled it out again. When all was said and done, she was still the matriarch of the Qi family, and by the time her expression turned stern and her gaze became frightening, Xia Wenna did not dare to look at her directly in the eye.

    ¡°Since Chengzhi told you willingly, he trusts that you wouldn¡¯t betray him as his mother, and honestly, if you want to break them apart, you can just tell them the truth. I believe that irregardless of Song Yu¡¯s reaction to it, her parents would definitely not allow her to be with Chengzhi once they found out,¡± the elderlydy opined.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, Mother. I wouldn¡¯t betray him.¡± Xia Wenna looked down and sighed anxiously.

    ¡°That¡¯s that, then. Just treat it as though you didn¡¯t know about all of this, and keep quiet about it forever. Delete the picture in the phone, just in case someone else sees it.¡± The elderlydy stared at Xia Wenna, wanting thetter to take her phone outright that instant. Relief set in only when she saw Xia Wenna delete the picture right in front of her eyes.

    ¡°Alright, you can go home.¡± The olddy waved her hand and dismissed Xia Wenna.

    ¡°Mother, are you...¡± Xia Wenna looked at the olddy in shock but found herself tongue-tied when she opened her mouth.

    ¡°Since Chengzhi had chosen to do what he did at that time, he should¡¯ve had understood the risks involved, hence, possessed the capability to bear the consequences,e what may. Now that he¡¯s still decided to be with Song Yu, there is no doubt that he can bear it all.¡± The elderlydy looked at Xia Wenna. ¡°He¡¯s your son, surely you understand that aspect of him?¡±

    ¡°Mother, you¡¯re still going to agree to the both of them being together?¡± Xia Wenna asked in surprise because she understood the meaning behind the olddy¡¯s words.

    Grandmother Qi pursed her lips and stared at Xia Wenna for some time before remarking, ¡°Can you object to it? If you don¡¯t want to tell Song Yu everything, what reason could you possibly have for objecting? Even if you tell Song Yu, will Chengzhi just give up on her? It¡¯d be better if we just keep quiet so everyone can live happily ever after.¡±

    Xia Wenna had something to add, but the olddy dismissed her without a word. Before she left, the olddy even managed to give her a warning. ¡°The next time youe, it better be as an inw. That cheque inside the bag? Tear it up for me right now!¡±

    There was no one behind the olddy after returning to the Song¡¯s family¡¯s home, leaving Yu Qianying to wonder as to where Xia Wenna had gone.

    The elderlydy offered an exnation, ¡°Chengzhi¡¯s mother remembered that she had something to do, so she had to leave. Xiao Song, Xiao Yu, let¡¯s continue where we left off.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi sat in the car with his mind filled only with the exchange between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi.

    Zhou Mingyan had been telling him all about Song Yu¡¯s faults, and after a while, the conversation steered to the time she went by the Song family house to send the wedding invitation.

    Her tone seemed very impolite.

    Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue would be going on their honeymoon the next day. Therefore, since his wife was having a beauty session today, Jian Yi thought it was the perfect opportunity to visit the Song family and apologize to Song Yu¡¯s parents.

    However, it did not ur to him that on his way up the building, he would overhear the conversation between Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi on the staircase.

    Even though the two of them had never explicitly said what it was that Qi Chengzhi did, their entire conversation betrayed the fact that he had done something unforgivable towards the Song family. It was something so serious with the potential to ruin their rtionship even.

    Jian Yi¡¯s right hand was ced on the steering wheel while his left elbow rested near the window. His left index finger was ced on his lips and he frowned while pondering over the things he had heard.

    From Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi¡¯s reaction, Qi Chengzhi must have done something so shocking that the Song family could fall out with thempletely, and regardless of what might happen, it would lead them to strictly object against Song Yu¡¯s rtionship...

    Jian Yi came to a realization which resulted in a dramatic change of expression.

    The only possibility he could think of was the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    Back then, the Song family went bankrupt without any news about it. It was particrly sudden, and no one knew the details of what really went down.

    ¡®Was it possible that Qi Chengzhi was involved in the bankruptcy?¡¯

    ¡®Could he have been the one who plotted it all, even?¡¯

    ¡®Why would he do that?¡¯

    ¡®It couldn¡¯t possibly be just to prevent Song Yu and Qi Chengji from getting married, could it?¡¯

    At the time of Song Yu¡¯s engagement to Qi Chengji, if the Song family went bankrupt, the Qi family would definitely have stopped the marriage, considering the attitude they had back then.

    Qi Chengze was still alive then, and because the Qi family was still a powerhouse, they would certainly not have wanted an inw that would give them no benefit.

    As the youngest, it was a wonder how Qi Chengji could endure being used just to connect both families through marriage.

    The finger that Jian Yi ced just below his nose slowly formed into a fist. ¡®If that was the case, how long had Qi Chengzhi been eyeing on Song Yu?¡¯

    ¡®Did he really go into hiding for so many years before making a move on Song Yu?¡¯

    ¡®If that was really the case, his patience was something to be reckoned with!¡¯

    ¡®How detailed were his ns!¡¯

    ¡®During this time, how much did Qi Chengzhi have to plot in order for him to take a step at a time to reach to where he was?¡¯

    ¡®Did he really spend so much effort on Song Yu?¡¯

    Jian Yi found it more and more unfathomable as he thought about it. ¡®Could a person like that even exist? Someone who would be willing to execute such an arrangement, one that was capable of creating a disaster, just for the sake of one woman?¡¯

    The most shocking part was that it was all happening to Qi Chengzhi.

    It became more and more outrageous when Jian Yi pondered deeper into it. Nheless, it still seemed logical, because there was no other exnation that he could think of.

    Jian Yi tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His fingers were slender too, with well-defined joints. He had attractive hands, and at that time, veins were bulging out from the back of his palm.

    He blinked his eyes, which slowly turned red, as though he was engaged in a show of strength with some invisible entity.

    In the end, he clenched his teeth tightly and punched the steering wheel. Then, he took a few slow, deep breaths. He trembled at first when he took those breaths, but slowly, he began to calm down. Only then did he leave.

    ...

    ...

    The olddy was finally ready to say her goodbyes. She stood up, took her bag, and held Yu Qianying¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiao Yu, if you have the time,e over to our house for a walk. Bring Song Yu along. It¡¯s just me and my husband all day, and it¡¯s pointless for us to spend our days arguing. Doe and have a chat with me.¡±

    She took out the Yellow Calendar while saying that, and after flipping it she eximed, ¡°Oh dear, the day after tomorrow is a good day, very suitable for journeys. Come over on that day then, the both of you! Coincidentally, there will be a dance practice on that day for apetition. Maybe we can dance a bit, and if there¡¯s nothing for you to do, it¡¯s good for you to stretch your legs there!¡±

    ¡°Madam, I...¡± Yu Qianying wanted to decline, but the way the olddy held her hand so intimately left her no chance to reject the invitation.

    ¡°It¡¯s set then. Look at my aging arms and legs, you can¡¯t always expect me toe here right? My hip is killing me after going up flights of stairs to your home.¡± The olddy ced her hand on her waist and held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, elder grandson. Lend me some support.¡±

    ¡°In that case, I¡¯ll be going. No need for you to send me off.¡± She waved her hand at them. ¡°Chengzhi,e and send me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that the olddy had something she wanted to tell him privately. Aunt Yang and Xiao Fan were there, so technically there was no need for him to send her off.

    It was not easy for Qi Chengzhi to have an ally like his grandmother, so he felt it unwise to reject her request.

    He looked over to Song Yu, and she nodded at him. Yu Qianying¡¯s expression did not seem too pleased. It was a sign that she, too, had some private matters to talk to Song Yu about. Even if Qi Chengzhi stayed, Yu Qianying might send him on his way.

    Song Yu nced at Yu Qianying and saw her unhappy expression, but still, she could not resist going over to Qi Chengzhi and kneaded his arm to let him feel at ease.

    Her dependence and closeness to Qi Chengzhi made Yu Qianying feel powerless, as though her daughter was going to leave the family.

    Looking at Song Yu¡¯s demeanor, her heart seemed fullymitted to Qi Chengzhi: she poured her heart out to him, and a couple of sentences would not suffice to make her change her mind.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at Song Yu and saw her tender and submissive appearance. Her distinctly monochrome eyes looked at him innocently and her gaze was full of reliance. When he looked at her, faint blushes even appeared on her face.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s blush was different, more feigned. However, when Song Yu blushed, it was as though she was very self-conscious about how she blushed so easily. The look on her face seemed a little conflicted, but it was exceptionally intriguing.

    Qi Chengzhi felt a stir in his heart when she looked at him like that. He wanted to touch her face dearly and kiss her.

    Nevertheless, Yu Qianying and Song Donglin were present, so all he could do was restrain himself. His warm, dry hand touched the hand that held him and softly kneaded it.

    The feeling of being held by him once more was incredibly satisfying. Ever since they came in, he did not show too much affection with Song Yu for fear that it might provoke Yu Qianying. He did not even hold her hand. The only thing they did was sit primly, but not too closely, on the sofa.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out.¡± She could not care less about what Yu Qianying would think. She simply held his elegant hand and rubbed her thumb on the joints of his fingers.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128: I¡¯ve Told Him Already, But He Pretended Not to Listen; Maybe You Can Try Telling Him?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°After I graduated from university, the family was doing better. So, I got the dressing table.¡± Song Yu pointed to the dressing table. The dressing table had a distinct style, unlike the bookshelf and study table. It was those ready-made types from Furniture City.

    ¡°This bed was originally a small single bed, but after I graduated and started working, my parents changed it because they thought it would be ufortable for an adult to be sleeping on a bed for kids.¡± She pressed down on the Simmons mattress and smiled sheepishly.

    Qi Chengzhi followed her as she pointed out everything in her room. He felt like he was in the middle of a mini-tour.

    He could not help but realize that he knew no details about her life even though he had seven years¡¯ worth of time to do so.

    Ever since the bankruptcy, Qi Chengzhi watched her like a hawk, scrutinizing her every move. At times, he would even request for her information to be dug up, but when it came to the tiny details like her room, it was obvious that he had no means of investigating them.

    In a sh, he felt like he returned to the time where he was not yet present in her life, the point at which she was still a young girl living in this tiny room.

    ¡°Were you used to the sudden transition from a vi to a small apartment? It¡¯s really quite a sorry sightpared to your earlier home.¡± Qi Chengzhi carried her up and ced her on hisp with both arms around her body. His thin lips rubbed against the corner of her eyes and he nted a few solid kisses on her lips.

    She felt tingly in the corner of her eyes as a result of the kisses from his soft moist lips.

    Song Yu could hear the adoration in his husky and maic voice. She too had her arms wrapped around his waist, and she buried her head into his neck and nuzzled him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was never much of a materialistic person anyway, so a change of environment wasn¡¯t something serious. And, I didn¡¯t know too many people here. I didn¡¯t need to force myself to engage in meaningless conversations with all those young men and women from the rich circle.

    ¡°Most importantly, the engagement with Qi Chengji was sessfully broken off. When he liked Wei Ran, I was already thinking if there¡¯d be any chance for us to break the engagement off. I even had hopes that the Qi family and Wei family would agree to both of them. If that happened, then our engagement would automatically be voided.

    ¡°After the bankruptcy, I was actually very relieved even though we weren¡¯t as well-off as we were before. Of course, we weren¡¯t immediately used to it when we moved here. I mean, our lives before and after the bankruptcy wereplete opposites. I also had to learn how to get used to a new school and new teaching methods. Normal high schools were very different from Jixia High School, and because the school had students from all kinds of backgrounds, the way those professors taught us were very different too. It took a long time for me to get used to it. The good thing was I didn¡¯t dy my college entrance exam. Our family wasn¡¯t in a good condition at the time, so it¡¯s not a good thing for me repeat another year.

    ¡°Regarding other things, it took me about a year to finally get ustomed to it and integrate into this normal life.¡± He felt her forehead move ever so slightly on his neck. She was looking up at him, and as if worried he would be distraught about it, she said, ¡°Things are good.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her even tighter and nted his soft lips hard on her cheek. It was not the kind of devoted kiss, but she could feel his particrly somber expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, to have let you suffer so much.¡±

    Song Yu blinked her eyes a few times in confusion. Her eyshes fluttered against his chin and she extracted herself from his neck. ¡°Why are you saying sorry? It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi fell silent for some time. His enigmatic eyes looked at her face in all seriousness, and she could feel him tighten his grip on her. Soon, she heard his low voice. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I wasn¡¯t by your side all these years.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and felt a warmth in her heart. She cupped his face and kissed his thin, stern lips¡ªshe was the only one who knew how soft and warm they were.

    When her tongue took the initiative to brush across his thin lips, Qi Chengzhi let out a satisfied groan. He tensed up his shoulders, cing one hand on her back to support her and cing the other at the back of her head so he can kiss her more passionately.

    He absolutely adored her spontaneity. Like his own mischievousness, it would appear once in a while without going overboard. It was slightly timid, but it was also vivacious, seducing his heart and making it dance to her tune.

    Unable to control himself, his kisses were constantly increasing in intensity. Holding on to her, he turned his warm and muscr body around and pressed her onto the bed.

    His hand slid into her clothes through her soft waist. Both of Song Yu¡¯s hands were left to their own devices as she buried them in his hair. He was not the only one taking the initiative to kiss her; she too was kissing him, absorbing all of his energy and sucking on his lip. Her tongue was entwined with his, as though they did not want to be apart for even a fraction of a second. She could taste the deliciousness of brandy when her tongue was wrapped around his.

    A few of the buttons on Song Yu¡¯s shirt had been opened by him. Her fair-skinned shoulders were showing, as were her ck bra straps. Peeking out from under the bra were her delightful breasts.

    His lips remained in contact with her body as he moved them from her lips to her breasts.

    ¡®Knock knock knock!¡¯ A sudden knock on the door startled the both of them, and of course, it could not have been anyone else except for Song Donglin or Yu Qianying. Song Yu was anxious regardless of who it was that knocked.

    She pushed him gently, but he refused to budge. His refusal though, was involuntary, as he was not in a position to move easily.

    With his head still embedded in her bosom, he finally got off of her after taking a deep breath. Song Yu saw the unpleasant expression on his face, he looked so austere and expressionless.

    Song Yu fastened her buttons hurriedly andbed her hair. Then she made sure Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clothes were looking alright. She found it amusing to see him trying to restrain himself, but at the same time, his patient yet aching expression worried her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.

    Qi Chengzhi inhaled deeply and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    His eyes¡ªfilled with lust that had yet to fully subside¡ªlooked somewhat depressed as he nced at the door. ¡°Go ahead and open the door. If you don¡¯t do it soon, their imagination might run wild.¡±

    Song Yu blushed and got up, glimpsing at her own reflection as she passed her dressing table mirror. Her appearance then was not at all normal; though her hair was alright, her clothes were wrinkled and her lips were so swollen that they were deep-red in color.

    She touched them but realized she had no other option but to open the door and walk out bravely.

    At the door was Yu Qianying, who was holding a pair of pajamas. Yu Qianying felt so awkward when she saw Song Yu¡¯s appearance that she had no idea where to look.

    Having been around the block herself, Yu Qianying knew full well about the things that youngsters would do. Furthermore, Song Yu was already living under the same roof as Qi Chengzhi; it would be ludicrous to expect that they would sleep in different rooms and do nothing with each other.

    At the end of the day though, Song Yu was still her daughter, so it was not very appealing to have that thought in her mind.

    All Song Yu could do was stroke her hair a couple of times and say, ¡°Mom...¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s gaze shifted across Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and onto Qi Chengzhi, who was sitting on the bed. He was still not in a condition to stand up. Yu Qianying saw his sour face and unhappy expression.

    Knowing that she had disturbed the young couple getting it on, Yu Qianying made no mistake in deciphering that Qi Chengzhi had that look on his face to show his displeasure. Yu Qianying then said, ¡°This is your dad¡¯s pajamas. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll fit him perfectly, but let him try them on first. If it doesn¡¯t fit at all, then maybe you can go and buy a set.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt himself getting back to normal, so he promptly walked over to take the pajamas.

    Compared to Qi Chengzhi, Song Donglin was slightly plumper during his younger days. However, the main issue with the pajamas was the discrepancy in their height: Song Donglin was much shorter than Qi Chengzhi.

    The pants and top were noticeably dwarf on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body.

    Yu Qianying noticed that problem as well and could not help but giggle. She told Song Yu, ¡°Bring Chengzhi to the nearby supermarket and get a pair of pajamas. While you¡¯re at it, get anything else that you need.¡±

    The huge supermarket was very near to their home, requiring only a fifteen-minute, moderate-paced walk.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi left the house at about half-past-seven. It was still early, so they were in no rush. They treated it as a slow, post-dinner walk.

    The days were still rather short and nightfall came quickly. It was dark, with a yellow glow arising from two rows of streetlights along each side of the street. High above their heads was the whitish-silver crescent moon.

    Barely a short distance after they left, they met a few neighbors who were preparing to do some aerobic exercise. Most of them were about Yu Qianying¡¯s age, but one or two youngsters were present nheless.

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this Song Yu?¡± Lao Xu¡ªthe man who stayed in the same building as Song Yu¡ªspotted her, and when the other neighbors heard his voice, they too looked toward Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s direction.

    Yu Qianying frequently chatted with those people, so they knew Yu Qianying well and were aware of who Song Yu was.

    Song Yu greeted each one of them while Lao Xu looked at Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Going for a walk with your boyfriend? Two days ago, your mother told me that you had a boyfriend. The same one that I saw during the new year. Oh, you. You were even hiding it at that time.¡±

    ¡°Ay, you¡¯re very handsome, young man.¡± Lao Xu¡¯s wife, Mrs. Xu, smiled at them.

    Song Yu turned to look at Qi Chengzhi, whose face was now obscured partly under the glow of the streetlight. His facial features looked even more mystifying, not to mention the added dourness. Since his face was shaded by the shadows and only half-illuminated, his true feelings were rather indecipherable.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi took a few steps forward, greeted them with a warm smile and said hello to those elders.

    Song Yu stood on one side and observed him in surprise. Had it not been for her standing there and watching him act that way in front of her eyes, she would never have imagined that Qi Chengzhi was able to interact so warmly with other people.

    Qi Chengzhi had such grace and humility that many of those middle-ageddies were praising him continuously. Song Yu constantly heard voices saying, ¡°So well-mannered!¡±

    Eventually, Song Yu dragged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and led him out of the swarm of praises.

    As they walked, they passed by a building and saw a red Camry stopping at the side of the road.

    Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow; he had a sixth sense when it came to red Camrys.

    It was no coincidence when the Camry door swung open and the driver came out.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s other brow cocked up as well, and he continued walking with Song Yu as though he did not see anything out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Wang Yifeng¡¯s voice was heard. Unable to ignore him, Qi Chengzhi stopped walking and looked at him with an expressionless face.

    Wang Yifeng saw Qi Chengzhi well this time. He recognized Qi Chengzhi as the man who got into an ident with him, and realized that he was right when he saw Qi Chengzhi at Jian Yi¡¯s wedding.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that he was your boyfriend.¡± Wang Yifeng smiled awkwardly.

    Song Yu smiled equally as awkward as well. She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and apologized to him, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your car.¡±

    Recalling every nastyment he had made about Qi Chengzhi to Song Yu, Wang Yifeng felt flustered and changed the topic hastily. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve formally met each other¡¯s parents.¡±

    He originally thought that the reason for not telling her family about it was because she had a boyfriend with a bad background, someone her parents would not approve. In reality, it was theplete opposite, and her boyfriend was actually someone with a high social standing.

    If he had not attended Jian Yi¡¯s wedding, he would have known the Qi family¡¯s eldest son in name only. He would not have recognized Qi Chengzhi even if they met.

    When Wang Yifeng told Song Yu that he wanted to meet her boyfriend, it was a serious proposition. He wanted Song Yu to do aparison between both men, and it was his intention to show off that he was better than the boyfriend.

    At that point though, Wang Yifeng was reduced to swallowing his own saliva under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold stare. There was absolutely no way he was a match for him.

    Song Yu failed to cough up a suitable response to Wang Yifeng, but Qi Chengzhi spoke calmly, ¡°We¡¯re going to buy some stuff, but we¡¯ll be back soon. If you¡¯re not busy, you cane visit us at home.¡±

    Song Yu sneaked a glimpse at him. He said those words with such self-confidence as if the Song family was his own family, and he was so natural about it.

    Wang Yifeng was taken aback. In the beginning, Song Yu was so reluctant about introducing her boyfriend to her family, yet there he was, being on such good terms with her family that he treated it as his own.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s obscure eyes shot him a cynical nce as another sentence was added, ¡°We¡¯re staying here for the night so we¡¯re quite free.¡±

    Wang Yifeng frozepletely. He had been to Song Yu¡¯s house before and he knew that there were only two bedrooms...

    Ignoring Wang Yifeng¡¯s stupefaction, Qi Chengzhi nodded and brought Song Yu away.

    Song Yu looked up at him and spotted the satisfied curl on his lips. After their evening walk, everyone in the area would know that he was Song Yu¡¯s boyfriend by the next morning.

    ...

    ...

    The two of them went to the supermarket and bought a pair of pajamas. They also bought a few sets of underwear for him andter decided to buy some clothes from a nearby branded clothes store.

    They reckoned that this would be the first of many times that he woulde over and stay the night, so having a few spare clothes there would save the hassle of needing to bring over a luggage bag.

    For Qi Chengzhi, nothing was better than turning her room at her parents¡¯ ce into their own little nest, where he could juste in and stay without bringing anything with him.

    Consequently, Qi Chengzhi went on an enthusiastic spending spree. Song Yu was the one who had to restrain him from buying anything further.

    Qi Chengzhi took the bags from Song Yu and carried everything by himself.

    Song Yu stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Let me carry some.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her, ¡°Just keep walking.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bringing too many things, let me help you carry them,¡± she insisted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t argue. We need to go home soon or else your parents will be worried,¡± he replied. The bags, though many, did not pose any problem for him, but Song Yu looked at him and felt as though the bags covered up his charm.

    Yu Qianying and Song Donglin looked on as they came back with bags of all shapes and sizes. Their mouths were agape and they seemed to be in so much disbelief that they did not know how to respond. Was Qi Chengzhi preparing to call their ce home?

    Song Yu tidied up her clothes in her wardrobe cab and freed up half the space for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s newly bought clothes.

    Satisfied, he looked at how his underwear and clothes were ced neatly in Song Yu¡¯s cab. He remarked, ¡°If Jian Yi visits, you can bring him for a tour.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned and walked out into the living room. He faced Song Donglin and Yu Qianying¡ªwho were both slightly uneasy because of his presence¡ªand said to them, ¡°Dad, Mom, goodnight.¡±

    Song Donglin, ¡°...¡±

    Yu Qianying, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate for him to call us Mom and Dad? Even if Song Yu¡¯s now...¡± Yu Qianying paused momentarily and felt ufortable after remembering the locking sound of Song Yu¡¯s room door. ¡°He can¡¯t simply just call us Mom and Dad. They¡¯re not married yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told him already, but he pretended not to listen. Maybe you can try telling him?¡± Song Donglin shook his head and had no intention of bringing the matter up with him again.

    ¡°...¡± Yu Qianying too did not want to bother about it anymore. She got up and grumbled as she walked into her room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know before this that he was so thick-faced?¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the morning, Qi Chengzhi was still asleep when Song Yu got up. He was lying on his stomach and the upper portion of his slender body was showing since the nket only covered him up to his waist.

    After Song Yu tidied everything up, she looked at his sleeping pose and smiled. She promptly went to the bathroom, but not before giving him a peck on the lips.

    Yu Qianying was already busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, so Song Yu went to a roadside snack stall in the neighborhood and bought some Youtiaos as well as some meat pies. Qi Chengzhi was not a fan of sweet things, so she did not buy fried glutinous rice cakes.

    When she came back, Qi Chengzhi was already awake. He changed into the clothes that they had bought the night before and was sitting with Song Donglin on the dining table; they were both reading newspapers.

    Since the two of them had promised to visit Grandmother Qi on that day, Yu Qianying was a little reluctant for them to leave since she knew that they would be taking off after breakfast. ¡°You only stayed here for a little while. The sofa¡¯s not even warm yet and you¡¯re already leaving.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯lle back and stay here tonight. We¡¯ll only be leaving tomorrow night,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu looked at him dumbfounded; she did not expect him to answer like that.

    Yu Qianying was happy to hear his answer.

    As a result of Qi Chengzhi waking up ratherte in the morning, it was already nearing noon by the time they reached the Qi residence.

    Aunt Liu opened the door for them, and when Song Yu walked in, she saw a row of shoes in the entrance hall and heard bursts of faintly audibleughtering from the living room.

    ¡°So, how was it going on a vacation alone with Jian Yi? You didn¡¯t let your temper get the better of you, did you?¡± Guan Liya asked with a smile and looked at Jian Yi. In fact, she was worried that the two of them would be at loggerheads even though they were newly-weds.

    ¡°Of course not! It¡¯s just the two of us, so it was really sweet! I¡¯m not a stubborn girl, so as long as there aren¡¯t any phony people around to provoke me, why would I stir up trouble for nothing!¡± Qi Chengyue smiled tenderly, revealing the tiny dimples on the corner of her lips. She wrapped herself around Jian Yi and stuck closely to him.

    Everyone smiled awkwardly because they knew who she referred to when she said ¡®phony people¡¯.

    ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother, Dad, Mom, Uncle, Auntie.¡± Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu into the living room and greeted all his elders.

    The instant she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice, Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression turned unsavory because he really did bring Song Yu over. The tender sweet expression from Qi Chengyue¡¯s face vanishedpletely and she looked at Song Yu with full of hatred.

    ¡®Today¡¯s supposed to be a happy day. Why did he have to bring Song Yu along all the time!¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯rete. Come and sit down!¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s expression lit up when she saw the two lovebirds holding hands so sweetly.

    She carried Qi Youxuan¡ªwho was busy eating some chocte¡ªand moved aside slightly, making space for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sit down.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression changed dramatically. It seemed like the whole family epted Song Yu during her honeymoon.

    She blurted out without even thinking, ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Uncle, Auntie, she¡¯s just barging into our home, are you agreeing to it? Don¡¯t you care if others badmouth us? Don¡¯t you care about how my fourth big brother will feel about it?¡±

    ¡°How I will feel about what?¡± Qi Chengji was still in military uniform when he came in. He heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words from outside, and although he did not understand it at first, he got the full picture when he came in and saw Song Yu.

 Chapter 119 - I Really Wish I Could Knead You Deep into My Bones

    <h4>Chapter 119: I Really Wish I Could Knead You Deep into My Bones</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Sporting a ck Burberry windbreaker, he looked tall and stylish; the garment entuating his slender frame. It made his long legs even longer. It was as though he was an unfinished work of art.

    His hands were stuffed into the pockets of the windbreaker, as he stood there looking at her in silence. It felt as if he had been waiting for her all his life.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes began to prickle, and she felt a hotnessing from within. She ran toward Qi Chengzhi. Without hesitation, she threw herself into his embrace. She did not even slow down or stop when she was standing in front of him.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to go back home?¡± She buried her face in his chest, greedily inhaling his scent.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I¡¯d wait here for you?¡± He removed his hands from his pockets and held her tightly. Then, he nted a kiss on her forehead and breathed into her hair.

    ¡°If I was to stay here and have lunch, were you going to wait and let yourself go hungry?¡± His love for her was overbearing and intransigent. At times, that intransigency led him to have a foolish, one-track mind.

    He could hear from her voice that something was not quite right. His slender fingers ran through her hair, and he then lifted her head up to see her reddened eyes.

    Tears were not trickling down, but her rabbit red eyes made him frown.

    ¡°What happened?¡± His voice turned low.

    Song Yu shook her head. Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the car.¡±

    He led her to the front passenger seat and helped her in, before going back to the driver seat.

    He was in no rush to start the car. Turning to her, he observed her carefully and asked, ¡°Are you really that emotional because I waited for you here?¡±

    Song Yu blushed because that was part of the reason.

    Qi Chengzhi sighed and did away with his teasing tone. ¡°What¡¯s wrong exactly? Did you get into an argument with your parents?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°My dad¡¯s okay, but my mom... she still needs some time to ept all this. My dad¡¯s trying to console her now. It¡¯s just... this whole thing made her angry and I feel like I¡¯ve disappointed her. Back home, I said a few things that may have been harsh. She wants the best for me, but I...¡±

    Song Yu struggled to continue talking. She watched as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fair and elegant hand covered hers.

    He kept quiet and did not pledge anything to her. To begin with, he was never an emotional man, who would say all sorts of overly-sentimental things. Instead, his grip on her hand was unusually firm, as though he was afraid that she would not understand his intentions.

    ¡°What did you and Grandma talk about just now?¡± Song Yu changed the topic.

    Qi Chengzhi retracted his hand and started the car. He got into gear and started driving, before replying unenthusiastically, ¡°Nothing out of the ordinary. The gist of it was this: if I really had my heart set on you, and if I promised to give her great-grandchildren, she¡¯d support us.¡±

    In truth, however, the olddy said something else. She had wanted him to guarantee that Song Yu would still choose to stay with him, instead of divorcing him if the truth behind the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy ever came to light. If he could do that, Grandmother Qi would not forbid him from consorting with her.

    Having said that, if he himself had no faith that Song Yu would continue to be with him should that daye, then it would be best for him to sever ties with Song Yu as soon as possible.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Song Yu. His hand left the joystick and reached over to hold her hand in his steady grip.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to have lunch at home? You came down pretty early. Have you finished eating?¡± His voice, though rich, was not at all loud. His thumb meanwhile, was caressing the back of her hand gently.

    ¡°When we were eating, my mom told me to move back with them. She knows that I¡¯m staying with you now.¡± As soon as shepleted her sentence, she could feel him tightening his grip.

    Knowing that he had misunderstood things, Song Yu used her other hand to cover his and rubbed it gently.

    The skin of hand was delicate, enabling her to feel his bones. His bluish-green veins were visible through the fair skin.

    ¡°Things weren¡¯t too bad at first, but, because I declined to move back with them, the whole atmosphere made me lose my appetite,¡± she replied softly and looked up at his handsome features.

    He loosened his grip on her hand, allowing his expression to rx. Then he caressed her delicate, small hands, ¡°What do you want to have for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Are you hungry? If you¡¯re not too hungry, let¡¯s go home. I¡¯ll cook for you.¡± Song Yu stared at his gorgeous face and decided that she wanted to treat him especially well. It was rare that a man as handsome as he would go as far as neglecting himself for her.

    She felt that there was not much she could do for him, but if it there was anything that she was capable of doing, she was willing to do it for him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be very fond of cooking for me recently.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her and chuckled.

    His chuckle made all traces of sternness disappear from his thin lips, just like dark clouds opening up to reveal a clear sky.

    He initially thought that Song Yu would blush and refuse to reply because of her shyness. However, despite her blushing, she responded openly with an ¡°Mm.¡± Her forward assent was not something that he had considered.

    Qi Chengzhi instantly tightened his grip on her hand. Her response was a pleasant surprise that lightened his mood. He brought her hand to his lips and gently pressed a couple of kisses.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home then,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ...

    ...

    The two of them went back to Viewpark Residence. It was a Sunday, so Aunt Yang had the day off and had gone home. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only ones in the house.

    The couple went into the room and changed into their house clothes. Despite living together and involving each other in nearly everything, she still felt embarrassed to change right in front of him. Thus, Song Yu took her clothes and went to the changing room.

    After changing her top, she proceeded to change her pants. It was then that the door to the changing room clicked open. She turned and grabbed her pants, but Qi Chengzhi came in before she had the chance to put them on.

    Once he entered, the changing room felt as congested as a small warehouse.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s enigmatic, pitch-ck eyes leisurely savored her body. His eyes travelled from the crown of her head to her bare feet.

    Her top barely reached her waist, allowing one to glimpse her belly-button if she were to slightly raise her arms.

    Song Yu felt hot under his intense gaze. The pants in her hand went forgotten, as she lost her train of thought.

    ¡°I¡¯m changing. Why did youe in?¡± she asked softly, trembling.

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet. Reaching over, his pale slender fingers closed over her pants, plucking them out of her hands and discarding them. He then took a step forward, and ced his rough palms on her waist, caressing her silky-smooth skin.

    His hands drifted from her waist to the small of her back, tracing circles with his fingers. Her body was pressed flush against him, as his parted lips brushed the shell of her ear.

    It was an undeniable fact that the olddy¡¯s words still had an effect on Qi Chengzhi, albeit, not till the point ofpromising his feelings. Of course, breaking up was not an option, but it did not deter the worry he felt when she would discover the truth. He did not know how she would react.

    His discovery of her argument with her parents simply exacerbated these feelings. She had even defended him from Yu Qianying¡¯s harsh words. She had remained firm and resolute in her defence because it had involved Qi Chengzhi.

    He felt grateful and passionate by her trust and the high opinion she held of him. However, he was wary of the possibility that the more faith she ced in him, the more disappointed she would be when she found out the truth.

    When they were in the car earlier, he had wanted fuse her to him as he held her in his embrace. He had wanted to be in her; and, throughout the journey, he had kept those desires at bay.

    She trembled and blushed when she felt his aggressiveness. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna eat anymore?¡±

    ¡°Feed ¡®him¡¯ first, until ¡®he¡¯ is satisfied.¡± Resting his jade stalk against her, he gave a gentle nudge. She gasped, sudden and harsh, burying her efflorescent face into his chest.

    Arching upwards she brushed a kiss against his lips, as she circled her arms around him.

    After all that happened that day, all she wanted was to have him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders tensed as he seized her waist, lifting her up and fervidly pressing his lips against hers.

    One of the things he particrly liked about her was her penchant for not feigning aloofness or pretending to be shy in moments like this. She would always follow her heart¡¯s desires. If she wanted to do something, she would do it. There would be no attempt on her part to try and mask her intentions.

    Through her actions, she told him, in no uncertain terms, that she wanted him, lusted for him.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her passionately, not breaking even for a breath. He let himself loose and took everything she had.

    Song Yu let out a moan and clung to his neck, her hair cascading around them.

    ...

    ...

    In the end, Song Yu had no idea when she was brought to the bed. Her brain was nk, and all she could remember was how rough he had been with her. She was spent.

    Qi Chengzhi was still hugging her tightly, showering her with kisses thatnded on her eyes, her nose, her ears, and, finally, her lips.

    Her eyes half lidded, Song Yunguorously stretched out. He had mmed into her with a ruthless, ardent ferocity. She had taken all of him with adoring tear-stained eyes.

    Her eyshes, wet with tears, were thick and ck. It was as though she had applied a freshyer of mascara. Framing her misty eyes, they were like a pair of ck handheld fans.

    Her moist lips were slightly parted, as she was still lost in the post-coital haze. Her cheeks were a charming, tender red, inducing Qi Chengzhi to kiss her continuously. Back and forth he went, from her misty eyes, to her pink cheeks, then to her lips. He kissed them again and again, without stopping.

    Song Yu was so exhausted that she did not even want to move a single muscle. She simply submitted herself to him and allowed him to continue kissing her. As embarrassed as she was, exhaustion hindered her desire to protest.

    She tiredly perched her hands on his back, absent-mindedly stroking up and down, her fingertips barely sensing the smooth sinuous muscles they grazed.

    Seeing how obedient she was, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes shed with mischief. His lips traveled downward and he pressed into her, wanting more. Song Yu, however, kicked his calf.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any more energy. I¡¯m hungry.¡± She originally wanted to cook lunch for him, but he had had other ideas. By the time he had satiated those ideas, Song Yu waspletely devoid of strength. He had made her both tired and hungry.

    Qi Chengzhi abruptly jerked up, and pulled her so tightly to him that the entirety of her back was nearly lifted off the bed.

    He pressed his lips against her nape, caressing her sensitive skin. His voice had a hint of untamed passion when he said, ¡°I really wish I could fuse my bones to yours.¡±

    Song Yu was nk for quite some time. His lustful voice was somewhat authoritarian, but, at the end of the day, everything he said was a testament to how much he cared for her. His caresses on her neck made her feel excited. She hugged him tightly and pressed her face into his shoulder. Rubbing him gently, she breathed in his heady musk, feeling her body ignite as she did so.

    ¡°If it¡¯s you, then I want the same thing, too,¡± she remarked. Uponpleting her sentence, her mind went nk, and she could not believe that those words had escaped her mouth.

    It was something she had always kept deep inside her heart. For the longest time, she had been too embarrassed to say it out loud, but, whenever she was with him, those words had manifested themselves in her every action.

    ...

    ...

    At that moment, neither of them had any energy left. Even Qi Chengzhi was so tired that he did not want to get up. He spooned her, lyingfortably on the bed.

    Hunger finally set in, and it was then that Qi Chengzhi went down to the kitchen. Rummaging through the shelf, he found two bowls of instant noodles. He boiled some water, prepared the noodles, then brought them up to the room.

    While Song Yu was eating the noodles, she recalled their conversation in the car that morning. It would have been much better if they had eaten some appetizers at some restaurant somewhere, rather than having to end up eating instant noodles. It was pitiable when she thought about it.

    After finishing the noodles, she looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nk expression.

    His usually handsome face did not look too well, and he seemed particrly restrained.

    ¡°Let¡¯s indulge ourselves and spend the day in bed. We¡¯ll just cook some instant noodles if we get hungry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while throwing himself over Song Yu and lying back down. She was not even given the slightest chance to object to him.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu had eyebags and bloodshot eyes when she went to work. She and Qi Chengzhi really did spend the whole day in bed, but they did not just lie there doing nothing. QI Chengzhi had spent the whole day doing her, and had, therefore, not given her much opportunity to rest.

    If things continued as they were, she would start worrying for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s health.

    Song Yu was aware that she was just an ordinary girl, not some devastatingly beautiful woman. She did not understand what it was that drove his fervor.

    She was not able to concentrate properly at work that day. It took her two cups of coffee¡ªone on either side of noon¡ªto be able to get through the day.

    During her arrival at work in the morning, Ruan Danchen saw her, and raised an eyebrow mischievously. ¡°Say, what did you do this weekend? Why do you look so tired? From what I can see, it looks like you¡¯ve indulged in bedroom activities a bit too much! Were you and Qi Chengzhi staying at home all weekend, rolling around in bed? If so, that¡¯s a pretty naughty lifestyle you both have! Qi Chengzhi looks fine now, but, if you keep sucking him dry, won¡¯t he be all thin and skinny pretty soon?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be more decent, please?!¡± Song Yu blushed, but she would certainly not admit that Ruan Danchen had gotten it right on the first guess. ¡°I was watching TV untiltest night.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had not expected to hit the nail on the head with the guess. Judging by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temperament, she would never have never thought him to be extremely lustful. She did not take herself too seriously with the question, and, after making light of it, did not press Song Yu for further details.

    In the afternoon, Song Yu received a call from the front desk, saying that a woman named Yu Keyao¡ªwho imed to be Song Yu¡¯s cousin sister¡ªwas looking for Song Yu.

    Song Yu cocked her eyebrow. She did not expect Yu Keyao toe to her workce. Truly, that woman and her mother were as annoying as herbal sters.

    Surmising that Yu Keyao¡¯s intentions ofing over were likely the same as her mother¡¯s, Song Yu simply did not want to waste her time by arguing with her. She told the front desk, ¡°Tell her I¡¯m not in. If shees back again in the future, tell her the same thing.¡±

    Song Yu did not know how many times Yu Keyao might return, but Song Yu¡¯s guess was that this would be far from thest time. Being the pampered daughter that she was, Yu Keyao would not just get off her high horse and stop pestering Song Yu.

    It did not take long for Song Yu to drop the matter and treat it as though nothing had happened.

    She headed down after work. Just as she reached, she received a call from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°I¡¯m stuck in a traffic jam. I¡¯ll be a bitte.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice came from the other side of the line. ¡°Just wait inside thepany. Don¡¯te down just yet. I¡¯ll call you once I¡¯m there.¡±

    ¡°Okay. No need to rush,¡± Song Yu replied before turning and heading back inside to wait in her office.

    However, a soft voice called out from behind, ¡°Big Sis.¡±

    Song Yu turned around and saw Yu Keyao strutting over. Thetter had a faint smile on her face, one that was characteristic of her status as the youngdy of a prestigious family.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression soured immediately, and she spoke into the phone. ¡°I¡¯m hanging up now.¡±

    ¡°Big Sis, when did youe back? Why didn¡¯t I see youing back?¡± After a leisurely walk, Yu Keyao stood in front of Song Yu. Her hands, clutching her handbag, were arranged in front of her.

    ¡°Oh, I was always here. I just didn¡¯t have the time to see you,¡± Song Yu smiled insipidly while maintaining a hostile tone.

    Song Yu could find no reason to be amicable towards someone like Yu Keyao, who lusted after her man. It was the same with Yu Keyao¡¯s mother, who was so deluded, she had the insolence to pay Song Yu¡¯s parents a ¡°visit¡±.

    Yu Keyao, who sported a pleasant, affable smile, froze immediately. Her lips twitched slightly, before she delicately tucked a tress behind her ear. She then smiled awkwardly and asked, ¡°Big Sis, do you think poorly of me?¡±

    Without even bothering to uphold her smile, Song Yu coldly dered, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll head back to my office.¡±

    She turned to leave, but, before she could take a step, Yu Keyao seized her wrist.

    Yu Keyao appeared soft and gentle, but the force of her grip was tremendous. Song Yu¡¯s hand throbbed with the force of Yu Keyao¡¯s grip. Song Yu frowned and wondered if she was doing it on purpose.

    ¡°Big Sis, is this about Big Brother Chengzhi?¡± Song Yu did not bother turning, but she could hear Yu Keyao¡¯s soft voice from behind. The voice was so innocent and meek, a sharp contrast to her iron grip.

    Song Yu was disgusted by the familiar address Yu Keyao had used, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi¡±, but she had no choice but to turn and face Yu Keyao.

    Yu Keyao still did not show any signs of rxing her grip. Based on her appearance, no one would be able to guess that she was gripping Song Yu¡¯s wrist so tightly that it hurt.

    ¡°Big Sis, can we find a ce to talk?¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s soft entreatment seemed sincere.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing for us to talk about.¡± Song Yu tried freeing herself, but to no avail.

    ¡°Big Sis, we haven¡¯t met each other in so many years. Treat it as a normal chat about our younger days There¡¯s plenty of things that I want to tell you. If you¡¯re not willing to talk with me privately, I don¡¯t mind speaking with you right here and now. It¡¯s all the same to me, so we can do it here, if you don¡¯t mind people passing by and hearing some of the more private things that I wish to tell you.¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s grip remained solid, as her delicate voice revealed a more threatening undertone.

    Song Yu gave her a cold stare. Despite the threat, Yu Keyao¡¯s expression remained as soft and guileless as it normally was. Looking at that face made Song Yu feel even more disgusted.

    A charming smile once again crept over Yu Keyao¡¯s lips. Song Yu took a deep breath and agreed to Yu Keyao¡¯s demands.

    When Yu Keyao let go, Song Yu noticed the presence of fresh red lines on her wrist. She massaged it softly, wincing at the sting.

    The two of them then walked to the caf¨¦, located on the ground floor of the building. As they were heading there, Song Yu sent Qi Chengzhi a message, informing him that she would be waiting at the caf¨¦.

    Yu Keyao ordered green tea, while Song Yu wanted nothing except for a ss of water. She found herself unable to drink anything else while Yu Keyao was in front of her.

    Yu Keyao smiled tenderly and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. ¡°Big Sis, how¡¯s your life been all these years? I was still so young when your family went bankrupt, and there was nothing I could do to help. I remember when I was young, my mom always brought me to Auntie¡¯s ce to y, and you¡¯re the big sis that I always liked.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been all right,¡± Song Yu replied curtly, pursing her lips.

    ¡°I looked for you because I wanted to apologize to you,¡± Yu Keyao said, but paused when the waiter served her green tea. She continued after the waiter left. ¡°I just found out that my mom went to Auntie¡¯s ce and said some really mean things to Uncle and Auntie. I¡¯m apologizing on her behalf. I hope you didn¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Song Yu zed at her expressionlessly. ¡°If it¡¯s about that, then we¡¯re done talking. I ept your apology, but I can¡¯t speak for my parents.¡±

    Song Yu rose upon thepletion of her sentence. Just as she was about to leave, Yu Keyao, once again, grabbed her wrist, albeit with much less force than earlier.

    In spite of that, it still felt painful because of the force she had applied before. Song Yu frowned.

    ¡°Big Sis, I¡¯m not done yet.¡± Yu Keyao pulled Song Yu back down. ¡°Do you really hate me that much? That you¡¯re not even willing to sit down with me and hear me out? Whatever it may be, we¡¯re still cousins, aren¡¯t we?¡±

    ¡°What else do you have to say? I¡¯m rushing to meet someone,¡± Song Yu retorted bluntly.

    ¡°You¡¯re meeting Big Brother Chengzhi?¡± Yu Keyao smiled, nced at Song Yu, then looked down. ¡°Big Sis, my mother¡¯s words may be unpleasant, but she has a point. From my observations, the Qi family seemed to have already known about the two of you before they¡¯d set me up with him. And, since they knew all about it and still chose to arrange a blind date, it means that they don¡¯t approve of the both of you. Since that¡¯s the case, why must you persist so determinedly? Do you want to burden Big Brother Chengzhi and be disapproved of by the Qi family?¡± Yu Keyao took a few sips of tea, before using a tissue to carefully wipe the tea stains from her lips. She then smacked her lips to make sure that her lipstick was still perfect.

    ¡°Your feelings for each other may be strong now, but what if the Qi family continues to reject you? You¡¯ll get tired of it, and you¡¯ll feel mistreated, and you¡¯llin to Big Brother Chengzhi. He might feel pity for you at first, but as time passes, he¡¯ll grow annoyed. The Qi family will continue to reject you and disapprove of you, and, when Big Brother Chengzhi is trapped in the middle of it, he¡¯ll soon grow tired of it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll start fighting more, and your love for each other will diminish. At the end of the day, no one will get the better of it, and to what end? You¡¯ll both be sick of it. Let¡¯s not even talk about you getting sick of it. If you watch Qi Chengzhi grow tired of everything and know that it was because of you, how could you bear it? If you really love him, you wouldn¡¯t burden him like that.¡±

    ¡°Big Sis, you might think that I¡¯m saying all this just to make up an excuse for the both of you to break up, but I want the best for you. Breaking up is the most sensible thing for the both of you to do.¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s expression spoke of her sincerity. She extended her hands, in hopes of sping Song Yu¡¯s, but she thought the better of it and awkwardly retracted them.

    ¡°You done talking?¡± Song Yu drank a few sips of water and as she nced at her phone; an action that conveyed her impatience.

    ¡°Big Sis. You¡¯re ipatible with him.¡± Yu Keyao was being really patient. Song Yu seemed to be really stubborn, and no words could sway her, so Yu Keyao¡¯s only recourse was to advise her calmly.

    ¡°If I¡¯m ipatible with him, who is? You?¡± Song Yu¡¯s lips twitched and she scoffed sarcastically.

    Yu Keyao did not get angry, but instead took a deep breath and replied patiently, ¡°Big Sis, Big Brother Chengzhi is going to be the leader of the family someday. The Qi family has high expectations of his wife. Not just any kind-hearted person will do. They want someone that¡¯s superior in every aspect; from their family background, to their dowry, and their social connections. That is why the Qi family asked for me.¡±

    Tucking a few strands of wayward hair behind her ear, she smiled mockingly. ¡°Even though you¡¯ve said what you¡¯ve said, I still want to give you a serious answer. It¡¯s a fact that I¡¯m morepatible with Big Brother Chengzhi. We arepatible in almost every aspect. Even if you still had your previous status, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to understand that I have a much better advantage than you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what advantages you have. I know one thing that all your advantages cannot get you.¡± Song Yu stood up and nced coldly at Yu Keyao. ¡°And that is the fact that I¡¯m Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend. We entered into this rtionship with the intention to marry, and all those advantages you have arepletely not worth mentioning.¡±

    Yu Keyao¡¯s was momentarily stunned, and her lips twitched involuntarily as she exhaled a breath of air. Song Yu¡¯s statement caused Yu Keyao to momentarily lose herposure. So, with a trembling hand, she once again moved to tuck her lock of hair as she struggled to regain herposure.

    ¡°If you really think you¡¯re so perfect for him, tell him. Don¡¯t tell me. Even if I wanted to break up with him, he wouldn¡¯t allow it, so you might as well tell him all these so-called benefits of yours. I really don¡¯t know what your reasons are for talking to me. Do you want me to back off because you mentioned all those awkward situations? Do you think that Qi Chengzhi wille running to you if I left?¡±

    Song Yu sneered, ¡°I¡¯m prepared to vouch for my words and tell you this: even if I do back off, he will continue pursuing me. He¡¯ll chase after me wherever I go. I have no say in the things that he does. So, this is the conclusion: If you want to get married to him so badly, go ahead and tell him. You are aiming for the wrong person,ing to me.¡±

    Song Yu had already reached the edge of the table when she paused, ¡°Oh, yes. No matter what my rtionship with Qi Chengzhi might be in the future, I¡¯m currently his girlfriend. So, don¡¯t always go ¡®Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯ when you open your trap. From what I know, the both of you have never met before, and you¡¯ve never even shared a meal with him. Wherever did your close rtionship stem from? To the point where you¡¯d call him ¡®Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯? Miss Yu, you say it so naturally that I wonder how oblivious you must be. Or maybe you¡¯ve called countless other people the same way?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Yu Keyao shot up, her shoulders tense.

    Song Yu anticipated that this should have broken Yu Keyao. She expected Yu Keyao tosh out in anger, but Yu Keyao simply shook her head disappointedly like one of Chiung Yao¡¯s <sup>1</sup> tragicdies. ¡°Big Sis, I didn¡¯t know that you hold such a low opinion of me. I¡¯m your little sister. Must you be so unsociable by calling me Miss Yu? Also, I wasn¡¯t the one who began calling him that. During the introduction, Auntie told me to address him as such. How can you say it like... like I¡¯m someone who just goes around seducing other men?¡±

    Yu Keyao let out a heavy sigh. Her gentle and cid face had turned extremely pale. ¡°I came here today to reminisce about our shared history. I was young when it happened, and I couldn¡¯t help you then. But, now that I have a say in my family, I can help you with whatever you need, and if you were to ask me for help, our family will help you.

    But I didn¡¯t expect that my meeting you would result in such a terrible misunderstanding. If you don¡¯t like what I¡¯m telling you today, then I apologize. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt you. I only want the best for you. I¡¯m telling you this because I want what¡¯s best for you. Perhaps you can¡¯t ept it now, but, someday, you will.¡± Yu Keyao sniffled and frowned. It looked as if she were about the cry, but, instead, she forced her lips to curl upwards in a small, tight smile. As she smiled, a tiny tear, no more the size of a bean, trickled down her face.

    ¡°I still remember when I was young, mom always brought me over, and you¡¯d always bring out your toys as well as beautiful clothes and share them with me. I always liked you as a big sister, and I treated you as though you were my own big sister, I...¡±

    Yu Keyao stopped abruptly. Before Song Yu managed to detect that something was wrong, a handnded on her shoulder. A familiar warmth spread through her, as she was enveloped by a warm, familiar scent.

    She turned and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face. Every single one of his features was wless and exotic, albeit, austere. Nheless, no matter how hard she stared, she could not find a single fault.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± asked Song Yu turning to Qi Chengzhi. Yu Keyaoy forgotten by the wayside.

    ¡°I just arrived. I saw that you weren¡¯t out yet, so I came over to take a look,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined, smiling at her. When he smiles, the austerity of his features vanishes and what remains is a pleasant warmth, it is like the emergence of the sun after the rain.

    Yu Keyao stared at him in disbelief. In those rare moments that she saw Qi Chengzhi, not once did she ever see him smile.

    During their blind date, Qi Chengzhi had walked in wearing a nk look and all he had done was smoke. He had also treated her rather indifferently when she had visited him at Qilin and at the Qi family residence.

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smile made her heart race. How wonderful it would be if looked at her and smiled!

    ¡°You haven¡¯t finished your conversation?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze drifted coldly across the table andnded briefly on Yu Keyao. His smile was long gone, and what remained was the ice-cold glint of his eyes.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi.¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s voice was soft, it was as though most of it had gotten stuck in her throat. But even then, it retained its silken quality. She quickly dabbed the tears from her face. ¡°I had a good chat with my big sis.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ignored her. It was as if she had not spoken. His pale fingers slid down Song Yu¡¯s arm, trailing downwards until it reached her hand. Rubbing her hand gently, he led her past Yu Keyao.

    Throughout the whole sequence of events, the icy cold stare was the only time Qi Chengzhi looked at her.

    Yu Keyao stood paralyzed. Unhinged, she began shaking and biting her lower lip. When Qi Chengzhi walked past her, she yearned to take his hand and pull him away. However, she was unable to do so because Song Yu was between them.

    She turned around and fixed her gaze onto Qi Chengzhi, watching as he held Song Yu¡¯s hand and walked out of the caf¨¦. When she nced at Song Yu, she saw her receiving a kiss, she saw her receiving his smile.

    ¡®Why wasn¡¯t he angry when he clearly saw that Song Yu made me cry?¡¯

    ¡®He saw for himself how vicious and unreasonable Song Yu was. She scolded me like some jealous woman! But why didn¡¯t he chastise her?!¡¯

    ¡®His expression was still so loving and kind, as though he didn¡¯t see anything happen at all!¡¯

    Yu Keyao gnashed her teeth and made to chase them down, but the waiter stepped in, stopping her from leaving the caf¨¦. ¡°Miss, you haven¡¯t paid for the drinks!¡±

    In the waiter¡¯s eyes, Yu Keyao looked like someone who was purposely trying to avoid paying the bill.

    Never in her life did Yu Keyao suffer such a despicable look. First, she had to suffer beratement at the hands of Song Yu; next came the server¡¯s turn to look down on her. In her anger, she took out her purse from her bag and simply fished out a red banknote without looking, which she then threw to the waiter¡¯s face. ¡°Keep the damn change!¡±

    After shouting at him, she ran out of the caf¨¦, but all traces of Qi Chengzhi and his Range Rover were long gone.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was still holding Song Yu¡¯s hands even after they were in the car. He ced her hand on his thighs, and, just beneath the fabric of his long pants, was his firm and strong muscles.

 Chapter 131 - She Had No Idea That He Watched Her from His Office Window for A Solid Four Years

    <h4>Chapter 131: She Had No Idea That He Watched Her from His Office Window for A Solid Four Years</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu¡¯s happiness was a sight Zhou Mingyan abhorred; she was fine with Jian Yi casting Song Yu aside and she could live with it if Song Yu married someone else, but she simply could not ept it when she saw Song Yu being happier than Jian Yi and was in a much better position than him.

    However, it was virtually impossible because she was with Qi Chengzhi. He would one day be the head of the family, and if Song Yu married him, she would be the matriarch! That was not something worse off at all!

    In the future, would Jian Yi not have to answer to Song Yu?!

    She did not expect her ploy to fail so terribly and invite upon herself the ridicule of others.

    All Zhou Mingyan could do wasugh dryly and exin that she did not mean it like that.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue was thoroughly unhappy, seeing as she flung her belongings into the bag with all her might. It was messy and almost full.

    ¡°What is wrong with your mom! She¡¯s trying to make us look bad on purpose! She thinks she¡¯s so smart, right? We¡¯ve already told her that we¡¯reing here in the afternoon and going there at night, and yet she came here just to say all that stuff! What the hell is she trying to do? She¡¯s even cooked a tableful of dishes, who in the world told her to do that? We¡¯ve already said that we won¡¯t be having lunch with them!¡±

    Jian Yi frowned and massaged his temples. ¡°She¡¯s anxious to see us.¡±

    ¡°But the way she does it is like our family is the unreasonable one!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s anger increased exponentially, and she continued to feel even angrier inside her heart.

    ¡°You need to understand her a bit more. I¡¯m her only son, she¡¯s going to take it to heart. No matter how much you despise the things she did, she¡¯s still my mother. Be patient with her. We won¡¯t be staying with them much after all, so you won¡¯t be meeting her too often. The least you could do if we¡¯re with her is to let her be a little bit happier.¡± Jian Yi sighed.

    Qi Chengyue remained silent due to her anger. Patience went both ways, so if she was patient with Zhou Mingyan, Zhou Mingyan should be patient with her too. Otherwise, why would Qi Chengyue have to always give way for Zhou Mingyan?

    She would admit her wrong if she did something wrong, but there was nothing she did wrong in the first ce! Zhou Mingyan was the one who made all that fuss, so Qi Chengyue would not be patient and have any of it!

    Though her mind thought of all that, she still tried hard to suppress her anger. She tried her best to smile at him as she went over to hug his waist. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll do my best to be a better daughter-inw. If I did something that isn¡¯t right and your mom scolded me, please don¡¯t condemn me, okay?¡±

    She looked up at him with her tender, pitiful face. It was more than capable of stirring one¡¯s heart.

    Jian Yi did not know what to think. He patted her on her back half-heartedly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue left with Zhou Mingyan, Guan Liya ignored Song Yu¡¯s presence and grumbled unhappily. ¡°What kind of person is she! Such thick skin! I¡¯m really worried that they won¡¯t treat Qi Chengyue right!¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked at Guan Liya and said softly, ¡°Auntie doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. If Chengyue was not so na?ve, she might be able to bear with Jian Yi¡¯s mother and maybe even please her a bit. Everything will be okay.¡± The old man drank some tea and said, ¡°But Chengyue is still a spoilt child. She won¡¯t back off from an argument if she has a point. And even if she doesn¡¯t have a point, she still won¡¯t back off. Jian Yi¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t seem like a good character either. Chengyue might be able to bear with her at first, but when pushes to shove and a real argument breaks out, I think it¡¯ll be hard for her and Jian Yi.¡±

    The olddy turned to Guan Liya. ¡°Make sure to phone Chengyue up more often these two days. From the looks of it, I¡¯m guessing his mother will want to ¡®teach¡¯ Chengyue how to be a good daughter-inw. Call her so she has an outlet to vent her frustrations, otherwise, she¡¯ll only have Jian Yi toin to, and it¡¯ll be trouble if she continues to do that for a long time.¡±

    Guan Liya agreed immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi got up, said his goodbyes, and left with Song Yu.

    ...

    ...

    When she was alone in the car with Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu could not help but think about what Jian Yi told her.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and extended his hand to hold her hand. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    He scrutinized Song Yu¡¯s reaction, but she neither hid from him nor hesitated. Instead, she turned her hand palm up and held his hand.

    Once Song Yu looked up and saw his handsome and elegant face, the doubts within her heart dissipated immediately.

    His face remained expressionless¡ªhe looked calm andposed as opposed to stern. The strength of his grip quieted the storm incited by Jian Yi in her heart.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu shook her head and smiled tensely. She looked down at his fair-skinned palms and rubbed her thumb gently against the back of his hand.

    Afraid that he might misunderstand, she added on, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about this and that, nothing in particr. It¡¯s nothing important.¡±

    He held her even tighter than before. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna talk about it?¡±

    Song Yu stared at him in shock. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was fixed on the road and his expression was unchanging, but the words he said made her feel as though he already knew all about the conversation that happened in the backyard.

    Judging from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s demeanor however, she remained unable to discern his inner thoughts.

    She did not want Jian Yi¡¯s words to affect her feelings with Qi Chengzhi. In light of her having thought things through and choosing not to believe Jian Yi¡¯s words, there was absolutely no need for her to tell Qi Chengzhi, for it might only make him think that she suspected him and believed Jian Yi.

    Song Yu observed the nooks and crannies of his face. It was like a beautiful carving of a great artist. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Really. I¡¯m not taking it to heart. And...¡±

    She looked down and took hisrge hand into both of her own. She then looked up at him with a face that was both quiet and serious. ¡°No matter what happens and no matter what others say, I¡¯ll always believe you.¡±

    She felt his hand tense up as he held her, and it became almost as if it werepletely inseparable.

    A long silence then ensued. Qi Chengzhi seemed to have no intention of saying anything, so Song Yu dropped the matter eventually.

    After some time had passed, Qi Chengzhi suddenly began speaking in an indifferent tone. ¡°Qi Youxuan told me about everything that Jian Yi said to you in the backyard.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi braked the car at the red light, and it was only then that he turned to Song Yu. Those captivating ck pupils of his seemed to say, ¡®I waited and waited for you to tell me about it on your own ord.¡¯

    ¡°Since I didn¡¯t believe a single word he said, I didn¡¯t n on telling you because I didn¡¯t want you to doubt me.¡± Song Yu looked him in the eye and did not let her gaze waver. ¡°Although you¡¯re always doing whatever you like, you won¡¯t ever do something bad to me.¡±

    ¡°He may have been able to tell me about the details of that day, but it doesn¡¯t mean that what he said were definitively true. Sometimes, a little bit of truth mixed in with some lies makes it that much more believable.¡±

    The light turned green and Qi Chengzhi ced his hand back on the steering wheel. However, he made a turn in a different direction, stopping by the side of the road.

    Curious, Song Yu was just about to say something when his fingers unfastened his seatbelt and his scent came crashing onto her. His enigmatic ck pupils were raging with fire, and the inside of which had warmth, gratitude, and an intense emotion that could not be put into words. Song Yu trembled gently under his gaze, and before she could even say anything, he kissed her and stirred her mouth withplete abandon.

    Such devilish kisses made her face blush hard.

    Qi Chengzhi cupped her face in his hands, treasuring her as though he was holding the rarest jewel ever. Her words, and her unconditional trust toward him, was so touching that his heart nearly popped out of his chest. The warmth within his body began bursting forth uncontrobly.

    In the depths of his emotion lies a fear of losing her, thus came his fervent kisses. The back of Song Yu¡¯s head was pressed so hard against the car window that it was nearly hurting.

    He had no idea how or why a good woman like Song Yu could exist in the world; he truly wondered how lucky he must have been to have met her. He would feel such regret if he did not have her, and he did not want to entertain the alternate oue of his failure.

    She trusted him unconditionally and wholeheartedly once she fell for him, and she was one hundred percent devoted to him.

    Some men would take women like her for granted as time went by¡ªthey would not cherish her properly¡ªbut Qi Chenghi would treasure her until his own heart began hurting.

    Finally, his energy somewhat relented, and he caressed her lips with his own. His charismatic gaze met her eyes and he began speaking in a husky voice, ¡°Thank you for trusting me. You must trust me in the future too. Whether it¡¯s the past, the present, or the future, the things that I do will never be something that¡¯s not for your good.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s soft hand slid across his elbow and up until they reached the back of his hand. Her fingertips squeezed in between his palm and her cheek; she grasped his hand and brought it to her lips, nting gentle pecks all over the joints of his fingers.

    Soon after, she lifted her head and gazed upon the closeness of his face to her. Only a few millimeters separated their lips. If she pouted, she would have been able to kiss his lips.

    ¡°I won¡¯t believe the bad things that people tell me. I¡¯ll only believe what you say. Other people might lie to me, but you won¡¯t,¡± she said softly.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her forcefully and his hands took on a mind of their own as they grabbed her waist and advanced toward her ribs.

    ¡°We originally agreed to go to your parents¡¯ home, but how about we go back home first, and then go to your parents¡¯ home at night?¡± His lips caressed against hers and his hoarse voice suggested.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were shuddering uncontrobly, and both her hands pushed him as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t fuss. My mom and dad are waiting for us.¡±

    Chuckling softly, there was still a hint of huskiness in his crisp yet rich voice. With it, his light breaths tickled the corner of her mouth, making her feel an intense tingling.

    Song Yu¡¯s red and lovable face was right beneath his eyes. The heated passion that she exuded was warming his lips up, and in the process, intensified the scent emanating from his skin.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart pounded incessantly and he could not resist nting a flurry of tiny pecks all over her face. He did so continuously and without pause. Not a single pore stood out on her silky-smooth cheek. Her face was devoid of makeup, and it was a natural tone reminiscent of an ordinary face, post-facial care. There were none of those artificial colors that were characteristic of so many cosmetics. Whenever he kissed her, his mouth would never be filled with powder or anything of the sort; it was so raw that he could not get enough of it.

    He looked at how dainty and beautiful she was, but felt a dread surfacing from the depths of his heart¡ªhe was afraid that Song Yu might leave him one day.

    A momentary loss of self-control led him to embrace her tightly. Song Yu was startled by his action and she could sense a change in his emotions. She felt soreness in her bones due to his forcefulness, and with great difficulty, she patted him on the back to console him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and breathed in her fragrant hair. He seemed to calm down significantly after that. His head swiveled slightly, and he nted a kiss on her cheek with all his might. After savoring the sweet smell of her skin, he finally got up.

    With the seatbelt fastened, he once again began driving. As he was driving, his handsome fingers held her hand and brought it to his lips so he could kiss them.

    He sneaked a nce at Song Yu, whose hair was in aplete mess. Since one hand was held by him, her freedom was somewhat restricted as she used her other hand to tidy up her hair. Some parts were still fluffy and poking out, and she looked quite silly, and endearingly so.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to France next Friday.¡± His voice was still husky.

    His business trips were not at all frequent; during the time they got together, he only went overseas twice.

    The first time was when their rtionship was still in the early stages. It was not too steady yet, and most of the time Song Yu was still passive. Therefore, she did not feel any reluctance to part with him.

    On the second asion, the two of them were officially together, but their feelings were not as intense as it was now. She did miss him back then, but it was a far cry from the emptiness she would feel if he was gone for a few days. She even had a slight trepidation that she would forget what it was like to be alone again if he was not by his side.

    The two of them had been together for only a couple of months, but unbeknownst to her, he had be an inseparable part of her life.

    It was as though he had assimted into every inch of her, and if he left, a tiny piece of her soul would disappear too.

    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± She looked at him but tried her utmost best not to disy her reluctance.

    Qi Chengzhi was still able to see it in her eyes. He answered crisply, ¡°Five days.¡±

    He sensed her exerting slightly more force when gripping him and saw how she held her head low. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dry yet elegant thumb rubbed the back of her hand, eliciting trembles from her satiny skin.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± he implored.

    Song Yu looked up in disbelief. She squeezed his fingers lightly and said, ¡°I still need to work. Even though I don¡¯t need to check up on Qilin¡¯s hotel project every day, anything can happen at any given time.¡±

    ¡°Ask Zhao Rongcheng for five days¡¯ leave. If he doesn¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll personally look for him,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked inly.

    Song Yu giggled, thereby reducing the amount of reluctance in her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going there for work. What am I going to do there?¡± Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t fuss about it, I won¡¯t go. It¡¯s only five days, it¡¯ll pass by really quick.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and no longer brought the subject up.

    ...

    ...

    Back at Song Yu¡¯s parents¡¯ home, Song Yu felt a tad unustomed even though Qi Chengzhi had already slept there for one night. Hisnky figure was like a pole in the house, and the originally-small house felt even more cramped with his presence.

    Qi Chengzhi came out of his night shower and saw a kifu in Song Donglin¡¯s possession. Thetter donned his presbyopia sses and was studying the kifu. Qi Chengzhi then went over and asked if he wanted to have a go.

    Song Donglin was incredibly ted and he immediately told Qi Chengzhi to move a chair over. ¡°Come,e. Song Yu¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t know how to y and neither do the neighbors, so most of the time at home, I¡¯m all alone here studying this. Sometimes I get bored of it too. I never expected you to know how to y.¡±

    ¡°I learned it when I had nothing better to do,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied.

    Song Donglin recalled how Qi Chengzhi had a near-photographic memory. His eyes twitched and he realized it was not a good idea to have around with Qi Chengzhi. At the same time, however, backing off was no option, as it would make him seem like a sore loser.

    Unexpectedly, both rounds ended in a draw.

    Song Donglin knew that Qi Chengzhi was going easy on him, all for the sake of Song Yu¡¯s pride. After all, it was easy to lose at chess, but the intricate nning and brainpower needed for a draw made it doubly hard to force that oue.

    Song Donglin was pleased that he would go to such lengths just for Song Yu. After two rounds, they decided to call it a day.

    ¡°Go and rest. Calcting for a draw isn¡¯t easy, and you¡¯re pretty tired too,¡± Song Donglin smiled and said.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If in the future you want to y, please juste and look for me.¡±

    Song Donglin shook his head and waved his hand; it would be awkward to have a go at it again in the future.

    Qi Chengzhi went back to Song Yu¡¯s room. She had just finished her shower and her hair was blown half-dry. The instant he entered the room, the smell of shower gel and shampoo greeted his nose.

    Song Yu sat on top of the bed rather uneasily. The room was small, to begin with, and love seemed to be in the air the moment he entered. Even her breathing felt somewhat stifled, and she tried her best not to take too deep a breath, lest the atmosphere bes even more amorous.

    Since the night before was the first time that they have ever slept there, the nagging thought of Yu Qianying and Song Donglin¡¯s presence prompted Qi Chengzhi to keep his hands to himself. The most he did was hug Song Yu and sleep. However, on the road back home today, his aura seemed to be turbulent, and she felt like he would not hold it all in that night. There was no doubt that they slept with each other countless times already, and they had already tried everything there was to try, but the feeling was different in her own home, it resembled...the nervousness newlyweds would feel on the first night together.

    Qi Chengzhi found it ineffable that he felt the same thing. His heartbeat quickened and his breathing turned unsteady once heid eyes upon her sitting on the side of the bed.

    She was wearing her sleepwear, one that was vastly different from those that he chose for her; it had long sleeves and was more conservative, with a small image of a bear imprinted on it. Her half-dry hair draped over her back and her breasts, while her skin was a tender pink due to the warm water that she used for her bath.

    A verse popped up spontaneously in his mind:

    ¡® Whose skin is white like ice or snow; whose grace and elegance are like those of a virgin. <sup>1</sup> ¡®

    She looked at him with those limpid and innocent eyes, the colors of which were distinctly monochrome. Those big eyes were a st to the past as it brought to mind her high school days in Jiaxia High School.

    At that time, Qi Chengzhi was still Jixia¡¯s headmaster. His office was on the topmost floor of the school¡¯s highest building. The view from his office covered nearly every nook and cranny of the entire school.

    Students would congregate at the school cafeteria during lunchtime. He would usually stand beside the window, watching herugh and chat with her friends while walking. She was graceful and charming when she donned Jixia¡¯s school uniform.

    When it was time for sports, he could also see the sports field through his window. He would look at her in her sportswear doing sports on the field.

    She had no idea that he assumed the position of Jixia¡¯s headmaster after he returned to the country and watched her from his office window for a solid four years. He resigned only when she left the school due to the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    He had no reason to remain thereafter she was no longer at the school, so he took on the role of director at Qilin¡¯s technology division. He continued to keep his eye on her, up until she went to Chengshi, to which he voluntarily requested a transfer to Qilin Properties, assuming the position of its director.

    Just like that, he followed her every step of the way and constantly watched her.

    That night, she was just like a girl in herte teens. Her face was so pure, so fair, and so tender. The way she looked at him ignited a roaring fire from the depths of his belly, and his rod had begun to stiffen up visibly. His pants were tantly stretched taut from his towering protrusion.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but wonder if he was a filthy pervert, considering he had such arge reaction toward such a young girl.

 Chapter 121

    <h4>Chapter 121: Such Behavior¡ªWhereby He Would Punish Her and Then Reward Her¡ªInvoked in Her A Tiny Bit of Resentment Toward Him</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®When did this little brat learn to say such things?¡¯

    ¡°More like a handsome fatty who runs like the wind. Maybe if you lost a bit of weight you¡¯d look like a handsome hunk,¡± quipped Qi Chenglin without hesitation.

    Qi Youxuan tilted his chin up with a huff. ¡°Great Grandma said that I need to eat a lot because I¡¯m a growing boy. When I grow up, I¡¯ll be thin naturally. She even told me that you were a fatty when you were young, and that I¡¯m exactly like you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan turned and looked around. All of a sudden, he raised his chubby little hand and began waving. ¡°Mumu!¡±

    Little Muran had a sweet, big smile the moment she saw him. She, too, raised her little hand and waved. Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran walked on either side of her, holding her hands.

    A little boy sprinted past them while they were still walking over. The boy looked to be about the same age as Qi Youxuan, though slightly taller. If Qi Youxuan¡¯s gelled up hair was taken into ount, then he would certainly be as tall as the boy.

    The little boy bowed with the utmost respect to Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran. He said a couple of things to Muran, then said goodbye energetically to them.

    Qi Youxuan pursed his lips in disdain. Then he pointed at the boy while asking Qi Chenglin, ¡°Dad. Who¡¯s more handsome? Him or me?¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked toward Muran¡¯s direction, then back again at his own son. He, too, pursed his lips and said, ¡°If you were a bit thinner, then you. But as of now?¡±

    He sneered softly and said nothing further.

    Qi Youxuan groaned in anger and looked away, ignoring Qi Chenglin.

    Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran brought Muran over, greeted Qi Zhongliang and the others, then took their seats in front of everyone.

    Throughout the event, Wei Ran chatted with Song Yu very cordially, and, as a result, the rest of the group could not show any displeasure.

    At the site of the ry race, a pic nket had been set up by Aunt Liu. There was even a small electronic radiator in the middle. Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi sat on the nket with a cushion between them.

    Quite a number of people had alsoid out their pic nkets, most of whom were families of the children. Drinks and snacks were spread out, as well.

    Qi Youxuan ran toward their pic nket immediately. He grabbed a bag of potato chips and opened it to share with Muran.

    A look of surprise appeared on both Grandfather and Grandmother Qi¡¯s faces, as they had not been expecting Song Yu to be there.

    The olddy looked at Qi Chengzhi first. One handheld Song Yu¡¯s, while the other was ced inside his pants pocket. No emotion was present on his handsome face, but he made eye contact with the olddy when he noticed her staring at him.

    Grandmother Qi was startled, but, after she let out a silent sigh, she smiled and patted the pic nket. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s here, too. Come. Sit down.¡±

    The olddy¡¯s voice was hard. Most of the other families knew the Qi family well, and, as parents whose children attended the kindergarten, they were all people of high social standing. Once they heard the olddy¡¯s voice, one by one, they looked over to her.

    All of them were rather shocked to see Qi Chenzhi and Song Yu holding hands. They never expected that Qi Chengzhi¡ªthe Qi family¡¯s eternal bachelor¡ªhad finally found a girlfriend!

    Curious, they focused their attention on the girl, trying to get a closer look.

    Some began to think that she looked vaguely familiar.

    After a while, someone came and said hi.

    ¡°Master, Madam, you attended today, I see. It¡¯s truly a family event! I heard the Qi daughter got married? Congrattions!¡± A man who was around the same age as Qi Zhongliang brought his wife and their son¡¯s family over. He was holding his grandson¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Thank you, thank you! Come! Let¡¯s share in the happiness.¡± The olddy took out a box of wedding sweets and gave it to him. ¡°Chengyue and Jian Yi went on their honeymoon, so they couldn¡¯te today.¡±

    ¡°And this is...¡± he trailed off as he looked at Song Yu, expectant.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°My girlfriend, Song Yu.¡±

    Despite seeing the both of them holding hands with his own two eyes, hearing Qi Chengzhi admitting so himself was quite shocking.

    If he brought her out to family events and made his rtionship public, it would mean that he was certain of her background and was dating her seriously. Marriage was only a matter of time!

    At that point, an announcement was made. All the senior ss students who were participating in the ry race were asked to ready themselves at the racetrack. With his enthusiasm and fighting spirit high, Qi Youxuan took off his jacket and long pants to reveal his sportswear: a short sleeved Tee shirt and shorts. He acted as though he took things very seriously, and began warming up beside the pic nket.

    The man said his goodbye and left, since he did not want to be a bother.

    When he left, however, his daughter-inw told his son, ¡°I seem to recall that Song Yu was also the name of Qi Chengji¡¯s bankrupt ex-fianc¨¦e.¡±

    Grandfather Qi¡¯s expression turned nk and he stared at both Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, groaning loudly.

    ¡°Stop staring, Grandfather. Song Yu¡¯s going to be the daughter-inw that will give you great-grandchildren. Whether you get the chance to hold your great-grandkids or not depends on her. I¡¯ll bring her to even more family events in the future,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked bluntly. ¡°If you¡¯re already like this now, are you going to hide your face when we get married? When there¡¯d be more guests who recognize Song Yu?¡±

    The old man grunted and, ignoring Qi Chengzhi, turning instead to cheer on Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan jumped a few times on the stop and thought of something suddenly. His hand glided over his handsome hair and he reached into his bag to take out a stack of square papers. They were about fifty square centimeters in size, and he began giving them out to each person.

    Aside from Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, Qi Youxuan gave them to every single one of them, starting from Qi Zhongliang.

    Qi Chengzhi did not extend his hand when it was his turn. Qi Youxuan hand froze midway through giving the card. The boy retracted his hand, walked past Qi Chengzhi, then handed the paper to Song Yu. It was the secondst card, and thest was then given to Wei Ran.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s tubby round face stared sternly at everyone. ¡°All of you must raise up the papers I just gave when I¡¯m running!¡±

    He lowered his head and smiled mischievously before saying, ¡°If you can, cry out when I¡¯m running.¡±

    Everyone grew curious. They looked at the paper and saw only one word written in thick crayon. The handwriting was quite beautiful too, just like how Qi Chengji¡¯s handwriting was.

    When they all joined the words together to read it, they fell silent.

    Together, the words read: ¡®Handsome hunk who runs like the wind.¡¯

    Everyone then looked up and saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby body running against the wind.

    They were all lost for words.

    However, Qi Youxuan was not heading to starting line to prepare. Instead, he went to the finish line and looked for the two children who were tasked to hold the red ribbon. He said a few words to them, then gave them each some chocte that Qi Chenglin had brought back from a business trip to Belgium. Only then did he head back to the starting line.

    He waved at Qi Chenglin and the group while he walked, and had a look on his face that seemed to imply he had already won the race.

    Qi Chenglin was trembling as he raised the card, and he wanted nothing more than to pretend that Qi Youxuan was not his son.

    Qi Youxuan was positioned at the third leg of the race. He was full of confidence before the race, and prepared amply for it, but, unfortunately, his strength was not up to par, though his will was very strong.

    All that anyone saw was a ball ofrd that rolled slowly on the race track. His buttocks swung from side to side as he ran, and although it was obvious that they never had an advantage to begin with, he dragged his ss even further down, handing ss Three the lead.

    Even as he made a wild dash for it and decreased the distance between himself and the otherpetitor, he was still unable to catch up. In the fourth and final leg of the race, the opposition was none other than the handsome little boy that had greeted Wei Ziqi¡¯s family. Little Muran pointed out that he was Dai Zhiyao.

    Dai Zhiyao ran incredibly fast, increasing the distance that had earlier been shortened. He could see the finish line, but the two kids who were supposed to hold the red ribbon hadpletely disappeared.

    Dai Zhiyao ran past the finish line but did not feel the jubtion of crossing the red ribbon. He stopped and looked around in confusion, then realized that the two kids were eating chocte at one corner.

    Qi Youxuan got away with his misdeed, looking that much more deceitful and pleased with himself. He formed his hands into a peace sign and gestured at the Qi family.

    Everyone was quiet.

    Even Grandmother Qi, who spoiled her great-grandson severely, shied away from looking at him. Her face was hot and red with embarrassment. ¡°How shameless! Who did he learn this from?¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched and he remarked helplessly, ¡°He¡¯s always talking about learning from Big Brother.¡±

    Everyone turned to Qi Chengzhi.

    No wonder...

    Faced with an onught of looks that used him of leading his nephew astray, Qi Chengzhi was left speechless.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Keyao did not expect to see Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu on that day. Yu Keyao was present because she was apanying her elder uncle¡¯s daughter, Yu Kexin, whose daughter, Zhou Jingqi, was in the same kindergarten as Qi Youxuan.

    She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to attend Qi Youxuan¡¯s sports event, much less bring Song Yu along. Even more surprising was the Qi family¡¯s apparentck of disapproval, allowing Song Yu to sit by their side.

    When Qi Chengzhi introduced Song Yu to everyone as his girlfriend, no one in the Qi family objected despite the sudden stunned look on their faces. Was that silent approval then? Had they just decided to ept Song Yu like that?

    Yu Keyao had an unpleasant expression as she looked away from the Qi family. Yu Kexin and Zhou Jingqi had gone off somewhere to participate in a mother-daughter activity, so Yu Keyao took a lunchbox from the table and stood up. She tucked her hair behind her ear and smoothened her clothes before strutting leisurely toward the Qi family.

    Although Qi Youxuan had lost the race, the energy he exerted while running was still monumental. His body was drenched in sweat, and his sweaty face was red as he began running over to them.

    Everyone had set down the paper that they cheered him with, and, considering Qi Youxuan¡¯s shameless behaviour, they were all embarrassed to continue holding it up.

    Perhaps Qi Youxuan did not mind them cing it down because he had finished the race. As soon as he returned, he urged Aunt Liu to bring out lunch without even bothering to wipe away his sweat.

    Aunt Liu was in the process of opening the lunchbox when Guan Liya chuckled dryly and put on a facade. ¡°Hehe, we¡¯re sorry Song Y. We didn¡¯t know you wereing, so we didn¡¯t prepare much food.¡±

    Song Yu was about to answer when a voice rang above her. ¡°Master, Madam, Uncle, Auntie, Big Brother Chengzhi.¡±

    The instant Song Yu heard that numbing and gentle voice, she grew very ufortable, turning around. Yu Keyao had made a show of greeting everyone there except for Song Yu.

    ¡°Keyao? Why are you here?¡± Xia Wenna felt awkward for a moment. She looked at Song Yu, then at Yu Keyao, wondering how these two cousin sisters could be such rivals in love.

    The olddy had earlier dered that no one should interfere with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s feelings. Even though Xia Wenna was not too pleased with it, she was unable to voice out her opinion because the olddy was there.

    ¡°My cousin sister¡¯s daughter is also in this kindergarten. Her husband couldn¡¯te because he¡¯s away on a business trip, so I apanied my big sis here,¡± Yu Keyao exined. Xia Wenna looked at the olddy and tried hard to force a smile. ¡°Where¡¯s your big sis?¡±

    ¡°With Jingqi, for a mother-daughter activity,¡± Yu Keyao remained standing while answering the question.

    Guan Liya observed the situation from one side and thought of something. She smiled warmly at Yu Keyao and patted the empty space beside her, saying, ¡°Since you¡¯re alone, why note and sit with us.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Yu Keyao helped herself and sat down immediately, even choosing to sit beside Qi Chengzhi.

    She put down her lunchbox and opened it, saying, ¡°Auntie, I overheard you saying that there wasn¡¯t enough food. I brought extra, so we can all eat together.¡±

    She even tried coaxing Qi Youxuan by saying, ¡°Youxuan, I brought a lot of stuff that boys your age like to eat.¡±

    As soon as she finished her sentence, Wei Ran ¨C without waiting for Qi Youxuan¡¯s answer ¨C took out her own lunchbox and smiled at Yu Keyao. ¡°When we had dinner with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu yesterday, all of us decided toe here together, so I brought a lot of food too. Muran¡¯s only used to the food that I prepare, so we¡¯ve prepared all of this in advance.¡±

    Qi Youxuan ignored Yu Keyao and wore his long pants and jacket. His stretched his tubby hands over Yu Keyao¡¯s lunchbox and reached for Wei Ran¡¯s lunchbox, taking a deep-fried beef patty as well as a round rice ball. He bit into the patty and stuffed the rice ball into his mouth, filling it with foodpletely. His cheeks were popping out too, making his face seem even rounder than it usually was.

    He then mumbled incoherently with his mouth still full. ¡°Homemade food is the best of course. Auntie, you¡¯re the best wife ever. You fit all of my requirements for being a future mother-inw.¡±

    Everyone, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask me what I¡¯m looking for in a future son-inw!¡± Wei Ziqi pursed his lips and whisked the lunchbox away.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth was still filled with food and his cheeks were still bulging out. His chubby hands rubbed his lips and he quietly turned to eat the food that Aunt Liu prepared.

    Qi Chengzhi got up without being prompted. His slender body stood up straight and was very eye-catching.

    Everyone looked up at him, but he did not return their gaze. He looked at Song Yu and said bluntly, ¡°Change seats with me.¡±

    Song Yu saw Yu Keyao and understood his intentions. Without holding back her smile, she stood up and changed seats with him.

    Although Qi Chengzhi could sometimes be cold, she thought his indifference quite cute at times.

    His actions at that moment were a perfect example. He could care less about how Yu Keyao felt when he showed his displeasure of sitting beside her.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s face looked absolutely horrible as she waited for Song Yu to sit down. Her own lunchbox was filled to the brim with food, but she became more and more embarrassed because no one had touched her food since she¡¯d sat down with them.

    Guan Liya said that the food was not enough, so Wei Ran gave Song Yu some of the food she had brought.

    Later, the olddy took out another box from her bag. The box was elegantly designed and ck in color, and, when Song Yu saw it, she figured it was probably from one of the most famous Japanese restaurants in B City.

    The olddy opened the wooden cover and shoved the box to Song Yu. ¡°Youxuan told me you like sushi. I called the restaurant this morning and asked them to prepare a takeout sushi tter. I didn¡¯t know what kind of sushi you liked, so I asked for an assortment. Try them. If you like them, we¡¯ll go to the restaurant and have them one day. It¡¯s more delicious that way. Of course, if you have a child next time, you must make sure not to eat such cold food.¡±

    Song Yu blushed, took the box of sushi, and found herself unable to respond to the olddy.

    Song Yu nced sneakily at Qi Youxuan. She did not remember telling him that she liked sushi, and, in reality, she much preferred eating sashimi.

    It was Qi Youxuan who eyed the box of sushi like a hungry wolf. He so wished that he could take them all for himself.

    The olddy saw his expression and realized that he had fooled her: he was the one who liked eating sushi.

    Beside them, Yu Keyao stared at the sushi with hate and disdain. She liked eating it, too, but, more importantly, she was familiar with the restaurant in question. She knew that the restaurant did not allow takeout because they were worried it would affect the taste of the food and stain their reputation. They even did not allow dine-in customers to pack up unfinished food to bring home.

    Nevertheless, the olddy managed to get a whole box as takeout; clearly, she went to great lengths just for Song Yu.

    Song Yu ced the box in the middle so everyone could take a piece.

    Qi Youxuan threw himself over as soon as the box was ced down. He took two in each hand and looked all around him, as if worried the others might take them away from him.

    His shifty eyes made everyone feel hesitant to take the sushi for themselves. Song Yu was the only one who ate them since Grandmother Qi had ordered them specifically for her.

    Even though he was somewhat distressed, Qi Youxuan knew that he was merely riding on Song Yu¡¯s good fortune. Though his expression seemed toin, he did not say anything.

    Song Yu ate a few pieces, but did not continue after noticing Qi Youxuan¡¯s somewhat unhappy gaze. She left over half the box to him.

    The olddy patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s head and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t eat so much. If not, we¡¯ll need to get new clothes for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan halted his action of stuffing food into his mouth, and for a split second, he felt as though his great-grandmother loved Song Yu a little bit more.

    If that were the case, would he not have to get in his aunt¡¯s good books?

    His eyed them craftily when the olddy turned her attention toward Song Yu. ¡°Chengyue will being back home after the honeymoon. Come join us for our family gathering.¡±

    Song Yu was shocked, and so were Xia Wenna and Guan Liya. They had not expected the olddy to acknowledge Song Yu¡¯s position so openly. Was she not afraid that the people around them would start gossiping?

    The two of them snuck a nce at the old man, but his face was expressionless and he seemed nomittal about it. Instead, he poured himself a ss of Maotai, drank it up, and smacked his lips.

    Song Yu blushed and stole a nce at Qi Chengzhi. He caught her doing so and subsequently raised an eyebrow at her. All of a sudden, she felt him pinch the skin between her thumb and forefinger.

    She did not know whether he pinched her because she did not reply immediately, or because it had to do with Jian Yi. It was all so sudden for her, so her mind was sent into a frenzy and she could not think of a suitable answer. All she did was stare at him, blushing.

    Remembering that she had yet to answer the olddy, she nodded immediately and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Then she felt him hold her hand.

    She lowered her gaze ever so slightly and saw his fingers covering her own. The back of his hand was smooth, while the fingernails of his slender fingers were well-groomed.

    His thumb began caressing the area he had pinched earlier. He stroked it gently and as slowly as he pleased.

    At that point, Song Yu realized that he had pinched her because he was unhappy at how slow she had replied.

    However, such behavior¡ªwhereby he would punish her and then reward her¡ªinvoked in her a tiny bit of resentment toward him. She pouted and retracted her hand from his grip, disallowing him from holding her anymore.

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133: If You Still Have the Energy for Song Yu, It Seems like It Doesn¡¯t Sound as Serious as over the Phone

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    They entered the office. Before Qi Chengzhi could speak Director Chao addressed Song Yu, ¡°Song Yu, there¡¯s nothing much going on in the afternoon. You can go with Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Song Yu had never taken advantage of her privilege, not even during her time at Jixia High School. After all, many families were as wealthy or more wealthy than the Song family. It was not in her nature to abuse her privileges.

    After the Song family¡¯s fall, she did not think she was any longer entitled to these privileges.

    If she declined the offer, she knew the other would think her pretentious.

    However, after the episode with Qi Chengzhi, it was unlikely she could concentrate on work.

    Not to forget the fact that Qi Chengzhi was likely to stay around if she decided to stay.

    She lowered her face, which was glowing red, and began packing up. She felt her scalp prickle.

    Fortunately, as there was not much to pack, she was quick to clear her belongings.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand as they walked out. Turning to him, she asked, ¡°Why are you early today? Is everything okay at work?¡±

    Chang Lai was waiting with the Range Rover on the opposite road.

    While they were waiting to cross, Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and gave her a light peck on the lips. ¡°I decided toe early because nothing much was going on. Initially, I wanted to wait for you in the car, but I remembered I had to discuss the business trip. And then I was curious as to the environment you work in.¡±

    She had not expected the public disy ?¡ª many people waiting to cross the road, and the cars were at a standstill; stuck in a jam. Under the public¡¯s eyes, Song Yu¡¯s face was redder than usual.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me before you came. You really put me in a spot.¡± Song Yu could not the tingles that shot through her system when she spotted him from her seat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like me that way?¡± He looked down at her, giving her a gentle smile.

    ¡°No.¡± Blushing, she looked left and right. Despite the crowd, Song Yu took the chance and snuck a kiss, whilst he wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    ¡°Even though it was a little too high-profile for my liking, I felt that my heart was about to leap out of me.¡±

    She could still remember his charismatic stance made him stand out even in the office chaos.

    ¡°You really know how to tter a woman¡¯s vanity.¡± She looked up and smiled at him.

    Qi Chengzhi, still smiling gently rubbed his nose against hers. The light turned red, and all the cars stopped, allowing them to cross the road.

    The moment they stepped into the car, Qi Chengzhi got a call from Yan Beicheng. After listening, he said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± He turned to Song Yu, ¡°A few of them are nning to go to the Red Roof for hot pot and have asked whether we would like to go.¡±

    ¡°Well we don¡¯t have anything nned, so we might as well go,¡± Song Yu replied. Despite him consulting with her, she knew that he had already made the decision. If he had no desire to attend he would not even bring up the matter.

    Furthermore, she had no desire to estrange him from his friends. It was healthy andmon for them to maintain their individualpany. Plus, Yan Beicheng and the rest were very nice people.

    Qi Chengzhi responded, ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi hung up, Song Yu asked, ¡°Why does he want to have a hot pot at the Red Roof? Doesn¡¯t he have his hot pot restaurant?¡±

    ¡°The Red Roof has huge rooms, and it affords betterfort and privacy,¡± continued Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Hence, the preference. Sometimes Beicheng would bring over the ingredients and cook everything there.¡±

    Song Yu recalled thest time they were at Viewpark Residence: Yan Beicheng had brought along the whole hot pot set along with the ingredients. Not hiding herughter, she said, ¡°He really does enjoy hot pot.¡±

    As it was still early, the two went shopping.

    Although Song Yu kept insisting she had enough clothes, Qi Chengzhi still insisted on purchasing her a new wardrobe. He was rather tyrannical in his pampering.

    As they walked around, he noticed numerous posters for a blockbuster that was being screened at the cinema on the top floor.

    It piqued Qi Chengzhi¡¯s interest, so, holding Song Yu¡¯s hand, he went up to the top floor and bought two tickets.

    ¡°Why do you want to watch a movie all of a sudden?¡± Song Yu trailed behind him as he pulled her along, weaving between the rows of seats.

    He had bought the couple box seats at thest row this time.

    ¡°I was thinking about our first movie.¡± Qi Chengzhi pulled her down.

    The cinema was still brightly lit. It was crowded with people, chattering and walking between rows as they waited for the popr film to start.

    ¡°You had malicious intentions thest time.¡± Song Yu used softly, her cheeks pinkening.

    Qi Chengzhiughed silently. His thin lips curled into a lovely arch. He held her hand, ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve only watched a movie together once. We should do more couple¡¯s stuff.¡±

    Song Yu paused, and he saw her eyes light up.

    Every time she had an idea, her eyes would shine with a radiant spark.

    ¡°Wait for a minute.¡± Song Yu said and stood up, naturally letting go of his hand. He caught her again.

    ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± He asked.

    ¡°To do something that normal couples do.¡± Song Yu pinched his palm and repeated, ¡°Wait for me here. I will be right back. ¡±

    In just a moment, Song Yu came back with two cups of c and a tub of popcorn. She also had a rose in her hand.

    When she sat down, she passed him the rose, her face flushed. Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows and said nothing. Song Yu rified, ¡°There¡¯s an event today. You can get a rose with a ticket. Here¡¯s one for you.¡±

    ¡°Is this what couples do?¡± Qi Chengzhi took the rose, incredulous.

    ¡°I meant drinking c and eating from the same tub of popcorn!¡± Song Yu blushed and felt her argument to be a little weak. ¡°How was I supposed to know they were giving out roses?¡±

    When the movie was over, Qi Chengzhi dragged her to the home appliances section of the mall to buy the rose a small vase.

    The vase came with a ss case, which the sales assistant mentioned could be ced in a car. Subsequently, Qi Chengzhi added water to the vase and ced the rose inside. He decided to have the rose on disy in his car.

    Seeing how appreciative he was of a free rose made Song Yu feel mildly ashamed. Perhaps she should pick one out individually for him to show her affections.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi let Chang Lai go off, and drove Song Yu to Red Roof.

    Yan Beicheng got someone to carry over a kid-sized table for Qi Youxuan and Little Muran to set up their little pot. The pot was a size smaller than the usual ¡® Mandarin Duck 1 ¡® pot for adults. The soup base for the two was Three Delicacies.

    Qi Chengzhi took note of the number of bowls and pairs of chopsticks on the table. He asked, ¡°Who else ising?¡±

    ¡°Han Zhuoli, Wei Ziqian, and Lao Chu.¡± Right after Yan Beicheng spoke of it, Chu Zhaoyang and Wei Ziqian arrived. Han Zhuoli came next.

    They were candid with each other. Hence, before the trio arrived, the others had already started eating.

    The remainder arrived from the office, still dressed in office wear.

    Upon arriving they tossed their jackets in the corner and rolled up their sleeves. Bathed in the steam of the hot pot, they all looked casual. The office wear dissolving into a mirage of casual clothes.

    Yan Beicheng picked up a fish slice and ced it into his bowl. While waiting for it to cool, he said, ¡°Chenglin said that you two have matching phone cases. That sounds incredible! Why not show it to us?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted. He did not intend to satisfy Yan Beicheng¡¯s perverse curiosity.

    Chu Zhaoyang had heard Yan Beicheng¡¯s statement while he was rolling his sleeves. Despite theck of change in his stoic demeanor, his eyes lit up with a mischievous light, ¡°A couples case?¡±

    Han Zhuoli chuckled, ¡°Heh heh.It must be from sis Xiao Yu.¡±

    Wei Ziqian ever daring and direct chucked his chopsticks to the side and slid closer to Song Yu. ¡°Sis Xiao Yu, could you please show me your phone case?¡±

    Song Yu didn¡¯t have anything to hide, but she still blushed, realizing that this was a public disy of affection.

    She peaked at Qi Chengzhi, who appeared calm as if he didn¡¯t mind the antiques. He just ced down his chopsticks and grabbed her waist. He would give her sporadic pinches as he held her.

    Song Yu took her time digging for her phone. When she took it out Wei Zhiqian snatched it. ¡°Wow, an orange 2 ! Is this homophonic with Chengzhi?¡±

    Han Zhuoli leaned over, ¡°It does look rather cute.¡±

    ¡°If you like it so much I could get you all one.¡± Song Yu raised an eyebrow. She should not be theughing stock all the time.

    ¡°Each of you will get a box.¡± Qi Chengzhi dered in a t voice.

    Just as he finished, his phone rang.

    Qi Chengzhi took out the phone nced at the disy, which read, ¡®Chu Zhaoyang.¡¯ He hung up, raising his eyebrows he looked at Chu Zhaoyang, who continued to maintain a nk expression while he slid his phone back into his pocket.

    Everyone had gotten a glimpse of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s white feathered phone case.

    Yan Beizheng grunted, ¡°tsk tsk!¡± He took arge gulp of beer and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s too nauseating!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi humphed, and retorted, ¡°Well, if you can, try staying single forever then.¡±

    Before Yan Beicheng could say anything, Qi Chenglin picked up a call, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Subsequently, Qi Chenglin set down his chopsticks. Brows furrowing, he listened intently for a while longer before sighing, ¡°Okay, I will head back right away.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±Qi Chengzhi asked when Qi Chenglin hung up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any concrete details yet, but it seemed like Chengyue argued with Jian Yi. They have created a scene, and Mom wants me to help send Chengyue home.¡± Qi Chenglin stood up, slightly sad that he had to leave his food behind. He grabbed his jacket and car key and spotted Qi Youxuan, who was still eating. He then said, ¡°Big brother, can I trouble you to send Youxuan hometer?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped eating and wiped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡±

    It was only natural, Song Yu too got up. Having no choice, Qi Youxuan followed suit.

    In this time of crisis, Qi Youxuan appeared calm and well mannered, choosing not to kick up a fuss at the unfinished meal. In reality, however, he was rather full, having stuffed himself earlier.

    They drove to Qi Youxun¡¯s mansion. Before Qi Chengzhi got off, Song Yu said, ¡°I will wait for you in the car. I don¡¯t want to upset Qi Chengyue any further.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. He met up with Qi Chenglin when he got out of the car. After exchanging a few words, Qi Chenglin scooped Qi Youxuan in one arm, and lifted the school bag in the other.

    Song Yu opened the car door, and Qi Chenglin ced Qi Youxuan into the car. ¡°It¡¯s a mess inside. I don¡¯t want to bring Youxuan in.¡±

    ¡°He can stay in the car with me.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    The moment Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin stepped in they heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s crying and high-pitchedints.

    Guan Liya wasforting her. Qi Zhongxun was experiencing a throbbing headache as he stood there. Turning, he caught sight of Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi walking in.

    ¡°Chengzhi, why are you here as well?¡± Qi Zhongxun asked. Shockcing his face.

    ¡°I was having dinner with Chenglin. When I learned about the matter, I decided toe,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied, ncing at Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue suddenly stoppedining. She looked up, not seeing Song Yu by her brother¡¯s side she spat, ¡°Where¡¯s Song Yu? Why isn¡¯t she here for the drama?¡±

    ¡°If you still have the energy for Song Yu, then it is clearly not as serious as you made it sound,¡± Qi Chenglin said snidely. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Guan Liya sighed, ¡°It¡¯s all because of Jian Yi¡¯s mom. She¡¯s a difficult character.¡±

    ¡°When I went home with himst Saturday, his mother, capitalizing on his authority, began lecturing me. She was extremely rude, implying I am an ill-mannered child, who was not brought up well. She said I shouldn¡¯t be acting so disrespectfully, as if I hadn¡¯t been showing her respect to begin with!¡± Qi Chengyue felt cheated and furious as she recalled Jian Yi¡¯s mother¡¯s sharine attitude toward her when she was showering the old bat with gifts¨Camongst which included a Berkin. Back then she wouldn¡¯t stop showering Chengyue withpliments.

    Well, it seemed like his mom had forgotten all that she had done for her!

    She learned that Zhou Mingyan was someone devoid of gratitude. She might thank you in the moment, but once the moment was over she would stab you in the back. It seemed as if Zhou Mingyan could and would only remember a person¡¯s faults.

    ¡°She is downright nasty. She told me that since I am now a part of the Jian family I am no longer a notabledy. She doesn¡¯t want anyone to assume that Jian Yi married me for my status and my dowery. She wants to make it clear that our marriage was one of coincidence. It was coincidental that he married a rich heiress. So, she makes sure that I know my ce as the Jian family¡¯s daughter. She makes sure that I know that I have to put the Jian family first. And she made sure that I greeted all members of the Jian family first during my wedding.

    ¡°Even after my honeymoon, she made sure that we went to their home first. Simply put: I am no longer thedy I once was. I have no right to my former status. Now I am the daughter-inw, and, so, should bow to my new status.

    ¡°I could stand her empty pleasantries, since Jian Yi assured me that we would be living separately. Our own house. I treated her as the passing wind, something I had to endure for a short while. I could deal with her nagging, thinking it was temporary, but I can¡¯t deal with this. I can¡¯t deal with her!

    ¡°She had broken into my home. Taken the key and allowed herself in. And when I got back from work, she had the gall to reprimand me for not having a hot meal allid out for Jian Yi. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to tell either of us that she would be stopping by!

    ¡°I still need to work! How do I conjure up the time to cook?! More importantly, I am ady of the Qi family, I don¡¯t cook! And when Jian Yi and I had a meal outside, sheins that we get back toote and that it is rather unhealthy to constantly be eating out. Criticism after criticism! Over and over again! And then she announced that she will be staying over! So that she could prepare breakfast for Jian Yi!

    ¡°I maintained a civil treatment of her throughout her tirade, but that night, when we were alone, I told Jian Yi that this couldn¡¯t go on. You won¡¯t believe what happened next. Just as I finished, she pushed open the door, pointed at me and began yelling! She told me that I was ruining the bond between a mother and her son, she told me that I was a terrible wife, and she told me that I should learn from her!

    ¡°She continued to say that I would never be able to turn a son against his mother, especially, since she had raised him. Then she again proceeds to harp on my manners orck of it. She proceeds to punctuate her point by threatening me. Telling me how I should learn to respect her, and not make a fool out of myself and shame her when the rtivese over to visit the new daughter-inw.

    ¡°Then you got angry and came back,¡± concluded Qi Chenglin, looking at her.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan was indeed unreasonable.¡± said Guan Liya as she stood up.¡±Did she forget about Qi family status?! Does she think she can outrank us?! We treat her kindly because we are virtuous and generous. Just because we didn¡¯t put her in her ce does not mean she has the right to talk back to us! If the Qi family were to eschew them not even Jian Yi would be able to utter a single word in our presence. In fact, it will be an all too simple procedure.

    ¡°If you really can¡¯t take it anymore, you can move back here with Jian Yi. I don¡¯t believe Zhou Mingyan will dare continue with her disgraceful attitude¡± Guan Liya¡¯s crinkled with disdain, as she gently patted Qi Chengyue¡¯s back in support.

    Qi Chengyue was the Qi family¡¯s only daughter. Guan Liya, as her mother, wouldn¡¯t allow her daughter to suffer such ill-treatment.

    Remembering Qi Chengze, Guan Liya no longer interfered with her children¡¯s lives, but it did not stop her from worrying about them.

    Now that her daughter was bullied, Guan Liya took it upon herself to put an end to it.

    ¡°What¡¯s Jian Yi¡¯s stance on this?¡± Qi Chenglin asked calmly.

    Qi Chengyue had a tissue box on herp. Dabbing away tears, she sniffed ¡°I ran out before he could say anything.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Jian Yi? You are his wife! He shouldn¡¯t stand and watch as you get bullied! That is not how a husband is supposed to act!¡± snapped Guan Liya.

    ¡°It¡¯s his mother! I can¡¯t expect him to stand with me against his mother! I¡¯ve never expected anything from him! After so long, I haven¡¯t even seen his shadow!¡± Qi Chengyue cried.

    ¡°Well, you want to spend time alone with Jian Yi, without any disturbance. There¡¯s a way.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°A way where you won¡¯t offend Jian Yi¡¯s parents, and will make Jian Yi happy. It won¡¯t ruin your rtionship.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s sobbing stopped. She looked up, her eyes red but hopeful. Still whimpering, she could not believe Qi Chengzhi would help her.

    ¡°Moreover, you no longer need to worry about Jian Yi seeking Song Yu out.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips twitched ever so slightly as he delivered those lines, his tone cynical. ¡°Don¡¯t say that Song Yu is bothering him. You know who is bothering who. That is something I¡¯m sure of. After all, there should be no reason for you to be afraid of Song Yu if it were the other way around.¡±

    Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya both heard what Qi Chengzhi said. They were shocked ?¡ªfinally, they understood.

    Qi Chengyue surprisingly did not refute the statement. She simply continued to sniffle, before finally asking, ¡°What¡¯s the way?¡±

    ¡°Transfer to the branch in Paris and take on the responsibility ofmunicating with the architects. Qilin is nning to build arge-scale theme park in the country. The masquerade party is based on the design from France. I¡¯m going to pay a visit myself tomunicate the vision. Plus there is a general manager position that needs filling. The general manager left, so I would like to take the opportunity to fully understand the schematics.¡±

 Chapter 123 - What Did You Say to Me Just Now? Could You Please Repeat It?

    Chapter 123: What Did You Say to Me Just Now? Could You Please Repeat It? (Extra: Cheng-Yu Childhood Drama)

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Just like today ¡ª others would have treated her as a part of the Qi family, simply because they were seated at the same table.

    ¡°Sister, I just wanted to get close to you. If you¡¯re so against it, I... I will never touch you again.¡± murmured Yu Keyao, her low voice making it seem like she was hurt. Wringing her fingers, she bit her lower lip.

    Song Yu looked at her coldly. Squeezing out a polite smile, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t expect you to grab my hand, so I retracted it out of reflex. The next time you want to do so, give me a heads up.¡±

    ¡°Ah! It¡¯s getting rather cold¡± said Grandmother Qi suddenly, her timorous voice impressing her point.

    ncing toward Grandmother Qi, who was rubbing her elbows, she, too, extended her hands toward the radiator.

    Qi Chenglin asked Qi Youxuan, ¡°Do you have any otherpetitions?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± replied Qi Youxuan, stuffing in thest piece of sushi.

    Qi Chenglin then turned to look at Wei Ziqi.

    Wei Ziqi too shook his head, ¡°We¡¯re done.¡±

    ¡°Well, why are we still here, then? Let¡¯s go home and warm up.¡± In a single, swift motion, Grandmother Qi rose up. She then began hurrying the rest of her family.

    Yu Keyao and Yu Kexin were obliged to rise along with the rest of the Qi family. Yu Kexin intended to gather Zhou Jingqi and Yu Keyao and take their leave, however, Yu Keyao stayed where she was.

    Grandmother Qiughed, ¡°Heh heh. Well, girls, since you¡¯re here, why note with us?¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± agreed Yu Keyao with such speed that it left no room for Grandmother Qi to, potentially, retract her offer.

    The speed with which the reply was given stunned Grandmother Qi.

    It made her reconsider the offer.

    She intended the offer to be a customary one, given out of civility. Likewise, she had expected the offer to be declined, as per the rules of social etiquette. By epting, Yu Keyao had just sealed Grandmother Qi¡¯s opinion of her as an ignorant young hussy.

    Yu Kexin, too, was in a state of shock. She had intended to decline the offer, as one should, but Yu Keyao had interjected before she could.

    The offer, to anyone, was clear: an offer made out of politeness.

    It was akin to the superficial statement, ¡°I¡¯ll get the next bill.¡± No one would be so foolish as to demand the exact time and date of the proffered meal.

    Noticing Grandmother Qi shocked state, Yu Kexin felt a deep embarrassment. It was too disgraceful.

    She snuck a glimpse at Yu Keyao, who was blissfully unaware of the strain she was cing on Grandmother Qi. Yu Keyao was staring intently at Qi Chengzhi, who stood behind the olddy.

    Forcing a smile on her otherwise gloomy disposition, Yu Kexin said, ¡°Madam Qi, we have something we need to attend to. I will not be joining this time, but I¡¯ll be sure to pay a visit next time.¡±

    ¡°I see!¡± Grandmother Qi sighed in relief. Her smile was more natural, ¡°Well, if that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t force you toe. Do visit us some other time!¡±

    Yu Kexin smiled and nodded, ¡°Of course, of course.¡± Yu Keyaou, unthwartable, turned around and said, ¡°Elder sister, if you are busy, you may go without me. I¡¯m rather free today, so I will be joining Madam Qi.¡±

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s rxed smile froze. She had been looking forward to furthering her rtionship with Song Yu, but that no longer seemed to be an option.

    Now, even Yu Kexin was stunned silent. She could no longer hide her dismay.

    Even a simpleton would see that Qi Chengzhi had put on a show designed to fend off irritants. It was clear that a reserved man such as he would not show affection in public save for such a purpose.

    Resolving not to disgrace herself, she dered, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I will depart with Jingqi.¡±

    After Yu Kexin departed, Qi Chengzhi, his voice t and devoid of emotion, announced, ¡°Song Yu and I will not be returning to the old mansion. There are other things we need to attend to.¡±

    Grandmother Qi heaved a sigh of relief. The only reason she said it was cold was to drive away Yu Keyao.

    Grandmother Qi had wanted to separate Song Yu and Yu Keyao like her grandson desired. She could not have foreseen Yu Keyao¡¯s tenacity.

    Yu Keyao lowered her head in disappointment. She had forgotten to find out whether Qi Chengzhi would be apanying them. Nheless, she consoled herself with the thought of using this opportunity to get into the good graces of the Qi family.

    Qi Chengzhi left alongside Song Yu and Wei Ziqi . As Qi Youxuan had blurted out that he wanted to y with Little Muran, Qi Chenglin took him with them.

    For the remainder, Grandmother Qi quickly got hold of Xia Wenna¡¯s hand and said, ¡°You will ride with us. Keyao, did you drive here?¡±

    Yu Keyao shook her head. Grandmother Qi then assigned Yu Keyao to Qi Zhongxun¡¯s car.

    Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya were Qi Chengzhi¡¯s uncle and aunt. There was no real benefit of weedling into their good graces. She felt rather morose by the assignment. She could not understand why Grandmother Qi would ce her in their car.

    Judging by her attitude, it appeared that the matriarch had chosen Song Yu, as inconceivable as it was. Giving no further thought to Yu Keyao, Grandmother Qi got into the car and addressed Xia Wenna. ¡°Looking at them today, how can you still oppose the match?¡±

    Xia Wenna remained silent. It was clear to her that any further opposition would be futile.

    This was the first time in 30 years that she had seen Qi Chenzhi behave as such.

    Grandmother Qi did not pursue the matter once it was clear that Xia Wenna was not going to deign her with an answer.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin brought Qi Youxuan to visit Wei Ziqi and family, whereas Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu returned home.

    The moment he set foot into the house, Qi Chengzhi dismissed Aunt Yang. One she had left, he went into the kitchen and began raiding the fridge.

    Curious, Song Yu trailed after him. As she entered the kitchen, she saw Qi Chengzhi standing with a box of strawberries in hand.

    As Song Yu stood there confused, Qi Chengzhi deposited a strawberry into her hand. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to eat strawberries just now?¡±

    Still rather confused, she epted the strawberry and took a bite. It was then that she found herself, once again, drowning in a pool of his scent, as she stood beneath the boughs of his shadow.

    Song Yu took a gulp. Her lips slightly parted, she looked up in shock. It had startled her, how quickly he could move.

    His murky eyes darkened as his pale fingers brushed across her lips. She could taste both the sweetness of the strawberry as well as the smoky acridness of tobo.

    His eyes were clouded with lust as he lowered his head, his lips nearly brushing the tip of her nose. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to do this,¡± He murmured; his voice low and husky.

    His lips brushed against her nose with every word. She could smell the tobo thatced his breath.

    Song Yu¡¯sshes fluttered gently. One could see the flush spread across her face.

    Her fair and translucent skin made the blushes on her cheek all the more alluring. Her beauty was transcendental. Inhaling his raw odor, intermingled with the smell of tobo, she was, all of a sudden, reminded of Yu Keyao¡¯s tenacity.

    Even though Qi Chengzhi had rejected her, Yu Keyao had continued to covet him; her eyes devouring him. Song Yu felt extremely troubled. She wanted to hide him away; bury him in her embrace, so that no one would see him.

    She tightened her grip on his shirt. She pulled him closer. The lips that smelled like tobo curled into a smile. From his vibrating Adam¡¯s apple, he let out a deep, dazzlingugh. It was a heavenly melody that had no equivalent, even among all the musical instruments.

    She found his smile to be vexatious. Why did he have to be so handsome? Why did he need to attract the gaze of others?

    She found his ability of attracting flies to be abhorrent. She felt disgusted by it.

    ¡°You¡¯re too handsome. Sometimes I wish I could just castrate you!¡± So frustrated was she that her face flushed as red as an apple. A part of it was because of how angry she was, and another was because of his teasing.

    ¡°If you castrate me, what will you do about your needs?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s enough for me to just be by your side.¡± She said, her voice quivering. She grasped his waist.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped abruptly. His cold, handsome face was consumed by a barely tempered frenzy, and his eyes were a storm. Easily, he lifted her up, sweeping aside tabletop trinkets and decor with a powerful arm. Then, he ced her on top.

    ¡°Do you like me that much? That you¡¯ve be so possessive?¡± His jet ck eyes were dancing, his expression gentle. Dipping his chin further, he brushed his lips against hers.

    A sudden redness crept across Song Yu¡¯s face, so unprompted, it puzzled him. She buried her delicate and elegant features into his neck. Her warm, slow breathing tickled him, like the flutter of a feather.

    ¡°I love you.¡± She spoke with a soft and trembling voice. Qi Chengzhi almost missed it.

    Once the words had escaped her, she clutched his shoulders and pressed harder against him.

    The tion that filled him was ineffable. An odd quiver ran through his lean and firm frame as his arms came to embrace her like a vice.

    ¡°What did you say?¡± He asked softly. His deep, hoarse voice came out in an anticipatory shudder, breathless.

    Song Yu was unwilling to repeat herself. Her face was still burning from her honesty. Suddenly, her scalp stung, the sharp bite of him tugging on her hair, trying to force her head upwards.

    ¡°Good girl. Look up. Look at me.¡± His hot breath flowed over the corner of her eye. Her eyshes fluttered lightly, stroking his severe, thin lips.

    Song Yu still had her head bowed. She shook her head and dug her nails into his shoulder. With his persistent persuasion, though, she finally looked up. Under his fiery gaze, her face burned red hot.

    Those dark, dark eyes were searching for elucidation in her expression. She kept her eyes half-lidded, hidden beneath the thick boughs of her eyshes. She dared not meet his gaze directly.

    ¡°What did you say to me just now? Could you please repeat it?¡± He murmured in his low voice, as he caressed the back of his hand against her cheek, asionally brushing through her eyshes.

    Song Yu was mortified. She did not know what had provoked the sudden rush. She could not repeat herself, especially not when he studied her so intensely, urged her on with such undeterrable insistence. Feeling cornered, she bit his shoulder and, once more, pressed her forehead against it. She could hear himugh, that rich, throaty sound drawing her in like an inescapable ma.

    Song Yu stole a nce at his enamoring, hypnotic face. In his dark, somber eyes, she found only a reflection of herself. As the days passed them by, she felt her desire to im this man for herself grow stronger. Slowly, her attachment to him built.

    In a trembling voice, she murmured a hushed, ¡°I love you.¡±

    The three words stumbled over themselves clumsily, her voice shaking as though she was in tears. Once it was over, she circled her arms around him tightly, burying her face in the curve of his marmoreal neck. She wanted to never let go.

    She thought she heard him mumble something from deep within his throat, but she could not decipher his words. All she knew was his feverish lips, and their intoxicating touch, mapping every slope and indentation of her face. When, atst, he found her lips, he stilled and kissed her passionately.

    ...

    ...

    At the end of it, Song Yu was spent. Shey on the dining table, wondering if she would ever have a proper meal there again.

    He carried her into the bathroom, leaning her against him as his strong arms took hold of her narrow waist. Every so often, he would press her pale skin between his fingertips, pinching her.

    They were both bathed in sweat, and, where their skin came into contact, so did their perspiration intermingle.

    Song Yu released a moan as she pressed into his sweat-slicked chest. Inhaling his acrid odor, her breathing, while faint, tickled him.

    His chest trembled, and his slender, defined fingers drew her damp hair away from her forehead and behind her ear. Then, gently, he wiped away the beads of sweat that still remained.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi.¡± She writhed in his embrace. The more her mind turned it over, the more agitated she became. She wanted an answer; so much so, that she waspelled to ask for it.

    ¡°Yeah?¡± He replied indolently in his gruff, unaffected tone. Content, his eyes were only half-open, and a soft,zy smile softened his lips.

    He began caressing her long, winding hair with half-lidded eyes

    She looked up at him, smiling cool and calm. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say to me?¡± Rid of intense passion, his expression had grownx.

    ¡°What?¡± His lithe fingers twisting her hair, he brought a lock of it closer, and inhaled.

    ¡°I just said I loved you.¡± She jabbed a finger into his side, frustrated.

    ¡°I know.¡± He shivered, delighting in her disturbed repetition. The arms around her waist tightened. He pulled her closer, pinning her abdomen to his. Lifting his head, his lips chased hers.

    Song Yu turned to the side, feeling his lipsnd on her cheek and failing to meet her mouth as he had intended.

    ¡°Do you really have nothing to say to me?¡± She turned back to him and pondered at his smile. It seemed like he was toying with her.

    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± The curve of his lips was enigmatic, unreadable. A smile, yet a not-smile.

    Her face dropped, ame in scarlet. Struggling down from his embrace, Song Yu pushed his chest away and spun around to leave, but Qi Chengzhi was too quick for her. He easily caught hold of her waist again, and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you going?¡±

    £­£­£­

    Extras:

    Qi Chengzhi was nine when Song Yu was born. Upon her birth, Yu Qianyin had brought Song Yu along for a visit to the Qi Family.

    Qi Chengzhi had looked at the fragile Song Yu on the bed. How adorable! He could not help but prod and y with her cheek ¡ª up, down, left, right.

    Song Yu had tried to struggle away, but it had been futile. She had let out a huge cry, ¡°Wah ¡ª¡±

    Qi Chengzhi had let go. He had squinted and looked at the well-behaved Qi Chengji, who had been ying with his stuffed toy by Song Yu¡¯s side.

    When Yu Qianyin and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother, Xia Wenna, had rushed over, all they could see was Qi Chengji kicking Song Yu in the face. One-year-old Qi Chengji had still been holding on to his stuffed toy. He looked at Qi Chengzhi innocently.

    A few secondster, Qi Chengji¡¯s butt had had a p mark. His cries had been heard all over the mansion.

    Out-of-story interview:

    Old Man: ¡°Mister Qi, it seems like a lot of details for this chapter have been left out. We understand why, but what do you think about this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. I don¡¯t want this to be a public matter.¡±

    Old Man: ¡°...¡±

    Old Man: ¡°But this means you can¡¯t prove your ability to perform.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°As long as Song Yu knows. Being conspicuous about it only attracts envy.¡±

    Old Man: ¡°...¡±

    Old Man: ¡°What did you feel when Song Yu told you she loved you?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°She¡¯s mine. She can¡¯t run away from me.¡±

    Old Man: ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 124 - When Will He Be Free for a Meal? Your Mom Will Be Cooking

    <h4>Chapter 124: When Will He Be Free for a Meal? Your Mom Will Be Cooking</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her blushing face dropped. Song Yu pushed his chest away and turned around to leave. Qi Chengzhi quickly got hold of her waist, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I don¡¯t want to lean on you right now, ¡± she sulked.

    ¡°A moment ago, you were just saying how you can¡¯t live without me. You wanted to castrate me just to keep me by your side. Why¡¯s it that your attitude changes so swiftly? Why don¡¯t you want to lean on me now?¡± Qi Chengzhi held on to her tight. Regardless of how hard Song Yu tried to wrestle her way out, he had her trapped in his embrace. ¡°Good girl. Just stay here. Don¡¯t move around.¡±

    Song Yu did not want to listen as she thought it was mean for him not to reciprocate her statement. She did not have doubts about whether he loved her or not, but as it was in the moment, she just wanted to hear him say it. After all, she had said it herself! As a result, she kept trying to force her way out.

    ¡°Your movements are making me hard.¡± He pressed on her using his heated palms. He let her feel his development.

    Song Yu only hesitated a little. All of a sudden, she held out her hand and grabbed his crotch, and meanwhile, she tried escaping to the side.

    Qi Chengzhi gasped. He did not know whether to cry orugh, as he never expected that move from her. At the same time, being in her embrace was extremely enjoyable.

    As he turned around and got ready for another round, Song Yu¡¯s phone rang.

    Song Yu stopped with her grappling and tried to push him away, ¡°Let me get the phone.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi remained still. He kept her within his embrace.

    ¡°It¡¯s a call from home,¡± said Song Yu, ¡°that¡¯s the ringtone I set for calls from home.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi finally let go. Song Yu picked up the phone by her bedside and answered the call, ¡°Hello.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Dad? What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Can you ask Chengzhiter, when will he be free for a meal? Your mom will be cooking. I¡¯ve been convincing her. Although she¡¯s still a little hung up about the matter, we will eventually reach a consensus. Let¡¯s sit down and have a conversation so we can have a better idea of your rtionship. You should also let your mom know more about Qi Chengzhi. If he could answer her questions, she will be more open to it,¡± said Song Donglin over the phone.

    Song Yu glimpsed at Qi Chengzhi. As she was still angry at him, she replied, ¡°He won¡¯t be free for a while.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Qi Chengzhi snatched the phone away. When he was speaking with Song Donglin, he had a stern expression on his face.

    ¡°Father-inw, it¡¯s me, Chengzhi.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke as he took over the conversation.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu merely stared at him as she could not utter a word. Him calling her dad ¡®father-inw¡¯ was a smooth one. Once again, she had gone red.

    On the other side of the phone, Song Donglin was silent for a while. In the past, he did not have much interaction with Qi Chengzhi. Before the Song family went bankrupt, Qi Chengzhi was still the principal of Jixia High School. As a result, the two did not interact much in the business.

    He did not recall if Qi Chengzhi had been so thick-skinned all the while.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Song Donglin coughed drily. ¡°Well, Chengzhi, you can just call me uncle. You two aren¡¯t married yet. You can call me father-inw at that time.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not reply to that directly. He asked with his firm voice, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    Song Yu grabbed the nket at the side and wrapped herself up. Looking at the man in front of him who was acting all proper and mature, who would believe he was behaving indecently just a moment ago!

    ¡°Oh, nothing much. I want to inform Song Yu to invite you over for a meal whenever you¡¯re free. It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re busy, we can schedule it some other time,¡± Song Donglin said.

    ¡°I¡¯m avable. Can we do it tomorrow? We¡¯ll head over right after work,¡± Qi Chengzhi quickly followed up.

    Song Donglin did not expect him to be so hasty. He was a little befuddled, before he replied, ¡°Okay, sure!¡±

    When the two had finished discussing the matter, Qi Chengzhi hung up, and all he saw was Song Yu wrapping herself into a dumpling <sup>1</sup> .

    ¡°Are you still being difficult?¡± He ced the phone back and stared at Song Yu.

    Song Yu bowed her head, only showing him her velvety hair.

    Qi Chengzhi huffed in ce of hisughter. He grabbed ahold of her, together with the nket, and gave her a passionate kiss. This time around, she did not dodge.

    ¡°Must I say it?¡± He seized her closely. ¡°If I don¡¯t love you, will I spend so much time going after you? If I don¡¯t love you, how can I go on, even if it means going against my family? If I don¡¯t love you, will I be bothered to curry favor with your family?¡±

    Song Yu finally cuddled him. What he had done for her was more than what the word of love could ever express.

    It seemed difficult for a man like him to go around talking about love.

    ...

    ...

    In the morning when Qi Chengzhi was dropping her off at work, they had agreed that as Qi Chengzhi would get offte, Chang Lai would pick her up and drop her off at Qilin for the two to head home together.

    When Chang Lai picked her up in the evening, he was driving Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover.

    Song Yu no longer avoided her coworkers, so there were quite a lot of them who saw her get on the Range Rover.

    Yang Yunshu saw it too. However, as she was rtively new, she did not recognize Chang Lai, who was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s driver, but the rest did.

    When Chang Lai politely greeted and opened the door for Song Yu, someone let out an exmation, ¡°Isn¡¯t he Young Master Cheng¡¯s driver?¡±

    Yang Yunshu was surprised. She spotted Ruan Danchen passing through as she was about to leave, she then quickly got hold of her. ¡°Danchen, Song Yu is going to for a meeting at Qilin?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at her funnily. She made a face, ¡°Have you ever seen someone going to a meeting being picked up by the boss¡¯ driver?¡±

    When Yang Yunshu was still in a state of shock, Ruan Danchen shook her head, pulled herself out of Yan Yunshu¡¯s grip and left.

    Yang Yunshu was not too concerned with Ruan Danchen going. She quickly grabbed another female coworker and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on between Song Yu and Young Master Cheng?¡±

    ¡°Who knows? It does seem like what Wang Liwei said about the two has some truth to it. For Qilin to assign such an important project to a newbie like Song Yu, who would believe the two have only business interaction?¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, Song Yu got the contract by sleeping with the client and not through her ability?¡± Yang Yunshu was a little dissatisfied. She sneered, ¡°When I just joined thepany, I often heard people talk about how Song Yu is capable and how her designs are popr among the clients. It seems like what¡¯s popr among the clients is something else. I guess the reason why everyone in thepany is siding her is because of Young Master Cheng. Who knew what she did to obtain the previous contracts?¡± Wang Liwei was perhaps chased out by Song Yu through some underhanded tricks.

    The female coworker next to her turned around and took a nce at her. She did not want to offend Song Yu, and Yang Yunshu was just a newbie who she had no close rtionships with. Yang Yunshu had yet to build up herwork within thepany, aspared to Song Yu. She then said, ¡°Well, regardless, if she¡¯s dating Young Master Cheng, she¡¯s not a simple woman.¡±

    ¡°Whether Young Master Cheng is serious or not, or regardless of the ending, she¡¯s on the winning side for dating him.¡± After leaving those words with Yang Yunshu, the female coworker did not want to borate any further and took her departure.

    Yang Yunshu was still gazing at the road even after the Range Rover had left. She kept looking, and she seemed deep in thought.

    ...

    ...

    Sitting in the car, Song Yu was unaware of the brief episode at thepany¡¯s entrance.

    She took a look at the calendar on her phone¡ªit would be Qi Chengzhi¡¯s birthday soon. She was having difficulties thinking about how to celebrate his birthday.

    Thest Valentine¡¯s day was enough of a headache. This was another significant date, but until then, she still had no idea what to do.

    ¡°Chang Lai, how did your director celebrate his previous birthdays?¡± Since Song Yu had some leisure time on hand, she began to chat up Chang Lai. She could potentially get some useful information out of this.

    Chang Lai glimpsed at Song Yu through the rear mirror. He scratched his temples and said, ¡°Uhm, the director never really did anything special. If he¡¯s free, he will go home for dinner. Most of the time he has business meetings, so he skips it.¡±

    Song Yu did not expect such an answer. His handsome face popped up in her mind. For thirty-five years, he had never had a proper birthday celebration, and no one had ever done anything for him?

    It was not surprising for her that they had neglected his birthday. The Qi family had always been emphasizing more on the various aspects of education.

    As the Qi and the Song family had good rtions, she had known Qi Chengzhi since young. Thinking about it, there were no such instances where the Qi family had celebrated Qi Chengzhi¡¯s birthday.

    She felt sorry for him. She wanted to hug him.

    ¡°How about presents?¡± It sprung into her mind. ¡°There should be plenty of presents? What did they give?¡±

    Chang Lai seemed in distress as he scratched his temples. ¡°Uhm... There was nothing. Our director is a very private person, so nobody knows about his birthday. It¡¯s quite impossible even if they try to inquire. Hence, even if someone wants to give him a present, they won¡¯t be able to do so. About his family, I have no idea at all what they¡¯ve given him, or whether they¡¯ve done so. This isn¡¯t something the director would share with me.¡±

    Song Yu thought about how dispassionate Qi Chengzhi looked. He always carried a stern and cold face, with a reserved attitude. Even when she was with him, he did not talk much. Not to mention when he was with others.

    When they arrived at Qilin, Chang Lai weaved a sigh of relief, and he could finally escape Song Yu¡¯s interrogation.

    When she came to Qilin, Song Yu just sat down on a sofa near the entrance. It seemed like she did not intend to go up to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office.

    ¡°Song Yu, aren¡¯t you going up?¡± Chang Lai came to ask.

    Song Yu took a look at her watch and shook her head. ¡°I will wait here. Since he¡¯s almost done, if I visit him now, it will just be bothering him.¡±

    Chang Lai did not say anything else. He quickly got someone to serve Song Yu some tea. He then went to a corner some distance away and dialed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number. ¡°Young Master Cheng, Miss Song is here, but she¡¯s waiting at the lobby. She doesn¡¯t want to head up as she¡¯s afraid to hinder your work.¡±

    ¡°Has she arrived?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s t voice could be heard on the phone.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Chang Lai thought for a while, stealing a nce at Song Yu, which was some distance away. As he realized she was not looking at his direction, he spoke with a lower voice, ¡°When we were on the way here, Miss Song kept asking me about your birthday.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his thick, ck eyebrows. His mouth curled into a smile, but he immediately retracted it. He nced at the manager in front of him and stood up slowly. He turned to face the French window and looked at the scenery within his sight. The curl returned as he smiled, delightedly, ¡°Good job. Keep at it.¡±

    The manager opposite him was contemting¡ªdid the director smile just now? Was it an illusion?

    When Qi Chengzhi hung up, he turned around, and instead of taking a seat, he replied, ¡°You wait for me here. I will be back in a moment.¡± He then left the manager.

    ...

    ...

    After Chang Lai hung up, he saw the employee at the receptioning over to make discreet inquiries. He was curious as to who Song Yu was, seeing that Chang Lai had personally apanied her.

    Chang Lai nced at him in an unfathomable manner. He patted his shoulder, ¡°Pay close attention. She is the director¡¯s future wife. You go and tell everyone else. If Miss Songes by herself, don¡¯t stop her and let her go up immediately.¡±

    The employee almost jumped in shock as he learned about it. He snapped and turned to look at Song Yu. Chang Lai grabbed his face and said, ¡°Be discreet! Don¡¯t make Miss Song feel ufortable!¡±

    ¡°Is this the director¡¯s precious girlfriend as fabled by Manager Luo?¡± The employee asked in a soft voice as he observed Song Yu covertly.

    She was sitting there quietly, in a modest manner. From this angle, he could only see Song Yu¡¯s side profile. He could not see her features in detail.

    Song Yu had a tranquil and mellow disposition, and the discernible features on her fair face seemed delicate and refined.

    She had her hair tied up into a dutch braid. The tip of her hair fell just above her shoulder, revealing her silky neck. Her hair was neither long nor short.

    A few strands of hair that were slightly longer than her earlobe were dangling by her ear. She looked just like an inexperienced and young student.

    Was she the director¡¯s type?

    He had to admit that Song Yu was good looking¡ªshe carried an unusual disposition, which drew people into wanting to protect her. However, he could never rte her to someone like Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi was resolute and reserved. His aura was overbearing, and it felt like only a career woman of equal stature could withhold that domineering aura.

    For a woman as innocent as Song Yu, it did not seem like she could withstand it.

    When the employees were still muttering, they caught a familiar sight at the corner of their eyes. When their eyes caught sight of Qi Chengzhi, one hand in the pocket of his ck, taking strides with his long legs straight toward Song Yu.

    Along the way, he did not even nce sideways. All his focus was on Song Yu.

    It was as if the sun had melted the thin ice on his impersonal, distant face as he saw Song Yu.

    It was the first time the employees of Qilin present saw their director with a cordial smile. Warmth filled even the ebony, razor-sharp eyes that people would not dare to look straight into. His eyes also curled into a slight crescent.

    People noticed the shift in his expressions, even though it was minor. Perhaps it was because his face was too icy and impersonal usually, that even this slight shift was noticeable.

    Some of them recalled how Qi Chengzhi treated Yu Keyao thest time. There were no smiles, and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was even more severe than usual. Also, he could not remember who Yu Keyao was. The difference in treatment was astounding.

    Everyone¡¯s mouth fell open. They stared at the development without blinking. Some of them even began texting those who were not present toe down for the drama.

    Song Yu, at that moment, had only Qi Chengzhi in her eyes. Since he appeared, everyone else became invisible.

    She was embarrassed as she saw Qi Chengzhi strode straight toward her with his long legs.

    Before she saw him, she was sipping her tea. She abruptly put down her teacup. In the full ze of publicity, all of a sudden, she was concerned about her appearance and image. She was not sure if she was presentable or if her hair was neat.

    At a loss, she began grooming her hair that was dangling at the side of her face. Just as she kept the hair behind the ear, they mischievously fell out again. Qi Chengzhi took the sight in, and a desire arose to y with the soft strands of her hair in his fingertips.

    When Qi Chengzhi was almost there, Song Yu stood up. With everyone watching, her fair face went red, but she was still staring at Qi Chengzhi, exchanging nces with his gentle gaze.

    Watching him walking toward her under the public¡¯s watch was a fascinating experience. The tension felt as if Qi Chengzhi was walking toward her at their wedding.

    Her heart was pounding harder. She had her eyes glued on him, and it was impossible to look away. She felt a rush of blood in her face, and her breathing was increasingly hurried.

    As Qi Chengzhi stood in front of her, she could smell the familiar scent of Qi Chengzhi¡ªone that was a mixture of tobo and clean, fresh cologne and it caused her to feel a little tipsy.

    Song Yu could feel her scalp heating up as she sensed the attention from the surrounding crowd.

    ¡°Are you free?¡± She asked with a low voice.

    ¡°No.¡± He lowered his head and looked at her, who had lowered her head. Within sight was her gleaming, fair forehead, small but elegant nose and her delicate lips which were faintly discernible under the nose.

    ¡°Why did youe down?¡± she asked softly. She wanted to touch him the moment she saw him, but in consideration of the crowd, she suppressed the desire.

    Qi Chengzhi did not have any apprehension. He reached out to hold both her hands with interlocking fingers.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you go up since you¡¯re here?¡± he asked a question in reply.

    Song Yu¡¯s palms felt scorching hot. Her eyes remained at the level of his chest. She pinched his hand softly, ¡°I¡¯m afraid to bother you when you¡¯re working.¡±

    ¡°Well, shouldn¡¯t it bother me more to pick you up myself?¡± As he spoke, he dragged her toward the elevator.

    Song Yu was somewhat anxious under the attention. His deep and maic voice rang by her ear, ¡°Next time, go straight to my floor. It won¡¯t affect my work. Otherwise, if you¡¯re down here, I¡¯d miss you more. It¡¯d make me lose focus.¡±

    ¡°Uhm.¡± Song Yu nodded obediently. She strengthened her grip against the hand that was holding hers. She felt warm and fuzzy from his sweet words.

    Qi Chengzhi brought her into the elevator. The moment the elevator door closed, Qi Chengzhi pulled her toward him. He let go of her hand, and his arms circled her waist, pinning her against his abdomen.

    ¡°Lift your head up. I wanna kiss you.¡± He leaned against the corner of her eye. His fiery breath fell on her eyelid and temple.

    His thin and burning lips began to rub against her white, clean face uncontrobly as he gazed at it. The smooth sensation of her skin, like suet, was all over his lips.

    Knowing that it was his private elevator that would head straight to his floor, she let go of her shy mannerisms.

    Her face was scalding from his rubbing. Tremblingly, she looked up. Before she had the chance to take a good look at his face, his lips came pressing. He was savoring her lips intensely, which then followed by a brutal intrusion into her mouth. His tongue brushed around without restraint.

    He finally let go when she struggled to catch a breath. His moist and burning lips were still inching around on her face, not missing any bit.

    His clean and strong hands massaged her back as it moved up and down. He kneaded her softness and kissed every inch of her face forcefully. His kisses made her a helpless doll. She lost all power within herself.

 Chapter 125 - Feel Free To Do So, Weâ€™re Going To Be A Family Soon

    <h4>Chapter 125: Feel Free To Do So, We¡¯re Going To Be A Family Soon</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His clean and strong hands massaged her back as it moved up and down. He kneaded her softness and kissed forcefully on every inch of her face. His kisses made her a helpless doll. She lost all power within herself.

    Both of her arms hung on his shoulders weakly. His lips were pressed against the skin below her eyes and grazing it lightly while he muttered, ¡°Why does it feel so good to kiss you?¡±

    Song Yu could not resist butugh at his question. He only released her when the elevator was almost reaching their floor and helped her to tidy up the disheveled clothes and hair that resulted from his touch. Then, he used his fingertips to coil the strands of hair near her ears.

    ¡°Ding¡±, the elevator¡¯s door opened slowly. Qi Chengzhi tried to lead Song Yu out of the elevator but she did not budge.

    He could feel the resistance from her hand and turned around to look at her puzzledly.

    Suddenly, Song Yu took two steps forward and gave him a peck on his chin in a swift motion. After one whole day, there were already stubbles peeking out from his chin. Even though they were not very obvious, it felt prickly when she kissed him.

    This time around, it was Qi Chengzhi who was stunned. Never did he expect her to act like this out of the blue. He lowered his head and saw the endearing expression with a hint of mischief on her blushing face.

    At this moment, it made him realize that she was very much younger than him. No matter how calm she was as a person, she still had the mischief of a prankster in her.

    After that, the tables were turned and Song Yu was leading Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and let Song Yu lead the way. He felt rather pleased to see Song Yu taking the lead for once.

    He followed behind and admired the amazing view of her back.

    Since the weather was slowly turning warmer, she was wearing lesser clothing items. She only had a trench coat on with a simple white T-shirt and a slim fit khaki pants inside, matched with blue suede heels.

    The interior temperature of Qilin was controlled by the centralized air conditioning system. It was quite warm, so Song Yu had taken off her coat before they went up. Her shirt was tucked in her pants secured by a belt, entuating the curves of her waist. The view of her back was exquisite.

    Her hair was in a mess after Qi Chengzhi kissed her in the elevator. It was allid out on her back. Her hair was braided the entire day, fixing her long hair with natural curls. It looked as if they were permed. They were extremely bouncy, swaying along to each step that she took. The curves were also gleaming with a slight sheen.

    Qi Chengzhi was mesmerized by what he saw. He could not resist and lifted his other hand and wanted to run them through her silky strands but Song Yu stopped abruptly.

    Qi Chengzhi immediately came back to his senses and put down his hand hurriedly. When Song Yu turned around, his expression was already back to normal.

    Only then, they noticed that they had reached the door of his office.

    Song Yu gave a tug on his hand and urged, ¡°Open the door!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and extended his arm from behind to open the door before inviting Song Yu in.

    However, once the door was opened, the manager who was sitting with his back facing the door turned his head around and met with Song Yu¡¯s gaze.

    Song Yu felt embarrassed as she remembered that they were holding hands and tried to release him. She was thinking that they should be more aware since this was their workce. Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip and did not let go of her. He pushed her gently from the back into the office. He led her to the sofa that was against the wall as if there were no one around them and turned a blind eye to the amount of shock written on the manager¡¯s face.

    ¡°Wait here for a while, I¡¯ll be done in a minute,¡± he said gently. Even though he did not speak loudly and almost whispered it into her ears, the manager would be able to hear what he said if he paid attention.

    The manager was curious about the situation in front of him but he dare not linger his gaze on them for too long. He was absolutely dumbfounded by the tenderness in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone.

    Qi Chengzhi had his back facing him, so he could not see his expressions. However, he thought to himself, ¡®The director¡¯s girlfriend is so young!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and only released her after she was seated. Then, he proceeded to turn around and discuss matters with the manager.

    Cheng Dongge entered to give Song Yu some snacks and drinks, but Song Yu did not eat much because they were going home to have dinner soon.

    While she was sitting, she observed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office. It was very simple and was able to have a full view with just one look. Unlike many others with a position like him, they usually included a lounge for them to rest in their office.

    He did not have one. The decoration of his office was simple, designed for the sake of working only. There was not even a single mirror inside the room.

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengzhi, he seemed very focused while he was discussing his work. He did not divert his attention to her. She then took out a small mirror and ced it on the desk to braid her hair again.

    The manager noticed that the director¡¯s gaze wavered to the right side behind him from time to time. He had no idea whether the contents of the report was sessfully delivered to the director. He was quite worried and wondered if he had toe again tomorrow.

    Then, he saw Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes. His clean, slender fingers that were previously spinning his pen subconsciously came to a halt all of a sudden. He mmed the pen onto the table and stood up without warning, ¡°You can leave for now.¡±

    When the manager left, he purposely stopped in front of Song Yu and greeted her respectfully.

    ¡°How should I address you?¡± the manager asked humbly.

    Song Yu felt uneasy after hearing him addressing her with such formalities, especially when he used the formal ¡°you¡± to address her. The manager seemed to be much older than Jian Yi, almost the same age as Luo Yushu. She was very embarrassed for him to address her in such a respectful manner.

    When she was about to speak, Qi Chengzhi walked over and said calmly, ¡°She¡¯s my fianc¨¦e, Song Yu.¡±

    The manager was stunned and ttered at the same time. He raised his voice and said, ¡°Miss Song, nice to meet you!¡±

    He never imagined that the director already had a fianc¨¦e without making any announcements. He even brought her to his office. The way he treated her with such tenderness was already causing him to have goosebumps.

    Not long ago when thedy from the Yu family came, the whole Qilin knew about the incident where she was not even allowed to enter the elevator.

    Song Yu also did not expect Qi Chengzhi to change her status from his girlfriend to his fianc¨¦e without telling her anything beforehand. At that instant, she could only blush and take it in silent acquiescence.

    The manager left after he greeted her and went on the close the doors for them.

    While she was braiding her hair, she was also listening to the progress of his work. When Qi Chengzhi walked over to her, she asked, ¡°Am I disturbing your work?¡±

    ¡°No, it was almost done anyway,¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand, his other hand toyed with the strands near her ear gently, ¡°Also, I promised to have dinner at your house. It¡¯s not good to go at such ate hour.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu arrived at the first floor with their hands inteced with each other. When they left the main entrance, more people were gathered around than before, all of them came to see Song Yu.

    The wholepany was aware that Qi Chengzhi brought along his genuine fianc¨¦e. Besides, everyone knew about Song Yu with Cheng Dongge hinting them. They would have to treat her respectfully the next time shees. For the other frivolous women, they would not have to bother about what they say anymore. He already has a fianc¨¦e, those who self-proimed to be can get lost!

    ...

    ...

    The Range Rover was parked downstairs of Song Yu¡¯s house. After Qi Chengzhi got down from the car, he retrieved two bottles of whiskey and brandy from the trunk of his car.

    Back in those days, Song Donglin would have a nightcap before bed. He did not drink much, only half a small cup every time. He liked that refreshing scent and the sensation of a gentle burn.

    Song Yu could smell the fragrance of the dishes from inside when she reached the doorstep. When she thought about it, she had note home for a meal in a very long time. She really missed the smell and felt a lump building in her throat.

    She gave a few sniffs to calm down before knocking on the door.

    Song Donglin answered the door and saw Qi Chengzhi. He weed him in courteously. He treated him like how a father-inw would treat his son-inw.

    Yu Qianying was still cooking in the kitchen. Song Donglin received the alcohol from Qi Chengzhi and brought it to the dining table. Song Yu entered the kitchen, where she hesitated for a second before opening her mouth and called, ¡°Mum.¡±

    Yu Qianying already heard them entering the house, but she could not put herself down and go out to greet them. She avoided that by keeping herself busy with the cooking.

    She turned her head and nced at Song Yu, ¡°You¡¯re back.¡±

    Then, she saw Qi Chengzhi who followed Song Yu in and stood behind her.

    Before this, she only treated him inly as the older brother of her daughter¡¯s fiance. Even though Qi Chengzhi¡¯s age was young enough to be her son, she was awed by the aura that Qi Chengzhi emitted, which had nothing to do with his age.

    This made Yu Qianying feel as if Qi Chengzhi was not someone who was one generation younger than her. This feeling grew stronger ever since Qi Chengzhi became an adult.

    Especially when Qi Chengzhi always puts on a stern expression, his features were so fierce that it made him very unapproachable. He did not interact much with her since he was quite taciturn. Even Yu Qianying herself had no clue how tomunicate with Qi Chengzhi.

    A person like him ended up being her daughter¡¯s boyfriend. Looking at how determined Qi Chengzhi behaved, he would be her son-inw very soon. The more she thought about it, the more she felt peculiar.

    He was supposed to be Song Yu¡¯s brother-inw, but he was standing straight up in the kitchen as the boyfriend that her daughter brought home. Yu Qianying felt so unreal as though she was dreaming all of this.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s expression looked a little unnatural and could not force a smile out, but she still nodded at him and said, ¡°You¡¯re here, go and sit down. The meal will be ready in a minute.¡±

    Song Yu could sense a shift in Yu Qianying¡¯s attitude towards Qi Chengzhi. Even though she acted rather stiffly, but she did not resent him as much as before. Song Yu could not help but step forward and said, ¡°Mum...¡± warm tears filling her eyes.

    Yu Qianying ted the vegetables and put it down. She let out a sigh after she turned around to look at Song Yu. She put her roughened hands after all these years of house chores over Song Yu¡¯s hand and tapped gently, ¡°Bring him in to sit down. Don¡¯t crowd over here.¡±

    Song Yu took out the dish that was just ted but Yu Qianying stopped her from doing so, ¡°Leave it, you¡¯re dressed so nicely. It¡¯s inconvenient with you holding the bag. Just go in and sit!¡±

    ¡°No worries, it¡¯s on the way out anyway,¡± Song Yu rxed a lot after she got Yu Qianying¡¯s approval. She smiled and took the dish away with her.

    Qi Chengzhi moved out of the way to let Song Yu through, but he did not follow her out. He folded his suit together with the long sleeves of his shirt up and exposed his well-defined forearm.

    He extended his hand to another dish and lifted the te with his fair and slender fingers. His thumb got stained by the sauce from the side of the te, looking so out of ce on his clean finger.

    ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, you¡¯ll stain your hand,¡± Yu Qianying said, ¡°Head in and get seated.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already dirtied anyway,¡± Qi Chengzhi knew that she was referring to the sauce stain on his thumb. He could even smell it.

    ¡°Chengzhi,¡± Yu Qianying hesitated for a little before moving her gaze from his slender fingers to his face. Even though he tried to soften his expression, those razor-sharp lines on his face made her unable to look at him directly, ¡°Can I call you like this?¡±

    ¡°Feel free to do so, we¡¯re going to be a family soonT¡± the corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curved upwards slightly as he put the te down.

    After Yu Qianying heard what he just said, she did not know how to answer him in that instant. She always felt that Qi Chengzhi was not very approachable and made others fear him, yet she could not fathom how he managed to say something so shamelessly. The feeling he gave her was quite conflicting.

    She drew a sheet of tissue from the table behind her for him to wipe his hand. She watched him while he casually wiped off the sauce on his thumb elegantly. Then, he just stood there without saying a word. It was obvious that he was waiting for her to initiate the conversation.

    Yu Qianying said after a sigh, ¡°How serious are you with our Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°I want to marry her.¡± His answer was short and determined. He used the word ¡°want¡± instead of ¡°thinking of¡±, showing the firmness in his decision.

    ¡°Even if your family is against it?¡± Yu Qianying took a deep breath, her voice sounded strained.

    She did not want to put it so frankly, but Song Yu was her only daughter and she would never want any harm toe to her.

    Song Yu would not understand since she was the one involved in it. Song Yu would not ask or think about it, that was why some things should be asked by her instead.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen my grandmother¡¯s attitude. If she agrees, no one in the family would dare to oppose it,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. Their conversation was drowned by the noise generated by the kitchen exhaust fan.

    ¡°Can you promise that she would not be hurt by your family members?¡± Yu Qianying asked.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded his head.

    ¡°I hope that you¡¯ll keep your promise,¡± Yu Qianying said. ¡°Song Yu is our only daughter. We gave her the best since she was young. Although we might be very strict on her upbringing, we never made her upset without any reason. She was our princess before the Song family went bankrupt. We owe it to her. Our ipetence cost us ourpany and made her went through so much.

    I can¡¯t help much if she gets troubled by her work. The least I can do is not give her the chance to be upset at home. She was pampered from young by us. If she really got married to you, I won¡¯t expect your family to love her as much as we parents do, but please do not bully her or upset her on purpose.

    We raised her with so much love. She¡¯s not a target for others to bully. Since you promised me today, I hope that you¡¯ll stay true to your words.¡±

    ¡°Also,¡± Yu Qianying inhaled deeply and continued, ¡°Your family probably won¡¯t give her a formal wedding ceremony with her rtionship with Chengji in the past, right?¡±

    Without waiting for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply, Yu Qianying continued, ¡°You don¡¯t have to deny. I used to be a member of that social circle. I know how they think. Nevertheless, there¡¯s nothing to be embarrassed about my daughter. I won¡¯t demand a grand wedding, but at least she should get married in a formal ceremony and not be swept under the rug. Can you do it?¡±

    Song Yu was hiding behind the kitchen door. She came back to help take the dishes out, but she overheard Yu Qianying talking.

    Her throat tightened and hot tears misted over her strained eyes. Before she could even hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s answer, someone touched her shoulder.

    She turned her head around and saw Song Donglin. He had walked over without her noticing. He said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go. This is between your mum and him.¡±

    She did not manage to listen to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reply as Song Donglin brought her away.

    In the living room, Song Donglin took off his reading sses and sat with Song Yu on the sofa.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already discussed the questions for your mum to ask him. Her rejection in the past was all for the sake of your well-being. Now, since he¡¯s the only person you like, we can¡¯t force you guys. However, we still have to get some things straight,¡± Song Donglin looked at her. Even though he looked much older than before, his eyes were still gleaming.

    ¡°Parents are different from other people. We always put our child¡¯s happiness first. Who else would care about your happiness other than us? Although we¡¯re not quite capable now, we still want to protect you in the best way possible.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and used all her strength to hold back those tears from falling out of her eyes.

    She sniffed and choked, ¡°Dad, I¡¯m sorry to let you guys worry so much about me. If... I found a regr guy, you guys wouldn¡¯t be so troubled.¡±

    Song Donglin let out a sigh and patted her shoulders, ¡°No matter what, we still want you to be happy. If you¡¯re happy with him, you¡¯ll have our support. In fact, it was us that let you down. If only I was more capable of saving thepany, we would not be so passive and those from the Qi family won¡¯t have the guts to bully you.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t say that. I have no regrets. If thepany¡¯s still running, Qi Chengzhi and I won¡¯t be able to be together today. You¡¯ll also be busy with thepany and can¡¯t enjoy the leisurely lifestyle that you have now.

    I always felt that even if we can¡¯t live and eat as luxuriously as before, we own a much morefortable state of mind. What¡¯s good about having a life like the Yu family? They can¡¯t live in peace since they have endless desire and greed for money. They¡¯re not necessarily living as freely as you guys. That¡¯s why I¡¯ve never med you guys. It never crossed my mind that bankruptcy was uneptable and that I had to live in regret and sorrow every day onwards.¡±

    Song Donglin sighed while he nodded his head. He nced towards the direction of the kitchen and took a tissue from the coffee table and gave it to Song Yu, ¡°They¡¯reing over.¡±

    Song Yu received the tissue and pressed gently on her eyes to absorb the tears. She took a few deep breaths. When Yu Qianying emerged from the kitchen with the dishes in hand, she had regained herposure.

    Yu Qianying acted normally. If it was not for Song Yu overhearing them, she would never have thought that they could have such an exchange in the kitchen.

    Qi Chengzhi followed behind. It was hard to imagine him holding a dish in a small dining area. It looked as though he could not extend his long limbs fully in the limited space.

    He was definitely not suitable to be in a small house.

    The atmosphere throughout the meal exceeded Song Yu¡¯s expectations. Song Donglin opened the bottle of brandy that Qi Chengzhi brought.

    When Grandmother Qi visited thest round, she brought a case of red wine with her. Song Donglin asked Qi Chengzhi if he wanted to have some red wine, but Qi Chengzhi knew that Song Donglin preferred brandy. Therefore, he suggested him to drink brandy instead. This made Song Donglin very happy.

    After dinner, Song Yu was about to wash the dishes when Yu Qianying stopped her from doing so. She told her to have some rest after a whole day of work.

    This was their usual daily conversation. This scene was not umon and happened quite often. When Song Yu wanted to cook or carry out house chores, Yu Qianying would not allow her to do so if she was at home. The reason she gave was that it was already very tiring after work, she should rest well when shees home.

    Such an unintentional move proved to Qi Chengzhi that Song Yu was indeed pampered by her parents at home. Even though she was no longer thedy from a notable family, they still tried their best not to let her suffer. This waspletely out of parental love.

    Song Donglin told them to sit down and ran to the kitchen. He washed some apples, pears, and strawberries before cutting them into cubes. Then, he cut up a grapefruit and brought them to the living room for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to eat.

 Chapter 126 - I Want To Comb Your Hair Like This for the Entire Night Today

    <h4>Chapter 126: I Want To Comb Your Hair Like This for the Entire Night Today</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Donglin told them to sit down and ran to the kitchen. He washed some apples, pears, and strawberries before cutting them into cubes. Then, he cut up a grapefruit and brought them to the living room for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to eat.

    Since the house was not very big, Qi Chengzhi could hear the sounds of dishes being washed in the kitchen while he sat in the living room. He nced stoically and quickly shunned his gaze away.

    This time, Yu Qianying did not stop Qi Chengzhi from leaving together with Song Yu, even though it was difficult for her to see her daughter leaving with a man. Song Donglin felt the same way too.

    When they were sending them off at the doorstep, Yu Qianying said, ¡°Come home and visit with Song Yu if you have the time. I know that you¡¯re busy, it¡¯s not a must toe home and have a meal. It¡¯s alright to just drop by for ten to twenty minutes. We, as parents, will miss our daughter dearly.¡±

    ¡°And you,¡± Yu Qianying turned towards Song Yu, ¡°If he¡¯s busy, you should alsoe back often to see us.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Song Yu promised with a smile. She felt much more rxed as Yu Qianying no longer objected to their rtionship.

    Even though the hallway was well lit, it was not as bright as the indoors. Song Yu stood at the entrance and looked at Yu Qianying, her face seemed to look wearier under the illumination of the lights.

    Song Yu felt a surge of tightness in her throat and moved forward to embrace Yu Qianying tightly with her arms.

    Yu Qianying was surprised by her actions as Song Yu rarely showed her emotions. However, it was as if she understood something and hugged her back with a smile. She patted her back and said, ¡°Go back earlier.¡±

    Song Yu broke away from Yu Qianying¡¯s embrace and turned around to tell Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I...¡±

    Before she could even finish her sentence, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was clearly giving out the message, ¡®Don¡¯t even think about it.¡¯

    He knew what she wanted to say. She wanted to stay for the night.

    Therefore, he did not allow Song Yu to continue speaking and dragged her hand, ¡°The weekend is in two days. We¡¯lle back again.¡±

    Yu Qianying nced at Qi Chengzhi and let out a sigh. They had not even gotten married yet and he was already so possessive of her. She could only say, ¡°Go home. You guys can stay a night here during the weekends, how about that?¡±

    This time around, Song Yu did not give the chance for Qi Chengzhi to answer and shouted in a hurry, ¡°Yes!¡±

    Song Yu answered it so quickly that she looked towards Qi Chengzhi guiltily after saying it out loud. It seemed like he was smiling, his deep-set eyes gleaming with a hint of mockery, but he did not oppose her opinion. He said with a calm and mellow voice, ¡°Let me arrange my time to see if we cane here on Friday or Saturday.¡±

    A gleeful smile lit up on Yu Qianying¡¯s face instantly and Song Yu gave him a grateful nce.

    Both of them left after getting into the car. Song Yu did not thank him as she felt like it would depreciate the closeness of their rtionship and even upset him.

    Nevertheless, before they were about to alight after parking the Range Rover into the garage, Song Yu leaned forward suddenly and gave him a peck on his face quickly. Her swift motion caused a gentle stir of wind, mixed with a faint scent of her fragrance which felt quite pleasant.

    When she was about to get down the car, Qi Chengzhi grabbed her hand and yanked her back up.

    At the same time, his seat slid backward to prevent Song Yu from hitting the steering wheel and gear stick when he carried her over onto hisp.

    His coat was lying on the backseat. The heater in the car was still running, he folded his sleeves leisurely until it was below his elbow and exposed his strong forearm.

    His arm was not as hairy as other men, but it was definitely more than that of a woman. It felt especially powerful.

    Song Yu lowered her head and saw his arms wrapped around her. She had an impulse to raise his arm with both of her hands and pepper it with kisses.

    However, the gaze above her head was so ring that she did not linger on his arm for long and lifted her head, meeting his teasing jet-ck eyes.

    ¡°Is this your way of thanking me?¡± he asked with an ambiguous smile.

    Song Yu blushed and admitted by nodding her head, ¡°Thank you for not objecting to the suggestion.¡±

    ¡°If your parents allow us to stay in one room, I would absolutely support it,¡± he ced his warm palm on the back of her waist and grazed upwards. His dextrous fingertips pinched the ends of her braids and loosened the rubber band easily.

    He inserted his slender fingers into the braid andb through them gently, her wavy hair drooped down like a waterfall.

    His clean fingertipsb through her curly hair, straightening a few wavy strands along with his action, but it bounced back to the original curvature once he released them.

    ¡°I want tob your hair like this for the entire night today.¡± His voice was deep and raspy. It sounded extra sexy and drilled its way through her heart.

    He buried his head into her hair and inhaled deeply.

    Song Yu was so embarrassed by his action that her face went numb and flushed. She said softly, ¡°There are only two rooms in my house. One belongs to my parents and the other one is mine. If you insist on staying behind, you will be staying with me.¡±

    His chuckle emitted from her luscious hair on her neck. His lips grazed gently from her neck upwards until they found her soft lips and kissed them deeply.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Yu Keyao noticed that there were two pairs of shoes in front of the shoe rack at the entrance when she came back from a gathering with her friends. There were a pair ofdies medium-heeled leather shoes and a pair of men¡¯s shoes with a design suited for middle-aged men.

    Yu Keyao raised her eyebrows and recalled the interaction between the Qi family and her yesterday. She thought to herself, ¡®Could it be that Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna came to visit?¡¯

    Yu Keyao passed her bag to Auntie He cheerfully as she was in a very good mood. She asked with a rxed tone, ¡°Who¡¯s here?¡±

    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Yu,¡± Auntie He replied.

    The smiley face on Yu Keyao disappeared instantly. After walking into the living room, she saw Yu Zixiu and Chi Yuanzhen sitting at the opposite of Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua.

    ¡°Keyao, you came back just in time. Come over here and sit down. We¡¯re discussing something that involves you,¡± Yu Zixiu said as he pointed at the empty seat on the sofa when he saw Yu Keyao.

    After she was seated, Yu Zixiu mentioned, ¡°I heard from your sister that you met the Qi family at Jingqi¡¯s kindergarten yesterday.¡±

    Before waiting for Yu Keyao¡¯s answer, Yu Zixiu continued, ¡°Your sister came home and told us that Qi Chengzhi already has a girlfriend, and she¡¯s Song Yu.¡±

    Then, Yu Zixiu shifted his gaze from Yu Keyao towards Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about this?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. The Qi family would never allow Qi Chengzhi to be with Song Yu. It would only be a matter of time before they break up. There¡¯s nothing to say about it.¡± Liang Lihua pursed her lips into a sharp line and gave a cold stare at the person opposite of her. She was not happy that Yu Zixiu and his wife came to meddle with their affairs.

    ¡°Song Yu already sat openly with the Qi family, what more can we say?¡± Chi Yuanzhen put down the teacup in her hand and raised her eyebrows. ¡°ording to what Kexin saw, although the Qi family was not very satisfied with Song Yu, they did not force them to break up. They had no choice but to allow them to be together after Qi Chengzhi proimed that he would only be with Song Yu and no one else, even though they were not very pleased with his choice.

    Besides, Grandmother Qi was very satisfied with Song Yu and stood on their side. That¡¯s why others dare not speak of their objections.¡± Chi Yuanzhen cleared her throat and continued, ¡°Yesterday, the way Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu acted so lovingly showed that they wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to interfere with them. Those who have a sense of dignity would definitely not hang around. They were already hinting so obviously and yet you followed them home. You still followed the Qi family home even after Qi Chengzhi left together with Song Yu. Are you trying to make a fool out of yourself?¡±

    Liang Lihua never expected Yu Keyao to behave like this. Yu Keyao only told her that she saw Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu at the kindergarten and that she was invited by the Qi family over to their house.

    She had always thought that the Qi family preferred Yu Keyao over Song Yu and nned to support Yu Keyao to be with Qi Chengzhi until the very end. To her surprise, it was actually Yu Keyao who pestered them incessantly.

    Even Liang Lihua who kept encouraging Yu Keyao to continue with her pursuit felt embarrassed after hearing what Chi Yuanzhen had just said.

    ¡°Brother, what message are you guys trying to convey? You came here today just to say that Yu Keyao shamed the Yu family?¡± Yu Zidong said unhappily. Yu Keyao was still his daughter no matter what. Even if she did something inappropriate, he would tell her in private. How could these twoe to their house and tell her off?

    ¡°At first, we were all very pleased to hear that the Qi family intends to arrange a union between Yu Keyao and Qi Chengzhi. This is great news for the Yu family as ites along with many benefits,¡± Yu Zixiu said as he ignored his younger brother¡¯s sarcasm, ¡°However, ording to the current situation, Qi Chengzhi would not marry Yu Keyao anymore. If the Qi family couldn¡¯t even force him to do so, what can we do?

    Why don¡¯t you befriend Song Yu instead? She¡¯s still our niece no matter what. If Qi Chengzhi insisted on marrying her, we would also be inws with the Qi family.¡±

    ¡°Absolutely not!¡± Liang Lihua voiced out suddenly. Her voice was so sharp that it pierced through the ears of Yu Zidong and Yu Keyao who were sitting next to her.

    Yu Zixiu and Chi Yuanzhen¡¯s gaze turned towards her. Liang Lihua regained herposure before continuing, ¡°When the Song family went bankrupt, we already cut ties with Yu Qianying before she came to us for help. We haven¡¯t contacted each other in so many years. If the Yu family approached them right after Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, do you think that they would forgive us just like that?¡±

    Liang Lihua pursed her lips coldly and snickered, ¡°I think they will taunt and torture us, not to mention forgiveness! I bet that they will take this opportunity to embarrass us and take revenge on us for the things we did to them in the past.¡±

    ¡°We ignored the Song family when they went bankrupt. If we try to worm our way to them now that Song Yu¡¯s with Qi Chengzhi, don¡¯t you know what Yu Qianying will do with her temper? She¡¯s your sister too.¡±

    The whole living room fell into silence. Then, a gentle voice emerged, ¡°I think that you guys should at least let me try my best before approaching them?¡±

    When Yu Keyao noticed that everyone was looking at her, she exined, ¡°Even though Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi are together, they haven¡¯t got married yet. The Qi family is not against them, but neither have they showed their support explicitly. Everything is still uncertain, don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too desperate if we go and ingratiate with them now?

    Also, I still stand a chance if they are not married yet. We¡¯re not certain that Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi can stay till the end!¡± Yu Keyao pouted her lips coldly and continued, ¡°Uncle, I assume that you¡¯re really desperate to ask us to ingratiate ourselves with the Song family. I think that you won¡¯t do that if this is not the final straw.

    If this is the case, why don¡¯t you let me try first? If Song Yu managed to marry Qi Chengzhi in the end, we could always still reconcile with the Song family, right? I don¡¯t think there would be a difference in the Song family¡¯s attitude if we approach them now or in the future.

    You mentioned that I embarrassed the family. However, I don¡¯t agree with that. I like Qi Chengzhi and I pursued him bravely. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Yu Keyao tugged her hair beside her ears and said, ¡°If I don¡¯t try now, I will never seed. Once I have seeded, who cares about the process it took me to get there?¡±

    Yu Keyao stood up and nced at them, ¡°Anyways, I won¡¯t give up. You guys can think about what I¡¯ve said to see whether it makes sense. I¡¯ll head back to my room.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The afternoon of the following day, Song Yu finished work earlier than Qi Chengzhi as usual. Chang Lai picked her up and sent her to Qilin, but she did not enter thepany.

    She chose not to enter to avoid attracting all those unwanted attraction and make a scene. When she thought about how many staff were going to look at her and how the supervisors would treat her with such formalities, her scalp started to feel numb.

    She told Chang Lai that she wanted to walk around before she entered thepany.

    Qilin was located in the central business district, surrounded by high-end office buildings and upper-middle-ss malls. There was no night market around, but there was a unique shop beside the road.

    Once she exited the shop, she received a phone call from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gentle voice was quite raspy, which sounded rather lethargic over the phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m strolling around thepany,¡± Song Yu replied. She lifted her head to look at the shop name and told him, ¡°Are you done with your work?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t youe up?¡± He asked again as if he had ignored Song Yu¡¯sst question.

    ¡°It would be so awkward if something simr to yesterday happens again! Whenever I¡¯m there, yourpany¡¯s staff and supervisors are too enthusiastic. Also, I don¡¯t have anything to do while you¡¯re busy working. Just go ahead with your work. I¡¯ll slowly walk around, no hurry.¡±

    When she finished, Qi Chengzhi replied with a cool ¡°Uhm¡± and hung up the phone.

    Song Yu did not mind it as she was used to his style of talking over the phone. She continued walking but she did not go too far. Instead, she went into each store and shopped carefully.

    There was a store selling digital essories next to the one that she just came out from. There were some interesting phone cases and tiny essories disyed on the window. She stood outside to browse through the phone cases that were hanging on the window and saw one case with a rather intricate design.

    The phone case had white linings and a transparent body. The material looked like stic, but it was printed with greyish-silver and white feathers. Song Yu fell in love with it instantly. She felt that it suited her name so well, and it was just right for her cellphone model.

    Coincidentally, there was another phone case hanging beside it which was from the same series. It had an orange lining with a different print. The transparent body had oranges with its leaf prints on them. The color and the cute style were designed for young girls.

    However, she thought of Qi Chengzhi when she saw the orange print. The pronunciation of orange, ¡°cheng zi¡± was also a homonym for Chengzhi.

    When Song Yu pictured Qi Chengzhi holding a phone with such a cute girly styled case, she could not resistughing.

    When Song Yu was about to enter the store, a low voice that was holding back itsughter sounded behind her, ¡°What are you buying?¡±

    Song Yu turned her head around in shock. When she saw who was it, she could not help but ask in surprise, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Li Zhuoan had a smile on his face as if he was intrigued by her astonishment. His eyes were fixated on Song Yu¡¯s face, not wanting to move it, ¡°I came to run some errands nearby. When I passed by, I saw a silhouette that looks like you. I thought that I¡¯ve mistaken it for someone else, that¡¯s why I came down from the car to check, and it turns out to really be you.¡±

    Song Yu nced behind him and saw the Maserati parked beside the road. She recalled that night when Qi Chengzhi attended the blind date, she saw the same car that belonged to Li Zhuoan.

    It was illegal to park beside the road, but he did that without a second thought.

    ¡°Buying something?¡± Li Zhuoan looked towards the store. When he was walking over, he saw that Song Yu was about to enter the store.

    ¡°I just want to go in and have a look.¡± Song Yu did not want to continue chatting with him. This ce was just beside Qilin, they might be seen by other Qilin¡¯s staffs. It would not be nice if Qi Chengzhi hears about this.

    Even though she did not do anything, that man could be blinded by jealousy and she would have to spend so much effort coaxing him after that.

    ¡°You can¡¯t park here. Don¡¯t leave your car for too long, you might get a parking ticket,¡± Song Yu tried to dismiss him.

    ¡°Let it be, it¡¯s fine,¡± Li Zhuoan disregarded it. At the same time, the corner of his mouth raised into a confident grin.

    Li Zhuoan had a steady mien. He was known for his credibility and never boasted carelessly. When a man showed a confident smile like his, he could easily catch the attention of women and gain their favor

    Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi had a steadier mien. When he curled the corner of his mouth, there would be a hint of mischief that miraculously appeared amid his steadiness. Furthermore, his confidence and maturity that was polished over age and experience were far beyond Li Zhuoan.

    Song Yu¡¯s standard had been spoiled by Qi Chengzhi long ago. That was the reason why when she saw Li Zhuoan put up such a charming expression that many other women would definitely fall for, she was not impressed. Instead, she felt that he was still too young and immature.

    If Qi Chengzhi said the same words as he did, he would be s¨¦ about it.

    Since Li Zhuoan said that, Song Yu did not dwell with him further. She turned around and enter the store, but she had not expected him to follow her in as well.

    The store was not very big. With Li Zhuoan following her closely behind, even if he was not really touching her, Song Yu still felt congested and ufortable.

    At this moment, she just wanted to get away from him. However, she could not say it directly to him as it would be impolite.

    She took down the phone cases with feather and orange prints from the hook and went to the cashier hurriedly. After looking at the price on the machine, Song Yu was taking out money from her purse when Li Zhuoan handed a card to the cashier.

    Song Yu frowned and passed the three hundred dor notes in her hand.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, let me pay for it,¡± Li Zhuoan said.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Song Yu had no reason to spend Li Zhuoan¡¯s money. She rarely spends Qi Chengzhi¡¯s money unless he insisted on it, not to mention Li Zhuoan. She rejected his offer and said, ¡°I have no reason to let you pay for something that I want.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just a small matter. There¡¯s no need to be so calctive between friends. I don¡¯t have the habit of letting women pay no matter where I go. It¡¯ll make me ufortable. Moreover, let this be my apology gift to you,¡± Li Zhuoan said and forced his card into the hands of the cashier.

    Song Yu frowned and said, ¡°If you were referring to the Red Roof incident, you already sent me flowers. I didn¡¯t hold any grudges against you. There¡¯s no need for an apology. If you insist, I already forgave you immediately when we were at Red Roof. There¡¯s no reason for you to pay.¡±

    ¡°Talking about flowers, on the card that I gave you was a message saying that if you forgive me, call me. I never did receive your call, so I thought you never forgave me,¡± Li Zhuoan said and smiled. ¡°Let me atone for my sins of the past. Although a phone case is not much of a gift, please ept it. I¡¯ll make it up to you another time.¡±

 Chapter 127 - Did You Still Want Him Around?

    <h4>Chapter 127: Did You Still Want Him Around?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Talking about flowers, on the card that I gave you was a message saying that if you forgive me, call me. I never did receive your call, so I thought you never forgave me,¡± Li Zhuoan said and smiled. ¡°Let me atone for my sins of the past. Although a phone case is not much of a gift, please ept it. I¡¯ll make it up to you another time.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Song Yu bit her lower lip sheepishly and replied, ¡°I think your name card fell off, so I didn¡¯t know your number.¡±

    Li Zhuoan was silenced.

    ¡°Excuse me, sir, we only take cash here.¡± The cashier finally found a chance to speak up.

    Li Zhuoan¡¯s expression tightened as he extended his arm. The cashier dropped the card in his palm. This was just embarrassing.

    Song Yu took her chance and stuffed some bills into the hand of the cashier.

    She took the phone case and left the shop as Li Zhuoan seemed rooted at the same spot in front of the counter. She was hoping that he would not follow her.

    As she exited the shop, she spotted Qi Chengzhi walking over with his phone in his hand. He must have just gotten off a call.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped a few steps away from her with one hand tucked in his pocket. He eyed her with an impassive look, seemingly unaware of Li Zhuoan¡¯spany.

    Under that stare, Song Yu felt like she was caught red-handed despite her innocence. She quickly jogged over to Qi Chengzhi and looped her arm through his.

    ¡°Why are you here? You¡¯re done with work?¡± she asked gently with a smile in her eyes.

    ¡°I was already walking over when I called,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied coolly. He continued to ignore Li Zhuoan¡¯s presence. The dark, soulful eyes shifted to the gift bag in Song Yu¡¯s grip. ¡°What did you buy?¡±

    Song Yu noticed that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone did not have a case. The man was not a fan of eye-catching designs and probably thought that having a phone case was a hassle.

    Regardless of her observations, she retrieved the phone cases that she bought and presented them to him. ¡°I bought matching phone cases for us since we have the same model.¡±

    ¡°Look at this one, the feather symbolizes my name.¡± Song Yu pointed out to him. She took the other one and said, ¡°And this one has an orange. It sounds like your name, Chengzhi.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi silently took the two phone cases in his hands. His expression was unreadable as usual.

    Li Zhuoan had walked up to them now and a look of surprise graced his face. When Song Yu picked the phone cases, he thought they were for personal use due to the colorful and feminine design. Men like them rarely used phone cases¡ªa ck leather case was the most they would consider.

    Li Zhuoan would never use a phone case like that. He figured Qi Chengzhi would reject the gift. The cutesy design really did not match his persona.

    If his subordinates or clients saw the phone case, Qi Chengzhi would be the butt of their jokes.

    After a nce at the selection before him, Qi Chengzhi wordlessly took the white phone case from Song Yu¡¯s hands. His nimble fingers teased out the phone case from its box and gave his phone a new skin.

    He had taken into consideration the options and chose the lesser of two evils. White, while still a feminine color, was not as eye-catching as orange.

    Song Yu watched Qi Chengzhi hold up his gleaming white phone. The white phone case did not match him¡ªit was too feminine.

    However, Qi Chengzhi appeared to be unaware of this fact. In fact, he seemed pleased with the feather design phone case in his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take this one, while you use that one.¡± He ripped the orange phone case from its packaging and proceeded to put it on Song Yu¡¯s phone.

    This whole time, Qi Chengzhi had on a stoic face. Li Zhuoan noted that his expression only softened when he was done putting on the orange phone case on Song Yu¡¯s phone.

    Song Yu studied Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone. The awkwardness faded the longer she looked at it. The feather design on the back of his phone made it feel intimate.

    She had wanted the feather design for herself but Qi Chengzhi had made up his mind, and consequently, hers. The unexpected oue ended up being much better than she had hoped for.

    Song Yu got her phone back and smiled. Her eyes crinkled in happiness as she stared at her new phone case¡ªit was simr to having Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name carved onto the back of her phone.

    The phone was carefully deposited into her pocket. Li Zhuoan was still here and as Song Yu thought of ways to shake him, Qi Chengzhi looked pointedly at Li Zhuoan. ¡°Is that your car at the back?¡±

    Seconds trickled past before Li Zhuoan whipped around to find his car. As Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were talking to each other, Li Zhuoan¡¯s existence was utterly ignored. Hence, when Qi Chengzhi suddenly spoke to him, there was a dy in his response.

    Parking was not allowed on that stretch of road. Originally, there were only the lonely Maserati parked on the side of the road. Now, there was a tow truck in front of the Maserati. The tow truck rumbled to life and they watched as the Maserati was slowly towed away.

    Li Zhuoan¡¯s eyes bulged and without saying goodbye, he ran after the tow truck. He exchanged a few words with the tow truck driver but s, there was no room for negotiation. Li Zhuoan stared wide-eyed as his car was towed down the street.

    When Li Zhuoan turned around, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were gone.

    The feeling of helplessness and anger filled Li Zhuoan but all he could do was raise his fist and curse at the sky.

    ...

    ...

    At this time, Song Yu was already settled in the passenger seat of the Range Rover. Once Li Zhuoan turned his back against them, Qi Chengzhi had tugged her away without any ns of exchanging pleasantries with the man.

    While Song Yu did not want to be rude, her resolve was easily broken. She learned that following Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lead was the best course of action in most situations.

    She took out her phone and traced her finger across the orange prints. She turned to Qi Chengzhi and smiled adoringly. A thought struck her. Qi Chengzhi had just finished a call when she spotted him outside the shop.

    What a coincidence...

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face was back to its apathetic state even as Song Yu stared at him. She asked, ¡°Were you the one who called the tow truck?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her before replying in a teasing tone, ¡°Did you still want him around?¡±

    Song Yu sealed her lips. His question was more or less an admission.

    Qi Chengzhi brought his focus back to the traffic ahead. He was around thepany area when he hung up the phone. He had never heard of the shop that Song Yu mentioned, so he asked the patrol guard at the door. The patrol guard nearly had a heart attack seeing Qi Chengzhi but he managed to give him the location of the shop which was just beside Qilin.

    As Qi Chengzhi walked toward the shop, he saw a Maserati parked illegally by the road. He did not mind it until he saw the te number. It was Li Zhuoan¡¯s Maserati.

    Upon further surveince, he saw Song Yu talking to Li Zhuoan outside the shop and then they entered the shop. Qi Chengzhi dialed for the traffic police to report the offending Maserati.

    He did not expect such a quick response from them.

    Song Yu¡¯s phone rang. It was Yu Qianying calling from home.

    ¡°Hi, mom.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu gave Qi Chengzhi a furtive look and said, ¡°A dishwasher? Hold on.¡±

    She turned to stare at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°You bought us a dishwasher? My mom is saying that it¡¯s fully paid for and they won¡¯t take it back.¡±

    A red light wasing up and the car rolled to a stop. Qi Chengzhi calmly replied, ¡°I bought it. I saw that she was up all night doing chores in the kitchen, so I thought a dishwasher would help.¡±

    A small smile appeared on Song Yu¡¯s face as she conveyed his message, ¡°Mom, it won¡¯t consume a lot of water. It¡¯s the same brand as the one Chengzhi has at home. Think about it, you spend an hour to wash the dishes but with this, it¡¯ll only take a few minutes. It¡¯s convenient for you and you won¡¯t have to deal with the extra oily tes.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The muffled voice of Yu Qianying could be heard.

    ¡°The one we hadst time was an old model. Now that technology is so advanced, it won¡¯t be so hard on the water and electricity bill. How about you try it out for a month? Don¡¯t worry so much, I can cover the little bit of extra cost.¡±

    Song Yu continued to persuade her mother. A few sentencester, Yu Qianying appeared to have agreed to a trial period and Song Yu hung up the phone.

    Song Yu faced Qi Chengzhi and exined, ¡°My mom was worried about the water bill, that¡¯s why she doesn¡¯t want it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and leaned over to take her hand. He ced her hand on his leg and said, ¡°What is there to worry? If I said that I will take care of the expenses now, you and your parents will definitely kick up a fuss. But when we¡¯re married, your family doesn¡¯t need to worry. Then, we will get them a big house¡ªsomething to their liking. I will have everything arranged. They won¡¯t have to do anything unless they wanted to.¡±

    Song Yu flipped her hand so that she couldce their fingers together. She did not know when it started but being with Qi Chengzhi made the uncertainties of life disappear.

    She did not know when she made up her mind. They were getting married¡ªshe had no doubts.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi managed to get off work early on Friday. When Song Yu stepped out of thepany, the Range Rover was already parked by the roadside waiting for her.

    There was a line of parked cars by the road. While the Range Rover was inconspicuous, she could tell that it was Qi Chengzhi sitting inside.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± a voice called out as Song Yu was about to cross the road.

    Song Yu looked around and saw Yang Yunshu jogging toward her.

    Ever since the rose incident, Yang Yunshu had avoided speaking to Song Yu. However, these past two days had seen Yang Yunshu being all friendly and pleasant.

    Song Yu halted her steps and waited as the woman approached. ¡°Wanna go home together? How are you getting home?¡±

    The pedestrian light turned green and Song Yu took it as her cue. ¡°My boyfriend¡¯s picking me up,¡± she muttered before crossing the road in hurried footsteps.

    ¡°I saw a Range Rover picking you up that day. Our colleagues say that it¡¯s Master Cheng¡¯s car. Your boyfriend...¡± Yang Yunshu huffed as she quickened her steps to match Song Yu.

    Her words trailed off as they reached the Range Rover.

    The window of the driver seat was down and an arm was resting on the window sill. The slender fingers held a cigarette with the utmost elegance.

    Song Yu¡¯s appearance prompted him to extinguish the cigarette.

    ¡°Master Cheng,¡± Yang Yunshu greeted enthusiastically.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at the woman and gave a perfunctory nod.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave,¡± Song Yu smiled politely and nodded at Yang Yunshu.

    Song Yu got around to the passenger side and slipped in. The Range Rover pulled out as soon as Song Yu was on board.

    Yang Yunshu was left standing by the side of the road, gawking at the dust kicked up by the departing car. They did not even bother to ask if her stop was on the way.

    ...

    ...

    While Song Yu and Yang Yunshu were not close friends, she could tell that Yang Yunshu had ulterior motives. It either involved Qi Chengzhi or using him to gain ess to the wealthy and famous.

    She figured the former was more likely. Regardless, she did not like it one bit.

    The fact that Qi Chengzhi had eyes for no one else made it easier for her to toss this issue aside.

    Song Yu giggled aloud¡ªwhen did she develop such confidence in Qi Chengzhi?

    ¡°What are youughing at?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. The curve of her lips was enticing.

    ¡°Laughing at myself. Of how confident I am that you won¡¯t be seduced by some other woman. I wonder if my faith is ced in myself or you?¡± Song Yu turned around and looked at the dashing man sitting in the driver¡¯s seat.

    The cold mask that Qi Chengzhi wore when facing Yang Yunshu was gone. His eyes were gentle now.

    He chuckled and grabbed her hand to his thigh. She could feel the roughness of his skin as he massaged the back of her hand.

    The heat radiating from him was immense and she felt her blood pulsed through her veins.

    Song Yu¡¯s palms started to sweat. The faint smell of tobo wafted over even though there was no cigarette lit. That little gesture he did when he saw her was touching.

    Qi Chengzhi had been very considerate about her dislike for cigarette smoke.

    Despite Song Yu¡¯s initial dislike, she was slowly growing used to the smell.

    Of course, she did not let on the fact. ¡°You should smoke less. You don¡¯t smoke when I¡¯m around but when I¡¯m not here, who knows how many sticks you go through.¡±

    As she said that, her thumb traced the back of his hand. Unlike his fingers, the skin on the back of his hand was smooth and without a blemish.

    ¡°I¡¯m smoking way less than before.¡± Qi Chengzhi steered the car with one hand while the other toyed with her fingers. Song Yu always found it attractive when he drove with one hand.

    The roads that they were passing were not toward Viewpark Residence.

    ¡°Are we going out for dinner?¡± she asked. It was customary at this point for them to have dinner at home.

    Qi Chengzhi would pick her up from work and she would cook once they got home. It was very domestic and the habit had made him develop a dislike for outside food.

    He was not a picky eater, so he usually went to restaurants for convenience sake. After being spoiled with home-cooked food, he could no longer tolerate the taste of outside food, no matter how expensive they were.

    ¡°We promised your parents that we would go back for the weekends right? We can stay over there for tonight. Tomorrow we¡¯ll head straight to the family house for Chengyue and Jianyi¡¯s return from their honeymoon trip.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s arrival was not a surprise for Song Donglin and Yu Qianying. Clearly, he had already informed her parents beforehand and she was the only one out of the loop.

    Dinner was almost ready, courtesy of Yu Qianying.

    Presently, there was a big improvement in Yu Qianying¡¯s attitude toward Qi Chengzhi. Although there was little warmth in her tone, Yu Qianying asionally directed a smile at him.

    On normal days, the house only had Yu Qianying and Song Donglin and there was no one else to drink with them. While Qi Chengzhi was here, his behavior was nothing short of utter respect for the two elders despite his social status.

    Qi Chengzhi was not much of a talker but with his future father-inw, he did his best to answer all the questions. The conversation flowed with ease and Song Donglin drank his wine merrily.

    After dinner, there was no fight for dishwashing duties because of the shiny, new dishwasher.

    However, Yu Qianying was not familiar with the controls.

    Before the family went into bankruptcy, their dishwasher was operated by the maid. Yu Qianying hardly ever stepped into the kitchen.

    After the bankruptcy, such luxuries were no longer affordable. The brand new dishwasher was only installed today and Yu Qianying stood over it, scratching her head over the controls.

    Hearing her woes, Qi Chengzhi rolled up his sleeves and walked into the kitchen with the operating manual.

    Song Yu stood by the kitchen entrance watching his tall frame in their tiny kitchen. He squatted down by the dishwasher with the manual in hand. Although his house had the same model, Aunt Yang was the one in charge of it.

    With his sleeves rolled up, the veins on his forearm protruded when he clenched his muscles. Song Yu wished those arms were around her.

    Fortunately, the instructions were clear and Qi Chengzhi managed to get the dishwasher up and running after a while. He patiently taught Yu Qianying the steps.

    Yu Qianying ced the dirty dishes into the dishwasher and went to prepare Song Yu¡¯s bedroom.

    Qi Chengzhi noted that Yu Qianying did not bring out the guest bedsheets. It seemed like he was sleeping in Song Yu¡¯s room tonight.

    After some tidying up, Yu Qianying left Song Yu¡¯s bedroom. Qi Chengzhi surveyed the bedroom that Song Yu had been living in after she turned seventeen. It was starkly different from her childhood bedroom. The room was simplistic¡ªthere was a bookshelf, a study table, a dressing table, and a super single bed.

    There was not much furniture in the room. The furniture looked to be custom-made¡ªthe woodwork was not the most appealing but it was functional. It would have cost less than purchasing furniture from Furniture City.

    ¡°You never redecorated your room?¡± Qi Chengzhi sat on her bed and reached out for her.

    ¡°Yeah. After I transferred, we wanted to settle in as soon as possible. These were all the furniture we managed to get in time. We weren¡¯t financially stable then, so I only got the most basic stuff like the bookshelf and desk.¡± Song Yu took his hand and sat down beside him.

    ¡°After I graduated from university, the family was doing better. So I got the dressing table.¡± Song Yu pointed to the dressing table. The dressing table had a distinct style, unlike the bookshelf and study table. It was those ready-made types from Furniture City.

 Chapter 128

    Chapter 128: I¡¯ve Told Him Already, But He Pretended Not to Listen; Maybe You Can Try Telling Him?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°After I graduated from university, the family was doing better. So, I got the dressing table.¡± Song Yu pointed to the dressing table. The dressing table had a distinct style, unlike the bookshelf and study table. It was those ready-made types from Furniture City.

    ¡°This bed was originally a small single bed, but after I graduated and started working, my parents changed it because they thought it would be ufortable for an adult to be sleeping on a bed for kids.¡± She pressed down on the Simmons mattress and smiled sheepishly.

    Qi Chengzhi followed her as she pointed out everything in her room. He felt like he was in the middle of a mini-tour.

    He could not help but realize that he knew no details about her life even though he had seven years¡¯ worth of time to do so.

    Ever since the bankruptcy, Qi Chengzhi watched her like a hawk, scrutinizing her every move. At times, he would even request for her information to be dug up, but when it came to the tiny details like her room, it was obvious that he had no means of investigating them.

    In a sh, he felt like he returned to the time where he was not yet present in her life, the point at which she was still a young girl living in this tiny room.

    ¡°Were you used to the sudden transition from a vi to a small apartment? It¡¯s really quite a sorry sightpared to your earlier home.¡± Qi Chengzhi carried her up and ced her on hisp with both arms around her body. His thin lips rubbed against the corner of her eyes and he nted a few solid kisses on her lips.

    She felt tingly in the corner of her eyes as a result of the kisses from his soft moist lips.

    Song Yu could hear the adoration in his husky and maic voice. She too had her arms wrapped around his waist, and she buried her head into his neck and nuzzled him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I was never much of a materialistic person anyway, so a change of environment wasn¡¯t something serious. And, I didn¡¯t know too many people here. I didn¡¯t need to force myself to engage in meaningless conversations with all those young men and women from the rich circle.

    ¡°Most importantly, the engagement with Qi Chengji was sessfully broken off. When he liked Wei Ran, I was already thinking if there¡¯d be any chance for us to break the engagement off. I even had hopes that the Qi family and Wei family would agree to both of them. If that happened, then our engagement would automatically be voided.

    ¡°After the bankruptcy, I was actually very relieved even though we weren¡¯t as well-off as we were before. Of course, we weren¡¯t immediately used to it when we moved here. I mean, our lives before and after the bankruptcy wereplete opposites. I also had to learn how to get used to a new school and new teaching methods. Normal high schools were very different from Jixia High School, and because the school had students from all kinds of backgrounds, the way those professors taught us were very different too. It took a long time for me to get used to it. The good thing was I didn¡¯t dy my college entrance exam. Our family wasn¡¯t in a good condition at the time, so it¡¯s not a good thing for me repeat another year.

    ¡°Regarding other things, it took me about a year to finally get ustomed to it and integrate into this normal life.¡± He felt her forehead move ever so slightly on his neck. She was looking up at him, and as if worried he would be distraught about it, she said, ¡°Things are good.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her even tighter and nted his soft lips hard on her cheek. It was not the kind of devoted kiss, but she could feel his particrly somber expression. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, to have let you suffer so much.¡±

    Song Yu blinked her eyes a few times in confusion. Her eyshes fluttered against his chin and she extracted herself from his neck. ¡°Why are you saying sorry? It¡¯s not your fault.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi fell silent for some time. His enigmatic eyes looked at her face in all seriousness, and she could feel him tighten his grip on her. Soon, she heard his low voice. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry I wasn¡¯t by your side all these years.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and felt a warmth in her heart. She cupped his face and kissed his thin, stern lips¡ªshe was the only one who knew how soft and warm they were.

    When her tongue took the initiative to brush across his thin lips, Qi Chengzhi let out a satisfied groan. He tensed up his shoulders, cing one hand on her back to support her and cing the other at the back of her head so he can kiss her more passionately.

    He absolutely adored her spontaneity. Like his own mischievousness, it would appear once in a while without going overboard. It was slightly timid, but it was also vivacious, seducing his heart and making it dance to her tune.

    Unable to control himself, his kisses were constantly increasing in intensity. Holding on to her, he turned his warm and muscr body around and pressed her onto the bed.

    His hand slid into her clothes through her soft waist. Both of Song Yu¡¯s hands were left to their own devices as she buried them in his hair. He was not the only one taking the initiative to kiss her; she too was kissing him, absorbing all of his energy and sucking on his lip. Her tongue was entwined with his, as though they did not want to be apart for even a fraction of a second. She could taste the deliciousness of brandy when her tongue was wrapped around his.

    A few of the buttons on Song Yu¡¯s shirt had been opened by him. Her fair-skinned shoulders were showing, as were her ck bra straps. Peeking out from under the bra were her delightful breasts.

    His lips remained in contact with her body as he moved them from her lips to her breasts.

    ¡®Knock knock knock!¡¯ A sudden knock on the door startled the both of them, and of course, it could not have been anyone else except for Song Donglin or Yu Qianying. Song Yu was anxious regardless of who it was that knocked.

    She pushed him gently, but he refused to budge. His refusal though, was involuntary, as he was not in a position to move easily.

    With his head still embedded in her bosom, he finally got off of her after taking a deep breath. Song Yu saw the unpleasant expression on his face, he looked so austere and expressionless.

    Song Yu fastened her buttons hurriedly andbed her hair. Then she made sure Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clothes were looking alright. She found it amusing to see him trying to restrain himself, but at the same time, his patient yet aching expression worried her.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± she asked.

    Qi Chengzhi inhaled deeply and said hoarsely, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    His eyes¡ªfilled with lust that had yet to fully subside¡ªlooked somewhat depressed as he nced at the door. ¡°Go ahead and open the door. If you don¡¯t do it soon, their imagination might run wild.¡±

    Song Yu blushed and got up, glimpsing at her own reflection as she passed her dressing table mirror. Her appearance then was not at all normal; though her hair was alright, her clothes were wrinkled and her lips were so swollen that they were deep-red in color.

    She touched them but realized she had no other option but to open the door and walk out bravely.

    At the door was Yu Qianying, who was holding a pair of pajamas. Yu Qianying felt so awkward when she saw Song Yu¡¯s appearance that she had no idea where to look.

    Having been around the block herself, Yu Qianying knew full well about the things that youngsters would do. Furthermore, Song Yu was already living under the same roof as Qi Chengzhi; it would be ludicrous to expect that they would sleep in different rooms and do nothing with each other.

    At the end of the day though, Song Yu was still her daughter, so it was not very appealing to have that thought in her mind.

    All Song Yu could do was stroke her hair a couple of times and say, ¡°Mom...¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s gaze shifted across Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and onto Qi Chengzhi, who was sitting on the bed. He was still not in a condition to stand up. Yu Qianying saw his sour face and unhappy expression.

    Knowing that she had disturbed the young couple getting it on, Yu Qianying made no mistake in deciphering that Qi Chengzhi had that look on his face to show his displeasure. Yu Qianying then said, ¡°This is your dad¡¯s pajamas. I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll fit him perfectly, but let him try them on first. If it doesn¡¯t fit at all, then maybe you can go and buy a set.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt himself getting back to normal, so he promptly walked over to take the pajamas.

    Compared to Qi Chengzhi, Song Donglin was slightly plumper during his younger days. However, the main issue with the pajamas was the discrepancy in their height: Song Donglin was much shorter than Qi Chengzhi.

    The pants and top were noticeably dwarf on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body.

    Yu Qianying noticed that problem as well and could not help but giggle. She told Song Yu, ¡°Bring Chengzhi to the nearby supermarket and get a pair of pajamas. While you¡¯re at it, get anything else that you need.¡±

    The huge supermarket was very near to their home, requiring only a fifteen-minute, moderate-paced walk.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi left the house at about half-past-seven. It was still early, so they were in no rush. They treated it as a slow, post-dinner walk.

    The days were still rather short and nightfall came quickly. It was dark, with a yellow glow arising from two rows of streetlights along each side of the street. High above their heads was the whitish-silver crescent moon.

    Barely a short distance after they left, they met a few neighbors who were preparing to do some aerobic exercise. Most of them were about Yu Qianying¡¯s age, but one or two youngsters were present nheless.

    ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t this Song Yu?¡± Lao Xu¡ªthe man who stayed in the same building as Song Yu¡ªspotted her, and when the other neighbors heard his voice, they too looked toward Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s direction.

    Yu Qianying frequently chatted with those people, so they knew Yu Qianying well and were aware of who Song Yu was.

    Song Yu greeted each one of them while Lao Xu looked at Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Going for a walk with your boyfriend? Two days ago, your mother told me that you had a boyfriend. The same one that I saw during the new year. Oh, you. You were even hiding it at that time.¡±

    ¡°Ay, you¡¯re very handsome, young man.¡± Lao Xu¡¯s wife, Mrs. Xu, smiled at them.

    Song Yu turned to look at Qi Chengzhi, whose face was now obscured partly under the glow of the streetlight. His facial features looked even more mystifying, not to mention the added dourness. Since his face was shaded by the shadows and only half-illuminated, his true feelings were rather indecipherable.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi took a few steps forward, greeted them with a warm smile and said hello to those elders.

    Song Yu stood on one side and observed him in surprise. Had it not been for her standing there and watching him act that way in front of her eyes, she would never have imagined that Qi Chengzhi was able to interact so warmly with other people.

    Qi Chengzhi had such grace and humility that many of those middle-ageddies were praising him continuously. Song Yu constantly heard voices saying, ¡°So well-mannered!¡±

    Eventually, Song Yu dragged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and led him out of the swarm of praises.

    As they walked, they passed by a building and saw a red Camry stopping at the side of the road.

    Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow; he had a sixth sense when it came to red Camrys.

    It was no coincidence when the Camry door swung open and the driver came out.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s other brow cocked up as well, and he continued walking with Song Yu as though he did not see anything out of the ordinary.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Wang Yifeng¡¯s voice was heard. Unable to ignore him, Qi Chengzhi stopped walking and looked at him with an expressionless face.

    Wang Yifeng saw Qi Chengzhi well this time. He recognized Qi Chengzhi as the man who got into an ident with him, and realized that he was right when he saw Qi Chengzhi at Jian Yi¡¯s wedding.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think that he was your boyfriend.¡± Wang Yifeng smiled awkwardly.

    Song Yu smiled equally as awkward as well. She tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear and apologized to him, ¡°I¡¯m really sorry about your car.¡±

    Recalling every nastyment he had made about Qi Chengzhi to Song Yu, Wang Yifeng felt flustered and changed the topic hastily. ¡°It seems you¡¯ve formally met each other¡¯s parents.¡±

    He originally thought that the reason for not telling her family about it was because she had a boyfriend with a bad background, someone her parents would not approve. In reality, it was theplete opposite, and her boyfriend was actually someone with a high social standing.

    If he had not attended Jian Yi¡¯s wedding, he would have known the Qi family¡¯s eldest son in name only. He would not have recognized Qi Chengzhi even if they met.

    When Wang Yifeng told Song Yu that he wanted to meet her boyfriend, it was a serious proposition. He wanted Song Yu to do aparison between both men, and it was his intention to show off that he was better than the boyfriend.

    At that point though, Wang Yifeng was reduced to swallowing his own saliva under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold stare. There was absolutely no way he was a match for him.

    Song Yu failed to cough up a suitable response to Wang Yifeng, but Qi Chengzhi spoke calmly, ¡°We¡¯re going to buy some stuff, but we¡¯ll be back soon. If you¡¯re not busy, you cane visit us at home.¡±

    Song Yu sneaked a glimpse at him. He said those words with such self-confidence as if the Song family was his own family, and he was so natural about it.

    Wang Yifeng was taken aback. In the beginning, Song Yu was so reluctant about introducing her boyfriend to her family, yet there he was, being on such good terms with her family that he treated it as his own.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s obscure eyes shot him a cynical nce as another sentence was added, ¡°We¡¯re staying here for the night so we¡¯re quite free.¡±

    Wang Yifeng frozepletely. He had been to Song Yu¡¯s house before and he knew that there were only two bedrooms...

    Ignoring Wang Yifeng¡¯s stupefaction, Qi Chengzhi nodded and brought Song Yu away.

    Song Yu looked up at him and spotted the satisfied curl on his lips. After their evening walk, everyone in the area would know that he was Song Yu¡¯s boyfriend by the next morning.

    ...

    ...

    The two of them went to the supermarket and bought a pair of pajamas. They also bought a few sets of underwear for him andter decided to buy some clothes from a nearby branded clothes store.

    They reckoned that this would be the first of many times that he woulde over and stay the night, so having a few spare clothes there would save the hassle of needing to bring over a luggage bag.

    For Qi Chengzhi, nothing was better than turning her room at her parents¡¯ ce into their own little nest, where he could juste in and stay without bringing anything with him.

    Consequently, Qi Chengzhi went on an enthusiastic spending spree. Song Yu was the one who had to restrain him from buying anything further.

    Qi Chengzhi took the bags from Song Yu and carried everything by himself.

    Song Yu stretched out her hand and said, ¡°Let me carry some.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her, ¡°Just keep walking.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re bringing too many things, let me help you carry them,¡± she insisted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t argue. We need to go home soon or else your parents will be worried,¡± he replied. The bags, though many, did not pose any problem for him, but Song Yu looked at him and felt as though the bags covered up his charm.

    Yu Qianying and Song Donglin looked on as they came back with bags of all shapes and sizes. Their mouths were agape and they seemed to be in so much disbelief that they did not know how to respond. Was Qi Chengzhi preparing to call their ce home?

    Song Yu tidied up her clothes in her wardrobe cab and freed up half the space for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s newly bought clothes.

    Satisfied, he looked at how his underwear and clothes were ced neatly in Song Yu¡¯s cab. He remarked, ¡°If Jian Yi visits, you can bring him for a tour.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned and walked out into the living room. He faced Song Donglin and Yu Qianying¡ªwho were both slightly uneasy because of his presence¡ªand said to them, ¡°Dad, Mom, goodnight.¡±

    Song Donglin, ¡°...¡±

    Yu Qianying, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit inappropriate for him to call us Mom and Dad? Even if Song Yu¡¯s now...¡± Yu Qianying paused momentarily and felt ufortable after remembering the locking sound of Song Yu¡¯s room door. ¡°He can¡¯t simply just call us Mom and Dad. They¡¯re not married yet.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve told him already, but he pretended not to listen. Maybe you can try telling him?¡± Song Donglin shook his head and had no intention of bringing the matter up with him again.

    ¡°...¡± Yu Qianying too did not want to bother about it anymore. She got up and grumbled as she walked into her room. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I know before this that he was so thick-faced?¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the morning, Qi Chengzhi was still asleep when Song Yu got up. He was lying on his stomach and the upper portion of his slender body was showing since the nket only covered him up to his waist.

    After Song Yu tidied everything up, she looked at his sleeping pose and smiled. She promptly went to the bathroom, but not before giving him a peck on the lips.

    Yu Qianying was already busy preparing breakfast in the kitchen, so Song Yu went to a roadside snack stall in the neighborhood and bought some Youtiaos as well as some meat pies. Qi Chengzhi was not a fan of sweet things, so she did not buy fried glutinous rice cakes.

    When she came back, Qi Chengzhi was already awake. He changed into the clothes that they had bought the night before and was sitting with Song Donglin on the dining table; they were both reading newspapers.

    Since the two of them had promised to visit Grandmother Qi on that day, Yu Qianying was a little reluctant for them to leave since she knew that they would be taking off after breakfast. ¡°You only stayed here for a little while. The sofa¡¯s not even warm yet and you¡¯re already leaving.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯lle back and stay here tonight. We¡¯ll only be leaving tomorrow night,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu looked at him dumbfounded; she did not expect him to answer like that.

    Yu Qianying was happy to hear his answer.

    As a result of Qi Chengzhi waking up ratherte in the morning, it was already nearing noon by the time they reached the Qi residence.

    Aunt Liu opened the door for them, and when Song Yu walked in, she saw a row of shoes in the entrance hall and heard bursts of faintly audibleughtering from the living room.

    ¡°So, how was it going on a vacation alone with Jian Yi? You didn¡¯t let your temper get the better of you, did you?¡± Guan Liya asked with a smile and looked at Jian Yi. In fact, she was worried that the two of them would be at loggerheads even though they were newly-weds.

    ¡°Of course not! It¡¯s just the two of us, so it was really sweet! I¡¯m not a stubborn girl, so as long as there aren¡¯t any phony people around to provoke me, why would I stir up trouble for nothing!¡± Qi Chengyue smiled tenderly, revealing the tiny dimples on the corner of her lips. She wrapped herself around Jian Yi and stuck closely to him.

    Everyone smiled awkwardly because they knew who she referred to when she said ¡®phony people¡¯.

    ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother, Dad, Mom, Uncle, Auntie.¡± Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu into the living room and greeted all his elders.

    The instant she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice, Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression turned unsavory because he really did bring Song Yu over. The tender sweet expression from Qi Chengyue¡¯s face vanishedpletely and she looked at Song Yu with full of hatred.

    ¡®Today¡¯s supposed to be a happy day. Why did he have to bring Song Yu along all the time!¡¯

    ¡°You¡¯rete. Come and sit down!¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s expression lit up when she saw the two lovebirds holding hands so sweetly.

    She carried Qi Youxuan¡ªwho was busy eating some chocte¡ªand moved aside slightly, making space for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sit down.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression changed dramatically. It seemed like the whole family epted Song Yu during her honeymoon.

    She blurted out without even thinking, ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the meaning of this? Uncle, Auntie, she¡¯s just barging into our home, are you agreeing to it? Don¡¯t you care if others badmouth us? Don¡¯t you care about how my fourth big brother will feel about it?¡±

    ¡°How I will feel about what?¡± Qi Chengji was still in military uniform when he came in. He heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words from outside, and although he did not understand it at first, he got the full picture when he came in and saw Song Yu.

 Chapter 129 - Jian Yi Said, â€œI Have Something to Tell You; Itâ€™s Important!â€

    <h4>Chapter 129: Jian Yi Said, ¡°I Have Something to Tell You; It¡¯s Important!¡±</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°How I will feel about what?¡± Qi Chengji was still in military uniform when he came in. He heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s words from outside, and although he did not understand it at first, he got the full picture when he came in and saw Song Yu.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense!¡± The olddy¡¯s expression turned sour too. Shembasted Qi Chengyue, ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I don¡¯t know why you¡¯re so against it. You¡¯re still overly suspicious of everyone even though you¡¯re already married to Jian Yi! You shouldn¡¯t be worried that someonees and ruins your marriage; you should be careful not to ruin it yourself.¡±

    ¡°Grandma!¡± Qi Chengyue was in utter disbelief because her grandmother took a swipe at her right in front of everyone else.

    Out of everyone else in the family, Grandmother Qi adored Qi Youxuan the most. Nevertheless, it was not because she favored men over women; rather, it was because Qi Youxuan was still young, and there were two generations separating her from him. It was only natural that she doted on him a bit more.

    In spite of all that, she still looked at Qi Chengyue with all smiles, as though not a single harsh word had ever been said.

    ¡°Chengyue, I think you¡¯ve probably misunderstood. Song Yu and I never had feelings for each other in the first ce. We were like brother and sister. Truth is, I wanted to wait until I grew up and had the capability to find a way to break off the engagement. This was themon understanding we came to even before the Song family went bankrupt. It wasn¡¯t just because I liked Wei Ran at the time. Even if there was no Wei Ran, the both of us could never be together,¡± Qi Chengji <sup>1</sup> exined. It was the first time he told his family about his original ns.

    ¡°But the Qi family will turn into aughingstock! You can¡¯t deny that! Are all of you going to just watch our family turn into some kind of joke?¡± Qi Chengyue rattled off without a care in the world. She did not expect Qi Chengji to care so little about it. Her hand formed a tight fist because she no longer had her bargaining chip. ¡®Why did he have to help them? He¡¯s the one who has the strongest reason to object against them.¡¯

    ¡°Even if you¡¯ve broken off the engagement, Song Yu¡¯s still not good for anyone. Why must she insist on being with Big Brother? Isn¡¯t this a disgrace to our family?¡± Qi Chengyue squealed. ¡°She¡¯s bringing our family¡¯s reputation down on purpose!¡±

    ¡°Qi Zhongxun! Is this how you raise your daughter? Letting her be as rude as she wants with the family? Your mother and I are still here. How dare she show this kind of attitude!¡± The old man pped the back of the sofa and stared angrily at Qi Zhongxun. ¡°If she¡¯s already this rude at home, how much ruder would she be outside? I¡¯d like to know to what extent she has sullied our Qi family¡¯s name outside this home!¡±

    Qi Chengyue stood up abruptly with her eyes full of tears. ¡°I only want what¡¯s best for the family. Grandpa, Grandma, you can¡¯t let Big Brother¡¯s moment of selfishness ruin our familypletely. I¡¯d like to be able to leave my home and meet people! Before this, when Big Brother¡¯s rtionship with Song Yu was still vague and uncertain, my circle of friends was already gossiping, what more now that their rtionship is official! Wouldn¡¯t it be even worse?¡±

    ¡°ENOUGH!¡± Qi Zhongxun warned her sternly. As her father, he felt ashamed when the old man scolded him for Qi Chengyue¡¯s rudeness in front of her own elders.

    ¡°Why must you talk about all this nonsense in front of Youxuan!¡± Qi Zhongxun berated her.

    Qi Chenglin called Aunt Liu over and told her to bring Youxuan out to y in the courtyard.

    ¡°All of you...¡± She felt as though her entire family had gone mad because no one was siding her!

    Furious, she dashed upstairs.

    Guan Liya was hesitant to say anything as she looked at Qi Chengyue disappearing through the stairs. She sighed and said, ¡°Father, Mother, I¡¯m sorry, she...¡±

    Guan Liya stopped talking and looked at Song Yu, then shook her head rather disapprovingly as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to her.¡±

    She lowered her head and went up as soon as she finished her sentence.

    Jian Yi stood up too, and his face had an apologetic look. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯ll go up to check on her as well.¡±

    The olddy waved him off in irritation. ¡°Go, go!¡±

    Qi Zhongliang was silent for a moment, but heter stood up and said, ¡°You two. Come with me.¡±

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi, and thetter kneaded her hand gently to calm her down. He brought her and followed Qi Zhongliang into the study.

    Seeing how Qi Chengzhi was unwilling to let go of Song Yu even in such a situation, Xia Wenna shook her head helplessly knowing that she was unable to do anything else.

    ¡°Close the door!¡± Qi Zhongliang ordered loudly, but by then Song Yu had already shut the door.

    Before Qi Zhongliang said anything else, he fished out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and took one from it. Just as he was about to light it up, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s insipid and moderately-toned voice was heard. ¡°Song Yu doesn¡¯t like the smell of smoke. I never smoke in front of her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing to make a fuss about!¡± Qi Zhongliang retorted. He did not care and still wanted to smoke.

    Qi Chengzhi did not bother replying as he began to lead Song Yu out of the study room. The door was already open and he was about to go out.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t said anything yet! Where are you going!¡± Qi Zhongliang bellowed.

    ¡°Song Yu can¡¯t stand the smell of smoke. If you want to smoke, we¡¯ll wait until you¡¯ve finished smoking and we¡¯lle in when the smoke smell disappears,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied curtly.

    ¡°Bloody hell! She¡¯s not even in the family yet and there¡¯s already so many problems. What¡¯s going to happen once she is!¡± In a flurry of anger, Qi Zhongliang threw the cigarette and the lighter to the floor.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and remarked indifferently. ¡°You may be able to disregard how much I care for your daughter-inw, but this is Grandfather¡¯s study room. He too will not allow you to smoke.¡±

    One mention of the old man left Qi Zhongliang speechless. His only reason for wanting to take a smoke was because he was not in a good mood earlier, but in the end, he forgot about his parents¡¯ peeves.

    ¡°Shut the door!¡± Qi Zhongliang roared.

    The door to the study was closed, and Qi Chengzhi once again brought Song Yu over.

    Qi Zhongliang let out a deep breath before saying, ¡°About the two of you, our family doesn¡¯t care anymore and we don¡¯t want to care. If you insist on being together, we won¡¯t object.¡±

    Song Yu listened carefully, she had a feeling that there was a ¡®but¡¯ waiting to be said.

    ¡°But...¡± There was one indeed, and she subsequently heard Qi Zhongliang continue, ¡°Because of Song Yu and Chengji¡¯s earlier rtionship, we feel that you shouldy low when you get married. When the timees for us to fix a date, we don¡¯t have any problems with the marriage and we won¡¯t object, but you can forget about a wedding reception. A simple meal with the family is enough.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi dragged Song Yu off without waiting for Qi Zhongliang to continue any further.

    ¡°Why the hell are you walking away when I haven¡¯t finished talking. Am I still your father in your eyes or not!¡± Qi Zhongliang could not contain his anger. Qi Chengzhi did not show him an ounce of respect right from the very beginning. He was patient at first, but time after time, Qi Chengzhi would try to leave without even saying anything to him.

    Qi Chengzhi hid the fact that he instigated the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, then got together with Song Yu. Regardless of how much the family objected, it was all pointless. Right from the start, Qi Chengzhi did not attach even the slightest importance to his family, going so far as to threaten them, even.

    He ignored their prestige time and again, and there was no way that Qi Zhongliang would be able to contain his near-exploding anger. He pointed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back and his whole arm, including the tip of his finger, was trembling.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around without letting go of Song Yu¡¯s hand. His lip curled slightly and he said, ¡°There¡¯s nothing shameful about Song Yu. I want to marry her officially and openly, so that everyone will know that I¡¯m marrying her, that she is Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife. She will no longer be known as Chengji¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e. If anyone sees her next time, they¡¯ll have to call her Mrs. Qi. Anyone who sees her will gasp behind our backs and say, ¡®That¡¯s Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife¡¯. That¡¯ll make everyone forget her past connection to Qi Chengji, and they¡¯ll all forget that she used to be his ex-fianc¨¦e.¡±

    Song Yu could feel his grip tightening slightly, and within it, his determination.

    ¡°When I marry her, I don¡¯t just want a simple wedding ceremony; I want a huge one, a special one, one that is truly spectacr. She is worthy of being treated as such, and I¡¯m not going to do her injustice bypromising just because I want to wed her. She did nothing wrong. She should not suffer such mistreatment.¡± Qi Chengzhi could visibly see his father¡¯s face turning redder and redder. He did not know whether his father¡¯s blood pressure was rising, but he still continued to say what he wanted to say.

    Although Qi Zhongliang did not say ¡®Get out¡¯, his facial expression was clearly saying as much.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu out of the study room without waiting for his father to continue with the insults.

    The walkway from the study to the living room was quite far in terms of distance. After walking for a bit, Song Yu finally could not resist the urge to tug on his hand.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped and shifted his gaze down to her. His tall frame was very close to her, and without needing to look, she could feel his broad chest around her, as if it was able to protect her with utmost steadiness.

    His eyes were ck and abstruse, and although he was an insipid character all along, those words that Qi Zhongliang said to him made her very heartbroken.

    She stood on her tiptoes and threw her arms around his neck. She could care less that they were at a walkway inside the Qi residence, that any member of the family could see them. Only a small amount of energy was exerted by her action, but Qi Chengzhi moved along with her rhythm and lowered his head.

    She tiptoed as much as she could and stretched her neck out, taking the initiative to kiss his lips.

    As both their lips came into contact with each other, Qi Chengzhi hugged her tightly and wrapped himself around her body. Her ribs were pressed against his waist and it was slightly painful. Although it felt like the air in her lungs were squeezed out from her, the surging me within her still remained unrestrainable.

    Her soft fingertips swept across the tips of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s short hair. They moved upward past his hair ends, and dug into his scalp, messing up his hair in the process. She pulled him tight all of a sudden, pressing his face onto hers more intimately than before, ensuring that both their lips were sealed tight with each other.

    Qi Chengzhi then increased the intensity of his kisses abruptly. He pushed her onto the wall and pinned her with his stiff body, trapping her between himself and the wall so she was unable to move an inch.

    Song Yupletely forgot where they were at that time. Her mind went nk, and all she thought about were his kisses and his chest pinning against her.

    She could feel the softness underneath her clothes begin to swell and turn tender, and she could not resist rubbing them against his body. She even thirsted for him to the extent that she raised both her legs and wrapped them around his waist.

    Soon, his warm tongue licked her lips and the heat made them tremble.

    Qi Chengzhi slowly released himself from her lips, but even then, he was reluctant to part with her. His moist lips were tempted to rub against hers: up, down, left, right, he rubbed in one direction and back at the other.

    The tip of his nose was pressing against hers, his irregr breathing crashing all over her face and her lips. It integrated seamlessly with her own breathing, enabling her to take in all of his scent¡ªsomething she could never get tired of.

    She noticed a sh of chaos in his clear yet dark pupils¡ªhe wanted so badly to devour her whole right then and there. It fed the fire within Song Yu even more, causing it to burn incessantly, which in turn led her to shudder continuously.

    ¡°You¡¯re awfully brave today, aren¡¯t you?¡± His rich voice brought with it a touch of delight, and his lips glided against hers as he spoke.

    The stern crease of his lips morphed into a gentle upward-curving arc, and though he was speaking, he found her red lips so irresistible that he had to kiss them.

    Song Yu rxed and leaned back on the wall. Her front body was still glued to his chest, and because she was held captive in his embrace, no one else could see her except for him.

    Her fingertips took on a mind of their own and yed with his hair ends. She told him softly, ¡°As long as I¡¯m marrying you, I don¡¯t need a grand wedding. All that matters to me is that I be your wife.¡±

    ¡°It matters to me,¡± he replied. It was not purely because of the injustice that he caused her parents; it was something that he sincerely wanted for her.

    There was nothing else Song Yu could say. All she could do was bury herself in his embrace and wrap her hands tightly around his neck in the same way that he had always wrapped himself over her.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and nuzzled himself within her neck. He breathed in the fragrance of her hair and parted them constantly so he could nt a few delicate kisses on her neck.

    The two of them lost track of how long they were embracing each other, and a sudden awkward cough rang from one end of the walkway. ¡°Ahem!¡±

    It was Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice, and as awkward as Song Yu was, she was not afraid. Her face was burning hot and she scrambled off Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face remained nonchnt, as though he did not feel the slightest embarrassment. His firm arms continued to hug her by the waist, firmly disallowing her from escaping him.

    ¡°Where¡¯s that...I¡¯m looking for Youxuan.¡± The olddy stood at the far end of the walkway and did not continue walking. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to eat. Wherever did he go and y?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t see him,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you look for him,¡± Song Yu replied hastily. It was her that made advances toward him after all, so she felt very sheepish after being caught by the olddy.

    She scooted off Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grasp before he could protest.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi held his phone to his ear and listened to Zhou Mingyan¡¯s sharp impatient voice, ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back from your honeymoon, but why did you go to your wife¡¯s family home instead ofing back to your own home first? Did Qi Chengyue force you to do it? You think you¡¯re so high and mighty because you¡¯re rich now? Are you putting us aside just because you have the money? Do you think that we¡¯re just climbing up the social circle because the Qi family¡¯s rich? Is that why you¡¯re listening to her all the time?¡±

    Jian Yi sighed and frowned. He was getting irritated at Zhou Mingyan¡¯s persistent scolding. ¡°If this spreads out, everyone¡¯s going tough at us! Even now, a few of the neighbors are saying behind our backs that you¡¯re living with your wife¡¯s family just because you want her money. They put on a fake smile in front of me and say that you¡¯ve found a good wife. It¡¯s obviously an insult that you are incapable and that you only rely on your wife for support.

    ¡°If this continues, sooner orter you¡¯ll be living with the Qi family. Are you really going to move in with your wife¡¯s family?¡± Zhou Mingyan raised her voice even louder and said, ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Jian Yi, bring Qi Chengyue home right now! If I keep letting this slide, her family and her will cross the line one day. It¡¯s not just us who won¡¯t have a say on things. You won¡¯t have a say, too.

    ¡°It¡¯s already happening now. When the futurees, will you still have thetitude to make your own decisions? Even during your wedding, I wanted a word with her because there¡¯s no such thing as having a toast with the wife¡¯s family before the husband¡¯s family! But I kept it in. I didn¡¯t want to ruin her mood since the two of you were going on a honeymoon. I also felt that since she was the Qi family¡¯s precious young woman, she was probably spoiled a bit. It wasn¡¯t appropriate for me to tell her publicly how she should conduct herself. I wanted to give her another chance to prove herself, but I didn¡¯t expect that the first thing she did was bring my son to her family home! What is the meaning of this!

    ¡°When you bring her home, I¡¯m going to give her a good teaching on how to be a wife and a daughter-inw!¡± Jian Yi could imagine how furious Zhou Mingyan was through her piercing voice alone.

    Faintly, he could hear Zhou Mingyan saying something to Jian Shibo, ¡°Why are you pulling me for? I didn¡¯t say anything wrong! I¡¯m worried that our son is in a bad position and is as cowardly as you! If he keeps on letting her have his way, he¡¯ll be eating out of her palm soon! The more she acts like this, the more we need to show her that the husband¡¯s family is a force to be reckoned with. We can¡¯t let her do whatever she likes!¡±

    ¡°Mom.¡± Jian Yi called out in frustration, but Zhou Mingyan did not hear him because Jian Shibo and her continued arguing. Finally, Jian Yi shouted, ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Enough! I¡¯m talking to my son!¡± Pursuant to that sentence, Zhou Mingyan¡¯s attention shifted back to Jian Yi. ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I didn¡¯te back home not because you¡¯re not important, but because the Qi family has two elders, Grandpa and Grandma. Logically, since they¡¯re there, it¡¯s only right that wee and greet them first.¡±

    ¡°Well you¡¯ve already greeted them. Come back for a meal. I bought a lot of fresh food from the market because I knew you wereing back. I was going to cook lots of dishes, but now that you¡¯re telling me you¡¯re noting back, what would you have me do with all that food?¡± Zhou Mingyan asked.

    ¡°Mom, during the honeymoon, I¡¯ve already told you that we were going to visit the Qi family first and have a meal with the elderly couple. Then we¡¯ll go home. You¡¯re the one who¡¯s...¡± Jian Yi spoke and spoke, but he left hisst sentence unfinished.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s what? I expect my son and daughter-inw toe home and have a meal, to have tea. What¡¯s wrong with that?¡± Zhou Mingyan raised her voice even louder, as if Jian Yi¡¯s words provoked her.

    Soon after, Jian Yi heard the sound of choking and sobbing. ¡°I raised my boy into a man. Please don¡¯t tell me you can¡¯t even drink a cup of tea with me after you get married? I was busy all morning just because I wanted to make my son and daughter-inw happy, but it was all for nothing. Don¡¯t I have the right to feel angry, to feel wronged? I just wanted my son to bring her wife over for us to have a happy meal together, as a family. I...¡±

    What followed was the endless sound of crying.

    Jian Yi had had enough of it. He had listened to those sobs ever since he began to understand the world around him.

    First, it was directed at Jian Shibo, but when Jian Yi grew up, the cries were directed to him. Tears were Zhou Mingyan¡¯s weapon of choice when it came to persuading them.

    It got to a point where Jian Yi was numb to her tears.

    His expression was impassive when he decided to relieve his ear from the phone for a moment. He sought to clear his mind when a figure came and went from the corner of his eye.

    Jian Yi had no qualms about hanging up the call at that instant. He raced forward and grabbed Song Yu¡¯s wrist. ¡°Song Yu!¡±

    With her wrist in his hand, Song Yu had no choice but to turn and look at him. She looked at his hand on her wrist and tried to break free from it. Her intentions were clear without her needing to say a word. Jian Yi looked over into the house and let go of her hand slowly.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother your call. I was looking for Youxuan,¡± Song Yu remarked. She searched in the vi but was unable to locate him, so she tried her luck in the backyard. Little did she know that she would chance upon Jian Yi making a phone call, and from the things that she heard, she knew that he was in an argument with his mother.

    She had no interest in their conversation and turned to leave; she had decided toe back after Jian Yi left, but she did not expect him to catch her so quickly.

    ¡°You¡¯re progressing well with Qi Chengzhi I see. I never thought the Qi family woulde to terms,¡± Jian Yi remarked softly, his gazending lovingly on her face.

    Song Yu pursed her lips and kept quiet. She turned to leave, but Jian Yi grabbed her wrist once more.

    ¡°Jian Yi. You¡¯re married and this is your wife¡¯s home. Kindly pay attention to what you¡¯re doing. I don¡¯t want Qi Chengzhi to get into a misunderstanding and I certainly don¡¯t want Qi Chengyue to curse at me like a lunatic.¡± Song Yu pulled a long face and warned him. She felt so disgusted having his hand on her wrist that she had goosebumps all over her.

    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Jian Yi said. He nced briefly at the house and felt that the ce that they were standing was much too near to the French windows of the house. Anyone who was inside could see them with crystal clear rity. ¡°It¡¯s important!¡±

 Chapter 144 - Chengzhi is Not the Kind of Guy Who Has A Soft Spot For Women

    <h4>Chapter 144: Chengzhi is Not the Kind of Guy Who Has A Soft Spot For Women</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°No one in our house eats this anyway,¡± Grandmother Qi said casually while Aunt Liu lifted the gift box from the table.

    Liang Lihua pursed her lips tensely. She then inhaled deeply before saying, ¡°Madam Qi, I think you misunderstood me. I¡¯m not sure if anyone tried to nder me behind my back by feeding you untrue facts about me. I¡¯ll excuse myself for today. However, there¡¯s a saying ¡®time will reveal a person¡¯s heart¡¯, one day you¡¯ll know that what I¡¯m telling you is the right thing.¡±

    Liang Lihua straightened her back. She felt insulted and embarrassed by Grandmother Qi¡¯s sarcastic mockery.

    She was trying to find a way out for herself. She could only put up a righteous pretense and turned gracefully to exit.

    This time around, Liang Lihua no longer dared to treat Aunt Liu like the way she used to.

    Liang Lihua did not receive the gift box that Aunt Liu passed to her after she got out of the house. She said politely, ¡°The Changbai Mountain Wild Ginseng is rather valuable. If Madam Qi doesn¡¯t want it, you can have it. It¡¯s a healthy tonic for old people.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh,¡± Aunt Liuughed and continued, ¡°This is too much for a gift. I can¡¯t ept it. Also, Madam Qi usually includes me on everything. Anything that Madam Qi eats at home, I¡¯m honored with a portion as well. My body is still very sturdy. Please take it back.¡±

    While she was speaking, she shoved the box into Liang Lihua¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Take care and goodbye.¡±

    Then, she turned around and entered the house.

    Leaving only Liang Lihua who stood by the car, watching Aunt Liu enter the house. She was so angry that she started to tremble.

    When Aunt Liu reached the living room, she saw Grandmother Qi holding the phone. Shortly after, she heard her saying, ¡°Wenna, Liang Lihua might be heading to your ce in awhile. You don¡¯t have to see her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Her daughter kept pestering Chengzhi but got chased away by him. She as a mother came to lodge aint and demand justice for her daughter. This pair has an unusual way of thinking, their mindset deviated from normal human beings. Stop seeing her! I¡¯ve already told her that I have epted Song Yu as my granddaughter-inw.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was still a civilized person. She did not directly refer to Liang Lihua and Yu Keyao as lunatics.

    However, she made her point clearly to Xia Wenna from thest part of her remark, suggesting her to stand on her side and stop creating troubles for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. She wanted her to see Song Yu as her daughter-inw and treat her sincerely.

    It was obvious that Xia Wenna obeyed her request when Grandmother Qi hung up the phone gleefully. Then, she picked the script up and read out the lines.

    ¡°Xiao Liu, I think that I can take up the role of the female lead¡¯s mother. I wonder if Xiao Han had finalized the actors? I don¡¯t think I can showcase my acting skills by portraying a traditional olddy,¡± Grandmother Qi said while she continued studying the script.

    Aunt Liu thought to herself, ¡®You¡¯ve already incorporated your acting skills into your daily life, what more do you want to showcase?¡¯

    Her headache just now looked so genuine!

    Nevertheless, Aunt Liu still took out the phone book and searched for Han Zhuoli¡¯s number, ¡°Madam Qi, this is Mr. Han¡¯s number.¡±

    ...

    ...

    As expected, Liang Lihua went to Xia Wenna. When Xia Wenna heard from her housekeeper that it was Liang Lihua at the door, she did not answer her request. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°Tell her that I¡¯m not in.¡±

    Missus Lian informed Liang Lihua through the inte without even opening the door of their mansion.

    Liang Lihua felt extremely humiliated as she stood in front of the inte.

    Since she was already here, she thought that she should be invited into the house out of courtesy even when Xia Wenna was not in.

    Now, they did not even bother to open the door for her. She was doubtful whether Xia Wenna was really away or she was just avoiding her on purpose.

    The Qi family treated her with an attitude as if they were avoiding an epidemic. Liang Lihua clenched her jaw angrily with so much force that her chin was twitching.

    She got into the car with a long face and did not immediately start the engine. She gripped the steering wheel with her hands and thought a while with a stiff expression before taking her cellphone out.

    Xia Wenna sighed when she saw Missus Lian return from the window. She asked, ¡°Has she left yet?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one at the door,¡± Missus Lian walked over and said.

    Xia Wenna let out another sigh. At first, she tried to introduce Qi Chengzhi to Yu Keyao out of goodwill. Who knew that she would be badgered by this mother-daughter pair?

    ¡°Madam, your phone¡¯s ringing,¡± Missus Lian took the cellphone for Xia Wenna. She nced and saw the caller was Liang Lihua.

    Xia Wenna got a bit frustrated and pursed her lips. She stared at Liang Lihua¡¯s name on the screen and let the phone ring continuously.

    Silence ensued only after the phone got cut off automatically after it reached voicemail since no one answered it.

    However, it started to ring again after merely three seconds.

    Xia Wenna had no choice but to pick up. ¡°Mrs. Yu? So sorry, I didn¡¯t notice my phone was ringing since I¡¯m outside.¡±

    ¡°Ha Ha, I just went over to Imperial Terrace. Your maid said that you¡¯re not in,¡± Liang Lihuaughed dryly.

    ¡°Yeah, my schedule¡¯s rather empty today, so I went out for a ride,¡± Xia Wenna said before continuing, ¡°Mrs. Yu, is there anything that I can help you with?¡±

    After that, Liang Lihua repeated the whole story that she told Grandmother Qi just now to Xia Wenna. Her tone was so melodramatic and she even shed tears in between her lines.

    Xia Wenna was getting annoyed after listening to her. At this moment, she had the same exact thoughts as Grandmother Qi. Liang Lihua was just being unreasonable.

    If Liang Lihua used and med Song Yu for making a mistake, Xia Wenna might believe her.

    However, she was ming Qi Chengzhi for it. Was she expecting Xia Wenna to lecture Qi Chengzhi?

    That¡¯s impossible!

    Xia Wenna was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother, of course, she would side her own son. She would never criticize her son for Yu Keyao, who was a nobody to Qi Chengzhi.

    Xia Wenna got so irritated that she left her cellphone on the coffee table without ending the call. She let Liang Lihua continue talking while she stood up and went into the study room. She chose a book from the shelf and returned to the living room to read.

    Xia Wenna turned a few pages before saying, ¡°Missus Lian, can you make me a cup of fruit tea?¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s mouth went dry with all the talking. She felt that something was wrong while she was speaking since no one answered on the other side.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi? Mrs. Qi?¡±

    Xia Wenna picked up the cellphone hurriedly when she heard incoherent sounds spread through the phone, ¡°I¡¯m here. About this, Chengzhi had overdone it. No matter how much he disliked Keyao, he shouldn¡¯t have treated her like that, right? He should¡¯ve told her nicely since she¡¯s a girl.

    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give him a piece of my mind when Chengzhi¡¯s back from his outstation trip. Of course, Mrs. Liang, you should also advise Keyao not to be so stubborn. There are so many men out there, it¡¯s not like Chengzhi is the only outstanding guy, am I right? There will not be a happy ending if you like a man that doesn¡¯t reciprocate. You¡¯ll just hurt yourself more, so why should you?

    ¡°Chengzhi is not the kind of guy who has a soft spot for women. If you annoy him, he will not listen to me even though I¡¯m his mother, not to mention Keyao who¡¯s unrted to him. That¡¯s why you should go home and tell Keyao not to bother Chengzhi. If she doesn¡¯t appear in front of him, she wouldn¡¯t need to suffer from all of this, do you agree with me?¡±

    Liang Lihua was infuriated by Xia Wenna since she made her point by taking a step back. There was no chance for Liang Lihua to argue.

    It was not like Xia Wenna was going to stay out of this. She had agreed to talk to Qi Chengzhi, which achieved her goal of this phone call.

    Nheless, she knew that Xia Wenna was just brushing her off. She could tell by her perfunctory tone.

    If Qi Chengzhi continued to be rude to Yu Keyao, Xia Wenna could just put the me on Qi Chengzhi that he refused to listen to her.

    Without having a choice, Liang Lihua hung up the phone call unwillingly.

    Xia Wenna shook her head. She still could not fathom Liang Lihua and her daughter.

    Usually, a normal person would get the hint from the person that he or she was not interested in them. There was no need for any bad blood for them to back away.

    However, Qi Chengzhi was already making it so obvious but they still acted out of their own ord. This behavior of them was rather obnoxious.

    No wonder Yu Qianying had cut off all ties with the Yu family.

    ...

    ...

    Not sure if Yu Keyao was traumatized from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s threat, she did not return for the past two days.

    Paris was a ce full of romance. With Qi Chengzhi beside her, she felt that there were not many dangers around them. Even the locals were especially friendly. Whenever they meet a ck-haired, dark-eyed Asian, regardless of your nationality, they would greet you in simple Chinese with their strange ent, ¡°Ni hao¡±.

    All of it was good except for one, Song Yu was not used to the cuisine here. She really missed all sorts of dishes from her country throughout these five days. She even craved for food that she disliked before.

    If she were to have a packet of pickled mustard, she would be more than grateful.

    However, the thing that she missed the most was instant noodles and hotpot.

    After Qi Chengzhi heard about it, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll go to Yan Beicheng¡¯s ce to eat hotpot when we return.¡±

    When they got back to B City, Chang Lai drove Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover and was waiting for them at the airport.

    The Range Rover was repaired three days before they returned. Chang Lai drove them back to Viewpark Residence.

    Due to the time difference, Qi Chengzhi had nned not to go to thepany today. He was going to rest at home to recover from his jetg.

    On the way, Song Yu could feel the soreness in her eyes, but she just alighted the ne and it was only 6.30 am here, she had no urge to sleep at all, even though she was exhausted.

    She perched her head on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders and looked outside of the car window. Even though she could not fall asleep, she felt the tiredness after such a long flight. Her eyes were half-closedzily while one of her hands inteced with Qi Chengzhi, the other covered the back of his hand and caress it subconsciously.

    ¡°Chang Lai, stop aside for a while,¡± Song Yu said suddenly.

    Chang Lai nced at the cars behind them before turning the wheel and parking on the roadside. Song Yu told Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯ll go and buy something.¡±

    Then, she got down of the car.

    Qi Chengzhi sat in the car and saw her scurry into a convenience store. He was puzzled at first but he understood immediately as to what she was going to buy and found it funny.

    As expected, Song Yu carried a full bag of cup noodles from the convenience store momentster.

    When she got back into the car, he noticed that there were all sorts of vors, including Laotan Pickled Vegetables, Spicy Beef, Sour and Spicy Beef noodles. She bought several packets for each vor.

    Usually, Song Yu would not choose to eat these. She would only eat them once in a blue moon under certain circumstances where she did not have a choice.

    Especially like a basic vor such as Spicy Beef, she would not even eat it if she was forced to do so, but she bought a huge bag of it.

    ¡°How many meals are you trying to have since you bought so much?¡± Qi Chengzhi extended his hand andbed through her wind-kissed hair with his bony fingers to smoothen out the tangles.

    ¡°I saw the racks were filled with instant noodles when I went in just now. I¡¯m craving for all of the vors, that¡¯s why I unknowingly bought so much. I think I won¡¯t be sick of it even if I eat them continuously throughout the whole week. I feel like I¡¯ve cleansed my digestive tract after five days in France. My mouth feels tasteless too. I just want to eat something exciting,¡± Song Yu saw the huge bag in her hand. She did not sense the actual size of it in the store just now, but now she felt that it might be a tad too much.

    It was only 8.00 am when they reached home. Song Yu prepared a cup of instant noodles for herself eagerly. Qi Chengzhi could not help but make one for himself after smelling it while Aunt Yang stood aside awkwardly.

    These two tantly ignored her presence and went on to make instant noodles without asking her to cook.

    After he was done eating, Qi Chengzhi headed to his study and organize some stuff from thepany that he missed while he was not in the country.

    Song Yu stayed wide awake until 2.00 am. By the time she woke up the next day, it was already past eleven o¡¯ clock.

    She noticed that there was no one beside her when she woke up. The bed was cold, indicating that Qi Chengzhi had left for quite some time.

    She recalled that Qi Chengzhi had kissed her for a moment while she was still in a daze this morning.

    It was rather blurry since she dozed in and out of sleep. Her eyes were half-opened, with discharge sticking on the corner of her eyes. It was not a ttering look.

    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± she asked hazily with a raspy voice.

    ¡°Still early. Go back to sleep. Zhao Rongcheng approved your leave, you don¡¯t have to rush to work. Stay home and recover from jeg,¡± he kissed her cheeks below her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to thepany. I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening to visit Grandfather and Grandmother Qi to inform them about our engagement.¡±

    The way she was lying on the bed with such an obedient mien looked so adorable.

    Her fairplexion shone brightly in contrast to the bed. She was still osciting between consciousness and a dream-like state, looking so defenseless. This scene belonged only to him.

    There was some discharge on the corner of her eyes. She was no longer obsessed about her image when she just woke uppared to the beginning when they moved in together.

    Back then, she would always cover her eyes and mouth, feeling disgusted by her eye discharge and her overnight breath.

    Now, she acted much more natural, where she no longer cover herself in front of him. She put her guard down in his presence and was not afraid to let him see her ugly side.

    One would only do this when he or she fully trusted the person.

    Qi Chengzhi wiped the corner of her eyes and nted a kiss gently on her forehead and said with a lowered voice, ¡°Sleep.¡±

    Song Yu mumbled something before replying with ¡°uhm¡± in a raspy voice. Then, she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. She was not aware of when he left.

    She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, fixed herself before going downstairs.

    Before she spoke, Aunt Yang told her, ¡°Sir went to thepany this morning.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and Aunt Yang asked her what she wanted to eat.

    Song Yu smacked her lips and thought for a while before saying embarrassedly, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have another bowl of instant noodles!¡±

    Aunt Yang did not know whether she shouldugh or cry, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll be losing my job in no time if you keep on eating instant noodles.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be no such thing,¡± Song Yu was definitely not going to believe Aunt Yang¡¯s joke, ¡°It¡¯s just that Europe¡¯s cuisine was too nd, my tastebuds are deprived. That¡¯s why I want to eat something with a strong aroma.:¡±

    Aunt Yang had no choice but to let her eat it.

    While she was waiting for the noodles to be cooked, she gave a call to Ruan Danchen. She asked her how was work when she was not around.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re quite lucky. No problems arose during the few days when you were not around. I didn¡¯t have to do much in your absence,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°I brought back a set of skincare products for you,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve worked very hard when I¡¯m away. Use this to rejuvenate your careworn face after these hectic days.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, feel free to say anything about me as long as I get free skincare products,¡± Ruan Danchenughingly said. She did not mind the tease from Song Yu at all.

    ¡°Tell me, what was Qi Chengzhi plotting when he insisted on bringing you to Paris?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Song Yu shook her head and cracked up. She had to give it to Ruan Danchen that she had an exceptional sense of intuition.

    ¡°He... he proposed to me,¡± Song Yu still felt embarrassed to admit something like that personally. Even though there was no one around, she could feel her face burning up.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cry of shock came through the phone, ¡°I knew that he was up to something! He doesn¡¯t seem like the person to mix personal and work matters together.¡±

    Then, she heard Ruan Danchen asking, ¡°How did he propose?¡±

    Song Yu narrated the whole proposal with a soft voice and flushed face.

    ¡°Aiya, you guys are gross!¡± Ruan Danchen yelled suddenly. Her sudden increase in volume shocked Song Yu, where she could feel the pain in her ears due to the piercing volume.

    She removed the cellphone until it was quite some distance away and only ced it back to her ears after Ruan Danchen had calmed down. She stuck the cellphone between her ears and shoulders while she tore the lid on the instant noodles. Then, she held the cellphone with one hand with the other holding the stic fork from the instant noodles to stir it.

    ¡°Does this mean that you guys don¡¯t have to use birth control anymore? Since you¡¯re getting married,¡± Ruan Danchen continued.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Song Yu choked and coughed violently. She was really impressed by Ruan Danchen guessing everything urately.

    Ruan Danchen waited for her to soothe the coughing patiently. Aunt Yang entered hurriedly and poured a ss of water for Song Yu when she heard her coughing.

    It was extremely ufortable since she choked on the spicy noodles, hurting her trachea. Song Yu gulped down the cup of water to ease the difort.

    Song Yu answered all of Ruan Danchen¡¯s questions honestly. Only then, Ruan Danchen was willing to let her go.

    ...

    ...

    In the evening, Yu Zixiu¡¯s secretary knocked and entered. She said, ¡°Director Yu, Young Master Cheng has arrived. He¡¯lle up in a while.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± Yu Zixiu closed the mailbox that he was viewing on hisputer.

    Two days ago, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant Cheng Dongge called suddenly to make an appointment with his secretary. He said that Qi Chengzhi wanted toe over to discuss something with him.

    His schedule was originally packed. Once his secretary heard that it was Qi Chengzhi, she reported to him immediately and he made sure to clear the afternoon for him.

    However, he had no idea why Qi Chengzhi wanted to talk to him.

    Could it be about Song Yu?

    When this idea just popped into his mind, his secretary opened the door and let Qi Chengzhi in.

    Both of them talked for about an hour. No one knew what they discussed.

    When the office door reopened, Qi Chengzhi strutted out of the office. He had the same conserved expression without any telltale signs on his face about what was going on.

 Chapter 131 - She Had No Idea That He Watched Her from His Office Window for A Solid Four Years

    <h4>Chapter 131: She Had No Idea That He Watched Her from His Office Window for A Solid Four Years</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu¡¯s happiness was a sight Zhou Mingyan abhorred; she was fine with Jian Yi casting Song Yu aside and she could live with it if Song Yu married someone else, but she simply could not ept it when she saw Song Yu being happier than Jian Yi and was in a much better position than him.

    However, it was virtually impossible because she was with Qi Chengzhi. He would one day be the head of the family, and if Song Yu married him, she would be the matriarch! That was not something worse off at all!

    In the future, would Jian Yi not have to answer to Song Yu?!

    She did not expect her ploy to fail so terribly and invite upon herself the ridicule of others.

    All Zhou Mingyan could do wasugh dryly and exin that she did not mean it like that.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue was thoroughly unhappy, seeing as she flung her belongings into the bag with all her might. It was messy and almost full.

    ¡°What is wrong with your mom! She¡¯s trying to make us look bad on purpose! She thinks she¡¯s so smart, right? We¡¯ve already told her that we¡¯reing here in the afternoon and going there at night, and yet she came here just to say all that stuff! What the hell is she trying to do? She¡¯s even cooked a tableful of dishes, who in the world told her to do that? We¡¯ve already said that we won¡¯t be having lunch with them!¡±

    Jian Yi frowned and massaged his temples. ¡°She¡¯s anxious to see us.¡±

    ¡°But the way she does it is like our family is the unreasonable one!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s anger increased exponentially, and she continued to feel even angrier inside her heart.

    ¡°You need to understand her a bit more. I¡¯m her only son, she¡¯s going to take it to heart. No matter how much you despise the things she did, she¡¯s still my mother. Be patient with her. We won¡¯t be staying with them much after all, so you won¡¯t be meeting her too often. The least you could do if we¡¯re with her is to let her be a little bit happier.¡± Jian Yi sighed.

    Qi Chengyue remained silent due to her anger. Patience went both ways, so if she was patient with Zhou Mingyan, Zhou Mingyan should be patient with her too. Otherwise, why would Qi Chengyue have to always give way for Zhou Mingyan?

    She would admit her wrong if she did something wrong, but there was nothing she did wrong in the first ce! Zhou Mingyan was the one who made all that fuss, so Qi Chengyue would not be patient and have any of it!

    Though her mind thought of all that, she still tried hard to suppress her anger. She tried her best to smile at him as she went over to hug his waist. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll do my best to be a better daughter-inw. If I did something that isn¡¯t right and your mom scolded me, please don¡¯t condemn me, okay?¡±

    She looked up at him with her tender, pitiful face. It was more than capable of stirring one¡¯s heart.

    Jian Yi did not know what to think. He patted her on her back half-heartedly and said, ¡°Okay.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue left with Zhou Mingyan, Guan Liya ignored Song Yu¡¯s presence and grumbled unhappily. ¡°What kind of person is she! Such thick skin! I¡¯m really worried that they won¡¯t treat Qi Chengyue right!¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked at Guan Liya and said softly, ¡°Auntie doesn¡¯t look like she¡¯s in a good mood.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m worried about. If Chengyue was not so na?ve, she might be able to bear with Jian Yi¡¯s mother and maybe even please her a bit. Everything will be okay.¡± The old man drank some tea and said, ¡°But Chengyue is still a spoilt child. She won¡¯t back off from an argument if she has a point. And even if she doesn¡¯t have a point, she still won¡¯t back off. Jian Yi¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t seem like a good character either. Chengyue might be able to bear with her at first, but when pushes to shove and a real argument breaks out, I think it¡¯ll be hard for her and Jian Yi.¡±

    The olddy turned to Guan Liya. ¡°Make sure to phone Chengyue up more often these two days. From the looks of it, I¡¯m guessing his mother will want to ¡®teach¡¯ Chengyue how to be a good daughter-inw. Call her so she has an outlet to vent her frustrations, otherwise, she¡¯ll only have Jian Yi toin to, and it¡¯ll be trouble if she continues to do that for a long time.¡±

    Guan Liya agreed immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi got up, said his goodbyes, and left with Song Yu.

    ...

    ...

    When she was alone in the car with Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu could not help but think about what Jian Yi told her.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and extended his hand to hold her hand. ¡°What are you thinking about?¡±

    He scrutinized Song Yu¡¯s reaction, but she neither hid from him nor hesitated. Instead, she turned her hand palm up and held his hand.

    Once Song Yu looked up and saw his handsome and elegant face, the doubts within her heart dissipated immediately.

    His face remained expressionless¡ªhe looked calm andposed as opposed to stern. The strength of his grip quieted the storm incited by Jian Yi in her heart.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu shook her head and smiled tensely. She looked down at his fair-skinned palms and rubbed her thumb gently against the back of his hand.

    Afraid that he might misunderstand, she added on, ¡°I¡¯m just thinking about this and that, nothing in particr. It¡¯s nothing important.¡±

    He held her even tighter than before. ¡°You don¡¯t wanna talk about it?¡±

    Song Yu stared at him in shock. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was fixed on the road and his expression was unchanging, but the words he said made her feel as though he already knew all about the conversation that happened in the backyard.

    Judging from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s demeanor however, she remained unable to discern his inner thoughts.

    She did not want Jian Yi¡¯s words to affect her feelings with Qi Chengzhi. In light of her having thought things through and choosing not to believe Jian Yi¡¯s words, there was absolutely no need for her to tell Qi Chengzhi, for it might only make him think that she suspected him and believed Jian Yi.

    Song Yu observed the nooks and crannies of his face. It was like a beautiful carving of a great artist. ¡°It¡¯s nothing important. Really. I¡¯m not taking it to heart. And...¡±

    She looked down and took hisrge hand into both of her own. She then looked up at him with a face that was both quiet and serious. ¡°No matter what happens and no matter what others say, I¡¯ll always believe you.¡±

    She felt his hand tense up as he held her, and it became almost as if it werepletely inseparable.

    A long silence then ensued. Qi Chengzhi seemed to have no intention of saying anything, so Song Yu dropped the matter eventually.

    After some time had passed, Qi Chengzhi suddenly began speaking in an indifferent tone. ¡°Qi Youxuan told me about everything that Jian Yi said to you in the backyard.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi braked the car at the red light, and it was only then that he turned to Song Yu. Those captivating ck pupils of his seemed to say, ¡®I waited and waited for you to tell me about it on your own ord.¡¯

    ¡°Since I didn¡¯t believe a single word he said, I didn¡¯t n on telling you because I didn¡¯t want you to doubt me.¡± Song Yu looked him in the eye and did not let her gaze waver. ¡°Although you¡¯re always doing whatever you like, you won¡¯t ever do something bad to me.¡±

    ¡°He may have been able to tell me about the details of that day, but it doesn¡¯t mean that what he said were definitively true. Sometimes, a little bit of truth mixed in with some lies makes it that much more believable.¡±

    The light turned green and Qi Chengzhi ced his hand back on the steering wheel. However, he made a turn in a different direction, stopping by the side of the road.

    Curious, Song Yu was just about to say something when his fingers unfastened his seatbelt and his scent came crashing onto her. His enigmatic ck pupils were raging with fire, and the inside of which had warmth, gratitude, and an intense emotion that could not be put into words. Song Yu trembled gently under his gaze, and before she could even say anything, he kissed her and stirred her mouth withplete abandon.

    Such devilish kisses made her face blush hard.

    Qi Chengzhi cupped her face in his hands, treasuring her as though he was holding the rarest jewel ever. Her words, and her unconditional trust toward him, was so touching that his heart nearly popped out of his chest. The warmth within his body began bursting forth uncontrobly.

    In the depths of his emotion lies a fear of losing her, thus came his fervent kisses. The back of Song Yu¡¯s head was pressed so hard against the car window that it was nearly hurting.

    He had no idea how or why a good woman like Song Yu could exist in the world; he truly wondered how lucky he must have been to have met her. He would feel such regret if he did not have her, and he did not want to entertain the alternate oue of his failure.

    She trusted him unconditionally and wholeheartedly once she fell for him, and she was one hundred percent devoted to him.

    Some men would take women like her for granted as time went by¡ªthey would not cherish her properly¡ªbut Qi Chenghi would treasure her until his own heart began hurting.

    Finally, his energy somewhat relented, and he caressed her lips with his own. His charismatic gaze met her eyes and he began speaking in a husky voice, ¡°Thank you for trusting me. You must trust me in the future too. Whether it¡¯s the past, the present, or the future, the things that I do will never be something that¡¯s not for your good.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s soft hand slid across his elbow and up until they reached the back of his hand. Her fingertips squeezed in between his palm and her cheek; she grasped his hand and brought it to her lips, nting gentle pecks all over the joints of his fingers.

    Soon after, she lifted her head and gazed upon the closeness of his face to her. Only a few millimeters separated their lips. If she pouted, she would have been able to kiss his lips.

    ¡°I won¡¯t believe the bad things that people tell me. I¡¯ll only believe what you say. Other people might lie to me, but you won¡¯t,¡± she said softly.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her forcefully and his hands took on a mind of their own as they grabbed her waist and advanced toward her ribs.

    ¡°We originally agreed to go to your parents¡¯ home, but how about we go back home first, and then go to your parents¡¯ home at night?¡± His lips caressed against hers and his hoarse voice suggested.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were shuddering uncontrobly, and both her hands pushed him as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t fuss. My mom and dad are waiting for us.¡±

    Chuckling softly, there was still a hint of huskiness in his crisp yet rich voice. With it, his light breaths tickled the corner of her mouth, making her feel an intense tingling.

    Song Yu¡¯s red and lovable face was right beneath his eyes. The heated passion that she exuded was warming his lips up, and in the process, intensified the scent emanating from his skin.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart pounded incessantly and he could not resist nting a flurry of tiny pecks all over her face. He did so continuously and without pause. Not a single pore stood out on her silky-smooth cheek. Her face was devoid of makeup, and it was a natural tone reminiscent of an ordinary face, post-facial care. There were none of those artificial colors that were characteristic of so many cosmetics. Whenever he kissed her, his mouth would never be filled with powder or anything of the sort; it was so raw that he could not get enough of it.

    He looked at how dainty and beautiful she was, but felt a dread surfacing from the depths of his heart¡ªhe was afraid that Song Yu might leave him one day.

    A momentary loss of self-control led him to embrace her tightly. Song Yu was startled by his action and she could sense a change in his emotions. She felt soreness in her bones due to his forcefulness, and with great difficulty, she patted him on the back to console him. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and breathed in her fragrant hair. He seemed to calm down significantly after that. His head swiveled slightly, and he nted a kiss on her cheek with all his might. After savoring the sweet smell of her skin, he finally got up.

    With the seatbelt fastened, he once again began driving. As he was driving, his handsome fingers held her hand and brought it to his lips so he could kiss them.

    He sneaked a nce at Song Yu, whose hair was in aplete mess. Since one hand was held by him, her freedom was somewhat restricted as she used her other hand to tidy up her hair. Some parts were still fluffy and poking out, and she looked quite silly, and endearingly so.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to France next Friday.¡± His voice was still husky.

    His business trips were not at all frequent; during the time they got together, he only went overseas twice.

    The first time was when their rtionship was still in the early stages. It was not too steady yet, and most of the time Song Yu was still passive. Therefore, she did not feel any reluctance to part with him.

    On the second asion, the two of them were officially together, but their feelings were not as intense as it was now. She did miss him back then, but it was a far cry from the emptiness she would feel if he was gone for a few days. She even had a slight trepidation that she would forget what it was like to be alone again if he was not by his side.

    The two of them had been together for only a couple of months, but unbeknownst to her, he had be an inseparable part of her life.

    It was as though he had assimted into every inch of her, and if he left, a tiny piece of her soul would disappear too.

    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± She looked at him but tried her utmost best not to disy her reluctance.

    Qi Chengzhi was still able to see it in her eyes. He answered crisply, ¡°Five days.¡±

    He sensed her exerting slightly more force when gripping him and saw how she held her head low. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dry yet elegant thumb rubbed the back of her hand, eliciting trembles from her satiny skin.

    ¡°Come with me,¡± he implored.

    Song Yu looked up in disbelief. She squeezed his fingers lightly and said, ¡°I still need to work. Even though I don¡¯t need to check up on Qilin¡¯s hotel project every day, anything can happen at any given time.¡±

    ¡°Ask Zhao Rongcheng for five days¡¯ leave. If he doesn¡¯t agree, I¡¯ll personally look for him,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked inly.

    Song Yu giggled, thereby reducing the amount of reluctance in her eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re going there for work. What am I going to do there?¡± Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Don¡¯t fuss about it, I won¡¯t go. It¡¯s only five days, it¡¯ll pass by really quick.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and no longer brought the subject up.

    ...

    ...

    Back at Song Yu¡¯s parents¡¯ home, Song Yu felt a tad unustomed even though Qi Chengzhi had already slept there for one night. Hisnky figure was like a pole in the house, and the originally-small house felt even more cramped with his presence.

    Qi Chengzhi came out of his night shower and saw a kifu in Song Donglin¡¯s possession. Thetter donned his presbyopia sses and was studying the kifu. Qi Chengzhi then went over and asked if he wanted to have a go.

    Song Donglin was incredibly ted and he immediately told Qi Chengzhi to move a chair over. ¡°Come,e. Song Yu¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t know how to y and neither do the neighbors, so most of the time at home, I¡¯m all alone here studying this. Sometimes I get bored of it too. I never expected you to know how to y.¡±

    ¡°I learned it when I had nothing better to do,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied.

    Song Donglin recalled how Qi Chengzhi had a near-photographic memory. His eyes twitched and he realized it was not a good idea to have around with Qi Chengzhi. At the same time, however, backing off was no option, as it would make him seem like a sore loser.

    Unexpectedly, both rounds ended in a draw.

    Song Donglin knew that Qi Chengzhi was going easy on him, all for the sake of Song Yu¡¯s pride. After all, it was easy to lose at chess, but the intricate nning and brainpower needed for a draw made it doubly hard to force that oue.

    Song Donglin was pleased that he would go to such lengths just for Song Yu. After two rounds, they decided to call it a day.

    ¡°Go and rest. Calcting for a draw isn¡¯t easy, and you¡¯re pretty tired too,¡± Song Donglin smiled and said.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. If in the future you want to y, please juste and look for me.¡±

    Song Donglin shook his head and waved his hand; it would be awkward to have a go at it again in the future.

    Qi Chengzhi went back to Song Yu¡¯s room. She had just finished her shower and her hair was blown half-dry. The instant he entered the room, the smell of shower gel and shampoo greeted his nose.

    Song Yu sat on top of the bed rather uneasily. The room was small, to begin with, and love seemed to be in the air the moment he entered. Even her breathing felt somewhat stifled, and she tried her best not to take too deep a breath, lest the atmosphere bes even more amorous.

    Since the night before was the first time that they have ever slept there, the nagging thought of Yu Qianying and Song Donglin¡¯s presence prompted Qi Chengzhi to keep his hands to himself. The most he did was hug Song Yu and sleep. However, on the road back home today, his aura seemed to be turbulent, and she felt like he would not hold it all in that night. There was no doubt that they slept with each other countless times already, and they had already tried everything there was to try, but the feeling was different in her own home, it resembled...the nervousness newlyweds would feel on the first night together.

    Qi Chengzhi found it ineffable that he felt the same thing. His heartbeat quickened and his breathing turned unsteady once heid eyes upon her sitting on the side of the bed.

    She was wearing her sleepwear, one that was vastly different from those that he chose for her; it had long sleeves and was more conservative, with a small image of a bear imprinted on it. Her half-dry hair draped over her back and her breasts, while her skin was a tender pink due to the warm water that she used for her bath.

    A verse popped up spontaneously in his mind:

    ¡® Whose skin is white like ice or snow; whose grace and elegance are like those of a virgin. <sup>1</sup> ¡®

    She looked at him with those limpid and innocent eyes, the colors of which were distinctly monochrome. Those big eyes were a st to the past as it brought to mind her high school days in Jiaxia High School.

    At that time, Qi Chengzhi was still Jixia¡¯s headmaster. His office was on the topmost floor of the school¡¯s highest building. The view from his office covered nearly every nook and cranny of the entire school.

    Students would congregate at the school cafeteria during lunchtime. He would usually stand beside the window, watching herugh and chat with her friends while walking. She was graceful and charming when she donned Jixia¡¯s school uniform.

    When it was time for sports, he could also see the sports field through his window. He would look at her in her sportswear doing sports on the field.

    She had no idea that he assumed the position of Jixia¡¯s headmaster after he returned to the country and watched her from his office window for a solid four years. He resigned only when she left the school due to the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    He had no reason to remain thereafter she was no longer at the school, so he took on the role of director at Qilin¡¯s technology division. He continued to keep his eye on her, up until she went to Chengshi, to which he voluntarily requested a transfer to Qilin Properties, assuming the position of its director.

    Just like that, he followed her every step of the way and constantly watched her.

    That night, she was just like a girl in herte teens. Her face was so pure, so fair, and so tender. The way she looked at him ignited a roaring fire from the depths of his belly, and his rod had begun to stiffen up visibly. His pants were tantly stretched taut from his towering protrusion.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but wonder if he was a filthy pervert, considering he had such arge reaction toward such a young girl.

 Chapter 132 - Thick-Skinned Yang Yunshu Is Trying to Seduce Your Man

    <h4>Chapter 132: Thick-Skinned Yang Yunshu Is Trying to Seduce Your Man</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but wonder if he was a filthy pervert, considering he had such a massive reaction toward such a young girl.

    Song Yu saw his development. Her face turned flush-red.

    Qi Chengzhi felt somewhat awkward all of a sudden. He let out a dry cough, then moved to sit next to Song Yu. He scooped her up quickly and wrapped his long arm around her loosely. His lips were right by her red-hot ear ¡ª his lips could feel the heat radiated from her ear. Her flushed ears, coupled with her soft and small features, were extremely adorable. Uncontrobly, he began his exploration. The moment his lips brushed against her ear, he could feel her slight tremble.

    Song Yu snugged, while he continued to rub her ear, numbing and tickling it. Hands-on his fiery chest, ¡°The house isn¡¯t big. Dad and mom could hear it.¡±

    It would barely be audible if they spoke softly. However, she was afraid if she moaned out of passion. Everyone in the vicinity, including her parents, would hear it.

    They were not at Viewpark Residence, where the houses were huge, and there was only one household for every two levels. Furthermore, it had an excellent soundproof system.

    ¡°Well, we have to keep it low. You watch out and don¡¯t moan/¡± As he spoke, he drew her closer and began kissing her passionately.

    When he had his standing g at the harbor, his slightly calloused hand caressed her butt. Lifting the butt slightly, he asked, ¡°Join me on the business trip next week, alright?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi groaned and prated her hard.

    Trying to suppress her voice, Song Yu humphed. She sped both her hands on his neck and whispered with her lips at his shoulder, ¡°Petty!¡±

    She could say she had a decent understanding of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temperament by then. It was evident that he was not pleased that she would not be joining him on the business trip.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his head, distancing himself from Song Yu. The lustful but stern face nced at her and raised his eyebrows.

    Song Yu¡¯s body, from her face to her limbs was pinkish. She spoke softly, ¡°Petty! You don¡¯t have to push it so hard even if I don¡¯t want to join you on a business trip!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. He went on kissing the edge of her eyes with his thin, fiery lips. ¡°Are you going with me or not? If I can¡¯t see you for five days, I¡¯m going to miss you lots. Without you by my side, I can¡¯t focus on work. On the contrary of you being a source of distraction, your presence can give me peace of mind. Otherwise, if I rush things to be able to see you, I might end up making mistakes.¡±

    Song Yu found it hard to believe the possibility of Qi Chengzhi making a mistake. However, because of his statements, she began to hesitate.

    Qi Chengzhi increased his pace all of a sudden. She was all red, and she had her chin up while she tried to suppress her voice.

    When her mind went nk, she could hear his voice, seemingly from a distance. ¡°For your job, I will let Qilin know you¡¯re taking five days off. Since it¡¯s only five days, it¡¯s unlikely to have caused a significant dy in anything. It will be incidental if anything happens within five days. Even if there¡¯s anything urgent, a phone call can probably solve it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the director of Qilin. If you¡¯re following me, it¡¯s considered a business trip. We canmunicate directly if there¡¯s any matter.¡± His deep, hoarse voice had be increasingly apparent. Still, in a daze, Song Yu heard him urging, ¡°Are youing?¡±

    Song Yu could not stand it anymore ¡ª her brain had stopped functioning. Merely nodding, she could not utter a word.

    Satisfied, Qi Chengzhi smiled. His jade-like knuckle began setting aside the messy strands on her face. His wet, stormy kisses fell on her face again.

    ...

    ...

    It was Monday afternoon. Without informing anyone, Qi Chengzhi got Chang Lai to drive him to Chengshi.

    He had never been to Chengshi before. Severalpanies rented this office building, and Chengshi upied about six to eight floors.

    He stood right outside of Song Yu¡¯s office. Opening the ss door, he entered the office.

    Initially, Song Yu¡¯s coworkers were busy with their things, and nobody paid any attention to him until one of them shouted at Yang Yunshu across several desks. ¡°Xiao Yang, for Zhongyin¡¯s design...¡±

    She fell into silence all of a sudden. Yang Yunshu felt a little odd. Looking up, the tall, handsome man fell into her sight. Her mouth dropped in shock.

    Recollecting that her expression was not the most presentable, she gathered herself and stood up. Blushing, she nodded. She left her seat and went to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a nce at her coldly. While Yang Yunshu was not cozy with him, her proximity had exceeded the safe distance. Proudly presenting her D-cup rack, which was probably an object to be desired for many men, by taking a step forward, Qi Chengzhi coulde in close contact with it.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ebony eyes were cold. He stepped aside and walked past Yang Yunshu while his eyes scanned through the small office. It was clear that Song Yu was not there, but he found Ruan Danchen instead.

    Ruan Danchen was still in a state of shock with the sudden appearance of Qi Chengzhi. Before she recovered, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold voice asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in the engineering department. Just a moment, I will go and get her.¡± Ruan Danchen picked up the mobile phone on her desk. Her hand was trembling when she was looking for the number

    What was Qi Chengzhi doing here without any announcement?

    He used to wait for Song Yu across the road. What made hime here by himself?

    Furthermore, it was during office hours!

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, take a seat.¡± There was no proper ce for a guest in the office. As such, Yang Yunshu brought along her chair.

    Qi Chengzhi did not even take a side nce when he walked past her. Glued to her position, Yang Yunshu stood awkwardly next to her empty chair.

    Qi Chengzhi walked to the desk next to Ruan Danchen. It was a simple desk without many personal belongings. However, from the writing on the notebook, it seemed like the desk belonged to Song Yu.

    ¡°Is this Song Yu¡¯s seat?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked Ruan Danchen, who was standing next to him. She was still waiting for Song Yu to pick up her call.

    Ruan Danchen nodded, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then pulled out Song Yu¡¯s chair and sat on it.

    Yang Yunshu adjusted her stiff smile. After regaining herposure, she walked toward him again. Leaning slightly forward, with her eyes leveled with that of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s, she smiled and asked, ¡°Young Master Cheng, what would you like to drink?¡± Her cleavage and a small part of her chest were partly visible to Qi Chengzhi through the opening of her shirt.

    Qi Chengzhi grabbed the cup on Song Yu¡¯s desk and asked another coworker of hers, ¡°Is this Song Yu¡¯s cup?¡±

    That female coworker had never imagined a day where she would have the chance to have a conversation with Qi Chengzhi. She stuttered, ¡°Ye... Yes...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then took a sip of water using Song Yu¡¯s cup, announcing his position in silence.

    Yang Yunshu¡¯s smiling face twitched a little. She straightened her back.

    Ruan Danchen took a look and moved to a corner. When Song Yu picked up, Ruan Danchen covered the speaker and spoke softly, ¡°Are you still at the engineering department?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. What¡¯s up?¡± Song Yu was sitting opposite Manager Wang as they were discussing the project.

    Ruan Danchen glimpsed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s direction again. Yang Yunshu still stuck around. ¡°Qi Chengzhi is here, and he¡¯s sitting right at your seat. Meanwhile, thick-skinned Yang Yunshu is trying to seduce your man. Despite Qi Chengzhi ignoring her all the way and saying nothing to her at all, she¡¯s still sticking around. Come back quickly to chase the flies away.¡±

    nkly, Song Yu hung up the phone. Her heart was beating fast. She could not exin her emotions ?¡ª what was he doing here?

    She knew he was extremely busy with work. Ever since they started dating, even though he hardly went out for after-work business meetings, there were a few he could not escape. There was typically a schedule that he followed and it was always filled to the brink with appointments. Why was he free to drop by?

    ¡°Did something happen over there?¡± asked Manager Wang.

    ¡°It was Qi ?¡ª¡± Song Yu intended to say ¡®Young Master Cheng,¡¯ but as the entirepany knew about her rtionship with him, she decided to go straight to the point. Some people might say Qi Chengzhi was fooling around with her, but it did not change the essence of their intimacy. She figured there was no need to call him ¡®Young Master Cheng¡¯ which was pretentious at best. ¡°Qi Chengzhi is here. He¡¯s waiting at my desk.¡±

    ¡°Why is Young Master Cheng here?¡± Manager Wang was shocked. His subconscious thought was that there was something wrong with the project.

    While Qi Chengzhi did not take any action against him for the incidentst time, he did give Manager Wang a warning. As a result, he was particrly anxious.

    ¡°Is there something wrong with the project?¡± Manager Wang asked tensely.

    Song Yu shook her head to calm Manager Wang down. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be. If that¡¯s the case, he would¡¯ve informed me.¡±

    Thinking about what she agreed onst night in a state of daze, getting right to the heart of the matter was fitting for his personality, despite the departure date being Friday instead.

    Recalling about the promise, she could not help but think about the nasty tricks he used to make her agree. Song Yu went rouge thinking about the new techniques he yed on her.

    ¡°He¡¯s here...¡± Song Yu spoke with a low voice, ¡°probably for a private matter.¡±

    Manager Wang rxed after seeing her expression. He quickly followed, ¡°If Young Master Cheng is here, you should quickly attend to him. I don¡¯t have any more to say over here.¡±

    Song Yu then rushed to the office. The moment she entered the office, she saw the rxed man on her chair. It was the opposite for her coworkers ?¡ª they did not dare to utter a word, and the office was inplete silence.

    The others immediately noted her return. All eyes were going back and forth at her and Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi took note immediately too. Lifting his head and seeing her, his severe, thin lips curled into a faint smile. His cold, impersonal eyes radiated kindness at her without disguise. He stood up and waited for her toe over.

    Song Yu had never been under such limelight before. Withstanding the pressure of the silence, blushing, she braced herself and walked to her seat.

    She did not dare to look up. Her face was already burning red. She spoke softly, ¡°Why¡¯re you here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit you, and to help you apply for days off.¡± Cooperatively, Qi Chengzhi spoke with a low voice too. His enticing voice circled in his throat. It was in-depth and sexy.

    ¡°I will do it myself. You don¡¯t have toe.¡± Song Yu took a side nce at her coworkers¡¯ reactions. She felt like she could no longer work without distractions in this office.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled gently. His distinctly jointed long fingers brushed through the strands of hair by her ear and pulled them back. ¡°Applying for days off is just an excuse. My main intention is to take a good look at my wife-to-be.¡±

    Looking at how she flushed into a deeper red, his smile got even gentler, ¡°I¡¯ve always been wanting to see your working environment. I¡¯m curious about what kind of environment you work under and how you look when you work.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a good look at what she was wearing that day ?¡ª lemon-yellow pencil pants, a simple white shirt with a sky blue zer. Coupling the delightful color palette with her light skin, it was refreshing to the eyes. The outfit retained the liveliness while maintaining the professionalism at the workce.

    It was supposed to be a well-polished outfit, but in front of him, she felt like she was a girl only seventeen or eighteen of age ?¡ª naive and innocent.

    If they were not in the office, with so many people around, he would have kissed her.

    The coworkers in the office were staring at the miraculous change in expressions on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    When Song Yu was not around, he felt distant ?¡ª it seemed like he wanted to keep everyone a thousand miles away.

    When he was with Song Yu, he was unbelievably affectionate. Despite speaking in a low voice, it was not a whisper. They could still hear a sentence or two.

    There was no boundary to his pampering.

    Those affectionate statements sounded reasonable, but they sounded corny when they came out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth?

    People were envious of how he looked at Song Yu, to the extent that even Yang Yunshu had to admit Qi Chengzhi was serious about Song Yu.

    If he were not serious about her, he would not be able to look at her like that.

    Even for those who were married, they began to recollect how their husbands had never looked at them like that, even when they were in the passionate dating stage.

    How in love must someone be to radiate love like Qi Chengzhi?

    Everyone had something going on in their minds. While they were still in shock, a shocked voice slit opens the unique and quiet atmosphere of the office. ¡°Young Master Cheng!¡±

    All they could see was Director Zhao jogging toward Qi Chengzhi in fear and trepidation. ¡°Young Master Cheng, what¡¯re you here...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi finally looked away from Song Yu. Song Yu felt her face was close to exploding. All she wanted to do was to breathe slowly.

    By how he looked at her a moment ago, she was anxious he would kiss her in front of everyone.

    ¡°Director Zhao.¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded lightly. The distant expression crept on his refined, handsome face again. The change in appearance was akin to that of Bian Lian <sup>1</sup> ?¡ª as if the gentleness never existed.

    Everyone heaved ?¡ª was that gentleness only reserved for Song Yu?

    They only managed to have a glimpse of it because of Song Yu.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Song Yu, but I also have something to discuss with you.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was t. When he spoke, he rested his hand on Song Yu¡¯s waist. It was a habit he had built subconsciously. He was not aware that his hand was currently rubbing against her back.

    Director Zhao was slightly appalled. He did not know what Qi Chengzhi wanted to talk to him about, and he did not expect him to behave so politely. He then said, ¡°Young Master Cheng, we can discuss it in my office.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. He took a nced at Song Yu and spoke softly, ¡°I will be back. Don¡¯t go missing.¡±

    Song Yu blushed. His words implied she was a little kid that was running around.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and left with Director Zhao.

    The moment Qi Chengzhi stepped out, everyone except Ruan Danchen began to look at Song Yu in a new light. From surprised, not being able to believe, to envy, those glimpses made Song Yu slightly ufortable. However, they no longer dared to inquire as directly as before.

    Yang Yunshu went back to her seat with a gloomy face. She asionally nced at Song Yu, and those stares exuded wickedness.

    Song Yu did not know what she wanted to get out of her. She felt that Yang Yunshu was like some detector which was eager to see through her.

    ...

    ...

    Director Zhao ordered the secretary to serve Qi Chengzhi some tea. Qi Chengzhi replied, ¡°It¡¯s alright. I only have a few words. I will leave once I¡¯m done, as Song Yu is still waiting for me downstairs.¡±

    After hearing that, Director Zhao immediately nodded and stooped, ¡°Yes, yes.¡±

    ¡°I want to get a few days off for Song Yu. I¡¯m going on a business trip this Friday, and I want Song Yu toe along.¡± Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°Five days should be enough.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just a small matter. Young Master Cheng, you can get someone to give me a call next time. I will let her take a week off. If it¡¯s not sufficient, it can be extended.¡± Director Zhao said, ¡°When Song Yu isn¡¯t around, I will let Ruan Danchen help out temporarily. They have a good rtionship, so I think Song Yu could rest assured.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded in content. His eyebrows creased a little, ¡°Song Yu¡¯s coworker, the one called Yang Yunshu.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Young Master Cheng, what¡¯s up with her? What did she do wrong?¡± Director Zhao followed up nervously. He did not want to offend Qi Chengzhi for a puny individual.

    Ever since Director Zhao¡¯s wife returned and took charge of the finance department, Director Zhao no longer had extramarital affairs in the office. He kept his distance with the young female underlings, even outside the office. To Yang Yunshu, he never really had any thoughts about her. Hence he did not have any bias toward her.

    ¡°She seemed to harbor evil intentions. I think it¡¯s not conducive to Song Yu.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke in a nd tone.

    Director Zhao knew precisely what he meant. After all, he was in the industry for many years. His face changed, ¡°Young Master Cheng, Yang Yunshu.. did she...¡±

    Taking his moments, Director Zhao still was not able toe up with the appropriate words. However, his hesitation was sufficient to exin what happened.

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing. Director Zhao took a deep breath and forced a wry smile, ¡°Young Master Cheng, Yang Yunshu hasn¡¯t made any mistakes since she joined thepany, so I can¡¯t fire her for no reason. If she goes and sues thepany, it¡¯s not a liability we can bear.¡±

    ¡°However, I can assign her to another department. That way, her skill sets would not bepatible with the job, and she will quit in no time. This way, she won¡¯t be in the same office as Song Yu, nor does she have the chance to offend Song Yu or be a hindrance. What do you think? Is that alright?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not want to put Director Zhao in a problematic situation. After all, Song Yu was still working there, so he agreed.

    Subsequently, Director Zhao apanied Qi Chengzhi to Song Yu¡¯s office.

    The moment they entered before Qi Chengzhi could say anything, Director Zhao spoke delightfully, ¡°Song Yu, there¡¯s nothing much going on in the afternoon. You can go with Young Master Cheng.¡±

 Chapter 133

    Chapter 133: If You Still Have the Energy for Song Yu, It Seems like It Doesn¡¯t Sound as Serious as over the Phone

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    They entered the office. Before Qi Chengzhi could speak Director Chao addressed Song Yu, ¡°Song Yu, there¡¯s nothing much going on in the afternoon. You can go with Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Song Yu had never taken advantage of her privilege, not even during her time at Jixia High School. After all, many families were as wealthy or more wealthy than the Song family. It was not in her nature to abuse her privileges.

    After the Song family¡¯s fall, she did not think she was any longer entitled to these privileges.

    If she declined the offer, she knew the other would think her pretentious.

    However, after the episode with Qi Chengzhi, it was unlikely she could concentrate on work.

    Not to forget the fact that Qi Chengzhi was likely to stay around if she decided to stay.

    She lowered her face, which was glowing red, and began packing up. She felt her scalp prickle.

    Fortunately, as there was not much to pack, she was quick to clear her belongings.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand as they walked out. Turning to him, she asked, ¡°Why are you early today? Is everything okay at work?¡±

    Chang Lai was waiting with the Range Rover on the opposite road.

    While they were waiting to cross, Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and gave her a light peck on the lips. ¡°I decided toe early because nothing much was going on. Initially, I wanted to wait for you in the car, but I remembered I had to discuss the business trip. And then I was curious as to the environment you work in.¡±

    She had not expected the public disy ?¡ª many people waiting to cross the road, and the cars were at a standstill; stuck in a jam. Under the public¡¯s eyes, Song Yu¡¯s face was redder than usual.

    ¡°You should¡¯ve told me before you came. You really put me in a spot.¡± Song Yu could not the tingles that shot through her system when she spotted him from her seat.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like me that way?¡± He looked down at her, giving her a gentle smile.

    ¡°No.¡± Blushing, she looked left and right. Despite the crowd, Song Yu took the chance and snuck a kiss, whilst he wasn¡¯t paying attention.

    ¡°Even though it was a little too high-profile for my liking, I felt that my heart was about to leap out of me.¡±

    She could still remember his charismatic stance made him stand out even in the office chaos.

    ¡°You really know how to tter a woman¡¯s vanity.¡± She looked up and smiled at him.

    Qi Chengzhi, still smiling gently rubbed his nose against hers. The light turned red, and all the cars stopped, allowing them to cross the road.

    The moment they stepped into the car, Qi Chengzhi got a call from Yan Beicheng. After listening, he said, ¡°Wait a moment.¡± He turned to Song Yu, ¡°A few of them are nning to go to the Red Roof for hot pot and have asked whether we would like to go.¡±

    ¡°Well we don¡¯t have anything nned, so we might as well go,¡± Song Yu replied. Despite him consulting with her, she knew that he had already made the decision. If he had no desire to attend he would not even bring up the matter.

    Furthermore, she had no desire to estrange him from his friends. It was healthy andmon for them to maintain their individualpany. Plus, Yan Beicheng and the rest were very nice people.

    Qi Chengzhi responded, ¡°We¡¯ll be there.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi hung up, Song Yu asked, ¡°Why does he want to have a hot pot at the Red Roof? Doesn¡¯t he have his hot pot restaurant?¡±

    ¡°The Red Roof has huge rooms, and it affords betterfort and privacy,¡± continued Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Hence, the preference. Sometimes Beicheng would bring over the ingredients and cook everything there.¡±

    Song Yu recalled thest time they were at Viewpark Residence: Yan Beicheng had brought along the whole hot pot set along with the ingredients. Not hiding herughter, she said, ¡°He really does enjoy hot pot.¡±

    As it was still early, the two went shopping.

    Although Song Yu kept insisting she had enough clothes, Qi Chengzhi still insisted on purchasing her a new wardrobe. He was rather tyrannical in his pampering.

    As they walked around, he noticed numerous posters for a blockbuster that was being screened at the cinema on the top floor.

    It piqued Qi Chengzhi¡¯s interest, so, holding Song Yu¡¯s hand, he went up to the top floor and bought two tickets.

    ¡°Why do you want to watch a movie all of a sudden?¡± Song Yu trailed behind him as he pulled her along, weaving between the rows of seats.

    He had bought the couple box seats at thest row this time.

    ¡°I was thinking about our first movie.¡± Qi Chengzhi pulled her down.

    The cinema was still brightly lit. It was crowded with people, chattering and walking between rows as they waited for the popr film to start.

    ¡°You had malicious intentions thest time.¡± Song Yu used softly, her cheeks pinkening.

    Qi Chengzhiughed silently. His thin lips curled into a lovely arch. He held her hand, ¡°It seems like we¡¯ve only watched a movie together once. We should do more couple¡¯s stuff.¡±

    Song Yu paused, and he saw her eyes light up.

    Every time she had an idea, her eyes would shine with a radiant spark.

    ¡°Wait for a minute.¡± Song Yu said and stood up, naturally letting go of his hand. He caught her again.

    ¡°Where¡¯re you going?¡± He asked.

    ¡°To do something that normal couples do.¡± Song Yu pinched his palm and repeated, ¡°Wait for me here. I will be right back. ¡±

    In just a moment, Song Yu came back with two cups of c and a tub of popcorn. She also had a rose in her hand.

    When she sat down, she passed him the rose, her face flushed. Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows and said nothing. Song Yu rified, ¡°There¡¯s an event today. You can get a rose with a ticket. Here¡¯s one for you.¡±

    ¡°Is this what couples do?¡± Qi Chengzhi took the rose, incredulous.

    ¡°I meant drinking c and eating from the same tub of popcorn!¡± Song Yu blushed and felt her argument to be a little weak. ¡°How was I supposed to know they were giving out roses?¡±

    When the movie was over, Qi Chengzhi dragged her to the home appliances section of the mall to buy the rose a small vase.

    The vase came with a ss case, which the sales assistant mentioned could be ced in a car. Subsequently, Qi Chengzhi added water to the vase and ced the rose inside. He decided to have the rose on disy in his car.

    Seeing how appreciative he was of a free rose made Song Yu feel mildly ashamed. Perhaps she should pick one out individually for him to show her affections.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi let Chang Lai go off, and drove Song Yu to Red Roof.

    Yan Beicheng got someone to carry over a kid-sized table for Qi Youxuan and Little Muran to set up their little pot. The pot was a size smaller than the usual ¡® Mandarin Duck 1 ¡® pot for adults. The soup base for the two was Three Delicacies.

    Qi Chengzhi took note of the number of bowls and pairs of chopsticks on the table. He asked, ¡°Who else ising?¡±

    ¡°Han Zhuoli, Wei Ziqian, and Lao Chu.¡± Right after Yan Beicheng spoke of it, Chu Zhaoyang and Wei Ziqian arrived. Han Zhuoli came next.

    They were candid with each other. Hence, before the trio arrived, the others had already started eating.

    The remainder arrived from the office, still dressed in office wear.

    Upon arriving they tossed their jackets in the corner and rolled up their sleeves. Bathed in the steam of the hot pot, they all looked casual. The office wear dissolving into a mirage of casual clothes.

    Yan Beicheng picked up a fish slice and ced it into his bowl. While waiting for it to cool, he said, ¡°Chenglin said that you two have matching phone cases. That sounds incredible! Why not show it to us?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted. He did not intend to satisfy Yan Beicheng¡¯s perverse curiosity.

    Chu Zhaoyang had heard Yan Beicheng¡¯s statement while he was rolling his sleeves. Despite theck of change in his stoic demeanor, his eyes lit up with a mischievous light, ¡°A couples case?¡±

    Han Zhuoli chuckled, ¡°Heh heh.It must be from sis Xiao Yu.¡±

    Wei Ziqian ever daring and direct chucked his chopsticks to the side and slid closer to Song Yu. ¡°Sis Xiao Yu, could you please show me your phone case?¡±

    Song Yu didn¡¯t have anything to hide, but she still blushed, realizing that this was a public disy of affection.

    She peaked at Qi Chengzhi, who appeared calm as if he didn¡¯t mind the antiques. He just ced down his chopsticks and grabbed her waist. He would give her sporadic pinches as he held her.

    Song Yu took her time digging for her phone. When she took it out Wei Zhiqian snatched it. ¡°Wow, an orange 2 ! Is this homophonic with Chengzhi?¡±

    Han Zhuoli leaned over, ¡°It does look rather cute.¡±

    ¡°If you like it so much I could get you all one.¡± Song Yu raised an eyebrow. She should not be theughing stock all the time.

    ¡°Each of you will get a box.¡± Qi Chengzhi dered in a t voice.

    Just as he finished, his phone rang.

    Qi Chengzhi took out the phone nced at the disy, which read, ¡®Chu Zhaoyang.¡¯ He hung up, raising his eyebrows he looked at Chu Zhaoyang, who continued to maintain a nk expression while he slid his phone back into his pocket.

    Everyone had gotten a glimpse of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s white feathered phone case.

    Yan Beizheng grunted, ¡°tsk tsk!¡± He took arge gulp of beer and shook his head, ¡°It¡¯s too nauseating!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi humphed, and retorted, ¡°Well, if you can, try staying single forever then.¡±

    Before Yan Beicheng could say anything, Qi Chenglin picked up a call, ¡°Mom, what¡¯s up?¡±

    Subsequently, Qi Chenglin set down his chopsticks. Brows furrowing, he listened intently for a while longer before sighing, ¡°Okay, I will head back right away.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±Qi Chengzhi asked when Qi Chenglin hung up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have any concrete details yet, but it seemed like Chengyue argued with Jian Yi. They have created a scene, and Mom wants me to help send Chengyue home.¡± Qi Chenglin stood up, slightly sad that he had to leave his food behind. He grabbed his jacket and car key and spotted Qi Youxuan, who was still eating. He then said, ¡°Big brother, can I trouble you to send Youxuan hometer?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped eating and wiped his hands. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡±

    It was only natural, Song Yu too got up. Having no choice, Qi Youxuan followed suit.

    In this time of crisis, Qi Youxuan appeared calm and well mannered, choosing not to kick up a fuss at the unfinished meal. In reality, however, he was rather full, having stuffed himself earlier.

    They drove to Qi Youxun¡¯s mansion. Before Qi Chengzhi got off, Song Yu said, ¡°I will wait for you in the car. I don¡¯t want to upset Qi Chengyue any further.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. He met up with Qi Chenglin when he got out of the car. After exchanging a few words, Qi Chenglin scooped Qi Youxuan in one arm, and lifted the school bag in the other.

    Song Yu opened the car door, and Qi Chenglin ced Qi Youxuan into the car. ¡°It¡¯s a mess inside. I don¡¯t want to bring Youxuan in.¡±

    ¡°He can stay in the car with me.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    The moment Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin stepped in they heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s crying and high-pitchedints.

    Guan Liya wasforting her. Qi Zhongxun was experiencing a throbbing headache as he stood there. Turning, he caught sight of Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi walking in.

    ¡°Chengzhi, why are you here as well?¡± Qi Zhongxun asked. Shockcing his face.

    ¡°I was having dinner with Chenglin. When I learned about the matter, I decided toe,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied, ncing at Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue suddenly stoppedining. She looked up, not seeing Song Yu by her brother¡¯s side she spat, ¡°Where¡¯s Song Yu? Why isn¡¯t she here for the drama?¡±

    ¡°If you still have the energy for Song Yu, then it is clearly not as serious as you made it sound,¡± Qi Chenglin said snidely. ¡°What happened?¡±

    Guan Liya sighed, ¡°It¡¯s all because of Jian Yi¡¯s mom. She¡¯s a difficult character.¡±

    ¡°When I went home with himst Saturday, his mother, capitalizing on his authority, began lecturing me. She was extremely rude, implying I am an ill-mannered child, who was not brought up well. She said I shouldn¡¯t be acting so disrespectfully, as if I hadn¡¯t been showing her respect to begin with!¡± Qi Chengyue felt cheated and furious as she recalled Jian Yi¡¯s mother¡¯s sharine attitude toward her when she was showering the old bat with gifts¨Camongst which included a Berkin. Back then she wouldn¡¯t stop showering Chengyue withpliments.

    Well, it seemed like his mom had forgotten all that she had done for her!

    She learned that Zhou Mingyan was someone devoid of gratitude. She might thank you in the moment, but once the moment was over she would stab you in the back. It seemed as if Zhou Mingyan could and would only remember a person¡¯s faults.

    ¡°She is downright nasty. She told me that since I am now a part of the Jian family I am no longer a notabledy. She doesn¡¯t want anyone to assume that Jian Yi married me for my status and my dowery. She wants to make it clear that our marriage was one of coincidence. It was coincidental that he married a rich heiress. So, she makes sure that I know my ce as the Jian family¡¯s daughter. She makes sure that I know that I have to put the Jian family first. And she made sure that I greeted all members of the Jian family first during my wedding.

    ¡°Even after my honeymoon, she made sure that we went to their home first. Simply put: I am no longer thedy I once was. I have no right to my former status. Now I am the daughter-inw, and, so, should bow to my new status.

    ¡°I could stand her empty pleasantries, since Jian Yi assured me that we would be living separately. Our own house. I treated her as the passing wind, something I had to endure for a short while. I could deal with her nagging, thinking it was temporary, but I can¡¯t deal with this. I can¡¯t deal with her!

    ¡°She had broken into my home. Taken the key and allowed herself in. And when I got back from work, she had the gall to reprimand me for not having a hot meal allid out for Jian Yi. She hadn¡¯t even bothered to tell either of us that she would be stopping by!

    ¡°I still need to work! How do I conjure up the time to cook?! More importantly, I am ady of the Qi family, I don¡¯t cook! And when Jian Yi and I had a meal outside, sheins that we get back toote and that it is rather unhealthy to constantly be eating out. Criticism after criticism! Over and over again! And then she announced that she will be staying over! So that she could prepare breakfast for Jian Yi!

    ¡°I maintained a civil treatment of her throughout her tirade, but that night, when we were alone, I told Jian Yi that this couldn¡¯t go on. You won¡¯t believe what happened next. Just as I finished, she pushed open the door, pointed at me and began yelling! She told me that I was ruining the bond between a mother and her son, she told me that I was a terrible wife, and she told me that I should learn from her!

    ¡°She continued to say that I would never be able to turn a son against his mother, especially, since she had raised him. Then she again proceeds to harp on my manners orck of it. She proceeds to punctuate her point by threatening me. Telling me how I should learn to respect her, and not make a fool out of myself and shame her when the rtivese over to visit the new daughter-inw.

    ¡°Then you got angry and came back,¡± concluded Qi Chenglin, looking at her.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan was indeed unreasonable.¡± said Guan Liya as she stood up.¡±Did she forget about Qi family status?! Does she think she can outrank us?! We treat her kindly because we are virtuous and generous. Just because we didn¡¯t put her in her ce does not mean she has the right to talk back to us! If the Qi family were to eschew them not even Jian Yi would be able to utter a single word in our presence. In fact, it will be an all too simple procedure.

    ¡°If you really can¡¯t take it anymore, you can move back here with Jian Yi. I don¡¯t believe Zhou Mingyan will dare continue with her disgraceful attitude¡± Guan Liya¡¯s crinkled with disdain, as she gently patted Qi Chengyue¡¯s back in support.

    Qi Chengyue was the Qi family¡¯s only daughter. Guan Liya, as her mother, wouldn¡¯t allow her daughter to suffer such ill-treatment.

    Remembering Qi Chengze, Guan Liya no longer interfered with her children¡¯s lives, but it did not stop her from worrying about them.

    Now that her daughter was bullied, Guan Liya took it upon herself to put an end to it.

    ¡°What¡¯s Jian Yi¡¯s stance on this?¡± Qi Chenglin asked calmly.

    Qi Chengyue had a tissue box on herp. Dabbing away tears, she sniffed ¡°I ran out before he could say anything.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Jian Yi? You are his wife! He shouldn¡¯t stand and watch as you get bullied! That is not how a husband is supposed to act!¡± snapped Guan Liya.

    ¡°It¡¯s his mother! I can¡¯t expect him to stand with me against his mother! I¡¯ve never expected anything from him! After so long, I haven¡¯t even seen his shadow!¡± Qi Chengyue cried.

    ¡°Well, you want to spend time alone with Jian Yi, without any disturbance. There¡¯s a way.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke in a monotone voice. ¡°A way where you won¡¯t offend Jian Yi¡¯s parents, and will make Jian Yi happy. It won¡¯t ruin your rtionship.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s sobbing stopped. She looked up, her eyes red but hopeful. Still whimpering, she could not believe Qi Chengzhi would help her.

    ¡°Moreover, you no longer need to worry about Jian Yi seeking Song Yu out.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips twitched ever so slightly as he delivered those lines, his tone cynical. ¡°Don¡¯t say that Song Yu is bothering him. You know who is bothering who. That is something I¡¯m sure of. After all, there should be no reason for you to be afraid of Song Yu if it were the other way around.¡±

    Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya both heard what Qi Chengzhi said. They were shocked ?¡ªfinally, they understood.

    Qi Chengyue surprisingly did not refute the statement. She simply continued to sniffle, before finally asking, ¡°What¡¯s the way?¡±

    ¡°Transfer to the branch in Paris and take on the responsibility ofmunicating with the architects. Qilin is nning to build arge-scale theme park in the country. The masquerade party is based on the design from France. I¡¯m going to pay a visit myself tomunicate the vision. Plus there is a general manager position that needs filling. The general manager left, so I would like to take the opportunity to fully understand the schematics.¡±

 Chapter 134 - Nowadays, You Donâ€™t Even Give Me a Goodbye Kiss

    <h4>Chapter 134: Nowadays, You Don¡¯t Even Give Me a Goodbye Kiss</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Transfer to the branch in Paris and take on the responsibility ofmunicating with the architects. Qilin is nning to build arge-scale theme park in the country. The masquerade party is based on the design from France. I¡¯m going to pay a visit myself tomunicate the vision. Plus, there is a general manager position that needs filling. The general manager left, so I would like to take the opportunity to fully understand the schematics.

    ¡°If it sits well with him, I can transfer Jian Yi there. If Jian Yi was to get a raise, I suppose it would be beneficial for the both of you. Given that both of you will be overseas, Jian Yi¡¯s mom can no longer bother you, and Jian Yi will no longer be able to see Song Yu. Your worries would be all out the window.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes lit up in delight, but, at the same time, she was dubious. She could not believe that Qi Chengzhi would be so kind.

    Before he started dating Song Yu, he was cold and distant toward his family. However, as the two of them had not argued much, Qi Chengyue did not hold a negative opinion of him.

    Since Song Yu hade into the picture, though, he had been willing to do everything for her; including embarrassing her in front of everyone to protect her.

    Resultantly, Qi Chengyue did not believe there was any kinship between them. She would never have thought Qi Chengzhi to be considerate of her situation.

    ¡°Are you really so kind?¡± Qi Chengyue almost scoffed aloud, but she managed to keep her silence.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to France this Friday. I¡¯ll let you know the answer by then,¡± said Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu turned on her mobile data to look for anime for Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan took out a pack of Ganyuan Sunflower Seeds and began chomping down on them.

    A car approached her direction. The ring headlights made Song Yu squint. She saw it stop right in front of the mansion, its bo facing the Range Rover.

    After a moment, two people got out of the car.

    They were Jian Yi and Zhou Mingyan.

    Jian Yi narrowed his eyes as he peered at the Range Rover in front of him. The windows of the Ranger Rover were tinted, unhelpful in the darkness of the night. The street lights, too, did nothing for his vision. He could see that someone was in the car, but could not ascertain who it was.

    Still, he knew it to be Song Yu.

    He stared for a while, until Zhou Mingyan called for him multiple times. Reluctantly, Jian Yi looked away and walked with Zhou Mingyan to the entrance. He pressed on the doorbell.

    ¡°Sir, Madam. Mister Jian and the inw are here.¡± Aunt Chen said.

    Jian Yi and Zhou Mingyan entered.

    Guan Liya did not even spare Zhou Mingyan a kind nce, ignoring herpletely. She was still in the task offorting Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Father-inw, mother-inw.¡± Jian Yi greeted.

    Guan Liya nodded coldly. ¡°You must be rather capable, sending Chengyue home crying after just a few days of marriage.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Zhou Mingyan gave a wry, apologetic smile. Seeing Qi Chengyue begin to cry again, she could only say, ¡°Chengyue, I crossed the line earlier. I hope you feel better soon, and find it in you not to begrudge me for it.

    ¡°It¡¯s my first time being an inw, and my first time interacting with a daughter-inw, too. It¡¯s hard for me to establish boundaries because I¡¯ve only experienced being someone else¡¯s daughter-inw. Back then, my mother-inw was very strict with me. I didn¡¯t know the right way to treat you. Jian Yi is my only son, an, sometimes, I care for him a little too much; so much so that I go overboard.

    ¡°Mistress Qi,¡± Zhou Mingyan looked apologetically at Guan Liya, ¡°I understand how you must feel. If Jian Yi were to suffer any injustice here, I would be furious. I will try to consider Chengyue¡¯s perspective more often in the future, and behave more thoughtfully. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Guan Liya had not been expecting Zhou Mingyan toe in person to apologize. Given she was already married, she did not want her daughter to be stuck in a poor rtionship with her husband. If things progressed down that path, while it might not be a tragedy, as was in Qi Chengze¡¯s case, her marriage could be ruined.

    Jian Yi walked to Qi Chengyue and knelt down so he was at her eye level. He cupped her face in both his hands and wiped away her tears tenderly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be sad anymore. After you left, I didn¡¯t follow right after because I had to talk things through with Mom. I made her realize her mistakes. Come home, okay?¡± Jian Yi beseeched softly.

    Qi Chengyue whimpered. Blinking her wet, bloodshot eyes, she nodded.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu watched as the mansion door opened and Jian Yi walked out, his hand on Qi Chengyue¡¯s waist. Zhou Mingyan followed behind them closely.

    Soon after, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin walked out, too, followed,stly, by Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun.

    When he saw his dad, Qi Youxuan immediately returned the phone to Song Yu. He opened the car door and rushed down, the packet of sunflower seeds still in his small, chubby hand.

    Song Yu quickly followed behind. Jian Yi heard a crisp shout. ¡°Daddy!¡±

    Everyone turned to the source of the voice. They saw a round little boy, who grew rounder with each passing day, running toward Qi Chenglin.

    Naturally, they also saw Song Yu trailing behind.

    Jian Yi grew tense all of a sudden. Without thinking, he yanked his hand away from Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue went pale. She narrowed her eyes at Jian Yi, who jerked his head to the side. Jian Yi wore a nk expression, but his telltale gaze was fixated on Song Yu.

    Beneath the silvery-white moonlight, Song Yu was fairer than ever. Her delicate beauty was ephemeral, like a fairytale nymph who belonged to the night, and not on this undeserving Earth.

    Qi Chengyue flushed in anger. She grabbed ahold of the hand that had rested on her waist and clutched it unrelentingly.

    She could feel Jian Yi stiffen in ce. He even tried to struggle his way out.

    Qi Chengyue ground her teeth. She squeezed it even tighter. She was not going to let go.

    On her part, Song Yu was oblivious of Jian Yi¡¯s actions. She had not spared him much of her attention.

    She had merely nced at Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue for a second, purely out of shock, before focusing on Qi Chengzhi. She had eyes for him and only him.

    Qi Chenglin lifted Qi Youxuan, who was still happily eating his sunflower seeds. Qi Chengzhi walked over to Song Yu and ran his fingers through her windblown hair. Pushing strands of it behind her ear, he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you waiting in the car?¡±

    ¡°Youxuan got down from the car. I was following him.¡± Song Yu said.

    Jian Yi saw the way they were talking ¡ª as if the world was made of only the two of them. Their intimacy made him tense up.

    ¡°Time to go,¡± Guan Liya said, ¡°When you guys are home, take time tomunicate. Try to understand each other¡¯s perspective.¡±

    She turned to look at Zhou Mingyan and continued, ¡°Inw, Chengyue is still young. She just got married and is rtively inexperienced. You¡¯ve lived through half a century. When your mother-inw was strict with you, surely you were displeased? If you can understand that, be kinder to Chengyue. She still has her family. I understand that you care deeply for Jian Yi, your son, but Chengyue is our daughter; the only daughter of the Qi family. Not only Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, but we all also love her to pieces.

    ¡°She got married because she loves Jian Yi. We hope she can be happy, and we don¡¯t want her to feel aggrieved. Furthermore, we elders shouldn¡¯t interfere too much with the lives of these younger people. We¡¯re all very fond of Chengyue, hence, by extension, we¡¯re kind to Jian Yi. As long as he¡¯s still the son-inw of the Qi family, he has a great future.

    ¡°In other words, when the two eventually break it off, Chengyue cane home and still be the daughter of the Qi family, but Jian Yi...¡± Guan Liya sneered, ¡°I¡¯m afraid, by then, Qilin will no longer be a ce for him.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan trembled a little. Underneath the white moonlight and the yellow street lights, her face seemed paler than usual.

    ¡°The Qi family adheres to the principle of returning kindness by the tenfold. We respect that you¡¯re Jian Yi¡¯s mother and our inw. We will include you in good times and bad, but this doesn¡¯t mean you can take advantage of us. We won¡¯t let anyone override our authority. While we still respect you, know your limits. We will receive equal respect from you, and we will not be exploited.

    ¡°Inw, do you understand what I¡¯m saying?¡± Guan Liya looked at Zhou Mingyan coldly. She did not hide her disdain.

    Zhou Mingyan kept pushing her luck, as if she had forgotten her standing, and how the gap between the Jian family and the Qi family was unbridgeable.

    Just because the Qi family was courteous to her, she thought she could do as she pleased.

    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Zhou Mingyanughed dryly, her eye twitching. ¡°I do.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi bade farewell to Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya, he left with Song Yu.

    Even after the Range Rover disappeared in the night, Qi Chengyue could still feel Jian Yi¡¯s terseness.

    When they boarded the car, Jian Yi immediately pulled his hand from Qi Chengyue¡¯s grasp.

    The sudden emptiness in her palm made it feel cold.

    Qi Chengyue thought about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s suggestion, then spoke up. ¡°Jian Yi, Big Brother said that the branch in France is looking to hire a new general manager, and he wants you to go.¡±

    ¡°France?¡± Jian Yi turned sharply, studying Qi Chengyue¡¯s agitated profile in the darkness.

    ¡°Yeah, you have to know that, if you stay in B City, you¡¯ll never rise to the level of a general manager. This is not pleasant, but I have to be honest. There are many people within the Qi family. Forget my dad, even the current general manager position in Qilin Property is held by my second elder brother. He¡¯s still young, and there are many more decades till he retires. Furthermore, he¡¯s doing well, so there¡¯s no reason to rece him. How long do you think it will be before the general manager position there bes vacant?

    ¡°Besides, by the time my uncle and my dad retire, Big Brother will be in charge of Qilin Technology, and my second elder brother will be the director of Qilin Property. Even then, it¡¯s still uncertain whether you can be the general manager because you¡¯re rtively inexperienced. There are a lot of people in thepany who would be against it.

    ¡°Even though it¡¯s the Qi family¡¯s operations, we still have to consider the feelings of the veterans. Otherwise, thepany will be a mess. There will be an influx of noxious gossip going around, implying that you¡¯re relying on the power of the Qi family to advance your career. Moreover, Big Brother always emphasizes the importance of choosing the best person for the job. He may not...¡± Qi Chengyue looked at Jian Yi hesitantly.

    ¡°It will be different if you go to France. You can be the general manager there for a few years and gather experience. You¡¯d be morepetent. It¡¯s impossible for a departmental manager to be promoted to the position of general manager straightaway. It¡¯s simply not realistic.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going.¡± Jian Yi replied frostily.

    ¡°Jian Yi, don¡¯t fall under the impression that it¡¯s just a branch and that the decisions there don¡¯t have merit. Qilin¡¯s branch in Franch is of a certain scale, and it¡¯s important to Qilin¡¯s operations. The reason for the vacancy is that anotherrge-scale, local corporation headhunted the original general manager. If you transfer there, it¡¯ll be akin to gold-ting your resume. Not only would you have the title of general manager, you¡¯d also have gained valuable managerial experience, too.

    ¡°In the future, Qilin, and many other corporations will have their eye on you. And, if you wanted to start your own business instead, you¡¯d be on the right track. Furthermore, with my family¡¯s money, you wouldn¡¯t be restricted to just Qilin: you could go anywhere you wanted.

    ¡°I know you don¡¯t want to hear people talking about you behind your back; talking about how you used the Qi family¡¯s status to rise to power.¡± Qi Chengyue ced her hand on top of Jian Yi¡¯s on the gearshift. His fingers were long and slim, sinews and bones clearly visible beneath his pale skin. They looked lovely.

    ¡°Regardless, it¡¯s a great opportunity. If the general manager in France didn¡¯t leave, there wouldn¡¯t be a vacancy. You¡¯d still be a departmental manager in Qilin.¡± Qi Chengyue spoke patiently and gently, ¡°Jian Yi, I hold no ill will. This is all for your own good.¡±

    ¡°I said, I¡¯m not going!¡± Jian Yi snatched his hand from beneath her palm and nted it firmly on the steering wheel.

    ¡°Why? Can you at least give me a reason for not wanting to go?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s face sank. Something sharp and venomous in her wanted to ask if it was because of Song Yu, but, as Zhou Mingyan was present, it would not be appropriate.

    ¡°Yes!¡± She had not expected Zhou Mingyan, seated at the back, to respond, and she started. ¡°I think what Chengyue is proposing is reasonable. It¡¯s a good opportunity. You can go to France for a few years, and then return. It¡¯ll be of tremendous value to your career.¡±

    Jian Yi sneered, ¡°If I go to France, I¡¯m not sure there¡¯ll be a ce for me to return to. I don¡¯t think Qi Chengzhi is so kind. He wants to send me away so I won¡¯t be an eyesore.¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi ¡ª¡± Qi Chengyue was determined to persuade him.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use continuing this discussion. I¡¯m not going!¡± Jian Yi snapped, frustrated. He spoke in a low voice, ¡°If I can¡¯t be the general manager of Qilin, I will start my own business.¡±

    ¡°I think...¡± Jian Yi nced at Qi Chengyue, ¡°you¡¯d support me, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d do anything for your benefit, but ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Then this conversation is over.¡± Jian Yi was frigid, upromising. As though realizing his distance, he suddenly grabbed Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand. ¡°If I were to go to France, you¡¯d have to follow. It¡¯s not home, and everything would be confusing and inconvenient to you. You wouldn¡¯t be able to adapt. Furthermore, you¡¯d have to leave your parents and your family. Such is my reason, as well. My parents are getting older. I want to spend more time with them.

    ¡°Chengyue, the future is important, but our family is important too. My parents are here, and I can¡¯t leave them on their own. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re not willing to leave your parents either.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan teared up as she listened to what he had to say. She nodded vigorously. ¡°I, too, would hate to part with you, but, for your future, I¡¯m willing to make that sacrifice. Given you have no inclination to do so, however, I support your decision to stay. When you do start your own business, I believe it will grow to be as sessful, if not more so, than Qilin!¡±

    Jian Yi looked to Qi Chengyue again, unable to read her expression. She lowered her head and quietly said, ¡°I understand.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi sent her to the office the next day, parking his Range Rover right outside the office.

    ¡°I¡¯m not busy today. I¡¯ll pick you up tonight,¡± he said.

    Song Yu unbuckled her seat belt as she hummed her acquiescence. As she was about to leave, she looked up and held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. His smooth palm was unusually warm.

    The weather was growing warmer. He was not wearing a jacket, but his suit fitted nicely on his shoulders.

    He looked lean and tall in a suit. It hid his sinewy, defined muscles.

    His handsome face gave her sense of calm and rejuvenation, as if she had been graced by a morning zephyr.

    Sometimes, Song Yu felt it a miracle for her to be dating a man like Qi Chengzhi. It was like a dream.

    ¡°Be careful when driving.¡± Song Yu pinched his arm and smiled up at his face. She felt she would never tire of it.

    He dragged her back, as she ced one leg out the door. She toppled gracelessly on her back, almostnding on him. Instinctively, she tried to push herself up, and her hand identallynded on his groin.

    She had not seen where she had ced her palm, only thinking that the sensation was peculiar, unlike what a leg should feel like.

    So she looked down. Her hand was indeed on his private area, and, what was worse, she was pressing down on it. Her face exploded.

    Her ears were burning with mortification and she was sure he could see them steaming. She heard Qi Chengzhi suppress a hoarse grunt above her.

    Song Yu quickly removed her hand, but Qi Chengzhi caught it and held on tight.

    ¡°Do you care less for me?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was deep and guttural, his words murmured into her hair. Her scalp tingled with electricity, his hot gaps of air making her mind go numb.

    Song Yu looked up, still scarlet with embarrassment. He held her hand and brought it up to his soft lips. With his elegant hand still wrapped around hers, he began caressing her lips.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips quivered under his ministrations, until he intertwined their fingers. In his deep, low voice, he remarked, ¡°Nowadays, you don¡¯t even give me a goodbye kiss.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were ame in red. She looked up at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s delicate features. His lips curled into a small smile. His warm breath, and the intoxicating scent of him, fell across her face as he leaned in close.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were still trembling. She looked up and kissed him, startled by the searing heat of his lips.

    She had intended for it to be a simple goodbye kiss, brief and chaste. As she was about to pull away, however, Qi Chengzhi violently shoved her backwards.

    His movements were like an agile leopard. He pressed her to the back of the seat, with the back of her head forced against the leather headrest. She felt as if she was about to sink into the chair.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Skillfully, he unbuckled the seat belt and crowded her.

    His lips were jammed against hers. He found her other, soft hand andced their fingers together. Pinning her hands by either side of her head, he invaded her mouth with his tongue, exploring every inch of her wet cavern, in a passionate kiss.

 Chapter 135 - I Wonâ€™t Bully You, But Iâ€™ll Watch My Man Do That To You, What Can You Do?

    <h4>Chapter 135: I Won¡¯t Bully You, But I¡¯ll Watch My Man Do That To You, What Can You Do?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    His lips pressed firmly against hers. He found her other soft hand and had their fingers intertwined with one another. He sped her hands by the side of her head and invaded her mouth with his tongue. He swept every inch of her mouth, intertwining their saliva, kissing her with a burning passion.

    Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengzhi to lunge at her so aggressively. Her hands felt weak and her fingertips were trembling. She curved them up and held his hand gently while she allowed him to kiss her.

    After some time, his lips rxed slightly and distanced them from hers by an inch. When he saw her glistening lips, he could not resist and continued to drop kisses on her lips. He kissed them tenderly and moved towards the corner of her lips.

    ¡°Go on.¡± he squeezed her soft palm before letting it go unwillingly.

    Song Yu was still panting heavily on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips. Her breath was as fragrant as an orchid.

    The lump on his throat moved up and down as he swallowed. A dark mist hazed over those pair of jet-ck eyes that were staring at her, fueled by desire.

    Song Yu felt as if she was burned by his gaze. She lowered hershes slowly, but her eyesnded on the bulge at the zipper of his pants.

    Her eyes widened as she gasped. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be able to drive in this state?¡±

    He lowered his head to look at his situation and chuckled. His lips were slightly swollen after their kiss, and it looked especially alluring, leaving Song Yu yearning for another kiss.

    She swallowed and moved her eyes away from his lips, otherwise, she would not be able to leave at all.

    Her gaze shifted to his chin and saw the motion of his throat. She felt an urge to kiss his throat, thinking that it would be interesting to feel the gliding motion under her lips.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cool down for a while before going,¡± he said while he took in a deep breath. He let go of her and adjusted his seating position.

    Song Yu was still worried and said, ¡°If you really can¡¯t, just ring Chang Lai to pick you up.¡±

    Then, she lowered her eyes, took a quick nce and blushed. ¡°I¡¯ll be worried if you drive in this state.¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, just follow me back to my office.¡± He stared at Song Yu with a fervent gaze, but he dared not reach for her hand. He was afraid that he would not be able to let her go. He would directly take her back to Qilin.

    ¡°Hold on for a moment.¡± Song Yu took the cellphone in his car and called Chang Lai¡¯s number. ¡°Your director is at the entrance of mypany, pleasee and pick him up.¡±

    After she hung up the phone call and returned his cell phone, she turned her head around and met with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mysteriously tantalizing smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you embarrassed for calling Chang Lai toe and pick me up just because of this?¡±

    ¡°At least, it¡¯s better than you driving in this state. I will not have to worry.¡± She reached her hand out and touched the back of his hand gently. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to happen to you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi softened his gaze. Those jet-ck eyes were filled with warm tenderness while he squeezed her soft fingertips. ¡°You should head up.¡±

    Song Yu released him, but she had a sudden urge to ditch her work and follow him.

    She turned around unwillingly. Suddenly, her mind was blown by what she saw.

    Moments ago, she opened the car door to get off the vehicle. However, she was pulled back by Qi Chengzhi and the car door had been left open since. She was too engrossed in his kisses and had totally forgotten about the open door.

    Looking at the widely opened door, she could not help but imagine all the passersby who had witnessed their passionate kiss.

    Song Yu shut her eyes tightly, wishing she could worm her way into the sewer at her feet. She was too ashamed to face anyone.

    She dared not look at others, feeling like all the passersby were staring at her with a peculiar expression.

    She left the car with her legs weak and walked into the building. She saw Ruan Danchen standing at the entrance with a blushing face and her thumb raised up.

    ¡°The both of you were so passionate. I thought that Qi Chengzhi was going to take you there and then in the car!¡± Ruan Danchen said to her softly. Her face flushed again just by recalling the incident.

    The way Qi Chengzhi lunged towards Song Yu was simr to a hungry wolf pouncing at its prey, wanting to devour Song Yu there and then.

    She could never imagine that such a level-headed man would not even bother to close the car door when he was in the mood.

    With what just happened, Ruan Danchen dared not imagine how fervid he would be behind closed doors.

    ¡°Were... Were there many people who saw us?¡± At that moment, all Song Yu wanted was to turn back and hide in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car.

    Ruan Danchen nodded her head firmly without hesitation. ¡°Didn¡¯t you think about where we are? We¡¯re in the central business district (CBD). Do you think that there won¡¯t be a crowd? Furthermore, it is working hours now. All of those who witnessed the scene gaped in the direction of the car. However, don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯m the only one in ourpany who saw that.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled slyly. ¡°At this rate you¡¯re going, I¡¯m surprised that you aren¡¯t pregnant yet.¡±

    Song Yu blushed and remained silent as she entered the elevator with Ruan Danchen. Fortunately, it was only the two of them in the elevator. If there were more people, she would be even more embarrassed, all the while wondering if all of them saw what she did.

    ¡°Are you guys on birth control?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Uhm, we just got together. I don¡¯t want to have kids so early into the rtionship. If we want kids, we would want to n things properly,¡± Song Yu said truthfully to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen nodded in agreement and said, ¡°That¡¯s true.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Both of them entered the office. All of the office staff looked normal and greeted them as usual. Song Yu was relieved when she was sure that no one had seen her.

    Song Yu¡¯s usual routine after turning on herptop was to check her emails.

    To her surprise, she received a notification of an email sent from human resources.

    Song Yu opened it and saw a notice of a job transfer. Yang Yunshu was transferred to the engineering department as an office clerk.

    Ruan Danchen nced at her before sliding over with her swivel chair. ¡°You saw that too?¡±

    ¡°Uhm, why was she transferred to the engineering department suddenly? Yan Yunshu is an architect and it was just the right position for her. Before she came to Chengzhi, she has already had four years of experience in Architecture. Now that they¡¯ve transferred her to the engineering department, she has zero experience in that and would have to start from the bottom as an intern,¡± Song Yu said puzzledly and frowned.

    ¡°Also, if she were to frence, she could at least earn somemission,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°However, now she is being transferred to be an office clerk. ording to the rules of ourpany, there might be a possible bonus on top of the basic sry based on how the department performs, but a raise is minimal. It¡¯s insignificantpared to her sry when she was working as an architect. Why would ourpany transfer her without any reason? It¡¯s not even the right job for her, plus our department is severely short-handed.¡±

    ¡°Does Yang Yunshu know?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Ruan Danchen might know more about what was happening in the office than her.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head, ¡°I don¡¯t think she¡¯s aware of it. There were no signs prior to this announcement. She still seemed to be her pompous self yesterday. If she knew about it, she would¡¯ve gone to Director Zhao to make a scene.¡±

    Song Yu nodded her head. At the same time, Yang Yunshu tapped her card and entered. Song Yu and Ruan Danchen stopped their conversation and continued with their work.

    Nheless, they were still secretly observing Yang Yunshu¡¯s reaction over theirputers. They saw her humming a tune while she bent down to switch on herputer, she looked like she was in a good mood.

    Momentster, the startup tone of Yang Yunshu¡¯sputer chimed. Song Yu and Ruan Danchen could not help but stare closely at Yang Yunshu to witness her reaction. After she opened her mailbox, they could not see her expression and could only hear the clicking sound made by the mouse.

    Then, Yang Yunshu stood up immediately and stormed out of the office with a gloomy expression.

    Song Yu and Ruan Danchen exchanged nces.

    Ruan Danchen scooted over quietly again and said, ¡°Do you think this is Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doing?¡±

    ¡°What has it got to do with him?¡± Song Yu was confused.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it with your own eyes. It was so obvious that Yang Yunshu tried to seduce him yesterday. If there had been no one in the office, I¡¯m guessing she would have even stripped and thrown herself at him. Qi Chengzhi didn¡¯t even utter a word and kept ignoring her. I suppose he had nothing to do with this, but Qi Chengzhi did seem displeased with that cold expression he had given yesterday.

    ¡°Also, Yang Yunshu seduced Qi Chengzhi yesterday and she got transferred today. I can¡¯t think of any other possible reason except for this,¡± Ruan Danchen said with a lowered voice.

    Song Yu blinked a few times. She was not really affected by this oue. Even if it was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doing, she would not interfere if he wanted to give a lesson to an ignorant woman who tried to intrude on their rtionship.

    Even if Qi Chengzhi had orchestrated this, she would not go to him and plead on her behalf. She would not do such a thing for a woman as conniving as Yang Yunshu.

    She was not so forgiving towards a woman who had intentions of seducing her man.

    Regardless of the reason, it felt pretty good without Yang Yunshu around the office. At the very least, she would feel at ease.

    ...

    ...

    It was as if Director Zhao¡¯s secretary was expecting Yang Yunshu, she stood up when she arrived. ¡°Xiao Yang, you¡¯re looking for Director Zhao?¡±

    Yang Yunshu tried to stay calm and managed to force a smile. ¡°Yes, is Director Zhao avable?¡±

    The secretary nodded and said, ¡°Director Zhao knew that you¡¯ll be looking for him. He¡¯s waiting inside, please enter.¡±

    Yang Yunshu knocked and opened the door. Director Zhao pointed at the chair opposite him and said, ¡°Please have a seat, Xiao Yang.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, I think you know why I¡¯m here. I want to know why I¡¯m being transferred to the engineering department to be an office clerk without any prior notice? You know that I¡¯m an Architect by profession. Don¡¯t you think my talents will be wasted on a desk job in the engineering department?¡±

    ¡°Xiao Yang, you¡¯ve performed quite well since joining thepany. However, you can¡¯t blend in well with your colleagues. Furthermore, there are certain matters that can¡¯t be overlooked, such as a man that is in a rtionship with someone else...¡± Director Zhao thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯ll just go straight to the point!

    ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t have involved yourself with a man like Qi Chengzhi.¡± Director Zhao saw a change in Yang Yunshu¡¯s expression, her face had turned pale. He continued, ¡°Qi Chengzhi told me what you did to him yesterday. He was not happy with your behavior. Do you really think that Qi Chengzhi would fall for your tricks?

    ¡°Xiao Yang, I know that you¡¯re ambitious. However, we all have our own fate. You may not be able to get what others might have. If you hadn¡¯te on too strong, things wouldn¡¯t have turned out this way.¡±

    Yang Yunshu sprung up to her feet. It was unclear whether she turned red out of embarrassment or rage. She said, ¡°Just because of such a trivial matter, he wants to destroy my career? I didn¡¯t force him to respond, I just wanted to try my luck. Don¡¯t I have the right to pursue someone?¡±

    ¡°You do, but he also has the right to reprimand you. He¡¯s a valuable customer to ourpany. You knew that he already has a girlfriend, why would you still pursue further?¡± Director Zhao said in a disgruntled manner. What if Qi Chengzhi put the me on Chengshi for what you did?

    ¡°Why can Song Yu do it, but not me!¡± Yang Yunshu asked stubbornly.

    Director Zhao scoffed, ¡°What makes you think that Song Yu made the first move on Qi Chengzhi? That¡¯s why I just told you that we all have our own fate. It¡¯s Qi Chengzhi who chose Song Yu. Do you really think that Chengshi has the ability to handle a massive project like Qilin¡¯s hotel? Qi Chengzhi just wanted Song Yu to have it. Qilin¡¯s project would be given to anypany if only Song Yu was working for them.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi almost destroyed Chengshi just because of Song Yu. Do you think you can afford to be involved with a man like him?¡± Director Zhao scorned and said, ¡°If I hadn¡¯t begged on your behalf, you wouldn¡¯t even be able to keep your job. With Qi Chengzhi¡¯s connections, do you think you¡¯ll be able to survive in this field if he¡¯s really pissed off and decided to keep you away from him? If he wanted to penalize you for making inappropriate advancements, he would have made sure that nopany would ever hire you again, cutting off any possible career paths in this field.

    ¡°I¡¯ll temporarily transfer you to the engineering department. After some time, you may be able to return to your original post if Qi Chengzhi forgets about this. As for now, you can only be an office clerk. If you¡¯re not happy with this decision, it¡¯s fine for you to resign.¡± After Director Zhao was done, he ignored her and returned to his monitor and clicked on the mouse. Yang Yunshu had no idea what he was looking at.

    Yang Yunshu was so angry that she gasped for breath. It took her some effort to calm herself down.

    She did not know whether Director Zhao was telling the truth, but she could still give it a try.

    Of course, she would not be contented, being an insignificant clerk in Chengshi. Who knew how long would Director Zhao make her wait? He was probably just telling her that to get her off his tail.

    Her n was to stay put at Chengshi at the moment, just in case what was told by Director Zhao was true. Qi Chengzhi could cut her off from this field. In the meantime, she would search for suitable architecture jobs and resign once she has found one.

    Yang Yunshu suppressed her anger as she returned to the office to pack her things. She saw Song Yu, with a cool and emotionless expression.

    Just because Song Yu had such a strong support, she could not even care less about her job. She coulde and go as she pleased. Even Director Zhao dared not say a word and had to treat her with care. Yang Yunshu really wanted to have a taste of the power to toy with one¡¯s fate.

    Yang Yunshu could not hold in her anger and stormed towards Song Yu¡¯s desk with a distorted expression. ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re so evil! You plotted revenge for such a minor incident. How petty can you be!¡±

    Song Yu was baffled by Yang Yunshu¡¯s scolding for no valid reason. She raised her head to look at Yang Yunshu oddly and frowned. Even though she had a good personality, she did not have to endure Yang Yunshu¡¯s humiliation.

    Judging from Yang Yunshu¡¯s words, it was most likely Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doing.

    Song Yu put away the file that she was organizing and said, ¡°You¡¯ll need to exin the whole thing if you want to scold someone. Yang Yunshu, we¡¯re colleagues. I tolerated you in the past and tried not to argue with you. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that I will endure your audacious remarks and let you berate me like this.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m being audacious? Song Yu, who are you to toy with someone else¡¯s job. It must feel pretty good to have the power to decide on one¡¯s survival, huh! Why did you put up a facade and act so noble all the time? Who are you trying to impress? We¡¯re colleagues, don¡¯t you think I can see through you? Underneath that virtuous mien, you have no respect for others and look down on them. I did my job perfectly, what rights do you have to transfer me away!¡±

    Yang Yunshu became more agitated as she spoke. Both her shoulders started trembling and tear droplets started falling out of her eyes.

    Song Yu stood up and said indifferently, ¡°Yang Yunshu, let¡¯s make this clear. What do you mean when you said I transferred you away? This is not mypany, I don¡¯t have the rights to do that. I only saw the email from the human resources regarding your job transfer this morning. You just joined thepany not too long ago. You and I don¡¯t really know each other and I don¡¯t know where all your hostility towards me stems from but don¡¯t use me of such things!¡±

    Yang Yunshu choked sadly and said, ¡°How is it not your fault? Director Zhao personally admitted that he was forced by Qi Chengzhi to do so! Why would Young Master Cheng make life difficult for a nobody like me? It must be that the both of us are not getting along, and you pestered him to do this. Song Yu, you have such solid support but I don¡¯t have any. Since you already have everything, why do you still want to agonize and bully me like that?¡±

    ¡°Yang Yunshu, I¡¯m talking to you nicely, stop using me! I did not request Qi Chengzhi to do anything. If he was the one who caused your transfer, that was entirely his own decision. ¡°You and I barely have any interaction, I don¡¯t have to waste my effort on you. You are right about one thing, you¡¯re just a nobody, why should I care for you?

    ¡°Even if I want to bully you, you¡¯re not worthy enough! You are not worthy of my effort.¡± Song Yu looked at her coldly and continued, ¡°You said that Qi Chengzhi forced Director Zhao to transfer you. You don¡¯t need to use me as an excuse. You and I both know the real reason that caused this.

    ¡°Although it was entirely Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intention and I was not made aware of this, I will not give you sympathy. Why should I sympathize a woman who tried to seduce my man shamelessly in the office? I won¡¯t bully you, but I¡¯ll watch my man do that to you. What can you do?

    ¡°You said that I have strong support, I agree with that. I am very satisfied with my support. It¡¯s my fate to be chosen by Qi Chengzhi. However, it doesn¡¯t mean that you cane and snatch him shamelessly. I did notpete with anyone. I just happen to have him in my life. I won¡¯t demand it if he¡¯s not meant to be mine. It also doesn¡¯t signify that you can just push me over like that. If you have the audacity to seduce my man, you should be able to bear the consequences. Also, this is to let you know that not all men can be seduced by you. He had shown you mercy by not sealing your fate in this field.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re capable of something so absurd, what grounds do you have to use me of bullying you? However, it seems only right that you can be so thick-skinned and throw all these usations at me since you¡¯re already so shameless, to begin with.¡± Song Yu did not hold back and scoffed coldly.

    ¡°You...¡± Yang Yunshu¡¯s face turned pale. She thought about all her colleagues who were present in the office while she was berated by Song Yu. She had even used such crass words to scold her. How was she going to continue staying in thepany? She would be theughing stock of the whole office!

    Yang Yunshu was so furious. It was like she could hear her mind explode and lost her senses. She raised her hand, aiming directly at Song Yu¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yang Yunshu, what are you doing!¡± Director Zhao appeared at the entrance right before her handnded on Song Yu¡¯s face. He was so shocked and ran over hurriedly with an ashen face.

    He dared not imagine what would happen if Song Yu was pped in hispany!

    Director Zhao was so startled that his entire body was sweating. He ran over and grabbed Yang Yunshu¡¯s hand and flung it aside. ¡°This is the office, not a ce for you to throw tantrums! Go and report yourself to the engineering department. You can work if you want to keep this job, if not, just resign!¡±

    Feeling insulted, Yang Yunshu held her breath in. She wished that she could give Director Zhao a tough p and shout, ¡°I quit!¡±

    However, she had no courage to do that. She did not have Song Yu¡¯s fate to have a boyfriend like Qi Chengzhi.

 Chapter 150 - I Donâ€™t Mind Your Stubbornness, As Long As Itâ€™s With Me

    <h4>Chapter 150: I Don¡¯t Mind Your Stubbornness, As Long As It¡¯s With Me</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What were you looking at on your phone just now?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.

    Song Yu almost forgot about it. She pushed his face away from her chest and turned to retrieve her abandoned phone.

    Being pushed aside by Song Yu annoyed Qi Chengzhi. He pinched her buttock without hesitation.

    ¡°Aiya!¡± Song Yu turned around and red at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not speak. After all, he was no longer the apple of her eye.

    He hugged her tightly and gave her a hard kiss on her lips. Her lips were being rubbed raw.

    It was a while before he released her. There was a fierce look in his eyes as he said, ¡°That¡¯s for pushing me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu almost forgot about the green-eyed monster in Qi Chengzhi¡ªhe was upset over such a small matter.

    ¡°Then you be gentle as well!¡± She ranted on, ¡°You¡¯re talking about me? You just pinch me whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°How about you let me massage you then?¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a serious face.

    ¡®Shameless!¡¯

    Song Yu was unable to stop him so she let him do whatever he wanted. The massage soon moved onto ces that were less decent. Song Yu¡¯s face reddened but her body would not move.

    ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± Initially, Qi Chengzhi was not curious but Song Yu¡¯s reaction made him wonder. She did just push his face aside to resume the search on her phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a song!¡± Song Yu found the song, ¡®Forever Love¡¯. Qi Chengzhi had always used her phone to listen to the song. A smug and satisfied expression appeared on his face whenever he listened to it.

    ¡°Sing it once for me,¡± Song Yu said expectantly. Her face was sweet and persuasive. ¡°Just this once, I want to hear it from you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he looked at her. She did say she was tired just now.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be tired if I hear your singing.¡±

    ¡°You were tired just now. Go ahead and sleep first.¡± Qi Chengzhi plucked the phone out of her hands and ced it on his side of the bedside table. He pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest.

    ¡°Then sing me a song to sleep.¡± Song Yu changed tactics.

    He chuckled light-heartedly and rubbed her back. ¡°You¡¯re an adult now and still want a luby?¡±

    Song Yu was getting annoyed. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, don¡¯t y dumb.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi patted her back and nudged her head with his chin. ¡°Quit with it and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu called out in an angry tone. He could not fulfill such a small request from her?

    It did not matter how much she requested, his voice was never showcased.

    She raised her head and looked at Qi Chengzhi. His eyes were shut as if he had fallen asleep.

    Song Yu pulled his face angrily. She did not believe that he could have possibly fallen asleep so quickly.

    It was just one song.

    Not wanting others to hear him sing was one thing, now it was only her and he still refused to sing.

    It was a sudden penchant for romance which led to her wanting to hear Qi Chengzhi sing her a love song.

    She had never been in a rtionship. When she was in school, she had never experienced the pure and innocent rtionship of first love.

    Strictly speaking, that thing with Jian Yi did not even count as a rtionship, so Qi Chengzhi was her first.

    Hence, she carried with her a schoolgirl¡¯s expectation of romance. This idea popped into her mind at the KTV and the more she thought of it, the more she wanted it fulfilled.

    She was also curious to hear the introverted Qi Chengzhi sing.

    Who knew he would pretend to fall asleep to avoid her. Song Yu was displeased. She removed his hand from her waist and flung it away from her. She shuffled to the side of the bed with her back facing Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi quietly peeked at her through one eye. Seeing Song Yu so far away, He wiggled his way to her side and spooned her from the back.

    ¡®Huh!¡¯

    ¡®Weren¡¯t you asleep?¡¯

    ¡®And now you¡¯re cuddling up to me?¡¯

    Song Yu pped his arm away and kicked at his thigh to dislodge him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm stubbornly came back. After that kick, he decided to hug her waist. He attempted to lock her limbs.

    The more he tried to immobilize her, the angrier she got.

    He would not even fulfill such a small request and even faked sleeping to avoid her. Yet, now he was pestering her non-stop.

    The fake sleeping was what got to her.

    She was immobilized by Qi Chengzhi so leaving the bed was not an option. She could not break his lock. She stayed in his embrace but that did not mean her anger had subsided.

    On the contrary, being stuck in his arms, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The negativity leaked out in the form of tears.

    Qi Chengzhi saw that Song Yu was no longer struggling and thought that her anger had been cated. He closed his eyes and slept.

    Something was not right. He noticed the unusual breathing pattern of the woman in his arms.

    Knowing Song Yu¡¯s anger was not quelled, he got up on his arm to look at her. He did not dare to make her turn around.

    The tears flowing had stained the pillow beneath her.

    Qi Chengzhi let out a quiet sigh and gently turned her over. He kissed away her tears before giving her a kiss on the lips¡ªthere was a salty taste to his lips.

    Song Yu was very much upset and did not bother to rebuke his efforts. Perhaps it was because of her low spirits, his reassuring presence was needed at that moment.

    However, his gentleness only made her feel worse and more tears streamed down her face.

    Qi Chengzhi consoled Song Yu. As he did that, he slowly and gently rubbed into her.

    Song Yu could onlyy helplessly in his embrace and let him rub against her. She gradually entered a state of ecstasy and momentarily forgot the minor grievances that she had in her heart.

    In the end, her crying had subsided and she fell asleep. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reassurance was no longer required.

    Seeing the tear tracks on her red face, Qi Chengzhi dabbed away the remaining tears and muttered, ¡°Crying over such a small matter.¡±

    He sat up and carefully bundled the covers around Song Yu. He did not want her to wake from the sudden loss of warmth. Then, he carefully took her phone and left the bedroom.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Song Yu was still ignoring Qi Chengzhi. She did not speak to him.

    Qi Chengzhi returned the favor and that was how the cold war started. The atmosphere was heavyden and Aunt Yang was at a loss.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was cold toward Qi Chengzhi.

    Aunt Yang thought, ¡®They were fine when they got back yesterday night. They had a fight in the room?¡¯

    After breakfast, they said nothing to each other but they climbed into the car together.

    Along the way, Song Yu sent a few tentative nces at Qi Chengzhi but his face remained stoic and did not return her gesture.

    Song Yu was furious. During the remaining trip, she fixed her eyes on the side window and never looked over.

    The car stopped in front of thepany. No one said any parting words. Song Yu flung open the car door and angrily strode away.

    When she reached the entrance of thepany, she could not help herself. She turned around.

    The Range Rover drove away without so much as a second nce at her.

    Previously, he would wait until she entered the elevator before driving away.

    Song Yu turned angrily and walked to the elevator. When she got to her office, she took out her phone from her bag. There was a message. Her phone was on vibrate in her bag, therefore she did not notice the message.

    It was a message from Qi Chengzhi¡ªthe timestamp was when she got down from the car.

    It was probably sent before he drove away.

    Song Yu felt relief in her chest. She opened the message.

    ¡®Open your sound recorder.¡¯

    Her heart skipped a beat. She opened the sound recorder on her phone with anticipation. There was a sound file titled, ¡®Forever Love¡¯.

    Song Yu left the office with the phone in hand. She went into the stairwell and opened the file.

    The starting few seconds were just static. Then Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice sounded.

    ...

    ¡°Love is a journey that is long and beautiful...¡±

    ¡°Along the way, there will be rain and mud...¡±

    ¡°That will hinder our path...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Forever Love, Forever Love...¡±

    ¡°I want to spend my whole life loving you...¡±

    ¡°From today onwards, you are my happiness...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Your glittering eyes, my solemn voice...¡±

    ¡°Are the concrete evidence...¡±

    ¡°Let me say this again...¡±

    ¡°I love you...¡±

    ¡°Forever...¡±

    ...

    Song Yu listened to the whole recording. Qi Chengzhi truly was tone-deaf and had no sense of rhythm...

    There was truth in the words of Yan Beicheng and the guys.

    Qi Chengzhi had a maic and attractive voice, yet his singing produced a totally unexpected result.

    The thought of the handsome and presentable Qi Chengzhi singing so horribly made Song Yuugh uncontrobly.

    After a while, her face became red.

    She thought of her episode yesterday night. She was so upset over such a small thing and even ignored Qi Chengzhi in the morning. She did not even say goodbye when she left the car.

    Every time before exiting the car, she would remind him to drive carefully.

    Now that she thought about it, she must have been quite adamant about the issue to make Qi Chengzhi acquiesce to her request.

    He was rather patient with her and gave her what she wanted in the end.

    He was willing to sacrifice his pride to make her happy.

    The thought of her outstanding boyfriend made her heart warm. She clutched her phone to her chest. Her eyes and lips could not hold back the sincere smile.

    Honestly, she did not know what made her throw a tantrum over such a small matter.

    Maybe it was due to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s constant doting on her. Whenever things did not go her way, she would be unhappy.

    Unknowingly, small disagreements became a reason to throw tantrums.

    To be pampered by someone felt really good. She felt loved.

    However, her behavior yesterday night and this morning still made her blush shamefully.

    She felt sorry for Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Before Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes was an angry-faced Jian Yi with no regards to manners. Qi Chengzhi could predict the words that wereing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to France,¡± Jian Yi¡¯s deep voice grumbled.

    Qi Chengzhi held a lighter between his slender fingers. The lighter spun in his hand and produced an illusion of a flower. Then, with a flick of his finger, a yellow me flickered into existence. He lit the cigarette between his lips.

    Qi Chengzhi took a drag and blew out the smoke. He chuckled coldly.

    ¡°Were you mistaken? This France trip is apany order. As an employee of Qilin, you are required to obey the order. It¡¯s not up to you to decide. Although you are the son-inw of the Qi family, we don¡¯t provide any special privileges in thepany,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly.

    ¡°If the job dictates you to meet a client that you don¡¯t like or leave the country for a posting, it¡¯s your duty to do it. You don¡¯t get to say no just because you don¡¯t feel like it. If you think you can get your way just because you¡¯re the son-inw, then clearly you have been mistaken.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re abusing your power to exact revenge on me!¡± Jian Yi red at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°You¡¯re just using thepany as an excuse to get me far away. I assume Song Yu has told you about the thing that I spoke of. You¡¯re just afraid that the truth will be revealed. Whatpany order? It¡¯s basically just a directive by you alone!¡±

    Jian Yi growled angrily, ¡°You had so many chances to transfer me overseas, but the need only arose after I told Song Yu about it. Your action only confirms my beliefs. I will not stop investigating. Song Yu deserves to know the truth about you!

    ¡°You say that there should be a clear line between work and private life, that there are no special privileges. Yet, you hold sole ownership of the wholepany and you¡¯re using your position for personal gains!¡± Jian Yi clenched his fist.

    What gave Qi Chengzhi the right to issue these orders? If Jian Yi did such a thing, it would be considered an abuse of power. When Qi Chengzhi did it, it was thepany¡¯s directive.

    Was thepany represented by Qi Chengzhi alone?

    Qi Chengzhi took another drag of his cigarette and tapped it against the ashtray. ¡°Who made me a son of the Qi family? Thepany was always mine, so of course, I have the final say in everything. Sure, I¡¯m abusing my position, so what? What are you gonna do about it?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Jian Yi was outraged at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unreasonable words. It felt like a heavy stone sat on his chest.

    A phone ringing interrupted Jian Yi. Qi Chengzhi saw the caller ID on the phone and his eyes crinkled.

    He answered the phone in front of Jian Yi.

    Song Yu¡¯s soft and apologetic voice came through. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Em.¡± The corners of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth twitched. His tone had a hint of amusement.

    Even though Song Yu was not physically here, her voice was enough to make Qi Chengzhi put his cigarette down by the ashtray.

    It was working hours and Song Yu was worried that he had some business to tend to. Yet, she was feeling guilty about ignoring him. Her heart was heavy with guilt and she wanted to speak to Qi Chengzhi as soon as possible.

    ¡°Are you busy?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Qi Chengzhi did not spare Jian Yi a nce and said, ¡°No, I have nothing on my hands now.¡±

    Song Yu was relieved.

    ¡°I heard the recording.¡± Song Yu walked to the corner of the stairwell and spoke softly, ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry for my stubbornness. I don¡¯t know what got over me, getting mad over such a small matter.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind your stubbornness, as long as it¡¯s with me,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a gentle tone¡ªhe lowered the volume of his voice, making it sound like he was whispering.

    This Qi Chengzhi who was whispering sweet nothings into the phone was nothing like the one that said those unreasonable words.

    The longer Jian Yi watched the scene, the angrier he got. His frustrations could no longer be contained in his heart and spilled over his face.

    Other than Song Yu, who else could make Qi Chengzhi act like this?

    To add insult to injury, Qi Chengzhipletely ignored his presence and was whispering sweet nothings to Song Yu.

    Hearing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forgiveness, the image of his handsome face appeared in Song Yu¡¯s mind.

    The thought of being epted and coddled by Qi Chengzhi made her incredibly happy.

    ¡°When did you record the song?¡± Song Yu asked. During the entire morning, they were together although no one spoke a word to each other. There was no time for him to record.

    ¡°Last night after I tired you out,¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his voice and said with a hint of amusement.

    That did not prevent Jian Yi from hearing his words.

    From Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone and expression, Jian Yi more or less knew why Song Yu was tired.

    The jealousy coiled deep within his chest rushed up at the thought of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu having sex. The knife twisted deeper into his heart.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened when she thought of how she fell asleep yesterday night.

    Last night, Qi Chengzhi gently coaxed her and kissed away her tears. His kisses were featherlight as if fearing she might break. His tongue curled around hers and swept across the insides of her mouth. His hands moved across her skin as he slowly entered her. He moved at a rxed pace, to the point where even she got impatient.

    Although she was still not on talking terms with him, she silently urged him on.

    Qi Chengzhi obliged and picked up his speed¡ªfaster than what she wanted. He switched gears in between while holding her tightly in his arms.

    Strong arms circled around her and gave her a wordless reassurance. His warmth washed over her from the inside out¡ªshe was enveloped by him.

    When it was done, she was exhausted. Her body was fully supported by Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu fell asleep almost immediately¡ªher anger did not manage to reveal itself again.

    In the morning, she ignored Qi Chengzhi because of what he did.

    The fact that he urged for sex even though she was crying angry tears. The thought frustrated her.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi,¡± Song Yu said suddenly.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chengzhi heard the hesitation in her voice. While he did not know what she was going to say, he figured it would be something he liked. His ears perked up and he sat straighter. He spun his chair away from Jian Yi. From the reflection of the ss window, Jian Yi watched him adjust his suit.

    ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t say goodbye this morning, I love you,¡± Song Yu said it in the same breath. Without waiting for his reply, the phone call ended.

    It was not the first time Song Yu said it, yet her heart was pounding like she just ran a hundred-meter sprint.

    Sometimes Song Yu was a bit of a worrywart. She thought to herself, ¡®What if something happened to Qi Chengzhi on the road?¡¯ She did not even bid him goodbye because she was too caught up with her own tantrum.

    What if that was herst chance to say goodbye?

    If something had happened to Qi Chengzhi, theirst exchange would be an unhappy one¡ªwith Song Yu giving him the cold shoulder. The regret would be overwhelming.

    Although real life was not as melodramatic as television, Song Yu made a mental note to reconcile quickly the next time they have a disagreement.

    The confession was unexpected to Qi Chengzhi. He was left in a daze, holding onto the phone with the dial tone in his ear.

    A few momentster, he chuckled at his phone. He was truly smitten by Song Yu.

    Jian Yi heard his chuckle and suppressed the instinct to ask. However, there was no stopping the jealousy he felt in his heart.

    What did Song Yu tell him to make Qi Chengzhi so happy?

    It was as if they were exchanging sweet nothings right in front of him. This only stoked the resentment in him.

    Clearly, Qi Chengzhi was intentionally showing off!

    Qi Chengzhi swung back to face Jian Yi. The sincerity from talking to Song Yu had vanished from his face. He looked at Jian Yi with a mocking expression.

    ¡°You can always resign if you don¡¯t want to go to France. If you¡¯re not our employee, you won¡¯t have to obey thepany¡¯s orders.¡± Qi Chengzhi eyed the smoking cigarette in the ashtray. He put out the cigarette and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Go to France or resign, your choice,¡± he taunted Jian Yi.

    Before, Jian Yi would not mind resigning.

    However, Qi Chengyue had given him an ultimatum¡ªshe would not provide him any financial assistance if he wanted to start his own business.

    If Jian Yi could not love Qi Chengyue, she would ensure he could never advance in his career.

    No matter what Jian Yi said, Qi Chengyue would never give him an opportunity to shine.

    Jian Yi gave Qi Chengzhi a death stare. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re safe just because I¡¯m transferred to France? You can transfer or fire me but you will never remove me from Song Yu¡¯s life. As long as I¡¯m alive, I will not give up! I will show her the truth!¡±

    Jian Yi turned and strode out angrily.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned. What knowledge did Jian Yi have that made him believe he could destroy their rtionship?

    An eyebrow perked up. There was one possibility. Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes.

    ...

    ...

    The engagement lunch was set on a Saturday. The VIP room in Dynasty was booked for the asion.

    In the morning, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to her parents¡¯ house. After some pleasant exchange, he fetched the Song family to Dynasty.

    As they got down from the car, they saw Qi Chengji, who took leave from the army, get out from the green train.

    Ever since the Song family went into bankruptcy, Qi Chengji never met with Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    Today was Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s engagement lunch, hence all the Qi family members were required to attend. Initially, they were hoping the crowd at the table would alleviate any awkwardness. Who knew they would run into each other at the door.

    Qi Chengji froze in shock. While he never had any feelings for Song Yu, they had once been engaged to each other. Moreover, during the engagement, he actually harbored feelings for Wei Ran¡ªhe felt guilty and sorry for Song Yu and her parents.

    Faced with his almost-inws, he awkwardly scratched his nose and greeted, ¡°Uncle, Auntie.¡±

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were equally uneased. They nodded and gave Qi Chengji a polite smile.

    Qi Chengzhi was the only person who was unaffected by this whole ordeal. He took Song Yu¡¯s hand and said in an affirming tone, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s head in.¡±

    By now, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were used to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s use of those terms. However, it was Qi Chengji¡¯s first time hearing it and there was a moment of silence as he processed the situation.

    The correct term was ¡®father and mother-inw¡¯ but his brother called them ¡®dad¡¯ and ¡®mom¡¯. It was weird, to say the least.

    When they got to the VIP room, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya were already there. Seated beside them was Qi Chenglin with his son, Qi Youxuan.

    The first thing Qi Youxuan did upon arrival was ordering a te of water chestnut cake.

    At the sound of the door opening, they turned to look. They stood up when they saw Qi Chengzhi walk in with the Song family.

    After an awkward exchange of pleasantries, everyone sat down and thought of what to say next.

    Asking about how the Song family have been in the past years was too insincere. They had already heard stories from Song Yu, asking now would be akin to rubbing salt into their wounds.

    In the tense silence, Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby hands offered the remaining water chestnut cakes to Song Donglin. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, try this. It¡¯s really good.¡±

    Yu Qianying had always hoped Song Yu would get married and have children. She longed to have a grandson.

    When she went for a stroll in the garden, she would see neighbors of her age pushing baby strollers or holding the hands of their grandchildren. She would watch them with envy.

    Seeing the adorable Qi Youxuan offering them cake made her incredibly happy. Yu Qianying smiled broadly at the child and chatted with him. While she wanted to hug Qi Youxuan, she was worried that he would not be happy.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯srge, innocent eyes looked around and he wiggled his butt in the adult chair. He rummaged through his small rucksack.

    From the rucksack, he pulled out a packet of sunflower seeds, a bag of broad beans, and a bag of popcorn. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, have some of these.¡±

 Chapter 151 - If Possible, Look Into Qi Chengzhiâ€™s Status That Year

    <h4>Chapter 151: If Possible, Look Into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Status That Year</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    From the rucksack, Qi Youxuan pulled out a packet of sunflower seeds, a bag of broad beans, and a bag of popcorn. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, have some of these.¡±

    ¡°Good boy! Youxuan is five this year right?¡± Yu Qianying was very pleased¡ªher eyes crinkled as she smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. He¡¯ll be attending elementary school next year,¡± Guan Liya replied.

    Yu Qianying looked around and only saw the few of them. She asked, ¡°Chengyue is noting?¡±

    ¡°She...¡± Guan Liya smiled awkwardly and told the truth, ¡°No matter what, Song Yu and Jian Yi had a past together. I was worried that having them today would make things ufortable.¡±

    Yu Qianying was uncertain if the words were sincere or Guan Liya was hinting at something else. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be awkward about. When we were bankrupt, Jian Yi helped us a lot. It¡¯s fate that we¡¯re bing rtives now.¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Guan Liyaughed dryly and did notment any further.

    Yu Qianying turned her attention back to Qi Youxuan.

    After a while, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi arrived. Trailing behind them was Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were very respectful toward the two Qi family elders.

    As everyone took their seats, Xia Wenna ended up beside Yu Qianying.

    Hesitation crossed Xia Wenna¡¯s face but she whispered, ¡°Qianying, if we became family, you can rest assured. Our family, along with Chengzhi, will never do anything that might harm your family again.¡±

    Yu Qianying did not catch the operative word, ¡®again¡¯.

    They were childhood friends who drifted apart after the Song family bankruptcy incident. To say that there were no friendly sentiments between them was a lie.

    Hence, because of their close rtionship, the fallout hit Yu Qianying twice as hard.

    The words from Xia Wenna¡¯s mouth were apologetic. It was not easy for someone of her stature to say such things. It had been many years since the incident. Yu Qianying thought of their shared past and friendship, and now with this joining of their families, it was hard for her to be angry.

    She made the first move after a moment of hesitation. She took Xia Wenna¡¯s hand.

    Xia Wenna¡¯s eyes teared up and held onto Yu Qiangying¡¯s hand. ¡°Qianying... Does this mean you forgive me?¡±

    Yu Qianying let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re soon to be family. There¡¯s nothing to forgive. It¡¯s not like we can avoid each other in the future.¡±

    Grandmother Qi spotted Xia Wenna¡¯s expression and nodded wisely. ¡°Alright, alright. Today is a day of happiness, not a ce for tears. Have we ordered the dishes?¡±

    ¡°Dynasty has a meal package for engagements. We¡¯ve already ordered it,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    Grandmother Qi had a satisfied look on her face. She smiled heartily. ¡°Fate ties us together again after many twists and turns. We¡¯re meant to be inws! Because of that undeserving grandchild of mine, we overlooked Song Yu. I already gave him a good scolding. Song Yu was such a good granddaughter-inw and we lost our chance. I thought, which lucky house will get to have Song Yu as their inw?¡±

    ¡°Who knew, it was my eldest grandson who lived up to my expectations and brought Song Yu back into the family!¡± Grandmother Qi eximed ecstatically.

    Yu Qianying was at a loss as to how she should respond to Grandmother Qi¡¯s enthusiasm when the door opened.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, sorry we¡¯rete,¡± Qi Chengyue greeted in a lively tone.

    Guan Liya did not expect Qi Chengyue to show up. Grandmother Qi had advised her to convince Qi Chengyue to stay home, worrying that Qi Chengyue¡¯sck of manners would disrupt the banquet and Jian Yi¡¯s presence would make it awkward for the Song family.

    Guan Liya had little control over her daughter. She knew that confrontation would only backfire when it came to Qi Chengyue so she hid the event from her and secretly came with her husband. s, Qi Chengyue found out.

    Grandmother Qi smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re alwayste. You have all of the elders here waiting for you. When will you pick up some etiquette and manners?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, it was due to the traffic jam. We left quite early and would have arrived early if it weren¡¯t for the traffic.¡± The waiter brought in two chairs and Qi Chengyue pulled in Jian Yi to sit. ¡°How could we miss such an important day?¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi is happy for Song Yu¡¯s marriage to our big brother. They were childhood friends, so he has a soft spot for her.¡± Qi Chengyue tugged at Jian Yi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Jian Yi gave a tight smile. He was attending the event against his will. Qi Chengyue was persistent abouting today. She wanted him to witness with his own eyes, Song Yu¡¯s engagement and marriage to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengyue wanted him to watch Song Yu love another man and to give up on Song Yu.

    Give up on Song Yu?

    Jian Yi¡¯s heart was at a crossroads.

    He knew that his dream to be reunited with Song Yu was a lost cause but he could not stand to watch Song Yu fall into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms.

    Even though he could not have Song Yu, he wanted to break them apart.

    Identity, social status, power, money, these were elements that Qi Chengzhi was born equipped with. Meanwhile, Jian Yi sacrificed his love and still had none of the above.

    Qi Chengzhi already had many good things in his life. Why was he deserving of Song Yu¡¯s love? Why was he granted a perfect life?

    Qi Chengzhi had so many things, and now he was taking the one thing that Jian Yi once could have had.

    Song Yu was the only part of Jian Yi¡¯s life that Qi Chengzhi did not have.

    Yet, now, Qi Chengzhi got hold of even that!

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice broke his train of thought.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, since we¡¯re meeting today, why don¡¯t we take this time to discuss the wedding?¡± Grandmother Qi continued, ¡°We were thinking of a grand wedding here at Dynasty. What¡¯s your opinion on this? Come, share your thoughts. We can discuss.¡±

    ¡°I have no particr requests, just that our Song Yu can proudly marry into your family with friends and family as witnesses. Not a quiet wedding that no one knows about,¡± Yu Qianying spoke assertively.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Grandmother Qi nodded in agreement and pulled out the Chinese calendar.

    Yu Qianying suspected the old woman carried the calendar everywhere she went.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, I¡¯ve picked out some dates from within. Have a look.¡± Grandmother Qi passed the calendar to Xia Wenna, who gave it to Yu Qianying.

    As Yu Qianying flipped through the pages, Grandmother Qi spoke, ¡°Once we have a date, Chengzhi can speak to Xiao Yunqing to block out Dynasty. We¡¯ll have the whole restaurant to ourselves for the day.¡±

    ¡°The whole Dynasty? You¡¯re really going all-out with the expenses!¡± Grandfather Qi red at her with his nostrils ring.

    ¡°And what? My eldest grandson is getting married and deserves a grand, opulent wedding! We¡¯ll get a helicopter for some aerial photos,¡± Grandmother Qi shouted back. She was not afraid of her husband.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, now, weigh in if you have reservations, we can have the day session in Dynasty. Chengzhi knows Xiao Yan so we can have the reciprocal banquet at Red Roof Club. We¡¯ll book the whole club. I think the booking fee won¡¯t be a concern and Xiao Yan may just cover it on our behalf.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get Xiao Han to take care of the wedding ceremony. We won¡¯t need to use the ones provided by the weddingpany. Xiao Han¡¯spany has several famous hosts and hostesses, we¡¯ll let him pick one for us. The music and audio effects can also be delegated to Xiao Han.¡±

    Grandmother Qi counted on her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s not invite those celebrities. They may take this as a chance to frolic among the young and talented. It paints a bad image for the wedding.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Talking about this, let¡¯s get Xiao Han to bring in Director Wu from hispany, along with that famous photographer. What¡¯s his name again? He always works with Director Wu. They can be in charge of the wedding¡¯s videography. Theirpany can also provide top-notch editing services. The wedding video will be as good as a movie.¡±

    As Grandmother Qi got more and more excited, her ideas fell into unreasonable territories. Grandfather Qimented, ¡°Are you done? People have work to do, you can¡¯t just order them toe. It¡¯s just a wedding, there¡¯s no need to make such a big hoo-ha!¡±

    ¡°I will get Xiao Han to give me a list of avable staff. Hispany has a bunch of famous directors, there will be someone avable for sure. I think we won¡¯t consider using the ones from the weddingpany, we just need to provide them with a mastern. We can get a makeup artist from Xiao Han too. One that will make Song Yu the prettiest of them all!¡±

    All this while, no one had the chance to speak out. Grandmother Qi mulled over something and said, ¡°Maybe I can find time to pay a personal visit to Xiao Han¡¯spany, to let him know about this.¡±

    This meal was making Yu Qianying sweat. She felt that Grandmother Qi was taking it a bit too far with the wedding ns.

    Jian Yi watched all of this with a disinterested look. His phone rang in his pocket and he excused himself from the table to take the call outside.

    ¡°You have something?¡± Jian Yi asked straight after answering the phone.

    He frowned after hearing the reply.

    ¡°And thepany¡¯s legal person?¡± he asked in a low voice.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I know, quickly look into it.¡± A thought struck Jian Yi and he said, ¡°If possible, look into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s status that year.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Guan Xiaolin was at a Jixia High School alumni gathering. They were using Li Zhuoan¡¯s room as he was the only one here that had a VIP room in Dynasty. The roomcked standardspared to the one frequented by Qi Chengzhi and his friends.

    As the group came out of the room and turned a corner, they saw Jian Yi in the corridor. He had just ended his call.

    Jian Yi did not go back into the room immediately. He leaned back against the wall and lit a cigarette. He took a long, deep breath.

    Guan Xiaolin said softly to the others, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go say hi.¡±

    She walked toward Jian Yi. He seemed to not have realized her presence¡ªhis sullen gaze was fixed upon the door across the corridor.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡®When did Jian Yi start smoking?¡¯

    He did not look like his usual self. There was a sense of gloom as he smoked.

    The door facing Jian Yi opened suddenly as she was opening her mouth to greet him. Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun walked out of the room, followed shortly by Qi Chengyue.

    Guan Xiaolin figured it was their family gathering and greeted, ¡°Auntie, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°Xiaolin?¡± Guan Liya saw her and smiled, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Having a catch-up with a few of my friends from high school. I saw-¡± Guan Xiaolin broke off when she saw Song Donglin and Yu Qianying walk out of the room.

    Then, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna exited the room, followed by Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu followed suit, ending with the two Qi family elders, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi.

    The whole Qi family was out in action.

    Surprise gripped Guan Xiaolin. The presence of Song Donglin and Yu Qianyingbined with the whole Qi family could only mean one thing.

    It could only be an engagement party. Why else would both sides of the family be present with full attendance?

    It was just shocking that the Qi family so readily epted Song Yu and that Song Yu¡¯s parents did not object to the marriage.

    Even the grandparents came to witness in person.

    Was the marriage between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu that important to them?

    ¡°Xiaolin? It¡¯s been some time since you came over to our ce. Busy days?¡± Yu Qianying asked genially.

    Guan Xiaolin was the only person who stayed friends with Song Yu after the bankruptcy, therefore Yu Qianying was particrly fond of her.

    Before the bankruptcy, Yu Qianying did not really like Guan Xiaolin but now she realized the girl was not a snob¡ªthe fact that she did not unfriend Song Yu due to the bankruptcy. Such friendships were rare.

    Yu Qianying was not aware of the things that Guan Xiaolin had done behind Song Yu¡¯s back. Song Yu kept her mouth shut. If it were not for Jian Yi¡¯s sudden appearance at her house, she would have never told her family about what had happened with him.

    Guan Xiaolin watched Song Yu with a curious eye but avoided Qi Chengzhi. He radiated omnipotence and her sins were allid bare. She dared not meet his gaze.

    Song Yu was expressionless and did not bother to greet Guan Xiaolin. She turned around and started chatting with Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been busy,¡± Guan Xiaolin could only give a vague answer.

    The interaction orck thereof between Song Yu and Guan Xiaolin was noted by Yu Qianying and she promptly figured out the situation. Yu Qianying was not a fool.

    She had faith in her own daughter¡¯s character¡ªshe had raised her after all. Song Yu nevercked manners and was the type who would repay a dime with a dor.

    When Song Yu considered someone a true friend, it meant she was willing to take a knife for the person.

    If the friendship had soured, it meant the friend had done something despicable.

    At that moment, Yu Qianying smiled and let go of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand. The smile on her face remained but it was no longer warm and sincere like before.

    Guan Liya asked in a surprised tone, ¡°Xiaolin and Song Yu are friends?¡±

    It was rare to have the whole Qi family gathered in one ce, especially the grandparents. Guan Xiaolin wanted to leave a good impression.

    Although Guan Liya was her aunt, Guan Xiaolin¡¯s ess was limited to her aunt only. Qi Zhongxun was always neutral toward her, not a hint of warmth. As for the Qi family, she had little hope to gain their favor.

    In their small neighborhood, the grandparents were known to be approachable but they were a rare sight.

    Hence, she wanted to make a good impression today.

    Guan Xiaolin nned to ignore Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu and act as if she was Song Yu¡¯s good friend. However, before she could open her mouth, Song Yu stated without feeling, ¡°She¡¯s just an ex-schoolmate.¡±

    This line confirmed Yu Qianying¡¯s suspicions.

    Guan Liya was surprised by Song Yu¡¯s coldness.

    Hearing Song Yu¡¯s words, Grandmother Qi nodded lightly. Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi returned Guan Xiaolin¡¯s warm greeting with a polite but aloof greeting.

    The friends of Guan Xiaolin flocked toward them. They were not about to pass up a chance to interact with the Qi family. Polite greetings were extended to the Qi family elders.

    Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were humble and entertained their pleasantries but without much enthusiasm.

    Qi Chengzhi saw Li Zhuoan walking over. He also caught an eye of Gao Jingqiu who he assumed had hidden away to avoid him.

    Qi Chengzhi gave Li Zhuoan a slight nod and smirked. Then, Qi Chengzhi turned around and tucked a lock of Song Yu¡¯s hair behind her ear.

    The movement was affectionate. The gentleness in his eyes was meant only for Song Yu.

    The gesture was natural and intimate, performed in spite of the crowd surrounding them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he spoke in a calm voice. Qi Chengzhi guided Song Yu with a hand on her hip.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, that time we invited your family to our house but you never turned up. I was waiting for you at home,¡± Grandmother Qi waved Yu Qianying over. She held Yu Qianying¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Today, we finally had that meal and caught up with both our families. Come on, let¡¯s go back to our house and continue the conversation.¡±

    Yu Qianying thought the words were just a courtesy, but Grandmother Qi was serious.

    With Grandmother Qi clutching her hand, Yu Qianying would feel bad if she rejected so they all headed toward the Qi family manor.

    Grandmother Qi noticed Yu Qianying¡¯s fondness for Qi Youxuan and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When Chengzhi and Song Yu get married, you will soon get a chubby grandchild.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin was rooted in her spot, watching the backs of the Qi family members bing smaller and smaller. She overheard thatst statement by Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°That was the Qi family and the Song family? They-¡± Wu Lijun walked up to Guan Xiaolin¡¯s side, a look of disbelief on her face. She spotted the retreating Qi family around the corner, amidst the group were Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Why are they together?¡± Li Qianyi, too, came over and asked.

    Were not the two families like oil and water?

    When Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, everyone was dead set on the fact that both families would never ept the pair.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face was sour as she said, ¡°From the looks of it, seems like marriage is not far away. Both families have epted their rtionship. It was probably for their parents to meet.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother Qi seemed really taken by Yu Qianying. Even Xia Wenna and Yu Qianying looked as if they were very close. What¡¯s happening?¡± Li Qianyi asked in disbelief. Her question might as well be rhetorical as Guan Xiaolin could not provide an answer.

    Since the beginning, none of them thought Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu wouldst.

    They even thought Qi Chengzhi was only toying with Song Yu.

    ¡°If it was for their parents to meet, why would the whole family be here?¡± Wu Lijunmented. Another possibility came into her mind and she eximed, ¡°Could it be an engagement?¡±

    Wu Lijun¡¯s words made everyone turn to look at the direction of the departing Qi family.

    Although there was nary a soul, they kept staring into the empty corridor.

    Guan Xiaolin thought of the tender love shown by Qi Chengzhi. A pang of jealousy hit her. She wondered how it felt, being loved and protected by a man like Qi Chengzhi.

    As Guan Xiaolin looked on absentmindedly, Li Qianyi was muttering to herself, ¡°Unthinkable... Unthinkable...¡±

    It was just a word but everyone knew what she meant.

    It was unthinkable that Song Yu was going to marry Qi Chengzhi.

    The full attendance of the Qi family and the rare appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Song Donglin pretty much confirmed the forting nuptials.

    While Li Qianyi was silent, her heart was envious.

    The sentiment was shared by many.

    ...

    ...

    There was a prayer ritual for the first shoot of Han Zhuoli¡¯spany¡¯s television series. Grandmother Qi¡¯s status exempted her from joining in with the cast and crew.

    Thest time Grandmother Qi rang up Han Zhuoli, she got the role as the female lead¡¯s mother with ease.

    Though she was old, herplexion was well-maintained and nabbing the role of the female lead¡¯s mother was not far-fetched.

    The role did not demand a lot of screen time. Most scenes were filmed in their courtyard and Grandmother Qi did not even leave the manor¡¯s estate. She would just stroll out of the house to meet the team and when her scenes were done, she would just walk back home. Sometimes, she even went out just to chat with the cast and crew.

    Initially, the role was taken up by another actress¡ªshe was the sister-inw of an established actor in the entertainment industry. She also relied on her contacts to get the role.

    However, since Grandmother Qi was interested, Han Zhuoli dly acquiesced.

    While others may have prioritized the actor¡¯s request, Han Zhuoli showed no hesitation in switching the role over to Grandmother Qi.

    The actress, of course,ined to her brother-inw. He personally came to dispute with Han Zhuoli and was promptly dismissed. Meanwhile, Grandmother Qi was kept in the dark.

    The first Saturday after they had the engagement lunch was Grandmother Qi¡¯s first day on set.

    Grandmother Qi hid her identity from the team. She did not want the actors and actresses flocking to her as she was too tired to deal with the attention.

    She also wanted to be treated like everyone else. She wanted to test her acting skills.

    If they knew her identity, they might give biased feedback. Even if she was terrible, they would stillpliment her.

    However, Han Zhuoli was also worried that Grandmother Qi would be bullied by the team. If her identity was not known, the team might treat her with disrespect and take advantage of her. Therefore, Han Zhuoli discretely told the director about her true identity.

    The director understood then. No wonder Young Master Zhuo came multiple times personally to inquire about the filming despite it being only a television series.

    The director made a point to look out for Grandmother Qi..

 Chapter 138 - Qi Chengzhi Was Putting On An Act To Gain Song Yuâ€™s Affection

    <h4>Chapter 138: Qi Chengzhi Was Putting On An Act To Gain Song Yu¡¯s Affection</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I will pick you up? It¡¯s just a minor injury, don¡¯t worry,¡± he said as he pressed a tissue against the wound. Blood seeped through the flimsy material.

    ¡°You can¡¯t ignore your injury so that you can pick me up! I¡¯m worried about you, and you are making me worry more by doing this.¡± Song Yu removed his hand from his head, checking the wound. It was not as bad as she thought it would be. She breathed a sigh of relief.

    However, the fact that the bleeding did not stop worried her. ¡°It¡¯s still bleeding. You need to disinfect and stop the bleeding, not just mop it up with a tissue.¡±

    The cut on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forehead was the size of a Nin Jiom Herbal Cough Syrup bottle top. The wound was small, but it did not stop Song Yu from worrying about it.

    Qi Chengzhi masked his pain in hopes of bying her worries, but she could not stop her emotions as she stared at his handsome face now marred.

    It had to have hurt¡ªit was an open wound after all.

    Tears welled in her eyes. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nonchnce made her heart ache.

    ¡°Chang Lai, please make a stop at the hospital,¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice trembled as she spoke.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t want to bete. It¡¯s the first time your mom has sincerely invited me, and she even prepared my favorite dishes. I don¡¯t want to give a bad impression,¡± Qi Chengzhi insisted. His face was pale, as heid back.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure my mom will understand,¡± assured Song Yu as she watched Cheng Lai take the turn that ced them on the path to the hospital.

    Qi Chengzhi fell silent, spotting the tears that filled her eyes.

    Chang Lai sneaked a nce at the rearview mirror, allowing his curiosity to prevail.

    He noted the change in the director¡¯s mannerisms. Before Song Yu had gotten in Qi Chengzhi had been quite energetic, dabbing at the wound with his tissue while assessing the damage through his phone. He even took a few work-rted calls.

    In the presence of Song Yu, however, all his vigor had evaporated, leaving behind a man weak with suffering who was still trying to brave the injury. It garnered plenty of sympathies.

    Chan Lai knew a ruse when he saw one, and this was a rouse. Although, he did doubt its sess.

    The following conversation ced him in his ce.

    Song Yu gently slung an arm around his neck, allowing him to gently rest his head on her shoulder. ¡°Does it hurt?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s bearable. Just a slight headache.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s baritone voice dipped lower into a pitiful, frail mumble. The weak murmurs against her neck tugged sharply at her heart.

    Chang Lai pursed his lips together.

    ¡°How did you get into an ident? You¡¯re usually so cautious when you drive.¡± Song Yu pulled out another tissue and pressed it to the wound.

    Qi Chengzhi did not answer. Chang Lai understood his silence, and, thinking on his feet, quickly said, ¡°It was Manager Jian.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what¡¯s wrong with him. The director was making a turn when Manager Jian mmed into the car¡¯s rear. The director¡¯s car swerved and got into a second collision with another car. The injury came from the sessive collisions.¡±

    ¡°Is he insane?¡± Song Yu eximed.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled and pinched Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    This reaffirmed Chang Lai¡¯s hypothesis¡ªthe director was putting on an act.

    A momentter, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang. It was Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°It¡¯s probably the investigation,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Let me.¡± Song Yu took the phone. ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, this is Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Miss Song,¡± Cheng Dongge greeted audibly while side-eyeing Jian Yi. Jian Yi shot him a look of pure hatred.

    ¡°The cause of the ident has been determined to be tailgating,¡± Cheng Dongge spoke into the phone.

    Jian Yi, despite being the cause of the ident, had walked away from the ident without even a scratch to his person or his car. Irrespective of intentions, the damage has been done.

    Song Yu bit her lip, ¡°Was it intentional?¡±

    ¡°This... The police have yet to decide. But, in my honest opinion, I think it is.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wound was promptly treated, upon their arrival at the hospital. After a few questions about the injury, the doctor called for a brain scan.

    Song Yu dialed home as she waited.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you guys back? The dishes are ready,¡± fussed Yu Qianyin once Song Yu identified herself.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi got into an ident. We¡¯re at the hospital for a check-up. If everything is alright, we should be back soon,¡± Song Yu exined.

    ¡°What happened? Is it serious?¡± The rm in Yu Qianyin¡¯s voice was evident.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a serious injury, just some bleeding on his forehead. The doctor is conduction a brain scan now to ensure that there are no internal injuries.¡±

    ¡°How did he get into an ident? Tell him to be careful when he drives. Don¡¯t drive recklessly. If someone wants to merge, just let them. His safety is the most important,¡± lectured Yu Qianyin. This concern was born from her change of perspective. She had finally begun viewing him as her son-inw.

    ¡°He is a cautious driver. Today, whilst he drove to my office, Jian Yi had intentionally rear-ended him,¡± Song Yu tensed as she spoke of the ident¡ªher anger bubbling beneath the surface.

    She heard Yu Qianyin sigh on the other end, ¡°As long as he is safe. We¡¯ll be waiting at home. No rush.¡±

    ¡°Okay. He initially wanted to hide the ident from me because he didn¡¯t want to make you guys wait.¡± Song Yu plucked at the bunched up fabric of her pants.

    ¡°He... That¡¯s nice of him.¡± Yu Qianyin was touched by the gesture.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi came out of the hospital sporting a bandage on his head. The brain scan showed no signs of any internal injuries.

    Song Yu let out a breath of relief and allowed for Chang Lai to send them back to the Song family house.

    When they arrived, it was already past dinnertime.

    The air was still tonight so some of the children were ying badminton.

    Song Yu watched a boy, maybe eight or nine years old, flick his racquet. All the children looked up as the shuttlecock soared into the air.

    ¡°Aiya,¡± a child cried out. Two of the boys ran to the stone que. They angled their heads to look up into the branches of the tree growing next to it.

    One of the boys tried to haul himself up to the que, but it was too tall for a child their height. It reached as high as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s waist.

    They tried multiple times, all in vain.

    While walking back to her house, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi passed the two boys. Seeing their unhappy faces, Song Yu asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Sister Song Yu!¡± A boy cried, recognizing her, ¡°We hit the shuttlecock too hard and it got stuck in the tree.¡±

    He raised his dusty hands and pointed at the shuttlecock lodged between the branches of the looming tree.

    Song Yu hesitated. Under normal circumstances, she would have asked Qi Chengzhi to retrieve it.

    However, with his recent ident and resultant headache, she did not want to bother him.

    Song Yu was the only other adult present, and she could not bring herself to leave without seeing their shuttlecock returned.

    She stared at her high heels, then said to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Can you lift me up onto the que? I¡¯ll get the shuttlecock.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right here.¡± Qi Chengzhi locked eyes with her and proceeded to unbutton his jacket.

    ¡°You hurt your head. You shouldn¡¯t be climbing up high ces,¡± Song Yu argued, trying to dissuade him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal.¡± Qi Chengzhi passed Song Yu his coat, unbuttoning the cuffs of his sleeves so he could roll them up before approaching the tablet.

    His arm muscles contracted as he pushed his body up onto the stone, the veins beneath them protruding from the effort.

    Hended gingerly on the que and plucked the shuttlecock from the branches without much difficulty.

    The boy jumped in glee and waved his outstretched arms. He thanked Qi Chengzhi with a loud, ¡°Thank you, uncle!¡±

    The shuttlecock, which was about to be passed along, was sharply pulled back. Qi Chengzhi deposited it back into the tree and leaped down.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have any manners? You called her sister but you call me uncle? You may be young, but that doesn¡¯t excuse yourck of politeness.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face was stormy when he grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand and marched away with her, leaving the two boys staring after them with their mouths agape.

    When the boys turned and spotted the shuttlecock, they almost cried. Qi Chengzhi had ced it much higher than it originally was.

    ¡°They¡¯re just kids. Why are you being so mean?¡± Song Yu looked back at the children under the tree. She felt terribly sorry for what had just urred.

    ¡°That shuttlecock is their punishment. That way, they will remember their mistake,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a stern expression. ¡°A small misdemeanor left unchecked can lead to dire consequences.¡±

    Song Yu had nothing left to say.

    ...

    ...

    Dinner ended without incident. Yu Qianyin escorted Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu out as they left.

    Yu Qianyin waited for them to get into the car and drive off before walking back to her house. On the way, she ran into a neighbor from the next apartment block.

    ¡°Madam Yu, was that Song Yu¡¯s boyfriend just now?¡± The neighbor¡¯s eyes nced at the car that had exited the driveway.

    ¡°Haha, yes it is,¡± Yu Qianyin replied in a merry tone. She was in a good mood¡ªshe no longer had to give a disappointing answer whenever people asked about her daughter¡¯s eligibility. There would be no annoying follow-up whys and hows.

    ¡°My son was ying badminton around there just now. He told me that their shuttlecock got stuck on the tree and the man helped them get it down. But just because my son called the man uncle, he ced the shuttlecock back up on the tree. The boy is still young and is learning. Why would he upset a child over such a minor issue? My son had to run back home and get his dad to help retrieve the shuttlecock.¡± The neighbor shook her head in disapproval.

    Yu Qianyin stayed silent.

    ¡°You can tell from this small incident that this man is calctive. To me...¡± the neighbor trailed off after realizing that she had spoken out of turn. Sheughed awkwardly, ¡°Please don¡¯t mind my words. See you around.¡±

    Yu Qianyin¡¯s face was hot with shame after hearing the neighbor¡¯s story. The only saving grace was the fact that it was dark so no one could see her bright red face.

    She thought of the incident and the behavior which she hade to expect of Qi Chengzhi. She muttered under her breath, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just ept that you are old?¡±

    ...

    ...

    Friday rolled around and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s head wound was now a scab. The bandages were no longer required.

    The flight was in the afternoon so Qi Chengzhi still had to step in the office that morning.

    Song Yu had taken the day off and was dragged to thepany by Qi Chengzhi.

    She did not want toe to Qilin. While he was working, she had nothing to do butze around in his office. Furthermore, it would be very awkward when subordinates came to speak to him.

    ¡°I would have to make another trip just to fetch you.¡± Qi Chengzhi shot her a look that hinted at her childishness.

    In the end, the two of them stood before Qilin¡¯s main entrance.

    When they entered the building, they saw Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue.

    The front end of Jian Yi¡¯s car had been damaged, so it had been sent to 4S workshop for repairs. Today, he rode in Qi Chengyue¡¯s Audi TTS.

    Qi Chengyue immediately snaked her hand around Jian Yi¡¯s arm. She was worried that he would get into trouble.

    Jian Yi frowned but caught Qi Chengyue¡¯s warning look.

    ¡°Brother, why is Song Yu here? Is she going to work here? When did you start blurring the lines between work and personal affairs? If the family knew...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi interjected coldly, ¡°If the family knew that Jian Yi drove into my car on purpose...¡±

    Seeing that he had won the argument, Qi Chengzhi turned to leave with Song Yu. Song Yu grabbed his arm and pulled him to a stop.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at Song Yu who was shooting daggers at Jian Yi. ¡°Jian Yi, please stop all this nonsense. You¡¯re lucky that it was just a minor injury. If you hurt him again, I will hate you forever!¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me that it was intentional,¡± said Qi Chengyue as she apanied him to his office. Getting inside, she informed the assistant that there was to be no disturbances and locked the door.

    ¡°You believe Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words? He¡¯s just framing me in front of Song Yu.¡± Jian Yi took out a cigarette and started smoking, after tossing the packet onto the table.

    ¡°Jian Yi, just because I didn¡¯t ask you doesn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t know. I asked Cheng Dongge. There was no way the ident was due to tailgating, not at that stretch of road and at that time. You just rammed straight into his car!¡± yelled Qi Chengyue. ¡°Did you not hear what Song Yu said? She will hate you forever. You will no longer be a part of her life!¡±

    ¡°This has nothing to do with her. Can you stop bringing her up in every discussion?¡± Jian Yi sucked in a sharp breath, filling his lungs with smoke.

    ¡°Do you think I¡¯m stupid? I know that you still hold her in your heart¨C that you like her. I also know that you¡¯re only with me for my status, yet I keep telling myself that I can win you over. I¡¯m beautiful, and my love for you is true. Since you picked me, I thought you would be at least a little bit interested in me, and that I could slowly win you over.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling myself this version of the truth. I know that everyone says I¡¯m irrational and that I¡¯m tyrannizing Song Yu. Did you think me unaware of all your unwanted advances toward her? I didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it; it was much easier to convince myself that she wasing onto you.

    ¡°But this has been going on for far too long. Do you even like me?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s tone was icy now, and her gaze was colder still. ¡°Now, since you¡¯ve married me for my status, don¡¯t you think you should be treating me more respectfully? My happiness determines your future, after all.

    ¡°Let me put it in a way you¡¯ll understand: your future, in thepany, rests in my hands. One word from me and my brother will dly terminate you. Even if you wanted to start your own business, you¡¯d need my money.

    ¡°When you¡¯re with me, and Song Yu appears, please don¡¯t gawk at her. Your attempts to hide our intimacy from her is pointless. Do you think her that naive? We¡¯re married. Do you think she thinks we just lie next to each other in bed and sleep?¡±

    A bitter, sardonicugh resounded from Qi Chengyue¡¯s throat. ¡°She knew you weren¡¯tpletely innocent since the day we began our dalliance. In her eyes, you¡¯re tainted, so who are you acting for really? You keep painting yourself as her knight in shining armor, but now she knows the truth, and she wants nothing to do with you.¡±

    The cigarette burned between Jian Yi¡¯s long fingers. He seemed paralyzed; his eyes downcast, unable to meet hers.

    Qi Chengyue approached him. She gently covered the hand that held the cigarette. ¡°Jian Yi, you know that I love you. I never want to use my status against you. All I want is for you to pay more attention to me and let me into your heart. And I¡¯ll give you whatever you want.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I did intentionally bang into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car. It¡¯s f*cking unfair that he gets whatever he wants by virtue of being born into the right family, while I have to fight for everything. What gives him the right to domineer me? One word from him, and I have to migrate to France. Even if we were to be family, I would still have to watch myself around him.¡± Jian Yi hissed through gritted teeth.

    Qi Chengyue plucked the cigarette from his hand and threw it into the ashtray. She took his hands and released a slow, soft sigh. ¡°Cut down on the smoking, Jian Yi. We want a child. I know you don¡¯t love me, but at least give me some sense of security. Let me know that you are still mine and that you will father my child.¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s eyebrows fell into a downward nt, and he pulled his hands away. ¡°I told you before that I want to focus on my career. There¡¯s no need to rush into this. We¡¯re still young. Let¡¯s wait until my career is stable.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think having children and a career is mutually exclusive. With my family¡¯s support, it won¡¯t burden you. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯re using your career as an excuse to not have children. Or...¡± Qi Chengyue took a shaky breath. ¡°Is it more so that you do not want to have my children?

    ¡°Just because you don¡¯t have kids with me doesn¡¯t mean Song Yu will forgive you or love you. Jian Yi, you¡¯re nothing but filth in her eyes. She can¡¯t even stand to look at you now. Stop acting like you¡¯re so faithful; it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t slept with me.¡±

    Sheughed in open derision. ¡°Quit smoking. I don¡¯t know when you began, but it must be recent, so there¡¯s still hope. Once you¡¯re clean, we¡¯ll try for a child. If not, we¡¯ll head to France. It¡¯s thepany¡¯s orders. There¡¯s no way out of it unless you resign.

    ¡°Remember what I said. Think before you make your decision.¡± With that final remark, Qi Chengyue turned heel and calmly walked out, away from the office and away from Jian Yi.

    Jian Yu clenched his shaking fingers. Slowly, his face bloomed a bright red.

    The ashtray sailed through the air and shattered against the office wall.

 Chapter 139 - Forever Love, Forever Love

    <h4>Chapter 139: Forever Love, Forever Love</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The ashtray sailed through the air and shattered against the office wall.

    ...

    ...

    It was not the first time Song Yu visited Paris¡ªshe had traveled there twice, back when the Song family saw better days.

    At the time, she was still far too young to truly appreciate the City of Love¡¯s true magnificence.

    Setting foot in Paris at her current age allowed her to see the city through a whole new lens. Everything seemed new and exciting, as though it was her first time visiting the city.

    The city of Paris was full of green-roofed ancient buildings, and the road consisted of time-wornttice stones. All-in-all, they probably had about a few hundred years¡¯ worth of rich history between them.

    On a pavement unfit for high heels, women wore ts as they strolled about with a cigarette between their fingers. An indescribable yet graceful nonchnce characterized their appearance.

    The branchpany sent over a car to pick them up. Song Yu immersed herself in the scenery while seated inside the car.

    They were first dropped off at the hotel, after which Qi Chengzhi went by himself to thepany.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s birthday wasing soon¡ªit fell right on one of the days where they were still in Paris. Song Yu realized that fact only after she had agreed to go with him.

    She took out her cellphone and checked the calendar; his birthday was only two days away.

    Seizing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s absence, she sorted out their belongings and went to the front desk.

    At about half-past five in the evening, Song Yu was heading back to the hotel in a taxi when Qi Chengzhi called, ¡°I¡¯m done. Coming back to pick you up.¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s settled?¡±

    ¡°Not yet. The rest will be continued tomorrow.¡± Qi Chengzhi sensed something odd in her voice. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°It was a bit boring to be alone, so I went out and looked around,¡± Song Yu exined as she savored the scenery outside. She saw beauty in every single one of Paris¡¯ buildings, and it seemed to her that each one had their own story to tell.

    When the taxi stopped at a red light, Song Yu¡¯s eyes caught sight of an apartment wall that bore the sculpture of a woman. The woman was half-naked from the waist up. Though it was a stone sculpture, there was tremendous attention to detail in the long dress that covered her from the waist down; its intricacies and details were akin to the wing of a cicada, while its realism was truly unparalleled. A slender and full-bodied leg emerged from the folds of the dress.

    Naked though the sculpture was, there was nothing inherently sexual about it. On the contrary, it was a genuine embodiment of artistic intention.

    Song Yu was mesmerized by the appearance of a dazzling sculpture on such an unassuming building.

    ¡°Public security isn¡¯t very good in Paris. If you want to go around tomorrow, wait till I¡¯m back. I¡¯ll get things done as quickly as possible ande back early. If you¡¯re really bored, just take a walk around the hotel, don¡¯t wander far,¡± Qi Chengzhi pleaded her worriedly.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was already waiting at the hotel lobby by the time Song Yu arrived.

    He was facing the entrance throughout the period he stood there. Europeans were generally tall, but he was no less inferior to them when he stood up straight.

    Qi Chengzhi rushed over the instant he saw her. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you went out?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t go too far, don¡¯t worry.¡± Song Yu hugged his arm.

    ¡°Is there anything you want to get from the room? If there isn¡¯t, we can leave here immediately.¡± Qi Chengzhi stroked her hair.

    ¡°Nope. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°I actually wanted to bring you to a Michelin star restaurant, and before we left the country, I even told thepany in Paris to help us book ahead. Still, it was already fully booked even though they enquired half-a-month in advance.¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and interlinked his fingers with hers. ¡°And that¡¯s because my decision toe here was prettyst-minute. If we were just a few months earlier, we¡¯ll surely be able to book a table.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I saw plenty of roadside restaurants when I was out just now. They all look so exquisite. A few small, round tables were ced near the door, and it felt like a really casual and cozy ce, especially when I see people seated around it. Just looking at it makes me want to try it out.¡±

    Thus, the two of them took a walk without any destination in mind and chose a restaurant at random. At that time, Paris was warm and not too windy, resulting in a great many people having their meals while seated outside. There was an air of sophistication to just sit there and admire the beautiful scenery against the backdrop of aesthetic architecture.

    Song Yu, therefore, chose to sit outside, and they ordered two steaks. As they waited to be served, they saw a few locals either having beer or sipping on champagne. All were chatting softly amongst themselves, and the whole atmosphere just seemed so unrushed and easy-going.

    Even though most of the tables were upied, the environment remained subdued and not at all raucous.

    The speed of service, however, was markedly different from back in their country. Everything moved at an incredibly slow pace, with their steaks arriving after close to an hour¡¯s wait.

    It was a simple meal: steak topped with a sd of some vegetables and spices that Song Yu was unfamiliar with, as well as a side of thick French fries.

    The beauty of its presentation was not reflected in its taste. When Song Yu began eating, she could not help butment, ¡°Is it because back home they improved the way they cook Western food, or is Western food in the West really that terrible? It¡¯s so charred and so tough. Even though its medium-well, the meat is just so hard to chew on.¡±

    QI Chengzhi took a bite and nodded. ¡°It really doesn¡¯t taste as nice as the ones back home.¡±

    In the end, Song Yu did not manage to fill her belly up too much. They took a stroll and passed by a narrow street, with restaurants and bars lined up on both sides. A silver-haired waiter waved and them and called out, ¡± Bonjour <sup>1</sup> , au revoir!¡±

    Song Yu giggled out of amusement because he said ¡®good morning¡¯ at night.

    Since they had yet to satiate their hunger, they bought a doner kebab, which was different from the ones they had back at home. In France, doner kebabs were wrapped in a thin tbread, with fillings that include fresh vegetables and French fries in addition to the barbecued meat, which was all drizzled in sd dressing and ketchup. It was arge portion.

    Qi Chengzhi requested for two stic forks, and they took turns eating that one kebab.

    They returned to the car after that, and the driver brought them to a ce where they could watch the Eiffel Tower¡¯s light show.

    When the time came, lights were twinkling on full disy on the tower. Its diamond-like resplendence enchanted Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze shifted away from the tower and onto Song Yu¡¯s mesmerized face. He nted a gentle kiss on the corner of her lips.

    Song Yu turned her head since her attention could no longer be focused on the tower. She admired how intensified Qi Chengzhi¡¯s facial features were in the night, and her hands unknowingly moved over to cup his face.

    His face was indistinct in the dark of the night, so she traced her hands slowly all over the stern creases that were present. The more she looked, the more in love she became.

    The love she had for him came from within the depths of her heart. She felt it in her bones, and it was so strong that it was impossible for her to extricate herself from it.

    If she were to remove it from herself, part of her soul would be removed too.

    She tiptoed and kissed his lips slowly.

    In her heart, she thought, ¡®Oh, how I adore this man... How I adore him so dearly...¡¯

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I don¡¯t know if I can ever love you less. Being with you for so long makes me love you more and more. My heart aches because of how much I love you, and I hate that the only way I can stop aching for you is if I cut my heart open.¡± She looked up at him with her blushing-red face.

    He looked at her profoundly, his eyes filled with an abundance of warmth. His voice was hoarse when he said, ¡°Keep on loving me more and more. I won¡¯t let you down.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On the third day, Qi Chengzhi came out of thepany at four in the evening. He made use of that day as well as the two days prior to get everything settled. He wanted to spend the remaining two days exploring the city with Song Yu.

    The branchpany¡¯s driver picked Qi Chengzhi up, but as Qi Chengzhi looked out the window, he noticed that they were not heading back to the hotel.

    The driver said, ¡°Miss Song¡¯s instructions. She¡¯s already waiting for you at the restaurant.

    Qi Chengzhi initially wanted to call Song Yu and ask what was going on, but he decided against it and ced his phone away.

    He recalled how Song Yu was acting a bit odd the day before. Unease crept into his mind while he was in thepany, so he phoned the hotel room. When no one picked up, he tried Song Yu¡¯s cell. It was then that he learned she went out by herself again, and when he asked her where exactly she was, she simply dodged his question.

    She was being so secretive that he had no idea what she was up to.

    He arrived at the restaurant after nearly an hour in the car.

    Qi Chengzhi went down and saw Song Yu standing at the entrance. She was wearing a knee-length gown and a jacket, with her long hair draping over her back and shoulders.

    Her beautiful monochrome eyes lit up the instant sheid eyes on him and she shed him a loving smile.

    At that moment, it was as though the only person she could see was him.

    Qi Chengzhi paused momentarily because he found himself unable to look away from her eyes. They were filled with utter devotion and loyalty.

    ¡® From the northes a ravishing maiden whose beauty stands alone. <sup>2</sup> ¡®

    That was the first thing that popped into his mind, and immediately after, he saw Song Yu extend a hand toward him.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, for Song Yu¡¯s small gestures were always full of surprises.

    If any other woman were to take her ce, they would probably be standing there motionless, waiting sheepishly for the man to walk over and escort them.

    Song Yu was different¡ªshe was the one who offered her hand, wanting to escort him out of her own volition.

    Qi Chengzhi sauntered over and extended his hand, which she promptly took, and both of them then went into the restaurant.

    With five more minutes to go before the clock struck five, it was still considered early, and there were not too many people there in the restaurant. Only two of the tables were upied, and even then, they were chatting over wine instead of having a meal.

    The couple took their seats and were greeted by a waiter, who lowered his head and whispered something into Song Yu¡¯s ear.

    Whispering was an act that required proximity under normal circumstances; such closeness was involuntary and unavoidable, and neither Song Yu nor the waiter read too much into it.

    Qi Chengzhi however, was not too pleased that the waiter¡¯s lips were so close to Song Yu¡¯s ear.

    He had no idea what the waiter was saying to Song Yu. She turned to look at the time, nodded, then told Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡±

    Then, she disappeared shadily with the waiter before Qi Chengzhi could nod or respond.

    He was acutely aware of every single one of Song Yu¡¯s movements. He looked at the clock too but did not sense anything amiss.

    As he was trying to contain his temper during the wait, a man dressed in a tuxedo appeared ying a melodious tune on the violin.

    The first few measures of the piece were familiar to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears, but he was unable to point out what song it was. Perhaps he had heard it before in passing and did not pay much attention to it.

    However, Song Yu walked out soon after.

    The violinist stepped aside and let Song Yu walk in front of him.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her even though there were a couple of tables separating them.

    Her nervousness was apparent since she took a couple of deep breaths before looking up at him. Her shyness had gotten the better of her and she was blushing severely.

    ¡°I love you, not only because of your beauty...¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s gentle voice escaped her lips, causing Qi Chengzhi to be so stupefied that he froze like a stone with his eyes fixed on her.

    ¡°I love you more and more...

    ¡°Every look in your eye touches my heart...

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve let me see forever...

    ¡°I now understand myself...¡±

    She was singing softly without using a microphone.

    Her eyes never shifted away from Qi Chengzhi as she sang; all of her concentration was poured out warmly for him.

    With small steps, she advanced forward, with the violinist following close behind her.

    The soothing sound of the violin was a perfectplement to her voice.

    Even the guests on the other two tables stopped talking and looked at Song Yu.

    ¡°All these future days must be treasured...

    ¡°Loving me, there will be some pain and unfairness...

    ¡°If you really love me...

    ¡°It is not an easy decision...¡±

    Some new guests came in, but they seemed to notice that everyone was staring at her, so a few stood at the door because they did not want to interrupt.

    Others slowed their steps and looked at her as they went to take their seats.

    A waiter came forth and showed them the way, going so far as to gesture to them to avoid disturbing Song Yu.

    ¡°I can feel your breath next to my ear, like a deep, gentle breeze...¡±

    ¡°You soothe my unease so gently...

    ¡°So, I want to study your smile every day...

    ¡°Ohhh, this feels so natural...

    ¡± Forever Love, Forever Love <sup>3</sup> ...

    ¡°I just want to spend my lifetime loving you...

    ¡°From now onward, you¡¯ll be the reason for my happiness...

    ¡°Love is the most beautiful and longest journey...

    ¡°Along the way, rain and mud...

    ¡°Might sometimes stop us from going forward...

    ¡°I can feel your body heat in my chest...

    ¡°Like the warmth of sunshine...

    ¡°You magically melt my uneasiness...

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable, and this is proof of my reasons for loving you...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart began beating so wildly that it could explode at any time. His breathing became more stifled too. All his eyes could see was Song Yu standing in front of him, singing a love song, in the presence of all those other people around.

    He noticed how red she already was, and even though she was incredibly embarrassed, she still sang to him under the watchful gaze of countless eyes.

    Song Yu looked at him with an equally warm gaze.

    ¡°In this verse of the Wang Leehom song, the author seemed to have made an error with the lyrics. The original lyrics should have read, ¡°Your emotional eyes, my silent voice...¡±. Whether it was intentional or otherwise, we are retaining what the author wrote and adding a rification for readers. Your silent voice, my emotional eyes... <sup>4</sup>

    ¡°It seems to be the greatest evidence...

    ¡°So, let me say once more...

    ¡°I love you~~

    ¡°Forever...¡±

    As she dropped herst note, the violin gracefully produced its final note too. The entire restaurant stood up in apuse.

    The violinist bowed slightly and chuckled before saying something in French. He then gave the two of them some space.

    Song Yu was still nervous when she quietly wished him, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±

    She looked at the clock. ¡°It¡¯s three minutes past five, which means that its precisely three minutes past midnight on the seventeenth back home.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his gaze at Song Yu¡¯s already flushed face, and his heart was filled with intense emotion.

    He ced his hands gently on Song Yu¡¯s waist and pulled her into his embrace, after which he bent down and kissed her on her bright red cheeks.

    Eventually, the two of them sat down because they were afraid of disturbing the other guests.

    Fortunately, the tables were not too big and they were able to sit especially close to each other, even if they were sitting on opposite sides of the table.

    ¡°You remembered my birthday?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was hoarse, and the way he looked at Song Yu was as though his dominance was going to take her right then and there.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell me to remember it when I helped you create your WeChat password?¡± she asked. Ever since then, she made a mental note of it.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands were on the table, clinging to hers and fiddling with her fingers.

    Her words made him so happy that his eyes looked like they were smiling.

    ¡°So, this was what you were up to the past two days?¡± No wonder she was always out.

    ¡°Mm. I asked the hotel front desk if there were any good restaurants around. Then I searched one by one until I found one that was not fully booked. At first, they did not agree to my request because they were afraid I would disturb the guests, but the French are just so romantic. When they listened to me exin that this was my boyfriend¡¯s birthday, and the first time we celebrated your birthday together, they said yes immediately. They also didn¡¯t mind too much because I wanted this specific time, and they told me that it wasn¡¯t peak hours so there weren¡¯t too many guests.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± He massaged her hands and nted a kiss on her fingers, one after the other. ¡°This is the best birthday I¡¯ve ever celebrated.¡±

    Above her bright red cheeks, her eyes lit up instantly. ¡°Really? I¡¯m d you like it. Before this, I kept thinking of what would be the best birthday present for you. It needs to be really special.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy as long as you¡¯re with me on my birthday.¡± He kneaded her delicate fingertips gently.

    Earlier on, he thought that she had forgotten his birthday. Although she did ask Chang Lai about it, the main reason he thought she forgot was that she initially rejected his proposal to bring her along on his business trip.

    Regardless, she did not want to spend his birthday alone out of the country.

    Past birthdays usually coincided with him requiring to entertain his clients, so he never had an opportunity to actually celebrate his birthday.

    It was either that or having dinner with clients. If, on the off-chance that nothing was going on, he would spend it alone, and no matter how free he was, he was never one to go all sentimental to celebrate such an asion.

    Things had changed since then, and he desperately wanted to spend it with Song Yu. If she was not beside him, a surge of never-before-experienced loneliness woulde haunting him.

    Thus, he was very insistent that Some Yu went with him.

    Even if she forgot his birthday, he would not go to great lengths to remind her. The only thing he wanted was for her to be beside him.

    Besides, he had already made up his mind on the perfect present for himself.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fingers inteced with Song Yu¡¯s. He gripped her tight, and his fingertips were touching the back of her hand. ¡°Come closer.¡±

    Song Yu thought that there was something he wanted to tell her, so she leaned forward. Since the table was a bit narrow, she only needed to lean slightly for her to reach the center of the table. She could practically move forward to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side if she wanted to.

    Qi Chengzhi pulled her hand lightly and ced his other hand onto the back of her head. He leaned forward ever so slightly and kissed her on the lips.

    Song Yu quivered and began gripping his hand much harder than she had done so moments earlier.

    Her grip was so tight that her fingertips could feel the bony structures of his hand.

    She felt his tongue caressing hers with force, tickling her somewhat.

    Unable to bear the ticklishness anymore, Song Yu let out a couple of moans and initiated further tongue action with him. Despite the added intensity, he upped the ante and kissed her with more vigor.

 Chapter 140

    <h4>Chapter 140: One Girl Has Been in My Heart Since Forever; I¡¯ve Been Watching Her Since She Was A Baby, Up Until She Grew Up into A Beautiful Woman</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Unable to bear the ticklishness anymore, Song Yu let out a couple of moans and initiated further tongue action with him. Despite the added intensity, he upped the ante and kissed her with more vigor.

    Her lips were swollen and tingly due to his sucking. When he finally broke away from her lips, he was still holding her hand and massaging it gently.

    His thin lips were barely an inch away from hers, and he gazed upon her moist red lips. A gentle peck followed soon after and he resumed his seat.

    ¡°No one¡¯s ever poured out their heart for me.¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he fiddled with her fingertips using his slender and well-defined fingers.

    Song Yu felt an acrid taste in her throat. She grasped his hand and kissed each finger segment. His finger joints were distinctly visible when his finger was bent slightly, and it made for an extremely handsome sight.

    ¡°I¡¯ll pour out my heart more and more for you in the future.¡± She cupped his handsome hands in hers. ¡°I¡¯ll always be by your side in the future. Every birthday and every celebration too, I¡¯ll spend them all with you. If you are busy, I¡¯ll wait for you. Even if I have to wait until thest second of the day, I¡¯ll celebrate it with you as long as we¡¯re together.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s captivating ck pupils glimmered with shes of happiness. ¡°Are you asking me to marry you?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red, and she found it impossible to avoid his gaze.

    The way he looked at her was as though he was teasing her for being so thick-faced. It was beyond any ordinary woman to make such a promise so eagerly.

    In fact, she did not give much thought to it, and her words were simply a reflection of what was on her mind. She did not foresee that her words would hint at something deeper, and in hindsight, it did look like she was too eager to marry him and chain him to herself.

    Song Yu grumbled irksomely. She attempted to retract her hand, but Qi Chengzhi kept a firm grip on it.

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable that you want to get married to me. What¡¯s there to be ashamed about?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean it like that!¡± She blushed. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it when I said it, it¡¯s not that I want...¡±

    Her sentence was interrupted by the waiter serving up their dishes. Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her hand and stopped teasing her.

    ...

    ...

    After dinner, the couple went back to the car, but Song Yu noticed that it was not heading toward the hotel.

    ¡°We¡¯re going somewhere,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    ¡°Where?¡± Song Yu asked curiously.

    Qi Chengzhi did not borate further, merely kneading her hand before saying, ¡°You¡¯ll know when we get there.¡±

    The car eventually stopped by the side of the road. Qi Chengzhi brought her down from the car and passed through a busy street where both sides were lined with restaurants and bars.

    Small round tables were set up outside, with people gathering together for a meal or a chat over some wine.

    It looked crowded and hectic because it was a very narrow street.

    Song Yu followed him until the very end, to which a church appeared right in front of her eyes.

    Astonishment and awe were inevitable for Song Yu. It was the kind of pleasant surprise that was simr to Tao Yuanming¡¯s Peach Blossom Spring, a poem which talked about the wonder that was invoked upon by walking through a small tunnel and discovering an ethereal utopia.

    ¡°This is...¡± Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi incredulously, but he dragged her swiftly into the church.

    Not a single person was present inside, and the spacious yet empty pews appeared solemn under the gaze of the Virgin Mary.

    Qi Chengzhi continued walking her, stopping only at the front. His face was very serious when he turned and looked at her, further enhancing the intimidation that was ever-present on the stern contours of his face.

    ¡°I insisted on bringing you with me because I thought you forgot that my birthday was on this date, while I¡¯m in France. If you were back home, we wouldn¡¯t be able to spend it together. Surprisingly you remembered, and I¡¯m really touched because of that. I never intended to remind you actually, because I¡¯ve already prepared a birthday gift for myself.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing became erratic because deep down, she seemed to know what he was going to say and do.

    She then watched him take out an exquisite-looking square box. She gulped out of nervousness but noticed that Qi Chengzhi appeared to be more nervous than she was.

    His hands were shaking as he presented the box to her.

    Even though his hands were positioned firmly in front of her, the trembles did not go away.

    It scarcely urred to Song Yu that Qi Chengzhi would have his moment of anxiousness. She saw him take a deep breath and focus his energy into opening the box.

    Inside was a simple but unique diamond ring. The diamond that was nestled in the setting was square-shaped, and it flickered with resplendence under the light of the church.

    Song Yu¡¯s misty eyes looked up and stared at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face, noticing that the stern creases on his face were a direct result of his anxiousness.

    Song Yu felt as though her stomach was tying itself in a knot. This man¡ªwho on most days was so self-confident and fearless¡ªturned into a mess because he wanted to ask for her hand in marriage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe in God, but I believe that there must be a certain amount of solemnness in such a revered ce. It¡¯s the same as when we bought our couple rings, I told you that wedding rings are a more solemn affair, and when ites to asking for your hand in marriage, it is only right that it is even more solemn.

    ¡°Song Yu, one girl has been in my heart since forever. I¡¯ve been watching her since she was a baby, up until she grew up into a beautiful woman. I taught her how to write. I watched her fall down when she learned how to walk¡ªshe got up, patted the dust off her hands and her knees, then continued walking stubbornly again. I saw her wearing Jixia High School¡¯s uniform, looking as nervous as a little girl when she first stepped foot into the school.

    ¡°I watched her grow from that little girl into a beautiful woman, and I¡¯ve seen men the same age look at her with infatuated eyes, which she was oblivious to. I¡¯ve seen the helplessness in her eyes when she looked at me, and I¡¯ve also seen her cry because she was terrified of being helpless. I didn¡¯t know when, but I¡¯ve slowly let her into my heart. Deeper and deeper she went, and it came to a point where I don¡¯t even know how deeply she was embedded in my heart. There¡¯s no way I could ever remove her from my heart. I wanted to wait until she grew up because I want to marry her, but when I finished studying in America and came home, she was already engaged to my little brother.

    ¡°Back then I was still young. I didn¡¯t have any say in anything, and I didn¡¯t have any way to stop it from happening. Up until some yearster when her family went bankrupt, I wanted to help her, but knowing that she was stubborn and would not ept any form of help, I watched her lead a normal life, and I watched as she disappeared from mine.

    ¡°During those years when she wasn¡¯t in my life, I felt like I was the one who let her slip away. I set foot on aplicated road, and I did everything I could just to find her again. Then suddenly, I bumped into herst year, and I told myself that I had to marry her.

    ¡°I used mypany¡¯s business to get closer to her. I made her flustered and I made her blush. I like seeing how red her face became when she was in my arms; I like the feeling when I kiss her soft skin; I like the warmth I feel when she¡¯s in my arms; I like the softness of her lips; I like how dazed she looks after I kiss her, and I like her little temper when I tease her too much.

    ¡°I like that she poured out her heart just to prepare for my birthday; I like that she¡¯s so thick-faced and was brave enough to sing a love song for me right in front of all those people; I like when she can¡¯t help but blurt out things that are usually said by men.

    ¡°I want her to be in my arms forever, to be beside me for every birthday, every celebration, and everyst second of my entire life. I want her to stand behind me so I can protect her, so she¡¯ll never have to suffer any kind of harm or suffering ever again.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, will you marry me?¡±

    By then, Song Yu was speechless; she had no idea that he liked her for so long.

    What kind of man was able to love a woman for so long? For years, that love never changed, and he did all sorts of things in secret just so he could one day be with her.

    She felt as though he had cast the most intricate web¡ªone that was capable of expanding its surface area bit-by-bit¡ªjust so one day he could catch her back and have her for himself.

    If another man did that to Song Yu, it would strike fear into her and make her feel as though she was being lied to.

    That the man was Qi Chengzhi formed the sole reason she teared up for him, knowing that it was exactly the kind of thing he would do. It was a perfectly normal thing for Qi Chengzhi to do, and yet there was no diminishing the emotional impact it had on Song Yu.

    Never before was there ever a moment where he felt like letting go of her.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her anxiously. At the very beginning, his confidence was there, since he felt that Song Yu¡¯s love for him was so deep that she would nod enthusiastically and say yes.

    When it came to the crux however, his anxiousness was unparalleled.

    Song Yu was finally unable to restrain her tears and she threw herself into his embrace. His love was so deep and unwavering that she wondered how long he had been liking her. Was it ten years? Twenty?

    It felt as long as time immemorial.

    ¡°Song Yu?¡± He hugged her gently. His voice had turned hoarse due to the anxiousness he felt, and it rang above her head with underlying tones of uncertainty.

    ¡°Yes! Yes!¡± She wrapped her hands around his neck tightly, with no shortage of appreciation and gratitude ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look for me sooner? Why didn¡¯t you tell me a few years earlier? All those years wasted, shortening the time we could spend with each other.¡±

    Song Yumented that they met and fell in love so muchter than what could have been.

    She could never him love enough, not even in her entire lifetime.

    A man as magnificent as him was a rare find. Love hid itself well in someone as special and remarkable as he was.

    She must have been lucky to cross paths with a man like him during her lifetime. Luckier still was the fact that he fell in love with her.

    Even if she loved him with all her heart, she worried that it might not be enough to repay all the care and affection he gave to her.

    Why in the world was she ever afraid of him when she was younger?

    Things might have turned out much better if she knew that he was the one who saved her when she was thirteen-years-old.

    In that way, at least she was able to love him for a few more years.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand went behind his neck and he pulled her left hand down so he could put the ring on her. He inteced his fingers with hers and grasped it tightly; he was more than pleased to see an engagement ring on her ring finger when he looked down.

    He rubbed away the tears on her face and looked at her with loving eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I didn¡¯t look for you a few years earlier, and I¡¯m sorry that I didn¡¯t tell you all this earlier. I¡¯m now thirty-five, and I¡¯ll do my very best to live until I¡¯m ny or a hundred. I want to live until you get tired of me, but even if you do get tired of me, I still want to be with you and live for as long as I can.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s tears began gushing out from her eyes. She thought about how the duration of their life together would amount to fifty or sixty years at most¡ªshe regarded it as being a really short period of time, one that was scarcely enough for her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t get tired of you. Even if you have wrinkles all over your face and you can¡¯t open your eyes, or even if your teeth all falls out, I¡¯ll never get tired of you.¡± She tilted her head downward, pulled his intecing fingers, and kissed the back of his beautiful hand, all while her tears were falling drop-by-drop onto it.

    She never would have imagined that she would one day love a person so strongly that she did not know how best to love him properly. She was afraid that the love she gave him wascking by even a tiny fraction.

    Her only hope was to love him more and more, to give him the best that she could insofar as it was practicable for her to do so.

    Although Song Yu was not religious or anything like that, being in such a solemn ce¡ªa Catholic church with magnificent art on the ceiling, with the beautiful andpassionate Virgin Mary standing guard¡ªprompted Song Yu to sit down andce her fingers in prayer. She closed her eyes and prayed that she and Qi Chengzhi would live the rest of their lives with an abundance of love and happiness.

    When Song Yu opened her eyes, Qi Chengzhi stretched out his hand to her. ¡°Come, let¡¯s have a wedding ceremony now, just for the two of us. When we get back to B City, we¡¯ll make an even bigger one.¡±

    Song Yu was puzzled, but she put her trust in him and allowed him to bring her to the altar.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand and used his thumb to caress the ring on her ring finger. He then began speaking inplete solemness, ¡°I, Qi Chengzhi, take you, Song Yu, to be my wedded wife. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will love and honor you for all eternity.¡±

    Though he spoke softly, the emptiness of the hall amplified the rity and resolve in his voice.

    Qi Chengzhi eyes gazed warmly at Song Yu after he finished his sentence.

    Song Yu looked up at him and said softly, ¡°I, Song Yu, take you, Qi Chengzhi, to be my wedded husband. For better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, I will love and honor you for all eternity.¡±

    The absence of a priest saying ¡®you may now kiss the bride¡¯ did not hinder Qi Chengzhi from kissing Song Yu. He pulled her into his embrace and kissed her with all his might.

    ...

    ...

    Although a private exchange of vows in the church did not bind them legally to each other, Song Yu was already feeling as though she and Qi Chengzhi were really married.

    In the car, she hugged his arm and asked, ¡°Mr. Qi, can you try calling me Mrs. Qi?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. Even his usually cold eyes were curved and their corners were wrinkled.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi, can you try calling me hubby?¡± He said with a smile; his entire face was practically beaming with happiness.

    He initially thought that she would blush and be embarrassed. The blush did manifest, but she looked up at him with all smiles and rested her face on his shoulder, whispering in his ear, ¡°Hubby.¡±

    Her words sent an electrifying numbness from the top of his head to the bottom of his soles. The warm breath that apanied her words crashed into his ears, making them feel ticklish.

    All of a sudden, he pulled her into his embrace and ced his still-smiling lips onto her ears, saying, ¡°If you say this to me when we¡¯re on the bedter, I¡¯lle immediately.¡±

    His sudden and unexpected lewd teasing made Song Yu blush even harder. Her ear felt scalding-hot due to his rubbing, and it was as if it would go up in smoke under his lips.

    At the same time, his warm breathnded on her ears, making her tremble.

    ¡°Shameless!¡± Song Yu could not help but chide softly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled into a smile and he let out a teasing chuckle. His lips then went forth and came in contact with the tip of her nose.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡± Song Yu called out but was immediately halted by his kneading hand.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you supposed to call me hubby?¡± Qi Chengzhi brushed against her lips and moved his head to the side. He could not resist kissing the corner of her lips.

    His kisses rendered her weak, causing her to lean unstably on his shoulder.

    The way she called him ¡®hubby¡¯ seemed rather innocuous on the surface, but in truth, she felt extremely embarrassed to say it out loud. She found it too cringey and far less natural than if she called him Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°I¡¯m still...not used to it,¡± Song Yu whispered.

    She had a loving expression despite her befuddled mind and waspletely unable to get angry at him; she simply melted under his gaze and felt unable to part ways with him.

    ¡°If you call me that more often, you¡¯ll get used to it. I like it when you call me ¡®hubby¡¯, and I love to see how red your face bes when you call me ¡®hubby¡¯.¡± His elegant and masculine palms were incredibly warm when he cupped her face in them and caressed her cheeks.

    ¡°You look so young, just like a seventeen- or eighteen-year-old girl. I feel proud to have such a young girl call me ¡®hubby¡¯.¡±

    Song Yu could sense the pride in his manner of speaking.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re old,¡± she grumbled while tightening her grip around his waist.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled, ¡°Oh, so I¡¯m not old anymore? I thought someone once said that I was old?¡±

    Song Yu paused and called out lovingly, ¡°Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    He dropped the ¡®hubby¡¯ issue and answered firmly, ¡°Hm?¡±

    ¡°When do you want to have children?¡± She tilted her head up. The lighting in the car was not very good, but it was able to showcase the beauty of his handsome eyes.

    ¡°You want one already?¡± He hugged her tighter.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I really want one. I just feel that it¡¯s something we have to talk about since we¡¯re going to get married.¡± Her chin rested on his shoulder and she observed his masculine jaw. Tiny bits of stubble was already emerging.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before.¡± If you want one, I¡¯ll let you have one. And also, there are times where I¡¯ll imagine how it would feel to be pregnant with your child.¡±

    The brightness in her face was as though she was already pregnant with his child. She was brimming with happiness and love. Qi Chengzhi chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s try tonight then.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The car stopped in front of the hotel and Qi Chengzhi helped Song Yu down. He held her left hand and felt the ring on her ring finger.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi.¡± A soft voice was heard just as they entered the lobby. The childlike pamper that could be heard made Song Yu¡¯s hair stand on end.

    To their surprise, Yu Keyao was there. She wore a simple windbreaker and a silk dress that reached her knees. Her feet were supported by high heels, and she looked exceptionally stunning.

    Song Yu¡¯s first reaction, however, was disbelief: ¡®You¡¯re wearing high heels in Paris? Do you no longer want to make use of your legs?¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi did not pause in his stride as he held Song Yu¡¯s hand and ignored Yu Keyao. It was like he did not even hear her call his name¡ªYu Keyao was nothing in his eyes. He continued leading Song Yu to the staircase.

    ¡°I heard you¡¯re on a business trip and it coincidentally falls on your birthday. You¡¯ll be alone out here, celebrating your birthday by yourself, so I wanted toe visit you.¡±

    Yu Keyao looked at him with rather lustful eyes and smiled shyly at him. Her fingers gracefully tucked a strand of hair behind her ears.

    Qi Chengzhi was the only person in her eyes. Apparently, Song Yu was invisible to her because she did not even have the courtesy to say hi to Song Yu.

    ¡°May I ask for your courtesy not to say that in front of my fianc¨¦e? Even if I were to stay here alone, it¡¯s very inappropriate for you toe looking for me, Miss Yu,¡± Qi Chengzhi continued coldly, ¡°I only spend my birthdays with my loved ones. Go home, Miss Yu.¡±

 Chapter 141 - If I Could Turn Back Time, Iâ€™ll Come to You Out of My Own Free Will

    <h4>Chapter 141: If I Could Turn Back Time, I¡¯ll Come to You Out of My Own Free Will</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°May I ask for your courtesy not to say that in front of my fianc¨¦e? Even if I were to stay here alone, it¡¯s very inappropriate for you toe looking for me, Miss Yu.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued coldly, ¡°I only spend my birthdays with my loved ones. Go home, Miss Yu.¡±

    ¡°Fianc¨¦e?¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s smile vanished instantly. Her gaze shifted to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s entwined fingers¡ªthe presence of a ring on Song Yu¡¯s ring finger was a ring sight.

    From the ring, Yue Keyao¡¯s eyes then traveled upward to Song Yu¡¯s face. She was almost unable to recognize Song Yu because thetter¡¯s expression was so cold. Eventually, her gazended on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. All I want is to wish you a happy birthday.¡± Another, much sweeter smile appeared on Yu Keyao¡¯s face with an impudence that seemed to be saying, ¡®You might not love me, but you can¡¯t stop me from loving you.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi pulled a long face immediately. His earlier frigidness was considered much more politepared to the current expression of disgust that he felt toward her.

    He nced at the luggage bag in her hands. ¡°You¡¯ve just reached, Miss Yu?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I rushed to the hotel as soon as I arrived. The front desk wouldn¡¯t tell me which room you¡¯re in, but they did call the room for me. No one picked up, so I just waited here,¡± she remarked genially.

    Song Yu wanted nothing more than to kick Yu Keyao to the sidewalk. ¡®She wants to know Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room number?!¡¯

    ¡®What the hell was she going to do with him if I didn¡¯te with him?¡¯

    ¡®Shameless!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Yu Keyao with ridicule, but she was blushing.

    Although he looked at her with contempt, there was no shortage of elegance in his facial expression. His withdrawn attitude mesmerized herpletely.

    Qi Chengzhi then asked her another question, ¡°You haven¡¯t booked a room?¡±

    She shook her head. Word of his birthday had just only reached her, and when she went to Viewpark Residence the day before, she was informed that Qi Chengzhi was out on a business trip. There was no time for her to book a hotel. The remaining tickets for a flight to Paris were first-ss seats, yet she still bought one and flew over.

    If she did not manage to get a room, would it not be much better because she could just stay with Qi Chengzhi?

    She was convinced that he would not just sit around and do nothing if she went up to him when he was alone.

    Besides, she was in an unfamiliar ce. If she came running to him without a ce to stay, would he really be able to turn her away?

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and pulled Song Yu to the reception, where he asked how many rooms were still avable.

    A rtivelyrge number of tourists were present despite it being the off-peak season for holidays and travels. The receptionist checked and confirmed that there were two suites and a standard twin room still empty.

    Qi Chengzhi handed his card. ¡°I¡¯ll take all three.¡±

    Yu Keyao blushed severely when the receptionist processed his request. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, you don¡¯t need to be so courteous.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not being courteous with you,¡± Qi Chengzhi sneered. ¡°As you can see, all the rooms are booked, so you¡¯ll need to find a room somewhere else.¡±

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, you...¡± Yu Keyao was in utter disbelief. She thought that he was booking a room on her behalf, but the truth was, he booked all those rooms to prevent her from staying there!

    His patience had reached the breaking point. He brought Song Yu to the elevator without waiting for Yu Keyao to finish talking.

    The door opened and they went in, but before they were able to press any buttons, Yu Keyao dragged along her luggage bag and tried cramming into the elevator.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze swept past her while she looked up at him and pleaded miserably, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m all alone here in this foreign ce and you¡¯ve booked all the rooms. Can¡¯t you let me stay here, just for one night? I made ast-minute decision to fly here just so I could wish you a happy birthday. Are you telling me that I¡¯m getting in your way just because of that?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even manage to get a hotel room. Can¡¯t you let me stay in one of the rooms you¡¯ve booked, since you¡¯ve already booked so many? Big Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m begging you...¡± Yu Keyao grabbed his arm and begged him with a tear-stained, pitiable face.

    For the first time, Qi Chengzhi looked directly at her, smiling frigidly at the corner of his lips.

    He turned to Song Yu and said, ¡°Go to the room and wait for me.¡±

    Yu Keyao burst into a joyous smile. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I knew you wouldn¡¯t let me be without a ce to stay.¡±

    Song Yu looked on impassively and knew that Qi Chengzhi had no such intention in mind. His only goal was to get Yu Keyao to leave.

    It was likely that he did not want her to see his means of achieving that goal, just like how he did not want to let her see how he dismissed Qi Chengyue some time ago.

    Thus, there was no objection from Song Yu, only a nod of conviction. The door opened and Qi Chengzhi made his way out, but she still managed to caress his arm.

    He looked back and met her trustful gaze.

    Relieved, he smiled at her and led Yu Keyao out.

    He did not leave immediately but instead waited until the door was truly closed.

    Before the door closed, Qi Chengzhi faced Song Yu with a face full of quiet yet breathtaking emotion. His gaze was gentle, which in turn, tempered his stern-looking facial features.

    All those warm expressions faded away as soon as the door closed. It was a face filled with contempt at Yu Keyao.

    He took the luggage bag from her and snickered, ¡°Come with me.¡±

    Yu Keyao was unable to decipher the mood behind his smile, but then again, her cogency of thought was eroded whenever she saw him smile. Fully immersed in his handsome face, she followed Qi Chengzhi obediently.

    It took the cold night breeze to jolt her back to her senses, where she realized that she was standing outside the hotel.

    Qi Chengzhi threw her luggage bag down the flight of steps. It was a sorry sight to see it lying on the ground.

    Yu Keyao felt incredibly miserable, just like the sorry sight that was her luggage bag.

    She seemed to be recollecting her thoughts when she said, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, you...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Big Brother Chengzhi ever again. We¡¯re not close. Is there a need for you to call me that just because my mother told you that you could? We¡¯ve only met those few times. Where the hell did that ego of yourse from? I don¡¯t like being too harsh in front of Song Yu,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked.

    ¡°You must be thinking to yourself that you¡¯re really beautiful, am I right? Miss Yu, even if Song Yu wasn¡¯t here with me today and you had stripped in front of me, I¡¯d still take your naked body and throw you onto the street.¡±

    Yu Keyao did not expect Qi Chengzhi to actually say those kinds of things. Her impression of him had always been that of a reserved man. Though he never said much to her, she felt that it was a consequence of his temperament.

    His reserved demeanor coupled with his aloof personality was extremely maic, causing her to look at him repeatedly so she could immerse herself in him.

    She always thought that he was naturally quiet instead of ignoring her on purpose.

    ¡°If you keep looking for me and make both Song Yu and I feel disgusted, I¡¯ll be happy to teach the Yu family a lesson.¡± Qi Chengzhi stepped forward and looked down at her, allowing her to soak in the image of his heartless face.

    Song Yu¡¯s words had prompted him to do away with spectacles¡ªhe had not worn them for quite some time. Theck of a barrier from their absence made his dark pupils look even more frightening, especially in the dim Parisian light.

    The threat behind his words sent a chill up Yu Keyao¡¯s spine.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been this direct toward you out of courtesy to the Yu family. At the end of the day, Song Yu¡¯s mother is also from the Yu family. She may not be on good terms with the family, but their lineage still runs in her blood. If you keep interfering with her daughter¡¯s happiness, I don¡¯t think Mrs. Song will hesitate to visit your parents.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi...¡± Her sentence came to a halt because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s biting cold admonishment.

    ¡°I came all the way here to look for you. Don¡¯t you feel the least bit touched?¡± Tears welled up in her eyes due to her extreme grief.

    ¡°Do I look like I¡¯m touched?¡± Qi Chengzhi scoffed. ¡°All I feel is hate. I just don¡¯t understand how or where you managed to get such a self-inted ego. You think I like you? What reason do you have for thinking that way?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think that there¡¯s anything wrong with liking you. How can you be wrong in liking someone?¡± Yu Keyao offered up her heart, and like the main character from a Chiung Yao y, two streams of tears flowed down from her eyes.

    ¡°You can choose not to love me, but you can¡¯t stop me from loving you. How can someone control my heart if I can¡¯t even control it myself?¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and try me. If you ever show your face in front of me again, I¡¯ll personally pay the Yu family a visit. I won¡¯t look for your father; I¡¯ll look for your uncle.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression and voice were equally cold.

    He headed back into the hotel once he was done.

    Behind him, Yu Keyao¡¯s face turned pale. She was not afraid of her father, but she knew that everything would be put to a stop if Qi Chengzhi were to look for her elder uncle.

    She did not forget that Yu Zixiu wanted to mend rtionships with Yu Qianying once he had found out that Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were together. Offending Song Yu was thest thing on Yu Zixiu¡¯s mind.

    Yu Keyao disregarded her luggage and hurried over to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Cheng...¡±

    She still wanted to call him ¡®Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯, but his threats had rattled her, and she was unhappy that she needed to address him another way. ¡°Young Master Cheng, are you really just going to throw me all alone here? Paris is really unsafe, and I have nowhere to go. You booked thest three hotel rooms.

    ¡°Even if you hate me, how could you have the heart to let me fend for myself out here? Do you hate me to the point where you want something bad to happen to me?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi simply continued making his way to the hotel, ignoring herpletely.

    Yu Keyao followed him without thinking. All she knew was that she was not going to stay by herself outside, and it was then that she spotted him pausing at the reception.

    Joy filled her heart, for she thought that Qi Chengzhi finally realized the cruelty of his actions; as cutting as his words may be, his heart was bound to melt.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed to be aware that she was following behind him. He pointed to his back¡ªwithout turning to look¡ªand told the receptionist, ¡°This person is bothering me. She¡¯s trying to drive a wedge between my fianc¨¦e and I. I¡¯m really annoyed and I hope you won¡¯t let her bother us.¡±

    Be it a country in the east or west, the despise toward rtionship-wreckers was a hate that had transcended geographic boundaries. The receptionist agreed to it unconditionally and made no attempt to hide her disdain.

    Qi Chengzhi then went straight for the elevator.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi!¡± Yu Keyao could no longer hold it in anymore. She wanted to follow him, but two hotel security guards stopped her from going any further.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi. I really don¡¯t have anywhere to go. Can¡¯t you just let me stay here for even a night?¡± Qi Chengzhi was already in the elevator by the time she finished; the door closed and he made his ascent.

    The two guards remained within her sight. They did not forbid her from staying in the lobby, but they prohibited her from using the elevator.

    Angry and depressed, Yu Keyao began crying with all her might. The hissy fit she threw was identical to that of a little girl who was not allowed to get her toys. She stomped her feet repeatedly and tried grabbing her luggage bag, but the only thing she grabbed was thin air. Immediately, she realized that in her haste to catch up to Qi Chengzhi, she had forgotten that he had thrown her luggage out onto the street.

    She walked hurriedly in the direction of the entrance since her high heels prevented her from actually running.

    As soon as she went out, she need not even go down the flight of steps to see that there was no luggage bag¡ªit was simply an empty spot where her luggage was supposed to be. Pedestrians were shuttling back and forth on the street.

    She rushed down and looked left and right, chancing upon a brown-haired man donning a jacket, cap, jeans, and sports shoes. He was running with her luggage bag in hand.

    Her luggage bag was branded, and even if its contents were not worth much, the luggage bag alone would fetch a good price. It would definitely be better if there were branded clothes inside.

    ¡°Stay right where you are! Thief!¡± Yu Keyao blurted out in Mandarin and chased after him, forgetting that she was actually overseas.

    A guilty conscience was perhaps the reason for the man¡¯s acute awareness of his surroundings. Yu Keyao¡¯s scream, though unintelligible to him, prompted him to look back. Noticing that Yu Keyao was staring at him, he held the luggage bag and made a run for it.

    Yu Keyao did not think twice about running after him. Shepletely forgot that she was wearing high heels and the road was not very even. A slight misstep and her heel entered the crack between two bricks, causing her ankle to sprain.

    A shriek followed her fall, and she instinctively ced her hands in front of her to soften the impact. However, an abrasion formed on her palms as a result of the sudden contact with the ground.

    She burst into tears immediately. Her hands and knees were in pain, and her ankle more so.

    As she trembled and cried, she tried to stand up, but the pain on her knees and right ankle was too much. She had no energy and could only use one leg to try supporting her entire weight. The heel of her shoe was exceptionally high and so was the front tform¡ªshe was just about to try getting up when she fell down again.

    In the end, the passersby helped her up and brought her into the hotel, where she could sit on the lobby sofa for the time being.

    The hotel staff did not stop her from sitting there after seeing her sorry figure.

    She cried and looked at her palms. Arge chunk of flesh was scraped off, exposing the reddish and tender flesh underneath.

    As she cried in resentment, she wondered why Qi Chengzhi was so unwilling to help her!

    She came looking for him out of love and was considerate enough in wanting to celebrate his birthday with him. How could he do that kind of thing to her!

    Her cell phone, cash, and cards were all inside her handbag, but with her current condition, it was impossible for her to go out and look for a hotel.

    Yu Keyao cried and called home.

    ¡°Keyao!¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s voice spurred Yu Keyao to howl even louder.

    Liang Lihua turned frantic immediately. It was three in the morning back in the country. Even though she was initially hazy because her sleep was interrupted, Yu Keyao¡¯s cries jolted her awake in an instant.

    ¡®She went to look for Qi Chengzhi, right? Why is she crying like this?¡¯

    ¡°Keyao! What happened, Keyao? Tell mommy, don¡¯t just cry!¡± Liang Lihua urged on anxiously. Her daughter was overseas after all, and she feared that something really bad happened.

    ¡°Mommy, Qi Chengzhi... Qi Chengzhi doesn¡¯t care about me. He asked Song Yu to marry him...¡± Yu Keyao began exining, but she choked from being unable to control her wailing.

    Liang Lihua shouted, ¡°Where are you now? Even if he proposed to her, you wouldn¡¯t be crying like this right?¡±

    ¡°There were only three rooms left in the hotel when I came. He found out that I didn¡¯t manage to book a hotel room and booked all three, but he didn¡¯t even let me stay in any one of them. He even threw my luggage bag outside the hotel, and someone stole it. I sprained my foot and I can¡¯t go anywhere...huhuhu...¡±

    Anger began coursing through the veins of her neck. ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°Mom, what am I going to do! Where am I going to stay? My knees and hands are injured, and I sprained my ankle. I can¡¯t even walk...Mommy, I¡¯m scared...huhuhu...¡± Yu Keyao mumbled in between sobs.

    ¡°Tell me where you are. I think I have a friend in Paris, I¡¯ll ask her to fetch you so you can stay there first,¡± Liang Lihua said.

    Yu Keyao gave the hotel name immediately after hearing what her mother said.

    Liang Lihua hung up the phone and called her friend. After everything was sorted out, she called Yu Keyao again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry okay. My friend and her husband wille and pick you up. When is your flight home?¡±

    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± Yu Keyao said.

    ¡°Stay with my friend for these two nights ande back here after that. I¡¯ll definitely get back at them for you!¡± Liang Lihua proimed determinedly.

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t make Qi Chengzhi even angrier. I really like him, I don¡¯t want...¡±

    ¡°You still like him even though he treated you like this? Listen to Mommy. Many of Mommy¡¯s friends have really good sons, and some of those aunties really like you too. They have their hearts set on you as a daughter-inw. I only need to say the word and they¡¯ll introduce all those good men to you. Even if you don¡¯t like them, we have connections and we can always find better, okay? We can even introduce those from the Eight Great Families. All of them are on par with, if not better than Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Stop talking!¡± An unhappy Yu Keyao interrupted Liang Lihua¡¯s words. ¡°Who else is better than Qi Chengzhi? Even if you introduce those from the Eight Great Families, they have to be on the same level as Qi Chengzhi, someone who¡¯s the future head of the family. Can you introduce someone like that to me? You can¡¯t, and meeting Qi Chengzhi is a rare opportunity that only happened because the Qi family wanted to get in touch with us. The Yu family¡¯s status could never have helped us connect with such an upper-ss family. Of course, you can introduce the insignificant ones from the Eight Great Families to me, but none of them will everpare to Qi Chengzhi!

    ¡°I only like Qi Chengzhi, and with such a perfect person in front of me, I can never like anyone else ever again!¡± Yu Keyao formed her hand into a fist, but in doing so she aggravated her injury. The pain made her grimace and her tears began dripping to the ground once again.

    ¡°Why are you so stubborn! Qi Chengzhi treated you so badly. He knew you were hurting yet he left you alone without anyone to rely on. You still like him even when he doesn¡¯t want to help you?¡± Liang Lihua burst out in anger.

    She wondered what it was that clouded Qi Chengzhi¡¯s judgment. Not only did he reject a good woman like Yu Keyao, he even treated her heartlessly!

    From the looks of it, she regarded Qi Chengzhi as theplete opposite of what people regarded him to be. He was not at all a good person, nor an intelligent one, for he would not have such bad taste in women if he had any of those qualities. Yu Keyao was his for the taking, but he still chose to be with Song Yu.

    Neither of his eyes seemed to be functioning properly!

    ¡°I like him and that¡¯s that. Song Yu¡¯s the reason he¡¯s doing all these things to me! We don¡¯t even know how much Song Yu badmouths us to him, making him form this bias toward me. As long as I can make him break up with Song Yu and see her true nature, he¡¯ll know that I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s perfect for him!¡± Yu Keyao remarked in ire.

    ¡°Mom, did you know Song Yu looked at me with that kind of hateful face, as if I owed her money or something like that? No matter what, I am her little cousin. The least she could do was greet me! But she didn¡¯t, she just looked at me without saying anything. She didn¡¯t just look at me hatefully, she¡¯s jealous of me. That¡¯s why she¡¯s telling all those lies!¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s face sunk immediately and she was very unhappy. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s getting more and more overboard. She doesn¡¯t know her ce. You¡¯re right, she knows she can¡¯tpare to you and that¡¯s why she¡¯s jealous. All she does is badmouth you and we don¡¯t know how much she makes you look bad behind our backs!¡±

    ¡°Do you know how disgusting she was just now?¡± Yu Keyao asked angrily, then continued, ¡°She was showing me her engagement ring on purpose as if she wanted to let me know that she¡¯s better than me. She¡¯s just so shameless. Qi Chengzhi came here on official business, not to go on a holiday, but she¡¯s still so thick-faced that she insisted oning. She doesn¡¯t even realize that she¡¯s interfering with his work. What privilege does she have to marry into the Qi family and be the family¡¯s future matriarch?¡±

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know her ce at all!¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Then again, the Song family¡¯s in quite desperate times. She couldn¡¯t possibly know what¡¯s proper and what¡¯s not. She wants to have him in her clutches because she¡¯s afraid that such a good opportunity will slide away. She¡¯s throwing away all of her dignity just to get married to him, and because of that, she isn¡¯t fit to be the matriarch.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I won¡¯t give up, Mom. I like Qi Chengzhi and I want what¡¯s best for him. I can¡¯t let Song Yu continue lying to him. He might not see the good in me and like me now, but when I show him the real Song Yu, he¡¯ll be thankful and know that I¡¯m only doing what¡¯s best for him,¡± Yu Keyao exined.

    ¡°Keyao, there¡¯s nothing wrong in going after something you want, but you need to take care of yourself. Take today for instance, wasn¡¯t it a little dangerous for you?¡± Liang Lihua reminded.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare well enough today. I understand it now. I won¡¯t face this kind of situation again in the future,¡± assured Yu Keyao.

    Liang Lihua sighed. ¡°Keyao, I think it might be better if you change your methods a bit. If you keep bothering him so much, it won¡¯t be good. Men hate it when women bother them like that. If you keep appearing in front of him, he might feel annoyed. Sometimes, it¡¯s a good thing to keep your distance. Keeping the right distance will make him feel less annoyed.¡±

    Before she could continue, Yu Keyao interrupted.

    ¡°Mom, your friend came to pick me up. We¡¯ll stop here.¡± In fact, Yu Keyao did not want to hear Liang Lihua say those kinds of things.

    As Yu Keyao¡¯s mother, Liang Lihua knew that Yu Keyao¡¯s words were simply an excuse. She sighed and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk more about it when you¡¯re back.¡±

    ¡°Understood,¡± came the hasty reply before Yu Keyao hung up.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu sat in the living room and was not in the mood to do anything. Soon, the room door creaked open and she ran over to it immediately, catching sight of Qi Chengzhi entering.

    ¡°What happened to Yu Keyao? Did you give her a room to stay?¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s presence was not seen when Song Yu peeked out just before the door closed.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and said, ¡°Well, since the rooms are fully booked, she went to another hotel.¡±

    ¡°Did she really just leave without causing a scene?¡± Song Yu saw for herself what Yu Keyao was capable of doing. When they were at the elevator, Yu Keyao was just itching to grab Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and beg him right in front of Song Yu.

    Who knows what that Yu Keyao would do if Song Yu was not present?

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, held her waist, and led her to the bedroom. ¡°Yes. I just sent her on her way.¡±

    Song Yu was unknowingly led to the bed, after which Qi Chengzhi threw her onto it.

    Her body bounced on the bed before he came onto her.

    She extended her soft index finger and jabbed his chest in envy. ¡°Did she take advantage of you when you were both alone downstairs?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her, the scent of his exhaled breaths faintly noticeable.

    His warm hands held the hand that poked him and caressed her extended finger. He brought it up to his lips and bit it lightly. ¡°When I dragged her out of the hotel, I grabbed her wrist. Other than that, there was no more bodily contact.¡±

    Song Yu smiled after hearing those words.

    She could tell from the way he spoke that he did not treat Yu Keyao too courteously. Neither did he do the kind of chivalrous things that men would do when faced with a member of the fairer sex.

    Pitying Yu Keyao was something Song Yu would never do, and it was only natural that she did not me Qi Chengzhi for treating Yu Keyao the same.

    It would be even better if he had treated her much worse.

    Joy filled Song Yu¡¯s heart. She curled the finger that he was sucking on and brushed it gently against his lower lip, feeling its warmth and softness.

    That man, whose lips were always so stern, felt unbelievably soft when touched.

    His fire was stroked by her touches and rocked his waist. ¡°You¡¯re the only one who takes advantage of me.¡±

    Song Yu was not about to put up with his same old pattern, but even so, she blushed because of his rock-hard rod pressing against her.

    ¡°I wonder who¡¯s the one that loves taking advantage! Back then, who was it that seized the chance to kiss me out on the balcony, then lied to everyone else outside?¡± It was both infuriating and funny when she thought of that moment.

    The man was like a piece of sticky candy considering his ability to constantly get himself tangled with her.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smile vanished gradually and was reced by an intense passion that was evident in his ck eyes. Song Yu¡¯s scarlet cheek was within reach, and he observed how exquisite her ceramic-like satiny skin looked.

    He took her fingers away from his lips and ced her hand on his cheek. Slowly, the distance between his face and hers began to shorten, and the heat of his breath began to warm her cheeks up.

    Song Yu breathing was sent into a frenzy¡ªone moment she forgot to breathe, and the next she breathed a little too fast.

    His approaching face was so handsome that her mind went hazy.

    She grumbled softly, ¡°You said that you¡¯re not as handsome as Wei Ziqi, but why do you still have so many women crawling after you?¡±

    Her words made Qi Chengzhi chuckle softly. His vocal cords vibrated and produced a guttural sound. His thin lips were stered onto her silky skin; he imprinted a kiss and allowed his lips to open slightly. She could feel the curvature of his lips on her soft cheek.

    His guttural chuckle was also transmitted onto her skin, sending waves of vibration onto it. Song Yu felt her heartbeat turn erratic after hearing that chuckle, and she felt a stirring within her heart.

    ¡°If I really attract so many women, why didn¡¯t I manage to attract you the first time around? I had to wait all those years to slowly pursue you.¡± His delicate lips rubbed against her cheek as he whispered to her.

    His lips and his voice induced a tingling feeling on her skin. The same feeling burrowed deep into her heart, and it struck the core of her one regret: that she had not fallen for him sooner, effectively wasting all those extra years she could have spent with him.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I love you.¡± Song Yu allowed his lips to remain on her cheek. Her lips opened and closed as she spoke, and that, in turn, inadvertently caused her lips to rub against his chin. ¡°Why didn¡¯t youe for me sooner? If I could turn back time, I wouldn¡¯t have waited for you to pursue me. I¡¯de to you out of my own will andy my head at your door. I¡¯d confess to you with the door between us.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi shifted his body backward and looked at her. She was slightly frightened by his sudden intense desire.

    His eyes were so deep and dark. He stared at her as though he was about to swallow her up at any moment.

    He had an aggressive, luminous gaze.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened in bashfulness and her heart was beating like mad. ¡°I said ¡®I love you¡¯ too much, didn¡¯t I? Are you sick of it already?¡±

    There was no answer from Qi Chengzhi, only a mad surge of energy that led him to kiss her lips with such violent passion. He made out with her profusely and allowed his tongue to roam wildly in the insides of her mouth, sipping away at her nectar-like sweetness.

    His hands went behind her and wrapped her tight. He pressed her onto him and carried her away from the sheets. Even her arms were trapped with the confines of his embrace, leaving Song Yu as helpless as a doll. He embraced her lovingly and kissed her so fervently that her head was tilted backward.

    His warm lips caressed hers and moved along her face until he reached her ears, which his tongue then explored. His deep, aroused voice then said, ¡°I¡¯m not tired of hearing it. I¡¯ll never ever get tired of it.¡±

    Song Yu felt limp, tingly, and trembled hard. He carried her up and ced her resolutely on the floor, but her legs had yet to regain any strength.

    His sturdy arms were still firmly locking her in, and he soon carried her up. With her feet lifted off the ground, he brought her out of the bedroom and onto the balcony.

    The Eiffel Tower was not far from the hotel. Song Yu stood at the balcony railing with Qi Chengzhi hugging her from behind.

    Though he continued to kiss her cheek, he did not neglect her ears and neck. Soon after, he gradually shifted his lips to the back of her neck, then to her shoulder. His final destination was her exposed back, courtesy of the dress she was wearing..

 Chapter 142 - My Heart Is with Song Yu And So Is My Compassion

    <h4>Chapter 142: My Heart Is with Song Yu And So Is My Compassion</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Though he continued to kiss her cheek, he did not neglect her ears and neck. Soon after, he gradually shifted his lips to the back of her neck, then to her shoulder. His final destination was her exposed back, courtesy of the dress she was wearing.

    Song Yu grabbed the railing and heard Qi Chengzhi whisper into her ear, ¡°Do you still remember the officiating dinner for Qilin¡¯s hotel project? When we were on the balcony?¡±

    Unable to utter a single word, Song Yu simply nodded.

    ¡°I really wanted to do this, but at that time I wasn¡¯t in your heart yet, and I really regretted not being able to do it,¡± he whispered and moved his lips to her neck.

    She could not help but retract herself at the areas his hands came in contact with. He was slowly reining her in.

    It was only when her back was pressed against the cold wall that she realized the balcony was designed in exactly the same way as the balcony in Dynasty¡¯s dining hall.

    At that moment, they were also standing to one side, squeezed together so tightly that they were beginning to feel hot.

    His lips came attacking hers once again, leaving Song Yu nk. Her hindbrain was pressed against the wall and his kisses made her lose all sense of herself.

    Both his hands were ced on her waist. One moved up and the other moved down, causing her dress to wrinkle up.

    Song Yu pushed him but to no avail; his lips still remained glued to hers.

    However, she could feel his forcefulness decreasing to a point where he was only lightly touching against her. Song Yu found it a bit embarrassing to speak, because if she did so, she would be rubbing against his lips and her breath would be spewed into his mouth.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi was the one who spoke first, his lips parting open to allow passage of his hoarse voice.

    ¡°People on the street will see us.¡± Parisian buildings were not generally not tall. Other than the Eiffel Tower, the only other tall building was the Tour Montparnasse. The rest of the buildings were low, and the top of most buildings could be seen with the utmost rity.

    ¡°Let me kiss you more,¡± Qi Chengzhi said and kissed her lips. ¡°I¡¯m blocking you from everyone outside. No one can see you from below.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Before Song Yu could open her mouth, Qi Chengzhi was already kissing her passionately. His first sentence was the catalyst to her blushing face.

    Back and forth he went from her lips to her neck, as if to reenact the scene from the dinner party.

    He was truly protecting her within his arms, embracing her to the point where not a single part of her was exposed to the public eye.

    Her lips were finally released just as they were on the verge of losing all sensation due to his kisses. He carried her up and pressed her onto the wall so their eyes were leveled.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go in, or else I¡¯ll take you right here in the open.¡± His voice was hoarse and she could sense the dominance in his tone.

    His lustful aura made Song Yu tremble in silence. A nod from her and he carried her up, kissing her as he brought them back to the bedroom.

    He was practically on the brink of tearing her dress apart, judging by his swift undoing of her dress zipper and the speed with which he whisked it off of her. He did not even spare a moment to take off her panties¡ªhe simply parted them to one side and slid into her flesh.

    Song Yu wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. She locked onto him and felt his muscles bulging out from his upper back like a pair of wings.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her and looked at how beautiful she was. An indescribable feeling of emotion and passion appeared in his heart, and he simply could not get enough of her. He rued not being able to hold her twenty-four hours a day and assimte her into himself.

    Looking at her, he realized that he loved her so much that his heart ached.

    He watched as she tilted her head and breathed as though she was choking.

    His phone rang incessantly beside them. Song Yu reminded him, but picking up a call was the least of his concerns. She tried pushing him, but in the end, he locked her arms above her head and continued thrusting.

    ...

    ...

    It was after they were soaked in sweat that Qi Chengzhi released her; she was too tired to move, and she simply let him nt kisses on her while hugging her.

    The phone rang plenty of times, but fatigue led Song Yu to ignore the ringingpletely. She felt as though the ringing was farther and farther away from her, with its sound getting more and more distant. All her senses had beenpletely drowned by Qi Chengzhi.

    Their silent repose did notst long, for the cell phone began its irritating melody once again.

    On that asion, Song Yu was fully awake and could not turn a deaf ear to the ringing. Qi Chengzhi still did not look like he had any intention of picking up the call. He was leaning over to her, kissing her forehead every now and then, perhaps kissing her nose or her lips, with no sign of ever having enough of it.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just pick it up? Whoever that¡¯s calling has been at it for so long, it¡¯s definitely something urgent,¡± Song Yu persuaded.

    Leaving her soft body was far from what he had in mind and his eyes looked down at her face. ¡°It¡¯s half-past four back at home. Who in the world would call me at such an early time? The first call was made an hour ago. Shouldn¡¯t the caller be sleeping?¡±

    ¡°Well, since the person is calling you at this hour instead of sleeping, it has to be something really urgent. Go and answer it. Hopefully, nothing happened at home,¡± Song Yu urged him on.

    Qi Chengzhi was roughly able to guess who was calling, but the thought that something might have happened at home was enough to make him get off the bed.

    His absence led Song Yu to cover herself up with the nket, but as it was out in the open, it felt cold. There did not seem to be any different even though she covered herself up.

    Qi Chengzhi picked up the phone and saw the caller ID. His expression suggested that he hit the nail on the head with his guess, so he declined the call and switched off his phone.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± Song Yu asked after seeing him walk back without picking the call up.

    ¡°Liang Lihua.¡± He lifted the covers and went into it with her. Song Yu threw herself onto him without even waiting for him to stretch his hand. Her palms were on his chest and her legs were ced against his calf.

    ¡°Want another round?¡± He lowered his head and bit her ear.

    ¡°NO!¡± Song Yu blushed and pinched him softly. ¡°I¡¯m just a bit cold.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was very happy because her actions meant that she had grown ustomed to being hugged by him while he slept. She was used to his warmth, and even a momentary absence was enough to make her feel lonely.

    A thinyer of sweat was still present on his chest, bringing with it a very strong manly scent. Song Yu smelled it and closed her eyes in satisfaction in order to better listen to his beating heart.

    ¡°Why would Liang Lihua call you in the wee hours of the morning?¡± Song Yu had barely finished her question when her phone started ringing.

    Her phone was slightly closer as it was ced just beside the bed.

    Song Yu flipped over to take it, but Qi Chengzhi stopped her from doing so. ¡°Don¡¯t move. I¡¯ll take it for you.¡±

    He extended his hand over and grabbed the phone, all while positioned on top of her.

    Song Yu found it extremelyfortable as she hugged him like a bolster. ¡°Who called?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi had to move his body somewhat to take the phone, so she maneuvered herself and found a morefortable position to keep him close to her.

    No caller ID was disyed, meaning that Song Yu did not keep the number in her contacts.

    His photographic memory, however, lent him the ability to recognize the string of numbers as belonging to Liang Lihua.

    His expression sunk immediately. So be it then if Liang Lihua phoned him, but what irked him more was that she had the nerve to phone Song Yu.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s harassment was something he could try and be patient with, but in harassing Song Yu, Liang Lihua had invoked wrath that resulted from poking her nose into something she had no right to be doing.

    ¡°What is it?¡± His displeased expression was like none other she had ever seen before.

    She did, however, see that expression once before.

    That was when Qi Chengyue was trying to give Song Yu trouble by causing the employees to go on strike and lock her up in their quarters. He had the same expression now as he had then after rescuing her.

    ¡°Who¡¯s calling?¡± Song Yu asked and caressed his waist.

    Her soft but firm movements helped Qi Chengzhi soften his expression. He turned off her phone and kissed her, saying, ¡°Liang Lihua.¡±

    ¡°She called me? Just because you switched off your phone when she kept calling you?¡± She had meant her question to be rhetorical, as she simply could not fathom that Liang Lihua had gone insane.

    Qi Chengzhi ced the phone on the bedside cab and continued to hug Song Yu. He heard her ask, ¡°Is it because of Yu Keyao?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded. ¡°Yu Keyao must¡¯veined to her and said all kinds of nonsense.¡±

    Song Yu went momentarily silent. ¡°Her family members are experts when ites to ying victim.¡±

    ¡°Remember her number. If she calls you again, just ignore it. You don¡¯t need to pick up her calls. Just let me know and I¡¯ll deal with it,¡± Qi Chengzhi said bluntly. He was still seething.

    ¡°Mm,¡± uttered Song Yu, as it was the only thing she could say. She then went back into his embrace, using actions instead of words to try and make him feel better.

    Qi Chengzhi was not oblivious to her intentions. He tilted his head down and looked at her, his lips barely an inch away from her shiny forehead. Her eyes were closed shut, with her long, fan-likeshes nearlying into contact with his chest.

    Her nose was straight, and her cheeks were still red as a result of the lingering aftereffects of pleasure. Her cheeks, as well as the pale undertones of her skin, lent her skin an almost-translucent coloration.

    She was quiet, and the more he looked at her, the more contented he became. His hands caressed her back slowly with feelings that leaned more toward tender love than intense passion.

    ...

    ...

    After waking up the next morning, Qi Chengzhi decided to switch on his phone.

    It did not take long for the phone to ring again, with Liang Lihua as the caller. Song Yu was in the bathroom at the time.

    Irritated, he picked up the call and went to the balcony.

    ¡°QI CHENGZHI! So, you finally dare to pick up the call!¡± Anger and unhappiness were expressed thoroughly in Liang Lihua¡¯s voice.

    Heughed and held the railings. The magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower greeted him as he stood firm and upright.

    ¡°I¡¯m only picking up a call. What¡¯s there to be scared of?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked sarcastically.

    ¡°Well, if you weren¡¯t scared, why did you switch off your phone! You¡¯re obviously guilty!¡± Liang Lihua could not help raising her voice.

    The piercing shriek of her voice caused him to frown. He responded curtly, ¡°Mrs. Yu, I suppose your rtionship with your husband is so run down that you still have the time to harass me at three or four in the early morning? Don¡¯t forget, it¡¯s only eight or nine in the evening in Paris. My fianc¨¦e and I have plenty of happy activities to be doing on the bed. We don¡¯t have time to attend to you.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Liang Lihua did not expect Qi Chengzhi¡ªa man of such elegance and decorum¡ªto say those kinds of harsh words, more so to someone like her who was his elder. She fumed so severely that her face was red, and a gasp of air was stuck at her throat, making her forget that she should be taking a breath.

    ¡°QI CHENGZHI! Is that how you talk to your elders?¡± Liang Lihua was trembling from anger. ¡°SHAMELESS!¡± she screamed, but it would have made her feel better if she screamed at him face-to-face.

    Qi Chengzhi sneered and replied, ¡°Mm, my fianc¨¦e says the same about me all the time.¡±

    As angry as Liang Lihua was, she did not know how best to scold him. She felt like she was punching against a sponge¡ªno matter how much energy she tried to exert, none could make a dent.

    When Qi Chengzhi used the word fianc¨¦e with such intimateness and pride, Liang Lihua feltpletely disgusted at the mention of it.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I didn¡¯t call you because I wanted to hear how good your rtionship with Song Yu is!¡± Liang Lihua exploded angrily, ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn about your feelings with Song Yu, but you can¡¯t just bully my daughter like that! She¡¯s just a young girl. If you¡¯re not touched that she went to Paris to look for you, then so be it. Why the hell do you have to throw her out onto the street?

    ¡°You even booked all the remaining hotel rooms, am I right? But you weren¡¯t even willing to let her stay in any one of them. Even if you¡¯re annoyed at her, how could you have the heart to do such a thing to her? She has no one to rely on in Paris. What if something happens to her? Will you own up and be responsible? How can you just throw a young girl like her onto the street and let her fend for herself? Did it not cross your mind that she¡¯ll get into trouble on the streets if she doesn¡¯t have anywhere to go for the night?!

    ¡°Will youpensate if something happens to my daughter?!¡± Liang Lihua shrieked. Although she knew that Yu Keyao was in no danger, the thought that such a possibility may arise was enough to scare her senseless.

    ¡°I¡±d rather book a few rooms and leave them empty, than let her stay in the same hotel. I don¡¯t want her to harass Song Yu and I. The hell does her well-being have to do with me? Her legs are hers, and if she wants toe, I can¡¯t stop her. If I could stop her, I would¡¯ve long wished for her not to bother me. I¡¯d like to ask you something, Mrs. Yu. My irritation with your daughter has reached its limit, yet she¡¯s stilling after me with that thick skin of hers. What¡¯s more, you still have the cheek toe and question me? What in God¡¯s name is wrong with both your brains?¡±

    ¡°YOU...¡± Liang Lihua was so angry that she was out of breath. ¡°Qi Chengzhi. Are you even human? Do you even have a heart? Do you have anypassion at all?¡±

    ¡°I do. My heart is with Song Yu, and so is mypassion.¡± Qi Chengzhi sounded particrly stern at that juncture.

    Liang Lihua was exasperated. It was the first time she had felt so helpless before. Qi Chengzhi did not seem to care at all, no matter what she tried to tell him.

    Her questions weredened was sarcasm, but to her surprise, he answered them earnestly.

    She was left utterly speechless, although the fire within her continued to burn as she had no avenue to release it.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, if my daughter...¡± Liang Lihua did not have any sensible argument left, but she knew that if she did not say something, the anger within her would never be quelled.

    She had yet toplete her sentence when Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold voice interrupted her. ¡°Mrs. Yu, when I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll personally pay Yu Zixiu a visit.¡±

    He hung up without waiting for her response.

    Liang Lihua stared nkly at the abruptly cut phone call and was left frightened by the frigid tone of hisst words.

    Never did she encounter such a terrifying voice before, she had also never imagined that a person¡¯s voice could be so unnerving. There was no need for him to make a clear-cut threat, for the tone was sufficient to convey his message and scare the daylights out of people.

    Hisst words yed in her mind repeatedly. He would be paying Yu Zixiu a visit...

    Yu Zixiu was the head of the Yu family, so all the powery in his hands.

    Liang Lihua held her phone tightly and gnashed her teeth as she left the house.

    Qi Chengzhi called Cheng Dongge immediately after hanging up on Liang Lihua. ¡°Get in touch with Yu Zixiu. Set a time for us to meet when I return to the country.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu had finished freshening up when Qi Chengzhi ended the call.

    He was still standing at the balcony, and since he did not have to go to thepany, he sported a casualbo of lounge pants and a thin striped T-shirt.

    With his back facing the room, Song Yu saw his sturdy-looking silhouette. The striped shirt, though thin and not too fitted, still managed to entuate the handsome curve of his back and the robustness of his wide shoulders.

    She thought about how everyone would glue their eyes onto him if they everid eyes on his shirtless body.

    Song Yu fanned herself with her hands, wondering whether she was bing more and more perverted since she was thinking about his naked body when he was clearly wearing clothes.

    He turned around and caught her fanning herself while blushing.

    He cocked a brow and had a teasing look in his eye; it was precisely that self-confident and narcissistic personality that made him so annoying.

    ¡°What was it you thought about that made your face red?¡± He sat near her and looked at her reddened face with those teasing eyes.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± she blurted softly. Obviously, she was not about to just admit it.

    Qi Chengzhi then let out a sarcasticugh. ¡°I reckon you were thinking about something naughty. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be any reason for you to blush so hard. You must be really naughty deep down.¡±

    By then, Song Yu¡¯s ears were burning too, and she could not help but look up at him in curiosity. Her eyes met with his taunting gaze.

    Song Yu had a guilty conscience because she felt as though he knew what her deepest thoughts were.

    No longer daring to look at him, she looked down, only to catch sight of his pant zipper. Her mind drifted to thoughts of whaty underneath, and how it massaged her insides so violently the night before. Song Yu felt even weaker in the knees, shifting her eyes yet again, this time to his chest.

    She then recalled the various things her hand, lips, and tongue did to his chest; thinking of that made her brain explode even more.

    She did not understand how or why she became so shameless the night before, to the point where she practically went mad and pressed him down in order to shower him with kisses.

    Her entire body felt weak and her wetness was overflowing. She felt very uneasy with him sitting beside her as she had the feeling that he could sense something going on with her.

    Qi Chengzhi saw how her eyes were being careful not to wander; she neither raised her head nor looked down, and her red ears¡ªwhich his lips caressed¡ªmade her look so innocently submissive.

    His lips could feel the hotness of her ears, and he could not control himself from kissing it and rubbing against it.

    Her reddened face and trembling body betrayed her thoughts¡ªhe knew she was thinking about the night before. An itch formed in his throat and he seemed to be quite pleased.

    ¡°Do you know what men look for in a wife?¡± His tone was full of innuendo as he crooned her and held her waist.

    Song Yu was so shy that she fell silent and trembled due to his constant caressing.

    He chuckled softly and said, ¡°One who¡¯s ady on the street, a housewife in the home, and a freak under the sheets.¡±

    His lips grazed her earlobes and moved slowly to her soft lips. ¡°You fit all three of them. I¡¯m very lucky.¡±

 Chapter 158 - How Self-absorbed Could He Be To Articulate These Things So Confidently?

    <h4>Chapter 158: How Self-absorbed Could He Be To Articte These Things So Confidently?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu conveyed Yu Qianying and Song Donglin¡¯s message to Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine even if we go back. If I¡¯m there, I can also deal with Yu Zixiu once and for all. If mum doesn¡¯t mind, I can make them suffer some losses to stop them from bothering you guys any further. It is not possible to destroy the whole Yu family just like that, even though they¡¯re not a powerful family, they still have their own reserve. Moreover, they own a megapany, it¡¯s not an easy task to bring them down.¡±

    Song Yu was fine with his idea. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all and I think my mother would be on the same page too. But for today, I think we should follow mum and dad¡¯s will and not go home. To be honest, I don¡¯t really want to see those people. Furthermore, we should respect mum and dad¡¯s opinion since they told us to. If we go home and Yu Zixiu saw you, he probably won¡¯t feel anything regardless of what kind of expression you give him, but my parents may not feelfortable on the inside.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded his head and did not press the issue further. However, Song Yu felt rather downhearted because of it.

    He held her hand gently while he used his thumb to caress the space between her thumb and her index finger. Even his thumb seemed to be longer than normal.

    ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡± he asked.

    Song Yu thought for a while and finally went to the Qi family¡¯s old mansion together with Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi was filming in the set and Grandfather Qi brought Qi Youxuan out, leaving only Aunt Liu at home.

    When they arrived, Aunt Liu was just starting to prepare Grandmother Qi¡¯s lunchbox since she was not fond of the food prepared by the film crew.

    ¡°What does grandmother like to eat usually?¡± Song Yu asked Aunt Liu.

    Before Aunt Liu could answer, the house phone rang. Aunt Liu hurried over to pick up the phone call, ¡°Madam Qi!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Young Master and Miss Song dropped by.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about to prepare your lunchbox.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t started yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Aunt Liu hung up and returned to the kitchen and told Song Yu, ¡°Madam Qi wants to eat mushroom with choy sum and soy sauce romaine lettuce for lunch today.¡±

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s order could be considered ordinary, perhaps she was craving for home-cooked food.

    Since Grandmother Qi was getting old, she became more health-conscious. She had reduced the consumption of meat and only ate a certain amount of it, never exceeding the fixed portion.

    Song Yu gave a thought before saying, ¡°Aunt Liu, do you mind if I cook for grandmother? I¡¯ll send it to herter too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Aunt Liu did not mind at all for Song Yu to do this, ¡°I don¡¯t really mind if you want to do it, but since it¡¯s my job, I feel a little embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Song Yu said. Aunt Liu thought about it and felt that Madam Qi probably would not mind as well, so she agreed to her request.

    However, she did not just leave everything to Song Yu. She still stayed back and helped out with the groundwork such as washing vegetables.

    The dishes that Grandmother Qi ordered were not that difficult to make. Song Yu used to cook for herself back in the days if she got off from work on time, thus she was quite familiar with the whole process.

    Aunt Liu brought a vacuum sk over after organizing the rice and vegetables in the lunchbox.

    Grandmother Qi was not the one who requested the soup, but her diet had always revolved around health and beauty rejuvenation. Aunt Liu had started to boil a fish maw soup this morning, a whole pot of soup reduced to a thick, fragrant essence, just right to be served.

    She poured the soup into the vacuum sk and handed all of it to Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu appearing from the kitchen with the lunchbox in hand. She exined, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we can¡¯t just stay here and do nothing. Why not pay grandma a visit.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stood up without saying a thing. He took her hand silently and lead her out of the door.

    Song Yu lowered her head and saw their inteced hands, before looking up to see the focused gaze on his charming face. She could not resist leaning against him, pressing into his arms closely, the corner of her mouth could not help but curve upwards into a blissful smile.

    ¡°The real reason that you suddenly decide to send the lunchbox to Grandmother Qi is just to protest against Shu Li right?¡± Qi Chengzhi who remained quiet throughout the journey spoke all of a sudden, his mellow voice had a hint of mockery.

    Song Yu blushed in guilt as his guess of her intentions was on point.

    Other than wanting to have a peep of the set, her initiative to deliver Grandmother Qi¡¯s meal was partially motivated by her wanting to show some colors to Shu Li.

    How self-absorbed could he be to articte these things so confidently?

    Even though he guessed it correctly, Song Yu did not want to let this man brag right to her face. She said, ¡°I told you, Shu Li was never my concern. Why should I demonstrate anything? I just wanted to visit grandmother, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Tch!¡± Qi Chengzhi scoffed and squeezed her hand, ¡°No one will mock you for being protective of me.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s mouth twitched but she did not retort back. Instead, she looked at him embarrassed with a flushed face.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her shy expression, an indescribable tenderness without any affectation. Even though she became more alluring, she still exuded an elegant aura.

    He could not resist squeezing her delicate hands, the more he did that, he became more enthralled with her.

    She agreed in silence since she did not argue with him any further. He was not angered by her intentions. Instead, he was very d about it, perhaps more than he expected. It was as if his heart was about to jump out of his body.

    He did not even realize how happy he was. Was it even necessary?

    After that, before he was able to clear things out, he lowered his head suddenly and kissed Song Yu¡¯s lips deeply.

    In fact, he made quite a loud sound by kissing her.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips got seared by his sudden kiss. Even though he released her shortly after before deepening the kiss like he usually would, her face was already burning up.

    ¡°What are you doing! We¡¯re in public, someone on the street saw us,¡± Song Yu said in a lowered voice. Her face was scorching hot as if it was on the verge of exploding. Her lips were still tingling when they grazed against each other while she spoke.

    ¡°When did you start to care about being seen by others? You used to kiss me in public rather often,¡± he arched his eyebrow and teased her,

    Song Yu felt as if he was insinuating that she was quite thick-skinned and said, ¡°I won¡¯t do that in the future.¡±

    All of a sudden, Qi Chengzhi stopped walking. She did not notice at first and continued walking, but she got pulled back by his sudden stop.

    Only then, she stopped and turned around. She tugged his hand, but it was as if he was deeply rooted to the ground and remained motionless.

    ¡°Why did you stop walking?¡±

    Then, Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu towards him and she fell right into his arms.

    His chest was muscr and sturdy, Song Yu¡¯s nose felt a little sore when she collided with it.

    ¡°You won¡¯t kiss me in public from now onwards?¡± Qi Chengzhi put up a stern face. His expression looked very fierce when he made a serious face.

    ¡°The way you said it made me seem very thick-skinned,¡± Song Yu mumbled softly, she lowered her head until the only thing he could see was the top of her head.

    ¡°Are you going to kiss me in public in the future?¡± Song Yu heard his voice sounded from above her head. His mellow tone caused a prickling sensation that swept over her scalp.

    When she did not answer, Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and urged, ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll walk.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu lifted her head. She did not expect him to take it so seriously and even tried reasoning with her there and then. Therefore, she came up with an excuse, ¡°If we keep dying, grandmother¡¯s lunchbox will turn cold.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow and gave a mockingugh. Hisughter and the curvature of the corner of his mouth made her skin boil, ¡°That¡¯s why you should hurry up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. If she would not kiss him, he would refuse to leave, causing the lunchbox to lose its warmth.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped urging her and eventually, he stopped talking and just stared at her with his dark and deep-set eyes.

    Song Yu had no choice but to say softly, ¡°Lower your head then.¡±

    With his height, she could only reach his chin even when she tiptoed.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head cooperatively. Song Yu lifted her heels off the ground and gave a quick peck on his lips.

    Only then, Qi Chengzhi was satisfied and took her hand to continue walking forward. He even said, ¡°So daring, kissing me on the street like that.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    This time around, the working crew on set recognized Qi Chengzhi. Even though the director did not reveal Grandmother Qi¡¯s identity, he mentioned to them that she was a person of importance and ordered them to treat her respectfully.

    This was also the reason why no one blocked Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu when they entered.

    The shooting of Grandmother Qi¡¯s scenes was arranged right before and after lunchtime. After the lunch break, she needed to film one more scene and she would be done for the day.

    By the time they arrived, the crew was giving out lunch. Even though Shu Li was the female lead, she still ate the same thing as the crew. She let her assistant collect the meal for her while Grandmother Qi waited for Aunt Liu to deliver her lunch.

    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Song Yu called.

    Grandmother Qi searched for the voice and saw her grandson and granddaughter-inw hade to send her lunchbox over. Instantly, she raised her voice as if she was worried that others might not be able to hear, ¡°Aiya, why are you two here?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips and thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t Grandmother Qi had enough of acting after two full days of filming?¡¯

    ¡°Aunt Liu received your call when we came home,¡± Song Yu said while she ced the lunchbox on the table, ¡°I cooked these two dishes. You¡¯re used to Aunt Liu¡¯s cooking, not sure if you¡¯ll like mine.¡±

    ¡°Aiyo, such a good girl,¡± Grandmother Qi was smiling from ear to ear. Coincidentally, Shu Li was walking over with a lunchbox in her hand. Grandmother Qi said with a louder voice, ¡°Two of you deliberately drop by to send a lunchbox for an olddy to eat. Xiao Shu, look at them, don¡¯t you think they have such a loving rtionship!¡±

    Shu Li forced a stiff smile and greeted, ¡°Young Master Cheng, Miss Song.¡±

    Grandmother Qi opened the lunchbox and said, ¡°Judging from the presentation, it¡¯s already better than Xiao Liu¡¯s cooking. My eldest grandson has such good taste in women. You should find a wife like her, not necessarily have to be famous. To be able to live together is the most important aspect of marriage. When you¡¯re busy entertaining the whole day outside, you¡¯ll hope toe home to a warm meal prepared for you. Home-cooked food may look simple, but it has the taste of home. The food cooked personally by your wife definitely tastes different from those prepared by the housemaid. Dynasty¡¯s food is rather delicious, right? It¡¯s still not as good as itcks the taste of home.

    ¡°Like our Song Yu, a natural beauty, talented and has a great job. She makes us feel proud when we go out together. One does not necessarily have to expose themselves to the public in order to be presentable. Instead, those who were always in the limelight would not be around. How can such a person be a good wife?¡±

    Shu Li was walking over in their direction. When she heard what Grandmother Qi said, she halted halfway, not sure whether she should turn back or proceed forward.

    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a wife, you¡¯ll want a dutiful one. Am I right, Xiao Shu?¡± Shu Li remained stationary, but Grandmother Qi actively engaged the conversation with her. ¡°Look at all those celebrities. They gain fame by kissing from one actor to the other when they shoot intimate scenes. How awkward must their husband feel knowing that they had been touched by umpteen men? Do they even have privacy? Our family tradition dictates that your wife should be only yours, nobody can take advantage of her. Not even a tiny bit.

    ¡°Aiya, Xiao Shu, I¡¯m not referring to you. I¡¯m just giving an example, please don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Grandmother Qi saidughingly. ¡°I¡¯m a very straightforward person. I just speak anything that¡¯s on my mind, it¡¯s definitely not about you. I know that you are a good girl, you know the boundaries even though you also have several kissing scenes.¡±

    Shu Li had no idea how to respond to that. Her expression was so awkward that she wished so badly to just turn around and leave. It was obvious that she was made fun of and Song Yu was probably enjoying all of it.

    Luckily, the director came over. When he heard that Qi Chengzhi arrived, he threw his lunchbox aside and rushed over.

    ¡°Madam Qi, Young Master Cheng,¡± the director greeted. His gaze fell on Song Yu and asked Grandmother Qi puzzledly, ¡°Is this your daughter?¡±

    ¡°He he he, director, you¡¯re such a joker. I can be her grandmother already!¡± Grandmother Qi replied, her face was gleaming with joy. ¡°This is my granddaughter-inw, Song Yu.¡±

    Grandmother Qi directly omitted the word ¡°future¡±. Inside her heart, she was making a note to herself to remind Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sign their marriage certificate once they go home. That would then allow her the right to introduce Song Yu to others as her granddaughter-inw.

    ¡°Oh, you must Young Master¡¯s wife!¡± The director addressed her respectfully. He¡¯s a rather famous director in the local film industry. He had quite the reputation out there, but he dare not put on airs in front of Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yuughed politely and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, just call me by my name.¡±

    The director chuckled and saw the lunchbox on the table, ¡°Yo, Madam Qi, did your granddaughter-inw sent you this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Grandmother Qiughed non-stop and casually said, ¡°My granddaughter-inw cooked this herself. It¡¯s so rare to find a youngster who can cook these days.¡±

    ¡°Director.¡± A young man ran over, the corner of his mouth stained with the oil residue from his meal. ¡°There¡¯s ady out there saying that she came to send Madam Qi lunch.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The director looked at Grandmother Qi, ¡°Madam Qi, you asked another person to send you lunch?¡±

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t!¡± Grandmother Qi shook her head, ¡°Why would I order someone else when I know that my granddaughter-inw ising to send me lunch.¡±

    Furthermore, the only person in the house is Aunt Liu, not the youngdy that the man described.

    ¡°How old is thedy outside?¡± Grandmother Qi asked.

    ¡°In her early twenties,¡± the young man replied. ¡°She looks rather pretty.¡±

    ¡°Can it be Chengyue?¡± Grandmother Qi guessed.

    ¡°Let her in then?¡± the director asked.

    Grandmother Qi nodded and said, ¡°It could be my granddaughter.¡±

    After some time, the young man lead the youngdy over. When Grandmother Qi took a closer look at thedy, her warm expression turned a little dark.

    ¡°Madam Qi,¡± Yu Keyao was holding a brown-colored wooden box in her hand. There were delicate carvings of beautiful designs on it.

    She was wearing a dress with heels and a cream color jacket over it. Her long strands of hair were braided neatly. She walked over at a moderate pace. She was much more elegant than Shu Li since she was from a renowned family.

    ¡°Young Master... Cheng,¡± Yu Keyao was unsure whether Qi Chengzhi would tolerate her presence. She still remembered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s threat and dare not address him as ¡°Brother Chengzhi¡± anymore.

    This time around, she even nodded politely at Song Yu and greeted her smilingly, ¡°Sister.¡±

    Song Yu ignored her and turned around while she arched her eyebrows teasingly at Qi Chengzhi.

    She was insinuating that there was already one secret admirer in the set that dare not confess to him, the other one came all the way here and had not given up on him yet.

    Qi Chengzhi returned her with an ambiguous smile and pinched her waist secretly.

    All of them could see the intimate interaction between them. After seeing that, Shu Li decided to bury her feelings away.

    Qi Chengzhi was like a steel wall, nothing works on him regardless of what strategy she nned to make on him. Also, Madam Qi kept making sarcastic remarks whenever she had the chance, hinting her to give up on Qi Chengzhi. She would never seed and the Qi family would not ept her. She should never think of leaching on the Qi family with her status as an actress.

    The Qi family would ept Song Yu as amoner, but never an actress like Shu Li.

    She had quite a strong sense of self-esteem and thought rather highly of herself, but her status could neverpare to Song Yu in the eyes of the Qi family.

    Shu Li pursed her lips self-mockingly and shook her head. She did not want to chase after Qi Chengzhi anymore. It was never going to happen, not even the slightest possibility that she could have been his mistress. This man had never once looked her in the eye, no matter what she did, it was all pointless.

    Even though Shu Li wanted to make advances on Qi Chengzhi, she was aware of her status and knew how to stay in her ce. This was also the reason why she could survive in this industry. She knew when to strive for something and when to back down.

    If she knew that she was not supposed to do it, she would stop and not create trouble.

    And now there was another woman. Even though she did not know who was it, from the way it looks, she seemed to being for the sake of Qi Chengzhi.

    Although Shu Li had given up on any intentions of being with Qi Chengzhi, it did not mean that she stopped liking him.

    Since there was a woman here to disturb Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, she happily stood aside and watched.

    ¡°Madam Qi, I heard that you were filming here, so I brought some food to visit you,¡± Yu Keyao smiled and said softly. Then, she walked over slowly and ced the refined lunchbox onto the table.

    ¡°I have been learning how to cook. It took me quite a while to practice these two dishes. I think that they are rather decent. Please have a taste if you don¡¯t mind my skills.¡± Yu Keyao opened her lunchbox, revealing the rather tasty looking dishes.

    The colorbination of the dishes was on point, bacon kain and shrimp with green peas.

    Grandmother Qi nced at it offishly and scrunched her eyebrows together while she said hesitantly, ¡°Uhm, this... Miss Yu, thank you for your kind offerings but I should be cutting down on my meat intake due to my age. I can¡¯t eat something so high in fat. Also, my granddaughter-inw brought me some of my favorite vegetables. I really appreciate your effort.¡±

    Yu Keyao looked at the other lunchbox that was most probably from Song Yu. Judging by its looks, they weremon home-cooking. Not that it was not presentable, but they were much duller inparison to hers.

    A glimpse of disgust shot through her gaze, but she maintained her gentle smile when she lifted her head. ¡°Young Master Cheng, sister, you guys probably haven¡¯t eaten anything since you came over at this hour. If you all don¡¯t mind, you can have this.¡±

    They were uncertain if Yu Keyao had learned her lesson. She did not pester Qi Chengzhi and dered how much she likes him. Instead, she greeted them politely as if she had epted them as her sister and brother-inw. This ced Song Yu in an awkward position where she could not say anything insulting even though she was not happy.

 Chapter 144 - Chengzhi is Not the Kind of Guy Who Has A Soft Spot For Women

    <h4>Chapter 144: Chengzhi is Not the Kind of Guy Who Has A Soft Spot For Women</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°No one in our house eats this anyway,¡± Grandmother Qi said casually while Aunt Liu lifted the gift box from the table.

    Liang Lihua pursed her lips tensely. She then inhaled deeply before saying, ¡°Madam Qi, I think you misunderstood me. I¡¯m not sure if anyone tried to nder me behind my back by feeding you untrue facts about me. I¡¯ll excuse myself for today. However, there¡¯s a saying ¡®time will reveal a person¡¯s heart¡¯, one day you¡¯ll know that what I¡¯m telling you is the right thing.¡±

    Liang Lihua straightened her back. She felt insulted and embarrassed by Grandmother Qi¡¯s sarcastic mockery.

    She was trying to find a way out for herself. She could only put up a righteous pretense and turned gracefully to exit.

    This time around, Liang Lihua no longer dared to treat Aunt Liu like the way she used to.

    Liang Lihua did not receive the gift box that Aunt Liu passed to her after she got out of the house. She said politely, ¡°The Changbai Mountain Wild Ginseng is rather valuable. If Madam Qi doesn¡¯t want it, you can have it. It¡¯s a healthy tonic for old people.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh,¡± Aunt Liuughed and continued, ¡°This is too much for a gift. I can¡¯t ept it. Also, Madam Qi usually includes me on everything. Anything that Madam Qi eats at home, I¡¯m honored with a portion as well. My body is still very sturdy. Please take it back.¡±

    While she was speaking, she shoved the box into Liang Lihua¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Take care and goodbye.¡±

    Then, she turned around and entered the house.

    Leaving only Liang Lihua who stood by the car, watching Aunt Liu enter the house. She was so angry that she started to tremble.

    When Aunt Liu reached the living room, she saw Grandmother Qi holding the phone. Shortly after, she heard her saying, ¡°Wenna, Liang Lihua might be heading to your ce in awhile. You don¡¯t have to see her.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Her daughter kept pestering Chengzhi but got chased away by him. She as a mother came to lodge aint and demand justice for her daughter. This pair has an unusual way of thinking, their mindset deviated from normal human beings. Stop seeing her! I¡¯ve already told her that I have epted Song Yu as my granddaughter-inw.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was still a civilized person. She did not directly refer to Liang Lihua and Yu Keyao as lunatics.

    However, she made her point clearly to Xia Wenna from thest part of her remark, suggesting her to stand on her side and stop creating troubles for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. She wanted her to see Song Yu as her daughter-inw and treat her sincerely.

    It was obvious that Xia Wenna obeyed her request when Grandmother Qi hung up the phone gleefully. Then, she picked the script up and read out the lines.

    ¡°Xiao Liu, I think that I can take up the role of the female lead¡¯s mother. I wonder if Xiao Han had finalized the actors? I don¡¯t think I can showcase my acting skills by portraying a traditional olddy,¡± Grandmother Qi said while she continued studying the script.

    Aunt Liu thought to herself, ¡®You¡¯ve already incorporated your acting skills into your daily life, what more do you want to showcase?¡¯

    Her headache just now looked so genuine!

    Nevertheless, Aunt Liu still took out the phone book and searched for Han Zhuoli¡¯s number, ¡°Madam Qi, this is Mr. Han¡¯s number.¡±

    ...

    ...

    As expected, Liang Lihua went to Xia Wenna. When Xia Wenna heard from her housekeeper that it was Liang Lihua at the door, she did not answer her request. She let out a sigh and said, ¡°Tell her that I¡¯m not in.¡±

    Missus Lian informed Liang Lihua through the inte without even opening the door of their mansion.

    Liang Lihua felt extremely humiliated as she stood in front of the inte.

    Since she was already here, she thought that she should be invited into the house out of courtesy even when Xia Wenna was not in.

    Now, they did not even bother to open the door for her. She was doubtful whether Xia Wenna was really away or she was just avoiding her on purpose.

    The Qi family treated her with an attitude as if they were avoiding an epidemic. Liang Lihua clenched her jaw angrily with so much force that her chin was twitching.

    She got into the car with a long face and did not immediately start the engine. She gripped the steering wheel with her hands and thought a while with a stiff expression before taking her cellphone out.

    Xia Wenna sighed when she saw Missus Lian return from the window. She asked, ¡°Has she left yet?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no one at the door,¡± Missus Lian walked over and said.

    Xia Wenna let out another sigh. At first, she tried to introduce Qi Chengzhi to Yu Keyao out of goodwill. Who knew that she would be badgered by this mother-daughter pair?

    ¡°Madam, your phone¡¯s ringing,¡± Missus Lian took the cellphone for Xia Wenna. She nced and saw the caller was Liang Lihua.

    Xia Wenna got a bit frustrated and pursed her lips. She stared at Liang Lihua¡¯s name on the screen and let the phone ring continuously.

    Silence ensued only after the phone got cut off automatically after it reached voicemail since no one answered it.

    However, it started to ring again after merely three seconds.

    Xia Wenna had no choice but to pick up. ¡°Mrs. Yu? So sorry, I didn¡¯t notice my phone was ringing since I¡¯m outside.¡±

    ¡°Ha Ha, I just went over to Imperial Terrace. Your maid said that you¡¯re not in,¡± Liang Lihuaughed dryly.

    ¡°Yeah, my schedule¡¯s rather empty today, so I went out for a ride,¡± Xia Wenna said before continuing, ¡°Mrs. Yu, is there anything that I can help you with?¡±

    After that, Liang Lihua repeated the whole story that she told Grandmother Qi just now to Xia Wenna. Her tone was so melodramatic and she even shed tears in between her lines.

    Xia Wenna was getting annoyed after listening to her. At this moment, she had the same exact thoughts as Grandmother Qi. Liang Lihua was just being unreasonable.

    If Liang Lihua used and med Song Yu for making a mistake, Xia Wenna might believe her.

    However, she was ming Qi Chengzhi for it. Was she expecting Xia Wenna to lecture Qi Chengzhi?

    That¡¯s impossible!

    Xia Wenna was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother, of course, she would side her own son. She would never criticize her son for Yu Keyao, who was a nobody to Qi Chengzhi.

    Xia Wenna got so irritated that she left her cellphone on the coffee table without ending the call. She let Liang Lihua continue talking while she stood up and went into the study room. She chose a book from the shelf and returned to the living room to read.

    Xia Wenna turned a few pages before saying, ¡°Missus Lian, can you make me a cup of fruit tea?¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s mouth went dry with all the talking. She felt that something was wrong while she was speaking since no one answered on the other side.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi? Mrs. Qi?¡±

    Xia Wenna picked up the cellphone hurriedly when she heard incoherent sounds spread through the phone, ¡°I¡¯m here. About this, Chengzhi had overdone it. No matter how much he disliked Keyao, he shouldn¡¯t have treated her like that, right? He should¡¯ve told her nicely since she¡¯s a girl.

    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll give him a piece of my mind when Chengzhi¡¯s back from his outstation trip. Of course, Mrs. Liang, you should also advise Keyao not to be so stubborn. There are so many men out there, it¡¯s not like Chengzhi is the only outstanding guy, am I right? There will not be a happy ending if you like a man that doesn¡¯t reciprocate. You¡¯ll just hurt yourself more, so why should you?

    ¡°Chengzhi is not the kind of guy who has a soft spot for women. If you annoy him, he will not listen to me even though I¡¯m his mother, not to mention Keyao who¡¯s unrted to him. That¡¯s why you should go home and tell Keyao not to bother Chengzhi. If she doesn¡¯t appear in front of him, she wouldn¡¯t need to suffer from all of this, do you agree with me?¡±

    Liang Lihua was infuriated by Xia Wenna since she made her point by taking a step back. There was no chance for Liang Lihua to argue.

    It was not like Xia Wenna was going to stay out of this. She had agreed to talk to Qi Chengzhi, which achieved her goal of this phone call.

    Nheless, she knew that Xia Wenna was just brushing her off. She could tell by her perfunctory tone.

    If Qi Chengzhi continued to be rude to Yu Keyao, Xia Wenna could just put the me on Qi Chengzhi that he refused to listen to her.

    Without having a choice, Liang Lihua hung up the phone call unwillingly.

    Xia Wenna shook her head. She still could not fathom Liang Lihua and her daughter.

    Usually, a normal person would get the hint from the person that he or she was not interested in them. There was no need for any bad blood for them to back away.

    However, Qi Chengzhi was already making it so obvious but they still acted out of their own ord. This behavior of them was rather obnoxious.

    No wonder Yu Qianying had cut off all ties with the Yu family.

    ...

    ...

    Not sure if Yu Keyao was traumatized from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s threat, she did not return for the past two days.

    Paris was a ce full of romance. With Qi Chengzhi beside her, she felt that there were not many dangers around them. Even the locals were especially friendly. Whenever they meet a ck-haired, dark-eyed Asian, regardless of your nationality, they would greet you in simple Chinese with their strange ent, ¡°Ni hao¡±.

    All of it was good except for one, Song Yu was not used to the cuisine here. She really missed all sorts of dishes from her country throughout these five days. She even craved for food that she disliked before.

    If she were to have a packet of pickled mustard, she would be more than grateful.

    However, the thing that she missed the most was instant noodles and hotpot.

    After Qi Chengzhi heard about it, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll go to Yan Beicheng¡¯s ce to eat hotpot when we return.¡±

    When they got back to B City, Chang Lai drove Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover and was waiting for them at the airport.

    The Range Rover was repaired three days before they returned. Chang Lai drove them back to Viewpark Residence.

    Due to the time difference, Qi Chengzhi had nned not to go to thepany today. He was going to rest at home to recover from his jetg.

    On the way, Song Yu could feel the soreness in her eyes, but she just alighted the ne and it was only 6.30 am here, she had no urge to sleep at all, even though she was exhausted.

    She perched her head on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders and looked outside of the car window. Even though she could not fall asleep, she felt the tiredness after such a long flight. Her eyes were half-closedzily while one of her hands inteced with Qi Chengzhi, the other covered the back of his hand and caress it subconsciously.

    ¡°Chang Lai, stop aside for a while,¡± Song Yu said suddenly.

    Chang Lai nced at the cars behind them before turning the wheel and parking on the roadside. Song Yu told Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯ll go and buy something.¡±

    Then, she got down of the car.

    Qi Chengzhi sat in the car and saw her scurry into a convenience store. He was puzzled at first but he understood immediately as to what she was going to buy and found it funny.

    As expected, Song Yu carried a full bag of cup noodles from the convenience store momentster.

    When she got back into the car, he noticed that there were all sorts of vors, including Laotan Pickled Vegetables, Spicy Beef, Sour and Spicy Beef noodles. She bought several packets for each vor.

    Usually, Song Yu would not choose to eat these. She would only eat them once in a blue moon under certain circumstances where she did not have a choice.

    Especially like a basic vor such as Spicy Beef, she would not even eat it if she was forced to do so, but she bought a huge bag of it.

    ¡°How many meals are you trying to have since you bought so much?¡± Qi Chengzhi extended his hand andbed through her wind-kissed hair with his bony fingers to smoothen out the tangles.

    ¡°I saw the racks were filled with instant noodles when I went in just now. I¡¯m craving for all of the vors, that¡¯s why I unknowingly bought so much. I think I won¡¯t be sick of it even if I eat them continuously throughout the whole week. I feel like I¡¯ve cleansed my digestive tract after five days in France. My mouth feels tasteless too. I just want to eat something exciting,¡± Song Yu saw the huge bag in her hand. She did not sense the actual size of it in the store just now, but now she felt that it might be a tad too much.

    It was only 8.00 am when they reached home. Song Yu prepared a cup of instant noodles for herself eagerly. Qi Chengzhi could not help but make one for himself after smelling it while Aunt Yang stood aside awkwardly.

    These two tantly ignored her presence and went on to make instant noodles without asking her to cook.

    After he was done eating, Qi Chengzhi headed to his study and organize some stuff from thepany that he missed while he was not in the country.

    Song Yu stayed wide awake until 2.00 am. By the time she woke up the next day, it was already past eleven o¡¯ clock.

    She noticed that there was no one beside her when she woke up. The bed was cold, indicating that Qi Chengzhi had left for quite some time.

    She recalled that Qi Chengzhi had kissed her for a moment while she was still in a daze this morning.

    It was rather blurry since she dozed in and out of sleep. Her eyes were half-opened, with discharge sticking on the corner of her eyes. It was not a ttering look.

    ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡± she asked hazily with a raspy voice.

    ¡°Still early. Go back to sleep. Zhao Rongcheng approved your leave, you don¡¯t have to rush to work. Stay home and recover from jeg,¡± he kissed her cheeks below her eyes and said, ¡°I¡¯m heading to thepany. I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening to visit Grandfather and Grandmother Qi to inform them about our engagement.¡±

    The way she was lying on the bed with such an obedient mien looked so adorable.

    Her fairplexion shone brightly in contrast to the bed. She was still osciting between consciousness and a dream-like state, looking so defenseless. This scene belonged only to him.

    There was some discharge on the corner of her eyes. She was no longer obsessed about her image when she just woke uppared to the beginning when they moved in together.

    Back then, she would always cover her eyes and mouth, feeling disgusted by her eye discharge and her overnight breath.

    Now, she acted much more natural, where she no longer cover herself in front of him. She put her guard down in his presence and was not afraid to let him see her ugly side.

    One would only do this when he or she fully trusted the person.

    Qi Chengzhi wiped the corner of her eyes and nted a kiss gently on her forehead and said with a lowered voice, ¡°Sleep.¡±

    Song Yu mumbled something before replying with ¡°uhm¡± in a raspy voice. Then, she closed her eyes and fell back to sleep. She was not aware of when he left.

    She rubbed her eyes and got out of bed, fixed herself before going downstairs.

    Before she spoke, Aunt Yang told her, ¡°Sir went to thepany this morning.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and Aunt Yang asked her what she wanted to eat.

    Song Yu smacked her lips and thought for a while before saying embarrassedly, ¡°I think I¡¯ll have another bowl of instant noodles!¡±

    Aunt Yang did not know whether she shouldugh or cry, ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll be losing my job in no time if you keep on eating instant noodles.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯ll be no such thing,¡± Song Yu was definitely not going to believe Aunt Yang¡¯s joke, ¡°It¡¯s just that Europe¡¯s cuisine was too nd, my tastebuds are deprived. That¡¯s why I want to eat something with a strong aroma.:¡±

    Aunt Yang had no choice but to let her eat it.

    While she was waiting for the noodles to be cooked, she gave a call to Ruan Danchen. She asked her how was work when she was not around.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, we¡¯re quite lucky. No problems arose during the few days when you were not around. I didn¡¯t have to do much in your absence,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°I brought back a set of skincare products for you,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°I know that you¡¯ve worked very hard when I¡¯m away. Use this to rejuvenate your careworn face after these hectic days.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, feel free to say anything about me as long as I get free skincare products,¡± Ruan Danchenughingly said. She did not mind the tease from Song Yu at all.

    ¡°Tell me, what was Qi Chengzhi plotting when he insisted on bringing you to Paris?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Song Yu shook her head and cracked up. She had to give it to Ruan Danchen that she had an exceptional sense of intuition.

    ¡°He... he proposed to me,¡± Song Yu still felt embarrassed to admit something like that personally. Even though there was no one around, she could feel her face burning up.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cry of shock came through the phone, ¡°I knew that he was up to something! He doesn¡¯t seem like the person to mix personal and work matters together.¡±

    Then, she heard Ruan Danchen asking, ¡°How did he propose?¡±

    Song Yu narrated the whole proposal with a soft voice and flushed face.

    ¡°Aiya, you guys are gross!¡± Ruan Danchen yelled suddenly. Her sudden increase in volume shocked Song Yu, where she could feel the pain in her ears due to the piercing volume.

    She removed the cellphone until it was quite some distance away and only ced it back to her ears after Ruan Danchen had calmed down. She stuck the cellphone between her ears and shoulders while she tore the lid on the instant noodles. Then, she held the cellphone with one hand with the other holding the stic fork from the instant noodles to stir it.

    ¡°Does this mean that you guys don¡¯t have to use birth control anymore? Since you¡¯re getting married,¡± Ruan Danchen continued.

    ¡°Cough, cough, cough!¡± Song Yu choked and coughed violently. She was really impressed by Ruan Danchen guessing everything urately.

    Ruan Danchen waited for her to soothe the coughing patiently. Aunt Yang entered hurriedly and poured a ss of water for Song Yu when she heard her coughing.

    It was extremely ufortable since she choked on the spicy noodles, hurting her trachea. Song Yu gulped down the cup of water to ease the difort.

    Song Yu answered all of Ruan Danchen¡¯s questions honestly. Only then, Ruan Danchen was willing to let her go.

    ...

    ...

    In the evening, Yu Zixiu¡¯s secretary knocked and entered. She said, ¡°Director Yu, Young Master Cheng has arrived. He¡¯lle up in a while.¡±

    ¡°Noted.¡± Yu Zixiu closed the mailbox that he was viewing on hisputer.

    Two days ago, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant Cheng Dongge called suddenly to make an appointment with his secretary. He said that Qi Chengzhi wanted toe over to discuss something with him.

    His schedule was originally packed. Once his secretary heard that it was Qi Chengzhi, she reported to him immediately and he made sure to clear the afternoon for him.

    However, he had no idea why Qi Chengzhi wanted to talk to him.

    Could it be about Song Yu?

    When this idea just popped into his mind, his secretary opened the door and let Qi Chengzhi in.

    Both of them talked for about an hour. No one knew what they discussed.

    When the office door reopened, Qi Chengzhi strutted out of the office. He had the same conserved expression without any telltale signs on his face about what was going on.

 Chapter 145 - From Now Onwards, Song Yu Will Be Your Granddaughter-in-law

    <h4>Chapter 145: From Now Onwards, Song Yu Will Be Your Granddaughter-inw</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    When the office door reopened, Qi Chengzhi strutted out of the office. He had the same conserved expression without any telltale signs on his face about what was going on.

    Yu Zixiu was behind him, standing at the door after Qi Chengzhi stepped out from the office. He remained standing motionless, not looking so good. His lips were tightly sealed, and his chin taut as if he was having constipation.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded lightly at Yu Zixiu, but Yu Zixiu had a stoic expression and did not return the gesture.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed like he did not care much about it. His hands were inserted in the pockets while he straightened up and left in long strides.

    Yu Zixiu went back to his office and closed the door before calling Yu Zidong. ¡°Zidong, bring Lihua and Keyao over to my ce tonight for dinner. I have something to announce.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi exited the main entrance of Yuli Company. Chang Lai was already waiting there in front of his Range Rover.

    Qi Chengzhi got into the car and nced at the Yuli building before calmly saying, ¡°Head back to Viewpark Residence right away, no need to go to thepany.¡±

    When he entered and did not find Song Yu on the first floor, Aunt Yang said, ¡°Song Yu¡¯s arranging stuff upstairs.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and went upstairs quietly. He saw Song Yu arranging the things that they brought back from France while she muttered something under her mouth.

    They brought back a lot of things, including those for Ruan Danchen, the Qi family, and Song family. There was also dirtyundry that umted throughout the trip.

    Even though Qi Chengzhi tried not to make any noise, it was as if there was some sort of telepathicmunication between them.

    Song Yu could feel his presence when he appeared at the door of the bedroom. She stopped whatever she was doing and turned her head around to see Qi Chengzhi reclining against the door.

    He was wearing a neat formal suit, but the way he reclined on the door gave him a certain sense of unruliness.

    His left leg was extended vertically with his right leg crossed behind it. This position made his extraordinary long legs look even longer than before.

    There was a faint smile hanging at the corner of his mouth, ¡°How did you know it was me?¡±

    ¡°I can feel it whenever you appear.¡± Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s charming face while walking over to him fondly.

    Her hair was a little messy as she was arranging the things. There was also a thinyer of sweat on her face.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up straight and fixed her hair with both of his hands and wiped away the sweat on her hairline.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you rest for a few days before doing this, we¡¯re not in a hurry.¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed the corner of her mouth.

    ¡°I thought we¡¯re going to the old mansion today? I¡¯m thinking to organize the gifts we bought in Paris and bring it over,¡± Song Yu said. She had already organized the gifts ordingly andid them out on the floor. She asked, ¡°Why are you back home so early?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t have anything important today,¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her red puffy face after a busy afternoon and could not resist lowering his head to approach her. He went in for her cheeks and sniffed her scent from her face, ¡°Why are you always so fragrant?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sweating, where did you smell that fragrance from?¡± Song Yu was embarrassed by his sniffing and tried to step back and shun away from him, but he kept closing in and continued sniffing her cheeks. His lips grazed over them from time to time.

    ¡°Stop sniffing, it tickles,¡± Song Yu cracked up and said. She felt itchy and wanted to scratch it.

    Qi Chengzhi tightened his embrace around her. She smelled so nice and soft, he was not satisfied no matter how much he kissed her. He still had the urge to hug her tightly and knead her.

    Song Yu was helpless in his arms. She felt like he was treating her as his toy. Was he reminiscing his childhood?

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath on her neck and pecked on her skin before releasing her.

    ¡°How¡¯s your progress?¡± he asked while he put her down and cocked his head to look at the things on the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ve organized them ordingly, and only left with packaging. I also separated theundry for dry and machine wash,¡± Song Yu said.

    Qi Chengzhi felt a warmth in his heart. It felt good to have a wife at home.

    Even though Aunt Yang also took care of him in the past, she was already quite old. There were some things that she could not really understand. It took awhile for her to differentiate them.

    To prevent those clothing that required dry washing to be identally thrown into the washing machine, she just sent everything to theundry shop for dry washing.

    Qi Chengzhi did not mind about that, but he felt very grateful for a wife to arrange all these things at home.

    ¡°We¡¯ll go over to the old mansion once you¡¯re done. I¡¯ve informed them earlier today. Grandmother Qi was delighted when she heard that I¡¯m bringing you. She told us to go there earlier,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. ¡°Anything that I can help with?¡±

    Song Yu did not let this opportunity go to waste. Sinceundry was not his forte as he never had to worry about it, she pointed on the floor to the gifts that were meant for the two families and said, ¡°This side is for Grandfather and Grandmother, this side is for your parents and your uncle and aunt. The other side is for my parents. The skincare products are for Ruan Danchen. Can you go and ask for a few bags from Aunt Yang to put these in?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her humorously before taking off his coat and loosening his tie. He folded his sleeves up and went down to ask for bags.

    After he was done bagging them, Qi Chengzhi changed into his casual clothes before carrying three big bags and leaving with Song Yu.

    Aunt Yang sent them off at the doorstep. She observed the way Qi Chengzhi carried the baggage, not allowing Song Yu to help. The elegance of Qilin¡¯s director was gone, he had transformed into a family man in a blink of an eye.

    ...

    ...

    After Grandmother Qi found out that Yu Keyao went to Paris, she was afraid that Song Yu might be upset by it and quarrel with Qi Chengzhi. If they broke up because of that, her ns of having a great-grandchild would be ruined.

    When she heard that Qi Chengzhi was going to bring Song Yu over for dinner after they came back, Grandmother Qi immediately called both of her sons and told them toe over earlier.

    Qi Chengzhi had left thepany in the afternoon, but Qi Zhongxun and Qi Zhongliang were still upied by work and could note earlier. Instead, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya came over early. Guan Liya even took Qi Youxuan out from the kindergarten before ss ended.

    Ever since the charade caused by Liang Lihua, Xia Wenna started to detest their family. When shepared Yu Keyao to Song Yu, she felt that Song Yu was so much better than the former.

    In fact, she was rather fond of Song Yu, or else she would not have allowed Song Yu to be engaged with Qi Chengji. However, she could not ept them fully because of her history.

    Nevertheless, Xia Wenna was so annoyed by Liang Lihua and her daughter that she was contemting whether to ept Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi would not find a second one if Song Yu left. She would rather ept Song Yu than give those two an opportunity to writhe their way in.

    Why not let Qi Chengzhi marry a wife as soon as possible to extinguish any hope from the mother-daughter pair. She could also avoid their incessant pestering.

    This was also the reason why Xia Wenna¡¯s attitude was much nicer this time when Song Yu arrived.

    Song Yu took out the gifts they bought from Paris. There were skincare products, perfume, and a box of Pierre Herme macarons for each family.

    She heard that Grandmother Qi was going into the set for filming. Based on Song Yu¡¯s observation of Grandmother Qi¡¯s personality, she bought a pair of sunsses resembling those worn by megastars.

    Grandmother Qi took one look and put it on happily before posing in front of the mirror while she admired herself from head to toe.

    ¡°This sunsses suit me too well. Once Xiao Han¡¯s drama aired on television, it¡¯ll definitely be a bomb with the help of my acting skills. I¡¯ll need to stay low profile when I go out on the streets then. These sunsses will help me prevent from being recognized by others,¡± Grandmother Qi was so happy and could not resist looking at the mirror. She held the sses and asked, ¡°Do I look like Meryl Streep?¡±

    ¡°...¡± all of them were speechless.

    Grandmother Qi gleefully kept the sunsses and said, ¡°I¡¯ll be wearing it to the set once they start shooting. Song Yu, you shoulde to visit one day. If it were up to me, you¡¯re much prettier than the female lead. Who knows, the director might notice you and choose you to be the female lead in the next drama. What about I just tell Xiao Han directly to let you be the female lead.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed. He would never allow Song Yu to be exposed on television or be tainted by the filthy scene of the entertainment industry.

    Song Yu heard him and knew that he was being petty again. She was afraid that it might upset Grandmother Qi when she saw it and hurried over to stop Qi Chengzhi. She told Grandmother Qi, ¡°Grandmother, I have zero talent in acting. I panic whenever I¡¯m in front of a camera. I feel that you need to have talent if you¡¯re in this industry regardless of passion or work. It¡¯s useless to just have a pretty face.¡±

    ¡°True,¡± Grandmother Qi said with a boastful expression and continued, ¡°I had a knack for acting since I was young. I joined the Army Cultural Troupe when I was only seventeen years old, performing all around the country. I even performed on the Chinese New Year G. Never once I¡¯ve experienced stage fright. I started acting in theatres at twenty-six years old. Even though I haven¡¯t explored that area, but it came to me very naturally and I nailed it. If it was not for marrying your grandfatherter on, I would¡¯ve entered the film studio.¡±

    Grandmother Qi grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand when she got excited. She turned around and wanted to tell her from the beginning of her career, but her hand made contact with something sharp.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Grandmother Qi lowered her head puzzledly and saw the big diamond on her ring finger.

    ¡°This...¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes widened and stared at the rock for quite some time. She was not stunned by the size of the rock, but the position of the ring on her hand.

    It was sitting on the ring finger of her left hand. This means marriage...

    Grandmother Qi was too overwhelmed that the reaction of her shock was dyed since she was slightly doubtful.

    Sometimes, happiness would happen at the most unexpected moments.

    This was what Grandmother Qi felt at this moment.

    She looked at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, based on her understanding of her grandson, she did not jump straight into conclusion.

    Grandmother Qi just stared at Song Yu with a shocked expression and lifted her head to look at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi sat beside Song Yu calmly and extended his arm casually around her waist. His clean fingertips yed with her waist subconsciously.

    ¡°From now onwards, Song Yu will be your granddaughter-inw,¡± Qi Chengzhi said gently.

    ¡°You... you guys...¡± Grandmother Qi was lost for words.

    ¡°I brought her here today to break the news to the family. I nned to announce it when everyone arrived, but since you discovered it already, I¡¯ll tell you first. I proposed to Song Yu in Paris. You can start preparing for our wedding,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Qi Zhongliang was not nning to hold a grand wedding. However, he did not tell Grandmother Qi that he only wanted a small banquet, hence she had no idea about it.

    Frankly, Grandmother Qi did not care about those things. There was only a single thought in her mind, the wedding of her eldest grandson must be spectacr. She wanted everyone to know that her eldest grandson who had been single for the past thirty-five years finally got a wife!

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s face was glowing in red. ¡°This is the one thing you did that make me the happiest after all these years!¡±

    Grandmother Qi pped her thigh and looked at Song Yu with a different gaze.

    She was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend before, now she would be her granddaughter-inw soon.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t told Song Yu¡¯s parents since we came to you first. My mother-inw requested a proper wedding with all the formal procedures,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Certainly!¡± Grandmother Qi was so excited that she missed the fact that Qi Chengzhi shamelessly addressed Song Yu¡¯s mother as his mother-inw before even marrying her. She said, ¡°Song Yu is also treasured by her parents. We¡¯re marrying their only daughter, of course, we won¡¯t disappoint them. It¡¯ll definitely be a grand ceremony.¡±

    Song Yu did not mind. If it were up to her, she would prefer to get their marriage license and invite their close friends for a meal. The most important thing was for Qi Chengzhi and her to live together and be his wife.

    Nevertheless, her mother, Grandmother Qi and Qi Chengzhi all wanted to have a grand wedding celebration. She did not want to let them down.

    ¡°Wenna, we¡¯ll have to search for a reliable wedding nner. It has to be the best! We can book the bouquet at Dynasty. It¡¯ll be fine if we just inform Xiao Yunqing. We also need to use Xiao Yan¡¯s Red Roof, we shouldn¡¯t waste such a good ce, right?¡± Grandmother Qi nned enthusiastically.

    ¡°Mother, let¡¯s take one step at a time,¡± Xia Wenna said. Even though she was no longer opposed to Song Yu marrying Qi Chengzhi, she was not very interested in the idea of a huge wedding since they had not discussed it with Qi Zhongliang. She was just entertaining Grandmother Qi¡¯s idea.

    Grandmother Qi was not aware of theck of enthusiasm in Xia Wenna and stood up in excitement.

    ¡°They¡¯re not back from work yet. I¡¯ll bring you out for a walk and meet some people around this area,¡± Grandmother Qi said. It was obvious that she just wanted to show Song Yu off to the others.

    Before Song Yu could say anything, Grandmother Qi yanked her out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms and headed towards the outside.

    Song Yu got dragged along by Grandmother Qi to a park nearby.

    The park was rather lively. There were some obstacle course on one side and some kids with helmets on were skating away. There were even some folks who were practicing Tai Chi and line dance.

    At the very end of a corner, there was a bunch of old man crowding over, observing a chess game.

    Grandmother Qi took Song Yu and went straight across the park to the other side. They were still a few steps away before she shoutedughingly, ¡°Lao Zhou, Lao Yu!¡±

    Two guys from the bunch of people observing the chess game turned their heads around and answered in surprise, ¡°Eh, I heard Lao Qi that your grandson ising home today. Why are you out here?¡±

    ¡°Heh heh, I¡¯m just showing my granddaughter-inw around and also to call my old man home to have dinner at the same time,¡± Grandmother Qi said casually while she walked over, holding hands with Song Yu.

    After Lao Zhou heard what she said, he looked at Song Yu andmented, ¡°This is your granddaughter-inw? Wow, she¡¯s a charmingdy, which grandson of yours have such an honor?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my useless eldest grandson. I thought that he would never have a wife in this lifetime. I never expected him to bring me a granddaughter-inw after being single for thirty-five years!¡± Grandmother Qi raised Song Yu¡¯s left hand purposely while she said that to let them have a closer look at the ring on her hand.

    Song Yu was so embarrassed by Grandmother Qi¡¯s tant gloating. She lowered her head to hide her blushing face and greeted them shyly.

    ¡°Aiya, we¡¯ll have to congratte you then. When¡¯s the wedding going to be?¡± Lao Yu was Grandfather Qi¡¯s old chess mate for many years. He knew Grandmother Qi¡¯s character so well that he immediately ttered her vanity.

    As expected, Grandmother Qi was so high up on cloud nine that she did not bother about how her face wrinkled the way she was smiling. ¡°Very soon. My grandson brought my granddaughter-inw home today to discuss their marriage. I¡¯ll send the invitation to you guys then!¡±

    While they were happily chatting away, Grandfather Qi remained very focused on the game. He was so engrossed that he did not hear what Grandmother Qi said.

    Grandmother Qi nced at him and said without disturbing him, ¡°We¡¯ll head back first!¡±

    Grandmother Qi ushered Song Yu to another group of friends that was practicing line dance, stopped in front of them and started chatting away with a huge smile on her face. After seeing that, Lao Zhou and Lao Yu looked at each other speechlessly. Wasn¡¯t she here to call Lao Qi home for dinner?

    Why did she leave without saying a word to Lao Qi?

    The old woman had quite a reputation here. Those aunties stopped dancing when she brought Song Yu over.

    ¡°Aunt Qi, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Ha ha ha ha, my granddaughter-inw heard that I like line dancing, so she followed me to have a look,¡± Grandmother Qi said casually before holding up Song Yu¡¯s left hand and tapped on the back of her hand while she ¡°identally¡± exposed the diamond ring on her ring finger.

    ¡°Granddaughter-inw? Congrattions! Which grandson is getting married?¡± One of thedies asked in surprise.

    ¡°Ha ha ha, it¡¯s my eldest grandson. He had been single until now. I¡¯ve never heard of him having a girlfriend before, most of the people thought that he was gay. Not so long ago, he brought a girlfriend home suddenly and was serious about getting married,¡± Grandmother Qi smiled until her eyes closed. ¡°My eldest grandson¡¯s temperament is like that. Since he was young, he had always kept a low profile, but when he¡¯s set on something, he would go all-in for it. The whole family was shocked by his announcement. However, I¡¯m very fond of my granddaughter-inw, remember to attend their uing wedding!¡±

    ¡°Of course!¡± The group ofdies nodded in agreement. Then, they proceeded to praise Song Yu with all kinds ofpliments, making Grandmother Qi felt so gratified.

    Just like that, Grandmother Qi brought Song Yu around. She did not literally boast to everyone in the neighborhood, but she purposely walked slowly until it was already time where people got back from work so that they could meet on the street.

    She would actively greet those who did not notice her. Throughout the whole journey, Grandmother Qi repeated the same old story relentlessly. It was as if she wishes to use a loudspeaker and attach it on the roof of a car to spread the news like the ones they used during the election.

    It was only when Grandmother Qi got tired of it after finishing an entire round that she brought Song Yu home.

    When she entered the house, she could hear them chit-chatting. Qi Zhongliang and the others had returned.

    Grandfather Qi was sitting on the main seat. He scoffed in disdain. ¡°You left quite sometime before me, but I¡¯m already home for more than half an hour after I finished the game. Why are you only back now?¡±

    Grandmother Qi waved her hand without much thought. ¡°I just had a small chat with a few neighbors that I met on the way back.¡±

    At this moment, Qi Chenglin reached too.

    Aunt Liu opened the door for him. He then entered, with the chilliness of the night still lingering on him. He took off his jacket and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on? On my way home, the neighbors I met were all congratting me saying that our family is having a new member.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh,¡± Grandfather Qiughed in disdain. ¡°Who else could it be? Your grandmother must have been showing off just now.¡±

 Chapter 146 - I Want You to Give Up

    <h4>Chapter 146: I Want You to Give Up</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Heh heh,¡± Grandfather Qiughed in disdain. ¡°Who else could it be? Your grandmother must have been showing off just now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with that? I¡¯m going to have a granddaughter-inw soon! Why can¡¯t I be happy? By the time my great grandkid is born, I¡¯ll be showing him off on the one hand, and Youxuan on the other, every day!¡± Grandmother Qi had a smug look on her face. ¡°I wonder if there¡¯s any other olddy as impressive as me! Having grandkids isn¡¯t a rarity, but great grandkids!¡±

    Grandfather Qi let out a ¡®hmph,¡¯ and said to Song Yu, ¡°Let¡¯s see when your parents will be avable for a meal. We have to follow the marriage traditions. We can have a simple engagement ceremony first, where we only invite family members. When it was Chengyue¡¯s marriage, we did the same thing. It¡¯s all fair and square.¡±

    ¡°Your parents are already familiar with the Qi family. It¡¯s more for the two families to reminisce about the past than to get to know each other. We will then discuss the wedding in detail.¡±

    Song Yu nodded.

    Qi Zhongliang hesitated a little before speaking, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve told Chengzhi before¡ªthere¡¯s no need for a grand wedding. Just like the engagement ceremony, it will be enough to invite the family and have a simple ceremony. We can book small event space at Dynasty. There¡¯s no need to make it a big thing.¡±

    Grandfather Qi frowned. He carried a stern expression and nced coldly at Qi Zhongliang before turning to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression remained neutral. He spoke tly, ¡°I¡¯ve told dad before. I disagree with his suggestion. There¡¯s nothing shameful about Song Yu or my wedding. Why should the eldest grandson of the Qi family have an undercover wedding? Song Yu, too, deserves something grand so that everyone would know officially¡ªthat she¡¯s my wife.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The color on Qi Zhongliang¡¯s face faded away. He carried a look of disdain as if Qi Chengzhi had be the son that he detested the most versus when he used to be his pride. ¡°Why can¡¯t you consider the Qi family? You can¡¯t just think about yourself!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Grandfather Qi halted the ensuing argument and responded frigidly, ¡°There¡¯s indeed no need to have avish wedding ceremony, but there¡¯s no need to keep it undercover as well. If you want to marry her, do it the right way.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t give my blessing to Chengzhi and Song Yu before. However, now that they¡¯re getting married, we should do it under the sun. Otherwise, people would think the Qi family is in the wrong,¡± Grandfather Qi spoke unhurriedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Grandmother Qi was an impetuous person. Not able to wait till Grandfather Qi was done, she continued, ¡°We live our own lives! Why should we be bothered by what others think? They¡¯re not rted to us¡ªcan they dictate our lives or our beliefs? If not, why do we care? Do you want to make your daughter-inw feel wronged for those people? Qi Zhongliang, is that the way I brought you up?¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m starting with this, I will get straight into the matter. I¡¯ve always taught you about equality. You shouldn¡¯t be proud and look down on others. Everyone is equal¡ªwe all have our fair share of problems in living. You have your problems, and others have theirs. You¡¯re luckier because you were born in the Qi family. Who are you to look down on others, or to judge and be picky?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s face was veiled with a thinyer of ice.

    ¡°You should feel thankful to your dad and me for being able to look down on people today. If we didn¡¯t give birth to you, or if you weren¡¯t born in this family, who would¡¯ve paid you any respect? Lifees in a full circle¡ªthe same could happen to you the next day. Stop sitting on a high horse!¡±

    ¡°Both Zhongxun and you, have you not learned any lesson from Chengze¡¯s incident? You¡¯re repeating the same mistake. You¡¯re an adult now, when will you understand these simple principles that even kids could grasp? Have you ever heard anyints from the kindergarten about Youxuan where he belittles others? Are you no better than a five-year-old kid?¡±

    ¡°Let me tell you, stop bringing up Song Yu and Chengji¡¯s engagement and how it would bring shame to the Qi family. Song Yu is my granddaughter-inw, and her parents had taken great care in raising her. Now, their precious daughter is marrying into our family and bing our daughter-inw. What right do you have to wrong her?¡±

    ¡°Do you think they raised and educated Song Yu for her to suffer from injustice in our family? Just for her to have a wedding behind closed doors? What privilege does our family have to justify such actions? You¡¯re not the one who brought her up! Who are you to neglect her rights?¡±

    ¡°You said that it¡¯s a disgrace for the two of them to date? It¡¯s a disgrace for me to have sons like you!¡± Grandmother Qi was so angry that she became flustered.

    Qi Zhongxun was perplexed. Qi Zhongliang was the person who had sprouted those words, why was he scolded?

    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s the big brother¡¯s opinion. Why did you get me involved?¡± Qi Zhongxun mumbled.

    ¡°Hmph! Do you think I don¡¯t know what opinion you hold? You¡¯re just waiting to see your brother make a fool out of himself!¡± Grandmother Qi eximed.

    Qi Chengyue nced at Song Yu and said, ¡°Congrattions.¡±

    Song Yu looked at her with surprise. She did not expect her to congratte her. While she did not seem delighted, she did not oppose it strongly, unlike thest time.

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°Why isn¡¯t Jian Yi here?¡± When Grandmother Qi stepped in, she was still thrilled about the news, and hence she did not notice that Jian Yi was not around. Qi Zhongliang¡¯s statement acted as a distraction to that too.

    ¡°He has a business appointment tonight. He wille and pick me up when it¡¯s over,¡± Qi Chengyue exined.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Song Yu is no match for Qi Chengzhi! Why should I give up?¡± Yu Keyao mmed the chopsticks on the table.

    ¡°Do you not understand? Qi Chengzhi had paid a visit to me personally in the office, for the elders in the Yu family to govern your behavior and stop being a disgrace! He¡¯s marrying Song Yu soon, and he wants you to stop dreaming!¡± Yu Zixiu had to suppress his desire to hurl the dishes on Yu Keyao¡¯s stubborn face.

    ¡°He already made it clear, why do you still hang on to it? The reason why we arranged a blind date for you and Qi Chengzhi was to establish a good rtionship with the Qi family, and not for him to hate you or to make the Qi family our foul. How can we be on the good side of the Qi family if Qi Chengzhi detests you now?¡± Yu Zixiu spoke raucously.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you thest time to befriend Song Yu. You refused to because you thought you could beat Song Yu, and you wanted us to give you a chance. Fine, you had it, but what happened? Qi Chengzhi and I had a fall out, in my face! Why should I bear this shame for you?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve offended Song Yu. In the future, even if we want to amend this, the Song family might not ept it. Not only did you not bring us closer to the Qi family, but you¡¯ve also burned the bridges for us. Now, you still remain stubborn!¡± Yu Zixiu¡¯s face sunk. ¡°Even if you don¡¯t care about your image, please do take the Yu family into consideration.¡±

    ¡°Big brother, it¡¯s too much! Keyao is your niece, why are you leaning toward an outsider? It¡¯s not Keyao¡¯s fault to not haveid a good foundation with the Song family. Don¡¯t forget; you¡¯re the first person to draw a line with the Song family when they went bankrupt. You didn¡¯t lend a helping hand, not even to your sister. What right do you have to be talking about how Keyao has ruined the Yu family?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all Song Yu¡¯s fault. For a woman who can hook up with both the brothers of the Qi family, Keyao is nopetition to her in terms of craftiness. First, the engagement with Chengji and now the engagement with Chengzhi. Big brother, before you speak about the Yu family, can¡¯t you take Keyao¡¯s happiness into consideration? Is it wrong for her to like Qi Chengzhi? What¡¯s wrong about that? All is fair in love and war.¡±

    ¡°She didn¡¯t bring harm to anyone, nor did she y any underhanded tricks. She¡¯s just behaving like a normal girl, who chases after the man she likes. I don¡¯t think she did anything wrong.¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s voice was harsh and cold.

    As a mother, she had to defend Yu Keyao under Yu Zixiu¡¯s harsh criticisms.

    Liang Lihua stood up, ¡°Why should Keyao sacrifice herself for the benefit of the family? What can she gain? The only one who benefits is you! Don¡¯t treat all of us as idiots. You know deep down why you¡¯re criticizing Keyao. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s too selfish?¡±

    ¡°If Keyao can chase Song Yu away, the benefit to the Yu family is much greater than to be in the good books of the Song family. If you go begging for a favor from the Song family, Yu Qianying will reject you out of her character.¡± Liang Lihua sneered, ¡°Song Yu has the same cunning personality as Yu Qianying. If she does marry into the Qi family, with power, do you think she will let you reap any rewards?¡±

    ¡°In my opinion, instead of ming Keyao and thinking of ways to get in the good books of the Song family, it¡¯s more realistic to get rid of Song Yu from Chengzhi¡¯s side and make hime to his senses. That¡¯s what you should focus on.¡±

    She would never bow down or apologize to Yu Qianying!

    Liang Lihua pulled Yu Keyao up and left.

    Yu Zixiu mmed the chopsticks and shouted at Yu Zidong, ¡°Are they your wife and daughter? Where are their manners?¡±

    Yu Zidong ground his teeth. ¡°I will help straighten this out. When the Song family was still booming, Lihua had been under the shadow of Qianying for too long. She felt wronged, and subsequently, with the incident of Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, she felt that she¡¯s suffering from injustice, and thus the reactions.¡±

    ¡°In reality, you can¡¯t me Keyao on this. Big brother, she¡¯s your niece, and your words were too harsh. Keyao knew Qi Chengzhi first, and Song Yu bumped into them during the blind date. I think Song Yu intentionally snatched Qi Chengzhi away as a revenge to our family. Do you think, for a woman so vengeful, our peace treaty would work?¡±

    Yu Zixiu was in deep thought. He said nothing.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi went to the Qi family¡¯s old mansion to pick up Chengyue at night. When he arrived, he saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Range Rover leaving.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi had not started the engine yet. When he saw Jian Yie out from the Cayenne, he did note down and greet him, but instead, he drove past Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengyue saw it at the door andughed, ¡°Eh, you almost met.¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s expression was gloomy, and Qi Chengyue ignored him.

    She got on the car with smiles. When Jian Yi started the car, she then broke the news in a delightful, rxed manner, ¡°It¡¯s such a shame you weren¡¯t here today. Big brother brought Song Yu back and announced their marriage.¡±

    Jian Yi looked ahead and said nothing. He did not react but merely held the steering wheel tighter. He loosened his grip subsequently.

    Qi Chengyue pretended she did not see that and continued leisurely, ¡°Now I understand why big brother insists on bringing Song Yu to Paris. He had the proposal all nned out. Isn¡¯t a proposal in Paris romantic?¡±

    She turned to look at Jian Yi. Seeing his cold and handsome side profile, she seemed even happier. She hooked on his arm that was dangling off the steering wheel and leaned on his shoulder. ¡°You missed the two-carat pink diamond on Song Yu¡¯s ring finger today. It¡¯s so beautiful, and the color was so dreamy.¡±

    ¡°For an average person, putting the pink diamond aside, a high-quality and sizable diamond is good enough. Big brother had put much thought into it. I wonder how much effort he had to put in to find such a delicate ring. It must have taken a long time as it¡¯s impossible to find that in a short few months. It meant that he has been preparing for this way ahead of time.¡±

    Qi Chengyue frowned. ¡°However, he has only dated Song Yu for a few months, not even half a year has gone by! Could it be that he had nned this out even before he started dating Song Yu, that he knew he wanted to marry her before they even started dating? How unbelievable.¡±

    Qi Chengyue shook off her imagination. It was too unrealistic.

    ¡°I admire Song Yu, for being able to be in love with a man like my big brother, who puts in a lot of effort into her.¡± Her voice was full of envy. ¡°A man like my big brother is likely every woman¡¯s ideal partner, a prince charming that women would crave, but impossible to attain.¡±

    ¡°To be in love with a caring, attractive, and capable man like that, it¡¯s something all women will be envious of! At the very least, that¡¯s how I feel.¡± Qi Chengyue could feel Jian Yi¡¯s muscle tensing. She did not care, and instead, she kept going.

    ¡°Well, he even kept it a secret and broke it out all of a sudden in Paris, such a romantic ce!¡± Qi Chengyue sighed. ¡°It¡¯s something I will keep on reminiscing for many years, even till I¡¯m old. It¡¯s a very precious memory.¡±

    Qi Chengyue took a break and looked up at Jian Yi with a faint smile. ¡°Isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Jian Yi took a nce at her and spoke coldly, ¡°What do you want me to answer?¡±

    ¡°I want you to give up. Song Yu is getting married to my big brother. You can stop hoping.¡± Qi Chengyue replied in a frosty manner.

    Jian Yi was still looking ahead. He said nothing.

    He did not say a word all the way home. When he got back, he removed the necktie and walked toward the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a shower.¡±

    Jian Yi locked the bathroom door and filled the bathtub with hot water. The gushing water from the tap fell on the tub and made a water sshing noise. It could muffle out all other sounds in the bathroom.

    He took out a simple, outdated model of mobile phone and dialed Song Yu¡¯s number.

    Qi Chengzhi was showering. Song Yu saw the unknown number on the screen, frowned, and picked it up.

    ¡°Song Yu, it¡¯s me.¡± It was Jian Yi¡¯s gloomy voice on the other side.

    ¡°What¡¯re you doing changing your number every day?!¡± Annoyed, Song Yu spoke sarcastically.

    When she was about to hang up, she heard Jian Yi screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t hang up! I told you not to get married to Qi Chengzhi so soon!¡±

    ¡°Since when who I marry, or when I marry is a business of yours?¡± Song Yu was so angry, sheughed. Her fingers were trembling. She was mad at how full of himself Jian Yi was¡ªto think that he had the right to dictate her life?

    Trembling, she hung up, and before Jian Yi could call again, she blocked the number.

    Jian Yi had been bothering her too much. She was sick of the sight of him and his voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You look pale.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice rang from the door.

    Song Yu looked up and saw himing out of the bathroom. He was wearing only gray cotton pants. He did not tie the strings at his waist yet, and hence the pants were hanging at his abdomen. Underneath were his chocte-like abs and the Apollo¡¯s belt.

    Following Apollo¡¯s belt and going down, one could see the ck, curly hair at the top.

    He did not dry himselfpletely, and hence, there were still water droplets on his chest and abs. Even though he was light-skinned, it did not hurt his manliness. His muscles were toned and lean, but not overly jacked, which could put people off.

    Strength was manifesting all over his body.

    He covered his head with a big towel. Water dripped from the tips on his hair onto his shoulder, his chest and his abdomen. It continued into the pants and blended into the small tuft of hair.

    Song Yu swallowed hard. She could not resist the gorgeous beauty in front of her.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her, smiling faintly and taking in her lust. He dried his hair casually and tossed the towel aside. He sat next to her.

    Naturally, he circled Song Yu with his arms. Hugging Song Yu, his thin, burning lips began kissing her eyelids and rubbing against her soft skin. ¡°Why were you so angry?¡±

    Song Yu inhaled the fragrance of shampoo from his body. His upper body remained naked. In his embrace, she leaned against his bare skin. The water droplets on his body wet her pajamas.

    She always felt that he was warm. His body felt even warmer after he had a hot shower.

    ¡°Nothing much, it was a prank call. The person was nuts.¡± Song Yu pressed her forehead against his chest. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to get mad at Jian Yi, especially over such a small matter.

    He tightened his grip on her waist and carried her up to sit on hisp.

    This action made the pants go lower. He was revealing more of what was underneath.

    Song Yu quickly looked up. She did not dare to look down, and she was all flustered.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at her. He knew she was not telling the truth. He took an in-depth look at her but asked no further questions.

    While Song Yu still had her heart at her mouth, not knowing whether she could keep it hidden from Qi Chengzhi, he began speaking, ¡°Are father and mother-inw free tomorrow? We can pay a visit to them. I want to ask for your hand officially.¡±

    Song Yu could not resist and gathered the courage to look up at him. His expression was normal as if he indeed had let go of the question. She let out a sigh of relief.

 Chapter 147 - Is Bankruptcy Not Considered a Loss?

    <h4>Chapter 147: Is Bankruptcy Not Considered a Loss?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu could not resist and gathered the courage to look up at him. His expression was normal as if he indeed had let go of the question. She let out a sigh of relief.

    Relieved, she picked up her phone again. ¡°They should be free. Let me give them a call.¡±

    Just a moment after dialing the number, she said, ¡°Dad, Chengzhi and I are going to drop by tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, we want to discuss something with you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. Stop guessing blindly. You¡¯ll know tomorrow, alright?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not the matter at all. You don¡¯t have to get mom on the phone. I... Mom...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Seriously, stop imagining things. You¡¯ll know when we¡¯re there tomorrow. Alright, I need to go. Goodbye.¡±

    Song Yu did not give Yu Qianying any more chances to speak. She hung up quickly.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi was immersing himself entirely in the bathtub when he took out his usual phone. He opened an encrypted folder, and two photos appeared.

    Unexpectedly, it was the two photos Xia Wenna had taken stealthily in the reading room of Viewpark Residence ¡ª the images of the acquisition documents, which should have been deleted by Grandmother Qi.

    Initially, Jian Yi had no clue on how to get about investigating.

    However, thanks to the recent incident where hackers had leaked photos of the Hollywood stars, he learned about the cloud. The cloud would have the backup even if the picture was deleted from the phone.

    It was a considerable achievement for people at the age of Xia Wenna and Grandmother Qi to make use of a smartphone. They would not possibly know about this.

    In the recent years, Jian Yi had befriended people from all walks of life. All he cared for were their potential utility ¡ª he did not mind if they were involved inplicit activities.

    As a result, he made use of hiswork and got in touch with a well-known hacker. Thinking to try it out, it was a pleasant surprise when the hacker had sessfully prated Xia Wenna¡¯s cloud and found the two pictures.

    The reason why he did not visit the Qi family that night was because he had an appointment with the intermediary.

    Hacking into someone¡¯s cloud was against thew, and naturally, the hacker would not appear in person. It was impossible for Jian Yi to even contact him directly. It was always done through an intermediary.

    He had just acquired the two photos that night.

    However, as the photos onlyprised of the first andst page of the acquisition document, he stillcked concrete details.

    Fortunately, thepany seal on the signing page was distinct enough for him to continue with his investigation.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu decided to go to work. She felt that if this goes on, the idleness would kick in and it would take forever for her to ovee the jetg.

    Besides, she could not possibly shirk everything to Ruan Danchen, so she insisted on going to work.

    Qi Chengzhi then sent her to work. When she entered the office, Ruan Danchen was sorting out the work notes. It would help ease the transition for Song Yu.

    Song Yu felt so sorry for her. She handed the unwrapped gift to Ruan Danchen ¡ª a gift box by a skincare brand.

    Ruan Danchen knew the value of the gift box was in the range of five figures when she saw it. Squinting happily, she said, ¡°For your generosity, I¡¯m willing to do another month¡¯s worth of work for you!¡±

    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Song Yu said as sheughed. ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It wasn¡¯t much.¡± Ruan Danchen handed Song Yu thepleted work notes. ¡°This is what you missed out on during your absence. Take a look, and you can take over right away.¡±

    Song Yu took it, and before she could continue, the phone on the desk rang.

    Song Yu picked up, and just as she said, ¡°Hello, Cheng ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, it¡¯s me, Jian Yi,¡± emitted Jian Yi¡¯s voice from the phone. Over the phone, he had a pleasant voice, mellow and alluring. However, Song Yu felt that his voicecked the piercing quality of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s.

    ¡°Manager Jian, what can I do for you?¡± Song Yu asked as if she was speaking to an acquaintance. However, she was not as impatient asst night.

    Jian Yi strengthened the grip on his phone. The reason Song Yu did not sound impatient was because she was treating him like a client, polite but distant.

    He dialed her office number this time because he knew she could not turn him down in the pretext of work. The motive was apparent, and she seemed to have understood the message.

    ¡°Song Yu, you can get engaged to Qi Chengzhi, but don¡¯t get married to him so soon,¡± said Jian Yi.

    Song Yu¡¯s face sunk. She defeated her desire to shout ¡®Do you know no shame!¡¯ at him and took a deep breath. She kept her cool and spoke calmly, ¡°Manager Jian, you can call me anytime if it¡¯s rted to work. However, if it¡¯s about my personal life, can I request you to stop harassing me?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, it¡¯s for your good!¡± Jian Yi was on edge. ¡°Why are you so stubborn? Why won¡¯t you listen? I told you Qi Chengzhi cannot be trusted. Do you want to marry him just because he¡¯s going to be the head of the Qi family, and you¡¯re unwilling to give up the position of being the mistress of the family? Or, is it just a form of retaliation on me?¡±

    Song Yu needed an outlet to release her anger after hearing what he said.

    He called her in the office, and with so many people around, she could not vent her anger directly.

    ¡®Jian Yi is outright shameless!¡¯

    ¡®He regards himself too highly!¡¯

    ¡®He knows no shame and assumed others would be the same.¡¯

    Song Yu was so cross, she could feel an acerbic sensation in her throat, and even her eyes.

    It was not due to Jian Yi¡¯s misunderstanding, but rather, how he twisted and smeared her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi.

    She had always felt her feelings toward Qi Chengzhi was pure ¡ª why did Jian Yi have to impose his vileness on others? What basis did he have to do that?

    ¡°You make me sick!¡± Song Yu spoke, gnashing her teeth. Taking a look at her surroundings, everyone was busy working. She lowered her voice and said, ¡± Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯m sick and tired of you. Whenever I see you, I feel repulsed. Do you know what it feels like ¡ª to hate someone until you¡¯re sick? Even if Qi Chengzhi had indeed yed some dirty tricks, you¡¯re not one to be passing judgment. Who do you think you are? What right do you have to do that?

    ¡°In my eyes, even if Qi Chengzhi has done something forbidden by God, he¡¯s still in a better position than you. Don¡¯t even think about putting you two side by side, for you to sprout his name is an insult. By now, you should know my opinion of you. I¡¯m telling you that I don¡¯t care if he has wronged me in the past. My parents are healthy, and we suffered no loss. Why should I care what he has done to me in the past?

    ¡°I¡¯m saying this once again ¡ª I don¡¯t care about what he has done in the past! You¡¯re free to think that I do this for his status or my revenge on you. If it helps your esteem, think whatever you want, as long as you stop bothering me!¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath and lowered her voice. It was trembling in anger. ¡°Jian Yi, please, I¡¯m begging you. Can you ept my request and stop bothering me? I don¡¯t hate you, not at all. However, your current action is making me sick. Can¡¯t you just let me live my life? Stop disturbing me. Given how stubborn I am regardless of what you said, why do you persist on bothering me?

    ¡°You¡¯re married now, too. Qi Chengyue is your wife. While she can be capricious sometimes, she loves you dearly. For your sake, she is willing to be more tolerating. You should appreciate her more. To be able to find someone who loves you wholeheartedly and doesn¡¯t ask for anything in return, do you know how lucky you are? She knew your motive of marrying her, but she went ahead with it anyway. What more could you ask for?

    ¡°Why are you not satisfied with your present life? Why are you messing with others¡¯ lives? Jian Yi, karma will hit you if you don¡¯t cherish what you have.

    ¡°Jian Yi, that¡¯s all I have to say. If you have any self-esteem left, please, leave me alone.¡± When Song Yu finished, without hearing Jian Yi¡¯s reply, she hung up.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to even breathe loudly next to the ming Song Yu.

    Her seat was right next to Song Yu¡¯s. As a result, even though Song Yu had spoken softly, Ruan Danchen could hear everything even if she did not intend to.

    Regardless of what Jian Yi said to Song Yu, she could tell that it was exceedingly upsetting. There was no other reason Song Yu would look so troubled, and on the verge of tearing up.

    Ruan Danchen sighed. She stood up, went to the restroom, and sent a text message covertly. ¡°Jian Yi called just now. I have no idea what he said, but Song Yu is so mad, she¡¯s on the brink of tears.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi was still in a daze, looking at his phone that had fallen into silence.

    His lips were trembling. He felt a harsh bitterness in his mouth. That bitterness he felt was reflected in his eyes. He was wounded deeply.

    Song Yu¡¯s ruthless words pierced through his heart.

    He did not expect Song Yu to be so cruel and ruthless. She was so disgusted with him, it was as if he was a bed bug.

    Perhaps, in her eyes, he was of a lower status than a bed bug.

    Whimpering, Jian Yi gasped for air. Feeling weak, he leaned back on the chair, with his head resting on the headrest. He closed his eyes, enduring the pain in them.

    His chest, however, still hurt.

    He lifted his hand and covered his chest, pressing it hard.

    Why couldn¡¯t she understand his good intentions? He wanted it all for her good, for her not to be deceived by Qi Chengzhi.

    Recalling Song Yu¡¯s statement, ¡°My parents are healthy, and we¡¯ve suffered no loss. Why should I care what he has done to me in the past?¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Jian Yi sneered coldly, ¡°Song Yu, do you think your family suffered no loss? Is bankruptcy not considered a loss?¡±

    After saying that, Jian Yi remained static for a long time.

    Eventually, he took a deep breath. Picking up the cigarette box on the table slowly, he lit up a cigarette in his mouth. He began inhaling, taking it in deliberately. He then put out more than half of the cigarette in the ashtray.

    He picked up the phone and dialed out again.

    Song Yu had remained silent for a while. Her anger had yet to subside ¡ª she was still upset, and it was hindering her breathing. Her mind was a mess, and she could not focus on work.

    It did not take long before she felt irked again.

    After much trouble, she finally was able to get into the mood for work. When she was ready to start, the phone on the desk rang again.

    She adjusted her state of mind and picked up the call. She spoke politely, ¡°Chengshi Construction, you ¡ª¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t hang up, Song Yu. I have onest thing to tell you. I¡¯ll hang up after that.¡± On the phone, it was Jian Yi again. His voice was rushed, and it revealed his fatigue and bitterness.

    Song Yu held onto the phone tightly. She heard him babble, ¡°Song Yu, I now have evidence about what Qi Chengzhi had done, but it is not concrete yet. Even if I pass you the evidence in hand, I know you still won¡¯t believe me. I will keep investigating until I have the whole truth, and I willy out the pieces of evidence all in front of your eyes. You¡¯d then know that Qi Chengzhi isn¡¯t trustworthy, and who¡¯s the one that is truly there for you!¡±

    After that, it was Jian Yi who hung up this time.

    He shattered her focus again.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was in a better mood when she got off work in the evening.

    As she stepped out of the office, while she was still a little affected, the sight of the Range Rover across the road pacified her.

    Feeling fuzzy, one could peek the gentle smile at the corner of her mouth. She waited for the road to be clear before running toward the Range Rover.

    Song Yu saw the handsome,posed man sitting in the car. Even though the Range Rover was spacious, space still seemed limited for his long legs.

    There was a faint smell of tobo in the car. Even with the windows opened, the scent did not disperse entirely.

    Song Yu leaned forward and wrapped her hands around his arm. She sniffed the tobo smell off his shoulder.

    She never disliked the smell of tobo on him. The familiar tobo smell made her feel more reassured.

    ¡°Did you wait long?¡± Song Yu asked and smiled. ¡°You¡¯re always here before I get off. I know you¡¯re busy, but you don¡¯t have to rush here. I can wait for you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm,¡± came Qi Chengzhi¡¯s surprisingly cold reply. He then withdrew his arm from her embrace and started driving.

    Although he had always been indifferent and cold, his actions toward her were filled with passion. It had always been that way despite his cold expressions. This was the first time he refused her embrace.

    Song Yu took note of this ring anomaly.

    Qi Chengzhi, still with his stone-cold face, said nothing.

    Song Yu did not know what had gotten into him all of a sudden. She was slightly irked at his mood swings.

    Her day was awful. First, Jian Yi had pissed her off, and Qi Chengzhi was doing the same thing too.

    She said nothing. Throughout the ride, the atmosphere in the car was tense.

    Despite that, Song Yu could not help but steal nces at him.

    Every time she did so, she would find Qi Chengzhi focusing on the road ahead with a straight face.

    He had always looked a little scary when he had a poker face on.

    While Song Yu was not afraid of him, she still felt a little ill at ease, not knowing the cause of his anger.

    The Range Rover finally arrived in the area near the Song family¡¯s house. Qi Chengzhi found a parking spot for the car.

    Song Yu sighed in her heart. Shyly, she reached out with her soft hands and grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand softly.

    This was the limit to her ingratiating initiative. She could not go any further.

    It was not about getting tit for tat with Qi Chengzhi, merely that her nature would not allow her to do so.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her and saw her rosy cheeks. Seeing how docile she looked, he finally held her hand and did not dismiss her.

    ¡°Do you have anything to say to me?¡± he asked in a t tone.

    This time, Song Yu was stunned. She did not know what Qi Chengzhi meant.

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Song Yu answered subconsciously. She really did not know what there was to say.

    She was startled to see his grim expression. She then behaved like a pet that was eager to please and spoke softly, ¡°Are you mad?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m surprised you can see that.¡± Qi Chengzhi let out a huff.

    Song Yu was a little unhappy with his sarcastic tone. First, he got mad for no reason, and after she tried to reconcile with him, he still behaved in such an off-putting way. What was the meaning of this?

    He had never behaved in such a peculiar way before.

    Anger had gotten into Song Yu. She pulled a long face and retreated her hand. Not saying a word, she wanted to get off the car.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrow. Why was she the one making a scene when it was her fault?

    Seeing that she had gotten angry and was about to open the car door, Qi Chengzhi let out a helpless sigh. His gaze at the back of her head was filled withpromise and adoration.

    Even when he was in a foul mood, he could not bear to see her mad.

    Song Yu was about to open the door when he grabbed her waist and scooped her up. He had her sitting on hisp.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Song Yu spoke furiously.

    He was the one who got mad at her for no reason first. What was he doing, trying to get her back?

    ¡°You¡¯re so spoiled. Can¡¯t you even let me throw a little tantrum? Before I even lost my temper, you had already decided to walk out on me.¡± Qi Chengzhi strengthened the grip on her waist.

    ¡°I got this temper from you.¡± Song Yu was not afraid of him at all, and she countered right away.

    Qi Chengzhi was delighted. The corner of his mouth had a sh of smile before he tensed up again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know why I¡¯m mad?¡± he asked coldly.

    ¡°How would I know? You got cold all of a sudden. I thought you didn¡¯t like me anymore!¡± While Song Yu intended to irk him, the words pierced through her heart.

    What if he lost his passion and no longer liked her?

    What if he, all of a sudden, realized that he did not like her as much? That she was not his ideal partner? What would she do if he had decided that she was no longer worth it, and that he was sick of her?

    She was terrified when he got mad at her all of a sudden.

    Imagining things to take a turn for the worse, she was tearing up.

    Qi Chengzhi could not get mad at her when she looked so miserable. He immediately regretted his behavior for having shown his dismay.

    ¡°What¡¯s up? Don¡¯t cry!¡± Qi Chengzhi felt sorry for her, but he was not adept at expressing himself. While he sounded calm, his expression revealed that he was panicking. His fingers brushed through her eyes, to wipe away her tears.

    He held her face in both hands and sputtered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have gotten mad at you without exining. Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Song Yu felt more wronged hearing what he had said. Her tears began spilling, and drops of them were hanging on her eyshes.

 Chapter 148 - Is This the Case Where the Mother-In-Law Is Falling in Love with the Son-In-Law?

    <h4>Chapter 148: Is This the Case Where the Mother-In-Law Is Falling in Love with the Son-In-Law?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu felt more wronged hearing what he said. Her tears began spilling, and drops of them were hanging on her eyshes.

    Qi Chengzhi was in agony. His chest felt congested.

    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± he said as heforted her, his lips brushing lightly against her eyshes, kissing the tears away. ¡°My bad, it¡¯s my fault. Stop crying.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s grieving made him feel heavy-hearted. He kept consoling her gently. He descended from his position and apologized again and again. He was not sure what he did wrong, but the most important goal for him then was to make her feel better. He tried to put her at ease by apologizing andforting her tenderly.

    ¡°What are you talking about that I don¡¯t like you anymore? It¡¯s something nobody would believe.¡± Qi Chengzhi found her usation funny.

    However, Song Yu¡¯s grieving and how she was trying not to cry with great endeavor was heart-wrenching. Her eyes were red, and her tears only asionally fell when she could hold it back no more.

    ¡°Stop holding it back. If you feel wronged, let it out. You will feel better,¡± said Qi Chengzhi, thinking about the injustice she had suffered from Jian Yi. He wanted her to vent her anger through this opportunity.

    Song Yu whimpered. Her eyes were red as a rabbit¡¯s. Out of frustration, she said, ¡°What do you want? You got mad at me for no reason, but now you¡¯reforting me. A moment ago, you told me not to cry ¡ª now you¡¯re telling me to do the opposite! What do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu raised her voice as she felt wronged, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you today!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was speechless. It seemed like he was unreasonable, indeed.

    ¡°You were in a foul mood when you walked out of the office today.¡± Qi Chengzhi wiped away the fresh tears. All he wanted was to keep her in his embrace and soothe her.

    Song Yu was stunned. She could not say a word, and her tears halted. She merely stared at Qi Chengzhi nkly with her big, red, innocent eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her expression. He had no other choice but to forgive her.

    ¡°I¡¯m mad because you suffered injustice today. You were angry, but you didn¡¯t say anything to me.¡± He hugged her tightly. ¡°Now, are you going to tell me what happened today?¡±

    Song Yu nced at him weirdly, did he mean Jian Yi¡¯s call?

    How did he know?

    Was there anything that she could hide from him?

    No wonder he asked if she had anything to say to him.

    She took the question at face value. The matterpletely escaped her mind, which was why she replied ¡®no¡¯ subconsciously.

    She figured it was her response that made him mad.

    Hesitantly, Song Yu then told him about Jian Yi¡¯s call, but she made no mention of the evidence as imed by Jian Yi.

    Since she had no faith in it, there was no reason to convey that to Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting sick of his constant pestering. There¡¯s no end to it. Furthermore, not only had he twisted our rtionship, he thinks that I¡¯m dating you for your status, and to take vengeance on him! He thinks that those are the reasons I¡¯m hanging on to the rtionship.¡±

    After telling the story, Song Yu realized it was, in fact, no big deal. Why did she feel so annoyed by it, until it had affected her the entire day? She felt sorry for herself.

    She was a little embarrassed for her overreaction. She spoke awkwardly, ¡°Well, I was boiling because of him. Who does he think he is to pass judgment on our rtionship? He thinks too highly of himself. Also, he¡¯s been bothering for so long, his presence lingers. Now that I think about it, it wasn¡¯t such a big deal.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me when you¡¯re upset?¡± Qi Chengzhi pinched her waist. His faint voice sounded displeased.

    ¡°I really wasn¡¯t thinking about it.¡± Song Yu nced at him innocently with her red eyes. ¡°I was annoyed, but when I saw your car and thought that you¡¯re there waiting for me, the feeling disappeared. That was why I didn¡¯t rte to the matter when you queried.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re that happy when you saw me?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked, with a faint smile on his face.

    Song Yu blushed again. She said nothing, implying that was indeed the case.

    He took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped away the tears on her face.

    The handkerchief was made of soft material. He wiped it so gently; her face did not feel hurt at all. Song Yu felt flustered at how affectionate and appreciative he was.

    ¡°Alright,¡± she muttered. Her cheeks had turned rosy. ¡°The neighbors can see us.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then returned her to the front passenger seat after she tried to wrench away from hisp.

    Song Yu continued, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad at me for the same reason next time.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her affectionately and caressed her hair. His sturdy palm moved downward and locked on the back of her head. With his body leaning forward, his lips brushed gently against hers. He did not act aggressively, unlike previously.

    His gentle caress made Song Yu feel weak. Before he began exploring in between her teeth, his tongue stroked through her lips as if he was drawing. yfully teasing, he sucked on her sweetness.

    His kiss did not go deep. The lightness of it could not satisfy Song Yu. She took the initiative and pulled herself closer, but Qi Chengzhi retreated just as she had taken action.

    Unable to restrain her emotions, Song Yu hooked on his neck and intended to lug him closer. She advanced toward him, but he took a step back yet again.

    She looked at him, not knowing the reason. He just gave her a gentle, faint smile.

    ¡°You should never doubt my feelings toward you. Even if it was out of anger, don¡¯t ever mention it again,¡± said Qi Chengzhi in a deep voice. His deep, hoarse voice pulled on her heartstring. ¡°I¡¯ve already liked you for so long. The feeling won¡¯t disappear all of a sudden.¡±

    Hearing what he said, Song Yu¡¯s heart began beating rapidly. Her cheeks blushed with the statement. Her eyes that were still red were glittering.

    ¡°Okay,¡± she agreed immediately, and she towed on his neck again. Not knowing the reason, she just wanted to kiss him passionately.

    ¡°Faster,¡± she urged him. ¡°Don¡¯t y around like this.¡± Her scalp was burning as she felt agitated.

    ¡°Did I make you grow more lustful each day?¡± He inched forward, and one could hear theughter in his voice. His eyes curled into a crescent, as though they were making fun of her.

    Still blushing, Song Yu wanted to counter with his statement ¡ª ¡®Men like women who are slu ¡ª, or forward.¡¯

    Instead, he was making fun of her!

    Just as she was about to speak, before her words of protest could spill out, he covered her mouth.

    This time, he was no longer behaving gently. He stopped tickling but went straight and deep with his exploration.

    After a while, Qi Chengzhi finally let her loose.

    They were in the car for some time. They finally got out after they made themselves presentable.

    Fortunately, it was already dark. Nobody could tell Song Yu was all red.

    Qi Chengzhi was no longer in a foul mood. He got off the car and took the initiative to hold her hand.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu looked up at him, still feeling gloomy. He ignored her when he was angry. When his mood recovered, he started holding her hand again.

    Regardless, he always had the final say.

    Qi Chengzhi took a look at her with no apparent expression. As if reading her mind, he chuckled a little. He strengthened his grip on her hand and said nothing else.

    While Song Yu did not want to make a fuss over this matter, she still felt a little annoyed. She pinched on his arm as tit for tat.

    When Yu Qianying saw them, she opened the door and let them in.

    She immediately took note of Song Yu¡¯s eyes that were still red.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with your eyes? Why¡¯re they so red?¡± Yu Qianying asked. She sounded worried and asked, ¡°Did you two argue?¡±

    Judging from how Song Yu looked, it was apparent she was crying a moment ago.

    Being a mother, she was always worried that her daughter would suffer injustice.

    Looking at the time just before, she estimated they should be arriving soon. Hence, she went to check at the balcony.

    She also saw the Range Rover, which was parked somewhere close by, but the two did not get off until a whileter.

    Seeing Song Yu¡¯s red eyes, she began to wonder if the both of them had gotten into an argument in the car.

    ¡°No,¡± Song Yu replied in a hurry. She was afraid Yu Qianying and Qi Chengzhi would have a misunderstanding.

    The kisses had made her forget what happened just before. She hadpletely overlooked on how it would look to others.

    Yu Qianying took note that the two were still holding hands, and Song Yu¡¯s expression did not show any signs of being bullied. They still looked like an affectionate couple.

    She still could notpletely let it go. Qi Chengzhi spoke, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I made her angry along the way.¡±

    Yu Qianying did not expect Qi Chengzhi to bear the responsibility.

    Regardless of whether it was his fault that pissed Song Yu off, it was surprising enough for someone with the status and temperament of Qi Chengzhi to admit it.

    ¡°Well, you!¡± Yu Qianying said as she dragged Song Yu in, ¡°Don¡¯t always throw a tantrum at Chengzhi. Always tolerate each other for any problems you have! Chengzhi shouldn¡¯t always be the one to endure your temperament!¡±

    Song Yu was surprised; she nced at Yu Qianying. ¡°Mom, didn¡¯t you vehemently oppose our rtionship before? Why are you on his side now? Is this the case where the mother-inw is falling in love with the son-inw?¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Yu Qianying was slightly flustered despite her age. She let out a hiss and said, ¡°You brat, look at what you¡¯re saying! Go in now, the food is almost ready.¡±

    Song Yu wanted to help, but Yu Qianying sent her straight to the living room. ¡°I didn¡¯t know what time you¡¯reing, so I chopped up the stuff. I¡¯m just going to make some stir fry, and it will all be ready. It¡¯s going to be quick, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Over dinner, Yu Qianying brought up her question, ¡°Last night, you mentioned you have something to say to us. It sounded serious. What was it about?¡±

    Song Yu put down her chopsticks and nced at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi sat up straight and left his chopsticks on the table. He looked solemnly at Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Father-inw, mother-inw,¡± he called out politely.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were agitated from the greeting.

    Even though he never listened to the advice, Song Donglin had to repeat it, ¡°Chengzhi, while we agreed for you and Song Yu to date, there¡¯s no need to refer to us as the inws. You two aren¡¯t married yet, and we find it hard to ept it.¡±

    ¡°I still have to say it.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke with an indifferent tone, ¡°I¡¯ve already proposed to Song Yu. I¡¯m here today to get your permission.¡±

    Song Donglin almost choked on his saliva.

    He and Yu Qianying looked at each other and thought, ¡®You are already referring us to be the inws. Do you still need permission?¡¯

    ¡®When you call us inws, did you ask for our permission?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve informed my family about the marriage. My grandmother is delighted, and she had brought Song Yu around yesterday and introduced her to our neighbors. I suppose she has already started to prepare for the wedding. My grandfather thought it would be good for the two families to meet up sometime and have an engagement ceremony. Father-inw, mother-inw, it will depend on your avability. The wedding is going to be grand. We won¡¯t let Song Yu suffer from any negligence,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were slowly getting used to the honorific of being the father and mother-inw. They gave up on trying to correct him.

    ¡°Father-inw, mother-inw, I promise you, I will take good care of Song Yu throughout my life. I will make sure she is never wronged, and I will be there for her always. Can I seek your permission to marry your daughter?¡± Qi Chengzhi concluded his speech. His solemn expression made his features seem even more severe and hostile.

    Song Donglin looked at Yu Qianying. ¡°What do you think? I don¡¯t have anything against it.¡±

    Yu Qianying sighed and stared at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu respectively. ¡°In your current state of the rtionship, do you think I have any say against it?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re both idle. Any time is fine. You can convey that to your family, whenever they¡¯re avable.¡± Yu Qianying smiled stiffly and continued. ¡°Who knew, so much had happened, but we¡¯re still ending up being the Qi family¡¯s rtives by marriage.¡±

    It was still great news the two were getting married.

    In reality, after Song Donglin and Yu Qianying epted Qi Chengzhi, they rather liked him more and more.

    First of all, Qi Chengzhi was a brilliant guy. It would be a delight for any family to have a son-inw like him.

    If not because of what had happened in the past, Yu Qianying would have epted happily without reservation. She, too, was aware that whether it was Jian Yi or someone else, they were of nopetition to Qi Chengzhi. To be wed to a man like Qi Chengzhi was probably the ultimate dream.

    As Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s rtionship developed to a point where they were inseparable, she then tried to ept him.

    Once she had taken a step back and opened her heart, putting the Qi family¡¯s matter aside, Yu Qianying held a high regard for her son-inw, Qi Chengzhi. From the depth of her heart, she liked Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Donglin too felt d Song Yu had found someone she could build a home with. He did not care about the matter with the Qi family, as long as Qi Chengzhi could shield Song Yu from it.

    He wasforted by the fact that Qi Chengzhi was a responsible man.

    Feeling jolly, Song Donglin ran to the kitchen and fetched a bundle of beer from the veranda. He wanted to have a drink with Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Donglin was not someone who would keep persuading people to drink, but as he was feeling happy that night, he loosened up. The atmosphere was still cheery. He did not have the intention to get Qi Chengzhi drunk at all.

    When they were about to leave, Qi Chengzhi was slightly drunk. One could not tell from the way he walked, but Song Donglin had too much. When he bid Qi Chengzhi goodbye at the door, he was still feeling buzzed.

    Song Yu got the key from Qi Chengzhi; she would be the one driving instead.

    Just as the car left themunity entrance, Qi Chengzhi got a call from Yan Beicheng.

    Before Qi Chengzhi had the chance to reply, Yan Beicheng went straight to the point and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to all my WeChat messages?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi twitched his mouth. ¡°Why do you have to text me over WeChat? You should¡¯ve just called me. I¡¯m not on the tform often.¡±

    ¡°Are you and lil sis Xiao Yu free? I heard you guys get engaged. Come and celebrate with us,¡± Yan Beicheng said. Over the phone, it sounded really happening on the other side. He could also hear Wei Ziqian¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You caught on to the news pretty fast,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied andughed. Yan Beicheng knew about it a day after he broke the news to his family.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t you know? Your grandmother went all around and told everyone that! She even called up her friends. The only thing she hasn¡¯t done yet is announce it in the newspaper! When Han Zhuoli¡¯s grandmother heard that, she ran straight to hispany and pulled her ear ¡ª she too wants a granddaughter-inw!¡±

    Subsequently, Qi Chengzhi could hear someone that sounded like Han Zhuoli shouting, ¡°I feel my ears have be imbnced!¡±

    It was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s matter to be getting married. Why did he need to advertise it with a loud bang? The worst thing was, he pulled him down!

    His grandmother had said, whether it was the ex-girlfriend or the ex-wife of any of his brothers, with a kid or without, she would agree to it as long as Han Zhuoli could get her to marry him!

    Qi Chengzhi did not hang up. He turned around and asked if Song Yu wanted to go. If she was tired, they could head straight home. There was no need to entertain Yan Beicheng and the lot.

    Yan Beicheng could hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words clearly on the other side.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, are you still a man? Do you need permission from lil sis Xiao Yu to join a gathering? You two aren¡¯t even married yet, and you¡¯re already such a goody-two-shoe. What would you be when you¡¯re married? You¡¯ll probably be ving away! If any outsider learns this, they will be so shocked!¡±

    As it was too noisy over there, Yan Beicheng virtually shouted at the phone. Song Yu could hear his every word.

    Qi Chengzhi did not react. He did not care about Yan Beicheng¡¯s teasing.

    Song Yu blushed. She was afraid Qi Chengzhi would be looked down on by others.

    She had always agreed to Yan Beicheng¡¯s invitation. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to lose contact with his friends, and she, too, did not want them to think he was her ve.

    ¡°We will go,¡± Song Yu said, somewhat unwillingly.

    ¡°Where is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked, putting the phone close to his ear again.

    Yan Beicheng spilled out the name of a karaoke box. Qi Chengzhi expressed that he knew the ce. Before he hung up, he said, ¡°She heard everything you said.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gazed at Song Yu and her docile side profile. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, there¡¯s no need to force it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We don¡¯t have anything on anyway,¡± replied Song Yu. She took a nce at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°The next time they call you, you don¡¯t need to ask me. You can make the decision. Well, you can ask me, stealthily. Otherwise, they will make fun of you again.¡±

    Furthermore, he was not a submissive male. The reason he asked for her permission was out of respect.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. He did not respond.

    Song Yu knew that it meant he did not agree to it.

    ...

    ...

    When they arrived at the karaoke box, the waiter brought them to the room asmunicated.

    The soundproof system of every karaoke room was decent. When one was walking through the corridor, one could hear no singing. When the waiter opened the door, the singing, as though performed by a professional singer, flowed out of the room.

 Chapter 149 - Qi Chengzhi, You Childish Man!

    <h4>Chapter 149: Qi Chengzhi, You Childish Man!</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu did not expect the one who was singing to be Yan Beicheng. He sang ¡®Fleet of Time¡¯ in a truly unique way¡ªsome would say that his version was much more soulful than the original rendition.

    ¡°Those bygone years, we were caught in a rush, abandoned the hard-to-keep promises, and left them for others to honor...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Those bygone years, we saw so little of the world, only focused on the one you love...¡±

    ...

    ¡°That year together, we rushed into the rtionship, we did not understand that our stubborn promises, were just the foreword of the end...¡±

    ...

    Song Yu was entranced. She stood at the doorway, listening to Yan Beicheng¡¯s singing voice. It had always been a song of sorrow and regret but his rendition brought tears to her eyes.

    Regrets filled her heart. Her hand found Qi Chengzhi¡¯s and she held firm.

    Song Yu thought of something Qi Chengzhi once said to her. If she had been with him at the same age, he could see the young and frivolous him who was too immature. Not knowing how to take care of ady, he would have lost her due to the mistreatment. If that happened, he would have lost the meaning of life.

    She had always regretted that they did not get together earlier, that she took so long to understand him.

    However, this song made her think that she was lucky. They got together when Qi Chengzhi had matured and was ready to love someone. They reunited when he could swear fidelity to the woman he loved.

    Only now did she truly understand the meaning behind his words. He sacrificed time for the chance at asting rtionship.

    During the interlude, the singing paused for the instrumental. During this time, Yan Beicheng noticed Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi at the doorway and skipped the song.

    Song Yu was somewhat disappointed. She had wanted to hear him finish the song.

    While singing, Yan Beicheng was passionate and sincere¡ªa side she had never associated with the usually thuggish man.

    Although the song had been cut off, the atmosphere lingered and Yan Beicheng did not regain hisposure immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu over to the sofa. Chu Zhaoyang was silently scrolling his phone. He noticed the couple walking toward him and scooted aside to make room.

    There was a heavy stench of cigarette smoke in the room. When they entered the room, clouds of smoke were floating in the air. There was a cigarette on every person in the room¡ªbe it between their lips or fingers.

    Song Yu¡¯s appearance made each and every one of them put out their cigarettes. However, theck of venttion in the room meant the smoke lingered.

    ¡°I just called Wei Ziqi and he said it was toote. He needs to coax the children to sleep. Qi Chenglin was the same.¡± Yan Beicheng took the cigarette between his lips and extinguished it in the ashtray. He raised his wrist and looked at the time. He sneered, ¡°It¡¯s only 8.30 pm now.¡±

    Now that smoking was off the table, Han Zhuoli grabbed a lollipop from his pocket. ¡°Can you go back and tell your grandmother to hush? My grandmother came to find me and almost twisted my ear off.¡±

    ¡°Hush? When the timees for the wedding, your grandmother¡¯s going to find out. She wille for you sooner orter,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

    The retort made Han Zhuoli shake his head. ¡°You¡¯re proposing fast. You¡¯ve only been together for a few months. Is this a shotgun wedding?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re abiding the standard protocol: marriage, then children.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone was mocking. ¡°Even if it is a shotgun wedding, it¡¯s not your business. Don¡¯t dwell on the topic of our marriage, I¡¯m not answering questions.¡±

    At that, Wei Ziqian picked up the microphone and requested a song. He was not as good as Yan Beicheng but it was still better than the usual KTV standards.

    ¡°Little sister Xiao Yu, how did Qi Chengzhi propose to you?¡± Yan Beicheng pointed his long finger impudently at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Does our dark and gloomy boy know how to be romantic?¡±

    Song Yu did not answer. Regardless of what her answer was, she felt that Yan Beicheng would seize the opportunity to crack a joke at their expense.

    The mention of the proposal made her recall the event. She had sung Qi Chengzhi a song that day in the restaurant.

    Now, as Wei Ziqian sang in the background, Song Yu asked Qi Chengzhi in an impromptu manner, ¡°I have yet to hear you sing before.¡±

    Song Yu was too shy to say it in front of others so she leaned over and whispered into his ear, ¡°How about ¡®Forever Love¡¯?¡±

    Ever since she dedicated the song to Qi Chengzhi, he would put it on whenever he fancied. She wondered how was he not sick of it yet.

    Based on the frequency he listened to it, he should have mastered the lyrics.

    Before Qi Chengzhi gave a reply, Han Zhuoli broke out inughter. ¡°Him singing? He can only hit one out of five notes. He has a photographic memory but no sense of pitch. He¡¯s basically tone-deaf plus, he also has no sense of rhythm. Hence, he never sings with us.¡±

    ¡°But Qi Chengzhi sang when he was a child.¡± Yan Beicheng continued, ¡°When I was in junior high, I visited the Qi family with my parents. He was bathing with the bathroom door open. The shrieks and howls that came from upstairs made me think he was being beaten. I will never forget it all my life. At that time, his mother was so embarrassed her face became red and she quickly got the servant to shut the door.

    ¡°I was in the same ss as him in elementary school.¡± Wei Ziqian was snacking on a te of fries as he said, ¡°It was awful during music ss. The teacher yed the piano apaniment while the whole ss sang ¡®Where Is Spring¡¯. Back then, he would sing with a particrly loud voice. As a result, the whole ss went out of tune with him. And not just that, even the rhythm was messed up and the teacher¡¯s apaniment was affected.

    Wei Ziqian shook his head as nostalgia washed past him. ¡°The music sses back then were always fun and chaotic.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu turned to stare at Qi Chengzhi in disbelief. The man who could do the impossible could not hold a tune?

    At this moment, Qi Chengzhi kept a still face and munched on the bucket of popcorn in his arm, seemingly calm.

    Song Yu could not help her curiosity. She had some faith in the words of Yan Beicheng and others.

    On the outside, these men were low profile and mature but when gathered together, they be childish and mischievous. That did not mean they would simply blurt things out.

    In a moment of surprise and disbelief, she gently pulled the sleeve of Qi Chengzhi but he continued to chew on the popcorn and ignored her.

    She stretched her neck and leaned over, whispering, ¡°Is it true?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not speak but his ears were red. Under the dim light of the KTV, it was not obvious.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were next to his ears and his red ears were visible to her.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi also had something that he was not good at. Song Yu was amused. He finally felt like a human being. Otherwise, it would be scary if he was proficient at everything.

    ¡°Sing for me when we get home,¡± she whispered again.

    Atst, Qi Chengzhi looked at her but his expression was unreadable. She could not tell if he agreed to her proposal.

    If other people received that look by Qi Chengzhi, they would have backed down. However, Song Yu only held his arm tighter. Qi Chengzhi let his gaze fall. She held his arm so tightly that it was tucked in her bosom.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth quirked upwards. It was quitefortable being hugged this way.

    Unable to resist the urge, he intentionally moved his trapped arm.

    Song Yu did not realize the effect of her action¡ªholding Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm was a subconscious decision. The sudden pressure from his arm made her look down at her chest. Only then did she realize her action¡ªakin to that of some indecent women outside¡ªwas somewhat promiscuous.

    She quickly loosened her hands around his arm. Despite her efforts, the arm remained at its position, embedded in her bosom, rubbing against her.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was red while Qi Chengzhi maintained a calm demeanor. His arm was up to no good yet his face revealed nothing but solemnity.

    Song Yu thought, ¡®Shameless.¡¯ She bravely leaned over and said in his ear, ¡°You are singing for me when we get home!¡±

    She ended her order with a kiss on his red ear.

    She wanted to tease Qi Chengzhi as it was rare to see him embarrassed.

    To her surprise, her kiss made his ear even redder.

    It was such a cute look. Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi with surprise¡ªshe did not know his ears could reach this level of redness.

    Qi Chengzhi did not sing and they ended up ying a game of dice.

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s slender fingers toyed with the die. His thumb rubbed against the side of the die while his other hand threw popcorn into his mouth. He said, ¡°Let¡¯s not change the rules. Instead of drinking, whoever that loses sings a song. How¡¯s that?¡±

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s idea was obviously directed at Qi Chengzhi.

    This got Han Zhuoli and the others worked up. They wanted to hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone-deaf and out of rhythm singing. It was a shame that Qi Chengzhi realized his singing was atrocious in the second year of junior high and decided to never sing again. After that, they never got to hear Qi Chengzhi¡¯s singing again. They lost theirst chance to tease him.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea!¡± Wei Ziqian rolled up his sleeves and picked up the dice cup elegantly. He ced the dice in it and gave it two shakes.

    Qi Chengzhi had no objection. He threw his dice into the dice cup and shook it twice. The dice rattled inside.

    Chu Zhaoyang looked at them, then at the microphone, and picked up his dice cup.

    His thick eyebrows nted downward, there was only one option, ¡®No losing!¡¯

    Chu Zhaoyang was quiet to the point of maddening, coupled with his stoic face, he was suited for this game. Even Qi Chengzhi could not read anything from his face.

    So even after a few rounds, Chu Zhaoyang truly did not lose.

    Singing was a verymon activity for the others and did not work as a punishment. Han Zhuoli and the others were happy to sing when they lost the game.

    Several rounds passed, Han Zhuoli, Yan Beicheng, and Wei Ziqian struggled with great effort to make Chu Zhaoyang and Qi Chengzhi lose. The three of them were united with amon goal.

    Unfortunately, Qi Chengzhi was cunning and did not lose. Even Song Yu lost twice and sang.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s gettingte.¡±

    ¡°Last round!¡± Yan Beicheng said. He took out his phone and texted Wei Ziqian and Han Zhuoli, ¡°If we can¡¯t take down Qi Chengzhi, at least we get Lao Chu. Then it¡¯ll be worth it!¡±

    His proposal was unanimously approved by Han Zhuoli and Wei Ziqian.

    After the first pass, Qi Chengzhi picked up on their scheme and raised his eyebrows. He joined in on their collective effort to make Chu Zhaoyang lose.

    As a result, Chu Zhaoyang stood no chance and lost once.

    ¡°Haha! Lao Chu doesn¡¯t even usually talk, let alone sing. I can¡¯t wait to hear what his singing is like!¡± Wei Ziqian rapped his thigh happily. ¡°Even though we didn¡¯t get to hear Qi Chengzhi sing today, at least we have you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chu Zhaoyang silently walked up to the KTV machine and scrolled through the songs, his fingertips tapping on the disy. Then, he picked up the microphone and stood in front of the big screen.

    The name of the chosen song appeared on the screen, ¡®My Skate Shoes¡¯.

    Everyone was speechless.

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°This KTV really keeps up with the times, they even have this kind of song.¡±

    Then, they heard Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s monotonous reading of the lyrics on the screen.

    ¡°I have forgotten some things, but I still remember...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Step by step, like ws, like the devil¡¯s footstep, rubbing, rubbing...¡±

    ...

    The room was silent.

    They could not associate the funny lyrics with Chu Zhaoyang. The words sounded wronging out of his mouth.

    Especially when Chu Zhaoyang had on a stone face from the beginning to the end. He went through the song without any rhythm, just like a robot dictating the lyrics without emotions. It was a strange experience.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu listened to Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s performance for some time, then said, ¡°Chu Zhaoyang is really...quick-witted...¡±

    When Chu Zhaoyang finished his song, he overheard Song Yu¡¯sment and kept a straight face. ¡°Ha ha!¡±

    The original intention of the game to make Qi Chengzhi sing was not fulfilled in the end.

    ...

    ...

    They were back home at night. Qi Chengzhi took a bath and changed into his pajamas. When he walked out of the bathroom, Song Yu was already decent in her pajamas, tucked underneath the covers. She was scrolling something on her phone.

    Looking at herfortably in bed, Qi Chengzhi rashly dried his hair, pulled back the covers, and got into bed. With his back against the bed, he leaned onto Song Yu.

    Drops of water from his hair dripped on her shoulders. The water soaked through her pajamas and the cold startled her.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand went through the pajamas neckline and wiped the water from her shoulder.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s approach brought with him the smell of men¡¯s body bath¡ªfresh and pleasant to the nose.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± The low rumble of his attractive voice sounded beside her ear. It made her heart throb.

    As Song Yu was attempting to reply, water droplets at the tips of his hair fell on her shoulder like light rain and a small patch of wetness formed.

    The chill got to Song Yu. She pushed him away. ¡°Go and dry your hair. The water is dripping on my shoulder and making me cold.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squinted and let out a soft huff at her rebuke. He remained motionless on the bed and no matter how hard she tried, she could not push him away.

    Qi Chengzhi did not move away. Instead, he turned around and hugged her. Even her arms were trapped in his embrace. With a huff, he said in a somber voice, ¡°You said you will love me even when I¡¯m old and wrinkly and toothless. But now, we¡¯re not even married and you¡¯re starting to dislike me?¡±

    ¡°No- Oh!¡± Song Yu did not manage to finish her sentence before she was tackled onto the bed.

    He rubbed his wet hair directly on her chest in all directions. The chest area of her pajamas was soaked through from the water.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu screamed from the sudden cold seeping through her pajamas. How could this man be so childish?

    Song Yu shivered as the damp and cold pajamas stuck to her chest. Goosebumps formed on her skin. It was not warm in March, especially at night.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his head. Even his face was wet from his antics. Part of his fringe was stuck to his forehead, making him look like a mischievous child.

    With Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face tucked against her chest, the cold was less potent.

    When he lifted his head, the cold air blew across her chest, making her shiver.

    ¡°You¡¯re so childish!¡± As Song Yu twisted and turned, trying to push him away. She tried to burrow deeper into the covers to warm herself.

    Her movements caught Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attention.

    Below him, he saw her pajamas clinging to her curves¡ªeven her breasts were outlined.

    When there were no guests at home, Song Yu did not bother wearing a bra.

    Qi Chengzhi remembered the soft bosom against his face and his breathbored. He grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hands away from the covers and pinned them above her head. Then, he lowered his head and kissed her breast directly through the pajamas.

    Song Yu inhaled sharply and her body shivered¡ªunsure if it was too hot or too cold.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sensual lipstched onto her softness. His hoarse voice echoed, ¡°Let me warm you up.¡±

    He loosened his grip on her wrists. The hands inched down her arms and stopped at her waist. The hands went under the hem of her top and undressed her.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing became heavy. Without much warning, he had taken off her pajamas. The goosebumps on her skin were going away as he warmed up her body. A faint pinkish hue wasing back to her skin.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands dipped down into her pajamas shorts and caressed her gently.

    Song Yu gasped breathily. Her hips canted toward Qi Chengzhi. He was busy cing hot kisses on her breasts. Water still dripped down from his hair and the thermal extremes made her tremble.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s moved upward to find her lips. At the same time, he lifted her waist and thrust into her.

    Song Yu could not help herself and deepened the kiss, exploring deeper into his mouth.

    Qi Chengzhi moaned with satisfaction. He said against her lips, ¡°It feels good without the rubber.¡±

    Without thatyer of protection, he could feel her earnestly. Qi Chengzhi felt like he could die from the experience.

    Song Yu groaned. Her face was red from blushing. It truly was a very different sensation. She clung to him and held him in a tight embrace.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi held her in his embrace, seemingly still unsatiated. The elegant hands kneaded hotly across her back. asionally, the fingers traveled down south and pinched at her buttocks. Song Yu¡¯s body was red from pinching as she nestled into his arms.

    Since Song Yu decided to let nature decide when they have children, he no longer needed to wear condoms¡ªwhich was amazing.

    Just remembering the feeling made his heart fill with joy. He lowered his head and started kissing her shoulder suggestively. He gently nudged her back to kiss her breasts.

    ¡°What were you looking at on your phone just now?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.

 Chapter 150 - I Donâ€™t Mind Your Stubbornness, As Long As Itâ€™s With Me

    <h4>Chapter 150: I Don¡¯t Mind Your Stubbornness, As Long As It¡¯s With Me</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What were you looking at on your phone just now?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked passingly. He did not really want to know, he just had nothing to chat about.

    Song Yu almost forgot about it. She pushed his face away from her chest and turned to retrieve her abandoned phone.

    Being pushed aside by Song Yu annoyed Qi Chengzhi. He pinched her buttock without hesitation.

    ¡°Aiya!¡± Song Yu turned around and red at him. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not speak. After all, he was no longer the apple of her eye.

    He hugged her tightly and gave her a hard kiss on her lips. Her lips were being rubbed raw.

    It was a while before he released her. There was a fierce look in his eyes as he said, ¡°That¡¯s for pushing me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu almost forgot about the green-eyed monster in Qi Chengzhi¡ªhe was upset over such a small matter.

    ¡°Then you be gentle as well!¡± She ranted on, ¡°You¡¯re talking about me? You just pinch me whenever you want.¡±

    ¡°How about you let me massage you then?¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a serious face.

    ¡®Shameless!¡¯

    Song Yu was unable to stop him so she let him do whatever he wanted. The massage soon moved onto ces that were less decent. Song Yu¡¯s face reddened but her body would not move.

    ¡°What were you doing just now?¡± Initially, Qi Chengzhi was not curious but Song Yu¡¯s reaction made him wonder. She did just push his face aside to resume the search on her phone.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for a song!¡± Song Yu found the song, ¡®Forever Love¡¯. Qi Chengzhi had always used her phone to listen to the song. A smug and satisfied expression appeared on his face whenever he listened to it.

    ¡°Sing it once for me,¡± Song Yu said expectantly. Her face was sweet and persuasive. ¡°Just this once, I want to hear it from you.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he looked at her. She did say she was tired just now.

    ¡°I won¡¯t be tired if I hear your singing.¡±

    ¡°You were tired just now. Go ahead and sleep first.¡± Qi Chengzhi plucked the phone out of her hands and ced it on his side of the bedside table. He pulled her into a tight embrace against his chest.

    ¡°Then sing me a song to sleep.¡± Song Yu changed tactics.

    He chuckled light-heartedly and rubbed her back. ¡°You¡¯re an adult now and still want a luby?¡±

    Song Yu was getting annoyed. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, don¡¯t y dumb.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi patted her back and nudged her head with his chin. ¡°Quit with it and sleep.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu called out in an angry tone. He could not fulfill such a small request from her?

    It did not matter how much she requested, his voice was never showcased.

    She raised her head and looked at Qi Chengzhi. His eyes were shut as if he had fallen asleep.

    Song Yu pulled his face angrily. She did not believe that he could have possibly fallen asleep so quickly.

    It was just one song.

    Not wanting others to hear him sing was one thing, now it was only her and he still refused to sing.

    It was a sudden penchant for romance which led to her wanting to hear Qi Chengzhi sing her a love song.

    She had never been in a rtionship. When she was in school, she had never experienced the pure and innocent rtionship of first love.

    Strictly speaking, that thing with Jian Yi did not even count as a rtionship, so Qi Chengzhi was her first.

    Hence, she carried with her a schoolgirl¡¯s expectation of romance. This idea popped into her mind at the KTV and the more she thought of it, the more she wanted it fulfilled.

    She was also curious to hear the introverted Qi Chengzhi sing.

    Who knew he would pretend to fall asleep to avoid her. Song Yu was displeased. She removed his hand from her waist and flung it away from her. She shuffled to the side of the bed with her back facing Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi quietly peeked at her through one eye. Seeing Song Yu so far away, He wiggled his way to her side and spooned her from the back.

    ¡®Huh!¡¯

    ¡®Weren¡¯t you asleep?¡¯

    ¡®And now you¡¯re cuddling up to me?¡¯

    Song Yu pped his arm away and kicked at his thigh to dislodge him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm stubbornly came back. After that kick, he decided to hug her waist. He attempted to lock her limbs.

    The more he tried to immobilize her, the angrier she got.

    He would not even fulfill such a small request and even faked sleeping to avoid her. Yet, now he was pestering her non-stop.

    The fake sleeping was what got to her.

    She was immobilized by Qi Chengzhi so leaving the bed was not an option. She could not break his lock. She stayed in his embrace but that did not mean her anger had subsided.

    On the contrary, being stuck in his arms, the more she thought about it, the angrier she got. The negativity leaked out in the form of tears.

    Qi Chengzhi saw that Song Yu was no longer struggling and thought that her anger had been cated. He closed his eyes and slept.

    Something was not right. He noticed the unusual breathing pattern of the woman in his arms.

    Knowing Song Yu¡¯s anger was not quelled, he got up on his arm to look at her. He did not dare to make her turn around.

    The tears flowing had stained the pillow beneath her.

    Qi Chengzhi let out a quiet sigh and gently turned her over. He kissed away her tears before giving her a kiss on the lips¡ªthere was a salty taste to his lips.

    Song Yu was very much upset and did not bother to rebuke his efforts. Perhaps it was because of her low spirits, his reassuring presence was needed at that moment.

    However, his gentleness only made her feel worse and more tears streamed down her face.

    Qi Chengzhi consoled Song Yu. As he did that, he slowly and gently rubbed into her.

    Song Yu could onlyy helplessly in his embrace and let him rub against her. She gradually entered a state of ecstasy and momentarily forgot the minor grievances that she had in her heart.

    In the end, her crying had subsided and she fell asleep. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reassurance was no longer required.

    Seeing the tear tracks on her red face, Qi Chengzhi dabbed away the remaining tears and muttered, ¡°Crying over such a small matter.¡±

    He sat up and carefully bundled the covers around Song Yu. He did not want her to wake from the sudden loss of warmth. Then, he carefully took her phone and left the bedroom.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Song Yu was still ignoring Qi Chengzhi. She did not speak to him.

    Qi Chengzhi returned the favor and that was how the cold war started. The atmosphere was heavyden and Aunt Yang was at a loss.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was cold toward Qi Chengzhi.

    Aunt Yang thought, ¡®They were fine when they got back yesterday night. They had a fight in the room?¡¯

    After breakfast, they said nothing to each other but they climbed into the car together.

    Along the way, Song Yu sent a few tentative nces at Qi Chengzhi but his face remained stoic and did not return her gesture.

    Song Yu was furious. During the remaining trip, she fixed her eyes on the side window and never looked over.

    The car stopped in front of thepany. No one said any parting words. Song Yu flung open the car door and angrily strode away.

    When she reached the entrance of thepany, she could not help herself. She turned around.

    The Range Rover drove away without so much as a second nce at her.

    Previously, he would wait until she entered the elevator before driving away.

    Song Yu turned angrily and walked to the elevator. When she got to her office, she took out her phone from her bag. There was a message. Her phone was on vibrate in her bag, therefore she did not notice the message.

    It was a message from Qi Chengzhi¡ªthe timestamp was when she got down from the car.

    It was probably sent before he drove away.

    Song Yu felt relief in her chest. She opened the message.

    ¡®Open your sound recorder.¡¯

    Her heart skipped a beat. She opened the sound recorder on her phone with anticipation. There was a sound file titled, ¡®Forever Love¡¯.

    Song Yu left the office with the phone in hand. She went into the stairwell and opened the file.

    The starting few seconds were just static. Then Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice sounded.

    ...

    ¡°Love is a journey that is long and beautiful...¡±

    ¡°Along the way, there will be rain and mud...¡±

    ¡°That will hinder our path...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Forever Love, Forever Love...¡±

    ¡°I want to spend my whole life loving you...¡±

    ¡°From today onwards, you are my happiness...¡±

    ...

    ¡°Your glittering eyes, my solemn voice...¡±

    ¡°Are the concrete evidence...¡±

    ¡°Let me say this again...¡±

    ¡°I love you...¡±

    ¡°Forever...¡±

    ...

    Song Yu listened to the whole recording. Qi Chengzhi truly was tone-deaf and had no sense of rhythm...

    There was truth in the words of Yan Beicheng and the guys.

    Qi Chengzhi had a maic and attractive voice, yet his singing produced a totally unexpected result.

    The thought of the handsome and presentable Qi Chengzhi singing so horribly made Song Yuugh uncontrobly.

    After a while, her face became red.

    She thought of her episode yesterday night. She was so upset over such a small thing and even ignored Qi Chengzhi in the morning. She did not even say goodbye when she left the car.

    Every time before exiting the car, she would remind him to drive carefully.

    Now that she thought about it, she must have been quite adamant about the issue to make Qi Chengzhi acquiesce to her request.

    He was rather patient with her and gave her what she wanted in the end.

    He was willing to sacrifice his pride to make her happy.

    The thought of her outstanding boyfriend made her heart warm. She clutched her phone to her chest. Her eyes and lips could not hold back the sincere smile.

    Honestly, she did not know what made her throw a tantrum over such a small matter.

    Maybe it was due to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s constant doting on her. Whenever things did not go her way, she would be unhappy.

    Unknowingly, small disagreements became a reason to throw tantrums.

    To be pampered by someone felt really good. She felt loved.

    However, her behavior yesterday night and this morning still made her blush shamefully.

    She felt sorry for Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Before Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes was an angry-faced Jian Yi with no regards to manners. Qi Chengzhi could predict the words that wereing.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to France,¡± Jian Yi¡¯s deep voice grumbled.

    Qi Chengzhi held a lighter between his slender fingers. The lighter spun in his hand and produced an illusion of a flower. Then, with a flick of his finger, a yellow me flickered into existence. He lit the cigarette between his lips.

    Qi Chengzhi took a drag and blew out the smoke. He chuckled coldly.

    ¡°Were you mistaken? This France trip is apany order. As an employee of Qilin, you are required to obey the order. It¡¯s not up to you to decide. Although you are the son-inw of the Qi family, we don¡¯t provide any special privileges in thepany,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly.

    ¡°If the job dictates you to meet a client that you don¡¯t like or leave the country for a posting, it¡¯s your duty to do it. You don¡¯t get to say no just because you don¡¯t feel like it. If you think you can get your way just because you¡¯re the son-inw, then clearly you have been mistaken.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re abusing your power to exact revenge on me!¡± Jian Yi red at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°You¡¯re just using thepany as an excuse to get me far away. I assume Song Yu has told you about the thing that I spoke of. You¡¯re just afraid that the truth will be revealed. Whatpany order? It¡¯s basically just a directive by you alone!¡±

    Jian Yi growled angrily, ¡°You had so many chances to transfer me overseas, but the need only arose after I told Song Yu about it. Your action only confirms my beliefs. I will not stop investigating. Song Yu deserves to know the truth about you!

    ¡°You say that there should be a clear line between work and private life, that there are no special privileges. Yet, you hold sole ownership of the wholepany and you¡¯re using your position for personal gains!¡± Jian Yi clenched his fist.

    What gave Qi Chengzhi the right to issue these orders? If Jian Yi did such a thing, it would be considered an abuse of power. When Qi Chengzhi did it, it was thepany¡¯s directive.

    Was thepany represented by Qi Chengzhi alone?

    Qi Chengzhi took another drag of his cigarette and tapped it against the ashtray. ¡°Who made me a son of the Qi family? Thepany was always mine, so of course, I have the final say in everything. Sure, I¡¯m abusing my position, so what? What are you gonna do about it?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Jian Yi was outraged at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unreasonable words. It felt like a heavy stone sat on his chest.

    A phone ringing interrupted Jian Yi. Qi Chengzhi saw the caller ID on the phone and his eyes crinkled.

    He answered the phone in front of Jian Yi.

    Song Yu¡¯s soft and apologetic voice came through. ¡°It¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°Em.¡± The corners of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth twitched. His tone had a hint of amusement.

    Even though Song Yu was not physically here, her voice was enough to make Qi Chengzhi put his cigarette down by the ashtray.

    It was working hours and Song Yu was worried that he had some business to tend to. Yet, she was feeling guilty about ignoring him. Her heart was heavy with guilt and she wanted to speak to Qi Chengzhi as soon as possible.

    ¡°Are you busy?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Qi Chengzhi did not spare Jian Yi a nce and said, ¡°No, I have nothing on my hands now.¡±

    Song Yu was relieved.

    ¡°I heard the recording.¡± Song Yu walked to the corner of the stairwell and spoke softly, ¡°Thank you, and I¡¯m sorry for my stubbornness. I don¡¯t know what got over me, getting mad over such a small matter.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind your stubbornness, as long as it¡¯s with me,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a gentle tone¡ªhe lowered the volume of his voice, making it sound like he was whispering.

    This Qi Chengzhi who was whispering sweet nothings into the phone was nothing like the one that said those unreasonable words.

    The longer Jian Yi watched the scene, the angrier he got. His frustrations could no longer be contained in his heart and spilled over his face.

    Other than Song Yu, who else could make Qi Chengzhi act like this?

    To add insult to injury, Qi Chengzhipletely ignored his presence and was whispering sweet nothings to Song Yu.

    Hearing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forgiveness, the image of his handsome face appeared in Song Yu¡¯s mind.

    The thought of being epted and coddled by Qi Chengzhi made her incredibly happy.

    ¡°When did you record the song?¡± Song Yu asked. During the entire morning, they were together although no one spoke a word to each other. There was no time for him to record.

    ¡°Last night after I tired you out,¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his voice and said with a hint of amusement.

    That did not prevent Jian Yi from hearing his words.

    From Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone and expression, Jian Yi more or less knew why Song Yu was tired.

    The jealousy coiled deep within his chest rushed up at the thought of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu having sex. The knife twisted deeper into his heart.

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened when she thought of how she fell asleep yesterday night.

    Last night, Qi Chengzhi gently coaxed her and kissed away her tears. His kisses were featherlight as if fearing she might break. His tongue curled around hers and swept across the insides of her mouth. His hands moved across her skin as he slowly entered her. He moved at a rxed pace, to the point where even she got impatient.

    Although she was still not on talking terms with him, she silently urged him on.

    Qi Chengzhi obliged and picked up his speed¡ªfaster than what she wanted. He switched gears in between while holding her tightly in his arms.

    Strong arms circled around her and gave her a wordless reassurance. His warmth washed over her from the inside out¡ªshe was enveloped by him.

    When it was done, she was exhausted. Her body was fully supported by Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu fell asleep almost immediately¡ªher anger did not manage to reveal itself again.

    In the morning, she ignored Qi Chengzhi because of what he did.

    The fact that he urged for sex even though she was crying angry tears. The thought frustrated her.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi,¡± Song Yu said suddenly.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chengzhi heard the hesitation in her voice. While he did not know what she was going to say, he figured it would be something he liked. His ears perked up and he sat straighter. He spun his chair away from Jian Yi. From the reflection of the ss window, Jian Yi watched him adjust his suit.

    ¡°Sorry that I didn¡¯t say goodbye this morning, I love you,¡± Song Yu said it in the same breath. Without waiting for his reply, the phone call ended.

    It was not the first time Song Yu said it, yet her heart was pounding like she just ran a hundred-meter sprint.

    Sometimes Song Yu was a bit of a worrywart. She thought to herself, ¡®What if something happened to Qi Chengzhi on the road?¡¯ She did not even bid him goodbye because she was too caught up with her own tantrum.

    What if that was herst chance to say goodbye?

    If something had happened to Qi Chengzhi, theirst exchange would be an unhappy one¡ªwith Song Yu giving him the cold shoulder. The regret would be overwhelming.

    Although real life was not as melodramatic as television, Song Yu made a mental note to reconcile quickly the next time they have a disagreement.

    The confession was unexpected to Qi Chengzhi. He was left in a daze, holding onto the phone with the dial tone in his ear.

    A few momentster, he chuckled at his phone. He was truly smitten by Song Yu.

    Jian Yi heard his chuckle and suppressed the instinct to ask. However, there was no stopping the jealousy he felt in his heart.

    What did Song Yu tell him to make Qi Chengzhi so happy?

    It was as if they were exchanging sweet nothings right in front of him. This only stoked the resentment in him.

    Clearly, Qi Chengzhi was intentionally showing off!

    Qi Chengzhi swung back to face Jian Yi. The sincerity from talking to Song Yu had vanished from his face. He looked at Jian Yi with a mocking expression.

    ¡°You can always resign if you don¡¯t want to go to France. If you¡¯re not our employee, you won¡¯t have to obey thepany¡¯s orders.¡± Qi Chengzhi eyed the smoking cigarette in the ashtray. He put out the cigarette and leaned back in his chair. ¡°Go to France or resign, your choice,¡± he taunted Jian Yi.

    Before, Jian Yi would not mind resigning.

    However, Qi Chengyue had given him an ultimatum¡ªshe would not provide him any financial assistance if he wanted to start his own business.

    If Jian Yi could not love Qi Chengyue, she would ensure he could never advance in his career.

    No matter what Jian Yi said, Qi Chengyue would never give him an opportunity to shine.

    Jian Yi gave Qi Chengzhi a death stare. ¡°Do you think you¡¯re safe just because I¡¯m transferred to France? You can transfer or fire me but you will never remove me from Song Yu¡¯s life. As long as I¡¯m alive, I will not give up! I will show her the truth!¡±

    Jian Yi turned and strode out angrily.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned. What knowledge did Jian Yi have that made him believe he could destroy their rtionship?

    An eyebrow perked up. There was one possibility. Qi Chengzhi squinted his eyes.

    ...

    ...

    The engagement lunch was set on a Saturday. The VIP room in Dynasty was booked for the asion.

    In the morning, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to her parents¡¯ house. After some pleasant exchange, he fetched the Song family to Dynasty.

    As they got down from the car, they saw Qi Chengji, who took leave from the army, get out from the green train.

    Ever since the Song family went into bankruptcy, Qi Chengji never met with Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    Today was Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s engagement lunch, hence all the Qi family members were required to attend. Initially, they were hoping the crowd at the table would alleviate any awkwardness. Who knew they would run into each other at the door.

    Qi Chengji froze in shock. While he never had any feelings for Song Yu, they had once been engaged to each other. Moreover, during the engagement, he actually harbored feelings for Wei Ran¡ªhe felt guilty and sorry for Song Yu and her parents.

    Faced with his almost-inws, he awkwardly scratched his nose and greeted, ¡°Uncle, Auntie.¡±

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were equally uneased. They nodded and gave Qi Chengji a polite smile.

    Qi Chengzhi was the only person who was unaffected by this whole ordeal. He took Song Yu¡¯s hand and said in an affirming tone, ¡°Dad, Mom, let¡¯s head in.¡±

    By now, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were used to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s use of those terms. However, it was Qi Chengji¡¯s first time hearing it and there was a moment of silence as he processed the situation.

    The correct term was ¡®father and mother-inw¡¯ but his brother called them ¡®dad¡¯ and ¡®mom¡¯. It was weird, to say the least.

    When they got to the VIP room, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya were already there. Seated beside them was Qi Chenglin with his son, Qi Youxuan.

    The first thing Qi Youxuan did upon arrival was ordering a te of water chestnut cake.

    At the sound of the door opening, they turned to look. They stood up when they saw Qi Chengzhi walk in with the Song family.

    After an awkward exchange of pleasantries, everyone sat down and thought of what to say next.

    Asking about how the Song family have been in the past years was too insincere. They had already heard stories from Song Yu, asking now would be akin to rubbing salt into their wounds.

    In the tense silence, Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby hands offered the remaining water chestnut cakes to Song Donglin. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, try this. It¡¯s really good.¡±

    Yu Qianying had always hoped Song Yu would get married and have children. She longed to have a grandson.

    When she went for a stroll in the garden, she would see neighbors of her age pushing baby strollers or holding the hands of their grandchildren. She would watch them with envy.

    Seeing the adorable Qi Youxuan offering them cake made her incredibly happy. Yu Qianying smiled broadly at the child and chatted with him. While she wanted to hug Qi Youxuan, she was worried that he would not be happy.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯srge, innocent eyes looked around and he wiggled his butt in the adult chair. He rummaged through his small rucksack.

    From the rucksack, he pulled out a packet of sunflower seeds, a bag of broad beans, and a bag of popcorn. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, have some of these.¡±

 Chapter 151 - If Possible, Look Into Qi Chengzhiâ€™s Status That Year

    <h4>Chapter 151: If Possible, Look Into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Status That Year</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    From the rucksack, Qi Youxuan pulled out a packet of sunflower seeds, a bag of broad beans, and a bag of popcorn. ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, have some of these.¡±

    ¡°Good boy! Youxuan is five this year right?¡± Yu Qianying was very pleased¡ªher eyes crinkled as she smiled.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. He¡¯ll be attending elementary school next year,¡± Guan Liya replied.

    Yu Qianying looked around and only saw the few of them. She asked, ¡°Chengyue is noting?¡±

    ¡°She...¡± Guan Liya smiled awkwardly and told the truth, ¡°No matter what, Song Yu and Jian Yi had a past together. I was worried that having them today would make things ufortable.¡±

    Yu Qianying was uncertain if the words were sincere or Guan Liya was hinting at something else. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be awkward about. When we were bankrupt, Jian Yi helped us a lot. It¡¯s fate that we¡¯re bing rtives now.¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Guan Liyaughed dryly and did notment any further.

    Yu Qianying turned her attention back to Qi Youxuan.

    After a while, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi arrived. Trailing behind them was Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were very respectful toward the two Qi family elders.

    As everyone took their seats, Xia Wenna ended up beside Yu Qianying.

    Hesitation crossed Xia Wenna¡¯s face but she whispered, ¡°Qianying, if we became family, you can rest assured. Our family, along with Chengzhi, will never do anything that might harm your family again.¡±

    Yu Qianying did not catch the operative word, ¡®again¡¯.

    They were childhood friends who drifted apart after the Song family bankruptcy incident. To say that there were no friendly sentiments between them was a lie.

    Hence, because of their close rtionship, the fallout hit Yu Qianying twice as hard.

    The words from Xia Wenna¡¯s mouth were apologetic. It was not easy for someone of her stature to say such things. It had been many years since the incident. Yu Qianying thought of their shared past and friendship, and now with this joining of their families, it was hard for her to be angry.

    She made the first move after a moment of hesitation. She took Xia Wenna¡¯s hand.

    Xia Wenna¡¯s eyes teared up and held onto Yu Qiangying¡¯s hand. ¡°Qianying... Does this mean you forgive me?¡±

    Yu Qianying let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯re soon to be family. There¡¯s nothing to forgive. It¡¯s not like we can avoid each other in the future.¡±

    Grandmother Qi spotted Xia Wenna¡¯s expression and nodded wisely. ¡°Alright, alright. Today is a day of happiness, not a ce for tears. Have we ordered the dishes?¡±

    ¡°Dynasty has a meal package for engagements. We¡¯ve already ordered it,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    Grandmother Qi had a satisfied look on her face. She smiled heartily. ¡°Fate ties us together again after many twists and turns. We¡¯re meant to be inws! Because of that undeserving grandchild of mine, we overlooked Song Yu. I already gave him a good scolding. Song Yu was such a good granddaughter-inw and we lost our chance. I thought, which lucky house will get to have Song Yu as their inw?¡±

    ¡°Who knew, it was my eldest grandson who lived up to my expectations and brought Song Yu back into the family!¡± Grandmother Qi eximed ecstatically.

    Yu Qianying was at a loss as to how she should respond to Grandmother Qi¡¯s enthusiasm when the door opened.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, sorry we¡¯rete,¡± Qi Chengyue greeted in a lively tone.

    Guan Liya did not expect Qi Chengyue to show up. Grandmother Qi had advised her to convince Qi Chengyue to stay home, worrying that Qi Chengyue¡¯sck of manners would disrupt the banquet and Jian Yi¡¯s presence would make it awkward for the Song family.

    Guan Liya had little control over her daughter. She knew that confrontation would only backfire when it came to Qi Chengyue so she hid the event from her and secretly came with her husband. s, Qi Chengyue found out.

    Grandmother Qi smiled and said, ¡°You¡¯re alwayste. You have all of the elders here waiting for you. When will you pick up some etiquette and manners?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, it was due to the traffic jam. We left quite early and would have arrived early if it weren¡¯t for the traffic.¡± The waiter brought in two chairs and Qi Chengyue pulled in Jian Yi to sit. ¡°How could we miss such an important day?¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi is happy for Song Yu¡¯s marriage to our big brother. They were childhood friends, so he has a soft spot for her.¡± Qi Chengyue tugged at Jian Yi¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you?¡±

    Jian Yi gave a tight smile. He was attending the event against his will. Qi Chengyue was persistent abouting today. She wanted him to witness with his own eyes, Song Yu¡¯s engagement and marriage to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengyue wanted him to watch Song Yu love another man and to give up on Song Yu.

    Give up on Song Yu?

    Jian Yi¡¯s heart was at a crossroads.

    He knew that his dream to be reunited with Song Yu was a lost cause but he could not stand to watch Song Yu fall into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms.

    Even though he could not have Song Yu, he wanted to break them apart.

    Identity, social status, power, money, these were elements that Qi Chengzhi was born equipped with. Meanwhile, Jian Yi sacrificed his love and still had none of the above.

    Qi Chengzhi already had many good things in his life. Why was he deserving of Song Yu¡¯s love? Why was he granted a perfect life?

    Qi Chengzhi had so many things, and now he was taking the one thing that Jian Yi once could have had.

    Song Yu was the only part of Jian Yi¡¯s life that Qi Chengzhi did not have.

    Yet, now, Qi Chengzhi got hold of even that!

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice broke his train of thought.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, since we¡¯re meeting today, why don¡¯t we take this time to discuss the wedding?¡± Grandmother Qi continued, ¡°We were thinking of a grand wedding here at Dynasty. What¡¯s your opinion on this? Come, share your thoughts. We can discuss.¡±

    ¡°I have no particr requests, just that our Song Yu can proudly marry into your family with friends and family as witnesses. Not a quiet wedding that no one knows about,¡± Yu Qianying spoke assertively.

    ¡°Of course!¡± Grandmother Qi nodded in agreement and pulled out the Chinese calendar.

    Yu Qianying suspected the old woman carried the calendar everywhere she went.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, I¡¯ve picked out some dates from within. Have a look.¡± Grandmother Qi passed the calendar to Xia Wenna, who gave it to Yu Qianying.

    As Yu Qianying flipped through the pages, Grandmother Qi spoke, ¡°Once we have a date, Chengzhi can speak to Xiao Yunqing to block out Dynasty. We¡¯ll have the whole restaurant to ourselves for the day.¡±

    ¡°The whole Dynasty? You¡¯re really going all-out with the expenses!¡± Grandfather Qi red at her with his nostrils ring.

    ¡°And what? My eldest grandson is getting married and deserves a grand, opulent wedding! We¡¯ll get a helicopter for some aerial photos,¡± Grandmother Qi shouted back. She was not afraid of her husband.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking, now, weigh in if you have reservations, we can have the day session in Dynasty. Chengzhi knows Xiao Yan so we can have the reciprocal banquet at Red Roof Club. We¡¯ll book the whole club. I think the booking fee won¡¯t be a concern and Xiao Yan may just cover it on our behalf.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll get Xiao Han to take care of the wedding ceremony. We won¡¯t need to use the ones provided by the weddingpany. Xiao Han¡¯spany has several famous hosts and hostesses, we¡¯ll let him pick one for us. The music and audio effects can also be delegated to Xiao Han.¡±

    Grandmother Qi counted on her fingers. ¡°Let¡¯s not invite those celebrities. They may take this as a chance to frolic among the young and talented. It paints a bad image for the wedding.¡±

    ¡°Hm? Talking about this, let¡¯s get Xiao Han to bring in Director Wu from hispany, along with that famous photographer. What¡¯s his name again? He always works with Director Wu. They can be in charge of the wedding¡¯s videography. Theirpany can also provide top-notch editing services. The wedding video will be as good as a movie.¡±

    As Grandmother Qi got more and more excited, her ideas fell into unreasonable territories. Grandfather Qimented, ¡°Are you done? People have work to do, you can¡¯t just order them toe. It¡¯s just a wedding, there¡¯s no need to make such a big hoo-ha!¡±

    ¡°I will get Xiao Han to give me a list of avable staff. Hispany has a bunch of famous directors, there will be someone avable for sure. I think we won¡¯t consider using the ones from the weddingpany, we just need to provide them with a mastern. We can get a makeup artist from Xiao Han too. One that will make Song Yu the prettiest of them all!¡±

    All this while, no one had the chance to speak out. Grandmother Qi mulled over something and said, ¡°Maybe I can find time to pay a personal visit to Xiao Han¡¯spany, to let him know about this.¡±

    This meal was making Yu Qianying sweat. She felt that Grandmother Qi was taking it a bit too far with the wedding ns.

    Jian Yi watched all of this with a disinterested look. His phone rang in his pocket and he excused himself from the table to take the call outside.

    ¡°You have something?¡± Jian Yi asked straight after answering the phone.

    He frowned after hearing the reply.

    ¡°And thepany¡¯s legal person?¡± he asked in a low voice.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I know, quickly look into it.¡± A thought struck Jian Yi and he said, ¡°If possible, look into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s status that year.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Guan Xiaolin was at a Jixia High School alumni gathering. They were using Li Zhuoan¡¯s room as he was the only one here that had a VIP room in Dynasty. The roomcked standardspared to the one frequented by Qi Chengzhi and his friends.

    As the group came out of the room and turned a corner, they saw Jian Yi in the corridor. He had just ended his call.

    Jian Yi did not go back into the room immediately. He leaned back against the wall and lit a cigarette. He took a long, deep breath.

    Guan Xiaolin said softly to the others, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go say hi.¡±

    She walked toward Jian Yi. He seemed to not have realized her presence¡ªhis sullen gaze was fixed upon the door across the corridor.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡®When did Jian Yi start smoking?¡¯

    He did not look like his usual self. There was a sense of gloom as he smoked.

    The door facing Jian Yi opened suddenly as she was opening her mouth to greet him. Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun walked out of the room, followed shortly by Qi Chengyue.

    Guan Xiaolin figured it was their family gathering and greeted, ¡°Auntie, Uncle.¡±

    ¡°Xiaolin?¡± Guan Liya saw her and smiled, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Having a catch-up with a few of my friends from high school. I saw-¡± Guan Xiaolin broke off when she saw Song Donglin and Yu Qianying walk out of the room.

    Then, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna exited the room, followed by Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu followed suit, ending with the two Qi family elders, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi.

    The whole Qi family was out in action.

    Surprise gripped Guan Xiaolin. The presence of Song Donglin and Yu Qianyingbined with the whole Qi family could only mean one thing.

    It could only be an engagement party. Why else would both sides of the family be present with full attendance?

    It was just shocking that the Qi family so readily epted Song Yu and that Song Yu¡¯s parents did not object to the marriage.

    Even the grandparents came to witness in person.

    Was the marriage between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu that important to them?

    ¡°Xiaolin? It¡¯s been some time since you came over to our ce. Busy days?¡± Yu Qianying asked genially.

    Guan Xiaolin was the only person who stayed friends with Song Yu after the bankruptcy, therefore Yu Qianying was particrly fond of her.

    Before the bankruptcy, Yu Qianying did not really like Guan Xiaolin but now she realized the girl was not a snob¡ªthe fact that she did not unfriend Song Yu due to the bankruptcy. Such friendships were rare.

    Yu Qianying was not aware of the things that Guan Xiaolin had done behind Song Yu¡¯s back. Song Yu kept her mouth shut. If it were not for Jian Yi¡¯s sudden appearance at her house, she would have never told her family about what had happened with him.

    Guan Xiaolin watched Song Yu with a curious eye but avoided Qi Chengzhi. He radiated omnipotence and her sins were allid bare. She dared not meet his gaze.

    Song Yu was expressionless and did not bother to greet Guan Xiaolin. She turned around and started chatting with Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve been busy,¡± Guan Xiaolin could only give a vague answer.

    The interaction orck thereof between Song Yu and Guan Xiaolin was noted by Yu Qianying and she promptly figured out the situation. Yu Qianying was not a fool.

    She had faith in her own daughter¡¯s character¡ªshe had raised her after all. Song Yu nevercked manners and was the type who would repay a dime with a dor.

    When Song Yu considered someone a true friend, it meant she was willing to take a knife for the person.

    If the friendship had soured, it meant the friend had done something despicable.

    At that moment, Yu Qianying smiled and let go of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand. The smile on her face remained but it was no longer warm and sincere like before.

    Guan Liya asked in a surprised tone, ¡°Xiaolin and Song Yu are friends?¡±

    It was rare to have the whole Qi family gathered in one ce, especially the grandparents. Guan Xiaolin wanted to leave a good impression.

    Although Guan Liya was her aunt, Guan Xiaolin¡¯s ess was limited to her aunt only. Qi Zhongxun was always neutral toward her, not a hint of warmth. As for the Qi family, she had little hope to gain their favor.

    In their small neighborhood, the grandparents were known to be approachable but they were a rare sight.

    Hence, she wanted to make a good impression today.

    Guan Xiaolin nned to ignore Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu and act as if she was Song Yu¡¯s good friend. However, before she could open her mouth, Song Yu stated without feeling, ¡°She¡¯s just an ex-schoolmate.¡±

    This line confirmed Yu Qianying¡¯s suspicions.

    Guan Liya was surprised by Song Yu¡¯s coldness.

    Hearing Song Yu¡¯s words, Grandmother Qi nodded lightly. Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi returned Guan Xiaolin¡¯s warm greeting with a polite but aloof greeting.

    The friends of Guan Xiaolin flocked toward them. They were not about to pass up a chance to interact with the Qi family. Polite greetings were extended to the Qi family elders.

    Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were humble and entertained their pleasantries but without much enthusiasm.

    Qi Chengzhi saw Li Zhuoan walking over. He also caught an eye of Gao Jingqiu who he assumed had hidden away to avoid him.

    Qi Chengzhi gave Li Zhuoan a slight nod and smirked. Then, Qi Chengzhi turned around and tucked a lock of Song Yu¡¯s hair behind her ear.

    The movement was affectionate. The gentleness in his eyes was meant only for Song Yu.

    The gesture was natural and intimate, performed in spite of the crowd surrounding them.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± he spoke in a calm voice. Qi Chengzhi guided Song Yu with a hand on her hip.

    ¡°Xiao Yu, that time we invited your family to our house but you never turned up. I was waiting for you at home,¡± Grandmother Qi waved Yu Qianying over. She held Yu Qianying¡¯s hand tightly, ¡°Today, we finally had that meal and caught up with both our families. Come on, let¡¯s go back to our house and continue the conversation.¡±

    Yu Qianying thought the words were just a courtesy, but Grandmother Qi was serious.

    With Grandmother Qi clutching her hand, Yu Qianying would feel bad if she rejected so they all headed toward the Qi family manor.

    Grandmother Qi noticed Yu Qianying¡¯s fondness for Qi Youxuan and smiled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When Chengzhi and Song Yu get married, you will soon get a chubby grandchild.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin was rooted in her spot, watching the backs of the Qi family members bing smaller and smaller. She overheard thatst statement by Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°That was the Qi family and the Song family? They-¡± Wu Lijun walked up to Guan Xiaolin¡¯s side, a look of disbelief on her face. She spotted the retreating Qi family around the corner, amidst the group were Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Why are they together?¡± Li Qianyi, too, came over and asked.

    Were not the two families like oil and water?

    When Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, everyone was dead set on the fact that both families would never ept the pair.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face was sour as she said, ¡°From the looks of it, seems like marriage is not far away. Both families have epted their rtionship. It was probably for their parents to meet.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother Qi seemed really taken by Yu Qianying. Even Xia Wenna and Yu Qianying looked as if they were very close. What¡¯s happening?¡± Li Qianyi asked in disbelief. Her question might as well be rhetorical as Guan Xiaolin could not provide an answer.

    Since the beginning, none of them thought Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu wouldst.

    They even thought Qi Chengzhi was only toying with Song Yu.

    ¡°If it was for their parents to meet, why would the whole family be here?¡± Wu Lijunmented. Another possibility came into her mind and she eximed, ¡°Could it be an engagement?¡±

    Wu Lijun¡¯s words made everyone turn to look at the direction of the departing Qi family.

    Although there was nary a soul, they kept staring into the empty corridor.

    Guan Xiaolin thought of the tender love shown by Qi Chengzhi. A pang of jealousy hit her. She wondered how it felt, being loved and protected by a man like Qi Chengzhi.

    As Guan Xiaolin looked on absentmindedly, Li Qianyi was muttering to herself, ¡°Unthinkable... Unthinkable...¡±

    It was just a word but everyone knew what she meant.

    It was unthinkable that Song Yu was going to marry Qi Chengzhi.

    The full attendance of the Qi family and the rare appearance of Mr. and Mrs. Song Donglin pretty much confirmed the forting nuptials.

    While Li Qianyi was silent, her heart was envious.

    The sentiment was shared by many.

    ...

    ...

    There was a prayer ritual for the first shoot of Han Zhuoli¡¯spany¡¯s television series. Grandmother Qi¡¯s status exempted her from joining in with the cast and crew.

    Thest time Grandmother Qi rang up Han Zhuoli, she got the role as the female lead¡¯s mother with ease.

    Though she was old, herplexion was well-maintained and nabbing the role of the female lead¡¯s mother was not far-fetched.

    The role did not demand a lot of screen time. Most scenes were filmed in their courtyard and Grandmother Qi did not even leave the manor¡¯s estate. She would just stroll out of the house to meet the team and when her scenes were done, she would just walk back home. Sometimes, she even went out just to chat with the cast and crew.

    Initially, the role was taken up by another actress¡ªshe was the sister-inw of an established actor in the entertainment industry. She also relied on her contacts to get the role.

    However, since Grandmother Qi was interested, Han Zhuoli dly acquiesced.

    While others may have prioritized the actor¡¯s request, Han Zhuoli showed no hesitation in switching the role over to Grandmother Qi.

    The actress, of course,ined to her brother-inw. He personally came to dispute with Han Zhuoli and was promptly dismissed. Meanwhile, Grandmother Qi was kept in the dark.

    The first Saturday after they had the engagement lunch was Grandmother Qi¡¯s first day on set.

    Grandmother Qi hid her identity from the team. She did not want the actors and actresses flocking to her as she was too tired to deal with the attention.

    She also wanted to be treated like everyone else. She wanted to test her acting skills.

    If they knew her identity, they might give biased feedback. Even if she was terrible, they would stillpliment her.

    However, Han Zhuoli was also worried that Grandmother Qi would be bullied by the team. If her identity was not known, the team might treat her with disrespect and take advantage of her. Therefore, Han Zhuoli discretely told the director about her true identity.

    The director understood then. No wonder Young Master Zhuo came multiple times personally to inquire about the filming despite it being only a television series.

    The director made a point to look out for Grandmother Qi..

 Chapter 152 - Qi Chengzhi Frowned and Wondered What the Chubby Little Boy Was Up To

    <h4>Chapter 152: Qi Chengzhi Frowned and Wondered What the Chubby Little Boy Was Up To</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The director made a point to look out for Grandmother Qi.

    Since it was her first day on set, Qi Chengzhi dropped by to see her.

    He owed her one as she had been supportive of his rtionship with Song Yu.

    On that particr day, Song Yu was working overtime. Chang Lai would be picking her up after she was done with work and have her sent home. By then, however, the olddy would be done, and since Qi Chengzhi had nothing to do in the day, he decided to make a trip to the home earlier, by himself.

    He parked the Range Rover at the entrance, got off, and entered the house. In the meantime, Aunt Liu was busy in the kitchen, getting everything ready. She prepared tea for the olddy, as well as a thermos filled with hot water, some snacks, and a bit of fruit.

    ¡°Young Master!¡± Aunt Liu was surprised to see him. ¡°Why are you here today?¡±

    ¡°Since this is Grandmother¡¯s first meeting with the cast and crew, I¡¯ll send her.¡± Qi Chengzhi walked over with his hands ced on his pockets. His gaze swept across the various foodstuffs that nearly filled the entire bar counter.

    ¡°Does Grandmother want to bring all this with her?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Aunt Liu smiled. ¡°Madam¡¯s afraid of getting bored and hungry while waiting for her turn, so she wanted to bring some snacks. Youxuan wants to follow too, so his snacks are packed in too. I suppose there will be water provided for the cast and crew, but you know how Madam doesn¡¯t like drinking mineral water, especially from sources she doesn¡¯t know. She prefers to boil her own water and make tea for herself.¡±

    ¡°Is everything ready, Xiao Liu?¡± The olddy sported the sunsses that Song Yu gifted her, though it was not a good idea to wear it indoors. It obscured the light from reaching her eyes, and she nearly bumped into a chair as a result.

    A fleece overcoat was draped over her arm¡ªshe feared that she might feel too cold when outside. She noticed Qi Chengzhi as soon as she entered the room, after which she looked left and right as if to look for something or someone. ¡°Where¡¯s my dear Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°She needs to work overtime today. She¡¯lle at night, after work,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    ¡°And why did youe here today?¡± the olddy asked gleefully.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t today the first day of your introduction to the cast and crew? I¡¯ll send you there and take a look at things while I¡¯m at it.¡± Although he looked unemotive when he spoke, Grandmother Qi felt overjoyed that he would do such a considerate thing for her.

    ¡°Oh, you little joker. When did you learn how to make people happy? You¡¯re only doing this because of dear Song Yu, aren¡¯t you?¡± Grandmother Qi rolled her eyes at him.

    There was no denial on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s part. He stretched out his hand and took everything that Aunt Liu had prepared.

    ¡°Since there¡¯s lots of stuff, just put it all in the car. I¡¯ll drive everyone there,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Qi Youxuan ran over with his backpack and stuffed all his snacks into his bag. He also took two bottles of freshly pressed fruit juice, cing them into the bottle pockets on either side of the bag.

    It took no more than a ten-minute walk to reach the courtyard that the production team rented. Compared to the little park where Grandmother Qi frequented for za dancing, the courtyard was much nearer.

    By car, it seemed like they reached there barely seconds after leaving the house.

    A scene had just wrapped filming when they got there, and preparations for shooting the next one was ongoing. The cast were either rehearsing their lines, resting, or having a chat amongst themselves.

    The director was watching the earlier scene through his camera when he heard one of his staff members shout rudely, ¡°They¡¯re filming inside. You¡¯re not allowed toe in. If you want an autograph, wait outside!¡±

    That staff member looked at the three of them¡ªa man, an olddy, and a kid¡ªand thought that the man was bringing an olddy and a little boy to meet with some celebrities.

    The olddy looked just like any other olddy because she did not wear anything too fancy. Meanwhile, the kid¡¯s clothes seemed to be from one of those small stores owned by foreigners. The man looked most proper out of the three, but then again, plenty of youngsters were absorbed in their vanity, so it was not out of the ordinary for them to wear branded goods.

    At that point, many people began surrounding the courtyard. With camera in hand, they were all hoping for the chance to snap a photo of some celebrity.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s mood turned sour after seeing the staff member¡¯s attitude. Modern movies usually allowed actors and actresses to prepare their own clothing, which was why the olddy went there with ordinary store-bought clothes.

    As for Qi Youxuan, the olddy may spoil him rotten, but when it came to clothes, she felt that it was a waste of money to buy branded clothing for him. Children grew nonstop, and it was especially so for Qi Youxuan, who increased not only in height but also in width. Now and then, he would need to get new clothes, and although the Qi family might not mind it if those clothes were all branded, it was still too much of a waste of money.

    Spending money needlessly was unwise. What if Qi Youxuan¡¯s values and morals were distorted?

    The olddy took off her sunsses and wanted to lecture the young fellow on judging people by their looks, but someone called out, ¡°Young Master Cheng?¡±

    Shu Li could not believe her eyes. She had wanted to look for the director, but midway through her walk, she heard the staff member shouting as though someone was trying to sneak onto set.

    Veteran actors were aplenty there and many had their own loyal following, but in terms of personality and poprity, no one else could match hers.

    She still had to maintain her image with her fans, so she went over intending to put on a show of being a mediator, thereby elevating her public perception. Perhaps she could even make the news with that little action of hers.

    It came as quite a surprise to see Qi Chengzhi standing at the entrance.

    Her eyes darted to the olddy and the chubby kid, after which she walked over while wondering to herself.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, why are you here?¡± Shu Li did not hide her admiration. She looked at how straight he stood and how elegant he looked, and she just could not keep her eyes off him.

    A simple nod from Qi Chengzhi and he said, ¡°I¡¯m sending my grandmother to film some scenes.¡±

    ¡°Film some scenes?¡± Shu Li was startled. She looked at the olddy and deduced that it was probably the grand matriarch of the Qi family.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s you, Madam.¡± Shu Li allowed her dimples to make an appearance as she smiled sweetly at the olddy.

    It was pleasing to see Shu Li smile, for she had a natural doll-like face. Though she may have been a bitte in making a name for herself, she looked very young for someone of her age, hence therge prospects in her line of work.

    The olddy remembered that Shu Li was the lead actor in the movie, ying the role of daughter to the olddy¡¯s character.

    Previously the olddy did take quite a liking to her, but seeing how she looked at Qi Chengzhi made the olddy reconsider the earlier opinion.

    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re filming? In the movie, you¡¯re...¡± Shu Li thought for a moment before recalling that there was one empty space in the name list for actors¡ªthat nk column was for the role of the main character¡¯s mother.

    ¡°Madam!¡± The director ran over. ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t know that you came to shoot a scene. Please don¡¯t hold it against him,¡± the director said, before turning to chastise the young man.

    Of course, the olddy did not take it to heart, but shemented nheless, ¡°Everyone has their struggles. No matter what a person¡¯s status is, it¡¯s always best to show some respect to each other.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, you¡¯re right.¡± The director then said, ¡°Youngsters nowadays aren¡¯t too understanding.¡±

    He cautioned the young man once more and sent him off. ¡°Madam, we¡¯ll be shooting two scenes before you¡¯re up. Let me bring you to the makeup artist.¡±

    ¡°Director, the next scene will be starting soon. You should go ahead. I¡¯ll take care of Madam.¡± Shu Li volunteered.

    The director looked at the time and thought for a moment, then nodded in agreement. ¡°Alright. Madam, Shu Li will bring you over. She¡¯s the lead in this movie and she¡¯s your character¡¯s daughter. This is perfect timing for you two to know each other better and work up some chemistry.¡±

    The olddy told the director to get going, which he did after saying a couple more things.

    ¡°Madam, after you.¡± Although she was showing the way to the olddy, she feigned inattentiveness and walked beside Qi Chengzhi.

    Ever since their acquaintance during the officiating ceremony for Qilin¡¯s hotel project, she no longer had any contact with Qi Chengzhi. She attempted to get closer to him during the dinner, but he treated her rather indifferently, and at the end of the evening, Qi Chengzhi disappeared from the eventpletely.

    She never expected the Qi family¡¯s matriarch to have a role in the film, and since the chance was already in front of her, she did not want to let it slip by yet again.

    Qi Chengzhi had money and looks after all. He was exactly the kind of man she wanted. Men like him were rare, and she must seize the opportunity now that it was dangling in front of her.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, we¡¯ve not bumped into each other since the dinner at Qilin. I didn¡¯t expect fate to bring us together again. Such luck to have Madam y my mother in this movie.¡± Shu Li looked at his stern-looking side profile and could not resist imagining what it was like to be his girlfriend. She wondered if she would have the chance to see another side of him.

    Qi Chengzhi did not respond; rather, it was his grandmother that looked unhappy.

    Shu Li¡¯s motivations for making her acquaintance were all too obvious.

    The olddy was not one for having a sectarian bias, but she loathed modern-day celebrities. Be it in moral quality or otherwise, they were far more inferior to the celebrities of yesteryear.

    A prime example was the one in front of her¡ªa pure face but with impure intentions.

    ¡°I think you and I are the fated ones.¡± The olddy chuckled. ¡°ording to the age gaps in our characters, you¡¯re much older than Chengzhi. He should be calling you auntie.¡±

    Shu Li¡¯s smile cramped up before sheughed dryly. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re so funny, Madam. I¡¯ll be taking advantage of him then, wouldn¡¯t I? I wouldn¡¯t dare to do that.¡±

    ¡°Madam, why did you decide to act in the movie?¡± Shu Li had the feeling that the olddy did not like her that much.

    It was only the first day that they met, and despite being unable to wrap her head around why she felt that way, Shu Li trusted her judgment. After all, mingling in such a circle required a sufficient amount of slyness, otherwise, nothing would have been left of her.

    ¡°It¡¯s my interest,¡± she responded curtly.

    The reply was not technically a frigid one, but Shu Li just found it hard to continue the conversation.

    ¡°Madam, this is the makeup room.¡± Shu Li introduced her makeup artist to the olddy. ¡°Brother Jin, Madam will be ying the role of my mother. Please take care of her makeup needs.¡±

    Other members of the cast had their makeup done by the director¡¯s makeup artist. Shu Li was the only one who brought along her makeup artist and she had every intention of utilizing that to get on the olddy¡¯s good books.

    Naturally, Grandmother Qi did not refuse. She dragged Brother Jin¡¯s hand and sat down on the mirror, saying, ¡°Make me look pretty, young man. What¡¯s important is that you cover up all my wrinkles.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Madam. Brother Jin is the makeup artist of choice for all those red-carpet stars. It wasn¡¯t easy to convince him to tag along with me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, really? No wonder you look so beautiful onscreen, so much more beautiful than in real life,¡± the olddy said while smiling. When she saw that Shu Li was smiling awkwardly, she felt a bit embarrassed and covered her mouth quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, I¡¯m not saying you don¡¯t look good in person, I¡¯m just saying you¡¯re a natural onscreen.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear!¡± The olddy then waved her hands feeling slightly ashamed. ¡°I¡¯m making things worse! What I meant was, you look good in person, but even prettier on screen.¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡± Unable to find a proper response, Shu Li could onlyugh dryly.

    ¡°Speaking of which, my eldest grandson¡¯s fianc¨¦e is really pretty. I think she¡¯s even prettier than most celebrities, but she¡¯s just too quiet. My eldest grandson is really protective of her and he doesn¡¯t like it if she involves herself in people from this industry. Guys tend to take advantage of women when filming.¡±

    Shu Li went nk for a moment. ¡®Isn¡¯t Qi Chengzhi the Qi family¡¯s eldest grandson?¡±

    ¡®Eldest grandson¡¯s fianc¨¦e...¡±

    ¡®I don¡¯t remember hearing anything about marriage?¡¯

    On one asion, during dinner, she heard rumors that Qi Chengzhi had a stable girlfriend. Not a lot of people had seen her before though, so Shu Li did not think to give it much thought.

    During the dinner, one of the young masters from the Eight Great Families were present. Even though he was not one of the more prominent ones, many of the big bosses were respectful of him because of his status.

    News of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rtionship came from precisely that person, but he too, did not know any more than that.

    He only heard whisperings that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s girlfriend was an ordinary person, someone from the working ss who did not seem to have any status at all.

    Shu Li thought to herself that Qi Chengzhi must have gotten together with an ordinary girl just to try out something new and see what it was like to be with a normal girl.

    Perhaps the girlfriend was also a scheming one that knew how to pretend; the only reason he let that girl be with him was that she may have let Qi Chengzhi see that she was different from the masses, someone who was absolutely not a gold-digger.

    Surprisingly, even the olddy knew of that girl¡¯s presence, and it seemed as though the olddy liked his girlfriend quite a bit. Were they already preparing for marriage considering she referred to the girl as her ¡®eldest grandson¡¯s fianc¨¦e¡¯?

    Nevertheless, Shu Li did not seem to care. As far as someone like Qi Chengzhi was concerned, Shu Li did not have too much hope that he would marry her, considering the status she had. Still, she would be undoubtedly ted if he did, and with that goal in mind, she had nothing to lose even if she used various underhand tactics and eventually failed in her quest.

    Shu Li regarded his current working-ss girlfriend as someone insignificant.

    Appearance-wise, Shu Li was confident that she was better than the girlfriend, despite never meeting thetter.

    In terms of reputation, she definitely far surpassed any average woman.

    A man of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eminence would find it much more convenient to bring someone like her to business discussions.

    There was nothing that themoner could do for him, and she believed that Qi Chengzhi would soon get tired of that ordinary girl.

    Even if they got married, what of it?

    Would his circle suddenly have fewer celebrity women?

    Shu Li could roughly interpret the olddy¡¯s thoughts. It was likely that the olddy knew what Shu Li was up to, so she protected that girl and hinted at Shu Li to back off!

    Shu Li did not believe that she was no match for an ordinary girl. Themoner might be prettier, but Shu Li definitely had more character than his current girlfriend.

    All those thoughts were kept concealed in her heart, leaving nothing discernible on the surface of her expressions.

    ¡°Is Young Master Cheng married?¡± Shu Li continued smiling tenderly and exhibiting a very calm appearance. ¡°Forgive me for not knowing, as I haven¡¯t heard anything about it from anyone. I never read any reports either. Maybe it¡¯s because everything was done quietly? In any case, I must congratte you.¡±

    The olddy let out a huff in her heart. Shu Li¡¯s disy of fakery was truly a testament to her good acting!

    ¡°We¡¯re not married yet, only engaged.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued, ¡°When I marry her, it will be the grandest wedding ever, not a low-profile one.¡±

    Shu Li lowered her gaze, smiling.

    ¡°Speaking of my granddaughter-inw, Chengzhi, where is my granddaughter-inw?¡± The olddy knew the answer to that question but asked anyway.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at his grandmother with a curious expression. She had asked about Song Yu¡¯s presence back at home, and he did not believe that her memory was that bad.

    It was clear that she was helping Song Yu shoo off a pesky vixen!

    A hint of glee twinkled in his cold eyes knowing that his grandmother was protecting Song Yu.

    He yed along with her and said, ¡°She¡¯s working overtime today. She¡¯lleter tonight.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean working overtime? Just ask Chang Lai to pick her up for lunch. Let her boss give her less work to do.¡± The olddy made her stand known. Using her status to gain privileges was not something she did often, and she did not seem particrly confident when she uttered those words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call herter. She doesn¡¯t like it when I bother her at work,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined just as a tiny smile was beginning to form on his face.

    From Shu Li¡¯s observations, she figured that her guess was correct¡ªperhaps the girl¡¯s aloofness was what made Qi Chengzhi so intrigued.

    ¡°Oh yes, do you have my granddaughter-inw¡¯s picture in your phone?¡± the olddy asked. She was unsure whether he really did have it, but it was more likely than not that young couples would have pictures of their significant others in their phone.

    In fact, Qi Chengzhi not only had a few, he even created a special folder specifically for Song Yu¡¯s pictures.

    He found some pictures and handed his phone to his grandmother. She then showed it to Brother Jin. ¡°Look! My granddaughter-inw is pretty, isn¡¯t she? She pretty enough that she doesn¡¯t need makeup to look good.¡±

    Shu Li felt as though the olddy was ridiculing her with every single sentence.

    Brother Jin nodded. ¡°She really is beautiful, and even in the business, there aren¡¯t many like her. What¡¯s most important is that her character stands out. You can¡¯t pretend to have the kind of character that she has.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was bubbling with happiness after hearing Brother Jin¡¯s ttery.

    ¡°You should head back first instead of just standing around. I¡¯ll be with Youxuan here, and when he¡¯s had his fun, you cane pick him up,¡± the olddy suggested. She wanted Qi Chengzhi to leave as soon as practicable to prevent Shu Li¡¯s constant flirting.

    ¡°Well, in that case, Young Master Cheng, is it okay if you leave your number? If Youxuan wants to go home, I can give you a call,¡± Shu Li used the moment to her advantage. She had been wanting to ask it since earlier but was afraid that it was too sudden and too obvious.

    The opportunity was practically gift-wrapped to her, and it would be a shame for her not to seize the moment.

    ¡°I have a phone. I¡¯ll just call my uncle when I wanna go home.¡± Qi Youxuan had been ignored since the beginning, but at that moment he fished out a Totoro-shaped toy phone. He held it in his chubby hands and showed it to Shu Li.

    The fat boy just had to ruin her opportunity. Shu Li¡¯s heart was thinking of only one thing: to tell that fat little kid to scram.

    It just so happened that the fatty was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nephew, someone whom she should not offend at all costs. She suppressed her anger to the best of her ability and did not show the slightest expression of being displeased.

    ¡°Heydy, don¡¯t assume that this is a toy phone!¡± Qi Youxuan eximed.

    ¡°...¡± Shu Li felt defeated. She wanted toment that the phone was a toy one.

    After that, Qi Youxuan looked left and right and suddenly ran over to the makeup counter. His chubby hands held onto the chair and he tried dragging it with him, but he was too weak to lift the chair up. The friction between the chair legs and the floor made an ear-piercing screech.

    Qi Chengzhi was hardly able to stand it. He asked, ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    Then he took the chair from the little boy.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s fat little finger pointed to a spot near Shu Li. ¡°Uncle, help me carry the chair there.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and wondered what the chubby little boy was up to, but still, he carried the chair as requested.

    The boy then ced his palms on the chair and climbed up.

    Shu Li was not very tall, and when Qi Youxuan stood on top of the chair, he was roughly the same height as her.

 Chapter 153 - Iâ€™m Sorry, My FiancÃ©e Doesnâ€™t Allow Me To Accept Phone Numbers From Other Women

    <h4>Chapter 153: I¡¯m Sorry, My Fianc¨¦e Doesn¡¯t Allow Me To ept Phone Numbers From Other Women</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Shu Li was not very tall, and when Qi Youxuan stood on top of the chair, he was roughly the same height as her.

    His fleshy fingers swiped across the screen a couple of times before he ced the phone to his ear.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was at the construction site during that very moment. She was holding her design n and engaging in discussions with the foreman. All of a sudden, her phone rang, and when she took it out, she was surprised to see Qi Youxuan¡¯s name on the screen.

    Puzzled, she went to one side and picked up the call. ¡°Youxuan? Is there something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Auntie, stay on the line. Somedy who likes Uncle wants to talk with you.¡± The line fell silent after he said that.

    Song Yu blinked her eyes incredulously. It took her a while toe back to her senses.

    She had no idea how to respond after hearing such an unexpected statement from him.

    ¡®What does he mean by ¡®somedy who likes Uncle wants to talk to me¡¯?¡¯

    ¡®Was it Yu Keyao?¡¯

    ¡®Or was it some other woman from God-knows-where? And why must Qi Youxuan be the messenger?¡¯

    Shu Li was equally shocked, and before she could even process what was happening, Qi Youxuan shoved the phone close to her ear.

    ¡°Heredy, you can talk with my auntie and see that my phone¡¯s not a toy one.¡± Qi Youxuan sported a huge smile and let go of his hands.

    Shu Li was mortified and worried that the phone might fall to its demise on the ground. If that fatty put all the me on her and bawled, it was inevitable that she would be painted as the bad guy.

    She grabbed the phone immediately and heard a soft voice on the other end. ¡°Youxuan? Youxuan, are you still there?¡±

    Shu Li felt so awkward and did not know whether to answer or give the phone back to the boy. If she were to hand it back to Qi Youxuan, it would seem far too rude and much too undignified¡ªit would make her look exactly like someone who was guilty and feared the wrath of the seducee¡¯s true partner.

    She looked at Qi Chengzhi, but the man¡¯s back was facing her and he seemed to be concentrating on the makeup artist applying makeup on the olddy.

    She was not buying his apparent ignorance of what happened, but there was no indication that he was going to help her out of her predicament.

    Shu Li straightened her back and felt no need to tone her character down when dealing with whoever was on the line.

    After all, his girlfriend was no more than an ordinary woman who might know who Shu Li was. Better still, the woman might even be a fan of Shu Li¡¯s. If that were the case, then the woman might feel honored to have had the pleasure of speaking with Shu Li.

    It was perfect timing for the woman to see the disparity between their status, which in turn would imbue a sense of inferiority in the mind.

    Perhaps that could spark a misunderstanding between Qi Chengzhi and the woman. She might argue and get into a fight with Qi Chengzhi, making him unhappy and speeding up the breakdown in their rtionship.

    Shu Li stood confidently and smiled slightly, allowing her dimples to make a brief appearance.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Shu Li,¡± she introduced herself with confidence.

    Song Yu went nk for a moment. ¡°Shu Li?¡±

    The name rang a bell, and with further thought, Song Yu realized that she had the same name as the actress who stood on the tform during the officiating ceremony for Qilin¡¯s hotel project.

    Song Yu had no doubts that the person she was speaking to was the same as the actress from the dinner.

    The only question that remained was why the actress was with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Miss Shu, hi,¡± Song Yu responded inly. ¡°Is something the matter?¡±

    It was Shu Li¡¯s turn to feel perplexed. The person on the other end of the line sounded so inanimate instead of being taken aback.

    Shu Li smiled. ¡®No wonder she got the olddy¡¯s blessing.¡¯

    A woman who could nail Qi Chengzhi down would surely be someone who was not to be messed with.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Youxuan misunderstood.¡± Shu Li put on a smile. ¡°I¡¯m going to be acting with his grandmother in a movie. Young Master Cheng and Youxuan are both here. I¡¯m guessing this little boy is a bit sensitive, that¡¯s why he misunderstood.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I see. So, Qi Chengzhi is beside you somewhere, isn¡¯t he? Can you put him on the phone?¡± Song Yu requested.

    Song Yu was never skeptical of Qi Youxuan¡¯s IQ. Anyone who wrote him off because of his age would end up regretting it.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone call indicated clearly to Song Yu that the celebrity actress was eyeing up Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu still remembered how Shu Li was brazenly flirting with Qi Chengzhi on the night of the officiating ceremony.

    It surprised Shu Li that Song Yu simply dismissed her like that. Under normal circumstances, the other party would definitely have plenty of questions.

    Many of Shu Li¡¯s friends got involved with other people¡¯s rtionships, and the conversations between the third party and actual partner usually started with plenty of questions thrown at the third party.

    Song Yu, however, was different from the rest. Shu Li had an entire conversation ready in her head but was not even given an opportunity to say a single word.

    Nevertheless, Shu Li did not consider it a failure. At the very least, seeds of mistrust would have been sown in her rival¡¯s mind even though her rival did not say anything to her. There must be some level of suspicion present, for the other party would not have asked to talk with Qi Chengzhi after barely a few sentences.

    A polite and courteous expression graced Shu Li¡¯s face as she nodded. ¡°Sure.¡±

    The phone was then handed over to Qi Chengzhi, and when he took it, his stern facial expression became gentle. He spoke with extreme tenderness, ¡°What is it?¡±

    Shu Li was so startled that she simply gawked at him. It was then that she realized how the girlfriend had dismissed her so effortlessly without even a simple introduction.

    Jealousy began manifesting in Shu Li at the mere thought of their intimacy; the expression on his face was an affectionate one, and his girlfriend even called him by name.

    Qi Chengzhi ced one hand into his pants pocket while the other held the Totoro-shaped phone. It should have been a ridiculous spectacle to see his elegant fingers grasping the childish phone, but his magnificent and elegant mannerisms werepelling enough to make one ignore the odd-looking mismatch.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the construction site. I¡¯ll be done in about an hour. Just ask Chang Lai to pick me up here, so I don¡¯t need to go back to thepany again,¡± Song Yu suggested. She did not ask about Shu Li because she could not care less about that actress.

    If Qi Chengzhi wanted to be with a female celebrity, he would have found one long ago. Shu Li¡¯s turn would never arrive since many other female stars woulde in waves just to get to him.

    Why would he suddenly want a female star as hispanion if he never sought one out from the beginning?

    ¡°Alright. Did you go there alone?¡± The incident involving those workers was still fresh in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mind.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I remember what you told me, so I brought some of my male colleagues from the engineering department.¡± Song Yu held down her wind-blown hair and noticed that the workers, as well as her colleagues, had all stopped discussing because they were waiting for her.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. I need to get back to work.¡± Song Yu was quite pleased when she left him with a final message, ¡°Help me say thank you to Youxuan.¡±

    She hung up immediately, leaving no time for Qi Chengzhi to respond.

    He lowered his gaze and chuckled softly to himself while looking at the phone.

    Shu Li¡¯s heart sank when she realized that the situation was not as advantageous to her as it originally seemed.

    Qi Chengzhi really seemed to like that woman. His tenderness toward her was something that no one else had ever seen.

    When Qi Chengzhi finally looked up, his face resumed its usual sternness. He passed the phone back to Qi Youxuan, and even toward his nephew, there was no sign of that gentleness and warmth.

    If he was already so affectionate despite being separated by two phones, how much more affectionate would he be if he were to be with his girlfriend in person?

    ¡°Your auntie says thank you.¡± Qi Chengzhi returned the phone and helped Qi Youxuan down from the chair.

    ¡°She should.¡± Qi Youxuan stood straight and thumped his fist on his chest. ¡°I side with my auntie.¡±

    He even shot Shu Li a nce after finishing his sentence. Shu Li wished that she could just kick the boy out.

    Qi Chengzhi said his goodbyes to his grandmother, intending to take his leave for the moment. The olddy was happy, of course, since she could not stand the sight of Shu Li putting on an act just to try and tempt Qi Chengzhi.

    Simrly, Qi Youxuan did not want to hang around anymore as he felt that it was pointless to watch the filming. He decided to follow Qi Chengzhi.

    Shu Li gnashed her teeth and had one goal in mind¡ªto utilize an opportunity that would soon to be given to her.

    The olddy¡¯s attitude toward her was not too favorable, and it was obvious that she could not set her n in motion by currying favor with the olddy.

    She mustered up the courage and ran up to him. ¡°Young Master Cheng!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi halted his footsteps and looked at her insipidly.

    Shu Li handed him a piece of paper with her number on it. In a moment of desperation, she had written it down using an eyebrow pencil that was lying on the makeup counter.

    ¡°This is my phone number.¡± Shu Li and her pink-tinted fair cheeks looked at Qi Chengzhi. Her appearance was like the purest of maidens and¡ªlikely due to anxiousness and shyness¡ªwas biting her lip. There was also a slight pitiful look that would touch the soft spot of most men and capture their hearts.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything at all, you can find me at any time,¡± Shu Li remarked. Her slight smile allowed her dimples to disappear as quickly as they appeared. ¡°No matter what it is, I think I¡¯ll be able to help you in one way or another.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the delicate fingers that held the piece of paper. They were well taken care of, and the fingernails even had red nail polish painted on them with the utmost perfection. Neither a blemish nor a wrinkle was present.

    Song Yu¡¯s was different¡ªher nails were always short and without any nail polish, making for a very clean look.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my fianc¨¦e doesn¡¯t allow me to ept phone numbers from other women.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was indifferent. He gave her a simple nod and left, caring not that Shu Li was standing motionlessly with her hand still holding out the piece of paper.

    Qi Youxuan looked up at the embarrassedly red-faced Shu Li and shook his little head exaggeratedly. He shrugged her off with his upturned palms and turned his back on her, leaving her with the sight of his jiggling bottom as he ran to catch up with Qi Chengzhi.

    A thousand invisible tentacles stretched out from Shu Li¡¯s heart to grasp at Qi Chengzhi. She looked at his handsome and elegant silhouette, knowing that a man with his magnificence was not someone she could forget easily.

    ¡°Madam, please don¡¯tugh, just rx.¡± The olddy was grinning from ear to ear, causing her face to bunch up at her eyes. Brother Jin implored to her because he simply could not work with her if she continued smiling.

    Eventually, the olddy gathered herself together, but she still could not help but curl her lips up somewhat. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude toward Shu Li made her overjoyed!

    ...

    ...

    Afterpleting discussions with the workers, Song Yu put away the design n and began walking with her male colleagues.

    When they were reaching the side of the road, Song Yu saw a ck Range Rover parked behind thepany¡¯s ck Buick Regal.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave directly. I won¡¯t be going back to thepany,¡± Song Yu informed her colleagues.

    Just as they wanted to ask her how she was leaving the ce, they saw the Range Rover and immediately understood. Without further ado, they headed to their vehicles.

    While walking with them to the roadside, Song Yu found it odd that Chang Lai did not get down from the car. He would usually get down and wait for her as soon as he spotted her, even if she was still a hundred meters away.

    Her mind was still filled with that exact thought when the car door swung open. It was Qi Chengzhi who stepped down from the car¡ªhis exquisite looking fingers were ced on the inner side of the door and he sported a pair of sunsses, looking at her direction.

    The eyewear enhanced his stern look even more.

    He was clothed in a V-neck sweater with blue and white stripes, but his trousers were not seen because the car door blocked them from view.

    Full-body casual lent him a look that was different from his usual business suits.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng!¡± One of her colleagues became incredibly flustered and blurted out excitedly.

    To meet Qi Chengzhi there was like meeting him in his personal capacity, and his little secret with Song Yu became all the more exhrating.

    It did not ur to Song Yu that Qi Chengzhi would drive over himself. Two of her colleagues turned to her and said, ¡°Well, we¡¯ll be going now.¡±

    They also made sure to say a respectful goodbye to Qi Chengzhi before getting into their Buick Regal and leaving.

    ¡°Why did you drive here?¡± Song Yu felt touched. It was rare for him to get a day off, and yet there he was, having driven all the way there just to fetch her.

    ¡°Well, since I had nothing to do, I won¡¯t ask Chang Lai to pick you up,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered bluntly and had a simple smile on his lips. His long fingers gentlybed a few wayward strands of hair that were blown by the wind.

    ¡°Auntie, I think Uncle¡¯s guilty. That¡¯s why he¡¯s making it up to you bying to fetch you.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s little round head popped up from the rear windows, frightening Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi pulled a long face. He drove Qi Youxuan home immediately after leaving the set, but the boy questioned why Qi Chengzhi was not getting off. After finding out that he was going to pick Song Yu up, Qi Youxuan re-entered the car and wanted to tag along.

    The boy reasoned that he should not let his auntie be deceived by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dishonest rhetoric¡ªhe wanted to recount the cold hard facts to his auntie regarding Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ability to attract the attention of some woman celebrity.

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi with teasing eyes and went to the back seat to sit with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°What¡¯s he guilty about?¡± Song Yu asked smilingly.

    Qi Youxuan was busy munching on some potato chips and his fingers were fully coated with powdered voring. He was just about to begin his story when Qi Chengzhi sat back in the car.

    The man started the car and red at the boy.

    It seemed to choke Qi Youxuan up. His little face had a greenish tone and he could no longer spit out the words he intended to say.

    Qi Chengzhi mocked him. ¡°Go on then! Why are you keeping quiet? What were you going to tell Auntie?¡±

    The little boy¡¯s face looked exactly like the Chinese character for ¡®Jiong 1¡¯. His chubby body was shivering when he muttered, ¡°Auntie, Uncle is scaring me!¡±

    He then nuzzled into Song Yu¡¯s embrace and remained there.

    ¡°You little brat! Don¡¯t you take advantage of your auntie!¡± Qi Chengzhi was thoroughly unhappy when he saw the boy nestled in Song Yu¡¯s bosom!

    The boy was being more and more unreasonable!

    Qi Chengzhi stretched over to the back, wanting to pull Qi Youxuan out of Song Yu¡¯s embrace. Song Yu, however, hugged Qi Youxuan even tighter and told him off, ¡°Why are you scaring the boy!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s displeased expression soured even more. Song Yu looked at him suspiciously, ¡°Is it because you really are guilty?¡±

    A firm, solid stare was shot at Song Yu, causing her hair to stand on its end. Her lips trembled slightly and her confidence diminished. ¡°You¡¯re not going to drive anymore?¡± she asked softly.

    His continued staring at her briefly before letting out a teasing chuckle and driving the car away.

    With a twist of his body, Qi Youxuan finally wiggled away from Song Yu¡¯s grip. His hunger pangs returned after all that shock his uncle inflicted onto him. A couple of potato chipster, he took out Aunt Liu¡¯s freshly pressed fruit juice and gulped down a few mouthfuls.

    ¡°What was it you wanted to tell me?¡± Song Yu rubbed his soft hair. She enjoyed being with the smart little boy that he was.

    Like an adult who had finished a ss of beer, he ahh-ed in delight and retold the entire sequence of events that happened at the set.

    ¡°Auntie, you have to keep your eye on Uncle. He¡¯s very capable of seducing countless women.¡± Qi Youxuan took out another potato chip from the bag and ate it in one go.

    Qi Chengzhi shot his nephew a look. Such a small boy he was, and yet he already knew how to use the words ¡®seducing countless women¡¯.

    Everything was retold down to the veryst detail, including at the very end when Qi Chengzhi rejected Shu Li¡¯s number. Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengzhi to do that, with Song Yu as his excuse.

    She did not mind it at all, but there was still some concern that his image would be tarnished if it gave people the wrong idea that he was a henpecked partner.

    His actions meanwhile, elicited a warm smile from Song Yu, and she could not resist taking a peek at the back of her man¡¯s head.

    Song Yu patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s soft hair, which was akin to the fur on a little pet. It was particrly pleasing to the touch.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s face was slightly reddened and he felt bashful.

    ¡°Youxuan, thank you for helping Auntie chase away all those women.¡± Song Yu smiled and praised him warmly.

    Since Qi Youxuan was already in the habit of calling her ¡®auntie¡¯, Song Yu was also brainwashed into addressing herself as so.

    Hearing her profess herself in that manner, Qi Chengzhi looked at her. Though the sunsses hid his eyes away from view, she could still make out the glimmer of happiness in his charismatic pupils.

    Song Yu felt a burning sensation on her cheek. When she looked at Qi Youxuan, he too was blushing and lowering his head shyly. He looked at Song Yu for a short moment and said, ¡°Auntie, just make sure you¡¯ll help me next time when I¡¯m getting married.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Song Yu continued patting his head. ¡°I¡¯ll definitely be on your side.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved.¡± Qi Youxuan felt as though a stone-like burden had been extracted from his heart. Rxation filled his entire body and his appetite seemed to perk up even more. He mumbled to him, ¡°My future father-inw looks like he¡¯s hard to handle. But with you, my future mother-inw will be persuaded easily, and then my future father-inw won¡¯t be a problem anymore.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu looked at him and wondered. ¡®Did he really find his future wife already? He even seems to know who his future inws are.¡¯

    Song Yu did not take it too seriously of course. Qi Youxuan was only five-years-old, and his deration of finding a wife should rightly be taken in jest.

    In spite of that, Song Yu was curious about who his crush was.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your future inws? Do I know them?¡± Song Yu asked, intrigued. Qi Youxuan¡¯s mumbling suggested that they were people whom Song Yu knew well.

    ¡°It¡¯s Wei Ziqi!¡± Crunching sounds were heard as the boy munched on his potato chips. ¡°You¡¯re on such good terms with my future mother-inw, and my future father-inw always listens to his wife. When the timees, as long as my future mother-inw says something, my future father-inw wouldn¡¯t go against her, right?¡±

    Qi Youxuan addressed them as his future inws so fluidly and naturally.

    Song Yu was speechless.

    ...

    ...

    The Range Rover was parked at the entrance to the home. Qi Youxuan grabbed his bag and was the first to get out of the car. He ran into the house and shouted, ¡°Nanny Liu, I¡¯m hungry!¡±

 Chapter 171 - Youâ€¦ Are You Sure Itâ€™s Safe for You to Continue at This Pace?

    <h4>Chapter 171: You... Are You Sure It¡¯s Safe for You to Continue at This Pace?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Does that mean that you disagree?¡± Jian Yi had not been expecting this at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you who you show these to. You can give them to Song Yu¡¯s parents and even provide them with your kind exnation,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I¡¯d never intended to hide this from them their whole lives.

    ¡°If theye to hate me for it, or force me to divorce Song Yu, then I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness. I am the man their daughter loves. No matter how much they hate me, they won¡¯t disregard Song Yu¡¯s feelings. As she loves me, I am confident that our journey together will continue as such.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re that sure that Song Yu won¡¯t grow to hate you, too? You know she despises deceit. In the face of your lie, mine seems insignificant, yet she still holds it against me. She won¡¯t even look me in the eye. Do you really think she¡¯d forgive you and continue loving you after learning of all you¡¯ve done?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi arched an eyebrow, his deep-set, ebony eyes staring into Jian Yi¡¯s. If he put it like that, did it mean he had yet to tell Song Yu?

    ¡°Regardless, I already said it¡¯s up to you. If you want to let Song Yu and her parents know, go right ahead.¡± He ced a distinguished hand atop the doorknob, preparing to leave.

    ¡°But, Jian Yi, don¡¯t expect that you will continue to hold your post as the vice-president¨C nor even that of a lowly manager. You¡¯ll be demoted to amon employee, and you¡¯ll suffer through your remaining days at thepany. A person as egotistical as you would definitely quit, right? Nevertheless, nopany would dare to hire someone from the Qi family, even if they were only a son-inw.

    ¡°Perhaps you intend to start your own business, then, since you, in your insurmountable arrogance, never wanted to work beneath someone, anyway.¡± Qi Chengzhi took a breath and stared straight at Jian Yi, his dark eyes smoldering. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, though, your current rtionship with Qi Chengyue is not at a stage where she would support the notion of you owning a start-up. Am I wrong?

    ¡°You married Chengyue because of her status and money. What can you do without financial support from the Qi family?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked disdainful. ¡°Jian Yi, let me remind you that everything you own as of now was given to you by the Qi family. The Qi family can bring you glory, but, just as easily, we can cause your greatest humiliation. Sess or destruction, we are capable of granting you either. You have to understand that, in these circumstances, where the Qi family has made you the man you are today, you are a fool toe and attempt to threaten one of their own, much less the next head.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed, giving him a perfunctory, derisive nce as he did so.

    Jian Yi¡¯s chest grew tight and his breath came out in short and shallow heaves. He could not understand how Qi Chengzhi had intimidated him, when he was the one with the upper hand!

    He wanted to punch the smug look off Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    Before he could say or do anything, however, Qi Chengzhi opened the door and left.

    The door was left swinging on its hinges, unshut. His expression unchanging, Jian Yi hurled his fist at the frame, a loud, metallic ng resounding throughout the room.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu had just finished eating when Qi Chengzhi rang the doorbell. Aunt Yang was busy cleaning in the kitchen.

    She ran to open the door, preparing a pair of house slippers for him before he stepped inside. As she waited for him to change his shoes, she took his bag.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going out tonight? Why are you back so early?¡±

    ¡°I just went there to show my face. I didn¡¯t feel like staying.¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to study her expression, uncertain as to whether she had learned the truth regarding the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    Even though he had behaved in such an assertive manner toward Jian Yi at Shengyue, he still had his fears.

    Song Yu looked as she always did, the way she tilted her head to gaze up at him as tender as always.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten then?¡± Song Yu asked, brushing her cheek. ¡°Is there something on my face? You keep looking at me as if there¡¯s something on it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and bent to peck her lips. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say so earlier? I just finished eating. If you had called while you were on the way, I could¡¯ve waited for you.¡± Song Yu¡¯s brows curved into a frown.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand, his bony, slender fingers rubbing the area between her eyebrows as if trying to ease out their crease.

    Song Yu burst outughing and grabbed his hand.

    ¡°I was worried about traffic. I didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d reach. In all honesty, I hadn¡¯t expected to leave so soon after arriving, but the opportunity presented itself and I took it.¡± His mellow voice was light and harmonious, abating her concerns.

    ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± Song Yu announced.

    ¡°What did you eat?¡±

    ¡°Since it was only Aunt Yang and me, we mixed cucumber with bean curd skin and had stir-fried gain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the same thing then. Cook me a te of gain,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She let him get changed into morefortable clothing while she prepared the vegetables.

    At this point, it was toote to steam rice, so she switched the main dish to fried noodles.

    After Qi Chengzhi had changed ande down, he caught sight of Song Yu cooking and leaned against the doorway to observe her. She was alternating between frying the vegetables and checking on the bubbling pot of noodles beside her.

    Stealthily, he approached her.

    Song Yu did not notice him. Aunt Yang, however, did and had the good sense to exit the kitchen in silence.

    Song Yu was about to ask Aunt Yang where she was headed all of a sudden, but, as she turned, her eyesnded on Qi Chengzhi.

    She blushed. ¡°What are you doing here? I¡¯m cooking; don¡¯t fool around!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing. He wrapped both arms around her waist and lowered his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. Then, his head tilting, he pressed his lips to her exposed neck.

    Although she was rather calm, her skin, from the back of her neck to the tips of her ears, was bright red.

    She turned her head and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s half-lidded eyes, his pupils almostpletely hidden by his long, thickshes.

    ¡°What is with you today?¡± She asked, sensing his peculiar state of unrest.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he mumbled into her neck, his voice low and raspy. His emerging stubble, invisible to the eye, tickled her and she nearlyughed.

    ¡°I just feel like it¡¯s so nice to have you waiting for me at home to cook me dinner.¡±

    She smiled, a blissful, buoyant feeling expanding in her chest.

    Song Yu turned her head and kissed his forehead. ¡°Me, too. I feel very happy to wee you home and cook for you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pressed his palm to her abdomen. He massaged it for a moment, then, unconsciously, moved lower, his fingers brushing the hem of her pants.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu blushed violently and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m cooking for you here. Told you not to fool around! Aunt Yang may enter at any time.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang left when she saw me. She won¡¯te in if I¡¯m here,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while peppering kisses to her skin.

    Song Yu grabbed his probing hand and ordered, ¡°Go get me a te for the vegetables.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained stationary. She snapped, ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a deep kiss before he did as she asked.

    Song Yu ted the vegetables and strained the cooked noodles. Then she put them into a pan and stir-fried them briefly.

    After cing them in front of Qi Chengzhi, she said, ¡°If you¡¯reing home without eating, remember to give me a call. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±

    He mumbled a wordless response.

    Song Yu chuckled. She knew that sentimentality was not something that came easy to him. She sat down beside him and watched him eat.

    ¡°Oh, right. Remember Grandmother told me yesterday to introduce her to someone who¡¯d bepatible with Chenglin?¡± Song Yu rested her chin on her hands and gazed at him.

    ¡°You found someone?¡± Qi Chengzhi ate another mouthful of noodles.

    ¡°I actually thought that Ruan Danchen might be rather suitable. She has a good personality and character. Chenglin is also not the kind of person who cares about a girl¡¯s family background and status. But, when I mentioned it to Ruan Danchen, she rejected me outright,¡± Song Yuughed.

    ¡°You told her that you wanted to introduce her to Chenglin?¡± Qi Chengzhi paused.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t specify who it was. I thought that, if she didn¡¯t hit it off with Chenglin, I¡¯d just introduce her to someone else. Anyway, she said that she wants to find an ordinary guy, not a rich one.¡±

    ¡°Her thinking is rather unique. It¡¯s different from the other women in this era,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I felt that she was a good candidate. By the way, is there anyone in yourpany that would suit her?¡± Song Yu asked, ¡°She¡¯s single now and the same age as me. I think it¡¯s time for her to start looking for a partner.¡±

    ¡°Why is it that married women like to y matchmaker? Could it be that you don¡¯t feel the pressure anymore, since you¡¯re already married, and have now made it your personal mission to solve this issue for all the single youngdies around you?¡± Qi Chengzhi mused, amused.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Song Yu flushed. ¡°It¡¯s only because I think that Danchen is a really good girl. It¡¯s a rare opportunity, especially since you have such remarkable connections. Yan Beicheng and his group of friends are all taken, but you still have many young talents in yourpany. Danchen is not a girl who prioritizes money. Previously, Yang Yunshu asked me to introduce her to some rich guys, but I ignored her.¡±

    ¡°You noticed that ourpany has many young talents? When did you notice them? Which ones are you interested in?¡± Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow as he interrogated her.

    Song Yu had not expected him to focus on that one sentence out of the barrage she had said.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t notice anyone. The only ones I know of are Cheng Dongge and Chang Lai. Oh, and Manager Luo, but he¡¯s a bit too mature,¡± Song Yu said carefully, fearing that she would stumble into an argument born from his insecurity.

    It appeared that Qi Chengzhi had guessed her thoughts and he chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Chenglin. Don¡¯t take Grandmother Qi¡¯s words too seriously. She knows that she¡¯ll never find a suitable candidate, herself. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Song Yu stared at him as he returned to his food, picking through stalks of gain.

    She could not remember thest time she had seen Qi Chengzhi eat quietly like this. It had be a habitual thing, and she did not feel nervous or amazed anymore. She liked their mealtime conversations, but the silence waspanionable.

    Her mind wandered back to their conversation, her eyes following his motions. He still ate with his usual etiquette and polished demeanor, even at home.

    The scene of him wearing casual house clothes and eating a simple home-cooked meal was so down-to-earth, that his aristocratic features almost seemed out of ce.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked suddenly, snapping her out of her daze.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scrutinized her. ¡°What were you thinking so deeply about just now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just watching you eat,¡± Song Yu replied, realizing that he was even more unsettled than she had previously thought. ¡°What is going on with you tonight? Has something happened?¡±

    His eyes darted across her face, as if trying to discern hidden answers and secrets from it.

    However, his expression was not one of fear, but closer to worry. There was a fleeting moment when she caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes, one that mirrored that of an insecure child.

    Song Yu did not know why she did what she did next. Instinctively, she grabbed the hand resting on top of his thigh.

    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m eating,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, chewing on his vegetables.

    Song Yu blushed, not knowing what universe this man¡¯s thoughts came from. He even managed to tease her through mouthfuls of food.

    She had probably been mistaken. There was not a shred of uncertainty to be found in the man in front of her¨C not even a bit! Annoyed, she pulled away, but he turned his hand over and sped hers.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going after doing that?¡± Qi Chengzhi caressed the back of her hand. ¡°You want it?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t...¡± Song Yu widened her eyes and red at him, her cheeks glowing scarlet. How did hee to such conclusions?

    Even so, he slurped down the rest of his noodles and wiped his mouth clean startlingly quick. Then, he pulled Song Yu up as he, too, stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    She half-ran up the stairs, towed along behind his thumping slippers.

    Song Yu yanked her hand out of his in embarrassment and insisted in a low voice, ¡°That was not what I meant!¡±

    As the final word passed her lips, she was lifted off the ground, two strong arms wrapping around her waist. Firmly, he kissed her.

    She did not attempt to shun his advances, knowing it was pointless to attempt to escape. The more she pulled back, the closer he pressed to her, his lips growing insistent.

    After a few minutes, he pressed her up against a wall, his body crowding around her as he hitched her leg up.

    When his hand slipped down the front of her pants, though, she lurched away and yelled, ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    They were at the entrance of their bedroom, and, while it may have been her home, Aunt Yang still lived here. She felt exposed, uneasy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to take you in a corner of the house,¡± he murmured against her lips.

    ¡°What if Aunt Yanges up? Go¨C go inside...¡± Song Yu lowered her voice, her skin burning.

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath, practically quivering with desire. His pants hung loose around his waist, but he forced himself to stop, restraining himself.

    Aggressively, he kissed her again, then breathed, ¡°Let¡¯s try it when Aunt Yang is on leave. I want to try every possible corner.¡±

    Song Yu fell silent, her mind spinning with the implications of his statement.

    ¡°You... Are you sure it¡¯s safe for you to continue at this pace?¡± Compared to the bevy of exquisite women he was surrounded by every day, she knew she was hardly worth a second nce. What did he find so alluring about her?

    ¡°You can test me. See if my body can take it,¡± he responded in a throaty voice before carrying Song Yu into the bedroom.

    His burning palm roved her body, and she contorted and shook beneath his touch.

    Her skin felt silken underneath his hands, and he kissed her from her lips to her neck, before moving lower and turning her over. His hands found her behind, and he knew she was ready.

    Qi Chengzhi crashed his lips against hers, pressing a pathway of earnest, light kisses from the corners of her mouth to her ears.

    She leaned into him, her hands mapping his taut, smooth skin.

    Suddenly, he pushed into her, emboldened by some unspoken desire to prove his vitality. His hold around her was almost stifling, and he moved with great force, as if trying to embed himself into her bones.

    She looked at him through misted, half-lidded eyes, beguiled by the tenderness she read into them.

    He looked at her like she was something he might lose at any given moment, his ardent love burning in his gaze. Impossibly, he held her tighter, still, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

    Shebed her fingers through his hair and pulled his head up so he would look at her. Without hesitation, she kissed him firmly.

    Her kiss was deep and passionate, filled with all the emotions she could not put into words..

    She felt Qi Chengzhi tense at her forwardness, but he quickly reciprocated with equal vigor. His kiss was so fervent, it left her gasping for air.

    Just like that, their bodies twined together, and she was taken.

    Song Yu¡¯s fingers tangled in his hair and clung at his shoulders as his name fell like a litany from her lips.

    Qi Chengzhi gently swiped away the strands of hair that were stuck to her forehead and cheeks. Faced with her heavenly beauty, his chest ached with longing.

    He had loved her for nearly his entire life, and here she was.

    Song Yu used her delicate fingers to trace the outline of his stern and taut features. He had been passionate tonight, and she knew he was true, but she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Inexplicably, she felt hurt.

    Qi Chengzhi recalled the day they got their marriage certificate, and those fateful words she had said to him. His deep-set eyes looked into hers gently, and he quietly remarked, ¡°You said that you would never leave me, no matter what happens.¡±

    Song Yu nodded her head solemnly. He said, ¡°Tell me once more.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I will never leave you,¡± Song Yu said seriously, staring unflinchingly at him. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curled into a smile.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Zidong had been quite frustrated these past few days. The cause for his frustrations was that all of thepany¡¯s investors were losing money.

    He had been unconcerned when it had only been a handful of them that faced losses, as that was natural and had happened before. They had simplypensated them as they had done before, using excess funds from other customers.

    Once they earned enough profit, they would just reimburse them ordingly.

 Chapter 155 - I Heard That the Chances of Getting A Girl Are Higher If the Parents Are Smokers

    <h4>Chapter 155: I Heard That the Chances of Getting A Girl Are Higher If the Parents Are Smokers</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re back!¡± The olddy remained glued to the spot because she knew Song Yu was feeling awkward. ¡°This is the lead actress from our cast. She¡¯s ying the role of my daughter in the movie. She insisted on sending me back even though it¡¯s just a ten-minute walk and there was really no need for her to do so. Hehe, she¡¯s too polite.¡±

    Shu Li smiled. ¡°Not at all, Young Master Cheng has always treated me kindly, and since you and I are in the same cast, it¡¯s only right that I take care of you. I¡¯m worried that Qi Chengzhi might not be too happy with me if I did something wrong.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe!¡± the olddy chuckled half-heartedly.

    Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s waist and guided her over to where the olddy was.

    Song Yu was still red-faced and feeling slightly awkward, but even so, she did not cower down in any way whatsoever. She made a point to stand in front of Shu Li and act as though she did not know Shu Li at all, making thetter feel low in spirits.

    ¡°Come here, let me introduce you.¡± The olddy underwent a drastic mood change¡ªshe held Shu Li¡¯s hand with such friendliness that it was vastly different from her earlier frostiness. ¡°Xiao Shu, this is Song Yu, my future granddaughter-inw. Song Yu, this is Shu Li.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s reaction suggested that she had only just realized that the woman in front of her was Shu Li. She smiled inly and said, ¡°Miss Shu, I suppose you¡¯re the one I spoke with on the phone just now.¡±

    Shu Li felt a sudden feeling of guilt, the kind that would be felt by a mistress whening face-to-face with her fellow adulterer¡¯s wife. An awkward smileter, she said, ¡°Youxuan must have misunderstood me. He was jumping to conclusions. I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Not to worry. Children are a bit more sensitive, but because of that, Youxuan¡¯s intuition is a good one. On previous asions, he¡¯s always been spot-on. Still, I won¡¯t take all that he says too seriously as Chengzhi has shown me that I can trust in him. He¡¯s never let these things made me unhappy.¡±

    She felt a squeeze on her waist as soon as she finished her sentence.

    Song Yu looked up and saw a half-smiling Qi Chengzhi gawking at her.

    The veiled threat in her words was her way of showing off her strength to the ill-intentioned Shu Li.

    Song Yu felt her face heat up. Her sole intention was to tell Shu Li to back off, but in that brief moment, she forgot that Qi Chengzhi was right beside her.

    She wondered if he regarded her as a jealous woman, considering his half-smiling expression and all those words she said in front of him.

    His teasing look made her turn her head away shyly.

    The couple¡¯s antics seemed just like flirtation from the perspective of both Shu Li and the olddy.

    Qi Chengzhi has never revealed that side of himself in front of anyone else.

    Naturally, the olddy was ted, and it really touched her heart when she heard what Song Yu had to say.

    ¡°Hehehe, well we¡¯ve reached my house. You don¡¯t need to keep mepany anymore. Go on and head back to the set!¡± The olddy sent Shu Li on her way with a big grin on her face. She had no intention of even inviting Shu Li in for a cup of hot tea.

    Without waiting for Shu Li to respond, the olddy entered her homepound.

    Left in the cold, Shu Li looked at Song Yu from head to toe. She could not believe that Song Yu was actually really pretty, with a quietness and steadiness that was different from what she originally imagined.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll head back then.¡± Shu Li smiled and nced at Qi Chengzhi.

    The man attention, however, was wholly focused on Song Yu. He was looking at Song Yu with such single-hearted devotion that Shu Li was forgotten altogether.

    Song Yu felt a slight unease at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s insistent stares and could only nod at Shu Li. Thetter seemed reluctant to leave, and after some hesitation, she finally turned and left for good.

    Once Shu Li left, Song Yu¡¯s shifted her gaze to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    He coiled up around her and brushed his lips against her reddened ears. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you trust me? And that you won¡¯t get worried even if plenty of women are throwing themselves at me?¡±

    ¡°I do trust you, but it doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t give a hoot about all those women offering themselves up to you! If I didn¡¯t see them do that in person then so be it, but if I see them do it right in front of me, I can¡¯t just let them ignore my presence.¡± Song Yu shot him a frosty stare. ¡°You¡¯d better make sure that no woman will ever get to touch you, not even a tiny touch. If they did touch you, it¡¯d be best for you to keep it a secret, because if I found out where they touched you, I¡¯ll never let that areae in contact with me ever again!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked his eyebrow. ¡°Not even holding hands?¡±

    She red at his masculine hands and said, half-smiling, ¡°Try it if you dare!¡±

    To her surprise, the cheerful glimmer in his eyes intensified and he let out a soft chuckle out of sheer delight. She found it pleasing to hear his sexy and sonorous voice.

    She looked at him cynically and wondered why he was smiling. All of a sudden, she felt her feet leave the ground¡ªhe had lifted her entire body up.

    His strong arms supported her by the waist and he moved in to give her a good long kiss.

    He gave her an intense stare after breaking the kiss. ¡°I dare you to stop me from touching you!¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡±

    Another dry cough, and Song Yu looked embarrassedly in that direction. At some point, Qi Chengji had entered thepound and was staring at them.

    She pushed Qi Chengzhi frantically in an attempt to make him ce her back down. He did not. With ackadaisical look on his face, he held her much tighter than before, to the point where he could feel the heat emanating from her cheek. It was only then that he ced her down slowly.

    Qi Chengji looked at them with befuddlement. He brought his closed fist to his mouth and coughed once more before mumbling, ¡°I think I might need a bit more time to get used to seeing the both of you being so lovey-dovey.¡±

    Despite the fact that he and Song Yu had no romantic feelings, he still treated her as a good friend.

    She was younger than him by one year, and for Qi Chengji, it felt as though his own brother was in love with his own sister. Seeing them hugging and kissing every week was something that he had to take time to get used to.

    ¡°You seem to be quiteing back quite a lot recently. Is it because you have a lot of free time?¡± Seemingly averse to Qi Chengji, Qi Chengzhi led Song Yu into the house.

    ¡°Well, there really isn¡¯t anything going on. Over the next few days, I¡¯ll use up my leave for this year and I¡¯ll have a month and a half of rest.¡± Qi Chengji smiled. ¡°You¡¯ll be seeing me every day when thates.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snickered and led Song Yu into the house.

    ¡°Chengzhi, do you have a lighter? Lend it to me for a while.¡± The olddy stretched out an open palm the instant she saw theming in.

    Upon returning home earlier, the first thing she asked Aunt Liu was for a lighter. Unfortunately, no one who lived there smoked, and even if Qi Chengzhi or whoever came, smoking was not permitted at all. A lighter was not the sort of thing that was needed in the house.

    ¡°No,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied.

    ¡°Hm?¡± The olddy found it rather odd and she looked at him with suspicion. ¡°You? A heavy smoker? Without a lighter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve quit,¡± came his curt response. He did not even have cigarettes on him, much less a lighter.

    At that point, it was Song Yu¡¯s turn to be shocked. The olddy did not have to question him further, because Song Yu was the one who asked, ¡°Why did you suddenly quit?¡±

    Cigarettes used to stick to his fingers like glue. Their rtionship made him stop smoking, but only in front of her; she knew that he was still smoking like a chimney in her absence.

    Cigarettes were practically a part of him, so it came as a surprise that he suddenly quit.

    Song Yu sniffed him thoroughly and realized that the familiar tobo smell waspletely absent from his scent.

    ¡°Only for a while,¡± was his simple reply. No further exnation was given.

    ¡°Quitting is a good thing, but why did you suddenly think of quitting?¡± Knowing that it was only for a moment, the olddy¡¯s mind began to wonder. If Qi Chengzhi wanted to quit, he would have done so already. There was no need for him to wait to do it.

    ¡°Song Yu wants a child,¡± he dropped the bombshell suddenly and brought Song Yu over to sit on the sofa.

    She did not expect that to be his reason for quitting. Her face was beginning to warm up and she had a look of stupor as she admired his handsome face. He did not seem to have any inkling of how sudden and shocking the consequences of his words were.

    It also did not cross her mind that he had quit all of a sudden without telling her.

    He had never smoked in front of her for quite a long time already, so if he had not told her, she would not have found out about his quitting.

    Her wanting a child was reason enough for him to quit smoking.

    ¡°Really? Well that¡¯s good then!¡± The olddy¡¯s face lit up. She ran over to Song Yu and leaned over, eximing, ¡°Good girl, such a good girl! In that case, I¡¯ll have great-grandchildren to hold soon enough, right? Oh dear, that means we need to hurry up with the wedding. Or maybe the both of you can register for your marriage certificate first? In case something happens.

    ¡°My dear Song Yu, do you know when you¡¯ll be having one?¡± There was no shortage of excitement from the olddy. She desperately wanted Song Yu to get pregnant right away.

    ¡°We¡¯re going with the flow, we haven¡¯t...¡± Song Yu did not know what else to say. Her ears were already scorching red.

    ¡°Grandma, I have one.¡± Qi Chengji words saved Song Yu from embarrassment. He fished out a lighter and handed it over to the olddy.

    Then he asked, ¡°Why do you need it for?¡±

    She blinked a few times and waved him off. ¡°I need it.¡±

    After that, she scampered off to the bathroom and locked the door behind her. From her pocket she took out a piece of paper¡ªit was the same piece of paper that Shu Li offered to Qi Chengzhi. It contained her number, and it was the very same one that he declined to ept.

    When it was time for the olddy to return home, Shu Li insisted on giving her number to the olddy. She told the elderly woman to call her should the need arise, be it in matters rting to the film or anything else.

    Of course, the ¡®fianc¨¦e excuse¡¯ was not avable to the olddy. That, and in addition to Shu Li¡¯s stubbornness, left the olddy with no other choice but to take the paper.

    The old woman knew all too well that Shu Li was hoping for a chance to get in touch with Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Hmph! You little minx. Don¡¯t even think about it!¡± The elderlydy cursed, lit the fire, and burnt the paper up.

    Just as the fire was about to hit her finger, she dropped whatever that remained into the toilet bowl, tugging on the flush and sending it down the sewer.

    ...

    ...

    Back in the living room, the couple was there with Qi Chengji as the only other person. Song Yu turned to look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s calm face. As stern as he looked, the things he did were incredibly heart-warming.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you quit smoking?¡± She put her arm under his and held his slender fingers, all while looking warmly at him.

    Qi Chengzhi turned and gave her a nonchnt gaze. ¡°It wasn¡¯t something really important, so I forgot about it.¡±

    Song Yu was about to ask how he could even forget such a thing, but she then noticed his ears turning red.

    After a few asions, Song Yu could discern the moments when Qi Chengzhi felt embarrassed, and those moments did in fact ur once in a while. It was not something too noticeable, for it was only the tips of his ears that reddened.

    In addition, the tips of his ears were his most sensitive area. Back when they were at the KTV, it only took a little peck on his ears to make them increase in redness. The cuteness was simply too much for her.

    She surmised that his quitting was not as insignificant as he put out to be. Rather, he had a habit of doing things quietly, and perhaps he found it a bit awkward to bring it up!

    ¡°When did you quit?¡± Song Yu could not help herself from leaning over to him even closer. As long as she was beside him, she simply could not resist clinging onto him.

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips, seemingly unwilling to say it out loud. All he did was look quietly at her.

    ¡°Come on, tell me!¡± Song Yu urged softly.

    A twitch on his lips, and he began telling her everything. ¡°I started when you told me you wanted kids. We were still in Paris at that time. But because I¡¯ve been smoking for so many years, it¡¯s not like I can just quit immediately. I was holding it in for a few days already, and when I really can¡¯t stand it, I¡¯ll smoke one. I¡¯m trying hard to stop it, but as of now I think I can pretty much control myself.¡±

    Warmth began surging in Song Yu¡¯s heart. She felt an unspeakable emotion, and in a moment of spontaneity, his fresh scent prompted her to kiss him on his ears. Qi Chengji¡¯s presence waspletely ignored.

    Qi Chengji felt quite stunned since he had yet toe to terms with seeing the couple engaging in public acts of affection.

    Song Yu used to be scared of Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengji recalled how Song Yu was still in primary school when Qi Chengzhi was already an adult. During Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tenure as Jixia¡¯s headmaster, Song Yu was not even an adult yet¡ªshe was still a high-schooler then.

    The age gap was essentially toorge, and by virtue of his longsting first impression on both Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Qi Chengji felt that Song Yu was a child whenpared to her male counterpart.

    Nevertheless, Song Yu was leaning into Qi Chengzhi and canoodling with him at that very moment. She even forgot where she was and kissed him on his ear.

    Qi Chengji knew that the couple would have done everything that the birds and bees would do; a child was their goal, after all. Still, it still did not diminish the fact that he found it very unnerving.

    Qi Chengzhi felt equally shocked, for it did not ur to him that a meek woman like her would just kiss him on a whim.

    His ears were still red due to her kiss, and the tame little expression on her gentle face seemed to suggest that he was all that her eyes and heart were focused on.

    A pounding in his heart made him ignore Qi Chengji¡¯s presence too. He lowered his head and gave her a big kiss on her lips.

    Qi Chengji facepalmed because the couple was simply turning a blind eye and deaf ear to his existence.

    They did not seem to mind that they were treating him like an inanimate object.

    Song Yu¡¯s blushing and amorous demeanor was characteristic of a woman madly in love. He never saw anything like that in his entire life.

    Song Yu aside, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tender expression was more than a sickening sight.

    Qi Chengzhi had never been one to look too kindly on his own little brother. He had never held back his bullying, even.

    With Song Yu, however, he had a near-angelic temper. Qi Chengji just could not bear the sight in front of him.

    Momentster, a soft murmur from Song Yu was heard. ¡°Do you want a son or a girl? I heard that the chances of getting a girl are higher if the parents are smokers.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi got up without a single word. With no clue as to what his intentions were, Song Yu¡¯s first reaction was to tug onto him. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To get a pack of cigarettes,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied inly.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu froze nkly. Once she finally reacted, she had a look of disbelief as she pulled him down. ¡°You want a girl that badly?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± He nodded earnestly without a second thought. ¡°If I had a son, he¡¯ll go against me if he isn¡¯t obedient and I¡¯ll get angry. A daughter would be much softer and more considerate.¡±

    Qi Chengji touched his nose, thinking how Qi Chengzhi was practically describing himself with that statement.

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi got together with Song Yu, he managed to rile his parents up countless times.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just let ite naturally. If this one¡¯s a boy, I¡¯ll give you many more, until you get a girl.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but chuckle. His coarse and handsome palm emanated heat as he came into contact with her belly. ¡°How many children do you n to give me?¡±

    Song Yu had a scarlet-red face and was momentarily unable to give any response. Then, she heard the olddy giggling happily uponing out. She immediately released herself from Qi Chengzhi and sat up properly.

    The elderly woman returned the lighter to Qi Chengji, leaving thetter with a questioning gaze. ¡®Why did she bring the lighter into the bathroom? It could not possibly be because she was hiding in there to smoke, could it?¡¯

    Barely seconds after taking her seat, the olddy stood up once more and went into her bedroom.

    Sometimeter she brought out a palm-sized wooden box and sat beside Song Yu.

    ¡°My dear Song Yu.¡± The old woman opened the box, revealing a green ancestral jadeite bangle. It was lustrous and glossy, with a small glimmer of fluorescence. ¡°Long ago, I got these jadeite bangles for each of my grandsons. They were waiting to be given to my future granddaughters-inw, once my grandsons found suitable candidates.¡±

    The olddy took the bangle out and ced it on Song Yu¡¯s left hand, exining, ¡°Actually this is my dowry. In the olden days, our family was among the great ones, and our ancestors were imperial officials, so they collected many things. When instability came, we were fortunate that our ancestors had the foresight and managed to protect all these things. Antique jadeite artifacts were passed down, generation by generation.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been years and years since I took care of this dowry. This jadeite bangle is as antique as antique can get.¡±

    Song Yu epted it because it would be bad manners to reject it.

    She was going to marry Qi Chengzhi anyway and the bangle was a gift from the olddy¡¯s heart. The old woman was not going to like it if Song Yu declined the gift.

    Song Yu¡¯s wrist was too small however, and no effort was needed to push her hand in. Worse still, it seemed as though it would slide off her hand at any given moment.

    ¡°Oh no, it¡¯s too big.¡± It was evident from the olddy¡¯s eyes that she was disappointed, but she continued, ¡°I chose the smallest one avable, but never mind, just keep it at home. When it¡¯s time, you can pass it on to your daughter-inw. I¡¯ll bring you to get another er, I think only a Guifei 1bangle would suit you.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and epted the bangle, saying, ¡°Even if I could wear it, I¡¯d be reluctant to wear it. I¡¯d definitely be keeping it at home.¡±

    ¡®That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right. I¡¯d be reluctant too. It¡¯d be so heartbreaking to knock it against something. The one I¡¯m wearing is store-bought too. Those that are passed down are just too precious,¡± the olddy remarked.

    ...

    ...

    The couple remained at the Qi family residence until after dinner. The next was a Sunday, and they had agreed on visiting the Song family that day.

    In recent times, Song Yu would visit her parents every weekend if there was nothing going on for her. Even if she could not stay for a whole day, she would at least go back for a few hours.

    If Qi Chengzhi had no work to do, he would always apany her as well.

    At home, Song Donglin was busy mopping the floor while Yu Qianying was washing some fruits in the kitchen. They were both waiting for Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi to arrive.

    The doorbell suddenly rang while they were still busy, eliciting a loud shout from Yu Qianying, ¡°They¡¯re here!¡±

    She opened the tap and washed her hands before wiping them on her apron. Running over to the door, she opened it with a smile. ¡°Why are you both so early today?¡±

    <i>Footnotes:</i>

    <h4>Ch 155 Footnote 1</h4>

    ¹óåú ¨C it roughly trantes to ¡®Imperial Consort¡¯, but more appropriately it is the highest rank for imperial consorts during the Tang Dynasty. This design originated from the Tang Dynasty where Yang Yuhuan (ÑîÓñ»·), one of Emperor Tang Xuanzong¡¯s (ÌÆÐþ×Ú) consorts, came up with an innovative oval-shaped bangle.

 Chapter 156 - Donâ€™t Disgust Me with Your Gifts. Get Out! (Free Chengyu Childhood Mini-Drama)

    <h4>Chapter 156: Don¡¯t Disgust Me with Your Gifts. Get Out! (Free Chengyu Childhood Mini-Drama)</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She opened the tap and washed her hands before wiping them on her apron. Running over to the door, she opened it with a smile. ¡°Why are you both so early today?¡±

    ¡°Qianying.¡± At the door, Yu Zixiu and Chi Yuanzhen, with bags and bags of gifts, were smiling warmly at Yu Qianying.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s smile turned frigid when she saw who were at the door. She revoked the smile on her face. Without saying a word, she wanted to shut the door.

    While Yu Zixiu¡¯s hands were full of bags of goodies, he tried to keep Yu Qianying from closing the door.

    ¡°Qianying! We¡¯re siblings. If there¡¯s any issue, we can resolve it. Why didn¡¯t you say a word before you shut us out?¡± Ignoring how it might look to others, Yu Zixiu stood at the door and spoke in a gentle voice to Yu Qianying.

    Yu Qianying had her lips pressed tightly. She could not suppress the anger arising from her chest. For so many years, this was the first time she felt like bursting into tears.

    When the Song family went bankrupt back then, she did not shed a tear, knowing she still had her husband and daughter. She needed to swallow her tears to get through the difficult times with Song Donglin. If she had cried, the entire family would have lost steam.

    Before they got in touch with any rtives ¡ª which Yu Qianying did not intend to as she was afraid to drag them down, the Yu family had already made a clean break with her. She did not cry then.

    She merely apologized to Song Donglin in her red eyes, for having been connected to such inws.

    During Liang Lihua¡¯sst visit, despite the humiliation she and Song Yu had suffered, she dealt with it with her back straight. She fiercely balked at all the insults Liang Lihua expressed. She did not cry then.

    However, with her big brother Yu Zixiu standing right in front of her, after drawing a line for so many years, she could not control herself. How could he be so thick-skinned, bringing his wife for a visit after the marriage between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi was established? That greedy smile on his face, as if nothing had happened and they were still dear to each other ¡ª how brazen-faced they were made her want to burst into tears out of anger.

    A painful sore rose from her throat and eyes. She would rather never have these siblings at all.

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you,¡± Yu Qianying whimpered and said coldly.

    ¡°Qianying, why do you have to behave that way? There¡¯s no need to be so cold, regardless of the resentment you had toward me, we¡¯re still siblings. Blood is thicker than water.¡± Yu Zixiu let out a sigh, sounding sincere and earnest.

    ¡°Siblings? We¡¯re no longer of that standing.¡± As Yu Zixiu was holding the door, Yu Qianying stood at the entrance to stop them from entering.

    Even for someone as impervious as Yu Zixiu, he would not push her aside to break into the house.

    Their intention to visit was to gain favor and y up to the Song family.

    If that was the case, Yu Zixiu would not dare to be rude to her.

    ¡°Qianying, I know you¡¯re enraged at me.¡± Yu Zixiu paused and remained silent for a while. ¡°Afterall, we haven¡¯t seen each other for such a long time. However, we¡¯re still siblings. We can talk about anything. Are you going not to recognize me as your elder brother forever?¡±

    Yu Qianyin sneered. She wished that a huff could send them away.

    ¡°In my memory, the Yu family has already made a clean break with me. Ever since eight years ago, when the Song family went bankrupt, I¡¯m no longer a member of the Yu family. Mister Yu, with the ties cut, can I request you to stick to the boundary and not annoy me anymore? Let¡¯s make it a clean break ¡ª we will never see each other again. Even if we bump into each other unintentionally, you don¡¯t even have to acknowledge my presence. You can treat me as a stranger.¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s voice was cold. Her heart was stone cold ¡ª she no longer felt any siblings¡¯ love with the man in front of him.

    Yu Qianying was not able to rte to the proverb: ¡®blood is thicker than water,¡¯ since a few years ago.

    When the Song family went bankrupt, Song Donglin became a cab driver, and he even took up the night shift. For Yu Qianying, she became a domestic helper ¡ª cleaning, washing, and cooking. Song Yu had started working ever since she graduated high school. Even in university, she was working part-time.

    The Yu family had never shown up, not even once. They did not try to inquire about their lives.

    From then on, she treated herself as the only child. There were no siblings.

    Blood rtion?

    She was too hurt to feel it.

    ¡°Qianying, I know you hate us, and you have the right. Back then, I just took over the Yu family. I was under pressure ¡ª I was afraid that I would lead the Yu family to ruins. The pressure I faced was insurmountable, and I doubt you could empathize. All I could do then was to hold the fort; I did not dare to do anything to bring the Yu family to new heights. I admit I was a coward. I was afraid that the Song family would bring the Yu family down under my hands.¡±

    Yu Zixiu spoke gravely, and his expression earnest and sincere.

    He ced all the presents on the floor, with both his hand still on the door. ¡°Qianying, whatever my reasons were, I¡¯ve made a mistake. I¡¯m not trying to excuse myself, but I¡¯m here to apologize to you sincerely. Qianying, can you forgive your old brother?

    ¡°Everyone makes mistakes. I was a fool. I got blinded by my interest and had wronged and hurt you. It¡¯s been so many years. You have all the right to hate me, but today, I¡¯m here to apologize. Please ept my wholehearted apology.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± Yu Qianying found how shameless he was amusing. She let out augh, out of anger. ¡°Mister Yu, I admire you. You¡¯d go anywhere as long as you can gain something from it, without a sense of shame. I¡¯m curious how low you can go for your self-interest. Are you willing to lie down and let me step on your face for my forgiveness?¡±

    ¡°Qianying...¡± Yu Zixiu looked at her bitterly. ¡°I know that¡¯s not who you¡¯re. I¡¯m still your elder brother, and we¡¯re connected by blood. You¡¯re too kind, you can¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you all are bullying me? You see my kindness as an opportunity you can take advantage of! You all are living proof of the proverb, ¡®a weak man is liable to be bullied¡¯!¡± All of a sudden, Yu Qianying raised her voice. She was trembling, but no matter how hard she was shouting, she could not be relieved of all the hatred and suffering she had felt during those years.

    Red-eyed, she did not care if the neighbors had heard her.

    She knew that there would be more shameless people toe. The neighbors could discuss behind her back all they wanted. She could not care less.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu! You, your brother, and your entire family! Do you know no shame?¡± Yu Qianying was flustered. She spat the words through her teeth, and she was on the brink of tears. She seemed almost hysterical.

    ¡°Do you dare say that your apology is sincere?¡± Yu Qianying scoffed. She clenched her fists and gave up on the idea of trying to shut the door.

    She could not do it since Yu Zixiu was obstructing the door.

    ¡°If you do know that you¡¯ve wronged me, why would you only apologize to me now? Why do you only do it after Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi got engaged and decided on the wedding? Why only when they¡¯re about to get married? Do you think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± Yu Qianying spoke angrily.

    ¡°You want to make use of the rtion to schmooze up with the Qi family and be their kin. Keep dreaming! You¡¯re only here when there¡¯s benefit you can reap. When we needed help, where were you? You swiftly cut ties with us! Yu Zixiu, let me tell you something. When the Song family went bankrupt, I did not intend to seek help from anyone! It was our matter. To keep thepany running, it was akin to a ck hole. We didn¡¯t want to drag anyone down, but how terrified you all acted was eye-opening!

    ¡°Can you say without guilt, that you didn¡¯te here to apologize because of Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s marriage? Back then, when the Song family went bankrupt, Lao Song was a cab driver, working the night shift. He could not even afford his car, and he had to work for the car owners. He worked without knowing day and night. Working night shift meant that there was always danger impending. He even had to hold his pee while driving. When he was going through that, where were you?

    ¡°When was I an hourly worker, kneeling on the floor and cleaning, where were you? When Song Yu graduated from high school, even with a schrship, she still almost could not afford university tuition. She had to work the entire summer, while the others were celebrating their graduation and traveling around. Where were you then?

    ¡°When Song Yu went to university, she was still working part-time. She rose early and sleptte. She hardly had time to sleep. Where were you? I¡¯m not a beggar, and I¡¯m not asking anything from you. However, back then, you didn¡¯t recognize me as your sister, and neither did you recognize Song Yu as your niece. What basis do you have to call yourself a rtive?

    ¡°Even in an ordinary family, they would be happy when their niece got to university. They would even give her a small reward. Look at yourself! You¡¯re inferior to an ordinary family! Other kids were enjoying themselves and celebrating their graduation and admission into a university, but our Song Yu had to earn her tuition fees!

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, tell me. What have you ever done for Song Yu? Nothing! Now you¡¯re here to ask for a favor? Do you think there¡¯s free lunch in this world? Don¡¯t tell me family should be there for each other and ask for no returns. It doesn¡¯t work that way! I¡¯ve contributed significantly to the Yu family, but what have I got in return? You sent me out the door! While you were of no aid to us, now you want to reap the rewards?

    ¡°Apologize?¡± Yu Qianying wanted tough out loud. She lifted her tense arm and pointed at Yu Zixiu¡¯s nose angrily. ¡°Do you think I will ept a painless apology and let you harvest the gain?¡±

    Yu Qianying let her hand down and lowered her head to look at the gifts on the floor. ¡°With Qi Chengzhi as my son-inw, these gifts are a dime a dozen! Do you think I care about these? Even for the Song family¡¯spany ¡ª while we¡¯re indifferent to it now, but if we want, Qi Chengzhi can help us revive it just with one statement!

    ¡°Just these gifts for forgiveness?¡± Yu Qianying got hold of the present and threw them downstairs. The gifts tumbled down the staircase. ¡°Stop dreaming! Don¡¯t disgust me with your gifts. Get out!¡±

    The house was an old development. There was no lift, and one could only climb the stairs. There were three units on each floor, and the Song family was the first unit. On the right-hand side of the house was the handrail of the stairs, and underneath it, the steps for half the floor.

    Yu Qianying threw everything to the right, and the gifts all went down.

    Until then, the sound of the gifts tumbling down the stairs,¡¯ pong, pong¡¯ could still be heard.

    Chi Yuanzhen¡¯s expression was unnatural. When Yu Qianying boldly threw the presents downstairs, she was on edge but managed to suppress her outburst.

    Yu Zixiu¡¯s face sunk, although itsted in the blink of an eye, seeing the presents being thrown out. Right after, he appeared to be in deep remorse.

    ¡°Qianying, I know these presents wouldn¡¯t make you forgive me. I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d forgive me just out of this visit. While you imed that you don¡¯t acknowledge me as your brother, you¡¯re still my younger sister. I knew it would cause a misunderstanding as I seek you out at this awkward timing, but the reality is, I want to help Song Yu out,¡± Yu Zixiu spoke gravely.

    ¡°You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t deny that Song Yu marrying Qi Chengzhi would be greatly beneficial to the Yu family. If I deny this, I¡¯m indeed treating you as an idiot. It¡¯s also overly pretentious.¡±

    Yu Qianying scorned. Was what he was saying then not pretentious?

    ¡°Have you thought about the potential benefits Song Yu could get from mending our rtionship? You said I¡¯ve never done anything for Song Yu. When she was at her lowest point, we stood aside and did nothing. I admit it was my mistake. It was regretful, but it was in the past. We can¡¯t reverse time and fix what has happened in the past.

    ¡°Hence, I¡¯m trying my best to make up for it. I won¡¯t make the same mistakes as before,¡± Yu Zixiu said sternly. ¡°I¡¯m sincere in my apology, and it¡¯s not manifested in these presents. I took note of an opportunity where I can help Song Yu out and fix the mistakes of the past, and that¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here, albeit it may appear to be thick-skinned to you.¡±

    Yu Zixiu saw Yu Qianying¡¯s attitude remained cold. His lips stretched bitterly. ¡°Qianying, can we have this conversation inside? It¡¯s our private matter. If the neighbors hear it, they would be making fun of us.¡±

    Yu Qianying scoffed once more, showing her disdain. Trying to close the door once more, she said, ¡°If you¡¯re afraid to make a fool of yourself, then get out! I didn¡¯t permit you to speak at my doorstep!¡±

    Yu Zixiu¡¯s expression changed. He held the door, preventing her from closing it. ¡°Alright, alright. We won¡¯t go in. We will stand here.¡±

    This time, he was afraid that Yu Qianying would shut the door when he was not paying attention, so he had his hands glued onto the door. The posture was not exactly elegant, and it was rude. However, those were beyond Yu Zixiu¡¯s considerations.

    ¡°Qianying, I¡¯m here today to be of help to Song Yu,¡± said Yu Zixiu.

    ¡°What, are you like Yu Zidong and his wife, who are here to make Song Yu realize her position and give up on Qi Chengzhi? Those two are about to get married. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s a little toote?¡¯¡± Yuan Qianying raised her eyebrow and said sarcastically.

    ¡°Qianying, listen to me. I¡¯m not here to tell Song Yu to break up with Qi Chengzhi,¡± Yu Zixiu replied patiently with an earnest tone. ¡°On the contrary, I¡¯m always on her side. It¡¯s just that you¡¯re not aware of it.

    ¡°I knew Keyao likes Qi Chengzhi a lot. From the time Qi Zhengzhi and Song Yu began dating, till now, when they¡¯re about to get married, she still doesn¡¯t want to give up. I¡¯ve tried to advise her, and I even went to Zidong¡¯s ce to have her stop bothering Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. She refused to listen. I also spoke to Zidong and argued with Liang Lihua. She remained stubborn. I had no other ways.

    ¡°However, I stand by Song Yu¡¯s side,¡± said Yu Zixiu. ¡°Regardless of what Keyao has in mind, I don¡¯t have her back. Without support from the family, they¡¯re just a branch of the family. They won¡¯t be able to make waves.

    ¡°Besides, Qi Chengzhi is in love with Song Yu. I have no power to separate them. If I think I do, it would be biting more than I can chew.¡± Yu Zixiu smiled wryly. ¡°Qianying, have you ever thought about this? After all, the difference in social standing between you and the Qi family is unbridgeable. It¡¯s as far removed as the earth from the sky.¡±

    Before Yu Qianying spat her acerbic remark, Yu Zixiu continued, ¡°Don¡¯t be in a hurry to criticize me. I¡¯m not belittling you. Listen to me, when Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi get married, the bride¡¯s side can¡¯t go empty-handed. For an allied marriage, it essentially means for the union of the power behind the two families, the twopanies.

    ¡°Given the Song family had gone bankrupt a long time ago, the marriage between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu isn¡¯t considered an allied marriage. Regardless, the bride should at least be bringing some trousseau.¡± Yu Zixiu let out a sigh. ¡°Qianying, even when someone from an ordinary family gets married, the bride will be bringing trousseau. At the very least, there will be a car. It¡¯s just a union between two ordinary families.

    ¡°Song Yu is different. She¡¯s marrying Qi Chengzhi. The gap is already huge to begin with, do you want her to go empty-handed when she marries over?¡± Yu Zixiu said, ¡°I understand, you must have saved up over the years. Besides, Song Yu is hardworking and frugal. She probably has saved up as well, and buying a car isn¡¯t an issue.

    ¡°If Song Yu is marrying someone ordinary, it¡¯d be enough. There isn¡¯t even a need for a luxury car, something in the range of ten to twenty thousand isn¡¯t too shabby. However, she¡¯s marrying into the Qi family! They wouldn¡¯t even take a look at something that costs hundreds of thousands. They have a row of cars in their garage in the millions!

    ¡°The disparity between you and the Qi family is already huge. If Song Yu marries him with little to bring over, the inws will surely look down on her. She would be bullied as well.¡± Yu Zixiu took a deep sigh. It seemed like he was apprehensive about Song Yu¡¯s future.

    Yu Qianying smiled scornfully. She scoffed. ¡°What should we do then, based on what you said?¡±

    ¡°Hence, I came today to let you know that I¡¯m willing to pay for Song Yu¡¯s trousseau. I came to discuss with you what she should bring along, how much the endowment should be and the car she should go with. A few days ago, I also sent someone to scout for a few nice mansions in B City. Once it¡¯s confirmed, I¡¯ll take a look personally to find the right property.¡± Yu Zixiu sounded so sincere, like he would be taking care of this himself. He seemed like he was dedicated to Song Yu¡¯s welfare.

    ¡°I also wanted to discuss with you, if we can announce the union of the Qi and the Yu families, and that the Qi family would keep an eye out for the Yu family in the business? To be more exact, to keep an eye out for you, and to help propel your family to the top social circle. It¡¯d be beneficial if you can get to know the others from the Great Eight Families. Unfortunately, Kexin has already gotten married. Otherwise, it¡¯d be great for Kexin to be in union with someone from the Great Eight Families. Am I right?¡± Yu Qianying mocked him with no reservation. She stood leisurely, with her arms crossed.

    Yu Zixiu, with his thick skin, still turned red in the face under Yu Qianying¡¯s mocking.

    Chi Yuanzhen could hide her irritation no more. She was trying her best to keep it under control.

    Since the night before, Yu Zixiu had been continuously reminding her that Yu Qianying would not be gentle with them. She might even say nasty things. However, regardless of what Yu Qianying said, Chi Yuanzhen must not cause an outburst.

    The hardship today would lead to glory tomorrow.

    Compared to elevating the status into the upper ss and bing rtives with the Qi family, the benefits outweighed the shame from Yu Qianying. It would lift the Yu family to the next level, to be one just beneath the Great Eight Families.

    Thinking about the glorious future, Yu Zixiu was even willing to let Yu Qianying step on him.

    Despite cursing Yu Qianying a million times in her heart and having an ill expression, Chi Yuanzhen did not say a word. She just let Yu Qianying belittle her as much as she wanted to.

    ¡ª

    A free mini-drama for the readers!

    ¡°Bow to Heaven and Earth¡±

    When Song Yu was three, she was ying house with Qi Chengji at the Qi family. It seemed like they had learned something from TV, and they were trying to get married and perform the formal bows by the bride and groom as the old custom in China. They dragged Qi Chengzhi to be the ¡®parent.¡¯

    Song Yu had a red handkerchief on her head, and Qi Chengji had a China rose, which he plucked from the garden on his ear.

    Looking at the two, it seemed rather formal. Qi Chengzhi squinted, and put Qi Chengji instead on the position of the ¡®parent.¡¯ He knelt by the side of Song Yu.

    ¡°You guys are doing it wrong. Let me demonstrate how to do it right.¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Under his loud, ¡®kowtow for each other,¡¯ Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu bowed, facing each other.

    Subsequently, after cheering ¡®send into the bridal chamber!¡¯ Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand and left the room. Until Yu Qianying brought Song Yu home, Qi Chengji¡¯s ear still had blooming China rose. He was still waiting at the ¡®parent¡¯ position for Song Yu to marry him.

 Chapter 157 - Song Yu, You Better Not Come over Today

    <h4>Chapter 157: Song Yu, You Better Not Come over Today</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Despite cursing Yu Qianying a million times in her heart and having an ill expression, Chi Yuanzhen did not say a word. She just let Yu Qianying belittle her as much as she wanted to.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, stop dreaming! Not only would I not forgive you, reconciling with the Yu family is akin to keeping a pack of wolves that you¡¯ll never know when they¡¯d turn against you! Even if I let bygones be bygones, I¡¯d not let you reap any benefit from the Qi family. I won¡¯t give you the chance to bring shame to Song Yu in front of the Qi family!

    ¡°For Song Yu to marry Qi Chengzhi, it¡¯s her blessing. It¡¯s Qi Chengzhi¡¯s liking. They didn¡¯t date for any extrinsic reason, and merely because they like each other. Song Yu¡¯s feeling toward Qi Chengzhi is pure. It¡¯s not because he¡¯s the eldest grandson of the Qi family or because of his status and wealth.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you taint and ruin the genuine rtionship between the two! I won¡¯t let their rtionships beden with business interests. Do you think I¡¯m willing to sacrifice my daughter¡¯s happiness for you? Keep dreaming!

    ¡°Preparing trousseau for Song Yu? That sounds great, thanks, but no thanks. We¡¯ve already had a meal with the Qi family and discussed the matter. Everyone knew about our situation, including the Qi family. Do you think they¡¯re not aware that we can¡¯t afford the trousseau that can match the status of the Qi family?

    ¡°The Qi family has made it clear that there¡¯s no need for ample trousseau, as long as it¡¯s appropriate with the customs and within our means. For them, it¡¯s the sincerity that counts. The Qi family doesn¡¯tck this trivial amount of money. About Song Yu after she gets married, it¡¯s none of your concern. Qi Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t let her suffer any injustice.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, keep your smug ns to yourself. Don¡¯t even think about using Song Yu to achieve your master n. My advice for you is, don¡¯t be so shameless and believe that you deserve a share of every cake. When we went bankrupt, you avoided us; now that we¡¯re doing well, and youe shagging your tail. What makes you think we will give you a piece of the cake? Do you think the world revolves around you, and that you can have everything your way?

    ¡°Do you think that I can¡¯t hate you even after you cut the ties? Do you assume that we¡¯re going to be grateful and forgive you just because youe to apologize and offer us a small favor?¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s eyes were gleaming coldly.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, please remove your hand. I¡¯m going to close the door!¡± Yu Qianying said.

    Chi Yuanzhen could no longer stand it. She had never experienced such humiliation where she could not answer back.

    She opened her mouth, wanting to insult Yu Qianying. While she could not reprimand her, she could at least say a sentence or two, on how she had forgotten her family name when her daughter had found a powerful man.

    She sprouted, ¡°You-¡± before Yu Zixiu pulled her hand.

    Chi Yuanzhen looked at Yu Zixiu. Yu Zixiu said nothing and merely gave her a stare. Chi Yuanzhen then just kept her mouth shut and swallowed her words.

    ¡°Qianying, it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t let us in. We¡¯ve exined to you our intention for visiting today, and it¡¯s out of goodwill. Of course, your hatred toward us wouldn¡¯t be disseminated so easily with merely a few statements. I understand that.¡± Yu Zixiu still soundedpassionate, like an adult pardoning an insensible child. That ticked Yu Qianying off.

    Even after she had made it clear, Yu Zixiu still acted like he was the better person of the two. How shameless could he get!

    She would never be able to learn the ropes of the ability to distort the truth deliberately while maintaining one¡¯sposure.

    ¡°I¡¯m asking for your forgiveness. Sincerely. If you don¡¯t let us in, we will just be waiting here, till you¡¯re ready to forgive us.¡± Yu Zixiu spoke with deep sorrow as he looked at Yu Qianying tearfully. It was as though he was grieving over how his sister treated her.

    Yu Qianying had never met anyone with that audacity!

    Compared with Yu Zixiu, someone as unreasonable as Liang Lihua seemed unsophisticated.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, you ¡ª¡± Whilst being furious, Yu Qianying felt helpless against Yu Zixiu¡¯s insolence.

    All of a sudden, her voice was choked with emotions.

    That time, she felt a pair of warm hands on her shoulders.

    Yu Qianying was shaken a little. She turned to look, and it was Song Donglin.

    When Song Donglin was mopping the floor, he heard the doorbell. He also listened to the subsequent arguing of Yu Qianying with Yu Zixiu and his wife, to which he recognized over the conversation and voices.

    Despite the Song family being the one that went bankrupt, they were discussing the private matter of the Yu family, which was not a realm he should interfere in. That was why he only listened on the side.

    When Yu Qianying was no longer able to rebuff Yu Zixiu, Song Donglin then came to the door. He could not bear to see his wife suffer grievance.

    When Yu Zixiu saw Song Donglin, there was a slight change in expression. Even for someone as thick-skinned as him, Yu Zixiu recognized how audacious his behavior was in front of Song Donglin.

    Back then, the two families, Yu and Song, had frequent business interactions. The reality was, while Song Donglin could award the many opportunities to others and make more money out of it, he instead chose to take care of the wife¡¯s family and granted the business to Yu Zixiu.

    One could say that Yu Zixiu had received a lot of blessings from Song Donglin.

    Furthermore, Song Donglin still seemed so schrly. Back when he was still in business, he had always looked more like a schr than a businessman. Hence, he had the nickname of ¡®The Schrly Businessman.¡¯

    As he was idling at home, all his time was spent on chess. Studying kifu and living a simple life, his schrly aura became stronger.

    The way he looked at Yu Zixiu was unemotional. He did not look angry at all, and the way he looked at Yu Zixiu was like he was looking at a stranger.

    However, his calmness made Yu Zixiu feel ashamed and unable to show his face.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to speak any further. It hurts you more when he¡¯s not angry.¡± Song Donglin spoke with a t tone. His voice was gentle like a schr, but not his words. ¡°If he wants to wait outside, let him be.¡±

    Song Donglin lightly pulled Yu Qianying backward and pushed the door outward with great strength.

    As a man, he was stronger than Yu Qianying. Yu Zixiu could no longer hold on it, and Song Donglin mmed the door right in front of him.

    ¡°Why... Why do I have a family like that?¡± Yu Qianying felt wronged, and at the same time, angry. Not able to keep it in, she cried. ¡°Lao Song, it¡¯s all my fault. If you didn¡¯t marry me, this wouldn¡¯t happen. If I had the foresight, I wouldn¡¯t let you help those people who¡¯re devoid of gratitude. I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯re you saying?¡± A rare instance where Song Donglin was harsh on Yu Qianying. ¡°Stop bbering nonsense! If I didn¡¯t marry you, our daughter wouldn¡¯t exist today! Where can I find a daughter as great as Song Yu? You and your family are separate individuals. All that matters is that we recognize what kind of people they are. I enjoy the current state of our family. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be retired at this age. The burden would have weighed heavily on my body, and I could be sick and bedridden by now. I would probably die in a few years.

    ¡°For those who¡¯ve spent years with alcohol, how many of them have a good ending?¡± Song Donglin embraced Yu Qianying gently and patted her back softly. ¡°We¡¯re healthy now and have less burden. That¡¯s how we¡¯re able to live a content life. Song Yu can be dating whoever she likes, unlike thest time when she had to marry someone she didn¡¯t love for the sake of an ally. If our family didn¡¯t go bankrupt, Song Yu is probably still stuck with Qi Chengji, or she could have been married off to another family. There¡¯s no mutual liking among them, and their marriage won¡¯t be happy. We didn¡¯tck money back then, but we weren¡¯t necessarily happy.

    ¡°I frequently recalled the past and realized I wasn¡¯t happy then. I¡¯m much happier and rxed now. The bankruptcy was the turning point of our lives, and also our blessings. While the journey was tough, but contrasting our lives with Yu Zixiu at the door ¡ª he¡¯s still a ve of money. He¡¯s still thinking about how to expand the family and gather more wealth. He doesn¡¯t care about pride, nor does he know shame, he only operates for his interest, to the extent that he¡¯s willing to be insulted! Is that happiness? Is there a need to be like him? There¡¯s no end to this pursuit of wealth. If we didn¡¯t go bankrupt, I perhaps would be like Yu Zixiu, who is stuck in the rat race, not knowing to rx and be myself.¡±

    Yu Qianying whimpered. ¡°I understand. I can¡¯t stand how shameless they are and how they keep wanting to interfere with our lives. I¡¯m mad every time I see them. I feel wronged. While I¡¯m satisfied with our lives right now, having them stepping on our tail is another matter altogether.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re hurting yourself while Yu Zixiu and the others feel nothing. They don¡¯t feel they¡¯re wrong, and you do not anger them. In the end, you¡¯re the one who suffers a loss.¡± Song Donglin wiped away her tears and advised her.

    ¡°Sigh!¡± Yu Qianying huffed heavily. ¡°I know.¡±

    Song Donglin took Yu Qianying into his arms and returned to the living room. ¡°We do what we can. If he wants to wait outside, let him wait. He¡¯s used to afortable life. He can¡¯t stand any form of suffering. I¡¯m sure he will return home soon.¡±

    Song Donglin pressed on her shoulder gently and let her sit down, before passing a few napkins to her.

    She blew her nose into the napkins. Song Donglin took out the phone, and it seemed like he was about to call someone.

    Yu Qianying sniffled. Red-eyed, she asked, ¡°Who are you calling?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m calling Song Yu, telling them not toe over today.¡± While Song Donglin dialed the number, he exined to Yu Qianying. ¡°If shees today with Qi Chengzhi, they will surely bump into Yu Zixiu and wife. Not only it¡¯s aughing matter to Qi Chengzhi, Yu Zixiu will surely take the chance to bother Qi Chengzhi. It will put Song Yu in a very awkward situation.¡±

    Nobody knew the feeling better than Yu Qianying. Since the glory days of the Song family, and when Song Yu was about to marry into the Qi family, the Yu family had always tried to get involved, no matter how thick-skinned it seemed.

    While Song Donglin put no me on Yu Qianying and treated them as different individuals within the Yu family, the behavior of the Yu family indeed was annoying to Song Donglin.

    If he felt that way, how could Qi Chengzhi, who was not genteel to begin with, stand it?

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was on the way to her parents¡¯ ce in the Range Rover. They were expected to be arriving at her parents¡¯ home earlier. However, when she woke up in the morning, Qi Chengzhi had dragged her back in bed when she made a move. His lips slid upward from her shoulder, along her neck, then her lips.

    His hand too began caressing her body. From her chest, his hand moved down and slid into her soft opening. He did not flip her over and instead, just prated her from behind.

    Every time he entered her from behind, Song Yu was not sure what to feel about the sensation. She could not see him, but she could contact him. It was a distinct and exciting feeling, for her to be in his embrace and feel him rubbing in.

    When he was at her back, it was difficult for her to reach him or to look at him.

    She extended her hand and touched his sweaty face. Turning around, she could see his face right at her side. His face was rinsed with lust, and his usually calm expression turned passionate.

    She tried to get closer, but all she could do was kiss the corner of his severe lips.

    She could see the slight arch at the corner of his lips. His head nted, he sealed her lips deeply. The tangling of their mouths was akin tobining the two into one. He wanted her to be a part of him.

    Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were rosy. She was staring at his long fingers that were intertwined with hers. His nails were kept short, and the tips of his fingers felt slightly rough. When she thought about what the elegant, long fingers had done to her, she was extremely embarrassed.

    Looking at his fingers evoked this feeling. She did not dare to turn and look at his side profile.

    Qi Chengzhi noticed the slight trembling of her fingers from his fingertips. He took a glimpse at her when he had a moment.

    Seeing her blushing, he was not sure whether she was thinking about what happened in the morning. Looking at how embarrassed she was, with her eyes looking downward, and hershes batting lightly, he recalled about the morning moment too.

    He was aroused. He then brought her hand to his lips. With his warm hand wrapped around hers, and his long fingers pinching lightly on her soft finger pulp, he had her hand at the edge of his lips.

    Song Yu¡¯s finger pulp were feeling the heat. She could not stop trembling when she felt her finger pulp against his scalding, soft lips. Subsequently, he had it between his lips as he pecked and kissed it, making it wet.

    Later, he began biting lightly on her fingertips. One by one, it did not hurt, but she could feel his heat.

    ¡°Focus on driving!¡± Song Yu could not stand the teasing. Her entire body went weak, and her voicecked conviction. Her face was hot and numb.

    When she wanted to retrieve her hand, he held it tightly, not letting her go.

    When her phone rang, Song Yu then urged, ¡°Let me pick up the call!¡±

    All of a sudden, with her fingertips in his mouth, he sucked on them hard. Brushing against all her fingertips with his tongue, he then let her go.

    Song Yu¡¯s fingers were scalding. She clenched it. When the fingertips pressed against the palm, she could still feel the warmth and moisture.

    She took out her phone and saw that it was a call from Song Donglin. She did not want to pick up immediately.

    She was afraid that when she picked up, her voice would be shaking. She took a few deep breaths. When her breathing stabilized, she then picked up the phone. ¡°Dad, we¡¯re almost there.¡±

    She thought they called because Yu Qianying was getting impatient about their whereabouts. Hence, she got Song Donglin to call her.

    ¡°Song Yu, you better note over today,¡± Song Donglin said.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Song Yu became nervous. ¡°Dad, did anything happen back home?¡±

    Song Donglin was slightly stunned. He quicklyforted her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Nothing happened, but your uncle and aunt are here. They¡¯re blocking the entrance.¡±

    ¡°My uncle? They...¡± Song Yu did not continue; she knew why Yu Zixiu and his wife were there.

    ¡°They heard you¡¯re marrying Qi Chengzhi, so they came with greedy faces. They imed to want to apologize and mend the rtionship with our family,¡± said Yu Qianying as she snatched Song Donglin¡¯s phone.

    ¡°They¡¯re so shameless! Do they think that they can have a piece of every nice thing? There aren¡¯t so many great opportunities going around!¡± Yu Qianying was still angry. When she mentioned it to Song Yu, her mood was stirred up again.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to forgive them. I learned their character from what happened before. Furthermore, their greed is insatiable. If they have the chance to build a rtionship with Qi Chengzhi, I can¡¯t imagine how often they will be disturbing you, and crying about how poor, how pitiful they are so you can help them! They will ask for the sky from you.¡±

    Yu Qianying had experienced it first hand, thinking about what had happened to her thest time she helped them out. She would not give these vampires a chance to get close to Song Yu.

    ¡°They¡¯re just a bunch of blood-sucking leeches!¡± Yu Qianying said madly. ¡°Get Qi Chengzhi to return immediately. Don¡¯te today. Yu Zixiu and his wife are standing outside our door. They im that they won¡¯t leave until we forgive them.

    ¡°Hmph, I don¡¯t care. They can wait as long as they want. If they can do that, why can¡¯t they kneel? They must be thinking they¡¯re in some soap drama!¡± Yu Qianying went to take a seat on the sofa, with both her legs crossed. She was still mad.

    ¡°If youeter, you will inevitably bump into the two. If they see Qi Chengzhi, they will stick to him like dogskin ster <sup>1</sup> ! While Qi Chengzhi is unlikely to be scared of them, they will still put him off. Also, I¡¯m afraid they might take the chance to get acquainted with him and use you as an excuse to approach Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want them to interfere with your rtionship, and I don¡¯t want to give them any chance to get close to Qi Chengzhi.¡± Yu Qianying tried her best to suppress her helplessness against the Yu family, and her expression was firm. ¡°They only have money in their eyes, and they can do anything for money. They can¡¯t care less about someone else¡¯s livelihood. If they bother you, I¡¯m afraid it will really affect your rtionship with Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Mom, it won¡¯t happen,¡± Song Yu replied. She turned to look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side profile. Noticing her stare, he turned to look at her. ¡°He isn¡¯t a socialdder. Besides, our rtionship is stronger than that. They won¡¯t be able to change anything.

    ¡°Mom, is it really okay if we don¡¯t go home? If we don¡¯t, I¡¯m afraid they will keep bothering you,¡± Song Yu said. She got Qi Chengzhi to stop somewhere, before heading further toward her home.

    ¡°If you guys are here, you¡¯re giving Yu Zixiu a chance to speak with Qi Chengzhi, ¡± Yu Qianying said. ¡°They¡¯re now waiting outside. As long as we don¡¯t go out, we can just be watching the television or taking a nap, and enjoy our leisure time. We¡¯re not affected. Even if we want to step out, they can¡¯t be waiting forever. They¡¯re not formidable opponents on this.

    ¡°Regardless, I¡¯m not going to let Yu Zixiu have his wish granted, for him to use us as a socialdder to get to Qi Chengzhi.¡± Yu Qianying was unyielding; whether it was directly or indirectly, she would not let the Yu family achieve this goal.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu hung up.

    She did not want to see Yu Zixiu either, but she was worried about her parents. She did not want them to bear the anger. However, given what Yu Qianying said, she thought it was a good idea just to let Yu Zixiu wait.

    Song Yu conveyed Yu Qianying and Song Donglin¡¯s message to Qi Chengzhi...

 Chapter 158 - How Self-absorbed Could He Be To Articulate These Things So Confidently?

    <h4>Chapter 158: How Self-absorbed Could He Be To Articte These Things So Confidently?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu conveyed Yu Qianying and Song Donglin¡¯s message to Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine even if we go back. If I¡¯m there, I can also deal with Yu Zixiu once and for all. If mum doesn¡¯t mind, I can make them suffer some losses to stop them from bothering you guys any further. It is not possible to destroy the whole Yu family just like that, even though they¡¯re not a powerful family, they still have their own reserve. Moreover, they own a megapany, it¡¯s not an easy task to bring them down.¡±

    Song Yu was fine with his idea. She said, ¡°I don¡¯t mind at all and I think my mother would be on the same page too. But for today, I think we should follow mum and dad¡¯s will and not go home. To be honest, I don¡¯t really want to see those people. Furthermore, we should respect mum and dad¡¯s opinion since they told us to. If we go home and Yu Zixiu saw you, he probably won¡¯t feel anything regardless of what kind of expression you give him, but my parents may not feelfortable on the inside.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded his head and did not press the issue further. However, Song Yu felt rather downhearted because of it.

    He held her hand gently while he used his thumb to caress the space between her thumb and her index finger. Even his thumb seemed to be longer than normal.

    ¡°Where do you want to go now?¡± he asked.

    Song Yu thought for a while and finally went to the Qi family¡¯s old mansion together with Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi was filming in the set and Grandfather Qi brought Qi Youxuan out, leaving only Aunt Liu at home.

    When they arrived, Aunt Liu was just starting to prepare Grandmother Qi¡¯s lunchbox since she was not fond of the food prepared by the film crew.

    ¡°What does grandmother like to eat usually?¡± Song Yu asked Aunt Liu.

    Before Aunt Liu could answer, the house phone rang. Aunt Liu hurried over to pick up the phone call, ¡°Madam Qi!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Young Master and Miss Song dropped by.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m about to prepare your lunchbox.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t started yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    Aunt Liu hung up and returned to the kitchen and told Song Yu, ¡°Madam Qi wants to eat mushroom with choy sum and soy sauce romaine lettuce for lunch today.¡±

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s order could be considered ordinary, perhaps she was craving for home-cooked food.

    Since Grandmother Qi was getting old, she became more health-conscious. She had reduced the consumption of meat and only ate a certain amount of it, never exceeding the fixed portion.

    Song Yu gave a thought before saying, ¡°Aunt Liu, do you mind if I cook for grandmother? I¡¯ll send it to herter too.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s...¡± Aunt Liu did not mind at all for Song Yu to do this, ¡°I don¡¯t really mind if you want to do it, but since it¡¯s my job, I feel a little embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Song Yu said. Aunt Liu thought about it and felt that Madam Qi probably would not mind as well, so she agreed to her request.

    However, she did not just leave everything to Song Yu. She still stayed back and helped out with the groundwork such as washing vegetables.

    The dishes that Grandmother Qi ordered were not that difficult to make. Song Yu used to cook for herself back in the days if she got off from work on time, thus she was quite familiar with the whole process.

    Aunt Liu brought a vacuum sk over after organizing the rice and vegetables in the lunchbox.

    Grandmother Qi was not the one who requested the soup, but her diet had always revolved around health and beauty rejuvenation. Aunt Liu had started to boil a fish maw soup this morning, a whole pot of soup reduced to a thick, fragrant essence, just right to be served.

    She poured the soup into the vacuum sk and handed all of it to Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu appearing from the kitchen with the lunchbox in hand. She exined, ¡°Since we¡¯re already here, we can¡¯t just stay here and do nothing. Why not pay grandma a visit.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stood up without saying a thing. He took her hand silently and lead her out of the door.

    Song Yu lowered her head and saw their inteced hands, before looking up to see the focused gaze on his charming face. She could not resist leaning against him, pressing into his arms closely, the corner of her mouth could not help but curve upwards into a blissful smile.

    ¡°The real reason that you suddenly decide to send the lunchbox to Grandmother Qi is just to protest against Shu Li right?¡± Qi Chengzhi who remained quiet throughout the journey spoke all of a sudden, his mellow voice had a hint of mockery.

    Song Yu blushed in guilt as his guess of her intentions was on point.

    Other than wanting to have a peep of the set, her initiative to deliver Grandmother Qi¡¯s meal was partially motivated by her wanting to show some colors to Shu Li.

    How self-absorbed could he be to articte these things so confidently?

    Even though he guessed it correctly, Song Yu did not want to let this man brag right to her face. She said, ¡°I told you, Shu Li was never my concern. Why should I demonstrate anything? I just wanted to visit grandmother, that¡¯s all.¡±

    ¡°Tch!¡± Qi Chengzhi scoffed and squeezed her hand, ¡°No one will mock you for being protective of me.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s mouth twitched but she did not retort back. Instead, she looked at him embarrassed with a flushed face.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her shy expression, an indescribable tenderness without any affectation. Even though she became more alluring, she still exuded an elegant aura.

    He could not resist squeezing her delicate hands, the more he did that, he became more enthralled with her.

    She agreed in silence since she did not argue with him any further. He was not angered by her intentions. Instead, he was very d about it, perhaps more than he expected. It was as if his heart was about to jump out of his body.

    He did not even realize how happy he was. Was it even necessary?

    After that, before he was able to clear things out, he lowered his head suddenly and kissed Song Yu¡¯s lips deeply.

    In fact, he made quite a loud sound by kissing her.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips got seared by his sudden kiss. Even though he released her shortly after before deepening the kiss like he usually would, her face was already burning up.

    ¡°What are you doing! We¡¯re in public, someone on the street saw us,¡± Song Yu said in a lowered voice. Her face was scorching hot as if it was on the verge of exploding. Her lips were still tingling when they grazed against each other while she spoke.

    ¡°When did you start to care about being seen by others? You used to kiss me in public rather often,¡± he arched his eyebrow and teased her,

    Song Yu felt as if he was insinuating that she was quite thick-skinned and said, ¡°I won¡¯t do that in the future.¡±

    All of a sudden, Qi Chengzhi stopped walking. She did not notice at first and continued walking, but she got pulled back by his sudden stop.

    Only then, she stopped and turned around. She tugged his hand, but it was as if he was deeply rooted to the ground and remained motionless.

    ¡°Why did you stop walking?¡±

    Then, Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu towards him and she fell right into his arms.

    His chest was muscr and sturdy, Song Yu¡¯s nose felt a little sore when she collided with it.

    ¡°You won¡¯t kiss me in public from now onwards?¡± Qi Chengzhi put up a stern face. His expression looked very fierce when he made a serious face.

    ¡°The way you said it made me seem very thick-skinned,¡± Song Yu mumbled softly, she lowered her head until the only thing he could see was the top of her head.

    ¡°Are you going to kiss me in public in the future?¡± Song Yu heard his voice sounded from above her head. His mellow tone caused a prickling sensation that swept over her scalp.

    When she did not answer, Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and urged, ¡°Kiss me and I¡¯ll walk.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu lifted her head. She did not expect him to take it so seriously and even tried reasoning with her there and then. Therefore, she came up with an excuse, ¡°If we keep dying, grandmother¡¯s lunchbox will turn cold.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow and gave a mockingugh. Hisughter and the curvature of the corner of his mouth made her skin boil, ¡°That¡¯s why you should hurry up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. If she would not kiss him, he would refuse to leave, causing the lunchbox to lose its warmth.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped urging her and eventually, he stopped talking and just stared at her with his dark and deep-set eyes.

    Song Yu had no choice but to say softly, ¡°Lower your head then.¡±

    With his height, she could only reach his chin even when she tiptoed.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head cooperatively. Song Yu lifted her heels off the ground and gave a quick peck on his lips.

    Only then, Qi Chengzhi was satisfied and took her hand to continue walking forward. He even said, ¡°So daring, kissing me on the street like that.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    This time around, the working crew on set recognized Qi Chengzhi. Even though the director did not reveal Grandmother Qi¡¯s identity, he mentioned to them that she was a person of importance and ordered them to treat her respectfully.

    This was also the reason why no one blocked Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu when they entered.

    The shooting of Grandmother Qi¡¯s scenes was arranged right before and after lunchtime. After the lunch break, she needed to film one more scene and she would be done for the day.

    By the time they arrived, the crew was giving out lunch. Even though Shu Li was the female lead, she still ate the same thing as the crew. She let her assistant collect the meal for her while Grandmother Qi waited for Aunt Liu to deliver her lunch.

    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Song Yu called.

    Grandmother Qi searched for the voice and saw her grandson and granddaughter-inw hade to send her lunchbox over. Instantly, she raised her voice as if she was worried that others might not be able to hear, ¡°Aiya, why are you two here?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips and thought, ¡®Didn¡¯t Grandmother Qi had enough of acting after two full days of filming?¡¯

    ¡°Aunt Liu received your call when we came home,¡± Song Yu said while she ced the lunchbox on the table, ¡°I cooked these two dishes. You¡¯re used to Aunt Liu¡¯s cooking, not sure if you¡¯ll like mine.¡±

    ¡°Aiyo, such a good girl,¡± Grandmother Qi was smiling from ear to ear. Coincidentally, Shu Li was walking over with a lunchbox in her hand. Grandmother Qi said with a louder voice, ¡°Two of you deliberately drop by to send a lunchbox for an olddy to eat. Xiao Shu, look at them, don¡¯t you think they have such a loving rtionship!¡±

    Shu Li forced a stiff smile and greeted, ¡°Young Master Cheng, Miss Song.¡±

    Grandmother Qi opened the lunchbox and said, ¡°Judging from the presentation, it¡¯s already better than Xiao Liu¡¯s cooking. My eldest grandson has such good taste in women. You should find a wife like her, not necessarily have to be famous. To be able to live together is the most important aspect of marriage. When you¡¯re busy entertaining the whole day outside, you¡¯ll hope toe home to a warm meal prepared for you. Home-cooked food may look simple, but it has the taste of home. The food cooked personally by your wife definitely tastes different from those prepared by the housemaid. Dynasty¡¯s food is rather delicious, right? It¡¯s still not as good as itcks the taste of home.

    ¡°Like our Song Yu, a natural beauty, talented and has a great job. She makes us feel proud when we go out together. One does not necessarily have to expose themselves to the public in order to be presentable. Instead, those who were always in the limelight would not be around. How can such a person be a good wife?¡±

    Shu Li was walking over in their direction. When she heard what Grandmother Qi said, she halted halfway, not sure whether she should turn back or proceed forward.

    ¡°If you¡¯re looking for a wife, you¡¯ll want a dutiful one. Am I right, Xiao Shu?¡± Shu Li remained stationary, but Grandmother Qi actively engaged the conversation with her. ¡°Look at all those celebrities. They gain fame by kissing from one actor to the other when they shoot intimate scenes. How awkward must their husband feel knowing that they had been touched by umpteen men? Do they even have privacy? Our family tradition dictates that your wife should be only yours, nobody can take advantage of her. Not even a tiny bit.

    ¡°Aiya, Xiao Shu, I¡¯m not referring to you. I¡¯m just giving an example, please don¡¯t take it to heart,¡± Grandmother Qi saidughingly. ¡°I¡¯m a very straightforward person. I just speak anything that¡¯s on my mind, it¡¯s definitely not about you. I know that you are a good girl, you know the boundaries even though you also have several kissing scenes.¡±

    Shu Li had no idea how to respond to that. Her expression was so awkward that she wished so badly to just turn around and leave. It was obvious that she was made fun of and Song Yu was probably enjoying all of it.

    Luckily, the director came over. When he heard that Qi Chengzhi arrived, he threw his lunchbox aside and rushed over.

    ¡°Madam Qi, Young Master Cheng,¡± the director greeted. His gaze fell on Song Yu and asked Grandmother Qi puzzledly, ¡°Is this your daughter?¡±

    ¡°He he he, director, you¡¯re such a joker. I can be her grandmother already!¡± Grandmother Qi replied, her face was gleaming with joy. ¡°This is my granddaughter-inw, Song Yu.¡±

    Grandmother Qi directly omitted the word ¡°future¡±. Inside her heart, she was making a note to herself to remind Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to sign their marriage certificate once they go home. That would then allow her the right to introduce Song Yu to others as her granddaughter-inw.

    ¡°Oh, you must Young Master¡¯s wife!¡± The director addressed her respectfully. He¡¯s a rather famous director in the local film industry. He had quite the reputation out there, but he dare not put on airs in front of Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yuughed politely and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so polite, just call me by my name.¡±

    The director chuckled and saw the lunchbox on the table, ¡°Yo, Madam Qi, did your granddaughter-inw sent you this?¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± Grandmother Qiughed non-stop and casually said, ¡°My granddaughter-inw cooked this herself. It¡¯s so rare to find a youngster who can cook these days.¡±

    ¡°Director.¡± A young man ran over, the corner of his mouth stained with the oil residue from his meal. ¡°There¡¯s ady out there saying that she came to send Madam Qi lunch.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡± The director looked at Grandmother Qi, ¡°Madam Qi, you asked another person to send you lunch?¡±

    ¡°No I didn¡¯t!¡± Grandmother Qi shook her head, ¡°Why would I order someone else when I know that my granddaughter-inw ising to send me lunch.¡±

    Furthermore, the only person in the house is Aunt Liu, not the youngdy that the man described.

    ¡°How old is thedy outside?¡± Grandmother Qi asked.

    ¡°In her early twenties,¡± the young man replied. ¡°She looks rather pretty.¡±

    ¡°Can it be Chengyue?¡± Grandmother Qi guessed.

    ¡°Let her in then?¡± the director asked.

    Grandmother Qi nodded and said, ¡°It could be my granddaughter.¡±

    After some time, the young man lead the youngdy over. When Grandmother Qi took a closer look at thedy, her warm expression turned a little dark.

    ¡°Madam Qi,¡± Yu Keyao was holding a brown-colored wooden box in her hand. There were delicate carvings of beautiful designs on it.

    She was wearing a dress with heels and a cream color jacket over it. Her long strands of hair were braided neatly. She walked over at a moderate pace. She was much more elegant than Shu Li since she was from a renowned family.

    ¡°Young Master... Cheng,¡± Yu Keyao was unsure whether Qi Chengzhi would tolerate her presence. She still remembered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s threat and dare not address him as ¡°Brother Chengzhi¡± anymore.

    This time around, she even nodded politely at Song Yu and greeted her smilingly, ¡°Sister.¡±

    Song Yu ignored her and turned around while she arched her eyebrows teasingly at Qi Chengzhi.

    She was insinuating that there was already one secret admirer in the set that dare not confess to him, the other one came all the way here and had not given up on him yet.

    Qi Chengzhi returned her with an ambiguous smile and pinched her waist secretly.

    All of them could see the intimate interaction between them. After seeing that, Shu Li decided to bury her feelings away.

    Qi Chengzhi was like a steel wall, nothing works on him regardless of what strategy she nned to make on him. Also, Madam Qi kept making sarcastic remarks whenever she had the chance, hinting her to give up on Qi Chengzhi. She would never seed and the Qi family would not ept her. She should never think of leaching on the Qi family with her status as an actress.

    The Qi family would ept Song Yu as amoner, but never an actress like Shu Li.

    She had quite a strong sense of self-esteem and thought rather highly of herself, but her status could neverpare to Song Yu in the eyes of the Qi family.

    Shu Li pursed her lips self-mockingly and shook her head. She did not want to chase after Qi Chengzhi anymore. It was never going to happen, not even the slightest possibility that she could have been his mistress. This man had never once looked her in the eye, no matter what she did, it was all pointless.

    Even though Shu Li wanted to make advances on Qi Chengzhi, she was aware of her status and knew how to stay in her ce. This was also the reason why she could survive in this industry. She knew when to strive for something and when to back down.

    If she knew that she was not supposed to do it, she would stop and not create trouble.

    And now there was another woman. Even though she did not know who was it, from the way it looks, she seemed to being for the sake of Qi Chengzhi.

    Although Shu Li had given up on any intentions of being with Qi Chengzhi, it did not mean that she stopped liking him.

    Since there was a woman here to disturb Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, she happily stood aside and watched.

    ¡°Madam Qi, I heard that you were filming here, so I brought some food to visit you,¡± Yu Keyao smiled and said softly. Then, she walked over slowly and ced the refined lunchbox onto the table.

    ¡°I have been learning how to cook. It took me quite a while to practice these two dishes. I think that they are rather decent. Please have a taste if you don¡¯t mind my skills.¡± Yu Keyao opened her lunchbox, revealing the rather tasty looking dishes.

    The colorbination of the dishes was on point, bacon kain and shrimp with green peas.

    Grandmother Qi nced at it offishly and scrunched her eyebrows together while she said hesitantly, ¡°Uhm, this... Miss Yu, thank you for your kind offerings but I should be cutting down on my meat intake due to my age. I can¡¯t eat something so high in fat. Also, my granddaughter-inw brought me some of my favorite vegetables. I really appreciate your effort.¡±

    Yu Keyao looked at the other lunchbox that was most probably from Song Yu. Judging by its looks, they weremon home-cooking. Not that it was not presentable, but they were much duller inparison to hers.

    A glimpse of disgust shot through her gaze, but she maintained her gentle smile when she lifted her head. ¡°Young Master Cheng, sister, you guys probably haven¡¯t eaten anything since you came over at this hour. If you all don¡¯t mind, you can have this.¡±

    They were uncertain if Yu Keyao had learned her lesson. She did not pester Qi Chengzhi and dered how much she likes him. Instead, she greeted them politely as if she had epted them as her sister and brother-inw. This ced Song Yu in an awkward position where she could not say anything insulting even though she was not happy.

 Chapter 159 - Since You Have No Manners, Iâ€™ll Educate You On Behalf Of Your Parents

    <h3 data-ss-price="12" data-almost-unix="1572746405" data-create-time="3 minutes ago" data-is-vip="2" data-index="159" data-has-chinese-character="0" data-chapter-level="0" data-chapter-id="39218420742407590" data-book-id="13119617905759605" data-marry="I love you <3">Chapter 159: Since You Have No Manners, I¡¯ll Educate You On Behalf Of Your Parents

    <strong>Trantor:</strong> EndlessFantasy Trantion | <strong>Editor:</strong> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    They were uncertain if Yu Keyao had learned her lesson. She did not pester Qi Chengzhi and dered how much she likes him. Instead, she greeted them politely as if she had epted them as her sister and brother-inw. This puts Song Yu in an awkward position where she could not say anything insulting even though she was not happy.

    ¡°Aunt Liu is already preparing lunch at home as we speak. We¡¯ll head back once we finish apanying Grandmother Qi for lunch,¡± Song Yu said indifferently.

    Grandmother Qi shoved the lunchbox that Yu Keyao brought into the director¡¯s hand and said, ¡°If this is the case, we can¡¯t let Miss Yu¡¯s effort go to waste. Director, you should eat it!¡±

    ¡°This...¡± the director held the lunchbox awkwardly. He wanted to put it down but he did not have the courage since it was Grandmother Qi who handed him the lunchbox. Yu Keyao¡¯s face stiffened as well. How could the director take something that she brought for Grandmother Qi?

    Grandmother Qi waved her hand. ¡°Or else it¡¯ll be a waste if no one eats it. Director, just take it.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± the director thought of a reason and said, ¡°I¡¯ve eaten already, I don¡¯t think I can eat anymore.¡±

    After Grandmother Qi heard him, she told the young man that brought Yu Keyao indirectly. ¡°Young man, you can have it then! If you already had lunch too, pass it to your colleagues and ask them to share among themselves. The meals provided by them is not that nice anyway, treat it as an upgrade!¡±

    Yu Keyao stared at the lunchbox that went into the young man¡¯s hand. Inside, she was so furious that she wished she could snatch it away from them and throw it on the floor instead of letting them eat it.

    She prepared this for the whole morning at home. Who knew that her effort would be disparaged like this!

    However, she could not act so petty in front of Grandmother Qi and Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Yeah, since I¡¯ve already brought it here, you can¡¯t expect me to bring it back right.¡± Yu Keyao forced out a smile.

    ¡°Grandmother, have a bite. The food is turning cold,¡± Qi Chengzhi voiced out.

    The director looked at them and said, ¡°Yes, yes! I won¡¯t disturb you anymore. Take your time to eat, no hurry. We¡¯ll start filming once you¡¯ve finished eating.¡±

    With such an important person like Madam Qi, they had to treat her with extraordinary care. During the days when she was not around, the director would order his assistant director to pressure everyone to finish their lunch earlier so that they could move on to film and get all the scenes done for the day.

    However, when it came down to Madam Qi, the director dare not prompt her to finish her meal earlier. Even if she requested for a high tea session, the director would have to wait for her.

    Shu Li felt that things were not panning out as she expected and left since there was nothing much to look at. The only ones left were Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu, Yu Keyao, and Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°You two should also hurry back and have your meal,¡± Grandmother Qi said before continuing, ¡°Don¡¯t have to apany me. It¡¯s already sote, you guys must be very hungry.

    Qi Chengzhi understood Grandmother Qi¡¯s intentions and did not insist. He left with Song Yu without saying a word.

    Yu Keyao wanted to follow when she saw them leaving, but Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice sounded from behind, ¡°Miss Yu, please stay and have a word with me.¡±

    Yu Keyao¡¯s heart sank and she obeyed Grandmother Qi¡¯s orders, taking a seat across her.

    ¡°Miss Yu, while you were in Paris, your mother came to me. Did she tell you this when she got back?¡± Grandmother Qi picked up a stalk of choy sum with the chopsticks. It tasted crisp and fresh, she grinned in satisfaction. ¡°My granddaughter-inw¡¯s skills are not bad.¡±

    Yu Keyao opened her mouth and replied in a muffled tone, ¡°No.¡±

    Liang Lihua did not manage to gain Grandmother Qi¡¯s favor and even got insulted by Xia Wenna, of course, she would not tell such embarrassing affairs to Yu Keyao.

    Moreover, Grandmother Qi was not reserved at all towards Liang Lihua. She criticized her directly, especially where she said that she would never allow Yu Keyao to marry into the Qi family just by having her as a mother. Liang Lihua would never let Yu Keyao know. If she did, she would have wreaked havoc at home.

    Grandmother Qi was not bothered by it. She picked up another piece of mushroom and took a bite as she said, ¡°Miss Yu, I¡¯m aware of how you feel about our Chengzhi. However, Chengzhi is going to marry Song Yu. No matter what you do, Chengzhi would not go and see you. It¡¯s pointless for you to try to get on my good side. For me, no one else can be my granddaughter-inw except for Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi, can I call you grandmother? My grandparents passed away several years ago. I felt a feeling of fondness towards you that I can¡¯t exin whenever I saw you. I remembered that my grandparents were very kind to me.¡± Yu Keyao smiled softly and continued, ¡°That¡¯s why whenever I see you and your husband, it reminds me of my grandfather and grandmother.

    ¡°He he,¡± Grandmother Qi did not give a direct answer and just let her be, as this does not represent she would have any rtions with the Qi family at all.

    ¡°Grandmother,¡± Yu Keyao took it as Grandmother Qi had agreed and puckered her lips before saying, ¡°you¡¯re right. I like Big Brother Chengzhi, since the first day I met him. I fell head over heels for him and just can¡¯t let him go, even until now. Even after he threatened me with such harsh words and ignored me constantly, or when he threw me out on the streets in Paris, I still love him.

    ¡°Of course, I naturally hope that he would just look me in the eye, even if it was just a fleeting moment. With me chasing after him like this, I¡¯d be lying if I said I don¡¯t hope for anything in return. However, if he really doesn¡¯t grow to like me, I will just continue to love him. He can¡¯t stop me from doing that. I¡¯m not disrupting him just by loving him.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t even control my own heart.¡± Yu Keyao pressed her palm onto her chest. ¡°Grandmother, how can you ask me to give up? In fact, Big Brother Chengzhi had already ignored my existence, how could I intrude into his rtionship with sister? This is just me and my feelings. I¡¯m not bothering anyone, am I right?

    ¡°You¡¯re Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯s grandmother. I respect you and want to treat you nicely, that¡¯s all. I have no ulterior motives to gain your favor and try to win Big Brother Chengzhi over.¡± Yu Keyao had on a hurtful expression while she bit her lip, tears rolling in her eyes as if they were about to stream down.

    This put Grandmother Qi in an awkward position. She could not taste the vegetables anymore even though she continued chewing. This Yu Keyao was imprable!

    Her pitiful and sincere stance while she confessed that she would keep her feelings to herself and not intrude their rtionship made Grandmother Qi speechless.

    She could not tell her not to like someone, could she?

    Yu Keyao made an irrebuttable statement, Grandmother Qi could never control one¡¯s mind and feelings!

    Grandmother Qi stole a nce while she was eating her lunch and thought, ¡®This girl is much smarter than her mum!¡¯

    Grandmother Qi was not that silly to believe everything that Yu Keyao said. Yu Keyao was not that selfless and innocent, she must be devising a scheme for her own benefit. Even if she was not going to end up with Qi Chengzhi, she would try to destroy Song Yu.

    Last time, Grandmother Qi was able to act so crudely to Liang Lihua because she instigated it by putting things so harshly.

    However, Grandmother Qi was not able to say anything when Yu Keyao acted so pitifully.

    Grandmother Qi finished her lunch and put down the chopsticks. Then, she took out a tissue and wiped her mouth clean. ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯re right. I have no control over your heart and what you decide to do. Nevertheless, I¡¯ll clear things up today regardless if you still have the intention of marrying into the Qi family. Even if Song Yu isn¡¯t in the picture, I¡¯ll never allow you to marry into our family.

    ¡°Even if you manage to separate Chengzhi and Song Yu, you can¡¯t marry into my family. I¡¯ll be frank with you, my support is the major reason Chengzhi and Song Yu can be together till this day. If one day you seeded in getting Chengzhi to fall for you, he alone can¡¯t make you a part of the Qi family without me agreeing to it.

    ¡°Am I being clear enough?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s expression turned cold.

    The olddy who usually had warm features suddenly had on a stern expression. It was rather intimidating and startled Yu Keyao. A sense of fear crept its way up from the bottom of her heart.

    Yu Keyao dare not address her as ¡°grandmother¡± anymore. She stood up with wobbly legs, uncertain of what to do next. ¡°Madam Qi, I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    Grandmother Qi then put on a mellow smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll let my driver send you the lunchboxter.¡±

    Yu Keyao paused for a moment, the lunchbox was the least of her worries at that moment.

    Grandmother Qi stood up in a decent mood and took out a bottle of hand sanitizer from her bag. Then, she took the script and left to look for the director. ¡°Director, are we filming soon? I want to finish this scene earlier so that I can go home to talk to my granddaughter-inw.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi came home around two o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    Song Yu chatted a while with Grandmother Qi. Then, she gave a phone call back home because she was concerned about her parents.

    Turned out that Yu Zixiu and Chi Yuanzhen stayed behind and had not left yet.

    ¡°Mum, if worstes to worst, I¡¯ll go back with Chengzhi to deal with them,¡± Song Yu said. Her parents were stuck at home with Yu Zixiu and his wife, what in the world were they thinking.

    Yu Qianying still refused, Song Yu could only say, ¡°Please inform me right away when they leave. I¡¯ll head back with Chengzhi.¡±

    It was about half-past five in the evening when Song Yu received a phone call from home. Yu Zixiu and Chi Yuanzhen finally left.

    Yu Qianying was worried that Yu Zixiu pretended to leave and went to hide downstairs, hence she followed Song Donglin down to check and made sure that Yu Zixiu and his wife were really gone.

    Shortly after, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi went back.

    The initial n was for Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi toe home in the morning. Song Donglin even dragged two trolleys to the market a few days ago and bought two full bags of groceries for their arrival.

    Since they had already wasted the whole afternoon Yu Qianying rushed to prepare dinner while Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were on their way so that they were greeted with a table of steaming dishes once they arrive.

    At this point, Yu Qianying had no opinions against Qi Chengzhi anymore.

    Instead of showing a sulky face, she showed more affection towards Qi Chengzhi than Song Yu. When Jian Yi used to visit their house, he had none of this sort of reception.

    She really treated him as her son-inw. The more she saw him the more satisfied she was.

    Song Yu observed from aside and felt the surrealness. She could still remember how Yu Qianying reacted so strongly against their rtionship and felt a little overwhelmed.

    On the dinner table, Yu Qianying looked like she had something in her mind but was hesitant to say it. Qi Chengzhi put down his chopsticks¡ªhis features were gentler than usual¡ªand said, ¡°Mum, you can speak your mind.¡±

    Yu Qianying let out a sigh before saying, ¡°You know that Yu Zixiu dropped by during the day. I was too naive, but after thinking, I may be able to stop him froming after me, but I can¡¯t prevent him from looking for you in yourpany. He¡¯ll try to use his status as Song Yu¡¯s eldest uncle to work his way up to you.

    ¡°That pair of brothers are insatiable. They will do anything for their own interest, if theye to you...¡± Yu Qianying put down the chopsticks while she was still speaking halfway. She was so troubled by them that it was triggering her gastric and made her lose appetite.

    ¡°I was afraid that they would affect your rtionship with Song Yu. Even though Song Yu hasn¡¯t told me yet, but I know that this child really loves you. She¡¯s not after your status and money. She¡¯s only interested in you. I don¡¯t want to create any misunderstandings and arguments between you two just because Song Yu¡¯s uncles came looking for you shamelessly to im their rights as a family member.

    ¡°Chengzhi, let me rify something with you. Those two are no longer rted to me. You don¡¯t have to agree or help them out because of Song Yu or us. You can treat them as strangers, just ignore whatever their request is.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded reservedly.

    Nevertheless, these two words could not appease Yu Qianying. Qi Chengzhi continued in a mellow, mature voice, ¡°The rtionship I share with Song Yu will not be easily affected by others. In my eyes, Song Yu is just Song Yu. In fact, those who are not rted to Song Yu will be none of my concern. For example, Yu Zixiu and Yu Zidong are not considered as Song Yu¡¯s rtives. Even if theye to find me, they¡¯ll be wasting their time.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Yu Qianying. ¡°Mum, what I want to know is what do you think of Yu Zixiu and Yu Zidong. I know that they had hurt you in the past, it¡¯ll be impossible for you guys to amend your rtionship. However, they are still your brothers. If it were other people, I would¡¯ve done something long ago. If you mind about that, I can just treat them like they do not exist and tolerate their presence.¡±

    ¡°When they decided to cut ties with me back then, they never considered me as their sister,¡± Yu Qianying said coldly, her expression turned dark. She tightened the grip of both of her hands that were resting on her knees before rxing it immediately. ¡°Seeing that they can benefit from this situation now, they scurried over to apologize and make amends without giving second thoughts. How can they think that things would resolve so easily!

    ¡°If they didn¡¯t harass you, just let them be,¡± Yu Qianying said before continuing, ¡°but, if theye looking for you shamelessly, you can go ahead and let them taste their own medicine, just...¡±

    Yu Qianying let out a sigh and said, ¡°Even though I don¡¯t recognize them as my brothers, but we inherited the Yu family business from my parents, I can¡¯t allow it to be destroyed in front of my own eyes.¡±

    Yu Qianying felt a pang of sadness when she thought of her parents.

    When both of her parents were still alive, she was the Yu family¡¯s princess. Even when she grew older and gave birth to Song Yu, she was still treasured by them.

    If both of her parents were around, they would never allow Yu Qianying to suffer.

    Back then, if her parents were still there when the Song family went bankrupt, they would not let her brothers bully her the way they did.

    Even though it was Yu Zixiu who took over the family business that her father founded from scratch, Yu Qianying did not want it to be destroyed since it was still an inheritance from her parents.

    However, she also knew that it would be rather difficult if Qi Chengzhi tries to destroy the Yu family alone.

    The process of mergingpanies and dering bankruptcy required at least several years.

    When the Song family business was in trouble, they struggled for five years. The tipping point was when they received the news of Qi Chengji¡¯s death which resulted in Song Yu having to break off the engagement with him. This was thest straw and they had to file for bankruptcy. If it was not for that, it was still possible for the Song family to continue for another seven years.

    The scale of the Yu family business was about the same as the Song family back then. Qi Chengzhi would not be able to easily destroy apany with their resources.

    Moreover, Qi Chengzhi was chosen to be the next leader of the family, does not mean that he is one now.

    Whatever he decided to do must be discussed with Grandfather Qi, Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun. He could not make the final decision on his own.

    However, Yu Qianying relented when it came to thepany that her parents left behind. She did not want anything bad to happen to it.

    Qi Chengzhi fell silent for a moment. Yu Qianying got a little anxious while she looked at him from the side. She was unsure if he would agree to it.

    Finally, Qi Chengzhi nodded with an expressionless face.

    ...

    ...

    However, Song Yu was not expecting Yu Zixiu to go to her instead of Qi Chengzhi.

    She went to work the next day. In the afternoon, Ruan Danchen and her left the office to go to a newly opened Turkish restaurant nearby.

    ¡°Song Yu.¡± A voice sounded from not too far away.

    Song Yu frowned as she felt that it was rather familiar, but she had not heard it for quite some time.

    She looked over and saw Yu Zixiu sitting in the backseat of a Mercedes-Benz. The car window was down, exposing his stern face¡ªas usual¡ªwith a snobbish expression on it.

    Ruan Danchen arched her eyebrows. She could guess why Yu Zixiu came looking for Song Yu. She could not resist but mocked him inwardly. How dare he put on airs when he was about to ask someone for a favor.

    He nced towards Song Yu, not knowing how she would react.

    In the end, Song Yu just nodded calmly to Yu Zixiu, who was sitting in the car, before dragging Ruan Danchen to walk around the car and crossing the road.

    Yu Zixiu frowned and opened the door immediately and got down from the car.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Yu Zixiu ran over and stood in Song Yu¡¯s way. ¡°Why are you acting so distant after seeing your uncle!¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s expression remained indifferent. She did not express any joyful emotions that a person would normally react when they have a reunion with their family members. ¡°Mr. Yu.¡±

    Yu Zixiu let out a heavy sigh before understandingly saying, ¡°You still me me, don¡¯t you? I understand your reaction towards me.¡±

    Song Yu said in a nonmittal tone, ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going to have lunch with my colleague. Please help yourself, Mr. Yu.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Just when Song Yu was about to bypass him, Yu Zixiu moved to the side and even reached out his arm to block Song Yu. ¡°I¡¯ve got some matters that I want to discuss with you. What do you want to eat, let me treat you.¡±

    ¡°No need for that,¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    ¡°Song Yu, can¡¯t you just have a chat with me? We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time. There¡¯s so much that I want to say to you. Let¡¯s just have a homely chat between family members,¡± Yu Zixiu urged.

    ¡°Mr. Yu, you also said that we haven¡¯t seen each other in years, I can¡¯t think of anything to talk to you about.¡± Song Yu maintained her cold expression. She was already saying in such a straightforward manner, but still could not chase Yu Zixiu away.

    ¡°Song Yu, I know that you¡¯re angry with me. I¡¯m here to have a heart to heart talk with you so that I can redeem my mistakes from the past,¡± Yu Zixiu said in a rather sincere way. ¡°I¡¯m still your uncle at the end of the day, won¡¯t you give me a chance for redemption?¡±

    ¡°Mr. Yu, this is the entrance of thepany. Stop bothering me please.¡± Song Yu tugged Ruan Danchen and took a step back.

    ¡°I don¡¯t mean any harm. There are so many people around us, it¡¯s not too convenient to speak. Even if you want to take it out the hatred on me for putting you guys in such misery all these years, we should also sit down and talk through it, am I right?¡± Yu Zixiu said in an understanding demeanor.

    Song Yu was so disgusted by his presence that she made a rare icy expression with her demure features and scoffed. ¡°If I return to the office now, I won¡¯t being out. Are you going to continue and wait out here?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yu Zixiu replied outwardly. ¡°If you go back now, I¡¯ll wait here until you get off from work. You can¡¯t just stay there forever, right? Also, I know that Qi Chengzhi wille and pick you up every day. Then, not only will I be able to see you, I get to meet Qi Chengzhi as well.¡±

    Song Yu stared at the reserved yet confident smile hanging on Yu Zixiu¡¯s face and felt utterly nauseated by it.

    How dare he continue smiling while he threatened her with words spoken in such an innocent manner.

    Yu Zixiu was so confident that Song Yu would not want him to bother Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu probably would think simrly as Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Song Yu chuckled and nced at Yu Zixiu mockingly. ¡°Are you hoping that you can make amends with my family and get a piece from the Qi family with an attitude like yours?¡±

    Song Yu sneered coldly, ¡°It¡¯s not entirely impossible for you to talk to me, but on one condition.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, you are my niece. I¡¯m here to help you, you don¡¯t have to request from me. Just tell me anything. As your uncle, I¡¯ll definitely try my best to fulfill your wishes.¡± Yu Zixiu put on his sincere act again.

    Song Yuughed and ignored his speech, ¡°I¡¯ll be the one dealing with you from now onwards. Don¡¯t you dare harass my parents again. You won¡¯t get what you want by talking to them, don¡¯t even think that Qi Chengzhi will listen to their orders. If you really want to get on Qi family¡¯s good side, you shoulde to me.¡±

    ¡°He he he!¡± Yu Zixiuughed shamelessly. ¡°There¡¯s no you and I between us, we¡¯re a family. I can¡¯t avoid meeting your parents in the future, Qianying is my sister. I¡¯m even nning to visit her more often to build our rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Do you agree, or not?¡± Song Yu asked sharply, ¡°If not, you can continue to wait out here for the whole afternoon. You¡¯re right, Qi Chengzhi wille and pick me up every day, but if he knew that you¡¯re harassing me, I can¡¯t guarantee how will he react.¡±

    Yu Zixiu clenched his jaws and lowered his head to hide the irritation from her cold gaze.

    He never thought that he would be threatened by Song Yu, who was one generation younger than him!

    If it was not for Song Yu¡¯s luck that she got together with Qi Chengzhi, he would never lower his stance in front of her!

    ¡°Fine.¡± Yu Zixiu nodded. ¡°However, if we finally make amends, you can¡¯t just stop me from seeing my sister, can you!¡±

    ¡°Mr. Yu, we¡¯ll leave this for another day,¡± Song Yu said nonchntly. She was highly doubtful that the day will arrive.

    Yu Zixiu smiled and pointed to his car and invited Song Yu for a ride.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that.¡± Song Yu pointed towards a cafe behind her. It was in the same building as herpany. She said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk in that cafe.¡±

    The cafe had ss walls on both sides. There was no privacy at all. Also, the openness of the interior design would allow other customers to hear their conversation if it was spoken too loudly. Yu Zixiu¡¯s ego definitely would not allow him to reveal too many personal issues in such a public area. He would not linger for too long.

    As expected, Yu Zixiu did not seem to be too interested. Song Yu said, ¡°If you don¡¯t like it, just forget about this.¡±

    Then, she turned around and left.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± This was no longer Yu Zixiu¡¯s main concern anymore. He grabbed Song Yu by her wrist in a dash and said, ¡°Okay, let¡¯s go there.¡±

    Song Yu red at Yu Zixiu coldly, making him release his grip on her.

    Then, she looked at Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen patted her on the shoulder gently and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine, are you sure you¡¯re okay?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head to assure Ruan Danchen before walking in front of Yu Zixiu to lead the way.

    Ruan Danchen saw them enter the cafe. Song Yu entered before Yu Zixiu, where she proceeded to choose a conspicuous table near the window and sat down.

    Yu Zixiu stood by the table for quite some time. It was obvious that he was not willing to sit down. His lips were moving but she could not figure out what was he telling Song Yu.

    Ruan Danchen was guessing that he was trying to persuade Song Yu to switch ces.

    However, Song Yu said something stoically and Yu Zixiu just sat down with a stiff expression.

    Only then, Ruan Danchen turned around and crossed the road.

    ...

    ...

    The cafe offered some simple dishes. Yu Zixiu ordered a portion of pasta while Song Yu ordered a matcha tea. She had no appetite when she was facing Yu Zixiu.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you going to avoid us forever? Everyone knows that you¡¯re part of the Yu family. Others will see us as a joke if we continue treating each other like strangers,¡± Yu Zixiu said.

    ¡°We were teased by others when you guys cut off all ties with us back in those days. What¡¯s the big deal if they mocked us again?¡± Song Yu retaliated with a snide remark.

    Yu Zixiu was startled. He squeezed the handle of the mug and said, ¡°Song Yu, I¡¯m aware of the wrongdoings that I did in the past. What should I do to make you trust me and forgive me? Just because of that mistake, you and your mother are nning not to forgive me for the entire lifetime, not even giving me a chance to redeem myself?¡±

    ¡°As the saying goes, ¡°It¡¯s a great virtue to acknowledge your faults and correct it.¡± This is widely known by everyone, why doesn¡¯t it apply to me? Can¡¯t you guys just give me a chance to make amends? You¡¯re not afraid of how others see you, but have you ever thought of how the Qi family would be affected? You can turn a blind eye to the gossip and talk behind your back, but a family as noble as the Qi family really values their reputation. Do you really want to push the Qi family into the limelight to receive all those unnecessary judgments?¡±

    Song Yu sipped on her matcha tea to moisten her throat before saying, ¡°You probably forgot that I was previously engaged to Qi Chengji. Everybody was aware of this. Now that Qi Chengzhi is going to marry me, all of them are busy judging this issue. Who will have the time to pay attention to a small family like the Yu family? Mr. Yu, perhaps you think too highly of the Yu family.¡±

    Yu Zixiu reminded himself that he must endure whatever that came to him. However, his face still flushed red when he got mocked by a family member of the younger generation. He had to hold his breath to suppress his anger and not let it out on her.

    Suddenly, they were interrupted by a sharp voice. ¡°Brother, I didn¡¯t expect to meet you here.¡±

    Song Yu lifted her head, she was not expecting to see Liang Lihua at all.

    Liang Lihua was here to find Song Yu. She heard the news about Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s marriage. Even though she knew that she could not prevent it from happening, she still wanted to berate Song Yu and criticize her for being so shameless so that she could vent her anger.

    What she did not expect was that when she was about to enter the office building of herpany, she saw Song Yu and Yu Zixiu sitting at the window seat as she was casually ncing to the cafe beside.

    Song Yu had a taunting expression on her. It was obvious that she was not giving him face, but Yu Zixiu just kept tolerating.

    It angered Liang Lihua because she knew exactly why Yu Zixiu was there.

    He was here to please Song Yu and try to get on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s good side.

    Since he was made aware that Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi got together, Yu Zixiu had been plotting this. He did not even consider Yu Keyao¡¯s feelings. Not even his niece would be a concern in the pursuit of his interests!

    How capable was Song Yu!

    Firstly, she snatched her daughter¡¯s man away and now, she even made Yu Zixiu lower his stance in front of her. This was definitely her way of having revenge against the Yu family!

    At that instance, Liang Lihua dashed right into the cafe without hesitation.

    The server greeted her with a smile. ¡°Good day, wee to our cafe.¡±

    She ignored him and darted to the window side.

    Yu Zixiu frowned deeply and asked in a deep voice, ¡°Lihua, what are you doing here?¡±

    Liang Lihua would never ever pass by this ce. She had no business here, there was also no shopping mall that she frequents. The only reason she would appear was that she wasing for Song Yu.

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I be here, but you can?¡± Liang Lihua remained standing. She lowered her head to see a troubled Yu Zixiu. ¡°Did you think about how our family would feel? Can¡¯t you just be more considerate of Keyao? You¡¯re busy pleasing Song Yu now? I recalled that you weren¡¯t so enthusiastic when the Song family went bankrupt!¡±

    Yu Qianying and Song Yu had no intentions of forgiving him. They mock and give sarcastic remarks whenever they saw him. Adding to that, Liang Lihua joined in and created an even bigger mess.

    Yu Zixiu stood up with a long face. ¡°I told you that I made a mistake in the past. I¡¯m here to ask for forgiveness from Qianying and Song Yu!¡±

    Liang Lihua was amazed by how thick-skinned Yu Zixiu was. Back then, he was the first one who suggested to cut off all ties with the Song family.

    Now, he was still able to seek for forgiveness so shamelessly, acting all righteous and upright.

    ¡°What about you, can¡¯t you be more aware of the situation? Aren¡¯t you ashamed for making a scene here? You don¡¯t even acknowledge that you made a mistake and kept ming Song Yu for your responsibilities. You¡¯ve been wasting all the years of your life for nothing! Can¡¯t you be more reasonable and mature for your age?¡± Yu Zixiu said harshly with a stern face.

    He knew about the conflict between Liang Lihua and Song Yu. He took the chance to show Song Yu that he was on her side.

    ¡°Yu Zixiu, you¡¯re being outrageously shameless! No wonder Song Yu is so unrepentant as well, I see that she takes after you family¡¯s gic makeup!¡± Liang Lihua turned to Song Yu all of a sudden.

    Song Yu remained seated as if it was none of her business.

    Liang Lihua was so angry that her lips were pressed tightly, forming a line. She looked at Song Yu with disgust. ¡°You¡¯re so capable, you¡¯ve done so much just to await the arrival of this day, huh! You want everyone in the Yu family toe begging for your forgiveness? You want them to regret cutting ties with you guys?

    ¡°Song Yu, I didn¡¯t know you can be so conniving at such a young age! Did you n all of this since the beginning? You purposely hid at Dynasty when you knew that Keyao was going to have a blind date with Qi Chengzhi. You acted as if you entered the wrong room and plotted your meeting with Qi Chengzhi! Then, you tried to seduce him. Too bad our Keyao was too young and naive, she wasn¡¯t able topete with you after all.

    ¡°But I didn¡¯t expect that you had such amazing skills that made Qi Chengzhi fall for you so deeply and got so serious that he wants to marry you. All of your hard work paid off, you just want to see us beg you on our knees and create turmoil within our family, am I right!¡±

    Song Yu finally stood up in frustration. She had enough of her ridiculous false usations and said, ¡°I¡¯m not so senseless like you.¡±

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going! Have I let you go yet?¡± Liang Lihua grabbed Song Yu as she was passing her and forbade her to leave. ¡°Why, are you feeling guilty? I guessed correctly, have I!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me. I¡¯m not going to stay here while you make a fool out of yourself!¡± Song Yu shook her arm forcefully, but Liang Lihua¡¯s strength was quite strong so she could not escape from her grip.

    ¡°I am your aunt, can you be any ruder! Even though your family went bankrupt, have you lost your manners as well!¡± Liang Lihua tightened her grip on Song Yu¡¯s arm.

    Song Yu was not able to release herself and her grip was hurting her. She frowned and her expression changed.

    ¡°Since you have no manners, I¡¯ll educate you on behalf of your parents! You don¡¯t bother to respect the elders and steal your own sister¡¯s man. If your parents are not going to give you a lecture, I will! You think that you can rely on a man to help your family¡¯s poverty!¡± Liang Lihua berated her loudly, not bothering that there were other customers in the cafe. She managed to grab hold of Song Yu¡¯s hair and yanked violently.

    Song Yu was not expecting Liang Lihua to make a move in a public ce. She was feeling the paining from her hair but she could not seem to push her away.

    ¡°Madam!¡± Two waiters rushed over and tried to pry Liang Lihua away. ¡°Please don¡¯t do this, you¡¯re affecting our customers. Madam, if you continue, we¡¯ll have to call the police.¡±

    ¡°Liang Lihua, what are you doing! Release her!¡± Yu Zixiu yelled, but he did not join in the catfight due to his status. He just verbally warned her.

    Song Yu remained silent even though her scalp was in so much pain.

    She used both of her hands to find her way to Liang Lihua¡¯s wrist. Then, she used her fingernails to pinch the skin on her wrist with all the strength she had.

 Chapter 160 - What If I Told You That Qi Chengzhi Is Involved in the Song Familyâ€™s Bankruptcy

    <h4>Chapter 160: What If I Told You That Qi Chengzhi Is Involved in the Song Family¡¯s Bankruptcy</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu used both of her hands to find her way to Liang Lihua¡¯s wrist. Without hesitation, she used her fingernails to pinch the skin on Lihua¡¯s wrist.

    ¡°How dare you pinch me! Let go, you shameless being! I¡¯m going to lecture you here and let everybody know that you stole your sister¡¯s man. Your office is just upstairs. Most of the customers here work in the samepany as well! Look clearly at this woman, Song Yu! She stole her sister¡¯s man and even forced the older family members to beg for forgiveness! This woman right here!¡±

    ¡°Liang Lihua, stop acting like a madwoman!¡± Yu Zixiu could not endure it anymore and joined the other two waiters to hold Liang Lihua back.

    He saw that some of the customers already took out their cellphones. Yu Zixiu¡¯s face dropped immediately when he realized that the scene was recorded.

    ¡°Stop holding me back! I¡¯m going to teach her a lesson about intruding other¡¯s rtionship! It¡¯s nothing wrong to be poor but how could you do something so filthy! You did everything to climb up thedder and sabotage your sister on the way. How could you do this, Song Yu?¡± Liang Lihua shrieked.

    Song Yu finally broke into tears. Her scalp and wrists were hurting so badly from Liang Lihua¡¯s grip. In addition, she was ndered by Lihua with such malicious usations, her tears were streaming down silently.

    ¡°Liang Lihua, you¡¯re such a bully!¡± Song Yu yanked Liang Lihua¡¯s arm. ¡°Who¡¯s the one that¡¯s unreasonable, who¡¯s the mistress, you know clearly in your heart! How can you turn it around and put the me on me? You even said it in such a righteous tone, are you insane!

    Liang Lihua, let go of me! You kept emphasizing that you¡¯re the older family member and want me to treat you with respect, you can dream on it! Which thing you did earn the respect you crave! You took so much money from my family, yet you¡¯re pulling my hair using me of so many things, are you even a human being? Can¡¯t you differentiate right and wrong? Can you not let my parents down? I rather rear a wolf instead of you! Your daughter insisted to hit on my fianc¨¦, how can you describe her as the victim!

    Liang Lihua, you can swear to God if you dare! Swear that you¡¯re speaking the truth! I dare you to swear with Yu Keyao¡¯s well-being!¡±

    You don¡¯t have to say all these to use me!¡± Liang Lihua shrieked. The three guys were pulling her back, but she tightened her grip on Song Yu¡¯s hair. The men dare not use too much force for fear that they might hurt Song Yu.

    Song Yu was in so much pain that she released her grip on Liang Lihua¡¯s wrists. She held her own hair and tried to pull it towards her. She could feel her scalp going numb.

    Song Yu¡¯s tears kept rolling down, but she held in her sobs, not wanting to let others hear her crying.

    Back in the days, Liang Lihua kept bringing Yu Keyao over to their house and weep. She even swore to the heavens that she would never forget how Yu Qianying helped them out, said that they were extremely grateful and would be forever indebted to them.

    After that, when the Song family went bankrupt, not only she kept her distance from them, she totally disregarded the fact that she borrowed money from the Song family.

    The way Liang Lihua used Song Yu made her so angry that she could only feel powerless.

    She was on the verge of losing consciousness due to the shooting pain on her scalp. Suddenly, she heard Liang Lihua yelled out loud. The next thing she knew was that the force exerted on her scalp disappeared.

    Song Yu lifted her head and saw Jian Yi was dragging Liang Lihua away forcefully by her hair.

    Liang Lihua lost bnce and fell onto the ground.

    Yu Zixiu and the other two waiters were not able to separate Liang Lihua from Song Yu because they dare not treat her to harshly. However, Jian Yi was not concern about whether Liang Lihua would get hurt.

    He yanked Liang Lihua¡¯s hair with so much force that she had to release Song Yu to protect herself.

    Just now, he came here looking for Song Yu. Once he entered the building, he heard amotion in the cafe and nced over to have a look. He saw customers gathered around a group of people in a brawl, some of them were even recording the fight.

    Jian Yi frowned and stopped walking when he saw Yu Zixiu standing beside the two women who were fighting.

    When he took a closer look, he realized that Liang Lihua was yanking Song Yu¡¯s hair while she berated her.

    Instantly, he dashed into the cafe, leading to the following events.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you okay?¡± Jian Yi hurried to Song Yu¡¯s side to protect her when he came to his senses.

    Song Yu had her head lowered, her hair was in a mess after being tortured by Liang Lihua. She was restless and in a daze, not asposed as her usual self.

    Her face was hidden behind her hair, but Jian Yi knew that she was crying based on the way her shoulders kept twitching.

    Jian Yi reached his hand out, wanting to tidy up her hair. Just when his fingertips came into contact with her hair, she shuddered visibly upon his touch.

    His touch was very light without exerting much force, but Song Yu felt a jolting pain on her scalp.

    She immediately took a step back to avoid Jian Yi¡¯s touch.

    Jian Yi¡¯s hand froze in the middle of the air. One momentter, he retracted his hand after balling it into a fist.

    Even though it was only a split second of contact, it triggered his memory from the past where he used to caress her hair. He never expected to experience the same softness after such a long time under circumstances like this.

    Song Yu endured the immense pain while she tidied up her hair. She wiped away the tears on her face and shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

    She dare not speak now, for fear that she would not be able to hold her emotions. She was in a very vulnerable state right now.

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Liang Lihua yelled.

    Even though Liang Lihua stood up, the two waiters was afraid that she would charge forward towards Song Yu and grabbed her arms, one person on each side.

    ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re a natural when ites to seducing man, huh! If I¡¯m not mistaken, this is the husband of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sister! So you¡¯re still not satisfied after stealing your own sister¡¯s man and went ahead to steal his sister¡¯s man as well? Are you even ashamed of yourself? Do you feel weird if you don¡¯t take other people¡¯s man!¡±

    Liang Lihua knew that the two waiters would not let go of her, so she stopped struggling. She remained standing and nced at Jian Yi who put himself in front of Song Yu. She raised her upper lip sarcastically and said in a weird tone, ¡°Is there something going on between the two of you? I can see the way he looks at you, there¡¯s definitely something going on.

    Aiya, I remembered a woman told me before. Who was she? I think it was Jian Yi¡¯s mother. She kept announcing to everyone that you liked Jian Yi for many years, isn¡¯t it? I think that you just can¡¯t get over Jian Yi! On one side, you kept sticking around Qi Chengzhi to get your revenge on our family, but on the other hand, you still kept contacting Jian Yi...¡±

    ¡°Liang Lihua, stop talking nonsense!¡± Song Yu could not tolerate Liang Lihua¡¯s filthy words. Herments made others nauseous just by thinking of it!

    ¡°Why, you¡¯re guilty because I¡¯m right!¡± Liang Lihua sneered maliciously, ¡°If it¡¯s not because I guessed it correctly, why are you reacting so strongly?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to waste your time talking to this lunatic,¡± Jian Yi said coldly, ¡°She¡¯ll just make it worse if you continue.¡±

    ¡°Madam, if you continue with your behavior, we¡¯ll have to call the police,¡± one of the waiters said.

    Jian Yi took Song Yu¡¯s hand and strode out of the cafe.

    Yu Zixiu had never felt so shameful in his entire life. It was noparison to thest time where he got shut out from the Song family¡¯s house or that time when Yu Qianying pointed at his nose and berated him.

    His expression was rarely affected by the situation, but this time, he could feel his face burning up.

    The two waiters had already released Liang Lihua. She was ring at Yu Zixiu and nned to chastise him for going to Song Yu personally to please her.

    However, before she could even say anything, Yu Zixiu humphed offishly and said, ¡°How shameful are you!¡±

    Having said that, he then strode off and left. His anger was shown in the shadow of his back as if there was green smokeing out.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu had no recollection of how Jian Yi got her into his car. She was trembling in anger and hurt after being chastised by Liang Lihua moments ago. Her mind was preupied with all her exasperating remarks.

    She had no idea how did Jian Yi manage to bring her out of the cafe.

    She was so furious that tears kept welling up in her eyes. Before it fell, she used the back of her hand to wipe it away but it was pointless as more tears started to pool in her eyes.

    The sudden chime of her ringtone brought Song Yu back to her senses. Only then, she noticed that she was already in Jian Yi¡¯s car, not knowing which direction he was heading to.

    When she was about to reach for her cellphone, she looked down and saw a tissue box.

    Jian Yi handed her a tissue box without saying a word.

    Song Yu received it and sniffed her nose before withdrawing a piece of tissue to wipe off her tears. At the same time, she took out her cellphone and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number. Her heart jumped.

    She felt a little guilty since she was sitting in Jian Yi¡¯s car right now.

    Song Yu took a deep breath and tried to calm down. She was trying very hard to calm herself even if it was just a bit, hoping that Qi Chengzhi would not sense anything from her tone.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± She heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow tone once she answered the phone call.

    His deep, mellow voice reminded her of the feeling of home. She had just calmed down but it felt so secured that more tears started falling down her cheeks.

    Song Yu choked back a sob and kept wiping away her tears with the tissue.

    ¡°I¡¯m having lunch outside,¡± she tried to maintain a stable tone. She did not want to let him know that she was in Jian Yi¡¯s car, for fear that he would get angry and ask for the reason why.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± He asked calmly like how he used to talk to her normally. His voice was light and gentle, tickling her heart softly, making her feel warm and tingly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the point of telling you where I am, not like you cane over. I¡¯m with Ruan Danchen,¡± Song Yu lowered her voice to keep it steady so that it sounds normal.

    She thought that he should not be able to sense it through the phone.

    ¡°Uhm,¡± she heard him answered softly and did not continue asking.

    ¡°Why are you calling me?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Nothing, I just want to hear your voice,¡± he said in a gentle voice.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Song Yu asked softly. Her head naturally turned towards the car window. It was as if that corner became a world of its own, her volume became softer and softer when she talked to Qi Chengzhi. It was so soft that Jian Yi could not hear clearly anymore.

    ¡°I¡¯m eating,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Oh, carry on then, stop talking,¡± Song Yu was relieved.

    ¡°Uhm.¡±

    Then, he hung up the call.

    Instead of eating, he was currently in his Range Rover. He was just beside the cafe that Song Yu and Yu Zixiu went moments ago.

    When he arrived, Song Yu was already gone. He also missed Yu Zixiu. While he was frowning and dialing Song Yu¡¯s number, he saw Liang Lihua walked out of the cafe.

    Even though she was not in a disheveled state, she was still in a mess.

    Liang Lihua was stunned for a moment when she saw him. Her thin lips then curved into a mocking curve.

    She scoffed wickedly, ¡°Chengzhi, are you looking for Song Yu?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained a stoic face. He did not utter a single word and looked at Liang Lihua with an emotionless gaze.

    ¡°He he, you¡¯re toote. She just left with her ex-lover. What¡¯s his name again?¡± Liang Lihua put on a pretense as if she could not remember and frowned. Then, her eyes widened in realization and said, ¡°Oh, Jian Yi is his name if I remember correctly. Isn¡¯t he your sister¡¯s husband?

    Both of them walked out of the cafe holding hands,¡± Liang Lihua smiled cockily. ¡°Seems like they still have remnant feelings for each other!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained an indifferent expression and did not change much. His deep-set eyes gazed at Liang Lihua for quite some time, as if he was going to drill a hole between her eyebrows.

    Liang Lihua was starting to feel guilty after being stared at for so long. Her heart started pumping strongly.

    She felt her heart sinking and started to regret telling Qi Chengzhi about it.

    She just had a fight with Song Yu and was still very irritated. When she saw Qi Chengzhi, she blurted out everything without giving any thoughts and forgotten how scary Qi Chengzhi could be.

    ¡°Mrs. Liang, the man you mentioned, Jian Yi. My sister is his wife, while Song Yu is my fianc¨¦e. It is none of your business and you don¡¯t have the right to judge the Qi family. No one managed to get away unharmed after senselessly defaming our Qi family right in front of one of our own.¡± Qi Chengzhi said calmly while he raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically.

    ¡°You¡¯ll realize that these statements are rather costly. I¡¯m not sure if your family can afford them,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in an icy tone.

    Liang Lihua was stunned and could not utter a single word.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and went back into his car.

    Suddenly, something ticked off Liang Lihua and she ran towards the car. However, the car window was sealed shut. She could only shout at the sealed window but Qi Chengzhi could not hear what was she trying to convey. He had no interest in it.

    Without the need to hear her, he knew that she was begging for forgiveness, saying that it was just a misunderstanding.

    She stuck both of her hands on the window. Her hair became even messier after running. Even though she was wearing branded clothing, it did not add points to her elegance.

    Qi Chengzhi started the car with a cold expression. Then, he rammed the elerator so hard that the car jolted forward about half a car¡¯s length. Liang Lihua got flung away by the sudden motion.

    Both of her hands were scraped. Although her heels were not that high, she twisted her ankle due to the sudden fall.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her coldly through the rearview mirror. He saw Liang Lihua struggled to get back onto her feet. When she saw his car stopped, she limped over and ced her dirtied hands on the car window, leaving a few grimy marks on the dark car window.

    Qi Chengzhi changed into reverse gear and returned to the original position in a swift motion. Once again, Liang Lihua fell to the ground.

    This time, Qi Chengzhi did not stop and just drove away.

    After a while, he returned but Liang Lihua had left.

    Qi Chengzhi got down from the car and nced at the office building. He called the office but Song Yu had note back from her lunch.

    Then, he went back into the car to call Song Yu.

    After hanging up, he reached for cigarettes and the lighter habitually, but got back empty handed. Only then he recalled that he was in the midst of quitting smoking, that was the reason why he no longer brought these things with him.

    He then picked up the cellphone from the passenger seat with a frown and thought about the conversation he had with Song Yu.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu kept her cellphone into her bag. Without looking at Jian Yi, she said, ¡°Thank you for what you did just now. Please stop the car in front.¡±

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten yet, right?¡± Jian Yi nced at her briefly. He just passed a parking spot but he did not stop the car.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry, please stop the car aside, I want to get down,¡± Song Yu said calmly.

    Jian Yi helped her just now, she could not treat him as sternly as before, but she was also unable to show him any enthusiasm.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t pass by the cafe by chance. I¡¯m actually looking for you,¡± Jian Yi said while he continued driving.

    Song Yu nced at him slightly surprised, but she rposed herself quickly and said, ¡°Jian Yi, I¡¯m very grateful that you helped me just now, but there¡¯s nothing more to say between us. Please stop and let me down.¡±

    Instead of stopping the car, Jian Yi locked the car doors.

    After hearing the clicking sounds made by the locks, Song Yu¡¯s expression changed instantly, ¡°What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Jian Yi said calmly.

    ¡°All of you keeping to me and tell me that you have something to say. Can you guys stop harassing me!¡± Song Yu finally broke down after being pestered non-stop by the Yu family members one after another.

    She shouted out loudly and red at Jian Yi furiously.

    ¡°I just want a peaceful life. I don¡¯t want to be involved in your mess. Who do you guys think you are? Why do you guys have the audacity toe and disturb my life, standing on the moral high ground while judging my choices. This is my life and my choice. Can you guys stop being so self-righteous and interfere with it? I don¡¯t need your so-called goodwill. Stop saying that you have something to tell me. I don¡¯t need it and I don¡¯t want to hear it!

    Your supposedly important thing means nothing to me! Do you understand? No matter what you tell me, nothing is going to change. You will never get what you want! Jian Yi, do you understand?¡± Song Yu gripped the car door and yelled, ¡°Now, stop the car and let me out!¡±

    ¡°I promise that this will be very meaningful to you,¡± Jian Yi said while he nced at her. ¡°What if I tell you that Qi Chengzhi is involved in the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy? Will you still feel that this is meaningless to you?¡±

    What?

    Song Yu was stunned. She could feel her mind exploding as if she was able to hear the explosion in her brain.

    For a while, Song Yu was unable to react. She was dumbfounded and her mind went nk. She could not digest what Jian Yi had just said.

    How could Qi Chengzhi be involved in the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy!

    Song Yu¡¯s heart and limbs grew colder and colder until they were immobilized.

    She could not utter a word, not to mention ordering Jian Yi to stop the car.

    While she was still in a daze, Jian Yi made a turn and entered an open carpark.

    He turned off the engine and released the seatbelt. He approached Song Yu and extended his arm to open the storagepartment in front of Song Yu. From there, he took our a folder of documents.

    Song Yu was still unable to utter a word. She was still staring nkly, even when the file folder was handed before her.

 Chapter 161 - Mom was Planning to Teach Me How to Write My Name Before You Came

    <h4>Chapter 161: Mom was nning to Teach Me How to Write My Name Before You Came</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu was still unable to utter a word. She could only stare nkly when the folder was handed before her.

    ¡°Take a look,¡± said Jian Yi. ¡°These are the evidence. I¡¯ve warned you not to trust Qi Chengzhi and marry him too soon. I knew that he¡¯d hid something from you. I knew it was something serious but I didn¡¯t have any evidence at that time. So, I could only warn you about it to prepare you for what¡¯sing,¡± he spoke calmly and this time with a little pride.

    ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t believe it if I couldn¡¯t provide any evidence. That¡¯s the reason why I didn¡¯t tell you about what he¡¯d done. Even I find it hard to believe, let alone you. Now, I¡¯ve finally found the evidence.¡±

    Song Yu finally regained focus. Her mind was also starting to work again. However, her hands were still unusually cold.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to take a look?¡± Jian Yi urged as Song Yu was still not taking any action.

    ¡°The bankruptcy of the Song family was all plotted by Qi Chengzhi. After bankruptcy, you had suffered a lot. Uncle and auntie had to undergo many hardships and stress. All of this happened because of Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not because of him, the Song family would have still been the same. You wouldn¡¯t have to be mocked by Wu Lijun and the clique. Auntie wouldn¡¯t have to be bullied by Liang Lihua and the others. She wouldn¡¯t have to be ced at a disadvantage end while facing them. You wouldn¡¯t have to lean over and backward to make a living, running around busily and putting up a mask on the drinking table, you...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Song Yu interrupted coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything more. All those talking are just so that I¡¯m convinced to look at these, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Song Yu opened the file but she was hesitant to take out the documents.

    She thought of the soft gaze of Qi Chengzhi when he looked at her. Those expressions that he had never given to others.

    She thought of the mellow voice of Qi Chengzhi and how it hadforted her when she was anxious.

    She thought of his cozy hug and gentle palm. How they had brought her calmness while they lingered on her body.

    At that moment, all she wanted was just to call Qi Chengzhi. She wanted to hear his voice, to ask him personally if he had done it.

    He could not have done her wrong!

    That man had loved her so much!

    Song Yu reached into the file and retrieved the documents with trembling hands. As she read, she heard Jian Yi spoke.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi is the person behind thispany.¡±

    ¡°Thepany was founded in the United States. At that time, he used an English name and is not very well-known in our country. That¡¯s the reason why the people didn¡¯t know much about it. Besides, no one paid attention to the legal person of thepany.

    ¡°The Song family went bankrupt eight years ago. You were seventeen years old whereas Qi Chengzhi was twenty-six. Thepany was founded in the United States when he was eighteen years old. It took him six years to break yourpany apart, bit by bit.

    ¡°Here is the information about thepany and also the legal person.¡± Jian Yi went on. ¡°You could do verifications if you want to be sure.¡±

    Jian Yi smiled sarcastically. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help but acknowledge the talent of Qi Chengzhi. At the age of twenty, he had already graduated with a Ph.D. At the age of eighteen, he founded apany. In two years, hispany was able to gain a reputation in the United States. Then, with patience, he took six years to ruin the Song family.

    ¡°Tell me... What animosity was he feeling toward the Song family? Why did he need to be so cruel? He is now showing such passionate love toward you. Who would have thought that he was the culprit of the Song family¡¯s downfall? Or, is it possible that his attitude toward you now is justpensation for the things that he had done?¡±

    When Jian Yi saw the page Song Yu was at, he sneered.

    ¡°Do you still remember the first time Grandmother Qi went to your house? She called Xia Wenna out for a talk, didn¡¯t she? I¡¯ve told you a long time ago that I heard their conversation. The two photos in Xia Wenna¡¯s phone are the evidence. The photos that you are looking at are the copies of the photos in Xia Wenna¡¯s phone. Though Grandmother Qi has deleted the photos in Xia Wenna¡¯s phone, they still exist in the backup of the cloud. I contacted a hacker and had him hacked into Xia Wenna¡¯s backup. That¡¯s how I got these photos.

    ¡°These two photos were being taken by Xia Wenna on the sly. They were in the documents given to her by Qi Chengzhi. So, you may discover some things if you go into his study room.¡±

    Song Yu trembled and shivered uncontrobly. She was feeling a chill in the air.

    At this particr moment, she was clueless about who she could trust. She did not even have confidence in Qi Chengzhi anymore, the one who she had always had faith in.

    Had he been lying to her?

    He ruined the Song family and the life of her parents.

    She had always been grateful that the Song family went bankrupt. She had never regretted but she knew that she should not have brought her parents along into this mess.

    When she was in senior high school year, she had to focus on her studies. Therefore, she could not go to work. That was the hardest year of Song Donglin and Yu Qianying.

    Song Donglin, the former chief executive officer of apany, had to earn a living as a taxi driver and had a restless life. He had to ovee his status transition and pride.

    He used to be the one whom people please and gratify but at that time, he became the one who begged on bended knee.

    Whenever Song Donglin had to work night shift, Song Yu and Yu Qianying would be insomniacs due to worrisome. They would be concerned about Song Donglin¡¯s safety.

    On the other hand, Yu Qianying, the former noblewoman who had never needed to prepare coffee by herself, had to do all the house chores.

    That very year, she had to be a part-time house-keeper. She had to work in one ce in the morning and another in the night. Due to the constant bending over during her job, she would be too exhausted to straighten her back when she came home.

    Since then, Yu Qianying had developed lumbar strain. She would have back pain whenever she overworked. It would be so excruciating that it brought her difficulty to stand.

    Recently, Liang Lihua came to their house to humiliate them because she knew that her parents fell into disgrace. Back in those days, she would not have the nerve to do so.

    Looking at the evidence in her hand, Song Yu just wanted to ask Qi Chengzhi why did he have to do that?

    ¡°The things that Qi Chengzhi has done to your family may not make you two into irreconcble enemies, but they are absolutely unforgivable! He says that he loves you, he has even gotten you by his side. But the truth is, he has been deceiving you all this while. Money and women, he¡¯s got both! You have been sleeping with your enemy all this while... You have been saying ¡®I love you¡¯ in the arms of your enemy!¡± spoke Jian Yi coldly, with a little sarcasm in his tone.

    ¡°I¡¯ve warned you to not believe in him. Now that you recall what you¡¯ve done, are they not ironic?¡±

    Jian Yi curled his lips. ¡°After knowing what he has done, can you still marry him in peace? Song Yu, if you marry him, there¡¯s no difference in marrying an enemy.¡±

    Song Yu returned the documents into the file. Her hand was on the car door handle but she was not able to open it.

    ¡°I want to get out.¡± The look on Song Yu was expressionless and cold. She sounded in despair.

    ¡°Song Yu, don¡¯t you have anything to say about this? Do you still n to stay with him?¡± Jian Yi observed her pale face. She disappointed him by not showing any resentment.

    ¡°Unlock it, I want to get out,¡± Song Yu spoke again. She sounded soft but cold.

    ¡°Where do you want to go? Let me fetch you,¡± said Jian Yi.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I should leave you alone, I¡¯m concerned about your emotion at this moment.¡±

    ¡°Unlock the door.¡± Song Yu had nothing else to say, but to repeat, ¡°I want to get out.¡±

    Her tone was as cold as her expression, like ashes of the dead.

    Jian Yi kept quiet for a while then sighed. He tolerated and said, ¡°I know that this is a heavy cross to bear. The man whom you loved is the culprit of your family¡¯s bankruptcy. It¡¯s okay, go home and steady your nerves. Then, think about your next course of action,¡± he spoke sincerely and unlocked the door.

    Silently, Song Yu got out of the car with the file held tight in her hands. She did not even nce at Jian Yi when she closed the door.

    When she left the parking lot, the file in her hand had already been squashed out of shape. The thick kraft papers were then soft and crumpled, sound of crumpling papers in her hands could be heard.

    At the same time, cold sweat from her palms soften the material of file.

    Song Yu trembled. It was as if everything became unfamiliar and foreign to her.

    She did not know how to differentiate the truth and lie anymore.

    The reliable smile on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face appeared in her mind. The first thought was to rush into his arms. She hoped that he would tell her that these were all made-up.

    She hoped that he would tell her that all of the evidence were made-up, that Jian Yi was using him, that he loved her with all his heart, that he had not done anything wrong to her, that he was still the Qi Chengzhi that she could trust, that he was reliable and persistent, that she was always in his heart...

    He had neverid his eyes on the otherdies when they were dating, not even a nce.

    Not even Guan Xiaolin, Yu Keyao, and Shu Li, or many others that she did not know about.

    To the general public, Qi Chengzhi concealed his emotions and treated outsiders with a stern face that gave them shudders. On the inside, however, he was a calm and reserved. That being said, he would turn into an easily jealous, petty man when he was around her.

    He tolerated and pampered her for whatever mistake that she made. He would get mad but would also forgive her in the end.

    Qi Changzhi¡¯s eyes would only be filled with tenderness when he looked at Song Yu and he could change his expression in shocking speed. He could change his expressions in a split second when he looked from Song Yu to another person. Song Yu had lost count of the times he was able to pull that off wlessly.

    Song Yu could not believe that his behaviour toward her were just an act ofpensation. She could not believe that his affections toward her was merely topensate for what he had done eight years ago.

    The words that had been spoken by Qi Chengzhi might not be promises but they had been engraved on her mind. She could not believe that those words were spoken out of guilt.

    Song Yu strolled aimlessly as her mind was in aplete mess.

    She turned over to look for a taxi but all she saw was Jian Yi¡¯s ck Cayenne. She did not notice that she was being stalked.

    Her lips formed a thin line and she had butterflies in her stomach. All she wanted to do was to smash his car.

    Why did he have to investigate? Why did he have to tell her these?

    Why would he not leave her alone, to let her live that peaceful life she had always wanted?

    It bothered her so much that she wished that she could be kept in the dark for the rest of her life. She refused to learn about the truth.

    She stopped walking. There was no point to wander anymore. Jian Yi¡¯s Cayenne had stopped by the roadside not far away from her.

    Song Yu refused to look at Jian Yi. She waved to stop the taxi that was passing by. She did not head to Qilin but Viewpark Residence instead.

    On the journey to her destination, she received a call from Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Song Yu, why haven¡¯t youe back to the office? Is everything alright?¡± Ruan Danchen finished her lunch and could not find Song Yu in the cafe. She went back to the office but neither was Song Yu there.

    She thought Song Yu had gone for lunch after sending off Yu Zixiu. In fact, Song Yu had note back, even when the afternoon shift had already passed thirty minutes.

    ¡°Something has arisen. Please help me to ask Director Zhao for a leave of absence,¡± said Song Yu with her lips pursed. She frowned at what she saw in the rearview mirror. Jian Yi was still pursuing her.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you alright?¡± Ruan Danchen sounded worried on the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, I just wanted to take a rest at home,¡± in the rearview mirror, the Cayenne was still pursuing behind.

    Ruan Danchen promised her without any hesitation. Song Yu¡¯s leave of absence was not difficult to ask for. Director Zhao had not dared to raise any objection.

    It was just that Ruan Danchen felt like there was something wrong through Song Yu¡¯s tone, but she could not get any confirmation from Song Yu.

    She could only remind her, ¡°If there¡¯s something going on, you are wee to call me.¡±

    Song Yu promised and ended the call. She nced at the rearview mirror once again, lips tightly pursed, before she slid upon a number and called.

    ¡°Jian Yi, if you don¡¯t want to get a p in the face, don¡¯t follow me anymore! Don¡¯t you ever think that I would treat you better after you¡¯ve given me this evidence! This is between Qi Chengzhi and me. There¡¯s no ce for you! No matter what kind of rtionship we would end up, it is none of your business! About what you have done, I would only be more despise and sick of you. Since I¡¯ve seen the evidence and you¡¯ve reached your goal, from now on, get the hell out of my life!¡±

    Initially, Jian Yi was still a little excited to received a call from her. However, when he heard about what Song Yu had said, he glowered, almost throwing his phone out of the car.

    Since the incident between him and Qi Chengyue was revealed, Song Yu had been showing animosity towards him. She was always scoffing at him, but had never used rude words towards him.

    This time, she had even used the word ¡®hell¡¯.

    Jian Yi gripped on his phone until his knuckles were white, ¡°So, are you going to ignore this evidence and stay beside Qi Chengzhi? Even when he had done something wrong to you? Are you going to ignore the feelings of your parents and stay with him? Song Yu, have your love to him made you lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong? Or-¡±

    Song Yu cut him off by ending of the call.

    Jian Yi was caught off guard. He flung the phone to the seat next to him. However, the phone was smashed on the car door and bounced to the bottom of the seat.

    From the rearview mirror, Song Yu saw the Cayenne made a change of direction all of a sudden, and stopped by the roadside. It was not trailing her anymore.

    ...

    ...

    Aunt Yang was surprised to see Song Yu. She asked for the reason why she hade back so early.

    Song Yu simply made up a reason for her, while her hand was still holding onto the file. It was supposed to be light, but she was feeling heavy.

    She subconsciously hid the file behind. She did not want anyone to find out about it.

    Aunt Yang did not suspect anything and got back to her work.

    Song Yu grasped onto the file and went into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s study. She was not afraid of being seen by Aunt Yang.

    Even if Aunt Yang had seen her, she would not be suspicious too. Qi Chengzhi had never forbidden Song Yu into the study. She was free to roam around every corner of the house.

    Song Yu closed the door of the study but she did not let go of the crumpled file in her hands. There was a funny feeling that the file would be misced and risking revtion of the information contained within.

    She grabbed the file in one hand and opened the door of the bookcase. There were specialized books and files. Song Yu looked out whether there was anything in between the pages of each book while opening each file to take a look.

    In the end, the whole bookcase was searched all over, but she had not found anything rted to what she was looking for.

    Song Yu looked around, and her eyesnded on the desk.

    Song Yu moved slowly towards it and sat on the swivel chair. Her eyes nced through the objects on the desk andnded on the drawer.

    She instinctively felt that she was going to find something here. However, when her hand came into contact with the drawer handle, she hesitated.

    She was fearful of discovering some pieces of evidence that would be a disadvantage to Qi Chengzhi.

    If she saw them, what should she do?

    Song Yu was feeling a little withdrawn. Until the sweat in her palm hadpletely wet the folder, the other hand of hers was then put on the drawer handle. She pulled out the drawer steadily.

    There was nothing but a thick book lying inside. It looked like a notebook.

    Song Yu took the book out, and looked out whether if there was anything in between the pages, just like how she had checked the specialized books and files earlier.

    Then, her heart skipped a beat, almost getting a muscle spasm due to her nervousness.

    In fact, she did find something in the book.

    With her shaky hands, Song Yu had no choice but to leave the folder on the desk. She nced once again at the folder as if to make sure it was safe to do so.

    Only by then, she flipped to the page where the item was being kept. However, it was not any secretive file that she had expected. It was only a in white paper that had turned yellow.

    The paper had deckle edges on one side. It was obviously being torn from another book. Its yellowish color showed that this paper had had a few years of history.

    On top of it was poor handwriting of the two words ¡°Jiang Yuan¡±. It was written with a bright blue colored sign pen.

    Bright blue color. Her favorite color.

    The poor handwriting looked immature. It was undeniable that it was written by a child who had just started to learn writing. Even the horizontal lines were as crooked as earthworms.

    It dawned on Song Yu, that these two words were written by her.

    When was it?

    Song Yu frowned and tried to recall. She remembered that it was not long after she had started learning to write her own name.

    At that time, she was still in kindergarten, but she could not remember how old she was. It was a vague memory.

    Yu Qianying was going to teach her to write her name. That would be the first two words she learned to write since birth.

    That day, Xia Wenna brought Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengji to y. On the other hand, Yu Qianying was taking out a book and a bright blue colored sign pen which was Song Yu¡¯s favorite. Right before Yu Qianying started to teach, Xia Wenna and her two sons arrived.

    So, Yu Qianying had to put aside the teaching lesson and give Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengji the nod to y with Song Yu.

    That time, she had already felt that Qi Chengzhi was like an adult, who was years elder than her.

    However, she was not afraid of him. She was rather relied on him, treating him as a dependable big brother.

    Qi Chengzhi noticed the book and pen in her fair, soft hands, and asked her what she was nning to do.

    Song Yu spoke gloomily, ¡°Before you came, mom was nning to teach me how to write my name.¡±

 Chapter 162 - My Song Yu. Finally, It was Worth Waiting For.

    <h4>Chapter 162: My Song Yu. Finally, It was Worth Waiting For.</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu pouted and looked unhappy.

    She had only known how to write numbers like one, two, three, four. It was finally time for her to learn how to write words, just like an adult would. This had excited little Song Yu very much. She was more excited than getting to learn numbers as she always had the curiosity for learning new things.

    However, due to the arrival of Xia Wenna and her two sons, the lesson had to be rescheduled.

    The problem was that if she was not to write then, she would be ufortable. Her heart would be aching for it with her mind being unable to let go of it.

    ¡°I can teach you.¡± She remembered that he was just about ten at that time. However, Qi Chengzhi was already a more reserved childpared to the other children his same age.

    ¡°Really?¡± The little mouth of Song Yu which was pouting earlier immediately turned into a bright smile.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded, but Qi Chengji who was at the side of him showed dissatisfaction. ¡°But I want to y!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi drew out a Chinese hacky sack from his pocket and threw it at him. ¡°Go on, y it in the garden.¡±

    Qi Chengji caught the Chinese hacky sack with both hands. Surprisingly, he was easily dismissed ¨C he had stoppedining and ran to the garden to y by himself.

    ¡°Where are we going to write?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Little Song Yu eagerly reached out her fair soft little hands and pulled Qi Chengzhi to her bedroom.

    Her bedroom was a little too big for her age. To his surprise, it was not in pink like other girls, which he had anticipated at first. It was only in warm beige color which made him feelfortable. He did not have to be blinded by the color pink.

    In spite of that, there was something that could not be avoided. Dolls that piled up over the table and bed.

    In between the bed and the door, there was a space where a coffee table was ced. If they were to sit on the soft rug, the height of the table would be just fine for them.

    Qi Chengzhi sat beside Song Yu, sneaking one arm around her. His other hand held hers that was holding the pen. Bringing her soft little hand to write down these two words:

    Jiang Yuan.

    For an eleven-year-old, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handwriting was really beautiful. Though it was not as smooth as it would normally be since he was holding Song Yu¡¯s hand. It was neat and firm, foreshadowing how strong his handwriting would be in the future.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Song Yu blinked. She did not recognize those two words. ¡°Is this my name?¡±

    ¡°This is my name.¡± He was still holding her in his arm.

    ¡°But your name has three words!¡± Song Yu pouted. ¡°I may be very young, but don¡¯t you lie to me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed at her reaction. ¡°I¡¯m not lying to you. This is really my name. It is my other name.¡±

    ¡°You have two names?¡± Song Yu opened her mouth in shock. This was her first time discovering that one could have two names. ¡°Why do you have two names?¡±

    ¡°The members of my family all have two names,¡± answered Qi Chengzhi patiently. ¡°Of course, only our Qi family has. This is my other name, Jiang Yuan.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi taught her how to pronounce them. After making sure Song Yu had recognized these two words, he said ¡°this name is a secret. I¡¯ve only told one person, which is you. You can¡¯t tell anyone.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu nodded and promised him.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled as if to hint something and said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you will remember it or not in the future.¡±

    Then, he tore the page out,ying it at the side of the book. ¡°Write these again ording to it.¡±

    This time, Song Yu¡¯s fair, soft little hand held the pen by itself and wrote them down without the help of Qi Chengzhi. The handwriting was of course crooked. The two dots on top of the word Jiang were flying out of shape. The three horizontal lines were as crooked as earthworms. The word ¡°Nu¡± at the bottom was far away from the upper part, leaving a big gap in between, looking like two words.

    Despite that, the word ¡°Yuan¡± was smaller in size than the word ¡°Jiang¡±. Plus, it did not look like it was well-aligned.

    Upon finishing her writing, Qi Chengzhi also tore out that page. Folded it neatly and put it in his pocket.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was now holding that paper which had turned yellow. It seemed to have be thin and fragile from time. It was as if it could be effortlessly broken down into pieces.

    Looking at two of the misaligned words ¡°Jiang Yuan¡±, her memories became clearer.

    She remembered Qi Chengzhi who told her in confidence that this was his other name.

    When she was small, she was still unaware of The Great Eight Families. She did not know that other than their given names, they would have courtesy names too.

    The Great Eight Families originated from the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. When the Qin Dynasty defeated the six states, their ancestors, who were the aristocrats then, had a narrow escape. With the help of the National Teachers of Wei, the aristocrats of the seven states all came together. They concealed their identities to continue their lives. Along with the continuous war, they had established unimaginable cultural conservation.

    As they were unable to use their surnames when they were supposed to remain hidden, they had taken their states¡¯ names as their new surnames to continue making a living. They kept their actual surnames as their courtesy names. From one generation to the next, the surnames had been passed on lest they forget their origins.

    ¡°Jiang¡±, was the surname of Qi state¡¯s aristocrats.

    Song Yu was unaware of this. Even when she was engaged to Qi Chengzhi, she had no inkling of the courtesy name of Qi Chengzhi.

    She had never connected those ancestors¡¯ surnames to The Great Eight Families.

    This was because the courtesy names of The Great Eight Families were only made known to the wives.

    Only then Song Yu knew about the culture of The Great Eight Families, fully aware that each of them had been holding different courtesy names. Other than that, she remembered what was initially forgotten ¨C of what Qi Chengzhi had told her when she was small.

    By recalling what Qi Chengzhi had said in the past, she could easily understand the meaning behind these two words.

    Song Yu could not help but cry in shock. Her hand trembled while holding onto the piece of paper while gasping for air at the same time.

    She had not expected Qi Chengzhi to have told her about his courtesy name at such an early age.

    She was very young then. The memories she had of that age were vague. She could only remember bits and pieces from that incident with most of the details faded away.

    How could he be so confident that she would remember his name?

    What if she had forgotten?

    Before discovering the paper, she had really forgotten about its existence. She did not remember his courtesy name. Surprisingly, he had not brought it up to her too.

    Song Yu did not understand. Why did he tell her his courtesy name when she was in such an early age. This was something that was only supposed to be divulged to his wife.

    Her fingers shakily caressed the ugly and misaligned words, before folding it back gently.

    Twenty years came by and he was still holding onto it.

    She ced back the paper to where it was supposed to be. Only by then, it dawned on her that the book was a diary. The ce that was keeping the paper, was thest page of the diary.

    Song Yu recognized it. The strong but reserved handwriting. It was the handwriting of Qi Chengzhi.

    Thest diary entry wrote:

    Song Yu epted my proposal. She will be my bride. Finally.

    It was short, but it surprisingly met the personality of Qi Chengzhi. No matter if it was his speaking or diary scribblings, they were always simple and straightforward.

    She was unaware of the reason but Song Yu could still feel his excitement and agitation through his words despite it being short and simple.

    While caressing the lines of words with her finger, the charming face of Qi Chengzhi appeared on the paper.

    It was as if he was watching her carefully and concentratedly at that moment.

    Song Yu turned to the first page of the diary and began reading.

    ...

    ...

    ¡®Today was the first day of Song Yu being in elementary school. It was her very first time wearing the school uniform of Jixia School. I saw her passing through the school entrance with a careful expression.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today, we came across each other. Song Yu seemed to have be afraid of me. She lowered her head and left without greeting me.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu is now in fourth grade.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®From tomorrow onwards, I will be studying abroad in the United States. I would not know how Song Yu would look like when Ie back. Would she be gorgeous?¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the very first day that I am not able to see Song Yu.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the second day.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    She kept turning the pages forward. Qi Chengzhi did not have any other sort of entries. The rest were constantly counting on how many days he had not seen her.

    ...

    ¡®Today was the second month and the tenth day I was not able to see Song Yu.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the fifth month and the seventh day I was not able to see Song Yu. I had founded apany here. I named it Feather.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the second year, third month and the third day I was not able to see Song Yu. She had been engaged to Qi Chengji.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the second year, third month and the fourth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I gave my family a call. They insisted on the engagement. They would not regret it in any case.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the second year, third month and the fifth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I have made a decision. Whether I would be spending a long time, or making a big effort, even if it required me to be unscrupulous, I must destroy the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Yesterday, I met Song Yu. At longst. However, she was not aware of it. I found her drowning. As long as I was here, I would never let her get into any idents. Only when she was in my embrace, I realized that my Song Yu had grown up.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the fourth year, seventh month and twelve days I was not able to see Song Yu. If she knew about what I had done, she would hate me.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today was the fourth year, seventh month and the twenty-fifth day I was not able to see Song Yu. I do not regret the things I had done to the Song family. Or else, she would have been the bride of another person.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Tomorrow I would be returning to my homnd. I will be able to see Song Yu.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®My family had allowed me to work in Qilin. I chose to be the principal of Jiaxia School so that I could see Song Yu every day.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today, I saw Song Yu from the window of my office. She was having P.E. lessons in her sportswear and it was a beautiful sight.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today, I saw Song Yu walking to the restaurant from my window.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today, I saw Song Yu going to school.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Chengji is in trouble. The engagement was called off. The bankruptcy of the Song family is exposed. I wanted to remedy this situation, but it was toote.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu is working part-time. I hate myself for letting her suffer.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu is furthering her studies in B University. I will wait for her graduation.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu had chosen architecture as her major. I have begun to pay attention to the trends in the property markets.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu went to Chengshi. I requested to be transferred to the Qilin Property. We will meet.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Today I met my Song Yu. Finally, I could meet her face to face again. At that moment, it felt like I was alive again. I could feel my heart beating and blood warming up. I felt human again.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®I have finally kissed Song Yu. However, I could only pretend that I was dreaming of anotherdy. She was furious yet still beautiful. She did not know that it was my first kiss. I had not had any otherdy in my life aside from her.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®She confessed to me today, but it was meant for another man. At that moment, I felt like my heart had stopped beating. It was so ufortable, I felt the pain.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®Song Yu adores another man, but the man is worthy of it.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®I was just in front of her, but she could not see.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®My Song Yu, she is finally my Song Yu.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®I fear that she would know about the truth behind the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy. I am afraid that she would leave me if she finds out.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®As long as she does not hate me and would continue being by my side; as long as she agrees to be my wife, I would be willing to give up the entirety of the Qi family, just to repay her one Song family.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®I care for neither the Qi family nor the Song family. I only want Song Yu. Her taking up my surname and bing my wife, in this life, forever.¡¯

    ...

    ¡®I want to propose to her, my Song Yu. Finally, it is worth waiting for.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu almost lost her breath. Looking at the strong handwriting on the pages, her chest felt like it had been blocked by a rock, her eyes felt sore and warm. Eventually, with one droplet following another, tears dripped onto the paper.

    Every diary entry of his was short, with only a few sentences. Regardless, every day, every page was dedicated to her.

    He said he had never been with any otherdy. He had been waiting for her. He went so far as to keep his first kiss for her.

    A man with such few words, even his diary had little to say. However, the strong handwriting of his showed his untempered emotions.

    Song Yu held onto the diary dumbfounded, still feeling astounded by the words in his diary.

    She could not help but think about how Qi Chengzhi was when he was writing the diary. What kind of emotions he had running through him, what kind of impressions he had on his mind.

    Day by day, he had been counting the days that he could not see her. There was no more than the words which were noting down days that he could not see her.

    It could have been such a simple sentence, but it was making her heart ache. It seemed like his daily life had been revolving around her. Constantly taking notes of how long it had been since hest met her, how long he would need to wait before going back to meet her.

    His words made her feel like she was his whole world, his only world.

    Without her, he would be nothing.

    This kind of love was too overwhelming. She thought that she had already loved him a lot. She thought that hers was already enough to return his love. Now only did she know that her love for him was still far shallower from his.

    She did not know that he had been watching her for such a long time.

    She did not know that the existence of such an innocent man in the world was still possible. Clean on both inside and out while retaining himself in the purest state, just for her.

    When she encountered him again, her first impression of him was the clean temperament on him. Now only did she realize that it was not just his appearance.

    What if before all these happened, she was to have a boyfriend? What if she had been married? What if... she had given her first time to another man? What would he do? Had those thoughts never crossed his mind?

    Would it be unfair to him?

    Her fingertips kept caressing on his strong handwriting. She could notprehend how he had done it. How he could wait for her for such a long time, with such patience.

    He was so reckless. Plotting all these, just for her.

    Song Yu closed her eyes. His clean face again appeared in her mind again.

    At that moment, she missed him very dearly.

    Her chest was in pain. She carefully closed the diary and pressed it onto her chest, a ce where it closest to her heart.

    ¡°You are a foolish, idiotic man,¡± she whispered while unable to stop holding back her tears. ¡°I am sorry that I haven¡¯t been there for you. I am sorry to have been engaged to Qi Chengji before.¡±

    If it was not for that, he would not be forced out of his hand to the extent that he had to destroy the Song family to marry her.

    She was supposed to resent him, but now she possessed nothing but resounding love for him.

    ¡®I would be willing to give up the entire of Qi family, just to repay her one Song family.¡¯ Having read that sentence, she was not able to carry on resenting him anymore.

    She knew that he was sincere. As long as she did not hate him, he was willing to sacrifice anything. Even if she had requested for the world, he would also not hesitate to get it for her.

    She had never known that one person could love her to such an extent.

    Song Yu ced the diary back into the drawer gently, before closing it. With hesitations, she opened the cupboard under the drawer again.

    Lying inside was a safe box. Strangely, she knew that what she had been looking for was inside of the safe box.

    Song Yu moved and squatted in front of the safe box with her fingers touching the lock softly.

    With her fingers shaking after some time, they left the lock.

    Forget it. He had written it clearly in the diary, why should she try to open the safe box again?

    Song Yu stood up once more, grabbing the folder she had ced on the table.

    Her eyes stared on the folder without blinking and seemed to be making an important decision.

    Suddenly, her grab on the folder tightened and she left the study room. She had note across Aunt Yang. If she was, she would be misunderstood if she were to be seen holding onto a folder while walking out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s study room.

    She ran up to the second floor immediately and headed to the dressing room.

    She went to the edge where it was specially purposed for essories and pulled out the drawer, there were lighters belonging to Qi Chengzhiying inside.

    Though he was not smoking then, it was only temporary. The lighters were still being kept as they were either branded or limited edition.

    Song Yu did not appreciate the novelty value of the lighters and simply took one of them and proceeded to head back to the bedroom.

    Upon opening the door and entering the bathroom, she cautiously closed the door behind her and locked it. Only by then, she pulled out the folder that had been crumpled in her grasp. The creases on the paper were permanent and were incapable of being smoothened out anymore.

    She lit up the lighter and set the folder on fire without hesitation. The me started to spread from one of the corners while engulfing the documents contained within, it turned the edge to ck ashes.

    Once the me was nearly reaching the corner where her fingers were holding, Song Yu threw the folder which by then was only a corner into the toilet bowl. While the small corner fell into the toilet bowl, the me hadpletely devoured it.

    She breathed a sigh of relief. After making this decision, her whole body felt lighter. It was like all the weight pressing down on her body was lifted.

    She returned to the living room where Aunt Yang had started preparing for dinner.

    Song Yu realized that she had not informed Qi Chengzhi about her early return. She had been in such a hurry before. If he had not been informed, he would still go and wait for her at the entrance of Chengshi.

    Thus, she made a call to Qi Chengzhi and told him that she had already arrived home.

    ¡°Ok.¡± To her surprise, the response of Qi Chengzhi seemed to be one of indifference. He did not even ask her about the reason for being home early before hanging up the call.

    Song Yu was taken aback. Looking at her phone, she knew that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude was unusual to say the least.

 Chapter 163 - I Love Being Your Anchor So You Can Brandish My Name as Your Shield

    <h4>Chapter 163: I Love Being Your Anchor So You Can Brandish My Name as Your Shield</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu stared nkly at the phone, knowing full well that Qi Chengzhi was acting weirdly.

    At the beginning of their rtionship, misunderstandings would sometimes ur when he responded simrly out of habit while with her on the phone. As their rtionship progressed, those incidents began lessening gradually.

    At present, however, Song Yu was certain that she heard a coldness in his voice.

    She ced her cellphone down, knowing full well that he was angry but clueless as to the reason behind that anger.

    Less than an hourter, Qi Chengzhi came home.

    Song Yu stared at him in surprise as he entered the house. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±

    She took his slippers andid them beside his feet, watching as he changed his shoes.

    His handsome face attracted her attention, and she could not stop her mind from recalling the things he wrote in his diary. Indifferent though he seemed, beneath his surfacey a man whose love was unimaginably vast.

    A surge of warmth appeared in her heart when she looked at him. He stood up, giving her time to put away his shoes.

    These things used to be Aunt Yang¡¯s job, but ever since Song Yu was around, thetter was the one who did those tasks. She quite liked doing them in fact, since it made her feel like she was centering her life around him.

    His face was stern and intimidating, and she still had no idea what made him angry.

    Song Yu stood up and was about to leave, but he remained rooted to the ground.

    She extended her hand out to him but was met with his frostiness. ¡°I should be asking you the same thing. Why are you back so early?¡±

    Song Yu dragged him into the bedroom and took out some home wear.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips were pursed tightly. He wore his clothes only after staring at her for some time.

    ¡°What¡¯s really going on?¡± he came over and asked after changing into something morefortable.

    Song Yu remained silent. He was standing in front of her; she was sitting. Her line of sight focused directly on his abdomen, and the presence of ayer of clothes did not prevent her from imagining the strength thaty underneath his shirt.

    She adored the chunks of muscle on his stomach. Whenever he entered her and became one with her, her hands took on a mind of their own¡ªthey went in search of the area where both their bodies connected. From his chest, she slid down to his abdomen and went through his ck bush, stopping only when she found the ce where they joined into one.

    Song Yu wrapped her arms lovingly across his thighs, pressing her face onto his stomach. A slight pressure was all it took for her to bury her entire face into him, immersing herself in his delicious scent.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, how about we register our marriage now?¡± Song Yu then continued while her face was still pressed on his abdomen. ¡°We don¡¯t have to choose any special date like one-three-one-four, five-two-zero 1 or whatever. I don¡¯t really mind it. I just want us to register as soon as possible. Is that okay?¡±

    She feared that Jian Yi would do something to her if he found out that she continued her rtionship with Qi Chengzhi.

    Preventing unintended things from happening was best done by getting their marriage registered. Once that was done, those wanting to break them up would realize that it was toote to do so¡ªthe only option left was getting them to divorce each other.

    By virtue of their marriage, it would make it doubly difficult for anyone to try and break them up.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his gaze and observed her nuzzling into his abdomen. Only the top of her head was visible to him, and it was a heartwarming sight.

    He softened his re and ced his palm on top of her head, gently caressing her hair.

    However, the second his hands came into contact with her, she flinched. It was so minute that it could easily be overlooked, but it would never slip past his attention.

    He frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®what¡¯s going on¡¯? Don¡¯t you want us to register our marriage earlier?¡± Song Yu wrapped herself more tightly around his thighs, as if that was the only thing that could provide her with sce.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes sank. His hands continued to massage her hindbrain, albeit with increased intensitypared to before.

    Oftentimes she would close her eyes contentedly, like a kitty whose lower jaw was being scratched.

    On that asion, however, the extra pressure produced shockwaves of pain, making her shudder severely. The pain nearly made her cry, and although she attempted to hold it in, her slight tearing-up still stained his clothes.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands were touching the exact spot that was subjected to Liang Lihua¡¯s attack. The burning sensation was still present even without any form of contact, and she dreaded having toy her head on the pillow when she sleptter that night.

    Feeling the sudden warmth, he knit his brows even more tensely. With a firm grip on her shoulders, he removed her from him and he tilted her head up slightly, forcing her to look up at him.

    The tears in her eyes tugged on his heartstrings.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on really?¡± his hoarse voice asked, prating deep into the abyss of Song Yu¡¯s heart.

    She grasped the back of his shirt and fired back a question. ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry me?¡±

    A sigh from Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Are you really going to do this right now?¡±

    He sat beside her and carried her up onto hisp. His hands locked her waist in ce.

    ¡°When I went to thepany to look for you this afternoon, I saw Liang Lihua.¡± Qi Chengzhi answered rather curtly. ¡°I don¡¯t think she went to the caf¨¦ at yourpany building lobby just to get a cup of coffee.¡±

    Song Yu kept quiet, finally realizing that the unhappiness she heard through the phone was because he was unhappy at her for keeping it from him.

    ¡°Are you nning not to tell me?¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered. His husky voice entered her ear and made her feel warm.

    Fed up with the world, Song Yu buried her head into his neck, hugging him tightly. His embrace seemed to be the only ce in the world where she could relieve herself of her stresses.

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough with them! Everyone¡¯sing to me, thinking that what they¡¯re doing to me is right, trying to control and manipte me. How could they be so unashamed of themselves?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi tested the waters by touching her head again. Song Yu did not attempt to conceal her trembling because the pain was akin to having her entire head split open.

    When Liang Lihua initially pulled on her head, the pain was intolerable, but not by much. As the day progressed, the pain came in waves, bing more and more unbearable.

    Qi Chengzhi parted her hair as fast as he could but making sure to be extremely careful when doing so. He saw red streaks on her scalp.

    His expression and voice turned cold. ¡°Did Liang Lihua do this?¡±

    Song Yu wanted to hide it because she knew he would be worried, and he was.

    Although there was no concealing it anymore, she was still a bit hesitant.

    ¡°Do you want me to check the CCTV footage from the caf¨¦?¡± He stopped touching her hindbrain but instead hugged her tightly.

    ¡°I think she¡¯s crazy,¡± Song Yu finally blurted out. It was rather traumatizing to recall Liang Lihua¡¯s dementedness. ¡°Yu Zixiu was the first toe to look for me this afternoon. He heard the news that we were going to get married, and he wanted to make amends with me so he could get to you.¡±

    Song Yu told him everything that transpired earlier that afternoon, including the fact that Jian Yi helped her.

    A good heart-to-heart talk would be pointless without honesty.

    ¡°So, were you in his car when I called you this afternoon?¡± Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow rather mockingly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to get worried. If I told you the truth, you¡¯d want to know every single detail from the very beginning.¡± Song Yu then continued weakly, ¡°To be honest, I didn¡¯t want to tell you about everything that happened in the afternoon. You already have enough to think about, and ever since we got together, you¡¯ve always been the one who endured all the bad things, whether it was from the Qi family, the Song family, or someone else.¡±

    Neither weariness nor annoyance was present in his expression. Song Yu looked up at him and noticed how he did not look irritated at all. His handsome face seemed to be reassuring her.

    Song Yu gave him a peck on his lower jaw. His stubble was nearly unnoticeable because his jaw looked smooth to the naked eye. When kissed, however, she could feel how prickly and masculine it was.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be burdened by the useless Yu family. It¡¯s not something you should be thinking about at all.¡± Song Yu loved the man dearly and hugged him even tighter. ¡°If possible, I want to shoulder some burdens for you too, so you have one less thing to worry about. There¡¯s plenty of things I can¡¯t help you with, and most of the time all I can do is just stare at you while you do everything for me. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll get tired of always fighting my battles. If there¡¯s anything I can help with, I too, want to stand in front of you and let you feel the feeling of being protected.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t tell you the truth this afternoon. Liang Lihua was pulling me so badly that I got really angry and my mind just went nk. I didn¡¯t think much because Jian Yi just pulled me away. At that time, I really couldn¡¯t think. It was like my soul just left my body. If you didn¡¯t call me, I wouldn¡¯t have realized that I was in Jian Yi¡¯s car.¡± During the course of recounting the day¡¯s events to him, she finally managed to rx under his warm gaze. She continued nestling in his embrace, feeling very much at peace.

    She also released her tense grip on him, moving upward to the back of his neck, brushing gently against his neat short hair. They seemed to be resisting her touches.

    ¡°After talking with you on the phone, I immediately got down from the car.¡± Song Yu regarded her words as the truth, notwithstanding the deliberate leaving out of some details of what happened in between.

    The only thing that filled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s brain was the sight of Liang Lihua pulling on Song Yu¡¯s hair. Although Song Yu said it without much ado, he knew that Liang Lihua would not hold back if she wanted to make a move. If she was gentle, it would not have left Song Yu writhing in pain.

    Her reddened eye sockets left Qi Chengzhi feeling heartbroken. He lowered his head and left countless kisses on her eyes.

    ¡°Are you mad at me because I didn¡¯t tell you everything?¡± Song Yu looked up. Qi Chengzhi could no longer be angry after looking at her pitiful look and reddened eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her tightly and lowered his head close to her face. As she spoke, her warm breaths bounced off from his face and back onto her own, apanied by his fresh scent.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi,¡± Song Yu called out while remaining glued to his chest.

    ¡°Mm?¡± he responded. His hands stayed clear of her hindbrain but massaged her neck to make her feel at ease.

    His expression turned cold immediately after thinking about how much force Liang Lihua used on Song Yu¡ªthe pain caused was so severe that Song Yu dared not touch her scalp, not even slightly!

    ¡°You¡¯re the best,¡± Song Yu blurted out emotionally.

    ¡°I¡¯m still not good enough.¡± He tilted his head down and nted the most delicate of kisses on the corner of her eyes.

    His lips caressed her there slowly, and in his deep voice he remarked, ¡°We¡¯ll get ourselves registered tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± A brief inability to control her excitement led Song Yu to rejoice rather loudly.

    A huge boulder seemed to have been taken off her shoulders after hearing him ept her proposition and even agreeing to do it the next day.

    Her true moment of relief would onlye after obtaining the little red book 1.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her half-smilingly, with a hint of teasing in his slightly cocked brow. ¡°Why are you suddenly so eager to register our marriage? I actually wanted to wait till May the twentieth to register.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu pushed her face even deeper into his chest, staying silent throughout.

    ¡°Are you really that excited to be Mrs. Qi?¡± A slight curl crept through his lips. His face was not filled with any emotion, but he looked extremely pleased and content.

    Song Yu tilted her head sideways and used his shoulder as a pillow. She admired his handsome jaw and the warm contours of his face that resulted from his slight smile.

    ¡°You don¡¯t look like you¡¯re excited for me to be your Mrs. Qi,¡± Song Yu responded moodily.

    ¡°I originally wanted to make it a day worth remembering. Don¡¯t women ce a lot of importance on this kind of thing? But I¡¯m okay if you don¡¯t mind it,¡± he whispered with a hint of glee while his lips were touching her earlobes.

    ¡°That¡¯s an insignificant detail that we don¡¯t need to consider,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°With you, any date is a good date. Only those who feel like they don¡¯t have a steady rtionship will want their registration to be on those so-called meaningful days. They need that little bit extra just to feel reassured.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, feeling as though he simply could not love her more.

    He pressed his lips onto the corner of her eyes, then her cheek, and finally the corner of her lips. It was never enough for him.

    Song Yu fluttered her eyebrows. She cupped his face spontaneously and kissed him on the lips.

    Passion and urgency characterized her kiss, and despite previous disys of spontaneity, it was the first time she was bold enough to give him a deep kiss. Her tongue explored the inside of his mouth withplete abandon.

    The only thing that kept running in her mind when she was in his embrace were the things she read in his diary. His face made herbine the impression she had from the diary with the impression she had of him then. She allowed herself to imagine how he looked like when he wrote his diary, and she desperately wanted to melt into him until she merged with his bones.

    Afraid of exacerbating her pain, Qi Chengzhi did not flip her over and press her down. Instead, it was Song Yu who was pressing him down.

    ¡°Why are you so spontaneous today?¡± He moved his head to one side and nibbled on her earlobe.

    ¡°Do you like it?¡± The thought of his deep love made her lose all sense of control. She breathed in his scent deeply, kissing his chin and his neck.

    All of a sudden, she remembered him mentioning in his diary that he gave her his first kiss.

    That was back in Hong Kong, and it was a first for both of them.

    The more she thought of it, the more she loved and treasured him.

    An abrupt surge of emotions made her rip off his clothes without warning.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was speechless. He felt as though he became a passive party and was nothing more than a meek littlemb who was utterly helpless.

    Then, she kissed him without even a heads-up.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to do this.¡± His voice cracked as though he was about to lose it. Song Yu have never heard such a cracked, husky voice from him before.

    Nevertheless, she continued to lock his arms down, and when she looked up, her face was drunkenly-red and no less adorable.

    Even after being with him for so long, she remained as shy as ever and her habit of lowering her head never went away.

    Qi Chengzhi tensed up and felt his body tremble uncontrobly. By the time he could not take it anymore, he pulled Song Yu into his embrace rapidly. It was then that he realized she was still fully clothed.

    He gnashed his teeth and reined her in, though he made sure to be careful so as not to identally cause pain to her scalp. His warm hand entered her pants and brutally ripped them off her. Unable to contain himself any longer, he entered her with his shaft.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi let Song Yu continueying in his embrace. Her motions made hime the instant he entered her. She wrapped herself around him tightly without giving him a chance to move, and thefort he felt was just so overwhelming that a deep sigh was all he could do.

    He tilted his head downward and used his bony fingers to lift up the strands of hair on her forehead. Her hair was sticking to her forehead because perspiration made them slightly wet. He moved those strands aside, exposing her shiny forehead and allowing him to see the still-lustful look in her eyes.

    With eyes half-closed, her longshes were tear-stained due to her intense emotions. The moisture made hershes look dark and thick, and she fluttered them instinctively.

    The scarlet color of her cheek was apanied by some heat. After parting the hair on her forehead, his fingers slid down to the outer corner of her eyes, eventually finding their ce on her reddish and tender cheeks.

    His coarse but moist thumb caressed her cheek repeatedly. He then bent down and kissed her without restraint¡ªfirst on her eyes, next her cheek, then her nose.

    Seemingly unsatiated, he lifted his neck and shoulders off the bed just so he coulde into contact with her lips.

    Song Yu could sense his intent. His brief contact with her lips made her eyes glimmer in delight. She slowly inched upward to let him kiss her.

    ¡°You¡¯re really bold today, aren¡¯t you?¡± Qi Chengzhi seemed pleased as he murmured and asked her. Their lips were still in contact with each other, and the words that he spoke entered into her lips as well.

    Red-faced, she sucked on his lips with gusto and licked him with the tip of her tongue. She wanted nothing more than to cling with him, more so than before.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, tell me the truth. Have you ever been with another woman before me?¡± With his front chest as her pillow, she nestled her forehead into his neck.

    Her nose touched his jaw when she lifted her head. Greeting her nostrils was the scent of freshness and sweat¡ªa very masculinebination.

    She could not resist rubbing the tip of her nose on her stubble-filled chin. The prickling was a rather curious feeling.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes shifted downward and he watched as she rubbed on him teasingly like a cat. His body reacted in response to her stroking.

    His silence prompted her to bite his jaw softly. ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll just ask Yan Beicheng and the others. They¡¯ll be more than happy to tell me about it.¡±

    <i>Footnotes:</i>

    <h4>Ch 163 Footnote 1</h4>

    For the uninitiated, 1314 (Ò»ÈýÒ»ËÄ = y¨© s¨¡n y¨© s¨¬) and 520 (Îå¶þÁã = w¨³ ¨¨r l¨ªng), when pronounced number-by-number instead of the entire value (e.g. saying five-two-zero instead of five hundred and twenty in Mandarin), is often used as a code or ng for saying ¡®forever¡¯ (Ò»ÉúÒ»ÊÀ = y¨© sh¨¥ng y¨© sh¨¬) and ¡®I love you¡¯ (ÎÒ°®Äã = w¨¯ ¨¤i n¨«), respectively. This is because the number sounds simr to the intended phrase (they are near-homophonic), with 1314 demonstrating this particrly well. They are both poprly used, and 520 has even evolved from being simple inte ng to a full-blown unofficial lover¡¯s day on the 20th of May every year.

    <h4>Ch 163 Footnote 2</h4>

    Ð¡ºì±¾ ¨C tranted as little red book. Though it can be used to refer to a variety of things (such as passports or moremonly, a certificate of health examination required for students studying abroad), it is used here to refer to China¡¯s marriage certificate, which¡ªunlike most certificates thate in the form of a piece of paper¡ªlooks very much like a passport.

 Chapter 183 - Wouldnâ€™t You Say This Baby Has Made Me More Valuable?

    <h4>Chapter 183: Wouldn¡¯t You Say This Baby Has Made Me More Valuable?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even though at times, he had acted childishly or shamelessly, he had never actually put his full emotions on disy. Deep down, he was still an awkward and introverted man.

    Song Yu buried her face into his chest and snuggled closer. The rubbing made Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest itch.

    Seeing her head in his chest made him feel happy. His hand subconsciously moved to her belly. His thin lips traveled down her face, peppering kisses. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°The test said thirty-seven days.¡± Song Yu understood his question. ¡°My appetite this week was bad. Every time I smelled food, I felt like puking. It happened today at Grandmother Han¡¯s ce as well. Also, I¡¯ve never suffered from motion sickness but when Grandma was sending me back to Viewpark Residences, I felt like puking in the car. I didn¡¯t want her to worry so I kept quiet. I came to the hospital after she left.¡±

    ¡°Did the doctor say anything about the constant nausea?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Song Yu blushed and muttered, ¡°I forgot to ask. When I got the results, I was too excited and wanted to tell you about it. I sort of forgot about¡ª¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her reddening face. She was sometimes a blur case, a cute one at least. He kissed her lips and took out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call Lao Chu to ask the doctor about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Song Yu stopped him. ¡°The doctor said the first trimester is a period of uncertainty. The report says there¡¯s still a likelihood of miscarriage and that I¡¯ll need to really take care of myself and the baby. Let¡¯s not be hasty and keep this news under covers for now, especially for Grandma and the family. I don¡¯t want them to get upset if anything happens.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take a number then. We¡¯ll see the doctor and ask in person.¡±

    As he finished his sentence, he heard someone shouting, ¡°Whose car is this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and saw his brashly-parked Range Rover blocking another car.

    ¡°Just wait here for a moment while I find a parking spot,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu nodded and Qi Chengzhi left for his car. She walked back to the bench and ced the two books into her bag.

    When the Range Rover sped into the hospital area, a frightened Song Yu abandoned her books to run over to Qi Chengzhi.

    After parking the car, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to get another queue number.

    When the doctor saw Song Yu in her office again, she was surprised.

    ¡°That... Doctor.¡± Song Yu blushed and said sheepishly, ¡°After getting the results, I was too excited and forgot to ask some questions.¡±

    The doctor smiled and nodded knowingly. She gestured at the chair and said, ¡°Sit.¡±

    The doctor turned to address the solemn Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Are you her husband?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you let me see the report again?¡± the doctor asked.

    Song Yu retrieved the report from her bag and passed it to her. The doctor scanned through the report and said, ¡°There are minor signs of a miscarriage but it ismon during the first trimester, especially for first pregnancies. Usually, they wouldn¡¯t even know about the pregnancy so it happens. Just pay a bit more attention now, no need to worry too much.

    ¡°Just some basic miscarriage prevention like avoiding rigorous exercise. In the first trimester, I would rmend no sexual activity.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red¡ªthey just did it this morning.

    ¡°Other than that, don¡¯t overwork or overstress yourself, especially for working women. Stress will affect the baby so try to rx whenever you can. Use less electronic devices to reduce radiation exposure. It doesn¡¯t have arge impact so no need to totally cut off. Mainly for those who are addicted to scrolling their phones. If it¡¯s just normal usage for work, then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    The doctor continued on about certain things to watch out for. As she spoke, she scribbled into the medical chart. She also wrote down some of the food that were beneficial for pregnant women.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡± the doctor asked after she was done with her pregnancy precautions and tips.

    Song Yu was about to say no when Qi Chengzhi wordlessly pulled out his phone and opened up his calendar. He muttered under his breath, ¡°Thirty-seven days pregnant which means a month and a week. Another month plus three weeks and it¡¯ll be back to normal, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi counted the days and pulled up the calendar for a month and three weeks after. He then set a reminder on that day and said, ¡°No more questions.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Finally, a red-faced Song Yu dragged Qi Chengzhi out of the hospital.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel pregnant at all. It¡¯s so weird,¡± Song Yu said as she tugged on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her, then at her abdomen. He gently ced his hand on her belly and said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re pregnant but three months of abstinence, how problematic.¡±

    The pink tinge bloomed on her face and she squirmed into his embrace. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t think that I would get pregnant so quickly.¡±

    At the end of her sentence, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang.

    He read the caller ID on the phone and answered. It was Cheng Dongge.

    From the content of the call, Song Yu figured it was work-rted and asked when Qi Chengzhi had hung up the phone. ¡°You came over midway through something?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything important. The important parts of the meeting were managed by Chenglin. I was only needed for my presence,¡± Qi Chengzhi mentioned casually as he pocketed the phone.

    They both got into the Range Rover. Song Yu knew that even if Qi Chengzhi was busy, he would not let her know, so she dropped that line of questioning.

    Guan Xiaolin came into her mind and she said, ¡°When I was in the hospital, I ran into Guan Xiaolin.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chengzhi started the car and pulled out of the car park.

    ¡°We bumped into each other and I identally saw her pregnancy test result. She¡¯s forty-day pregnant.¡± Song Yu frowned¡ªthere was a suspicion growing in her mind. ¡°Do you think... Jian Yi and her...¡±

    ¡°Chenglin investigated her rtionship with Jian Yi. ording to the timeline, it might be.¡± Qi Chengzhi delivered the news in an impartial manner without any hint of anger.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡± Song Yu wanted to ask about Qi Chengyue. With something like this, her marriage to Jian Yi might be deemed unsalvageable.

    Was she supposed to tell Qi Chengyue about this?

    Qi Chengzhi took her hand and said, ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still just an educated guess. This thing is between Chengyue and Jian Yi, let us not interfere. If Guan Xiaolin wants to show her cards, sooner orter, we will have to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we give Chengyue a heads-up?¡± Song Yu was mildly worried.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thumb massaged the back of her hand softly. ¡°She knew about Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin, do you think this scenario has not crossed her mind? Perhaps she did not think too much about it, but the thought most definitely has urred to her.¡±

    Song Yu was still thinking about his words when he changed the topic. ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    ¡°No. Why?¡± Song Yu asked as Qi Chengzhi changed their route. They were heading to a mall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s buy you somefortable ts.¡± Qi Chengzhi guided her to the sofa. ¡°You wear mostly high heels during work. You only wear t shoes when you have site visits. You need more ts.¡±

    Song Yu sat on the sofa. She watched Qi Chengzhi pick out shoe designs while the storekeeper went to retrieve the correct size for Song Yu to try them on.

    The shoes were piling up on the floor and Song Yu felt like things were going overboard.

    Her emotions these days were fickle. She felt extra sensitive as if the slightest thing could trigger her anger.

    She stared at her own ts. Other than her work attire that called for high heels, she had always loved wearing ts.

    To be honest, while she did not have a huge collection of ts, she had a good amount tost her two feet. Normally, Qi Chengzhi never paid any heed to her shoes. Yet, once he knew she was pregnant, he immediately wanted to buy her new shoes.

    Song Yu looked at the tall man in front of her. He had his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent and remarkable¡ªhemanded people¡¯s attention just by standing there.

    Sitting down on the sofa, Song Yu only reached his thigh. While the storekeeper went to get the shoes, she poked at his thigh gloomily¡ªher finger was met with solid resistance.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and saw Song Yu pouting unhappily. His slender hand covered hers and he said in an amused tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never so eagerly brought me to buy shoes before. Right after the news, you immediately brought me here. Wouldn¡¯t you say this baby has made me more valuable?¡± Song Yu said darkly. Her ck eyes pierced him with a look of usation.

    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at her and chuckled.

    ¡°But I feel as if the baby is more important to you now.¡± Song Yu was still in a negative mood. She wanted to shake off his hand but his grip was too strong.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s soulful eyes stared at her. There was a slight tease in his voice when he said, ¡°Well it¡¯s attached to you so who do you think I care for more? If it was growing on anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t even care.¡±

    Song Yu red at him and bared her teeth. ¡°I dare you to try growing it on someone else.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi bent down suddenly. Song Yu was treated with a close-up of his handsome face. A faint smile was on his face as he said, ¡°Be careful, you¡¯re bing a tiger mom.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened and snatched her hand out from his. She said in a vexed tone, ¡°Then, go ahead and find a gentle one.¡±

    She was about to stand up but Qi Chengzhi hugged her around the waist. He sat down by her side and wrapped his arms tightly around her. ¡°Come on, why¡¯s your temper ring with the pregnancy? Where will I go? And if I did, you would surely castrate me.¡±

    Song Yu wrestled against the embrace but she could not escape. Although Qi Chengzhi was usually a cold person, he was using his gentlest voice to coax her. All his swagger evaporated in front of her.

    Her mood improved slightly. She shot him a nce. ¡°Then, the baby or me, who¡¯s more important?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± Qi Chengzhi said without hesitation.

    Song Yu¡¯s anger dissipated. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. ¡°Last time, I knew you treated me well because I was me. I¡¯m just unsure if you¡¯re treating me better now because of the pregnancy.¡±

    ¡°I am treating you better now but it¡¯s not because of the pregnancy.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke softly, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re doing it for me, you¡¯re giving me a child. I¡¯m spoiling you because you¡¯re doing all this for me. If I didn¡¯t treat you better, how can I call myself your husband?

    ¡°And even after you¡¯ve had our child, I will treat you even better¡ªbetter than now. I want to spend my whole life being better for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered into her ear.

    Song Yu blushed and started to regret her pettiness.

    The shopkeeper came back with the shoes and witnessed the intimacy between the couple. Qi Chengzhi had Song Yu tight in his arms. The shopkeeper was slightly embarrassed but also envious.

    Song Yu tried to get out of the embrace but Qi Chengzhi would not budge. He never did care about the opinions of others.

    At the end of the day, Qi Chengzhi walked out of the shop with shopping bags in each hand filled with shoes while Song Yu followed behind.

    ...

    ...

    After some discussion, they decided to fill Aunt Yang in on Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy. She was in charge of their meals and had to know about Song Yu¡¯s diet restrictions.

    Aunt Yang would also need to cook some of the tonic soups for Song Yu.

    When Song Yu told Aunt Yang about the good news, she made her swear to secrecy. Aunt Yang dly obliged. As she cooked, she hummed in good spirits¡ªshe was happy to be in the know of such wonderful news.

    After retiring to their bedroom at night, Song Yu thought about surfing the web on the tablet but stopped herself when she recalled the doctor¡¯s advice. Instead, she took out the books she had bought in the afternoon.

    Qi Chengzhi walked out of the bathroom. He thoughtlessly threw the towel on his head aside and asked, ¡°How was the house visit today with Grandma?¡±

    His question reminded her of what Grandmother Qi had said.

    Song Yu raised her eyebrows and looked up from her book. She asked casually, ¡°I overheard today from Grandma, you went to a lot of matchmaking sessions?¡±

    ¡°A lot? No. Just a few and always, it was because I was tricked into going.¡± Qi Chengzhi pulled the covers back and nestled in. He picked the book out from her hands and his deft fingers started unbuttoning her pajamas.

    Song Yu did not stop him. She just huffed and gave him the stink-eye. ¡°And I thought you were keeping yourself pure and innocent, saving yourself for me. Turns out you¡¯ve already gone on matchmaking dates.¡±

    ¡°Who thinks men are pure and innocent?¡± Qi Chengzhi settled his weight over her and unbuttoned the remaining buttons.

    He traced random patterns across her chest. ¡°You¡¯re getting jealous so easily these days.¡±

    As his voice quieted down, the warm hand palmed against her breast.

    Song Yu flushed a crimson red. Her body seemed to be extra sensitive now that she was pregnant. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s light touch made her squirm and she whispered, ¡°The thought of other women looking at you infuriates me.¡±

    ¡°They saw nothing.¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a smirk on his face, ¡°Once I sensed that it was a set-up, I left immediately.¡±

    ¡°And that time with Yu Keyao?¡± Song Yu raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi stayed silent. He gave her a teasing smile and let his hands wander over her body.

    ¡°Exin yourself...¡± Song Yu¡¯s breath hitched and her voice struggled to carry across as it trembled. Her body was unknowingly coiling itself tight in his embrace.

    ¡°I did it on purpose for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi finally answered.

    Song Yu looked up. Her clear eyes darkened with passion.

    Qi Chengzhi just came out of the showers, topless with only a pair of loose pants on him. She could only hold onto his waist.

    ¡°Back then, you weren¡¯t asmitted to me. So, I wanted to make you jealous.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. She was oblivious as to how transparent she had been to Qi Chengzhi.

    In the span of the silence, Qi Chengzhi cupped her breasts suddenly, followed by some prodding at her waist. ¡°No wonder your breasts felt heavier this morning.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu squirmed in his arms, trying to avoid his groping hands. ¡°Stop it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at the blushing face pressed against his chest. He could feel the heat emanating from her cheeks.

    Her fair skin was tinged pink from embarrassment¡ªit was very attractive to Qi Chengzhi. His heart rate quickened. He leaned in and peppered kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of her nose.

    The faint, flowery scent from her skin drove him crazy and his hands fondled her soft flesh.

    Song Yu trembled in his arms. He pressed his lips against her forehead and asked with mirth in his tone, ¡°Can¡¯t stand it anymore?¡±

    Speechless, Song Yu tucked her blushing face into his chest and hugged him tighter. Her body shivered uncontrobly.

    She felt his hands move around her body with no ns of stopping. They inched further down south. Song Yu caught his wrist and said, ¡°The doctor said we shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll improvise.¡± He pressed her down and kissed the side of her mouth. Slowly, they were engaged in a heavy makeout session. ¡°I can¡¯t stand cuddling you but not touching you every night.¡±

    Song Yu was feeling troubled as well. She bit her lip¡ªshe could not let him fill the emptiness within her. She tightened her arms around him. Sweat was forming on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forehead as he kissed his way down her lower abdomen. He reached herher regions and prompted a sharp gasp from Song Yu. She wanted to pull him back up. ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    ¡°Hush, don¡¯t fret. It¡¯ll feel good in a bit.¡± His low voice rumbled, unclear from all the activity below. ¡°Let me help you first.¡±

    Only after she hade down from her high did he rub himself against her entrance. The beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and onto her. It took a significant effort to relieve himself and decided that this was one of the most tedious ways by far. He hugged Song Yu and kissed her face.

    ¡°If this is how we need to do it from now on, I might just go crazy.¡± Qi Chengzhi gritted his teeth and pulled her buttocks against his body.

    His voice was rough and unlike his usual calm baritone. It sounded like a chord wounded so tautly it would break at any moment.

    Their sweat-coated bodies pressed together. Song Yu¡¯s arm hooked around his neck and pulled his head down.

    Soft lips pressed against the chin that was starting to show a five-o¡¯clock shadow. Qi Chengzhi could feel the gentleness of her kiss, like cotton candy. It was aforting sensation that made his heart swell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you out next time,¡± Song Yu said shyly. Her body trembled and her face which was previously red from passion grew warmer.

    She lifted her head to look at this good-looking man whom she would do anything for. He was perfect.

    His facial features were sharp and handsome. His Adam¡¯s apple stood out on his neck, oozing masculinity. The muscles on his body were toned and powerful. Even the member between his thighs was a thing of marvel because it was attached to Qi Chengzhi. Although she was frightened initially, she had grown to like it and wanted to make the effort to please it.

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her like she was a prized doll. His heart was truly bursting with love for the woman in his arms.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Aunt Yang made soup for Song Yu to pack to thepany. She could heat it up in thepany and have it with her lunch.

    Qi Chengzhi carried the thermos and went to work with Song Yu. In his mind, he wanted to get Song Yu to take leave and rest at home. The doctor¡¯s mention of miscarriage worried him.

    However, Song Yu never brought up the idea of taking leave so he kept silent. He did not want her to think that he was putting the baby first and her second.

    In the elevator, Song Yu took Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and linked her other hand around his arm. ¡°Currently in my hands, there¡¯s only the hotel project by yourpany. Usually, I don¡¯t have much to do and with you as boss, I take it you won¡¯t let them give me too much work?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°And, because of you, Director Zhao doesn¡¯t dare to give me any other projects, he wants me to only focus on the Qilin hotel. These days, I feel like I don¡¯t even need to clock in. Seems like I can just leave anytime I want. So, work won¡¯t tire me.¡±

    ¡°Did I say anything?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked with one eyebrow cocked in amusement. He gripped her hand tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you an out front exnation.¡± Song Yu looked up and smiled brightly.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but smile. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. ¡°Come back home if you feel tired.¡±

    Once they got into the car, Qi Chengzhi put on some lovely light music. Song Yu turned to him in surprise. ¡°When did you have this type of music?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, after you fell asleep, I went and downloaded them.¡± Qi Chengzhi started the car. ¡°I read on the inte that listening to this type of music is beneficial for pregnant women.¡±

    The car rolled into Chengshi¡¯s lobby and Song Yu gave him a quick peck. She said her goodbye and was about to leave when Qi Chengzhi stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up for lunch. I¡¯m unsure about the restaurants around this area. We¡¯ll go to Dynasty.¡±

    Song Yu rolled her eyes. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and mocked, ¡°And he says it¡¯s not because of the baby. I didn¡¯t see youing over to pick me up for lunch every day before this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that she was not truly mad. She was just pulling his leg, unlike yesterday.

    He pulled on her arm. His lips collided with hers. ¡°Don¡¯t argue.¡±

    Song Yu left the car with a smile on her face.

    ...

    ...

    In the consecutive days, Qi Chengzhi came to pick her up for lunch. If he had business to attend to, he would get Chang Lai to fetch her to Qilin and they would have Dynasty take-out in his office.

    On the days when he had to entertain clients during lunch, Song Yu would eat alone in his office. Since Chang Lai would be busy with Qi Chengzhi, Cheng Dongge was responsible for fetching Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi was adamant about lunch, even when it inconvenienced multiple parties.

    This afternoon, Qi Chengzhi was upied with a luncheon. Cheng Dongge drove the Mercedes-Benz to pick Song Yu up.

    Once she was seated in the car, her phone rang. It was Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you... Are you free?¡± There was a hint of lingering doubt in Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu heard the hitch in her voice.

    ¡°Guan Xiaolin called me. She asked to meet and I...¡± She heard Qi Chengyue take a deep breath, then a pause. ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous. Can you join me for this? I¡¯m worried in my current state, my weakness will be exposed to her.¡±

    Back then, Qi Chengyue could strut and boast in Song Yu¡¯s face because she knew Jian Yi could not afford to leave her. He needed her and the Qi family.

    Between Song Yu and her, she knew clearly who Jian Yi would pick.

    All her bravado was not brought on by her belief in Jian Yi¡¯s love for her.

    Now, she was no longer fooling herself. Comparing Guan Xiaolin and her, she had no clear advantage other than her official status as Jian Yi¡¯s wife.

    Since Jian Yi could not gain anything from Qi Chengyue, she no longer had any hold over him.

    What Jian Yi wanted, Guan Xiaolin was able to give.

    Even though Qi Chengyue was disappointed in him and her love bled dry, Jian Yi was still the man that she had once fallen deeply in love with. While it might be that she was unwilling to lose in any way, it was also possible that she had grown used to their symbiotic rtionship through the years.

    To this day, her heart was still empty and barren. It was unbearable.

    Meeting Guan Xiaolin was equivalent to confronting Jian Yi¡¯s betrayal. It was not Guan Xiaolin that scared her, but the immutable evidence of Jian Yi¡¯s infidelity.

    Hearing stories from Song Yu and Qi Chenglin was one thing. Meeting the person was a whole new ball game.

    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Still in thepany. I just came back from T City and got the call from Guan Xiaolin. I called you right after,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going over to Qilin.¡± Song Yu gazed out the car window. ¡°I¡¯ll call you again when I arrive. We¡¯ll go together.¡±

 Chapter 165 - It Was as Though He Discovered the Truth About Her and Her Ex-Boyfriend

    <h4>Chapter 165: It Was as Though He Discovered the Truth About Her and Her Ex-Boyfriend</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy

    ¡°Mm,¡± she answered unhesitatingly and looked up at him, gazing deep into his pupils. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I won¡¯t leave you. Always remember that.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes twitched a little. Her words caught himpletely by surprise.

    He looked at her sincere face and kissed her without a second thought.

    Song Yu was pressed onto the car door, but it was slightly painful for her even though he used his hand as a cushion.

    It was a fervent kiss, one that sucked up all the sweetness from her mouth and nearly extracted her soul too. His strong arms hugged her waist tightly so he could press her firmly onto him.

    He continued pressing himself onto her, letting her thighs stick hard against his stomach. She could even feel his rod poking her.

    The kiss was strong and had a numbing quality. Her lips trembled as a result and she felt weakened in his embrace.

    Their lips were swollen after breaking free from the kiss. His urgent breaths were smothered all over her face, causing her lips to twitch and tremble.

    Song Yu¡¯s hands were originally holding the marriage certificate and identity card, but at some point during the kiss, she let go of them and left them squeezed between their bodies.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and began pecking her gently on her silky-smooth face. Every single area that he came in contact with set fire to her face.

    As he rubbed and caressed, he made sure to also suck lightly on the corner of her lips, then back and forth on her upper and lower lip.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes were still half-closed like a tender baby, and she allowed him to kiss her as he pleased.

    Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her, knowing full well that he would hardly be able to control himself from kissing her dry.

    He took in a deep breath, which enabled Song Yu to feel his chest expanding.

    The outline of his robust chest was imprinted on his shirt, and Song Yu found herself unable to resist feeling it. Softly but surely, her fingers touched his resilient and robust chest.

    Song Yu felt his chest muscles shudder and tighten. The next moment, he was giving her a passionate kiss.

    When he released his kiss from her yet again, he grabbed her hand¡ªthe one that was ced on his chest and giving him goosebumps¡ªin order to give her fingers a good nibbling. He showed them no mercy, tickling each and every one of them with his perfect teeth.

    Qi Chengzhi nibbled her soft fingertips and replied, ¡°Don¡¯t be naughty. If I can¡¯t control myself, you¡¯ll be ming me again.¡±

    Song Yu blushed and leaned her forehead on his shoulder. She looked down at both the marriage certificate and the identity card that was lying on her thighs and looked up excitedly at him again.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled because he could never get enough of kissing her. It was always her hazy blushing face that made him want to kiss her even more.

    His lips brushed against the corner of her eyes for a couple of moments, and when he felt her face warm up, even more, he chuckled softly and reached for his phone.

    ¡°Grandmother. Yes, it¡¯s me. Tell everyone toe home tonight. I¡¯ll bring Song Yu over for dinner and I¡¯ll have something to announce,¡± Qi Chengzhi stated.

    Once Song Yu realized he was speaking to his grandma, she shifted her gaze away from the marriage certificate and looked at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t guess.¡± A smile crept over his lips. ¡°You¡¯ll know tonight.¡±

    He hung up and looked down. Her upward-tilting head made it convenient for him to kiss her, which he did. After that, he carried her and ced her down on the front passenger seat.

    ...

    ...

    Waiting in line for registration took quite some time. It was already one-thirty by the time they reached the Song family home.

    Yu Qianying had already seen Qi Chengzhi earlier that day, but there was a stark difference in her mood nowpared to the morning.

    While she acknowledged Qi Chengzhi as her son-inw, she had always looked at him as her daughter¡¯s boyfriend because the couple had yet to register their marriage.

    Qi Chengzhi entered the house with a new status: her legitimate son-inw. It was like she suddenly had a deeper familial connection with him.

    ¡°All done?¡± Yu Qianying had a look of anticipation as she stared at Song Yu¡¯s handbag.

    Song Yu took out both marriage certificates and showed them to her mother. ¡°Mm, it didn¡¯t take long actually.¡±

    Yu Qianying was happy, and her eyes were fixed onto the marriage certificate. She mumbled to herself, ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. It¡¯ll also justify both of you staying together.¡±

    ¡°Dad, Mom, registering our certificates were done quite suddenly, but I promise the wedding will not be done on a whim,¡± Qi Chengzhi dered. His rich voice had a solid quality to it that made people really trust in him.

    Yu Qianying nodded eptingly. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Before their marriage, they were ufortable when he called them ¡®Dad¡¯ and ¡®Mom¡¯. His insistence on doing so made them fed-up with voicing out their difort, and they just allowed him to continue calling them that.

    Yu Qianying no longer felt like that though, because the marriage had cemented his status as their legitimate son-inw.

    ¡°Come and have lunch.¡± Yu Qianying thought about food and urged them on. ¡°You went out a littlete this morning, and I assumed that you won¡¯t be home too early because you¡¯d have to wait in line to register. I just managed to finish cooking before you came back.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi got up and went to the dining room. He waited until everyone sat down before saying, ¡°Dad, Mom, have you ever thought about moving somece else to stay? Previously when I was still Song Yu¡¯s boyfriend, you probably wouldn¡¯t stay in a home that I bought just for the both of you. But now that I¡¯m your son-inw, it¡¯s only right that I do these things for you.

    ¡°The both of you were also used to staying in arge house, and as things are, I have the ability to give you a much better life. If you¡¯re willing, I can hire a helper so Mom doesn¡¯t need to work too much at home. Whether it¡¯s washing clothes, mopping the floor, or cooking meals, the helper will do it for you so you can rest and rx.¡±

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying both looked at each other. The former then said, ¡°Chengzhi, I understand your intentions for doing this, but we¡¯ve been living here for too long. We¡¯refortable and we¡¯ve gotten along with the neighbors. The environment might seem average, but life here is convenient. We only need to take a couple of steps to get the stuff that we need. We¡¯re also really close with the neighbors, and we can all help each other if it¡¯s needed.¡±

    Song Donglin chuckled. ¡°To be frank, we¡¯re actually really used to this kind of life. If you were to hire a helper for us, we won¡¯t find it toofortable to speak or do other things, since there¡¯s an extra person in the house.

    ¡°Besides, if we change into an upper-ss environment, we won¡¯t be that used to it since the neighbors don¡¯t really mingle much with each other. The people who stay in those kinds of ces all have their own careers, don¡¯t they? We¡¯re retirees, and we won¡¯t be able to chat with them. Hanging around with our current elderly neighbors is much morefortable.

    ¡°It¡¯ll also be awkward if we meet those people we used to be acquainted with,¡± Song Donglin exined.

    ¡°Dad, have you ever thought of building yourpany back up again?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked after hearing what Song Donglin said.

    The elder man shook his head and smiled contentedly. ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to consider it, I just don¡¯t want to go back to doing it. I¡¯m old, and I¡¯ve already spent a few years idling at home. I don¡¯t have the energy nor the strength to deal with all that double-crossing and backstabbing. If you ask me to get back into the business world and sit at the drinking table, I don¡¯t think I can y with those yers anymore. Seven years is a long time, after all.

    ¡°I¡¯m used to living a rxed life with Song Yu¡¯s mother. We tidy our home every day, cook our own meals, go hiking or for a walk in the park. If there¡¯s any exhibition or temple fair, we¡¯d go and have a look. There¡¯s no pressure at all and we really enjoy this simple life.¡±

    Song Donglin breathed out a drawn-out sigh. ¡°I¡¯m actually d that I don¡¯t have thepany at this old age. It gives me time to enjoy my life. If thepany was still alive and well, I don¡¯t think I could have ever let it go. Maybe the only time I¡¯ll finally rx is when I¡¯m dead.

    ¡°In fact, the bankruptcy was a good thing, since Song Yu can find her own happiness. It¡¯s all good like this. Us old people don¡¯t like change, we¡¯re afraid of it.¡± Song Donglin chuckled.

    Qi Chengzhi did not say anything further.

    After lunch, Song Yu wanted to take over the dishwashing duties, but Yu Qianying forbade her from doing so. Still, Song Yu joined them when they were doing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen.

    The kitchen was cramped with the three of them having little room to maneuver. A step here and one would bump into another person, making it difficult to execute anyrge movements.

    ¡°Dad, do you really not care about the bankruptcy anymore? I mean, are you really happy about it?¡± Song Yu took a just-cleaned bowl from Yu Qianying and wiped it dry using a cloth.

    ¡°Really.¡± Song Donglin was looking up and stretching his arm to clean the kitchen hood, but he paused and looked at Song Yu when she asked him that question. ¡°The bankruptcy was our breaking point, but we¡¯re really happy with how it turned out. We might not have a big house and a servant, but we¡¯re free from worry. Although we had everything in the past, it was exhausting for our hearts. It¡¯s like there was nothing that could make us happy.¡±

    ¡°Well... If... And I¡¯m saying if...¡± Song Yu hesitated. She made sure to observe her parents¡¯ reaction down to the veryst detail. ¡°If you knew the reason behind the bankruptcy, and who did it, what would you do?¡±

    Yu Qianying shot her a suspicious look. ¡°Why are you asking this all of a sudden? We¡¯ve been bankrupt for eight years now and this is the first time you¡¯ve asked this question. Is there something that you know, Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just saying what if.¡± She became cautious immediately and tried putting on a nonchnt demeanor. ¡°You said you were happy about the bankruptcy because you wouldn¡¯t have experienced a different life otherwise. I was just curious.¡±

    She then waved her hand and poked fun at herself. ¡°I don¡¯t even know why I thought about that. It just popped up in my brain all of a sudden.¡±

    The warm smile on Song Donglin¡¯s face seemed to suggest that he did not suspect anything. ¡°We won¡¯t know what will happen if these hypothetical situations did not happen for real. It¡¯s been so long since the incident. Wouldn¡¯t it be such a coincidence if the culprit was suddenly found? Even if we have found the person, this kind of thing is all part and parcel of business. I¡¯m not as skilled as the others. I can¡¯t possibly go up to them and scold them, right? It¡¯ll make me look bad, plus, I don¡¯t even know who the person is. What can I do?¡±

    Deep down, Song Yu felt apprehensive, and Song Donglin¡¯s reply only aggravated it further.

    She tried relieving herself of the pressure by saying, ¡°There¡¯s no need to be shy with Qi Chengzhi, you know. Giving you a new home, hiring a servant, Qi Chengzhi won¡¯t take it the wrong way and he won¡¯t feel like you¡¯re taking advantage of him. He genuinely wants to treat you both well.

    ¡°He may look unfriendly but in truth, he has a heart that¡¯s much bigger than most others. If he treats you like family, he¡¯ll want to do good to you without expecting anything in return. He won¡¯t ever feel like you¡¯ve taken advantage of him or anything like that. It¡¯s just that he doesn¡¯t show much in his expressions. He¡¯s a silly man, you know. Sometimes, he does something really touching, but he chooses to keep it from you.¡± Song Yu spoke and spoke, yet she seemed to be distracted. Her mind was filled only with Qi Chengzhi, and the mere thought of that man-made her smile lovingly.

    ¡°We actually decided to try for a child, letting ite naturally. Then, all of a sudden, he quit smoking secretly. He quit just like that even though he¡¯s been smoking for ten plus years already. If his grandmother hadn¡¯t asked him for a lighter the other day, we wouldn¡¯t have known about it at all.¡± Song Yu¡¯s smile was most tender, and it could be seen from her face that her thoughts were already very distant. Then came her rebuke, a loving one nheless. ¡°He didn¡¯t even tell me.¡±

    From Song Yu¡¯s expression, Yu Qianying could see that she loved Qi Chengzhi to death.

    It was never like that with Jian Yi, and clearly, no one would ever seed in separating Song Yu from Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Qianying felt content knowing that Song Yu loved, and was loved by that man.

    She ced the clean dishes to one side and smiled. ¡°I know he treats you well and I know he wants to treat us well too. He¡¯s being filial to us and won¡¯t hold it against us when ites to this kind of thing. And because of that, he genuinely wants our life to be morefortable.

    ¡°But Song Yu, we¡¯re not afraid that Qi Chengzhi will be unhappy or begrudge us. We¡¯re worried that his family will say stuff behind our backs. Although they are not Qi Chengzhi and won¡¯t be too involved with us, I¡¯m still worried about them saying that our family is taking advantage of Qi Chengzhi. It won¡¯t be good for you because you¡¯ll be a part of the Qi family.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what attitude Xia Wenna will have in the future, but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s uncle¡¯s family, especially that Guan Liya, doesn¡¯t seem very civil. Even if Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna aren¡¯t too concerned, Guan Liya will keep gossiping to the family, and that won¡¯t benefit you at all.

    ¡°Your elder uncle came to our house the other day and told us that he wanted to help you with your dowry. I said no because I know he¡¯s only doing that to try and get closer to Qi Chengzhi.¡± Yu Qianying sighed. ¡°But some of the things he said made sense. We can¡¯t give you a worthy dowry to let you marry grandly into the Qi family. Even if we spend all our money and buy you a car, it might not be worth anything to the Qi family. We could even sell off our house and they still won¡¯t find it worthy.

    ¡°If his rtives know that he gave us a house and hired a servant for us when we can¡¯t even give a good-enough dowry, they¡¯ll definitely say that we¡¯re shameless. They¡¯ll say the same about you, too. We¡¯re perfectly fine as we are now and there¡¯s no reason to give others a chance to gossip about us.¡±

    Yu Qianying rubbed her hands dry and patted Song Yu on the shoulder. ¡°We can¡¯t give you a grand marriage, but we absolutely can¡¯t let others badmouth you.¡±

    ¡°Mom...¡±

    Yu Qianying smiled, pulled Song Yu¡¯s arm, and patted the back of thetter¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t keep thinking about it. Your father spoke for the both of us when he answered Qi Chengzhi. Everything he said was from the heart. Even though what I said about you was also a reason, your father and I have no intention of moving at all.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also because I want the both of you not to tire yourselves too often,¡± Song Yu remarked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like the house is big. What¡¯s there to be tired of when all we do is mop the floor, buy veggies, and cook our meals? Your father and I don¡¯t need to take care of anyone older than us and we¡¯re already rxed enough. We¡¯ll get angsty if we just sit around doing nothing. How about this, your father and I love to travel, so maybe the both of you can pay for our expenses? Would that be okay?¡±

    Traveling was not going to incur too much expenses, and Song Yu knew that Yu Qianying was only saying that to make her feel better.

    ¡°Alright, stop cramming yourself in here with us. You¡¯ve been blocking here for a long time already. You just left Qi Chengzhi there alone feeling ufortable. Go be with him.¡± Yu Qianying had already pushed Song Yu out of the kitchen.

    Song Yu could not resist poking fun at her own mother. ¡°Mom, you¡¯ve been a very considerate mother-inw to your son-inw recently.¡±

    ¡°Go!¡± Yu Qianying was in no mood for jokes; she shooed Song Yu away immediately.

    Song Yu went back to the living room but found no trace of Qi Chengzhi. Almost by intuition, she headed to her own bedroom.

    The minute she entered, she spotted him sitting cross-legged on her bed with his shoes off. With his back against the bedhead, his hands were holding a photo album and his face was expressionless.

    Song Yu walked to him, stepped over his legs, and sat beside him. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Her gazended on the album as she spoke. She noticed that he was looking at her photo with Jian Yi.

    That was when she fell into the water. They took pictures of themselves when they were ying beside theke. Their smiles were carefree and very natural.

    Jian Yi¡¯s smile, in particr, was like a breath of fresh air. Immersed in the sunlight, his vitality was pure, and his smile did not betray the presence of any ill-will.

    Song Yu did not know whether that ill-will really was present and whether he was using her at that time. In the present, Song Yu had no intention of letting herself fret over it.

    It happened much too long ago, and it was pointless to look into it further.

    However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes remained fixed on the picture. He stared at it without flipping to the next one. Song Yu chuckled guiltily and asked, ¡°Looking at pictures?¡±

    It was then that Qi Chengzhi turned to look at her. Song Yu realized that it was the first time he actually looked at her ever since she entered the room. There wasn¡¯t any reaction before that at all.

    If she leaned against him like that at other times, he would have hugged and kissed her before doing anything else.

    Qi Chengzhi then cocked a brow and snickered. ¡°Feeling guilty?¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± Song Yu responded stubbornly, though she really did feel a bit guilt-ridden.

    She seemed intimate with Jian Yi in the photo. They did look very much like two innocent ymates in love.

    Qi Chengzhi knew full well that she used to like Jian Yi.

    He stared at the picture as though he discovered the truth about her and her ex-boyfriend. The discovery of the photograph made her feel guilty even though nothing had ever happened between the two.

    ¡°How would I know why you¡¯re guilty? Maybe you can enlighten me on why you¡¯re feeling guilty?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyebrow remained cocked and he snickered at her, hesitant to smile.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu remained quiet and wondered if he could carry on a normal conversation. ¡°I¡¯m not guilty.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi shot her a look and scoffed. It was obvious that he did not believe her.

    His slender fingers flipped to the next page. Lo and behold, it was another picture of her and Jian Yi.

    This one was during a pic. The two of them were sitting on a pic nket with lush greenery surrounding them. Jian Yi¡¯s arm was wrapped around her shoulder and the two of them were leaning toward each other.

    In the picture, Song Yu¡¯s long flowing hair was blown by the wind. A few strands stuck on her lip, making her reddened lips look even more luscious. Her fair skin was so incredibly delicate, and the slight smile on her lips was a true personification of her pureness.

    Jian Yi¡¯s head was barely inches away from Song Yu¡¯s, and although he was looking at the camera, his feelings toward Song Yu were all too clear.

    Anyone who saw that photo would have had no doubt that they were lovers.

 Chapter 185 - Iâ€™ve Been Kneeling for Too Long, I Canâ€™t Feel My Legs

    <h4>Chapter 185: I¡¯ve Been Kneeling for Too Long, I Can¡¯t Feel My Legs</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Keyao had no choice but to return home first. As she walked through the doorway, the cries of Liang Lihua were heard. ¡°Big brother, sister-inw, please be reasonable. From the day I joined this family, I was serious and responsible. I was worried sick for the family. If it weren¡¯t for me shamelessly running to the Song family begging, what would¡¯ve happened to Yu Zidong? Even so, for thepany, for his own interest, he now wants a divorce!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been his wife who shared all his hardships for nearly 30 years now. When he first started the business, I suffered and pushed through with him. Now, he¡¯s forgotten all about it. For a measly amount of money, he wants to abandon me! What kind of person is he?¡± Liang Lihua sobbed, her face drenched in tears.

    Ever since the divorce was suggested, she had no time to care for herself. She had no makeup on now ¡ª the spots on her face stood out sorely. She was in a mess.

    ¡°Lihua, rest assured, we¡¯ll help you,¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s sister-inw, Ma Yingshu, said passionately. ¡°That Yu Zidong thought there¡¯s no one else in the Liang family, so he continued to bully you! Does he think he can get a divorce so easily? I won¡¯t allow it! Even if he really wants the divorce, you must split the family property fairly. We won¡¯t let him gain a single cent out of this divorce!¡±

    Liang Lihua wailed. She knew Ma Yingshu¡¯s kindness towards her was not sincere. Ma Yingshu was only afraid that the divorce would end with Liang Lihua bing her family¡¯s problem. Her need to settle the money properly was just so that if Liang Lihua had money, she would not need her family¡¯s help.

    Long story short, Ma Yingshu was afraid she might be taken advantage of.

    At this time, Yu Keyao walked in. Ma Yingshu stood up immediately. She pointed at her forehead and scolded, ¡°You! Your mother gave birth to you and cared for you your entire life ¡ª aren¡¯t you the cause of all the conflict we face today? Now, for your own benefit, you stand on Yu Zidong¡¯s side, not even bothered if your own mother is dead or alive! Raising an ingrate like you, she couldn¡¯t be more heartbroken!¡±

    Ma Yingshu¡¯s finger pointed fiercely at Yu Keyao¡¯s forehead. Hurt, Yu Keyao frowned intensely and screamed, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°What am I doing? What do you think? I¡¯m helping your poor mother teach you a lesson, you unfilial ingrate!¡± Ma Yingshu pulled up her sleeves, ready to strike. To her surprise, Yu Keyao made the first move and violently shoved her.

    ¡°That¡¯s all her fault! What can I do? Anyone with a brain would know you can¡¯t apologize to Song Yu at thest minute, then proceed to scold her again!¡± Yu Keyao shrieked. ¡°If she didn¡¯t get on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nerves in the first ce, thepany would¡¯ve been fine! Now that things have escted to this point, who¡¯s to be med?¡±

    ¡°You ¡ª¡± Liang Lihua raised her head abruptly to look at Yu Keyao. She could not believe Yu Keyao just dumped all the me on her.

    ¡°Yu Keyao! Pampering you was just a huge waste of time! Ever since you were a child, I¡¯ve always stood by you. Even when Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, you wanted to interject, and I supported you, displeased your uncle because of you! You imed Song Yu stole Qi Chengzhi from you ¡ª alright, I supported you. I scolded Song Yu for you, I scolded her parents for you. Now tell me, whom do you think I offended Qi Chengzhi for? It¡¯s all because of you that I¡¯m stuck in this situation now. For that measly amount of money, your father wants to divorce me. At a time like this, you chose to betray me.¡±

    ¡°Yu Keyao, I¡¯m not just anybody ¡ª I¡¯m your mother! I¡¯ve done so many things for you, yet you now shift all the me on me and im that I brought this on myself!¡± Liang Lihua stood up. With a face wet with tears, she darted towards Yu Keyao, raised her hand, and gave her a harsh p across the face. ¡°Are you still human? You truly are from the Yu family ¡ª just like your father, you have the heart to do anything for your own benefit!¡±

    ¡°Where do you think I went just now? I went to plead with Song Yu for you, but someone stopped me! I didn¡¯t even get to see her! Still, you call me an ingrate?¡± Yu Keyao covered her face. Feeling indignant, she burst into tears as well.

    ¡°Did you do that for your mother? You did that for yourself! You¡¯re only afraid that even after your parents divorced, thepany will still be in shambles! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what goes on in the mind of yours. Qi Chengzhi merely promised to stop taking action against Dong Hua, but he never said he would take responsibility and help Dong Hua get back on its feet ¡ª that¡¯s why you went to plead with Song Yu! You shameless thing! Confounding ck and white, and right and wrong!¡± Ma Yingshu scolded, spit spraying everywhere.

    ¡°You... How can you say such ugly things?!¡± Yu Keyao shook with anger.

    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from. You want to hear more?¡± Ma Yingshu retorted with spit spattering.

    ¡°Ma Yingshu, this is my house, the Yu family¡¯s home. What did you say about me? Who are you to upy our home, unwilling to leave? Ever since my dad suggested divorce, you and your husband moved in with the excuse of helping my mom. The longer you stay here and make a fuss, the longer my dad is away! Ma Yingshu, this is the Yu family¡¯s home, so what do you think you can achieve by staying here? What makes you think you cane to my house to point and shout at me?!¡± Unwilling to back down, Yu Keyao scolded in a sharp voice.

    ¡°You disrespected your elders, you ill-bred thing!¡±

    ...

    ...

    As things grew heated over at the Yu household, Cheng Dongge looked at Qi Chengyue through the rear-view mirror. Her head leaned against the window.

    Her gaze was cast downwards. Her long hair covered her face and hid her expression.

    Cheng Dongge had been driving for a while, but Qi Chengyue did not utter a word throughout the ride.

    ¡°Miss Qi.¡± Cheng Dongge looked into the rear-view mirror. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±

    He knew she would not want to go back to thepany. The house she shared with Jian Yi did not seem appropriate either. He wondered if he should send her to the Qi family¡¯s home.

    Qi Chengyue did not say anything for a long time. Just as Cheng Dongge thought she did not wish to speak, he heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s low and frail voiceing from behind. ¡°If possible, just drive me around for a while. I don¡¯t feel like going anywhere now, sorry.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nced at the rear-view mirror. He could not imagine how Qi Chengyue would look when she apologized to someone.

    Her frail and feeble appearance evoked sympathy in others.

    Cheng Dongge drove in silence for a long time. Once again, he nced at the rear-view mirror and noticed Qi Chengyue had disappeared.

    At longst, he parked the car by a road. Beside the road, a field of luscious green grass surrounded ake. This was one of the best ces for a pic in B City. However, not many people were around at this time.

    Once in a while, a person or two would walk by theke, but as it was quite a distance away, they would not be able to make out the situation by the road.

    Cheng Dongge got out of the car, walked towards the back door and opened it. The sight he was met with gave him a shock.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s arms were hugging herself. Her torso stuck firmly to her thighs. Her head nearly touched the seat in front of her, while her face was buried between her knees.

    Not a sound came out of her, but her shoulders and back shook violently.

    Cheng Dongge opened his mouth, wanting to wake her up, but he could not utter a word no matter what. It was as if something was blocking his throat and chest, and it stung.

    He stood by the door for a long time. Qi Chengyue¡¯s posture did not change at all, but the tremors grew worse and worse, and it made her seem more and more helpless.

    ¡°Miss Qi, you...¡± Cheng Dongge kneeled down and gently ced his palm on her shoulders.

    He felt Qi Chengyue¡¯s body freeze. She no longer quivered. It felt as if she was desperately holding it back, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of others.

    She seemed to have not realized the car had stopped and that he had opened the door and stood beside her.

    He watched as she stayed in that posture for some time before finally sitting up and raising her head slowly.

    Cheng Dongge saw her appearance and was frozen in ce without any reaction.

    Her long curly hair was disheveled, some strands stuck to her tearful face. Her appearance was not at all elegant and attractive, but scruffy and in a mess. Tears left their tracks on her face. Her swollen, red-shot eyes still held tears, which she was desperately holding back.

    Furthermore, seeing Qi Chengyue in such a sorry state, then remembering her arrogant look from before ¨C she had really taken a deep dive. He could not help but pity her.

    ¡°Sorry, but can you... can you leave me alone...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he pulled her into his arms.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s husky voice sounded in her ears, ¡°You can cry.¡±

    His firm voice had the power to soothe others. After hearing his voice, she suddenly could not hold back her tears anymore, as if the crumbling dam that stood in her heart had suddenly copsed.

    Tears poured from her eyes, yet Qi Chengyue still clenched her teeth and bit her lips. Only when she had reached the limits of her endurance did she let out a small whimper.

    However, when the warm and steady palm rested on the back of her head and gently caressed her hair;forted and consoled her wordlessly, the effect on her was even greater.

    Finally, Qi Chengyue gave in. ¡°Waa...¡± she wailed loudly.

    She cried like a child. Her crying was not melodious at all ¡ª it was rough and miserable. She cried so hard that she had hups, and her sinuses were blocked. Slowly, her snot merged with her tears and ran down her face.

    ¡°Why... Just because I loved someone, does that mean I deserve to be trampled like this? Why do some people treat marriage as a way to benefit from others? Why must marriage be about benefits? Why would someone use love to deceive others? Why didn¡¯t he target someone else? Why did it have to be me?! Even if he just wanted the money and status, couldn¡¯t he have at least treated me nicely? Am I unworthy of even a little love and respect?¡±

    As Cheng Dongge listened to her talk and sob, the body in his arms trembled even more ¡ª the crying grew louder and louder.

    He could feel that his shirt was soaked. Some tears evennded on his neck and slowly rolled into his shirt.

    Cheng Dongge did not know how tofort her. Due to his status, it seemed like whatever he said would be unfitting. Thus, he simply stroked her hair and consoled her in silence.

    Qi Chengyue wept for a long time. Suddenly, he heard her say his name, ¡°Cheng Dongge...¡±

    Cheng Dongge was shocked. Previously, she had always called him Special Assistant Cheng, but to hear her call him by his full name felt a little weird.

    ¡°The way your fianc¨¦e treated you... don¡¯t you feel hurt? She also went behind your back and found a rich man who she thinks can give her more. Why... why are they all like this? The things she wanted, couldn¡¯t you give it to her? How much until she¡¯s satisfied? Why is a man who sincerely loves her and can provide her afortable life without worries not enough for her?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice was hoarse. His throat felt extremely dry.

    ¡°How long... have you two been together?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as she cried.

    ¡°Three years. When we first met, I was in my senior year while she was a new student in freshman year. One day, she suddenly showed up in front of me and shouted that she liked me in front of the whole school, then ran away with a flushed face. She has always been a shy girl, yet she had the guts to do something like that.

    ¡°After that, she would always appear by my side. She didn¡¯t talk much. When I yed basketball, she¡¯d hand me towels and water ¡ª she volunteered to help out the basketball team just for me. During self-study periods, she would save a seat for me. Whenever my sses ended, she would wait by the door then follow me. She¡¯d talk to me a little sometimes, but she¡¯d always be blushing heavily. At that time, I¡¯ve already found a job as Chengzhi¡¯s assistant. Nevertheless, I was a poor student back then. I could make a living for myself in B City, but I couldn¡¯t give a girl a good life yet.

    ¡°Even though I couldn¡¯t provide her with a good life, and a luxurious one was out of the question, I thought the least I could do was to not let her suffer with me. Why should I drag her with me when I wasn¡¯t even capable of providing for her yet? Therefore, up till my graduation, we still didn¡¯t end up together. We only texted asionally.

    ¡°After that, my career got better and better, and she still stayed single in all those years. Only until the student reunion did we officially get together. I held out on proposing until I was capable of giving her a good life. I felt that proposing to her while I couldn¡¯t provide her with a happy marriage is extremely irresponsible. I never thought that after so many years, she chose to give up now.

    ¡°You asked if I felt hurt ¡ª of course, it hurts a lot. After all, she¡¯s the one who apanied me through three years of my life. In those three years, she¡¯s always by my side, and I¡¯ve grown ustomed to her presence in my life. All the effort I put in, it was all so that I could provide her an easy life. I feel discontent that she couldn¡¯t persevere until the end with me. Just when I could satisfy her every need, she left me. I¡¯m also angry with myself. Why didn¡¯t I work harder, marry her sooner, and gave her better? Maybe then she wouldn¡¯t have felt the need to find another man.

    ¡°You¡¯re in so much pain now. I think your view is simr to mine. After all, he¡¯s someone you loved, and perhaps you still do. He¡¯s the one you spent your life with, the one you¡¯re willing to marry. Now that things have ended like this, disappointment and sorrow wells up in your heart.

    ¡°Truthfully, it¡¯s not that you¡¯re unworthy of love, but that he¡¯s unworthy of yours. You deserve better. My fianc¨¦e...¡± Cheng Dongge stopped. Qi Chengyue seemed to have heard his pained chuckle. ¡°My ex-fianc¨¦e thinks she deserves better, so she let me. Thus, you leaving him is also because you deserve better. Jian Yi doesn¡¯t know how to love someone at all, you deserve someone who does. It¡¯s him who¡¯s not good enough for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Qi Chengyue murmured with her forehead still pressed against his chest.

    Her refutation surprised him. He looked down but could only see her hair and not her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re wonderful. Your fianc¨¦e... your ex-fianc¨¦e didn¡¯t leave you because you weren¡¯t good enough, neither was it because she deserves better. It¡¯s because she couldn¡¯t cherish what she had. She didn¡¯t know how to be content, and she ced herself on too high a pedestal. I think her choice of leaving you is a huge mistake. She¡¯ll regret it,¡± spoke Qi Chengyue with confidence.

    Cheng Dongge froze. He did not expect her to say that. He thought she was refuting hisst sentence. He smiled, unsure of how to receive her words.

    Usually, the two of them do not interact with each other much, so he did not know she had such a high opinion of him.

    After Qi Chengyue said that, she felt a little awkward. She thought she might have said too much.

    Even so, after talking to him, her pain was eased. Even though she was still hurt, at least it became bearable.

    Qi Chengyue sniffled. However, her nose waspletely blocked. No matter how much she tried to suck in her snot, she could not, so she had to breathe through her mouth. Even so, swallowing her saliva was already difficult enough. The instant she swallowed, her ears felt like they were blocked.

    Suddenly, a neatly-folded grey checkered handkerchief appeared in front of her eyes. The fingers holding the handkerchief were long, slender, and clean. The bones were distinct, and the fair skin covering them added to the air of elegance.

    Qi Chengyue could not help but imagine how many girls must have thought of him as Prince Charming when he was in university!

    Lost in thoughts, it took her a while to realize she was still leaning against her chest and held tight in his arms. Quickly, she moved away and took the handkerchief from his awkwardly.

    His warmth lingered on the handkerchief, and so did the smell of his cologne. Nowadays, not many men would have things like this on them. Even women no longer carried handkerchiefs as often.

    She saw how clean the handkerchief was and felt bad for using it.

    While the air was still thick with awkwardness, Cheng Dongge¡¯s phone rang. She heard him answered, ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After hanging up, he told her, ¡°Young Master Cheng requested that I send you back to the old mansion.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. Cheng Dongge tried to stand up but, unexpectedly, he could not. He fell on his butt with a ¡®bam¡¯.

    Qi Chengyue watched him in shock. She tried to catch him but was too slow ¡ª the hand she reached out caught nothing but air.

    Cheng Dongge let out an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve been kneeling for too long, I can¡¯t feel my legs.¡±

    Qi Chengyue could not help but smile. She shifted to one side, leaving the seat by the door empty and said, ¡°Sit here for a while, and let your legs recover.¡±

    Cheng Dongge held onto the car door and pulled himself up. Seated next to Qi Chengyue, he massaged his numb legs.

    The two of them were not close so the atmosphere was quite awkward. Qi Chengyue looked down while using Cheng Dongge¡¯s handkerchief to wipe off her tears. Although she felt bad about it, she still had to sneeze out the mucus blocking her nose.

    ¡°This... I¡¯ll bring it home and wash it. I¡¯ll return it to you tomorrow,¡± Qi Chengyue said shyly.

    With a quick ¡°mm¡±, Cheng Dongge got out of his seat and moved to the driver seat.

    ...

    ...

    The car stopped in front of the Qi family manor, where Qi Chengyue got out and Cheng Dongge followed.

    Before leaving, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°Thank you for today.¡±

    Even though it was all under themand of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, it did not change the fact that he was willing to stay with her for so long. She was touched, and at the same time, felt sorry for him.

    Cheng Dongge smiled. He watched as Qi Chengyue entered the courtyard. Then, he moved to the courtyard entrance where he could see Qi Chengyue walked toward the front door and pressed the doorbell.

    Not long after, the door opened. Guan Liya appeared at the doorway. When she saw Qi Chengyue, she immediately embraced her.

    Only then did Cheng Dongge turn away. He got in the car and drove away.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s lips trembled. Her sore throat started to quiver again.

    Guan Liya loosened her but her hand stayed firmly on her back. ¡°My dear child, you¡¯ve been through so much pain. Why didn¡¯t you tell your family? Come, let¡¯s get you inside.¡±

    Guan Liya brought Qi Chengyue into the house. She realized that everyone was gathered there. The atmosphere in the living room was heavy.

    Perplexed, she stared nkly at them. Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes were red. She waved at Qi Chengyue. ¡°Chengyue,e, have a seat. No matter what happens, you¡¯ll always have us! It¡¯s going to be okay!¡±

 Chapter 167 - Donâ€™t People Do This during Tomb-Sweeping Day?

    <h4>Chapter 167: Don¡¯t People Do This during Tomb-Sweeping Day?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face went all red. It was supposed to be touching! Why did it be that way whenever it involved him?

    She shook off his hand angrily and hooted, ¡°Focus on driving!¡±

    While Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were looking straight at the road, his naughty hand which was cast off crept in again. His two fingers were treading lightly, and went from her leg to her hand, intending to hold it.

    Song Yu pulled out before he held it. She pped lightly on the back of his hand. ¡°Focus!¡±

    ¡°Hm.¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded agreeably. ¡°Give me your hand. Otherwise, I can¡¯t concentrate because of my desire to hold it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. He could spin an unconvincing reason so persuasively. She exerted his hand on the steering wheel. ¡°Concentrate on the steering wheel when you¡¯re driving.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. You know I¡¯m used to holding your hand while driving.¡± Qi Chengzhi took the chance and grabbed her hand.

    Song Yu struggled to pull her hand out, but his grip was too tight. She heard Qi Chengzhi ming her. ¡°Don¡¯t mess around. Don¡¯t you want me to focus on driving?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Look at him! He was ming it on her.

    Song Yu mumbled in her heart. She was not thick-skinned like him. Since she could not argue against him, she could only let him hold her hand.

    Who knew that Qi Chengzhi was not done yet? His thumb began tickling her index finger. He said indifferently, ¡°Keep it under control for now. I will satisfy you tonight. ¡±

    Song Yu could hear a bomb go off in her head. She was fuming, with her scalp feeling the heat. She was trying hard not to kick him out of the car.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi! That¡¯s enough!¡± Song Yu snarled.

    ¡°Heh heh.¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled, feeling delighted. He brought her hand over and kissed on the back of it. He finally let it rest.

    ...

    ...

    The Range Rover stopped at the entrance of the Qi family¡¯s old mansion. When Song Yu released the seat belt, Qi Chengzhi leaned toward her.

    Song Yu was shocked. With the back of her head against the chair, all she could see was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s magnified face. His features looked delicate, even up close.

    Whether one looked at them separately, or together, they were wless.

    The edge of his lips curled slightly. His gentle gaze melted her heart and made her feel rxed. Their fiery breaths intertwined.

    Song Yu¡¯sshes batted lightly. Even though Qi Chengzhi had not made a move, she knew he was going to kiss her.

    She was getting used to him kissing her in public, even right at the entrance of the old mansion.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing was a mess. It was in between light and heavy, fast and slow. Sometimes, she would hold her breath unknowingly.

    Hershes pped like butterfly wings. She closed her eyes slowly, as she could feel Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fiery breath approaching. His breath fell on her lips, and her lips began to tremble too.

    However, his lips never fell on hers after what seemed like a long time.

    Song Yu¡¯sshes were still fluttering. She opened her eyes slightly, still half squinting, and she found Qi Chengzhi smiling faintly at her. His eyes looked at her jokingly.

    ¡°I was just looking at you. Do you want me to kiss you so badly?¡± Qi Chengzhi lifted his brow, his tone ironic. Coupled with his expression, it ticked her off.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was mad. Why was this man on a roll that day?

    She let out an angry huff. Her cheeks went red with anger. With both her hands on his chest, she pushed him away hard. She then turned around and wanted to get off the car, still annoyed.

    As her hand touched the handle of the car door, he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her back.

    ¡°You said I¡¯m petty. Now, who¡¯s being petty?¡± His deep, hoarse voice could not hide the fact that he was entertained. He leaned closer. When he spoke, his lips were almost against hers.

    She could smell the cold and raw odor of his breath. The pleasant aroma made her heart beat fast.

    ¡°Am I being petty?¡± Song Yu¡¯s index finger poked at his chest. ¡°Why¡¯re you bullying me today?¡±

    Her soft finger, despite being on his chest, and with the second joint bent into ny degrees, he did not feel pain at all.

    Qi Chengzhi had his one hand at the back of the chair, and the other was holding on to Song Yu¡¯s finger. His thumb and index finger pinched her soft fingertip gently.

    ¡°Because you became my wife officially today. I can¡¯t help it.¡± He let out augh and leaned even closer. He began rubbing gently against her lips.

    As he was doing that, he said with a hoarse voice, ¡°Next time, you¡¯re the bona fide Mrs. Qi. I¡¯m happy.¡±

    Song Yu recalled his diary. She could not imagine how happy he was feeling.

    From his appearance, he seemedposed, so she could not tell.

    Hearing his statement, she had her lips curled into a slight crescent. She pecked lightly on his lips. As she saw his left hand at the side of her face when she turned around, she pulled it toward her.

    She touched the wedding ring on his ring finger. On the middle finger, he was still wearing the couple ring they got together.

    ¡°If any woman tries to seduce you, show her your ring,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°You¡¯re now a married man.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s gaze was gentle. With a serious look, she announced proudly in her soft voice, ¡°My man.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled gently. He kissed her full, soft lips, and she felt as if the kiss electrocuted her.

    His face was right in her face. His tall nose drew closer, and the tip of his nose was against hers. She was all over his refined features and charming eyes. She could feel a hot stream in her stomach, as though she had had some hot soup. Her insides were melting, and she curled her toes. Her abdomen kept contracting.

    ¡°Time to go.¡± Blushing, Song Yu nudged him.

    In a trance, Qi Chengzhi looked at her rosy cheeks. He could not let himself miss any moment.

    He kissed her again and pinched her all over before he fell back to his seat. He opened the door and got off the car.

    The two entered the Qi family¡¯s old mansion. Grandmother Qi had the driver pick up Qi Youxuan earlier from kindergarten due to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call.

    He was sitting on a little bench in the living room. He had a track set up and was remote-controlling his Go-Kart.

    The roads on the racing track were the arduous ones. It had various descents and ascents that upied half the living room. The roads were piling up like a hill.

    ¡°Madam Qi, Young Master and Miss Song are back.¡± When Aunt Liu finished, Qi Youxuan had already switched off his remote control and ran to the door.

    Grandmother Qi did not have a role that day, hence, she was waiting for the two at home. She was reading the script through her presbyopic sses.

    When she heard what Aunt Liu said, she put the script aside and took off her sses. She then walked toward the door.

    Grandmother Qi moved slowly. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu came in when she was halfway there.

    ¡°Aiyo! You sounded mysterious over the phone just now. What¡¯s the matter? Why do you need to gather the family?¡± As Grandmother Qi spoke, she was retracing her steps.

    When she sat down, Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°We¡¯re married.¡±

    ¡°I knew you and her...¡± Before Grandmother Qi could finish her sentence, she halted and jerked her head, looking at Song Yu. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said, Song Yu and I are married, for real. We got our marriage certificate today.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was severe. He lifted Song Yu¡¯s hand, for Grandmother Qi to have a good look at the diamond ring on Song Yu¡¯s left ring finger, and the one on his.

    ¡°Damn, you kid! Why do you have to surprise an older woman like me? Aren¡¯t you worried that I might get a heart attack from all these pleasant surprises?¡± Grandmother Qi felt weak as a result of sudden joy. She could not stand up from the sofa.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you two give me a heads up?¡± Grandmother Qi was overjoyed. While she seemed like she wasining, the smiling wrinkles on her face said otherwise. ¡°You were registered today? Where¡¯s the marriage certificate? Show me!¡±

    Song Yu smiled as she took out the marriage certificate from her bag and passed it to Grandmother Qi.

    Grandmother Qi looked at the marriage certificate and was delighted. ¡°Aiyo! Look at my grandson and my granddaughter-inw. A match made in heaven! Which other couple is as matching as you? I have a blessed life to have two great-grandchildren at this age! If I¡¯m lucky, I think it¡¯s not a problem to live to see eight or ten more.

    ¡°Xiao Liu. Please make some tea. I need to have a drink with my granddaughter-inw!¡± Grandmother Qi shouted.

    Qi Chengzhi caught Qi Youxuan moving stealthily closer toward them at the corner of his eyes. He waved his hand at Qi Youxuan, beckoning him toe over. ¡°Come, help me out.¡±

    Qi Youxuan rejected outright unexpectedly. ¡°I¡¯m busy. I have to greet Auntie with teater.¡±

    ¡°Stop being a busybody.¡± Qi Chengzhi then said disdainfully, ¡°Come and help out. Treat it as a part-time job.¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked. His grape-like eyes glistened, and he ran over, swinging his hips. ¡°Uncle, I want to build a Go-Kart track in the backyard of my house, so I can experience the joy of driving.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sneered. ¡°Wait and greet your Auntie with tea.¡±

    He then left.

    ¡°Uncle, wait a minute. We can discuss the matter!¡± Qi Youxuan again, swinging his bouncy and prominent hips, followed after Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Uncle, there¡¯s a new mountain ring track.¡± Song Yu could still hear Qi Youxuan.

    It was silent after. It seemed like the two had reached an agreement.

    ¡°Go to your room,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    As Grandmother Qi missed the great-grandson, Qi Youxuan came over often. There was a room reserved for Qi Youxuan in the old mansion.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s room was not overly spacious. It was about the size of a kid¡¯s room in an ordinary family. While Grandfather and Grandmother Qi loved him a lot, they did not overly pamper him. They were strict on education and raised Qi Youxuan to stay away from wasteful habits.

    The floor was covered with soft carpet. There was also a kid-sized single bed, a single-unit shelf, and a desk with a Dellptop on top. There were all kinds of children¡¯s books on the shelf.

    On the other wall, there was a rack where his toy models were ced.

    Qi Chengzhi had Qi Youxuan look around for two pairs of scissors. While the safety scissors Qi Youxuan used were right for him, they were too small for Qi Chengzhi. He could only fit one finger in, and there was no space for more.

    Without a choice, Qi Chengzhi had to request for a pair of scissors from Aunt Liu.

    Aunt Liu was curious about the need for the Young Master to use a pair of scissors. When Qi Chengzhi was in primary school, he had neverpleted any of his arts and crafts homework. Instead, he had her, or other helpers in Qi Zhongxun¡¯s family to help out.

    When Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna found out, they were strictly against it. They refrained the helpers and Aunt Liu from doing so.

    Qi Chengzhi boycotted the operation, as he imed he would never do such a thing that could hurt his manhood, and that the activity was for girls.

    Qi Chengzhi returned with a pair of scissors. Qi Youxuan showed his pair of scissors to him while sitting on the carpet. ¡°Uncle, what do you want me to do?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi then took out a stack of photos from his suit pocket. ¡°Trace Auntie¡¯s profile carefully and cut the photos.¡±

    Qi Youxuan took the photos. ¡°Eh, isn¡¯t the one next to her Uncle Jian Yi?¡±

    His little fat hand began to flip through the stack. ¡°Uncle, why are they photos of Auntie and Uncle Jian Yi?¡±

    Within seconds, Qi Youxuan seemed to understand the context. He looked at Qi Chengzhi sympathetically. ¡°Did Auntie date Uncle Jian Yi in the past?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi sat down and sneered. ¡°Do you still want the mountain ring track?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan took up one of the photos and began cutting silently.

    After cutting out Song Yu, Qi Youxuan pointed at the photos with only Jian Yi left and asked, ¡°How about the photos of Uncle Jian Yi?¡±

    ¡°Leave them here first.¡± Qi Chengzhi put Jian Yi¡¯s photos on one side. He was done with the photo he was working on. He then threw Jian Yi¡¯s picture on top of the pile.

    Qi Youxuan could not keep his mouth shut. He asked, ¡°Uncle, this is in the past. Can you stop being petty? Everyone has a past. Look at me. I like Muran, and that¡¯s why I¡¯m making sure she will not have a chance to date anybody. If you like Auntie, you should keep a close watch on her. Of course, perhaps you weren¡¯t as smart as me, and unlike me, you weren¡¯t childhood sweethearts with Auntie. Well, you can only me yourself for meeting Auntiete.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sneered. ¡°I¡¯m close with Wei Ziqi. If you can¡¯t stop talking, I will introduce a few skinnier and better-looking boys to Muran.

    Qi Youxuan reacted strongly. He was able to tell where the wind was blowing. He threw the pair of scissors aside and stood up. ¡°Uncle, you need to help your nephew, instead of an outsider! Uncle, what¡¯d you like to eat? I¡¯ll get it for you.¡±

    ¡°Wait until you¡¯re done with this,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked coldly.

    Qi Youxuan had learned his lesson and decided to keep his mouth shut. Despite his chubby hands, he was rather nimble. He quickly went through the pile, and the end products were great.

    Qi Chengzhi kept Song Yu¡¯s photos and crumpled Jian Yi¡¯s. He walked out of Qi Youxuan¡¯s bedroom without saying a word.

    Qi Youxuan wondered what Qi Chengzhi wanted to do. He then nagged, ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t forget the mountain ring track!¡±

    Twisting his hips, he followed. He saw Qi Chengzhi went to ask for a steel basin from Aunt Liu.

    Aunt Liu passed the steel basin to Qi Chengzhi. Terrified, she asked, ¡°Young Master, what do you need the steel basin for?¡±

    First, it was the pair of scissors, and then the steel basin. What was driving the abnormal behavior of Qi Chengzhi?

    Qi Chengzhi merely replied, ¡°I will return it soon.¡± He then walked away with the basin.

    He recalled he did not have a lighter after he carried the basin to the backyard. He gave Qi Youxuan fifty bucks for him to be a runner for the lighter.

    When Qi Youxuan returned, he brought back a single-use transparent, stic lighter that costed two bucks. He kept the forty-eight dors change for himself.

    On his way back, he passed by the kitchen. Qi Youxuan took out a yogurt drink from the fridge. While sucking on it, he asked, ¡°Uncle, what¡¯re you doing?¡±

    He saw Qi Chengzhi squatting with the steel basin right in front of him. He took out Jian Yi¡¯s photos, lit the lighter and ignited the images. Meanwhile, he mumbled, ¡°Rest in peace. If I find your photos again, I will burn them for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was speechless. ¡°...¡±

    Don¡¯t people do this during Tomb-Sweeping Day?

    Leaving no traces of Jian Yi¡¯s photos, Qi Chengzhi pped and stood up. He threw away the ashes in the basin and brought the steel basin in.

    When Aunt Liu got the steel basin, she realized there were still ashes in it. She wondered what Qi Chengzhi used the basin for.

    When Qi Chengzhi returned to the living room, he saw a big, thick album on Song Yu¡¯sp.

    He walked over and sat next to Song Yu. He realized it was an album of him, in particr, when he was a kid.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. He ced his hand on her back and twirled a strand of hair with his finger.

    ¡°Are you looking for pictures of me with other women?¡± He lifted his brows and asked sarcastically.

    Song Yu turned and smiled at him. She lowered her head and continued looking. ¡°Well, I¡¯m curious how you looked like as a kid. I was too young to remember. It¡¯s difficult to imagine how you might look like a cute boy. I feel like you¡¯ve always looked like this.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°If I looked the way I look now, I must be a monster!¡±

    Song Yuughed. She flipped another page, and her eyes grew wide.

    She saw a photo with Qi Chengzhi inside, looking young and innocent.

    On the kiddy face, his skin was silky fair. If his hair was slightly longer, he would look like a little girl.

    Back then, he indeed looked like a pretty girl, with his red lips and bright teeth.

    What surprised her was that she was right next to him. She looked like she was around two to three years old then, with skinny limbs and wearing a dress with puff sleeves and white leggings.

    There was a red handkerchief on her head, and she could tell the name of the restaurant from the corner of the handkerchief. One corner of the handkerchief was lifted to reveal her unworldly face.

    Her eyes felt more prominent than they were as an adult. Her doe-eyed look was adorable to the onlookers.

    Qi Chengzhi, on the other hand, had an air ofposure around him. It had indeed not changed over the years.

    Qi Chengzhi was holding Song Yu¡¯s hand in the picture. While he was not wearing a boutonni¨¨re, he looked like a groom next to Song Yu.

    Song Yu pointed at the photo surprisingly. ¡°When was this?¡±

    By chance, Grandmother Qi returned with a stack of albums and heard what Song Yu said.

    She went back to the house to look for more albums of Qi Chengzhi as a kid. She carried all of them back in one go.

    ¡°This? It was when you visited the inws at three-year-old.¡± Grandmother Qi remarked happily. She wanted to say Qi Chengzhi¡¯s parents, but then she recalled Song Yu was part of the family. She changed it to inws and saying that made her happy.

    Grandmother Qi was not around then, and Xia Wenna informed her.

    ¡°You were ying the formal bow for the bride and groom ording to Chinese customs with Chengji, but for some reason, it was Chengzhi who took you out. You two did look like a married couple, so your mother-inw took a photo of it,¡± Grandmother Qi exined. ¡°Chengji didn¡¯t know what happened, so he was still waiting for you. He wasn¡¯t even aware when you left.

    ¡°Looking at this photo, it seems like your marriage is fated. You¡¯ve already done the formal bow, and twenty years have gone by! By chance, you two got married! What a wonderful thing!¡± Grandmother Qi ced the stack of albums on the tea table and leaned closer to look at photos of the two.

    ¡°You were still too young then. You were in primary school when Chengzhi went to university. If only the age gap was smaller, the two of you would have been engaged, and we could¡¯ve avoided all the trouble.¡± Grandmother Qi said regrettably, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, perhaps you two would¡¯ve gotten married earlier. Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t have to wait till he¡¯s thirty-five to end his bachelor¡¯s life. I would¡¯ve had my great-grandchild!¡±

    While Song Yu could not remember the yhouse incident, but from how well she knew Qi Chengzhi, she supposed it was intentional. It was unfortunate that Qi Chengji was too young and had no say in the game. He was not even aware that he had been deceived.

    Song Yu took a glimpse at Qi Chengzhi and saw no change in expression. It was as though he was not aware of the trick he had yed on Chengji.

    ¡°Uncle, so you¡¯ve known Auntie from before?¡± Unknowingly, Qi Youxuan had sneaked through. His small, round head popped out from behind the sofa, in between the shoulders of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    ¡°You¡¯re not the only one with a childhood sweetheart.¡± Qi Chengzhi rolled his eyes at him, recalling what this little fatty said in the room. He was irritated whenever he thought about it.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan looked at Qi Chengzhi with surprise. ¡°If you¡¯ve known Auntie from before, why would you let her date anyone?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was speechless. ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu said nothing. ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Qi Youxuan, where did you learn these?¡± Grandmother Qi dragged Qi Youxuan over.

    ...

    ...

    At night, when the others from the Qi family returned, it was already dark outside.

    Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were thest to return. When they stepped into the house, Qi Chengyue asked, ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s the important matter? Why did you call all of us back?¡±

    It was a working day and not a weekend. Typically, the Qi family¡¯s gathering was during the weekends. However, Grandmother Qi called each of them at midday, which was rather sudden. When asked about the matter, Grandmother Qi seemed to not know of it. She only ordered them toe home. Nobody disobeyed the order.

    ¡°What¡¯re you rushing for? Take off the coat and rest for a while. I will announce itter,¡± Grandmother Qi replied. She rubbed her hands together, looking rather excited.

    She had already discussed it with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, for her to announce the great news. She would not even let Grandfather Qi have the chance.

    Grandfather Qi¡¯s reaction was just a mere ¡®hmph.¡¯ While he wanted to announce it personally, he did not show it to keep his image. He pretended he was calm at the side.

    While he opposed the rtionship between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi before, he realized the two were inseparable. He had to agree to their rtionship.

    After agreeing to it, Grandfather Qi was open to it. Of course, it was also aided by Grandmother Qi¡¯s ¡®education.¡¯

    Anyway, Grandfather Qi was d that Qi Chengzhi got married and ended thirty-five years of his bachelor¡¯s life.

    All Grandfather Qi wanted of Qi Chengzhi was for him to have someone he liked, regardless of who she was, as long as he was willing to marry someone and have kids.

    Qi Chengyue pouted and was about to act coquettishly with Grandmother Qi before seeing Song Yue out from the dining room and called everyone for dinner.

    Jian Yi was shocked. He did not expect Song Yu to be around.

    He thought that after he revealed the truth behind the bankruptcy of the Song family with solid proof; there would be cracks in the rtionship between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

    Even if she had liked him a lot, to the extent that her heart would be torn apart if he left her, she had to contemte slowly. She would have be estranged with Qi Chengzhi and interrogated him. He expected her to separate from Qi Chengzhi to sort out the matter.

    Regardless, their rtionship would not be the same as before.

    However, this situation was not what he expected at all.

    Not only did Song Yu not estrange from Qi Chengzhi, but her happy expression was also a pain to the eyes for him.

    Besides, it was apparent that she was not faking it. She was not acting in front of the Qi family for the benefits she could reap.

    Jian Yi frowned and gazed at Song Yu.

    Song Yu saw him too, but she merely nced by him indifferently. Her eyes did not stop until they fell on Qi Chengzhi. Her smile seemed sweeter than usual, even though there was not much difference in the arch. However, it was a different smilepared to when it was for the others.

    When Song Yu¡¯s eyes fell on Qi Chengzhi, her eyes could not have anyone else. Her smiley eyes were glistening.

    Qi Chengzhi turned to look at her. The moment he saw her, his severe features turned gentle.

    He did not make any obvious move, but it seemed like she heard his summon, and she went over. She did not touch him. She stood by his side, and they could not take their eyes off each other.

    Jian Yi could not understand what was happening, and he was angry. He had already presented her with all the evidence. Why was she still with Qi Chengzhi?

    Did she not believe it? Did she not hate Qi Chengzhi at all?

    How could she forgive such a terrible mistake Qi Chengzhi had done so easily?

    He lied to her once, and what he didpared to Qi Chengzhi was nothing. However, she never forgave him and treated him as if he was invisible. She had never given him any positive expression.

    ¡°Faster. Let¡¯s all head to the dining room. After we sit down, I will announce something important.¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s joyful voice brought Jian Yi back to reality.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s arm slipped into Jian Yi¡¯s. Since Song Yu stepped out, she had been paying attention to Jian Yi¡¯s expression.

 Chapter 168 - Compared to My Big Brother, Who Do You Think You Are?

    <h4>Chapter 168: Compared to My Big Brother, Who Do You Think You Are?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s arm slipped into Jian Yi¡¯s. Since Song Yu stepped out, she had been paying attention to Jian Yi¡¯s expression.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression was gloomy. Because of jealousy, while there was no significant change to her expression, her face looked twisted.

    She sneered and spoke softly to Jian Yi, ¡°What do you think the matter is, that she has to gather everyone before announcing it? Thest time it was the rtionship between my big brother and Song Yu. How about this time?¡±

    Qi Chengyue halted. She eximed, ¡°Eh, there¡¯s a diamond ring on the left ring finger of Song Yu! Could it be that they¡¯ve gotten married?¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s cold, piercing eyes stared right at the shiny diamond on Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Whatever it¡¯s, let¡¯s go in first.¡± Qi Chengyue dragged Jian Yi along, and seemingly rejoiced in his misery.

    Everyone sat down by the dining table. Hot dishes were served, and there was a ss of red wine in front of everyone. It seemed a formal event.

    Previous gatherings at the old mansion were never so formal. The conversations were casual. They just conveyed what happened over the week to Grandmother and Grandfather Qi in a rxed manner, unlike that night.

    Everyone gazed at Grandmother Qi with doubt. Grandmother Qi cleared her throat and smiled with her eyes squinted. She was delighted thinking about the matter she was going to announce.

    ¡°I have great news,¡± Grandmother Qi said.

    At her side, Grandfather Qi let out a ¡®hmph,¡¯ as he was in a foul mood about Grandmother Qi stealing the limelight.

    ¡°Today, we have a new person joining the Qi family. Song Yu is officially the daughter-inw of our family!¡± Grandmother Qi said and pped.

    As the others were still in a state of shock and had not fully recovered, nobody was pping. It made Grandmother Qi¡¯s ps sound rather lonely.

    After a few ps, Grandmother Qi coughed.

    ¡°Mom, what does this mean?¡± Qi Zhongliang did not assume that they were officially wed. ¡°Isn¡¯t Song Yu going to marry into our family? We knew it!¡±

    Grandmother Qi rolled her eyes at him. She said impatiently, ¡°With your IQ, are you sure Qilin is in good hands? You said Song Yu is going to marry into the family, and what I said was Song Yu is officially the daughter-inw in the family. Can you not tell the difference?¡±

    ¡°Are you doing it or not? I will take over!¡± Grandfather Qi could not stand it anymore. ¡°Why do you have to take twists and turns? Can¡¯t you just tell them Song Yu and Chengzhi have gotten their marriage certificate today?¡±

    ¡°Qi Lingxian!¡± Grandmother Qi got anxious; she shouted, ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree to let me make the announcement? Your statement leaves them with no surprises! You¡¯ve ruined the speech I¡¯ve prepared the whole afternoon, and the effect I desired!¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± While Grandfather Qi sounded angry, his eyes and the corner of his lips were curled into crescents. His eyebrows lifted, and he was touching the grey mustache. He looked pleased.

    Grandmother Qi came to a sudden realization and red at Grandfather Qi. ¡°You damn old man. You did it on purpose! You didn¡¯t snatch the opportunity in the afternoon, and now you¡¯re ruining my stage and stealing my lines!¡±

    ¡°Hmph hmph!¡± Grandfather Qi tilted his chin and continued touching his mustache. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that I¡¯m as petty as you.¡±

    When Grandmother Qi rolled her sleeves and intended to argue further with Grandfather Qi, Qi Zhongliang stopped her. ¡°Alright, alright. Mom, tell us what happened. We¡¯re still confused. Did Chengzhi and Song Yu get their marriage certificate today?¡±

    After saying that, Qi Zhongliang turned to look at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi spoke with a t voice, ¡°I¡¯ve registered this morning with Song Yu. We¡¯re legally married now, and Song Yu¡¯s name will appear on our family¡¯s ount.¡±

    Qi Zhongliang was stunned. He could not find the right words for a while.

    Grandmother Qi had moved on from throwing a tantrum at Grandfather Qi. She wanted to snatch her speaking rights back. Sheughed. ¡°Heh heh. Well, they¡¯ve gotten the marriage certificate. All that¡¯s left is the wedding and next, the great-grandkid. With Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s lightning speed, I think the kid wille in a short matter of time.¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s face sunk. He said nothing. He did not expect Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi to be officially wed.

    He looked at Song Yu, who was sitting diagonally across and stared at her left hand that was on the table. She was holding on to the stem of the wine ss and swirling the wine.

    It was an excellent time for him to take a good look at the even shinier diamond ring under the light on her left hand.

    Why did she not hate Qi Chengzhi, after he had made the Song family go bankrupt, and made her suffer so much? She had descended from the throne to amoner. Her old familiars even made fun of her.

    The difference in her life before and after was like heaven and earth. It was Qi Chengzhi who stripped her of her life, and her right to enjoy.

    Did she ever think about what right did Qi Chengzhi have?

    Qi Zhongliang did notment on Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s marriage certificate. It was something that was going to happen regardless, including the wedding. There was no need to focus on the formality.

    Grandmother Qi was the happiest. She grabbed hold of everyone to celebrate, and there was no opposition from the floor.

    ¡°Why? Are you not happy that Song Yu married my big brother?¡± Qi Chengyue whispered in Jian Yi¡¯s ears.

    Jian Yi looked at her gloomily. He was sick of pretending, so he said nothing.

    Qi Chengyue was not going to let this go. She sneered sarcastically and continued to speak in a voice where only the two of them could hear. ¡°Jian Yi, you¡¯re a good actor. You put on a good show before our wedding. You told me you love me, and look at you now.

    ¡°Initially, I wasn¡¯t pleased with Song Yu marrying my big brother. I can¡¯t stand to see her living a better life than me and have a higher status than me. If you didn¡¯t act in such an obvious manner, I might have helped you and made sure Song Yu would never be a part of the family,¡± Qi Chengyue spoke softly.

    ¡°However, your neglect got worse every day. Song Yu upied your mind all the time. If you¡¯re not giving me a good time, why should I let you have it?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice was ice-cold, with an underlying current that implied neither of them could benefit from this. Others could not hear what she said, and from her sweet smile, they assumed she was intimate and was whispering lovers¡¯ speech to Jian Yi.

    ¡°If Song Yu marrying my big brother made you so unhappy, I will no longer oppose it. Did you not realize I¡¯ve not said no for a long time? Seeing you suffer is a joy to me. Jian Yi, I¡¯ve finallye to my senses. I used to wish for you to love me and only have me in your eyes. However, I now know it¡¯s impossible. You¡¯re heartless. In your eyes, whether it¡¯s Song Yu or me, or anyone else, nothingpares to money and status.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t give you anything you want. I want you to live in regret your whole life, and I want to lock you in this marriage. Since you¡¯ve made me upset, I will do the same to you, and make it a hundred or a thousand times worse. I no longer wish for a happy marriage. All I want is to see you suffer, to see you never live to see the light of the day.

    ¡°Not only that, I will treat Song Yu like my real sister-inw. I will build a good rtionship with her, and chit chat amicably with her. I want to show you how happy she¡¯s in a marriage with my big brother. Jian Yi, you don¡¯t deserve any woman¡¯s love. Do you know that?¡±

    Hearing what Qi Chengyue said, Jian Yi wanted to re up, but he could not do it in front of the Qi family. He could only keep it under control.

    Furthermore, he could not even say anything to Qi Chengyue back home. Otherwise, she would head home andin.

    Guan Liya had made it clear thest time if they did not treat Qi Chengyue well, Jian Yi would get nothing.

    Because of that, even Zhou Mingyan did not dare to order Qi Chengyue around. Although she never looked pleased, she did not go overboard.

    Jian Yi felt that he had trapped himself in jail.

    He was trapped in the marriage with Qi Chengyue. He could not wring out of it, and he had no freedom.

    Qi Chengyue gave him nothing¡ªmoney, status, and future. However, he could not bear to offend Qi Chengyue.

    Jian Yi was suffocating under such immense pressure. He wanted to break free as he was sick of this.

    Qi Chengyue ignored his gloomier expression and continued. ¡°Did you see the diamond ring on Song Yu¡¯s hand. Since the engagement ring was extraordinary, I expect big brother to bring in something unusual for the wedding ring.¡±

    Qi Chengyue lowered her head and looked at the diamond ring on her left ring finger. She remained silent for a while and observed it.

    Back then, she wore the ring gleefully. While it was something money could buy, it had a special ce in her heart because it signified the marriage with Jian Yi.

    She did not look down on Jian Yi¡¯s background, and she did not dismiss how the ringcked creativity or thoughtfulness, she still wore it with joy. She was full of hope toward a blissful life and marriage.

    Looking at it again, she felt it was a half-hearted effort on Jian Yi¡¯s part. It meant nothing, and it should not bear the weight of a wedding ring.

    Qi Chengyue lowered her eyes, and hence Jian Yi missed the sadness and disappointment in her eyes.

    She looked up again, and the sarcasm returned. With her finger pulp on the diamond, she teased. ¡°Unlike my ring, there¡¯s not much thought put into it. One simply picked it up at the counter. The diamond isn¡¯t even of the top quality! Do you know where the diamond on Song Yu¡¯s ringe from? I¡¯m not sure if you read the news. At the beginning of the year, Christie¡¯s auctioned a newly mined diamond. While it isn¡¯t thergest in the world, it has the highest purity. An anonymous person won the bid.

    ¡°The person is my big brother. He then found a famous diamond cutter and personally paid a visit to him to have him cut it into this shape. I don¡¯t know how good it is, but I do know that the cutter is the only one who has the technology, and it¡¯s passed on to only one person per generation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t even talk about the base ring, how finely crafted it is. You can¡¯t evenpare to him in terms of thoughtfulness. I¡¯m notparing how much effort he puts into me versus you, but how much effort he puts into Song Yu. Compared to my big brother, who do you think you are?¡±

    Qi Chengyue lowered her head and saw the hands resting on Jian Yi¡¯s knees were tightly clenched. The veins were visible from the exertion.

    Sheid her hand on the back of his and caressed on the veins with the pulp of her finger. Sheughed lightly. ¡°Heh heh, are you mad? Are you suffering?¡±

    Jian Yi clenched his teeth and tried his best to control himself. He tilted his head slightly and whispered, ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? While you hurt me, you hurt yourself too. You harm others, and it¡¯s detrimental to you. What¡¯s the point?¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s head jerked. Her re at Jian Yi revealed theplications she felt inside ¡ªanger, sadness, and love.

    ¡°Chengyue, what are you two whispering about?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice rang through.

    Qi Chengyue kept her eyes and returned with a sweet smile. She blushed. ¡°Grandma, we¡¯re talking about something private.¡±

    ¡°Heh heh heh. You¡¯re still in the honeymoon stage.¡± Grandmother Qi was beaming with joy. Maybe it was not long till she got a maternal great-grand kid.

    Even Qi Chengzhi who used to give her an enormous headache got married at the age of thirty-five, Grandmother Qi felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off. She was delighted and relieved, as though a heavy stone had been removed from her shoulder.

    With one worry settled, Grandmother Qi began diverting her attention to Qi Chenglin.

    Grandmother Qi looked at Qi Youxuan, who was munching on a chicken drumstick and let out a sigh. There was oil all over his mouth.

    This child did not have his mother with him since young, and that was why Grandmother Qi doted on him.

    Grandmother Qi said this often, ¡°While Youxuan doesn¡¯t have his mom with him, he can grow to be such a good, bright kid because of how sensible he is. He¡¯s such a lovely child.¡±

    Thinking about it, Grandmother Qi felt a sudden soreness in her eyes.

    Grandmother Qi blinked away the tears and whimpered. ¡°Chenglin, your big brother is married now, and you¡¯re already thirty-three. It¡¯s time to find Youxuan a mom.¡±

    Qi Chenlin almost choked on the rice. He coughed. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s fine. I have many contacts with others, and who knows? One day I may find someone I like. Instead of worrying about me, you should be worried about Chengji. He¡¯s in the military and surrounded by men. Even if there¡¯s a female soldier, there are still more men than women. With such a narrow social circle, where can he meet girls?¡±

    Qi Chengji¡¯s hand that was reaching out for the food trembled. He did not expect the second elder brother to be dragging him down. He applied for special leave for the day, and Qi Chenglin chose to offer him as the target.

    He nced at Qi Chenglin and said calmly, ¡°Second elder brother, I¡¯m just twenty-seven. There¡¯s no rush. If you keep dying, however, you won¡¯t have a second kid. Youxuan will be the only son in the family.¡±

    Grandmother Qi did not take the bait. She waved her hand. ¡°Don¡¯t push it to each other. There¡¯s indeed no rush for Chengji. Twenty-seven is not too old for a man. You¡¯re in a more urgent state than him.¡±

    Grandmother Qi lifted her brows. ¡°You said you¡¯ve much contact with others, but after so many years, why haven¡¯t you found someone? Look at Chengzhi and how swift he is! He met Song Yust year, and now they¡¯re married!¡±

    Qi Chenglin was stunned. He mumbled in his heart that she did not know how many years of effort big brother had to put in for it.

    Besides, before this, Qi Chengzhi had always been heavily criticized by Grandmother Qi. After he got married, he became the model for them.

    ¡°I think you¡¯re not putting in much effort to know the people, and that¡¯s why even after you meet so many women over the years, you¡¯ve not found anyone suitable,¡± Grandmother Qi said.

    ¡°The Song girl, you know quite a few people through work, whether they¡¯re clients or coworkers. Do you have anyone suitable to introduce to Chenglin? I don¡¯t ask for them to be of equal status, or if they need to have any brilliant background. All I want is for them to be a proper person with a good and honest heart.¡±

    It was not in Song Yu¡¯s ce to introduce someone to Qi Chenglin. What if Qi Chenglin felt annoyed by them? It would offend the female party too. It was an arduous and thankless task.

    When she was about to agree for the sake of agreeing, Song Yu suddenly thought of Ruan Danchen. While she did not agree right away, she replied, ¡°Okay, I will pay attention.¡±

    ¡°Great!¡± Grandmother Qi smiled, satisfied. Looking at Song Yu¡¯s expression, it seemed she was going to look into this. Then she said, ¡°Of course, even though Chengji is still young, he can search for a girlfriend, and date for one or two years. He¡¯s almost thirty, and it¡¯s the ripe age for marriage. You¡¯re familiar with Chengji, and you should know him and his type well. Even if you¡¯re not sure, you can ask him directly. There¡¯s no need to be shy.

    ¡°If you meet anyonepatible with Chengji, don¡¯t forget to link them up!¡± Grandmother Qi exhorted. She did not let Qi Chengji have an easy time.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu nodded and looked at Qi Chengji in a manner that was ridiculing him.

    After dinner, Grandmother Qi asked for the marriage certificate from Song Yu. After taking a picture of it, she kept her phone. ¡°I will show it to the theater group tomorrow when I go for acting. I will also pay a visit to the Han family and show this to Xiao Han¡¯s grandma.

    Song Yu recalled thest time Grandmother Qi called Han Zhuoli¡¯s grandmother¡ªGrandmother Han pinched his ear so hard that it became swollen.

    If Grandmother Qi showed this to Grandmother Han, she wondered what terrible state Han Zhuoli would be in.

    Thinking about it, Grandmother Qi grew impatient. She took out her phone and poked around. ¡°Hello, Xiao Chen. I¡¯ve something to tell you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Heh heh heh. It¡¯s great news. Let me tell you, my eldest grandson is married!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, no. They are officially wed, with the marriage certificate! They¡¯re just waiting for the wedding ceremony now. I¡¯m so happy; I have to find someone to share the joy. You¡¯re the first person I thought of! How about Xiao Han? Does he have anyone yet?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yo! He has to work hard! Heh heh heh. From my estimation, I think I have to start preparing red eggs soon!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Okay, I will let you go. I have a show tomorrow morning and nothing going on in the afternoon. I will visit you. Wait for me and don¡¯t go out.¡± Grandmother Qi informed her.

    Song Yu said nothing. ¡°...¡±

    She just looked at the side. Deep in her heart, she was guessing Han Zhuoli¡¯s grandmother was trying her best to avoid talking about it, but Grandmother Qi did not give her a chance.

    After hanging around for a while more, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi left with the others.

    When they were about to step out of the house and get in the car, they passed by Jian Yi. Jian Yi looked in a direction awkwardly, but Song Yu paid him no attention as if he was transparent. She held onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and walked to the car. Taking a turn, she got in from the front passenger door.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang soon after they were on the road.

 Chapter 169 - Was It Your Friend Who Registered for Marriage? Congratulations!

    <h4>Chapter 169: Was It Your Friend Who Registered for Marriage? Congrattions!</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Not long after they started their journey, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang.

    Qi Chengzhi was driving so Song Yu held it up to see who it was¡ªit was Han Zhuoli¡ªand proceeded to tell Qi Chengzhi.

    The phone was not connected to the earphones making it inconvenient for Qi Chengzhi to answer the call. Hence, he asked Song Yu to help.

    As Song Yu picked up the phone Han Zhuoli roared, not even giving her the chance to greet him. ¡°Qi Chengzhi! Can¡¯t you keep a low profile when you are registering your marriage?! My grandmother gave me a call again just now! She wants me to be back home by tomorrow! Can you not build your happiness on our pain?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but it¡¯s me, Song Yu,¡± replied Song Yu awkwardly. She did not expect grandmother Han to take action so swiftly, going after Han Zhuoli immediately after ending their call.

    The phone was quiet for some time.

    ¡°Mr. Han, are you still there?¡± Song Yu had no choice but to ask. The silence was too long and she was starting to suspect that Han Zhuoli had already ended the call.

    ¡°Erm, it¡¯s you. I¡¯m sorry, I thought it was Qi Chengzhi,¡± responded Han Zhuoli awkwardly.

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengzhi, smiled and said, ¡°He¡¯s driving at the moment. Do you need to speak to him now?¡±

    ¡°Never mind. I¡¯ll call him againter. I¡¯m sorry for what has happened just now!¡± Han Zhuoli replied before hastily ending the call.

    Qi Chengzhi took a quick look at Song Yu and asked, ¡°Has Grandmother Han gotten to him?¡±

    ¡°Yep.¡± Song Yu could not help butugh.

    ¡°Our grandmother will never give up until she has given a call to each of them,¡± said Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°From what I see on your face, why do I feel that you are taking pleasure in others¡¯ misfortune?¡± Song Yu raised her eyebrow.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, holding Song Yu¡¯s hand. He did not answer her.

    ...

    ...

    When they got back, Song Yu went for a shower.

    Qi Chengzhi found their marriage certificate in her bag andid them down on the round ss table. He did not open them but kept them closed, putting their marriage certificates side by side. He clicked on Wechat and took a photo of them. Without any captions, he posted it on his Wechat Moments.

    Then, he walked to the bathroom.

    The bathroom door was not locked. Qi Chengzhi smirked, pulled the door open and walked in.

    Song Yu was washing her hair at that moment. Her eyes were shut and her hair was full of the shampoo¡¯s white foam. Some of themnded on her body and was slowly dissolving on her fair skin.

    The water from the shower was flowing down to the back of her neck, and since her head was bowed, it followed the guide of her neck, flowing down to the front. They formed a few fine streams on her fair skin and looked like a transparent silk robe covering her skin.

    The water continued drifting down until they reached the quiet forest. Only then, they ran straight down from the tip.

    The water pouring out from the shower cap was creating a light steam. It raised the temperature of the bathroom a little. Steaming out of the top of the ss door, revolving around Qi Chengzhi.

    The transparent ss door of the shower was also being covered by ayer of steam. It was hazy.

    The fair and elegant body of Song Yu seemed to also be hidden in a thin tulle.

    Qi Chengzhi gulped in difficulty. His mouth was dry and hot. It was very droughty.

    He did not speak but took off his tie silently.

    The sound of the rushing water covered the sound of his clothes dropping to the floor.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze did not leave Song Yu. He saw that she was closing her eyes while washing off the shampoo on her hair. His dark eyes traveled from her forehead to her toes which were as pure as jade. Then, he gazed at her back, traveling from her outstanding backside to her smooth hair that was pressing on her back.

    After washing the shampoo off her hair, Song Yu wiped away the water on her eyelids. She opened her eyes and was going to squeeze some hair conditioner onto her palm but stopped abruptly.

    When her gaze met the shadow outside the ss door, she turned around. Immediately, her legs turned to jelly.

    Song Yu held her breath nervously. Her eyes were wide open. She could forgive herself for not knowing when he snuck in, but how could she not have known that he had taken off his clothes.

    Now, he was naked from top to bottom. Left with only his boxers on.

    Without the cover of clothes, his tall figure looked even more well-built and muscr.

    Below the broad shoulders was his burly chest. As Qi Chengzhi¡¯s breathing became more rapid and shallow, she was also getting more nervous.

    Song Yu could not stop herself from trailing her gaze down,nding it on his lower abdomen that looked like choctes. One by one, his six-packs were neatly arranged on it. She clearly remembered the tense and bouncy touch of them under her palm.

    Below the abdomen and by the borderline of the boxer, some ck could be seen exposed in that area. Also, she did not fail to spot the part where the cloth was being held up high.

    Below it was a pair of masculine legs. The sturdy look of them made her shudder.

    Song Yu¡¯s mouth was getting drier and drier, almost losing her consciousness at the same time. She could only look at his bare legs striding to her unconsciously.

    Song Yu¡¯s lower abdomen contracted nervously as he reached the ss door. She wetted her lips with her tongue and voiced out shakily, ¡°How did youe in?¡±

    ¡°What do you think?¡± His voice was hoarse, and his eyes turned darker. He did not open the door and went in immediately, but instead started to strip off his boxers slowly.

    Song Yu took a step backward nervously. Both of her hands did not cover her shyly since he had already seen her. However, she was too nervous and did not know where to put them.

    ¡°I¡¯m not done yet...¡± said Song Yu weakly. She gulped anxiously.

    ¡°Tonight is our wedding night. I came in to see why my wife hasn¡¯t finished bathing yet,¡±mented Qi Chengzhi with his hoarse voice. He opened the ss door and stepped in with his long legs.

    Song Yu retreated to the wall. Suddenly, she was pricked by the coldness of the tiles which made her shudder. Immediately, he pressed himself on her, setting both of his hands between the tiles and her back. She had not even gotten the time to adapt to the coldness on her back, yet his burning and powerful hands were already pressed against her back.

    As soon as Song Yu was glued to him, she felt his bulge sticking up to her. With the slightest of movements, it was slipped in between her legs. Her whole body was lifted by him.

    ¡°Today onwards, you are my wife. This feeling is very different.¡± He lowered his gaze to hers, and could not refrain himself from pecking her lips.

    Song Yu could not help but to wrap her arms around his neck while wrapping her legs around him too. Both of her hands were on the back of his head, gently stroking his hair.

    His short hair was wetted by the water, sticking obediently on his forehead and scalp. It made him look a lot younger suddenly, like a boy.

    Song Yu looked at his face fascinatingly. He was charming. From his hair, the water flowed down his forehead, wetting his eyebrows and eyshes.

    Song Yu could not help bowing down her head, giving him a soft pecks on his eyshes.

    ¡°Call me ¡®honey¡¯. I want to hear it.¡± Qi Chengzhi took the advantage to lean forward, gently sucking on her neck. The kisses were mixed with the warm flowing water and the pleasant scent of her body.

    Song Yu cracked into a smile and replied obediently, ¡°Honey.¡±

    The gentleness in her voice traveled into his ears and excited him. Turning to find her mouth near his ear, he kissed it roughly.

    Song Yu¡¯s head did not fall back, but instead, she kissed him back with the same amount of pressure. Both of them were kissing eagerly and wildly, as if they were hoping to be one with each other.

    Qi Chengzhi pressed her onto the tiles again. Little by little sliding it into her.

    Song Yu¡¯s back was rubbing up and down the wall. Now, the coldness on it was reced by warmth. He went on like that, going deeper and deeper.

    Even when he had filled herpletely with his warmth, he did not withdraw. He stayed inside while carrying her out of the bathroom, and pressing her against the bed.

    Song Yu gasped. It got up again after just taking a short walk.

    ¡°What¡¯d u say? If it keeps being hooked by you, would it be scraped by you tonight?¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled, rubbing on the corner of her lips.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed, silently scolding him for bing so shameless.

    She took a look at him thinking that she should not always lose to his boldness. Suddenly, she had an idea. Pointing at his chest, she said, ¡°If you keep on rubbing like this, it won¡¯t be a surprise that I would be scraped before you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi choked. After some moments, heughed with his chest quivering against her. All of a sudden, he hugged her tighter.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Qi Chengzhi opened up his Wechat as he was having his breakfast. He was wondering what kind of reactions had yesterday¡¯s photo brought to the others.

    The firstment was made by Han Zhuoli: ¡°Qi Chengzhi, do you have anypassion?! Don¡¯t go around showing off, could you?!¡±

    Yan Beicheng: ¡°Qi Chengzhi, do you have anypassion?! Don¡¯t go around showing off, could you?!¡±

    Wei Zhiqian: ¡°Qi Chengzhi, do you have anypassion?! Don¡¯t go around showing off, could you?!¡±

    Wei Ziling: ¡°Qi Chengzhi, do you have anypassion?! Don¡¯t go around showing off, could you?!¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang: ¡°I look down on you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡± The one above, could you queue up?! Big brother, do you have anypassion?! Don¡¯t go around showing off, could you?!¡±

    Then, it was thestment.

    Ran Xiangsi: ¡°Was it your friend who had registered marriage? Congrattions!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not reply to thements, but frowned and clicked on the name of ¡°Ran Xiangsi¡±. He dropped it straight into his cklist. Then, he put down his phone as if nothing had happened.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi stopped his car at the entrance of Song Yu¡¯spany. After Song Yu unbuckled her belt, he held up her left hand and looked at the wedding ring on her ring finger. His gorgeous face cracked into a satisfied smile.

    Song Yu kissed him and said, ¡°Drive carefully.¡±

    Then, she exited the car.

    Qi Chengzhi watched as she joined the crowd, stopping in front of the elevator. He took off only after she had squeezed into the elevator together with the crowd.

    When Song Yu went into thepany, there was no one in the office except Ruan Danchen. Hence, Song Yu told Ruan Danchen quietly about registering her marriage with Qi Chengzhi the day before.

    Ruan Danchen grabbed her left hand and gasped at the sight of the diamond ring. ¡°Every move from Qi Chengzhi is always shocking!¡±

    Song Yu remembered the words that Grandmother Han had saidst night and gave a thought about them. She asked politely, ¡°Since you haven¡¯t had any boyfriend, why don¡¯t I introduce someone to you? I¡¯ve gotten to know quite a few of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s friends. All of them are single. Plus, they have good characteristics. All of them are very responsible unlike thosemon yboys.¡±

    Song Yu also thought that Ruan Danchen was a gooddy. She might not able to be with Qi Chenglin, but there would always be somebody else, right?

    That was why she did not mention Qi Chenglin.

    Unexpectedly, Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°Forget it. The affection between you and Qi Chengzhi happened naturally. It was he who chose you from the bottom of his heart. If you introduced one to me, won¡¯t it be a blind date then? Those friends of Qi Chengzhi aren¡¯t the type who will fall for thedy they meet on a blind date. They will not fall for me. Even if they do meet me in person, it will also be because of you.¡±

    ¡°Plus, what kind of family background do they have? An ordinary person like me don¡¯t deserve them.¡± Ruan Danchen kept shaking her head. ¡°Our situation is different. Your situation can not be replicated. Forget it, just forget it. I don¡¯t want to embarrass myself.¡±

    Song Yu chuckled at her words. ¡°You really are... Others would like to have a chance to know rich people. You are the opposite and would rather hide far away from them before it¡¯s toote.¡±

    ¡°This is having self-consciousness.¡± Ruan Danchen guffawed. ¡°I may be like most of thedies, dreaming to have a prince charming. But, I¡¯m also logical. The prince charming in my heart doesn¡¯t have to have a high status or a lot of money. He could just be an ordinary office worker but treats me sincerely. Whether it¡¯s before or after marriage, as long as he treats me the same all along.¡±

    Ruan Danchen chuckled and shook her head. ¡°This is such a simple request. But only a few of them can seed nowadays. So, why should I be chasing the shadows of those high-status men? To be honest, I don¡¯t want to get near those wealthy families.¡±

    The expression on Ruan Danchen was sincere, and it was not just to create a good impression.

    Song Yu rested her chin on her hands, looking at Ruan Danchen as she said with a smirk, ¡°It¡¯s a pity that Cheng Dongge has a girlfriend who¡¯s going to be his fiance. Or else, I¡¯ll be introducing him to you.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of your marriage that you are loosening yourself up? Starting to be all concerned about other people, feeling the urge to be cupid!¡± said Ruan Danchen grumpily.

    Song Yuughed. As she was about to answer Ruan Danchen, she got a call from Qi Chengzhi. Under the teasing gaze of Ruan Danchen, she ran to the corner to pick it up.

    ¡°I¡¯ve arrived at thepany,¡± Qi Chengzhi reported with a soft tone through the phone.

    ¡°Alright,¡± whispered Song Yu. ¡°Go on with your work then.¡±

    She heard Qi Chengzhi answered ¡°okay¡± on the phone. Now, Song Yu could easily recognize the emotions in his tone.

    Qi Chengzhi had given a simple answer but she could tell that he was in a good mood.

    Qi Chengzhi did not end the call immediately. Song Yu smiled sheepishly¡ªblushing¡ªand said, ¡°Goodbye honey.¡±

    She did not have the courage to hear him reply and ended the call immediately after.

    Holding onto the phone, her face was still flushing and her scalp was tingling. Her heart was beating rapidly as if she had just finished a one hundred meters sprint race.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at his phone in a daze. He was not prepared for what Song Yu had said, and was too stunned to speak a word before Song Yu ended the call hastily.

    Qi Chengzhi was stunned for half the day. Regaining his mindter, his gaze at the phone was gentle, though his smile seemed to be a bit silly.

    After giving the door three knocks, Cheng Dongge went in. ¡°Young Master Cheng, did you call...¡±

    Not even getting to finish his sentence, Cheng Dongge was dumbstruck, looking in horror at the silly smile on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    However, in a blink of an eye the silly smile on his face was gone. It returned to its usual stern expression that forbade strangers from going near him.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his gaze to him coldly. Immediately, Cheng Dongge regained his posture, pretending as if he had not seen anything. After closing the door carefully, he walked to Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, this is what you have requested for. The information about Yu Zidong¡¯spany.¡± Cheng Dongge ced the file in front of Qi Chengzhi. The title of the file was Dong Hua Finance Management. ¡°These are the information of several major clients of thepany. Besides, some investments are entrusted to them by several of its medium and minor clients. Mostly are notes, futures, trust, and stock. Due to their interest rate being higher than most of the banks, they do have a good reputation in recent years. Besides, they have two different financial management, break-even, and no break-even. That is why their business performance is getting better and better.¡±

    ¡°These are their investment products and details.¡± Cheng Dongge ced another file down, side by side with the previous one.

    ¡°Which are those that Yu Zidong invested himself?¡± Qi Chengzhi was reading the documents. Without looking up, a file appeared in front of him again.

    Cheng Dongge spoke, ¡°These. Part of it is invested in the name of Yu Zidong¡¯spany. The other part of it is invested using his own title. Among the products that are invested using his title name, Yu Zidong has earned quite a huge sum of money from one of them. He has invested alongside with Liang Lihua in that particr one because he has received some internal information about it. Liang Lihua threw part of her savings into it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at the files. He did not read further but paused and said, ¡°Yu Keyao is graduating this year, isn¡¯t she?

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Cheng Dongge nodded. ¡°She doesn¡¯t n to further her studies or to pursue her studies abroad. She majors in fashion design. Yu Zidong is nning to set up a studio for her. The ce for it has already been chosen, an outlet located in the neighborhood nearby. Recently, Yu Zidong is also getting in touch with some brands and well-known buyers. He is paving the way for Lu Keyao with hisworking skills.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Not long after Song Yu ended the call with Qi Chengzhi, Director Zhao arrived at the office. Jian Yi followed right behind him.

    Director Zhao gestured with his arm, ushering Jian Yi to go in before him.

    Song Yu saw Jian Yi but pretended to have not. With her head down, she continued her work.

    ¡°Little Song.¡± Director Zhao walked to the desk where Song Yu had been. With a gentle and ingratiating manner, he spoke, ¡°Manager Jian of Qilin is here. He has some work-rted issues to talk about. Is it alright if you discuss with him in the reception room?¡±

    Director Zhao heard that Song Yu had registered marriage with Qi Chengzhi. She had be a true Mrs. Qi, and from now on, anyone who came across Song Yu must pay respect to her. He was only the owner of a smallpany. His status was far from enough. That was why his manners to Song Yu was bing more humble.

    On the other side, Jian Yi was widely known as the son-inw of the Qi family. Therefore, Director Zhao did not dare to provoke either one of them. Instantly, he was agonizing over being a boss like this.

    Song Yu looked up and took a cold nce at Jian Yi. Director Zhao was confused. Why was Song Yu unhappy with Jian Yi?

    It was Jian Yi who had got her into thispany in the first ce.

    Looking formal, Song Yu went around the desk and uttered, ¡°Manager Jian, pleasee with me.¡±

    Jian Yi nodded with his serious face. It made Song Yu doubt whether he was really there for public affairs.

    Song Yu brought Jian Yi to the reception room and allowed him to go in first. Then, she walked in, leaving the door open on purpose.

    Jian Yi had not sat down yet when he turned and saw Song Yu¡¯s behavior. With a clear understanding of it, he snickered and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t mind revealing the truth behind Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, I won¡¯t make anyment about that opened door.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s hand was still on the doorknob. She tensed up suddenly due to Jian Yi¡¯s words. Blue veins appeared on the back of her fair hand and her blood vessels could clearly be seen. Her knuckles went white because of her tension.

    She frowned, grinding her teeth. This was her first time feeling such an intense hatred towards Jian Yi.

    She mmed the door with a bang and could not be bothered to hide the disgust on her face. ¡°Jian Yi, how long do you want to do this?! Can you not pester me all day?! Go and live your life! This is my business! Don¡¯t you stick your nose into it!¡±

 Chapter 170 - If You Agree to This Condition, I Will Promise You to Keep That Incident as a Secret

    <h4>Chapter 170: If You Agree to This Condition, I Will Promise You to Keep That Incident as a Secret</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She mmed the door with a ¡°bang¡±, did not even care to hide the disgust on her face. ¡°Jian Yi, aren¡¯t you done yet?! Can you don¡¯t pester me all day?! Go and live your life! This is my business! Don¡¯t you stick your nose into it!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Jian Yi clenched his teeth and flinched while scanning the lovely face of Song Yu. Though she was furious, she was still beautiful in his eyes.

    Besides, she had been seeing Qi Chengzhi and had the taste of sex life. This had led to her into possessing coquettish temperament, which was showing involuntarily from her soul.

    However, when Jian Yi thought of the cause of her change, he felt jealousy gnawing like an ant at his heart. He was jealous that her change was brought by Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°The evidence has shown clearly that it is conclusive. You knew that Qi Chengzhi had ruined Song family, destroyed your life and your future. You knew that he had ruined thepany which your father had put all his effort in. You knew that he had destroyed the luxury life you mother had had. He has made your family into what you are right now. All the things he has done to you, they are so unfair to you. Why did you still marry him? Don¡¯t you hate him?¡± questioned Jian Yi furiously. The color of anger was creeping onto his face, his eyes were opened widely due to rage.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t hate him,¡± replied Song Yu peacefully. ¡°Jian Yi, who are you to interfere with my business? Don¡¯t you dare to consider yourself having the right to help me to judge right from wrong! Since I, as the person involved, don¡¯t even hate anymore, who are you toe here and question me? Thank you, I don¡¯t need your concern.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been telling you this for a lot of times! Even I start to feel frustrated with it. Do you still not understand? This is my business! I don¡¯t need your concern! You just have to mind your own business! Do you know what kind of feeling you are giving me now?¡±

    Song Yu gave one step forward. ¡°Jian Yi, you are making me feel sick. Now, I just have one thought in mind. I want to get rid of you. This is the first time I feel such disgust and loathing on somebody. Do you know that? Those in Yu family, they are not even as disgusting as you. They are shameless, but they have never tried to hide it. They are real scumbags. However, you still want to give yourself credit for the things that you¡¯ve done shamelessly.¡±

    ¡°Could you don¡¯t irritate me anymore? I detest you. I hate to see you. I¡¯ll rather not have you appearing in front of me for the rest of my life. Haven¡¯t I been clear enough?¡± Song Yu took a deep breath. ¡°You say that Qi Chengzhi has lied to me. He has ruined the Song family. You say that my life has been ruined, but I don¡¯t even have any feelings about it. The reason is that I¡¯ll rather live the life I have now. I won¡¯t even want to go back to the life that I¡¯ve had.¡±

    ¡°In the past, I may have everything, but I have not been happy. I don¡¯t hate him for ruining Song family. In contrast, I¡¯m thankful that he has set me free. My parents may have suffered, but they have only suffered for one year. Since I graduated from high school, I¡¯ve been given part-time jobs by my friends. They have provided me enough to cover all my school fees. Not to mention that I¡¯ll always have extras to give my parents as living expenses. As a result, they don¡¯t have to work anymore, but enjoy their life at home.¡±

    ¡°Now, they don¡¯t have to stress. Their life now is way better than in the past!¡± Song Yu gave a cold-shoulder to him. ¡°You say that Qi Chengzhi has lied to me? Jian Yi, a person like you who are always telling lies, who are you to criticize Qi Chengzhi? He may have lied to me, but he has lied due to his love to me. In addition, he has only lied about this in his life.¡±

    ¡°He is able to sacrifice everything for me. So why should I care about this little lie? What about you? You¡¯ve deceived me twice on the incident of Guan Xiaolin and Qi Chengyue. Oh, is it just twice? The year when I drowned, who did you say that save me? Apparently, it was Qi Chengzhi who had saved me, but you were shameless. You looked into my eyes and told me that it was you who had saved me. Furthermore, you had pretended to be sicked because of it. Wow, a person who can lie until such an extent. Jian Yi, do you still expect me to have trust in you?¡±

    ¡°Do you know why I¡¯ve liked you in the past? Do you know when I¡¯ve started to like you? It was because of the drowning at that time. You deceived me into believing you that you were the one who had saved me with your life. Since then, I¡¯ve taken an interest in you. I started to realize the good part of you.¡±

    ¡°Apparently, the person who I like is the person who has saved me, not you.¡± Song Yu took a deep breath. Her breath was trembling a little. ¡°If you¡¯d not deceived me in the first ce, I¡¯d have already been together with Qi Chengzhi. We wouldn¡¯t have wasted so many years. He wouldn¡¯t have to be forced to ruin thepany of my family.¡±

    ¡°I would¡¯ve been able to tell Qi family that the person I¡¯ve liked was Qi Chengzhi. To Qi family, it would be no difference about who I married. We would¡¯ve been married long ago. My parents and I wouldn¡¯t have to suffer. Qi Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t also have done the only wrongdoing. We could¡¯ve had our joyful life several years in advance. We wouldn¡¯t have to wander around for such a long time, only to get together by now. He wouldn¡¯t have to wait for me for so many years. Only to finally have me showed up by his thirty-sixth.¡±

    Song Yu did not care to hide her loathing to Jian Yi. ¡°If it is to find the true person who ruin Song family, it¡¯ll be you, not Qi Chengzhi. Due to your selfish lie, Qi Chengzhi, my family and I have fallen into the mess that happenedter.¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, how can you face me now and question me? Why did I not hate Qi Chengzhi? Why should I hate him? I should be hating you!¡± Song Yu shook her head, looking at him with sympathy. ¡°Jian Yi, do you really like me? You are just not willing to admit that you have lost to Qi Chengzhi. In your eyes, he has everything but you don¡¯t, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Even if you had been having an interest in me from the start, it would have been because of me being the rich girl from the Song family. If I had been a daughter from an ordinary family, you wouldn¡¯t have given a nce to me. You are arrogant. You think that only those rich girls areparable to you.¡±

    ¡°Once we went bankrupt, did you not immediately went for Guan Xiaolin? When you¡¯ve finally gotten to Qi Chengyue, you dumped Guan Xiaolin at once. To you, women are just your step stones. Your persistency to me now, is not love at all. You are just unwilling to see that I¡¯m good without you, unwilling to see that Qi Chengzhi is having everything that you¡¯ve dreamt to have.¡±

    ¡°The fees for your studies was given by Guan Xiaolin. Your sessful career was given by Qi Chengrui. Jian Yi, you are a person who relies on women. Who are you to be jealous of Qi Chengzhi? What makes youparable to Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± roared Jian Yi. He could not put up with it anymore. He was intolerable to listen more. Song Yu had talked like he had nothing good to be praised. ¡°How great is Qi Chengzhi then? He has got all these because of his good life since his birth. If he had been given birth in an ordinary family like me, he would have been nothing! What you¡¯ve talked about just now, have all been there for him since his birth. He doesn¡¯t need to fight for it at all! To get what I want, I have to work myself. Even if I have worked a lot harder than him, it¡¯ll still be not enough to receive one percent of what he possesses in return.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head and spoke confidently, ¡°even if he had been given birth in an ordinary family, he would certainly still be able to make the most out of his life. He would still be able to be sessful. He would not need to rely on women. Jian Yi, you don¡¯t understand. A person like you will never understand. Due to his personality, he¡¯ll never make those despicable actions. You aren¡¯t even qualified to judge Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    Jian Yi who was especially furious at first burst intoughter suddenly.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi has ruined the Song family, but you don¡¯t hate him. Compared to what he has done, my lie to you is not a big deal at all, but you loathe me. Do you think it¡¯s fair? Do you really love him until this extend? Or are there any other reason? About this, I would rather not ask.¡±

    ¡°p!¡±

    Jian Yi was suddenly interrupted. He had been pped hard by Song Yu. It was unexpected. His face was pped to the side by her. Worse, his jaw made the sound of ¡°crack¡±, it was misaligned.

    Jian Yi held onto his jaw, adjusted it back to its rightful ce. Then, he turned around and saw Song Yu pointing at him. She was furious. ¡°I don¡¯t care what kind of dirty thoughts you have in mind. You have to hold that back! Don¡¯t you ever use your dirty mindset to pollute my ears!¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± chuckled Jian Yi. He sounded cold. From the bottom of his heart, he felt truly unfair. Comparing to Qi Chengzhi, his lie before that was nothing.

    However, Song Yu was not going to forgive him. She was hating him more and more. Worse, she felt disgusted by him, not even fancy to see him face.

    She kept saying that she loved Qi Chengzhi. She even registered her marriage with him, making love with him every day since then.

    Did Song Yu really love Qi Chengzhi to that extent?

    He did not believe. She must have been chasing for the status of Qi Chengzhi.

    If he had been reced by somebody else, if he had been reced by him, Song Yu would have had killed him by now.

    What right did she have to criticize him then?

    Jian Yi thought while holding his jaw in one hand and closing another into a fist.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll not talk about this. I ask you, about the Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wrongdoing to the Song family, do auntie and uncle know about it?¡± Jian Yi looked fixedly at the face of Song Yu, observing her reaction.

    Unexpectedly, Song Yu did not show any fear butughed ironically. ¡°Do you think that I¡¯ll keep it to my parents? Taking the action to marry Qi Chengzhi and exinter?¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s face turned serious, eyeing her suspiciously. ¡°Auntie and uncle have known about it? They were not angry but agreed to your marriage?¡±

    ¡°The whole family of mine doesn¡¯t matter. So, Jian Yi, don¡¯t you care so much anymore,¡± said Song Yu coldly.

    Jian Yi kept his lips together tightly. He still did not believe.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe. I don¡¯t believe that they have easily forgiven Qi Chengzhi, without a close look into what he has done,¡± said Jian Yi doubtfully.

    Song Yu tighten her lips coldly and brought out a phone, holding it out to Jian Yi. ¡°If you still don¡¯t believe, why don¡¯t you call and ask them directly?¡±

    Jian Yi seemed to be serious. He looked down at the phone, looked up again at Song Yu. His eyes were squinting, trying to find out something from her face.

    Song Yu was doing her best to keep herself calm. She acted confident, but her palm that was against the cover of the phone was already sweating.

    She weed the gaze of Jian Yi, without her eyes blinking. She did not avoid his gaze, confidently look into his eyes. She showed no guilty.

    After looking at her a long time, Jian Yi turned his attention away from her. He did not ept Song Yu¡¯s phone.

    Song Yu kept her phone but did not dare to show a sign of relief. She was still intense.

    ¡°Since you are not making the call, don¡¯t you annoy me again,¡± said Song Yu coldly. ¡°If youe and disturb me again, I won¡¯t mind telling Qi Chengzhi on you.¡±

    Since Qi Chengzhi had said that, she would not mind g his name for once.

    ¡°You are trying to be outstanding. You are hoping to rise to the top of Qilin. That¡¯s why you are doing all the things you are doing now.¡± said Song Yu coldly. ¡°If you annoy me again, I will promise you that you will never be able to be sessful in Qilin. Not even as a department manager! Not even as this position you are now holding!¡±

    ¡°If you have the capability, you can always convince Qi Chengyue to give you a sum of money. If you seed in it, suit yourself then! You can always create your own career out there in the world. However, don¡¯t you expect to have any achievement in Qilin for your entire life!¡± Song Yu smirked sarcastically. ¡°Are you willing to give a shot for your future? Do mind that you have worked hard to possess what you are having now.¡±

    She looked at Jian Yi with her teeth-gritting, even her jaws were jutting out.

    Song Yu opened the door calmly. ¡°Manager Jian, thank you.¡±

    Jian Yi was breathing heavily. He refused to give in to Song Yu, while Song Yu left the door open and stood immobile.

    Finally, Jiang Yi frowned, walked over to it with his teeth gritting. When he was passed by Song Yu, he stopped again. With a deep voice he spoke, ¡°Song Yu, you let me down.¡±

    Song Yu remained silent. Once Jian Yi had left, she finally rxed. As if a deted balloon, her whole body leaned against the wall.

    She did not mention the incident behind the bankruptcy to her parents. She did not know that if she had managed to trick Jian Yi into believing her lies.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi left Chengshi and sat in his Cayenne. He shut his eyes and had his head leaned back. He thought for a while before opening his eyes in a sudden. He took out his phone and made a call to the Song family.

    ¡°Auntie, it¡¯s me. Jian Yi¡±

    Yu Qianying was caught off guard. Jian Yi had not been in contact with their family for a long time, but she smiled and said, ¡°Oh, Jian Yi. Why have you not been visiting us for a long time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been quite busy recently. I¡¯ll be visiting once I¡¯m done with this,¡± said Jian Yi.

    ¡°Auntie, I would like to ask you something.¡± Jian Yi continued.

    ¡°What is it about?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s actually like that. Have you heard of thispany, Feather?¡± asked he.

    Yu Qianying was surprised, she did not understand. ¡°Nope. Why are you asking about this? What is it about thispany?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Jian Yi smiled. ¡°It¡¯s just something that Ie across in my job. I¡¯m not familiar with thispany. It seems to be a newpany that is founded not long ago. However, it has already existed before the incident of the Song family. So, I¡¯m wondering if you know anything about it.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know.¡± Yu Qianying was feeling odd. Why would he ask her about the things rted to his job? ¡°Before that, I also did not have the habit to inquire about the things rted to the job. So, I won¡¯t be able to know anything about thispany. Why don¡¯t I help you to ask Lao Song?¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡±

    After a while, Yu Qianying replied that Song Donglin had not heard of it too. Jian Yi thanked her and ended the call.

    He threw the phone aside and sneered.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Jian Yi coldly. Thetter was sitting at the opposite of him. He had received a call from Jian Yi this afternoon, requesting him to meet up in this private dining room of Shengyue tonight. Jian Yi had mentioned that it was something urgent.

    Qi Chengzhi had made a call to Song Yu, told her that he would be going back homete tonight, due to some matters. He told her that she did not have to wait for him for dinner tonight.

    Now, Jian Yi sitting at the opposite, but he refused to speak.

    Qi Chengzhi sat patiently. His gaze to Jian Yi was cold.

    Jian Yi hated Qi Chengzhi for some reasons that he himself could not exin. The reason why he had arranged a meeting here and not meeting him up in the office, was because he wished to talk to Qi Chengzhi in equal status.

    Here, Qi Chengzhi and him were equal. He is his younger sister¡¯s husband.

    However, if they were in the office, he would be the employee of Qi Chengzhi. He disliked this inequality between Qi Chengzhi and him.

    He thought that Qi Chengzhi would the one who spoke first. To his surprise, Qi Chengzhi was able to stay calm and not raising any question.

    Jian Yi took a deep breath. He took out the file folder and threw it on the table.

    Qi Chengzhi remained expressionless, but heard Jiang Yi spoke: ¡°Take a look.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sniggered. Not bothering the attitude of Jian Yi, he picked up the file folder and took out the things inside.

    After reading, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression remained the same. He nced at Jian Yi, saw that his arrogance was stered on his pleasing face. He was grinning hideously.

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent and put back all the photocopies into it. He was in a rxed posture, leaning back onto the back of his chair.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± mocked Jian Yi.

    ¡°What do you want me to say?¡± Qi Chengzhi sneered.

    Jian Yiughs coldly. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you don¡¯t have to act as if you don¡¯t bother at all. What is it inside, you clearly understand. What do you think would happen if Song Yu¡¯s parents know about it? Will they still allow you to marry her?¡±

    ¡°So are you just here to tell me this?¡± Qi Chengzhi sneered. He stood up immediately and was walking straight to the exit.

    ¡°Wait, are you really not bothered at all?¡± Jian Yi was not able to act calmly anymore. He stood immediately, almost unable to keep himself from running towards Qi Chengzhi to prevent him leaving.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped. His gaze was cold, his tone was soft. ¡°Why should I care?¡±

    ¡°I know that you have registered marriage, but don¡¯t you ever think that you can have a peaceful life from now on. Once Song Yu¡¯s parents know the truth, they will rather force you into divorce, than allow a man who has destroyed their home to be their son-inw!¡± Jian Yi seemed to have gathered back his confidence. His spine was in an upright position, he smiled lightly. ¡°You have deceived them, destroyed the Song family. They will not treat you as if nothing has happened before! They will not be able to forgive you so easily.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave him a nce, spoke with unconcern: ¡°What do you want then? Spill it out quickly, or else I¡¯m leaving.¡±

    Jian Yi was repugnant to his unconcern. This was not in his expectation.

    He thought that this time he would be able to wipe out the calmness on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face. He thought that it would make him anxious and worried, or even enraged.

    He would like to see him losing his temper, removing the calm mask on his face. He would like to see Qi Chengzhi begging him anxiously. He would like to look down on Qi Chengzhi.

    However, unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi still remained unconcerned.

    This was not in Jian Yi¡¯s expectation, but he did not have time to think about it. Thus, this had led Qi Chengzhi into an advantageous position.

    Though it was supposed to be him to lead the way.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be impossible for you to divorce with Song Yu,¡± said Jian Yi. ¡°But if you still are hoping to have a happy life with her, you will need me to keep this as a secret-¡±

    Jian Yi looked at Qi Chengzhi, his voice was colder. ¡°I want you to cancel the order of assigning me to France. Plus, the vice president of Qilin Estate is going to retire at the end of the year. I want to be reced on that position.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s only a vice president of Qilin Estate. It won¡¯t be difficult for you.¡± Jian Yi brushed on the index dial of the watch on his left wrist. His fingertip was drawing circles along the edge of the index dial.

    ¡°As for Qilin Science and Technology, I understand that it¡¯s not the time for me to be there yet.¡± He smiled, looking at Qi Chengzhi confidently. ¡°If you agree to this condition, I will promise you to keep that incident as a secret.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi had not even bothered to answer him, turned and left.

    Walking with his long legs, with two, three steps and he was now by the door. When his handheld onto the doorknob and was to open it, Jian Yi shouted behind: ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you haven¡¯t even answered!¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t my message clear enough?¡± Qi Chengzhi spun around, replied in sarcasm, ¡°With your intelligence, you are still hoping in vain to be a vice president?¡±

    ¡°Do you mean that you don¡¯t agree?¡± This was totally unexpected by Jian Yi.

 Chapter 171 - Youâ€¦ Are You Sure Itâ€™s Safe for You to Continue at This Pace?

    <h4>Chapter 171: You... Are You Sure It¡¯s Safe for You to Continue at This Pace?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Does that mean that you disagree?¡± Jian Yi had not been expecting this at all.

    ¡°It¡¯s up to you who you show these to. You can give them to Song Yu¡¯s parents and even provide them with your kind exnation,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I¡¯d never intended to hide this from them their whole lives.

    ¡°If theye to hate me for it, or force me to divorce Song Yu, then I¡¯m willing to do whatever it takes to earn their forgiveness. I am the man their daughter loves. No matter how much they hate me, they won¡¯t disregard Song Yu¡¯s feelings. As she loves me, I am confident that our journey together will continue as such.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re that sure that Song Yu won¡¯t grow to hate you, too? You know she despises deceit. In the face of your lie, mine seems insignificant, yet she still holds it against me. She won¡¯t even look me in the eye. Do you really think she¡¯d forgive you and continue loving you after learning of all you¡¯ve done?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi arched an eyebrow, his deep-set, ebony eyes staring into Jian Yi¡¯s. If he put it like that, did it mean he had yet to tell Song Yu?

    ¡°Regardless, I already said it¡¯s up to you. If you want to let Song Yu and her parents know, go right ahead.¡± He ced a distinguished hand atop the doorknob, preparing to leave.

    ¡°But, Jian Yi, don¡¯t expect that you will continue to hold your post as the vice-president¨C nor even that of a lowly manager. You¡¯ll be demoted to amon employee, and you¡¯ll suffer through your remaining days at thepany. A person as egotistical as you would definitely quit, right? Nevertheless, nopany would dare to hire someone from the Qi family, even if they were only a son-inw.

    ¡°Perhaps you intend to start your own business, then, since you, in your insurmountable arrogance, never wanted to work beneath someone, anyway.¡± Qi Chengzhi took a breath and stared straight at Jian Yi, his dark eyes smoldering. ¡°From what I¡¯ve gathered, though, your current rtionship with Qi Chengyue is not at a stage where she would support the notion of you owning a start-up. Am I wrong?

    ¡°You married Chengyue because of her status and money. What can you do without financial support from the Qi family?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked disdainful. ¡°Jian Yi, let me remind you that everything you own as of now was given to you by the Qi family. The Qi family can bring you glory, but, just as easily, we can cause your greatest humiliation. Sess or destruction, we are capable of granting you either. You have to understand that, in these circumstances, where the Qi family has made you the man you are today, you are a fool toe and attempt to threaten one of their own, much less the next head.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed, giving him a perfunctory, derisive nce as he did so.

    Jian Yi¡¯s chest grew tight and his breath came out in short and shallow heaves. He could not understand how Qi Chengzhi had intimidated him, when he was the one with the upper hand!

    He wanted to punch the smug look off Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face.

    Before he could say or do anything, however, Qi Chengzhi opened the door and left.

    The door was left swinging on its hinges, unshut. His expression unchanging, Jian Yi hurled his fist at the frame, a loud, metallic ng resounding throughout the room.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu had just finished eating when Qi Chengzhi rang the doorbell. Aunt Yang was busy cleaning in the kitchen.

    She ran to open the door, preparing a pair of house slippers for him before he stepped inside. As she waited for him to change his shoes, she took his bag.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you going out tonight? Why are you back so early?¡±

    ¡°I just went there to show my face. I didn¡¯t feel like staying.¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to study her expression, uncertain as to whether she had learned the truth regarding the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.

    Even though he had behaved in such an assertive manner toward Jian Yi at Shengyue, he still had his fears.

    Song Yu looked as she always did, the way she tilted her head to gaze up at him as tender as always.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten then?¡± Song Yu asked, brushing her cheek. ¡°Is there something on my face? You keep looking at me as if there¡¯s something on it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and bent to peck her lips. ¡°Not yet.¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you say so earlier? I just finished eating. If you had called while you were on the way, I could¡¯ve waited for you.¡± Song Yu¡¯s brows curved into a frown.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his hand, his bony, slender fingers rubbing the area between her eyebrows as if trying to ease out their crease.

    Song Yu burst outughing and grabbed his hand.

    ¡°I was worried about traffic. I didn¡¯t know when I¡¯d reach. In all honesty, I hadn¡¯t expected to leave so soon after arriving, but the opportunity presented itself and I took it.¡± His mellow voice was light and harmonious, abating her concerns.

    ¡°What do you want to eat? I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± Song Yu announced.

    ¡°What did you eat?¡±

    ¡°Since it was only Aunt Yang and me, we mixed cucumber with bean curd skin and had stir-fried gain.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have the same thing then. Cook me a te of gain,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Okay.¡± She let him get changed into morefortable clothing while she prepared the vegetables.

    At this point, it was toote to steam rice, so she switched the main dish to fried noodles.

    After Qi Chengzhi had changed ande down, he caught sight of Song Yu cooking and leaned against the doorway to observe her. She was alternating between frying the vegetables and checking on the bubbling pot of noodles beside her.

    Stealthily, he approached her.

    Song Yu did not notice him. Aunt Yang, however, did and had the good sense to exit the kitchen in silence.

    Song Yu was about to ask Aunt Yang where she was headed all of a sudden, but, as she turned, her eyesnded on Qi Chengzhi.

    She blushed. ¡°What are you doing here? I¡¯m cooking; don¡¯t fool around!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing. He wrapped both arms around her waist and lowered his head to rest his chin on her shoulder. Then, his head tilting, he pressed his lips to her exposed neck.

    Although she was rather calm, her skin, from the back of her neck to the tips of her ears, was bright red.

    She turned her head and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s half-lidded eyes, his pupils almostpletely hidden by his long, thickshes.

    ¡°What is with you today?¡± She asked, sensing his peculiar state of unrest.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± he mumbled into her neck, his voice low and raspy. His emerging stubble, invisible to the eye, tickled her and she nearlyughed.

    ¡°I just feel like it¡¯s so nice to have you waiting for me at home to cook me dinner.¡±

    She smiled, a blissful, buoyant feeling expanding in her chest.

    Song Yu turned her head and kissed his forehead. ¡°Me, too. I feel very happy to wee you home and cook for you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pressed his palm to her abdomen. He massaged it for a moment, then, unconsciously, moved lower, his fingers brushing the hem of her pants.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu blushed violently and hissed, ¡°I¡¯m cooking for you here. Told you not to fool around! Aunt Yang may enter at any time.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang left when she saw me. She won¡¯te in if I¡¯m here,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while peppering kisses to her skin.

    Song Yu grabbed his probing hand and ordered, ¡°Go get me a te for the vegetables.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained stationary. She snapped, ¡°Hurry up!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a deep kiss before he did as she asked.

    Song Yu ted the vegetables and strained the cooked noodles. Then she put them into a pan and stir-fried them briefly.

    After cing them in front of Qi Chengzhi, she said, ¡°If you¡¯reing home without eating, remember to give me a call. I¡¯ll wait for you.¡±

    He mumbled a wordless response.

    Song Yu chuckled. She knew that sentimentality was not something that came easy to him. She sat down beside him and watched him eat.

    ¡°Oh, right. Remember Grandmother told me yesterday to introduce her to someone who¡¯d bepatible with Chenglin?¡± Song Yu rested her chin on her hands and gazed at him.

    ¡°You found someone?¡± Qi Chengzhi ate another mouthful of noodles.

    ¡°I actually thought that Ruan Danchen might be rather suitable. She has a good personality and character. Chenglin is also not the kind of person who cares about a girl¡¯s family background and status. But, when I mentioned it to Ruan Danchen, she rejected me outright,¡± Song Yuughed.

    ¡°You told her that you wanted to introduce her to Chenglin?¡± Qi Chengzhi paused.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t specify who it was. I thought that, if she didn¡¯t hit it off with Chenglin, I¡¯d just introduce her to someone else. Anyway, she said that she wants to find an ordinary guy, not a rich one.¡±

    ¡°Her thinking is rather unique. It¡¯s different from the other women in this era,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a grin.

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I felt that she was a good candidate. By the way, is there anyone in yourpany that would suit her?¡± Song Yu asked, ¡°She¡¯s single now and the same age as me. I think it¡¯s time for her to start looking for a partner.¡±

    ¡°Why is it that married women like to y matchmaker? Could it be that you don¡¯t feel the pressure anymore, since you¡¯re already married, and have now made it your personal mission to solve this issue for all the single youngdies around you?¡± Qi Chengzhi mused, amused.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Song Yu flushed. ¡°It¡¯s only because I think that Danchen is a really good girl. It¡¯s a rare opportunity, especially since you have such remarkable connections. Yan Beicheng and his group of friends are all taken, but you still have many young talents in yourpany. Danchen is not a girl who prioritizes money. Previously, Yang Yunshu asked me to introduce her to some rich guys, but I ignored her.¡±

    ¡°You noticed that ourpany has many young talents? When did you notice them? Which ones are you interested in?¡± Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow as he interrogated her.

    Song Yu had not expected him to focus on that one sentence out of the barrage she had said.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t notice anyone. The only ones I know of are Cheng Dongge and Chang Lai. Oh, and Manager Luo, but he¡¯s a bit too mature,¡± Song Yu said carefully, fearing that she would stumble into an argument born from his insecurity.

    It appeared that Qi Chengzhi had guessed her thoughts and he chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about Chenglin. Don¡¯t take Grandmother Qi¡¯s words too seriously. She knows that she¡¯ll never find a suitable candidate, herself. I¡¯ll keep an eye out for Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Song Yu stared at him as he returned to his food, picking through stalks of gain.

    She could not remember thest time she had seen Qi Chengzhi eat quietly like this. It had be a habitual thing, and she did not feel nervous or amazed anymore. She liked their mealtime conversations, but the silence waspanionable.

    Her mind wandered back to their conversation, her eyes following his motions. He still ate with his usual etiquette and polished demeanor, even at home.

    The scene of him wearing casual house clothes and eating a simple home-cooked meal was so down-to-earth, that his aristocratic features almost seemed out of ce.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked suddenly, snapping her out of her daze.

    ¡°What?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scrutinized her. ¡°What were you thinking so deeply about just now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just watching you eat,¡± Song Yu replied, realizing that he was even more unsettled than she had previously thought. ¡°What is going on with you tonight? Has something happened?¡±

    His eyes darted across her face, as if trying to discern hidden answers and secrets from it.

    However, his expression was not one of fear, but closer to worry. There was a fleeting moment when she caught a glimpse of uncertainty in his eyes, one that mirrored that of an insecure child.

    Song Yu did not know why she did what she did next. Instinctively, she grabbed the hand resting on top of his thigh.

    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m eating,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, chewing on his vegetables.

    Song Yu blushed, not knowing what universe this man¡¯s thoughts came from. He even managed to tease her through mouthfuls of food.

    She had probably been mistaken. There was not a shred of uncertainty to be found in the man in front of her¨C not even a bit! Annoyed, she pulled away, but he turned his hand over and sped hers.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going after doing that?¡± Qi Chengzhi caressed the back of her hand. ¡°You want it?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t...¡± Song Yu widened her eyes and red at him, her cheeks glowing scarlet. How did hee to such conclusions?

    Even so, he slurped down the rest of his noodles and wiped his mouth clean startlingly quick. Then, he pulled Song Yu up as he, too, stood. ¡°Let¡¯s go. I¡¯m ready.¡±

    She half-ran up the stairs, towed along behind his thumping slippers.

    Song Yu yanked her hand out of his in embarrassment and insisted in a low voice, ¡°That was not what I meant!¡±

    As the final word passed her lips, she was lifted off the ground, two strong arms wrapping around her waist. Firmly, he kissed her.

    She did not attempt to shun his advances, knowing it was pointless to attempt to escape. The more she pulled back, the closer he pressed to her, his lips growing insistent.

    After a few minutes, he pressed her up against a wall, his body crowding around her as he hitched her leg up.

    When his hand slipped down the front of her pants, though, she lurched away and yelled, ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    They were at the entrance of their bedroom, and, while it may have been her home, Aunt Yang still lived here. She felt exposed, uneasy.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to take you in a corner of the house,¡± he murmured against her lips.

    ¡°What if Aunt Yanges up? Go¨C go inside...¡± Song Yu lowered her voice, her skin burning.

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath, practically quivering with desire. His pants hung loose around his waist, but he forced himself to stop, restraining himself.

    Aggressively, he kissed her again, then breathed, ¡°Let¡¯s try it when Aunt Yang is on leave. I want to try every possible corner.¡±

    Song Yu fell silent, her mind spinning with the implications of his statement.

    ¡°You... Are you sure it¡¯s safe for you to continue at this pace?¡± Compared to the bevy of exquisite women he was surrounded by every day, she knew she was hardly worth a second nce. What did he find so alluring about her?

    ¡°You can test me. See if my body can take it,¡± he responded in a throaty voice before carrying Song Yu into the bedroom.

    His burning palm roved her body, and she contorted and shook beneath his touch.

    Her skin felt silken underneath his hands, and he kissed her from her lips to her neck, before moving lower and turning her over. His hands found her behind, and he knew she was ready.

    Qi Chengzhi crashed his lips against hers, pressing a pathway of earnest, light kisses from the corners of her mouth to her ears.

    She leaned into him, her hands mapping his taut, smooth skin.

    Suddenly, he pushed into her, emboldened by some unspoken desire to prove his vitality. His hold around her was almost stifling, and he moved with great force, as if trying to embed himself into her bones.

    She looked at him through misted, half-lidded eyes, beguiled by the tenderness she read into them.

    He looked at her like she was something he might lose at any given moment, his ardent love burning in his gaze. Impossibly, he held her tighter, still, and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

    Shebed her fingers through his hair and pulled his head up so he would look at her. Without hesitation, she kissed him firmly.

    Her kiss was deep and passionate, filled with all the emotions she could not put into words..

    She felt Qi Chengzhi tense at her forwardness, but he quickly reciprocated with equal vigor. His kiss was so fervent, it left her gasping for air.

    Just like that, their bodies twined together, and she was taken.

    Song Yu¡¯s fingers tangled in his hair and clung at his shoulders as his name fell like a litany from her lips.

    Qi Chengzhi gently swiped away the strands of hair that were stuck to her forehead and cheeks. Faced with her heavenly beauty, his chest ached with longing.

    He had loved her for nearly his entire life, and here she was.

    Song Yu used her delicate fingers to trace the outline of his stern and taut features. He had been passionate tonight, and she knew he was true, but she could not shake the feeling that something was wrong. Inexplicably, she felt hurt.

    Qi Chengzhi recalled the day they got their marriage certificate, and those fateful words she had said to him. His deep-set eyes looked into hers gently, and he quietly remarked, ¡°You said that you would never leave me, no matter what happens.¡±

    Song Yu nodded her head solemnly. He said, ¡°Tell me once more.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, no matter what happens, I will never leave you,¡± Song Yu said seriously, staring unflinchingly at him. ¡°No matter what.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curled into a smile.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Zidong had been quite frustrated these past few days. The cause for his frustrations was that all of thepany¡¯s investors were losing money.

    He had been unconcerned when it had only been a handful of them that faced losses, as that was natural and had happened before. They had simplypensated them as they had done before, using excess funds from other customers.

    Once they earned enough profit, they would just reimburse them ordingly.

 Chapter 172 - Who Do You Think You Are, How Dare You Hit Song Yu!

    <h4>Chapter 172: Who Do You Think You Are, How Dare You Hit Song Yu!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Once they earned enough profit, they would just reimburse them ordingly.

    However, the recent market was behaving quite unusually. It was as if it was on steroids. He had lost money from both groups of his customers; not a single penny was left.

    On top of that, he had also lost his own personal investments.

    Word from an inside source med it on the issue of a government policy. Once the policy was passed, the price of their stocks would definitely skyrocket. It would be wise to buy shares now.

    His investments included stocks, futures, and funds.

    In the beginning, he had attempted to purchase them at a lower price, since the prediction had yet to be announced. Shortly after he had begun purchasing them, however, it seemed as if other people had been leaked the information, and there was a sudden flurry of buyers. The price had shot up exponentially.

    Yu Zidong was desperate and angry. He felt that if the rising trend was already so obvious, it would be expected for the growth to increase rapidly upon the passing of the policy.

    Taking a gamble with the slightly raised prices, he withdrew Liang Lihua¡¯s money ced it in the same ount. How could one seed if one refuses to take the risk?

    He had not expected the stocks to plummet after just a few days, and the money he had ced was almost depleted.

    However, there was still some time before the government released the policy. He would not be able to make a profit if he did not restock.

    Yu Zidong stared at the numbers on hisputer. In an act of desperation, he made the call.

    ¡°Lao Zheng, when are they going to issue the policy? The market¡¯s acting very unusual. Why do the prices keep fluctuating? This is just absurd!¡±

    ¡°About that... Director Yu, there have been a couple of changes. Initially, the n was to issue the policy during the second half of the year, around June or July, but the people up top have decided to dy it. There are a few anomalies they would like to investigate first. They¡¯ll only pass it after market research, surveys, and discussions have been conducted,¡± the man on the other side of the phone said.

    ¡°However, you also know that there is a possibility of it being dyed permanently if discussions do not proceed well. Our system requires them to pass throughyers of deliberation and investigation before passing a decision. The paperwork must also be approved by each department, which will take some time. Moreover, the leaders are taking this very seriously. They have to scrutinize this meticulously, as it is for the benefit of all.

    ¡°In addition to that, the issuing of the policy is not as simple as making a few statements. It¡¯s not like they can issue it at the snap of a finger, right?¡± He said, ¡°However, Director Yu, don¡¯t worry about it. This policy has already received the initial approval from the leaders. It¡¯ll definitely be announced, but the earliest will be at the end of this year or the beginning of next year, at most.¡±

    Yu Zidong could not breathe. He felt like there was a lump of coal lodged in his throat, suffocating him.

    Nevertheless, he dared not voice his anger at Lao Zheng.

    This year-end or the beginning of next year?

    That was at least half a year more; how was he expected to sustain thepany?

    If the trends continued their unpredictable fluctuations, he could lose his entire fortune without ever being able to recover his losses. It was impossible for him to wait for the policy to be approved.

    ¡°Also, don¡¯t spread word about this,¡± the man warned, ¡°The investigation is rather tight at the moment. If they found out that I told you this, they¡¯d have my head.¡±

    Yu Zidong was so furious, he almost flung the phone away. The news he gave him was as good as nothing¨C how could he behave as if he had provided him with some huge insider tip?

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, my mouth is sealed. Why would I share such a profitable opportunity with others? If word got out, we¡¯re all on the losing side, right? I understand this very clearly,¡± Yu Zidong said, ¡°However, Lao Zheng, do you know what¡¯s happening to the market these days? Why is it so choppy, rising and falling at such an unusual rate? I was in it early and made some money, but I lost it all, not long after.¡±

    ¡°I noticed that, too. To be frank with you, I invested quite a lot after receiving the tip, but I lost it all, too. That¡¯s why I stopped. Who knows what¡¯ll happen next?¡± Lao Zheng let out a helpless sigh. ¡°I think we should be extra cautious. If we caught the attention of others, we¡¯d get nothing in return at the end of the day.¡±

    Seeing that Lao Zheng had no idea what was going on, Yu Zidong briefly exchanged a few formalities and invited him out for a drink in the future before hanging up.

    Then, he stared at theputer until his eyes went red.

    If he were to back out now, he would not be able to get back his invested capital. He could not ept that.

    ¡°Director Yu, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant, Cheng Dongge, is on the phone,¡± his secretary said, after knocking on his door.

    Yu Zidong frown and said, ¡°Send the call through.¡±

    Shortly after his secretary left, the phone on his table rang.

    Yu Zidong picked it up and listened as Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice flowed through. ¡°Good day, Director Yu.¡±

    ¡°How can I help you, Special Assistant Cheng?¡± Yu Zidong was careful to be polite towards Cheng Dongge. ¡°Does Young Master Cheng need something?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m calling to pass on a message on behalf of Young Master Cheng,¡± Cheng Dongge replied courteously with a hint ofughter.

    Instantly, Yu Zidong was wide awake. Could it be that Qi Chengzhi was going to help him as he was Song Yu¡¯s uncle?

    ¡°Oh?¡± Relief finally washed over him, a weed change from the days of frustration. ¡°What did Young Master Cheng want you to tell me?¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng wanted to know how you were enjoying your investments these past few days,¡± Cheng Dongge informed, gentle and polite.

    Yu Zidong¡¯s expression immediately changed. He recalled his streak of losses in all his recent ventures.

    It was fine if he only lost his own fortune, but, considering he had squandered his customers¡¯ money, too, things were looking rather dire.

    If the customers became aware of that, and were to seek answers, he knew he could not justify the losses.

    ¡°What is Young Master Cheng insinuating?¡±

    ¡°Nothing in particr. Young Master Cheng just wanted to notify you that he was the one responsible for your recent losses. He also wanted to let you know that the pain you¡¯re feeling right now is because of Young Master Cheng¡¯s unhappiness, caused by your wife inflicting pain on the Young Madam. Young Master Cheng sincerely hopes that you and your wife, as well as your daughter, will stay away from our Young Madam and her parents. If not, then Young Master Cheng will ensure that you know of his wrath,¡± Cheng Dongge said casually. ¡°I¡¯ll leave it at that, then?¡±

    The moment he finished talking, he hung up the phone without waiting for Yu Zidong¡¯s reply.

    Yu Zidong mmed the phone down furiously. What had Cheng Dongge just said?!

    How could an assistant dare to threaten him!

    He had already tolerated his casual tone, but how dare he relishes in his misfortune!

    The message from Qi Chengzhi was no different from a gangster threatening people!

    No wonder the market was acting abnormally. Whatever he invested in, the value dropped, but everything else was fine!

    Yu Zidong was so infuriated that he wished he could rush to Qi Chengzhi and reason with him.

    There was a notification from his inbox. Yu Zidong clicked on the new email and saw surveince video of a cafe. The video had no sound, but he could see that Liang Lihua was pulling at Song Yu¡¯s arm while she berated her harshly.

    Even though he could not hear what her scolding, Yu Zidong knew that this was the reason for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fury.

    Yu Zidong shut theputer angrily and dashed out of his office.

    He rushed his way back home. Just as his maid opened the door, he pushed it open forcefully, almost knocking her over.

    ¡°Is Madam at home?¡± Yu Zidong demanded, his expression thunderous.

    The terrified maid could hardly whisper, ¡°She¡¯s resting in the bedroom.¡±

    Yu Zidong barged upstairs and mmed the bedroom door open.

    The loud noise instantly awakened Liang Lihua and she started. Her heart was racing uncontrobly, hurting inside her chest.

    Liang Lihua covered her chest and was about to get up, but Yu Zidong had already walked to her bedside and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up.

    His pull was so forceful, she cried out in pain.¡±Ow! What are you doing, Yu Zidong?!¡±

    Yu Zidong wrenched her out of the bed before shoving her arm away violently.

    Liang Lihua felt that her arm begin to bruise and tenderly massaged it. She shrieked, ¡°Yu Zidong, have you gone mad?!¡±

    ¡°I should be the one asking you that! What the hell were you thinking?! What did you do to Song Yu?! You pulled her hair and hit her while you scolded her, are you crazy?!¡± Yu Zidong jabbed a finger at Liang Lihua¡¯s nose. His eyes went round and wide.

    Liang Lihua went silent for a moment before saying, ¡°She¡¯s the shameless one who bullied Keyao. Why shouldn¡¯t I lecture her?¡±

    ¡°Liang Lihua, you have to consider the master before hitting the dog! I kept quiet when you kept mistreating Song Yu and her parents, but I never expect you to be so stupid as to actually harm Song Yu! Now Qi Chengzhi is seeking revenge for Song Yu and he made me lose all my investments! If he continues at this rate, our family will be left with nothing!¡± Yu Zidong said furiously.

    ¡°My brother already told us to make amends with the Song family, but you just won¡¯t listen! Song Yu was not married to Qi Chengzhi yet, so I just let you be because you were being so oblivious about the situation. Their marriage was inevitable. What can you get from making such a scene? You think that, if you pester them enough, Qi Chengzhi will finally ept Keyao?¡± Yu Zidong was still pointing at Liang Lihua. His blood boiled and rushed when he saw how remorseless she was.

    ¡°At least I stood up for Keyao! I just can¡¯t stand that seductress. She¡¯s my niece¨C don¡¯t I have the right to teach her a lesson as her aunt? She hates us just because we withheld our help, and now she¡¯s seeking revenge. I¡¯m sure she convinced Qi Chengzhi to ruin our family after she married him!

    ¡°Did she ever consider that it¡¯s our choice whether or not we helped them? She shouldn¡¯t take it for granted. She can¡¯t me us for not helping! It¡¯s not like we made the Song family bankrupt. How dare she seek revenge on us now!¡± Liang Lihua screamed, jerking her finger at her empty side. With every jolt, her shoulders shook violently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to talk to you about this further. Ourpany¡¯s investments are all gone. Those are our customers¡¯ funds. It¡¯ll be our turn to face bankruptcy when the customerse to our doorstep demanding refunds! Besides that, the ones I invested in under my own personal ount are also lost! Qi Chengzhi had his eye on me and made sure that I¡¯d lose no matter what I invested in! Are you still in the mood to demand justice for Keyao and yourself? By then, Song Yu will be the one getting her justice!¡±

    Finally understanding the gravity of the situation, Liang Lihua asked, ¡°What happened? Is it really that serious?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not serious, do you think I¡¯d rush back to you?¡± Yu Zidong snapped in frustration.

    ¡°What should we do now? Will Qi Chengzhi be able to keep this up?¡± She was starting to feel anxious now.

    ¡°Even if he can¡¯t, I can¡¯t do this anymore. How can wepare the reserves of our family with the QI family¡¯s? If I was the eldest son of our family, I may have been able to persevere, as I would be controlling the entire Yu family¡¯s assets. Even Qi Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t dare to make such rash decisions. However, my parents¡¯ will only gave me a small portion of Yuli¡¯s shares. We are depending on ourpany, but ourpany was only formed several years ago. How are we going topete with Qi Chengzhi?¡± Yu Zidong felt himself grow calmer, drained of the energy needed for anger.

    He sighed heavily and said, ¡°I think you should just apologize to Song Donglin and Yu Qianying. Do it sincerely this time. Last time, you treated them badly, so now you must surrender and put on a better front.¡±

    ¡°You want me to apologize to them? Never! I know that Yu Qianying and her daughter are waiting for this. I¡¯m not going to make their wishe true!¡± Liang Lihua waved her hand about violently.

    ¡°Then you can just wait for our bankruptcy. Don¡¯t put your hopes on my elder brother. You saw the way he treated the Song family back then! You can wait for Yu Qianying¡¯s mockery! Qi Chengzhi is doing this for the sake of Song Yu. If you can get Yu Qianying to forgive us, Song Yu will not be a problem, and Qi Chengzhi will not have a reason to continue attacking me.¡± Yu Zidong red at Liang Lihua.

    ¡°Not like you haven¡¯t begged from Yu Qianying before. Back then, you brought Keyao to seek sympathy from the Song family every day. Why don¡¯t you do something like that now? You just have to bring out your courage from that time. Our family will benefit from it in the end. What¡¯s the big deal, embarrassing yourself a little bit?¡± Yu Zidong¡¯s impatience grew, and he said with finality, ¡°Embarrassment or bankruptcy, you make the decision!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Yu Qianying stared at the five million dor cheque in front of her and squinted her eyes at Yu Zidong across the table.

    Liang Lihua did not know that Yu Zidong was going to give Yu Qianying the cheque directly. If she did, she would not havee no matter what he said.

    She tensed, wishing she could snatch the cheque back.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± Yu Qianying asked coldly.

    ¡°Qianying, I know that it¡¯s toote to say this, but we¡¯re not here to ask for your forgiveness. I know that our big brother went over to your ce. You probably think that I¡¯m worse than our big brother, but I just want to be more honest with myself. Back then, Donglin and you helped us so much when we first started our business. When you guys went bankrupt, ourpany was just starting to stabilize, so all of our assets were churned into thepany. We didn¡¯t have sufficient funds to lend out,¡± Yu Zidong said sincerely.

    ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted to return the money we borrowed from you. I know that you lent us arge sum. ording to the value back then, this five million is definitely insufficient. However, ourpany is facing some issues now. Even putting in our own savings, we could only afford to repay you this five million; but, let me assure you, once ourpany recovers, I¡¯ll return the remaining sum.¡±

    Yu Qianying took the cheque in silence. Yu Zidong owed them this; she did not have to be polite.

    Furthermore, she thought it came a little toote.

    She wondered if they would be so willing to return the money had Song Yu not been wed to Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Qianying stood up with a sarcastic smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave then. Goodbye.¡±

    Yu Zidong was startled for a moment. He had not expected Yu Qianying to be so crude after all he had done.

    He tugged on Liang Lihua¡¯s sleeve. She exhaled loudly from her nose before rising. She rubbed her eyes, and there it was: an unrepentant expression.

    ¡°Qianying, we¡¯re not only here to return the money. You¡¯d falsely used me thest time: we¡¯ve never once thought of taking advantage of you. We didn¡¯t return the money because we didn¡¯t have enough funds. We¡¯ve brought it to you the moment we could afford it,¡± Liang Lihua said, ¡°Let¡¯s put this aside first. In fact, I wanted to apologize to Song Yu too, but I know that she may not want to see me.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m saying it to you. At the end of the day, she¡¯s still my niece. Thest time, I behaved rashly and unjustlyid a hand on her. I wasn¡¯t in the right frame of mind, since I was so angry, and I treated Song Yu as I do my own child. I educated her in the way I would my own. Qianying, please pass this message to Song Yu: I¡¯m really sorry. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯ve hurt her. If she¡¯s willing to grant me the opportunity, I would like to apologize to her personally.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s voice was sharp and high. She was so angry, she saw red. ¡°Youid a hand on Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°You... you didn¡¯t know? Didn¡¯t she tell you?¡± Liang Lihua stammered in shock.

    She thought that Song Yu would definitely haveined to Yu Qianying after being bullied!

    She did not realize that Song Yu was different from Yu Keyao, who woulde back and rant her head off at every slight offense. Song Yu did not want to upset Yu Qianying, knowing that, if she were to find out, she would definitely grab a broom and go after Liang Lihua, even though she would be on the losing side.

    That was the main reason Song Yu kept quiet.

    ¡°Liang Lihua! Who do you think you are?! How dare you hit Song Yu!¡± Yu Qianying bellowed. She was fuming. She hated her to the bone.

    ¡°N-No, Qianying, it¡¯s not what you think,¡± Liang Lihua tried to salvage the situation. ¡°We had an argument over a misunderstanding, which led to a small fight. It¡¯s not that¨C Qianying, I¡¯m her aunt. Even if I was slightly too harsh on her, it¡¯s for her own good. Not that¨C¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to downy your actions! Don¡¯t you think I know what you¡¯re trying to do to Song Yu?¡± Yu Qianying did not bother exining herself, and reached for her cellphone, punching in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number.

    Liang Lihua swallowed dryly. She did not know what Yu Qianying was nning to do. Thinking she was about to verify the story, she grew anxious.

    To her surprise, she heard Yu Qianying say, ¡°Son-inw, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s heart stopped as she heard Yu Qianying ask, ¡°Did Liang Lihua hit Song Yu?¡±

    Initially, Yu Qianying had intended to call Song Yu, but her thoughts were still clear even through the haze of anger. She understood her daughter well, so she knew better than to expect her to tell the truth regarding the matter.

    Qi Chengzhi would never cover up for Liang Lihua. When he heard Yu Qianying¡¯s question, he knew that Yu Zidong must have brought along Liang Lihua to their doorstep to apologize.

    He went ahead and told Yu Qianying the whole story.

    When he saw the surveince video from the cafe, he was so angry, he almost turned the table over. He had no intention of letting Liang Lihua walk away from this.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s eyes narrowed as he spoke. All of a sudden, she turned and red at Liang Lihua.

    ring directly at Liang Lihua, she asked, ¡°Chenzhi, Yu Zidong mentioned that hispany was having some issues. Is that your doing?¡±

 Chapter 173 - Dear Wife, These Are All Of My Assets

    <h4>Chapter 173: Dear Wife, These Are All Of My Assets</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She asked Liang Lihua while giving her a death stare, ¡°Chenzhi, just now Yu Zidong mentioned that hispany is having some issues. Is this your doing?¡±

    Yu Qianying was not stupid. On the contrary, she was very perceptive and connected the dots together.

    Qi Chengzhi admitted directly, ¡°Given Liang Lihua had the guts to do that. If I didn¡¯t take action, they might even bully you guys in the future.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi, don¡¯t have to hold back for my sake. Destroy theirpany!¡± Yu Qianying said seethingly.

    Yu Zidong¡¯s heart dropped, while his face turned ashen.

    Yu Qianying hung up and charged towards Liang Lihua, ¡°Liang Lihua! I¡¯ll tear you apart!¡±

    Liang Lihua subconsciously avoided her by moving backward. However, she tripped and fell onto the sofa.

    Song Donglin rushed forward to hold back Yu Qianying. Her eyes were reddened with an expression as if she was going to eat someone alive. ¡°Why did you stop me! Do you know what she did to Song Yu! This woman yanked Song Yu¡¯s hair in the cafe while she berated her! She used her of being a mistress and seduced Yu Keyao¡¯s man. You liar! Both you and your daughter are delusional! The whole time, Qi Chengzhi never once liked Yu Keyao! It was you guys who chased after him one-sidedly, running around like a clown. How dare you twist the truth!

    She humiliated Song Yu while she pulled her hair in front of the whole cafe. Those who don¡¯t know will think that she¡¯s telling the truth. What will they think of our daughter!¡± Yu Qianying pointed at Liang Lihua with a flushed face, ¡°Such a shameless woman had the galls toe and apologize? If it wasn¡¯t for yourpany, will you guyse to us and seek for forgiveness? Specially came here to return the money? You put it in such a decent way! I think that you just want to use this opportunity to let me forgive you so that I¡¯ll put in a good word for you guys in front of Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    Liang Lihua lost herposure and kept shunning away to the side. Her mouth was trembling but she could not utter a word. She did not manage to keep up with Yu Qianying.

    She never expected Yu Qianying to be this furious. Moreover, she did not see iting that Yu Qianying would be so smart to find Qi Chengzhi straight away.

    The single factor that made her so obedient and without retaliation was due to Yu Qianying¡¯s statement to Qi Chengzhi, where she wanted him to shred theirpany apart.

    Liang Lihua was really afraid this time around. Her face was not as important as having a good life. If thepany closed down, she could not imagine the criticisms and discrimination that await her in the future.

    Even if she had to endure Yu Qianying¡¯s lecture and beating, she was willing to do it as long as they could save theirpany.

    Most importantly, if thepany really closed down, Yu Zidong would me her for it.

    This was because she was the one who created this mess.

    In fact, it never crossed her mind that Qi Chengzhi would make such a huge move for the sake of Song Yu. She also did not expect Yu Qianying would disregard their familial rtionship just like that.

    Liang Lihua broke into tears with a trembling mouth. She cried because she was genuinely fearful.

    She stood up shakily and said to Yu Qianying, ¡°Qianying, I was not in my right mind at that time and couldn¡¯t think straight. Can you just see me as a crazydy and ignore my outrageous behavior, please?¡±

    ¡°Get lost! If I whacked Yu Keyao on the street and humiliated her, using her of being a shameless mistress, won¡¯t you risk your life to fight me? You think that you can brush this off just by saying this and pretend that it never happened? I fu*king regretted lending you guys money for your business startup back then! It¡¯s better if I¡¯d raised a dog, you guys are not evenparable to dogs or pigs! You said that you are grateful to us but you turned around and hit our daughter! Is this how you guys express your gratitude?¡±

    ¡°What if I kneel down to you? I am really sorry,¡± Liang Lihua sobbed, ¡°Qianying, we¡¯re still a family. It¡¯s fine if you want to scold me or hit me for everything that happened, but Zidong is your brother, can you bear to do this to him? Zidong always mentioned to me about the childhood you guys shared. After you guys went bankrupt and moved here, you went under the radar.

    During the days when we lost contact with you guys, Zidong always reminiscent the past. When you guys were still young, no matter what food you¡¯ve gotten, even if it¡¯s as small as a fruit candy, you¡¯ll definitely leave one piece for him. When Zidong got punished by your grandparents, you¡¯ll cry and beg on his behalf. When you got bullied by others, Zidong was the one who fought for you. Both of you were so close to each other back then, do you really want to do this now?¡±

    Tears filled up Yu Qianying¡¯s reddened eyes. Liang Lihua thought that Yu Qianying so touched after reminiscing her childhood events.

    However, Yu Qianying replied, ¡°That was before, my brother loved me and treated me sincerely back then. Not as shameless as he is now! My old second brother no longer exists! The old him doesn¡¯t have a wife like you who kept feeding him misleading information that led to our estranged rtionship!¡±

    ¡°I took the cheque just now because the money belonged to us and I can ept it at ease. You guys should have returned to us anyway! For the remaining sum, you can return to us if you want, I couldn¡¯t care less if you don¡¯t, but I think probably you guys can¡¯t even afford it in the future!¡± Yu Qianying said icily.

    ¡°Qianying, I know that it¡¯s my fault. I¡¯m truly sorry, it¡¯s all because of my silliness. What should I do for you to forgive me? What if I let you hit me back on behalf of Song Yu? Come on, hit me!¡± Liang Lihua walked over and grabbed Yu Qianying while she gave an expression where she was prepared to receive any punishment.

    Yu Qianying did not hold back at all. She shook her hand off from her grip forcefully and yanked Liang Lihua¡¯s hair, ¡°How dare you hit Song Yu! What rights do you have! How dare you spew lies when your daughter is the shameless one who kept pestering my son-inw!¡±

    ¡°Qianying!¡± Song Donglin held Yu Qianying back hurriedly and pulled her backward to prevent her from fighting.

    ¡°You guys should leave!¡± Song Donglin said to Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua coldly, ¡°Qianying is right, we¡¯ll keep the money since it was the debt that you owed us. We have nothing more to say.¡±

    ¡°Donglin...¡± Yu Zidong called out.

    Song Donglin interrupted him, ¡°I¡¯m holding Qianying back is because I don¡¯t want her to stoop down to the same level as Liang Lihua and depreciate her status. This doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯ll easily forgive you guys. You guys are too shameless to be worthy of my forgiveness. If you guys still don¡¯t leave, I¡¯ll call Chengzhi and let hime over personally.¡±

    ¡°Qianying...¡± Yu Zidong called pitifully.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Yu Qianying said while tears rolled down her cheeks.

    Yu Zidong clenched his jaws and left with Liang Lihua with a gloomy expression.

    After they left, Yu Qianying sad down and continued to cry for almost half a day. Song Donglin did not try tofort her. He knew that it would be pointless to do that and just let Yu Qianying cry to her heart¡¯s content.

    After that, Yu Qianying took out the cheque from her pocket and passed it to Song Donglin while she was still sobbing, ¡°Lao Song, the money that they borrowed was yours. You decide what to deal with it. I... I¡¯m so sorry. If it weren¡¯t for them, you won¡¯t need to suffer so much after your bankruptcy.¡±

    Song Donglin received the check and said, ¡°Actually, it wasn¡¯t that bad. I think you can bank in this sum into Song Yu¡¯s ount. Song Yu¡¯s marrying Qi Chengzhi, but our family can¡¯t afford a hefty dowry. Even though the Qi family may not be impressed with just five million dors, at least our daughter was not married into their family empty-handedly. The amount may not be much but it¡¯s still satisfactory.¡±

    Yu Qianying nodded and agreed since she had no opinions on things that would benefit Song Yu.

    That night, Song Yu received a message out of the blue with the notification that her ount was credited with five million.

    Song Yu was shocked. No one would be able to stay calm if someone transferred such a hefty amount of money into their ount.

    It so happened that Qi Chengzhi just came out from the bathroom. Song Yu asked him, ¡°You transferred money into my ount?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow while he dried his hair. He said in a calm tone, ¡°I gave you all my cards, why would I transfer money to you?¡±

    It was the next morning after they got married. When Song Yu woke up, Qi Chengzhi was in the bathroom. Through the ss door of the bathroom, she could see Qi Chengzhi looking in the mirror while he shaved.

    When she got out of bed, she nced at the nightstand and saw a few property ownership certificates and bank cards. Below them was a written note:

    Dear wife, these are all of my assets. My entire ie and the profits from investments are all in these cards. I¡¯ll hand them over to you now.

    Then, the note below wasplemented with passwords for each bank card.

    Song Yu was fully awakened now. She did not know the actual amount, but she knew that if she totaled these up, it would amount to an astounding figure.

    She did not calcte them. Until now, she was still unaware of the actual amount of money she got.

    Qi Chengzhi gave these to her out of trust and it was a gesture from him. She was already satisfied with that and did not pay much attention to the money.

    She picked up those property ownership certificates and realized that each one had both their names on it.

    Some of the properties were part of his investment, thend that he owned had office buildings, hotels and shop lots. Song Yu passed by these ces a few times but she never knew that all of those belonged to Qi Chengzhi. Now, her name was added to all of these properties as well.

    She thought of how other wives would try means and ways to control their husbands¡¯ finances.

    However, she did not even say anything yet or try to make any changes after marriage, Qi Chengzhi automatically gave her ess to everything.

    When Qi Chengzhi came out from the bathroom, Song Yu looked at him smilingly.

    He nced at the property ownership certificates in her hand and knew that she saw them. He sat beside her with a grin and ced his palm on her naked back.

    His body was scented with the refreshing smell of aftershave. When he closed in on her, she could smell the minty vor of the toothpaste.

    His face was soft and fresh after applying the moisturizer, which waspletely opposite from her sloppy look right out of the bed.

    ¡°You saw that?¡± He muttered, his raspy voice had a hint of tease.

    Those deep-set ck eyes shed through a gentle beam. Song Yu could not help blushing under his gaze.

    ¡°I thought men always fought for their financial independence? Why did you give it up willingly?¡± She asked, chuckling slightly.

    ¡°Since you are my wife, it¡¯s just a matter of course for me to give it to you. I like the feeling of being controlled by you,¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was so tender that Song Yu felt a little embarrassed.

    Song Yuughed and hugged his neck, ¡°That means in this lifetime, you won¡¯t dare to betray me? If you dare, I¡¯ll wipe out your assets.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled lightly. He lowered his head and kissed the corner of her eyes gently with his soft, minty lips. ¡°That¡¯s why I gave it all to you, also to remind myself that I should never betray you.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu could not resist grinning when she thought of that morning.

    She passed her phone over to let Qi Chengzhi look, ¡°See this.¡±

    She opened herptop after passing her phone to Qi Chengzhi and went to the bank¡¯s website. After searching her ount statement, she discovered that it was transferred from Yu Qianying¡¯s bank ount.

    ¡°Where did they get such a huge amount!¡± Song Yu said in shock. She called back home immediately, ¡°Mum, my bank ount was credited with five million dors and it showed that it was from your ount. What¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Oh, Yu Zidong and his wife came today. They wanted to return the money that our family borrowed him in the past. Even though it was not fully returned, it¡¯s considered part of the loan,¡± Yu Qianying said.

    Song Yu frowned. She understood quickly the reason behind Yu Zidong returning the money all of a sudden after all these years.

    ¡°Mum, are you guys okay. Did they bother you guys?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re fine. Why would we be angry when theye to return us money?¡± Yu Qianying did not mention the fight in the afternoon as she did not want to worry Song Yu. ¡°However, if they thought that this would make us forgive them and get onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s good side, they are very wrong. I epted the money confidently because that was ours to start with. There¡¯s nothing embarrassing about that and we don¡¯t owe them anything. We won¡¯t make amends with them just because we epted the money. Song Yu, you don¡¯t have to worry about this. I¡¯ve never thought of forgiving that shameless bunch anyway.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Song Yu nodded, ¡°but why you gave me the money? Isn¡¯t it better if you guys kept it for yourselves?¡±

    ¡°This is your dowry from us,¡± Yu Qianying said. She cut off Song Yu right after she called out ¡°mum¡±, ¡°Don¡¯t reject this in such a hurry. We were already worried about how much dowry we should give you so that it¡¯ll be presentable. If we give you all of our savings, the amount would be so insignificant that others may not even bother. That¡¯ll make us seem stingy instead.

    We won¡¯t let you marry over to their family with nothing. At first, I was thinking to take out three hundred thousand from our savings. It¡¯s better than nothing, at least we¡¯ve tried. Since Yu Zidong returned us five million today, it¡¯s just right for your dowry. It¡¯ll seem presentable even if this amount doesn¡¯t mean much to the Qi family. This amount of money can at least support you and let them know that we¡¯re not taking advantage of them.

    Don¡¯t argue on this anymore. Even if you¡¯re not going to spend the money, I feel more secure keeping the money with you,¡± Yu Qianying said, ¡°Is Qi Chengzhi beside you? Pass the phone to him.¡±

    Song Yu gave Qi Chengzhi the phone and said, ¡°Mum wants to speak to you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took the phone and sat down beside Song Yu. ¡°Mum,¡± he called.

    Song Yu could not hear what Yu Qianying spoke on the phone, but Qi Chengzhi was paying attention and replied with ¡°uhm¡± from time to time.

    He hung up the phone after a while. Song Yu asked curiously, ¡°What did mum tell you?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, she just told me to ept the dowry,¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at her with a gentle gaze, ¡°Since mum and dad insisted, you should ept it. It¡¯ll solve their worries. Later on, you can return them slowly without them realizing it. For example, you can return the money by adding it to their monthly allowance that you give. They won¡¯t suspect anything if you increased the allowance since you¡¯re now married to me.¡±

    Only then Song Yu felt at ease.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu was about to go out and have lunch together with Ruan Danchen. After they left the office and walked through the long hallway, they saw Liang Lihua standing alone at the reception counter

    When Liang Lihua saw Song Yu, she nced towards the side as if she was embarrassed to meet her.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression stiffened for a moment before the walked towards the elevator without looking at Liang Lihua.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Liang Lihua scurried over, her face still showing embarrassment and fear.

    She blocked in front of the elevator, obstructing the other colleagues from entering as well.

    Liang Lihua grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Song Yu, I¡¯ve realized that I was wrong for what I didst time. I shouldn¡¯t have hit you, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Song Yu frowned and tried very hard to escape from her hand but Liang Lihua¡¯s grip was very firm. After Song Yu managed to free her hand, her wrist and the back of her hand was reddened.

    She did not speak, she just massaged her wrist gently. Out of nowhere, Liang Lihua took her wrist hurriedly and held it gently while she massaged her wrist with one hand. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, so sorry. I didn¡¯t hurt you, did I? I didn¡¯t mean to!¡±

    Song Yu shook her off immediately and backed away. ¡°What are you trying to do?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, I¡¯m here to apologize to you. It¡¯s my fault for hitting you and using you. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Liang Lihua said in a sobbing voice and teary face. She stepped forward to try to hold Song Yu¡¯s hand again.

    ¡°Stop touching me!¡± Song Yu avoided her with a frown.

    ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t. Song Yu, can you forgive me? It¡¯s my own fault. Song Yu, please don¡¯t hate me,¡± Liang Lihua balled her fist and covered it with another and made a begging gesture while she spoke.

    Song Yu could not understand why Liang Lihua was acting so obsequiously. She said indifferently, ¡°I¡¯m no longer bothered by that incident, please leave.¡±

    Then, the elevator door opened. There was already a crowd gathering at the entrance of the elevator, most of them were her colleagues from different departments. Song Yu did not want to be a joke in front of all these people. She passed by Liang Lihua to enter the elevator, but Liang Lihua blocked her path once again.

    She bowed and thanked her, ¡°Thank you, thank you. I know that you¡¯re a generous person. Song Yu, since you¡¯ve forgiven me, can Qi Chengzhi let outpany go?¡±

    Song Yu was still guessing why Liang Lihua suddenly came crying to apologize. If she wanted to please her, why would she humiliate her and pull her hair thest time they met?

    Song Yu stopped and said, ¡°I don¡¯t question his business. No matter what¡¯s the reason behind Qi Chengzhiunching the attack towards yourpany, it¡¯s not ordered by me. That¡¯s why I can¡¯t help you with this.¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t you?¡± Liang Lihua was desperate, ¡°He did this to ourpany for your sake as revenge! Your uncle lost all his investments, even the money from his clients. If we don¡¯t try topensate them, ourpany will be over! Song Yu, I¡¯m begging you. Since you don¡¯t me me anymore, can you ask Qi Chengzhi to stop?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Liang, I¡¯m sure Chengzhi has his reason behind all his actions. Even if he wanted revenge and took it out on you guys, or it was because of business matters, I won¡¯t ask him to stop for anyone. I would neverment on the way he deals with his work. I told you that I don¡¯t me you for the incident is because I think that it¡¯s not worthy to hold a grudge on people like you. It¡¯s not worth it to be angry with you,¡± Song Yu said. There were more people surrounding them, no one entered the elevator even though it arrived. All of them were watching their exchange.

 Chapter 174 - Sister, This Video Was Filmed Clear Enough, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 174: Sister, This Video Was Filmed Clear Enough, Right?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Ms. Liang, I¡¯m sure Chengzhi has his reason behind all his actions. Even if he wanted revenge and took it out on you guys, or it was because of business matters, I won¡¯t ask him to stop for anyone. I would neverment on the way he deals with his work. I told you that I don¡¯t me you for the incident is because I think that it¡¯s not worthy to hold a grudge on people like you. It¡¯s not worth it to be angry with you,¡± Song Yu said. There were more people surrounding them, no one entered the elevator even though it arrived. All of them were watching their exchange.

    Song Yu braced herself and tried her best to dismiss Liang Lihua, ¡°I said that it doesn¡¯t bother me doesn¡¯t equate that I have to beg Qi Chengzhi to let you guys off. You guys brought it upon yourselves. If you think that anything can be solved by begging and crying, you¡¯re idealizing reality. It¡¯s impossible to take advantage of everything youe across. There¡¯s no such good thing in life.

    It¡¯s useless for you toe to me regarding this matter. Please leave,¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    ¡°Song Yu, what should I do for you to forgive us? I¡¯ll kneel down for you, is this enough?¡± Suddenly, Liang Lihua mmed her knees forcefully on the floor, making a loud ¡°thump¡±.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s face turned pale as the surface below her knees was the cold, hard marble floor. It hurt so badly that her features were deformed.

    ¡°Song Yu, I hit you. If you want revenge, you can hit me back. I pulled your hair,e and pull mine too, okay?¡± Liang Lihua grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand and kept directing it at her face and head. ¡°Just hit me! Hit me! If this can resolve your hatred, I¡¯m willing to do anything!¡±

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Song Yu was so embarrassed and attempted to release from her grip, but she could not fight against Liang Lihua¡¯s strength. Her other colleagues were all standing beside them watching the exchange, no one wanted to leave.

    ¡°Liang Lihua, if you keep on harassing me, I¡¯ll just tell Chengzhi and let him destroy yourpanypletely!¡± Song Yu was desperate. She finally managed to escape from Liang Lihua during the brief moment when she was startled. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of you harassing me like that! If you still keeping to me again and again, disrupting my life, I¡¯ll not hold back anymore!¡±

    Liang Lihua¡¯s pupil contracted instantly while her eye sockets erged. ¡°Humph, Song Yu! You¡¯ve finally shown your true colors!¡±

    All of a sudden, she scanned through the crowd surrounding Song Yu while she used both of her hands and pointed them towards herself and said, ¡°You guys should be the judge of this! I¡¯m her aunt, her blood-rted family! How can she treat me like that? I¡¯m already kneeling in front of her but she remained emotionless. How cold-hearted can one be! I admitted my mistakes to her, but she wouldn¡¯t listen, not even a chance to redeem myself. If you¡¯re in her shoes, could you bear to be so heartless?

    I¡¯m her elder! Does she usually act all reasonable and considerate in front of you guys? This is her true color! You guys even heard that she threatened me just now!¡± Liang Lihua nced towards Song Yu and said, ¡°Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi must¡¯ve been unaware of your true colors!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who allowed her to use my name to make threats without any reserve. Who are you to doubt my wife¡¯s actions?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s distant voice sounded suddenly.

    Song Yu looked over and saw Qi Chengzhi walked out from the elevator. Who knew how long was he listening behind the closed door of the elevator.

    The sound instion of the elevator door was rather poor. People inside could hear all the conversations from outside.

    He was all suited up, strode over with one of his hands inserted in his pocket. When he nced at Liang Lihua, his deep-set eyes looked like a ball of ck ice.

    Liang Lihua¡¯s face turned ashen the moment she saw Qi Chengzhi and fell back and sat on the floor.

    Qi Chengzhi walked over and put his hand around Song Yu¡¯s waist while he gazed at Song Yu ever so tenderly.

    ¡°How long has she been harassing you?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Song Yu sighed and said, ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not continue questioning. He stared at Liang Lihua icily and said, ¡°I think you still don¡¯t understand. Iunched the attack on Donghua was for Song Yu¡¯s sake. The reason was that you kepting over to pester and harass her, even falsely used her. If you stay put quietly, I was actually nning to let Donghua maintain it¡¯s current state. Not to let it continue to grow, but also not go bankrupt, to say the least.¡±

    Liang Lihua shuddered violently while her lips trembled uncontrobly.

    ¡°However, the stunt you pull today made me want to destroy Donghuapletely,¡± Qi Chengzhi teased with his lips, ¡°Go back and tell Yu Zidong that if a man wants to be sessful, he got to find a good wife that doesn¡¯t drag him down.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve made a mistake!¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s face turned bloodless while she begged eagerly. She wanted to grab Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pants, but her hands halted in midair after seeing his emotionless icy gaze.

    ¡°Director Zhao,¡± Qi Chengzhi called out coldly. Only then, the crowd noticed that Director Zhao was already there, standing right behind with sweat on his forehead.

    Director Zhao wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and hurried over, ¡°Young Master Cheng...¡±

    ¡°Please call security up and escort thisdy out. She¡¯s disrupting the order in the office. It¡¯s rather inappropriate,¡± Qi Chengzhi stared at Director Zhao indifferently.

    Instantly, Director Zhao rushed to the reception counter to call security.

    Liang Lihua knew that she had failed her attempt to gain their forgiveness today. Even though she hadpletely embarrassed herself, she would not allow herself to be humiliated and thrown out by security.

    She crawled up from the floor while she wiped away her tears. Then, with a pitiful expression, she said sobbingly, ¡°Don¡¯t need to call security. I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    After Liang Lihua entered the elevator and the door closed, Director Zhao started to chase away the rubberneckers. ¡°Let¡¯s go, move it. If you guys don¡¯t go now, you¡¯ll bete for lunch. Do you still want to have full attendance?¡±

    Director Zhao dismissed the crowd and left only Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. Only then, Qi Chengzhi led her into the empty elevator.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Song Yu held his arm.

    She was unable to get rid of Liang Lihua¡¯s harassment. Even when she threatened her, she did not budge since the person that the Yu family feared was Qi Chengzhi, not her.

    When she was in despair, Qi Chengzhi appeared suddenly like a knight in shining armor.

    Whenever he appeared, his aura was sufficient to silent Liang Lihua without the need to say anything.

    She was also relieved by his presence every single time.

    ¡°I want to have lunch together, but we met instead.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Yu Keyao received a phone call from Liang Lihua. In the phone, Liang Lihua¡¯s voice sounded muffled, as if she had just cried. Judging from her tone, it seemed like the world was going to end.

    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m busy right now. I¡¯ll call you backter!¡± Yu Keyao walked out of the karaoke room and said softly by the door.

    ¡°What are you busy with?¡± Liang Lihua could not control her anger. When Yu Keyao picked up the phone just now, she heard the noisy background through the phone. ¡°Aren¡¯t you having fun outside! Our family is in trouble and thepany is almost copsing. If anything happens, your dad would definitely me it on me. I did it all for your sake and now I¡¯m in trouble, you still have the mood to y!¡±

    ¡°Mum, what¡¯s going on?¡± Yu Keyao still did not take her words seriously.

    ¡°Come back now at once!¡± Liang Lihua said harshly.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yu Keyao went back to take her bag and bid her friends farewell before leaving unhappily.

    When she got into the car and saw Liang Lihua¡¯s swollen and reddened eyes on an ashen face, she started to feel anxious.

    ¡°Mum, what happened to you?¡± Yu Keyao asked nervously.

    Looking at her daughter¡¯s concerned expression, Liang Lihua could not hold it in anymore and tears started falling down her cheeks. She told Yu Keyao what happened, but she did not mention how she kneeled and begged for forgiveness. That was too embarrassing to tell.

    ¡°If your dad knows about this, he¡¯ll definitely me me. I don¡¯t know what will he do,¡± Liang Lihua said. Yu Keyao <sup>1</sup> quickly retrieved the box of tissue from the storagepartment and passed to Liang Lihua.

    Liang Lihua extracted a piece of tissue to wipe her tears while she said, ¡°What should we do? Qi Chengzhi said that he already nned to let us go, but because of me going over to find Song Yu today, he would destroy ourpany. I didn¡¯t know his original n, but ording to what he said just now, he¡¯s letting me bear all of the responsibilities. If your dad knew about this, he¡¯ll never forgive me.

    From the way it looks, I don¡¯t think he¡¯s joking,¡± Liang Lihua sniffed her nose before continuing, ¡°Your dad was already ming me for the incident in the cafe previously. I was overwhelmed when I saw your eldest uncle was trying to please Song Yu. I went over to argue with her and tried to reason for your sake. You belong to the Yu family, how can he betray us? Song Yu had taken away your love and now she¡¯s trying to steal your status in the Yu family. Why should you be bullied by her?

    In the end, she went back andin to Qi Chengzhi. Now ourpany is on the brink of bankruptcy because of what Qi Chengzhi did. Not only thepany has issues, but we¡¯ve also lost our entire family fortune on failed investments. That day, your dad rushed back home furiously as if he was going to kill me. If this time...¡±

    ¡°Mum,¡± Yu Keyao held Liang Lihua¡¯s hand andforted her, ¡°Don¡¯t panic, I have a n.¡±

    ¡°You do?¡± Liang Lihua looked at her puzzledly. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to bother about that. Anyway, I have a way to make them stop targeting us,¡± Yu Keyao waved her hand. She had no intention of revealing her n.

    ¡°Keyao, don¡¯t do it rashly. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s patience with you is running low,¡± Liang Lihua advised worriedly, ¡°What if you pissed him off more...¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t, don¡¯t worry,¡± Yu Keyao said.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi took a stroll back to thepany after they had their lunch nearby Chengshi. The restaurant was just a few streets away, that was why they did not drive and his Range Rover was parked at thepany

    Both of them walked past a toy shop. A rather extensive runway was disyed at the window.

    There was a stic mountain in the middle, it was crafted quite intricately. Even though it did not include realistic grass and trees, the colorbination of the rocks and nts looked authentic from afar.

    The runway was designed as the roads spiraling up the mountain before disappearing into the cave and extending out from the other side and continue circling upwards.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu into the shop and pointed towards the mountainous runway at the window disy while he asked the shopkeeper, ¡°Is this thetest model?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s very popr these days. Kids love it so much that we¡¯re currently out of stock. The only one left is this disy unit. If you want, we can give you a discount,¡± the shopkeeper said.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have this one then.¡±

    ¡°Is this the runway that Qi Youxuan wanted?¡± Song Yu recalled Qi Youxuan¡¯s request when she was in the Qi mansion that day.

    ¡°I think so,¡± Qi Chengzhi said irresponsibly.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you ask him? If you bought the wrong one, he¡¯ll be disappointed!¡± Song Yu took out her phone and was about to call Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°No need. If I bought the wrong one, he could still ask another one from his dad. He¡¯s more than happy for that,¡± Qi Chengzhi said calmly after he passed the card to the shopkeeper.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    When she gave a thought about it, this was something that Qi Youxuan might do. She did not want to ruin his opportunity to do that.

    Right when she was about to keep her phone, it rang.

    There was only a phone number without any caller ID. Song Yu suspected that it might be a spam call but she still picked it up.

    She did not expect Yu Keyao to be on the other side of the phone, ¡°Sister.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Yu, is there anything?¡± Song Yu¡¯s said coldly.

    ¡°I have something to tell you,¡± Yu Keyao sounded a little unfriendly.

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you,¡± Song Yu nned on hanging up after this.

    ¡°Wait! This thing is rted to Qi Chengzhi and the Qi family¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t you want to discuss about it?¡± Yu Keyao stopped her hurriedly through the phone.

    Song Yu startled for a moment, her heart sank to the bottom. Could it be that Yu Keyao knew about the truth behind Song family¡¯s bankruptcy?

    However, she thought through it and felt that it was very unlikely. If it was about this, she would find Qi Chengzhi instead. Also, this matter was not rted to Qi Chengzhi and the Qi family¡¯s reputation.

    Song Yu pondered for a moment and put the phone call on speaker so that Qi Chengzhi could listen together.

    ¡°If it¡¯s rted to Qi Chengzhi and the Qi family¡¯s reputation, you should find him instead!¡± Song Yu said coldly.

    ¡°What if it was because of you?¡± Yu Keyao sneered.

    Song Yu frown. She could not recall that she did anything that dishonored them.

    She looked towards Qi Chengzhi. His face dropped and nodded at her.

    Song Yu said, ¡°What is it about?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s meet, I want to talk to you in person,¡± Yu Keyao said.

    Song Yu nced towards Qi Chengzhi and replied when she saw him nodded again, ¡°Okay, tell me the ce.¡±

    She noted down the address Yu Keyao told her and hung up. Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. Qi Chengzhi took the runway that he bought for Qi Youxuan and walked back to the ce he parked with Song Yu.

    He ced the toy into the booth. Song Yu got into the car and called Director Zhao to take leave and indicated that she would be going back a littleter.

    Around forty minutester, Qi Chengzhi reached Chengyue. This was the ce that Yu Keyao requested them to meet at.

    Song Yu felt rather strange about the reason Yu Keyao would choose this ce.

    She entered Shengyue together with Qi Chengzhi. They could easily notice Yu Keyao once they had entered the building.

    Yu Keyao was sitting with her back facing them and did not notice that they had arrived. However, Song Yu felt that something was wrong.

    After taking a few steps, she discovered that the table that Yu Keyao sat on was the ce where she had her first date with Jian Yi.

    The reason she could remember so clearly was that too many things happened that night and it was quite difficult to forget.

    Now, Yu Keyao was sitting on the exact ce where Jian Yi sat on that day. Song Yu frown, she knew that this was too much to be just a coincidence.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu walked over together. When Yu Keyao lifted her head, her expression changed and red at Song Yu when she saw that Qi Chengzhi was here too.

    Song Yu pouted her mouth mockingly and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me toe by myself. Furthermore, if it¡¯s rted to his reputation, he should join the discussion as well.:

    Song Yu sat on the inner seat while Qi Chengzhi took the seat beside the walkway.

    Yu Keyao felt so stress that she was unable to breathe while facing Qi Chengzhi.

    She took in a deep breath discreetly before teasing, ¡°Sister, do you still remember what happened over this table?¡±

    Song Yu arched her eyebrow. She had guessed roughly what was it about, but she had no idea how was Yu Keyao nning to threaten her with.

    ¡°I¡¯m waiting for your exnation,¡± Song Yu said icily while she suppressed her anger inside.

    Yu Keyao scoffed and took out her phone. She turned her phone around and pushed it to the middle of the table. Then, she pressed the y button on the screen.

    The audio was a bit scratchy and the video flickered a few seconds before stabilizing.

    Song Yu could recognize that it was filmed shortly after Jian Yi left and Qi Chengyue had just arrived.

    Qi Chengyue was seating at Yu Keyao¡¯s current position. The video was filmed behind Qi Chengyue, the angle only got her waist-long curls but it showed Song Yu¡¯s entire face clearly.

    The audio of the video was not very loud, but it was still sufficient to understand what were they talking about.

    After Qi Chengyue gave a few statements, she stood up suddenly and sshed a ss of water on her face while she yelled, ¡°How dare you follow others and be a mistress, you shameless slut!¡±

    Song Yu grabbed her bag and left after Qi Chengyue took leave. Even though her head was lowered, her pale face was mostly captured by the camera since she was directly facing the lenses.

    Suddenly, a leg extended out from the bottom of the frame. Song Yu tripped over it identally andnded the ground on all fours, made her look worse in that situation.

    In fact, Qi Chengzhi had already seen this that night from outside of the hotel. He did not expect something like this to happen. He wanted to rush in and protect her but it all happened too fast.

    When he was almost at the entrance, Song Yu bumped into him headfirst.

    When the video ended, Yu Keyao immediately took her phone back with caution.

    ¡°Sister, this video was filmed clear enough, right?¡± Yu Keyao said while sheughed, acting all innocent.

    ¡°It is,¡± Song Yu¡¯s hand balled up into a fist below the table.

    She already understood Yu Keyao¡¯s intentions. If this video was leaked out, people would judge that the Qi family¡¯s granddaughter-inw was someone¡¯s mistress and intruded other people¡¯s rtionships.

    They would not care about the truth as they only believe what they see in the video.

    Furthermore, Yu Keyao dare to bring this out so confidently was because of Qi Chengyue¡¯s face waspletely hidden in this video. She would not have to worry about the Qi family¡¯s reaction.

    Song Yu felt quite shameful that she had such a secret of hers.

    If she was not blinded then and did not fall for Jian Yi, she would not have gotten into all this mess.

    She would not even have the chance to exin. If she did, it would fire the rumors and gossips, which would channel more judgments and hatred towards the Qi family.

    A warm, coarse palm covered her fist lovingly. Song Yu looked down and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s warm hand wrapped around her. His fingers were softly caressing the back of her hand as well as her fingers, calming her down significantly.

 Chapter 175 - Brother-in-Law, Canâ€™t I Sit in Your Car?

    <h4>Chapter 175: Brother-in-Law, Can¡¯t I Sit in Your Car?</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    A warm, coarse palm covered her fist lovingly. Song Yu looked down and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s warm hand wrapped around hers. His fingers were softly caressing the back of her hand as well as her fingers, calming her down significantly.

    Yu Keyao then turned to Qi Chengzhi and looked at him in all sincerity. ¡°Young Master Cheng, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ve been kept in the dark over this. The video is evidence that my big sister had an affair with none other than your brother-inw, Jian Yi.¡±

    She knew all that because Liang Lihua recounted the encounter at the caf¨¦. The way Jian Yi helped Song Yu, and the expression he had given her, seemed to hint at something much deeper than simply being rtives.

    Some time after that incident, Yu Keyao attended a gathering with her friends, one of whom was the son of Chengyue¡¯s owner. The topic popped up during a conversation and Yu Keyao immediately requested to have a copy of the video recording.

    Seeing as it was a small matter, the friend was more than happy to help.

    ¡°She may be my Big Sister, but I won¡¯t blindly side her, not when she does something as disgusting as being a mistress.¡± Yu Keyao shook her head, seemingly full of disappointment.

    Song Yu found everything rather amusing. All this time, Yu Keyao had been doing exactly what a side chick would do, and yet she had the decency to reproach Song Yu with that look of disdain.

    ¡°And Jian Yi¡¯s your brother-inw now. He¡¯s in the same family as big sister. Maybe there¡¯s something going on between them...¡± Yu Keyao stopped talking midway. Her eyes were wide open in befuddlement and she let out an awkward giggle.

    ¡°I can¡¯tment on this.¡± Yu Keyao tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m talking too much.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, please don¡¯t get me wrong. Maybe Big Sister does not have any rtionship with him anymore and haspletely forgotten about him. Maybe she really is focusing all her attention on you. If so, she wouldn¡¯t feel ufortable or reminisce about him even though they¡¯ll meet regrly in the future,¡± Yu Keyao exined, but then covered her mouth hurriedly. She looked at Song Yu helplessly. ¡°Big Sis, am I making things worse by helping you?¡±

    ¡°You might as well just go ahead and say that I like Jian Yi, that I want to get closer to him by marrying Qi Chengzhi. Just say that I¡¯m nning to go behind Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back because Jian Yi and I still long for one another, and that I want to do all sorts of things that will disappoint Qi Chengzhi.¡± Song Yu snickered. ¡°The hell are you trying to pretend that you¡¯re some pure white lotus flower. I might even think better of you if you just say everything to my face.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kneaded Song Yu¡¯s hand as soon as shepleted her sentence.

    She looked at him and he returned the nce, giving her the opportunity to notice the unhappiness in his dark pupils.

    It would never cross her mind that Qi Chengzhi was angry because he believed Yu Keyao¡¯s words; she knew that it was precisely those words that had incited his anger¡ªfalse though they may be, the way Yu Keyao said them infuriated him.

    Song Yu becamepliant immediately. Under the cover of the table, sheced her fingers with his in a silent gesture to please him. Only then did he be less ruffled.

    Yu Keyao misunderstood his expression, assuming that her words had sowed seeds of doubt in him.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I know.¡±

    His frigid tone served to cement her opinion.

    Pleased, Yu Keyao blushed and tucked yet another lock of hair behind her ear, saying gently, ¡®Young Master... Brother-in-Law, can I call you Brother-in-Law? Since you¡¯re already married to my sister, I think it¡¯s too unfriendly to be calling you Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Song Yu was truly astonished by Yu Keyao¡¯s brazenness. If the other members of the Yu family had the same skill as her, they would not have needed to run up to Song Yu¡¯s family and apologize¡ªa single sentence might have sufficed for them to secure the connections they needed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not ustomed to being someone else¡¯s brother-inw,¡± Qi Chengzhi responded curtly.

    ¡°Brother-in-Law, stop kidding.¡± Yu Keyao smiled shyly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not someone who likes to kid around,¡± came another cold rebuke. The art of a twitchy face was a page he took from Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s book.

    Stunned, Yu Keyao let out an awkward dryugh and proceeded to her next subject. ¡°The reason I wanted to meet Big Sis is to give her advice. She has a wonderful husband in you. I envy that because I can¡¯t marry someone like you. She needs to treasure you and stop putting her hand into someone else¡¯s cookie jar. Being a two-timer is not something a woman should do.¡±

    Deep in her heart, Song Yu let out a silent bitterugh. Yu Keyao¡¯s tone during the phone call¡ªwhere she asked Song Yu toe alone¡ªhad indicated that Yu Keyao was nning on using the recording as a threat.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s presence was unexpected, but Yu Keyao was quick to change her modus operandi.

    ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯re too kind for telling me about this. How could I ever repay you?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s curled one corner of his lips mockingly.

    ¡°No need for thanks. I treat Big Sis and Brother-in-Law as my own family. I said it only because I wanted the best for you, just in case the recording leaks out someday and leaves you helpless, unprepared, and unable to handle it swiftly. If I could get my hands on it, others can too, and we really don¡¯t know what will happen with this kind of thing.¡± Yu Keyao hands wereced together, and she positioned them on the table so her wrists were close to the table edge. ¡°If Brother-in-Law really wants to thank me...

    ¡°Brother-in-Law, I know you¡¯re mad at my parents, especially my mom. Even I had never thought that she¡¯d do that kind of thing. But my mom has been punished and humiliated in public. Brother-in-Law, we¡¯re rtives now too. Can you spare our family¡¯spany? My parents genuinely know their mistakes,¡± Yu Keyao pleaded gently. ¡°I promise that they will never bother Big Sis again.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her in silence. His enigmatic eyes then narrowed, and his gaze was filled with endless ridicule. ¡°Are you implying that you¡¯ll leak the recording if I don¡¯t agree to you? Are you threatening me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. Brother-in-Law, please don¡¯t misunderstand. I wouldn¡¯t dare to threaten you,¡± Yu Keyao replied in a hurry. She stared at him helplessly while her face began to pale, seemingly due to being wrongly used. ¡°I¡¯m just asking for your help, Brother-in-Law. Regarding the video, I¡¯ll help Big Sis too. If it gets out, the Qi family won¡¯t be too happy with Big Sis even though you¡¯re both married now.¡±

    What else could her words be if they were not threats?

    Yu Keyao was fortunate enough to be so thick-skinned. She could threaten someone by making herself look like the pitiable, helpless victim.

    Qi Chengzhi let out a soft, mocking chuckle and stood up. The edge of the table was pressed to his thigh and it was just beneath his package, emphasizing the area around his zipper and between his thighs.

    His suit pants were not at all tight, but they were cut in a way that ttered his body. It did not reveal his bulge, but Yu Keyao looked at that area and wondered what he looked like underneath his pants. She blushed as she fixed her gaze there and felt her mouth begin to dry up.

    ¡°Miss Yu,¡± Qi Chengzhi called out coldly. ¡°Let me take you somewhere.¡±

    Yu Keyao was momentarily startled. She stood up immediately. ¡°Where to?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was silent. He led Song Yu out the door, leaving Yu Keyao with no choice but to catch up. Since Song Yu was also tagging along, Yu Keyao believed that Qi Chengzhi would not do anything bad toward her.

    She followed the couple to the Range Rover, but Qi Chengzhi stopped in front of the car and pointed to another car parked behind. ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯ll be riding in that car.¡±

    Yu Keyao looked over, noticing an ordinary ck Audi A6. Chang Lai got down from the A6 and opened the rear door. ¡°Right here, Miss Yu.¡±

    She hesitated, because she felt less worried if she was in the same car as Song Yu. There was a sense of dread because Qi Chengzhi wanted her to get into the Audi with some driver she did not know, and a destination that was uncertain as of then.

    Yu Keyao nced at the Audi, then at Qi Chengzhi, before saying, ¡°Brother-in-Law, can¡¯t I sit in your car?¡±

    ¡°I just had it cleaned yesterday. I don¡¯t want to waste my time having it cleaned a second time.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was frigid. He drove off as soon as he helped Song Yu into the car and got in.

    Yu Keyao stood frozen on the spot. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words made her face redden up.

    Did he imply that she would dirty his car if she sat in it?

    Chang Lai walked over and remarked politely. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Yu. Our director is aw-abiding citizen. He won¡¯t do anything that will go against thew.¡±

    ¡°Where will you bring me to?¡± Yu Keyao questioned.

    ¡°Somewhere near. It¡¯s only five minutes away,¡± Chang Lai replied. ¡°If you don¡¯t feel reassured, you can choose not to go. I¡¯ll be heading back if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    Chang Lai went to the car immediately after finishing his sentence. Yu Keyao hesitated¡ªshe was torn between her feelings of apprehension and her curiosity for the answer.

    Clenching her jaw, she figured that Qi Chengzhi was not some unsavory character who would kidnap or burn her alive. She dragged her feet and got into the car.

    Chang Lai looked at her through the rear-view mirror, to which Yu Keyao responded, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    To her surprise, the ce that Qi Chengzhi told Chang Lai to bring her to, was Yu Zidong¡¯spany.

    The car slowly came to a stop on the roadside, and the pavement was seen to be filled with people.

    Men and women alike were present, apparently from all walks of life. Every single one of them had an irate expression.

    Some were holding up wooden signs with lines of words written on the poster: Useless Company, Return My Money!

    Another held up cards that were not fixed onto wooden sticks.

    Some wrote on a piece of cardboard, filling the entire space with intricate details of the losses they had suffered. The cardboard was ced upright on the street. They stood beside it wearing white bandannas on their forehead, containing the words: Return My Money!

    They stood there without moving, allowing all other passers-by to see what they were up to.

    A middle-aged woman cried out in anguish and wailed at everyone who passed by her. ¡°We¡¯re all ordinary people who struggle to save up our money. We don¡¯t know how to invest in stocks or investment funds, so we gave our money to the professionals to help us. When they took our money, they promised us this was a guaranteed fund. Even if they didn¡¯t earn anything, they promised that our money would not disappear and they would give it back to us. But now, we don¡¯t even have a single cent left!

    ¡°We saved all this money month-by-month by scrimping and saving. It was intended for our son, for him to get married. We¡¯re not greedy. We didn¡¯t have any intention to be rich overnight and that was why we chose this guaranteed fund. We were prepared for the oue of having no return as long as our capital was still there! Now, thispany can¡¯t even return our capital, and they can¡¯t even give us an exnation! Thepany owner hasn¡¯t shown his face for a few days already!

    ¡°Where¡¯s our justice! Thesepany owners only know how to bully us, hardworking poor people. Ask thepany owner if his conscience is clear when he has lost all our hard-earned money!¡±

    Another even raised up Yu Zidong¡¯s ck-and-white picture in a ck photo frame. It was exactly the kind of photo used for deceased people.

    ¡°Everyone, look closely! It¡¯s this person! This is the useless and corrupt businessman who has deceived ordinary citizens and swindled our money away. He used our money to cover up other investors¡¯ debts. Now, he¡¯s not only failed to return our money, he has also disappeared into thin air. We have nowhere else toin to because hispany has closed down and he isn¡¯t allowing us to go in! This isn¡¯t one or two thousand we¡¯re talking about here. It¡¯s more than ten thousand! Ten thousand is a loss that many of us cannot bear! For all we know, he might not have had the intention to help us invest at all! He might have just scammed us by taking our money and making a run for it!

    ¡°All of you must remember this man and thispany. Nevere to thispany ever again. Even if a newpany is set up, don¡¯t ever trust thatpany if the boss is this fe!¡±

    Yu Keyao had never imagined that thepany¡¯s difficulties had reached a point of no return.

    Her heart fell into an icy bottomless pit, and her lips were trembling incessantly. She did not notice that Chang Lai had stepped down from the car and opened the door for her.

    ¡°Miss Yu, pleasee down,¡± Chang Lai implored.

    Yu Keyao found it all too surprising that Qi Chengzhi had wanted her toe to thepany.

    Her limbs ran cold, and her handheld tightly onto the side handle as she got down from the car. At that precise moment, she was particrly worried that the crowd would recognize her as Yu Zidong¡¯s daughter.

    She looked to the right and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car parked just ahead.

    Yu Keyao grasped her bag firmly and walked over to the Range Rover.

    ¡°Miss Yu,¡± Chang Lai called her from behind.

    She stopped, turned around, and watched as Chang Lai came to her. He remarked politely, ¡°I will ry a message that Young Master Cheng has for you.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t he inside the car?¡± Yu Keyao asked. It was evident that she wanted Qi Chengzhi to tell it to her personally.

    Ignoring her question, Chang Lai continued. ¡°Young Master Cheng said that he would protect Song Yu even if you make the video viral and cause the inte folks to condemn her. People¡¯s attentions are easily diverted, and with time, public opinions will shift and voices of dissent will fade away. Their lives will continue as usual after that.

    ¡°But your family¡¯spany, Miss Yu, will diepletely if it crumbles. Rectifying this loss won¡¯t be easy. It is your choice, Miss Yu,¡± Chang Lai said inly. ¡°Also, Young Master Cheng knows of your ambition to be a fashion designer. If thepany ceases to exist, so will your future.¡±

    Chang Lai finished his words and nodded to her. ¡°That is all that Young Master Cheng wishes me to tell you. I won¡¯t be sending you. Goodbye.¡±

    Yu Keyao face changed into all sorts of expressions as she gnashed her teeth and watched Chang Lai get into the car.

    When she finally came to her senses, she turned around to look for Qi Chengzhi. The car, however, was already some distance away.

    Yu Keyao looked at the chaotic mass of people and felt a sudden sense of helplessnessing over her.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi sent Song Yu back to her workce and went back to Qilin.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, Yu Zidong has been waiting in the parlor.¡± Cheng Dongge put down his cell phone. ¡°He has been here since noon.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and walked over to the parlor, with Cheng Dongge following closely behind.

    With a push of the door, the strong smell of smoke came crashing to their faces. The parlor was so densely filled with smoke that it was hard to open one¡¯s eyes.

    Yu Zidong sat alone on the sofa. His legs were spread open and his elbows were ced on top of his thighs. One hand was holding a cigarette and he was leaning forward. His eyes were transfixed on the floor between his legs, where a pile of cigarette ash was scattered all over.

    Qi Chengzhi was not ustomed to the smell of smoke, having quit smoking for quite some time already.

    Yu Zidong did not notice Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arrival. He seemed to be so lost in his own thoughts that his face looked miserable and older by a few years. Even his vitality looked like it had been sucked out of him.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and greeted him, ¡°Director Yu.¡±

    Yu Zidong looked up abruptly but did not stand up. Having been humiliated by Qi Chengzhi to such an extent, Yu Zidong was in no mood to continue currying favor with him.

    Yu Zidong loosened his tie, as if he, too, began to feel the effects of the thick smoke.

    On the table beside him was an ashtray, and he put out his cigarette in it. Cheng Dongge walked over to the window and opened it to let some fresh air in.

    Qi Chengzhi re-entered the room only when the smoke had cleared up.

    There was no small talk from Yu Zidong and he cut to the chase immediately. After what seemed like an uncountable number of cigarettes, his voice was very hoarse. ¡°What will it take for you to spare mypany? Name me your condition. Tell me something, at least, so I can know what I should do.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi walked silently over to the window beside him, standing righteously beside it. The sun rays entered the room, radiating on him and making him look even taller.

    When Qi Chengzhi faced Yu Zidong, thetter could not see too clearly and had to squint because of the sun rays.

    ¡°Director Yu, have you ever thought about why I attacked yourpany?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was indifferent, and his expression was also exceptionally frigid.

    ¡°Because I pestered Song Yu and her parents,¡± Yu Zidong replied. His voice was cracked in a way that suggested his throat had been filed down using sandpaper. Red streaks appeared in both his eyes, and an indignant unwillingness characterized his words.

    He could not bring himself to use the word ¡®harass¡¯, so he beautified his sentence by using the word ¡®pester¡¯.

    Qi Chengzhi snickered and sneered. His tall figure loomed over Yu Zidong and he replied coldly, ¡°That¡¯s only one reason. When I brought up the subject of yourpany to warn you, you still went and harassed my father- and mother-inw. You¡¯re courting your own demise. This is the second reason.

    ¡°This afternoon, Miss Liang came to Chengshi. She stopped Song Yu and apologized profusely, but when she knew that Song Yu would not forgive her no matter how much she begged, she got angry and decided to nder Song Yu right in front of Song Yu¡¯s colleagues. The remarks she made werepletely unreasonable. In fact, she doesn¡¯t seem to realize that she¡¯s in the wrong, and it has given Song Yu a lot ofplications and embarrassment. This is reason number three.

    ¡°Do you know why it took me so long to return? It¡¯s not to make a show of pride in front of you, Director Yu, I¡¯m not that childish. It is entirely because of the dy caused by your daughter. Just earlier, your daughter came to threaten both Song Yu and me. She thought that she could ckmail us into sparing yourpany. This is reason number four.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ced both hands into his pant pockets and looked at Yu Zidong with disdain. ¡°By these four reasons alone, why should I even spare yourpany?¡±

    Yu Zidong¡¯s mouth opened wide in disbelief. He waspletely in the dark over Liang Lihua and Yu Keyao who went to look for Song Yu.

    He formed his hands into a tight fist and rued the inability of those women to make things right!

    Qi Chengzhi noticed his movements and said inly, ¡°It seems you are unaware of your daughter¡¯s and wife¡¯s actions, Director Yu.¡±

    ¡°I really didn¡¯t know.¡± Yu Zidong felt helpless and wronged. It was a painful feeling indeed when one¡¯s own family was the cause of one¡¯s downfall. He was on the verge of vomiting blood.

    He felt around his pocket and took out his pack of cigarettes. He then realized that he had just finished smoking hisst cigarette.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, it¡¯s not like the entire situation can¡¯t be redeemed.¡± Qi Chengzhi said suddenly. Yu Zidong looked up at him with full of hope.

    ¡°In fact, the only thing that really irks me is Miss Liang. Time and again, she has insulted and harassed Song Yu both verbally and physically. Nothing seems to give her peace, and nothing can stop her either. She¡¯d turn into aplete lunatic once she goes insane.¡± Qi Chengzhi ambled over mindlessly to Yu Zidong. ¡°Speaking of which, if your wife was a reasonable person, to begin with, it wouldn¡¯t have toe to this, Director Yu. She not only goes around using people; she has even offended her own little sister. She¡¯s now willing to throw away her self-respect by begging for forgiveness, but what need is there for all this? If you knew that all these things would happen, wouldn¡¯t you have prevented it before it did?¡±

 Chapter 176 - Was the Young Lady in Front of Them A So-Called Mistress?!

    <h4>Chapter 176: Was the Young Lady in Front of Them A So-Called Mistress?!</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°In fact, the only thing that really irks me is Miss Liang. Time and again, she has insulted and harassed Song Yu both verbally and physically. Nothing seems to give her peace, and nothing can stop her either. She¡¯d turn into aplete lunatic once she goes insane.¡± Qi Chengzhi ambled over mindlessly to Yu Zidong. ¡°Speaking of which, if your wife was a reasonable person to begin with, it wouldn¡¯t have toe to this, Director Yu. She not only goes around using people; she has even offended her own little sister. She¡¯s now willing to throw away her self-respect by begging for forgiveness, but what need is there for all this? If you knew that all these things would happen, wouldn¡¯t you have prevented it before it did?¡±

    ¡°If Liang Lihua wasn¡¯t your wife, then...¡± Qi Chengzhi left his sentence hanging and merely looked intently at Yu Zidong.

    There was a sudden change in Yu Zidong¡¯s expression, and when he finally understood Qi Chengzhi¡¯s insinuation, his face grew red.

    ¡°You...¡± Yu Zidong was so furious that he seemed unable to draw in a proper breath.

    Qi Chengzhi was hinting for Yu Zidong and Liang Lihua to get a divorce!

    It was a choice between the two¡ªLiang Lihua, or thepany.

    He had never expected Qi Chengzhi to be so ruthless as to prevent him from having a way out!

    He had to toil for years and years to build up thepany to its current state, and he would never be willing to give up on it.

    Liang Lihua, however, was his wife, and no matter how questionable her character was, the both of them could get along with each other¡¯s temper. Furthermore, their daughter was already an adult, so there was no way he could divorce Liang Lihua for the sake of thepany.

    He did not have the heart to cast aside his wife of nearly thirty-years.

    Furthermore, it would be undoubtedly unpleasant for people to know that he discarded his wife for the sake of protecting hispany.

    Qi Chengzhi was not one to wait for his answer. He calmly said, ¡°Think long and hard, Director Yu. Dongge, send our guest away.¡±

    Once he finished talking, he left the parlor.

    Yu Zidong gnashed his teeth and looked at Cheng Dongge as if thetter was Qi Chengzhi.

    As Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant, Cheng Dongge was also the subject of Yu Zidong¡¯s intense hatred.

    ¡°No need to send me off,¡± Yu Zidong told him coldly and walked out of Qilin with a burning-red face.

    He got into the back seat of a ck Mercedes-Benz that was parked at the side of the road. Then, he asked his assistant, who was driving the car, ¡°How¡¯s the situation at thepany?¡±

    ¡°The protestors are increasing. Most of them are small clients, but because theye inrge numbers, it¡¯s creating a big effect. Some of the bigger clients have even set an ultimatum and gave us a deadline,¡± the assistant exined.

    Yu Zidong closed his eyes. A quiver briefly came over his entire body, and he took a deep breath.

    ...

    ...

    When Saturday came, Qi Chengzhi had to work overtime at the office, so Song Yu went to her parents¡¯ ce alone.

    She had the key, but after opening the door and entering, she saw a nicely-dressed Yu Qianying clutching a bag and urging Song Donglin. ¡°Come on, be quick! You¡¯re wasting time!¡±

    ¡°Dad, Mom, where are you going?¡± Song Yu was startled.

    ¡°Mm? Why did youe home so suddenly?¡± Yu Qianying tossed her bag onto the dining table and took off her jacket.

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t take off your jacket just yet. Where are you nning on going?¡± Song Yu stopped them and asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t the department store having some sort of event? It¡¯s Members Day, and most of the things have really huge discounts. It just so happens that I want to get some thinner fabric shirts that I can wear in times like this. I was going to go have a look,¡± Yu Qianying exined. ¡°But since you¡¯re back, I won¡¯t be going. Oh yes, why are you here alone? Where¡¯s Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°He needs to be at thepany, and since I have nothing to do at home, I decided toe here by myself,¡± Song Yu said, and then took Yu Qianying¡¯s bag from the table. ¡°Since we don¡¯t have anything to do, I¡¯ll follow you there. Now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t been to the department store in a long time.¡±

    With his jacket still on, Song Donglin came out and responded extremely happily, ¡°Then why not follow your mother. I really don¡¯t enjoy walking around in there, especially when they have those events. There¡¯ll definitely be plenty of people and I¡¯m already getting a headache just thinking about it.¡±

    ¡°I knew it! You were being tardy on purpose because you didn¡¯t want to go with me,¡± Yu Qianying remarked unhappily. ¡°You stay at home alone then. You¡¯ll probably be reallyfortable without me nagging at you.¡±

    She held Song Yu¡¯s wrist and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Song Yu smiled, said goodbye to Song Donglin, then made her way to the department store with Yu Qianying.

    ...

    ...

    Such events were held on the regr at that particr department store, with massive discounts being the norm. People went there by the bucketload, and because it was a weekend, it was even more packed with people.

    On one floor, there were shelves of cosmetics, jewelry, and leather goods. In addition, there was arge empty space just for the special price sale. Every brand in the space disyed their cut-price goods there.

    Yu Qianying just wanted to check out if there were any cheap clothes that she could snag, but Song Yu dragged her away.

    ¡°Mom, since we¡¯re here, why not buy a few good clothes. Don¡¯t forget, I¡¯m a rich woman after you gave me that big dowry,¡± Song Yu said as she dragged her mother up the esctor. They went to the third floor, which was solely devoted to high-quality women¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Mom, do you like this one?¡± Song Yu took out a knit cardigan, then a thin windbreaker. ¡°This one too. If you like it, we¡¯ll get it.¡±

    Yu Qianying was busy scrutinizing the clothes when she heard a familiar voice. ¡°Xiaolin, what do you think?

    ¡°Auntie, it looks too perfect on you! It¡¯s beautiful. You look younger and the color¡¯s nice too. It also gives you character when you wear it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± The store attendant chimed in as well. ¡°In our line of clothing, only two pieces of each size are avable. If you wear it out in public, you won¡¯t need to worry about your outfit shing with someone else, since we only sell a limited number. This suits you really well too, so even if you did bump into someone else who wore the same thing, they would not be able to wear it to the same effect as you.

    ¡°Madam, I¡¯m sure your family is involved in some big business, right? I think you look exactly like a wealthy man¡¯s wife, and I don¡¯t mean just any kind of rich, I¡¯m talking about the kind of rich thatnds you in the Forbes list. Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t have such a naturally luxurious character. My guess is, your family is one of the rich and powerful, and you yourself came from a schrly family, am I right?¡± The store attendant was ttering thedy rather enthusiastically.

    Yu Qianying was able to make out that the voice belonged to Jian Yi¡¯s mother, Zhou Mingyan.

    She shook her head, smiled, then whispered to Song Yu, ¡°This store attendant¡¯s having a hard time trying to earn thatmission. Zhou Mingyan¡¯s only graduated from junior high, yet she¡¯s already being called a schrly person. Tough job.¡±

    Song Yu looked over as well. She heard Zhou Mingyan call out Xiaolin, and before that, the woman who was talking to Zhou Mingyan did indeed sound like Guan Xiaolin.

    Yu Qianying saw them too and expressed shock. ¡°Eh? Isn¡¯t that Guan Xiaolin? Why is she with Zhou Mingyan and acting like she¡¯s trying to get into Zhou Mingyan¡¯s good books?¡±

    Song Yu kept quiet and observed them from behind the clothes rack. They were standing just outside the fitting room, looking at the mirror.

    The store attendant then said, ¡°This must be your daughter! She¡¯s already all grown-up, but you don¡¯t look like someone whose daughter is already so grown-up.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan smiled even more jubntly than before, but she tried hard to keep it in. She pursed her lips tight to prevent herself from chuckling.

    ¡°You do have a way with words, but she¡¯s not my daughter,¡± Zhou Mingyan said.

    ¡°She¡¯s not? Then she must be your daughter-inw? Wow, how lucky of you to have such a beautiful daughter-inw. She¡¯s a good one too, since she¡¯s here to apany you while you shop! Most mothers-inw have pretty tensed-up rtionships with their daughters-inw, unlike yours. Your mother-daughter rtionship is a rare one,¡± the store attendant said again, with the exaggerations getting more and more out of hand.

    Zhou Mingyan smiled and neither admitted nor denied it. Her attitude leaned toward ambiguity.

    Yu Qianying frowned and mumbled softly, ¡°Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin are not involved, are they? Jian Yi¡¯s character is a bit shady. Even when he had a girlfriend back then, he still never made it clear to you. Don¡¯t tell me that his hanky-panky old habits die hard even though he¡¯s already married to Qi Chengyue? Well, if that isn¡¯t the case, then why is Guan Xiaolin trying so hard to win over Zhou Mingyan?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s expression tensed up. Yu Qianying knew nothing, but was able to figure it out with a single guess¡ªJian Yi and Guan Xiaolin had a past together ever since their high school days, but they both kept it hidden from Song Yu.

    If it were not for Song Yu chancing upon Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin¡¯s exchange that fateful night, Song Yu might have still been kept in the dark about it.

    However, Song Yu had never once mentioned a word of it to Yu Qianying.

    In a simr manner, Song Yu began to suspect that there was still something going on between Guan Xiaolin and Jian Yi. If not, then perhaps Guan Xiaolin found it hard to forget her old me. There would be no reason otherwise for Guan Xiaolin to exert so much effort in trying to curry favor with Zhou Mingyan¡ªthe way she acted was as though Zhou Mingyan was going to be her future mother-inw.

    Although Song Yu disliked Qi Chengyue, she felt pity for thetter because Qi Chengyue loved Jian Yi blindly. It was a difficult situation, and one that Qi Chengyue waspletely unable to extricate herself from.

    Qi Chengyue really downgraded herself when she married Jian Yi. She was able to disregard sectarian bias, ignore the disparity between their family backgrounds, and be patient with having Zhou Mingyan as her mother-inw. In that regard, Song Yu held Qi Chengyue in high respect, despite the fact that she was headstrong and riddled with ws.

    If a woman could make such a big sacrifice out of sheer love, then that woman was not inherently a bad person.

    There was also the fact that Qi Chengyue¡¯s animosity had watered down significantly in recent times. Although they still did not speak much when they bumped into each other at the Qi family home, Qi Chengyue would not target her as much as before.

    Letting bygones be bygones, Qi Chengyue was still Qi Chengzhi¡¯s younger cousin and the younger sister of Qi Chenglin, whom Song Yu was on rather good terms with.

    Having married into the Qi family, Song Yu was willing to treat Qi Chengyue as her own family. She did not wish that Qi Chengyue would be lied to.

    As she was thinking of all that, a store attendant came over and remarked politely. ¡°If these two items are to your liking, you may try them on.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and temporarily ced the clothes back on the rack, saying, ¡°Mom, would you like to go over and take a look?¡±

    She then tilted her head over to Zhou Mingyan¡¯s direction.

    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s,¡± Yu Qianying replied happily.

    Her temper was especially thin when it came to things that were clearly loathsome. Homewreckers were among the things that she hated with a passion.

    Song Donglin was still young when they got married. He was rather dashing then as well, for Song Yu inherited her good looks from him.

    Add that to his riches and elegance, he became the fancy of many women¡ªthose who liked him genuinely were equally as plentiful as those who loved his money more.

    Song Donglin however, had never done something that would disappoint Yu Qianying, He did not even give those other women a chance. He remained untouched. Although he did not seduce other women, other women came voluntarily to him. He simply could not hide from them, and many a time it made Yu Qianying absolutely furious. It was from there that she abhorred women who purposefully tried to wreck a happy family.

    The two of them walked over, but neither Zhou Mingyan nor Guan Xiaolin saw them. Yu Qianying put on a smile and called out with much friendliness, ¡°Sister Zhou, what a coincidence! You¡¯re here to buy clothes too?¡±

    Yu Qianying and Song Yu came from behind Zhou Mingyan, and their reflection appeared in the mirror. Nevertheless, Zhou Mingyan was caught unprepared by Yu Qianying¡¯s greeting. She did not even notice the reflection in the mirror, as her first reaction was to turn around abruptly.

    When Zhou Mingyan saw that Song Yu was right beside Yu Qianying, a sudden glimmer of shock shed through her eyes¡ªshe was bewildered, but she hurriedly made an attempt to conceal it.

    She exerted some effort in order to smile. ¡°Hehe, Qianying, Song Yu, such a coincidence. Are you here to buy some clothes?¡±

    ¡°Auntie,¡± Song Yu greeted.

    ¡°Why yes, we came to buy clothes. We were looking at some over there when we heard your voices. Then we realized you were here too.¡± Yu Qianying turned her head. ¡°Xiaolin, how coincidental!¡±

    Guan Xiaolin got up from the sofa. ¡°Auntie, Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Sister Zhou, why did youe here with Xiaolin? It¡¯s a Saturday. Shouldn¡¯t you be going shopping with your daughter-inw?¡± Yu Qianying sported a look of shock and curiosity.

    Upon hearing Yu Qianying¡¯s words, the store attendant¡ªthe one who was previously ttering Zhou Mingyan and Guan Xiaolin¡ªhad her eyes opened wide in disbelief. Though she remained silent at one side, she exchanged incredulous looks with her colleague.

    She thought that Zhou Mingyan and Guan Xiaolin were mother- and daughter-inw, or at the very least, future inws. When she asked them, Guan Xiaolin was not the only one who did not deny it: Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression seemed to suggest a cryptic and silent approval notwithstanding the fact that she did not explicitly dispel that notion.

    Who knew that the daughter-inw was another person altogether!

    Was the youngdy in front of them a so-called mistress?!

    The store attendant despised Guan Xiaolin immediately, but for the sake of the business, she did not show it outright.

    Zhou Mingyan was a weirdo as well, since she seemed to approve of the mistress.

    It was such a pity for the absent daughter-inw.

    ¡°Er...¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s lips twitched awkwardly and she let out a hollowugh. ¡°Chengyue¡¯s always busy, and she doesn¡¯t have too many weekends, so it¡¯s best to let her rest. Let Jian Yi enjoy the weekend with her. It would be pointless for them to apany an olddy like me for a walk in the mall.

    ¡°I actually came here alone today, and it was also a coincidence that I met with Xiaolin. She saw that I was alone so she apanied me. It¡¯s nice that she can also give me some fashion advice.¡± As Zhou Mingyan spoke, her expression turned natural gradually.

    ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Yu Qianying nodded understandably. ¡°We heard your voices when we were choosing clothes over there. We turned to look, thinking that you went shopping with Chengyue. The both of you really do look like mother- and daughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°Hehehehe, you¡¯re so good at kidding,¡± Zhou Mingyan smiled insincerely. She then turned to Song Yu, wanting to change the topic as fast as possible. ¡°Song Yu, I heard you and Qi Chengzhi have registered your marriage. Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Thanks. Chengyue and I will be family very soon.¡± Song Yu smiled calmly and gave a slight nod. ¡°In that way, the rtionship between both our families will be stronger.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression went nk for a moment. After another dry chuckle, she said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk more when I visit your house next time. We¡¯ll get going now, Lao Jian is waiting for me to go home and cook for him! He doesn¡¯t even know how to cook a simple bowl of noodles, and he needs me to make his meals. Take your time here, we¡¯ll talk some other time.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Yu Qianying waved at them. ¡°You should get busy.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan hurriedly dragged Guan Xiaolin out, but the stupefied store attendant ran after them. ¡°Miss! Miss! Do you still want this piece of clothing? You haven¡¯t paid for it yet!¡±

    After being called and seeing the awkward look from the store attendant, Zhou Mingyan finally noticed that she had yet to take off the piece of clothing that she tried on earlier.

    Yu Qianying was ashamed to take it off and say no, not after she gave the impression of being a wealthy woman when the store attendant praised her exaggeratedly earlier. Moreover, Yu Qianying and Song Yu were both standing right there.

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, I forgot. Yes, I want this. No need to pack it up, I¡¯ll wear it out.¡± Zhou Mingyan took out the credit card that Qi Chengyue had given her and footed the bill. Then, she said another goodbye to Yu Qianying and Song Yu, before bolting out the door with Guan Xiaolin.

    After they were a considerable distance away, Zhou Mingyan tugged awkwardly on Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand. ¡°Xiaolin, I¡¯m sorry about just now. It¡¯s not that I purposely wanted to say that I am not connected to you in any way. You know the rtionship between Song Yu and the Qi family. If she knew something and told them about it, they¡¯ll definitely treat my Jian Yi badly.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin pursed her lips tightly. There seemed to be some displeasure in her eyes and her expression was rather stiff, ¡°I understand. I only want the best for Jian Yi and wouldn¡¯t want to cause him any trouble.¡±

    ¡°Sigh!¡± Zhou Mingyan patted the back of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand lightly. ¡°A girl like you who likes him is truly hard to find. You¡¯re much better than Qi Chengyue. She¡¯s too spoiled and has too bad of a temper, unlike you. You¡¯re gentle and you always put Jian Yi first. Jian Yi has been married to her for so long already, but she¡¯s never helped him with anything, not even to get a better position or toe out and start his own business. Jian Yi¡¯s never even in her thoughts.¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, if Jian Yi and I were together, our family¡¯spany will belong to him sooner orter.¡± Guan Xiaolin lowered her head in destion. ¡°I¡¯m the only child, and my dad¡¯spany was supposed to be inherited by his son-inw. Even though my dad is still able to put his energy into thepany, if Jian Yi came in, it won¡¯t be a problem for him to be the general manager right away. My family¡¯spany isn¡¯t as big as Qilin and our status is far behind that of the Qi family, but as the saying goes, it¡¯s better to be the cock¡¯s head than to be the phoenix¡¯s tail, isn¡¯t it?

    ¡°The Qi family has plenty of children. His chance of getting those truly important positions will nevere, let alone the privilege to make his own decisions. But if it was ourpany, he will have the final say in everything, and whatever the Guan family owns will be his in the future.¡± Guan Xiaolin smiled warmly and nced emotively at Zhou Mingyan.

    Having heard all those words, Zhou Mingyan became even friendlier. ¡°Oh, Xiaolin. Don¡¯t worry, Jian Yi won¡¯t treat you unfairly. You won¡¯t be wronged if you¡¯re with him. I too, will not let him drag this on too long. I have long disliked Qi Chengyue being my daughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, I feel reassured when you say that,¡± Guan Xiaolin said. She fished out her purse from her bag and took our two thousand in cash. ¡°Auntie, this is for the clothes.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, this won¡¯t do.¡± Zhou Mingyan rejected it and pushed away Guan Xiaolin¡¯s money-filled hand. ¡°It¡¯s just a piece of clothing, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t pay for it.¡±

    ¡°I know that you have sufficient money to pay for it, but this ising from my heart. Didn¡¯t I say so earlier? Let me pay for all of today¡¯s expenses. I followed you today because I wanted to show my filial respect toward you. Please give me a chance to do just that.¡± Guan Xiaolin then stuffed the money into Zhou Mingyan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Sigh!¡± Zhou Mingyan narrowed her eyes. Her originally round face became even rounder, like the wrinkles on a Goubuli 1steamed bun. ¡°If you put it like that, I¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan smiled happily and stuffed the money into her bag.

    Guan Xiaolin wrapped her arm around Zhou Mingyan¡¯s like happy inws. They continued going about their day, but they did not dare to do so in the department store for fear of bumping into Song Yu again.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Qianying went and retried the two clothes that Song Yu chose for her earlier. They looked quite nice and were quitefortable, so she bought them.

    They left and continued walking about in the department store. Yu Qianying remarked, ¡°What do you think is going on between Zhou Mingyan and Guan Xiaolin? The two of them are so close, I can hardly believe that it was a chance encounter!¡±

    Song Yu frowned and thought for a moment before saying, ¡°I found it weird as well, but actually, Jian Yi was in a rtionship with Guan Xiaolin during high school.¡±

    ¡°WHAT?¡± Yu Qianying eyes were wide open in shock. She looked abruptly in Song Yu¡¯s direction and the volume of her voice became louder as well.

    Once she noticed that everyone was looking at her, Yu Qianying kept her voice low. ¡°How did that happen? Wasn¡¯t Guan Xiaolin on good terms with you then? You were in the same high school, weren¡¯t you? And Jian Yi was also in the same high school even though he was older than you both by one year. The three of you were always together. Did Jian Yi get together with Guan Xiaolin at that time?¡±

    ¡°I found out much, muchter, and in fact, the three of us weren¡¯t always together,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°Back in high school, I was also working at Yangzi¡¯s store, wasn¡¯t I? I was always gone after school ended, and to be honest I didn¡¯t have the chance to interact with them too much. So, if at that time, they became lovers in secret, they were perfectly capable of hiding it from me.

    ¡°Back then, Jian Yi¡¯s living expenses and school fees were all paid for by Guan Xiaolin, but he broke up with her after getting to know Qi Chengyue.¡±

    Yu Qianying scoffed in disdain. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that Jian Yi was that kind of person! He has such terrible morals, and to think I was blinded into setting the both of you up!¡±

    A sudden thought then urred to Yu Qianying. ¡°Before the Song family went bankrupt, I saw the three of you together and I¡¯ve always believed that Jian Yi liked you. It was so obvious from the way he looked at you. Even your dad could see it.¡±

    ¡°You all knew? That he always liked me?¡± Song Yu looked at Yu Qianying in bewilderment. She did not expect her parents to know of it since early on.

    Yu Qianying then nodded awkwardly, and her voice became slightly feebler than before. ¡°Actually, we both knew that you liked Jian Yi, but we still decided for you be engaged with Qi Chengji. It came as a result of our considerations as parents. We wanted you to live a happy life. After all, if the woman is in a stronger position than the man, it¡¯s rare for the marriage to be a happy one, especially if it¡¯s someone with as much pride as Jian Yi. At that time at least, we thought that Jian Yi was a very proud person. We were afraid that he was proud enough that he did not want to use a single cent of our money, choosing instead to use his own wages in order to spend his days with you. It will be hard on you, and because of the differences in your ways of living, it¡¯ll end up in lots of arguments.

    ¡°During that period, we made a lot of considerations. Love is not simply about you loving me and me loving you. That isn¡¯t enough. Everyday life lends a certain reality to the love. It doesn¡¯t matter how deep the love is at the start. When ites to living together, both sides mustplement each other. Youngsters nowadays divorce after being married for less than a year. Surely you can¡¯t say that they don¡¯t love each other before the marriage. They got married because they loved each other in the first ce! The differences in living practices will always lead to moments of disharmony.

    ¡°As parents, we want our daughter to live the best life possible after marriage. I admit, I was in fact, biased against Jian Yi, but the bankruptcy has brought about many changes in my mentality. It¡¯s like I¡¯m reset. Back then I was not very mature, and perhaps I didn¡¯t have the right to me Xia Wenna for any of it.¡±

    Yu Qianying held Song Yu¡¯s hand. Yu Qianying once had silky-soft hands because she did not do any housework, but after doing all the chores herself at home, they had be coarse¡ªSong Yu could feel that change in her mother¡¯s hand.

    A soft knead of the hand and Yu Qianying said, ¡°But I¡¯m d that I did not allow you to be with Jian Yist time. You could have been much better off with Qi Chengji. But, I¡¯m also d that I wasn¡¯t able to sessfully set you up with Chengji, because it gave you a chance to be with Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m d too,¡± Song Yu replied and smiled. ¡°I don¡¯t me you and dad.¡±

    Yu Qianying smiled and brought Song Yu into a different shop. They did not necessarily have to buy something there. Going to the department store was a rare asion, and rarer still was the chance to do it with Song Yu. They were in no hurry to rush back, so they decided to stroll around just for the heck of it.

    ¡°We strayed too far from our original conversation.¡± Yu Qianying took a shirt from the rack and tried measuring it to Song Yu¡¯s body. Then, she ced it back. ¡°What do you think of Guan Xiaolin and Zhou Mingyan being together today?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really believe Zhou Mingyan¡¯s words,¡± Song Yu frowned as she rummaged through the selection of clothes on the hanger. ¡°But it¡¯s not good to say stuff without properly ascertaining the facts. It¡¯ll be a sin for us to use someone wrongly and ruin a marriage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, too. Since you said that Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin had been in a rtionship previously, it may be that Guan Xiaolin still can¡¯t get over him, so she¡¯s trying to pursue him by sucking up to Zhou Mingyan,¡± Yu Qianying opined.

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bring this up with Chengzhi.¡±

    Speak of the devil¡ªSong Yu received a call from him as soon as she mentioned his name.

    The first thing she heard when she picked up was Qi Chengzhi asking her, ¡°Where are you? You weren¡¯t at home when I came back.¡±

    ¡°I went shopping with my mom.¡± Song Yu found it a little awkward to talk through the phone in front of her mother, so she walked a few steps away. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± came the reply, and in an irrefutable tone he said, ¡°I¡¯lle pick you both up.¡±

    Song Yu could not help but smile. The man was often busy and his character was usually very dignified, yet he seemed to particrly enjoy being her driver. Regardless of where she went, he insisted on sending her and picking her up personally.

    Touched that he would run over to her even though he had just finished work, she said to him, ¡°Since you just reached home, why don¡¯t you rest for a bit. We¡¯ll finish our stroll soon, then we¡¯ll take a cab home.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was momentarily silent on the other end of the phone.

    His silence made Song Yu¡¯s head feel slightly numb. She was going to say goodbye to him when his rich, mellow voice said to her, ¡°Tell me the address.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    He filtered off everything she said earlier, since he had already made up his mind oning over.

    Still, that stubbornness made Song Yu¡¯s heart feel really warm, and in the end, she told him her location.

    After she hung up, she went back to Yu Qianying, saying that Qi Chengzhi woulde pick them up.

    Yu Qianying smiled contentedly. ¡°Chengzhi¡¯s a real gem. He¡¯s always so busy, but he still insists on putting you first.¡±

    ¡°That is why marrying him is my life¡¯s luckiest moment.¡± Song Yu wrapped her arm around Yu Qianying. ¡°No matter what others say about him, I know he¡¯ll treat me well, and in his heart, I¡¯m more important than anything else.¡±

    ¡°And that¡¯s all that matters,¡± Yu Qianying said delightedly.

    There was nothing else for the two of them to see on that floor, so Song Yu suggested they go to the top floor to see kids¡¯ toys.

    ¡°You¡¯re buying for Youxuan?¡± The thought immediately popped up in Yu Qianying¡¯s mind.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Song Yu took arge box out from the shelf. It looked quite luxuriant, and inside was a four-by-four vehicle that came with different chassis and tires, allowing one to change as one pleased. ¡°It¡¯s his birthday tomorrow. I¡¯ll buy a gift for him.¡±

    Previously at the Qi manor, Qi Youxuan was ying with a four-by-four vehicle. In recent times, there had been a rerun of an old animated film, and surprisingly, it created a sensation among the boys in Qi Youxuan¡¯s kindergarten. All of them started to like four-by-four vehicles.

    ¡°Even though he¡¯s born in the Qi family, the care and love given to him by others can never make up for the absence of a mother,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°Youxuan is adorable and smart, and because of that I care for him more. Most of the time, he tells others what gifts to buy for him, but no one takes the initiative to buy something for him, like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s uncle¡¯s family. If he wants something, then they¡¯ll get it for him. Chenglin¡¯s always busy with work too, so he doesn¡¯t have too much time to keep up with Youxuan¡¯s interests. Although the old couple do love him dearly, they don¡¯t like to spoil him, so they seldom buy anything for him. I think he would be really happy if I give him a gift without him asking for it.¡±

    Yu Qianying looked at the price and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Kids¡¯ things are just so expensive nowadays. This one costs a thousand and five hundred.¡±

    A sales staff came over with a smile, saying, ¡°Miss, this brand is imported in its original packaging and this particr set is their tenth anniversarymemorative piece. There¡¯s one series over there that¡¯s specially designed based on the animated films, all of which are what the kids want nowadays.¡±

    Song Yu had not the slightest idea regarding all of these things, so she asked, ¡°Which ones do the kids these days really like?¡±

    ¡°The one they want most is this one, but they usually buy those that are of the same series as the animated films. Kids like it because it looks exactly the same as the films, and the price is slightly cheaperpared to this one. I won¡¯t lie to you, the reason I¡¯m rmending this isn¡¯t because it¡¯s expensive, but because this is the first thing all the kids see when theye here to shop with their parents. It¡¯s just that the price is too steep for an ordinary toy, so they¡¯d rather choose the other series. After all, these are boys¡¯ toys. It won¡¯t be put on disy just like that. If you let it go on the racetrack, it¡¯ll suffer all kinds of bumps and scratches. Money worth a thousand over will disappear just like that if it spoils,¡± the sales staff exined.

    In the end, Song Yu chose thatmemorative piece. Other than what the sales staff said, she felt that Qi Youxuan¡ªwith his proud character¡ªwould not think highly of ying with a model that everyone else has. He would want to stand out from his friends¡ªto feel pleased with himself for being a cut above the rest.

    When she took the bill to the cashier, she received another call from Qi Chengzhi. He had arrived and parked his car at the carpark. After ascertaining her exact location, he hung up.

    Song Yu made payment, then took the bill and went back to the sales staff. Once it was verified, the staff handed the stic bag that contained the wrapped box to Song Yu.

    The first thing she saw when she turned around was Qi Chengzhi takingrge strides toward her direction.

    He appeared not to have taken any rest when he went home, for he was still wearing the suit that he had worn to thepany earlier that morning.

    That luxurious-looking and tailor-fitted suit entuated the finer points of his body.

    The suit emphasized his slender figure, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. It looked much better on him than to a model, and no model couldpare to his handsomeness and charisma.

    Looking at his slender, well-dressed figure, Song Yu knew that there was an undoubtedly muscr body underneath that suit.

    He attracted much attention simply by walking, but he seemed not to notice any of it. His expression was stern, allowing no stranger toe near him.

    His biting-cold eyes were looking around insipidly. The hearts of many nearby women were probably beating like wild, hoping that he would look in their direction and notice them, perhaps even gazing into their eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi, however, did not look at anyone else. When his eyes located Song Yu, he was fixed on her, and the tenseness of his facial features became tender immediately, like ice melting to be water.

    It was a magical scene.

    His lips curled up unnoticeably and there was a hint of glimmer in his eyes. He took great strides over and stood in front of Song Yu. Without saying a word, he lowered his head and gave her a quick peck.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red. The sales staff was just behind her and there were plenty of customers in the surrounding.

    There were arge number of customers on that floor because it sold kids¡¯ clothes, necessities and electrical appliances, in addition to kids¡¯ toys.

    Moreover, Yu Qianying was just beside them!

    ¡°My mom¡¯s right here!¡± Song Yu scolded softly. She did not expect that he would kiss her the instant he arrived. It may just be a peck, but it was still a little awkward.

    Qi Chengzhi treated it as though there was no one else beside him. He put his index finger to her lips and caressed gently.

    If they were not out in public, he would have hugged her in his arms and kissed her ruthlessly.

    He especially enjoyed seeing her lowering her head with her cheeks turning so tenderly red. She was clearly very embarrassed, yet all she could do was berate him softly and stand in front of him so earnestly. Her submissiveness was what stirred his heart.

    Yu Qianying only moved closer when she surmised that Qi Chengzhi would not kiss Song Yu again. Of all the things that was good about him, the only negative was that he was too shameless in venues where it was inappropriate to do so.

    <i>Footnotes:</i>

    <h4>Ch 176 Footnote 1</h4>

    ¹·²»Àí°ü×Ó ¨C known as Goubuli or sometimes transcribed as Go Believe, due to the onomatopoeic simrities. These are a branded stuffed steamed bun that originated from Tianjin, China that was founded in 1858. There are varying tales on how it got its name (all centering around a man with the surname Gou), which is tranted literally as ¡®dogs ignore¡¯. It is said that each bun has fifteen wrinkles.

 Chapter 177 - Chengyue, Come with Me, I Need to Tell You Something

    <h4>Chapter 177: Chengyue, Come with Me, I Need to Tell You Something</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Qianying figured that Qi Chengzhi would not kiss her again, and moved over in embarrassment. The one w this son-inw of hers had was being thick-faced wherever he was.

    ¡°Haha, Chengzhi, you¡¯re here!¡± Yu Qianying said while smirking.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face quickly changed to calmness and said, ¡°Mom¡±.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu watched the exchange.

    Chengzhi did not even try to hide his prompt change of attitude. He showed no shame in front of Yu Qiangying, as if he was not the one who just kissed her in front of everyone. This calmness of his could send shivers down one¡¯s spine.

    Yu Qiangying nodded and walked ahead of the couple.

    Qi Chengzhi grabbed the bag in Song Yu¡¯s hand and asked indifferently, ¡°What did you buy?¡±.

    ¡°A four-wheel toy truck for Youxuan,¡± Song Yu said while passing her things to him. It was a natural habit.

    Whenever she went out with him, she did not need to carry anything other than her own purse.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I just get him a racetrack? Why did you buy this?¡± Chengzhi asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it his birthday tomorrow? It¡¯s a present for him. Moreover, that racetrack of yours was given to him based on a trade. That does not count as a present,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°You fail as an uncle for letting your nephew ask you to trade items,¡±.

    Qi Chengzhi had a glimpse inside the bag, looked at her and jokingly said, ¡°This is the first time and you¡¯re getting him such fancy presents. Watch out, he¡¯ll extort you in the future,¡±.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, he has a rich uncle! You¡¯re my strong backup anyway,¡± Song Yu smiled while wrapping her hand around his arm.

    Qi Chengzhi gave a hollowugh. Song Yu¡¯s face changed as she said, ¡°Come to think of it, has anyone in the family taken an initiative and gotten him anything? Even though his toy collection seems massive, but he only got them whenever you guys asked him for help. If he didn¡¯t do that, none of you would think of getting him anything,¡±.

    ¡°Youxuan is still young and he¡¯s at the age where he likes ying with anything. Your mom and dad are usually strict with him and do not like wasting money on these things. You and Chenglin are also busy with work, not to mention how alpha male he is. How would he pay attention to minute details like these? He probably thinks his job is done if he gives his son anything he asks for. But getting a present you asked for and receiving one are two different feelings. His uncle and aunt spoil him, but the grandparents still don¡¯t know what the kid likes. To be frank, the fact that Youxuan is still cheerful and active, unlike children who throw tantrums or look gloomy whenever they don¡¯t get something they want, it¡¯s really Chenglin¡¯s luck that his son doesn¡¯t have any issues with mental health.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet. No one actually thought about these things.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to Chenglin about this and make sure he gives it a thought. But Youxuan really needs a mother figure in his life,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ...

    ...

    Yu Qianying did not expect them to be back today, and there was not enough food at home. Usually, she had simple meals with Song Dong at home as it was just both of them.

    Before leaving the mall, she went to the supermarket in the lower ground and bought some instant food and cold dishes. She just needed to stir fry some vegetables at home and dinner would be ready.

    Song Yu looked over at Qi Chengzhi in the driver¡¯s seat as they left the Song residence in the afternoon. She was thinking about how to bring up the topic when Qi Chengzhi looked over and caught her by surprise.

    ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± he looked back to the road, his voice mellow and light.

    Song Yu gave it a thought and said, ¡°Today, at the mall with mom, I saw Xiaolin shopping for clothes with Jianyi¡¯s mother,¡±.

    She told Qi Chengzhi every detail about the encounter.

    ¡°By the looks of it, anyone would have assumed that they were either mother and daughter or inws. On top of that, Jianyi did date Xiaolin in the past. If you told me Jianyi had an affair, I would believe it ¨C Guan Xiaolin is the only daughter in her family, and Jianyi looks like he is going nowhere in the Qi family. If he went to approach Xiaolin for the sake of his future, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised. But it is possible that Guan Xiaolin never moved on from Jianyi,¡± Song Yu said.

    ¡°Do you remember the time you dropped me at Jianyi¡¯s?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi replied, ¡°mmhmm,¡±.

    ¡°That day, I heard what Guan Xiaolin said to Jianyi, she basically said even if they were just lovers, she did not mind as long as Jianyies to see her.¡±

    ¡°So it is possible that Guan Xiaolin is pursuing Jianyi. She did not mind that he is married, that¡¯s why she is being nice to Jianyi¡¯s mom. As for Jianyi¡¯s mom, she loves taking advantage of people ¨C since Guan Xiaolin is the one approaching her, she is most definitely happy and would not care what Qi Chengyue thought.¡±

    ¡°What do you think about this?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Dong Ge to investigate it,¡± Qi Chengzhi briefly said.

    ¡°When we get to the house tomorrow and see Qi Chengyue, should I remind him about this?¡± Song Yu sighed and added, ¡°If Jianyi is really having an affair, we should warn her about it. If it¡¯s just a one-way pursuit by Guan Xiaolin, she could solve the problem as soon as possible so Guan Xiaolin wouldn¡¯t stand a chance,¡±.

    Qi Chengzhi nced over, ¡°Aren¡¯t you afraid that she might take it the wrong way? What if she thinks you¡¯re just jealous that she¡¯s with Jianyi, and purposely degrade him in front of her? Even if it was true,ing from you, she might be too embarrassed and deny your words. It might have apletely different effect than what you intended,¡±.

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was worried about. What if we just let Chenglin do it?¡± Song Yu looked down, and her soft fingertips fiddled with her purse.

    ¡°Go back and give Chenglin a call,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu got up early and wrapped Qi Youxuan¡¯s presents with a pretty wrapping paper, including the racetrack Qi Chengzhi bought for Qi Youxuan. She put it in a bag and left it by the door so she would not forget it.

    Aunty Yong is almost done making breakfast. Song Yu went back to the bedroom and saw Qi Chengzhi sleeping soundly.

    He lied on his stomach in bed, and the quilt only covered his buttocks. The beautiful curve of his back brought out the shape of his buttocks.

    He slept on one side of the bed, and Song Yu squatted by the bed and watched him sleep. Hisshes were thick, long, and curved ¨C he seemed honest and quiet in his sleep. Hisshes did not move at all, and his pointy nose inhaled and exhaled deeply.

    Song Yu lifted her index finger, and put it on hisshes while moving them up and down. She made Qi Chengzhi feel itchiness in his eyes.

    His eyelids moved a little before they openedzily. Song Yu giggled and kissed the corner of his lips, saying ¡°Wake up, let¡¯s go to the house earlier today,¡±.

    ¡°Mmhmm, I¡¯m really up,¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled, turned over all of a sudden, grabbed her hand and shoved it under the sheets.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed as her hand was put against his boner ¨C she had to hold it eventually.

    ¡°Get it out for me,¡± he urged as he moved her hand.

    A red-faced Song Yu looked at his dark eyes. She could not say no.

    Qi Chengzhiughed excessively and pressed her body against his. His hand slipped to the back of her head, and pressed his lips against hers.

    Song Yu¡¯s hair was messed up in the end, and her clothes became crumpled.

    A refreshed Qi Chengzhi got out of bed, and he was good to go for the day. Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were slightly blushed, and she looked a little out of it. She seemed like she had some rough loving.

    Qi Chengzhi was satisfied as he got dressed and tidied himself up in front of the mirror, and said, ¡°Aunty Yong took the day off, she¡¯s leaving after breakfast,¡±.

    ¡°So?¡± Song Yu did not understand and lifted her eyebrows at him.

    Qi Chengzhi tidied himself up, and his long arm reached to pull her in before saying in a raspy voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t we say thest time that we could try at home when Aunty Yong goes on leave? Any corner, right?¡±.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless towards his indecency. It had not been brought up for some time, thinking he forgot about it ¨C at least she did. She did not expect him to remember it all.

    Song Yu blushed, red at him, and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go eat,¡±.

    She pushed his hand off her waist and walked away. But Qi Chengzhi followed and whispered into her ear, ¡°When wee back in the afternoon, we can just walk around the house naked! No one will be here, we can just be naked no matter what we do,¡±.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu¡¯s cheeks were flushed after hearing what he said. She did not know what he was capable of doing!

    ¡°So that is how it¡¯s going to be. Come, let¡¯s go eat,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nonchntly, and walked out of the bedroom with his arm around her.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu got annoyed. No one made a promise with him.

    She was already brought to the living room by then, she could not continue debating the issue with him.

    ...

    ...

    The duo finished breakfast and walked towards the door. Qi Chengzhi grabbed the bags that contained Qi Youxuan¡¯s presents, and he realised that they were in pretty wrapping papers. Qi Chengzhi nced at her.

    Song Yu became a little embarrassed. She was worried that he would say she did more than what she should have.

    But Qi Chengzhi said nothing, and walked out of the door with both the bags.

    After arriving at the house, Qi Chenglin was already there with Qi Youxuan. Qi Youxuan was watching an old action film on TV ¨C it was showing a four-wheel-drive race.

    Grandma was still at the movie set, and Grandpa was out ying chess. Neither of them were home.

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Qi Chenglin nodded with a dark expression. There were also light shadows under his eyes. It was obvious that he did not have a good night¡¯s sleep due to the call from Qi Chengzhi yesterday.

    ¡°Uncle, aunty!¡± Qi Youxuan temporarily shifted his attention from the action film, and his butt did not leave the couch as he called. He then went back to watching TV.

    Song Yu did not interrupt. Five minutester, the end credits of the film yed ¨C that was when Qi Youxuan reluctantly turned the TV off.

    After moving his attention, his big, dark eyes glowed as theynded on the two bags Song Yu left on the coffee table.

    ¡°Aunty, what are in those bags?¡± Qi Youxuan asked in curiosity.

    ¡°Take it out and find out yourself,¡± Song Yuughed.

    Without dy, Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby arm reached for the bags and embraced them.

    The bags did not seem huge in Qi Youxuan¡¯s arms, but they were nearly half the size of him. Watching him struggle to hug the bags, on top of his chubby body, it was an adorable sight.

    Qi Youxuan moved the bags to the couch, and he supported himself with his hands as he lifted his chubby legs onto the couch. He knelt on it as he took the things out of the bags.

    Once his sightnded on a particrly pretty package, Qi Youxuan¡¯s round cheeks became flushed and turned around to look at Song Yu before asking shyly, ¡°Aunty, is this... a present for me?¡±.

    ¡°Yes!¡± Song Yu loved Qi Youxuan¡¯s round but good-looking face. His chubby face looked exactly like mochis, and she could not help but punched his soft dimples. That delicate touch felt all too good.

    Qi Youxuan blushed even more, and his grape-like eyes were particrly sparkly. Song Yu did not wait for him to ask before saying, ¡°Go, open them,¡±.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s excited arms jumped on the gifts, but he stopped himself. It was the first time he had received such a beautifully wrapped present, and it would be a waste to tear the wrapping paper. His chubby hands carefully peeled the wrapping paper to keep it intact.

    After opening it, he realised it was the racetrack he had asked for from Qi Chengzhi. Qi Youxuan looked at him in shock and asked, ¡°You really bought it, uncle?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was nning to just reply coldly ¨C he had always been that way with Qi Youxuan. But Song Yu looked over all of a sudden and red at him as a warning in order to make him remember what she said yesterday.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and forced himself to say a few extra sentences, ¡°I saw a toy store on the way here, so I went in to ask about it. This is thest one,¡±.

    ¡°Thank you uncle!¡± Qi Youxuan shouted in excitement.

    Song Yu took the box and put it on the coffee table before saying, ¡°There¡¯s one more, I bought it,¡±.

    Qi Youxuan carefully peeled off the other wrapping paper. The moment he saw the drawing on the box, he shouted ¡°It¡¯s the 30th anniversary edition!¡± before even opening it.

    ¡°You knew that?¡± Song Yu was surprised. Seeing the look on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face, she knew she bought the right thing.

    Qi Youxuan nodded with strength. His short and chubby hands opened the box ¨C he still had to put the four-wheel toy together himself. The little guy cautiously touched the wheels, the base, the outer case, and the other parts.

    ¡°Most of the boys in our ss have the one in the action film just now. But because Grandpa already bought me onest year, I did not dare to ask him for the new one when the movie came out this year. Otherwise, I would be lectured,¡±.

    Song Yu could imagine. To be real, children are morepetitive than adults. Adults would not show much of theirpetitiveness even if they felt it, but children would unapologetically show it in their actions.

    For apetitive kid, if he was the only one who had the old model while the others had the new four-wheel toy, he would be uneasy and sad about it. On top of that, he would have to tolerate the other kids who showed theirs off, as well as the teasing and bullying.

    ¡°Aunty, no one in the kindergarten has this yet!¡± Qi Youxuan seemed pure and honest when he was excited. His usual cunning antics were nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°As long as you like it,¡± Song Yu was d that she picked the right gift, as her fingers ran through his hair.

    Qi Youxuan looked at his presents, then looked at Song Yu as tears filled his eyes. Everyone in the family treated him well, but no one knew what he liked as much as Song Yu did.

    ¡°Aunty!¡± Qi Youxuan ran into Song Yu¡¯s arms. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be my stepmother!¡±

    Aunty loved and cared for him. With her as his stepmother, it would feel exactly like having a biological mom. He would not need to worry being abused by a strange stepmom in the future.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi watched.

    Qi Youxuan hugged Song Yu tightly. Qi Chengzhi had enough of it, got up and walked over, and dragged him by the back of his cor. ¡°That¡¯s enough, go y with your toys.¡±

    Qi Youxuan mumbled something, moved his little butt down the couch, and ran while hugging his presents.

    Qi Chenglin still seemed a little down. Looking at Song Yu, he was about to speak up ¨C but the doorbell rang.

    Aunty Liu opened the door and was heard saying, ¡°Miss. Sir,¡±.

    A whileter, Qi Chengyue and Jianyi walked inside together.

    After what she learnt yesterday, Song Yu unconsciously began to observe the interaction between Qi Chengyue and Jianyi. Since the moment they walked in, they never looked at each other ¨C not even once.

    It was expected of Jianyi ¨C she knew he had been using Qi Chengyue and he never gave her his heart. There would not be any disy of affection from him.

    But Qi Chengyue always liked Jianyi. This time, she acted as if he was invisible.

    If two people were in love with each other, they would definitely look at each other at some point in time, or exchange nces, or make a few moves.

    But none of these were seen on Jianyi and Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Big brother. Brother,¡± Jianyi briefly called, and his sightnded on Song Yu ¨C as if he wanted to find out something.

    Song Yu could not help but lift her eyebrow ¨C could it be that Jianyi was observing her reaction after what happened yesterday?

    Qi Chenglin only responded with a cold nod. Jianyi did not mind ¨C Qi Chenglin was always this way with him anyway.

    None of them spoke after that.

    Qi Chenglin said nothing until Jianyi¡¯s phone rang. He walked out to take the call, and Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Chengyue,e with me. I need to tell you something,¡±.

    ¡°What¡¯s up, why so serious?¡± Qi Chengyue said nonchntly and followed Qi Chenglin.

    The duo entered the study, and Qi Chengyue closed the door behind them upon Qi Chenglin¡¯s request.

    Qi Chenglin sat on the couch and pointed to the seat next to him, ¡°Sit,¡±.

    ¡°Brother, what is so serious?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as she walked over to sit.

    Qi Chenglin had a dark expression on his face and did not speak for some time. He touched his pocket, and remembered he left his cigarettes in the car as no smoking was allowed in the house.

    Qi Chenglin sighed, and retold the story of Guan Xiaolin shopping with Zhou Mingyan at the mall yesterday ¨C but he did not mention that Song Yu was the one who witnessed it.

    ¡°Brother, you were working overtime in your office, how could you have seen my mother-inw at the mall?¡± Qi Chengyue asked. She believed him ¨C but she wanted evidence.

    The credit card held by Zhou Mingyan was created using Qi Chengyue¡¯s identity card. The moment Zhou Mingyan swiped the card yesterday, Qi Chengyue received a message notification for it. Even though the message did not reveal the location of the transaction, but it could have something to do with what Qi Chenglin was saying.

    Qi Chenglin nced over, weighed his options, and decided to tell the truth. ¡°Song Yu was the one who told me. Yesterday she went to the mall with her mother and saw them. Zhou Mingyan looked a little frightened when she bumped into them. Zhou Mingyan is not a bright woman ¨C her first reaction can¡¯t trick anyone.¡±

 Chapter 178

    <h4>Chapter 178: Song Yu Turned and Looked at Qi Chengzhi in the Driver¡¯s Seat, and Leaned over Suddenly</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin nced over, weighed his options, and decided to tell the truth. ¡°Song Yu was the one who told me. Yesterday she went to the mall with her mother and saw them. Zhou Mingyan looked a little frightened when she bumped into them. Zhou Mingyan is not a bright woman¡ªher initial reaction can¡¯t trick anyone.¡±

    ¡°I know you have a thing against Song Yu, but Chengyue, you¡¯re not dumb. You¡¯re the exact opposite. You know very well that Song Yu and Big Brother are truly in love with each other, and she only has Big Brother in her heart¡ªthere is no space for Jian Yi in there. She¡¯s also not the type to do something harmful to herself and others. Big Brother and I have reservations about Jian Yi as a person, but because you liked him, as your brother I can¡¯t stop you¡ªI could only be your clear conscience.

    ¡°Song Yu does not need to use this to ruin your marriage. She chose to let me tell you this because she was afraid you would think she¡¯s intentionally berating Jian Yi to ruin your marriage. To be frank, she wasn¡¯t sure about what¡¯s going on between Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin. Jian Yi could even be innocent, and Guan Xiaolin is the one who¡¯s trying things. But she wishes that you would pay a little more attention to this since another woman is waiting to pounce on him.

    ¡°If Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin really betrayed you, you shouldn¡¯t be yed by them like this. If Jian Yi is innocent, and Guan Xiaolin is the one trying things, then you should be careful of her. This is why Song Yu wanted me to talk to you about this.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sighed. He rested his elbows on his kneecaps, leaned his body forward, and proceeded to intertwine his fingers between his knees.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, I will check the shift schedule at the store Zhou Mingyan shopped in yesterday¡ªwe can go meet the salesperson at the time during her shift.¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked down and did not utter a word.

    ¡°Chengyue, what are you thinking?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at her.

    Qi Chengyue stayed silent for a while before replying, ¡°I got it.¡±

    She stood up and said in a cold voice, ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ll leave.¡±

    ¡°Chengyue! I don¡¯t care if you believe me or not, the least you can do is remember what I said. I will investigate Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin, and I will not let you be yed by them,¡± Qi Chenglin stood up and said.

    Qi Chenglin walked a few steps toward her, but not too close¡ªhe was afraid Qi Chengyue would be ufortable.

    ¡°Chengyue, you¡¯re my sister. Believe me, I will not let you be bullied by others.¡±

    Qi Chengyue finally turned around slowly. Qi Chenglin felt relieved after seeing that she did not cry. She looked like she believed what he said.

    But she looked vulnerable¡ªit was heartbreaking.

    Qi Chengyue silently nodded. ¡°I understand.¡±

    Jian Yi finished his call and entered the house. He found Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi alone in the living room and smirked before sitting across them without a word.

    Qi Chengyue and Qi Chenglin came out together. Song Yu looked at Qi Chenglin, and Qi Chenglin nodded slightly.

    Qi Chengyue sat down quietly and nced over at Song Yu.

    ¡°Deng! Deng! Deng!¡± Qi Youxuan changed into his little tuxedo and came down the stairs.

    This tuxedo of his was bought during New Year¡¯s. Grandma realized that Qi Youxuan had gained weight and made him go on a diet¡ªwhich was why he could fit into his New Year¡¯s clothes.

    ¡°Why are you dressed like this?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at his son¡ªhis eyes twitched.

    Qi Youxuan looked down shyly and said, ¡°I¡¯ve invited my inws, they should be here any minute.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin asked, ¡°What inws of yours?¡±

    ¡°Ugh Dad, you¡¯re speaking as if I am a yer. I only have one father-inw and one mother-inw, and they¡¯re Muran¡¯s parents!¡± Qi Youxuan became indignant¡ªhe thought his reputation was ruined by his father.

    ¡°...¡± A speechless Qi Chenglin looked at him for some time before saying, ¡°Don¡¯t learn those thick-skinned things from your uncle.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was speechless.

    Qi Youxuan ignored him and went to the toilet to grab Grandma¡¯s hair gel. He put it in Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands and said, ¡°Dad, help me style my hair like the one you did for Sports Day at the kindergarten.¡±

    After getting urged by Qi Youxuan, Qi Chenglin quietly dug some hair gel from his hand and styled Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair.

    The doorbell rang just after the styling was done. Qi Youxuan rushed to the door after hearing Aunty Liu say it was Wei Ziqi and family.

    After Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran walked in, Qi Youxuan cleverly called, ¡°Hello uncle, hello aunty.¡±

    Wei Ziqi was unexpectedly nice towards Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±

    Wei Ran also passed a present to Qi Youxuan and wished him a happy birthday.

    ¡°Thank you uncle and aunty, I will definitely treasure it and pass it down to your grandchild,¡± Qi Youxuan said before even opening his gift.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran were speechless.

    Later on, Qi Youxuan dragged Little Muran to check out his racetrack.

    Grandpa and Grandma came home after some time.

    Grandma¡¯s part in the film was done for the day, and she did not have any more scenes after that. This was specifically requested by Han Zhuoli¡ªGrandma¡¯s scenes were to be shot without tiring her, and she was not to spend too much time with the film crew. As long as it scratched her itch it was good enough.

    Grandma was a little sick of spending time with the film crew. She would not be taking up parts for some time.

    After changing in her room, Grandma cracked open sunflower seeds as she asked, ¡°Song, girl, are you free next Saturday?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Grandma?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Haha, I wanted to bring you to the old Han house¡ªa few friends want toe as well. They want to meet Chengzhi¡¯s new wife.¡± Grandma looked annoyed at these people, but her cunning eyes were glowing.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you spend too much time with us old women. I¡¯ve told Chengzhi toe pick you up when you get bored.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu agreed right away.

    For Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday, Qi Chengzhi made Yanbei City send their top chef to the house to prepare dinner.

    The birthday cake was made in the morning by a top pastry chef and brought to the house.

    It was dinner time, so Song Yu went upstairs to get the two children.

    After reaching Qi Youxuan¡¯s bedroom, the door was open and she saw the children ying with four-wheel toys. In actual fact, Muran was the one ying and Qi Youxuan was just watching her.

    Every time Little Muran came across a problem, Qi Youxuan was there to help her solve it.

    Muran sessfully made her four-wheel toy run around the racetrack, and it did not fall off at sharp corners. She immediately pped in excitement, and her doll-like face was flushed as she shouted, ¡°I did it! I did it!¡±

    Qi Youxuan was buzzed and grabbed Muran by her wrist. He leaned over all of a sudden and kissed Muran on her pink cheeks.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Song Yu cleared her throat. If she remained quiet, Muran would be further taken advantage of by Qi Youxuan.

    If Wei Ziqi found out about this, Qi Youxuan would not be forgiven.

    Song Yu red at Qi Youxuan. After getting caught for kissing Muran, Qi Youxuan¡ªwho was usually thick-skinned¡ªbecame flushed.

    How unlucky he was, getting caught when it was his first time doing so.

    Song Yu walked over and lightly flicked Qi Youxuan in his head, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t take advantage now, pursue her proudly when you¡¯re older.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stood up with his little belly as he twisted his waist in embarrassment.

    Song Yuughed and said, ¡°Come, let¡¯s go eat. You¡¯re the birthday boy today.¡±

    Qi Youxuan extended his pale and chubby arm towards Little Muran and walked downstairs together hand in hand.

    Wei Ziqi¡¯s face changed as he saw them. He moved his lips in annoyance and extended his arms towards Muran and said, ¡°Muran,e to Dad.¡±

    Muran¡¯s face lit up when she saw her father. She ditched Qi Youxuan and ran straight into Wei Ziqi¡¯s embrace.

    Wei Ziqi knelt and looked at his daughter in his arms, nced over at a disappointed Qi Youxuan who had just been ditched, and said, ¡°Never simply hold hands with boys again. If someone touches you, tell daddy¡ªeven if it¡¯s just hooking a finger.¡±

    Little Muran nodded in seriousness and thought about how she was kissed on her cheek by Qi Youxuan just now. She was contemting about telling her father about it, but after some thought, she figured he was speaking about the future, and not what had happened before. Muran thought the past did not count, and so she decided not to speak about it.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Wei Ziqi asked.

    Little Muran shook her head decisively.

    Today was Qi Youxuan¡¯s sixth birthday. There were six candles on the cake¡ªit was supposed to be one candle in the form of a number, but Qi Youxuan said he liked making the effort to blow many candles at once. Hence, normal, skinny candles were bought.

    After lighting the candles, everyone became silent¡ªQi Youxuan¡¯s chubby hands intertwined under his chin as he looked down and closed his eyes. He seemed very focused on making his wish before blowing the candles.

    ¡°Youxuan, what did you wish for?¡± Guan Liya tilted her head and asked. She thought if he wished for something, she could go buy it and make her grandson¡¯s wishe true.

    However, Qi Youxuan looked down in embarrassment and tugged his pants with his chubby little hand. He looked at Little Muran and said, ¡°It¡¯s a secret. I¡¯ll reveal it when ites true.¡±

    After dinner and celebrating Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday, everyone sat and chatted for a while before leaving.

    As she walked towards the door, Song Yu gave Qi Chengyue a worried look.

    Qi Chengyue suddenly looked back at Song Yu¡ªas if she realized her stare. She then looked back down and got in the car without interacting with Jian Yi at all.

    Song Yu felt sorry for Qi Chengyue. Everything Jian Yi owned today was thanks to Qi Chengyue.

    His car, his new house, his parents¡¯ allowance, and his position in thepany.

    After giving him so much, he could not even reciprocate with love.

    After getting into the car, Song Yu turned and looked at Qi Chengzhi in the driver¡¯s seat, and leaned over suddenly. Her head rested on his shoulder, and her hands were wrapped around his arm.

    As there was quite some space in between the seats, the position was not veryfortable¡ªbut she was still leaning on his shoulder and stayed there.

    As they stopped at a traffic light, Qi Chengzhi turned and looked at Song Yu¡¯s smooth forehead and her thickshes that were facing down. He lowered his head a little and kissed her forehead asking, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head and replied, ¡°I just feel bad about Qi Chengyue. Even if Jian Yi did not cheat on her, he doesn¡¯t love her. Jian Yi loves himself, and he does everything for himself. He never reciprocated Qi Chengyue¡¯s love.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand, held it up and kissed it, saying, ¡°The Qi family will never let one of its own be at a disadvantage.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu came out at noon and found Qi Chengyue standing at the door. Song Yu saw Qi Chengyue and became stunned.

    Ruan Danchen sighed next to Song Yu and tapped her shoulder saying, ¡°Why is it so hard to have a meal with you!¡±.

    Song Yu forced a smile. She was not ignoring Qi Chengyue, but ever since she had doubts about Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin she felt morepassionate towards Qi Chengyue.

    She took the initiative and walked towards Qi Chengyue. Qi Chengyue still looked a little awkward¡ªbut she was not pushing her away.

    Before Qi Chengyue opened her mouth, Song Yu said, ¡°Let¡¯s find a ce to talk. There¡¯s a Japanese restaurant nearby that¡¯s pretty decent, and it even has a two-person lounge. It¡¯s quite nice for chatting.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded silently. She nced over at Song Yu and lowered her head again.

    Song Yu greeted Ruan Danchen and walked ahead.

    She brought Qi Chengyue to the Japanese restaurant near her office. Luckily, there was one lounge that had not been reserved.

    The duo sat in the lounge and ordered two set meals.

    After the waiter served food to both of them, Song Yu told him that he should not enter the lounge without their request.

    The waiter left, and Qi Chengyue rested her left hand on the table while holding and turning the exquisite teacup unconsciously. Her fingertips turned white as she tightened her grip on the teacup.

    ¡°What do you know about Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice sounded stiff and unnatural.

    She used to hate Song Yu. Even if she was disappointed towards Jian Yi, found out the truth about his character, and unconsciously let go of her grudges against Song Yu, the history between the duo made Qi Chengyue spending time with Song Yu unnatural..

    She even felt embarrassed by what she had said and done in the past aftering to terms about many things following her disappointment towards Jian Yi.

    ¡°I know they were together in university. Jian Yi¡¯s expenses in university were all paid by Guan Xiaolin. Remember that time you came to see me at Shengyue?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Qi Chengyue became embarrassed and set her sight on the teacup while nodding stiffly. ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°I went to Jian Yi¡¯s to ask for details. Who knew the moment I walked out of the lift, I overheard his conversation with Guan Xiaolin. That was when I knew he had hidden things from me for years. He obviously broke up with Guan Xiaolin after meeting you.¡±

    Song Yu told Qi Chengyue every detail of the conversation between Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin.

    Qi Chengyue could not help but be distracted. She knew a littleter that Song Yu merely ran into Qi Chengzhi.

    She had thought more than once¡ªhow could there be so many coincidences?

    She knew Song Yu existed because an anonymous source gave her those photos.

    She went to Shengyue that night because of a call from Qi Chengzhi.

    After she left, Song Yu met Qi Chengzhi, went to see Jian Yi, and overheard the conversation between him and Guan Xiaolin¡ªand that was when Song Yu learned of Jian Yi¡¯s true colors.

    Qi Chengzhi had, directly and indirectly, participated in all of this. Qi Chengyue remembered the warning he gave her before this¡ªshe had finally realized that all of this was coordinated by Qi Chengzhi to steal Song Yu from Jian Yi!

    Even if Jian Yi was a decent person, he would not have been Qi Chengzhi¡¯s match.

    She was envious of Song Yu for having a man like Qi Chengzhi¡ªfor her, he made move after move to marry her.

    Qi Chengzhi may be full of ideas with others, but he was loyal to Song Yu.

    If there was a man who treated her this way, even if he was not as brilliant as Qi Chengzhi, as long as he was loyal to her, she would be content.

    ¡°When Chengshi and Guanyu were fighting for the design contract for Qilin Hotel, Guan Xiaolin had nned to seduce Chengzhi. I don¡¯t know how he solved it, but Guan Xiaolin never went near him again.¡± Qi Chengyue heard Song Yu say.

    ¡°To me, if Jian Yi wanted to, he would not let Guan Xiaolin win the heart of Zhou Mingyan. Even if he was not with Guan Xiaolin, he was closing an eye to what was happening. He wanted to lead Guan Xiaolin on to gain advantages from her. As for Guan Xiaolin, if she knew her efforts would amount to nothing, she would not try to impress Zhou Mingyan. This is why I am suspecting the both of them,¡± Song Yu said as her thumb traced the sakura pattern on the teacup.

    Song Yu lifted her head and looked at Qi Chengyue intensely, saying, ¡°If I were you, I would pretend to not know anything. I know Chenglin is investigating now. Before anythinges up, don¡¯t let Jian Yi know anything. If he is innocent, there will be one less argument between you two. If he really cheated on you, he would hide the evidence from you once he knows you¡¯re suspecting him. This would cause trouble to Chenglin¡¯s investigation.¡±

    ¡°I know, not long after getting married I knew he did not love me. I gradually saw his true colors,¡± Qi Chengyue said softy. Her elbow was rested on the table, and her palm was supporting her forehead and pushing her hair to the back of her head.

    ¡°But I love him, I really loved him. If I didn¡¯t, I would not have married him¡ªI ignored his status, and how he had nothing, and married him anyway. I gave him whatever he wanted. But I don¡¯t want to be an idiot and still give him everything when I know he doesn¡¯t love me. Eventually, he could kick me out after owning everything.¡±

    ¡± I even thought if he could eventually love me, I would wait for him. I would forget the past. But I know this isn¡¯t possible. He will never love anyone.¡± Qi Chengyue shut her eyes to hide her tears. Her hands covered her eyes.

    ¡°To be honest, Song Yu, I envy you a lot. My big brother loves you so much and puts you before anything else. The things I want are simple¡ªreally simple. I¡¯m not demanding my partner to have a high social standing or strong financial abilities. I don¡¯t even mind it if he¡¯s from the working ss, as long as he treats me well with all his heart and doesn¡¯t betray the love that I give to him.¡± Qi Chengyue nearly choked while she spoke. Her shoulders were trembling continuously.

 Chapter 198 - Iâ€™m Taking Care of You with the Mindset That Iâ€™m Taking Care of a Pig (First Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 198: I¡¯m Taking Care of You with the Mindset That I¡¯m Taking Care of a Pig (First Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    nking Qi Zhongxun was Guan Liya, who continued awkwardly, ¡°What my husband meant was, before him are our grandparents, our elder brother and his wife, and Qi Chengzhi. He can oppose it, but his opinion onlyes in sixth ce. Of course, I¡¯ll be the seventh person. Song Yu is my niece-inw, and we won¡¯t be discriminating against her. She¡¯s our family.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded and gave a brief response. ¡°From the beginning, I¡¯ve always supported Big Brother and Sis-inw together. No one else ispatible with my big brother except for her.¡±

    d in military uniform, Qi Chengji¡¯s straightened posture lent him a dignified aura. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s not only my sister-inw. She¡¯s also a good friend of mine since young, and no matter what her status is, I won¡¯t let her be persecuted without reason.¡±

    ¡°My sister-inw has a good temper. She doesn¡¯t need your underhand tactics, and she¡¯s not shameless like you. You took off all your clothes in front of my big brother, but he still doesn¡¯t want you and won¡¯t even look at you. My sister-inw may not stoop to your level, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t. Girl, I¡¯ll be the first to stand in front of my sister-inw and take all your tricks!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice was crisp, clear, and convincing. Even those words seemed pleasant with her baby face. It was her charming and lovable appearance that made everything much more pleasant to the eye.

    A rapid session of camera shutters was heard. The reporters were in such a stupor that they did not know what else to say. They were surprised that the Qi family supported Song Yu so strongly. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rtionship with Song Yu may be good, but if the feelings fade and Qi Chengzhi sought extramarital pleasure, the status of those mistresses may never be more elevated to that of his wife.

    Putting aside the Qi family as one of the great families, very few households¡ªeven amongst themon folk¡ªwould stand united to defend their own family¡¯s daughter-inw.

    Many have said that daughters-inw might encounter problems with their mothers-inw or sisters-inw, but for the Qi family, none of that seemed to be present at all.

    ¡°That...¡± Amid the disorder, one of the reporters¡ªa thirty-something bespectacled man positioned in the center near the back rows of the crowd¡ªraised his hand timidly. ¡°Mr. Qi. You said your wife¡¯s name is Song Yu? If I¡¯m not mistaken, your younger brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e was also named Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°It took me a tremendous effort for me to turn my brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e into my wife,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded pertinently and offered his blunt remark.

    Like a thunderbolt, his words stunned each and every reporter, causing them to forget the next set of questions they had for him. Qi Chengzhi subsequently brought Song Yu into thepany building. The reporters followed suit, but Qilin¡¯s doors were already closed. A line of security guards stood in front of the door, preventing the reporters from trying to break in.

    The reporters made no attempt to try and barge in. They were still in deep thought over Qi Chengzhi¡¯s final sentence. Was he not insinuating that he had his heart set on Song Yu from early on, and that he truly did love her?

    If he could make such a statement, then it was only natural that he would not have an affair right after sessfully pursuing her and marrying her.

    At the same time, offering that piece of information would divert the reporters¡¯ attention away, as no one would care about the earlier piece of news. It was clearly a melodramatic battle between the two brothers, with the elder one emerging victorious!

    The crux of it, however, was that Qi Chengji did not seem angry at all. He even spoke up on behalf of the couple. Was the Qi family truly that united?

    Qilin¡¯s employees were also astonished. Qilin Properties was a subsidiarypany of Qilin Technology, with Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun overseeing thetter. Whenever there was a meeting, it was always Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin who went over. Their fathers were never seen, and the same was true of the elderly couple.

    Not only were they enlightened that day, but their perception of Song Yu changed as well. None of them thought that the Qi family adored her so much, and from the looks of it, the burdens of marrying into a rich family¡ªsuch as being at odds with family members and feeling unable to fit in¡ªwerepletely absent.

    The entire family went into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office. By then, Song Yu was too moved for words.

    ¡°Everyone... I didn¡¯t think...¡± Song Yu stuttered incoherently and recalled the words told to her by Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna that morning¡ªSong Yu should not simply just let it pass. Little did she know that it woulde to this.

    She faced Qi Chengzhi and asked, ¡°When did you...¡±

    ¡°He called us just after we left your workce.¡± The olddy smiledfortingly. ¡°He told us his thoughts and we all came.¡±

    Qi Zhongliang and the old man used to oppose her rtionship with Qi Chengzhi, but after officially being taken as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, they had no qualms about protecting her. Song Yu inhaled sharply and wiped her tearing eyes.

    ¡°Thank you, I...¡±

    ¡°Silly child. We¡¯re a family! How can we let our family suffer such persecution!¡± The olddy made light of it and waved her hand.

    None of them had their lunch yet, and at that point, going out was inconvenient because the reporters would still be there. Qi Chengzhi proceeded to order takeout from Dynasty and have them sent to his office. The entire family then seated themselves over the long coffee table and had a simple lunch.

    Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun then sent their father back, while their mother left with Xia Wenna and Guan Liya. Qi Chengji returned to his base, while Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengyue each went back to their respective offices.

    It would not be convenient for Song Yu to head back to Chengshi, as it was hard to guarantee that the reporters would not tail her immediately after. She, therefore, took a half-day leave.

    ...

    ...

    The reporters vied for the headlines by attempting to be the first one to report the news. They hit enter on theirptops immediately at Qilin¡¯s doorstep, thereby sending the report back to their headquarters.

    Immediately after that, the news circted online portals before even going to press.

    Although Qi Chengzhi never mentioned Mu Sisi¡¯s name explicitly, there were worded hints from him¡ªa business that would be expanded in B City for the first time, someone who was staying at Dynasty, and was a good friend of him. By those three points alone, the arrows pointed toward the Mu siblings.

    Mu Huaisheng represented the family brand name, MU, in its expansion within Asia. News of MU¡¯s first gship store in B City had been made public even before Mu Huaisheng came back to the country.

    No intensive research was required at all¡ªthe Qi family treated the media as a mouthpiece to reveal who that third party was.

    Qi Chengzhi omitted to reveal the person¡¯s name, however, and without proof, the media did not want to invite awsuit. They referred to the woman as Miss M and allowed the public to put two-and-two together.

    Mu Huaisheng ced both hands into his pocket and leaned against the door frame. He was looking at Mu Sisi, who sat on the bed while reading the news on her tablet.

    He watched as her hands trembled in anger while holding the edges of the tablet.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s usually gentle expression was grim at that moment, and his lips were pursed sternly. When he saw how tense Mu Sisi¡¯s face was due to the anger, he snickered and twitched his lips. ¡°Do you still think that the me wouldn¡¯t fall on you if Qi Chengzhi doesn¡¯t have any evidence? Have you seen what the Qi family said about you? Are you really going to continue fighting with Song Yu when you¡¯re nothing but an immodest person in their eyes?

    ¡°After the Qi family made those statements, it¡¯s not only you who don¡¯t stand a chance, but other women as well. No one will ever have the chance to rece Song Yu.¡± He huffed mockingly due to sheer anger. ¡°Miss M. Everyone knows that it¡¯s Mu Sisi. Your actions brought shame to our family.¡±

    ¡°STOP IT!¡± Mu Sisi lowered her head and shrieked.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi¡¯s not the only one. The whole family is repulsed by you now. They¡¯re all willing to stand up for Song Yu and use the media to convey their message. If you keep provoking them, they¡¯ll cut all ties with us.¡± Mu Huaisheng took one step in and entered the room.

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Mu Sisi covered her ears.

    ¡°Listen carefully, Mu Sisi. This isn¡¯t likest time where you can just use our family name to bully the weak.¡± Mu Huaisheng ignored her and continued talking. He knew she could hear him perfectly well. ¡°The Qi family doesn¡¯t give a damn about your background. You may be special in America, but this isn¡¯t America. This is the Qi family¡¯s turf. Here, they can deal with you however they want to. They can stop our family from establishing ourpany here, if that¡¯s what they want. MU won¡¯t be able to set foot here. Do you understand that?

    ¡°You thought you could break apart their rtionship, but they showed you a united family instead. Even the elder members of their family made their stand clearly known. They said it in front of the public to punish you for trying to destroy Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. Don¡¯t you get it? Are you still going to be stubborn about this? I beg you, leave some dignity for our family. Don¡¯t humiliate our parents even when they¡¯re so far away in America.¡±

    ¡°I SAID, GET OUT!¡± Mu Sisi flung the tablet at Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng ducked. The tablet grazed his ear andnded straight onto the door frame behind him. Itnded on the floor with a bang, and the screen was already cracked at that point

    He clenched his jaw, shot Mu Sisi a nce, then mmed the door and left.

    ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± Mu Sisi threw a fit and punched the bed with both hands. ¡®What right did the Qi family have to say all those things about me? What right did they have to embarrass me?!¡¯

    Still seething from spite, she got off the bed. One by one, she took the d¨¦cor in the room and smashed them onto the floor.

    She thought about the humiliation she suffered in front of Qi Chengzhi, and how he ignored her even when she was naked.

    Next came the Qi family¡¯s turn to humiliate her in public.

    Mu Sisi was exploding with rage.

    ...

    ...

    The sofa in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office had been reced by a newer, muchrger one. It was even wider than a normal single bed, making itfortable for two people to sleep there.

    Song Yu finished her meal and let it digest for a bit. She began to feel sleepy, so Qi Chengzhi left her to lie down on the sofa.

    Seeing how peaceful she was, he could not resist joining her as well.

    Drawing her into his embrace, his warm palmsy t against her back, with only her thin clothes separating their skin. Within his embrace, he felt her small stature¡ªshe was only two-thirds the width of his shoulders.

    Song Yu covered her mouth and yawned. She then spoke in a husky voice, ¡°I think I¡¯m like a pig. I just feel like sleeping after I eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking care of you with the mindset that I¡¯m taking care of a pig.¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled softly and nuzzled his face into her neck. Song Yu¡¯s skin felt ticklish due to the short bursts of breath produced by his chuckles.

    ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± Song Yu kicked him on the shin without hesitation. ¡°How can you say that about your own wife!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s kissed the silky skin of her neck before lifting his head and pecking her on the lips. When he lifted his head up, his lips were still considerably near to hers. His breaths escaped his nostrils when he smiled,nding all over her nose and lips.

    His hands shifted from behind and moved to her still-t tummy. Song Yu¡¯s eyes followed suit as she gazed at his hand on her stomach.

    They were slender, his hands, and the back of each hand was delicate as well. When his hand was spread, the tendons on the back of his hand were in full disy. His fingers, whenpared to other men, were much slenderer. Each joint was vaguely distinct, making his hand look strong and robust despite being slender.

    ¡°I want to see the progress of your tummy expanding day by day. It gives me a sense of aplishment to know that I¡¯m the one who took care of it and made it plump,¡± he whispered hoarsely and pecked her lips yet again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be fat. As I am now, there are still women who throw themselves over you. I¡¯ll be ugly if I¡¯m fat, and those women will treat me like nothing if that happened. They¡¯ll be even less restrained after that.¡± Song Yu jabbed his chest softly, then ced her face onto him. A whiff of his familiar and delicious scent was enough to calm her down.

    Mu Sisi stripped bare and stood in front of him, but he did not want her in the slightest. For that, Song Yu felt proud of herself.

    Her arm went under his body and she proceeded to hug him tightly. Her supple palmsy t against his back and they began sliding down gently. She kneaded his waist for a moment before finally advancing to his muscr bottom.

    Already tight in his embrace, he reined her in even more firmly and rubbed against her. She could feel his body turn stiff, including his shaft that was slowly hardening against her.

    Song Yu tilted her head and nted her soft lips onto his sharp jaw, kissing softly everywhere without missing a spot. She then continued kissing all the way to the corner of his lip, moving slowly toward the center. Barely seconds after the tip of her tongue grazed lightly against his lip, she heard a moaning from his throat, followed by him seizing her tongue.

    His shoulders tensed and he hugged her tightly, all while kissing her passionately. He sucked on her lips and her tongue, then entered into her mouth. The heat Song Yu felt was so intense that she began to tremble.

    His actions were so forceful, and it felt to her like she was being punished by him because she was caught doing something mischievous.

    Only when she was nearly unable to breathe did he let go of her. His handsome face suggested that some kind of mischief was brewing, and he subsequently pressed her waist onto his body.

    He parted her legs and pressed himself onto her, causing a shiver toe over Song Yu¡¯s body. Then, he growled in a low voice, ¡°Are you seducing me on purpose, or did you just want to kiss me?¡±

    Song Yu did not reply, but her face was gradually turning red, almost as if she was using rouge. She lifted one leg and hooked his waist, mping down on him. He was much deeper than before, although his trousers were separating the two of them.

    She heard him inhale sharply as he clenched his jaw in an attempt to restrain himself. He then exhaled heavily while securing her in his embrace. His eyes remained charismatic, and his pupils were so jet-ck that ink could almost be squeezed out of it.

    ¡°You¡¯re seducing me on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± his rich voice was rather taut.

    ¡°Do you want it or not?¡± she asked softly. She blushed and her scalp felt hot.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled softly and kissed her forcefully. He flipped over and hugged her tight, while his fingers slid down and took off her pants.

    ¡°You¡¯re stubbornly seducing me even though you know I can¡¯t enter you. Tell me, isn¡¯t this called bullying?¡± he berated her while moving his slender fingers inside of her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll relieve you,¡± Song Yu grumbled softly and lowered her head in embarrassment.

    Without answering her, Qi Chengzhi made her get on all fours and beganpping up her moist tenderness. Song Yu closed her eyes and dared not look at the entire scene, but the tighter her eyes were shut, the clearer things became. She grabbed the pillow just above her head and clenched her jaw, afraid to make too loud a sound.

    Her knees became weak and she stretched her hand back to try and touch him. The first thing she came into contact with was his face, and once she knew what he was doing, her brain exploded, leaving behind only a nk te.

    Once he had helped her get her relief, Song Yu used her hand to help him get his.

    ¡°Why are you so spontaneous today?¡± He cocked a brow and helped her to straighten her clothes. He adored her with every new touch and could not help but sneak in a little squeeze when putting her clothes in order.

    ¡°I just wanted you,¡± Song Yu muttered while blushing. Her earlier lustfulness could be med for her spontaneity, but she shied away from looking at him after the ordeal. She turned her head to the side and hugged the bolster, burying her head in it.

    She felt Qi Chengzhi remain motionless for a while, but all of a sudden, he embraced her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m yourspletely. Always.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew exactly how Song Yu felt. She removed her face from the pillow and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Mm.¡±

 Chapter 199 - Do You Intend on Being A Matchmaker? (Second Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 199: Do You Intend on Being A Matchmaker? (Second Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi knew exactly how Song Yu felt. She removed her face from the pillow and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Mm.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi made sure they were both neat, and by then, lunch break had just finished.

    Song Yu was feeling really sleepy. She closed her eyeszily and fell asleep, leaving Qi Chengzhi to continue doing work.

    At about three in the evening, Mu Huaisheng called him.

    ¡°You saw the news.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at the still-sleeping Song Yu and walked to the window, speaking softly there.

    ¡°This is Sisi¡¯s fault. My words did not affect her, but I¡¯ll make sure to put a strict watch on her next time. How¡¯s Song Yu?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked from the other end of the line.

    ¡°She was mostly angry that your sister touched me. She didn¡¯t believe the rest.¡± Qi Chengzhi then remarked bluntly, ¡°Huaisheng, my family came out this time to give one, and only one, warning. If there¡¯s ever a next time, I won¡¯t spare your dignity either.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I understand. Are you free tonight? I booked a room at the Red Roof Club. I want to apologize to your wife. I won¡¯t be bringing Mu Sisi, of course.

    Aftering to B City, Mu Huaisheng asked around for some high-end ces. One was Dynasty, while the other was the Red Roof Club¡ªin both ces, the application to be a member had strict vetting procedures, requiring also a referral by someone else.

    In that regard, Wei Ziqi¡ªby virtue of Mu Huaisheng¡¯s potential cooperation with Wu Feng¡ªsettled it all for him rtively easily.

    Even so, it was not easy to book a room at the Red Roof Club, but Yan Beicheng found out that it was Mu Huaisheng who wanted to book the room. Realizing that it probably had something to do with the news earlier that morning, Yan Beicheng reserved it for Mu Huaisheng out of respect for Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu and noticed that she was awake.

    Afraid to wake her up, he had earlier silenced his phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it first and ask for her opinion.¡± Qi Chengzhi began speaking in his normal volume. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Song Yu asked after Qi Chengzhi hung up.

    ¡°Did you wake up because you heard me on the phone?¡± He walked over and sat beside her. He was leaning on the pillow, and she was leaning against him.

    ¡°No, I woke up naturally,¡± she reassured. Song Yu had slept well, but when she was nearly awake, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice, which then roused her uppletely.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng called. He wants to personally apologize to you about what happened with Mu Sisi,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined. ¡°He booked a room at the Red Roof Club. I haven¡¯t given him an answer yet because I want to ask you first.¡±

    Song Yu looked down and mulled over it for a moment. She then said, ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I trust your opinion of others. If he¡¯s a good person, there¡¯s no need to involve him with what his sister did.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After work, Qi Chengzhi drove to the Red Roof Club with Song Yu.

    The attendant brought them to the room that Mu Huaisheng booked. He was already waiting there.

    Hearing the door click open, he looked up and saw Qi Chengzhiing in with Song Yu. His expression, though warm, seemed slightly embarrassed.

    He stood up and smiled at Song Yu. ¡°Thank you foring, Song Yu.¡±

    She returned his smile but kept quiet.

    The three of them sat down, and the attendant asked if the dishes could be served. Mu Huaisheng nodded, then turned to Qi Chengzhi, asking, ¡°Can you drink tonight?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to drive,¡± Qi Chengzhi responded curtly.

    Mu Huaisheng then asked Song Yu, but before she could answer, Qi Chengzhi held her hand and responded, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. She can¡¯t drink.¡±

    Briefly surprised, Mu Huaisheng smiled. ¡°I see, congrattions.¡±

    Turning again to the attendant, he requested some fresh-pressed juices instead of wine.

    After the attendant left, he began his apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my sister did this kind of thing at this time. If something happens, she would¡¯ve messed up big time.¡±

    ¡°I trust Chengzhi a lot, so it didn¡¯t have much of an effect on me,¡± Song Yu responded bluntly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I forgive her actions.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to forgive her at all. I¡¯ve been scolding her ever since the Wei family¡¯s celebration the other day, but no matter what I say, she never listens. She¡¯s even gone out to stir up this kind of trouble, so I don¡¯t expect her to have any logic or reason. Her stubbornness knows no bounds, and I don¡¯t n on just letting her do as she pleases.

    ¡°In fact, I have to bear the responsibility as well because I didn¡¯t manage to control her in time. I should¡¯ve known earlier that she won¡¯t listen to my advice and won¡¯t give up if she hasn¡¯t gotten what she wanted.¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°When Chengzhi stormed off angrily from Dynasty, I immediately booked her a ne ticket to send her back, but I didn¡¯t expect my parents to be in Italy. They won¡¯t be back anytime soon, and I won¡¯t feel at ease if she¡¯s alone there. Who knows if she does anything stupid, or maybe even secretly fly back here? If that happens, I won¡¯t be able to locate her and keep her in check, so she¡¯ll have to stay here. I¡¯ll look after her properly, of course, and make sure that she won¡¯t give you any more headaches.¡±

    ¡°That would be the best. But before anything else, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to say. If shees at me and does something funny, I won¡¯t be treating her nicely. In fact, I¡¯ll most likely be treating her rather uncivilly,¡± Song Yu dered. ¡°I¡¯m not so kind as to forgive her and be all goody-goody with her, especially when I ¡®m aware that she likes my Chengzhi and is trying to wreck our rtionship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to stop her from bothering you.¡± Mu Huaisheng was afraid to give them his unequivocal promise. He hadpany matters to attend to, and it was not easy to keep a constant watch on Mu Sisi.

    Song Yu smiled inly and said, ¡°Please also tell her that I¡¯m happy with Chengzhi and I trust him fully. There¡¯s nothing she could do that can break up apart.¡±

    Momentster, the attendant brought over the food and fruit juice.

    Once the attendant left, Mu Huaisheng poured some juice for them and said to Song Yu, ¡°Apologizing over wine is merely a formality. Tonight, I¡¯ll use fruit juice in ce of wine to offer you my sincerest apologies.¡±

    Song Yu took a sip and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Chengzhi that I trust your character because you¡¯re his friend. You are you. Mu Sisi is Mu Sisi. I¡¯ll tell you that I hate her, but that won¡¯t affect my opinion of you.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng smiled. It was equally as good to say cheers even though it was only fruit juice.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, even though she¡¯s my sister, I can tell you that she¡¯s not a match with Qi Chengzhi,¡± Mu Huaisheng remarked.

    Song Yu did not expect Mu Huaisheng to actually say that. Surprisingly, he was not so biased as to side with Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Sisi has the belief that she loves Chengzhi for the longest time. She was infatuated with him. But what she didn¡¯t know was that Chengzhi loved you longer.¡± Mu Huaisheng looked at Qi Chengzhi with a half-smile and noticed that thetter¡¯s expression was unwavering. Qi Chengzhi was about to drink his fruit juice, but he stopped short of it and simply held the stem of the ss.

    ¡°Chengzhi talked about me before?¡± Astonished, she nced at Chengzhi. He was not the type of person who would talk about his feelings.

    ¡°Not exactly. I realized it only when I saw you. Back in America, Chengzhi had plenty of admirers, some of them Americans, but he ignored them all. There was one time I was very curious if there was something wrong with him for ignoring all those women, so I asked.¡± Mu Huaisheng then recounted the exact words Qi Chengzhi told himst time. ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t know who it was, but when I saw you, I knew you¡¯re the one that he had always liked. You look much younger than I thought, though. Back then, I thought that the girl would be about his age, considering he¡¯s had his heart set on her so early on.¡±

    Even though Qi Chengzhi was already married to Song Yu, he was still mindful of their age gap being brought up.

    Mu Huaisheng did not truly mind as much and was not at all worried, since he was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s good friend after all.

    ¡°If this is the case, then Song Yu must be rather young at that time. Isn¡¯t that just wonderful of you to like her already?¡± Mu Huaisheng looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi as if thetter¡¯s thought processes were abnormal.

    ¡°Have you chosen a ce for your gship store?¡± Qi Chengzhi changed the topic without even flinching.

    It was not a smooth transition at all, and Song Yu could not help butugh. ¡°What are you doing? I wanna listen to the things that happened during your university days.¡±

    ¡°If you want to listen, I¡¯ll slowly tell you everything when we go home.¡± Qi Chengzhi shot her a nce, implying that he would ¡®slowly tell her everything¡¯ in bed.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. Not one second did she believe he would cooperate and actually tell her everything without a fuss.

    Mu Huaisheng broke intoughter as well. Knowing that Qi Chengzhi tried getting him to stop bringing that up, he segued into the transition and answered, ¡°We¡¯ve chosen three potential sites and are talking with each respective owner. We¡¯ll see which one fits best, and if we can purchase it, we will.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Mu Huaisheng said to Song Yu. ¡°Do you have any good interior designers you can introduce? We¡¯ll need to start setting up the interior once the location is confirmed.¡±

    Song Yu was somewhat taken aback. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re working with Wei Ziqi, why didn¡¯t you ask his mother¡¯spany? Madam Wei is one of the very best in the industry. And with your kind of luxury products, you¡¯d surely want to engage a renowned designer, right? It has to match your products¡¯ style, after all.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that Mu Huaisheng wanted to find a way to make it up to her under the guise of an apology.

    Even if Song Yu was not an interior designer, her line of work would definitely have given her connections with those who did. If Mu Huaisheng put the word out that he was on the lookout for an interior designer, many would jump on the chance to do so. In letting Song Yu introduce someone to him, he was giving Song Yu a chance to do the other party a huge favor, which wouldtere in handy for her in the future.

    As Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, Song Yu may not care much¡ªif at all¡ªabout those things, but Mu Huaisheng¡¯s intentions were like icing on the cake.

    ¡°Our initial decision was to change to a new style and make B City¡¯s gship store into one that stood out and fully embodied the Chinese culture.¡± Mu Huaisheng continued exining, ¡°And if we employed the services of Autumn and Co., it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d want Madam Wei to personally work on the project. But she hasn¡¯t been personally involved in any projects recently, and even if she did, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to afford her services. I might as well ask you if there are any friends you could introduce, rather than just employing any ordinary designer from herpany. It¡¯s more or less the same thing, and of course, I¡¯d ce more importance on someone closer to me.¡±

    Song Yu understood his intentions clearly. She did not refuse his gesture of goodwill because the first person to pop in her mind was Ruan Danchen.

    Within thepany, Ruan Danchen was the main person in charge of interior design. Her designs always stood out, but because there was too muchpetition in the industry, she never had the chance to truly make a name for herself.

    Even though designing MU¡¯s gship store would not cause as much of a stir as designing Qilin¡¯s hotel, it would still be enough to Ruan Danchen to finally showcase her talents.

    Regarding the hotel, a time woulde when the interior had to be designed. However, Song Yu was, in fact, afraid to ask Qi Chengzhi to appoint Ruan Danchen through the back-door. It was a professional matter, and she did not want to interfere with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s work.

    Since Mu Huaisheng brought it up himself, it was a different matter altogether.

    ¡°It just so happens that I do have a friend. She¡¯s not a famous designer, but her designs are very stylistic.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Mu Huaisheng nodded and said, ¡°Well then, if the store location is confirmed, we can arrange a time to meet and visit the ce.¡±

    The three of them had dinner and subsequently left the ce.

    In the car, Song Yu was very excited to give Ruan Danchen a call and tell her everything.

    ¡°REALLY?¡± Ruan Danchen was both happy and surprised. Her voice was several tones louder than usual, and the excitement was much more prominent than usual.

    After that short burst of excitement, Ruan Danchen calmed herself. She took a notebook from herp and ced it onto the sofa beside her. It was an as-yet iplete design she was working on.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright to look for me? You didn¡¯t use any favors, did you?¡± Ruan Danchen crossed her legs and asked.

    Not once did Ruan Danchen ever ask Song Yu for more projects from Qi Chengzhi. Even the prospect of designing the interior of Qilin¡¯s hotel was not something she ever considered.

    She was unsure of her ownpetency, as it would be her first time doing something like that. Her biggest worry was that she overestimated her capabilities, with the consequences spilling over to Song Yu.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Song Yu looked at the beautiful night scenery before her and smiled, saying, ¡°Mu Huaisheng was the one who voluntarily made the suggestion. He asked me to introduce a designer, and the first person I thought of was you. It¡¯s only a rmendation, and I see him as a genuinely trustworthy person. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll just jump right in and engage your service just because I introduced you. When the timees, it¡¯ll still have to depend on your draft. If he¡¯s satisfied, he¡¯ll bring you on, but if he isn¡¯t, even I won¡¯t have a say on anything. The most important thing is that it depends on you.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll surely do my best, and I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Ruan Danchen pumped her fist into the air.

    Song Yu smiled and hung up. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes shifted to her and he said, half-smilingly, ¡°Do you intend on being a matchmaker?¡±

    She blushed and touched her face. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Mu Huaisheng can see it or not, but I can,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied. Since she finished her call, he could once again stretch his hand over and held her hand.

    ¡°Even though his sister is a problem, I think Mu Huaisheng¡¯s good enough. He probably won¡¯t let his woman be bullied. Since you¡¯re his good friend, I trust his character, and whether it works or not, the first thing is introducing each other. Even if it doesn¡¯t work, it still benefits Danchen¡¯s career, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and made a sudden remark. ¡°They won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Song Yu asked begrudgingly. ¡®Is he just going to dampen my enthusiasm?¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi smiled enigmatically and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see.¡±

    He may not have said his reasons, but Song Yu waspelled to believe him. Having dampened her spirits, her jovial warmth dissipated and her mood soured, too. She made a face and muttered, ¡°Meanie.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On Sunday morning, the two of them woke up early to do their wedding photoshoot.

    Qi Chengzhi did not book a studio, but instead, got in touch with a well-known photographer who works exclusively with magazines. The couple went to the photographer¡¯s personal studio, with Qi Chengzhi bringing the wedding dress shipped from France, as well as a few groom¡¯s suits he prepared for the wedding.

    He took into ount Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy and was worried that her body could not take it if they did the photoshoot outdoors. He thus decided to do only indoors.

    The wedding dress arrived rather recently, giving Song Yu no opportunity to try it on beforehand. The photoshoot marked her first time wearing the dress.

    Qi Chengzhi was led away so he could change his clothes, and after he came out, another person brought him away to touch up his face. When he noticed that the makeup artist was going to apply some foundation on him, his thick brows furrowed into a frown and he headed for the door without another word.

    ¡°Sir!¡± The makeup artist chased after him. ¡°You have to use a bit of makeup so you¡¯ll look better in the photo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. There¡¯s no use for me to look better. It¡¯s enough if my wife looks good.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued walking without turning back at all.

    The makeup artist trailed behind and said, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re shooting like this, the effect will be vastly different from your wife. The final picture won¡¯t look nice!¡±

 Chapter 181 - Look at Our Chengzhi, We Arranged Tons of Blind Dates for Him in the Past

    <h4>Chapter 181: Look at Our Chengzhi, We Arranged Tons of Blind Dates for Him in the Past</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I have a vi in T City but the keys are with Song Yu. I will get it from her tonight and pass it to you tomorrow. Stay in T City first. Take a break. I will inform Chenglin. We will proim that you are on a business trip. Everything will be fine as long as you return before Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday and attend his birthday party. During this time, Chenglin should be able to do a thorough investigation into Jian Yi.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s jaw dropped. She inhaled sharply but could not utter a word. Her eyes stung with gratitude.

    She did not expect Chengzhi to help her like this. Even though he could not provide her a suitable job, he still tried his best toplete her requests.

    Before, she was never close to neither Qi Chengzhi nor Qi Chenglin.

    However, now, she could feel the bond between them. They are family to her ¨C they are her brothers.

    Qi Chenglin busied himself with helping her find evidence of Jian Yi¡¯s affair while Qi Chengzhi helped her avoid Jian Yi for the time being.

    They were both toiling away to meet her needs.

    Qi Chengyue recalled Song Yu¡¯s words to her.

    ¡°When you feel weak, we will help you; when you need someone to rely on, we will be there to support you; when you have nowhere to go, our doors are always open; when you feel helpless, we will be your safest haven.¡±

    They are family to her ¨C they are her brothers.

    Qi Chengyue sniffled but a single drop of tear managed to escape her eye.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned. He was not skilled in dealing with such situations. Luckily, Qi Chengyue swiftly wiped off the tear on her face and murmured, ¡°Big brother, thank... thank you. About the past, I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not wait for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s respond. She did not expect him to respond. She knew full well that the only person he showed any hint of emotions to was Song Yu.

    He cared about his family and can be relied on whenever needed, yet he would never let these feelings show.

    She turned around and bolted. Just as she reached the doorway, Qi Chengzhi called out to her.

    Qi Chengyue turned back and was met with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clear voice, saying, ¡°You are part of the Qi family. You are our sister.¡±

    His words were not exactly filled with emotions ¨C in fact, like always, he sounded cold and distant, like a robot. Nevertheless, Qi Chengyue was rendered speechless.

    She nodded. Her hands gripped tight on the doorknob. ¡°For my stubborn behavior in the past, I... I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    After saying that, she did not dare to linger anymore. She was afraid she might break down and start bawling her eyes out. How embarrassing!

    She rushed out of the office and toward the elevator with her head staring straight down, unaware of the sound of footsteps trailing behind her.

    She stopped in front of the elevator and waited for it. In the meantime, she took out her phone that vibrated a while ago from her pocket. It was a notification for a credit card payment.

    Once again, Zhou Mingyan made a payment of over ten thousand yuan using her credit card.

    Qi Chengyue only felt insulted. His behavior disgusted her. She would have canceled that card if she was not worried that it would arouse Jian Yi¡¯s suspicion.

    Even though the money was insignificant to her, it did not mean that she could let that shameless bast*rd take advantage of her!

    ¡°Miss Qi!¡± a voice called out from behind her. Cheng Dongge caught up with her.

    Qi Chengyue kept her phone away, sniffled a little and turned around.

    Cheng Dongge stopped in his tracks. Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes were red and puffy from crying. He looked at her awkwardly.

    ¡°Miss Qi, about yesterday... the things that I said, I didn¡¯t mean it. It¡¯s just...¡± He frowned. ¡°It¡¯s just that something so humiliating was revealed to everyone, and I was overwhelmed by rage. I sincerely apologize for the things I said.¡±

    Qi Chengyue pulled herself together. She waited for the approaching elevator and watched as the doors slowly opened. ¡°Whatever I say now, it¡¯s not because I¡¯m afraid of aggravating the situation but because I truly believe what you said was right. I had no business in meddling in your affairs; I shouldn¡¯t have intervened. Arrogantly, I believed I did the right thing. I brought my own feelings into someone else¡¯s affairs ¨C I was selfish. I¡¯m the one who should apologize,¡± she admitted.

    Without even ncing back at him, she immediately entered the elevator.

    Cheng Dongge opened his mouth but before he could utter a word, the elevator door shut.

    ...

    ...

    When Qi Chengzhi returned home at night, he told Song Yu about their n and asked her for the keys.

    She retrieved the keys for him. Pride overcame her, as she felt like the household¡¯s treasurer. They were akin to other ordinary married couples ¨C the husband would entrust all his assets to the wife. This felt especially meaningful to her.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me Chengyue came to see you yesterday afternoon?¡± Qi Chengzhi questioned. He was unhappy that she kept it from him.

    Quickly, she seated herself beside him, prepared to act ording to his temper. She yfully wrapped her hands around his arm. Her body slithered toward his and sheid on him with her head on his shoulders. In a gentle voice, she whispered, ¡°She poured her heart out to me yesterday. It was things she never told you guys about so I have to keep her secret.¡±

    She noticed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s discreet nce and proceeded to grab his elegant big hands, subconsciously rubbing his long and slender fingers.

    ¡°Say I told you about our meeting, you would surely ask about our conversation, so I decided to not mention it at all.¡± Before he could even open his mouth, Song Yu hurriedly stated, ¡°Let me make this clear ¨C you are not allowed to ask me what she said. I will never tell you. In any case, she wasn¡¯t bad-mouthing. If she had been rude to me, I would have told you from the start.¡±

    ¡°Truth be told, only after speaking to her yesterday could I see a new side of her. She had turned over a new leaf. No longer is she a naive, spoilt child. This could be the result of the unsessful wedding ¨C it changed her and made her wiser than before. The point is, the Chengyue now is quite likable,¡± Song Yu exined.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her for some time before finally saying, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t keep things from me. If you promised to keep someone¡¯s secret ¨C as long as it¡¯s nothing bad ¨C simply inform me about it. I won¡¯t pry, but you have to let me know.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu nodded while smiling and suddenly, she kissed him. ¡°Honey, you¡¯re the best! Thank you for giving me a perfect marriage.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled at her, uncertain if she was only trying to please him, so he would not get mad. She seemed to be getting better at dealing with his temperament.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Qi Chengzhi handed over the keys to Qi Chengyue and had Chang Lai send her to the airport.

    ...

    ...

    On Saturday morning, Song Yu was woken up by Qi Chengzhi. She was still half asleep.

    Qi Chengzhi flipped her over from her spot on the bed and onto him.

    His hands gently squeezed her soft body. ¡°Have you grown biggertely?¡± he asked.

    Song Yu only let out a groan. She was still in a daze. She rubbed her face against him for a while then settled down, ready to go back to sleep.

    ¡°You seemed to have gotten softer too.¡± His drowsy voice rang in her ears.

    His husky voice enveloped her, like a million tentacles scratching her skin, giving off a numbing yet arousing sensation. The hand on her chest was slowly taking away her sleepiness. Her lower abdomen was pulsing. Unable to hold herself back, she started grinding softly.

    She felt the sturdy chest pressed against her own starting to tremble. Immediately after, he grabbed her waist firmly and suddenly pushed against her. His erect, hot pole hit her shortly after.

    ¡°You want it already? What made you so sensitivetely, hmm?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thin, hot lips pressed against her ear. As he talked, he rubbed his lips against her ears. He traced her spine all the way to her buttocks, where his fingers slowly prated her.

    Song Yu blushed. She did not know what was up with her either. All he did was touch her a little yet she got so aroused. His lips rubbed against her ear until they were bright red.

    Seeing Song Yu¡¯s flushed face and silentpliance, Qi Chengzhi wanted to kiss her even more; he desired her more strongly.

    She lowered her head and the pair of thin, hot lips pressed aggressively against her cheeks and the corner of her eyes. He held her face in one hand and moved on to kissing her lips. His scorching tongue stabbed into her mouth. He kissed her until she felt light-headed. He held her with both hands and suddenly raise the sails. Full speed ahead, the ship broke into the furthest depths of the harbor.

    Song Yu moaned. She held on tight to his neck and forcefully sucked on the little red bean on his chest, refusing to let go.

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth, took a deep breath, flipped himself over ¨C with Song Yu pressed beneath him, and poured his whole body into her. She held onto him tight. Thest few moments were euphoria for him.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi breathed blissfully. Even though he was out of breath, it was all too addicting.

    He held Song Yu in one hand while the other stroked her long, soft hair. He looked down and saw tiny beads of perspiration resting on her forehead, then proceeded to sip them up little by little.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to go to thepany today?¡± Song Yu¡¯s forehead rested against his neck. Looking down, she saw one of the little red beans she sucked on so hard that it was now swollen. It looked cute and silly. She poked it with her fingertip and circled it as if she was ying a game.

    Today Grandmother Qi was going to bring her over to Grandmother Han¡¯s house for a chat. Initially, Qi Chengzhi was to go with her. Song Yu guessed that he wanted to brag about her himself.

    However, an unexpected client arrived yesterday ¨C one of the higher-ups from anotherpany. An important meeting was to take ce so Qi Chengzhi had to show up personally.

    Qi Chengzhi suddenly tightened his grip on her. Pressing his thin, hot lips on her ears, he muttered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go. I¡¯d rather go to Grandmother Han¡¯s house with you.¡±

    Song Yuughed. Hearing such childish words from his mouth felt as if the age gap between them had shrunk.

    She got up and gave him a peck on his firm yet soft lips. ¡°Come on, hurry and get up. Otherwise, you¡¯re going to bete.¡±

    As she was getting up, Qi Chengzhi suddenly grabbed hold of her. His elegant hands cupped her cheeks as he pulled her back into bed. He kissed her passionately and aggressively. His tongue twisted and turned in her mouth as they locked lips.

    No matter how many times he kissed her, no matter how many times he touched her, Song Yu¡¯s heart would still race. Her tongue rested in his hot mouth. Her whole body, her whole heart, was encased in warmth.

    A long whileter, Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her. He helped her sit up and gave her some space. He scanned her from top to toe, then ced his hand on her chest and squeezed her waist gently.

    ¡°You really have gotten bigger and softer, even your waist has be much softer.¡± Qi Chengzhi was still caught up in measuring her softness.

    Song Yu¡¯s face flushed red. She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hands off her. She was displeased with the way he was measuring her body as if it was an item.

    ¡°Stop fooling around.¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was flushed. She felt her ears burning up and the numbing sensation spread to her scalp. It all felt fiery.

    She got out of bed hastily, grabbed some clothes from the cupboard and rushed straight into the bathroom. She even locked the door.

    Hearing the click of the lock, Qi Chengzhi was stunned for a while. He then could not help but chuckled a little. Only now was he willing to get out of bed and put his clothes on.

    After breakfast, Qi Chengzhi dropped Song Yu off at the old mansion before heading to thepany.

    Song Yu told Qi Chengzhi to head straight to thepany but he insisted. Qi Chengzhiposedly said, ¡°Only if I¡¯mpletely tied up with work will I have Chang Lai drive you. Otherwise, I would chauffeur you personally.¡±

    This was also the reason why Qi Chengzhi would never gift Song Yu a car. With his capabilities, Song Yu could have had whatever car and however many cars she wished for. Right now, there was already a Jaguar parked in the garage waiting to be driven.

    Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi would never let Song Yu drive. He was worried about her safety. Besides, he enjoyed driving her personally.

    Thus, Song Yu did not say much more.

    The Range Rover stopped in front of the old mansion¡¯s doorstep. Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu and waited for her to kiss him goodbye, only then did he let her get off. He watched as Song Yu entered the house, then finally drove away.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi brought Song Yu to the Han¡¯s house. Unlike in the Qi family manor, the grandparents stayed in the courtyard house.

    This house appeared more antiquated and less stylish yet it gave off aforting and weing vibe. It was not overly extravagant that others would feel intimidated.

    When Grandmother Qi and Song Yu entered, Grandmother Yan and Grandmother Gui had already arrived.

    The three grandmothers were looking through a stack of photographs. Grandmother Qi excitedly called out, ¡°Lao Han! Lao Yan! Lao Wei!¡±

    The trio set aside the photographs in hand and stood up to greet her.

    Grandmother Qi introduced Song Yu. Politely, Song Yu greeted the three elders.

    The trio eyed Song Yu like wolves stalking amb. Their hearts filled with awe and envy towards Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Sigh, look at the Song girl, so fair, so beautiful. She¡¯s even willing to spend time with us olddies. My grandson is such a failure!¡± Grandmother Gui said dejectedly. Whenever she brought up her grandson, tears would well up in her eyes. ¡°Chengzhi is older than him, yet he managed to bring home a granddaughter-inw. When is my grandson ever going to bring home a granddaughter-inw for me?¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, this is all up to fate.¡± Grandmother Qi pretended to dismiss thepliment. Sheughed as she dragged Song Yu to the seat beside her. ¡°As long as they try a little harder and take this more seriously, they will find ¡®the one¡¯ eventually. Take our Chengzhi for example ¨C he was single for years, but when Song Yu first appeared, his eyes glimmered. Head over heels, he gave everything to win her heart and now finally made her my granddaughter-inw.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, do you know any suitabledies who you can introduce to Zhouli?¡± Grandmother Han expectantly leaned towards Song Yu.

    ¡°My Beicheng too!¡± Grandmother Yan was afraid she was too slow as if Grandmother Han had stolen her future granddaughter-inw. Her tensed expression appeared as if there was a future granddaughter-inw up for grabs right in front of her.

    ¡°Even though he doesn¡¯t like blind dates, he¡¯s quite close to Chengzhi, isn¡¯t he? When they meet up, that¡¯s your chance to bring thedy along and introduce her to Beicheng.¡±

    Grandmother Gui hastily joined in, ¡°Song Yu, don¡¯t forget about my Zhiqian. Just like his name suggests <sup>1</sup> , he is humble and courteous. He would never mistreat his wife!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    Was she sure she was talking about Gui Zhiqian?

    Before Song Yu could reply, Grandmother Qi stood up and announced, ¡°This is uneptable. If she introduced all thedies to your grandsons, what about my Chenglin? Did all of you forget? He even has a son! Youxuan is in need of a mother.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi already brought you a granddaughter-inw, is that not enough? You can¡¯t hog all the good fortune!¡± Grandmother Han was dissatisfied. ¡°At least let one each of our grandsons get married first! You¡¯re making all your grandsons get married in one fell swoop. Do you think this is like cooking dumplings?¡±

    Grandmother Han had put up with Grandmother Qi for long enough.

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi started dating Song Yu, Grandmother Qi had been blowing her own trumpet. She called her all day long to brag about Qi Chengzhi bringing home a girlfriend and how great she was.

    During their engagement, she called again to spread the news. At longst, despite all dramas and plot twists, Song Yu still ended up being her granddaughter-inw. There was no way to run away from fate!

    During their wedding, she called once again. Full of herself, she dered that her ¡®future granddaughter-inw¡¯ had officially be her granddaughter-inw. On the day itself, she already brought her granddaughter-inw over to her house.

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu started going out, Grandmother Qi had been posting about it all over her WeChat Moments. This tempted Grandmother Han to block her.

    ¡°Ah! What were the three of you looking at?¡± Grandmother Qi abruptly changed the subject. Song Yu had not even revealed whether she knew any suitabledies to introduce to their grandsons. Grandmother Qi wanted them to simply forget about it.

    Getting to the bottom of things, she simply did not want Song Yu to introduce anyone to them.

    ¡°We were helping Lao Han go through some photographs that were sent in, looking for a potential girlfriend for Zhouli,¡± Grandmother Yan replied irritatedly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I said, my Zhouli is an extremely popr boy. I only said a few words about him and these photographs came pouring in like snow in mid-winter,¡± Grandmother Han said proudly.

    ¡°Hehehe!¡± Grandmother Qi lifted the cup of tea she was just served and took a sip. ¡°Marriage ¨C it all boils down to fate. Blind dates are more or less useless. They have to find ¡®the one¡¯ themselves. Look at our Chengzhi, we arranged tons of blind dates for him in the past, but none of them were sessful. Despite all, he managed to find this Song girl all by himself.¡±

    Only when Grandmother Qi was boasting could she stand and talk without having backaches. Seeing her prideful expression, even Song Yu thought she was being obnoxious. Looking at the three grandmothers ¨C especially Grandmother Han ¨C their expression clearly showed displeasure.

    Just moments ago, Grandmother Qi wanted to keep all thedies Song Yu knew to Qi Chenglin, yet now she imed blind dates to be pointless.

    However, once Grandmother Qi finished talking, she took a nce at Song Yu. Even though Song Yu did not express any discontent or envy ¨C she appeared calm and asionally gave the grandmothers a courteous smile ¨C Grandmother Qi was worried that she might have misunderstood her.

    Grandmother Qi quickly exined, ¡°Song Yu, please don¡¯t misunderstand. Chengzhi had only gone on a few blind dates. Furthermore, it was all under pretenses. Zhongliang would tell him it¡¯s a business meeting, and only when he had arrived would he see that other person had brought their daughter along. If he had known, he would never have gone. He hates blind dates!¡±

    ¡°Grandma, that is all in the past. I don¡¯t mind any of it,¡± Song Yu reassured with a smile.

    Relieved, Grandmother Qi started crowing away about the delights of her grandson¡¯s wedding again.

 Chapter 182 - Qi Chengzhi, You Scared Me!

    <h4>Chapter 182: Qi Chengzhi, You Scared Me!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Relieved, Grandmother Qi started crowing away about the delights of her grandson¡¯s wedding again.

    Grandmother Gui was getting tired of the conversation and interjected. ¡°Song girl, I remember your mom is from the Yu family, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Song Yu replied without any further exnation.

    ¡°That Yu...¡± Grandmother Gui tried to remember the name of that insignificant person. ¡°Oh, Yu Zidong, he¡¯s going through a divorce. He¡¯s from your mother¡¯s family, yes?¡±

    Song Yu was mildly surprised. The news had not reached her, and she could not believe Yu Zidong was divorcing Liang Lihua. They were getting along well all this while.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Grandmother Gui leaned forward, interest dancing in her eyes.

    While Grandmother Gui was an esteemeddy from The Great Eight Families ¡ª her public appearance was often met with awe and starstruck ¡ª she was not immune to the gossips.

    Regardless of which family was involved in the gossip, Grandmother Gui was always interested to hear a bit more.

    In this case, she got the news while ying mahjong with some middle-ss friends.

    Song Yu shook her head and confessed, ¡°I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡®After Song Yu¡¯s family went bankrupt, the Yu family had cut ties with them. Now, the rtionship between two families was neutral at best, which was probably why Song Yu did not know,¡¯ Grandmother Gui pondered.

    If she was in Song Yu¡¯s shoes, she would have brought chaos down onto the Yu family. Grandmother Gui was known for her temper.

    She was a very ck-and-white person, and she was not above seeking revenge on those who have wronged her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know the reason myself, but it seems to involve their family business. Theirpany is going to close down soon, I think. Clients are banging on their doorsteps, demanding their money back ¡ª especially low-ie clients. Thebined amount of all their clients¡¯ money made up arge sum. The ongoing strike in front of thepany is also bad for their image. I don¡¯t really know if thepany is the reason for the divorce, but Yu Zidong seems adamant to get rid of his wife. As if divorcing her would bring thepany back into good standing.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯ll fight at home nowadays. Yu Zidong wants to file for a divorce. The Liang family would never stand by such an affront, so they¡¯ve been going over to the Yu family¡¯s to argue. Yu Zidong was worried about the Yu family reputation and didn¡¯t want the news to spread, so he avoided the legal process. But after all that chaos, everybody had heard about the divorce! His reputation was never going to be spared,¡± Grandmother Gui spoke knowingly.

    ¡°Haih, he¡¯s no longer a young man. And out of nowhere, he wants a divorce. Of course it¡¯s going to look ugly,¡± Grandmother Yan berated as she shook her head.

    Song Yu was lost in thought. ¡®Why did Yu Zidong¡¯s divorce have anything to do with thepany?¡¯

    Moreover, she could not figure out why her uncle wanted a divorce at this point after all these years.

    Yu Zidong had eyes only for money. If divorcing Liang Lihua would prevent thepany¡¯s bankruptcy, Song Yu was sure that Yu Zidong would do it without a moment¡¯s hesitation.

    In Yu Zidong¡¯s eyes, familial ties took a back seat when it came to money.

    The only person that Song Yu could think of who could push Yu Zidong to forsake his marriage would be none other than Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Song girl! Song girl!¡±

    The voice of Grandmother Han drew Song Yu out of her thoughts.

    Song Yu smiled apologetically. ¡°Grandmother Han, what were you saying?¡±

    The olddy passed her a stack of photos. ¡°Help us browse through these. Youngsters have different tastespared to old grandmothers. See if there are any promisingdies.¡±

    Song Yu took the photos. She wondered if Han Zhuoli knew that Grandmother Han had so many suitors lined up for him. There was enough variety to arrange for a matchmake every day without getting bored.

    They looked through the photos for a while. Then, Grandmother Gui suggested for them to y a few rounds of mahjong as all four elders were present.

    Grandmother Han called for the servants to prepare the mahjong table. Song Yu stayed beside Grandmother Qi and asionally helped refill their cups and snacks.

    The three grandmothers looked on admiringly at Grandmother Qi¡¯s daughter-inw.

    Grandmother Gui felt like this whole mahjong session was just a chance for Grandmother Qi to show off in another manner.

    Grandmother Qi was not bothered when she lost ¡ª she only beamed and praised Song Yu.

    When she won, she wouldmend Song Yu on the luck she brought.

    The other olddies quickly grew tired of Grandmother Qi¡¯s swagger, and the game came to a stop.

    Later, they had a meal at Grandmother Han¡¯s house before leaving.

    Grandmother Qi was incredibly happy today. Sitting in the car, a giggle would escape her mouth when she reyed today¡¯s gathering.

    Grandmother Qi ordered the driver to drop Song Yu back at Viewpark Residences.

    Nausea hit Song Yu while she sat in the car.

    During the lunch in Grandmother Han¡¯s house, she already felt ufortable.

    The smell of the dishes did not awaken her appetite, but it was her first time apanying Grandmother Qi to a friend¡¯s house, so she endured the lunch. It would be offensive if she rejected the food.

    Now, the unweed taste upied her mouth, which made her even more nauseous.

    She had been feeling unwell this entire week. When she went out for lunch with Ruan Danchen, she did not eat much as the smell of food made her want to vomit.

    Song Yu did not want to worry Grandmother Qi, so she kept her difort to herself.

    After an arduous journey, the car eventually stopped at Viewpark Residences. Song Yu got down and bid farewell to Grandmother Qi. Once the car had left their street, she quickly braced herself against the telephone pole and puked.

    Then, she took some tissues out from her bag and wiped her face. She disposed the contaminated tissue into the trash and, after some thinking, decided to walk outside.

    She stood by the road, hoping to g down a cab, but she then remembered the nausea she felt in the car. She opted for the subway instead.

    Song Yu frowned. She never had motion sickness in the car before and could not figure out why her stomach was so upset.

    She got off the subway stop closest to the public hospital and quickly got a queue number. She waited at the internal medicine wing to see the doctor.

    The doctor was a woman in her mid-forties. She asked for Song Yu¡¯s medical history and checked her breathing and heartbeat. After that, she told her to lie on the bed and examined her abdomen.

    The doctor inquired, ¡°Miss, has your period been regr?¡±

    Song Yu was stunned by the question and exined, ¡°I never paid attention to it. I can¡¯t even remember thest time it came.¡±

    The doctor helped Song Yu up and brought her over to the desk. ¡°I suggest you go see the OB/GYN.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Song Yu quieted down, her mouth agape. The doctor¡¯s question clearly pointed to something. ¡°Are you saying ¡ª¡±

    ¡°This is just spection, but you¡¯ll have to go to the OB/GYN to confirm,¡± assured the doctor with a smile.

    This was based on the doctor¡¯s experience as a medical practitioner and a mother. She was happy for Song Yu.

    Song Yu thanked the doctor. She was still in a daze and disbelief.

    She went to the first floor and grabbed a number for the OB/GYN before heading for the third floor.

    Surprisingly, there was a crowd on the floor, and she almost had to squeeze her way through.

    Song Yu had her hand on her stomach and wondered about the chance of her actually being pregnant.

    She read the instructions on the wall and walked toward the OB/GYN department. As she turned, an oing figure was millimeters away from colliding with her.

    Song Yu immediately sidestepped out of the way, but their shoulders still collided.

    The papers in the person¡¯s hand scattered all over the floor. Song Yu bent down to help pick them up.

    As she was collecting the papers, she saw a pregnancy test result that stated the person was forty-days pregnant.

    Song Yu was ready to return the papers but stopped when she saw the name, Guan Xiaolin.

    Her eyes widened. She looked up and was met with Guan Xiaolin¡¯s shocked face.

    The papers crumpled in her hands. ¡°You ¡ª¡±

    Guan Xiaolin snatched the papers from her hands and quickly turned to leave. Song Yu chased after her. ¡°Guan Xiaolin! Wait!¡±

    Even though Song Yu had not taken a pregnancy test, the possibility of being pregnant made her walk briskly instead of run. However, her efforts were in vain as Guan Xiaolin managed to escape.

    Song Yu stopped and frowned. The test results were still stuck in her head.

    If Guan Xiaolin was pregnant, the kid would be...

    Song Yu had a bad feeling about this. She was stuck in thought but remembered that she had her own checkup to attend to. She shook her head and walked toward the OB/GYN wing.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu came out from the examination room and took the elevator to the first floor. The doctor¡¯s words still echoed in her head, and she felt her legs turn to jelly.

    She found a chair and sat down. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest.

    She was pregnant...

    Pregnant!

    At this moment, her bag contained a doctor¡¯s report stating that she was thirty-seven days pregnant.

    Song Yu could not calm her heart. She was nervous, excited, and eager.

    She was carrying Qi Chengzhi¡¯s child. They were having a baby!

    The thought of carrying the man¡¯s progeny made her incredibly happy ¡ª her heart was bursting with joy.

    Song Yu put her hand on her abdomen. Her belly was still t and showed no signs of pregnancy, yet a baby was growing inside her now.

    She took the report from her bag and scanned through it again. Then, she took her phone and snapped a photo.

    It was not convenient to bring the report everywhere, but she could look at the result whenever she felt like it with a photo.

    Staring at her phone, she wanted to tell Qi Chengzhi immediately.

    Yet, she did not want to cheapen the good news by telling him through the phone.

    Her fingers trembled as she dialed for Qi Chengzhi. The nervousness made her abdomen contract. The left hand holding the phone shook while her right hand clenched repeatedly.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was in a meeting. The clientpany from yesterday was sitting across him. Even thepany¡¯s director was personally here, along with the deputy director.

    His phone was on vibrate mode in case Song Yu needed to reach him during working hours.

    Qi Chenglin was in the middle of a presentation when Qi Chengzhi took out his phone. It was Song Yu¡¯s caller ID. He stood up without hesitation and said to the room, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but my wife¡¯s calling. She usually doesn¡¯t call during work time so it might be important.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead, Director Qi.¡± The director nodded in mutual understanding.

    Qi Chengzhi took his phone and left the meeting room. The people from Qilin were already used to Qi Chengzhi dropping everything at hand for Song Yu.

    Whatever important task at hand could notpare to a single phone call from Song Yu.

    To the clientpany and the director who allowed for the phone call, it was an umon practice.

    Qi Chengzhi actually left the meeting because of a phone call from his wife.

    Qi Chengzhi walked back to his office and picked up the call. ¡°Hey.¡±

    Hearing his voice, Song Yu was filled with excitement. Her voice trembled with uncontained joy as she spoke, ¡°Are you still busy?¡±

    ¡°Not at all. Finished chatting with Grandma? Want me to pick you up?¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke gently and at a steady pace, as if the ongoing meeting next door did not require his attention.

    ¡°We already parted ways. I¡¯m at the hospital now. If you¡¯re busy, I can get myself home.¡± Song Yu looked down at the report. Her heart was still racing.

    ¡°The hospital? You¡¯re not feeling well?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart jumped into his throat. It was unusual for Song Yu to call at this hour. ¡®She must be unwell, why else would she go to the hospital?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. I just came for a checkup,¡± Song Yu quickly exined. She could tell by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone that he was thinking the worst about the situation.

    Her words did not calm him. He figured that Song Yu was only making light of the situation for his sake.

    ¡°Which hospital?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    ¡°The People¡¯s Hospital,¡± Song Yu replied.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in a bit.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t panic. Drive safe ¡ª¡± Song Yu did not manage to finish her sentence before Qi Chengzhi hung up.

    Qi Chengzhi was anxious to the point where he did not even believe Song Yu¡¯s words.

    ¡®What checkup? Why didn¡¯t she mention it before?¡¯

    She had ended up in the hospital out of the blue, and there was a slight tremor in her voice just now. How was he supposed to not worry?

    He rushed out of the building while dialing for Cheng Dongge. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s in the hospital and I¡¯m heading over. Tell Director Yang I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t stay.¡±

    Just when he hung up the call, Song Yu¡¯s call came in.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he answered in a steady voice despite hurrying into the car.

    ¡°Chengzhi, calm down. I¡¯m really fine. You cane to pick me up, but please drive safely. Understood?¡± Song Yu sounded stern and concerned, which made Qi Chengzhi heart warm.

    ¡°Alright,¡± he promised.

    After hanging up, Song Yu berated herself. Why did she call him? Of course he would have panicked at the word ¡®hospital¡¯.

    She could have shared the pregnancy news when they got hometer.

    She ced the report back into her bag and walked out of the outpatient area.

    There was a bookstore next door, and she wanted to browse for some childcare books.

    She did not dare to call Qi Chengzhi while he was driving, so she quickly bought two books and went back to the hospital. She sat on a bench near the outpatient area and read her newly-bought books.

    However, her heart could not calm down. She was distracted after reading just a few lines.

    After a few rounds of ncing about, she saw a ck Range Rover rushing toward the hospital at an unsafe speed. Then, the car braked hard at the outpatient doorway.

    A man came down from the car and ran into the hospital.

    Song Yu immediately stood up and yelled, ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    He was running in a mad dash without any of his usual calmness. Hisnky body swayed as if it would topple at any second.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu shouted again at the top of her lungs.

    Qi Chengzhi had already rushed up the steps to the outpatient area. He stopped and turned around. Song Yu saw the pale face and messy hair ¡ª even his suit was a tad crumpled.

    She took a step forward and Qi Chengzhi leaped from the steps toward her.

    He stopped in front of her. Out of breath, his hands went to her face and checked for any signs of injury. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you feeling unwell or injured?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squatted and checked her legs. After checking that she was physically fine, he stood back up. ¡°Where do you feel ufortable?¡±

    As he breathed a sigh of relief, Song Yu punched him hard on the chest. The pain made him grunted.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, if you ever drive so recklessly again, I won¡¯t forgive you!¡± Song Yu was angry and worried altogether. The thought of him driving at such breakneck speed while unfocused was rming. What if he got into an ident?

    Song Yu punched him again. ¡°I told you, I¡¯m fine! I just came for a checkup. There¡¯s nothing wrong. Why didn¡¯t you listen? Didn¡¯t I tell you to drive safely? What if you got into an ident? If you got into an ident because you¡¯re rushing over here, do you know what that would do to me?¡±

    ¡°You scared me just now, seeing your car speeding over here. If you¡¯re driving so recklessly near a hospital, I can¡¯t imagine your driving on the road. What would happen if you got into an ident because you¡¯re unfocused? Qi Chengzhi, you scared me!¡± As Song Yu blurted all these, her fears intensified and her body became cold.

    Maybe it was the pregnancy that made her emotions run high. Her face turned pale while her eyes reddened. She clutched tightly onto the cor of his shirt as the beads of tears fell from her face.

    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Qi Chengzhi panicked when he saw the tears. His fingers gently rubbed away the tears on her cheeks.

    Her cheeks were tender. It was as if a bit more strength and her skin would break under his fingers.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry, don¡¯t be angry,¡± he whispered in a raspy voice by her cheek and kissed the tears from her face. ¡°I won¡¯t drive so recklessly again, I promise you. Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s my fault.¡±

    Song Yu pressed herself into his embrace and hugged his waist. She sobbed while saying, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I frightened you and didn¡¯t exin the situation.¡±

    She could not forget the image of Qi Chengzhi in distraught, running toward the hospital. He was always calm and collected, but he was none of those just now.

    The panic and fear on his face made Song Yu¡¯s heartache.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I could have just waited to tell you at home instead of making youe over all worried.¡± Song Yu tightened her arms around him. The intimacy made her feel safe.

    Qi Chengzhi could feel Song Yu¡¯s distress. She was still trembling in his arms.

    Learning that she cared so much about him, Qi Chengzhi could not help the smile that appeared on his face. He leaned down and kissed her eyes, her temples, then her cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I promise you, I¡¯ll never drive so recklessly again. Don¡¯t be scared,¡± he said in aforting tone. His warm, strong hands caressed her long hair and back.

    A whileter, Song Yu gradually calmed down. She murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry I scared you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi bent down and kissed the corner of her mouth. He wiped her tears dry and asked, ¡°Why did youe to the hospital?¡±

    Back in his office, when he heard that she was in the hospital, his heart froze.

    Now that he had ascertained that she was alright, his heart could beat at its normal pace again.

    Song Yu quietly pulled away from his embrace. She took Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand from her face.

    She looked at the big, strong hand in her palm with its slender fingers.

    Even his hand was a work of art to Song Yu.

    She guided the hand and ced it on her abdomen. The warmth from his palm gave her belly a pleasant feeling.

    ¡°I came here to do... a pregnancy checkup.¡± Song Yu looked at the ground, feeling embarrassed. The blush had spread from the tips of her ears to her neck. ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    ¡°I wanted to tell you face-to-face. So I...¡± As Song Yu spoke, there was no response from Qi Chengzhi. She raised her head and was met with a dumbfounded Qi Chengzhi. The man who was usually unppable had his jaw hanging open, staring wide-eyed.

    Qi Chengzhi always thought himself as someone who had no particr want for kids. The notion of a child between Song Yu and him seemed inconvenient.

    However, at this moment, the news of Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy only filled him with indescribable gratitude. His throat bobbed ¡ª he felt like he could cry.

    Without Song Yu¡¯s urging, he moved his palm across her belly. He lowered his head and stared at her t belly.

    Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu into a tight embrace. He buried his head into her neck and took a deep breath.

    Song Yu shifted her arms and returned the hug.

    Although Qi Chengzhi had yet to speak, she understood the significance of his actions.

    Even though at times he acted childishly or shamelessly, he never actually put his full emotions on disy. Deep down, he was still an awkward and introverted man.

 Chapter 183 - Wouldnâ€™t You Say This Baby Has Made Me More Valuable?

    <h4>Chapter 183: Wouldn¡¯t You Say This Baby Has Made Me More Valuable?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even though at times, he had acted childishly or shamelessly, he had never actually put his full emotions on disy. Deep down, he was still an awkward and introverted man.

    Song Yu buried her face into his chest and snuggled closer. The rubbing made Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest itch.

    Seeing her head in his chest made him feel happy. His hand subconsciously moved to her belly. His thin lips traveled down her face, peppering kisses. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°The test said thirty-seven days.¡± Song Yu understood his question. ¡°My appetite this week was bad. Every time I smelled food, I felt like puking. It happened today at Grandmother Han¡¯s ce as well. Also, I¡¯ve never suffered from motion sickness but when Grandma was sending me back to Viewpark Residences, I felt like puking in the car. I didn¡¯t want her to worry so I kept quiet. I came to the hospital after she left.¡±

    ¡°Did the doctor say anything about the constant nausea?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Song Yu blushed and muttered, ¡°I forgot to ask. When I got the results, I was too excited and wanted to tell you about it. I sort of forgot about¡ª¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her reddening face. She was sometimes a blur case, a cute one at least. He kissed her lips and took out his phone. ¡°I¡¯ll call Lao Chu to ask the doctor about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait.¡± Song Yu stopped him. ¡°The doctor said the first trimester is a period of uncertainty. The report says there¡¯s still a likelihood of miscarriage and that I¡¯ll need to really take care of myself and the baby. Let¡¯s not be hasty and keep this news under covers for now, especially for Grandma and the family. I don¡¯t want them to get upset if anything happens.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll take a number then. We¡¯ll see the doctor and ask in person.¡±

    As he finished his sentence, he heard someone shouting, ¡°Whose car is this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and saw his brashly-parked Range Rover blocking another car.

    ¡°Just wait here for a moment while I find a parking spot,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu nodded and Qi Chengzhi left for his car. She walked back to the bench and ced the two books into her bag.

    When the Range Rover sped into the hospital area, a frightened Song Yu abandoned her books to run over to Qi Chengzhi.

    After parking the car, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to get another queue number.

    When the doctor saw Song Yu in her office again, she was surprised.

    ¡°That... Doctor.¡± Song Yu blushed and said sheepishly, ¡°After getting the results, I was too excited and forgot to ask some questions.¡±

    The doctor smiled and nodded knowingly. She gestured at the chair and said, ¡°Sit.¡±

    The doctor turned to address the solemn Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Are you her husband?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Can you let me see the report again?¡± the doctor asked.

    Song Yu retrieved the report from her bag and passed it to her. The doctor scanned through the report and said, ¡°There are minor signs of a miscarriage but it ismon during the first trimester, especially for first pregnancies. Usually, they wouldn¡¯t even know about the pregnancy so it happens. Just pay a bit more attention now, no need to worry too much.

    ¡°Just some basic miscarriage prevention like avoiding rigorous exercise. In the first trimester, I would rmend no sexual activity.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red¡ªthey just did it this morning.

    ¡°Other than that, don¡¯t overwork or overstress yourself, especially for working women. Stress will affect the baby so try to rx whenever you can. Use less electronic devices to reduce radiation exposure. It doesn¡¯t have arge impact so no need to totally cut off. Mainly for those who are addicted to scrolling their phones. If it¡¯s just normal usage for work, then it¡¯s fine.¡±

    The doctor continued on about certain things to watch out for. As she spoke, she scribbled into the medical chart. She also wrote down some of the food that were beneficial for pregnant women.

    ¡°Any more questions?¡± the doctor asked after she was done with her pregnancy precautions and tips.

    Song Yu was about to say no when Qi Chengzhi wordlessly pulled out his phone and opened up his calendar. He muttered under his breath, ¡°Thirty-seven days pregnant which means a month and a week. Another month plus three weeks and it¡¯ll be back to normal, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi counted the days and pulled up the calendar for a month and three weeks after. He then set a reminder on that day and said, ¡°No more questions.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Finally, a red-faced Song Yu dragged Qi Chengzhi out of the hospital.

    ¡°I don¡¯t feel pregnant at all. It¡¯s so weird,¡± Song Yu said as she tugged on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her, then at her abdomen. He gently ced his hand on her belly and said regretfully, ¡°It¡¯s great that you¡¯re pregnant but three months of abstinence, how problematic.¡±

    The pink tinge bloomed on her face and she squirmed into his embrace. ¡°Actually, I didn¡¯t think that I would get pregnant so quickly.¡±

    At the end of her sentence, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang.

    He read the caller ID on the phone and answered. It was Cheng Dongge.

    From the content of the call, Song Yu figured it was work-rted and asked when Qi Chengzhi had hung up the phone. ¡°You came over midway through something?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t anything important. The important parts of the meeting were managed by Chenglin. I was only needed for my presence,¡± Qi Chengzhi mentioned casually as he pocketed the phone.

    They both got into the Range Rover. Song Yu knew that even if Qi Chengzhi was busy, he would not let her know, so she dropped that line of questioning.

    Guan Xiaolin came into her mind and she said, ¡°When I was in the hospital, I ran into Guan Xiaolin.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chengzhi started the car and pulled out of the car park.

    ¡°We bumped into each other and I identally saw her pregnancy test result. She¡¯s forty-day pregnant.¡± Song Yu frowned¡ªthere was a suspicion growing in her mind. ¡°Do you think... Jian Yi and her...¡±

    ¡°Chenglin investigated her rtionship with Jian Yi. ording to the timeline, it might be.¡± Qi Chengzhi delivered the news in an impartial manner without any hint of anger.

    ¡°Then¡ª¡± Song Yu wanted to ask about Qi Chengyue. With something like this, her marriage to Jian Yi might be deemed unsalvageable.

    Was she supposed to tell Qi Chengyue about this?

    Qi Chengzhi took her hand and said, ¡°Even so, it¡¯s still just an educated guess. This thing is between Chengyue and Jian Yi, let us not interfere. If Guan Xiaolin wants to show her cards, sooner orter, we will have to deal with it.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we give Chengyue a heads-up?¡± Song Yu was mildly worried.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thumb massaged the back of her hand softly. ¡°She knew about Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin, do you think this scenario has not crossed her mind? Perhaps she did not think too much about it, but the thought most definitely has urred to her.¡±

    Song Yu was still thinking about his words when he changed the topic. ¡°Are you tired?¡±

    ¡°No. Why?¡± Song Yu asked as Qi Chengzhi changed their route. They were heading to a mall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s buy you somefortable ts.¡± Qi Chengzhi guided her to the sofa. ¡°You wear mostly high heels during work. You only wear t shoes when you have site visits. You need more ts.¡±

    Song Yu sat on the sofa. She watched Qi Chengzhi pick out shoe designs while the storekeeper went to retrieve the correct size for Song Yu to try them on.

    The shoes were piling up on the floor and Song Yu felt like things were going overboard.

    Her emotions these days were fickle. She felt extra sensitive as if the slightest thing could trigger her anger.

    She stared at her own ts. Other than her work attire that called for high heels, she had always loved wearing ts.

    To be honest, while she did not have a huge collection of ts, she had a good amount tost her two feet. Normally, Qi Chengzhi never paid any heed to her shoes. Yet, once he knew she was pregnant, he immediately wanted to buy her new shoes.

    Song Yu looked at the tall man in front of her. He had his hands in his pockets, looking indifferent and remarkable¡ªhemanded people¡¯s attention just by standing there.

    Sitting down on the sofa, Song Yu only reached his thigh. While the storekeeper went to get the shoes, she poked at his thigh gloomily¡ªher finger was met with solid resistance.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and saw Song Yu pouting unhappily. His slender hand covered hers and he said in an amused tone, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve never so eagerly brought me to buy shoes before. Right after the news, you immediately brought me here. Wouldn¡¯t you say this baby has made me more valuable?¡± Song Yu said darkly. Her ck eyes pierced him with a look of usation.

    ¡°Nonsense.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at her and chuckled.

    ¡°But I feel as if the baby is more important to you now.¡± Song Yu was still in a negative mood. She wanted to shake off his hand but his grip was too strong.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s soulful eyes stared at her. There was a slight tease in his voice when he said, ¡°Well it¡¯s attached to you so who do you think I care for more? If it was growing on anyone else, I wouldn¡¯t even care.¡±

    Song Yu red at him and bared her teeth. ¡°I dare you to try growing it on someone else.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi bent down suddenly. Song Yu was treated with a close-up of his handsome face. A faint smile was on his face as he said, ¡°Be careful, you¡¯re bing a tiger mom.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face reddened and snatched her hand out from his. She said in a vexed tone, ¡°Then, go ahead and find a gentle one.¡±

    She was about to stand up but Qi Chengzhi hugged her around the waist. He sat down by her side and wrapped his arms tightly around her. ¡°Come on, why¡¯s your temper ring with the pregnancy? Where will I go? And if I did, you would surely castrate me.¡±

    Song Yu wrestled against the embrace but she could not escape. Although Qi Chengzhi was usually a cold person, he was using his gentlest voice to coax her. All his swagger evaporated in front of her.

    Her mood improved slightly. She shot him a nce. ¡°Then, the baby or me, who¡¯s more important?¡±

    ¡°You,¡± Qi Chengzhi said without hesitation.

    Song Yu¡¯s anger dissipated. She rested her forehead on his shoulder. ¡°Last time, I knew you treated me well because I was me. I¡¯m just unsure if you¡¯re treating me better now because of the pregnancy.¡±

    ¡°I am treating you better now but it¡¯s not because of the pregnancy.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke softly, ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re doing it for me, you¡¯re giving me a child. I¡¯m spoiling you because you¡¯re doing all this for me. If I didn¡¯t treat you better, how can I call myself your husband?

    ¡°And even after you¡¯ve had our child, I will treat you even better¡ªbetter than now. I want to spend my whole life being better for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered into her ear.

    Song Yu blushed and started to regret her pettiness.

    The shopkeeper came back with the shoes and witnessed the intimacy between the couple. Qi Chengzhi had Song Yu tight in his arms. The shopkeeper was slightly embarrassed but also envious.

    Song Yu tried to get out of the embrace but Qi Chengzhi would not budge. He never did care about the opinions of others.

    At the end of the day, Qi Chengzhi walked out of the shop with shopping bags in each hand filled with shoes while Song Yu followed behind.

    ...

    ...

    After some discussion, they decided to fill Aunt Yang in on Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy. She was in charge of their meals and had to know about Song Yu¡¯s diet restrictions.

    Aunt Yang would also need to cook some of the tonic soups for Song Yu.

    When Song Yu told Aunt Yang about the good news, she made her swear to secrecy. Aunt Yang dly obliged. As she cooked, she hummed in good spirits¡ªshe was happy to be in the know of such wonderful news.

    After retiring to their bedroom at night, Song Yu thought about surfing the web on the tablet but stopped herself when she recalled the doctor¡¯s advice. Instead, she took out the books she had bought in the afternoon.

    Qi Chengzhi walked out of the bathroom. He thoughtlessly threw the towel on his head aside and asked, ¡°How was the house visit today with Grandma?¡±

    His question reminded her of what Grandmother Qi had said.

    Song Yu raised her eyebrows and looked up from her book. She asked casually, ¡°I overheard today from Grandma, you went to a lot of matchmaking sessions?¡±

    ¡°A lot? No. Just a few and always, it was because I was tricked into going.¡± Qi Chengzhi pulled the covers back and nestled in. He picked the book out from her hands and his deft fingers started unbuttoning her pajamas.

    Song Yu did not stop him. She just huffed and gave him the stink-eye. ¡°And I thought you were keeping yourself pure and innocent, saving yourself for me. Turns out you¡¯ve already gone on matchmaking dates.¡±

    ¡°Who thinks men are pure and innocent?¡± Qi Chengzhi settled his weight over her and unbuttoned the remaining buttons.

    He traced random patterns across her chest. ¡°You¡¯re getting jealous so easily these days.¡±

    As his voice quieted down, the warm hand palmed against her breast.

    Song Yu flushed a crimson red. Her body seemed to be extra sensitive now that she was pregnant. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s light touch made her squirm and she whispered, ¡°The thought of other women looking at you infuriates me.¡±

    ¡°They saw nothing.¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a smirk on his face, ¡°Once I sensed that it was a set-up, I left immediately.¡±

    ¡°And that time with Yu Keyao?¡± Song Yu raised an eyebrow at him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi stayed silent. He gave her a teasing smile and let his hands wander over her body.

    ¡°Exin yourself...¡± Song Yu¡¯s breath hitched and her voice struggled to carry across as it trembled. Her body was unknowingly coiling itself tight in his embrace.

    ¡°I did it on purpose for you,¡± Qi Chengzhi finally answered.

    Song Yu looked up. Her clear eyes darkened with passion.

    Qi Chengzhi just came out of the showers, topless with only a pair of loose pants on him. She could only hold onto his waist.

    ¡°Back then, you weren¡¯t asmitted to me. So, I wanted to make you jealous.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. She was oblivious as to how transparent she had been to Qi Chengzhi.

    In the span of the silence, Qi Chengzhi cupped her breasts suddenly, followed by some prodding at her waist. ¡°No wonder your breasts felt heavier this morning.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu squirmed in his arms, trying to avoid his groping hands. ¡°Stop it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at the blushing face pressed against his chest. He could feel the heat emanating from her cheeks.

    Her fair skin was tinged pink from embarrassment¡ªit was very attractive to Qi Chengzhi. His heart rate quickened. He leaned in and peppered kisses on her forehead, cheeks, and the bridge of her nose.

    The faint, flowery scent from her skin drove him crazy and his hands fondled her soft flesh.

    Song Yu trembled in his arms. He pressed his lips against her forehead and asked with mirth in his tone, ¡°Can¡¯t stand it anymore?¡±

    Speechless, Song Yu tucked her blushing face into his chest and hugged him tighter. Her body shivered uncontrobly.

    She felt his hands move around her body with no ns of stopping. They inched further down south. Song Yu caught his wrist and said, ¡°The doctor said we shouldn¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll improvise.¡± He pressed her down and kissed the side of her mouth. Slowly, they were engaged in a heavy makeout session. ¡°I can¡¯t stand cuddling you but not touching you every night.¡±

    Song Yu was feeling troubled as well. She bit her lip¡ªshe could not let him fill the emptiness within her. She tightened her arms around him. Sweat was forming on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forehead as he kissed his way down her lower abdomen. He reached herher regions and prompted a sharp gasp from Song Yu. She wanted to pull him back up. ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    ¡°Hush, don¡¯t fret. It¡¯ll feel good in a bit.¡± His low voice rumbled, unclear from all the activity below. ¡°Let me help you first.¡±

    Only after she hade down from her high did he rub himself against her entrance. The beads of sweat dripped from his forehead and onto her. It took a significant effort to relieve himself and decided that this was one of the most tedious ways by far. He hugged Song Yu and kissed her face.

    ¡°If this is how we need to do it from now on, I might just go crazy.¡± Qi Chengzhi gritted his teeth and pulled her buttocks against his body.

    His voice was rough and unlike his usual calm baritone. It sounded like a chord wounded so tautly it would break at any moment.

    Their sweat-coated bodies pressed together. Song Yu¡¯s arm hooked around his neck and pulled his head down.

    Soft lips pressed against the chin that was starting to show a five-o¡¯clock shadow. Qi Chengzhi could feel the gentleness of her kiss, like cotton candy. It was aforting sensation that made his heart swell.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you out next time,¡± Song Yu said shyly. Her body trembled and her face which was previously red from passion grew warmer.

    She lifted her head to look at this good-looking man whom she would do anything for. He was perfect.

    His facial features were sharp and handsome. His Adam¡¯s apple stood out on his neck, oozing masculinity. The muscles on his body were toned and powerful. Even the member between his thighs was a thing of marvel because it was attached to Qi Chengzhi. Although she was frightened initially, she had grown to like it and wanted to make the effort to please it.

    Qi Chengzhi hugged her like she was a prized doll. His heart was truly bursting with love for the woman in his arms.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Aunt Yang made soup for Song Yu to pack to thepany. She could heat it up in thepany and have it with her lunch.

    Qi Chengzhi carried the thermos and went to work with Song Yu. In his mind, he wanted to get Song Yu to take leave and rest at home. The doctor¡¯s mention of miscarriage worried him.

    However, Song Yu never brought up the idea of taking leave so he kept silent. He did not want her to think that he was putting the baby first and her second.

    In the elevator, Song Yu took Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and linked her other hand around his arm. ¡°Currently in my hands, there¡¯s only the hotel project by yourpany. Usually, I don¡¯t have much to do and with you as boss, I take it you won¡¯t let them give me too much work?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°And, because of you, Director Zhao doesn¡¯t dare to give me any other projects, he wants me to only focus on the Qilin hotel. These days, I feel like I don¡¯t even need to clock in. Seems like I can just leave anytime I want. So, work won¡¯t tire me.¡±

    ¡°Did I say anything?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked with one eyebrow cocked in amusement. He gripped her hand tightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m just giving you an out front exnation.¡± Song Yu looked up and smiled brightly.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but smile. He leaned forward and kissed her lips. ¡°Come back home if you feel tired.¡±

    Once they got into the car, Qi Chengzhi put on some lovely light music. Song Yu turned to him in surprise. ¡°When did you have this type of music?¡±

    ¡°Yesterday, after you fell asleep, I went and downloaded them.¡± Qi Chengzhi started the car. ¡°I read on the inte that listening to this type of music is beneficial for pregnant women.¡±

    The car rolled into Chengshi¡¯s lobby and Song Yu gave him a quick peck. She said her goodbye and was about to leave when Qi Chengzhi stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up for lunch. I¡¯m unsure about the restaurants around this area. We¡¯ll go to Dynasty.¡±

    Song Yu rolled her eyes. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and mocked, ¡°And he says it¡¯s not because of the baby. I didn¡¯t see youing over to pick me up for lunch every day before this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that she was not truly mad. She was just pulling his leg, unlike yesterday.

    He pulled on her arm. His lips collided with hers. ¡°Don¡¯t argue.¡±

    Song Yu left the car with a smile on her face.

    ...

    ...

    In the consecutive days, Qi Chengzhi came to pick her up for lunch. If he had business to attend to, he would get Chang Lai to fetch her to Qilin and they would have Dynasty take-out in his office.

    On the days when he had to entertain clients during lunch, Song Yu would eat alone in his office. Since Chang Lai would be busy with Qi Chengzhi, Cheng Dongge was responsible for fetching Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi was adamant about lunch, even when it inconvenienced multiple parties.

    This afternoon, Qi Chengzhi was upied with a luncheon. Cheng Dongge drove the Mercedes-Benz to pick Song Yu up.

    Once she was seated in the car, her phone rang. It was Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you... Are you free?¡± There was a hint of lingering doubt in Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu heard the hitch in her voice.

    ¡°Guan Xiaolin called me. She asked to meet and I...¡± She heard Qi Chengyue take a deep breath, then a pause. ¡°I¡¯m a bit nervous. Can you join me for this? I¡¯m worried in my current state, my weakness will be exposed to her.¡±

    Back then, Qi Chengyue could strut and boast in Song Yu¡¯s face because she knew Jian Yi could not afford to leave her. He needed her and the Qi family.

    Between Song Yu and her, she knew clearly who Jian Yi would pick.

    All her bravado was not brought on by her belief in Jian Yi¡¯s love for her.

    Now, she was no longer fooling herself. Comparing Guan Xiaolin and her, she had no clear advantage other than her official status as Jian Yi¡¯s wife.

    Since Jian Yi could not gain anything from Qi Chengyue, she no longer had any hold over him.

    What Jian Yi wanted, Guan Xiaolin was able to give.

    Even though Qi Chengyue was disappointed in him and her love bled dry, Jian Yi was still the man that she had once fallen deeply in love with. While it might be that she was unwilling to lose in any way, it was also possible that she had grown used to their symbiotic rtionship through the years.

    To this day, her heart was still empty and barren. It was unbearable.

    Meeting Guan Xiaolin was equivalent to confronting Jian Yi¡¯s betrayal. It was not Guan Xiaolin that scared her, but the immutable evidence of Jian Yi¡¯s infidelity.

    Hearing stories from Song Yu and Qi Chenglin was one thing. Meeting the person was a whole new ball game.

    ¡°Where are you now?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Still in thepany. I just came back from T City and got the call from Guan Xiaolin. I called you right after,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    ¡°I¡¯m going over to Qilin.¡± Song Yu gazed out the car window. ¡°I¡¯ll call you again when I arrive. We¡¯ll go together.¡±

 Chapter 184 - Song Yu, You Are Just Bluffing!

    <h4>Chapter 184: Song Yu, You Are Just Bluffing!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After she hung up the phone, Cheng Dongge did not ask but gave her a questioning look instead.

    Thus, Song Yu exined Qi Chengyue¡¯s situation to him. Since Qi Chengzhi had Cheng Dongge investigate Jian Yi, there was no reason to hide this from him.

    Once at Qilin, Song Yu rang up Qi Chengyue.

    As Qi Chengyue emerged from the front door, Song Yu got out of the car. Cheng Dongge followed.

    Qi Chengyue was shocked to see Cheng Dongge. Composedly, he nodded at her. ¡°Miss Qi.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first. I¡¯ll exin everything then,¡± Song Yu instructed, already seated back in the car.

    Qi Chengyue had no choice but to get in as well.

    Song Yu exined, ¡°Chengzhi has lunch to attend to this afternoon, so he had Cheng Dongge drive me to his office for lunch. Basically, anywhere I go, he has to have someone following me around.¡±

    Only then would Qi Chengyue look at Cheng Dongge who was sitting in the driver seat. Song Yu asked, ¡°Where did Guan Xiaolin ask you to meet her?¡±

    After Qi Chengyue uttered the name of the restaurant, Cheng Dongge frowned.

    The restaurant was not bad, but the ingredients they used definitely could notpare with the fastidious Dynasty. If Qi Chengzhi found out that Song Yu did not have a good lunch...

    Song Yu suggested, ¡°Can you call Guan Xiaolin and ask her to meet you at Dynasty instead?¡±

    ¡°That would work too. However, isn¡¯t it toote to make reservations now?¡± Qi Chengyue asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright, we can use Chengzhi¡¯s room. If Guan Xiaolin is here for a showdown, we have to do something to let her know who¡¯s the owner.¡± Song Yuughed. ¡°Besides, the food here is more delectable.¡±

    She was suffering from morning sickness, yet for some reason, her nauseousness was less severe when she ate from Dynasty. She could even eat more.

    Qi Chengyue took out her phone and dialed Guan Xiaolin¡¯s number. As she was waiting for her to pick up, Song Yu suddenly grabbed the wrist of her hand which was holding the phone.

    Perplexed, she turned her head around and heard Song Yu said with a small smile, ¡°Use the tone you used on mest time.¡±

    Awkwardly, Qi Chengyue turned away. She did not know what to reply. However, when Guan Xiaolin picked up the phone, she indeed announced the change in meeting spot with a cold and distant tone.

    The person on the other side of the phone must have been just as surprised. Song Yu heard Qi Chengyue said with much detachment, ¡°If you want to meet up,e to Dynasty. Otherwise, you can forget about it.¡±

    After Guan Xiaolin said something, Qi Chengyue hung up and dered, ¡°She agreed.¡±

    Cheng Dongge drove them to Dynasty. Song Yu and Qi Chengyue entered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room while Cheng Dongge stayed in the dining hall and ordered some food to eat while he waited.

    Just as he finished ordering, Guan Xiaolin waltzed in with ts, a baseball cap and a pair of shades. She did not have any makeup on.

    As Guan Xiaolin entered and saw Song Yu, she was stunned. With a sneer, she taunted, ¡°The ex-girlfriend together with the current wife, how interesting.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not the ¡®ex-girlfriend¡¯. Jian Yi and I were never together,¡± Song Yu corrected with a cold tone of voice. ¡°Today, I am here as Chengyue¡¯s sister-inw. I¡¯m sure you would have noticed, this is Chengzhi¡¯s room.¡±

    Qi Chengyue dumbfoundedly stared at Song Yu. She did not know why but Song Yu¡¯s words settled down her heart, as if she gained someone new to rely on.

    ¡°Are you trying to mark your territory?¡± Guan Xiaolin snickered. She seated herself across them and took off her cap and sunsses. ¡°Sorry I didn¡¯t put on any makeuping here. It¡¯s mainly because I¡¯m pregnant and thus, cannot put on makeup.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was dazed for a while. Her face turned pale. Even so, she was not too surprised ¨C she was not shocked as much as she was hurt. Just as Qi Chengzhi said, she had long anticipated a day like this woulde eventually.

    ¡°Miss Qi, without saying, I¡¯m sure you know whose child I¡¯m bearing, right?¡± Guan Xiaolin said with much delight.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell us anyway? Just to be sure,¡± Song Yu scorned.

    As Guan Xiaolin opened her mouth, a knock on the door interrupted them.

    A waiter brought in the food Song Yu had ordered.

    Guan Xiaolin raised an eyebrow. Her face turned dark. She could not believe that they still had an appetite.

    Song Yu would never starve the baby inside her because of Guan Xiaolin. As the food was served, she dug straight in without a word.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face grew darker. With a cold and sharp tone, she dered, ¡°That¡¯s right ¨C the child I¡¯m bearing is Jian Yi¡¯s. We¡¯ve been together for a long time, or should I say, we¡¯ve been together not long after your marriage.¡±

    Song Yu stopped for a while when grabbing her food, then continued to eat.

    She did not expect that right after marriage, while Jian Yi was still bothering her and saying how much he loved her when he was still kind to her-he was already hooking up with Guan Xiaolin.

    Song Yu felt the urge to vomit, but it was not because of her morning sickness. It was because she could not believe such a disgusting man could exist.

    On one end, he was going through marriage with Qi Chengyue, and he was already having his affair with Guan Xiaolin on the other end. Just where did he get the courage to continue bothering her?

    ¡°He also told me that since your wedding, you¡¯ve never had a married life again.¡± Suddenly, she stopped talking, covered her mouth and retched. Then, she continued merrily, ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m pregnant, so I¡¯m experiencing some morning sickness. I can¡¯t stand these smells.¡±

    Qi Chengyue clenched her fists under the table. She could not believe Jian Yi would humiliate her like this in front of Guan Xiaolin.

    ¡°Miss Guan, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve taken this too far?¡± Song Yu set her chopsticks down and wiped her mouth with a serviette. ¡°No matter what you say, you are still a mistress. Even if you are bearing Jian Yi¡¯s child, you should watch your mouth with us. If Chengyue refuses to get a divorce and decides to be stubborn with Jian Yi, then they can only wait and see who backs down first. At any time, the child you¡¯re bearing right now would be an illegitimate child.

    ¡°As for you,¡± Song Yu raised her chin and pointed it at Guan Xiaolin with open disdain, ¡°With your reputation ruined, you and your illegitimate child can go on and live however you like. Let¡¯s see who will marry a mistress with an illegitimate child. You will be kicked out of this social circle. This may not be the noblest social circle, but we despise people like you. Along with Qi family¡¯s efforts, I guarantee you would never even think about taking a single step into the high society ever again.

    Song Yu cackled and sneered. ¡°Miss Guan, the sacrifices you¡¯ve made for Jian Yi are undoubtedly huge. I apud your selfless devotion to love. You bore Jian Yi¡¯s child, yet in the end, you will not get anything in return. As long as Chengyue refuses to let go, tell me, what will you gain from this? Are you going to spend your whole life waiting for us to give up?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, this is between me and Qi Chengyue, why are you meddling!¡± Guan Xiaolin stared fiercely at Song Yu. Her eyes were asrge as copper bells. A white rim appeared around her iris as her eyes widened, which made her pupils appear significantly smaller.

    ¡°So what if my sister-inw says a few words in my stead?¡± Qi Chengyue abruptly said, ¡°A mistress like youes and makes a fuss with me, the first wife, and you¡¯re proud of it? Why don¡¯t you go ruin someone else¡¯s family? Bear the husband¡¯s child then feel proud about it, you crook!

    ¡°Guan Xiaolin, we are cousins. My mom is your aunt, yet you could do such things and not feel embarrassed about it.¡± Qi Chengyue clenched her teeth and stared at Guan Xiaolin. The longer she stared, the more disgusting her face seemed.

    Unexpectedly, Guan Xiaolin chuckled and turned to Qi Chengyue with a face of sincerity.

    ¡°In the face of love, what¡¯s there to be embarrassed about? A woman proactively chose to go after a man. She used every trick in the book and sessfully reeled him in. They fell in love. No one called that embarrassing. The man realized that this woman was his true love, so he broke up with his girlfriend to be with her. No one called that embarrassing. So why is it, that when I do it, it bes embarrassing? All I did was fall in love with Jian Yi, and he, with me. The only difference here is a sheet of crummy marriage certificate!¡± It was now Guan Xiaolin who was staring at Qi Chengyue with disdain. She taunted, ¡°Jian Yi has never loved you. He only married you for your status, and you feel good about that? I have a child with him! Even so, you won¡¯t let go of him?

    ¡°Besides, you may still be oblivious about it, but he and I were old lovers. Now, we¡¯re only rekindling that rtionship. When you brought him to reunions, how do you think we both felt? We were both eyeing each-you were the only one in the dark,¡± Guan Xiaolin said with a sharp voice.

    ¡°I¡¯m letting go, why would I not?¡± Qi Chengyue stated calmly and sniggered. ¡°You made Jian Yi your precious treasure. Take him then. You always say he used me, but how do you know that he¡¯s not using you? At least I realized it and freed myself from him. As for you, you have a child with him ¨C there¡¯s no escape now. I sincerely hope you don¡¯t turn into the second ¡®me¡¯. When he finds a woman more useful than you and ditch you, you still have to bring his child with you ¨C you can neverpletely cut ties with him like me.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Qi Chengyue, you¡¯re just jealous! Do you know how furious I was when I had to watch you two get married with my own eyes? However, that¡¯s alright, I knew he didn¡¯t love you. Isn¡¯t he dating me now? I am the true winner here. As for you, your marriage failed, your man abandoned you ¨C you are just a pitiful woman that no man had ever truly loved before!¡±

    Qi Chengyue had the urge to reply, ¡°Aren¡¯t you just the same?¡± but she could not muster those words. Guan Xiaolin was right. For many years she lived, it seemed like no one had ever truly loved her, just because she loved herself.

    She thought she was loved by someone, but in reality, what Jian Yi loved was her status ¨C once she dered she would not give him anything, he could not even be bothered to show his indifference.

    ¡°Since you are so confident, we will just wait and see then.¡± Song Yu stood up and gave her a cold stare. She produced her phone from her pocket and pressed the ¡®stop¡¯ button on a recording. Callously, she said, ¡°Thanks to the things you¡¯ve said today, Chengyue¡¯s divorce with Jian Yi will be even more effortless now.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s expression turned on a dime. Her smug face of confidence had gone. Slightly rmed, she questioned, ¡°What have you done!¡±

    ¡°What have I done? You want to marry Jian Yi. He¡¯s the only person you love, isn¡¯t that right? The Qi family will make sure Jian Yi leaves this marriage without gaining a single cent. He can join your family as a beggar,¡± Song Yu said in a poised manner. ¡°You joined hands to bully those of the Qi family; do you think they will let you go this easily? Chengyue¡¯s mother is your aunt, so what? Chengyue is her child ¨C how can youpete? A niece caused her daughter to suffer through so much injustice. She may be able to endure this, but Chenglin won¡¯t, and I¡¯ll make sure Chengzhi doesn¡¯t either.

    ¡°Though, I am curious ¨C will Jian Yi appreciate a penniless family like the Guan family? I think it¡¯s better if you start saving up for baby form now,¡± Song Yu mocked indifferently. ¡°Chengyue, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Qi Chengyue stood up with a nk expression and followed Song Yu out.

    Guan Xiaolin sat frozen on her chair. She stared at the doorway in disbelief, but Song Yu and Qi Chengyue had long left.

    With her jaw dropped for half a day, she finally said, as if to embolden herself, ¡°For merely a failed wedding, she wants to get revenge on the Guan family? Song Yu, who do you think you are, to be able to control the Qi family? Even if my aunt is mad, it doesn¡¯t mean Grandpa would let her do anything to the Guan family! Song Yu, you are just bluffing!¡±

    Nheless, these words were not heard by Song Yu as she had long gotten in the car together with Qi Chengyue.

    Guan Xiaolin sat in front of the table full of food in solitude, but she had no appetite.

    Originally, she came to gloat and boast; in the end, she was the one left boiling with rage.

    Furiously, she threw on her cap and sunsses and stormed out of the room. In the dining hall, she headed straight for the exit, but she was stopped by a person from Dynasty.

    ¡°Miss, you have not paid the bill,¡± the waiter said.

    ¡°What do you mean? That¡¯s Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room, aren¡¯t you supposed to just put it on his tab?¡± Guan Xiaolin stood in shock.

    ¡°When Madam Qi came out just now, she specifically said that you will handle the bill,¡± the waiter said.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face went dark. She asked, ¡°How much?¡±

    ¡°2350,¡± the waiter said.

    ¡°...¡±

    Enraged, she could not believe Song Yu could be so shameless. She was the one who suggested Dynasty to Qi Chengyue, but in the end, they left without paying!

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge worried that Song Yu and Qi Chengyue would quickly fall out with Guan Xiaolin ande out any time, so he quickly ate his lunch and waited in his seat.

    When he saw Song Yu and Qi Chengyuee out, Qi Chengyue was terrifyingly pale. Her eyes appeared hollow.

    Before this, Qi Chengyue¡¯s most attractive feature was that pair of eyes ¨C typical of the Qi family. Thoserge, profound eyes were always filled with spirit. They carried an air of pride, but more conspicuously, a disy of confidence and energy. They made her appear especially energetic ¨C more active and youthful.

    However, she now appeared many years older. Those eyes were filled with pain and despair. On her doll-like face, those eyes stood out sorely, making those around her feel sympathetic towards her.

    Cheng Dongge got up to wee Song Yu. Discreetly, he stole another nce at Qi Chengyue, then said, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first.¡±

    After Song Yu and Qi Chengyue got in, Song Yu asked, ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. You should get back to thepany first. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you here. I... wish to be alone now,¡± Qi Chengyue muttered. She was looking down, so Song Yu could not see her expression. ¡°For today... thank you.¡±

    Song Yu did not insist on staying with her. Qi Chengyue wanting to be alone to calm down was a normal reaction.

    She thought that even though Qi Chengyue felt dejected, she would not do anything stupid.

    Cheng Dongge drove them to Chengshi. When Song Yu was getting out, she instructed Cheng Dongge, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, please take good care of her. I will inform Chengzhi about this.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded. As Song Yu got out, she stood by the car door and told Qi Chengyue, ¡°If anything happens, call me ¨C no matter what time it is.¡±

    After saying that, Song Yu finally entered thepany.

    She did not know that just a while after she entered, Yu Keyao came too.

    She looked washed-out. She wore a whiteced dress and had a palm-sized pouch carried on one shoulder. With her hands on her chest, she walked into thepany.

    Just as she was about to step through the front door, a man appeared out of nowhere. With casual clothing on, no one would have noticed him even if he stood by the streets.

    He blocked Yu Keyao¡¯s way. With hisrge stature towering in front of her, she subconsciously took two steps back.

    ¡°Miss Yu, please leave,¡± the man said with a deadpan expression.

    ¡°You know me? You...¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s expression changed.

    ¡°I know you are here to see Mistress Qi. Young Master Cheng ordered that neither you nor anyone from the Yu family should go near Mistress Qi. Miss Yu, please leave.

    ¡°From today onward, no one from the Yu family is allowed to go anywhere near the mistress,¡± the man repeated in a cold and distant tone, like a robot.

    Yu Keyao bit her lips. Her family¡¯spany did not recover at all like Qi Chengzhi promised. Although Qi Chengzhi did stop harming thepany, all he did was stop.

    Nevertheless, the problems caused cannot be solved by Yu Zidong. If things continued this way, they would have no choice but to dere bankruptcy.

    At the same time, Yu Zidong was going through his divorce with Liang Lihua. At home, disputes went on day after day. Moreover, those from the Liang family came over every day just to point and shout at Yu Zidong.

    The studio Yu Zidong was supposed to open for her was never discussed again. Furthermore, the brand buyers and directors who had meetings set up all called in to cancel with the excuse of ¡®something came up¡¯.

    At first, she thought that once Yu Zidong divorced Liang Lihua, thepany would recover and everything would go back to the way it was. That was why when Yu Zidong suggested the divorce, she stood on his side.

    Now, not only did thepany not recover, but her career was also falling apart. Liang Lihua constantly called her an ingrate.

    Thus, the reason she appeared here today was that she wanted to plead with Song Yu, but did not expect that she would not even get to see her.

    Seeing that the man blocked her way, she knew there was no way to meet Song Yu.

    Yu Keyao hade here several times before. She was going to show up when Song Yu left for lunch but to her surprise, be it lunch in the afternoon or getting off work at night, Qi Chengzhi came to fetch her personally. Even when he was not there, he had someone escort her. There was no way to reach Song Yu.

    When Qi Chengzhi came personally, she did not even dare to show herself.

    A few days passed without any chance to approach her, so she decided to go straight into thepany and meet her during office hours. Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi arranged secret bodyguards for Song Yu.

    The door was right in front of her ¨C if she could just go through it, she would be able to see Song Yu. Sadly, she just had to be blocked. Unsatisfied, she stomped away, but she did not leave. Hidden nearby, she waited for an opportunity. There was no way this man could stare forever without blinking.

    Nevertheless, he did. He stared indefinitely-he did not ck for even a second.

    Yu Keyao had no choice but to return home first. As she walked through the doorway, the cries of Liang Lihua were heard. ¡°Big brother, sister-inw, please be reasonable. From the day I joined this family, I¡¯ve been serious and responsible. I was worried sick for the family. If it weren¡¯t for me shamelessly running to the Song family begging, what would have happened to Yu Zidong? Even so, now, for thepany, for his own interest, he wants a divorce!¡±

 Chapter 185 - Iâ€™ve Been Kneeling for Too Long, I Canâ€™t Feel My Legs

    <h4>Chapter 185: I¡¯ve Been Kneeling for Too Long, I Can¡¯t Feel My Legs</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Keyao had no choice but to return home first. As she walked through the doorway, the cries of Liang Lihua were heard. ¡°Big brother, sister-inw, please be reasonable. From the day I joined this family, I was serious and responsible. I was worried sick for the family. If it weren¡¯t for me shamelessly running to the Song family begging, what would¡¯ve happened to Yu Zidong? Even so, for thepany, for his own interest, he now wants a divorce!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been his wife who shared all his hardships for nearly 30 years now. When he first started the business, I suffered and pushed through with him. Now, he¡¯s forgotten all about it. For a measly amount of money, he wants to abandon me! What kind of person is he?¡± Liang Lihua sobbed, her face drenched in tears.

    Ever since the divorce was suggested, she had no time to care for herself. She had no makeup on now ¡ª the spots on her face stood out sorely. She was in a mess.

    ¡°Lihua, rest assured, we¡¯ll help you,¡± Liang Lihua¡¯s sister-inw, Ma Yingshu, said passionately. ¡°That Yu Zidong thought there¡¯s no one else in the Liang family, so he continued to bully you! Does he think he can get a divorce so easily? I won¡¯t allow it! Even if he really wants the divorce, you must split the family property fairly. We won¡¯t let him gain a single cent out of this divorce!¡±

    Liang Lihua wailed. She knew Ma Yingshu¡¯s kindness towards her was not sincere. Ma Yingshu was only afraid that the divorce would end with Liang Lihua bing her family¡¯s problem. Her need to settle the money properly was just so that if Liang Lihua had money, she would not need her family¡¯s help.

    Long story short, Ma Yingshu was afraid she might be taken advantage of.

    At this time, Yu Keyao walked in. Ma Yingshu stood up immediately. She pointed at her forehead and scolded, ¡°You! Your mother gave birth to you and cared for you your entire life ¡ª aren¡¯t you the cause of all the conflict we face today? Now, for your own benefit, you stand on Yu Zidong¡¯s side, not even bothered if your own mother is dead or alive! Raising an ingrate like you, she couldn¡¯t be more heartbroken!¡±

    Ma Yingshu¡¯s finger pointed fiercely at Yu Keyao¡¯s forehead. Hurt, Yu Keyao frowned intensely and screamed, ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    ¡°What am I doing? What do you think? I¡¯m helping your poor mother teach you a lesson, you unfilial ingrate!¡± Ma Yingshu pulled up her sleeves, ready to strike. To her surprise, Yu Keyao made the first move and violently shoved her.

    ¡°That¡¯s all her fault! What can I do? Anyone with a brain would know you can¡¯t apologize to Song Yu at thest minute, then proceed to scold her again!¡± Yu Keyao shrieked. ¡°If she didn¡¯t get on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nerves in the first ce, thepany would¡¯ve been fine! Now that things have escted to this point, who¡¯s to be med?¡±

    ¡°You ¡ª¡± Liang Lihua raised her head abruptly to look at Yu Keyao. She could not believe Yu Keyao just dumped all the me on her.

    ¡°Yu Keyao! Pampering you was just a huge waste of time! Ever since you were a child, I¡¯ve always stood by you. Even when Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, you wanted to interject, and I supported you, displeased your uncle because of you! You imed Song Yu stole Qi Chengzhi from you ¡ª alright, I supported you. I scolded Song Yu for you, I scolded her parents for you. Now tell me, whom do you think I offended Qi Chengzhi for? It¡¯s all because of you that I¡¯m stuck in this situation now. For that measly amount of money, your father wants to divorce me. At a time like this, you chose to betray me.¡±

    ¡°Yu Keyao, I¡¯m not just anybody ¡ª I¡¯m your mother! I¡¯ve done so many things for you, yet you now shift all the me on me and im that I brought this on myself!¡± Liang Lihua stood up. With a face wet with tears, she darted towards Yu Keyao, raised her hand, and gave her a harsh p across the face. ¡°Are you still human? You truly are from the Yu family ¡ª just like your father, you have the heart to do anything for your own benefit!¡±

    ¡°Where do you think I went just now? I went to plead with Song Yu for you, but someone stopped me! I didn¡¯t even get to see her! Still, you call me an ingrate?¡± Yu Keyao covered her face. Feeling indignant, she burst into tears as well.

    ¡°Did you do that for your mother? You did that for yourself! You¡¯re only afraid that even after your parents divorced, thepany will still be in shambles! Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know what goes on in the mind of yours. Qi Chengzhi merely promised to stop taking action against Dong Hua, but he never said he would take responsibility and help Dong Hua get back on its feet ¡ª that¡¯s why you went to plead with Song Yu! You shameless thing! Confounding ck and white, and right and wrong!¡± Ma Yingshu scolded, spit spraying everywhere.

    ¡°You... How can you say such ugly things?!¡± Yu Keyao shook with anger.

    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from. You want to hear more?¡± Ma Yingshu retorted with spit spattering.

    ¡°Ma Yingshu, this is my house, the Yu family¡¯s home. What did you say about me? Who are you to upy our home, unwilling to leave? Ever since my dad suggested divorce, you and your husband moved in with the excuse of helping my mom. The longer you stay here and make a fuss, the longer my dad is away! Ma Yingshu, this is the Yu family¡¯s home, so what do you think you can achieve by staying here? What makes you think you cane to my house to point and shout at me?!¡± Unwilling to back down, Yu Keyao scolded in a sharp voice.

    ¡°You disrespected your elders, you ill-bred thing!¡±

    ...

    ...

    As things grew heated over at the Yu household, Cheng Dongge looked at Qi Chengyue through the rear-view mirror. Her head leaned against the window.

    Her gaze was cast downwards. Her long hair covered her face and hid her expression.

    Cheng Dongge had been driving for a while, but Qi Chengyue did not utter a word throughout the ride.

    ¡°Miss Qi.¡± Cheng Dongge looked into the rear-view mirror. ¡°Where would you like to go?¡±

    He knew she would not want to go back to thepany. The house she shared with Jian Yi did not seem appropriate either. He wondered if he should send her to the Qi family¡¯s home.

    Qi Chengyue did not say anything for a long time. Just as Cheng Dongge thought she did not wish to speak, he heard Qi Chengyue¡¯s low and frail voiceing from behind. ¡°If possible, just drive me around for a while. I don¡¯t feel like going anywhere now, sorry.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nced at the rear-view mirror. He could not imagine how Qi Chengyue would look when she apologized to someone.

    Her frail and feeble appearance evoked sympathy in others.

    Cheng Dongge drove in silence for a long time. Once again, he nced at the rear-view mirror and noticed Qi Chengyue had disappeared.

    At longst, he parked the car by a road. Beside the road, a field of luscious green grass surrounded ake. This was one of the best ces for a pic in B City. However, not many people were around at this time.

    Once in a while, a person or two would walk by theke, but as it was quite a distance away, they would not be able to make out the situation by the road.

    Cheng Dongge got out of the car, walked towards the back door and opened it. The sight he was met with gave him a shock.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s arms were hugging herself. Her torso stuck firmly to her thighs. Her head nearly touched the seat in front of her, while her face was buried between her knees.

    Not a sound came out of her, but her shoulders and back shook violently.

    Cheng Dongge opened his mouth, wanting to wake her up, but he could not utter a word no matter what. It was as if something was blocking his throat and chest, and it stung.

    He stood by the door for a long time. Qi Chengyue¡¯s posture did not change at all, but the tremors grew worse and worse, and it made her seem more and more helpless.

    ¡°Miss Qi, you...¡± Cheng Dongge kneeled down and gently ced his palm on her shoulders.

    He felt Qi Chengyue¡¯s body freeze. She no longer quivered. It felt as if she was desperately holding it back, not wanting to be embarrassed in front of others.

    She seemed to have not realized the car had stopped and that he had opened the door and stood beside her.

    He watched as she stayed in that posture for some time before finally sitting up and raising her head slowly.

    Cheng Dongge saw her appearance and was frozen in ce without any reaction.

    Her long curly hair was disheveled, some strands stuck to her tearful face. Her appearance was not at all elegant and attractive, but scruffy and in a mess. Tears left their tracks on her face. Her swollen, red-shot eyes still held tears, which she was desperately holding back.

    Furthermore, seeing Qi Chengyue in such a sorry state, then remembering her arrogant look from before ¨C she had really taken a deep dive. He could not help but pity her.

    ¡°Sorry, but can you... can you leave me alone...¡± Before she could finish her sentence, he pulled her into his arms.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s husky voice sounded in her ears, ¡°You can cry.¡±

    His firm voice had the power to soothe others. After hearing his voice, she suddenly could not hold back her tears anymore, as if the crumbling dam that stood in her heart had suddenly copsed.

    Tears poured from her eyes, yet Qi Chengyue still clenched her teeth and bit her lips. Only when she had reached the limits of her endurance did she let out a small whimper.

    However, when the warm and steady palm rested on the back of her head and gently caressed her hair;forted and consoled her wordlessly, the effect on her was even greater.

    Finally, Qi Chengyue gave in. ¡°Waa...¡± she wailed loudly.

    She cried like a child. Her crying was not melodious at all ¡ª it was rough and miserable. She cried so hard that she had hups, and her sinuses were blocked. Slowly, her snot merged with her tears and ran down her face.

    ¡°Why... Just because I loved someone, does that mean I deserve to be trampled like this? Why do some people treat marriage as a way to benefit from others? Why must marriage be about benefits? Why would someone use love to deceive others? Why didn¡¯t he target someone else? Why did it have to be me?! Even if he just wanted the money and status, couldn¡¯t he have at least treated me nicely? Am I unworthy of even a little love and respect?¡±

    As Cheng Dongge listened to her talk and sob, the body in his arms trembled even more ¡ª the crying grew louder and louder.

    He could feel that his shirt was soaked. Some tears evennded on his neck and slowly rolled into his shirt.

    Cheng Dongge did not know how tofort her. Due to his status, it seemed like whatever he said would be unfitting. Thus, he simply stroked her hair and consoled her in silence.

    Qi Chengyue wept for a long time. Suddenly, he heard her say his name, ¡°Cheng Dongge...¡±

    Cheng Dongge was shocked. Previously, she had always called him Special Assistant Cheng, but to hear her call him by his full name felt a little weird.

    ¡°The way your fianc¨¦e treated you... don¡¯t you feel hurt? She also went behind your back and found a rich man who she thinks can give her more. Why... why are they all like this? The things she wanted, couldn¡¯t you give it to her? How much until she¡¯s satisfied? Why is a man who sincerely loves her and can provide her afortable life without worries not enough for her?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice was hoarse. His throat felt extremely dry.

    ¡°How long... have you two been together?¡± Qi Chengyue asked as she cried.

    ¡°Three years. When we first met, I was in my senior year while she was a new student in freshman year. One day, she suddenly showed up in front of me and shouted that she liked me in front of the whole school, then ran away with a flushed face. She has always been a shy girl, yet she had the guts to do something like that.

    ¡°After that, she would always appear by my side. She didn¡¯t talk much. When I yed basketball, she¡¯d hand me towels and water ¡ª she volunteered to help out the basketball team just for me. During self-study periods, she would save a seat for me. Whenever my sses ended, she would wait by the door then follow me. She¡¯d talk to me a little sometimes, but she¡¯d always be blushing heavily. At that time, I¡¯ve already found a job as Chengzhi¡¯s assistant. Nevertheless, I was a poor student back then. I could make a living for myself in B City, but I couldn¡¯t give a girl a good life yet.

    ¡°Even though I couldn¡¯t provide her with a good life, and a luxurious one was out of the question, I thought the least I could do was to not let her suffer with me. Why should I drag her with me when I wasn¡¯t even capable of providing for her yet? Therefore, up till my graduation, we still didn¡¯t end up together. We only texted asionally.

    ¡°After that, my career got better and better, and she still stayed single in all those years. Only until the student reunion did we officially get together. I held out on proposing until I was capable of giving her a good life. I felt that proposing to her while I couldn¡¯t provide her with a happy marriage is extremely irresponsible. I never thought that after so many years, she chose to give up now.

    ¡°You asked if I felt hurt ¡ª of course, it hurts a lot. After all, she¡¯s the one who apanied me through three years of my life. In those three years, she¡¯s always by my side, and I¡¯ve grown ustomed to her presence in my life. All the effort I put in, it was all so that I could provide her an easy life. I feel discontent that she couldn¡¯t persevere until the end with me. Just when I could satisfy her every need, she left me. I¡¯m also angry with myself. Why didn¡¯t I work harder, marry her sooner, and gave her better? Maybe then she wouldn¡¯t have felt the need to find another man.

    ¡°You¡¯re in so much pain now. I think your view is simr to mine. After all, he¡¯s someone you loved, and perhaps you still do. He¡¯s the one you spent your life with, the one you¡¯re willing to marry. Now that things have ended like this, disappointment and sorrow wells up in your heart.

    ¡°Truthfully, it¡¯s not that you¡¯re unworthy of love, but that he¡¯s unworthy of yours. You deserve better. My fianc¨¦e...¡± Cheng Dongge stopped. Qi Chengyue seemed to have heard his pained chuckle. ¡°My ex-fianc¨¦e thinks she deserves better, so she let me. Thus, you leaving him is also because you deserve better. Jian Yi doesn¡¯t know how to love someone at all, you deserve someone who does. It¡¯s him who¡¯s not good enough for you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Qi Chengyue murmured with her forehead still pressed against his chest.

    Her refutation surprised him. He looked down but could only see her hair and not her face.

    ¡°You¡¯re wonderful. Your fianc¨¦e... your ex-fianc¨¦e didn¡¯t leave you because you weren¡¯t good enough, neither was it because she deserves better. It¡¯s because she couldn¡¯t cherish what she had. She didn¡¯t know how to be content, and she ced herself on too high a pedestal. I think her choice of leaving you is a huge mistake. She¡¯ll regret it,¡± spoke Qi Chengyue with confidence.

    Cheng Dongge froze. He did not expect her to say that. He thought she was refuting hisst sentence. He smiled, unsure of how to receive her words.

    Usually, the two of them do not interact with each other much, so he did not know she had such a high opinion of him.

    After Qi Chengyue said that, she felt a little awkward. She thought she might have said too much.

    Even so, after talking to him, her pain was eased. Even though she was still hurt, at least it became bearable.

    Qi Chengyue sniffled. However, her nose waspletely blocked. No matter how much she tried to suck in her snot, she could not, so she had to breathe through her mouth. Even so, swallowing her saliva was already difficult enough. The instant she swallowed, her ears felt like they were blocked.

    Suddenly, a neatly-folded grey checkered handkerchief appeared in front of her eyes. The fingers holding the handkerchief were long, slender, and clean. The bones were distinct, and the fair skin covering them added to the air of elegance.

    Qi Chengyue could not help but imagine how many girls must have thought of him as Prince Charming when he was in university!

    Lost in thoughts, it took her a while to realize she was still leaning against her chest and held tight in his arms. Quickly, she moved away and took the handkerchief from his awkwardly.

    His warmth lingered on the handkerchief, and so did the smell of his cologne. Nowadays, not many men would have things like this on them. Even women no longer carried handkerchiefs as often.

    She saw how clean the handkerchief was and felt bad for using it.

    While the air was still thick with awkwardness, Cheng Dongge¡¯s phone rang. She heard him answered, ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    After hanging up, he told her, ¡°Young Master Cheng requested that I send you back to the old mansion.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. Cheng Dongge tried to stand up but, unexpectedly, he could not. He fell on his butt with a ¡®bam¡¯.

    Qi Chengyue watched him in shock. She tried to catch him but was too slow ¡ª the hand she reached out caught nothing but air.

    Cheng Dongge let out an embarrassed chuckle. ¡°I¡¯ve been kneeling for too long, I can¡¯t feel my legs.¡±

    Qi Chengyue could not help but smile. She shifted to one side, leaving the seat by the door empty and said, ¡°Sit here for a while, and let your legs recover.¡±

    Cheng Dongge held onto the car door and pulled himself up. Seated next to Qi Chengyue, he massaged his numb legs.

    The two of them were not close so the atmosphere was quite awkward. Qi Chengyue looked down while using Cheng Dongge¡¯s handkerchief to wipe off her tears. Although she felt bad about it, she still had to sneeze out the mucus blocking her nose.

    ¡°This... I¡¯ll bring it home and wash it. I¡¯ll return it to you tomorrow,¡± Qi Chengyue said shyly.

    With a quick ¡°mm¡±, Cheng Dongge got out of his seat and moved to the driver seat.

    ...

    ...

    The car stopped in front of the Qi family manor, where Qi Chengyue got out and Cheng Dongge followed.

    Before leaving, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°Thank you for today.¡±

    Even though it was all under themand of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, it did not change the fact that he was willing to stay with her for so long. She was touched, and at the same time, felt sorry for him.

    Cheng Dongge smiled. He watched as Qi Chengyue entered the courtyard. Then, he moved to the courtyard entrance where he could see Qi Chengyue walked toward the front door and pressed the doorbell.

    Not long after, the door opened. Guan Liya appeared at the doorway. When she saw Qi Chengyue, she immediately embraced her.

    Only then did Cheng Dongge turn away. He got in the car and drove away.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s lips trembled. Her sore throat started to quiver again.

    Guan Liya loosened her but her hand stayed firmly on her back. ¡°My dear child, you¡¯ve been through so much pain. Why didn¡¯t you tell your family? Come, let¡¯s get you inside.¡±

    Guan Liya brought Qi Chengyue into the house. She realized that everyone was gathered there. The atmosphere in the living room was heavy.

    Perplexed, she stared nkly at them. Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes were red. She waved at Qi Chengyue. ¡°Chengyue,e, have a seat. No matter what happens, you¡¯ll always have us! It¡¯s going to be okay!¡±

 Chapter 186 - I Want Half of The Shares You Own in Qilin

    <h4>Chapter 186: I Want Half of The Shares You Own in Qilin</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Perplexed, she stared at them with a vacant gaze. Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes were red. She waved at Qi Chengyue. ¡°Chengyue,e, have a seat. No matter what happens, you¡¯ll always have us! It¡¯s going to be okay!¡±

    ¡°You all know about this?¡± Qi Chengyue was shocked, and all of a sudden, she dreaded facing her own family.

    Jian Yi was the husband of her choice, but then all the cmities happened a mere few months after the wedding. She felt guilt-ridden and was afraid to even look at her kin.

    ¡°I told them,¡± admitted Qi Chenglin. ¡°I have evidence on Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin. There¡¯s no reason to keep dragging this further.¡±

    He then turned his head to Qi Chengyue, looking incredibly stern. ¡°You do n to divorce, don¡¯t you? Even if you still have hope in him and decide not to divorce, we¡¯re not going to ept it. That man has to leave the Qi family.¡±

    Qi Chengyue took a deep breath, grasped her fists tightly, then spat out four words, albeit with some difficulty. ¡°I want a divorce.¡±

    She felt as though she was about to copse after finishing her sentence.

    Guan Liya ced her arm around Qi Chengyue¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Chengyue. We¡¯ll get back at them for all the wrongs that you suffered! I never thought Guan Xiaolin would be so shameless! She¡¯s no longer my niece if she could disregard our ties and do this kind of thing to you!¡±

    Shepleted her sentence and looked at Qi Chengzhi, seeking his approval through her silence.

    As long as it involvedpany matters, Qi Chengzhi was considered to be the one who had full control.

    His gaze swept across everyone in the room, and he noticed that their attention was entirely focused on him.

    Keeping a cold expression, his rich voice began resounding. ¡°Get the divorce done and make sure Jian Yi leaves with nothing. Then we¡¯ll focus our attention to the Guan family.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Guan Liya. ¡°Auntie, will you be alright if we go all-out against the Guan family?¡±

    ¡°Not a problem!¡± Guan Liya then continued yakking without a second thought, ¡°The Guan family has nothing to do with me anyway. They¡¯ll only remember me if they need something. That¡¯s when they¡¯ll treat me politely and courteously. If Guan Xiaolin had the nerve to do something like that behind my back, she clearly doesn¡¯t care that I¡¯m her aunt, and since that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ve no reason to care about the Guan family!¡±

    A nod from Qi Chengzhi. ¡°That¡¯s settled, then.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi, thank you for all this. I know that isn¡¯t easy to go against anotherpany, even for the Qi family,¡± said Guan Liya. Qi Chengzhi agreed to do it so happily, and the sight of the entire family working together to help Qi Chengyue made her feel touched.

    ¡°We¡¯re a family,¡± came Qi Chengzhi¡¯s curt response.

    ¡°Big Brother, Song Yu,¡± Qi Chengyue began speaking suddenly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry for how I treated youst time.¡±

    Her words were very earnest, and the redness in her eyes was a sign that she was sincere in her words.

    Song Yu did not expect Qi Chengyue to say that in front of everyone. In fact, she actually treated Qi Chengyue¡¯s change of attitude as an apology, letting bygones be bygones.

    However, with Qi Chengyue apologizing before the entire family, the feeling was much different¡ªafter her words, it was like everything that happened in the past truly did stay in the past.

    Song Yu did not make any ostentatious remark, for Qi Chengzhi had already proimed his stand. She merely took out a recorder and ced it on the table, saying, ¡°This is what Guan Xiao Lin said to Qi Chengyue this afternoon. I recorded it with my phone and transferred it in here. This isn¡¯t the best thing to use, but in case something doesn¡¯t go ording to n, this may be useful.¡±

    Qi Zhongxun picked up the recorder and yed back the recording of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s boastful words, allowing everyone to listen to what was said.

    Guan Liya was so angry that she almost looked like she could run up to Guan Xiaolin and exact vengeance.

    She knew, though, that the main focus was the divorce. Jian Yi would not agree to the divorce so easily, not when he got nothing out of the marriage. The main objective in everyone¡¯s mind was to make sure that he would not gain a single thing from the Qi family!

    ¡°Thank you, Song Yu, for being with Qi Chengyue during this time,¡± Qi Zhongxun remarked earnestly.

    He used to be neutral toward her marriage with Qi Chengzhi, and even after the couple had registered their marriage, he did not particrly see Song Yu as truly bing a part of the Qi family.

    That had all changed, however, and he now truly regarded Song Yu as his niece-inw.

    ¡°I just apanied her, that¡¯s all. Nothing much,¡± Song Yu replied.

    ¡°Chengyue,e home with us tonight. You¡¯ll stay with us from now on. You can choose to sell or keep the home with Jian Yi, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯d want to go back there even after the divorce.¡± Guan Liya put her arm over Qi Chengyue¡¯s shoulder and said.

    Qi Chengyue nodded. ¡°Sell it off. I don¡¯t want anything to do with him ever again.¡±

    That night, she returned home with her family.

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi came to thepany the next day, but as he headed to the engineering department, weird looks were shot at him by employees from other departments

    Most of them seemed to be acting rather coldly.

    His status as Qi Chengyue¡¯s husband allowed him to receive respectful treatment from the subordinates and even from some of thepany¡¯s higher-ups. The cold treatment was thus a first for him.

    ¡°Manager Luo,¡± Jian Yi greeted as he saw the approaching Luo Yushu.

    Luo Yushu seemed to be in some shock, however. After being briefly stunned, he mustered a smile. ¡°Hehe, Jian Yi, you came a bitte I see!¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Jian Yi frowned. ¡®Luo Yushu always addresses me as ¡®Manager Jian¡¯, and don¡¯t I usually arrive at thepany around this time?¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯ve got something to attend to so I¡¯ll be heading off. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± Luo Yushu said a few words just for the sake of it and left hastily.

    Jian Yi looked on curiously as Luo Yushu¡¯s figure scurried off in a hurry. He entered the engineering department with a frown and saw that most of the employees were already present. They were busy chatting about something, but the whole room fell silent immediately after they noticed him entering.

    They looked at him with all sorts of odd expressions and none greeted him voluntarily.

    Jian Yi¡¯s gaze swept across the room before he entered the office.

    The second he closed the door, the chattering continued outside.

    ¡°Judging from his look, I think he doesn¡¯t know about it yet.¡±

    ¡°I think he probably argued with the Qi family and fell out of favor with them. Why else would they just fire him so suddenly?¡±

    ¡°I heard Miss Qi hasn¡¯te to thepany for a few days now. Do you think they¡¯re facing problems in their marriage?¡±

    A female colleague then let out a gasp. ¡°Could they have already gotten a divorce?¡±

    She shut her mouth immediately after giving her opinion.

    The others were also quiet, but that did notst long when someone opined, ¡°In fact...we can¡¯t know for sure. Otherwise, why would the Qi family resort to something so drastic?

    ¡°Fact is, it was only because he got close to the Qi family that he managed to get promoted so quickly. It benefits us if he isn¡¯t around anymore.¡±

    Jian Yi could not hear the discussions going on outside. He switched on hisputer, and not longter, an email notification popped up.

    He opened it and saw that it was from Human Resources. Getting up from his seat, he walked past his desk to the door, opened it forcefully, then walked out of his office.

    None of the other employees dared to make a peep until he left. ¡°Why do you think he went out for?¡±

    ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t even know what was going on. He¡¯s probably going to try and reason with someone.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Jian Yi clenched his jaw tightly. His expression was so tense that his face might just crack at any time.

    He dashed to the top floor, and after getting out from the elevator, tookrge strides toward Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room, all while suppressing his anger.

    Cheng Dongge was not surprised that Jian Yi came. The former neither greeted him nor stopped him, simply allowing him to barge into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office.

    A loud ¡®p¡¯ was still heard on the door despite it being able to absorb sound. Jian Yi went in and mmed the door behind him. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°What exactly are you talking about?¡± Calm and unruffled, Qi Chengzhi leaned back in his chair and sported a very cold expression.

    ¡°Why did you fire me without even informing me?! What¡¯s the reason?¡± Jian Yi asked angrily. The email stated that his dismissal was effective immediately.

    ¡°Chengyue will talk to you about the specifics regarding the divorce,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined coldly. He then picked up the phone on his desk. ¡°Dongge, tell security to clear up the things in Jian Yi¡¯s office.¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s eyes were wide open. ¡°Divorce?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at him expressionlessly before narrowing his eyes and speaking in his cold voice. ¡°Did you think that you could keep hiding your affair with Guan Xiaolin from us? Chengyue and the Qi family will not ept you, you humiliating thing.¡±

    Jian Yi froze immediately, unable to say a single word as of that moment.

    ¡°Just to let you know, everything that you have now is given by Chengyue. But, since you¡¯ve already made preparations to be the Guan family¡¯s son-inw, you probably won¡¯t care much for a meager manager¡¯s position at Qilin.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone was devoid of emotion, but full of derision. He pointed at the door and ordered, ¡°Get out.¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s hand formed a tight fist. His dark eyes stared intently at Qi Chengzhi, and his voice became much graver. ¡°If I¡¯m fired and Qi Chengyue divorces me, there¡¯s nothing you can hold against me anymore. I¡¯ve nothing more to lose. I¡¯ll just tell Song Yu¡¯s parents that you¡¯re the one who caused their bankruptcy! If I can¡¯t have it good, I¡¯ll make sure you suffer, too!¡±

    He expected his words to provoke Qi Chengzhi and make thetter¡¯s expression crack, but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mien did not change at all. A calm statement came instead. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    Jian Yi waspletely stunned. He clenched his jaw so strongly that he nearly crushed his own teeth.

    A simple sentence was all it took for him to ascertain what Qi Chengzhi was hinting at. Nothing else needed to be said.

    Since Song Yu was pregnant, her parents would not let her divorce him in that condition, regardless of angry they might be. As parents, they had to take into ount their daughter¡¯s feelings, and for them, they would rather suffer the injustice rather than letting their daughter suffer the same.

    The one thing Jian Yi really wanted to do was to punch Qi Chengzhi directly in the face.

    In the end, though, he turned away in ire and stormed out of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office.

    He did not go back to his department, but rather, to the finance department.

    The secretary at the door stood up and greeted him, ¡°Jian...¡±

    ¡°Is Qi Chengyue in?¡± Jian Yi cut her off before he even stopped walking.

    ¡°Yes,¡± came the response, and Jian Yi barged into Qi Chengyue¡¯s office immediately. Qi Chengyue was just cing a man¡¯s handkerchief on the table. Jian Yi nced at it briefly before looking at Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°You¡¯re divorcing me?¡± Jian Yi asked mockingly.

    Qi Chengyue supported herself on the back of her chair and looked at him. The thought of him sleeping with Guan Xiaolin and fathering Guan Xiaolin¡¯s child brought about a feeling of disgust as well as disappointment. Her heart was in so much agony that it could stop at any time. Her abdomen was retracted as well.

    Her face was somewhat pale, but she took a deep breath and said, ¡°Find a time, get all the necessary documents, and we¡¯ll go to the Civil Administration Bureau.¡±

    ¡°If I don¡¯t agree?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s lips twitched vindictively and he smirked. ¡°If I keep dying you just like how you kept dying mest time? Do you remember what you told me then? If you can¡¯t give me happiness, then I won¡¯t give you happiness either. Since you insist on divorcing me to get your own happiness, I¡¯ll make sure not to let you have it.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll go to court.¡± Qi Chengyue gripped the back of the chair so forcefully that her fingers were looking pale. ¡°Since Guan Xiaolin¡¯s already pregnant, she wouldn¡¯t let you dy this too long.¡±

    A soft chuckle from Jian Yi. ¡°It¡¯s not that we can¡¯t go ahead with the divorce. I want half of the shares you own in Qilin. If you give that to me, I¡¯ll agree immediately. I¡¯ll even wait for you at the bureau tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Chengyue tightened her grip on the chair even more, to the point where her arm was trembling.

    Even until the very end, his conditions were all to do with money and more money!

    ¡°Jian Yi, all throughout our rtionship, you pursued me and you married me. All this time, was your love for me only the size of a pinhead?¡± Qi Chengyue released her grip from the chair and asked.

    Jian Yi snickered. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to give me what I want, I¡¯m happy to give you what you want. Even if it¡¯s all faked.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s pupils widened, and all of a sudden, she walked past her table and raised her hand to give him a tight p. Unfortunately, he grabbed her wrist just as she was about to hit him.

    He knew not how to cherish her or even acknowledge their rtionship as husband-and-wife. His grip on her was so hard that it hurt her.

    Qi Chengyue frowned but did not want to show any sign of weakness. Jian Yi then flung her hand away.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I won¡¯t agree to it! With this divorce, you¡¯ll leave the Qi family just as you came. Don¡¯t even think about getting a single cent from our family!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s disgust was unimaginable, and she looked at Jian Yi as if he was just some filthy little insect. ¡°You¡¯re way too shameless! These things originally belong to the Qi family, and yet you have the decency in wanting to take all that away.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t give it to me, then you¡¯d better not expect me to sign my name so happily. My request is simple, which is half of your shares. If you give them to me, I¡¯ll divorce you immediately. If not, then keep waiting! In truth, I¡¯m an easy problem to settle as long as you give me the money, so why don¡¯t you just do it?¡± Jian Yiughed derisively and did not seem to care that he was disying his greed so openly in front of her.

    ¡°I won¡¯t do it! Why must I give my family¡¯s things to a disgusting person like you! You want to skim whatever you can from me with this divorce, am I right? Keep on dreaming! I was stupid in the past to let you take advantage of me, but from now onward, don¡¯t even think about getting anything from me! My family has worried enough for me, and I won¡¯t ever let them give a single cent to people like you! If you can¡¯t even be a man and divorce me properly, then I¡¯ll see you in court!¡± Qi Chengyue looked directly into his eyes and eximed resentfully. There was an unwavering determination in her voice, and she gave him no leeway to twist her words.

    Jian Yi shot her a nce and mocked her, ¡°Let¡¯s wait and see, then.¡±

    Once he finished, he left without even looking at her.

    He mmed the door, with the resulting sound stopping Qi Chengyue¡¯s hearts in her tracks.

    She could never forget Jian Yi¡¯spletely emotionless eyes¡ªthey turned a murderous red just because he did not get what he wanted. He was no doubt a greedy animal!

    Qi Chengyue crouched down helplessly, with her back leaning against her work desk. Tears began flowing out without the slightest warning.

    How could she ever have been attracted to that man?

    The sobbing started, prompting her to lower her head and bury her face in her palms.

    ...

    ...

    No words could urately describe the ming inferno inside of Jian Yi¡¯s heart. He worked hard for everything, yet ended up with nothing.

    Dejected, he walked to the elevator and smashed the up button. The door opened and Cheng Dongge wasing out, but thetter stopped for a moment afterying eyes on Jian Yi. He nced momentarily at Jian Yi and retracted his gaze, then walked out of the elevator and past Jian Yi.

    Before entering the elevator, Jian Yi turned and looked briefly at the direction Cheng Dongge was heading.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue felt a hand touching the back of her hand. She kept her head buried in her hands and said, without looking up, ¡°Leave me alone.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng told me toe down and tell you that Jian Yi¡¯s been fired as of immediately. Security is clearing out his office.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice seemed very close to her.

    Qi Chengyue froze for a moment before wiping away her tears in haste. There seemed to be no use, however, as her face was still wet.

    ¡°Why must you always see me at my ugliest? Can¡¯t you just silently leave if you see me like this?¡± Qi Chengyue was peeved, for the man did not seem to know how toprehend a woman¡¯s state of mind.

    He gave her another handkerchief as she vented. It was the same brand as before, but differed in having a brown-and-white checkered pattern.

    His thumb wasying on top of the handkerchief, and even his thumb seemed much longer than the short and stout thumb of countless other people. His nails were neatly cut, and the base of his pinkish nails even had a white moon-like shape.

    Without a doubt, his hands were very beautiful.

    Qi Chengyue took the handkerchief and was somewhat annoyed that he did not go away when he saw her at her worst. Whatever that happened the day before was embarrassing, but he had seen her during times where she was much uglier than that.

    She used the handkerchief to wipe away all her tears, then ced it to her nose and blew her mucus into it. A loud sound was produced, making her feel disgusted at herself. She turned away from Cheng Dongge, but his expression was so vacuous that she wondered if he even felt disgusted by her.

    Qi Chengyue blew her nose a few times and cleared it thoroughly, but her voice still sounded a bit muffled. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock before you came in?¡±

    ¡°I did. You just didn¡¯t hear it,¡± Cheng Dongge cocked a brow and replied honestly.

    Qi Chengyue was silent.

    She stood up, looked at the sorry handkerchief, and remembered the one he gave her the day before. She already had it cleaned and was prepared to return to him. She grabbed it from her table and handed it to him, saying, ¡°Thank you for yesterday. And this one...¡±

    Qi Chengyue then raised the snot-filled handkerchief and remarked bashfully, ¡°I¡¯ll wash it for you.¡±

    Cheng Dongge took the clean one and nodded before leaving her be.

    ...

    ...

    Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday celebration was also the day that Qi Chengze¡¯s death was remembered. He was the most inferior amongst all the grandchildren, at leastpared to Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin. Qi Chengji was too young back then for a properparison to be made. There was nothing positive about Qi Chengze, other than his upholding of the Qi family name.

    Be that as it may, he was still a part of the Qi family¡ªtheir grandson, son, and sibling. He was already dead, and no one held any grudge against him for what he did during his lifetime. On the morning of his anniversary, the entire family went to visit his grave.

    Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday coincided with Qi Chengze¡¯s death anniversary, but because it was the birthday of the Wei family¡¯s patriarch and by virtue of both families¡¯ status as part of the Eight Great Families, it was impossible for the Wei family not to invite the Qi family over. In the same vein, the Qi family could not decline that invitation.

 Chapter 187 - I Really Wanted to Surprise You Here

    <h4>Chapter 187: I Really Wanted to Surprise You Here</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday coincided with Qi Chengze¡¯s death anniversary, but because it was the birthday of the Wei family¡¯s patriarch and by virtue of both families¡¯ status as part of the Eight Great Families, it was impossible for the Wei family not to invite the Qi family over. In the same vein, the Qi family could not decline that invitation.

    After visiting Qi Chengze¡¯s grave in the morning, the family went to Dynasty that night.

    Due to the pregnancy, Song Yu wore shoes with very short heels. Her sapphire-blue knee-length dress made her skin look much fairer.

    Her skin was very healthy, to begin with, so Song Yu skipped the makeup in light of the pregnancy. A bit of lipstick was all she put on. Nevertheless, she was in glowing spirits, with a pink blush radiating from her cheeks.

    The olddy walked into the hall, saw the other families¡¯ elderly matriarchs, then went to join them. Song Yu could clearly see that they were trying to avoid the olddy once they spotted her.

    Both the olddy and the old man went in search of their respective friends, while Qi Zhongliang and the others were socializing with their own peers.

    ¡°Can you, like, control your old woman?¡± A grumbling voice came reverberating out of the blue. Song Yu was frightened, but she soon realized that it was Han Zhuoli, who moved over to them rather stealthily.

    His face was gloomy and he did not look too happy. ¡°My grandmother has been showing me plenty of pictures these past few days. She wants to set up a blind date. Your grandmother is being a bit excessive, isn¡¯t she?¡±

    Han Zhuoli pointed toward a particr direction. Song Yu¡¯s gaze followed his finger, and she saw that the olddy was tugging at Grandmother Han¡¯s hand rather animatedly. It was almost certainly because she was unting off her granddaughter-inw.

    Song Yu knew full well that there was arge number of pictures. After she went home the other day, she did mention it to Qi Chengzhi as well.

    Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips. ¡°Well, it¡¯ll all be done if you just picked one.¡±

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°...¡±

    All of a sudden, the three of them heard an arrogantugh. They turned and saw Grandfather Qiughing like nobody¡¯s business. The old man then raised his voice, as if afraid that no one could hear him clearly. ¡°HAHAHAHA, my eldest grandson isn¡¯t special. He found a wife muchter than other people, but at least he¡¯s finally getting married!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re annoying us on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± Grandfather Yan was starting to get angry. His eyes scanned across the room in search of Yan Beicheng, whom the old man then proceeded to re at.

    ¡°Not at all, not at all. Ever since he got married, he insists on bringing his wife over to the home. You know that I like to y chess, but because they¡¯re alwaysing over, I can¡¯t y my chess in peace. If they have a child next time, I¡¯d have to take care of my great-grandchildren! I have enough of a headache taking care of my great-grandson. If they gave me another great-grandchild, I¡¯m going to be tired to death!¡± With that intonation of his, he was not so much speaking as he was shouting¡ªhe was so loud that the entire hall could hear him. His mouth may beining, but his face seemed to be quite excited, and his pride was far more infuriating than the olddy¡¯s.

    ¡°Agh, I¡¯m not talking to you again, you bloody old man! Who the bloody hell is going to believe you when you say you¡¯re not happy! You¡¯re just showing off with every sentence you say!¡± Grandfather Gui stared at him in anger.

    ¡°Exactly! Just look at how smug you are. Lao Wei already has two great-grandchildren, but you don¡¯t see him being as cocky as you!¡± Grandfather Yan eximed in irritation.

    Grandfather Wei smiled contentedly after his name was called out. He looked like he was just keeping a low profile.

    ...

    That night, Qi Chengyue arrived alongside Qi Chenglin. Ever since she told Jian Yi she wanted a divorce, Jian Yi would not cooperate, and that prompted the Qi family to contact Lawyer Song. Lawyer Song did not specialize in divorces, and so introduced Lawyer Ge¡ªan expert in that area.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge¡¯s here, too?¡± She was surprised to see Cheng Dongge¡¯s presence when she scanned the surroundings.

    ¡°Dad and Uncle are going to retire soon. Sooner orter, our big brother is going to return to Qilin Technology, and I¡¯ll be the one who takes up the director¡¯s position at Qilin Properties. The general manager¡¯s position will be empty then, and our big brother wants Cheng Dongge to fill the position. That¡¯s the reason he wanted Cheng Dongge to attend events like these, to expand his connections,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    ¡°I know that Big Brother wants him to be the general manager, but I didn¡¯t expect Big Brother to think so highly of him,¡± Qi Chengyue responded in awe.

    Qi Youxuan was holding her hand until that point in time, but he suddenly let go of her and ran off.

    Qi Chengyue was not worried that something might happen to Qi Youxuan, but she stared in shock as he just bolted away. Only then did she realize that Wei Ziqi¡¯s family had arrived. The chubby little Qi Youxuan was running directly toward Wei Muran.

    ¡°...¡± Speechless, she looked at her nephew dashing off with his wiggling butt. She had not forgotten what he told her earlier.

    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be by your side the whole night!¡± Back in the car, Qi Youxuan made that solemn vow while thumping his chest using his fist.

    They had arrived for barely a few minutes, but the boy had already forgotten his promisepletely.

    ¡°I think Qi Youxuan will grow up to be someone who will change his heart easily when he sees something new,¡± Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes and remarked.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips, and together with Qi Chengyue, they walked over to Wei Ziqi¡¯s family. Qi Chenglin wanted to get his son back.

    While they were talking with Wei Ran and Wei Ziqi, someone suddenly jumped on Wei Ran¡¯s back.

    ¡°Wei Ran!¡± A woman hugged Wei Ran¡¯s neck from behind. She then saw Wei Ziqi cocking his brow and looking at her in silence.

    Wei Ran need not turn around to know who it was. Controlling her desire to squeal excitedly, she eventually turned and hugged the other woman. ¡°Nanxi!¡±

    The two excited women continued hugging each other before finally letting go of one another. Wei Ran looked all around herself and asked, ¡°You didn¡¯t bring Niannian over?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re actually here on official business to solve a case, so we didn¡¯t bring the child with us. We took some time out today toe join in the celebrations,¡± Lu Nanxi exined.

    The man beside her dressed in a well-cut suit. His character was distinct, but his hair was so messy that no amount ofbing could seem to tame it. As a result, he looked like someone who was constantly feeling sleepy.

    Fang Boran greeted Wei Ziqi and handed over a gift. ¡°Wen Ren had an assignment and couldn¡¯te. He asked me to bring this for you.¡±

    ¡°Is Jiaran alright?¡± Wei Ran asked.

    ¡°She is. She¡¯s pregnant again, so she¡¯s now in confinement at Lanshan Courtyard. Wen Ren went away on assignment, so he didn¡¯t allow her toe here by herself.¡± Lu Nanxi smiled, then leaned over and whispered, ¡°Because of the pregnancy, Wen Ren wanted to prevent any prenatal influences, so he searched for all the porn films and Hentaiics that she hid. He took all of them away so she couldn¡¯t watch or read them. You know, when Wen Ren dispatched the undercover bodyguard to search the entire courtyard for all those things, he searched energetically for them and found all those materials in heaps. In the end, even the straight-faced bodyguard couldn¡¯t keep it together anymore.¡±

    Wei Ran could not help but smile when she thought of Fang Jiaran¡¯s rather unique hobby.

    ¡°Jiaran couldn¡¯t keep a straight face as well after the search. The entire Lanshan Courtyard knew of her little pastime, but just imagine how she felt when it wasid bare in front of everyone. She was so embarrassed that she refused toe out and meet anyone for a few days. Because of that, she got so mad at Wen Ren that she came running to our house just to sleep at our ce for a couple of days. Wen Ren had to keep begging her for her to return. Then he promised her that he¡¯ll bring her to Japan after the child is born. She¡¯ll have the freedom to choose all the films,ics, and anime that she wanted, and bring them all home.¡±

    Lu Nanxi was troubled because she spent the past few days dealing with a case, thereby robbing her of the time to speak with Wei Ran. The urge to gossip was just boiling inside of her, and when she finally got to see Wei Ran in person, she felt like she was transported to the past¡ªthat was when she spent most of her time gossiping to Wei Ran.

    Fang Boran stood on one side, massaging his temples. Lu Nanxi¡¯s busybody tendencies were all inherited from her mother, and as the years went by, her penchant for gossiping was getting more and more out of hand.

    The two women were enjoying themselves very much, and since Fang Boran did not want to bother them, he started a conversation with Wei Ziqi and Qi Chenglin.

    Capitalizing on the fact that Wei Ziqi¡¯s attention had been diverted to Lu Nanxi and Fang Boran, Qi Youxuan took out a ring-shaped candy from his pocket and said to Wei Muran, ¡°This is for you, Muran.¡±

    As he spoke, he ced the candy into Muran¡¯s ring finger.

    By the time Wei Ziqi saw it, little Muran had already raised her hand to eat the ring-shaped candy.

    Wei Ziqi finally had enough of Qi Youxuan¡¯s harassment. He kept his voice low and asked Qi Chenglin, ¡°Can you please control your son?¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at the two young ones and raised a brow, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll let him take the responsibility when he¡¯s older, but as for today, let¡¯s treat it as their engagement.¡±

    Wei Ziqi, ¡°...¡±

    The entire Qi family were a bunch of audacious people.

    No one expected Qi Youxuan to hear what his father said. He swayed his indistinct waist shyly, and while blushing, he said, ¡°Mm, I think that¡¯s quite okay y.¡±

    Wei Ziqi, ¡°...¡±

    Wei Ran, ¡°...¡¯

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Brother, I¡¯m going to the washroom for a bit,¡± Qi Chengyue told Qi Chenglin softly.

    She could not sustain a conversation with the three men, and because Wei Ran and Lu Nanxi were close friends since young, the two definitely had much to talk about after a long period of not meeting each other. It would be awkward for Qi Chengyue to butt in, as it would then cause the two of them to be unable to fully talk without restraint with each other. Moreover, she was not close to either of them, and she would only be speaking a few courteous words at most. It would be rather untoward of her to just enter into their conversation, and it probably would have spoiled the mood.

    Feeling out-of-ce, she took the opportunity to leave for a brief moment.

    Qi Chenglin nodded but still felt worried for her.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s divorcing of Jian Yi, after being married for barely a few months, was something that could not be kept hidden. The news had spread out.

    Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday celebration was a grand event, and members of the Eight Great Families were not the only invitees. Also invited were those with significant status from the upper-circle, so the attendees were more varied than usual. It was inevitable that they would gossip and badmouth her behind her back.

    ¡°Call me if you need anything,¡± Qi Chenglin told her.

    Qi Chengyue smiled and walked past the hall, looking left and right¡ªQi Chengzhi was talking with Yan Beicheng and the others. Qi Chengji met a fellowrade and congregated with his army buddies, who all came from various prestigious families. Song Yu was being dragged and unted around by the olddy.

    With nowhere for her to go to, she decided to head to the washroom.

    When she reached the washroom and opened the door slightly, she heard the voices of three women, all of which were tending to their makeup. One of them she could distinctly recognize¡ªit was the Gui family¡¯s Gui Rongxuan. Another, surprisingly, was Guan Xiaolin!

    The remaining voice belonged to Li Qianyi.

    The Guan family was not considered one of the higher-status families, but the Wei family invited them over as courtesy to Guan Liya.

    Even though she could not conceal the news of her divorce with Jian Yi, the man¡¯s affair with Guan Xiaolin was known only to the Qi family, no one else.

    ¡°Did you see how Qi Chengyue looked today? Herplexion is just terrible. She looks jaded even though she applied makeup,¡± Li Qianyi remarked as she looked at her reflection in the mirror.

    ¡°Could herplexion be any better? She¡¯s only been married for a few months but she¡¯s already asking for a divorce. From what I see, she isn¡¯t the type who can keep her man. What use is there to have the Qi family¡¯s prestige over her head?¡± Gui Rongxuan was not applying any makeup. She merely looked at the bright big mirror and stared narcissistically at her own face. Left and right she admired her cheeks from every possible angle.

    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t really believe it at first, but since she came here alone today, I think the two of them will divorce for sure!¡± Guan Xiaolin eximed smugly and pretended not to know the entire situation.

    Qi Chengyue saw that Guan Xiaolin wore ts and was holding tight on the door handle. Was Guan Xiaolin afraid that the others knew not of the pregnancy?

    ¡°Is continuing the marriage even an option? I was never optimistic for their marriage when I knew she¡¯s getting married to that Jian Yi.¡± Gui Rongxuan then continued to make cutting remarks. ¡°Qi Chengyue¡¯s a stubborn girl spoiled by her family. No man can be patient with a temper like hers. If her husband was on the same social status as her, he definitely wouldn¡¯t be able to stand her. Did she think that if she found someone ordinary like Jian Yi, she could just boss him around?¡±

    ¡°I say, since he¡¯s an ordinary person, then he probably viewed her only for her money and status. She still jumped into the marriage like an idiot though. Could it be that she wants to divorce because she finally realized the truth after getting married?¡± Li Qianyi put her powder puff away. Their subject of conversation did not actually concern her at all, but as if there was not enough havoc already, she said, ¡°That¡¯s why those who have high statuses like us must look for a partner on the same level. At least if we¡¯re taken advantage of, we can do the same to them. It won¡¯t be a one-sided situation where we¡¯repletely being taken advantage of.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s action of opening the tap came to a halt and all of a sudden, she held onto the spout with all her strength. It was but a brief moment, and she once again resumed her action of opening the tap to wash her hands.

    The other two did not notice that something was amiss, as Wei Rongxuan was busy looking at the mirror while Li Qianyi was still doing her own makeup.

    Guan Xiaolin then said, ¡°If something like this happens to me, I¡¯ll definitely be ashamed to show up at this kind of event. Everyone who¡¯s anyone will be here, and they¡¯ll beughing at me if I showed my face. Her mental strength is pretty impressive!¡±

    With much force, Qi Chengyue pushed the door open immediately. The result was a loud bang as the door mmed onto the wall, startling all three of them.

    ¡°One, I didn¡¯t have an affair. Two, I didn¡¯t steal someone else¡¯s husband. And three, I didn¡¯t spread lies behind other people¡¯s back. Why should I be ashamed?¡± Qi Chengyue stood at the door and asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s only my first divorce. I¡¯m still far behind you, Miss Gui,¡± Qi Chengyue said bluntly.

    All three had a sour expression, with Gui Rongxuan¡¯s face turning stiff. She divorced twice already and was currently in her third marriage. In her first marriage, both she and her husband cheated on each other and had their respective affairs. In the second, she slept with a married man and was discovered by the man¡¯s wife, who then exposed the affair to the world. The third and current marriage was with that same married man, who divorced the wife in order to be with her.

    Both she and the current husband were both yers, and after the initial feeling of love was gone, they got tired of each other. Nevertheless, they both endured the marriage because they had rather good financial backgrounds. Divorce was a subject that was never brought up, but both sought thepany of people outside of their marriage.

    Her husband was embroiled in scandals involving celebrities and young models, while she kept a young boy just for herself.

    In fact, the entire upper-ss circle was well aware of Gui Rongxuan¡¯s situation.

    Regarding Qi Chengyue¡¯s jibe of ¡®stealing someone else¡¯s husband¡¯, Guan Xiaolin knew that it was aimed at herself.

    ¡°Miss Guan, I heard you got pregnant. Who¡¯s the father? And when¡¯s the marriage? Oh, do tell!¡± Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes and stared goadingly onto Guan Xiaolin¡¯s tummy.

    Qi Chengyue was spot-on in deducing that Guan Xiaolin would keep her rtionship with Jian Yi under wraps. After all, it was not something particrly pleasing to talk about. Qi Chengyue¡¯s guess was that after the divorce, Guan Xiaolin would wait out for a bit before getting married to Jian Yi. Then, after a few months, she would reveal that she was pregnant. Once the child was born, people would sense that the timing did not add up, but everything would have been a foregone conclusion by then.

    If Guan Xiaolin were to say it all out now, it would add on to what was already a massive scandal.

    Sure enough, the other two turned immediately to look at Guan Xiaolin¡¯s stomach, right after Qi Chengyue finished speaking. Gui Rongxuan and Li Qianyi both had excessive attention to detail. Qi Chengyue¡¯s words led them to notice Guan Xiaolin¡¯s reaction, and they knew instantly that Guan Xiaolin had done something utterly shameful. It was unlikely that the child¡¯s birth would be a grand affair.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s expression turned stiff, and after looking stupefied for a moment, she pursed her lips and retorted sarcastically, ¡°I¡¯ll make the announcement myself after some time. ording to old customs, we can¡¯t simply tell anyone about the pregnancy during the first three months.¡±

    She walked over to Qi Chengyue, and said smugly when she was beside thetter, ¡°When the timees, I¡¯ll definitely give you a wedding invitation.¡±

    Gui Rongxuan and Li Qianyi felt awkward as well, and they left angrily.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s words offended both of them thoroughly.

    After they left, she leaned listlessly on the door frame. Breathing out a few deep breaths, she prepared to leave after some time had passed.

    She knew that gossip would be aplenty during that day, and therefore, she had been mentally prepared for that oue. The more they gossiped, the more she wanted to stand strong. After all, was it not just a few sentences from them?

    They could say whatever they wanted, for she knew she did nothing wrong. Those who should be feeling ashamed were Guan Xiaolin and Jian Yi, but surprisingly, Guan Xiaolin was still brave enough to show herself at such an event!

    Resilience began coursing through her body. She clenched her hands into fists and was adamant on not showing any weakness.

    She stood upright and was about to leave, but she spotted a figureing out from the men¡¯s washroom.

    Upon seeing who it was, she was left shocked.

    ¡®Why is it always Cheng Dongge?¡¯

    He was rubbing his nose. Earlier, he was about toe out of the bathroom, but suddenly heard the conversation between Qi Chengyue and the otherdies. The door to thedies¡¯ room was wide ajar, and knowing that he would have to pass there if he were to go out, the women would almost certainly find it awkward. All he could do was hide at the door and leave only after the women had left.

    He heard some footsteps, followed by the absence of any other sound. Thinking that they had all left, he stuck out his head cautiously.

    Seeing Qi Chengyue in front of thedies¡¯ room stunned him for a moment.

    ¡°Miss Qi,¡± Cheng Dongge greeted calmly, and his expression seemed oblivious to what happened.

    Qi Chengyue did not buy that look of his, and so narrowed her eyes. ¡°You didn¡¯t hear the conversation just now, did you?¡±

    Cheng Dongge, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you wait until I left beforeing out of the toilet? You¡¯re always seeing me at my most embarrassing moments!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s face was red-hot, and she felt extremely shy.

    ¡°...¡± A moment of silence was followed by Cheng Dongge pointing to the men¡¯s room behind him. ¡°Do you want me to go back in and wait for you to leave beforeing out again?¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...

    ¡°Do you really think deceiving yourself is going to fool anyone?¡± Qi Chengyue rolled her eyes, and seeing that happen on her baby-face elicited a smile from Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°Ah yes.¡± Qi Chengyue looked down and took out a white-and-brown checkered handkerchief, which she handed to Cheng Dongge. ¡°This is yours.¡±

    Cheng Dongge was curious. He did not take it yet, but asked her, ¡°You knew I wasing today?¡±

    Qi Chengyue began to blush. She did not know of course, but for some reason, she was always bringing it around with her since that day.

    She would not admit it though, so she waved her hand and said, ¡°Yes, I knew. My brother told me.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded and took the handkerchief back. His other hand, however, was lifted up, and his fingers touched her cheek.

    Qi Chengyue was startled. She could feel the warmth and slight roughness of his fingertips. They traced across her cheek, sending a snake-like electric current that trickled all over her face. It was numbing, causing a shiver toe over her immediately.

    A red blush appeared in the exact spot that he touched, and it soon began spreading through her entire face. Itplemented her baby-face as well as herrge, exotic-looking eyes, creating a look that could stir one¡¯s heart.

    The silky feeling of her skin was like the smoothest of fresh butter.

    Cheng Dongge gulped. He wanted to let his finger stay there without moving, but at the same time, he wanted to keep them going and feel even more of that silkiness.

    His movements came to a grinding halt and he retracted his hand immediately. He knew that his actions were a bit too brazen and could fuel a misunderstanding. Letting out a dry cough, he showed her the tip of his index finger. ¡°There was an eysh on your face.¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked down and saw that long and delicate eysh. She did, in fact, misunderstand a few moments ago, but after seeing that Cheng Dongge had no other intentions, she felt her face turned even redder.

    Even though Cheng Dongge also lowered his head, he could make out her reddening ears. Seeing them made his heart skip a beat.

    He retracted his hand and was about to flick the eysh away, but Qi Chengyue grabbed his wrist. Her palm was smooth and soft¡ªaplete contrast from his. Despite being held by the wrist, his heart was beginning to melt.

    ¡°Wait, don¡¯t get rid of it!¡± Qi Chengyue called out. She pulled his hand back again and carefully took the eysh from his finger.

    Cheng Dongge remained silent while his dark pupils observed Qi Chengyue¡¯s movements. His masculine fingers were the perfectplement to her feminine ones. The softness of her fingers could be perceived clearly when they brushed through his fingers with feather-like lightness.

    She picked up the eysh and ced it on her palm before wrapping her hands into a fist. She then lowered her head, nted her lips on her fingers, and closed her eyes. Her serene appearance was very beautiful¡ªall traces of her usual headstrongness waspletely gone.

    Momentster, she opened her eyes and spread out her fingers. She then blew on the eysh and said, ¡°They say doing this can make your wishese true. Apparently, it¡¯s very effective.¡±

    Qi Chengyue raised her gaze at him and noticed his eyshes. They were thick and long, but not as upcurved as hers.

    ¡°If you find an eysh on your face, you can try it too.¡± Qi Chengyue smiled. She no longer had the foul mood that she had when she bumped into Guan Xiaolin. Her two dimples even made an appearance on her face.

    Cheng Dongge was smiling too when Qi Chengyue ordered, ¡°Give me your arm.¡±

    He cocked a brow at her never-ending demands. In the past, he often despised her excessive and oftentimes inconsiderate requests.

    At that time though, he unwittingly stretched his hand to her before his brain could even process her request.

    She looked at his outstretched hand andughed. ¡°Pfft, not like that.¡±

    With both hands, she grabbed his forearm and bent it down. It was only aftering into contact with them that she noticed how robust and firm he was, possibly the result of regr training.

    She wrapped her arms around his and began dragging him along. ¡°You don¡¯t have a femalepanion, right? Well, apany me out. This way, I won¡¯t lose my ego.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was busy speaking to Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli when someone tugged on his arm. A waft of perfume permeated the air at the exact same time.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi!¡± A crisp, tender voice reverberated within the ears of all three men.

    The expressions of Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli perked up immediately. They looked at Qi Chengzhi with teasing eyes and waggled their brows. Half-smirking, they began sizing up the woman that had interrupted them so suddenly.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked unenthusiastically. He freed his arm from the woman¡¯s grasp, then grabbed a ss of champagne from the trays of one of the servers. He gave the drink to the woman, preventing her from having any idle hands which she could use to grab him with. His movements were so smooth that it did not give away his actual intention.

    ¡°I¡¯ve graduated, so I followed my brother back to the country.¡± Mu Sisi smiled and stared admiringly at Qi Chengzhi. She made no effort to try and conceal that admiration. ¡°Our family¡¯spany is cooperating with Wu Feng, so Wei Ziqi invited us over.¡±

    She lifted her hand to obscure her smile, and although her buoyant character was bizarre, she was nheless a beautiful woman who could attract the attention of most men.

    In the opinion of both Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli, Mu Sisi was more childish,cking the staid that Song Yu had. Standing beside him, she did not look like a good match for Qi Chengzhi, and overall, she seemed unable to sustain the aura Qi Chengzhi possessed.

    Song Yu seemed like a gentlewoman who led a simple life. Put her with Mu Sisi, and Song Yu¡¯s character might appear slightly dull¡ªpair her with Qi Chengzhi, and she became a silent maic force that absorbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s imposing aura, turning it into nothingness.

    As long as Song Yu was beside him, his formidable energy dwindled automatically, causing others to fear him much less.

    ¡°It¡¯s been a week since I came back, but I told my brother not to tell you. I knew you¡¯re going to join in the celebration too, and I really wanted to surprise you here.¡± Mu Sisi wanted to hug Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm again, but as she was just about to stretch her arms, she realized she was holding a champagne ss, and was left with no choice but to halt her movements.

    ¡°You¡¯re a meanie, Big Brother Chengzhi. You never reply to my WeChat messages or text messages,¡± Mu Sisi frowned and grumbled. Her tender, coquettish voice made her frown look particrly adorable.

    Be on WeChat or through text, Qi Chengzhi never replied because he cklisted her number long ago.

    Qi Chengzhi found it annoying that Mu Sisi always texted him. What if Song Yu saw those texts and misunderstood?

 Chapter 188 - My Big Brother Treats His WeChat Moments as A Place to Display His Affection

    <h4>Chapter 188: My Big Brother Treats His WeChat Moments as A ce to Disy His Affection</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi found it annoying that Mu Sisi always texted him. What if Song Yu saw those texts and misunderstood?

    ¡°Chengzhi.¡± At that point, a handsome man walked over, smiled, and fist-bumped Qi Chengzhi. ¡°You joker. You never came to see me even after I returned to the country.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi shed him a in smile. ¡°If you came back, does this mean that a decision has been made to expand within the country?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Mu Huaisheng nodded. ¡°My father has decided to expand all throughout Asia, and naturally, the first step is to go back home.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you.¡±

    When he was introducing both Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli to Mu Huaisheng, Mu Sisi handed her ss over to her brother. Empty-handed atst, she hugged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and looked flirtatiously at him. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯ve been staying in the US since I was in primary school, and this is the first time I came back after so many years. It¡¯s all very foreign to me here, so you have to bring me around and get me familiarized with this ce!¡±

    ¡°Sisi, Chengzhi¡¯s very busy with work and he has his own things to do, too. Don¡¯t bother him,¡± Mu Huaisheng voiced out his disapproval.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal, isn¡¯t it? Back in America, I always followed both of you out to have fun.¡± She scrunched her nose at her elder brother and turned to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, do you still ice-skate?¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu, meanwhile, was called over by the olddy to get acquainted with the matriarchs of a few other families.

    When the olddy brought Song Yu to visit Grandmother Han previously, Song Yu only got to meet her as well as Grandmother Gui and Grandmother Yan. Many others were still unacquainted, more so those of Xia Wenna¡¯s generation.

    Thus, the olddy tasked Xia Wenna with bringing Song Yu around. They went from family to family, and she was introduced to everyone older than her.

    Just as the olddy was reveling in her good mood, Grandmother Han¡¯s eyebrows twitched. She pointed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s direction and said, ¡°Oi, why is your grandson getting really close with that girl over there?¡±

    As soon as the sentence waspleted, the olddy turned swiftly. What she saw was a young woman hugging Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and clinging intimately to him.

    The olddy noticed that the young woman¡¯s attire was not too revealing¡ªat least her breasts were well-covered and not in full disy. Nevertheless, she was pressing them vehemently onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm.

    The olddy¡¯s gaze sharpened and her temper exploded, leading her to curse out, ¡°Youngsters nowadays are just too thick-skinned. Does she even have any her dignity when she¡¯s throwing herself all over a man!¡±

    In fact, the olddy originally wanted to say, ¡®Why not just prostitute yourself then if you¡¯re throwing yourself all over a man?¡¯

    Realizing that she was in a public ce with so many people, she modified her words and maintained herposure.

    After she was done being angry, she turned to look at Song Yu, fearing that thetter might misunderstand and get into an argument with Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°My dear Song Yu, let¡¯s go! Follow me to chase away that little minx. When we get home, I¡¯ll give that little brat a smack!¡± the olddy eximed undauntedly.

    Song Yu was speechless.

    ¡°Grandma, Chengzhi¡¯s not an idiot. He wouldn¡¯t do something that¡¯ll disappoint me, especially in a situation where I¡¯m here and the entire family is here, too. Maybe it¡¯s someone he¡¯s on good terms with. It wouldn¡¯t be good if he just went away,¡± assured Song Yu.

    His feelings toward her enabled her to trust him a hundred percent, but it still could not stop jealousy from bubbling inside her.

    She said all that just tofort the olddy and prevent someone old like her from fretting too much about her grandson.

    Despite that, there was still some anxiety deep down in Song Yu¡¯s heart.

    No woman would be happy to see her husband in such close proximity with another woman.

    Song Yu had justpleted her sentence when she saw Qi Chengzhi take a ss of champagne from the server, thereby breaking free of Mu Sisi.

    He held it in his hand without drinking it, and Mu Sisi was no longer able to bother him.

    Once he spotted Song Yu and the olddying over, the corner of his eye twitched. He shoved the ss to Yan Beicheng and stretched out his hand to Song Yu.

    Song Yu looked at his outstretched palm and smiled tenderly, but did not return his gesture. Ignoring it, she walked to the front of the crowd and stood beside him without touching him.

    Deep inside her heart, the olddy was already beginning to cry out disaster. Song Yu made light of things when she spoke, but she was clearly still a bit peeved at him.

    The elderlydy understood that even though the me was put wholly on that other woman, Song Yu¡¯s heart could still not be at ease. He was lucky Song Yu did not show her anger at him in public.

    Calm andposed, Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu by the waist and pulled her close to him. His warm palm had a tight grip on her, as if afraid that she might escape.

    Song Yu had no intention of getting into an argument with him. One look was all she needed to see that the woman in front of her lusted for Qi Chengzhi. If Song Yu kicked up a fuss in public, she would be revealing her weakness in front of that woman.

    She looked up at him in a half-smirk.

    It used to be Qi Chengzhi who gave her that look all the time. The role reversal prompted Qi Chengzhi to pinch her waist slightly.

    Ever since Song Yu¡¯s presence, his eyes never looked at anyone else. He lowered his head and asked, ¡°Are you tired from standing so long?¡±

    Although Song Yu did not want him to look bad, she was in no mood to entertain him.

    Luckily, the olddy opened her mouth in exasperation, ¡°Little brat. Your extremely old grandmother has been standing with your wife for the same amount of time. Why didn¡¯t you ask me whether I¡¯m tired?¡±

    Then, the olddy turned to Mu Sisi and said, ¡°My grandson spoils his wife too much, hehehe!¡±

    Song Yu knew that the olddy¡ªnow thoroughly irked¡ªwas trying to hint at Mu Sisi that Qi Chengzhi had a good rtionship with his wife.

    Song Yu could not help but smile and marvel at how adorable the olddy was. She felt that she never needed to worry about being bullied or wronged, as long as the olddy was there.

    On the other hand, Mu Sisi was shocked, with her expression turning sour in a sh.

    She subsequently straightened her back and put on a cute smile. ¡°You¡¯re Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯s grandmother, right? Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Mu Sisi and this is my brother, Mu Huaisheng.¡±

    The olddy smiled, albeit not genuinely, and said, ¡°Okay.¡± Mu Sisi then turned to Qi Chengzhi and asked, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, this is?¡±

    ¡°Let me introduce her.¡± Qi Chengzhi hugged Song Yu even tighter. ¡°This is my wife, Song Yu. We registered our marriage a few days ago. The wedding will be next month, and since both of you have returned to the country, do join.¡±

    Mu Sisi felt her blood drain out of her body. Her feet and legs ran cold. Without drawing too much attention to her actions, she held Mu Huaisheng¡¯s arm to prevent herself from copsing.

    ¡°Your wife?¡± Mu Sisi asked. Then, she remembered something. ¡°The other day you posted the picture of a marriage certificate on your WeChat Moments. That¡¯s yours?¡±

    She then continued, ¡°I thought that was your friend¡¯s.¡±

    She always thought he would not get married, because he treated everyone coldly during his university days in America. Campus girls were not the only ones that liked him. Others, whom he encountered in his daily life, also liked him.

    Those American-born women were usually much more open-minded, and they would confess their liking of him without the slightest hesitation. Regardless, Qi Chengzhi never even looked at them.

    Back then, Mu Sisi was the only odd girl out who could approach him.

    At that time though, she was still in junior high, and it was only because of Mu Huaisheng that she got to know Qi Chengzhi.

    For whatever reason, she was the only girl who could get close to Qi Chengzhi. Perhaps it was because she was the only one who had the opportunity to do so.

    It was not entirely urate to say that Qi Chengzhi was very close to her during that period. He always maintained an invisible distance, and no matter how she tried toe close to him, it seemed as though she could never get him. It was almost as if there was a red tape cordoning her off from reaching him.

    Nevertheless, she made use of her position as his friend¡¯s sister to get near him. She would use every given opportunity to engage in physical contact with him.

    She did, however, think about the possibility that he might meet other women while she still had to continue her studies.

    Mu Huaisheng kept in touch with Qi Chengzhi during that span of time, so Mu Sisi frequently asked her brother about Qi Chengzhi. She was constantly aware of the fact that Qi Chengzhi never had a girlfriend for all those years, not even a fun fling.

    She always regarded him as someone whose standards were so high that no woman could even enter into his thoughts.

    In that respect, she was rather self-confident. She was young and beautiful, while her father was the founder of a fashion brand that epassed everything from cosmetics to luxury goods. He may be Chinese, but he still seeded to get himself into America¡¯s upper-ss society. When Mu Sisi was neen, she even participated in New York¡¯s International Debutante Ball, treating it as hering-of-age ceremony. Amongst those debutantes who attended the ball at that time, she was the sole person with Chinese ethnicity.

    In terms of status and background, she would surely be a cut above everyone else present during the birthday celebration!

    Her family¡¯s decision to expand their products across Asia came at just the right time, and they were in the process of discussing cooperation with Wu Feng. Since Mu Sisi studied fashion design, she intended to work as a fashion designer for her family¡¯spany afterpleting her studies.

    With another month to go before she graduated, she immediately followed Mu Huaisheng home when she knew that he was going back to the country.

    For many years prior, Qi Chengzhi never used WeChat, but she used it frequently to chat with her primary schoolmates. Many of them added each other there. Suddenly, near the end ofst year, she noticed another person in her address book. It was Qi Chengzhi, and she added him immediately without any hesitation.

    She tried messaging him on WeChat but never received any reply. It was the same with her texts.

    That day, when she saw him post the marriage certificate on his Moments, she felt a sudden thump in her heart, which apparently stopped when sheid eyes on that photo.

    She did in fact wonder if Qi Chengzhi had gotten married after not seeing him for so many years.

    That was why she sent him a message to test the waters, asking if the certificate belonged to his friend.

    As expected though, he never replied.

    She then asked Mu Huaisheng if there was any news from Qi Chengzhi, because if Qi Chengzhi were to marry, he would surely tell Mu Huaisheng.

    The rtionship between the two men went back to when they were in university. They had a friendship so good that they were practically inseparable. If Qi Chengzhi really was getting married, Mu Huaisheng would definitely be in the know.

    Her doubts were thus cleared.

    Therefore, it came as a surprise to her when he personally proimed his marriage in such a public ce.

    ¡°Of course not. My Big Brother treats his WeChat Moments as a ce to disy his affection. He wouldn¡¯t care about whether his friends marry or not, since he can¡¯t even get enough of showing off all his own lovey-dovey antics there,¡± a woman¡¯s voice rang from the crowd.

    Mu Sisi never met that woman before, but she already disliked the woman after merely hearing the woman¡¯s tone of voice.

    Song Yu looked over and saw Qi Chengyue, who had her arm around Cheng Dongge and was walking over.

    The two of them had actually stood behind the group for quite some time, and they heard what Mu Sisi had said earlier.

    No one in the group noticed because their gazes were all fixed toward Song Yu and Mu Sisi. Everyone seemed curious to see what would happen next, so none of them noticed the presence of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge.

    For the olddy, her granddaughter¡¯s words were right on the dot. She nodded approvingly. ¡°Exactly, exactly!¡±

    Song Yu smiled then looked at Qi Chengzhi. Her monochrome eyes seemed to warn him, ¡®I¡¯ll settle this with you when we go home.¡¯ After that, she asked, ¡°And these two are...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her wryly, seemingly to punish her for giving him the look earlier. He grasped her waist even tighter and allowed her to lean herself on his body, whether intentionally or otherwise. He was worried that she stood too long and got tired.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng, my ssmate from university and a good friend. This is his sister, Mu Sisi,¡¯ Qi Chengzhi introduced them in a clear voice.

    ¡°Hehe, nice to meet you. When Big Brother Chengzhi was in university, I always followed him and my brother to have fun.¡± Mu Sisi grinned like a cat.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s negative impact on Song Yu made her dread hearing the words ¡®Big Brother Chengzhi¡¯. Such a term of endearment sent waves of unease throughout her body.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, do you still remember when I came to work at yourpany during the holidays? Everyone said that I didn¡¯t know anything and was making things worse, so all everyone let me do was photocopy papers and pick up phone calls.¡± Mu Sisi stuck out her tongue and continued flirtatiously, ¡°I¡¯m much better now, not like the little girl who knew nothingst time. Will yourpany ept me now that I¡¯ve changed for the better?¡±

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng told me that you¡¯re going to work as a designer in your family¡¯spany. I can¡¯t possibly be poaching talent. Also, there aren¡¯t any suitable jobs for you in ourpany,¡± Qi Chengzhi responded bluntly.

    ¡°If you hire me, then I can choose not to work at my family¡¯spany!¡± Mu Sisi then added, ¡°Designing is just a hobby for me. It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t do anything else. Oh yes, Big Brother Chengzhi, do you need a personal assistant?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept mum, but shot Cheng Dongge a nce.

    Cheng Dongge came to his senses immediately and stood straight, clearing his throat. ¡°Ahem, my apologies, Miss Mu. I¡¯m his assistant.¡±

    At one side, Mu Huaisheng was quietly observing the situation. He did not join the conversation as his attention was focused on Song Yu instead.

    He could not refrain himself from being shocked when he heard Song Yu¡¯s name.

    A connection was immediately made between Song Yu and thepany¡ªnamed ¡®Feather¡¯¡ªthat Qi Chengzhi once established.

    Mu Huaisheng was indeed a very smart person. If that were not the case, he would not have been able to befriend and keep pace with Qi Chengzhi

    Once he had that suspicion, he suddenly remembered the events that happened after Feather became a strong enoughpany. Qi Chengzhi spent six years dismantling anotherpany, whose owner, if Mu Huaisheng remembered correctly, was also surnamed Song.

    Mu Huaisheng recalled the multitude of women who made their affections to Qi Chengzhi known. Not a single one received another look from Qi Chengzhi. Even those who were bold enough to throw themselves all over him were rejected in the harshest of manners.

    He once asked Qi Chengzhi if¡ªhaving had countless admirers during the four years of university¡ªthere was ever a woman who managed to capture his heart.

    Mu Huaisheng remembered the clear yet sudden pause in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s movements. Thetter¡¯s long and fair fingers lowered the book he was holding. His bespectacled eyes looked out at the window. Warm sunny rays were illuminating his body, covering his face in a golden veil.

    Qi Chengzhi answered him inly. ¡°Someone¡¯s waiting for me back in the country.¡±

    ¡°Your girlfriend?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked a question that seemed normal in that circumstance.

    The reply came after a pause. ¡°She¡¯s the woman I want to marry in the future.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng looked at Song Yu and was doubly certain that she was the same woman Qi Chengzhi spoke of in the past.

    He stretched his hand toward Song Yu, saying, ¡°Just call me Huaisheng, like how Chengzhi calls me. He¡¯s older than me by two months, so I think it¡¯s proper that I call you sis-inw.¡±

    Song Yu looked at the smiling man in front of her and felt a distinct simrity with Qi Chengzhi.

    When Qi Chengzhi took off his sses, his gaze was frighteningly sharp, causing his entire aura to turn even more unweing.

    Mu Huaisheng was different in that he had schrly mannerisms. His gaze was tender and far from intimidating. Song Yu knew, however, that Mu Huaisheng was not as well-tempered as his looks suggested¡ªhe was definitely not someone that should be provoked.

    ¡°Chengzhi and I were university ssmates, and I was also his business partner.¡± Mu Huaisheng smiled.

    Song Yu knew what he was talking about, but she still turned to Qi Chengzhi and asked, ¡°Business partner?¡±

    ¡°Yes, didn¡¯t you know? When Big Brother Chengzhi was studying in America, he founded apany with my brother. It did pretty well and even made a small name for itself in the industry,¡± Mu Sisi exined. She was beaming because she felt like she knew much more about Qi Chengzhi than Song Yu.

    Mu Huaisheng smiled warmly and said, ¡°I was a partner-in-name only. In truth, I was only just helping out a bit. It was a concept Qi Chengzhi proposed. I had time on my hands. And because I look up to his abilities, I invested some money into it. It wasn¡¯t much, and strictly speaking, thepany belonged to Qi Chengzhi entirely. I just hitched on his sess. Now that I think about it, thepany¡¯s name was Feather, and isn¡¯t your Yu the character for feather?¡±

    Mu Sisi was shocked. She could not believe that Qi Chengzhi would set up apany just for Song Yu.

    During that period, Mu Sisi put in a lot of effort for Qi Chengzhi, hoping she could make him notice and pay attention to her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Song Yu nodded. She was rather surprised as well.

    Mu Huaisheng then turned to Qi Chengzhi, seemingly full of questions.

    Qi Chengzhi asked instead, ¡°Since your family¡¯spany will expand their range of products into the domestic market, you¡¯d surely need a ce to work, right? Have you identified a site, yet?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re still looking. Recently we¡¯ve been doing work from the hotel,¡± Mu Huaisheng said. He did not press on with his questions because Qi Chengzhi had changed the topic.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, we¡¯re staying right here at Dynasty. Don¡¯t forget toe look for us!¡± Mu Sisi eximed. She then reached for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and grabbed it right in front of everyone there, flinging it coquettishly.

    Qi Chengzhi pulled his hand back and retorted, ¡°If I have the time. We¡¯re preparing for the wedding, so it¡¯ll be a bit busier.¡±

    Mu Sisi looked at her own empty palm and bit her lip. Sunken though her expression was, she forced out a happy smile and said, ¡°I never thought that you¡¯d get married so early!¡±

    ¡°Not early enough I say. My grandson¡¯s already thirty-five. If this is early, then howte iste?¡± The olddy waved her hand and was itching to ask, ¡®Are you going to say that it¡¯s better if he got married to you?¡¯

    ¡°No, Grandma, I just thought... I just thought...¡± Mu Sisi looked askance at Yan Beicheng and the group, who was standing there to watch some drama instead of leaving. ¡°Back in America, no other girl except me could approach Big Brother Chengzhi. He never looked at any of those women, so I thought that Big Brother Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t get married so early.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you thought my big brother was going to wait for you?¡± Qi Chengyue had no reservations about being blunt. The olddy could not do the same as she had to maintain her prestige, and so was unable to make any sternments toward Mu Sisi.

    ¡°When my big brother was at university, you were nothing more than a kid, so of course my big brother wouldn¡¯t care if you followed him. If you¡¯re at your current age at that time, just try and see whether he¡¯d let you follow him,¡± Qi Chengyue jibed. ¡°Even if he did let you tag along, it¡¯s only because your elder brother is his friend.¡±

    Qi Chengyue then snickered. ¡°My big brother did, in fact, wait for one particr woman to grow up, and isn¡¯t he married to that woman now? That woman isn¡¯t you, sadly. But she¡¯s right in front of you.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was immediately ted! It was the first time she ever admired her granddaughter¡¯s cutting words.

    In the past, she often felt that Qi Chengyue¡¯s words were too nasty and unkind, but at that moment she was absolutely loving her granddaughter¡¯s scathing remarks!

    Keeping up appearances, however, the olddy pulled Qi Chengyue close, then said to Mu Sisi and Mu Huaisheng, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. My granddaughter is just too direct. She says what¡¯s on her mind and only speaks the truth. Her words can sometimes be unpleasant.¡±

    Everyone fell silent.

    Perhaps it was the olddy¡¯s words that were truly unpleasant.

    Finding it hard to control herself, Qi Chengyue nearly burst outughing. She immediately grabbed her grandmother¡¯s arm. ¡°Grandma, how could you say that about your own granddaughter!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you act all coy with me. If I don¡¯t tell you off, you¡¯ll say whatever you want without being aware of the time and ce. Huaisheng is your big brother¡¯s friend and you still have to respect him!¡± The olddy never even mentioned Mu Sisi throughout the conversation.

    Mu Huaisheng smiled and said, ¡°Grandma, my sister was in the wrong. She didn¡¯t think properly before speaking.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, little kids, no one will take what they say to heart.¡± The olddy waved her hand and looked at Mu Sisi as if thetter was an immature girl who did not understand anything.

    Mu Sisi was fuming, but she did not show it out in front of Qi Chengzhi. A doleful and repentant look was suddenly disyed on her face. She imitated Qi Chengyue and held the olddy¡¯s arm, swinging it while acting coyly, ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry. I wasn¡¯t trying to be mean. I just said what¡¯s on my mind, that¡¯s all. It¡¯s just facts and I didn¡¯t actually mean anything by my words, but others can easily misunderstand them too.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe.¡± The olddy chuckled. She then appeared to spot something, and so turned away and said, ¡°Oh dear, Lao Han¡¯s calling me. I¡¯ll be going now!¡±

    Having said that, she broke free of Mu Sisi¡¯s grip and hurried over to where Grandmother Han was.

    Song Yu gave Qi Chengyue an appreciative nce, for she did not expect Qi Chengyue toe to her aid so willingly.

 Chapter 189 - Heâ€™s Already Someone Elseâ€™s Husband Regardless of What You Think

    <h4>Chapter 189: He¡¯s Already Someone Else¡¯s Husband Regardless of What You Think</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu gave Qi Chengyue an appreciative nce, for she did not expect Qi Chengyue toe to her aid so willingly.

    Many things that were inappropriate for Song Yu to say had been said by Qi Chengyue, who said them without a care and was evidently trying to help her.

    Being on the receiving end of the nce, Qi Chengyue was embarrassed, too. She blushed, said nothing, then led Cheng Dongge away.

    Song Yu smiled, then whispered to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯lle with you.¡± Qi Chengzhi did not raise or lower his volume intentionally. It was an odd spectacle because he spoke in a deadpan manner despite having a maic voice.

    Song Yu knew that it would not end well if he tagged along, but then again, she did not want to leave him there to be bothered by Mu Sisi. She looked up and met the warm gaze emanating from his dark pupils. In a sh, her face began to heat up.

    She clearly wanted him to follow her although she was hesitant and shy. It made Qi Chengzhi want to hug her really badly.

    A blush took over her face, and she then nodded almost imperceptibly, uttering, ¡°Mm.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Unnerved by Song Yu¡¯s gaze, Qi Chengyue departed the scene in haste. She did not even notice that she was still holding on to Cheng Dongge.

    She came to the realization only after hearing some chattering.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she married? Why is she dragging along another man in public?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? They¡¯re getting a divorce!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Could this be the new toy? Was it because of this third party that they wanted to divorce?¡±

    ¡°He looks very much like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s special assistant. What¡¯s his name already? I can¡¯t recall it now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s using Qi Chengzhi to get a position?¡±

    ¡°I think it won¡¯t be easy for her to find a well-matched partner even if she divorces. Which one of these families do you think will even ept a divorcee? She has no choice but to look for all these underlings.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s not using this as an opportunity to get a position, is he?¡±

    Qi Chengyue let go of Cheng Dongge¡¯s hand abruptly. She turned toward the direction of the voices and saw a group of women. They were all huddled together and were of the erroneous belief that they were speaking in a low volume.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to put this burden on you,¡± Qi Chengyue remarked austerely. She seemed to be trying very hard to control herself from not barging over and giving those women a piece of her mind. ¡°Let¡¯s go our separate ways.¡±

    After finishing her words, she walked toward the group of women without waiting for Cheng Dongge to answer. Her attitude suggested that she was going to tell those women off.

    The group was still talking, but one of them finally realized that Qi Chengyue wasing to them. Their expressions turned stiff and their awkwardness made them flustered.

    Barely two steps had been taken by Qi Chengyue when a warm palm grasped her arm.

    She turned around to see Cheng Dongge, who said in a straight-face, ¡°It¡¯ll be some time before the banquet starts. Let¡¯s go get something sweet to eat.¡±

    Qi Chengyue pursed her lips stubbornly and told him, ¡°I¡¯m not hungry.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I don¡¯t mind everything. It¡¯s not like you can hold a conversation with them anyway. Gossiping is like a pastime to them. If you joined them, it¡¯ll only give me more things to gossip about. This is a perfect time for you to experience how it feels to keep a gigolo.¡± Cheng Dongge pulled her to the dessert section.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already kept a gigolo before,¡± Qi Chengyue said abruptly.

    Cheng Dongge was momentarily stunned, but he maintained his hand on her arm and continued dragging her away without saying anything more.

    She wished she could just bite off her own tongue for saying that, but she continued, ¡°What I meant was, don¡¯t lower yourself down to his standards, you¡¯re not...

    ¡°...like him.¡± She blushed.

    ¡°Hehe, I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± Cheng Dongge looked askance at her and remarked.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue felt like there was some kind of hidden meaning behind those words.

    ¡°Did you spend too much time with my big brother?¡± Qi Chengyue could not help but ask.

    ¡°Why do you say that?¡± Cheng Dongge took a bite out of a piece of cake.

    ¡°You¡¯re just like him, turning all mysterious so easily.¡±

    Cheng Dongge, ¡°...¡±

    He quietly ced a slice of cake onto Qi Chengyue¡¯s te. It was just the right size for her to eat it in a mouthful, but just as she put it into her mouth, she felt someone tugging on her dress. She looked at Cheng Dongge but saw him holding a te in one hand and a fork in the other, thoroughly enjoying his cake.

    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, curious.

    Qi Chengyue simply kept silent and turned around suspiciously, but she saw no one. A few subsequent tugs on her dress prompted her to look down, where she noticed Qi Youxuan gazing up at her while pulling her dress using his tubby hand.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Chengyue cocked a brow and asked indifferently. She was expressing her protest at how hepletely forgot about her once he saw Wei Muran.

    ¡°Auntie, I wanna pee,¡± the red-faced boy eximed.

    ¡°Go tell your dad,¡± Qi Chengyue scoffed. ¡°You didn¡¯t think about me when you saw Muran just now, right? You only thought about me when you wanna pee, is that it?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s talking with a bunch of uncles,¡± Qi Youxuan answered meekly. He would be made fun of if he were to approach the group of uncles and tell his father he wanted to pee. With his auntie, at least, there was only one other person in Cheng Dongge, so even if he were made fun of, it was only one person instead of a group.

    From her cocked brow, Qi Youxuan knew that Qi Chengyue was still bearing a grudge against him. He covered up his crotch area and said urgently, ¡°Auntie,e on, I¡¯m going to pee in my pants.¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Big Sis,¡± Guan Youbo came over and called out.

    ¡°Is something the matter?¡± Guan Liya said coldly.

    ¡°This...matter involving Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin, we only knew about it. Xiaolin¡¯s a kid who doesn¡¯t understand things. Please don¡¯t hold it against her,¡± Guan Youbo said softly.

    ¡°Do you think having an affair with a married man is something you can just brush off by saying she doesn¡¯t understand things?¡± Guan Xiaolin looked at the married couple in front of her and got even angrier. ¡°You¡¯re the ones who can¡¯t control your own child¡¯s inappropriate behavior, so what do you intend to achieve by looking for me?¡±

    ¡°Big Sis, how can you say that kind of thing? I know that you¡¯d be angry because of what Xiaolin did, but we want to make amends with you. Our familial ties aren¡¯t going to change because of this, right? What Xiaolin did was indeed wrong, but she...¡± Guan Youbo leaned closer and lowered his volume even more. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. I can¡¯t do anything about it, and I can¡¯t let her just abort the child.

    ¡°I know you¡¯re angry, and we¡¯re angry with her too,¡± Guan Youbo said.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s mother, Yao Huimin, interjected, ¡°That¡¯s right. When we knew, Youbo immediately pulled Xiaolin¡¯s hair and was about to hit her. If I didn¡¯t stop him, Xiaolin might need to be hospitalized.¡±

    ¡°Why did you stop him? She¡¯s always calling me ¡®Auntie¡¯, but who knew she went behind our backs and slept with my daughter¡¯s husband. Doesn¡¯t she have any sense of shame?¡± Guan Xiaolin lowered her voice as well, for she was also afraid that others might hear the conversation.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we know. We really did punish her,¡± Guan Youbo asserted. ¡°But with children, we can¡¯t really control much when they grow up. Big Sis, I¡¯m just hoping that this won¡¯t affect our rtionship as siblings.¡±

    ¡°About this, we haven¡¯t told Dad yet. He¡¯s still in the hospital, and if we told him, he might not be able to take it. If he knew, he won¡¯t be able to forgive Xiaolin too,¡± Yao Huimin added.

    ¡°Are you using Dad to threaten me?¡± Guan Xiaolin raised an eyebrow. ¡°I¡¯d like to see the extent of his forgiveness if he knew. Is this how you show sincerity in your apology?¡±

    ¡°Just like you said, Big Sis, I know that this made you angry and I understand that. I feel ashamed to even face you now,¡± Guan Youbomented. ¡°But everything has happened, and we can¡¯t change that. How about this, I¡¯ll definitely bring Xiaolin over to your home and let her kneel down to apologize to you, and to Chenyue!¡±

    ¡°And then we can all treat it as though nothing happened at all? So, all it takes is a few words for us to simply forget about all the hurt that Guan Xiaolin caused us?¡± Guan Liya snarked.

    ¡°Then what do you want us to do, Big Sis? Tell us, and we¡¯ll do our best to get it done,¡± Guan Youbo pleaded.

    ¡°That¡¯s easy. Just tell her to abort the baby, and even though Chengyue and Jian Yi divorced, Guan Xiaolin cannot get married to Jian Yi. If you can do this, then we can all treat it as though nothing happened,¡± Guan Liya replied coldly.

    ¡°This...¡± Guan Youbo¡¯s expression changed in an instant. ¡°Big Sis, it¡¯s a bit too forceful of you. This is the life of a child we¡¯re talking about. How can you just say that? No matter what, this thing between Jian Yi and Xiaolin has already escted. What¡¯s going to happen to our Xiaolin if they¡¯re not allowed to get married?¡±

    ¡°To tell you the truth, Big Sis, we don¡¯t support them being together at all. If we could stop it, we would¡¯ve done so already. My husband once grabbed a stick, wanting to hit Xiaolin. He told her that she couldn¡¯t be with Jian Yi. But we can¡¯t control her anymore now that she¡¯s done this kind of thing! She¡¯s already pregnant now, and if she doesn¡¯t get married, people will talk bad about her if word spreads out! Who¡¯s going to take her as their wife after that?! Elder Sister, please consider my feelings as a mother!¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you ever consider my feelings? Chengyue got married to Jian Yi, and within this circle, which family do you think will ever ept a divorcee like her?¡± Guan Liya gnashed her teeth and said.

    ¡°Elder Sister, you can¡¯t put it like that because Chengyue and Xiaolin are different,¡± Yao Huimin protested. ¡°Can youpare the Qi family with the Guan family? If it was Xiaolin, most families would not even look at her because there are plenty of other families on the same level as us. They might as well just look for another pure girl. Chengyue is different, she¡¯s the Qi family¡¯s princess and the sole granddaughter of the Qi family. Even if they really did mind that Chengyue married once before, they would still be able to ept her because she came from the Qi family.¡±

    ¡°Are you suggesting that Chengyue has nothing else to offer except for her family background? She¡¯s already suffered once because of her background. Do you really think that we¡¯d let her suffer again? To let another man see her just for her background, instead of truly loving her and treating her well?¡± Guan Liya narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw.

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that,¡± Yao Huimin corrected hastily. ¡°But... But at least in this aspect, more people will have sympathy for Chengyue as the victim. With Xiaolin and Jian Yi, if they know what happened and they found out that Xiaolin didn¡¯t get married to Jian Yi, no one else would want her anymore.

    ¡°Elder Sister, Xiaolin is your niece. Can¡¯t you forgive her just this once?¡± Yao Huimin implored.

    ¡°I can,¡± came Guan Xiaolin¡¯s reply.

    Yao Huimin was in disbelief that Guan Liya would actually agree to it, but soon after thetter continued, ¡°Like what I said earlier. Abort the child and don¡¯t get married to Jian Yi. Then I¡¯ll forgive her.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this... Isn¡¯t this justing back to square one?¡± Yao Huimin was getting so anxious that she was practically on the edge.

    ¡°You have a daughter, and so do I. You¡¯re not willing to see your daughter be treated badly, and I too, don¡¯t want to see my daughter getting bullied. If you can¡¯t do what I asked, then don¡¯t look for me anymore. As for the Qi family¡¯s ties with the Guan family, consider them severed in the future. Don¡¯te looking to us for help. I feel sick at heart, so I can¡¯t help you with anything.¡± Guan Xiaolin left as soon as shepleted her words, giving the couple no chance to try and reason with her again.

    ...

    ...

    At the other side of the room, Qi Chengzhi left with Song Yu to the restroom. Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli then spotted Chu Zhaoyang and Gui Zhiqian arriving. The duo then said their goodbyes to Mu Huaisheng and his sister before going over to Chu Zhaoyang and Gui Zhiqian.

    Leaving only Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi alone together, the elder brother sported a sullen look and chastised his younger sister, ¡°Can you be mindful of the situation? Qi Chengzhi¡¯s already married. Why the hell did you do all that in front of his wife and other people! No matter how much you like him, he¡¯s already married! What are you trying to achieve by throwing yourself over him in front of Song Yu? Do you even have any dignity! What impression will people have of you after you did all those things in public?¡±

    Mu Sisi clenched her hands into fists, then looked obstinately at her elder brother. ¡°What did I do? You¡¯re always keeping in touch with him. You couldn¡¯t possibly have no idea he¡¯s married! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s deliberately hiding it from me. Do you know how hurtful it is to only know about it today, when I finally see him?

    ¡°The only reason I was willing to continue studying and graduating in America was because you told me that Big Brother Chengzhi was always single and hasn¡¯t married yet. That¡¯s why I had peace of mind. He posted about his marriage certificate, but when I asked you if he¡¯s already married, you didn¡¯t confirm it because you wanted me to stay in America. Now that I¡¯m finally able toe back, I was really excited because I¡¯ll get to see Big Brother Chengzhi after so many years. I wanted to show him that I¡¯m all grown up, that I¡¯m a woman now instead of the little girlst time. I wanted to be his woman because he¡¯s never had one all these years.¡±

    ¡°Enough! Stop talking nonsense here. If you insist on doing so, you¡¯d better go back to your room! Don¡¯te out here and make a fool of yourself!¡± Mu Huaisheng interrupted brashly. His affectionate and handsome face turned much sterner, and his amicable gaze became as sharp as a knife. ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn what you thought before. Now that he¡¯s married, you¡¯d better stop thinking about it. He¡¯s already someone else¡¯s husband, regardless of what you think. Your concern will only make others regard you as someone with no sense of shame!¡±

    ¡°Brother, how can you say that about me when I¡¯m your little sister! Can¡¯t you try to understand me? I was so happy to see him, but in the end, I was told that he¡¯s married! What am I going to do now? I couldn¡¯t do anythingst time because I was still young, but I¡¯m grown up now. How else could another woman enter into empty life if not for all those years that I wasted? If none of you stopped me all those years, and if you allowed me toe back home, I could¡¯ve been beside him and showed him how good I am! If that happened, then I¡¯d be his wife now! That woman is nothing but a third party who took the opportunity to enter into his life when he¡¯s feeling empty! If she knows the meaning of shame, she should rightfully return Big Brother Chengzhi to me!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s hands were still in tight fists as she stretched out her neck and argued with her brother.

    Mu Huaisheng clenched his jaw and dragged Mu Sisi to a corner, saying, ¡°Qi Chengzhi was never yours to begin with. You mean to say that we¡¯ve wasted your time, am I right? You¡¯re implying that if you came back into the country earlier and was always beside him, you¡¯d now be his wife, yes?¡±

    Mu Sisi huffed angrily in silent admission.

    Mu Huaisheng sneered and let go of her wrist, exining, ¡°I never told you this, but back when we¡¯re still studying, many girls went after him. Once, I asked him if there was anyone that he ever fancied, even a little bit.¡±

    With eyes wide open, Mu Sisi never knew that Mu Huaisheng had asked that question before. She was curious about the answer even though Qi Chengzhi was already married.

    What she got was a taunting gaze from her brother, who exined, ¡°He said that someone was waiting for him back at home. I thought it¡¯s his girlfriend so I asked him if she was, but he answered me by saying that he¡¯s going to take her as his wife. That wasn¡¯t a direct answer to my question though. It was only until now that I realized Song Yu was the exact same girl that he spoke of long ago.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure?!¡± Mu Sisi was angry. A sudden thought then popped up in her mind, to which she asked, ¡°Are you basing that just on the fact that thepany name was Feather?¡±

    ¡°That, and also because her surname is Song. I didn¡¯t truly know that she existed, but at the same time, I sort of knew. You don¡¯t need to know about the details,¡± Mu Huaisheng said. Back when Qi Chengzhi began to slowly take over the Song family¡¯spany, he had done a background check on that family. The emphasis, however, was on Song Donglin, and as for Song Yu, all Mu Huaisheng knew was that Song Donglin had a daughter, whose name Mu Huaisheng did not pay attention to.

    He connected all the dots after meeting her.

    In essence, he kind of knew of Song Yu¡¯s existence, albeit not categorically.

    ¡°When I saw her today, I¡¯m very sure that she¡¯s who Qi Chengzhi spoke ofst time. She looks twenty-six this year, older than you by two years. At the time I asked Chengzhi, she¡¯s probably already in high school.¡± Mu Huaisheng stared solemnly at Mu Sisi. ¡°Which means that at the very least, he¡¯s waited for her since she was in high school. It¡¯s not that he never looked at any other woman¡ªit¡¯s just that he never looks at anyone other than Song Yu. You thought you coulde back earlier and stay by his side so he can look at you longer, but in fact, he wouldn¡¯t look at anyone else¡ªyou included¡ªbecause he already had Song Yu. If he had his heart set on her, he wouldn¡¯t waver at all, so the only possibility is that he was talking about Song Yu at the time.¡±

    ¡°Impossible... That¡¯s impossible!¡± Mu Sisi could not ept that reasoning at all. ¡°You¡¯re just guessing! This is all just spection! What you say isn¡¯t necessarily true.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s face remained impassive, and his steely expression made Mu Sisi grit her teeth in spite.

    ¡°I can tell you this. He¡¯s willing to do anything for Song Yu, even the most unspeakable of things. So, don¡¯t you be stubborn by trying to interfere with them,¡± Mu Huaisheng cautioned in a low voice.

    Mu Sisi felt aggrieved and her face turned red. ¡°Are you still my brother? Don¡¯t you want me to be happy? Why aren¡¯t you supporting your little sister?!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng narrowed his eyes and lowered his warm voice, making it appear much colder. ¡°I¡¯m only letting you see the truth. Don¡¯t do something that¡¯ll make others hate you, or else you might not even get the luxury of being friends with Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t embarrass you!¡± Mu Sisi then continued dejectedly, ¡°If the only way I can be beside him is to be his friend, then I¡¯ll do that. You don¡¯t need to repeat yourself!¡±

    Mu Sisi eximed and turned away, with her eyes already beginning to turn red. Mu Huaisheng however, frowned when he saw the direction at which she was heading to.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°You wanted to go to the restroom, didn¡¯t you?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked half-smilingly. He held Song Yu by the waist as they reached the restroom, but Song Yu did not go in.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu shot Qi Chengzhi an angry stare. He knew she had no intention to actually go into the bathroom in the first ce and simply wanted to avoid Mu Sisi, yet he still asked the question on purpose.

 Chapter 190 - Iâ€™m Just Kissing My Wife Here, Could Anyone Criticize Me for It?

    <h4>Chapter 190: I¡¯m Just Kissing My Wife Here, Could Anyone Criticize Me for It?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu gave him an annoyed look for asking that question. He knew she did not want to use the toilet at all, as she had only wanted to get rid of Mu Sisi.

    The corner of his lip nted slightly upward, giving him a cunning demeanor.

    Song Yu pulled his hand off her waist and said begrudgingly, ¡°You just wait here then!¡±

    She then attempted to walk into the cubicle. But as she took her first step, she was dragged back by Qi Chengzhi ¨C his long, powerful arm wrapped around her and pulled her into an embrace. His body pressed against hers pushed her against the wall, but his arm remained on her back shielding her from the cool wall.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, what are you doing!¡± demanded Song Yu, her voice was rough with embarrassment and annoyance. She tried to struggle but to no avail.

    ¡°You don¡¯t even want to use the toilet. So whye in?¡± His voice, low and guttural, brushed across her lips in a huff of warm air, as he lowered his head; his forehead touching hers.

    Her lips trembled as she whispered, ¡°You knew I didn¡¯t even want to go and yet you still asked that question. Wasn¡¯t that on purpose?¡±

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Qi Chengzhiughed. He looked at her delicate lips and kissed them.

    ¡°If I hear another ¡®Brother Chengzhi¡¯ I will vomit,¡± Song Yu growled.

    Her dark eyes shimmered with mischief, making her look more like a teenager as she rolled her eyes.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, so how many little sisters do you have?¡± she bared her throat as her voice rose into aical pitch. Despite the joking nature of the question, she had not managed to hide her jealousy.

    Qi Chengzhi watched her expression flit from annoyance to a tightly concealed hurt. A part of him flushed with guiltden happiness; his arms winding tighter around her waist. Warmth spread through him when she did not shrug out of his embrace.

    ¡°Stop it,¡± he said softly, as his lips brushed against hers. ¡°Mu Huaisheng is quite a good friend of mine. It¡¯s because of him I cannot be too rude to his sister. I¡¯ll talk to Mu Huaisheng about it and let him handle it. On my side, I¡¯ve already blocked her phone number, messages, and stuff.¡±

    Struggling in his embrace, she shot at him. ¡°You¡¯re married! How can you still flirt with those other girls! These things shouldn¡¯t still be happening.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi flexed his arm harder and gripped her tightly as he said, ¡°You thought you never made me worry? Jian Yi, Kai Meirui, name cards.¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    ¡°Alright, alright, stop being angry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said softly; his voice was a low rumble, barely audible. ¡°I¡¯ll love you right when we go back, just likest night.¡±

    He gripped her as he pressed his lips to hers, parting them as he delved deeper into her.

    She was lost in the taste of his champagne kisses and the scent of him. It would be a lie to say that she wasn¡¯t into it.

    Their tongues waged a battle, a dance of dominance. She burned as he sucked on her tongue.

    Hearing his words brought back a flood of memories: The feel of his tongue, wet against her heated skin; the hot searing shot of pleasure that followed each slow lick.

    Her breaths came in short sporadic gasps. Her thoughts jumbled. She thought she was going to pass out.

    Tiny scattered zephyrs brushed across his lips, tickling, when he finally broke away.

    ¡°Someone mighte,¡± Song Yu said between her gasps. She could barelyplete her sentence.

    ¡°I¡¯m just kissing my wife, how could anyone criticize me for it?¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled¨Chis raspy voice was more captivating than a cello. He peppered kisses along the length of her mouth, giving her dimples a small lick.

    When her feet gave way, Qi Chengzhi easily swept her up. A part of Song Yu warned her that he should not be taking such liberties with her, but she could not muster the strength to voice those objections.

    At the end of the walkway from the toilet to the event hall, Mu Sisi¡¯s soft fingertips gripped onto the wall ¨C the veins on the back of her hand popping out.

    To Qi Chengzhi, she was just the sister of a friend; nameless. He had always addressed her as Mu Huaisheng¡¯s sister, and never by her name.

    She knew he had not replied to a single one of her messages, not because of his schedule, nor was it due to his aloof disposition, it was simple as disinterest¨Che had never ever read any of her messages, he never even got them, he chose to block her.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s hand was shivering. Her shivers wracked her whole body.

    She clenched her teeth. It had not urred to her that he might not have been interested!

    She thought about the messages she sent him in the past: what she had done in school, how she had been jealous over him, had talked about who was pursuing her, who had kissed her, who had a crush on her. And he had not read a single one of them.

    Why had he spurned her love!

    How could he ignore her and have feelings for Song Yu?!

    Mu Sisi clenched her jaw and thought angrily, ¡®It is not fair, it really is not.¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to give up just like that! Qi Chengzhi, since I have feelings for you, you have to like me too!¡± she said softly, angrily.

    ¡°Walk faster, don¡¯t you really need to pee?¡± Qi Chengyue dragged a slow-walking Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s steps were really too small, and he walked way too slowly. For every step Qi Youxuan took, she had to stop for half a second ¨C her rhythm was constantly interrupted. It was tiring to walk with him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare walk any faster than this. I might not be able to hold it,¡± Qi Youxuan held onto his pants as he whispered.

    Qi Chengyue was speechless.

    Mu Sisi heard noises and turned around to see Qi Chengyue and Qi Youxuan walking towards her.

    Qi Chengyue was shocked to see the hate written all over Mu Sisi¡¯s face.

    ¡°What are you looking at!¡± hissed Mu Sisi, ring at the neers. Walking to Qi Chengyue, she punched her in the shoulder.

    In ordinary circumstances, Qi Chengyue would not have tolerated such an act, especially not from Mu Sisi, whom she despised with a passion. But Qi Youxuan needed to go to the washroom and, so, it would have to wait.

    Watching Mu Sisi slither away was not an easy feat for Qi Chengyue.

    As she angrily stared at Mu Sisi¡¯s back, her hand was squeezed by Qi Youxuan. Qi Chengyue looked down at him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get angry Aunty, there will be more chances for you to take revenge in the future. I am definitely on your side, let me finish peeing and I¡¯ll help you to take your revenge,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s round face seemed serious.

    Hearing her nephew¡¯s heartfelt deration, Qi Chengyue continued towards the washroom. ¡°Looks like I didn¡¯t waste my time in apanying you to the washroom.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was speechless.

    Upon entering the corridor, they spotted a couple embracing each other. Looking closer they identified the lovers as Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡®Only Qi Chengzhi would do such things,¡¯ thought Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Aiya!¡± gasped Qi Youxuan, snapping both the lovers and Qi Chengyue back to reality. It was then that Qi Chengyue realized that she should have been covering his eyes.

    ¡°Let me down,¡± gasped Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi slowly put her down, but his arms were still around her waist. He was not letting her run.

    ¡°Haha, what a coincidence,¡± Qi Chengyue said in embarrassment. She did not know what to say.

    Just as she finished her sentence, she felt a warm body burying itself into her abdomen. Looking down, she saw poor Qi Youxuan push himself into her. ¡°Uncle, Auntie, why are you doing this in public? I shouldn¡¯t be seeing this! Auntie, I think maybe you should spend less time with Uncle. He is teaching you too many bad things,¡± said Qi Youxuan into Qi Chengyue¡¯s dress.

    Qi Chengzhi was speechless. Song Yu blushed, thoroughly embarrassed by Qi Youxuan¡¯s deration.

    Qi Youxuan continued, ¡°Aiya, I can¡¯t look at you anymore!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu kept quiet.

    Qi Chengzhi kept a tight hold on Song Yu¡¯s waist and nced at Qi Youxuan as they walked past him. Qi Chengyue sensed that Qi Chengzhi might be nning on getting his revenge soon.

    After the couple left, Qi Chengyue flicked Qi Youxuan on his forehead and said, ¡°What are you pretending for? Usually, when you see kissing scenes on TV your eyes are wider than anyone else¡¯s, and you wouldn¡¯t even let Grandma cover your eyes!¡±

    Qi Youxuan wiggled out of Qi Chengyue¡¯s embrace, pursed his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s not every day I get to tease Uncle.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was speechless. ¡°Do you still want to use the washroom?!¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Youxuan continued to the toilet with Qi Chengyue.

    He entered into the washroom, and within a short span of time he exited; his pants unbuckled

    Qi Chengyue helped him with his pants before the made their way back to the hall. All the guests were seated, and, to her surprise, she found Cheng Dongge seated beside her.

    Another empty seat, clearly belonging to Qi Youxuan was open next to his.

    As he ate, Cheng Dongge realized there was a pair of eyes staring at him ¨C it was making him ufortable.

    He turned around to find Qi Youxuan staring at him.

    After getting caught, Qi Youxuan climbed down from his chair and walked over to Cheng Dongge. He held out his chubby finger and signaled Cheng Dongge to move closer, ¡°Uncle Cheng.¡±

    Cheng Dongge lowered his head and moved over in silence as he waited for Qi Youxuan¡¯s question.

    ¡°Uncle Cheng, what do you think about my aunt?¡± Qi Youxuan had been staring at Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge since the moment he had announced his need to go to the washroom.

    Cheng Dongge was speechless.

    ¡°Even though my aunt has a bad temper, but she is alright in other departments, but most importantly, she is pretty,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Cheng Dongge could not respond.

    Qi Youxuan stretched his neck to look at Qi Chengyue beyond Cheng Dongge. Seeing how she did not hear their whispers but seemed curious about their conversation, he said softly, ¡°I can ept you as my new uncle, but I want an Optimus Prime.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Qi Chengyue finally asked.

    Although Qi Youxuan was intelligent, he had not anticipated the suddenness of the question and therefore could note up with an immediate answer.

    ¡°Haha,¡± Cheng Donggeughed while ring at Qi Youxuan. ¡°He wanted me to help him get that huge piece of chicken leg.¡±

    Grandma, overhearing the conversation, said, ¡°Don¡¯t give it to him. Youxuan you need to eat more vegetables. Lose some weight.¡±

    Qi Youxuan had not expected Cheng Dongge to be that cunning. He whispered, ¡°Do you not want to be my uncle?¡±

    ¡°Be a good boy and I will invite you over for dinner,¡± Cheng Dongge said while ruffling Qi Youxuan¡¯s gelled, curly hair.

    Qi Youxuan realized it would not be easy to deal with Cheng Dongge.

    Whilst the exchange was taking ce, Qi Chengyue¡¯s phone rang.

    Picking it up, she saw Jian Yi¡¯s name on the caller ID; piercing nausea flooded her chest.

    She excused herself and walked out of the hall to take the call.

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Qi Chengyue said coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re still at Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday party right?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s voice came through the phone; his voice still as warm as when they had first met. She recalled how that voice had enchanted her. Its low dulcet tones were music to her ears.

    But she now knew them to be the illusions that they were.

    ¡°Is there any problem?¡± Qi Chengyue asked coldly.

    Jian Yi wore a calm but cold expression as he stared, from his window, at the magnificent sprawling city.

    If all had gone well he would have been attending the party alongside Qi Chengyue.

    Wei Minghao¡¯s party was one of those events which only the elite were privy to. As long as you were a member of the upper-ss you would receive an invitation. An invitation that even the most famous would not turn down unless they had absolutely no choice.

    Putting the others aside, the chance to meet the Wei family alone would have been an invaluable experience for him.

    Even being a former son-inw to the Qi family had not been enough to secure the right to a meeting with the Wei family.

    The fact that he was supposed to be conversing with the Wei family at this very moment incensed him.

    But after Guan Xiaolin had met with Qi Chengyue, he had lost the right to everything he had painstakingly worked so hard to achieve.

    He had not known that Guan Xiaolin was meeting with Qi Chengyue.

    He had not even known about Guan Xiaolin¡¯s pregnancy.

    He only found out about it when Qi Chengyue¡¯swyer got in contact with his.

    Truth be told, Jian Yi still did not know about Guan Xiaolin¡¯s attempt to impress Zhou Mingyan.

    He had never nned to give Guan Xiaolin anything. He had never nned to divorce Qi Chengyue in order to marry Guan Xiaolin. She had merely been a means to an end.

    He was not an imbecile. He was aware of the chasm between the power the Qi familymanded and the power held by the Guan family, but Qi Chengyue had refused to help him. And so he had to seek alternatives, but it was never his intention to divorce her, after all, she still had her uses.

    He could have maintained his marriage with Qi Chengyue whilst exploring other alternatives.

    The truth was he abhorred Guan Xiaolin, but he couldn¡¯t afford to anger the Guan family, especially since his fall from grace.

    If he could not retain his rtionship with the Guan family, he would be left with nothing.

    It was only because Qi Chengyue had filed for divorce did he ask for half the shares.

    ¡°Yourwyers have already shown me your so-called evidence,¡± Jian Yi watched the night sky. He felt delirious.

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Chengyue said and pursed her lips. ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, you should know that if this goes to court, I will definitely win the case. Yourwyer should have told you by now that regardless of my status, the judge will bepassionate towards me. There is solid evidence of you cheating. Even if you want to, you won¡¯t be able to deny it.¡±

    ¡°Ha,¡± Jian Yi smirked and said, ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one with evidence? Qi Chengyue, the things you have done are not that much better than what I did. You im that I cheated, but, to be honest, we¡¯re two peas in a pod.¡±

    ¡°What kind of crap are you talking about!¡± Qi Chengyue angrily asked. Her chest rose and fell in rapid session at Jian Yi¡¯s usation.

    Was he insinuating that she too had cheated on him during their marriage?

    Qi Chengyue was enraged by his usations.

    ¡°I¡¯m talking crap?¡± Jian Yiughed. ¡°You can¡¯t deny it. I have the evidence on my phone. Even if it goes to court you won¡¯t have that much leverage over me.¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, I¡¯m telling you, ever since we got married, I¡¯ve never done anything to betray you. There¡¯s no use of you using me!¡± spat Qi Chengyue. Her hands shivered, tightening the grip on her phone.

    How could she have been so blind? How could she have married a man who was so selfish and avaricious that he would use his own wife as a tool to achieve his goals? How could she have married a man so relentless that he did not even think about spitting such lies, clinging onto them till the very end?

    He was heartless!

    ¡°using you? If I had no evidence, then it would be an usation. I have evidence, therefore it bes the truth,¡± Jian Yi said coldly before adding, ¡°You say I cheated. I¡¯m fine with it. I have no status or background, so it would not heart me as much as it would drag your reputation down through the mud. I am a simple man who made a mistake that anyone would have made. But you¡¯re different. You¡¯re the daughter of the Qi family. Even if you don¡¯t care about your reputation the Qi family still has a name to uphold. So, when this blows up and the rumors start circting think of the Qi family and the damage that it would do to their name. Would you be the one to allow the ruin of their name? Not to mention, if you do no one in your circle would even want to marry you.

    ¡°I meant what I said. If you¡¯re willing to settle this amicably and give me half of your shares, I will sign those divorce papers in a heartbeat. You can even announce my infidelity and I won¡¯t lift a finger in retaliation. You and the Qi family will get to keep your reputation. Although, feel free to ruin your precious reputation.¡±

 Chapter 191 - Sorry, the CEO Is Not In, Our CEOâ€™s Wife Is Now the Commander-In-Chief

    <h4>Chapter 191: Sorry, the CEO Is Not In, Our CEO¡¯s Wife Is Now the Commander-In-Chief</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I mean what I said ¨C if you¡¯re willing to settle this amicably and give me half of your shares, I will definitely go ahead with the divorce in a heartbeat. If you want to ruin my image, suit yourself. You could even tell everyone about me cheating on you. Meanwhile, I will not publicize your doing, and both you and the Qi family get to keep your image and reputation,¡± Jian Yi said.

    ¡°At the end of the day, it is still about money. Jian Yi, in your eyes, isn¡¯t there anything more important than money? I¡¯m telling you I have never done anything to betray you ¨C since I haven¡¯t done anything wrong, I¡¯m not afraid of your threats. Use whatever evidence you have, but you will never get a single cent from the Qi family!¡± Qi Chengyue said angrily.

    ¡°These are your own words. Don¡¯t me me in the future,¡± Jian Yi said coldly.

    Qi Chengyue hung up without replying to him.

    She stood outside for a little while before she got herself together and walked back.

    Jian Yi gripped his phone tightly, and walked back to his hotel room with a dark expression.

    Once he walked in, a woman lifted the bedsheets and showed her naked body in its entirety.

    She kneeled on the bed and leaned towards Jian Yi as he walked over and said, ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    Her lips moved forward as she spoke.

    Jian Yi tilted his head, and her lips fell on his cheek instead.

    He pulled out a few red notes from his wallet and threw it at her without counting them, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to shower. When Ie out of the shower, I don¡¯t want to see you again.¡±

    The woman froze and seemed a little defeated. But after counting the cash, she went back to having a flirty smile on her face, waved the red noted in Jian Yi¡¯s direction, and said, ¡°Call me for any future opportunities, I have plenty of tricks up my sleeves!¡±

    Jian Yi gave her a cold stare, and turned around to walk into the shower.

    ...

    ...

    The party was over, and Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi came over to say their goodbyes before leaving the venue.

    Song Yu realized something was off with Mu Sisi¡¯s mood ¨C not only was she extremely friendly with Qi Chengzhi, she also seemed a little on the offense. There seemed to be a weird vibe surrounding Mu Sisi, and she could not point out what it was.

    After reaching home, Aunty Yong had already filled up the bathtub for her. Song Yu sat in the tub, leaned her head backward to rx ¨C and ¡°Kacha!¡±, there was a sudden noise from a door being opened.

    She opened her eyeszily and saw a fully-clothed Qi Chengzhi walking in. She did not think too much of it.

    But once he shut the door, he started stripping himself ¨C Song Yu asked in an alert tone, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°I want to use the bathtub as well,¡± Qi Chengzhi said calmly.

    ¡°There are tons of bathtubs in the house, if you wanted to use one you could just ask Aunty Yong to prepare one for you!¡± Song Yu gulped nervously.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that, isn¡¯t there a readied one right here?¡± Qi Chengzhi said as his long leg stepped into the tub.

    ¡°Don¡¯te in, aiya, look, the water is flowing out because of you.¡± The water started pouring out of the tub as Qi Chengzhi sat down.

    ¡°I just want toe in and help clean you up.¡± Qi Chengzhi remained serious.

    Song Yu did not buy that and tried to say no to him. But Qi Chengzhi had already put some body wash on his hand and started rubbing it on Song Yu; he was quick. Song Yu could not run away from it ¨C instead, it felt as if he had extra arms which were all over her at the same time. The more he rubbed the soap over her body, the weaker she was.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you¡¯re so annoying, I just want to take a bath and you had to ruin it!¡± Song Yu ran out of strength to push him away ¨C he was all over her soft body.

    His long legs were rested next to her arms, and his hands felt her all the way there, saying, ¡°Yes I¡¯m here to ruin it, but there¡¯s no chaos.¡±

    Song Yu struggled but her body was trapped by him. There was no point in fighting it ¨C she said annoyingly, ¡°You¡¯re always like this, and now you can¡¯t even go in ¨C it¡¯s not making me feel better either. You¡¯re so annoying!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi drained the tub and dried her with a towel while saying, ¡°So many women are into me but you¡¯re hereining about me.¡±

    Song Yu stopped moving and let him dry her. She did not argue either ¨C she just watched his handsome face. The more she watched, the faster her heart raced.

    His sharp features did not shield how handsome he was. Those features could really attract young girls to jump on him.

    Although he was already 35 years old, he could still attract girls in their 20s. Some of them were even younger than her by a few years ¨C she started feeling defeated as she was deep in her thoughts.

    Song Yu suddenly copsed into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s embrace, and her arms were around him. Her face was against his ripped yet smooth chest, as she sniffed his natural scent ¨C a scent that could not be overpowered by the body wash he used.

    ¡°I¡¯m only this confident because you only like me!¡± She said in a soft voice, ¡°A man this attractive to women only looks at me and likes me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at her quiet face and felt she had been getting pretty good at handling him. He started doubting if she was ying him.

    ¡°So do you still haveints about me?¡± He lowered his head and moved his lips near hers.

    As that handsome face came close, Song Yu could not help but blush even though she saw him day and night. Her heart raced and she said softly, ¡°No I¡¯m notining. I can¡¯t like you enough.¡±

    Tons of women liked him but could never get close. He ignored them and was loyal to her ¨C she felt proud.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes brightened and kissed her pink lips. He held her close and sucked on her lips greedily.

    He carried Song Yu out of the shower andid her on the bed. He traced his lips down her body and gripped on her lower abdomen all of a sudden.

    ¡°Chengzhi...¡± She clenched on his hair and tried to pull him back.

    ¡°Stop bothering, I¡¯m kissing my child,¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke against her privates.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    Qi Chengzhi continued attempting to reach his child by giving excuses such as wanting to talk to the baby and wanting to be connected to it. Song Yu was left flushed and speechless.

    He finally grabbed her hand to get himself off, and held her tight whileying on her body ¨C but he was cautious not to put pressure on her stomach. He pulled out the drawer of the dresser and grabbed a pen before circling today¡¯s date on the calendar left on top of the dresser.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Song Yu asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m counting down the days I can finally put it in,¡± he said, as his hand moved down her body and rested there.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was burning from what he said. She could see his sly face as she looked up.

    Although he did not smile at all, but he had that cunning look in his eyes ¨C she looked down and leaned into his arms silently. She was super blushed.

    Her shy look made Qi Chengzhiugh. He kissed her forehead, shut his eyes, and hugged her to sleep. To be able to hug her and have her be his wife was a blessing in itself.

    He could not fall asleep with the thoughts in his head. He kept looking down to kiss her and making her heart race ¨C she really wanted it, but she had to hold herself back.

    After some time, he put his warm palm on her stomach ¨C she heard him say in his smooth voice, ¡°Regardless of it being a boy or girl, it is torturing me.¡±

    She could feel that he wanted it too, and she knew it had been hard for him.

    ¡°My stomach will inte after three months, my body will look different by then. Would you still be this excited?¡± Song Yu sounded a little down.

    She was not sure if she had depression during her pregnancy ¨C as she imagined herself with a big belly, the thickening of her waist and arms, and her body looking out of shape as a group of young women continue to prey on her husband, she did not have a good feeling about it.

    ¡°No worries, I could just look at your face.¡± Qi Chengzhiughed as he kissed her cheeks.

    An annoyed Song Yu kicked him in his calf and said, ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡±

    ¡°If I told you I will always like you no matter how you look, will you believe me?¡± He lifted his eyebrows and joked.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not buy it.

    He hugged her tightly and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I like you no matter how you look, it¡¯s the truth. If you¡¯re still worried, I could get fat with you.¡±

    Song Yu could not hold back herughter imagining him being fat. ¡°Forget it, I still want an eye candy.¡±

    ¡°Even you judge a book by its cover.¡± Qi Chengzhi lifted his brows.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu came to the office and couldn¡¯t help but told Ruan Danchen about Mu Sisi.

    Ruan Danchen chewed on a long chewing gum, gave it a little tug and tore the gum while saying, ¡°Why are girls so open these days? There are so many men in the world and yet they have to hold onto Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°I think she¡¯s more troublesome than Yu Keyao.¡± Song Yu drank a gulp of water and continued, ¡°Chengzhi will not be wary of the Yu family, but Mu Sisi is his best friend¡¯s sister. He could not fight with his best friend over this, could he?¡±

    ¡°Then her brother should look after her!¡± Ruan Danchen chewed on the gum. ¡°His sister is destroying his best friend¡¯s family!¡±

    ¡°I think both of you should have the wedding as soon as possible ¨C at least it¡¯s an announcement to the whole world that he is a taken man. Let those girls be wary of that fact even if they are clingy, don¡¯t let them do whatever they want in public. You only have the marriage certificate now, not many people know you are already husband and wife,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s already scheduled for next month. I can¡¯t push it forward anymore, the invitations are almost ready to be sent out,¡± Song Yu said.

    ¡°Perfect, next month I will see how that girl looks like at the wedding,¡± Ruan Danchen shoved thest bit of gum into her mouth.

    At noon, Song Yu walked out of Cheng Shi and saw Chang Lai standing in front of the car. She walked over and asked, ¡°Is Chengzhi busy this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Master Cheng has been in meetings, and I don¡¯t know when it will end,¡± Chang Lai answered as he opened the car door for Song Yu.

    Song Yu did not expect to be dropped at Wang Chao instead of Qi Lin.

    ¡°Master Cheng wanted you to eat here,¡± Chang Lai exined.

    Song Yu looked at him suspiciously, ordered some dishes, but told the waiter, ¡°All of these are to be taken away.¡±

    ¡°Madam?¡± Chang Lai eximed.

    ¡°He¡¯s still having meetings in the office, who knows if he will eat properly. He could just eat some snacks and continue working after his meetings. I¡¯ll bring these and wait for him at the office,¡± Song Yu said as she whipped out her phone. She wanted to send him a text, but stopped herself after thinking about how busy he is.

    ¡°Master Cheng does not want you to starve,¡± Chang Lai said quickly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I¡¯ll be starving myself while waiting for him. I¡¯ll eat at the office while waiting for him ¨C I¡¯m just leaving some leftovers for him.¡± Song Yu turned around and looked at Chang Lai suspiciously. ¡°Are you hiding something from me? Is Qi Chengzhi doing something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, Master Cheng is really having meetings,¡± Chang Lai shook his head quickly. He felt like the longer Song Yu was with Qi Chengzhi, the harder it was to handle her.

    Song Yu looked at him in silence. After the waiter finished packing the dishes in exquisite takeaway boxes and put them into a bag with Wang Chao¡¯s logo, Chang Lai grabbed it and followed Song Yu into the car. He tried his best to find a chance to call Qi Chengzhi but to no avail.

    Chang Lai parked the car in front of Qi Lin¡¯s entrance and got out to follow Song Yu with her takeaway dishes. Song Yu asked, ¡°Are you following me inside? You never followed me in.¡±

    ¡°Haha, I¡¯m just holding the takeaways for you,¡± Chang Lai forcefullyughed.

    Mu Sisi wanted to have lunch with Qi Chengzhi but was stopped at the reception. She was told Qi Chengzhi was having meetings and no one knew when they will end. Moreover, she did not have an appointment ¨C she could not go up directly.

    Regardless of it being Qi Chengzhi¡¯s excuse or not, she was not dumb enough to go up herself. If she called Qi Chengzhi and the answer was the same, then she would be the one embarrassed.

    As she was deciding between waiting or leaving, she saw Song Yu walking in ¨C and there was a man behind her carrying takeaway from Wang Chao.

    Song Yu walked ahead and no one attempted to stop her. Qi Lin employees saw her and greeted, ¡°Madam.¡±

    Mu Sisi was raging with jealousy.

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± Song Yu heard someone calling her, and Qi Lin employees looked in the direction of the voice.

    Song Yu stopped and turned around to find a woman walking towards her. It was Mu Sisi ¨C Song Yu had a headache all of a sudden.

    ¡°Miss Mu.¡± Song Yu briefly greeted as Mu Sisi approached her.

    ¡°Are you here for Brother Chengzhi?¡± Mu Sisi asked as she nced over at the bag in Chang Lai¡¯s hand. ¡°Here for lunch with him?¡±

    Song Yu understood why Chang Lai had been acting abnormally on the way here.

    Chang Lai probably saw Mu Sisi before he even left Qi Lin ¨C Qi Chengzhi probably knew it too. That was why they did not want her toe to the office and bump into Mu Sisi.

    Song Yu nodded in silence.

    ¡°I came to have lunch with Brother Chengzhi too, but I heard he¡¯s in a meeting,¡± Mu Sisi said.

    Song Yu nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, how about Miss Mue again on another day ¨C or book an appointment ahead of time. See you again.¡±

    Song Yu was about to turn around and walk away when Mu Sisi called, ¡°Since you¡¯re here to eat with Brother Chengzhi, you don¡¯t mind if I join, do you? Bring me along, I¡¯m already here anyway.¡±

    Song Yu looked at Mu Sisi in silence, and Mu Sisi got a little impatient and frowned. Song Yu then said, ¡°Miss Mu, you like Chengzhi, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Mu Sisi seemed a little taken aback, but decided not to show weakness in front of Song Yu.

    She nodded generously and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, I do like him, and I have had feelings for him since the first time I saw him ¨C it has been 10 years.¡±

    She proudly lifted her chin and did not feel sorry for saying what she said to Song Yu, who was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife.

    Song Yu did not seem angry, and her face remained calm. ¡°So you know he is already married to me.¡±

    ¡°Of course I do. But even if he¡¯s married, he can¡¯t stop me from having feelings for him! Even you can¡¯t do that. You can marry him, but you have no control over my heart,¡± Mu Sisi said without shame.

    Her voice was not considered loud, but she did not try to lower it either. Her voice rang around Qi Lin¡¯s hall loud and clear.

    At this moment, Qi Lin¡¯s employees who were in the hall were shocked at Mu Sisi¡¯s speech. It was extremely unusual for a woman like this to wage war on the significant other of a man.

    Although they were not part of the conversation, they were angry on the sidelines ¨C they really wanted to chase Mu Sisi out.

    What a shameless person!

    Especially the female employees ¨C they could rte to the situation. They felt Mu Sisi was despicable!

    Forcing yourself into someone else¡¯s rtionship would lead to karma!

    Everyone was waiting for Song Yu¡¯s answer. Song Yu pursed her lips and said, ¡°Since you already admitted it, as his wife, we are now rivals. Why would I let a rival like you to follow me upstairs and seduce my husband in front of me ¨C on top of buying lunch for you? I¡¯m not retarded or looking for trouble myself.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s speech silenced Mu Sisi. She was shocked ¨C she did not expect Song Yu to have such a reaction.

    If it was someone else, there would not be such a calm response!

    Song Yu turned around and grabbed the takeaway bag from a shocked Chang Lai and told him, ¡°Chang Lai, call the security and get Miss Mu out of here. I¡¯m going upstairs.¡±

    Song Yu held the takeaway and turned around in a cool manner to walk to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s private lift.

    Mu Sisi did not expect Song Yu to act so rudely and say all of those things in front of her.

    Other employees watched on and wanted to apud. There were already people giving Song Yu thumbs up and said, ¡°Well done!¡±

    ¡°What a dominant!¡±

    ¡°A CEO¡¯s wife indeed!¡±

    Mu Sisi was going to explode while listening to those voices. Chang Lai shouted at the security, ¡°Little Zhang, Little Liang,e quickly, the CEO¡¯s wife wants you all to escort thisdy out!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes widened while looking at Chang Lai.

    Chang Laiughed and said, ¡°Miss Mu, sorry, the CEO¡¯s not in, our CEO¡¯s wife is now themander-in-chief. We are only following orders.¡±

    Mu Sisi scoffed with a twisted expression. Of course, she could not wait for the guards to chase her away. She turned around and stomped out.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu took the lift to the top floor and realized Cheng Dongge was not in his seat either. Someone in the secretary¡¯s room saw Song Yu and came out to greet her, ¡°Madam.¡±

 Chapter 192 - You Donâ€™t Have to Grab Onto Me Like That. Iâ€™ll Fetch You.

    <h4>Chapter 192: You Don¡¯t Have to Grab Onto Me Like That. I¡¯ll Fetch You.</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu took the elevator to the top floor. She saw that Cheng Dongge was also not in his seat. Someone in the secretary¡¯s office saw Song Yu and immediately approached her, calling out, ¡°Mrs. Qi.

    ¡°The president is in a meeting. Why don¡¯t you wait for him in the office?¡±

    Song Yu did as rmended,ying out the takeout on the polished table. After a handful of seconds, Chang Lai entered.

    ¡°Is he really in a meeting?¡± asked Song Yu.

    ¡°The president is, indeed in a meeting. However, he has heard that Miss Mu is waiting for him downstairs. He is worried that you¡¯ll be disturbed by Miss Mu during your visit,¡± exined Chang Lai while removing the takeout from Dynasty from their bag. ¡°I don¡¯t know when the president¡¯s meeting ends, so, I¡¯d rmend you eating now. The president will be upset to learn you have waited for him in hunger.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and obliged, beginning with a packet of rice. Once she had eaten half of the portion, she closed the box, leaving the rest for Qi Chengzhi. Suddenly tired, shey across the sofa and promptly dozed off.

    Seeing this unfold, Chang Lai immediately sent for a nket to be draped over Song Yu. If Qi Chengzhi saw that Song Yu was sleeping in the cold, he would definitely be angered.

    The clock was nearing one-thirty when Qi Chengzhi¡¯s meeting finally came to a close. Chang Lai was waiting for him at the door. He reported the afternoon¡¯s events to him without prompting.

    ¡°Now, Mrs. Qi is sleeping on the sofa. She has left some rice for you,¡± Chang Lai murmured.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded, his expression softening.

    Gently, he opened the office door, then, after ascertaining that Song Yu was still sound asleep, quietly shut it again. He turned to wave at Cheng Dongge, who was walking out of the meeting room with aputer.

    Cheng Dongge went to him. ¡°Young Master Cheng?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, in a hushed voice,manded, ¡°Rece the sofa in my office with a new one. I need it to be more spacious. It should befortable enough to sleep on.¡±

    Finished, he slid the door open and walked in, giving Cheng Dongge the opportunity to peek inside. Understanding dawning, he scurried to fulfill his duty.

    Qi Chengzhi did not wake Song Yu. He moved silently, taking the takeout and leaving. Going to the pantry, he reheated the food.

    The delicious aroma that wafted from the warm food would have surely woken Song Yu had he stayed.

    Two female employees entered the pantry, chatting amicably among themselves. The moment they say Qi Chengzhi, their conversation died away.

    He was sitting in a simple chair, which was too small to carry his weight. Its legs were bending precariously beneath him, and his imposing frame made even the small round table he was eating at seem tiny.

    ¡°President!¡± shouted one of them with wide eyes. The sight of Qi Chengzhi eating in this in and paltry pantry was absurd.

    He made it seem ufortably cramped and ustrophobic, even though he was at a lower height than them sitting down. His very presence filled them with great unease.

    Even as he ate, his face remained serious and stoic. It was scary.

    How could the president¡¯s wife not fear him at all?

    Qi Chengzhi nced at the coffee cups in their hands before continuing to eat his rice elegantly. ¡°Help yourself.¡±

    The two girls exchanged looks.

    How could they be at ease when he was here?

    Did he not know that they were under a great deal of pressure because he was here?

    ¡°Oh! I suddenly need to use the washroom,¡± dered one of them suddenly, as she shoved her cup into her friend¡¯s hands and made her hasty getaway.

    Silently cursing her friend for her fair weathered nature, the otherdy ced both cups on the countertop and said, ¡°President, please enjoy your food. I¡¯lle backter!¡±

    In the blink of an eye, she, too, had vanished.

    Qi Chengzhi nced after them indifferently. Finishing hisst few mouthfuls, he tossed the empty takeout box into the bin.

    Then, he left the pantry. Before going into his office, he told Cheng Dongge, ¡°Don¡¯t transfer in any calls this afternoon. Cancel my afternoon meetings, including the ones with the departmental managers.¡±

    ¡°Yes, President.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi went back to Dynasty in a fit of anger. When she entered the room, she saw Mu Huaisheng sitting in the living room, aptop in hisp. Plonking herself opposite him, she ryed to Mu Huaisheng the bad attitude of Song Yu that afternoon.

    ¡°Brother, what kind of bad attitude does the woman that married Big Brother Chengzhi have? How could she talk to me like that while pretending to be someone nice in front of Qi Chengzhi? Acting one way in front of him, but contrary behind him.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng lifted his eyes from theptop, looking at her coldly. ¡°Who is the one who has got no manners? Who is the one who actually acted one way in front of him, but in a contrary manner behind him? Did you have the guts to repeat what you said to Song Yu to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face? Did you dare to do that? You act lovely in front of Qi Chengzhi, but, deep down, you know what kind of person you are! You told the wife of another person you liked her husband. Did you really think she¡¯d greet you warmly?

    ¡°What did Song Yu say wrongly? You told her inly that you wanted to steal her husband away. You said it to her face that you liked her husband, and even tried to coerce her into inviting you over for a meal. So you could seduce Qi Chengzhi in front of her! Only those as messed up as you are can stand you! It is a miracle she hasn¡¯t pped you!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng set hisptop aside roughly. ¡°Mu Sisi, I¡¯m warning you. Don¡¯t do anything disgraceful! I¡¯d already told you this clearlyst night, but you still went to harass them. From your point of view, is it an honour to be someone¡¯s mistress? Have you ever considered other people¡¯s feelings? Qi Chengzhi doesn¡¯t have to like you just because you like him. Even if Song Yu wasn¡¯t in the picture, do you think he¡¯d grow to like you instead? Not everything in the world revolves around you! You can¡¯t get everything you want! As your brother, I feel disgusted by your actions, too! How can you expect Qi Chengzhi to like you?¡±

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng! How dare you?! I¡¯m your younger sister¨C why don¡¯t you support me?!¡± Mu Sisi stood up, bellowing, ¡°How can you think me such an awful person?!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s you who have done awful things. How can you stop me from speaking the truth? Even though you are my younger sister, I refuse to allow you to be a homewrecker disturbing other people! How can you not have any realization? Don¡¯t you think that the things that you have done are very annoying? I don¡¯t know what kind of ethics you have, but even a normal person would know that your attitude is shameful!¡± Mu Huaisheng stood up too, and pointed at her and said, ¡°if you continue to act improperly, I¡¯ll make a call back home. I¡¯ll send you back to the United States! Don¡¯t you ever disgrace yourself and our family again!¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t go back! Don¡¯t you dare! Mu Huaisheng, I¡¯m your younger sister. It¡¯s alright that you are not on my side supporting me, but how can you make suchments? It¡¯s true that I like Qi Chengzhi. Why can¡¯t I say it out loud? Who says that I can¡¯t like him anymore just because he¡¯s married? In fact, it¡¯d be deceitful to not say it when I like him. I¡¯m not willing to pretend. The thing about me liking him is not shameful at all. To be honest, since I¡¯vee, I don¡¯t intend to go back. I want to be by the side of Qi Chengzhi. I won¡¯t leave him for the rest of my life!¡± Mu Sisi screamed. Her eyes were red, tears forming in them.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng, I¡¯m your younger sister. You talk as if I¡¯m an awful person. Even if you don¡¯t support me, you shouldn¡¯t be helping outsiders criticize me! I haven¡¯t done anything wrong. I shouldn¡¯t be suffering such humiliation!¡± She stormed out of the room, mming the door behind her with a bang.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu woke up, she felt extremelyfortable. Her entire body had benefited from her nap, entirely rxed.

    She slowly opened her eyes and saw that all the blinds of floor-to-ceiling windows had been drawn, dimming the room.

    Then, she saw Qi Chengzhi seated at the office table. He was reading a document, while asionally turning his gaze to theputer screen. Simultaneously, he was drawing something on the document with a pen. Song Yu did not know what he was analyzing.

    Only the light from the screen lit his features, making them seem more pronounced than usual.

    The sight of him working silently reminded her of his photo in a magazine, quiet and reserved.

    Even though she had fallen asleep, Qi Chengzhi still took a few nces at her every now and then. He felt soothed by her presence, even if she was asleep.

    This time, when his gaze left theputer, he did not look at the file in his hands. He looked straight at her and realized that she had woken up. He smiled. ¡°Up already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Song Yu lifted the thin nket and sat up. She had been sleeping for too long, so her head felt weighted.

    He put down the file in his hand and walked to her. Slim streams of sunlight spilled through the gaps between the blinds and illuminated his frame, throwing his face into gold. He was beautiful.

    He sat beside her, both hands on her waist. He pulled her onto hisp, like he might have done with a child, and kissed her deeply.

    Song Yu smiled shyly, brushing her nose along his face. Then she put her head on his shoulder, pressing her forehead into his neck. ¡°Have you had your lunch?¡±

    ¡°I have,¡± said he, slightly lowering his head. He rubbed his lips gently at the corner of her eye as he spoke. His palms were squeezing her waist softly.

    ¡°When did you finish your meeting?¡± Her voice grew quiet.

    ¡°About one-thirty.¡± As he finished his sentence, Song Yu raised his left wrist. She looked at the time on his watch and saw that it was almost four.

    ¡°I¡¯ve applied for leave for you. I saw that you were sleeping soundly, so I did not wake you up.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao must think that he¡¯s taking care of a Buddha with an employee like me. I think he is very depressed about it.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Before she was pregnant, Director Zhao had never questioned her infrequent leaves. Now that she was pregnant, Qi Chengzhi forbade her to ever be tired, and he helped her apply for leaves regrly. She thought Director Zhao might cry from receiving yet another application from her.

    ¡°Because of you, Qilin has given him a substantial amount of business. Even if you do nothing in thepany but receive sry, he¡¯d keep paying you. If you leave, it¡¯d be like the god of wealth leaving,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, unconcerned. He looked down at her half-shut eyes, admiring her longshes.

    Due to her pregnancy, she was not wearing any makeup. Despite her barren face, she looked flushed. She looked younger this way, as if she was an eighteen or neen-year-old, off to university.

    Her delicate face, which had almost invisible pores, was right in front of him, and he could not help but peck it. He breathed in her fine scent, never having enough of her.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart was beating fast. Every breath was his scent, and she trembled in his hold. Both her hands tightened their grip on his shirt.

    ¡°Please put me down. It¡¯s working hours now. People will keeping to you, won¡¯t they?¡± Song Yu blushed while grabbing his shirt. In truth, she was all too happy to stay in hisp.

    It suddenly dawned on her that she had not heard anyone talking while she was sleeping. Had no onee to him to discuss business?

    ¡°I¡¯ve told Cheng Dongge to cancel all my afternoon meetings. There won¡¯t be anyoneing in to disturb us.¡± He did not let her go but dipped his head again.

    His breath was ticklish, making her shudder uncontrobly.

    He had shuttered the blinds. Now she understood that he had been afraid of waking her up.

    ¡°Am I disturbing your work while being here,¡± she askedzily as she rested her head on his shoulder.

    It was as if Qi Chengzhi had not heard her. He buried his face in the crook of her neck.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡± she whispered as she pushed him away.

    ¡°No,¡± he replied softly.

    ¡°You should continue your work.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to try it here?¡± he asked suddenly. His deep voice was serious, and the palms on her waist pressed hard.

    Song Yu felt that now she had been influenced by him, she could understand what he meant immediately. She blushed and said, ¡°You should continue working.¡±

    Eventually, Song Yu convinced him to continue his work. However, it only happened after she had been hugged and caressed to his satisfaction.

    Before he let her go, he said, ¡°Once I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll press you down on the sofa. I won¡¯t be discussing it with you.¡±

    His voice was hoarse and fierce.

    Song Yu shuddered. She did not know what to say; he was not going to change his mind. Song Yu felt as if her hands and legs were not hers anymore. She moved clumsily.

    Qi Chengzhi walked back to his table and pulled up the blinds. The office was back to its usual brightness.

    Afraid that she would be ufortable, Qi Chengzhi did not go back to his daily routine. He still did not allow anyone to disturb them.

    After his work was done, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu walked to the lobby, hand-in-hand. As Song Yu did not mention Mu Sisi, he did not ask.

    ¡°Big brother, Song Yu,¡± Qi Chengyue called as she ran towards them.

    In front of others, she could bring herself to refer to Song Yu as her sister-inw, but in front of Song Yu herself, she felt it too awkward since they were close in age. She simply referred to her by name, and Song Yu did not mind it.

    Seeing Qi Chengyue smile, Song Yu did, too. She had never imagined her rtionship with Qi Chengyue would be so friendly. To think that they would get along so peacefully in the end.

    Qi Chengyue walked up to them and followed them to the exit. When she saw a woman standing at the exit, she eximed suddenly, her expression growing disdainful.

    ¡°Do you know her?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s Cheng Dongge¡¯s ex-fiancee. She dumped Cheng Dongge for a second-generation rich guy,¡± Qi Chengyue replied. Just then, Cheng Dongge walked out.

    When he saw Huang Ziyue, he was shocked. He walked calmly to the exit, not pausing. Huang Ziyue stepped out in front of him.

    ¡°Dongge.¡± Huang Ziyue said softly. She was carrying a small bag.

    Cheng Dongge nced at her coldly. His eyes were barren of emotion. He asked lowly, ¡°Is something wrong?¡±

    Huang Ziyue raised her right hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. She said, ¡°I-I have left my things at your ce. I would like to retrieve them. I don¡¯t want them to intrude upon your space.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded, then asked, ¡°Where¡¯s your boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s on the way. He¡¯ll wait for me as I clear my things.¡± Huang Ziyue paused awkwardly between her words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Cheng Dongge had already walked to the front. He did not check if Huang Ziyue was following.

    Huang Ziyue felt disappointed. After all, she was the one who had pursued him for a year. He had been the prince charming of B University, but they had never dated. Nevertheless, she had remembered him.

    While she had entered other rtionships, the memory of him had never left her heart. No matter who she had been with, she had always felt that they were iparable to him.

    Three years ago, they had finally gotten together. It had felt like she was living in a dream.

    He was always considerate in their rtionship. She had never been kept wanting. When they had eaten seafood, he had always removed the shells for her. When she had wanted drinking water, he had uncapped her bottles. When they had gone out, he had helped carry her things. When she had wanted to board his car, he had held open the door. When they had walked alongside one another on the pavement, he had taken the side facing the road.

    He was always considerate, even regarding the small things she did not care about.

    In the past, he would not have strode on ahead of her. He would have held her hand and let her walk by the safe side of the pavement, away from the street.

    Huang Ziyue looked down at his thin, long fingers, feeling sad. Suddenly, she heard a woman¡¯s voice call, ¡°Cheng Dongge!¡±

    Song Yu was surprised too. She looked at Qi Chengyue. Qi Chengyue looked back to them, and decided, ¡°Big Brother, you may leave first.¡±

    Then, she walked to Cheng Dongge.

    Cheng Dongge stopped and waited for Qi Chengyue to reach him. In his eyes, she could read his intention to refer to her formally, so she quickly intervened, asking, ¡°Cheng Dongge, could I get a ride from you? Please send me home.¡±

    Without waiting for his reply, she grabbed his arm and continued walking.

    Cheng Dongge nced at her from the corner of his eye. A smile nted his lips, and he said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to grab onto me like that. I¡¯ll fetch you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed and immediately released him.

    Cheng Dongge caught onto her elbow gently. He guided her to his side, walking on the outer section of the pavement.

    Qi Chengyue was surprised, her chest and cheeks warming at his unexpected attentiveness.

    Jian Yi had never behaved in such a manner. Even when he had been hiding his true motives, pretending to pursue her, he had never gone out of his way like this.

    Huang Ziyue watched everything unfold with a growing sense of difort. She was speechless with envy.

    She ran up to them and informed, ¡°Ms. Qi, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m supposed to go to Dongge¡¯s house to clear out my things.¡±

    ¡°No problem. I¡¯ll follow the two of you back for the cleaning. He can send me after!¡± Qi Chengyue proimed cheerfully as she sashayed up to Cheng Dongge¡¯s ck Touareg.

    Cheng Dongge walked around to the co-driver¡¯s seat and held the door open.

    He figured that Qi Chengyue might not want to sit with Huang Ziyue, understanding where her sudden request hade from. Qi Chengyue was afraid that he would be at a disadvantage in front of Huang Ziyue.

 Chapter 193 - Going After Cinderellas of Humble Births; Does He Intend to Play a Prince Now?

    <h4>Chapter 193: Going After Cinderes of Humble Births; Does He Intend to y a Prince Now?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He figured that Qi Chengyue might not want to sit with Huang Ziyue, understanding where her sudden request hade from. Qi Chengyue was afraid that he would be at a disadvantage in front of Huang Ziyue.

    He could not help but shake his head and smile. The front seat obviously could not go to Huang Ziyue, so it had to be Qi Chengyue¡¯s.

    Out of habit, Huang Ziyue approached the front seat. Qi Chengyue, however, abruptly shoved her aside and imed her ce.

    Huang Ziyue frowned. Ady from a noble family fighting for a seat like someone using public transportation¨C how inelegant.

    Qi Chengyue did not care about her opinion. Once she got into the car, she immediately shut the door.

    Disgruntled, Huang Ziyue looked up to see Cheng Dongge barely hiding a grin. She was stunned.

    Cheng Dongge turned to her, wiped away his smile, and asked her coolly, ¡°Aren¡¯t you getting in?¡±

    Huang Ziyue was in shock. She had been waiting for Cheng Dongge to open the door for her, but he only walked to the driver¡¯s seat and climbed in.

    Finally, she opened the door and stepped inside.

    Song Yu watched the whole scene unfold in a daze. ¡°Chengyue, she¡ª¡±

    ¡°Cheng Dongge is a pretty good guy,¡± Qi Chengzhi interrupted calmly.

    Song Yu remained speechless.

    ...

    ...

    In the car, Qi Chengyue stared at the plush toys hanging off the car roof. They were as big as her palm and made the car feel warm and cozy.

    Following Qi Chengyue¡¯s gaze, Huang Ziyue murmured from the back seat, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would keep all these toys.¡±

    Cheng Dongge flicked his gaze upward and said, ¡°I don¡¯t notice them, so I forgot to take them down.¡±

    Qi Chengyue raised her arms and plucked down all the toys. She tossed them into Huang Ziyue¡¯sp. ¡°Since you¡¯re here, you might as well take them all back. I can¡¯t reach the ones at the back so please help yourself.¡±

    Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth. Without moving, she began, ¡°Dongge¨C¡±

    Cheng Dongge turned to Qi Chengyue and said, ¡°You can take the ones hanging on the rearview mirror, too.¡±

    Only after did he turn to Huang Ziyao, asking, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Huang Ziyue looked down, her expression cold. Every so often, she would nce at Qi Chengyue sitting in the front seat.

    In the past, that seat had been hers.

    Qi Chengyue dly removed all the decorations hanging on the rearview mirror. Then, as per Cheng Dongge¡¯s instructions, she took down every single thing that belonged to Huang Ziyue.

    Suddenly, the car felt significantly emptier.

    Qi Chengyue realized that, for the past three years, Huang Ziyue had fully integrated herself into every corner of Cheng Dongge¡¯s life.

    They arrived at Cheng Dongge¡¯s house; one he had bought himself. The approximately a hundred and forty square meter house had three rooms and two halls. It wasrge enough tofortably house two people.

    As Qi Chengyue entered his home, she realized there were still hints of Huang Ziyue¡¯s presence. For instance, many things around the house carried a feminine touch; the pillows on the sofa, the cartoon flower-themed cover on the tissue box... these were clearly the influences of Huang Ziyue.

    Just as Huang Ziyue was about to enter the bedroom, Cheng Dongge¡¯s deep, hoarse voice asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°The bedroom. My clothes and undergarments are all in there, aren¡¯t they?¡± Whether intentionally or not, Huang Ziyue shot a nce at Qi Chengyue as she spoke.

    Qi Chengyue took it as a demonstration, as if she was boasting, ¡°I shared a room with this man, slept on his bed, and experienced an intimate three years with him.

    ¡°His undergarments, I¡¯ve seen them all.¡±

    Surprisingly, Cheng Dongge said, ¡°I knew you woulde back for your stuff someday, so I took the liberty of packing them for you. They¡¯re in the guest room.¡±

    Huang Ziyue was shocked. She stood frozen on the spot. It was all too much to endure. Her fingers curled tightly into fists. She had not expected Cheng Dongge to be so keen, as if their breakup had meant nothing to him at all.

    They had been together for three years, and even discussed marriage. How was he soposed?

    She felt like a beggar, whom he could not wait to kick out.

    Could it be that after their breakup, he had packed her things in a hurry, impatient for the day he could rid her from his life?

    Huang Ziyue realized that her assumption of Cheng Dongge as someone who would not be able to recover from a setback was wrong. There was not a hint of destion on his face, and he was full of vigor and energy as usual. He was now much more distant toward her, and his expressions had be harder to decipher. Finally, she could experience the stress others felt when facing him. It was not something she had ever felt when they were dating.

    The fact that he had uttered those words in front of Qi Chengyue, made it all the worse.

    ¡°This way.¡± Stoically, Cheng Dongge pointed toward the guest room and lead the way. Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth, but she followed. She then realized that Qi Chengyue was not following them; she had gone straight to the living room and sat down, observing the room in detail.

    Once the guest room was opened, she saw her belongings all packed into cardboard boxes¨C two big boxes and a small one¨C stacked neatly against the wall.

    ¡°There are drinks in the fridge. Help yourself to whatever you like.¡± She listened to Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice from behind her, thinking he still cared. When she turned around, however, she saw that he had his head angled toward the living room. He had been talking to Qi Chengyue.

    Her heart ached. Even though she had been the one to dump him, she still wished he missed her. She wanted to have an irreceable spot in his heart.

    Qi Chengyue went to the kitchen but only poured two sses of water. She handed one to Cheng Dongge. They did not speak, but seemed like they had good chemistry, as if they were an old married couple.

    Huang Ziyue answered her phone. ¡°Alright.¡±

    She moved the phone away a little and asked Cheng Dongge, ¡°Umm... Someone is here to fetch me. Can I ask him toe up? I can¡¯t move all these by myself.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± Cheng Dongge nodded.

    Huang Ziyue said a few more words, then announced the house number.

    Not long after she hung up, the doorbell rang.

    Cheng Dongge opened the door. Qi Chengyue heard them greet each other at the door. The other man even addressed him as ¡°Mr. Cheng¡±.

    How courteous.

    Qi Chengyue raised an eyebrow. If this man was Huang Ziyue¡¯s new boyfriend, then his status was not high either!

    The man followed behind Cheng Dongge. He was quite young and wearing formal clothing, but they were obviously not haute couture.

    The man¡¯s face was jejune and did not disy the pride nor arrogance typical of those from a high social circle. Qi Chengyue was puzzled. Abruptly, the man cried in surprise, ¡°Miss Qi!¡±

    ¡°You know me?¡± Qi Chengyue asked, perplexed.

    The man gave a polite smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m Young Master Gao¡¯s chauffeur, Xian Zhang.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Gao?¡± Qi Chengyue frowned. She did not know any ¡®Young Master Gao¡¯. She thought back on the people she knew who had the surname Gao. She blinked. ¡°Gao Jingqiu?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Xiao Zhang nodded.

    ¡°Turns out Miss Huang is Gao Jingqiu¡¯s girlfriend¨C your Young Master Gao seems to have changed his taste again!¡± Qi Chengyue gave a spurious smile. ¡°Going after Cinderes of humble births; does he intend to y a prince now?¡±

    Gao Jingqiu was a notorious yboy. His background was eptable and his family was of average social status, but he was no match for Li Zhouan. Yet, he changed girlfriends every other day¨C from actors to young models, all of whomsted not more than two months.

    Awkwardly, Xiao Zhang nced at the antagonized Huang Ziyue from his peripherals. Atst, heughed, not refuting her barb.

    The truth was, Gao Jingqiu had said during a friends¡¯ gathering that his rtionship with Huang Ziyue was just for fun. However, Huang Ziyue was taking it seriously.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t Gao Jingqiue up?¡± Qi Chengyue asked.

    ¡°Young Master Gao has matters to attend to tonight, so he didn¡¯te,¡± Xiao Zheng replied awkwardly.

    ¡°Oh, how generous of Gao Jingqiu. His girlfriend came to her ex-fianc¨¦¡¯s house, and he¡¯s not afraid something might happen?¡± Qi Chengyue asked, her gaze flitting to Huang Ziyue mockingly.

    Xiao Zhang looked down, not knowing what to reply.

    Qi Chengyue sneered. ¡°What matter could he be attending to? Isn¡¯t he just at the clubhouse with those friends of his? They¡¯re never up to any good there.¡±

    Huang Ziyue clenched her teeth. Her face was flushed. Qi Chengyue was purposely humiliating her in front of Cheng Dongge.

    Discreetly, she stole a nce at Cheng Dongge, but he paid her no notice. Instead, he faced Qi Chengyue and raised an eyebrow.

    Seeing that Cheng Dongge identified her intentions, Qi Chengyue pouted and fell silent.

    The two exchanged nces. Qi Chengyue was rmed by Cheng Dongge¡¯s reaction as if she was afraid of him.

    With a single nce, Qi Chengyue stopped talking.

    Even though Cheng Dongge appeared to be helping her, Huang Ziyue felt that they were in their own world; a world she could no longer enter.

    ¡°Miss Huang, where are your things?¡± Xiao Zhang pulled Huang Ziyue¡¯s thoughts back to the matter at hand.

    ¡°In there.¡± Huang Ziyue pointed at the guest room behind her.

    Xiao Zhang entered the room. He picked up one box while Huang Ziyue carried the small one. Cheng Dongge reached for the remaining box.

    Seeing this, Xiao Zhang frantically protested, ¡°Mr. Cheng, this isn¡¯t right. Let me take those myself.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t carry this in one go. You¡¯ll have toe up again. That¡¯d be a waste of time,¡± Cheng Dongge pointed out calmly. Before Xiao Zhang could refuse, he had already picked up the box.

    His words stung in Huang Ziyue¡¯s ears. It felt like he was impatient for her to go.

    The three of them stepped into the elevator, Qi Chengyue following them down.

    After depositing the boxes into the trunk, Huang Ziyue turned to look at Cheng Dongge. Even though she had left him to lead a better life with Gao Jingqiu, their time together still formed the best years of her life.

    She thought about her time in university, chasing after him. The moment when he had finally epted her, she had been inundated with bliss.

    Truthfully, Cheng Dongge had always been the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, what he could give her was too little.

    Once she entered the car, she wouldpletely leave Cheng Dongge¡¯s life.

    ¡°Dongge, I hope you can find your own happiness in the future,¡± Huang Ziyue said softly.

    Cheng Dongge nodded and turned around. Xiao Zhang had already opened the door for her.

    Huang Ziyue entered the car. Qi Chengyue heard Cheng Dongge whispered, ¡°I hope what you¡¯ve found is happiness.¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked up but Cheng Dongge had already wiped away his expression. He turned to her and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Where to?¡±

    Cheng Dongge raised his eyebrows. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask me to send you home?¡±

    Qi Chengyue dusted her hands on her clothes. ¡°That was just an excuse. You can think of it as me meddling in your business. I was afraid she would take advantage of you. After all, she is your ex-fianc¨¦e, and you are a good person. I didn¡¯t want you to be on the losing end.¡±

    Suddenly, she recalled the consequences that followed the first time she had meddled in his life. She looked at him anxiously. ¡°You won¡¯t me me for meddling again, will you?¡±

    Cheng Dongge raised his eyebrows again.

    She took two steps back. Feeling guilty, she shook her head and said, ¡°Nevermind. You don¡¯t have to send me home. I¡¯ll manage.¡±

    Qi Chengyue turned around. Cheng Dongge lived in a bustling city, so it was easy to get a cab.

    However, just as she had taken a step out, he grabbed ahold of her arm.

    Qi Chengyue was spun around. In heels, she staggered and fell straight into his arms. Her forehead knocked against a button on his suit.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Qi Chengyue cried. He steadied her, gripping both her arms. Her forehead was red from the impact. The button even left a mark.

    Cheng Dongge let go of one arm and rubbed her forehead. ¡°I never said I med you. Why are you in such a hurry to run?¡±

    He looked down and frowned. Focused on rubbing her forehead, he had forgotten about the distance between them.

    Qi Chengyue was in a lot of pain at first, but the moment his fingers touched her skin, a tingling sensation buzzed through her.

    The electric feeling surged from her forehead to her scalp, then ears. Even her cheeks began to numb.

    Her breathing fell out of rhythm. She looked down, too afraid to look at him. Suddenly, she felt his breath brush across her forehead. Astonished, she looked up, and the first thing she saw was the firm line of his lips. She held her head up higher and almost immediately met his deep gaze. Sitting above those eyes were his full, ck eyebrows. They were slightly furrowed, and she wondered what could have upset him.

    Noticing her gaze, he shifted his from her forehead to her eyes. Their eyes locked as if there was a force pulling them together. Neither could bring themselves to look away.

    His eyes were dark and deep. They were unwavering as usual¨C steady, just like him, giving others peace of mind.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s lips parted slightly. Her face was red hot.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s gaze was still fixed on her face. After a while, he finally snapped awake. Embarrassed, he looked away. His fair face was stained a light pink.

    He quickly removed his hand. The feeling of her fine and smooth skin lingered on his fingers.

    He nced at his watch and cleared his throat. ¡°Look at the time. We¡¯ll eat first, then I¡¯ll send you home.¡±

    As he said that, the hand still holding her arm slid down instinctively. Grasping her hand, he led her toward his Touareg.

    ...

    ...

    Xiao Zhang took a quick look at Huang Ziyue sitting in the backseat through the rearview mirror. She was looking out the window with a mncholic expression.

    ¡°Miss Huang, I didn¡¯t think your ex-boyfriend would be Mr. Cheng,¡± Xiao Zhang confessed. When he had opened the door and seen Cheng Dongge standing before him, he had beenpletely bbergasted.

    Huang Ziyue turned her head. Back when they were at Cheng Dongge¡¯s house, she had already begun wondering, so she probed forthrightly, ¡°It seems like you respect him a lot.¡±

    Xian Zhang chuckled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t think of Mr. Cheng as a mere assistant to Young Master Cheng. He is heavily relied on by Young Master Cheng. When Young Master Cheng sees him, he greets him courteously. Not even Young Master Cheng dares to give him the cold shoulder. In fact, anyone not from The Great Eight Families doesn¡¯t dare to offend him. I hear that Young Master Cheng has intentions of promoting him to the higher levels of Qilin. But a low-status guy like me wouldn¡¯t know the details of such matters.¡±

    Huang Ziyue¡¯s eyes widened as her hands tightened on her bag. ¡°Even so, he¡¯s still working under others. Thepany isn¡¯t his. Any day they decide to fire him, he¡¯s done for.¡±

    ¡°No one would fire a man as talented as Mr. Cheng so flippantly. Even if he doesn¡¯t work at Qilin, whicheverpany he goes to, he could easily secure a position higher than a general manager.¡± Xiao Zhang nced at Huang Ziyue and said, ¡°Miss Huang, the reason I¡¯m telling you this is because I think you¡¯re a good person. Young Master Gao may have his family and his ownpany, and like he has nothing to worry about, but, in reality, whatever he does, it¡¯s all ording to his family¡¯s orders. Even marriage. Whomever his family wants him to marry, he will not protest because, without his family¡¯s support, he¡¯s ordinary. Whatdy of proper self-respect would want him?

    ¡°On the other hand, although Mr. Cheng was born into an ordinary family, with his position in Qilin, any family would dly marry their daughter off to him. Additionally, even if his girlfriend is an ordinary person, his family wouldn¡¯t judge.¡± Xiao Zhang turned the car around a corner, then continued, ¡°Actually, Young Master Cheng had nned to introduce his sister to Mr. Cheng, but then Mr. Cheng revealed that he had a girlfriend. Back then, he must have been talking about you.

    ¡°Now that he¡¯s single again, I bet that family would do whatever it takes to introduce ady from their family to him.¡±

    ¡°He... He¡¯s actually such an amazing man...¡± Huang Ziyue murmured. Cheng Dongge had rarely spoken to her about work.

    Till this day, all she had known was that he was extremely busy, and that Qi Chengzhi dumped all kinds of work onto him. All those years, he had been Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant. Even though his sry had been increasing steadily, she had not thought he had a bright future ahead of him. She thought that he would be frivolous assistant till the day he died.

    Even so, his sry was fixed. That was nothingpared to Gao Jingqiu¡¯s earnings from his entirepany.

    Besides, it was toote for regrets.

    She knew Gao Jingqiu was a yboy, but he treated her well at the start, so she had decided to break up with Cheng Dongge.

    Not long after the breakup, however, Gao Jingqiu slowly stopped taking her out. He no longer stayed by her side like he used to.

    Nowadays, Gao Jingqiu would sometimes return smelling strongly of perfume, but it was toote for regrets. Seeing Cheng Dongge¡¯s personality, he would never get back together with her. All she could do now was hold on to Gao Jingqiu as tight as she could.

    Huang Ziyue looked down. When she thought of Cheng Dongge, her eyes grew damp.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue blinked several times. She stared nkly at her hand, which Cheng Dongge had grabbed so firmly. After opening the car door and helping her in, his hand slipped from hers.

 Chapter 194 - He Would Not Even Be Willing to Touch Her Dirty Hands

    <h4>Chapter 194: He Would Not Even Be Willing to Touch Her Dirty Hands</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengyue blinked several times. She stared nkly at her hand, which Cheng Dongge grabbed so instinctively. It was only after opening the car door and helping her get in did he let go.

    She looked at her palm. The warmth and texture of Cheng Dongge¡¯s palm lingered on hers. The moment he held her hand, a surge of electric-like feeling coursed from her wrist upward. It had a numbing sensation.

    ¡°Can you handle spicy food?¡± Cheng Dongge inquired while he started the engine.

    Qi Chengyue was still daydreaming¡ªevery single word he said flew over her. Cheng Dongge asked her again, but she still did not react. Seeing this, he leaned over to call her.

    Qi Chengyue heard a sound drawing closer and closer to her. When she finally heard him, she rapidly turned her head but was unexpectedly met with Cheng Dongge¡¯s face right in front of hers. The distance both of them was merely the length of a hand¡ªit was not extremely close, but they could feel each other¡¯s breath.

    Qi Chengyue blushed. Her cheeks felt like they were boiling. ¡°What... did you say?¡±

    ¡°I was asking whether you can tolerate spicy food.¡± Cheng Dongge revealed a smile filled with warmth and patience, but also contained something else. Qi Chengyue thought that it was because she embarrassed herself in front of him, so his smile was partly to make fun of her.

    ¡°Yes.¡± She swallowed but could only manage to utter a single word.

    Thus, Cheng Dongge started driving. He brought her to a Chongqing hotpot restaurant nearby. It was one of the famous brands from Chongqing.

    When the restaurant first opened, it was pretty hot because it was new. However, the food was average and the service was a grade lower than Yan Beicheng¡¯s restaurant¡¯s, so even though it was still quite packed every day, there was no need to wait for seats.

    Cheng Dongge ordered a three-vored hotpot. The hotpot was brought out quickly, and in no time, all the food he ordered had been served.

    As Cheng Dongge ate, he noticed that Qi Chengyue had an expression that clearly meant she wanted to ask him something but was too afraid to. With a soft expression, he began, ¡°Whatever it is you want to ask, just ask.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t get mad if I ask?¡± Qi Chengyue was being cautious and wanted to make sure.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you usually quite bold? When you dealt with Mu Sisi, you weren¡¯t scared of enraging her at all,¡± Cheng Dongge replied while fishing out a beef bone marrow from the spicy hotpot and cing it on his te to cool.

    ¡°...¡± Annoyed, Qi Chengyue red at him. ¡°How¡¯s that the same? Mu Sisi isn¡¯t a good person, so why should I be afraid of angering her? I should be happy about it.¡±

    ¡°Whatever you want to say, just say it. I promise I won¡¯t get mad.¡± Cheng Dongge widened his eyes and looked at her. ¡°Last time was an ident.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks before cing it down again. She mustered her courage and responded, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll ask then. If¡ªemphasis on the if¡ªHuang Ziyue breaks up with Gao Jingqiu andes back to you, would you reconcile your rtionship with her?

    ¡°I know how Gao Jingqiu is like, and there¡¯s no way he¡¯s taking this rtionship with Huang Ziyue seriously. The story of Cindere doesn¡¯t apply to Gao Jingqiu. Huang Ziyue¡¯s hopes will inevitably be shattered. When that dayes, she won¡¯t have Gao Jingqiu. And although she lost her chance with you, it¡¯s still very likely that she¡¯lle to you.¡± Once she finished, she looked down, anxious and afraid Cheng Dongge would be angry. Even so, she wanted to know the answer badly. To hide her emotions, she looked down and ate the piece of beef on her te.

    Quite a while passed, but Cheng Dongge never answered her. She thought that he must be furious.

    How narrow-minded of him to promise he would not get mad but not even replying now, making the atmosphere so tense.

    Qi Chengyue mumbled in her heart. Nervously, she looked up and was astonished to realize, Cheng Dongge was not mad. He was looking at her with half-smiling. He seemed to be teasing her a little, too.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face turned red from embarrassment. Luckily, the hotpot was hot and spicy, so having a flushed face was not odd.

    Nheless, she quickly looked down and acted as if she was busy fishing out romaine lettuce from the spicy hotpot. The vegetable absorbed plenty of chili and chili oil from the hotpot. Qi Chengyue was eating it in a hurry. On the first bite, the thick and spicy chili oil made her choke.

    She coughed painfully. She opened her mouth and dropped the vegetable onto her te. She could not stop coughing to the point that her throat was hurting. Additionally, a burning pain gued her tongue as identally burnt it just now.

    Cheng Dongge swiftly poured her a cup of cold water, went around the table, and sat beside her. He handed her the water. ¡°Drink this.¡±

    However, Qi Chengyue was coughing violently. She could not say anything. Her face was hot red from coughing, and even tears got squeezed out of her eyes. She wanted to grab the cup, but she was shaking from the coughing and could not hold the cup steadily.

    Cheng Dongge wrapped his palm around her hands and helped her move the cup toward her lips, feeding her the water. At the same time, his other hand was repeatedly patting her back. ¡°Next time,¡± he advised, ¡°rinse the vegetable in the clear broth first.¡±

    Slowly, Qi Chengyue felt better. She stopped coughing, but her eyes were still bright red, making her appear pitiful.

    ¡°Better?¡± Cheng Dongge asked.

    Her throat was still itching, so she did not dare to speak. Her nod was the only reply.

    She looked up and realized Cheng Dongge was way too close to her. His hand was wrapped around hers that held the cup. Besides, to pat her back, he was basically holding her in an embrace.

    Cheng Dongge saw Qi Chengyue¡¯s flushed face and finally noticed how close they were. He pulled his hands back in haste and returned to his seat across the table without uttering a word.

    Seeing the awkward situation, Qi Chengyue busied herself with the food. She did not mention her question again. Only when they finished eating and Cheng Dongge got up to pay the bill did she realize that Cheng Dongge never answered her. That made her a little glum.

    Still, due to what happened just now, it felt inappropriate to ask him again.

    The two walked out of the restaurant and towards the car. Qi Chengyue saw a couple walking toward them and stood frozen in ce in shock.

    Cheng Dongge stopped as well. He saw ady clinging onto Jian Yi¡¯s arm walking toward them, but thatdy was not Guan Xiaolin.

    Jian Yi did not stop but simply slowed down his footsteps. He nced at Cheng Dongge, then red mockingly at Qi Chengyue. He stopped in front of her.

    Qi Chengyue clenched her teeth and fists. Jian Yi quipped, ¡°It can¡¯t be that you¡¯re following my footsteps, right? I found myself ady outside, so you won¡¯t even wait until the divorce to run to a new man?¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Qi Chengyue retorted in detest, ¡°Next time you see me, just pretend that you don¡¯t know me and scram!¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk, when will you ever learn? Always going out with poor fellows, aren¡¯t you afraid that you might meet someone who tosses you away once they¡¯re done using you again?¡± Jian Yi taunted while shaking his head.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to care about me, just take care of yourself! Guan Xiaolin is pregnant now, yet you¡¯re still out here being a yer, not afraid that yourst ¡®patron¡¯ would leave you,¡± Qi Chengyue retaliated disdainfully.

    ¡°He!¡± Jian Yi sneered.

    ¡°Xin Haiman, Miss Xin, precious daughter of Lixin Group¡¯s director, I¡¯d stay away from this man if I were you,¡± Cheng Dongge suggested in a cool manner. He turned to thedy beside Jian Yi and nodded at her. Immediately after, he grabbed Qi Chengyue¡¯s waist and walked away from the exasperated Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengyue did not know anyone by the name Xin Haiman. Lixin Group operated a chain supermarkets on an average scale, so the family was not particrly outstanding. Thus, Qi Chengyue naturally did not know about them.

    With a horrid expression across his face, Jian Yi walked toward the restaurant. At that moment, Xin Haiman drew back her hands from his arm.

    Jian Yi looked at her. Xin Haiman said, ¡°I think we should leave it at that for today. I¡¯m leaving first.¡±

    Having said that, she turned around and hurried away without even looking back.

    Jian Yi snicked, then left as well.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge parked the car in front of Qi Zhongxun¡¯s mansion. Qi Chengyue was initially in a buoyant mood, but Jian Yi ruined it.

    ¡°Thank you for today. Also, I¡¯m sorry for Jian Yi¡¯s words just now. I dragged you into this,¡± Qi Chengyue apologized.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t take the words from a guy like him to heart.¡± Cheng Dongge gave a faint smile and said, ¡°You should go in.¡±

    Qi Chengyue opened the car door, but before she got down, she quickly added, ¡°Also, I¡¯m extremely sorry for forcefully following you home today.¡±

    After saying that, she hurriedly got out of the car.

    Cheng Dongge sat in the car and watched as she entered through the courtyard gate and stood at the front door. Only when her sister-inw opened the door and weed her in did he drove away.

    He thought back on the things Qi Chengyue said before getting off and could not help but chuckle.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu sat side-by-side on the bed. Song Yu was reading books on pregnancy while Qi Chengzhi had hisptop on hisp, working.

    His phone vibrated. He picked it up and saw that it was a message from Mu Huaisheng. ¡®Are you free this Thursday? Come to Dynasty, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to discuss. It¡¯s about thepany.¡¯

    ¡°What happened?¡± Song Yu queried when Qi Chengzhi put down the phone.

    ¡°It¡¯s Mu Huaisheng. He wants to meet me on Thursday to discuss something. It¡¯s about thepany,¡± exined Qi Chengzhi. He guessed that it had something to do with Feather. He thought that perhaps Mu Huaisheng had figured out Song Yu¡¯s rtion to the merger that year and wanted to check with him.

    Song Yu merely uttered, ¡°Oh,¡± and continued to read her book.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious about thepany I established when I was younger?¡± Ever since Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday party, Song Yu never mentioned Feather, as if she did not even care about it. In contrast, this bothered him a lot, and he could not stop fixating on it.

    Song Yu lowered her book. She turned toward him and looked at him softly. ¡°Thepany Feather, back then, did you name it after me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi stayed silent.

    Song Yu leaned toward him and pecked his cheek. ¡°Do you like me that much?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I knew that.¡± A wide grin appeared on her face. She rested her chin on his shoulder and sniffed the aromaing off his body. She felt extremely blissful and at ease. ¡°You thought of me when you were building thatpany, weren¡¯t you? Even when you founded thatpany, I was still a little girl, and I haven¡¯t matured yet. Nevertheless, considering how much you like me, I won¡¯t argue with you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Astonishingly, she made Qi Chengzhi speechless. His ears glowed bright red.

    Even so, he pretended to beposed. His hands were fixed steadily on the keyboard, not moving an inch.

    Song Yu was so delighted that she was squinting her eyes, smiling. ¡°I already knew the significance of thepany you founded, so there¡¯s nothing to ask.¡±

    She ced her book on the bedside table and gave him another peck on the cheek. ¡°I¡¯m going to sleep. Goodnight. Don¡¯t work till toote.¡±

    Having said that, she slid down a little so that she was lying down. Facing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side of the bed, she closed her eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi then looked down at her. He could not help but chuckle silently.

    He closed hisptop, pulled away the nket and prepared to get out of bed. Just then, Song Yu wrapped herself around his waist.

    He looked down. She blinked and asked, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to sleep? If I stay here, the noise from my keyboard will disturb you.¡± He looked down at her. His tone was calm and his voice was deep, but it carried a feeling of warmth.

    While grabbing his waist, Song Yu leaned towards his waist and pressed her face onto him. ¡°It¡¯s not noisy. I like it when you stay here with me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi grinned. He sat back down and continued looking at the screen.

    Just when he thought Song Yu had fallen asleep, she suddenly asked, ¡°Actually, for how long have you had a crush on me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± His ears turned red again. In a deep soothing voice, he whispered, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±

    ¡°You founded thatpany when you¡¯re still in university. Counting from your graduation, it has been at least ten years,¡± Song Yu continued. She then stopped and stared at Qi Chengzhi, not saying a word more.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked down and raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°Are you going to sleep or not?¡±

    Seeing him try to tease her, she thought of him like a paper tiger. Song Yu wrapped her arms around his waist and pillowed her head on his thighs. She held onto his tightly and whispered, ¡°Qi Chengzhi, you¡¯re adorable.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grasped tightly by her, Qi Chengzhi felt that the dignity he tried to preserve was out of reach. Therefore, he ced hisptop onto the bedside table, grabbed her andid her back down. Immediately, he pressed himself onto her and kissed her forcefully and passionately.

    His tongue danced wildly in her mouth for a long while. Only when he felt her tongue waspletely tired out did he stop. As he slowly withdrew from her lips, he saw her breathing heavily, her cheeks burning red. At that moment, she seemed especially submissive.

    Suddenly, Qi Chengzhi spanked her. ¡°You¡¯ll have your fun during this period, but once it¡¯s over, just you wait!¡±

    As he said that, his hot palm cupped her back waist and vigorously pushed her against his pole underneath. He continued until Song Yu¡¯s face was red hot and shaking.

    The words he uttered just how frightened Song Yu a little. Once these three months of pregnancy has passed, just how ferocious would he be?

    She had some regrets about teasing him so much just now. She twisted around in his arms, her face squeezed against his chest. In a gentle voice, she murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t you have unfinished work?¡±

    ¡°You knew that, yet you disturb me?¡± he raised an eyebrow and teased.

    Song Yu¡¯s face burned red. Embarrassed, she kept her forehead firmly against his chest. ¡°You should get to work. The earlier you finish, the earlier you can rest.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her with gentle eyes. Feeling his gaze, Song Yu buried her face deeper into his chest. He then leaned down and gave her a long, passionate kiss on her lips. Expanding as he pleased, he kissed her along the corner of her lips and rubbed his lips against every corner of her cheeks several times. Only then did he finally let go of her. In a deep, husky voice, he coaxed, ¡°Go to sleep.¡±

    Song Yuid down facing him, her forehead pressed on his body. As she listened to his slender fingers tapping on the keyboard, she drifted off to sleep.

    ...

    ...

    On Thursday, Qi Chengzhi drove to Dynasty.

    He stood outside Mu Huaisheng¡¯s suite and rang the doorbell.

    Mu Sisi was modeling for herself in front of the mirror, turning her head left and right to judge her beauty. The doorbell rang. She froze. She looked at the door, then back to the mirror. Taking a deep breath, she checked her smile,bed her supple long hair, then finally scuttled to her room door and opened it.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi?¡± Mu Sisi greeted dumbfoundedly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was cold and distant. There was not a trace of warmth on that elegant face of his. In an aloof manner, he stated, ¡°Your brother asked to meet me.¡±

    ¡°Oh yeah! My brother had some matter to attend to, so he went out. He said he¡¯ll be back very soon and told me to let you in first,¡± Mu Sisi exined. She opened the door and let Qi Chengzhi in.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned, but he entered anyway.

    Mu Sisi poured a cup of tea for him and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave you here with tea while you wait. I¡¯ll return to my room first.¡±

    Mu Sisi smiled at him then returned to her room.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at the steaming off the tea but did not drink it. He sat there for nearly ten minutes but Mu Huaisheng had not returned yet. Impatient, he took out his phone to give Mu Huaisheng a call.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi,¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s voice sounded again. However, she sounded different this time. She intentionally lowered her voice and it sounded slightly coarse yet delicate¡ªthe kind of voice used to lure and seduce others.

    Qi Chengzhi looked up expressionlessly. He saw that Mu Sisi¡¯s clothes from before had disappeared. Instead, she had on a white hotel bathrobe. The long sleeves covered her entire arm and the robe ran all the way to her ankles, making her appear small and dainty.

    The band on her waist was tied loosely, exposing her alluring corbones.

    Her fingers slithered out from the sleeve cuff and slowly tugged on the band on her waist. As the band loosened, the bathrobe opened up. A small gap emerged, which was enough to show him that she waspletely naked inside that robe.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s hands were holding the front of the robe. She proceeded to pull away the entire robe and let it fall by her feet. Nude, she presented herself in front of him, exposing her ampleness and the bundle downstairs, obvious when in contrast with her pale white skin.

    She did not bother to cover anything up. She wanted Qi Chengzhi to see.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up, storm clouds descended on his elegant face. He did not even nce at her. Withrge steps, he strode towards the door.

    Now, he knew that Mu Huaisheng was nevering back. The message was either a coboration between those two or sent by her using Mu Huaisheng¡¯s name.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi!¡± Mu Sisi swiftly caught up to him. Still naked, she hugged his waist from behind, her face pressed firmly on his back. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, why don¡¯t you look at me? I want you to know that I¡¯ve matured¡ªI¡¯m also a woman now. I want you to see that. Big Brother Chengzhi, my brother isn¡¯t here now, there¡¯s no one here. Do me now!¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re married, but I don¡¯t mind. I only want to be yours. I want you to want me. For you, I kept my body clean this entire time, no one has ever touched this¡ªI want my first time to be with you. Big Brother Chengzhi, in this life, all I wish for is to be yourdy. Even if you don¡¯t marry me, I still want to be yours.

    ¡°I can just be your lover, no need for legal terms. I¡¯m willing to do anything if it meant I can stay by your side. Big Brother Chengzhi, look at me! Please look at me!¡±

    Pressed against his broad back, an indescribable delight overcame her. The light scent of perfume on his body captivated her.

    Simply being pressed against him like so she already had such reactions. She could not wait to be embraced by him, kissed by him, and have him inside of her. She wished to be entirely his, and him, hers.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face tightened in rage to a point where he started twitching.

    The soft body pressed on his back was disgusting to him. If not necessary, he would not even be willing to touch her dirty hands.

    Even so, this time, he had to forcefully pull her hands away. Without even turning his head back, he threw her to the ground.

 Chapter 195 - Book Me a Ticket for the Earliest Flight to the United States

    <h4>Chapter 195: Book Me a Ticket for the Earliest Flight to the United States</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even so, this time, Qi Chengzhi had to forcefully pull Mu Sisi¡¯s hands away. Without even turning his head back, he threw her to the ground.

    Mu Sisi was violently shoved by Qi Chengzhi. She stumbled backward and fell onto the rug.

    Qi Chengzhi did not look back. He strode towards the door, opened it, and walked out. Mu Sisi got up, wanting to give chase, but suddenly remembered that she waspletely naked. Hastily, she took two steps back, put on the bathrobe from before, tightened the band, and began to pursue Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi!¡± She ran after him, her eyes turned red.

    She, ady, had to use her brother¡¯s name to trick him intoing. Otherwise, he would have never showed up.

    After tricking him, she even took off her clothes and threw away her dignity to say she did not mind being merely his lover¡ªjust to get him to want her.

    She presented her nude self in front of him, but he still did not want her!

    Why?

    Tears of grief poured out of her eyes. She gave up her dignity, offered herself to him, but why did he still refuse? What was with his scornful manner?

    What was so great about Song Yu that she deserved his undying loyalty?

    The more she thought about it, the more infuriated she got, and the more wronged she felt. Enraged, she exploded, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi! Why won¡¯t you just look at me! I¡¯ve grown¡ªI¡¯m a woman now. I worked hard to be ady suitable for you. What¡¯s so great about that Song Yu? Anything she has, I have it too¡ªwhatever she can give you, I can give you too. Even when ites to love, I don¡¯t lose to her. In fact, I dare say I love you more than her!¡±

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯ve loved you for ten years. How can shepete with me? Do you know, she¡¯s a two-faced woman! She¡¯s always rude and disrespectful toward me¡ªdoing that to outsiders will bring shame to you. What¡¯s so great about women like that? Why do you like her? That virtuous and quiet appearance of hers is all but an act!¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Qi Chengzhi stopped in his steps. Knowing she had clothes on, he turned around. His expression was more stern than usual. His intense yet cold eyes were fixed on her. ¡°So what if she¡¯s rude to you? I don¡¯t care about that. Whoever she hates, she can insult them however much she likes, and I¡¯ll support her. I don¡¯t need you to judge how much she loves me, and I don¡¯t care how much you love me!¡±

    ¡°You...¡± The color drained from Mu Sisi¡¯s face. Teardrops asrge as beans spilled continuously from her eyes. Her lips tremored as if electricity passed through them. ¡°How could you... I love you so much, yet how could you...¡±

    ¡°You love to strip right? If you have the guts, strip for me right here!¡± In the corridor, Qi Chengzhi stood tall and firm before Mu Sisi, ring at her nched face disdainfully from the corner of his eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t dare to, don¡¯t even think about doing such things to me again. I treated you like my little sister because of my rtions with your brother, so don¡¯t get greedy.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi?¡± Mu Huaizheng¡¯s voice suddenly sounded from behind.

    Qi Chengzhi turned his head back to see that Mu Huaisheng was walking towards them. Instantly, Mu Sisi started to panic. Mu Huaisheng was going to see Wei Ziqi that day, which was why she invited Qi Chengzhi over, but why was Mu Huaisheng back so early?!

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Mu Huaisheng saw Mu Sisi standing behind Qi Chengzhi with merely a disheveled bathrobe covering her. He frowned.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips pressed together firmly. He turned to face Mu Huaisheng, waited for him to reach and stated in a low, coarse voice, ¡°If you colluded with Mu Sisi to get me here, Huaisheng, I¡¯m very disappointed in you. If she used your name to gull me intoing here, I¡¯ll make some things clear while you¡¯re here.¡±

    ¡°If she ever uses any other ploy to get me here again or shamelessly strip naked in front of me, I won¡¯t care if she¡¯s your sister¡ªI won¡¯t tolerate her anymore. If you don¡¯t watch her properly and this happens again, since she loves to strip so much, very well, I¡¯ll drag her to the middle of the street and let her strip to her heart¡¯s content!¡±

    Mu Sisi felt chills around her body. Her heart has fallen into an icehouse.

    She was full of passion, yet he said it as if it was an ugly thing.

    He did not care about their rtions at all. He treated her as such and said she was shameless.

    He did not know how much courage she had to pluck up. Ady taking the initiative to get naked in front of a man, did he assume it was an easy task?

    Why must he belittle her feelings like this, belittle her? Why did he not care about her feelings at all?

    Mu Sisi felt icy-cold. Her tears flowed uncontrobly.

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi turned to Mu Huaisheng, he did not even nce at her. In the end, he shot a glimpse at Mu Huaisheng then strode past him toward the elevator.

    Mu Huaisheng turned his head to watch Qi Chengzhi leave. He waited until his figure disappeared the turned back to look at Mu Sisi. With a face twisted with rage, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her into the living room.

    Once in the room, Mu Huaisheng forcefully pushed Mu Sisi away. Mu Sisi staggered and almost tripped on the tea table behind her.

    ¡°What did I tell you, you really are so shameless!¡± Mu Huaisheng fumed. He did not know what to do with Mu Sisi¡ªshe just would not listen no matter what he told her.

    ¡°Stop calling me shameless! I¡¯m your little sister, why won¡¯t you help me?!¡± Mu Sisi wailed.

    ¡°Help you with what? Help you steal someone¡¯s husband? Besides, he clearly doesn¡¯t like you, so why are you still rushing to climb onto him? He said so very clearly. You stood nude in front of him, but he wouldn¡¯t even glimpse at you, so what more do you want? Why don¡¯t you just give up? Mu Sisi, even if you lie on the bed and spread your legs for him, he¡¯s not going to do anything!¡± Mu Sisi had Mu Huaisheng extremely worked up. Infuriated, he did not care how hurtful his words were.

    ¡°They say men are animals that think with their lower body, but seeing you, his lower body can¡¯t even think. Tell me now, how can you fight with Song Yu? Mu Sisi please be reasonable¡ªdo something normal people do, don¡¯t be so stubborn. It¡¯s like you¡¯re crazy!¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mu Sisi shrilled, ¡°Shut up! I like him, so what? I want him to look at me! I want him to know that I¡¯m a woman now¡ªI¡¯ve matured! I sincerely love him! Why do you say these to me? Why must you trample over my feelings like this?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng clenched his teeth. He took a few deep breaths, aware there was no talking sense into Mu Sisi anymore, then questioned, ¡°Just now, Qi Chengzhi mentioned you used my name to trick him intoing here. What¡¯s that about?¡±

    Mu Sisi turned away, refusing to look at him. Tears continued to roll down her cheeks.

    Mu Huaisheng squinted. ¡°Fine, don¡¯t tell me. Those petty schemes, anyone would be able to guess what you did.¡±

    He took out his phone. He knew that all Mu Sisi could have done was send a message to Qi Chengzhi using his phone when he was not looking.

    He checked the chat history on his phone, and as expected, he did not find the message. She must have deleted it right after sending it.

    Immediately, he made a call. ¡°Book me a ticket for the earliest flight to the United States.¡±

    Before he hung up, he heard Mu Sisi squealing, ¡°I¡¯m not going back! Don¡¯t even think about sending me back!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng hung up and heard Mu Sisi¡¯s continuous shrieking, ¡°Even if you make me go, I can still buy my own flight ticket back here! Don¡¯t you dare send me back!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng coldly twisted his lips. He pointed at her and criticized, ¡°You¡¯re always so insane and full of nonsense, yet you still dream Qi Chengzhi likes you?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you speak like that!¡± Mu Sisi angrily knocked everything off the tea table.

    A soft rug covered the floor so even the ssware did not break. Nevertheless, the tea Mu Sisi poured for Qi Chengzhi spilled all over the rug, leaving a tea-colored stain on it.

    ¡°I won¡¯t let you speak to me like that! Which part of me is bad? What makes me unworthy of his love! You¡¯re my brother, yet even you would say things like this to me! Mu Huaisheng, you b*stard! You b*stard!¡± Mu Sisi repeatedly cursed. In the end, she mixed up Mandarin and English, screaming out every cuss word she knew.

    ¡°You say I¡¯m two-faced but aren¡¯t you the same? In front of others, you¡¯re gentle and refined, but on the other side, you treat me so ruthlessly!¡±

    Instantly, nasty cuss words filled the entire house.

    Mu Huaisheng did not care. He called Dynasty¡¯s security team. Dynasty¡¯s security team not only maintained the security of the restaurant, but they also provided private services for customers for a fee, of course.

    Not long after, the manager arrived at the door with a bodyguard.

    The doorbell rang. As the door slowly opened, ear-piercing screams gushed out the tiny opening of the door, and the racket all originated from Mu Sisi¡¯s mouth.

    Her usual elegant voice had turned into a voice typical of hags that scolded others on the streets. It was unbearable.

    The manager¡¯s expression did not change, as if he did not hear a thing. Keeping up a courteous smile, he said, ¡°Mr. Mu, ording to your request, I brought you a bodyguard.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nodded. He no longer had on the stern and cold appearance used against Mu Sisi. Instead, his expression was warm and gentle, with a hint of embarrassment in his eyes. He told the bodyguard, ¡°I¡¯m going out. Please watch over my sister. Don¡¯t let her go anywhere and don¡¯t let anyonee in.¡±

    The bodyguard nodded. Mu Huaisheng ordered, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    He shut the door, leaving the manager and bodyguard outside.

    Mu Sisi saw him enter, then yelled at him again. Mu Huaisheng proceeded directly to Mu Sisi¡¯s room.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Mu Sisi followed behind him.

    Mu Huaisheng grabbed the bag ced on her table then poured out all the contents onto her bed. He confiscated her phone.

    ¡°Why are you taking my phone? Give it back!¡± Mu Sisi shouted in a sharp voice.

    Mu Huaisheng did not care. He opened the door and left. To the bodyguard, he said, ¡°Please watch over her properly.¡±

    Without looking back, he left Dynasty.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡± Cheng Dongge knocked and entered. ¡°Mu Huaisheng is here.¡±

    Ever since Qi Chengzhi came back, he had a ghastly expression. Hearing Cheng Dongge¡¯s words, he uttered bitterly, ¡°Let hime up.¡±

    After a few minutes, Mu Huaisheng entered his office with a gloomy expression. Jumping straight to the point, he rified, ¡°I didn¡¯t collude with Sisi to trick you. Truthfully, I knew nothing about this.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi epted his statement. ¡°Then she must¡¯ve secretly used your phone to message me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took out his phone. Mu Huaisheng saw that his screensaver was a picture of Song Yu¡ªshe stood in a field of roses and held a single rose in her hands, looking down. She appeared especially tranquil and beautiful, evoking a sense offort and calmness in others. No matter how foul the mood was, this could cure it.

    Qi Chengzhi looked for the message then showed it to Mu Huaisheng. Mu Huaisheng looked at the time the message was sent and exined, ¡°I was in the shower at that time. She must¡¯ve taken the chance to send the message using my phone.¡±

    ¡°From the way you conduct yourself normally, I can tell you won¡¯t help her do such things,¡± Qi Chengzhi said calmly, ¡°Nheless, I¡¯m serious about what I said earlier. I put up with her this time to preserve your dignity, but if she does it again, I won¡¯t let her ruin my rtionship with Song Yu as she pleases. Even though Song Yu trusts me and knows that I won¡¯t do anything with your sister, I still won¡¯t let her do such things to revolt Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Mu Huaisheng saidposedly, ¡°I¡¯ll watch over her properly. I¡¯m really sorry for causing you so much trouble.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng exited Qilin and got on his car. Just then, he received a call from his family.

    He picked up the phone and listened to the voice on the other side. He then greeted, ¡°Mom.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you? You two just went there, yet now you want to send Sisi back already?¡± Fang Anci inquired through the phone.

    ¡°She called you?¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s face darkened, in a deep voice.

    ¡°Ah! She was wailing over the phone, iming that you helped an outsider bully her. What in the world happened?¡± Fang Anci sounded tired and impatient. She knew her daughter well.

    Mu Sisi was too stubborn. She thought the world revolved around her. Whenever things did not go her way, she called it bullying. Her whole life, the only person who went against her was Mu Huaisheng. He was the only one who could set her straight.

    ¡°As you know, she¡¯s always liked Qi Chengzhi. He¡¯s happily married, yet she still wants to intervene. She even sent a message to Qi Chengzhi with my phone behind my back, fooling him intoing to the hotel, then stripped naked in front of him. Qi Chengzhi didn¡¯t even glimpse at her. As a result of this incident, Qi Chengzhi turned hostile toward me.¡± Mu Huaisheng did not hide a thing. He told her everything as it was.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried talking to her nicely, I¡¯ve tried being tough with her¡ªI¡¯ve tried everything. She just won¡¯t listen. She¡¯s decided that she likes Qi Chengzhi, so he has to like her. If this continues, my friendship with Qi Chengzhi is done for. Even you know how powerful the Qi family is here. If this matter offended them, friendship will be the least of my problems¡ªour family¡¯s brand would never be able to develop here.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, Song Yu, is extremely pampered by the Qi family. From Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s little sister and nephew, everyone in the Qi family loves her and has her back. How can they let Sisi do whatever she pleases? That day at the Wei family¡¯s banquet, Sisi went ahead and threw herself at him in front of Song Yu. Grandmother Qi did not say anything directly, but she hinted that her grandson and granddaughter-inw have a great rtionship, leaving Sisi with some self-respect. Even so, she¡¯s still rushing to climb onto him. This isn¡¯t the ¡®love¡¯ she always bbers about, and at this point, she¡¯s just a burden. If I let her stay here, I reckon she would offend the entire Qi family.¡±

    ¡°The thing is, your father is going to Italy to participate in a fashion week, and I¡¯m going with him. We will also look into how business is in Italy and evaluate the market situation there, so we¡¯ll be gone for quite a while. If you send Sisi back now, we won¡¯t be there¡ªno one will look after her. She can secretly fly back and hide somewhere without you knowing. That would be even more troublesome,¡± Fang Anci said, ¡°In my opinion, you should put up with her first. Let her stay with you. At least you can look after her. You know the ces she tends to go. With you around, she won¡¯t cause as much trouble. Additionally, if anything happens, you can be there to save her.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng hung up in rage. He rubbed his eyes, feeling tired of all this.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi returned home. They entered the bedroom to change. Song Yu took the suit coat Qi Chengzhi just took off. As she was hanging it up, she saw a strand of hair stuck to the back of it. It was not hers because it was curled.

    Song Yu threw away the hair and hung the coat as if nothing happened. She did not take it to heart.

    Qi Chengzhi changed intofortable home clothes and walked out. Song Yu did not mention the hair.

    He was frowning slightly, and she did not know what he was pondering upon. He had on a thin V-neck T-shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to the elbows, exposing his muscr arm. His casual, khaki-colored long pants made his legs look long and defined. His elegant and slender hands were ced in his pants pockets. He was just standing there, appearing slim and tall. The scene was picturesque.

    ¡°What are you looking at?¡± Song Yu asked. She wondered what was so interesting about the white wall that he kept staring at it.

    Qi Chengzhi turned his head. He wrapped his arms around her waist. In a husky voice, he asked, ¡°Do you feel that something¡¯s missing on that wall?¡±

    Hearing that, Song Yu turned to look at the wall, but she stared at it for an eternity and did not notice anything. ¡°What¡¯s it missing?¡±

    ¡°Can you put some heart into this?¡± Qi Chengzhi gripped her waist tightly and pulled her toward him until she was pressed against his lower abdomen. ¡°Our wedding ceremony ising soon, yet you didn¡¯t realize we don¡¯t even have a wedding photo?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu wrapped her arms around his waist. Honestly, she did not think in that direction at all.

    Truth be told, it was because Qi Chengzhi gave her too much sense of security. She did not feel the need for such physical objects, so she never thought in that direction.

    When to get register, when to have the wedding ceremony, when to get engaged¡ªshe did not need to worry about any of these. Qi Chengzhi would have nned everything with passion.

    Next month would be the wedding ceremony, but she, the bride, never worked to the bone for this wedding. She has never done any decorating personally. She merely told him her ideas. Whenever she came up with new ideas or wanted to add anything, she just told him and he would get it done perfectly.

    She did not have to do a thing. Still, now that she thought about it, he was already so busy, yet she let him handle these trivial matters. It felt a little wrong.

    As a consequent of things being handled like this, she did not even think about their wedding photo.

    Therefore, she raised her head and suggested ording to hisment, ¡°When are you free? We¡¯ll go take a set of photographs.¡±

    ¡°With your current body, you shouldn¡¯t tire yourself.¡± He frowned slightly, looking at her tummy, thinking what a hindrance this child was.

    ¡°We¡¯re just going to stand for a while, then sit for a while. It¡¯s not going to be tiring,¡± Song Yu reassured, ¡°Besides, let¡¯s take the chance while my tummy hasn¡¯t erged yet. It¡¯ll look better.¡±

    Speaking of body figure, she let go of him, took a few steps back, and pinched her waist. ¡°Do you think I¡¯ve be fatter? Tell me honestly.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was not dumb. If he had said she has gotten fatter, that would have been the end of him. Nevertheless, she really had not gotten fatter. Her stomach was still t.

    Thus, he told her honestly, ¡°No, you really haven¡¯t.¡±

    As expected, Song Yu analyzed him for a long time. She decided that his expression was serious and that he did not sound dismissive. She was delighted. Only then did she finally grabbed his hand and brought him to the living room for dinner.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, the Range Rover stopped in front of Chengshi. As usual, Song Yu gave him a kiss right before getting out, but she did get out immediately.

 Chapter 196 - Qi Chengzhiâ€™s Secret Hotel Rendezvous with A Lover (First Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 196: Qi Chengzhi¡¯s Secret Hotel Rendezvous with A Lover (First Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The next morning, the Range Rover stopped in front of Chengshi. As usual, Song Yu gave him a kiss right before getting out, but she did get out immediately.

    Noticing theck of reaction from Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu pointed to her stomach and said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you gonna say goodbye to the baby?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze shifted to her belly, which he then ced his elegant hands on. He had his head lowered for a long time, and after that, he said, ¡°I can¡¯t feel anything.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ignoring him, Song Yu looked down at her tummy and said, ¡°Darling, daddy¡¯s saying bye-bye to you, darling.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt that she was only trying to humor herself.

    Content atst, she then got down from the car.

    Song Yu entered the building and took the lift. When she came out of it and was heading to her office, Yang Yunshu came out from the design department and they met face-to-face.

    Ever since Yang Yunshu¡¯s transferal to an administrative position in the engineering department, she regarded Song Yu as nonexistent. She would always pull a long face when she walked past Song Yu.

    Yang Yunshu attempted to search up some jobs online, even taking leave to visit different architecture firms and apply for a position. None, however, epted her.

    That was why she grew to loathe Song Yu. Her future prospects had been ruined for apparently no reason.

    On that particr day, however, Yan Yunshu was the first to smile when she saw Song Yu. It was an evil grin, and she seemed to be reveling in some sort of mishap.

    ¡°Yo, Mrs. Qi is here!¡± Yan Yunshu smiled weirdly.

    Song Yu simply nced at her without saying a word.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you look too good today? Did you find out what happened? Is that why you can¡¯t sleepst night?¡± Yang Yunshu looked askance at Song Yu with a sly smile in the corner of her pursed lips.

    Song Yu frowned. She thought herplexion was rather good when she looked in the mirror earlier that day.

    ¡°Find out what?¡± Song Yu asked curiously.

    Neither head nor tail could be made of Yang Yunshu¡¯s odd words.

    ¡°Oh no, you still don¡¯t know about it?¡± Yang Yunshu took a dramatic step back and ced her hand over her mouth.

    Song Yu pursed her lips and ceased paying attention to her. She headed immediately for her office instead.

    Yan Yunshu turned around and said from behind her, ¡°Your husband cheated on you. I think your days are numbered, don¡¯t you? People always say that once you enter into a rich family, they¡¯ll surely kick you out someday. I just didn¡¯t think that it¡¯de so soon. You¡¯re no longer novel to him anymore!¡±

    Song Yu stopped in her tracks and turned around to re at her.

    She used to treat Yang Yunshu rather indifferently in the past, but at that moment, Song Yu felt an intense hatred toward that woman.

    The re caught Yang Yunshu by surprise, and for a brief moment, she was stunned into silence. Her body turned stiff and she was unable to speak.

    Song Yu said not a word as she turned around and entered the office.

    The atmosphere within changed drastically upon her entrance. When she was outside, she could hear chatteringing from inside, but after entering, the entire room fell silent.

    Everyone gave her odd looks¡ªsome looked like they were taking delight in other¡¯s misfortune, while others seemed like they already knew what wasing. Many, though, appeared to pity her.

    Recalling Yang Yunshu¡¯s response, Song Yu had no intention to show a puzzled expression. She calmly went straight for her seat.

    The rest of them were not like Yang Yunshu, and although no one had any grudges toward Song Yu, most were usually jealous and envious that she could marry into a rich family. Despite that, they would not stoop so low as to add insult to injury. Therefore, no one came to ask questions or make thoughtless remarks at her. They all sat in their seats, watching inquisitively for something to happen.

    Song Yu ignored everything and turned on herputer. She then took her cellphone out of her bag and sent a text to Ruan Danchen. [What¡¯s going on?]

    After a while, Song Yu received a website link from Ruan Danchen. The domain name was from a well-known portal.

    Song Yu tapped on the link and the phone opened it in her browser automatically. It brought her to the webpage, and after it finished loading, a ck headline was the first thing that caught her eye. ¡®Qi Chengzhi, Director of Qilin Properties and Eldest Grandson of the Qi Family, Caught Having A Secret Rendezvous with His Lover in A Hotel.¡¯

    Song Yu narrowed her eyes and scrolled down. The first picture appeared to have been taken from a ce just opposite Dynasty. It was taken through a mirror from a very far distance, and even with the use of a professional telephoto lens, the picture was still rather blurry.

    Qi Chengzhi was seated on the sofa in the picture. A woman was standing right opposite him, wearing only a white bathrobe. Anyone could guess that nothing else was worn underneath it.

    Only the sides of their faces were visible. The photo editor was kind enough to put a red circle around Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face and magnify that part of the picture at one corner. Beside that magnified picture was a proper but old photo of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frontal face.

    On the other hand, the woman¡¯s face was not magnified. It was unclear in the photograph, but Song Yu¡¯s intuition told her that the woman was Mu Sisi.

    Further downward was another photograph. Qi Chengzhi and the woman were near the door and their backs were facing the camera. Mu Sisi was stark naked, though her bottom was pixted. Her fair-skinned body was clinging to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back as she hugged him tightly.

    No other picture was present after that.

    The text was brief, stating, ¡°The Qi family is one of eight great families in B City. Poised to be the family¡¯s next generation patriarch, their eldest grandson Qi Chengzhi¡ªcurrent director of Qilin Properties, formerly director of Qilin Technology¡ªwas pictured in a secret rendezvous at Dynasty Hotel with an unknown woman. ording to reports, Qi Chengzhi has secretly gotten married, but the wife¡¯s identity is not known as of yet. The photographs depict the woman as being reluctant to let Qi Chengzhi leave, and the two of them looked enamored with each other.¡±

    Song Yu exited the news portal and drew an immediate inference.

    It was not by virtue of her intelligence that she came to that conclusion, for she was still furious with the fake news. Rather, it was her undying trust for him¡ªshe did not believe that a man who waited for her more than twenty years would betray her with the snap of a finger. He had many a chance to date other women when he was studying abroad, at a time where none of it could even be considered a betrayal, yet not once did he go for those other women. Why, then, would he choose to wait until then to do those things to her?

    Reporters were always skilled at putting words to pictures and blowing things out of proportion.

    The trust she had for him meant that she did not suspect him of anything, but she still could not control herself from being angry at him.

    Part of the reason was that she saw how Mu Sisi threw herself all over him during the night of Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday celebration.

    Song Yu dialed home. ¡°Aunt Yang, could you please wash the clothes that Chengzhi wore yesterday?¡±

    After hanging up, Song Yu put the matter to bed and no longer kept it in her heart. Nevertheless, she decided to give Qi Chengzhi a stern warning when she got back home. It was outrageous that he could even fall into Mu Sisi¡¯s trap!

    She proceeded to continue with her work.

    Half an hourter, the front desk called. She picked up the phone and heard the receptionist say, ¡°Song Yu, two people are looking for you.¡±

    ¡°Two people? Who are they?¡± Song Yu asked as she was puzzled.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know. One is an olddy and the other is a middle-aged woman. The olddy is being mysterious. She¡¯s not telling anyone who she is, and she¡¯s even wearing sunsses inside the building,¡± the receptionist faced the wall and whispered into the phone.

    Almost immediately, Song Yu put two and two together and was left utterly shocked! She wondered if it was really the olddy who made a personal visit just to look for her!

    She immediately hung up and went out. There, she saw the olddy sitting on the sofa with Xia Wenna.

    ¡°Grandma, Mom,¡± Song Yu greeted, albeit still somewhat taken aback. She then joined them on the sofa.

    The receptionist inhaled sharply. ¡®These two are from the Qi family?

    ¡®From the way Song Yu greeted them, wouldn¡¯t they be Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother and grandmother?¡¯

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Xia Wenna helped the olddy up. Thetter then pulled Song Yu¡¯s hand, whispering to her, ¡°Is there somece we can talk privately?¡±

    Song Yu stared in bafflement at the olddy and Xia Wenna, whose faces looked uneasy and anxious. She pondered for a moment before bringing them to the alfresco lounge on the rooftop.

    That way, there would not be too many colleagues who would spot them, thus preventing the olddy and Xia Wenna from feeling embarrassed.

    The still-trending news was part of the reason why the olddy decided to talk inside thepany instead of going to another ce. Things were still heated, and they were afraid of being spotted by reporters. If the three of them were seen discussing something together, the reporters would sensationalize it and make further unfavorable assumptions.

    The rooftop of the office building was amunal lounge area that everypany within the building could use. It was like a rooftop garden, providing a ce for office workers to chat and rx if they had some spare time.

    Other than chairs, tables, and potted nts, there were no water dispensers or coffee machines. One must bring one¡¯s own food and drink.

    The area was not frequented often during winter, as it was quite cold there. Although the weather was considerably warmer than usual, the wind was still strong, and so there were not many people there at the time.

    Song Yu felt that it would not do much harm if they only stayed there for a while.

    The olddy never expected the building to have such an area. Satisfied, she sat down.

    She and Xia Wenna continued to be silent, leaving Song Yu to be the first one to say something. ¡°Grandma, Mom, you¡¯re here because of the news involving Chengzhi, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    The elderlydy exchanged nces with Xia Wenna, shocked that Song Yu would be the first to bring up the topic. Even more surprising was how Song Yu looked absolutely unperturbed with the news.

    ¡°You¡¯re...okay?¡± Xia Wenna asked doubtfully. If those things happened to Xia Wenna, she would never have been able to stay as calm as Song Yu.

    Song Yu smiled briefly before saying, ¡°Although the picture wasn¡¯t clear, I can recognize the woman as Mu Sisi. I didn¡¯t verify it with Chengzhi, but I can¡¯t think of any other woman except her. I say that because Chengzhi received a message from Mu Huaisheng, asking to meet him at Dynasty this Thursday. It fits the time frame of the news report. Now that the picture hase out, I think Mu Sisi wanted to seduce Chengzhi, and to do that, she used Mu Huaisheng¡¯s name to trick Chengzhi into going to the hotel.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say that I¡¯m not angry at all after seeing the photographs. I am, but only because Mu Sisi had the chance to hug him while she¡¯s naked. I wasn¡¯t worried about him cheating on me. I mean, he¡¯s liked me for so many years now, from his university days outside of the country and during my bankruptcy, too. We¡¯ve lost contact for many, many years. That¡¯s not a short time at all, and I wasn¡¯t even beside him during that period. I wasn¡¯t even his girlfriend then. He could have as many women as he wanted and I wouldn¡¯t have the right to say anything.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t even look for any other women during that span of time. Why would he suddenly decide to do so after marrying me? Mu Sisi likes Chengzhi and she admitted it herself. I¡¯m not surprised at all that she came up with all these tricks. If I argue with Qi Chengzhi, it¡¯ll only make her secretly happy, and I¡¯m not going to let her have that luxury.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    The olddy was very touched after hearing Song Yu¡¯s words. She felt lucky to have a granddaughter-inw that was very understanding. From those words alone, the elderlydy knew that Song Yu would have Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back when he became the patriarch. In tandem with him, they could bring the Qi family to greater heights.

    Xia Wenna always knew that Song Yu was a reasonable woman who kept a level-head in all situations. She was always good-tempered and had a clear mind in everything she did, but at that moment, Xia Wenna was particrly in awe of Song Yu¡¯s reaction. Xia Wenna was worried sick, but fortunately for her, there was nothing to be worried about. Her mood was beginning to change for the better.

    Putting aside Song Yu¡¯s earlier engagement to Qi Chengji, Xia Wenna was sincerely beginning to actually like Song Yu. Song Yu¡¯s status as Qi Chengji¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e became increasingly unimportant, and bit-by-bit, Song Yu¡¯s status became solely that of ¡®Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife¡¯.

    ¡°Has Chengzhi called you and exined everything?¡± Xia Wenna askedpassionately and her voice was gentle too.

    Song Yu went nk for a moment, but she shook her head in all honesty.

    ¡°This child!¡± Xia Wenna pped the table in anger. ¡°This is a very serious matter! Even if you trust him, he has to at least exin himself to you. Even though he didn¡¯t do anything to disappoint you, it¡¯s a fact that he gave Mu Sisi the chance to get close to him. How can he just keep quiet?!¡±

    Xia Wenna took out her cellphone and prepared to dial Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number. She was going to him a good scolding. Song Yu stopped her, however, saying, ¡°Mom, he doesn¡¯t need to exin it to me. He trusts me and knows that I won¡¯t misunderstand him because of something like this.¡±

    ¡°Still, you said you¡¯re angry at him. You can¡¯t indulge a man when ites to such things. It¡¯ll make him think that there¡¯s nothing wrong about it. If something simr happens next time, he¡¯ll rely on your trust to say that there isn¡¯t a need for him to exin anything. You must let him know that even if you trust him, there must never be a ¡®next time¡¯. He can¡¯t let the same thing happen again,¡± Xia Wenna protested.

    Song Yu was surprised that Xia Wenna would make remarks that sided with her. Xia Wenna was practically standing on her side of the fence and considering her point of view.

    Still perplexed, the olddy said aggressively, ¡°I think you¡¯re correct, my dear Song Yu. That Mu Sisi tricked our Chengzhi. And why was it such a coincidence that the reporter managed to take a picture of it? This isn¡¯t a big street we¡¯re talking about, it¡¯s a room in Dynasty. The reporter isn¡¯t psychic, I believe. How could they have known what was going to happen in that exact room?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. The other rooms were not photographed, only that one room. Mu Sisi isn¡¯t a celebrity, so why would there be paparazzi following her?¡± Xia Wenna mulled it over.

    The olddy than mmed her hands on the table and drew up a conclusion. ¡°Mu Sisi was definitely the one who arranged this! If she truly wanted tomit an affair, why would she stand naked in the room without closing the blinds? The only logical reason was to let someone photograph her! Ever since I saw that girl at Xiao Wei¡¯s birthday, I never liked her. She¡¯s chock-full of ulterior motives!¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t just let this matter slide. Our Qi family can¡¯t be seen to be suffering such humiliation!¡± Xia Wenna eximed. Realizing that the olddy was still beside her, she remembered that these things were not for her to decide.

    Xia Wenna turned around and asked, ¡°Mom, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right.¡± The olddy nodded affirmatively. ¡°We can¡¯t just let her tarnish Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name. It¡¯ll make everyone think that their rtionship is shaky!¡±

    The olddy did not detail their course of action though, as she simply left with Xia Wenna.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng flung his tablet angrily to one side. Mu Sisi though, was all dressed-up as she came out of her room. She was clothed entirely in her family¡¯s brand.

    Seemingly in high spirits, she flicked a curl of hair to her back and shook her head of hair, humming a tune while she was at it.

    Mu Huai Sheng looked at her and asked in a low voice. ¡°You look pretty happy. Are you going to unt yourself to Song Yu?¡±

    Mu Sisi stopped what she was doing and turned to look at the seething Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s rxed and cheery expression disappeared, leaving only iciness in its ce.

 Chapter 197 - The Qi Family in AcThe Qi Family in Action (Second Upload)tion (Second Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 197: The Qi Family in Action (Second Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s rxed and cheery expression disappeared, leaving only iciness in its ce.

    ¡°You used my name to trick Qi Chengzhi intoing here, then without any shame at all, you stripped yourself naked in front of him. I thought we¡¯re done with this. As stubborn as you are, there has to be some kind of limit, at least. I didn¡¯t expect you to actually find someone to take those secret pictures of you. Did you think that it¡¯ll break apart their rtionship?¡± Mu Huaisheng narrowed his eyes and scrutinized Mu Sisi¡¯s reactions.

    In truth, he had his suspicions, but could not be definitively sure of them. His statements were simply a ruse to take a swipe at her and see her reaction.

    The change was so tiny and it happened in less than a second, but Mu Huaisheng was still able to spot it, thus confirming his initial guess.

    ¡°I have no idea how good their rtionship is or whether they¡¯ll break up.¡± Mu Huaisheng continued frigidly, ¡°But if I¡¯m able to guess that you did all this, Qi Chengzhi woulde to the same conclusion as well. Do you really think that Qi Chengzhi wille running to you if you used this kind of tactic to break them up? He knows perfectly well that you¡¯re the culprit. Do you think he¡¯ll forgive you that easily? You¡¯re lucky if he just hates you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just guessing. How can you be so sure that I did it?!¡± Mu Sisi felt choked as she was reluctant to admit her mistake.

    ¡°Heh.¡± Mu Huaisheng chuckled coldly. ¡°The evidence isn¡¯t important. If Qi Chengzhi said that you did it, what chance do you think you¡¯ll have? I don¡¯t mind if you¡¯re the only one who offended him, but don¡¯t go so far as to make me lose my friend.¡±

    ¡°After all is said and done, you¡¯re just afraid that Big Brother Chengzhi will turn his back on you! You¡¯re friends with him just for his status, for the benefits he can give you. You don¡¯t even care about your own sister¡¯s feelings! You¡¯ve no right to scold me, Mu Huaisheng!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked.

    Mu Huaisheng stood upzily and tookrge strides to the door. An audible sound was produced when he locked it.

    ¡°You¡¯d better sit down here and behave yourself today. You¡¯re not allowed to go anywhere!¡± Mu Huaisheng was irked that he could not send her back to America just yet. ¡°You¡¯ve already done the most despicable thing ever. Don¡¯t you go and disgust others again!¡±

    ¡°HMPH!¡± Mu Sisi huffed loudly but made no attempt to rebel. She turned around and went back to her room, mming the door behind her.

    ...

    ...

    In the afternoon, Qi Chengzhi waited for Song Yu down at Chengshi¡¯s lobby. The instant she got up the car, Qi Chengzhi immediately held her hand. Noticing that Song Yu did not try to wrestle free of him, his tense muscles immediately rxed, and his thumb caressed the back of her hand.

    Having started the car, he looked at Song Yu and began asking in his deep, rich voice. ¡°You saw the news this morning?¡±

    Song Yu was not one to y dumb by asking what news. She simply said, ¡°I suppose that woman is Mu Sisi.¡±

    After a while, she heard his muffled reply. ¡°Mm.¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath and said, ¡°Your mother and grandmother came to see me this morning.¡±

    Those words prompted Qi Chengzhi to look at her a second time.

    Song Yu continued her words immediately. ¡°They¡¯re scared that I¡¯d get into a misunderstanding, but after that, your mom said that although I trusted you fully and knew that you wouldn¡¯t do something wrong to me, I still had to let you know that I was angry. She didn¡¯t want my trust to be taken for granted, and for you to stop caring anymore.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand with much more pressure than before, and his rich voice said solemnly, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I wasn¡¯t on my guard. I have to be more cautious.¡±

    Song Yu was holding her breath the entire time. After hearing him say that, she held his hand tightly and uttered out in a gentle muffled voice. ¡°I was really angry to see that picture. She was naked when she hugged you and her body was all over you. I was so angry at that time I nearly lost it. If I was there, I would rip her hair off. No, you know what, when I saw that picture this morning, I wanted to go and hit her. I can¡¯t ever forget the things I saw in that picture.¡±

    To think that a man as pure as him¡ªwho gave her his first kiss and his first time¡ªhad been hugged by a naked woman! He may be fully clothed when the act happened, but Song Yu¡¯s anger was nheless at its peak.

    She knew that Qi Chengzhi could not sever his friendship with Mu Huaisheng just because of Mu Sisi. Song Yu was thoroughly infuriated, but she also felt helpless in that situation.

    She thought that she had let go of the matter, but she did not expect all those feelings of grief toe back again when she sat beside him. They were far more intense than in the morning.

    Song Yu was thoroughly enraged at him for not guarding himself properly, which in turn, allowed Mu Sisi to exploit.

    With her lips tightly pursed, her eyes began to heat up and feel sore. She did her best to prevent Qi Chengzhi from seeing it because she believed it was unreasonable for her to react that way. Afraid to say a word, she turned her face toward the window in fear of identally revealing her current state of mind.

    Sometimeter, the car pulled to the side of the road. Qi Chengzhi grasped her by the waist and carried her over to his sturdyp.

    Qi Chengzhi was worried that he would squeeze her too much, so he shifted the car seat backward. His delicate and elegant fingers cupped her cheek and lifted it up slightly. The sight of her reddened eyes crushed his heart and hurt him dearly.

    ¡°I was wrong. I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t get away quick enough. I should take the me because I let her touch me. I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t know how I can make you forget that picture. I¡¯m really, really sorry. I promise it won¡¯t happen again, not with Mu Sisi or any other person. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯s allowed to touch me. No one else,¡± heforted her softly, and his voice was very gentle. He seemed worried that if he spoke any louder, he could break her at a time when she was at her weakest.

    His usual rich voice became feeble and anxious. It was unlike him at all to be flustered, and none of his characteristicposure was present at that moment.

    The softer he was, the sorer her eyes became. She hugged him tight, closed her eyes, then pressed her eyelids on his shoulder. ¡°I found a strand of hair on your suitst night. It was her hair.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his jaw and embraced her firmly.

    He lowered his head and brushed his trembling lips against the corner of her eyes as well as her cheek. His fear and anxiety were palpable. ¡°How about you p me? Just p me as much as you want.

    Still pressed against him with her eyes shut, Song Yu shook her head and grasped him tighter, mumbling softly, ¡°I can¡¯t do it.¡±

    He lifted her face ever so slightly and lowered his face, kissing her wet eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t ever let any woman touch you ever again,¡± she sniffled and implored quietly.

    Waves of pain stabbed him in the heart when he saw how aggrieved she was. He hated himself for putting her through so much pain.

    ¡°Okay,¡± he promised solemnly. He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her cheek. ¡°Remember the p. There¡¯s no expiry date to it. If you regret it in the future, you can p me at any time. Be it ten years, twenty years, thirty years, or more.¡±

    Song did not answer him, but instead turned her head to the side and used it as a pillow. She called him softly, ¡°Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Mm?¡± He lowered his head, with his lips touching gently on the tip of her nose.

    Song Yu was blushing when she requested, ¡°Kiss me.¡±

    An upward-curving arc appeared in the corner of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth. His thumb began stroking her cheek gently as he moved forward and kissed her on the lips.

    His thin lips caressed hers softly. He then proceeded to part her lips slowly, letting his tongue roam around her inner lips, circling inside softly. He soon ventured deeper, tasting her tongue and intensifying his kiss.

    When their lips parted, hers were slightly swollen and beautifully red.

    A few more loving peckster, he said softly, ¡°Time to get down.¡±

    While Song Yu was still confused as to why they were getting off at that ce, he had already ced her back onto her seat.

    He got down first, then walked to the other side to open the door for the still-puzzled Song Yu.

    She then realized that it was somewhere near Qilin, about fifty meters away after a turn on the bend up ahead.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we supposed to go eat?¡± she asked, perplexed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s settle something first before we get lunch,¡± Qi Chengzhi remarked. He held Song Yu¡¯s hand and walked forward.

    Once they made the turn, Song Yu¡¯s eyes opened wide. She saw a multitude of people at Qilin, and it was insanely crowded. She wondered what they were doing there.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on at Qilin?¡± The surprised Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Nothing. Those are just reporters,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined. ¡°I have things to tell them.¡±

    Before Song Yu could question him further, he had dragged her toward the horde of reporters.

    Qilin¡¯s security guards, who had been cordoning the crowd, began shouting, ¡°Everyone! The director and his wife are here! Please give way!¡±

    They did their utmost best to maintain order and push aside the crowd to establish a passageway.

    Qi Chengzhi ced his hand around Song Yu and protected her to prevent her from being squashed.

    Upon seeing them, the reporters unleashed their cameras and began photographing them. The camera shes blinded Song Yu, but she did not wish to lower her head in a manner reminiscent of someone ashamed. She held her head high and puffed out her chest, but her eyes remained closed. She ced all of her trust in Qi Chengzhi to lead the way.

    After a while, she heard Qi Chengzhi whisper to her, ¡°Open your eyes. We need to go up the stairs now.¡±

    Song Yu blushed after realizing that he noticed it.

    She opened her eyes and looked up to see Grandfather Qi, who never made a public appearance ever since his retirement. At his side was Qi Zhongliang, and beside the two of them respectively were Grandmother Qi as well as Xia Wenna.

    Beside Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna was Qi Zhongxun and his wife, along with Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengji was also standing at Xia Wenna¡¯s side. Applying for leave from the army was practically impossible, yet there he was.

    Song Yu had no words to describe the shock and gratitude she felt at that moment. Her tears were long gone, but they came back once again. Her vision was blurry because of her teary eyes, but she could make out that everyone in the Qi family was present save for Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengyue gave her an encouraging smile. Song Yu¡¯s lips trembled, and it took her a moment to greet them, albeit still somewhat choked. ¡°Grandfather, Grandmother, Mom, Dad, Uncle, Auntie, all of you...¡±

    The old man stood straight and faced the reporters with a fierce re. When he saw Song Yu, he did not smile, but his expression had clearly turned softer.

    Xia Wenna smiledpassionately at Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi then led Song Yu by the waist and whispered, ¡°Go on up. We¡¯ll stand beside my parents.¡±

    He led her and they both assumed their positions beside Xia Wenna.

    ¡°Let me do the introduction,¡± Qi Chengzhi began speaking in his deep voice. The group of reporters fell silent immediately. ¡°This is my wife, Song Yu.¡±

    He kneaded Song Yu¡¯s waist and swept his icy gaze across all the reporters. ¡°She¡¯s my so-called unidentified wife, ording to the news report this morning.¡±

    He pursed his lips tauntingly and said, ¡°Our marriage isn¡¯t a secret. We¡¯ve already registered our marriage, but like most married couples nowadays, we registered before having a wedding. Our wedding will be held next month, and if you were patient, you would know that by then. My wife deserves to have a grand wedding. There¡¯s no need to keep it hidden.

    ¡°The person who authored that news report this morning is well aware of the situation.¡± Qi Chengzhi sneered coldly. ¡°That female in the picture is my good friend¡¯s younger sister, and I treat her only as such. She impersonated my friend to arrange a meeting at the hotel, saying that there were some things to discuss. My friend came to B City to expand his family¡¯s business. Because this is his first time here, he doesn¡¯t have a proper office yet, so a request to meet him at his hotel isn¡¯t going to make me suspicious of anything. But when I went to meet him, his sister was the only person there. She stripped naked for me without any warning, and when I left, she stopped me. I threw her off, and then I warned her. It¡¯s that simple.

    ¡°In light of this morning¡¯s news report, I don¡¯t think she took my warnings very seriously, so I won¡¯t hesitate to stand here and reveal everything to the public. Regarding this fake news, I can¡¯t say that I have no me. I neglected to take precautions and allowed that female to seize her opportunity. It made my wife very angry.¡±

    Song Yu did not expect him to add in that detail at the end. She blushed because his words painted her as a bad-tempered, henpecking woman.

    Even the reporters had odd looks on their face.

    ¡°In addition, this kind of behavior has caused all sorts of problems for me, my wife, and my family. I won¡¯t reveal her name out of respect for my friend, but I¡¯ll use this as an opportunity to warn her again. I hope she¡¯ll conduct herself with dignity, or I¡¯ll no longer respect the friendship or forgive her.¡±

    ¡°Today, the entire family is standing here,¡± the old man opened his mouth and spoke slowly. The reporters, who were all at the bottom of the stairs, kept quiet and listened. Everyone was staring at the old man because it had been nearly two years since hest made a public appearance. ¡°Our objective is simple. We¡¯re supporting our granddaughter-inw. My grandson will never do something unworthy of her. Our family¡¯s eldest grandson belongs to Song Yu and Song Yu alone. The rest can go to hell!¡±

    The olddy spoke too. ¡°I¡¯m very happy with Song Yu as a granddaughter-inw. I don¡¯t care how many filthy women are lurking out there, but don¡¯t you dare try to break up my grandson and my granddaughter-inw. We stand before all of you today not because they¡¯re fighting. Everything¡¯s fine between them because my granddaughter-inw trusts my grandsonpletely and knows that he won¡¯t do that kind of thing. We¡¯re not here to refute anything. We know what¡¯s going on, and there¡¯s no reason for us to exin ourselves to the public. Moreover, we don¡¯t give a hoot about what others think. We stand here today to tell that woman to stop ying her dirty tricks! Mess with us, and we¡¯ll definitely get you back!¡±

    ¡°The entire family has acknowledged my daughter-inw since a long time ago. Her position won¡¯t be jeopardized by those dirty tricks, and neither will their rtionship break because of that. If I may offer a bit of advice, you¡¯d better stop wasting your time,¡± Qi Zhongliang sternly admonished.

    Xia Wenna voiced out as well, ¡°When the news came out this morning, Grandma and I were worried that Song Yu will get into a misunderstanding with Chengzhi. We went straight to the office to look for her, but before we even said anything, she told us she trusted Chengzhi. She even knew that it was all the other woman¡¯s n. We¡¯re lucky to have a daughter-inw like her, and the entire family is lucky that she¡¯ll be our next generation¡¯s matriarch. The disgusting actions of that other woman are clear evidence that she isn¡¯t fit to be walking in the street.¡±

    Qi Zhongxun <sup>1</sup> looked across the crowd of reporters and said, ¡°I won¡¯t say much, but if anyone dares to oppress my niece-inw, I¡¯ll be the sixth person who opposes that.¡±

    nking Qi Zhongxun was Guan Liya, who continued awkwardly, ¡°What my husband meant was, before him are our grandparents, our elder brother and his wife, and Qi Chengzhi. He can oppose it, but his opinion onlyes in sixth ce. Of course, I¡¯ll be the seventh person. Song Yu is my niece-inw, and we won¡¯t be discriminating against her. She¡¯s our family.¡±

 Chapter 198 - Iâ€™m Taking Care of You with the Mindset That Iâ€™m Taking Care of a Pig (First Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 198: I¡¯m Taking Care of You with the Mindset That I¡¯m Taking Care of a Pig (First Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    nking Qi Zhongxun was Guan Liya, who continued awkwardly, ¡°What my husband meant was, before him are our grandparents, our elder brother and his wife, and Qi Chengzhi. He can oppose it, but his opinion onlyes in sixth ce. Of course, I¡¯ll be the seventh person. Song Yu is my niece-inw, and we won¡¯t be discriminating against her. She¡¯s our family.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded and gave a brief response. ¡°From the beginning, I¡¯ve always supported Big Brother and Sis-inw together. No one else ispatible with my big brother except for her.¡±

    d in military uniform, Qi Chengji¡¯s straightened posture lent him a dignified aura. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s not only my sister-inw. She¡¯s also a good friend of mine since young, and no matter what her status is, I won¡¯t let her be persecuted without reason.¡±

    ¡°My sister-inw has a good temper. She doesn¡¯t need your underhand tactics, and she¡¯s not shameless like you. You took off all your clothes in front of my big brother, but he still doesn¡¯t want you and won¡¯t even look at you. My sister-inw may not stoop to your level, but that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t. Girl, I¡¯ll be the first to stand in front of my sister-inw and take all your tricks!¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s voice was crisp, clear, and convincing. Even those words seemed pleasant with her baby face. It was her charming and lovable appearance that made everything much more pleasant to the eye.

    A rapid session of camera shutters was heard. The reporters were in such a stupor that they did not know what else to say. They were surprised that the Qi family supported Song Yu so strongly. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rtionship with Song Yu may be good, but if the feelings fade and Qi Chengzhi sought extramarital pleasure, the status of those mistresses may never be more elevated to that of his wife.

    Putting aside the Qi family as one of the great families, very few households¡ªeven amongst themon folk¡ªwould stand united to defend their own family¡¯s daughter-inw.

    Many have said that daughters-inw might encounter problems with their mothers-inw or sisters-inw, but for the Qi family, none of that seemed to be present at all.

    ¡°That...¡± Amid the disorder, one of the reporters¡ªa thirty-something bespectacled man positioned in the center near the back rows of the crowd¡ªraised his hand timidly. ¡°Mr. Qi. You said your wife¡¯s name is Song Yu? If I¡¯m not mistaken, your younger brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e was also named Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°It took me a tremendous effort for me to turn my brother¡¯s ex-fianc¨¦e into my wife,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded pertinently and offered his blunt remark.

    Like a thunderbolt, his words stunned each and every reporter, causing them to forget the next set of questions they had for him. Qi Chengzhi subsequently brought Song Yu into thepany building. The reporters followed suit, but Qilin¡¯s doors were already closed. A line of security guards stood in front of the door, preventing the reporters from trying to break in.

    The reporters made no attempt to try and barge in. They were still in deep thought over Qi Chengzhi¡¯s final sentence. Was he not insinuating that he had his heart set on Song Yu from early on, and that he truly did love her?

    If he could make such a statement, then it was only natural that he would not have an affair right after sessfully pursuing her and marrying her.

    At the same time, offering that piece of information would divert the reporters¡¯ attention away, as no one would care about the earlier piece of news. It was clearly a melodramatic battle between the two brothers, with the elder one emerging victorious!

    The crux of it, however, was that Qi Chengji did not seem angry at all. He even spoke up on behalf of the couple. Was the Qi family truly that united?

    Qilin¡¯s employees were also astonished. Qilin Properties was a subsidiarypany of Qilin Technology, with Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun overseeing thetter. Whenever there was a meeting, it was always Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin who went over. Their fathers were never seen, and the same was true of the elderly couple.

    Not only were they enlightened that day, but their perception of Song Yu changed as well. None of them thought that the Qi family adored her so much, and from the looks of it, the burdens of marrying into a rich family¡ªsuch as being at odds with family members and feeling unable to fit in¡ªwerepletely absent.

    The entire family went into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office. By then, Song Yu was too moved for words.

    ¡°Everyone... I didn¡¯t think...¡± Song Yu stuttered incoherently and recalled the words told to her by Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna that morning¡ªSong Yu should not simply just let it pass. Little did she know that it woulde to this.

    She faced Qi Chengzhi and asked, ¡°When did you...¡±

    ¡°He called us just after we left your workce.¡± The olddy smiledfortingly. ¡°He told us his thoughts and we all came.¡±

    Qi Zhongliang and the old man used to oppose her rtionship with Qi Chengzhi, but after officially being taken as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, they had no qualms about protecting her. Song Yu inhaled sharply and wiped her tearing eyes.

    ¡°Thank you, I...¡±

    ¡°Silly child. We¡¯re a family! How can we let our family suffer such persecution!¡± The olddy made light of it and waved her hand.

    None of them had their lunch yet, and at that point, going out was inconvenient because the reporters would still be there. Qi Chengzhi proceeded to order takeout from Dynasty and have them sent to his office. The entire family then seated themselves over the long coffee table and had a simple lunch.

    Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun then sent their father back, while their mother left with Xia Wenna and Guan Liya. Qi Chengji returned to his base, while Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengyue each went back to their respective offices.

    It would not be convenient for Song Yu to head back to Chengshi, as it was hard to guarantee that the reporters would not tail her immediately after. She, therefore, took a half-day leave.

    ...

    ...

    The reporters vied for the headlines by attempting to be the first one to report the news. They hit enter on theirptops immediately at Qilin¡¯s doorstep, thereby sending the report back to their headquarters.

    Immediately after that, the news circted online portals before even going to press.

    Although Qi Chengzhi never mentioned Mu Sisi¡¯s name explicitly, there were worded hints from him¡ªa business that would be expanded in B City for the first time, someone who was staying at Dynasty, and was a good friend of him. By those three points alone, the arrows pointed toward the Mu siblings.

    Mu Huaisheng represented the family brand name, MU, in its expansion within Asia. News of MU¡¯s first gship store in B City had been made public even before Mu Huaisheng came back to the country.

    No intensive research was required at all¡ªthe Qi family treated the media as a mouthpiece to reveal who that third party was.

    Qi Chengzhi omitted to reveal the person¡¯s name, however, and without proof, the media did not want to invite awsuit. They referred to the woman as Miss M and allowed the public to put two-and-two together.

    Mu Huaisheng ced both hands into his pocket and leaned against the door frame. He was looking at Mu Sisi, who sat on the bed while reading the news on her tablet.

    He watched as her hands trembled in anger while holding the edges of the tablet.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s usually gentle expression was grim at that moment, and his lips were pursed sternly. When he saw how tense Mu Sisi¡¯s face was due to the anger, he snickered and twitched his lips. ¡°Do you still think that the me wouldn¡¯t fall on you if Qi Chengzhi doesn¡¯t have any evidence? Have you seen what the Qi family said about you? Are you really going to continue fighting with Song Yu when you¡¯re nothing but an immodest person in their eyes?

    ¡°After the Qi family made those statements, it¡¯s not only you who don¡¯t stand a chance, but other women as well. No one will ever have the chance to rece Song Yu.¡± He huffed mockingly due to sheer anger. ¡°Miss M. Everyone knows that it¡¯s Mu Sisi. Your actions brought shame to our family.¡±

    ¡°STOP IT!¡± Mu Sisi lowered her head and shrieked.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi¡¯s not the only one. The whole family is repulsed by you now. They¡¯re all willing to stand up for Song Yu and use the media to convey their message. If you keep provoking them, they¡¯ll cut all ties with us.¡± Mu Huaisheng took one step in and entered the room.

    ¡°SHUT UP!¡± Mu Sisi covered her ears.

    ¡°Listen carefully, Mu Sisi. This isn¡¯t likest time where you can just use our family name to bully the weak.¡± Mu Huaisheng ignored her and continued talking. He knew she could hear him perfectly well. ¡°The Qi family doesn¡¯t give a damn about your background. You may be special in America, but this isn¡¯t America. This is the Qi family¡¯s turf. Here, they can deal with you however they want to. They can stop our family from establishing ourpany here, if that¡¯s what they want. MU won¡¯t be able to set foot here. Do you understand that?

    ¡°You thought you could break apart their rtionship, but they showed you a united family instead. Even the elder members of their family made their stand clearly known. They said it in front of the public to punish you for trying to destroy Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. Don¡¯t you get it? Are you still going to be stubborn about this? I beg you, leave some dignity for our family. Don¡¯t humiliate our parents even when they¡¯re so far away in America.¡±

    ¡°I SAID, GET OUT!¡± Mu Sisi flung the tablet at Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng ducked. The tablet grazed his ear andnded straight onto the door frame behind him. Itnded on the floor with a bang, and the screen was already cracked at that point

    He clenched his jaw, shot Mu Sisi a nce, then mmed the door and left.

    ¡°ARGHHHH!¡± Mu Sisi threw a fit and punched the bed with both hands. ¡®What right did the Qi family have to say all those things about me? What right did they have to embarrass me?!¡¯

    Still seething from spite, she got off the bed. One by one, she took the d¨¦cor in the room and smashed them onto the floor.

    She thought about the humiliation she suffered in front of Qi Chengzhi, and how he ignored her even when she was naked.

    Next came the Qi family¡¯s turn to humiliate her in public.

    Mu Sisi was exploding with rage.

    ...

    ...

    The sofa in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office had been reced by a newer, muchrger one. It was even wider than a normal single bed, making itfortable for two people to sleep there.

    Song Yu finished her meal and let it digest for a bit. She began to feel sleepy, so Qi Chengzhi left her to lie down on the sofa.

    Seeing how peaceful she was, he could not resist joining her as well.

    Drawing her into his embrace, his warm palmsy t against her back, with only her thin clothes separating their skin. Within his embrace, he felt her small stature¡ªshe was only two-thirds the width of his shoulders.

    Song Yu covered her mouth and yawned. She then spoke in a husky voice, ¡°I think I¡¯m like a pig. I just feel like sleeping after I eat.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking care of you with the mindset that I¡¯m taking care of a pig.¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled softly and nuzzled his face into her neck. Song Yu¡¯s skin felt ticklish due to the short bursts of breath produced by his chuckles.

    ¡°You¡¯re mean!¡± Song Yu kicked him on the shin without hesitation. ¡°How can you say that about your own wife!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s kissed the silky skin of her neck before lifting his head and pecking her on the lips. When he lifted his head up, his lips were still considerably near to hers. His breaths escaped his nostrils when he smiled,nding all over her nose and lips.

    His hands shifted from behind and moved to her still-t tummy. Song Yu¡¯s eyes followed suit as she gazed at his hand on her stomach.

    They were slender, his hands, and the back of each hand was delicate as well. When his hand was spread, the tendons on the back of his hand were in full disy. His fingers, whenpared to other men, were much slenderer. Each joint was vaguely distinct, making his hand look strong and robust despite being slender.

    ¡°I want to see the progress of your tummy expanding day by day. It gives me a sense of aplishment to know that I¡¯m the one who took care of it and made it plump,¡± he whispered hoarsely and pecked her lips yet again.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be fat. As I am now, there are still women who throw themselves over you. I¡¯ll be ugly if I¡¯m fat, and those women will treat me like nothing if that happened. They¡¯ll be even less restrained after that.¡± Song Yu jabbed his chest softly, then ced her face onto him. A whiff of his familiar and delicious scent was enough to calm her down.

    Mu Sisi stripped bare and stood in front of him, but he did not want her in the slightest. For that, Song Yu felt proud of herself.

    Her arm went under his body and she proceeded to hug him tightly. Her supple palmsy t against his back and they began sliding down gently. She kneaded his waist for a moment before finally advancing to his muscr bottom.

    Already tight in his embrace, he reined her in even more firmly and rubbed against her. She could feel his body turn stiff, including his shaft that was slowly hardening against her.

    Song Yu tilted her head and nted her soft lips onto his sharp jaw, kissing softly everywhere without missing a spot. She then continued kissing all the way to the corner of his lip, moving slowly toward the center. Barely seconds after the tip of her tongue grazed lightly against his lip, she heard a moaning from his throat, followed by him seizing her tongue.

    His shoulders tensed and he hugged her tightly, all while kissing her passionately. He sucked on her lips and her tongue, then entered into her mouth. The heat Song Yu felt was so intense that she began to tremble.

    His actions were so forceful, and it felt to her like she was being punished by him because she was caught doing something mischievous.

    Only when she was nearly unable to breathe did he let go of her. His handsome face suggested that some kind of mischief was brewing, and he subsequently pressed her waist onto his body.

    He parted her legs and pressed himself onto her, causing a shiver toe over Song Yu¡¯s body. Then, he growled in a low voice, ¡°Are you seducing me on purpose, or did you just want to kiss me?¡±

    Song Yu did not reply, but her face was gradually turning red, almost as if she was using rouge. She lifted one leg and hooked his waist, mping down on him. He was much deeper than before, although his trousers were separating the two of them.

    She heard him inhale sharply as he clenched his jaw in an attempt to restrain himself. He then exhaled heavily while securing her in his embrace. His eyes remained charismatic, and his pupils were so jet-ck that ink could almost be squeezed out of it.

    ¡°You¡¯re seducing me on purpose, aren¡¯t you?¡± his rich voice was rather taut.

    ¡°Do you want it or not?¡± she asked softly. She blushed and her scalp felt hot.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled softly and kissed her forcefully. He flipped over and hugged her tight, while his fingers slid down and took off her pants.

    ¡°You¡¯re stubbornly seducing me even though you know I can¡¯t enter you. Tell me, isn¡¯t this called bullying?¡± he berated her while moving his slender fingers inside of her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll relieve you,¡± Song Yu grumbled softly and lowered her head in embarrassment.

    Without answering her, Qi Chengzhi made her get on all fours and beganpping up her moist tenderness. Song Yu closed her eyes and dared not look at the entire scene, but the tighter her eyes were shut, the clearer things became. She grabbed the pillow just above her head and clenched her jaw, afraid to make too loud a sound.

    Her knees became weak and she stretched her hand back to try and touch him. The first thing she came into contact with was his face, and once she knew what he was doing, her brain exploded, leaving behind only a nk te.

    Once he had helped her get her relief, Song Yu used her hand to help him get his.

    ¡°Why are you so spontaneous today?¡± He cocked a brow and helped her to straighten her clothes. He adored her with every new touch and could not help but sneak in a little squeeze when putting her clothes in order.

    ¡°I just wanted you,¡± Song Yu muttered while blushing. Her earlier lustfulness could be med for her spontaneity, but she shied away from looking at him after the ordeal. She turned her head to the side and hugged the bolster, burying her head in it.

    She felt Qi Chengzhi remain motionless for a while, but all of a sudden, he embraced her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m yourspletely. Always.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew exactly how Song Yu felt. She removed her face from the pillow and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Mm.¡±

 Chapter 199 - Do You Intend on Being A Matchmaker? (Second Upload)

    <h4>Chapter 199: Do You Intend on Being A Matchmaker? (Second Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi knew exactly how Song Yu felt. She removed her face from the pillow and looked at him with a smile. ¡°Mm.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi made sure they were both neat, and by then, lunch break had just finished.

    Song Yu was feeling really sleepy. She closed her eyeszily and fell asleep, leaving Qi Chengzhi to continue doing work.

    At about three in the evening, Mu Huaisheng called him.

    ¡°You saw the news.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at the still-sleeping Song Yu and walked to the window, speaking softly there.

    ¡°This is Sisi¡¯s fault. My words did not affect her, but I¡¯ll make sure to put a strict watch on her next time. How¡¯s Song Yu?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked from the other end of the line.

    ¡°She was mostly angry that your sister touched me. She didn¡¯t believe the rest.¡± Qi Chengzhi then remarked bluntly, ¡°Huaisheng, my family came out this time to give one, and only one, warning. If there¡¯s ever a next time, I won¡¯t spare your dignity either.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I understand. Are you free tonight? I booked a room at the Red Roof Club. I want to apologize to your wife. I won¡¯t be bringing Mu Sisi, of course.

    Aftering to B City, Mu Huaisheng asked around for some high-end ces. One was Dynasty, while the other was the Red Roof Club¡ªin both ces, the application to be a member had strict vetting procedures, requiring also a referral by someone else.

    In that regard, Wei Ziqi¡ªby virtue of Mu Huaisheng¡¯s potential cooperation with Wu Feng¡ªsettled it all for him rtively easily.

    Even so, it was not easy to book a room at the Red Roof Club, but Yan Beicheng found out that it was Mu Huaisheng who wanted to book the room. Realizing that it probably had something to do with the news earlier that morning, Yan Beicheng reserved it for Mu Huaisheng out of respect for Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu and noticed that she was awake.

    Afraid to wake her up, he had earlier silenced his phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to her about it first and ask for her opinion.¡± Qi Chengzhi began speaking in his normal volume. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you soon.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Song Yu asked after Qi Chengzhi hung up.

    ¡°Did you wake up because you heard me on the phone?¡± He walked over and sat beside her. He was leaning on the pillow, and she was leaning against him.

    ¡°No, I woke up naturally,¡± she reassured. Song Yu had slept well, but when she was nearly awake, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice, which then roused her uppletely.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng called. He wants to personally apologize to you about what happened with Mu Sisi,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined. ¡°He booked a room at the Red Roof Club. I haven¡¯t given him an answer yet because I want to ask you first.¡±

    Song Yu looked down and mulled over it for a moment. She then said, ¡°Let¡¯s just go. I trust your opinion of others. If he¡¯s a good person, there¡¯s no need to involve him with what his sister did.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After work, Qi Chengzhi drove to the Red Roof Club with Song Yu.

    The attendant brought them to the room that Mu Huaisheng booked. He was already waiting there.

    Hearing the door click open, he looked up and saw Qi Chengzhiing in with Song Yu. His expression, though warm, seemed slightly embarrassed.

    He stood up and smiled at Song Yu. ¡°Thank you foring, Song Yu.¡±

    She returned his smile but kept quiet.

    The three of them sat down, and the attendant asked if the dishes could be served. Mu Huaisheng nodded, then turned to Qi Chengzhi, asking, ¡°Can you drink tonight?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t. I need to drive,¡± Qi Chengzhi responded curtly.

    Mu Huaisheng then asked Song Yu, but before she could answer, Qi Chengzhi held her hand and responded, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant. She can¡¯t drink.¡±

    Briefly surprised, Mu Huaisheng smiled. ¡°I see, congrattions.¡±

    Turning again to the attendant, he requested some fresh-pressed juices instead of wine.

    After the attendant left, he began his apology, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my sister did this kind of thing at this time. If something happens, she would¡¯ve messed up big time.¡±

    ¡°I trust Chengzhi a lot, so it didn¡¯t have much of an effect on me,¡± Song Yu responded bluntly. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I forgive her actions.¡±

    ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t need to forgive her at all. I¡¯ve been scolding her ever since the Wei family¡¯s celebration the other day, but no matter what I say, she never listens. She¡¯s even gone out to stir up this kind of trouble, so I don¡¯t expect her to have any logic or reason. Her stubbornness knows no bounds, and I don¡¯t n on just letting her do as she pleases.

    ¡°In fact, I have to bear the responsibility as well because I didn¡¯t manage to control her in time. I should¡¯ve known earlier that she won¡¯t listen to my advice and won¡¯t give up if she hasn¡¯t gotten what she wanted.¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s voice was deep. ¡°When Chengzhi stormed off angrily from Dynasty, I immediately booked her a ne ticket to send her back, but I didn¡¯t expect my parents to be in Italy. They won¡¯t be back anytime soon, and I won¡¯t feel at ease if she¡¯s alone there. Who knows if she does anything stupid, or maybe even secretly fly back here? If that happens, I won¡¯t be able to locate her and keep her in check, so she¡¯ll have to stay here. I¡¯ll look after her properly, of course, and make sure that she won¡¯t give you any more headaches.¡±

    ¡°That would be the best. But before anything else, there¡¯s something I¡¯d like to say. If shees at me and does something funny, I won¡¯t be treating her nicely. In fact, I¡¯ll most likely be treating her rather uncivilly,¡± Song Yu dered. ¡°I¡¯m not so kind as to forgive her and be all goody-goody with her, especially when I ¡®m aware that she likes my Chengzhi and is trying to wreck our rtionship.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best to stop her from bothering you.¡± Mu Huaisheng was afraid to give them his unequivocal promise. He hadpany matters to attend to, and it was not easy to keep a constant watch on Mu Sisi.

    Song Yu smiled inly and said, ¡°Please also tell her that I¡¯m happy with Chengzhi and I trust him fully. There¡¯s nothing she could do that can break up apart.¡±

    Momentster, the attendant brought over the food and fruit juice.

    Once the attendant left, Mu Huaisheng poured some juice for them and said to Song Yu, ¡°Apologizing over wine is merely a formality. Tonight, I¡¯ll use fruit juice in ce of wine to offer you my sincerest apologies.¡±

    Song Yu took a sip and smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve already told Chengzhi that I trust your character because you¡¯re his friend. You are you. Mu Sisi is Mu Sisi. I¡¯ll tell you that I hate her, but that won¡¯t affect my opinion of you.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng smiled. It was equally as good to say cheers even though it was only fruit juice.

    ¡°To tell you the truth, even though she¡¯s my sister, I can tell you that she¡¯s not a match with Qi Chengzhi,¡± Mu Huaisheng remarked.

    Song Yu did not expect Mu Huaisheng to actually say that. Surprisingly, he was not so biased as to side with Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Sisi has the belief that she loves Chengzhi for the longest time. She was infatuated with him. But what she didn¡¯t know was that Chengzhi loved you longer.¡± Mu Huaisheng looked at Qi Chengzhi with a half-smile and noticed that thetter¡¯s expression was unwavering. Qi Chengzhi was about to drink his fruit juice, but he stopped short of it and simply held the stem of the ss.

    ¡°Chengzhi talked about me before?¡± Astonished, she nced at Chengzhi. He was not the type of person who would talk about his feelings.

    ¡°Not exactly. I realized it only when I saw you. Back in America, Chengzhi had plenty of admirers, some of them Americans, but he ignored them all. There was one time I was very curious if there was something wrong with him for ignoring all those women, so I asked.¡± Mu Huaisheng then recounted the exact words Qi Chengzhi told himst time. ¡°At that time, I didn¡¯t know who it was, but when I saw you, I knew you¡¯re the one that he had always liked. You look much younger than I thought, though. Back then, I thought that the girl would be about his age, considering he¡¯s had his heart set on her so early on.¡±

    Even though Qi Chengzhi was already married to Song Yu, he was still mindful of their age gap being brought up.

    Mu Huaisheng did not truly mind as much and was not at all worried, since he was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s good friend after all.

    ¡°If this is the case, then Song Yu must be rather young at that time. Isn¡¯t that just wonderful of you to like her already?¡± Mu Huaisheng looked suspiciously at Qi Chengzhi as if thetter¡¯s thought processes were abnormal.

    ¡°Have you chosen a ce for your gship store?¡± Qi Chengzhi changed the topic without even flinching.

    It was not a smooth transition at all, and Song Yu could not help butugh. ¡°What are you doing? I wanna listen to the things that happened during your university days.¡±

    ¡°If you want to listen, I¡¯ll slowly tell you everything when we go home.¡± Qi Chengzhi shot her a nce, implying that he would ¡®slowly tell her everything¡¯ in bed.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. Not one second did she believe he would cooperate and actually tell her everything without a fuss.

    Mu Huaisheng broke intoughter as well. Knowing that Qi Chengzhi tried getting him to stop bringing that up, he segued into the transition and answered, ¡°We¡¯ve chosen three potential sites and are talking with each respective owner. We¡¯ll see which one fits best, and if we can purchase it, we will.

    ¡°Oh yes,¡± Mu Huaisheng said to Song Yu. ¡°Do you have any good interior designers you can introduce? We¡¯ll need to start setting up the interior once the location is confirmed.¡±

    Song Yu was somewhat taken aback. ¡°Well, since you¡¯re working with Wei Ziqi, why didn¡¯t you ask his mother¡¯spany? Madam Wei is one of the very best in the industry. And with your kind of luxury products, you¡¯d surely want to engage a renowned designer, right? It has to match your products¡¯ style, after all.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that Mu Huaisheng wanted to find a way to make it up to her under the guise of an apology.

    Even if Song Yu was not an interior designer, her line of work would definitely have given her connections with those who did. If Mu Huaisheng put the word out that he was on the lookout for an interior designer, many would jump on the chance to do so. In letting Song Yu introduce someone to him, he was giving Song Yu a chance to do the other party a huge favor, which wouldtere in handy for her in the future.

    As Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, Song Yu may not care much¡ªif at all¡ªabout those things, but Mu Huaisheng¡¯s intentions were like icing on the cake.

    ¡°Our initial decision was to change to a new style and make B City¡¯s gship store into one that stood out and fully embodied the Chinese culture.¡± Mu Huaisheng continued exining, ¡°And if we employed the services of Autumn and Co., it¡¯s only natural that I¡¯d want Madam Wei to personally work on the project. But she hasn¡¯t been personally involved in any projects recently, and even if she did, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to afford her services. I might as well ask you if there are any friends you could introduce, rather than just employing any ordinary designer from herpany. It¡¯s more or less the same thing, and of course, I¡¯d ce more importance on someone closer to me.¡±

    Song Yu understood his intentions clearly. She did not refuse his gesture of goodwill because the first person to pop in her mind was Ruan Danchen.

    Within thepany, Ruan Danchen was the main person in charge of interior design. Her designs always stood out, but because there was too muchpetition in the industry, she never had the chance to truly make a name for herself.

    Even though designing MU¡¯s gship store would not cause as much of a stir as designing Qilin¡¯s hotel, it would still be enough to Ruan Danchen to finally showcase her talents.

    Regarding the hotel, a time woulde when the interior had to be designed. However, Song Yu was, in fact, afraid to ask Qi Chengzhi to appoint Ruan Danchen through the back-door. It was a professional matter, and she did not want to interfere with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s work.

    Since Mu Huaisheng brought it up himself, it was a different matter altogether.

    ¡°It just so happens that I do have a friend. She¡¯s not a famous designer, but her designs are very stylistic.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Mu Huaisheng nodded and said, ¡°Well then, if the store location is confirmed, we can arrange a time to meet and visit the ce.¡±

    The three of them had dinner and subsequently left the ce.

    In the car, Song Yu was very excited to give Ruan Danchen a call and tell her everything.

    ¡°REALLY?¡± Ruan Danchen was both happy and surprised. Her voice was several tones louder than usual, and the excitement was much more prominent than usual.

    After that short burst of excitement, Ruan Danchen calmed herself. She took a notebook from herp and ced it onto the sofa beside her. It was an as-yet iplete design she was working on.

    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright to look for me? You didn¡¯t use any favors, did you?¡± Ruan Danchen crossed her legs and asked.

    Not once did Ruan Danchen ever ask Song Yu for more projects from Qi Chengzhi. Even the prospect of designing the interior of Qilin¡¯s hotel was not something she ever considered.

    She was unsure of her ownpetency, as it would be her first time doing something like that. Her biggest worry was that she overestimated her capabilities, with the consequences spilling over to Song Yu.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± Song Yu looked at the beautiful night scenery before her and smiled, saying, ¡°Mu Huaisheng was the one who voluntarily made the suggestion. He asked me to introduce a designer, and the first person I thought of was you. It¡¯s only a rmendation, and I see him as a genuinely trustworthy person. It¡¯s not like he¡¯ll just jump right in and engage your service just because I introduced you. When the timees, it¡¯ll still have to depend on your draft. If he¡¯s satisfied, he¡¯ll bring you on, but if he isn¡¯t, even I won¡¯t have a say on anything. The most important thing is that it depends on you.¡±

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll surely do my best, and I won¡¯t let you down!¡± Ruan Danchen pumped her fist into the air.

    Song Yu smiled and hung up. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes shifted to her and he said, half-smilingly, ¡°Do you intend on being a matchmaker?¡±

    She blushed and touched her face. ¡°Was it that obvious?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know if Mu Huaisheng can see it or not, but I can,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied. Since she finished her call, he could once again stretch his hand over and held her hand.

    ¡°Even though his sister is a problem, I think Mu Huaisheng¡¯s good enough. He probably won¡¯t let his woman be bullied. Since you¡¯re his good friend, I trust his character, and whether it works or not, the first thing is introducing each other. Even if it doesn¡¯t work, it still benefits Danchen¡¯s career, doesn¡¯t it?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand and made a sudden remark. ¡°They won¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°How do you know that?¡± Song Yu asked begrudgingly. ¡®Is he just going to dampen my enthusiasm?¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi smiled enigmatically and said, ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, just wait and see.¡±

    He may not have said his reasons, but Song Yu waspelled to believe him. Having dampened her spirits, her jovial warmth dissipated and her mood soured, too. She made a face and muttered, ¡°Meanie.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On Sunday morning, the two of them woke up early to do their wedding photoshoot.

    Qi Chengzhi did not book a studio, but instead, got in touch with a well-known photographer who works exclusively with magazines. The couple went to the photographer¡¯s personal studio, with Qi Chengzhi bringing the wedding dress shipped from France, as well as a few groom¡¯s suits he prepared for the wedding.

    He took into ount Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy and was worried that her body could not take it if they did the photoshoot outdoors. He thus decided to do only indoors.

    The wedding dress arrived rather recently, giving Song Yu no opportunity to try it on beforehand. The photoshoot marked her first time wearing the dress.

    Qi Chengzhi was led away so he could change his clothes, and after he came out, another person brought him away to touch up his face. When he noticed that the makeup artist was going to apply some foundation on him, his thick brows furrowed into a frown and he headed for the door without another word.

    ¡°Sir!¡± The makeup artist chased after him. ¡°You have to use a bit of makeup so you¡¯ll look better in the photo.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. There¡¯s no use for me to look better. It¡¯s enough if my wife looks good.¡± Qi Chengzhi continued walking without turning back at all.

    The makeup artist trailed behind and said, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re shooting like this, the effect will be vastly different from your wife. The final picture won¡¯t look nice!¡±

 Chapter 200 - Reporters, Ladies, and Gentlemen, Look At What Sheâ€™s Done!

    <h4>Chapter 200: Reporters, Ladies, and Gentlemen, Look At What She¡¯s Done!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The makeup artist trailed behind and said, ¡°Sir, if you¡¯re shooting like this, the effect will be vastly different from your wife. The final picture won¡¯t look nice!¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not going to look nice, why would I find Zhao Shinian?¡± Qi Chengzhi turned around and nced at the make-up artist. His stern re frightened her so badly that she could not move.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi went straight to the shooting area and sat on the couch.

    The makeup artist pouted. ¡®Rich people are so capricious,¡¯ she thought.

    Song Yu did not let the makeup artist put too much makeup on her. She was going for that natural look.

    Since it was only a photoshoot, her footwear would not be visible under the dress. Song Yu wanted her body proportion to stand out in the wedding dress but instead of high heels, she chose to wear wedges forfort.

    When she came out, Qi Chengzhi was scrolling his phone and reading through a few of his investments. Song Yu¡¯s footsteps were not very loud¡ªmostly drowned out by the voices of the crew.

    However, Qi Chengzhi could feel her presence. He raised his head and saw Song Yu holding the long train of her dress. The crew members were worried she would trip and lent a hand.

    The entire wedding gown was covered in delicatece. The neckline was not too revealing. It was skillfully sewn and hugged her shoulders perfectly. The curve extended from one side of the shoulder to the other, forming the boat neckline. The sleeves were tailored long and they reached her wrists. Thece material adhered to her arm, and her fair skin was vaguely visible through the patterns.

    The wedding dress was seamless, following the curve of her body up to her waist. There was a ck pearl waist chain. At the sp of the chain, a long string of ck pearls descended the side of her thigh. The jewelry swayed tantalizingly as she walked.

    The train started from her waist and billowed out behind her.

    Althoughce was all you could see from the front, there was a white top underneath. Hence, it was not at all revealing and appeared very proper.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s throat became dry seeing her in the wedding dress. He was even more touched than when he collected their marriage certificate. She was truly marrying him.

    There was somethingcking with having just the marriage certificate.

    Song Yu looked exceptionally attractive in the wedding dress. She did not put any makeup on her shoulders, yet the wedding dress did not overshadow her fair skin.

    She stood prim and proper, looking at him. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were fixated on her. He stood up slowly but did not move¡ªit was as if his legs had grown roots. He only stared at Song Yu.

    The pasty little girl from his past was now in a wedding dress, standing there, waiting for him. Qi Chengzhi was filled with an indescribable sense of happiness. The warmth seeped out from his chest to his limbs.

    He approached her slowly.

    Song Yu watched his slender form approach. Dressed in the groom¡¯s suit, Qi Chengzhi was dashing as ever. He was gorgeous to the point of mesmerizing¡ªyou could not look away from him.

    Her dark eyes focused on him in his well-trimmed suit. She felt a sense of pride in her chest. Her abdomen clenched involuntarily.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped in front of her, his gaze never leaving her. It made her a bit shy. A faint blush was working its way up her face and she lowered her head in embarrassment.

    Her hands tugged at her dress nervously. A touch on the back of her hand made her stop. She looked over and saw his elegant hand touching the back of her hand. The knobs in his fingers moved as he yed with her pinkie. The flitting touches gave her goosebumps.

    His actions made it seem like he was shy, although Song Yu knew ¡®shy¡¯ was not a suitable description of Qi Chengzhi.

    His fingers managed to push beneath her pinkie as his thumb continued to massage the back of her hand. His hand slowly enveloped hers.

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing. He just stared at her intently, making her breathing go haywire.

    She looked down in embarrassment. She was afraid that he would kiss her regardless of all the people surrounding them.

    At the sound of the photographer¡¯s assistant greeting the photographer, Song Yu felt his stare decreased in intensity.

    Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arm around her waist to lead her. Suddenly, he noticed something odd.

    With a startled look, he took half a step back to study Song Yu¡¯s back. He squinted.

    The wedding dress only covered her front!

    He was too busy to check the dress when it was delivered. This was his first time seeing it.

    He thought of his time in France. He could not believe that the designer actually made the dress as discussed.

    The back was allce andce only. There was no sheer material covering her back. If someone were to touch her back, they would be in direct contact with her smooth skin.

    Moreover, thece parted in the center of her back. Although the parting was not wide, one could clearly see the curve of her spine.

    There was a long ribbon tied into a bow at the back of her neck. The ribbon draped across her back to her waist and swayed, asionally blocking the view of her exposed back.

    Qi Chengzhi was consoled by the fact that the bridal veil was very long. On the day of the wedding, it would cover her back. Today would be an exception.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu asked after realizing Qi Chengzhi had stopped.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face remained stony. He ced his palm on the small of her back in hopes of covering whatever he could. He said coolly, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Before the start of the shoot, the photographer exchanged greetings with them in a pleasant manner.

    He was no doubt a professional photographer who knew how to influence the room. Song Yu was a bit ufortable with posing affectionately with Qi Chengzhi in front of so many people, but she rxed after hearing some humorous stories from the photographer.

    The photographer took the photos efficiently. They were not required to hold any pose for too long. Some small moments between them were also captured by the photographer.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi also changed into different costumes for the shoot. Qi Chengzhi was worried that Song Yu would get tired, so they ended as soon as possible. Even then, an entire morning had passed.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi changed back into their clothes and sat in front of theputer for photo selection.

    All the photos looked good to Qi Chengzhi so he wanted them all. He picked two of his favorites to be printed in arge format for the living room and their bedroom. Some of the photos were made into personalized items to serve as decorations for the house while the remaining were printed as a photobook. Qi Chengzhi also left his personal email address as he wanted an electronic copy of the photos once they finished processing them.

    Other than adding some background effects, there was not much that required editing. Hence, the processing was swift.

    A weekter, the photos arrived in a giant package at Viewpark Residence on a Saturday morning.

    Qi Chengzhi rolled up his sleeves and climbed up thedder. He took it upon himself to drill the holes and hammered the nails for the erged photos. Song Yu helped with the positioning. ¡°Angle it a bit to the left. Higher. Just a tiny bit lower.¡±

    Once the living room was settled, they moved on to the bedroom. Then, they decorated the room with the personalized items. Atst, with everything up, they stood in the middle of the bedroom with a satisfied grin. The bedroom looked more like a wedding room now.

    Song Yu surveyed the bedroom. On the bedside table, there was a photo of them in their wedding attire. On the small, round table, there were two mugs, one printed with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s photo while the other had hers. When the two mugs were ced together, they formed theplete wedding photo.

    The one with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s photo was hers and vice versa.

    The mugs were set down by Qi Chengzhi. He had spent a few minutes of total focus, adjusting the mugs with a frown on his face. Only when the mugs were tightly connected was he satisfied.

    On the wall above the bed was the scaled-up wedding photo. Two cushion pillows were on the bed, one with Song Yu¡¯s side profile, the other with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s. When pressed together, it formed a picture of them kissing.

    These two pillows were also ced by Qi Chengzhi. He had fussed over the position of the pillows for the longest time.

    Once everything was done, Qi Chengzhi put his hands in his pockets and studied the room in silence.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu kept her mouth shut. The number of wedding photos in the room was a bit overboard in her opinion.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Yan Beicheng and the others came over. Each of them had volunteered their cars for the uing wedding on Saturday. Therefore, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had invited them over for dinner, along with a discussion the agenda on their big day.

    Qi Chengzhi selected Qi Chengji to be his best man. Even though Qi Chenglin was not married, he had a son who was already in preschool. It would be inappropriate.

    The maid of honor was Ruan Danchen because Qi Chengyue was already married.

    The flower girl and boy were naturally Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan. These two kids were meant for the role.

    Song Yu had spoken to Ruan Danchen and Qi Chengyue, mentioning that she personally had little experience with weddings.

    Yan Beicheng noticed the wedding photo in the living room. That soulful and loving expression from Qi Chengzhi still made him ufortable.

    Qi Chengzhi had been a bachelor for the longest time, and suddenly, he became the perfect husband. Yan Beicheng felt the heavy weight of expectation on his shoulders.

    At the dining table, they ate while discussing the wedding day. Listening to the discussion, Song Yu felt the nervousness of nning a wedding.

    ¡°Have you gotten your bridesmaids?¡± Yan Beicheng asked.

    ¡°Yes. Ruan Danchen will be my maid of honor. I also got Wei Ran and Chengyue. Wei Ran managed to get Lu Nanxi to help,¡± Song Yu answered.

    Yan Beicheng snickered. ¡°Only four of you? That¡¯s great. They won¡¯t be able to stop us.¡±

    ¡°Wei Ran would never trouble you guys, and Chengyue is Chengzhi¡¯s cousin after all, she¡¯ll be lenient. Danchen isn¡¯t too familiar with you guys, so she probably won¡¯t stir up too muchmotion. With Lu Nanxi... Well, she has two kids already, so I don¡¯t think she¡¯ll be as mischievous as before. Rest assured, you guys won¡¯t have much to worry about,¡± Song Yu exined.

    ¡°Oh? Have you actually thought of all this before finding your bridesmaids? You¡¯re too soft on your husband, really.¡± Yan Beicheng cocked an eyebrow at her.

    Song Yu blushed. Her intentions were uncovered by Yan Beicheng. She did not want to trouble Qi Chengzhi too much on the wedding day. Hence, she had already spoken to her bridesmaids. She even got Wei Ran to pass the message on to Lu Nanxi who was currently not in B City.

    For Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sake, she had to suffer some teasing from Ruan Danchen and Qi Chengyue.

    Song Yu red at Yan Beicheng but swiftly changed her expression into a sweet smile when Qi Chengzhi looked over.

    ¡°I¡¯m full. You guys carry on,¡± Song Yu said and left the dining room flustered. She walked into the living room and stared up at the wedding photo hanging on the wall. A gentle smile appeared on her face.

    In the photo, the tall and stoic Qi Chengzhi with his stern face was looking at her with such tenderness and focus. From that look, she could see the Qi Chengzhi from the past, silently standing behind her all this while.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu¡¯s leave started on Monday. As the wedding day approached, there were a lot of tasks that required her attention, unlike her previous engagement.

    Qi Chengzhi was also worried that her pregnant body would not be able to tolerate the honeymoon trip so he decided to postpone it after the baby was delivered. Hence, Song Yu did not have to take additional leave.

    This was a good time for her to rest.

    In the afternoon, Chang Lai picked her up to Qilin to meet with Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu had just entered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office when Zhou Mingyan appeared at Qilin¡¯s main entrance.

    Zhou Mingyan was fuming. Qi Chengyue was divorcing Jian Yi. She even barred the credit card that Zhou Mingyan was using.

    That woman was initially so infatuated with Jian Yi. She had ingratiated herself to Zhou Mingyan for Jian Yi¡¯s sake, and now, she wanted a divorce. Where was hermitment to her marriage?

    It did not stop there. She even allowed her family to fire Jian Yi. This was a total abuse of power for personal revenge.

    Jian Yi was a talented man. On what grounds had thepany fired him, other than his dissolving marriage with Qi Chengyue? This was evidently blurring the lines between work and personal life.

    Moreover, she even informed the court that there would be no distribution of assets from the divorce. She wanted a clean split which was ridiculously cruel.

    While Qi Chengyue was ady from wealth and prestige, it did not give her the right to bully Jian Yi!

    Zhou Mingyan gritted her teeth and stomped past Qilin¡¯s main door.

    Qi Chengyue was surprised when her secretary informed her about Zhou Mingyan. She was waiting for her in the first-floor lobby. Qi Chengyue did not know what the woman wanted but she pulled up her defenses. Zhou Mingyan¡¯s presence could mean nothing good.

    Without a word, Qi Chengyue arrived at the first-floor lobby. She saw Zhou Mingyan standing near the main entrance. The woman had no intentions to walk over so, with a frown, Qi Chengyue went to her.

    It was lunchtime and groups of employees were heading out for their break, crowding the lobby.

    ¡°Do you have any business?¡± Qi Chengyue walked up to Zhou Mingyan. Zhou Mingyan stood only a few steps away from the main door and groups of employees passed them by.

    Piak!

    Zhou Mingyan had pped Qi Chengyue inside the Qi familypany without saying a word. Qi Chengyue was stunned.

    Her cheek stung as if it was on fire. She had not anticipated the hard p by Zhou Mingyan. She felt a tightness in her neck when it twisted from the force of the p.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you?¡± The p had hurt and Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes watered, but she steeled herself. She did not want to cry and appear weak in front of Zhou Mingyan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me? I¡¯m here to seek justice for my son! You¡¯re shameless! Just because you¡¯re the Qi family¡¯s princess doesn¡¯t mean you can bully my son. Jian Yi did nothing wrong, but you fired him out of spite!¡± Zhou Mingyan held onto Qi Chengyue¡¯s arm as she shrieked.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan, you¡¯re crazy! Let go of me! You know what your son has done. You¡¯re all smiles andughs with that woman who tore our marriage apart. Shopping with her while spending my money. You daree to face me and say you want justice for Jian Yi? Nothing he has ever done was justified.¡± Qi Chengyue growled angrily as she tried to escape Zhou Mingyan¡¯s grip.

    The security guards promptly came to drag Zhou Mingyan away.

    The scene onlysted a moment but a bunch of reporters had appeared out of nowhere. They rushed into thepany and caused a block at the main door. Qilin employees had trouble getting into and out of the building.

    The reporters were taking photos and videos. The security guards had to tame the reporters and could not help Qi Chengyue.

    The guards were no match for a huge crowd of reporters. Seeing this, the employees stepped up and helped them keep the reporters at bay.

    ¡°Don¡¯t speak of Jian Yi. How about those disgusting things you did?¡± Zhou Mingyan said in a high-pitched voice. ¡°You cheated on my son and expect him to be loyal to you?¡± Zhou Mingyan pulled out a stack of photos from her shirt.

    ¡°Reporters,dies, and gentlemen, look at what she¡¯s done! Married, and still flirting with guys. You heartless woman, how could you do this to Jian Yi?! And you dare use him when you¡¯re the one at fault. Why should he be sorry? Why should he go quietly? You evil woman!¡± Zhou Mingyan had one hand on Qi Chengyue and another waving the photos around.

    Zhou Mingyan was strong from the years of doing housework. Qi Chengyue was no match for her. Her arm hurt from Zhou Mingyan¡¯s tight grip but she could not shake it away.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan, you¡¯re talking nonsense! Let go of me!¡± Qi Chengyue shouted angrily. Being used was one thing, but with the reporters around, Qi Chengyue was beginning to panic.

    ¡°Nonsense? You¡¯re saying I¡¯m lying? I have evidence!¡± Zhou Mingyan threw the stack of photos in Qi Chengyue¡¯s face. ¡°You shameless, lying adulterer! You¡¯re the one who betrayed Jian Yi, and now you want to use him of cheating!¡±

    The photos hit Qi Chengyue¡¯s face and scattered all over the floor. Some of themnded facing up. The reporters at the door took this chance and stretched their arms beyond the barricade. They angled their cameras to snap photos of the floor.

    The sharp eye of one reporter made out the details of the photos. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s special assistant, Cheng Dongge?¡±

    The employees who were going to restrain Zhou Mingyan stopped and turned to look at the photos.

    The photos were all of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge. There was one with them at the front door of Dynasty. Cheng Dongge was opening the car door for Qi Chengyue to get in.

    If Song Yu was in the frame, the captured scene would obviously be the time Guan Xiaolin had called Qi Chengyue out for a meet to reveal that she was pregnant.

    Song Yu was present then, yet none of the photos had her. All the photos were of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge.

    There were even photos of Cheng Dongge dropping Qi Chengyue off at the Qi family manor. One particr shot had Cheng Dongge opening the car door for Qi Chengyue with her head down as if being coy.

    However, the truth was as Cheng Dongge was dropping Qi Chengyue off, and the whole Qi family was waiting for her inside the manor.

 Chapter 201 - Let Me Show You How The Qi Family Wields Its Power

    <h4>Chapter 201: Let Me Show You How The Qi Family Wields Its Power</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, the truth was as Cheng Dongge was dropping Qi Chengyue off, and the whole Qi family was waiting for her inside the manor.

    There was another photo of a brightly-lit corridor. Qi Chengyue recognized it as the corridor in Dynasty. It was Wei Minghao¡¯s birthday celebration the other day.

    Cheng Dongge had realized that there was an eysh on her cheek and proceeded to remove it. It was an innocent gesture but from the static photo, it seemed flirtatious as if Cheng Dongge was stroking her cheek.

    The angle looked like the photo was taken from outside the window at the end of the corridor. It captured their side profiles.

    Another photo was when Huang Ziyue went to Cheng Dongge¡¯s house to get the clothes she left there. Qi Chengyue identally bumped into a suit-dded Cheng Dongge.

    From the photo, the scene was made to look like they were hugging each other. Cheng Dongge had his hand on the bump on her forehead. Another photo showed him feeding her water while patting her back in a steamboat shop. Out of context, it really looked as if something was going on between the two of them.

    Qi Chengyue was as mad as a bull. Her left arm was trapped by Zhou Mingyan. Her other hand gripped Zhou Mingyan¡¯s wrist and tried to dislodge her.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan, you and your son are vile! Cheng Dongge treats me just as a colleague. These photos were taken out of context! To target me is one thing, but to drag an innocent bystander down? Whatever your problems, juste at me. You guys are b*stards for using an innocent man!¡± Qi Chengyue was mad beyond words.

    The p from Zhou Mingyan was nothingpared to the false usation that was thrown at Cheng Dongge. She was so angry that tears started falling.

    ¡°What right do you have to drag others into this? This issue is between Jian Yi and I. Our marriage has nothing to do with anyone else. Cheng Dongge has nothing to do with this. You had no right to use an innocent person!¡±

    ¡°Stop taking photos!¡± The male employees who were helping the guards had their hands up to block the cameras. The reporters were taking photos as if their lives depended on it. No one could stop the horde of reporters.

    The female employees ran forward to restrain Zhou Mingyan but they could not overpower her.

    Even if they got more people to restrain Zhou Mingyan, there was limited space. They would need three people at most to hold Zhou Mingyan¡ªtwo from the sides and one from the back. Any additional people would not be able to squeeze in.

    ¡°Let go of me! Qi Chengyue, you¡¯re guilty and you know it! What? Just because this is your turf and you have more people, you want to bully an olddy!¡± Zhou Mingyan shrieked at the top of her lungs.

    The three female employees were sweating from the engagement. Three youths could not even hold an olddy back.

    ¡°I want everyone to know what kind of woman you are! You are the one who cheated on my son and now you want to use him! Just because the Qi family has money and power, you want to bully usmoners. Qi Chengyue, I know you¡¯ve never respected me, probably because we¡¯re poor right? That¡¯s why you¡¯re always picking on Jian Yi. Such disrespect to our family, when have you ever done your duty as a good wife and daughter-inw?¡±

    ¡°Shut your mouth! Shut up!¡± Qi Chengyue was fuming. Zhou Mingyan spoke without taking a breath¡ªher mouth fired like a machine gun with baseless usations as the bullets. She had already pinned the crime on Qi Chengyue. There was no opportunity for Qi Chengyue to exin herself.

    ¡°I am not keeping quiet! I want the whole world to know the truth! If it weren¡¯t for your family background, who would want you with that personality. I¡¯m not shutting my mouth just because you said so. Everyone should know the truth. Qi Chengyue, you¡¯re being a bully!¡± Zhou Mingyan violently shook off the hands that were restraining her.

    ¡°Who is the bully here?¡± A loud and angry voice echoed through the room. In themotion, Zhou Mingyan was shoved aside and she fell backward. If it were not for the female employees, she would have fallen to the ground.

    As the voice echoed, a tall and strong body sheltered Qi Chengyue. Through her blurred, teary eyes, she could make out the figure to be Cheng Dongge¡¯s back.

    A survey of the scene had Qi Chengzhi leading the security guards. These men were rushing out from the security room.

    ¡°Dongge, you bring Chengyue upstairs,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a deep voice.

    Cheng Dongge nodded and guided Qi Chengyue away silently.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare leave! You¡¯re guilty! If you¡¯re not guilty, you wouldn¡¯t leave!¡± Zhou Mingyan shrieked from behind. ¡°You dare to leave with your lover in front of everyone, you have no respect for us! You dare to do this in front of me, I cannot imagine how cruel you were to Jian Yi! Look at her! That man is an adulterer and she¡¯s in his embrace! Shameless! What did we do to deserve such an embarrassment? Bullies! All of you!¡±

    The female employees stood aside to let the security guards pass. The guards surrounded Zhou Mingyan and caught her by her arms.

    ¡°What are you doing? A bunch of men bullying an old grandmother! Have you no shame?¡± Zhou Mingyan immediately became unreasonable. She took a step and sat her body down on the ground, unwilling to budge. ¡°Come see,e see! The Qi family is bullying people! Such a powerful family with money and fame, bullying amoner like me! I have no chance! Come see!¡±

    ¡°The Qi family princess had an affair and doesn¡¯t want to admit it. Now they send out these goons to bully an olddy. Such heartless people!¡± Zhou Mingyan cried out. Snot and tears were running down her face as she said, ¡°They want to shut me up with coercion!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared nonchntly at the old woman making a scene on the floor. The security guards did not know what to do.

    ¡°What are you guys standing there for? Others, get the reporters out of here. Anyone who doesn¡¯t want to leave, you¡¯re allowed to use force. If anyone sues, Qilin will handle it. If any of you get hurt, thepany will pay triple for the work injury. You two, take thisdy out of mypany. If she doesn¡¯t get up, just drag her.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were cold as ice as he looked upon the Zhou Mingyan¡¯s tantrum. He had no sympathy for her.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head. The pair of merciless eyes fixed on Zhou Mingyan. ¡°Let me show you how the Qi family wields its power. Drag her out of here!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge took Qi Chengyue into the elevator specially reserved for Qi Chengzhi. Once in the elevator, he pressed the button for the top floor.

    The tears streamed down Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face and gave her a dull look.

    She rubbed at her face. The tears flowed down between her fingers and ran across the pale skin of the back of her hand. ¡°Embarrassing... How embarrassing...¡±

    Cheng Dongge watched her tremble. There was a bitter taste in his throat.

    During lunch hour, Cheng Dongge had some unfinished business that he had to attend to. Hence, he was still in the office. Not long after, he heard one of the secretary staff rush in. He told Qi Chengzhi that Zhou Mingyan was in a heated argument with Qi Chengyue on the first floor and even brought photos of Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Cheng Dongge understood the situation immediately. He and Qi Chengyue were innocent of the alleged crime. He had some feelings for Qi Chengyue but he knew that her situation was tenuous. He could not overstep his boundaries as anyone with ulterior motives could easily spin a false story from photos taken without context.

    Even if he wanted to distance himself from Qi Chengyue, they worked in the samepany. There was no avoiding each other. He was just worried that a passing greeting could be misconstrued as a lover¡¯s tryst.

    If not him, they might still target another man and Qi Chengzhi.

    Anything was falsifiable if one was determined.

    At that moment, Cheng Dongge quickly abandoned his work and went down with Qi Chengzhi.

    He spotted Qi Chengyue¡¯s small, fragile body in the middle of a crowd, the focus of Zhou Mingyan¡¯s verbal assault. His heart ached for her.

    Now, they were in the personal elevator reserved for Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi had handed Cheng Dongge the elevator key. The elevator granted privacy¡ªthere were no surveince cameras.

    Cheng Dongge took a step forward. He ced his hands on her shoulders and guided her into his embrace. Qi Chengyue felt a warm hand on the back of her head coaxing her to rest her head on Cheng Dongge¡¯s chest.

    ¡°You were not embarrassing. Zhou Mingyan was the shameless one,¡± Cheng Dongge spoke softly into her ear, his lips felt like they were kissing her ear.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you got dragged into this thing. Sorry...¡± Qi Chengyue sobbed. ¡°This is all my fault. Now you¡¯re being used and you need to deal with all this nder.¡±

    ¡°I am a man. Those usations will not hurt me.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice was low and gentle as if he was serenading her. ¡°It¡¯s just rumors. Just some words that people say. Words won¡¯t hurt me.¡±

    Qi Chengyue knew it was not going to be as easy as he said. She knew Cheng Dongge was a self-made man. He had taken each step with integrity and did not rely on any family or femalepanions, as shown by Huang Ziyue. He was not someone who would take advantage of women.

    On this path, he had sacrificed his time and effort to be where he was today.

    Yet, after today¡¯smotion with Zhou Mingyan, there would always be doubts about his capabilities. Once the news broke out, there would always be a group of people who felt that Cheng Dongge¡¯s climb up the ranks was influenced by Qi Chengyue. All his hard work would be undermined by this one incident.

    As if Cheng Dongge had always been using underhand tactics¡ªtaking advantage of Qi Chengyue or some other woman¡ªto get to where he was now.

    ¡°It¡¯s unfair to you! I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault...¡± Qi Chengyue sobbed. ¡°You don¡¯t deserve this. Those conniving people who use dirty tactics get to leave a good name yet a hardworking person like you has to bear such a ridiculous crime. It¡¯s unfair... I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind, really.¡± Cheng Dongge cupped her face. Her doll-like face looked so small in his hands.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s thumb swiped away the tears on her face. Her lips were especially pouty due to the crying and he had to hold himself back from kissing her.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s really nothing,¡± Cheng Dongge whispered. ¡°I hear the case will be up for court on Thursday. The decision will be made soon. Two more days and it will be over. After that, we won¡¯t have to deal with this anymore. No words will hurt us.¡±

    Qi Chengyue sniffled and thought, ¡®Two more days. Just two days and I will be free.¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t know...¡± Qi Chengyue mumbled. ¡°If word got out, I¡¯m worried that the court will rule against me. Else, why would Jian Yi¡¯s family suddenlye out and make such a scene.¡±

    Cheng Dongge looked intently at her face. Her eyes and lips were red from crying, her whole face was puffy and swollen.

    ¡°They won¡¯t.¡± He stared into her eyes. ¡°It will go smoothly, trust me. Everything will be fine.¡±

    Qi Chengyue gave him a quizzical look. She did not know why Cheng Dongge was so confident. She was stunned by his stoic expression.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu waited at the elevator door. She initially wanted to follow Qi Chengzhi down but he stopped her. He was worried that the chaos downstairs could lead to her being injured. Cheng Dongge would bring Qi Chengyue up to the office.

    Song Yu was still concerned and could not sit still in the office, hence she waited at the elevator door. Her eyes watched as the elevator climbed through twenty-four floors. It was almost here.

    When the elevator reached the twenty-fifth floor, the door opened silently. Song Yu¡¯s eyes widened. Cheng Dongge was cupping Qi Chengyue¡¯s face with a tender expression while she was looking at him with so much trust.

    The couple was so focused on each other that they did not notice that they had arrived and the elevator door had opened with Song Yu standing there.

    Song Yu hastily hid aside. Without any further instructions, the elevator door closed automatically, sealing the two inside.

    As this elevator was reserved for only her and Qi Chengzhi, no one else was using it. The elevator just remained on the top floor.

    Song Yu dialed for Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi was overseeing the aftermath of the situation as the guards dragged Zhou Mingyan out. The reporters have been pushed back beyond thepany doors but their noisy shouts could still be heard. ¡°Mr. Qi! Mr. Qi!¡±

    Realizing that they would never get a reply from Qi Chengzhi, the reporters rushed to Zhou Mingyan.

    After being thrown out of the building, Zhou Mingyan did not leave. She was waiting for the reporters to interview her.

    After noticing the reporters, Zhou Mingyan sat down on the floor and started wailing about the injustice.

    ¡°Director, they¡¯re making a scene in front of thepany. This-¡± The head of security did not know how to ask the question. The area beyond the main door was not Qilin¡¯s jurisdiction. Whatever people wanted to do outside, the security could not police them.

    ¡®Are we gonna stand aside and let Zhou Mingyan run the show?¡¯ the head of security thought.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter since they already got their story. Let the olddy rant all she wants, she can¡¯t pull out any new stuff from her sleeve.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took out his phone. It was Song Yu calling. He picked up the call. ¡°Is everything settled?¡±

    ¡°Almost,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he walked back to the office.

    ¡°When you¡¯reing up, don¡¯t take the personal elevator. Use themon elevator,¡± Song Yu said.

    She hung up the phone right after finishing her sentence.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at his personal elevator. It had stopped on the twenty-fifth floor.

    He turned away and walked toward themon elevator. He pushed the ascending button.

    As Qi Chengzhi waited for the elevator toe down from the eighth floor, Luo Yushu and some department managers walked over. Luo Yushu was curious as to why Qi Chengzhi was standing in front of the public elevator. He looked at the lit button on the panel and was surprised. ¡®Why was the director taking themon elevator?¡¯ Luo Yushu thought to himself.

    ¡°Director,¡± Luo Yushu and the other managers greeted.

    There was a lot of traffic in the office building. Qi Chengzhi nodded in acknowledgment and proceeded to frown at the elevator that was stuck on the sixth floor.

    Luo Yushu and the others did not bother Qi Chengzhi any further. After themotion just now, the director was most definitely in a bad mood. They stood obediently behind Qi Chengzhi.

    The fact that the director had forgone his personal elevator toe ride with the employees made it incredibly awkward. They felt nervous and anxious.

    Luo Yushu turned back to his colleagues. He curled his lip and gestured with his chin, meaning to say, ¡®Why aren¡¯t y¡¯all asking?¡¯

    This led to the two men behind showing off their fists. Luo Yushu¡¯s eyes narrowed. He and the manager beside him pulled out their fists.

    Rock-paper-scissors!

    Tragically, Luo Yushu ended up losing. He quietly crept up and asked, ¡°Director, may I know why you are taking themon elevator today?¡±

    ¡°For themoner experience,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied with a cool stare.

    The managers fell silent.

    ...

    ...

    As Qi Chengzhi walked out of the elevator, Song Yu was already waiting for him by the door. He took her hand and gently squeezed it. ¡°Why did you tell me to take the public elevator?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back into the office first.¡± Song Yu pulled on his hand. Her face had a soft blush.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue are in the office?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. Qi Chenglin was out of office but he would be back before Thursday to attend court. The legal matters here would be assigned to him.

    ¡°They¡¯re... still in the elevator,¡± Song Yu whispered. She was worried that others might overhear. It would be detrimental to them after today¡¯s incident.

    Qi Chengzhi turned back and looked at the elevator. Without saying a word, he followed Song Yu back into the office.

    Not long after they entered the office, Cheng Dongge came in with Qi Chengyue in tow. They walked in with some space between them. Whatever intimacy Song Yu had witnessed was gone.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue sat down. Her phone vibrated suddenly. It was a text from Jian Yi.

    The hard-earned calm was broken by the text. The hand that was holding the phone trembled slightly. Qi Chengyue opened the message. ¡°Saw my mom? The news will not reflect well on you in court. My demands have not changed. Call me if you change your mind.¡±

    Qi Chengyue wanted to smash the phone into pieces. Her body shook with anger.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu asked, noticing the change in Qi Chengyue¡¯s mood. Song Yu handed Qi Chengyue the hot cocoa that she had the secretary make while waiting for them toe up.

 Chapter 202 - Thatâ€™s Right, I Like Her

    <h4>Chapter 202: That¡¯s Right, I Like Her</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu asked, noticing the change in Qi Chengyue¡¯s mood. Song Yu handed Qi Chengyue the hot cocoa that she had the secretary make while waiting for them toe up.

    Qi Chengyue epted the hot cocoa and handed Song Yu her phone. Song Yu read the message from Jian Yi. Wordlessly, Song Yu passed the phone to Qi Chengzhi.

    After reading, Qi Chengzhi gave the phone to Cheng Dongge. Qi Chengzhi said to Qi Chengyue, ¡°Ignore him. I¡¯ll get Chang Lai to fetch you home. Stay home and rest for two days. Cut yourself off from the world, switch off your phone. Other than Jian Yi, the reporters might hassle you as well. So stay home andy low. Keep calm for Thursday¡¯s court.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. Song Yu walked over and squeezed her hand. ¡°The reporters will be blocking thepany door. While our security guards will do their best to keep them at bay, the reporters will try to photograph you or even ask you some questions. Chang Lai will be waiting for you right outside the main entrance. You need to stay strong and cross the few meters between the office building and the car.¡±

    Qi Chengyue gritted her teeth and nodded. ¡°I will.¡±

    An hourter, the head of security reported that Zhou Mingyan had left but the paparazzi were still here. He surmised that they would not leave until they catch a glimpse of Qi Chengyue.

    The reporters were blocking thepany¡¯s main entrance, making it impossible for Qi Chengyue to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯m ready,¡± Qi Chengyue stood up and said. ¡°No point in waiting any longer. They¡¯re not going to leave until I step out of thepany.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded and contacted Chang Lai.

    Ten minutes passed before he gave Qi Chengyue the green light.

    Cheng Dongge refrained from following her. He knew that their appearance together would rile up the press¡¯s imagination so he could only look on from the office window.

    Not long after, he saw the reporters flock toward the main entrance like bees to honey. He knew Qi Chengyue had reached the lobby.

    Qi Chengyue was escorted by the security team who were pushing back at the surging reporters.

    ¡°Miss Qi, what do you have to say about Madam Zhou¡¯s ims?¡±

    ¡°Was Zhou Mingyan telling the truth?¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi...¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi...¡±

    Qi Chengyue felt as if countless reporters were lobbing countless questions. Each question felt like a rock thrown at her.

    She kept her head low, her long hair covered her face. Without a word, she was escorted into the car by security.

    Only when she was in the car¡ªshielded by the tinted windows¡ªdid her body start to shake.

    Chang Lai stopped the car at the vi owned by Mr. and Mrs. Qi Zhongxun in Jade Field Park. He got down and opened the back door. As Qi Chengyue attempted to get down, Chang Lai stopped her. He leaned closer and whispered, ¡°Miss Qi, there are reporters hiding in the corners. They will surely rush out when you step out of the car. Be ready.¡±

    Qi Chengyue took deep breaths, then signaled to Chang Lai that she was ready.

    Chang Lai nodded and escorted her from the car. Immediately, a few figures appeared out of nowhere and blocked Qi Chengyue¡¯s path.

    ¡°Miss Qi, what are your views on the confrontation with Madam Zhou this afternoon?¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi, what is your side of the story? Regarding Madam Zhou¡¯s revtion.¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi, does your silence mean acquiescence?¡±

    ¡°Is there something going on between you and Mr. Cheng?¡±

    ¡°Was it Mr. Jian who had an affair first? Or you? Or was this thing with Mr. Cheng just to get back at Mr. Jian?¡±

    ¡°Was Zhou Mingyan¡¯s presence today due to the dispute in asset distribution from your divorce? Was the conflict caused by the dissatisfaction of both parties with regards to the distribution?¡±

    Finally, Qi Chengyue could not take it anymore. She raised her head and red at the reporter. Her eyes were red but her teeth were bared. ¡°I, Qi Chengyue, have never been unfaithful in my marriage!¡±

    Chang Lai shoved the reporters aside and with much effort, finally got Qi Chengyue safely back into the house.

    ...

    ...

    That night, Zhou Mingyan¡¯s afternoon ruckus made the headlines on every news portals¡¯ entertainment segment, including Weibo, Wechat, and other social media tforms.

    Qi Chengyue read one of the headlines on a popr entertainment site, ¡®Divorced! Youngest Daughter Of Qi Family And Husband Dragging Out Skeletons Over Settlement Dispute!¡¯

    There was a short video clip below the headline. A host gave a brief introduction before the actual content ran. Zhou Mingyan was pulling her arm and yelling at her. The video even showed some of the photos of her and Cheng Dongge on ¡®dates¡¯.

    After the video, there were stills of her, Jian Yi, and Cheng Dongge, ced side by side.

    The caption was a summary.

    ¡®A few months back, the youngest daughter of the Qi family, Qi Chengyue, got married. The grandeur of the wedding had been the talk of the town. Jian Yi was a man with a mediocre family background, just a grunt in thepany. Yet, he managed to marry into the Qi family. He became the model example of a man marrying rich and was jokingly known as the modern-day royal son-inw.¡¯

    ¡®In the wink of an eye, the married couple is filing for a divorce. Rumor has it the marriage was not a happy one. With such a power imbnce in their marriage, Jian Yi was having an affair. Today, Jian Yi¡¯s mother had a heated confrontation with Qi Chengyue, iming that Jian Yi was not the only one who was unfaithful. Not wanting to be left behind, the Qi family princess quickly got together with thepany director¡¯s special assistant, Cheng Dongge. It seems like she is particrly fond of your average joe.¡¯

    Qi Chengyue stopped herself from scrolling down to thement section and closed the page.

    She could not believe that the press had published Cheng Dongge¡¯s photos.

    Qi Chengyue wanted to call Cheng Dongge and apologize. She felt ashamed that her problems had inconvenienced him. Although she did not see thements, she could imagine the vile insults that would be directed at him.

    She knew with the anonymity of the inte, keyboard warriors postments without weighing the facts. Their sharp words serve as entertainment to themselves, while the target of their words has to live with the consequences. It should be considered a crime.

    Qi Chengyue had her phone in her hand but she put it down. She did not know how Cheng Dongge was feeling about this whole debacle.

    Right at that moment, Guan Liya knocked. She walked in with a bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup and set it down on the bedside table. Then, she sat on Qi Chengyue¡¯s bed and saw the tablet by Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand.

    Before Guan Liya could say anything, Qi Chengyue spoke, ¡°Ma, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Guan Liya blew out a breath and took Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand. ¡°We all knew what Jian Yi was capable of. Now, he¡¯s using even his mother. Like mother, like son I guess. Don¡¯t dwell on it. I called Chengzhi today. He says there¡¯s nothing to worry about on Thursday¡¯s court. The divorce will go through and Jian Yi will get nothing. These words were from your big brother, so rest assured.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Qi Chengyue mumbled.

    ¡°Ay!¡± Guan Liya exhaled a sigh and gently stroked Qi Chengyue¡¯s long hair. ¡°My poor baby girl. Once this is over, you¡¯ll never have to see Jian Yi again. You can get back to your normal life and move on to find the happiness you deserve.¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not say anything. Her confidence had been shattered. She was no longer that proud and brave woman, no longer someone special.

    Now, she was doubtful of her chance for romance. Would she find a man who truly loved her? Was she deserving of love? She felt untethered from life. Her marriage with Jian Yi had made her uncertain about her love life and herself.

    If she was good enough, why did Jian Yi only thought of using her? Why couldn¡¯t he give her a bit of affection?

    It must be her. She was not enough.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink. Drink the bird¡¯s nest. Rest for a few days. When you meet Jian Yi in court, show him how well you¡¯ve been without him.¡± Guan Liya massaged her hand.

    Qi Chengyue finished the bowl of bird¡¯s nest soup in front of her mother. Guan Liya collected the empty bowl and said to her, ¡°Go on and sleep earlier.¡±

    Then, she left the room.

    Qi Chengyueid in bed staring at her phone. In the end, she just closed her eyes with her phone in hand.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, as Qi Chengyue was eating dinner at home, the live-in helper ran over and said, ¡°Miss, the Young Master¡¯s wife is calling.¡±

    Qi Chengyue followed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s order to switch off her phone. Hence, Song Yu¡¯s call went straight to voicemail.

    Qi Chengyue hurried to the phone. ¡°Go on WeChat. I sent you a video clip,¡± she heard Song Yu speak on the phone.

    She hung up and went straight to her bedroom to get her phone¡ªthe half-eaten meal totally ignored.

    Truly, her phone had been bombarded by tons of calls by strangers. Qi Chengyue took out the SIM card and used WIFI to load WeChat instead. She saw the link Song Yu shared and she clicked into it. The video clip popper out. She had never imagined she would be seeing Cheng Dongge on a news video.

    The reporters were all camping at Qilin¡¯s front door early in the morning. As soon as Cheng Dongge arrived, he was surrounded by the media.

    Cheng Dongge stopped and turned to look at them. He pointed to the empty plot ofnd next to Qilin¡¯s car park and said, ¡°Everyone, since you¡¯re all here. I have some words for you, let¡¯s head over there. It¡¯s the morning working hours now, we¡¯ll block the employees if we stand here.¡±

    The reporters dly obliged. As long as Cheng Dongge was with them, they were happy.

    Cheng Dongge took firm and steady steps toward the empty plot ofnd. One of the reporters tried to ask a question but Cheng Dongge raised a hand to stop him. ¡°Please let me speak. I am not here to answer your questions but to speak my piece. If anyone is unsatisfied with this, I will leave without giving a statement.¡±

    Atst, all the reporters remained silent. No one dared to interrupt Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°First off, I want to rify that Miss Qi and I are not in a rtionship. We did not engage in any form of intimacy. As for the evidence, those photos were simply taken from an ambiguous angle. Taken out of context, the narrative was spun into a scandal to tarnish our reputations. I believe all of you here are familiar with such tactics. Perhaps some of you may say, I¡¯m just giving excuses. The fact is I like her, but I can wait until she¡¯s done with the divorce. She will be a single woman soon, why would I make this difficult for her?¡±

    Looking at the shocked faces of the reporters, Cheng Dongge nodded solemnly. ¡°That¡¯s right, I like her. She has never done anything to betray her marriage or Jian Yi. Before the divorce, Jian Yi was already living together with Guan Xiaolin. Now, Guan Xiaolin is pregnant. Once, Young Master Cheng and his wife even ran into Jian Yi¡¯s mother and Guan Xiaolin in the shopping mall. They were swiping Miss Qi¡¯s credit card for their purchases.¡±

    Cheng Dongge had a cold smile. ¡°Do you really believe in the story told by such a character? Guan Xiaolin asked to meet with Miss Qi and at that time, I was apanying Young Master Cheng¡¯s wife who wanted to follow Miss Qi. I was operating under Young Master Cheng¡¯s orders to look after his wife. I admit I feel it is a pity that Miss Qi met a man who not only did not appreciate her efforts in maintaining and supporting the marriage, he betrayed the sanctity of their marriage vows.¡±

    ¡°The Guan family had asked us to not reveal Guan Xiaolin¡¯s pregnancy as it was an embarrassment to the family. But, after Jian Yi¡¯s stunt yesterday, why should we keep this under wraps?¡±

    The reporters were ted with the amount of information that they were getting.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s words unraveled part of the mystery.

    There have been rumors of Jian Yi¡¯s other woman but no one knew the identity.

    If what Cheng Dongge said was true, this was big news!

    ¡°As everyone knows, I am Young Master Cheng¡¯s assistant. When I get involved in things, it¡¯s usually under Young Master Cheng¡¯s direct orders. Miss Qi¡¯s divorce is one of such things, which is why I have been interacting with her more often. Those photos were also a by-product of that. Through our recent interactions, I have developed feelings for her but they were only known to me. Even though she is going through a divorce with Jian Yi, she would never betray her marriage until everything has been finalized. And because of that, I respect her decision and have not confessed to her.¡±

    ¡°I do not want to give her any more trouble. I don¡¯t want to give others more ammunition to spread negative news about her, tarnishing her name. And yet, it happened anyway. Here, I would like to say this to Jian Yi.¡± Cheng Dongge looked straight into the camera. ¡°Jian Yi, this foolish woman truly loves you. She sacrificed everything for you yet you don¡¯t even acknowledge her. You went so far as to have an affair and impregnate another woman.¡±

    ¡°This other woman came to your wife and asked her to give up, said that you will never love her. What woman will endure such humiliation? You betrayed her first, so she followed Guan Xiaolin¡¯s request¡ªshe filed for divorce. Yet, what do you want? You want half of her share in Qilin. If she refused, you will not sign the papers,¡± Cheng Dongge said all this sardonically.

    There was pin-drop silence among the reporters. They were stunned by the revtion and did not know what to say.

    ¡°Jian Yi, all that you have gained was from the Qi family. On what grounds are you demanding for her share in thepany? Her refusal made you spread all these fake news, even getting your mother to make a scene. What kind of man falls to such underhand tactics? You neglected her. She deserves a man who will take care of her, and I am willing to be that person. I respect her. Hence, until the divorce is legally-binding, I will not risk having herbeled a cheater. I will not stoop so low like you. Once Miss Qi is officially single, I will pursue her. But, until then, she has never done anything to threaten the sanctity of their marriage.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes swept across the sea of reporters. ¡°I¡¯m done.¡±

    The reporters were in a daze and it was not until Cheng Dongge had entered Qilin did theye back to their senses.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue stared nkly at her phone. The video clip had ended. ¡®Why did Cheng Dongge say that?¡¯

    His live confession would make him the target of public insults.

    Qi Chengyue stood up, took her keys and rushed downstairs.

    As she ran out of the house, Guan Liya asked in a concerned tone, ¡°Chengyue! Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out for a bit. Will be back soon. Don¡¯t worry!¡± Qi Chengyue said as she wore her shoes.

    ¡°But you have not finished your dinner.¡± When Guan Liya walked over, Qi Chengyue already had her shoes on.

    ¡°I¡¯m full already. Ma, I gotta go. Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± Qi Chengyue said. Then, she went into the garage and got into her car. She was heading to Cheng Dongge¡¯s house.

    She stopped the car in front of the apartmentplex that Cheng Dongge lived in and rushed down to the main door. From the columns of numbers on the inte, she found Cheng Dongge¡¯s unit.

    The music rang and rang. No one answered the door.

    Qi Chengyue looked at the time. In her rush, she had forgotten that work had only ended for Cheng Dongge.

    Moreover, he would usually follow Qi Chengzhi for after-work meetings with clients. There might be a work dinner scheduled today.

    She got back into the car and waited. She thought of calling Qi Chengzhi to ask if Cheng Dongge was with him. She took her phone from the passenger seat but realized that there was no signal. The SIM card was at home.

    Qi Chengyue could only wait and wait she did, for three hours.

    A car appeared a short distance away and parked in the nearby car park. A man got down from the car and walked toward the apartmentplex. Qi Chengyue recognizes him as Cheng Dongge.

    He had that look of deep concentration. Under the street light, his shadow was elongated. His footsteps were heavy and unflinching, giving him an air of solemnity.

    Qi Chengyue exited her car. She waited for him to approach.

    When Cheng Dongge saw her, his footsteps slowed down.

    Qi Chengyue lifted her head. The soft, yellow glow of the streetlight illuminated his clean-shaven face and gave him a gentle look.

    Cheng Dongge said nothing. He stood facing her with his head low as if waiting for her to speak.

    Suddenly, Qi Chengyue felt nervous. Her heartbeat quickened and she took a deep breath before saying, ¡°I saw your interview. Thank you. But... it¡¯s not worth it. I¡¯m not worth your help. I believe you understand the consequences of your confession. There will be a lot of bacshes directed at you.¡±

    Tears started to well up in her eyes and her vision became blurry. Her throat and sinuses strained with each sob.

    With family as an exception, never before had anyone treated her with such care, to the point of sacrificing themselves for her sake.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, I really am not worth doing all this. The fact that you got dragged into this scandal has made me incredibly guilty. If you had said nothing, the focus of the scandal will be on me. Jian Yi¡¯s target is me. This is my cross to bear. Why did you dig yourself a deeper hole? I know you want to help, but I don¡¯t want you caught in the crossfire. I am a soon-to-be divorcee, married for only a few months. My husband cheated on me and my reputation has been soiled since then. I no longer care if my image is tarnished further, but you, why are you jumping into this mud puddle?¡±

 Chapter 203 - I Donâ€™t Usually Give My All to Help Someone

    <h4>Chapter 203: I Don¡¯t Usually Give My All to Help Someone</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, I really am not worth doing all this for. The fact that you got dragged into this scandal has made me incredibly guilty. If you had said nothing, the focus of the scandal will be on me. Jian Yi¡¯s target is me. This is mine to bear. Why did you dig yourself a deeper hole? I know you want to help, but I don¡¯t want you caught in the crossfire. I am a soon-to-be divorcee, married for only a few months. My husband cheated on me and my reputation has been soiled since then. I no longer care if my image is tarnished further, but you, why are you jumping into this puddle of mud?¡±

    Cheng Dongge was expressionless¡ªit was impossible to gather anything from his face. His pupil darkened and looked at her deeply. After seeing tears gushing out of her eye¡ªtears that she could not hold back anymore¡ªhe slowly lifted his clean and long hand but pulled back as it reached her shoulder¡¯s height.

    Qi Chengyue felt a twist in her gut.

    ¡°How long have you been waiting here for?¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice was smooth and solid.

    Qi Chengyue shook her head and thought about how he raised his hand but refused to touch her in the end. Did he n to keep his distance from a soon-to-be divorcee as well?

    Even if he did not say it¡ªregardless of how well he treated her, he still had reservations about her married status.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± His voice came from the top of her head.

    ¡°Yes I did,¡± Qi Chengyue answered simply.

    ¡°Let me take you home,¡± Cheng Dongge said.

    Qi Chengyue sniffed and said, ¡°I drove here myself. I came here to tell you to stop doing stupid things.¡±

    She clenched her fist and her thumb squeezed against the back of her index finger. ¡°Being like this, you will attract a lot of criticisms. People will say you ruined a couple¡¯s rtionship, and say you¡¯re sucking up to me for a promotion. All these years of your hard work have gone down the drain because of what you said today.¡±

    She turned around and walked back a few steps to get into the car. Just as she wanted to close the door, it was blocked by Cheng Dongge.

    Qi Chengyue looked up in shock and saw his pale hand holding onto the car door. Four of his long fingers were pointed towards her¡ªhis nails were short and clean.

    ¡°What I said today was to help you, but I meant every word. You¡¯ve always said I¡¯m nice, but actually, I¡¯m not¡ªI don¡¯t usually give my all to help someone. I would still offer my support even if it was someone I didn¡¯t care about¡ªbut I won¡¯t take all responsibilities as if they were my own. If I care about someone, I will do it,¡± Cheng Dongge said softly.

    Qi Chengyue looked at him in shock, her heart was racing so fast it felt like it was up in her throat.

    She sat in the car in the dark, and Cheng Dongge stood up straight. He looked down at her but everything above his nose was blocked by the roof of the car. She could only see his moving lips¡ªthey were exceptionally good-looking.

    ¡°Jian Yi used you because of those photos. So before you sessfully get a divorce, for your sake, I cannot do anything that will give Jian Yi leverage over you.¡± His voice was deep and steady, and it calmed her down.

    Even though she could not see his eyes, but she knew he was looking deeply at her.

    He then closed the door for her and walked away.

    To her surprise, he did not go home¡ªhe went back into his ck Touareg and started the car. The headlights were on but it was stationary.

    Qi Chengyue knew he wanted to send her home.

    Her heart warmed as she started her car. True enough¡ªshe drove out and the Touareg followed.

    She drove back to Jade Field Park and looked into her rearview mirror¡ªCheng Dongge stopped his car at the entrance of the Garden. Qi Chengyue parked her car in the garage¡ªshe did not go inside the house through the garage door; she walked out of it instead.

    Seeing Cheng Dongge¡¯s car was still there, and the lights in his car were on¡ªQi Chengyue rang the doorbell.

    ¡°Where did you go?¡± Guan Liya asked caringly as Qi Chengyue entered.

    ¡°Nothing much, I just went to see a friend,¡± Qi Chengyue said. Guan Liya looked at her suspiciously as she walked to the window and lifted the curtains a little to look outside¡ªthe Touareg was already gone.

    Qi Chengyue went back to her room. Guan Liya looked outside out of curiosity¡ªshe did not see anything.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue did not expect to have the public on her side the next day¡ªeighty percent of them. Especially after what Cheng Dongge said yesterday, she received nearly all women¡¯spassion and support. They thought no matter what was going on between her and Cheng Dongge, she had already exposed Jian Yi¡ªeven if she had a thing with Cheng Dongge, they understood and supported it.

    They were also touched by what Cheng Dongge said yesterday¡ªthey thought he was a good and loyal man.

    ording to rumors, Cheng Dongge had an ex-girlfriend who he dated for three years. Not long after saying yes to his proposal, she cheated on him to date an heir of some family. It was all for money and power.

    Hence, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue became two peas in a pot¡ªthey were helping each other. It was reasonable to develop feelings while being there for each other.

    Moreover, Jian Yi was the one who cheated on her initially, and Qi Chengyue had already asked for a divorce before all of this¡ªwas it not?

    Therefore, those who suspected that Qi Chengyue cheated on Jian Yi and used her of having a rich girl¡¯s attitude had since changed their views. They began supporting her online.

    Opposing voices were inevitable. There were also conspiracy theorists who imed to be smart and are able to see through things. They said it was not as simple as how it seemed and both parties were pulling an act¡ªthe public should not be buying into it.

    Others also imed that Cheng Dongge wanted a piece of Qi Chengyue¡¯s money and wanted to use this opportunity to gain power¡ªthis meant that what Qi Chengyue had been worrying about wasing true.

    However, these voices were in the minority¡ªthe situation was better than what Qi Chengyue imagined.

    Nearly all criticisms were targeted at Guan Xiaolin and Jian Yi¡ªand Guan Xiaolin was having it the worst.

    An unknown source leaked an audio recording of Guan Xiaolin confronting Qi Chengyue, but Qi Chengyue was sure that it was done by Qi Chengzhi.

    On top of that, Cheng Dongge definitely had the permission of Qi Chengzhi to expose Guan Xiaolin in front of reporters yesterday.

    ¡°You shameless mistress!¡±

    ¡°She must be drunk being so public with her status as a mistress.¡±

    ¡°That Jian Yi must be retarded to be attracted to a woman like Guan Xiaolin.¡±

    Thements did not hold back on degrading the duo.

    ¡°That Jian Yi was already aiming for the Qi family¡¯s money¡ªthat was definitely no true love.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s unbelievable how women are attracted to this man and even became his mistress willingly. She must have mental issues!¡±

    Qi Chengyue closed the browser window¡ªshe did not want to care about this anymore.

    ...

    ...

    It was court day on Thursday. Other than Grandpa and Grandma from the Qi family, everyone was present and sitting at the gallery.

    Qi Chengyue sat next to herwyer and looked at Jian Yi coldly.

    Jian Yi¡¯swyer whipped out the photos they imed to be evidence of Qi Chengyue cheating on him.

    Jian Yi initially thought that even after the divorce, Qi Chengyue could not get much out of it. At this moment, Qi Chengyue¡¯swyer presented new evidence to the court¡ªproving that before he separated with Qi Chengyue, he had already lived together with Guan Xiaolin. After Qi Chengyue asked for a divorce, he moved into Guan Xiaolin¡¯s apartment.

    Moreover, the DNA report of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s baby proved that Jian Yi was the father.

    Jian Yi¡¯s face darkened. He did not expect that they could get their hands on the DNA report¡ªhiswyer was unhappy as well. He looked over at Jian Yi and med him for not telling him about it.

    The court eventually ruled that Qi Chengyue was to divorce Jian Yi. On top of that, the duo had no shared assets¡ªthe house and the car Jian Yi drove was already under Qi Chengyue¡¯s name before they got married. The assets under Qi Chengyue¡¯s name were also hers before the marriage. ording to the New Marriage Act, Jian Yi was not entitled to any of it¡ªlet alone half of the Qilin shares.

    Jian Yi eventually got nothing other than the small amount of money in his bank ount and investments.

    As they left the court, Jian Yi looked particrly pissed¡ªhe stared angrily at Qi Chengyue. As he turned around, his eyes met with Song Yu.

    Song Yu stood next to Qi Chengzhi and saw the disappointment on his face.

    Seeing Jian Yi like this, being friends with him when they were young seemed like a dream.

    She even doubted that if the younger him was the real him.

    Jian Yi looked away coldly and walked out of the court with Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan. A huge group of reporters surrounded them¡ªthe cameras were all up in their faces.

    Jian Shifu was thoroughly embarrassed. His son had done such an immoral thing¡ªnot only did he ruin the happiness of someone¡¯s daughter, but he also attempted to ckmail the Qi family for money. As for Zhou Mingyan, she went as far as making a scene at theirpany and ruined the reputation of Qi Chengyue.

    He had no say in the family home either¡ªhe could only hold in his anger. He felt it was hard to go on with his daily life.

    ¡°Mister Jian, the court ruled that you receive nothing. What are your future ns?¡±

    ¡°Will you marry Miss Guan right away?¡±

    ¡°The public is condemning you and Miss Guan, do you have anything to say to that?¡±

    ¡°Did no one from the Guan familye today?¡±

    ¡°Today in court, the Qi family¡¯swyer presented the DNA report of Miss Guan¡¯s baby as evidence. If Miss Guan did not go to the hospital herself, the DNA test could not have been done. Does this indicate the Guan family¡¯s stand on this issue? Did the Guan family object your rtionship with Miss Guan?¡±

    Jian Yi clenched his jaw together. Guan Xiaolin had said that she did not attend the court session because the Guan family was worried about creating more rumors and negative news¡ªthat was why none of them was present.

    He knew the Guan family would not reveal their true intentions easily. But as Guan Xiaolin was carrying his child, and it would be harder to abort the baby as time goes by¡ªthe Guan family would have to agree to his marriage with Guan Xiaolin eventually if they did not want their daughter to give birth to a bastard.

    ¡°Madam Zhou, it was exposed online that you were one of the reasons Mister Jian and Miss Qi¡¯s marriage failed. Do you have anything to say to that?¡±

    ¡°Madam Zhou, Mister Cheng said while Mister Jian and Miss Qi were still married, you had gone shopping with Miss Guan while using Miss Qi¡¯s money. As you are so dissatisfied with Miss Qi? Why were you spending her money?¡±

    ¡°Madam Zhou, the day you exposed the alleged photo of Miss Qi cheating in Qilin, Wang Chao and that Japanese restaurant also presented their CCTV footage to prove that Miss Qi and Mister Cheng did not do anything inappropriate¡ªcontrary to what you said. The Qi family might press charges on this matter, what do you think about this?¡±

    ¡°Whatever I think or feel is none of your business! Go away! All of you, go away! The cameras are hitting my face, stop taking photos! Stop taking photos!¡± Zhou Mingyan yelled angrily as she used her hand to block the cameras.

    But she only had two hands¡ªshe could not block all of them.

    ¡°Madam Zhou, why did you wrongly use Miss Qi? Does Mister Jian know about this? Or did he ask you to do this?¡±

    Jian Yi squinted his eyes and looked at the reporter who was asking the question. In this group of reporters, there were two of them who seemed like they were siding Qi Chengyue¡ªthey must be sent here by Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Madam Zhou, don¡¯t you feel a little remorseful? Does this mean you are more satisfied with Miss Guan being your daughter-inw? We heard that no matter what Miss Qi did, she could not satisfy you, so can Miss Guan do that?¡±

    ¡°Go away! Yes, I don¡¯t like Qi Chengyue! The Qi family is cocky because of their money¡ªbut to marry into the Jian family as a daughter-inw, she must listen to me! She must do as I say!¡± Zhou Mingyan blurted under pressure.

    At this moment, a reporter yelled, ¡°The Qi family is out!¡±

    All reporters ran towards the Qi family and left the Jian family behind.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned and put his arm around Song Yu¡¯s waist to protect her from the reporters.

    Jian Shifu had been keeping his head low¡ªespecially when Zhou Mingyan was speaking, he really wanted to dig a hole for himself.

    He looked in the direction of the Qi family and clenched his fists. He decided to walk over.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a surprised Zhou Mingyan ran after him.

    Jian Shifu ignored her and approached Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya¡ªhe bowed before the entire family.

    ¡°Mister and Missus Qi, Chengyue, I¡¯m sorry. My son is an asshole, and my wife is in the wrong. I apologize on their behalf. Chengyue, I¡¯m sorry you were bullied by your mother-inw while you were with us¡ªand I could not do anything for you,¡± Jian Shifu spoke with his head low.

    The reporters who surrounded the Qi family eximed¡ªif Jian Yi¡¯s father could reveal all of these, one could not imagine how miserable Qi Chengyue was in the Jian family!

    Qi Chengyue had tears in her eyes as she said, ¡°I was na?ve, I did not serve you well. You were always good to me.¡±

    Jian Shifu¡¯s eyes swelled up. Soon after, he was hit hard on his back and dragged by his arms to straighten his body.

    ¡°Jian Shifu, what are you doing! What have I done to wrong her? Why are you apologizing to her on our behalf! I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡ªdid youe here to bow and all to get some benefits from the Qi family? Don¡¯t make me look like I¡¯m begging!¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s screams were so sharp it hurt everyone¡¯s ears¡ªespecially the ones who were holding megaphones. Zhou Mingyan¡¯s voice was amplified by the megaphones.

    ¡°You shut up! Haven¡¯t you embarrassed yourself and hurt people enough? Look what you¡¯ve done to a good girl! What does this have to do with money! You always talk about their money¡ªthis exposes your attitude and how you degrade yourself. You can¡¯t me others! Jian Yi was the one who cheated on her. If you were a good mother-inw, you would¡¯ve scolded your son once in a while and helped your daughter-inw, then they would not have gotten a divorce! Jian Yi is the one in the wrong, how could you try to say otherwise? Are you really that unreasonable?¡± Jian Shifu yelled angrily¡ªit was as if he finally let out the years¡¯ worth of frustrations and anger in him.

    He was facing Zhou Mingyan and his saliva flew everywhere¡ªhe was so mad that he could not get enough of letting out his anger. He could notprehend why Zhou Mingyan could be so unreasonable and stubborn!

    ¡°What are you doing! Jian Shifu how could you side outsiders and yell at me here. So you have the courage now do you! Jian Yi is your son, who else should you side other than him? We can¡¯t live like this! I¡¯m telling you Jian Shifu, you need to shut up, otherwise, we cannot live like this anymore! If you don¡¯t love me, we could get a divorce¡ªdon¡¯t you dare rub your nose in my face!¡± Zhou Mingyan said angrily as she kept pointing her finger at Jian Shifu¡¯s nose.

    Jian Shifu had always been an honest man¡ªhe did whatever he said. Exposing her in front of the Qi family and reporters today, he really had to have the courage to do that!

    On top of that, she could not stand the fact that he defended Qi Chengyue¡ªand apologized to Qi Chengyue on behalf of her!

    She did not do anything to betray Qi Chengyue, and she did not need him to apologize on her behalf!

    Jian Shifu¡¯s face was flushed as he was being yelled and pointed at by her in front of everyone. His male ego could not take it anymore¡ªhe thought about how she had disrespected him over the years, and how he gradually felt less of a need to speak at home¡ªit was all about her. Her words had never gone into his head. Life was so depressing every day¡ªthe marriage was already over before he knew it.

    He knew she blurted out the divorce idea because she thought he was an easy man. She would not have expected him to follow through¡ªhe would have continued tolerating her. That was why she was cocky about it.

    Having such an unreasonable wife¡ªhe did not want to sin with her anymore.

    Jian Shifu pushed Zhou Mingyan¡¯s hand off with force and said angrily, ¡°Let¡¯s divorce then! I am done living a life like this. Go ahead and continue to sin yourself! If I stayed with you, I¡¯m afraid karma would bite!¡±

    Zhou Mingyan was shocked. She did not expect Jian Shifu to be so decisive this time.

    But she thought through it¡ªhe could not let go of his ego in front of everyone and it was just an act.

    Zhou Mingyanughed coldly and said nonchntly, ¡°Alright!¡±

    Jian Shifu pushed Zhou Mingyan out of the way and walked without turning back.

    Zhou Mingyan also scoffed at the Qi family before going back for Jian Yi.

    Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu and walked her down the steps in front of the court, while Chang Lai was standing next to the Benz. Qi Chengzhi nodded, and Chang Lai brought out a baseball bat from the car boot before walking towards Jian Yi¡¯s Cayenne.

    As Jian Yi and Zhou Mingyan were getting into the car, Chang Lai swung the bat onto its windscreen and smashed it into pieces¡ªthey fell all over the bo.

    Chang Lai then walked over to the driver¡¯s side and smashed both the front and back windows.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± Zhou Mingyan was going crazy. All the windows of the car were smashed as she was trying to get into the car.

    The reporters, who were left in shock, clicked on the cameras¡¯ shutters repeatedly.

    Qi Chenglin walked over slowly as reporters followed. After the crowd dispersed on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side, he got Song Yu into the car.

    Qi Chenglin had one hand in his pocket and held his phone with the other. Heughed coldly and said, ¡°This car¡¯s certificate is under Chengyue¡¯s name, and now that Chengyue does not want it anymore, we are just smashing our own car for fun¡ªwhat can you do about it?¡±

    Zhou Mingyan was left speechless. Her lips moved¡ªbut no words came out of them.

    Qi Chenglin called the towingpany in front of them to have the car towed away.

    ¡°You... you... you¡¯re bullies!¡± Zhou Mingyan yelled with all her might.

    Qi Chenglin wiped the smug off his face and put on a serious expression. It was so intimidating that Zhou Mingyan stepped back from him unconsciously.

    He scoffed and said, ¡°Is this bullying? We are smashing our own car, how does that constitute bullying? Madam Zhou, there are many more ways to bully you in the future. The Qi family will make you pay for how you bullied my sister.¡±

    He nodded in her direction in mockery, nced at Jian Yi, and walked back.

    Qi Chenglin held Qi Chengyue by her back and escorted her into the car. The family went back to the Qi family¡¯s mansion.

    ...

    ...

    Grandpa and Grandma were still waiting at home¡ªespecially Grandma. She knew with the power of her family, there would not be any unexpected turns with the ruling today¡ªbut she could only ease her worries if she heard the news herself.

    She kept standing and looking out the window. Even though Grandpa did not say it, but he did not go out to y chess today. The chess set and its pieces were ced on the coffee table outside¡ªbut none of it was touched.

    ¡°They¡¯re back! They¡¯re back!¡± Grandma saw the Range Rover that stopped in front of the door, as well as the Benz behind it.

    Grandpa could not keep his calm anymore. He stood up and followed behind Grandma¡ªhe waited at the entrance.

    As Qi Chengzhi and the lot walked in, Grandma asked, ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°Everything went well,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Grandma let out a sigh of relief. She pulled Qi Chengyue by her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s finally settled, there will not be such depressing matters in the future again. I will go ahead and find some fine young men and introduce them to you. This time, Grandma will take the screening seriously¡ªI will never let my granddaughter be miserable again!¡±

    ¡°Uncle, Aunty, let¡¯s discuss the matters regarding the Guan family in the study,¡± Qi Chengzhi turned around and said.

    Qi Chengyue finally divorced Jian Yi and got rid of him. It was great news to both the Qi family and Qi Chengyue herself¡ªthat was why Grandma had Aunty Liew cook a full table of dishes to celebrate.

    ¡°It¡¯s finally solved.¡± Grandma took a sip of red wine and exhaled in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s also the wedding of Chengzhi and Little Song the day after tomorrow. Great things are happening one after another¡ªjust in time to rid the house of bad luck. Chengyue got divorced, and the burden in my heart is finally relieved. I can now attend the wedding without any worry.¡±

 Chapter 204 - Are You Sure You Donâ€™t Want Me to Stay?

    <h4>Chapter 204: Are You Sure You Don¡¯t Want Me to Stay?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°It¡¯s finally solved.¡± Grandma took a sip of red wine and exhaled in satisfaction. ¡°It¡¯s also the wedding of Chengzhi and Little Song the day after tomorrow. Great things are happening one after another¡ªjust in time to rid the house of bad luck. Chengyue got divorced, and the burden in my heart is finally relieved. I can now attend the wedding without any worry.¡±

    After divorcing Jian Yi, Qi Chengyue did not expect to be more rxed than ever¡ªeven her appetite improved.

    The Qi family members were relieved to see her like this¡ªthe atmosphere at the dinner table was rxed.

    ¡°Chengzhi, have you decided where to go for your honeymoon?¡± Xia Wenna asked.

    ¡°We¡¯ve discussed it, and decided that we¡¯re not going anywhere for now. After getting some things done, only then will we go on our honeymoon,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he filled a bowl with soup for Song Yu.

    Xia Wenna thought Qi Chengzhi was referring to the matters rting to the Guan family so she did not say anything.

    ...

    ...

    After leaving the Qi family¡¯s mansion at night, Qi Chengzhi did not drive home immediately¡ªhe parked his car in front of Dynasty.

    Song Yu got out of the car in suspicion and walked up Dynasty¡¯s steps with her hand in his. Song Yu asked, ¡°What are we doing here?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was silent as he entered Dynasty¡¯s entrance with Song Yu.

    The manager walked over to them¡ªit was as if he had already spoken to Qi Chengzhi beforehand. He led Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu into a huge banquet hall behind Dynasty¡¯s main building¡ªit was thergest in the whole of Dynasty.

    The banquet hall filled the entire building, and its exterior looked like a pce in the Han Dynasty. Although it was a one-story hall, it was magnificent beyond belief.

    After walking up the stairs and entering the building, Song Yu did not dare to use her normal voice to speak under the unbelievably high ceiling¡ªthe echo was heavy.

    The manager led them to the entrance of the banquet hall and said, ¡°Feel free to use the hall, I will be at the entrance if you need me.¡±

    After the manager left, Qi Chengzhi pushed the doors open with both his hands¡ªa long, white carpet appeared before Song Yu¡¯s eyes. It stretched from the door all the way to the front, naturally separating the hall into two sides.

    There were tables and chairs covered with white cloths on both sides of the carpet. No cutleries were set up on the tables¡ªthey looked ordinary for now.

    Each side of the tables had long tables that served as dessert corners for guests. The exquisitely decorated desserts had yet to be disyed.

    ¡°There will be too many people at the wedding after tomorrow. I¡¯ve always wanted a wedding with just you and me. You¡¯re going back to your family home tomorrow night and I did not want to ruin the surprises on the wedding day,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    The hall would have been decorated by tomorrow night. If she saw it tomorrow night, there would not be any surprises left for the wedding day.

    ¡°Tonight¡¯s wedding is just you and me?¡± Song Yu looked up at him and his handsome face¡ªhis pupils darkened. She blushed slightly as she said, ¡°Does this mean I¡¯m marrying you twice? Wait, it¡¯s three times including the one in France.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t gotten our marriage certificate for the one in France.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled slightly, his voice raspy.

    He did not walk ahead and waited for Song Yu to follow. Instead, he held Song Yu¡¯s hand and walked to the front together.

    Song Yu could not help but look up at Qi Chengzhi. At this moment, his usual, expressionless face became soft, and he seemed focused. As she walked alongside him, it felt like they were going to walk together for the rest of their lives¡ªshe felt calm and content.

    Qi Chengzhi felt her gaze and looked down at her as well. His gaze was warm and decisive¡ªhis eyes were locked on her face and they did not go anywhere.

    Song Yu squeezed his hand and thought how great it would be if she held his hand since she was young¡ªand never letting it go.

    As she looked at the man who was walking by her side, she thought about how this charming man wanted to spend the rest of his life with her¡ªthe happiness and satisfaction she felt could not be put into words.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand and walked up to the altar¡ªit was as if they will spend the rest of their lives loving and supporting each other through the good and bad, through sickness and health.

    ...

    ...

    On Friday, Qi Chengzhi wrapped up work and picked Song Yu up from Viewpark Residence to return to the Song family¡¯s house.

    As they drove into the garden, they found the wells in front of the entrance being covered by pink papers, and the pirs of the streetlights were pasted with cutouts of the ¡°Xi¡± character¡ªwhich meant double happiness. As they reached the ground floor, an area was found closed off and a sign was put up in front of it¡ªit was a reserved parking area for the wedding cars tomorrow. The sign also apologized to neighbors for the inconvenience caused.

    As the transport team for tomorrow¡¯s wedding was toorge, many spots had to be taken up. For this, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying closed off the area on that day and waited outside. If there were neighbors who drove over, they politely exined the situation to them and gave them small gifts. They were not pricey, but it was a token of appreciation¡ªit would ease the burden on people¡¯s hearts and hopefully not be calctive over the situation.

    The duo got out of the car and saw cutouts of the ¡°Xi¡± character pasted on the walls of the apartment unit and its main entrance.

    Just as they stepped into the unit, they bumped into the old Xu couple from the sixth floor who were taking a walk after dinner.

    ¡°Oh? Song Yu you¡¯re back, congrattions on the wedding tomorrow,¡± Aunty Xu said while giggling. She looked at Qi Chengzhi up and down¡ªhe was good looking, they did look great together; people would envy them.

    As Song Donglin was the only son of the Song family, he was the official representative of thepany before the Song family went bankrupt. While his cousins¡¯ quality of life decreased after the incident¡ªtheir losses were not nearly as bad as Song Donglin.

    Those cousins of Song Donglin did not forget the good he had done for them. They became part of the upper ss because of Song Donglin. That was why even though the Song family went bankrupt, and the cousins lived like middle-ss persons, they always helped out Song Donglin and his family through their worst.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying remembered their efforts too¡ªwhatever that was given to them by Madam Qi and Xia Wenna in the past, they could not finish them anyway; they gave them out to the cousins regrly. They also invited them to the wedding tomorrow.

    To a family with a reputation like the Qi family, they did not care about the money. Families of the same status would splurge on the gifts, but for ordinary folks¡ªthey just needed to attend the wedding and wish the couple well. Song Donglin¡¯s cousins would not feel pressured for the event at all.

    As for Yu Qianying, she could not invite anyone from her family¡ªthe bride¡¯s family together with Song Donglin¡¯s cousins could only fill one table, that was why they invited neighbors that they were friendly with as well. The Xu couple was also on the list.

    Song Yu only invited a few people she was close within thepany such as Ruan Danchen and Manager Wang together with a few other colleagues. Other than that, even though she knew Director Zhao was extra nice to her because of Qi Chengzhi, she still invited him and his wife.

    ¡°Uncle Xu, Aunty Xu, my mom has told you about it hasn¡¯t she? You can just go tomorrow, you don¡¯t have to give gifts,¡± Song Yu said as she was afraid the neighbors would feel pressured. If they had wanted to give gifts anywaysl, it would not help with the pressure. People who lived here were just ordinary folk, like the Xu couple, they were already retired. Although their unit was great and they had huge retirement benefits, but to attend a Qi family wedding was a lot of pressure.

    ¡°Sigh, your mom said it. But we couldn¡¯t just show up empty-handed, wouldn¡¯t that be inappropriate? That would look bad!¡± Aunty Xu said.

    ¡°Nothing is inappropriate about it, other than making myself happy at the wedding, I want my friends and family to be happy for us too¡ªit¡¯s a matter of getting everyone¡¯s well wishes. If a joyous event turns into causing people stress and burden, how could that be okay? You¡¯reing without anything. If you feel bad, then just wish us from the bottom of your heart. Otherwise, we would feel pressured taking gifts from you,¡± Song Yu said with a serious face.

    Aunty Xu felt relieved andughed. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi went home after some small talk.

    Yu Qianying had been cleaning up the house for thest few days. The house was decorated in a particrly festive way¡ªeven the bedsheets in Song Yu¡¯s room were changed to a festive red.

    Song Donglin brought out the bottle of Tianzn white spirit that was given by Qi Chengzhi a while back. Song Yu also drank a little red wine.

    As the couple had already gotten their marriage certificate, there was nothing much left to be advised about¡ªQi Chengzhi had already been the son-inw of the Song family for some time so Yu Qianying did not have much to say.

    The family had a great talk over dinner and finished the fruits for dessert. It was 9 o¡¯clock in the blink of an eye and Qi Chengzhi did not seem like he was nning to leave.

    Yu Qianying did not feelfortable with asking him to leave. She went back to the kitchen and cut up some fruits, and Song Donglin came over to help. Yu Qianying leaned over to Song Donglin and whispered, ¡°Why do you think he hasn¡¯t left? He needs toe here and pick up the bride in the morning, you don¡¯t think he¡¯s nning to stay over do you, that¡¯s against the tradition!¡±

    ¡°What could we do, you want to chase him out?¡± Song Donglin also whispered, ¡°Moreover his suit and everything is still in his house, together with the wedding transport team¡ªhe can¡¯t stay here for sure. They are married anyway and have already been living together, it¡¯s normal that they¡¯re reluctant to split up for a night.¡±

    Yu Qianying thought about her son-inw¡¯s decent appearance¡ªit looked as if he was not up to anything malicious. She could not be the one to say it.

    Whenever she talked to him, he would look at her with his clear and innocent eyes¡ªit gave her a lot of pressure. She had suspected that he had mental issues.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu looked at the clock on the wall and looked back at him. His coatid on the armrest of the sofa, his cor was open, and his tie was shoved into his shirt pocket. His sleeves were rolled up to his arms, his muscles made the sleeves look like they were about to burst. His forearm was rested on his thigh, and his ck body hair was exposed. They were not too much but not too little¡ªSong Yu felt it was perfect. It made him look extra manly.

    The pants under his arm were tightly hugging his thighs because of his position. The lines of his thigh muscles could be seen.

    Qi Chengzhi was silently peeling pistachios. Ever since he quit smoking, he ate snacks to substitute the need to smoke.

    As a result, Qi Chengzhi ate all the snacks in the house¡ªSong Yu barely had any.

    As Qi Chengzhi was peeling for himself, he peeled a couple and fed Song Yu once in a while.

    ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, what time are you nning to leave?¡± Song Yu swallowed the pistachio he fed her with and asked.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at the clock on the wall in silence then back at Song Yu. His gaze seemed a little nted, and she did not know if it was an illusion but his gaze seemed a little condemning¡ªSong Yu could not help but feel guilty, as if chasing him out was a horrible thing to do.

    ¡°You¡¯re chasing me out this quick?¡± She was right¡ªhe asked tantly.

    Song Yu submissively wrapped her hand around his arm and exined, ¡°There will be a jam outside at this hour, it will be about ten-thirty by the time you get home. You¡¯re picking me up early in the morning tomorrow and it¡¯s going to be a long day. Why not go back earlier and rest?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and did not want to leave, but he knew he had to. He got up with an expressionless face, and grabbed his coat from the armrest. However, his arm was grabbed by her as he was about to leave.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out,¡± Song Yu said gently.

    Truth be told, being with Qi Chengzhi had already be habitual. It might feel ufortable to see someone next to you when she woke up in the morning, but Qi Chengzhi already became part of her life without her knowing it.

    To not be with him tonight was hard for her. She wanted to go home with him at the moment.

    Her eyes began swelling up watching him leave by himself.

    Qi Chengzhi did not say anything and let her hold him by his arm in silence. They walked past the kitchen as they were getting to the door, and greeted Yu Qianying and Song Donglin.

    Yu Qianying let out a sigh of relief and said, ¡°Leaving so soon? I just finished cutting up the fruits.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi saw the fruit tter Yu Qianying was pointing at and asked honestly, ¡°Should I stay for a little longer?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yu Qianying was speechless.

    Song Yu pulled him away and walked out as she whispered, ¡°What are you saying! Go home and rest well, tomorrow is going to be tiring. Don¡¯t force yourself to stay here.¡±

    Song Yu finished speaking to him before turning around and said, ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll walk him out.¡±

    Yu Qianying could be heard saying, ¡°Chengzhi, drive carefully!¡±

    The duo walked out the door and Song Yu wanted to send Qi Chengzhi downstairs. Qi Chengzhi stopped her and said, ¡°You don¡¯t have to go down, I will be worried and I will have to send you back here again.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Song Yu said gently and reminded him, ¡°Drive slowly and carefully on the road. Call me when you¡¯re home.¡±

    She lowered her head. Despite what she said, her hands were unconsciously wrapped around his waist¡ªshe did not want him to leave.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms circled her waist as well¡ªhe tightened his arms, lowered his head to use touch her nose with his and said in a raspy voice, ¡°Do you want me to stay tonight?¡±

    To Song Yu, his voice sounded like a cup of hot, thick cocoa¡ªit was smooth, warm, and sweet to the core.

    ¡°Quick, go home,¡± Song Yu said softly as she forced herself to let go of him.

    He did not let go¡ªhe still hugged her by her waist and said softly, ¡°I¡¯m serious, I can go back at three or four o¡¯clock.¡±

    ¡°The wedding is tomorrow, won¡¯t we meet again then? It¡¯s just a few hours from now. If you keep stalling, it¡¯s going to be ten,¡± Song Yu said.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her silently, his gaze was so sharp it made Song Yu blush. Her heart race, and she shivered in his embrace.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and got closer to her. Song Yu could feel his hot breath, and she could not help but mess up her own breathing. She also felt contractions in her abdomen.

    She inhaled as she quivered, and she could smell his breath. His lips gradually came down onto hers¡ªit felt like he was starved. It was not as deep and heavy as it usually was.

    This time, his kiss was gentle but clingy¡ªhis hot lips were seducing her gently by rubbing across her lips. All of a sudden, she felt a wet and smooth taste on her lips¡ªit tasted like him. It was his tongue drawing on her lips and stroking them back and forth. It was seductive beyond words, and it felt especially sexy.

    Song Yu¡¯s chest tightened and her hands clenched onto his shirt.

    After some time, Song Yu had pretty much melted into his embrace. Qi Chengzhi stood while hugging her for a while before finally letting her go.

    ¡°You really don¡¯t want me to stay?¡± he asked with determination.

    Song Yu blushed and said, ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±

    She could almost hear Qi Chengzhi sigh, and her lips were pecked twice before he went downstairs. As he turned the corner and was about to go down to the fifth floor, he lifted his head and said to Song Yu, ¡°I¡¯ll leave after watching you go into the house.¡±

    Song Yu knocked on the door and waited until Yu Qianying opened it for her. Song Yu stepped into the house, turned around, and saw Qi Chengzhi waving at her before walking downstairs.

    She entered the house and went straight to the balcony to stare outside the window. After some time, she saw Qi Chengzhi walk out. Maybe he knew she was watching him again, because he looked up for a bit before walking ahead.

    She watched him enter his car, and only returned to the living room when the Range Rover disappeared into the night.

    Yu Qianying shook her head andughed, ¡°Look at how clingy you both are, isn¡¯t it just one night?¡±

    Song Yu blushed and said ¡°Mom¡± before Yu Qianying said, ¡°The fruits are already cut up. Come eat and sleep early. You¡¯ll only look good tomorrow with enough rest.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi was nearing Viewpark Residence. Viewpark Residence was not near the fancy city center¡ªthere were barely any cars on the road.

    On the quiet roads, there were only a few cars and the streetlights.

    Qi Chengzhi kept driving and he could see the entrance of Viewpark Residence. He heard an engine being revved all of a sudden. As it was blocked by the car windows, the volume was not loud; but Qi Chengzhi could feel something was wrong.

    He turned around and saw a car speeding out of the T-junction on his side. The car was driving at high speed and it did not look like it was stopping anytime soon. The driver stepped on the gas and was speeding towards him.

    Qi Chengzhi sensed danger. It was impossible to swerve into another direction at the moment because the pedestrian walkway next to him. If he braked, that car would definitely ram into him. His gaze was decisive as he mmed his foot on the gas.

    As he sped ahead with all his might, that ck car also sped towards him¡ªthe b was tailing his car boot.

    That car approached him aggressively. ¡°Bang!¡± a loud crash was heard¡ªQi Chengzhi felt his car shook and the back of his car was thrown off. He still could not avoid it in the end, but he was close. He nearly made it.

    But now the back of his car had been crashed into.

    As he had been stepping on the gas to the fullest, he lost control over the car in that moment. The back of his car nearly swung 360 degrees, and the tires screeched on the ground. That prolonged screeching sound was sharp enough to send chills down people¡¯s spines.

    Qi Chengzhi tried his best to turn the steering wheel but still could not take control of the car. The tires continued to screech on the ground at high speed¡ªit created dark and wide tire prints on the road.

    As the back of the car swung at high speed, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s head mmed against the car window, hitting the side of his head aggressively before he was mmed onto the other side.

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth together. He held his breath unconsciously and did not dare to give up on the brakes¡ªhe was still trying his best to take control of the steering wheel; even if it could be controlled just a little.

    As the tires swung towards the back, they hit the concrete on the sidewalk¡ªthe car shook aggressively as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back was mmed against the car seat.

    At the same time, the front of the car swung out and smashed up the sidewalk before ramming into a tree.

    Qi Chengzhi did not dare to move much. His head was hurting horribly¡ªhe turned around to see the other car was spinning as well after being thrown off from the impact.

    However, that car was in a better condition than his¡ªit stabilized before he could do the same for his. After a quick turn, the car was speeding towards him again.

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed his eyes together as his nerves became tense. He reversed as fast as he could, and switched the gear back to ¡®drive¡¯. The entire car went up onto the pedestrian walkway and sped along it.

    As the other car was about to ram into him again, he was ready¡ªhe estimated the right time and quickly turned the steering wheel to get the car back onto the road while ramming into the other car¡¯s boot. That car was swung back out again.

    He sped to Viewpark Residence while the other car was still trying to stabilize itself.

    At this moment, he was incredibly nervous, and his brain was pounding from the heavy crash from before. His vision was blurred.

    Qi Chengzhi took a nce at his rearview mirror¡ªthe ck car was tailing him.

    He took a quick turn. After a sharp ¡°Screech!¡± noise from stepping on the brakes, his car stopped right in front of Viewpark Residence¡¯s entrance¡ªjust a few centimeters from the barrier.

    Qi Chengzhi looked into the rearview mirror again¡ªthe ck car sped out, it did not turn in with him.

    He finally rxed and let out a sigh of relief.

    The guards rushed towards him in cold sweat¡ªseeing how the front of the Range Rover was smashed, one¡¯s heart would shiver.

    Qi Chengzhi rolled down the window¡ªhe lied on the car seat in exhaustion and his head was leaned backward.

    ¡°Mister Qi! Are you okay?¡± the guards screamed.

    They heard the crash nearby and went to check it out. They also saw the thrilling scene just now ¨C they wanted to jot down that car¡¯s number te but could not find any on it.

    ¡°Should we call 120 and make a police report?¡± the guards asked.

    ¡°No need,¡± Qi Chengzhi said softly and frowned. He added, ¡°Please move me into the passenger¡¯s seat, whoever among you can drive, drive me home.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure we should not make a police report?¡± the guards asked again.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it after you send me back,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied.

    Two of the guards carried him out of the car and into the passenger¡¯s seat. They found a colleague who could drive and drove Qi Chengzhi back.

    Aunt Yang opened the door and saw Qi Chengzhi being carried by the guards. Her face turned white and asked, ¡°Sir, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Mister Qi was met with an ident near the garden entrance,¡± the guards exined. They carried Qi Chengzhi to the sofa after being told to by Aunt Yang.

    ¡°Was it serious?¡± Aunt Yang eximed.

    One of the guards nodded and said, ¡°The front and back of the car have been destroyed.¡±

    ¡°God, why not I give a call to Master Lin and get him to send you to the hospital!¡± Aunt Yang began to freak out. It waste and they had to get the bride in the morning¡ªhow could something like this happen at this time?

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent. He thanked the two guards before they left.

    Aunt Yang did not care if Qi Chengzhi would object it¡ªseeing how pale Qi Chengzhi was from such a serious ident, who knew if there were internal injuries? She called Qi Chenglin right away.

    Even if Qi Chengzhi did not say it, Aunt Yang did not notify Song Yu¡ªshe did not want Song Yu to worry.

    Qi Chenglin hung up and rushed out of the door¡ªhe reached Viewpark Residence soon after.

    On his way there, Qi Chenglin called Chu Zhaoyang, who immediately woke the doctor who was sleeping and rushed to the hospital.

    Qi Chenglin entered the door and found Qi Chengzhi frowning as he leaned against the sofa. He did not know if he could be moved.

    ¡°Brother, how are you feeling?¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Chengzhi pressed on his temples ¡ª the wound on the corner of his forehead was already sterilized by Aunt Yang and wrapped with sters.

    ¡°I¡¯m still holding up,¡± he replied.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go get a checkup at the hospital,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Chenglin did not say no¡ªthis ident was nothing like thest, and he could feel that this was worse.

    He was carried into the car by Qi Chenglin. On the way there, Qi Chenglin frowned and asked, ¡°Was this ident intentional?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, there was no number te on the car,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a tired voice.

    ¡°Jian Yi?¡± Qi Chenglin guessed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not so sure,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied, but he had the same doubts.

    ¡°This must be investigated,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression darkened.

    Qi Chengzhi whipped out his phone and remembered that he had to give Song Yu a call. Under usual circumstances, he should already be home by now. If he did not call anytime soon, he was afraid she would be worried.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yuid on her bed¡ªshe turned and turned as she could not fall asleep.

    She felt nervous and excited, maybe it was because of the wedding tomorrow, but it was more than that. Qi Chengzhi was not by her side.

    She was used to being cuddled to sleep by him at night. As she could not smell his scent or have his warmth around her, she could not sleep.

    Moreover, she was still waiting for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call.

    Looking at the time, even if there was a bad jam, he should be home by now.

    As she thought about it, Qi Chengzhi called¡ªit was as if there was telepathy.

    Song Yu picked up the call right away and heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gentle voice say, ¡°I¡¯m home.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked over at Qi Chengzhi as he drove¡ªhe did not dare to make a sound.

 Chapter 205 - Didnâ€™t You Say That Youâ€™ve Told Them to Not Embarrass Me?

    <h4>Chapter 205: Didn¡¯t You Say That You¡¯ve Told Them to Not Embarrass Me?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin was driving. He took a nce at Qi Chengzhi, but did not dare to speak out.

    ¡°All right then, goodnight.¡± Song Yu felt reassured now, but was reluctant to end the call.

    Qi Chengzhiid back on the chair, frowning. He rubbed the corner of his eyes, but when he spoke, there was no difference in his tone. ¡°Is this the reason why you haven¡¯t slept yet? You were waiting for my call?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Song Yu turned over, lying on her right side, putting her cellphone in between her ear and the pillow. She pulled her nket up to her chin, burying the tip of her chin under the nket. ¡°You¡¯re not here. So, I can¡¯t sleep.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled into a tender smile. It seemed that his body was feeling better now. Her words had made his heart melt.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t I leave now to meet you?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi softly.

    Qi Chenglin, who was sitting next to Qi Chengzhi, did not doubt his words. If Song Yu agreed to Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chengzhi would turn around instantly and drive to Song Yu¡¯s house. He would definitely not go to the hospital.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Get to bed early today,¡± whispered Song Yu. ¡°I feel better now after hearing your voice.¡±

    ¡°Me too.¡± The smile on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face never left.

    Song Yu had no idea that what he meant differed from hers.

    ¡°I¡¯m ending the call then. See you tomorrow.¡± Song Yu moved slightly, adjusting herself to a morefortable position. Before she ended the call, she whispered, ¡°Love you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. Although Song Yu had ended the call, he spoke into the cellphone softly, ¡°See you tomorrow.¡±

    He put his cellphone down. Then, he realized that Song Yu would never wait for his reply every time she finished saying she loved him.

    At the beginning, he thought that it was because she was shy. However, a few timester, he understood that it was because she had always been confident in him. She had never doubted his love, surely she did not need to hear him say it out loud.

    On the other hand, she would never know how deep his love for her was at this moment.

    Qi Chenglin stopped the car at the entrance of Chutian Hospital. When Qi Chengzhi got out of the car, he had already felt much better. He did not need Qi Chenglin¡¯s support anymore.

    While Chu Zhaoyang was waiting for him at the entrance, he had informed the doctor to get ready at the outpatient clinic.

    When Chu Zhaoyang saw Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin, he only nodded to them without a word. However, his expression was more serious than usual.

    He had asked someone to prepare a wheelchair, but Qi Chengzhi took a nce at it and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to have my wedding tomorrow. It¡¯ll be such ill-fortune to sit in this tonight.¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang nced at the wheelchair and nodded. He agreed sincerely. ¡°True.¡±

    After ascertaining that Qi Chengzhi had no problem walking himself, the three of them went upstairs.

    The doctor, who had been woken up by Chu Zhaoyang in his bed, did a check-up on Qi Chengzhi. Other than that, he sent Qi Chengzhi for a scan. Fortunately, there was no serious injury.

    Qi Chengzhi pointed at the gauze on his forehead which was wrapped by Aunt Yang and said, ¡°Change it to a band-aid.¡±

    The doctor had already checked on the wound. It was not big, not to mention that it was treated well too. However, one band-aid would not be able to cover it. Therefore, the doctor had to put on two band-aids for him. He knew that Qi Chengzhi was getting married tomorrow, so, he had different circumstances.

    ¡°This will do temporarily. However, after the wedding, you have to clean it immediately. Then, wrap it up with the gauze again,¡± said the doctor.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin fetched Qi Chengzhi back to Viewpark Residence. However, Qi Chenglin did not leave immediately. After telling Qi Chengzhi to go upstairs and rest, he made a call to Cheng Dongge instantly and told him about tonight¡¯s car ident.

    Cheng Dongge called Chang Lai immediately. He told Chang Lai to send Qi Chengzhi¡¯s car for an inspection, hoping that they would discover something. Other than that, he contacted some people to investigate the ident.

    Cheng Dongge was also suspecting Jian Yi. He told them to look into Jian Yi too while conducting the investigation.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, in the early morning, Qi Chenglin, Yan Beicheng and the others gathered at Viewpark Residence.

    They did not drive the cars that they usually drove. As they were not twenty-year-old teens who liked to show off anymore, theirs were mostly sleeper cars. Even when their cars were all luxury brands, staidness was their main priority when buying a car. Plus, prices were insignificant inparison to their considerable standing.

    For example, Li Zhuoan usually drove a Maserati. On the other hand, Yan Beicheng, who had a bad boy figure, drove a Cherokee instead, which had only cost him a few million in total. This was because even cars could not be their symbol of status; their standing in themunity was too high. Therefore, it was unnecessary for them to drive luxury cars just to show off amongst themselves. Plus, they were unconcerned about how grandeur their cars were, the fondness towards their cars was their first priority.

    Consequently, due to today¡¯s wedding, these people had to borrow their cars from their elders. The cars that they borrowed were normally kept in the garage by the elders and not driven regrly.

    Qi Chengzhi borrowed a Rolls-Royce EWB from Qilin Technology as the leader-in-wedding car. Yan Beicheng came with a Mulsanne, whereas Chu Zhaoyang arrived with a Maybach. Wei Ziqi had even borrowed the Phantom from Wei Minghao.

    Including Gui Zhiqian, Han Zhuoli and the other two of them from the Zhao family and Qin family, there were eight people in total. There were now four Phantoms and three Mulsannes in total.

    As for the car models, Qi Chengzhi did not have any prerequisite. He did not require the cars to be simr. Therefore, after the discussion amongst the seven of them, they decided to drive the cars that had simr grades and represented staidness.

    Aunt Yang followed Qi Chengzhi and went downstairs. She had also been invited to the wedding and waited at the Imperial Terrace.

    To hide the band-aids on his forehead, Qi Chengzhi had even requested the hairstylist to style his hair.

    Then, he got into the wedding car. This car was driven by Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin took out his cellphone and clicked on Wechat. He opened the newly created private group chat which was created especially for the wedding. Then, he pressed on the ¡°hold-to-talk¡± button and spoke, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Follow closely everyone.¡±

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the voice of Yan Beicheng.

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the voice of Han Zhuoli.

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the voice of Gui Zhiqian.

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the voice of Wei Ziqi.

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the one from Zhao family.

    ¡°Roger!¡± This was the one from Qin family.

    ¡°...¡± There was only the sound of breath for this. It was Chu Zhaoyang.

    There were eight cars in a row; it was not a big number. Nowadays, when ordinary people were getting married, the number of their wedding cars was also around this quantity.

    However, the quality of Qi Chengzhi and his friends¡¯ cars, was making the passerby¡¯s heart skip a beat. The wedding car lead, which was the car that Qi Chengzhi was in, was a Rolls-Royce Phantom II EWB. That car alone already cost forty-five million. If they were to add up the value of the other seven cars, the amount would be in the billions. The rest of the few ten million could just simply be rounded up as zeros.

    When this row of cars journeyed to Dynasty, all the passersby on the road hid away as far as possible. Although these eight cars were driving slowly, no one dared to go near and overtake them. They feared that they would identally scratch on one of them and would not have the ability to solve the problem.

    If their character was not quite up to the mark, they would still not be able to afford thepensation even when they sold themselves off in a row.

    Before Yan Beicheng and the others gathered in Viewpark Residence, the situation was better when they were driving alone. However, when they were rushing off to the wedding after the congregation in Viewpark Residence, every one of them did not have the slightest idea that their cars were terrifying other people. Their cars were arranged in a row like a gigantic monster, gaining a huge advantage while overtaking the others. Every driver who had been overtaken was frightened to death.

    One of the drivers had even stopped his car by the side as he did not have the courage to continue his journey. His heart skipped a beat as he was frightened, mumbling with disapproval, ¡°Geez! If I¡¯ve gotten a scratch on the car I rented, I would still have topensate the owner. Why in the world do you want to show off?!¡±

    Therefore, though the eight cars were well-behaved on the road, none of the cars had the courage to follow behind still. Thene that they were driving on was having no hindrance too.

    So, they drove into the neighborhood of Song Yu¡¯s house eye-catchingly. From the moment they arrived at the entrance of the neighborhood, the residents had their eyes and mouths wide open. Watching the row of carsing through, the young adults were screaming in excitement. All of them were rushing to take photos with their cell phones.

    ¡°What a scene! Whose family is having their wedding?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s the sixth building. The Song family. I heard that their daughter has met a rich guy.¡±

    ¡°Yo! Look at this! How rich is he? The age of the guy would not be young already, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure about this. I¡¯ve never seen the son-inw.¡±

    Qi Chenglin and the others parked their cars in the slots that Song Donglin and Yu Qianying had reserved. Obviously, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying had also not expected this. Though there were only eight cars, the length in total was long.

    The parking slots that Song Donglin and Yu Qianying upied were already very spacious, but it was still not enough.

    Fortunately, there was no one parking at the back. Han Zhuoli, who was thest in line, seeded in parking his car after adjusting its position carefully.

    Then, Han Zhuoli got out of the car and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. He was wiping the sweat away while pping his cor. ¡°It¡¯s a real challenge to park in this neighborhood.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was the first to stride to Song Yu¡¯s house. However, he was stopped at the entrance of the staircase.

    One nce at it, Lu Nanxi was waiting at the entrance with Wei Ran. Lu Nanxi shoved a wireless microphone into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand while carrying a CD yer at the same time. She said, ¡°Young Master Cheng, sing the song ¡°Forever Love¡± here. Then, I¡¯ll allow you to go through.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows. At that time, when they were at the KTV, he did not sing in front of Yan Beicheng and the rest of them. However, now they were telling him to sing in front of all the residents in the neighborhood?

    Wei Ziqi looked at Wei Ran, but Wei Ran raised both of her hands, showing her helplessness. She was telling him that Lu Nanxi was the one in charge now.

    Now that Fang Boran was in Dynasty, Lu Nanxi was beyond their control. She was like a wild monkey that had just returned to the forest.

    ¡°Be quick! Don¡¯t forget that you are doing this for your bride! Song Yu is waiting upstairs for it!¡± urged Lu Nanxi.

    Qi Chengzhi cleared his throat and switched on the microphone. When Lu Nanxi noticed it, she yed the music instantly.

    ¡°Love you, not only because you¡¯re beautiful...

    ¡°I¡¯m loving you deeper and deeper...

    ¡°Every emotion in your eyes touches my heart...

    ¡°Because you¡¯ve helped me see forever...¡±

    Song Yu listened to his singing through the window. He was singing downstairs but he was out of key. Lu Nanxi had yed the one without lyrics, in which the apaniment was louder. However, to her surprise, it was still unable to cover Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tone-deafness. Plus, Qi Chengzhi was singing out of rhythm and tempo. It sounded funny, but maybe because it was Qi Chengzhi who sang it, Song Yu only took notice of the maic voice and the deep affections of his in his singing.

    Suddenly, Song Yu became teary. Although they had already registered their marriage, but only after today¡¯s wedding, would she be officially and truly married to him.

    After a while, the singing stopped. She heard Qi Chengyue shouting outside the bedroom door, ¡°Song Yu, my big brother ising up!¡±

    Not long after, she heard Yu Qianying¡¯s cheerful talk outside, inviting the eight men into the house.

    Now that the eight of them were standing in a row, the house seemed to be full of people.

    Qi Chengyue smiled, forming dimples on both sides of her face. Her dimples were at the corner of her smile. She called out sweetly, ¡°Big brother!¡±

    ¡°What do you have? Let¡¯s bring it on!¡± said Yan Beicheng boldly while rolling up his sleeves.

    ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Qi Chengyueughed with a cunning look.

    Immediately, Ruan Danchen brought out a trolley, shouting, ¡°Excuse me! Please excuse me!¡±

    A whiff of noodle soup entered the room. The eight of them saw that it was a two-tier dining trolley. There were ten bowls of noodles on each of the tier tform. The ingredients in the noodles were more than enough, not to mention that all of them were dining bowls too.

    There was Choy Sum, poached egg, mushroom, and beef. Besides, there was this thick soup with a savory aroma, which was boiled with pork bones. All of them could not help but drool by the smell of it.

    Yu Qianying, who was standing beside them, felt sorry for these men.

    She could not do anything with thedies. Qi Chengyue had insisted to help her out in the kitchen. Before four o¡¯clock in the morning, she had already arrived with Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chengyue brushed her right hand across the bowls, showing them the noodles and said, ¡°Do you want to enter the room? It¡¯s easy this time.¡±

    She took out her cellphone and clicked on the stopwatch. Five minutes was shown on the screen.

    ¡°If you can finish these twenty bowls of noodles in five minutes, we will instantly let you go in. They must be finished without any leftovers.¡± Qi Chengyue challenged them, eyeing the eight of them who stood in front of her. ¡°Do you ept the challenge or not? Since you ept it, I will start the stopwatch now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not help but re at her. What kind of dirty trick was this?

    He took off his suit and rolled up the sleeves, even loosening his tie. ¡°Bring it on!¡±

    One by one, the rest of them also loosened up their suits after Qi Chenglin. They had spent the entire morning dressing themselves up to look smart, but now they had to ruin it all with their bare hands. Every one of them was really upset about it.

    Chu Zhaoyang threw his suit silently on the floor, he had even loosened the button of his cor. Luckily, he had not eaten anything in the morning as he had to leave early.

    Qi Chengyue shouted, ¡°Start!¡±

    As soon as she started the timer, the men picked up the bowls and started to shove the food into their throats. They were eating without bothering about their image.

    In the end, there were four bowls left. Each bowl was shared by two people. They gobbled them up together with their foreheads touching another.

    Qi Chengyue took the opportunity to photograph all of their messy appearances. Every one of them had lost the reputation the members of The Great Eight Families should have. They had lost their elegant figures as gentlemen and the perfect reputation that they had given to the public was destroyed.

    When the door was opened, Song Yu was only able to hear the endless burps that wereing from behind the door. ¡°Burp... Burp...¡± It kept on going.

    Qi Chengzhi put one hand on his stomach and tried to walk towards her calmly. However, after a few steps, he stopped.

    Song Yu saw that he had moved to the wall without her notice and rested his hand on the wall furtively. His face was looking a little pale. It was the look of overeating and nausea.

    ¡°Are you alright?¡± asked Song Yu with concern. She was not allowed to get out of the bed at this moment. Therefore, she was anxious about his condition.

    Qi Chengzhi shook his head, trying his best not to burp anymore. Then, he walked over to her. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ve told them to not embarrass me?¡±

    ¡°I did tell them...¡± whispered Song Yu.

    ¡°Big brother, we¡¯ve only set up two levels for you. It was not difficult at all. Don¡¯t you think that we¡¯ve already gone easy on you?¡± Qi Chengyue stood by the door with both hands on her hip. She was disappointed that she could not have more levels. She had wanted to tease them more.

    Qi Chengzhi did not pay attention to her. He lowered his head and looked at Song Yu. His expression became gentle instantly. While looking at the figure of her wearing a wedding dress and sitting on the bed, all he wanted now was to get her in bed.

    ¡°Big brother, you still have to find the shoes!¡± urged Qi Chengyue beside him. ¡°If you keep looking at her, it¡¯ll be toote then!¡±

    Due to her words, Song Yu blushed.

    Qi Chengzhi bent down and got closer to Song Yu. She had a light makeup on today and he loved it very much.

    Since he had gotten close, he could see her flush on her cheeks. She looked tender and beautiful.

    He asked quietly beside her ears, ¡°Where are the shoes?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s room was notrge. There were only a few ces that they could hide the shoes. However, Qi Chengzhi had overeaten just now and did not have the strength to look for it. To make it worse, while he was bending, his stomach felt like it was being squeezed and he was feeling uneasy about it. It was as if the food he had swallowed was being pushed up,, making his stomach feel upset.

    Song Yu was also unwilling to tire Qi Chengzhi more. She said, ¡°They are on top of the bookcase, hidden under the dress of the doll.

    As soon as Qi Chengzhi heard her, he went for it right away.

    He walked to the bookcase and looked up at the top of the bookcase. There was a doll wearing a fluffy dress gown. It was an eighteenth-century European fluffy dress gown.

    He was tall, thus, he was able to reach the doll just by stretching his long arm. He lifted the doll, revealing the hidden shoes under it.

    Qi Chengyue was feeling slightly irritated, but amused at the same time. She knew that Song Yu had given the answer to Qi Chengzhi in whispers just now.

    It was an umon scenario ¨C the bride helping the groom on the wedding day.

    Qi Chengzhi held the shoes in one hand and knelt on one knee, silently lifting her wedding dress and revealing her fair feet.

    When his elegant palm held onto her feet, a bolt of electricity went from his palm to her feet. She shivered.

    Song Yu dipped her head and watched him. Suddenly, she took notice of the forehead behind his hair. There was something suspicious about it, the skin color of it was different from his skin color.

    In an instant, she reached out her hand and lifted the hair that was covering his forehead. She saw two band-aids at the corner of his forehead.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Song Yu was worried immediately.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡± Qi Chengzhi turned his head and pecked on her palm.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that you can just avoid my question like this. You were in good shape yesterday. How did you hurt your forehead?¡± asked Song Yu while carefully stroking his hair. She did not dare to touch the band-aids because there was still some blood streak in between the band-aids.

    ¡°I identally hit the corner of the table when I was picking something up at home.¡± Qi Chengzhi raised his head with a serious expression on his face. ¡°Now you know that I won¡¯t be in good shape when you¡¯re not at home.¡±

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi for a long time. Then, she seemed to have epted the answer he had given. She lowered her voice and said in embarrassment, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely apany you at home in the future.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi had helped her with the shoes, he bent down and put one of his arms around her back, while sneaking another at the back pit of her knees. He was nning to carry her. ¡°Come here.¡±

    In fact, Song Yu did not believe the answer he had given. She put her hands on his shoulder and had no intention of locking her hands around his neck. She questioned, ¡°Is it really alright?¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± he promised.

    Finally, Song Yu hugged his neck with her arms. She observed his expression carefully, but Qi Chengzhi carried her up calmly.

    Qi Chengyue and Ruan Danchen followed behind to help out with the long train wedding dress.

    When they were about to exit the unit, firecrackers were set off outside.

    Song Yu saw that there were a lot of people gathering around the garden. They were all here to take a nce at the bride and groom. There were little children too, especially the ones who loved to join the fun and take a look at the beautiful bride.

    ¡°What a beauty! The bride is beautiful!¡± one of the kids shouted.

    Shuai Shuai, who had had his shuttlecock hooked on the tree by Qi Chengzhi, also shouted, ¡°Sister Song Yu!¡±

    Song Yu looked at him. She smiled while waving to him.

    ¡°The wedding dress is beautiful,¡± said the high school and junior girls with envy. It was a school holiday today. When they saw Song Yu¡¯s wedding dress, they longed for it. ¡°I want to wear such a beautiful wedding dress when I get married in the future.¡±

    Qi Chenglin trotted to them and opened the door of the car. Qi Chengzhi set Song Yu down in the car.

 Chapter 206 - Little Sister, Pluck up Your Courage and Go Right Ahead!

    <h4>Chapter 206: Little Sister, Pluck up Your Courage and Go Right Ahead!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin trotted to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, he opened the door of the car for them. Then, Qi Chengzhi set her down in the car.

    Song Yu was pregnant. She was still in the first trimester of pregnancy, which was why there was no obvious changes in her appearance. However, her body weight had increased quite a lot. After carrying her down the stairs, Qi Chengzhi was getting tired.

    However, he did not want Song Yu to find out about it. He wiped his sweat away quietly, despite having a mild headache at the same time.

    Qi Chengzhi got into the car after her. After everyone was well prepared, they started their journey to Imperial Terrace.

    Song Yu tilted her head and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sweaty forehead. She reached out to wipe the sweat away. As she touched the band-aids on his forehead, she asked softly, ¡°Be honest with me. How did you get this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but look at her. It dawned on him that she had not believed a word in the lie that he had made up. He thought, ¡®So now they were really like an old married couple. She could read him well.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart melted. He reached out and held her hand. He could not help but smile.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you smile as usual!¡± Song Yu pinched his hand. She thought, ¡®Did he be stupid due to the hit?¡¯

    ¡°Be honest, how did you get this?¡±

    When she saw the expression on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face, she knew that he was not going to answer her. Therefore, she decided to ask the driver, Qi Chenglin, who was driving. ¡°Chenglin, how did he get hurt?¡±

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at Qi Chengzhi through the rearview mirror. Song Yu said, ¡°If both of you are not going to answer me, I¡¯ll go back and ask Aunt Yang about it. If you have been hurt at home, she would have known.¡±

    After knowing that Qi Chengzhi was not going to stop him from telling, Qi Chenglin told Song Yu about the car ident that had happenedst night.

    ¡°Now, everything is still in the process of investigation. They probably won¡¯t have any discovery at any moment. However, we won¡¯t let it go until wee to a conclusion,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯m also suspicious of Jian Yi,¡± said Song Yu silently while tightening her grip on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. ¡°If I had known earlier, I would never have urged you to leavest night.¡±

    She was still in fear. If she had left him to walk back home alone yesterday, she would have no idea when anything had happened to him. What if something else had happened yesterday?

    So, she made up her mind. No matter what happened in the future, she would be by his side. Even if it meant that death was waiting for her, she would remain calm as long as he was with her.

    Immediately after having these thoughts, Song Yu repeated three times of ¡°knock-on-the-wood¡± silently. It was a day of happiness, how could she be having such thoughts that could bring bad luck.

    However, she was still in fear. She tightened her grip on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. This car might be a luxury, but there was a multipurpose armrest fixed between the seats. It separated the two of them, making their distance farther. Therefore, Song Yu could only hug tightly onto his arm.

    ¡°Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup?¡± asked Song Yu.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done it. It is not a big deal. I¡¯ve temporarily put on band-aids for today¡¯s wedding, but I¡¯ll have to change it back to gauze after the wedding,¡± said Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Fortunately, there is no serious injury.¡±

    When the cars drove into Imperial Terrace, they saw stickers with the word ¡°Xi¡± on both sides of the walls. The atmosphere was full of joy.

    When the cars stopped by the entrance of the vi, firecrackers were set off instantly.

    When Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu got out of the car, the people standing on both sides of thene greeted them with ribbon spray.

    The groom and bride were weed into the house. Missus Lian was busy with the dishes. She was bringing out the noodles for Yan Beicheng and the others who had not had their meals in the morning. However, when the seven of them saw the noodles, their faces turned green.

    ¡°What is it? Does it not suit you?¡± asked Xia Wenna when she saw the weird expressions on their faces.

    ¡°We¡¯ve overeaten just now.¡± Yan Beicheng almost vomited when he smelt the noodles.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Xia Wenna asked Qi Chenglin.

    So, Qi Chenglin told her about what had happened in the morning at Song Yu¡¯s house. Xia Wenna looked at Qi Chengyue, not knowing if she shouldugh or cry instead. She said, ¡°You...really are...Where have you gotten these ideas from?¡±

    Since the seven of them were not able to eat anymore, Xia Wenna decided to throw away the noodles.

    Finally, all of them began their journey to Dynasty.

    ...

    ...

    When they had arrived at Dynasty, Song Yu was sent to the bridal suite to prepare herself. Qi Chengzhi, Qi Zhongliang, and Xia Wenna weed the guests at the entrance while Song Donglin and Ruan Danchen stood by their side.

    Cheng Dongge and the Qilin¡¯s colleagues had arrived at the hotel early. They sat together at a table. Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, and Song Donglin, Yu Qianying sat at the head table, while Qi Chenglin and the younger generation were arranged to sit at the second table.

    If anyone took notice of the arrangement of the tables, they would notice that the Qi family treated the Song family differently, aspared to how they had treated the Jian family.

    At Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi¡¯s wedding, Jian Yi¡¯s parents sat at the first table in another row. They were not able to sit together with the Qi family.

    At that time, the Qi family did not oppose the marriage of Qi Chengyue and Jian Yi. However, after having conversed with Jian Yi¡¯s parents, they could not help but dislike Zhou Mingyan. However, since their daughter loved him, they did not oppose the marriage.

    Therefore, they had nned to sit together at the same table. However, after they¡¯ve gotten to know Zhou Mingyan, they changed their mind on the initial n.

    While Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna were weing the guests, Qi Chengyue, Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengji left to chat at the head table.

    Qi Chengyue instinctively nced at the table for Qilin¡¯s employees. She saw Cheng Dongge talking to the superiors.

    However, most of the time, it was the superiors who did the talking. Cheng Dongge was the one who listened, nodding and speaking a few words asionally.

    She was hesitating. She did not know if she should go and greet him. As she was thinking about it, the two people who were walking to the entrance caught her eye.

    Qi Chengyue looked closely. She did not have the time to care about Cheng Dongge anymore. She had her eyes staring closely at the entrance.

    The two people who arrived were Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi.

    ¡°I¡¯m all right with Mu Huaishenging alone, but why did big brother invite Mu Sisi too?¡± said Qi Chengyue unhappily.

    Grandmother Qi stood up, cleared her throat and said, ¡°I¡¯m the one who sent her the invitation.¡±

    ¡°What?¡± While holding onto Grandmother Qi¡¯s arm, Qi Chengyue pouted. ¡°Grandma, why did you invite her? What if she¡¯s here to make trouble? Aren¡¯t you getting yourself in trouble?¡±

    ¡°On an asion like this, she has her brother watching her. She won¡¯t be able to cause any trouble.¡± Grandmother Qi took a sip of tea to soothe her dry throat. ¡°I want her to watch the wedding of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, hoping that it will end her love for Qi Chengzhi. Even if she still doesn¡¯t n to give up, I want her to feel upset and helpless about it. It is so that all she can do is sit and watch the wedding till the end.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blinked her eyes and formed two dimples on her cheeks. ¡°I¡¯ll go and greet her.¡±

    Immediately, she stood up and left. It was toote for Grandmother Qi to stop her. Grandmother Qi smiled helplessly. ¡°You little girl!¡±

    When Qi Chengyue stood, Cheng Dongge saw her instantly. In fact, Cheng Dongge had been watching Qi Chengyue since her arrival.

    However, on an asion like this, it was inappropriate for him to look for her.

    After Qi Chengyue had divorced Jian Yi, the two of them had not kept in touch since then.

    He saw Qi Chengyue walking to the entrance, so he took a nce at the entrance. When he saw Mu Huaisheng and his sister, he came to a realization. He could not help but chuckle.

    Coincidentally, Qi Chengyue was also having her gaze turned toward him. When she looked into his eyes, she saw an unintended smile at the corner of his lips. Immediately, Qi Chengyue¡¯s cheeks flushed. It was as if she was caught in the act of looking at him. She looked away with a guilty conscience, continuing her stride to the entrance.

    Cheng Dongge smiled. When the vice president who was sitting next to him called his name, Cheng Dongge returned to his usual expression and turned to continue his talk with the vice president.

    Mu Huaisheng was chatting with Qi Chengzhi at the entrance, while Mu Sisi was staring at Qi Chengzhi with her disgusting gaze. Qi Chengyue felt that Mu Sisi was stripping Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clothes with her eyes.

    Today, Qi Chengzhi wore a ck wedding suit. He was standing with his broad shoulders and long legs, looking very attractive in his attire.

    However, Mu Sisi¡¯s stare was excessive. Xia Wenna, who was standing beside Qi Chengzhi, also felt ufortable with it. As for Qi Chengzhi, he had chosen to ignore Mu Sisi.

    Qi Chengyue did not understand the situation at all. Since Mu Huaisheng had known about his sister¡¯s behavior, why did he not pull Mu Sisi away from Qi Chengzhi?

    Qi Chengyue walked up to them and stood by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side. After greeting Mu Huaisheng, she mocked Mu Sisi, ¡°Miss Mu, what generosity you have, giving your best wishes to my big brother and sister-inw.¡±

    ¡°Of course. I¡¯m also here to give my constion to you. I heard that you are divorced recently, abandoned by the man. It seems that your ex-husband has already had another woman behind your back. He even has an illegitimate child. Plus, it has been such big news in the media recently. So, I really sympathize with you as a woman. Are you coping with it well?¡± said Mu Sisi with a cold smirk.

    ¡°I¡¯m alright with it. Even if he has cheated on me, at least there is still a man who is willing to cheat on me.¡± Since Qi Chengyue had divorced Jian Yi, she was now a free woman. She felt at ease now and did not have to care about the taboos anymore. ¡°I¡¯m not like you, Miss Mu. It¡¯s not a secret that you like my big brother. Unfortunately, my big brother does not have the slightest intention to lie to you. You really are a poor woman.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mu Sisi had her eyes wide opened, staring at Qi Chengyue furiously. She looked as if she wished that she could shout at her at this moment.

    Qi Chengyue blinked her eyes and had her eyes opened widely too. However, she made an innocent face, which Mu Sisi hated the most. She opened her lips slightly, putting her fingers on her lips. She acted as if she was surprised. ¡°Oh yeah, there is news about ady recently. Though her name was not revealed, they had referred her as Miss M. Miss Mu, there¡¯s quite a number of reporters today at the wedding but you still came. Are you really alright with it?¡±

    Mu Sisi was furious. Since she was a kid, she had never been at a disadvantage.

    Especially when she was in a fight, she had always been the bully. There had never been a moment where she was being bullied by others.

    As she was about to open her mouth to say something, she was grabbed by Mu Huaisheng. Mu Huaisheng warned her with a stare.

    Qi Chengyue humphed with sarcasm. She left with a turn, giving Mu Sisi no chance to open her mouth.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. My niece is very straightforward but she¡¯s actually an outspokendy.¡± Xia Wenna smiled warmly at Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng smiled and nodded. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that. It was my sister who had no manners. About the incident that had happenedst time, I haven¡¯t apologized to the elders in your family. After the wedding, I¡¯ll definitely bring her along to give our apologies.¡±

    Xia Wenna smiled and did not speak. In fact, she wanted to say that they would be alright with or without the apology. It would be better not to have Mu Sisi around, than to have her apologize. However, since Mu Huaisheng mentioned it, it would not be appropriate for her to refuse.

    When Mu Huaisheng saw that the other guests were arriving, he said, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for us to go in.¡±

    The onesing in were Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu. It was their first time setting foot in such a fine hotel of Dynasty. When they saw the spectacr scene, they felt that they were starting to tremble.

    Mrs. Xu walked in nervously, hoping that she would not lose herself while observing the surroundings. However, she was also curious. Both of her eyes were looking side to side.

    ¡°Lao Xu!¡± Yu Qianying called out warmly. She knew that they would be nervous. That¡¯s why she called out for them. Yu Qianying said, ¡°Come here. I¡¯ll show you your seats. I¡¯ve arranged all the neighbors¡¯ sitting in one table. It¡¯ll be more convenient for you to chat.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, this...this kind of grand asion is really different. I¡¯ve only known that your son-inw is rich. By noticing the car he drives, I¡¯ve already known about that. But, I did not know he was from such a remarkable family.¡± Mrs. Xu¡¯s heart had not recovered from the shock. She was very nervous, just like that year when she had gotten married.

    ¡°His family background doesn¡¯t really matter. As long as he treats Song Yu well. Besides, I don¡¯t care about his background. It was already rare andmendable that Song Yu¡¯s inws both weed her with open hands.¡± Yu Qianying brought Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu to their seats. There were already four neighbors sitting at the table. Their level of stress was just the same as Mr. Xu and Mrs. Xu¡¯s.

    Now that two more people had joined the group, they felt better. The group had be bigger and they did not feel as nervous as before anymore.

    However, they did not dare to leave their seats. Everyone else was those who had respect and influence in society. Under normal circumstances, they could only see those people on television or newspapers.

    If they were to greet those people, the ones being greeted would also probably be some billionaires. If that was the case, should they greet them or not? Even if they greeted them, would those people know who they were? Plus, they did not think that they had the courage to open their mouths. Even if they did, they would also be stammering.

    Lao Xu swallowed, pointing at one of the people who wasing in. ¡°Why does that person seem familiar to me?¡±

    ¡°Me too. I think he looks like that person on television...¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Therefore, the six of them decided to stop talking. Silently, they peeled and enjoyed the pistachios.

    Finally, all the guests had arrived and the orchestra was also well prepared.

    At the expected time, the leader of the wedding nners got a nod from the Qi family and brought Song Donglin to the entrance of the auditorium.

    Then, one of the staff brought Song Yu out. Song Yu smiled and held onto Song Donglin¡¯s arm.

    When the door of the auditorium was opened, Song Yu realized that the white carpet that she had seen was now full of red rose petals. The carpet was now covered withyers of them and it felt soft to the feet.

    When the music started, Song Donglin brought Song Yu forward. Step by step, they walked forward while following the rhythm of the music.

    The white veil was long, reaching the floor. Thece design on the wedding dress could be seen behind the white veil.

    When Song Yu raised her head, she had her eyes fixed on Qi Chengzhi, who was waiting for her at the front. He was standing there with his broad shoulders and his eyes were focused on her.

    She was only able to focus on Qi Chengzhi now, overlooking the decoration of the wedding.

    She did not realize that there were loads of tables at the wedding, and all of the flowers that were decorated indoors were brought here by flight from different countries. There were roses, lilies, tulips, and especially the rainbow roses that were put on each te of the guests.

    She did not notice the fine desserts at the dessert section for they were so beautifully decorated. Those who had seen them could not make up their minds to put them into their mouth.

    She walked on ahead without noticing the details, just like how she had walked into his life. Then, she would be having the rest of her life with him.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes watered. Her heart hurt a little.

    In the past, he had been standing not far away from her, just like this. He had been watching her and waiting for her, waiting for her to be his bride.

    She remembered the time when he was in the United States. Every day, he took note of how many days had passed since he hadst seen her.

    She remembered those words: ¡°My Song Yu. Finally, it was worth waiting for.¡± He had been waiting for her quietly for ten or maybe twenty years. Now, in this auditorium, he was still the one waiting for her.

    Song Yu observed his charming appearance. He was elegant but serious, outstanding but innocent and dependable.

    He stood there, as if he had been waiting for a lifetime with affection.

    Song Donglin brought her to Qi Chengzhi. As they were getting closer, her gaze was fixed on his face. Until her hand was passed to Qi Chengzhi by Song Donglin, Song Yu turned and faced Qi Chengzhi. She looked at him through the transparent veil while he lowered his gaze to her. She saw his deep affection for her in his eyes.

    She felt amazing. She had known him since young, but the rtionship between him and her was not close. However, now, they were standing here with their hands locked together, getting married as husband and wife. It was as if they were fated to be husband and wife.

    When he had gone through puberty, she was nine years old. She was only a little child at that time. However, at this moment, she seemed to remember the childhood memories of him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long fingers held onto the edge of her veil. Slowly, he lifted and tucked it to the back.

    Just now, he was standing here watching Song Yu walking towards him step by step. She was wearing a fine and elegant wedding dress without any other sumptuous essories. It was just like her simple and indifferent personality. When she wore the veil, everything seemed to be just perfect. It was very different from the day they had their wedding photos taken.

    It was not the first time he had seen her in this wedding dress, but he was much more surprised now than the day they took their wedding photos.

    He lifted the veil slowly, revealing the appearance under it. The chin was first to be revealed, then, the tip of her nose and her eyebrows. Finally, her beautiful profile was revealed before his very eyes.

    Song Yu had her head lowered slightly with her eyes looking down. With the mascara, her eyshes looked thicker and longer, forming shades under her eyelids.

    Her eyes blinked gently, raising her head under his soft but passionate gaze. When she saw the soft expression on his face, she could not help but smile shyly. Happiness was shown on her face.

    After the exchange of wedding rings, Qi Chengzhi dipped his head and kissed her lips softly while holding her left hand, which was wearing the ring. He kissed her as if he was sealing her with his vows.

    While watching Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu kissing each other, Mu Sisi was not able to control her anger anymore.

    She thought that she would be able to endure it. However, when the scenario was revealed in front of her, only then did she know how painful her heart was.

    After the ceremony, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were brought to change into another suit and dress.

    Then, it was the best man and bridesmaid, Qi Chengji and Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn.

    It was still alright while greeting the tables where the elderly were at. The elderly were those who had wealth and social standing. Therefore, they could not act like the young adults, who had nned to make Qi Chengji and Ruan Danchen drunk. Just to show some respect, they had only drunk a little with the both of them. Then, they started to discuss about their business topics. For instance, which industry was growing recently? Which industry should they invest in based on the current politicalndscape and the like.

    However, it was a real headache when they were greeting the young adults.

    Yan Beicheng and the others might have reputation in the society, but they were not particr about it. They thought that they should stir up some trouble since they were at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wedding now.

    In the end, after they were finished with greeting the young adults at the table, Ruan Danchen was close to getting drunk because of them.

    Qi Chengji had also helped her with the drinks quite a few times. He whispered, ¡°Why don¡¯t you rest for a while? I can deal with them.¡±

    This time, Ruan Danchen did not insist. She had already started to feel nauseous and was not able to drink anymore.

    She nced at Qi Chengji apologetically, whispering, ¡°Are you able to handle them alone?¡±

    Qi Chengji took a nce at the next table; Fang Boran and his friends, who had high alcohol tolerance were seated there. Besides, Fang Boran was also sitting with Wen Ren, Yan Beicheng and the others at the same table.

    Hao Donghuai stood up instantly, with one leg stepping on the chair. He said to Qi Chengji and Ruan Danchen, who stood by the table next to his, ¡°Little sister, pluck up your courage and go right ahead! Come here! Come! Let¡¯s drink!¡±

    Yuan Jiangyi, who was holding a clean te in one hand and adle in another, struck the te as if it were a gong. He created a clear and melodious rhythm for Hao Donghuai.

    Ruan Danchen shivered. She looked at Qi Chengji with anticipation. Qi Chengji collected his gaze from the table where Hao Donghuai and the others were at. However, he replied honestly, ¡°I¡¯m not able to.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But, I think you can.¡± At this moment, Ruan Danchen was not able to be a faithful friend to him anymore. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom, will be back in a minute.¡±

 Chapter 207

    <h4>Chapter 207: Qi Chenglin Let Go of the Hand Which Was Gently Pinching Her Face but Moved His Face Closer to Hers with His Eyes Closed</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°But, I think you can.¡± At this moment, Ruan Danchen was not able to be a faithful friend to Qi Chengji anymore. ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom, will be back in a minute.¡±

    She ran away quickly, afraid that Qi Chengji would stop her from leaving. She was feeling dizzy and both of her legs were getting out of control. She was walking in an unsteady manner. Especially when she was walking on the soft and shaggy rug with her high heels, she felt as if she was walking on cotton. She staggered a lot and there were a few times that she thought she was going to fall over.

    When she arrived at the corridor in the auditorium, she ced one hand on the wall immediately to support herself and continued down the corridor.

    Suddenly, the dizziness worsened and her head was spinning. Ruan Danchen frowned and closed her eyes, as she leaned against the wall to ease her difort.

    Before she had gotten enough rest, she heard a clear and melodious childish voice. ¡°Auntie Ruan, are you not feeling well?¡±

    When Ruan Danchen opened her eyes and lowered her head, she saw a chubby little child standing before her. He wore a ck suit and a red bow around his cor.

    If the suit could be changed into a blue colored suit, he would be cosying Conan then.

    The child might be a little round, but he was still good looking. His body shape was unable to hide his gorgeous features. Besides, his short hair was fixed into a wavy bouncy hairstyle with hair wax. It made him look energetic and charming.

    Though Ruan Danchen was leaning against the wall, she felt that the world was spinning around her. Her flushed cheeks from the alcohol were now unusually pale. She opened her mouth a few times, but could not make out a sound.

    Both of her hands were pressing on the wall, and her nails were digging hard into it. Her fingertips had gone pale.

    The little child before her was very cute, very charming...

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ve rested for a while, I feel better now.¡± Ruan Danchen was still leaning against the wall as she smiled weakly to the child.

    Ever since she arrived at the wedding, her eyes had been looking in the direction Qi Youxuan was going. She took the opportunity to watch Qi Youxuan, while everyone else had their eyes on the ceremony between Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. When it was time for her to lead the toast, she was afraid that people, especially Qi Chengji, who was one of Qi family members, would notice. Therefore, she did not have the courage to look at Qi Youxuan anymore, but Qi Youxuan was always in her heart.

    In fact, Ruan Danchen was not sure if she had gotten it right. She had only known that Qi Chenglin¡¯s fiancee had been announced pregnant, but after a few months, Qi Chenglin had announced the dissolution of their marriage instead. Later, the media dropped a bombshell about him bringing back a one-month-old child.

    However, now that she was standing face-to-face with him, so closely up at him, she felt connected to him. She did not know whether this was influenced by her thoughts.

    Just by looking at him, part of her heart had melted.

    ¡°Are you going to the washroom?¡± Qi Youxuan raised his head and looked at Ruan Danchen. He recognized Auntie Ruan, she was a friend of Aunt Song Yu.

    Therefore, Qi Youxuan treated Ruan Danchen pleasantly and was polite to her.

    Besides, the little child Qi Youxuan felt that the first impression he received from a person was important, though unexinable.

    It was just like when he first met Aunt Song Yu and liked her instantly. However, on the other hand, when he met Shu Li, Mu Sisi, and Yu Keyao for the first time, he hated them immediately.

    At this moment, little Qi Youxuan believed in first impressions.

    Even if he had not met Aunt Song Yu, he would also like Ruan Danchen. He would like Auntie Ruan, just like when he first met her. He believed that she was a good person, just like Aunt Song Yu.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± When Ruan Danchen straightened herself up, she felt that the world was spinning again. She staggered and instantly ced her hand on the wall to support herself.

    Suddenly, one chubby small hand sneaked into her palm and held onto her.

    However, the hand was too small and was only able to cover half of her palm.

    Surprised, Ruan Danchen dipped her head. She guided her eyes from the small hand to Qi Youxuan¡¯s face. Qi Youxuan was holding onto her.

    Her hand started to tremble due to this touch. Her heart quivered.

    The little child raised his head with concern. He was eager to help, so he said, ¡°Let me help you to the washroom!¡±

    Looking at the charming little child, Ruan Danchen could not refuse him. She was also reluctant to lose the opportunity to be physically close to him. She knew that the little child did not have enough strength indeed. So, she continued to put one hand on the wall silently and held his hand with the other. She answered softly, ¡°All right, thanks for your help then.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You are my Aunt Song Yu¡¯s friend, I should help you.¡± The fair, chubby tiny hand of Qi Youxuan patted on his own chest, he seemed to be proud about it.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted. Softly, she pinched his tiny hands and said, ¡°I... May I call you Youxuan?¡±

    Raising his charming little face, Qi Youxuan looked at Ruan Danchen. He blinked his eyes and thought for a moment.

    If it was anybody else who asked, he would have definitely refused without considering it.

    He might be cute and adorable, but he had a cold attitude. There had been a lot of women trying to get close to him due to his father. However, they were doing it to please his father, hoping that they could get married into the Qi family.

    He was unable to understand how great the Qi family was, but it seemed to be a very great family in the eyes of other people. It seemed to be the happiest thing that could happen to a woman if they could be married into the Qi family. If the woman could be married into the Qi family, they would even be willing to wake up from a deep sleep.

    Therefore, he would keep his guard up when being around women.

    He might have treated Song Yu well, but it was because the person was Song Yu. She was the person that he thought was qualified to be his stepmother.

    When Ruan Danchen made such a request, Qi Youxuan used his unique way of judging people to study Ruan Danchen. Then, he nodded, blinking his eyes. ¡°No problem!¡±

    Ruan Danchen gave him a heartfelt smile. She did not care whether he was speaking the truth or not, he would always be the cute child who was loved by everyone.

    ¡°Are you still feeling unwell?¡± The observant Qi Youxuan soon found out that Ruan Danchen was still supporting herself with her other hand against the wall.

    Though Ruan Danchen was having a headache and trying to make as little movement as possible, she managed to smile and said, ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± Qi Youxuan spoke in a clear and melodious tone. She followed his steps and stopped after he did.

    Then, Qi Youxuan let go of her hand and raised his arm to turn the doorknob.

    When the door was opened, Ruan Danchen froze. She stared shockingly with her mouth opened. She failed to react to the situation and did not shut her eyes.

    In the washroom, Qi Chenglin was standing at the male urinal with his trousers unzipped.

    Qi Chenglin sensed something was not right. When he turned his head towards the entrance, he saw Ruan Danchen, frozen.

    Qi Chenglin squinted, lowering his gaze to Qi Youxuan¡¯s face. He raised his eyebrow at him, then returned his gaze to Ruan Danchen.

    After studying Ruan Danchen and making sure that she was not going to shut her eyes or run away screaming, Qi Chenglin held his pir and shook it gently twice. He seemed to have little concern about Ruan Danchen looking at him.

    Then, he had even turned to face the entrance, giving Ruan Danchen aplete picture of his pir. After weighing it on his hand, he pushed his pir back into his trousers and zipped it up.

    He turned to face the sink and turned on the tap to wash his hands. Then, he pulled out the tissue that was next to the sink and dried his hands, throwing away the tissue into the binter.

    Now, in his neat suit again, he looked charming and tall.

    However, Ruan Danchen could not forget what she had witnessed. When he walked over to her with his hands in his pockets, she could not help but stare at the zipper of his trousers, no matter how hard she tried not to.

    Anyone would be blushing at the sight of Qi Chenglin standing upright with his charming look. However, Ruan Danchen could not pull herself together and looked at him in the eyes.

    When she felt that she was being shadowed, she blinked her eyes and snapped herself out of her thoughts. Since when was Qi Chengzhi standing in front of her? How long had he been standing here?

    At this moment, there were only two fists that could fit in between the two of them.

    ¡°Are you interested in seeing it again?¡± said Qi Chenglin teasingly, raising his brows.

    Suddenly, both Ruan Danchen¡¯s legs gave out and she copsed onto the floor. When she raised her head instinctively, her gazended on the zipper of the trousers above her. Instantly, her cheeks went red, as if it was going to explode at any moment.

    She turned away quickly as if she had been burned. She had her head turned to the culprit, Qi Youxuan.

    Noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s gaze, Qi Chenglin dipped his head and looked at his son too.

    Qi Youxuan answered unknowingly, ¡°Auntie Ruan says that she wants to go to the washroom. But as a man, how can I bring her to the women¡¯s washroom? That¡¯s why I¡¯ve brought her to the men¡¯s washroom.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ex... Excuse me! I¡¯ll leave then!¡± stuttered Ruan Danchen.

    Her whole face was burning. She pressed both her hands on the floor and tried to stand up. However, her legs gave out again. Her knees made a turn and she almost fell t onto the floor. Fortunately, both of her hands supported herself in time by pressing them on the floor. She did not fall t onto the floor, but her butt was now high up. Although she could not see herself, she knew that her posture was ugly.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed, she wished that she could lie t on the floor and act as if she was dead.

    So, she stumbled all the way to the women¡¯s washroom located next door.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and looked askance at Qi Youxuan. Qi Youxuan scratched his head, still unaware of his mistake.

    Then, Qi Youxuan remembered that he was also here for the washroom. He said, ¡°Dad, excuse me.¡±

    While speaking, he pushed Qi Chenglin aside and squeezed himself into the washroom. He went to the male urinal, took out his little chili and pointed his little chili up to the sky.

    ¡°Go to the toilet bowl. Even if you point yours to the sky, you¡¯ll still be unable to shoot the piss to the urinal,¡± said Qi Chenglin sarcastically at the entrance when he turned around and saw what Qi Youxuan was doing.

    Qi Youxuan looked at his own father, speechless. Then, he returned his gaze to the urinal that was as tall as him. Finally, he gave up. He held his trousers and went further into the washroom to look for a toilet bowl.

    ¡°Dad, wait for me,¡± said Qi Youxuan from inside.

    His father did not reply as Qi Youxuan was going to let it out. So, he walked out while holding onto his trousers. When he saw Qi Chenglin was still there, he gave out a sigh of relief, but did not forget toin, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you answer me?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you go to the washroom by yourself? Aren¡¯t you already grown up?¡± said Qi Chenglin with his eyebrow raised.

    Immediately, Qi Youxuan let out a ¡°humph¡±. ¡°You can leave. I¡¯ll solve it myself!¡±

    Then, he strode in without looking back.

    As expected, he did not see Qi Chenglin when he came out. The little mouth of his mumbled in disagreement.

    He was still wearing an ordinary boxer. It was the kind of boxer which did not have a hole in the front. Therefore, it was impossible for him to take out his little chili directly.

    Due to his waistline, his grandma had to help with pulling his zipper while he took a deep breath.

    His hands did not have enough strength. Therefore, it was very difficult to get it done by himself.

    So, he opened the door of the washroom and put his little head out to seek for help. When he saw Ruan Danchen walking out of the washroom dizzily, he called out for her instantly, ¡°Auntie Ruan!¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around and saw Qi Youxuan walking out of the washroom with his head looking at the ground. His pair of hands was holding onto his trousers. He was shy.

    ¡°Auntie Ruan, I can¡¯t zip my trousers,¡± said Qi Youxuan with his cheeks flushing. He felt embarrassed to have here across this kind of situation when he had just met her only once.

    Instantly, Ruan Danchen squatted down without a word. She told Qi Youxuan to take a deep breath and pulled both sides of the trousers closely. Finally, she buttoned it. Then, she zipped it and raised her head to look at him. The more she looked at him, the more adorable he was. She was liking him more and more.

    ¡°Dad, where have you been? Why didn¡¯t you wait for me!¡±ined Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin nced at Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart quivered.

    Ruan Danchen almost copsed onto the floor again out of nervousness. She quickly put one hand against the wall to support herself.

    ¡°I¡¯ve gone to pick up a call just now. Are you done?¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Yep! My trousers have be tighter,¡± said Qi Youxuan while blushing shyly.

    ¡°Later, when ying with Mu Ran, don¡¯t eat anymore. Be careful, she may dump you if you continue to put on the pounds,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he held onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand. He nodded to Ruan Danchen with little emotion, then the father and son left.

    Ruan Danchen stared at the two figures. One was sturdy and the other was puny, one was tall and the other was short.

    ...

    ...

    When the wedding had finally ended in the afternoon, Ruan Danchen was legless.

    Qi Chengzhi told Qi Chenglin to send Ruan Danchen back home. Song Yu told Qi Chenglin Ruan Danchen¡¯s address.

    Qi Chenglin did not want to leave Qi Youxuan alone in the car when he brought Ruan Danchen to her unit upstairs. Therefore, he had sent Qi Youxuan back home before he sent Ruan Danchen back to her house.

    During the journey, Ruan Danchen had beenying on the seat with her eyes closed. She was facing Qi Chenglin while she was sleeping.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry...sorry...really sorry...¡± mumbled Ruan Danchen suddenly.

    Qi Chenglin froze. Turning his steering wheel while stepping on the brake, he stopped his car by the roadside. He turned to look at Ruan Danchen with an unreadable expression.

    He squinted his eyes, raising his hand to pinch Ruan Danchen¡¯s face gently. He watched her closely as if he was trying to read her.

    The makeup on her face was light. It was different from the singles that had attended the wedding. It was obvious that the singles were taking the opportunity to look for their life partners with their fine makeup.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s fair skin was now pinkish because of alcohol. It was the kind of pinkish tone that no makeup could make. She looked tender and beautiful as if she had been shadowed with ayer of sunset glow.

    She had been drinking, which was why her lip balm faded. It revealed the real color of her lips; pinkish and juicy.

    Qi Chenglin let go of the hand that was pinching her face gently but moved his face closer to hers with his eyes closed. When his burning lips touched her lips, he stopped.

    The look on his face was like he was trying to prove something.

    Then, he nibbled her upper lip, his tongue licking her gently and slowly. Then, he separated her lips with his tongue and licked her teeth.

    When Ruan Danchen humphed silently, only did Qi Chenglin let go of her. The expression on his face was unreadable while he watched her.

    After a while, only did Qi Chenglin straighten himself and continued the journey.

    In the end, the car stopped in front of the building of Ruan Danchen¡¯s rent unit. It was a high-rise building that was near Chengshi. It might not be brand new, but it did not look bad either.

    Qi Chenglin turned and saw that Ruan Danchen was still in her dream. She was frowning, not having a good sleep.

    He shook Ruan Danchen a few times gently to wake her up. When Ruan Danchen blinked her eyshes and woke up dizzily, she was shocked to find Qi Chenglin before her very eyes. She shivered and almost jumped out of her seat.

    Then, it dawned on her that she was sitting in his car.

    ¡°We¡¯ve arrived,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    After thanking Qi Chenglin with her head down, Ruan Danchen rushed out of the car. It seemed like she did not have the courage to look at Qi Chenglin in the eye.

    She took the steps to leave but froze in ce after a few steps. She heard the sound of a car door being shut with a ¡°bang¡±. However, she did not dare to turn around.

    Although she could not hear any footsteps, she could smell the perfume that Qi Chenglin was wearing through the breeze. It made her mind go nk.

    The next thing she knew was Qi Chenglin was by her side. Standing upright beside her, he looked like a model. However, the fact that she was his shoulder-high made her shoulders felt heavy instantly.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s chest tightened. She heard Qi Chenglin say, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡±

    ¡°I can walk back on my own,¡± whispered Ruan Danchen with little confidence.

    Qi Chenglin simply nced at her without a word, before striding into the building with his hands in his pockets.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did not understand. She felt that he was always annoyed at her, but she could do nothing about it other than to follow him now.

    Qi Chenglin did not have the keys. Therefore, he stopped at the entrance.

    Ruan Danchen brought out her keys from the bag. However, she was still a little tipsy as she had not fully regained her consciousness. Plus, due to the wind, her headache was getting worse. Thus, after a few tries, she still had trouble inserting the key into the keyhole.

    Instantly, Qi Chenglin grabbed the keys from her. He inserted the key into the keyhole in one try, opened the door and went in after Ruan Danchen.

    When they were in the elevator, Ruan Danchen tried her best to get as far away as possible from Qi Chenglin. Carefully, in tiny steps, she backed herself into the corner of the elevator. Ever since the wedding, the weight on her shoulders was getting heavier and heavier as she constantly bumped into Qi Chenglin.

    ¡®Does he know something?¡¯

    Ruan Danchen snapped her head toward him. However, she saw that Qi Chenglin was staring at the door of the elevator. The cold and serious look on his face was simr to Qi Chengzhi.

    Noticing her gaze, Qi Chenglin turned his head around. He caught her looking at him.

    However, she saw Qi Chenglin raise one of his eyebrows with a mocking look on his face. She even heard him scoff.

    Ruan Danchen gulped in misery. She raised her head and looked at the elevator floor indicator, hoping that they would arrive as soon as possible.

    She lived on the seventh floor, but she had never thought that the elevator was slow until today.

    Finally, the elevator stopped. As soon as the door of the elevator opened, Ruan Danchen squeezed through the doors and rushed out of the elevator.

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin was not in a rush. He took his time and got out of the elevator while dangling Ruan Danchen¡¯s keys with one finger in the keyring.

    When he reached the entrance, he saw that Ruan Danchen was standing there awkwardly. She must have had only remembered the keys when she was about to open the door.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and chuckled.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 208

    <h4>Chapter 208: In the Past, Why Had She Not Felt That His Personality Was in Fact so Irritating When She Listened to the Description Given by Song Yu?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    In the past, why had she not felt that his personality was in fact so irritating when she listened to the description given by Song Yu?

    After Qi Chenglin opened the door for her, he passed the keys back to her and left. However, Ruan Danchen could not ignore the nce that he had given her before he left. She did not understand the meaning behind his nce, which made her nervous about it. She felt that he had known about something, and it made her feel ufortable and scared.

    Ruan Danchen dipped her head. She buried her face into her palms and started to tremble.

    ...

    ...

    While the Qi family was happily celebrating for the wedding, the Jian family was having a different atmosphere.

    Zhou Mingyan was sitting on the sofa at home. Her hand was holding onto a cellphone while cursing and swearing, ¡°That bastard. He hasn¡¯te home since he left the court two days ago. When he didn¡¯te home the day before yesterday, I thought that he was just trying to keep his dignity by throwing a tantrum. I thought that he was just trying to win over me while avoiding me at the same time. I thought the reason he did not return was so he wouldn¡¯t feel ashamed about it, or he just felt embarrassed. All right then, I let him off the hook. However, as a result, he did note home yesterday and hasn¡¯te back today either! Tell me! What is he doing? Is he going against us now?

    ¡°Tell me, what is he trying to do?!¡± Zhou Mingyan raised her hand, which was holding onto the phone, and gesticted frantically. ¡°That stupid thing. Two days ago, he even said those things about us in the faces of those reporters and the Qi family. Is he now siding with other people instead of us? What is he doing? He¡¯s even gone to the extent of apologizing to the Qi family. He apologized to Qi Chengyue on behalf of us! What right does he have to do that? Is he trying to please the Qi family?! Is he feeling that it¡¯s a pity to miss the opportunity to have Qi Chengyue as his daughter-inw?! Because of her, he even wanted to divorce me!¡±

    Zhou Mingyan was furious, which made her spit while cursing. Her neck was tense, and blue veins had even appeared on her wrinkled neck.

    Her neck was tensed while shouting with her pale and anxious face. ¡°Is it because he had had his eyes on Qi Chengyue? That shameful thing! He might have kept his mouth shut most of the time but the truth is, he is just a goody-goody! To be more urate, he is just a good-for-nothing! If I hadn¡¯t been supporting this family, he would have gotten himself bullied by the others a long time ago already! So, am I or am I not unreasonable?! If I was gentle and soft, who would stand up and be responsible then? The temperamental personality that I have now is caused by him! It is due to his irresponsibility! But now, he is ming me in return for it! What¡¯s worse, he even shouted in public that he is going to divorce me!¡±

    As Zhou Mingyan was talking, she felt that she had been treated unfairly. Her eyes were red and her hand kept wiping away the tears that did not seem to be stopping. She sobbed and said, ¡°All these years, I¡¯ve been constantly busying myself and worrying for this family. I¡¯ve always been willing to do anything, so that the family will benefit from it. Even if it means doing something shameful, I¡¯ll not care about it too. In the eyes of other people, I¡¯m a person who has no shame, a shrew. But, I could care less about it! It¡¯s all right, because I know that I¡¯m doing all these for the sake of the family! But, Jian Shibo, who is he to describe me in such a bad way! If he was capable of supporting the family, would I have be a person like this?

    ¡°Who in the world doesn¡¯t want to be gentle and soft? Who in the world doesn¡¯t want to be like Lin Daiyu and be cared for by the man? I also want to be like Xia Wenna, who has nothing to do every day and doesn¡¯t need to worry about anything. I want to be like her, who can spend some money when she¡¯s bored, or y cards in her free time. If I could have a life simr to hers, I would also be gentle and soft. If I had had a life like hers, I would also be smiling every day. If I had had a life like hers, I would also be the elegantdy who has the money to spend. However, he mes me now in return for what I¡¯ve done. What kind of person a wife will be, is determined by the capability of the husband. However, he dislikes me instead, when he is the one who iscking the ability to support the family!¡±

    Jian Yi, who had been sitting beside her, was also irritated by herints. However, he remained silent with a frown. He did not interrupt Zhou Mingyan.

    He understood Zhou Mingyan well. He must allow Zhou Mingyan to express herself when she was in this kind of situation. He must listen to herints. If he had interrupted her with his opinions, there would be no end to her talk.

    Suddenly, Zhou Mingyan stopped like a gun that had stopped shooting. She stood up and pointed at the entrance of the living room, yelling, ¡°Jian Shibo, you are finally back! What happened? Is it because you have finished spending your money? If you don¡¯t even have the ability to support yourself, why are you acting as if you have?!¡±

    Jian Shibo pursed his lips. He looked like he had not been sleeping these past two days. Both of his eyes were red while his jaw was clenched.

    He looked at Zhou Mingyan, it was unknown if he was in anger or disappointment.

    ¡°Now only do I know that in your eyes, I¡¯ve been such a useless crap all along. Then, it¡¯s been so unfair for you to live with me all these years. I should not have married you in the first ce. Since you think that I¡¯m a curse, I should have left you with the rich people. Then, you could have been a rich man¡¯s wife and enjoyed your life. In fact, it¡¯s me who have caused you to lose the chance like that!¡± cried Jian Shibo ironically. Heughed while nodding his head slightly.

    Zhou Mingyan gritted her teeth. She bit the bullet and said, ¡°Since you know your mistake, don¡¯t act harshly from now on!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to.¡± Jian Shibo stared with his bloodshot eyes and said, ¡± Your grievance will be put to an end today. From now on, you won¡¯t be living with me anymore. I¡¯m back today to pack my things and leave. By the way, you kept the other family register, right? Next Monday, bring the family register along and wait at the entrance of Municipal Bureau of Civil Affairs. The moment they start their work, we¡¯ll go and register the divorce.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan froze. She did not expect Jian Shibo to be serious about it this time. Had he already made up his mind to get a divorce with her?

    In fact, Jian Shibo had never mentioned about divorce all these years.

    Zhou Mingyan shivered. She was starting to feel scared.

    At this moment, Jian Shibo had already gone into his bedroom and took out a hand luggage from the bottom of the wardrobe. He took out his clothes and thrust them into the luggage without folding.

    He heard footsteps stomping and the next thing he saw at the corner of his eye, was Zhou Mingyan rushing into the bedroom.

    ¡°Jian Shibo, do you really want a divorce?¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s tone was more polite now. She was not as arrogant as before.

    Jian Shibo did not raise his head. He continued to pack his things. He spoke coldly, ¡°That day, you were the one who mentioned divorce in the first ce. Since you are also dissatisfied with me and think that I¡¯ve ruined your whole life, I¡¯m willing to give up and set you free. Then, you can livefortably and stop struggling to deal with a disappointment like me.¡±

    ¡°I...I didn¡¯t mean it like that. Jian Shibo, you¡¯re not a young man anymore. Why are you making such a fuss? If you behave well, I will turn a blind eye to what has happened. I won¡¯t be angry at you anymore.¡± Zhou Mingyan was really starting to be anxious about it. Her tone was softer than before.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to,¡± said Jian Shibo coldly, still not looking at her. ¡°I don¡¯t need your forgiveness.¡±

    He shoved thest of his clothes into the luggage. Finally, he stood up. ¡°Zhou Mingyan, now you are still insisting that you¡¯ve done nothing wrong. You¡¯re even thinking that the one who should be forgiving is you. You are really hopeless. I¡¯m definitely going to divorce you, no matter what you say.¡±

    ¡°Lao Jian! What are you talking about?!¡± Zhou Mingyan went closer to him. ¡°We are already an old couple. Quarrels aremon, but there¡¯s no such thing as a sudden divorce due to conflicts. That day...What I¡¯ve said that day was out of anger. I¡¯m not serious about the divorce. Lao Jian, I know I have a bad temper, I¡¯ll change. We¡¯ve already been married for so many years, our son has already be an adult. We¡¯re also going to have our grandchild soon. Why should we divorce in such a time?¡±

    Zhou Mingyan grabbed Jian Shibo¡¯s arms. ¡°Lao Jian, I¡¯ve done wrong. Please forgive me. It¡¯s really not a big deal, there¡¯s really no need for a divorce!¡±

    Jian Shibo chuckled. ¡°You know that you¡¯ve done wrong? How can you be wrong? Everything that you¡¯ve done is for the family. I¡¯m a piece of crap! If it¡¯s not because of me, you wouldn¡¯t have to stand up and support this family. I did not expect you to see me as a person like this in your eyes. Since you have been looking down on me, why would you still want to continue your struggling life with me?¡±

    He did not expect that the wife he had been living with all these years, had been looking down on him. He thought that he had always been the one tolerating. He did not expect Zhou Mingyan to be tolerating him at the same time.

    Jian Shibo broke free from her hand. When Zhou Mingyan realized that Jian Shibo had already made up his mind to leave, she was anxious. She rushed out of the room and came back in with Jian Yi. ¡°Jian Yi, Jian Yi. Quick, give advice to your dad. Why does he want to divorce suddenly? We are already at this stage of life where we¡¯ve been married for so many years. What should I do if he wants to divorce all of a sudden? Lao Jian, I know that I¡¯m always making you angry and very straightforward. However, the things that I¡¯ve just said was out of anger, don¡¯t treat them seriously! We have been husband and wife for so many years, what should I do if you suddenly dump me?¡±

    ¡°Dad, everything can be discussed,¡± said Jian Yi. He was feeling irritated. Qi Chengyue had recently divorced him and he did not get any benefit from it. Suddenly, Guan Xiaolin¡¯s family side seemed to be hesitant in keeping their promise too.

    Besides, when he went out to look for a job, there was nopany who was willing to hire him. The Qi family had definitely passed on their message to them.

    Plus, due to his pride, he was not willing to go to thepanies that were not as big as Qilin. He did not want to be an ordinary employee when he had been a department manager in Qilin.

    He had had enough to worry about. However, his parents were now creating another problem for him.

    ¡°It¡¯s needless.¡± Jian Shibo was also disappointed with his son. Since Jian Yi was young, Jian Shibo had always been proud of him. Jian Yi had never made Jian Shibo worry about his studies or work. He had been solving problems by himself all along.

    Therefore, when Jian Shibo was in thepany, he had been proud of Jian Yi. Even when he was at his old friends¡¯ gathering, he would also be proud of Jian Yi.

    Then, he realized that Jian Yi had been ying dirty tricks to achieve his sess. Jian Shibo was disappointed. However, he did not utter a word about it.

    He drew the drawer and took his pay card. When Zhou Mingyan saw that Jian Shibo was starting to deal with financial matters, her eyes turned red anxiously.

    ¡°Jian Shibo, what are you doing?!¡± Zhou Mingyan plunged at Jian Shibo and clung onto his arm.

    ¡°What is it?! I¡¯m just taking my pay card!¡± Jian Shibo broke free from her and slid his pay card into his pocket. ¡°This is the money that I¡¯ve earned myself. Why can¡¯t I take it?¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Zhou Mingyan was shivering in anger. ¡°Jian Shibo, you have made up your mind about the divorce, haven¡¯t you? No matter what I say, you won¡¯t change your mind again, will you?¡±

    Jian Shibo did not speak, but his expression showed it all.

    ¡°Alright. This is your pay, you take it. But you can never touch the passbook in the house. This is the only savings for our family. Our son¡¯s and my savings are in it. Don¡¯t you ever think about taking it away from us!¡± said Zhou Mingyan. ¡°This house is bought by our son, you can never divide it equally with me! If you want a divorce, you¡¯ll only leave with these old clothes of yours and your pay card. Don¡¯t you ever think about anything else in the house! When you can only leave like that, do you still want a divorce?¡±

    At this moment, only did Jian Shibo see Zhou Mingyang¡¯s true colors. After staring at Zhou Mingyan for a long time, he smiled and shook his head disappointedly. It was a sarcastic smile.

    Without speaking a word, he took his things and left.

    Zhou Mingyan shivered when she heard the door being shut with a bang. All of a sudden, she burst out crying. She screamed and copsed to the floor, and both her hands could not stop pping the floor. ¡°He wants a divorce. He wants a divorce! Waah!¡±

    The words that she had spoken to Jian Shibo, they were just to scare him. She just wanted to make it clear to him that he would not be benefiting anything from the divorce. She just wanted to threaten him from having a divorce with her. However, she did not expect that Jian Shibo was still willing to leave with the pay card only.

    Jian Shibo had a low sry, which was too little for him to live. Not to mention, it was also insufficient for him to pay a one-month rent in B city. He would only be able to find a room in Sixth Ring road.

    ¡°Jian Yi, Jian Yi. Help your mom, help me. What should we do? You dad has really made up his mind to divorce me!¡± Zhou Mingyan was crying with her tears streaming down her face. She sniveled, unable to breathe with her stuffy nose. Breathing with her mouth, she said, ¡°We should never divorce, we cannot divorce! Jian Yi, find your dad and tell him about it! Persuade him, can you?¡±

    While looking at Zhou Mingyan, Jian Yi could not help but feel irritated. Tears were running down her face endlessly. However, he had no choice but to control his anger. He said in a deep voice, ¡°I know, I¡¯ll go and persuade him. Wait for my news at home. Don¡¯t think too much.¡±

    ¡°Okay okay okay!¡± answered Zhou Mingyan hastily. She stood up, but her face was still buried in her hands.

    Jian Yi took the car keys and left to seek for Jian Shibo.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Qi Chengzhi threw an appreciation party at Red Roof Club. He had invited his group of friends which included Yan Beicheng.

    Qi Chengji and Ruan Danchen were already drunk. Therefore, they could not make it. Qi Chengji was his brother, he could definitely care less about his absence. As for Ruan Danchen, Song Yu would need to treat her to a meal another day. Being the bridesmaid for today was not an easy task.

    After Qi Chenglin had sent Ruan Danchen back home, he came to Red Roof Club too. He did not say a word about Ruan Danchen¡¯s incident.

    During the day, all of the Great Eight Families¡¯ elderly were at the wedding. Therefore, they did not go beyond measure to tease the bride and groom.

    Now, there was no elderly watching over them anymore. Besides, since all of them were close to each other, Yan Beicheng and the others had let go of themselves.

    It was a wedding day today, even Qi Chengzhi did not refuse to take part in their games. As long as their requests were not beyond measure, he would ept their challenges.

    Qi Chengzhi sat on the sofa and put down his wine ss. He was getting a little tipsy because of Yan Beicheng and the others. They had been encouraging him to drink. Now, his fair and charming face was starting to go pink.

    When Qi Chengzhi got close to Song Yu, Song Yu could smell the alcohol on him other than the familiar clean scent of his. However, she could not differentiate which type of liquor it was.

    Yan Beicheng and the others had been making him drink different types of liquor. Beer, red wine, white wine, whiskey, all of them were included.

    When all of them were mixed and drank together, he would get drunk faster.

    Qi Chengzhi got closer to Song Yu, putting his chin on her skinny shoulder this time. He could feel the hard bones on her shoulder.

    He was getting light-headed due to the drinks. His dark eyes seemed to have been covered with ayer of fog when he observed the fair skin before him.

    The skin on her neck was getting pinkish due to his breath. Above the neck was her fair and soft cheeks. They were smooth and fair, as if they had no pores. He loved what he saw.

    He guided his gaze from the cheeks to her red ears. Her ears had gone red entirely and they looked juicy, like suet white jade with pinkish color.

    Under the lights, he could see her soft and fine hair on the juicy ears of hers. Due to the lights, they looked like a white shade floating over her ears.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart melted because of what he saw. Both his hands sneaked around her waist and he brought her into his arms. He breathed in the scent on her body and felt dizzier due to it.

    ¡°Darling,¡± he spoke softly. His voice sounded deep and hoarse. He even dragged thest word as if he was whining. Plus, due to his deep voice and lightheadedness, he sounded sexy.

    It was as if his call was a long and thin finger. She felt ticklish and her toes curled.

    Qi Chengzhi watched the redness creeping up to Song Yu¡¯s cheeks. He felt that the warmth on her cheeks was boiling the scent of her skin.

    The room was rowdy. Therefore, no one had heard Qi Chengzhi speak.

    However, his posture was starting to attract their attention. He was clinging onto Song Yu as if he was trying to get her attention. Everyone now had their eyes turned toward him and shock was written all over their faces.

    Yan Beicheng and the others, even Qi Chenglin, as the younger brother of Qi Chengzhi, had never seen this side of Qi Chengzhi.

    He was acting like a child, clinging himself onto Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi was almost drunk now. Therefore, he did not notice the change in atmosphere. If he was not drunk, he would never do something like this in the faces of Yan Beicheng and the others, because he was afraid of hurting his image.

    However, Song Yu noticed their stares and was embarrassed about it. Her face turned redder and could not make out a word.

    Seeing that Song Yu was not reacting, Qi Chengzhi pressed his face closer to her, shaking her waist with his arms around her. ¡°Darling, I¡¯m calling for you. Why don¡¯t you react?¡±

    The room had been inplete silence ever since everyone¡¯s attention was on him. Now, his words were clearly heard by all of them.

    The manner, ent and the look of him seeking for attention, stunned everyone else.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sighed softly and said, ¡°I¡¯m drunk today and will not have the energy to satisfy you tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu seemed to have heard the explosion in her head. ¡®Bang!¡¯ Her entire face went red and burned.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Qi Chenglin masked his chuckle by coughing into his fist.

    Yan Beichengughed out loud with tears in his eyes. He took out his cellphone and took a picture of the drunk Qi Chengzhi. Unfortunately, he did not have the ability to predict the future. If he had known that Qi Chengzhi would be blurting out such a sentence, he would have recorded it.

    However, Qi Chengzhi did not remember a thing the next morning. He had no memory of the incidentst night.

    After making the bed, he took out his cellphone and opened Wechat. As a result, he saw the picture Yan Beicheng had sentst night. In the picture, he was hugging Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his brows and asked, ¡°Was this takenst night?¡±

    After looking at the picture, Song Yu turned her gaze to him. ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡±

    Silently, Qi Chengzhi saved the picture to his album and kept the cellphone. ¡°What have I donest night?¡±

    Song Yu blushed and repeated what he had saidst night.

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu thought that he was being embarrassed about it. However, he pulled her into his arms.

    ¡°So, did I satisfy youst night?¡± he asked with hoarseness in his voice. He lowered his head and his gaze reached her cheeks. He brushed his soft, burning lips on the smooth skin beneath her eyes.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go down and have our breakfast.¡± Blushing, Song Yu pushed his chest away softly.

    ¡°No, have I or have I not satisfied you? It¡¯s just a simple question with a simple answer.¡± Qi Chengzhi trapped her with his arms around her waist. ¡°It¡¯s simple. Just tell me and we won¡¯t have to bete for our breakfast.¡±

    ¡°We are going back to the old mansion, aren¡¯t we? Since we¡¯ve already woken upte in the morning, we should be quicker.¡± Song Yu, who had her cheeks flushing, still did not answer him.

    ¡°We¡¯ll leave after I hear your answer,¡± Qi Chengzhi insisted. He was not going to let go of her no matter what.

    ¡°Satisfied,¡± answered Song Yu softly. As she was going to push him away, he tightened his arms around her.

    ¡°How have I satisfied you?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi again.

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Though he was drunkst night, his faculties were not affected. He had taken the chance to try everything when he was drunk.

 Chapter 229 - Director, Your Feather Avatar Had Betrayed You

    <h4>Chapter 229: Director, Your Feather Avatar Had Betrayed You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin could not bear it anymore. His mouth twitched as he grit his teeth and said, ¡°Qi Youxuan, enough is enough. Where did you learn all this nonsense?¡±

    Qi Youxuan guiltily pursed his lips for a while before raising his volume and saying in an even louder voice, ¡°Don¡¯t try to stray from the topic. I will surely tell Great-Grandma about this. Let her educate you properly!¡±

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan took out his kid¡¯s phone from his little duck bag and called the number of the manor.

    Aunt Liu answered the call and Qi Chenglin heard Qi Youxuan saying, ¡°Nanny Liu, where is my great-grandma?¡±

    After this, Qi Youxuan kept quiet. It looked like he was waiting for Grandmother Qi to pick up the phone.

    ¡°Great-Grandma.¡± Qi Chenglin snatched Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone before he couldplete his sentence. At this point, Qi Chenglin had already parked his car on the roadside. He hung up and threw the phone onto the front passenger seat before coolly stating, ¡°Don¡¯t try to look for trouble!¡±

    ¡°I hate you, Dad!¡± Qi Youxuan was enraged. He could not move freely since the seatbelt of his safety seat was fastened. He tried his best to stretch his legs out to kick the back of the driver seat but could not reach them with his short legs. Therefore, he could only kick the front passenger seat.

    Qi Chenglin stopped his car again. He turned his head to face the back and red fiercely at him. ¡°Are you still being rude to me?¡±

    Qi Youxuan puffed up his cheeks and looked pitiful. ¡°I am doing this for your own good, how can you treat me so harshly!¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt regret and his anger faded when he looked at the little kid¡¯s big red eyes and saw tears welled up inside. He lowered his voice and replied, ¡°Okay okay, I¡ª¡ª¡±

    The kid¡¯s phone with a Totoro design on the front passenger seat suddenly rang and interrupted Qi Chenglin¡¯s speech. The ringtone was the music from the opening scene of the Detective Conan animation. Qi Chenglin took a nce at it and saw that the caller ID read ¡®Old manor of Qi¡¯s Family¡¯. It must have been Grandmother Qi who was returning his call from the old manor.

    He picked up the phone and answered it. He saw Qi Youxuan pouting sulkily, but he had stopped kicking the back of the seat.

    ¡°Great-Grandma,¡± greeted Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, he is losing his temper.¡± Qi Chenglin glimpsed at Qi Youxuan.

    After hearing what his father said, Qi Youxuan eagerly exined, ¡°I am not losing my temper, Great-Grandma. It was because my dad was not treating his partner properly. Aunt Ruan is such a nice person, but he offended her and shouted at me when I was just giving him some advice!¡±

    Qi Youxuan shouted as loud as he could because he was afraid that Grandmother Qi could not hear what he was saying. The loud voice caused Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears to hurt.

    He covered the ear which was not pressed against the phone as Grandmother Qi also started yelling, ¡°What is happening, you little brat, are you thinking of not getting married! You did not marry before because you were worried it may affect Youxuan, but thankfully Youxuan likes Xiao Ruan too. How could you make her angry? What were you thinking? Come back now, I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡±

    Qi Chenglin moved the phone further away from his ear and red at Qi Youxuan angrily. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not like this, I¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you like Xiao Ruan or not? Tell me! That day I saw your attitude toward her was utterly differentpared to the way you treat others. You never criticize others so sharply. You¡¯re like a child, the more you like her, the more you try to irritate her, right? Qi Chenglin, how old are you now? How could you be so childish, even making your son worry about you! You¡¯re really something!¡± Grandmother Qi was extremely anxious, she wished she could act as the matchmaker for them.

    ¡°Grandma, I am driving now, I think I have to hang up. Oh, someone is honking me,¡± replied Qi Chenglin as he honked his horn two times and hung up the phone.

    He threw Qi Youxuan¡¯s Totoro phone aside and saw Qi Youxuan gazing scornfully at him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    After Grandmother Qi hung up the phone, her expression was not at all serious the way she had been when talking to Qi Chenglin on the phone. She looked pleased with herself and was humming ¡± The Coolest Ethnic Trend <sup>1</sup> ¡°.

    ¡°I think something is going on between Chenglin and Xiao Ruan.¡± Grandmother Qi sat down. She wore her presbyopic sses and started embroidering slowly by using the cross-stitch technique.

    ¡°You could sense that just by listening to him on the phone?¡± Grandfather Qi teased her. ¡°I think you are a budding sorceress.¡±

    Grandmother Qi clicked her tongue in response. ¡°Do you know what your second grandson said when I asked him whether he likes Xiao Ruan?¡±

    ¡°What second grandson, it¡¯s not nice to call him that!¡± Grandfather Qi rolled his eyes at her, but then he turned his body and craned his neck toward her. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He said nothing!¡± Grandmother Qi pped her thigh. ¡°Just think about your grandson¡¯s character, wouldn¡¯t he tell me immediately if he didn¡¯t like her? However, he said nothing and tried to change the topic, after that he found an excuse to hang up the phone. He wouldn¡¯t have done that if he felt nothing for her, right?¡±

    Grandfather Qi sluggishly sat his body upright and nodded in agreement. It was rare for them to share the same opinion.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu saw Qi Chengzhi sitting cross-legged when she came out of the bathroom after bathing. His legs appeared to be very long even when he was crossing them.

    Qi Chengzhi stretched his arm out and gestured at her, but it did not seem like he was asking for anything in particr.

    ¡°What?¡± Song Yu walked toward him and gave him her hand. Before she knew it, he had pulled her into bed.

    Qi Chengzhi patted the bed. ¡°Lie here, you stood for so long in the kitchen today. Let me give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡± Song Yu looked at him suspiciously. She was already satisfied that he could cook, it was unlikely that he knew how to give a massage as well.

    Qi Chengzhi wanted to take off her clothes, including her pants and underwear. However, Song Yu was gripping onto them, not allowing him to take them off. Qi Chengyue¡¯s clear voice called out from behind her. ¡°Stop being difficult. How can I massage you if you do not remove your clothes?¡±

    Only then did Song Yu obediently withdraw her hands. She could hear Qi Chengzhi rubbing his palms together before she finally felt some warm essential oil being sprayed on her back and thighs.

    Surprisingly, he knew that he needed to warm the oil first. After this, Qi Chengzhi started his massage. The amount of strength he applied was just nice, and Song Yu really enjoyed it. She could feel a mild amount of pain, and every movement he made was spot on.

    ¡°I was not expecting this. How do you know how to give a massage?¡± Asked Song Yu in amazement. She felt that her whole body was loosened up after getting massaged by him.

    ¡°I was told thatdieste into their pregnancies are prone to having leg cramps, and it would be hard for them to move around ¨C even rising from the chair could prove demanding. So, I searched for videos about that from the inte. I even asked my secretaries to help me buy two bottles of essential oil to prevent stretch marks. The staff in the secretary office who were pregnant before say that if you rub it on your tummy when it starts to get bigger, it will prevent the stretch marks you usually get after giving birth,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi. He poured some oil onto his hand and started to rub it between his palms to warm it up before he started to massage Song Yu¡¯s legs.

    When she thought about how he was using his good-looking hands to massage her, she turned her head and glimpsed at him. She extended her arm to pinch his knee.

    Qi Chengzhi immediately knew what she was thinking. He leaned in closer and asked with a smile, ¡°Why?¡±

    Song Yu gave him a sweet and gentle smile. She raised her head and quickly pecked him on the lips. ¡°Hubby, you are the best.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm was resting on her lower back as his pupil suddenly contracted. He began rubbing her back and returned the kiss.

    He was kissing her deeply and forcefully, causing Song Yu to change her position until she was lying on her side. He pushed her back and she turned until her tummy was pressed tightly against his body.

    Qi Chengzhi was breathing heavily as he weakened the force he was using a little and licked her tongue. ¡°I haven¡¯t finish massaging, I¡¯ll kiss you properlyter,¡± said Qi Chengzhi while biting her lips.

    Song Yu blushed and returned to her original position. She rested her forehead on her forearms and buried her head into her arms.

    Qi Chengzhi inadvertently grinned. His long bony fingers pushed her soft long hair aside, revealing her ear and neck. He saw that her ear was red and that the heat had spread to her neck.

    Qi Chengzhi took another look and saw that her neck, back, and toes had all turned red as well. There were even some red goosebumps at the back of her neck behind her earlobe.

    Her body was emitting the fragrant smell of the essential oil. He leaned closer and could smell the aroma of her shampoo and body wash mixed with the scent of her natural body aroma.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but peck at the patches of goosebumps on the back of her neck. He could feel Song Yu quivering intermittently as the blush of her skin became more vibrant.

    ¡°Do you know that when you blush, your whole body turns red as well?¡± Qi Chengzhi was rubbing her ears against his zing hot lips while he whispered into her ears with his husky voice.

    Song Yu buried her head deeper, her scalp and cheeks feeling numb. She lowered her head and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to continue massaging me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, afterward let me see if the front of your body is also as red as the back.¡± Qi Chengzhi was using his lips to caress the area around her hairline and the back of her ear as Song Yu felt a burning heat surge through her body.

    His words made Song Yu¡¯s mind go numb. She whispered, ¡°Rascal.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed softly beside her ears. His deep and hoarse voice caused her heart to jump ¨C it sounded like someone plucking the strings of a violin with his fingertips.

    ¡°Can you stopughing like this?¡± said Song Yu, whose heart was now beating rapidly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t my voice nice?¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled. His confidence sometimes irritated others, it was if he thought that his voice was pleasing to the ears.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was out of words. Momentster, she replied with her cheeks and ears flushed, ¡°It¡¯s too beautiful and seductive.¡±

    ¡°If you continue talking like this, I won¡¯t be able to stop myself from entering via the backdoor.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice became hoarser.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped teasing her. He would undoubtedly be the one to surrender if this continued.

    He sat up again and massaged her calves. Song Yu felt that the alluring atmosphere was like that of a violin string that had been stretched to its breaking point. At this point, even the air in the room was blisteringly hot.

    Song Yu difficultly swallowed her saliva and spoke, but was shocked by her voice which had be hoarse and sexy.

    She hurriedly cleared her throat and said again, ¡°You were discussing these kinds of things with the female staff of the secretary office?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi went back to using the initial amount of force as he teasingly asked while he continued to massage her, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± replied Song Yu gently. ¡°I heard that you were revered by the people in thepany. It just didn¡¯t look like you were the type who would have friendly chats with your subordinates, not to mention discussing topics regarding married women.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted. ¡°Are youplimenting me or roasting me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu whispered weakly, ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi helped Song Yu turned over to lie on her back. After this, Song Yu hastily pulled the nket over to cover her body such that only her calves were exposed.

    Qi Chengzhi held her feet in his hands and massaged the sole of her foot. His was especially calm and earnest. ¡°I anonymously posted the questions in thepany¡¯s BBS.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was momentarily speechless. ¡°They surely knew it was you, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi would never tell her that they were all referring to him as director in theirments below his post.

    As expected, there was lots of joking ttery. Someonemented, ¡°Director is such a loving husband.¡± Another said, ¡°Director, your feather avatar had already betrayed your identity, are you nning on having a child?¡±

    Luo Yushu was the best tterer. ¡°Director, if Mrs Director and you give birth to a child, that would be the best of both worlds since you¡¯re so handsome and Mrs Director is so pretty. All of us would be jealous of you. Director Han would be so worried if you are not joining hispany.¡±

    Finally, he simply admitted everything andmented, ¡°Uh-huh, I was just asking beforehand so that I could make some preparations.¡±

    After this, thement section was again flooded with praise. Qi Chengzhi was pleased after reading them. He adjusted his tie and sat up straight in his chair.

    Qi Chengzhi conveniently separated Song Yu¡¯s leg and removed the nket. ¡°I have finished massaging you, now is the time to kiss properly.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu.

    Immediately after this, Qi Chengzhi stifled her with a kiss.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Qi Chengyue was driving her Audi TT into the carpark in front of Qilin. After she parked and got out of the car, she heard a honk.

    She looked toward the direction of the noise and saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s Touareg. He drove his car toward her and parked it in the parking spot beside her car.

    She watched as Cheng Dongge parked his car and came out. She pretended to tuck some of her hair behind her ears while wondering how to greet Cheng Dongge.

    They had officially started their rtionship on Friday night. On Saturday, they had a meeting with both of their parents at the Qi Family manor. They went on a date on Sunday and went to Viewpark Residence. However, they had never discussed how they should interact in thepany and whether they should make their rtionship public.

    At the moment, Qi Chengyue had no idea what to do, but she felt a surge of joy when she saw Cheng Dongge. Her mouth subconsciously curved upward into a sweet and cheerful smile. All she could see was his handsome face and tall figure as her heart began beating extraordinarily fast.

    She nervously swallowed her saliva as he stared into her eyes, causing her to blush.

    Qi Chengyue stood there without moving. She was waiting for him to approach her.

    She saw that Cheng Dongge was fixing his gaze on her. As he walked toward her, two of their colleagues walked toward them together. They greeted him when they passed by, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded his head at them.

    Then, they loudly greeted her from afar too, ¡°Miss Qi.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. As they were leaving the carpark, they noticed a few more Qilin¡¯s staff pass by them one after another.

    Qi Chengyue had no other choice but to greet him too, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng.¡±

    Cheng Dongge stopped and raised his eyebrows at her.

    Qi Chengyu¡¯s face turned red, she pouted sulkily and looked down at the ground.

    Cheng Dongge gave her a smile and strode toward her with his long legs. His tall figure stopped in front of her as he looked downward at her.

    Even when standing straight, Qi Chengyue could only reach his chest. With her head down, she now appeared to be even shorter.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you looking at me? Feeling guilty?¡± Cheng Dongge teased her.

    They were standing face-to-face and very close to each other in an area which clearly exceeded the boundaries of general familiarity. Nevertheless, Qi Chengyue did not notice this as she was extremely nervous.

    However, the staff who were passing by noticed their awkward situation and curiously peeked at them.

    However, Cheng Dongge was unbothered by them and reached out his arm to hold Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand.

    Qi Chengyue was startled but did not withdraw her hand. Finally, she looked up with an astounded expression as her face became flushed.

    ¡°There is nothing to hide, I¡¯m just afraid that men who are not observant enough wille chasing after you.¡± Cheng Dongge narrowed his eyes when he thought of the Brabus he saw that day. The person driving it looked like Li Zhuohui.

    For this reason, he had dug around and found out that he had just recently divorced. He felt like turning a table over upon hearing the news.

    Qi Chengyue held his hand, but she dared not lift her head. The staff who passed by slowed down their footsteps as they did not dare topletely stop in their tracks and observe, instead trying their best to just march on the spot.

    The staff dared not talk when Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were still around. After they left whilst still holding hands, them onlookers would immediately start to discuss and gossip raucously.

    However, the staff who saw them together in the carpark represented just a minority of the total workforce. The couple were unaware of the stir they would create when they walked into Qilin together.

    The staff were mentally unprepared. They were stunned as their jaws dropped when they saw the unexpected couple stroll in together.

    After they left, the staff immediately started to talk about it enthusiastically. ¡°What just happened? Did I see incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°Special Assistant Cheng and Miss Qi, my god!¡±

    ¡°Qilin¡¯s golden bachelor is now off limits just like that! They became single for a handful of days and are now off the market again in the blink of an eye. Why couldn¡¯t they give others a chance?¡±

    ¡°Qilin¡¯s female staff will be heartbroken!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we thought that our time hade when Special Assistant Cheng became single. Who would have known... sheesh!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of her. Miss Qi just got divorced a few days ago, and now she has found a man of excellent quality. How did she do it?¡±

    The two of them walked to the elevator where many people were waiting to go up to their floors. After a while, Qi Chengyue slowly became used to their stares.

    When they walked into the elevator, they were squeezed in with others. Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge stood close to each other as Cheng Dongge held her hand with one of his hands while shielding her with the other.

    Qi Chengyue exited the elevator at a lower floor than Cheng Dongge. When the elevator stopped, Qi Chengyue pinched his arm and embarrassedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve reached my floor. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for you in the afternoon,¡± replied Cheng Dongge with a smile.

    Qi Chengyue shyly returned his smile and walked out of the elevator with her head lowered.

    ¡°Manager Qi, congrattions!¡± All her colleagues working on the floor ¨C regardless of if they were from the financial affairs department or the other departments ¡ª congratted her.

    Qi Chengyue was too shy to thank them. She blushed and could only nod at them with a smile.

    After she left, her colleagues whispered, ¡°Manager Qi has changed after getting into a rtionship with Special Assistant Cheng. Her temper became better and she looked cute when she was blushing.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Today, Song Yu was also back in her office at Chengshi as her marriage leave was over.

    She picked up Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call and clicked to open the news. ¡°Danchen,e over here and have a look at this.¡±

    Ruan Danchen slid toward her in her office chair. She looked at Song Yu¡¯sputer and saw the news. It read that Ruan Danchen was a qualified and responsible designer and that she had never used materials of inferior quality nor involved herself in shoddy work to make money illegally.

    The news exined that there was some misunderstanding prior to this, and that the real culprit was the other person who was also in charge of the development project.

    After reading the news, Song Yu and Ruan Danchen fell silent. They both knew that the person in question was actually helping Mu Sisi to frame Ruan Danchen by recing the materials.

    Although Mu Huaisheng was not necessarily looking for a scapegoat when he turned him over, he had simultaneously managed to cover up the things that Mu Sisi did. Ruan Danchen felt uneasy as the true culprit was left unscathed.

    ¡°I think, this is more credible than if Mu Huaisheng tried to exin that this was a misunderstanding without any evidence,¡± said Song Yu. Although she was not satisfied with the way Mu Huaisheng resolved the incident, he did fulfill his promise of guaranteeing that he would get Ruan Danchen out of trouble.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see how it goes. Even though he has given them this exnation, if the clients still choose not to trust me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Ruan Danchen closed the news report.

    Song Yu pondered for a while and whispered, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Once they were on the highest floor, Song Yu said, ¡°At first, I did not intent to tell you about this, but to make you feel better, I¡¯ll say it now.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. She was intrigued because Song Yu had cautiously brought her to the highest floor to talk to her.

    ¡°Chengzhi was nning to sue Mu Sisi and we are collecting evidence now. After this we will have to hand them to the authorities and have to wait for the trial date,¡± exined Song Yu, ¡°So rest assured that the false usations you face won¡¯t be left unpunished.¡±

    ¡°Is it good to make such a big deal out of it?¡± Ruan Danchen was grimacing as she felt apologetic that they were doing all this just for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only because of you, Chengzhi wanted to teach Mu Sisi a lesson. In fact, even if we sue her, it will be very hard to get her sentenced due to the influence of the Mu Family. Mu Sisi will eventually be freed, so don¡¯t get your hopes too high. Chengzhi simply wanted to make clear to her that she should know her ce and behave properly. He just wanted to make her feel troubled,¡± said Song Yu with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen grinned involuntarily. ¡°You have be more wicked after being with him for a long time! Before this, you would never attempt to disturb others like this!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, now you should feel relieved during work. Let Chengzhi handle this, we won¡¯t allow you to be taken advantage of.¡± Song Yu pulled her arm as they went back to their office. ¡°However, how about you tell me what was going on between you and my husband¡¯s cousin?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned before she began acting stupid.

    ¡°Stop pretending, both of you are interacting differently aspared to before. Even Grandmother noticed it.¡± Song Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°Last night Cheng Dongge and Chengyue surely noticed it too. Are you still trying to pretend in front of me?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing going on, I don¡¯t know him well either. He saw that Youxuan likes me and was afraid that I would use Youxuan to pursue him.¡± Ruan Danchen rolled her eyes and sneered. ¡°Where did he get that confidence from?¡±

    ¡°He said that?¡± Song Yu stared at Ruan Danchen in surprise. ¡°Chenglin is not that type of person. He is actually much more normalpared to Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡ª

 Chapter 210 - Stop Thinking About Indecent Stuff All Day

    <h4>Chapter 210: Stop Thinking About Indecent Stuff All Day</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi assured them that the situation was being investigated. He then turned to Qi Chengyue and said, ¡°You and Cheng Dongge will be going on a business trip to Li City the day after tomorrow. This is regarding the movie-themed amusement park that Qilin will build in Li City. As the finance manager, you¡¯ll have to find out the budget of each party as well as other rted things.¡±

    ¡°Why so sudden?¡± Qi Chengyue asked in shock. Qi Chengzhi had never brought it up before then.

    ¡°You were busy with your divorce so I didn¡¯t tell you about it. At the same time, I also asked Cheng Dongge to try and find a backup candidate to rece you. But since your problem with Jian Yi ispletely settled, you can set your mind at ease and work without worrying too much. As the first-choice candidate, it¡¯s best if you go.¡± Qi Chengzhi tossed a pine nut into his mouth. ¡°You¡¯ll go with Cheng Dongge the day after tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s expression showed signs of unease. She held her cup and was about to take a sip of tea, but ced it down due to her anxiety. Her face felt hot and she directed her gaze downward. She shied away from looking directly at Qi Chengzhi because she was afraid that he might notice something off about her. ¡°Why am I the one who has to go there with Cheng Dongge? Isn¡¯t this something my elder brother is in charge of all this time?¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s te of de-shelled pine nuts and pecans, then reached in and took away about half, saying, ¡°My hands are full, so I can¡¯t go.¡±

    The little boy stared at his half-empty te and took it away immediately. His tubby hands clung tight to it, but after thinking about it for a moment, he was still worried. He lifted the te up and poured all the nuts into his mouth, filling his cheeks to the brim. Speaking was nearly impossible and it was equally as hard for him to chew.

    ¡°Oh dear, this boy! What are you doing! Who is going to take all of it away from you?¡± The olddy spotted his actions and poured a ss of water for him. She was worried about how dangerous it would be if those nuts got stuck in his throat and he would choke as a result.

    Qi Youxuan was busy chewing and therefore could not speak due to his puffed-up cheeks. His fair little hands pointed at Qi Chenglin, and his expression was incredibly wrathful.

    The one thing he could never stand was when someone else took his food!

    Following the direction of his finger, the olddy noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s fistful of nuts. He was savoring them leisurely, since there was no need to deshell them. Elegant and carefree was his action of eating them.

    The olddy smacked Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand and chastised him. ¡°You little! Why are you taking food from your own son! Put them back now!¡±

    She then took the empty te from Qi Youxuan so Qi Chenglin could put back all those nuts and return them to the boy.

    ¡°Spit it out now.¡± The olddy told Qi Youxuan to open his mouth for fear that he would choke. ¡°Your dad already put the nuts back.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was reluctant to spit out the nuts that he was already in the process of eating. He chewed those nuts as fast as he could and swallowed them all up.

    ¡°Oh dear!¡± the olddy eximed helplessly. ¡°You¡¯ve been very well-fed since you were young, and we let you eat anything that you wanted to eat. You¡¯ve tried all the good food before, including delicacies from all around the world. Why are you acting like you¡¯ve never eaten anything good?¡±

    The olddy hurriedly gave Qi Youxuan some water and made sure that nothing was stuck in the boy¡¯s throat.

    Qi Youxuan looked at the nuts that his father had ced back into the te. The boy blinked a few times and wondered whether he should devour them all in one go.

    He was heartbroken because a third of those nuts had disappeared into Qi Chenglin¡¯s stomach.

    The olddy read his thoughts immediately and snatched the te from him right away. She ced it on the coffee table and said, ¡°Eat them slowly. No one¡¯s going to steal them from you. You¡¯re not allowed to eat them all in one go, or else I won¡¯t allow you to eat them at all.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted and decided to give up his earlier intention. Nevertheless, he looked at Qi Chenglin warily. He covered the te with his hand to defend the nuts against his father. Then, he chomped rapidly on those nuts.

    The olddy did not have the heart to look at the sight in front of her, for it was a scene that she deemed pitiful.

    Once Qi Youxuan calmed down, Qi Chengzhi continued, ¡°Li City is Cheng Dongge¡¯s hometown. He¡¯s familiar with the ce and it¡¯s only fitting that he goes. You both seem to be okay with each other. Is there any problem?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Qi Chengyue looked down and said. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go home and prepare. What time will we be leaving?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a morning flight,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. ¡°I¡¯ll let Cheng Dongge book the flight and then contact you.¡±

    Noon came and Aunt Liu called everyone to have lunch. When Qi Chengyue went to the toilet, Song Yu leaned over to Qi Chengzhi and whispered, ¡°You say I¡¯m always trying to y matchmaker, but aren¡¯t you bing the matchmaker for Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi shot her a nce and maintained hisposure. ¡°Work matters require it.¡±

    Having said that, he looked askance at her and said in all seriousness, ¡°Stop thinking about indecent stuff all day.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®How was that indecent!¡¯

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, Song Yu gave Ruan Danchen a call and set up a time with her. She also made sure to confirm the time with Mu Huaisheng. Once that was done, Qi Chengzhi drove the Jaguar and brought Song Yu to fetch Ruan Danchen from Chengshi.

    The Range Rover needed a week to repair.

    Mu Huaisheng had already bought an apartment because it was bothersome to keep staying at Dynasty.

    Worried that Mu Sisi might cause trouble to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, he had no choice but to also stay with Mu Sisi.

    He booked a room in advance at Shengyue. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu tagged along as well.

    Ruan Danchen looked at them and felt that the atmosphere was more like a blind date than a business meeting about interior designing!

    It was only when Mu Huaisheng took out the floor n that she breathed a sigh of relief. She put on her game face and showed her professional side when discussing it with him.

    She listened as Mu Huaisheng expounded on his concept and requests, the idea that he wished to achieve, the style he envisioned it to have, and various other things.

    Ruan Danchen noted them down diligently.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, are you free this afternoon? If you are, follow me to the site to take a look,¡± Mu Huaisheng enquired.

    ¡°That won¡¯t be a problem,¡± she replied. ¡°I¡¯ll just give thepany a call.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nodded, seemingly satisfied.

    After lunch, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi did not continue to stay there with them. Song Yu had only one worry¡ªthat Mu Huaisheng did not hold Ruan Danchan in high esteem. That was why she and Qi Chengzhi came to give Ruan Danchen some backing.

    Besides, she wanted to introduce Ruan Danchen to Mu Huaisheng in the capacity of a friend. In that scenario, the lines between client and contractor would be blurred, and that would give them the space to get acquainted with each other.

    Mu Huaisheng did not seem to mind Ruan Danchen¡¯sck of reputation, but the key would lie in Ruan Danchen¡¯s proposed design. As for whether something might happen between the two of them, that would depend highly on their chemistry.

    Song Yu recalled how Mu Huaisheng opened the car door for Ruan Danchen when they were in front of the restaurant. A smile came over Song Yu when she thought of the scene where he helped her into the car. Song Yu turned to Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Mu Huaisheng to be such a gentleman.¡±

    ¡°Are you still not giving up on being a matchmaker?¡± Qi Chengzhi took a jibe at her.

    ¡°There¡¯s no harm in trying right?¡± Song Yu looked at him suspiciously. ¡°I have no idea why you¡¯re so confident that she and Mu Huaisheng can never be an item.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi simply smiled at looked her without saying a word.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng drove the BMV 7 Series that he had just acquired from a 4S automobile shop. He brought Ruan Danchen to the location where MU¡¯s gship store was going to be opened.

    The street was filled with gship stores that carried various luxury brand names. Ruan Danchen¡¯s sources told her that an empty shop lot was not easy to find because the ce was in high demand. Established brands were usually the only ones that could snag a spot there, and Ruan Danchen was truly in awe at how Mu Huaisheng could manage to grab a shop lot.

    Ruan Danchen never went there because the prices were too exorbitant. She did not know what brand originally upied the shop lot, as the store sign was taken down and the d¨¦cor waspletely taken out. The only thing left was a in empty space surrounded by clean walls.

    She entered the shop and observed it before taking a few snapshots of the empty store. From her bag, she took out a pen and paper and went through her usual habit of sketching the n and elevation. She then took out a measuring tape and began measuring the dimensions. A few more pictures were taken as well.

    There was adder that had been left by the previous workers, so Ruan Danchen tossed her bag onto the floor and set thedder up. ¡°Mr. Mu, can you please help mey the tip of the measuring tape on the floor?¡±

    Ruan Danchen gave him the measuring tape and climbed up thedder to measure the height.

    After making the necessary measurements, she used her teeth to remove the cap from her pen. With the cap between her teeth, one handheld the pen while the other held the paper. She was writing down the numbers.

    Mu Huaisheng made sure to keep an eye on her as she was in a precarious position.

    Once she was done, she began making her way down the stairs. She was easily over-focused when she was in work mode, and those were the times she was inattentive of her surroundings.

    She lost her footing and began sliding down. Her knee knocked against one of the steps and she let out a gasp. Just as she was going to tumble down, Mu Huaisheng ran up and caught her from behind.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s back was pressed against Mu Huaisheng¡¯s chest. He was practically embracing her and hugging her from behind.

    Embarrassed, Ruan Danchen hastily stood up. Someone then came into the shop.

    Mu Huaisheng noticed the other person as well, and when they went to the entrance to see who it was, they saw that it was Qi Chenglin.

    For a brief moment, Mu Huaisheng forgot to let go of Ruan Danchen. Thetter was stunned for quite some time, but she soon regained her senses and scrambled off of Mu Huaisheng¡¯s embrace.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s hands were empty, and he, too, snapped back to reality. He straightened his posture, but remained slightly embarrassed nheless.

    ¡°Did I bother you both?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked a brow somewhat tauntingly. His gaze was particrly cynical when he looked at Ruan Danchen.

    Mu Huaisheng did not try to exin the situation too much. All he said was, ¡°I asked Miss Ruan to design the interior for the store. Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°I was in the area to discuss some things. I dropped by to take a look,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s expressionless gaze drifted past her body andnded on the exact spot that Mu Huaisheng touched. He nodded and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bother you two.¡±

    He left as soon as he finished his words.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®Why in the world is he here?¡¯

    After Qi Chenglin left, there was an awkwardness between Ruan Danchen and Mu Huaisheng.

    Having taken down all the necessary measurements, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll finish the design as soon as I can and show it to you.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Mu Huaisheng offered to drive Ruan Danchen back to thepany. She initially refused, but Mu Huaisheng was more persuasive than her, and in the end, he still sent her back.

    ...

    ...

    Early the next morning, Cheng Dongge came to Jade Vi Residence to pick Qi Chengyue up.

    He parked his Touareg at the vi entrance, and not longter, Qi Chengyue came out with a twenty-inch luggage bag.

    It was only a one-night stay in Li City, so Qi Chengyue did not bring much stuff.

    Cheng Dongge got down and opened the boot. When Qi Chengyue came over, he took the luggage bag from her without a word.

    His clean and warm palm came into contact with her hand. It was unintentional. She trembled slightly and retracted her hand immediately. Cheng Dongge looked at her for a moment but remained silent as he ced the luggage bag into the boot.

    Qi Chengyue was already in the car by the time he went over to the driver¡¯s seat.

    Ever since the divorce, Qi Chengyue did not contact him anymore. Coincidentally, they never bumped into each other in thepany, as if one was avoiding the other on purpose.

    Qi Chengyue could not help but look at him. As she expected, the only reason he had given the interview was to help her. His sole purpose for saying that he liked her was to lift her out of her own embarrassment.

    Her longshes obscured her eyes, but just as she was retracting her gaze, Cheng Dongge looked at her and caught her sneaking a nce at him.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face reddened and she feltpletely embarrassed.

    ¡°Why is your face so red?¡± Cheng Dongge acted as if he knew nothing.

    Qi Chengyue felt that he was asking a question he obviously knew the answer to, since he had caught her staring at him.

    She kept quiet, but all of a sudden, Cheng Dongge stretched his hand and ced his palm on her reddened cheek. Just like that, his hand remained there.

    His hand was virtually covering half of her face, and she could feel his warmth as well as the slight coarseness of his palm. That coarseness, when rubbed against her face, sent little currents of electricity that flowed into her entire cheek.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face turnedpletely scarlet, and she felt so feverishly-hot that she might just go up in smoke.

    ¡°Are you feeling hot?¡± Cheng Dongge frowned slightly.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s mouth was agape, but she could not say a single word. His hand still remained on her face.

    His face, however, seemedpletely normal, as if he was oblivious to the intimacy of his actions. It all seemed normal to him, and there were no hidden messages behind his way of thinking.

    He seemed to have stroked her cheek, but Qi Chengyue could not know for sure since he already removed his hand from her face. Subsequently, he ced his hand behind the headrest of her seat. If she tilted her head slightly, she woulde in contact with his arm. She did not dare to move an inch, and she had no idea what he was about to do.

    All of a sudden, Cheng Dongge leaned in closer. His handsome face was fast approaching, and Qi Chengyue opened her eyes wide. Anxious, she inhaled sharply, with her lips parting open ever so slightly as well.

    Just as his lips were about toe into contact with hers, he retracted himself and resumed his straight posture. His other arm went past her in order for him to press the button to lower her window slightly. He then faced her, and between them there was only an inch¡¯s worth of distance. Their breaths melded together and her heartbeat quickened after she breathed them in.

    His scent was rich, like the richest of hard liquor. It warmed up her body and made her feel as though she was already drunk.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s lips were dry, but she struggled hard to stop herself from licking her own lips. Cheng Dongge¡¯s stance seemed to suggest that he would kiss her at any given moment.

    A smile, however, was the only thing that came out of his actions. He told her softly, ¡°Open the windows a bit if you¡¯re feeling hot.¡±

    Then he sat back down on his seat, looking all prim and proper.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue stared at him for a moment. ¡®He can control all the windows from his side, right? Why did he have to lean over?¡¯

    Qi Chengyue turned away and looked outside to face the scenery. The wind blew on her face when the car was speeding, thus causing the heat on her face to dissipate.

    ...

    ...

    The two of them took an early flight to Li City. Cheng Dongge did not immediately pay his parents a visit, as his first agenda was to head to Qilin¡¯s Li City subsidiarypany with Qi Chengyue. They met with the person-in-charge and after that, they were stuck in a meeting. They even had lunch in the meeting room, with takeout being delivered to them.

    In the evening, they went to have a look at the site. By the time the day¡¯s itinerary waspleted, it was already six.

    The weather was getting warmer and the days were getting longer. By virtue of Li City¡¯s position down south, the days were longer than B City. Therefore, it was still bright at that hour.

    ¡°Mr. Cheng, Miss Qi, my assistant made a restaurant reservation. Please join us for dinner,¡± the general manager of Qilin¡¯s subsidiarypany offered.

    Cheng Dongge did not answer immediately, but turned to Qi Chengyue instead. ¡°Would you like to try some of Li City¡¯s authentic food?¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not want to get too close with the subsidiarypany¡¯s higher-ups. She was a member of the Qi family after all, and it would not be good for her to get too close with them.

    There would be an abundance of ttery and praise directed at her if she followed them to dinner. The general manager and his other managers might even try to enquire about the parentpany¡¯s affairs. Most importantly, they would try and seize the opportunity to get close with the Qi family in order to get a promotion or be transferred to Qilin¡¯s headquarters.

    As someone who spoke frankly and candidly, she was least ustomed to dealing with such events. Cheng Dongge was likely aware of that, which was why he asked her before answering the general manager.

    Since Cheng Dongge had already given her a silver lining, Qi Chengyue immediately responded, ¡°Yes!¡±

    Cheng Dongge then turned to the general manager and smiled. ¡°My apologies. I¡¯m from Li City, so since I¡¯m back, I¡¯ll visit my parents. I told them I¡¯d being home for dinner.¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    In that case, Qi Chengyue would rather go to dinner with the general manager!

    Regretting was no use, for she had already agreed to Cheng Dongge.

    After hearing that, the general manager looked at the both of them in a different light. Something seemed to be going on between them, and upon recalling the earlier news, the two of them seemed to be on really good terms with each other. The general manager could not help but admire Cheng Dongge for being able to rise so meteorically in such a short span of time.

    Of course, he would never think of offending the two of them. Even if there was nothing between Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue, the former was still Qi Chengzhi¡¯s right-hand man. The general manager would not dare to be disrespectful toward him.

    As a result, the general manager was not angry at all. He was all smiles even though they declined the invitation. ¡°Ah, I didn¡¯t know that. It¡¯s alright, we¡¯ll have another chance next time.¡±

    Although Qi Chengyue regretted it, she had no choice but to summon up the courage to go ahead with it. A car was provided for their convenience, and she sat in it while going home with Cheng Dongge.

    She felt like she was going to meet her inws.

    She shook her head as soon as that thought urred. ¡®What nonsense am I thinking about!¡¯

    Upon gathering her thoughts, she carefully sneaked a nce at him. He seemed to be so focused on driving that he did not notice she was looking at him.

    Since they were there on official business, he was dressed in a well-fitted suit. His face was handsome and gentle, which she regarded as being simr to a ss of warm water. A ss of water was neither sweet nor nauseating, but incredibly refreshing. It may not be the most delicious drink out there, but it was the only one that stood the test of time and was indispensable.

    His masculine cologne was emanating profusely from his body. It was light and not too overpowering, but it made her want to savor each and every breath of that delectable scent.

    Her gaze thennded on the steering wheel, specifically the hand that was on it. His long fingers were well-groomed, while his skin was fair and his bones were distinct. The joints closest to his palm had a small number of soft hairs, adding anotheryer of masculinity to him.

 Chapter 211 - Qi Chengyue Held His Arm Tightly to Stop Him from Leaving

    <h4>Chapter 211: Qi Chengyue Held His Arm Tightly to Stop Him from Leaving</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her gaze thennded on the steering wheel, specifically the hand that was on it. His long fingers were well-groomed, while his skin was fair and his bones were distinct. The joints closest to his palm had a small number of soft hairs, adding anotheryer of masculinity to him.

    She thought about his considerable poprity in thepany. He used to work with Qi Chengzhi at the general headquarters, and it was there that he earned the reputation of being an in-demand bachelor.

    Be it in Qilin Technology or Qilin Properties, the higher-ups were all somewhat of age, bar only Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin. Even someone of Jian Yi¡¯s age was umon amongst the departmental managers¡ªthe youngest there was around forty, and even so, that person was already married.

    Cheng Dongge was a thirty-year-old who was the director¡¯s special assistant, and rumor has it that Qi Chengzhi identified him as a potential candidate for the position of Qilin¡¯s general manager. As a bachelor who was previously engaged, that did not stop female employees from secretly crushing on him.

    Having reverted to being a single man, the women who desired him would definitely increase in number.

    He stood out prominently whether it was in his capabilities or his looks. It was not surprising that so many female employees took a liking to him.

    For those women, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were the most perfect of Mr. Perfects. They were too high to reach, and even though those female employees were secretly in love with them, none of them bore any hope that they would one day be Cindere.

    Cheng Dongge however, was different. He was tangible, and the chance to grab him was within reach. With the requisite effort, the possibility of sess was there.

    Qi Chengyue retracted her gaze unconsciously and faced the outside mirror. Her mind was wandering about when a fruit shop entered her field of vision.

    ¡°Wait, is it okay to stop the car here?¡± Qi Chengyue asked abruptly.

    Cheng Dongge thought she wanted to get something, so after looking at the car behind them, he pulled over to the side of the road.

    ¡°Wait for me,¡± Qi Chengyue uttered quickly and went down. She ran toward the fruit shop that they just passed by.

    Cheng Dongge watched from inside the car as she stood in front of the shop with her back facing him. She pointed at a few of the fruits and allowed the shop owner to weigh them.

    He then went down and walked toward her.

    When he finally reached, the shop owner had finished weighing everything, leaving Qi Chengyue to pay for them.

    Sensing that there was someone beside her, she looked to the side unwittingly and asked, ¡°Why did youe down?¡±

    Cheng Dongge took the fruits from the shop owner. There were quite a few bags, containing watermelon, strawberries, kiwis, and some table grapes. All of it was rather heavy.

    Qi Chengyue exined, ¡°It¡¯s not nice if we go for dinner at your home but show up empty-handed.¡±

    The shop owner returned the change, and Cheng Dongge then brought the fruits to the car. He looked at Qi Chengyue half-smilingly and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯re going to meet your inws. You don¡¯t need to be so formal.¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®What do you mean it¡¯s not like that?¡¯

    ¡°Help me take out the keys from my pants pocket,¡± Cheng Dongge said as they were approaching the car. His hands were upied with those fruits and he had no way of taking his keys.

    Qi Chengyue wanted to take the fruits from him so he could get the keys by himself. Cheng Dongge however, dodged her and said, ¡°You won¡¯t be able to carry them.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue face was red and hot when she looked at his pants.

    He continued to walk without stopping, and every single movement seemed to goad her into looking at his privates.

    Qi Chengyue gulped nervously and felt her scalp go numb. It was extremely awkward, and her hand trembled like a leaf when she stretched it out toward his pocket.

    With great effort, she mustered up the courage to stick her hand into his pants. The rhythm of his gait made it inevitable that she woulde into contact with his thigh time and again.

    Despite the fabric separating their skin, the lining of his pocket was so thin that he could feel his robust thigh muscles as well as his heat. Just like that, she was repeatedly and involuntarily rubbing against his thigh.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face was so red that she might emit smoke anytime. She rummaged through it for such a long time, but she still could not locate his keys.

    Cheng Dongge then looked at her confusedly. ¡°The keys are in the other pocket.¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    His expression seemed to be insinuating that she was the one who wanted to feel him up.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier then!¡± Shy but angry, Qi Chengyue red at him furiously.

    Cheng Dongge looked at her baby face and considered it to be very adorable even when she was ring irksomely at him. She was like a tigress that bared its teeth, but the appearance of her dimples muted the indignant energy significantly.

    The more he looked at her, the more lost in her he was. Heat began to surge up in the lower part of his body, causing him to walk rather stiffly.

    He let out a dry cough and looked away uneasily. He fixed his eyes up ahead because he knew he would make a fool of himself in public if he continued looking.

    Qi Chengyue was so preupied with her embarrassment that she did not notice his atypical behavior. She went to the other side and, having had prior experience, steeled herself to rummage through his pockets. She managed to feel the keys on her second try, and in one swift motion she fished it out. As she was preparing to unlock the car doors, she noticed that there was no car beside them.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the car?¡± a startled Qi Chengyue asked.

    Cheng Dongge frowned, then turned around to look before replying sheepishly, ¡°We walked past it.¡±

    Qi Chengyue, ¡°...¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s face turned red as well. He kept quiet, carried the fruits, and turned back.

    A tingling heat was forming on Qi Chengyue¡¯s scalp as she ran back to unlock the car. Cheng Dongge ced everything on the rear seat before joining Qi Chengyue in the car to continue their journey.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents¡¯ home was located in a neighborhood that had a rather good environment. Though it was situated in the city center, it was fairly quiet there. Surrounding it was a myriad of high-ss residences, whilerge-scale supermarkets had been set up amongst a few of the housing areas there. Sports centers were also present, as well as gyms, and various restaurants that served a plethora of regional cuisines. Living there was not only peaceful but incredibly convenient as well.

    The car was parked in an area that did not affect the flow of traffic. Cheng Dongge brought the fruits down from the car and led Qi Chengyue to his home.

    Ady that was about the same age as Cheng Dongge¡¯s mother walked over. She looked at Cheng Dongge for a long time before eximing in surprise: ¡°Isn¡¯t this Dong Zi? It¡¯s not time for the holidays, is it? Why are you back?¡±

    Cheng Dongge was about to open his mouth when thedy looked at Qi Chengyue. She smiled at once and said, ¡°Oh my, this is your wife! You¡¯re bringing your wife back home! That¡¯s nice! That¡¯s very nice!¡±

    At first, Cheng Dongge wanted to exin, but after hearing what thedy had to say, he swallowed back his words and simply smiled in silence.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue shot him a nce. She was in no position to say anything if he did not exin, but there was no doubt that being regarded as his other half made her feel shy.

    ¡°My, that must be really heavy! You¡¯d better get going. If you have the time, bring your wife over to visit.¡±

    He smiled, waved goodbye to thedy, then brought Qi Chengyue to the entrance of the building. He entered the password for the main gate and led Qi Chengyue in.

    The building had six floors, but fortunately, there was an elevator.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents stayed on the fifth floor, and the closer they were to reaching that floor, Qi Chengyue¡¯s nervousness increased as well.

    She felt far more nervous than when she first went to Jian Yi¡¯s home and met his parents.

    Knowing that their son wasing home, Cheng Zhaohui waited by the window when it neared his expected arrival time. By the time Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue walked out of the elevator, the door to his parents¡¯ home was already wide open. Cheng Zhaohui and his wife, Sun Shaoyun, were waiting by the door.

    When Cheng Zhaohui was waiting by the window moments ago, he saw Cheng Donggeing in with another woman. Cheng Dongge never mentioned anything about bringing anyone home during the phone conversation earlier.

    They knew about Cheng Dongge¡¯s breakup with his fianc¨¦e, so seeing him bring another woman back home roused suspicion in them. The two of them stood by the door and started guessing amongst themselves about the identity of that woman.

    ¡°Stop making wild guesses. Maybe it¡¯s just a coincidence that he went in with our son. The two of them might not even know each other!¡± Sun Shaoyun opined.

    The sound of the elevator door opening sent them into silence. They watched as Cheng Dongge brought the rather pretty girl over.

    ¡°Dad, Mom.¡± Cheng Dongge was still carrying those fruits, so he let Qi Chengyue enter the house before him. He told his parents, ¡°This is my colleague, Qi Chengyue.¡±

    For the first time ever, Cheng Dongge addressed her by her full name. He always called her Miss Qi in the past.

    Hearing her nameing out from his mouth was a very strange thing indeed. It was like an electric current surging through her heart, making her go numb and turning her face scarlet.

    ¡°Uncle, Auntie,¡± Qi Chengyue blushed and greeted them.

    Her blushing face was particrly adorable. Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun took a liking to her immediately. Sun Shaoyun smiled immediately and said, ¡°Miss Qi, pleasee in.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, Auntie, just call me Chengyue,¡± she said while blushing.

    Cheng Dongge went in soon after and handed the fruits over to his father. ¡°She bought all of these. She didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be bringing her here today, and she didn¡¯t want toe here empty-handed on her first visit.¡±

    Qi Chengyue took off her shoes and slipped her feet into a pair of slippers that Sun Shaoyun prepared. Her face reddened because she felt that Cheng Dongge¡¯s words could potentially stir up a misunderstanding. In fact, there was nothing inherently wrong about what he said, and perhaps the only reason she found it misunderstanding was because she felt something in her heart. It did not necessarily mean that Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents would notice it.

    She was just thinking of all that when she heard Sun Shaoyun exim, ¡°Showing up is good enough. You don¡¯t need to bring anything when youe next time!¡±

    Thinking about the words ¡®next time¡¯, Qi Chengyue¡¯s heartbeat began increasing. She walked in with the slippers and looked at Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents while Cheng Dongge was changing his shoes.

    His parents appeared to be educated folks. They spoke well-articted Mandarin that did not have any hint of a Southern ent. They had ample Chinese temperament, as though they were educators or researchers of some sort.

    Having thought about it, she realized that Cheng Dongge never mentioned his parents¡¯ upation.

    ¡°Come and sit down. I¡¯ve prepared everything while waiting for you toe back. All it needs is a quick fry. It won¡¯t be long,¡± Sun Shaoyun said. She told Cheng Zhaohui to take out the fruits that they had already cut. Then she told him to wash and slice the fruits that Qi Chengyue brought over.

    Qi Chengyue was left to wait in the living room while Cheng Dongge went into the kitchen to help out. Sun Shaoyun took the opportunity to bring him to the deepest part of the kitchen, whispering to him, ¡°Tell your mom the truth. Is this girl your colleague or your girlfriend? I¡¯ll tell you this right now. You¡¯ve only just broken up with Huang Ziyue. If this is to shake off the suffering of a breakup or to show off to Huang Ziyue that you couldn¡¯t care less because you have plenty of women to choose from; if you enter into a rtionship with her just for the sake of filling the void, I won¡¯t allow it. She¡¯s a good girl and you can¡¯t do that to her.¡±

    Qi Chengyue sat alone in the living room but felt that it was improper not to help when the rest of the Cheng family were busy doing stuff. She was about to enter the kitchen and help them but when she reached the door, she heard Sun Shaoyun¡¯s exact words.

    Stopping her footsteps right then and there, she hid at the door and remained out of sight.

    She heard Cheng Dongge say, ¡°What are you talking about, Mom? Am I that that much of a scumbag in your eyes? You were the one who raised me as a son, don¡¯t you know what kind of person your son is? She¡¯s also been hurt before, and no matter how much of a scumbag I am, I won¡¯t take advantage of her. I really do like her and I n to pursue her properly. That¡¯s why I brought her here with me today.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying, ¡°That¡¯s good then. If you like her, then you must treat her well. It¡¯s not a pity at all to break up with a gold digger like Huang Ziyue. It¡¯s best to set things straight now because it¡¯ll be an even bigger headache if you realized her true nature only after getting married. In the end, you¡¯ll argue every day and it¡¯s just going to lead to divorce.¡±

    Embarrassed, Sun Shaoyun then patted Cheng Dongge on the back. ¡°My dear son, I¡¯m so sorry for doubting you!¡±

    Cheng Dongge smiled and said nothing, but Sun Shaoyun then thought of something and asked, ¡°This girl isn¡¯t the type that only likes money, right? Where is she from? What do her parents do?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m just about to go after her. We¡¯ll talk about this after she and I are together,¡± Cheng Dongge said. He then turned around and took the grapes out to wash them.

    Qi Chengyue quietly made her way back to the living room. Her heart was beating madly after she heard Cheng Dongge¡¯s words.

    Not long after she sat down, Cheng Dongge and Cheng Zhaohui brought out the cut fruits. Sun Shaoyun began cooking in the kitchen, but a few momentster, she came out with her spat in hand and her apron still on her. She asked, ¡°Chengyue, do you take spicy food?¡±

    ¡°I do. I love spicy food,¡± Qi Chengyue responded immediately.

    ¡°That¡¯s great then. The spiciness is what makes Li City¡¯s cuisine so special. It¡¯s delicious only if it¡¯s spicy.¡± Sun Shaoyun chuckled. ¡°Can you take it if it¡¯s really spicy?¡±

    ¡°Mm. I have no problem eating Sichuan or Hunan-style cuisine,¡± Qi Chengyue answered. ¡°I usually don¡¯t enjoy my food if it¡¯s not spicy.¡±

    ¡°Alright then, I¡¯m not worried anymore,¡± Sun Shaoyun remarked and turned to go back into the kitchen.

    Qi Chengyue stood up too, saying, ¡°Auntie, let me help you.¡±

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine,¡± Sun Shaoyun said. ¡°Just sit there. But don¡¯t eat too many fruits. Dinner will be ready soon, and you won¡¯t have enough room in your stomach if you eat too much fruit. Everyone praises my cooking, so you have to save some space in your tummy.¡±

    Qi Chengyue remembered her pre-marriage and post-marriage visits to the Jian family. She always had to bring them out for meals, and Zhou Mingyan never once cooked for her.

    Zhoug Mingyan did usually cook, but whenever Qi Chengyue went over, Zhou Mingyan did not do any cooking.

    In retrospect, Zhou Mingyan was always waiting to take advantage of her by asking her to bring them to high-ss restaurants.

    She felt a pull on her arm and was led back down to her seat by Cheng Dongge. He told her, ¡°Just sit here and don¡¯t worry about it. If my mom¡¯s around, she never lets anyone do any work.¡±

    Cheng Dongge sat beside her, and the suddenck of distance between them made her recall the words that Sun Shaoyun said earlier. Qi Chengyue¡¯s breathing turned erratic and the part that came into contact with his hand was scorching hot.

    Heter retracted his hand and gave her a piece of Hami melon, as though his earlier physical contact with her waspletely natural.

    After a while, Sun Shaoyun called everyone for dinner. Cheng Dongge went to the kitchen and took out a bottle of white wine from the liquor cab. ¡°Dad, it¡¯s been so long since I came home. I¡¯ll drink a few sses with you.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure, sure!¡± Cheng Zhaohui nodded in delight.

    After the meal, both father and son drank considerably.

    Qi Chengyue joined them for some post-dinner fruits, but as soon as she looked at the time, she figured it was appropriate for her to say her goodbye and return to the hotel.

    Li City was Cheng Dongge¡¯s hometown, and since his home was there, he did not book a room at the hotel. He picked up the keys and trailed behind her, frightening Qi Chengyue. She held him back and asked, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Sending you back!¡± he eximed. He proceeded to walk toward the door.

    ¡°How are you going to drive after drinking so much! I¡¯ll drive myself there.¡± Qi Chengyue grabbed the keys from his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯ste. You¡¯re not familiar with the ce too. I¡¯ll be worried if you go alone.¡± Cheng Dongge frowned.

    ¡°I¡¯m a grown-up, okay. And it¡¯s not thatte...¡± Qi Chengyue could not finish her sentence.

    ¡°If the sky¡¯s dark, then it¡¯ste.¡± Cheng Dongge stated unequivocally. His tone was so serious that Qi Chengyue did not dare to try and refute him.

    As his mother, Sun Shaoyun knew that Cheng Dongge was trying to suggest, so she offered, ¡°Chengyue, how about you stay here for the night! We have enough rooms.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I can¡¯t possibly. My luggage is at the hotel and all my clothes are in it,¡± Qi Chengyue said while waving her hands.

    Cheng Dongge was gently touching her shoulder when he suggested, ¡°If you want to go back to the hotel, let me send you. I¡¯ll take a taxi on the way home. Is that okay?¡±

    Qi Chengyue had no problems about such apromise. She said her goodbyes to both Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun, then left with Cheng Dongge.

    Uneasiness began manifesting within the cramped-up space of the elevator. Qi Chengyue recalled the things she heard him say back in the kitchen, and no matter what she did, she could not resist stealing nces at him.

    The two of them came out of the elevator and walked out of the entrance, but Cheng Dongge stopped suddenly and remained motionless.

    Qi Chengyue turned around in suspicion and saw him leaning against the entrance. He was looking down, and the only thing she could notice was his frown. The rest of his face was obscured, but it seemed like he was not feeling very good.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, are you okay? You feeling okay?¡± Qi Chengyue leaned over worriedly. Her soft hands were holding his arm.

    Following her closeness, the scent from her body was blown to him by the cool night breeze. It cleared his mind considerably.

    He massaged his temples for a bit and his crisp voice turned husky. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Hepleted his sentence, straightened his body, then began walking. Qi Chengyue held his arm tightly to stop him from leaving. ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine? Are you feeling unwell because you drank too much?¡±

    She ced her hand on his forehead as she said that.

    Her cool palm was ced against his forehead, and thefort of it all made him close his eyes involuntarily. He did not move an inch and simply let Qi Chengyue continue touching him.

    Her hand was clearly unmoving when ced on his forehead, and although nothing was charming about it, his heart was enticed by itpletely. A great effort was needed on his part to restrain himself from just pulling her into his embrace.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My head just hurts a bit.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s tone was very dull and he seemed not to care at all. ¡°I think it¡¯s because I was exposed to wind after wine. The drunkenness must¡¯ve risen to my head.¡±

    ¡°Then don¡¯t send me.¡± Qi Chengyue retracted her hand, much to Cheng Dongge¡¯s dismay. That cozy feeling on his forehead was gone. ¡°Go back home and rest. It was a rushed flight this morning followed by a whole afternoon stuck in a meeting. We even spent so much time visiting the site in the evening. Plus, you had drinks again tonight. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re feeling much more ufortable than usual.¡±

 Chapter 212 - A Voice Rang from Behind Qi Chengyue and Nearly Made Her Jump Up in Fright

    <h4>Chapter 212: A Voice Rang from Behind Qi Chengyue and Nearly Made Her Jump Up in Fright</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Then don¡¯t send me.¡± Qi Chengyue retracted her hand, much to Cheng Dongge¡¯s dismay. That cozy feeling on his forehead was gone. ¡°Go back home and rest. It was a rushed flight this morning followed by a whole afternoon stuck in a meeting. We even spent so much time visiting the site in the evening. Plus, you had drinks again tonight. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re feeling much more ufortable than usual.¡±

    Cheng Dongge neither moved nor spoke. He just looked at Qi Chengyue with those eyes that darkened along with the night. His eyes were like a star hidden inside the darkness, twinkling in the night without the need for light to shine on it.

    Qi Chengyue sighed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go back. I guess I¡¯ll have to trouble your parents tonight.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s gaze softened immediately and his eyes seemed to reveal his delight. He pulled the door open and allowed Qi Chengyue to go in first.

    Qi Chengyue stared coyly at Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun, who were both standing by the wide-open door. Still blushing, Qi Chengyue went into the house and said, ¡°Uncle, Auntie, sorry to bother you tonight.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Sun Shaoyun reassured. She smiled, then went to tidy up the guest room.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents owned a two-bathroom apartment that had bathrooms in both the master bedroom and the other bedroom. Since Cheng Dongge stayed behind at B City after graduating from university, his parents converted the study into a guest room.

    For Qi Chengyue¡¯s convenience, Cheng Dongge let Qi Chengyue stay in his bedroom while he stayed in the guest room.

    Qi Chengyue was at aplete loss when she sat inside Cheng Dongge¡¯s room. Though he went home infrequently and only during the holidays, his strong scent still lingered in his room.

    Looking at therge bed in front of her, his grey sheets had a masculine vibe. She was a bit reluctant to sit down on it because it felt very intimate to her.

    She did not need to purposely lean over and take a deep breath, but she knew that everything¡ªthe sheets, the bed, the pillow¡ªwould be imbued with Cheng Dongge¡¯s scent.

    The unease she felt from standing there led her to think impulsively. She wanted to take the opportunity to leave the ce as soon as everyone slept since she could not guarantee that she could have a good night¡¯s sleep there.

    A knock on the door caused her to jump up in a fright, and her heart thumped like mad.

    She opened the door to see Cheng Dongge standing there with some clothes in hand. ¡°This is my T-shirt and short pants. Your nightwear is in the hotel, so just use these for now.¡±

    ¡°Okay. Thank you,¡± Qi Chengyue took the clothes from him and looked down, but what came next was a gentle chuckle that resounded from the top of her head.

    She looked up incongruously and saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s curled-up lips, which were apanied by his genial-looking facial features.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengyue asked anxiously.

    ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just not used to you being so nice to me.¡± Cheng Dongge smiled.

    Red-faced, she red at him angrily and mmed the door on him without a word. The door nearly hit him in the face.

    Cheng Dongge had a big smile as he stood in front of the door. With the door separating them, he asked, ¡°Is there anything else you need?¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Qi Chengyue replied angrily because he seemed to be implying that she was fierce toward him in the past.

    Alone in the room, she felt thoroughly uneasy. Falling asleep seemed impossible even though she had a tiring day, so she decided to tidy up the notes that she took earlier in the day.

    With no table in the room, she sat cross-legged on the floor, ced all her notes on the bed, and began to sort them out.

    Being so close to his bed meant that she could smell the entirety of Cheng Dongge¡¯s scent. Her mind began to lose focus, and she could not properly digest the documents.

    Her gaze floated to the clothes she ced on the bed. They were the same clothes that Cheng Dongge sent over. She grabbed the clothes and blushed immediately.

    She smelled them apprehensively and noticed that it was simply the clean smell of detergent.

    Qi Chengyue took the clothes into the bathroom, then took a bath. She blow-dried her hair to about half-dry, as she did not have the patience to wait until it waspletely dry.

    She then opened up Cheng Dongge¡¯s T-shirt. It was a white cotton tee, reaching her thighs when she wore it. Cheng Dongge wore it as a short-sleeve, but on her, the sleeves were elbow-length.

    The shoulder seam was at her arm and the sleeves hung baggily on her. The cor was fairlyrge as well, and it would slide easily and expose her fragile, fair-skinned shoulders.

    Since it was only for her to sleep in, she did not mind it too much. She was going to bury herself inside the nket anyway, and because the tee was worn as a dress, she did not wear the shorts that Cheng Dongge gave her. The waist of his shorts was too big and it would be too loose for her.

    Grabbing the bath towel from the rack, she lowered her head and dried her hair with it. She stepped out exactly in that manner and walked toward the bed. Her eyes were glued to the floor, but she suddenly noticed a pair of bare, but slipper-d, feet. One look and she knew it belonged to a man. The toes were much longer than most people and the nails were clipped neatly and shortly. A few fine hairs were present on the big toes, and his instep was beautifully fair-skinned.

    She looked up in shock and saw Cheng Dongge, who was also looking rather startled.

    It was the first time she saw Cheng Dongge wearing such a casual outfit¡ªhe was wearing a grey-and-white striped cotton tee from a brand she did not know, as well as a pair of cream-colored, straight-cut trousers. It was vastly different from his usual crisp-cut suit. Like a big boy, he looked veryfortable in his house clothes.

    Qi Chengyue wondered if Huang Ziyue saw him like this for the longest time.

    Cheng Dongge did not expect to see what he saw too. She was only wearing the tee that he gave her, with the cor sliding to the side to reveal her shoulder. Her fair skin and sharp corbone were exposed, and even her breast was slightly exposed.

    He could see that she was not wearing anything underneath, causing two little points to form on the shirt. It may not be obvious, but it was obvious enough that the eyes could see.

    Her long and half-dried hair, in particr, made the tee slightly wet, thus rendering the front portion of her shirt more see-through. She had no idea that the colors of her body were bing more and more visible.

    Cheng Dongge gawked embarrassedly at her breasts and shifted his gaze down immediately. He then noticed her fair and butter-like thighs. Her bare feet were in direct contact with the floor, and his tee was so big that it reached her thigh. It was roughly the same length as a normal short dress.

    In fact, Qi Chengyue wore short dresses frequently. Those Western-dresses that she wore during various functions exposed more of her body than if she wore his tee like that. There was nothing too tititing about wearing those dresses under normal circumstances, but it was different when it was his clothes that she wore, knowing that nothing else was worn underneath it. Cheng Dongge felt his body temperature rise, and his blood had almost reached boiling point.

    A surge of heat came rushing up to his nose, making him feel as though a nosebleed was imminent.

    Her exposed shoulder revealed a skin so smooth that the simplest of jabs could unleash a stream of water. Having justpleted her bath, the warm steam left a pinkish glow on her skin.

    Other than the smell of the shower gel that wasmonly used in his home, another distinct fragrance was in the air. It was something he never smelled before in his home bathroom, something that seemed like it was his fragrance.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s hands were ced on top of the towel that covered her head. With her mouth agape and her tongue in a twist, she needed some time to recollect herself, after which she mumbled, ¡°You... Why are you...¡±

    Cheng Dongge looked away awkwardly and said, ¡°I wanted to talk about the things that were discussed in the meeting earlier. I came in and noticed that you weren¡¯t in, but I knew you were here because the bathroom light was open. I decided to wait here.¡±

    As he said that, his eyes moved to the bed and he looked at the documents as well as Qi Chengyue¡¯s notes.

    Qi Chengyue felt very ufortable at that juncture, and with nothing else on her except for the tee-shirt, she walked over stiffly and followed the direction of his gaze. She exined, ¡°I was just preparing to tidy up the notes for today.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded and ced all of his attention on work. Qi Chengyue felt much relieved because of that, and her nervousness had reduced tremendously.

    As she was mulling over whether to go back into the bathroom to wear that pair of shorts, Cheng Dongge immediately sat on the floor and flipped through her notes.

    She thought further and decided that the shorts were going to fall off her anyway, so she took the towel off her head and wrapped herself from the waist down. She tucked the tee-shirt into the towel and made sure the shirt cor would not slide down. In an instant, the towel was fashioned into a long dress that reached her knees. That way, she felt much more at ease.

    She sat down beside him with her thighs pressed together, then proceeded to discuss work matters with him.

    ¡°Regarding these few circled areas, I didn¡¯t think they were suitable when it was brought up in the meeting this morning, but I didn¡¯t voice out immediately. I wanted to get everything in order before talking about it with my big brother and getting his opinion.¡± Qi Chengyue saw Cheng Dongge looking at the notes she made, so she leaned over, pointed at the annotated area, then exined it to him.

    Cheng Dongge nodded and turned to her intending to respond to her. All of a sudden though, he was left stunned.

    To see the notes clearer, Qi Chengyue unwittingly leaned closer to him.

    Turning his head without warning led to their two faces leaning close to each other. They could breathe in and feel each other¡¯s breaths.

    He had just finished his shower too, and Qi Chengyue managed to discern that he used the same shower gel and shampoo that she used.

    Qi Chengyue got so nervous that shepletely forgot how to breathe. Her eyes were no longer within her control, as they involuntarily shifted over to his soft and warm lips.

    Her face was spotless andpletely devoid of makeup. It was crystal clear, and even when he leaned in, there was not a single pore that he noticed. Cheng Dongge was practically gawking at her.

    Qi Chengyue was beginning to feel flustered when his rough hand cupped her by the cheek.

    Assuming that he was going to kiss her, the first thing she heard was, ¡°The interview I gave the other day, are you always under the impression that I did it as a stop-gap measure to help you shed off your own awkward situation?¡±

    Her breathing rxed for a moment before it turned haywire yet again.

    Indeed, those were her exact thoughts, at least until that night. Once she heard what he told Sun Shaoyun in the kitchen, she understood the truth of it.

    Cheng Dongge neither looked like he was waiting for her to answer nor cared what her eventual answer would be. Just as Qi Chengyue thought he was going to continue his sentence, he leaned forward and kissed her.

    His lips had a minty freshness to them. They were warm and soft to the naked eye, and when he kissed her, those lips were indeed so soft that it melted her heart.

    With one hand on her face, the other crept up to her hindbrain and pressed on it. She could taste the strong, lingering taste of alcohol on his tongue, coupled with the masculine odor emanating from his body.

    His body moved forward unconsciously, and he pulled her within his embrace before carrying her to the bed.

    His warm and muscr chest gave her a sense of being well-protected by him. Her hands were shaking as they lost control and grabbed his shirt, causing wrinkles to form on the fabric.

    The towel around her waist loosened at some point in time and hung on her waist. Following her action of bending her legs by the knees, the towel bunched up and revealed her fair-skinned thighs.

    Cheng Dongge squeezed one leg in between her. Her knees were pressed against her T-shirt, causing her abdomen to retract within her.

    Slowly he began releasing his kiss on her. It felt like unfinished business, and he could not bear to part with her. It was impossible for him to control himself from using his lips to rub and caress hers, kissing and pecking her incessantly.

    Her wide-open eyes looked below, and he could feel her eyshes fluttering against his face.

    His lips were sticking against her own as he spoke in a husky voice. ¡°I told you before. I¡¯m not a saint and I won¡¯t go all out to help anyone. Everything that I said to those reporters were my genuine confession to you. I not only want you to get out of that situation, but I also didn¡¯t have the heart to see you suffer either. Those words were the truth and nothing but the truth, and they came from my heart.¡±

    Qi Chengyue stopped blinking and opened her eyes wide. There was a dense mistiness in those beautiful eyes.

    After a while, she shook her head. ¡°Cheng Dongge, we¡¯re ipatible.¡±

    Cheng Dongge was taken aback. He moved away from her slightly, but his hands remained on her face. The tips of his fingers were constantly in contact with her silky-smooth skin.

    He narrowed his eyes and asked, ¡°You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll take advantage of you like Jian Yi?¡±

    ¡°No, I know I have nothing for you to take advantage of.¡± Qi Chengyue was worried that he might misunderstand her words. She was particrly mindful of his impression of her, and she unconsciously grabbed tight on his shirt. ¡°You have the capability to achieve everything that he wanted.¡±

    ¡°You still have feelings for him?¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice deepened considerably.

    ¡°NO!¡± Qi Chengyue shook her head forcefully.

    ¡°You think I¡¯m not good enough for you? Do you want to look for someone who¡¯s on the same level as you after what happened with Jian Yi?¡±

    ¡°NO, stop it with all that nonsense! I¡¯m the one who¡¯s not good enough for you, Cheng Dongge. It¡¯s me that¡¯s not good enough!¡± Qi Chengyue lowered her head and released her grip from his clothes. She grabbed the towel and covered her thighs, then curled up and trembled.

    Cheng Dongge let go of her and sat on the floor. He noticed that her tears were dripping onto her towel-covered knees.

    Heart-wrenched, he stretched his hand to wipe her tears, but she flinched. ¡°Don¡¯t. Cheng Dongge. If you touch me like that, I¡¯m afraid I...¡±¡®...won¡¯t be able to control myself.¡¯

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, I¡¯m a divorcee who¡¯s been with someone like Jian Yi. Don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯ve been married before. Jian Yi touched me before. If I was with any other guy, I wouldn¡¯t think much of it, but with you, I feel like I¡¯m tarnished. You shouldn¡¯t be with a defiled woman. Cheng Dongge, don¡¯t you get it? You deserve better. You deserve someone who can belong to youpletely, whether it¡¯s internally or externally. Not someone like me.¡± Qi Chengyue lowered her voice and said. Her tears were streaming down uncontrobly.

    ¡°Qi Chengyue, what kind of nonsense are you talking about now!¡± Cheng Dongge gnashed his teeth and eximed. He wished he could just end Jian Yi¡¯s life and erase that b*stard from the face of the earth.

    Jian Yi hurt Qi Chengyue so much that she devalued herself and felt impure simply because he touched her.

    ¡°The only difference is that you¡¯ll have two marriage certificates. Other than that, there¡¯s nothing different at all. Will you still think of yourself as impure if it¡¯s a rtionship breakup instead of a divorce? I¡¯m not the type who subscribes to the nonsensical notion that the woman I¡¯m supposed to be in a rtionship must be a virgin. I¡¯m not. I was in a rtionship with Huang Ziyue for three years. We lived together for two-and-a-half and finally got engaged. Do you think we spent all that time in the room like innocent roommates? I¡¯m not a virgin and I had other women before. You¡¯re not the only one who touched me, others have touched me too. Are you implying that I¡¯m impure as well?

    ¡°When Huang Ziyue was with me, it wasn¡¯t her first time as well. What right would I have to insist that you be a virgin? Qi Chengyue, I like you as a person. Divorcing is no different from having a rtionship and breaking up.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s different! It¡¯spletely different!¡± Qi Chengzhi buried her face in her palms and uttered in a muffled voice, ¡°Why can¡¯t you understand! Yourself aside, which family is willing to let their son get married to a divorcee? Say what you will about how times have changed, but your parents¡¯ viewpoints are not the same. And if you get together with me, what will others think of you? What do you think they¡¯ll say when you chose me instead of all those other women you can choose from? They¡¯ll say that all you want is the Qi family¡¯s status and money. They¡¯ll call you the second Jian Yi. Cheng Dongge, you¡¯re a good person. I can¡¯t let you bring this burden upon yourself.¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Cheng Dongge asked icily.

    His breakup with Huang Ziyue was the only other time Qi Chengyue heard him talk so frigidly. That was when heshed out undeservedly at her, but that night marked the first time Cheng Dongge spoke to her with such a stone-cold tone.

    Thoroughly heartbroken, Qi Chengyue shuddered and kept quiet.

    ¡°Without thinking about what others are going to say, tell me, do you like me? Do you have feelings for me?¡± Cheng Dongge asked in a deep voice.

    Qi Chengyue felt his hand cup her face once again. His every touch made her entire person calm down, and the one thing she wanted was to sink deep into him.

    However, she was vastly different from the stubborn girl who, in the past, did not give a damn about anything at all. She knew that marriage was both something that involved only oneself or two people. Family was involved as well.

    If they decided to be in a rtionship without considering the far future, what if a time came when Cheng Dongge realized that she was not worth having to bear all that burden and nder?

    By then she would be in too deep, and even before all that, she knew that she would love him with an affection much deeper than how she loved Jian Yi. She knew that if another blow was delivered to her heart, she would surely be unable to bear the pressure.

    Qi Chengyue kept silent and lowered her head. She knew all too well that denying it was the most efficient course of action, but could not bring herself to do that against her will.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s expression softened. Qi Chengyue did not see it because her head was lowered, and at that moment, Cheng Dongge¡¯s face was full of pity.

    He retracted his hand and said softly, ¡°Think long and hard about this. Can you still fall for another man if you like me, knowing that I¡¯m single and I feel the same? Or do you want to simply find another man who¡¯s on the same level as you and just live out the rest of your days like that? You¡¯ll get married and watch as I get together with a different girl, and from then onward we¡¯ll live our own lives without crossing paths again.¡±

    Once hepleted his sentence, he said goodnight to her and left. Qi Chengyue heard the door close, and after a while, she looked up and saw an empty room, as though he had never entered the ce before.

    The quietness of the room sent waves of dread within her.

    She tried her best to smell and breathe in his scent, but it was not as strong as when she first came in.

    Qi Chengyue stood up, put away the documents, then buried herself in the nket and wrapped herself in a way that made her feel like Cheng Dongge was hugging her.

    She could not fall asleep, however, as her mind was constantly thinking of Cheng Dongge¡¯s words.

    Dawn came a few hourster, and she got up, wore the clothes she wore the day before, and packed up before grabbing her bag and opening her room door quietly.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± A voice rang from behind Qi Chengyue, nearly making her jump up in fright.

    She turned around guiltily and greeted, ¡°Auntie.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun looked at Qi Chengyue from head to toe and noticed the bag that thetter was carrying. ¡°You¡¯re leaving so early?¡±

 Chapter 213 - Iâ€™ll Just Randomly Marry Someone and Get a Divorce the Next Day

    <h4>Chapter 213: I¡¯ll Just Randomly Marry Someone and Get a Divorce the Next Day</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Sun Shaoyun looked at Qi Chengyue from head to toe and noticed the bag that thetter was carrying. ¡°You¡¯re leaving so early?¡±

    She just got out of bed and met Qi Chengyue when she was about to prepare breakfast.

    ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t want to bother you anymore. I¡¯ll go back to the hotel earlier,¡± Qi Chengyue answered.

    Sun Shaoyun looked at her suspiciously before saying in a deep voice, ¡°Chengyue, tell me. Did Cheng Dongge take advantage of you?¡±

    ¡°What? No!¡± Qi Chengyue shook her head and denied it immediately.

    Sun Shaoyun pulled her into the kitchen beside the entrance and said softly, ¡°You don¡¯t have to keep it a secret on his behalf. I saw him entering your roomst night. Since both of you are already adults, he mentioned before that he¡¯s courting you, and your interaction with him showed mutual affection as well, so I didn¡¯t interfere. However, if he took advantage of you just because this is his house, you can tell me. You don¡¯t have to help him, I¡¯ll not let him off easily.¡±

    ¡°Aunty, he really didn¡¯t do anything,¡± Qi Chengyue waved her hands desperately.

    Sun Shaoyun gave a thought before grabbing her hand and said with a lowered voice, ¡°Is it because he¡¯s holding a higher position in thepany than you, that¡¯s why you dare not go against him? He used that and took advantage of you? I can assure you, I know my son. He¡¯s not a despicable person. Even if he¡¯d changed after working in B City for so many years and acted differently at home, you can also tell me. I will never let him bully you. If he dares to do something so repulsive, his father and I will break his leg! I¡¯ve never thought that he would turn out in such a way even though we were very strict about his upbringing! Chengyue, we as parents failed in teaching our child to be a decent human being, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun¡¯s eyes reddened the more she spoke as if Cheng Dongge had done an unforgivable mistake.

    Qi Chengyue was on edge right now. She did not expect it to cause such a huge misunderstanding. Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents seemed to be very reasonable people and Sun Shaoyun looked like she was absolutely serious about the matter she was saying. She would never want Cheng Dongge to be used of such profanity.

    ¡°Aunty, Cheng Dongge is a good man. You guys didn¡¯t do anything wrong teaching him. He¡¯ll be the one who makes you proud of your entire life. He¡¯s impable whether it is his character, career or any other aspects of him. In the office, all of the colleagues respect him very much. He¡¯ll nevermit such a despicable act and harm others. He¡¯s really nice, he didn¡¯t take advantage of me.¡± Qi Chengyue felt a numbing sensation on her nose as she spoke.

    ¡°Then why are you leaving so early in the morning. It¡¯s not even five o¡¯clock yet.¡± Sun Shaoyun nced at the rm clock on the table that she usually used it for cooking and continued, ¡°Do you feel pressured because he¡¯s interested in you? You don¡¯t like him? Actually, you don¡¯t have to avoid him, just tell him straightforwardly. He won¡¯t bother you then. We¡¯ll not let him do that and cause you trouble.¡±

    ¡°Aunty, I like him.¡± Qi Chengyue sucked on her lip and did not know how to continue on.

    Sun Shaoyun let out a breath of relief. Instantly, she took Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand gleefully and said, ¡°That¡¯s great, that¡¯s great. I felt that both of you were ratherpetent when I saw you guys yesterday. Also, from the way you described him, I sensed that you have a good impression on him as well. What¡¯s the problem then? As long as you guys have mutual feelings, I have no problems with it. Girl, judging from your ent, you¡¯re from B City, am I right? Is it because he¡¯s from another city and you¡¯re afraid that it¡¯s inconvenient? Or you don¡¯t want to stay here after getting married?

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry, Dongge would definitely stay in B City for his work. If your parents are staying in B City, he won¡¯t ask you to stay here as well since your family and job are in B City. He can¡¯t ask something from you that¡¯s unfair. My husband and I are already used to living here. If one day we be so old that we can¡¯t take care of ourselves, you guys don¡¯t have to bear the burden. We¡¯ll head to the old folks home ourselves. Nowadays, the facilities of the homes are quite decent. You guys would just need to visit us from time to time. Even if we miss our son and decide to live nearer to him in B City, we would not squeeze with you guys under the same room. We are aware of the inconvenience that follows.

    ¡°We have some savings on hand. If we sell this house, we won¡¯t be able to afford a big house in B City but it¡¯s sufficient to buy a small home. Dongge doesn¡¯t have to pay any money, it won¡¯t affect both of your lives. You young people strive really hard in B City to make ends meet. Both of us are just regr retired folks and we can¡¯t help out much, but at least we would never let you guys bear the burden. You don¡¯t have to worry about all that, just enjoy your life with Dongge.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun felt embarrassed after speaking for a while. She saidughingly, ¡°Look at me, both of you haven¡¯t even officially got together. I¡¯m thinking too far ahead, am I? Girl, you don¡¯t have to be stressed. Just go with the flow.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun was getting more and more fond of Qi Chengyue. She had a very good first impression of her.

    However, it was still her first time meeting Qi Chengyue. Even if she had a good first impression, she did not feel deeply for her yet.

    The main thing was that she was the person Cheng Dongge liked. She trusted her son¡¯s taste. Although Cheng Dongge was wrong about Huang Ziyue, but in their case, Huang Ziyue was the one who went after Cheng Dongge. His feelings for her was more of a responsibility rather than love.

    Sun Shaoyun was clearly aware of that.

    Qi Chengyue looked at Sun Shaoyun, her throat stiffened and she could not utter a word.

    If... if only Cheng Dongge did not have a girlfriend. If she met Cheng Dongge earlier, she would have been with him instead of Jian Yi. How nice would it be?

    If only she was not a divorcee; if only she could have a mother-inw like Sun Shaoyun...

    Nevertheless, she was too stubborn back then. Cheng Dongge might not even like her spoilt self and she would not notice his affection and Sun Shaoyun¡¯s kindness.

    If she did not go through what she experienced, the present would not turn out this way as well.

    After going through all of the chaos, she met the right person, Cheng Dongge, at the worst timing.

    She was a better person now, but she could no longer bepatible with him.

    Qi Chengyue could not hold it in any longer and tears started falling from her reddened eyes. She really wanted to cry her heart out at this moment, to release all her regrets and sorrows.

    ¡°Why are you crying?¡± Sun Shaoyun asked nervously. She did not know what she said that upset Qi Chengyue. She hurried over to reach for the tissue box on the table and passed it to Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue epted it but she did not use it to wipe off her tears. With her hands shaking, she clenched her jaws tightly for quite some time before saying determinedly, ¡°Aunty.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± Sun Shaoyun answered immediately.

    Qi Chengyue felt like there was a weight on her chest suffocating her. Her tears started falling more vigorously due to what she was about to say, ¡°If I tell you that I was previously married and just got divorced several days ago. Will you still ept me if I¡¯m a divorcee?¡±

    Tears zed over her eyes while she observed Sun Shaoyun¡¯s reaction anxiously. Sun Shaoyun was stunned and said, ¡°You...¡±

    She let go of Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand in surprise and looked at her in disbelief. She took two steps backward as she could not process the information that was revealed so suddenly.

    It was not because of her traditional mindset but it happened all too sudden.

    Furthermore, she felt that her son was rather outstanding. He could marry any girl he likes, why must he choose one who is a divorcee?

    This did not mean that she thinks that a divorced woman does not have the right to remarry again.

    If this urred to some other people, she might be able to understand or even sympathize with the girl.

    However, when it happened to her own son, she could not ept it with such short notice.

    Her mouth opened and closed but she could not utter a single word.

    After seeing her reaction, Qi Chengyue understood her stance.

    She lowered her head and stifled, ¡°Aunty, I know that I¡¯m not good enough for Cheng Dongge. I won¡¯t allow others to mock him. I would not trouble you guys. I... I¡¯ll take my leave now.¡±

    She put down the tissue box that Sun Shaoyun passed to her just now. Her hands gripped tightly onto her purse strap, turned around and ran out of the Cheng¡¯s house.

    Sun Shaoyun¡¯s heart was in an absolute mess. She stood there motionless, not knowing what to do next. She took a step forward, thinking about chasing after her but she stopped her foot abruptly. She opened her mouth intending to speak but she could only let out a helpless sigh in the end.

    Qi Chengyue felt so embarrassed. She stood in front of the elevator and kept pressing the down button, for fear that someone would appear.

    The elevator finally arrived and she dashed into it and shut the door, leaving her all alone in the enclosed space.

    It was still too early in the morning, people had not started using the elevator.

    Qi Chengyue leaned against the elevator door weakly. Then, she lifted her head to look at the floor that the Cheng family stayed in after walking outside.

    She saw the window of Cheng Dongge¡¯s bedroom that she slept in yesterday night, but the guestroom that Cheng Dongge slept in was not visible as it was facing the other side.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s heart was aching badly. She thought that getting a divorce would free her from misery, but it turned out to be herrgest w. A w that imprinted on her body permanently.

    If she did not meet Cheng Dongge, she would not care.

    At that moment, she really hoped that she could start all over from the beginning. There would not be a previous marriage and she would be able to leave her very best for him.

    Qi Chengyue lowered her head and buried her face into her palm. She cried for so long that her sobs choked in her throat while her shoulders trembled slightly.

    ...

    ...

    When Cheng Dongge woke up in the morning, he saw that Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun were already seated at the dining table.

    Both of them were whispering ear to ear. They were talking so softly that he could not hear what they were discussing. When Sun Shaoyun saw Cheng Dongge, she jabbed Cheng Zhaohui immediately and both of them stopped talking right away.

    Cheng Dongge nced at them suspiciously since they were acting so sheepishly. He asked, ¡°She¡¯s still sleeping?¡±

    Sun Shaoyun¡¯s eyelids twitched and put on an awkward expression. She mumbled to herself and dare not look at Cheng Dongge. Then, she stood up slowly and entered the kitchen to prepare a bowl of porridge for Cheng Dongge and also to distract her from the nervousness at the same time.

    After cing the porridge at Cheng Dongge¡¯s seat, her head remained lowered and dare not look at him in the eye. She gave her best shot to act naturally and said, ¡°She left early in the morning.¡±

    ¡°Left?¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s face dropped and walked back to open the bedroom door without saying anything. He noticed that the bedsheet inside was arranged neatly. The pajamas that he gave for her to change into were folded nicely and ced on the bed. Her bag was also out of sight.

    Cheng Dongge walked back again and said, ¡°When did she leave?¡±

    ¡°I woke up to prepare breakfast. She came out before five o¡¯clock.¡± Sun Shaoyun¡¯s gaze was uncertain as she was feeling a little guilty.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you ask her to stay?¡± Cheng Dongge looked at Sun Shaoyun puzzledly. Her reaction was really weird.

    ¡°I did, but she insisted on leaving,¡± Sun Shaoyun said with her jaws clenched. Finally, she raised her head and look at Cheng Dongge. ¡°She told me that she was just divorced a few days ago. Dongge, why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±

    ¡°Just because of this, you didn¡¯t stop her from leaving?¡± Cheng Dongge never thought that his parents would mind a matter like this.

    ¡°This...¡± Sun Shaoyun paused for a moment before letting out a sigh. She raised her head to look at him directly before saying, ¡°I was in shock then. It was really unexpected. Also, it was not that easy to ept such a thing right there and then. You can say that I am traditional, or I didn¡¯t sympathize with her as a fellow woman. If this was happening to others, I may be able to be in her shoes and support her from her point of view. However, this is happening to me right now. These things are not easy to digest as it seems.

    ¡°Dongge, can you tell me why she got a divorce? Who¡¯s responsible for the divorce? Or that...¡± Sun Shaoyun was not looking very good. ¡°Or did she cheat with you and got involved in an extramarital affair? She said that she was only divorced a few days ago. How is it possible for her to build a rtionship with you within such a short period? Does that mean that both of you have already mutual feelings for each other even before she got divorced? Dongge, tell me the truth, did you intrude into their marriage?¡±

    From the looks of Sun Shaoyun, she was ready to smack Cheng Dongge if he said yes.

    Even Cheng Zhaohui put down his bowl and looked at Cheng Dongge with a serious expression.

    Both of them were already retired. During the day, they would use their smartphone to scroll WeChat Moments. However, the majority of their group of friends were from a simr age group. Their feed was always filled with posts about health and current social issues. They never followed gossip and entertainment, and they could not even remember the names of the Qi family members.

    In the past, Cheng Dongge had mentioned Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name but both of them did not pay much attention and had long forgotten about it. Even though they knew Qi Chengyue¡¯s name, they did not give much thought about it. They were unaware of the hot topics that dominated the news recently.

    Cheng Dongge did not try to hide it from them and told them from the beginning to the end since Qi Chengyue was the victim in this marriage.

    Sun Shaoyun was stunned. She sat back onto her chair and said, ¡°Not only that she¡¯s a divorcee, but she¡¯s also thedy of the Qi family?¡±

    The Qi family¡¯s existence seemed so unreachable. They function at the top of the world, a ce that they would never cross paths with.

    Because of the distance, they had no interest in the gossip concerning them. They never saw them on television or the inte. Since they were not present in their life, they were not conscious enough to pay attention to their gossip.

    ¡°Mother, it¡¯s not her fault that they got divorced. After getting married, she gave fullmitment to maintain their marriage. She¡¯s a woman who is very loyal to love,¡± Cheng Dongge said in a deep voice and continued, ¡°I just hope that you guys will treat her fairly. It¡¯s not like a person automatically loses their right to marry again just because they had gotten a divorce. The only thing different from breaking up from a rtionship is that they would have an extra marriage certificate and divorce papers. I also had a fianc¨¦e and broke upter, isn¡¯t it? Huang Ziyue was kind enough not to wait until we got married and then only get a divorce. If not, I would be a divorced man as well. Am I going to bepatible with her then? If yes, I¡¯ll just randomly marry someone and get a divorce the next day, how about that?¡±

    ¡°This child! What nonsense is this?!¡± Sun Shaoyun stomped her foot angrily and said, ¡°Even if she was not married, she¡¯s thedy of the Qi family. How can we match with a family like theirs?¡±

    ¡°Mother, if she cared about that, she wouldn¡¯t have gotten married to her ex-husband and allow him to use her.¡± Cheng Dongge clenched his fist. If it was not for Jian Yi, there would not be so many obstacles.

    ¡°My mind is very confused now. I don¡¯t understand what¡¯s happening,¡± Sun Shaoyun pressed her forehead and massaged her temples with her thumb, ¡°Let me calm down for a while, then we¡¯ll talk.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave first then,¡± Cheng Dongge said.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Sun Shaoyun raised her head and asked in surprise.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to look for her. I already nned to head back to B City today. I¡¯m worried about her since she just left this morning.¡± Cheng Dongge took his car keys and exited the door.

    ¡°Haih!¡± Sun Shaoyun sighed deeply. How could she stop her son in this state?

    However, it was not an easy task to ept a woman who got divorced with the status of being thedy of the Qi family.

 Chapter 214

    <h4>Chapter 214: Song Yu Lowered Her Head and Saw Him Pinching the Slight Protrusion of Her Abdomen Lightly With His Slender Fingers (Second Upload)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, it was not easy to ept a divorcee as ady of the Qi family.

    Even though she acknowledged that Qi Chengyue did not have the attitude of a spoilt brat, their families were just too different. There would definitely be shes after they got married.

    ...

    ...

    There were not many cars in the morning. Li City was not as crowded as B City to begin with. Cheng Dongge sped all the way to the hotel and headed right to Qi Chengyue¡¯s room.

    However, no matter how many times he rang the doorbell, no one answered.

    ¡°Qi Chengyue, you can¡¯t just hide inside. Please open the door, let¡¯s talk!¡± Cheng Dongge yelled from outside. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that the Qi family housed a coward like you. Open the door!¡±

    As he shouted, he pounded the door. Moments passed when a cleaner pushing a trolley filled with cleaning supplies, fresh towels and bathrobes, and dirtyundry walked up to him.

    ¡°Sir, the previous guest has already checked out,¡± informed the cleaner.

    Stunned, Cheng Dongge stared at him. Then he took two steps back and echoed, ¡°Checked out?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s why I¡¯m here. To clean the room,¡± he answered.

    Cheng Dongge spun around and left, pulling out his cellphone as he walked.

    He was scheduled for the 10 o¡¯clock flight, but, if Qi Chengyue had left for the airport then she would be on the earliest flight back.

    Getting into the car he dialed her number, but he had to wait for a long while before it was picked up.

    Hearing her answer, he said, ¡°Why are you running away? We¡¯re in the samepany. Where do you intend to run to?¡± His voice was deep andmanding.

    When he called Qi Chengyue in line to board the ne.

    At his question she stopped, uncertain. ¡°I...¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengyue, you said that you¡¯re not good enough for me because you are a divorcee. Would you like me to marry someone too so that we might be on the same ying field? So that there woudn¡¯t be any discrimination? Or is it because I am not worthy of you? Lady of the Qi family that you are. But, then, I would need to climb the socialdder for that.¡± Qi Dongge¡¯s deep baritone dripped with sarcasm.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge...You¡¯re angry,¡± her voice was soft, gentle.

    ¡°Quite the rare observation,¡± he bit.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, please don¡¯t do this.¡± Pangs of guilt sunk deep into her as she heard the anger dripping into the receiver.

    ¡°What do you want me to do then? You left without saying a word this morning. You didn¡¯t think that¡¯ll upset me? You were so brave when you were with Jian Yi, marrying him without caring about anybody else. Yet, you behave like a coward with me, worrying about everything. Why shouldn¡¯t I be angry when you¡¯re treating me so unfairly?¡± Cheng Dongge said. The anger in his voice was merely a mask for the deep pity he had felt for this woman.

    ¡°It won¡¯t be an issue if you don¡¯t like me, but, please, help me stop chasing after you. Tell me you don¡¯t like me. I won¡¯t be able to stop pining for you if I know that you still have feelings for me. You have feelings and, yet, you don¡¯t want to be with me. Are you trying to kill me?¡±

    ¡°Cheng...¡± Qi Chengyue had never got to give him an answer, as he had killed the call the moment he was done.

    ...

    ...

    Since Qi Chengyue had left Li City, Cheng Dongge saw very little reason to further his stay. Bidding goodbye to his parents, he left, taking the flight back to B City.

    Cheng Dongge returned to Qilin and reported to Qi Chengzhi.

    Upon his return, he went straight to Qi Chengzhi and gave his report. This deration of events was heard with a bored twirling of the pen around slender, elegant fingers, and a cryptic smile.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t things go well with Qi Chengyue?¡±

    Cheng Dongge was well aware of the reason behind the question. He knew that everyone had known of their dalliance and the eventual copse of their affair, but he was not going to answer untruthfully to Qi Chengzhi, and neither was he going to y it off. ¡°She was deeply affected by the divorce. She hates that she is a divorcee, and, so, not good enough for me.¡±

    Cheng Dongge frowned as he told Qi Cengzhi the evets. He felt embarrassed about the interchange. And, since, Qi Chengzi was her brother he did not want him to know all that had taken ce between them.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what Jian Yi did to her. What happened in her marriage with Jian Yi that made her lose all her confidence now? No matter what I say, she won¡¯t listen,¡± Cheng Dongge gave his chin a small unconscious jerk. ¡°She¡¯s still fearless when ites to other things but she is avoiding all rtionships.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re giving up?¡± Qi Chengzhi said, with an arched eyebrow and casual flick of the pen.

    Cheng Dongge replied, serious, ¡°I won¡¯t give up.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded his head and stopped talking.

    Cheng Dongge left Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office and returned to his seat. A shadow was cast over him and his desk.

    Cheng Dongge lifted his head and saw his colleague from the secretariat, He Cancan. She had just joined thepany half a year ago and recently passed her probation.

    ¡°Special Assistant Cheng, I know that you came to the office right after an early morning flight. You must be tired, right?¡± He Cancan smiled shyly, her cheeks were dyed with a tint of red.

    Cheng Dongge, ¡°...¡±

    He Cancan ced a cup of freshly brewed coffee in front of him. ¡°I added two spoonfuls of sugar with less milk.¡±

    It was how he usually prepared his coffee.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Cheng Dongge nodded slightly.

    He Cancan shook her head, her cheeks growing even redder.

    They knew of Cheng Dongge¡¯s engagement and how he had broken it off. When he had a girlfriend he had not even looked at another, not even ady from the upper sses let alone the office staff. None of them could even get close to him. All they could do was pine and mourn endlessly from the sidelines. They had not stood a chance until now.

    And once they had sunk their ws into him they would not let go. No one would be silly enough to break up with him.

    So, it hade as a huge surprise when his girlfriend was caught cheating on him. Not only that, she had done it while they were still engaged, and in the middle of the wedding arrangements too.

    Therefore, hising into the fold of bachelorhood once more alighted the beacon of hope for every woman.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s passionate deration of his love for Qi Chengyue, during the interview, had not deterred thedies as they saw it as a mere distraction organized by Qi Chengzhi to draw attention away from his sister.

    With this information and the knowledge that she was the only single woman on her floor, He Cancan made her move. Speed was the key, as she did not want her other colleagues to capitalize on her inaction.

    He Cancan had made her move, and she had no intention of being easily dismissed. She had nned her move well. Her makeup was smooth and well blended, and her fingertips, pristine, twirled a lock of hair seductively. ¡°That...Special Assistant Cheng, you have helped me so much when I joined thepany, and you also taught me many useful things. As a way of saying thanks, I would like to treat you to a meal. The reason I had not done so sooner was that you had a girlfriend, and I didn¡¯t want her to misunderstand. But, I have always wanted to express my gratitude and thanks, so, if you don¡¯t mind, would you allow me to buy you a meal?¡±

    Fearing that he might reject her offer, He Cancan continued, ¡°I just feel that it¡¯s not sincere enough if I were to just thank you verbally. I want to express my gratitude officially.¡±

    Her words had not made a difference, and, just as he was about to turn down her offer, he spotted a figure walking in.

    He Cancan followed his gaze and saw Qi Chengyue. Instantly, she lowered her head in embarrassment, not knowing if Qi Chengyue heard what she had just said.

    Despite her knowing that they were not dating, He Cancan could not help feeling ashamed.

    Qi Chengue offered them a casual nce, betraying nothing of the inner turmoil she felt when she was He Cancan¡¯s blush. Of course, she had heard everything.

    ¡°Manager Qi,¡± greeted He Cancan; her face still a deep shade of red.

    Qi Chengyue gave her a customary ¡°uhm¡±, before turning to Cheng Dongge. ¡°My brother told me toe up,¡± she said; her expression was distant and reserved.

    Cheng Dongge stood up and nodded before replying, ¡°Young Master Cheng is waiting for you.¡±

    As she pulled open the door to her brother¡¯s office, she heard Cheng Dongge say, ¡°You don¡¯t have to treat me to a meal. It is my job to guide you and correct any errors you might have made. Every mistake is a loss to thepany, and I would have done it for any of the other new recruits.¡±

    He Cancan had been prepared for his rejection, but it did not stop the disappointment.

    Lowering her eyes, she bit her lip and whispered, ¡°Then I won¡¯t force you to have a meal, but I will brew a cup of coffee for you daily. I have been told by my colleagues and other members of the office that my coffee is rather delicious. You may try the one I have just served you. I tailored it to your preference. If you enjoyed it then I¡¯ll brew you a cup a day, but just one cup a day.¡±

    He Cancan lowered her head and smiled shyly, ¡°Too much coffee is not good for the body.¡±

    Qi Chengyue tried her best to resist turning around to look at the coffee that He Cancan specially made for Cheng Dongge. She wanted to see his reaction and the shy expression on He Cancan¡¯s face.

    She gave the office door several raps before pushing it in.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her and said, ¡°How was yesterday¡¯s meeting?¡± He did not bring up the matter of Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°There are some parts that I felt were inappropriate. I¡¯ll head back and organize them. It¡¯ll be ready for you by tomorrow,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    After finishing her business with Qi Chengzhi, she left the room and saw Cheng Dongge.

    He was still at his table. The coffee, clutched firmly in his hand, remained untouched; the cup brimming with lukewarm coffee.

    He Cancan was gone.

    Qi Chenyue looked away and began to walk to the elevator.

    The expression on her sweet doll-like face was cold; she was still seething with anger.

    She was aware that she was jealous. She also knew that she had no right to be jealous, not since had informed him of her inability to enter into a rtionship with him. She knew she should not stop other females from approaching him, nor should she stop him from entering into rtionships with other women, but she just could not help it.

    Her head lowered, hands clenched, she waited for the elevator.

    All of a sudden, someone grabbed her arm.

    Qi Chengyue looked up in rm, her eyes meeting with an expressionless Cheng Dongge. He was different, distant. It was rare to see him look at her this way, with stern, reproaching eyes.

    His usually warm lips were stretched thin emphasizing the angle of his firm chin. Something in his expression made her anxious, stilling her.

    The next thing she knew, Cheng Dongge was dragging her into the stairwell.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge!¡± Qi Chengyue yelled while at the same time trying desperately to suppress her voice. ¡°We¡¯re at work. What are you doing?¡±

    Cheng Dongge just ignored her and pushed open the door and entered the stairway, dragging her along with him.

    ...

    ...

    The elevator that was exclusively for Qi Chengzhi opened and Song Yu walked out of it. She was right on time to see both of them entering the stairway.

    Only when they were totally out of sight did she stop staring at them.

    She asked, right after she entered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office, ¡°I just saw Cheng Dongge and Chengyue. He pulled her into the stairway. I¡¯m guessing that their trip to Li CIty was quite eventful?¡±

    While she was talking, she ced the takeaway from Dynasty on the coffee table. When she opened the lid of the takeaway box, the fragrance of the dishes instantly filled the room.

    Qi Chengzhi walked out from behind his desk and sat beside Song Yu. He took the takeaway box from her hands and opened the rest of the containers with his elegant fingers not wanting Song Yu to do it.

    After that, he told her about what happened to Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue in Li City.

    Song Yu let out a sigh and said, ¡°Cheng Dongge and you might notprehend this, but, as a woman, I¡¯m able to understand how she felt. I think she might not fully understand her feelings for Cheng Dongge. Her affection for him is so great that she¡¯s reluctant to see him suffer. She feels that she¡¯s imperfect since she was married to Jian Yi and has gotten a divorce. This would always be the missing piece that she couldn¡¯t offer to Cheng Dongge. She wants to give him everything without leaving any regrets because she adores and loves him. If she can¡¯t, she rather not give anything.

    If it were me in her shoes, I would hate that I would never be good enough for you. I would hate that I had gotten married to Jian Yi. This might seemughable from your perspective, but it is important to us because now we can¡¯t offer you what we want to. What we want to give will be forever lost to another man.

    ¡°Furthermore, I¡¯m afraid that her confidence in rtionships was deeply affected after Jian Yi,¡± Song Yu frowned, and continued furiously, ¡°It¡¯s all Jian Yi¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Qi Chengzhi scooped her up and sat her down on hisp. ¡°You¡¯re carrying a child, it¡¯s not healthy for the baby if you get angry.¡±

    Song Yu nced at him gently and did not bother to argue. ¡°So what are you going to do?¡±

    ¡°I just called Grandmother Qi and asked her to introduce a fewdies from notable families to Cheng Dongge,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

    Grandmother Qi had plenty of resources in this area. She immediately agreed when she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s request. Her first love was acting, but a close contender was matchmaking.

    Song Yu was stunned for a moment but she understood it right after that. She recalled that Qi Chengzhi used so many tricks and tactics when he pursued her back then. With his help, Cheng Dongge would definitely seed with ease.

    While she was still deep in thought, she felt a warm, giant palm press against her abdomen, gently pinching the flesh. Suddenly, her blouse was pulled up to reveal her soft abdomen.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Song Yu lowered her head and saw him pinching the slight protrusion of her abdomen lightly with his slender fingers. Her baby bump was not obvious, yet, it seemed more like excess tummy fat due to overeating.

    Song Yu blushed instantly when Qi Chengzhi pinched it.

    In the end, she heard him mumbling to himself, ¡°It¡¯s a little fat, no wonder I felt that you¡¯re getting heavier when I carried you.

    Filled with anger, Song Yu got off hisp and pped away the hand that was circling her waist.

 Chapter 215 - Go On! Keep lying!â€ Song Yu Hissed. (Attached with Guan Xiaolinâ€™s Ending)

    <h4>Chapter 215: ¡°Go On! Keep lying!¡± Song Yu Hissed. (Attached with Guan Xiaolin¡¯s Ending)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Filled with anger, Song Yu got off hisp and pped away the hand that was circling her waist.

    She did not sit herself down beside him, instead, she marched to the washroom and mmed the door shut. Her face was blotchy and red.

    He sat in stunned silence for a few moments, before rising and striding toward the washroom. His long legs swallowing up the distance with ease. Testing the doorknob, he found it unlocked. Pushing the door open he entered.

    He found her sitting atop the toilet bowl; lid down. She held up her blouse with one hand as the other pinched the ess fat that she had gained. Her face was drawn with disappointment.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi in his rich baritone, as he walked over to her, stopping once he stood in front of her.

    Song Yu, despite being a tall person, was at level with his hip. This was because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long straight legs.

    Song Yu looked up, staring at him dressed in his elegant suit. He tilted his head, looking down at her. An inexplicable anger at this tiny gesture seized her, and she got up and walked out of the room, seating herself once more in the chair.

    Qi Chengzhi followed her and once more stood himself in front of her. Squatting down he held her hand and murmured, ¡°The dishes are getting cold.¡±

    ¡°How can I possibly eat when you find me fat?!¡± she gasped, removing her hands from his.

    She had gotten on the weighing scale this morning, and to her utter dismay found that she had gained five kilos.

    ¡°Stop being unreasonable,¡± said Qi Chengzhi as he took her arm. ¡°You¡¯ll feel hungry if you don¡¯t eat. And I didn¡¯t say that you are fat. All I wanted to do was to make sure that your weight was within the normal limits is all.¡±

    ¡°Go on! Keep lying!¡± Song Yu hissed, not trusting a single word that fell from those lips. It was a known fact that he was a skilled liar; his face often betraying nothing as honied words fell from his tongue.

    She had wanted to give in, but decided, in the end, not to. And, so, she turned away from him.

    Silently, he drew out his phone and pulled up and application. ¡°Look at this,¡± hemanded, showing her the phone. ¡°I downloaded it specifically for you. It shows the weight a woman is supposed to maintain during each stage of her pregnancy if she wants to have a safe delivery. I just wanted to ensure that you aren¡¯t too skinny. You haven¡¯t changed much since the discovery of your pregnancy and I was getting worried. Luckily, your weight is within the parameters, so everything is fine.¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    She looked at the numbers and lines on his cellphone, still unable toprehend if he was lying or telling the truth.

    Qi Chengzhi stowed away his phone and said, ¡°I just mentioned that you are slightly heavier than before. You¡¯re carrying a human inside your tummy, that makes two of you. It¡¯s abnormal if you don¡¯t gain any weight, but you are definitely not fat in my eyes.¡±

    He bent down and swept her off her feet, carrying her like a knight with his princess. ¡°See, I don¡¯t feel a thing.¡±

    Song Yu was shocked. She hooked her hands around his neck and gazed at Qi Chengzhi suspiciously. She only believed him once she saw that he did not look fatigued.

    ¡°Okay, put me down,¡± Song Yu said.

    Qi Chengzhi ignored her and carried her to the door. He said, ¡°Open the door for me.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi...¡± Song Yu whispered, filled with embarrassment. ¡°I know it already, just put me down. I can walk on my own.¡±

    ¡°Quick open the door,¡± Qi Chengzhi urged her. He had no intention of putting her down at all.

    Conscious of her weight, she quickly seized the knob and swung the door open. She was worried that he would get tired from supporting her.

    Qi Chengzhi seated her on the sofa. He tested the temperature of the dishes, it was still warm.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was flushed. She did not dare throw any tantrums in the future if he continued the way he did.

    Once he saw her eating did he discreetly wipe the sheen of sweat from his brow.

    She was rather heavy at the moment.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge dragged Qi Chengyue from the stairway all the way up to the roof. He led her to a shadowed corner. The two walls beside them strategically shielded them from prying eyes.

    ¡°Why did you suddenly cut off all contact with me? You didn¡¯t greet me or even look me in the eye,¡± demanded Cheng Dongge, tilting his head to meet her eyes.

    The warm night breeze blew carried the scent of her tresses to him, and he could not resist closing the space between them. He lowered his head till she could feel the warmth of his breath upon her.

    She knew she was not supposed to be angry. She knew she should not be jealous. But, she could not help it. Turning away, she said, ¡°I saw you with that and that girl. You two seemed to be enjoying your conversation, and I did not want to disturb.¡±

    Cheng Dongge, who had been brooding over Qi Chengyue the entire morning, felt relief flood his veins. His features softened with the gentle breeze.

    He leaned in, their noses inches apart.

    Qi Chengyue had not expected him to close in on her, and froze; not daring to even draw breath. She could map out the lines of his lips and feel the warm airing from them.

    She trembled with nervousness. As his lips parted, she thought he was going to kiss her. Instead, he asked, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    His breath wafted on the tip of her nose and lips. Even though the wind on the rooftop was quite strong, she felt that her whole body burn, from her cheeks to her ears. At this moment, she really wished she could bury her face in an ice pack.

    She looked down, feeling her head brush against his nose. She could feel his breath running through her hair, and she imagined that she could almost feel his lips pressed against her forehead.

    Surprised she backed away, forgettingpletely about the wall at her back. Now her back was pressed up against the wall, and it dawned on her how trapped she was.

    ¡°I¡¯m nobody to you. Why would I be jealous?¡± Qi Chengyue said in denial.

    ¡°No,¡± he said; straight and simple. It was not what she had expected. Then she heard him say, ¡°So, do you want to be someone to me? Do you want to be my girlfriend perhaps? If you were to be my girlfriend then you would have every right to feel jealous. You would also have the right to tell me off if I decided to flirt with another woman. If you were my girlfriend, everyone would see us arm in arm, and, since no one would dare challenge your im, they would just give up. If you were my girlfriend, I would tell all the others that I was already spoken for, and I would be able to publicly prove it too.

    ¡°And when He Cancan brews me a cup of coffee I could decline it. I could say that my girlfriend doesn¡¯t like me drinking coffee made by another, and I could show her a sk filled with coffee that had been made by you, my girlfriend.

    ¡°But, since I am single, women are flocking to me. So, Qi Chengyue will you im me? Will you be my girlfriend? Say yes, and put a stop to the other women. Say yes, and we can travel to and from work together. Say yes, and I will tell the whole world that you are my girlfriend.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s chest tightened painfully. His words were the words that she had once longed to hear. How he treated her was the way she had once longed to be treated. But things were different now. She was different.

    Suddenly, she found her face cradled in his hands. Smooth fingers ran across them lovingly, as he raised her face to meet his. He moved in slowly. And just as she thought he was about to kiss her, he whispered, ¡°If you are to be my girlfriend, all these things will be yours. But now, since you are not my girlfriend, you do not have the right to be jealous. You are no one to me, so you don¡¯t have the right. I won¡¯t begrudge you your anger, but you do not have the right to say a thing.¡±

    He released her and straightened his back. He towered over her, and she realized how far away he truly was. He held her gaze, before turning away and leaving.

    ...

    ...

    Thursday night, everyone was summoned to the Qi family manor.

    As it was a workday, the members trickled in; one by one.

    All the members of the Qi family, save Qi Youxuan who was at home with her nanny, were gathered in the living room.

    Then at precisely 8.30 p.m., the doorbell rang.

    Aunt Liu entered the room and said, ¡°It is the Guan family. They have brought Guan Xiaolin.¡±

    Grandfather Qi nodded his head and Aunt Liu returned to the entrance. Shortly after, they heard people talking: the Guan family had entered.

    Aunt Liu led them into the house. An old man of simr age to Grandfather Qi was at the front of the group. Even though Song Yu had never met him before, she spected that he was the Grandfather Guan that had been hospitalized recently.

    Standing behind him were Guan Youbo and Yao Huimin. Yao Huimin was holding Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hand.

    Though she was dressed in a loose T-shirt and jeans meant for expecting mothers, Song Yu could still spot the baby bump. Guan Xiaolin¡¯s stomach was notrge by any means but it was interesting to see that tiny bump, judging by how only three days separated her baby from Song Yu¡¯s.

    It was perhaps due to the differences in their bodies. Some women had bigger bumps, whilst others smaller.

    Qi Chengzhi, who was rather observant when it came to Song Yu, noted that it was quite natural that nothing would show, as she had notpleted her first trimester. So, it was possible that Guan Xioalin belonged to the group of women whose stomachs would balloon out.

    The rest of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s frame remained slender and delicate. One would not have thought her pregnant save for the tiny bump. It was, however, rather concerning that her face was pale and haggard.

    Her skin was rough with pimples and blemishes. Maybe they were present because of theck of makeup, or, perhaps, it was from the strain ced on her by her family and society.

    ¡°Dad,¡± said Guan Liya in greeting. He had not bothered with the rest.

    Grandfather Guan did not look very healthy. He still had the sickly parlor of a recovering patient. Gripping his walking stick for support, he hobbled forward.

    The bright light of the chandelier reflected off his shiny head. Grandfather Guan had shaved off all his hair, finding that he could no longer be concerned to dye it any longer.

    The Guan family had deteriorated. Guanyu had lost quite a substantial amount of deals, and customers wereining about the quality of workmanship in the construction projects;ints of corner-cutting weremon.

    The entire series had ced Guanyu in a precarious position. The departments had even demanded an investigation to re-audit theirpany.

    ¡°Have a seat,¡± Grandmother Qi said in a neutral expression.

    Grandfather Qi sat down, but Guan Youbo, Yao Huimin, and Guan Xiaolin dared not sit down and remained standing.

    Yao Huimin was worried that her pregnant daughter would be tired; she had been standing for a long time. However, she did not dare to voice her concern.

    Qi Chengyue gave Guan Xiaolin a cold nce, but she did not feel any hatred towards her, not anymore.

    Guan Xiaolin was of no concern now that she no longer bore any feelings towards Jian Yi. Now she felt a re of sympathy for the poor girl carrying Jian Yi¡¯s child.

    To Chengyue these people, Guan Xiaolin, the child in her womb, Jian Yi, were strangers to her, strangers from another life. They had no effect on her.

    ¡°Liya, I have brought with me my disgraceful son and daughter, and Guan Xiaolin here to apologize. It is clear that I have failed in my duty to educate them since they havemitted such a despicable crime against your family. I am truly sorry.¡± Grandfather Guan had stood up, and he now offered both, Grandmother and Grandfather Qi, a deep bow.

    ¡°Old Qi, Madam, Zhongxun, Liya, Chengyue, I am sorry,¡± Guan Youbo¡¯s voice sounded especially sorrowful. He dragged Yao Huimin and they bowed together.

    ¡°Xiao Lin, kneel down!¡± Grandfather Guan roared angrily.

    Guan Xiaolin shuddered, but upon seeing Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu and Qi Chenyue she bowed.

    Grandfather Guan¡¯s expression drew into a stern frown. He walked over to her, and, raising his stick, he struck the back of her knee. Guan Xiaolin cried out as her knees struck the floor. Slowly, she rubbed gentle circles into the inmed flesh.

    Regaining her bnce, she covered her belly with her right hand. She feared for her baby. Had her fall impacted the child?

    ¡°I didn¡¯t properly educate the younger generation,¡± said Grandfather Guan as he struck the ground with his stick. ¡°Granddaughter you did a terrible thing. Liya is your aunt and Chengyue your cousin! And, yet, you decided to seduce your cousin¡¯s husband! Are all the men in this world dead! How dare you threaten Chengyue?! How dare you demand that she divorce her husband?! Do you take pride in your bastard child?!

    ¡°Did I teach you to betray your family? Did I teach you to be shameless? Tell me what is so good about Jian Yi that you decided to betray and hurt your own family for him? Can you not tell who is your true family?! You are going to apologize to Chengyue and your aunt and uncle!¡± as he thundered he struck the floor with his cane.

    Guan Xiaolin shuddered and lowered her head, her hair covering her face. They only manage to hear her sobbing voice, ¡°Sorry aunty, I¡¯m sorry, Chengyue. It¡¯s my fault, I was not thinking clearly. That... that time... I was blinded by love and didn¡¯t think of anything else. I¡¯m so sorry... so sorry... it¡¯s all my... my fault. I¡¯ve wronged you. I shouldn¡¯t have done such a... such a disgraceful thing to you my family.¡± Guan Xiaolin curled up on the floor. She buried her face into her palms; her sobs turned into wails. ¡°I know that I¡¯ve made a mistake, please forgive me! I beg you!¡±

    Guan Youbo yanked Yao Huimin and dropped down to their knees, ¡°Grandfather, grandmother, sister, brother-inw, we kneel down upon you and apologize to you. It¡¯s our fault that we didn¡¯t educate our daughter and notice what she did in time.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of apologizing after the mistake has already been made!¡± Guan Liya stood up furiously and pointed towards them, ¡°If Guanyu is not in trouble right now, would you kneel and apologize to us, begging for forgiveness? Ptui! I won¡¯t entertain your pretense. I can tell you now that the Qi family is the reason why Guanyu is facing all these problems right now! The Qi family may not be able to destroy Guanyu immediately, but give us seven to eight years, he¡¯ll be gone! Even if Chenglin has to spend his entire life-destroying Guanyu, I would ask him to continue doing it, and to make sure your family is dragged down as well.¡±

    ¡°Sister, why are you referring to our family and yours separately? We are your family!¡± Guan Youbo gasped desperately. He knew that it was the Qi family that cornered Guanyu. It was the reason why they hade begging for forgiveness.

    Guan Liya was, of course, right to had have suspected them. After all, Qi Chenyue¡¯s husband had been snatched away by one of their members and yet they had note begging for forgiveness. Instead, they had thought it to be of no consequence.

    ¡°Guanyu it is yourpany too, am I right?¡± Guan Youbo asked.

    ¡°What do you mean by mypany? I am a member of the Qi family. I signed an agreement upon my marriage after all. The 20 million my family had given me for my engagement doubled as my inheritance, and the remainder now belongs to the Qi family. You¡¯re my brother, and I don¡¯t begrudge you for inheriting thepany. It is customary for the male heir to inherit after all. And why would I help you hurt my daughter?! You have bullied her, belittled her! Tell me why should I help you?¡±

    Guan Youbo had wanted to remind her that without the Guan family she would lose her support. He wanted to remind her that without them, she would be at the mercy of the Qi family. Was she not afraid of this?

    Her marriage was one of convenience and mutual profit. It was something natural that resulted from a shared family background. Without them, she would not have been able to obtain such a match.

    Nevertheless, he kept quiet and did not say a word.

    Suddenly, Grandfather Guan who was standing with the aid of his walking stick said, ¡°Tell me then, what should we do to earn your forgiveness? When Chengyue and Jian Yi were getting the divorce, they required the DNA report of the child in Xiaolin. We brought her to get examined even though there was a risk of miscarriage. We even gave you the report. I thought that that was sufficient to show our sincerity.¡±

    Grandfather Qi who remained silent the whole time finally spoke. Inparison to Grandfather Guan¡¯s weak voice, his was full of strength and dignity. ¡°I believe Liya had told you to abort the child. However, you thought this to be unreasonable?¡±

    Grandfather Qi snickered coldly, ¡°It was a decision made by the entire family. Liya does not want to see her niece bear the child of her son-inw, and we share in that desire. We will never ept the child. So, ask Guan Xiaolin to abort the child and to never marry Jian Yi.

    In other words...¡± Grandfather Qi said coldly, ¡°Jian Yi would never get the chance to be a member of the Guan family. He will not be a beneficiary to the inheritance.¡±

    Grandfather Qi pointed towards Guan Xiaolin¡¯s tummy and said, ¡°Jian Yi¡¯s child would also never ever be the sessor of the Guan family. You have to get an abortion.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s face became as white as ash.

    She raised her head shakily, her lips were trembling uncontrobly..

 Chapter 216 - Chengzhi, Iâ€™ve Done What You Asked Me to the Last Time We Spoke!

    <h4>Chapter 216: Chengzhi, I¡¯ve Done What You Asked Me to the Last Time We Spoke!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Xiaolin raised her head shakily, her lips trembling.

    ¡°No... no...¡± Guan Xiaolin was genuinely fearful this time around. She wailed uncontrobly and turned to grab Yao Huimin, who was kneeling beside her. ¡°Mum, I can¡¯t abort this baby. It¡¯s a child¨C it is a living being! Mum, help me, please. I beg of you. Please save him, I beg you! Mum, save him, please! Mum, don¡¯t let them take my child away! Mum¨C¡±

    Yao Huimin did not expect Guan Liya to be serious. Previously, during the Wei family¡¯s banquet, she had thought that Guan Liya had just said that out of anger, not knowing that it was the decision made by the Qi family.

    Did they have to be so cruel just because of a simple divorce?

    Yao Huimin began to feel scared, her superficiality from moments ago gone. Yao Huimin cried out of fear and shielded Guan Xiaolin with her arms.

    The floor was so cold and hard. She was afraid that Guan Xiaolin would be hurt, given that she was carrying a child.

    Nevertheless, she dare not show her concern in front of the Qi family as she was worried that it would anger Guan Liya further.

    When she recalled how Grandfather Qi hit Guan Xiaolin to the ground just now with his walking stick, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. She was afraid that the fall would injure Guan Xiaolin¡¯s body.

    In the end, her daughter was still a pregnant woman!

    Yao Huimin hugged Guan Xiaolin as she screamed. ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, Sister. Xiaolin truly realizes her wrongdoings. She wouldn¡¯t dare do it again! I promise you, she¡¯ll never marry Jian Yi. Jian Yi will not get a single cent from the Guan family in the future, but can¡¯t we just keep the child? Even though Xiaolin has made a grave mistake, she¡¯s still right about one thing: The child is innocent. It has a life. How- How can you just throw it away?

    ¡°Her stomach is already getting bigger and bigger. If she aborts the child now, it¡¯s a huge risk for her, too. What if something was to happen?¡± Yao Huimin protested.

    She abhorred Jian Yi.

    Even if the Qi family was being unreasonable, Guan Xiaolin would not have to suffer all this if not for Jian Yi.

    Since he was already the son-inw of the Qi family, why did not he behave appropriately? Why did he involve himself with Guan Xiaolin, forcing her to be a single mum in the future?!

    Yao Huimin thought that, with the Guan family¡¯s influence, Guan Xiaolin might not be able to find a satisfactory husband from a notable family, but she would still be epted by a capable man even if hecked strong familial support.

    ¡°That¡¯s why she should abort it as soon as possible,¡± Guan Liya said coldly. ¡°If her tummy gets bigger, there is a risk of death. If you guys want to dy it, you can go ahead and do that while you witness the fall of Guanyu. There won¡¯t be any more deals. If you regret your decision ande back to us, I¡¯m afraid you won¡¯t be able to afford your child¡¯s milk anymore.¡±

    ¡°Auntie! Auntie! I beg you, please let me and my child go! I¡¯m begging you!¡± Guan Xiaolin sobbed. She crawled on the floor on her knees. She took a few steps then lunged for the coffee table.

    Guan Liya pointed towards her and mocked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you very capable? Initially, you even came to Chengyue and bragged that you were pregnant with Jian Yi¡¯s child. You even asked Chengyue to let him go and satisfy the both of you. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re the one that Jian Yi truly loves, and that he¡¯s just using Chengyue? I am curious to see if Jian Yi will still love you if you don¡¯t have his child anymore. And to know that he won¡¯t ever be a part of the Guan family.¡±

    Guan Liya was so furious that her hand trembled as she pointed at Guan Xiaolin. ¡°Other mistresses would at least have the decency to act pitiable. Shed a few tears, beg forgiveness from the wife, say they couldn¡¯t control their own heart... You? You didn¡¯t even bother trying. You bragged, like you were the wife and Chengyue the mistress. When you were bullying Chengyue, why didn¡¯t you think of letting her go? When you were having an affair with Jian Yi and got pregnant with his child, why didn¡¯t you think of Chengyue and me, your aunt? You only thought of us now? It¡¯s toote! I want you to pay many times over, since you had the gall to bully Chengyue!¡±

    Guan Xiaolin kept sobbing, the sound of her cries never stopping. ¡°Song Yu, I beg you, please! Say something!¡±

    Guan Xiaolin turned toward Song Yu and said, ¡°On behalf of our previous friendship, please say something. I don¡¯t want to abort this child. I beg you, Song Yu... We were such good friends back then. We were ssmates, and we¡¯ve known each other for more than two decades. Song Yu, please help me. I¡¯m begging you...¡±

    Guan Xiaolin was hysterical.

    Song Yu avoided her gaze. Not only had she no right to give an opinion, as this only concerned Qi Chengyue, but the fact that Guan Xiaolin did all those things also meant she was undeserving of her help.

    Why had Guan Xiaolin not been mindful of Qi Chengyue from the start?

    When it was her turn, she demanded others to be considerate.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to seek help from her.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was thin and icy. ¡°I think Mrs. Guan ns to let you give birth to the child and find a suitable man to marry you off to so that you get a clean te. If this is the case, why not abort this child? You can start over without any obligations. You¡¯ll not cross paths with Jian Yi anymore. With Jian Yi¡¯s character, we¡¯re actually helping you end this misery.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Grandfather Guan and said nonchntly, ¡°One more thing, if the Qi family were to catch Guan Xiaolin contacting Jian Yi in the future, don¡¯t me us for striking again.¡±

    He used his index and middle finger and gestured towards his eyes, then turned them towards the Guan family, saying, ¡°We¡¯re going to keep an eye on you from now on.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin kept crying and shaking her head. The Qi family was dead set on aborting the child in her womb. Her argument was absolutely useless.

    She had wasted her time with Jian Yi. Not only could she not marry him, she could not even keep his child.

    Guan Xiaolin held her stomach and said, ¡°Dad, Mum, I don¡¯t want¨C Grandfather, I beg of you... Please let me keep my child. I beg you, Grandfather and Grandmother Qi. I promise you¨C I promise that I will never ever contact Jian Yi in the future. I¨C I truly love him, please... Let me keep his child at least.¡±

    Grandmother Qi let out a sigh and turned away. If they let her keep Jian Yi¡¯s child, it would just be a thorn in the side of the Qi family.

    ¡°If Xiaolin aborts the child and we agree to all your demands, will you stop attacking Guanyu?¡± Grandfather Guan asked solemnly. He, too, felt that the Qi family was asking for too much.

    However, they had no choice but to acquiesce.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. Grandfather Guan seethed. ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll personally bring her to the hospital tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Grandpa!¡± Guan Xiaolin screamed in desperation. She flung herself at the old man¡¯s legs, clutching them. ¡°Grandpa, I don¡¯t want to lose this child! Grandpa, I¡¯m begging you, don¡¯t make me abort my child! This is your great-grandchild! I beg you, Grandpa!¡±

    Song Yu sighed and turned away from Guan Xiaolin.

    She had been such a prouddy back then, yet she had fallen to such disgrace.

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand tightly.

    Song Yu lowered her head to examine his fingers. She used her soft fingers to pinch the middle segment of his middle finger. It had an elegant shape.

    His raspy, mellow voice whispered in her ears, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to watch, you can go back inside to rest. Or you can go check out the kitchen. There are a number of tasty delights.¡±

    Song Yu pinched him gently. Did he think her a pig?

    In the middle of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s crying, Grandfather Guan pointed at her with his walking stick and bellowed, ¡°This is all your own doing! What are you begging for?! Who is to me when you seduced your own cousin¡¯s husband?! Release me, and stop making a fool of yourself!¡±

    ¡°Grandpa... Grandpa... I am so sorry. I know that I¡¯m at fault, I really do!¡± Guan Xiaolin deplored, tightening her grip on Grandfather Guan¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Let go right now! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll hit you till you get a miscarriage!¡± Grandfather Guan furrowed his eyebrows as he raised his walking stick.

    He had already been furious upon learning that Guan Xiaolin had done something so disgraceful. If it was not for her, he would not need to drag his old shell out to find the Qi family and apologize. He had lost all his face by lowering his stance in front of them. Guanyu would not face such a huge loss as well.

    All of these useless children. Why did they make him worry so much at such an old age?!

    Even after what had happened, Guan Xiaolin was still crying and begging, making a fool of herself in front of the Qi family.

    He was so angry, he meant what he had said.

    ¡°Dad!¡± Yao Huimin dragged Guan Xiaolin away hurriedly and shielded her. ¡°Xiaolin is not in her right mind, please excuse her.¡±

    ¡°If you really want to keep the child, there¡¯s a way!¡± Grandfather Guan pointed at Guan Xiaolin, who was guarded by Yao Huimin, with his walking stick.

    Guan Xiaolin grew hopeful. Even Yao Huimin paid attention to him.

    The Qi family remained quiet and observed from the side without expression.

    ¡°The Qi family gave such a request because they were afraid that, if your child were to be the sessor of Guan family, it would still be in Jian Yi¡¯s favor. In addition, even if you were not married to Jian Yi, the child would still be a factor, and you would never cut off all contact with Jian Yi.¡± Grandfather Guan nced at Grandfather and Grandmother Qi, who remained silent.

    Grandfather Qi sipped on his pu¡¯er tea casually. Grandmother Qi¡¯s mind had wandered off long ago.

    Grandfather Guan continued, ¡°If you really want to keep this child, you will have to leave the Guan family. You will no longer be part of the Guan family, and you will have to resign from Guanyu. From then onwards, your life, health and wealth will be none of our concern. You can go and find Jian Yi and live with him. The child you¡¯re carrying will have no rtion to the Guan family, so Jian Yi won¡¯t get anything from it. Only then will the Qi family lose interest in the child.¡±

    Grandfather Guan looked to Qi Chengzhi and asked coldly, ¡°Am I wrong?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine with this arrangement,¡± Qi Chengzhi said ndly.

    ¡°If she¡¯s willing to disown herself from the Guan family, we¡¯re fine with it. If she does that, it shows that she really loves Jian Yi since she¡¯s willing to go so far for him. We have nothing to object on that.¡± As Guan Liya had voiced her opinion, there were no objections from the others.

    ¡°I...¡± Guan Xiaolin was dumbfounded. She had never expected Grandfather Guan to let her choose.

    She also knew that one of the reasons Jian Yi entertained her was her due to her status. Her situation was different from Qi Chengyue¡¯s. Qi Chengyue had three brothers before her; the son-inw would never have the opportunity to be the sessor.

    She was the only daughter of the Guan family. If Jian Yi married her, the whole Guan family would fall into his hands in the future.

    There was a saying: ¡®Better to be the head of a dog than the tail of a lion¡¯.

    She was acutely aware that this was the main reason Jian Yi would choose to be with her again.

    Even though she knew it, she still loved Jian Yi. She had given Jian Yi the best years of her life throughout college. She had willingly paid for Jian Yi¡¯s tuition fees and living expenses as she was genuinely in love with him.

    Since they were young, Jian Yi¡¯s eyes had always been on Song Yu. At the time, she had already been secretly observing him.

    When she had finally begun dating Jian Yi in college, he had met Qi Chengyue and broken up with her right after he had caught her attention.

    How could she not know about Jian Yi¡¯s character?

    Nevertheless, some things were unexinable. She had fallen for Jian Yi right at the start and never could escape. She could not fathom why she had fallen for a maniptive person like Jian Yi when she could have chosen so many other reputable and reliable men.

    When she had heard that Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s rtionship was experiencing issues, and that Qi Chengyue finally understood that Jian Yi did not love her, she had started approaching Jian Yi and hinting that, if he married her, he would gain control of the entire Guan family.

    Inparison to the minimal to zero chance of seeding in the Qi family, Jian Yi naturally chose her.

    Guan Xiaolin felt that, as long as she could be with Jian Yi, the means she used did not matter, even if that meant using the Guan family to secure him. She just wanted him to stay beside her.

    However, she also knew that, once she was disowned by the Guan family, she would be a nobody and Jian Yi would no longer want her anymore. In his eyes, their child would be no more than an obstacle.

    Furthermore, she would not survive the average living style of normal people if she was no longer thedy of the Guan family. She could not be like Song Yu, who had to start all over again and bear the mockery from her so-called ¡°friends¡± within the circle.

    Guan Xiaolin held her stomach as her mind drifted somewhere else. Her mouth could not utter a single word aside from her sobbing.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you one night. By tomorrow morning, either you pack your stuff and leave the Guan family or you follow me to the hospital to abort the baby!¡± Grandfather Guan said sternly, as if he no longer cared for her.

    Guan XIaolin wailed loudly and plunged into Yao Huimin¡¯s arms.

    Only then did Grandfather Guan turn around slowly to face Grandfather and Grandmother Qi. ¡°Are both of you satisfied with my decision?¡±

    ¡°Old Guan, I know that you¡¯re angry, but you can¡¯t me us. If not for your foolish granddaughter bullying mine first, we wouldn¡¯t have use such drastic measures. It was your granddaughter who had crossed the line first. Your son- and daughter-inw did not consider the union of both of our families. You can¡¯t ask us to take this without any retaliation, right? Guan Youbo is your son, but Guan Liya is your daughter. You must have a limit, even if you favor your son over your daughter. Liya was so angry, she couldn¡¯t even be bothered about the familial ties between you guys. In this case, you guys don¡¯t have the right to me the Qi family.¡± Grandfather Qi took his time to talk. He was not bothered by the chaotic surroundings. He sipped on his pu¡¯er tea and swirled it in his mouth, savoring the vor of it before swallowing it slowly.

    ¡°Of course, if we really wanted to bully you guys, with the Qi family¡¯s status, you guys can only suffer, am I right? Kindness is always returned tenfold. If both of our families had maintained a good rtionship, the Guan family would gain many more benefits.¡± Grandfather Qi let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s too bad there¡¯s already bad blood between our families. I think we shouldn¡¯t stay in contact anymore. After Guan Xiaolin aborts the child, it¡¯s all clear between both of our families. We won¡¯t bother you guys anymore as well.¡±

    Song Yu felt that, even though Grandfather Qi seldom spoke, his few words carried a lot of power.

    It was his way of conveying the message that they could not do anything even though the Qi family had attacked them, since they were the ones who had crossed the line first.

    Grandfather Guan¡¯s expression was very unpleasant. He knew that Grandfather Qi was telling the truth.

    ¡°Enough. Since we¡¯ve cleared this up, please leave. Stop making a scene here. If you want to continue begging, go home and do that. I find that you younger folk are so immature. How dare you let an elder clean up the mess for you as adults? Old Guan has just been discharged from the hospital. Before he could rest and recuperate, he had to drag his frail body over to make amends and get all worked up.¡± Grandmother Qi waved her hand as if she was also very concerned for Grandfather Guan¡¯s sake.

    After hearing what Grandmother Qi said, Grandfather Guan grew even angrier. Inside his mind, he was thinking that, if it was not for the Qi family who had started all of this, he would not have toe all the way here with his children to beg for forgiveness.

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± Grandfather Guan said calmly.

    He lowered his head and saw that Yao Huimin and Guan Xiaolin were still kneeling on the floor. He could feel his anger boiling again. ¡°Why are you guys not moving? Get up and leave! It¡¯s embarrassing enough!¡±

    After the Guan family left, Guan Liya felt much more relieved, having solved Guan Xiaolin¡¯s mess. She was afraid that Qi Chengyue had been affected by Guan Xiaolin¡¯s presence. She had been too busy fighting with the Guan family and had not noticed Qi Chengyue.

    When she looked over, she saw that Qi Chengyue was very calm and indifferent.

    Knowing her worries, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°Mum, don¡¯t worry about me. Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin are no longer rted to me. Even if Jian Yi stood in front of me, I wouldn¡¯t be affected at all.¡±

    Only then did Guan Liya feel relief. Suddenly, Grandmother Qi pped her thigh and said, ¡°Oh, right! Chengzhi, I¡¯ve done what you asked me to thest time we spoke!¡±

    Grandmother Qi stood up gleefully and hurried to her bedroom.

    At first, Song Yu was confused, but one look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face told her all she needed to know.

    Grandmother Qi must have been referring to the introduction of a girlfriend for Cheng Dongge. It seemed as if only Qi Chengzhi and her were aware of this. Others had no clue. Besides Grandfather Qi and the both of them, the others were very puzzled.

    Grandfather Qi knew about it because Grandmother Qi had happily announced this news to her friends right after Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call. The only thing Grandfather Qi saw her doing was line dancing and calling others on the phone.

    Momentster, Grandmother Qi reappeared with a thick stack of envelopes.

    Grandmother Qi passed them to Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°Take a look at them. I immediately notified them once you called me. When I mentioned that it was Cheng Dongge, all of them were extremely excited and sent me the photos right away. I haven¡¯t gone through these photos yet. You can let Cheng Dongge choose which one suits his taste.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s heart skipped a beat when she heard Cheng Dongge¡¯s name. She grew tense and stared at Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°I take it they¡¯re all men of good character?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked as his long fingers peeled open the envelope. From within, he took out a stack of photos.

 Chapter 217 - Cheng Dongge, You Can Be Very Cruel, You Know That?

    <h4>Chapter 217: Cheng Dongge, You Can Be Very Cruel, You Know That?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I take it they¡¯re all men of good character?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked as his long fingers peeled open the envelope. From within, he took out a stack of photos.

    Qi Chengyue could only see the topmost photo, but, even then, she could not discern the person captured.

    ¡°Of course. Your grandmother is meticulous.¡± Grandmother Qi patted her chest and said, ¡°I do not associate with people of bad character. I always start with their family. If the elders in a family are well-mannered, then the young ones will usually turn out okay. During my mahjong games, we talk about the younger generation in our families. These ones are not too bad. None involved in any crazy incidents. All honest and capable girls¨C talented even.¡±

    Grandmother Qi pointed to the topmost photo¡ªthe one that Qi Chengyue could not really see. ¡°This one graduated from Columbia University and has just returned. She¡¯s never had a boyfriend despite her pretty face. She is so pretty that all boys take one look at her and assume she must already have a boyfriend. And this¨C¡±

    Grandmother Qi switched to another photo. ¡°This is Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s cousin sister. You should all know her. She¡¯s cute, energetic, and polite. She just graduated from medical school. Instead of going to her family¡¯s hospital, she¡¯s doing her housemanship in one of the top-tier public hospitals. She wants to rely on her own capabilities and hone her skills. She figured if she went to Chutian Hospital, people would just turn a blind eye to her mistakes; and that¡¯s uneptable when patients¡¯ lives are at stake. She may look young, but she¡¯s very independent. Without saying a word to her family, she applied to Renhe Hospital. Even her colleagues don¡¯t know her true identity. She never goes home, and chooses to live in the hostel provided by the hospital with her peers. She¡¯s a tough cookie, this one.¡±

    Grandmother Qi presented this all in one breath. Clearly, she was partial to Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s cousin sister,vishing her with high praises.

    ¡°This is because you said you wanted to introduce a match for Cheng Dongge. If not, I would have kept this youngdy!¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes darted to Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengji. ¡°I was hoping to match her to one of them.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and flipped through the stack of photos. They were of youngdies from respectable families. From the very first nce, it was clear they were all quality matchmaking material.

    He ced the photos back into the envelope and nced at Qi Chengyue. She looked anxious. Clearly, she wanted to have a look, butmon sense held her back.

    He smirked and passed the photos to Song Yu for safekeeping. ¡°You are aware of Cheng Dongge¡¯s situation. His previous rtionship fell apart, unfortunately, and now he¡¯s single. There¡¯ll be plenty of families who will want to introduce their daughters to him. We figured you¡¯d have some good rmendations. Daughters from wealthy families will not act like his previous girlfriend, mistaking hisck of pedigree for a bleak future and constantly looking for rich men.¡±

    Simr to Qi Chengyue¡¯s marriage, it was an arrangement that would benefit both parties. The daughters of prestigious families would not mind a man¡¯s family background if he was talented and capable.

    Unlike Huang Ziyue, who was dead set on marrying someone of high standing but did not bother to improve her own qualities. A person like her would not be able to hold a good man for long. The imbnce in their lineage ultimately left her as the losing party.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Grandmother Qi nodded. ¡°Dongge is a good person.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s chest ached, but she stayed silent.

    Song Yu took one look at Qi Chengyue and a thought crossed her mind. She took out the photos and gave them to Qi Chengyue. ¡°Chengyue, you¡¯ve been talking a lot with Cheng Donggetely. Have a look.¡±

    Qi Chengyue went through the photos. ¡°They¡¯re quite good. Very pretty, most of them,¡± she said quietly.

    ¡°Not just pretty.¡± Grandmother Qi quickly cut in. ¡°Their education, attitude, family background, capabilities... they¡¯re all are as good as they can get. Even that so-called debutante in America, Mu Sisi, is no match for these women. This one¨C¡±

    Just as Qi Chengyue saw someone, Grandmother Qi hurriedly pointed at another photo and said, ¡°This one managed to get into the elite social club in America that Mu Sisi was dying to join but never got epted.¡±

    ¡°Our Chengyue never studied overseas. If not, she would be in the club too,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°Indeed, indeed.¡± Grandmother Qi quickly followed with a nod.

    ...

    ...

    The next evening, Qi Chengyue drove over to Qilin and waited in the car park. When Song Yu came to have lunch with Qi Chengzhi in the afternoon, she let slip that Cheng Dongge was attending a matchmaking date with the daughter of the Jiang family tonight.

    Qi Chengyue thought Cheng Dongge would refuse the matches, yet he proved her wrong.

    Did he not just confessed his feelings for her? Why was he going on matchmaking dates?

    Not long after, she saw Cheng Dongge walk out of the office building dressed handsomely in a suit. He had one hand in his pocket and the other holding his car keys. Qi Chengyue followed his car as he drove off.

    She tailed him to Shengyue. He parked his car and went into the restaurant. Qi Chengyue was hesitant to park beside him, but worried that, if she parked too far, she might lose track of him. After much effort, she found a spot that was suitable for her surveince needs. Momentster, a red BMW Z4 parked in the spot diagonal to where she was.

    A woman in her twenties exited the car. She was wearing a baroque-style, floral patterned blouse and light yellow, slim-fit pants with a pair of tan, mid-heel ankle boots.

    The young woman was fair and good-looking. Stepping out from the luxury car, she caught the attention of the surrounding people.

    Qi Chengyue recognized her as Jiang Xiyao. While Jiang Xiyao had cousins, she was an only child in her family.

    Jiang Xiyao had a warm disposition in public. Her gentle and giving nature endeared her to the elders. Qi Chengyue had met her before in private during one of her gatherings. Jiang Xiyao hade off as aloof and haughty. Qi Chengyue had the impression that her speech and actions were superfluous.

    Somehow, her grandmother had chosen Jiang Xiyao as one of the potential matches for Cheng Dongge. Qi Chengyue frowned as she watched Jiang Xiyao walk into Shengyue.

    Cheng Dongge chose afortable booth that was by the window.

    Qi Chengyue saw Cheng Dongge stand¡ªhis every move executed with purpose. He stood tall and had a confident mien that outssed even the wealthiest of heirs.

    Qi Chengyue was used to the three older boys in her family. Qi Chengzhi was stoic and steady, his aura intimidating; Qi Chenglin was elegance personified, mature and wise; and, while Qi Chengji was the youngest among the three, his service in the military had made him a steadfast and decisive man.

    All three had strong, desirable qualities that set them apart in their social circle.

    In the past, Qi Chengyue had only had eyes for Jian Yi. She had never noticed other men, not even Cheng Dongge. She believed that Jian Yi was exceptional, with his influence and talents that all came from no-name family. Yet, now that she thought about it, Jian Yi¡¯s presumed qualities and influence were insignificant whenpared to Cheng Dongge.

    Inside-out, from capabilities to attitude, Jian Yi did not hold a candle to Cheng Dongge.

    After some time, Jiang Xiyao stood in front of Cheng Dongge. Jiang Xiyao gave him a smile and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. Her head was bowed. Qi Chengyue could not make out what she was saying, but she doubted that woman¡¯s sincerity.

    Cheng Dongge nodded in turn, and spoke a little. From this distance, Qi Chengyue could not make out the subtle changes in his expression. She could not tell if she saw a smile on Cheng Dongge¡¯s face.

    Cheng Dongge pointed to the opposing seat, and they both settled into the booth.

    The waiter brought over menus for them, but Jiang Xiyao allowed Cheng Dongge to order the dishes.

    The conversation flowed easily between them as they waited for the food to arrive. This made Qi Chengyue¡¯s stomach roil. ¡°This is the first meeting, and he¡¯s already so happy. Babbling away; what¡¯s there to talk about?¡±

    She saw Jiang Xiyao cover herugh with her hand. Jiang Xiyao shrugged and said something, but Qi Chengyue was too far to hear. She could not see Cheng Dongge¡¯s face, but he seemed to be in a good mood. He seemed to have been swayed by Jiang Xiyao.

    Qi Chengyue tapped on her chest to tamp down her dismay.

    After a while, the dishes were served. She could not smell the food, but her stomach was staging a protest. A swift nce at the digital clock in her car showed that it was already seven o¡¯clock.

    Here she was, starving outside, worried that Cheng Dongge might be tricked, while he enjoyed his dinner date with Jiang Xiyao!

    The more she thought about it, the worse she felt. Tears were starting to sting her eyes. She should have just started the car and left, but her heart would not let her. She stared as Jiang Xiyao took small bites of the food while her own stomach growled.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Qi Chengyue turned around in surprise. It was the waiter from Shengyue, still in uniform.

    Was he shooing her away because she was parked in their parking lot without purchase?

    A frown was on Qi Chengyue¡¯s face as she opened the car window. Unexpectedly, the waiter handed her a beautifully crafted food carrier made of ck wood. There were sakura patterns on the lid which made the carrier look exquisite.

    ¡°Miss, this is the take-out for you,¡± the waiter said with a smile.

    Qi Chengyue eyed the carrier suspiciously and said, ¡°But I didn¡¯t order any take-out.¡±

    ¡°Your car number te is A¡¤N3633. If you¡¯re the driver of this car, this take-out is meant for you,¡± the waiter said and promptly pushed the food carrier through the open car window. ¡°This is from the gentleman sitting at the window booth. It¡¯s been paid for in full.¡±

    The waiter pointed at Cheng Dongge in the restaurant.

    Qi Chengyue fell dumb.

    ¡®Did he know all along?¡¯

    This was such an embarrassment. Qi Chengyue¡¯s face turned crimson.

    Without so much as a goodbye, she rolled up her window. The waiter was left speechless by the road. He scratched his head and walked away.

    A momentter, Qi Chengyue realized herck of manners. The shame of being caught had outweighed her sense of decorum.

    She opened the food carrier in the passenger seat. It was packed with Shengyue¡¯s best dishes.

    The package included rice, shiitake mushroom with choy sum, stir-fried snow peas, sauteed chicken with pepper, and a bowl of thick fish maw soup. These were all her favorite dishes.

    Her appetite vanished once she remembered that Cheng Dongge had been aware of her presence. She was deliberating whether to eat the food when her phone rang.

    It was Cheng Dongge. She looked up at the window booth but did not see him. There was only Jiang Xiyao, ying on her phone.

    Qi Chengyue searched frantically and found Cheng Dongge standing at Shengyue¡¯s main entrance.

    He was holding his phone to his ear, staring straight at her.

    Qi Chengyue felt goosebumps rising on her arm. Her phone was still ringing. She saw Cheng Dongge wave his phone at her.

    ¡®Why did I ever think him a gentle person?¡¯ Qi Chengyue thought.

    Qi Chengyue could only answer the phone, her face tinged pink with embarrassment.

    ¡°Yes?¡± she asked in an indifferent tone.

    ¡°It was quite a long drive, and you¡¯ve been sitting out there for some time. Aren¡¯t you hungry?¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s deep voice reverberated from the phone speaker. The maism of his voice was undeniable.

    Ridiculous. Just a line, and she was hooked.

    His voice was like sex!

    Qi Chengyue almost choked. The heat from her face could burn through the phone. Why did she remember that expression? She could have pped herself.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s voice had temporarily stopped her brain functions. It felt like he was whispering into her ear. Her ears were red to their tips.

    She could not believe that he had known from the start. Confronted with the usation, Qi Chengyue could only return Cheng Dongge¡¯s stare.

    ¡°You saw the dishes? Are they to your liking?¡± Cheng Dongged asked.

    ¡°I was not following you. I have an appointment here. It¡¯s just a coincidence,¡± Qi Chengyue snapped.

    ¡°Oh? What a coincidence. Then why are you sitting in your car for almost an hour? Where is this person that you¡¯re meeting?¡± Cheng Dongge asked in good humor.

    ¡°I like waiting in the car. I¡¯m sorry but your take-out will be going to waste,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    She heard Cheng Dongge let out a teasing chuckle. ¡°Come on, stop pretending. When I came here, I intentionally drove around the block twice and you followed me. Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know the road from Qilin to Shengyue.¡±

    Qi Chengyue kept her silence.

    ¡°You knew that I had a matchmaking session and you were jealous. That¡¯s why you followed me, right?¡± Qi Chengyue could hear the hint of a smile in his deep voice. ¡°Still don¡¯t want to admit it. Do you want to be my girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°I admit I followed you here, but that¡¯s because I wanted to see who the match was. I was worried that you would be tricked. I happen to know Jiang Xiyao¡ª¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re not my girlfriend, why should you care who I¡¯m meeting with?¡± Cheng Dongge interrupted. With one hand in his pocket, he said, ¡°You said you were not a match for me. That you didn¡¯t want to involve me in scandals. So I¡¯m looking for someone who¡¯s up to my standards¨C someone who will not sully my name. Since you won¡¯t be my girlfriend, you can only stand aside and watch. I will have to marry someone in the end.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes dampened and her chest hurt. Her bottom lip trembled, but she suppressed the sob in her throat. ¡°Cheng Dongge, you can be very cruel, you know that?¡±

    ¡°I told you before. I¡¯ve never been a nice guy.¡± Cheng Dongge continued on coolly, ¡°Has it never crossed your mind that I would be seeing other women? Are you going to follow me to every date now? You¡¯re worried about me? You¡¯re just using that as an excuse for your inaction. One day, I will get married and what will you do then?¡±

    The thought of Cheng Dongge marrying someone else paralyzed her. She did not want to hear such wordsing from him.

    She hung up. She felt like an absolute loser. There was nothing left for her to do but leave.

    The speed at which she drove out of the parking lot made Cheng Dongge frown. He quickly got into his own car and gave chase, all the while dialing for Jiang Xiyao. ¡°Miss Jiang, I¡¯m sorry. There¡¯s an emergency that requires my attention now. I will make it up to you another day.¡±

    Jiang Xiyao listened to his apology. Her eyes followed his car as he darted after the Audi TT that had just pulled out.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge drove behind Qi Chengyue, worried that she would get into an ident. He followed her all the way to the gates of Jade Field Park. He expected her to turn into the residential area but she stopped the car instead.

    The door of the Audi TT opened suddenly and Qi Chengyue walked out with the food carrier from Shengyue. Cheng Dongge stopped his car by the side of the road.

    He rolled the window down as she approached.

    Qi Chengyue examined his expression. The usual gentleness was reced by a sternness that was intimidating.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you on a date? Why are you following me? Your date will worry.¡± Now that she was meeting Cheng Dongge face-to-face, her anger from before had subsided. There was a softness in her voice as she spoke.

    ¡°You know the reason.¡± Cheng Dongge gave her a level stare.

    Solely from his expression, Qi Chengyue knew that her sudden departure was the reason he had left. He was worried about her.

    There was an ufortable tightness in her stomach. She remarked in a low tone, ¡°You can go back now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going back. I have some unfinished business,¡± Cheng Dongge said simply. His exchange with Jiang Xiyao had not been as entertaining as Qi Chengyue thought. While Jiang Xiyao was sweet and polite, he could tell that it had been a facade. The datecked the sincerity that he was ustomed to when he was with Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qi Chengyue asked absentmindedly.

    A smirk formed on his face. ¡°You tell me.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡®Pursuing me is the unfinished business that he¡¯s talking about?¡¯

    Qi Chengyue gave the food carrier to Cheng Dongge and said, ¡°You have not eaten. Take this back.¡±

    ¡°You have not eaten either. I got it for you.¡±

    ¡°Auntie will have some dishes ready at home. You¡¯re a bachelor who¡¯s going to eat out, anyways.¡± Qi Chengyue pushed the food carrier into the car adamantly. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. No need to waste your time going out.¡±

    Cheng Donggeughed and epted the food carrier. He ced it on the passenger seat.

    Qi Chengyue watched him quietly. As their eyes met, she felt herself being drawn into him¡ªher eyes transfixed.

    Her breath quickened as her abdomen and chest clenched in anxiety. Neither spoke, and, in that moment, Qi Chengyue felt like they were alone in the world, isted.

    Gazing at his gorgeous face, she wondered if her eyes gave away the love she felt for him.

    There was an imperceptible movement. For a moment, it seemed like she was going to cup his face.

    ¡°I¡¯m going home,¡± Qi Chengyue announced in a hushed voice.

    She turned around, ready to leave, when a hand caught her wrist. Qi Chengyue lowered her head to stare at the hand keeping her in ce. The warmth radiating from his palm was nice. The slight roughness of his fingertips sent shivers down her spine.

 Chapter 218 - How Could He Say Something So Shameless?

    <h4>Chapter 218: How Could He Say Something So Shameless?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She discreetly stared at the hand holding her arm. It was pale, the bones of its long, slender fingers defined. She could not believe that these hands had yed basketball in university. When these hands had dribbled the ball, what an elegant sight that must have been.

    A few ck hairs were strewn on the back of his hand. Even so, they looked beguiling on his fingers. His veins and tendons coiled beneath his hand, making them seem slimmer.

    Her gaze moved up his arm and she turned to see his face. Cheng Dongge looked at her, then abruptly let her go. Coolly, he said, ¡°You should go home.¡±

    Qi Chengyue averted her eyes. She fluttered her eyshes. ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±

    Cheng Dongge watched as she entered the car. Since she already knew he was following her, he escorted her into themunitypound and saw that she got home safely. Only then did he leave.

    ...

    ...

    The next afternoon, Qi Chengyue left her office and saw her colleagues in therge shared office, tidying up and preparing to go out for lunch. As they cleaned, they casually chatted with each other.

    ¡°Just now, I saw a womaning to see Cheng Dongge!¡± Qi Chengyue did not know which department they were from, but she knew that they were not from the finance department. The person was there because it was lunchtime and was waiting for their friend to tidy-up. Their friend responded..

    ¡°What¡¯s so surprising about that? You dashed in like our general manager was getting married.¡± Xiao Zhang drank a sip of water and stood. ¡°I¡¯m done tidying up. Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡±

    ¡°No, listen! I saw that her temperament and clothing were not ordinary, so I asked around and found out that she¡¯s the precious daughter of Jiangyuan Media¡¯s owner, Jiang Xiyao! I heard that Cheng Dongge went on a blind date with Jiang Xiyao yesterday night. Special Assistant Cheng is now no longer an ordinary man; even his blind dates are women from rich families. I¡¯m guessing that this Miss Jiang is really into him. Why else would shee to Qilin personally to see him? I think they¡¯re gonna be a ¡®thing¡¯. Special Assistant Cheng is such a talented man, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be a great match for the youngdy,¡± the person bbed, while keeping pace with Xiao Zhang¡¯s footsteps.

    ¡°Yo!¡± Xiao Zhang suddenly stopped. He appeared intrigued, as well. ¡°How could you say that?! All the singledies in ourpany will cry until they faint! Ever since he became single, he¡¯s been the target for many of them. I heard that He Cancan, who¡¯s working in the director¡¯s secretary room, has been running into Cheng Dongge every day because her office is close to his. I bet she¡¯s the biggest rival for the women in Qilin.¡±

    As Xiao Zhang was talking, he suddenly stopped. He noticed that Qi Chengyue was walking toward them. Immediately, he gave his friend a nudge. No one believed that Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue had any kind of rtionship. They thought that Cheng Dongge stepping up was merely to help the director as a part of his responsibilities as the director¡¯s assistant. However, since Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue¡¯s situation had been all over the media, he still felt bad thinking of Qi Chengyue overhearing their conversation.

    ¡°Manager Qi,¡± Xiao Zheng greeted cautiously.

    Qi Chengyue nodded. Seeing Xiao Zhang¡¯s anxiousness, she stated, ¡°Lunch break isn¡¯t office hours. You¡¯re free to continue your conversation.¡±

    After saying so, she left the room immediately.

    ¡°Qi Chengyue, don¡¯t go up there, don¡¯t go up there,¡± she mumbled to herself, walking to the elevator. Unable to stop herself, she pressed the number ¡¯25¡¯ on the elevator.

    She stepped out of the elevator and turned a corner. As predicted, she saw Jiang Xiyao and Cheng Dongge standing face-to-face.

    Jiang Xiyao was holding her bag in front of her with both hands. Today, she wore a button-up blouse that was checkered white and watermelon red. This was paired with a short blue, floral print skirt. Her blouse was tucked into her skirt, highlighting her thin waist. Furthermore, she had a thin pink cardigan on top of her blouse.

    Jiang Xiyao was smiling confidently at Cheng Dongge. Qi Chengyue heard her silken voice say, ¡°Yesterday, you left because of an urgent matter¨C saying that you would make it up to me another day¨C but I didn¡¯t know when that day was, so I came here today to let you take me out for lunch.¡±

    Cheng Dongge maintained his unaffected look. She saw that Jiang Xiyao¡¯s expression was also nk. She guessed that Jiang Xiyao could not decipher his thoughts either.

    Finally, he nodded and replied, ¡°That¡¯s good. I have some things to tell you, too, Miss Jiang.¡±

    Jiang Xiyao was startled, then smiled. ¡°It seems like I came at a good time, then.¡±

    Suddenly, she grew silent. She pursed her lips and began worrying her lower lip. Blushing, she asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m too thick-skinned?¡±

    Cheng Dongge was surprised. In that instant, he did not know the appropriate way to phrase his thoughts. He did not want to overstep his boundaries.

    Qi Chengyue looked down. Sucking on her bottom lip, she made to leave. Suddenly, a voice called, ¡°Miss Qi.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiyao had seen her. Qi Chengyue had to abandon her n to subtly disappear. She knew no alternative but to bite the bullet and walk towards them. She nodded at Jiang Xiyao and greeted, ¡°Miss Jiang.¡±

    The two of them were casually acquainted, having only met once.

    Now that Jiang Xiyao was this close to Cheng Dongge, she disliked talking to her even more.

    Qi Chengyue did not dare to look too closely at Cheng Dongge¡¯s expression. Hurriedly, she dered, ¡°I¡¯m here to see my big brother.¡±

    Immediately, she bolted for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office. Behind her, Cheng Dongge could only utter, ¡°Young Master Cheng and¡ª¡±

    Before he could finish, Qi Chengyue had already opened the door.

    Bam!

    She stepped into the office and mmed the door shut. Briefly, she had seen Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi sitting on the sofa. Song Yu was pressed up against the sofa¡¯s back by Qi Changzhi. Her whole body was pushed into the sofa.

    Qi Chengzhi had one hand on Song Yu¡¯s lower back and the other cupping her face. He kissed Song Yu intensely, as if trying to erase their separate forms.

    Song Yu was extremely submissive in his arms. Her cheeks were glowing red as he kissed her. She appeared especially delicate. Both her hands grasped firmly onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shirt as he hugged her so tightly, she seemed to have vanished into his arms.

    None of them heard the sound of Qi Chengyue opening the door. Only when the door had been mmed shut, did they jerk back to reality.

    Qi Chengzhi let go of Song Yu. Frowning, he turned his head to see who had barged in at a time like this. Qi Chengyue blushed. Stomping her foot, she demanded, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you two lock the door?!¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you knock?¡± Qi Chengzhi was also vexed.

    Qi Chengyue had no response.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was bright red. She was too embarrassed to look at Qi Chengyue. She quietly gave Qi Chengzhi a pinch.

    This was all his fault. She had told him to lock the door even though they were only kissing ¨C if someone were to barge in and see them, it would still be bad.

    Even so, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth had immediately locked lips with hers, refusing to leave. He would not even back off half a step, saying that Cheng Dongge was outside and that no one would dare enter without knocking.

    The brute force he used when he pressed himself against her was incredible. He would not budge even the slightest if he had no wish to.

    Song Yu was looking down, tidying her hair while her face was still flushed. She was still too mortified to show her face, so she hid behind Qi Chengzhi with her forehead resting on his back. As if taking revenge, she kept poking his waist.

    Qi Chengzhi reached back and grabbed her hand. He whispered, ¡°Cut it out.¡±

    ¡°Why did youe in?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked as he grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand and gently pinched her.

    Since she was already in the room, Qi Chengyue had no choice but to say, ¡°I... suddenly remembered: I want to invite you two for lunch!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi red at her from the corner of his eyes. With a hint of sardonicism, he released a fakeugh and said, ¡°When Song Yu came in, she ran into Jiang Xiyao. Did you see her?¡±

    Qi Chengyue had always felt that he knew something. She examined him with caution and suspicion. Pretending that she did not understand, she replied, ¡°Yes, I did. When I came up, I saw her talking to Cheng Dongge.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I heard that their date went smoothly. Yesterday night, Grandma even rang up the Jiang family to assess the situation. It seems that Jiang Xiyao¡¯s opinion of Cheng Dongge is pretty good and she wants to try developing their rtionship.¡±

    Qi Chengyue squinted. ¡°Big Brother, why are you telling me this?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stated seriously, ¡°I¡¯m just making conversation. I thought that we, as siblings, haven¡¯t had a real conversation in a while.¡±

    Qi Chengyue went silent.

    Even Song Yu was dumbstruck. How could he say something so shameless?

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for lunch.¡± Qi Chengzhi pulled Song Yu to her feet and they both went to Dynasty with Qi Chengyue.

    His Range Rover was still in the workshop so he drove the Jaguar. It was a sedan so it was quite low. Song Yu was used to the Range Rover¡¯s height so she was struggling to ustom herself to the Jaguar.

    Qi Chengzhi saw the awkward way Song Yu entered the car. He switched to gear D, stepped on the oil pedal, then reached for Song Yu¡¯s hand. Holding it, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s head to the 4S shop to check out some carster this evening.¡±

    ¡°Why? Who do you want to buy a car for?¡± Song Yu was puzzled. She thought that Qi Chengzhi wanted to buy her a car, but remembered she was pregnant, and there was no way he would let her drive. Moreover, he has said before that if she ever needed a ride, he would drive her. If he was busy, he would send Chang Lai. In short, he would not let her drive alone. He was worried that something might happen to her on the road. It was something he could not control, so could only blindly worry about every time she left.

    ¡°If the Range Rover needs to be fixed, it will be some time before we get it back. Also, it has been in a number of idents, so superstition deems it inauspicious. Changing a car will change the aura, clearing away misfortune. It sounds like a good idea.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at her. He rubbed her hands and asked, ¡°What car would you like?¡±

    Song Yu thought about it, then asked in reply, ¡°What about you? Which type of car do you like?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re talking about car types, I would like to get an SUV. It¡¯s spacious so it would befortable to sit in,¡± Qi Chengzhi decided. He took into ount that Song Yu was pregnant¨C once her tummy grewrger, it would be morefortable to sit in a big car. A sedan, on the other hand, felt like he would be doing her wrong. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re used to SUVs.¡±

    She could not believe that she had never noticed how alike their thinking was. She also had never imagined that she would be with someone whose mind was perfectly in sync with hers.

    From just a look, they could tell what each other was thinking.

    This feeling of being able to telepathically understand each other made Song Yu feel especially blissful. She could not help but squeeze his hand tightly.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s get another Range Rover. I¡¯ve really grown ustomed to it. Slightly emotionally attached, too. I don¡¯t want it to change.¡± Song Yu looked at him. ¡°Every time I see that car, I know you¡¯re sitting in it, so it feels particrly safe.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled. Herst sentence delighted him. As the two held hands, he slid his fingers between hers so that their hands were interlocked. Then, he pulled her hand to his lips and kissed it.

    ¡°Chengyue is sitting right there!¡± Song Yu whispered. Her ears turned red. She did not dare look back. Qi Chengzhi was literally pretending that Qi Chengyue did not exist. His behavior in public was the same as it was in private. How embarrassing!

    ¡°So you do still remember I¡¯m here!¡± Qi Chengyue scoffed. ¡°I thought you guys had long since forgotten! Acting all lovey-dovey, as if no one else was around. At least think of me!¡±

    Song Yu quickly pulled her hand back, but Qi Chengzhi would not let go. She tugged twice but still, he held on. Song Yu was baffled. Unwaveringly, he ordered, ¡°I¡¯m driving, knock it off.¡±

    Song Yu was at a loss for words. He said that all the time.

    ¡°If you envy us, go find a boyfriend,¡± Qi Chengzhi said, ncing into the rearview mirror, ¡°Do you want me to introduce a few guys to you?¡±

    Qi Chengyue squinted. She wondered if he really did not know.

    ¡°No.¡± Qi Chengyue mumbled.

    ¡°When Jian Yi was pursuing you, I knew that a few other guys from different families were interested in you, too. Still, you chose Jian Yi. Now that you¡¯re divorced, I¡¯m sure the ones who are single are preparing to court you again,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°Once I¡¯m divorced, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t like me anymore,¡± Qi Chengyue blurted. ¡°Even if they still want me, I¡¯m sure all they¡¯ll see is the Qi family. Nheless, Jian Yi is now a good example of the consequences. In the end, he didn¡¯t gain a single thing from the Qi family. The others should know to give up.¡±

    ¡°Do you really think so? Do you think no one likes you for you?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Qi Chengyue kept silent. There was one. Cheng Dongge. Even so, she liked him too much. She would not be a good match for him.

    ¡°Is it because you have had a divorce that you think you have lost to others?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked in a t tone, making it impossible to gauge his emotions.

    Qi Chengyue still did not say anything. Qi Chengzhi continued, ¡°Nowadays, divorce is verymon. Many people have been married a mere six months, and they don¡¯t think it¡¯s a big deal. It¡¯s as simple as breaking up after dating. So why do you view it as something so grave? Isn¡¯t it just a divorce? What makes you less than others? A person who sincerely loves you wouldn¡¯t care if you¡¯ve had a divorce, so why do you beat yourself up over it?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Qi Chengyue had a head full of words, yet she did not know how to voice them.

    Song Yu squeezed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand in an effort to calm him down and said, ¡°Chengyue, the truth is, although you¡¯ve just been divorced, many families have sent people to inquire about you after Grandma. Grandma is just worried that you haven¡¯t sorted out your emotions yet, so they all left and no one told you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue kept quiet. The car had stopped in front of Dynasty.

    Coincidentally, Li Zhuohui was passing by, walking and chatting with two clients. He noticed them and signaled his assistant to show the two clients to the VIP room as he walked over.

    ¡°Director Qi, Mistress Qi,¡± Li Zhuohui stood in front of them and greeted with a smile. Lastly, he turned toward Qi Chengyue and, in a more attentive manner, said, ¡°Miss Qi.¡±

    ¡°You came here to discuss business?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked bluntly. Due to his younger brother, Li Zhuoan¡¯s, feelings toward Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi was not fond of Li Zhuohui either.

    Nevertheless, Qi Chengzhi always had a long face so it was hard to tell.

    Li Zhuohui did not take it to heart. He nodded and answered, ¡°Yes. I saw you guys just now so I came over to say hi. As for Miss Qi, we haven¡¯t seen each other in a while. I remember you used to be my junior.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was astonished. She thought about it and realized that he was right. She just had not expected him to remember.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to leave you guys be,¡± Li Zhuohui added, then went into the restaurant.

    While Qi Chengzhi was leading Song Yu and Qi Chengyue into the room, Song Yu probed, ¡°You knew Li Zhuohui in the past?¡±

    ¡°He was quite famous in the university I went to. When I was in my freshman year, he was already a senior. He was helping out at his family¡¯spany, so he only came to school a few times during activities. He would cause amotion each time. The girls went crazy for him,¡± Qi Chengyue recalled. With her status and pride, however, she had definitely not been one of those girls.

    ¡°From what you said, it seems like you two could not have interacted much. I¡¯m surprised he remembers you.¡± Song Yu smiled. From her gaze to her smile, her entire expression gave off a flirtatious vibe. ¡°I noticed his gaze on you just now. It definitely did not feel ordinary. I think he has feelings for you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue had always felt that Song Yu had been lead astray by Qi Chengzhi. ¡°I don¡¯t even know him. How could he have feelings for me? Nonsense.¡±

    Song Yu ignored her and turned to Qi Chengzhi, inquiring, ¡°How much do you know about Li Zhuohui?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted, then calmly said, ¡°Li Zhuohui is much more reliable than his younger brother. I heard that he went through a divorcest year. Not two dayster, many women from big families had started to pool around him.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean that the divorce was not his fault? Otherwise, why would so many women rush to him?¡± Character was what Song Yu prioritized in a man.

    ¡°I heard that his ex-wife cheated on him. While he was still married. I¡¯ve never heard of him being disloyal in any way.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at Qi Chengyue. ¡°If Li Zhuohui actually has feelings for you and wants to pursue you, you could give it a go.¡±

    Qi Chengyue felt ufortable. ¡°What are the two of you saying so harmoniously?!¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s single, you¡¯re single. Why shouldn¡¯t you two try going out? You¡¯ll have to start a new rtionship eventually, won¡¯t you?¡± Song Yu pointed out. ¡°After all, you don¡¯t have an ounce of feeling toward Jian Yi anymore. You¡¯re not burdened or tied down by emotion. It¡¯s not like you¡¯re reluctant to let go of this marriage, neither are you depressed about your divorce. Since you¡¯re not at all burdened by that, why not give it a chance?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you talking yourself down because of your divorce? Well, he¡¯s divorced too. With him, you won¡¯t have to carry this burden yourself, or worry about him being at a disadvantage,¡± Qi Chengzhi added. From his expression, he appeared to be quite serious about it.

    Qi Chengyue did not say a word.

    She did not notice the wicked, conspiratorial smile Song Yu shot Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    The three of them finished lunch. As they walked out of Dynasty, they coincidentally ran into Li Zhuohui and his clients again. Li Zhuohui saw them, too. He turned back and shook his clients¡¯ hands, then said a few words to his assistant. His assistant escorted the two clients away.

    Li Zhuohui then approached them and said in a conversational manner, ¡°What a coincidence.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, what a coincidence,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied. ¡°Director Li, you¡¯re not leaving with them?¡±

    ¡°My assistant can handle the rest,¡± Li Zhuohui exined, his eyes fixed on Qi Chengyue. ¡°Where are the three of you headed to?¡±

 Chapter 219 - If He Still Doesnâ€™t Want a Child, Then When Will He Want One?

    <h4>Chapter 219: If He Still Doesn¡¯t Want a Child, Then When Will He Want One?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°My assistant can handle the rest,¡± Li Zhuohui exined, his eyes fixed on Qi Chengyue. ¡°Where are the three of you headed to?¡±

    ¡°My wife and I n to go to the 4S shop to look at the cars they have. Qi Chengyue is going back to Qilin,¡± Qi Chengzhi stated.

    Qi Chengyue shot a nce at Qi Chengzhi. She had not said anything, yet he had answered on her behalf.

    Even though Qi Chengzhi did say that he was going to bring Song Yu to look at cars, Qi Chengyue did not know he intended to go straight after lunch. He was obviously creating a window of opportunity for Li Zhuohui.

    Since when was her big brother so eager to help others?

    ¡°Oh? It seems like Miss Qi did not drive here. Why don¡¯t you let me take this opportunity to send her back?¡± Li Zhuohui did not even try to hide his intentions. It was all exhibited in in sight.

    ¡°No¡ª¡± Qi Chengyue could only utter a single word before Qi Chengzhi interrupted her.

    ¡°Thank you, Director Li.¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded and even gave him one of his rare smiles.

    Qi Chengyue was left with no choice, so she called out in a panic, ¡°Big Brother!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at his wristwatch and said, ¡°Lunch break is almost over. Even though you¡¯re my sister, it will still go on your record if you¡¯rete.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was speechless.

    Song Yu nodded at Li Zhuohui, then left with Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengyue waited until Qi Chengzhi drove away in his Jaguar before saying, ¡°Li Zhuohui, you must be busy. I can take a cab back.¡±

    ¡°Miss Qi, you frequent this area. I¡¯m sure you know that it¡¯s rather difficult to get a cab here,¡± Li Zhuohui pointed out with a smile. ¡°Miss Qi, are you avoiding me because I have offended you in some way?¡±

    ¡°No, I just don¡¯t want to trouble you, Director Li.¡± Qi Chengyue could only say that.

    Li Zhuohui abruptly turned to her and said with a smile, ¡°¡®Miss Qi¡¯, ¡®Director Li¡¯. We¡¯re acting so distant. We are from the same social circle, and we always see each other. Besides, we were schoolmates. I was your senior and you, my junior. Addressing each other in such a formal manner feels odd.¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not say anything. She did not want to open herself up to him.

    ¡°How about you call me your senior while I call you my junior? It¡¯s not too distant but not too close either, so it should be appropriate,¡± Li Zhuohui suggested with a grin. Without waiting for Qi Chengyue¡¯s reply, he continued, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Sending my junior back is my pleasure. It¡¯s no trouble at all.¡±

    In the car, Li Zhuohui asked, ¡°Why are you so quiet? Do you feel ufortable when you¡¯re with me?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. I just can¡¯t believe Director¨C My senior would remember me,¡± mumbled Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°How can I not remember you? Even though I wasn¡¯t at school much during my senior year, every time I went back, my roommates and ssmates would tell me about this gorgeous new student in freshman year. She looked like a doll. She stole many boys¡¯ hearts, but, sadly, her expectations were so high, no one could meet them.

    ¡°You may not know this, but at that time, my roommate pointed you out to me once. Once you graduated, though, you got a boyfriend, so it was toote for me to ask you out. I regret not doing so earlier,¡± Li Zhuohui confessed.

    Qi Chengyue was silent.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to admit it, but, at that time, I was afraid you would reject me.¡± Li Zhuohuiughed in self-mockery.

    Qi Chengyue grimaced. Composed, she said, ¡°Back then, I truly was very snobbish and pompous. I had a horrible personality. If you had pursued me, you might have been put off by my sarcasm and bitter personality. You wouldn¡¯t only have stopped liking me, you would have ended up hating me too.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, it seems like I got lucky,¡± Li Zhuohui chuckled.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Miss Jiang, I apologize for wasting your time. The truth is, there¡¯s someone I like.¡± Cheng Dongge stated calmly.

    They were currently at Shengyue. He was afraid that if they were at a restaurant near Qilin, some colleagues might see them and start spreading rumors again.

    Cheng Dongge understood what Qi Chengzhi was trying to achieve, but he had decided that he did not want to use such methods. He already had someone he liked, yet he went on a blind date solely to provoke Qi Chengyue. It was unfair to his date.

    Moreover, he did not see Qi Chengyue get upset.

    When he first heard the idea of a blind date, he did not believe it would work. Unexpectedly, Jiang Xiyao seemed to genuinely like him, as she hade directly to Qilin to see him. He had no choice but to rify things immediately.

    Jiang Xiyao was taken aback. She turned to face the window, gazing out without uttering a word. Suddenly, she murmured, ¡°Yesterday night, I saw you chasing an Audi TT when you left. The person you like is the girl in the car, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not reply. Jiang Xiyao smiled faintly. She stared at her hand, which was holding a cup and slowly rubbing the handle. ¡°I should be mad at you. You like someone else, yet you came on a blind date. Hearing you admit it so frankly, though, I somehow can¡¯t be mad.¡±

    Jiang Xiyao looked at Cheng Dongge earnestly. ¡°Truthfully speaking, my expectations for men are high. I look into various aspects, Not only status and capability, character and many other traits are important too. The reason I agreed to meet you was that I¡¯ve heard about you before. In spite of that, after going out with you just once, I was quite impressed. You met all of my criteria, so I wanted to try developing a rtionship with you. Can you tell me who the girl you like is?¡±

    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± Cheng Dongge replied without hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m still trying to pursue her. Honestly, I only went on a blind date to provoke her, but, in the end, I¡¯m the one whose heart is aching. Even so, it¡¯s my business, I don¡¯t have to reveal anything to others.¡±

    Seeing Cheng Dongge¡¯s stubborn personality, Jiang Xiyao surprisingly kept her cool.

    Jiang Xiyao smiled and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re still trying to pursue her, that means anything can happen. This girl you like... it¡¯s Qi Chengyue, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not expect her to guess right on the first try. He nodded and admitted, ¡°Miss Jiang, how astute of you.¡±

    ¡°I saw that it was Qi Chengyue driving that car yesterday. Besides, when she saw us this afternoon, her expression was ghastly. The things you said to the reporters that day... I first thought it was because Qi Chengzhimanded you to help her out, but, after hearing what you said at the end, I realized you were speaking from the heart.¡± Jiang Xiyao took a deep breath, stood up, and sighed heavily.

    ¡°Since you like Qi Chengyue, now I know who my love rival is. I think I have a chance topete with Qi Chengyue. Although the Jiang family cannotpete with the Qi family in terms of wealth, she has three brothers while I only have one. If you look at how property is going to be split amongst siblings, I would get as much as she does. When ites to looks and character, it¡¯s not for me to decide. I won¡¯t bring up her divorce¨C that would be vile¨C but the reality is that I¡¯m better than her in that regard.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯ve finally met someone I like, I will give it my all to pursue you. You two aren¡¯t together yet, so now¡¯s my chance topete with her fairly,¡± Jiang Xiyao announced confidently.

    Cheng Dongge stood up without saying anything. He did notment on her words, but merely said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡±

    ¡°My car is parked at Qilin. You can just fetch me back to Qilin,¡± Jiang Xiyao replied.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge stopped at the parking lot in front of Qilin. A ck Barbus happened to have stopped there as well. After a while, he saw Li Zhuohui getting off and walking toward the passenger seat. Li Zhuohui opened the door and Qi Chengyue emerged from the car.

    Jiang Xiyao got out of the backseat and took a nce at Qi Chengyue and Li Zhuohui from a distance. She saw Cheng Dongge get out and stare at Qi Chengyue conspicuously.

    Jiang Xiyao smirked. ¡°It seems like you have a love rival too. I hear that Li Zhuohui and Qi Chengyue were schoolmates.¡±

    Cheng Dongge took a quick look at her and simply said, ¡°Miss Jiang, be careful on the road.¡±

    After that, he left.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were on their way to the 4S shop. It was the same shop in which his car was sent to be fixed.

    In the car, Song Yu was visibly uneasy. She turned to Qi Chengzhi. His face gave off a righteous feeling.

    When they stopped at a red light, Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu. Raising his eyebrows, he asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember the day I had lunch with Jian Yi to celebrate me receiving the Qilin Hotel project? The day Chengyue confronted me?¡± asked Song Yu. The light turned green, so Qi Chengzhi shifted his gaze back onto the road.

    ¡°Uh-huh,¡± he answered.

    ¡°You told me you didn¡¯t know about Jian Yi and Chengyue¡¯s rtionship back then, yet just now you mentioned that, when Jian Yi was pursuing her, a bunch of other young men from different families were going after her too. If that¡¯s the case, doesn¡¯t that mean you knew from early on that she was in a rtionship with Jian Yi?¡± It had been on Song Yu¡¯s mind for a long time but she did not want to confront him in front of Qi Chengyue. So she had kept it in until they were alone.

    Qi Chengzhi had identally let it slip. He had not expected her to notice.

    ¡°Say something,¡± Song Yu prodded. From his silence, she could tell what was going on in his head.

    She guessed that he had known about Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s rtionship since the very beginning. Even so, he had not told her. He had wanted her to find out for herself.

    Song Yu felt that she was extremely foolish back then. Especially since she found out that Qi Chengzhi knew about it the entire time, yet she still had sincere feelings for Jian Yi. It was all too embarrassing.

    ¡°Why are you still so caught up with that? Now you want to hold me ountable?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at herposedly.

    ¡°What are you saying?!¡± Song Yu hissed, ¡°It was so humiliating. If you knew back then, why didn¡¯t you tell me? You could have saved me all that shame.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. His elegant hand reached for hers. Holding her hand, he pointed out, ¡°If I did tell you, would you have believed me? Wouldn¡¯t you have thought I was sabotaging your rtionship with Jian Yi?¡±

    Song Yu paused. Hastily, she said, ¡°It¡¯s in the past, let¡¯s not think about it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was rendered speechless.

    Was she not the one who had brought it up to begin with?

    When they reached the 4S shop, the manager thought Qi Chengzhi was there to check their progress on his car. Hurriedly, he exined, ¡°Mister Qi, we have started working on your car, but the damage is quite severe. Even so, we will get it done next week.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to look for a new car,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

    ¡°Then the car...?¡± the manager asked.

    ¡°It still needs to be fixed,¡± Qi Chengzhi rified.

    ¡°Oh, all right!¡± The manager was delighted to hear that. Eagerly, he asked, ¡°Mister Qi, what car would you like to see?¡±

    ¡°Another Range Rover. Can we get the car immediately?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked as he brought Song Yu inside.

    ¡°Yes. Yes, you can.¡± The manager nodded. ¡°Once you have chosen your car, we can go through the required procedures immediately, so you can bring the car home right away.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked for a car simr to the one he had. In the end, he settled for the deluxe version in the same series. Since he had been driving the car for four years, the one he bought was a new model.

    Even though it was a new model, there were only minor differences in the configuration. Overall, there were not many variations.

    Qi Chengzhi rang Chang Lai and asked him to drive the new Range Rover to get it registered. It was registered with the old car¡¯s license te number. After Chang Lai was done, he could pick Song Yu up after work with the new car.

    That afternoon, they still had to drive the Jaguar back. Song Yu thought of the car that was being repaired. ¡°How is the investigation into the ident going?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much to go on. Besides, it has only been a few days. The car did not have a license te. From the footage of Viewpark Residence¡¯s security camera, we can barely make out that the vehicle was a Hummer. Even so, there are many Hummers in B City. Besides, there¡¯s no way we can link the vehicle to Jian Yi. It¡¯s almost definitely a smuggled car or belongs to a leasingpany, though thetter is unlikely. Cheng Dongge has looked into every single repair workshop in B City, but the culprit must have gone to an illegal workshop. What I fear the most is that they may have sent the car out of the district. The country is massive. We would be looking for a needle in a haystack.

    ¡°Chang Lai is investigating smuggled vehicles. If it¡¯s from one of therger organizations in B City, things would be much easier,¡± QI Chengzhi exined, ¡°As for Jian Yi, we know he would not have done this himself. Besides, our private investigator has a confirmed alibi for him on the night of the ident. We can only wait to see if he hired someone to do it.¡±

    Song Yu did not expect it to be soplicated. Every passing day that the culprit was left unchecked, she worried. She was afraid that the culprit might appear again and harm Qi Chengzhi, or even...

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He squeezed her hand. ¡°I¡¯ve hired someone to keep an eye on Jian Yi.¡±

    ...

    ...

    At the Jian family¡¯s home, Zhou Mingyan had two guests over. They were her colleagues. She had retiredst year, but, since the two were two years younger than her, they were still working.

    They lived nearby. The whole area was almost entirely popted by Zhou Mingyan and Jian Shifu¡¯s colleagues.

    These few buildings were staff buildings constructed by Jian Shifu¡¯s team 30 years ago. At that time, housing prices were not as ridiculous as they were now, so many people in the team took advantage of their staff privileges and bought units there.

    Zhou Mingyan and her group were allocated the units at the back. It was very close to where she lived then. Back then, she did not buy any, but her two colleagues did.

    The two of them had heard rumors that she and Jian Shifu wanted a divorce. She was not sure whether they were here to console her or tough at her.

    Zhou Mingyan had not agreed to the divorce yet. Their family register was still firmly grasped in her hands. She did not want a divorce.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Zhou Mingyan said with a fake smile. ¡°We just don¡¯t agree on some things, so we had an argument. It¡¯s true that it was quite a bad fight, but Lao Jian is just throwing a tantrum. Let him cool his head for a few days, then everything will return to normal. We have been husband and wife for decades. I know his temper well. This has happened before, but didn¡¯t we push through it just fine? There¡¯s no couple in the world that has never fought before. The threats tossed out in the heat of an argument; how could anyone believe them?¡±

    ¡°Aiyah! That¡¯s right, I need to call my daughter-inw.¡± Zhou Mingyan took out the new phone that Guan Xiaolin had given her before Jian Yi¡¯s divorce.

    ¡°Daughter-inw?¡± Zheng Cun was stunned. ¡°Isn¡¯t Jian Yi divorced? Even so, you¡¯re still so close with your daughter-inw?¡±

    ¡°Not that one,¡± Zhou Mingyan said rather smugly, ¡°Jian Yi is quite a lovable man. Isn¡¯t there another youngdy from a rich family who wants to be with him no matter what?¡±

    ¡°Oh, now I remember. It¡¯s that Guan Xiaolin who was on the news, isn¡¯t it?¡± Zhang Huizhi said, ¡°In the news, it is said that she was already together with Jian Yi before his divorce. The Qi family found out about it so they wanted a divorce, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no such thing!¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s expression was suddenly thunderous. ¡°How can you trust the news! Isn¡¯t the Qi family just trying to keep their name clean, so they distort the truth and drag my Jian Yi through the mud?! My Jian Yi has no money or power; of course he can¡¯t win against them!¡±

    At that moment, Guan Xiaolin answered the phone. Zhou Mingyan instantly beamed with happiness. In a curiously tender voice, she said, ¡°Xiaolin! It¡¯s me, Jian Yi¡¯s mother.

    ¡°No, I just missed you, so I decided to ring you up. You haven¡¯te to visit for quite some time. I miss you.

    ¡°What? You¡¯re feeling unwell? What¡¯s wrong? Should I pay you a visit? Whatever you feel like eating, your aunt will make it for you.

    ¡°Oh, I see. All right, rest well!¡± Zhou Mingyan hung up. She guffawed with delight. ¡°I already see this child as my daughter-inw. She respects her elders and knows how to read the room before saying anything, unlike the previous one¨C always getting on my nerves! To get on Jian Yi¡¯s good side, Guan Xiaolin is very nice to me. This phone I¡¯m holding was a gift from her.¡±

    ¡°She told you she¡¯s feeling unwell?¡± Zheng Cun asked. In those words, she hid her own agenda.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Zhou Mingyan responded curiously.

    ¡°Oh, isn¡¯t my girl working as a nurse in the Chutian Hospital?¡± Zheng Cun was always ecstatic when talking about her daughter.

    Zhou Mingyan did not like it when she did that. Ever since her daughter was epted by Chutian Hospital, she had been blowing her own horn every day.

    ¡°Due to the news thest few days, Guan Xiaolin is now quite well-known. When she was epted into the hospital, the news spread like wildfire among the doctors and nurses. My girl told me that Guan Xiaolin was there for an abortion surgery. Since she¡¯s feeling unwell, I¡¯m guessing that it¡¯s because she¡¯s still in the hospital recovering from the surgery. I heard that she¡¯ll be discharged tomorrow and that she¡¯ll be headed to the confinement center behind the hospital.¡± Zheng Cun suddenly came to a realization. Her expression changed as she turned to Zhou Mingyan. ¡°That child isn¡¯t Jian Yi¡¯s, is it?

    ¡°Wait, that¡¯s not right. You imed Jian Yi got together with her after his divorce, but the divorce was only a few days ago!¡± Zheng Cun looked at Zhou Mingyan with some empathy in her eyes. ¡°Could it be that she had a child with someone else then got dumped? That¡¯s why she hastily ran into Jian Yi¡¯s arms. Didn¡¯t you say she wants to be with Jian Yi no matter what? Maybe I¡¯m right. Otherwise, why would a richdy like her¡ª¡±

    ¡°What are you saying! That child is Jian Yi¡¯s!¡± Zhou Mingyan interrupted Zheng Cun furiously.

    ¡°Ah, that means they were together before Jian Yi¡¯s divorce? So she¡¯s a mistress! Jian Yi was having an affair! How indecent.¡± Zheng Cun shook her head and said dejectedly, ¡°Even so, why did they throw away the child? Their rtionship is going well, right? Is it because they¡¯re too young? Jian Yi is approaching 30 years old; if he still doesn¡¯t want a child, then when will he want one?¡±

    Zheng Cun blinked. She scooched to the edge of her seat and leaned toward Zhou Mingyan. ¡°Or... the Guan family doesn¡¯t agree?¡±

    Zhou Mingyan could not take it anymore. She leapt from her seat, grabbed her bag, and yelled, ¡°I have some matters to attend to, so I won¡¯t keep you two here any longer!¡±

    Zheng Cun and Zhang Huizhi exchanged nces and snickered. ¡°It¡¯s about time we left, too. We¡¯ve got some stuff to do.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Clutching her bag, Zhou Mingyan was wrathful. She called a cab instead of taking the public bus and went directly to Chutian Hospital. She asked for Guan Xiaolin¡¯s room number and was surprised to learn that she was still in the hospital.

    With a downcast expression, Zhou Mingyan stormed into the elevator. Once she reached Guan Xiaolin¡¯s room, she looked into the window and saw that there was only Guan Xiaolin and a maternity matron.

    The matron that the Guan family employed was a Hakkady, so she knew plenty about foods that help the body recover.

    In that moment, Guan Xiaolin was drinking chicken soup with wine that her matron had stewed for her. Suddenly, the door swung open. Guan Xiaolin looked up and saw Zhou Mingyan entering the room. Taken by surprise, she asked, ¡°Auntie, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were sick? I came to visit you,¡± Zhou Mingyan responded coldly. ¡°What kind of illness do you have? You look fine to me.¡±

    Guan Xiaolin ced the bowl on her bedside table but did not say a word.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything? Are you too ashamed to talk to me? Too ashamed to look at me?¡± Zhou Mingyan hissed, clenching her teeth.

    ¡°It looks like you already know. That¡¯s right. I had an abortion.¡± Guan Xiaolin was in no mood to deal with Zhou Mingyan. Zhou Mingyan was not the only one infuriated¨C Guan Xiaolin was doubly so. The Qi family pushed her to the point where she had to abort her own child. How could she possibly ept that?

    Seeing Zhou Mingyan have the nerve to interrogate her as if she was somemon criminal, she was all the more enraged.

    She had never liked Zhou Mingyan. She had only put up with her to get on her good side.

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of the Qi¡ª¡± Just as Guan Xiaolin was about to say the word ¡®Qi¡¯, she was pped by Zhou Mingyan¡¯s bag.

    The bag had a metal base. As the bag swung toward her, the edge of it hit her face, tearing a cut near her temple.

    Guan Xiaolin was overwhelmed with pain; she did not realize how weak she was from the surgery. Her face was pale. From a single hit from Zhou Mingyan, she copsed back on the bed.

    Before she could sit back up, Zhou Mingyan¡¯s bag swung again.

    Zhou Mingyan had lost it. She did not hear a word Guan Xiaolin said after that. She grabbed her hair, pulled her head up, and continued hitting her with her bag.

    ¡°How could you abort Jian Yi¡¯s child?! How could you abort my Jian family¡¯s child?! How could you abort my grandchild?! You couldn¡¯t even tell me¨C do you think you¡¯re so great just because you¡¯re rich?! You didn¡¯t even discuss this with Jian Yi, did you? When I called you, you didn¡¯t even think about informing me! Aborting your own child, just how wicked are you?!¡± Zhou Mingyan had gone crazy with rage. She kept hitting and hitting her.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s matron knew that things were escting too far. She rushed to get help, but, by the time she returned, Zhou Mingyan had dragged Guan Xiaolin down from the bed. Guan Xiaolin was sprawled t on the floor.

 Chapter 220 - If You Want to Go Back to an Ex, at Least Choose a Better One!

    <h4>Chapter 220: If You Want to Go Back to an Ex, at Least Choose a Better One!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s matron knew that things were escting too far. She rushed to get help, but, by the time she returned, Zhou Mingyan had dragged Guan Xiaolin down from the bed. Guan Xiaolin was sprawled t on the floor.

    Her matron was horrified as Guan Xiaolin was only wearing the thin hospital nightgown. She tried to haul Zhou Mingyan away. ¡°What are you doing?! She just had an abortion! What if she catches a cold? Let go of her! Why are you hitting her?!¡±

    ¡°She deserves to be hit! Guan Xiaolin, how dare you abort my grandchild?!¡± Zhou Mingyan screamed fiercely.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one carrying the child! I can do whatever I want with it! Zhou Mingyan, who do you think you are?! Acting as if you¡¯re already my mother-inw, barging in here, pointing fingers at me! And now you¡¯re hitting me? I didn¡¯t say that I would marry Jian Yi, so who gave you the right to scold me like this?! I was the one carrying the child! What counts is my decision!¡± Guan Xialoin was so enraged, her words seemed apanied by me. Zhou Mingyan was out of her mind! How dare this arrogant fool walk in here and hit her?!

    ¡°Let go! Zhou Mingyan, let go of me, you hag! Stop and think about the position you¡¯re in! You¡¯re just a beggarly woman pretending to be someone big! Don¡¯t you dare act as if you¡¯re my mother-inw! Even if I marry Jian Yi, your family is still dependant on the Guan family. Without us, you¡¯re nothing! Even Jian Yi is dependant on me, you and your family are all nobodies! Even if I had kept this child, I could have given it the ¡®Guan¡¯ surname if I wanted to! I can even ask Jian Yi to marry into my family and he would have to agree! You have no say in any of this!

    ¡°The only reason I treated you well was to earn your good favor, but now I don¡¯t have to! After all, I can¡¯t marry Jian Yi, so what makes you think that I will continue to treat you well? Or even continue pretending that I am your daughter-inw? LET GO OF ME!¡±

    Hearing Guan Xiaolin¡¯s words, Zhou Mingyan was even more infuriated. She struck her even harder.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s hospital gown hitched upwards, exposing her belly to the cold floor.

    She was extremely weak and called out to her matron, ¡°What are you still standing there for?! Fight her off for me! Do you want her beat me to death?! Zhou Mingyan, you lunatic!¡±

    Of course, the matron did not dare hit her. She could only try to pull Zhou Mingyan away with all her might. ¡°Stop hitting her! Stop! You¡¯re being irrational! Let go!¡±

    Finally, the hospital staff arrived. A doctor hurriedly dragged Zhou Mingyan away while a nurse helped Guan Xiaolin onto the bed. They were all shocked at Guan Xiaolin¡¯s horrible condition.

    Guan Xiaolin¡¯s forehead was covered in blood and her eyes and cheeks were swollen.

    Zhou Mingyan still had not calmed down. Even while the doctor was restraining her, she pointed her long index finger at Guan Xiaolin and yelled, ¡°She aborted my grandchild! Give me back my grandchild! Give it back!¡±

    When the nurse came in, she had already called the police and informed the Guan family about the situation.

    The police arrived first, followed by the Guan family. Not long after, Guan Youbo and Yao Huimin dashed in.

    The nurse had informed them of the situation over the phone, distressing Yao Huimin.

    Guan Xiaolin had justpleted a surgery; she was supposed to let her body recover and rest, not involve herself in a fight. Abortion aftercare was just as important as postnatal care. It was imperative that the woman receives as much rest as possible.

    Yao Huimin rushed to Guan Xiaolin¡¯s bedside. The doctor had examined her injuries while the nurse cleaned the wounds. With the blood gone, the wound appeared less ghastly.

    Yao Huimin let out a sigh of relief before her eyes fell on the blood-soaked gauze. She growled and darted in front of Zhou Mingyan. ¡°You psychopath! This isn¡¯t over!¡±

    A police officer yanked Yao Huimin back. Guan Youbo pointed at Zhou Mingyan and dered, ¡°This is not the end. I¡¯ll see you in court!¡±

    With the utterance of those words, the police had no choice but to bring Zhou Mingyan, Guan Youbo, and Yao Huimin down to the station.

    Jian Yi, who had received a call from the station, rushed down. When Yao Huimin saw him, she grabbed onto him and started beating him.

    ¡°Is it not enough that you harmed my daughter! Now even your mom is tormenting her?! Your whole family is vile! My daughter must have been blind to have chosen you! Look how much harm you have brought upon her, you b*stard!¡± Yao Huimin pummelled him with all her might.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± eximed Zhou Mingyan crossly. She was ready to throw a punch.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on!¡± yelled the vexed officer, his loud booming voice ending the rain of punches.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you, we will sue you for assault! Just wait until we put you behind bars!¡± Yao Huimin threatened angrily.

    ¡°Let us get the paperwork done,¡± the police officed told Jian Yi.

    Once everything was in order, Jian Yi left the station with Zhou Mingyan in tow. By then, both: Guan Youbo and Yao Huimin had departed for the hospital. They had received a call from the hospital saying that Guan Xiaolin was running a fever.

    The surgery had left Guan Xiaolin weak, and she could not afford to contract any sort of illness, for it could render her infertile. News of the fever drained the color and life from Yao Huimin¡¯s face, as she and Guan Youbo rushed to the hospital.

    Zhou Mingyan was weeping. She had calmed a little at the station, but with the threat of thewsuit looming over her head she broke down once more.

    ¡°Jian Yi, what should we do? That Guan Xiaolin didn¡¯t say a word before aborting your child, and now, they want to sue me! They¡¯re the real bullies here!¡± Zhou Mingyan imed.

    Jian Yi held back his near bursting anger. He could not fathom how Zhou Mingyan was still causing him so much trouble, especially when he himself was swamped with troubles of his own.

    Jian Yi mmed the door which he had just opened. The sound, like a thunderp, caused Zhou Mingye to jump.

    ¡°Why did you go see Guan Xiaolin? Why did you hit her?¡± snapped Jian Yi.

    ¡°I was angry! Who gave her the right to abort my grandchild?! You two were going to get married. I have always hoped for grandchildren but she made her own decision to have an abortion! Does she even see us as her family?¡± wailed Zhou Mingyan.

    ¡°So you went ahead and beat her up? Mom use your brain! I¡¯m no longer the Qi family¡¯s son-inw, you don¡¯t have a backdoor to escape out of anymore, and yet you still dared to hit her and cause a scene? I can¡¯t help you if they want to sue you!¡± His voice grew sharper with each word; anger escaping his tight control.

    ¡°But... butst time you allowed me to go to Qilin to confront Qi Chengyue, so why can¡¯t I do the same to Guan Xiaolin? Is the Guan family more fearsome than the Qi family? If you¡¯re not afraid of the Qi family, why would you be scared of the Guan family?¡± Zhou Mingyan bewilderedly demanded. Her mind could notprehend their changing circumstances. To her, the actions she took carried the same oue, since the actions themselves were the same.

    ¡°The same?! When I let you confront Qi Chengyue did I let you hit her?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s chest hurt with constricted exasperation. He always knew Zhou Mingyan was as dumb as a bag of rocks but at least she was obedient; she had always followed his instructions wlessly.

    Her devising her own ns came as an unexpectedly unpleasant revtion. Her shallow brain incapable of sophistication was worse than that of a swine¡¯s.

    ¡°When it came to Qi Chengyue I had photos as proof, so the Qi family can¡¯t do anything. Guan Xiaolin was carrying my child. If she wants the child to be with its biological father, the Guan family would be my backdoor. But, since the Guan family refused to acknowledge the child, she had no other choice apart from abortion. The only way I could have married Guan Xiaolin was if the Guan family disowns her, and why would I want to marry her then?¡± Erupting, he mmed his fist on the car door of his Renault sedan.

    The Cayenne, smashed by Chang Lia, was gone, along with his ability to afford luxury cars. This car hade from a smuggler for half the price of the unit in the 4S showroom.

    The Qi family had spread the word against him; anypany in the same industry would not employ him. He had to give up his expertise and settle for a job as a petty business manager handling imports and exports in a tradingpany. Regardless, it came with the advantage of having a flexible schedule. He had extra time toe up with ns for his future; he had no intention of staying here forever.

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s lips and jaw began to tremble. Her face was as pale as death. Fear finally caught up to her.

    She grabbed onto Jian Yi¡¯s arm; her grip was strong, like that of a drowning man clinging on to a piece of driftwood. ¡°Then... then what should we do... if they... if they are serious about taking me to court? What should we do? Can our family still get awyer? What if... what if I get sent to prison? How long is the sentence for assault? Jian Yi, you have to save me. You have to save your mom. Please don¡¯t let your mom go to jail.¡±

    Jian Yi kept silent.

    ¡°I... I was too impulsive. I wanted to take revenge in your stead! I did this for you, Jian Yi. You have to help me. Ah, what should I do...¡± Zhou Mingyan wept noisily. ¡°What if... what if we... we implore the Qi family? Can we go talk to Qi Chengyue and ask for her help? Despite everything, you two were still a married couple. She has to help, right?¡± Zhou Mingyan suggested urgently.

    Jian Yi pulled his arm away and urged her into the passenger seat. ¡°Get in the car. We¡¯ll think of a way out when we get home.¡±

    ¡°Ya!¡± Zhou Mingyan nodded quickly. Jian Yi¡¯s wordsforted her.

    Nevertheless, her wails and tears did not stop until they arrived home. ¡°Oh, what did I do to deserve this? The Guan family is full of big bullies! Guan Xiaolin, that two-faced hypocrite! She acted so pleasantly before this, yet now she turns around and treats me like a stranger! What kind of creature is she! The Guan family looks down on us simply because we¡¯re poor! Well, I me your dad! If he was more capable, you and I wouldn¡¯t have been dragged down with him. Even if we couldn¡¯tpete with the Guan family or the Qi family, at least we wouldn¡¯t be nobodies that they can bully however much they want! They won¡¯t dare take me to court so easily! Even Guan Xiaolin wouldn¡¯t dare abort the child without consent! But, due to his ipetence, you have to work so hard. You had a different starting pointpared to all those other men! You worked hundreds of thousands of times harder than them to get where you are. If your dad had put in half the effort you¡¯re putting in now, we wouldn¡¯t be living in this dump and you wouldn¡¯t have to plod through such a difficult life!¡±

    Jian Yi was exasperated by her constant rambling. His heart thundered with hatred, yet he did not allow a word to slip past his teeth. He knew that if one word were to escape he would not be able to stop the torrent that would follow. If that were to happen, Zhou Mingyan would never let him hear the end of it.

    Atst, they arrived. Zhou Mingyan took out her key and inserted it into the keyhole. The door clicked open with the key¡¯s light touch.

    ¡°I locked the door when I left!¡± Zhou Mingyan stated in a panic. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me there was a break-in! How can so many unfortunate things happen at the same time!¡±

    Jian Yi did not reply. He pushed the door open and saw a pair of men¡¯s leather shoes on the floor.

    Zhou Mingyan saw it too and rejoiced. She pointed at the shoes and said, ¡°Those are your dad¡¯s. It seems like he¡¯s done throwing his tantrum.¡±

    The two of them entered and saw Jian Shifu sitting on the sofa in the living room.

    ¡°Ah, you finally thought this through and knew toe home!¡± Seeing Jian Shifu sitting thereposedly, Zhou Mingyan brightened.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for the divorce! What do you think you¡¯ll achieve by clutching on to the family register!¡± Jian Shifu barked.

    Zhou Mingyan froze. ¡°You... you still want a divorce?¡±

    ¡°When I said I wanted a divorce did you think I was ying ¡®house¡¯ with you?¡± Jian Shifu red at her impatiently.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing it! If you want a divorce, then we¡¯ll take this to court! I¡¯ve done my research! As long as I don¡¯t agree, it bes a contested divorce. We will go through court-ordered mediation, but if we still fail toe to term, you will have to wait for another six months before you can get an appeal,¡± Zhou Mingyan revealed. Her eyes had turned red. ¡°Jian Shifu, you horrible man! I was so wronged to the point that I did things that might send me to jail, and, yet, you don¡¯t care! All you want is to divorce me. Being married to you for all these years is a huge waste of time!¡±

    Jian Shifu frowned. He turned to Jian Yi and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    Before Jian Yi could say anything, Zhou Mingyan started bawling again. She repeated the words she said in the car over and over again. Finally, Jian Shifu managed to get a rough idea of the situation.

    ¡°Haha,¡± he sneered. ¡°Zhou Mingyan, oh Zhou Mingyan. You never change. Every time you did something wrong, you me it on others: It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s the Guan family¡¯s fault, it¡¯s the Qi family¡¯s fault, it¡¯s the whole world¡¯s fault. All except yours. The whole world is bullying you, the whole world has wronged you. I¡¯m not going to try talking sense into you anymore. It¡¯s not like you¡¯ll listen. You¡¯ll just im I¡¯m bullying you, being biased against you.¡±

    Jian Shifu stood up and shook his head in disappointment. ¡°Hiding the family register, you want to hold on to this marriage so badly right? Fine by me. I¡¯ll wait then. As long as we remain separate for two years, I can get my divorce! It¡¯s about time you learned your lesson. You have gone too long with your daring! It doesn¡¯t matter what kind of person Guan Xiaolin is, how could you hit someone who just went through an abortion?! If she bes infertile you¡¯re in huge trouble! Karma wille after you for all the rotten things you¡¯ve done!¡±

    Having said that, Jian Shifu left without a backward nce.

    Zhou Mingyan was stunned for a few seconds. Then she sat down on the floor and started to pound her thighs with her fists as she wailed lustily. She howled, ¡°Ahh! That heartless man! I might go to jail and, yet, he has the heart to say things like that! Oh, what should I do!¡±

    Jian Yi sighed, ¡°I still need to go to work. I¡¯ll help you think of something. I want you to stay at home. Don¡¯t go anywhere.¡±

    After saying that, he left too.

    ...

    ...

    Throughout the night Guan Xiaolin battled the raging fever that, thankfully, broke with the dawn. When her doctor came in to check up on her he subtly asked Yao Huimin and Guan Youbo to see him outside.

    ¡°Doctor, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Yao Huimin inquired anxiously. From the doctor¡¯s expression and the fact that they had to exit the room, she could tell it was not good news.

    ¡°Mrs. Guan, Ms. Guan¡¯s uterus has be infected and there is a chance that she might be infertile,¡± the doctor revealed quietly.

    ¡°What!¡± Yao Huimin¡¯s face nched with horror. She stumbled backward but Guan Youbo quickly caught her. ¡°But... but wasn¡¯t she fine yesterday? During the after-surgery-check-up, wasn¡¯t everything fine? And yesterday morning you said she was recovering well. Is it... is it because of the incident yesterday?¡±

    The doctor did not answer her question but merely exined, ¡°There is only a chance, but I¡¯m notifying you now so that you can prepare yourselves mentally in case anything happens. We will need your help to convince Miss Guan to cooperate with us so her treatment can continue smoothly. Whether you tell Miss Guan the truth ispletely up to you, however, for the time being, I rmend that you hold off on that first. You two are Miss Guan¡¯s pirs of support now, so you must put up a strong front to avoid adding on to her emotional distress. Now is a crucial time for her. She is already devastated about the abortion, if she gets another emotional blow, I¡¯m afraid...¡±

    ¡°I get it. We will definitely keep this a secret.¡± Yao Huimin nodded. In the end, she could not hold back her tears any longer. ¡°Xiaolin is so young! How can she lose her chance to be a mother? Can a woman¡¯s life beplete if she can¡¯t be a mother? She still needs to find a husband. Oh! What family would want a daughter-inw who can¡¯t bear children?! If she bes infertile, what will she do in the future?!¡±

    Yao Huimin leaned onto Guan Youbo¡¯s shoulder, sobbing. Guan Youbo shared in her fears. ¡°Undoubtedly, we will keep it from her. She¡¯s already devastated by the abortion. We don¡¯t want to overwhelm her. However, Director Liu, please tell us honestly: What are her chances of being cured?¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Director Liu frowned. He admitted, ¡°In these cases, it¡¯s difficult to tell. I can¡¯t give you an exact answer but do know that we will give it our all.¡±

    Hearing that, Guan Youbo knew that tragedy was imminent.

    Once Director Liu left, Guan Youbo dered, ¡°We can¡¯ty a finger on the Qi family, but when ites to Zhou Mingyan and Jian Yi whopletely destroyed Xiaolin¡¯s life, I will never let them go!¡±

    With tears flooding her face, Yao Huimin added fiercely, ¡°We will make them pay!¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the evening, at the end of working hours, Qi Chengyue came to the 25th floor but soon realized Cheng Dongge was not at his desk. Suddenly, the door beside her opened with a click. Qi Chengyue turned her head nervously but realized it was only Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Do you need anything?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked, raising an eyebrow.

    Even with a simple question, Qi Chengyue felt that her brother was teasing her. It was because of this, she had longe to the conclusion that her brother had been born sarcastic.

    ¡°No, I was leaving something in the secretary¡¯s office.¡± Qi Chengyue casually pointed at Cheng Dongge¡¯s desk and asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t Cheng Dongge here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s after working hours, of course, he¡¯s not here.¡± Qi Chengzhi entered the elevator while Qi Chengyue followed. He shot her a nce and teased, ¡°You sure care about him a lot!¡±

    ¡°Big Brother, stop talking nonsense!¡± Qi Chengyue refuted rudely. ¡°I saw that he wasn¡¯t at his desk, so I just asked. It was the only thing I could think to ask when I see you, the boss, who hasn¡¯t left yet and he has?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted. He raised an eyebrow and said, ¡°I don¡¯t care about these things.¡±

    Qi Chengyue and Qi Chengzhi took the elevator down together. As the approached the front door, they saw Huang Ziyue. Unexpectedly, she was standing next to Cheng Dongge.

    Huang Ziyue was wearing a white blouse paired with an asymmetrical, pink chiffon skirt. On the front, the skirt only covered her knees while at the back, it draped all the way to her ankles. She wore a pair of nude color, pointed high heels, which appeared to be from Ferragamo.

    Her hands, ced in front of her, were holding a pink LadyDior.

    Seeing Huang Ziyue wearing branded items from top to toe, Qi Chengyue pouted tauntingly.

    Huang Ziyue and Cheng Dongge were standing face-to-face. Qi Chengyue could not tell what they were talking about. All he could see was Cheng Dongge¡¯s deadpanned expression.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped in his tracks and turned back to Qi Chengyue. Raising as eyebrow, he asked, ¡°Why did you stop?¡±

    ¡°No reason!¡± Qi Chengyue imed. She continued walking, but, instead of passing them by, she walked out of the other side door. While walking, she turned back to steal another glimpse at Cheng Dongge. He did not even notice her. His eyes were fixed on Huang Ziyue.

    Qi Chengyue frowned. Feeling dested, she reminded herself that Cheng Dongge and Huang Ziyue had three years of history together. How could shepete?

    With Huang Ziyue around, of course he would not notice her.

    Even so, she was curious as to why Huang Ziyue came to see him. Did she regret breaking up with Cheng Dongge?

    Huang Ziyue was all dolled up; she had the aura of a goddess. Even Qi Chengyue thought her bewitching.

    ¡°At the end of the day, they still share years of history. They had even discussed their marriage. It¡¯s not something that can be let go of so easily. Surprisingly, Cheng Dongge isn¡¯t immune from such feelings.¡± Qi Chengzhi was walking beside Qi Chengyue, watching Cheng Dongge and Huang Ziyue from a distant. ¡°Judging from Huang Ziyue¡¯s manner, it seems like she¡¯s here to rekindle their rtionship. Judging by Cheng Dongge¡¯s fondness for nostalgia, I would say she will seed if she begs hard enough.¡±

    ¡°Big Brother, when have you be such a busybody, always worrying about other people¡¯s affairs!¡± Qi Chengyueined and stormed off, annoyed.

    Cheng Dongge took a nce at Qi Chengyue as she passed by in front of him to get to her car. Huang Ziyue noticed this and turned her head as well, but, by that time, Qi Chengyue had disappeared into the crowd.

    Qi Chengyue got in her car and mmed the door shut. She saw that Cheng Dongge and Huang Ziyue were still standing at the front door.

    ¡°If you want to go back to an ex, at least choose a better one! This one is rotten to the core, yet you¡¯re still happily diving into her arms! Everyone in thepany knows why Huang Ziyue broke up with you, yet you two can stand there in front of thepany where everyone can see you! Everyone knows you¡¯ve been cheated on, yet you still stand there talking to your ex-girlfriend so pleasantly! How humiliating!¡± Qi Chengyue clenched her teeth and ranted as she red at the duo from her car.

    Even after she said that her eyes began to sting. Her face was heating up and her vision became blurry.

    She stared at Cheng Dongge and screamed, ¡°Cheng Dongge, even you are unreliable! What hope is there for men, when even you, the most reliable of men, can¡¯t be relied on!¡±

    Qi Chengyue could not continue. She buried her head in the steering wheel and wept.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Dongge is it alright if I disturb you for a while? I have something to tell you. It¡¯s important,¡± Huang Ziyue murmured. ¡°I made a reservation at Shengyue. Can we talk over dinner?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I have things to attend to,¡± Cheng Dongge said coldly, ready to leave.

    Huang Ziyue quickly grabbed his arm. ¡°Dongge, you¡¯re still mad at me, aren¡¯t you? Can you please give me a chance? I just want to talk to you. Here in B City, I don¡¯t have any friends or rtives, and I can¡¯t trust my colleagues. I only have you. I don¡¯t know who else to turn to. Dongge, I have a stomachful of things I need to say. Please hear me out. I really can¡¯t find anyone else to talk to.¡±

    Cheng Dongge clenched his teeth. His lips were pressed into a stern, thin line.

    Being grabbed by her in front of thepany while she went on and on was not a sight Cheng Dongge wanted to be seen in.

    Furthermore, it was the time when everyone got off work. All his colleagues who passed by would steal a nce at them.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s brows knitted tightly together. ¡°If you want to talk, let¡¯s find a ce. No need for dinner.¡±

    After saying that, Cheng Dongge headed straight to the parking lot. He did not even wait for her.

    Huang Ziyue did not dare to ask him for much more. She was afraid he would walk away from her. Speedily, she caught up to him and kept with his pace. Unlike before, Cheng Dongge neither slowed down for her nor did he walk on the outer side of the road.

    Cheng Dongge stood beside his car and scanned the parking lot until he found Qi Chengyue¡¯s car.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s Audi TT windows did not have a dark tint, and, through the windshield, he could see that Qi Chengyue had her face buried in the steering wheel.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s stomach twisted. He felt the urge to go up to her and ask her what¡¯s wrong, but Huang Ziyue had opened the passenger seat door.

    Cheng Dongge marched over to the other side; his feet eating the ground. With a bang, he mmed the door shut.

    Huang Ziyue was in aplete daze. She stared at him, not knowing how to react.

    ¡°The passenger seat is reserved for mydy. You sit at the back,¡± Cheng Dongge said with a straight face. He had said the exact same thing to Jiang Xiyao, and she had noints about sitting in the backseat.

    Huang Ziyue¡¯s jaw dropped. She nced at the passenger seat again in shock. ¡°You... have a girlfriend already?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not reply but opened the backseat door. With a perplexed expression, she looked at him again and then reluctantly got in the car. She has never sat in the backseat of his Touareg before. From her seat, she could only see the back of his head. Here in the back she felt extremely distanced from him.

    Qi Chengyue raised her head. She opened the glovepartment and took out a box of tissues. She pulled out two sheets to wipe her tears. Once again, she nced at the front door of Qilin, but Chang Dongge and Huang Ziyue were gone.

    Biting her lips, she drove off.

    Huang Ziyue sat in the backseat with a confused look on her face. She asked, ¡°Who... is your girlfriend? Is she a colleague of yours?¡±

    She waited for what felt like an eternity, but Cheng Dongge never said a word.

    Huang Ziyue twidled her thumbs. Her fingers were icy-cold. ¡°Dongge, you hate me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Cheng Dongge took a nce at her through the rear-view mirror and said, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re a nice guy. You only said that so that I won¡¯t be troubled by it. You should hate me.¡± Huang Ziyue hung and tucked her hair.

    Cheng Dongge observed her through the review mirror... He sucked in his lips.

    He genuinely did not hate her.

    When she lost her temper at Qi Chengyue, he was indeed furious. Strangely, he did not feel that way afterward. He could not bring himself to hate her even if he wanted to.

    After all, they were together for three years. Even he felt weird treating her like that.

    However, when Cheng Dongge thought back on it calmly, he realized that he started dating Huang Ziyue because her persistence touched him, so he thought they could give it a try. When they got engaged, Cheng Dongge did it simply out of a sense of responsibility. Three years brought on a sense of responsibility, prompting him to act.

 Chapter 221 - I Reserve That Seat for My Girlfriend Only. Do You Wish to Sit In It?

    <h4>Chapter 221: I Reserve That Seat for My Girlfriend Only. Do You Wish to Sit In It?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After Cheng Dongge calmly thought it through, he supposed that he started a rtionship with Huang Ziyue because he was touched by her persistence in the beginning, and thought that it was worth a try. He engaged with herter as he felt that he needed to be responsible. However, they had been together for three years now and it was time to straighten things out.

    He had never truly fallen in love with her.

    Maybe he was truly fond of her, but the feeling was different from what he felt towards Qi Chengyue.

    In reality, this was a huge world with countless individuals. How many of us could meet the one special person in our lives who could think and feel the way true lovers do?

    Most of us would make do with someone whom we felt affection toward; otherwise, we might never find the love we fantasize about for the rest of our lives.

    ¡°I saw you confess to Qi Chengyue on the news the other day, and I was heartbroken. That was when I knew that I would be unable to let you go. I knew you did that because, as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant, you were obligated to help Qi Chengyue out. Despite that, I still felt heartsore because I had lost something that once belonged to me. I found that I have always loved you, and it is impossible for me to let you go,¡± said Huang Xinyue earnestly.

    Cheng Dongge frowned and looked at the rearview mirror. He saw that Huang Xinyue¡¯s face was full of regret and sorrow. He had never realized that she was so good at talking to herself.

    Initially, she had thought that he despised her, but, now that she had mentioned that his confession had just been a temporary measure to help Qi Chengyue out, she seemed to disregard the things he had said before.

    ¡°I knew I had been mistaken and lost my bearings, but now I¡¯ve figured it out. Dongge, if I were to break up with Gao Jingqiu, could you forgive me and be with me again? I know I¡¯ve hurt you, probably to the point where you can¡¯t trust me like you did before. But I believe that, in time, I will prove myself to you again. It¡¯s okay if we don¡¯t get engaged or never wed. This time, I¡¯ll prove to you that I will never betray you again.¡± Huang Xinyue was sitting in the backseat, to the side of Cheng Dongge, looking at him yearningly.

    ¡°You came to see me because you wanted to tell me this?¡± Cheng Dongge asked indifferently.

    Huang Xinyue lowered her head and spoke softly. ¡°At first, I nned to have a meal with you, but I know that you are still angry with me, so I might as well tell you now. It may not be good timing, but I really needed you to know.¡±

    Cheng Dongge took a nce at the roadside. This ce was far enough from Qilin, it was unlikely that they would be seen by his colleagues, so he stopped his car by the curb and said, ¡°Get out.¡±

    After saying that, he exited first.

    Huang Xinyue thought Cheng Dongge was going to bring her to a caf¨¦ or the like. She took a look at the street nearby and saw a few shops which had quite nice appearances. This cleared her doubts. She came out of the car too.

    Unexpectedly, Cheng Dongge opened the door of the driver¡¯s seat and nodded at her coolly. ¡°Goodbye.¡±

    He then shut the door and drove away before she could get back inside in time.

    Huang Xinyue stood there, mouth agape and speechless, watching him drive his Touareg farther and farther away. Once the car was out of sight, she looked around and decided to take a taxi; but it would be very difficult to get a taxi at this time of day.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge drove his car to the entrance of his residential area but did not enter. He stopped his car by the road and phoned his neighbor.

    ¡°Uncle Zhang, it¡¯s me, Cheng Dongge,¡± said Cheng. ¡°Are you still sawing wood downstairs?¡±

    His neighbor, Uncle Zhang, had retired and did not have any other hobby besides carpentry. He would be sawing wood into pieces to be made into small tables or shelves on his long bench downstairs for the whole day, regardless of the seasons of the year.

    ¡°Still there? That¡¯s great, Can you help me to look for an Audi TT. It¡¯s silver in color, and the te number is N3633,¡± said Cheng Dongge.

    Qi Chengyue was a forting person and usually wore a candid expression, so it was easy to predict her actions.

    She surely could not restrain herself after seeing him with Huang Xinyue. There was a 90 percent chance that she would be waiting at his house for him to return.

    Uncle Zhang asked him to wait for a moment and went to have a look. After a while, he told him that there was indeed an Audi TT stopping in front of his block.

    The corners of Cheng Dongge¡¯s mouth could not help but curve upwards. He thanked him and stayed in the car without going back to his house.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue could not stop staring at the time disyed on her car¡¯s screen. It was already eight. Maybe he had forgiven Huang Xinyue and they were on a date?

    Or... They had gone to...

    They may have inevitably experienced some resurgence of their old passion after not seeing each other for a long time.

    Maybe they had gone to a hotel?

    Otherwise, may she witness Cheng Dongge bringing Huang Xinyue back to his home soon?

    Qi Chengyue had a hand pressing on her tummy. Her stomach was empty as she had not eaten. She was feeling periodic waves of sharp pain in her stomach because of her gastritis.

    Her left arm was supporting her bent body on the steering wheel and her right hand was pressing on her stomach. She was suffering and feeling sorry for herself.

    The lights inside her car were turned off. All of a sudden, a pair of beaming headlights shone directly at her, blinding her. She used her hands to block the light and saw Cheng Dongge sitting inside the Touareg through her narrowed eyes.

    She promptly wiped away her tears and sat up straight. She forgot about her stomach ache. She stared nervously at him, unsure if she could take it if she saw Cheng Dongge and Huang Ziyue getting out the car together.

    She felt miserable and could not stop her tears when she thought about the possibility.

    Her heart was beating so fast, it was as if it was going to burst out from her throat. Finally, the car¡¯s headlights turned off. A whileter, a person exited the car.

    Cheng Dongge was alone with nobody beside him, and it was impossible that anyone else woulde out of the car because he had just locked the doors.

    Qi Chengyue exploded in anger as she watched Cheng Dongge walk towards her.

    She could no longer hide. She furiously mmed her door shut with a ferocious swing. She locked her car doors and stalked toward Cheng Dongge.

    Upon seeing her, Cheng Dongge asked in a surprisingly nonchnt tone, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    He opened his unit¡¯s door and walked straight inside.

    Qi Chengyue caught up with him immediately inside the elevator. As the elevator ascended, she could not restrain herself further. ¡°You had dinner with Huang Ziyue? Are you getting back together with her?¡± demanded Qi Chengyue.

    Cheng Dongge nced at her but remained silent.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, answer me!¡± Qi Chengyue raised her head furiously.

    The elevator stopped. Cheng Dongge walked out of the elevator quietly. Qi Chengyue followed after him while stamping her feet unable to find another way to express her anger.

    Cheng Dongge opened the door to his house and Qi Chengyue followed him inside.

    Qi Chengyue mmed the door forcefully behind her. ¡°Why did Huang Ziyuee and meet you? By the look of it, she seems unable to get over you. Are you getting back together with her?¡±

    Cheng Dongge dropped his house and car keys into a ss bowl on the cab by the door while walking towards the living room. He loosened his tie and threw his coat casually over the sofa.

    ¡°Talk to me! What are you trying to achieve by keeping quiet?¡± Qi Chengyue who was filled with rage followed him into the living room.

    ¡°Why do you care about me? You are not my girlfriend. Why are you so concerned about who I see or get back together with?¡± Cheng Dongge turned his body and looked at her. His calm and unperturbed expression was in stark contrast to her fury.

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, do you have any self-respect? She treated you so badly, and now you want to throw yourself her again just because she¡¯s returned? Both of you were standing right in front of thepany¡¯s entrance, clearly seen by all your colleagues. Aren¡¯t you afraid of being theughing stock of thepany?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes were bloodshot from exasperation.

    ¡°You are always afraid of what people are saying. This is my private matter; why should I care what others think? I am not living for the sake of others. As long as I am happy, do their opinions really matter?¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s expression turned serious as he countered her indifferently.

    ¡°Even so, Huang Ziyue has let you down before! There are so many women avable, why must you choose Huang Ziyue even though you have many other choices? You were being yed for a fool before, yet you are still willing to ept her now that she had returned to you? Although you will get yed by her once again? Cheng Dongge, how deep is your love to make you foolishly ept her without question? You know her true character, don¡¯t you? There are many women better than her. She could betray you again; she¡¯s done it before! You can get back together with her if she is a good woman, but how can you ept an awful woman like her?¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes were reddening obviously now.

    ¡°Why are you so emotional? You followed me to my blind date, and now you¡¯re upset that you saw Huang Ziyue meeting me today. No matter what I¡¯ve said, you¡¯ve refused to start a rtionship with me, so why do you care about who I am seeing? Even if I am cheated on by her again, so what? How could you stop me from dating other women and starting a new life when you keep rejecting me? I may be making a fool of myself by taking her back, but who are you toment on me?¡± Cheng Dongge was ring at Qi Chengyue, his stony expression ruthless.

    Qi Chengyue was dumbfounded. She clenched her teeth until her chin started to tremble. ¡°Cheng Dongge, you said you love me, right? Is this the way you love someone? Falling in love with me, dating the person you met on a blind date, and forgiving your ex-girlfriend all at the same time? No man is trustworthy nowadays, right? Is it necessary for you to humiliate me? Jian Yi is shameless: he married me and fell in love with another woman. But you made me believe that there are still dependable men who truly know how to love a woman and cherish her. But now you are doing this to me. Are you trying to tell me that men should not be trusted?¡±

    Qi Chengyue burst into tears, waving her hand at him, but not really hitting him.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s my fault, I definitely cannot be with you, but I still try to get involved in your matters. I can¡¯t help it, even though I know I¡¯m acting crazy! Yes, I love you. I absolutely adore you. I could neither tolerate seeing you be with another woman, nor go for blind dates, nor be in love with other women and gaining their favor. I don¡¯t like it and can¡¯t stand for it at all! I would still continue following you to your blind dates in the future, although I know that I have no right to do so. I can¡¯t bear the thought of Huang Ziyue getting back together with you. I am not letting you get bullied again. Nobody is allowed to be with you!

    ¡°Cheng Dongge, I like you. I wish to be the woman who has the privilege to be angry at you, to feel jealous, and to take care of you. Not letting other women approach you! That¡¯s what I want to do! You are such a viin, you¡¯ve made me feel so sad. You said you love me. How could you change so fast? I never imagined a person could change this fast. If you met a woman you deemed suitable for you, are you going to bring her for registration of marriage right away? Then don¡¯t care about me anymore¨C¡±

    All of a sudden, Cheng Dongge extended his arms and pulled her into his embrace. Before she could say anything, he used his lips to seal her mouth.

    Qi Chengyue felt him m his burning lips on hers. His lips were tender and hot, and he was pressing them firmly to her lips. She was thrust backward, and he cupped the back of her head. She could feel the scalding temperature of his palm even through her thick long hair.

    She was pushed backward until her back was to the wall. Her head was pushed against the wall by the sheer force of his powerful kiss. He cushioned her head using his palm, so she did not feel any pain. On the contrary, she felt that his palm was soft and warm, steadying her.

    His lips were locked to hers and parted them gently.

    Qi Chengyue did not resist. She was gentle and yielding. Her lips were trembling slightly from nerves and the heat. Not long after, his tongue started brushing gently to her teeth, then moved in aggressively. She was fullypliant throughout the kiss..

    Now she knew how huge the difference was between a kiss filled with love and a kiss thatcked it.

    She had not known that Jian Yi was kissing her half-heartedly until she was kissed by Cheng Dongge.

    Cheng Dongge was holding her face, and slowly withdrew. He lowered his head and looked deep into her reddened eyes. This was when she noticed his breathing was tremulous as well.

    Her lipstick had faded and the original pink-color of her lips could be seen. They appeared to be more swollen and reddishpared to before, but they looked more tender now.

    She opened herrge eyes and stared at him. Her eyes were red and her eyshes were soaked with tears.

    Cheng Dongge sighed affectionately and pecked her lips softly. He then continued to kiss her along her lips toward the corner of her mouth. He kissed the tears that were flowing down her cheeks and followed the trail slowly upwards to clean them with his lips and tongue.

    He kissed up to the corner of her eyes. Qi Chengyue was shaking slightly, involuntarily closing her eyes and let him continue kissing her eyshes and eyelids.

    Qi Chengyue could smell his scent all around her; it possessed a masculine and soothing quality that stimted her senses.

    ¡°I have done nothing with Huang Ziyue. She does have the intention to get back together with me. I guess she knew she couldn¡¯t control Gao Jingqiu, and their rtionship had deteriorated. I knew that many colleagues who were passing by saw us at thepany¡¯s entrance. That¡¯s why I did not stay there for long and asked her to get into my car. I dumped her beside the road after we were far away from thepany,¡± whispered Cheng Dongge. His body was still leaning against hers. She seemed to be enjoying this moment of intimacy.

    ¡°Then why did you came back sote?¡± Qi Chengyue already believed him. This was unlike her attitude towards Jian Yi, because that man was not trustworthy.

    In contrast, Cheng Dongge had never lied to her before, so she did not feel the need to be suspicious.

    She liked the feeling that she was able to control him. Her heart felt an immense warmth when she was listening to his sincere exnation.

    ¡°I was waiting at the entrance of my residential area all the while. I asked my neighbor to confirm that you were waiting for me here. I purposely wanted you to feel anxious.¡± Cheng Dongge exined honestly without hiding anything. ¡°If I did notpel you to feel this way, how would you tell me the truth?¡±

    He looked at her carefully, afraid that she would be infuriated. After all, he had deliberately caused her to be so upset.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengyue only poked him hard in the chest. ¡°I was right. You are so bad; how could I have previously thought you were a good man?¡±

    Cheng Dongge breathed a sigh of relief after seeing that she was not angry.

    She had stopped crying now. He moved his hands, which were previously holding her face, to her waist and hugged her tightly. She felt that her waist was about to snap, as if he was attempting to embed her into his body.

    The corners of Qi Chengyue¡¯s mouth could not help but curve upwards. For a long time, she had seen how Qi Chengzhi cherished Song Yu. She identally witnessed them kissing one time when she entered their office. She saw Qi Chengzhi embrace Song Yu tightly. She really admired their love.

    Now, she finally understood what the feeling they experienced.

    She did not feel any pain; her hands were sping shyly at his chest. She slid her shaking hands upwards and finally summoned enough courage to embrace his neck.

    She thought she was being a little pretentious. She had been married, but, when she was with Cheng Dongge, she felt like this was her first love.

    She leaned against his chest. Cheng Dongge was delighted by her action, and he lowered his head to see her blushing. Even her ears were red.

    He whispered just beside her ears,¡± My front passenger seat is always vacant. That day, Jiang Xiyao wanted to sit in it but I did not allow it. Today, Huang Ziyue wanted to sit, too, but was stopped by me. I reserve that seat for my girlfriend only. Do you wish to sit in it?¡±

    Her ears had flushed deeper, but she neither raised her head nor answered him.

    Cheng Dongge was holding his breath. He was afraid she would start splitting hairs and dwelling on other minor matters now that her anger had dissolved.

    He waited for her response quietly, as pressing her might only make things worse.

    Finally, Qi Chengyue looked up and nodded shyly. ¡°I¡¯ll sit in it.¡±

    Since she was incapable of letting him go, and felt heartache when she saw him with another woman, she feared this feeling mightst a lifetime; so she decided to end this bothersome situation.

    Instantly, Cheng Donge¡¯s eyes brightened. He lowered his head and kissed her deeply while propping her up to be at the same height as him. He pushed her against the wall again and continued kissing her.

    Qi Chengyue held his face with both of her hands reflexively, burying her long and slender fingers into his hair.

    She was almost suffocated by his kiss, but both of them were not willing to let each other go.

    Cheng Dongge rxed his kiss slightly, but still pressed his lips to hers without opportunity for separation.

    She had, at longst, stopped herself from splitting hairs and being too tough on herself. She had decided to let go of everything and be with him. His heart was beating so fast, he could not stop quivering in joy as he hugged her.

    He stopped his long kiss, but was still pecking at her intermittently. Qi Chengyue was blushing as she did not expect him to be so passionate.

    He was a reticent man, but now he had turned sickly sweet and could not stop adhering to her.

    He not only kissed her lips, but covered all other areas of her face as he kissed her repeatedly.

    Besides her face, Qi Chengyue¡¯s ears and scalp were also blushing. There was the sound of rushing blood in her ears. Her face was burning hot after being kissed by his lips.

    Finally, Cheng Dongge released her and her feetnded on the ground. He was still hugging her, refusing to let go. It was like he had never hugged a woman in his life before.

 Chapter 222 - He Hasnâ€™t Left Yet. I Think Itâ€™s a Touareg.

    <h4>Chapter 222: He Hasn¡¯t Left Yet. I Think It¡¯s a Touareg.</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Finally, Cheng Dongge released Qi Chengyue and her feetnded on the ground, but he was still hugging her, refusing to let go. It was almost like he had never hugged a woman in his life before.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t had dinner, have you?¡± Cheng Dongge pictured a timeline in his mind¡ªQi Chengyue arrived only a little earlier than him. Although he had to take a detour to kick out Huang Ziyue, it did not cause much of a dy. He had not had dinner, so he deduced that she had not either.

    ¡°No. When I was waiting for you downstairs, I was so angry that my stomach started to hurt, and I lost my appetite.¡± Qi Chengyue red at him.

    Cheng Dongge was delighted to see her acting cute with him. He kissed her on her dimple and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had dinner either. I¡¯ll whip something up for you. What would you like to eat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been starving for so long, I don¡¯t feel like eating anymore. I¡¯ll just have some porridge. What about you?¡± Qi Chengyue was still held in his embrace. She had never been so clingy with anyone. It was apletely different feeling.

    ¡°I¡¯ll have porridge with you.¡± Cheng Dongge kissed her again and squeezed her waist. Then finally, though reluctantly, he let her go.

    He rarely had the chance to eat at home, but whenever he had time off, he preferred staying at home rather than going out. Therefore, he always kept ingredients at home. Although there were not as many ingredients as there were in his house in Li City, he would still always have rice.

    ¡°How can you do that? You¡¯re not going to be full if you only eat porridge.¡± Qi Chengyue followed him. She wanted to keep him in her sight¡ªshe would never get bored of looking at him, so she refused to wait alone in the living room.

    ¡°I also don¡¯t feel like eating. Besides, it¡¯ste so I don¡¯t eat too much.¡± Cheng Dongge saw Qi Chengyue following him. Immediately, he grabbed her hands andced his fingers with hers. ¡°Is rice porridge fine with you? I only have rice here.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Qi Chengyue nodded. Cheng Dongge seated her in the dining room.

    The dining room was adjacent to the kitchen, so it was possible to look into the kitchen from there.

    Cheng Dongge scooped a bowl of rice, rinsed it several times, and poured it into a rice cooker. He then proceeded to take out a cucumber from the fridge and made cold cucumber to go with the porridge.

    That day, he did not have many ingredients at home. He could not find any pickled food, so he made ck fungus with vinegar.

    While cutting the cucumber, he turned around to look at Qi Chengyue in the dining room. Her elbows were ced on the table and her chin rested on her palms as she watched him.

    Cheng Dongge grinned and continued to prepare the dishes. However, not long after, he turned his head to peek at her again.

    He nced at her several times, making her extremely embarrassed. When he turned around again, Qi Chengyue finally decided she had enough. Flustered, she protested, ¡°Why do you keep looking at me? I¡¯m not going to run away. Pay attention to your task at hand. What if you identally cut yourself?¡±

    Cheng Dongge stopped chopping. He turned around to face her and said solemnly, ¡°If I leave you alone, I¡¯m afraid you might fill your head with nonsense and tell me you changed your mind.¡±

    Qi Chengyue felt a sting in her throat. Without uttering a word, she stood up and walked up to him.

    She stood on her toes, trying her best to reach his height but could only reach his chin. She gave him a peck on his sharp, defined jaw. ¡°I know that if you see another woman, I¡¯ll be heartbroken. When I see a woman who¡¯s not in a rtionship with you but is trying to pursue you, my heart aches just the same. Even if you reject her, somehow, it still hurts. That feeling is something I can neither deny nor endure, so I decided I¡¯ve had enough. Thus, you shouldn¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t change my mind.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± Cheng Dongge smiled with relief. His lips curled into a warm smile. His pair of dark, ck eyes were also filled with love and tenderness. He pecked her lips and continued chopping.

    Since Qi Chengyue was already in the kitchen, she decided to stay there. She sat on a chair and watched him cook.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s movements appeared fluid and experienced. ¡®Dong dong dong.¡¯ The sound of his knife hitting the chopping board was music to her ears.

    Cheng Dongge was only making two cold dishes, so he finished preparing the dishes swiftly and ced the dishes on the dining table. All that was left was to wait for the porridge to finish cooking in the rice cooker.

    After washing his hands and drying them, he turned around and stood in front of Qi Chengyue. She was still seated so when he abruptly appeared in front of her, her face was looking straight at his crotch.

    Qi Chengyue hastily turned her head upward and saw that Cheng Dongge was staring at her earnestly.

    Being loved by someone like this, he would not waste a second without looking at her. He wanted to stare at her all day long. Seeing him staring at her with so much love and devotion, Qi Chengyue¡¯s heart pounded.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s stare had made her heart race. Anxious, she did not know what to do. Finally, Cheng Dongge cupped her face in his hand, his thumb slowly caressing her tender cheeks. His alluring lips were curled into a smile the entire time.

    Qi Chengyue knew why women as snobbish as Jiang Xiyao would like him even though he did not have a strong family background.

    He truly was a capable man. Even though he was about the same age as Jian Yi, he was distinguishably more mature. Hispetence and problem-solving skills were just as outstanding as those who were carefully nurtured by their family to be heirs.

    Gently, she ced her hand on his and turned her head to kiss his palm. When she turned back, she was shocked.

    Without her realizing, Cheng Dongge had leaned his head so close to her that his face could almost touch her nose.

    Nervous, Qi Chengyue held her breath. Up close, his face was still as clean, clear and captivating as ever.

    ¡°It¡¯s great.¡± Cheng Dongge continued out of nowhere then kissed her on the lips.

    Qi Chengyue closed her eyes. Somehow, she understood his words.

    It was great that they could be together.

    ¡®Ding ding.¡¯ The rice cooker sounded, knocking them back into the present. Cheng Dongge smiled and instantly got up and walked toward the rice cooker. He opened it and scooped out the porridge.

    The two of them filled a bowlful each and headed to the dining room.

    ¡°Your parents... will they agree to us being together?¡± Qi Chengyue recalled Sun Shaoyun¡¯s reaction to her divorce the morning she left Cheng Dongge¡¯s home.

    Since Cheng Dongge returned to B City, Sun Shaoyun continued to call him regrly to see how he was doing, but she never brought up a word about Qi Chengyue. That showed she had not epted it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about stuff like this. Let me handle it. I¡¯m sure they¡¯lle around,¡± Cheng Dongge reassured.

    Qi Chengyue nodded. Since she had decided to be in a rtionship with him, she would not let them split up so easily. Agreeing to be with him was not an easy decision. She had even considered the issue regarding his parents.

    Now that she had made her decision, she could only face those problems head-on with him. They would work hard to get the elders¡¯ approval.

    After resolving to do that, instead of bing more stressed, she felt like a burden was lifted from her shoulders. Relieved, she gobbled up the entire bowl of porridge.

    ¡°Do you want more?¡± Cheng Dongge asked with a smile as he saw her empty bowl.

    Qi Chengyue shook her head and rubbed her belly. ¡°If I have any more, I won¡¯t be able to sleep tonight.¡±

    Qi Chengyue regretted saying that immediately after those words left her mouth. Her face burned up.

    Being at his home at suchte hours, it was extremely awkward to bring up sleep.

    Cheng Dongge smirked, fully aware of her mistake. When Qi Chengyue saw his smirk, she wished she could sew her lips together. It was all too humiliating for her.

    She turned her head downward, afraid to look at him.

    Cheng Dongge nced at his wristwatch and said, ¡°It¡¯s almost ten. Let me take you home or your parents might get worried.¡±

    He headed to the living room and picked up the suit on the sofa.

    Qi Chengyue was dumbfounded. She did not expect him to say that. She thought that it was only natural for him to let her stay for the night.

    Still in a daze, she stood up nkly. Cheng Dongge had already grabbed his car keys. He took her hand and as he was leading her to the door, he tightened his grip on her.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have to take things so quickly. We should go with the flow. There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± his smooth, elegant voice sounded above her.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue had the urge to ram herself into the wall.

    He said that as if implying she was impatient¡ªas if she could not wait.

    ¡°Who¡¯s in a rush?!¡± Qi Chengyue was humiliated. Annoyed, she pulled her hand away from Cheng Dongge¡¯s.

    However, Cheng Dongge sped tightly onto her, refusing to let go. Qi Chengyue pulled as hard as she could but all was in vain. Unfazed, he asked calmly, ¡°What did I say to make you so angry?¡±

    ¡°You tell me!¡± Qi Chengyueshed out.

    Cheng Dongge brought her outside and locked the door. Half-smiling, he looked at her and exined, ¡°I meant that we don¡¯t have to rush the matter with my parents. We¡¯ll just go with the flow. When our rtionship has developed further, they would have to choice but to ept it. Why are you so enraged by this? Why is your face so red?¡±

    He acted as if he was pondering upon his words carefully but could not figure it out. ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with what I said!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue did not believe his words were pertaining to his parents. How clever of him to be able to fake an exnation so well.

    Cheng Dongge brought her to the elevator. He pressed the button and as they waited, he questioned again, ¡°What did you think I meant?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡± Qi Chengyue retorted impudently.

    When the elevator arrived, Cheng Dongge grinned and pulled her into the elevator.

    They were alone in the elevator¡ªnot many used them at those hours. Cheng Dongge pulled her into his embrace with one arm wrapped around her waist. Looking down, he leaned toward her and smirked. ¡°Were you having dirty thoughts?¡±

    ¡°I said it was nothing!¡± Qi Chengyue twisted and turned in his arms, arousing him. She was so caught up with her anger and irritation, she subconsciously pounded on his chest, barking, ¡°Why are you so bad!¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s so bad about me?¡± Cheng Dongge leaned forward to kiss her. Unsatisfied, he pressed her against the elevator wall.

    Qi Chengyue was taken aback. Shaking, she could only let him kiss her. His hands were on her waist, her back¡ªshe felt the warmth of his palm on every inch of her skin.

    Squeezed tightly in his arms, only her head was against the elevator wall. His arms acted as a barrier between her back and the wall.

    The elevator stopped on the first floor. Just before the door opened, Cheng Dongge finally let go of her. His hand glided down from her arm to her palm where their fingers intertwined.

    The elevator door opened. Unexpectedly, a neighbor of his was waiting in front of the elevator. Qi Chengyue looked down with embarrassment. Her face was flushed and her lips were red and swollen. How could she let anyone see her in that state?

    His neighbor was stunned. When Cheng Dongge walked out of the elevator holding Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand, his neighbor smiled at him then entered the elevator without saying a word to avoid an awkward situation.

    Even though Qi Chengyue was holding hands with Cheng Dongge, she could not keep up with his pace, so she was always walking a step behind him.

    Looking up, she took a glimpse at his broad shoulders and strong back that gave her a sense of solidity and dependability. She sped up her steps a little so that they were walking side-by-side. She clung onto his arm with her other hand. His strong and muscr arm fit perfectly in her arms.

    Feeling shy, Qi Chengyue was slowly testing things out with him. Little by little, she tilted her head toward him until it rested against his shoulders.

    Cheng Dongge looked down. He smiled and tightened his grip on her hand.

    ...

    ...

    It was past ten o¡¯clock when Cheng Dongge drove Qi Chengyue home. Through the courtyard gate of the mansion, they could see that the lights in the living room were still on.

    Cheng Dongge got out of the car. Qi Chengyue did not wait for him to open the car door for her¡ªshe did not want to be overly dramatic. She opened the door and got out. Seeing this, Cheng Dongge smiled.

    He strolled in front of Qi Chengyue and raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ears. Softly, he asked, ¡°After you go in, you won¡¯t fill your head with nonsense and tell me you changed your mind, right?¡±

    Qi Chengyue proactively walked into his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist. ¡°Trust me, I won¡¯t. It wasn¡¯t easy for me to make tonight¡¯s decision, but since I¡¯ve made up my mind, I won¡¯t have second thoughts.¡±

    Knowing that he still was not confident, she poured out the words she kept in her heart. ¡°I know that your parents won¡¯t be able to ept me immediately. There will be a long process before I can disy to them that my affection toward you is real and that I¡¯ll be a good¡ª¡±

    She almost uttered the word ¡®daughter-inw¡¯ before she realized it did not sound right. Although they were in a rtionship, implying she wanted to be their daughter-inw was too hasty. It was as if she could not wait to marry him.

    Even though she guessed that Cheng Dongge got together with her with intentions of getting married one day, she still could not bring herself to say it now. She was not so thick-skinned.

    Cheng Dongge understood. He did not tease her but saw that she was red from her hairline to her neck. Even her ears were glowing red. Hurriedly, she rified, ¡°Anyway, this wasn¡¯t an easy decision so I won¡¯t go back on my words. I¡¯ll stay with you and ovee any challenges thate our way. I won¡¯t back down. As long as you¡¯re there to support me, I can ovee anything.¡±

    After saying that, she became anxious about his reply. Not knowing what his thoughts were made her extremely uneasy.

    She looked up and immediately locked eyes with him. mes of passion burnt within his eyes.

    Cheng Dongge inched his lips toward hers and kissed her slowly then intensely.

    He held her waist tightly and let out a sigh next to her lips. ¡°I wish I can bring you home.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s cheeks burnt red. She red at him yfully. ¡°Who¡¯s the one in a rush now?¡±

    Cheng Dongge chuckled. In a husky voice, he admitted, ¡°I am.¡±

    He kissed her again. Taking a deep breath, he finally forced himself to let go of her. His hands slowly slid away from her body. ¡°Go ahead and go in.¡±

    Qi Chengyue plodded toward the entrance then suddenly stopped. She looked back and asked, ¡°Cheng Dongge, do you think I¡¯m too needy? I¡¯ve already been in a marriage before, yet I¡¯m still here being all clingy¡ª¡±

    Before she could finish, Cheng Dongge marched in front of her. ¡°No. This is the first time you¡¯re with me, and it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m with you. Stop bringing up your marriage. You deserve my love and affection.¡±

    Qi Chengyue beamed with delight, revealing her two dimples. Tiptoeing, she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him downward. She gave him a peak on his lips. ¡°You should go home. Be careful on the way.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave once you enter the house,¡± Cheng Dongge insisted.

    Qi Chengyue walked toward the house but stopped at the doorway. She looked back and saw him standing beneath amp post. Illuminated by themp post, his tall, slender body cast an even slimmer shadow. He watched her in silence, giving her a feeling of warmth.

    She was also reluctant to leave. She wanted to go home with him.

    Finally, she turned away and entered the courtyard unwillingly.

    The moment she entered, Guan Liya was already waiting at the door. ¡°Why did youe home sote? Were you on a date? What family is he from? Who introduced him to you? Is it your big brother?¡±

    ¡°Mom, what are you talking about?¡± Qi Chengyue was staggered. Her face was tinted with pink. She was afraid Guan Liya would see through her lie.

    ¡°Still trying to hide this? I saw everything from the window.¡± Guan Liya was ecstatic. Seeing Qi Chengyue being able to leave behind her marriage with Jian Yi so quickly and wee a new rtionship, she was overjoyed.

    In spite of that, she was still concerned that Qi Chengyue might get taken advantage of again¡ªQi Chengyue might end up with another unreliable man.

    This fear and trepidation tortured Guan Liya greatly. When she was looking out the window, she was extremely agitated.

    It was night-time, so it was dark. Guan Liya could not see clearly from the living room window. Even so, she could definitely recognize Qi Chengyue¡ªshe was her daughter after all. However, she could not make out any features of the man.

    ¡°Mom, how could you spy on me?!¡± Qi Chengyue was vexed. Just now, Cheng Dongge and her were kissing quite fervently. If Guan Liya saw them, how humiliating would that be!

    ¡°What do you mean I¡¯m spying? You¡¯re the one who came home sote, making me so worried. It¡¯s not like you weren¡¯t aware that ever since your divorce, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re only putting up a brave front, but in reality, you¡¯re picking at problems that don¡¯t exist. What if you do something stupid? How can I sit at home, rxed?¡± Before that night, Guan Liya did not dare to tell Qi Chengyue the truth. She was afraid she might be rubbing salt on her wound. However, Qi Chengyue had found a new boyfriend. Although she could not see his face, she saw that they were quite intimate. She then knew that Qi Chengyue had dismissed her marriage with Jian Yi. Therefore, she could finally spit out the truth.

    ¡°Mon, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m seriously fine.¡± Hearing Qi Chengyue saying that with such determination, Guan Liya should be at ease. Nevertheless, she was still troubled. She could not let it go.

    ¡°I know. After seeing you two making out outside, I can finally rest assured.¡± Guan Liya tugged on Qi Chengyue, asking, ¡°Who¡¯s the guy this time? Do your dad and I know him? What does he do for a living? How old is he? What business does his family run? Is he dependable?¡±

    Guan Liya fired questions at her relentlessly. Before Qi Chengyue could answer, Guan Liya turned to Qi Zhongxun and instructed, ¡°Hey, old man, go look out the window and see if the young man is still there. If so, ask him toe in!¡±

    ¡°And you!¡± Guan Liya turned back to Qi Chengyue. ¡°He came all the way to our house, why didn¡¯t you ask him toe in? You should let us get to know him and let us judge if he¡¯s good enough for you!¡±

    ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Qi Chengyue called out. It was only the first day she was together with Cheng Dongge. If she asked him toe in, how stressful would that be?

    ¡°Don¡¯t think your mom is nagging! We gave you so much freedom when it came to Jian Yi. We didn¡¯t get to judge him for you and look at how things ended. He doesn¡¯t have toe from a good background if we let you choose your own partner, but we have to ensure he has a good character!¡± Guan Liya stated firmly.

    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t have to worry this time. I assure you that there are no problems with his character,¡± Qi Chengyue announced.

    Suddenly, Qi Zhongxun¡¯s voice sounded in the living room, ¡°He hasn¡¯t left yet. I think it¡¯s a Touareg. The logo is blocked by the courtyard gate, but it looks like one.¡±

 Chapter 223 - Should We Head to the Hospital to Find out the Babyâ€™s Gender?

    <h4>Chapter 223: Should We Head to the Hospital to Find out the Baby¡¯s Gender?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Suddenly, Qi Zhongxun¡¯s voice sounded in the living room, ¡°He hasn¡¯t left yet. I think it¡¯s a Touareg. The logo is blocked by the courtyard door, but it looks like one.¡±

    ¡°A Touareg?¡± Guan Liya blinked several times.

    ¡°Aiyah, since when did you be a detective!¡± Qi Chengyue hurriedly said, ¡°You two wait here.¡±

    Just now, when Qi Chengyue entered, Guan Liya had her upied for so long that she had no time to change her shoes. Now, she must head out again.

    She stood at the doorway and saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s ck Touareg still parked in front of the courtyard entrance. She rang up Cheng Dongge and questioned, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you leave?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± came Cheng Dongge¡¯s light and soft voice reply from the phone.

    ¡°Just now... my parents saw us from the window,¡± Qi Chengyue told. She did not walk up to him in person to avoid making him feel awkward. It was only the first day. It would not have been unusual for him to be ufortable with going in. However, her parents saw him, so it would not leave a good impression if he did note in.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Cheng Dongge replied in a murmur.

    Qi Chengyue asked shyly, ¡°Would you... like toe in? I don¡¯t want you to feel pressured. My parents are just overly anxious. We just started seeing each other, it¡¯s perfectly normal if you think this is going too fast¡ª¡±

    As she rambled on, the Touareg¡¯s car door abruptly opened. Cheng Dongge stepped out of the car. Without ncing at her, he walked to the back of the car, popped open the trunk, and took out two boxes.

    He walked to the courtyard door and said into the phone, ¡°Come open the door for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Chengyue was puzzled. She hurried to the door and opened it for Cheng Dongge. Concerned, she asked, ¡°Are you sure you want toe in?¡±

    ¡°I entered this rtionship with the intention of marrying you someday, so I¡¯ll have to go in eventually.¡± Cheng Dongge held the two boxes with one hand and grabbed Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand with the other.

    ¡°These two boxes¡ª¡± Qi Chengyue turned her gaze to his hand.

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had them prepared in case I have to meet your parents,¡± Cheng Dongge exined.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue was speechless.

    Once they entered the courtyard, the door opened. Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun were standing at the doorway.

    The two of them had been spying from the living room window. When they saw a man got out of the Touareg, they were exuberant. They widened their eyes to take a good look at the man.

    After Cheng Dongge entered the courtyard, they could finally see him clearly. When they saw that it was Cheng Dongge, their jaws dropped.

    ¡°Mister Qi, Mistress Qi,¡± Cheng Dongge greetedposedly.

    ¡°Ah, Dongge!¡± Guan Liya, who was never close to Cheng Dongge, greeted amiably.

    She did not think even for a second that Qi Chengyue could have been with Cheng Dongge.

    With Cheng Dongge, she could rest assured that character would not be a problem. Being able to stay with Qi Chengzhi for so long, she knew he must be an outstanding person.

    Additionally, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin had always trusted him. Even Qi Zhongliang had praised him before¡ªthat was something rarer than diamond.

    ¡°Come on in,e on in.¡± Guan Liya could finally be at ease. Relieved, she grinned from ear to ear.

    Guan Liya turned to Qi Chengyue and said, ¡°This child! Being with Cheng Dongge is good news! Why did you hide it from us?¡±

    ¡°Mister Qi, Mistress Qi¡ª¡± Cheng Dongge addressed. Before he could continue, Guan Liya interjected.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so reserved. Just call us Aunt and Uncle!¡± Guan Liya interjected. She showed him a million times more enthusiasm and affabilitypared to Jian Yi.

    She knew every aspect of Cheng Dongge. She was especially content with this turn of events.

    There were so many families tossing their daughters toward Cheng Dongge. How could she be unsatisfied with him ending up with Qi Chengyue?

    Even Qi Zhongxun could not stop grinning. Cheng Dongge said, ¡°It¡¯s already sote. Suddenly being called to meet Aunt and Uncle for the first time, I regretfully couldn¡¯t prepare a proper gift.¡±

    Cheng Dongge handed the two boxed to Guan Liya. Under the sufficient lighting of the house, Qi Chengyue could make out that the boxes he took out from the trunk contained bottles of Hungarian noble rot wine.

    Guan Liya had keen eyes¡ªin one nce, she knew that the two bottles of wine Cheng Dongge gifted were no cheaper than those famous authentic French wine brands. One bottle might cost just as much as a bottle of Mouton.

    Guan Liya knew he was earning a lot. The money might not have been a big deal to him, but Guan Liya still red at him with disapproval. ¡°Isn¡¯t it too early to prepare such gifts? From now on, you¡¯re like family to us. I won¡¯t stop you from bringing gifts, but don¡¯t buy anything so expensive anymore.¡±

    Cheng Dongge only smiled and kept silent. Guan Liya proceeded to drag him into the living room to have a seat.

    Nheless, he did not stay long as it waste. After half an hour of chatting with Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya, he stood up and excused himself.

    Qi Chengyue also stood up to send him off. Qi Zhongxun suggested, ¡°Since you two are seeing each other now, Chengyue, you should bring Cheng Dongge to the old mansion tomorrow for the family gathering and let everyone meet him. The whole family is worried about you¡ªthey¡¯d all be relieved to hear about you and Dongge.¡±

    Qi Chengyue did not reply immediately. She turned to Cheng Dongge and waited for his nod of approval. Only then did she agree.

    When Qi Chengyue went out to see Cheng Dongge off, Guan Liya could not help but sigh. ¡°Our girl has changed. When she was with Jian Yi, she would¡¯ve never asked for his opinion before agreeing to such things. With Cheng Dongge, even a small decision like this she would ask for his approval¡ªas if she¡¯s afraid we might bully him.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true, but it¡¯s a good thing¡ªit shows that he can put her in her ce. It¡¯s beneficial for the development of their rtionship,¡± Qi Zhongxun pointed out. Finally, he could take the load off his mind. Crossing his legs, he watched the news on hisptop in peace.

    ¡°Ah, Chengzhi and Song Yu must¡¯ve put in a significant amount of effort for this to happen. I should give them a call to inform them of this.¡± Guan Liya picked up her phone and looked for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s number.

    ¡°It¡¯ste, don¡¯t disturb them,¡± Qi Zhongxun advised.

    ¡°It¡¯ste, but the youngsters nowadays don¡¯t sleep so early,¡± Guan Liya protested. ¡°Isn¡¯t Cheng Dongge going to the old mansion with Qi Chengyue tomorrow? Isn¡¯t it better to let them know earlier?¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi made some calctions in his mind and drew a circle around a date on the calendar. When he put down the calendar, Song Yu asked, ¡°After the three months, should we head to the hospital to find out the baby¡¯s gender?¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you impatient to find out?¡± Qi Chengzhi reached under her pajamas and cupped his searing palm onto her soft belly. Slowly, he tugged her pajamas upward, revealing her chalk-white belly.

    She was lying t on the bed, so her stomach still appeared t.

    ¡°No, but it¡¯d be easier to decide on a name if we find out quicker. Also, we can buy the right clothes and toys. Won¡¯t it be toote if we waited until it¡¯s born?¡± Song Yu replied. Her lower abdomen was pulsing.

    Qi Chengzhi did not react. He simply bowed his head to kiss her tummy. She could not tell if he was listening at all.

    Kissed by his warm, soft lips, her lower abdomen pulsed. Song Yu grabbed him by the shoulders. ¡°Are you listening?¡±

    ¡°I heard you. I don¡¯t mind. If you want to check, then go ahead. It¡¯s convenient to go to Lao Chu¡¯s hospital after all,¡± he uttered in his husky voice while kissing her belly. Inch by inch, he worked his way upward. His nimble, elegant hands were ced on her pajamas, where his long, slender fingers started to undo the buttons.

    ¡°Phone.¡± Song Yu sat up and pulled her pajamas back down but he pulled it up again. ¡°Stop messing around and pick up the phone.¡±

    Song Yu gently kicked his leg. ¡°I¡¯m going to pick up if you don¡¯t.¡±

    Qi Chengyue mumbled a simple ¡°mm¡± as his hand steadily inched upward underneath her pajamas.

    Song Yu hit his hand but he refused to remove it. She extended her arm and felt for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone on the bedside table. After seeing the caller¡¯s name, she immediately seized his hand. ¡°Knock it off. It¡¯s your aunt calling.¡±

    Only then did Qi Chengzhi answer the phone with an annoyed expression. Song Yu could not tell what Guan Liya was saying on the phone but whatever she said, Qi Chengzhi would only answer with an ¡°Oh¡±.

    The instant he got off the phone, Song Yu inquired about what happened.

    ¡°Nothing much. Just that Cheng Dongge and Chengyue are now together, and they¡¯ll be going to the old mansion together tomorrow.¡± Qi Chengzhi tossed his phone onto the bedside table.

    ¡°It¡¯s good news, so why are you brooding?¡± Song Yu asked, puzzled by his reaction.

    With a glum expression, he shot a nce at her. Clenching his teeth, he grumbled, ¡°I put in so much effort so that he can end up with Qi Chengyue, yet that fellow let his mother-inw call me in the middle of the night and ruined it. The next time I see him, I¡¯m going to kill him!¡±

    After saying that, he pulled the covers over his head and buried himself in his pillow.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu stared at him, speechless. His mood swings were worse than hers, even though she was the one pregnant.

    She got under the covers with him and slowly pressed herself against him. Plucking up her courage, she reached down and touched his private part. Flushed, she leaned over and kissed him on the lips.

    She felt his strong, muscr arms wrapped around her. In a low, coarse voice, he teased, ¡°You want it?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Who was the one that wanted it? She was only trying to cheer him up!

    Seeing his smug expression, Song Yu could only bite the bullet and nod.

    Qi Chengzhi even smirked and raised his eyebrow, ridiculing her.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu regretted trying to cheer him up but before she could do anything, Qi Chengzhi pressed her against the bed and started kissing away.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Cheng Dongge arrived at Jade Field Park to bring Qi Chengyue to the mall. They needed to pick out a gift to bring to the Qi family¡¯s old mansion.

    It would not have been his first time at the old mansion. As Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant, he had introduced himself to the Qi family before. However, introducing himself as Qi Chengyue¡¯s boyfriend was a whole different feeling.

    Zhou Mingyan was out of breath. Jade Field Park was a high-end residential area. Everyone who came and went were big shots, so they had cars and drivers¡ªthere was no need for public transport. As a result, there were not any bus stops or train stations nearby.

    Zhou Mingyan took the bus early in the morning. She had to walk along three streets to get to Jade Field Park. After entering the residential area, she still had to walk a significant distance before arriving at Qi Chengyue¡¯s house.

    Seeing a ck Touareg parked in front of Qi Chengyue¡¯s house, Zhou Mingyan quickened her steps. She peeked through the intricate designs on the courtyard gate to find out what was happening in the mansion.

    Suddenly, the mansion door opened. Zhou Mingyan swiftly hid behind a wall. Peeking her head out, she peeked into the courtyard again and saw Guan Liya walked out of the mansion dressed neatly and with makeup. Qi Zhongyun was beside her, and so was Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue. Cheng Dongge left a deep impression on Zhou Mingyan¡¯s mind. He was the man who Qi Chengyue had an affair with. The day she went to Qilin, he was also the one who shoved her away.

    Zhou Mingyan scoffed. She could not believe Qi Chengyue had the nerve to say she was innocent. Fresh out of the divorce, she was already holding hands with Cheng Dongge, yet she imed there was nothing between them before the divorce. Who would believe that!

    The four of them walked side-by-side. Guan Liya advised Cheng Dongge, ¡°You two don¡¯t have to buy anything too expensive¡ªit¡¯s the thought that counts. Grandpa and Grandma aren¡¯t picky after all. Be careful on the road, and do arrive earlier at the old mansion. That way, Grandpa and Grandma will know you¡¯re serious about this rtionship. Ah, the two of you being together is good news. When Grandma hears about it, she¡¯ll be thrilled.¡±

    Qi Chengyue and the others walked to the courtyard door and when they opened it, Zhou Mingyan jumped out and gave Guan Liya a fright.

    ¡°Aiyah, what are you doing?¡± Guan Liya patted her chest. Suddenly appearing like that, Guan Liya could not tell who it was, but once she realized it was Guan Liya, her expression shifted. ¡°What are you doing here!¡±

    Cheng Dongge moved in front of Qi Chengyue, shielding her. His expression turned dark.

    ¡°Inws, Chengyue¡ª¡± Zhou Mingyan uttered. Her words no longer carried an air of arrogance.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®inws¡¯?!¡± Guan Liya fumed. Her hatred toward Zhou Mingyan had no bounds. ¡°Don¡¯t get too familiar and stay away from us!¡±

    ¡°Inw... Mistress Qi, it¡¯s all my fault. I didn¡¯t cherish Chengyue when I had the chance. I¡¯m here to apologize,¡± Zhou Mingyan exined.

    Qi Chengyue noticed that Zhou Mingyan seemed to have aged a lot since shest saw her. Her face was dry as if she had been toiling under the sun all day. She appeared frail and sickly.

    Zhou Mingyan turned to Qi Chengyue. ¡°Chengyue, I realized my faults. I was foolish for treating you badly,¡± Zhou Mingyan confessed, her voice cracking.

    ¡°Madam Zhou, please get to the point,¡± Cheng Dongge requested coldly. He still had Qi Chengyue shielded behind him.

    Qi Zhongxun was watching from aside. He was pleased with Cheng Dongge¡¯s actions.

    If Qi Zhongxun had talked to Zhou Mingyan himself, that would be giving her too much credit. At a time like that, it was best for Cheng Dongge to step up.

    Moreover, he was relieved to see Cheng Dongge being so protective of Qi Chengyue.

    Zhou Mingyan¡¯s lips twitched as if she could not bring herself talk.

    Guan Liya scoffed. Who knew Zhou Mingyan could feel embarrassed? Who was she putting up the act for?

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear a word from you! Scram!¡± Guan Liya snapped. It was supposed to be a good day where everyone goes to the old mansion joyously. Cheng Dongge was such a trustworthy man, and Qi Chengyue dating him would be music to everyone¡¯s ears. Despite that, Zhou Mingyan just had to pop up and ruin everyone¡¯s day.

    ¡°No! No! Mistress Qi... Chengyue, please help me. I¡¯m begging you. Despite everything, we were a family before this, so would you please help me? Just this once, I promise. If you help me out this time, I promise to stop pestering all of you. Chengyue, I¡¯m begging you. You were married to Jian Yi. We were a family!¡± Zhou Mingyan implored expectantly.

    Things were fine before, but once Zhou Mingyan brought that up, Guan Liya exploded with rage.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan, just how thick-skinned are you? How dare youe here and talk about being a family! Stop talking nonsense. My son-inw is right here. Their rtionship is going exceedingly well. How dare you spit such nonsense in front of my son-inw?!¡±

    ¡°My apologies. You and Jian Yi are divorced and have no rtions anymore, but Chengyue, you have to help me. The Guan family wants to take me to court for assault. I¡¯ve looked it up and it says that I could be sentenced up to three years in prison. Ah, the Guan family will definitely ensure I get the longest sentence!¡± Zhou Mingyan begged. Her eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°Yo!¡± Now that things had gotten interesting, Guan Liya was not in a rush to shoo her away anymore. She even asked keenly, ¡°Isn¡¯t Guan Xiaolin carrying Jian Yi¡¯s child? Before Jian Yi¡¯s divorce, weren¡¯t you on good terms with her? You were even holding hands while shopping! So why are they taking you to court for assault? Who did you hurt? They haven¡¯t even gotten married, yet you already fell out with your inws again. Madam Zhou, it seems like no matter who bes your inws, you can still find a way to turn them into your enemies! Ha, that¡¯s actually quite impressive!¡±

    ¡°The Guan family aborted Jian Yi¡¯s child¡ªhow can I not be mad? I¡¯m the victim here! I just... In a fit of rage, I just hit her a few times. It wasn¡¯t severe. The Guan family is just making a big fuss out of a minor issue. Guan Xiaolin didn¡¯t even have a bruise yet they want to sue me. My grandchild was murdered by them! Who can I talk sense with now?!¡± Zhou Mingyan bawled, ¡°Chengyue, you¡¯re the only I can plead with. Please, help me!¡±

    ¡°Ah, how can we afford awyer? For a small matter like this, the Guan family is employing a famous big shot! Are they afraid no one knows they¡¯re rich? And so what if they¡¯re rich? Does that mean they can stomp on others? I... I heard from Jian Yi that Qilin¡¯s Lawyer Song is one of the topwyers in the country. Would you... would you help me?¡±

    Guan Liya was so angry, she startedughing. ¡°Zhou Mingyan, how do you have so much pride? Who do you think you are to ask for our Qi family¡¯s Lawyer Song to fight your case? My hatred for you can¡¯t even be put into words, so do you seriously expect us to help you? Howughable!¡±

    ¡°Mistress Qi, I¡¯m begging you!¡± Zhou Mingyan was at a dead-end. Otherwise, she never would havee to plead with the Qi family. Nevertheless, she knew that no matter how much of her dignity she threw away, the Qi family would never help her after she fell out with them that day.

    In spite of that, she had no one else to turn to besides Qi Chengyue.

    The Guan family was determined to take her to court. Jian Yi did not have any money or power anymore. He was just an ordinary office worker¡ªwhat could he do?

    Some of the connections Jian Yi had owned him favors, but after hearing about the Guan family¡¯s intention to sue Zhou Mingyan and her wrongdoings against the Qi family, no one dared to step up.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fall on my knees to plead with you! Please, I beg you!¡± With a ¡°thump¡±, Zhou Mingyan kneeled before Guan Liya. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll kowtow to you and admit my mistakes, so please, Chengyue, please help me!¡±

    Zhou Mingyan continuously bowed her head onto the concrete floor.

    ¡°Now you want to plead with us? Have you forgotten about the time you bullied my daughter? You came all the way to Qilin to drag her name through the mud. Did you forget about that incident? Zhou Mingyan, let me make things clear¡ªI¡¯ll never lend you a hand in my entire life! You must¡¯ve done something unspeakable to the Guan family! People like you don¡¯t deserve any help!¡± Guan Liya pointed straight at Zhou Mingyan. Infuriated, the finger she extended shook profusely.

    ¡°Uncle, Aunt, I¡¯ll take Chengyue out of here first,¡± Cheng Dongge informed. He did not want Zhou Mingyan to keep pestering Qi Chengyue any longer.

    Qi Zhongxun nodded. He watched as Cheng Dongge shielded Qi Chengyue to the car.

    Zhou Mingyan could not allow that. She extended her arm and reached for Qi Chengyue¡¯s leg. Luckily, Cheng Dongge reacted quickly enough to pull her behind him. He would not let Zhou Mingyan touch her.

    Once Cheng Dongge escorted Qi Chengyue safely into the car, Qi Zhongxun took Guan Liya¡¯s hand and said, ¡°There¡¯s no need to speak to this kind of people. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Guan Liya snorted angrily. As she turned around to leave, Zhou Mingyan threw herself onto her leg and sped onto it tightly. ¡°Mistress Qi, I have no other way out! I will change! I promise. If you could help me just this once, I swear I¡¯ll never pester you again! Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡±

 Chapter 224 - The Police Came and Arrested Ruan Danchen

    <h4>Chapter 224: The Police Came and Arrested Ruan Danchen</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Liya snorted angrily. As she turned around to leave, Zhou Mingyan threw herself onto her leg and sped onto it tightly. ¡°Mistress Qi, I have no other way out! I will change! I promise. If you could help me just this once, I swear I¡¯ll never pester you again! Please, I¡¯m begging you!¡±

    ¡°Let go of me!¡± Guan Liya was furious. She was disgusted by Zhou Mingyan¡¯s touch, even only her leg. Guan Liya kicked with all her might but Zhou Mingyan would not budge.

    Qi Zhongxun instantly called the management office and had them send security to his house.

    A security guard arrived in a cart. The instant he saw Zhou Mingyan clinging onto Guan Liya with her life, he immediately went over and pulled Zhou Mingyan away.

    ¡°Look out for this woman. Don¡¯t ever let here in and harass us again,¡± Qi Zhongxunmanded while pointing at Zhou Mingyan.

    ¡°How could you... How could you do this!¡± Zhou Mingyan¡¯s pale face turned red as she wailed. ¡°We were once a family! How could you pretend we weren¡¯t? You imed that Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were innocent, but just a few days after the wedding, Cheng Dongge became your son-inw! Isn¡¯t their rtionship developing suspiciously quick? Who would believe your im that they only started seeing each other after the divorce?! Does Qi Chengyue not feel guilty for cheating on Jian Yi? All I¡¯m doing is asking for a little help, yet you treat me with such indignity!¡±

    Hearing that, blood rushed to Guan Liya¡¯s head. Her eyes were bloodshot. She marched in front of Zhou Mingyan and gave her a tight p across the face. Immediately after, her hand swung back and pped her again with the back of her palm.

    Zhou Mingyan was held back by the security guard¡ªshe could neither dodge nor retaliate.

    Both her cheeks turned red from Guan Liya¡¯s ps.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan, you degenerate! When you¡¯re begging for something, you talk as if you are such a pitiful woman, but once you realize they¡¯re of no use to you, you turn around and spit on them. You¡¯ve always acted this way, so I would never help you! I¡¯m warning you, if you ever throw dirt on my daughter¡¯s name again, we¡¯ll also sue you for defamation! For defamation, you can be sentenced up to three years of imprisonment. If you¡¯d like to add another three years to your three-year assault sentence, by all means, say whatever you want!¡± Guan Liya threatened. ¡°You reckless b*stard, know your ce! You can¡¯t even deal with the Guan family, and now you want to pick a fight with us Qi family too? If you think you haven¡¯t dug a deep enough grave for yourself, then just say the word, no need to beat around the bush!¡±

    Zhou Mingyan was stunned for a few seconds. Then suddenly, she started bawling her eyes out.

    Qi Zhongxun glimpsed at her in disdain, then waved her away to the security guard, ordering, ¡°Hurry up and get her out of here!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi woke up early at dawn but spent a long time getting ready. By the time they reached the old mansion, it was already ten-thirty.

    Qi Youxuan was sitting on the sofa with a box of cultured milk in hisp. A te of Huang Fei Hong spicy peanuts was ced in front of him. His fair, chubby hands reached for two peanuts and tossed them into his mouth. He then took a piece of chili and sipped his cultured milk. He even let out an exaggerated ¡°ahh¡±, imitating what actors in television programs do when drinking liquor and chewing peanuts.

    When Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu arrived, Guan Liya told them about the incident with Zhou Mingyan that morning. She fumed, ¡°How can anyone be so thick-skinned? Ah, she¡¯s driving me mad. I can¡¯t believe we were once a family. Thinking about it makes my hair stand on end.¡±

    When Song Yu was consoling her, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge arrived.

    Standing beside Cheng Dongge, Qi Chengyue was well-behaved. Her usual temper was nowhere to be seen. Qi Chenglin could not help but tease her.

    Grandmother Qi was overjoyed. She tugged on Cheng Dongge¡¯s arm, refusing to let go. The more she looked at him, the more content she felt. ¡°Oh, this is great! When Chengzhi asked me to introduce a girlfriend to you, I was reluctant to do so. You¡¯re such a great man, I thought, ¡®Wwhy can¡¯t I give you to my granddaughter¡¯?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue did not know how to react to Grandmother Qi¡¯s words. How could she give him to her?

    ¡°Aiyah, now that thosedies are avable, I can introduce them to my two grandsons.¡± Grandmother Qi was ecstatic. She felt like she hit two birds with one stone.

    ¡°...¡± No matter how Qi Chengyue looked at it, Grandmother Qi¡¯s words still did not sound right. ¡°Grandma, do you think the women from those families are livestock? If this buyer doesn¡¯t take up your offer, you just push them to another buyer?¡±

    ¡°Bah! What nonsense are you saying!¡± Grandmother Qi stood up and headed to the bedroom. She came back holding a stack of photographs.

    She split the stack into two and handed them to Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengji. ¡°Have a look. Whichdy interests you?¡±

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m still young. There¡¯s no need to rush. Just focus on Brother Chenglin.¡± While saying that, he squeezed his pile of photographs into Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    Qi Chenglin felt betrayed as Qi Chengji squeezed the photographs into his hands. He stared at Qi Chengji in silence, then exined, ¡°Grandma, when looking for a mother for Zhongxun, I must choose carefully. Thesedies are all too young¡ªthey look like they just graduated, not suited to be a mother. Besides, if we let them be mothers right after graduating, wouldn¡¯t you feel sorry for them?¡±

    Grandmother Qi thought about it and realized he made sense. Thosedies were still like children¡ªif she had let them take care of Qi Zhongxuan, she would be letting him suffer again. She could not allow that.

    Grandmother Qi suggested pondered on it for a while. ¡°Then should I look for women waiting for their second marriage?¡± she suggested.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was rendered speechless.

    ¡°This olddy, can you quit looking for random women every day?¡± Grandfather Qi red at her.

    Qi Youxuan understood everything. He scooted closer to them with his cultured milk in hand. His eyes, while were asrge as grapes, sparkled when he announced, ¡°Grandma, I found another stepmother for myself.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®another¡¯? Did you find one before but things didn¡¯t work out?¡± Grandmother Qi was subtly hinting at the time Qi Chenglin had a secret lover. Did he think she did not know about it?

    Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan turned toward Song Yu and said, ¡°I did! It¡¯s Aunt Song Yu, but Uncle Chengzhi didn¡¯t allow it.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Of course he would not allow it.

    ¡°Then who did you find this time?¡± Grandmother Qi questioned curiously. Whoever Qi Chenglin wanted to marry, she must ensure Qi Youxuan liked her too. Otherwise, it might bring about grievances for the child.

    ¡°It¡¯s the bridesmaid from Aunt Song Yu¡¯s wedding.¡± Qi Youxuan blushed and shifted uneasily in his seat. ¡°After I went to the toilet, she helped me put on my pants! Aunt Song Yu helped me with my pants before too. Both of them didn¡¯tugh at me. I think she¡¯ll make a good wife and a loving mother like Aunt Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Yo!¡± Grandmother Qi remembered Ruan Danchen too but she did not know her name. ¡°I remember thatdy. She seemed like a pretty good woman. Ah, Song Yu, help me ask her if she would like to meet Chenglin! It¡¯s not easy to find someone that Youxuan likes too!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was removing the shells of pistachios. He then ced the peeled nut on his palm and presented it next to Song Yu¡¯s hand to let her eat it.

    Song Yu was holding a pistachio nut that Qi Chengzhi had peeled for her. When she heard Grandmother Qi¡¯s words, she almost dropped the nut.

    ¡°Grandma, do you remember the time you asked me to introduce a few suitabledies to Chenglin and Chengji? I asked Danchen the next day, but she said she doesn¡¯t want to be with a rich man. She believes that the story of Cindere is unrealistic, so she wants to keep a firm footing on the ground and find a man she has chemistry with¡ªone that will love her dearly¡ªand live happily ever after with him,¡± Song Yu revealed.

    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s rare to find an earnestdy like her.¡± Grandmother Qi pped her thigh in frustration. Regretfully, she said, ¡°Ah, why didn¡¯t I chat with her properly during the wedding? I might have been able to change her views. Our family doesn¡¯tck money, so we don¡¯t have to arrange marriages we can benefit from. She can view us as a normal family. Let¡¯s see if she likes Chenglin or Chengji. Who knows, maybe she¡¯ll have chemistry with one of them!¡±

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m not merchandise ced on a shelf that anyone cane and pick up,¡± Qi Chengji spoke, dejected.

    ¡°Ah, do you think you¡¯re so amazing? You¡¯ve been single for so many years. Besides,dies nowadays don¡¯t like men in the army. You should be grateful if anyone even wants you!¡± Grandmother Qi rolled her eyes at him.

    Just then, Song Yu¡¯s phone rang. It was a call from Manager Xu from herpany¡¯s design department.

    ¡°Manager Xu,¡± Song Yu greeted through the phone.

    ¡°...¡±

    Whatever Manager Xu said on the phone, it drained the color from Song Yu¡¯s face. Her lips trembled as she reached for Qi Chengzhi and clutched onto his hand tightly.

    Qi Chengzhi had not found out what happened, but when he saw Song Yu¡¯s nched face, he squeezed her hand firmly.

    ¡°Alright, thank you for informing me.¡± Song Yu ended the call. With a pale face, she turned to Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°Manager Xu was doing over-time at thepany with Danchen today. He said the police came and arrested Danchen.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Qi Chengzhi frowned.

    ¡°They said she was responsible for the renovation for MU. and that she tried to pass off shoddy materials as high-quality ones. That goes against the contract so Mu Sisi filed a report and wants to take her to court.¡± Song Yu stood up in haste. ¡°I know Danchen very well. She¡¯s not someone who would do such things. Especially when it came to the MU. project¡ªshe took extra precautions as this project will serve as an important stepping stone in her career advancement. She would never spoil her name and ruin her future for that measly amount of profit. If this story gets out, she¡¯ll never be able to continue in this field anymore. Does she think that scanty of money can feed her for life? Only idiots will do this!¡±

    ¡°It must be Mu Sisi pulling the ropes! She can¡¯t get her revenge on me, so she¡¯s taking it out on the people around me.¡± Song Yu clenched her fists. ¡°How can she be so wicked? How can she treat someone¡¯s future as if it¡¯s a joke? Danchen even told me that she¡¯ll grasp tightly onto this opportunity¡ªit was her chance to make a name for herself in the field.¡±

    ¡°You should calm down a little. First, we should head to the police station and get Ruan Danchen released on bail.¡± Qi Chengzhi stood up while holding Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    Qi Chenglin also stood up. ¡°I just gave Lawyer Song a call. Which station is Ruan Danchen at now? I¡¯ll ask Lawyer Song to head there directly. We¡¯ll meet him there.¡±

    Once Song Yu told him the location, Qi Chenglin repeated it into the phone for Lawyer Song.

    After hanging up, Qi Chenglin was going to leave with Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu was busy worrying about Ruan Danchen that she did not notice anything weird about it.

    Qi Chengzhi did not say anything either. He merely shot a nce at him.

    In a hurry, Song Yu suddenly remembered and said apologetically, ¡°Chengyue, Dongge, we were supposed to celebrate with you today, but something like this suddenly came up. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°No worries,¡± Cheng Dongge assured. He stood at the doorway with Qi Chengyue to send them off. ¡°Saving heres first.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Grandmother Qi followed them to the door as well. ¡°After you bail out thedy, you should bring her out for lunch. After an incident like this, it¡¯s not safe to leave her alone.¡±

    Qi Yunxuan squeezed between their legs, still holding his cultured milk, and said, ¡°Father, I want to go too.¡±

    ¡°Why do you want to go to the police station? Be good and stay at home.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a frown.

    Guan Liya picked up Qi Youxuan. ¡°You wait at home alright? I know you¡¯re a good boy.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The three of them took Qi Chenglin¡¯s new Tech8.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu sat at the back. Qi Chengzhi was holding Song Yu¡¯s hand to ease her anxiety. At the same time, he took out his phone and called Mu Huaisheng. ¡°Mu Sisi sued Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen is now being held in custody at a police station. Did you know about this?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was shocked. He excused himself and scurried to a corner. ¡°I¡¯m at Mingyang now. We¡¯re looking into domestic OEM brands as we¡¯re nning to open an MU. processing nt in the country. I¡¯m not in B City. What happened?¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi ims that Ruan Danchen is being dishonest with the renovation materials. Apparently, she tried to pass off shoddy materials as high-quality ones to cheat some money out of it,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a deep voice. His voice naturally firm became so deep, it could send chills down people¡¯s spines.

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen Ruan Danchen¡¯s design drafts. I was very satisfied with it. I¡¯ve even gone to the factory with her personally to check the materials¡ªthere was nothing wrong.¡± Mu Huaisheng turned his head and took a glimpse at the factory director. ¡°I¡¯ll rush back tonight. I¡¯ll be able to reach B City at midnight. I¡¯ll take care of this.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu trusts your character and she trusts Ruan Danchen. She sees you both as her friends, that¡¯s why she introduced her to you. You can¡¯t let Ruan Danchen get harmed by this incident,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly.

    ¡°I know that Ruan Danchen is devoted to her work. Although I¡¯ve only known her for a while, I know she is a virtuous woman. Trust me, I don¡¯t believe she would do something like this,¡± Mu Huaisheng asserted firmly.

    Qi Chengzhi hung up and reiterated Mu Huaisheng¡¯s words.

    ¡°Even if they withdraw thewsuit, Danchen¡¯s life will be ruined if word gets out.¡± Song Yu held her hand to her forehead. She took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have introduced this project to Danchen. I was trying to help her, but I ended up causing her huge trouble. I made her suffer for nothing. And who knows how she¡¯s doing at the police station.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi let go of her hand. His hand slithered behind her back and around her waist. Then, he held her hand which was ced on herp while holding her in his embrace.

    Song Yu saw his elegant hand encapsting hers. She felt warm and safe.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Ruan Danchen will be fine. You should try to rx. It¡¯s not good for your health,¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered.

    Song Yu nodded. Exhausted, she leaned against his shoulder.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was in a cell with two other women. When she was arrested, they confiscated her phone.

    Frantic, she had both hands gripped firmly on the bars. She did not dare to go near the two women.

    One of the women appeared drunk. She reeked of alcohol. Ruan Danchen heard that she got drunk and smashed an ATM. She was locked in there to sober up.

    There was a puddle of vomit from her in the center emitting a pungent stench. Ruan Danchen felt that the stench must have rubbed off on her by now.

    The other woman had her sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her tattoo-covered arms. She was arrested for selling ecstasy in a bar.

    When the drunk woman puked, the tattooed woman was disgusted and punched her, making her vomit even more. Being beaten up, she started spitting out white foam. If the police had not stepped in, the drunk woman might have been beaten unconscious.

    When the tattooed woman was busy throwing punches, Ruan Danchen saw a long knife scar on her lower back.

    Ruan Danchen was petrified. She stuck close to the bars, shrinking into the corner furthest away from the tattooed woman.

    ¡°Officer, I have the right to call mywyer. Please hand me my phone,¡± Ruan Danchen said when she saw a policeman passed by on patrol.

    However, the policeman could not care less. He walked away as if he did not hear her.

    ¡°I have the right to call someone to bail me out. Are you going to keep me here forever?¡± Ruan Danchen was on edge.

    ¡°What are you screaming about!¡± The tattooed woman grabbed her by the cover and flung her to the wall.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder hit the wall hard. She hissed in pain.

    ¡°Did youe here to unt that you have awyer? Stop posing. You should learn to shut your mouth before I shut it for you!¡± The tattooed woman held her cheeks with one hand and squeezed hard. Ruan Danchen felt like her entire face was being torn out.

    After what felt like an eternity, the tattooed woman finally let go. She shoved Ruan Danchen¡¯s head violently against the wall, making her vision turn ck and she could see stars.

    Dan Ruanchen slowly slid down from the wall. With her arms around her knees, she sat down in a fetal position. She did not dare look at the tattooed woman. Her forehead was glued to the bars as she continued to space out.

    She was clenching her teeth. Her eyes were glowing red. In the end, she could not hold back her tears any longer.

    Alone in the cell, she did not know if Manager Xu would find someone to help her.

    If Manager Xu did not inform anyone, no one would know she was there. What if she could not get out? She was wrongly used, but if she could not find evidence to defend herself, Mu Sisi would win the case and throw her in jail. What could she do then?

    She had no idea what it was like in prisons. Even when watching television programs, she never chose to watch those kinds of movies. She thought it was too grim and sorrowful. Life was painful enough for her, and if she had watched those movies, she might actually be depressed.

    In the cell, Ruan Danchen was terrified. She was afraid she would spend the rest of her life like this. She was drowning in helplessness and despair, and slowly, she was entirely submerged.

    She looked down. Her entire body started to shiver as she cried silently.

    Enclosed in a jar of grief, she did not notice the sound of the cell door unlocking.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen,e on out. Someone bailed you out.¡± A cold and distant voice was heard above her head.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned for a while. She looked up and saw that the door was opened. Hastily, she stood up, rubbed her tears away, and exited the cell.

    The moment she saw Song Yu, tears rolled down again. She dashed toward her, crying, ¡°How did you know...¡±

    ¡°The second you were arrested, Manager Xu called me,¡± Song Yu exined. She did not know what happened in the cell but seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s chalk-white face, she was heartbroken.

    ¡°Song Yu, I didn¡¯t... the things Mu Sisi used me of, I didn¡¯t do any of it.¡± Ruan Danchen said while wiping her tears. ¡°This amazing opportunity you gave me, I wouldn¡¯t just throw it away like that. I wouldn¡¯t ruin my future like this. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Song Yu said guiltily, ¡°Manager Xu called me and told me everything. I¡¯m sorry for dragging you into this. The one Mu Sisi wants to hurt is me. She used you to cause me grief. I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I should¡¯ve been more careful. If I was more cautious, she wouldn¡¯t have anything to exploit. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°We contacted Mu Huaisheng¡ªhe¡¯s at Mingyang. He¡¯s rushing back immediately. We won¡¯t let Mu Sisi use you,¡± Song Yu promised. She produced a pack of tissue from her bag and gave it to Ruan Danchen.

 Chapter 225 - Weâ€™re in the Same House, What Are You Hello-ing About?

    <h4>Chapter 225: We¡¯re in the Same House, What Are You Hello-ing About?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°We contacted Mu Huaisheng¡ªhe¡¯s at Mingyang. He¡¯s rushing back immediately. We won¡¯t let Mu Sisi use you,¡± Song Yu promised. She produced a pack of tissue from her bag and gave it to Ruan Danchen.

    Lawyer Song hadpleted the procedures and came out with Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone.

    Ruan Danchen was talking to Song Yu. Her emotions had not settled down yet so Lawyer Song did not disturb her. Qi Chenglin took her phone from him and kept it.

    ¡°Let¡¯s head to the car first,¡± Qi Chenglin suggestedposedly.

    Once outside the police station, Lawyer Song excused himself and left. Song Yu had her arm around Ruan Danchen. Song Yu assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about this. Nothing will happen to you.¡±

    Dan Ruanchen nodded. They walked to the car. Song Yu nned to sit with Ruan Danchen at the back, but Qi Chengzhi forcefully shoved himself into the back seat so he could sit with Song Yu. Ruan Danchen ended up in the passenger seat.

    Qi Chengzhi called the old mansion to inform them that they were done and were heading back.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Qi Chenglin was not heading toward her house. She assumed that he was going to drop off Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi at the old mansion first, so she said, ¡°You can just drop me here.¡±

    Qi Chenglin only glimpsed at her. He did not make a sound nor did he stop the car.

    ¡°You¡¯reing to the old mansion with us,¡± Song Yu rified.

    ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t do that!¡± Ruan Danchen sputtered, ¡°Aren¡¯t you guys having a family gathering there? I shouldn¡¯t go!¡±

    ¡°Do you think we¡¯d let you go home and overthink this?¡± Before Ruan Danchen could refute, Song Yu continued, ¡°Before we left, Grandmother Qi had instructed us to bring you back with us. It¡¯s rowdy there, so you won¡¯t think about this nonsense.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was still hesitating. Qi Chengzhi took a nce at her and said coolly, ¡°When we were leaving, Youxuan was determined to follow but he was stopped by the others at home. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have stayed home.¡±

    The moment he mentioned Qi Youxuan, Ruan Danchen clenched her fists and stopped refusing.

    The Tech8 stopped in front of the old mansion. After getting out, Ruan Danchen followed Qi Chenglin into the courtyard. She was very nervous, and no amount of deep breaths could calm her.

    As she was walking, the door opened abruptly. A small figure that looked round as a ball run toward her. ¡°Step¡ª¡±

    Qi Youxuan bolted out the door. The words ¡®stepmom¡¯ almost slipped out of his mouth but he stopped himself in time. With his face tinted red, he ran in front of Ruan Danchen, raised his tiny hands and grabbed hers. Shy, he turned away but could not hide his delight.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin looked at the fat little boy speechlessly. What was he so shy about?

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I hear that you¡¯re framed by some bad guys. Are you okay?¡± Qi Youxuan asked, looking up at her.

    Ruan Danchen saw that he was genuinely concerned about her. Seeing the sincere and beautiful grape-sized eyes of his, she no longer regretted going there.

    She shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ¡°Come on in. There¡¯s a whole table of food prepared!¡± Qi Youxuan told her. Tugging on her hand, he brought her into the house. While walking, he introduced his family to her. ¡°Aunt Ruan, you shoulde by more often when you¡¯re free. Great-grandma and great-grandpa are always bored. They can only squabble with each other to pass the time.¡±

    Grandfather Qi: ¡°...¡±

    Grandmother Qi: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Ah, this kid! What are you saying?!¡± Grandfather Qi fumed, ring at the boy.

    Ruan Danchen was caught in an awkward situation. She did not know what to say so she just ruffled Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair a little. His hair was not styled today. His soft hairid t on his head. He looked like a little watermelon boy.

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, are you hungry?¡± Grandmother Qi asked warmly while tugging on Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not hungry,¡± Ruan Danchen answered. Even though it was almost one o¡¯clock, she had lost her appetite because of what happened at the police station and because she had to endure the smell of vomit for so long. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that my incident dyed your meal.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ve been eating a lot of snacks this entire morning, so I¡¯m not hungry either. Aunt Liu is cooking now. She¡¯ll be done in about half an hour,¡± said Grandmother Qi. ¡°Come have some snacks first.¡±

    Once everyone was seated, Qi Chengzhi exined the situation.

    Qi Chengyue pouted. ¡°That Mu Sisi really is one of a kind. I don¡¯t think you can find anyone else in the world as thick-skinned as her.¡±

    While everyone was discussing the incident, Qi Chengyue saw that Qi Youxuan was sitting quietly for once. He was not even eating anything. He just sat on the rug, looking at something.

    Did Qi Youxuan not want Ruan Danchen to be his stepmother?

    Now that his stepmother was there, why did he not take the chance to stick with her? That was extremely out of character!

    Qi Chengyue thought it was weird. She tossed away the sunflower seed in her hand and crept over to investigate. She stopped behind him and looked over his shoulders to see that the little fatty was looking at a fashion magazine. He was on the children¡¯s clothing page.

    The little model in the magazine was a mixed-race child. He was very handsome. He had a pair of dark eyes, a sharp nose, and short, brown hair. He was wearing a charming little baseball shirt.

    ¡°Can you read these words? You¡¯re so focused on it,¡± Qi Chengyue asked.

    ¡°Aiyah!¡± Qi Youxuan yelped. He was so surprised, he threw the magazine away. He turned around to see Qi Chengyue. He patted his chest with his fat baby hands, saying, ¡°Aunt, why did you scare me like that?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue pouted. ¡°Who said I was trying to scare you? I even spoke in a soft voice. What are you looking at so attentively? You can¡¯t even read the words.¡±

    Qi Youxuan picked up the magazine and flipped it back to that page. Then, he stood up and waddled toward Ruan Danchen with his little butt bouncing in the air.

    He ran to Ruan Danchen¡¯s side and tried to mber onto the sofa. Ruan Danchen scooched to the side and carried him up to the sofa.

    Qi Youxuan pointed at the little model on the magazine and asked, ¡°Aunt Ruan, do you think I¡¯d look good in this hairstyle?¡±

    He reached to touch his hair. He had always thought his hairstyle was uncool.

    Turned out that was what Qi Youxuan was focused on so much. Ruan Danchen looked at the model thoughtfully, then turned to Qi Youxuan and pondered earnestly.

    Her gaze wandered from his soft hair to his eyebrows and eyes, then to his nose and mouth. Even though his face was quite chubby, his features were refined. Ruan Danchen thought that he was a lot more handsome than the model in the magazine.

    Those eyes of his...

    ¡°Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan tugged on Ruan Danchen¡¯s sleeve.

    Ruan Danchen snapped out of it. She nced at the magazine again and said, ¡°This hairstyle looks easy to maintain. I think it suits you a lot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± In that instant, Qi Youxuan turned to Qi Chenglin and requested, ¡°Dad,ter this evening, bring me to the barbershop at the intersection to get this haircut!¡±

    ¡°Whether it¡¯s attractive or not, it has nothing to do with the hair. It¡¯s the face that¡¯s important.¡± Qi Chenglin pointed out coldly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not my fault that I take after you.¡± Qi Youxuan turned away angrily. He threw his tiny body against the sofa back and covered his face with the magazine, throwing a tantrum.

    As he waited for someone to console him, he felt his arm being pinched lightly. The touch was gentle and soft. So much so that Qi Youxuan could get drunk on the feeling.

    He did not move away but he did not remove the magazine from his face either. He wanted to embrace that gentleness a little longer.

    Suddenly, he felt that his magazine was being tugged upward, but it was notpletely taken away.

    Ruan Danchen leaned toward him and covered her face with the magazine too. She whispered, ¡°I think it really suits you. Once you get your haircut, send me a picture of it.¡±

    Qi Youxuan turned to her. He squinted at her and said, ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. I don¡¯t have your phone number.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grinned. She reached into her pocket out of habit but realized it was empty. ¡°Aiyah, I left my phone at the police station. They didn¡¯t return it to me.¡±

    Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan red at her with suspicion. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me just because I¡¯m young. If you don¡¯t want to give me your number then can¡¯t you just say it directly? All you adults are always so fake.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s distrustful expression, Ruan Danchen was getting anxious. ¡°It¡¯s true! Why would I refuse to give you a petty phone number?¡±

    ¡°Ah, what are you two yapping about?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s sarcastic voice, which he seemed to be born with, sounded. Judging from his voice, he was very near them.

    Before Ruan Danchen could react, the magazine got pulled away.

    She looked forward but was unexpectedly met with Qi Chenglin¡¯s crotch. He was standing straight with one arm holding the magazine while the other was ced in his pocket, making the fabric at that area pulled even tighter.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was immediately burning up. Stuttering, even her gums were boiling. It was as if she could spit fire from her mouth.

    She quickly turned her gaze away. Qi Youxuan told, ¡°Aunt Ruan said she left her phone at the police station.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze fall on her face. Her cheeks burnt up. Plucking up her courage, she raised her head to face him. Seeing his elegant, attractive face, she stuttered, ¡°When I... When I was brought to the police station, they... they confiscated my phone. I totally forgot about it when we let.¡±

    Qi Chenglin scoffed. He took his hand out from his pocket. That hand was holding a phone. ¡°How unprofessional do you think our Qilin¡¯swyer is? How can he mess up a trivial matter like this?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the phone with astonishment. His long fingers were presented in front of her¡ªthey were slender and elegant.

    Ruan Danchen carefully received the phone from him, afraid to touch his fingers. She bowed her head to thank him. Just then, Qi Youxuan snatched the phone from her.

    His two little hands appeared even tinier while holding therge phone. His palm was not even as big as the screen. Holding the phone with both hands, he keyed in his number on the keypad with his thumbs. His thumbs could not even reach the middle keys, so he held the phone with one hand and typed with the other.

    After keying it in, he repeated the number to himself to make sure it was correct. He pressed the dial button and returned the phone to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Remember, this is my number!¡±

    He climbs off the sofa and ran into his room in the old mansion. He produced a Totoro-shaped phone from his yellow duck backpack. Only then did he remember¡ªthe phone he had was a kid¡¯s phone. He could not take any pictures with it.

    Qi Chenglin watched as Qi Youxuan darted out of the room in haste. ¡°Dad, get me an adult¡¯s phone!¡±

    ¡°Why do you want a new one?¡± Qi Chenglin asked. He took the kid¡¯s phone from Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and checked if it was functioning. ¡°This one isn¡¯t broken yet!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t take pictures with it,¡± Qi Youxuanined while twisting his round tummy around. ¡°Aunt Ruan said that when I get a new haircut, I should send her a picture of it.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at Ruan Danchen then returned the phone to Qi Youxuan. ¡°A child shouldn¡¯t use an adult¡¯s phone. Use this and don¡¯t make a fuss.¡±

    ¡°Then how can I take pictures?¡± Qi Youxuan protested, ¡°Is it such a sore sight to see a woman appreciate me more than you?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was rendered speechless.

    ¡°Are you jealous of my youth?¡± Qi Youxuan held his head up high and stood on tiptoes.

    ¡°Hey, you¡¯re crossing the line!¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression darkened. What nonsense was he spitting? How could he possibly be jealous of a tiny being like him?

    ¡°Youxuan, what if you ask Aunt Song Yu to take a picture for you after you get your haircut? I¡¯m her colleague, so she can show it to me directly,¡± Ruan Danchen suggested hastily. She was afraid that Qi Youxuan might start arguing with Qi Chenglin. What if Qi Chenglin tries to hit him in a fit of rage?

    Qi Youxuan was not content with her suggestion. He wanted to send the picture to Ruan Danchen the moment he got the haircut.

    Nevertheless, it seemed to be the only solution. Qi Youxuan reluctantly nodded in agreement.

    ¡°Give me her phone number,¡± Qi Chenglin uttered abruptly.

    Qi Youxuan was confused. Qi Chenglin¡¯s words were vague. He pondered upon it for a long time, then asked doubtfully, ¡°Dad, who¡¯s phone number do you want? Aunt Ruan¡¯s?¡±

    ¡°Who else would I be talking about?¡± Qi Chenglin raised an eyebrow at him. ¡°Once you get your haircut, I¡¯ll take a picture for you and send it to her.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen objected but neither of them was listening.

    Qi Youxuan gleefully betrayed Ruan Danchen and gave her number to Qi Chenglin.

    Once Qi Chenglin keyed in Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone number, her phone rang. An unfamiliar phone number appeared on the screen.

    Ruan Danchen thought it was strange. She picked up the phone uneasily. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re in the same house, what are you hello-ing about?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice sounded in the phone, merging with his actual voice.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen raised her head and saw Qi Chenglin holding his phone to his ear with a face full of mockery toward her.

    Ruan Danchen hung up in silence. Since they were in the same house, why did he have to say that to the phone?

    ¡°Save the number. Otherwise, next time you might think it¡¯s a scammer¡¯s number.¡± Qi Chenglin pointed at the phone in Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand with a nod.

    Ruan Danchen could only quietly save the number and assign Qi Chenglin¡¯s name to it. She could not help but feel that things had taken a weird turn. Somehow, she ended up exchanging numbers with Qi Chenglin. What was that about?

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s sharp eyes darted to and fro from Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Suddenly, she stood up called, ¡°Aunt Liu, why isn¡¯t lunch ready yet? I¡¯ll go see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    She scuttled into the kitchen, where she put her head out the door to peek into the living room.

    ¡°Madam Qi, what are you doing?¡± Aunt Liu asked, gently patting on her shoulders. Seeing Grandmother Qi ying detective in her own house, Aunt Liu wasplete baffled by her actions.

    ¡°Shush!¡± Grandmother Qi turned around with her finger on her lips, gesturing Aunt Liu to keep her voice low. ¡°You do your thing. Don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    Grandmother Qi took out her phone from her pocket and made a call.

    Song Yu¡¯s phone rang. She took out and saw that it was Grandmother Qi calling. Hiding in the kitchen and making secret phone calls, just what was Grandmother Qi ying at?

    She answered the phone but before she can say ¡®Grandma¡¯, Grandmother Qi instructed, ¡°Don¡¯t call me Grandma. Hurry up ande to the kitchen. Make sure you don¡¯t arouse anyone¡¯s suspicion.¡±

    Song Yu hung up. She excused herself by saying she was heading to the kitchen to see if there was anything she could help with, then hurried to the kitchen.

    The moment she set foot into the kitchen, Grandmother Qi pulled her to a corner. ¡°My dear Song Yu, I think the interaction between the Chenglin and Xiao Ruan is a little odd! It feels like something¡¯s going on! I¡¯ve never seen Chenglin talk to other women like that before.¡±

    Song Yu had not seen Qi Chenglin talk much to women, but she knew his attitude toward Ruan Danchen was indeed different.

    ¡°Do you think Chenglin is falling for her?¡± Grandmother Qi asked expectantly.

    ¡°...¡± Hesitantly, Song Yumented, ¡°If he likes her then why is he being so insulting?¡±

    Grandmother Qi thought long and hard on it. She guessed, ¡°Maybe that¡¯s his way of showing he likes thedy.¡±

    The longer Grandmother Qi pondered on it, the more hopeful she became. ¡°I think this will work. His words may be offensive, but at the end of those insults, didn¡¯t he still managed to reel in her number? You should invite Xiao Ruan here more often! Create some opportunities for Chenglin.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. Even if Qi Chenglin was not interested in her, Song Yu had no problems with setting Ruan Danchen up with him. Qi Chenglin was a good man, after all. Thus, Song Yu eagerly agreed to Grandmother Qi¡¯s request.

    ¡°Actually, back when Ruan Danchen rejected my offer, I was trying to introduce Qi Chenglin to her,¡± Song Yu revealed.

    ¡°See? They¡¯re fated to meet. Even after she rejected your offer, they still crossed paths in the end!¡± Grandmother Qi stated delightedly. ¡°Ah, today is full of joyous events! Chengyue found a good man, while Chenglin¡¯s love life is finally looking up. Chengji is the only one left now.¡±

    When the two of them were done discussing, Aunt Liu had finished cooking.

    After everyone enjoyed lunch together, Qi Chengzhi received a call from Chu Zhaoyang.

    Once he hung up the phone, he swept his eyes across the room and announced, ¡°Guan Xiaolin¡¯s uterus is infected. They have confirmed she¡¯s now infertile.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d that happen?¡± Guan Liya asked, stunned by the news.

    Even though Guan Xiaolin had wronged Qi Chengyue, after Guan Xiaolin aborted the child, she would never end up with Jian Yi again. Therefore, the Qi family had nothing against her anymore.

    Moreover, if that incident had not urred, Qi Chengyue might not have been able to make her decision and she would not have ended up with Cheng Dongge. All that happened ended up being blessings in disguise.

    As for the rest, Guan Liya never nned to push Guan Xiaolin all the way to the edge.

    Besides, Guan Liya was a woman too. She was a mother. She knew how painful it is for a woman to be infertile. It was too serious of a matter for her to gloat on.

    ¡°It was Zhou Mingyan. Somehow she found out Guan Xiaolin had an abortion. She went to the hospital and wreaked havoc. Guan Xiaolin hadn¡¯t even recovered enough strength to get out of bed yet when Zhou Mingyan dragged her to the floor and beat her up. She went from cold to hot, causing her to develop a fever, and now¡ª¡±

    ¡°How could that Zhou Mingyan do this! No wonder she came to our house early in the morning and begged on her knees. After doing such a terrible thing, I can¡¯t believe she had the guts toe begging for our help.¡± Guan Liya fumed. How could such people exist?

    ¡°How is Guan Xiaolin now?¡± Song Yu inquired while refilling everybody¡¯s tea.

    ¡°She doesn¡¯t know about it yet. Her parents are keeping it a secret from her. The Guan family had handed the case to theirwyer,¡± Qi Chengzhi informed.

    ...

    ...

    Since they finished lunchte at three o¡¯clock, no one was hungry during dinnertime. Aunt Liu cooked a bowl of noodles for each of them.

    At night, Ruan Danchen left with Song Yu.

    Although Song Yu wanted to set Ruan Danchen up with Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen had been through a lot that day so Song Yu was still worried about her. Song Yu took the chance to help her rx a little on the way home.

 Chapter 226 - Look at Yourself in the Mirror and See How Disgusting You Are Right Now

    <h4>Chapter 226: Look at Yourself in the Mirror and See How Disgusting You Are Right Now</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Although Song Yu wanted to set Ruan Danchen up with Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen had been through a lot that day so Song Yu was still worried about her. Song Yu took the chance to help her rx a little on the way home.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told Cheng Dongge that we will also investigate it ourselves. We will not depend on Mu Huaisheng.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked into the rearview mirror as Song Yu and Ruan Danchen were seated at the back.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mu Sisi can¡¯t do anything much. If you¡¯re really worried about it, we could take thousands of steps back from this. If she¡¯s really going to sue, Lawyer Song already told us today that we can definitely win the case. If you are worried about your future in the industry, go to Qi Lin then ¨C still fear you¡¯ll have no job?¡±

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Ruan Danchenughed. ¡°I¡¯m really okay. I didn¡¯t do it, so I¡¯m not afraid of her. She¡¯s using me ¨C no matter how prepared she is for that, there will always be some loophole. If it reallyes to that, then you can use these under-the-table connections.¡±

    After listening to Ruan Danchen, Song Yu looked at her face again ¨C she seemed fine. Song Yu then stopped advising her.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Song Yu woke up past nine. Qi Chengzhi was not next to her.

    Song Yu got up and cleaned up a little. Just as she walked out of the bathroom, she saw Qi Chengzhi enter the room in his short-sleeved sweatshirt and joggers. His body smelled like the clean air from outside.

    His face was glistening with sweat and his sweatshirt was also wet from it, but he did not look disgusting to Song Yu at all. He was the type where no matter how dirty he was, he could still seem like he was squeaky clean ¨C it was a rare temperament.

    ¡°I¡¯m getting fatter and you¡¯re still keeping yourself this fit. Isn¡¯t this provocation?¡± Song Yu checked him out from head to toe; this man seemed manlier after a workout.

    ¡°If I don¡¯t keep myself in shape, how could I serve you well? I¡¯m old, I¡¯m under a lot of stress.¡± Qi Chengzhiughed as he removed his sweatshirt, showing off the defined muscles on his body.

    His chest was still a little wet from the sweat. Song Yu looked at him and thought to herself, ¡®What a meal!¡¯

    Her chin was scratched all of a sudden. She looked up to find him mocking her. ¡°You¡¯re drooling ¨C is it that nice to stare?¡±

    Song Yu blushed but she was not shy. She took a step into his arms, and her hands were tracing the muscles on his abs to his back as she circled his waist. She whispered with a little shyness, ¡°It is.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down at her blushing face as he used his bony fingers to push the hair on her face to the side. He then ran his fingers through her long hair down her back and naturally wrapped his arms around her waist. Her soft ¡®It is¡¯ did something to him and he really wanted to do something about it.

    He looked down at the beautiful red circles on her cheeks ¨C they were warm and smelled nice.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but kiss her hot, pink cheeks with a smirk on his face. He gave her waist a slight pinch and said in his smooth voice, ¡°I¡¯m sweating all over.¡±

    Song Yu lifted her brows and said, ¡°Are you too good for me now?¡±

    ¡°Where did you conclude this from? I was saying it for your sake and you¡¯re using me of this.¡± Qi Chengzhi hugged her tightly. ¡°My body stinks of sweat and dirt.¡±

    Song Yuughed and rubbed her face directly on his chest ¨C the sweat was almost dried up. All of a sudden, she turned around and kissed him. She did not know what had gotten into her.

    As she moved her lips, she was suddenly lifted by him. Song Yu squealed softly. Her back was pushed against the door of her cupboard, and before she could make sense of the situation, his lips was already against hers, and his tongue arrogantly made its way into her mouth while intertwining with her saliva.

    After kissing her from head to toe, he rxed his extraordinarily full lips. His warm lips were still against hers as heughed gently. His strong scent was pouring over her lips.

    ¡°You¡¯re seducing me right after waking up, aren¡¯t you naughty?¡± Qi Chengzhi said while grazing her lips and pushed her upwards.

    Song Yu¡¯s body weakened after the push. She held his neck tight and said shyly, ¡°I looked at the calendar. We¡¯re just over a week away from three months.¡±

    After hearing that, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze changed ¨C there was a fire in his eyes. He hugged Song Yu tight and said, ¡°You want it too?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face burned as she nodded. He had wanted to do it every night but knew he could not. He had to hold it back ¨C even with her help, it was not as good as actually doing it.

    It was as hard for her as it was for Qi Chengzhi. She could not stand being seduced by him all the time ¨C he would suck it with his mouth, but there was still tension in the deep end.

    Especially with a man she loved to the core, she wanted nothing other than being together to the fullest and to be attached to him. She wanted to have himpletely.

    Qi Chengzhi could still hold it in before Song Yu said what she said. After hearing that, Qi Chengzhi was about to give in ¨C his lips were pressed against the corner of her mouth with so much force, her soft skin was going to copse.

    ¡°How about I do it slowly and we could try? We¡¯re still days away from the three-month mark right?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was hoarse, and Song Yu could feel his muscles tremble.

    Song Yu hugged him tight and trembled while saying, ¡°If we do it now, wouldn¡¯t you want it everyday?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath and put her down gently. He found her morning attire had gotten wet from his sweat.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡± His voice was tense.

    He was about to turn around before Song Yu grabbed him. Qi Chengzhi looked down to find her blushing and her head lowered. He could only see the ck hair on the back of her head. She said softly, ¡°Let me help you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her deeply. He took no time to carry her into the bathroom.

    ...

    ...

    By the time they came out, it was nearly time for lunch. Just as they wanted to go downstairs, Qi Chengzhi received a call from Mu Huaisheng. Mu Huaisheng said the investigation wasplete and he wasing over to exin. He also wanted to apologize to Ruan Danchen.

    Song Yu gave a call to Ruan Danchen and asked her toe over.

    Ruan Danchen immediately took the train to Zhijing Garden. Given the intensity of traffic jams in B town, it was quicker to take the train than getting a cab.

    Her phone vibrated in the coach. It was a text from Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. She opened the text to find a photo ¨C there was nothing else.

    Even though it was minimized, she could tell it was Qi Youxuan in the photo.

    She clicked on the photo. Qi Youxuan had his hair cut short and the old watermelon cut was gone. His sides were shaved short, and the hair on the top of his head was slightly longer but not too long. It was gelled upwards with a little curl; it made him seem extra handsome.

    This photo was taken in the salon. It seemed like the little one had just finished getting his haircut, and he could not wait to get Qi Chenglin to send the photo over.

    Ruan Danchen zoomed in on the photo. She stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s face before zooming in further on each of his features. Her hand started to tremble by itself as she looked.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes started to swell. Her trembling finger gently grazed over Qi Youxuan¡¯s facial features.

    She saved the photo in a separate album. Truth be told, she would have loved to set the photo as her phone wallpaper.

    Just as she was done saving it, Qi Youxuan called. Ruan Danchen picked up and greeted him. ¡°Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, did you see the photo?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s young, clear, and crisp voice came through the phone.

    Ruan Danchen gripped on her phone and said, ¡°Saw it, I saved it too. I was just done with it before you called.¡±

    Qi Youxuan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. He lowered his head as he grazed the floor with his shoe. ¡°Do I look good?¡±

    ¡°You do, it suits you. You look really handsome.¡± Ruan Danchen could not help but smile gently.

    Qi Youxuan was seated at the back of the car in the child seat. He shook his leg and pulled out apact mirror from his small duck bag to look at his own handsome face. His face moved left and right to check himself out and his new hairstyle. He looked down and stared at his hair intensely.

    ¡°Since you think I¡¯m good looking, why aren¡¯t you meeting me?¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his chin and said with arrogance.

    ¡°Youxuan, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m going to your aunty¡¯s house for some important matters.¡± Ruan Danchen stood up as she was approaching her stop.

    ¡°Oh, then we¡¯ll meet next time. Bye, Aunty Ruan,¡± Qi Youxuan said without pushing further. He then hung up.

    Ruan Danchen looked at her phone. She did not know if Qi Youxuan was angry.

    She had not had much interaction with Qi Youxuan. This was a moment that proved how little she knew about him.

    She did not know how he would act if he was angry.

    The train stopped. Ruan Danchen exhaled deeply and walked out.

    Qi Youxuan put away his phone. While looking at himself in the mirror and fixing his hair, he said, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go to aunty¡¯s house.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen left the station and walked towards Zhijing Garden. She heard honking noises that seemed to be following her.

    She turned around to find a BMW 7 series driving slowly by the pavement. Mu Huaisheng looked out the window and said, ¡°Miss Ruan, going to Zhijing Garden?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stopped and nodded. Mu Huaisheng stopped his car and smiled while saying, ¡°I¡¯m also headed there. Let¡¯s go together.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not reject the offer. She got into Mu Huaisheng¡¯s car.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I already found out that you were wrongly used. I won¡¯t let my sister do anything hastily,¡± Mu Huaisheng said.

    Ruan Danchen did not ask any further. She knew Mu Huaisheng would provide a thorough exnation when they reach Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house.

    Mu Huaisheng looked over at Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Miss Ruan, do you me me for what happened?

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible not to me you. Even if you didn¡¯t know about this, Mu Sisi is your sister and you did not restrict her from it. You let her wrongly use others and make a joke out of others¡¯ lives. My life was almost ruined in her hands. Even if you¡¯ve proven that I am innocent, but this incident has already been spread out in the industry. Who would hire me in the future? To make such a mistake in your business and let your sister do this kind of thing, I am definitely ming you for it. This made me feel like you¡¯re kind of unprofessional,¡± Ruan Danchen said with her head slightly lowered. She was looking at her own knees. After saying that, she turned her head to look out the car window.

    Mu Huaisheng stayed silent for the rest of the journey before parking outside Qi Chengzhi¡¯s house.

    Ruan Danchen got out of the car. Mu Huaisheng held the lift door open for Ruan Danchen before they both walked into it awkwardly.

    There were only the two of them in the lift. After some time, Mu Huaisheng finally said, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced over at him and stayed silent.

    After reaching Qi Chengzhi¡¯s entrance and ringing the doorbell, Song Yu found the duo walking in together to her surprise. Mu Huaisheng said, ¡°We bumped into each other on the way here.¡±

    Aunt Yong had already prepared tea, fruits, and some snacks. After sitting down, Mu Huaisheng said, ¡°I came back at midnight yesterday andpleted the investigation. It was Mu Sisi who switched the materials, I¡¯m sorry. I know the damage has already been done. Regarding this, I will publicly announce that it was a misunderstanding, and let Miss Ruan continue being MU¡¯s designer to end the rumours through action.¡±

    ¡°Will you expose what Mu Sisi did?¡± Song Yu said as she sat next to Ruan Danchen and held her hand.

    Mu Huaisheng went silent. After some time, he said, ¡°Putting aside the fact that she is my sister, my parents would not agree to this. Moreover, MU¡¯s reputation would be at risk if we revealed the truth. If we do this when MU¡¯s gship store in the country has yet to beunched, it would have bad consequences.¡±

    ¡°Did you ever think about how bad it has affected Ruan Danchen? You care about the reputation of MU, but who is going to restore Ruan Danchen¡¯s reputation? Even if youe out and say it was just a misunderstanding but not reveal why it happened, how would the public think? How would people in the industry think? If someone wanted to investigate, her rtionship to me and your rtionship to Chengzhi will be revealed. By then, people will say that you decided not to sue Danchen and even continue to give her the job because of Qi Chengzhi. In truth, she was the one who did it, and there were no misunderstandings. Danchen was used and you get to be painted as a good and loyal friend while her reputation gets destroyed. How could she still stay in the industry after this?¡± Song Yu did not sound agitated, but Mu Huaisheng could tell through her soft voice that she was pissed.

    Mu Huaisheng exhaled deeply.

    Song Yu was so mad that her hand was trembling. ¡°I regret introducing Danchen to you. I thought it was a good thing for her, but it has now caused her harm.¡±

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Mu Huaisheng could only say that.

    ¡°What¡¯s the use of saying sorry? The harm has been done, you don¡¯t want MU¡¯s reputation to be ruined, then what about Danchen? Does she deserve to be wrongly used by Mu Sisi? Mu Sisi did such a thing but is not facing any consequences nor any punishment. She could definitely face legal action for what she did!¡± Song Yu said angrily. ¡°Who does she think she is to bully someone like this? Mu Huaisheng, how could you let her bully others? Can you bring Danchen some justice?

    ¡°Before this, Mu Sisi messed with me a few times and you came to apologize to me. I don¡¯t care about that because that¡¯s my problem, I could choose to forgive her or not. Mu Sisi has gone as far as targeting people who are close to me, she¡¯s getting too much! If Mu Sisi came and messed with me, I have Chengzhi backing me. I don¡¯t fear her, but Danchen has nothing, she¡¯s alone. Why did shee and bully Danchen? Danchen did not trigger or piss her off, is it because she is my friend? If she has the guts to do it,e mess with me! Is she only bullying people weaker than she is? Is she that weak?¡± Song Yu was really angry ¨C the speed of her words was fast.

    ¡°Song Yu.¡± Ruan Danchen grabbed her arm and tried to calm her down.

    She knew no matter how amicable Mu Huaisheng was, Mu Sisi was still his sister ¨C he could not let his sister get into trouble. Even if she was in the wrong, he had to defend her.

    ¡°Give me your phone.¡± Song Yu extended her arm towards Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng was stunned ¨C but he did it anyway.

    Song Yu found Mu Sisi¡¯s number quickly and called it.

    Not long after that, Mu Sisi picked up and said, ¡°Brother -¡±

    Song Yu cut her short and said, ¡°It¡¯s me, Song Yu.¡±

    Mu Sisi was clearly shocked for a bit as she did not respond to Song Yu immediately.

    A few secondster, Mu Sisi said coldly, ¡°How could it be you?¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, if you have the guts,e for me. Don¡¯t use such dirty tricks and wrongly use my friend. I have Chengzhi, you can¡¯t beat me so you don¡¯t dare toe after me directly and choose to go after innocent people instead? Are you that disgusting?¡± Song Yu clenched onto Mu Huaisheng¡¯s phone and questioned angrily.

    Mu Sisi scoffed, looked down at her newly done nails and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡±

    ¡°You know deep down what I¡¯m talking about.¡± Song Yu was thoroughly disgusted. Hearing Mu Sisi¡¯s voice and thinking about her face, she felt nauseous.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything deep down. What, how did your friend get used?¡± Mu Sisi spinned in her chair and asked while looking at her own nails.

    Before Song Yu could answer, she pretended as if she just came to a realization. She had her hand over her mouth and said, ¡°Aiya, I remember now, is it the girl who¡¯s called something Chen? She used cheap materials to earn more, don¡¯t you dare use me.¡±

    Song Yu was expressionless. She said softly, ¡°Mu Sisi, do you have a mirror next to you?¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Mu Sisi put down her hand and asked with a dark, cold expression.

    ¡°Nothing much, I just want you to look at yourself in the mirror and see how disgusting you look. The more you¡¯re like this, the less likely Chengzhi will like you. After doing such a disgusting thing, who could fall for you? Or since you know that Chengzhi would never fall for you for the rest of your life, you have given up and started doing things that harm both others and yourself?¡± Song Yu lifted her brow and said coldly, ¡°Mu Sisi, don¡¯t you dare think that you could do this just because you look pretty. Looks don¡¯t matter, you have to have a good heart. Your heart is dirty, and you will look like it as well one day. You left to the States early in your life, not sure if you still remember something called looks will imitate your heart? If you don¡¯t remember it, I can exin it to you.¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Mu Sisi said angrily. She stood up with force, and the decorations on her newly done nails were scratched on her stockings ¨C a long tear appeared on the stockings.

    Mu Sisi looked down at the tear on her stockings and felt like she was going crazy. She nearly screamed out of anger.

    ¡°Song Yu, you called me to say these things? Does Brother Chengzhi know? You must be calling me behind his back. If Brother Chengzhi heard what you said just now, he would never like you again! I¡¯ll watch and see how long you can pretend, Brother Chengzhi will see your real side someday! If you have the guts, you can repeat what you said to me in front of him!¡± Mu Sisi squeezed her eyes together and screamed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need to repeat it, he¡¯s right next to me. I have nothing to hide from him.¡± Song Yu pursed her lips and looked at Qi Chengzhi. She then said to Mu Sisi, ¡°Do you want to speak to him?¡±

    Before Mu Sisi could answer, Song Yu already handed the phone over to Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Song Yu, save the act! I can¡¯t see through the phone, you can say anything you want!¡± Mu Sisi said while clenching her jaws together.

 Chapter 227 - Aunty Ruan Is an Honest Person

    <h4>Chapter 227: Aunty Ruan Is an Honest Person</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Save the act, Song Yu! I can¡¯t see through the phone, so you can say anything you want!¡± Mu Sisi said while clenching her jaws together.

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Qi Chengzhi,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi!¡± Mu Sisi was shocked. She realized Qi Chengzhi had heard what she said just then. Who knew Song Yu was such a shrew in front of Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, you heard what Song Yu said just now. She used and degraded me with such horrible words like a shrew. You¡¯re lucky it was me¡ªI know you well so I won¡¯t stoop to her level. But if she¡¯s giving others this type of attitude, she could attract many enemies for you. People would think that Qi Chengzhi married a wife of this quality, the daughter-inw of the Qi family was of this ss, you ...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hung up the phone. Other than the introduction he gave just now, he said nothing else to Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi was shocked and took a while to realize what had happened. Qi Chengzhi hung up on her.

    Mu Sisi did not expect that Qi Chengzhi would not scold Song Yu despite her attitude.

    ¡°Ah!¡± She grabbed the pencil holder on the table and threw it, the pens inside scattered all over the floor.

    It was not enough for her. She continued to throw things until one nail of hers began to hurt. Mu Sisi lifted her hand to see the petal decoration on her middle fingernail was broken.

    ¡°Everything is against me! Nothing is going well!¡± Mu Sisi angrily stared at her imperfect nail and wanted to pull it off, but to no avail.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi returned the phone to Mu Huaisheng. Mu Huaisheng said, ¡°We¡¯re indebted to Miss Ruan over this matter. I guarantee that this won¡¯t affect Miss Ruan¡¯s future.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng looked over at Ruan Danchen and apologized, saying, ¡°Miss Ruan, I¡¯m really sorry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen remained silent. She wanted to reply sarcastically, but she still had to work with Mu Huaisheng. She could not release her frustrations¡ªshe could not say anything.

    Mu Huaisheng got awkward and felt guilt in his heart. He said softly, ¡°Nothing will happen to Miss Ruan. I¡¯ll make a move now.¡±

    Song Yu stood up and did not attempt to ask him to stay. After walking him to the door, she said, ¡°Master Mu, I know you¡¯re good friends with Chengzhi, but you can¡¯t use that rtionship to make us give way time after time. No matter how much we do that, we have a limit. Don¡¯t use the fact that you¡¯re friends with Chengzhi to make him feel ufortable between you and me! Letting Mu Sisi be greedy time after time and bully us.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Mu Huaisheng said seriously. He was afraid that if incidents like these continued, his friendship with Qi Chengzhi would end.

    ¡°Drive carefully,¡± Song Yu said.

    After Mu Huaisheng left, Qi Chengzhi called Lawyer Song on his phone and said while walking towards the study, ¡°Lawyer Song, start preparing¡ª¡±

    Qi Chengzhi opened the door to the study and closed it behind him. ¡°Cheng Dongge should be nearly done with preparing the evidence, you give him a call and gather the evidence together¡ªcharge Mu Sisi.¡±

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Stay here for dinner tonight.¡± It was just Song Yu and Ruan Danchen in the living hall. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry,¡± said Song Yu, ¡°this whole thing happened because of me. I dragged you down.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. You couldn¡¯t have expected Mu Sisi to be this unreasonable.¡± Ruan Danchen exhaled deeply and said, ¡°We just don¡¯t know what Mu Huaisheng is doing to settle the matter.¡±

    ¡°Whatever it is, don¡¯t worry about it. Even if Chengshi doesn¡¯t keep you, there¡¯s Qilin, isn¡¯t there? Qilin has so many projects, hotels, service apartments, theme parks. Won¡¯t they need your expertise? After a few years of proving yourself, people will forget what happened today,¡± Song Yu assured her. Even though she was stern with Mu Huaisheng just now, Mu Huaisheng would not prioritize this problem if she did not point it out. It would happen again and again to no end.

    Truth be told, with Qilin as a backup, she did not worry much. Ruan Danchen had no reason to fear.

    The doorbell rang at this moment. Song Yu asked Ruan Danchen to sit while she went to open the door.

    She found Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan standing at the door¡ªQi Chenglin was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s little duck bag and smiling at her. Qi Youxuan touched his hair with his small hand and said, ¡°Aunty, did you notice any changes about me?¡±

    ¡°Ah, Youxuan how did you be more good-looking? How could you be more handsome day by day?¡± Song Yu said whileughing. She let them in immediately and brought out sandals for them to change into. She purposely bought a pair of children¡¯s sandals for Qi Youxuan in case of emergencies. Qi Youxuan coulde here anytime. ¡°Your new hairstyle looks good.¡±

    Qi Youxuan took off his sneakers and changed into the sandals. With his round gut, he said shyly, ¡°Aunty, you have such good taste.¡±

    Song Yu did not dare to touch his hair like she used to, as she was afraid of messing up his hairstyle. She pinched his chin softly instead.

    Qi Youxuan ran into the living hall and found Ruan Danchen. He shouted in excitement, ¡°Aunty Ruan!¡±

    Ruan Danchen watched him run towards her in shock¡ªhe ran around the coffee table. Ruan Danchen shielded him as she was afraid that he would run into the corners of the table. Qi Youxuan came over, climbed up the sofa, and shook his thick and short legs. His sandals slipped off his feet, and ¡®Bang!¡¯ it dropped onto the ground.

    ¡°Look, aren¡¯t I better looking in person than in photos?¡± Qi Youxuan teased his short and gelled hair.

    His act reminded Ruan Danchen of Kazuhiko Hanawa.

    ¡°Yes, way better looking than in photos,¡± Ruan Danchenughed and replied in earnest.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, did youe to chat with Aunty?¡± Qi Youxuan was satisfied with the answer he received and asked with his fat cheeks. He also grabbed a grape from the te and put it in his mouth.

    Ruan Danchen was about to answer when Qi Chenglin walked in with Qi Youxuan¡¯s little duck bag. He looked over at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was stressed by Qi Chenglin¡¯s stare. She forcefully greeted, ¡°Master Lin.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to my text?¡± Qi Chenglin sat across them and asked.

    ¡°Huh? You texted me?¡± Ruan Danchen dug out her phone from her bag immediately. It was just a photo of Qi Youxuan. She looked up and said innocently, ¡°There¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see Youxuan¡¯s photo?¡± Qi Chenglin moved his chin.

    ¡°Yes I saw it, so¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen went silent suddenly. She blinked and said, ¡°This was the text you¡¯re talking about?¡±

    ¡°What else could it be, me chatting with you over text?¡± Qi Chenglin said sarcastically. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you reply to the photo? I thought you didn¡¯t receive it.¡±

    ¡°Master Lin, can you not be so sarcastic? I¡¯m not thinking about chatting with you either,¡± Ruan Danchen said while pursing her lips. She put her phone back in her bag and added, ¡°Didn¡¯t Youxuan call me right after I saw the photo? I told Youxuan I saw it, so I didn¡¯t reply to your text.¡±

    ¡°Are you equating him to me? Calling you was his call, texting you was my text. Since I texted you, you should reply to me as basic decency,¡± Qi Chenglin squeezed his eyes and said.

    Ruan Danchen felt something in her chest. She was speechless after what Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked after finishing his call in the study. He was still holding onto his phone when he saw Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan in the living hall.

    ¡°Youxuan wanted toe over,¡± Qi Chenglin briefly exined.

    Qi Chengzhi scoffed, lifted his brow, and asked with half a smile, ¡°Since when you listen to him?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the family in the room. She felt ufortable being the only outsider.

    Although she was reluctant of leaving Qi Youxuan, she looked at Qi Youxuan before standing up and said, ¡°I think it¡¯s time for me to leave.¡±

    ¡°Why are you leaving? Didn¡¯t I ask you to have dinner here before you go? Since you¡¯re all here, I¡¯m cooking tonight. None of you are leaving,¡± Song Yu walked over and pulled her to sit down.

    ¡°Right, why don¡¯t you call Cheng Dongge and Chengyue over as well,¡± Song Yu turned around and told Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. He went to call Qi Chengyue without Song Yu asking twice.

    Ruan Danchen could not leave after being held back by Song Yu. Qi Youxuan sat down while leaning against her, and Song Yu watched them. Qi Youxuan was usually stuck to her, calling her Aunty for all kinds of things, but he was stuck to Ruan Danchen at this moment.

    Truth be told, they barely met each other before this. It was a wonder why Qi Youxuan liked Ruan Danchen that much.

    After Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge arrived, Qi Chengyue echoed Song Yu¡¯s thoughts as she said, ¡°He did not care about me when he met Muran before this, now that he met Ruan Danchen, he¡¯s still ignoring me. I was never on his list despite being his aunt.¡±

    Aunt Yong gathered the necessary ingredients for dinner and waited for Song Yu to prepare them. Ruan Danchen and Qi Chengyue went to the kitchen to help out. Qi Chengyue said she did not know how to cook, so she was helping out while learning.

    The trio chatted while getting busy with dinner. Suddenly, Qi Youxuan¡¯s head popped into the kitchen.

    His head seemed more round now that he had short hair. It was less obvious before this as his hair was longer.

    After seeing the three of them, Qi Youxuan walked over to the side of the table that was as tall as his chest. He could only hold onto the sides of the table with his little hands. After seeing Qi Chengyue cutting up ham, his little hand reached towards the te and grabbed a slice to eat it.

    ¡°Are you here to steal food?¡± Qi Chengyue nced over at him and said.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to ask Aunty if she had strawberries in the house. I want to drink strawberry juice,¡± Qi Youxuan replied.

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s left of it is outside. How many are there outside? If you want, just bring everything in and I¡¯ll use those to squeeze some juice for you,¡± Song Yu said, and Qi Youxuan ran outside almost immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get it!¡± he said while running.

    After a little while, Qi Youxuan carried a te of strawberries into the kitchen. The three men outside barely touched it.

    Song Yu looked at the strawberries¡ªthey were enough for a ss of juice.

    The juicer was ced too high in the kitchen. She could not reach it, so she went out to get Qi Chengzhie in and get it.

    Qi Chengzhi did not step on anything¡ªhe did not even need to tip his toes. He stretched his arm and grabbed the juicer with ease.

    Ruan Danchen took the juicer from him and cut up each strawberry into two before putting them into the juicer. There was enough juice for a huge ss. The pulp that dropped out of the other end of the juicer was too dry to be edible.

    ¡°The ss is too full, it¡¯d spill easily if you carry it like that. How about I pour some of it for you?¡± Ruan Danchen offered. The juice filled the ss to the brim, and it would spill over with a slight movement.

    ¡°No, don¡¯t!¡± Qi Youxuan was reluctant to let it go. He tried to grab the ss while tipping his toes.

    However, with that movement, the juice spilled over and onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s shirt. His chubby, pale hands were also covered in juice, sticky.

    Qi Youxuan stared at the ss and immediately downed three big gulps of juice. It would be a waste if any more was spilled.

    Ruan Danchen could not decide if she shouldugh or cry. He did not act like the grandson of a powerful family¡ªhe seemed like he had never had juice in his life.

    Seeing his hungry look, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart ached. She used tissue to dry the juice on his hands, but they were still sticky.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s clean you up in the toilet. You cane back and drinkter,¡± Ruan Danchen said while holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand. She did not mind the stickiness.

    She washed his hands in the toilet and used a towel to wipe the juice off his shirt. Although the stains left by the juice could not be cleaned immediately, the color of the stains seemed lighter and less sticky as well.

    It was Ruan Danchen¡¯s first time to be this close to the little guy legitimately. Her arms were wrapped around his small body. She wiped his shirt slowly and was reluctant to let him go.

    ¡°Youxuan, when is your birthday?¡± Ruan Danchen tried asking casually while wiping his shirt. Her eyes could not help but stare at his round face, and she was nervous. She gradually stopped wiping and rested her hand on Qi Youxuan¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°Are you getting me a gift, Aunty Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan blinked his big, ck, grape-like eyes and asked. ¡°My birthday was on the 20th of April. Even though it has passed, you can still buy me a present if you want to. You have to remember it next year and give me a gift on time.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s body shook. She was squatting before this, but she almost fell backward¡ªit was fortunate that she held onto the basin in time. Her lips trembled, and her eyes were swelling and tearing up.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, why are you crying? I don¡¯t have high standards, you don¡¯t have to buy me expensive gifts,¡± Qi Youxuan said nervously as he used his little hand to wipe off the tears on Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. He was afraid that he was the cause of her tears.

    ¡°No, that isn¡¯t the case,¡± Ruan Danchen said while wiping her tears. She smiled at Qi Youxuan¡ªher gaze was shaky, and her hand was grazing Qi Youxuan¡¯s face. She caressed his face in detail, and her soft fingertips were tracing his features. ¡°Youxuan... Youxuan¡¯s so adorable, how could I not buy you gifts? I felt sad because I missed your birthday and didn¡¯t celebrate with you on time. You¡¯re six this year, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded and said while being annoyed, ¡°Grandma said I have to go to school in September.¡±

    ¡°I only got to know you thiste and missed six birthdays of yours, that¡¯s why I was sad,¡± Ruan Danchen said while touching his face. She really wanted to kiss and hug him, but she was afraid that she would scare him off. Her heart was racing so fast it felt like it could jump out of her chest.

    She touched his face and held his shoulders and arms. ¡°How about this¡ªI¡¯ll buy you presents enough for the past six birthdays of yours, and I won¡¯t miss your birthday next year. Sounds good?¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s face lit up as he heard that. He looked at Ruan Danchen in excitement, and his face blushed as he said, ¡°Aunty Ruan, you¡¯re an amazing person. I knew I was a good judge of character.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan as he lowered his head in shyness and said softly, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    ¡°What did you say, Aunty Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan looked up all of a sudden and asked.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ruan Danchen shook her head.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, do you think my Uncle is good-looking?¡± the little guy asked in embarrassment.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned.

    ¡°Tell me!¡± Qi Youxuan urged.

    Ruan Danchen did not know what he was up to. She nodded and replied honestly, ¡°Yes, he is.¡±

    ¡°You see, my dad looks like my Uncle, so this means my dad is pretty good-looking too. His looks could pass. Even though his attitude is a work in progress, he could pass having an adorable son like me. He¡¯s also particrly rich. Don¡¯t you think he ticks a lot of boxes?¡± Qi Youxuan widened his eyes and asked.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    ¡°He¡¯s still single now, and as his son, I¡¯m worried about him. If he doesn¡¯t get married soon, no one would want him when he¡¯s old. I¡¯m marrying Muran in the future, no one would take care of him then. Aunty Ruan, do you want to give him some pity?¡± Qi Youxuan came down from the toilet seat.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen silently patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s shirt, the stains on it barely visible. ¡°Go and drink your juice.¡±

    Qi Youxuan got excited from the six presents he was promised and forgot about his juice. After being reminded by Ruan Danchen, he remembered he had a huge ss of fruit juice waiting for him in the kitchen. He could not care less about his father¡¯s future. He turned around and ran out.

    Ruan Danchen was still in the toilet. She shut the door, leaned against the door on her forehead, covered her face with her hands, and tried to muffle her sobbing.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan brought out his ss of strawberry juice from the kitchen and ran towards Qi Chenglin to sit next to him. He said happily, ¡°Dad, Aunty Ruan wants to give me six birthday presents. She was so sad when she found out that she missed my birthday just now, she started crying.¡±

    Qi Youxuan took a sip of the fruit juice and said, ¡°Aunty Ruan is such an honest person.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was about to take a sip of tea from his teacup but stopped himself midway. He turned and looked at him while asking, ¡°You told her your birthday?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Qi Youxuan nodded and took another big gulp of juice.

    ¡°Where is she?¡± Qi Chenglin put down his teacup and asked.

    ¡°She didn¡¯te out with me, she¡¯s probably still in the toilet,¡± Qi Youxuan replied. He did not suspect anything¡ªhe seemed rxed and leaned against the sofafortably while sipping on his fruit juice.

    Qi Chenglin stood up in silence and walked away.

    ¡°Dad, where are you going?¡± Qi Youxuan was still drinking fruit juice on the sofa and did not n to follow him. His question was asked nonchntly.

    The sofa was too wide for him, it could double as a bed. The sofa could fit most of his leg as he leaned against the cushion, and only his feet were hanging out of the sofa, while the rest of his body was on it. The satisfaction on his face could frustrate someone.

    Cheng Donggeughed and said to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Lawyer Song called me before I came here.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, both of you handle this matter together,¡± Qi Chengzhi said briefly.

    ¡°Handle what?¡± Qi Chengyue heard them talking when she came out.

    Song Yu had already prepared three cold dishes. After seeing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s nod, Cheng Dongge said, ¡°Master Cheng wants to sue Mu Sisi.¡±

    ¡°Is it because of Danchen¡¯s problem?¡± Song Yu asked. She had not suggested Qi Chengzhi to take any action against Mu Sisi. She thought that because of Mu Huaisheng, Qi Chengzhi would not actually do anything to Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Not exactly.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. ¡°It¡¯s clear that verbal warnings did not work on her. Mu Sisi is exploiting her brother¡¯s reputation and is bing more and more arrogant. I cannot wait for her to do something worse and regret then. She targeted Ruan Danchen this time, and she could target others the next. If this went on, when will she stop? If we don¡¯t do something about it, she won¡¯t refrain from doing worse things.¡±

 Chapter 228 - Why Are Your Eyes so Red? Did You Cry?

    <h4>Chapter 228: Why Are Your Eyes so Red? Did You Cry?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Not quite so.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. ¡°My prior verbal warning was to no avail, obviously, as Mu Sisi was still impudent. She was bing bolder and bolder due to his brother¡¯s position. I shouldn¡¯t wait for her to create more serious trouble, it¡¯d be toote for her to regret. She had framed Ruan Dancheng this time, and she might do the same on others next time. When will she stop doing this? She would be bolder andmit more harm if we don¡¯t take any action.¡±

    ¡°How about Mu Huaisheng?¡± asked Song Yu.

    ¡°I¡¯ve fulfilled my duty as a friend by letting his sister off so many times. We should stop being passive. If he did me me because of this, then I may have to reconsider whether he¡¯s a worthy friend.¡± Qi Chengzhi pouted slightly.

    Song Yu knew that he did not want her to feel wronged after all.

    Today she could talk so bluntly towards Mu Huaisheng in front of him because she knew he would not me her. She also wanted Mu Huaisheng to realize that they would not tolerate invariably.

    Song Yu walked towards Qi Chengzi and stopped beside him. He was still sitting at the side of the sofa. She stood beside the sofa and gently touched his arm, her soft and slender fingers caressing it.

    Qi Chengzhi looked up at her coolly, his graceful expression decorated with elegance.

    ¡°Sorry for troubling you,¡± said Song Yu softly.

    ¡°No trouble at all.¡± Qi Chengzhi did not feel he was burdened. Quite the contrary, he felt that she was wronged because of him.

    Smiling at him, Song Yu suddenly bent forward and nimbly pecked on his lips. When she straightened her body and looked at him, the elegance he disyed moments ago was gone. He was blushing¡ªeven his ears turned red.

    He was extremely cute with a startled expression. It was rare to see this kind of expression on him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were shining brightly. He stared at her intensely like he was itching to pull her into his arms and make out with her. It was Song Yu ¡®s turn to flush due to his passionate stare. She could not help but touch him one more time before turning around and walked to the kitchen with her head down timidly.

    Looking at her back, he could not stop smiling.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen sniffed a few times, then she wet a piece of tissue and wiped her eyes.

    She was looking into the mirror, her eyes were still reddish, but it was not very apparent. She could not hide in here for too long because Song Yu would be worried about her. She took a deep breath and opened the restroom¡¯s door. She stepped outside with her head bowed and her forehead bumped into something.

    Ruan Danchen astonishingly raised her head and saw Qi Chenglin was standing right outside the restroom.

    He was tall and had a broad chest. He was obstructing the way out, forcing Ruan Danchen to be blocked inside the restroom, but she could not walk back inside.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, please excuse me.¡± Ruan Danchen hastily bowed as she dare not let him saw her reddened eyes.

    ¡°I want to use the restroom.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s frosty voice sounded at the top of her head.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless¡ªof course she knew that he came to use the restroom. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you let me out first beforeing in?¡±

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin snorted and answered, ¡°Don¡¯t speak like you¡¯ve never seen me pee.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned red, he was implying that she should enter the restroom with him and stood beside him to watch him pee?

    Bah!

    She already stepped aside to let him in. It was very rude of him to talk like this.

    ¡°It¡¯s not attractive at all.¡± Ruan Danchen looked down and mumbled.

    However, Qi Chenglin was able to listen clearly to what she said. He put his hands into his pockets, raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°This means that you had seen quite a few? Why don¡¯t you tell me whose is the most good-looking?

    ¡°I never saw other¡¯s before, only saw yours, but it was ugly enough, okay? Are you going to let me through?¡± said Ruan Danchen furiously as she raised her head. She had lost her patience.

    She was blocked by him without any reason and now they were discussing whether his penis was good-looking, was this appropriate?

    ¡°Why are your eyes so red? You cried?¡± Qi Chenglin teased her.

    ¡°No!¡± Ruan Danchen was annoyed. She lifted her arms and tried to push him away.

    However, the moment she touched his chest, her wrists were grasped by his roasting hot hands.

    His palms were huge because he had long fingers. In contrast, her wrist was so thin and delicate.

    He moved into the restroom forcefully, causing Ruan Danchen to retreat into the restroom weakly without much resistance. In a split second, she was flung towards the opposite side. Before she could react, the door was closed with a bang and she was pressed against the restroom¡¯s door.

    Their bodies were within touching distance. His face seemed erged because he was so near to her. He looked much more attractive in close distance and she could taste his rich odor with her trembling lips.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, what are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s wrists were clutched by him and she was unable to free them, she crossly said, ¡°Stop behaving like a hooligan, go and find other women. This is your brother¡¯s house, what do you want to do?¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at her derisively andughed. Then he questioned her coolly, ¡°Did you asked for Youxuan¡¯s birthday just now?¡±

    He looked malicious and stern, Ruan Danchen was frightened by his gaze. Her heart was beating very fast, why did he ask her about this? Did he find out something?

    Ruan Danchen appeared to be nervous and not knowing what to do. ¡°Youxuan told me you cried. Why did you cry when you were only asking about his birthday?¡± Qi Chenglin sneered.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned pale and she turned her head away. ¡°Nothing, I was reminded of one of my rtive¡¯s kids.¡±

    Qi Chenglin snorted with disdain and threw her hands away. ¡°You should prepare a draft next time if you want to lie. Youxuan is still a small kid, don¡¯t involve him in your plot.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, Qi Chenglin? What could I have plotted on him?¡± Ruan Danchen was fuming, she could feel the blood surging into her head and her face flushed to the color of scarlet. Her eyes turned red again after being used by him. ¡°Do you think I had done that because of you? If you thought it was because of you, I can tell you straight, stop ttering yourself. Youxuan said it right, he had to try toplement your undesirable character.¡±

    Ruan Danchen used her elbow to push him away. She opened the door and ran out.

    ...

    ...

    When they were having dinner, Ruan Danchen sat obliquely opposite to Qi Chenglin. She was feeling uneasy as she could see him whenever she looked up.

    Furthermore, she could feel that Qi Chengling was looking at her now and then. This caused her to eat with her head down all the time. She only took the dishes in front of her without uttering a word.

    Even the others sensed that there was something unusual going on between them, and they exchanged puzzled looks.

    ¡°Danchen, why are you so quiet tonight? You¡¯re not behaving like your usual self.¡± Song Yu smiled and exchanged the dishes in front of her with the dishes in front of Ruan Danchen. ¡°Don¡¯t just pick the dishes in front of you. There¡¯s no need to feel embarrassed since there¡¯s no outsider here.¡±

    Although Ruan Danchen was not as outgoing as the incredibly lively Lu Nanxi, she was not an introvert either. Therefore, Song Yu felt awkward that she was so quiet tonight.

    Ruan Danchen replied to her with a smile, but she identally caught Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes. She immediately turned her head and pouted in contempt.

    After they had their dinner, they sat for a while before taking their leave.

    Ruan Danchen knew Song Yu very well, so she started to talk when Song Yu was just about to ask Qi Chenglin to send her back. ¡°Mr. Cheng, Miss Qi, could you give me a lift? Just drop me off at a nearby subway station.¡±

    It was obvious to Cheng Dongge there was something unusual going on between Ruan Danchen and Qi Dongge. He took a nce at Qi Chenglin who did not say anything and nodded. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure, it would be inconsiderate to drop you off at the subway station. I¡¯ll send you back home.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sincerely thanked him and left with Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Youxuan was pouting unhappily as he followed Qi Chenglin to the car. He climbed into his child safety seat and let Qi Chenglin fastened his seatbelt.

    After Qi Chenglin started the engine, he asked with his lips still pouted, ¡°Dad, did you make Aunt Ruan angry?¡±

    Qi Chenglin glimpsed at him from the rearview mirror and did not answer him.

    Qi Youxuan stuck out his fair and chubby little finger and pointed it at Qi Chenglin. He was furious at his passiveness and said, ¡°Oh, Dad, what do you want me to tell you! When will you find a wife with this kind of temper? You¡¯re a grown man, yet you still need your son who¡¯s going to kindergarten to worry about you. Can you be more reliable?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin speechlessly took a nce at him and said, ¡°Since you know that you¡¯re still a small kid attending kindergarten, you should do what kindergarten kids do. Don¡¯t concern yourself with adults¡¯ matters.¡±

    ¡°What if this kindergarten kid wanted thetest Gundam model. Would you buy for him?¡± asked the smart child with his eyes wide open in anticipation after he sensed an opportunity.

    Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words. ¡°...¡±

    This naughty brat. Did he purposely trap him?

    Is his IQ so high?

    ¡°You see, you refused to buy one for me again. I wanted to do what kindergarten kids should be doing, but you didn¡¯t give me the chance!¡± Qi Youxuan distressfully pped his chubby thigh and gave him a helpless look. ¡°Dad, I¡¯ll marry Muran in the future. Nowadays, girls don¡¯t like staying with their inws. Of course, if you don¡¯t marry anyone, then Muran would only have father-inw, and this would make things more inconvenient. What should I do if you fall for your daughter-inw? I can¡¯t stop worrying!¡±

    ¡°Not only that, my father-inw surely won¡¯t allow Muran to stay with you. At that time, you¡¯ll be all alone¡ªsuch a pity! What I did was for your good, so how could you be so stubborn!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin could not bear it anymore, he said with his mouth twitched and his teeth gritted, ¡°Qi Youxuan, enough is enough. Where did you learn all this nonsense?!¡±

    ...

    ...

    ¡°New Year¡¯s Eve Special Edition¡±

    This was the first time Song Yu celebrated Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve with Qi Chengzhi at the Qi family¡¯s old manor. Glittering snowkes were falling outside. The ground,wn, holly trees, and all the other various nts were covered by a nket of white, just as how it was described in paintings and fairy tales. The joyous New Year¡¯s atmosphere in the Qi family¡¯s manor was lively and palpable.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying went to celebrate New Year with the Song family, so Song Yu was not worried that her parents would feel lonely.

    The Qi family also experienced some changespared to before as Qi Chengyue had followed Cheng Dongge back to Li City for New Year¡¯s celebration. This was the first time she was not together with her family on New Year¡¯s Eve.

    Aunt Liu also returned to her hometown and would be back on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year.

    Song Yu, Xia Wenna, and Guan Liya were wrapping dumplings together. Guan Liya smiled and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t used to not having her around on New Year¡¯s Eve. She wasn¡¯t very helpful in the chores but she loves wrapping dumplings, although her dumplings were not good-looking. The filling was too few and the skin was too thick¡ªjust a nce and we could identify which dumplings she had made after cooking.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. He was sitting beside Song Yu, fiddling with his phone with his arms around her waist. There was arge cot beside the sofa with an infant was lying inside. The skin of his face was still wrinkled with a tinge of yellow.

    Qi Youjin was just one month and a half old. Song Yu hadpleted her confinement half a month ago and she had notpletely slimmed down. There was still some bby flesh around her waistline.

    Qi Chengzhi enjoyed it when he held her bby tissue in his palm intermittently and pinched it.

    He opened the WeChat app and saw a photo sent into the Qi Family¡¯s group which showed two hands holding a dumpling each, one of the dumplings wasrger than the other.

    The dumpling on the smaller hand had visibly much fewer filling and thicker skin whereas the one on therger hand was well-made.

    Needless to say, Qi Chengzhi already knew which dumpling was wrapped by Qi Chengyue. She passed the phone to Guan Liya.

    Guan Liya grinned when she saw the photo. ¡°This girl, no improvement at all after wrapping for so many years. Her mother-inw would surelyugh at her!¡±

    After he said that, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone received a request for WeChat video call, ¡°Gee!¡± said Guan Liya. ¡°Chengzhi, quick, a video call from Chengyue.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi epted the video call while finding a perfect angle to fit all of them into the camera.

    Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi moved closer to them. All of them were trying to squeeze to fit into the camera.

    Qi Chengyue cheerfully called the names of people who were present one after another. Guan Liya asked with a grin, ¡°Hopefully you¡¯re not causing inconvenience to your husband¡¯s family!¡±

    ¡°Mum, what are you talking about?¡± Qi Chengyue asked with her face flushed.

    ¡°No, absolutely not!¡± Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui appeared on the screen together. Sun Shaoyun was waving her hand. ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, and Mrs. Qi, Chengyue was really great. When she came back with Dongge yesterday, all of our neighbors who met her praised her because she was pretty and well-mannered. They envied us a lot!¡±

    ¡°Big Brother, let me see my little nephew!¡± Qi Chengyue urged.

    Qi Chengzhi passed his cellphone to Qi Chenglin and he lifted it. He went to the cot beside the sofa and carried the baby in his arms for Qi Chengyue to see.

    ¡°Yahoo, little Youjin, your aunt missed you the most when I¡¯m here!¡± Qi Chengyue looked like she truly wished she could extend her arm out of the screen to stroke his head.

    Her voice had startled Qi Youjin. He blinked her eyes a few times and suddenly burst out crying.

    Qi Chengzhi tried to calm him down. ¡°Maybe he peed. I¡¯m changing his diaper now.¡±

    After quite a while, Qi Chengzhi carried little Youjin back and confirmed, saying, ¡°Yes, he did pee.¡±

    Qi Chengyue had hung up the video call. Qi Chengzhi put the baby back into the cot and lulled her to sleep.

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan was staring at the dumplings while holding a pair of chopsticks. He was holding some edible red coloring on the other hand. That was given to him by Aunt Liu, and it was used for coloring the eggs when they were cooked after the birth of Youxuan. Qi Youxuan asked for it when he saw there were leftovers.

    He seized the opportunity to draw a red dot on one of the dumplings with the chopsticks and the coloring when Xia Wenna and Guanliya were picking up them.

    He had skillfully drawn a red dot on five of the dumplings before Grandmother Qi noticed his misdoing. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked at her with his grape-like big ck eyes and innocently said, ¡°It would be better-looking after drawing the dots. We stamped the steamed buns during New Year, so I thought it would be a good idea to do the same on the dumplings.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Qi studied the dumplings suspiciously for a long time and sensed something was wrong in it. Then, she took one of the dumplings and finally discovered the truth. ¡°You¡¯re marking the dumplings with money wrapped inside!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan twisted his round tummy and said in an embarrassed manner, ¡°People say theing year would be more prosperous if we ate more dumplings with money wrapped inside them during New Year! I don¡¯t believe in luck, so I decided to work for it!¡±

    Previously, Qi Chengxuan was responsible for wrapping the money into the dumplings, thus he could effortlessly identify those dumplings. However, she was not around this year, so he had to find another way.

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Qi made no reply. Everyone else fell into a mutual silence as well.

    Grandmother Qi confiscated the chopsticks and the red colorings from Qi Chengxuan. ¡°Stop fooling around¡ªyou already drew 5 dots, and there are only eight in total. You should be satisfied!¡±

    Surprisingly, Qi Youxuan did not disagree. He ran towards Song Yu instead, twisting his buttocks and sticking out his little belly. He beckoned to her with his finger crooked, Song Yu lowered her head and heard him whispered, ¡°Aunt, when you cook the dumplings at night, please cook the other three dumplings with money inside separately, and put them together with the red-dotted ones in my bowl!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu looked at this greedy little boy who wanted her to include all eight dumplings with money among the ten dumplings he would get. She nodded with a smile. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After having their reunion dinner, they sat down in front of the television to watch the Chinese New Year G. The Chinese New Year G was different this year¡ªthe channel had coborated with various tforms to send out digital red packets, and the audience could follow the instructions given to fight for them.

    Although the members of the Qi Family were wealthy, and most of the time there were only a few dors or a few cents in the packets, they still participated in it for fun. It was quite interesting and fun¡ªeven Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were holding their cell phones.

    Grandmother Qi did not understand how these things work, hence she asked almost everyone she met about it before the New Year. She had asked all the Qi¡¯s siblings about it, and they had had a difficult time exining it until she eventually understood.

    Song Yu was tapping for digital red packets on Alipay right after she finished shaking for the red packets on WeChat. She was delighted because she managed to win 17.78 Yuan, and the amount was the most in the family.

    Qi Changzhi was smiling whilebing her hair using his long and bony fingers. Her hair became less tidy after she bowed her head for so long to tap for the red packets. He did not have the heart to ridicule her when he saw her excitement.

    Song Yu¡¯s cell phone vibrated. She checked her phone and found out that Qi Chengzhi had just sent her a digital red packet via WeChat.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so in, even know how to send this!¡± Song Yu smiled. She thought Qi Chengzhi was just having fun with her.

    She created a WeChat group with Wei Ran, Qi Chengyue, Ruan Danchen, Lu Nanxi, Fang Jiaran and Ning Wan before. They would send red packets into the chat group whenever they were free and see who got them first.

    Song Yu tapped on the digital packet that was sent by Qi Chengzhi, and she was astonished by the number disyed.

    5201314!

    ¡°Keep it for fun.¡± Qi Chengzhi was smiling. ¡°This is for tonight. I¡¯ll give you another one as the New Year¡¯s lucky money <sup>1</sup> tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face turned red and she beamed at him. She felt that he was very romantic and sneakily kissed him. ¡°Thanks, hubby.¡±

    ¡ª

    Author¡¯s note:

    Did you see the easter egg? Yes, it was Song Yu¡¯s child. In the main text, Song Yu was pregnant for less than three months, but I had let her baby feature in this special edition. Please do not demand a twin, Orange Juice is still young, let theme one by one.

 Chapter 229 - Director, Your Feather Avatar Had Betrayed You

    <h4>Chapter 229: Director, Your Feather Avatar Had Betrayed You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin could not bear it anymore. His mouth twitched as he grit his teeth and said, ¡°Qi Youxuan, enough is enough. Where did you learn all this nonsense?¡±

    Qi Youxuan guiltily pursed his lips for a while before raising his volume and saying in an even louder voice, ¡°Don¡¯t try to stray from the topic. I will surely tell Great-Grandma about this. Let her educate you properly!¡±

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan took out his kid¡¯s phone from his little duck bag and called the number of the manor.

    Aunt Liu answered the call and Qi Chenglin heard Qi Youxuan saying, ¡°Nanny Liu, where is my great-grandma?¡±

    After this, Qi Youxuan kept quiet. It looked like he was waiting for Grandmother Qi to pick up the phone.

    ¡°Great-Grandma.¡± Qi Chenglin snatched Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone before he couldplete his sentence. At this point, Qi Chenglin had already parked his car on the roadside. He hung up and threw the phone onto the front passenger seat before coolly stating, ¡°Don¡¯t try to look for trouble!¡±

    ¡°I hate you, Dad!¡± Qi Youxuan was enraged. He could not move freely since the seatbelt of his safety seat was fastened. He tried his best to stretch his legs out to kick the back of the driver seat but could not reach them with his short legs. Therefore, he could only kick the front passenger seat.

    Qi Chenglin stopped his car again. He turned his head to face the back and red fiercely at him. ¡°Are you still being rude to me?¡±

    Qi Youxuan puffed up his cheeks and looked pitiful. ¡°I am doing this for your own good, how can you treat me so harshly!¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt regret and his anger faded when he looked at the little kid¡¯s big red eyes and saw tears welled up inside. He lowered his voice and replied, ¡°Okay okay, I¡ª¡ª¡±

    The kid¡¯s phone with a Totoro design on the front passenger seat suddenly rang and interrupted Qi Chenglin¡¯s speech. The ringtone was the music from the opening scene of the Detective Conan animation. Qi Chenglin took a nce at it and saw that the caller ID read ¡®Old manor of Qi¡¯s Family¡¯. It must have been Grandmother Qi who was returning his call from the old manor.

    He picked up the phone and answered it. He saw Qi Youxuan pouting sulkily, but he had stopped kicking the back of the seat.

    ¡°Great-Grandma,¡± greeted Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, he is losing his temper.¡± Qi Chenglin glimpsed at Qi Youxuan.

    After hearing what his father said, Qi Youxuan eagerly exined, ¡°I am not losing my temper, Great-Grandma. It was because my dad was not treating his partner properly. Aunt Ruan is such a nice person, but he offended her and shouted at me when I was just giving him some advice!¡±

    Qi Youxuan shouted as loud as he could because he was afraid that Grandmother Qi could not hear what he was saying. The loud voice caused Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears to hurt.

    He covered the ear which was not pressed against the phone as Grandmother Qi also started yelling, ¡°What is happening, you little brat, are you thinking of not getting married! You did not marry before because you were worried it may affect Youxuan, but thankfully Youxuan likes Xiao Ruan too. How could you make her angry? What were you thinking? Come back now, I¡¯m going to teach you a lesson!¡±

    Qi Chenglin moved the phone further away from his ear and red at Qi Youxuan angrily. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s not like this, I¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Do you like Xiao Ruan or not? Tell me! That day I saw your attitude toward her was utterly differentpared to the way you treat others. You never criticize others so sharply. You¡¯re like a child, the more you like her, the more you try to irritate her, right? Qi Chenglin, how old are you now? How could you be so childish, even making your son worry about you! You¡¯re really something!¡± Grandmother Qi was extremely anxious, she wished she could act as the matchmaker for them.

    ¡°Grandma, I am driving now, I think I have to hang up. Oh, someone is honking me,¡± replied Qi Chenglin as he honked his horn two times and hung up the phone.

    He threw Qi Youxuan¡¯s Totoro phone aside and saw Qi Youxuan gazing scornfully at him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    After Grandmother Qi hung up the phone, her expression was not at all serious the way she had been when talking to Qi Chenglin on the phone. She looked pleased with herself and was humming ¡± The Coolest Ethnic Trend <sup>1</sup> ¡°.

    ¡°I think something is going on between Chenglin and Xiao Ruan.¡± Grandmother Qi sat down. She wore her presbyopic sses and started embroidering slowly by using the cross-stitch technique.

    ¡°You could sense that just by listening to him on the phone?¡± Grandfather Qi teased her. ¡°I think you are a budding sorceress.¡±

    Grandmother Qi clicked her tongue in response. ¡°Do you know what your second grandson said when I asked him whether he likes Xiao Ruan?¡±

    ¡°What second grandson, it¡¯s not nice to call him that!¡± Grandfather Qi rolled his eyes at her, but then he turned his body and craned his neck toward her. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°He said nothing!¡± Grandmother Qi pped her thigh. ¡°Just think about your grandson¡¯s character, wouldn¡¯t he tell me immediately if he didn¡¯t like her? However, he said nothing and tried to change the topic, after that he found an excuse to hang up the phone. He wouldn¡¯t have done that if he felt nothing for her, right?¡±

    Grandfather Qi sluggishly sat his body upright and nodded in agreement. It was rare for them to share the same opinion.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu saw Qi Chengzhi sitting cross-legged when she came out of the bathroom after bathing. His legs appeared to be very long even when he was crossing them.

    Qi Chengzhi stretched his arm out and gestured at her, but it did not seem like he was asking for anything in particr.

    ¡°What?¡± Song Yu walked toward him and gave him her hand. Before she knew it, he had pulled her into bed.

    Qi Chengzhi patted the bed. ¡°Lie here, you stood for so long in the kitchen today. Let me give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡± Song Yu looked at him suspiciously. She was already satisfied that he could cook, it was unlikely that he knew how to give a massage as well.

    Qi Chengzhi wanted to take off her clothes, including her pants and underwear. However, Song Yu was gripping onto them, not allowing him to take them off. Qi Chengyue¡¯s clear voice called out from behind her. ¡°Stop being difficult. How can I massage you if you do not remove your clothes?¡±

    Only then did Song Yu obediently withdraw her hands. She could hear Qi Chengzhi rubbing his palms together before she finally felt some warm essential oil being sprayed on her back and thighs.

    Surprisingly, he knew that he needed to warm the oil first. After this, Qi Chengzhi started his massage. The amount of strength he applied was just nice, and Song Yu really enjoyed it. She could feel a mild amount of pain, and every movement he made was spot on.

    ¡°I was not expecting this. How do you know how to give a massage?¡± Asked Song Yu in amazement. She felt that her whole body was loosened up after getting massaged by him.

    ¡°I was told thatdieste into their pregnancies are prone to having leg cramps, and it would be hard for them to move around ¨C even rising from the chair could prove demanding. So, I searched for videos about that from the inte. I even asked my secretaries to help me buy two bottles of essential oil to prevent stretch marks. The staff in the secretary office who were pregnant before say that if you rub it on your tummy when it starts to get bigger, it will prevent the stretch marks you usually get after giving birth,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi. He poured some oil onto his hand and started to rub it between his palms to warm it up before he started to massage Song Yu¡¯s legs.

    When she thought about how he was using his good-looking hands to massage her, she turned her head and glimpsed at him. She extended her arm to pinch his knee.

    Qi Chengzhi immediately knew what she was thinking. He leaned in closer and asked with a smile, ¡°Why?¡±

    Song Yu gave him a sweet and gentle smile. She raised her head and quickly pecked him on the lips. ¡°Hubby, you are the best.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm was resting on her lower back as his pupil suddenly contracted. He began rubbing her back and returned the kiss.

    He was kissing her deeply and forcefully, causing Song Yu to change her position until she was lying on her side. He pushed her back and she turned until her tummy was pressed tightly against his body.

    Qi Chengzhi was breathing heavily as he weakened the force he was using a little and licked her tongue. ¡°I haven¡¯t finish massaging, I¡¯ll kiss you properlyter,¡± said Qi Chengzhi while biting her lips.

    Song Yu blushed and returned to her original position. She rested her forehead on her forearms and buried her head into her arms.

    Qi Chengzhi inadvertently grinned. His long bony fingers pushed her soft long hair aside, revealing her ear and neck. He saw that her ear was red and that the heat had spread to her neck.

    Qi Chengzhi took another look and saw that her neck, back, and toes had all turned red as well. There were even some red goosebumps at the back of her neck behind her earlobe.

    Her body was emitting the fragrant smell of the essential oil. He leaned closer and could smell the aroma of her shampoo and body wash mixed with the scent of her natural body aroma.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but peck at the patches of goosebumps on the back of her neck. He could feel Song Yu quivering intermittently as the blush of her skin became more vibrant.

    ¡°Do you know that when you blush, your whole body turns red as well?¡± Qi Chengzhi was rubbing her ears against his zing hot lips while he whispered into her ears with his husky voice.

    Song Yu buried her head deeper, her scalp and cheeks feeling numb. She lowered her head and said with a trembling voice, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to continue massaging me?¡±

    ¡°Sure, afterward let me see if the front of your body is also as red as the back.¡± Qi Chengzhi was using his lips to caress the area around her hairline and the back of her ear as Song Yu felt a burning heat surge through her body.

    His words made Song Yu¡¯s mind go numb. She whispered, ¡°Rascal.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed softly beside her ears. His deep and hoarse voice caused her heart to jump ¨C it sounded like someone plucking the strings of a violin with his fingertips.

    ¡°Can you stopughing like this?¡± said Song Yu, whose heart was now beating rapidly.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t my voice nice?¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled. His confidence sometimes irritated others, it was if he thought that his voice was pleasing to the ears.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was out of words. Momentster, she replied with her cheeks and ears flushed, ¡°It¡¯s too beautiful and seductive.¡±

    ¡°If you continue talking like this, I won¡¯t be able to stop myself from entering via the backdoor.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice became hoarser.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi stopped teasing her. He would undoubtedly be the one to surrender if this continued.

    He sat up again and massaged her calves. Song Yu felt that the alluring atmosphere was like that of a violin string that had been stretched to its breaking point. At this point, even the air in the room was blisteringly hot.

    Song Yu difficultly swallowed her saliva and spoke, but was shocked by her voice which had be hoarse and sexy.

    She hurriedly cleared her throat and said again, ¡°You were discussing these kinds of things with the female staff of the secretary office?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi went back to using the initial amount of force as he teasingly asked while he continued to massage her, ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± replied Song Yu gently. ¡°I heard that you were revered by the people in thepany. It just didn¡¯t look like you were the type who would have friendly chats with your subordinates, not to mention discussing topics regarding married women.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi snorted. ¡°Are youplimenting me or roasting me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu whispered weakly, ¡°I¡¯m just saying.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi helped Song Yu turned over to lie on her back. After this, Song Yu hastily pulled the nket over to cover her body such that only her calves were exposed.

    Qi Chengzhi held her feet in his hands and massaged the sole of her foot. His was especially calm and earnest. ¡°I anonymously posted the questions in thepany¡¯s BBS.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was momentarily speechless. ¡°They surely knew it was you, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi would never tell her that they were all referring to him as director in theirments below his post.

    As expected, there was lots of joking ttery. Someonemented, ¡°Director is such a loving husband.¡± Another said, ¡°Director, your feather avatar had already betrayed your identity, are you nning on having a child?¡±

    Luo Yushu was the best tterer. ¡°Director, if Mrs Director and you give birth to a child, that would be the best of both worlds since you¡¯re so handsome and Mrs Director is so pretty. All of us would be jealous of you. Director Han would be so worried if you are not joining hispany.¡±

    Finally, he simply admitted everything andmented, ¡°Uh-huh, I was just asking beforehand so that I could make some preparations.¡±

    After this, thement section was again flooded with praise. Qi Chengzhi was pleased after reading them. He adjusted his tie and sat up straight in his chair.

    Qi Chengzhi conveniently separated Song Yu¡¯s leg and removed the nket. ¡°I have finished massaging you, now is the time to kiss properly.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu.

    Immediately after this, Qi Chengzhi stifled her with a kiss.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Qi Chengyue was driving her Audi TT into the carpark in front of Qilin. After she parked and got out of the car, she heard a honk.

    She looked toward the direction of the noise and saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s Touareg. He drove his car toward her and parked it in the parking spot beside her car.

    She watched as Cheng Dongge parked his car and came out. She pretended to tuck some of her hair behind her ears while wondering how to greet Cheng Dongge.

    They had officially started their rtionship on Friday night. On Saturday, they had a meeting with both of their parents at the Qi Family manor. They went on a date on Sunday and went to Viewpark Residence. However, they had never discussed how they should interact in thepany and whether they should make their rtionship public.

    At the moment, Qi Chengyue had no idea what to do, but she felt a surge of joy when she saw Cheng Dongge. Her mouth subconsciously curved upward into a sweet and cheerful smile. All she could see was his handsome face and tall figure as her heart began beating extraordinarily fast.

    She nervously swallowed her saliva as he stared into her eyes, causing her to blush.

    Qi Chengyue stood there without moving. She was waiting for him to approach her.

    She saw that Cheng Dongge was fixing his gaze on her. As he walked toward her, two of their colleagues walked toward them together. They greeted him when they passed by, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded his head at them.

    Then, they loudly greeted her from afar too, ¡°Miss Qi.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. As they were leaving the carpark, they noticed a few more Qilin¡¯s staff pass by them one after another.

    Qi Chengyue had no other choice but to greet him too, ¡°Special Assistant Cheng.¡±

    Cheng Dongge stopped and raised his eyebrows at her.

    Qi Chengyu¡¯s face turned red, she pouted sulkily and looked down at the ground.

    Cheng Dongge gave her a smile and strode toward her with his long legs. His tall figure stopped in front of her as he looked downward at her.

    Even when standing straight, Qi Chengyue could only reach his chest. With her head down, she now appeared to be even shorter.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you looking at me? Feeling guilty?¡± Cheng Dongge teased her.

    They were standing face-to-face and very close to each other in an area which clearly exceeded the boundaries of general familiarity. Nevertheless, Qi Chengyue did not notice this as she was extremely nervous.

    However, the staff who were passing by noticed their awkward situation and curiously peeked at them.

    However, Cheng Dongge was unbothered by them and reached out his arm to hold Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand.

    Qi Chengyue was startled but did not withdraw her hand. Finally, she looked up with an astounded expression as her face became flushed.

    ¡°There is nothing to hide, I¡¯m just afraid that men who are not observant enough wille chasing after you.¡± Cheng Dongge narrowed his eyes when he thought of the Brabus he saw that day. The person driving it looked like Li Zhuohui.

    For this reason, he had dug around and found out that he had just recently divorced. He felt like turning a table over upon hearing the news.

    Qi Chengyue held his hand, but she dared not lift her head. The staff who passed by slowed down their footsteps as they did not dare topletely stop in their tracks and observe, instead trying their best to just march on the spot.

    The staff dared not talk when Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were still around. After they left whilst still holding hands, them onlookers would immediately start to discuss and gossip raucously.

    However, the staff who saw them together in the carpark represented just a minority of the total workforce. The couple were unaware of the stir they would create when they walked into Qilin together.

    The staff were mentally unprepared. They were stunned as their jaws dropped when they saw the unexpected couple stroll in together.

    After they left, the staff immediately started to talk about it enthusiastically. ¡°What just happened? Did I see incorrectly?¡±

    ¡°Special Assistant Cheng and Miss Qi, my god!¡±

    ¡°Qilin¡¯s golden bachelor is now off limits just like that! They became single for a handful of days and are now off the market again in the blink of an eye. Why couldn¡¯t they give others a chance?¡±

    ¡°Qilin¡¯s female staff will be heartbroken!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we thought that our time hade when Special Assistant Cheng became single. Who would have known... sheesh!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so jealous of her. Miss Qi just got divorced a few days ago, and now she has found a man of excellent quality. How did she do it?¡±

    The two of them walked to the elevator where many people were waiting to go up to their floors. After a while, Qi Chengyue slowly became used to their stares.

    When they walked into the elevator, they were squeezed in with others. Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge stood close to each other as Cheng Dongge held her hand with one of his hands while shielding her with the other.

    Qi Chengyue exited the elevator at a lower floor than Cheng Dongge. When the elevator stopped, Qi Chengyue pinched his arm and embarrassedly said, ¡°I¡¯ve reached my floor. I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll look for you in the afternoon,¡± replied Cheng Dongge with a smile.

    Qi Chengyue shyly returned his smile and walked out of the elevator with her head lowered.

    ¡°Manager Qi, congrattions!¡± All her colleagues working on the floor ¨C regardless of if they were from the financial affairs department or the other departments ¡ª congratted her.

    Qi Chengyue was too shy to thank them. She blushed and could only nod at them with a smile.

    After she left, her colleagues whispered, ¡°Manager Qi has changed after getting into a rtionship with Special Assistant Cheng. Her temper became better and she looked cute when she was blushing.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Today, Song Yu was also back in her office at Chengshi as her marriage leave was over.

    She picked up Qi Chengzhi¡¯s call and clicked to open the news. ¡°Danchen,e over here and have a look at this.¡±

    Ruan Danchen slid toward her in her office chair. She looked at Song Yu¡¯sputer and saw the news. It read that Ruan Danchen was a qualified and responsible designer and that she had never used materials of inferior quality nor involved herself in shoddy work to make money illegally.

    The news exined that there was some misunderstanding prior to this, and that the real culprit was the other person who was also in charge of the development project.

    After reading the news, Song Yu and Ruan Danchen fell silent. They both knew that the person in question was actually helping Mu Sisi to frame Ruan Danchen by recing the materials.

    Although Mu Huaisheng was not necessarily looking for a scapegoat when he turned him over, he had simultaneously managed to cover up the things that Mu Sisi did. Ruan Danchen felt uneasy as the true culprit was left unscathed.

    ¡°I think, this is more credible than if Mu Huaisheng tried to exin that this was a misunderstanding without any evidence,¡± said Song Yu. Although she was not satisfied with the way Mu Huaisheng resolved the incident, he did fulfill his promise of guaranteeing that he would get Ruan Danchen out of trouble.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have to see how it goes. Even though he has given them this exnation, if the clients still choose not to trust me, there¡¯s nothing I can do about it.¡± Ruan Danchen closed the news report.

    Song Yu pondered for a while and whispered, ¡°Follow me.¡±

    Once they were on the highest floor, Song Yu said, ¡°At first, I did not intent to tell you about this, but to make you feel better, I¡¯ll say it now.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. She was intrigued because Song Yu had cautiously brought her to the highest floor to talk to her.

    ¡°Chengzhi was nning to sue Mu Sisi and we are collecting evidence now. After this we will have to hand them to the authorities and have to wait for the trial date,¡± exined Song Yu, ¡°So rest assured that the false usations you face won¡¯t be left unpunished.¡±

    ¡°Is it good to make such a big deal out of it?¡± Ruan Danchen was grimacing as she felt apologetic that they were doing all this just for her.

    ¡°It¡¯s not only because of you, Chengzhi wanted to teach Mu Sisi a lesson. In fact, even if we sue her, it will be very hard to get her sentenced due to the influence of the Mu Family. Mu Sisi will eventually be freed, so don¡¯t get your hopes too high. Chengzhi simply wanted to make clear to her that she should know her ce and behave properly. He just wanted to make her feel troubled,¡± said Song Yu with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen grinned involuntarily. ¡°You have be more wicked after being with him for a long time! Before this, you would never attempt to disturb others like this!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, now you should feel relieved during work. Let Chengzhi handle this, we won¡¯t allow you to be taken advantage of.¡± Song Yu pulled her arm as they went back to their office. ¡°However, how about you tell me what was going on between you and my husband¡¯s cousin?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned before she began acting stupid.

    ¡°Stop pretending, both of you are interacting differently aspared to before. Even Grandmother noticed it.¡± Song Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°Last night Cheng Dongge and Chengyue surely noticed it too. Are you still trying to pretend in front of me?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing going on, I don¡¯t know him well either. He saw that Youxuan likes me and was afraid that I would use Youxuan to pursue him.¡± Ruan Danchen rolled her eyes and sneered. ¡°Where did he get that confidence from?¡±

    ¡°He said that?¡± Song Yu stared at Ruan Danchen in surprise. ¡°Chenglin is not that type of person. He is actually much more normalpared to Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡ª

 Chapter 230 - Are You Saying That It Was Brother Chengzhi Who Bankrupted The Song Family?

    <h4>Chapter 230: Are You Saying That It Was Brother Chengzhi Who Bankrupted The Song Family?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°First day of Chinese New Year Special Edition¡±

    Tonight was the eve of the Chinese New Year. Song Yu checked the time and decided to begin cooking the dumplings so that they could eat them by midnight. Qi Youxuan was not capable of staying upte and went to sleep. Before he fell asleep he deliberately reminded Qi Chenglin to wake him upter.

    Song Yu was pouring water into a pot and was about to ce the dumplings inside when she sensed a tiny figure scurry into the kitchen. Then, she felt a gentle tug at the end of her dress. She looked down and saw Qi Youxuan rubbing his eyes, he had clearly just awoken from his sleep.

    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t forget to pick the three dumplings with money inside!¡± This little boy was still worried, he had intentionally set an rm to wake himself so he could inspect Song Yu¡¯s cooking before Qi Chenglin was to wake him upter.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu felt that with his dedication and thirst for money, he would be able to bring the Qi Family¡¯s business to new heights. ¡°I had just poured the water and was about to help you pick those dumplings. Since you¡¯re here, you can see with your own eyes that I¡¯m picking the dumplings so you can stop worrying.¡±

    Qi Youxuan immediately said, ¡°Auntie, let me help you.¡±

    ¡°These are the ones with money wrapped inside.¡± Song Yu pointed at some of the dumplings. ¡°You pick the dumplings with the red dots and I¡¯ll find the remaining three.¡±

    Qi Youxuan used his chubby little hand and picked the dumplings up with utmost care. He was afraid that he would break the dumplings¡¯ thinyer of skin.

    The dumplings that had coins stored inside them were distinguishable if you looked closely. Song Yu observed for quite some time before picking a few of them up and weighing them in her hand. Finally, she was able to find all three dumplings. She took out a small pot for cooking milk and ced the eight dumplings inside. She added two pieces of dumplings stuffed with rice cakes and chestnut. After that, she cooked his dumplings in the small pot whilst the others were cooked together in a big pot.

    After cooking the dumplings, Qi Youxuan held his te of dumplings and walked toward the dining hall. Guan Liya and Xia Wenna helped Song Yu serve all the remaining dumplings.

    Qi Youxuan was holding his kiddy te which had a Mickey Mouse design with two big ears attached. The ears served as a sort of ramekin with one of the ears being used for vinegar and garlic sauce, and the other used for sesame oil, soy sauce and chopped onion sauce.

    His left hand was holding adle while his right hand was holding a pair of chopsticks. He acted oblivious as he took a bite of a dumpling and shouted in surprise as he scooped out a ten-cent coin. He dipped the dumpling into some sauce before putting the rest of it into his mouth. His little cheeks bulged up as he chewed the dumplings.

    The next three dumplings that he ate also contained coins which led him to shout excitedly each time he bit into a coin.

    Grandmother Qi could not stand it anymore, she said, ¡°I think you should join Xiao Han¡¯spany. You should y in a drama since your acting skills are so great.¡±

    Finally, Qi Youxuan ate all eight dumplings with coins inside and the two pieces of dumplings stuffed with rice cakes and chestnuts. Then, he rubbed his plump tummy and burped. ¡°I¡¯m going to be rich tomorrow, goodnight everybody.¡±

    Everyone sat quietly as he exited the dining hall.

    If tomorrow were the day you receive red packets, surely you would be rich? Everyone spent the night in the old manor.

    The next day, Qi Youxuan had woken up early though he would usually sleep-in. He wore brand-new clothes and dressed up well.

    Although he was still a boy, the hooded red fleece coat made him look incredibly handsome and full of life. He looked adorable in it, especially with his fair skin and cute outfit.

    Even Little Qi Youjin was dressed in red baby pajamas and was enveloped in a small red nket.

    Qi Youxuan hastily finished his breakfast and ced his resting pillow upright on the sofa. Then he pulled Grandfather and Grandmother Qi¡¯s hands, ¡°Great Grandpa, Great Grandma, pleasee and have a seat.¡±

    ¡°This little boy!¡± Grandmother Qi could not help but smile, she sat down beside Grandfather Qi.

    The little boy kneeled on a cushion and kowtowed while facing them. ¡°I wish Great Grandpa and Great Grandma a happy new year!¡±

    ¡°Good! Good! Good!¡± Grandmother Qi took a thick red packet from her pocket, ¡°Here, this is from your Great Grandpa and me.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Great Grandpa, Great Grandma!¡± Qi Youxuan took the packet and turned to stare at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi pretended to bepletely oblivious of his stare. She was hugging and ying with Youjin, paying no attention toward Qi Youxuan at all.

    Song Yu softly pulled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm and dragged him to the sofa.

    Qi Youxuan gleefully went to kowtow once again, ¡°I wish for Uncle to look more handsome and youthful as time passes, and for Auntie to be more beautiful and be blessed with two more babies within the next few years.¡±

    Song Yu twitched her mouth, ¡°Who taught you to say that?¡±

    ¡°This boy has been watching TVB <sup>1</sup> costume drama every day recently,¡± exined Qi Chenglin quietly.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu smiled and took a thick red packet from her pocket. ¡°I wish for you; You Xuan, to have a prosperous new year.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was delighted upon hearing these words.

    Finally, Qi Zhongliang, Qi Zhongliang¡¯s wife, Qi Zhongxun and his wife also gave red packets to Qi Youxuan.

    Although Little Youjin was not able to kowtow, they did not forget to give him a red packet too.

    After a while, the doorbell rang and Song Yu went to open the door. She saw Yan Beicheng, Wei Ziqi, and Wei ZiIlin were standing at the doorway.

    Song Yu immediately weed them inside. They gave their New Year¡¯s wishes to the elders. Wei Ziqi also brought Little Muran and Little Muche along with him.

    Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya gave the two children their red packets. For the first time, Qi Youxuan did not overeagerly pull Little Muran away to y with him. He waited patiently as the three adults finished giving out red packets before he asked Little Muran to y with him, ¡°Muran,e, I¡¯ll take you to eat some sweets.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi felt that the way Qi Youxuan talked was as if he was trying to abduct a young girl.

    Qi Youxun did not forget to remind the others. ¡°If there is anyone else visiting us please call me immediately.¡±

    After Qi Youxuan left, Qi Chengzhi quietly carried Qi Chengjin and sat down in front of the three visitors, staring at them silently.

    He had a charismatic and elegant presence and they felt intimidated by his stare.

    Yan Beicheng could not bear the silence anymore, so he took a red packet from his pocket and said, ¡°Here you go, Wei Ziqi¡¯s children were receiving red packets too. I¡¯m the only one who came here to give out red packets without receiving any in return. Let me say this, Qi Chengzhi, your son was born at a perfect time! I gave you a red packet when your son was born. Half a monthter, you got this year¡¯s red packet from me and another half monthter, I¡¯ll have to give you another one for your son¡¯s full moon celebration. Could you be any less hardworking at receiving red packets?¡±

    ¡°My son¡¯s future is full of promise, he knew how to choose the right time. I need not worry about him since he was in his mother¡¯s womb. You can try giving birth to a child as gifted as mine; if only you could.¡± Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrow and replied sarcastically.

    Just like this, Qi Chengzhi managed to secure the initial sum of money for his son¡¯s trust fund on the first day of the Chinese New Year.

    ...

    ...

    Main text:

    ¡°He said that?¡± Song Yu stared at Ruan Danchen with surprise. ¡°Chenglin is not that type of person, his personality was more normal inparison to Chengzhi¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re his sister-inw, surely he would treat you normally.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled, but her expression turned sour when she mentioned Qi Chenglin. ¡°You don¡¯t know how he treated other women.¡±

    Song Yu nced at her dubiously but she did not continue talking. She sensed that the matter was not as simple as what Ruan Danchen told her, there must be something that happened between them, but it would futile for her to continue asking given her unwillingness to speak.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi violently swept the keyboard off her desk, she stood up and dashed out of her office abruptly.

    Thump!

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s office door was aggressively mmed open by Mu Sisi, smashing the door-suction device.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Mu Huaisheng threw his pen onto the floor and scolded her in a moment of anger.

    ¡°What am I doing? What did you mean by publishing that news?¡± Mu Sisi walked over to his desk. ¡°It was her, Ruan Danchen who did it. How could you make me the scapegoat? Don¡¯t tell me you have taken a fancy to Ruan Danchen... that unworthy, despicable, poor woman. What¡¯re her qualities anyway, just because she appears gentle and delicate, so it makes you want to defend her, right?¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about!¡± Mu Huaisheng mmed his desk and stood up.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not fond of Ruan Danchen, then it must be because of Song Yu! You¡¯re good friends with Chengzhi, that¡¯s why when Song Yu¡¯s friend did something wrong, you ensured Ruan Danchen took responsibility for it. The Mu Family has never been treated like this before. You are involving your personal interest in work, what do you think you¡¯re doing?¡± Mu Sisi who was already behaving erratically began to yell and question him furiously.

    Mu Huaisheng pouted and snorted at her scornfully. ¡°Are you criticizing me now? Who was the one who keptmitting foul acts knowing that I am a good friend of Qi Chengzhi? He avoided dealing with you because of our close rtionship, were you not my sister, do you think you would still be standing here unharmed to interrogate me after so many wrongdoings? You are good at condemning others, why don¡¯t you first look at yourself?¡±

    ¡°You said I was helping Ruan Danchen take responsibility for the incident. What was I taking responsibility for? What did Ruan Danchen do wrong that she could take responsibility for? Aren¡¯t you aware of what you have done?¡± Mu Sisi, if you have the audacity to frame others, don¡¯t be afraid to admit it. You found a factory to rece the materials to frame Ruan Danchen, aren¡¯t you ashamed of ming me? Who was the one acting in her own interest instead of thepany¡¯s? Do you know how severe ourpany¡¯s and family¡¯s reputation would be affected if the things you had done were made public? Are you saying I am trying to find a scapegoat for her? Aren¡¯t you aware of what that guy did? He had even epted your money. Stop acting! Even if he was just a scapegoat, he was taking the me for you. I was trying to protect your reputation by making him the scapegoat, and you said I was helping Ruan Danchen? Which one of my troubles are not because of you?¡±

    ¡°So what? I wanted to sue Ruan Danchen no matter what. What¡¯s your rtionship with her? Why did you want to help her? That¡¯s her being unlucky in being framed by me. It¡¯s not my fault that she doesn¡¯t have a powerful background either does she have an influential person to back her up. She deserves to be bullied by me. She only has herself to me for being this unfortunate, there is no one else to be med!¡± said Mu Sisi, her face disgruntled.

    ¡°Mu Sisi, you have received unparalleled education since young, graduating from the most prestigious schools. In spite of that, you behave horribly like this! You brought disgrace to our family. The reason why you bully others is merely that they do not have a powerful background or anyone influential supporting them? In reality, you¡¯re jealous of Song Yu and wanted to ruin her image, right? Then go attack her if you think you¡¯re as capable as you say! You dare not attack her because Qi Chengzhi was there to back her, so you attacked other innocent people. Did Ruan Danchen offend you before? Mu Sisi, could you be a little more reasonable?¡± Mu Huaisheng was trying his best to restrain himself, the veins on his forehead were protruding. He wished he could give her a p across her face.

    ¡°How am I unreasonable? You keep helping others, when will it be my turn?¡± Mu Sisi mumbled sadly, her eyes red and swollen.

    ¡°I have visited Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu a few times to apologize on your behalf. Yesterday I went to apologize to Ruan Danchen. I am taking the risk of losing Qi Chengzhi as a friend to protect you and in doing so I had to conceal the truth. How can you say I¡¯m not helping you? That you feel wronged? Who is going to correct the injusticemitted upon Ruan Danchen? I couldn¡¯t even look at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu in the eyes when I spoke to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu yesterday! I knew it was rude of me to ask to protect you, but I forced myself to do it. I found my behavior to be extremely repulsive on that day.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng raised his index finger and pointed it at Mu Sisi¡¯s nose. ¡°You almost robbed her of her bright future yet you still refuse to admit your wrongdoing? How could you shamelessly say she deserved that? If someone treated you like this, wouldn¡¯t you feel wronged? If you would feel that way, why can¡¯t you put yourself in her shoes? How could you so brazenly feel that you have the power to destroy someone¡¯s future, just because you have some stupid money? A youngdy almost went to jail because of your false usation, don¡¯t you feel guilty? She never offended or provoked you in any way, isn¡¯t she just a friend of Song Yu? Song Yu has so many friends, are you going to attack the others one by one? Even if you were able to frame all of Song Yu¡¯s friends and family, Qi Chengzhi would only hate you more and would never fall for you.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I know that, you don¡¯t have to say that!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked.

    ¡°No, you have no idea!¡± Mu Huaisheng left his desk. ¡°When Qi Chengzhi was abroad, the Qi Family had arranged for an engagement ceremony to take ce between Song Yu and his brother. Qi Chengzhi loved Song Yu for so many years, because of that, he attempted to persuade his family to break them up but to no avail. Therefore, he founded his ownpany and caused the Song Family to go bankrupt so that the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji would be ended. Why do you think Qi Chengzhi named hispany Feather? Thepany that you always wanted to join was named after Song Yu. He couldn¡¯t get her off his mind even when he was starting up apany abroad. You never stood a chance since the beginning. The reason Qi Chengzhi did not fall for you that time wasn¡¯t because of your young age, even though you were an adult, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted you even if you hopped into his bed.¡±

    Mu Sisi was shocked, she retreated for two steps and looked at Mu Huaisheng astoundedly. ¡°What did you say? It was Brother Chengzhi who bankrupted Song Yu¡¯s family?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s face froze. In his anger, he had identally disclosed a secret. He unwittingly revealed the secret whilst he was so overwhelmed with rage.

    He clenched his teeth and kept quiet. Mu Sisi narrowed her eyes and took a step forward. ¡°Brother Chengzhi caused Song Family to go bankrupt to end the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji, and now she¡¯s married to him. Does Song Yu know about this?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng heaved a sigh heavily. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be of your concern whether or not she knew about it, don¡¯t look for trouble!¡±

    Mu Sisi curled one side of her mouth upwards and snorted. ¡°If Song Yu was aware of this and married him, then she was indeed shameless, how could she not think of avenging her family? If this is what happened, then I was right, she wasn¡¯t someone who can be easily dealt with. If she was unaware of it, would she still be together with Brother Chengzhi after she discovers the truth?¡±

    ¡°I am warning you, don¡¯t mess around!¡± Mu Huaisheng said sternly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you were speaking with no solid evidence, neither do I, even if I tell Song Yu about it, she would never believe it. If she asked me to show her the evidence, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to. This would not only make her distrust me, but she would also think that I am lying to her and trying to drive a wedge between her and Brother Chengzhi. I would be losing ground.¡± Mu Sisi pouted. She kept this information in her mind.

    Mu Huaisheng suspiciously narrowed his eyes and stared at her, however, Mu Sisi sneered at him coolly, ¡°Why? Are you scared? Don¡¯t forget that you voluntarily mentioned it, the only person to me is yourself.¡±

    Mu Sisi did not stay any longer, she turned around and left.

    When she was back in her office, she sat down calmly and turned her chair to face the window. She rested the back of her head against the chair and gazed at the sky. Her lips curled into a smile. There must be a way to find the evidence now that she had found out about the incident.

    Mu Sisi rested her elbows on the armrest of her chair and gently spun her chair left and right.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge walked into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office and closed the door, he looked sullen.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I have discovered that Jian Yi had previously bought a Renault from a car seller who was a smuggler. The boss of the car-smuggling organization is Wang Qingyi, his nickname was Brother Yi. He has awork of contacts and was prudent in his work. He was usually out of the limelight, hence they managed to evade quite a few investigations. Jian Yi knew one of Wang Qingyi¡¯s assistant and bought a car from him. I had investigated it. After he bought the car, he met with the assistant but no transaction record could be found. I suspect that Jian Yi¡¯s Hummer was either bought or rented from him. That organization has a garage that was open to the public and has all the required legal documents,¡± said Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°I had found someone to investigate the records of the garage since I discovered who the boss of the organization is. They had indeed received a Hummer for repair, but we couldn¡¯t find out when was it sent, or it could be that they deliberately never kept any record of it. A long-time had passed since the Hummer was repaired, thus there should be no traces of evidence to be found on the car body. Although they had sampled and recorded the paint on your Range Rover when it was sent for repair, the Hummer¡¯s paint was original and should be the same as all others produced from the factory, so there was no use trying to find a match.¡±

    In other words, Qi Chengzhi could not receivepensation for the ident.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression remained unchanged, he had foreseen this oue.

    Jian Yi was not a fool. He was shrewd and he was bold enough to do that because he was confident that he would not leave any evidence behind. Otherwise, he would not have attempted the scheme as he always made sure he was able to look after himself.

    Qi Chengzhi snorted, he was spinning a pen with his long bony fingers. ¡°Jian Yi made good use of his time in Qilin by getting to know plenty of people from different backgrounds.¡±

    Cheng Dongge kept quiet and waited for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s instructions.

    ¡°Just let it be, don¡¯t tell Chengyue about this. Song Yu will find out if you tell Chengyue, then she¡¯ll get angry again,¡± said Qi Chengzhi.

    Cheng Dongge nodded and left.

    Qi Chengzhi was craving a cigarette at that moment, he stood up and walked over to the French window. He kept his hands in his pockets and he looked bothered.

    After staring at the cars and pedestrians on the street below for quite some time, Qi Chengzhi turned around and walked back to his desk. He picked up his cell phone with his long fingers and made a call. ¡°Yang Chu, I have some leads regarding the car-smuggling gang you¡¯re investigating.¡±

    At night after work had ended, Qi Chengyue did not go to see Cheng Dongge on the top floor. She felt uneasy at the thought of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sardonic expression, so she decided to send a message to Cheng Dongge asking him to inform Qi Chengzhi that she would wait for him at thepany¡¯s entrance. There was no need for them to be secretive anymore since the wholepany knew about their rtionship.

    She didn¡¯t expect to see Huang Ziyue who was also waiting at the entrance. She was wearing a white blouse coupled with a light yellow pleated chiffon dress that covered her legs all the way down to her ankles. She wore light makeup and pink lipstick which made her lips look soft.

    As for Qi Chengyue, she was wearing a silverish grey checkered long-sleeved blouse with a white inner-shirt and a short pink skirt. Her thin and slender legs were visible and they were as slim as a model¡¯s legs. She wore a pair of 3-inch high-heels and the orange lipstick she was using made her look exceedingly attractive and lively.

    They possessedpletely contrasting styles. Qi Chengyue dressed more vivaciously whereas Huang Ziyue had a more muted fashion sense.

    Apparently, Qilin¡¯s staff knew of Huang Ziyue¡¯s high status, so they stood aside when they saw Qi Chengyue ran into Huang Ziyue.

    Qi Chengyue red at them and felt that they were being nosy. There was no good way to chase them away, so she did not care about them as she walked towards Huang Ziyue.

    From her expression just now, Huang Ziyue had evidently wanted to avoid her but now could only bite the bullet and face her.

    ¡°Miss Huang, why are you here?¡± Qi Chengyue stood in front of Huang Ziyue and scornfully sneered at her. She did not attempt to hide her distaste towards her at all.

    ¡°Miss Qi.¡± Huang Ziyue was also cold towards her, she did not smile at all but still behaved timid and polite, this made others feel like Qi Chengyue was using her position to bully her. ¡°I am looking for Dongge.¡±

    Qi Chengyue raised her eyebrows and pouted. ¡°You are getting back together with Cheng Dongge?¡±

    Huang Ziyue was stunned for a moment, then she stroked the hair along her ear and looked down sheepishly. ¡°It is hard to exin whether we are getting back together or not. Our rtionship isplicated now, after all itsted for three years and it was very hard to let go of it.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡± Qi Chengyue snickered. ¡°Do you know what Cheng Dongge is thinking?¡±

    ¡°Sure, we had been together for three years, I know him very well.¡± Huang Ziyue peered into Qilin¡¯s building over Qi Chengyue¡¯s shoulder and nodded with a smile.¡±

    ¡°You were in a rtionship with Gao Jingqiu, right? What happened? Did you all break up?¡± questioned Qi Chengyue as she raised her eyebrows.

    Huang Ziyue pursed her lips and replied; visibly irritated, ¡°Miss Qi, we are not close to each other. Actually, I am not obliged to share my personal life and thoughts with you, but never mind, I found out that Dongge is the one I truly love anyway. I cannot live without him. No matter if he is rich or poor, I will only feel happy when I am with him. I realized this and will never leave him again. After dealing with the affair, I¡¯m sure my rtionship with Dongge has be stronger. Maybe that was not a bad thing, it was just a test for us.¡±

    ¡°How are you so sure that Dongge would still ept you?¡± Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes, it has been a long time since shest met a woman so narcissistic.

    ¡°Haven¡¯t I said? I know him well, besides, Dongge was not seeing anyone after breaking up with me. I know the reason behind it even though he did not tell me,¡± said Huang Ziyue as she nodded, she lowered her head slightly so that the direction she was looking at could not be seen.

    Qi Chengyue was speechless, so she kept quiet. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and waited there with Huang Ziyue.

    Huang Ziyue did not expect Qi Chengyue to stay there with her, so she asked, ¡°Anything else, Miss Qi?¡±

    ¡°I am waiting for someone as well.¡± Qi Chengyue smirked.

    Huang Ziyue nced at her and stopped talking. The two of them looked at the Qilin¡¯s building together. After a while, they saw Cheng Dongge leave the building.

    The surrounding Qilin¡¯s staff stood there and watched from the side, how could they miss such a thrilling spectacle?

    Cheng Dongge saw Qi Chengyue standing at the entrance and smiled at her gently. However, Qi Chengyue pouted and responded with a sneer.

    Cheng Dongge was startled, then he noticed Huang Ziyue was standing behind her, so that was the reason for her cold response. He pulled a slight frown and loosened his tie while giving Qi Chengyue a derisive smile.

    Qi Chengyue was not truly angry with him. She twitched her mouth and turned her head aside, looking away from him.

    Cheng Dongge smiled inadvertently and marched forward.

    Huang Ziyue and Qi Chengyue were standing together, she smiled gently when she saw Cheng Dongge walking towards them. When she saw Cheng Donnge was nearing, she called out his name softly, ¡°Dongge¡ª¡ª¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not look at her, he directly held Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand and said with a softugh, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look at me just now?¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed slightly, she looked upward and pouted while squinting at Huang Ziyue. ¡°Miss Huang came to reconcile with you. She said she knows you extremely well and both of you had a loving three-year rtionship, so it would not be easy to let go of each otherpletely.¡±

    Qi Chengyue smiled, revealing her dimples. ¡°Miss Huang, was that what you meant just now?¡±

    Huang Ziyue stared at their hands which were holding one another, she looked up and red at Cheng Dongge, ignoring Qi Chengyue. ¡°Dongge, you...¡±

    Cheng Dongge nodded and sternly said, ¡°We are in a rtionship, nothing else, we are leaving now.¡±

    After finishing his sentence, Cheng Dongge left with Qi Chengyue holding his hand.

    Huang Ziyue turned around and stared at them as they walked away, she saw Cheng Dongge hold Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand in front of him and pinched it before he kissed it.

    ¡°So many people around!¡± Qi Chengyue saw the people around were snickering furtively.

    Cheng Dongge smiled and released her hand. He embraced her around the waist. ¡°Are you feeling jealous?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Qi Chengyue yfully poked his loin, ¡°You¡¯re still very trustworthy.¡±

    Cheng Dongge smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back home first. Tomorrow morning I¡¯ll send you to work, you don¡¯t need to drive anymore.¡±

 Chapter 231 - I Just Couldnâ€™t Resist Your Charm!

    <h4>Chapter 231: I Just Couldn¡¯t Resist Your Charm!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    _

    ¡°Okay.¡± Both of them got into their cars.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen and Song Yu exited Chengshi. After they said their goodbyes, Song Yu crossed the road to meet Qi Chengzhi while Ruan Danchen headed toward the subway station.

    However, the moment she turned to walk away, she saw Mu Huaisheng got out of his BMW 7 Series.

    While Song Yu waited to cross the road, she saw him too. Mu Huaisheng nodded at Song Yu. She did not go back to Ruan Danchen. Instead, she waited for the right time and hurriedly crossed the road with a crowd of pedestrians.

    ¡°Mr. Mu,¡± Ruan Danchen greeted him coolly.

    Mu Huaisheng felt that she had a different attitude toward him. She was moreposed and serious than before. Mu Huaisheng gave her a wry smile. ¡°I¡¯m here to invite you to dinner. I want to make an official apology.¡±

    ¡°I epted your apology yesterday, so there¡¯s no need for dinner.¡± Ruan Danchen noticed that a few people nced at her and Mu Huaisheng as they passed by. They were people who worked in the same office building but in differentpanies. There were also a few colleagues from Chengshi.

    ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you¡¯ve forgiven me.¡± Mu Huaisheng smirked elegantly. ¡°You can keep up this cold attitude toward me, but I will never stop trying.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mu, why do you care about my attitude toward you? I am responsible for your store¡¯s interior design. You are my client. I¡¯m only obliged to be as polite as I can toward you and do my best to ensure the MU gship store is designed to perfection. Once the job is done, we¡¯ll each continue our paths. We¡¯re not friends, so there¡¯s no reason to be amiable,¡± Ruan Danchen stated calmly.

    ¡°At least you were sincere,¡± Mu Huaisheng replied quickly.

    h

    ¡°That¡¯s because I thought you were a sincere and trustworthy person.¡± Ruan Danchen bit her lip and walked pass Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng stood in ce for a few moments before he turned and stared for a while. Then he returned to his car. However, he did not leave. He drove slowly at the side of the road and followed Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen chanced a glimpse at him, then turned her gaze around and continued to walk. She could not understand why Mu Huaisheng was so persistent about apologizing to her with dinner.

    Suddenly, a series of loud honks burst from the road beside her. She subconsciously turned her head to see what happened ¨C a long row of cars had queued behind Mu Huaisheng¡¯s car, and they red their horns at him.

    In spite of that, he acted as if nothing was wrong and continued driving at walking speed.

    An impatient driver found a way to switchnes and drove up to Mu Huaisheng. He rolled his windows down and screamed, ¡°What the f*ck is wrong with you!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng lowered the window on the passenger side, which faced Ruan Danchen, and shouted, ¡°If you don¡¯t agree to dinner, I¡¯ll just have to keep following you like this. Ah, but I think before you ept my invitation, I might get beaten up by those drivers behind me.¡±

    ...

    ...

    In the car, Song Yu saw Mu Huaisheng stopped the car again for Ruan Danchen to get in.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng, he¡ª¡± Song Yu watched as Mu Huaisheng drove away in his BMW 7 Series with Ruan Danchen in it.

    Unfazed, Qi Chengzhi took a glimpse but did not say anything.

    Song Yu did not know Mu Huaisheng¡¯s character well. She turned to look at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome and defined side profile and asked, ¡°What is Mu Huaisheng trying to achieve? Is he one of those guys who toy with girls just to kill time? What if he only likes her because he wants something ¡®new,¡¯ then once that ¡®new¡¯ feeling passes, he just dumps her?¡±

    ¡°Calm down. There¡¯s no guarantee that Mu Huaisheng is trying to pursue Ruan Danchen.¡± Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange?¡± Song Yu returned his grip. Mu Huaisheng¡¯s BMW 7 Series had long disappeared from their sight. ¡°If a man holds on to a woman as relentlessly as he did, doesn¡¯t it mean that he¡¯s trying to pursue her?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her in amusement. Then he teased her in his beautiful and captivating voice, ¡°When did you be an expert? Now I wonder about the girl who didn¡¯t even realize that she was pursued with a name card and a Camry. It took her forever to notice.¡±

    ¡°...¡± When he exposed her weakness, Song Yu muttered, ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to your wonderful teachings.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. Since they were at a red light, he took the chance to turn and look at Song Yu. She stared down with her red-flushed cheeks. The hint of red on her fair skin made her look exceptionally gorgeous.

    Qi Chengzhi had the urge to pinch her red cheeks.

    He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Slowly, he turned her hand over and kissed her palm, then proceeded to peck on each of her fingertips.

    ¡°Drive!¡± Song Yu quickly reminded him as the number on the traffic light turned green and started to countdown. Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat when he kissed her. She felt a surge of electricity traveled across her skin, and that made her feel numb.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his foot off the brake and stepped on the gas pedal. He still held her hand in his as he said, ¡°As he is from a rich family, I don¡¯t doubt that Mu Huaisheng possesses the same bad habits as the rest of the rich kids. His adoration for someone doesn¡¯tst long, but it has surelysted longer than Gao Jingqiu¡¯s. He may fall for someone at the snap of a finger, but every rtionship he had, he was sincere and honest about it. He earnestly wanted to develop his rtionships, but something alwayses up, and they would break up not long after that. Nheless, none of the breakup was solely his fault. In a rtionship, both sides hold responsibility. Even though Mu Huaisheng never entered a rtionship half-heartedly, they still neversted long.¡±

    Song Yu did not know what to say. She wanted to believe that Mu Huaisheng was not trying to toy with Ruan Danchen. Nevertheless, Song Yu could never be at ease if Ruan Danchen were to date Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t have any ill intentions toward Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen is also not a reckless person. Since he¡¯s her client, shees in contact with him more often than you. Naturally, she understands him more than you. I¡¯m sure she would have noticed most of his characteristics.¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed Song Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Even if they start seeing each other, you have no right to interfere with their rtionship, so why should you dwell on something you have no say in? Besides, there¡¯s no guarantee that Ruan Danchen will fall for Mu Huaisheng.¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath and sighed. She turned to Qi Chengzhi and observed him. ¡°Do you know anything about this?¡±

    ¡°Why would I know anything about that?¡± Qi Chengzhi snickered. He turned away and focused on the road.

    Song Yu decided not to pursue the topic any further. She turned her hand so that his hand was on top of hers. She stared at the back of his slender hand. On his fair skin, his veins and tendons drew lines of green. She ced her right hand beside his and noticed that they were both just as thin. They both had clear lines of veins and tendons, but yet somehow, he appeared much more masculine and stronger.

    Her fingers danced on the back of his hand, yfully. She especially adored his slightly protruding knuckles. She pinched each of those knuckles several times.

    As she yed with his hand, Song Yu remembered that it was her birthday the next day. However, he did not say a word about it. It was as if hepletely forgot about that. Song Yu was too shy to bring it up herself. She also knew that he was busy with work and with the string of incidents that urredtely. He must have overlooked it.

    Song Yu thought about it for a moment, and then asked, ¡°Do you have any ns for tomorrow?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi glimpsed at her and said in a husky voice, ¡°No ns. I¡¯m going to work, then getting off work and picking you up.¡±

    Song Yu replied, disheartened, ¡°Oh.¡± She did not want to seem needy, yet she could not dismiss her feelings of disappointment.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips curled a little, but she could not tell if he was smiling. ¡°Why? Do you have any ns?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just asking,¡± Song Yu answered ndly.

    The next morning, Qi Chengzhi still seemed to be in the dark about Song Yu¡¯birthday. Song Yu wondered if she should drop her identity card on purpose and let him pick it up to have a look at it.

    Qi Chengzhi waited for Song Yu in the dining room while he read the news on hisptop. He wore a light blue shirt. As he raised his arms, that simple little act made his shirt tighten around his muscles.

    Even as he simply sat there, he gave off a certain aura. With his chalk-white skin and light blue shirt, he appeared clean and speckless.

    When he saw her, he put down hisptop and smiled at her. At that time, the only thing that went through her mind was that he looked as gentle and as warm as the summer¡¯s breeze. When he smiled at her, the usual sternness on his face seemed to havepletely dissolved.

    Song Yu sat across Qi Chengzhi. Aunt Yang served each of them a bowl of tomato and egg noodles.

    ¡°Why do we have noodles for breakfast today?¡± Song Yu asked when she saw the steaming bowl of noodles.

    ¡°Today¡ª¡± Aunt Yang opened her mouth to exin, but Qi Chengzhi interrupted, ¡°We¡¯re changing things up a little.¡±

    Song Yu red at him suspiciously. She looked down and chuckled, asking, ¡°You knew, after all, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What do I know?¡± He appeared to be stunned, but he did not seem to be acting.

    Song Yu pouted, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi drove Song Yu to the front entrance of Chengshi. Song Yu squinted at him as she got out of the car, and Qi Chengzhi grabbed hold of her.

    ¡°Why are you in such a hurry to get out? Aren¡¯t you forgetting something?¡± Qi Chengzhi leaned over to kiss her.

    However, Song Yu managed to dodge him. She acted dumb and asked, ¡°What?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Be careful on the road,¡± Song Yu chirped. When she saw his mncholic expression, Song Yu¡¯s mood brightened. Nevertheless, she left without kissing him.

    When Song Yu entered the office, she recalled the incident with Ruan Danchen yesterday. Just then, a young boy came in with a bouquet and asked, ¡°Who here is Ruan Danchen?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stood up hesitantly. She signed her name and received the flowers. There was no card or anything attached to it.

    Song Yu leaned over and whispered, ¡°It can¡¯t be from Mu Hauisheng, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was still in a daze. She looked down at the flowers, then answered hesitantly, ¡°I don¡¯t think so?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang the moment she said that. She answered the phone, and after she briefly listened to what the person on the other end of the line had to say, Song Yu heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s reply, ¡°Mr. Mu, I told you yesterday that I have epted your apology. You don¡¯t have to¡ª¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mu, I appreciated that your apology was sincere, and I have epted it. You should stop doing things that might lead others to misunderstand the situation. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu saw that Ruan Danchen kept silent after that. Song Yu did not know what Mu Huaisheng said, but Ruan Danchen only replied with a ¡°goodbye¡± and hung up.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Song Yu asked immediately.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ruan Danchen nced at the gigantic bouquet of roses on her table and sighed.

    While they were on the phone, Mu Huaisheng had said to her, ¡°What if this isn¡¯t a misunderstanding? Miss Ruan, I like you. We¡¯ve been working together for a while now, and I didn¡¯t abruptly fall for you. Pursuing you isn¡¯t a decision I made on a wimp.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was a mess. She sat down, but when she saw the flowers, she stood up again and brought them to the reception desk. When she returned, the bouquet was nowhere to be seen.

    ¡°Yesterday, I saw Mu Huaisheng followed you persistently you in his car,¡± Song Yu said. She hesitated for a long while, but she could no longer hold herself back.

    Ruan Danchen understood Song Yu¡¯s intentions. She smiled and said, ¡°I don¡¯t wish to think about these matters right now.¡±

    In the past, Ruan Danchen might have given it a shot, but she was in no mood for such matters.

    ¡°Danchen, is something wrong?¡± Song Yu asked with concern as she held Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m sure,¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Song Yu nced at the clock, and when she realized that it was time to get off work, she started to pack her things into her bag. Ruan Danchen had also packed her bag. She stood beside Song Yu¡¯s table and produced a neatly wrapped box from her bag. Ruan Danchen handed the gift to Song Yu, and wished her merrily, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±

    Song Yu was surprised that Ruan Danchen remembered her birthday. She was touched. Song Yu epted the gift and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    ¡°How does Qi Chengzhi n to celebrate with you tonight?¡± Ruan Danchen teased her as she winked at Song Yu.

    With a glum expression, Song Yu kept the gift, picked up her bag, and walked out of the office with Ruan Danchen. ¡°He didn¡¯t even mention it. I think he must have forgotten about it.¡±

    ¡°Well, your family had been in quite several incidentstely,¡± Ruan Danchen said

    ¡°That¡¯s true, so although I feel a little sad about it, I won¡¯t me him. I understand his reasons.¡±

    As the two of them descended in the elevator, something suddenly caught Song Yu¡¯s eye.

    Qi Chengzhi, who always waited for her in the car, was waiting for her at the entrance.

    With his hands behind his back and dressed in an exquisitely tailored suit, he stood there handsomely. He looked as elegant as a bird.

    He smiled at her. Even though Song Yu only stared at him from a distant, her face turned red, and her heart raced. She found it incredibly touching that he was there for her.

    Ruan Danchen gently nudged Song Yu with her elbow and left with a grin. When she passed by Qi Chengzhi, she greeted him softly, ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded at her, and she left.

    Song Yu looked down. With a gentle smile, she walked toward him and stood in front of him.

    Since she was pregnant, she switched to wearing ts, and that made her seem even shorter than Qi Chengzhi. She only reached his chest. Her neck was a little sore because she had to turn her head so high just to look at him.

    ¡°Why did you wait at the entrance today?¡± Song Yu beamed and asked. When she saw his handsome face, Song Yu was bewitched.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears were tinted red. Slowly, he removed his hand from his back and produced a massive bouquet of rainbow roses.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to give you this on Valentine¡¯s Day. So this time, I made the order a long time ago,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a beautiful and captivating voice.

    ¡°I thought you have forgotten about it.¡± Song Yu received the giant bouquet from him. It was very heavy. Half of her figure was hidden behind the bouquet. Delighted and touched, her eyes began to water.

    ¡°What did I forget?¡± Qi Chengzhi teased.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Song Yu mumbled. Flushed, Song Yu inched toward him until their feet were merely a few millimeters apart.

    He was wearing a pair of men¡¯sced leather shoes while she wore ballet ts. His feet were a lotrger than hers, but when put together, they suited each other perfectly.

    Song Yu looked down and moved her feet closer and closer to his ¨C until their toes touched. ¡°If you didn¡¯t forget, why did you pretend as if you did? I was so caught up in it for the past few days.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled as he reached to tuck her hair behind her ears. Then, he grabbed her hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Song Yu had the bouquet in one hand while the other held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. Their arms interlocked as Song Yu leaned firmly against him.

    Qi Chengzhi opened the car door for her lovingly. He wanted to take the flowers from her to put in the backseat, but Song Yu clutched onto it as if he would steal them from her. ¡°I can hold this myself. It doesn¡¯t take up much space anyway.¡±

    Amused, Qi Chengzhi reached out and grabbed her waist. He caressed her gently as he crammed between the car door. ¡°You like it that much, huh?¡±

    Song Yu leaned against the door frame with a smile on his face. His thin, hot lips looked especially attractive when curled upward.

    The skin around his lips was particrly delicate. Although she could see some stubbles if she looked closely, it did not change the fact that his skin was excellent and fair. He had better skin than any woman.

    ¡°Mmhmm,¡± Song Yu admitted. She stood on her toes and gave Qi Chengzhi a peck on the lips. She then quickly got into the car, and left him alone outside, too stunned to move.

    Song Yu had always been shy, so she would never kiss him in public ¨C that was why Qi Chengzhi was so astonished.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but chuckle. He closed the door for Song Yu and went around to the driver seat.

    Song Yu had the bouquet in one hand while the other struggled to buckle her seatbelt. Qi Chengzhi leaned over and did it for her, but he did not return to his seat. Instead, he leaned closer and closer to her.

    ¡°How were you so brave just now?¡± His main concern was that she left immediately after she kissed him without giving him a chance to reciprocate.

    Song Yu looked down and saw that his hand was still ced on the seat belt buckle. Her soft hands slowly crept toward his. Her fingers traced the back of his hand back and forth. ¡°I just couldn¡¯t resist your charm!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi burst outughing. He pinched her sharp nose and leaned in closer. He locked his lips with her, and they kissed fervently. He savored her sweetness.

    After a long while, he finally let go of her. ¡°This morning, you judged me wrongly, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Song Yu totally forgot about that. After he reminded her, she felt a little guilty about that. She kissed him again. ¡°That was for this morning.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but beam with joy. He started the engine, grabbed Song Yu¡¯s hand, and then drove off.

    They did not head home. Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to Dynasty, but they did not go to his VIP room. Instead, the manager led them straight to the top floor.

    Dynasty¡¯s top floor was not initially meant for guests, but since Qi Chengzhi made a request, they set up a sky garden a long while ago.

    Qi Chengzhi did not use the typical ¡®cover your eyes¡¯ trick on Song Yu. Instead, he held Song Yu¡¯s hand and enjoyed the scene with her.

    The entire floor only had a single table, and it was prepared for them. The rest of the space was embellished with flowers, nts, fountains, and a variety of decorations.

    An orchestra was seated at the corner where they waited to perform for them.

    Qi Chengzhi turned to Song Yu. In his bewitching voice, he wished her, ¡°Happy birthday.¡±

    Song Yu was dumbfounded. The scene that appeared before her took her breath away. That was not something that could be prepared in a day or two. She wondered how long he had nned for that.

    ¡°After this, I¡¯ll be super stressed out for your next birthday,¡± Song Yu joked.

    Song Yu was surprised when she felt his grip tighten around her hand. She sensed his gaze on her. As she looked up, Song Yu saw the stern expression on his face. Earnestly, he dered, ¡°On my birthday, all I want is for you to be by my side the whole time.¡±

    There was nothing special about that sentence. It was not embellished with poetic lines, nor was it garnished with candied words. Nevertheless, when she saw that Qi Chengzhi said it so earnestly, so credibly, and so resolutely, Song Yu¡¯s throat started to sting. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed.

 Chapter 232 - Blushing, Song Yu Obediently Wrapped Her Arms Around His Neck

    <h4>Chapter 232: Blushing, Song Yu Obediently Wrapped Her Arms Around His Neck</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    There was nothing special about that sentence. It was not embellished with poetic lines, nor was it garnished with candied words. Nevertheless, when she saw that Qi Chengzhi said it so earnestly, so credibly, and so resolutely, Song Yu¡¯s throat started to sting. Her eyes welled up with tears, and she sobbed.

    Overwhelmed, tears flowed down her cheeks.

    ¡°Birthdays are supposed to be joyous events, so why are you crying?¡± Qi Chengzhi purred. His thick eyebrows pinched together. Strangely enough, although he was frowning, his expression did not appear stern.

    He cupped his hands on her cheeks and wiped her tears. Song Yu sniffled. At that moment, she had the urge to cry her heart out.

    Nevertheless, there were others present, so Song Yu could only hold it in. She buried her face in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest while her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault. My birthday is supposed to be a joyous event, but you had to utter nonsense like that. Of course, I will be by your side on your birthday. Besides your birthday, I will also be there with you for all other festivals and special asions,¡± Song Yu mumbled. She choked every time she opened her mouth. More and more tears welled in her eyes. ¡°You only want me by your side for your birthday? How can anyone¡¯s expectations be so low?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held her firmly in his arms. He looked down and smiled softly at her. His warm lips rubbed the corner of her eyes and wiped her tears as they fell. They were salty yet ptable.

    ¡°That¡¯s all I want. You are the best gift I could ever hope to receive in my whole life,¡± he whispered. His low, raspy voice was as intoxicating as a ss of aged wine.

    Song Yu could not help butughed. She wasughing and crying at the same time. ¡°And yet you say that you are bad at sweet-talking. You¡¯re making me feel so mushy.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips twitched. He sighed and teased, ¡°Don¡¯t you like hearing them?¡±

    Song Yu sniffled. She rubbed her face against his chest and soaked his suit with her tears. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I will be by your side for all of your birthdays. I will be there for the rest of your life. Promise me that you will be here with me for the rest of my life too.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be stupid. I¡¯m so many years older than you. I¡¯ll die before you, so how can I stay with you for the whole of your life?¡±

    His soft, thin lipsnded on her eyshes, and he kissed them gently. Her long eyshes felt ticklish between his lips.

    Song Yu raised her head. His lips brushed across her face from hershes to her cheek, where he nted another kiss.

    Song Yu sniffled. With her hands around his waist, she joked, ¡°Have you not seen The Romance of the Condor Heroes <sup>1</sup> ? Xiao Longnu said that before she dies, she will kill Yang Guo even though she had been looking after him her entire life. I think this logic is quite impable.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her with his deep, solemn eyes. Under the illuminating lights on a starless night, his expression appeared unusually stern. ¡°Nonsense.¡±

    He led Song Yu to the table by her hand. The top floor was not overflowed with bright lights. Dimly lit, the atmosphere was warm and cozy.

    Candles were ced on the small, square dining table, and created a ring of light around it. When the two of them sat down, they were encapsted in the candle¡¯s sphere of light.

    The orchestra yed a gentle melody. Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome, bewitching face under the candlelight.

    While they waited to be served, Song Yu cupped her cheeks in her palms and stared at him as if spellbound. Her lips curled. She could stare at him forever.

    ¡°I should have dolled myself up today,¡± Song Yu said.

    He wore a neat suit. Even though it was what he usually wore to work, he looked exceptionally dashing in them. In contrast, Song Yu was wearing casual clothes forfort. She felt underdressed for the setting.

    Qi Chengzhi squinted at her and teased, ¡°Who told you not to believe in me? If you trusted that I would not forget your birthday, you would have dressed smashingly in the morning.¡±

    Song Yu could not help but chuckle when she recalled that their breakfast had suddenly switched to noodles that day.

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi from the corner of her eyes. The longer she stared, the more she adored him. The yearning in her eyes was obvious. Her fingers slowly crawled across the table until her tender fingers touched his fingertips.

    Under the candlelight, his elegant fingers, with cleanly trimmed nails, looked as if they were painted in a coat of gold.

    ¡°Chengzhi...¡± Song Yu whispered as she blushed for no apparent reason.

    Qi Chengzhi was puzzled. He pinched her fingertips lightly, and slowly inched further up her hand. His slightly rough thumb caressed the back of her hand lovingly.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± His voice was clear and soothing.

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°Nothing. I just wanted to say your name. I think you¡¯re the best. To have your love is the most fortunate thing in the world.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. His defined fingers slid between hers and inteced with hers.

    Once they finished dinner, Qi Chengzhi brought her to the elevator but he unexpectedly pressed the twelfth-floor button instead.

    Song Yu was perplexed, but Qi Chengzhi exined, ¡°We¡¯re not going home today. We¡¯ll stay here. Clothes and toiletries have all been prepared.¡±

    Song Yu blushed. The hand in his heated. ¡°Why do I feel like today is grander than Valentine¡¯s Day?!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand. With her hand still in his, he walked behind her and pulled her into his embrace. ¡°I didn¡¯t prepare enough on Valentine¡¯s Day, so I¡¯m making it up to you today.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s stomach pressed against his wand. She beckoned him with her finger, and when he bowed his head, Song Yu looked up and pecked him on the lips. ¡°A reward for you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi let go of her hand and then instantly picked her up. His hands cupped her buttocks as he returned her kiss.

    When the elevator door opened, he did not put her down. Instead, he dragged her out of the elevator and continued to kiss her as they plodded forward.

    He stumbled along the corridor until they reached their room. He pressed her against the wall for support as he rummaged through his pockets with one hand for the keycard. They were still making out, sucking on each other¡¯s lips for ages and grinding their lips together.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was red and numb from the kissing. She grabbed his shoulders and reminded him, ¡°We¡¯re still outside. Let¡¯s go in first.¡±

    At that moment, Qi Chengzhi had already opened the door. He proceeded to carry her into the room.

    ¡°Do you want a bath?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked in his husky voice. He had herid down on the bed with him on top of her.

    Song Yu¡¯s breath grew hot. She nodded, but just as she wanted to push him aside and get up, Qi Chengzhi picked her up again. ¡°I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    ¡°No need. I can bathe myself.¡± Song Yu wondered if he was tired from carrying her for so long.

    ¡°What if you slip and fall?¡± Qi Chengzhi warned her seriously as if bathing was a hazard.

    ¡°Dynasty has great facilities. They ensured their bathroom has anti-slip features to prevent any idents. There¡¯s no way I would fall,¡± Song Yu said. However, when she saw Qi Chengzhi squinted, her voice became softer. Her voice was never loud but it was barely audible then.

    ¡°I just wanted to spice things up a little,¡± Qi Chengzhi scoffed.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed but she obediently wrapped her arms around his neck to let Qi Chengzhi pick her up again.

    Qi Chengzhi treated her like a two-year-old who could not do anything for herself and carried her into the bathroom. He put her down on a wooden bench beside the bathtub.

    The bathtub at Dynasty was huge, it was like a mini swimming pool. The round sunken bathtub had three steps. The water in the tub would change automatically every ten minutes to maintain a constant temperature.

    Qi Chengzhi would not let Song Yu do anything for herself. His long, slender fingers worked on her shirt¡¯s buttons attentively. However, the buttons were miniature with intricate designs. Even though his fingers were lean, they still could notpare to a woman¡¯s. His fingers appeared clumsy as they worked with those tiny buttons. Not ustomed to doing that, he took ages to undo a single button.

    ¡°I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± Song Yu wanted to reim her independence. She got frustrated as she watched his two attempts before he could undo a button.

    ¡°Hands off.¡± Qi Chengzhi gently hit her hand that reached for a button. ¡°I¡¯ll get better at it if you let me practice. This is all because I¡¯m inexperienced.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    After a while, Qi Chengzhi carried her into the bathtub. Just as Song Yu sat down, Qi Chengzhi lunged at her and started to kiss her.

    Song Yu was trapped in his arms, so she returned his embrace. Her tender palm rested on his smooth and firm skin. Slowly, her hands slid down his body and groped him.

    In the bedroom, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone that he tossed on the bed rang.

    Mu Sisi hung up after Qi Chengzhi failed to pick up her call. She could not tell if he was ignoring her or if he did not hear his phone ring. Nevertheless, she had changed herndline number so Qi Chengzhi would not have known it was her.

    As she pondered about that, her phone rang. Mu Sisi picked up her phone with annoyance. She saw that it was a call from an unknown number so she declined the call immediately.

    She did not know how her phone number was leaked but ever since she came back to the country, she had received dozens of calls from telemarketers. Therefore, she would never answer any calls from unfamiliar numbers.

    However, not a second after she declined the call, the same caller called again.

    Exasperated, Mu Sisi answered it. ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Hello, Miss Mu,¡± a man said through the phone.

    Mu Sisi frowned. With a distant tone, she asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Jian Yi. You have probably heard of me before. I¡¯m Qi Chengyue¡¯s ex-husband.¡± Jian Yi sat in his car. He put his left arm out the car window with a cigarette between his fingers. He puffed a mouthful of smoke.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you.¡± Mu Sisi pouted in disdain. ¡°How did you get my number?¡±

    ¡°When there is a will, there is a way.¡± Jian Yi flicked the ash off his cigarette out the window.

    Mu Sisi scoffed and squinted her eyes. Impertinently, she asked, ¡°What does Qi Chengyue¡¯s ex-husband want with me? Do we even know each other?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, don¡¯t be so impatient to push me away.¡± Jian Yi took a puff of his cigarette. ¡°What if I told you, I have the means to put Qi Chengzhi on a leash? Will you be interested then?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s expression shifted abruptly. She squinted and turned to look outside the window. Coldly, she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°I know you like Qi Chengzhi. I have something good against him that will give you the ultimate control over him if youy your hands on it. Not only can you ruin things with Song Yu for him, but you can also have him do whatever you want.¡± Jian Yi stated as he puffed his cigarette.

    ¡°What do you have?¡± Mu Sisi questioned doubtfully. She could not shake the feeling that Jian Yi was fooling her.

    ¡°Miss Mu, even though you just came back from America, you are an adult now. How could you not understand the situation? Are you naive enough to think that I¡¯ll tell you something so valuable just because you asked?¡± Jian Yiughed mockingly.

    Mu Sisi pouted and scoffed, ¡°If it¡¯s something so big, why don¡¯t you use it against Qi Chengzhi yourself? You were kicked out of the Qi family without gaining a single cent from the divorce. Instead, you lost your dignity. So, what makes you think I¡¯ll believe you?¡±

    Jian Yi tossed the cigarette out the window and opened the door to stomp out the me. In a cold voice, he said, ¡°That¡¯s my business, so I won¡¯t waste your time on it. I¡¯m only going to tell you that I have information concerning the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy. Is that enough for you? I know that you have hired people to investigate this. I have what you need right now. You can save your effort.¡±

    Mu Sisi jumped out of her seat. She did not even bother to ask how he got the evidence or how he knew she was investigating it. When she heard that, she believed him.

    If he did not know that the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy was suspicious, he never could have said all those things.

    ¡°What are your conditions?¡± Mu Sisi asked in a deep voice.

    ¡°Two million and the Mu family¡¯swyer to fight for my mother¡¯s court case.¡± Jian Yi rubbed his middle finger with his thumb. The smell of tobo lingered. Due to his smoking habit, the parts where he held his cigarettes felt rougher than the rest.

    ¡°Two million? You have a huge appetite!¡± Mu Sisi eximed mockingly, ¡°It¡¯s not like I can¡¯t look into this matter myself. Why would I pay you two million? You must have gone crazy thinking about money!¡±

    ¡°I know. You hired Xinfeng Investigation Agency, right?¡± Jian Yi was unfazed.

    Mu Sisi did not expect him to know that too.

    Jian Yi scorned, ¡°Miss Mu, you have just returned to the country. Besides thenguage, everything else is foreign to you. You haven¡¯t been able to establish any connections here, and you are looking blindly on the inte. Do you really think an investigation agency can get the job done? At the end of the day, you¡¯re just burning money. Qi Chengzhi is an extremely cautious man. Do you think he will leave a shred of evidence that any mediocre detectives can find?¡±

    It was true that Mu Sisi did not have high expectations when she went to the agency. Even Mu Huaisheng could only make guesses. He did not have any evidence, so he went back to look at thepany¡¯s record. However, he could not find a single file on that matter.

    If Mu Huaisheng could not find anything, there was no chance for an investigation agency to get any hits.

    ¡°Then how did you find it?¡± Mu Sisi inquired cautiously.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to know that.¡± Jian Yi¡¯s fingers on his left hand drummed on the steering wheel¡¯s leather cover. ¡°After so many years, I have expanded my web of connections. Naturally, I have a way to find out about these things. Think about it. I¡¯ll be waiting at MeU Cafe at nine tomorrow morning. I will wait for half an hour, and if you don¡¯t show up, I¡¯ll just have to assume that you don¡¯t want the evidence. After this, if your agency fails to find anything, do know that I won¡¯t hand it to you no matter how much money you offer me.¡±

    Before Mu Sisi could reply, Jian Yi had already hung up.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Mu Sisi drove to MeU cafe.

    She drove a newly bought Jaguar. She knew Qi Chengzhi had one so she bought the same model as the one Qi Chengzhi had parked in his Viewpark Residence garage.

    Mu Sisi stopped her car in front of the cafe. She then took a photograph out of her bag. It was a photograph of Jian Yi.

    It was not hard to look into Jian Yi. His divorce with Qi Chengyue had put him all over the news. A quick search on the inte revealed tons of his photographs.

    Mu Sisi put the photograph back into her bag and got out of her car.

    She entered the cafe and scanned the ce. Jian Yi was not there. She took out her phone and dialed his number. ¡°I¡¯m here. Where are you?¡±

    ¡°Second floor. Turn left, then turn right and go straight. I¡¯m at the corner.¡±

    After they hung up, Mu Sisi headed straight to the second floor. She followed Jian Yi¡¯s instructions and arrived at a booth in a corner where a man sat with his back toward her.

    She walked toward him and sat down across from Jian Yi, who nodded at her. ¡°Miss Mu.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the evidence? I want to see it,¡± Mu Sisi requested immediately. She was in no mood for small talk.

    Jian Yi picked up a leather-colored document file from beside him and took out a few papers. He ced them on the table for Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi examined each page. The minute she reached thest page, Jian Yi took the papers away from her.

    Mu Sisi knew what he meant. She produced a check from her bag and handed it to Jian Yi. ¡°Two million.¡±

    Jian Yi examined the cheque. He said, ¡°I know that MU. wants to develop its market here. You guys have established a team of topwyers. I need one to fight my mother¡¯s court case.¡±

    Mu Sisi called awyer in front of Jian Yi. She told thewyer to go to the cafe immediately.

    ¡°Happy?¡± Mu Sisi asked coldly after she hung up.

    Jian Yi smirked. ¡°Miss Mu, the way you do things is quite straightforward.¡±

    Mu Sisi waited for thewyer. Once she briefed thewyer, she left.

    Once she returned to her car, she hastily poured out the papers to take a closer look. After she stared at them for a long while, a sinister smile appeared on her face. Her lips twitched as she reced the papers into the document file and put them in her bag.

    Mu Sisi flipped the sun visor down and looked into the mirror. She turned left and right, and stared at her reflection as if she was possessed. After she gazed into the mirror for what seemed like an eternity, she smiled at her reflection ominously. It was as if she had gone crazy.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi reached her home. She made several photocopies of the document and scanned it onto herputer.

    As she stared at theputer, she contemted on it for ages. Then, she stood up and paced around her bedroom. Finally, she opened her wardrobe and ran her fingers across each and every garment there. In the end, she took out a short white dress. It wasced and long-sleeved.

    The long sleeves of the dress were embellished withces. The dress only reached her thighs. There was a significant distance between the skirt¡¯s end and her knees. The skirt spread open in the shape of an ¡®A.¡¯

    The design was meant for youthful girls. Mu Sisi stood in front of the mirror and thought it made her look innocent, and yet ssy.

    She put on cherry red lipstick, and it made her white dress stand out even more.

    Satisfied with her get-up, she took her bag and went out.

    In the car, she received a call from Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°Are youing to the office today?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked annoyedly through the phone.

    ¡°I have some matters to attend to, so I¡¯m not going,¡± Mu Sisi answered nonchntly as she started the engine.

    ¡°How can you work with an attitude like that? I think you¡¯re better off staying at home and be a brainless spoilt brat,¡± Mu Huaisheng mocked. ¡°Even though it is our family¡¯spany, you are still an employee here. So why don¡¯t you have the decency to at least ask for leave? You just left all of your work there without notifying anyone, slowing down the wholepany¡¯s progress. Do you have any idea how much was dyed because of you?¡±

 Chapter 233 - Iâ€™ve Never Thought You Were Pretty, but Now, Youâ€™re so Hideous Itâ€™s Disgusting

    <h4>Chapter 233: I¡¯ve Never Thought You Were Pretty, but Now, You¡¯re so Hideous It¡¯s Disgusting</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°How can you work with an attitude like that? I think you¡¯re better off staying at home and be a brainless spoilt brat,¡± Mu Huaisheng mocked. ¡°Even though it is our family¡¯spany, you are still an employee here. So why don¡¯t you have the decency to at least ask for leave? You just left all of your work there without notifying anyone, slowing down the wholepany¡¯s progress. Do you have any idea how much was dyed because of you?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, Mu Huaisheng. I don¡¯t want to quarrel with you right now. Thepany can do fine without me as I¡¯m only a petty assistant designer. What important job do I have that will bring losses to thepany? It is my family¡¯spany, so what could possibly happen if I skip work for a day to attend to my affairs? It was Xu Chang that told you, right? That snitch! She¡¯s merely an employee of the Mu family. She shouldn¡¯t be the design director. Also, how dare she snitch on me! Did she forget my position in thepany? Ah, she must be out of her mind!¡±

    ¡°I think you¡¯re the one who¡¯s out of your mind!¡± Mu Huaisheng was getting a headache as he dealt with Mu Sisi. His thumb and middle finger massaged his temple. ¡°Don¡¯t bothering in tomorrow! You¡¯re not needed even as an assistant designer. Besides, I don¡¯t need you spoiling thepany name and holding everyone in your team back.¡±

    ¡°I dare you to do that!¡± Mu Sisi was unfazed. ¡°The Mu family isn¡¯t yours yet. Dad only sent you to develop the market here. He never said that he¡¯s putting you in charge! Dad gave me my job personally, so you have no right to fire me! If you do it, I¡¯ll call Mom and Dad. You¡¯re firing me for something as trivial as not attending work for one day. Do you think Mom and Dad will agree with you? I am the precious daughter of the Mu family. I have the fortunate fate to be born into such a family, doesn¡¯t that mean I deserve special privileges? Since this is my family¡¯spany, I have the right to do whatever I want! I will do as I please. Anyone who isn¡¯t happy with it or is jealous of me can only me it on their fate.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was at a loss of words. What he wanted the most was to send her back to America.

    ¡°If you want to fire me, you can wait until Dad resigns, and you take over the Mu family. Then we can talk! Nheless, by then, half of thepany will be mine, so you can¡¯ty a finger on me,¡± Mu Sisi said delightfully, as she raised her eyebrows.

    Mu Huaisheng was so exasperated that he started tough. He stood up and walked toward the panoramic windows and stared at the rows and columns of high-rise buildings and the cars stuck in a traffic jam on the streets. ¡°That is not the only reason I called. You took Lawyer Wu out.¡±

    ¡°He is our family¡¯swyer. As a member of the Mu family, don¡¯t I have the right to have him do things for me?¡± Mu Sisi said coldly.

    ¡°He is thepany¡¯swyer. You are using thepany¡¯s resources, and I am the general manager of MU. and not to mention, the director in Greater China. Don¡¯t you think you should inform me before utilizing thepany¡¯s resources?¡± Mu Huaisheng said over the phone.

    Mu Sisi froze. She took a deep breath and switched her phone to her left hand. ¡°I¡¯m just helping a friend out. It has nothing to do with thepany. I hired Lawyer Wu under my name, so I will cover his fees. Even though he is thepany¡¯swyer, he can take up private cases as long as it doesn¡¯t go against his contract. The matter has no connections to thepany, so let¡¯s just pretend I looked for awyer randomly and ended up hiring Lawyer Wu by chance. So, I wouldn¡¯t need to inform you of anything.¡±

    ¡°Friend?¡± Mu Huaishengughed scornfully. ¡°Since when was Jian Yi your friend?¡±

    ¡°Lawyer Wu told you? What happened to his professional conduct as awyer? How could he leak information about his client like that?¡± Mu Sisi squinted her eyes and clenched her teeth.

    ¡°Stop dragging everyone else¡¯s names through the dirt and take some time to look at yourself,¡± Mu Huaisheng advised with frustration. ¡°This has nothing to do with Lawyer Wu. He is very professional. After you¡¯ve done so many despicable things, don¡¯t you think I have learned my lesson? I have eyes on you every second of the day.¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s heart pounded with rage. ¡°Mu Huaisheng, can you mind your own business? I don¡¯t need you to interfere with every trifling matter in my life!¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s divorce was big news, so Mu Huaisheng knew Jian Yi had some connections with Song Yu. ¡°Do you think I like to monitor you like this? If you would stop causing so much trouble, then I wouldn¡¯t have to! My hands are already full with thepany¡¯s matters, yet I still have to keep an eye on you. Do you think I want to? Let me warn you, do not cause any trouble with Song Yu. Do you remember thest time you bothered her? In the end, you¡¯re the one left in shambles. If you do anything stupid again, Qi Chengzhi will never forgive you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Me helping Jian Yi has nothing to do with Song Yu,¡± Mu Sisi said before she hung up and threw her phone aside.

    She thought about it for a while and then decided to switch off her phone. Only then did she drove off.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi drove to Qilin. After she parked the car, she looked into the mirror and checked her makeup.

    She took her bag and headed into Qilin. Without stopping at the reception, she marched straight to the elevator but her way was blocked.

    Mu Sisi bit her lip. She thought she could escape the receptionist.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see your director, Qi Chengzhi,¡± Mu Sisi told the receptionist with annoyance in her voice. The receptionist at the desk was a talldy. Mu Sisi only reached her nose, but with her arrogant personality, even when she had to raise her head to look at someone, her eyes were filled with disdain.

    The receptionist suppressed her anger. She wondered what kind of haughty psychopath the cat had dragged in for the day. With a forced smile, she asked, ¡°Miss, may I have your surname? Do you have an appointment?¡±

    ¡°No, just tell him that Mu Sisi wants to see him,¡± Mu Sisi growled.

    Those words felt like deja vu to the receptionist. She felt like a woman who had done the exact same thing before. She had announced her name so confidently and thought that the director would surely attend to her.

    The receptionist smiled at her courteously. She made a call to Cheng Dongge, and then said, ¡°Miss Mu, my apologies, but the director is busy, so he can¡¯t see you now.¡±

    Mu Sisi snatched the phone from her hand. ¡°Cheng Dongge, right? Tell Brother Chengzhi this is regarding the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy. If he doesn¡¯t see me, I¡¯ll go to Song Yu.¡±

    Mu Sisi then tossed the handset back to the receptionist, and it hit her in the chest. She winced in pain.

    Mu Sisi dered, ¡°I can go up now. If you don¡¯t believe me, ask him yourself.¡±

    The receptionist ced the handset to her ear and listened to Cheng Dongge¡¯s instructions. Then she turned her gaze to Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi snickered. She turned away and headed to the elevators.

    ¡°Who the hell is that! What a horrible attitude!¡± A colleague scowled as she red at Mu Sisi¡¯s back.

    ¡°It seems like another woman has fallen for our director. An idiot like her shouldn¡¯t even think about getting our director. Even ordinary men wouldn¡¯t like her,¡± the receptionist sneered as she mmed the phone down.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi entered the elevator. On the way up, the door suddenly opened on a different floor. Both Mu Sisi and the people outside the elevator were shocked.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Qi Chengyue entered the elevator, as she red at Mu Sisi. ¡°My brother has told you that he doesn¡¯t like you. He¡¯s even married now. How much thicker can your skin get?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face twisted with rage. She stared at Qi Chengyue and snorted, ¡°This has nothing to do with you, so why are you so agitated? Oh, I remember now! Your ex-husband had a child with his mistress and divorced you. Do I remind you of the pain you suffered?¡±

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Qi Chengyue looked down at Mu Sisi. Compared to her, Mu Sisi was very short. Every member of the Qi family had a tall figure. Even though Qi Chengyue could notpete with her 190cm-tall brothers, she was still 168cm in height. She was not as tall as the models but she was exceptionally tall whenpared to normal women. With heels on, she appeared even more towering.

    Even though Mu Sisi also wore heels, she only reached Qi Chengyue¡¯s chin.

    Qi Chengyue looked down at Mu Sisi with scorn. She was not the receptionist, and she was the precious daughter of the Qi family. She walked around with an air of superiority, and the aura she emitted dominated Mu Sisi¡¯s.

    ¡°You went to America when you were a child, so I don¡¯t me you for notprehending Mandarin well. Let me exin it to you. First of all, a mistress is someone who forcefully wedges herself into other people¡¯s marriage and tears their family apart. In the man¡¯s eye, a mistress is more attractive than his wife. A mistress threatens the wife¡¯s position and therefore threatens her, and a mistress is someone who can make her husband not go home for days. Even if the mistress cannot force the man into a divorce, she still holds a special ce in his heart.¡±

    ¡°As for you, Song Yu doesn¡¯t even give a d*mn about you. She doesn¡¯t even see you as a worthy rival. Also, my big brother won¡¯t even nce at you. No matter how big a fuss you make, you¡¯re just making yourself look like a clown. You do not affect either of them. Even though you¡¯re part of the ¡®mistress team,¡¯ you don¡¯t even get the chance to appear on stage. You know, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve heard anyone call herself a mistress,¡± Qi Chengyue snickered.

    ¡°Even so, looking at your situation, you don¡¯t even qualify as a mistress. So what are you bragging about? Oh, I know! You¡¯re bragging about how much failure and humiliation you have brought upon yourself. You stripped naked in front of my big brother, but he wasn¡¯t the least bit charmed. Rather, he thinks you¡¯re more disgusting than ever. Oh, or are you bragging about how much effort you put in? Or how you can¡¯t let go of things? Your unrelenting determination?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Mu Sisi clenched her teeth and red furiously at Qi Chengyue. Her bright and yful red lips appeared hostile and ferocious.

    ¡°You think you¡¯ve hit a sore spot? Too bad, because I don¡¯t care who my ex-husband sleeps with. I now have a man who loves me, values me and pampers me, so why should I care about the insignificant people and things?¡± Qi Chengyue scoffed. ¡°I¡¯m not like you to run around all day to steal someone who doesn¡¯t even belong to you! Even after humiliating yourself, you¡¯ve gained nothing out of it.¡±

    After she said that, the elevator door opened. Qi Chengyue turned and took her exit.

    Due to her experience, Qi Chengyue could empathize with Song Yu. She despised such shameless mistresses.

    Furthermore, Song Yu lent her a hand when she dealt with Guan Xiaolin. Thus, she did not hold back against Mu Sisi at all.

    Mu Sisi exited the elevator behind Qi Chengyue but strode quickly to surpass her. Qi Chengyue shot a nce at her in contempt. She watched as Mu Sisi marched into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office without even bothered to knock.

    ¡°Why is she here? Big brother even allowed her toe up to his office?¡± Qi Chengyue walked up to Cheng Dongge, and raised her head to look at his face.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but Young Master Cheng must have his reasons. Don¡¯t worry,¡± Cheng Dongge assured her as he tidied his stuff. ¡°Do you not trust him?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I trust him, but I don¡¯t trust Mu Sisi. Ah, why is she causing so much trouble? Should I inform Song Yu?¡± Qi Chengyue mumbled.

    Cheng Dongge smiled. As he leaned against the table, he pulled Qi Chengyue closer to him by her waist. She stood between his legs, almost leaned against his chest. ¡°It¡¯s not anything important. She¡¯s at work now. Do you want her toe all the way from Chengshi just for this? By the time she reaches here, Mu Sisi would have already left. Young Master Cheng knows not to let things go too far. He won¡¯t let Mu Sisi do as she pleases.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s body emitted a refreshing smell of men¡¯s cologne. The aroma was addictive. It was as if it could stimte the hormones in women, as it allured and aroused them.

    When held in his arms, her gaze fixed on his dashing suit and the strong, firm chest underneath it. Drunk in the scent of his cologne, her face turned red, and before she knew it, her body flushed too.

    Cheng Dongge looked down to see her glowing cheeks. She seemed submissive with her doll-like face, and her fragrance made his heart pound faster.

    He swallowed. Unable to hold himself back, he leaned down andnded a kiss on her bright pink cheek. As he felt her soft, hot skin on his lips, he could not help but parted his lips and extended his tongue toward her skin, and licked it gently.

    His action sent shivers down her spine. She quickly pushed him away with both hands. ¡°Someone might see us.¡±

    Cheng Dongge grinned. His hands slid off her waist and grabbed her hands instead. ¡°Let¡¯s go for lunch first.¡±

    ...

    ...

    As Mu Sisi closed the office door, she saw Qi Chengzhi sitting behind his desk. His face was still as charming as ever. Even after ten years, he did not look a day older than he was in her memory. In fact, he had only looked more mature, and that made him seem even more handsome than she remembered.

    It was as if he was a man favored by God, so he was perfect in every aspect.

    Mu Huaisheng repeatedly asked her to let him go, as Qi Chengzhi was married and he had no interest in her. He advised her to stop making enemies with them.

    However, every time she saw Qi Chengzhi, her feelings for him in the past ten years just gushed out of her heart. How could she let go of such a perfect man so easily? Once she saw his handsome face, she was captivated. All she wanted was to stare at him for the rest of her life.

    She believed that even if he had grown old, he would maintain his charms.

    If she gave up, she would feel that her ten years of effort were all for nothing. How could his ce in her heart, her determination to fight for him, and the love she had for him vanish into thin air like a cloud of mist?

    She could let go, but who wouldpensate for her ten years?

    Mu Sisi was entranced by Qi Chengzhi. She stared at him tenderly and wondered how such a perfect man exist? Every move he made was as elegant as a swan, and every word he said was captivated and beguiled her. She could stare into his deep, soulful eyes all day long and would never find the bottom of it.

    Still entranced, she sauntered toward him. She stopped in front of his desk and smiled at him softly. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, you haven¡¯t had lunch, have you? Since it¡¯s lunchtime, let¡¯s grab a bite together.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not stand up, and he merely glimpsed at her from where he sat. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to talk about the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy? Go ahead.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush. Besides, we can¡¯t discuss something on an empty stomach, right?¡± Mu Sisi smiled as she went around the table and stood beside Qi Chengzhi. She purposely moved her long, fair leg toward him until it touched his arm. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, how do I look today?¡±

    ¡°Hideous,¡± Qi Chengzhi dered harshly in a monotonous voice. ¡°I¡¯ve never thought that you were pretty, but now, you¡¯re so hideous it¡¯s disgusting.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pulled his arm away so that she could not touch him. He stood up and extended his arm to the side of the table while his other hand pulled out a sheet of tissue from a tissue box and wiped the area that Mu Sisi touched.

    ¡°Have lunch with you? The mere sight of you is revolting. How can I have any appetite for food?¡± Qi Chengzhi rolled the tissue into a ball and violently threw it onto the desk. His stern expression was terrifying. His face was filled with hatred and disgust.

    The color drained from Mu Sisi¡¯s face. Her jaw trembled and her eyes welled with tears.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, do you have to say such awful things? I love you so much. Why would you treat me like this?¡± When she saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression, Mu Sisi¡¯s heart crumbled into a million pieces.

    A man she adored dearly red at her with such contempt and disgust, it was as if she was a maggot that squirmed on the floor.

    Mu Sisi despised that feeling. Her body tremored. ¡°I¡¯m not asking for much. I just want you to treat me with some dignity. I just want a ce in your heart, and yet, you wouldn¡¯t give me any of that. Why can¡¯t you just treat me a little better? You treat Song Yu like a treasure. You¡¯re always so gentle with her. What does she have that I don¡¯t? What makes me unworthy of your kindness? She loves you, and I do too. I¡¯ve loved you for ten years. My love for you is no less than hers, so why do you have to trample over my feelings like this?¡±

    Tears flowed from her eyes. ¡°I put in so much effort to look pretty for you, but not only do you not care, but you spit out such horrible words. Why?¡±

    ¡°Whatever you know, just say it. If you¡¯re only here to say these things that I¡¯ve heard a thousand times before, then you can just leave,¡± Qi Chengzhi warned exasperatedly.

    Mu Sisi sniffled. With a face full of tears, her lips unexpectedly curled into a smile. She moved closer to Qi Chengzhi, and with her head held up high, she whispered, ¡°Then tell me, do I look pretty today? I¡¯ll talk about business once I¡¯m satisfied with your answer. Brother Chengzhi, how do I look?¡±

    ¡°Are you insane?¡± Qi Chengzhi seized her arm and dragged her toward the door. ¡°If you¡¯re not going to tell me, then leave. I don¡¯t have time for your nonsense.¡±

    ¡°Let go of me! I¡¯ll talk! You only let mee up because of this, right? Fine, I¡¯ll tell you!¡± Qi Chengzhi had already dragged her to the door and if she still refused to talk, she knew that he would have thrown her out.

    Only then did Qi Chengzhi stop. Furiously, he let go of her arm. ¡°Talk.¡±

    Mu Sisi did not know if it was from rage or tiredness but she was panting. She looked down and pulled at her clothes, an attempt to tidy her looks.

    Then, she smoothened her disheveled hair and finally began to talk. ¡°I think you¡¯re afraid. Otherwise, you would never have let mee up here.¡±

    She chuckled mockingly and took out the document file from her bag before she handed it to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°I know everything now. You are the one behind the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi opened the file and flipped through the documents inside. They looked familiar, just like what Jian Yi had shown to him before.

    He stared at Mu Sisi nonchntly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s your purpose of showing me this?¡±

    ¡°To let you know that I know everything. Your marriage with Song Yu had always been on thin ice. Once Song Yu finds out that you destroyed the Song family, I bet that she would hate your guts now, won¡¯t she? You are her family¡¯s archenemy. Not only did she marry her family¡¯s enemy, but she also fell in love with him. I bet that she would hate herself more than she despises you. Oh, Brother Chengzhi, you must really love Song Yu to be able to push her into a dilemma like that.¡± Mu Sisi chuckled. She sat down on the sofa¡¯s armrest with her hand against the sofa back.

    Qi Chengzhi pouted. He tossed the documents onto the floor. With a dark expression, he said, ¡°I¡¯m asking, what¡¯s your purpose in telling me this?¡±

 Chapter 234 - Auntie, Please Help Me Look After Aunt Ruan Properly

    <h4>Chapter 234: Auntie, Please Help Me Look After Aunt Ruan Properly</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi pouted. He tossed the documents onto the floor. With a dark expression, he said, ¡°I¡¯m asking, what¡¯s your purpose in telling me this?¡±

    ¡°My purpose?¡± Mu Sisi was stunned for a while. She did not think that Qi Chengzhi would ask her that. She chuckled lightly. ¡°I¡¯m here to help you, of course.¡±

    She stood up gracefully. She swayed her skirt as she sashayed toward Qi Chengzhi. She stood in front of him and looked up to see his firm jaw, thin lips, and the subtle stubbles around them. Her heart was drunk in the smell of his cologne.

    It was as if she could smell the aftershave on him. It felt fresh and pleasant, and it gave her the urge to kiss him.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep this a secret for you, but you have to be nicer to me.¡± A yful smile appeared on Mu Sisi¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m not asking you to divorce Song Yu. All I want is for you to treat me better, to smile at me, and to like me. When I need you, I want you to be there for me. As long as you let me be by your side for the rest of my life, I won¡¯t ask for anything more.¡±

    Boldly, Mu Sisi ced her hand on his stomach and slid her hand upward. Her movements were fluid and graceful. Her hand stopped at his chest. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, now, do you know how much I love you? My love for you is sincere. It is so sincere that I won¡¯t ask you for anything more. I¡¯m not even asking you to get a divorce. All I want is to be by your side.¡±

    ¡°Is that so?¡± Qi Chengzhi scoffed. With a scornful expression, he seized her hand and plucked it off from his chest. He pouted at her mockingly. His grip on her tightened steadily. Even after he saw her winced in pain, he did not weaken his grip.

    ¡°Ouch! Brother Chengzhi, you¡¯re hurting me!¡± The bewitched look on her face slowly faded. She begged, ¡°Let go of me! Brother Chengzhi, it hurts!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi pretended as if he did not hear her pleas. Without loosening his grip, he sneered. ¡°If you love me so much, then why are you threatening me with this? You demanded me to stay by your side and be at your beck and call, yet you say you¡¯re not asking me for anything? If that¡¯s true, then don¡¯t ask me to like you. Don¡¯t ask me to be nice to you.¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face twisted in pain. With clenched teeth, she replied, ¡°I admit my love isn¡¯t that selfless. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s normal for someone to want their love requited? I have loved you for ten years. Isn¡¯t a small request like this quite reasonable? You have to give me something in return, right? Otherwise, wouldn¡¯t my tens years be all wasted? Besides, I didn¡¯t even ask you to get a divorce. You don¡¯t have to get a divorce, nor do you have to be responsible for me when you sleep with me. No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a win for you. Why aren¡¯t you happy with this? Isn¡¯t this every man¡¯s dream?¡±

    ¡°Oh, you must be dreaming! I can¡¯t even get hard looking at you, so stop wasting your time! You said that you¡¯ve liked me for ten years? Did I tell you to do that? There are tons of people who like me, does that mean I have to be with all of them? You like me? The dog next door at the old mansion likes me too! At least it doesn¡¯t bother me all the time. It wags its tail every time it sees me, and when I pet it, it would never retaliate with a bite, so I quite like this dog. I guess that means you, Mu Sisi, can¡¯t evenpete with a dog,¡± Qi Chengzhi insulted her without any hesitation.

    Apart from Song Yu, Qi Chengzhi was never tender and protective toward any other women. He did not care about protecting their reputation.

    When she heard hisst sentence, Mu Sisipletely lost her mind. How could Qi Chengzhipare her to a dog!

    ¡°In your eyes, am I really that low? Brother Chengzhi, I know that you belittle me because I¡¯m always the one making the first moves, but do think I would do that to any man? I kept myself clean and pure so that I can reserve my first time for you. I may seem unbing, but it¡¯s because I love you. For you, I have stooped so low that my head is against the floor. I did all that so that you would look me in the eye. I would do anything because I love you. You think that I¡¯ve degraded myself? Well, it just shows that for you, for love, I would sacrifice everything. Sure, I have cheapened myself, yet I don¡¯t regret it, and I don¡¯t think I deserve to be looked down upon by others. Rather, I think a self-sacrificing lover like me deserves your respect!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept his silence as he dragged her toward the door.

    Qi Chengzi kept his hold on Mu Sisi¡¯s left hand. So, she grabbed onto his arm with her right hand and leaned backward. She refused to leave, even if it would kill her. ¡°No! I¡¯m not leaving!¡±

    Nevertheless, inch by inch, Qi Chengzhi sessfully pulled her to the door.

    The second Qi Chengzhi ced his hand on the door handle, Mu Sisi had abruptly squeezed into the space between him and the door. She had the expression of a crazy woman. ¡°You imed that you couldn¡¯t get hard for me, right? We¡¯ll see about that!¡±

    Her right hand let go of his arm, and forcefully grabbed his crotch. Qi Chengzhi did not expect that she would be crazy enough to do that. Suddenly, he did not know how to fend her off. She managed to grope him through and through.

    In spite of that, no matter how hard she tried, Qi Chengzhi was not the slightest bit aroused.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face twisted with rage. He tried his best not to p Mu Sisi across her face.

    He reached out to seize her right hand. With both her arms locked in his hands, Qi Chengzhi opened the door and threw her out.

    Mu Sisi wore a pair of ten-centimeter stiletto heels, so she almost sprained her ankle when she fell.

    Qi Chengzhi pointed right between her eyes. In a tense and heavy voice, he scolded, ¡°Mu Sisi, you are a disgusting crone!¡±

    Bam!

    Qi Chengzhi mmed the door and left Mu Sisi outside his office.

    Bang, bang, bang!

    Mu Sisi banged the door from the outside. ¡°You im that I¡¯m disgusting, but why do you think I¡¯m like this? Do you think that I¡¯ll act this way if I don¡¯t love you with all of my heart? In spite of that, you turn around and kick me out! Brother Chengzhi, let me in! Let me in! Since you threw me out, it means that you don¡¯t agree to my terms, right? Fine! I¡¯ll reveal everything to Song Yu!¡±

    ¡°Are you not afraid that I¡¯ll tell Song Yu the truth? Do you not care? Even if I do that, you still won¡¯t agree to my terms?¡± Mu Sisi shouted as she banged relentlessly on the door.

    Qi Chengzhi picked up the documents that he had thrown onto the floor. He nced at them again and wiped theyer of dirt off. He opened the door as he clenched his teeth.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s hand fell through as the door opened. Qi Chengzhi appeared in front of her again. His expression was apathetic, yet every muscle in his face twitched. Even so, Mu Sisi¡¯s lips curled into a flirtatious smile the moment she saw him. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I knew that you would change your mind.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smirked coldly. He held the documents to her face and tore them in half in front of her eyes. He did not stop there ¨C he stacked the halves together and tore them again and again until they became nothing but strips of paper.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s smile crumbled. Her eyes trembled in disbelieve. Qi Chengzhi presented the bits to her and promptly threw them all over the floor.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes trembled, and her mouth twitched. ¡°Tear all you want because these are just photocopies! There¡¯s more where that came from!¡± o

    ¡°I¡¯m well aware, but it¡¯s an eyesore.¡± Qi Chengzhi uttered in a gravelly voice. ¡°You want Song Yu to know, right? Well, I¡¯ll save you the trouble of telling her. I¡¯ll tell her myself. I¡¯m the one who did it, so I should be the one responsible for telling her. After all, I never nned to hide it from her anyway.¡±

    After he said that, Qi Chengzhi mmed the door shut with a bang.

    He went to his desk and picked up the phone to call security and ordered them to get rid of Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi could not hear what he said in the office. She took another nce at the shredded pieces of paper. As she clenched her teeth, she stomped on them and screamed, ¡°You will regret this!¡±

    With a twisted expression, she turned around and left.

    Mu Sisi stormed to the elevator, pressed the ¡®down¡¯ button, and waited. When the elevator door opened, she saw four security guards. Mu Sisi was surprised by their arrival. Only then did she realize that the guards were sent by Qi Chengzhi to kick her out.

    The security guards were also surprised. They did not expect the person that they were supposed to kick would appear at the elevator.

    She could not take it anymore. What did Qi Chengzhi take her for? Did he think she would lurk there forever that he needed to send a security team to kick her out?

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi sent for you, right? Save your efforts. I¡¯ll escort myself out,¡± Mu Sisi dered coldly. With her chest puffed and her head held high, she strutted into the elevator.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi stood at the door for a long time. His hand clutched the door handle so tightly that his veins and tendons popped.

    After what felt like an eternity, he finally turned the handle, and the door opened.

    Mu Sisi was no longer there. Qi Chengzhi looked down to see the pieces of paper on the floor. His eyes were hidden behind his long, straight eyshes. He bent his long legs to kneel as his long and bony fingers reached out to collect the pieces of paper on the floor.

    In the secretary room, a few female employees ate their sds and fruits in the office as they were on a diet. They heard Mu Sisi as she yelled in the corridor. However, they knew that it had something to do with Qi Chengzi, so they did not dare to go near the scene.

    Since the corridor had been silent for quite some time, they had a quiet discussion amongst themselves. Then they decided to stealthily tiptoe to the door to peep at the situation.

    They did not expect to find Qi Chengzi on his knees as he picked up the trash on the floor. They were dumbstruck by what they saw, but they managed to go out and offered, ¡°Director, please let us do this!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand did not stop. He raised his head and nced at them for a mere second before he turned his head back and continued to pick up the scraps of paper. ¡°It¡¯s alright. It¡¯s lunchtime, continue with your break.¡±

    Thedies were puzzled. It did not feel right to leave, but since Qi Chengzhi told them to, they did not dare to help him anyway.

    Qi Chengzhi picked up thest piece of paper on the floor and then returned to his office.

    He went to the toilet and flushed the pieces of paper down the toilet.

    He strode back to his desk. He opened his desk drawer, but the contents were different from before. There was a soft pack Zhonghua cigarette and a lighter.

    Ever since Song Yu told him that she wanted children, he had not smoked a single cigarette.

    With mild tremors in his hand, he took out the cigarettes and lighter. His slender fingers pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it. His movements were still as fluid as ever.

    He turned to look out the window, and he saw Mu Sisi as she walked out of Qilin. She got into her car, but she did not drive away immediately.

    Qi Chengzhi took a long puff of his cigarette and blew a cloud of white smoke. He took two steps back to lean on his table. With his left hand, he picked up the pack of cigarettes and stared at it for a long while. His hands started to shake again.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi exited Qilin. With giant steps, she stormed to her car, got in, and burst into tears as sheid her head on the steering wheel.

    Qi Chengzhi would rather tell Song Yu himself and risk a divorce rather than to give her some dignity. Why?!

    Did he not love Song Yu as much as she thought he did?

    He loved her so much that he stole her from Qi Chengji and ruined the Song family. After all that, they finally got married, but yet he would rather risk his marriage than to fulfill Mu Sisi¡¯s little request?

    Did he hate her that much?

    Why?!

    Mu Sisiid her head on the steering wheel and cried for a long time. Then she looked in the mirror and saw that her foundation was mostly gone. Her eyeliner and mascara were also smudged.

    She took a box of tissue from the glovepartment and tapped her tears away. Carefully, she wiped off the makeup that encircled her eyes. She sobbed as she fixed her makeup.

    Once she fixed her makeup, Mu Sisi sniffled, but her heart still ached.

    She looked up and stared at the twenty-fifth floor of the building where Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office was at.

    She was disappointed with what had happened. Even though she knew full well Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude toward her, she would not give up. Her heart raced at the mere thought of him in the office as he stared out the window. A picture of him as he stood by the window in his authoritative stance lingered in her mind.

    As she snapped out of her reverie, Mu Sisi took her bag from the passenger seat and took an envelope from within. She removed a few papers and then ced the envelope in her bag again.

    After that, she finally drove off.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Lai drove Song Yu to Chengshi.

    That afternoon, Qi Chengzhi had called her and said that he had a meeting outside thepany. He told her that he would not be at the office, so he would have Chang Lai send her straight to Dynasty without the usual stop at Qilin.

    Song Yu wanted to invite Ruan Danchen, but she had brought her lunch to the office to hide from Mu Huaisheng. However, to everyone¡¯s surprise, Mu Huaisheng came straight to the office and stood beside her desk and in front of all her colleagues. He even greeted Song Yu.

    Song Yu watched from afar. The colleagues around their surrounding area also stared out of curiosity.

    ¡°You said that you¡¯ve brought lunch, so all I can do is toe up and eat with you.¡± Mu Huaisheng dragged a random chair from the adjacent desk to sit right across from Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen nced at her colleagues awkwardly. They all knew that she was the designer for MU.¡¯s renovation. Additionally, they could guess that Song Yu had helped to pull some strings, even though neither she nor Song Yu ever disclosed it to anyone else.

    To top it all off, Mu Huaisheng¡¯s actions that day were unusual. After all that, it would have been difficult for her colleagues to misunderstand the situation in the wrong way. They might think that Ruan Danchen used that chance tond herself a rich husband.

    ¡°But I only brought lunch for myself,¡± Ruan Danchen argued desperately as she looked at her lunchbox.

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I can order takeout.¡± Mu Huaisheng smiled. He took a nce around them and then whispered, ¡°I think us being here is attracting a lot of attention. Why don¡¯t you eat outside with me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen inhaled deeply. She whispered, ¡°Mr. Mu, I ept your apology regarding the incident with Miss Mu. You are my client, so we should maintain a certain type of rtionship and distance between each other. Besides a professional rtionship, I am not interested in developing any other kind of rtionship with you, no matter if it is appropriate or not. Furthermore, I don¡¯t appreciate you sticking so close to me everywhere I go. It will only push me further away.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s alright. I actually think that it¡¯s a good tactic.¡± Mu Huaisheng did not care about Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression of discontent. Instead, he kept up his warm smile. ¡°When a man pursues a woman he likes, he has to be relentless and persistent. He should have the guts to go to any length to get her. If a man gives up so easily, how will he ever make a beautiful woman his?¡±

    Ruan Danchen bit her lip. She took another nce at her colleagues. Helpless about the situation, she kept her lunchbox away and headed outside silently.

    Mu Huaisheng grinned. He nodded at Song Yu again and followed behind Ruan Danchen.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu sighed and shook her head. Due to Mu Sisi, her opinion of Mu Huaisheng was tainted. Additionally, Mu Huaisheng did not seem like he could control Mu Sisi; unlike Qi Chengzhi who used to have a tight rein on Qi Chengyue, so he was able to protect her.,

    Since he had Mu Sisi as a younger sister and Song Yu did not know Mu Huaisheng¡¯s parents, Song Yu was worried that Mu Sisi would bully Ruan Danchen.

    As she contemted that while she stared out the window, the car was already near Chengshi. Suddenly, the phone in her bag rang, and it pulled her mind back into the present.

    Song Yu reached into her bag and fished for her phone. ¡°Youxuan, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    It was lunchtime too at Qi Youxuan¡¯s kindergarten. He had finished his food, and he drank a box of cultured milk that came with his lunch.

    One of his chubby hands held the cultured milk while the other had the phone to his ear. ¡°Auntie, I forgot to tell you, please help me look after Aunt Ruan properly. My dad is not very reliable, so I¡¯ll have to take responsibility. If any man tries to go after her, you will have to tell me. You can¡¯t let anyone steal her!¡±

    ¡°If there is one, will you rush here immediately to stop him?¡± Song Yu snickered. She pictured Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby appearance in her mind.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that when the dayes. The main point is, you have to tell me. There¡¯s a saying that tells us we must know our enemies well so that we won¡¯t lose, and the first step to that is to get information from a good source,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice boomed through the phone. His voice was like a melody, and it had the power to brighten one¡¯s mood.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu sniggered. ¡°Is it ¡®know yourself and know your enemy, and you shall win a hundred battles¡¯?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes! That¡¯s the one!¡± Even though Song Yu could not see him, the boy still nodded wildly as he bit onto his straw.

    ¡°Where did you learn that?¡± Song Yu asked. She was at a loss for words.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that Auntie, you have to help me to guard Aunt Ruan properly. The happiness of my dad and I are dependent on you now, especially my dad¡¯s,¡± Qi Youxuan announced gravely.

    Song Yu pictured his serious chubby face. She could not help but chuckle.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll help you.¡± Song Yu agreed good-naturedly.

    Qi Youxuan was relieved. Delighted, he said goodbye and hung up.

    Song Yu chuckled and shook her head. She did not want the little boy to worry, so she did not tell him about Mu Huaisheng. What if he actually took a cab and rushed there from his kindergarten?

    She had never thought of Qi Youxuan as a child who was oblivious to everything. That boy was not naive, and he was smart, so she had to treat him like an adult.

    In any case, from Ruan Danchen¡¯s attitude, Song Yu concluded that she did not like Mu Huaisheng. Even though Ruan Danchen did not stop him from sticking to her all the time, Song Yu did not think there was anything to worry about yet, and it sure would not justify Qi Youxuan sticking his nose into it.

    ¡°Madam, we have arrived.¡± Chang Lai stopped the car by the roadside in front of Chengshi. Song Yu got out. Chang Lai waited for Song Yu to enter the building before he drove off.

    Song Yu waited for the elevator. She noticed that the elevator was on its way down from Chengshi¡¯s floor.

    The elevator reached the first floor, and the door opened slowly. When Song Yu saw who was inside, she was dumbfounded.

    Mu Sisi was shocked too, but her expression quickly turned into a sinister smile.

    Her sharp stiletto shoes hit against the floor as she stepped out of the elevator.

 Chapter 235 - Song Yu, Youâ€™re Such a Shrew!

    <h4>Chapter 235: Song Yu, You¡¯re Such a Shrew!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her sharp stiletto shoes hit against the floor as she stepped out of the elevator.

    She had gone to Song Yu¡¯s office, but she was told that Song Yu was not back from lunch yet. She wanted toe downstairs to stop her, and by chance, she had seeded.

    Song Yu looked away and walked ahead without moving her gaze. She walked past Mu Sisi as she did not n to greet her at all.

    Mu Sisi grabbed Song Yu by her arm and said, ¡°You didn¡¯t even greet me, do you not have any manners?¡±

    Song Yu nced at the hand that grabbed her arm and looked up in annoyance before she said, ¡°I will greet my friends or people with manners. You are not my friend, nor do you have any manners. I don¡¯t even want to be associated with you. Why should I greet you?¡±

    Mu Sisiughed as she let go of Song Yu¡¯s arm. ¡°That¡¯s true. I also wished that you didn¡¯t exist. But I¡¯m here to see you, so let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Song Yu realized that Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes were red like she had been crying.

    ¡°I have nothing to say to you,¡± Song Yu said coldly as she walked toward the lift.

    ¡°What if I told you that I know the real reason your family went bankrupt?¡± Mu Sisi said quickly behind her back.

    Song Yu stopped and turned around slowly. She saw Mu Sisi¡¯s arrogant face.

    Song Yu scoffed coldly and walked toward her. Even though she wore ts due to her pregnancy, she was still on eye-level with the heels-d Mu Sisi.

    ¡°What if I told you that I know it too?¡± Song Yu mocked her softly.

    Mu Sisi clearly misunderstood the situation. She thought that she knew all about the situation andughed as she said, ¡°I know you thought that the Song family went bankrupt after they were acquired, but the truth is moreplicated than that. It¡¯s not what you think it is.¡±

    ¡°What do you think I know?¡± Song Yuughed. Mu Sisi¡¯s arrogance was hrious.

    She whipped out her phone and looked at the time as she said, ¡°Since you wanted to talk, let¡¯s talk.¡±

    She walked ahead after she finished her sentence.

    Mu Sisi smirked. She could not wait to see Song Yu¡¯s defeated face.

    Song Yu did not walk far. She walked straight to the caf¨¦ in the building and sat down in a corner.

    Mu Sisi followed her and sat down as well. The waiter came over, and Mu Sisi ordered a cup of caramel mhiato, but Song Yu did not order anything.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to pretend to be polite with me. If you feel uneasy about ordering a drink, you can pay for it yourself,¡± Mu Sisi thought Song Yu did not want to have a drink with her and wanted to appear generous about it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have to do that because what I have to say is very simple. I won¡¯t be here long, I¡¯ll be gone before they serve the drinks,¡± Song Yu said coldly and went silent as she saw the waiter walked over with two sses of lemon-infused water.

    After the waiter left, Song Yu saw Mu Sisi¡¯s smirk. It was as if she wasughing at her for knowing nothing; as if she was a fool.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that you won¡¯t have the strength to stand up in a while, let alone to leave,¡± Mu Sisi said sarcastically as she looked at Song Yu arrogantly. She looked down to pull a file out of her bag and said, ¡°Since you¡¯re this confident, I¡¯ll just have to wait and see.¡±

    Song Yu smiled briefly and stayed silent.

    Based on what Mu Sisi had said, it was as if she knew the Song family went bankrupt because of Qi Chengzhi. However, she would not admit it if Mu Sisi did not say anything about that. If she admitted to the truth while Mu Sisi lied about the so-called truth, that would mean that she voluntarily told Mu Sisi the truth.

    ¡°Look at this,¡± Mu Sisi tossed the file onto the table.

    Song Yu picked it up casually and pulled at the documents inside. She already knew who gave it to her after one nce.

    It was the same one Jian Yi gave her.

    ¡°Jian Yi gave this to you?¡± Song Yu put the documents back in the file and tossed it back onto the table.

    Mu Sisi did not expect Song Yu to be that calm. It was as if it was a small matter.

    Apart from that, how did she know it was from Jian Yi?

    Mu Sisi pretended to be calm and said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to know who it came from, as it¡¯s real anyway.¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips and said, ¡°You came all the way here to tell me about this?¡±

    Mu Sisi could not hold it in anymore. She widened her eyes and said, ¡°Song Yu, look closer at the papers. Did this shocking news make you dumber? Brother Chengzhi nned the bankruptcy of your family; he¡¯s supposed to be your enemy.¡±

    ¡°I know. I knew it from the start. I knew about this before I married him, someone had already told me about this,¡± Song Yu said with a rxed tone.

    Mu Sisi could not believe it. She stared at Song Yu before she asked, ¡°What kind of response is this?¡±

    ¡°Do you still not get it? I¡¯m telling you that I already knew that my family went bankrupt because of Chengzhi. However, I don¡¯t care, and I don¡¯t hate him. I was not even angry at him. Even after I found out about this, I still decided to get a marriage certificate with him. I¡¯m the one who suggested the certificate. Do you think I feel defeated when I¡¯ve made such decisions?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Mu Sisi could not believe it. It was impossible for Song Yu not to hate Qi Chengzhi unless she had mental issues. If an ordinary person went through such things, they would have so much hate in them.

    ¡°It¡¯s impossible. Stop pretending, Song Yu. I will admit that you have a high level of tolerance, and you look calm. I can¡¯t beat you on that. However, do you think that you can lie to me about this? If you already knew about this, why did Brother Chengzhi give such a huge reaction?¡± Mu Sisi thought it was still a possibility after she gave it some more thoughts.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression darkened. She stared at Mu Sisi angrily and asked, ¡°You went to see Chengzhi again?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I told him that I knew everything. I told him that I¡¯m going to tell you about this too, and he started to get nervous. I¡¯ve never seen him this nervous, not even when he was at his worst and could not find any business for the newpany in the States. He never acted this way. He was scared that you would find out, but if you already knew about it, how could he be that nervous?¡± Mu Sisiughed. ¡°Song Yu, stop pretending, your face changed. Do you think you can still lie to me?¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, who do you think you are, messing in other people¡¯s business? You im that you love Chengzhi, but you want to force him to feel the same about you. When he doesn¡¯t love you that way, youe up with all kinds of ways to hurt him and ruin his marriage, is this how you love someone? If so, whoever you love will have bad luck. The world does not revolve around you. You won¡¯t get to do or get what you want, and you won¡¯t get your feelings reciprocated, you¡¯re not Renminbi, where did you get this kind of confidence? Did you really think that everyone has to like and tolerate you as your family does? Isn¡¯t your arrogance a little overboard?¡± Song Yu was angry, but she also knew that Mu Sisi might not process what she said. To Mu Sisi, she was the most important person to herself, and her opinions mattered the most. No one could do anything against her wishes.

    ¡°You always said you¡¯re almost as good looking as me. If you im so, stop with the unrealistic wishes.¡± Song Yu watched as Mu Sisi¡¯s expression darkened, but she did not stop there. She continued to say, ¡°You think that everyone needs to live for you and treat your wishes as orders, do you think that¡¯s possible? Is it realistic? Even the daughter of a President does not have such power, even aw proposed by the President would need to be passed in Congress. You¡¯re just the daughter of the Mu family, and your family sells clothes, bags, and makeup. You¡¯re just a little rich, what do you have to be arrogant about?¡±

    ¡°In terms of money, the Mu family is poorer than the Qi family. On top of that, you¡¯re the second child in the Mu family, so your brother would inherit the family¡¯s fortune. Even if you were to receive a few shares of thepany, your worth is still way less than Chengzhi, who will be inheriting the Qi family. Your assets are worth nothing next to his. If you think it¡¯s that important to marry a family of the same status and reputation, you have far fewer assets than him and lower status than him, what are you going to use to force Chengzhi to marry you? What do you have to be arrogant about? How high do you think your status really is?¡±

    ¡°Enough, even if I¡¯m what you said, that I¡¯m not good enough for Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m still better than you!¡± Mu Sisi was so angry that her face was flushed.

    If it were someone of her status or higher that gave her the lecture, or if it were Qi Chengyue who gave her the speech, she would not be that angry.

    ¡°Your family is bankrupt, and you¡¯re working for a smallpany. Who are you to talk to me like that?¡± Mu Sisi said as she clenched her teeth. ¡°Even though I went to the States as a kid, but I do know a Chinese proverb, that one should know his limitations. You¡¯re no better than me in any way, and you dare to lecture me? You¡¯reughing about how my status is not as high as Brother Chengzhi? If I¡¯m not better than him, neither are you!¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, it¡¯s funny how you still remember one should know his limitations. Yes, I¡¯m not like you, or to be urate, I was not as good as you before I got married. However, when I was still the daughter of the Song family before we went bankrupt, I have never used my status or money to threaten others. I have never felt like I was better than anyone else. I was still the only child of the Song family, and if we did not go bankrupt, I would inherit everything. Based on this little fact, I¡¯m already better than you,¡± Song Yu said. She was no longer in a rush, and she wanted to be frank with Mu Sisi. She had had enough of Mu Sisi¡¯s arrogance.

    Since Mu Sisi came to her that day, she might as well clear everything with her.

    Mu Sisi was about to open her mouth and rebuke her words, but Song Yu cut her short and said, ¡°I know you want to say that I¡¯m no longer the daughter of a grand Song family since we are bankrupt. However, I¡¯m now Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife, and I¡¯m the daughter-inw of the Qi family. I am the next madam of the Qi family. With this point alone, my status is higher than you right now. I have a bigger bank ount bnce than you, the investment portfolios Chengzhi handles for me are more than yours. He moved both his liquid and non-liquid assets to my name, so for either one of those, I have more than you. You want to talk about money? I can throw them on you. You want to talk about status? I am the next madam of the Qi family. Ask anyone, and they will tell you that my status is higher than yours. What are youining about here? I kept quiet all this time and not stoop as low as you because you¡¯re nothing to me. You¡¯re just an immature and brainless little girl, why would I want to stoop as low as you and ruin my style? However, since you¡¯ve been harassing me time after time, I don¡¯t have to take it anymore.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you admit it or not, but logically speaking, I am better than you,¡± Song Yu said as she straightened her back. She thought about how Qi Chengzhi looked down on people, so she squeezed her eyes together like he did and looked down at Mu Sisi arrogantly. ¡°You want to pretend to be a big shot in front of me? Who are you to do that?¡±

    ¡°You finally admit it?¡± Mu Sisi suddenlyughed, as if she knew what was going on. ¡°Just as I expected, you don¡¯t even care about taking revenge. You only married Brother Chengzhi because of the Qi family¡¯s status, and for his money. What you really care about is his status and money. You want to steal all of his assets and take your revenge, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Mu Sisi looked at Song Yu with a sudden realization. ¡°Oh, I know now. Brother Chengzhi did not know that you already knew the real reason behind the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy. You hid it from him intentionally. You n to tolerate it until he lets his guard down, and you¡¯ll get to destroy him with everything that he gave you, right?¡±

    Mu Sisiughed loudly. ¡°Song Yu, you really have it in you. Brother Chengzhi loves you so much, but you treat him this way, you¡¯re such an evil witch. And I wondered why you were not surprised at all, but in truth, you¡¯ve already nned all of this!¡±

    Song Yu stood up suddenly, grabbed the ss of lemon-infused water in front of her, and sshed it all over Mu Sisi¡¯s face. ¡°Mu Sisi, if you have mental issues, you should see someone professional about it! Don¡¯t think of others with such dirt. I didn¡¯t tell him because I love him, and I don¡¯t want it to be a burden on him. Someone like you wouldn¡¯t understand it because you don¡¯t know what love is. Your so-called love is to find him and threaten him with it, to give him a hard time and pain. Let me guess. What did you do when you went to find him? Threaten him? If he got together with you, you wouldn¡¯t tell me about this? You¡¯re so disgusting. Who do you think you are to mess with our marriage? It is a rare sight to see such a thick-faced person like you. Even the mistresses in novels or television are not as disgusting as you. Would it be true love if you got it by threatening him? Aren¡¯t you sick of yourself? Think about it, if you married a man you love, and there was a woman who came and bothered your husband with no shame, and your husband doesn¡¯t like her at all, but she still came to disgust you both time after time ¨C how would you feel about it?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re just afraid! If it were me, if my husband loved me, I would have faith in him, and I won¡¯t care. If he loved me, the mistress would not be able to break us up. If she had the guts to approach me, I¡¯d have the guts to show off my husband in front of her. I have all the confidence in the world. If someone else liked my husband, it meant that he has charisma, and I made the right choice. I would be happy about it and thank the woman for liking my husband. You¡¯re angry, and you hate me because you don¡¯t have enough self-confidence or you are afraid of me. You¡¯re afraid that I would really steal Brother Chengzhi away from you, and you feel that I¡¯m a threat. This shows that your rtionship with Brother Chengzhi is not as strong as you im it to be.¡± Mu Sisi stood up andughed as she wiped the water in her hair and on her face.

    Song Yu got so mad that she started tough. Who knew there was such a person in the world. It was an understatement to say that she had mental issues.

    ¡°When I marry Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯ll wee you to steal him from me. I will never be as petty as you are and embarrass him,¡± Mu Sisi announced proudly. She grabbed her ss and wanted to ssh it onto Song Yu. She did not scream because she waited to take her revenge on her. If she didn¡¯t do that, then Song Yu would think that she was an easy target.

    To Mu Sisi¡¯s surprise, before she could ssh the ss of water on her, Song Yu grabbed the ss and swung it onto her instead. The lemon-infused water sshed on her face again.

    ¡°It¡¯s just a dream. You should never think it¡¯s real.¡± Song Yu let go of her hand and mocked her with augh.

    Mu Sisi could not hold it in anymore. She screamed, ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re such a shrew! Who are you to do this to me? How are you this unreasonable?¡±

    ¡°Why would I need to be reasonable to deal with a crazy person like you? You¡¯re trying to ruin my marriage. I¡¯m already decent enough to not tear at your hair or scream at you!¡± Song Yu said before she turned around and left. She had already said more than enough to a brainless and crazy woman like Mu Sisi.

    As she watched Song Yu leave, Mu Sisi tried to chase her. ¡°Song Yu, you¡¯re guilty, you don¡¯t have genuine feelings for Brother Chengzhi at all, you¡¯re doing this for revenge, I¡¯m right about this! You got angry after I exposed you for it, and even sshed water on me, you¡¯re such a shrew!¡±

    She ran as she screamed before a waitress stopped her. ¡°Miss, your coffee hasn¡¯t been served!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it anymore!¡± Mu Sisi pushed the waitress¡¯ hand off her and tried to run after Song Yu again.

    The waitress grabbed Mu Sisi¡¯s arm with both her hands. ¡°We can¡¯t do that. The coffee is already being brewed. We were grinding the coffee beans, that¡¯s why it took some time. However, your order has already been confirmed, and it¡¯s toote to change it now. If you don¡¯t want it anymore, sure, but you need to pay for it!¡±

    Mu Sisi and Song Yu¡¯s voices were loud, and the waitresses had overheard the conversation.

    They could tell that it was Mu Sisi, who was the shameless mistress who tried to ruin someone else¡¯s family. The couple did not even care about her. She was the one who wanted to push her way in with that arrogance and a mouth full of nonsense.

    Although she was a customer and they could not do anything to her, but they tried their best to stop her and not let her annoy the legitimate wife any further.

    If they could report her to the police, they would.

    Mu Sisi pulled her purse from her bag impatiently and threw a hundred dor note on the waitress. Just as she tried to leave, she was held back by the waitress again.

    ¡°It¡¯s only 32 dors, and we need to give you change! Do you want a receipt?¡± the waitress asked.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t want anything!¡± Mu Sisi said rudely. Song Yu should already be in the lift by then.

    The waitress still grabbed her. Mu Sisi turned around and yelled, ¡°I said I don¡¯t want anything. I have already paid for it, why are you annoying me? Let go of me!¡±

    The waitress pursed her lips before she let go of her.

    Mu Sisi rushed outside, but she could not find Song Yu anywhere.

    She was so mad that she clenched her teeth. A few momentster, she finally decided to stop looking for Song Yu and then walked out of the building.

    As she walked down the steps, she stomped her foot in anger. The slim heel on one of her stilettos bent as a result of the impact and her foot tilted. Pow! The heel broke as she stomped on nothing. Her foot nted to the side, and she twisted her ankle.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Mu Sisi was in pain as she sat on the steps. She had also scratched herself on the edge of the steps. She was in so much pain that she turned pale, and tears flowed from her eyes.

    She took the broken stiletto off her foot and threw it onto the pavement, and she nearly hit someone.

    ¡°What are you doing!¡± a woman, who looked like she was in her thirties, screamed. The stiletto nearly hit her, but she managed to dodge it. She picked up the stiletto and pointed at Mu Sisi as she approached her.

    ¡°What are you doing, stop pointing at others, don¡¯t you have manners?¡± Mu Sisi had never been pointed at that way. She felt uneasy and swatted the woman¡¯s hand away with force. Pow! Her hand hit the woman¡¯s wrist.

 Chapter 236 - Gui Rongxuan Was Offended

    <h4>Chapter 236: Gui Rongxuan Was Offended</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What are you doing? Stop pointing your finger at me, do you have any manners?¡± Mu Sisi had never been pointed at the nose like this before, causing her to feel edgy. She inadvertently tried to push her hand away with a swing but she did not control her strength properly and pped her hard at the wrist.

    The woman had just narrowly avoided being hit by the flying shoe, but now she was hit by the unreasonable Mu Sisi. She was infuriated. ¡°What attitude is this? Didn¡¯t you see that you almost hit me with the shoe! There are so many people passing by at the roadside and you just insensibly threw your shoe with a sharp pointed end away. It almost hit me, but not only did you not apologize, you even acted so arrogantly. How am I wrong pointing at you?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s ankle was aching and she was bullied by Song Yu just a moment ago, and now she was beingmbasted and pointed at by a woman she had never met before. She burst out in anger since she had not found an outlet to release her fury yet.

    ¡°Surely it was your fault, I didn¡¯t hit you. You said I almost hit you. Is almost being hit the same as being hit? Why don¡¯t you let me hit you? I would apologize right after that.¡± Mu Sisi pushed away the woman¡¯s finger again. ¡°Otherwise, stop pointing your finger at me, you chose the wrong person if you¡¯re trying to ckmail me.¡±

    ¡°ckmail you?¡± The woman wasughing after listening to what she said. ¡°Is it worthwhile for me to ckmail you? Who the hell are you? Do you deserve to be ckmailed by me?¡±

    ¡°Watch your words!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s leg was aching and could not stand. She felt that she was at a disadvantage and not as intimidating as her due to the height discrepancy.

    ¡°What about me? I am just scolding you. It was you who hit me with your dirty hands!¡± The woman suddenly grabbed hold of Mu Sisi¡¯s cor and lifted her.

    Mu Sisi was not very light, and the person trying to lift her was a woman, so she was only able to barely lift her buttock off the step.

    Mu Sisi was humiliatingly dragged to the ground by her from the steps. She fell with her body prone, and her upper body was again lifted by the woman who was grabbing her cor.

    ¡°You said that you¡¯ll hit me and apologize to me, right?¡± She was sneering while gritting her teeth and said, ¡°I¡¯ll hit you now, and I¡¯ll apologize after hitting you!¡±

    The woman knocked her head by using the shoe¡¯s pointed end. ¡°I¡¯m sorry!¡±

    Then, she knocked again. ¡°Sorry!¡±

    She knocked once more. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry!¡±

    They were surrounded by people around from the moment the shoe was thrown. They were filming and taking pictures with their phones, but nobody stepped forward to help her.

    The passers-by who stood in a circle and watched them fighting could not tolerate Mu Sisi¡¯s arrogance either. They thought if they were in her ce and had almost gotten hit by the shoe, they, too, could not put up with Mu Sisi¡¯s impertinence.

    The woman did not seem like she would stop anytime soon. Mu Sisi¡¯s forehead was injured and looked like there was already a hole.

    ¡°What are you doing? Stop hitting me! Let go of me! Let go of me!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s leg was feeling weak, and the woman was knocking her head ruthlessly. She did not have any strength left in her body.

    ¡°It hurts! It¡¯s so painful, I¡¯m dying! Stop hitting me!¡± Mu Sisi was covering her head with her palm. The woman hit her hand with the pointed end of the shoes, Mu Sisi withdrew her hand due to the pain and her forehead was getting knocked again.

    ¡°Are you going to apologize? Apologize or not? Tell me, are you apologizing or not?¡± asked the woman in a sharp voice while clenching her teeth.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry! Sorry! Ouch, I¡¯m sorry!¡± Mu Sisi felt humiliated but she was forced to apologize. She wished she was dead at that moment. She felt an intense loathing from the depth of her heart toward this woman that came out of nowhere. She swore she would have her revenge.

    She would return in double the mortification that she inflicted on her.

    The woman was pushed away by someone when she was just about to release her after hearing her apology.

    ¡°What is happening?¡± Mu Huaisheng shielded Mu Sisi by standing in front of her and helped her up.

    He was sending Ruan Danchen back after having a meal with her. At the entrance of Chengshi, he saw a woman clutching onto Mu Sisi¡¯s clothes and hitting her head with a shoe.

    He took a closer look at Mu Sisi and saw that one of her feet was not wearing any shoes. She was lying on the ground and her upper body was lifted by the woman. They were tangled together on the street like two shrews, their appearances battered and unsightly.

    He hurriedly pulled that woman away and helped Mu Sisi up. Her forehead was all blood and it was flowing down to cover her face, making her look extremely scary.

    When Mu Sisi saw Mu Huaisheng, she finally felt like she had somebody to back her. She hugged Mu Huaisheng¡¯s arms tightly and burst into tears.

    Her face was full of blood, the blood was mixed with the tears and it was hard to differentiate which was blood and which was tears. ¡°Brother, she hit me! We should not let her get away with this! You saw how she beat me till I was injured like this, we should never let her off! Please avenge me. Waah, brother, look at how I was bullied and beaten up by her, I wouldn¡¯t let her go!¡±

    ¡°Youngdy, you have gone too far by beating up her to this degree.¡± Mu Huaisheng looked stern and furious. Even if the things that were done by Mu Sisi often drove him crazy, but she was his sister after all. He could not turn a blind eye to this incident because she was beaten up very badly.

    ¡°I have gone too far?¡± The woman threw Mu Sisi¡¯s shoe to the front of Mu Huaisheng. The shoe with its heel gone rolled on the ground and stopped beside Mu Huaisheng¡¯s feet. ¡°She randomly threw this shoe with such a pointed end toward the roadside. Whoever got hit by it would surely injure their head, and it almost hit me just now. However, not only did she not apologize to me, she even arrogantly said that even though it was close, she didn¡¯t hit me after all. I was not being unreasonable! I was lucky the shoe didn¡¯t hit me, but that doesn¡¯t mean she did nothing wrong!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng kept quiet, that was in fact what Mu Sisi would say ording to her character.

    The woman stared at the two siblings coldly. Her lips pouted, she was using the burgundy lipstick which was the most popr color this year. ¡°Humph, I have truly witnessed what an unreasonable person is, she even suggested that I was the one who was acting unreasonably. From the way she is dressing, I could tell that she thinks she is very rich. She called you brother just now, as a brother, you freed this type of dog to attack others recklessly. Who knows, one day you might provoke someone you¡¯re incapable of dealing with. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re so great with just some filthy money, there are many others who are more powerful than you guys. The capital is so big, if one of the shop signboards drop at random, the chances of it hitting a rich person is high. How could you be so arrogant? Who do you think you are?¡±

    ¡°What! What did you say? Who are you calling a dog!¡± Mu Sisi was fuming behind Mu Huaisheng. She became bolder with Mu Huaisheng around, unlike the miserable woman who was crying and begging for forgiveness a while ago.

    She thought that no matter how fierce that woman was, she would lose to Mu Huaisheng in a fight because he was a man!

    ¡°I warn you, watch your words! If you¡¯re so well mannered, why did you beat me and call me a dog?¡± shouted Mu Sisi while pointing at the woman.

    ¡°I was just scolding the person who shouted at me just now.¡± The woman crossed her arms and sneered. ¡°Was I scolding you? If you want to admit that you¡¯re a dog so eagerly, there¡¯s nothing I can do.¡±

    ¡°You?¡ª?¡± Mu Sisi was raging, she was behaving like a cat whose tail was being stepped on. She was blushing and making threatening gestures, the scene was quite frightening to look at.

    ¡°Thisdy, what you just said has gone too far. My sister is a little rude and rebellious because our family is well-off. It was her fault that she nearly hit you. I apologize on behalf of her,¡± said Mu Huaisheng with a deep voice.

    ¡°Why are you apologizing to her? What did I do wrong? I told you I did not hit her, I threw the shoe because I saw nobody there. It was her who came and beat me up for no reason!¡± Mu Sisi was screaming behind Mu Huaisheng, interjecting him.

    However, the crowd surrounding them started hissing when she finished talking.

    A person in the crowd yelled, ¡°You were lying without preparing a draft. I saw you were looking down when you threw the shoe. Do you have eyes on the top of your head to make sure no one was around? Besides, this is a bustling street, many people are walking around, on what asion was this street not crowded besides midnight? Why don¡¯t you join a shootingpetition since you¡¯re so good at finding a small gap to throw your shoe?¡±

    Mu Sisi was speechless, she turned her head in the direction of the voice furiously but could not find the person who was talking. She could hear that the voice belonged to a male, so she red at all the men around. ¡°This is none of your business! I didn¡¯t hit any of you, stop being so nosy!¡±

    ¡°Eek! I was scared to death!¡± The surrounding crowd stared at her bloody face and shouted like they were acting in a movie.

    Mu Sisi clenched her teeth out of anger and Mu Huaisheng turned his head around to re at her. ¡°Just be quiet!¡±

    ¡°I was beaten up like that, how could I keep quiet? How could I concede!¡± replied Mu Sisi madly.

    ¡°If you continue to behave like this, I will stop helping you.¡± Mu Huaisheng said coldly, he was sick of looking after her.

    Mu Sisi almost retorted but when she saw Mu Huaisheng¡¯s stony expression, she could only suppress her recalcitrance.

    ¡°Miss, my sister was wrong for being arrogant and bossy, but you also did something wrong by hitting her so badly. I understand that you were furious because she scolded you after she almost hit you. I can¡¯t criticize you for wanting to hit her to express your anger, maybe it¡¯s okay for you to hit her a few times, but was it necessary to hit her so badly?¡± questioned Mu Huaisheng gravely.

    ¡°I hit her badly? If I was hit by her shoe, do you think what she did would be severe enough? If it wasn¡¯t for her stubborn attitude and refusal to apologize, would I need to waste my energy? I honestly mind getting tired from hitting her!¡± The woman sneered, unafraid. ¡°I beat her up today and you¡¯re trying to get to the bottom of it, what if I was the one hit by her? Aren¡¯t you going to say sorry and be done with it?¡±

    ¡°That is it!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right!¡±

    The surrounding people were agreeing with what she said and were giving theirments.

    ¡°Brother, there¡¯s no use talking to her. I¡¯ll have my wound examined, then we can sue her!¡± said Mu Sisi viciously as she pointed at the woman. She was grimacing as she clenched and gnawed her teeth. ¡°If you dare, tell us your name and stop talking big. Since you have the guts to beat others, you also better have the guts to bear the consequences!¡±

    Mu Sisi thought that she would be frightened and hesitate after listening to what she said, but unexpectedly she was not afraid at all. She said sarcastically, ¡°You¡¯re hopping around so lively and still have the energy to quarrel with me even with your bloody face, not to mention scold me whilst pointing at my nose. Looks like your injury isn¡¯t very serious after all.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you afraid? Are you trying to avoid the responsibility now?¡± Mu Sisi sneered proudly. ¡°It¡¯s useless, just now you weren¡¯t afraid when you were beating me up, now it¡¯s toote for you to be scared!¡±

    The woman snorted and took a name card holder out of her handbag. She drew out a name card from the holder with her index and middle finger, then threw it onto the floor. ¡°This is my name card. My name and contact number is on it, please speak to mywyer when the momentes.¡±

    The woman took onest disdainful nce at them before turning around and left.

    Only now did Mu Sisi notice that this woman¡¯s attire and the handbag that she was carrying cost a fortune.

    Mu Huaisheng did not pick up the name card, he bowed his head and saw that the front of the name card was facing upward. He could clearly see the name on it.

    Gui Rongxuan.

    When he first came, he did some research on the Eight Great Families of B City, but it was only limited to the most important people in the respective families, including the head of the family and his sessor, and the backbones of the families.

    For example, in the Qi Family, besides Qi Chengzhi whom he already knew, he also found out about Qi Zhongliang, Qi Zhongxun and Qi Chenglin, as for Qi Chengji who was serving in the army, he did not pay specific attention to him because Qi Chengji would not benefit him at all.

    When he saw the three words ¡°Gui Rongxuan¡±, Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression changed involuntarily. He remembered that he had seen this name before when he was reading on the information about the families. The name sounded familiar and probably belonged to the eldest daughter of the Gui Family.

    However, he was unsure about it and would need to verify again.

    ¡°Gui Rongxuan? Who is that? She was showing off in front of me, did she think that she¡¯s very powerful? This is the first time I¡¯ve seen a person so unreasonable and narcissistic.¡± Mu Sisi was annoyed and uneasy, she lowered her head to look at the name card on the ground and the blood on her forehead dripped onto the card.

    Mu Huaisheng was just about to say that there was nobody more unreasonable and narcissistic than her.

    At that moment, he heard Mu Sisi¡¯s scream and she was pointing on the floor. ¡°Blood, my blood! My blood was dripping down!¡±

    Mu Huisheng retracted his words when he was just about to say them aloud. He supported Mu Sisi with his hand and said with a deep voice, ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll bring you to the hospital first.¡±

    Mu Sisi was still there crying hysterically. ¡°Would my face be disfigured by it? She kept on hitting on the same spot and there is so much blood flowing out, surely there would be a scar. What should I do if there is a scar! Boo-hoo...¡±

    Mu Huaisheng quietly supported her to walk, but after she took a step, she started howling again and leaned her body against him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± asked Mu Huaisheng impatiently.

    ¡°My leg, I sprained my ankle when I was walking down the stairs...¡± said Mu Sisi while crying.

    Mu Huaisheng looked down and saw the ankle of her barefoot was severely swollen.

    Mu Huaisheng heaved a sigh. He supported Mu Sisi with one hand and walked to her front, then he bent his body. ¡°Let me carry you.¡±

    ¡°Boo-hoo,¡± Mu Sisi cried and climbed onto Mu Huaisheng¡¯s back.

    There are people around still gesticting at Mu Sisi, but Mu Huaisheng could not care less about them. Even if he asked them to leave, they would not oblige.

    However, the crowd was not too cold-hearted, they spontaneously made way for them when they saw Mu Huaisheng walking towards them.

    After Mu Huaisheng walked out of the crowd, he suddenly remembered that he was sending Ruan Danchen back just now. He did not have time to inform her when he saw Mu Sisi getting hit by someone.

    After he thought of it, he tried to search for her by looking around. He stopped abruptly when he saw Ruan Danchen standing quietly at the top of the stairs of the office building. She was looking at them at a distance from the crowd, he was unable to tell her mood and what she was thinking now.

    Her expression was especially calm when she caught Mu Huaisheng¡¯s eyes, she glimpsed at Mu Sisi coolly and nodded at him, then she turned around and entered the office building.

    Mu Huaisheng stopped looking at her. He quietly carried Mu Sisi to the passenger seat of his car, then he took another nce at the office building¡¯s entrance before getting in his car. He took a box of tissues out of the glovepartment and handed it over to Mu Sisi. ¡°Wipe your blood first.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not wiping, I¡¯m going to the hospital to examine my wound and let the hospital staff take my photo. I will sue that woman. When we are handing in the evidence, I want the judge to see how severely I¡¯ve been beaten up by her!¡± said Mu Sisi, fuming with rage.

    Mu Huaisheng remained silent, he simply threw the box of tissues to her side, she could choose whether to wipe or not as she pleased.

    ...

    ...

    When Ruan Danchen entered the office, she saw that Song Yu was back. She slid toward Song Yu in her wheeled chair and said, ¡°Mu Sisi came and found you just now?¡±

    The incidence of Mu Sisi stripping nude to seduce Qi Chengzhi was on the entertainment news, even the people who were not close to Song Yu knew about it, let alone Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°How did you find out?¡± asked Song Yu in astonishment. She was back for some time already, Mu Sisi should have been back by the time Ruan Danchen returned.

    ¡°I saw her downstairs a moment ago.¡± Ruan Danchen then told Song Yu about the incident that happened.

    Song Yu snorted while shaking her head. ¡°That Mu Sisi has such a big head, she offends people everywhere. She hasn¡¯t found out about Gui Rongxuan¡¯s status? She has offended her, if Mu Sisi really wants to sue her, the Gui Family will not tolerate her and let the Mu Family take advantage of them. Even if Mu Huaisheng knows of Gui Rongxuan¡¯s status, but Mu Sisi has already offended her. The Mu Family may be unaffected yet, but so long as Mu Sisi is staying here, it would be very hard for her to blend into the upper ss.¡±

    Although Gui Rongxuan had spoken ill about Qi Chengyue and was overheard by her before, but it was the norm in this social circle and it was of mutual understanding that people would badmouth others, especially at the ce where women gathered.

    However, when they meet each other, they would treat each other politely. Even if their speech may contain sarcasm or barbs, but never did they burn bridges or hit each other physically. The situation that Mu Sisi was involved in today was very improbable to happen.

    Even if they could not avoid each other, they would try to be on good terms, otherwise, one of them would surely be unable to survive in society.

    This city was Gui Rongxuan¡¯s domain, it was obvious who would win in a fight between Mu Sisi and Gui Rongxuan.

    Ruan Danchen went to get a cup of water because her mouth was dry as she felt tired after describing the incident to Song Yu.

    She was walking back with a cup in her hand and pouted. ¡°ording to her character, sooner orter she would lose out. Today she was considered unlucky to be taught a lesson by Gui Rongxuan. Hopefully, she would learn from it, but it is unlikely based on what I saw just now. She thought that only she could bully others and nobody could bully her. She wouldn¡¯t think that was her fault ording to her attitude. She was threatening to sue Gui Rongxuan and get her revenge. She even thought that Mu Huaisheng didn¡¯t have to apologize for her.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head and said with a smile, ¡°It was rare to see Mu Sisi conceding, but this has nothing to do with us, we just have to stand aside and watch the course of events.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng brought Mu Sisi to the Chutian Hospital. Initially, he wanted to bring her to the nearest hospital as Mu Sisi was losing a significant amount of blood and the wound seemed severe, but Mu Sisi refused stubbornly because she did not trust those hospitals and said that Chutian Hospital had excellent facilities, famous doctors and also suited her status.

 Chapter 237 - Donâ€™t Think Too Highly of Yourself

    <h4>Chapter 237: Don¡¯t Think Too Highly of Yourself</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mu Huaisheng brought Mu Sisi to the Chutian Hospital. Initially, he wanted to bring her to the nearest hospital as Mu Sisi was losing a significant amount of blood and the wound seemed severe, but Mu Sisi refused stubbornly because she did not trust those hospitals and said that Chutian Hospital had excellent facilities, famous doctors and suited her status.

    Mu Huaisheng was surprised that Mu Sisi still had the energy to bother about this type of trivial matter. Heplied to prevent her from making noise.

    However, when they reached Chutian Hospital, Mu Sisi was making noise again as they had to queue for registration.

    ¡°How could they make me wait? Can¡¯t they see my wound was so severe?¡± The blood on Mu Sisi¡¯s face had almost dried up, leaving traces of it on her fair cheeks and making her looked malevolent.

    ¡°I asked you to register for emergency treatment, but you refused and insisted on seeing a specialist.¡± Mu Huaisheng was restraining his temper. ¡°Someone would be examining you now if you were to register as an emergency case.¡±

    ¡°Those would be one of those interns, would I feel reassured if I were seen by them? Didn¡¯t you see that my wound is open?¡± Mu Sisi was pointing at her forehead. ¡°If it was not treated properly due to lousy suturing skills, what should I do after being left with an ugly scar? Ie here to see a good doctor, why should I be the subject of practice for an ordinary intern? I provided them with the opportunity to practice, but who can guarantee they would have the required expertise? I¡¯m not poor, why should I allow those interns to examine me?¡±

    An intern who was attaching with the director passed by and heard her words when they were waiting outside. The intern inadvertently took a nce at her.

    ¡°What are you looking at!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s anger was hitting its peak now. After she was bullied by Gui Rongxuan, she came to the Chutian Hospital, but did not receive any preferential treatment and had to queue with others, this made her became more and more incensed. ¡°I¡¯m talking about you and your fellow interns, don¡¯t refuse to ept it!¡±

    The female intern blushed after seeing her rude attitude, but she dared not show any bad attitude toward her. It had nothing to do with the money, she was scared to be tagged as a healthcare worker who had a bad rtionship with the patients.

    She endured the Mu Sisi¡¯s rudeness miserably with a blush and decided not to bother herself by arguing with her. She walked faster to get away from her. After she was far away, she then mumbled to herself, ¡°If the interns don¡¯t have the chance to practice, how can we be a good doctors? Do you think all the famous doctors came out of nowhere?¡±

    People sitting beside her in the queue could not stand her. ¡°What is this youngdy talking about? Does she have manners? Which patient here is neither rich nore from a good background? You could easily meet the richest person from a certain region if you just walk a few steps around. If you randomly knock and open the door of any ward, there would most probably be a prominent government official inside. It¡¯s not only you who have a high status here, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself, such immaturity!¡±

    Mu Sisi clenched her teeth and pointed at her wound. ¡°Look at my wound, shouldn¡¯t I be upset? I¡¯m suffering such a severe injury, but I still have to wait for the queue here, don¡¯t you all feel embarrassed to let me queue? You all imed to be from a country that values etiquette and courtesy, but why am I not seeing any?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t just criticize us as though you¡¯re not Chinese.¡± Another middle-aged man said unhappily, ¡°Just now your brother said that if you¡¯re worried then just go to the emergency department, there will be doctors there to treat you, but you refused and chose to wait. Since you trust famous doctors so much, you need to wait then because many others want to see those famous doctors as well. You¡¯re not their friend nor rtive, on what basis should they give you preferential treatment?¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡ª¡± Mu Sisi raised her chin. ¡°I¡¯m indeed an American citizen!¡±

    She turned her head around and grabbed Mu Huaisheng¡¯s arm. ¡°Brother, please go and find Brother Chengzhi, he¡¯s a good friend of Chu Zhaoyang who happens to be the boss of Chutian Technology.¡±

    When Mu Sisi was talking, she proudly red at the two persons who lectured her just now and continue talking, ¡°I just need a word from him so that I can see the doctor immediately. Just a sentence would do, right? They do not have the social connections or special rtionships, so they think others are the same as them! There are many rich people around, but they are divided into different sses, we have to look at the social circle to see whether we¡¯re from the same ss. The parvenus could only socialize with other parvenus. Besides money, they have nothing else, of course they have to wait in line.¡±

    The two men snorted, they had started to view her as a mentally ill person and werezy to continue quarreling with her. On the other hand, they thought the other person involved had the same opinions as oneself and started chatting happily. It felt like they had known each other for very long and it was nice to meet each other finally.

    Mu Huaisheng annoyedly flung her hand away. ¡°Since you have the strength to go crazy, then your injury is not that severe. If you¡¯re really hurting, why would you care about who is seeing you? You would be okay with it, as long as there¡¯s a doctor! Stop embarrassing yourself here, are you not satisfied with losing face in front of Qi Chengzhi only, now you¡¯re trying to be a disgrace here and make peopleugh at you. Don¡¯t you have a little self-respect?¡±

    Mu Huaishengughed uncontrobly out of exasperation. ¡°You still want me to ask Qi Chengzhi for help? You have disturbed their lives to that extent, and you still dare to ask for their help? However, after hearing what you said, I¡¯d like to know that if I call him to ask Chu Zhaoyang for help, and tell him that you¡¯re injured and you¡¯re currently in Chutian Hospital now, would he simply request Chu Zhaoyang to chase you out and forbid all the doctors to see you in the future?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s lips were trembling due to anger, they were twitching right and left repeatedly.

    At this moment, the door of the consultation room opened and a nurse carrying a patient¡¯s folder came out. ¡°Why is it so noisy? This is a hospital, please keep quiet.¡±

    When the nurse was talking, she intentionally stared at Mu Sisi and Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Sisi almost lost her temper but was pulled back by Mu Huaisheng.

    The nurse stopped staring coldly at them and turned to look at the middle-aged man who lectured Mu Sisi a while ago. Her stare returned to normal again. ¡°Senior Official Xiao, it¡¯s your turn.¡±

    The middle-aged man nodded and stood up. He then snorted softly at Mu Sisi and followed the nurse into the room without saying anything further.

    What did Mu Sisi say just now? Parvenus did not have anything else besides money, even rich guys were divided into sses depending on their social circle.

    The snort of the middle-aged man at this moment was clearly implying that Mu Sisi was the parvenupared to him.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face turnedpletely red, it was hard to discern whether it was due to her fury or embarrassment, since her face was covered with blood. Mu Huaisheng felt that she was blushing because of her anger, since she had never felt embarrassed in her whole life before.

    After a while, the middle-aged man came out, and the other man who lectured her earlier entered. From the way the nurse addressed him, he was also an influential person.

    The middle-aged man shook hands with the other man and they exchanged contacts. He smiled at the other man and said, ¡°I¡¯ll contact you in the future and we¡¯ll have a good chat!¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The other man nodded with a smile and entered the consultation room.

    The middle-aged man turned around and left. When he passed by Mu Sisi, he stopped, turned his head and stared down at her.

    A moment ago, Mu Sisi was not aware of his imposing manner, but now that he was standing right in front of her, she felt a little hard to breathe due to his aura.

    The middle-aged man pouted. ¡°Youngdy, there¡¯ll always be someone better or more powerful than you, don¡¯t think too highly of yourself. Some people did not argue with you because they didn¡¯t take you seriously, not because they were afraid of you. You think that you¡¯re very powerful, but many people know it¡¯s not the case. You are quite obsessed with yourself, but in the eyes of others you¡¯re not precious at all.¡±

    The middle-aged man had had enough life experience to know that Mu Sisi would not heed his advice, so he did not stay to listen to her retort and left straightaway.

    Mu Sisi clenched her teeth madly and red at the middle-aged man¡¯s back. ¡°Who is he! Who does he think he is to lecture me like that, even my parents have never talked to me in such a way, how could he! He¡¯s so good at criticizing me, don¡¯t you think he was also thinking too highly of himself!¡±

    ¡°Enough is enough, how are you able to quarrel with all the people you meet no matter where? Does a person whom you would admire exist? He said nothing wrong. There¡¯s no need to talk about the whole country, there are already plenty of people more powerful than the Mu Family in the capital. There are times when you must be submissive andpliant. Besides, we¡¯reing from another ce and haven¡¯t fully settled ourselves. At first, we had the Qi Family to support us, but you have offended the whole of Qi Family. You¡¯re making enemies everywhere, one day you¡¯ll offend someone you can¡¯t afford to, then I¡¯ll see how you¡¯ll be finished off!¡± Mu Huaisheng said impatiently. If it were not for her injury, he would have left already.

    ¡°How could you keep scolding me? Look at my face, I may be disfigured, how am I supposed to have a good mood? How could you do this to me because of two total strangers? Compared to those strangers, aren¡¯t you supposed to be concerned about me first? Look at my wound and consider my mood, can¡¯t you pleasefort me?¡± Mu Sisi felt angry and wronged. She was suffering like this, yet Mu Huaisheng did not offer her any kind words and even reprimanded her coldly.

    ¡°Where did you get this wound from? Isn¡¯t it because of your arrogance and rudeness that offended others? If you apologize earlier with a sincere attitude, would she beat you? You were the one who simply threw your shoe and almost hit her, it was your fault from the beginning, why are you still finding excuses! Mu Sisi, when will you start to admit your mistakes and recognize your wrongdoings, and stop ming others for your mistakes?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng could not take her anymore, he was casting pearls before swine with his advice, her brain seemed to becking a type of nerve for reasoning.

    ¡°I¡¯m not wrong, why should I apologize! It was her fault, she beat me up just because we had some dispute. She is a shrew with no manners at all! If my face is ruined, I¡¯ll make sure shepensates me with a new face!¡± said Mu Sisi fiercely.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll stop arguing with you about this.¡± Mu Huaisheng was dumbfounded by her extent of obduracy, he had no idea what she was thinking in her head. ¡°Why were you at the entrance of Chengshi? Why did you go there? Were you disturbing Song Yu again? When would you allow them to live peacefully? I need to work, I am busy expanding our business in Asia and don¡¯t have so much time to look after you. How could you be so immature? You¡¯re already a grown-up, why don¡¯t you have somemon sense and wisdom? You said you want to work, no problem, I offered you a job hoping that it would make you live your life more fully and think less about improper matters. I would offer you even the most important job if you could let go of the things that should be let go of, but look at what you¡¯ve done!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression changed suddenly. ¡°Were you finding Song Yu because you wanted to tell her about the bankruptcy of the Song Family?¡±

    Mu Sisi was looking downwards nkly for a moment, her big eyes were rolling left and right in the sockets. She suddenly looked up and straightened her neck, then she asked with a sharp voice, ¡°So why did you also go to Chengshi?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m the one asking you now,¡± replied Mu Huaisheng with a deep voice and red at her.

    Mu Sisi sniggered and looked at Mu Huaisheng scornfully. ¡°Come on, Mu Huaisheng, you¡¯re not a child anymore. We¡¯re not ying some childish game that requires the person who was asked first to answer first before asking another question. Why did you go to Chengshi? Were you looking for Song Yu?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s kept quiet as his expression became stiff and gloomy. He was exhaling heavily through his nose.

    Mu Sisi pouted for a moment and stared at him mockingly. ¡°Are you falling for Song Yu? She is your good friend¡¯s wife, no wonder you are treating her so nicely. You were protecting her from whatever things I¡¯ve done. Mu Huaisheng, you¡¯re really something! Does Brother Chengzhi know about your feelings toward Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about? You¡¯re thinking of all those dirty nonsense every day, so you think others must be thinking the same as your filthy mind!¡± said Mu Huaisheng disgustingly.

    ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re so emotional, are you feeling guilty?¡± Mu Sisi raised her eyebrows and snorted. ¡°If you¡¯re not falling for Song Yu, then is it Ruan Danchen you¡¯re falling for?¡±

    Mu Sisi simply said it without thinking much actually, but unexpectedly Mu Huaisheng did not reply to her and remained silent. His expression was still gloomy but he behaved like someone who was being seen through.

    Mu Sisi was stunned, she felt her head buzzing painfully and she did not know whether it was due to her head being hit or that the information she had just gotten was too astonishing. She felt like somebody was using a string in her brain for fluffing cotton.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng, you¡¯re really something! Unexpectedly, you took a fancy to Ruan Danchen. What did you say when I asked you about thisst time? You denied it so quickly! Why aren¡¯t you denying this time? Ruan Danchen is just amoner from an alley without any background or status, you can toy with her but don¡¯t think about getting into a serious rtionship with her. Marrying her would be even more impossible.¡± Mu Sisi snorted scornfully. ¡°That Ruan Danchen would be so happy now, she has managed to get close to the crown prince of the Mu Family. She¡¯s good at scheming. Wouldn¡¯t she try her best to bind herself to you and not let you go till the day she dies? After all, she would depend on you to livefortably for the second half of her life.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Don¡¯t apply your narrow-mindedness in judging others and think that everyone is as snobby as you are.¡± Mu Huaisheng warned her, ¡°Don¡¯t try to disturb her, she would never ept me because of you, Besides, my matters are none of your business, don¡¯t try to get involved in it!¡± replied Mu Huaisheng furiously.

    ¡°How could you intervene in my matters, stopping me from finding Song Yu and Brother Chengzhi, but not allow me to intervene in your affairs?¡± Mu Sisi glimpsed at Mu Huaisheng, and said disdainfully, ¡°Ahh, are you serious about this, you want to marry her?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk rubbish¡ª¡ª¡± The door of the consultation room opened again before Mu Huaisheng could finish his sentence and the man who chatted with the middle-aged man just now walked out of it, followed by a nurse.

    The man took a nce at Mu Sisi and Mu Huaisheng and left without saying anything.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you guys? We could hear the sound of you quarreling outside from the room and it interrupted our consultation a few times. This is a hospital, please don¡¯t make a racket.¡±

    The nurse stared at them coldly and sternly, then looked at her folder and said, ¡°Next, Mu Sisi.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng apanied Mu Sisi into the consultation room with a stony expression. The doctor in the room asked the nurse to disinfect Mu Sisi¡¯s wound.

    Mu Sisi was screaming in pain when the nurse was cleaning the blood on her face. ¡°Please be gentler, is this how you take care of patients? Just now you were so good at lecturing us, howe your professional skills are so terrible? Are you only good at talking?¡±

    The nurse pursed her lips indifferently and kept quiet. Mu Sisi shrieked when she applied a cotton ball soaked with alcohol to disinfect her wound, frightening the doctor and Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°Why is your standard so low? Is it because you dislike me, so you¡¯re trying to give me a hard time? I am going to file aint about you at the administration office!¡± Mu Sisi pped hardly at the hand of the nurse and almost caused her to drop the forceps that she was holding.

    Mu Sisi snorted. Wasn¡¯t she very cocky just now? She dared not utter a sound now, try to be cocky again if you could!

    ¡°Are you done!¡± said Mu Huaisheng angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t purposely look for trouble here, if you do not want to see the doctor then I¡¯ll bring you away, it¡¯s your business if your face is ruined by the wound!¡±

    He then looked at the nurse and apologized with a nod, ¡°Sorry, this is her character, it is quite unreasonable, please don¡¯t be offended by it.¡±

    Mu Sisi twitched her mouth and sneered, but surprisingly she did not retort or say anything unpleasant.

    The nurse nodded coldly and nced at the doctor. The doctor nodded back at her to reassure her.

    The nurse then suppressed her anger and continued cleaning Mu Sisi¡¯s wound.

    After all the blood was cleaned, the wound on Mu Sisi¡¯s forehead was revealed. It was an open wound with the size of a one Yuan coin, and it was mangled.

    Moreover, the wound appeared to be sunken.

    The nurse was not too sure about it and let the doctor examine.

    When he saw that Mu Sisi was behaving well, Mu Huaisheng took his cell phone out and went out of the room.

    The doctor examined Mu Sisi¡¯s wound and thought that it needed to be sutured. Therefore, he applied ayer of painkiller on the surrounding skin. However, the painkiller was unable topletely numb the pain, she could still feel the pain intermittently. Mu Sisi¡¯s tears kept on rolling down when the doctor was suturing her wound.

    After the doctor was finished suturing, Mu Huaisheng returned.

    The doctor exined to them about the things that needed to be taken note of and the time for removing the suture.

    Before the nurse bandaged her wound, Mu Sisi asked for a mirror first. When she lifted the mirror and saw the suture at her forehead, she screeched frenziedly, and almost threw the mirror away.

    Although the suture was very neat and well done, but, in her opinion, it looked a centipede which was fixed on her forehead.

    ¡°Why is the wound so long? I was only knocked a few times by a shoe, how could it be so severe and even required suturing? What should I do if there is a scar after it heals?¡± Mu Sisi threw the mirror on the table.

    ¡°Your wound was sorge like a big hole. If I do not suture it, you can just wait for it to rot,¡± said the doctor impatiently. ¡°After I remove the suture, you can go for a surgery to remove it, so it¡¯s not such a big deal to have a scar.¡±

    ¡°You make it sound like it is very easy, but can it be the same as before after the surgery? Scar removal surgery can only make it less obvious. After the surgery, it still needs to be covered up with makeup, but what happens if I remove the makeup? I n to marry someone in the future! You have topensate me for ruining my face!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes were full of tears. She was very proud of two things in her life, one was her family background, and the other was her appearance.

    ¡°You should ask forpensation from the person who damaged your face. I¡¯m only responsible for treating your wound and it¡¯s not my responsibility to ensure that you look pretty after treatment. Besides,pared to worrying about the scar that hasn¡¯t formed yet, why don¡¯t you be more concerned about the hole on your forehead.¡± The doctor pointed at her forehead and said to the nurse, ¡°Quickly bandage her wound, and call the next patient in.¡±

    The nurse saw Mu Sisi touching her wound when she was walking toward her. Mu Sisi¡¯s fingertips were trembling, the effect of the painkiller was not over yet and she could feel some prickling pain, but the pain was still bearable.

    She could feel the sunken part of the wound with just a touch, it was definitely more sunkenpared to the surrounding skin.

    ¡°I have to warn you about this, don¡¯t simply touch the wound. There are plenty of bacteria on your hand, what if your wound was infected? You couldn¡¯t stand seeing a suture on your face and thought it had ruined your appearance, but if your wound is infected and be ulcerated, you should give up on having a decent look,¡± said the nurse who did not have any other choice but to take some alcohol-soaked cotton balls to help her disinfect the wound again.

 Chapter 238 - Song Yu Sniffed His Body Twice. â€œYou Are Smoking Again?â€

    <h4>Chapter 238: Song Yu Sniffed His Body Twice. ¡°You Are Smoking Again?¡±</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I have to warn you about this, don¡¯t simply touch the wound. There are plenty of bacteria on your hand, what if your wound was infected? You couldn¡¯t stand seeing a suture on your face and thought it had ruined your appearance, but if your wound is infected and be ulcerated, you should give up on having a decent look,¡± said the nurse who did not have any other choice but to take some alcohol-soaked cotton balls to help her disinfect the wound again.

    However, Mu Sisi did not give him any response, she took the mirror on the table again.

    Just now, she put her attention on the suture only. This time, although the suture was still extremely disturbing, she forced herself to bear with it and observed it closely. Finally, she saw the sunken part that could be seen with the naked eye.

    Mu Sisi went crazy. ¡°Waah!¡± She burst into tears.

    ¡°My face... My face!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s finger was still touching the wound softly, she could not stop quivering and crying when she looked into the mirror. ¡°Argh¡ª¡ª! Waah, my face! It¡¯s dented, how could it be dented! Argh¡ª¡ª!¡±

    Mu Sisi was unable to ept it, she hysterically threw the mirror on the floor and the mirror had a few cracks after it dropped onto the floor.

    ¡°It¡¯s not perfect anymore! Isn¡¯t this too ugly to be seen? My face is ruined, waah! There is no way I can face anybody in the future!¡± Mu Sisi was crying profusely and her whole face had turned into a bright red color, even the veins at the neck became prominent.

    She crouched down and cried with her face covered by her hands. The nurse was standing beside her holding an alcohol-soaked cotton ball with a pair of forceps and could not proceed further.

    ¡°Miss Mu, please calm down, I¡¯m helping you disinfect your wound so that I can bandage it. Otherwise, it would be troublesome if it was infected,¡± said the nurse, but her voice was drowned out by Mu Sisi¡¯s wail.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to disinfect or bandage it already, can¡¯t you see that my face is ruined? Is there any use for disinfection?¡± Mu Sisi pushed the nurse away and scolded the doctor while pointing at his nose. ¡°You¡¯re a quack! Look at how you¡¯ve ruined my face, how did you be a specialist with this level of skill! Don¡¯t you feel guilty sitting in this position?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Mu Huaisheng pulled Mu Sisi out. ¡°If you refuse to disinfect or bandage your wound, that¡¯s your business, but don¡¯t vent your anger on the doctor and nurse.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng dragged Mu Sisi out of the consultation room. The nurse picked up the mirror and threw it away. There were a few pieces of shattered mirror on the floor, so she took a broom and dustpan to sweep them away. Then, she took a medical folder to call for the next patient.

    ...

    ...

    No matter how Mu Sisi tried to struggle, Mu Huaisheng still grasped her wrists tightly until he managed to drag her into the car.

    Mu Sisi was crying and screaming on the way back. She let loose of her hair so that it could cover up her forehead.

    After she was in the car, Mu Sisi thought of the proper thing to do. She said, ¡°That Gui Rongxuan, I want to sue her! She ruined my face, nobody would be able to return it to normal again. How should Ipete with Song Yu then? I must sue Gui Rongxuan, I¡¯ll sue her till she meets her end!¡±

    ¡°Just forget about it.¡± Mu Huaisheng said indifferently with a calm expression.

    ¡°Why should I forget about it! Mu Huaisheng, what are you saying!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked at Mu Huaisheng. She exploded with rage after she heard what he said.

    Mu Huaisheng frowned as his ears were aching after being yelled at by her. ¡°It was you who did something wrong first, there¡¯s no need to make a big fuss over it.¡±

    ¡°What did I do wrong? I criticized her with a few words only, right? Were the few words serious enough to make her destroy my face? Just because she didn¡¯t like what I said, she decided to hit me, it was truly unreasonable. I was bullied by her to this extent, but you do not n to avenge me. Now you even ask me to forget about it. Mu Huaisheng, what the hell are you talking about?¡± Mu Sisi was incensed, she was unable to vent her anger which felt like it was inexhaustible. She was resentful when she thought of the wound on her forehead.

    She was pushing and hitting Mu Huaisheng with both of her hands. ¡°Since when was it so difficult for me to sue a person? My face was damaged to this degree, how could I resign? Why can¡¯t we make her receive the punishment that she deserves? Waah, Mu Huaisheng, you¡¯re not a human being at all, you¡¯re a jackass. Waah, my face...What I gonna do with it? Who would avenge me for the injustice I suffered? Before we came here, Mum and Dad asked you to take good care of me, but you are treating me like this, waah!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Mu Huaisheng pushed Mu Sisi away. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve created big trouble this time? Don¡¯t you know who Gui Rongxuan is?¡±

    ¡°How would I know? I was beaten up by a woman I randomly met on the street! My shoes almost hit her, then she hit me until I was disfigured, was that fair for me?¡± shouted Mu Sisi.

    Mu Huaisheng clenched his teeth and said sternly, ¡°She is the eldest daughter in the Mu Family which is one of the Eight Great Families. They are as powerful as the Qi Family and the Wei Family. You have offended Qi Family, and just now you¡¯ve also offended the Gui Family. You offended two of the Eight Great Families in a short period, and you¡¯re thinking of getting your revenge? If you sue Gui Rongxuan, Gui Family could make us unable to survive in the capital, not to mention growing our business here. The other first-tierpanies had entered the market here before us, we are a few steps slowerpared to them. If we offend the Gui Family now, we can just pack our things and return to the States. We are outsiders here, and our family is not even very influential in the States. We are nothing in this city and you are still behaving arrogantly, what do you think you¡¯re relying on?¡±

    ¡°Just because of your personal matter¡ªa matter so trivial¡ªyou chose to offend the Gui Family? Even if youin to Mum and Dad, they would never side with you. Isn¡¯t it just a minor wound on the forehead? Why are you making a fuss about a small matter like this? Just now the doctor said you could undergo a scar removal surgery. It¡¯s only a small dented area on your forehead, nobody would have noticed it without staring at it closely. Even if you think it was making you ufortable, the stic surgery field is so advanced now, can¡¯t you just get it filled so that it is not visible anymore? Why must you make enemies for the Mu Family everywhere you go?¡± said Mu Huaisheng coldly. His gaze and expression were frigid and did not show a tinge of sympathy for Mu Sisi¡¯s situation.

    ¡°Compared to your personal conflict which was trivial, the interest of the Mu Family is more important. Are you going to allow the Mu Family to offend the Gui Family because of your trivial matter? Besides, it was your fault from the beginning, why should we avenge you? To be honest, helping you get revenge is the same as helping you bully others. If the interest of the Mu Family is affected, you¡¯re going to suffer losses too. You should consider carefully what is more important now.¡±

    Mu Sisi was clenching her teeth as she listened to him, the muscles of her chin was contracting and twitching. ¡°So, I should just forget about my sufferings? If I let her bully me without bearing any consequences, then she would think that I am a pushover and the Mu Family is powerless. She would feel that I am nothing, that I¡¯m biting off more than I can chew. Mu Huaisheng, you keep on saying that what you¡¯re doing is for the good of the family, but is it fair to let me suffer? Isn¡¯t her family only powerful in this area? I was bullied by her, but you ask me to tolerate, how could you! Just because the Gui Family is more powerful than us here?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Mu Huaisheng admitted frankly. He twitched his lips coldly and snorted softly. ¡°You have to bear with it just because of that. Are you talking justice with me now? When you framed Ruan Danchen, what did you say? You said that she deserved to be bullied by you because she isn¡¯t from a good family or a powerful background. Since she has nothing, she could only ept that she was unlucky when she got bullied. It¡¯s the same as how the Gui Family is treating you now. You can¡¯t afford to offend Gui Rongxuan, therefore you should tolerate her when she bullied you, isn¡¯t this your theory? The strong prey on the weak, you¡¯re weaker than her, so you should ept that you¡¯re being unlucky. When you bullied Ruan Danchen, she was incapable of seeking revenge, that¡¯s why she resigned and epted that she was unlucky. However, this is your turn to be unlucky now.¡±

    ¡°This is your true motive, to avenge Ruan Danchen. You let your sister suffer because of her,¡± said Mu Sisi with her teeth clenched.

    ¡°You can think as you like, I¡¯m just judging the matter as it stands with the purpose of taking care of the Mu Family¡¯s interest. If you don¡¯t trust me then it¡¯s your call,¡± said Mu Huaisheng coldly, he did not want to be pestered by her endlessly.

    ¡°The unluckiest thing that has ever happened to me is having you as my brother! Interest, interest, interest, all you know about is interest, you¡¯re thinking of interest only no matter what happens,¡± said Mu Sisi as she started to cry. ¡°You don¡¯t even allow me to find Brother Chengzhi, just because you¡¯re afraid to offend him and cause him to be unhappy, then it would be difficult for the Mu Family to expand our business here. All the talks about your friendship with him are bullshit!¡±

    After Mu Sisi finished talking, she opened the door and got out of the car.

    Mu Huaisheng just looked at her frigidly and did not stop her.

    On the contrary, after Mu Sisi mmed the door shut, he immediately started his car and left. He did not show any attempt to coax her to get back into the car.

    Mu Sisi did not expect Mu Huaisheng to leave in such a quick manner, she could only scream and cry hysterically at the leaving car.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu had finished working at night, she walked out of Chengshi and saw a familiar ck Land Rover stopped at the opposite road.

    She thought of Mu Sisi telling her that she had met with Qi Chengzhi during the day, and she stopped her footsteps.

    She was wondering whether Qi Chengzhi knew that Mu Sisi came to find her. He should be able to guess it?

    Qi Chengzhi lowered the car window and saw Song Yu standing in front of thepany¡¯s entrance and looking at his Land Rover.

    He felt nervous suddenly, he was worried that Mu Sisi had found her and told her the truth, and that was the reason she hesitated and did not want to walk toward him.

    He thought of calling her to ask about it during the day but he did not have the courage. He had summoned all his courage with immense difficulty and strength to confess to her about the matter, and he could not summon any additional courage to find her earlier because he was afraid that the courage he had summoned with such difficulty would copse.

    When he saw Song Yu was lifting her foot again and marching toward him, he felt like there were butterflies in his stomach again. His emotions kept changing ording to the tiny actions of Song Yu.

    She stopped beside the road and waited for the cars to pass by. When she stopped, he was very afraid that she would suddenly change her mind and note to him.

    He felt relieved when the cars on the road became less, and Song Yu jogged across the road.

    Qi Chengzhi finally realized he was petrified, even if he wanted to get out of the car to meet her, he could not because his legs were feeling weak.

    Until Song Yu had crossed the road, came in front and smiled gently at him through the car window, only then was Qi Chengzhi a little relieved and replied to her smile weakly.

    However, he still felt uneasy and nervous because he was on the verge of confessing to her about the things he had done.

    Song Yu entered the car and instantly detected a strong cigarette smell. She leaned toward Qi Chengzhi and sniffed his body twice. ¡°You were smoking again?¡±

    From the day she had suggested to have children, he had stopped smoking. However, he suddenly started smoking again today, and from the smell of his body, it seemed like he had smoked quite a few number of cigarettes. Even his men¡¯s cologne could notpletely cover the smell of cigarettes.

    He had finished a box of cigarettes today.

    Qi Chengzhi did not utter a word. He turned his head around and stared at Song Yu with an unknown purpose. He noticed that she was not behaving differently and treated him just the same as always.

    Could it be that Mu Sisi did not find her today?

    Qi Chengzhi heaved a sigh softly, it would be for the best if he could confess to herpared to her finding out about it from others, even though she may not be able to ept it.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Song Yu was scrutinizing his face. She felt sorry for him after sensing that he was troubled.

    She had never seen him so hesitant and unconfident. She knew that he was ready to confess to her, therefore she was not eager to talk about it first. From the perspective of Qi Chengzhi, it would be different if he could tell her about it first,pared to her mentioning it first. She felt that he would prefer the former, even if she did not mind which one came first.

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent, he looked down slightly and held her left hand and their fingers crossed with each other. He slightly increased the strength of his grip and lifted her hand to stare at the back of her fair and delicate hand.

    He then raised his head and stared at her earnestly, his left hand softly held her cheek and he leaned forward to kiss her lips gently. He was kissing with such tenderness and the kiss was full of reluctance to let her leave. It was like thest kiss by him.

    Song Yu inhaled and used her right hand to imitate the action he had used before. She grabbed the back of his head and gave him a strong and powerful kiss.

    When their lips were finally separated, Qi Chengzhi looked at her astonished, his thin and attractive lips were a little swollen after her kiss.

    Song Yu blushed in embarrassment when she saw what she had done to his lips.

    Song Yu was smiling shyly and still blushing, and she raised her head to kiss his lips once more. ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s feeling was extremelyplicated, he pinched Song Yu¡¯s hand and started the car and left.

    ...

    ...

    They went back home and had their dinner after some tidying up. After that, Qi Chengzhi went to the study room.

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back when he left and puckered her lips, then she went upstairs into their bedroom.

    After she finished bathing, Qi Chengzhi had yet to return. Song Yu was a little worried and wanted to go downstairs to have a look. Just when she reached the doorway, the door was pushed open. She retreated one step to give some space, and she saw Qi Chengzhi standing at the doorway.

    The cigarette smell of his body became stronger, he was definitely smoking in the study room again.

    She did not mind him smoking cigarettes. When he was chasing after her, he was a very active smoker. Every time she dated him, his body smelled of cigarettes but she felt that the smell was pleasant and it had be a unique smell for him. Compared to other men who smoked, the smell he possessed was much more aromatic.

    However, she was worried that he smoked too much because something was troubling him.

    Her gaze slid downward slightly, and she saw his bony, elegant, and slender fingers holding a folder.

    Song Yu¡¯s felt her heart skipped a beat, and she took the initiative to hold his hand first. ¡°What were you busy doing until sote?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was quiet for a while, then he said, ¡°I need to tell you something.¡±

    He held her hand back and brought her to the sofa and sat down on the side of it. He dared not sit on the bed as usual as he was afraid that she would overreact and get further stimted by the sight of the bed.

    Song Yu gently sat down beside him, her gaze was tender but firm.

    Qi Chengzhi reluctantly let go of her hand, he almost gave in feebly on telling her the truth. Just now when he was in the study room, he finished another box of cigarettes. He summoned enough courage after much struggle toe upstairs and face the consequences that may prove unbearable for the rest of his life, that is to face her condemnation and fury, maybe even hatred.

    She would despise him to the extent that she would never want to see him again. He was going to lose her for the rest of his life.

    She would be absent from his birthdays, anniversaries and festivals in the future. He would also never celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and festivals anymore. He would lose everything.

    However, the saddest thing was that she would hate herself for falling in love with him ignorantly, for sharing a bed with him for so long, for marrying him and even became pregnant with his child.

    She would undoubtedly regret and detest herself, but based on her personality, she would never have the heart to abort the pregnancy. Yet, the child would be given birth by her and be the biggest enemy of her life, it was unimaginable how much conflicts and anguish she had to bear in her mind.

    When he thought of her future situation, he was heartbroken. He felt his heart was gripped tightly by something, it was so painful he could hardly breathe.

    Qi Chengzhi took a deep breath, his breath was trembling.

    He sniffed, then he said, ¡°This matter...¡±

    After uttering two words, he could no longer continue talking. Those two words sounded hoarse and dry, even his pronunciation had be inurate. He also choked a little as he almost started sobbing but the choke was quite discreet.

    He hoped Song Yu did not notice it.

    Qi Chengzhi cleared his throat, licked his lower lips and passed the folder to her. Then, he took another deep breath and continued talking, ¡°Song...¡±

    He licked his tongue again. ¡°The truth of the Song Family¡¯s bankruptcy is in the folder.¡±

    Song Yu took a nce at him. Qi Chengzhi was feeling strange because it appeared like Song Yu already knew what was inside the folder and did not show any suspicion.

    She took the folder and opened it. She looked at the documents that she had read before, they were moreplete than the documents Jian Yi had given her.

    After witnessing Song Yu¡¯s calm reaction, Qi Chengzhi became more frightened. Song Yu remained calm until she put the documents on the table. From Qi Chengzhi¡¯s perspective, this was the peacefulness that forbode a storm.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart was quivering violently, he held his breath involuntarily.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I? c- ¡±

    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Song Yu softly.

    Qi Chengzhi gazed into her eyes nkly, his eyes had turned red and there appeared to be a suspicious puddle forming in each of his eyes as he clenched his fists tightly.

    Unexpectedly, he heard Song Yu say, ¡°I have known about this for a long time now, but I never told you about it because I didn¡¯t want you to feel guilty and stressed. I could only pretend nothing had happened and I was unaware of it. I¡¯m afraid that if I tell you about it, you would start to keep a vignt eye on me. I hoped that this matter would be a secret. The reason why I dared not talk about it was the same as yours. Sorry for making you feel bad today.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª?¡ª¡± Qi Chengzhi was startled and his nk expression was quite cute. ¡°You¡¯ve known about this all along, and you don¡¯t me me?¡±

    ¡°Do you still remember the day when I spontaneously suggested to go for registration of marriage earlier than we nned?¡± said Song Yu as she pinned the hair that was falling from the above her ear back. She reached for his hands and held them.

    His palms wererge and good-looking, thin and skinny. The flesh on his fingers and the back of his hands werecking, and the bones were apparent. She was unable to wrap her hands around it.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. He was relieved because Song Yu did not me him. His mind was free of fear but left with questions.

    Therefore, his attractive lips curved slightly upward. ¡°I remember.¡±

    Since he had been together with Song Yu, he had experienced countless happy and emotional moments. Every day, every minute, and every second spent with her was worth to be kept in his memories.

    Until now, the most depressing moment he had ever experienced in his life was the moment he heard about the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji.

 Chapter 239 - I Promised You Before, I Will Always Be There for You for My Whole Life

    <h4>Chapter 239: I Promised You Before, I Will Always Be There for You for My Whole Life</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Until now, the most depressing moment in his life was the moment he heard of the engagement between Song Yu and Qi Chengji.

    The moment he suffered most was the moment he decided to confess to her that night.

    On the other hand, they were the five happiest and most emotional moments in his life.

    First, when the time came and he was reunited with Song Yu.

    Second, when he became Song Yu¡¯s sweetheart.

    Third, when Song Yu epted his proposal.

    Fourth, when Song Yu asked to go for marriage registration.

    Fifth, when he saw Song Yu walk to him gracefully during the wedding ceremony.

    ¡°The other day, Jian Yi came to me, and he approached me with some evidence. He told me it was you who bankrupted the Song Family,¡± said Song Yu. She saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face turn blue, so she touched his palm with hers and slid her fingers through the spaces between his fingers, and she held his hand in hers.

    ¡°Right after I heard this, I was incredibly confused. I didn¡¯t know if I could face you. I love you so much, I didn¡¯t know what my life would be if I left you, and I didn¡¯t know how to handle our rtionship. At that moment in time, my love for you was deep enough to make me unable to live without you. I couldn¡¯t bring myself to hate you, but when I thought of my parents, I was conflicted as to what I should do. And so naturally, my first reaction was to return home and search for evidence.¡±

    Song Yu nced towards the documentsid across the table. ¡°When I came back, I immediately went to your study room where I found a diary in your drawer. After reading it, I wasn¡¯t conflicted anymore. I made a quick decision to pretend as if I did not discover anything. However, I did try to open the safe.¡±

    Song Yu smiled for a while. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect the password to be my birthday. Couldn¡¯t you think of something moreplex? It was too predictable. After scanning through the documents, I knew what Jian Yi told me was the truth, so I put the documents back inside. I tore the documents Jian Yi gave me into pieces and flushed them down the toilet, then acted as if nothing had happened. However, I was afraid there might be some unforeseen events or idents. That¡¯s the reason I was anxious to marry you and officiate our rtionship.¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi came looking for me today. She told me that she ckmailed you with that information, but you would rather confess to me and refuse to be ckmailed by her.¡± Song Yu¡¯s smile was bing gentler, she looked at Qi Chengzhi, her gaze was full of love. ¡°Today after work, your body smelt of cigarettes, and I knew the exact reason you started smoking again. Sorry, I should have told you earlier. I reckon you were pretty down today, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared deeply into her eyes. She always said that she was blessed with luck because he loved her so much. Though, he had always felt that he was the lucky one.

    After hemitted such a horrible act, she could still forgive him and love him as before.

    He pulled Song Yu into his arms and hugged her tightly. ¡°I promise you, I¡¯ll never do anything that will disappoint you ever again.¡±

    ¡°I know that.¡± Song Yu smiled and her arms wrapped around his body. She embraced him tightly and sniffled. Then, she said with a muffled voice, ¡°It¡¯s been quite a while since Ist smelt cigarettes on your body. This smell is stronger than the one you had when you used to smoke regrly. How many sticks you have smoked today?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi paused for a few seconds before he said, ¡°I¡¯ll never smoke again.¡±

    Song Yu liked the way he looked when smoking, in fact, but she restrained herself for telling him because she was afraid that he might start smoking again if she did so.

    In spite of his attractive appearance when he smoked, she would prefer for him to live healthily.

    Qi Chengzhi was sniffing the fragrance of her hair, he buried his head into her hair and started kissing her neck softly through the gaps between her hair. He kissed along the elegant contour of her neck and reached her earlobe, ear auricle, cheeks, and finally her lips.

    The kiss was different from the kiss in the car which was full of despair and felt like thest kiss of his life. This time, it felt as if it was revigorated with new life. His kiss was full of passion and allure, and it had slowly be more sensual as time passes, from a gentle kiss it evolved into a firey one, his tongue moved, stirred, and swirled without restraint in her mouth.

    He held her tightly as if he was wrapping her with his arms to tempt her, protect her, and to cherish her.

    Subconsciously, he was pressing Song Yu down on the sofa.

    Qi Chengzhi loosened his kiss a little and slowly pulled away, then he stuck his lips onto hers and pressed them on her lips intermittently.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go wash off the smell of cigarettes,¡± said Qi Chengzhi hoarsely. His lips were pressed against hers and his voice was full of appreciation and gratitude. He was grateful that Song Yu exists and that he fell in love with such a perfect woman.

    However, Song Yu shook her head, her lips rubbed his. She enwrapped him tightly with both her arms. ¡°Hug me for a while more.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held her neck with one hand and caressed her waist with the other, then he let hery on her side so that he would not exert too much pressure on her stomach. The two of them were squeezing into the narrow sofa.

    Song Yuy on her chest at ease and narrowed her eyes. Her hand was also ced on his chest. ¡°I promised you before, I would always be there for you for my whole life. What are you scared of?¡±

    He hugged her waist tighter, she did not hear a reply from him. His lips stuck onto her lips again.

    Knock! Knock! Knock!

    Aunt Yang knocked on the bedroom door. ¡°Sir, madam, there is ady who keeps on pressing the doorbell downstairs, and she¡¯s shouting your name.¡±

    Song Yu sighed. ¡°It must be Mu Sisi.¡±

    ¡°Just ignore her.¡± Qi Chengzhi usually had a cool voice when speaking to others, but his voice was full of distaste after hearing those three words.

    ¡°Let¡¯s have a look, we can¡¯t let her continue to press our doorbell,¡± said Song Yu as she replied irritatedly. She was lying there having a good time with Qi Chengzhi, why did Mu Sisi have to disturb them.

    They opened up to each other that night and had opened up about all the things that were eating them up inside. They were already extremelyfortable and it had be a peaceful moment. They were rxed. Why did Mu Sisi have toe looking for them now?

    ¡°You really want to have a look?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrow. He genuinely wished he could leave her alone outside.

    ¡°We¡¯re not letting her in, let¡¯s just find out what she was shouting about and get Mu Huaisheng to bring her back.¡± Song Yu sat up and tidied her hair.

    Qi Chengzhi followed and stared at her longingly.

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Song Yu stopped her movement and blushed.

    ¡°I¡¯m looking at you; who seems to be bing increasingly evil as time passes,¡± said Qi Chengzhi with a faint smile.

    ¡°if you lie down with dogs, you¡¯ll leave with fleas!¡± Song Yu pouted and raised her eyebrow and looked at him provocatively.

    Qi Chengzhiughed softly and held her face in his hands, then he pecked it lovingly.

    ¡°Aunt Yang is still waiting outside,¡± said Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi helpedb her hair for a while, then they opened the door.

    Aunt Yang waited just outside the door, Song Yu felt embarrassed and quickly looked away before walking downstairs.

    Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand tight, he did not want to let go of her even for a moment. He felt very touched by the things that happened that night, if Mu Sisi did not disturb them, they would be lying down together, looking fondly into each other¡¯s eyes.

    However, first they had to face Mu Sisi, Qi Chengzhi unconsciously held Song Yu¡¯s hand tighter.

    He was distressed from being so nervous and restless earlier. He wished he would never have to experience it again in his life. He faced the possibility of almost losing Song Yu, and still had some lingering fear. He was worried that Song Yu that seeing Mu Sisi would ruin her mood and change her mind.

    They went downstairs and reached the porch. The video inte system attached to the wall was on and Mu Sisi¡¯s face could be seen on the screen. The fringe of her hair wasbed at an angle so as to cover the wound on her forehead. Her face cheeks were wet with tears trickling down.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, why do you refuse to see me? I¡¯m so depressed now and I¡¯m sick. Brother Chengzhi, please let me in. My brother doesn¡¯t want me around, he doesn¡¯t care about me anymore. I didn¡¯t know who else to go to, I came to you for help. I¡¯m a homeless person now, Brother Chengzhi,¡± said Mu Sisi while sobbing.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want me anymore, I¡¯m injured and he left me on the side of the road. He didn¡¯t even bother calling to show his concern,¡± said Mu Sisi. The inte transmitted the sound of her knocking on the door of the unit downstairs. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m genuinely sick now, it¡¯s true, it was so cold outside. I¡¯m freezing, please let me in, please let me see you, I¡¯m begging you. If you push me away, I really don¡¯t have anywhere else to go, Brother Chengzhi.¡±

    Song Yu snorted softly, Qi Chengzhi immediately dragged her into his arms. ¡°You wanted toe down and have a look, and now you¡¯re angry.¡±

    ¡°Make her leave, how could I not be angry?¡± Song Yu pointed at the screen, ¡°But if I didn¡¯te down and have a look, I would be curious. Besides, we shouldn¡¯t let her continue pressing our doorbell, so annoying!¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, aren¡¯t you concerned about me after seeing me like this?¡± Brother Chengzhi...¡± Mu Sisi was swaying her head right and left in front of the camera like a drunkendy.

    Qi Chengzhi promptly took his cell phone out from his pocket and called Mu Huaisheng. ¡°She¡¯s in front of my house now,e and fetch her.¡±

    The moment he finished his sentence, he hung up the phone.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back upstairs,¡± said Qi Chengzhi, then he turned around and said to Aunt Yang, ¡°After a while, Mu Huaisheng wille and pick her around to pick her up, if she presses the doorbell again just ignore her. When Mu Huaisheng arrives, don¡¯t open the door for them, just let him take Mu Sisi away immediately.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± replied Aunt Yang. ¡°So shall I return to my room to sleep?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, Aunt Yang has worked for the family for so many years and he genuinely like Aunt Yang¡¯s ability to infer and carry out his instructions.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi did not stop pressing the doorbell, but nobody was bothered by her. She began feeling colder and colder, and her mind was getting fuzzier. Her body started to shiver and her vision became a blur.

    She mustered the remainder of her energy to raise her hand to continue pressing on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doorbell, but her finger slid down before she could touch the button. Her body slid down against the wall. Her eyes shut as she fainted, her head rested against the wall as she drifted into unconsciousness.

    After twenty minutes, Mu Huaisheng¡¯s BMW Seven Series was moving towards the unit with its headlights shining onto the entrance of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unit, as he got closer the lights shone on Mu Sisi¡¯s unconscious body lying on the porch of the building.

    Mu Huaisheng braked his car and rushed out hastily to Mu Sisi¡¯s side. He squatted and gently patted Mu Sisi¡¯s face. ¡°Sisi! Sisi!¡±

    He touched Mu Sisi¡¯s forehead and it was blistering hot. He took out his phone and switched on the shlight, then he saw Mu Sisi¡¯s face was extremely red from the blood rushing to her cheeks.

    Mu Huaisheng hurriedly carried Mu Sisi into the car.

    ...

    ...

    The following day, Mu Sisi opened her eyes and felt groggy. She had a mind-splitting headache, not because of the wound, but due to the throbbing pulsations in her head.

    She lifted her arm to massage her head, then she felt a prickling needle-like sensation at the back of her hand which was immensely painful, causing her to almost cry. Then, she found that there was a needle at the back of her hand connected to a drip.

    She then raised her right arm to touch around her forehead, and she felt a bandage on it. The wound hurt even at the gentlest touch.

    Mu Sisi finally realized that she was in the ward of a hospital.

    ¡°Anyone around? Somebodye here! Where is everyone?¡± shouted Mu Sisi, but she could feel her sore throat when she shouted. Her mouth was dry and she was dehydrated.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake.¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s voice could be heard, and Mu Sisi saw him carrying a bag full of things into the ward.

    He walked to her bedside and ced the bag on the bedside cab, Mu Sisi could smell the aroma of porridge.

    ¡°How did I end up here?¡± Mu Sisi tried to support herself and get up, but her whole body was aching and she could not exert any energy.

    Mu Huaisheng adjusted the bed to sit her up and took a cotton swab and a bottle of mineral water from the bedside cab. He wet the cotton swab with some water and used it to moisten Mu Sisi¡¯s lips. Then, he proceeded to insert a thin straw into a bottle so she could drink easily. ¡°Drink slowly.¡±

    Mu Sisi grabbed the bottle, she was tremendously thirsty, but the straw was thin enough so no matter how hard she sucked, she could only drink in small doses.

    ¡°Last night you went to find Qi Chengzhi, but they refused to open the door for you. He called me and asked me to take you home but when I reached, you had already fainted at the doorway of his house,¡± said Mu Huaisheng, ¡°You had a high fever and your face was red, so I brought you to this hospital as quickly as I could.¡±

    Mu Sisi recalled that Mu Huaisheng left her on the roadside yesterday, then she took a taxi back to Chengshi where she parked her car.

    As she was driving, she did not want to go home and cried whenever she looked at the wound on her forehead. She felt that fate was extremely cruel to her.

    Even after the sky turned dark, she still refused to go home and face Mu Huaisheng. After thinking for quite some time, she could not resist and went looking for Qi Chengzhi.

    She was so devastated, even if Qi Chengzhi dislike her, wouldn¡¯t he sympathize with her a little?

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chengzhi still refused to let her in and cared not whether she was dead or alive. He most probably would not feel even a tinge of guilt or remorse she froze to death outside.

    ¡°The doctor said that this fever was caused by the infection of your wound,¡± said Mu Huaisheng with a deep voice. ¡°Yesterday you didn¡¯t allow the nurse to help disinfect and bandage your wound. Besides, there¡¯s bacteria on your hair and your environment is also contaminated with bacteria. All these factors caused your infection. You better mentally prepare yourself, your wound has be much worse since yesterday. Even when the wound heals, the scar will be more serious than before.¡±

    As soon as she heard this, Mu Sisi immediately said, ¡°Mirror, give me a mirror.¡±

    ¡°You still have time to be concerned about your face now?¡± said Mu Huaisheng sternly.

    ¡°I want my mirror!¡± Mu Sisi saw there was a mirror hanging on the wall opposite her bed, and she wanted to remove the needle in her hand to reach it.

    Mu Huaisheng quickly pushed her back into the bed. ¡°Don¡¯t simply move around. That was the only clock in this ward, I¡¯ll get a smaller one for you, wait for me.¡±

    Mu Sisi finally calmed down and stopped acting wildly.

    Mu Huaisheng exhaled heavily and nced at her worriedly, then he left the ward.

    Right after Mu Huaisheng left, Mu Sisi pulled out the needle at the back of her hand. She walked with an unsteady gait toward the mirror. She supported herself with her arm pressed against the wall, and she lifted the bandage covering her wound.

    Mu Huaisheng borrowed a mirror from a nurse. When he reached the door of the ward, he could hear the sound of things being smashed into pieces. He heard Mu Sisi shouting, ¡°My face! Argh!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng rushed into the ward and saw Mu Sisi had smashed all the things that could be destroyed. It was a mess.

    She had removed the bandage on her forehead and revealed the horribly inmed wound, the wound appearedrger than it did the previous night when it was freshly sutured, and it was secreting pus and ulcerated. Mu Sisi could imagine that when the wound heals, it would leave a disgusting scar.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say I would bring you a mirror? Why did you go crazy again!¡± Mu Huaisheng was exasperated, when would Mu Sisi stop going crazy.

    ¡°My face is ruined, it¡¯s more unlikely now that Brother Chengzhi would ept me! Waah...¡± Mu Sisi broke down and cried while hugging her legs together. ¡°It¡¯s unfair, why does God treat me so unfairly? Why would he want to ruin my face?¡±

 Chapter 262 - Letâ€™s Go To Li City Together

    <h4>Chapter 262: Let¡¯s Go To Li City Together</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ming back tomorrow night. There¡¯s an officiating ceremony tomorrow morning to mark the start of the project. I¡¯ll show up for a while at the dinner party at night and leave after that.¡± Having had enough of Li City¡¯s scenery, Qi Chengzhi went to the sofa and sat down. His thumb began caressing the joints of his middle finger.

    He had taken many drags of cigarettes on the day he wanted to confess to Song Yu. Since then, he had stopped smoking.

    ¡°Uhm, don¡¯t rush. If you can¡¯t make it in time, you cane home the next day.¡± Song Yu was worried that he would be exhausted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow and leaned back. Song Yu¡¯s voice was extremely soothing to him.

    ¡°Of course I miss you. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be exhausted.¡± Song Yu nced at Xiao Fan who was driving the car. She lowered the volume of her voice shyly and leaned against the corner of the passenger seat. With her head tilted toward the side, she covered her mouth and the cellphone with her hand and said, ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to go outstation, even if you did, I hope that you can leave and return on the same day itself.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and his gaze turned extremely gentle. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you along for the next one then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re working. If I followed you around, others would joke about it.¡± Song Yu nced randomly and saw Xiao Fan secretlyughing. Her face turned red immediately and lowered her voice even more out of embarrassment.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong about that? You can stay in the hotel while I work. You won¡¯t feel tired. Since you¡¯re not working now, you have plenty of free time.¡± the more Qi Chengzhi thought about it, the more he thought that this was feasible. He could not wait for Song Yu to be here.

    Song Yu was almost persuaded. It certainly would not be tiring to go out with Qi Chengzhi since she would have transport wherever she wanted to go. Qi Chengzhi would definitely not allow her to be tired.

    If she stayed in the hotel or walked around the premises while he worked, he would not need to rush home every time then.

    ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll follow you the next trip.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was very thin and gentle. Listening to her voice was like music to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears.

    Qi Chengzhi was overjoyed, how he wished that Song Yu coulde over right away.

    Up until Cheng Dongge came over and notified Qi Chengzhi that it was time to go to their subsidiarypany in Li City for a meeting only did he hang up the phone call.

    After Qi Chengzhi left the room, he suddenly asked out of the blue while walking, ¡°Do you miss Chengyue?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Cheng Dongge was stunned.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu returned to Zhijing Garden. She felt tired and went back to her bedroom to rest.

    She dozed on and off for about an hour before she was woken up by Aunt Yang knocking on her door.

    Song Yu called out groggily, ¡°Come in.¡±

    She squinted her eyes to open a small slit. She was still half asleep, not wanting to wake up.

    ¡°Lady Qi is here.¡± Aunt Yang gently nudged Song Yu.

    Song Yu opened her eyes¡ªthey were still droopy and lethargic. She stretchedzily before sitting up straight to look at the time; it was 2.50 p.m.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be at work at this time?¡± Song Yu mumbled. She rubbed her face until she felt more awake before getting out of bed.

    Both of them went downstairs. Qi Chengyue was sitting in the living room, wearing a shirt with the prints of porcin. Her sleeves were folded until her elbows and secured with a button. She wore white pencil pants matched with a pair of ballet shoes, dressing very casually.

    ¡°Chengyue?¡± Song Yu¡¯s mind was a bit clearer now. She walked over and asked, ¡°Why are you here at this hour? Did anything happen?¡±

    Song Yu thought of Qi Chengzhi right away. Could he be in trouble?

    She was just on the phone with him moments ago.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression altered slightly as she stared at Qi Chengyue worriedly.

    Qi Chengyue giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Big brother told me to pick you up. Go and pack your stuff. We¡¯re going to Li City together.¡±

    ¡°To Li City? Why so sudden?¡± Song Yu was overwhelmed by her request. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±

    Qi Chengyue squinted her eyes and said, ¡°Big brother misses you, eh?¡±

    Song Yu felt a little awkward. Qi Chengyue continued saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to prepare much. Just bring along some of your usual belongings. Oh right, do you happen to have a cocktail dress? We might need to attend the banquet tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Her cell phone rang just when Song Yu answered. Aunt Yang passed her the cell phone, it was from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Has Chengyue arrived?¡± Qi Chengyue estimated the time for her to arrive and paused the meeting just to walk out and ask.

    ¡°Uhm, she just reached. Why did you want us to go to Li City so suddenly?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Dongge missed Chengyue and wanted her to go over. It¡¯s just right for both of you toe over together,¡± Qi Chengzhi said it outright.

    Song Yu felt that Qi Chengzhi was using Cheng Dongge as an excuse, but she heard him continue, ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree for me to bring you along for outstation trips?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say the truth? Alright, I¡¯ming with Chengyue,¡± Song Yu saidughingly and hung up before going to her bedroom to pack.

    Aunt Yang and Qi Chengyue helped her to pack. Song Yu went to the dressing room to pick a dress that was brand new¡ª the tag still attached to it. Her baby bump was already quite prominent, she nned to conceal it with this dress.

    Both of them left the house. Qi Chenglin¡¯s driver, Jiang Yuan was waiting at the entrance. He immediately rushed over to carry Song Yu¡¯s luggage.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu and Qi Chengyue arrived at Li City, it was already seven o¡¯clock in the evening. Song Yu did not eat the food onboard even though it was provided by the airline. Back in the day, Song Yu would not be so picky, but since she was pregnant, she had to be more careful for the sake of her baby.

    Aunt Yang prepared sandwiches and fruits for both of them so they could munch on it while onboard. Song Yu had no feelings of hunger even after she alighted the ne.

    Chang Lai came to pick them up. Song Yu felt relieved since it was someone she knew.

    ¡°Madam, Lady Qi,¡± Chang Lai greeted. He ced both of their luggage into the booth. ¡°Director and Special Assistant Cheng are still in the middle of a meeting. I¡¯ll bring the both of you back to the hotel first. They should be finished by the time we reach.¡±

    Li City was not too big. Qi Chengyue had been here before but Song Yu did not. She looked out the window and took in the scenery throughout the journey, finding all of this rather refreshing.

    When Qi Chengyue came to meet Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents in the previous trip, he had introduced many ces to her. When they passed by ces, Qi Chengyue also told Song Yu about them.

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengyue and grinned before saying, ¡°You¡¯re considered half a citizen of Li CIty already, visiting your inws and all that.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed andined, ¡°You¡¯re bing naughtier ever since you got together with my big brother.¡±

    ¡°Aiyah, I¡¯m not a very decent person to begin with. Didn¡¯t I kick you on purpose that time in Dynasty?¡± Song Yu rested her chin on her palm with her elbows pressed against the window sill. Looking back now from when she was Qi Chengyue¡¯s rival, she thought that the situation was rather interesting. Never in her lifetime would she imagine the both of them to have such a civil rtionship and were able to interact so peacefully.

    Qi Chengyue replied embarrassedly, ¡°Don¡¯t bring up the past, I¡¯m so ashamed of what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s interesting to reminisce the past since we are on such good terms now.¡± Song Yuughed. When she saw Qi Chengyue drowning in embarrassment, she chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop mentioning it.¡±

    Qi Chengyue smiled and put an end to the topic.

    Thinking about the past made her think of Jian Yi. He was the biggest w in her life. She could not bear to think of the past whenever she recalled how crazy she acted all for the sake of a man.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge had passed their room card to Chang Lai and told him to bring them to their rooms when they arrived.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengyue were walking toward the elevator when Song Yu heard a familiar mellow, elegant voice.

    She turned around and saw Qi Chengzhi entering the hotel¡¯s main entrance with Cheng Dongge beside him. There were many people around them. There was ady in her mid-twenties wearing a delicate dress on the other side of Qi Chengzhi. The opening of the skirt was very narrow, enhancing the outline of her slender legs. She was talking to Qi Chengzhi smilingly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was very nd. On the contrary, thedy¡¯s face was filled with admiration. She had an enticing smile on her face, and below thatid an ulterior motive¡ªone look and you would know that she wanted to leave a good impression on Qi Chengzhi.

    There was a crowd surrounding thatdy as well. Many men looked at her with adoration and showered her with praises.

    Song Yu felt a sense of familiarity when she saw that woman but could not recall when exactly she had met her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the famous talk show host? She¡¯s always hosting award ceremonies. Oh, I remember, her name is Shen Man.¡± Qi Chengyue arched her eyebrows. ¡°I think Qilin invited her to host the officiation ceremony this time.¡±

    While Qi Chengyue was talking, Qi Chengzhi nced toward their direction as he was not paying much attention to Shen Man. His expression remained nd, no one could guess if he heard what Shen Man was talking about. It was most likely that Shen Man¡¯s n was not working as Qi Chengzhi did not even look at her smile.

    Suddenly, his stern features turned much softer and gentler. He was giving out a steely vibe before this; he looked so stern that others could not keep their eyes away from him. However, there was a rare softness in his stern features, Shen Man was shocked by the sudden change. Her heart was racing after seeing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s softened features. She could not fathom why he made such a drastic change out of the blue.

    If a man like Qi Chengzhi showed her such an expression, any woman would die in happiness.

    Song Yu felt a little awkward when Qi Chengzhi strode towards her. There were too many people around him¡ªshe felt uneasy with such a big crowd present. It was too high profile to her liking.

    Qi Chengyue had already gone over to Cheng Dongge smilingly. Qi Chengzhi stood in front of Song Yu and took her hand, not bothered by the crowd around him. He asked, ¡°Is the journey tiring?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t even walk much, it¡¯s fine,¡± Song Yu said embarrassedly with a lowered voice. She felt her face burning up, speaking so gently with Qi Chengzhi in front of so many people.

    ¡°Haha, Director Qi, this must be your wife?¡± Director Lu from Qilin¡¯s subsidiarypany in Li City asked smilingly.

    They already knew that Qi Chengzhi was married, but Shen Man continued to pursue Qi Chengzhi and tried to get on his good side. It was not surprising for a man as sessful as Qi Chengzhi to be pursued by other women even after he got married. Nevertheless, after seeing how he interacted with his wife, Miss Shen would definitely not stand a chance.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and generously showed Song Yu to the crowd. He turned his head toward Song Yu and took a nce before facing back to the crowd¡ªhis features were extremely soft, a total opposite of the person they had just seen.

    He nodded and said withoutughing, but with a warm tone, ¡°This is my wife, Song Yu.¡±

    Director Lu saw Song Yu¡¯s slightly protruded tummy but he dared not simply jump to conclusions, but Qi Chengzhi said it out first, ¡°My wife is pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Director Qi and madam look sopatible together.¡±

    All of them started congratting them, showering them with wishes.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s tired after such a long journey, I¡¯ll bring her up first.¡±

    Then, they stopped bothering them and let the both of them leave. Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue followed suit.

    After returning to the room, Song Yu did not mention Shen Man. It was not Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fault as he did not bother anyone. He had no choice if other women still wanted to approach him. Qi Chengzhi had always kept his distance from those women.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here and this is your first time visiting Li City, we don¡¯t have to rush back. After I¡¯ve finished work tomorrow, let¡¯s walk around for a day before going home,¡± Qi Chengzhi said after he put down Song Yu¡¯s luggage.

    ¡°What about your work?¡± Song Yu asked. She took off her shoes and sat on the bed cross-legged.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one dayte, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi opened Song Yu¡¯s luggage and took off his suit. He then folded his sleeves to help Song Yu unpack.

    Song Yu got down from the bed hurriedly and wore her slippers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, I¡¯ll unpack myself.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not reply. He just raised his head to look at her before turning to continue unpacking. ¡°We¡¯ll be going to Dongge¡¯s house for dinnerter. Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang packed food for us. Chengyue and I ate some on the way here, so I¡¯m not hungry right now,¡± Song Yu said while she tried to take over the things from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Stop moving around, just have some rest.¡± Qi Chengzhi seated Song Yu down onto the bed before turning around to unpack.

    Song Yu felt rather weird to see such an elegant man squatting down on the floor.

    Momentster, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue came knocking on the door, notifying them to head to his house. Song Yu answered the door. Both of them were speechless after seeing Qi Chengzhi happily upied with his task.

    Qi Chengzhi hung the cocktail dress Song Yu brought in the cupboard before starting their journey.

    Qi Chengzhi decided to ask Song Yu toe over, yet he was worried if she came alone. That was the reason why he had asked Qi Chengyue to follow. After speaking to Qi Chengyue, Cheng Dongge suggested for them to go to his parents¡¯ ce to have a meal. Qi Chengzhi thought about it and agreed since this would bring both families closer.

    Since Cheng Dongge was going to be behind the wheel and he was a local here, Qi Chengzhi let Chang Lai off for the day.

    Cheng Dongge drove the car to his house. Qi Chengzhi took out the wine, fruits and gifts from the booth that he had ordered Cheng Lai to purchase from this afternoon. There were also some health supplements and the variety was quite substantial.

    At this time, ady from the same block was walking her dog. When she saw the sight, she eximed, ¡°Aiyah, Donzi, you¡¯re back so soon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on a business trip here so I just dropped by to visit,¡± Cheng Dongge said smilingly.

    ¡°Both of them are your colleagues?¡± The neighbor asked. She could recognize Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°They are my brother and sister-inw,¡± Qi Chengyue answered with a smile.

    The neighbordy took a closer look and found that they gave out an extraordinary aura, not to mention how good-looking the were. No wonder Qi Chengyue was so beautiful. She felt that Qi Chengyue definitely came from a noble family based on the appearances of her brother and sister-inw.

    Qi Chengzhi remained a distant mien. He did not react while Song Yu greeted her politely.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± said the neighbor as she chuckled. Based on the number of things Qi Chengyue¡¯s brother and sister-inw brought, she felt that Qi Chengyue¡¯s family must be rather sincere. ¡°I¡¯ll not bother you guys then, hurry up and go home.¡±

    The neighbor nced at the giftsid on the ground and thought to herself, ¡®Old Cheng really found great inws with such sincerity.¡±

    With her brother and sister-inw visiting, it did not seem like a formal family meeting but the number of gifts were already so significant.

    The neighbor walked away with her dog. When she reached the junction, she saw Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying who were on their way back from the supermarket. She greeted them excitedly, ¡°Xiao Wu, Ruiying, you guys are back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wu Mengzhen saidughingly. Then, she bent down to call her dog¡¯s name.

    ¡°When is Ruiying going to B City?¡± the neighbour continued asking.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow, that¡¯s why I brought her to the supermarket to buy some stuff,¡± Wu Mengzhen said smilingly.

    ¡°Eh, such a coincidence. Old Cheng¡¯s son came back from B City today and brought his girlfriend back together with her brother and sister-inw. I think they are most likely engaged and getting married soon.¡± The neighbor pointed in Cheng Dongge¡¯s direction. At that moment, Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge were bending down to pick up all the gifts from the ground.

    There were too many things for the both of them to handle. They were busy deciding how to distribute evenly. Qi Chengzhi did not allow Song Yu to carry anything since she was pregnant, Qi Chengyue offered to help but was stopped by Cheng Dongge.

    Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying looked over. Zhao Ruiying was stunned for a moment when she saw Qi Chengzhi as he looked quite familiar, but she could not remember who he was.

    After bidding goodbye to the neighbor, both of them did not go over to look for Cheng Dongge. Wu Mengzhen was not so thick-skinned. Furthermore, her daughter was more than decent, she might meet someone better in B City. She was not too fascinated by Cheng Dongge either. It was just because she knew that Cheng Dongge was single, which led her to some ideas.

    Since they had already met their respective families, there was no need for her to do things that were demoralizing.

    When they were about to reach home, Zhao Ruiying yelled out suddenly. Wu Mengzhen asked puzzledly, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Thedy just now said that those two are the brother and sister-inw of Cheng Dongge¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Zhao Ruiying asked with an astonished expression.

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Wu Mengzhen was confused. ¡°You know them?¡±

    ¡°No, but I felt that the brother looked familiar. I couldn¡¯t recall then but now I remember who he is.¡± Zhao Ruiying said, ¡°Her brother is the director of Qilin.¡±

    ¡°Qilin?¡± Wu Mengzhen still did not understand but she felt that they were somebody when she heard the word ¡°director¡±.

    ¡°While I was looking for a job, I searched for all thepanies that I was interested in online. One of them was Qilin, but they did not have any suitable positions for me, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go for an interview. However, I browsed through the director¡¯s info and he looked exactly like Chengyue¡¯s brother...¡± Zhao Ruiying stopped talking midway. After a long pause, she said softly as she was terrified, ¡°Qi Chengyue... also has the same family name...¡±

    Wu Mengzhen took a deep breath. She knew that the scale of thosepanies that Zhao Ruiying applied for was no smaller than Yanhui. To be the director of apany like that, how scary would it be?

    ¡°No wonder Cheng Dongge said that Qi Chengyue and Yanhui¡¯s director knew each other quite well,¡± Zhao Ruiying mumbled.

    Initially, she had the intention to fight for Cheng Dongge, but all these thoughts had disappeared now.

    ¡°I never expected the Cheng family to have such great inws.¡± Wu Mengzhen remained dumbfounded as she was still trying to digest this news.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge entered the house together with their partners. Sun Shaoyun saw boxes of gifts brought by them and felt overwhelmed. ¡°Why did you guys bring so many things? It¡¯s just a meal. Look at you guys, there¡¯s no need to bring so many things next time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry for letting you wait for us. It¡¯s already sote and you guys haven¡¯t had dinner,¡± Song Yu said smilingly.

 Chapter 241 - How About You Stay the Night?

    <h4>Chapter 241: How About You Stay the Night?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Ever since that day, I¡¯ve been waiting for you to contact me. If a woman is too eager, then the man would never know how to cherish her. But you didn¡¯t get in touch with me at all. You¡¯re selling yourself too high, aren¡¯t you?¡± Jiang Xiyao stood in front of him and reproached him.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried that my girlfriend might misunderstand.¡± Cheng Dongge retorted bluntly.

    Jiang Xiyao was taken aback as she did not expect that answer from him. Her gaze wandered but her smile was constant. She was as open and beautiful as ever, and she did not look stiff at all.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t long since west met right? You¡¯ve already gotten a girlfriend so quickly?¡± Jiang Xiyao smiled and asked.

    Cheng Dongge simply smiled without saying anything further.

    Noticing how he seemed unenthusiastic about talking to her, she probed around and asked, ¡°It¡¯s not Miss Qi, is it?¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± Cheng Dongge did not try to hide anything. ¡°I told you before that I like her, so of course I¡¯m with her, instead of anyone else.¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Jiang Xiyao giggled insincerely.

    ¡°You must be busy?¡± Cheng Dongge hinted inly.

    ¡°Not really. This afternoon I was a bridesmaid for one of my friends¡¯ weddings, and tonight is their appreciation dinner. Nothing too urgent.¡± Jiang Xiyao appeared oblivious to Cheng Dongge¡¯s hinting. She looked inside and said, ¡°Oh, I heard Qilin¡¯s having a celebratory feast tonight.¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not say anything, but Jiang Xiyao stepped forward and leaned very close to him without any warning. Before Cheng Dongge could respond, her fingers grabbed his tie.

    ¡°Your tie is a bit off.¡± Jiang Xiyao smiled, looked up, and helped him to straighten his tie. She took the opportunity to lean closer as if she wanted her fragrance to rub off on his body.

    Her eyes were half-open, and her longshes were obscuring her gaze faintly. Meanwhile, her forehead was almost touching Cheng Dongge¡¯s chin.

    He took a step back immediately and yanked his tie away from her hands, messing it up even more.

    Jiang Xiyao¡¯s mouth was wide agape. Embarrassed, she fell silent for a moment. Cheng Dongge¡¯s tant rejection was so direct and obvious, causing her to feel incredibly ashamed.

    She twitched her lip and giggled awkwardly. ¡°Cheng...¡±

    However, she noticed his gaze was directed somece else.

    Jiang Xiyao followed his gaze and saw Qi Chengzhi holding hands with Song Yu, and beside them were Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengyue. They were all walking toward her direction.

    It was an imposing sight to see three Qi siblings walking together. Song Yu may be the only soft one amongst the group, but within that softness was her ability to conquer strength.

    Qi Chengyue was not pleased to see Cheng Dongge¡¯s messed-up necktie.

    Back in Qi Chenglin¡¯s car, she saw Jiang Xiyao and Cheng Dongge standing by the door. Jiang Xiyao leaned forward all of a sudden and helped to straighten his tie in the most intimate manner possible.

    Qi Chengyue may still be inside the car at that time, but she was already exploding with rage. Fortunately, Cheng Dongge took a step back and pulled the necktie away. That was when she finally suppressed the anger within her.

    As she neared, Cheng Dongge did not even introduce Jiang Xiyao to her. Neither did he say a word to Qi Chengzhi or Qi Chenglin. His first words were to Qi Chengyue. ¡°My tie is messed-up.¡±

    Qi Chengyue could not help but smile. First, she patted his tie a few times, as if to dust off the areas touched by Jiang Xiyao. After that, she began to straighten his tie properly.

    He only turned to greet Qi Chengzhi and co after that. No one minded it though. On the contrary, Qi Chengyue¡¯s two brothers were much happier to see him leave Jiang Xiyao in the cold.

    Jiang Xiyao greeted the three of them but was given only a simple acknowledgment by Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin. They then proceeded to enter.

    ¡°This is my girlfriend.¡± Cheng Dongge formally introduced.

    Qi Chengyue nodded and smiled. ¡°Miss Jiang, we¡¯ve met once before.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Jiang Xiyao was unable to say anything further.

    ¡°Excuse us.¡± Cheng Dongge remarked curtly. He grabbed Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand and led her into the hall.

    Jiang Xiyao watched from the back as Qi Chengyue took a sneaky poke at Cheng Dongge. He did not shy away from it, but instead turned to her and gave her a patient smile.

    ¡°Hmph. Just now...¡± Qi Chengyue pursed, but instead of her face tensing up, she broke into a smile. ¡°You did well.¡±

    Cheng Dongge broke out inughter. He looked at her warmly and asked, ¡°Do you feel reassured with me?¡±

    ¡°Hm...¡± She pouted, looking rather ugly, but in Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes, it was nothing short of cute. ¡°Pending further investigation. Even if I¡¯m reassured with you, I¡¯m still worried about other women.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nced at him and asked, ¡°Do you think I¡¯m strict?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay with me. The stricter, the better,¡± Cheng Dongge replied in earnest.

    Qi Chengyue giggled and only uttered a single word. ¡°Silly.¡±

    ...

    ...

    By the time Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi entered the banquet hall, both Qilin and Chengshi¡¯s employees were already present.

    Song Yu went there as the director¡¯s wife, so her status as Chengshi¡¯s employee wasrgely ignored. That was why Ruan Danchen sat with her colleagues and did not look for her.

    There was nothing too special about the celebratory dinner. No government official was there to make a speech or anything of the sort and was simply a dinner to entertain the employees. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were present there just for show.

    They did not stay too long because Qi Chengzhi was afraid that Song Yu would get tired.

    Not longter, Cheng Dongge also brought Qi Chengyue and left. They walked to Shengyue¡¯s entrance and she waited while Cheng Dongge went and fetched the car. Having worn high heels for practically the entire day, he did not want her to walk so much.

    ¡°Junior.¡± Qi Chengyue was waiting for Cheng Dongge¡¯s car when she heard a very foreign voice. She did not respond to it.

    The person then stood in front of her. ¡°Why did you ignore me? You didn¡¯t forget me, right?¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked up in shock and saw Li Zhuohui standing in front of her. She came to her senses and responded, ¡°It was you? I¡¯m so sorry, I couldn¡¯t recognize your voice. I thought it was directed at someone else.¡±

    ¡°It seems like my voice is still pretty foreign to you. Once we get to know each other more, you¡¯ll be able to recognize it and get used to it,¡± Li Zhuohui smiled and said.

    Qi Chengyue let out a dryugh and asked, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a wedding appreciation dinner going on. I helped the newly-weds a bit, so they insisted that I join them. I can¡¯t decline their kindness,¡± Li Zhuohui exined.

    Shengyue had only one appreciation dinner, and it came as a surprise that Li Zhuohui and Jiang Xiyao attended the same one.

    ¡°Why are you standing here? Are you waiting for a car? Let me send you,¡± Li Zhuoan offered.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m waiting for...¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s car arrived in front of her before she could finish her sentence.

    He got down, attracting the gaze of Li Zhuohui.

    He had already spotted Li Zhuohui from afar when he was driving over. Li Zhuohui was not seen again ever since the day he sent Qi Chengyue to Qilin. Cheng Dongge was uneasy as he did not expect to see him here.

    Cheng Dongge may look calm, but his emotions were turning turbulent. Cheng Dongge was usually the one who gave in to her, and if her temper was ring up, he would always remain calm and tolerate her. Nevertheless, Qi Chengyue waspletely fearful of making him unhappy.

    Her heart skipped a beat and she gulped, continuing where she left off, ¡°I¡¯m waiting for my boyfriend.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s expression lightened up immediately. Under Li Zhuohui¡¯s astonished gaze, he walked over to Qi Chengyue¡¯s side and held her hand. He then greeted Li Zhuohui, ¡°Director Li.¡±

    Li Zhuohui¡¯s gaze was pinpointed at their intertwined hands. He smiled charmingly and said, ¡°I never expected Mr. Cheng to be in a rtionship with my junior. Congrattions.¡±

    ¡°Thank you. You¡¯re cordially invited to the wedding, Director Li,¡± Cheng Dongge proimed sullenly.

    Li Zhuohui could only smile. Cheng Dongge said goodbye before helping Qi Chengyue into the car.

    ¡°That Li Zhuohui is pretty eager, isn¡¯t he?¡± Cheng Dongge drove a long way off, but his words were still very sulky as he could not restrain the jealousy in his heart.

    ¡°Pffttttttt,¡± Qi Chengyueughed. She leaned over and hugged Cheng Dongge¡¯s arm. ¡°Are you jealous?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. You belong to me anyway. Can he take you away from me?¡± Cheng Dongge took down his right hand from the steering wheel and allowed her to keep hugging it.

    ¡°What do you mean by I belong to you!¡± Qi Chengyue pinched him, but she continued hugging his shoulder.

    Cheng Dongge smiled. When they were at the red light, he looked over and saw Qi Chengyue admiring his hands. Sensing his gaze, she looked up and met with Cheng Dongge¡¯s fast-approaching lips. He kissed her in between her eyebrows, turned around, then got ready to continue the journey once the light turned green.

    ¡°Zhou Mingyan¡¯swsuit is starting today,¡± Cheng Dongge said as soon as the light turned green and the car continued its journey.

    ¡°So, what happened?¡± Qi Chengyue was not too interested in how Zhou Mingyan ended up, and if Cheng Dongge did not raise the subject, she would have forgotten it altogether.

    She no longer felt as intense a hatred toward Zhou Mingyan and Jian Yi.

    She did wonder why she felt that way, and she concluded that it had to do with her own happiness. When a person was happy, they would not care much about distressing things, and many of those rotten things that happened in the past were no longer kept in her heart. There was no need to hold grudges. Everyone should just live their own lives and mind their own business.

    ¡°The Guan family produced Guan Xiaolin¡¯s medical report, but they did not raise the issue that Zhou Mingyan caused Guan Xiaolin¡¯s infertility, and thewyer did not use that as evidence. I think the Guan family doesn¡¯t want Guan Xiaolin¡¯s infertility to be made public. They want to keep it a secret so that Guan Xiaolin won¡¯t find it hard to get married,¡± Cheng Dongge exined.

    ¡°But if she does get married, won¡¯t the husband¡¯s side want children sooner orter? If that timees and she can¡¯t get married, a doctor¡¯s check would still reveal her infertility, right?¡± Qi Chengyue ced her head on his shoulder. Both her hands were wrapped around Cheng Dongge¡¯s right hand and were ying with his slender fingers. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then why not just let the truth out? At least that¡¯ll put Zhou Mingyan in her ce and make her pay for what she did.¡±

    ¡°Who knows what the Guan family is thinking? They must¡¯ve had some reason for doing so. We¡¯re not in their ce so we can¡¯tprehend the situation as they would. Perhaps they just wanted it to let the days go by ande up with something only when Guan Xiaolin gets married,¡± Cheng Dongge opined and looked at Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue nodded while her head was still stered on his shoulder. ¡°What¡¯s the judgment, then?¡±

    ¡°Six months for Zhou Mingyan,¡± Cheng Dongge answered.

    What Cheng Dongge omitted was that Jian Yi somehow managed to get in touch with one of the Mu family¡¯swyers. Thewyer he hired was very skilled because if the Guan family really was determined, they could make sure that Zhou Mingyan¡¯s sentence is not as short as just six months.¡±

    ¡°Is the Guan family willing to ept that?¡± Qi Chengyue asked, noticing that they had already entered into Cheng Dongge¡¯s residential area.

    ¡°What else can they do if they can¡¯t ept it? The sentence was supposed to be longer, but the Guan family insisted on not using evidence of Guan Xiaolin¡¯s infertility. Even if they can¡¯t get their intended oue, all they can do is swallow it bitterly.¡± Cheng Dongge drove the car into his parking spot and switched off the ignition.

    He massaged Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand and turned his head to kiss her. Qi Chengyue then sat up straight and nced at him before smiling uncontrobly and getting off the car.

    The two of them went back to Cheng Dongge¡¯s home, and he immediately headed for the kitchen to boil some Pu¡¯er tea.

    Qi Chengyue stayed in the living room, and for some reason, she felt increasingly nervous that night. Her heart was beating wildly as she sat there, feeling as though the rtionship between the two of them would never be the same after that night.

    She did not know what she could do to ease the awkward atmosphere when she was clearly the only person in the living room. Qi Chengyue was getting so anxious that she gulped and switched on the television, changing channels as she pleased.

    Nothing interesting was being aired, and after going through all the channels she finally settled on the most trending romance drama.

    With the added noise in the living room, she felt much better. She got up and went into the kitchen where Cheng Dongge had finished brewing the tea. She then helped him bring the tea out to the living room.

    Qi Chengyue held the cup in her hand, and without caring about her image in front of Cheng Dongge, she crossed her legs on the sofa while still wearing a dress. Leaning back, she drank her tea contentedly as she watched the television.

    She had never seen that drama before, and since she was unable to make head or tail of it, she did not really pay attention to it.

    ¡°You like watching this one?¡± Cheng Dongge asked just for the sake of asking.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen this before. I didn¡¯t know what to watch, and there wasn¡¯t anything interesting either. You can change the channel if there¡¯s anything else you¡¯d like to watch,¡± Qi Chengyue said and sipped some tea.

    ¡°Just continue watching this one then. There¡¯s nothing I want to watch either.¡± Cheng Dongge sipped his tea absent-mindedly without fully appreciating the Pu¡¯er¡¯s smell.

    Qi Chengyue could only feel her ears be hot. She surmised that they were probably already red. The entire atmosphere was too odd, and even the temperature of the air was beginning to rise steadily.

    She forced herself to focus all her attention on the TV series, but as though the drama had a mind of his own and was mocking her, the story unfolded with the characters beginning to live together as a couple.

    Qi Chengyue nearly choked on her tea, while Cheng Dongge held in his chuckle and said, ¡°How about you stay the night?¡±

    Taken aback, she nearly spat out her mouthful of tea. She turned to Cheng Dongge and saw him smiling warmly and inly, while his eyes were fixed on her.

    He did not have a change of clothes aftering back and was still in his suit. Looking very proper and solemn, his uniform had something of a charm to it.

    Qi Chengyue blushed and looked down instead of immediately rejecting his proposal.

    In fact, Cheng Dongge was simply asking a question. He did not have any intention of taking things too quickly because he was afraid that she was ufortable and found it too rushed. That night, however, Li Zhuohui provoked him somewhat, making him feel a bit impatient to make her fully his.

    He felt a surge of emotion when he saw the redness of her cheek, especially when she was giving him her silent acquiescence. Thetter aspect made him more excited.

    He ced his cup down and held Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand. He did not ask a second time but merely leaned forward slowly. Her nose was only a millimeter away from her red-hot cheek, and he let out his breaths all over her. Qi Chengyue felt even hotter, and her body trembled in sync with those breaths.

    Finally, his lipsnded on her eyes and kissed them gently. Bit-by-bit, his kisses searched for the corner of her lips, and the more he leaned forward, the more unconsciously Qi Chengyue leaned back. She was unaware that her back was pressed onto the sofa.

    He found her lips and kissed her softly there, luring her to return the favor. Both his hands slid up her arms and onto her shoulders.

    d in a redce dress, the lower part of her dress was already bunched up¡ªher silky-white legs were revealed but her bottom was covered. Cheng Dongge¡¯s palm was pressing against her back, roaming around in search of her zipper. He undid it, but not entirely. His palm slid across the skin on her back, and those warm fingers of his touched her satiny skin, causing her to tremble uncontrobly.

    He bridal carried her and walked into his bedroom. One of Qi Chengyue¡¯s hands were hooked on his neck, while the other began undoing his buttons. Each button took quite some time to undo, and as her fingers touched his warm skin through his shirt, Cheng Dongge¡¯s fire was being stroked.

    She had only managed to undo half of those buttons by the time he ced her onto the bed.

    Cheng Dongge chuckled and lowered his head to kiss her. Their clothes werepletely gone, and Qi Chengyue had not the slightest idea when that happened. She did not think so much at that time, and all she could feel was his hand, his lips, and how he was worshipping her.

    She knew that her entire body was red and that her breathing was turning erratic. Faced with such a ravishing beauty in front of him, Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes and lips could never have enough. It was not until Qi Chengyue finally moved that Cheng Dongge read her body and inserted himself into her.

    Qi Chengyue inhaled sharply and opened her eyes wide. The ecstasy she felt was just too unbelievable for her, and Cheng Dongge¡¯s face also seemed to be lost in that drunken pleasure. He kissed her forcefully and thrust into her repeatedly.

    ...

    In the morning, Qi Chengyue opened her eyes feeling energized. The thought ofzing around in bed did not ur in her mind at all.

    Cheng Dongge was not beside her, but when she turned around, she saw his phone ced at the pillow beside her. Underneath his phone was a piece of paper. Qi Chengyue turned around andy belly-down on the bed, supporting herself by her elbows. She took the paper and saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s neat handwriting: ¡®I went down to get breakfast, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡¯

    Qi Chengyue stared at the words. They were a lot like Cheng Dongge the person¡ªfirm and steady.

    She turned around andy on the bed, using the nket to cover her breasts. She did not wear anything else, and the intimacy she felt by sleeping on Cheng Dongge¡¯s bed made her feel sweet, and her heart was beating wildly.

    Qi Chengyue clenched her jaw and smiled like a fool at Cheng Dongge¡¯s handwriting.

    She had clearly slept little the night before and woken up rather early, but she did not feel sleepy in the slightest.

    Recalling the previous night, after he had his fill, he did not immediately go to sleep. Instead, he held her and talked with her, but their subject of conversation was nothing too serious. It was all just flirty words and sappy statements, but when she thought about all that to herself, she found it all so silly.

    She did not expect that after the conversation, his restless hand worked up some vigor and they went at it for a second time. In the end, he might have sensed that she was more uninhibited, thus gaining the bravery to do her in all sorts of shameless positions.

    Red-faced, she opened the covers slightly and peeped in. She saw all the little marks he left on her body and, feeling embarrassed, she turned around andy face-down once again, hiding her entire body in his nket. She could not help but smile foolishly again, with the hills and valleys of the nket shaking, making for a really weird sight.

    After a while, Qi Chengyue got off the bed, still red-faced. Cheng Dongge had thrown the previous night¡¯s clothes into the washer, and Qi Chengyue had no clothes to wear. Her decision to stay there was made at thest minute, and she did not even have any fresh underwear that she could change into.

 Chapter 242 - Which Aspect Are You Referring To?

    <h4>Chapter 242: Which Aspect Are You Referring To?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After a while, Qi Chengyue got off the bed, still red-faced. Cheng Dongge had thrown the previous night¡¯s clothes into the washer, and Qi Chengyue had no clothes to wear. Her decision to stay there was made at thest minute, and she did not even have any fresh underwear that she could change into.

    She had no idea where the underwear she took off the previous night was. She had just taken it off and tossed it somewhere, but Cheng Dongge must have put it away since she could not locate it.

    When he took them off her the night before, she did not think much of it because her mind was blinded with passion. When her cognition was clear, however, she felt incredibly shy when imagining him holding her undergarments, especially her panties.

    Still unable to locate her underwear, she was left with no choice but to open Cheng Dongge¡¯s wardrobe and wear one of his white dress shirts. It was long enough to cover her thighs, but she still felt very ufortable because she was not wearing any panties.

    She went to the toilet and noticed two cups and two toothbrushes on the sink. One cup and one toothbrush looked rtively new, and although he did not leave any message for her, she knew that it was meant for her to use.

    Blushing, she could not help but break out in a smile. She was particrly ted to see two cups and two toothbrushes arranged side-by-side.

    Taking out the toothbrush from the cup, she grabbed a tube of toothpaste that Cheng Dongge had already used halfway. When she squeezed out the toothpaste, she could not help but imagine how Cheng Dongge looked like when he did the same. It was intimate to think that the tube¡¯s opening had earlier came into contact with his toothbrush, and was about toe into contact with hers.

    After brushing her teeth, she used Cheng Dongge¡¯s facial wash and moisturizer¡ªboth men¡¯s products¡ªsince she did not manage to buy her facial care products.

    Once that was done, she scanned the entire bathroom andid eyes on a particr spot.

    The undergarments that she had been searching for all along were hanging just above her head, and they were already washed.

    Cheng Dongge neither had a housekeeper or a helper, so there were no prizes for guessing who it was that washed Qi Chengyue¡¯s undergarments.

    Qi Chengyue felt her entire brain explode. That man¡ªto think that he washed her underwear and kept his actions secret from her!

    Those garments were the more intimate ones, especially when it came to her panties. They were surely dirty after having been used the entire day, yet he still held them in his hands as though it was nothing disgusting.

    Qi Chengyue quickly took down the still-damp underwear and searched for a hairdryer to blow it dry.

    As she was almost about to blow them dry, she heard the door clicked open. Qi Chengyue switched off the hairdryer and tried on the panties. They were not fully dry yet, and although she could still wear if she truly needed to, doing so would not be good for her body.

    Then again, she thought for a moment and realized that she had done almost everything with Cheng Dongge, and there was no need to fret too much about those things. She just had to remember not to identally reveal herself too much. She rehung her panties to dry and went straight for the door aftering out of the bathroom.

    The door swung open as she reached it, and Qi Chengyue was all smiles as she said, ¡°You¡¯re back! Why didn¡¯t you wake me up just... A-auntie...?¡±

    It was not Cheng Dongge who returned but his mother, Sun Shaoyun. Qi Chengyue did not expect that at all.

    Drained was the color on her face in an instant.

    Sun Shaoyun was still holding on to the set of keys. She opened the door and had on foot in, but that was all there is to it as she froze at the doorstep.

    ¡°You...Miss Qi, you¡¯re...¡± Sun Shaoyun was so startled that she mumbled incoherently. She looked at Qi Chengyue from head to toe and knew at once that Qi Chengyue was wearing Cheng Dongge¡¯s dress shirt, seemingly with nothing else underneath. By that alone, Sun Shaoyun could tell how far their rtionship had progressed.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s pale face became flushed. ¡°A-auntie, please wait for a while.¡±

    She dashed back into the bathroom and wore her undies without caring that they were still damp. Her bra was not going to dry so quickly, and she could not wear the dress she wore the night before because that would reveal her nipples. It was better if she wore his shirt.

    Qi Chengyue ran over and said, ¡°Auntie, you...please wait here. I¡¯ll be done in a bit.¡±

    Running into the bedroom, she rummaged around the closet and finally managed to dig up a pair of sport shorts. She wore them and tied up the strings so tightly that the waist of the pants bunched up on her hip.

    It was then that she went out and stood awkwardly in front of Sun Shaoyun, clueless as to what she should say.

    ¡°Miss Qi, your clothes...¡± Although Qi Chengyue was fully clothed, it lookedpletely out of ce since everything on her belonged to Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°I came back from an eventst night and the dress isn¡¯t fit to be worn right now,¡± Qi Chengyue exined, embarrassed.

    ¡°Oh.¡± What Sun Shaoyun wanted to add was, ¡®If your dress isn¡¯t fit to be worn, then are Cheng Dongge¡¯s clothes fit to be worn?¡¯

    ¡°Miss Qi, how far has your rtionship with Cheng Dongge progressed? Is it serious?¡± Sun Shaoyun sat down and asked before even getting a cup of water to drink.

    ¡°Auntie, you just came. Let me pour a cup of water for you, or would you prefer tea?¡± Qi Chengyue asked. She thought that the subject should best be discussed only when Cheng Dongge came back.

    ¡°No need for that. I¡¯ll be going soon. I wanted toe and see my son, but I didn¡¯t think...¡± Sun Shaoyun did notplete her sentence. Before her retirement, Sun Shaoyun was the head of educational administration in one of Li City¡¯s junior high schools. Civility was a quality she honed to a very high-level, so despite her dissatisfaction at Qi Chengyue¡¯s past, she did not overstep her bounds and speak too harshly.

    ¡°Have a seat. Don¡¯t trouble yourself. Where did Dongge go?¡± Sun Shaoyun asked.

    Qi Chengyue sat down at some distance away from Sun Shaoyun. She was feeling constantly nervous. ¡°He went down to buy breakfast.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun nodded. ¡°Miss Qi, you haven¡¯t answered my question.¡±

    Qi Chengyue looked down and was slightly afraid to look at Sun Shaoyun. Back then, Qi Chengyue made a solemn vow to Sun Shaoyun that she would not be together with Cheng Dongge. It had not even been long since then, and Sun Shaoyun just had to bump into her at Cheng Dongge¡¯s home when she was dressed in such a manner.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a rtionship with him, and it¡¯s serious.¡± Qi Chengyue mustered the courage to look at Sun Shaoyun despite having a slightly faltering voice.

    ¡°How long have you two been together?¡± Sun Shaoyun asked.

    Qi Chengyue did not know how to answer that as they had just been together and she was already spending the night with him. It was all too obvious that they had some activities the night before, and she was worried that Sun Shaoyun would think of her as a very casual woman.

    Before she answered though, Sun Shaoyun mumbled to herself, ¡°It wasn¡¯t too long ago that you came to Li City, so I think you weren¡¯t together for long.¡±

    ¡°Auntie...¡± Qi Chengyue tried to exin, but Sun Shaoyun cut her off. ¡°Miss Qi, you were very resolutest time. Remember? When you said that you wouldn¡¯t burden Cheng Dongge wouldn¡¯t be with him for his good and also his family?¡±

    ¡°Auntie, that was what I thought at the time. I really thought that I could do it.¡± Qi Chengyue took a deep breath, then exhaled. ¡°I work at the samepany as him and I have to see him every day. We¡¯ll have to interact whenever thepany¡¯s affairs require it, and every time I go to work or get off from work, we¡¯d bump into each other in thepany¡¯s entrance. Sometimes we ride in the same elevator. I¡¯ve seen Huang Ziyue look for him before and I¡¯ve seen him go on blind dates with other women.

    ¡°He was getting me angry on purpose to see if I can bear with it, testing whether I was really able to let him go just like that. But in the end, I couldn¡¯t. My heart was in pain when I saw him go on dates with other women, and when I saw Huang Ziyueing back for him and trying to get back with him again, I was even more heartbroken, to the point where I hid away in the car and cried to myself. I said it with determinationst time, but after going through all that, I realized I couldn¡¯t do it at all. When he goes on dates, I can¡¯t control myself from sneaking a look. I think if he is to marry someone else, I¡¯ll be watching him silently from the sidelines, and he¡¯ll never know that I¡¯ll be crying and getting angry all by myself. My elder brother and his wife tried getting me to ept another man, but because none of them are Cheng Dongge, I can¡¯t ept it, and I can¡¯t spend my life with another man.

    ¡°That was why I agreed to be with him. I¡¯m a selfish person. I don¡¯t want to see him suffering, and I don¡¯t want to be unhappy either. When I decided to be with him, I did so in all seriousness, with the intention of getting married to him. Auntie, I know that being a divorcee puts a burden on Cheng Dongge, and you might not even look kindly upon me. With his character, he can easily find someone much better than me, but...¡±

    Sun Shaoyun stood up and said, ¡°Miss Qi, my mind is a bit jumbled up right now. I came here to see my son, but when I arrived, the first thing I saw was you, dressed like this. You can probably understand the kind of shock I¡¯m feeling right?¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded and looked down in silence.

    ¡°So, for the time being, don¡¯t tell me all this. Don¡¯t tell me about your love for Dongge and don¡¯t speak of your confusion. My mind is in disarray now, and I can¡¯t think straight.¡± Sun Shaoyun sighed. ¡°I need some quiet solitude to think long and hard about this.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun stood up, grabbed her bag and held it with her sweaty palms.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go first. If Donggees back, you don¡¯t need to tell him that I came. I don¡¯t want him to get worried about this and that,¡± Sun Shaoyun said and headed toward the door.

    ¡°Auntie, he¡¯ll be back soon, please just stay for a while longer! You came all the way to B City and you can¡¯t just leave like this. You came by ne, right? You would¡¯ve already booked the return flight. There¡¯s nowhere else for you to go if you just leave. Isn¡¯t it better to wait for Dongge toe back?¡± Qi Chengyue chased after her.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary. I¡¯ll reschedule the flight.¡± Sun Shaoyun walked to the door and wore her shoes.

    Qi Chengyue was barefoot, so she simply grabbed a pair of slippers and wore them. ¡°Auntie, I can¡¯t just let you leave like this, you...¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to advise me. I know I¡¯m his mother, and because of that, you wouldn¡¯t want to disrespect me. You¡¯re afraid that he¡¯ll be angry if you just let me go, am I right? I just want some peace and quiet, and this is something I need to talk about with Lao Cheng. To tell you the truth, I don¡¯t know how to face you right now. I¡¯m afraid I might say some unpleasant things if I stay. We all need to take some time to calm down. Don¡¯t try and stop me. If you keep doing that, I might get angry,¡± Sun Shaoyun exined calmly. It was evident that she was trying her best to control herself.

    ¡°Auntie...¡± Qi Chengyue watched as Sun Shaoyun went into the elevator. Qi Chengyue did not dare to give chase, however, and she was in no position to do so anyway because of how she dressed.

    She was so anxious that instead of going back into the house, she stayed beside the elevator to wait for Cheng Dongge. Cheng Dongge did not bring his cellphone, so there was no way for her to contact him.

    At that point, one of Cheng Dongge¡¯s neighbors opened the door. Taking advantage of the weekend, a young couple brought their children and their grandparents to go for a walk, but when the family walked to the elevator and saw Qi Chengyue dressed like that, they were stumped.

    She backed away from the elevator awkwardly and looked down, unable to say anything further.

    Fortunately, when the elevator came up, Cheng Dongge was in it. He went out while the neighbors went in.

    ¡°What were you waiting out here for?¡± Cheng Dongge asked. The first thing he saw when he came out was Qi Chengyue.

    She grabbed his arm immediately and asked, ¡°You spent so much time outside just to buy breakfast?¡±

    Cheng Dongge lifted the bags. ¡°You didn¡¯t bring any clothes to change, so I bought some clothes and underwear for you along the way.¡±

    Qi Chengyue ced her hand over Cheng Dongge¡¯s mouth immediately. The elevator was not soundproof at all, and whatever that was said on that floor could be heard from the floor below.

    She grabbed the bags from Cheng Dongge and said, ¡°Auntie came just now, but left after seeing me here. I couldn¡¯t stop her at all. You have to go after her.¡±

    ¡°My mom?¡± Cheng Dongge asked in shock.

    ¡°Yes. She¡¯s probably not happy with me. Go after her, quick. You can¡¯t let her go home in a bad mood.¡± Qi Chengyue pressed the elevator button and urged Cheng Dongge. ¡°She only left a few minutes ago. You¡¯ll probably be able to catch up to her.¡±

    He nodded but headed straight for home.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Chengyue pulled on him.

    ¡°Going home to get the keys. We don¡¯t even know how long it¡¯ll take to find her if we walk, and if that happens, we might miss her,¡± Cheng Dongge said as he took his house keys and unlocked the door. On top of the cab was a ss bowl, which he dipped his hands into and took out a set of car keys. ¡°Wait for me at home.¡±

    A nod from Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge left.

    She ced the food on the kitchen counter and took them out one by one. Judging from the time Sun Shaoyun arrived, it was likely that she already had breakfast during the flight, but because in-flight food did not taste good, it was likely that she did not eat much.

    Cheng Dongge bought some porridge and youtiaos from Yonghe, a shop near his residential area.

    The other two stic bags contained the underwear and clothes that Cheng Dongge bought for her.

    It was alright to wear the new underwear temporarily, and she had no other choice. She once again took off the one she was wearing and used the hairdryer to dry it before putting it on again and wash the new one. She then changed into the T-shirt and jeans that Cheng Dongge bought.

    Whether it was the innerwear or the clothes that he bought, they all fitted her nicely, as if they were measured specifically beforehand.

    As a result of hugging her every day, Cheng Dongge was incredibly familiar with their body, but never did it ur to her that he knew her body so well.

    After tidying herself up, she received a call from Guan Liya who asked if she was with Cheng Dongge.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Qi Chengyue walked to the balcony and spoke with Guan Liya. In doing so, she also kept an eye out for whether Cheng Dongge managed to get a hold of his mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m relieved that you two are together. You¡¯re already so grown-up and you have your own stand. I won¡¯t restrict you or anything, but if you¡¯re noting home, at least inform us so we don¡¯t get worried,¡± Guan Liya¡¯s voice rang from the other side of the phone.

    ¡°Mm, I forgot about that. It won¡¯t happen again.¡± Qi Chengyue then said, ¡°Oh yes. Mom, there¡¯s already a judgment for thewsuit between Zhou Mingyan and the Guan family.¡±

    She told everything to her mother, but thetter remained silent. Guan Liya regretted and sympathized with Guan Xiaolin¡¯s infertility, but for her, that was simply karma.

    After hanging up, she saw Cheng Dongge¡¯s car. Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Dongge wereing up together, and Qi Chengyue hurried over to the door and waited there. Not a minuteter, she heard Cheng Dongge unlocking the door using his keys.

    The door swung open and Sun Shaoyi came in. ¡°Auntie,¡± Qi Chengyue called out.

    Sun Shaoyun sighed and responded with a nod.

    ¡°Mom¡¯s flight is tomorrow morning,¡± Cheng Dongge exined.

    ¡°Auntie, Dongge bought back breakfast. We can eat after I heat them,¡± Qi Chengyue offered.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I ate on the ne.¡± Sun Shaoyun held her bag and went into the living room.

    Cheng Dongge watched as Sun Shaoyun went into the living room. He then followed Qi Chengyue into the kitchen and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think she woulde here today but don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll handle my mother.¡±

    Qi Chengyue kept quiet but she knew that she could not just throw it all on Cheng Dongge. She looked up and saw him wearing a casual shirt and pants, looking extremely neat and handsome.

    Unbeknownst to her, her love and attachment toward that man were growing by the day.

    If Sun Shaoyun was not there, she would long have acted all coy with him.

    Seeing her reaction, Cheng Dongge smiled and wrapped her inside his long arms. ¡°How wasst night? I¡¯ve been meaning to ask you about it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Red-faced, she looked up and gazed upon his handsome face. Although she felt shy, she could not help but crack a joke. ¡°Which aspect are you referring to? Stamina-wise or physically?¡±

    Cheng Dongge would have cackled inughter if his mother were not there. He pulled her even tighter into his embrace and asked, ¡°How about both?¡±

    ¡°Physically I¡¯m not that tired. I¡¯m feeling quite okay,¡± Qi Chengyue said. Her eyes rolled. ¡°In terms of stamina, you did more than okay, so I¡¯m really satisfied.¡±

    She blushed after saying that.

    Cheng Dongge raised his head andughed silently. He bent down and gave her a fervent kiss but did not dare linger too long. For the most part, he was afraid that Sun Shaoyun would think badly of Qi Chengyue, so he went back to the living room.

    The porridge that Cheng Dongge brought back was portioned ording to one huge bowl, the kind that most restaurants used. The bowls were much smaller at home, so all of the porridge that he bought could be divided into four of those small bowls.

    There were some preserved vegetables in the refrigerator, which Qi Chengyue took some and ted. She ced the youtiaos onto the te as well. Arranging everything on a tray, she brought it to the living room and ced it on the coffee table.

    She ced a bowl of porridge before Sun Shaoyun, saying, ¡°Auntie, if you¡¯ve already had breakfast on the ne and you¡¯re not hungry, at least have some porridge.¡±

    In truth, Sun Shaoyun did not actually eat much during the flight. She flew economy ss, and the in-flight breakfast was especially unptable¡ªone braised egg, one soggy youtiao, one small mantou, a small container of extremely salty preserved vegetables, and a cup of ice-cold mineral water.

    She did try her best to eat the youtiao and braised egg but only managed to eat half the steamed bun. The preserved vegetables were too salty to be eaten, and since they were ced with the steamed bun, half of the steamed bun had been tainted with their salty taste.

    She managed to get a whiff of the porridge at that point, and although it was store-bought, it still managed to whet her appetite.

    Seeing Qi Chengyue ce the chopsticks in front of her, Sun Shaoyun held up the bowl in silence, took the chopsticks, and began eating.

    At night, Sun Shaoyun wanted to sleep there, and for the remainder of the day, she did not bring up Qi Chengyue¡¯s rtionship with Cheng Dongge. It was inappropriate for Qi Chengyue to stay there, so Cheng Dongge sent her home.

    Seeing Qi Chengyue¡¯s return, Guan Liya was rather shocked. ¡°Why are you back tonight?¡±

    ¡°...¡± For a brief moment, Qi Chengyue did not know how to respond. ¡°Mom, what¡¯s this? You¡¯re expecting your daughter to always spend the night with men outside the house?¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean that I trust Cheng Dongge?¡± Guan Liya teased. ¡°You two didn¡¯t get into a misunderstanding, did you?¡±

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re thinking a bit too much! Didn¡¯t you lean on the window and watch everything? Cheng Dongge¡¯s the one who sent me back. What could possibly be the reason for a disagreement? It isn¡¯t nice to stay with him for too long, right?¡± Qi Chengyue did not mention anything regarding Sun Shaoyun because she was afraid Guan Liya might feel unhappy or angry.

    Although Sun Shaoyun was being very courteous, the bottom line was that Cheng Dongge¡¯s family did not look pleased with her, and any woman¡¯s mother would not be happy to hear that.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Guan Liya¡¯s worries were eased.

 Chapter 243 - I Can Help You If You Have A Problem

    <h4>Chapter 243: I Can Help You If You Have A Problem</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Guan Liya¡¯s worries were eased.

    ...

    ...

    Sun Shaoyun was waiting at the door when Cheng Dongge came back from sending Qi Chengyue home.

    ¡°I will marry her,¡± said Cheng Dongge after closing the door.

    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it,¡± Sun Shaoyun replied. She walked to the living room and sat down, then told Cheng Dongge to join her by patting on the space beside her.

    ¡°Dongge, I have no objections to her character. Leaving aside her divorce and her family background, I actually do like her a lot. But marriage isn¡¯t just about liking someone. Have you thought about what will happen after the marriage? I¡¯m worried that you won¡¯t be treated right. Our family¡¯s only a normal family, after all. At best, our family can be considered a literary family. Your dad is a professor at Li City University, and before I was promoted to head of educational administration in Li City Senior High School, I was a literature andnguage teacher. Our family is a cultured one, but we¡¯re still miles apart whenpared to the Qi family,¡± Sun Shaoyun exined.

    ¡°Dongge, you work for the Qi family. Things might happen. Something not too serious¡ªfor example, an argument between husband and wife¡ªis definitely a normal urrence in a marriage. If that does happen, you wouldn¡¯t have a say if you take into ount her position in the family aspared to your position in the family. Won¡¯t you be required to follow through with whatever the Qi family says? If the woman upies a much stronger position in the marriage, it will likely not end well.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you don¡¯t need to be worried about these things. Chengyue isn¡¯t that kind of person, and the Qi family are very reasonable people as well. In our rtionship, she always puts me first. In most cases, she¡¯s considerate of me and listens to what I say. Of course, she¡¯s the precious daughter and there are still times where she disys her short temper, but all women will have bouts of tantrums time and again. It has nothing to do with her status. Women are all pampered and spoiled by their families from a young age, and their upbringing is vastly different from men. It¡¯s inevitable that they¡¯d be spoiled just a bit more, but in this respect, Chengyue is much better than most other women. She does throw a tantrum once in a while, but I just need to coax her a bit and she¡¯ll be fine. It¡¯s she who¡¯s really afraid of me getting angry, and most of the time, she¡¯s the one who has to persuade me. She also makes a point to always respect me in public.

    ¡°Like yesterday, she saw some woman from another family trying to flirt with me. That woman tried straightening my tie and Chengyue was jealous, but she didn¡¯t show her jealousy out in public and remained considerate. She knew I wouldn¡¯t do anything that will disappoint her, and even after everything happened, she didn¡¯t throw a fit and hold that against me. You say that her family background is too strong, but she did all these things that even a girl from a normal family couldn¡¯t do. Mom, can you be sure that an ordinary girl will do the same things she did?¡±

    Sun Shaoyun kept quiet for a brief moment, then said, ¡°The other day, when you left home and went after her, I did a search on her and her ex-husband. I was surprised to see the whole fiasco make headlines online. That was when I found out that her ex-husband lost his job at Qilin after the divorce, and was kicked out of the family empty-handed. That alone is a perfect illustration of her power and influence within the marriage. Do you think you¡¯ll be on equal footing with her after the marriage?¡±

    Cheng Dongge looked at her and said, ¡°Since you did an online search about it, then you should be fully aware that it was the ex-husband who cheated. He even impregnated the girl he cheated with. From those points alone, is it logical to let him stay in Qilin and make everyone feel ufortable? It is reasonable to divide a portion of Qilin¡¯s assets to him? Mom, if it were you, would you be willing to do that?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Sun Shaoyun could not answer his question.

    ¡°Mom, I want to marry her, and whether it¡¯s before or after the marriage, I will never do anything that will let her down. Naturally, she won¡¯t use the Qi family to do the same to me. If I did something unworthy of her, then it¡¯s only right that the Qi family kicked me out of their home. I¡¯m marrying her for her, not because of her past or her familial background. In fact, even before I got together with her, Young Master Cheng told me that Qilin Technology¡¯s general manager will retire some time from now, and he has to go back there to assume that position. When he does, he¡¯ll appoint me to the position of Qilin Property¡¯s general manager. This has nothing to do with my rtionship with Chengyue,¡± Cheng Dongge exined.

    Sun Shaoyun looked at him in shock, but within her expression was a faint glimmer of tion.

    ¡°I¡¯m the one who¡¯s going to marry her, not you, not Dad. If I like her, you won¡¯t force us to break up and interfere with our rtionship, right? Even if your fears and worries doe true, it¡¯s simply the consequence of my current decision. I can bear the responsibility myself. But if those fears nevere to fruition, then my decision today will be the reason for my happiness in the future. Every marriage is a gamble, and the oue is anyone¡¯s guess. No couple gets into a marriage knowing that they would surely be happy forever. Why can¡¯t you ease your worries and open your heart to ept her? Treat her as an ordinary girl and give us the chance to see if our rtionship can continue.

    ¡°You saw it yourself today. She¡¯s usually pampered at home, but in front of you she¡¯s careful and considerate. Most of the time, if something needs to be done, the housekeeper will do it, but with you, she¡¯s showing her best side by carrying out the bowl and handing you the chopsticks. She may be from a prestigious background, but from her gesture, you can see that she¡¯s willing to do away with her status in front of my parents simply because she loves me. You saw that she didn¡¯t have any clothes to wear this morning and she just took my clothes and wore them. After you left, there was no way she could go after you dressed like that, so she waited nervously at the elevator for me. Even the neighbors saw how miserable she looked. She was like that because she was genuinely worried. If it wasn¡¯t because she really cared about you, she wouldn¡¯t have done that, would she? If she was putting on her princess-like attitude, why would she try topromise and get on your good books for my sake? Why should you care about her status as the Qi family¡¯s daughter if you like her?¡±

    Sun Shaoyun kept quiet for a moment, then sighed and said, ¡°You... Let me think about this.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The second day, Qi Chengyue drove to Cheng Dongge¡¯s house in the early morning to join him in sending Sun Shaoyun to the airport.

    They stood in line with Sun Shaoyun as thetter waited to pass through the security checks. When it was almost her turn, she told them, ¡°My turn ising up. You guys should go back.¡±

    She still felt a bit foreign with Sun Shaoyun, but because they talked considerably more than the day before, it was still considered an improvement.

    When Sun Shaoyun went in, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue waited outside, leaving only when she disappeared from view.

    ¡°Follow me home next weekend,¡± said Cheng Dongge, holding Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, Mu Sisi went to work. Her fever had subsided, so she was discharged from the hospital. Her long bangs were cut into a short, neat one, that covered the gauze on her forehead.

    She went into the office, sat on her chair, then fished out a small mirror¡ªroughly the size of an Ipad Mini¡ªfrom her drawer. She parted her bangs and looked at approximately seven square centimeters of gauze on her forehead.

    Mu Sisi sighed and opened up the gauze from below, revealing the entirety of her wound.

    Even though she was looking at her reflection, Mu Sisi¡¯s expression was that of disgust.

    It seemed as though the size of her wound had increased. The surrounding area was red due to inmmation and the entire wound was severely swollen. Once the pus was drained out, left behind was a coffee-colored scar, as well as the feces-like yellow from the pus-filled skin remnants. The neat little stitches were nearly undetectable as they were buried inside the red, swollen, pus-filled wound. All that could be seen was a b of red and a crooked wound.

    Mu Sisi felt nauseated at herself and clenched her teeth. In his distorted expression, her wound¡ªwhich was so big that it nearly reached the size of a silver dor used during the Republic of China era <sup>1</sup> ¡ªlooked even uglier.

    She did her best to hold everything in. From her bag, she fished out the disinfectant and ointment given by the hospital. After disinfecting the wound, she used sterilized cotton to apply the ointment. She wanted it to heal as fast as possible, so she made sure to put an extra thickyer of ointment over her wound.

    There was a knock on her door just as she was done with it. She ced the gauze back on and smoothened her bangs to cover it. Only then did she say, ¡°Come in.¡±

    cing the ointment back into her bag, the receptionist came forward and ced a letter on top of her table. ¡°Miss Mu, an express delivery for you.¡±

    Mu Sisi found it odd. She did not order anything and the express delivery was very thin.

    She sent away the receptionist and opened the envelope. When she took out its contents, she was surprised to find a subpoena along with a list of the charges against her.

    Thewsuit was for incrimination on false evidence. Ruan Danchen was the intiff, and her legal counsel was Song Dafu.

    Mu Sisi remembered that Song Dafu was Qilin¡¯swyer.

    She could hardly believe her eyes that Ruan Danchen had the guts to sue her, and with the aid of Qilin¡¯swyer, no less. He was the most acimedwyer in the jurisdiction, and Ruan Danchen surely did not have such financial power.

    The only possibility was that Song Yu lent thewyer¡¯s services to Ruan Danchen just to get revenge on Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Screw you, Song Yu!¡± Mu Sisi stood up immediately and brought the documents over to Mu Huaisheng¡¯s office.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng looked at the subpoena and chargesid out. His expression was very cold.

    He made a call immediately. ¡°Lawyer Gu, sorry to trouble you, but you¡¯ll have toe over. There¡¯s a case that requires a discussion with you.¡±

    After he hung up, Mu Sisi stared at him incredulously. ¡°You¡¯ve decided to go to court? Don¡¯t you think you should bring it up with Big Brother Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°Bring it up with him?¡± Mu Huaisheng looked at her frigidly. ¡°It¡¯s Song Dafu¡¯s case. Do you really think he doesn¡¯t know about it?¡±

    Mu Sisi clenched her jaw. Her spiritedness was waning. ¡°Still, you should call him and ask. Maybe this can be settled in private...¡±

    ¡°Ask? Ask what? If this could be settled privately, you wouldn¡¯t receive this subpoena today and he would¡¯ve reached out to me personally. Mu Sisi, after all this time, you still don¡¯t know how to reflect on yourself? If it wasn¡¯t for you provoking him and pushing him to his limit, why would the subpoenae without him even informing me about it? How many times to I have to save your a*s and clean up your mess? How many times did I settle things privately with Qi Chengzhi? Time after time it has eroded our friendship, and now that you received his subpoena, I¡¯m guessing that he doesn¡¯t treat me as a friend anymore. Are you happy now?¡± Mu Huaisheng exploded, throwing his pen.

    At that point, his secretary knocked on the door and pushed it open, saying, ¡°Director Mu, Lawyer Gu is here.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nodded. Lawyer Gu walked in, while Mu Sisi dashed out in a fury.

    Lawyer Gu stared curiously at Mu Sisi¡¯s figure, then looked back at Mu Huaisheng, who was quelling his anger. Mu Huaisheng said stiffly, ¡°Don¡¯t care about her. This is the subpoena and charges we received today. Please have a look.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi drove her Jaguar and went to Chengshi.

    She parked the car and the roadside and intended to go down looking for Song Yu when suddenly, in the distance up ahead, a woman wanted to enter too. s, a man came out of nowhere and stopped her.

    ¡°Why are you here again? No matter when youe here or how many times, it¡¯s all no use. You won¡¯t get to meet the madam,¡± the bodyguard told her off impatiently. He had lost count of how many times Yu Keyao came that week.

    Rather thaning over trying to ask for Song Yu¡¯s help, she might as well find a job to support her family.

    Having felt regretful then, why did she do what she did in the past?

    ¡°I won¡¯t bother Song Yu, I mean...Mrs. Qi, too long. How about you follow me up? You can keep watch on me while I talk to her, is that okay? I promise I won¡¯t do anything overboard, and I won¡¯t eveny a finger on any of her hair strands. I just want to talk to her. No matter what you say, she¡¯s still my elder cousin sister. We¡¯re family, and we can¡¯t be prevented from meeting each other forever, right? Song Yu doesn¡¯t have many rtives. Surely our rtionship can¡¯t be severed just like that?¡± Yu Keyao pleaded.

    ¡°The madam doesn¡¯t want to meet you. I don¡¯t care if she still wants you as a rtive, but my duty is to prevent you from bothering her. If you so much as appear in her line of sight, she¡¯ll be very unhappy, and that¡¯ll make me lose my job. Stop being unreasonable here. It¡¯s still best for you to leave,¡± the bodyguard deadpanned. Yu Keyao¡¯s pitiful look did not melt his heart in the slightest.

    Mu Sisi halted her footsteps and did not continue moving forward. She turned, and back to her car she went.

    She lowered her car mirror and watched as Yu Keyao got into a lengthy tangle with the bodyguard. Yu Keyao eventually gave up and turned around, but she had no destination in mind.

    Mu Sisi started the car and followed suit. When she looked for Song Yu the other day, she did not run into the bodyguard, or perhaps the bodyguard¡ªby some stroke of luck¡ªwas coincidentally not there when she came. Another possibility was that Qi Chengzhi did not manage to instruct the bodyguard in time, so the bodyguard might not have been able to recognize her.

    She drove the car slowly, up until Yu Keyao made a turn. Mu Sisi honked, causing Yu Keyao to freeze and look back. Mu Sisi then shed her a friendly smile and got down the car.

    ¡°Miss Yu, right?¡± Mu Sisi asked.

    ¡°You know me?¡± Yu Keyao stared in stupefaction at the woman in front of her. Feeling that Mu Sisi¡¯s energy was very positive, she wondered which family thetter came from.

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit too bold, I see. Nice to meet you, my name is Mu Sisi. You should know MU, right?¡±

    ¡°Mm.¡± Yu Keyao nodded. She knew it was a famous luxury clothing line, and as ofte, wasunching the first-ever Asian store in B City. It was big news, and the reactions online were equally as strong.

    MU¡¯s products were fashionable and not too expensive. New designs came out with rtive frequency, earning the patronization of many youngsters.

    Traveling youngsters go to MU if they want to buy nice clothes but were not willing to spend too much money. Their designs were in vogue and stylishly versatile. In the past, those who wanted to buy them would have to ask their traveling friends to buy on their behalf, but with the first gship store opening soon in B City, everyone looked forward to it and were on the edge of their seats.

    Yu Keyao had a sudden realization. ¡°You¡¯re the girl from the Mu family.¡±

    Mu Sisi felt embarrassed when she realized the probable source of Yu Keyao¡¯s knowledge of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I heard you speaking with that man just now. You¡¯re Song Yu¡¯s younger cousin sister?¡± Mu Sisi asked. Her politeness was unparalleled as she put on a magnanimous attitude befitting of a wealthy family.

    Yu Keyao sighed. Mu Sisi looked down and added, ¡°How about we find a ce to sit down and talk? I can help you if you have a problem.¡±

    Noticing Yu Keyao¡¯s hesitance, Mu Sisi deliberately exhibited a very pitiful expression. ¡°I know Song Yu¡¯s a shrewd person. She¡¯s selfish but knows how to act as if she¡¯s not. I never thought that she would ignore her younger cousin. Now that her life has changed for the better, she regards everyone else as beneath her. It¡¯s sad that everyone else can¡¯t see her true nature. They don¡¯t know how terrifying and sly she really is. It¡¯s like we¡¯re the bad people.¡±

    Yu Keyao disyed a bleak expression and felt as though there was finally someone who understood her. She regretted that her meeting was Mu Sisi waster rather than sooner, and just like Lin Daiyu <sup>1</sup> , she lowered her gaze and hung her head low. ¡°Yes. Were you also caught in her nasty tricks, Miss Mu?¡±

    Mu Sisiughed dryly. ¡°In fact, I know how you came to know about me. It¡¯s from that news report some time ago, right?¡±

    Yu Keyao looked down awkwardly.

    Mu Sisi then said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel awkward. It¡¯s all because of Song Yu, who framed me at that time.¡±

    Yu Keyao lifted her head and looked at Mu Sisi as though she was looking at a close confidante. ¡°I think it¡¯s best if we find a ce to sit and talk.¡±

    A nod from Mu Sisi and she let Yu Keyao into the car. They did not dare to go to any of the nearby caf¨¦s for fear that Qi Chengzhi might catch wind of their conversation, so she drove past a few more streets and chose a random caf¨¦.

    After taking their seats, Mu Sisi said, ¡°From your conversation with the bodyguard, it seems you¡¯re in some kind of trouble. You wanted to ask for Song Yu¡¯s help?¡±

    Yu Keyao sighed as her eyes began to redden. Tears were beginning to well up and she took a tissue to immediately wipe her eyes. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, she said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I made a fool of myself in front of you. To tell you the truth, it was all a misunderstanding. When the Song family went bankrupt, our family didn¡¯t help them. It¡¯s not that we did that on purpose. The Yu family¡¯s greatest authority lies with my eldest uncle. My family managed to run a small business by ourselves, and it¡¯s only enough to support us. We didn¡¯t have enough extra funds to help the Song family, and because of that Song Yu held a grudge against us. After that, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother introduced me to Qi Chengzhi in the hopes of setting us up.¡±

    Mu Sisi suppressed the anger in her head. She did not expect that Yu Keyao had been paired with Qi Chengzhi. ¡®Yu Keyao¡¯s a dreamer, isn¡¯t she? What makes her think that she¡¯spatible with Qi Chengzhi?¡¯

    ¡°But Song Yu found out about it from somewhere. She stubbornly wanted to step between us and seduce Qi Chengzhi. All my mom did was fight for me when I suffered all that injustice, but I have no idea what kind of potion she gave him to make him so determined to bankrupt our family, and even force my parents to get a divorce. Now my mom¡¯s alone and thepany¡¯s bankrupt. My dad doesn¡¯t have any money left and with the divorce, my mom won¡¯t get any assets. The only option left for her is to stay at her other brother¡¯s ce, spending her days looking at the unpleasant looks my uncle and aunt put on every day. She had to sell off all her branded clothes, branded goods, and jewelry in order to barely get by. Even then my aunt has always been giving her nasty looks. She¡¯s also been trying to take advantage of my mom and cheat her of the money made from selling off all those belongings.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything except worry helplessly. There¡¯s nothing I can do to help her. I¡¯m going to graduate this year, and I can¡¯t find a job now. What can I do to help my mom? My dad¡¯s always running here and there for the sake of a dyingpany. He wants to save it, but he¡¯s getting older as the days go by and his mental state is bing weak, too. I can see that he¡¯s going to crumble at any moment.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help with the familypany, so the least I want to do is rent a house for my mother. A small one is fine, so at least she doesn¡¯t need to live her life relying on someone else¡¯s charity. But my mom, she...she¡¯s too used to the good life. She¡¯s too used to having people serve her and help her. I¡¯ll get really worried about her if she lives alone.¡± Yu Keyao sniffled and wiped away her tears.

    ¡°I went looking for Song Yu because I wanted her spare our family and stop piling the pressure on us. Our family isn¡¯t a family anymore¡ªwe¡¯re broken. Even though thepany is failing, at least we¡¯re staying at a vi. But still, my mother¡¯s afraid to go back there because she¡¯s worried that Qi Chengzhi might want to target ourpany again. My mom is staying all by herself under someone else¡¯s roof. I¡¯m heartbroken to see her in such a sorry state. I want Song Yu to understand that we¡¯re still family¡ªI want her to help us a bit. I¡¯m not saying that I want to take advantage of her or anything, but at least help our family by giving us some business. One is enough, as long as thepany¡¯s able to survive. I didn¡¯t expect, however, that after so long I still haven¡¯t been able to even see Song Yu.¡±

 Chapter 244 - If Not Then Why Was Your Face So Red?

    <h4>Chapter 244: If Not Then Why Was Your Face So Red?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I went looking for Song Yu because I wanted her spare our family and stop piling the pressure on us. Our family isn¡¯t a family anymore. We¡¯re broken. Even though thepany is failing, at least we¡¯re staying at a vi. But still, my mother¡¯s afraid to go back there because she¡¯s worried that Qi Chengzhi might want to target ourpany again. My mom is staying all by herself under someone else¡¯s roof. I¡¯m heartbroken to see her in such a sorry state. I want Song Yu to understand that we¡¯re still family. I want her to help us a bit. I¡¯m not saying that I want to take advantage of her or anything, but at least help our family by giving us some business. One is enough, as long as thepany¡¯s able to survive. But I didn¡¯t expect that after so long, I still haven¡¯t been able to even see Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°No matter what, we were not some distant rtives, my father was the brother of Song Yu¡¯s mother! Their... their doings were too cruel!¡± Yu Keyao felt sorrow while she keptining, then she started to wail.

    ¡°This is outrageous! Song Yu normally talked nicely and appeared to be understanding to others but who knows deep down she was actually a heartless bastard who did not even care for her own family! Although I grew up in the United States of America, but my family taught me to be selfless and always help others in need and not only own family members. There are so many people in the world who needed help, we can¡¯t only think of ourselves,¡± Mu Sisi mmed the table.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Miss Mu, after our talk I realized all those news were fake and you had been framed by Song Yu. You¡¯re a good woman, Song Yu must have framed you! She was very good in nning schemes than us,¡± Yu Keyao looked at Mu Sisi and appeared as if regretted not having met her sooner.

    ¡°We had outstanding education and were protected from all troubles since young, and we¡¯re almost at the same age, you just graduated and my graduation is near too, both of us has yet to step out into society. However Song Yu¡¯s family faced bankruptcy when she was in high school, I heard she went to work and study at the same time. She had acquired at least a few years more experience than us and after her graduation, her job required her to deal with all the bosses at the wine table. Those bosses were smart and skilled and Song Yu could even deal with them for so many years. Imagine how adapted she was at scheming, it was no surprise that we lost to her...¡±

    ¡°Miss Yu, I heard you¡¯re graduating soon and has yet to find a job. What is your profession? Perhaps I can be of assistance. Even though we just came to B City but we did get to know a few people since we wanted to open a shop,¡± Mu Sisi smiled and appeared as if she was noble and kind.

    ¡°Really? I studied fashion design. Initially my dad was ready to invest for a workshop and he contacted a few who had experiences, but since some troubles urred in my family, he could no longer prepare those for me anymore. Now I¡¯m currently looking around desperately for job but fashion design doesn¡¯t have much vacancy,¡± Yu Keyao got excited and leaned forward.

    ¡°Miss Yu, have you forgotten what is the profession of my family?¡± Mu Sisi smiled.

    ¡°You... Are you saying that you...¡± Ye Keyao felt the happiness came too suddenly and was overwhelming for her to bear.

    ¡°The purpose why we came here was not only to open the very first MU shop in the Asia market but also open our very first branch office and with special focus on design department. Part of our products were sold exclusively at our country and can only be purchased locally, thus our products need to have an eastern feature, so we need local designers who understood the needs of the locals,¡± Mu Sisi exined.

    ¡°This... Miss Mu, I¡¯m just an undergraduate who will graduate soon. Even though I learnt about fashion design and did some practicals on it, but I have never really designed any fashion for sale. You can say I have absolutely zero experience on this. I knew that experience and past aplishments were the most important prerequisite for design profession, which was why my dad nned so much for me. It is really eptable for a fresh graduate without any experience to work at MU?¡±

    Mu Sisi let out a confident smile and said, ¡°The profession about designs requires young man and new bloods as older designers are usually experienced with multiple aplishments, but they are easily blinded by their own past designs with no new ideation. In contrast, even if you don¡¯t have any experience, you¡¯re still able to create a magnificent design if you¡¯re willing to think out of the box. Of course, you just graduated and worked under MU, you¡¯re unable to get promoted to designer immediately even with my rmendation, you still need to start your position as an assistant designer, same as I do now. Ourpany will not give you special privilege because of your status and identity. Good thing to know is that I am one of the shareholders of MU so I can say a word or two when ites to staff rmendation.¡±

    ¡°Oh no, this is good enough. I knew this was an intensepetition as it was very difficult to sessfully apply for a job in MU. I already knew a lot of my colleagues in the same profession registered for the application, and this was only for my university, how about the fresh graduate from other universities? I really appreciate your help a lot, Miss Mu!¡± Mu Sisi smiled while feeling embarrassed. ¡°You do realize this is the first time we met and you have already given me such a great help, and I evenined so much to you. It made me a little shameless.¡±

    ¡°Oh it¡¯s alright, it is fate that bind us together. To be very honest, this is rted to my personal feeling, especially when I don¡¯t like Song Yu. She framed me, nobody was able to turn a blind eye on that, I knew I couldn¡¯t. I¡¯m still imagining that one day her true identity will be revealed and she can¡¯t deceive others anymore,¡± Mu Sisi put on a fake smile.

    Mu Sisi drank a sip of her coffee and said, ¡°Plus you¡¯re her cousin, you must have known her more than I do, so I¡¯m actually helping myself by helping you. If Song Yu is ourmon enemy then it is logical that webine forces and stand together, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Mu Sisi smiled, feeling a little sorry. ¡°Miss Yu, will you be angry at me when I¡¯m actually being selfish?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, you¡¯re not at fault even if you chose not to help me. We just met for the first time and you already opened up for me; whereas Song Yu was my own cousin but she was merciless towards me. It is obvious who is the bad guy here, right? How can I me you for this? Not to mention you¡¯re also bullied by Song Yu, it is normal for you to retaliate. To be honest, I felt that you¡¯re a true friend without any schemes when you opened up to me, you¡¯re much better than Song Yu who are so calctive. I love dealing with the kinds like you who has honesty,¡± Yu Keyao said sincerely.

    Mu Sisi took out a name card from her bag and passed to Yu Keyao. ¡°Then I guess you¡¯re my friend now that you mentioned it like that. I see that you¡¯re innocent and pure, which are good qualities in a friend so let¡¯s not stand on formality here. Let me know when you have the time to report to ourpany, meanwhile I¡¯ll notify human resources department regarding this matter.¡±

    Yu Keyao happily epted the name card and kept it. ¡°Miss Mu, are you busy today?¡±

    ¡°No, I just need to get back to the office, that¡¯s all,¡± Mu Sisi immediately thought of her intention and answered.

    ¡°Then can I report to yourpany now?¡± Mu Sisi expected Yu Keyao¡¯s question.

    ¡°Of course, not a problem at all. In that case then let us leave together,¡± Mu Sisi agreed and paid the bill, then they made their way to the office.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu had her lunch with Qi Chengzhi at Dynasty, then she was brought to his office at Qilin so that she could take a nap before leaving for work at Chengshi.

    Song Yu was lying on bed-likepartment of the L-shaped sofa and Qi Chengzhi forcibly covered her in a nket, even though she did not feel cold or drowsy at all.

    ¡°You kept feeding me this afternoon until I was so full, and now you want me to sleep when the food hasn¡¯t digested much. You want me to die with a full stomach, is it?¡± Song Yu was too full and she needed to lie t in order to feelfortable.

    She lifted her arm and squeezed the meat around it. She felt her arm circumference grew.

    ¡°Can¡¯t sleep now?¡± Qi Chengzhi sat beside her at the other corner of the L-shaped sofa, his legs just beside her face.

    His long and slender fingers gently brushed her hair aside, revealing her tiny and delicate face.

    Recently Song Yu became more chubbier but her face remained the same as usual, it was still around the size of a palm.

    His warm hand touched her delicate face and gently rubbing it with fingers.

    ¡°Yes, I ate too much,¡± Song Yuid down interal position and lifted her head slightly to gaze at Qi Chengzhi.

    He sat there looking graceful and elegant.

    Qi Chengzhi gave her a warm smile and gently stroke her cheek.

    Song Yu took away the pillow and patted the sofa. ¡°Sit here, I want to lie down on your thigh.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and moved to her side. He took away his shoes and rested his long legs on the sofa, signalling Song Yu to lie down after he adjusted his sitting position.

    Song Yu¡¯s hair became messy after these movements but Qi Chengzhi happily tidied up her hair with care.

    Song Yuid down interal position and rested her head on his thigh, her arms wrapping around his legs. She felt blessed to know she could hug him like this forever.

    She slowly felt drowsy inhaling the familiar fragrance emitted from him.

    She turned over and buried her face under his lower abdomen, but she felt ufortable as her nose pressed against the solid muscles on his lower abdomen.

    Song Yu kept adjusting her position and finally she found the mostfortable spot, but Qi Chengzhi was on the edge.

    Song Yu was poked by his boneration when sheid back down again.

    ¡°You...¡± Song Yu blushed and pinched the solid muscles on his waist.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, who asked you to move around like that?¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a husky voice, his hand now burning hot when he grabbed her hand and teasing her.

    Song Yu blushed as red as a tomato and she buried her head deeper into his lower abdomen. Qi Chengzhi noticed her flushed ears and felt cute.

    He grinned and started having fun pinching on her ears.

    Song Yu lifted her face up after a while but her face appeared more red than before.

    She signalled Qi Chengzhi toe closer.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows. He had no idea why Song Yu suddenly acted mysteriously so he moved his head closer to her.

    Song Yu used her hands for cover while she was whispering into his ears despite the fact that they were alone in the room and did not need to worry if anyone was eavesdropping on them.

    Qi Chengzhi was stunned and Song Yu became nervous as she had no idea what kind of reaction he just made.

    She only saw his face from the side and felt his expression was a bit dull-witted.

    Then he turned around, his gaze burned like hot coals and appeared as if he can set things alight with a nce.

    Song Yu felt as if she was about to get burned to ashes. She trembled under his gaze and was soon held down by Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Why did you tell me this now?¡±

    ¡°I was thinking about telling you tonight but looking at you now, I feared that you may face difficulty for self-control,¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice quivered as she was hugged too tightly by Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s have a round now,¡± Qi Chengzhi suddenly became excited and said quickly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t naughty, we¡¯re in the office now, wait until we¡¯re back hometer,¡± Song Yu blushed.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes in dissatisfaction. ¡°Then why are you telling me this now?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to give you something to expectter on,¡± Song Yu said with her face reddened, but her voice became softer and softer when she looked upon his deep eyes, almost as if she was whispering at the end.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi remained silent, fixing his gaze steadily on her, making Song Yu felt uneasy as if she made a very terrible mistake.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at me like that,¡± Song Yu poked him.

    Qi Chengzhi still fixed his gaze on her, one can see slight dissatisfaction andint in his eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me now that the ban was removed, but you wouldn¡¯t let me do it now when I¡¯m having a boneration and I must wait until night time. Are you bullying me on purpose?¡± Qi Chengzhiined, his handsome face shown seriousness and sternness, but he spoke words as frivolous as this with mellow voice.

    Hisint was full ofmiseration but it did not match with his voice and face.

    Song Yu felt as if she did not have any humanity when she heard him. When she was debating with herself, she heard a door knock. ¡°Big brother, Song Yu, are you guys here? It¡¯s me.¡±

    After the lessonst time, Qi Chengzhi learnt to always lock the door.

    While Qi Chengyue always remembered to knock the door and would not barge into the office without any notice.

    ¡°Not here,¡± Qi Chengzhi said petntly.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue too.

    Song Yu grabbed the opportunity and said quickly, ¡°I¡¯ll get the door.¡±

    Then she hurried to the door.

    Qi Chengzhi smirked and gave a funny look to Song Yu who was almost at the door. Song Yu was tidying her hair when she heard his mock and looked upon his gaze. She blushed again when she had a guilty conscience.

    ¡°Am I disturbing you guys?¡± Qi Chengyue asked in uncertainty, her gaze shifted from Song Yu to Qi Chengzhi who was sitting on the sofa.

    When Song Yu went to open the door, Qi Chengzhi quickly grabbed the nket and put it on top of his thighs, covering the boneration he had.

    ¡°No,¡± Song Yu answered,cking in confidence and avoiding Qi Chengyue¡¯s gaze.

    Qi Chengyue raised her eyebrows. She knew something was going on between Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi just now but she could not contain her curiosity and asked on purpose, ¡°If not then why was your face so red?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu knew Qi Chengyue was asking on purpose and she red at her.

    Qi Chengyue held herughter, then she immediately became serious when she heard Qi Chengzhi coughed.

    She turned her head towards Qi Chengzhi and saw that he was sitting with a nket on his crossed legs.

    ¡°Big brother, why are you covering yourself in nket?¡± Qi Chengyue asked again as she felt this couple¡¯s behaviour was bizarre.

    ¡°Cold,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered, his face expressionless.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue was stunned and remained speechless for a while, then she said, ¡°It¡¯s June now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi became cold and looked at Qi Chengyue with disgust. ¡°Why are you here? Where is Cheng Dongge?¡±

    ¡°Did you forget that he went to J City for meeting today and will only be back this evening?¡± Qi Chengyue looked at him strangely as if he was possessed by extraterrestrials.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi adjusted his posture and said, ¡°It is normal to forget things when I¡¯m busy at work.¡±

    Qi Chengyue narrowed her eyes and measured him with the eye, attempting to find possible abnormality in him.

    After looking at him for a while without sess, she pulled Song Yu and sit down together. ¡°I wanted to ask you something since Cheng Dongge wasn¡¯t here.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Song Yu was surprised.

    ¡°Ehm... I¡¯m apanying Cheng Dongge to visit his parents in Li City this weekend,¡± Qi Chengyue blushed, her voice softened as she spoke.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good news!¡± Song Yu said happily.

    ¡°You see, his mother wasn¡¯t impressed with me and I¡¯m not sure how his father thought of me, but her mother was very mindful of my divorced status and the Qi family¡¯s background. First, Cheng Dongge remained single until now but I¡¯m going to get married for the second time which was unfair to him. Secondly, she feared that I may act obstinate and self-willed and with the Qi family¡¯s support, he may not get the respect he deserved. Thus I wanted to give them a good impression on first visit, what do you think I should get for them?¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    ¡°They¡¯re very mindful of my status so I felt if the gift I bought was too expensive, they may think that I¡¯m trying to oppress them with wealth, and because I was born with a silver spoon in the mouth, I have no idea how to differentiate from the cheap to the expensive. However if the gift I chose was too cheap, they may think I bought the gift on perfunctory thinking and can¡¯t show my sincerity, so I want to ask for your opinion on the most suitable gift I can possibly get. If I ask Cheng Dongge, he will say anything is fine as long as I am sincere because they¡¯re his parents,¡± Qi Chengyue struggled with the issues she faced and sighed.

    Song Yu felt that Qi Chengyue really did changed. Initially it made no difference if he was Jian Yi or others, she would not even bother to ask what their parents would like as long as she had shown her intention. She would not care even if they dislike the gifts because anyhow her partner¡¯s family background would not even be at the same level as the Qi family. Whenever she felt superior then she would not bother to know how her partner¡¯s family would think.

    However, now Qi Chengyue had to consider a lot of issues for Cheng Dongge¡¯s family.

 Chapter 245 - Where Was The Mistress When I Had Nothing To Do With You

    <h4>Chapter 245: Where Was The Mistress When I Had Nothing To Do With You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, now Qi Chengyue had to consider a lot of issues for Cheng Dongge¡¯s family.

    ¡°In that case, let us have dinner together after Cheng Dongge returned back. We¡¯ll go to the shopping center after dinner and take a look around to see if there¡¯s any suitable gifts. We can also ask for Cheng Dongge¡¯s opinion too as he understands what his parents like the most,¡± Song Yu said.

    ¡°Really? Thank you so much!¡± Qi Chengyue said happily.

    ¡°Now you regarded me as an outsider,¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s awkward condition now stabilized, then he removed the nket, put on his shoes and said, ¡°You can go shopping but don¡¯t shop for too long,ter you will be tired.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± Song Yu said softly, then she gestured to Qi Chengzhi as she feared Qi Chengyue may misunderstood, thinking she would not want to help her at all.

    ¡°She is pregnant for three months now,¡± Qi Chengyue immediately exined without waiting Qi Chengyue¡¯s further questioning.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s jaw dropped and was in absolute shock.

    After a while, she calmed down and said, ¡°You guys are so good at hiding stuff! We chit-chat and had meals together for multiple times but not even a little bit of information disclosure? Back at the old mansion, not a single person noticed, even Grandmother Qi who had sharp eyes did not notice at all.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t really notice anything at the third month of pregnancy and she didn¡¯t be chubbier either,¡± Qi Chengzhi said calmly but his expression appeared as if he was showing off.

    ¡°True too and the older generation has a saying, something about do not announce when it is before three months of pregnancy,¡± Qi Chengyue nodded and did not think much about it.

    Song Yu said, ¡°Just now I forgot to discuss with you. We should find time and go to the hospital to check for the baby¡¯s gender. The Qi family was mostly simr to the other big families and would expect the first grandchild to be a boy, so we should check the gender first then we will announce when we go back. Best not to leave the elders guessing with excitement. I was hoping for a girl but I feared that the elders may want a male grandchild and they may feel disappointed when the baby turned out to be a girl after all the excitement and expectation.¡±

    ¡°The Qi family loves all no matter male or female. Look at Chengyue, she was pampered the most in the family,¡± Qi Chengzhi gestured at Qi Chengyue.

    Qi Chengyue blushed, feeling peevish.

    However he agreed on Song Yu¡¯s trepidation because Qi Chengyue was the second child.

    If Song Yu¡¯s first child was a female, then she may feel stressed.

    The words he said was meant to calm Song Yu down.

    Which was why he agreed for the baby¡¯s gender checkup before telling the elders. It was for the best to not let the elders had emotional fluctuations.

    To be honest, they would be a little disappointed if they found out the grandchild was a girl, but they would still love the granddaughter with all their heart.

    However, he hoped for a boy, not because of the inheritance issue but he could not bear the thought of the daughter he loved forever would be married off to another guy.

    ¡°You also don¡¯t inform any of the family members first,¡± Song Yu reminded Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Rx, such important news should be announced only by you guys. I sealed my mouth shut so don¡¯t need to worry that I may leaked it,¡± Qi Chengyue promised.

    Song Yu smiled and took a look at the time, then she said, ¡°I should go back to the office now, see you tonight.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi fetched Song Yu back to the office and Qi Chengyue returned back to her office.

    Song Yu dialled the old mansion¡¯s phone number on their way back to her office. ¡°Grandmother, it¡¯s me, Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, let me tell you something but you gotta pretend that you don¡¯t know anything after listening to what I will say,¡± Song Yu acted mysteriously and even lowered her voice. Her act made Qi Chengzhiughed and he already knew what Song Yu nned to tell Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Why do we need to be so secretive?¡± Grandmother immediately became interested and sat up straight.

    ¡°It¡¯s Chengyue, she is going to visit Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents this weekend and this time, she is very serious and nervous at the same time about this. She came and asked me what¡¯s a suitable gift to get for them for her first visit,¡± Song Yu told grandmother of Qi Chengyue¡¯s trouble but of course she skipped the part regarding second marriage.

    No matter how kind-hearted was Grandmother Qi, she was still Qi Chengyue¡¯s grandmother and she would not allow anyone to dislike her precious granddaughter.

    ¡°Now that I think of it, I was empty-handed the first time I came to visit so I have no idea what¡¯s a suitable gift to get, so I want to ask for your help. What do you think is the most suitable for the age group of Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents? It should not be too expensive or else they¡¯ll feel stressed and yet it can show sincerity as well,¡± Song Yu asked.

    Grandmother Qi thought for a while and answered on the other side of the phone. Qi Chengzhi kept hearing ¡®Yes¡¯ from Song Yu and then she ended the call happily after thanking Grandmother Qi for her help and praised her. ¡°Grandmother, your ideas and knowledge were different from normal people. I¡¯ll do as you said and I think you will have a great-grandchild to y with soon.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew Grandmother Qi would be thrilled after hearing what Song Yu said.

    Song Yu hang up the phone. Qi Chengzhi took a nce at her and said, ¡°Why do I think that you¡¯re very skilled at coaxing grandmother?¡±

    ¡°What are you trying to say? You made me feel like I wasn¡¯t being sincere?¡± Song Yu grinned.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled too and grabbed her hand. ¡°I married a woman who are adept at coaxing which saves me time and energy.¡±

    ¡°Are you satisfied after marrying me?¡± Song Yu asked after grabbing his free hand which was not holding the steering wheel and rested her head on his shoulder.

    Qi Chengzhi gazed softly at her and his face handsome as usual.

    ¡°I am very satisfied,¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed her when he stopped his car before the traffic light

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue went to Chengshi after their work in the evening. The three of them drove two cars and they parked their cars on the road opposite of Chengshi.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue get down from the Touareg and greeted Song Yu after she crossed the road, then Song Yu went in the car.

    They did not have their dinner at Dynasty as the mall would have been closed when they were stuck in a terrible traffic jam from Dynasty to the mall after dinner, so they chose a restaurant with good reviews in the mall to have their dinner.

    The four of them went to a Yunnan restaurant in the mall. Song Yu was pregnant and she could not eat spicy food due to taboo reason, so they only ordered two spicy dishes which was Qi Chengyue¡¯s favourite. The rest of the food had a gentle voring.

    Meanwhile Song Yu asked Cheng Dongge about his parents¡¯ preferences and also their responses and attitudes towards the two of them.

    ¡°I asked my dad alone and he wasn¡¯t in denial regarding this issue. He is quite open-minded, but the problem is my mom. However, I felt that she just couldn¡¯t get over the issues for the time being. I had already persuaded my mom and she seemed to have understood half of it. Chengyue and I need to put more effort and give her some confidence to get over the other half,¡± Cheng Dongge said while pouring a ss of rice wine to Qi Chengyue.

    ...

    ...

    The four of them went to shop at every level of the mall after their dinner, attempting to find a suitable outfit for Shun Shaoyun.

    It was crowded at the moment in the mall. Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arm around Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and shielded her carefully, avoiding every possible knocks and bumps she may encounter.

    Cheng Dongge held Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand and paid attention to the crowds. He would pull Qi Chengyue closer to him whenever they came near to a crowd.

    They were walking steadily initially, then they slowed down and finally stood still.

    Gao Jingqiu was shopping with a woman at a women¡¯s fashion outlet. The woman had a typical appearance of a young model, with a heart-shaped face, big dewy eyes, a high nose bridge, pinkish sensual lips, fair skin and long hair reaching the waist.

    There was another woman standing in front of them, whom Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue knew. She was Huang Ziyue.

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu, recently you had been inattentive towards me because you found a new love, right? Now you¡¯re showing off your mistress at my presence despite the fact that I am still your girlfriend. Shouldn¡¯t you at least keep this away from me?¡± Huang Ziyue did not want to act without dignity in public but she could not contain her anger.

    To be honest, Huang Ziyue tried to go back to Cheng Dongge some moments ago because she felt insecurity as Gao Jingqiu had been acting perfunctory towards her and did not spend much time for her.

    Whenever Huang Ziyue called Gao Jingqiu or sent a WeChat message, he would just replied ¡®Yes¡¯ or ¡®Oh¡¯ without paying much attention, then he would ignore her afterwards saying that he was tired and wanted to go to bed.

    There were a few asions where Gao Jingqiu woulde and find Huang Ziyue for meals and fornication afterwards but she felt that he was just being bored of others and merely wanted to find her for a change.

    Huang Ziyue felt that she was the actual mistress and not an official girlfriend like what Gao Jingqiu initially promised.

    Huang Ziyue was not the type of person who would resign to fate, just like she took the initiative to start a rtionship with Cheng Dongge since high school. Their rtionship ended after three years when she understood his personality and she felt that her investment in rtionship had paid off. At least she knew how she felt when being together with Cheng Dongge and that was more than enough.

    However Huang Ziyue was dissatisfied with Cheng Dongge¡¯s identity and financial status. One day when she was at the bar with her friends, she met Gao Jingqiu. She became indecisive when Gao Jingqiu courted her and finally decided to start a rtionship with him.

    Huang Ziyue soon realized that Gao Jingqiu was not being serious in the rtionship. He was not the one who she could took control, then she started reliving the memories with Cheng Dongge and his dependability. She overheard from Gao Jingqiu¡¯s chauffeur regarding Cheng Dongge¡¯s actual ability and power and she started to feel regret to have realized Cheng Dongge was actually much better in every aspect than Gao Jingqiu.

    Just after when Huang Ziyue realized that she would not be able to get anything from Gao Jingqiu, she started to go back to Cheng Dongge, attempting to restart the rtionship.

    However, she did not expect that Cheng Dongge was already in a rtionship with Qi Chengyue.

    Nothing was more expensive than a missed opportunity. Not every mistakes could be forgiven and not every regret could be offset.

    Huang Ziyue was repentant and unable to resign to the fact that she did not get anything in the end from either side.

    Huang Ziyue came to the mall today to shop and relieve her tension, and she had Gao Jingqiu¡¯s supplementary credit card to spend as she knew her time with Gao Jingqiu wasing to an end, so she wanted to buy as much as she could using his card.

    However, she did not expect to see a much younger woman in her twenties wrapping her arms around Gao Jingqiu¡¯s arm when she went into the women¡¯s fashion outlet, and both of them were acting fondly as if they were alone in the outlet.

    Huang Ziyue could not contain her wrath and grief and she could not choose to ignore them, so she rushed in and came down on them like a ton of bricks. This was the scene where the group of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu witnessed.

    ¡°Where was the mistress when I had nothing to do with you?¡± Gao Jingqiu gave Huang Ziyue a disgusted look,cking the well-mannerism andpassion he initially had when he courted her.

    ¡°No rtionship? You camest night and now you imed we had no rtionship anymore? Gao Jingqiu, be a man for once and announce officially that we broke up. You had been keeping a distance from me, then you came looking for me when you missed me, now you¡¯re shopping with another woman and said we had no rtionship anymore?¡± Huang Ziyue felt despair and smiled coldly.

    ¡°You should part without any hard feelings. You¡¯re just embarrassing yourself with your constant entanglement. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re just taking an interest in my financial status, that¡¯s why you started a rtionship with me. Now you¡¯re shopping and paying for the goods using the supplementary card I gave you. You knew that I was keeping a distance with you and had a new crush but you¡¯re still using my supplementary card nheless, because you knew our rtionship will end soon and you wanted to use this opportunity to get more from me before we part, am I right?¡± Gao Jingqiu smirked and wrapped his arms around the young model¡¯s waist.

    Gao Jingqiu took out his cellphone from his pocket and took a nce at the text message notification. Those notifications were records of Huang Ziyue payment with his supplementary card today.

    ¡°Still want to make yourself the official girlfriend when you¡¯re actually a b*tch,¡± Gao Jingqiu mocked. He put the cellphone back into his pocket and pulled the young model closer to him. ¡°At least she was more honest than you. She didn¡¯t cover the fact that she was aiming for my financial status when we were together and didn¡¯t think of marriage at all. We just get what we need from each other, unlike you. Do you think I will really marry you? Are you aware of your own shorings and limitations? Amoner like you having a fantasy about marrying off into a big family? Cheng Dongge was being kind when he didn¡¯t break up with you first. To him, you¡¯re social climbing, so do you think you can social climb on me?¡±

    ¡°You-¡± Huang Ziyue went pale as she did not expect that his words would be so harsh. Hemented on her like she was worthless in front of the crowd.

    Huang Ziyue felt tinnitus and there was a shade of darkness covering her eyes. She did not dare to meet the crowd¡¯s gaze and wanted to hide as far as possible.

    Gao Jingqiu took his cellphone out again and dialled for the bank in front of Huang Ziyue for the termination of supplementary card that was in her hand.

    Huang Ziyue heard his statement and felt humiliated.

    Gao Jingqiu hang up the phone and gave a disdainful look on the goods on her hands. ¡°Consider these my payment forst night¡¯s fornication. Since we reached a consensus, from now on we are not rted in any way. You were once my woman so I¡¯ll ask Xiao Zhang to go and fetch you. Pack your belongings and leave the keys to the house to Xiao Zhang. If you have no ce to go then you are weed to stay for one more night only.¡±

    ¡°No need,¡± Huang Ziyue caught on to the minimal amount of proudness she had left and rejected coldly.

    Gao Jingqiu mocked her trivial proudness and left with the young model.

    Huang Ziyue lowered her head in embarrassment, and she saw Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue on her way out. Now she appeared as if all the blood had drained from her face.

    Did they witness everything that had happened just now?

    Did they overhear everything Gao Jingqiu said?

    Huang Ziyue quickly lowered her head and rushed away, avoiding direct eye contact with Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue were just staring at Huang Ziyue unconsciously, then they saw her rushing away, ignoring the people in her escape path and nearly rammed into the unfortunate soul.

    Qi Chengyue was about to remind her but it was toote, Huang Ziyue collided and all of her goods in her hands dropped, scattering around the floor.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Huang Ziyue said softly, praying hard that Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue would note and offer her help.

    Huang Ziyue was already so embarrassed, if the two of them came and showed her sympathy, she would have no idea how to face them.

    She was truly regretful now, she regretted breaking up with Cheng Dongge. Otherwise, they may have already registered for marriage now and would probably be preparing their marriage.

 Chapter 246 - I Was Simply Saying Goodnight To The Baby

    <h4>Chapter 246: I Was Simply Saying Goodnight To The Baby</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She now truly regretted breaking up with Cheng Dongge. Had she not done so they might have already registered and would now be preparing for the wedding.

    She did not want them to see her in such an embarrassing state. She did not want to look into Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes that were full of sympathy. It would only cause her more regret. She could not bear the Qi Chengzhi¡¯s undisguised disdain for her choices. She knew that it was toote for regret.

    Qi Chengyue was unwilling to seek out help from Huang Ziyue, knowing that Huang Ziyue might exploit the situation to lessen the distance between Cheng Dongge and herself. Qi Chengyue had never conveyed the true depth of their rtionship and Hung Ziyue had never enquired about it. She did not want Cheng Dongge to be reminded of the fond memories they shared together and be unable to reject her.

    Nheless, she did not want Cheng Dongge to think her narrow minded. Just as she was about to speak Cheng Dongge had grabbed her hand and pulled her away. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nced at Huang Ziyue who was crouching down, collecting the mass of scattered objects. ¡°If you want to help her...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. She would simply feel more embarrassed if I were to go and assist her. Let¡¯s just go.¡± As he spoke he did not even nce at Huang Ziyue. He only had eyes for Qi Chengyue. He gripped her hand tightly, lips curving into a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t worry I won¡¯t look down upon you for being petty.¡±

    Qi Chengyue stared at him, speechless.

    Song Yu offered Qi Chengzhi a smile as she encircled his waist. His arm was still draped lightly over her shoulder as followed Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Despite feeling contented, they were still concerned that the clothes they bought would not suit Sun Shaoyu. She was no longer young and suffered chronic lower back pain, especially afterpleting her chores. To aid her, Qi Chengyue had purchased a vibrating back massager that doubled as a warmpressor. She would be able to use it on her shoulders or tie it around her waist. Toplement the massager, Qi CHengyue had also purchased two bottles of massage oil which wasuded by many as being highly effective in treating lower back and joint pain.

    In addition to that, she had also bought a smart vacuum cleaner that was shaped like a disc. It automatically glided across the floor sucking up dust and dirt.

    She had also purchased some sports equipment and healthcare products for Cheng Zhaohui, who had retired but still enjoy picking up a game or two.

    Once the four of them had split off into their individual pairs, Qi Chengyue¡¯s mind once more drifted back to Huang Ziyue. She had been unable to do so whilst out shopping with Song Yu.

    Now as she sat in silence she was unable to stop thinking about Huang Ziyue.

    She cast a furtive nce at Cheng Dongge, retraining herself from asking the one question that gued her mind. The battle was not a long one as she was unable to resist the pull and the worry and she asked, ¡°Weren¡¯t you at all concerned when you saw Huang Ziyue?¡±

    Cheng Dongge stared at her and gave her a mocking scoff.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you just say that you didn¡¯t mind my pettiness?¡± said Qi Chengyue slightly unnerved by his stare.

    She had only managed to summon up the courage to speak because of what Cheng Dongge had said to her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not looking down on you. Nor am I judging your petty ways,¡± chuckled Cheng Dongge. ¡°I¡¯m merely amused by how long you had managed to restrain yourself from asking that question.¡±

    Qi Chengyue poked at his arm and asked softly, ¡°Are you going to tell me the answer or not?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± he smiled. ¡°I¡¯m not saddened by the encounter but I do feel a little upset about the situation. She was trying to obtain something that was but ended with nothing. It¡¯s quite upsetting to see something like that.¡±

    Cheng Dongge gazed down at Qi Chengyu as he said, ¡°She is only a passer-by in my life. She is not the one with me right now.¡±

    Qi Chengyue lowered her head and gave a sigh of resignation, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I am the one for you but I hope that I am.¡±

    In that moment, Cheng Dongge reached for hers. Slender fingers slid between the spaces of hers, clutching them tightly causing a warmth to spread through her.

    Then she heard him murmur, ¡°I hope I am the one for you too.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were still on their way back home. She was sitting in the Land Rover¡¯s front passenger seat and talking to Grandmother Qi on the phone, informing her of their earlier purchases.

    Grandmother Qi nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Not bad, the things you all bought were quite appropriate.¡±

    After chatting with Grandmother Qi for a while more, Song Yu hung up her phone and heard Qi Chengzhi say to her, ¡°Why do I get the feeling that you are now a special agent.¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Song Yu rolled her eyes. ¡°Since when did a husband call his wife a secret agent?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi reached out, grabbed her hand and pulled it to his thigh. ncing at her, he said, ¡°I was thinking ofing home earlier tonight and spending some quality time with you in our bedroom after dinner.¡±

    Song Yu said nothing, despite understanding the implication. They had been restraining themselves, and she would be lying if she said that she wasn¡¯t craving for his attention.

    Her fingers glided into the gaps between his, and she gave his hand a gentle squeeze. His fingers were long and his palm vast whenpared to her graceful slender fingers and delicate palm. No matter the angle she always found those long lithe fingers attractive.

    She thought that if there was a hand to that would be so skilled at pleasuring a woman that hand would surely belong to Qi Chengzhi.

    Grasping his hand, she pulled it to her lips and pressed a chaste kiss.

    Satisfied, she hugged his arm, leaned in and rested her head upon his shoulder. ¡°We still have the whole night,¡± she whispered, pressing herself against the entire length of his arm.

    Qi Chengzhi tightened his grip around her hand, bringing it up to press a kiss against her dainty fingers. As they were about to reach Viewpark Residence the traffic light turned red, forcing Qi Chnegzhi to stop.

    The light would remain red for the next 60 seconds and Qi Chengzhi took the opportunity to brush his lips against her forehead. ¡± You want it too,¡± he murmured.

    Feeling his lips against her skin caused the familiar prickling of desire and nerves. His warm baritone aroused her even further. Waiting any longer, after having to abstain for such a long period was pure torture to Song Yu.

    Song Yu blushed at the carnal desire that seized her. She buried her head into his shoulder, unable to meet his enquiring gaze.

    ¡°Why is your face so red? What could you be possibly thinking about?¡± His eyes traversed the expanse of her bright red cheeks, vibrant and gorgeous, He wanted to reach across and kiss her.

    Her appearance with the blossoming blush could seduce any men intomitting any number of crimes.

    His lips glided lower: first to her brows and then to those tititing cheeks. His breath carried the faint traces of cologne and aftershave, as his cheeks with their stubbles prickled hers. Song Yu quivered in anticipation. Raising her head slightly, she kissed his chin. ¡°The light has turned green,¡± she sighed.

    Turning back to the traffic light, he smiled and shifted back into position.

    Qi Chengzhi felt a faint reluctance to leave the car, once he had parked it. But he would not risk Song Yu¡¯s health, despite it being already three months.

    Killing the engine, he pulled the key out of the ignition and got out. Song Yu had barely gotten her seatbelt off before he was by her side, pulling her out of the car.

    She gave a cry of rm when she was shoved against the car door and kissed. The kiss was aggressive full of wanting and need.

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± gasped Song Yu as she turned away. ¡°Let¡¯s get in first.¡±

    Panting, he rested his forehead against hers; reiming the lost control. They stood like that for quite some time, before he pulled back and escorted her into the elevator. There was a surveince camera in the elevator, and this ensured that Qi Chengzhi did not act recklessly. He did, however, keep her within the tight confines of his arm as he nuzzled her hair and kissed her.

    Song Yu chuckled, a soft sniffling sound.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked down and saw her smiling sweetly. Her gaze became even gentler and her voice was a little hoarse as spun her thoughts into words. ¡°I was just thinking about how scandalous it would have been if you had kissed me like this when you were eighteen and I was nine.¡±

    Even Qi Chengzhi could not help theughter that escaped him, ¡°If this is what you are thinking, then are you saying that I am a beast?¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t I who said it,¡± replied Song Yu with a smile.

    Qi Chengzhi snorted and continued hugging her tightly, as he carried on nuzzling her hair.

    As the elevator doors slid open, Qi Chengzhi pulled her out and straight into their house and up the stairs not bothering with the polite niceties.

    Aunt Yang was left to stand there. ¡®Why was there a need to rush?¡¯

    mming the door, Qi Chengzhi began kissing her. He lifted her slightly and with a guttural voice full of needmanded her to: ¡°Help me unbuckle my belt.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s breaths came in spurts as trembling fingers failed to undo the buckle even as he pressed her into the bed.

    ¡°It would appear that you need more practice. We don¡¯t want you to lose your skill,¡± he chuckled, pressing against her.

    Three months of abstinence would not be cured by a single toss in the sheets, but he did not one to exhaust her. And, so, with great strength of will, he restrained himself.

    Unable to hold back, he left for the bathroom; staying for quite some time.

    When he got back into bed, Song Yu draped herself over him, adjusting slightly to make herself morefortable. She rested her face on his chest, inhaling the mix of musk and sweat.

    She kissed his Adam¡¯s apple, and murmured, ¡°Don¡¯t go to the bathroom. I can help you.¡±

    Upon hearing this passionate deration, Qi Chengzhi had the desire to once again make the journey to the bathroom, but, instead, he kissed her fiercely. ¡°Please stop seducing me. If you continue on this way I won¡¯t be able to remain calm.¡±

    Song Yu remained silent for a little while before she rolled off him turning her body to the side. She left a wide gap between them, wide enough to fit another person.

    Without her warmth, Qi Chengzhi felt the coolness of the night. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he asked as he spooned her, satiating the emptiness and the cold he felt when she was not with him.

    Song Yu tucked in her knees, and he slid his in-between hers.

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want me to seduce you? So I moved further away,¡± said Song Yu, her voice gentle and without malice.

    ¡°Are you angry?¡± whispered Qi Chengzhi. He was lying behind her, taking the opportunity to kiss the soft round lobe of her ear.

    ¡°No,¡± said Song Yu, deliberately turning around to face him, so that she might convince him. ¡°I won¡¯t be able to stop myself from touching you if I am so close to you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sighed and supported himself on his arms, as he rose to find her lips.

    He subtly maneuvered her body so that it once againy atop his.

    ¡°Even if I were to have to go to the bathroom more often I would rather bear that than not hug you.¡±

    Song Yu smiled and closed her eyes, settling into his embrace.

    They remained infortable silence for a while, before Song Yu spoke. ¡°You just told me not to seduce you. So, why is your hand moving further down?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi had just been inching his way down but stopped at Song Yu¡¯s words.

    ¡°I was simply saying goodnight to the baby,¡± he replied without a pause or a single change in his expression.

    ¡°Then go on and say it. I¡¯m listening,¡± retorted Song Yu with a grin.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted the nkets and slid downwards. It was not long before Song Yu felt something warm and wet press into her abdomen.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Just wishing him goodnight.¡±

    She gasped, gripping the pillows and nkets firmly as she tried to stifle the moans.

    Qi Chengzhi felt rather invigorated. He had not felt like this in quite a while.

    Even Song Yu was bright and rosy. She looked prettier than usual, though it was hard to ce the source of beauty.

    As they were having breakfast, the discussed whether they should make an appointment with the hospital for this Saturday.

    Qi Chengzhi had instructed Ruan Danchen to stand as the intiff in thewsuit against Mu Sisi for false usations. So, Ruan Danchen had been practicing with Lawyer Song, who had simted a variety of potential scenarios that could ur in court. Song Yu too had apanied Ruan Danchen in these simtions.

    Qi Chengzhi was rather busy, and his schedule was tightly packed. Nheless, he still made time for Song Yu: apanying her during meals, and fetching her from work. Their time was limited, unlike before but he managed to maximize the time he had with her by forcing as much work as he could into office hours and minimizing his dinner parties (and where unavoidable converting them into lunch parties).

    Because they could go for the prenatal examination at any time, they decided to have it on a Saturday rather than to go during one of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hectic workdays.

    ...

    ...

    At nine o¡¯clock at night on Wednesday, Mu Huaisheng heard a rigid creaking sound as he was rotating his head in an effort to loosen his stiff neck.

 Chapter 247 - You Had Sprained Your Ankle, You Shouldnâ€™t Touch the Ground, Donâ€™t Be Stubborn

    <h4>Chapter 247: You Had Sprained Your Ankle, You Shouldn¡¯t Touch the Ground, Don¡¯t Be Stubborn</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At nine o¡¯clock at night on Wednesday, Mu Huaisheng heard a rigid creaking sound as he was rotating his head in an effort to loosen his stiff neck.

    Sighing heavily, he leaned back in his chair, his head filled with thoughts concerning his work. He extended his arm to massage his stiff back and switched off theputer. He got up from his chair nced at the nightscape from his window. Then, he took his car keys and left the office.

    As usual, he conducted a habitual routine check of all the floors before he exited the building. Walking past the design department, he noticed that the lights were still on. It was not umon for an employee to turn off the lights, but neither was it umon for an employee to be working overtime. He walked into the department room, instantly spying a young woman buried in a mountain of work. She appeared frail, thin and weak.

    Taking a closer look, Mu Huaisheng was surprised to discover that it was Yu Keyao he was staring at. She had been rmended by Mu Sisi, and they had even waived her interview. She had been epted into thepany purely by means of the backdoor. Since it was an open secret, it was to no one¡¯s surprise that other employees abhorred her and, as a result, discriminated against her. The knowledged served as an exnation for her overtime.

    In the beginning, he had wanted to remain silent and leave, allowing her to continue working. But something about her, the dedicated lean of a serious worker, the movement of her pencil as she sketched and drew, everything reminded him of Ruan Danchen.

    When Ruan Danchen was drawing a diagram or pondering over design ns, she was serious. Like how Yu Keyao was serious, as she bent over her own diagrams, pondering and drawing. He felt that at this moment, Yu Keyao was matching up with the Ruan Danchen in his mind.

    Mu Huaisheng inadvertently walked into the office and stopped in front of her. They were separated by two tables. ¡°Why are you still here?¡± he asked.

    Yu Keyao immersed in her work had not noticed Mu Huaisheng and was startled. Raising her head, she stood up. ¡°Director Mu, I have yet toplete my work.¡±

    Mu Huaishing took a cool and calcted nce at her table. ¡°Are all of these yours?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a novice. One without any experience, so this is good for me,¡± replied Yu Keyao with a faint smile. Her fingers curved gracefully, like the delicate petals of a spring blossom, as she tucked a strand of her behind her ear.

    Mu Huaisheng found himself to be rather taken by her mannerisms, as he stared at Yu Keyao. He found that she had a quiet, contented air about her, causing him to inadvertently rx.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to make up excuses. I¡¯m well aware that you have been on the receiving end of the office¡¯s ire. They had purposely left it all to you, and arge part of these you need notplete,¡± drawled Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was hired because of a good word put in by Miss Mu. I understand that I was riding on the coattails of my rtions and not on my own experience. No matter where I go there will always be discrimination. And, if I were to ce myself in their shoes, I can appreciate their animosity towards me. I too can appreciate the injustice of having to slog my way through interviews whilst others have it much easier. So, I¡¯d rather improve myself by learning as much as possible, and prove my worth and value to others who have looked down upon me.¡± She bowed her head slightly, and Mu Huisheng could not help but notice how beautiful she looked with her head lowered.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, I¡¯ll send you back,¡± said Mu Huaisheng.

    Despite being ttered by the offer, Yu Keyao shook her head, ¡°No thank you. I want to finish this before I leave for the night. Plus, I rented a house near thepany.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng did not push the topic any further, and he turned around and left. As he walked away, Yu Keyao felt disappointment surging within her.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huishang, sitting in his car, lit a cigarette. He watched the building. It did not take long before the lights of the Design Department were flicked off. A few more minutes and Yu Keyao walked out of thepany. She did not call for a taxi, neither did she head towards the subway, instead, she began walking down the footpath.

    Mu Huaisheng started the engine and began tailing her, before tapping the horn and stopping beside her. ¡°Get in, I¡¯ll take you home.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi¡¯s date at court was scheduled for Friday, and Song Yu had resolved that she would be apanying Ruan Danchen to the House of Justice.

    That morning Qi Chengzhi, who had a meeting at J City, left early. In his stead, Cheng Dongge was to apany them and ensure that Song Yu remained safe. Qi Chengyue, knowing the date, decided to follow them.

    Ruan Danchen seated herself in the intiff¡¯s chair, whilst Song Yu and party sat at the corner of thest row. They did not want to attract the attention of Mu Sisi in case she decided to harm them.

    If it were under normal circumstances, they would not take such precautions, but, since Song Yu was pregnant, it was imperative that they avoided any potential harm.

    Song Yu noticed Mu Sisi¡¯s change of hairstyle. Where there was none before, now sat a thick fringe of hair, covering the entirety of her forehead. The style did not suit her, due to her facial structure.

    Song Yu then remembered a rather interesting piece of information: Chu Zhaoyang had told her that Mu Sisi had been struck by Gui Rongxuan, leaving a ratherrge wound on her forehead. If that were true then the wound would not have had enough time topletely heal, exining the unsightly fringe.

    Mu Sisi was ring at Ruan Danchen, and, so, had not noticed Song Yu. She did not at all appear worried about thewsuit.

    Both, Qi Chengzhi and Lawyer Song, had informed Song Yu and Ruan Danchen that this would be an unwinnablewsuit. The defendants had evidence that undermined their case, and the person in charge of the factory, who had been involved in the incident, had pleaded guilty to all charges.

    Therefore, the aim of thewsuit would be to harass the other party and redeem Ruan Danchen¡¯s image in the eyes of the public.

    As predicted, the scapegoat, prepared by the Mu Huaisheng, pleaded guilty to all counts and insisted that Mu Sisi was not to be med in any way. They were forced to drop the case, and Mu Sisi was cleared on all counts.

    The scapegoat, on the other hand, was rewarded handsomely by the Mu Family. Thewyer hired to represent him managed to bring him under the charge of an unsessful attempt of false usation and procured a light sentence.

    Despite attempting to avoid her while walking out, they still managed to bump into Mu Sisi. Cheng Dongge maintained his poker face but was ever vignt.

    Fortunately, Mu Huaisheng, who was beside Mu Sisi, only allowed her a fierce re before dragging her away.

    Cheng Dongge sent Song Yu and Ruan Danchen back to Chengshi.

    As they were driving, Song Yu texted Qi Chengzhi, ¡®The case is closed. Mu Sisi is cleared of all charges,¡¯

    Shortly after the message was sent, Song Yu received a call. She answered. ¡°Are you unhappy with the oue?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rich, dulcet voice echoed through the speaker.

    ¡°No, both of you had informed us of the oue. It is enough that we were able to help get rid of the negative impression that people had of Danchen,¡± replied Song Yu. ¡°Have you finished your meeting?¡±

    ¡°Yes, Chang Lai and I are on the way back right now. I should reach by the afternoon,¡± said Qi Chengzhi. Since J City and B City were right next to each other, Qi Chengzhi had decided to have Chang Lai drive him there in the Land Rover.

    ¡°Tell Chang Lai to drive slower. You should be careful on the roads,¡± urged Song Yu, aware that the distance between the two cities was a considerable one.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± hummed Qi Chengzhi. He did not hang up, and neither did Song Yu.

    She casted a furtive nce at Ruan Danchen and blushed. Leaning toward the window, she lowered it and looked outside. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you hanging up?¡± came a rather amused voice.

    ¡°Well I am hanging up now,¡± quipped Song Yu, albeit unhappily. She did not need to hear his voice, she was even happy with just being able to hear the sound of his even breaths, radiating through the speaker.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± agreed Qi Chengzhi, unaware of his mistake. With a heavy heart Song Yu hung up.

    A whileter and the flicker of the notification light caught Song Yu¡¯s attention.

    ¡®Missing me?¡¯

    Song Yu could not resist the smile that spread across her face. She was delighted and restless all at once.

    ¡®Mhm,¡¯ she texted back.

    ¡®I was thinking about you all through the meeting. I don¡¯t like leaving you by yourself in City B,¡¯ he replied, in what seemed like a split second.

    Song Yu blushed. Her thoughts flew to a time before their rtionship. Even then he had enjoyed teasing her with short texts, and she thought herself peculiar for the unexpected feelings that they inspired within her. She had found the words he sent her to be far more significant than when he spoke them; they sparked an inexplicable excitement.

    ¡®Me too,¡¯ she typed out with her thumb, backspacing a few times as the wild thrumming of her heart had caused her finger to slip asionally. ¡®Although we don¡¯t see each other during work, I feel at ease knowing that somewhere in this city you are there. It feels different knowing that you are in another city.¡¯

    Song Yu had been rather embarrassed to express these feelings of her during their call as Cheng Dongge, Qi Chengyue and Ruan Danchen were in the car, resulting in her typing it all out now.

    ¡®Then should I have youe along the next time I go on a business trip?¡¯ he asked.

    ¡®No, I will be disturbing your work.¡¯

    So, the texts went on; back and forth, back and forth until Song Yu arrived at Cheng Shi.

    ¡®Get onto WeChat.¡¯

    Logging into her ount, Song Yu saw a picture of City B¡¯s highway tollbooth. She made a rough calction and estimated his time of arrival. Quickly, she took her leave and gged down a cab.

    Although she was not in thepany of Qi Chengzhi, who had yet to arrive, no one had stopped her from entering his office at Qilin.

    Waiting, she surfed the inte. An article of the trial appeared, and Song Yu decided to read it. The article did not urately portray the events that took ce at the trial. The article imed that My Huaisheng had not provided any substantial evidence, despite him providing concrete evidence at the trial. Nheless, they had seeded in proving Ruan Danchen¡¯s innocence and restored her reputation.

    Song Yu sat watching the news before she got up and retrieved a nket from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s closet. It did not take her long to slip into sleep.

    When Qi Chengzhi returned, he was seized with an indescribable joy at seeing Song Yu sleeping.

    Gently, he shut the door and tiptoed toward her; not wanting to wake her up. Crouching down, he studied her face, calm and beautiful in sleep.

    ¡°The delicate flower of the Asiatic apple craves more rest in spring,¡± murmured Qi Chengzhi with a soft smile. It was a line from a well known Chinese poem.

    His slender fingers brushed a strand of hair and tucked it behind her ear, revealing a full face and full rose-tinted lips that he could not help but kiss. She did not wake, and he rose, walking quietly to the window and rolling down the shutters, before seating himself at his desk and booting theputer. Work was not something that can be avoided.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu felt herself being held in warm, strong arms. She snuggled closer into the embrace, inhaling the familiar scent. Her sleepden eyes fluttered open though she made no move to free herself from his embrace. ¡°You¡¯re back,¡± she murmured, resting her head into the hollow crook of his neck.

    ¡°Yes. You best get up now; we¡¯re going home,¡± he said, running his fingers through her hair and pressing a gentle kiss by the corner of her eye.

    It took her a short while to dispel thest vestiges of sleep, but when she did, she grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wrist to examine his watch. Six o¡¯clock.

    ¡°What time did youe back?¡± asked Song Yu.

    ¡°Around three o¡¯clock,¡± answered Qi Chengzhi as he brushed away the stray strands of hair so that he might stroke the corner of her eye.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me earlier? I took a day off in order to surprise you, and instead of weing you I fell asleep,¡± she pouted in disappointment; her hands circled around his waist and she once moreid her head on the crook of his neck.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and kissed her lips. ¡°I was surprised. You can¡¯t imagine the satisfaction of seeing you lying there as I work. If I missed you all I needed to do was look over.¡±

    Hearing this, Song Yu did not want to release him from her embrace; she did not want to rise. All she wanted to do was to remain here, embracing him.

    Song Yu was unconsciously acting like a spoilt child, with a rather confused and sleepy expression. Hands that caressed her waist slowly moved up her back, as his lips found hers in a kiss.

    He leaned back against the sofa with Song Yu on hisp. His hand supported her neck as he traveled the contours of her neck.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the office,¡± she sighed, knowing full well of his intentions. Her eyes were misty and dark.

    ¡°I locked the door.¡± He seized her lips once more, and she felt desire prickling her body. She felt a moral need to stop him, however, her limbs were heavy and lust clouded her judgment.

    Their bodies were tightly pressed together, and she could feel a deep blush extending from her crown to her breast.

    Qi Chengzhi watched her. He saw her half mast eyes, theirshes dusty and dark against her fair skin made her appear meek, tantalizing the predator within him.

    He rained down delicate kisses, as she arched against him till her bare shoulder met with the cool ss of the coffee table and the deep valleys thaty beyond her waist cradled his long legs. She watched him as he moved deeper into her until finally, he sat deep within her channel.

    Qi Chengzhi gave a huff of satisfaction, ¡°I would like to have done this much earlier.¡±

    Song Yuy wide awake within his arms, nuzzling his neck. A faint dusty blush colored her cheeks as sheid quietly next to him.

    Every now and then she could feel him press a kiss into some part of her while shey there exhausted. Her stamina was not what it once was, and all she wanted to do was lie there in a boneless heap.

    Qi Chengzhi enthralled by his wife¡¯s supplication could not refrain from showering her with kisses. Once he was satisfied he lovingly wiped her, and helped her dress. She did not once move her limbs as he dressed her, choosing to let him lift her arms and legs when necessary. It proved to be a rather difficult task for Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°It has only been two months, why are you so weak?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi, his eyes bright with mischief, though his voice maintained its usualzy drawl.

    Song Yu lying on her belly responded with a muffled voice, ¡°My waist aches, and, so do my legs.¡±

    Silently, Qi Chengzhi massaged her legs and thighs. ¡°Feeling any better?¡± Song Yu nodded as her stomach gave a sudden, demanding rumble.

    A deep red colored her cheeks when she saw him smirk, worry filled her.

    ¡°I was already hungry when I woke up, and you still had your way. Now you have the audacity tough at me?!¡± Song Yu stomped her foot, her heel knocking against his calf.

    ¡°Why do you keep on abusing me?¡± gasped Qi Chengzhi as he rubbed his calf, faking the pain.

    Song Yu remained silent.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at his watch, it was almost half-past seven. ¡°It¡¯s gettingte, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Song Yu could not fathom the reason behind her actions, although, after much deliberating, she narrowed it down to pregnancy hormones.

    She stretched her hands toward Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°I was tired because of you, my legs were feeling weak.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was standing still in front of her and lowered his head to stare at her.

    Song Yu was feeling uneasy due to his stare; she forced herself to say, ¡°Carry me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi scrutinized her for a very long time, before finally pulling up his sleeves, revealing ropes of defined muscles.

    He squatted down, giving her his back. ¡°Come on,¡± his voice was steady and deep; sheughed and got on.

    It waste and most of the employees, save the ones who were working overtime, had gone home. The floor was empty and there was no fear of being seen.

    Qi Chengzhi carried her to his private elevator, got in and pressed the button. Once the elevator reached the first floor, the doors slid open and he exited with Song Yu still cradled safely on his back.

    Looking around he froze.

    Luo Yushu and some of his colleagues from the engineering department were standing in front of the staff elevator that was located right next to his. When they saw him, with Song Yu on his back they became a flustered disarray of men who did not know how to act or what to do. They all wished that they had gotten on that elevator a few minutes earlier.

    Song Yu hid her reddened face into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back and tried to shimmy off him. He did not release her and gave her a warning pinch instead. Song Yu stilled.

    ¡°Director!¡± eximed Luo Yushu in a hurry.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was stony. ¡°It¡¯ste. Why are all of you still here?¡±

    Luo Yushu felt that he was extremely unfortunate. ¡°Director, we¡¯re working overtime today. We just came back from dinner.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi coolly nodded his head, ¡°Keep up the good work.¡±

    After saying that, he continued walking with Song Yu on his back. Luo Yushu truly admired him after seeing his conduct. He really deserved to be called director, he was so steady and calm, and he continued to carry her without any noticeable changes in his expression!

    ¡°Put me down,¡± said Song Yu hesitantly. She regretted a lot after thinking of her pretentious behavior just now.

    She saw the root of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears were blushing, but suddenly she heard him raised his voice and said, ¡°You had sprained your ankle, you shouldn¡¯t touch the ground. Don¡¯t be stubborn.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu.

    Luo Yushu peered at the slim ankles of the director¡¯s wife, but they did not look like they were sprained at all!¡±

    When they reached the entrance of thepany, Song Yu wanted to get off his back but Qi Chengzhi refused to release her no matter what. He carried her to the Land Rover and into the car. He then went to the other side of the car and got into it.

    Song Yu was feeling extremely guilty, she apologetically leaned toward him and hugged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. ¡°Hubby, sorry, I made you lose face.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did feel quite embarrassed just now, but he could never be angry with her. Furthermore, his anger would be soon be gone after he saw the look of her trying to please him.

    The corners of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth curved upward slightly and he pecked her at the lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing to pamper you.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you find an excuse and said that I sprained my ankle?¡± asked Song Yu without thinking much, but she regretted right after she finished asking.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi quietly withdrew his arm from her embrace and started the car. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove his car out.

 Chapter 248 - You Were Hugging My Arm, So I Couldnâ€™t Move

    <h4>Chapter 248: You Were Hugging My Arm, So I Couldn¡¯t Move</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi quietly withdrew his arm from her embrace and started the car. He stepped on the gas pedal and drove out.

    He nced at Song Yu and saw she had stopped leaning toward him, so he said, ¡°I wanted to change the gear just now. You were hugging my arm, so I couldn¡¯t move.¡±

    Song Yu took the hint and immediately clung to his arm again. She leaned her head on his shoulder and turned around to kiss him at the corner of his mouth. ¡°Hubby you¡¯re really good.¡±

    Then, she rested her head on his shoulder again.

    Q Chengzhi smirked. He felt that she was growing increasingly seductive.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue took the earliest ne on Saturday to Li City. They brought many bags of different sizes and carried many things.

    When they reached the district where Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents were living, it was already half-past ten.

    The weather was warm and pleasant. At this time, a lot of residents would be chatting with each other in the neighborhood. The female neighbor, whom they had metst time, was also around. This was the first time the other residents would meet Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Dongge, you brought your wife back!¡± Everyone spun around in astonishment.

    This time, Qi Chengyue felt less embarrassed than thest, as she had truly be Cheng Dongge¡¯s girlfriend now.

    ¡°Thisdy is really pretty.¡±

    ¡°Aww, your wife was so shy. You see, she¡¯s blushing now.¡±

    ¡°From one look, we could see he loves her dearly. He is carrying so much stuff alone because he¡¯s worried that she¡¯ll be tired.¡±

    His neighbors were chattering incessantly.

    Qi Chengyue was a little embarrassed. Thestment seemed to be implying that she was pampered and proud, and could not bear a little tiredness. If she were to help Cheng Dongge carry some of the things now, though, she would seem specious and farcical. She was also worried about them thinking she felt unhappy because of what they had said.

    Cheng Dongge smiled and said, ¡°Musn¡¯t a man pampers his wife? My parents always taught me so.¡±

    The initial neighbor who had passed her judgement now smiled and felt sorry for herment, so she fell silent. Cheng Dongge left with Qi Chengyue.

    Sun Shaoyun weed Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue into the house. She was startled as Cheng Dongge did not inform her that he wasing home with Qi Chengyue. ¡°Why all of a sudden youe back without informing us?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not respond. He put the stuff on the floor and said, ¡°Chengyue bought these for all of you.¡±

    ¡°Why did you buy so many things?¡± Sun Shaoyun felt a little sorry. ¡°Your dad went to the market; he will be back soon.¡±

    Cheng Dongge looked at the two pairs of shoes at the entrance. ¡°We have guests?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we didn¡¯t know you wereing back. Do you still remember Aunt Wu?¡± Just as Sun Shaoyun finished her question, a mother and her daughter walked toward them.

    When they saw that Cheng Dongge had brought a woman back with him, they felt shocked and stared nkly at them.

    Wu Mengzhen said with a smile, ¡°Hey Dongge, do you still remember me? Long time no see. You¡¯re getting more handsome.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Wu.¡± Cheng Dongge nodded and smiled.

    ¡°Big Brother Cheng,¡± A youngdy around twenty years of age stood beside Wu Mengzhen.

    ¡°Dongge, do you still remember Ruiying? She always came to our house to y when we were small,¡± said Sun Shaoyun smiling.

    Cheng Dongge did not answer her question. Instead, he said, ¡°This is my girlfriend, Qi Chengyue.¡±

    Wu Mengzhen and her daughter felt rather awkward.

    Wu Mengzhen hade today to arrange a blind date. She had heard that Cheng Dongge was still single and thought him quite outstanding in all aspects. She showed Zhao Ruiying his photo and she was satisfied with his qualities; as Cheng Dongge¡¯s appearance, charisma, and other features were all exceptional. Wu Mengzhen had brought Zhao Ruiying over today to introduce her to Sun Shaoyun.

    Before Cheng Dongge returned home, Wu Mengzhe had been discreetly hinting to Sun Shaoyun to introduce her daughter to Cheng Dongge. Sun Shaoyun had just been about to answer when Cheng Dongge had rang the doorbell.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stand at the entrance. Come in and sit so that we can chat,¡± Sun Shao Yun said hurriedly.

    Qi Chengyue sensed the awkwardness and followed Cheng Dongge to the living room.

    Sun Shaoyun fetched two more cups and made to serve them tea. Qi Chengyue took the teapot and said, ¡°Aunt, let me do it.¡±

    After she had filled Cheng Dongge¡¯s cup with tea, she saw that the cups of Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying were also empty, so she filled them up too. Finally, she poured the tea into her cup.

    Zhao Ruiying was very disappointed. It was rare to find a guy as excellent as Cheng Dongge, but he already had a girlfriend.

    Wu Mengzhenughed to break the silence. ¡°I remember these two being so close when they were younger, Dongge always brought Ruiying hiking and to the sea, but, after they entered junior high school, they stopped ying together.¡±

    ¡°Mum, we were still together every day in junior high school. Weren¡¯t you the one who thought that it was puppy love?¡± said a smiling Zhao Ruiying.

    Wu Mengzhen guffawed. ¡°It¡¯s true!¡±

    ¡°Ruiying went to a Canadian university to further her studies, right? She graduated this year and found a job in B City.¡± Sun Shaoyun turned to look at Zhao Ruiying. ¡°You¡¯re working in Yanhui, right?¡±

    Zhao Ruiying nodded humbly, but she appeared to be proud of it.

    ¡°I know thatpany. It¡¯s a big one, and the requirements to join it are very high. Ruiying, you must be really capable to have been epted,¡± praised Sun Shaoyun.

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind,¡± replied Wu Mengzhen modestly. ¡°I still have a long way to gopared to Dongge. He is the director¡¯s special assistant of Qilin. It is a high and powerful position. That¡¯s outstanding of him.¡±

    ¡°Both of you are working in B City and know each other. You should take care of Ruiying more, it is not easy for a girl to work in another part of the country.¡± Sun Shaoyun smiled and stopped being overly formal. She turned her head and said to Cheng Dongge, ¡°You should be familiar with Yanhui, right?¡±

    ¡°Not very familiar. Chengyue is more familiar with Young Master Yan,¡± said Cheng Dongge nonchntly.

    Qi Chengyue nced at him. He was definitely more familiar with Yan Beicheng, but she knew what his true purpose was, so she did not correct him, but just smiled.

    ¡°Young Master Yan? Big Brother Cheng, are you talking about the director of Yanhui? That Young Master Yan?¡± Zhao Ruiying was shocked. She stared at Cheng Dongge for a moment, then turned to Qi Chengyue.

    She could only think of Yan Beicheng when they spoke of ¡°Young Master Yan¡± and that person was rted to Yanhui.

    Cheng Dongge mentioned that Qi Chengyue was familiar with him. Although the family name of Qi Chengyue was ¡°Qi¡±, Zhao Ruiying had not thought too much of it because the Qi Family was beyond her horizons.

    Now, however, she was intrigued by the identity of Qi Chengyue. ¡°Miss Qi is?¡ª¡±

    She was interrupted by the ringing of a cell phone.

    ¡°Excuse me, I have to answer this.¡± Sun Shaoyun smiled and answered the call. Her face nched.

    ¡°We¡¯lle now!¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Cheng Dongge the moment she hung up.

    Sun Shaoyun did not realize that tears were flowing down her cheeks. When she started talking, she realised she was near incoherent. ¡°Your dad, he¨C Just now, a neighbor called... said he fainted... downstairs...¡±

    Cheng Dongge jolted up. Qi Chengyue quickly helped Sun Shaoyun up from the sofa. She was close to a nervous breakdown, and her whole body was weak. ¡°Aunt, is uncle downstairs?¡±

    Sun Shaoyun was unable to answer. She was just crying and nodding.

    ¡°What should I do? What should I do?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go downstairs and have a look,¡± said Qi Chengyue. She supported all her weight and helped her walk out.

    Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying followed them out.

    They went downstairs and saw Cheng Zhaohui lying on the ground in the courtyard. A neighbor from the third floor was standing beside him. He dared not simply move him.

    ¡°Lao Cheng!¡± Sun Shaoyun ran toward him, but her legs buckled after a few steps. Fortunately, Qi Chengyue was there to catch her.

    Cheng Dongge had already run to the side of Cheng Zhaohui. The neighbor said, ¡°I don¡¯t know why he fainted, so I didn¡¯t not move him. I¡¯m afraid it will aggravate his injury. I called the ambnce already.¡±

    Cheng Zhaohui had beening back from the market after buying groceries. The groceries were scattered on the ground around him.

    There were smashed eggs, some freshly ughtered farm chicken and fish, vegetables, fruits, and a smashed watermelon, whose red juice painted the ground.

    When Cheng Zhaohui had fainted, nobody had dared to help him up. They had not evene to have a closer look.

    Luckily this neighbor from the third floor recognized him as Cheng Zhaohui, and had then called 120[1] first before calling Sun Shaoyun.

    ¡°Thanks so much,¡± said Cheng Dongge.

    After a while, the ambnce arrived.

    The medical staff carried a stretcher out of the ambnce and carefully lifted Cheng Zhaohui onto it. Amidst the chaos, nobody noticed Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying following them into the ambnce.

    Sun Shaoyun¡¯s mind was upied by Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s health and she was not in the mood to worry about them.

    After the ambnce left, some people came and picked up the things which were scattered but still in good condition.

    Once they reached the hospital, the doctor examined Cheng Zhaohui and told them he had had a stroke. He needed surgical intervention, but they had to wait because they were fully booked.

    After some time, Cheng Zhaohui regained consciousness. Sun Shaoyun felt extremely relieved, and it was only then that she remembered Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying.

    ¡°This¨C Why did you all follow us?¡± asked Sun Shaoyun.

    ¡°Something bad happened to Lao Cheng and we¡¯re worried about him. If we did not wait for the results here, we would not be able to stop worrying, too! Besides, if we didn¡¯t visit you suddenly, you wouldn¡¯t have asked Lao Cheng to buy groceries, and he wouldn¡¯t have fainted outside,¡± said Wu Mengzhen guiltily.

    ¡°It was nothing. No need to be troubled by it. If there was a health issue, it would havee to light sooner orter,¡± said Sun Shaoyun. She said to Cheng Dongge, ¡°Dongge, maybe we should admit him into the hospital. We would feel more assured if he was hospitalized and we could just wait our turn for the surgery.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, Dongge, where is your girlfriend? When did she leave? Why did she suddenly disappear?¡± Wu Mengzhen looked around the ward and could not find Qi Chengyue. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and look for her? Maybe she was frightened!¡±

    Sun Shaoyun nced at Cheng Dongge. Although she did not show it, she was slightly curious and not very happy.

    How could Qi Chengyue just run off at such a crucial moment?

    The door of the ward opened at this moment and Qi Chengyue walked in. She was holding a phone in her hand. She said, ¡°Uncle, Aunt, Dongge, I have something to discuss with you all.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun nced at Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying. Cheng Zhaohui was still lying in bed, it was not possible to ask him to walk outside for the discussion.

    This was a family matter, and Sun Shaoyun was not going to allow Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying to join their discussion.

    Wu Mengzhen smiled and said, ¡°How about this: you all chat first. Lao Cheng, rest well. We¡¯lle visitter.¡±

    ¡°You should go back earlier and rest. No worries,¡± said Sun Shaoyun.

    After sending them away, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°Just now I heard the doctor say that we need to wait for the surgery, so I called my big brother and second brother. They¡¯re very close to the boss of Chutian Hospital. If Uncle could be moved there, they could arrange a surgery immediately, and the surgeon in charge would be the best in B City.¡±

    Qi Chengyue hesitated for a while as she was unsure whether it was appropriate to say this, but she continued to say, slowly, ¡°Chutian Hospital is much better than this hospital in terms of service, facilities, environment, and the skill of the medical personnel. We would feel more reassured if the surgery was to be done there. Besides, we know the people there and they may be able to assist us promptly should anything ur. Aunt, if you agree, my big brother and second brother wille and fetch you and Uncle there.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª¡± Sun Shaoyun was very touched. She had heard of Chutian Hospital before. Every day, countless patients from all parts of the country flocked to the hospital to seek medical treatment. The standard of medical care there were in another sspared to the hospitals in Li City.

    Cheng Dongge smiled at Qi Chengyue and said to Sun Shaoyun, ¡°Mum, if you¡¯re worried about the expenses, then don¡¯t. I can easily cover the bill with my sry.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was worried that Sun Shaoyun would think that the Qi Family was trying to show off their wealth and influence, so she quickly said, ¡°Aunt, don¡¯t worry; besides making use of our connections to help Uncle, my family won¡¯t be involved if you don¡¯t want us to be.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun was quite touched when she saw that Qi Chengyue was so concerned of the stress her family background could cause Sun Shaoyun. ¡°No, please don¡¯t misunderstand, I¡¯m not worried about the money. Dongge, I know how much you earn, but the distance between Li City and B City is very far and I¡¯m just worried that your dad cannot bear the traveling process.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nced at Cheng Dongge. She smiled at Sun Shaoyun embarrassedly. Then, she pulled Cheng Dongge aside to discuss it with him in private.

    Cheng Dongge was looking at her cautious manner. After he listened to Qi Chengyue, he held her hand and walked back to Sun Shaoyun.

    Sun Shaoyu saw them talking animatedly, then Cheng Dongge returned and borated, ¡°Chengyue did not exin clearly just now: her big brother and second brother will be fetching us via the Qi Family¡¯s private ne. They¡¯ll bring us straight to the hospital, so Dad won¡¯t be tired.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun understood now what qualms Qi Chengyue had had. She was quite hesitant because, once she agreed, it meant that she would meet the members of the Qi Family and that she had acknowledged the status of Qi Chengyue. After that¡ª

    As she was considering it, Cheng Zhaohui, who had been silent until then, intervened. ¡°Since this a good intention from our child, we should agree with it. But, Chengyue, we would truly trouble your family.¡±

    Qi Chengyue heaved a sigh of relief and smiled happily. ¡°It¡¯s no trouble.¡±

    Since Cheng Zhaohui had agreed, Sun Shaoyun stopped any thoughts of refusing.

    ...

    ...

    When Qi Chengzhi received Qi Chengyue¡¯s call, he was on the way to the hospital with Song Yu for her prenatal examination. After he hung up, he stopped his car by the roadside and told Song Yu about it.

    ¡°We could pick another day to do the prenatal examination. This is a good chance to make Dongge¡¯s parents ept Chengyue. Since something happened to the Cheng Family, we must help them,¡± said Song Yu immediately.

    At that moment, Qi Chenglin called him and asked whether he was going or not. He had informed the airport and was now arranging the time and route of the flight.

    The opinion of Song Yu was that Qi Chengzhi himself should go to show that the Qi Family truly viewed Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents as people of great importance and did not look down upon them.

    Therefore, after Qi Chengzhi had sent Song Yu back, he went to the airport to meet with Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    Sun Shaoyun did not expect that they meant so much to the Qi Family until she saw both Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin arriving together. Qilin was thepany that Cheng Dongge worked at, so Sun Shaoyun knew quite a bit about it and she knew of the high-status Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin held in thepany.

    Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were not the type of people who were friendly and warm toward others. When they met Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui, they treated them coolly, but slightly gentler than usual. Sun Shaoyun did not mind as she could roughly sense that their personalities were like that.

    Once they had sent Cheng Zhaohui to the Chutian Hospital, it had turned to night. They helped Cheng Zhaohui settle down. Chu Zhaoyang came to visit him in the ward after he heard that Cheng Dongge¡¯s father was admitted.

    Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s surgery was scheduled for Monday. When he was in Li City, Cheng Dongge received an abrupt call from Qi Chengzhi, asking him to go on a business trip with him tomorrow. Sun Shaoyun let Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue leave first and she stayed behind to look after Cheng Zhaohui.

    Early morning the next day, Qi Chengyue drove to the hospital. She brought breakfast which was kept in a thermos bottle and a food container. It was obvious the breakfast had not been bought.

    ¡°You made it yourself?¡± asked Sun Shaoyun as Qi Chengyue opened the thermos bottle and poured the porridge out.

    Qi Chengyue blushed and said shyly, ¡°I-I¡¯m still not good at cooking. This was prepared by the aunt living with us, but I¡¯m learning.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun smiled. ¡°You¡¯re honest. If you had said that it was you who prepared it, I wouldn¡¯t have known any different. After you marry Dongge, you¡¯ll be living with him in B City. I wouldn¡¯t be able to find out whether you¡¯re good at cooking or not.¡±

    ¡°Aunt, you...¡± Qi Chengyue stared at her in astonishment. Was Sun Shaoyun implying that she approved the rtionship between her and Cheng Dongge?

    Sun Shaoyun noticed that Qi Chengyue was truly a considerate person. Very few parents could make decisions for their children in life, and she could see that the Qi Family was very thoughtful and different from what she imagined, so she stopped insisting.

    Even if the things that she worried about did indeed happen in the future, just as Cheng Dongge had said, it was his decision and he would bear the consequences.

    After Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun finished their meals, Qi Chengyue said, ¡°Aunt, you should go back and rest. I¡¯ll take care of uncle here.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, this room is sofortable, just like a hotel room. Lao Cheng did not have trouble sleeping at night and I also slept quite soundly. I¡¯m not tired. Besides, if you stay here, your uncle may feel uneasy,¡± said Sun Shaoyun. She had washed the fruits brought by Qi Chengyue and was now peeling them.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to stay here; you can go and do your stuff. There¡¯s nothing here,¡± said Sun Shaoyun.

    Despite what she said, Qi Chengyue still stayed to apany her.

    At around ten o¡¯clock, someone knocked on the door of the ward. Qi Chengyue stood up and went to open the door. She was stunned when she saw the group of people who were waiting at the doorway. ¡°Grandma, why did all of youe?¡±

    Grandmother Qi had brought Xian Wenna, Guan Liya, and Song Yu with her. Qi Youxuan, who was determined to join the visit, had also followed them here.

    ¡°My child, we¡¯re here to visit our inws.¡± Grandmother Qi entered the ward with vigor and enthusiasm. The bags of things she brought were all carried by the driver.

    ¡°Inw, how are you?¡± Grandmother Qi was speaking loud and clear. She did not require anyone to introduce her as she had the gift of making friends with anybody she met.

    Cheng Zhaohui was a simple person who had worked as a teacher his entire life. He had never met a person like Grandmother Qi. He was lying in the bed, startled, and did not know what to say.

 Chapter 272 - Heâ€™s Old and Frail Now. His Strength and Energy Canâ€™t Compare to Us Young Menâ€™s

    <h4>Chapter 272: He¡¯s Old and Frail Now. His Strength and Energy Can¡¯t Compare to Us Young Men¡¯s</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He did not utter a word, he just patted and stared at Song Yu. Song Yu blushed slightly and puckered her lips bashfully.

    ¡°Come here quickly,¡± Qi Chengzhi urged. His voice was melodic and intoxicating even when prodding. His voice sounded righteous and firm, which did not suit his actions at all.

    Song Yu smiled bashfully. Carefully, she sat on the bed and lifted her legs. The top of the bed was inclined upward so when she leaned back, she was in a semi-sitting position.

    While looking after Qi Chengzhi in the hospital these two days, Song Yu barely got any rest. Now, she finally got that chance. She felt like her legs were all swollen.

    Qi Chengzhi could not turn his body. He could only put his arms around her, letting Song Yu rest her head on his shoulder. Qi Chengzhi leaned his head and pecked her forehead again and again. He was grateful for being alive and being able to hold Song Yu. He felt lucky.

    Song Yu looked up and stared at him submissively. She puckered her lips, inviting him into a kiss. Qi Chengzhi smiled. He never nned to kiss her on her lips¡ªhe wanted to let her rest. Nheless, since she took the initiative, Qi Chengzhi epted her invitation and kissed her. They made out gently. Now that he was injured, he could not kiss her intensely. He let her go.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t rested this whole time. Go to sleep.¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered in a smoky voice.

    Indeed, Song Yu was feeling tired. She was finally free of worries and responsibilities. Thus, she found afortable position on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her forehead again before he moved her head onto the pillow. He closed his eyes and slept too.

    ...

    ...

    It was after some time since Qi Chengzhi had long fallen asleep. Suddenly, he felt the body in his arms struggle. Beside his ear, a soft but hurried mumble sounded, ¡°Chengzhi! Chengzhi! No, Chengzhi, don¡¯t!¡±

    When he noticed that his shoulder was wet, Qi Chengzhi woke up in an instant. He looked down and saw Song Yu shifting anxiously on his shoulder. Her face was nched. Qi Chengzhi did not know how long has she been crying but his hospital pajama was soaked.

    ¡°Song Yu. Song Yu!¡± Qi Chengzhi quickly shook Song Yu around. After a long while, Song Yu eventually woke up.

    Song Yu¡¯s mind was still trapped in her nightmare. In a daze, she stared at Qi Chengzhi with confusion in her eyes. The tears welled up in her eyes poured out before she knew it.

    ¡°Nightmare?¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered. Seeing her frail and feeble appearance, his heart ached.

    Her chalk-white face was stained with tears. Her nose was red and her lips were swollen. As she sobbed, she still appeared disorientated.

    After a long time, she finally sniffled and exined, ¡°I dreamt about that day... You... you took a knife and stabbed yourself. You fell and never got up again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s over. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Qi Chengzhi held her tight, gently stroking her hair. He leaned in to kiss her tears away.

    Her tears flowed like a creek. As his lips pressed against her cheek, they were soaked in her tears. His mouth was filled with the taste of salt.

    ¡°Hush now. I¡¯m fine. Aren¡¯t you in my arms right now? I¡¯m fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi cupped his hand on her cheek and wiped her tears. As he kissed her, her frigid lips regained some warmth.

    Qi Chengzhi had some porridge in the morning, giving him energy. He held her hand firmly and pulled it to his face, which had blood, flesh, and warmth.

    Song Yu clutched onto his neck. She took a deep breath close to his neck, feeling his warmth. Eventually, she calmed down.

    Qi Chengzhi pressed his lips into a tender line and wiped the tears from her face.

    ¡°Chengzhi, promise me you¡¯ll never do something like this again. Don¡¯t hurt yourself for me. Please. I¡¯m begging you. Okay?¡± Song Yu ced her hands on his face. Her pupils were trembling.

    She told him the same thing yesterday night. She even pretended to be mad at him, but he never promised her anything. This time, however, she was truly afraid.

    Seeing her pale face, Qi Chengzhi was worried she would stay fearful and anxious forever if he did not promise her. If she kept herself on edge like this, she would eventually fall sick. Thus, Qi Chengzhi sighed and replied, ¡°Fine, I promise.¡±

    Song Yu let out a sigh of relief. Her twitching lips curled up a little. She rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand then turned to kissed Qi Chengzhi on the corner of his lips.

    There was a knock on the ward¡¯s door. Song Yu nced at the door. Getting off the bed, she grabbed a tissue to dry her tears and clean her nose.

    Song Yu opened the door to see Liu Dui standing outside. She quickly invited him in.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, Mrs. Qi.¡± Liu Dui came in. ¡°How is Mr. Qi¡¯s wound?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still healing,¡± Song Yu answered as she poured a ss of water for Liu Dui.

    Liu Dui did not want to trouble Song Yu, especially because she was pregnant. ¡°Mrs. Qi, don¡¯t trouble yourself. I¡¯m here to check up on Mister Qi. Is it a good time to record your statements?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Chengzhi was quite alert after sleeping for a while just now.

    Once the two of them gave their statements, Liu Dui exined, ¡°Jian Yi is still recovering in the hospital. We have our eyes on him so don¡¯t worry. Once he gets discharged, perhaps in a month or so, you two should be able to testify in court.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°Do Jian Yi¡¯s parents know?¡±

    Song Yu had always had a good impression of Jian Shibo, especially when Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were getting a divorce. At that time, Jian Shibo apologized to Qi Chengyue and the Qi family. He even wanted to divorce Zhou Mingyan.

    At least the Jian family still had Jian Shibo who one could talk sense with.

    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted them. Nevertheless, even though Jian Yi is in the hospital, he isn¡¯t allowed any visitors. Jian Shibo goes to the hospital every day and watches him from the window,¡± Liu Dui revealed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±

    Song Yu saw him to the door. Suddenly, she remembered something. ¡°That day, I heard your colleague shouting that Jian Yi¡¯s gun had no bullets in it.¡±

    Liu Dui nodded. ¡°Indeed, it was empty.¡±

    Song Yu kept quiet.

    After Liu Dui left, Song Yu returned to the bed. She and Qi Chengzhi did not discuss the Jian Yi¡¯s incident anymore.

    At five o¡¯clock, Yu Qianying brought porridge and Song Yu¡¯s dinner which she cooked. Aunt Yang had been in the hospital for two nights. She wanted to bring them dinner tonight but Yu Qianying stopped her, iming that she should stay home and rest due to her age.

    ¡°You can only have fluids now so I crushed the rice grains while cooking. It goes down very smoothly.It¡¯s also easy to digest.¡± Yu Qianying poured out the porridge from a thermos. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the food outside might have some added substances, so everything I bring is home-cooked.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± Qi Chengzhi said in his elegant voice.

    She smiled and handed the porridge to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°We¡¯re family, no need to thank.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that Yu Qianying not only forgave him but wanted to write off everything as the past¡ªas though it never happened. As she did not want to bring it up, Qi Chengzhi did not either.

    Seeing that Yu Qianying hadpletely forgiven Qi Chengzhi, she said, ¡°Mom, we want to invite you and Dad to Grandma¡¯s birthday.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu Qianying nodded gleefully. She took out the dinner she made for Song Yu. ¡°Hurry up and eat. I¡¯ll be going. I still need to cook for your father when I get home.¡±

    ¡°Mom, wait here for a while. I¡¯ll call Chang Lai toe and send you home,¡± Qi Chengzhi offered.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need.¡± Yu Qianying waved her hands. ¡°I can get a ride at the entrance. Now that there¡¯s an app for cabs, it¡¯s much easier to get a ride.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you to the entrance,¡± Song Yu offered as she saw Yu Qianying to the door.

    ¡°No, you should stay here. Don¡¯t simply go out. While passing by so many wards and riding the elevator, you might get some sort of infection. Be good and stay here. Don¡¯t go walking around. ¡± Yu Qianying stopped Song Yu in haste. ¡°Not only your grandmother is worried about you¡ªso am I. Nheless, seeing that you two had just been through an incident this big, I won¡¯t nag you, but don¡¯t you dare be so stubborn next time.¡±

    Song Yu was forced to stop at the doorway. In a low voice, she replied, ¡°Okay. Call me when you reach home. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be worried.¡±

    Yu Qianying patted Song Yu¡¯s shoulders then left. Song Yu stood at the doorway and stared at Yu Qianying as she walked away. She noticed that Yu Qianying had indeed gotten older. Suddenly, her heart ached.

    ...

    ...

    As Yu Qianying was walking out of the outpatient department, she saw Yan Beicheng, Chu Zhaoyang, Han Zhuoli, and Gui Zhiqian walking toward her. There were three employees from Yan Beicheng¡¯s hotpot restaurant following behind them. Each of them was holding arge box.

    ¡°Auntie?¡± Yan Beicheng was walking at the front saw Yu Qianying first.

    ¡°Are you all here to see Chengzhi?¡± Yu Qianying inquired.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to see how he¡¯s doing and have dinner with him,¡± Yan Beicheng answered smilingly.

    Yu Qianying glimpsed at the three workers standing at the back. Would it be alright to have hotpot in a hospital ward?

    She nced at Chu Zhaoyang and thought about how convenient it was to know the owner.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead. I was here to bring him dinner too. I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Yu Qianying said with a smile. ¡°Luckily, I brought quite a lot of food, so you guys can have some too.¡±

    Hearing that, Yan Beicheng asked, ¡°How are you going home?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a cab,¡± Yu Qianying replied with a smile.

    ¡°Please wait for a while,¡± Yan Beicheng said as he took out his phone. ¡°Shao Huai, turn the car around. Come and fetch Song Yu¡¯s mother home.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want to trouble you,¡± Yu Qianying said hastily the moment Yan Beicheng hung up.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. After all, we won¡¯t be leaving for a while. Besides, Shao Huai is idle. Since he¡¯s here, it¡¯s also convenient for him to send you home.¡± Yan Beicheng insisted. He smiled faintly. At that moment, his expression was different from when he joked with Qi Chengzhi and his friends¡ªit was stern.

    Since he ran into Song Yu¡¯s mother here, he could not let her go home alone.

    Yu Qianying watched as Yan Beicheng stood straight with an air of authority. He had one hand in his pocket and his lips were curled into a faint smile. He looked calm andposed. In her mind, she thought about the fact that everyone in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s social circle was at the top.

    Shao Huai arrived. Yu Qianying did not decline his offer anymore. Instead, she thanked him, said goodbye to the others and left with Shao Huai.

    Song Yu was holding the bowl of porridge, wanting to feed it to Qi Chengzhi. Although Qi Chengzhi had more energy now, the wound in his abdomen was still preventing him from sitting up. Additionally, the hospital bed could only be inclined upward to a certain degree¡ªit was inconvenient for him to feed himself.

    ¡°Eat your food first. You can feed me once you finish yours,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. He was afraid she would get sick from hunger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet. Besides, drinking porridge doesn¡¯t take long.¡± Song Yu had already sat down and scooped a spoonful of porridge. Even though the porridge was in a thermos, the journey to the hospital was quite long so the porridge was at optimum temperature. Song Yu did not have to blow on it. She moved the spoon straight to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Blow on it for me,¡± Qi Chengzhi demanded coolly in a deep voice. He was clearly being needy yet he said it with a straight face. His stern lips pressed together tightly, refusing to drink the porridge.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu moved the spoon closer to his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not even hot.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more scrupulous?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow at her.

    Speechlessly, Song Yu retracted the spoon and blew on it just for the sake of satisfying him. Only then did Qi Chengzhi drink it. He was like a child.

    After he drank around half a bowl of the porridge, the door suddenly swung open. Song Yu realized that she did not lock the door when she saw Yu Qianying out. They did not know who came or why they did not bother to knock. Turning their heads, they saw Yan Beicheng and the threeing in one after another.

    ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Qi Chengzhi questioned coolly, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°We wanted toe see you after work and have dinner in the meantime.¡± With a simple gesture from Yan Beicheng, the three workers came in and set up the hotpot.

    ¡°I can only have liquid food now.¡± Qi Chengzhi squinted.

    ¡°We know. You can just sit there and watch us eat¡ªthe important thing is that we¡¯re all together, creating a rowdy atmosphere,¡± Han Zhuoli stated. They were clearly here to tempt Qi Chengzhi.

    He watched as the waiters ced bowls after bowls of ingredients onto the table. They even brought their own induction cooker. After plugging in the cooker, the split pot was ced on the cooker. Once the soup base was poured in, a delicious aroma diffused from the pot.

    ¡°Song Yu,e eat with us.¡± Gui Zhiqian waved at Song Yu.

    How could Song Yu not notice that the group of men was doing this on purpose? She felt pity toward Qi Chengzhi. Therefore, she did not move an inch from her seat by the bed and continued to feed Qi Chengzhi his little bit of porridge left. ¡°I can¡¯t have heaty food now. You guys go ahead and eat. My mom brought me dinner just now.¡±

    ¡°You can have the bone broth. I had someone stew this especially for you. It¡¯s full of cogen.¡± Yan Beicheng went around the table and sat down. Eating hotpot was such a peasantly activity, yet sitting there, he could still maintain his air of luxury. His voice was clear and natural. ¡°It¡¯s good for your body.¡±

    Han Zhuoli came out of the washroom. When he passed by the bed end, he caught sight of the lunchbox Yu Qianying brought. He opened it and looked inside. ¡°Song Yu, it looks like your mom is quite an excellent cook. We ran into your mom downstairs just now. She heard that we¡¯re going to have hotpot so she said we can have some of her food too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not know whether he was telling the truth or not. Nheless, seeing Han Zhuoli¡¯s expectant look, she could not refuse. ¡°We can all have it.¡±

    Han Zhuoli beckoned Gui Zhiqian and Yan Beicheng. Then, he brought the lunchbox over to the table and dragged Song Yu with him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Come eat with us. You gave us your dinner¡ªwe can¡¯t just let you starve.¡±

    Being pulled by Han Zhuoli, Song Yu turned to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi did not have the heart to let her starve. ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡±

    During the meal, Gui Zhiqian and Han Zhuoli were quite considerate. Gui Zhiqian filled a bowl of bone broth for Song Yu.

    ¡°Lao Chu, if there¡¯s anything on your confinement center¡¯s menu that would suit Song Yu, please have them bring it here.¡± Qi Chengzhi had nothing to do while lying on the bed. He grabbed a magazine from beside him and flipped through it. The aroma of the hotpot was making him hungry; especially after having to eat nd porridge for two days.

    Chu Zhaoyang called the confinement center instantly. Since Chutian Confinement Center was right behind Chutian Hospital, a healthy meal was swiftly sent to Song Yu.

    Song Yu could not stand leaving Qi Chengzhi on the lonely bed for too long, so she quickly filled her stomach and ran back to Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Look at you two lovebirds sitting on the bed. Ah, I can¡¯t stand looking at you two.¡± Han Zhuoli shook his head and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was getting uneasy sitting there. Embarrassed, she decided to sit on the chair by the bed instead. However, Qi Chengzhi grabbed hold of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m a patient¡ªyou have to take care of me,¡± Qi Chengzhi dered righteously as he lied on the bed with Song Yu.

    Yan Beicheng and his gang had finished their hotpot. Han Zhuoli could not stand it anymore. He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we y cards for a while? We¡¯ll have six yers including Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. I just learned a new game in T City.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing.

    Did anyone realize they were here to visit a patient?

    Gui Zhiqian nced at his watch. ¡°Yo, it¡¯s almost nine; don¡¯t y and let¡¯s go. Let Qi Chengzhi rest. He¡¯s old and frail now¡ªhis strength and energy can¡¯tpare to us young men¡¯s.

    Qi Chengzhi kept mum.

    Chu Zhaoyan nced at the little table in front of him in disappointment. Han Zhuoli pulled him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Yan Beicheng had his workers clean up the table. They removed everything and wiped the table clean.

    Song Yu saw them out the door and uponing back, she said, ¡°They¡¯re usually so solemn toward outsiders. Who would¡¯ve guessed they behave like this in private?¡±

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi grinning, Song Yu thought that in the past she did not know Qi Chengzhi was such a shameless person behind the curtain. Song Yu could not help but smile. She turned on the exhaust to suck out the smell of hotpot.

    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Qi Chengzhi tossed the magazine away. He had been holding it for a long time but in truth, he did not read a page.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu felt that it would be better if she kept it to herself. Seeing Qi Chengzhi squinting at her, she quickly announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡±

    After more than half an hour, Song Yu came out with half-wet hair. Before this, she apanied Qi Chengzhi in not showering. She could feel her body starting to give out odors and her hair was oily.

    Now, she felt clean and refreshed. Her body was fragrant. Only now could she be with Qi Chengzhi peacefully. Before, she was afraid that he would be repelled.

    Song Yu came back and adjusted the bed so that it was t. She climbed onto the bed and nested herself in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. Qi Chengzhi embraced her cotton-soft body and sniffed at the fresh fragranceing off of her. He raised his hand and smelt his arm. ¡°I must smell bad by now.¡±

    Song Yu leaned toward his neck and took a whiff. ¡°No, you still smell quite good.¡±

    ¡°What were you smiling at just now? You were looking at me, then you abruptly started grinning.¡± Qi Chengzhi was hugging her. He kissed her face.

    ¡°Why do you still remember that?¡± Song Yu wiggled around in his arms and pillowed her head on his shoulder. ¡°Will you feel tired if Iy my head on you like this?¡±

    ¡°No. Stop changing the subject. What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed her shoulders. He did not actually want to know but he enjoyed lying with her serenely like this.

    He could chat with her continuously, stick close to her and smell the fragrance of her body.

    Song Yu felt his warm breath falling on the corner of her eye and her ear. It was hot and numbing. It made Song Yu¡¯s heart race, her face flushed and her breathing jumbled.

    He even wed at her ear with his lips, sending a shiver down Song Yu¡¯s spine. ¡°Stop messing around.¡±

 Chapter 250 - Grandmother Ge, My Dad Is Trying His Best to Win a Special Womanâ€™s Heart

    <h4>Chapter 250: Grandmother Ge, My Dad Is Trying His Best to Win a Special Woman¡¯s Heart</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Miss Yu, you¡¯re being too modest. You still look sober to me, so why aren¡¯t you drinking anymore? Are you trying to make me look bad?¡± The other client was discontent that his colleague was hoarding the spotlight. He put his arm around Yu Keyao¡¯s shoulders. Leaning closer, he took a sniff at her neck. ¡°There¡¯s not a whiff of alcohol on you, Miss Yu. You smell as sweet as ever.¡±

    Yu Keyao was on the verge of tears. She used to be the noble daughter of the Yu family. Out of all the men from all the different families, she only liked Qi Chengzhi and never batted an eye at the rest. Now two brainless pigs cornered her, breathing their alcoholic breaths onto her face.

    After experiencing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chivalry and grandeur, how could she withstand these two swine?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry but I really can¡¯t drink anymore.¡± Yu Keyao felt backed into a corner. She had no choice but to escape by force.

    Unsurprisingly, the two men would not let her go. They noticed her colleagues¡¯ attitude toward her in the dinner¡ªif they were to do anything to Yu Keyao, no one would stand up for her.

    Besides, for all they knew, Yu Keyao could just be acting to spice things up a little.

    They knew many women who appeared innocent on the outside, but in reality, were lustful and dissolute.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± a soft and elegant voice abruptly uttered.

    Only then did they realize another person was standing in front of them.

    ¡°Director Mu,¡± Yu Keyao called out as if he was her knight in shining armor.

    The two men were dumbstricken. They sobered up instantly and quickly let go of Ye Keyao. Courteously, they greeted, ¡°Director Mu.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nodded at themposedly. ¡°I heard that you were entertaining some clients tonight, so I decided toe and check up on you since I was passing by. Is it over?¡±

    Yu Keyao nodded hastily. Then, Mu Huaisheng offered, ¡°I¡¯ll send you home.¡±

    Since it was Mu Huaisheng, the two clients could not protest.

    Once Yu Keyao got into Mu Huaisheng¡¯s car, she could finally feel at ease. ¡°Director Mu, you can just drop me off at the subway station.¡±

    ¡°I said I¡¯ll send you home.¡± Mu Huaisheng nced at her coolly as he drove past the subway station without stopping.

    ¡°Thank you for what you did just now,¡± Yu Keyao mumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. I can¡¯t just stand by and watch when something like that happens,¡± Mu Huaisheng replied.

    Yu Keyao kept quiet.

    ¡°Where do you stay?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked, breaking the silence.

    Only then did Yu Keyao realize she had not told him her address and gave it to him.

    To get to work more conveniently, Yu Keyao had moved out. After all, the mansion already had a ¡®for sale¡¯ sign hung up. Her family had long been without a housekeeper¡¯s services. When she lived at home, she needed to do the job of a housekeeper and make Yu Zidong¡¯s meals.

    Therefore, she took the chance and rented a small apartment near thepany. This way, she did not have to stay at home and serve others.

    Mu Huaisheng followed her to the front of her home. She had her head down for a long time, looking for her keys. Finally, she opened the door yet did not go in. Standing in front of the door, she bowed her head and said, ¡°Thank you, Director Mu. You... be careful on the road.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng noticed something off in her tone so he did not leave in a hurry. Frowning, he queried, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Yu Keyao dropped her head even lower. She shook her head violently and headed into the house. However, she tripped on the door frame and fell inward.

    Seeing this, Mu Huaisheng quickly rushed to her aid. He wrapped his arm around her waist, unavoidably pulling her into his embrace.

    Once Yu Keyao regained her bnce, she slowly raised her head. Mu Huaisheng felt the soft and fragrant body in his arms trembling uncontrobly. He looked down and saw that her eyes were red with two streams of tears flowing down her cheeks. Her soft lips were plump and glowing bright red.

    The reason she had her head down the entire time was that she was crying. That night, she was wronged by her colleagues, and to top it off, she almost became a victim of an unspeakable deed.

    Mu Huaisheng thought about what would have happened if he had not passed by coincidently. Yu Keyao might not have been able to escape. If so, anyone could have guessed how her night would end.

    Trembling, Yu Keyao clutched onto his shirt. She looked helpless and pitiful.

    Suddenly, she stood on tiptoes andnded a kiss on his lips shyly.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s bewilderment was evident in his expression. He squinted at her.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s tear-filled eyes twitched. She whimpered, ¡°Director Mu, due to your status and mine, I know you¡¯re out of my league. I¡¯ve never thought of overstepping my boundaries either but what happened tonight terrified me. It¡¯s still my first time. I¡¯ve never done it before. What if something like that happens again? I know I can¡¯t be lucky enough to have someone to save me again the next time it happens. I don¡¯t want to lose my first time in circumstances like that. I don¡¯t want people like them to steal it from me. Rather, I¡¯d like to take control and make my own decision before anything happens. I¡¯d like to share my first time with someone I like and leave a beautiful memory. Can you... help me? Please... I¡¯m begging you...¡±

    Yu Keyao was bawling her eyes out. Her helpless yet alluring face excited the thing in his pants.

    ¡°You won¡¯t regret it?¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s voice turned slightly hoarse.

    Yu Keyao nodded silently. She stood on her toes again and kissed him on the lips.

    Mu Huaisheng tightened his grip around her waist. This time, he was the one who kissed her.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Zhaohui surgery was very sessful. His recovery was also remarkable. Moreover, the doctors did not observe any symptoms after his surgery, so he would be discharged on Friday.

    Cheng Dongge nned to keep Cheng Zhaohui at the hospital for a few more days to be observed and for him to have proper rest. In spite of that, Cheng Zhaohui could not take being cooped up in there any longer.

    Chutian Hospital was an exceptional hospital and the wards were veryfortable. However, every patient here were big-shots. They had their own social circle, so they would always run into people they know in the hospital and start a conversation.

    As for Cheng Zhaohui, he was not part of that social circle. Furthermore, he was not even from that city. Thus, he did not know a single person. He was too shy to simply walk up to someone and start talking, so he spent his days lying in his room. Being confined like that, Cheng Zhaohui was determined to get discharged no matter what.

    On Friday night, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue came to the hospital and took Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun to Cheng Dongge¡¯s house.

    On the road, Sun Shaoyun said from the backseat, ¡°Chengyue, after discussing with Dongge¡¯s father, we¡¯ve decided that once he gets discharged, we¡¯ll go visit the Qi family personally. This isn¡¯t only to thank you all for the tremendous help you provided, but we¡¯d also like to talk about you and Dongge. I¡¯d like us both families to sit down and get to know each other over a meal. When we were in the hospital ward, I didn¡¯t think it was a suitable setting. When you get home, can you ask when we can visit?¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded. She called Grandmother Qi instantly and notified her.

    ¡°Oh, be my guest! Coincidentally, we have a family gathering tomorrow¡ªdo ask Dongge¡¯s parents to join us. Originally, I was nning to visit them after Dongge¡¯s father gets discharged and have a meal together. Since his mother brought it up, they can juste over tomorrow,¡± Grandmother Qi suggested. ¡°Ask them if they can make it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Qi Chengyue moved the phone away and reiterated Grandmother Qi¡¯s words in a low voice.

    Sun Shaoyun agreed immediately. Qi Chengyue then informed Grandmother Qi.

    Delighted, Grandmother Qi hung up and ordered Aunt Liu to prepare more food tomorrow.

    ¡°When your father¡¯s condition bes stable, say next week ortest by the week following that, we¡¯ll return to Li City,¡± Sun Shaoyun stated.

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? It¡¯s not every day that you get toe here. Why don¡¯t you stay here a little longer? Not only can you walk around and experience the city, but you¡¯re also giving Dad a chance to rest longer,¡± Cheng Dongge pointed out, looking at his parents through the rear-view mirror.

    ¡°Ah, but I miss home. B City is huge and bustling¡ªit¡¯s filled with cars and high rises, and that¡¯s making me feel stressed. I think I¡¯ll be able to rx more when we return to the serene life in Li City,¡± Cheng Zhaohui statedughingly. ¡°Besides, the two of us staying with you will only be a hindrance. It¡¯d be harder for you to talk to Chengyue or go on a date with her.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s alright.¡± Qi Chengyue blushed. Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s words were rather euphemistic.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Cheng Zhaohui chuckled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to ask us to stay. After all, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re kicking us out, so don¡¯t feel responsible for it. We just prefer to go home, where we¡¯re surrounded by friends and acquaintances that we can talk to.¡±

    ...

    ...

    On Saturday morning, Song Yu woke up early to prepare for the day. This was a big step for Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge. It was of great importance to everyone in the Qi family.

    Song Yu had nned to go for a check-up today, but she discussed it with Qi Chengzhi and they decided to refrain from stealing Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge¡¯s spotlight. She opted to go tomorrow instead.

    The sound of Song Yu washing up and changing awakened Qi Chengzhi. In a daze, he lied on the bed, refusing to get up.

    Qi Chengzhi was lying on his back but he then turned and lied on his side, his hand supporting his head and watched Song Yu get ready.

    ¡°Finally awake?¡± Song Yu heard him shifting around and walked toward him.

    Qi Chengzhi reached out his long arms and grabbed her by the waist. He pulled her closer and pressed his face against her soft tummy, which was slightly protruding. He kissed her through her clothes and guided her to sit on the bed.

    He made her sit at the head of the bed and rested his head on her thighs. He buried his face against her lower abdomen and took a long sniff.

    Song Yu¡¯s long and slender fingers brushed through his hair tenderly. He turned so that he was lying on his back and looking up at her face. ¡°No matter what, we¡¯ll go to the hospital for the check-up tomorrow. No more dys.¡±

    Smiling, Song Yu nodded. ¡°I never noticed that things wereing up one after the other, but now that we have our own things to do, it feels like everything is happening at once.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand which wasbing through his hair and pulled it to his lips. His long and bony fingers gently grabbed her fingers one by one as he kissed each of her fingertips.

    His kissing made Song Yu feel ticklish. She could not help but giggle. ¡°Stop messing around and get up.¡±

    Qi Chengzhinded another two kisses and turned to bury his face against her lower abdomen again. After taking a long and intense sniff, he finally got up.

    ...

    ...

    Once they both got ready, Qi Chengzhi looked through the wine rack at home and picked out a few bottles of good wine to bring to the old mansion. Then, he and Song Yu set out.

    One of the neighboring houses there was holding a wedding ceremony. A few spots near the old mansion was reserved for the wedding car. Therefore, Qi Chengzhi could only park at a spot further from the old mansion. He opened the trunk and took out the wine. With one hand holding the bottles while the other held Song Yu¡¯s hand, the two of them strolled toward the old mansion.

    ¡°Aiyah, you¡¯re back! Oh, look how lovey-dovey you two are!¡± It was Aunt Ge who lived nearby. She met Grandmother Qi square dancing. That time Grandmother Qi brought Song Yu out to show her off and introduced her to her square dancing friends, Aunt Ge was also there. That was how she knew Song Yu.

    Song Yu smiled and greeted, ¡°Aunt Ge, your body is still so strong.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you still remember me! Aiyah, when Grandmother Qi brought you there, there were so many people, so I didn¡¯t expect you to remember me!¡± Aunt Ge pointed out gleefully. ¡°Ah, Xiao Song, when are you two nning on having a child? Any news about it?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face flushed red. She did not know how to reply so Qi Chengzhi said coolly, ¡°We¡¯re letting things happen naturally.¡±

    ¡°Oh, there¡¯s no rush! I¡¯m not trying to press you two on it! I¡¯m getting old now, so there¡¯s a lot on my mind. I¡¯m just asking whateveres to mind.¡±

    Aunt Ge looked at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi up and down and concluded sincerely, ¡°A child made by you two will definitely look stunning.¡±

    Song Yu noticed that Qi Chengzhi suddenly straightened his back out and adjusted his tie proudly. Even though he did not utter a word, his delight was evident on his face.

    ¡°Lao Sun¡¯s son is getting married today. I have to attend the ceremony. You two should head back. This morning, I ran into Grandmother Qi during her morning exercise. She told me that her granddaughter is bringing her a grandson-inw. She said that the parents from both families will be meeting up today.¡± Aunt Ge was grinning from ear to ear. ¡°Ever since all you little ones got married one by one and found your matches, Grandmother Qi had been overjoyed. She was bragging about you all everywhere. She even stopped attending square dances as frequently.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu smiled. Aunt Ge continued, ¡°That¡¯s right, did¡ª¡±

    Before she could ask, she saw a little plump boy running toward them behind Song Yu.

    ¡°Uncle, Auntie.¡± Qi Youxuan ran to them, holding a giant red apple in his hands.

    The family had resolved to put him on a diet. Every time Qi Youxuan wanted snacks, they would push fruits to him instead. Luckily, Qi Youxuan did not mind¡ªas long as he had something to chew on.

    When he was at his kindergarten, he would secretly buy some snacks from the little store in his kindergarten and have his own secret snack-time. The life of this little child was pretty interesting too.

    ¡°Hello, Grandmother Ge,¡± Qi Youxuan greeted politely as he stood beside Song Yu.

    ¡°Oh, what a good boy. I see you¡¯ve grown even more handsome now,¡± Aunt Ge praised.

    ¡°...¡± Hearing that, Qi Chengzhi started to doubt Aunt Ge¡¯s praises about him and Song Yu¡¯s child.

    At that time, Qi Youxuan mouth was packed with apple. His stuffed cheeks made his face look even rounder. It was impossible to see his features.

    How could Aunt Ge tell if Qi Youxuan was handsome or not?

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s face at that moment barely scraped past the boundaries of ¡®ugly¡¯.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s little cheeks were stuffed with apple. After Aunt Ge praised him, his little round face turned red, making him look almost identical to the giant apple in his hands.

    Bashful, the little boy twisted his pudgy stomach around. There was still some apple left in his mouth. When he talked, some apple juice and kes sprayed out of his mouth.

    ¡°Grandmother Ge, you¡¯re also looking prettier than before,¡± Qi Youxuan praised shyly, drawing circles with his waist.

    Aunt Ge was humored by the adorable little boy. He was merely saying whatever he pleased as children do. Otherwise, who would call an olddy like her ¡®pretty¡¯?

    Just then, Qi Chenglin sauntered over. His long legs were no shorter than Qi Chengzhi¡¯s. When he stood a step forward, he gave off an aura of strength and dependability.

    Aunt Ge could not help but exim. The Qi family carried such marvelous genes that every member of the family was exceptionally attractive. To top it all off, not only was Qi Chengzhi handsome, but the woman he brought into the family was also gorgeous.

    Although Aunt Ge did not know who was Qi Youxuan¡¯s mother was, seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s dashing features, his mother must be beautiful too.

    Aunt Ge reminisced about the days when Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were still children and stayed at their grandparents¡¯. The two of them were such rascals.

    Qi Chengzhi was two years older than Qi Chenglin. When they were in kindergarten, one of them would lift girls¡¯ skirts while the other stuffed insects under the skirt.

    A yearter, Qi Chengzhi went to elementary school while Qi Chenglin was still in kindergarten. Once, Qi Chenglin was bullied by one of his ssmates. After school, Qi Chengzhi picked up a brick and brought Qi Chenglin to the bully¡¯s house. He dumped the brick into Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand and ordered, ¡°You¡¯re the one he bullied so take your own revenge. Now smash it!¡±

    Qi Chenglin let out a battle cry and flung the brick with his little arms and shattered the house¡¯s window. When the boy¡¯s parents confronted him, Qi Chenglin cried loudly and screamed that they were bullying children. That attracted the attention of everyone passing by, humiliating the boy¡¯s parents. They were infuriated and embarrassed yet had no choice but to send the two boys back to the old mansion. However, the two boys could not run from Grandfather Qi¡¯s rod of fury. Nevertheless, even if Grandfather Qi hit them three times a day, they were still as mischievous as ever.

    Now that they have grown up, they gave off an air of strength and reliability. Women on the streets would not even turn their gaze away from them for a second. Aunt Ge sighed at the fact that time passed by so quickly.

    ¡°Aunt Ge,¡± Qi Chenglin greeted coolly as he brushed Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair with his hand.

    ¡°Youxuan is six this year, right?¡± Aunt Ge smiled nostalgically. She moved her gaze from QI Youxuan to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°In about two more months, he¡¯ll be attending elementary school,¡± Qi Chenglin answered smilingly.

    ¡°Sigh... Time sure flies. It felt like only yesterday Youxuan was only this big.¡± Aunt Ge showed the size of a baby with her hands. ¡°In the blink of an eye, he¡¯s already graduating from kindergarten and moving on to elementary school.¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s been so many years, yet my dad still hasn¡¯t found a wife,¡± Qi Youxuan butted in while chewing on his apple loudly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was speechless.

    Aunt Ge squinted. The one thing people her age loved to do was setting people up on dates. ¡°Chenglin hasn¡¯t found a suitable match? Would you like me to introduce a few to you?¡±

    Before Qi Chenglin could answer, Qi Youxuan jumped in again. ¡°Grandmother Ge, my dad is trying his best to win a special woman¡¯s heart.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± What does she look like? Which family¡¯s princess is this luckydy?¡± Aunt Ge¡¯s eyes were sparkling with enthusiasm.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and said, ¡°I¡¯m still in the process. I¡¯ll definitely bring her home as soon as possible.¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, that¡¯s good to hear. Anyway, I¡¯ll be heading to Lao Sun¡¯s house now.¡± Aunt Ge announced, beaming with joy.

    Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°Goodbye and take care.¡±

    Aunt Ge smiled and waved at them. Once she left, Qi Chenglin shot a cold nce at Qi Youxuan who was still biting into his apple.

    The four of them strolled toward the old mansion together. Song Yu could not hold back her curiosity. She glimpsed at Qi Chenglin several times, then finally asked, ¡°You found your match?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin red at Qi Youxuan silently. His intense re made Qi Youxuan swallow the words he was going to say. Qi Chenglin nced back at Song Yu and replied, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°But there¡¯s a suitable match you¡¯re pursuing?¡± Song Yu did not forget Qi Youxuan¡¯s words just now.

    ¡°That, I have.¡± QI Chenglin nodded. He did not try to hide it.

    ¡°Who?¡± Song Yu questioned immediately. She was both curious and excited.

 Chapter 251 - I Donâ€™t Even Have the Mood to Go Square Dancing Because of Your Situation

    <h4>Chapter 251: I Don¡¯t Even Have the Mood to Go Square Dancing Because of Your Situation</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Who?¡± Song Yu questioned immediately. She was both curious and excited.

    ¡°We¡¯ll talk about it when it bes a sure thing,¡± Qi Chenglin replied. Having said that, he immediately shut his mouth, refusing to say another word.

    Puzzled, Song Yu nced at Qi Youxuan and saw that he was quite enthusiastic and joyful about it. Could it be Ruan Danchen? Before this, Qi Youxuan was crazy about Ruan Danchen ¨C he could not have changed his mind so quickly, could he?

    When they reached the old mansion, Qi Zhongliang, Qi Zhongxun and their wives had arrived. Qi Chengyue came with her parents instead of Cheng Dongge.

    Grandmother Qi beckoned Qi Youxuan over. ¡°Come here and let your great-grandmother see if you have lost any weight.¡±

    She made Qi Youxuan spin around once and noticed he did not lose a single ounce of weight. However, seeing the boy¡¯s expectant gaze, Grandmother Qi had no choice but to hide the truth and nod. ¡°Hmm, it looks like you¡¯ve gotten a little thinner.¡±

    Hearing that, the boy exuberantly grabbed a slice of watermelon from a te and bit into it.

    Not long after, Cheng Dongge arrived with his parents. It was their first visit, so they brought many gifts.

    The Qi family was a distinguished family ¨C Sun Shaoyun was surprised that Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were living humbly in a courtyard house.

    Nevertheless, nowadays, the prices of courtyard houses were sky-high. Many rich people bought them as an investment or to live in.

    Even so, there were many ordinary people living around the old mansion. They refused to sell their houses with intentions of passing them down from generation to generation. There were also some that did not own the entire courtyard house. Instead, ownership was shared among a number of families. Although they lived together, the environment was not boisterous. Though, it was quite simr to the lives of ordinary people.

    ¡°Ah, your presence is enough, you didn¡¯t have to bring any gifts.¡± Grandmother Qi stood up and weed them in.

    Sun Shaoyun smiled awkwardly. She was afraid that the gifts they bought were nothing to the Qi family. Cheng Dongge had to reassure her constantly, pointing out that no matter how prestigious the Qi family was, they are still human; they still live, eat and breathe like ordinary people. It was the thought that counted. After all, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were not snobs.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we brought enough! We are forever in your debt for helping us with Lao Cheng¡¯s medical condition. It is impossible to express how grateful we are.¡± Sun Shaoyun put the gifts down.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to be so courteous. After all, aren¡¯t we all family?¡± Grandmother Qi said, ¡°Besides, we didn¡¯t do much. All we did was say a few words.¡±

    Even though they merely had to say a few words, they still helped Cheng Zhaohui a lot. They are in their debt. Could such debts be repaid so easily nowadays?

    Even if Sun Shaoyun disregarded the fact that the Qi family arranged Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s admission into the hospital, they still helped her arrange his surgery. Cheng Dongge and Sun Shaoyun did not have to move a muscle. They even sent a private ne to pick them up. She did not know much about things like the resources needed to send them back and forth, and the cumbersome procedures required, but she knew that airne fuel was in no way a small expense.

    Sun Shaoyun was deeply moved. After meeting Grandmother Qi and Qi Chengyue¡¯s aunt and mother, she knew that they were good people. With a family like this, Sun Shaoyun no longer worried about the disparity between them. Instead, she was relieved.

    From Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s incident, she could tell that the Qi family was not unreasonable. As long as they did not do anything wrong, the Qi family would not make their lives difficult.

    ¡°Come, sit down,¡± Grandmother Qi beckoned Cheng Zhaohui. Sun Shaoyun sat beside him while Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge sat together.

    ¡°How is Xiao Cheng¡¯s health? Are you recovering well? You look quite alert,¡± Grandmother Qi queried. Qi Chengyue poured tea for everyone.

    ¡°I¡¯m recovering wonderfully thanks to you. Yesterday, I had onest check-up before getting discharged. Even the doctor said that such a marvelous recovery was rare for people my age,¡± Cheng Dongge replied cheerfully, ¡°I must have tired out Chengyue during the days I was in the hospital. She came to the hospital every day to bring me food.¡±

    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be tiring at all. It¡¯s something she should do.¡± Guan Liya smiled and nced at Qi Chengyue. She was delighted that her girl had matured into a thoughtfuldy. ¡°In the whole Qi family, she¡¯s the only daughter, so expectedly, she was quite pampered. Sometimes, she would throw tantrums, so don¡¯t take her lightly.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that,¡± Sun Shaoyun corrected sheepishly. ¡°Truth be told, we were worried about Chengyue¡¯s background in the beginning. After all, there is a huge gap between both families. We don¡¯t normally interact with wealthy people either. Since the Qi family is a distinguished family, we were quite afraid that Chengyue would be short-tempered, making Dongge suffer in the future. However, after this incident, I see that Chengyue is a good girl and the Qi family is not what I imagined it to be. I formed a prejudice opinion. I misjudged Chengyue; I misjudged all of you. I apologize sincerely.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all human nature,¡± Grandmother Qi stated, ¡°After all, we knew nothing about each other before. Xiao Sun, I heard that you and your husband are both bright people. Chengyue told me, Xiao Cheng is a university professor while you are the headteacher of a high school. You have both received higher education. I think it¡¯s fair to say you are a family of schrs, and because of this, I trust that you are good people. Dongge is a perfect showcase of this ¨C only good parents can produce such a well-educated son. Therefore, we are relieved that Chengyue is together with Dongge.¡±

    ¡°Madam Qi, rest assured. When Chengyue is in a rtionship with Dongge, we will never let her suffer. We will make sure Dongge doesn¡¯t bully her,¡± Sun Shaoyun guaranteed.

    While staying with them, she subtly observed Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge¡¯s interactions. From her observations, she could tell that Cheng Dongge¡¯s words were true ¨C Qi Chengyue indeed put Cheng Dongge before herself.

    Like a little girl, she was obedient toward Cheng Dongge. Whenever he was around, her cheeks red up easily. Moreover, she had seen the way Qi Chengyue looked at Cheng Dongge ¨C her eyes were filled with warmth and sincerity. When she looked at him, she only saw him in front of her eyes, no one else. She loved him dearly.

    That was why Sun Shaoyun did not protest any more.

    Qi Chengyue knew that Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents will not oppose their rtionship anymore. Content, she could not help but turn to Cheng Dongge. Her joy painted all over her flushed face.

    Cheng Dongge looked at her tenderly. He silently ced his hand on hers.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why don¡¯t we discuss their marriage? I¡¯m sure these two are aching to get married,¡± Grandmother Qi suggested abruptly, leaving everyone dumbstruck.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue blushed. ¡°Grandma, what are you saying? He hasn¡¯t even proposed yet. Are you so eager to throw me out?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll set the date first. The proposal cer.¡± Cheng Dongge squeezed her hands. He grinned as if he was teasing her.

    Qi Chengyue pped his thigh lightly. ¡°Where¡¯s the romance in that?¡±

    Cheng Dongge smiled warmly and whispered, ¡°I came into this rtionship with intentions of making you my bride. Didn¡¯t you know that?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s face glowed red. ¡°How am I supposed to know if you never told me? Besides, a proposal is supposed to be a surprise. You¡¯re supposed to secretly prepare for it and then pop the question when least expected. How touching would that have been! Rather, you told me everything in advance. You told me you want to marry me, you want to propose to me. You took away the element of surprise, so do you think it will feel the same?¡±

    Cheng Dongge smirked. With a wry smile, he pointed out, ¡°Then were you surprised when Grandma suddenly suggested we set a date for our wedding?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue was suddenly tongue-tied. Sun Shaoyun epted her and Grandmother Qi suggested they set a date ¨C so many things happened in one day, so naturally, she was astonished.

    The elders smiled silently. That included Sun Shaoyun. They all could tell that Cheng Dongge had Qi Chengyue in his hands.

    ¡°Come, let¡¯s eat. We can talk while we eat.¡± Grandmother Qi stood up, still grinning.

    At the dining table, Grandmother Qi, Guan Liya, and Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents discussed the matter earnestly, as if they were serious. They even considered holding the feast in both B City and Li City.

    Halfway through lunch, Grandmother Qi even returned to the house to fetch her Chinese calendar. Guan Liya, Xia Wenna and her discussed which date to pick.

    Qi Youxuan was bored at the dining table. Once he finished his food, he left the table to y somewhere else.

    Grandmother Qi studied the Chinese calendar detailedly. Suddenly, she looked up and red at Qi Chenglin angrily. She sighed deeply and ranted, ¡°Look at you. Even your youngest sibling is getting married, yet you¡¯re still single. How troubling.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand stopped in the midst of picking up some food. Silently, he moved his chopsticks back. ¡°Grandma, today is a joyous day. Why do you have to bring up my matters and ruin the mood?¡±

    ¡°If you know that, then why don¡¯t you hurry up and bring ady home to me!¡± Grandmother Qi shrieked, infuriated. ¡°Why do you have to make my blood boil? I don¡¯t even have the mood to go square dancing because of your situation!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    ¡°At first, there was still your big brother, so I wasn¡¯t so anxious, but now, even your big brother got married! Look how blissful his life is now! You told me you are not in a hurry, taking the fact that your big brother got married at 35 as an excuse ¨C you still have two years. But now, Chengyue is getting married soon! She¡¯s ten years younger than you. Aren¡¯t you panicking?¡± Grandmother Qi was embarrassed to say it in front of Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents, but Qi Chengyue had got married and divorced, yet Qi Chenglin still had not found his match.

    Qi Chengyue was anxious that Grandmother Qi¡¯s tongue might slip in the heat of the moment.

    Grandmother Qi turned to Sun Shaoyun and asked, ¡°Xiao Cheng, Xiao Sun, do you two know any suitabledies you can introduce to Qi Chenglin? Her family background doesn¡¯t matter. What¡¯s important is that she¡¯s kind and honest. You are both teachers, right? There must be many single femaledies in your schools! Someone working in the education section definitely has good character.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out,¡± Sun Shaoyun said. Nevertheless, she guessed that Qi Chenglin would never fall fordies from a small city.

    ...

    ...

    Due to Cheng Zhaohui¡¯s condition, he and Sun Shaoyun did not stay for long. Although he was discharged, he still needed ample rest. After lunch, they stayed for fruits and tea and chatted for a while. Cheng Zhaohui appeared tired so they excused themselves. Cheng Dongge drove his parents home then came back to see Qi Chengyue.

    The two of them strolled around the neighborhood. During the wedding ceremony at Lao Sun¡¯s house, firecrackers were lit, creating a rowdy atmosphere. Now, the floor was littered with shreds of red paper from the firecracker and confetti they popped. The word ¡® Xi <sup>1</sup> ¡® was pasted all over the walls.

    Those reminded Qi Chengyue of Grandmother Qi¡¯s mentions about her wedding. She could not help but felt she was pushed into getting married in a daze.

    ¡°Still mad?¡± Cheng Dongge stopped in his steps. Seeing Qi Chengyue¡¯s dispirited look, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°It¡¯s not sincere.¡± Qi Chengyue pressed her forehead against his chest, pouting.

    The truth was, she had resolved to marry Cheng Dongge from the beginning. It had nothing to do with the duration of their rtionship. She entered the rtionship with the intention of marrying him.

    Even though neither of them brought it up, they knew each other¡¯s intentions. They were merely waiting for the right moment, letting ite up naturally.

    Nevertheless, she still hoped for a surprise proposal.

    When she was with Jian Yi, she was too blind. With a few simple words, she mindlessly epted his proposal. This time, she wanted it to be different.

    She returned his embrace, sniffing the fragrance on his body, which calmed her down.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t know this matter will be brought up today either. Because of that, I did not have the chance to propose to you first, giving you a pleasant surprise.¡± Cheng Dongge¡¯s deep and unwavering voice sounded above her head.

    Qi Chengyue felt his chin gently touching the top of her head, and then his lips.

    She looked up, leaning her chin against his chest. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t feel pressured because of Grandma¡¯s initiative for us getting married. If¡ª¡±

    Before she could finish, she felt his grip tightened around her waist. ¡°It has nothing to do with Grandma. It¡¯s my will. Even if Grandma didn¡¯t say a word, I still n to propose. It¡¯s just that I haven¡¯t thought of any good ideas.¡±

    Cheng Dongge smiled. His long fingers tucked away the hair that was pasted on her cheeks, revealing her adorable doll-like face. He looked down and kissed her passionately. Then, he pecked her lips and slowly loosen his grip on her waist. He took a step back.

    Qi Chengyue watched astonishedly as he slowly bent down and got on one knee. He produced a small cubic box from his pocket and presented it to her. In the box, there was a ring.

    When he got down on one knee, Qi Chengyue could guess what he was doing. However, the moment she saw the ring, her heart pounded, her throat stung and she could not utter a sound.

    Cheng Dongge smiled at her. He swallowed nervously. ¡°When I said I nned to propose, I wasn¡¯t lying. It was not a made-up excuse. This ring had been in my pocket for a long time, but I couldn¡¯t think of a unique way to bring it up. I was also afraid that you¡¯d think I¡¯m going too fast. I¡¯m not an impatient person ¨C I have always done things in an organized manner and ording to n. However, after we started going out, all that was thrown out the window. Only now did I realize that a marriage doesn¡¯t always have to happen only after years of rtionship. Some people are meant to be together. The moment you see her, you know that you can¡¯t live without her. On the other hand, some who waited for years to get married may not have the same sincere enthusiasm.¡±

    Cheng Dongge took a deep breath and licked his dry lips. ¡°Qi Chengyue, after being with you, I learned what heartache felt like. I learned what it¡¯s like to care for someone until my chest burnt; I learned what it feels like when someone truly enters your heart, when you love someone earnestly, giving your heart to them. Some say that all of us have a soulmate ¨C a lover destined for you, but there is no guarantee that you will meet. Some people waited for eternity but never met theirs, so they could only settle for someone they like and let time slowly umte their mutual liking into love. Nheless, they will never have the kind of passion soulmates have. I am lucky. I was able to cross paths with you. You taught me what true love is. You showed me how deep one¡¯s love can run.¡±

    ¡°If you wish for a special proposal, give me some time. I promise I will surprise you. For now, Qi Chengyue, will you marry me?¡± Cheng Dongge subconsciously held his breath as he stared at her sincerely.

    Qi Chengyue did not know if she should be crying or smiling. She shook her head, making Cheng Dongge¡¯s heart drop. ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about giving me a surprise anymore. This is enough. I don¡¯t need a grand setting or an borated n. Right now... I am already astonished. Cheng Dongge, I¡¯m so d I met you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was touched. Her beautiful eyes welled up tears. She dived into Cheng Dongge¡¯s arms, clutching onto his neck. Although she was touched, she still vented, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you appear in my life sooner? Why couldn¡¯t we have crossed paths earlier?¡±

    Cheng Dongge was a little stunned. He could not help butugh. Holding the ring in his hard, he hugged her back tightly.

    ¡°If you¡¯re satisfied with this, why don¡¯t you put the ring on? After that, you can rant about me not appearing sooner all you want,¡± Cheng Dongge said softly.

    With tears rolling down, Qi Chengyue smiled and took a step back. She extended her left hand and let Cheng Dongge slip the ring on.

    ¡°For the 25 years before today, I hadn¡¯t met you and I couldn¡¯t protect you from harm, but for the many decades after today, I¡¯m able to pamper you, love you and protect you. Then, you will have all these decades toin about me not appearing sooner,¡± Cheng Dongge said warmly. His lips turned upward into a smirk.

    Qi Chengyue smiled with tears on her cheeks. ¡°Alright then, from now on, I will bend your ear about it.¡±

    Cheng Dongge cupped her face in his hands, tenderly wiping the tears off her face. Her face was still moist, so he pressed his lips against her face and sucked up the tears. His lips moved from the corner of her lips and slowly worked its way up to her eyelid. He stared at her long and curled eyshes, which were fluttering gently.

    For some reason, his lips started to tremble nervously. He kissed the corner of her eye slowly and stopped for a while. He then proceeded to grind his lips against hers and kissed her intensely yet tenderly.

    ¡°They¡¯re making out! Two shameless adults and making out right here!¡± They heard the shouts of a group of children.

    Qi Chengyue froze. Cheng Dongge loosened his grip on here.

    The two of them turned their heads and saw a group of five children appeared from nowhere. One of them was holding a balloon. It seemed to be a balloon from the wedding ceremony that afternoon. The children must have taken it from there.

    ¡°Shame, shame! They¡¯re kissing! They¡¯re kissing! Shame, shame!¡± The five children chanted loudly as they ran circles around them. They flicked their noses and stuck their tongues out at them.

    ¡°...¡± Cheng Dongge was at a loss for words.

    Originally, his proposal was so sessful. He had moved Qi Chengyue¡¯s heart beyond words. However, the atmosphere was ruined by these brats who appeared out of nowhere.

    Cheng Dongge turned to Qi Chengyue anxiously. He noticed that her face was glowing red. She did not dare to look at the children. She kept retreating behind him little by little.

    Cheng Dongge grinned. Not minding the little brats, he kissed Qi Chengyue¡¯s flushed cheeks in front of them. He helped her up and held her hand.

    Qi Chengyue was getting frustrated by the brats¡¯ yells. With her face still red, she red at them. Nevertheless, this only agitated them more. The brats started stomping and jumping as the shouted, ¡°Shameless! Shameless!¡±

    Cheng Dongge smiled helplessly and led Qi Chengyue away. Luckily, the children did not have the guts to follow them.

    The couple did not return home immediately¡ªthey continued walking around nearby. They took a stroll by the road, stopped by the garden where Grandmother usually square-danced and sat silently on the bench. Neither of them said a word but they continued holding each other¡¯s hand¡ªtheir hearts were filled with warmth and serenity. 1

 Chapter 252 - Quick, Burn That Love Letter Under Your Mattress

    <h4>Chapter 252: Quick, Burn That Love Letter Under Your Mattress</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The couple did not return home immediately¡ªthey continued walking around nearby. They took a stroll by the road, stopped by the garden where Grandmother usually square-danced and sat silently on the bench. Neither of them said a word but they continued holding each other¡¯s hand¡ªtheir hearts were filled with warmth and serenity.

    ¡°The proposal wasn¡¯t that romantic, was it?¡± Cheng Dongge finally spoke¡ªhe seemed a little defeated.

    ¡°Psh!¡± Qi Chengyueughed as sheid her head on his shoulder and ced her hand on the back of his. She held his hand in hers, her soft fingers grazed the back of his hand and palm. ¡°It was quite good, at least it was memorable¡ªI will never forget it for the rest of my life.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes squinted as she smiled. She turned her head and rested her chin on his shoulder while staring at him. Cheng Dongge also turned and looked into her clear, sparkly eyes. ¡°It was a special proposal. To be honest, I only needed the sincerity, it¡¯s okay for it to not be romantic or grand¡ªwhat¡¯s most important is your heart. Your proposal is the best for me. Did you know that? when you suddenly went down on one knee in front of me and took out the ring, it was such a surprise. My heart was racing¡ªto me, no other proposal could beat what you said and did just now.¡±

    Cheng Dongge looked at her calm and content smile¡ªit was beautiful. She rested on his shoulder and sat close to him¡ªhe could touch her with the tip of his nose. He looked closely at her face¡ªapart from her clear eyes, hershes were long, curly, and thick. Her face was also rather clean with minimal makeup. She smiled, and her dimples quickly formed on her cheeks.

    He lowered his head and kissed her dimples. His tongue reached into her dimples and tickled Qi Chengyue a little, sheughed, and her dimples became more obvious. Her neck unconsciously retracted as he tickled her.

    Cheng Dongge smiled as he kissed her on the lips. Just as he was about to move in, Qi Chengyue pulled away from him.

    Her face was flushed, and the temperature was rising. ¡°We¡¯re in public.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s heart melted looking at her stunning face. He gave her hand a little squeeze and stopped kissing her but he was still ying with the tip of her nose. They were breathing into each other.

    ¡°Ah, isn¡¯t that Chengyue?¡± a voice was heard saying.

    Qi Chengyue jumped away from Cheng Dongge¡¯s shoulder and turned around. Three aunties, who seemed to be around the age of Guan Liya, were wearing baggy, stretchable clothes. Each of them held a pink fan in their hands.

    They were Grandmother¡¯s square-dancing partners.

    Qi Chengyue greeted them in embarrassment. She could not remember who they were but the three aunties did not mind anyway.

    ¡°We heard from your grandmother that you have a boyfriend now! Not bad, young man. You¡¯re so loving.¡±

    ¡°When is the wedding reception?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s your name, young man?¡±

    The aunties were dishing out questions one after another. Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue could only leave when someone called the aunties over to dance.

    The duo decided not to walk around anymore and went back to break the news. Apart from Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun, everyone else was home.

    They walked into the house and Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand was still in Cheng Dongge¡¯s. She said shyly, ¡°We have something to announce...¡±

    She was cut off by Qi Youxuan, who had an ice-cream cone in his hand aftering back from ying with his friends. He rushed in and shouted, ¡°Zhang Mingming said that there were two shameless adults outside who kissed in front of the kids just now. The kids left after joking about them. Young people these days don¡¯t even consider the feelings of kids while in love, don¡¯t you agree, Auntie?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue was speechless.

    This little brat was doing it on purpose, wasn¡¯t he?

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s not nice to do that in front of kids.¡± Grandmother clicked her tongue while shaking her head and said, ¡°Since it happened nearby, it should be someone who lives near us. No one outside would put so much effort intoing here for a date. Which family¡¯s children did such a thing? Even if you¡¯re really in love, you could go home and do it, don¡¯t do it out in public, don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± Guan Liya nodded. ¡°Young people these days aren¡¯t like how we were before. During our time, we wouldn¡¯t dare hold hands in public, let alone hug and kiss one another. Who knows when this practice became normal? I think it must be the teen dramas and movies. Look at the TV dramas nowadays, they so easily kiss, have sex, and move in together¡ªit¡¯s teaching the kids all the wrong things.¡±

    Xia Wenna silently nced over at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    ¡°Mom, why are you looking at us? We were here the whole time and never left the house,¡± Qi Chengzhi said sternly while straightening his back.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. She was not as thick-skinned as he was¡ªeven though they did not go out today, he had done things like that before.

    ¡°Zhang Mingming said the man was a tuxedo-d dog disguised as a man. The woman wore a white shirt with a long ck skirt, she seemed ssy too...¡± Qi Youxuan went quiet all of a sudden. His dark eyes rolled up and down as he looked at what Qi Chengyue was wearing¡ªhe sensed something was not right.

    His gaze finallynded on Qi Chengyue¡¯s angry face as she clenched her teeth and said, ¡°Who are you calling a dog!¡±

    Qi Youxuan flinched. He ran toward Qi Chenglin and climbed onto his thigh with exceptional agility with one hand caught onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm and crossed it in front of his chubby body.

    ¡°Zhang Mingming said it, I¡¯m just repeating what he said,¡± Qi Youxuan shouted while straining his voice before hiding back in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms. After a few moments, he had the guts to ask another question, ¡°Aunty, was it really you?¡±

    Qi Chengyue squeezed her eyes together, she could not treat this nephew of hers as a child. ¡°We¡¯re adults, we can do what we want. That isn¡¯t your case though, children cannot be in rtionships¡ªstay away from Muran in the future. Burn that love letter under your mattress.¡±

    The room stared at Qi Youxuan in shock. A surprised Guan Liya asked, ¡°Youxuan, you know how to write?¡±

    She instantly felt ipetent as a grandmother after realizing that she did not know this.

    ¡°What writing? He was just drawing. To be exact, it was a drawing of love. The drawing was quite abstract too.¡± Qi Chengyue continued snitching.

    ¡°Aunty, with that mouth of yours, you will never get married! You should at least try to pretend in front of my future Uncle,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby face blushed, his little secret was exposed by Qi Chengyue.

    The drawing was unintentionally discovered by Qi Chengyue. Hmph, he knew Aunty could not keep a secret. He even promised to support her in being with his future Uncle.

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Qi Chengyueughed obnoxiously as she started acting childish. She then whipped out her shiny left hand and said, ¡°He has to marry your Aunty either way.¡±

    A silent Cheng Dongge started smiling. He was watching Qi Chengyue and Qi Youxuan¡¯s exchange a warm gaze.

    Grandmother was super excited. Just as she wanted to speak, Grandfather suddenly stood up and walked towards Cheng Dongge with his hands behind his back saying, ¡°Come, y chess with me in the garden.¡±

    He walked outside right after that.

    Cheng Dongge followed him. Grandmother unhappily sat down after being cut off by Grandfather and said, ¡°Stupid old man, showing off again.¡±

    Cheng Dongge stood next to Grandfather in the small garden and watched him y chess with others. After apanying him for a few rounds, he came back with Grandfather and took Qi Chengyue home after. He needed to tell Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun about the engagement.

    Everyone left the house. On the way back, Song Yu was still hung up on Qi Chenglin¡¯s personal matters. She turned around and asked Qi Chengzhi, ¡°You really don¡¯t know who Chenglin is pursuing?¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t tell me. What¡¯s with the sudden curiosity?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at Song Yu.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he behave strangely in front of Danchen the other time? Grandmother felt like he might be into Danchen and asked me to pay attention. Youxuan also wanted Danchen to be his stepmother. Things cannot change this fast, can they? Danchen didn¡¯t even tell me she was close to Chenglin. Do you think I should ask her?¡± Song Yu opened her WeChat.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t help it, then ask,¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled briefly.

    Song Yu thought about it and said, ¡°Forget it, I don¡¯t know how to start the conversation.¡±

    ¡°Right, add Cheng Dongge and Chengyue into the group,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu did it right away. Not all members of the Eight Great Families were in the ¡®8¡Á8=64¡¯ chat group, it only consisted of the ones who were close to one another. Qi Chengzhi suggested to add Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue into the group as a gesture of his approval.

    When Qi Chengyue was with Jian Yi, they were not added into the group.

    Qi Chengyue received a notification after being added to the group. She was shocked and her surprise was amplified after seeing the members of the chat group.

    Song Yu typed a message on behalf of Qi Chengzhi as he was driving. She keyed in a pping emoji and wrote, [Dongge and Chengyue are engaged.]

    [Congrattions!] Wei Zilin wrote.

    [Congrattions!] Gui Zhiqian wrote.

    [Congrattions!] Han Zhuoli wrote.

    [Congrattions!] Yan Beicheng wrote.

    Chu Zhaoyang did not bother typing and only sent a pping emoji.

    [Old Chu, can you get in line?] Gui Zhiqian wrote.

    [Haha!] Chu Zhaoyang replied.

    [I can¡¯t stand how he mocks the group all the time.] Gui Zhiqian wrote.

    [Thanks, everyone.] Qi Chengyue wrote.

    [Where¡¯s Cheng Dongge?] Yan Beicheng asked.

    [He¡¯s driving.] Qi Chengyue replied.

    Qi Chengzhi passed his phone to Song Yu and said, ¡°Use my phone and tell them to get their red packets ready.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    Was it appropriate to be this brazen?

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and asked seriously, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Song Yu thought about it¡ªsince it was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone, she sent the message anyway.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Zilin, Yan Beicheng, Gui Zhiqian, and Han Zhuoli did not say anything.

    Yan Beicheng then wrote, [Come to Red Roof tonight and let¡¯s celebrate.]

    There was a call from Qi Chengyue and she was asking if she should attend. She was not close to Yan Beicheng¡ªshe did not want to simply agree to it.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked Song Yu.

    ¡°Since Yan Beicheng asked, let¡¯s go,¡± Song Yu replied.

    After agreeing to a meeting time, they went home to rest before leaving for Red Roof at night.

    Song Yu was a little sleepy by the time they got home and took a nap. By nighttime, Cheng Dongge brought Qi Chengyue over and they went to Red Roof together.

    Just as they entered the room, Qi Youxuan was sat on the carpet with Little Muran ying Lego. The others did not smoke, they were snacking on french fries and ying dice.

    After everyone arrived, Yan Beicheng asked the waiter to serve the table. Qi Chengzhi ordered Song Yu¡¯s favorite dishes before arranging them nicely on his te.

    Song Yu did not need to touch her chopsticks at all¡ªshe stared at Qi Chengzhi arranging her food for her. He moved gracefully, then brought his te over to switch it with her empty te.

    Her gaze moved from his long, bony fingers, up to his muscr arm wrapped under his shirt, to his elegant and handsome side profile.

    Song Yu smiled gently. Qi Chengzhi looked over as well, and his soft gaze was irresistible. His handsome face, coupled with his sharp features, seemed a lot gentler now because of his soft gaze. The sense of calmness, together with his demeanor, was as infatuating as a clear moon and a gentle breeze.

    The others were shocked. They knew Qi Chengzhi spoiled Song Yu as it was obvious from thest few gatherings. However, this time around, Qi Chengzhi had spoiled Song Yu to such an extreme extent.

    A man, who was usually cold and seemed distant to many, was spoiling his wife as if there was no one around them.

    He was silent as he spoiled her. He still had the calm and steady expression he usually had. It was as if what he was doing was normal.

    After realizing that the table was a little quiet, Song Yu looked over and realized everyone was staring at them. She was stunned and started blushing while whispering to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Go ahead and eat, you don¡¯t have to fuss over me.¡±

    The couple was used to eating alone¡ªwhether it was lunch at Dynasty, or eating at home during break, Qi Chengzhi started caring about her meticulously. She did not remember when he began doing that.

    It was already a habit of hers and she did not realize what was wrong about it. She would usually be wary about it at the house, but it slipped her mind at this moment and she forgot about it.

    Qi Chengzhi briefly red at Yan Beicheng and a lot and looked down at her again before saying with half a smile, ¡°Eat.¡±

    Song Yu blushed¡ªbecause of how much he cared, she felt sweetness and warmth in her heart. She smiled at him before looking down in embarrassment to eat, she did not dare look at the others.

    ¡°Psht, this old man and his young wife are surely something else,¡± Han Zhuoli said while shaking his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯tugh at them. At your age, why don¡¯t you try finding an older partner and show us,¡± Qi Chenglin mocked.

    ¡°Who said one would have to serve their partner this way if she was younger? I could find a younger one and make her serve me too. I would control her well,¡± Han Zhuoli sneered.

    Everyone at the table jeered.

    ¡°Keep dreaming,¡± Wei Ziqi mocked.

    ¡°Wake up,¡± Gui Zhiqian said with a cold shoulder.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you find one who would be willing to do that and show us,¡± Wei Zilin rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Haha.¡± Chu Zhaoyangughed dryly.

    ¡°...¡± Han Zhuoli did not respond.

    What kind of friends were these¡ªso condescending!

    ...

    ...

    At around nine o¡¯clock at night, Yu Keyao took a cab to a quiet bar.

    The lights were dark inside, and slow music was being yed. The ce was decorated with wooden tables and sofas, it seemedfortable. There were waiters walking in between the furniture, and most of the customers at the bar were foreigners who chatted while drinking beer.

    As there were no avable seats, a waiter approached her and Yu Keyao said, ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone by the surname Mu.¡±

    The waiter understood her right away and brought her to a booth in the corner.

    Yu Keyao sat on a soft and thick sofa and its cushion gave way a little. She smiled at the person across her and said, ¡°Have you been waiting for long?¡±

    ¡°Not really, I¡¯m sorry for asking to meet you out of the blue,¡± Mu Sisi said. She seemed a little tipsy.

    Yu Keyao saw a bottle of red wine on the table next to a wine ss. There was only half a bottle of wine left.

    Mu Sisi called the waiter over to pour a ss for Yu Keyao.

    Yu Keyao still had a thing for Mu Huaisheng since that incident. It was never only a one-night stand. There would always be a second time.

    To Mu Huaisheng, they were not a couple. They were just friends with benefits on top of being a manager and a subordinate. He had some feelings for Yu Keyao but that was it, he did not think there was anything more to it.

    That was not the case for Yu Keyao. She ran out of luck with Qi Chengzhi, she had admitted that long ago. There would be no use if she went to pester Song Yu about it, so she gave up trying to pursue Qi Chengzhi. However, it was such a rare chance to get close to Mu Huaisheng¡ªshe wanted to cherish it.

    Since she had slept with Mu Huaisheng, she was already one step nearer to sess¡ªit would not be hard to fulfill what came after that. She had to marry him to escape poverty.

    Mu Huaisheng was not far from Qi Chengzhi, and he was good friends with Qi Chengzhi too. To Yu Keyao, Mu Huaisheng should be on the same level of status as Qi Chengzhi.

    As such, she wanted to earn more brownie points with Mu Sisi in order to set a foundation for her marrying into the Mu family.

    If she could get the support of her sister and maintain a good rtionship¡ªshe would be halfway to sess.

    ¡°Nothing much, I don¡¯t know how you perceive me, but I think of you as a friend. If you need my help, I wouldn¡¯t consider it a hassle,¡± Yu Keyao smiled as she pushed her long hair behind her left ear.

    ¡°I think of you as a friend too,¡± Mu Sisi said while taking a sip from the wine ss. ¡°I¡¯ve just got here, and I barely know anyone. Most of them are rted to Song Yu, and they all hate me because of her. You¡¯re the only one who treats me with honesty, and the only friend I have here. Apart from you, I have no one else to go to. I thought of you right away when I got in trouble. Moreover, I know you¡¯re with my brother.¡±

    Yu Keyao widened her eyes in shock and felt pleasantly surprised. She had been thinking of a way to discreetly publicize her rtionship with Mu Huaisheng and be his official girlfriend. She did not expect Mu Sisi to know this beforehand.

    However, Yu Keyao kept panicking on the surface as her hands shook while blushing. ¡°No... no, how could you think that? How could Master Mu and I... did you misunderstand something?¡±

    ¡°Keyao, are you not treating me as a friend?¡± Mu Sisi said with a serious face. ¡°I wanted to meet you the other night, but when I reached your ce, I saw you getting out of my brother¡¯s car and the two of you went upstairs together.¡±

    ¡°You... You shouldn¡¯t misinterpret that,¡± Yu Keyao clenched the ss stem with nervousness and continued spinning it. ¡°I don¡¯t wish to climb up the socialdder, with Master Mu it was... Anyway, I have no bad intentions, I¡¯m not trying to reap any benefits from it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who shouldn¡¯t misunderstand me.¡± Mu Sisi held Yu Keyao¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to go after you, I¡¯m actually happy for you and my brother. We¡¯re already friends¡ªif you married my brother, we will be sisters-inw, isn¡¯t that better? It¡¯s better than letting my brother marry a stranger, if there was any conflict between us, I could be bullied by her too. Although I¡¯m his sister, inparison with a wife, being a sister means nothing. The wife could influence him further with pillow talk, and I could lose my standing in the family. However, it¡¯s a different story since you¡¯re with my brother. Keyao, I¡¯m really happy for you.¡±

    Yu Keyao blushed and said shyly, ¡°Of course, if I could be your sister-inw, I would be happy.¡±

    Mu Sisi gave her a seemingly genuine smile before picking up the ss and downing the wine in it.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± Yu Keyao pressed on her hand. ¡°Is there something bothering you? I haven¡¯t asked you this but why did you ask me out?¡±

    ¡°This... I don¡¯t know how to open up about this.¡± Mu Sisi looked down in doubt.

    Yu Keyao was desperate to impress Mu Sisi, and she could not help but start to act as if she was already her sister-inw. She held Mu Sisi¡¯s hand endearingly and said, ¡°There are no boundaries between you and me. You can say it however you want to.¡±

    Mu Sisi hesitated for a while before she pulled out a file from her bag, and said, ¡°It¡¯s better if you take a look at it.¡±

    Yu Keyao opened the file in suspicion, saw the contents of it, and inhaled in shock. ¡°This... this is...¡±

    ¡°This is the real reason why the Song family went bankrupt. Someone handed this to me, and I¡¯ve had this for some time, but I didn¡¯t know what to do with it,¡± Mu Sisi said as she hesitantly poured a little more wine and took a sip of it.

    ¡°I only received this file after we met. I thought it would be inappropriate to show you this as we haven¡¯t known each other for long, and I was worried that you might misunderstand me. Since you¡¯re already together with my brother, we¡¯re family now¡ªthere¡¯re no boundaries.¡± Mu Sisi pinched the ss stem with both her hands. ¡°Since Song Yu is your rtive, I thought it would be best to hand this to you and let you decide if you should tell Song Yu¡¯s parents about it.¡±

    Yu Keyao clenched onto the file and her gaze wavered. ¡°Does Song Yu know about this?¡±

    ¡°To me, since Song Yu is so money-minded and values her current status so much, even if she knew the truth, she would help Qi Chengzhi keep it a secret as she is afraid of losing what she has now. She¡¯s used to being the young madam of the Qi family¡ªwhy would she divorce Qi Chengzhi just like that and go back to living poorly?¡± Mu Sisi sneered as she pursed her lips. ¡°On top of that, she will be the future madam of the Qi family and own all the money and power there is to own. What is the Song family¡¯s bankruptcypared to that? With Song Yu¡¯s level of tolerance and mind, she knows which one to pick. That¡¯s why I thought it would be better to tell Song Yu¡¯s parents about it instead of talking to her. Her father spent half of his life running thatpany, he would feel otherwisepared to Song Yu.¡±

 Chapter 253 - Bought This to Put It at Home and Motivate Myself to Give Birth to a Girl

    <h4>Chapter 253: Bought This to Put It at Home and Motivate Myself to Give Birth to a Girl</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°To me, since Song Yu is so money-minded and values her current status so much, even if she knew the truth, she would help Qi Chengzhi keep it a secret as she is afraid of losing what she has now. She¡¯s used to being the young madam of the Qi family¡ªwhy would she divorce Qi Chengzhi just like that and go back to living poorly?¡± Mu Sisi sneered as she pursed her lips. ¡°On top of that, she will be the future madam of the Qi family and own all the money and power there is to own. What is the Song family¡¯s bankruptcypared to that? With Song Yu¡¯s level of tolerance and mind, she knows which one to pick. That¡¯s why I thought it would be better to tell Song Yu¡¯s parents about it instead of talking to her. Her father spent half of his life running thatpany, he would feel differentlypared to Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°Song Yu used to be a precious daughter of her family. Why would she care aboutpany matters? I¡¯m afraid she doesn¡¯t have feelings towards it at all. If she was angry, she would be angry at Qi Chengzhi for robbing her of seven years¡¯ worth of being a rich, precious daughter. However, in the Qi family, she is living better than she ever had, and she¡¯s more respected than before. Obviously, she¡¯ll stop being bothered. Why would she give up being the young madam of the Qi family and go back to working hard for others or getting looked down at?¡±

    Yu Keyao nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve known it since day one. Song Yu would do anything to protect her position¡ªto the point where she would pretend to be in love with Qi Chengzhi. It¡¯s all a facade.¡±

    Mu Sisi took a sip of the wine and sighed. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that Song Yu¡¯s parents might be the same. Now that Song Yu has married into the Qi family, they¡¯re enjoying their lives as well. Even more than before. If they wanted apany, Qi Chengzhi could give them however many they wanted. I¡¯m afraid that even if they knew about it, they wouldn¡¯t care.¡±

    ¡°No they won¡¯t,¡± Yu Keyao said with confidence. ¡°Their feelings about it are different from Song Yu. My uncle spent half his life building thepany¡ªit was as good as his own child. If he found out that thepany was ruined by his own son-inw, and on top of that, he married his daughter off to his enemy, he would never be able to take it. Moreover, with my aunt¡¯s vengeful character, she would never forgive Qi Chengzhi if she knew the truth. She could force Song Yu to divorce him too.¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes lit up as she grabbed Yu Keyao¡¯s hand. ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Sisi, do you want to tell Song Yu¡¯s parents?¡± Yu Keyao felt contradicted as she looked at Mu Sisi.

    Although her current target was Mu Huaisheng, she could not stand seeing Song Yu being happy. If she could break up Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi, she would be happy as well. However, she knew that Mu Sisi had a thing for Qi Chengzhi. If Qi Chengzhi really broke up with Song Yu and Mu Sisi got an opportunity and seeded, she could not stand that idea.

    Truth be told, she liked Qi Chengzhi more than she did Mu Huaisheng. His ss and temperament left quite an impression on her so she could not forget it. Qi Chengzhi was like the moon she could see but never be able to reach in her life.

    She could not stand Qi Chengzhi being happy with Song Yu, but she would not let Mu Sisi have her way as well.

    Mu Sisi pursed her lips miserably and said, ¡°I know, even if her parents force them to get divorced, Qi Chengzhi could never ept me. He wanted to sue me till Ind in prison. I no longer have feelings for him. I¡¯ve given up. However, I can¡¯t stand seeing them together and being all sweet and happy while I¡¯m suffering here. They don¡¯t even care. Since he doesn¡¯t care about all those years we spent together and went ahead with suing me, why shouldn¡¯t I take my revenge? I will never beg him to be with me again or ask him to take a look at me. I will never be that petty and low again. I know now, the more I act petty and low, the less he takes me seriously. I want him to regret not caring about me, and chucking me aside as if I¡¯m a piece of trash¡ªhe doesn¡¯t even care to look at me at all. I only want to break him and Song Yu up now. I can¡¯t stand them being together. As long as they suffer, I¡¯ll be happy.¡±

    Yu Keyao¡¯s gaze changed. She held back her own emotions and held Mu Sisi¡¯s hand whileforting her.

    ¡°Keyao, can you help me? I don¡¯t know where Song Yu¡¯s parents live. Can you bring me there so I can tell this to them,¡± Mu Sisi pleaded while clenching onto Yu Keyao¡¯s hand.

    Yu Keyao patted her hand lightly, sighed and said, ¡°Rather than having you reveal it, I¡¯ll do it. If you appeared out of the blue, they might not believe you.¡±

    ¡°Would this cause you trouble? If her parents told Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi about this, what would happen to you? If Qi Chengzhi causes you trouble...¡± Mu Sisi looked at Yu Keyao in doubt.

    Yu Keyao was trying to impress Mu Sisi¡ªshe did not want to only be ¡°friends¡±. She wanted Mu Sisi to truly ept and appreciate her in order to have her help and support when she married Mu Huaisheng one day.

    ¡°Even if he wanted to cause me trouble, what could he do? Our family is already in such a bad shape, it could not get any worse. On top of that, I¡¯m employed at MU. so Qi Chengzhi can¡¯t threaten your brother to fire me. Moreover, he was the one who caused the Song family to go bankrupt. That¡¯s a fact. I did not use him on purpose. If he takes his revenge on me because I told the truth, what would my aunt and uncle think? Wouldn¡¯t it be harder for them to forgive him? I¡¯m anticipating all of this, and I¡¯m sure he will too. He will not cause me so much trouble.¡± Yu Keyao pulled her hand back and clenched onto the ss. She watched the red liquid in the ss move.

    ¡°On top of that, I want to help you too. Our current rtionship aside, you¡¯re the one who gave me this job when I was in trouble. Of course, I will help you now when I can.¡±

    Mu Sisi looked at Yu Keyao and felt touched. ¡°Keyao, you¡¯re so nice. Since you¡¯re family to me, I won¡¯t be calctive with you. You¡¯re my sister-inw from now on, really. I¡¯ll never let my brother do anything to betray you. I will not acknowledge anyone else as my sister-inw other than you.¡±

    Yu Keyao blushed, smiled shyly, and she nodded her head ever so slightly.

    Mu Sisi raised her ss, hiding her sinister smile as she drank from it.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu woke up early the next day. She was excited for the routine pregnancy scan and could not fall asleepst night. As there was nothing urgent today, she could finally go to the hospital for her scan without problems.

    Song Yu lifted her head from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms and found him still asleep. His hand was already on her waist out of habit. Even if she woke up with her back facing him, she would still be in his embrace.

    He was half-naked. His chest popped out of the nket, and he seemed exceptionally calm when he was asleep. His long, fan-likeshes were spread out, and the sun was shining on them. There were fan-like shadows on his eyelids.

    Song Yu realized that there were no words to describe her love for him. Her heart started racing even though she was just quietly watching him sleep.

    She looked down at his hand on her waist¡ªhis palm was clean and dry, his nails were short and neat, and his fingers were long and lean. He had the hand of an artist.

    Song Yu¡¯s fingertipsnded softly on his nails and traced the joints on his fingers. She twirled her fingers on one of his joints¡ªshe loved how detailed it felt.

    Her fingertips gradually moved up to his wrist from the back of his hand andnded on his toned arm.

    She felt the muscles on his arm tightened. Song Yu looked up into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dark pupils, and she could not make a sound. His eyes were lit with fire and his facial features seemed to be tensed up. There was heating off him.

    Song Yu became nervous and gulped. She asked softly while trembling, ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re seducing me this early in the morning?¡± He had just woken up, and his voice was still incredibly raspy and maic. Her heart shivered as she heard his voice.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just touching,¡± Song Yu said softly. She looked down as she did not dare to look at him. Her body temperature rose as she smelled a strong, manly scent from his body.

    Qi Chengzhi grabbed her hand all of a sudden, and his fingers intertwined with hers tightly. He rolled over and trapped her in his embrace before kissing her lips with speed and weight. He put her hand on his chest and whispered into her lips, ¡°Touch.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s fingertips and palms were hot from his skin. She was too embarrassed to say anything.

    His hot palms moved down her arms and over her waist¡ªone of his hands grazed against her skin and moved upwards, but the other one went down. He got in there slowly.

    ¡°I need to go to the hospital.¡± Song Yu¡¯s lower abdomen tightened, and she could not help but tremble.

    Qi Chengzhi stayed silent¡ªhe already got in there when she was still into it. He whispered into her ear, ¡°We¡¯ll go when we get out of bed.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Based on what he was doing, who knew how long they would take to get out of bed.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhibed her hair which got wet from the sweat. Her forehead and neck were drenched in small, rice-like drops of sweat¡ªher skin was softer than ever because of the pregnancy. Qi Chengzhi could not let go of her.

    He had her in his arms and watched her squint her eyes together. Her cheeks and body were light pink, and she was exceptionally submissive in his embrace¡ªQi Chengzhi¡¯s heart melted.

    His sharp features seemed gentle, and he looked down to softly kiss the corner of her eyes and lips. He took in her pleasant scent and the slight saltiness of her sweat.

    He hugged her for some time before carrying her into the shower. Song Yu was toozy to move. She was as obedient as a doll, allowing him to do whatever he wanted to her. Although she was seated in the bathtub, she was still in his embrace and did not care to lift a finger at all.

    ¡°Lean back a little.¡± Qi Chengzhi wanted to clean her body, but he could not move much as she was leaning against him.

    ¡°The bathtub is too cold,¡± Song Yu saidzily.

    Qi Chengzhi could only go around the back of her head, let her lean into his embrace, and cleaned the front of her body.

    ¡°How are you gettingzier andzier after doing it,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with his raspy voice. His warm lips were against her ears, and his hot breath poured into them. Song Yu¡¯s ears turned red from it.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I¡¯m just toozy to move,¡± Song Yu saidzily. She looked up and lied on his shoulder¡ªone side of her forehead grazed on his stubbled chin. She was amused as she grazed it a couple more times.

    ¡°Is it fun?¡± Qi Chengzhiughed¡ªshe was acting like a kid.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Song Yu turned around and kissed his chin with a smile.

    Qi Chengzhi cleaned Song Yu¡¯s body and gave himself a little shower. He drained the water in the tub and dried Song Yu first.

    ¡°Lift your leg,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Song Yu lifted her legzily, but she did not lift it high enough.

    ¡°Lift your arms,¡± he said.

    Song Yu unwillingly lifted her arms. It took him some effort to dry her, and he quickly dried himself off and carried Song Yu back to the room fearing that she would catch a cold.

    Although the weather was warm, Song Yu wrapped herself in the nket because she felt a little cold after the shower.

    Qi Chengzhi opened the cupboard and let Song Yu pick her outfit of the day. Song Yu pointed at her choice, and Qi Chengzhi took it down for her.

    Qi Chengzhi dressed her up. It felt as if he was taking care of a kid. He said to her while zipping her dress, ¡°Even the dowager queen doesn¡¯t get this level of care, does she?¡±

    Song Yuughed and hugged his waist in submission while smothering him.

    The couple finally went downstairs for breakfast after going back and forth at it.

    The duo usually woke upte on weekends, so Aunty Yang did not know when would be best to prepare breakfast for them. The couple usually drank reheated milk and had sandwiches on weekends.

    They finally left the house and drove to Chutian Hospital.

    While not every nurse at Chutian Hospital would recognize Qi Chengzhi, the doctors knew that doing a pregnancy scan at the hospital could not be hidden from Chu Zhaoyang. Qi Chengzhi greeted Chu Zhaoyang anyway.

    Song Yu did not expect to see Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s assistant waiting for them as they arrived at the hospital¡¯s entrance. The assistant greeted Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu before calling Chu Zhaoyang immediately.

    After some time, Chu Zhaoyang came over and took a look at Song Yu¡¯s stomach in silence. He looked over at Qi Chengzhi and lifted his thumb saying, ¡°Old but strong.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    This Chu Zhaoyang was usually quiet¡ªit was hard to make him speak an extended sentence. Who knew he was this insulting when he spoke.

    Qi Chengzhi ignored him¡ªhe admitted to being strong but not old.

    Chu Zhaoyang led them to the clinic and greeted the doctor. The doctor agreed to perform the scan immediately after knowing that the duo wanted to find out the gender of their baby.

    On top of having Chu Zhaoyang as a boss, there was also the factor of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s status in a powerful family¡ªcould they give up their child if they found out it was a girl?

    ¡°Why are you still here?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked over at Chu Zhaoyang who grabbed himself a chair and sat down.

    ¡°I want to see if it will be a nephew or niece,¡± Chu Zhaoyang said with a straight face.

    The doctor had Song Yu lie down on a bed and closed the curtains. After some time, the doctor called Qi Chengzhi in and pointed at a shadow on the screen.

    ¡°Madam Qi has been pregnant for 14 weeks and five days. The embryo is already formed, here -¡± the doctor circled the screen with a pen, ¡°is the genitals of the baby. We can now confirm that it will be a boy, congrattions you two.¡±

    Song Yu could finally rx. She no longer felt pressured.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s palm rested on Song Yu¡¯s abdomen through her shirt. It felt more real than ever now that he knew the child¡¯s gender. It was nothing to do with it being a boy or girl; he had only been calling it a kid before this¡ªit felt unreal.

    Now that he could call it his son, he could start thinking about names and call him by his name. Although he was still inside Song Yu, it felt more real.

    After getting the ultrasound scan, Qi Chengzhi apanied Song Yu to do other checks¡ªall results were satisfactory. The baby was in a stable condition as well and Qi Chengzhi was satisfied with this.

    After the checks, Chu Zhaoyang sent them to the entrance of the hospital. Song Yu looked at him anxiously and asked, ¡°You haven¡¯t told them about it, have you?¡±

    In a rare sight, Chu Zhaoyang lifted the corner of his lips and said, ¡°It¡¯s better for you guys to reveal it.¡±

    Song Yuughed. She found Chu Zhaoyang adorable in the moment. ¡°Why did you wait until the results were out then?¡±

    ¡°Now I know something they haven¡¯t.¡± Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s chin was lifted a little¡ªhis nonchnt face had a hint of pride.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    It felt like the Great Eight Families were a little crazy¡ªto be able to maintain the current status of these families was a miracle in itself.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu pulled out the ultrasound scan in the car and lifted it against the sunlight. Although she did not understand what she was looking at, she remembered what the doctor said about the shadow on the scan.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and looked at her with a smile. His palm rested on her stomach¡ªit was soft with a little bump.

    Song Yu looked down and put her hand on the back of his. Her abdomen was warm from the heat of his palm.

    She was carrying his son in her, and his hand was resting on her stomach¡ªthis feeling of connectivity was amusing.

    ¡°Are we going back to the house?¡± Song Yu turned around and looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome side face while he drove.

    Qi Chengzhi gave her stomach a little rub. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the baby store, then we¡¯ll go back to the house.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi drove towards the entrance of a well-known baby store and parked his car in a spot.

    Song Yu knew about this brand but she only found it after getting pregnant and searching it online. She joined a mothers¡¯ forum online which had discussions about all things rted to pregnancy and post-pregnancy¡ªshe could post a question there if she did not know something. She did not expect Qi Chengzhi to know about this store.

    Feeling Song Yu¡¯s gaze on him, Qi Chengzhi looked over and Song Yuughed mischievously. ¡°How did you know about this store?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held her hand and squeezed his eyes together. ¡°You know the answer.¡±

    Song Yu wrapped her hand around his arm and asked, ¡°Did you ask the female employees at the office again?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi walked proudly towards the entrance of the store and said, ¡°I got Cheng Dongge to ask around.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. ¡°Does Chengyue know you made Cheng Dongge ask around for this?¡±

    The automatic door opened and Qi Chengzhi walked in with Song Yu. He said with a clear voice, ¡°Since I got him to ask about it, there are rumors in thepany that Chengyue is pregnant.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    A good sister had fallen into the pit!

    Song Yu watched his calmness, and his suit seemed exceptionally expensive. He stood out among the crowd in the store.

    There were a few soon-to-be parents in the store, but the way Qi Chengzhi stood in a corner had an imposing manner to it.

    The couple walked towards the baby clothes section. They approached the 0 to 6 months section, and Qi Chengzhi picked up a shirt¡ªit was as small as his palm. It was adorable.

    Song Yu picked up another shirt. She pinched the sleeves of the shirt, which was meant for baby girls, and asked, ¡°How about this one?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi lifted his brow and said in a mellow voice, ¡°If you want a baby girl, we can work towards that¡ªbut it¡¯s not okay to dress our son as a girl.¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips and put the shirt down unwillingly. However, Qi Chengzhi picked it up again and put it in the cart.

    Song Yu was confused. ¡°I thought we¡¯re not getting that?¡±

    ¡°I said we can¡¯t dress our son like a girl, but there¡¯s no harm in putting this at home to motivate myself to give birth to a girl.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow voice sounded serious, and his facial expression was clear.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    If this was said by others, it would sound crude¡ªbuting from him, it turned into motivation.

    Song Yu put the shirt Qi Chengzhi had picked out into the cart before picking out a few cute ones herself. She picked out a few animal onesies: a cow onesie, a panda onesie, and a fox onesie.

    When Song Yu picked up the fox onesie, she looked over at Qi Chengzhi andughed.

    Qi Chengzhi pressed her for answers a couple of times before Song Yu said, ¡°You¡¯re a cunning old fox, of course your son is a little fox.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed. He reached for a baby girls¡¯ costume, looked at Song Yu¡¯s stomach with unspoken intentions, and put it into the cart. His long, elegant fingers browsed between clothes before picking up another baby girl costume, looked over at Song Yu¡¯s stomach and putting it in the cart again.

    Song Yu stopped Qi Chengzhi before he picked up a fourth one. ¡°We¡¯re not having a baby girl yet. Buying one for motivational purposes is enough.¡±

    ¡°Baby girls¡¯ clothes do look better than the boys¡¯.¡± Qi Chengzhi seemed serious, and his dark pupils looked down again at Song Yu¡¯s stomach.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, the boy hasn¡¯t even been born yet and you¡¯re thinking about a girl.¡± Song Yu put the fourth costume back, and she wanted to put the other two baby girl costumes in the cart back as well. However, after picking them up and seeing how adorable they were, she put them back in the cart again.

    Song Yu dragged Qi Chengzhi to the baby boy¡¯s section¡ªshe did not want him to spend another second at the baby girl¡¯s section.

    There were other products such as small nkets and small carpets that were exceptionally adorable. Song Yu could not help but buy them all.

    Qi Chengzhi held a ss milk bottle in his left hand and a stic one in his right. He called the attendant over and listened to her describe the pros and cons of each bottle before buying two of each.

    The cart was nearly filled to the brim. Qi Chengzhi thought about buying some toys, and he walked over to the toys section with Song Yu.

    Lastly, they bought two strollers as Song Yu liked both colors. Each of them had its own unique design as well, and it was hard to pick one.

    Song Yu held the bag of clothes as it was lighter, while Qi Chengzhi carried the toys and the strollers into the trunk.

    As Qi Chengzhi got into the car and was putting on his seatbelt, Song Yu got a call from Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Mom.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was light¡ªshe was ready to break the news to Yu Qianying.

    ¡°Come home right now.¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s voice seemed off. It sounded cold.

    ¡°Mom, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Song Yu asked in shock.

    ¡°Juste home now,¡± Yu Qianying said through her teeth.

    ¡°Okay, I have good news to tell you too.¡± Song Yuughed, and her voice was lively.

    However, Yu Qianying hung up on her without replying to what she said.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart raced as she looked at her phone with worry. She turned around to find Qi Chengzhi looking at her and asking, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Mom asked us to go home, she sounded a little off.¡± Song Yu frowned with worry. ¡°I don¡¯t know what it¡¯s about but she sounded like she was pissed.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back first.¡± Qi Chengzhi started the car and drove in the direction of Song Yu¡¯s parents¡¯ house.

    ¡°There shouldn¡¯t be any huge problem, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s angry about, but when she hears that I¡¯m pregnant, she should not be unhappy anymore.¡± Song Yuughed while feeling her stomach.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help butugh while watching her expression¡ªit was as if she held a medallion.

    ...

    ...

    It was a Saturday and no one was going to work. The parking area was filled with cars, and Qi Chengzhi took some time to find a spot and parked his Range Rover near Song Donglin¡¯s ce. He walked a short distance with Song Yu.

    They bumped into quite a few neighbors on the way to the apartment. They also bumped into the Xu couple from the 6th floor, who naturally asked about when they were going to have a baby.

    Song Yu was the one who handled the questions. The neighbors were still wary of Qi Chengzhi and could not have a rxed chat with him. Qi Chengzhi had a cold and reserved persona towards them, and he did not give off a friendly vibe. His silent look made people feel that he was too serious to be close with.

    He only nodded to greet the neighbors here. Truth be told, he did the same with the neighbors back at the house, but over there, they watched him grow up and knew what he was like as a person. No one was bothered about it over there¡ªthey would make small talk as they wished.

    The neighbors over here were still nervous standing in front of Qi Chengzhi.

    However, it was also because of this trait of his that Song Yu was not caught up in small talks for too long. Song Yu was thankful for that.

    After bidding goodbye to the old Xu couple, the duo walked and found Shuaishuai ying football with his friends next to them.

    ¡°Sister Song Yu.¡± Shuaishuai saw Song Yu and greeted her with a smile immediately. After seeing Qi Chengzhi next to her, he paused for a bit before greeting, ¡°Hello brother.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Shuaishuai, who was old enough to be his son, and nodded in satisfaction. ¡°You¡¯ve grown taller and your sight got better. Go ahead and have fun.¡±

    Shuaishuai was pleasantly surprised by Qi Chengzhi¡¯s praise before running off with his friends.

    ¡°This kid is smart and is willing to change. He has a bright future ahead of him.¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke with an elder-like voice and soundedforted.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    The duo went upstairs and stood in front of the unit. Song Yu knocked on the door as she did not bring her house keys.

 Chapter 254 - Are You Planning to Disown Your Own Daughter?

    <h4>Chapter 254: Are You nning to Disown Your Own Daughter?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The duo went upstairs and stood in front of the unit. Song Yu knocked on the door as she did not bring her house keys.

    The door opened a momentter. Yu Qianying thought Song Yu came alone, but she was stunned to see Qi Chengzhi had tagged along¡ªher face darkened immediately and anger was boiling up inside her.

    Song Yu was shocked and immediately knew that things would not be simple. ¡°Mom¡±

    ¡°Come in first.¡± Yu Qianying peeked at Qi Chengzhi. She was trying her best to contain her rage but her expression showed a tinge of anger.

    Qi Chengzhi took Yu Qianying¡¯s reaction calmly. Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi nervously as soon after Yu Qianying turned around. Song Yu could only think of one possibility that could make Yu Qianying exasperated enough to give Qi Chengzhi an angry stare.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned ashen-grey. Qi Chengzhi grabbed her hand andforted her. The two of them followed Yu Qianying to the living room and saw Song Donglin sitting on the couch with a cigarette between his fingers.

    Song Donglin was smoking when the two of them walked into the living room. He lifted his head upon hearing footsteps. His eyes were red and bloodshot.

    He stared at Qi Chengzhi with mixed feelings.

    Song Yu suddenly became alert from the sight of Song Donglin smoking again even though he had stopped for a long time.

    Yu Qianying stood still with clenched fists, her whole body tightened and was trembling.

    She inhaled deeply and said to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°I heard that you¡¯re the one who prompted the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy.¡±

    Song Yu suddenly felt dizzy. Her breathing became irregr and her eyes reddened. She started sobbing and grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand even tighter.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Song Yu eximed.

    Yu Qianying thought Song Yu was taken by surprise and could not believe this ridiculous statement, so she said coldly, ¡°Be quiet. Qi Chengzhi, I¡¯m asking you if it is true or not.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed Song Yu¡¯s hand and his expression remained calm, but Song Yu could feel his hand trembling and his palm sweating.

    ¡°If you¡¯re a man then admit to your mistakes. We won¡¯t me you if you really didn¡¯t do it,¡± Yu Qianying groaned while grinding her teeth.

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent for a while. He squeezed Song Yu¡¯s hand before replying, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°p!¡±

    It was unexpected for Yu Qianying to suddenly p Qi Chengzhi, which made Song Yu¡¯s heart skip a beat. She noticed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s head turned towards her with a bright red palm mark on his cheek.

    Song Yu saw that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face remained expressionless¡ªas if he was ready for another beating. It made her heart wrench. ¡°Mom!¡±

    Although Song Yu was shorter and thinner than Qi Chengzhi, she stood in front of him to protect him.

    ¡°What are you doing? Are you still trying to protect him? Song Yu, this is a fact! You saw him admit it. We didn¡¯t me him so don¡¯t even try to say that there may be some misunderstanding. There is no misunderstanding here!¡± Yu Qianying said with reddened eyes.

    Yu Qianying turned around abruptly and threw the documents on the table near Song Yu. ¡°All the evidence is here. He was the one who tore ourpany apart! He was the one who made our family suffer! He made you suffer and ridiculed for so many years! We could¡¯ve lived happily if not because of him!¡±

    Yu Qianying took a deep breath and sobbed. Tears started welling up in her eyes and she could not contain it anymore¡ªteardrops started streaming down her face.

    ¡°He is an enemy of our family based on all his doings. I can¡¯t believe I married my own daughter to such monstrosity. I can¡¯t believe that I felt lucky when you found a man who gave you unconditional love and was willing to take care of you for the rest of his life. But who knew this would happen...¡±

    Yu Qianying covered her face and sobbed. ¡°Who knows if he will silently continue to harm us. Qi Chengzhi, how much hatred did you have for us to destroy ourpany and even marry my daughter. Do you feel guilty when you kept mentioning how much you love Song Yu while two of you were in a rtionship? What were you thinking when you ruined ourpany and then courted Song Yu? If you loved her, you wouldn¡¯t have torn her family apart and made her life miserable.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent and allowed Yu Qianying to pour her anger onto him.

    ¡°Say something! Give me a reason why you forced our family into this situation! Did our family offend you in any way? I couldn¡¯t believe that I had meals with the Qi family and was so blinded that I even thought that you were a good man,¡± Yu Qianying pointed at Qi Chengzhi with a trembling hand and eximed.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Song Yu pleaded.

    Yu Qianying was so exasperated that she did not notice Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu still holding hands despite the situation. She interrupted Song Yu and said, ¡°Divorce!¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Song Yu eximed.

    ¡°What are you waiting for if you don¡¯t want a divorce? Don¡¯t you see this terrible situation he¡¯d put us in? Who knows why he wanted to marry you. Our family doesn¡¯t have anything else for him to harm us for. What else does he want? I can¡¯t ept... I can¡¯t ept the culprit who brought about our bankruptcy to be my son-inw. I will recall every single hardship you and your father endured these past few years whenever I see Chengzhi. Song Yu, get a divorce now. Qi Chengzhi, why... why did you tear our family apart? Why did you hurt Song Yu? Did you feelcent marrying Song Yu, who loved you with all her heart?¡± Yu Qianying bawled out, her veins popping out from her anger.

    ¡°Mom, I know about what happened,¡± Song Yu said softly with moist eyes.

    ¡°What?¡± Yu Qianying narrowed her eyes. She guessed what Song Yu could possibly mean by that, but she was not sure and could not quite believe it.

    ¡°I already knew the truth of our family¡¯s bankruptcy but I chose to hide it from you because I feared that you may have acted this way. I already knew this before our marriage and that¡¯s why I took the initiative and got the marriage certificate. The fact is, he proposed for marriage and I took the marriage certificate. If you want to me someone then me me. I don¡¯t me him and certainly don¡¯t hate him.¡± Song Yu sobbed. She felt Qi Chengzhi tightening his grip and responded by gripping harder.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grip strength was strong and would normally cause some pain to Song Yu, but now the two of them did not feel the pain and instead, gripped each other¡¯s hand tighter as if to give each other energy for support.

    Suddenly Song Yu was pulled to the back of Qi Chengzhi and a loud p could be heard. Yu Qianying wanted to p Song Yu but her pnded on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest when he protected Song Yu.

    ¡°You knew he was the one who destroyed our family but you chose to marry him. Why? Song Yu, are you doing this because of his financial status? Do you think you can live happily with him forever? Why do you want to hide this from us? Do you still remember all the suffering we went through in those seven years? Have you forgotten that you had to work part-time during your studies and ended up so fatigued every day? You woke up at five o¡¯clock in the morning and came back only at two o¡¯clock in the middle of the night. You only slept for a total of three hours every day. Your dad too because he needed to drive the taxi, and I had to work as an hourly cleaner. Have you forgotten all of that?¡± Yu Qianying cried out because she felt betrayed by Song Yu¡¯s response.

    The daughter Yu Qianying trusted the most behaved this way.

    ¡°So what Yu Keyao mentioned was true. You were tired of living a miserable life so you chose to ignore the fact that Qi Chengzhi made us suffer. You couldn¡¯t let go of the happy life in front of you and your current status, right?¡± Yu Qianying was so angry that she lost her cool and spoke without thinking.

    ¡°Mom! Am I that kind of person in your mind?¡± Blood drained from Song Yu¡¯s face and she stared at Yu Qianying in disbelief.

    ¡°Qianying! Do you have any idea what you just said?¡± Song Donglin who remained silent for a while suddenly stood up. The cigarette which was almost burned out was still between his fingers.

    Yu Qianying finally regained her senses and her lips quivered. Her gaze was empty and there was no eye contact between her and the two of them.

    ¡°Mom, I love him. My love for him is so strong that I don¡¯t care what he did. I wouldn¡¯t me or even hate him for what his actions. I know that he has loved me from way back and that was why I didn¡¯t me him for everything that he did,¡± Song Yu cried, her eyes misty from the tears pooling up in her eyes which made her vision blurry.

    ¡°I know that we had a hard time limating to the new miserable life after our bankruptcy, but the life we had all those years were the same as what themoners experienced. Didn¡¯t themoners work hard to earn for their living too? How many could afford to register for a bigpany and earn fortunes? We suffered because of this huge social difference, but think logically, what kind of suffering did we have? We were not vagabonds. We had a house and we worked hard to earn for our living, and I even furthered my studies at university. Mom, the life we lived was exactly how themoners lived. We were just unable to ept it because we never had that kind of life before. Before the bankruptcy, we could go on vacations and purchase branded goods but in the actual world where trillions of people lived, how many of them lived such a happy life? In my opinion, the life we had before the bankruptcy wasn¡¯t considered a normal life, that was how the wealthy lived.¡±

    Song Yu continued. ¡°To be honest, I never felt remorse that our family faced bankruptcy, perhaps that¡¯s why my hatred wasn¡¯t this strong. You wanted me to engage with Qi Chengji at that time and I didn¡¯t even have the right to choose. You never asked for my opinions on whether I wanted to marry Chengji or not and you merely just agreed to the engagement. I said I didn¡¯t want it but you just brushed it aside, saying that I was too young to understand. True, I didn¡¯t need to work hard or worry about life, but I am a puppet too as I didn¡¯t have the right to choose. You wanted me to move a step forward and I couldn¡¯t even try to walk two steps. I didn¡¯t think my life was happy before, I just told myself that there are more unfortunate souls in the world who wasn¡¯t even able to afford a proper meal themselves, so I endured until now.¡±

    ¡°I admit, I was physically exhausted at the time of bankruptcy but I was happy deep down. At least I lived for myself, no matter good or bad, I could make choices for myself and be responsible for my doings. Chengzhi prompted our family¡¯s bankruptcy because if our family remained as before, then the engagement between Chengji and I would continue and I would be married to him. Chengzhi loved me too much and he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of me marrying another man.¡± Song Yu said.

    Yu Qianying stared at Song Yu in disbelief and backed off a little. ¡°Don¡¯t you feel terrifying that Chengzhi prompted our family¡¯s bankruptcy just because he had a crush on you?¡±

    Song Yu said with a trembling voice, ¡°Yes, but what can I do since I loved him so much? I loved him so I won¡¯t feel terrifying and it made my heart wrenched to see him waiting for me for so many years. In fact, my only regret was not loving him sooner and I thanked him for prompting our family¡¯s bankruptcy because it finally set me free.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps what I said would make you feel extremely disappointed. I had been thinking a lot after being in a rtionship with Chengzhi, if you didn¡¯t insist on the engagement between me and Chengji, maybe none of these would have happened. The Song family wouldn¡¯t face bankruptcy and you wouldn¡¯t suffer. When I was in a rtionship with Chengzhi, no one would abuse my previous engagement with Chengji and gave us anyment. Yu Keyao and Mu Sisi wouldn¡¯t consistently cause trouble for me because of our status differences. We would be living happily without so much annoyance,¡± Song Yu continued.

    ¡°So you¡¯re ming us now, is it?¡± Yu Qianying looked at Song Yu as she never heard Song Yu mention any of these.

    Song Yu answered, ¡°No, I¡¯m not ming you, I¡¯m just saying that everything has its cause and effect. Our family faced bankruptcy because you insisted on my engagement with Qi Chengji, and after the bankruptcy, I was finally set free and didn¡¯t need to wait for a marriage that I don¡¯t desire and marry the man that I don¡¯t love. I even reunited with Chengzhi and saw the good in him.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, if our family didn¡¯t face bankruptcy and I wasn¡¯t engaged to Qi Chengji, perhaps I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the good in Chengzhi. I would probably be in a rtionship with Jian Yi and wouldn¡¯t even realize Jian Yi¡¯s true identity and ended up cheated by him. In the end, the Song family would be destroyed in Jian Yi¡¯s hands. That¡¯s why it is difficult to decide whether the events that had happened are good or bad,¡± Song Yu gave a slight smile despite her cry, then she continued. ¡°Dad, Mom, I was being selfish for thinking only of my freedom and didn¡¯t think whether these were fair to you or not, but I didn¡¯t feel hatred. I don¡¯t ask that you can forgive him but I asked that you don¡¯t insist on a divorce.¡±

    ¡°You-¡± Yu Qianying stared at Song Yu as if she did not live up to Yu Qianying¡¯s expectations and she wanted to p Song Yu, but she could not do so as Song Yu was her own daughter. It was fortunate that Qi Chengzhi took the p just now as Yu Qianying did it unconsciously because she was exasperated.

    Yu Qianying immediately regretted right after shended her p.

    ¡°She is pregnant now. We went to the hospital for a checkup and the baby was a boy. Then we went to the baby¡¯s supply store and purchased his clothes and equipment, and you called her when we just left the store,¡± Qi Chengzhi said after letting Yu Qianyingshed out at him.

    Yu Qianying fixated her gaze on Song Yu¡¯s abdomen. She could not possibly force Song Yu to abort her pregnancy and divorce.

    Song Yu rested her hand on her abdomen. ¡°When you called me and I mentioned to you that I have good news to share, this was it.¡±

    Now Yu Qianying¡¯s thoughts were conflicting and she was unable to describe her current feelings. Her gaze drifting from Song Yu¡¯s abdomen to Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi.

    After a while, Yu Qianying nodded slowly. ¡°Good, you even conceived his child now. You were so in love with each other, it wasn¡¯t right to demand for a divorce.¡±

    Song Yu stared at Yu Qianying with hope, then she heard Yu Qianying said, ¡°If you loved him so much then follow him back home and live a happy life, don¡¯t evere back again. You didn¡¯t care and even forgave him when your home was destroyed and you were ridiculed, then go ahead and live a happy and prosperous life with him. I couldn¡¯t ept it. Whenever I saw him, all I could think of was that he tore apart the Song family, made your father suffered despite his advancing age, so I couldn¡¯t ept him. In fact, I couldn¡¯t even look at him in the eyes because all I could feel was hatred whenever I saw him. Just leave and never return, since your affection towards him is stronger than your parents. From now on, we are not your parents anymore! Since we forced you to do only as we wished and made your life gloomy, and as you mentioned just now, none of these would happen if we didn¡¯t demand for your engagement with Qi Chengji, right? So we brought all these on ourselves.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Song Yu burst into tears and wailed, her chest felt as if someone was squeezing it. ¡°You know I didn¡¯t mean that. Are you nning to disown your daughter?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to do so since we, as parents are not as important as your man in your mind. Why do you even care about my thoughts?¡± Yu Qianying wiped the tears off her cheek.

    ¡°Mom, please don¡¯t do this, I beg you. Chengzhi is a good man, why can¡¯t you acknowledge the fact that he is a really good man? He never did anything else that may harm us except for our family¡¯s bankruptcy. Isn¡¯t it more than enough when he really loves me, your own daughter, unconditionally and n to take care for life? Didn¡¯t Dad also mention that he was satisfied with his current life and didn¡¯t feel remorse for the bankruptcy? Yes, Chengzhi is in the wrong that he prompted the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy, but all of us lived happily now, so why can¡¯t you forgive him? Mom, you want to disown your own daughter just because of this?¡± Song Yu reached out for Yu Qianying¡¯s hand but Yu Qianying shook her hand off.

    ¡°I only ask you this. Who do you choose between us and Qi Chengzhi?¡± Yu Qianying asked with a cold expression and red eyes.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Song Yu was on the verge of copse and cried out.

    Song Yu never would have thought that Yu Qianying wanted her to make such a choice.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi, who was shielding Song Yu just now, moved.

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi who bent one of his legs down and slowly rested his knee on the ground, followed by the other knee. He kneeled down to Yu Qianying.

    Song Yu covered her mouth in disbelief as Qi Chengzhi was a proud and stubborn man who bows down to absolutely no one in her mind.

    Qi Chengzhi would always remain calm and steady to anyone. His expression never changed and he would never blink even to his grandparents in the Qi family, no matter how exasperated his grandparents were towards Qi Chengzhi.

    However, Qi Chengzhi brought himself to his knees in front of Yu Qianying at this moment.

    ¡°I am sorry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a mellow voice, but his words were heart-wrenching to Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi only mentioned these three words and remained silent.

    Did he feel regret? He never felt regret and he would never do things which he may potentially regret, but he knew these were not meant to be spoken out to Yu Qianying.

    Yu Qianying also did not expect that Qi Chengzhi would kneel to them because a proud and stubborn man like him would never act submissive to others. The elegant and smart young master of the Qi family would not simply apologize to others.

    ¡°Sorry? What purpose does your apology serve? Your apology is easy for you to say but can it wipe off all the sufferings we endured? Can the Song family go back to its glorious moment? Can ourpanye back? Can the mockings and ridicules that we endured after bankruptcy disappear? Do you think your apology can wipe all these away as if they never appeared at all?¡± Yu Qianying said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to ept your apology, you can leave now,¡± Yu Qianying said sarcastically while walking past Qi Chengzhi.

 Chapter 255 - Wonâ€™t You Feel Ashamed for Your Self-Assertion? (Free Song Yuâ€™s Family Mini Drama)

    <h4>Chapter 255: Won¡¯t You Feel Ashamed for Your Self-Assertion? (Free Song Yu¡¯s Family Mini Drama)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I don¡¯t dare to ept your apology, you can leave now,¡± Yu Qianying said sarcastically while walking past Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Song Yu noticed her mother walking past without ncing at her. She quickly followed Yu Qianying. Suddenly, her vision was clouded by a veil of darkness followed by a fainting sensation. Song Yu suddenly lost consciousness.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was already in the hospital when she woke up. The first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was the familiar ceiling of the ward of Chutian Hospital. Feeling her hand being held firmly, she looked down and saw Qi Chengzhi sitting at the bedside looking at her while gripping her hand tightly.

    She felt warm when her hands were grasped firmly by Qi Chengzhi.

    Song Yu nced at his hands to his face and saw that his eyes were red. She suddenly felt rmed. With ash whiten face, she touched her abdomen while trembling in fear. She quickly held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand as her abdomen contracted tightly and her body trembled intensely. ¡°Chengzhi, the baby...¡± she asked with trembling lips and frightened stare.

    ¡°The baby is fine, don¡¯t worry. The doctor said you are having signs and symptoms of miscarriage due to recent emotional issues and mental stress, but you¡¯re stable now. From now on, please rest well and don¡¯t stress yourself too much,¡± Qi Chengzhiforted her.

    Song Yu felt as if all her energy has left her. With a sigh of relief, she said, ¡°Thank God, I was so scared.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hugged Song Yu tightly, tapped her gently on her back and caressed her hair softly, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°The previous checkup was normal but now... there are signs of miscarriage. I¡¯m really scared,¡± Song Yu said with reddened eyes. She squeezed herself further into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s embrace while sniffing the familiar fragrance on Qi Chengzhi. Then, she raised her head suddenly and asked, ¡°Are youforting me? Did you say the baby is fine because you¡¯re worried I can¡¯t take it?¡±

    ¡°The baby is really doing well, I won¡¯t lie to you about this.¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed her on the forehead.

    Song Yu was relieved to hear that, but suddenly, she heard a mockingugh.

    Song Yu turned her head, only then did she noticed Song Donglin and Yu Qianying in the room.

    ¡°Won¡¯t lie to her? What about the fact regarding our bankruptcy? How dare you say you notified Song Yu as soon as possible? If she knew the truth about our bankruptcy when you first had a crush on her, she wouldn¡¯t have epted you,¡± Yu Qianying said coldly.

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent.

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi. His usual deep eyes now reced with bloodshot eyes¡ªhis currentnguish appearance gave Song Yu a dull ache.

    Although he wasforting her, he must be worried sick during her period of unconsciousness.

    ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you just let it go?¡± Song Yu was unable to withstand Yu Qianying¡¯s current attitude. Usually, her mom was not this mean, but she did not understand why her mom could not let go of this matter.

    ¡°Cannot!¡± her mom said coldly. ¡°Since you¡¯re well now, then we don¡¯t need to be here.¡±

    Yu Qianying pulled Song Donglin, turned, and opened the door¡ªnearly bumping into someone who wasing in.

    ¡°Ah! Xiao Yu, you scared me! How¡¯s Song Yu?¡± Grandmother Qi asked.

    Grandmother Qi was anxious about Song Yu and did not notice Yu Qianying¡¯s expression. With her hands full, she walked into the room quickly.

    Behind Grandmother Qi was Grandfather Qi, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue, and Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. All the Qi family members were present.

    ¡°Hey, you scared the hell out of me! When Chengzhi called me about this, I was terrified! I quickly told others and we all came rushing here,¡± Grandmother Qi said as she sat on the bedside while grabbing Song Yu¡¯s hand. ¡°What was the matter? Why didn¡¯t you inform us about your pregnancy?¡±

    ¡°We were worried about possible idents which may turn initial joy into disappointment,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    ¡°Silly boy, at least we can help take care of Song Yu and build up her health if we knew about this,¡± Grandmother Qi said while putting the instion pot on the table. ¡°We were pressed for time so we couldn¡¯t ask Aunt Liu to stew a broth. Thus, we went to buy bird¡¯s nest at Dynasty on our way here.¡±

    ¡°But you were previously well. Why the sudden ckout?¡± Xia Wenna asked after she walked to Grandmother Qi¡¯s side and looked at Song Yu.

    Facing all the elders, Song Yu attempted to break free from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s embrace. ¡°Just remain where you are. Do not regard us as outsiders.¡± Grandmother Qi quickly stopped her.

    ¡°It was my parents. They found out the truth about our bankruptcy,¡± Song Yu mumbled.

    Grandmother Qi was shocked! She quickly turned to search for Song Donglin and Yu Qianying, but they left when the Qi family were focusing their attention on Song Yu.

    ¡°Song Yu, you...¡± Xia Wenna seemed to understand what Song Yu had meant.

    ¡°She already knew, which was why her parents med her too when the truth was uncovered. She fainted because they wanted her to choose between me and her family,¡± Qi Chengzhi groaned.

    Xia Wenna was surprised. She did not think that Song Yu would not me them for causing the bankruptcy.

    ¡°One should be calm during pregnancy. Even mild emotional fluctuations will weaken the body, not to mention this being a huge blow to you. Your mother is just taking a huge beating since she just found out about it, so please don¡¯t overthink this and take good care of yourself.¡± Grandmother Qi opened the instion pot, poured the bird¡¯s nest, and passed it to Song Yu.

    ¡°Yes, don¡¯t you worry too much. Even I couldn¡¯t fully ept it when I first knew about this, so it must be hard for your parents,¡± Xia Wenna said.

    Qi Chengyue did not think that her guesses were correct.

    Even the thought of this truth was ghastly, so imagine how Song Yu¡¯s parents would react.

    ¡°Wenna, let¡¯s visit Song Yu¡¯s parents in two days to apologize. Now is not a good time as they are still in a rage and will not be able to listen to what we have to say. Let them calm down as much as possible in two days then we will go,¡± Grandmother Qi said.

    Qi Chenglin quietly tapped Qi Youxuan on his shoulder, and he quickly squeezed through. It was a rare sight that he was not holding snacks and munching.

    ¡°Auntie!¡± Qi Youxuan held the bed frame with his cute little chubby hands, and with his big round eyes he stared at Song Yu, ¡°The baby is a boy or a girl?¡±

    Grandmother Qi gently stroked Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair¡ªwhich messed his neat hair.

    Grandmother Qi¡ªand even Xia Wenna¡ªwanted to ask as well, but due to Song Yu¡¯s family finding out that their bankruptcy was rted to the Qi family, asking for her baby¡¯s gender seemed inappropriate at the moment, thus she contained her curiosity.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s question, which was asked out of innocence, seemed to be the most appropriate at the moment.

    Watching Qi Youxuan¡¯s angel-like face, Song Yu rxed. ¡°I forgot to mention just now, it¡¯s a boy.¡± She smiled.

    ¡°Nothing to be worried about. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a boy or a girl,¡± Grandmother Qi said, but deep down she was incredibly happy because now Qi Chengzhi will have a progeny. ¡°There are still a couple of boxes of bird¡¯s nest. I¡¯ll ask the driver to send it to Viewpark Residenceter. Bird¡¯s nests are extremely nutritional especially during pregnancy so don¡¯t forget to ask Aunt Yang to stew it for you every day,¡± Grandmother Qi added.

    The very thought of having two cute and chubby grandchildren soon made Grandmother Qi felt extremely blessed. She imagined hugging the small baby while Qi Youxuan sat on herp and it brought her a great sense of satisfaction.

    ¡°By the way, have you thought of a name for the baby yet?¡± Grandmother Qi asked. It felt like she was desperate and almost wanted the baby toe out of Song Yu¡¯s womb now.

    ¡°Not yet. We just found out that the baby¡¯s a boy today,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Grandmother Qi noticed that both of them did not appear to be very joyful. ¡°Song Yu, don¡¯t you worry about your parents. I¡¯ll settle it,¡± She said and sighed.

    Song Yu was discharged from the hospital because her condition has improved, and Qi Chengzhi helped her to apply for leave so that she can rest well at home.

    Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy was a joyous event that should have prompted celebration, but with recent events involving her family¡¯s bankruptcy, it seemed unfitting for a jollification. Besides, Song Yu would not be in the mood for it and preferred peace at the moment, thus, each of Qi family went on their separate ways back home.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu went back to Viewpark Residence. Aunt Yang became curious when she saw that Song Yu¡¯s eyes were reddened upon returning home.

    She saw Qi Chengzhi holding Song Yu with great care, and they did not seem to be in an argument too. It seemed peculiar.

    Both of them went into their room where Qi Chengzhi apanied Song Yu and sat on the bed. Song Yu then squeezed herself into Qi Chengzhi¡¯s embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his gaze slightly, hugged her softly, and kissed her on her head. ¡°Do you me me?¡± His mellow voice was now deep and hoarse.

    Song Yu shook her head, but she heard Qi Chengzhi sigh. ¡°It was all my fault, or else things wouldn¡¯t be this messy.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never med you,¡± Song Yu spoke softly. ¡°If you didn¡¯t do it then we wouldn¡¯t be together. I just don¡¯t know when my parents will forgive us for this.¡±

    ¡°I am truly sorry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a husky voice and embraced her tightly.

    Song Yu shook her head. The memory of Qi Chengzhi kneeling today was heart-wrenching to her.

    She looked down at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s legs, slowly putting her hands on his knee cap before saying, ¡°Please do not do that again.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew what she meant. ¡°I owe you. If I can earn their forgiveness by kneeling, I will do it forever,¡± he groaned with a croaky voice.

    Song Yu lifted her head and stared at his handsome face¡ªhis eyes were not bloodshot anymore but the capiries were still visible on his sclera. She held his face with both hands. Her thumbs were caressing his chin and lips, feeling his fine and rough beard stubble. She kissed softly along the curvature of his chin and finally to his thin, warm lips.

    ¡°I will not leave you,¡± Song Yu spoke softly.

    ¡°I know.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled ever so slightly, and his eyes were warm.

    Song Yu embraced him firmly again, resting her face close to his chest. ¡°It¡¯s natural for them to be angry. I don¡¯t care how long it takes but once they see our utmost sincerity, they will forgive us.¡± Qi Chengzhi stroked her hair.

    ¡°Furthermore, they will have a grandson soon. If they still choose not to forgive us, I¡¯ll let their grandson coax them into letting this matter go,¡± Song Yu said and nodded.

    Qi Chengzhi was amazed. He kissed her on the canthus softly and chuckled. ¡°You became smarter after following me all these while.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu could not argue, or else she would be scolding herself too. ¡°Won¡¯t you feel ashamed for your self-assertion?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi grinned. He lied down on the bed and let Song Yu leaned over him, his hands caressing her hair softly.

    ¡°But it¡¯s good that my parents know about this. They may be in rage now but at least nobody can threaten us with this matter since those who should know are aware of what happened.¡± Song Yu became weary, rested her eyes while leaning over Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi blinked. He did not forget that Yu Qianying once mentioned Yu Keyao¡¯s name.

    Slowly patting her back, he waited until Song Yu was breathing evenly and in deep sleep. He looked down and saw Song Yu lying down on his chest, sleeping peacefully like a child who trusted him wholly¡ªso much so that those long eyshes did not even quiver one bit.

    Qi Chengzhi rested her on the bed slowly and gently, his gaze stopping on her elegant face. Normally she would not put on any makeup unless there was a big asion, and her current fairness made her appealing like a blooming hibiscus.

    His gaze was soft and gentle like the morning sunlight attempting to melt her under his stare. Qi Chengzhi bent down and kissed her on the cheek and her lips softly. He then stood up and walked out of the room at a snail¡¯s pace.

    Qi Chengzhi took out his cellphone and dialed. ¡°What¡¯s the situation at Yu Zidong¡¯spany now?¡±

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi figured Yu Qianying probably had calmed down enough in these two days, so she dragged Xia Wenna and went to visit the Song family on Thursday.

    When the doorbell rang, Yu Qianying had not calmed down as she still felt frustrated whenever she thought about it¡ªespecially when her daughter was still living under the same roof with the culprit who dismantled their family, and even conceived a baby. Her rage grew even bigger, especially when they did not even attempt toe and apologize in these few days.

    She quickly opened the door and saw Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna at the doorstep, with Xia Wenna¡¯s hands filled with gifts. This triggered her memory whereby Grandmother Qi addressed her as a rtive by marriage when Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were together initially.

    ¡°Ah, Xiao Yu!¡± Grandmother Qi smiled. This time she did not hurry into her house regardless of the consequences likest time. ¡°Are you avable now?¡± she asked hesitantly.

    Yu Qianying never thought that Grandmother Qi would go visit herself. Although the atmosphere seemed a little awkward, she must be polite to the elderly, so she moved aside and let them enter. ¡°There is no need for gifts,¡± she said coldly after ncing at the gifts Xia Wenna was holding.

    When Yu Qianying was at home these past two days, she always recalled the time when the Song family faced bankruptcy. She knew that remembrance served no purpose now, and it was toote for resentment as there was no use crying over spilled milk, but she could not help it.

    Yu Qianying looked at Xia Wenna, recalling the moment when Qi Chengzhi forced the Song family to face bankruptcy in the first ce, but even after dissolution of engagement, the Qi family pretended as if nothing happened, not even the slightest sense of guilt on their doing, so it was expected that the Song family will not get any support from the Qi family afterward.

    Xia Wenna did not show any signs of embarrassment even after seven years. Even during meals, she appeared as if everything was all right. If she apologized, it would be for theck of support they should have that time.

    Xia Wenna froze in ce and had no idea how to proceed, so she looked at Grandmother Qi for help, in which she responded, ¡°Xiao Yu, let us discuss once we are inside, okay?¡±

    She winked at Xia Wenna, who hurried to the kitchen and ced the gifts.

    All of them then walked into the living room. Xia Wenna exined, ¡°Qianying, I know you were thinking that we turned our backs on you when the bankruptcy your family faced was prompted by my son¡ªthat it was the Qi family who made you suffer. To be very honest, I didn¡¯t know it was all Chengzhi¡¯s own doing. I had doubts when Chengzhi was in a rtionship with Song Yu despite the fact that she was engaged to Chengji before this, so I went to talk to Chengzhi and he showed me the documents and admitted that he brought about your family¡¯s bankruptcy just so he can be with Song Yu. I only realized at that moment.¡±

    Yu Qianying raised her eyebrows, she did not figure that the Qi family opposed at first.

    ¡°I know Chengzhi acted on his wilfulness.¡± Xia Wenna felt uneasy.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just willful. This is the core of our family! He tore apart the fundamentals of our family! The whole Song family, Donglin¡¯s brothers and sisters, were relying on thepany! You were saying he simply destroyed a bigpany just because of his act of willfulness? Thepany costs Donglin half of his life!¡± Yu Qianying answered with red and moist eyes.

    ¡°I know, mistakes were made, and the oues were disastrous. No amount of apologies can offset the damages done to the Song family, and not just the financial issue,¡± Xia Wenna spoke with a congested nose. ¡°I felt remorse for a long time when I knew Chengzhi went to such extremes just so he can marry Song Yu. Chengzhi called me saying that he did not agree to the initial engagement between Song Yu and Chengji. He didn¡¯t mention that he had a crush on her, although I wouldn¡¯t believe it even if he did tell me. Song Yu was sixteen years old at that time. She was just a childpared to Chengzhi. I just couldn¡¯t believe Chengzhi had a crush on a child. Anyway, I rejected him straight away without thinking much about it, and I didn¡¯t give him any room for arguments.¡±

    Tears started to well up in Xia Wenna¡¯s eyes, and she inhaled deeply to clear up the nasal congestion. ¡°There were multiple asions when I thought what if we didn¡¯t agree to Chengji and Song Yu¡¯s engagement, or if I respected Chengzhi¡¯s judgment when he called me at that time, if we... respected our children¡¯s standpoint, things wouldn¡¯t be the same. To sum it up, I owe you an apology. Qianying, we are rtives by marriage now, and we are not the same as other normal rtives by marriage. We¡¯ve known each other since young and have grown so close. I regarded you as a family member and not simply an inw¡¯s family when we became rtives by marriage. After all these years, our mindset is different now. We are not bothered by any issues regarding fortunes, identities or status. Our family will not stand by and do nothing when you face troubles.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Grandfather Qi and I will not permit even if they dare to do so,¡± Grandmother Qi announced grimly.

    ¡°Qianying, can you forgive them for their sake? They are just children who made a mistake. Plus, they are in deep love with each other. We are a family. We should support each other, and we should hold on together in good and bad times. I assure you this will not happen again. Moreover, Chengzhi knew he was in the wrong, and he cares for Song Yu too. He will not attempt anything that may potentially harm her and your family. His initial method was too extreme but maybe he couldn¡¯t help it because he loves Song Yu too much. Besides, he wouldn¡¯t know how to prevent her from marrying another man. One who loves Song Yu this much will not do anything that would hurt you, and he will not allow anyone to hurt you in the slightest bit. That child... Chengzhi always had trouble expressing his emotions. He may appear indifferent but deep down he is enthusiastic. He protects what he firmly believes in. Qianying, can you give this bosom friend a chance and forgive us, and end their suffering?¡± Wenna plead.

    ¡°So now that you¡¯ve said it like that, it¡¯s my fault?¡± Yu Qianying said aggrievedly.

    ¡ª

    Author: These two chapters are slightly depressing, so here is the mini-drama to lighten up the mood, tomorrow will be better, it is going to be happy and sweet. Just rx and wait~

    <

    >

    At one time, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu apanied Qi Youjin to participate in parent-child bonding activities at his kindergarten. One of the activities was a straw game where the father must transfer the straw between the mother¡¯s lips to the child, and once the child got the straw in the mouth, he will then suck one ping pong ball from the container using the straw and transfer it into his bowl. The group who took the least amount of time wins.

    Qi Chengzhi saw the straw in Song Yu¡¯s mouth, her soft, pinkish lips puckered high and appeared seductive. He squinted, ignored the straw and kissed her. Naturally, the straw fell to the ground.

    Qi Youjin¡¯s covered his face with his cute chubby hands, feeling embarrassed, and inevitably his group achieved thest ce in the activity.

 Chapter 256 - Consider This Five Million Dollars A Gift For What Happened Before

    <h4>Chapter 256: Consider This Five Million Dors A Gift For What Happened Before</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°So now that you¡¯ve said it like that, it¡¯s my fault?¡± Yu Qianying said aggrievedly.

    ¡°Absolutely not, it is your right to be mad. But can you forgive them once you calmed down? Song Yu is pregnant now, it will be unwise to see her worrying all day for this matter, it may be harmful to her and the baby. I can see that they value this child and if anything goes wrong...¡± Xia Wenna took out a pack of tissue paper from her bag and started wiping the tears off her eyes and blew her nose.

    ¡°Song Yu is my daughter, don¡¯t you dare think I do not care about her. I wouldn¡¯t want anything bad to happen to her!¡± Yu Qianying whimpered. ¡°Please put yourself in my shoes, imagine someone torn yourpany¡ªthepany that Qi family painstakingly managed for years¡ªapart. Overnight, you have to move from a mansion into a small apartment, always having to see which way the wind blows in order to survive. Roaming in bustling cities would be a stressful and daunting experience as you won¡¯t know when you¡¯ll bump into acquaintances from the higher ss. Song Yu¡¯s job requires her to socialize often. There were countless times that she was ridiculed when she bumped into Jixia High School¡¯s associates in Shengyue. Song Yu and a lot of her Jixia High School¡¯s associates furthered their studies at University B. She was forced to work part-time during her study. Those imbeciles gossip about how Song Yu used to be ady from a notable family and came down in the world. They mocked Song Yu for being aloof even after living in poverty. Song Yu did not care about theirments and judgments but it doesn¡¯t mean she should ept all these silently.¡±

    Yu Qianying took out a piece of tissue paper and wiped her tears off. ¡°Are you able to ept yourself being an hourly employee and clean houses every day? Do you think Qi Zhongliang would like to drive a cab in the middle of the night? Then one day you realized that your son-inw is the culprit who made the Qi family¡¯s life miserable, he then marries your daughter and made her pregnant. How will you feel? Forgiveness? It¡¯s easy to say but don¡¯t you dare ask for forgiveness before putting yourself in my shoes!¡±

    ¡°Qianying.¡± Grandmother Qi let out a long sigh, she was not her usual self for referring Qianying as ¡®Xiao Yu¡¯¡ªQianying¡¯s nickname. ¡°Let us dismiss this discussion for now. I heard Song Yu said you had a fallout with her because of this and you wanted her to choose between you and Chengzhi?¡±

    Xia Wenna pursed her lips and remained silent. She inhaled deeply and wiped off her tears.

    Grandmother Qi sighed heavily, turned and stared at Song Donglin. ¡°Same thought as well?¡±

    Song Donglin shook his head, implying this was what Yu Qianying preferred. He could not argue with Yu Qianying at the presence of Qi Chengzhi.

    Besides, the reason why Yu Qianying was in wrath was because she felt miserable witnessing Song Donglin having to live in such grief and sorrow.

    Grandmother Qi nodded and turned toward Yu Qianying. ¡°Qianying, since you mentioned to view matters from a different perspective, what will you do if your parents asked you to choose between Donglin and them?¡±

    ¡°But Lao Song did not destroy the Yu family,¡± Yu Qianying replied.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Grandmother Qi nodded, then she breathed out heavily. ¡°But Song Yu loves him, the love is so strong that she is willing to forgive him and live the rest of her life with him, she even bears his child. You can be angry at him, it is your right, but you should also give him your right to forgive, agree? Song Yu chose to forgive, you cannot feel irritated at her choice. I know you suffered, but have you realized that Song Yu had the same suffering as well? You are grown ups with experiences, your will are strong enough to withstand the hardship during bankruptcy, but Song Yu was just seventeen years old at that time, she suffered a lot more than you at that young age. You also mentioned that she paid for her tuition fees by using her sry and schrships. She did not ask for any penny during that time, your responsibility was just payment for other amenities. Now she graduated, found a job, and you lived your retirement lives. The two of you retired at a much younger age aspared to the general public. The retirement age byw is sixty years old for male and fifty years old for females. Donglin has not reach that age, right? And you are just a year younger until retirement age, and now the two of you are enjoying happily at home and do not need to worry about life. These are all thanks to Song Yu spending a great deal of effort and struggled to let you lived without much to worry. She had a lot more to deal with in terms of fatigue, in terms of suffering one has to endure.¡±

    When Grandmother Qi mentioned Song Yu, Yu Qianying became gloomy and ashamed.

    ¡°Try to imagine a young woman like her, and she just turned twenty-six years old this year, but she had to support her family¡¯s expenses. She lifted all these on her tiny shoulders, anyone of you dare say you suffered more than her? Normally one enters the workforce after graduating from university, some even has a higher level of education such as Bachelor¡¯s Degree, Master¡¯s Degree or even Doctor¡¯s Degree before starting to enter the workforce, but Song Yu was just seventeen years old when she entered the workforce during the period of bankruptcy. Are you willing to force such a sensible child to choose between you and the man that she loves? She forgave Chengzhi despite the suffering, and being the one who went through the most, she has the right to make her own choice, agree? Do you really think you have the right to force her, who single handedly supported this family, to make a choice? Let me rephrase, are you actually willing to force her to make a choice?¡± Grandmother Qi gesticted with the shoulder width of Song Yu.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s lips twitched, and tears started rolling down in an unbroken stream.

    Grandmother Qi sighed heavily. ¡°As a mother, I understand that you hope for the best for your child, and the best for your child now, is not to force her, agree? She could not live the life she wanted for a long time, and she is just a human just like us, we cannot put more pressure on her puny shoulders anymore. Now that Song Yu is pregnant, she cannot take it anymore, she should rx now, agree? Qianying, the purpose we are here to visit is not to plead for forgiveness, we are here for Song Yu¡¯s wellbeing. To be frank, deep down I am terribly sorry for my dear Song Yu, and I am truly happy and blessed to know that Chengzhi is going to marry her and make her my granddaughter-inw. Song Yu is a good and kind hearted child, she will not choose between you and Chengzhi, because she cannot leave him, I need not say much as I am sure you realized this fact. You can continue to be mad at Chengzhi because he deserves it, he must pay for his own sin. As a grandmother, I will not plead for him, but I ask that you do not make it hard for Song Yu as well.¡±

    Yu Qianying dropped her head further, perhaps out of guilt after what Grandmother Qi had said, she did not look at Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna.

    ¡°Xiao Yu,¡± Grandmother Qi was back to her old self again, she stood up and exhaled. ¡°I know you too are a kind hearted and rational person, please reconsider what I said just now. These few days Song Yu looked a little peaked and I feel very sorry for her.¡±

    Yu Qianying pursed and rxed her lips, her chin quivered, and she stood up too.

    ¡°Wenna, let¡¯s go,¡± Grandmother Qi hold Xia Wenna¡¯s arm for support.

    Yu Qianying followed behind silently, no matter how angry she was at the Qi family, she would still respect an elderly.

    When Grandmother Qi passed by the kitchen and saw the gifts Xia Wenna put on the table, she turned towards Yu Qianying and said, ¡°These are not gifts for apology, we should bring gifts even when rtives by marriage stop by, right? It will be a disgrace not only for you but also for us too if these gifts are brought as a means of apology. Xiao Yu, if you¡¯re infuriated at the Qi family and detested the gifts, then feel free to regift.¡±

    Grandmother Qi seemed as if she does not care at all and walked away with Xia Wenna.

    Yu Qianying closed the door and returned to the living room, feeling as if she was suffocating. She immediately detected the scent of cigarette smoke the moment she walked in the living room. She turned and saw Song Donglin smoking again just after Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna left.

    ¡°Why did you smoke again?¡± Yu Qianying sat down, wanted to take the cigarette off Song Donglin¡¯s mouth, which he dodged.

    Song Donglin started smoking after Yu Keyao left since Sunday. He smoked when he felt gloomy these few days which incurred an unpleasant smell of cigarette smoke on Yu Qianying.

    Yu Qianying breathed out heavily, and suddenly Song Donglin said, ¡°I have been thinking for quite some time.¡±

    Yu Qianying turned her head towards him briskly. Song Donglin seldom spoke these past few days, and his voice was croaky following cigarette smoking after breaking the habit for so long.

    ¡°What Grandmother Qi had mentioned makes sense. I have been thinking a lot about what Song Yu said on that day. Actually we have never reflected on ourselves. We did not know if Song Yu was happy in the beginning, we were only concerned that we did good to her by providing her a prospering life, our background permitted her to go towards the upper sses and made an engagement to the Qi family. She lived her life carefree and without worries, but was she truly happy? To be honest,e to think of it, we never asked for her opinions whenever we made any kinds of decisions since her childhood until now,¡± Song Donglin pulled the wastepaper bin from under the coffee table and flicked the tobo ash.

    ¡°We wanted her to learn piano since young to train her temperament, plus usuallydies from notable families have one or two masteries, we never asked if she would like it or not, she just did whatever we instructed. I told her I wanted to train her to be sessor for mypany at the beginning, I never asked if she wanted to do it, I merely notified her that she will be managing mypanyter on. Later, when we brought up a joke Xia Wenna and you made during your pregnancy, we paired both her and Qi Chengji together and arrange them for engagement. We knew she had a crush on Jian Yi at that moment but still we did not ask for her opinions. We did not even bother to ask her if she wanted to marry Qi Chengji and live the rest of her life with him.¡±

    Song Donglin got a little snotty and his eyes reddened. He smoked again and felt soreness at the back of his throat.

    ¡°Do you still remember the day when we have decided on her engagement with Qi Chengji?¡± Song Donglin stared at Yu Qianying.

    Yu Qianying opened her mouth slowly and said, ¡°She cried. That was the first time she disagreed on our decision. She asked if she can stay single. She also asked us why she did not have the right to choose the love of her life. She ran away when I told her everything we did was for her own good, only toe back feeling down. She was unusually quiet during the engagement feast with the Qi family, and she closed herself in her room once returned home. I did not hear any rejections and she seemed normal afterwards so I did not take it to heart.¡±

    Song Donglin smoked and white fumes were exhaled, he said, ¡°Actually Grandmother Qi was right, she was not happy when we decided on her engagement. To be frank, she lived for us rather than for herself until the bankruptcy. No, she even took responsibility for the sake of our family even after bankruptcy. Perhaps the profession she studied at the university and the work she did are the only decisions she made for herself since birth.¡±

    ¡°She sacrificed so much for us, and she went through the most during bankruptcy. If she can forgive Chengzhi for the things he had done, then perhaps we do not have the right to scold her, right?¡± Song Donglin put out the cigarette and threw it into the bin.

    ¡°Qianying, our child gave up so much for us,e to think of it, her forgiveness on Chengzhi¡¯s wrongdoing seemed to be a trivial matter inparison. Is it too harsh to disregard her as our daughter because of this? Now I realized, I owe her an apology,¡± he sighed.

    Yu Qianying could not contain herself anymore and tears started to stream down her cheeks. She thought of the pain and suffering Song Yu endured these past few years and she deeply regretted what she had said to her on that day.

    The agony that they went through, Song Yu did too. It was her right to forgive Qi Chengzhi, nobody can me her or has anyments on this.

    ¡°I also knew what I said that day was truly hurting to Song Yu. She is my daughter, I cannot simply disregard this fact! I cannot really have any judgements or demand anything from her if she insists on living her life with Qi Chengzhi. Now she even conceived his child, do you think I can disengage them forcibly? As for Qi Chengzhi, there is no way I am going to forgive him, the very sight of him maddened me,¡± Yu Qianying continued wiping the tears off.

    ¡°I know, if we can forgive Song Yu, that is more than enough,¡± Song Donglin gently tapped Yu Qianying on her back.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s gaze remained on hisputer when he heard knocking on the door. He nodded coolly when his secretary opened the door and told him that Yu Keyao arrived, then the door closed.

    Yu Keyao walked to the front of Mu Huaisheng¡¯s desk and stood. Mu Huaisheng then looked at Yu Keyao with an expressionless face. He was businesslike and brusque during office hours.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked with a t tone.

    Yu Keyao hold her hands tightly and appeared to be hesitant. Yesterday she received a call from Yu Zidong iming that Qi Chengzhi started to go up against Dong Hua for god knows why.

    Although Yu Zidong was unclear of the reason, Yu Keyao immediately knew that this may be rted to her breaking the truth regarding the bankruptcy to Song Donglin and Yu Qianying when she received the call from Yu Zidong.

    She never thought that Qi Chengzhi really shamelessly risking everything he had and wanted to go against her family too.

    She did not frame him, what she said was the truth.

    She was still ady from notable family if thepany still exists, and she could potentially rise from the ashes again. She would lose that chance once Dong Hua was gonepletely.

    ¡°Director Mu, I...¡± Yu Keyao inhaled deeply. ¡°I know you are close with Qi Chengzhi, and he is about to confront my family¡¯spany, my father cannot withstand the pressure anymore. Can I ask... if you can talk to him and ask him to let it go? We will apologize if he is dissatisfied with our family.¡±

    Emotionless, Mu Huaisheng leaned against the back of his chair, his gaze was difficult to understand. He asked coldly, ¡°Why would Qi Chengzhi want to confront your family for no absolute reason?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Yu Keyao hesitated. She did not want anyone especially Mu Huaisheng to know about the past.

    Mu Huaisheng did not wait for her answer. He took out a cheque book from the drawer and wrote down a figure, tore it down and passed to Yu Keyao.

    Yu Keyao grabbed it and took a nce at the figure, and her jaws dropped in disbelief. ¡°Five million dors?¡±

    ¡°I will not talk to Qi Chengzhi about this and I think you know why he wants to confront Dong Hua. Consider this five million dors a gift for what happened before. From now on, we are just superior-subordinate rtionships,¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s voice remained warm, and he appeared as if he is a gentleman of schrly bearing. ¡°If you want to save Dong Hua, perhaps this five million dors may have helped a little.¡±

    Yu Keyao never imagined the words that came out from him was so cold and without affection. He ended a rtionship without any foreshadowing.

    She grasped the cheque Mu Huaisheng gave, her face ashen-grey. ording to him, this five million dors were payments for the one night stand, or it can be considered as payment for her virginity.

    She was the one who first came to him and appealed to him, but his actions appeared contemptuous in her eyes.

    Mu Huaisheng stared coldly at Yu Keyao¡¯s reaction, his tone remained t and said, ¡°Do not mix business with pleasure, I hate it when that was broken. I will allow this brief interlude only this once, our rtionship stops here. You should be scrupulous in separating public from private interest if you wish to continue your employment in thispany, do not ever think that you can have any kind of other rtionships other than superior-subordinate rtionship here. If you think your presence here will be awkward, I can help you find other jobs elsewhere.¡±

    Actually that day Mu Huaisheng acted slightlypulsive. Yu Keyao¡¯s helpless yet innocent face made him think of Ruan Danchen, who stood there quietly just like Yu Keyao, lonely and vulnerable, when she was framed by Mu Sisi. He wanted to hug Ruan Danchen badly when he saw her at that time, to give herfort and support.

    He saw something just as simr as Ruan Danchen on Yu Keyao but after all, Yu Keyao was not Ruan Danchen. He knew he would not be able to find any affection, pity or even admiration after a couple times.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s feeling of helplessness was usually well-hidden, only visible to those who were concerned, but as a matter of fact, she was a strong-willed person, sometimes a little too stubborn, and she did not like to show her emotions. On the other hand, after getting to know Yu Keyao, one can see the differences. She liked to show to the public that she was meek and deserved to be protected.

    In short, she was more pretentious than Ruan Danchen.

    Although Yu Keyao did not mention anything, but he can see that she did not merely wanted a simple one night stand. He did not n on having a personal rtionship with his female subordinate, he merely got fresh with Yu Keyao when he saw some simrities between her and Ruan Danchen, there was no other supporting reasons.

    Yu Keyao already crossed his line when she went up to him and ask him to help her solve her family matters. Mu Huaisheng did not n on giving her the unrealistic fantasy.

    This five million dors was considered a humongous amount for her, he hoped she can forget about it for the rest of her life.

    ¡°Are you doing this because you think I asked you to help my family?¡± Yu Keyao asked in a trembling voice, her face nched from disappointments.

    Yu Keyao appeared delicate with tears welling up in her eyes.

    ¡°I was going to break it to you today,¡± Mu Huaisheng gave her a nk stare, no trace of personal emotions can be seen.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s heart sank into her boots. She can still see some signs of affection in his eyes before the fornication, but now those disappeared without a trace.

    ¡°I told you, I did not n on social climbing,¡± A tear rolled down her face and her hands trembled when lifted. ¡°I did not n on asking... any financial support from you, or ask for any other support.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng still appeared graceful and elegant, but his stare was cold as ice.

    Yu Keyao returned the cheque back on him. ¡°I do not want this money, it gives me the impression that I am a prostitute. You know that I am not, I gave you my virginity, not sold it. I came here today as a friend, not mixing business and pleasure. Maybe I anticipated too much that our so-called friendship was merely me social climbing too. Keep your money, I do not want to rte my virginity with cash. I gave you my virginity based on my affection to you, and I do not want to feel disappointed towards a man I like. Maybe you think that I have a price, but to me, I am priceless.¡±

 Chapter 257 - The Black Range Rover Was Still Parked Downstairs

    <h4>Chapter 257: The ck Range Rover Was Still Parked Downstairs</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Keyao returned the cheque back on him. ¡°I do not want this money, it gives me the impression that I am a prostitute. You know that I am not, I gave you my virginity, not sold it. I came here today as a friend, not mixing business and pleasure. Maybe I anticipated too much that our so-called friendship was merely me social climbing too. Keep your money, I do not want to rte my virginity with cash. I gave you my virginity based on my affection to you, and I do not want to feel disappointed towards a man I like. Maybe you think that I have a price, but to me, I am priceless.¡±

    She wiped off the tears that were sprouting out from her eyes and inhaled forcibly with her reddened nose. ¡°I do not wish to make this sweet memory unbearable. I like this job so I will not quit. Don¡¯t worry, I will not speak carelessly.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nced down at the cheque she returned and did not make any statement.

    Yu Keyao turned and walked out, even if she epted the cheque, five million dors was just a drop in the ocean for Dong Hua. She once pondered theck of desired result when she kept bugging Qi Chengzhi, it was because of inappropriate technique, in contrast, Song Yu pretending to be aloof became attractive to men.

    Mu Huaisheng was concerned of her before because of being aloof too.

    So this time, Yu Keyao did not appeal to him and left the office.

    Mu Huaisheng smirked, he tore the cheque to shreds and threw it into the wastepaper bin.

    ....

    ...

    At night, Mu Sisi went to the same bar where she met with Yu Keyao, just that this time, Yu Keyao was waiting for her in the bar.

    ¡°Keyao, what happened, why the rush?¡± Mu Sisi sat down and noticed Yu Keyao appeared dispirited and lost the happy look she hadst time they met.

    ¡°Sisi, your big brother... wanted to break up with me,¡± Yu Keyao said with reddened eyes and drank a sip of beer.

    Mu Sisi gave her a nk stare and deep down she sneered. Mu Huaisheng never even thought of starting a serious rtionship with her, it was merely a simple one night stand, but Yu Keyao mentioned it like a formal break up, as if they started the rtionship before.

    ¡°Why? I thought all was goodst time?¡± Mu Sisi asked insincerely, and she stopped Yu Keyao¡¯s attempt to continue drinking.

    ¡°I have no idea how he knew that I went to my aunt and uncle to tell the truth about Song family¡¯s bankruptcy. I think they must be so mad at Qi Chengzhi when the truth is revealed, and problems in his marriage with Song Yu may arise, so heined to your brother and now your brother wants to break up with me,¡± Yu Keyao rubbed the tears off. ¡°Sisi, you must help me, I really like your brother and I know your brother has the same feelings as well. This rtionship cannot just... just end like that because of this, this rtionship can be saved.¡±

    ¡°This...¡± Mu Sisi rxed her hands, feeling vexed. ¡°How am I supposed to help? Outsiders cannot really help solve rtionship problems, this is between you and him. Even if I persuade my brother not to break up with you, what makes you think he will listen?¡±

    ¡°Sisi, I thought you said you will help me, you said I am going to be your sister-inw. You said you will give me support even if they rmend your brother to other women,¡± Yu Keyao hold Mu Sisi¡¯s hands firmly. ¡°You mentioned before, you wanted me to be your sister-inw.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I have mentioned this before, but if the mutual affection has vanished then I cannot possibly force my brother to be with you, right? What I meant before is I wanted you to be my sister-inw, but if things do not go well then it cannot be demanded,¡± Mu Sisi exined, wanting to pull her hands off Yu Keyao¡¯s grip but her grip was firm and steady.

    ¡°But you told me you were going to help me,¡± Yu Keyao¡¯s grip grew stronger.

    ¡°Keyao, what I meant was, deep down, you are the best candidate as my sister-inw, even if you are not his wife. I can only give you my support and encouragement, but I cannot ask the same for my big brother. My big brother is a very independent man, he is not my puppet where I can coerce him to do as I please, do you understand?¡± Mu Sisi exined to her, although her patience was growing thin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand! You mentioned very clearly that you were going to let me married off to Mu family. How can you break your promise?¡± Yu Keyao raised her voice louder than than the soft music yed by the bar, which attracted the looks from the customers in it.

    ¡°Yu Keyao, are you out of your mind?¡± Mu Sisi stood up and shook her hands off with great force, her tone changed. ¡°Since when did I promise you that you will be married off to Mu family? Are you crazy imagining to marry into the purple? I merely gave you my support for you and my big brother to be together, it doesn¡¯t mean I am responsible for you marrying off into Mu family. What can I possibly do if you cannot get my big brother¡¯s affection? You want me to take a knife and stick it up his throat and demand him to marry you? Can you please be reasonable, listen carefully to what we say, and don¡¯t keep thinking of unrealistic fantasy? The Mu family is not just mine alone, you think I can persuade my brother to marry whoever I prefer? Don¡¯t be ridiculous!¡±

    ¡°You said before that you will help me, but look at you now, you want to disassociate yourself from this matter and leave me be?¡± Yu Keyao stood up and got a firm hold on Mu Sisi¡¯s arm across the table to prevent her from running away.

    ¡°How am I supposed to help? What do you want me to do? You want me to call my brother saying you want him to marry you? Can you please be reasonable and make some sense?¡± Mu Sisi took out her cellphone. ¡°Can, I will call my brother now saying you are here bugging me off and want me to demand him to marry you, do you want me to do that now?¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, you ungrateful b*tch!¡± Yu Keyao worried that Mu Sisi will speak to Mu Huaisheng about this, if she did then she will lose her chance forever.

    Yu Keyao quickly lowered Mu Sisi¡¯s arm, preventing her from making the call while another hand still grabbing on Mu Sisi¡¯s wrist firmly. ¡°Don¡¯t forget the reason why your brother wanted a break up. I went to find my aunt and uncle to give you a helping hand, he wouldn¡¯t break up with me if it was not for this issue!¡±

    ¡°Yu Keyao, you are being ridiculous,¡± Mu Sisi still attempting to shake Yu Keyao¡¯s hand off, but to no avail. Yu Keyao¡¯s strength was strong despite appeared soft and delicate, Mu Sisi¡¯s wrist felt pain from her firm grip, and she could not shake it off. ¡°How does it matter to me if you talk to Song Yu¡¯s parents or not? Did I force you to talk to them about this?¡±

    ¡°You begged me!¡± Yu Keyao eximed, she got pissed off at Mu Sisi¡¯s current hostile attitude.

    She was aggrieved at Mu Sisi, her generosity was reciprocated by animosity.

    She helped Mu Sisi, and now Mu Sisi bite the hand that feeds her, turning hostile all of a sudden.

    ¡°I begged you? Please, I merely asked you for help, I did not demand it, you could reject me if you did not feel like it at that time!¡± Mu Sisi smirked. ¡°It was you who already thought of yourself as my sister-inw and wanted to give me a helping hand, am I supposed to reject your offer that time? You thought I wouldn¡¯t know that you were just wanting to ingratiate me so that you can marry off into the Mu family? To sum it up, you were just using me, don¡¯t even attempt to mention anything about ¡®help¡¯ when we were just gaining benefits from each other. You were merely doing yourself a favour by helping me so that I can help you marry off into the Mu family, so there was no need to be pretentious like you were the victim here. It was very unfortunate that I had decided not to be used by you for benefits, what can you do about it?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Yu Keyao shivered in indignation. She would not get involved in this issue if it was not for Mu Sisi. She already gave up for Qi Chengzhi and did not want anything to do with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. She did this for Mu Sisi but that ingrate betrayed her.

    Now Yu Keyao realized that Mu Sisi was using her for her benefits all these while, she never nned to open her heart for her. Yu Keyao yelled, ¡°Mu Sisi! You ingrate! I treated you earnestly and sincerely, and this is how you repay my kindness?¡±

    ¡°What are you shouting for? You seriously thought you can be my friend based on our status difference? Your family faced bankruptcy and now it was just an empty shell, you really thought you can marry off into the Mu family? If my brother were to marry someone, she would be ady from a notable family. Not to mention your family current pitiful state, even if your family was at its glorious and prosperous moment, you were still a normaldy from middle sses. Please stop your fantasy on social climbing.¡± Mu Sisi finally pulled her arm off Yu Keyao¡¯s grip when Yu Keyao was still in a furious state where she could not focus on her grip.

    She massaged her painful wrist and said, ¡°I had shown you benevolence, I helped you by rmending a job to you when we were strangers, so you could consider this as repaying my kindness. Don¡¯t worry, I will not force you to resign, but from now on, we do not owe each other anything, so next time don¡¯t find me for help.¡±

    ¡°I never owe you anything,¡± Yu Keyao growled.

    Mu Sisi smirked and left, leaving Yu Keyao alone.

    Yu Keyao sat back on the chair, poured the beer into her ss and wrapped her fingers around it. Her beautiful nails, polished pink in color, appeared normal, but her knuckles were turning white, the tendons and veins were prominent on the back of her hands.

    She treated Mu Sisi with utmost sincerity, but when problems arose, she was left alone. Ingrate!

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi told Song Yu that Yu Qianying softened her attitude, to Song Yu at least, aftering back from the Song family.

    So Song Yu had decided to return home and visit on Saturday. She wanted to go alone, but Qi Chengzhi insisted on following.

    ¡°I cannot run from this forever, I have to plead for your parents¡¯ forgiveness sooner orter,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined.

    Song Yu drank a sip of milk and put the ss down. ¡°I dreaded they may behave awfully at your presence, just like on that day when you-¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent and hold Song Yu¡¯s hands firmly, his gaze soft but steady.

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi followed Song Yu back to her home.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi parked his Range Rover and went up the apartment with Song Yu. He insisted on apanying Song Yu back home because he wanted to plead for their forgiveness, and he feared Yu Qianying had not forgive Song Yupletely and may result in an emotional catastrophe in Song Yu just like the other day, so he followed to prevent any possible idents.

    The two of them stood at the doorstep and Song Yu knocked, then she heard a yell, ¡°Who is that?¡±

    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s me,¡± Song Yu replied, her tone raised.

    The door opened after a few seconds, Yu Qianying¡¯s face appeared calm, but as soon as she saw Qi Chengzhi, her face darkened instantly. ¡°Why was he here?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi appeared restless and anxious, as if this was the first time he met her spouse¡¯s parents, even Song Yu could feel his distress.

    Qi Chengzhi called, ¡°Mom-¡±

    ¡°Do not call me ¡®mom¡¯, I feel overwhelmed,¡± Yu Qianying interrupted. ¡°Song Yu, you cane in. You are still my daughter, I cannot truly disregard that fact. Grandmother Qi was right, you went through and suffered the mostpared to us, so we do not have the right to interfere and argue with your choice to forgive him, but we will not forgive him. The door will always open for you and you alone, and as for him-¡±

    Yu Qianying shot a nce at Qi Chengzhi, her face t. ¡°I do not want to see him. From now on youe here alone, he should be nowhere near this house. Now if you want to enter the house, you enter alone, or else you can leave now.¡±

    Song Yu opened her mouth but no words wereing out. She lowered her head, her voice soft. ¡°Then I-¡±

    She felt her hand squeezed for a brief moment by Qi Chengzhi, then she heard his mellow and steady voice. ¡°You go in.¡±

    Song Yu raised her head and looked at Qi Chengzhi, his angle of the mouth slightly raised. ¡°Let me know when you are leaving, I wille and fetch you.¡±

    Song Yu carefully peeked at Yu Qianying and pulled Qi Chengzhi to a corner. ¡°Then you straight away go back home and rest. I will call Chang Lai when I am done, you don¡¯t need toe.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained silent, his gaze soft but firm, indicating that he did not n on following her instructions.

    Song Yu was not sure if he obeyed or not so she added, ¡°Promise me.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her for quite some time, after moments of silence only then he mumbled. ¡°Okay.¡±

    Now Song Yu felt assured, she held his hands and said, ¡°Be careful on your way back, give me a call or a message when you reached home.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Qi Chengzhi peeked at Yu Qianying and noticed her annoyance, he urged her. ¡°Go in.¡±

    Song Yu felt sorry to see him had the door mmed in his face, in her reluctance she did not move.

    Qi Chengzhi spoke softly, ¡°Faster go, your parents finally forgive you, don¡¯t start bickering with them because of me. I did those awful things so I don¡¯t feel wronged here.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and stared at his handsome and calm face, his gaze always soft and loving when facing her. Song Yu wanted to give him a goodbye kiss but she did not want to make Yu Qianying furious.

    She lowered her head and looked at his hand, elegant as always. She gently squeezed his hands and advised again. ¡°Be careful on your way back.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi watched Song Yu entered the house and Song Yu watched the door slowly closing on Qi Chengzhi, and she felt extremely sorry for him.

    ¡°You can leave with him now if you feel sorry for him.¡± Yu Qianying said coldly.

    ¡°Mom, what can he do to repent so that you can forgive him?¡± Song Yu asked.

    Yu Qianying remained silent and walked into the kitchen.

    Song Donglin slowly walking across and gently tapped Song Yu on her shoulder and brought her to the living room. ¡°Give her time, do not be hasty on this.¡±

    ¡°Dad, you-¡± Song Yu noticed that Song Donglin appeared normal, as if not angry at all.

    All these while whenever Song Yu and Yu Qianying quarreled, Song Donglin was always there to solve their conflict. When Song family faced bankruptcy, the one who took the most damage should be Song Donglin.

    Now looking at him, it appeared as if he epted his fate.

    ¡°I am fine, there is no use crying over spilt milk, plus you suffered more than we did. If you already let go of this matter, no point for me to continue clinging to it. After resting at home these past few years, I had let this issue go. I admit, when I first heard the truth, I was furious, but after a while, I calmed down, all was well,¡± Song Donglin shook his head and let out a wry smile. ¡°Perhaps your mother was exasperated because she added my anger to hers too, so now I am alright.¡±

    ¡°Dad,¡± Song Yu¡¯s eyes reddened, she needed someone to support especially at this moment of time.

    Song Donglin smiled and tapped Song Yu on the back. ¡°Your mom is a short-tempered person who believes in justice. She will be alright when she sees Qi Chengzhi treat you well with unconditional love as time goes by.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and saw Yu Qianying walking out of the kitchen towards the living room, her tone and facial expression was t. ¡°Stay for meal since you are here.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. Yu Qianying then asked with a t tone, ¡°How are you feeling? Better?¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi applied a two-months leave for me to rest at home, so I feel much better now,¡± Song Yu answered quickly.

    Yu Qianying pursed her lips, face appeared grim after hearing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name, then she went back to the kitchen.

    Song Yu estimated the time, wondering why Qi Chengzhi had not gave her a call or a text message, then suddenly something shed through her mind. She hurried to the balcony and looked down, and saw the ck Range Rover was still parked downstairs.

    This was what Song Yu worried. He may have promised her but he was stubborn as a mule, he would still wait for her.

    Just like the first time when he came here to meet her parents, he had already left the house but he waited for her in the car, insisting on going back together.

    Yu Qianying was serving the dishes when Song Yu dialled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cellphone number while walking back to the house. Yu Qianying felt distasted at Song Yu¡¯s reaction and scorned, ¡°If you cannot let it go, then just leave.¡±

    ¡°Mom, I feared that he is still waiting for me downstairs,¡± Song Yu exined.

    ¡°What is the meaning of this? Pretending to be miserable and pathetic so that we can feel pity for him? His presence here is to urge you to go home at an earlier time because he knew you will feel sorry for him and will not stay for long, is it?¡± Yu Qianyingined bitterly, now she could not see any good in him. ¡°Does he think that I will let him in our house if he stayed?¡±

    ¡°No, mom, he was just worried because I nearly had a miscarriage that day. He postponed all the business entertainment these past few days, and he rushed home after office hours just to apany me. There would be a couple phone calls during his office hours asking for my health status. He was astonished that day, I had never seen his eyes so bloodshot and almost shedding tears. He was just worried that if something bad really happened and he was not there, the two of you may not be able to get the necessary help that I may need,¡± Song Yu quickly exined.

    Yu Qianying groaned in disdain, she returned back to the kitchen to serve more dishes. Song Yu saw that Yu Qianying cooked a lot of dishes because of her, so she did not dare to leave without eating.

    Yu Qianying sat down and said, ¡°Let us eat.¡±

    Song Yu held the phone, unsure of what to do. Song Donglin walked over and gestured to Song Yu, hinting her to sit down and eat, because Yu Qianying will be in wrath if she missed this chance.

    Song Yu had no choice but to sit down, but her mind was full of Qi Chengzhi during meal. She did not know if he will go and get something to eat. What if he starved himself waiting for her?

    The problem was the restaurants around here were not very nice and clean. Qi Chengzhi had the attitude of a high-born, he rather starve himself than to simply find a restaurant to fill his stomach.

 Chapter 258 - Who in The World Stops the Car They Are Driving Just to Kiss Someone?

    <h4>Chapter 258: Who in The World Stops the Car They Are Driving Just to Kiss Someone?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The problem was the restaurants around here were not very nice and clean. Qi Chengzhi had the attitude of a high-born, he¡¯d rather starve himself than to simply find a restaurant to fill his stomach.

    Song Yu ate for another twenty minutes before putting down her chopsticks. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±

    Yu Qianying cocked a brow. ¡°You have only eaten so little. Are you really full?¡±

    ¡°Mm. I don¡¯t have any appetite recently,¡± Song Yu exined. More importantly, she was still concerned about Qi Chengzhi.

    Yu Qianying could clearly see that Song Yu was restless instead of actually being full. She pursed her lips, realizing that after the marriage, Song Yu¡¯s heart was filledpletely with Qi Chengzhi instead of her own parents.

    Audibly mming the chopsticks onto the table, Yu Qianying got up and left.

    ¡°Mom.¡± Song Yu chased after intending to exin everything, but Yu Qianying went into the kitchen and scooped some slow-cooked fish soup into a thermos.

    Yu Qianying then took out some containers from the cupboard. She turned around, walked to the kitchen entrance and gave Song Yu a re. Song Yu made way immediately. Yu Qianying promptly brought the containers out. From every dish she cooked, she took half-portions and ced them into the containers.

    The thermos and containers were ced into a stic bag then handed over to Song Yu. ¡°Go home if you¡¯re so restless.¡±

    Song Yu took the stic bag hesitantly, as she was afraid that Yu Qianying was angry.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°If you¡¯re not willing to go back, then you can stay here.¡±

    Song Donglin smiled, then stood up from the dinner table and walked over. ¡°Go home.¡±

    It was then that Song Yu felt slightly more relieved. ¡°I¡¯ll go home then, will be back on Monday.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in no condition to being and going like that.¡± Yu Qianying¡¯s words were cutting but her heart was still soft. ¡°Rest well at home.¡±

    Song Yu smiled. Her parents followed her to the doorstep, but because Yu Qianying could not bring herself to say much, she stood behind Song Donglin, unlike previous asions.

    Song Yu walked to the door and turned around, saying, ¡°Dad, Mom, hurry up and continue having your lunch.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll see you out,¡± Song Donglin said as Yu Qianying kept mum.

    Upon opening the door, Song Yu was stumped, so was Song Donglin.

    Song Donglin was blocking Yu Qianying¡¯s view, so thetter had no idea what was happening even though she noticed that Song Yu stood frozen there. She went up and looked across Song Yu¡¯s shoulders, catching Qi Chengzhi sitting down on the stairs just outside.

    He was holding his phone and surfing the web. Sitting there quietly¡ªno one knew what he was busy looking at.

    Since it was a day off, he was dressed very casually. d in a long-sleeve T-shirt and some lounge pants, his sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, revealing his muscr arms. He looked rxed and sexy.

    Song Yu looked at him and felt heartbroken. He sat there looking all sullen as if he was a little kid that had been chased out by his own family.

    He sat there and waited quietly for a long time. Song Yu knew that he would not listen to her advice and head home.

    In that respect, he was very resolute.

    Hearing the ruckus, Qi Chengzhi turned around and saw the three of them staring at him in shock. He calmly put away his phone, stood up, then walked to the door and greeted, ¡°Dad, Mom.¡±

    Song Donglin¡¯s reaction was not as extreme as Yu Qianying but he still felt ufortable to hear Qi Chengzhi address him like that. Yu Qianying pursed her lips and ignored him in her anger.

    ¡°Why did youe out so quickly?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at Song Yu.

    ¡°Well, if it isn¡¯t because of someone pretending to be so miserable outside.¡± Yu Qianying could not help but take a swipe at him.

    Song Donglin poked Yu Qianying lightly, prompting the unhappy Yu Qianying to respond, ¡°What are you poking at me for? How do you think the neighbors would react if he sat out here like that?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet. Song Yu looked at him with a heavy heart and said, ¡°I¡¯m full. I knew you didn¡¯t listen to me when I saw your car outside.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to rush you,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied earnestly.

    ¡°I know. You¡¯re worried that something might happen.¡± Song Yu held his hand and used her thumb to caress the back of his fingers. His fingertips were dry and rough but the back of his fingers was smooth and silky. The segments of every digit were distinctly good-looking.

    Song Yu smiled and raised the stic bag in her hands. ¡°Mom knew you haven¡¯t eaten yet, so she packed up some lunch for me to bring home for you to eat.¡±

    ¡°I was worried that you didn¡¯t eat well. It¡¯s not for him. You ate for just twenty minutes because you were fidgeting. It¡¯s surprising that you even ate enough,¡± Yu Qianying exined uneasily.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled before turning to Yu Qianying and Song Donglin. In his rich voice, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll be going then.¡±

    Song Yu said goodbye to her parents and allowed Qi Chengzhi to help her down.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying waited at the door until the two of them disappeared from view. It was then that they closed the door and went back into the house.

    Yu Qianying sat at the dinner table and was about to continue her meal. Song Donglin, however, went to the balcony and looked down from the window.

    She walked over and joined him. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Song Donglin kept quiet. Yu Qianying gazed down with him. After some time, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi appeared.

    Qi Chengzhi was holding Song Yu¡¯s hand with the utmost delicateness, doting on her and protecting her. Song Yu looked at him and said something, causing him to lower his gaze and look at her.

    His expression could not be seen clearly from above but Song Donglin and Yu Qianying felt that Qi Chengzhi was probably smiling at that time.

    It was always an unforgettable sight to see Qi Chengzhi smiling so lovingly at Song Yu.

    A few momentster, Song Donglin began speaking. ¡°Look at how much Qi Chengzhi loves Song Yu. As long as he can treat her well and love her forever, nothing else is more important, really. I went through so much trouble in the past simply so my daughter can live a worry-free life. It¡¯s enough for me if Qi Chengzhi can do that on my behalf.¡±

    Afterpleting his sentence, Song Donglin went back to the table without a word and continued with lunch.

    Yu Qianying continued looking down. Qi Chengzhi was helping Song Yu up the car and soon enough, the Range Rover began driving off slowly.

    She, too, went back to the table and began eating in silence.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu ced the food at the rear seat and held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand instinctively. She leaned on his shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯t always wait secretly for me without saying anything. If you insist on doing so, at least let me know so I can be quick.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi inteced his fingers with hers and brought her hand to his lips so he could kiss it.

    ¡°It¡¯s not fine. If I knew you¡¯re waiting outside without even eating, I¡¯ll be heartbroken.¡± Song Yu pulled her hand down and forbade him from continuing to kiss it. ¡°Drive properly.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stopped the car suddenly at the roadside, then went over and carried her over to hisp.

    ¡°You were supposed to be driving properly. What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?¡± Song Yu felt distressed. They were not even out of the neighborhood yet and although not many people passed by, there was always a possibility that someone would spot them.

    Qi Chengzhi did not respond but instead gave her a fierce kiss on the lips. He then said huskily, ¡°I just wanted to kiss you.¡±

    ¡°Who in the world stops the car they are driving just to kiss someone?¡± Song Yu was blushing intensely. She lowered her head and was too embarrassed to look at him. Her forehead was ced on his shoulder and he patted his chest with a force that was neither too strong nor too light.

    Qi Chengzhi particrly enjoyed it when she was at her shiest moment. It was not unnatural at all. Just like a little house pet, her meekness and obedience spurred him to love and pamper her dearly.

    As he tilted his head down, his lips were pressed on the corners of her eyes. Her skin around that area was particrly silky and smooth as if there were no creases there. It was just too silky smooth when he ced his lips there. He could not help but rub the area repeatedly, saying, ¡°Who told you to say all those touching words when my guard is down?¡±

    Song Yu blushed and grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it on purpose.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled. ¡°I know it¡¯s not on purpose. That¡¯s why I wanna kiss you.¡±

    His warm palms held her firmly by her waist. Her belly and waist were very soft and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand went to-and-fro as they caressed those areas. Not a secondter, his hand ventured into her top and caressed her stomach.

    Song Yu retracted her stomach and her heart was beating wildly due to the warmth from his hands.

    ¡°Look up.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice resounded from above her head.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was insanely red and she felt very embarrassed. Her forehead remained pressed onto his shoulder and she did not look up at him.

    ¡°Be a good girl,¡± Qi Chengzhi persuaded her, with his voice resonating beside her ear. His thin lips were touching her ear as well, making her feel hot and bothered. ¡°Let me kiss you.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s scalp was getting numb. His warm voice was particrly effective in dismantling her. Once she heard it, virtually all of her strength disappeared Coupled with hisst few words, Song Yu¡¯s entire body turned weak.

    He was still rubbing her ears unrestrainedly, coercing her without needing to say a word. His thin lips slid from her auricle to the edges of her ear, then finally to her earlobe.

    Song Yu trembled with passion. Slowly but obediently she lifted her head, paving way for Qi Chengzhi to kiss her.

    His kisses were especially gentle and tender and for brief moments he would suck on her lips. Along with that, he began venturing deeper into her mouth and it was then that he increased his intensity gradually. In the end, he hugged her with both arms, cing one palm on her back and the other on her waist. He exerted a bit of force in order to knead her and lock her inside his embrace.

    Unable to contain her own emotions, Song Yu wrapped herself around his neck and instinctively went closer to him. She felt hot as a result of his kisses. As her tongue was entwined with his, her oral cavity was filled with his strong taste.

    Qi Chengzhi let go of her only after quite some time. He lowered his head, allowing his forehead and nose toe into contact with hers. Soon, their breathing melded into one.

    Seeing her scarlet mien and knowing that it was because of his kiss, he could not resist giving her lips a few gentle pecks. His scorching hot lipsnded once more on hers, kissing her deeply. He took a deep breath, inhaling the fragrance emanating from her face.

    When Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her, Song Yu¡¯s entire face was already stark red.

    Qi Chengzhi cupped her blushing face tenderly. Deep in his heart, he felt an indescribable feeling of emotion and love toward her.

    He was actually very grateful to have her, that she could stand by his side from the very beginning. She knew that he was the one who caused her family to go bankrupt but she still continued to love him unhesitatingly. She was that resolute and not once did she ever hate him. Such forgiveness, such magnanimity, and such love made Qi Chengzhi wonder how best to love her properly.

    Seeing that beautiful face right before his eyes made him feel d that he was able to meet Song Yu in his life and lucky enough to fall in love with such a woman.

    Song Yu¡¯s hands trembled slightly as they were ced on his chest. She told him softly, ¡°Let¡¯s go home.¡±

    A burst of fire appeared in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes. He pulled her forcefully into his embrace and said in his rich, husky voice, ¡°You want it?¡±

    ¡°I want you to go home and eat.¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was so red that it was on the verge of going up in smoke. Her scalp was feeling very numb as well.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled slightly and lowered his head to kiss her. As he was doing so, he spoke and unleashed his breath onto her lips. ¡°But I want it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu felt her brain explode. She buried her face into his embrace and said softly, ¡°We¡¯ll still have to go back.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained motionless for a whileter. Song Yu urged him, ¡°Come on!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her head half-smilingly. ¡°How do you expect me to drive when you¡¯re hugging me like this?¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    Still red-faced, she loosened away from him shyly and sat on hisp. She looked down and said, ¡°Carry me back to my seat.¡±

    Looking at her, Qi Chengzhi could not resist touching her, kissing her, and teasing her. It felt arduous to continue driving when she was that close to him.

    He gave her a peck on the lips. A hint of yfulness was present in his rich voice as he said, ¡°Are we doing it first or are we eating first when we get home?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was as red as a red light bulb. She poked his chest and said embarrassedly, ¡°There¡¯s no way I can interact properly with you if you keep acting like this.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled, kissed her again, and finally ced her back on the passenger seat. He then continued the drive back to Viewpark Residence.

    ...

    ...

    When they reached home, Song Yu reheated the fish soup as well as the veggies. Song Yu found the smell of the fish soup slightly fishy and was feeling ufortable with the smell. However, Yu Qianying boiled it specifically for Song Yu to nourish her body. Song Yu could not bring herself to waste it, not when Yu Qianying was able to forgive her for what happened. Song Yu was too grateful for everything and when it came to her mother¡¯s love, she wanted to ept it wholeheartedly.

    A normal person would actually find the fish soup tasting fresh instead of fishy. It was just that her sense of smell was more sensitive than usual. Although her appetite was not as weak as before, there were still a few vors that she foundpletely unappealing.

    Song Yu scooped out the fish soup and recalled how she particrly liked drinking her mother¡¯s fish soup before the pregnancy. Enduring the fishiness, she took a sip and found the taste much more unptable than the smell but not to the extent that she could not take it at all. The soup was good for her body and had no ill effects on her. To drown out the fishiness, she ate a few pieces of sweet and sour pork cooked with pineapple.

    She liked eating those sweet and sour things as ofte.

    After two more spoons of soup though, she could not take it anymore. All of a sudden, she ced her spoon down and made a run for the bathroom.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face did not look too pleased. He ran after her and saw her throwing up into the toilet bowl, expelling everything that she had eaten moments earlier.

    ¡°How is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi crouched beside and patted Song Yu gently on the back. He also made sure to lift up her hair and ce it well behind her ear, after which he realized, it was best to lift up all her hair so it would note in contact with the toilet.

    Song Yu was almost done with her vomiting but she still felt ufortable. Pushing him, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t stay here. I¡¯m making a mess with this vomit and it smells bad.¡±

    ¡°Just do your thing. Don¡¯t mind me,¡± Qi Chengzhi said inly.

    Song Yu was feeling very ufortable. Her face was pale. Although she may be embarrassed, she was not showing any of it. She lowered her head and was about to vomit but with an empty stomach, her dry retches were very ufortable.

    ¡°Do you want to go to the hospital?¡± Qi Chengzhi felt heartache to see her vomiting like that. It was much more sufferable than vomiting himself.

    ¡°I can¡¯t take it when I smell that fishy smell. My appetite is almost back to normal but I still can¡¯t smell stuff like seafood.¡± Song Yu inhaled. Her nasal passage was feeling ufortable because of the sudden vomiting.

    Qi Chengzhi took a tissue and gave it to Song Yu so she could wipe her mouth. He then ran to the kitchen and fetched her a ss of water. After a few sips of water, Song Yu began to feel much better.

    ¡°You know it¡¯s fishy and yet you still drink it.¡± Qi Chengzhi helped her out of the toilet.

    Song Yu said softly, ¡°My mom made it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll drink the rest,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. ¡°Your stomach is empty now, so you have to eat something.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. Qi Chengzhi drank all the soup so as not to waste it and popped a mint after because he was worried Song Yu might be unable to take the fishiness in his mouth.

    After dinner, they went to the living room where Qi Chengzhi switched on the television and flipped through the channels. There was nothing interesting on the channels, so he stopped at one of the hotter and more recent series that told the story of struggle in a chamber of imperial concubines.

    He stretched his leg and ced it on the coffee table. Song Yu leaned on his shoulder but was not paying much attention to the television.

    She opened her WeChat Moments and saw a picture of two movie tickets that Qi Chengyue posted. They were for an American movie that just only hit the theaters but had already garnered considerable praise.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t gone for a movie in a long time,¡± Song Yu said after thinking for a moment.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her and remembered thest time they went¡ªin Hong Kong. He forgot what movie they watched but he remembered how he felt when he was intimately in contact with her at that time.

    Back then her personality was so soft that it unleashed the lustful beast within him. She was trembling in his arm¡ªthe fragrance from his body filled the air around him, imprinting the delightful and seductive scent within his brain for the rest of his life.

    Qi Chengzhi nted a kiss on her forehead and carried her to hisp. He wrapped her in her arms and marveled at the obedience she disyed when she was looking down at her phone. He looked at the screen and saw the name of the movie. ¡°You want to watch too?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do anyway.¡± Within his embrace, Song Yu leanedzily against him. Her head was touching against his shoulder and her forehead was rubbing against his neck.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and lowered his gaze at her, admiring her fair-skinned face, conditioned from being at home those few days. Redness began surging up once more¡ªherplexion was much more beautiful than before her marriage. Her skin meanwhile, felt even silkier and smoother.

    ¡°You want to watch it tonight?¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled. Both his lips were pressed against her reddened cheek, gently rubbing and caressing it.

    Immediately after hearing his response, she booked the tickets using her phone. In order to prevent him from doing anything sneaky in the theater, she made a point to choose a seat in therge hall, one that was dead in the middle of the row. There were people left and right, which would stop him from doing anything naughty.

    One look at the seating position and Qi Chengzhi knew what her intentions were. He snickered, pinched the phone with his slender fingers, then tossed it to one side. He then bent down and kissed her lips, practically sucking them into his mouth. The softness he felt then made him incredibly delighted, and after getting a taste of it, he could not bear to let it go.

    Just like that, he hugged her and kissed her for a while. He looked at the television and bent down to kiss her again, feeling particrly content with himself.

    ¡°How about we buy a DVD and watch it at home? It¡¯s sofortable here,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he thought about it. Thay way, he would switch off the lights. With the television lights being the only source of light in the darkness, he would hug her in his arms and grasp her soft body, kissing her everywhere. Simply thinking about it made him giddy with excitement. He felt that it was much better than going to the movies.

    As he said that, his hand entered Song Yu¡¯s clothes.

    Song Yu shivered and her face reddened. Docile and obedient, her body was trapped within his arms. She patted his chest in protest and said softly, ¡°There¡¯s no such thing. I want to go to the movies.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thin lips traveled from Song Yu¡¯s eyes to the corner of her lips. He sucked on her upper lip and said, ¡°I never said we weren¡¯t going.¡±

 Chapter 259 - My Wife Is Naughty Sometimes

    <h4>Chapter 259: My Wife Is Naughty Sometimes</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thin lips traveled from Song Yu¡¯s eyes to the corner of her lips. He sucked on her upper lip and said, ¡°I never said we weren¡¯t going.¡±

    Azy Song Yu used his shoulder as a pillow and allowed him to kiss her. Her face was red, and her monochrome eyes began turning hazy. She felt passion because of him, and her breathing was turning erratic.

    She breathed in the fresh scent emanating from his body. It was enveloping all around her, and she couldn¡¯t help but tug on his sleeves. He kissed her to the point where she could not control herself from grasping his shirt, and her entire body was feeling hot.

    ¡°Now that I think about it, we haven¡¯t had a proper date even before we got married.¡± Song Yu reminisced about the time before the wedding. She was still muddle-headed when he pursued her to be his girlfriend, and she did not even ept him outright¡ªit was he who decided that for her.

    She simply gave her silent acquiescence because of how he shamelessly clung to her. Not longter he dragged her to stay under his roof, and it did not feel any different from being officially married. He was busy with work, so the two of them did not spend too much time going to malls and watching movies. Their only genuine date was when he brought her to watch a movie in Hong Kong, but even then, it was an explicit film. He brought her to watch it for the sole purpose of bedding her.

    As she thought about that, Song Yu could not help but silently curse in her heart, ¡®Dirty rascal.¡¯

    Having been kissed to the point where she felt affectionate and content, Song Yu rubbed herself in his embrace and said, ¡°Let¡¯s treat tonight as a date?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    All of a sudden, Song Yu felt that something was not quite right. When she finally realized what it was, he had already lifted her up and inserted himself into her.

    ¡°...¡± Speechless, Song Yu clung to his body. At some point in time, that man had taken off her pants.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to dinner. It was their first proper date after the marriage. After dinner, they headed to the theater, where Song Yu went to the self-service kiosk to obtain her tickets. There was another half an hour to the movie, so the two of them sat on the sofa and waited.

    Song Yu wanted to go to the toilet, so she went. On the way back she passed by the ce where snacks were sold. She bought arge bucket of popcorn and two cups of freshly-pressed fruit juice.

    As she walked, she clipped the bucket with her forearms and held a cup of juice in each hand. When she returned, she saw a woman sitting on the other side of the sofa, leaning toward Qi Chengzhi and trying to strike a conversation with him.

    Qi Chengzhi did not even look at her as he put on apletely ignorant fa?ade by scrolling on his phone. The woman decided to lean toward him and see what he was looking at. The weather had been turning hot recently, so people naturally began wearing less clothes. With a single lean, that woman had exposed her cleavage. Her breasts would touch his arm in any moment.

    Finally having enough of it, Qi Chengzhi frowned and looked at her. ¡°Miss, can you please have some self-respect? I¡¯m not the kind of person that wants just about any woman.¡±

    His harsh and direct rejection made the woman unable to maintain herposure. Color drained from her face immediately, and she looked all around her uneasily. Many people were looking at her, making her feel both ashamed and angry. ¡°How can you speak like that? My cell phone battery is dead. I just wanted to ask the time. How is that disrespectful?¡±

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi and felt particrly helpless. His face was stered with the expression that the woman was bullying her.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression sunk, and from that look, Song Yu knew that he was about to spew out some nasty remarks. She walked over to him and looked at the spot she had earlier sat on. Smiling, she asked, ¡°Sir, is there anyone sitting here?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked up at Song Yu. The other woman meanwhile, looked like she was eager to watch some drama unfold before her. She sat down without even asking earlier, so she thought that Song Yu would be outright rejected because thetter opened her mouth and asked him.

    Contrary to expectation, Qi Chengzhi cocked his brow and curled his lip in a smirk. ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Thank you,¡± Song Yu sat down calmly and drank some juice. She looked at Qi Chengzhi to hint at him.

    Qi Chengzhi yed along with glee and asked, ¡°Are you alone, Miss?¡±

    ¡°Well, if you apany me, then I¡¯d have a date.¡± Song Yu gave a cup of juice to Qi Chengzhi.

    The other woman was bbergasted. ¡®Didn¡¯t he say that he wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would simply want any woman?¡¯

    ¡®Isn¡¯t he doing the exact same thing now!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi took the juice and looked at the one Song Yu was holding. He said, ¡°I would really like to drink the one you drank from.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s switch.¡± Song Yu gave him the cup that she had drank some from, then took the cup he was holding.

    ¡°You came here alone, but you bought two cups?¡± Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow and asked. He thoroughly enjoyed getting himself into character.

    ¡°I bought it for you. I¡¯ve been noticing you for some time.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Qi Chengzhi curled his lips and held her hand, gently kneading them. He leaned close to Song Yu, and his handsomely thin lips were almost touching against hers. His breaths were breezing past her lips. ¡°Which movie are you watching?¡±

    Song Yu showed him the tickets. ¡°You?¡±

    ¡°Same.¡± Qi Chengzhi moved forward about half an inch and kissed her lip. ¡°How about we don¡¯t watch the movie and just go to the nearby hotel?¡±

    He leaned forward more and more, causing Song Yu to retreat and lean back against the sofa.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a fuss,¡± Song Yu finally realized how she paled to Qi Chengzhi in terms of shamelessness. Finding herself unable to continue the act, she pushed him away shyly.

    ¡°No fuss. I¡¯m being serious,¡± he answered in his rich voice, then sucked lightly on her upper lip.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi.¡± Song Yu shuddered after realizing how serious he was. She dropped the actpletely and raised her voice slightly, ¡°I want to watch the movie.¡±

    ¡°I think the hotel¡¯s a pretty good idea. Let¡¯s go after the movie,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as lips rubbed against her.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was so red that she could not speak. How could she even answer that question?

    ¡°Come on, get up,¡± Song Yu berated him softly.

    ¡°You...¡± The other woman beside them could not take it anymore. She did not hear much of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s conversation, but not even a few wordster, he kissed her and got together, and even then, the couple looked as though they were already very aroused.

    To top it off, they were in a public ce!

    The woman stood up suddenly and pointed at the two of them. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t just want any woman? She just sat down and you both already... How shameless can you be?¡±

    Song Yu felt slightly embarrassed, and it was then that Qi Chengzhi finally let go of her. He sat upright, looked at the woman, then raised an eyebrow. ¡°Pardon me. This is my wife. What happens between us as husband-and-wife is not for you, an outsider, to criticize.¡±

    ¡°Wife?¡± The woman was in disbelief. ¡°Impossible, she¡¯s just...¡±

    ¡°My wife is naughty sometimes.¡± Merely mentioning Song Yu had Qi Chengzhi in smiles, but when he looked at that other woman again, he snickered at her.

    At that point the movie was about to start. Qi Chengzhi took the fruit juice and the bucket of popcorn, then led Song Yu into the hall, ignoring the dumbfounded womanpletely.

    Once they took their seats, Song Yu pinched his thigh, but because his muscles were quite robust, she did not manage to pinch any fresh. In the end, she could only mime doing so, which did not make her feel pain.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and stopped her from stimting him.

    Her pinches were not painful, but they were very arousing, and her actions nearly caused him to have an erection.

    ¡°You manage to attract women just by sitting there and not doing anything,¡± Song Yu said softly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you didn¡¯t attract anyone.¡± Qi Chengzhi wrapped his hand around hers and kneaded.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu jabbed his palm. ¡°That was so long ago. Why do you like bringing up things from the past? Petty.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her intently all of a sudden. He grasped her hand and cocked a brow. ¡°Who are you calling petty?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu giggled and leaned over. At that time, the lights went off, and she said, ¡°Watch the movie.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was amused by her reaction. He looked at her monochrome eyes and saw it glimmer, even in the dark. Even in the absence of light, he searched for her lip and kissed her before continuing with the movie.

    ...

    ...

    After the movie, Qi Chengzhi really did drag Song Yu to the hotel. The cinema was under the theater chains of Han Zhuoli¡¯spany, and the hotel was under hispany as well.

    Unfortunately, it seemed that one particr celebrity was at B City for an event, and was staying at that hotel. There were rumors that the celebrity was having an affair. The celebrity was on his way back from the event, so a throng of reporters were waiting outside to ask questions about the affair. Many paparazzi were hiding in the shadows as well, following him from C City, to S City, and finally to B City. They were hot on the celebrity¡¯s tail as they wanted to capture evidence of the affair.

    When Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu into the hotel, the reporters surrounded them immediately. The celebrity had yet to show up, but it came as a surprise when they met Qi Chengzhi there.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, are you a guest at the hotel?¡± asked one of the reporters, who thought that even if he could not ry any information back to the entertainment section, then the finance and economics section might find something useful from his question. Perhaps he might even be able to dig up some big news if he was lucky.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze scanned across all the reporters. Steady and reserved, he said three words, ¡°Getting a room.¡±

    The reporters fell silent.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s brain exploded. How could he say those things while being so calm? Even his expression was particrly steady.

    The reporters were stupefied by his answer and was unable to react. By then, Qi Chengzhi had already brought Song Yu to check in at the front desk.

    Once the reporters finally came to their senses, Qi Chengzhi had already obtained the key card for their room, took back his identity card, then led Song Yu to the elevator. The reporters were left confused, as they never expected him to say so openly that he was ¡®getting a room¡¯.

    Song Yu felt embarrassed to no end. She stole a nce at Qi Chengzhi and noticed how he was still putting on such a solemn air. He took out the key card unhurriedly and swiped to unlock the door. Every single action was natural and elegant.

    Qi Chengzhi requested for a suite, which prompted Song Yu to think of the reporters, who were probably thinking that the two of them were a bit extravagant.

    With nothing better to do, Song Yu opened WeChat and browsed through Moments. On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi went to the bathroom and ran a bath. After a while he came out, with his light-blue shirt pulled to his elbows. His sleeves were slightly wet.

    ¡°Go and have a soak,¡± Qi Chengzhi offered.

    Song Yu felt shy whenever she thought of how a man as serious as him was doing servitude for her all the time.

    She tiptoed and kissed his chin, saying, ¡°Thanks, honey.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow and wanted to give her a kiss, but she had already scrambled off into the washroom. Taking off her clothes, she soaked in the bathroom and felt veryfortable. Her stomach was feeling a bit hungry, and at that moment, she wanted to have some vorful street snacks.

    Qi Chengzhi usually paid special attention to her diet. The olddy and Xia Wenna knew that she was pregnant was a son, so was even more careful. They always told the driver to send various tonics to Viewpark Residence, making sure that she kept track of what she could and could not eat during the pregnancy. One of those prohibitions was roadside snacks.

    ¡°Hubby...¡± Song Yu called out softly. She did not feel like it was right to ask him to run out and get snacks for her in the middle of the night, but she really could not help it anymore. She really wanted to eat some, and if she was denied the luxury of eating that, she felt that she would not be able to sleep.

    Song Yu began to wonder if it was the pregnancy that led to her being more and more unreasonable, to the point where she was on the road to stubbornness.

    Qi Chengzhi eventually came in, but his shirt waspletely gone. As he walked, he even began taking off his belt,ughing gleefully but somewhat naughtily. ¡°You want it?¡±

    ¡°No, I...¡± Seeing his eagerness and excitement, Song Yu could not finish her sentence.

    Qi Chengzhi took great strides and entered into the bathroom, pulling her into his embrace immediately. Having heard her call out ¡®hubby¡¯ so lovingly and delicately, he was not only happy¡ªhe got an instant hard-on too.

    ¡°You¡¯re really being coy now aren¡¯t you,¡± Qi Chengzhi kissed her. His mood was rather buoyant.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not feel too good about mentioning that she wanted him to get food for her. He had been gearing up for that moment since a long time, and his mood was particrly good too.

    Thus, she decided to be docile and let Qi Chengzhi kiss her. It was pretty depressing if she were to just send him off to get food, so she reciprocated the kiss and tried to make him really happy.

    His hands slid across his silky skin and he felt her trembles increase in intensity. His narrowed his eyes slightly and watched as her body began turning pinkish. The red blush of her face was like a lotus flower breaking the surface of the water. Her half-closed eyes looked helpless, meek, submissive. He lost his self-control, pressing her onto the wall of the bath and entering her.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi carried Song Yu to the bed. The bedsheet was wet because their bodies were wet, and Song Yu¡¯s hair was still very damp.

    Her hair was originally tied up, but in a moment of passion Qi Chengzhi undid her hair and allowed it to drape down, thereby making it wet.

    Seeing herying submissively in his embrace while cing her head against his bare chest, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands caressed her satiny skin and felt an affectionate tenderness in her heart.

    Kissing her smooth forehead, he saw Song Yu looking at up him and calling softly, ¡°Hubby.¡±

    Her one word made him entire body feel numb.

    Qi Chengzhi flipped over and pressed her into his embrace. He gave her a fervent hiss, and still raring to go, he asked, ¡°You want it again? You just have to squeeze me dry, don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°...¡± A stunned Song Yu gulped nervously and did not move an inch. She knew that she could not go at it a second time, and it would not be good if he were to continue misunderstanding her. ¡°No, I¡¯m a bit hungry.¡±

    ¡°Which part of you is hungry?¡± Qi Chengzhi tried insinuating. He was getting up slowly.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled lovingly and ced his arm at her hindbrain. He was worried that it would not befortable if she ced her still-damp hair on the pillow. Her face was as spotless as a young student, with the faint remnants of how she looked when she was still young. She was very meek then. Qi Chengzhi could not restrain himself from kissing her flush face. It was delicate and hot at the same time.

    ¡°What would you like to eat?¡± His voice rumbled while his thin lips were still rubbing against her face.

    Song Yu felt embarrassed and shy. Slowly, she began telling him in a soft voice, ¡°I want hot-and-sour noodles, pan-fried stuffed buns, and deep-fried tripe.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked up and narrowed his eyes at her. ¡°You¡¯ve thought about it for a long time?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Shocked, Song Yu began feeling guilty. ¡°No, I just thought about eating it.¡±

    ¡°When you called me into the bathroom just now, was it actually because you wanted me to get all that food for you?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes narrowed more and more as he looked suspiciously at Song Yu.

 Chapter 260 - Why Did You Kick Them Out When All They Did Was Mention Miss Ruan?

    <h4>Chapter 260: Why Did You Kick Them Out When All They Did Was Mention Miss Ruan?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°When you called me into the bathroom just now, was it actually because you wanted me to get all that food for you?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes narrowed more and more as he looked suspiciously at her.

    Song Yu would not admit it of course, so she stubbornly answered, ¡°I really wanted you at that time and I got hungry after we did it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her half-smilingly. It would have been better if she kept quiet, because after what she said, Qi Chengzhi knew that she called him because she wanted him to buy food for her. Knowing how easily Song Yu felt ashamed, admitting that she wanted it was something she would never do.

    It was a clear sign that she felt guilty.

    His stares made her feel numb in the head, and he then got up to wear his clothes.

    ¡°Hubby?¡± Song Yu sat up and covered herself with her nket.

    Qi Chengzhi had already worn his pants and was in the midst of wearing his belt. His voice was coarse when he said, ¡°I¡¯ll get hard if you call me like that.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Red-faced, Song Yu could not help but look down and shy away from his gaze. Faced with his half-smiling expression, she felt that he was being too openly shameless and a rascal. In spite of that, she still found him handsome, even when he was being as shameless as that. ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°To get food for you. You¡¯re hungry right?¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he wore his shirt.

    Song Yu smiled lovingly and shuffled to the edge of the bed, saying, ¡°You¡¯re the best, honey.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked down and gave her a strong kiss on the lips. ¡°So, after Ie back and you¡¯ve eaten, let¡¯s go for round two?¡±

    Song Yu hugged his waist and blushed, then kissed him on the lips, saying, ¡°For the hot-and-sour noodles, just a little bit of chili powder will do. I can¡¯t be eating food that¡¯s too spicy, but it won¡¯t be delicious if it¡¯s not spicy at all.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi curled his lips and watched on as she rattled off her demands so naturally that she did not even show the slightest hint of embarrassment. His mood improved significantly, as her actions were evidence that he had pampered her so well that she felt at ease when ordering him around.

    She looked up at his affectionateness toward her. There was even a coyness in him that she did not notice.

    ¡°What other requests do you have?¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled and asked.

    Song Yu shook her head to indicate that there was none, but for some reason she felt unwilling to let him go, since he had to go out in the dead of night for her sake. As she shook her head, her tender voice said, ¡°Be careful on the road. Drive safely.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re worried but you still want me to go?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow.

    Song Yu blushed shyly and hugged him. Her worries did nothing to suppress her hunger, and there was nothing she could do about it.

    Qi Chengzhi cupped her tender cheeks. ¡°Wait here.¡±

    Song Yu released him, after which he took the car keys and left. Song Yu subsequently got up and dressed herself in a bathrobe so she could dry off her hair in the bathroom. Feeling bored, she sat back on the bed and watched TV, while also scrolling through her WeChat Moments as well as Weibo.

    When she was on Weibo, Han Zhuoli sent a piece of news regarding the celebrity¡¯s event. As she was reading it, another notification popped up on WeChat, with Han Zhuoli proiming to the group: [Qi Chengzhi got a room with Song Yu.]

    Gui Zhiqian: [Still very passionate even through they¡¯re married!]

    Yan Beicheng: [How¡¯d you know?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Hehe, they went to the hotel managed by mypany. Didn¡¯t even try to keep a low profile. They told it all to the reporters!]

    Wei Zilin: [Damn!]

    Yan Beicheng: [This is Qi Chengzhi¡¯s doing.]

    Wei Ziqian: [Song Yu¡¯s still pregnant, it won¡¯t be easy for her.]

    Song Yu originally intended to feign ignorance, but in the end they all called out to her.

    Gui Zhiqian: [Lil sis Xiao Yu!]

    Wei Zilin: [Lil sis Xiao Yu!]

    Han Zhuoli: [Lil sis Xiao Yu!]

    She then received a message from Yan Beicheng. [Go and look in the group.]

    Song Yu was speechless.

    Before she could ignore the message, Qi Chenglin phoned her. There was no way Song Yu could decline the call, so she picked it up and heard, ¡°Sis-inw, take a look in the group.¡±

    Song Yu was still at a loss for words.

    ¡®Whose side is he on?¡¯

    Song Yu hung up and tapped into the group conversation. She asked: [How did you know I was pregnant?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Lao Chu told us!]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Hehe.]

    Song Yu: [...]

    Chu Zhaoyang was usually very quiet, so why was it that he was such a loose cannon when it came to really important stuff?

    Song Yu: [If that¡¯s all, I¡¯ll be going.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Busy romping?]

    Gui Zhiqian: [Is Qi Chengzhi asking you to hurry?]

    Qi Chengzhi: [Enough. All of you.]

    Yan Beicheng: [YO he¡¯s finally here. Why were you so silent?]

    Qi Chengzhi: [I¡¯m at a hot-and-sour noodle shop.]

    Everyone: [...]

    Han Zhuoli: [When did you start eating this kind of pedestrian food?]

    Qi Chengzhi: [Song Yu wants it.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Haha, WIFE¡¯S SLAVE.]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Hehe.]

    Qi Chengzhi: [Does this mean you don¡¯t want to get married?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Don¡¯t let my grandmother hear all your nonsense. I want a wife and a baby!]

    Gui Zhiqian: [I think your only hope is through blind dates. Everyone you meet are actresses, and none of them are reliable.]

    Yan Beicheng: [Let Song Yu introduce one to ya! If you want someone reliable, you gotta ask someone reliable. Birds of a feather flock together. Those who are on good terms with Song Yu are surely good people too.]

    The sudden onught of mischievousments was something Song Yu had still not gotten used to.

    Gui Zhiqian: [That friend of Song Yu¡¯s doesn¡¯t seem too bad. Miss Ruan¡¯s her name. She looks alright. When she went to Song Yu¡¯s wedding, she didn¡¯t try to flirt around and it didn¡¯t seem like she was using the opportunity to meet those rich men and try to connect with them. Her intentions are pretty pure.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Really? I think I remember too. She looks quite pretty. Song Yu, how about you introduce her to us?]

    Once that message was sent, Song Yu saw a line of grey words on the screen: [Gui Zhiqian left the group.]

    Then, another. [Han Zhuoli left the group.]

    Yan Beicheng: [Yo, what¡¯s up with these two? Why did they leave after saying that?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Hehe, they were kicked out.]

    Yan Beicheng. [Ehhhh? We can kick people? Lemme try.]

    Yan Beicheng was quiet for some time before he appeared again. [I can¡¯t kick anyone out. How do you kick someone?]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Qi Chenglin is the admin. He can do the kicking.]

    Yan Beicheng: [Yo, Qi Chenglin. Did you kick them?]

    Qi Chenglin sent an emoji of a cool face with sunsses.

    Yan Beicheng: [EH? Why did you kick them out when all they did was mention Miss Ruan?]

    A deafening silence appeared in the group.

    Yan Beicheng: [OHH I SEEEE]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [HEHE]

    Song Yu: [...]

    Wei Ziqian: [Same like your big brother. Petty]

    Yan Beicheng: [Those two idiots didn¡¯t know a thing. If they knew that you like Miss Ruan, they won¡¯t be thinking about her at all. Bring them back into the group and warn them!]

    Soon enough, another row of words appeared on the screen: [Wei Ziqi invited Han Zhuoli and Gui Zhiqian into the group]

    Yan Beicheng: [Yo, why can you add them in, Wei Ziqi?]

    Wei Ziqi: [...]

    Chu Zhaoyang: [Go and learn how to use WeChat, don¡¯t embarrass yourself.]

    Yan Beicheng: [...]

    Gui Zhiqian: [Why did you kick us out for no reason! Can you control him, Qi Chengzhi?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Yeah. Impatient.]

    Quite some time had passed, but Qi Chengzhi still did not respond.

    All Song Yu could say was: [He¡¯s probably driving now.]

    Han Zhuoli: [Aren¡¯t you guys getting it on in the room? Why aren¡¯t you together? Or are you going to have fun in the car?]

    Song Yu: [Do you still want a wife?]

    Han Zhuoli: [...]

    The rest of the group then began making fun of Han Zhuoli. No one else poked fun at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi anymore.

    After a while, she heard a swipe at the door. Song Yu got down from the bed and saw Qi Chengzhi holding three stic bags. They were extremely thin, low-cost stic bags.

    Along with his entrance came the delicious aroma of food.

    ¡°Was there any traffic jam?¡± Song Yu went over immediately and took the food from his hands.

    ¡°Not really,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied. He bought enough of each for one person, but he knew that Song Yu would not be able to finish all three portions. He would be tasked to deal with the leftovers.

    All of a sudden, Song Yu felt like she wanted to know how Qi Chengzhi looked like when he was standing at a snack stall dressed in such expensive clothes. The smell of smoke would have permeated into his shirt, and his slender fingers would have been holding twenty or so dors. When he paid, his elegance and elite persona must have been a stark contrast to all the other ordinary citizens.

    She ced the snacks on the table and tiptoed to kiss him. ¡°Sorry to put you through that trouble, Hubby.¡±

    The cold night air was still lingering on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body. He looked very casual as his sleeves remained folded up to his elbows. When Song Yu kissed him, he instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist. A sense of pride was present when he saw how his actions made her bubbling with radiance. He squeezed her soft body and lowered his head to kiss her.

    ¡°Time to eat.¡± Qi Chengzhi led her to sit down. ¡°The weather is hot so it didn¡¯t turn cold too fast.¡±

    Song Yu held the food. It was still very hot, which made her feel a bit worried. ¡°You didn¡¯t speed on your way back right?¡±

    ¡°What are you thinking about? There¡¯s no way I can speed with the road conditions in B City.¡± Qi Chengzhi sat beside her. His hands hugged her waist instinctively.

    Song Yu opened the container of hot-and-sour noodles, then drank a spoonful of soup. Qi Chengzhi saw that and shuddered. ¡°You¡¯re only allowed to eat these things once-in-a-while. It¡¯s not nutritious at all. When I was waiting, I saw the vendor add all kinds of unknown vorings, and I was just shocked to see all that. And the pan-fried stuffed buns, the oil wasn¡¯t very clean.¡±

    ¡°I know. I just wanted to satisfy my craving this time. I was really craving it.¡± Song Yu took a bite out of the bun, leaving her lips glossy with oil. ¡°When we eat out, you only ever let me eat at Dynasty. Dynasty does have this kind of snacks, but they taste very different from those stalls. Grandma and Mom are always keeping watch over me, and whenever they see me, they¡¯ll say that I can¡¯t eat this and that because it¡¯s bad for me. I just feel like my mouth is really nd right now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and took out a tissue from the tissue box, wiping her mouth with it. ¡°Back then, Youxuan was directly brought home by Chenglin, so Grandma didn¡¯t get too emotionally invested. Now, she¡¯s paying special attention to your firstborn.¡±

    Speaking of Qi Chenglin, Song Yu recounted the episode that happened inside the group chat. ¡°Looks like Chenglin is chasing after Danchen. If that¡¯s not the case, he wouldn¡¯t have kicked out Han Zhuoli and Gui Zhiqian just because they made a joke.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi simply smiled while Song Yu was happy from eating all that food. Slurping some noodles, she said, ¡°Now that I think about it, you both are really brothers. Both petty.¡±

    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± Qi Chengzhi grasped her waist more tightly and was about to stretch his hand over to take away the bowl of noodles from her. ¡°Don¡¯t eat so much. It¡¯s all full of seasoning.¡±

    ¡°See, aren¡¯t you the petty one here?¡± Song Yutched onto her bowl of noodles and quickly sweet-talked him. ¡°To tell you the truth, I think it¡¯s good to be petty and intolerant of people who lust after someone you love. I like it.¡±

    Song Yu held the hot-and-sour noodles and kissed him in order to coax him.

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her and licked his lips, tasting the hot-and-sour vor. Song Yu felt guilty because of his gaze and smiled awkwardly. She ced the bowl of noodles down and said, ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took her chopsticks without saying a word and chowed down on her remaining food.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi ordered room service the next morning and they even brought him a copy of the morning paper.

    As he had breakfast, he read the news on world affairs while Song Yu browsed through the entertainment section. She flipped and noticed that Qi Chengzhi appeared on the pages.

    The picture depicted him holding the food from the previous night. Although he was only visible through his rear figure, it did not look befitting at all.

    The headline read: Qi Chengzhi spent a wonderful night with his wife in a hotel, but two hourster, he went out to get some supper for his wife.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu ced the paper to one side. ¡°Reporters nowadays seem to have nothing better to do. They even want to report these kinds of things.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the paper and replied inly, ¡°Just wait for Grandma¡¯s call.¡±

    Song Yu thought of the street snacks that was shown on the paper and felt a headachee over her immediately.

    True enough, the olddy came calling barely moments after Qi Chengzhipleted his sentence.

    Feeling numb in the head, Song Yu greeted, ¡°Grandma.¡±

    ¡°My dear Song Yu, you ate some unhealthy foodst night?¡± the olddy asked calmly.

    ¡°Grandma, I just suddenly felt like eating it. I don¡¯t know what happened, but this is the first time since the pregnancy that I really wanted to eat something. I really craved it, and I felt that I¡¯ll be moody if I didn¡¯t eat it,¡± Song Yu exined softly.

    After hearing that, the olddy immediately said, ¡°One of the most important things in a pregnancy is your emotions. Okay then, since you really wanted it, then once or twice on asion is fine. Most importantly, you can¡¯t let yourself suffer, but you can¡¯t eat too much alright.¡±

    Song Yu answered obediently, hung up, then sighed. ¡°I¡¯m really scared that Grandma isn¡¯t happy.¡±

    ¡°Yet you still eat?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked jokingly.

    Song Yu pursed her lips and drank up her milk.

    ...

    ...

    When the two of them checked out of the room, Song Yu was afraid to look at the receptionists in the front desk. She wished she could just cover herself up with a mask. The two of them went home and changed clothes before going to the manor.

    Qi Chenglin was on a business trip the previous day, so they postponed the gathering by one day.

    Everyone was present by the time the couple came back. Upon seeing them, Qi Chenglin smiled insinuatingly. ¡°Hehe, you¡¯re only back now eh!¡±

    Song Yu felt so shy that she did not dare to meet with any of her elders. She even felt embarrassed to meet Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Grandfather Qi huffed and threw the newspaper onto the coffee table, saying, ¡°Can you two keep a low profile? You let the entire city know that you were getting a room! I went for some Taichi this morning and when people saw me, do you know what they said? They said, ¡®Hey Lao Qi, you should tell those youngsters to control themselves so they won¡¯t injure your great-grandson.¡¯ Oh, the shame!¡±

 Chapter 261 - I Saw A Familiar-Looking Man Staring at Me Through the Window

    <h4>Chapter 261: I Saw A Familiar-Looking Man Staring at Me Through the Window</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Grandfather Qi huffed and threw the newspaper onto the coffee table, saying, ¡°Can you two keep a low profile? You let the entire city know that you were getting a room! I went for some Taichi this morning and when people saw me, do you know what they said? They said, ¡®Hey Lao Qi, you should tell those youngsters to control themselves so they won¡¯t injure your great-grandson.¡¯ Oh, the shame!¡±

    He was so ashamed to bring it up that his entire face was red.

    Song Yu¡¯s pregnancy was a piece of good news, even more so since the child was a boy. After three months, there was no restriction on letting outsiders know about it. The olddy resumed her za dancing and unted off the pregnancy to her neighbors. Practically everyone in the neighborhood knew that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s newly-wedded wife was pregnant.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who¡¯s too sensitive and gets too easily embarrassedpared to others. This is a married couple getting a room, right? It¡¯s not like he got a room with some other woman. Why are you acting all ashamed for? Speaking of which, it¡¯s probably bad luck that the reporter caught a picture of them. As for that reporter, he¡¯s probably so bored that he didn¡¯t have anything better to do, but even so, why did he have to poke his nose in someone else¡¯s marriage? This is uneptable. I¡¯ll make aint to the newspany.¡± As soon as she said that, she put on her presbyopia sses, took out her phone, then dialed Han Zhuoli¡¯s number. ¡°Xiao Han, I want to ask you something. Do you have the number of Jingdu Daily¡¯s person-in-charge? Ah, okay.¡±

    The olddy hung up and said, ¡°Xiao Han said he¡¯ll text me once he finds out.¡±

    She had just finished talking when Han Zhuoli messaged her with the phone number. It was a personal number that belonged to the boss of the newspaper publishingpany.

    In truth, the news was not actually that big of a deal, but since the olddy had made her decision, no one else attempted to stop her.

    She held the phone and went into the room to give the old director a call.

    Qi Youxuan sat alone in one corner with Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone in his hand. He pouted and seemed to mutter something to himself. It was the first time he was not watching some cartoon.

    After some time, the olddy came out with the phone in her hand. As she walked, she asked, ¡°Chenglin, Xiao Han just told me that you kicked him and Xiao Gui out of the group because of some girl?¡±

    Qi Chenglin kept quiet.

    It seemed that Han Zhuoli was bing more and more of a loudmouth.

    The olddy hurried over and sat down. She leaned forward excitedly and asked, ¡°You¡¯ve had your heart set on someone? Which family is she from? What¡¯s her name? Where is she living and what¡¯s she doing? Has Youxuan met her before? Is he satisfied with her? What kind of person is she? Does she have a good attitude? What about her character? Is she kind? She¡¯s not pretending to be nice to Youxuan right?¡±

    Grandmother Qi was very anxious for Qi Chenglin to get married of course, but what made her even more worried was if the future wife did not treat Youxuan too kindly. If the stepmother treated Qi Youxuan badly, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya would not just sit around and let that happen. If worsees to worse, they would be the ones to take care of Qi Youxuan. Nevertheless, being raised by one¡¯s own parents was a different experience, and the olddy was worried that Qi Youxuan might suffer childhood trauma. A child¡¯s hurt heart would not be easy to cure.

    Her heart ached when she thought of Qi Youxuan. She turned to see that little boy sitting on a rocking horse all by himself in the corner. He was holding Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone and mumbling to himself.

    Qi Chenglin looked at his son and said, ¡°I can¡¯t answer you if you ask me too many things at once, Grandma. All I can say is, she is genuinely nice toward Youxuan. I can swear on my life.¡±

    The olddy was shocked. She did not expect Qi Chenglin to make such a firm statement. Saying that he could swear on his life was a very serious matter indeed. She looked at Qi Chenglin¡¯s solemn expression and felt surprised that he would take it that seriously. Her emotions were at crossroads: on one hand, she was worried whether the woman was as good as Qi Chenglin made her out to be, but on the other hand, she was d that her second-eldest grandson had finally gotten rid of the single life.

    Still worried, the olddy asked, ¡°How about you bring her back for us to meet someday? You know that our family isn¡¯t likest time. We don¡¯t ce too much importance on her background and whatnot as long as she¡¯s a good person.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Chenglin. The most important thing now is peace in the family as well as Youxuan¡¯s happiness. If you like her that much and you¡¯re serious, then bring her home and introduce her to us. That¡¯ll also make her less worried,¡± Guan Liya added.

    Qi Chenglin nced at Qi Youxuan, who was typing on the phone and looked over to them.

    Qi Chenglin then said, ¡°Youxuan¡¯s talking to her right now. He may be young, but he¡¯s an exceptionally good judge of character. He wouldn¡¯t be so friendly toward someone who¡¯s just faking it.¡±

    Both the olddy and Guan Liya looked over. Qi Youxuan looked at them as well. He got off the horse and turned his back toward them immediately, as if they were going to take the phone away from him. Then, he began to whisper something into the phone.

    He really was fond of that woman.

    ¡°As for the introduction, I¡¯ll definitely bring her back, but not so soon. I¡¯ll bring her over when the timees.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was so serious that neither his mother nor grandmother dared to press on.

    ¡°What¡¯s her name and what does she do? You can at least tell us that, right?¡± Guan Liya sat in front of him and was desperate to find out more.

    Qi Chenglin snickered. ¡°If I tell you, Grandma will definitely drag me to meet her.¡±

    ¡°Why, you little¡ª Is that how you think of your own grandmother?¡± The olddy¡¯s face was fierce, but the truth was that she felt very guilty.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and said, ¡°I just don¡¯t want to give her too much pressure, or else she¡¯ll get nervous.¡±

    ¡°When did you be so understanding toward others?!¡± Guan Liya eximed in shock.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu knew that Qi Chenglin was talking about Ruan Danchen, but did not expect him to be so serious. She turned around and looked at Qi Chengzhi in shock.

    Qi Chengzhi simply smiled and held her hand.

    The couple respected Qi Chenglin¡¯s decision not to mention her, at the same time, Song Yu also felt that it was too soon to be putting pressure on Ruan Danchen. It was only right that she kept quiet about it.

    Since it was a failed attempt to get information from Qi Chenglin, the olddy turned to Qi Youxuan.

    She went over and saw Qi Youxuan speaking with a woman on WeChat. However, the other party was using a nickname, and because the olddy¡¯s eyesight was not that good, she could not see it clearly.

    Qi Youxuan had lightning-fast reflexes. Once he saw his great-grandmother leaning closer, he locked the screen immediately with his tubby fingers, showing rapid reflexes.

    ¡°This child. Why are you so much like your father? Always doing all sorts of sneaky things.¡± The olddy looked helplessly at Qi Youxuan. She knelt down and asked softly, ¡°Youxuan, have you met your dad¡¯s girlfriend yet?¡±

    She did not expect little Qi Youxuan to pout his mouth in disdain. He lowered his voice and said covertly, ¡°Great-Grandma, don¡¯t talk about it anymore. My dad hasn¡¯t even managed to get her yet. I heard everything you said just now and actually, it¡¯s not that he doesn¡¯t wanna bring her back. He can¡¯t bring her back.¡±

    The olddy fell silent.

    She could not help but nce over to Qi Chenglin. He was born handsome, so why was it difficult to attract that woman?

    ¡°Then, do you like her?¡± the olddy asked a second question.

    Qi Youxuan lowered his gaze and rubbed his fingers repeatedly on the phone screen. He twisted his barely noticeable waist and said bashfully, ¡°Yeah. I want her to be my stepmother.¡±

    ¡°What do you like about her? Is she good to you?¡± The olddy was feeling happy and worried at the same time. It was not easy for Qi Youxuan to ept a woman. Qi Chenglin¡¯s job would be easier but the olddy was still afraid that Qi Youxuan would be hurt. Then again, she thought about how Qi Youxuan really wanted Song Yu to be his stepmother. He may be young, but he had an excellent understanding of good and bad.

    ¡°Mm, she¡¯s really nice to me.¡± Qi Youxuan got happy whenever he thought about it. His little face turned red and he looked very much like an apple. ¡°I actually think I look a bit like her. If you tell everyone that she¡¯s my real mom, everyone would believe it.¡±

    The olddy did not take his words too seriously. Ever since Qi Youxuan began to understand things, he set about on his quest to locate a suitable stepmother for himself. If he really did like the woman, then the power of suggestion may have had been at work there.

    She patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s little round head and left him be.

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, Qi Chengzhi brought Cheng Dongge along with Chang Lai for a business trip to Li City. The agenda was Qilin¡¯s movie-themed amusement park as well as the hotel.

    Song Yu¡¯s parents were still finding it hard to ept Qi Chengzhi, and when he was present, he would insist on going back with her. Her parents though, would not let him in the house, so he would have to wait at the door for her, thereby increasing her anxieties. She decided that she might as well go home when Qi Chengzhi was not around, at least that would help Yu Qianying ease up on the anger, and Song Yu was able to try and coax her mother a little more.

    Song Yu informed the olddy of her decision, and the olddy immediately ordered their driver to send Song Yu home.

    Yu Qianying¡¯s mood was much better without Qi Chengzhi around but her attitude was still rather stiff. Although she was unable to ept it, she also could not bring herself to pull a long face. Song Yu was pregnant was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s son, therefore there was no way Yu Qianying could ask them to get a divorce.

    The child inside Song Yu¡¯s stomach was not just Qi Chengzhi¡¯s son¡ªhe was also Yu Qianying¡¯s grandson. Yu Qianying felt at odds with herself. On one hand, she did not particrly enjoy the idea of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s son, but on the other hand, it was her grandson, and she could not bear to have those thoughts.

    Leaving aside Song Yu¡¯s deep love for Qi Chengzhi, Yu Qianying knew that the Qi family would not just let them divorce, since Song Yu already had a baby and it was a boy. Divorce would be a headache with all that custody battles. The Qi family would never let go of the baby but Yu Qianying wanted to hold him as well. What if the court decided that the baby was to be given to the Qi family? By that point, she would definitely abhor any rtions with the Qi family, so what about the baby then?

    Moreover, Song Yu was practically inseparable from Qi Chengzhi. With a baby binding them, Yu Qianying felt unreconciled, unepting, and helpless.

    She watched as Song Yu¡¯s stomach grew bigger day by day. The baby bump was bing even more prominent, like a balloon slowly filling up. Yu Qianying felt that Song Yu¡¯s stomach was much bigger than the previous Saturday.

    Song Yu went into the kitchen and watched Yu Qianying. A burst of fishiness entered her nose as soon as she entered and when she looked into the sink, she saw a bloody fish.

    She pinched her nose and ran to the bathroom where she threw up in the toilet bowl.

    Yu Qianying saw that and shouted for Song Donglin, ¡°Lao Song! Watch the fire, I¡¯ll check on Song Yu.¡±

    She took a ss of water and went to the bathroom just in time to see Song Yu wiping her mouth with a paper towel.

    ¡°It¡¯s been four months. Why is your nausea still so strong?¡± Yu Qianying passed Song Yu the water so she can gargle.

    ¡°I just couldn¡¯t take the fishy smell.¡± Song Yu finished gargling and drank a couple of mouthfuls to ease her throat. It had been quite painful when she vomited earlier. ¡°I¡¯m okay with other kinds of seafood, but I just can¡¯t stand fish.¡±

    ¡°Then what about the fish soup I gave you on Saturday? You couldn¡¯t drink it too, right?¡± Yu Qianying patted Song Yu¡¯s back.

    Song Yu came out of the bathroom and walked into the living room but Yu Qianying¡¯s words caused her to freeze.

    ¡°I drank some but I couldn¡¯t take it toward the end.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was bing quiet, as she felt that she did not truly appreciate Yu Qianying¡¯s sincerity.

    ¡°What about the rest of it?¡± Yu Qianying cocked a brow.

    ¡°I let Chengzhi finish it.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was even quieter than before.

    Yu Qianying pursed her lips, knowing that such things were inevitable. She kept quiet and ced the fish back into the refrigerator.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi reached Li City. Earlier, Cheng Dongge had requested thepany there to send over two cars, one of which would be driven by Chang Lai. That way, none of the employees from Li City would be beside them, thereby facilitating discussions in the car and preventing others from listening to them.

    A piece of news caught Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eye when they were on the road: B City¡¯s police officers managed to cripple a group that smuggled unlicensed motor vehicles. A significant number of important figures within the group had been nabbed but the group¡¯s leader, Wang Qingyi¡ªnicknamed ¡®Brother One¡¯¡ªwas still atrge, along with his assistant and a few other subordinates.

    ¡°Read this news.¡± Qi Chengzhi passed his phone to Cheng Dongge, who was sitting on the front passenger seat.

    Cheng Dongge read it and returned the phone. He made a call to ask about it without needing any further instruction from Qi Chengzhi.

    After hanging up, he turned to Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°The police managed to round up the group two weeks ago, but they only made it public now. They had been very cautious all this while. The police tried to go undercover but they never managed to seed. The reason they were caught this time was because of Jian Yi. Wang Qingyi found out and wanted revenge. He sent word that he wanted Jian Yi captured. Wang Qingyi knows that there¡¯s nothing left on the line. He¡¯s on the run and doesn¡¯t have resources, but even if he¡¯s resigned to being caught, the least of his wishes is to get revenge on Jian Yi. Jian Yi must have been warned by someone since he¡¯s gone into hiding now. He never resigned from thepany that he was working for, but it¡¯s been a week since hest went to work. He didn¡¯t even go home, and no one knows where he is.¡±

    There was nothing Jian Yi could do anyway. The police honed in on him all of a sudden, and there was evidence that he bought the smuggled car. They not only took the car; they also wanted him to aid in police investigations, saying that it was the moral obligation of a citizen to do so.

    Jian Yi needed only a moment to figure out that it was some goons that acted under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s orders. Qi Chengzhi might not have any evidence that that may have implicated Jian Yi in the ident, but he knew for sure that Jian Yi was behind it.

    Jian Yi knew he could not talk since he would be done for if Wang Qingyi knew about it. It would not end well for him since betrayal was the one thing those people truly hated. Nevertheless, he could not stand the throng of uniformed policemen going to his house all the time.

    The police stopped by hispany as well as his home.

    Neighbors began suspecting if he was up to no good. They knew he was hiding far away. He was not concerned with that though, since he did not deal much with those neighbors anyway.

    Thepany suffered the most. Clients thought that thepany was involved in some illegal business and thepany¡¯s reputation was brought down. Their revenue suffered a steep decline and many clients were lost. Having had enough of all that, thepany head told Jian Yi that his employment would be terminated if things continued that way.

    Left with no other choice, Jian Yi cooperated. He originally wanted to just give them half-truths, but his bluffing skills were weak and paled inparison to the police. In the end, he spilled the beans, allowing the police to track the clues and raid Wang Qingyi¡¯s den.

    When the ruckus erupted, Jian Yi went into hiding without needing anyone to warn him.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s vision sharpened and he nodded.

    Qi Chengzhi was alone once he reached the hotel. He called Song Yu, who had just left her parents¡¯ house and was on the way back home.

    ¡°You¡¯ve reached?¡± Song Yu sat in the back seat and looked at the mist-shrouded scenery through the window.

    The mist was too thick, so the windows were shut and the air-conditioner was switched on instead.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m already in the hotel room.¡± Qi Chengzhi stood beside the window and looked at the scenery below. ¡°What are you up to?¡±

    ¡°Just visited my parents. Going back to our home now,¡± Song Yu said softly. She could not help but smile when she heard his voice, and deep down, she felt veryforted.

    Qi Chengzhi felt warm when he heard her say ¡®our home¡¯. He felt a peace of mind, and even his expressions turned warm. However, he still felt worried. ¡°You went alone? How did you go there?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I spoke with Grandma. She asked Xiao Fan to send me,¡± Song Yu said. The car stopped at a red light and was near the side of the road. Song Yu looked at the bustling flow of pedestrians.

    ¡°You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll wait outside if I follow you?¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled, knowing that he had made the correct guess.

    ¡°Mm. I¡¯ll feel uneasy if you wait outside. I can¡¯t stay long at home and I just feel like wanting to be with you outsi...¡± Song Yu said softly, but before she could finish her sentence, she saw a man beside the car. He was walking rather closely to the car.

    It was a hot day, so the man wore short sleeves. However, he also wore a baseball cap that had the bill titled far downward. He wore a mask as well.

    The car tint was not too dark, so those from the outside could still see clearly.

    The man turned around and made eye contact with Song Yu through the window. Feeling startled, she noticed that the eyes looked familiar. Apprehension crept within her heart and she did not like the man¡¯s gaze at all.

    Then, the man lifted his hand and grabbed his mask, pulling it down to reveal his nose bridge. He was going to reveal his entire face soon, but the red light turned green and the car sped away.

    Song Yu looked back immediately and saw that the man was also looking at the rear of the car. He stopped his action of taking down his mask however, and after looking at the car for a while, he turned around and left swiftly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi frowned after hearing a profound silence from Song Yu. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu shook her head. She wanted to tell him that everything was fine, but after some thought, she decided to tell him because she did not feel toofortable about hiding it from him. ¡°The car was close to the sidewalk at the red light just now. I saw a man standing outside the car staring at me through the window. He looked familiar but he wore a cap and a mask, so I couldn¡¯t see his face. I just felt that I knew him somehow but I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about him. He just kept staring at me as if he wanted to take off his mask. But the car sped off before I could see his face. When I turned back, he didn¡¯t take off his mask anymore. He just turned around and left.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared out the window and his expression sank. He frowned but didn¡¯t say much so as not to worry her. ¡°Since you didn¡¯t see his face, then just let it be. It¡¯s just a coincidence.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and answered him.

    Qi Chengzhi made a mental note of the event and changed the topic so she would not dwell on it. ¡°How were Mom and Dad¡¯s feelings when you went back today?¡±

    ¡°Dad¡¯s still calm. Mom is getting better. She¡¯s not as angry asst time. She¡¯lle around.¡± Song Yu thought about it and smiled. ¡°I told her you drank all the fish soup that I brought homest Saturday. She didn¡¯t say anything about it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and his expression softened. With one hand in his pants pocket, he said, ¡°Be careful when you¡¯re at home. Take care of your body.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯reing back tomorrow, right?¡± Song Yu looked out the window and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be okay at home.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ming back tomorrow night. There¡¯s an officiating ceremony tomorrow morning to mark the start of the project. I¡¯ll show up for a while at the dinner party at night and leave after that.¡± Having had enough of Li City¡¯s scenery, Qi Chengzhi went to the sofa and sat down. His thumb began caressing the joints of his middle finger.

 Chapter 262 - Letâ€™s Go To Li City Together

    <h4>Chapter 262: Let¡¯s Go To Li City Together</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ming back tomorrow night. There¡¯s an officiating ceremony tomorrow morning to mark the start of the project. I¡¯ll show up for a while at the dinner party at night and leave after that.¡± Having had enough of Li City¡¯s scenery, Qi Chengzhi went to the sofa and sat down. His thumb began caressing the joints of his middle finger.

    He had taken many drags of cigarettes on the day he wanted to confess to Song Yu. Since then, he had stopped smoking.

    ¡°Uhm, don¡¯t rush. If you can¡¯t make it in time, you cane home the next day.¡± Song Yu was worried that he would be exhausted.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you miss me?¡± Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrow and leaned back. Song Yu¡¯s voice was extremely soothing to him.

    ¡°Of course I miss you. I¡¯m just worried that you¡¯ll be exhausted.¡± Song Yu nced at Xiao Fan who was driving the car. She lowered the volume of her voice shyly and leaned against the corner of the passenger seat. With her head tilted toward the side, she covered her mouth and the cellphone with her hand and said, ¡°I wish you didn¡¯t have to go outstation, even if you did, I hope that you can leave and return on the same day itself.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and his gaze turned extremely gentle. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you along for the next one then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re working. If I followed you around, others would joke about it.¡± Song Yu nced randomly and saw Xiao Fan secretlyughing. Her face turned red immediately and lowered her voice even more out of embarrassment.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong about that? You can stay in the hotel while I work. You won¡¯t feel tired. Since you¡¯re not working now, you have plenty of free time.¡± the more Qi Chengzhi thought about it, the more he thought that this was feasible. He could not wait for Song Yu to be here.

    Song Yu was almost persuaded. It certainly would not be tiring to go out with Qi Chengzhi since she would have transport wherever she wanted to go. Qi Chengzhi would definitely not allow her to be tired.

    If she stayed in the hotel or walked around the premises while he worked, he would not need to rush home every time then.

    ¡°If it¡¯s convenient, I¡¯ll follow you the next trip.¡± Song Yu¡¯s voice was very thin and gentle. Listening to her voice was like music to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ears.

    Qi Chengzhi was overjoyed, how he wished that Song Yu coulde over right away.

    Up until Cheng Dongge came over and notified Qi Chengzhi that it was time to go to their subsidiarypany in Li City for a meeting only did he hang up the phone call.

    After Qi Chengzhi left the room, he suddenly asked out of the blue while walking, ¡°Do you miss Chengyue?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Cheng Dongge was stunned.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu returned to Zhijing Garden. She felt tired and went back to her bedroom to rest.

    She dozed on and off for about an hour before she was woken up by Aunt Yang knocking on her door.

    Song Yu called out groggily, ¡°Come in.¡±

    She squinted her eyes to open a small slit. She was still half asleep, not wanting to wake up.

    ¡°Lady Qi is here.¡± Aunt Yang gently nudged Song Yu.

    Song Yu opened her eyes¡ªthey were still droopy and lethargic. She stretchedzily before sitting up straight to look at the time; it was 2.50 p.m.

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t she be at work at this time?¡± Song Yu mumbled. She rubbed her face until she felt more awake before getting out of bed.

    Both of them went downstairs. Qi Chengyue was sitting in the living room, wearing a shirt with the prints of porcin. Her sleeves were folded until her elbows and secured with a button. She wore white pencil pants matched with a pair of ballet shoes, dressing very casually.

    ¡°Chengyue?¡± Song Yu¡¯s mind was a bit clearer now. She walked over and asked, ¡°Why are you here at this hour? Did anything happen?¡±

    Song Yu thought of Qi Chengzhi right away. Could he be in trouble?

    She was just on the phone with him moments ago.

    Song Yu¡¯s expression altered slightly as she stared at Qi Chengyue worriedly.

    Qi Chengyue giggled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Big brother told me to pick you up. Go and pack your stuff. We¡¯re going to Li City together.¡±

    ¡°To Li City? Why so sudden?¡± Song Yu was overwhelmed by her request. ¡°I¡¯m not ready yet.¡±

    Qi Chengyue squinted her eyes and said, ¡°Big brother misses you, eh?¡±

    Song Yu felt a little awkward. Qi Chengyue continued saying, ¡°You don¡¯t need to prepare much. Just bring along some of your usual belongings. Oh right, do you happen to have a cocktail dress? We might need to attend the banquet tomorrow night.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Her cell phone rang just when Song Yu answered. Aunt Yang passed her the cell phone, it was from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Has Chengyue arrived?¡± Qi Chengyue estimated the time for her to arrive and paused the meeting just to walk out and ask.

    ¡°Uhm, she just reached. Why did you want us to go to Li City so suddenly?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Dongge missed Chengyue and wanted her to go over. It¡¯s just right for both of you toe over together,¡± Qi Chengzhi said it outright.

    Song Yu felt that Qi Chengzhi was using Cheng Dongge as an excuse, but she heard him continue, ¡°Didn¡¯t you agree for me to bring you along for outstation trips?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just say the truth? Alright, I¡¯ming with Chengyue,¡± Song Yu saidughingly and hung up before going to her bedroom to pack.

    Aunt Yang and Qi Chengyue helped her to pack. Song Yu went to the dressing room to pick a dress that was brand new¡ª the tag still attached to it. Her baby bump was already quite prominent, she nned to conceal it with this dress.

    Both of them left the house. Qi Chenglin¡¯s driver, Jiang Yuan was waiting at the entrance. He immediately rushed over to carry Song Yu¡¯s luggage.

    ...

    ...

    When Song Yu and Qi Chengyue arrived at Li City, it was already seven o¡¯clock in the evening. Song Yu did not eat the food onboard even though it was provided by the airline. Back in the day, Song Yu would not be so picky, but since she was pregnant, she had to be more careful for the sake of her baby.

    Aunt Yang prepared sandwiches and fruits for both of them so they could munch on it while onboard. Song Yu had no feelings of hunger even after she alighted the ne.

    Chang Lai came to pick them up. Song Yu felt relieved since it was someone she knew.

    ¡°Madam, Lady Qi,¡± Chang Lai greeted. He ced both of their luggage into the booth. ¡°Director and Special Assistant Cheng are still in the middle of a meeting. I¡¯ll bring the both of you back to the hotel first. They should be finished by the time we reach.¡±

    Li City was not too big. Qi Chengyue had been here before but Song Yu did not. She looked out the window and took in the scenery throughout the journey, finding all of this rather refreshing.

    When Qi Chengyue came to meet Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents in the previous trip, he had introduced many ces to her. When they passed by ces, Qi Chengyue also told Song Yu about them.

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengyue and grinned before saying, ¡°You¡¯re considered half a citizen of Li CIty already, visiting your inws and all that.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed andined, ¡°You¡¯re bing naughtier ever since you got together with my big brother.¡±

    ¡°Aiyah, I¡¯m not a very decent person to begin with. Didn¡¯t I kick you on purpose that time in Dynasty?¡± Song Yu rested her chin on her palm with her elbows pressed against the window sill. Looking back now from when she was Qi Chengyue¡¯s rival, she thought that the situation was rather interesting. Never in her lifetime would she imagine the both of them to have such a civil rtionship and were able to interact so peacefully.

    Qi Chengyue replied embarrassedly, ¡°Don¡¯t bring up the past, I¡¯m so ashamed of what I¡¯ve done.¡±

    ¡°I think that it¡¯s interesting to reminisce the past since we are on such good terms now.¡± Song Yuughed. When she saw Qi Chengyue drowning in embarrassment, she chuckled and said, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop mentioning it.¡±

    Qi Chengyue smiled and put an end to the topic.

    Thinking about the past made her think of Jian Yi. He was the biggest w in her life. She could not bear to think of the past whenever she recalled how crazy she acted all for the sake of a man.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge had passed their room card to Chang Lai and told him to bring them to their rooms when they arrived.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengyue were walking toward the elevator when Song Yu heard a familiar mellow, elegant voice.

    She turned around and saw Qi Chengzhi entering the hotel¡¯s main entrance with Cheng Dongge beside him. There were many people around them. There was ady in her mid-twenties wearing a delicate dress on the other side of Qi Chengzhi. The opening of the skirt was very narrow, enhancing the outline of her slender legs. She was talking to Qi Chengzhi smilingly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was very nd. On the contrary, thedy¡¯s face was filled with admiration. She had an enticing smile on her face, and below thatid an ulterior motive¡ªone look and you would know that she wanted to leave a good impression on Qi Chengzhi.

    There was a crowd surrounding thatdy as well. Many men looked at her with adoration and showered her with praises.

    Song Yu felt a sense of familiarity when she saw that woman but could not recall when exactly she had met her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she the famous talk show host? She¡¯s always hosting award ceremonies. Oh, I remember, her name is Shen Man.¡± Qi Chengyue arched her eyebrows. ¡°I think Qilin invited her to host the officiation ceremony this time.¡±

    While Qi Chengyue was talking, Qi Chengzhi nced toward their direction as he was not paying much attention to Shen Man. His expression remained nd, no one could guess if he heard what Shen Man was talking about. It was most likely that Shen Man¡¯s n was not working as Qi Chengzhi did not even look at her smile.

    Suddenly, his stern features turned much softer and gentler. He was giving out a steely vibe before this; he looked so stern that others could not keep their eyes away from him. However, there was a rare softness in his stern features, Shen Man was shocked by the sudden change. Her heart was racing after seeing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s softened features. She could not fathom why he made such a drastic change out of the blue.

    If a man like Qi Chengzhi showed her such an expression, any woman would die in happiness.

    Song Yu felt a little awkward when Qi Chengzhi strode towards her. There were too many people around him¡ªshe felt uneasy with such a big crowd present. It was too high profile to her liking.

    Qi Chengyue had already gone over to Cheng Dongge smilingly. Qi Chengzhi stood in front of Song Yu and took her hand, not bothered by the crowd around him. He asked, ¡°Is the journey tiring?¡±

    ¡°We didn¡¯t even walk much, it¡¯s fine,¡± Song Yu said embarrassedly with a lowered voice. She felt her face burning up, speaking so gently with Qi Chengzhi in front of so many people.

    ¡°Haha, Director Qi, this must be your wife?¡± Director Lu from Qilin¡¯s subsidiarypany in Li City asked smilingly.

    They already knew that Qi Chengzhi was married, but Shen Man continued to pursue Qi Chengzhi and tried to get on his good side. It was not surprising for a man as sessful as Qi Chengzhi to be pursued by other women even after he got married. Nevertheless, after seeing how he interacted with his wife, Miss Shen would definitely not stand a chance.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and generously showed Song Yu to the crowd. He turned his head toward Song Yu and took a nce before facing back to the crowd¡ªhis features were extremely soft, a total opposite of the person they had just seen.

    He nodded and said withoutughing, but with a warm tone, ¡°This is my wife, Song Yu.¡±

    Director Lu saw Song Yu¡¯s slightly protruded tummy but he dared not simply jump to conclusions, but Qi Chengzhi said it out first, ¡°My wife is pregnant.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡±

    ¡°Director Qi and madam look sopatible together.¡±

    All of them started congratting them, showering them with wishes.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°She¡¯s tired after such a long journey, I¡¯ll bring her up first.¡±

    Then, they stopped bothering them and let the both of them leave. Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue followed suit.

    After returning to the room, Song Yu did not mention Shen Man. It was not Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fault as he did not bother anyone. He had no choice if other women still wanted to approach him. Qi Chengzhi had always kept his distance from those women.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here and this is your first time visiting Li City, we don¡¯t have to rush back. After I¡¯ve finished work tomorrow, let¡¯s walk around for a day before going home,¡± Qi Chengzhi said after he put down Song Yu¡¯s luggage.

    ¡°What about your work?¡± Song Yu asked. She took off her shoes and sat on the bed cross-legged.

    ¡°It¡¯s just one dayte, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi opened Song Yu¡¯s luggage and took off his suit. He then folded his sleeves to help Song Yu unpack.

    Song Yu got down from the bed hurriedly and wore her slippers. ¡°Don¡¯t touch it, I¡¯ll unpack myself.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not reply. He just raised his head to look at her before turning to continue unpacking. ¡°We¡¯ll be going to Dongge¡¯s house for dinnerter. Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang packed food for us. Chengyue and I ate some on the way here, so I¡¯m not hungry right now,¡± Song Yu said while she tried to take over the things from Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Stop moving around, just have some rest.¡± Qi Chengzhi seated Song Yu down onto the bed before turning around to unpack.

    Song Yu felt rather weird to see such an elegant man squatting down on the floor.

    Momentster, Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue came knocking on the door, notifying them to head to his house. Song Yu answered the door. Both of them were speechless after seeing Qi Chengzhi happily upied with his task.

    Qi Chengzhi hung the cocktail dress Song Yu brought in the cupboard before starting their journey.

    Qi Chengzhi decided to ask Song Yu toe over, yet he was worried if she came alone. That was the reason why he had asked Qi Chengyue to follow. After speaking to Qi Chengyue, Cheng Dongge suggested for them to go to his parents¡¯ ce to have a meal. Qi Chengzhi thought about it and agreed since this would bring both families closer.

    Since Cheng Dongge was going to be behind the wheel and he was a local here, Qi Chengzhi let Chang Lai off for the day.

    Cheng Dongge drove the car to his house. Qi Chengzhi took out the wine, fruits and gifts from the booth that he had ordered Cheng Lai to purchase from this afternoon. There were also some health supplements and the variety was quite substantial.

    At this time, ady from the same block was walking her dog. When she saw the sight, she eximed, ¡°Aiyah, Donzi, you¡¯re back so soon?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m on a business trip here so I just dropped by to visit,¡± Cheng Dongge said smilingly.

    ¡°Both of them are your colleagues?¡± The neighbor asked. She could recognize Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°They are my brother and sister-inw,¡± Qi Chengyue answered with a smile.

    The neighbordy took a closer look and found that they gave out an extraordinary aura, not to mention how good-looking the were. No wonder Qi Chengyue was so beautiful. She felt that Qi Chengyue definitely came from a noble family based on the appearances of her brother and sister-inw.

    Qi Chengzhi remained a distant mien. He did not react while Song Yu greeted her politely.

    ¡°This is nice,¡± said the neighbor as she chuckled. Based on the number of things Qi Chengyue¡¯s brother and sister-inw brought, she felt that Qi Chengyue¡¯s family must be rather sincere. ¡°I¡¯ll not bother you guys then, hurry up and go home.¡±

    The neighbor nced at the giftsid on the ground and thought to herself, ¡®Old Cheng really found great inws with such sincerity.¡±

    With her brother and sister-inw visiting, it did not seem like a formal family meeting but the number of gifts were already so significant.

    The neighbor walked away with her dog. When she reached the junction, she saw Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying who were on their way back from the supermarket. She greeted them excitedly, ¡°Xiao Wu, Ruiying, you guys are back.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Wu Mengzhen saidughingly. Then, she bent down to call her dog¡¯s name.

    ¡°When is Ruiying going to B City?¡± the neighbour continued asking.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow, that¡¯s why I brought her to the supermarket to buy some stuff,¡± Wu Mengzhen said smilingly.

    ¡°Eh, such a coincidence. Old Cheng¡¯s son came back from B City today and brought his girlfriend back together with her brother and sister-inw. I think they are most likely engaged and getting married soon.¡± The neighbor pointed in Cheng Dongge¡¯s direction. At that moment, Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge were bending down to pick up all the gifts from the ground.

    There were too many things for the both of them to handle. They were busy deciding how to distribute evenly. Qi Chengzhi did not allow Song Yu to carry anything since she was pregnant, Qi Chengyue offered to help but was stopped by Cheng Dongge.

    Wu Mengzhen and Zhao Ruiying looked over. Zhao Ruiying was stunned for a moment when she saw Qi Chengzhi as he looked quite familiar, but she could not remember who he was.

    After bidding goodbye to the neighbor, both of them did not go over to look for Cheng Dongge. Wu Mengzhen was not so thick-skinned. Furthermore, her daughter was more than decent, she might meet someone better in B City. She was not too fascinated by Cheng Dongge either. It was just because she knew that Cheng Dongge was single, which led her to some ideas.

    Since they had already met their respective families, there was no need for her to do things that were demoralizing.

    When they were about to reach home, Zhao Ruiying yelled out suddenly. Wu Mengzhen asked puzzledly, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Thedy just now said that those two are the brother and sister-inw of Cheng Dongge¡¯s girlfriend?¡± Zhao Ruiying asked with an astonished expression.

    ¡°Yeah, what about it?¡± Wu Mengzhen was confused. ¡°You know them?¡±

    ¡°No, but I felt that the brother looked familiar. I couldn¡¯t recall then but now I remember who he is.¡± Zhao Ruiying said, ¡°Her brother is the director of Qilin.¡±

    ¡°Qilin?¡± Wu Mengzhen still did not understand but she felt that they were somebody when she heard the word ¡°director¡±.

    ¡°While I was looking for a job, I searched for all thepanies that I was interested in online. One of them was Qilin, but they did not have any suitable positions for me, that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t go for an interview. However, I browsed through the director¡¯s info and he looked exactly like Chengyue¡¯s brother...¡± Zhao Ruiying stopped talking midway. After a long pause, she said softly as she was terrified, ¡°Qi Chengyue... also has the same family name...¡±

    Wu Mengzhen took a deep breath. She knew that the scale of thosepanies that Zhao Ruiying applied for was no smaller than Yanhui. To be the director of apany like that, how scary would it be?

    ¡°No wonder Cheng Dongge said that Qi Chengyue and Yanhui¡¯s director knew each other quite well,¡± Zhao Ruiying mumbled.

    Initially, she had the intention to fight for Cheng Dongge, but all these thoughts had disappeared now.

    ¡°I never expected the Cheng family to have such great inws.¡± Wu Mengzhen remained dumbfounded as she was still trying to digest this news.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge entered the house together with their partners. Sun Shaoyun saw boxes of gifts brought by them and felt overwhelmed. ¡°Why did you guys bring so many things? It¡¯s just a meal. Look at you guys, there¡¯s no need to bring so many things next time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry for letting you wait for us. It¡¯s already sote and you guys haven¡¯t had dinner,¡± Song Yu said smilingly.

 Chapter 263 - Looks Like My Brother Treat You So Well That You Let Your Guard Down

    <h4>Chapter 263: Looks Like My Brother Treat You So Well That You Let Your Guard Down</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry for letting you wait for us. It¡¯s already sote and you guys haven¡¯t had dinner,¡± Song Yu said smilingly.

    ¡°No worries, we ate some snacks during tea time. We¡¯re not that hungry. Furthermore, we usually have dinner around six to seven o¡¯clock. It¡¯s not toote yet.¡± Sun Shaoyun let them in hurriedly and went back to the kitchen to cook. Cheng Zhaohui brought out the nuts and fruit tter that they had prepared earlier.

    ¡°Uncle, don¡¯t tire yourself.¡± Song Yu asked, ¡°How¡¯s your body now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling much better now,¡± said Cheng Zhaohui. ¡°I can also go to the market to buy groceries every day. It¡¯s not a problem at all.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun took some time out while waiting for the vegetables to be cooked. She wiped both her hands on the apron and said, ¡°All these are just normal home dishes, I hope you guys won¡¯t mind.¡±

    ¡°Not at all, we¡¯re already bothering you bying over,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a clear voice.

    However, his words made Sun Shaoyun very nervous. ¡°No, no hassle at all. I¡¯m so d that you guys cane visit. Oh right, I know that Song Yu¡¯s pregnant, that¡¯s why all the dishes are non-spicy. Other than the food that pregnantdies have to avoid, is there anything you can¡¯t eat, Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m okay with everything else,¡± Song Yu said.

    Sun Shaoyun stopped worrying and went back to the kitchen. Qi Chengyue wanted to stand up and help but got chased back by Sun Shaoyun. She told her to sit down and drink tea, but not to eat too much as dinner was going to start soon.

    During dinner, Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui were still a little nervous in front of Qi Chengyue. Nevertheless, Song Yu and Qi Chengyue were rather good at breaking the ice and warming up the whole conversation.

    Qi Chengzhi also did not reserve his care and attention for Song Yu in front of Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui. He still took care of Song Yu very well.

    ¡°You don¡¯t know that when brother called me today and asked me toe to Li City, he had to say that Dongge missed me so much that he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.¡± Qi Chengyue continued after drinking a mouthful of soup, ¡°I was thinking, if he really missed me, why didn¡¯t he just call me? Why must it be conveyed through my brother? But after my brother told me toe with you, I knew that he was the one who missed you and only used both of us as an excuse.¡±

    Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui nced at Qi Chengzhi in surprise but they did not let their gaze linger for too long.

    They did not expect him to be so gentle and affectionate toward his wife since he had a rather fierce mien.

    Actually, when Cheng Dongge called and said that he might bete for dinner and that he was going to bring along Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, Sun Shaoyun was happy and nervous at the same time. She asked him if there was anything she could not eat. She thought that since Song Yu was pregnant, she should avoid spicy food.

    Qi Chengzhi was just beside Cheng Dongge and overheard his conversation with Sun Shaoyun. He did not hold back and said that Song Yu could not eat fish right now¡ªshe would vomit just by smelling it.

    While Qi Chengyue was busy teasing Qi Chengzhi, he was refilling Song Yu¡¯s water. Only then did Sun Shaoyun notice that Song Yu had not moved her arms this whole time. All the food on her te was taken by Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Qi Chengyue and arched his eyebrow. He said with a mellow voice, ¡°You¡¯re reverting back to your original personality. You gave up putting on a facade as a demure, shy girl?¡±

    Qi Chengyue blushed and looked at Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui embarrassedly. Sun Shaoyun wasughing happily. She did not mind at all and thought that it would be nice to have a lively daughter-inw.

    ¡°You don¡¯t say.¡± Qi Chengyue scrunched her nose. ¡°I don¡¯t know who spread the rumor in thepany that I got pregnant. If I¡¯m so demure and shy, there would be no hope in stopping the rumor.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Cheng Dongge said ndly, ¡°Before this, your brother told me to ask about baby stores.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue stared at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Brother, you¡¯re not right this time. Can¡¯t you go ask yourself?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her while he tightened his necktie and straightened his back. ¡°This would affect my image in thepany.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Sun Shaoyun was speechless.

    They had never imagined Qi Chengyue¡¯s brother to be such a shameless man.

    A whileter, once the conversation started flowing, Sun Shaoyun and Cheng Zhaohui stopped being so nervous. Their fear of Qi Chengzhi slowly dissipated once they discovered how thick-skinned he could be.

    After dinner, they sat for a moment before leaving. All of them went back to the hotel since Cheng Dongge had to follow Qi Chengzhi to the hotel for a meeting and monitor the construction site the next morning.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, many celebrities came to walk the red carpet for their promotional event. However, since this event was held outdoors, the weather in Li City was far too hot, therefore Qi Chengzhi did not allow Song Yu to attend the event and told her to rest in the hotel. Qi Chengyue did not want to go as well, so she apanied Song Yu and stayed in the hotel to watch the televised live broadcast.

    ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡± Shen Man walked over, dressed in a luxurious, formal long dress with her hair tied up into a delicate bun. She stood in front of Qi Chengzhi and smiled. ¡°Where¡¯s your wife? Isn¡¯t she here with you?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took a nce and said in a disinterested tone, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that she would get sick under the scorching sun, so I let her rest in the hotel.¡±

    Shen Man recalled the reaction when Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu yesterday. She let out a stifledugh and said with admiration, ¡°Young Master Cheng, you treat your wife with such tender care, she must be very blissful. I really admire her.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her as if he had something in mind. He squinted his deep-set eyes slightly and said ndly, ¡°Everyone has their own fate. When you stop chasing after it, you might meet your loved one at the most unexpected circumstances. Their status and assets, no matter good or bad, all of these are merely appendages of the rtionship. If you desire all these appendages, you might get nothing in the end.¡±

    Shen Man was stunned, her smile became a little awkward. Qi Chengzhi already said very straightforwardly. It was obvious that he was referring to her, telling her not to waste effort on him, and that he was aware of her intentions.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at her briefly before he turned and left.

    Shen Man stared at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s well-built back while she sighed internally. Such a great man, yet he was not hers. She regretted that she did not get to meet him when he was still single, or else, she would not let him go without a fight.

    When she looked at Qi Chengzhi again, she just felt the vast distance between them.

    ¡°Sister Shen, it¡¯s time for rehearsal,¡± Shen Man¡¯s assistant ran over to call her.

    Shen Man nodded. On the way, she met Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge who were preparing as well. She overheard Qi Chengzhi telling Cheng Dongge, ¡°Next time, if we¡¯re looking for a host or anybody else to coborate, find someone more honest.¡±

    Shen Man¡¯s assistant could not help but steal a nce at Shen Man, just to see her hasten her footsteps and leave with a reddened, flushed face.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengyue ordered a fruit tter from room service and opened bags of snacks from the cab including chips and chocte. Song Yu could not eat the snacks except the fruits.

    They switched on the television and saw the celebrities hired to promote the groundbreaking ceremony. When the camera switched to Shen Man, Qi Chengyue bit on a piece of chip and said, ¡°I see that this Shen Man is quite interested in brother. Did you ask him yesterday?¡±

    ¡°Ask about what?¡± Song Yu held her cup up to drink, ¡°Since Chengzhi didn¡¯t even look at Shen Man, it¡¯s pointless even if she tries her best. Chengzhi can¡¯t control what Shen Man thinks. After the event, they¡¯ll go separate ways. Why should I bother myself with it?¡¯

    ¡°Looks like my brother treat you so well that you let your guard down,¡± Qi Chengyue saidughingly. She did not pay much attention to Shen Man and turned her focus to the celebrities that she liked.

    In the afternoon, Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge returned and took a rest. Qi Chengyue hired a makeup artist to m up Song Yu and herself. ording to Qi Chengyue, both of them should not look bad inparison to the other celebrities, especially Shen Man.

    The evening banquet was held right at the hotel they were staying, thus making it very convenient for them.

    Qi Chengzhi attended together with Song Yu. He wished that he introduce Song Yu as his wife to everyone. He worried that Song Yu would be exhausted, so he brought her to their seat very early in and did not bother anyone else besides taking care of her.

    At times, there were peopleing over to greet him, but he never once walked around to entertain them.

    Shen Man was busy chatting away and taking selfies with her friends. She did not bother Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi further, it seemed as if she had learned her lesson.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Qi Chengzhi specially ordered a bowl of bird¡¯s nest for Song Yu.

    Song Yu shook her head. ¡°We didn¡¯t even stand for too long before you brought me to sit down. How would I be tired? I¡¯m just hoping that people won¡¯tment that I¡¯m arrogant and snobbish.¡±

    They all know that you¡¯re pregnant,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a gentle smile.

    Song Yu thought, ¡®It¡¯s all because you kept introducing me as, ¡°Song Yu, my wife,¡± whenever peoplee up to greet you.¡¯

    Before others could ask, he would add on, ¡°She¡¯s pregnant.¡±

    Right after saying that, he just stood there proudly to wait for others to congratte him.

    Just because Qi Chengzhi stayed beside Song Yu to keep herpany, she focused only on him and did not really pay much attention to the guests around. All of them were looking at them with admiration.

    Everbody saw how Qi Chengzhi cherished and took care of Song Yu. They were amazed by the way Qi Chengzhi transformed in front of Song Yu, which was extremely different from his usual image.

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi was still worried that Song Yu would feel too tired and left earlier to bring her back to the room.

    He threw his jacket onto the sofa casually. He used his slender fingers to loosen his tie and took it off his neck before folding up his sleeves to his elbow. This series of actions looked so manly in Song Yu¡¯s eyes, making her heart throbbed uncontrobly and her face blushed red.

    Song Yu sat beside the bed and stared at Qi Chengzhi while he walked over towards her. She became flustered, her breathing fluctuated between hasty short breaths and long pauses. When Qi Chengzhi leaned towards her, she saw the taut muscles on his shoulders and arms stretching his shirt, making him look extraordinarily strong and sexy.

    She was pinned down onto the bed with both hands on her side. When he closed in, she could smell the familiar fragrance and his breath from him. She felt her body flushing when she stared into his deep, jet-ck eyes. His thin lips curled slightly into a gentle curve. Song Yu could not resist but swallowed and held her breath. Her heart was racing incredibly when she saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s charming face approaching her.

    No matter how long she stared at him, even if it was for a lifetime, she would never be tired of him. Her heart fluttered every time she saw him.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and kissed her trembling lips, but he did not linger further and stood up suddenly. When Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu¡¯s shocked and disappointed expression, he really wanted to pinch her face.

    ¡°I¡¯ll prepare a hot bath for you to rx,¡± Qi Chengzhi held her delicate face with his elegant hands and pinch it gently before walking away towards the bathroom.

    Song Yu heard the sound of water flowing in the bathroom. After a moment, Qi Chengzhi told Song Yu toe in.

    However, Qi Chengzhi showed no intention to leave the bathroom. Song Yu felt quite awkward, but Qi Chengzhi said in a raspy voice, ¡°Let me give you a massage.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not know how to answer.

    She lowered her head to peep at her belly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll wash myself, you can leave first.¡±

    Previously, her baby bump was not that pronounced and she was totallyfortable with it, but recently, her belly was getting more pronounced. When they were in bed at night, she would always request Qi Chengzhi to off the lights before they do the deed.

    In the beginning, Qi Chengzhi followed her requests obediently, but when she was so immersed and could not bother about anything else around her, he would secretly on the lights again.

    Nevertheless, she was not really in a clear state of mind in those situations, but she was right awake now. She did not want Qi Chengzhi to see her current figure.

    Especially after attending the banquet today, all those celebrities had such amazing body figures. Song Yu felt rather uneasy earlier on during the dinner but she did not say anything.

    She was thinking about the contrast between those hot-bodied women and her ball-shaped figure. She was terrified that one day he would realize that he does not like the way she looks.

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows and nced at her with an irresistible gaze, with a hint of slight tease before walking past her.

    Song Yu was in a dilemma since she feared that he felt upset when she refused his kind offer for a massage and even got chased out. While she was still struggling inside, she noticed that Qi Chengzhi stopped before the bathroom door. He closed it shut and locked it.

    Then, he turned around and walked back while he slowly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing his muscr chest and well-defined abs. He took off his shirt and threw it into theundry basket before loosening his buckle.

    Song Yu took a big gulp and asked, ¡°What... are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Bathing,¡± Qi Chengzhi gave an ambiguous smile and raised his eyebrows, ¡°If you¡¯re not going to take off your clothes, I¡¯ll help you with it soon.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu lowered her head and pondered for quite some time before turning around slowly to remove her clothes.

    Only then she remembered that she was wearing a cocktail dress, the zipper was hidden on her back. She used to be able to extend her hand to her back and reach the zipper with ease, but since her belly grew tremendously, her actions became clumsier and she could not reach back no matter how hard she tried.

    Right then, she felt him touching the zipper on her back. She could feel the warmth channelling from his fingers, his slightly rough fingertips brushed against her supple skin on her back, leaving red marks along the area.

    It was as if Qi Chengzhi purposely unzip her at a painfully slow speed after sensing her trembles. His fingertips trailed along her skin right to the end of the zipper until it could not go any further and stopped at her lower back and touched there lightly.

    Song Yu¡¯s fluttering got worse. Qi Chengzhi then moved his hands from her back and glided to her shoulders to peel off the cor of the dress gently, revealing her beautiful, slender shoulders.

    Even though she was pregnant, the only body part that she gained weight was on her belly. Her shoulders, arms, and legs were no different from before. They remained thin and slender.

    The dress dropped to the side of her ankles. Song Yu covered her tummy awkwardly. Suddenly, she was embraced by him from the back. He ced his chin on her shoulders gently before turning to face the delicate side-view of her face. He gently inhaled and breathed in her gentle fragrance.

    His warm breath tickled her neck and cheeks, making her feel ticklish and hot.

    Song Yu lowered her head in embarrassment. Her entire body was flushed red. He ced his elegant palm onto her protruding tummy and rubbed it gently while he turned her around slowly to face the mirror.

    Song Yu saw his tall figure behind embracing her whole-heartedly in his arms.

    Even though her tummy was ratherrge, she still felt tiny within his embrace.

    While Song Yu was still drowning in embarrassment, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow voice, ¡°You look beautiful.¡±

    Song Yu said awkwardly in a soft voice, ¡°Tonight¡¯s banquet, aside from the celebrities, even the female employees from ourpany all have amazing figures.¡±

    ¡°But I only like you,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a raspy voice while he closed in to kiss her cheeks and the corner of her mouth.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was burning. She felt his hand moving upwards to hold her bump, making her hot and weak. Then, he started to blow gently into her ear, causing her to feel even more flustered. ¡°I heard that the inders specially made films with pregnantdies. I can¡¯t understand back then, but now I know why. The feeling is much more intense.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was bright red. She stayed quiet for a moment before saying, ¡°Shameless!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. That was when Song Yu felt his transformation behind her.

    ¡°Hurry up and go in, the water¡¯s turning cold,¡± Qi Chengzhi urged. He led Song Yu gently towards the bathtub and test the water temperature. He helped Song Yu get seated after feeling that the temperature was just right. Then, he leaned her head back until it was out of the bathtub. He ced a basin at the bottom and helped Song Yu to wash her hair.

    It might be that his fingers were so slender that it felt veryfortable. He massaged her scalp with his fingertips. He was so good at it that she could feel her tiredness dissipating slowly. His actions were no less than those from the salon.

    Qi Chengzhi was very careful while he was washing her hair, as he was afraid that the foam would go into Song Yu¡¯s eyes. He felt satisfied when he saw Song Yu enjoying herself with her eyes closed.

    ¡°When did you learn how to wash hair?¡± Song Yu¡¯s eyes remained closed. She enjoyed so much that her voice turned sluggish.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. I experienced a few times when I went to have my hair washed,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. Song Yu could sense a hint of smugness in his tone as if he was waiting to be praised that he was able to perform so well even though he never learned it before.

    Song Yu justughed and did not say anything.

    Qi Chengzhi washed away the remaining shampoo off Song Yu¡¯s hair, and used a band to tie her hair into a bun to prevent it from falling into the water.

    Then, he sat into the tub across Song Yu. He took her legs and massaged her sole.

    Song Yu felt rather embarrassed but he was not deterred by it.

    ¡°Are you nning to do the whole package?¡± Song Yu askedughingly. She could feel the swelling slowly going away under his massage.

    Qi Chengzhi curled one side of his mouth and gave an ambiguous smile, like a rascal. His pair of eyes looked downwards schemingly, making Song Yu feel a gush of warmness below her tummy.

    ¡°Uhm, I¡¯ll massage thereter,¡± he said in a raspy, throaty voice.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu could not answer.

    After Qi Chengzhi finished the other leg, he used both his hands to separate her legs and pulled her towards him.

    Song Yu¡¯s hands which were holding on to the bathtub slid across and she was wrapped between his arms.

    ¡°...¡±

    What even, he should give a notice before doing such a sudden attack!

    ...

    ...

    Song Yuid sideways in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. She was embarrassed when her big belly was pressing against Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tummy and started to back away so that she could remove her belly. However, it became ufortable with the belly blocking the way.

    ¡°Stop moving.¡± Qi Chengzhi held onto her waist and pulled her even closer.

 Chapter 264 - Iâ€™m Not Close to Young Master Lin, Itâ€™s Not Nice to Use His Room

    <h4>Chapter 264: I¡¯m Not Close to Young Master Lin, It¡¯s Not Nice to Use His Room</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Stop moving.¡± Qi Chengzhi held onto her waist and pulled her even closer.

    ¡°I¡¯m scared that I¡¯m putting too much weight on you, I¡¯m really heavy now,¡± Song Yu said softly.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to look at the freshly nourished face of hers that was bathing in a red glow. He looked at her with a gentle smile and gaze, lowered his head and pecked on her nose. ¡°No, you¡¯re not heavy at all.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dry, burning hand pressed against her tummy and gently grazed over. ¡°How many months do we have to wait before we can see any fetal movements?¡±

    ¡°I heard them said around five months. We¡¯re almost there,¡± Song Yu said as she put her hands on her bump. ¡°I really want to give birth to him sooner.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already thought of a name,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. His elegant, slender fingersbed Song Yu¡¯s hair and wiped away the sweat on her forehead.¡±

    ¡°So fast?¡± Song Yu lifted her head, the tip of her nose coincidentally brushed against his scruffy chin.

    ¡°I heard that it¡¯s better to chat with our child with their name. It¡¯s good for their prenatal education,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    At first, he thought that he was not so interested in this child. However, when Song Yu¡¯s baby bump grewrger by the day, his affection for this unborn child grew more and more as well. He started longing for the day his child was born. When he was working, he would suddenly think of Song Yu and their baby, and then proceed to check all kinds of stuff online.

    Song Yu was very surprised¡ªsheughed warmly. ¡°What¡¯s our child¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°Qi Youjin, the ¡°jin¡± from the word ¡°stern¡±. What do you think?¡± Qi Chengzhi used his fingertips to trail lightly on her tummy, making her feel ticklish.

    Song Yu was on board with his decision. She kept mumbling this name again and again. The more she said it, the fonder she grew of the name. It was as if she could feel their son would appear at any moment in front of their eyes.

    ¡°After hearing the name you gave him, I can¡¯t wait to give birth to our son already,¡± Song Yu could not wait for the day toe when she imagined the chubby little cute baby that would be their son.

    She was already very fond of Qi Youxuan¡ªespecially with his small, handsome figure. She thought to herself that Qi Chengzhi and her child would not be any less cute.

    With Qi Chengzhi as his father, she dare not imagine how mischevious their son would be.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, they were able to take a leisurely stroll as they had nothing to do. They were scheduled to return to B City the next morning, so Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi did not scramble up too early in the morning. Even Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were still sleeping.

    Once Qi Chengzhi opened his eyes, he could feel Song Yu lying in his arms, making him extremely contended.

    Since her baby bump was quite pronounced, they could not sleep face to face as before. Currently, Song Yu would lean her back against Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest and sleep.

    Qi Chengzhi habitually ced his hand on her tummy. He smiled with satisfaction as he observed Song Yu sleep so deeply. He angled his elbow on the pillow and rested his head on it while he watched her sleep silently.

    It was as if Song Yu could sense it. Qi Chengzhi only watched her for not too long before he saw her longshes fluttering gently. Then, she slowly opened her eyes.

    When she saw Qi Chengzhi, she gave him azy grin and turned around toy on her back. She said in a gentle,fy voice, ¡°When did you wake up?¡±

    ¡°Just,¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to peck Song Yu on her lips.

    Qi Chengzhi would always kiss her like this every morning after they woke up. Song Yu already got used to it. She no longer felt embarrassed and worried about her overnight breath since he was not bothered by it.

    Then, Qi Chengzhi rolled down to kiss her belly, giving their unborn child, Qi Youjin a morning kiss.

    ¡°Do you want to sleep a little more? We¡¯re not in a hurry since there¡¯s nothing much to do today,¡± Qi Chengzhi touched her tummy and said.

    ¡°I¡¯m well-rested.¡± Song Yu managed to get up by herself. She felt rather clumsy as her belly was quite huge. Qi Chengzhi also helped her to get up.

    However, Song Yu remained seated at the bedside without moving.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled and removed the quilt before getting out of bed naked. Song Yu did not shun away and just pulled the sheets up to cover her chest while she savored the view openly. She felt that Qi Chengzhi had a really great figure, the typical inverted triangr shape, broad shoulders, and a narrow hip. He also had a muscr bottom with a pair of long legs that would shame the Korean idols.

    In the beginning, she was quite afraid of his thing, but now she felt that it looked rather normal. It was not weird-looking anymore, she could even say that it emitted a powerful vibe.

    While she was looking, Qi Chengzhi turned around suddenly and caught her in the act. He arched his eyebrows and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t I stay this way and not wear any clothes?¡±

    Song Yu said with a blushed face, ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    Seeing that Qi Chengzhi had no intention to put on some clothes, Song Yu leaned back onto the pillow shyly, ¡°Put on some clothes!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t like what you¡¯re seeing?¡± Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows.

    Song Yu, ¡°... You shameless brat!¡±

    A few momentster, she heard some ruffling and lifted her head. She saw him with his pants on and went to the cupboard to bring Song Yu¡¯s clothes over. Then, he pulled Song Yu up and helped her put on her clothes as if he was taking care of a kid.

    ¡°After we got married, we didn¡¯t even get the chance to go on a honeymoon. Before I could make any arrangements for work, you got pregnant already. After giving birth, I¡¯ll rearrange my work while you have your confinement. We¡¯ll go for our honeymoon right after that,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while buttoning her up.

    ¡°I still got to breastfeed our child,¡± Song Yu said softly. Right after she said that, she noticed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze focused on her breasts.

    ¡°I think they grew quite a bit recently,¡± Qi Chengzhi went and weighed it after he said that.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    ¡°You can pre-store some breastmilk for him in advance and mix it with some milk powder for the next few days,¡± Qi Chengzhi already had this all nned out. ¡°We¡¯re not going to be away for too long, we¡¯ll be back in half a month.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡®Leaving his son at home to drink milk powder while he goes away for his honeymoon. Is he even his real dad?¡¯ Song Yu thought.

    ¡°What if I miss our son?¡± Song Yu said weakly while she rested her forehead on his chest.

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows and squinted his eyes to look at her for an extended period of time before asking, ¡°Do you want to go on a honeymoon?¡±

    Song Yu was conflicted. She thought about it for quite a while before replying, ¡°I want to.¡±

    ¡°Then listen to me,¡± Qi Chengzhi tapped on her bottom and said, ¡°Raise your buttocks and slip into the pants.¡±

    Song Yu hoist her rear end upzily and let Qi Chengzhi helped her with the pants. She heard Qi Chengzhi said lightly, ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such azy side of you before.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all your own doing.¡± Song Yu leaned against the bed frame grinning. She extended her arms to him and let Qi Chengzhi pull her up.

    When Song Yu went to wash up, Qi Chengyue called and asked if they were awake. Then, Qi Chengzhi ordered breakfast for four pax and told her toe over with Cheng Dongge to eat together.

    When Song Yu came out of the bathroom, Qi Chengzhi told her about the n. She went to open the windows to air their room. Not only to ventte the stale air in the room, but she also did that to remove the residual evidence of their lovemaking.

    Not like Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge were inexperienced. They could sense it right away.

    Shortly after Qi Chengzhi finished tidying their room, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge arrived. Their breakfast was also sent to them around fifteen minutester.

    Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were used to seeing how Qi Chengzhi took care of Song Yu¡¯s meals. However, the pressure was on Cheng Dongge as he was not as meticulous as Qi Chengzhi. He was still contemting whether he should follow suit as he was worried that Qi Chengyue might be angry at him for not taking care of her as well as how Qi Chengzhi did with Song Yu.

    He nced at Qi Chengyue. Coincidentally, Qi Chengyue looked at his direction as well with a teasing gaze and raised eyebrows.

    Cheng Dongge remained silent. He slowly took a grip onto her te and was about to take it towards him, but Qi Chengyue stopped him by gently grabbing his arm.

    Qi Chengyue whispered to his ear, ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can do it by myself. My brother¡¯s way of treating Song Yu is not normal. If you do that to me now, after a few years when we be an old married couple, you would get bored with it and stop treating me so nice. How big of a disappointment would I feel then?¡±

    Cheng Dongge did not reply with an empty promise that he would treat her well forever. He just said lightly, ¡°We¡¯ll see then.¡±

    After that, he took Qi Chengyue¡¯s te over and cut up the cheese into small cubes. Then, he ted some sd for her. He knew that she disliked olives, so he took extra care not to take them.

    Qi Chengyue looked at his actions speechlessly. This man was so honest and could not say any ttery. The way he put it, he might not treat her this well after a few more years?

    He arched his eyebrow and looked over. Qi Chengyue was staring at him gloomily. She said in a voice so soft that only he could hear, ¡°I¡¯m just joking, but you admitted that you won¡¯t treat me as nice after a few more years?¡±

    Cheng Dongge grabbed her hand that kept poking his. He said with a clear, thin voice, ¡°Who can guarantee what will happen in a few years? Have you seen any old married couple who lived together for a decade still treat each other with such tender affection?¡±

    ¡°What is this, can¡¯t you justfort me?¡± Qi Chengyue red at him.

    Cheng Dongge pinched her hand and smiled gently, ¡°How would I know what happens after a decade? Can you promise that you won¡¯t be disgusted by me when I be an old man? Anyways, I can promise you that I¡¯ll be good to you for the rest of your life.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this nice?¡± Qi Chengyue squeezed his hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s eat.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After breakfast, four of them headed out for the day. Cheng Dongge who was a Li City citizen became their local tour guide. He brought them to the famous ancient city. They passed through narrow alleys, crossed ancient bridges and took a tour on the raft.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengyue changed into the ancient Chinese clothing, Hanfu, and took pictures beside the river.

    In the afternoon, Cheng Dongge brought them back to the city center of Li City. He booked a riverboatst night. This boat was owned by a famous hotel in Li City. They were known nationwide for their specialty in the local Li City cuisine. The riverboat only had one room. If they wanted to ride on the boat while enjoying a meal, they would have to make a booking to reserve the entire boat.

    Since money was not a concern for them, Cheng Dongge booked the whole boat. The four of them sat there, feeling like how schrs and their beautiful partners toured on the raft in the ancient times.

    Cheng Dongge only ordered a few spicy specialties. The other dishes were on the nder spectrum to amodate Song Yu. He also ordered four bowls of bird¡¯s nest as he knew that Grandmother Qi insisted that Song Yu drink one bowl every day.

    Song Yu looked at the night river view through the windows. There were a few boats like theirs moving slowly on the surface. She recalled the time when she fell into the water, Qi Chengzhi was on the boat and saw her through the window. Then, he dashed out and jumped into the water immediately to save her. The only difference back then was that it happened during winter, on an almost frozenke.

    Song Yu turned around to look at Qi Chengzhi. She secretly moved her hand and ced it on the back of his hand under the table. It was as if Qi Chengzhi knew what she was thinking and wrapped his hand over hers.

    Back then, he stayed on the boat and looked at her with Jian Yi and Guan Xiaolin on the shore. Right now, she was with him on the boat.

    The dishes were not served yet. Song Yu was too shy to show too much affection for Qi Chengzhi in front of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge, if not, she would have already leaned on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Do you want me to jump once more?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice rang beside her ear. She did not notice when he closed in and speak softly into her ears.

    ¡°What are you saying?¡± Song Yu said in amusement. She turned around and saw his charming face and felt secured.

    ¡°Right, when are you guys nning to have your honeymoon?¡± Qi Chengyue asked. She had already set their wedding date and Qi Chenglin even booked the ballroom with Dynasty.

    ¡°After Song Yu gives birth and is done with her confinement,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. At that time, the dishes were served one after another.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great, what if we have our honeymoon together? Where do you guys want to go?¡± Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu. She assumed that Song Yu would be the one to decide the location.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet,¡± Song Yu answered. Qi Chengzhi served a bowl of soup for her. ¡°Actually, I was thinking is it too much if we just leave our newborn child right after?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you want to wait until he weans? That¡¯ll take some time,¡± Qi Chengzhi said lightly, ¡°When he starts to understand things, he¡¯ll be stuck to you. You won¡¯t be able to leave him behind by then. The next time we¡¯ll get to go for a holiday would be in our golden years.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu could not answer.

    Looking at how determined Qi Chengzhi was about the honeymoon, Qi Chengyue told Song Yu, ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to think through this. We can discuss further when you have a destination in mind. I think it would be rather fun for four of us to go together.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to go to Greece since I haven¡¯t been there before.¡± Song Yu rested her chin gently on her palm and ate the vegetables that Qi Chengzhi picked onto her te in a rxed manner.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s eyes gleamed brightly. ¡°That¡¯s nice. The Aegean Sea, it suits perfectly with our honeymoon.¡±

    That was how they decided to go to Greece just like that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring along my wedding gown and take a series of wedding photos in Greece,¡± Qi Chengyue said excitedly.

    ¡°Great idea, we¡¯ll bring along ours as well,¡± Qi Chengzhi pped his hand and decided.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, four of them returned to B City. Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue went straight to thepany. Qi Chengzhi sent Song Yu back to Viewpark Residence before he headed to Qilin.

    In the afternoon, Song Yu went to have lunch with Ruan Danchen and brought along the Li City specialties that she bought as gifts for her.

    Ruan Danchen was about to head out for lunch when she received a call from Song Yu. After the call, she hurried down the stairs.

    Song Yu was sitting in the Mercedes-Benz from the old mansion. Xiao Fan drove her over. She got down of the car when she saw Ruan Danchen came down from the building.

    ¡°Why did you came here?¡± Ruan Danchen was aware of Song Yu¡¯s health. Qi Chengzhi applied two months of leave for her. Ruan Danchen even called her so that she could arrange a day to go visit her, but Song Yu came over first instead.

    ¡°I just came back from Li City. I know that you like spicy food. I bought this Firewood Chicken from there. Here¡¯s the chicken and soup base. You can just add some dishes and eat it as a hotpot,¡± Song Yu said. She said while holding a gift box, ¡°Since you live alone and you¡¯re toozy to cook, this is much more convenient.¡±

    ¡°You always think of me whenever you go, are you trying to make me indebted to you!¡± Ruan Danchen opened her arms and gave Song Yu a bear hug.

    Song Yu put the gift box into the car and saidughingly, ¡°Let¡¯s go and have lunch first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen followed her into the car and said, ¡°How¡¯s your body? Why are you over here? You can just give me a call, I¡¯ll go straight to your ce.¡±

    ¡°I always have a ride whenever I go, it¡¯s not tiring at all. Also, I¡¯ve already recovered, it¡¯s fine for me to go out once in a while after all this time resting at home,¡± Song Yu said and proceeded to tell Xiao Fan to drive them to Dynasty.

    Just when she finished telling Xiao Fan, Qi Chengzhi called her. ¡°I called home and Aunt Yang said you went out.¡±

    ¡°Uhm, I came to find Danchen for a chat and to have lunch together.¡± When Song Yu heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice, she was in a very good mood.

    ¡°Where are you guys eating? Don¡¯t just settle for any restaurant.¡± Qi Chengzhi stood in front of Qilin. He wanted to ask Song Yu to eat with him but he had to change his mind now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we can go to Dynasty,¡± Song Yu said. ¡°How are you going to have lunch then?¡±

    Since Song Yu was with Ruan Danchen, Qi Chengzhi did not want to bother them. When he was about to answer, he saw Qi Chenglin walk out from the elevator and answered, ¡°I¡¯m with Chenglin.¡±

    Song Yu nced at Ruan Danchen. She was thinking of asking Qi Chengzhi to bring along Qi Chenglin to have lunch together, but she was worried that Ruan Danchen would be nervous. Also, she wanted to have a good chat with Ruan Danchen, so she gave up on that idea.

    After hanging up, Qi Chengzhi waited for Qi Chenglin and gave an ambiguous smile. Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I don¡¯t have anything in the afternoon and wanted to have lunch with you.¡± Qi Chengzhi put his cellphone back into his pocket along with his hands.

    Both brothers stood in front of thepany¡¯s entrance, attracting the attention of passerbys.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you always eat with Song Yu?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at Qi Chengzhi skeptically.

    ¡°She has something in the afternoon,¡± Qi Chengzhi said lightly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin arched his eyebrows and said, ¡°I have something to do also.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s eating with Ruan Danchen this afternoon,¡± Qi Chengzhi added on.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin did not say a thing.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Qi Chengzhi pursed his lips.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin walked in front with a long face and said, ¡°Nothing, let¡¯s go and eat.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu and Ruan Danchen walked into Dynasty. Manager Qian came up and looked at both of them before greeting them smilingly, ¡°Ms. Song, Ms. Ruan, do you guys want to go to Young Master Cheng¡¯s room or Young Master Lin¡¯s room today?¡±

    Song Yu was stunned for a moment before looking at Ruan Danchen with a coy expression, the corner of her mouth curved upwards as if she was smiling.

    Ruan Danchen could onlyugh guiltily. ¡°I¡¯m not close to Young Master Lin, it¡¯s not nice to use his room.¡±

    Manager Qian could not resist and look deeply at Ruan Danchen, but his gaze lingered for a little too long. Song Yu understood right away.

    Sheughed and said, ¡°Let¡¯s use Chengzhi¡¯s room.¡±

    Manager Qian told the waiters through the walkie-talkie and told them to prepare while he led Song Yu and Ruan Danchen to the room.

    Song Yu ordered the dishes, including a spicy dish just for Ruan Danchen. However, Ruan Danchen stopped her and said she would just follow Song Yu¡¯s order.

    The waiters served the dishes. Song Yu felt that Dynasty¡¯s dishes were still much tastier than the ones in Li City.

 Chapter 292 - Ending 19: Do You Still Want to Be Friends with Youjin?

    Chapter 292: Ending 19: Do You Still Want to Be Friends with Youjin?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She had received an SMS, but there was no number disyed for it. It merely indicated ¡®No Caller ID.¡¯

    Mu Sisi¡¯s heart sank. She was both furious and terrified, and her blood boiled whenever she saw those three words. She was going crazy. Every time that person called or texted, those three words would appear.

    Mu Sisi clicked on the SMS, and two unsightly photos appeared on the screen. The color drained from Mu Sisi¡¯s face. She hastily exited the message and scanned the people around her to make sure that no one saw them.

    She stood up abruptly, and that interrupted the design director¡¯s exnation. He gave her a puzzled gaze, but she said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m heading out for a while.¡±

    With her position, no one dared to question her actions.

    Qi Chengzhi 1 bolted back to the office, locked the door, and deleted the SMS. She clutched her phone tightly. Overwhelmed by rage, she burst into tears, yet there was nothing she could do about that.

    She dashed in front of her desk and swept all her things off the table in one motion. She punched the table like a maniac. She wanted to scream out loud but was afraid that it would draw others¡¯ attention.

    In the end, her knuckles were red and swollen. She slid down the side of the table and ended up on the floor.

    She stared down at the floor, hunched her back, and then sped the hair above her forehead. She wondered when she could stop living in fear.

    At that moment, her phone vibrated again. Due to the meeting that she was in, she had switched her phone to vibrate mode.

    It was the person with ¡®No Caller ID¡¯ again. Mu Sisi answered the phone. She did not wait for the person on the other side to talk as she yelled, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯ve already given you this month¡¯s payment! Why are you still harassing me?!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, it looks like we have good chemistry now. You can even tell that it¡¯s me before I say a single word,¡± the person pointed out in delight.

    ¡°What do you want from me before you can leave me alone?! If you push me to the edge of the cliff, then both of us with lose. You¡¯ll get nothing out of this!¡± Mu Sisi cried hysterically.

    ¡°Go ahead and try then. I¡¯d love to see how you can make us lose it all,¡± the person scoffed disdainfully.

    ¡°Do you have the guts toe and meet me face-to-face? Even though I am disgusted by face your face, let¡¯s meet so we can clear things up. Show yourself if you¡¯re brave enough. Don¡¯t hide behind an unknown number,¡± Mu Sisi mocked in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Ten million,¡± the person said coldly, ¡°Give me ten million dors, and I¡¯ll stop ckmailing you with these photos and videos. I¡¯ll never contact you again, nor will I send those photos anymore.¡±

    ¡°Why should I trust a dirty low-life like you? You went back on your word again and again. How can I believe your words?¡± Mu Sisi spat in outrage.

    ¡°When have I gone back on my word? When I first asked you for five-hundred thousand, don¡¯t tell me that your family is so naive as to think that I¡¯ll only ask for the money once. Back then, I promised that if you pay me, I won¡¯t leak these photos to anyone. Tell me, besides you, have I ever shown these photos to anyone?¡± the person taunted, ¡°Besides, do you have a choice? Give me ten million, and I¡¯ll never contact you again. It¡¯ll be like nothing had happened before. Otherwise, you can enjoy seeing these photographs on the Inte next month.¡±

    The person hung up immediately after that.

    Mu Sisi flung her phone onto the floor. She grasped her hair and wailed.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was finally done with her confinement period. Even though the confinement center had excellent facilities, a luxurious room, and delectable food, she was still restricted inside every single day. She could not bath or wash her hair either, so she felt filthy.

    When Qi Chengzhi came from work to apany her, she was too embarrassed to let him hug her. Qi Chengzhi was clean and fresh, and his body emitted a pleasant scent. Song Yu, on the other hand, had smelly, oily, and dandruff-covered hair. She was terrified that Qi Chengzhi might be disgusted with her. Her body was covered in filth since she had not bathed in a month.

    The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that Qi Chengzhi was persistent with rubbing essential oil and firming lotion on her when she was pregnant. As a result, there were no stretch marks on her belly, and her skin was still firm even after she gave birth.

    When it was thest day of her confinement period, Song Yu could not wait until she reached home. She immediately took a bath at the confinement center and thoroughly cleaned herself from head-to-toe.

    When Qi Chengzhi got off work in the afternoon, he came by the confinement center to pick up Song Yu. However, when he reached her room, only Yu Qianying and Little Youjin were there.

    ¡°Song Yu is taking a bath. She finally pulled through a month of confinement, so she couldn¡¯t wait until she goes home,¡± Yu Qianying exined.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. His gaze subtly shifted toward the washroom door even though he did not move from his spot. There was no emotion on his handsome face, but Yu Qianying could tell that he wanted to go in.

    Since she had Little Youjin in her arms, Yu Qianying felt exceedingly awkward. Just as she started to think of an excuse to leave the room, Little Youjin began to cry.

    Yu Qianying quickly took a whiff at his little buttocks and said, ¡°Ugh, I think he pooped. I¡¯ll go change his diaper.¡±

    As she talked, she left swiftly with Qi Youjin.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Yu Qianying as she scurried away. Only then did he lift his long legs and strode toward the bathroom. The moment he pushed the door open, he was stunned.

    Song Yu stood in the bathtub, but she was ready to step out of it. She had washed herself carefully. Her long, wet hair pasted against her fair skin, and her pale skin was half-hidden under her hair. Her chalk-whiteplexion shone in contrast to her ck hair. Beads of water slowly trickled down her skin along her body¡¯s beautiful curves. The alluring sight made Qi Chengzhi hard.

    Song Yu was bewildered. She knew that Qi Chengzhi would arrive soon, so she decided to step out of the bath quickly. She did not expect that he would barge into the washroom like that, especially since Yu Qianying was there. She thought that he would be too shy to go into the washroom.

    She reached for her towel hastily, as she wanted to wrap herself in it. Even though there were no stretch marks on her belly, she did not feel confident with how her body looked. After all, she just gave birth, so she still had a little tummy. It did not protrude, but it was no longer as t as before.

    Qi Chengzhi finally snapped out of his reverie. He shut the door behind him and strode toward Song Yu with his long legs. As he stood in front of her, he reached out with his long arms. Then he pulled her into his embrace.

    Song Yu did not have time to tie the towel, so it was sandwiched between them, and it revealed Song Yu¡¯s bare back. He ced his warm hands on her naked skin, and the heat spread throughout her body. Even her lower abdomen got a little warmer.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long fingers slithered downward from her waist. Song Yu was inmed, and her body trembled. ¡°Is my mom not here?¡±

    ¡°She went to change Youjin¡¯s diaper,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in his smoky voice as he stared passionately into her eyes. He was aroused intensely.

    Song Yu¡¯s body trembled. She was puzzled. Her figure was no longer the same as before since she had just given birth, so how could he still be enticed?

    Just as Song Yu contemted with a flushed face, Qi Chengzhi asked, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve bathed, is the lochia gone?¡±

    Song Yu looked down as she was afraid to look at him. Qi Chengzhi noticed that even her neck was red. The alluring color made him yearn to kiss her. Song Yu nodded her head gently and murmured, ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart was on fire. His muscr arms tightened around her. He could no longer restrain himself, so he put his lips on her earlobe and then worked his way down to her warm, red neck.

    There were still some droplets of water on her neck, and she had a refreshing after-shower scent on her. Her skin was so soft and tender, and it caused Qi Chengzhi¡¯s breath to tremble.

    ¡°Mom should be back soon,¡± Song Yu mumbled, ¡°It¡¯d be so humiliating if she finds us.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi inhaled sharply and let go of her slowly. ¡°You can go out first.¡±

    Song Yu looked up at him in bemusement. She noticed that his expression was a little off. Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows at her, and only then did Song Yu get the message. Her gaze involuntarily fell downward. When she saw therge bulge in his pants, Song Yu quickly wrapped the towel around her, grabbed her clothes, and went out of the washroom.

    Yu Qianying had already changed Little Youjin¡¯s diaper. She tried to coax him on the sofa with a luby.

    Song Yu came out in a towel, but Qi Chengzhi was nowhere to be seen, so Yu Qianying asked her about it.

    ¡°He¡ª¡± Song Yu turned her back at Yu Qianying awkwardly. Once she had gotten dressed, she continued, ¡°He¡¯s inside... uh... using the toilet.¡±

    Masturbation could be considered as ¡®using the toilet,¡¯ right?

    Yu Qianying could guess what had happened, so she did not pursue the matter any further.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi sent Yu Qianying home and stayed at the Song family¡¯s house for a while to let Song Donglin and Yu Qianying bond with their grandson. After that, he brought Song Yu and Little Youjin back to the old mansion.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes dazzled the second she saw Little Youjin. ¡°Hey, hurry up and let me see my great-grandson.¡±

    ¡°You guys came at the right time. We are just discussing Youjin¡¯s baby shower,¡± Xia Wenna said. She could not help but leaned over to see her grandson too.

    After a month, the little boy¡¯s features had started to grow, and he looked much more attractive than when he was a newborn. His tiny face did not have a yellow tint anymore, but instead, it was fair and white. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu both had fair skin, so naturally, Little Youjin¡¯s skin was great too.

    At that moment, the little boy¡¯s eyes opened. He looked at all the elders curiously. His eyes were especially alert.

    ¡°Wow, Youxuan¡¯s eyes were just as huge when he was younger.¡± Grandmother Qi recalled fondly.

    It was Friday, so Qi Youxuan was still at school, and the men were still at work. Only Qi Chengzhi had pushed his evening schedule to send Song Yu home.

    Song Yu noticed that the house was much quieter without Qi Youxuan.

    When Song Yu was still at the confinement center, Xia Wenna would discuss Little Youjin¡¯s baby shower with Yu Qianying whenever she visited. Everything had been set, and they decided to hold it on Sunday.

    They did not invite many guests to the baby shower, and all of the guests were part of The Eight Great Families. It was nothing like Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding, where they had a moreprehensive list of guests.

    ¡°We have sent out the invitation cards.¡± Guan Liya revealed, ¡°We did not invite too many guests, so we only booked a small hall in Dynasty. On Sunday, we will disy a bigger one.¡±

    Grandmother Qi grinned from ear to ear as she held Little Youjin in her arm. She held onto his tiny hand, unwilling to let go. She loved him dearly. ¡°I already went to the jewelry shop and had a gold bracelet and charm made for him. Please let Youjin wear all of them on Sunday.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t hog him like that. Let me hold him too.¡± Grandfather Qi red impatiently from her side.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Grandmother Qi refused to let go. ¡°Let us bond a little longer.¡±

    Grandfather Qi red at her. In a hoarse voice, he fumed, ¡°Is he only your great-grandson? Isn¡¯t he mine too?¡±

    The two elders fought over him for a long time. In the end, Xia Wenna, who was the grandmother of the child, did not get to hold her grandson. She could only watch from the sidelines, afraid to fight for him with the two elders.

    Somehow, Qi Youxuan caught wind of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s visit to the old mansion too. He secretly made a call back to the old mansion from his kindergarten, with a request to return home earlier. He insisted on Xiao Fan to pick him up.

    Grandmother Qi advised against it, but she could not talk him out of it. He was so young, and yet he was already so stubborn. Everyone wondered how he would turn out in the future.

    Grandfather Qi snatched the phone from her. Irritated, he scolded, ¡°Qi Youxuan, do you have any discipline? You can¡¯t just leave early or whenever you wanted. If you abuse your privileges like this when you are young, it will be a habit and stick with you even after you be an adult!¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted as he held the phone. ¡°I want to see my little brother!¡±

    Grandfather Qi groaned and calmed his emotions. ¡°Be a good boy, and stay at your kindergarten obediently. You¡¯re forbidden to leave early on your own ord. You can still see your little brother after school ends.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t Auntie and Uncle have left by then?¡± Qi Youxuan shouted anxiously, and Song Yu overheard him from beside the phone.

    So, she asked Grandfather Qi to hand her the phone so that she could assure Qi Youxuan. ¡°Youxuan, it¡¯s me, Auntie. We will stay for dinner tonight, so you¡¯ll see him when youe home from school.¡±

    When he heard that, Qi Youxuan was finally somewhat satisfied. So, he hung up the phone.

    Nheless, Grandmother Qi was still troubled. Qi Youxuan, the little brat, was full of devious schemes. Sometimes, it was as if the boy truly feared no one. Grandmother Qi was afraid that although he made a promise, he might secretly make his own way home. Therefore, she quicklymanded Xiao Fan to be on a lookout in front of his kindergarten.

    At four in the evening, Xiao Fan sent Qi Youxuan to the old mansion.

    Before anyone saw him, they could already hear his booming voice as he screamed, ¡°Where¡¯s my little brother?¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡± Guan Liya instructed Qi Youxuan to lower his voice. ¡°Youjin just fell asleep. Keep it down, so you don¡¯t disturb him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan shut up instantly. He widened hisrge, round eyes, and his pupils darted around. He looked exceedingly adorable.

    He whispered, ¡°Where¡¯s my little brother?¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡± Grandmother Qi waved at him and pointed at the cradle beside the sofa.

    Grandmother Qi purposely requested Xia Wenna to buy the cradle from the mall. Grandmother Qi wanted to have one at the old mansion so that whenever Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu brought Little Youjin over, he would have a ce to sleep. Additionally, the adults could sit and chat as they kept their eyes on him. That way, it would not cause any inconvenience to anyone.

    The railings on the crib were as tall as Qi Youxuan. He stood beside it with his hands on the rail as he watched Little Youjin, who was sound asleep. Qi Youxuan¡¯s heart was filled with eagerness.

    ¡°Little Brother, you must grow up quickly. Then, I will bring you out to y.¡± Qi Youxuan was usually alone at home, so he was quite lonely.

    Song Yu¡¯s gaze softened as she watched Qi Youxuan. She patted his head. He had hair wax on again, and it felt sharp and pointy. ¡°You cane to our house anytime to see Youjin. I¡¯m not working anymore, so I¡¯ll be free, even in the day. I¡¯ll be at home most of the time, and you can ask your father to bring you over on weekends too. Children grow up very fast. In the blink of an eye, Youjin will be able to run and jump and y with you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Qi Youjin expectantly. His big, dark eyes sparkled. One of his chubby arms reached into the cradle through the bars and held Qi Youjin¡¯s tiny hand. ¡°Little Brother, grow up quickly. I¡¯ll introduce cute little girls to you.¡±

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    After that, Qi Youxuan stayed by the cradle the whole time he was there. He watched as Little Youjin slept soundly. Qi Youxuan mumbled to Little Youjin in an exceptionally low voice, as if he was talking to himself. He was afraid he would disturb Little Youjin.

    Finally, Little Youjin woke up. As he opened his big, ck eyes, he saw his little older brother in front of him. Qi Youxuan was overjoyed.

    Suddenly, Qi Youxuan studied Little Youjin carefully with a troubled expression. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°I wonder how high will Little Brother¡¯s IQ be when he grows up.¡±

    ¡°Do you still think you have a high IQ?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. He felt like his son had just been looked down upon by that plump little child.

    Qi Youxuan nced at Qi Chengzhi from afar, then pointed out bashfully, ¡°Is that not the truth? Great-grandma and Grandma always say that I¡¯m bing more and more like Dad and Uncle.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°Do you still want to be friends with Youjin?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had their dinner at the old mansion, and they returned home with Little Youjin after that. Qi Chengli also brought Qi Youxuan home even though he was reluctant to leave. He wanted to go back with Qi Chengzhi.

    When they reached home, they decided to let Aunt Yang care for Little Youjin for a little while. Besides breast milk, they had also prepared form milk for Little Youjin.

    The second they entered the bedroom, Song Yu fell onto the bed. She rubbed her face against the soft,fortable bed. ¡°The bed at home is the best. I missed home so much when I was at the confinement center.¡±

    As she sprawled on the bed, she suddenly felt pressured. Even though Qi Chengzhi did not make a sound, she could still feel him as he went closer to her. She felt the atmosphere in the room shifted.

    Song Yu swallowed nervously. Her breathing was all over the ce. She kept still, and she did not move an inch. She even held her breath. She felt something pressed down the edge of the bed, where her legs were. His presence drew closer and closer.

    His hot breath blew on her ear, and that made her tremor vigorously. Heid on his back and squeezed her into his embrace. She felt his warm lips leaned toward her ear. In his husky and intoxicating voice, he said, ¡°I missed it a lot too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. She instantly turned her face away. Her hands sped onto the nket subconsciously. Suddenly, she felt his long fingers as they gently tucked away her hair. His fingertips brushed across the tender and sensitive back of her neck, and that sent a shiver down her spine.

    Immediately after, she felt his warm lips on the back of her neck. His lips ground against her skin and worked their way to the side at a tormenting pace. Finally, he worked his way up to her ear and rubbed his lips against her earlobe.

    As his sizzling lips ground against her earlobe, Song Yu felt as if she was on fire. His smoky voice echoed right beside her ear, ¡°Show me your face.¡±

    Song Yu trembled, but she turned her head coyly. The minute she revealed her face, Qi Chengzhi kissed her. His warm palm slid onto the small of her back, and gradually stripped off her clothes. Then he flipped her around.

    Song Yu tried to resist as she still had a little tummy. However, Qi Chengzhi stopped her. He pressed his fiery palm onto her lower abdomen. In a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s soft.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t look good now,¡± Song Yu mumbled as she pressed her forehead against his neck. She felt a little embarrassed.

    He was still as fit as ever. Even if he did not have a charming face, his six-pack abs would have made hundreds of women drool. Her, on the other hand, did not even have a visible waistline. Her body was shaped like a bucket. It was even soft and bby.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s palm rested on Song Yu¡¯s abdomen. He pecked her lips tenderly and murmured, ¡°I think you look great. You¡¯re my wife. You look like this for now because you just gave birth to my child, but I think you look gorgeous. As I look at and feel your stomach, it reminds me of much youbored to carry my child and give birth to my child. I¡¯m immensely grateful. There is no oneparable to you.¡±

    Footnotes:

 Chapter 266 - I Found the Missusâ€™s Phone in the Stairwell

    <h4>Chapter 266: I Found the Missus¡¯s Phone in the Stairwell</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Liya drew a fortune lot for Qi Chenglin¡¯s love life. The lot turned out to be of good fortune. Guan Liya exchanged the lot for a fortune slip so that she could interpret the lot herself instead of visiting the monk.

    The fortune said, ¡®Love is near you. Take the chance and all will be well¡¯.

    Song Yu looked at her belly. She did not wish her child to grow up ambitious and sessful, but being born in the Qi family, the opposite was hard to imagine. She just wanted her child to grow up healthy and happy.

    Song Yu shook the fortune lots holder and a lot fell out. She drew a below-average fortune lot.

    Her hands trembled and her heart sank. While she had a certain degree of respect for the Goddess of Mercy, she was not particrly pious or superstitious. However, this did not mean that she was above getting upset over a bad draw of luck.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What fortune did you get?¡± Grandmother Qi asked curiously.

    Guan Liya was in a happy mood since she managed to get a good fortune lot for Qi Chenglin. She figured that Song Yu would undoubtedly get a good fortune too.

    Qi Chengzhi noted the pallor on Song Yu¡¯s face and took the fortune lot from her hand. His eyebrow quirked after seeing the fortune.

    He threw the fortune lot away without a second nce and helped Song Yu up. ¡°This is just random luck. These fortunes are just to trick people¡ªif they were actually urate, people would just live their lives ording to this.¡±

    Song Yu remained silent, evidently still affected.

    ¡°Pei! Pei! Pei! Don¡¯t run your mouth in front of Buddha.¡± Grandmother Qi was worried that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s disrespect would upset the deity.

    Grandmother Qi had always been a pious woman who led a kind and honest living preached in Buddhism.

    She retrieved the fortune lot that Qi Chengzhi discarded. Once she saw the below-average fortune, her heart sank. She looked at Song Yu worriedly.

    The look from Grandmother Qi made Song Yu even paler.

    ¡°Song Yu, what did you wish for?¡± Grandmother Qi asked.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips trembled and the words came out weakly. ¡°I wished for Chengzhi and the baby to be safe and healthy.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was shocked. She quickly exchanged the lot for a fortune slip. The omen was too profound for Grandmother Qi to grasp so she pulled Song Yu away to find the monk for an exnation.

    After a brief perusal, the monk asked, ¡°What did you wish for?¡±

    ¡°I wished for the health and safety of my husband and the baby in me,¡± Song Yu answered and gulped nervously.

    The monk was inexplicably calm as he looked at the fortune. ¡°Based on this, there will be some emergingplications. Since the child is still in you, the two of you are linked. Thisplication may befall your husband or you.¡±

    ¡°This... Master, will this be dangerous?¡± Grandmother Qi questioned in an agitated tone.

    ¡°This, I cannot say. You may cross this ande out on the safe side or¨C¡± The monk shook his head and kept silent.

    ¡°What... What should we do?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s face was pale with fear.

    Today was supposed to be a happy day for the family to pay their respects and return the gratitude. It was only a wish for their family¡¯s health, nothing greedy, yet they ended up with a bad omen.

    ¡°How about this, head down and ask for two Buddha talismans. My master will bless the talismans for thisdy and her husband to wear. While they cannot guarantee a safe passage, they can stave off some ill omens.¡± The monk sped his hands in prayer.

    ¡°We finally get to the point. You guys must be earning a lot from all these merchandise.¡± Qi Chengzhi appeared behind Song Yu with a sardonic smile on his face.

    ¡°Chengzhi! Watch your tongue!¡± Grandmother Qi warned. She did not want the Buddha to be offended by his disrespectful remarks. After entering the temple, one should be humble. She did not know what went wrong with the Qi family boys. From the eldest to Qi Chengji, none of them paid heed to the religious traditions.

    Being an unbeliever was one thing, but badmouthing the religion while being inside the temple was uneptable. Grandmother Qi was also worried that Qi Youxuan would be negatively influenced.

    ¡°You¡¯ve be too entrenched in the business,¡± Grandmother said in an annoyed tone and quickly apologized to the monk. ¡°Master, I¡¯m sorry. My grandson does not know much.¡±

    The monk sped his hand and without a temper, said, ¡°Amitabha, those who believe will gain while those who do not, won¡¯t. Perhaps, my words were misunderstood.¡±

    Grandmother Qi returned the gesture. Then, with one hand holding Song Yu and the other holding Qi Chengzhi, she dragged them out. ¡°Let¡¯s go get the talismans.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and hence, was not happy with the suggestion.

    Song Yu tugged on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. ¡°I drew a below-average fortune. Regardless of whether it¡¯s true or not, we should get the talismans just to be on the safe side. Else, it¡¯ll keep nagging me and make me upset.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could that Song Yu¡¯s face was a bit pale. The worried expression melted his defiance and he nodded in agreement.

    Grandmother Qi found the situation amusing. Qi Chengzhi never had Buddha in his heart and usually would not even enter the temple and yet, here he was with Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi truly doted on his wife and did not want to upset her. Was this the advantages of a marriage between an older man and a younger woman?

    Grandmother Qi pulled the couple to get the Buddha talismans and visit the master for his blessings. She made them wear the talismans immediately. ¡°Best if nothing happens. But if something does, it¡¯s better to be safe than sorry.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi picked at the talisman with an irritated look on his face.

    ¡°Wear it, at least until the child is born,¡± Song Yu said as she took the talisman from his hand and put it around his neck. She tucked the ne underneath his cor and straightened his shirt. The talisman was secured against his chest. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because of that fortune lot but I¡¯ve been feeling odd these days. At least this talisman will soothe my mind.¡±

    Song Yu put on her talisman and tucked it inside her shirt. She patted the talisman and breathed out. ¡°As Grandma said, best if nothing happens.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer and did not care about the implications of the fortune lot. He took Song Yu¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Let¡¯s avoiding next time so you won¡¯t be so down.¡±

    Grandmother Qi felt a bit of regret for bringing Song Yu. She should have just brought Xia Wenna and Guan Liya.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, this is just a precaution. There¡¯s nothing bad about being careful,¡± Song Yu replied. Perhaps it was a cebo effect, but she felt better with the talisman around her neck.

    Grandfather Qi and the others were waiting outside. When they walked out, Xia Wenna quickly came over and asked, ¡°How did it go?¡±

    ¡°We got the talismans,¡± Grandmother Qi spoke. ¡°Song child, be careful when you¡¯re out okay?¡±

    Song Yu nodded. It might just be her paranoia.

    Due to this incident, Grandmother Qi was no longer in high spirits. She prayed reverently. ¡°Buddha ah, Buddha, if my eldest grandson, his wife, and their child, Qi Youjin, can have a healthy and peaceful life, I will give alms thrice a day. Please guard their safety and health.¡±

    Grandmother Qi lit the incense stick and prayed to Buddha¡¯s altar. Then, she joined the rest of the family and went back to the manor.

    ...

    ...

    That night, Song Yu did not remove the talisman even when she was showering. When she got out of the bathroom, she saw Qi Chengzhi toying with his talisman.

    ¡°Why did you take it off again?¡± Song Yu sat on the bed and snatched the talisman from his hand. She ced it around his neck and said, ¡°Keep it on you and don¡¯t take it off. Grandma said that things that have been blessed shouldn¡¯t be exposed. I know you don¡¯t believe in this sort of stuff but it¡¯s better to believe. Just take it as giving me peace of mind.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not retaliate. With the talisman resting on his chest, he pulled Song Yu into his embrace and studied her face. There was a soft blush on her face from the hot water in the showers but the paleness was still present.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen that made you this worried?¡± Qi Chengzhiid his palm on her cheek and caressed it gently. The color gradually returned to Song Yu¡¯s face and she looked more stable than before.

    She could feel the warmth spreading across her face as she shook her head in response to his question. ¡°It may be the pregnancy making me a bit paranoid. Let me search online if pregnancy makes someone more sensitive.¡±

    The corners of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips twitched and he ced a kiss on her forehead.

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, as Qi Chengzhi was heading off to work, Song Yu followed him to the door. Once he had his shoes on, she said, ¡°I¡¯m going back to my mom¡¯s today. I¡¯ll ask them if they want to attend Grandma¡¯s birthday party. If they don¡¯t, I¡¯ll have some time to work on them.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll call Chang Lai over.¡±

    ¡°No need. I can ask Xiao Fan to drive me. After the temple incident on Saturday, Grandma has been worried. She told me to call Xiao Fan whenever I¡¯m heading out. Let Chang Lai stay in thepany with you, for your convenience¡¯s sake.¡± Song Yu passed him his work bag.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. ¡°Call me when you¡¯ve reached your mom¡¯s.¡±

    ¡°En.¡± Song Yu tiptoed and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Drive safe. Pay attention to the road.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi figured that Song Yu¡¯s refusal for Chang Lai toe over was because she was also worried for his safety.

    After he left, Song Yu called Xiao Fan to pick her up.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I¡¯ve been troubling you these days,¡± Song Yu said in a shy tone as she got into the car.

    ¡°Not a problem. The master and his wife rarely use the car, so I would be paid to just loiter around the manor if it weren¡¯t for you. That won¡¯t do,¡± Xiao Fan answered jovially.

    For some reason, the area around the Song family¡¯s apartment saw an unusually high volume of motorists, and Xiao Fan could not find a parking spot nearby the apartment.

    ¡°Miss, I¡¯ll drop you off at the main entrance before looking for a parking spot,¡± Xiao Fan said.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Song Yu nodded. Xiao Fan drove the car around and stopped in front of the apartment block to let Song Yu down.

    As there were cars parked by the side of the road, Xiao Fan had to obstruct the road temporarily to make sure Song Yu had entered the apartment before going off to find a parking spot.

    While climbing up the stairs, Song Yu took her phone out, wanting to inform Qi Chengzhi that she had reached her mom¡¯s ce. She rarely had calls from anyone other than Qi Chengzhi, so the first contact in her call log was his.

    Just as she wanted to hit ¡®call¡¯, a gloved hand appeared in front of her eyes. In a moment of panic, her reaction was a second toote and the gloved hand stole the phone from her.

    Song Yu realized that she was being robbed. When she lifted her head, her phone was thrown down the stairs.

    The phone tumbled down the steps and the screen shattered while the phone case got bent out of shape. The phone switched off automatically in response to the physical violence.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were pale and she looked up in fear. The man standing in front of her was approximately 1.8 meters tall. He had a slender frame and was wearing a baseball cap with a face mask. He looked exactly like the man she saw standing by the road from the car.

    Immediately, Song Yu opened her mouth to scream but to no avail. The man covered her mouth and nose with his hand. There was a sharp, tangy smell on the glove. Song Yu¡¯s eyes widened as she struggled to get out of the man¡¯s grip. She was so frightened that fresh tears stung her eyes.

    She lifted one hand in an attempt to break free or pull down the man¡¯s face mask but she was locked in an embrace. Her back was against him and she could feel the sweat-drenched t-shirt. Her arms were losing strength as she tried to pull the gloved hand away.

    The man started to move her down the stairs. Song Yu tried her best to hold onto the dusty railing but her vision was blurring. While she knew she had to hold on, her body no longer had the strength to.

    In the end, her fingers slowly loosened their grip while her eyes fluttered shut. Stray tears stained the man¡¯s gloves.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi had already finished his morning meeting but there was still no word from Song Yu. He did not know what time she left home, so there was no way for him to be sure of her whereabouts. Hence, he decided to call her but the dial tone suggested the phone was switched off.

    A frown formed on his face. He called home. Aunt Yang answered.

    ¡°Has Song Yu left?¡± Qi Chengzhi walked back to his office and shut the door.

    ¡°Yes, she has. She left two hours ago so she should be back at the Songs¡¯ house now,¡± Aunt Yang said.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heartbeat quickened. He hung up the phone and dialed for Xiao Fan.

    Xiao Fan was enjoying the air-conditioning in the car and scrolling his phone when Qi Chengzhi called. He picked up the call and heard Qi Chengzhi ask, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°At the Song family¡¯s residential area.¡± Xiao Fan spoke again, ¡°She went in already so I¡¯m waiting in the car for her.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s already inside?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes narrowed. There was a tenseness to his voice which made him sound sterner than usual.

    The tone made Xiao Fan nervous. ¡°Yes. She went in much earlier. I watched her walk into the building.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s frown was growing deeper. ¡°When was that?¡±

    ¡°An hour ago.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s agitated tone was making Xiao Fan anxious. ¡°Young Master Cheng, what¡¯s going on?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ignored his question and hung up the phone. The Song family¡¯sndline was next on the list. At this point, he did not care about their sentiments toward him.

    Song Yu has never gone back on a promise to him, especially if she knew that he would be worried. She would always inform him of her whereabouts. Before leaving for work, he had already explicitly reminded her to call him when she reached her mother¡¯s house. She would not just forget to call.

    Suddenly, the image of Song Yu drawing the fortune lot that Saturday shed into his mind. A sense of foreboding simmered in him. Qi Chengzhi felt his heart rate increase, even his fingers were starting to tremble.

    After scrolling through his contacts for the Song familyndline, he rang them up. A short momentter, someone answered. Yu Qianying¡¯s voice was heard.

    ¡°Ma, it¡¯s me.¡± Qi Chengzhi kept his voice steady.

    However, there was no reply¡ªthe line was already cut.

    Qi Chengzhi continued calling. Fearing Yu Qianying would hang up on him again, when the call connected, he quickly said, ¡°Ma, don¡¯t hang up. I just want to ask if Song Yu reached your ce?¡±

    Yu Qianying initially intended to throw a few curses at Qi Chengzhi before mming down the phone but she held her tongue. ¡°No. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°She never dropped by?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grip tightened on his phone.

    ¡°I already said, no. She never mentioned that she wasing over today,¡± Yu Qianying spoke in a frustrated tone. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did something happen to Song Yu? Did you two fight? Qi Chengzhi, are you bullying her? How dare you bully her! Because of you, she¡¯s fighting with her parents. If you mistreat her, what kind of human are you?¡±

    ¡°No, we didn¡¯t fight. She told me before I left for work that she wanted to visit you. The family driver, Xiao Fan, fetched her here. He says that she came in an hour ago and he witnessed with his own eyes that she walked into the building. Yet, you guys have not seen her.¡± The trepidationing from someone who was usually calm and collected made Yu Qianying worried. ¡°She promised me that she would call when she reached your house. But I didn¡¯t receive any calls from her. I tried her phone but it was switched off. I called my house and Aunt Yang says she left two hours ago. Xiao Fan says that they arrived here an hour ago. Ma, were you guys home this whole time? Or did Song Yu drop by while you guys were away?¡±

    ¡°We were home this whole time. We never went out.¡± Even Yu Qianying was feeling anxious now. Her eyes were reddening and her anger toward Qi Chengzhi was no longer a priority. ¡°This child! I already told her that I would visit her. She shouldn¡¯t be running around with that belly of hers!¡±

    At this moment, the doorbell rang. The sound raised some hope in Yu Qianying. ¡°Someone¡¯s here. That might be Song Yu!¡±

    On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi was doubtful. Song Donglin opened the door to find the driver, Xiao Fan, holding a broken phone in his hand.

    ¡°Xiao Fan, why are you here? Where¡¯s Song Yu?¡± Yu Qianying took the cordless phone and walked to the door. The absence of Song Yu doused her hopes and her heart sank.

    Qi Chengzhi heard her across the phone and spoke, ¡°Ma, let me speak to Xiao Fan.¡±

    In this situation, Yu Qianying did not bother to argue with Qi Chengzhi. She passed the phone to Xiao Fan and said, ¡°It¡¯s Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Cheng, I found the missus¡¯s phone in the stairwell. The screen is broken and the phone might have shut down after tumbling down the stairs. Hence, your call couldn¡¯t get through.¡± Xiao Fan was also sweating bullets. If anything happened to Song Yu, he would be responsible for it.

    Grandmother Qi had specifically ordered him to look after Song Yu. Now, after just a few trips, he had already lost her.

    Judging from the state of the phone, something had happened.

    Yu Qianying stared at Song Yu¡¯s phone and let out a loud cry. Song Donglin quickly wrapped her in his arms. He clenched his jaw and stayed strong, he needed to support Yu Qianying.

 Chapter 267 - Why Didnâ€™t You Tell The Family About Such An Urgent Issue

    <h4>Chapter 267: Why Didn¡¯t You Tell The Family About Such An Urgent Issue</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yu Qianyin stared at Song Yu¡¯s phone and let out a loud cry. Song Donglin quickly wrapped her in his arms. He clenched his jaw and stayed strong¡ªhe needed to support Yu Qianyin.

    ¡°Where did Song Yu go? Why is her phone battered? She¡¯s carrying a child now! What happened to her?¡± Yu Qianyin uttered between sobs. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. Stupid tantrums. If I just forgave Qi Chengzhi, Song Yu wouldn¡¯t have to visit home alone all the time. If she came with Qi Chengzhi, this wouldn¡¯t have happened. Lao Song, it¡¯s my fault, my fault. Song Yu... Song Yu, she...¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s stay calm.¡± Song Donglin suppressed the worry in his heart and consoled Yu Qianyin with a reassuring tone. ¡°It¡¯s just a phone. It may not even be Song Yu¡¯s. And even if it is, it doesn¡¯t mean that something bad had happened to her. There may be an exnation.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Fan, go get a clean stic bag to put the phone in. Refrain from touching it with your bare hands,¡± Qi Chengzhi ordered through the phone.

    Xiao Fan nodded and went to ask Song Donglin, who kept his wits about him. ¡°Sir, do you have a clean stic bag?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Song Donglin released Yu Qianyin and went to the kitchen. He took out a roll of stic bag and tore one off to contain the phone.

    Xiao Fan switched on the phone. Upon checking the call log, he told Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Young Master Cheng, it is the missus¡¯s phone.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt his leg became jelly-like and his body shook. He clutched the backrest of his office chair for support.

    From the phone, he could hear the sobsing from Yu Qianyin. He gritted his teeth.

    ¡°Bring the phone to the police,¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke through his clenched jaw.

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Xiao Fan nodded and turned to Song Donglin and Yu Qianyin. ¡°I¡¯m going to the police station.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll follow!¡± Yu Qianyin said through her tears. Her eyes were bloodshot.

    ¡°That...¡± Xiao Fan was uncertain if that was the best course of action.

    Song Donglin stepped in. ¡°Qianyin, you stay at home. There might have been a misunderstanding. If Song Yues back, there should be someone home to open the door for her. I¡¯ll go with Xiao Fan.¡±

    Yu Qianyin knew the possibility was slim but she wanted to hold onto whatever sliver of hope there was, so she agreed. ¡°Call me if there¡¯s any information. I want to be kept updated.¡±

    ¡°Stay home and don¡¯t think too much. Don¡¯t worry,¡± assured Song Donglin.

    Once Song Donglin was out of the house, tears sprang from his eyes. He could no longer keep a lid on his emotions.

    In the office, Qi Chengzhi took his car keys and was ready to leave. He took a step and found his legs shaking. The fear in his heart made him choke back a sob. This would be the first time in his thirty-five years on Earth that he felt true fear. He thought that his worst fear would be the revtion about the truth behind the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy¡ªhe was proven wrong.

    At that point, even if Song Yu did not forgive him, she would still be healthy and safe. Now, Qi Chengzhi had no clue about her status or whereabouts.

    He was shaking so badly that breathing was bing difficult.

    He willed himself to walk out of his office. He ced his keys on Cheng Dongge¡¯s desk and said, ¡°Drive me to the police station.¡±

    A bewildered look appeared on Cheng Dongge¡¯s face as he looked at the pale-faced Qi Chengzhi. Despite not knowing the context, he took the car keys wordlessly.

    ¡°Xiao Fan, tell me again. Exactly what happened when you dropped Song Yu off,¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke into the phone. While Qi Chengzhi was still on the line, Xiao Fan did not dare put down the phone.

    ¡°There were a lot of cars around the apartment block so I couldn¡¯t find a parking spot. The missus got off at the main entrance and I watched as she walked into the building. I only drove off to find parking after she was inside.¡± Xiao Fan realized where the gap was. ¡°I should have apanied her up the stairs. It must have been then, the missus...¡±

    The blood drained from Xiao Fan¡¯s face. He med himself for the incident. ¡°Young Master Cheng, I¡¯m sorry. It was my negligence...¡±

    ¡°Go to the police first,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. He was at wits¡¯ end with the situation and hung up the phone. He and Cheng Dongge strode out of the office building.

    Once in the car, Qi Chengzhi sat motionless in the backseat. His hands were clenched tight and his body grew cold as his thoughts drifted to Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi shut his eyes. His jaw muscles were strained. After a while, he moved his thumb to wipe his eyes. He rested his thumb and forefinger on his eyes.

    Cheng Dongge watched him from the rearview mirror but did not know what to say.

    There was a long silence before Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hoarse voice spoke from behind, ¡°Song Yu¡¯s missing.¡±

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes widened in shock. ¡°What happened?¡±

    He had never heard of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice crack so badly. Although Qi Chengzhi was not crying, he could hear the asional choked-back sob.

    Qi Chengzhi felt that he needed to talk to someone about this. To crumble at such a critical time point, he had never felt this weak and useless before.

    He breathed in with his nose. With a tremble in his voice, Qi Chengzhi spoke, ¡°Song Yu went back to her parents¡¯ house today. Xiao Fan saw with his own eyes, Song Yu entering the apartment building but her parents said she didn¡¯te home. No one saw her and Xiao Fan found her phone shattered in the apartment stairwell.¡±

    After hearing the news, Cheng Dongge picked up speed and they drove in silence.

    ...

    ...

    As Xiao Fan was driving, Grandmother Qi called. He hesitated but fear made him answer the call.

    ¡°Xiao Fan, where are you guys? Why can¡¯t I get to Song Yu¡¯s phone?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s voice red through the phone. ¡°How¡¯s the situation at her ce? I thought about giving her mother a call.¡±

    Grandmother Qi thought that if Song Yu could not move Yu Qianyin, she would personally talk to Yu Qianyin. She figured Yu Qianyin would not outright reject a request from an olddy of nobility.

    ¡°This...¡± Xiao Fan struggled to answer her question.

    Song Yu¡¯s disappearance was so sudden and Xiao Fan¡¯s mind was scrambled. He had no time to think through how he should tell the family. He also forgot to ask Qi Chengzhi about informing the family.

    The stutters from Xiao Fan immediately aroused suspicion. Grandmother Qi sat up straight and adjusted her prescription sses. She spoke with a stern tone, ¡°Xiao Fan, be honest with me¡ªdid something happen?¡±

    ¡°Ma¡¯am...¡± Xiao Fan¡¯s face turned pale. He was almost in tears as he replied, ¡°It¡¯s my fault... I lost the missus...¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s heart jumped to her throat. Her hands gripped the arms of her chair. ¡°What do you mean you lost Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°Let me talk to her.¡± Song Donglin realized that Xiao Fan was too anxious to speak, so he volunteered to deliver the news. He did not want Xiao Fan to be distracted from driving. ¡°Grandmother Qi, it¡¯s me, Song Donglin.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Song, what happened? Xiao Fan¡¯s story didn¡¯t make sense. Is Song Yu with you?¡± Grandmother Qi asked hurriedly.

    ¡°Song Yu is missing. Xiao Fan saw her walked upstairs but we were home the whole time and she didn¡¯t appear. It¡¯s been two hours and no one has seen her. Then, Xiao Fan found her shattered phone in the stairwell while he was walking up. Now we¡¯re heading to the police station.¡± As Song Donglin finished, tears streamed down his eyes. He quickly rubbed them away and continued, ¡°You don¡¯t worry too much. It might be a misunderstanding. We¡¯ll talk to the police first and update you as soon as we know what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°Okay... Okay...¡± Grandmother Qi ced the phone back into its cradle absentmindedly. She started to feel light in the head and darkness descended over her as her vision blurred.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Grandfather Qi was listening on the side but could not make out the whole story.

    ¡°Song Yu... Song Yu¡¯s gone missing...¡± Grandmother Qi told Grandfather Qi what Song Donglin had said on the phone. She was in low spirits¡ªit felt like the end of the world. ¡°Everything was going so well. Why did this happen?¡±

    The news took Grandfather Qi by surprise. He sat there, not knowing what to do. There were some tea cups on the side table so he tried to calm his mind by making tea but his hands were trembling feverishly. He resigned himself to sping his hands together to stop the trembling.

    A sudden realization dawned on Grandmother Qi. ¡°Do you think this is happening because of the fortune lot Song Yu drew that day? It was foretold that something bad will happen¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! We don¡¯t even know if something actually happened. It might be a misunderstanding. Don¡¯t curse the child,¡± Grandfather Qi grumbled. His tone was more serious than usual.

    Grandmother Qi knew that he did not believe his own words. Why else would his temper be so bad.

    The cries escaped from her frail body. ¡°Old man, what if... what if... Aish! What¡¯s happening? Everything was fine this morning, why...¡±

    ¡°Pei! Don¡¯t even say that. That¡¯s like¡ª¡± Grandfather Qi stopped mid-sentence. Blood rushed to his face as he yelled, ¡°Stop crying! Cry if it¡¯s confirmed that something¡¯s happened! There¡¯s no actual evidence yet, right?¡±

    Grandmother Qi rubbed her aching chest and sped her hands in prayer. She cried to the heavens. ¡°Bless us Buddha. Please protect Song Yu and guide her to safety! Bless us Buddha!¡±

    Grandfather Qi left her to her mumblings and shouted at the kitchen¡¯s direction, ¡°Xiao Liu,e here!¡±

    Aunt Liu was unaware of the situation when she ran into the room. All she saw was Grandmother Qi crying.

    ¡°Ring up all the children, tell them toe home,¡± Grandfather Qi said. ¡°Zhongliang, Zhongxun, Chenglin, and Chengyue. Tell them toe home regardless of where they¡¯re at or what they¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir.¡± Aunt Liu quickly took out her phone and dialed for the mentioned people.

    ¡°Oh, you can keep Chengzhi out of this,¡± Grandfather Qi said. He reckoned Qi Chengzhi was currently busy with the situation at hand.

    Aunt Liu went to start her task. Grandmother Qi stood up and walked to the door. She pulled her hands together and prayed to the sky. ¡°Buddha, our family has never done any evil deeds. I¡¯ve already lost a grandchild. Please don¡¯t let anything happen to my child. I beg you, great Buddha. Protect her. We¡¯ve done no wrong to deserve this.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Xiao Fan met in front of the police stations. Once Xiao Fan saw Qi Chengzhi, he immediately apologized and med himself for the incident.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Song Yu¡¯s phone?¡± Qi Chengzhi ignored Xiao Fan¡¯s apology. Xiao Fan quickly brought out the phone that was bundled inside a bag.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s tensed when he saw the phone. It was broken beyond repair. The phone screen was shattered and the body was bent. His stomach spasmed in response to the stress and he clenched his teeth.

    He turned around and went into the police station. Xiao Fan and Song Donglin followed suit.

    Qi Chengzhi filed for a missing person¡¯s report. Although the case filed was on a hunch, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name made the police act quickly.

    The cellphone was the most important evidence and was sent to theb for analysis. Qi Chengzhi stood in the middle of theb, unmoving like a solid pir. His presence made the atmosphere in the room heavy. He was not budging until theb results came out.

    A police officer tried to convince him to sit down but Qi Chengzhi ignored him. He stood there in silence but the pressure was undoubtedly felt by every person in the room.

    Seeing the forlorn faces of his underlings, theb manager personally came over to speak to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Chengzhi, why don¡¯t you have a seat?¡±

    ¡°My wife¡¯s condition is unknown, how could I rest?¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke coldly with a dark expression.

    Since he did not sit down, theb manager could only stand upright with him. The analysts were under pressure and thought, ¡®Is thisb manager here to help or to stress us out?¡¯ The two figures looming over them made it difficult for them to do their job.

    ¡°Brother.¡± Qi Chenglin came in with Qi Chengyue in tow.

    Qi Chengzhi was surprised. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Grandpa and Grandma already know of the situation. Uncle and Auntie and my parents are all at the family house. Chengji has asked for a leave of absence from the army and is making his way back,¡± Qi Chenglin exined in a sincere tone.

    ¡°Brother, why didn¡¯t you tell the family about such an urgent issue?¡± Qi Chengyue said. Cheng Dongge walked over and wrapped his arms around her shoulder.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t want them to worry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said tiredly, all his energy was focused on finding Song Yu. ¡°How did our grandparents know?¡±

    ¡°It was me...¡± Xiao Fan said meekly. He stood up anxiously, wondering if he did another thing wrong. ¡°Your grandmother called me as she was looking for the missus, so¡ª¡±

    ¡°I was the one who told her the specifics,¡± Song Donglin stood up and said. He was worried that in a moment of anger, Qi Chengzhi would put all the me on Xiao Fan and take it out on the poor guy.

    Qi Chengzhi did not say anything. He turned to Qi Chenglin. ¡°How are Grandpa and Grandma taking the news?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re both worried. Grandma¡¯s been crying and praying to Buddha.¡± Qi Chenglin thought of the summons he got to return to the family house. On the phone, Aunt Liu did not say much other than it was an urgent matter.

    When Qi Chenglin walked into the front yard, he saw his grandmother standing by the front door, crying to the sky. He only got to know about the situation when he met Grandfather Qi.

    ¡°The results are out.¡± The police officer, Xiao Chen, came over with the bagged phone. ¡°We found a high concentration of triazm and sevoflurane. They are highly potent sedatives. Also, we lifted prints from the phone that matches that of Mrs. Qi.¡±

    The mood in the room quickly changed. Qi Chengzhi locked his jaw.

    Qi Chengyue covered her mouth with her hand and sank into Cheng Dongge¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°Everyone.¡± Liu Dui stood up and summoned. ¡°Xiao Chen, Xiao Zhang, you two go check the primary scene. See if there¡¯s any surveince cameras. Xiang Dong, Jiang Ying, Fang Zi, you guys check the neighborhood. Ask around if anyone saw anything suspicious during the incident time.¡±

    The police officers took their orders and left. Liu Dui remained and spoke to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°Mr. Qi, please ensure your phone is always within reach. Try to keep your line open. If this is a kidnapping case, the kidnapper will definitely contact you. While we¡¯re looking for the suspect, you need to wait for the kidnapper¡¯s call. In all the past kidnapping cases that I¡¯ve been assigned to, the kidnapper always initiates contact with the family.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nodded his head. The people who knew his number were few and far between. There was only Yan Beicheng and his friends and they would not call him without reason. In terms of work calls, people would get in touch with Cheng Dongge first instead of contacting him directly.

    ¡°Jiadi, standby. Once the kidnapper calls in, immediately run a trace,¡± Liu Dui told one of the officers who stayed back.

    Dong Jiadi nodded. In front of him, there were threeputers ready.

    Qi Chengzhi was finally willing to sit down. He rested his arms on his thighs and buried his face in his hands, his eyes bloodshot. Song Donglin and Qi Chenglin nked him. Qi Chenglin said nothing and kept his distance, a silentpany.

    Qi Chengzhi heard Lui Dui talking to his colleagues about strategy. ¡°Kidnapping cases are eighty to ny percent premeditated. From the sedatives, we know that the kidnapper nned this. The kidnapper was also able to move Mrs. Qi without anyone noticing.¡±

    Once Liu Dui was done, he walked over to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Mr. Qi, do you have any enemies? Anyone who hates you that may try to take it out on your wife as revenge?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯spetitors were many but enemies, he had few, After so many years in the business, he had ruined manypetitors but could not think of any who would resort to such dirty tactics.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s brows furrowed. He spoke in an icy tone, ¡°I can only think of one person.¡±

    Everyone turned to look at Qi Chengzhi. Song Donglin¡¯s face darkened. Was Song Yu just a coteral in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s feud?

    ¡°Jian Yi.¡± Qi Chengzhi said the name with icily. ¡°The thing with Jian Yi is a private affair but the more I think about it, the more likely it is.¡±

    Hearing Jian Yi¡¯s name, Song Donglin no longer med Qi Chengzhi. If it was really Jian Yi, Song Yu was not coteral.

    Everything started with Jian Yi. He was the one who lied to Song Yu. Once she found out about the truth and got together with Qi Chengzhi, Jian Yi could not let go. Even when Song Yu got married, Jian Yi still did not give up. All the while Jian Yi was married to Qi Chengyue, he was still harassing Song Yu and it had hurt Qi Chengyue.

    He was the one who cheated first but he plotted to gain half of thepany shares under Qi Chengyue¡¯s name. Song Donglin did not know about the car ident that happened the night before Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s wedding. Jian Yi tried to kill Qi Chengzhi with his car.

    Once Liu Dui heard the name, he immediately understood. ¡°The Jian Yi that you¡¯re talking about, it¡¯s the same one who was helping the anti-smuggling squad on the investigation into the car-smuggling ring? The one who Wang Qing wanted to exact revenge on if he ever got his hands on him?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi gritted his teeth and nodded. ¡°I hear that he¡¯s gone into hiding. He¡¯s no longer going to the office, and even his colleagues have no idea where he is.¡±

 Chapter 268 - Fifty Million in Cash. You Must Send It Here Within An Hour

    <h4>Chapter 268: Fifty Million in Cash. You Must Send It Here Within An Hour</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Dui nodded. ¡°I heard that Wang Qingyi was serious about it. His hatred of Jian Yi is deep. If Jian Yi is caught by him, he¡¯d meet a horrible end. In such a desperate situation, he¡¯d possiblymit something extreme.¡±

    Liu Dui more or less knew about Jian Yi¡¯s banishment from the Qi family. After all, the news was reported extensively by the newspaper and inte media at that time, so it was difficult not to notice it.

    Thus, Jian Yi really had the motive tomit the crime.

    ¡°If it was Jian Yi, he would surely contact you. Since he isn¡¯t working now and is in hiding, first and foremost his money would be less day by day, and I suppose this was the reason he abducted Mrs. Qi. First, he wanted to seek revenge on you by demanding arge amount of money. Secondly, he needed an ample amount of funds for him to run away,¡± theorized Liu Dui. He turned his head and said to Dong Jiadi, ¡°Jiadi, please investigate for any recent use of Jian Yi¡¯s credit card from the records.¡±

    After a while, Dong Jiadi said, ¡°He withdrew all his savings in the bank around one month ago. Moreover, he used his credit card to purchase triazm and sevoflurane, ropes, and knives two weeks ago. He also bought some daily necessities. He went over the limit of his credit cards and didn¡¯t have any further records of expenses via them after that.¡±

    ording to their investigations to date, it was almost confirmed that Jian Yi was the person who abducted Song Yu.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up suddenly¡ªhe could no longer sit in silence. His hand was still holding Song Yu¡¯s phone. In the list of recent contacts, his name was the first one to appear on it. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes had turned red, and he wished that time could flow backward so he could apany Song Yu to return home no matter what.

    ¡°Do you have Jian Yi¡¯s number?¡± Qi Chengzhi turned his head and asked Cheng Dongge.

    Cheng Dongge immediately found it. Qi Chengzhi memorized it and called the number. As expected, the number was no longer owned by anyone. He was just trying his luck in any means he could think of since there were no better ways avable. He was hoping that someone would answer the call.

    The two teams that Liu Dui sent previously had returned too.

    ¡°I had removed the monitoring device at the main road in front of the entrance of the residential area,¡± said Xiao Chen. He passed the device to Liu Dui and he switched it on. After a while, the device¡¯s screen disyed a car without a number te.

    Liu Dui paused it and erged the image. From the blurred image, he could vaguely see an unconscious Song Yu with her eyes closed. The driver was a man who wore a baseball cap and a mask, obscuring his face entirely.

    After that, the car took a turn into a smallne and went out of sight.

    Qi Chengzhi truly hoped he could enter the image to save her. Song Donglin was clenching his teeth furiously. He wiped off the tears on his face that flowed from his eyes just now.

    Fang Zi said, ¡°We had asked the neighbors living nearby and a young married couple who were staying there said that they were passing by downstairs when the incident happened. ording to them, there was indeed a man who wore a cap and a mask carrying a pregnantdy. They inquired about her, and the man told them he was her husband and she suddenly fainted, so he was rushing to bring her to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°He was wearing a cap and a mask¡ªit was such a strange attire. Didn¡¯t they feel that it was abnormal?¡± Qi Chengzhi was unsettled, if the young couple could sense that it was suspicious, they would stop him right away or secretly lodge a police report.

    Fang Zi sighed and said, ¡°They were probably afraid to invite troubles, we spent quite some effort to make them talk about it and be the witness. At first, they were unwilling to cooperate and told us that they did not see anything suspicious.¡±

    ¡°How could they do this!¡± said Qi Chengyue agitatedly. ¡°If they reported it to the police, this wouldn¡¯t have happened to Song Yu!¡±

    Cheng Dongge hugged Qi Chengyue and patted her back to calm her down.

    Song Donglin buried his face in his palms¡ªhe felt like he could no longer bear this with his mental strength.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were bloodshot and he was praying incessantly in his heart that Song Yu was safe. If Jian Yi did this just for money, then Song Yu¡¯s safety would be assured. So long as Song Yu could be safe, he would pay him no matter Jian Yi requested how much money from him. He wanted her unharmed.

    ...

    ...

    Just as Qi Chengzhi and the police were striving to find for Song Yu, she regained consciousness slowly. She felt a little dazed due to the drugs. She forcibly frowned and move her eyes, and she slowly remembered that she was at the staircase and was on the way home at first. It was then when a person suddenly appeared out of nowhere and smashed her cell phone. He then covered her mouth and nose with his gloved hand. She slowly lost consciousness and could not remember anything after that.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned pale and she was totally awakened by her nervousness due to the current situation. She found out that her legs were tied together by hemp ropes and her hands were tied to her back. She was sitting on a damp cement floor and her back was leaning against a mottled wall.

    Most of the limestone on the surface of the wall had peeled off and areas of ck interspersed among areas of gray. It was bone-chilling here.

    Song Yu tried to struggle with her arms which were tied to her back and even tried to use her fingers to reach for the knot, but she could not touch even the edge of the knot.

    Song Yu was worried that the cold of the ground would be bad for the baby, so she struggled very hard. Her back was leaning against the wall and she tried to support her body with her hands and pushed herself to stand. However, she was also afraid that she would suddenly fall due to ack of strength and hurt the baby. She proceeded with the utmost care and was able to stand up atst. She supported her body against the wall with her hands from the beginning as she dared not let her back touch the freezing wall.

    She looked around her surroundings¡ªthe room looked like a small workshop and it was extremely dirty and messy. There were a few buckets of water and three buckets of paint beside the wall. There were some old machines in which she was unsure of their functions ced at the opposite wall.

    There were a few windows at the highest part of the wall, just below the ceiling. The windows were covered by dust and through the rays of sunlight shining into the room through the dirty small windows, she could see the thickyer of dust on the floor.

    Both of her legs were bound tightly together. She would have to hop if she wanted to move around but she dared not do it because she was pregnant.

    At this moment, she could hear a loud and low sounding from the iron door. Immediately after that, Song Yu saw the iron door opened and a man wearing a baseball cap and a mask walked into the room. He quickly shut the door after entering the room.

    ¡°You¡¯re awake?¡± The voice was frosty and even sounded cold-hearted. It contained a feeling of arrogance probably because he had the power to determine whether she would live or not.

    Song Yu¡¯s stared at him with her eyes wide open, her eyes filled with disbelief. ¡°Jian Yi, it¡¯s you!¡±

    Derisive and softughter could be heard from behind his mask. Jian Yi then removed his cap and his mask to reveal his face which she had not seen for a long time.

    ¡°Jian Yi, what are you doing?!¡± shouted an enraged Song Yu. ¡°Are you crazy?¡±

    ¡°Song Song, stop struggling, stop worrying and just stay here, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Jian Yi smiled and tried to reassure her. ¡°We had known each other for more than twenty years. Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±

    ¡°You said you won¡¯t hurt me, but what are you doing now? You knocked me out, brought me here, and tied my hands and legs. Jian Yi, what are you thinking?¡± Song Yu believed he was already deranged.

    He also said that they had known each other for more than twenty years, but how did he change into a person like this? She could still remember vividly the scene of her saving him from a group of teenagers¡ªthe memory did not fade a little even after a long time. She could still remember that Jian Yi was an honest and gentle teenager during that time, but without her knowing, he had be more extreme and hideous as time passes.

    ¡°What am I thinking? I just wanted to ask for what was supposed to be mine.¡± Jian Yi sneered at her.

    ¡°What did you lose that has belonged to you? What are you trying to ask for?¡± Song Yu did not understand what Jian Yi was thinking. How could he think that the things that he lost were being seized by others?

    ¡°Asking for what? Aren¡¯t you curious about the reason I am wearing like this?¡± Jian Yi sneered. ¡°That day on the roadside, I saw you sitting in the car.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s expression changed. ¡°It was you on that day?¡±

    Jian Yi sniggered. ¡°Do you remember how despondent I was that day? Song Song, we hadn¡¯t met for such a long time. Aren¡¯t you concerned about my recent condition?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that, I feel disgusted when I heard you calling me like that. If you really care about our friendship, you wouldn¡¯t have kidnapped me today and tied me up like this.¡± Song Yu struggled for a while with her hands. ¡°You want to have a good old chat, right? Free me first, then I can chat with you slowly.¡±

    ¡°What do I really want? You didn¡¯t know about my matters?¡± Jian Yi snorted. ¡°Right, it was impossible that Qi Chengzhi would tell you about it. I could still ept that the Qi family banished me and didn¡¯t pay me whatsoever. However, Qi Chengzhi bullied me excessively¡ªhe went so far as to ask the police to force me to wipe out a group that smuggled unlicensed cars. Now the boss of the group had managed to escape and was trying to search for me everywhere. Do you think I¡¯d live if the boss caught me? I have to hide to stay alive. I didn¡¯t even dare go to thepany. I lost my job and spent all my money. My life was ruined by Qi Chengzhi and I¡¯m going to seize it back!¡±

    ¡°Smuggling unlicensed cars...¡± mumbled Song Yu, she could not fully react to what he said for a moment. ¡°Why were you involved in car-smuggling? If you don¡¯t know them, why would the police asked you to help in the investigation?¡±

    Song Yu suddenly paused because she remembered that Qi Chengzhi mentioned to her before about an unlicensed car when they talked about the investigation of the ident. He told her that the Hummer was unlicensed.

    ¡°You acquired the Hummer from the car-smuggling group and used it to hit Chengzhi the night before our wedding, right?¡± Song Yu narrowed her eyes and fumed. ¡°It was you who wanted to murder him, and it was you who hurt him first! That wasn¡¯t the first time you tried to hit him! You¡¯re allowed to hurt him, but he can¡¯t seek revenge? Besides, did Qi Chengzhi do something wrong? Didn¡¯t you have dealings with the car-smuggling group? If you¡¯re innocent, why would the police find you? You only have yourself to me for everything that had happened to you. How could you me others, how could you shift the me to others for your own mistakes?¡±

    ¡°I did nothing wrong. It was all Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fault! If he didn¡¯t banish me from the Qi family, would I be so demoralized? He chased me out and smashed my car, and he had gone too far by bullying me like that! If it wasn¡¯t for him, I¡¯d still be in the Qi family. I wouldn¡¯t have to work for others and try to please others, even reduced to buying smuggled cars!¡± raged a fuming Jian Yi. His eyes were bloodshot and he appeared like he had turned into a devil. It was extremely frightening.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one who wronged Chengyue. You had an extramarital affair and you¡¯re hoping the Qi family would present you with power and money? All the wealth and position that you wanted belonged to the Qi family. Since they gave them to you, they could take back them if they wished. Those things belong to you and you have no right to demand them. The Qi family and Chengzhi don¡¯t owe you anything,¡± said Song Yu coldly.

    ¡°Who said so! They owed me everything.¡± Jian Yi¡¯s eyes turned red due to his anger. Hatred overrode him when he thought about the good life he could have lived, but now he had to hide everywhere and did not have a ce to live. He even spent almost all his money. ¡°Song Song, don¡¯t you understand? I¡¯ve never liked Guan Xiaolin before. Why would I have an affair with her? I did that for you. I know so long as I¡¯m still married to Qi Chengyue, you would never ept me, so I must divorce her. When I saw you were marrying Qi Chengzhi but was powerless to do anything, do you know how much it had hurt and how much pain I suffered?¡±

    Jian Yi walked toward her and held Song Yu¡¯s arm with both of his hands. ¡°If you were willing to wait for me for a few more years so that I could grow my career, I would¡¯ve divorce Qi Chengyue and married you. Of course, you didn¡¯t want to wait and marry Qi Chengzhi, so I decided not to wait too. I could only set out my ns by gaining Guan Xiaolin¡¯s support, so even if I divorced Qi Chengyue, I could still have my career and could still take good care of you and not let you suffer. Once I have a stable and sessful career, I would break up with her straight away. I had nned everything since the beginning, you didn¡¯t need to know about the divorce of Qi Chengyue and I and the affair between Guan Xiaolin and I. I¡¯ve never thought of marrying her anyway, I only wanted to marry you. However, I didn¡¯t expect that you¡¯d see what I did. The reason I divorced Qi Chengyue and insisted on getting the shares was all because of you!¡±

    ¡°I knew that you were used to living a good life with Qi Chengzhi, so I would never let you go through hardships with me. Guan Xiao was pregnant with my child, so the wealth and power of the Guan family would be mine sooner orter. However, Qi Chengzhi couldn¡¯t stand seeing me living well, so he was determined to make me lose everything. He forced Guan Xiaolin to get an abortion so that the Guan family will never ept me after I lost my child. Wasn¡¯t he using the influence of the Qi family to bully others? He murdered my child. Are you telling me that I shouldn¡¯t seek revenge?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head slowly. ¡°You were never aware of your wrongdoings, you even felt that it wasn¡¯t wrong to make use of a woman to obtain a high position or be sessful by illegal means. You had hurt so many women one after another. Have you ever thought that even though Guan Xiaolin was wrong to be your lover, she truly loved you, yet you still made use of her? Your child wasn¡¯t killed by anyone else but you. You made use of Chengyue and Guan Xiaolin and allowed yourself to mistreat others, but you couldn¡¯t ept others mistreating you? If you didn¡¯t employ all these illegal means but work hard and honestly by relying on your ability, you wouldn¡¯t be in this kind of situation.¡±

    ¡°When didn¡¯t I show my abilities?! It was Qi Chengyue who refused to give me a chance, he purposely held me down because he was afraid that I would surpass him. If his family background isn¡¯t so great, how could he possibly hold me down? If I had the same background as him, I wouldn¡¯t be inferior to him¡ªI¡¯d be even better than him!¡± said Jian Yi emotionally. ¡°He was always jealous of me because you liked me!¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, please stop saying that I like you. I felt disgusted just by thinking of it. I told you before, I don¡¯t like you, and the person I like is the one who saved me from the cold water of theke. He is Qi Chengzhi. You lied to me and had upied his position for more than ten years. If it weren¡¯t for the misunderstanding, I would never like you.¡± Song Yu paused for a while and stared at Jian Yi seriously. ¡°To be honest, from the beginning until now, the person I like is Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°Heh, you said I lied but I did that because I liked you. It was a white lie. I lied because I like you. You want to me me because of this? If I don¡¯t like you, why should I lie? In your eyes, Qi Chengzhi is a saint and never lied to you, right?¡± Jian Yi snorted in disdain. ¡°It was he who bankrupted the Song family but concealed it so that he could be with you. He made you sleep in the same bed with your enemy and even made you pregnant. Compared to him, I merely didn¡¯t tell you the truth about the person who rescued you. What I did was just a harmless prankpared to him. How could you judge us with a double standard?¡±

    ¡°Could you stop mentioning about the bankruptcy, I¡¯m sick of it. He concealed it from me but he already confessed to me, unlike you who did something dirty but still tried so hard to find an excuse for yourself and insisted that it wasn¡¯t your fault no matter what,¡± said an annoyed Song Yu.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll stop talking about the bankruptcy, I¡¯ll talk about something else. You suppose how did Qi Chengyue find out and went to Shengyue at that time? It was Qi Chengzhi who threatened Guan Xiaolin and requested her to take a photo of us together and sent it to Qi Chengyue so that she found out about it. The humiliation that you suffered at Chengyue would never happen if it were not for the actions of Qi Chengzhi because Qi Chengyue would never go there and you wouldn¡¯t suffer such a big humiliation and Qi Chengyue would never make things difficult for you.¡±

    As for him, he would be together with Song Yu until now. Song Yu still would not fall for Qi Chengzhi, not to mention marrying him.

    ¡°Did you ever think of how Qi Chengzhi ckmail Guan Xiaolin? You thought that Qi Chengzhi helped you when Guan Yu stole your design n, but he was making use of that incident to ckmail Guan Xiaolin. If she didn¡¯t wish to see Guan Yu lost his reputation, she would have to help him do that. That¡¯s the reason Qi Chengyue went to find you, the humiliation you suffered at Chengyue was actually caused by Qi Chengzhi. Have you ever thought of why did you meet him so timely right after you left Chengyue? He was obviously in love with you at that time, but he pretended to be kind-hearted and sent you to my house to listen to my exnations. He did that because he had sent Guan Xiaolin to find me earlier and intentionally told you all of the things that happened so that you would hate me and be disappointed with me, then he could seize the chance to win your heart.¡± Jian Yi snorted at Song Yu coolly. ¡°He¡¯s that kind of person who¡¯d do anything to achieve his aim. At first, he caused the Song family to go bankrupt to be with you. After he met you again, he used all kinds of foul means to destroy our rtionship.¡±

    Song Yu shook her head irritatedly. ¡°Jian Yi, what are your intentions of telling me these? He did all of that just to let me see your true colors. If you didn¡¯t do any of those things¡ªif you¡¯re righteous, honest, and weren¡¯t guilty of what you did¡ªhe could never find the opportunity to do that. You were the cause of your downfall from the beginning. You kept on saying that the things you did were done for me, but they were done for your benefits. Jian Yi, do you dare to look at yourself in the mirror and admit the actual thoughts in your mind and talk honestly for once? Stop using me as your excuse, you don¡¯t love me as deep as you imed. All the things you did were to satisfy the greed in your heart. You wished to be rich and have a high status. In the past, I was out of your league and you thought you didn¡¯t deserve me. When I was in a difficult situation, you thought that you could rescue me and make me admire you because our positions had changed. However, you didn¡¯t expect there is a Qi Chengzhi who is hundreds and thousands of times better than you in every aspect. You¡¯re not really in love with me¡ªyou just can¡¯t let go of me and unwilling to resign. You wanted to be better than Qi Chengzhi, and the true reason you did all of these was to beat the people who were better than you in the past, not for my good as you repeatedly imed. However, in reality, you¡¯ll never be on par with Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± shouted Jian Yi furiously to interrupt her. Song Yu was shocked by him.

    She took a deep breath and slowly calmed down. She then continued, ¡°Actually, the true reason that makes me forgive him no matter what he does is because I love Qi Chengzhi. Even if he¡¯s wicked and evil toward others and beyond redemption, as long as he still loves me, I¡¯d love him too. I¡¯d forgive him and never me him for anything.¡±

    ¡°You finally admitted that no matter what I do, regardless of the things I do were good or bad, you would never ept me?¡± questioned Jian Yi coldly.

    Song Yu did not answer him, she inhaled deeply. ¡°Jian Yi, please let me go. Aren¡¯t you in need of money to run away? I¡¯ll give you the money, so release me now before they found out what you did. I could find an excuse and act as though nothing happened. I¡¯ll give you the money to run away and hide from those people. Otherwise, this would be considered as abduction and you will go to jail.¡±

    ¡°Give me money?¡± Jian Yi sneered derisively. ¡°How much could you give me? A hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, or a million?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s expression did not change. ¡°How much do you want?¡±

    Jian Yi did not answer her question, he took out a disposable cell phone from his pocket and called a number. After a while, Song Yu heard him said, ¡°Qi Chengzhi.¡±

    Song Yu could feel as though her heart was lifted to her throat, she really wanted to call him but she was afraid that Qi Chengzhi would be very worried if she shouted rashly.

    She was unsure whether he had found out that she was missing. She did not know how long had passed since the time she was kidnapped and what the time was.

    Qi Chengzhi was still in the police station. When he saw a bunch of unfamiliar numbers, he became fully alert. He answered the call and heard Jian Yi¡¯s voice. ¡°Jian Yi,¡± he said his name frigidly.

    Dong Jiadi immediately started to track the location of his phone¡¯s signal, he heard Qi Chengzhi say, ¡°Why are you calling me?¡±

    Jian Yi snorted. He raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Why, don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t found out that Song Yu was missing until now?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes. He then talked with a soft voice, but he made sure Jian Yi could hear it. ¡°Dongge, please go and ask Xiao Fan whether Song Yu is around or not?¡±

    Cheng Dongge just stayed there and did nothing, he waited for around one minute, then he replied to him anxiously, ¡°I asked Xiao Fan about it, he had sent Song Yu back to the Song family. He left when he saw Song Yu walked into her block. I had called Song Yu¡¯s parents and Madam Song told me that Song Yu hadn¡¯t returned home and she didn¡¯t know that Song Yu ising back today.¡±

    Jian Yi could vaguely hear what Cheng Dongge said from the phone. He sneered coldly. ¡°Seems like you¡¯re not concerned about Song Yu, you didn¡¯t even know she was missing.¡±

    Dong Jiadi gave Liu Dui an ¡°OK¡± gesture. Liu Dui nodded and went to make preparations.

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes. ¡°You kidnapped Song Yu?¡± said Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Don¡¯t use such an unpleasant term. She followed me without fighting against me at all,¡± said Jian Yi mockingly. He sneered at Song Yu and saw she was ring at him furiously. She was red in the face but remained silent.

    Jian Yi pouted and he heard Qi Chengzhi asked him, ¡°You said you brought her away, do you have any evidence?¡±

    Song Yu was clenching her teeth and sneered at Jian Yi contemptuously before she turned her head and looked away. Suddenly, she felt a hand touching her belly. She looked down and saw Jian Yi was putting his hand on her bulging belly. He applied some pressure and his fingertips sank into the flesh of her belly.

    ¡°I felt extremely annoyed by the child of Qi Chengzhi and you,¡± whispered Jian Yi into Song Yu¡¯s ear as he lowered his head.

    A repulsion surged within Song Yu and she felt nauseated, especially because Jian Yi was so close to her and her ears could feel his breath¡ªshe found it utterly disgusting. Song Yu felt the chills when he threatened to harm her child all of a sudden.

 Chapter 269 - Saving Song Yu

    <h4>Chapter 269: Saving Song Yu</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    A repulsion surged within Song Yu and she felt nauseated, especially because Jian Yi was so close to her and her ears could feel his breath¡ªshe found it utterly disgusting. Song Yu felt the chills when he threatened to harm her child all of a sudden.

    Both of Song Yu¡¯s arms and legs were bound. She could neither move nor hide from him. She was truly afraid that he would harm the child. Since he was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s child, it should not be an exaggeration to say that he detested him.

    She could only open her mouth and shouted, ¡°Chengzhi!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt his heart skipped a beat when he heard her voice from his phone. He narrowed his reddened eyes and said with his teeth clenched, ¡°Jian Yi, what do you want?¡±

    Jian Yi looked down at Song Yu¡¯s belly and sneered at her. Song Yu was afraid that Qi Chengzhi would be worried, so she did not ask Jian Yi to remove his hand.

    Jian Yi¡¯s continued to put his hand on her belly. He stared into Song Yu¡¯s eyes and said to Qi Chengzhi, ¡°50 million in cash¡ªsend it here within one hour. Come here alone and don¡¯t report to the police. Otherwise, your unborn child won¡¯t make it to see the world.¡±

    Jian Yi glimpsed at Song Yu¡¯s belly. ¡°Song Yu¡¯s belly is already so big, if something bad happened to the child, I think she would find it hard to stay alive.¡±

    ¡°One hour is such a short time, shouldn¡¯t you give me some time to prepare the money? Who would usually have such a big amount of cash avable? Even if I go to the bank to withdraw, I must make an appointment first to withdraw so huge an amount.¡± Qi Chengzhi was clutching his phone tightly and his hand was trembling.

    ¡°That¡¯s none of my business, I¡¯ve kidnapped Song Yu andmitted a crime anyway. I don¡¯t mindmitting another crime, it would be worth it if I could see you suffer and lost all hopes in life.¡± Jian Yi was showing a crazy expression like he wanted to take everyone down with himself. He said fiercely, ¡°One hour. If you¡¯rete by one second then you¡¯d never see your child and Song Yu again.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth. ¡°Okay, where should I send the money to?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact you again,¡± said Jian Yi indifferently.

    Qi Chengzhi said in his deep voice, ¡°Jian Yi, I promise you I would give you the things you want, but don¡¯t you dare to harm Song Yu within this period.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, I don¡¯t expect you to have such a helpless moment. Even if I harm her, what can you do to me?¡± Jian Yi snickered proudly. ¡°I¡¯m truly happy to see you feeling so powerless, panicky, and anxious. Haven¡¯t you experienced a situation like this before in your whole life? So helpless like this?¡±

    After saying that, Jian Yi hung up the phone.

    ¡°Jian Yi, are you crazy? If you¡¯re arrested by the police, do you n on staying in jail for the rest of your life?¡± Song Yu did not expect him to demand 50 million.

    ¡°Do you think I want this?¡± Jian Yi¡¯s hand finally left her belly and he retracted half a step. ¡°If Qi Chengzhi didn¡¯t bully me to this extent until I have no other choice, would I choose to do this?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it toote to regret? Why did you be a person like this? You weren¡¯t like this previously!¡± Song Yu was furious and agitated. After all, Jian Yi was her friend for more than twenty years. She could still remember the memories of them being friends. ¡°Jian Yi, please stop this¡ªit¡¯s still not toote if you quit now. You can release me and run away immediately, isn¡¯t that good? If you wait for Chengzhi to send the money to youter, you¡¯d be charged for abduction and extortion¡ªit would be toote for you to regret then! You¡¯re not alone in this world, you still have your parents. Your mother is in jail now, but she¡¯d be released after two months. Do you really want to abandon them?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like I¡¯ll surely go to jail!¡± yelled Jian Yi angrily. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my mum. She went to jail because of Qi Chengzhi!¡±

    Song Yu said with resignation, ¡°When did Chengzhi have anything to do with that? Your mum hurt Guan Xiaolin so the Guan family sued her. Please don¡¯t put the me on Chengzhi for everything that happened.¡±

    ¡°How did he have nothing to do with it? It was he who forced Guan Xiaolin to abort the pregnancy. Otherwise, I would¡¯ve married her and now our son would be born soon. My mum wouldn¡¯t have found Guan Xiaolin to avenge me. Wasn¡¯t the loss of my child the reason she went to beat up Guan Xiaolin?¡± Jian Yi was getting more incensed as he talked. ¡°In the end, it was all Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fault!¡±

    ¡°Jian Yi, I beg you, can you please talk reasonably?¡± Song Yu started to cry involuntarily. ¡°Weren¡¯t we friends since a long time ago? I still remember you were enthusiastic and ambitious. Your academic results and moral conduct were outstanding. You¡¯d buy food for the stray dogs and cats on the roadside. How did you turn into a person like this? You kidnapped me¡ªhow could you have the heart to do this?¡±

    When she thought of the knockout drugs that Jian Yi let her inhaled, she was worried they would harm her child.

    ¡°How could you threaten to murder my child? You knew that my pregnancy is already quite advanced. If I have a miscarriage, my life would be in danger as well. Do you really want to do this? How could you hurt me after more than twenty years of friendship? Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t remember the day you first met me?¡± Song Yu was not only worried about herself as she was worried and angry with him too. She was furious that he had changed into this kind of person. ¡°We were so innocent at that time. You were a gentle teenager and we had a lot of fun moments together. Why did you...¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s stare at her turned gentler and it appeared as though he was touched by her words. He held her cheek with his palm and used his thumb to wipe off her tears. ¡°If I could, I would like to return to the old times and start anew. I¡¯d jump into theke to save you without a second thought. I¡¯d find a way to make you cherish me in your heart. I wouldn¡¯t lose to Qi Chengzhi, and we would¡¯ve been married by now no matter how Qi Chengzhi try to stop us. You would¡¯ve known about the truth of the Song family¡¯s bankruptcy and would have loathed him for it.¡±

    ¡°But nothing can be done now.¡± Jian Yi shook his head slowly and his expression turned dark and ruthless. ¡°We could never return to the old times since everything had changed, and I shouldn¡¯t allow myself to feel regret on my own. I want Qi Chengzhi to regret the things he had done.¡±

    Song Yu was scared by his expression and felt that he did not only want the 50 million, he was plotting for something more. ¡°Jian Yi, what are you nning to do? Besides money, what more do you want?¡±

    Jian Yi smiled at her faintly. His smile was so cid, he removed his hand from her cheek and turned around and left the house.

    ¡°Jian Yi!¡± shouted Song Yu loudly. She was extremely uneasy.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi went to prepare the money after he hung up the phone. The total amount of cash he raised had reached 17 million. It was raised from his ounts, thepany¡¯s cash which Qi Chenglin helped him to get, and the cash from the headquarter and Qilin Properties.

    They first went back to the old manor. Xia Wenna called them just now to ask for the progress¡ªshe went to raise money immediately after she was informed about the abduction.

    Qi Chengzhi asked Xiao Fan to fetch Yu Qianying to the old manor to wait for thetest news. Then he shared a car with Qi Chenglin, Liu Dui, and a few policemen in to go back to the old manor. Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge went back in another car.

    ¡°It was all my fault...¡± Qi Chengyue was sobbing and she took a deep breath. She tried to suppress her crying and her voice sounded cold and dejected. ¡°If I had never been together with Jian Yi, there wouldn¡¯t have been so many troubles. It was me who invited him into the Qi family and caused a lot of trouble.¡±

    She was dispirited and was ming herself. She lowered her head and regretted inviting such a big trouble into the Qi family. If she did not request a divorce with Jian Yi that resulted with his banishment from their family without gaining anything and became so miserable, he would not have gone into hiding and kidnapped Song Yu to extort money from Qi Chengzhi.

    Maybe Jian Yi had hated Qi Chengzhi since a long time ago, but she knew that the divorce caused him to lose everything he gained after much scheming. That deepened the hatred he had for Qi Chengzhi and prompted him to carry out more extreme actions.

    She felt that the divorce was the breaking point and it caused the affairs that happened to be out of control.

    Cheng Dongge stretched his arm and held her hand. He pinched it firmly for a few times and spoke with his deep and steady voice, ¡°It was he who tried to get close to you in the beginning and lied to you. Besides, even if you didn¡¯t marry him, he would¡¯ve hated Young Master Cheng as long as Song Yu marry him, and he¡¯d still act in an extreme way to hurt Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Although he said that to her, Qi Chengyue was still extremely regretful. She covered her mouth to cover the sound of her weeping. ¡°I hope nothing bad would happen to Song Yu. If he hurt Song Yu and the child in her belly, then...I¡¯m truly worried. He hated Big Brother so much, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯d hurt the child.¡±

    Cheng Dongge stopped talking because he had no convincing reasons tofort Qi Chengyue with. Even he was worried.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were back to the old manor. When they entered the manor, they saw Yan Beicheng and Chu Zhaoyang were there too.

    Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna¡¯s eyes were red as they were crying non-stop. Guan Liya wasforting them. When they saw that he was back, Yan Beicheng and Chu Zhaoyang stood up.

    ¡°Why did you alle?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi. He saw there was a piece of luggage on the coffee table.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to send money.¡± Yan Beicheng pointed at the luggage on the coffee table. ¡°We received Chenglin¡¯s message so Lao Chu, Xiao Han, Gui Zi and I put together 23 million. The two of them were in another city, so they asked their brothers to send the money to us.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Qi Chengzhi softly and he nodded at them.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± replied Yan Beicheng. The money was taken from their savings¡ªthey did not tell their family about the abduction.

    At this moment, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang again. Liu Dui became alert instantly. Qi Chengzhi answered it, the caller was Jian Yi.

    ¡°Have you raised the money? There¡¯s no time left if you haven¡¯t,¡± taunted Jian Yi through the phone.

    ¡°Tell me where you want me to go,¡± replied Qi Chengzhi coldly.

    After that, he followed Jian Yi¡¯s instructions and got into the car alone. Liu Dui and the few policemen stayed in the old manor.

    Grandmother Qi nervously prayed while holding a bunch of prayer beads. ¡°Please bless us, bodhisattva <sup>1</sup> . Please bless us, Buddha, please don¡¯t let anything bad happen to the children. Please make sure they¡¯re safe and sound.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The floor was cold so Song Yu dared not sit on it until now. However, she felt like her legs became swollen after standing for so long. She could no longer bear the pain at her calves and her lower back. She could only support her waist with her hands and massaged it. She started to support her body with her elbows so that she could lean against the wall for a while without being in contact with it.

    The iron door opened again. Jian Yi walked in and untied her legs.

    Song Yu felt her heart thumped once. ¡°Qi Chengzhi is here?¡±

    Jian Yi sneered at her. He did not talk and stood up to hold her arms, then he stopped moving.

    Qi Chengzhi was standing outside of the old and deserted workshop. He shouted in a loud voice, ¡°Jian Yi, I¡¯m here. Where¡¯s Song Yu?¡±

    After a while, the workshop¡¯s iron door opened slowly with a creaking sound. He then saw Jian Yi was grabbing Song Yu¡¯s arm and walking out of the workshop. Qi Chengzhi nearly went ballistic.

    Jian Yi had a gun which Qi Chengzhi did not know where he got it from. The gun barrel was pressing against Song Yu¡¯s belly and her face was deathly pale. She looked at Qi Chengzhi yearningly.

    He was standing a few meters in front of her and carrying a piece of luggage in his hand. He was still standing upright but he appeared to be haggard. She could not help but regret going back home today.

    ¡°Jian Yu, this is the money you asked for. Put the gun away,¡± said Qi Chengzhi with his teeth ground. He was clenching his fists and took a step forward. Jian Yi pulled Song Yu and retreated one step.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move. If you take one more step forward, I¡¯ll shoot her belly,¡± warned Jian Yi.

    ¡°Jian Yi, you¡¯re crazy!¡± Song Yu felt Jian Yi was pressing the gun barrel on her belly when he talked. ¡°If you dare, just shoot the gun and kill me! I shouldn¡¯t have saved you in the beginning! I really regretted knowing you in my life! Bastard! You¡¯re a beast!¡±

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± shouted Qi Chengzhi inadvertently as he was worried that Jian Yi would be provoked by her words.

    Previously he never felt that Jian Yi would hurt Song Yu, but when he witnessed Jian Yi¡¯s current deranged manner, he became unsure of it. He dared not stimte Jian Yi because it would risk Song Yu¡¯s life.

    Jian Yi had now gone crazy and had as though lost his human nature.

    Jian Yi smiled coldly. ¡°Open the luggage and let me see what¡¯s inside.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi unzipped it and revealed the money inside. Jian Yi gauged the amount of money inside and ordered, ¡°Throw it here.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi threw the luggage filled with money before Jian Yi. The luggagended with a thud.

    ¡°I¡¯ve given you the money, now release her,¡± said Qi Chengzhi immediately.

    Jian Yi snorted. He reached for a dagger kept at his lower back and took it out. Qi Chengzhi stared at him and saw a dagger was thrown to the ground beside his feet.

    ¡°Pick it up, stab yourself to death, then I¡¯ll let her go,¡± said Jian Yi softly.

    Song Yu opened her eyes widely¡ªtears were streaming from her eyes. ¡°Jian Yi! You¡¯re not a man to threaten him like this. Shoot the gun if you dare, just kill me!¡±

    Now Song Yu knew the reason Jian Yiughed when she questioned him in the workshop just now.

    He did not simply want the 50 million¡ªhe also wanted Qi Chengzhi to be dead!

    Since the night before their wedding, he already wanted him dead and he had not given up until now.

    Immediately after, Song Yi heard Jian Yi loaded the gun. ¡°You really want me to kill you? With your unborn child? Think about it, the baby in your belly is your child with Qi Chengzhi. After today, I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll be the only child of Qi Chengzhi left, so do you want him to die? He¡¯d be dead before being born and seeing the world.¡±

    ¡°If I die, Qi Chengzhi would be alive and he can marry another woman. This wouldn¡¯t be his only child!¡± said Song Yu as she started to cry. ¡°Jian Yi, please kill me! Just kill me! Aren¡¯t you trying to make use of me to threaten Qi Chengzhi! I rather die than being used by you to threaten his life! Just shoot me if you dare! Didn¡¯t you load the gun? Kill me now! You¡¯re a beast¡ªI regret knowing you. Why did you turn into this kind of person? Aren¡¯t you ashamed of saying that you like me by treating me like this? The only person you love is yourself, I shouldn¡¯t help you at that time and should let the group of people beat you to death! You¡¯re a bastard. Why are you so evil? How could you be so evil?!¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi framed me and nned to murder me through the hands of Wang Qingyi. Why didn¡¯t you say something about it? You only allow him to kill me? If you must choose one of us to die, you¡¯d surely choose me without any hesitation, right? Song Yu, you kept on repeating that our friendship hadsted for more than twenty years yet this is what I get from you in the end?¡± said Jian Yi ferociously as he stared at Song Yu mockingly.

    Song Yu¡¯s pupil was quivering as she saw he was sneering at her. ¡°Why can¡¯t you talk anymore? This is what you¡¯re thinking of, right?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t wish for anyone to die. Why must you make someone die?¡± Song Yu was exasperated.

    Jian Yi did not answer her and instead turned his head and looked at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, she was willing to die for you. What do you think about it? Are you going to stand there and watch me kill her? I had tried my best to be benevolent by not torturing you and making you stab yourself slowly to death. Today, I¡¯ll let you die swiftly. Just stab yourself at the heart and I¡¯ll straight away release her and your child.¡±

    ¡°Why should I believe you? Previously you said you¡¯d let her go after receiving the 50 million, but you didn¡¯t keep your promise.¡± Qi Chengzhi stared firmly at Jian Yi, his hands trembling due to the tension.

    He dared not look at Song Yu¡¯s belly because he was afraid that he would have a nervous breakdown. There was a loaded pistol pointing at it.

    ¡°I told you I wanted 50 million at that time but I didn¡¯t promise to let her go,¡± Jian Yi sneered. ¡°Looks like you couldn¡¯t think properly due to your concern for her. You¡¯re such a smart guy, how could you overlook this kind of trick?¡±

    Jian Yi was pressing the gun barrel forcibly at Song Yu¡¯s belly again. ¡°Please make your decision faster¡ªdo you want your life or do you value the lives of Song Yu and the child more? I¡¯ll count to three, and I¡¯ll shoot if you don¡¯t pick up the knife.¡±

    After Jian Yi finished talking, he started to count. ¡°One.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi dared not hesitate, he quickly bent his body and picked up the dagger. He was pointing the dagger toward himself and holding it tightly. ¡°Can you guarantee you¡¯d let her go this time?¡±

    ¡°Would you believe me even if I said I guarantee it?¡± Jian Yi sneered at him. ¡°If you don¡¯t do it, Song Yu and the child would surely die. If you do it, maybe they¡¯ll live. You want my guarantee? Do you think you still have the power to choose now?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth. ¡°Jian Yi, if you¡¯re still a man, then keep your promise.¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡±ughed Jian Yi arrogantly. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, it¡¯s your turn now. Do you remember how you forced me and Guan Xiaolin to abort the pregnancy? Didn¡¯t it feel good to be able to control and change others¡¯ fate as you wish? Today I¡¯m going to let you experience the helpless feeling when a person was being threatened and forced to do something.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet and ced the tip of the knife on his stomach.

    Jian Yi narrowed his eyes. ¡°I want you to stab your heart, not your stomach.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll die even if I stab here, but I¡¯d die slower and suffered more. I want to watch you let Song Yu go with my own eyes, even after the knife was stabbed into my body.¡± The knife¡¯s tip was pushed slightly deeper and Qi Chengzhi could feel a sharp pain from his belly.

    ¡°Stop!¡± shrieked Song Yu. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, stop it! Qi Chengzhi, please leave! He¡¯d never kill me, just go away! I don¡¯t allow you to continue stabbing yourself!¡±

    ¡°Two,¡± said Jian Yi loudly.

    ¡°Jian Yi, you could still make it if you leave now and nobody would stop you. I guarantee that we won¡¯t report to the police and Qi Chengzhi would tell them nothing. Please stop. Just take the money and go wherever you want,¡± said Song Yu anxiously.

    Jian Yi did not look at Song Yu, he was ring at Qi Chengzhi maliciously. ¡°Three!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth and abruptly stabbed himself forcibly with the dagger.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu could not stop him as she saw the entire dagger embedded into his abdomen. His hands which still looked elegant and attractive were holding the handle of the dagger firmly. He did not even bend his body¡ªthere was nothing that could make him bow, not even death. He stood there straight and upright.

    Song Yu¡¯s vision had be blurred and all she could see was a dense fog surrounding her. She could see his shirt turned into a deep red at the abdomen part. The red color slowly spread to the adjacent part and became arger area. Then, the hands of Qi Chengzhi which were holding the knife became red too.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, what are you doing?! Qi Chengzhi! Are you abandoning me and our child?¡± shouted Song Yu as she started to fall apart. She was struggling relentlessly. She burst into tears when she thought of a world without Qi Chengzhi in the future. Qi Chengzhi would not be around anymore for the rest of her life. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, have you gotten crazy or dumb? Jian Yi, let go of me!¡±

    ¡°Song Yu, please don¡¯t move, don¡¯t let him hurt you,¡± said Qi Chengzhi nervously. His face had turned chalk-white. He felt like he could not stand anymore, his body swaying.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled at Song Yu. His gaze was as gentle as it usually was. ¡°You take good care of the child and remember me for the rest of your life, okay? I seldom tell you that I love you.¡±

    ¡°I know it! I know it! I know you love me, there¡¯s no need to express your love in this way. You¡¯re a bastard, Qi Chengzhi... Do you n on abandoning me like this?¡± Song Yu would have chosen to die with him if she was not pregnant, but she had a child to look after. ¡°Jian Yi, let go of me, let go of me! I wanted to look at him! You said you would let me go, let go of me now!¡±

    She wanted to apany Qi Chengzhi and stayed by his side now, she could not bear not touching him as she watched him dying slowly in front of her.

    ¡°I had done what you asked, release her,¡± said Qi Chengzhi weakly, his lips were pale and dry. His blood was flowing continuously out of his body from the abdomen, his hands were painted red.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll keep my promise,¡± said Jian Yi softly, he was extremely pleased. ¡°I won¡¯t kill Song Yu and your child, but I¡¯ll take them away with me. I¡¯ll use your money, feed your wife and sleep with her. Once your child is born, I¡¯ll throw him away. He may not be able to survive. Even if he does, he¡¯d never be the son of the Qi family as he could only be a homeless child. Maybe he¡¯d resort to stealing, robbing or taking drugs. I wonder how long he¡¯ll survive?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could no longer stand anymore. He could only re at him tenaciously as he listened to him.

    Song Yu was ring at Jian Yi as her hands were tied to her back by the ropes. It was then when she showed determination in her eyes. She clenched her teeth and knocked Jian Yi¡¯s chest strongly with her head.

    Qi Chengzhi felt his heart almost jumped out of his body. He was afraid that Jian Yi would just pull the trigger¡ªhis pistol was already loaded!

    ¡°Song Yu!¡± shouted Qi Chengzhi feebly. He fell to the ground facing down after he took just one step forward.

    Apparently, Jian Yi did not expect Song Yu to do this. He stumbled after he was knocked by her and unconsciously let go of Song Yu¡¯s arms. Song Yu had no time to consider the safety of her child as she hurriedly staggered toward Qi Chengzhi, but her arm was immediately clutched by Jian Yi.

    Song Yu grappled with him with all her might, she heard a gunshot when Jian Yi was just about to aim his gun at her.

    Song Yu was stunned, she looked at Qi Chengzhi and saw no extra wound. She then looked at her body and noticed it was uninjured too and she felt no pain. Suddenly, she heard something fell to the ground. Song Yu turned her back and saw blood was flowing out from a wound at Jian Yi¡¯s arm. His gun was dropped beside his feet.

    Jian Yi bent his body to pick up the pistol when another gunshot and his right chest was shot as well. Jian Yi screamed in pain and fell to the ground. Song Yu kicked his gun far away from him without hesitation, then she ran toward Qi Chengzhi.

    At the same time, a group of fully armed policemen appeared out of nowhere. This ce was a tnd with no objects to hide behind and that was the reason Jian Yi chose this ce.

    They dashed toward them and captured Jian Yi. One of the policemen untied Song Yu.

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± shouted Song Yu while crying. Once her hands were unbound, she ran to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s side in a split second.

    Song Yu was grabbing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand forcibly. His hands were covered with blood. Qi Chengzhi forced a difficult smile at her. ¡°My hands are dirty.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking!¡± Song Yu was grasping his hands and helped him to wipe off the blood on his hands, but there was too much blood and she could not clean his hand at all. Her hands had turned red too.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry... It¡¯ll be bad for your body,¡± whispered Qi Chengzhi weakly.

    ¡°Now you care about my body, but when you stabbed yourself, why didn¡¯t you think of what should I do if you abandon me? You take care of me so well, I couldn¡¯t even feed myself with food after you¡¯ve pampered me for so long. Don¡¯t you feel worried to leave me alone? I was counting on you to raise our child!¡± Song Yu stared at his weak face and was very afraid.

    She really hoped that he was healthy now. She missed his brooding and shameless expressions and she missed his stare which would make her feel nervous. She did not want to see him like this¡ªincapacitated and staring at her wearily.

    A policeman shouted from far away. ¡°There¡¯s no bullet in the gun.¡±

    Song Yu stared at Jian Yi who had fainted in astonishment. At this moment, the emergency medical staff walked to them carrying a stretcher. The ambnce was waiting at a ce far from here to prevent any unwanted casualties.

    They carefully put Qi Chengzhi on the stretcher. Two policemen were helping Song Yu up and they gave her a thin nket to wrap her body.

    ¡°I want to stay beside my husband,¡± said Song Yu. She got into the same ambnce as Qi Chengzhi with the help of others.

    Jian Yi was carried into another ambnce but Song Yu did not think of paying attention to him.

    In the car, the medical staff worked in cooperation to clean Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wound and the blood on his body and hands. They helped him wore an oxygen mask.

    Song Yu saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pale face which showed no redness at all. She felt like her heart was gripped by something as she feared he might not make it.

    The medical staff was giving him emergency treatment, but they dared not pull out the knife yet. Although he was feeling dizzy and worn out, Qi Chengzhi dared not shut his eyes. He felt very drowsy but he restrained himself from sleeping. He could not shut his eyes because he knew Song Yu would be concerned.

 Chapter 270 - I Am Already Used to Being Pampered by Him

    <h4>Chapter 270: I Am Already Used to Being Pampered by Him</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The medical staff providing emergency treatment dared not pull out the knife. Although he was feeling dizzy and worn out, Qi Chengzhi dared not shut his eyes. He felt very drowsy but he restrained from sleeping. He could not shut his eyes because he knew Song Yu would be concerned.

    He was staring at Song Yu the entire time. He saw her crying and scolding him. He concentrated on her as if he knew his time was limited. His mouth twitched due to the pain. He was afraid that he would not be able to survive, and, so, he resolved to look at her for as long as possible before he died.

    It was hard to predict this kind of event. Is there no one who could guarantee his survival? What if the injury sustained was too severe?

    Song Yu knew the direction of his thoughts by the intensity of his stare, and her tears started to flow endlessly. She bent down and pressed kisses onto his forehead. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, please don¡¯t die, please don¡¯t die. I want you to look after me for the rest of my life, Qi Chengzhi. I¡¯m begging you. I beg you please don¡¯t leave me alone, I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    They had only been together for such a short period after reuniting, how could that ever be enough?

    In her opinion, it was too short a time. Even an entire lifetime with him would be too short. She always regretted theirte meeting and thought had he waited too long before finding her. When she looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sick appearance now, she felt truly terrified.

    Qi Chengzhi wiggled his fingers weakly in her grip. Song Yu looked at him and understood his message. She ced his hand on her belly, allowing Qi Chengzhi to feel the life that was growing in there.

    The ambnce reached the nearest hospital and Qi Chengzhi was lifted out of the ambnce. He was sent to an operation theatre which was already on standby. Song Yu held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand throughout the journey, only letting it go once they reached the operation theatre. She watched as Qi Chengzhi was pushed into the theatre.

    At this moment, Song Yu stood alone outside the theater with two policemen forpany. Song Yu was wrapped in a nket as she stared at the doors of the theater.

    One of the policemen offered her a cup of hot milk. She did not know where he had gotten it from. ¡°Drink some milk first.¡±

    Song Yu thanked him and took the cup of milk, but she did not have the strength to drink it. She felt like she would not be able to eat or drink anything until she was informed of the oue of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s surgery.

    ¡°Drinking milk would help in reducing the tension. You¡¯ll feel better after having some miss,¡± suggested another policeman. ¡°I have a colleague who was shot in the abdomen when he was carrying out a mission. He sustained a very severe injury but they managed to save him in the end. Mr. Qi will be fine.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and drank some of the milk. There was still no news from the theatre.

    Footsteps could be heard emitting from the end of the corridor. Then she heard someone calling out to her, ¡°Song Yu!¡±

    Song Yu turned her head around and saw Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi walking towards her. The other members of the Qi family and her parents were trailing behind.

    Upon seeing them, Song Yu stood up slowly. She could no longer bear the stress and she burst into tears.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes were red too. She rushed forward and embraced Song Yu.

    ¡°Grandma!¡± Song Yu cried, all her emotions pouring out with that single word. She was quivering with fear.

    Yu Qianying walked towards her.

    After Qi Chengzhi left with the money, Liu Dui also left to make some preparations. One of the policemen stayed in the old manor to update them on thetest events. Yu Qianying was informed that Jian Yi had been captured, and Qi Chengzhi had willinglymitted suicide to save Song Yu¡¯s life and that his life was now in danger. He was ready to sacrifice his own life for Song Yu. She had found it impossible to hate Qi Chengzhi once she had learned of the events.

    The hatred generated by the bankruptcy of the Song family was less important than a life.

    ¡°Mum, I¡¯m very scared. I¡¯m so scared, Chengzhi¡ª¡ª¡± Song Yu looked at Yu Qianying and she could not finish her sentence as she was overtaken by sobs. She was trembling in fear when she thought of the possibility of not having Qi Chengzhi by her side anymore.

    ¡°He would hate to part with you. He loves you so much, how could he leave you alone?¡± said Yu Qiangying while hugging her.

    Grandmother Qi let Song Yu go, looked up and closed her eyes in prayer. The prayer beads were still coiled around her wrist. ¡°Bodhisattva, please bless Chengzhi. Let him survive this critical moment, don¡¯t let anything bad happen to him. He has a wife and an unborn child. He is so young and shouldn¡¯t die now! I have already lost a grandchild and can¡¯t bear to attend the funeral of another grandchild. Bodhisattva, I beg you to bless him, please! The Qi family has nevermitted any sinful deeds before, so please don¡¯t punish us like this! I am willing to trade my life for his. I¡¯m so old and frail now, I have lived enough. If you really want to punish us, please take my life instead.¡±

    Qi Chengyue covered her mouth. She dared not look at their sorrowful expressions. Her shoulder trembled as she sobbed. Cheng Dongge enveloped her in a tight hug.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes had turned red, and he quietly went to the stairwell and smoked a cigarette by the window. After he had smoked a few cigarettes, he called Lawyer Song. ¡°How severe could the sentence of Jian Yi¡¯s crime be?¡±

    After talking with Lawyer Song, he walked back and saw Yu Qianyin supporting Song Yu as she lowered herself into a chair. ¡°Song Yu, I know you¡¯re heartbroken. All of us are suffering, but we don¡¯t know whether Qi Chengzhi will make it or not. If he is a lucky person and is blessed by Heaven, he will survive. You need to control your emotions now since you¡¯re pregnant with his child. If anything happens to you or your child it would only make things worse. Do you understand?¡±

    ¡°I know, but I¡¯m unable to do that.¡± Song Yu¡¯s whole body was trembling as she cried. Her chest was aching and her tears could not stop rolling down. She was unable to fight back her tears. ¡°I really want to go inside the theater and keep himpany. I want to be by his side.¡±

    ¡°How was the situation just now? Tell us all about it so that you will feel better. Don¡¯t hold back,¡± said Song Donglin gently as he moved to stand in front of Song Yu.

    ¡°At that time...that time Chengzhi was standing in front of me. I felt relieved after seeing him. I¡¯m afraid of nothing as long as he is around. I knew he would protect me, he would never let anything bad happen to me no matter what. I¡¯m truly unafraid of anything if he is by my side. At that moment, Jian Yi pointed his gun at my belly. Chengzhi had given him the money but he wanted more. He gave Chengzhi a knife and demanded that hemitted suicide, otherwise, he would kill me and my child. If I were not pregnant... if I were not pregnant... I would surely choose to die first. I will let Jian Yi kill me so that he can¡¯t threaten Chengzhi. But Chengzhi stabbed himself in the stomach with the knife. He did that because he wanted to look at me for a longer time and ensured that Jian Yi released me. Fool, he was a fool.¡± Song Yu lowered her head and continued crying. She covered her face with her hands. It did not take long for her hands to be covered with tears, and they were dripping down from the spaces between her fingers. Her hands reminded her of how Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands looked when they were soaked in blood.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t he know that if anything bad happened to him my life would be meaningless? If I were not pregnant, I would die together with him. Since I¡¯m carrying Youjin, I¡¯m going to take care of myself so that he is well cared for, but I will never marry another man again. I¡¯m already used to being pampered by Qi Chengzhi. I know that no one in the world would treat me like he did.¡± Qi Chengzhi was such a magnificent man, who could rece him? Who could everpare to him?

    Yu Qianying eyes were bloodshot, she turned her head away as she could not bear to hear it anymore.

    At this moment, the door beside the operation theater opened and Jian Yi was pushed out. Although he was shot two times, the bullet did not hit the critical areas, so his injury was much less severe than Qi Chengzhi¡¯s. Initially, there was a risk of him dying from losing too much blood but received treatment on time, so he managed to survive after the bullet was removed and his wounds were sutured.

    The two policemen walked towards them and the doctor exined his current condition to them. Qi Chengyue turned her head suddenly and left Cheng Dongge¡¯s embrace to run toward them. ¡°Why did you save him?! Why save him?! Let him die! That bastard, it¡¯s better to let him die! Why did you save him?!¡±

    Qi Chengyue wanted to grab Jian Yi, who was still anesthetized, and tear apart his wound. The two policemen quickly stopped Qi Chengyue, and Cheng Dongge went to hug her. The nurses hurriedly pushed Jian Yi into the ward.

    ¡°Chengyue, please calm down.¡± He stroked the back of her head and kissed her forehead.

    Qi Chengyue wept in his embrace. ¡°Why? Why did nothing happen to that bastard? Why has his life so quickly saved, while my Big Brother is still inside receiving treatment? Why didn¡¯t that bastard go to hell?¡±

    ¡°Just let it be since he has already survived. Let him rot in jail forever. Maybe he¡¯d suffer more by living.¡± Cheng Dongge whispered in her ear, ¡°Don¡¯t forget the reason Jian Yi went into hiding. Wang Qingyi¡¯s aplices were caught and thrown into jail; they would never spare him. Jian Yi will regret not dying today.¡±

    After Qi Chengyue heard what he said, she finally calmed down. So long as Jian Yi received the retribution he deserved, she would feel better.

    Many hours passed, and the sky outside had turned fully dark. The door of the central operation theatre opened a few times for the nurses to run hurriedly to the blood bank.

    Every time the theater opened, Song Yu¡¯s heart clenched. She watched the nurses running hastily about like they were in a war. She wanted to stop them to ask about the situation in the theater, but she was afraid that it would interfere with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s treatment, so she could only stare at them helplessly.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chenglin went to the hospital¡¯s canteen to buy food for everyone, but nobody had any appetite. The corridor was saturated with the fragrance of food, but no one was eating.

    ¡°Mum, you should eat something at least. We¡¯re young and can stand the hunger, but not dad and you.¡± Xia Wenna was holding a box of rice and trying to persuade Grandmother Qi, who had refused to eat since the beginning.

    ¡°If I die, maybe I could trade my life for Chengzhi¡¯s life,¡± mumbled Grandmother Qi weakly.

    ¡°Mum, what are you talking about? Chengzhi will be fine. He won¡¯t want to see you sick when he wakes up,¡± said Xian Wenna.

    ¡°Yeah, Dad, Mum, please eat something. If we ask you all to go back home and wait for the news, you would surely refuse, but please at least eat something here so you¡¯re not so hungry. If not, maybe both of you will copse before Chengzhies out.¡± Guan Liya coaxed.

    ¡°Song Yu, you too. Come and have some food with grandpa and grandma, you have a baby in your belly. Don¡¯t forget that is Chengzhi¡¯s child. Although you don¡¯t feel like eating, the child needs food.¡± Xia Wenna turned her head and looked at Song Yu, who appeared to be weak.

    ¡°Come, all of us should have some food.¡± Yu Qianying took the meal boxes and distributed them to everyone. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t let Chengzhi see our sick and tired faces when hees out.¡±

    Everyone epted their meal boxes but they did not move after taking it.

    All of them remained silent. Suddenly, they heard the operation theater¡¯s door open, and they all leaped to attention. Everyone stood up at once.

    Song Yu was afraid some issues had arisen when she saw the nurses rushing out of the theater. She was very scared that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face would be covered by a piece of cloth when they pushed him out.

    However, this time it was the surgeon in charge who came out. Song Yu felt relieved instantly when she saw that the doctor was at ease.

    ¡°Doctor, how was it?¡± asked Grandmother Qi as she grasped the doctor¡¯s hand.

    The doctor was very polite with Grandmother Qi. ¡°The surgery waspleted without a hitch. We¡¯re waiting for the patient to wake up. Now we¡¯ll send him to the intensive care unit, if there are noplications, he should be fine.¡±

    Song Yu finally heaved a sigh of relief when she saw them pushing Qi Chengzhi out. His eyes were shut, he was still under the influence of the anesthesia. He looked extremely calm.

    Song Yu sighed and began to sob; she was smiling and crying at the same time. She walked forward to grab Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and apany him to the intensive care unit.

    All of them were crammed into the ward. Now that they were sure that Qi Chengzhi would be all right, they ate the food in the meal boxes. Even Song Yu ate more than half of the portion.

    Song Yu insisted to stay and keep himpany through the night. She was reluctant to be even a step away from him. Grandmother Qi and the others were worried that it would be bad for the body because today had been a dreadful and strenuous day for her. If she did not rest well tonight, it may be bad for the child.

    However, they understood her desire to stay by him. They tried to persuade her but failed, so they did not insist on it. Qi Chenglin went to borrow a foldable mattress and wrapped it in a fewyers of bedsheet. Although it was not asfortable as the bed she had at home, she had tried her best to make itfortable so that Song Yu could have a good night¡¯s rest.

    After Qi Chengzhi woke up and was cleared for discharge, they would move him to Chutian Hospital so that Song Yu would not be so tired.

    Xia Wenna called Aunt Yang and asked her toe over and take care of Song Yu. At first, Qi Chengyue wanted to stay too, but, despite Qi Chengzhi being her brother, he was a man, so it would be quite inconvenient for the others to have her around whilst they helped him with his personal needs.

    Aunt Yang, in her advanced age, had seen plenty of things, so there were no qualms about her staying here.

    They waited in the ward till Aunt Yang arrived. Finally, they left, after plenty of persuasion from Song Yu.

    Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were quite old and it was hard for them to endure the day¡¯s stressful events. Grandmother Qi could be considered a heroine for not fainting after finding out that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s life was in danger.

    Although Aunt Yang remained at home, she knew of today¡¯s events. She had deliberately allowed them some privacy by going to the sofa and pretending to sleep.

    Song Yu was sitting by the bedside and holding Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. His usually strong hands did not have any strength in them. Song Yu lowered her head and stared at his elegant hands. His fingers were slender and the bones were visible, and, despite being limp now, they had been exceedingly steady whilst holding the dagger this afternoon.

    She could not help but remember his hands soaked in blood. Her heart ached with the thought of it. She lifted his hands and lowered her head to kiss every bone and joint of his hands gently.

    Then she looked up and gazed at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s calm and pale face. His facial features though still attractive did not hold their usual intensity. He looked frail.

    Song Yu¡¯s fingertips slid over his face, softly and gently, like she was drawing something. His eyes were closed and she missed not being able to see his enigmatic eyes. Her fingertips slid from his thick eyebrows downward and stopped on his eyelids. Her fingers caressed his eyshes before drifting downwards to his pale cheeks, his strong chin and finally the swell of his Adam¡¯s apple.

    When her fingertips touched the red string at his neck, Song Yu suddenly thought of something. She tugged the string until she saw the Buddha amulet <sup>1</sup> that he was always wearing. Then, she carefully ced it back into his shirt.

    ¡°Chengzhi, please wake soon, so that I can stop worrying,¡± said Song Yu as she held his hands.

    Song Yu had been unwilling to let his hand go. Before Qi Chenglin had left, he considerately ced the foldable mattress just beside Qi Chengzhi¡¯s bed, so Song Yu could hold his hand as shey on the mattress.

    Song Yu could not sleep soundly, because every time she closed her eyes she would see Qi Chengzhi¡¯s injured form. The image kept on appearing in her dreams. However, the amount of blood that poured from his abdomen was far greater than the amount he lost yesterday. His hands and shirt had turned red, and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s pale face was turned towards her as his lips moved like he wanted to tell her something, but not a sound was uttered.

    Song Yu, however, understood what he was trying to say:

    ¡°I love you.¡±

    After that, he fell to the ground in a faint, his blood pooling on the ground. Immediately, the scene shifted into the one at the hospital. A dejected doctor walked out of the operation theater and said to her, ¡°Sorry, we tried our best.¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± cried Song Yu jolting up to find that she was still holding Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. She turned her head and saw him still lying calmly in bed.

    Song Yu¡¯s body was soaked with sweat. Aunt Yang hurried to her side. ¡°Madam, did you have a nightmare?¡±

    Song Yu nodded. She was breathing heavily and could not talk. Aunt Yang helped Song Yu wipe away the sweat with a tissue paper. ¡°Do you want me to get you some hot milk?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head, she got up and felt fQi Chengzhi¡¯s temperature. She felt relieved after ascertaining that he was all right.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. You can go to sleep,¡± said Song Yu softly.

    Aunt Yang, satisfied that she was alright, went back to sleep. However Song Yu was not sleepy anymore, so she shut her eyes and pretended to sleep. She was afraid of falling asleep, afraid of seeing another horrendous nightmare.

    Every hour she would rise and check Qi Chengzhi¡¯s temperature, only once she was satisfied that he did not suffer from a fever would she lower herself back onto her mattress. She felt relieved after checking him.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Qi Chengzhi still had not woken up. The doctor, along with his students, came to examine him. The doctor told her that Qi Chengzhi¡¯s injury was quite severe. Although the surgery went smoothly, they should allow ample time for him to recover. As for when he would wake up, the doctor could not give an exact timing.

    Song Yu, who had been relieved that the surgery had been sessful, was not anxious. The nurse came and reced his fluid infusion bag with a new one. Song Yu felt sad when she saw his graceful hand being poked with a needle.

    She sat by his bedside and held his hands. ¡°Chengzhi, please wake up soon. I want to feel your arms around me once more.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi remained still and inactive.

    Song Yu ced his hand on her belly. ¡°You should soon be able to feel Youjin moving. Please wake soon, or you might miss his first moves entirely.¡±

    Song Yu leaned toward him and kissed his lips. She moved her lips slightly, rubbing them against his. After a while, Grandmother Qi and the others came. They brought her some dishes: rice, soup and bird¡¯s nest <sup>1</sup> . They were worried when they saw that Qi Chengzhi still had not regained consciousness. Xia Wenna¡¯s eyes were red, and she could not fight back her tears when she saw Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Youxuan did note. They did not tell him about the incident because they did not want to frighten him.

    In the afternoon, Liu Dui came with a few other policemen to record Song Yu¡¯s statement. They found out that Jian Yi had woken up and had been transferred.

    Liu Dui nced at Qi Chengzhi who was still unconscious and said, ¡°Abduction, extortion and attempted murder were very severe crimes. Please don¡¯t worry, he will get the justice he deserves through our judicial system.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about justice. We will think about itter. I just hope my grandchild will recover.¡± Grandmother Qi wiped away her tears. She had gone to a temple early this morning and found the abbot to assist her with her prayers for Qi Chengzhi.

    At this juncture, Liu Dui knew it was pointless to console her, so he left.

 Chapter 271 - Let Me Hold You

    <h4>Chapter 271: Let Me Hold You</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At this juncture, Liu Dui knew it was pointless to console her, so he left.

    A while after Liu Dui left, Yu Qianying and Song Donglin came. Yu Qianying was downcast as he sat down. It was admirable that Qi Chengzhi had sustained such a severe injury for Song Yu.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you staying here tonight too?¡± asked Xia Wenna.

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°I wish to always be by his side.¡±

    ¡°I can understand that you want to keep himpany, but you must prioritize your health first,¡± said Xia Wenna. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling unwell, please don¡¯t force yourself to stay.¡±

    She nced at the narrow foldable mattress. It was a spring mattress; no matter how thick the bedding was it would be ufortable to lie in it. Even rolling over in such a mattress would prove difficult.

    ¡°If Chengzhi wakes up, please inform us immediately no matter the time. Even if it is during the middle of the night,¡± urged Grandmother Qi before she left.

    Yu Qianying also gave her some advice. Song Yu promised that she would do her best to follow them. After that, all of them left.

    ...

    ...

    That night, Song Yuy sideways on the foldable mattress, facing Qi Chengzhi. The mattress barely came up to half the height of the hospital¡¯s bed, nheless, she held Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand with both of her hands and slowly drifted to sleep.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyebrow twitched, he could feel someone holding his hand; the hands were extremely soft and warm.

    He opened his eyes but could not see clearly see his surroundings because it was very dark in the ward. He looked down, noting that his hand was hanging by the side of the bed. It was held by a pair of soft and gentle hands.

    Just when he wanted to turn his body over, he felt a severe pain emitting from his abdomen. He took an involuntarily deep breath as he felt a sudden and tearing pain.

    Song Yu was sleeping shallowly because she was afraid that something might happen to him. She woke up immediately when she heard him moving.

    She sat up and saw that Qi Chengzhi had opened his eyes. He was staring at her with his bright eyes. Song Yu was extremely delighted and happy; she felt utter relief.

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu threw herself at him and held his face in both her hands. She pecked at various spots of his face. She was crying andughing at the same time. She kissed his forehead, eyelids, the bridge of the nose, cheeks, and lips. ¡°You¡¯re finally awake, you¡¯re finally awake.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could taste her salty bitter tears. His dry lips were slightly curled upwards, as he raised his hand to weakly stroke her back. Due to hisck of strength, his hand trembled slightly as he stroked her back,cking their usual steady fluidity.

    ¡°Don¡¯t cry,¡± whispered Qi Chengzhi. His voice was extremely hoarse, pecking her lips as he spoke.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do this anymore.¡± Song Yu cried while hugging him tightly. He dare not utter a sound, despite the stiff, painful twinge he felt at his neck. ¡°How could you stab yourself as you wish?! What do you want me to do? Why didn¡¯t you think about me?! What should I have done if you left me? Aren¡¯t you worried about me marrying another man, and your son having a different family name?!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her speechlessly. His weak voice was still hoarse and deep when he said, ¡°I just woke up and already you are angry with me.¡±

    If not for theck of energy and injured abdomen, he would already put her in her ce: below him.

    ¡°You knew I would be angry, but you still did it regardless?¡± Song Yu knew that he was too weak to do anything so she became bolder. She hugged him and said, ¡°If anything bad happened to you, I would never marry another man. No one can make me happy except you. How could you have the heart to abandon me and force me to spend the remainder of my life alone?¡±

    ¡°I was wrong,¡± whispered Qi Chengzhi in his hoarse voice.

    ¡°It is the perfect timing for you to admit your mistake,¡± said Song Yu sniffling.

    ¡°I¡¯m thirsty,¡± mumbled Qi Chengzhi. Song Yu was unsure whether it was because of his weak body or he did it deliberately, but his dry and husky voice sounded very gentle. She felt that this was an act, an act that she could not resist.

    ¡°Sorry, I was too focused by what you did that I forgot to prepare some water. Wait a moment,¡± said Song Yu guiltily. She got up from the foldable mattress right away and poured some water for him. When she turned around, she saw Aunt Yang was sitting on the sofa, her face riddled with embarrassment. She looked downward unsure where to turn her gaze to. Song Yu blushed, she had forgotten that Aunt Yang was staying with her. She was too excited and did not pay attention to her surroundings. Aunt Yang must have seen all her actions and heard all the words she had said now.

    Qi Chengzhi felt awkward as well. Song Yu had not misjudged him, he had been intentionally vulnerable in front of her through his injury. However, he did not expect Aunt Yang would be there to witness this vulnerability. It had been the first time he had revealed such a thing to anyone else.

    Song Yu poured some water into a ss and ced a thin straw into it. Aunt Yang adjusted his bed so that he could sit, then she walked out of the ward.

    Song Yu held the ss for Qi Chengzhi and helped position the straw so that he might drink. She said to him, ¡°Don¡¯t drink too much.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was feeling too weak to act stubborn, so he allowed her to hold the ss for him.

    As Song Yu was holding the cup, Qi Chengzhi stared at her as he drank the water. His eyes were glowing brightly. She felt like he had been resurrected and wanted to gaze at her as long as he could. Shadows oveid the skin below her eyes, and she looked like she had not rested well, even her cheeks were thinner and her eyes were sunken.

    Before this, her face was rosy because Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna fed her with plenty of supplements and she even became plumper as days passed by. However, she had be a shadow of her former self with the passing of a few days.

    ¡°How long have I been in bed?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi as he bit the straw; he was toozy to hold onto it with his hands.

    ¡°Not counting tonight, it has been a day,¡± answered Song Yu. She took away the cup when she saw that Qi Chengzhi had enough.

    ¡°You stayed here all this time?¡± The water had improved the quality of his voice; it had now returned to its supple, husky mellow tone.

    Song Yu did not answer him. Qi Chengzhi touched her cheeks with his dry and attractive hand, caressing her thin cheeks repeatedly. ¡°You aren¡¯t caring for yourself. You have be thin.¡±

    ¡°Who isn¡¯t the one caring for himself?¡± Song Yu¡¯s eyes turned red. ¡°How could I be at ease if I didn¡¯t stay here? You don¡¯t know how frightened I was when I saw you lying here unresponsive! I was so afraid that you would abandon me. I dared not sleep at night because I wouldn¡¯t have known if anything happened to you. I don¡¯t know if I miss¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Come here and let me hold you,¡± rumbled Qi Chengzhi, his Adam¡¯s apple bobbing with emotion. He opened his arms and faced her.

    Song Yu leaned toward him, carefully avoided the wound at his stomach. She buried her face into his arms and started crying. Her tears seeped into the hospital gown as she rested against him. His gown wet with tears clung onto his chest.

    She hugged Qi Chengzhi tightly, feeling his arms coiled around her. She could not smell the familiar scent that she hade to know so well, only the sterile scent of antiseptic. However, she still felt relieved and could not stop sniffing his body. She rubbed her face on his chest back and forth with utmost gratitude.

    ¡°Chengzhi, I beg you, please don¡¯t do this again in the future,¡± said Song Yu choking with emotion. ¡°Don¡¯t hurt yourself because of me or anyone else. Just stay well and healthy. Don¡¯t scare the hell out of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi could feel her trembling in his arms. He felt a lump in his throat. He could only pat her back continuously, and hebed her hair tofort her. He lowered his head to kiss her forehead and the corners of her eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for frightening you. I¡¯m all right now, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°You promise me that you would never do it again. Don¡¯t allow others to threaten you by making use of me.¡± Song Yu was miserable, how could he unhesitatingly hurt himself?

    After a long time, Qi Chengzhi still did not reply. Song Yu raised her head and saw that he was staring at her seriously. Song Yu knew him too well to recognize that it was his usual expression when he refused to obey her instructions.

    When he refused to listen, he would simply stop talking. He would not agree or fight back and would leave the matter unsettled.

    However, this time Song Yu decided not to let him muddle through like this. Her expression became stern and she instantly moved her body away from Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi did not have any strength to stop her now, he could only watch as Song Yu stood up with a surly expression.

    ¡°What are you doing? Come back.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was cool but he felt nervous.

    He had just narrowly escaped death, now he just wanted to hug Song Yu and feel the feeling of peace and content spread through him. A feeling that he could only get when she was in his arms.

    Qi Chengzhi tried to grab hold of her but she dodged it.

    Qi Chengzhi sighed and said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m injured. If I were to move I might tear open the wound again.¡±

    Song Yu was annoyed, but she did not have any other choice. Initially, had she wanted to force him to make that promise to her, but, in an unexpected turn of events, he had wound up threatening her with his injury. She didn¡¯t see a good way out.

    If he was truly desperate, he would do it.

    ¡°Come here quickly,¡± said Qi Chengzhi as he stretched his hand out toward her. As Aunt Yang was no longer in the room, his actions were unrestrained and open.

    Song Yu reluctantly held his hand again and returned to the bedside. In the end, she did not have the heart to argue with him and, since she was also not as stubborn as him, he won.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand tugged at her slightly, and Song Yu knew the meaning of the gesture. Shey back into his arms.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled contentedly, he caressed her back and kissed the corners of her eyes and cheeks gratefully. He wished he could hug her tightly as he usually did, but he did not have any strength left.

    He almost lost her. When he saw Jian Yi pointing his gun at her belly, he felt like his heart had stopped. It had been truly fortunate that she could still lie in his arms unharmed.

    Qi Chengzhi forcibly lowered his head to reach the corner of her mouth. Song Yu yieldingly lifted her head and allowed him to kiss her. She whispered, ¡°Aunt Yang will be back in a while.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and kissed her once again. ¡°Aah!¡± eximed Song Yu and she moved away from him.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter now?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi feebly.

    ¡°Grandma asked me to inform her once you woke up, no matter the time,¡± said Song Yu as she scrambled for her cell phone.

    Aunt Yang came back and she was holding a phone. She asked, ¡°Madam, what are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m looking for my phone. I have to call the old manor and inform them that Chengzhi has woken up.¡± Song Yu was blushing because she had just remembered about it. And Qi Chengzhi had been awake for a while now.

    ¡°I have called the old manor, his parents and the uncles: Mr. Qi and Mr. Song,¡± said Aunt Yang. She had informed all of them when she left the ward. It had been ordered to give them some privacy, but, as she had nothing else to do, she made the call. She reckoned Song Yu would not remember about it because she was too excited.

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned redder. Aunt Yang smiled at her and acted like she was unaware of it. She yawned and said, ¡°Sir, just call me if you need anything.¡±

    After she said that, shey back onto the sofa. She covered herself with a nket and turned her body over to face the sofa. They were unsure whether she had fallen asleep or not.

    Although they wanted to lie together, the hospital bed could not fit two, and Qi Chengzhi could not move, leaving Song Yu with little choice but to lie on the foldable mattress. Turning over, she once more took hold of his hand.

    She was unwilling to close her eyes after Qi Chengzhi had finally woken up. It was quite a foolish thought, but she was afraid that she would awaken to find all this to be only a dream.

    ¡°You should sleep now, you have not been resting well.¡± Qi Chengzhi pinched her hand.

    ¡°Mhm.¡± Song Yu was still gazing at Qi Chengzhi as she replied.

    As Qi Chengzhi was unable to turn, he could only look at her by turning his head. His neck was aching after a long while. ¡°Let¡¯s transfer to the Chutian Hospital tomorrow, the beds arerger there.¡±

    Song Yu smiled shyly. She blushed and nced at Aunt Yang¡¯s back and wondered whether she had heard his words.

    Song Yu slowly fell into sleep as she was able to rx now. She slept quite soundly. When Grandmother Qi and the others came the next morning, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were still sleeping; still holding each other¡¯s hands.

    Aunt Yang came out of the bathroom after washing her face and rinsing her mouth, she whispered to them, ¡°Madam went to sleep verytest night.¡±

    Grandmother Qi thought of the time when Aunt Yang had called her and she nodded.

    ¡°We brought breakfast, how¡¯s Chengzhi?¡± asked Xian Wenna, she was holding a container containing enough food for three people. Breakfast was prepared by the maid at home and was kept in food containers which were specially designed to preserve heat. As the containers were airtight, the scent of food did not permeate the air.

    ¡°He was quite energetic. He had talked to Madam for quite a while after he had woken up in the middle of the night,¡± said Aunt Yang with a smile.

    Although they tried to keep their voices low, Song Yu was still awakened by their voices. Song Yu opened her eyes and saw Grandmother Qi and the others. She got up in a hurry and released Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. Qi Chengzhi also woke up once she had let his hand go.

    Song Yu got up and hastily tidied up the ce. Xia Wenna adjusted the bed and asked, ¡°How do you feel?¡±

    ¡°Quite well, thank you,¡± said Qi Chengzhi.

    Grandmother Qi shed tears of joy. ¡°It¡¯s great to hear that, great to hear that.¡±

    Aunt Yang opened the Thermos sk and poured some porridge out of it. Qi Chengzhi was restricted to a diet of porridge, leaving the rest of the food in the container for Song Yu.

    Qi Chenglin took the initiative to transfer Qi Chengzhi to Chutian Hospital without him requesting it. He had nned to transfer him to Chutian Hospital once he had woken up.

    Yu Qianying called and told Song Yu that she wasing. Song Yu asked them to go to Chutian Hospital straight away and wait there.

    ¡°I finally feel relieved. I think I¡¯ll be able to sleep well tonight.¡± Xia Wenna heaved a sigh of relief. ¡°Wenna, Liya, please apany me to the temple tomorrow. That day I had requested a Buddha amulet for Chengzhi and Song Yu. After that, I went back there again and begged the bodhisattva to allow them to get through this. I have to practice dana <sup>1</sup> at the entrance of the temple for three days. Please apany me there tomorrow to redeem my vow,¡± said Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Sure.,¡± Xia Wenna agreed immediately, there was no harm believing in this kind of superstition.

    It was good timing for good deeds after all Qi Chengzhi had managed to survive and escape death.

    After Qi Chenglin settled the procedures, Qi Chengzhi was transferred to Chutian Hospital.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying had already been waiting at the entrance of Chutian Hospital for quite some time. After they saw Qi Chengzhi, Yu Qianying immediately asked about his condition.

    Qi Chengzhi was slightly startled, he did not expect Yu Qianying to care about him. He had been through various situations, but he was at a loss for words now.

    Yu Qianying felt a little awkward as she said, ¡°You almost sacrificed your life for Song Yu. I know that Song Yu will never find another man who would treat her likewise. Nothing is more important than the happiness of Song Yu. The things that happened previously are insignificant.¡±

    Grandmother Qi nodded happily. ¡°This may be a blessing in disguise.¡±

    Yu Qianying smiled at her, and Song Yu looked at her parents gratefully. The conflict between Qi Chengzhi and them was considered to be settled.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ward in Chutian Hospital was muchrger, being able to amodate a wide queen-sized bed. Although no cooking was permitted in the kitchen, a microwave oven was provided. There was a mini-suite in the ward which contained a small bedroom. There was a small bed inside, and it would be very convenient when Aunt Yang wanted to stay over, or anyone else for that matter.

    After Qi Chengzhi settled down, the doctor came in and examined him. The doctor confirmed that he was all right and he would only have to stay in the hospital until his wound healed. All of them were relieved after hearing what the doctor said.

    Qi Chenglin, Qi Zhongliang, and Qi Zhongxun still needed to rush back to thepany to work, so they left first.

    ¡°Song Yu, you should go back home and rest properly, you cane here after a good night¡¯s sleep. Look at the dark circles around your eyes. Since Chengzhi is alright now, you shouldn¡¯t be staying here. This is a hospital after all and there are too many germs around, it is bad for you and the child,¡± said Xia Wenna.

    Xia Wenna meant well, so Song Yu dared not refused. She nced at Qi Chengzhi furtively and he said with a soft voice, ¡°Let her stay here, I almost did not make it. I want Song Yu to keep mepany. Pregnantdies whoe to the hospital for prenatal examinations regrly do not encounter any problems. This room was disinfected, so as long as Song Yu doesn¡¯t hang around outside it should be fine.¡±

    Xia Wenna sighed, she knew that after escaping death, their affection for each other would only increase.. It was now stronger than when they were newlyweds or when they were separated. They surely wanted to stick together during this time. She knew she could no longer dissuade them.

    ¡°Then you must make sure the disinfection was done properly. If you feel a little unwell, then you need toe back home right away. I won¡¯t give in further,¡± said Xia Wenna. She was a little unhappy with their decision; it was good that they were a loving couple, but they should not risk the safety of the baby.

    Song Yu dared not talk anymore. She lowered her head, sensing the willfulness behind her behavior, but she just hoped to keep himpany.

    Her hands which were hanging down loosely by her side were seized by Qi Chengzhi. Both of their hands were fair and clean, but Qi Chengzhi¡¯s fingers were bony and more masculine than hers. His slender and elegant fingers were pinching her thin and soft fingers. She felt her heart melt.

    Upon her middle finger sat the ring that Qi Chengzhi had given her. She had kept it out of sentimentality. After their wedding, Song Yu stopped wearing it for a while, but she could not stand not wearing it, so she put it back on her right hand.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s finger gently pinched the ring on her right middle finger and held her hands.

    Xia Wenna was speechless when she saw them quietly disying their affection for each other. Qi Chengzhi had never been so corny before. He was acting mawkishly but his expression stayed calm and cool. Xia Wenna felt quite ufortable watching them.

    Qi Chengzhi had woken up. Although his wound had not fully healed yet, he was feeling great. Besides, he was transferred to Chutian Hospital, so he could summon the nurse if anything happened. Therefore, Aunt Yang decided to leave and give Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu some privacy.

    Grandmother Qi and the others had left, so she invited Xia Wenna and Guan Liya to the old manor to prepare for the dana at the temple tomorrow. Grandmother Qi especially went there to pray to Pu Sa.

    There were only Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu left in the ward. Qi Chengzhi patted the empty space beside him. Although he was lying in the center of the bed and could not move due to the injury, there was ample space for Song Yu to sit beside him.

    He did not utter a word, just patted and stared at Song Yu. Song Yu blushed slightly and puckered her lips bashfully.

 Chapter 272 - Heâ€™s Old and Frail Now. His Strength and Energy Canâ€™t Compare to Us Young Menâ€™s

    <h4>Chapter 272: He¡¯s Old and Frail Now. His Strength and Energy Can¡¯t Compare to Us Young Men¡¯s</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He did not utter a word, he just patted and stared at Song Yu. Song Yu blushed slightly and puckered her lips bashfully.

    ¡°Come here quickly,¡± Qi Chengzhi urged. His voice was melodic and intoxicating even when prodding. His voice sounded righteous and firm, which did not suit his actions at all.

    Song Yu smiled bashfully. Carefully, she sat on the bed and lifted her legs. The top of the bed was inclined upward so when she leaned back, she was in a semi-sitting position.

    While looking after Qi Chengzhi in the hospital these two days, Song Yu barely got any rest. Now, she finally got that chance. She felt like her legs were all swollen.

    Qi Chengzhi could not turn his body. He could only put his arms around her, letting Song Yu rest her head on his shoulder. Qi Chengzhi leaned his head and pecked her forehead again and again. He was grateful for being alive and being able to hold Song Yu. He felt lucky.

    Song Yu looked up and stared at him submissively. She puckered her lips, inviting him into a kiss. Qi Chengzhi smiled. He never nned to kiss her on her lips¡ªhe wanted to let her rest. Nheless, since she took the initiative, Qi Chengzhi epted her invitation and kissed her. They made out gently. Now that he was injured, he could not kiss her intensely. He let her go.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t rested this whole time. Go to sleep.¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered in a smoky voice.

    Indeed, Song Yu was feeling tired. She was finally free of worries and responsibilities. Thus, she found afortable position on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulder and closed her eyes.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her forehead again before he moved her head onto the pillow. He closed his eyes and slept too.

    ...

    ...

    It was after some time since Qi Chengzhi had long fallen asleep. Suddenly, he felt the body in his arms struggle. Beside his ear, a soft but hurried mumble sounded, ¡°Chengzhi! Chengzhi! No, Chengzhi, don¡¯t!¡±

    When he noticed that his shoulder was wet, Qi Chengzhi woke up in an instant. He looked down and saw Song Yu shifting anxiously on his shoulder. Her face was nched. Qi Chengzhi did not know how long has she been crying but his hospital pajama was soaked.

    ¡°Song Yu. Song Yu!¡± Qi Chengzhi quickly shook Song Yu around. After a long while, Song Yu eventually woke up.

    Song Yu¡¯s mind was still trapped in her nightmare. In a daze, she stared at Qi Chengzhi with confusion in her eyes. The tears welled up in her eyes poured out before she knew it.

    ¡°Nightmare?¡± Qi Chengzhi whispered. Seeing her frail and feeble appearance, his heart ached.

    Her chalk-white face was stained with tears. Her nose was red and her lips were swollen. As she sobbed, she still appeared disorientated.

    After a long time, she finally sniffled and exined, ¡°I dreamt about that day... You... you took a knife and stabbed yourself. You fell and never got up again.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s over. I¡¯m fine now.¡± Qi Chengzhi held her tight, gently stroking her hair. He leaned in to kiss her tears away.

    Her tears flowed like a creek. As his lips pressed against her cheek, they were soaked in her tears. His mouth was filled with the taste of salt.

    ¡°Hush now. I¡¯m fine. Aren¡¯t you in my arms right now? I¡¯m fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi cupped his hand on her cheek and wiped her tears. As he kissed her, her frigid lips regained some warmth.

    Qi Chengzhi had some porridge in the morning, giving him energy. He held her hand firmly and pulled it to his face, which had blood, flesh, and warmth.

    Song Yu clutched onto his neck. She took a deep breath close to his neck, feeling his warmth. Eventually, she calmed down.

    Qi Chengzhi pressed his lips into a tender line and wiped the tears from her face.

    ¡°Chengzhi, promise me you¡¯ll never do something like this again. Don¡¯t hurt yourself for me. Please. I¡¯m begging you. Okay?¡± Song Yu ced her hands on his face. Her pupils were trembling.

    She told him the same thing yesterday night. She even pretended to be mad at him, but he never promised her anything. This time, however, she was truly afraid.

    Seeing her pale face, Qi Chengzhi was worried she would stay fearful and anxious forever if he did not promise her. If she kept herself on edge like this, she would eventually fall sick. Thus, Qi Chengzhi sighed and replied, ¡°Fine, I promise.¡±

    Song Yu let out a sigh of relief. Her twitching lips curled up a little. She rubbed her tears away with the back of her hand then turned to kissed Qi Chengzhi on the corner of his lips.

    There was a knock on the ward¡¯s door. Song Yu nced at the door. Getting off the bed, she grabbed a tissue to dry her tears and clean her nose.

    Song Yu opened the door to see Liu Dui standing outside. She quickly invited him in.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, Mrs. Qi.¡± Liu Dui came in. ¡°How is Mr. Qi¡¯s wound?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still healing,¡± Song Yu answered as she poured a ss of water for Liu Dui.

    Liu Dui did not want to trouble Song Yu, especially because she was pregnant. ¡°Mrs. Qi, don¡¯t trouble yourself. I¡¯m here to check up on Mister Qi. Is it a good time to record your statements?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Chengzhi was quite alert after sleeping for a while just now.

    Once the two of them gave their statements, Liu Dui exined, ¡°Jian Yi is still recovering in the hospital. We have our eyes on him so don¡¯t worry. Once he gets discharged, perhaps in a month or so, you two should be able to testify in court.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°Do Jian Yi¡¯s parents know?¡±

    Song Yu had always had a good impression of Jian Shibo, especially when Jian Yi and Qi Chengyue were getting a divorce. At that time, Jian Shibo apologized to Qi Chengyue and the Qi family. He even wanted to divorce Zhou Mingyan.

    At least the Jian family still had Jian Shibo who one could talk sense with.

    ¡°I¡¯ve contacted them. Nevertheless, even though Jian Yi is in the hospital, he isn¡¯t allowed any visitors. Jian Shibo goes to the hospital every day and watches him from the window,¡± Liu Dui revealed. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±

    Song Yu saw him to the door. Suddenly, she remembered something. ¡°That day, I heard your colleague shouting that Jian Yi¡¯s gun had no bullets in it.¡±

    Liu Dui nodded. ¡°Indeed, it was empty.¡±

    Song Yu kept quiet.

    After Liu Dui left, Song Yu returned to the bed. She and Qi Chengzhi did not discuss the Jian Yi¡¯s incident anymore.

    At five o¡¯clock, Yu Qianying brought porridge and Song Yu¡¯s dinner which she cooked. Aunt Yang had been in the hospital for two nights. She wanted to bring them dinner tonight but Yu Qianying stopped her, iming that she should stay home and rest due to her age.

    ¡°You can only have fluids now so I crushed the rice grains while cooking. It goes down very smoothly.It¡¯s also easy to digest.¡± Yu Qianying poured out the porridge from a thermos. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the food outside might have some added substances, so everything I bring is home-cooked.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± Qi Chengzhi said in his elegant voice.

    She smiled and handed the porridge to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°We¡¯re family, no need to thank.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi knew that Yu Qianying not only forgave him but wanted to write off everything as the past¡ªas though it never happened. As she did not want to bring it up, Qi Chengzhi did not either.

    Seeing that Yu Qianying hadpletely forgiven Qi Chengzhi, she said, ¡°Mom, we want to invite you and Dad to Grandma¡¯s birthday.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Yu Qianying nodded gleefully. She took out the dinner she made for Song Yu. ¡°Hurry up and eat. I¡¯ll be going. I still need to cook for your father when I get home.¡±

    ¡°Mom, wait here for a while. I¡¯ll call Chang Lai toe and send you home,¡± Qi Chengzhi offered.

    ¡°No, there¡¯s no need.¡± Yu Qianying waved her hands. ¡°I can get a ride at the entrance. Now that there¡¯s an app for cabs, it¡¯s much easier to get a ride.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you to the entrance,¡± Song Yu offered as she saw Yu Qianying to the door.

    ¡°No, you should stay here. Don¡¯t simply go out. While passing by so many wards and riding the elevator, you might get some sort of infection. Be good and stay here. Don¡¯t go walking around. ¡± Yu Qianying stopped Song Yu in haste. ¡°Not only your grandmother is worried about you¡ªso am I. Nheless, seeing that you two had just been through an incident this big, I won¡¯t nag you, but don¡¯t you dare be so stubborn next time.¡±

    Song Yu was forced to stop at the doorway. In a low voice, she replied, ¡°Okay. Call me when you reach home. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be worried.¡±

    Yu Qianying patted Song Yu¡¯s shoulders then left. Song Yu stood at the doorway and stared at Yu Qianying as she walked away. She noticed that Yu Qianying had indeed gotten older. Suddenly, her heart ached.

    ...

    ...

    As Yu Qianying was walking out of the outpatient department, she saw Yan Beicheng, Chu Zhaoyang, Han Zhuoli, and Gui Zhiqian walking toward her. There were three employees from Yan Beicheng¡¯s hotpot restaurant following behind them. Each of them was holding arge box.

    ¡°Auntie?¡± Yan Beicheng was walking at the front saw Yu Qianying first.

    ¡°Are you all here to see Chengzhi?¡± Yu Qianying inquired.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to see how he¡¯s doing and have dinner with him,¡± Yan Beicheng answered smilingly.

    Yu Qianying glimpsed at the three workers standing at the back. Would it be alright to have hotpot in a hospital ward?

    She nced at Chu Zhaoyang and thought about how convenient it was to know the owner.

    ¡°Alright, go ahead. I was here to bring him dinner too. I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Yu Qianying said with a smile. ¡°Luckily, I brought quite a lot of food, so you guys can have some too.¡±

    Hearing that, Yan Beicheng asked, ¡°How are you going home?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take a cab,¡± Yu Qianying replied with a smile.

    ¡°Please wait for a while,¡± Yan Beicheng said as he took out his phone. ¡°Shao Huai, turn the car around. Come and fetch Song Yu¡¯s mother home.¡±

    ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t want to trouble you,¡± Yu Qianying said hastily the moment Yan Beicheng hung up.

    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble at all. After all, we won¡¯t be leaving for a while. Besides, Shao Huai is idle. Since he¡¯s here, it¡¯s also convenient for him to send you home.¡± Yan Beicheng insisted. He smiled faintly. At that moment, his expression was different from when he joked with Qi Chengzhi and his friends¡ªit was stern.

    Since he ran into Song Yu¡¯s mother here, he could not let her go home alone.

    Yu Qianying watched as Yan Beicheng stood straight with an air of authority. He had one hand in his pocket and his lips were curled into a faint smile. He looked calm andposed. In her mind, she thought about the fact that everyone in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s social circle was at the top.

    Shao Huai arrived. Yu Qianying did not decline his offer anymore. Instead, she thanked him, said goodbye to the others and left with Shao Huai.

    Song Yu was holding the bowl of porridge, wanting to feed it to Qi Chengzhi. Although Qi Chengzhi had more energy now, the wound in his abdomen was still preventing him from sitting up. Additionally, the hospital bed could only be inclined upward to a certain degree¡ªit was inconvenient for him to feed himself.

    ¡°Eat your food first. You can feed me once you finish yours,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. He was afraid she would get sick from hunger.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry yet. Besides, drinking porridge doesn¡¯t take long.¡± Song Yu had already sat down and scooped a spoonful of porridge. Even though the porridge was in a thermos, the journey to the hospital was quite long so the porridge was at optimum temperature. Song Yu did not have to blow on it. She moved the spoon straight to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°Blow on it for me,¡± Qi Chengzhi demanded coolly in a deep voice. He was clearly being needy yet he said it with a straight face. His stern lips pressed together tightly, refusing to drink the porridge.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu moved the spoon closer to his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s not even hot.¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a little more scrupulous?¡± Qi Chengzhi raised an eyebrow at her.

    Speechlessly, Song Yu retracted the spoon and blew on it just for the sake of satisfying him. Only then did Qi Chengzhi drink it. He was like a child.

    After he drank around half a bowl of the porridge, the door suddenly swung open. Song Yu realized that she did not lock the door when she saw Yu Qianying out. They did not know who came or why they did not bother to knock. Turning their heads, they saw Yan Beicheng and the threeing in one after another.

    ¡°Why are you all here?¡± Qi Chengzhi questioned coolly, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°We wanted toe see you after work and have dinner in the meantime.¡± With a simple gesture from Yan Beicheng, the three workers came in and set up the hotpot.

    ¡°I can only have liquid food now.¡± Qi Chengzhi squinted.

    ¡°We know. You can just sit there and watch us eat¡ªthe important thing is that we¡¯re all together, creating a rowdy atmosphere,¡± Han Zhuoli stated. They were clearly here to tempt Qi Chengzhi.

    He watched as the waiters ced bowls after bowls of ingredients onto the table. They even brought their own induction cooker. After plugging in the cooker, the split pot was ced on the cooker. Once the soup base was poured in, a delicious aroma diffused from the pot.

    ¡°Song Yu,e eat with us.¡± Gui Zhiqian waved at Song Yu.

    How could Song Yu not notice that the group of men was doing this on purpose? She felt pity toward Qi Chengzhi. Therefore, she did not move an inch from her seat by the bed and continued to feed Qi Chengzhi his little bit of porridge left. ¡°I can¡¯t have heaty food now. You guys go ahead and eat. My mom brought me dinner just now.¡±

    ¡°You can have the bone broth. I had someone stew this especially for you. It¡¯s full of cogen.¡± Yan Beicheng went around the table and sat down. Eating hotpot was such a peasantly activity, yet sitting there, he could still maintain his air of luxury. His voice was clear and natural. ¡°It¡¯s good for your body.¡±

    Han Zhuoli came out of the washroom. When he passed by the bed end, he caught sight of the lunchbox Yu Qianying brought. He opened it and looked inside. ¡°Song Yu, it looks like your mom is quite an excellent cook. We ran into your mom downstairs just now. She heard that we¡¯re going to have hotpot so she said we can have some of her food too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu did not know whether he was telling the truth or not. Nheless, seeing Han Zhuoli¡¯s expectant look, she could not refuse. ¡°We can all have it.¡±

    Han Zhuoli beckoned Gui Zhiqian and Yan Beicheng. Then, he brought the lunchbox over to the table and dragged Song Yu with him. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go. Come eat with us. You gave us your dinner¡ªwe can¡¯t just let you starve.¡±

    Being pulled by Han Zhuoli, Song Yu turned to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi did not have the heart to let her starve. ¡°Go ahead and eat.¡±

    During the meal, Gui Zhiqian and Han Zhuoli were quite considerate. Gui Zhiqian filled a bowl of bone broth for Song Yu.

    ¡°Lao Chu, if there¡¯s anything on your confinement center¡¯s menu that would suit Song Yu, please have them bring it here.¡± Qi Chengzhi had nothing to do while lying on the bed. He grabbed a magazine from beside him and flipped through it. The aroma of the hotpot was making him hungry; especially after having to eat nd porridge for two days.

    Chu Zhaoyang called the confinement center instantly. Since Chutian Confinement Center was right behind Chutian Hospital, a healthy meal was swiftly sent to Song Yu.

    Song Yu could not stand leaving Qi Chengzhi on the lonely bed for too long, so she quickly filled her stomach and ran back to Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Look at you two lovebirds sitting on the bed. Ah, I can¡¯t stand looking at you two.¡± Han Zhuoli shook his head and clicked his tongue.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was getting uneasy sitting there. Embarrassed, she decided to sit on the chair by the bed instead. However, Qi Chengzhi grabbed hold of her.

    ¡°I¡¯m a patient¡ªyou have to take care of me,¡± Qi Chengzhi dered righteously as he lied on the bed with Song Yu.

    Yan Beicheng and his gang had finished their hotpot. Han Zhuoli could not stand it anymore. He suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t we y cards for a while? We¡¯ll have six yers including Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. I just learned a new game in T City.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi said nothing.

    Did anyone realize they were here to visit a patient?

    Gui Zhiqian nced at his watch. ¡°Yo, it¡¯s almost nine; don¡¯t y and let¡¯s go. Let Qi Chengzhi rest. He¡¯s old and frail now¡ªhis strength and energy can¡¯tpare to us young men¡¯s.

    Qi Chengzhi kept mum.

    Chu Zhaoyan nced at the little table in front of him in disappointment. Han Zhuoli pulled him up. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Yan Beicheng had his workers clean up the table. They removed everything and wiped the table clean.

    Song Yu saw them out the door and uponing back, she said, ¡°They¡¯re usually so solemn toward outsiders. Who would¡¯ve guessed they behave like this in private?¡±

    Seeing Qi Chengzhi grinning, Song Yu thought that in the past she did not know Qi Chengzhi was such a shameless person behind the curtain. Song Yu could not help but smile. She turned on the exhaust to suck out the smell of hotpot.

    ¡°What are you smiling at?¡± Qi Chengzhi tossed the magazine away. He had been holding it for a long time but in truth, he did not read a page.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu felt that it would be better if she kept it to herself. Seeing Qi Chengzhi squinting at her, she quickly announced, ¡°I¡¯m going to shower.¡±

    After more than half an hour, Song Yu came out with half-wet hair. Before this, she apanied Qi Chengzhi in not showering. She could feel her body starting to give out odors and her hair was oily.

    Now, she felt clean and refreshed. Her body was fragrant. Only now could she be with Qi Chengzhi peacefully. Before, she was afraid that he would be repelled.

    Song Yu came back and adjusted the bed so that it was t. She climbed onto the bed and nested herself in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. Qi Chengzhi embraced her cotton-soft body and sniffed at the fresh fragranceing off of her. He raised his hand and smelt his arm. ¡°I must smell bad by now.¡±

    Song Yu leaned toward his neck and took a whiff. ¡°No, you still smell quite good.¡±

    ¡°What were you smiling at just now? You were looking at me, then you abruptly started grinning.¡± Qi Chengzhi was hugging her. He kissed her face.

    ¡°Why do you still remember that?¡± Song Yu wiggled around in his arms and pillowed her head on his shoulder. ¡°Will you feel tired if Iy my head on you like this?¡±

    ¡°No. Stop changing the subject. What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi squeezed her shoulders. He did not actually want to know but he enjoyed lying with her serenely like this.

    He could chat with her continuously, stick close to her and smell the fragrance of her body.

    Song Yu felt his warm breath falling on the corner of her eye and her ear. It was hot and numbing. It made Song Yu¡¯s heart race, her face flushed and her breathing jumbled.

    He even wed at her ear with his lips, sending a shiver down Song Yu¡¯s spine. ¡°Stop messing around.¡±

 Chapter 273 - Oh, Little Cabbage, Wilting in the Soil

    <h4>Chapter 273: Oh, Little Cabbage, Wilting in the Soil</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He even wed at her ear with his lips, sending a shiver down Song Yu¡¯s spine. ¡°Stop messing around.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept silent. His nose was sniffing around her face and rubbing against her. Song Yu could only tell him, ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about anything. It¡¯s just that Yan Beicheng and the others behave so differently when they¡¯re outside and in private ¨C I thought you¡¯re the same.¡±

    ¡°Which part of me is different?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked while pressing his lips on her ear. His voice was husky.

    Qi Chengzhi could not move his body; he could only turn his head as far as he could, leaving him in an ufortable position.

    ¡°Move closer into my arms,¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll hurt you.¡± Song Yu was pregnant ¨C it would be bad if she identally pressed on his wound.

    ¡°You won¡¯t,¡± Qi Chengzhi prompted her by squeezing her shoulders.

    Song Yu only dared to move her upper body toward his chest. This made things easier for Qi Chengzhi ¨C he could kiss her by simply moving his head down a little.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t told me which part of me is different,¡± Qi Chengzhi repeated.

    In her mind, Song Yu thought, how did this man remember everything so clearly?

    ¡°Well, when you are outside, you are always so solemn and serious toward outsiders. You never crack a smile. However, in private, you¡¯re pretty thick-skinned. A bit shameless even,¡± Song Yu mumbled. Her voice grew weaker and weaker.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her intensely. Surprisingly, he did not refute her words. He pressed his cheeks against her head.

    Song Yu shuffled around a little and looked up. Qi Chengzhi stared at her curiously. Suddenly, Song Yu mbered onto his shoulder and took the initiative to lean in and kiss him. She even went deep into his mouth.

    Her gentle yet proactive action made Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart pound. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and kissed her even more intensely.

    When he raised his head, he identally used his abdomen muscles. Qi Chengzhi winced in pain as he fell back onto his pillow.

    ¡°Did I touch your wound?¡± Song Yu hurriedly checked the wound on his abdomen. Luckily, it did not open up. ¡°Why did you raise your head? Don¡¯t you know you¡¯re injured now?¡±

    ¡°You think I can hold back when you kiss me like that? I may have injured my stomach but I didn¡¯t injure what¡¯s down there.¡± Qi Chengzhi red at her distantly. It was as if he was ming her for tempting him.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face flushed. She murmured, ¡°I just wanted to kiss you. I didn¡¯t think bout doing anything else.¡±

    Song Yu did not dare to attempt anything like that anymore. She did not think that her one kiss would arouse him so much. She could only lie back onto his shoulders like a good girl. Her slender and tender hand rested on his chest. Her face was boiling red.

    Qi Chengzhi looked down abruptly. His hot and slightly dry lips rubbed on her clear forehead. His warm breath tickled her brows as he spoke in a smoky voice. It was hot and numbing. ¡°Did you want it because we haven¡¯t done it these past two days?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu suddenly choked. Her face waspletely red. ¡°Not at all. I just like you, so I wanted to kiss you. I had no other intentions. Don¡¯t stretch it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi grinned silently.

    Song Yu was puzzled ¨C she felt that this was not like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s usual behavior. Just then, she saw him unbuttoning his hospital pajamas, revealing the bandage around his abdomen. He pulled his shirt to the side, uncovering his broad chest.

    Then, his low, husky voice sounded withpassion and a hint of arrogance, ¡°My body won¡¯t allow me to do it right now, so why don¡¯t you just run your hands over me to relief yourself for now.¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    ¡°Hurry up and sleep,¡± Song Yu said, ¡°Aren¡¯t you tired?¡±

    Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pressed it onto his bare chest. Only then did he close his eyes. He rested his face against her head. From his voice, Song Yu could tell he was tired. ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Song Yu did not look up. She blinked a few times and her eyshes fluttered against his shirt. In a soft voice, she whispered, ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, the doctor came in with a houseman and a nurse to check on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s condition. Seeing that he was healing well, the doctor left, leaving behind the nurse to hang his drip.

    ¡°Mister Qi, you need to rx your hand. Don¡¯t tense it up or I won¡¯t be able to insert the needle.¡± The nurse rubbed alcohol on the back of his hand. However, the second the nurse was going to insert the needle, Qi Chengzhi clenched his fist again.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at the nurse, then slowly rxed his hand again. The nurse held the needle at his hand. She had not even inserted the needle in yet before Qi Chengzhi clenched his fist again.

    After doing this back and forth a few times, the alcohol on his hand had already dried up.

    The nurse was speechless. ¡°Sir, as long as you rx, the needle will go in quickly. It won¡¯t hurt.¡±

    ¡°Who said I¡¯m afraid of pain?¡± Qi Chengzhi barked. His expression turned dark.

    Just then, Song Yu came out of the kitchen. She was washing the bowl that was used for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s porridge. The moment she came back, she heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Song Yu went and sat down beside Qi Chengzhi.

    The nurse did not want to tell Song Yu directly. She felt like that would be tattling. She had worked with many patients before and had a rough idea of her patients¡¯ thoughts. Qi Chengzhi had a fear of needles; that was why he kept tensing up.

    The nurse applied ayer of alcohol on his hand again. ¡°Sir, the muscles in your hand are a little tense. It would be hard to insert a needle.¡±

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand curiously and questioned, ¡°You should rx. Why are you clenching your fist?¡±

    Having said that, she opened up his fist and ced his hand t on the bed. Surprisingly for Song Yu, when the nurse was going to insert the needle, Qi Chengzhi did not clench his fist but his whole hand tensed up.

    Nurse, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Was this man afraid of needles? No wonder he refused to go to a hospital when he had food poisoning.

    A big man like him was afraid of something so childish.

    Song Yu turned to Qi Chengzhi, then secretly shot a nce at the nurse. Song Yu¡¯s face was tinted pink. Clenching her teeth, she lunged forward and kissed Qi Chengzhi on the lips.

    Qi Chengzhi was stunned and perplexed, but he kissed her back instantly. He did not care about the nurse¡¯s presence. Subconsciously, he rxed his hand. Song Yu¡¯s scalp was burning. She was utterly humiliated. She thought, this man really did not care about the setting.

    Song Yu quickly gestured the nurse. Her ears were turning red. Only when the nurse saw her signal did she understand why Song Yu abruptly kissed him. In her mind, the nurse thought, ¡®Mister Qi sure is easy to handle. In front of Mrs. Qi, this man bes as docile as amb.¡¯

    The nurse did not dare to hesitate any longer. Instantly, she jabbed in the needle swiftly and urately.

    Qi Chengzhi only felt a pinch on the back of his hand. It was not very painful. The nurse was quick so the pain vanished in a second.

    The nurse stuck some tape on his hand to keep the needle in ce and adjusted the rate of the drip. When she finished doing those, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were still kissing.

    The nurse could only bite the bullet as she cleared her throat awkwardly, announcing, ¡°Mister Qi, Mrs. Qi, I¡¯ll be going. If anything, just press the bell.¡±

    Having said that, she tidied up her things and headed out quickly with her head looking down. Throughout her many years of being a nurse, this was her first time being caught in such an awkward situation when giving a patient a drip.

    Song Yu immediately let go of Qi Chengzhi. She was so embarrassed, she felt that she could not stay at the hospital any longer.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows at her. He red at her mockingly. ¡°All that was just to coax me into getting a drip?¡±

    ¡°Who told you to be afraid of a tiny needle? Sigh, you¡¯re such a big man, yet Youxuan is better than you.¡± Song Yu thought that it was quite interesting that a mature man like him with a strong andrge build, and seemed like he did not fear anything, was actually afraid of needles.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi could not let himself be the only one ridiculed. With a just expression, he unveiled, ¡°Every man in my family is afraid of needles.¡±

    ¡°Who said that? Youxuan could even eat a lollipop while he was getting an injection,¡± Song Yu refuted speedily.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi shot a nce at her. ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll kiss you while getting a drip, then I¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°How were you fine when you got a drip yesterday morning?¡± Song Yu recalled when they were at the other hospital yesterday ¨C Grandmother Qi and the others arrived early in the morning and when the nurse started Qi Chengzhi on a drip, he did not even make a sound. It was an especially smooth process.

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    He did not utter a word after that. He nced at Song Yu silently, then picked up the magazine by his bed and started flipping through it.

    Song Yu guessed that he was afraid to embarrass himself, so he had to bow to fate and endured it yesterday.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi called over Aunt Yang, Missus Lian from Qi Zhongliang¡¯s house and Aunt Chen from Qi Zhongxun¡¯s house to help Aunt Liu prepare food to donate to the temple.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s kindergarten had started their summer holiday. In the day, Qi Chenglin needed to work so he would leave Qi Youxuan at Qi Zhongxun¡¯s house. However, Qi Zhongxun had to work today. Guan Liya was going to the old mansion and Qi Youxuan did not want to be left at home alone, so he followed her to the old mansion.

    Grandmother Qi and the other two were leaving for the temple. Qi Youxuan begged to follow them but Guan Liya told him it was boring there. Nevertheless, Qi Youxuan did not listen. He grabbed his tiny yellow duck backpack, which held his Totoro children¡¯s phone and a tablet, and mbered into the car.

    The food they prepared were all vegetarian. They had to load the food into three cars. Then, they left for the temple.

    There were many believers at the temple. A day ago, when Grandmother Qi went to pray to Buddha, she had informed the abbot about this. Thus, the abbot sent three young monks toe help them. There was a stall set up in front of the temple today. When the believers heard that there was a donation today, they all ran to the minimarket nearby to buy lunch boxes as they did not have any tableware in hand.

    In a matter of minutes, all the lunchboxes at the minimarket were gone. A vendor, who set up his stall nearby, quickly made a call to request for lunchboxes and utensils to be sent there. Some other vendors also caught wind of the news somehow and rushed there after half an hour, setting up stalls to sell lunchboxes.

    Grandmother Qi was old ¨C after standing for a while, she had to sit down to rest. Xia Wenna and Guan Liya personally served the believers, especially Xia Wenna. Qi Chengzhi had just had a brush with death ¡ª she was especially thankful and devoted.

    Qi Youxuan was bored. He stood at the side ying nt vs Zombie on his tablet. However, he encountered a level he could not pass. After a few tries, he lost his patience and kept his tablet away. He turned his little face around constantly. His grape-sized eyes scanned the whole ce.

    ¡°Great-grandma, when are we giving out free food here?¡± Qi Youxuan felt pressured by the long queue not far from him.

    Grandmother Qi rubbed his head gently. ¡°Your uncle was injured and had to be admitted into the hospital. I came here to pray for Buddha¡¯s blessing. Now that your uncle has recovered, we¡¯re here to repay the blessing.¡±

    The second Qi Youxuan heard that, he panicked. In his clear child¡¯s voice, he shrieked, ¡°Uncle was injured? When did that happen? Why didn¡¯t I know this?¡±

    ¡°It was two days ago. We were afraid you¡¯ll be worried. He¡¯s fine now.¡± Grandmother Qi did not treat Qi Youxuan as an ignorant child ¡ªshe told him the truth.

    ¡°Is Uncle in the hospital? Is he injured badly?¡± Qi Youxuan continued to ask.

    ¡°He¡¯s resting in the hospital now,¡± Grandmother Qi said smilingly as she rubbed Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair. ¡°How long ago was yourst haircut? Your hair is getting long.¡±

    Qi Youxuan raised his chubby little arms and grabbed a few strands of his soft, smooth hair. Since it was the holidays, he did not need to look handsome for kindergarten, so he did not style his hair.

    ¡°Great-grandma, I¡¯d like to visit Uncle,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he stroked his soft hair.

    ¡°Sure. Looking at the situation, the food will be gone in no time. After that, we¡¯ll go to the hospital to visit your uncle,¡± Grandmother Qi replied. The dishes had all reached the bottom of their containers ¡ªit would finish soon.

    After a while, Xia Wenna announced, ¡°Sorry, everyone, we¡¯re all out.¡±

    She started to tidy up with Guan Liya. In order to repay the blessing, they did everything with their own hands. Aunt Liu and the others stayed at the old mansion to prepare the food for the night¡¯s donation.

    The monks thanked Grandmother Qi and the others. Then, they went home and unloaded the things at home. Finally, they brought Qi Youxuan to visit Qi Chengzhi at the hospital.

    When Qi Youxuan entered the ward, he caught sight of Song Yu first. His little jaw dropped in awe. ¡°Ah! Auntie, I haven¡¯t seen you in a while. Your tummy has gotten even bigger!¡±

    Song Yu did not know what to tell him. She ruffled his hair and smiled. ¡°Lately, Uncle has been quite busy, so I haven¡¯t seen you in a while either. How are youtely?¡±

    ¡°Excellent.¡± Qi Youxuan nodded his head solemnly. ¡°I¡¯m having a wonderful time with my stepmom.¡±

    Song Yu now knew who Qi Youxuan was referring to when he said ¡®stepmom¡¯. She beamed joyously.

    Only Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya were still in the dark. The father and son duo¡¯s lips were tightly sealed; none of them slipped out a piece of single information about thedy.

    Song Yu hurriedly invited Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya to have a seat. She ced some washed fruits in front of them.

    ¡°Uncle,¡± Qi Youxuan called out cheerfully. As he shifted his gaze away from Song Yu, he finally remembered that he was here to visit Qi Chengzhi. He ran toward him and stepped on his heels to remove his shoes. Kicking off his tiny sports shoes, he climbed onto the bed and sat beside Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thighs with his legs crossed.

    ¡°Uncle, which part of you is hurting?¡± Qi Youxuan removed his little yellow duck bag, opened the zip and rummaged through it. Finally, he produced a bag of Potato Farm chips. It was one of the many snacks that Qi Youxuan asked Cheng Dongge to bring back when he went to Japan on a business trip.

    ¡°Stomach,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered coolly. He red at the snack in Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands. Did he not know he could only have liquid food? All these people kept eating in front of him. Did they not have any empathy?

    ¡°Why are you hurting? Did you eat something bad?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes widened as he looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stomach curiously.

    Qi Chengzhi thought that he should not tell a child something so sanguinary. He did not even show him his wound. He merely raised an eyebrow andmented, ¡°I¡¯m not you.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re so mean.¡± Qi Youxuan pouted. He looked down and opened his snack.

    Qi Youxuan had a little OCD. That kind of snack had little zigzags on the top of the packaging so that they can be opened easily. However, this child thought that this methodcked elegance. Therefore, ever since he started opening his own snacks, he never used the zigzags. Instead, he came up with his own principle; he would pull open the top of the stic neatly, preserving the shape of the packaging perfectly.

    Qi Youxuan pulled on the stic for a long time but he could not open it, so he handed it to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Uncle, help me open it. You know my principle.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on a diet?¡± Qi Chengzhi glimpsed at the chips and asked with a dark expression.

    ¡°Dad says I can have a pack once in a while to reward myself.¡± Qi Youxuan raised his chin up proudly and pulled up his T-shirt, revealing his slightly protruding chalk-white tummy. It was like a small watermelon. ¡°Look, hasn¡¯t my stomach gotten much smaller?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    He took the chips and opened it the way Qi Youxuan demanded. When he handed the chips back, he ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t eat on my bed. You¡¯ll drop crumbs everywhere.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, it¡¯s not every day that I try to get close to you. Why are you so hard to get along with?¡± Qi Youxuan ignored his order and started chewing his chips while still sitting on the bed. Nheless, he was careful to use the stic bag to catch any crumbs that fell.

    Turning his head, he asked Song Yu, ¡°Auntie, you have to stay with Uncle all day. He is so hard to get along with, your life must be difficult.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Song Yu caught a glimpse of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s grim expression. Holding back herughter, she pointed out, ¡°He always just says things. Look, you¡¯re eating on his bed, yet he doesn¡¯t kick you off, right?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pondered on it for a while, then nodded as if he understood. ¡°Auntie, do you mean my uncle is a paper tiger?¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi squinted at him. ¡°Are you really here to visit me?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded his little round head earnestly. ¡°Since I was little, I have never seen Uncle get hurt, so I was really curious.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed wryly. He grabbed Song Yu¡¯s phone and snapped a picture of Qi Youxuan. In the picture, he was sitting on the bed with his legs crossed while chomping on his potato chips.

    Qi Youxuan kept eating. Not knowing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intentions, Qi Youxuan watched him innocently as he used Song Yu¡¯s phone to send a WeChat message. He wrote, ¡®Youxuan had never seen his uncle get hurt so he rushed to the hospital excitedly today. He took advantage of his uncle¡¯s inability to move and started eating chips on his hospital bed while goading him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan could not read well yet. He could not understand some of the words Qi Chengzhi typed, especially because he was looking at it upside down.

    ¡°Uncle, what did you send?¡± Qi Youxuan asked as he sucked on his two fingers.

    Qi Chengzhi cleared his throat and recited his message in a particrly low and melodic voice. Then, he hinted, ¡°This is your aunt¡¯s phone.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan extended his chubby hands and offered Qi Chengzhi his chips. In a pleasing manner, he asked, ¡°Uncle, have you eaten?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at the bag ¡ªthere was only one chip left. He pouted. ¡°I can only drink porridge for now.¡±

    ¡°How pitiful,¡± Qi Youxuan said, then proceeded to stuff thest chip into his mouth. He wiped his dirty fingers on the bedsheet and mbered off the bed. In a sorrowful voice, he sang, ¡± Oh, little cabbage, wilting in the soil. Only two-three years old but he lost his mother <sup>1</sup> ...¡±

    As he sang, he climbed onto Guan Liya¡¯sp andid his head on her shoulder.

 Chapter 274 - Ending 1: How Are You Able To Do Such Filthy Stuff

    <h4>Chapter 274: Ending 1: How Are You Able To Do Such Filthy Stuff</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As he sang, he climbed onto Guan Liya¡¯sp andid his head on her shoulder.

    There was a lump in her throat when Guan Liya thought of her grandson¡¯s ancestry ¡ªhe was more wretchedpared to a little cabbage, he had never met his own mother since birth. Guan Liya¡¯s eyes turned a little red, she stroked her grandson¡¯s hair gently. With a dull ache in her heart, she asked, ¡°Why did you sing this song?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at Qi Youxuan, speechless. He pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Since when did you learn such a depressing song?¡±

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± Xia Wenna interrupted quickly. ¡°You are a grown-up, stop bullying kids. Youxuan was too unfortunate.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was left speechless.

    ¡°Grandma, I want to eat another pack of potato chips,¡± Qi Youxuan said in a wobbly tone.

    ¡°Go ahead and eat,¡± Grandmother Qi did not want to stop her grandson as she knew he was in grief. It did not matter at all if he could feel better by eating more.

    Song Yu felt that Grandmother Qi was not happy with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude but she did not express it, so she quickly changed the topic and asked, ¡°Grandma, you went to the monastery to give alms?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Grandmother Qi mumbled while eating a cherry. ¡°We n to go again after dinner.¡±

    ¡°Then I will follow you,¡± Song Yu said, wanting to help Qi Chengzhi make votive offerings herself too.

    ¡°No need.¡± Grandmother Qi spat out the seed and said, ¡°Three of us plus a few monks are more than enough, and you are pregnant now. It will be very inconvenient because we need to consider your health status too. You being here taking care of Qi Chengzhi are of great help to me.¡±

    The lot of them sat for a while more, then they left with Qi Youxuan because they still need to have their dinner before going to the monastery.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi stood at the innermost ce in the elevator with a crowd in front of her. Mu Huaisheng had arranged an appointment for her to undergo micro-aesthetic surgery today. She came here for the removal of scar on her forehead, and once she recovered, she would then undergo hyaluronic acid injection for aesthetic purposes.

    The elevator stopped again once it reached another floor, and Mu Sisi¡¯s patience was growing thin. However. she was surprised when Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya entered the elevator.

    Mu Sisi quickly hid in the crowd, she did not want to be seen by the Qi family. Then, she heard Qi Youxuan ask, ¡°Grandma, when can uncle discharge from the hospital?¡±

    Guan Liya answered simply, ¡°Once his wound has healed, then he can be discharged from the hospital.¡±

    ¡°When will his wound be healed?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°Hmm... your uncle was badly injured, I think it would at least be the end of the month before he can be discharged from the hospital.¡± Guan Liya said, ¡°You knew your uncle was injured and you still made him angry.¡±

    ¡°It was his uncle who was narrow-minded.¡± Xia Wenna quickly exined, ¡°Always bullying kids.¡±

    Mu Sisi was surprised to know that Qi Chengzhi was injured.

    Soon, the elevator reached the ground floor and Grandmother Qi¡¯s family went out. Mu Sisi remained in the elevator and waited for the elevator to be empty, then she pressed on the floor number that they had entered just now, and waited as a few people came in.

    Mu Sisi exited the elevator, went to the nursing station and asked for Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room number. The nurse thought she was here to visit so she told Mu Sisi his room number without much thinking.

    Mu Sisi followed the room numbers and found the room where Qi Chengzhi stayed. She tried the doorknob and was surprised when the door was not locked, so she opened the door and went in.

    Qi Chengzhi was reading a magazine when she came in. He had left all the work to Qi Chenglin during his hospital stay so he felt rxed and did not bother to ask about thepany¡¯s condition.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his gaze from the magazine when he heard the door open and saw Mu Sisi.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s facial expression changed instantly ¡ªhis face darkened and he appeared intimidating, his tone as cold as ice. ¡°Get out.¡±

    Mu Sisi was stunned at the doorstep. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi.¡±

    ¡°I want you to get out,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coolly while he remained expressionless.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I purposely came here to visit you.¡± Mu Sisi bit the bullet and did not back off, not even a step backward.

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand? You are not wee anywhere I¡¯m present.¡± Qi Chengzhi could not move now, or else he would kick Mu Sisi out of the room himself.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, please don¡¯t be like that.¡± Mu Sisi emboldened herself and walked into the room. When she saw Qi Chengzhi remain on the bed and appeared as if he could not move at all, she became bold and closed the door behind her.

    ¡°I know I have done a lot of things that made you angry, and I am terribly sorry.¡± Mu Sisi walked towards Qi Chengzhi and stopped before him. ¡°I came to visit because I am worried about you, that was the only reason.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi peeked at Mu Sisi coldly. ¡°You came to threaten me thest time you were in my office, and here you are now, apologizing and pretending to be innocent. I think you should go to the psychiatry department and have a look. Best to treat it at an early stage of the disease.¡±

    Mu Sisi was shocked, she never thought Qi Chengzhi¡¯s statement would be so mean, with aplete disregard of her feelings. Her voice quivered as she asked, ¡°Do you hate me this much, Big Brother Chengzhi?¡±

    ¡°I do not hate you,¡± Qi Chengzhi replied coldly.

    Mu Sisi rxed. ¡°Then¡ª¡±

    ¡°I merely feel disgusted with you,¡± Qi Chengzhi interrupted, his voice t.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face went ashen-grey instantly and her lips quivered. ¡°What can I do so that you can forgive me? I will do anything to earn your forgiveness. Big Brother Chengzhi, you know how strong my affection for you is, you can choose not to like me but your disgust toward me is too much for me to bear.¡±

    ¡°Really? You are willing to do anything that I say?¡± Qi Chengzhi lifted his head, finally making direct eye contact.

    Mu Sisi felt happy and leaned forward toward him. She could not help wanting to be near him all the time. She felt infatuated with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsomeness and elegance despite his injury.

    She nodded quickly. ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, anything you say.¡±

    ¡°Then you leave now and do not appear anywhere near me ever again, then I will not feel disgusted at you anymore,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he smirked.

    Mu Sisi almost fell down and moved half a step backward with an unsteady gait. She asked, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I want to know how you are holding up right now. I will leave once I am done, I will not disturb you afterward. Where did you get injured? How bad was it? Let me have a look.¡±

    She wanted to lift his hospital gown up as she spoke. Hospital gowns were not appealing in any way, even the most handsome celebrity would lose his elegance and mour when wearing this kind of in gown during an act, but when Qi Chengzhi wore it, she felt he was still as extraordinary as ever.

    Qi Chengzhi quickly resisted by pressing on his gown and gnashed his teeth in frustration. ¡°Mu Sisi! Behave yourself!¡±

    Mu Sisi saw him still lying in bed despite all that, her eyes rolled as if thinking and asked, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, your wound is this serious until you can¡¯t move at all?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi blinked and ground his teeth in anger. Song Yu went to ask the doctors about his condition and when he can be discharged from the hospital, thus he was left alone at the moment. ¡°Mu Sisi, do not let me feel more disgusted at you, leave now!¡±

    Mu Sisi looked at him and grinned suddenly. ¡°Why is Song Yu not here to apany you despite your serious injury?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi clenched his teeth and saw her moving toward the door slowly. She held the doorknob, but instead of turning it to open the door, she locked it.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned as Mu Sisi returned, threw her bag on the floor and got on the bed, sitting on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thigh.

    ¡°Mu Sisi, have you no sense of shame?¡± Hisplexion became pale with anger and he gnashed his teeth in frustration, looking at Mu Sisi with repugnance.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, I feel this is my only chance. My brother wants me to marry another man and my parents want to abolish my right for inheritance if I choose not to listen. If I must be married to a man I have no affection for, I¡¯d rather have your baby first before I do that. I want to give you my virginity. If I cannot be with you for the rest of my life, then at least I would find peace in taking care of your offspring.¡± Mu Sisi said, ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi, let me bear your child and I promise I will never bother you again. Please consider this as my self-pity. I love you so much until I feel really petty and low, can you let me fulfill my wish just this once?¡±

    ¡°Leave!¡± Qi Chengzhi gnashed his teeth, his long arm went toward her forearm with enormous force, trying to pull her off the bed. The movement caused pain on the wound and his grip loosened. Then Mu Sisi used the opportunity to try and pull down his pants.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were tinged with blood, his anger reached a peak until he felt like murdering Mu Sisi. He ignored the stomach wound and gripped his belt to prevent it from being pulled by Mu Sisi. All the pain receptors around the wound red up as he sat up. Qi Chengzhi felt an endless stream of ache from his wound and blood started oozing out, staining his gown.

    Mu Sisi got shocked, her face turned pale and she had no idea if she wanted to continue or take Qi Chengzhi¡¯s injury into consideration. But she held firmly to his gown this time and did not let go because she was about to be thrown off by him just now.

    Qi Chengzhi ground his teeth, his face turned pale as he felt intense pain in addition to blood loss due to wound dehiscence. Since the wound had opened, he did not care much anymore, so he sat up and grabbed Mu Sisi¡¯s hair.

    Her scalp felt as if it was about to break. Mu Sisi could not bear the pain and shouted to ask Qi Chengzhi to loosen his grip. Qi Chengzhi did not care and pulled her hair with stronger force until her neck was extended, revealing the gauze on her forehead.

    ¡°Big Brother Chengzhi!¡± Mu Sisi iled both her arms randomly, trying to grab Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi endured the agonizing pain from his wound, every muscle fiber in the abdomen contracted, his arm¡¯s muscle fiber fired up and pulled Mu Sisi off the bed. With a loud thud, she fell down. Qi Chengzhi covered his abdomen with his hand and went off the other side of the bed. The pain, however, was too intense, thus, his legs weakened and with the flexion of his knee joints, he fell down too.

    His hand that was covering the stomach wound was now soaked in blood, and the blood oozed out between his fingers and dripped onto the floor. A momentter, the floor was pooled with his blood.

    Mu Sisi stood up and stiffened with shock at the sight of a bloody Qi Chengzhi across the bed. She was born self-willed, and her attitude worsened with age, but she had never witnessed an event as gruesome as this. It was good enough that she did not lose consciousness at the very sight of this huge pool of blood, but she just stood there and remained silent as she was in shock.

    At this moment, the doorknob turned from the outside, then that person pushed the door when he realized the door was locked.

    Qi Chengzhi immediately stood up and walked to the door with an unsteady gait, but the room was too big and the distance to the door was a little too far. The pain exhausted his legs; he felt weak and cold from his ankles up till his hip. His knees quivered and he fell down when he was about to reach the door.

    Qi Chengzhi extended his arm and pped on the door with a huge bang.

    ¡°Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu¡¯s anxious voice traveled from the other side of the door. ¡°What happened inside?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi extended his arm and crawled forward at a snail¡¯s pace, his face and lips colorless.

    Song Yu felt anxious as she tried opening the door again but to no avail. Thus, she went to find the nurse for the keys. She was worried sick and regretted leaving Qi Chengzhi alone in the room. It was impossible to be able to lock the door from the outside and Qi Chengzhi was immobilized on the bed, thus the probability of him locking the door himself was close to zero. Hence, she became worried thinking if it was someone who locked the door so that he could hurt him.

    ¡°Song Yu, what is going on?¡± asked Yu Qianying and Song Donglin as they came out of the lift, followed by Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue. They saw Song Yu walking anxiously to the nursing counter.

    Qi Chengyue knew Aunt Yang went to the old mansion to help out and Yu Qianying would deliver the meals to the hospital today, so she went to the Song family after work with Cheng Dongge to fetch Yu Qianying and Song Donglin together toe to the hospital and visit Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°The room was locked from the inside but Qi Chengzhi couldn¡¯t get down from the bed, so I was worried if¡ª¡± Song Yu summarized.

    The nurse recognized Song Yu and took the keys out immediately. ¡°Just now there was ady who was about the same age as you who came to visit and asked for Mr. Qi¡¯s room number, to which I answered, and she was the only visitor.¡±

    The nurse did not dare to hesitate and ran towards Qi Chengzhi¡¯s room for fear that there may be something sinister that might happen. Even without Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s contact, Chutian Hospital held a great deal of responsibility and needed to bear the consequences if a patient encountered some unfortunate idents in the hospital.

    ¡°Song Yu, slow down, you shouldn¡¯t run. I will go with Cheng Dongge first.¡± Qi Chengyue was worried that something bad might happen if she ran.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue ran with the nurse, and since Song Yu could not run, she could only walk with bigger footsteps with Song Donglin and Yu Qianying¡¯s support.

    Song Yu was near the room when the door was unlocked.

    Then, she heard a loud scream before she could actually reach the door. ¡°Big brother!¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s heart skipped a beat and hurried toward the door when she saw Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge rush into the room. What came into her sight was Qi Chengzhi lying face down on the floor with blood all over his extended arm. Cheng Dongge carefully rolled Qi Chengzhi to face Qi Chengyue, in fear of injuring him and making the wound worse. Then, he lifted Chengzhi up and ced him on the bed.

    ¡°Chengzhi, what happened to you?¡± Blood drained from Song Yu¡¯s face. She was horrified by the pool of blood and the bloody trail left by Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge saw Mu Sisi still immobilized in shock. Qi Chengyue quickly went toward her and blocked her escape route. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Song Yu walked in and saw Mu Sisi, but now she was worried sick about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s injury and ignored her presence.

    The nurse quickly contacted the doctor. Song Yu grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand which was now stained with blood. ¡°Chengzhi.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi felt dizzy due to the pain, but he rxed when he saw Song Yu. She grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand tightly, her tears started streaming down her cheeks when she saw the huge bloodstain on his gown. She felt as if she had returned to the day she was kidnapped by Jian Yi.

    ¡°I am fine, please don¡¯t cry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as heforted her in a weak voice.

    How could she be able to bear it? It broke her heart seeing Qi Chengzhi in that state.

    Finally, Mu Sisi snapped out of it. She wanted to run but her route was blocked by Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°We are not done here, now you want to run after what you have possibly done to Qi Chengzhi?¡± said Qi Chengyue as she gnashed her teeth.

    The doctor came rushing in and Cheng Dongge closed the door silently and stood guard.

    The gown stuck to his skin with his blood. The nurse carefully cut his gown off, revealing the blood-soaked gauze wrapped on his stomach wound, which was then removed with extreme care by the nurse.

    ¡°It was looking good initially, why did the wound break down suddenly?¡± The doctor shook his head when he saw the wound. ¡°Your wound was actually recovering pretty well, but now the healing process has to restart again.¡±

    The nurse cleaned the blood on Qi Chengzhi and revealed the dehisced wound, it was really hair-raising. Mu Sisi peeked and quickly turned her head in the other direction.

    The doctor gave him a regional anesthesia, removed the original sutures and resutured the wound again. Once the process was done, the wound was wrapped in gauze again and the doctor advised not to let the wound break down under any circumstances. The doctor then asked the nurse to give Qi Chengzhi another intravenous infusion and left afterward.

    Cheng Dongge closed the door and walked over, giving Mu Sisi a nk stare.

    ¡°So, what have you done?¡± Qi Chengyue scolded.

    Mu Sisi was ashen-grey and remained silent for quite some time. Then, she raised her chin and said, ¡°What do you want? Taking advantage of your numbers to bully me? Move aside!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face paled with anger but it was too embarrassing to say that he was nearly raped by a woman, especially in his own sister¡¯s presence.

    Song Yu wiped her tears, noticed the messy bed, Mu Sisi¡¯s messy hair and shirt, and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s teeth gritting in anger; she thought of a possibility, but the very thought of it felt ridiculous.

    However, this was the only possibility she could think of based on Mu Sisi¡¯s perseverance toward Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Miss Mu, you will be sentenced for injuring with purpose,¡± Song Yu said with a t tone.

    ¡°What nonsense are you saying? I did not hurt anyone on purpose. How could I possibly injure Big Brother Chengzhi?¡± Mu Sisi exined.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Song Yu pursed her lips, her tone as cold as ice. ¡°You were the only one in the room with Chengzhi just now, and he was badly injured when we found him. Who do you think would believe you when you say you did not hurt him on purpose? What do you think will happen if Chengzhi insisted that you hurt him on purpose plus the testimonies provided by the doctor and nurse, even if you deny it?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, Song Yu! Don¡¯t frame me, you are so wicked! I love Big Brother Chengzhi, I would never allow him to get into any trouble!¡± Mu Sisi exined, her face paled.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t? Then what did you do to Chengzhi? You wanted to throw yourself into his arms when he couldn¡¯t move amidst the injury?¡± Song Yu stared at Mu Sisi, who was startled and her expression became ufortable.

    Song Yu¡¯s hand quivered with wrath, she pointed her finger at Mu Sisi and said, ¡°Mu Sisi, have you no sense of shame? Chengzhi did not want to touch you when you were nakedst time, so now when he is injured, you... you...¡±

    Song Yu ground her teeth as she was speechless. Her anger peaked and she felt like pping Mu Sisi to the edge of the sky so that she would not return and bother them again.

    ¡°How desperate are you to do this kind of thing when he¡¯s injured? You dare say you love him and you¡¯re not willing to see him get injured despite his condition?¡± Song Yu¡¯s hands trembled with rage. ¡°He¡¯d rather let the wound break open than touch you, yet you still refuse to give up?

    Do you have any sense of shame? How are you able to do such filthy stuff?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s tears welled up as her anger rose. She could not talk sense with Mu Sisi.

    Qi Chengyue was stunned and stared at Mu Sisi. She had never thought that she was capable of being so shameless and wanted to rape Qi Chengzhi during his injury.

 Chapter 302 - Danchen, Uncle Shen Has Some Matters to Discuss with You

    Chapter 302: Danchen, Uncle Shen Has Some Matters to Discuss with You

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Seven years ago.

    Ruan Danchen was 19 years old. She was a sophomore at A University.

    On Fridays, she usually headed straight home after her afternoon sses were over. It was a ce that she called home. However, it was also a ce she barely considered as her home.

    Even though the area that they lived in was not a particrly upper-ss area, they were pretty satisfied with the environment and the facilities there. Anyone who could purchase a house in B City was considered as quite well-off. The houses were expensive there.

    Ruan Danchen stepped out of the elevator. As she took her keys to open the door, she saw a pair ofvish and exquisite men¡¯s leather shoes at the doorstep

    Her heart sank. She contemted leaving, but before she could, someone called out, ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re back! Come on in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath. She turned to see Liu Ronghua as she walked toward her with a warm and genial smile spread across her face. Evidently, she was in an exuberant mood.

    Liu Ronghua was always in a bright mood whenever Shen Jialiang came to their house. However, Shen Jialiang did note over often. He only visited about three or four times a month, but it was never at a fixed date.

    Ruan Danchen did not have any recollection of her biological father. As she got older, she asked Liu Ronghua about him, but her expression always changed whenever the topic came up. She always looked grief-stricken whenever she delved into the memories of Ruan Danchen¡¯s father. Finally, she revealed that he had passed away a long time ago.

    The mother-daughter duo could only depend on each other for survival after her father¡¯s passing.

    However, they did not strictly have only each other. Liu Ronghua had never stopped looking for apanion. She was even married once, but the man divorced her as he could not tolerate Liu Ronghua¡¯sziness.

    One could say that Liu Ronghua had only the necessary skills to take care of herself. She had to depend on a man for everything else. Her ex-husband was a good man, and he treated her well. Nheless, he could not take the stress when he lived with Liu Ronghua, and it overwhelmed him. He had no choice but to divorce her.

    Even though Liu Ronghua was already forty years old, she still looked gorgeous. She took care of her appearance well and had a great foundation. She still looked like a thirty-year old, and her skin was smooth and fair. Even though she had given birth before, she had a teenager¡¯s figure. That was why men fell in love with her at first sight.

    After the divorce, Liu Ronghua had a few more boyfriends, but none of them would marry her. The men were usually overwhelmed when they got to understand her more, and so they would break things off with her.

    Liu Ronghua met Shen Jialiang when Ruan Danchen was in the ninth grade. The Shen family was quite notable in B City, and they had close ties with other distinguished families too. Their status was the same as the status of the Li family and the Guan family.

    Shen Jialiang was also a widower. He started to date Liu Ronghua after they met by chance. Then they ended up in a rtionship with each other.

    Since he was from the upper-ss, he was not troubled by Liu Ronghua¡¯s inabilities. Shen Jialiang simply got his subordinates to run his errands for him. He did not have to deal with it himself, and so he did not find Liu Ronghua troublesome.

    Even since then, they dated until Song Yu 1 entered university. Nevertheless, Shen Jialiang never proposed to her. Even after all those years, Liu Ronghua had not yet stepped one foot into the Shen family¡¯s home.

    Shen Jialiang was also adies¡¯ man. In fact, he was quite the yboy. Even so, he still needed a fixed femalepanion to tend to his needs and sometimes to chat with him. There were also events where he needed to bring a date. He did not need hispanion to be well educated or aplished as he only needed her to stand there quietly like a vase, and to smile and nod when it was appropriate.

    Liu Ronghua met these criteria perfectly. Therefore, Shen Jialiang never broke up with her. He even bought an apartment with two rooms and two halls to amodate Liu Ronghua.

    However, after so many years, it seemed like Shen Jialing finally lost interest in her as he was no longer as tolerant with Liu Ronghua as before. His visits also became less frequent.

    In the beginning, he would visit her four or five times a week. Then it became four or five times fortnightly, and eventually, he would only appear two or three times a month. That was why Liu Ronghua was exhrated every time he visited her.

    Due to the situation, Liu Ronghua became extremely anxious. She feared that one day, another woman would bait him, and then he would ignore her entirely. She had spent many carefree years under Shen Jialiang¡¯s wings, and so she had be adapted to thatfortable lifestyle.

    Liu Ronghua was terrified for her future as there was no marriage to bond their rtionship. Ruan Danchen had no choice but to listen to Liu Ronghua¡¯s rants and sighs whenever she returned home from school. Ruan Danchen was always afraid to go home because she did not want to deal with her mother.

    Furthermore, Ruan Danchen had never regarded the apartment as her home.

    ¡°Mom. Uncle Shen.¡± Ruan Danchen greeted them coolly as she changed into her room slippers at the doorway.

    Shen Jialiang gave her a curt nod. While Shen Jialiang liked Liu Ronghua passionately, he had always been cold with Ruan Danchen. To him, she was like an unwanted stepchild.

    Especially since he had to pay for Ruan Danchen¡¯s school fees after he met Liu Ronghua, and it was obvious that he thought that Ruan Danchen owed him for that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and put my bag in the room first,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered. She did not look at Shen Jialiang.

    ¡°Come, sit down first,¡± Shen Jialiang instructed hastily in a distant tone.

    ¡°Danchen, pleasee and sit down with us first. Uncle Shen has some matters to discuss with you,¡± Liu Ronghua said in a gentle voice as she dragged Ruan Danchen by the arm. She even put on an apple-polished smile. It was all too unusual.

    Liu Ronghua sat between Shen Jialiang and Ruan Danchen. She chuckled. ¡°Uncle Shen is here to see you today because he needs your help.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was puzzled. She did not know how she could be of help to Shen Jialiang since she was only the daughter of an ordinary woman with no notable status.

    ¡°THere¡¯s this thing,¡± Liu Ronghua began to exin. She paused momentarily as if the words were too hard to utter. ¡°You already know that Uncle Shen has a daughter, Shen Zhijing.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did notment on that, nor did she react either. She merely sat as she listened to her mother.

    Liu Ronghua felt like she was talking to herself. Even though she felt a little awkward, she could only resume her words. ¡°Uncle Shen wanted to form an alliance with the Qi family through Zhijing¡¯s marriage to the second son of the Qi family. The Qi family is still contemting it. However... Zhijing identally got pregnant while she was studying overseas. After she had an abortion, she became infertile. If they do get married, this matter will surely destroy their marriage.¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned. She tried to guess Shen Jialiang¡¯s objective, but she thought it was too inconceivable. What was more unbelievable was the fact that Liu Ronghua was the one who told her all that. She was her mother!

    ¡°What does that have to do with me? I can¡¯t magically make Shen Zhijing pregnant again,¡± Ruan Danchen stated coldly.

    Suddenly, Shen Jialiang banged his teacup violently on the coffee table, and that frightened Liu Ronghua. Ruan Danchen was also startled, and her expression changed slightly.

    ¡°It does have something to do with you because they need your help. After this, Zhijing would be your half-sister after all,¡± Liu Ronghua replied in a peculiarly ttering manner, ¡°You see, Qi Chenglin will be going to the Shen family¡¯s home for dinner next Saturday. They will find a way to make him stay the night. Uncle Shen hopes that you would...¡±

    Liu Ronghua bit her lips. The words were stuck in her throat. Finally, she revealed, ¡°He hopes that you would take Zhijing¡¯s ce and... with Qi Chenglin... and find a way to get pregnant with his child. Of course, you will be attending the dinner as Zhijing. When the child is born, we will pretend that it¡¯s hers. After that, you won¡¯t have anything to do with this matter anymore. It won¡¯t affect you. As for Zhijing, she will get engaged with Qi Chenglin first. Then she will find an excuse to dy the wedding until the child is born. This way, the Qi family will never find out about it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she was speechless. There were no words to describe the immense sorrow that she felt. Her eyes stung, and her pupils trembled as she stared at Liu Ronghua in disbelief.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your daughter! This is not a typical surrogacy. You¡¯re asking me to get into bed with aplete stranger! How is this any different than me selling my body! What did the Shen family offer you that made you agree to this ridiculous demand?!¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice broke. Her eyes stung even more as tears began to well up. In the end, she could not hold her tears back, and they fell from her eyes like raindrops.

    Liu Rongshu looked down with guilt. She nced at Shen Jialiang, and then she pulled Ruan Danchen up from the sofa. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this in the room.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sobbed silently, but her tears flowed faster and faster. She pulled away from Liu Ronghua¡¯s arms and entered the bedroom before her. Liu Ronghua looked downward as if she was in shame.

    Liu Ronghua locked the door. Her eyes had also turned red. ¡°Danchen, I know that this is unjust toward you, but... but I¡¯m getting old now, and I needed a guarantee. Uncle Shen¡¯s visits are getting less frequent now. Who knows if he will just cut me off without a word and abandon me entirely? You had always known that my biggest dream is to be married into the Shen family, to get a status in the family, a guarantee ¡ª so that I won¡¯t need to live in fear that one day, he would leave me for someone else.¡±

 Chapter 276 - Ending 3: Jian Yiâ€™s Outcome

    <h4>Chapter 276: Ending 3: Jian Yi¡¯s Oue</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu carefully wiped his body, and she avoided areas that were bandaged. She could only wipe his chest as his ribs and abdomen were dressed.

    She lowered her gaze and wanted to pull down his pants, but she froze. She was still disgusted at Mu Sisi, and she asked, ¡°She did not touch you, right?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows sarcastically. After a few days of rest, his radiant eyes showed some cynicism, and his voice had a slight tinge of mockery when he said, ¡°She wanted to take off my pants, but I managed to pull her off the bed, so she couldn¡¯t touch anything.¡±

    Song Yu was so angry at his statement, and she wanted to swear at Mu Sisi. She tried to pull his pants off? What a shameless person!

    After she wiped Qi Chengzhi¡¯s legs, she went to the washroom and poured the water out. Then she returned to give him a massage. She was worried that the muscles on his lower body would atrophy after a few days of immobility.

    ¡°Do you still n to just give her a warning?¡± Song Yu groaned in frustration. She was overwhelmed by what had happened, and she had a fierce and thunderous expression on her face. ¡°Mu Sisi was immature, but her brother did not even bother about what she had done.¡±

    ¡°This time, I will wreak havoc on the Mu family. If her brother could not control her, then her parents would have to do it. I will force them to deal with Mu Sisi¡¯s problems,¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice was as soft as ever, he gazed lovingly at Song Yu. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Song Yu pursed her lips, and she fixed her slightly reddened eyes on Qi Chengzhi. ¡°I was worried to death when I saw you lying in a pool of blood on the floor.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sighed. Song Yu knelt at the bed end to give him a foot massage. He could not reach her even with his arm extended, so he gestured to her. ¡°Come here. There¡¯s no need to massage anymore.¡±

    Song Yu was almost finished with the massage, so she went and found thefiest position in his embrace andid there.

    ¡°Despite your injury, Mu Sisi was so desperate until she wanted to-¡± Song Yu unconsciously put her hand over his chest. ¡°Previously, I was speechless when Mu Sisi caused troubles for us. I thought of her as a lunatic who did not understand what she was doing. I simply thought of her actions like the barkings of a rabid dog. This is the first time that I loathed her. How can she be so full of herself that she could disregard other people¡¯s feelings? This is also the first time that I¡¯ve seen such egotism!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he gently massaged her shoulders and arms tofort her. ¡°She won¡¯t have time to bother us anymore.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi bent down and kissed her on the forehead. Then he changed the topic so that she could calm down. ¡°Since I¡¯ve been injured, I couldn¡¯t apply essential oil on you and give you massages. You must have been exhausted these past few days.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired, and I didn¡¯t even do anything. It was the same as when I was at home.¡± Song Yu moved a little in his embrace. ¡°Has the anesthetic effect worn off?¡±

    ¡°Notpletely, but I¡¯m starting to feel a little bit of pain now,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    Song Yu was not sleepy, and there was nothing else she could do, so she found a remote control and turned on the television to watch a program with Qi Chengzhi.

    ...

    ...

    After half a month, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sutures could finally be removed, and he was subsequently discharged from the hospital. He was fine and waspletely healed after the incident. All that remained was the deep scar on his abdomen.

    While Qi Chengzhi recovered in the hospital, Mu Huaisheng did not do so well. His work had emotionally defeated him.

    Nothing seemed to have gone right for him at that time and for absolutely no reason at all. One by one, everything gradually went sideways.

    MU had initially nned to move to B City. The location for the gship store was strategically chosen, and they had also fully renovated. The discussion to register with the Wei¡¯s family mall with Wei Ziqi was alsoing to an end.

    The Wei¡¯s family mall was one of the most popr malls in B City. They were not a thoroughly high-end mall, but instead, they catered to the mid-to-high-end tier, which was simr to the popr fashion that MU had to offer. They had a good crowd as they were geared toward the public masses, and they had excellent amenities and services too. That was why the first thing that Mu Huaisheng wanted to do in B City was to discuss the registration of his brand with Wei Ziqi.

    However, all of the shop lots in the mall were already upied. When Mu Huaisheng noticed that one of the shop¡¯s lease was almost up and the shop¡¯s brand did not do particrly well, he had quickly offered a high price to take over the slot. Wei Ziqi had agreed to his proposal. However, they could not sign the contract immediately. Since Wei Ziqi had a good reputation as a man who kept his word, Mu Huaisheng decided to open another gship store elsewhere to establish his brand first. Once the existing owner withdrew from the lease, MU could settle in that slot immediately after.

    However, when the waiting period was almost over, he received a call from Wei Ziqi, who told him that they would renew the contract with the existing shop¡¯s owner due to some marketing issue, and thus, the slot for MU had gone up the spout.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s parents arrived at B City on the second day that Qi Chengzhi was discharged home. Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi went to the airport to pick up their parents together.

    The gauze on Mu Sisi¡¯s forehead was removed, and the scar was not so noticeable anymore. One could hardly see it then, and some makeup could also cover it easily. However, Mu Sisi was self-conscious about the scar, and she insisted on covering it with her bangs.

    She also went for hyaluronic acid injection two days before, and she was satisfied with the results.

    Shortly after the two of them arrived at the airport, Mu Huili and Fang Anci came out from the arrival hall. Both of them had good temperaments, especially Fang Anci, who cared most about her appearance. She was already in her mid-fifties, and yet she looked as if she was still in her forties. Her face was smooth, and she had no visible wrinkles, and it was all thanks to all the botox injections.

    Mu Huili pushed a cart of luggage bags and walked toward them with Fang Anci in tow. Mu Huaisheng greeted them and then took over to push the luggage cart.

    Mu Sisi rushed toward them and hugged Fang Anci. She acted childishly and said, ¡°Mom, you¡¯re back! I miss you so much.¡±

    ¡°You can stop the pretense now. I know you have been behaving as you pleased,¡± Mu Huili said unhappily, ¡°I¡¯ve asked you toe back here to help your brother at work. It did not mean that you can cause trouble for him and then expect him to clean up your mess.¡±

    Mu Sisi let go of Fang Anci and red at Mu Huaisheng for hisints to Mu Huili.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Fang Anci swiped Mu Sisi¡¯s bangs aside. ¡°You said that you hurt your forehead, where is it?¡±

    ¡°Here,¡± Mu Sisi pointed at the corner of her forehead.

    ¡°It looks like it has healed well; it is barely visible now.¡± Fang Anci ran her fingers across the area that Mu Sisi had pointed.

    ¡°I covered the scar with some foundation. It is visible without makeup,¡± Mu Sisi touched the corner of her forehead and said, ¡°I hate these bangs. I look so unmorous, but I don¡¯t dare to show my forehead now.¡±

    ¡°You are looking good too,¡± Fang Anci said.

    ¡°Mom and Dad are tired, let¡¯s let them rest at home first,¡± Mu Huaisheng said and took the lead.

    Mu Huaisheng thought that his parents might have decided to stay longer for that visit, so he asked the driver to use a mini passenger van instead. He had anticipated the huge number of luggage bags that his parents had with them.

    Mu Huili and Fang Anci got into the van. As Mu Huaisheng loaded the trunk with their bags, Mu Sisi walked to his side and said, ¡°Mu Huaisheng, what do you want? Are you stillining to Dad despite our age?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng gave her a nk stare and said, ¡°I could not control you as your brother. So I thought someone else should take over that responsibility instead. I would not have had anything toin about if you had not done those horrible things.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng then closed the trunk with great force and went into the car. He ignored Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi made a face and then followed him. However, her expression changed the moment she stepped into the van, and she acted like a spoiled child in front of Fang Anci.

    Mu Huaisheng received a call on his phone, and after he listened to the other party for a while, his face darkened. ¡°Then find another celebrity.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Mu Huaisheng knitted his eyebrows and asked, in doubt, ¡°All the celebrities in hispany have refused?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression darkened again. ¡°It is not only Han Zhuoli¡¯spany that has celebrities, what about the other agencies?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Find one and try asking them. One more thing, investigate why all the celebrities have refused our invitation, something is not right.¡± His tone was icy cold.

    After he ended the call, Mu Huili realized that it was about work, so he asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°We are about tounch our gship store. I have invited some celebrities to help promote the brand, but it seemed that our invitations were rejected due to conflicting schedules. Most of the A-list celebrities are with Han Zhuoli, and coincidentally, none of them epted our invitations,¡± Mu Huaisheng replied.

    ¡°What happened? This seemed unnatural. The celebrities will usuallye when they receive an invitation to promote a brand because this is their chance to shine,¡± Mu Huili asked. He was familiar with how things usually worked.

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked for someone to investigate the matter.¡± Mu Huaisheng stared at Mu Sisi hesitantly as he was unsure if she had done something awful again.

    However, he did not think that Mu Sisi¡¯s antics were enough for Han Zhuoli¡¯s disrespect for the Mu family.

    ¡°Why are you staring at me?¡± Mu Sisi asked as if shecked self-confidence.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Mu Huaisheng moved his gaze away from his sister and remained silent as he thought Mu Sisi had abided thew and steered clear of Song Yu.

    ...

    ...

    Ten days after that, Jian Yi¡¯s case was mentioned in court. Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were there to testify as victims. All members of the Qi family were present, and they sat in the public gallery.

    Cases like that would not have taken long as the police litigated and collected solid pieces of evidence.

    Song Yu had shbacks of what had happened on that particr day, and she nearly lost control of herself while she testified in court. It was also a nightmare for the whole Qi family too. Song Yu¡¯s testimony made them relive the past, and they all glowered at Jian Yi.

    Zhou Mingyan was also at the court for Jian Yi¡¯s case, and a prison guard apanied her. Her hands were handcuffed, and she sobbed when she saw Jian Yi.

    Jian Shifu and Zhou Mingyan sat together. He knew that there was a big possibility that Jian Yi would be found guilty. He requested for Zhou Mingyan to be there, and his request was approved because she performed well in jail.

    Jian Shifu did not look old before that. He always insisted on dying his hair, and he was well and healthy even though he was already fifty-five years old. However, his hair had grayed, and he looked as if he had kyphosis. His arms were stiff as he sat at the public gallery with a depressed look. He looked like he was already seventy-five years old then.

    His eyes were bloodshot and moist as he stared at Jian Yi. He felt exasperated and reluctant at the same time, and he stealthily wiped his tears from time to time. Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s testimonies left him in shock. He did not think that Jian Yi would have wanted to kill someone! What was he thinking?

    Jian Shifu¡¯s heart ached. He did not know if he could reunite with Jian Yi again in his lifetime.

    In the end, the court sentenced Jian Yi to thirty years in jail.

    Jian Shifu could not bear it anymore, and he started to cry when the court meted out Jian Yi¡¯s sentence.

    He stood up and pointed at Jian Yi. ¡°Animal! You are an animal! Do you even think of your parents when you did all those things? Do you even think at all? When youe out of jail after thirty years, I am already dead! Why are you... why are you so stupid?¡±

    Jian Shifu wanted to rush down the public gallery, but the prison guard stopped him.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I don¡¯t want to die knowing that I will not be able to see you again. Why did you do this? Why in the world did you do this? What have you been working for all these while? In the end, you did not get anything but to rot yourself away in jail for thirty years. You will be too old to do anything else when youe out! You wanted to strive for sess, but can you please strive with honesty? Even if you live an ordinary life, at least our family is safe and sound, and we can live our lives happily together! Jian Yi...¡± Jian Shifu was a grown man, but he could not stop his tears. He started to wail.

    His son was sentenced to jail for thirty years. Was there a difference between that and death?

    Zhou Mingyan also cried loudly, and she wanted to go near Jian Yi. However, she was handcuffed and held back by the prison guard.

    ¡°Jian Yi, I will be released from jail in a month. I was looking forward to reuniting with you. I am still waiting for you to get married and give me a grandchild! Jian Yi, Jian Yi, now you want to leave me alone? Your father does not want me, and now you don¡¯t want me anymore. How am I supposed to live my life now? Tell me how!¡± Zhou Mingyan wailed loudly. ¡°My son! My son!¡±

    Initially, her family was whole. After all that had happened, her husband wanted to divorce her, and her son had been sentenced to jail for the next thirty years. ¡°I don¡¯t want to live anymore. Just let me die! Jian Yi, how can you leave me alone?!¡±

    Jian Yi¡¯s eyes were red from grief. He looked at them and said, ¡°Dad, Mom, I am so sorry.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want your apology. I only want you to be safe, and I only want you to apany us!¡± Zhou Mingyan wanted to go to her son, but the prison guard stood his ground and held her back.

    Jian Yi held back his tears and whimpered. ¡°I have been unfilial.¡±

    There was chaos in the court, but he could only hear the weeping of Zhou Mingyan and Jian Shifu.

    Qi Chengzhi gave Song Yu a hand and helped her to stand up as Song Yu could not bear with the farewell situation. There was no forgiveness for Jian Yi¡¯s crimes, but she understood how his parents felt, especially since she was pregnant.

    Zhou Mingyan saw Song Yu, and with red-rimmed eyes, she wanted to run toward Song Yu. ¡°Why... Why did you make Jian Yi go to jail? It was all because of you! How could you be so vicious and cruel at such a young age? How could you be so fiendish when you are going to be a mother? Did you not want to umte merits and virtue for your child? Karmaes after everyone eventually! Be mindful of your child when karmaes!¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face paled. She knew that she did not do anything wrong, but she could not bear with Zhou Mingyan¡¯s curse toward her child. It was not something that one should mention so carelessly.

    Qi Chengzhi quickly hugged Song Yu. His gaze was hard and sharp, and his tone was t. ¡°Jian Yi brought this onto himself.¡±

    Zhou Mingyan wailed again, and Jian Yi stared at Song Yu with bloodshot eyes. Song Yu was safely tucked in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms, but she could feel his gaze on her. She returned his gaze with teary eyes.

    She recalled the sweet memories of everything that she and Jian Yi had done since they were young. She was very close to Jian Yi, and she never thought that he would end up like that.

    Past memories shed past her mind, and images of her at the yground, carnival, and room escape during their school years flooded her brain. There were memories of her participating in the same curriculum in university, and there were also memories from when he participated in a basketballpetition, and she went and supported him. Jian Yi purposely asked for the others to let Song Yu work in Chengshi after her graduation. Even her reunion with Qi Chengzhi on the project was all thanks to Jian Yi. Furthermore, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were so happy every time he came to her house and brought a lot of gifts with his visit. The four of them would have meals together, with him sat at her side as he looked elegant and well-behaved.

 Chapter 277 - Youjin Kicked Me

    <h4>Chapter 277: Ending 4: Youjin Kicked Me</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Past memories shed past her mind, and images of her at the yground, carnival, and room escape during their school years flooded her brain. There were memories of her participating in the same curriculum in university, and there were also memories from when he participated in a basketballpetition, and she went and supported him. Jian Yi purposely asked for the others to let Song Yu work in Chengshi after her graduation. Even her reunion with Qi Chengzhi on the project was all thanks to Jian Yi. Furthermore, Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were so happy every time he came to her house and brought a lot of gifts with his visit. The four of them would have meals together, with him sat at her side as he looked elegant and well-behaved.

    Jian Yi wore a prison uniform, and he had a buzzcut ¨C what happened in the past stayed in the past.

    Song Yu sobbed and buried her face in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s chest.

    Zhou Mingyan was frenzied, and she wailed as the prison guard pulled her back. ¡°What should I do after I am released from jail? My son won¡¯t be here anymore. My son... what should I do? What should I do... Jian Yi...¡±

    Jian Yi ground his teeth and looked at Jian Shifu for thest time before the bailiff escorted him away. He glimpsed at the public gallery when he walked past and saw Qi Chengyue stood beside Cheng Dongge and amongst the Qi family. Her stare was cold and emotionless as if she could not wait for him to be jailed forever.

    Jian Yi felt only despair and contempt. Initially, Qi Chengyue would do anything for him, but at that moment, all she could think of was for him to go to jail so that she could live a prosperous life.

    The bailiff escorted Jian Yi out of the room through a door at the corner of the courtroom. Jian Shifu stared at Jian Yi¡¯s face for onest time before he vanished through the door. He then stumbled back to the chair and buried his face in his hands.

    Qi Chengzhi gave a handkerchief to Song Yu so she could wipe her tears, and his heart ached when he saw her reddened eyes.

    He nced at Jian Shifu, who sat nearby, and asked her, ¡°Do you want to talk to Jian Yi¡¯s father?¡±

    Song Yu shook her head and said, ¡°We put Jian Yi to jail, so I fear our presence may irritate him.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± Qi Chengzhi wrapped his arm around Song Yu¡¯s shoulder and left with the rest of the Qi family.

    That day, the clouds were like white marbles on blue satin as the sun streamed through the breaks in the clouds in a watery shaft of gold on B city. It was a contrast to the gloomy and somber environment in the courtroom.

    From then on, Jian Yi¡¯s existence was erased from her life, and he was isted from the world where the warm light touched.

    Song Yu sighed and followed Qi Chengzhi into the car. Then they made their way back to the old mansion.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi was summoned to Mu Huaisheng¡¯s office, and she saw Mu Huili as she entered the room.

    Mu Huili and Fang Anci were finally back in the country after decades, and the first thing that they tried to do after their return to B City was to assimte themselves into the social circle of the upper sses. However, they were shocked to learn that they were not weed at all. They yearned to blend into top-notch social circles like The Great Eight Families. Since Mu Huaisheng and Qi Chengzhi were friends, they thought that Qi Chengzhi would not be offended by the terrible things that Mu Sisi had previously done.

    At least he should have had a different approach to Mu Huaisheng and not just sat and watched even if he was annoyed at Mu Sisi.

    The most direct method to assimte themselves into a top-notch social circle was to acquire an invitation card to any of the banquets that The Great Eight Families would attend. Fang Anci might have been in the United States of America with Mu Huili for a long time, but her maternal family in B City still had some relevant foundations. So she asked her brother to contact an organizer for an invitation card. She would even pay for it, if necessary.

    They did not expect the organizer to reject them as soon as he learned that they were from the Mu family. He could ept requests from any other family, but the Mu family was banned from his events. After Fang Fuquan persisted with his attempts to learn the reason for that, the organizer finally caved and revealed that The Great Eight Families had announced that they would have nothing to do with the Mu family. However, he did not know how long that wouldst.

    Mu Huili was surprised by the news. He thought that Mu Huaisheng and Qi Chengzhi were still good friends.

    Chen Zhengming, Mu Huaisheng¡¯s assistant, mentioned that all the celebrities from the other agencies also rejected MU¡¯s invitation for brand promotion. After they investigated the matter, they found out that it was all thanks to Han Zhuoli, who dered that anyone who epted MU¡¯s invitation would end their coboration with Han Bang. They would also not be considered for cast selection for any of the movies that Han Bang had invested in.

    Mu Huaisheng and Mu Huili knew that it was a punishment from The Great Eight Families, but they did not understand the reason for that. It came as a surprise to them, as there were no signs or warnings that preluded their predicament.

    Mu Huaisheng racked his brain, but he could only think of one possible culprit, and that was Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Mu Sisi greeted him, and then with much hesitation, she mumbled, ¡°Brother.¡±

    ¡°Huaisheng, you are more familiar with this, so speak your mind,¡± Mu Huili said.

    Mu Huaisheng nodded and gave Mu Sisi a nk stare. ¡°Did you go and find Qi Chengzhi again recently?¡±

    Mu Sisi answered quickly and without much thought, ¡°What are you talking about? I don¡¯t have the time to find Qi Chengzhi. I work weekdays and rot at home on the weekends, didn¡¯t you know?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng frowned. ¡°Did you really not bother him at all?¡±

    Mu Sisi had not looked for Qi Chengzhi for more than a month after the embarrassing incident in the hospitalst time. She assumed what her brother meant when he said ¡®recently¡¯ referred to the past one month.

    Mu Sisi did recall that moment, but she thought that the event was so long ago, and Mu Huaisheng only asked for a recent event, right?

    Thus, Mu Sisi answered confidently, ¡°No.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng and Mu Huili looked at each other for a while, and then Mu Huili said, ¡°You can go back to work now.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mu Sisi was perturbed, so she asked.

    Mu Huaisheng nced at Mu Sisi thoughtfully and said, ¡°The Great Eight Families are punishing the Mu family. Initially, the project to register with the Wei family¡¯s mall was almostplete, but all of a sudden, Wei Ziqi broke the agreement. At first, I thought it was just a business move, and Wei Ziqi had no need to inform me of the details. However, it was obvious that the Mu family was not weed at any banquet that The Great Eight Families attended. Furthermore, we couldn¡¯t even invite a single celebrity to promote MU¡¯s gship store. This is just the beginning, who knows what other fate awaits uster.¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s expression changed. ¡°You didn¡¯t try to find Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng narrowed his eyes in distrust. ¡°Find him?

    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t speak of the despicable things that you have done, I am still too embarrassed to find him. We have not had much contact with the other members of The Great Eight Families except for Qi Chengzhi and Gui Rongxuan whom you have managed to offendst time. The Gui family didn¡¯t punish us for offending Gui Rongxuan at that time, so I assumed that this was not their doing. The only other possibility is that Qi Chengzhi was somehow offended, and out of everyone in the Mu family, it seemed that only you could do that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve said that I didn¡¯t look for him at all, so how could I have offended him?¡± Mu Sisi eximed in a slightly panicked voice.

    ¡°If you really didn¡¯t see him, then go back to work,¡± Mu Huaisheng said coldly.

    Mu Sisi pursed her lips and left the room.

    ...

    ...

    Since Song Yu¡¯s physical condition had stabilized, her health status further improved when her parents reconciled with Qi Chengzhi. When her mental health got better, she went back to her work at Chengshi. Even though she did not need the small ie from Chengshi, she was enriched with her experience there. She thought that it was too dull to rot at home the whole day.

    She told Qi Chengzhi that she would rest at home to nurture her pregnancy a month before her expected date of delivery.

    She had mixed emotions about her first day back at work as she felt nervous and excited at the same time.

    Qi Chengzhi had also recovered from his injury, and he was back at work too. Qi Chenglin had his hands full as Qi Chengzhi had passed him all of his workloads during his stay at the hospital.

    Song Yu unfastened her seatbelt when Qi Chengzhi stopped his car at Chengshi. His gaze rested on herrge belly. At that point, Song Yu¡¯s belly looked like an inted balloon, and Qi Chengzhi was a bit worried if she was too big for her pregnancy.

    He noticed that only her belly had expanded while none of her other body parts shared the same growth. He was worried that her skinny frame would not be able to support her pregnancy weight anymore.

    He only rxed when the doctor told them that everything was normal during her routine antenatal checkup.

    Song Yu¡¯s movements were quite clumsy due to her huge belly, and so, Qi Chengzhi initiated the kiss. His warm hands held her face as her head rested on the car seat, and his kiss was soft and loving. She could even feel his long fingers as they massaged the back of her neck and ears soothingly.

    Qi Chengzhi was reluctant to let her go as he kissed her. If it were not for the huge amount of work that was the cause for his hectic days ahead, he would bring Song Yu to his office with him.

    His kiss transitioned from a tender and loving kiss to a passionate kiss that followed the lines of her lips. His pupils shone through his half-closed eyelids as he savored her delicate skin.

    His thumbs caressed her cheek with affection. He could not resist the temptation and nted his mouth on her cheek andpressed it softly before he moved toward her lips again.

    He stuck his lips on hers, and his breath felt warm against her cheek. He really did not want to let her go.

    He cherished every single moment with her, and he did not want her to leave his sight, especially after the kidnapping.

    Song Yu was out of breath, and she lifted his face with both of her hands. The softness and tenderness of her touch on his face caused Qi Chengzhi to tremble.

    Song Yu ran her fingers through his perfectly proportioned features on his handsome face. His gaze was so soft that he appeared mellow, and her heartbeat increased as she admired him.

    She grinned and took the initiative to kiss his lips. ¡°I know you left out a bunch of work during your hospital stay, but no matter how busy you are, please take good care of yourself.¡±

    ¡°I might be busy this afternoon, so Chang Lai wille and drive you to lunch,¡± Qi Chengzhi said softly. His breath felt warm on her lips, and she could even smell the light fragrance of coffee from his mouth.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Song Yu nodded, and then she suddenly yelled, ¡°Ah!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression changed and asked urgently, ¡°What is it? Are you feeling unwell?¡±

    ¡°No, Youjin kicked me,¡± Song Yu said as she quickly touched her belly. ¡°This is the first time that he had kicked me. Ah! He kicked again. Hurry,e and feel it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was surprised by the information, but he quickly put his palm on her stomach. He felt extremely anxious and excited at the same time. He stared at her stomach with intense focus.

    Song Yu was disappointed when there was no further movement from the baby after a while. ¡°Why did he not move again?¡±

    Song Yu peeked at his watch as Qi Chengzhi still had his palm on her stomach. She said, ¡°I think you should get going since you have so much work to do. Let¡¯s try it again at night. He might move again then.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for a little while more.¡± Qi Chengzhi was reluctant, and he wanted to continue to wait for the baby to move.

    Song Yu then remained still and waited with him. She tried to encourage the baby and said, ¡°Youjin, please move around a bit.¡±

    After approximately three to four minutes, Qi Youjin kicked again, and coincidentally, the kick was right at the center of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s palm. Qi Chengzhi felt the slight vibration that it caused.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Song Yu with delight as he was touched and amazed by it. He could not describe the joy that he had felt then.

    Qi Chengzhi had been a calm and quiet man, but he grinned like a child who just had sweets. Song Yu could not help but smile with him as well. However, Qi Youjin only kicked once, and he rested still afterward. It seemed like he was like a sloth.

    After a while, Qi Chengzhi frowned. ¡°Is it painful when he kicked you?¡±

    ¡°No, the kicks were soft. It felt like he was just stretching himself at that moment,¡± Song Yu said with a smile.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at Song Yu¡¯s stomach with a soft expression. Then he suddenly lowered his head and kissed her stomach. With a mellow and steady voice, he said, ¡°I appreciate it.¡±

    Song Yu blushed, but she was also reluctant to leave him due to the previous disastrous event that they went through.

    She peeked at the time again. She would bete for work if she did not leave then. Even though Director Zhao gave her special privileges, she did not think it would be nice to break the rules like that.

    ¡°I¡¯m going up now. Please be careful on your way to the office,¡± Song Yu said as she kissed him again.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. As Song Yu opened the door, she heard another car door closed behind her. She turned around and saw that Qi Chengzhi had followed her out of the car. She was confused, but she let him hold her hand. ¡°I¡¯ll walk you up.¡±

    The kidnapping incident scared Qi Chengzhi. He was worried that Song Yu would meet another ident even though it was a busy building.

    Song Yu did not reject his offer, and she let him hold her hand as they walked into the office building. However, she became apprehensive after that. She wondered if her insistence on going to work was a good idea since it would make Qi Chengzhi worried and tired at the same time.

    The general public took care not to crowd anywhere near her when they entered the elevator as they saw that Song Yu was a heavily pregnant woman. Many people arrived at the building in the early morning, but they were willing to wait for the next elevator as they did not want to crowd the elevator, especially when there was a pregnantdy there.

    Even then, Qi Chengzhi protected Song Yu with great care.

    It was fortunate that those people did not know who Qi Chengzhi was, as his name did not correspond with his behavior. So, there was nomotion as all.

    Qi Chengzhi safeguarded Song Yu as they walked out of the elevator when they reached the floor for Chengshi. After they turned a corner, they finally reached the doorstep of the design department. Song Yu did not want Qi Chengzhi to enter with her, and so she said, ¡°We¡¯re here, so you can leave now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi peeked into the office and smiled. ¡°You made me feel like I should be hidden from everyone¡¯s view.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. I only fear that your presence will cause overwhelming stress to my colleagues,¡± Song Yu mumbled.

    Qi Chengzhi suddenly lowered his head and kissed Song Yu on her lips. His sudden act caused her to observe her surroundings quickly, and she sighed in relief when she realized that there were no observers. She blushed as red as a tomato.

    ¡°Be careful on your way to the office and remember to give me a call or text when you arrived,¡± Song Yu told him. She would give him the same lecture every day whenever he drove her to work before her pregnancy, or when she sent him to his office during her vacation days. Qi Chengzhi only felt warmth and affection every time she did that.

    ¡°Duly noted. I¡¯ll leave after you go in. Ask Chang Lai toe up to the office and wait for you in the afternoon. Don¡¯t go down alone, and I¡¯lle up to fetch you at night too,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he gently squeezed her hands.

    Even though Song Yu thought that it was a bit much since Jian Yi¡¯s kidnapping case was an unexpected one and she did not believe that there was anyone else who would want to hurt her, she still nodded and promised him. He was a little too careful about the whole thing, but she knew that he only wanted the best thing for her.

    She nced at Qi Chengzhi again before she walked into the office.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and saw Ruan Danchen as she came out of the engineering department.

    Ruan Danchen was at a loss when she saw Qi Chengzhi, but she smiled at him. ¡°Young Master Cheng.¡±

    Qi Chengzi remained silent, but he nodded at her as he walked away.

    Ruan Danchen felt a little embarrassed when she turned around and looked at his figure from the back.

    She guessed that Song Yu had returned to work when she saw Qi Chengzhi, and sure enough, she noticed Song Yu at her desk when she entered the office. She quickly expressed her concern and asked for her condition, which Song Yu rified that all was well.

    ¡°Ah! I¡¯m too used to you sitting beside me. When you were not around, I would still turn around to talk to you, but every single time I did that, there was only an empty seat next to me. I felt so bored as I couldn¡¯t find anyone to talk to anymore,¡± Ruan Danchenined as Yang Yunshu entered the office with a bag.

    Yang Yunshu was stunned to see Song Yu at the office, but then she pursed her lips and looked as if she was disgusted by the view. She mumbled as she took her seat at her desk, ¡°Why does she stille to the office with her huge belly sticking out? Did she think of this office as her home now that she¡¯s married to a wealthy man? Toe and go as she pleased? No one batted an eye when she came in to do nothing, and now she wanted toe to the office to be a young madam? Go home to y your young madam role, please. There¡¯s no need to pretend to be independent. She¡¯s so annoying!¡±

    Of course, Song Yu did not hear what Yang Yunshu had mumbled under her breath, and she also did not expect the office environment to change so much while she was not around. Yang Yunshu actually came back!

    ¡°Why is she back at the design department?¡± Song Yu lowered her voice to ask Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°There was ack of staff in the design department after you left. I¡¯m in charge of interior design, so I don¡¯t know much about exterior design. I can only handle some parts of your work, and no one could handle the designs for the newmunity area. Director Zhao did not want to hire new staff, so he moved Yang Yunshu back here. It was a good thing that you only had the Qilin Hotel project. Otherwise, all of them would go to Yang Yunshu,¡± Ruan Danchen answered softly.

    Song Yu understood the situation, and she did not care whether Yang Yunshu returned to the department or not. She would not dare to cross her path anyway, in case Director Zhao would be unhappy and took actions against her.

    Director Zhao also remembered that Song Yu was to return to work that day. That was why he went straight to the design department instead of his office when he arrived that morning.

    ¡°Song Yu, are you feeling much better?¡± Director Zhao smiled as he walked toward her. He was unusually kind to her.

    Yang Yunshu had her back toward them and rolled her eyes. Song Yu smiled and said, ¡°I¡¯m feeling better now, sorry to trouble you these past few days.¡±

    Song Yu wanted to stand up, but Director Zhao stopped her. ¡°No need for formality, just sit down and talk. It wasn¡¯t troublesome at all. However, if youe back to work then you have to take better care of yourself. Let me know if you need anything.¡±

    Director Zhao knew that he could not afford to offend Song Yu after she got married to Qi Chengzhi. He even needed to please her, especially since she was pregnant with the grandchild of the Qi family. He would need to take greater care of his actions with her.

    ¡°Director Zhao, is there anything for me to do?¡± Song Yu inquired.

 Chapter 278: Ending 5: I Think He Is A Lazy Boy

    <h4>Chapter 278: Ending 5: I Think He Is A Lazy Boy</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Director Zhao, is there anything for me to do?¡± Song Yu inquired.

    ¡°Well¡­¡± Director Zhao thought for a while and then said hesitantly, ¡°You know, if you take up a project now, you¡¯ll need to go to the construction site. In your current state, it¡¯s a bit of an inconvenient and not to mention, unsafe too. And your delivery date is so soon. Our project is always longer than two or three months. You can jump in after your maternity leave, so we don¡¯t need to worry so much about a handover. How about this? Manager Xu is preparing a tender for a big project, so you can help him out with the documentation, some light duties. I know that you prefer to do some design work, and you¡¯ve gotten some recognition for the Qilin Hotel project. There¡¯s a line of people asking for you. While I really want you to get involved in the projects, I worry about your health. If something were to happen, I wouldn¡¯t be able to answer to your family.¡±

    Director Zhao proceeded with utmost caution. He did not want to offend Song Yu. After all, Song Yu was thepany¡¯s prized cash cow, and he did not want to be used of mistreating her.

    ¡°I understand.¡± Song Yu did not mind. She was only too bored to stay at home, so she decided to go into work instead.

    In her state, she would refuse a design project even if she were offered one. She did not mind to help Manage Xu with menial tasks as that was her intention anyway. She wanted to keep herself upied but not stressed.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s good for you?¡± Director Zhao asked in a diplomatic tone.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Song Yu nodded. ¡°You don¡¯t have to feel uneasy. I¡¯m quite fine with this arrangement.¡±

    Director Zhao was relieved. ¡°Okay. Then go ahead. If you need to leave early, just tell Xiao Ruan.¡±

    Director Zhao then went back into his office.

    Yang Yunshu eavesdropped on their conversation that whole time. She pursed her lips and muttered to herself, ¡°Getting paid an architect¡¯s sry but doing work that even a high schooler could do. Such a simple job. Life is really unfair.¡±

    Ruan Danchen studied Yang Yunshu¡¯s behavior with suspicion. She rolled her chair over to Song Yu and spoke in a low voice, ¡°Yang Yunshu is standing there and muttering to herself. It looks like there¡¯s a gray cloud over her head.¡±

    Song Yu looked over in that direction and said, ¡°I feel it too, but as long as she doesn¡¯t pick trouble with me, I¡¯ll be fine with her.¡±

    ¡°She wouldn¡¯t dare now unless she doesn¡¯t mind being jobless,¡± Ruan Danchen said with augh before she went back to her work.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Chang Lai was already at the door to the design department.

    When Yang Yunshu walked out with her colleagues, she spotted Chang Lai. He wore a dapper suit that caught her eye. With a flirty smile, she walked over to him and asked, ¡°Sir, are you looking for someone?¡±

    Chang Lai gave Yang Yunshu a brief look. He had been picking Song Yu up daily from Chengshi, and he could recognize all of their staff. He was aware of Yan Yunshu¡¯s character.

    Chang Lai smiled coldly and said, ¡°I am Young Master Cheng¡¯s driver, and I am here to pick up the missus.¡±

    When she heard that he was only a driver, Yang Yunshu lost her interest in him almost immediately. She lost her sunny disposition and then replied flippantly, ¡°I see.¡±

    Then she walked away to join her other colleagues.

    When Song Yu and Ruan Danchen exited the department, they saw Yang Yunshu as she walked away from Chang Lai. Song Yu shot a look at Chang Lai but kept her silence.

    The three of them arrived at the elevator just as the door opened. Song Yu was not in a rush, so she enteredst. Yang Yunshu eyed Chang Lai¡¯s careful escort of the pregnant Song Yu into the elevator. She pitied the young man who decided to be someone¡¯s driver instead of pursuing an actual career.

    Once they were in the car, Song Yu asked, ¡°Did Yang Yunshu approach you just now?¡±

    Chang Lai smiled and said genially, ¡°I think she saw my attire and thought that I was a rich man. When I said that I was Young Master Cheng¡¯s driver, she left me alone.¡±

    Song Yu let out augh. ¡°What a dumb girl.¡±

    Chang Lai just smiled.

    The car stopped in front of Dynasty, and Song Yu ordered a take-out meal. After the food was packaged into Dynasty¡¯s premium food carrier, she brought it to Qilin.

    Cheng Dongge was not at his table. There was another temporary secretary at his ce who immediately stood up when he saw Song Yu. ¡°Ma¡¯am, Mr. Chang.¡±

    When she saw that Cheng Dongge was not at his desk, Song Yu asked, ¡°Are they all inside?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The director has been having meetings with the managers for the whole morning,¡± the secretary said. He had watched the managers entered the office one by one nervously and then exited dejectedly. He pitied them as the stress seemed to have overwhelmed them.

    Qi Chenglin handled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s work during that period, but thebined workloads were too much for him toplete alone. After all, Qi Chenglin was only a temporary stand-in. There were still some urgent matters that Qi Chengzhi had to deal with himself.

    Before Qi Chengzhi returned to work, he had already reviewed the issues that required his attention. He sorted them by their urgency and would face them head-on that day.

    Song Yu nodded and brought her lunch to the pantry as she wanted to heat the food. When she was done, Qi Chengyue walked in with her own take-out box.

    ¡°Brother is still upied?¡± Qi Chengyue asked when she saw as Song Yu she walked out of the pantry.

    ¡°No. I actually just arrived.¡± Song Yu saw the lunchbox in Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand. ¡°You have not eaten as well?¡±

    ¡°I already ate. This is for Cheng Dongge. Whenever Brother hosts a meeting, they will usually neglect to have lunch, so I brought food for him.¡± Qi Chengyue nced at the tightly-shut office door and sighed. ¡°His body just healed. He shouldn¡¯t have busied himself with work.¡±

    Song Yu chuckled. ¡°You¡¯re just worried that Cheng Dongge doesn¡¯t get to eat lunch.¡±

    Qi Chengyueughed in embarrassment, but she did not deny the fact either.

    ¡°Wait here for a moment,¡± Song Yu said.

    Song Yu strode up to the office door and knocked. She did not bother to wait for a reply before she opened the door and went inside. Qi Chengyue watched from behind and sighed again. Only Song Yu had the privilege to do such a thing.

    The manager was talking about something when Song Yu entered the office. Qi Chengzhi had a serious expression on his face, and the interruption elicited an unhappy look. His ck eyes red at the door.

    When he saw that it was Song Yu, his expression softened. His rigid posture rxed, and the edge of his mouth curled upward.

    ¡°You¡¯re still not done?¡± Song Yu walked in and ced her lunchbox on the side table. The smell of lunch wafted toward them. The managers who sat across from Qi Chengzhi felt their stomachs rumbled.

    Qi Chengzhi shot a look at the time and realized that Song Yu was a bit early. ¡°You have not eaten?¡±

    ¡°I ordered take-out because I wanted to eat with you,¡± Song Yu said with an affectionate tone. However, there was also a disapproving glint in her eyes. It was already one in the afternoon. It seemed as if Qi Chengzhi did not intend to stop for lunch, and he might have just skipped it had she not shown up.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her and turned to his managers. His expression was undoubtedly better than before Song Yu arrived. ¡°Go, have your lunch. We¡¯ll reconvene after that.¡±

    The relief was palpable, and the managers hastily left the office.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Cheng Dongge finally had the time to eat. He walked out of the office and saw Qi Chengyue with a lunchbox.

    Qi Chengyue sighed. ¡°It was a good thing that Song Yu came over. Otherwise, you would have to skip lunch again.¡±

    A smile graced Cheng Dongge¡¯s lips. ¡°Have you eaten?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Chengyue pulled Cheng Dongge into one of the meeting rooms. ¡°The food is still hot. Eat it quickly before it bes cold.¡±

    Cheng Dongge opened the lunchbox and surveyed the food. Qi Chengyue was indeed familiar with his likes and dislikes. Despite that, the meal did not only consist of the things that he liked.

    For example, he came from Li City and had a preference for spicy food. When it came to vegetables, he only liked leafy greens.

    In the lunchbox, there were fish and meat dishes that were spicy. There were also carrots which he disliked and fried choy sum, which was his favorite. There was also broli, which he did not mind. It was a bnced diet that was tailored just for him.

    In her previous rtionship, Qi Chengyue was simrly attentive. However, Jian Yi did not appreciate her efforts. The first time she brought a lunchbox for Cheng Dongge, he ate everything without aint even though it contained dishes that he disliked.

    Cheng Dongge ate a few mouthfuls and looked at Qi Chengyue. She had her hands folded on the table, and her head rested on her arm as she watched him eat.

    He smiled at her and reached forward with his slender hand. He tucked her hair behind her ear and rubbed at her temple. Then, he pinched her ear softly. Qi Chengyue could feel her ear warmed up.

    ¡°After we¡¯re married, do you want to buy a new house or renovate my old house?¡± Cheng Dongge asked.

    He had wanted to renovate his house. He had lived there for three years with Huang Ziyue. Some of the decors were actually Huang Ziyue¡¯s ideas. Even though the emotional scars healed after Qi Chengyue entered his life, there were still elements that unsettled him.

    Qi Chengyue had never said anything about the house, but he did not want her to feel ufortable. If she were to live there, he would want her to be at ease.

    However, Cheng Dongge was just too preupied to ask her.

    The question required some thought, and Qi Chengyue furrowed her eyebrows.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about money. I¡¯ve earned enough to buy a house,¡± Cheng Dongge said with a smile.

    ¡°I know.¡± Qi Chengyue never doubted his financial capabilities. She raised her head and asked inquisitively, ¡°But that¡¯s a house for both of us. Why don¡¯t we split the cost for it? That way, we will own it together. Every brick, tile, ster, wallpaper, will have traces of you and me.¡±

    Cheng Dongge raised an eyebrow. He understood the meaning of those words. ¡°Does the current house make you ufortable?¡±

    Qi Chengyue lowered her head in embarrassment. She scratched the back of her neck and bit her bottom lip. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m ufortable. Your ex stayed there for so long. Whenever I go over to your house, I can sense her presence in every corner.¡±

    She looked surreptitiously at Cheng Dongge. There was a slight smile and no signs of anger on his face. He asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you didn¡¯t like the house?¡±

    ¡°Everyone has a past. I¡¯m divorced, but you don¡¯t mind. If I were to fuss over such a small issue, people would say that I¡¯m petty,¡± she whispered, and her face was red.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s hand left her face. Instead, he took her hands in his.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ve been meaning to give the house a makeover, but I have not had the time. I should have done it sooner,¡± Cheng Dongge said in an apologetic tone.

    The fact that Cheng Dongge considered her feelings surprised Qi Chengyue. She knew that he was busy, and renovation works would often take up a lot of time and effort. He would have to move out of the house but still monitor the progress. Hence, she suggested for them to purchase a new house instead.

    ¡°Let¡¯s buy a house. Once we¡¯re married and settled in the new house, the old house will be empty. We can do the renovation then. If you¡¯re busy with work, I can go over and help to supervise the process. The house can be ready for when Mom and Dade to visit B City,¡± Qi Chengyue said.

    ¡°Mom and Dad? I see that you¡¯ve been thinking of the full picture. Can¡¯t wait to be a good daughter-inw?¡± Cheng Dongge teased her.

    Qi Chengyue blushed and put his hands onto the table. ¡°Eat your lunch. Break is almost over.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll head over to the sales departmentter and ask for some property rmendations along with the floorns. We can browse through some of them,¡± Cheng Dongge said before he dug into his lunch.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    Song Yu ate lunch with Qi Chengzhi in his office. ¡°With so much work, are you staying backter?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve already nned out the work that I can bring home. There¡¯s no need to stay back.¡± Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu put down her chopsticks and asked, ¡°Full already?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really have an appetite.¡± Song Yu drank a few gulps of water.

    Qi Chengzhi patted the spot beside him. ¡°Come sit beside me.¡±

    Song Yu bit her lips and went to his side. Once she sat beside him, she leaned into him. Qi Chengzhi was still eating when she rested her head on his shoulder.

    Qi Chengzhi gobbled down the rest of his meal. Once he was done, he pulled Song Yu into hisp.

    Song Yu pulled a tissue out of nowhere and pressed it against Qi Chengzhi¡¯s oil-stained lips with her own lips. When she pulled away, there was a seductive smile on her face. Her round eyes shone with a glint of yfulness.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clean lips sought hers. ¡°Is there anything you fancy for dinner tonight? We can buy it on the way home.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything now. Maybeter.¡± Song Yu pressed her forehead into his neck. With her eyes closed, she asked, ¡°What time is it now?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the clock. ¡°One-twenty.¡±

    Song Yu snuggled into his embrace as if she did not want to leave. ¡°Lunch break is almost over. I have to go.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi ced his warm hands on her belly. ¡°Are you tired? You can take a nap here. You don¡¯t have to go in for the rest of the day.¡±

    Song Yu suddenly wanted tough. Yang Yunshu probably hated her for having such a fickle work schedule.

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired,¡± she said as sheid in Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arms. ¡°Taking leave on the first day of work? That¡¯s a bit too much. My colleagues already hate me. Besides, if I stayed here, you would need to push back your schedules for the afternoon.¡±

    She took a breath and raised her head. She kissed him on the lips and said, ¡°Bye.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t move this noon?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked expectantly.

    Song Yu smiled and touched her belly. ¡°I think he¡¯s azy boy.¡±

    Song Yu stood up from Qi Chengzhi¡¯sp and was personally escorted to the car. ¡°Call me once you¡¯ve reached your workce.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked on until Chang Lai¡¯s car drove off. He headed back to his office. He summoned the group of people to continue the meeting. After half an hour, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang. He immediately picked up when he saw Song Yu¡¯s caller ID.

    Based on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression, the managers knew that it was his wife who had called him. They sighed internally as they thought, ¡®If only the director would treat us with a fraction of the kindness he shows his wife.¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi nced at the managers and got up from his chair. He walked to the window and said softly, ¡°Reached your office?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I called you right after I entered the building.¡± Song Yu walked to her desk.

    Once he was sure of Song Yu¡¯s safety, Qi Chengzhi rxed. He got off the phone and continued with his work.

    ¡­

    ¡­

    In the evening, Qi Chengzhi arrived at Chengshi just ten minutes before the end of the workday. Everyone had switched off theirputers and got ready to leave.

    Qi Chengzhi stood squarely at the door of the design department. With one hand in his pocket, his other hand scrolled through his phone.

    Every single person who walked out of the department was stunned to see Qi Chengzhi there. Yang Yunshu was startled when she saw Qi Chengzhi, and she quickly backtracked. She was not sure if Qi Chengzhi knew about her return. If she appeared so suddenly in front of him, Qi Chengzhi might make Director Zhao fire her on the spot. She only stayed in Chengshi because she knew nopany would hire her.

    Yang Yunshu anxiously kept her head down and hid among a few coworkers who were leaving too. Qi Chengzhi was still looking at his phone when she walked past him. She breathed a sigh of relief. She feared that she would run into Qi Chengzhi again in the elevator, so she took the stairs down.

    Song Yu came out with some of her other colleagues as Ruan Danchen stayed back for work. She saw Qi Chengzhi as he stood by the department door dressed in his tailored suit. He looked like a model. He had a serene look on his face, which gave him an air of sophistication. He seemed unaware of the surprised looks that he got as he stood among the crowd.

    After a while, the coworkers shifted their gaze from Qi Chengzhi to Song Yu. She blushed and lowered her head. She quickly walked over to Qi Chengzhi and linked their hands.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around to look at her. His gaze softened, and a hint of a smile toyed at the edge of his lips. He pocketed his phone. He squeezed her hand as they walked to the elevators.

    ¡°When did you get here?¡± Song Yu asked. The attention that they received made her uneasy.

    ¡°Just now,¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke with a calming voice. They stopped in front of the elevators.

    The employees of Chengshi nervously greeted Qi Chengzhi. In the office building, people from otherpanies were not familiar with Qi Chengzhi, but due to Song Yu, her coworkers could recognize him well.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s presence made everyone uneasy, but the man himself was unaware of it.

    ¡°Tired?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked softly as he ignored the people around them.

    Song Yu was mildly embarrassed by the looks thrown their way. She inched closer to Qi Chengzhi and whispered, ¡°Director Zhao didn¡¯t really give me a lot of work. I just rearranged some documents. I¡¯m not tired, and I didn¡¯t even get to touch theputer.¡±

 Chapter 279 - Ending 6: Be Careful or the Child You Give Birth to Might Be Black as a Crow

    <h4>Chapter 279: Ending 6: Be Careful or the Child You Give Birth to Might Be ck as a Crow</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Everyone else was struck with horror; they could not stand seeing Qi Chengzhi being so tender. Finally, the elevator arrived. All of them secretly let out a sigh of relief. However, when the elevator door opened, they saw Director Zhao and Madam Zhao in there. The second Director Zhao saw Qi Chengzhi, he was panic-stricken.

    Manager Wang noticed the situation and said, ¡°Director Qi, Song Yu, please have a seat first. We will wait for the next ride.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not care. He nodded and led Song Yu into the elevator.

    Director Zhao and Madam Zhao quickly greeted Qi Chengzhi. Maintaining his usual haughty appearance, Qi Chengzhi nodded at them coldly. Then, he turned to Song Yu and asked, ¡°Just now, I saw Yang Yunshue out of the design department. Is she back to working in the design department?¡±

    Director Zhao suddenly grew anxious. Song Yu answered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I take two months¡¯ leave? Thepany was short-handed, so she was called to help. It isn¡¯t wise for them to not utilize every one of their architects.¡±

    ¡°Director Qi, if you¡¯re not happy with this, I can transfer her back,¡± Director Zhao said hurriedly.

    ¡°No need.¡± Qi Chengzhi nced at himposedly. He knew that Song Yu said that because she did not want him to stoop down to Yang Yunshu¡¯s level. ¡°Since you shifted her back, just let her stay. However, you should keep an eye on her. Song Yu is now pregnant, she can¡¯t deal with any of her plots. If anything happens¡ª¡±

    ¡°Director Qi, rest assured, I will keep my eyes peeled,¡± Director Zhao assured hastily.

    After that, Qi Chengzhi kept silent. When the elevator reached the first floor, he led Song Yu out.

    He shielded Song Yu as she got into the car. He got in and fastened his seatbelt. However, he did not start the engine. He reached out and cupped his hand on Song Yu¡¯s belly.

    Seeing such a reliable and independent man acting like a curious child and constantly feeling her belly, Song Yu could not help but smile.

    ¡°He¡¯s not moving,¡± Qi Chengzhi mumbled as he leaned his face closer.

    Qi Chengzhi pouted. ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to feel his kicks the whole day when I was at work. Why is he sozy?¡±

    ¡°Do you want him to be kicking inside all day long?¡± Song Yu teased.

    Qi Chengzhi looked up silently and stared at her with a smile. He leaned in and kissed her.

    ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you all of a sudden?¡± Song Yu was heating up due to his tender stare.

    ¡°I was used to having you wait for me at home. Suddenly, I have toe pick you up from work again. I feel like we¡¯ve been apart for too long,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a soft voice. The truth was, he preferred that she stayed home; he would feel more at ease.

    Knowing his thoughts, Song Yu held his hand gently. She stared at his refined long fingers. Her fingers slowly slid up his, stacking their palms together. Then, her fingers slithered between his,cing them together.

    ¡°I have decided that I¡¯ll resign after Youjin is born. I¡¯ll devote myself to taking care of him at home. If there are any suitable designing jobs, I¡¯ll do it at home. Nheless, my main focus will always be on Youjin. I just don¡¯t want us to be too disconnected.¡± Song Yu looked at him tenderly. She appeared especially submissive. ¡°Truth be told, I love to stay home and wait for you to return too, but when you go to work during the day, I¡¯m bored when left alone at home. There¡¯s not much I can do either. Once Youjin is born, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t have time to be bored. I¡¯ve already contemted on it; a month before his due date, instead of taking a month¡¯s leave, I¡¯ll resign there and then.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi did not expect her to have thought everything through. Hepletely agreed with her ns and told her so.

    While driving, Qi Chengzhi asked, ¡°Is there anything you¡¯d like to eat? We can get it on the way.¡±

    As though she had made up her mind long ago, she leaned closer flirtatiously and clung onto his arm. ¡°Hot and sour noodle.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi grinned. It seemed like the idiom ¡® sour boy and spicy girl <sup>1</sup> ¡® was urate since Song Yu loved sour food.

    Therefore, Qi Chengzhi drove to Shengyue. Shengyue mainly served Sichuan cuisine. On the menu, there were some unique sides, including hot and sour noodles. Previously, after he had finished watching a movie with Song Yu, they loitered around for a while and when Song Yu mentioned it, Shengyue was already closed. He had to buy it from a small shop by the road.

    The noodles cooked in Shengyue felt safer to be consumed than the ones sold in roadside shops. It also did not have the smell of artificial essences.

    They got takeout from Shengyue, only then did the duo return home.

    Aunt Yang red at the hot and sour noodle ced on the dining table and shook her head disapprovingly. ¡°Madam, why do you always eat these things? There are so much soy sauce and vinegar in them. Be careful or the child you give birth to might be ck as a crow.¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    After dinner, Qi Chengzhi grabbed hisptop and went to work in the bedroom. This time, he was not sitting on the bed. Instead, he sat on the couch. When working, he could see Song Yu lying on the bed just by lifting his head up.

    After taking a bath, Song Yu climbed onto the bed. Qi Chengzhi looked up from his monitor to look at Song Yu.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Song Yu was holding a book that she was nning to read.

    ¡°I was thinking, if you want to work from home after resigning, I¡¯ll hand you any suitable designing jobs we have at Qilin.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was gentle and his voice was calm and melodic. ¡°You¡¯ll only have to draw up the designs. As for site visiting, supervision, et cetera, I¡¯ll have Qilin¡¯s employees handle it. This way, it won¡¯t be as tiring as working for someone else. What do you think?¡±

    Song Yu pondered on it, then said, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it cause an inconvenience? I¡¯m sure the manager in yourpany wouldn¡¯t dare to speak up even if he isn¡¯t satisfied with my designs due to my position.¡±

    ¡°Since I¡¯m here, why do we need anyone else?¡± Qi Chengzhi pouted. With a faint smile, he pointed out and said, ¡°I can discuss the design draft with you at home. You can change anything that needs to be changed immediately. When ites to work, I won¡¯t take anything as a joke.¡±

    Song Yu knew that he took his work very seriously. Even back when she waspeting to design Qilin Hotel, although Qi Chengzhi was willing to hand her the job, it was only after she gave him her design draft. She had to make many alterations before the final draft was produced.

    Song Yu thought, with Qi Chengzhi supporting her, she could feel at ease no matter what she did, so she agreed.

    Once Qi Chengzhi finished his work, he came over with a bottle of essential oil and firming lotion to rub on Song Yu¡¯s stomach and massage her legs.

    ¡°He¡¯s moving! Chengzhi, Youjin is moving again,¡± Song Yu announced excitedly.

    Qi Chengzhi speedily ced his hand on her belly. He could feel Qi Youjin¡¯s movements from time to time inside Song Yu¡¯s belly. He pressed his ears against her stomach. ¡°This little guy, does he sleep in the day and wake up at night?¡±

    Song Yu chuckled and said, ¡°I wish we can fast-forward to his due date.¡±

    After a while, little Qi Youjin must have grown tired¡ªhe stopped moving. Qi Chengzhi fixed his gaze at Song Yu¡¯s erged stomach and suggested, ¡°Should we find some time to do a pregnancy photoshoot?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Song Yu had thought about it before but seeing that Qi Chengzhi was so busy, she did not bring it up.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s birthday fell on a Saturday. After a secret discussion between the four women of the Qi family, they decided to throw an unforgettable birthday party at Dynasty.

    Grandmother Qi loved acting, so they decided to make ¡®nostalgic movies¡¯ the theme of the party. It was something like a masquerade ball. They decorated different areas of the hall to look like ssic scenes from movies. Those who attend the party could dress up as any character from any movie¡ªit was not limited to the movies that had their scenes used at the party.

    Only after the decoration waspleted did Xia Wenna and Guan Liya tell Grandmother Qi about it. Grandmother Qi was overjoyed to hear about the party. She hadpletely forgotten that she had once said she did not want an extravagant party; she only wanted the whole family to celebrate it together at the old mansion modestly. Exhrated, Grandmother Qi dug out her favorite movie and found a tailor to make her cheongsam.

    On Saturday, Chang Lai arrived at the Song family¡¯s house to pick Song Donglin and Yu Qianying up. This way, they did not have to walk on the streets to call a cab whilst in their costumes and attract unwanted attention. Yu Qianying was not thick-skinned enough to do that.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had long arrived at Dynasty to wee guests. Song Yu was pregnant so she could not find any costumes she would look good in. Thus, she ended up wearing a Hanfu. The high-waisted skirt was not very revealing and it could be worn as maternity clothing as well.

    Qi Chengzhi wore a three-piece suit. He was dressed up in a retro style from the 30¡¯s and 40¡¯s. He even put on the sses he had kept away long ago.

    Song Yu had not seen him in sses in a long time. When she saw him with sses that day, it reminded her of the time they met again; he was wearing sses, making him appear particrly unfathomable and mysterious. The lenses covered his dark and sharp eyes, masking the expression in his eyes. His usual sternness was also hidden behind those sses, making him appear much more elegant and genteel.

    However, Song Yu knew him all too well. No matter how she looked at it, she still thought that the outfit did not suit his personality at all.

    On the way here, Song Yu had been staring at the bespectacled Qi Chengzhi the whole time. Once Qi Chengzhi had stopped the car in a parking spot in front of Dynasty, he turned to Song Yu and raised an eyebrow at her, saying, ¡°You¡¯ve been staring at me the whole way here.¡±

    ¡°When I see you wearing sses again, it reminded me of the way you looked back then. It¡¯s quite nostalgic.¡± Song Yu stared at the man who gave off apletely different aura with sses on. Back then, he was this elegant and genteel-looking man, yet he could do such shameless things to her.

    ¡°Then do you want me to wear it or not?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked in his low, husky voice while raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wear it, you look more handsome without it. Even so, the way you look right now really makes me miss the old days. It¡¯s quite fun to think about it,¡± Song Yu said as she grinned.

    Suddenly, Qi Chengzhi leaned toward Song Yu. His dashing face abruptly magnified in front of her eyes. Song Yu could not tell what he was thinking, but his face was inches away from hers. As she stared into his deep eyes through the lenses, she remembered that back in the day¡ªwhen he was still wearing sses¡ªhe would abruptly lean closer to her like this, making her nervous and charmed at the same time.

    At this moment, Song Yu¡¯s heart raced. As his scalding breathsnded on her face, she felt her face grow hotter and hotter, as if it was being cooked.

    His thin and elegant lips curled up a little. He was an adult, yet he looked like a rascal.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing was all over the ce. She watched as he leaned closer and closer. When his lips were almost touching hers, he stopped. Song Yu was quite unhappy about it. How could he pull her in like that then leave her hanging? How wicked!

    Then, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intoxicating smoky voice sounded. His voice was peculiarly alluring. ¡°I suddenly realized, back then, I have only kissed you with my sses on, but we¡¯ve never done it with it on, right?¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face turned red in a sh. She stared at his handsome and graceful face in disbelief. How could he say something so shameless? Her lips were trembling slightly, her body was heating up and her face was boiling. She felt like smoke wasing out of her ears.

    ¡°Should we try it when we get home tonight?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked in a gravelly voice. Immediately, his lipsnded on her face, grinding against the corner of her lips. ¡°Just like when we were dating.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face waspletely red. She thought about the scenes from back then, arousing herself.

    ¡°Just stay in this outfit tonight.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice now carried a hint of eagerness. His thin lips rubbed against the corner of her lips then worked its way up to her ear, then slowly moved down again and kissed her neck.

    With a flushed face, Song Yu thought about him wanting to roley in the bedroom.

    Without thinking, she revealed the elegant curves on her neck, letting Qi Chengzhi¡¯s warm and numbing lips grind on it. She was starting to tremble. Her hands clutched tightly onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s suit. Trapped in her seat by Qi Chengzhi, she appeared particrly submissive and helpless. Seeing this, Qi Chengzhi became even keener. He would not let go of her. Instead, he held onto her even tighter.

    With all the kissing, Qi Chengzhi was getting aroused. Smelling the sweet scenting off her body, his elegant and attractive hand subconsciously slithered to the knot tied on her Hanfu.

    Suddenly, his phone rang, giving the couple who were fully indulged in each other a shock.

    Song Yu was abruptly awoken. Realizing where Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand was ced, she was so embarrassed she wanted to bury her head in sand. She thought that she was too easily aroused nowadays¡ªwith just a simple touch and a kiss, her mind would go nk. All she wanted to do was bury herself in his embrace.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his thick eyebrows annoyedly. He grabbed the phone from thepartment between the seats and saw the words ¡®Qi Youxuan¡¯ disyed on the phone.

    ¡°Why are you calling?¡± Qi Chengzhi questioned irritatedly after answering the call. His voice was cold. One of his hands was still cupped on Song Yu¡¯s face, his finger gently brushing her hair. His thumb wandered around her cheeks, then finally stopped at the corner of her lips.

    Gradually, his vexed expression dissolved into a tender look.

    ¡°Uncle, when my dad and I were driving here, I saw your car in front of us. Now, we have already gotten out of the car, so why haven¡¯t you?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s tiny hand was held by Qi Chenglin. He was speaking on the phone while walking with Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi squinted. That brat was quite the busybody. ¡°You two are here too?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. We¡¯re walking towards you guys right now.¡± Qi Youxuan said innocently, not aware of the situation.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi hung up with a dark expression.

    ¡°...¡± Confused, Qi Youxuan stared at his chubby little hand that was holding his Totoro phone. In a clear voice, he ranted, ¡°Ah, this Uncle, how could he hang up so abruptly like this?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at his son but did not say a word. As they walked, they saw a ck Range Rover¡¯s doors open just a few steps away from them. They watched as Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu got out.

    ¡°Uncle, Auntie.¡± Song Yu heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s melodic voice loud and clear.

    She turned toward the direction of the voice and saw Qi Youxuan dressed in Detective Conan¡¯s blue suit. On top of his white shirt, he had a big red bowtie. A pair of lensless ck sses sat on his little nose, covering half his face.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s outfit was no different from what he usually wore¡ªa suit. Standing beside Qi Chengzhi, no one would have guessed these two were attending a movie-themed party.

    ¡°Auntie, you look exceptionally beautiful today,¡± Qi Youxuan praised in his crisp child¡¯s voice. Looking up, his clearrge eyes stared expectantly at Song Yu¡¯s belly. ¡°Auntie, I heard Uncle said that my little brother can move in your tummy now.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Song Yu nodded with a smile. She could not help but shoot a nce at Qi Chengzhi. She did not know when he had announced this.

    ¡°Can I feel it?¡± the little boy asked expectantly.

    Seeing his stunning little face, no one would have the heart to refuse the child¡¯s requests. ¡°Of course you can. Even so, he¡¯s not moving now, so maybe you won¡¯t feel it.¡±

    Nheless, the kid still ced his petite hand on Song Yu¡¯s stomach gently. It felt different from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand; the boy¡¯s hand was soft and small¡ªthey felt much lighter as if they were weightless. Seeing his tiny hand, Song Yu¡¯s heart was moved. Now that she was going to be a mother, she loved Qi Youxuan even more.

    ¡°I can¡¯t feel a thing.¡± The child¡¯s eyebrows squeezed firmly together. He looked distressed.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t move constantly, only once in a while,¡± Song Yu exined with a smile.

    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t stand here any longer. Let¡¯s go in,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coolly.

    Qi Youxuan moved his hand away and grabbed Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand. The four of them walked toward Dynasty together. ¡°Can he really move in there?¡±

    ¡°Of course. If you rest your palm on top, you can feel the pulses,¡± Song Yu replied as she ced her hand on her stomach. ¡°Nevertheless, you can only feel it when he moves.¡±

    An expectant expression shed across the child¡¯s face. ¡°Auntie, can you tell me the next time he moves?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Song Yu smiled as she brushed Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair tenderly.

    Thus, the little boy resolved to not move an inch apart from his aunt the entire night.

    The four of them reached Dynasty¡¯s front door. When they saw the person awaiting them at the entrance, they slowed down and eventually came to a stop.

    Mu Huaisheng came over and nodded at Qi Chenglin and Song Yu before turning to Qi Chengzhi, requesting, ¡°Can we talk?¡±

    Song Yu no longer had a good impression of Mu Huaisheng. Although what Mu Sisi did was on her and the me should not fall on Mu Huaisheng¡¯s head, Song Yu was still unsatisfied with Mu Huaisheng¡¯s inability to control his younger sister. He clearly knew what Mu Sisi was doing and what kind of person she was, yet, as her brother, he did not forcefully constrain her but only warned her verbally. Evidently, words were useless, resulting in Mu Sisi causing a ton of trouble for them.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was indifferent. He nodded with a stern expression. Turning to Qi Chenglin, he said, ¡°Take care of Song Yu for me.¡±

    Song Yu did not oppose to it. She followed Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan inside. Turning back to nce at Qi Chengzhi, she saw him smiling at her catively. Only when she was out of sight did Qi Chengzhi shift his gaze.

    On the way here, Mu Huaisheng had pondered upon many things. Qi Chengzhi invited The Eight Great Families to Grandmother Qi¡¯s birthday party, yet, as his friend, he was not invited. Even so, Mu Huaisheng could guess the reason for that but he could not wrap his head around why Qi Chengzhi had abruptly be so extreme.

    ¡°Why are The Eight Great Families working together to sanction the Mu family? Since we came here, we did not interact much with the other families, so I thought I should direct my questions to you. I believe I¡¯ll understand more this way,¡± Mu Huaisheng stated. He caught sight of Yan Beicheng behind Qi Chengzhi. Yan Beicheng was heading their way with a pair of middle-aged couple.

    Qi Chengzhi turned and walked toward a corner. Mu Huaisheng could only catch a glimpse of Yan Beicheng before having to follow Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, our family asked the other families for a small favor,¡± Qi Chengzhi revealed in a distant voice with his hands in his pockets.

    Having things develop to this point with an old friend, he was definitely feeling a little uneasy.

    Mu Huaisheng pouted andughed wryly. The ¡®small favor¡¯ had caused the Mu family a load of trouble. Mu Sisi may not know yet, but Mu Huaisheng knew that the Mu family was nning to focus on markets within the country. If the beginning was already this rough, it would be hard to proceed onward.

 Chapter 280 - Sheâ€™s Crying About Her Parents Forcing Her to Get Married

    <h4>Chapter 280: She¡¯s Crying About Her Parents Forcing Her to Get Married</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mu Huaisheng pouted andughed wryly. The ¡®small favor¡¯ had caused the Mu family a load of trouble. Mu Sisi may not know yet, but Mu Huaisheng knew that the Mu family was nning to focus on markets within the country. If the beginning was already this rough, it would be hard to proceed onward.

    ¡°Why?¡± Mu Huaisheng askedposedly.

    ¡°A while ago, I was injured. Right here.¡± Qi Chengzhi pointed at his abdomen. ¡°Stabbed with a knife. It was very severe. I almost died, but I didn¡¯t. I escaped death and was admitted into a hospital. I don¡¯t know how Mu Sisi found out I was injured and admitted into the hospital ¡ªnot many knew about this, and those who did would never tell her.¡±

    ¡°When was that?¡± Mu Huaisheng was shocked. His expression turned serious.

    ¡°About a month ago.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression was calm. His attitude was nothing like someone who had just had a brush with death.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s face abruptly tightened. ¡°I even asked her whether she had been bugging youtely. She told me that she didn¡¯t so confidently. What did she do now?¡±

    ¡°Oh, not much. She simply took the chance while I was lying in bed and immobile to throw herself on me and said that she wants to have my child. While fending her off, I tore my wound and worsened my injury.¡± Although Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wound did not hurt anymore, he was scarred emotionally. Every time this topic was brought up, it made him ufortable.

    Seeing Mu Huaisheng¡¯s staggered expression, Qi Chengzhi continued in an indifferent tone, ¡°There¡¯s no way I can tolerate her harassment anymore. I don¡¯t know how many times I have to tell her to get her to drop the idea and stop disrupting our lives. Since your family didn¡¯t give a damn, we had to take matters into our own hands. This was a decision made by our grandparents. They were infuriated when they saw me getting hurt again after finally starting to recover. There¡¯s no point in youing to see me today. I have no say in this matter. Whether I end this or not is up to our grandparents.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept his left hand in his pocket while his right hand took his ringing phone out. He merely nced at it then declined the call. ¡°My family is prodding me. Now you know why I didn¡¯t invite you; the two elderly are still exasperated. Before this, we didn¡¯t move a finger because we thought she was merely making a scene. Us, The Eight Great Families, also have our pride to maintain. It¡¯s not worth it to cause amotion over small matters. Otherwise, the Qi family would have been insanely busy these few years. When Mu Sisi wronged Gui Ronghui, it¡¯s not that the Gui family did not know, nor was it that they did not value Gui Ronghui; they simply felt that it wasn¡¯t worthunching a thousand ships just for her. Besides, they felt that it was a children¡¯s fight. It was something personal, so there was no need to make it a family affair. They did not feel the need to move a fleet for a small incident and stoop down to her level.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s eyebrows jumped. He did think that the Gui family did not want to go through so much trouble solely for Gui Ronghui.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded at Mu Huaisheng, then he left without saying any more.

    Mu Huaisheng stood at the spot, not moving a muscle. He exhaled deeply, and only when he calmed down did he walk to the parking lot. However, as he reached the entrance of Dynasty, he stopped. Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were heading his way. Additionally, Qi Zhongxun, Qi Zhongliang, and their wives were also beside them.

    They were all dressed in costumes from the Minguo period. The three men, led by Grandfather Qi, were all wearing suits. Grandfather Qi even wore a top hat. On the other hand, Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya were all wearingvish and elegant cheongsams.

    As Mu Huaisheng greeted them, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi merely acknowledged his presence coldly. Therefore, Mu Huaisheng left without saying more.

    The second Grandmother Qi entered the hall, she went straight to look for Qi Chengzhi to ask him why Mu Huaisheng was here. She did not even stop to admire the intricate decorations.

    Once Qi Chengzhi exined it to her, she scoffed unhappily and ranted, ¡°That young man is so thick-skinned. Back then, when Mu Sisi was seducing you in front of the Song girl, he still dared to bring Mu Sisi to our home. Now that Mu Sisi had done something so shameless, he still got the guts toe see you?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi kept quiet. Grandmother Qi was a straightforward woman, once she spat out the words in her heart, she would feel much better. Thus, she dragged Grandfather Qi and her two daughters-inw to get their pictures taken. Posing ording to the movie scenes, they took millions of photos.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi went shopping. She came home with her hands full. The moment she stepped in, she was met with the dark expressions of her parents and Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°Come here,¡± Mu Huilimanded in a stiff voice.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Mu Sisi put her things down and entered the living room.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you didn¡¯t go see Qi Chengzhitely?¡± Mu Huili questioned coldly. ¡°Then about a month ago, who did you see?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s expression changed. ¡°When my brother asked that, he was asking whether I have seen himtely, so it¡¯s true that I haven¡¯t seen himtely. A month ago is a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, how dare you still quibble!¡± Even Fang Anci, who had pampered Mu Sisi her whole life, was at her limit. ¡°What did I teach you since you were young? To seduce a man into wanting you? You stripped naked in front of him and he didn¡¯t even look at you, yet now you took the chance when he was injured and could not get out of bed to... to rape him? This is not love! This is just shameless! Even if he was single, he wouldn¡¯t want you if you force yourself on him like that! To teach you a lesson, they took it out on our familypany. You should have had more self-awareness much earlier on! You should have backed off! The man you want has a wife. Moreover, his wife is pregnant, yet you still forced yourself on him. What are you thinking? If a man with a wife can be lured away so easily by a mistress, would you dare to live the rest of your life with him even if you¡¯ve sessfully won his heart? Today, you steal another woman¡¯s husband from her; tomorrow, some other woman wille steal your husband from you! Qi Chengzhi has made it crystal clear from the beginning¡ªhe does not want you. Even if he had to tear his wound and worsen his injury, he still didn¡¯t want you! You were kicked out of a ward! Aren¡¯t you humiliated? How can you not feel ashamed of yourself?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your daughter! How could you condemn me like that? In the eyes of others, I may be shameless, but this is all to get the one that I love. What¡¯s wrong with that? For love, I am brave. I will pursue him and try everything I can. I am not afraid of being called shameless. It¡¯s true that he is married. In others¡¯ views, I am but a mistress. Even so, so what if I¡¯m a mistress? Does a mistress not have human rights? A mistress can¡¯t like a man? I am simply unlucky. I fell for a man with a family, but my love for him is pure. I¡¯m not trying to covet anything of his. If it weren¡¯t for my brother suggesting to set up an arranged marriage for me, I wouldn¡¯t have been so hasty either. I wouldn¡¯t have chosen this kind of solution. I just wanted to get pregnant with his child before I get married. I want to carry the child of the man that I love. I want to raise his child. I have no hope of getting him in this life, so I want to at least get his child. Is it wrong to defend my love?¡± Mu Sisi cried while pointing at her chest.

    ¡°You...¡± Fang Anci was so infuriated, her hands were trembling. ¡°What kind of nonsense are you spitting! Love is between two people. When you¡¯re the only one that likes him, that¡¯s called unrequited love! So, what love are you talking about? Deliberately trying to sabotage someone¡¯s marriage is not love! That¡¯s just selfish! It would have been a little better if he likes you, but he doesn¡¯t! You say you love him, but you won¡¯t even let him have a happy life. What is this love you keep screaming about? What can you give him? Constant harassment?¡±

    ¡°Why can¡¯t I give him a happy life? If he marries me, I can make him the happiest man in the world,¡± Mu Sisi shrilled confidently.

    ¡°No wonder your brother cannot control you! Who taught you all this nonsense? He can only be happy if he loves you. If he doesn¡¯t, how can he be happy?¡± Mu Sisi opened her mouth to refute Fang Anci¡¯s im but before she could utter a word, Fang Anci continued, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he will fall for you eventually. Even when he was lying in bed and immobile, he still wouldn¡¯t surrender. What makes you think he would ever love you? I won¡¯t argue your logic on love with you. I have no idea what we¡¯ve taught you when you were young, turning you into someone we can¡¯t talk sense with. Your mind is full of facy! Let me ask you this: if your love will harm the family business and maybe even destroy it, if your love will strip away your position as ady from a notable family and snatch away yourvish lifestyle, will you still chase after this love so determinedly?¡±

    Mu Sisi was stunned. She was still sobbing. Sniffling, she asked, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Why do you think we came here to expand our markets? We even had your brothere here personally. And even though we knew you¡¯d be of no help, we still sent you here,¡± Mu Huili said distantly.

    ¡°Did something happen to thepany?¡± Mu Sisi asked fearfully.

    ¡°Even you know that ourpany doesn¡¯t make luxury products. Instead, we focus on generic products. However, there are too many generic brands these days, and MU.¡¯s market shares are constantly shrinking. When we went to Europe, we were actually discussing closing down a few stores to redirect our financial focus within the country. So far, we haven¡¯t opened any specialty stores within the country and our market share is still quite small. Even so, our products are quite popr here, so we decided to shift our business focus here. I was even considering moving our headquarters here. The cost of it being in America is too high. It would be cheaper to run it here. Nheless, ever since you set foot here, all you did was cause trouble for the family. You¡¯ve wronged everyone! Now, how is thepany supposed to develop here? Ah, you sure have a keen eye for people to offend too. Instead of ordinary people, you went ahead and wronged those with high positions,¡± Mu Huili mocked wrathfully.

    Mu Sisi sighed in relief. ¡°You scared me. I thought we were going bankrupt or something.¡±

    ¡°Do you think our family is doing well now? In the Chinese social circle in America, we don¡¯t even make the list now. Why do you think we all came back here?¡± Mu Huili was enraged by Mu Sisi¡¯s words.

    ¡°Since we both came back here, we won¡¯t let you be so stubborn any longer. Besides, you¡¯re not young anymore. It¡¯s time we find you a suitable man to marry,¡± Fang Anci announced coldly. ¡°Not only will this help our family grow our roots here, but it can also stop you from causing trouble everywhere.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting married!¡± Mu Sisi screeched the moment she heard those words.

    ¡°What can you do if you don¡¯t get married? Are you going to hold onto this unrequited love of yours forever? Listen up, Qi Chengzhi will never be with you, so stop dreaming. Wake up! Live the rest of your life properly. Stop clinging onto this unrealistic fantasy,¡± Mu Huili insulted exasperatedly.

    Both him and Fang Anci had returned to deal with things personally. They had already decided to sell the properties in America under their names. Naturally, they could not send Mu Sisi back.

    ¡°I¡¯m only 24. I¡¯m still young. So what if I wait for him for another six years? Why don¡¯t you rush Mu Huaisheng into getting married?¡± Mu Sisi disputed with her chin held high.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about your brother¡¯s matters,¡± Mu Huili replied coldly.

    ¡°I have contacted your uncle. He said the Li family is not bad. They could be of help to us. We can introduce you to Li Zhuohui,¡± Fang Anci stated.

    ¡°No! Li Zhuohui was a married man. I¡¯m such an optimum wife, so why would I settle for a man who¡¯s looking to remarry?¡± Mu Sisiined discontentedly. Li Zhuohui was not even half the man Qi Chengzhi was. She had a taste of men like Qi Chengzhi, so it was impossible for her to ept anyone much less.

    ¡°If Qi Chengzhi divorces, wouldn¡¯t he be a man looking to remarry too?¡± Fang Anci argued instantly. ¡°Besides, while you think Li Zhuohui isn¡¯t good enough for you, how do you know that he doesn¡¯t think you¡¯re not good enough for him? The news of you stripping naked and seducing Qi Chengzhi has spread like wildfire. You¡¯re much worse than someone who had a divorce! Do you really think that Li Zhuohui would definitely ept you?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face flushed red with rage. She could not wrap her head around which part of her was bad.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t like Li Zhuohui, go meet Gao Jingqiu. The Gao family is about the same level as the Li family.¡± Fang Anci did not consider anyone other than the eldest sons or the only child who would be the head of their families in the future. Thus, she did not bring up Li Zhuoan at all.

    ¡°No!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked. She shook her head around insanely.

    ¡°You have no right to say ¡®no¡¯ in this matter. We will arrange for you and Gao Jingqiu to meet up as soon as possible,¡± Mu Huili dered firmly. He would not tolerate her refusal. ¡°If you don¡¯t meet him, I will arrange your marriage immediately. I don¡¯t mind that. I¡¯ve inquired with the Gao family too¡ªGao Jingqiu¡¯s marriage is entirely dependant on his family¡¯s decision. He doesn¡¯t mind that either. He has long prepared himself for an arranged marriage. What they care about isn¡¯t the bride-to-be, but the family she¡¯s from. Thus, he has no problem with whoever he¡¯s set up with.¡±

    ¡°Why are you two speaking as if no one wants me! I¡¯m not getting married! I don¡¯t want to!¡± Mu Sisi howled. Turning away, she ran out of the house.

    ¡°This... This child...¡± Fang Anci took two steps forward and stopped when she knew she could not catch up to her. She was furious and felt helpless. ¡°Why is she like this?!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi went to a bar alone. Sitting in a corner, she ordered a whole bottle of whiskey. She did not even add ice. She poured it into a ss and drank it just like that. Slowly, her mind grew fuzzy and nk and her reaction became dyed. When she was most indulged in her drinking, she took out her phone.

    Qi Chengzhi had juste out from a bath. He rubbed his towel on his hair a few times but his hair was still wet. In fact, drops of water were falling from the tips of his hair. Nheless, he did not care. He hung the towel around his neck and sat on the sofa with hisptop and started working.

    Song Yu could not bear the sight of it. She went to the bathroom and got the hairdryer. Then, she kneeled on the sofa and dried his hair for him.

    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± Qi Chengzhi wrapped an arm around her waist. Her protruding stomach was touching his face.

    Song Yu staggered a little. Her actions were quite cumbersome now. Qi Chengzhi turned his head toward her and kissed her belly. Then, he looked up and smiled at her. Seeing his charming face, Song Yu¡¯s mind went nk for a split second.

    Her fingertips wiped the water off his face tenderly. Softly, she said, ¡°You do your work. I¡¯ll dry your hair for you. It¡¯s not good to leave it wet.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled then turned back to do his work, letting Song Yu dry his hair.

    As the hairdryer howled, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone¡ªwhich was ced beside hisptop¡ªvibrated. Qi Chengzhi picked it up and saw that it was an unknown number. He answered the phone. Song Yu turned off the hairdryer so it would not disturb his conversation.

    Qi Chengzhi still had one arm around Song Yu¡¯s waist. He leaned on her stomach gently, making himselffortable.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, it¡¯s me,¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s drunken murmurs sounded in the phone. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, my parents want to marry me off to Gao Jingqiu. What should I do? I don¡¯t want to get married to anyone besides you. I would rather watch you like this my whole life and love you like this. For you, I would rather not get married my entire life. Brother Chengzhi, would youe pick me up? I want to see you, Brother Chengzhi¡ª¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hung up annoyedly.

    ¡°Who was it?¡± Song Yu inquired, seeing Qi Chengzhi¡¯s dark expression.

    ¡°Mu Sisi. I don¡¯t know when she had changed her number. My phone did not block it.¡± Qi Chengzhi moved the number to his cklist. Only then did he put down his phone.

    Song Yu was a little concerned. This Mu Sisi was still at it. Why did she call him?

    Qi Chengzhi exined, ¡°She¡¯s crying about her parents forcing her to get married.¡±

    ¡°She must have told you how much she loves you again and how she can¡¯t live without you, right?¡± Song Yu asked speechlessly, squinting her eyes. She was extremely irritated at Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Hurry up and dry my hair. I¡¯ll catch a cold,¡± Qi Chengzhi proddedughingly.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi did not hear a reply. ¡°Hello?¡± Only then did she realize that Qi Chengzhi had long hung up. She called him again, but the call would not go through.

    ¡°Why? Why couldn¡¯t he even say a word to me! Brother Chengzhi, it¡¯s just once! Why can¡¯t you just give it to me just this once?¡± Mu Sisi was immensely despondent. She had a chestful of love but her love was rejected.

    Subconsciously, she downed more and more liquor.

    ¡°Hey girl, are you here alone?¡± As she got drunker, a man¡¯s voice sounded above her head. His voice was quite melodic.

    In a daze, she only saw his clean white shirt. The man sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders.

    ¡°What are you doing? Let go of me. I¡¯m not interested.¡± Mu Sisi wanted to move his hand away but she had no strength to do so. She tried many times but failed miserably.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this. It¡¯s lonely to drink by yourself,¡± the man said as he poured another ss for her. Suddenly, he took the bottle and chugged it down her throat.

    ¡°What are you¡ª Mm¡ª¡± Mu Sisi shook her head, trying to get away but the man kept going. Her tongue had long been numb from all the drinking. As she chugged down the entire bottle, she could not taste much.

    Not long after, she was all dizzy. Her head was still a little clear but her strength waspletely drained.

    ¡°Where are you bringing me?¡± Mu Sisi asked weakly. She was pulled up by the man and was held in his arms.

    ¡°To a ce where you can rest,¡± the man answered.

    Mu Sisi suddenly thought that the man¡¯s voice was alluring, just like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s. She trembled a little and felt even weaker. ¡°Brother Chengzhi?¡±

    The man did not say anything. Unexpectedly, Mu Sisi held tightly onto him. ¡°Brother Chengzhi, is it you? Did youe to find me, Brother Chengzhi? I knew it, I do have a ce in your heart. I knew it.¡±

    Her vision grew fuzzier and fuzzier, to a point where she could not tell where she had walked to. All she knew was that the man in front of her eyes seemed to be Qi Chengzhi.

    Mu Sisi was touched. Not knowing when, she was suddenly lying on a bed. The man climbed on top of her, yet Mu Sisi dly invited him in. All she could see was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face. She was overjoyed. She moaned constantly, ¡°Brother Chengzhi. Brother Chengzhi! You finally want me. Brother Chengzhi... I love you... I love you...¡±

    Mu Sisi felt his hands and his lips working their way around her body. When the man prated her, Mu Sisi endured the pain and responded to his actions passionately. Her heart was filled with happiness.

 Chapter 281 - Is It Possible That You Could Get Pregnant Just by Touching My Pants?

    Chapter 281: Is It Possible That You Could Get Pregnant Just by Touching My Pants?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mu Sisi could feel his hand and lips rubbing her body. When a part of that guy entered her body, Mu Sisi forced herself to endure the pain but her heart was filled with happiness. She even tried to engage in it and responded to his movements passionately.

    ...

    ...

    When Mu Sisi woke up the next morning, her head felt like it was bursting apart. She wanted to get up but she felt ufortable as that specific part of her body was extremely painful.

    Mu Sisi rememberedst night¡¯s incident in a while and her heart started to beat faster. Her hands were feeling for her naked body under the nket. She recalled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s caresses and kissesst night and she felt an inexpressible happiness and satisfaction.

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi...¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s voice was gruff and sweet. She was blushing and full of happiness after obtaining sexual gratification. After she sat up and lifted the nket, she saw spots of blood on the white bed sheet.

    She was smiling contentedly and lowered her head to stare at her naked body. She was embracing herself and she felt like Qi Chengzhi¡¯s body odor was still lingering on her body.

    Besides, it seemed like he ejacted inside herst night. Mu Sisi bent her knees and smiled bashfully and happily.

    After a while, she raised her head and looked for her clothes. She found out that this ce was not a luxurious hotel. The decoration of the room was simple and crude. The room was extremely small, and her clothes were scattered on the dirty carpet.

    Mu Sisi frowned and tried to think of the reason Qi Chengzhi brought her to such a low-ss hotel. After thinking for a short while, she believed it was because he was afraid of the reporters who would take pictures of them together. She felt reassured after she could think of a reason.

    She wore her clothes and did not take a shower because she was afraid of washing away Qi Chengzhi¡¯s odor. Qi Chengzhi had left the room and did not leave anything behind. She went to the reception desk and found out that this was a budget chain-hotel and cost only three hundred to four hundred Yuan per night. She had never stayed in this type of hotel before.

    However, Mu Sisi did not brood over the matter and asked the receptionist where the man who came here with her had gone.

    The receptionist¡¯s stare was a little inexplicably weird but Mu Sisi did not notice it. Her mood was exceedingly cheerful after having had intercourse with Qi Chengzhi.

    The receptionist told her that the guy had left in the early morning, so Mu Sisi checked out of the hotel room. After she left the hotel, she stood and thought for a moment, then she took a taxi to Viewpark Residence.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu wanted to get up, but Qi Chengzhi pulled her back into bed. ¡°Sleep with me for a while more.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was hugging her soft and gentle body. His blisteringly hot hand habitually touched her belly and stroked it like he was stroking a ball. Song Yu was made speechless by his fondling.

    ¡°You¡¯re not going shopping today?¡± Qi Chengzhi ced his hand on her belly and waited for Qi Youjin to move.

    ¡°I heard there¡¯s a device that could be stuck on the belly and we can talk to the baby through it. It sounds quite fun because the baby can hear what we say.¡±

    Song Yu was quite interested in the device. She rubbed her forehead in the hollow space of his neck. ¡°Are you free today?¡±

    ¡°I would be resting today.¡± Qi Chengzhi was tickled by her breath. He rubbed his lips on her forehead for a few times. Then, he lowered his head and found the tip of her nose. He started to kiss the tip of her nose softly and proceeded to her cheeks.

    The flesh of her face was delicate and soft, he could not stop sniffing and rubbing at them.

    Song Yu felt peaceful andfortable lying in his arms. Shepliantly let him kiss her and her face turnedpletely red shortly after.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to go shopping? Let¡¯s get up.¡± Although Song Yu said so, but she was still lying in his arms and reluctant to leave his embrace.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled gently, he was staring closely at her with full concentration. Song Yu involuntarily stopped breathing. He turned his body over and supported his body above her, his slender and elegant fingers pushing her hair aside. His heart melted when he saw her warm and quiet face without any makeup.

    He lowered his head slowly. When he was just about to kiss her, Aunt Yang knocked on the door. ¡°Sir, Madam, Miss Mu keeps on pressing the doorbell downstairs.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face turned grave and his eyebrows seemed like they were twisted together.

    Song Yu was a little annoyed too, she did not know when Mu Sisi would stop disturbing them. She sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s go and have a look.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll ask Aunt Yang to make her leave,¡± said Qi Chengzhi softly. He pecked her lips. ¡°You just lie here, I¡¯ll be back in a while.¡±

    After saying that, he got up and wore a pair of pants. He simply put on a T-shirt and went to open the door. Song Yu wrapped her body tightly with the nket and sat up.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Didn¡¯t I tell you not to bother about her if shees again?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi sternly.

    ¡°It¡¯s different, this time she¡ª¡± Aunt Yang found it hard to talk about it. ¡°She said you spent the whole night with her yesterday and left this morning. She told me if I tell you this then you would understand. She said she does not have other intentions, she just wants toe and see you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi narrowed his eyes. ¡°Is she sick? I was at home the entire time, when did I ever find her?¡±

    ¡°Sir, she said she doesn¡¯t hope that you would take responsibility for it, finally you¡¯re willing to... She is very happy and contented.¡± Aunt Yang was quite embarrassed when she passed Mu Sisi¡¯s message to Qi Chengzhi. How could Mu Sisi tell her all those shameless things so nonchntly? ¡°But if you refuse to see her, she would tell Madam, the Qi Family, and the Mu Family about the things that happened between you and her.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed out of anger. He snorted coldly. ¡°Ridiculous, nothing happened between me and her.¡±

    ¡°But she is making noise outside,¡± said Aunt Yang. ¡°If she keeps on shouting¡ª¡±

    ¡°Let here up here,¡± Qi Chengzhi nodded and said indifferently. ¡°She is always changing her ways of disgusting us.¡±

    Aunt Yang responded and went downstairs.

    Qi Chengzhi closed the door. Song Yu had already gotten up from the bed and changed her clothes. She heard their conversation just now.

    ¡°Mu Sisi is probably delusional. You were always together with me, is it necessary toe and make a false usation?¡± Song Yu felt helpless after being annoyed by Mu Sisi again.

    Not only would Qi Chengzhi never touch Mu Sisi, even when she stripped naked in front of him, Qi Chengzhi did not take advantage of such a good opportunity. It was impossible that he would take the risk to sneak outst night when he was together with Song Yu.

    Last night Qi Chengzhi fooled around with her for so long, he would not have energy left to deal with another woman. Besides, she frequently suffered from leg cramps in the middle of night nowadays. She had onest night and whimpered softly due to the pain. Qi Chengzhi woke up immediately after hearing her whimper and helped her massage her calves.

    Mu Sisi said Qi Chengzhi was with her the entire night and only left this morning?

    So who was the man that hugged her the entire night?

    Song Yu thought it was simply ridiculous.

    Qi Chengzhi called Mu Huaisheng and told him that Mu Sisi came to their house to disturb them again. Chengzhi asked him toe at once.

    After Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi had finished changing, they walked to the living room downstairs. After a while, Mu Sisi came.

    Her appearance now was truly unbearable to look at¡ªher clothes were wrinkled and apparently, she had not changed them since yesterday. There was still makeup on her face, but she did not look too disheveled because she had probably put on makeup again beforeing. However, she looked like a different person from her usual self. She was cheerful and in high spirits.

    When Mu Sisi saw Qi Chengzhi, she instantly blushed and called him with her sweet voice, ¡°Brother Chengzhi.¡±

    She totally ignored Song Yu who was standing beside him as she was staring at Qi Chengzhi shyly from the beginning until now. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had goosebumps when they saw her expression.

    Song Yu coolly leaned nearer to Qi Chengzhi and held his hand.

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and nced at Song Yu gently. He pinched her hand, then he stared at Mu Sisi. ¡°Anything?¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, can I talk to you in private?¡± Mu Sisi nced at Song Yu as if she had qualms about her.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK, there¡¯s nothing that I need to hide from her. Just tell me straight away what you wish to tell me,¡± said Qi Chengzhi frigidly with a frosty expression.

    Mu Sisi did not expect Qi Chengzhi to say that and pretended like nothing had happened before. However, after thinking about it for a while, she thought that he was probably lying in front of Song Yu, so she said, ¡°It¡¯s not so convenient to talk about this matter in front of Song Yu.¡±

    ¡°You know that it is inconvenient? Didn¡¯t you tell Aunt Yang a lot of that stuff already?¡± said Qi Chengzhi scornfully as he pouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m concerned with Song Yu because she is pregnant, but if you do not care about it, then so do I.¡± Mu Sisi nced contemptuously at Song Yu.

    Song Yu pouted and said indifferently, ¡°If you¡¯re concerned about me because I¡¯m pregnant, then stop disturbing us repeatedly.¡±

    Mu Sisi was staring at Qi Chengzhi yearningly. ¡°I didn¡¯te to disturb you all, and I¡¯m not asking Brother Chengzhi to take responsibility. I just wanted to tell Brother Chengzhi that I would take good care of the child if I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    Mu Sisi put her hand on her belly. It looked like she was looking forward to getting pregnant now. She enviously glimpsed at Song Yu¡¯s raised belly.

    Qi Chengzhi snorted and said coldly, ¡°What do I have to do with it? That¡¯s your matter if you¡¯re pregnant, whether you want to raise the child or not is also your matter. Why did youe to inform me? Ridiculous.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, how could you talk like this? The child I¡¯m conceiving is your child too. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re not going to acknowledge him?¡± Mu Sisi involuntarily pointed at Song Yu¡¯s belly, she felt an indescribable pang of jealousy and bitterness.

    How could Qi Chengzhi take good care of Song Yu so prudently when she was pregnant but not care to bother about her at all? Their hands were still held together till now. She was also conceiving his child!

    Besides, they were so intimate with each otherst night and he just left her this morning. However, he was acting so cool toward her now and pretended like nothing had happenedst night. Even if he wanted to pretend in front of Song Yu, was it necessary to pretend to this extent?

    His stare at her was still full of disgust and impatience.

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re conceiving my child?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression changed immediately. He said with a deep and cold voice, ¡°Is it possible for you to get pregnant just by touching my pants?¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, are you nning to deny it?¡± Mu Sisi stared at him with a startled expression. ¡°I told you before that I¡¯m not asking for a status, if you could ept me, even if it¡¯s just for once. But after you... after you did that to me, you shouldn¡¯t ignore me and feign ignorance. I said that I won¡¯t demand you to take responsibility, I would also never ask anything from you. I would even give birth to the child for you, but how could you refuse to acknowledge me? Last night, we just¡ª¡±

    ¡°What did we dost night? Just say it.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face looked stern; he was disgusted by her. ¡°I want to listen to you telling me what I¡¯ve done to youst night that made you think that you may have conceived my child.¡±

    Song Yu was furiously clutching onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand. Even though she knew that Mu Sisi was lying, she was infuriated when she listened to her made-up story about an affair between her and Qi Chengzhi. She even imagined that she had conceived Qi Chengzhi¡¯s child¡ªthis felt like Mu Sisi had been fantasizing about him.

    ¡°Have you forgotten about it? Or are you unwilling to admit it because Song Yu is here? I said earlier that we should talk privately.¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s looked like she was wronged by Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, just talk here. I¡¯m also wondering how I made you pregnant,¡± Qi Chengzhi snorted disdainfully.

    Mu Sisi was unafraid because she was not falsely using him this time, so she said confidently, ¡°Yesterday, my parents wanted me to go for a blind date so that I could get married soon. I was angry with them and I ran away to a pub. I called youst night, have you also forgotten that? I knew that you were worried about me after answering my call, so you went to the pub to find me. Then...¡±

    Mu Sisi blushed again. She bashfully lowered her head and stole a nce at Qi Chengzhi. ¡°After that, you brought me to a hotel, then... When I left, I asked the receptionist and she said you left this morning. I could clearly remember that you did not use any contraceptive methods, and you just... inside me... so I would most probably get pregnant.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Mu Sisi, are you too obsessed with Chengzhi until you became delusional?¡± Song Yu could no longer listen to her. She was unsure whether there was indeed a guy who had done something to Mu Sisi or not, but she was disgusted by her because she imagined that guy to be Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Last night Chengzhi didn¡¯t go anywhere. When you called him, I was sitting beside him. After he hung up, he continued his work and was with me the entire time until this morning when you came. You said that Chengzhi went to find you? He didn¡¯t know how to clone himself, how was it possible for him to find you?¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Mu Sisi said without any hesitation. ¡°Last night, it was definitely Brother Chengzhi who went to find me. I saw him with my own eyes. All I could see in my eyes was Brother Chengzhi¡¯s face. He was hugging me all the time and treated me very gently. I could still remember the smell of Brother Chengzhi¡¯s breath and the feeling of him kissing me, they were extremely?¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop talking! Mu Sisi, you¡¯re really disgusting!¡± Song Yu¡¯s eyes turned red because of her anger. She was hugging Qi Chengzhi¡¯s waist with her hands like she¡¯s protecting her treasured object. ¡°I told you just now, Chengzhi was with me the entire time; which was from the time he answered your phone until now. You said he went to find you, then who was the guy that was with mest night? You¡¯re a crazy person. If you want to fantasize about him, do it secretly, do not humiliate yourself in front of us.¡±

    Song Yu felt nauseated as she was disgusted by Mu Sisi.

    ¡°I told you, that was true, not something imagined by me. That was my first time. Last night, I had my first sexual experience with Brother Chengzhi. When he entered my body, it was very painful, but he was very gentle and I did not feel any pain gradually. I cried because of the pain, but heforted me and kissed me,¡± said Mu Sisi. It felt like she was bragging in front of Song Yu.

    ¡°Crazy! You¡¯re a crazy person!¡± Song Yu almost cried because of her anger. If she was not pregnant, she would have stepped forward and hit Mu Sisi.

    Song Yu pointed at Mu Sisi, she was trembling out of anger. She said with a slightly choked voice. ¡°Why is there a person like you in this world? You¡¯re truly shameless, I feel like dying after I was disgusted by you!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi hurriedly hugged Song Yu andforted her. He did not care about Mu Sisi who was watching beside them, he lowered his head and kissed Song Yu¡¯s forehead, the space between her eyebrows, and her eyelids softly. He sucked away the tears on her eyshes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry, it¡¯s all right, don¡¯t lower yourself to her level.¡±

    ¡°But she was talking like that, you were definitely together with me. She is delusional and she shouldn¡¯te and disgust us!¡± Song Yu was fuming. After Qi Chengzhi triedforting her, she burst into tears.

    Qi Chengzhi hurriedly helped her wipe away her tears and coaxed her to stop crying gently. Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red because she was furious watching them.

    She stared at Qi Chengzhi and said eagerly, ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m not asking you to take responsibility, but I wish you can admit that you had epted me. I know that I¡¯m still an important person in your heart, although you were rude toward me previously, you still like me deep down in your heart. You can¡¯t lie to yourself.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang, chase her out of here!¡± said Qi Chengzhi as he could not tolerate her further. He was still hugging Song Yu andforting her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not leaving. Song Yu, I know that you¡¯re reluctant to face the truth. You think you can deny the fact that Brother Chengzhi was together with me by falsely using me of being delusional? Let me tell you, it is impossible. You can¡¯t change the things that have happened. We had been together indeed, and it¡¯s a fact that he epted me. Even though you cannot ept it, there¡¯s nothing else you can do. I beg you to stop escaping from it,¡± said Mu Sisi eagerly. It felt like she was the one being forced by Song Yu because Song Yu was unwilling to ept the ¡°truth¡±. Mu Sisi was angry and helpless, she wished that there was a video or photo of them making out so that she could show Song Yu and make her stop denying it.

    Song Yu said she was crazy, but in her opinion, Song Yu was the crazy one.

    ¡°Mu Sisi, I have never touched you before and neither did I find you. I didn¡¯t leave my house at allst night. What goodness or ability that you thought you possessed that could make me go to the pub just to find you?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mellow and deep voice was extremely cold, it even felt like a cold wind had blown by. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether you were drunk, or if you had mistaken me for another guy, or you purposely came to frame me. Let me repeat this one more time, I have never touched you, how could I not feel disgusted?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize wrongly, why don¡¯t you all listen to me? Brother Chengzhi, you have already treated me like that, why won¡¯t you admit it now? Why did you say I disgusted you? If I disgusted you, why did you ept me?¡± Mu Sisi almost broke into tears as she was very frustrated. She stamped her foot incessantly. ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that you¡¯re a man who dares to ept the consequences of your actions. I told you that I won¡¯t ask you to take responsibility, why can¡¯t you admit the things that you¡¯ve done? I drank alcoholst night, but I wasn¡¯t drunk. I was very sober and I saw your face, I know who was making love with me. I saw that it was you, it was you!¡±

    ¡°Mu Sisi, if you continue to act crazily here, we will call the police!¡± said Song Yu as she could bear her no longer. She was very furious and was itching to beat her up after hearing Mu Sisi talking repeatedly about what she had done with Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Great, just go ahead and report to the police. Let the policee so that I can tell them about this. Brother Chengzhi, if you refuse to admit it, I will tell them you drugged me and then raped me! I drank some alcohol at that time, but I couldn¡¯t resist because I didn¡¯t have any energy at all.¡± Mu Sisi red at Qi Chengzhi resolutely and her voice turned steadier. ¡°You will be embarrassed if I make the matter public. I¡¯ll tell my family about this. Then, I¡¯ll tell the Qi Family about it too, the two families could never ignore it, right? You didn¡¯t wear a condom yesterday, what if I¡¯m pregnant? When the momentes, my family won¡¯t let it pass, we will ask the Qi Family to take ount for it! Besides, my parents have decided to let me marry Gao Jingqiu and you ruined my life by doing this kind of thing to me.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m not asking you to take responsibility for your actions. I just want you to admit that you have epted me before. I will not make this matter public if you can do that. I just hope you can tell me face to face that I¡¯m an important person in your life. I want to let Song Yu know that we had been together indeed. I don¡¯t want you to divorce her and marry me. As long as you are always by my side, Song Yu can still be your wife. So long as you treat me like your wife. I don¡¯t need the status but I want the same treatment as Song Yu. When I need you, you would always be by my side to take care of me and pamper me.¡± Mu Sisi felt that it was more and more likely that they would have a very happy future as she continued talking. She appeared to be longing for it and her voice became soft and gentle.

 Chapter 282 - I Think She Did Not Hit You Hard Enough

    Chapter 282: I Think She Did Not Hit You Hard Enough

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m not asking you to take responsibility for your actions. I just want you to admit that you had epted me before. I will not make this matter public if you can do that. I just hope you can tell me face to face that I¡¯m an important person in your life. I want to let Song Yu know that we had been together indeed. I don¡¯t want you to divorce her and marry me. As long as you are always by my side, Song Yu can still be your wife. So long as you treat me like your wife. I don¡¯t need the status but I wanted the same treatment as Song Yu. When I need you, you would always be by my side to take care of me and pamper me.¡± Mu Sisi felt that it was more and more likely that they would have a very happy future as she continued talking. She appeared to be longing for it and her voice became soft and gentle.

    ¡°So do we need to invite you to stay in our house?¡± said Song Yu scornfully. She wasughing out of anger, then she snorted.

    ¡°We could stay outside by ourselves because I know you don¡¯t wish to see me. I wouldn¡¯te and provoke you on purpose. We wouldn¡¯t see each other. This is a good idea because I hate to see you as well,¡± said Mu Sisi seriously.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her coldly and sneered contemptuously. ¡°I think you should just call the police. Maybe you had sex with someone indeed, but I¡¯m surely not that guy. You were drunk and mistook that guy for me, but please differentiate between reality and fantasy. If you were drugged and raped by someone, you should ask the police to find out who was the guy that raped you. Aunt Yang, please call 120 and send this crazy woman to the mental hospital.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± Mu Sisi was interrupted by the notification sound of the inte.

    Aunt Yang quickly switched on the screen of the inte and saw Mu Huaisheng. Qi Chengzhi asked Aunt Yang to open the door. After a while, Mu Huaisheng came upstairs and Aunt Yang opened the door to let him in.

    When he entered their house, he saw that Song Yu¡¯s eyes were red and Qi Chengzhi was hugging her. Song Yu made a sour face when she saw Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng felt nervous suddenly because he did not know anything about the trouble that Mu Sisi created this time.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Mu Sisi was startled when she saw Mu Huaisheng walked in.

    Mu Huaisheng grabbed her wrist. ¡°Why did youe here again? Haven¡¯t you disturbed them enough?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not here to disturb them,¡± said Mu Sisi.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care what¡¯s the reason youe here for, Leave with me now. You¡¯ve already disturbed their family so much!¡± Mu Huaisheng was flustered by her and he dragged Mu Sisi towards the exit.

    Mu Sisi desperately pulled her body in the opposite direction. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving, let go of me. I came because I need to settle a very important matter. I told you I¡¯m not here to disturb them.

    ¡°So tell me, why did youe here?¡± asked Mu Huaisheng coldly.

    Mu Sisi nced at Qi Chengzhi. She appeared to be in a dilemma and refused to tell her brother about it. It felt like she was truly protecting Qi Chengzhi¡¯s reputation.

    Qi Chengzhi snorted in disdain. ¡°I¡¯ll help you if you don¡¯t want to tell your brother about it.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s used a frosty and contemptuous tone to exin the purpose of Mu Sisi¡¯s visit. Mu Huaisheng was dumbstruck after listening to him and he stared at Mu Sisi in disbelief. He was wondering what was in her head because she had gone as far as to tell the married couple about that kind of matter.

    Song Yu involuntarily hugged Qi Chengzhi tighter. She was unable to bear the thought of her man being fantasized by Mu Sisi. Mu Sisi kept on saying that she loved Qi Chengzhi, but how could she think Qi Chengzhi would do that kind of thing based on his personality?

    He was such an honorable and outstanding person. It would be beneath contempt for him to do that!

    ¡°How much alcohol did you drinkst night?¡± asked Mu Huaisheng coldly.

    ¡°I told you I drank some alcohol, but I was sober. My eyesight was fine as well. I was very clear about who the person with me wasst night,¡± said Mu Sisi with frustration. Why would no one believe her!

    ¡°Have you relieve yourself fromst night until now?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi indifferently.

    ¡°Relieve myself?¡± Mu Sisi was stunned¡ªshe did not understand Qi Chengzhi¡¯s words.

    ¡°Have you excreted any waste?¡± Qi Chengzhi decided to talk more bluntly.

    Mu Sisi blushed and stammered for quite a while before saying, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go to the hospital and do a test,¡± said Qi Chengzhi coldly.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying¡ª¡± Mu Huaisheng understood what Qi Chengzhi meant.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Mu Huaisheng distantly and said with a disinterested tone, ¡°It;s toomon for girls to be drugged by people at the pub, especially she went there alone and could be easily targeted by someone.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Mu Sisi retorted without thinking at all. ¡°I know that you dare not admit it in front of Song Yu!¡±

    However, Mu Sisi¡¯s expression changed suddenly as she remembered that when ¡°Qi Chengzhi¡± came and met her, he forced her to drink a ss of alcohol. She did not drink that ss of alcohol voluntarily.

    Mu Sisi started to doubt her memory and she felt a chill. Then, her lower abdomen started to ache.

    However, she tried to avoid thinking about that suspicious moment and tried to convince herself that the guyst night was Qi Chengzhi. She would not ept anyone except Qi Chengzhi for her first sexual experience, let alone a stranger who she had never met before.

    Furthermore, she saw with her own eyes that the guy was Qi Chengzhi!

    After she thought of this, Mu Sisi calmed down and she became confident again.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital for an examination,¡± said Mu Huaisheng with an extremely deep voice suddenly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going,¡± said Mu Sisi without thinking about it.

    ¡°If you¡¯re so sure that you were sober at that time, there¡¯s no harm in getting an examination done,¡± said Mu Huaisheng coolly. ¡°After the results are out, then we could decide our next step. Whether the guy was Qi Chengzhi or you were drugged by someone, we have to confirm first before taking the next step.¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s lips were feeling cold as the scene of her being forced to drink alcohol kept reying in her mind. She was now uncertain about what happenedst night.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you all,¡± said Qi Chengzhi suddenly as he shot a contemptuous nce at Mu Sisi. ¡°I want to know what the results are to avoid being framed again.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression was quite unnatural but he did not say anything and nodded stiffly.

    ¡°I¡¯m going too,¡± said Song Yu as she stared at Qi Chengzhi firmly.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her gently, smiled, and then nodded at her.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I wasn¡¯t drugged by anyone,¡± said Mu Sisi not so calmly.

    ¡°Why? Are you feeling guilty?¡± said Qi Chengzhi derisively, his stern and attractive lips curled into a sarcastic smile. ¡°Since you¡¯re so sure that you weren¡¯t drugged by anyone, why are you afraid of getting an examination to prove it? You simply found a man out there to have sex with and then came here to frame me. That¡¯s the reason why you dare not undergo an examination right ?¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Mu Huaisheng furiously clenched his teeth and clutched Mu Sisi¡¯s wrist to pull her out of the house.

    Finally, Mu Sisi was dragged into the car by him. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu got into the Land Rover too and they went to Chutian Hospital.

    ...

    ...

    On the way, Qi Chengzhi asked Song Yu to call Chu Zhaoyang to inform him about the matter. Chu Zhaoyang arranged an appointment for them.

    Therefore, when they reached the hospital, the doctor did not ask a lot of questions. The doctor only asked whether she had gone to the toilet or not and such. If she was indeed drugged by someone, they would have to examine Mu Sisi¡¯s blood and urine as soon as possible when the drug still remained in her body.

    There was a washroom for doctors¡¯ use in the consultation room and the doctor let Mu Sisi use it so that Mu Sisi could not y tricks on them.

    The results of the test came out soon enough. The doctor read through the report and said, ¡°Miss Mu¡¯s blood and urine contained triazm. This drug has the potential to induce hallucinations after a certain dose is taken by a person.¡±

    Mu Sisi understood what the doctor said, and she started to doubt herself even though she was very confident previously.

    ¡°Based on what you said, is it possible that a person would imagine that a guy is another guy if that person took the required dose?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi indifferently.

    The doctor nodded. ¡°It is possible. There are some drugs in the ck market that can make a person thirsty for sex, and they contained this substance. They can cause the person who took it to imagine that another person is the person that she likes.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! That¡¯s impossible!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s face turned pale. She was still denying the facts that were confirmed by the results. Her stare became weary. ¡°I was undoubtedly very sober, I waspletely awake!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng nced at Mu Sisi and whispered to the doctor, ¡°I hope you would never tell anyone about this.¡±

    ¡°No worries, Director Chu had already told me about this,¡± replied the doctor expressionlessly.

    Mu Huaisheng nodded and stared at Mu Sisi who was still reluctant to ept the truth. She was mumbling that it was impossible for the incident to have happened. Mu Huaisheng dragged her out of the room.

    Qi Chengzhi hugged Song Yu as they were walking to the parking lot at the entrance of the hospital.

    ¡°Anything else that you wanted to say? You¡¯re so obsessed with Chengzhi, even if he wanted to do anything with you, does he need to go so far as to drug you when you are drunk? He only needs to say some words or stare at you, then you woulde and find him eagerly.¡± Song Yu stared at Mu Sisi coldly.

    Mu Sisi appeared to be speechless, but after a while, she stuck out her chin and said stubbornly, ¡°Who knows? Just think about Brother Chengzhi¡¯s behavior this morning, it was obvious he was trying to avoid admitting his rtionship with me. Maybe he nned to have sex with me when I was unconscious so that no one would find out about it. He could have sex with me and keep you in the dark. If that was the case, then we could exin everything that happened.¡±

    p!

    Atst, Song Yu could not tolerate her anymore. It just so happened that she was standing near Mu Sisi, so she pped her directly. ¡°Mu Sisi, I have tolerated you for long enough. Don¡¯t fantasize about Chengzhi and try to frame him forcibly. You can say whatever you want because nobody can control what you say. You¡¯re just talking nonsense. Why don¡¯t you say that you were already in a rtionship with Chengzhi when you were in the U.S.!¡±

    Mu Sisi was stunned by the p. After she recovered from it, she shouted Song Yu¡¯s name fiercely and wanted to hit her back, but Qi Chengzhi already used his body to shield her.

    Mu Huaisheng pulled Mu Sisi backward to prevent her from acting recklessly.

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng, let go of me. Are you going to just watch her hit me without doing nothing?¡± Mu Sisi was standing behind Mu Huaisheng and she was trying to shake off his arm with all her might. One of her hands was grabbing his shoulder and pulling him back.

    ¡°Mu Sisi, if you dare to touch Song Yu, I¡¯ll make sure that the Mu Family will be chased out from B City!¡± said Qi Chengzhi furiously, his usually mellow voice had turned icy cold.

    Mu Sisi was startled, Qi Chengzhi was truly infuriated this time. His look was too frightening when he red at her. It seemed like he wanted to hack her into pieces.

    Mu Sisi felt miserable suddenly and started to cry. She could not ept herself being loathed by the man she loved. She cried, ¡°But she hit me!¡±

    ¡°So what, I think that she didn¡¯t hit you hard enough. You came to look for trouble repeatedly and became more and more arrogant. Do you really think you¡¯re the prettiest girl ever or the most precious treasure in the world?¡± said Qi Chengzhi mockingly.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s lips were trembling and she was at a loss of words.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s face became stern when he thought about the words Qi Chengzhi said. He finally said with a deep voice slowly, ¡°Chengzhi, do you still see me as a friend?¡±

    ¡°What do you feel? Could we still be friends after all the things your retarded sister did? I didn¡¯t say anything or take any actions before this because I valued our friendship. But Mu Huaisheng, you can¡¯t indulge her time after time just because I¡¯m your friend. I feel like my tongue would be filthy if I talk about the despicable things she did. The things she did became more and more despicable, and she humiliates herself more after each time. She actually came to our house today to tell us that I had sex with her yesterday. So who was the man thatid with Song Yust night?¡± Qi Chengzhi did not attempt to conceal the contempt in his eyes. He stared at Mu Sisi who was standing behind Mu Huaisheng, shielded by him. ¡°You said that I drugged you? I feel nauseated when I see you standing in front of me. Have sex with you? Why should I torture myself?¡±

    Mu Sisi shook her head incessantly and said while crying, ¡°That¡¯s not true... That¡¯s not true...¡±

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression was serious and he pulled a long face.

    Qi Chengzhi was no longer bothered with them and lowered his head to look at Song Yu. It seemed like Song Yu was not as furious anymore and looked calmer. She stopped looking at Mu Sisi so that she would not feel disgusted.

    Initially, Qi Chengzhi was shouting at Mu Sisi fiercely and his face was full of disdain, but his face immediately became gentle when he was looking at Song Yu. His elegant and long fingers pushed her hair behind her ears. He felt sad when he saw Song Yu¡¯s reddened eyes.

    Mu Sisi came to provoke her time after time. What was to be done if her body suffered some bad implications from her provocation?

    Song Yu usually found it embarrassing to disy their affection in front of others, but because she was facing Mu Sisi now, she truly hoped to irritate her until she wished she was dead. Therefore, she did not stop Qi Chengzhi and allowed him tofort her silently.

    Song Yu pouted slightly and red at him. Qi Chengzhi smiled at her benignly¡ªthe angle of his smile was so attractive. His softughter was so mellow like pure brewger.

    He stroked her hair gently and whispered, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Mu Sisi was standing behind of Mu Huaisheng and staring at them. She was extremely resentful of their disy of affection in front of her. Qi Chengzhi was pampering Song Yu like she was a precious treasure, yet, he did not think that it was worth looking at Mu Sisi at all.

    Qi Chengzhi was capable of showing such a gentle and affectionate behavior but he only showed it to Song Yu. If it was not because of Song Yu, she would never see Qi Chengzhi showing this kind of expression.

    ¡°How are you going to settle Mu Sisi¡¯s matter?¡± asked Song Yu directly in front of Mu Sisi and Mu Huaisheng.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her cheeks¡ªthere were still some tears left on her soft cheeks. Qi Chengzhi used his palms to warm her face, then he hugged her waist and turned his head to face Mu Sisi. His expression became serious and asked, ¡°Which pub did you go tost night?¡±

    Mu Sisi was staring at Qi Chengzhi as she sobbed. ¡®Didn¡¯t he go to find herst night? Didn¡¯t he know which pub she went to? Why did he put on an act and asked her about it?¡¯

    Mu Huaisheng immediately understood Qi Chengzhi¡¯s intention. His heart skipped a beat and he asked Mu Sisi quickly, ¡°Tell me fast, which pub?¡±

    Mu Sisi was still covering the part of her face pped by Song Yu. She was sniffing non-stop and finally told them the name of the pub after Mu Huaisheng urged her impatiently. They went to the pub right away.

    There was no one at the pub during the day. Only a few drowsy waiters could be spotted. When they saw the four of them, they reckoned they were not here to purchase alcohol because there was a pregnantdy among them.

    ¡°Hi there, how can I help you?¡± asked a waiter who walked toward them.

    ¡°I wish to watchst night¡¯s video footage of the pub,¡± answered Mu Huaisheng directly.

    ¡°Are you all police officers?¡± asked the waiter¡ªthey did not look like police officers to him. ¡°If you all do not have any documents or permits, I¡¯m not allowed to let you watch them.¡±

    ¡°When did this pub started to have this kind of rule?¡± Qi Chengzhi pouted, and he narrowed his eyes and stared at the waiter. He was obviously afraid of involving himself in any trouble, so he dared not let them watch it. ¡°We¡¯re reluctant to make a fuss out of it, but if you insist, I could call the police now, and let them handle it.¡±

    The waiter¡¯s expression changed because people who run pubs tended to be quite afraid of policemen going into their pubs. There were a lot of things that happened here that could prove worthwhile for further investigations.

    ¡°Please at least tell me what had happened so that it would be easier for me to fetch the appropriate footage and also the specific time frame that you all wanted,¡± said the waiter without any other choice.

    ¡°One of us had been taken advantage of here,¡± answered Mu Huaisheng with a deep voice. He did not want to tell others about what happened to Mu Sisi.

    He knew for sure that Qi Chengzhi would never touch Mu Sisi. Besides, the results of the tests at the hospital had clearly shown that someone drugged Mu Sisi, causing her to hallucinate and imagine that the person with her was Qi Chengzhi. He was preparing to arrange a blind date between Mu Sisi and Gao Jingqiu, so he must not allow any scandals about her to emerge at this critical juncture, even though Gao Jingqiu may not really care who his wife was. He would surely want to conceal this incident.

    The waiter was still staring at them hesitantly. Mu Huaisheng said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we wouldn¡¯t ask your pub to take the responsibility if anything had indeed happened.¡±

    The waiter then went to ask for permission and took them to watch the footage.

    Mu Sisi could not remember when she left the pub, so she told them the time she reached there. They started watching the footage from that time. Mu Sisi was drunk after a while because she drank alcohol without a care in the world. They saw Mu Sisi took her cell phone out and called a person. Qi Chengzhi glimpsed at the time and found out it was the time that Mu Sisi called himst night.

    A while after she hung up the phone, a man in a white shirt walked to her table. Mu Sisi¡¯s limbs felt chilly when she remembered the white-shirt guy.

    The man sat beside her and hugged her shoulders, Mu Sisi struggled weakly and was unable to free herself from him.

    After that, they saw that the man sneakily put a tablet into a ss of alcohol when Mu Sisi was not paying attention to him. Then, he forced Mu Sisi to drink it.

    From the footage, Mu Sisi resisted for a while, but it seemed like she was too weak, and she drank it atst. She was obviously less sober after drinking that ss of alcohol.

    Then, the man supported her to stand up and they finally saw the man¡¯s face.

    After they stood up, they found out that the man was only slightly taller than Mu Sisi. His height was around 1.7 meters and was shorter than Qi Chengzhi by almost 20 centimeters. He appeared to be much thinner and weaker than Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi had the type of figure that appeared thin when he was wearing a shirt but muscr when he removed it. Although he looked thin when he wore a shirt, he still looked sturdy and strong. In contrast, the white shirt guy was truly thin. He seemed like one of the hooligans on the street with his mboyant hairstyle. There were red pimples on his face and his appearance was not attractive at all.

    Shortly after, Mu Sisi walked out of the pub, supported by the man.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s memory of the white shirt guy became clearer and she remembered that the man who was lying on her in the hotel room was wearing a white shirt too. Was it the drug that caused her to mistakenly perceive that contemptible guy as Qi Chengzhi?

 Chapter 310 - I Have Liked You a Lot Since the First Time I Saw You

    Chapter 310: I Have Liked You a Lot Since the First Time I Saw You

    ¡°I...happen to be free tomorrow, you don¡¯t need to make a detour toe to my house again,¡± said Ruan Danchen as her scalp started to feel numb.

    Qi Chenglin snorted, ¡°What if I tell you it¡¯s not inconvenient for me to go to your house again?¡±

    Ruan Danchen had no reply to that.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to sleep. Goodnight.¡± Qi Chenglin hung up straight away. He did not tell her what he nned to do next.

    Ruan Danchen was quite sleepy at first, but after talking to him, she no longer was.

    ...

    ...

    After he hung up, Qi Chenglin ced Qi Youxuan¡¯s Totoro kids¡¯ phone on the table in front of him before he took a cigarette from a cigarette¡¯s box on the table and lit it. His movements were extremely graceful when he held the cigarette with his long bony fingers.

    He removed his necktie and unbuttoned his shirt uninhibitedly. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. He appeared to be extremelyid-back and even looked a little like a hooligan.

    He turned his head to look out of the window and took a puff of his cigarette.

    He recalled the feeling when Ruan Danchenid in his arms tonight. He remembered his thirst when he held her soft body parts and the little bright red spots revealed when she forgot to cover her body. Qi Chenglin could feel his lower abdomen heating up and the heat flowed downward rapidly. He then saw his private part protruding under his pants.

    Qi Chenglin exhaled heavily and a circle of smoke was formed around him. He did not know the dosage Shen Jialiang used seven years ago when he drugged him¡ªit caused him unable to erect since then.

    Shen Zhijing tried to seduce him after his engagement with her but he had no reaction toward her.

    He had tried to date other women before, and he was in contact with some of them who he had good chemistry with. However, no matter how much he admired a woman, his private would not react to her.

    He eventually stopped dating people and made Grandmother Qi worried about him, but she did not know that he could not do anything about it.

    He was furious and resentful before, and he even took the opportunity to go to the hospital for a checkup when he went for a business trip. s, nothing could be done.

    Gradually, he gave up on recovering and felt that it was eptable to live a sexless life. He already had a son, so he did not feel the pressure of carrying on his family lineage.

    On Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s wedding day, Qi Youxuan suddenly opened the door when he was using the bathroom, and he found out that besides Qi Youxuan, Ruan Danchen was also standing outside the door.

    Unexpectedly, her innocentrge eyes stared continuously at his penis without trying to avert her gaze at all. However, he could see that she was too astonished and could not react to the situation.

    He felt his penis reacting a little when she stared at it. It started to tremble and be hotter before it started to erect.

    He hurriedly pushed it back into his pants to avoid making a fool of himself.

    After that, when he sent Ruan Danchen back, Ruan Danchen mumbled an apology to him and he recognized her voice. He further confirmed her identity when he kissed her.

    Unexpectedly, his private part started to harden involuntarily after he kissed her.

    It might be a misperception when his private part hardened during the first time¡ªmaybe it happened by chance. However, he could not help but became excited and puzzled after he had another erection when he kissed her.

    He was unsure whether he could only have a reaction toward Ruan Danchen or he had recovered. He had browsed through some pornographic images but he still could not elicit any reaction of his private part.

    Until tonight, his penis would react every time he saw him like he was a pervert. He could not control himself at all when he pressed his body against hers on the sofa.

    Even now, his private part was extremely excited with just the thought of her.

    Qi Chenglin sighed heavily. Could it be that his private part could only react to Ruan Danchen?

    He lowered his head to nce at it helplessly. Then, he put out his cigarette and went to shower in the bathroom.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen still brought all of Qi Youxuan¡¯s items with her to work because even if Qi Chenglin came to Chengshi to find her, she could pass them to him without having to invite him into her house.

    The thing that was troubling Ruan Danchen was that she wanted to get closer to Qi Youxuan, but she was unwilling to get close to Qi Chenglin. Unfortunately, Qi Chenglin was Qi Youxuan¡¯s father and she could not avoid him most of the time if she wanted to meet Qi Youxuan.

    Song Yu was on leave today and did note to work, so the seat beside Ruan Danchen was empty.

    In the morning, she took Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair and the ss that he used to aboratory by finding an excuse of meeting with a client.

    The biggest benefit of her job was flexible working hours so she could leave at any time if she said she was going to meet with clients, and her boss was unable to find out whether she went to meet with clients or did other things.

    Therefore, she used the same excuse to leave work early and went to Qi Youxuan¡¯s kindergarten.

    The dismissal time of kindergartens was usually quite early. If she went there after work, she would not make it due to the traffic of B City.

    The students were not dismissed yet when she reached the kindergarten entrance so she waited at the entrance. After about ten minutes, the kindergarten started to bustle with noise and the children in the kindergarten were walking out in groups.

    Ruan Danchen found Qi Youxuan after a quick look around among the crowd of noisy and giggling children.

    He was holding a toy car which was a mini version of a ck four-wheel drive. He was surrounded by four to five boys of the same age. All of them were extremely excited, and they were gesticting at his car and were fighting over it.

    The little boy was protecting his car and did not allow anyone to touch it like it was his treasured object.

    ¡°You¡¯re all allowed to only look at it, no touching. My aunt bought this for me,¡± said Qi Youxuan proudly. ¡°This car has excellent traction. It could race on any track no matter how curved the loop is, it wouldn¡¯t leave the track even if it speeds through a series of loops. It¡¯s so awesome, it truly proves itself to be a limited-edition car!¡±

    Zhang Mingming was salivating at the sight of his toy car. ¡°That¡¯s really cool. I¡¯ll ask Mum to buy one for me when I¡¯m back home.¡±

    ¡°Hah, this car is very expensive, I secretly asked the driver to bring me to a shopping mall to check its price. It costs a few thousand.¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his chin proudly. ¡°My aunt loves me dearly, Aunt Ruan too. She bought a lot of birthday presents for me, but I forgot to take them back home yesterday. I¡¯m going to her house to take them today. There¡¯s a Lego set of a whole vige with a coffee shop, cinema, vi, fire truck, skyscraper, and ake! It¡¯d be super cool after I put the parts together!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Aunt Ruan? You¡¯re always talking about her,¡± asked Zhang Mingming curiously. Previously Zhang Mingming was annoyed by Qi Youxuan because he kept talking about his aunt and mocked him for talking about his aunt because she was not his mother.

    Qi Youxuan was furious at that time but he forgot about it the next day.

    Not long after that, he started to keep talking about Aunt Ruan.

    ¡°She¡¯s my future mum.¡± Qi Youxuan smiled bashfully when he thought of that beautiful scene of her bing his mother.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be your stepmother? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your stepmom would bully you? My mum¡¯s colleague is such a kind of stepmother. She already has a son, then she married a man who has a daughter who¡¯s younger than her son. Her son bullies that little girl every day at home, and her stepmother didn¡¯t stop him. She even helps her son to bully her. She takes away all her toys and food and gives them to her son. The little girlined to her father about it, but her father said she¡¯s too young to understand her stepmother.¡±

    ¡°As it turns out, her stepmother had already talked badly about her in front of her father, so her father thought that the little girl wants to frame her stepmother because she hates her. He asked the little girl to be more thoughtful and obedient and stop behaving so badly at such a young age. That little girl was so pitiful¡ªshe knew she¡¯s the one being framed, but her father didn¡¯t trust her and nobody could support her. Her stepmother even shows off about how she lies to her husband to manipte him and how she bullied that pathetic girl at the office. My mum told me that she really felt sorry for the girl when she came back from work,¡± said Zhang Mingming. His eyes turned red as he talked because he felt sorry for that girl too.

    He used his little hands to wipe away his tears and said, ¡°Youxuan, will you be bullied by your stepmom in the future too? Your stepmom would bully you when your father isn¡¯t around, and even if you tell your dad about it, he¡¯ll never believe you. He only believes in your stepmom. After your stepmom gives birth to a child, they¡¯ll only love your stepmom¡¯s child. You¡¯ll be like a Chinese

    cabbage

    , nobody will love you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! You¡¯ve never meet Aunt Ruan, so don¡¯t talk nonsense! She¡¯s so pretty and gentle, and she¡¯s very kind to me!¡± said Qi Youxuan furiously. He was angry with Zhang Mingming for talking like that.

    ¡°How could you be sure? Maybe she¡¯s pretending to be kind in front of your dad. My mom¡¯s colleague did that before the wedding¡ªshe was so kind to that little girl and took care of her so nicely. However, after marrying her father, she changed a lot.¡± Zhang Mingming pouted¡ªhe was talking about the truth. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this for your good. I don¡¯t want you to be bullied and to lose out. Maybe your Aunt Ruan treats you nicely because she¡¯s nning to marry your dad. She¡¯ll change after marrying your dad!¡±

    ¡°No, she won¡¯t!¡± Qi Youxuan was fuming. He stamped his foot and grasped his toy car tightly. ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t let you y my car anymore!¡±

    After saying that, Qi Youxuan turned around and left with his toy car.

    Suddenly, he heard someone calling Muran. He turned his head around and saw Little Muran walking with her friends. Dai Zhiyao appeared out of nowhere and he was already walking beside Little Muran when Qi Youxuan noticed his presence.

    Based on his actions, he was nning to hold Little Muran¡¯s hands!

    Qi Youxuan was angry because of what Zhang Mingming said just now. He became angrier now and rushed toward Little Muran immediately and waved his toy car in front of her. ¡°Mumu.¡±

    Little Muran smiled when she saw him. In Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes, her smile was especially sweet.

    Qi Youxuan did not talk to Dai Zhiyao. He pouted when he saw Dai Zhiyao was still following them. He chatted with Little Muran as they walk and purposely ignored Dai Zhiyao.

    Ruan Danchen was watching Qi Youxuan ying and chatting with his friends but she could not hear what they were saying. She was extremely nervous when she saw Qi Youxuan wasing out of the kindergarten.

    Suddenly, she heard someone calling her. ¡°Danchen?¡±

    She turned her head around and saw Wei Ran walking toward her.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Wei Ran with a smile.

    Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ruan Danchen pointed at Qi Youxuan¡¯s little luggage and the bag which contained his presents. ¡°Youxuan left some of his stuff at my ce, so I came here to return him the stuff.¡±

    At that time, Qi Youxuan and Little Muran walked out of the kindergarten. Little Muran called her mother and dashed toward her to hug her.

    When Qi Youxuan saw Ruan Danchen there, he eximed, ¡°Aunt Ruan!¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him gently. ¡°You left in a hurry yesterday, and you left your presents and stuff at my house.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s so inconvenient for you to send my stuff here. You should¡¯ve just called me, and I would¡¯ve happily asked Dad to go to your house and take it.¡± Qi Youxuan blushed because he was overjoyed. He did not know why he would feel shy easily in front of Ruan Danchen even though he usually had a brazen personality.

    Wei Ran stared at Ruan Danchen, then she stared at Qi Youxuan and smiled involuntarily. She said goodbye to Ruan Danchen and left with Little Muran.

    ¡°I¡¯m free now, so I came here to pass you your stuff.¡± Ruan Danchen did not want to tell him that she was reluctant to let his fathere to her house.

    Although this little boy always quarreled fiercely with Qi Chenglin, she could see that he still liked Qi Chenglin very much.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, did my dad make you angry yesterday?¡± Qi Youxuan raised his head and stared at Ruan Danchen. His chubby and attractive little face looked worried now, and it made him look more adorable.

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± asked Ruan Danchen gently. She really wanted to hug this little boy now.

    Qi Youxuan pouted slightly and said softly, ¡°I called youst night and you didn¡¯t pick up the phone. I thought you ignored me because of my father who isn¡¯t thoughtful at all.¡±

    ¡°No, I was showering when you called mest night and I couldn¡¯t hear the ringtone. I immediately called you back when I saw your missed call, but your dad answered it and he told me you were asleep,¡± exined Ruan Danchen hurriedly. She did not want the little boy to misunderstand her. ¡°How is it possible that I would ignore you.¡±

    ¡°Dad is so annoying. How could he not wake me up!¡± said Qi Youxuan unhappily. ¡°Did he make you angry again?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°No.¡±

    On the contrary, he even apologized to her.

    ¡°Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen saw a boy of the same age as Qi Youxuan running toward them. He was chatting with Qi Youxuan as they walked just now, but Qi Youxuan ignored him suddenly and she wondered why he did that.

    At that time, Qi Youxuan turned his head around and saw it was Zhan Mingming. He groaned and looked away, pretending to be angry with him.

    ¡°Youxuan, is she the Aunt Ruan you have been talking about?¡± asked Zhang Mingming as he walked toward them.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect that Qi Youxuan would often talk about her in front of others.

    ¡°Mhm, isn¡¯t she very pretty and gentle?¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his chin proudly.

    Zhang Mingming blushed and nodded in embarrassment. ¡°Mhm, she¡¯s much prettier than my mum¡¯s colleague.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that! How could youpare the two of them! Your mum¡¯s colleague has an ugly heart, so she¡¯d never look pretty,¡± Qi Youxuan retorted. He could not ept Zhang Mingmingparing his future stepmother with that evil woman.

    ¡°Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen called his name and ced her hands on his shoulders to stop him from talking in such a manner.

    Zhang Mingming did not mind his words. He raised his head and stared at Ruan Danchen. His eyes were not veryrge, but they looked innocent. ¡°Aunt Ruan, after you be Youxuan¡¯s stepmother, please don¡¯t bully him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was startled by his words and she blushed. She did not know how she should reply to him.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan will never bully me!¡± said Qiu Youxuan confidently.

    Zhang Mingming nodded and said politely, ¡°My mom is here to fetch me. Bye, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was still unhappy. Ruan Danchen then caressed his chubby little face and said, ¡°That kid did that to help you, he¡¯s a kind-hearted child.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but I don¡¯t like him doubting you,¡± replied Qi Youxuan slightly unhappily.

    Ruan Danchen was very touched when she looked at his disappointed little face. She crouched down and looked into his eyes, and she asked, ¡°Youxuan, you¡¯ve only known me for a short time and we¡¯ve only met a few times. Why do you trust me so much?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Qi Youxuan then added without uncertainty, ¡°But I trust you nevertheless.¡±

    He lowered his head bashfully and his delicate cheeks were blushing slightly. He stood straight with his little belly protruding and said, ¡°I¡¯ve liked you a lot since the first time I saw you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was on the verge of crying and she could feel her eyes were getting warm. She covered the little boy¡¯s delicate cheeks with her soft palms. ¡°Youxuan, thank you for trusting me so much. I guarantee you that I¡¯ll never do anything to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan suddenly.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head around in astonishment, and she saw a Benz parked on the roadside. Qi Chenglin¡¯s stuck his long legs out and got out of the car. He looked extremely attractive, more handsome and elegant than actors and models. Nobody could emte his charisma.

    He was wearing a well-ironed and wrinkle-free suit. He put his elegant hand on the car door and closed it before walking toward them.

    The sun was lower in the sky now. He stood straight in such a magnificent manner¡ªthe sun was glowing behind him and his body was surrounded by a golden radiance.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned and forgot to react. She remained squatted there, staring at him nkly with her head tilted.

    Qi Chenglin stopped in front of her and lowered his head to peer at her. Ruan Danchen looked up along the edge of his pants and then she noticed her eyes were at the same level as his pant¡¯s zipper.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and stayed quiet. Ruan Danchen blushed immediately and she felt extremely embarrassed. She did not know why she was always in an embarrassing posture every time she met him.

    ¡°Dad!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan happily with a strong and crisp voice.

    Qi Chenglin nced at him and sneered.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing and she dared not look at him. She wanted to stand up, but unexpectedly, her legs were numb after crouching for a while. After she lifted her bottom for a little, she felt a pain shooting up from her feet to her calves. Her legs felt weak and extremely painful like they were being poked by needles.

    Ruan Danchen sighed and fell backward. When her rear was just about to hit the ground embarrassingly, he suddenly grabbed her body by her armpit closely to her breast and lifted her.

    He lifted her body off the ground. Ruan Danchen whimpered and subconsciously grabbed his shoulders. The part of her body that was grasped by him was still quivering and it affected her breathing.

    They were standing extremely close to each other and almost touch each other¡¯s bodies. However, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He still appeared to be so calm and collected, and even his breathing pattern did not change as he breathed steadily.

    Qi Chenglin put her on the ground and Run Danchen wanted to retreat immediately, but her legs were still numb and she could not stand. Her legs were feeling very ufortable and gave way to her weight.

    When she was falling to the ground, Qi Chengzhi supported her immediately. His blisteringly hot hands were still ced at her armpits and just adjacent to her breasts.

    She almost leaned into Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing, her hands still clutching his broad and firm shoulders. She raised her head and saw that he was staring at her intensely. His eyes were glowing brightly like they were on fire.

    His stern-looking lips were closed naturally, and it felt like he was angry with her.

    At that time, he lowered his head, and she could feel his scorching breath with her face and lips. She dared not breathe at all.

    A Chinese expression used to describe a person who is naive and gullible.

 Chapter 284 - Ending 11: She Is Your Fatherâ€™s Most Beloved Woman in This Lifetime

    Chapter 284: Ending 11: She Is Your Father¡¯s Most Beloved Woman in This Lifetime

    ¡°Don¡¯t scare yourself.¡± Mu Huaisheng was worried about her getting a disease, but he could only pretend to be calm. He said to Mu Sisiposedly, ¡°We¡¯re just doing this for precaution. The probability of you getting a disease from him is smaller than the probability of Qi Chengzhi falling for you. There¡¯s no need to worry about it before we have the results.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not me. How can you understand what I¡¯m feeling!¡± Mu Sisi yelled furiously.

    ¡°Enough,¡± Mu Huaisheng said unhappily. ¡°I¡¯ve been running up and down for your sake today. How can you say that I don¡¯t understand how you feel? If I don¡¯t understand, why would I spend so much energy investigating this and trying to clean up your mess? If you didn¡¯t run away on your own, this wouldn¡¯t have happened at all. Who else can you me for your wrongdoings? Mu Sisi, if you continue to throw tantrums at me, I will not care about what you do anymore.¡±

    Mu Sisi was stunned for a moment before she wailed loudly, ¡°Brother, you have to help me. You have to! Don¡¯t leave me behind.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng pursed his lips tightly and let out a heavy sigh. He nced at Mu Sisi one more time before bringing her to Chutian Hospital and did not say another word after that.

    This time, Mu Sisi was unusually obedient, even when she was in the queue. She was not as frustrated and arrogant as the previous time when she came here to stitch her wound. She just stayed aside and sobbed. Her helpless look made others feel sympathetic towards her.

    Mu Huaisheng brought Mu Sisi to take a blood test. After finishing the other examinations and tests, they stayed in the hospital for the report. While they were waiting, Mu Huaisheng went to buy n-B pills for Mu Sisi.

    The report came out and showed that everything was normal. Both of them were so relieved. The doctor told them if they were still worried, they coulde around three monthster to do another test. That would be a more urate indicator.

    Mu Huaisheng took a mental note and brought Mu Sisi home. On the way back, Mu Huaisheng called thepany¡¯swyer and told him to get rid of the surveince footage at the bar. He told him to erase the recording to prevent any risk of it leaking out. Mu Sisi was unmarried yet and the Mu family still wanted to survive in B City. This must never get out.

    When Mu Huaisheng and Mu Sisi reached home, they saw that Fang Anci was already waiting at the hallway entrance once they opened the door. She was restless and fuming. ¡°Where did you go all night? How can you go and make a scene at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ce so early in the morning? Mu Sisi, haven¡¯t you done enough?¡± Fang Anci said.

    Mu Sisi plunged into Fang Anci¡¯s arms once she saw her and burst into tears, ¡°Mum!¡±

    Fang Anci was stunned¡ªMu Sisi really shocked her. Looking at her trembling daughter, she knew that something was wrong and this was not merely a pretense, ¡°What happened? Huaisheng, what¡¯s wrong with your sister?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng clenched his jaws and told Fang Anci and Mu Sisi to sit down.

    Fang Anci grew more anxious. What could it be that it was so difficult for Mu Huaisheng to tell her?

    She brought Mu Sisi to the living room to have a seat. Mu Huili was sitting opposite of them with a long face.

    After Mu Huaisheng sat down, he told them about what happened to Mu Sisi with a heavy expression. Fang Anci was dumbfounded. Suddenly, darkness clouded her vision and she pressed her hand on her head. She could not ept that an ident like this happened within such a short period of time.

    Mu Sisi was still sobbing in her arms. Mu Huaisheng said, ¡°I¡¯ve already brought her to the hospital for a checkup. There¡¯s no problem. We¡¯ll have to visit again after three months. I¡¯ve also given her n-B pills and told Lawyer Gu to search for the bar¡¯s surveince footage to prevent any possibility of leakage. If we¡¯re able to find the man, that¡¯ll be the ideal. If we can¡¯t, we can only hope that he doesn¡¯t know Sisi and wouldn¡¯t tell others about it.¡±

    ¡°Mum, what should I do? I¡¯ve been ruined by that man... Mum, I hate this. I really hate this!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked at the top of her voice while she bawled her eyes out.

    ¡°You¡¯re only regretting your actions now. What were you doing earlier on? You¡¯ve always been so arrogant and spiteful of everyone else. Now, you¡¯ve been humiliated by a nobody,¡± Mu Huili said coldly. How shameful it was for something like this to happen.

    ¡°Enough. Our child is already hurt and feels bad enough. What help can you do by saying stuff like that?¡± Fang Anci hugged Mu Sisi tightly while sheforted her and looked across angrily.

    Mu Huili let out an annoyed ¡°Hmph¡±. Suddenly, Mu Sisi got out of Fang Anci¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°I want to take a shower.¡±

    Then, she ran back into her room.

    Mu Sisi sat in the bathtub filled with water and body shampoo. She kept on rubbing her body with the loofah, trying to clean off the scent and saliva from the perverted man. Then, she reached inside of her and repeatedly curved her fingers, hoping that she could dig out the semen that he forced into her. However, no matter how hard she tried, she did not manage to get anything.

    Even though she knew that she was fine and already took the n-B pills, she still felt disgusted. She felt like his stuff would be rooted inside her and spread out.

    The incidentst night kept shing before her again and again. The more she thought about it, the more she felt nauseated and disgusted. However, she could not suppress those memories from surfacing. It came to a point where she could not take it anymore, and she started pulling her hair forcefully. Suddenly, she crouched down beside the tub and started gagging.

    Nothing came out from her heaving and she felt her stomach cramping. Mu Sisi mmed her hands on the foamy water, closed her eyes, and shrieked insanely.

    The bathroom door opened suddenly and Fang Anci came running in. ¡°What happened, Sisi?¡±

    ¡°Mum, I can¡¯t take it. I keep thinking about it. It drives me mad every time I recall what happened,¡± Mu Sisi was still ripping her hair and her facial features looked as if they were distorted.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it. You don¡¯t have to torture yourself. Yesterday night was an ident. You just take a good bath and then get some sleep.¡± Fang Anci could onlyfort her. It was still up to Mu Sisi whether she can get out of that headspace.

    However, with Mu Sisi¡¯s arrogance and her idealistic standards, she would never be able to ept the incident that happened to her.

    ¡°I was druggedst night. I thought that he was Brother Chengzhi. I was so happy, but...¡± Mu Sisi said sobbingly, ¡°Brother Chengzhi also knows about this. He¡¯ll never want me ever again.¡±

    Fang Anci sighed and said, ¡°Sisi, even if this didn¡¯t happen, he won¡¯t ept you. There¡¯s no difference to him whether something like this happened or not. Sisi, what was Chengzhi¡¯s reaction after he found out about this? Your brother already told me. Haven¡¯t you given up by now?¡±

    Mu Sisi curled her body into a ball, leaned her forehead against the side of the bathtub, and started crying.

    Fang Anciforted her by stroking her hair while gently saying, ¡°Just now, we¡¯ve discussed about it. No one can guarantee that the man wouldn¡¯t tell others in the future. We¡¯re worried that he might have taken images or videos. There are so many perverts out there now. Wasn¡¯t there multiple news report about incidents like this? Your brother will try his best to find the man and seal all possible sources to prevent it from getting out. Sisi, since no one knows about it now, you should get married as soon as possible.¡±

    Mu Sisi raised her head all of a sudden. She heard Fang Anci said gently, ¡°You know clearly that it¡¯s impossible to be with Qi Chengzhi no matter how much effort you put in. If... I¡¯m just saying if the incident fromst night leaked out, how are you going to handle it? Other than the surveince video, the hotel receptionist, the waiter, and customers at the bar knows about this. You can¡¯t be sure that they won¡¯t tell the others even if we give them money to seal their mouths. If we¡¯re able to use money to buy them, they could be bought by others with a higher price.¡±

    ¡°Mum, what are you trying to say?¡± Mu Sisi asked unwillingly.

    ¡°Go ording to our n we discussedst night and get married. Use this window of opportunity while no one knows about this. We can still use our family status to find you a decent husband. We won¡¯t be going to America. Your dad decided to stay here and continue his business. Since you don¡¯t want Li Zhuohui because he¡¯s a divorcee, we won¡¯t force you to marry him. The Gao family is not bad, can you consider meeting them please?¡± Fang Anci did not tell Mu Sisi that under her circumstances, she would not be good enough for Li Zhuohui.

    Li Zhuohui was different from Gao Jingqiu. Mu Huaisheng had investigated that man beforehand. He had some skills and would not be easily fooled by others. If things got out, Mu Sisi might get kicked back to them.

    Li Zhuohui¡¯s ex-wife did not get a single penny when they got a divorce. It would be the same case for Mu Sisi. That was the reason they chose Gao Jingqiu.

    There were rumours that Gao Jingqiu was quite a yer on the field, but he was very obedient to his family. She thought that a man like him was easier to control inparison to Li Zhuohui.

    ¡°Give it some time and think through this.¡± Fang Anci wiped off the tears from Mu Sisi¡¯s face and left.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi said that he would only buy the device that helps themmunicate with Qi Youjin, but he could not resist once he entered the shop. He saw that there were many new items in the shop, including a baby pool and float. Qi Chengzhi just could not help but to buy it all.

    Luckily, Song Yu and Aunt Yang cleared out the guest room at home as Qi Youjin¡¯s nursery. The other room would be used as his yroom and to store all the toys that Qi Chengzhi bought for him.

    When Song Yu saw the pile of purchased goods that Qi Chengzhi was getting, she said hurriedly, ¡°Stop buying, we have too much already. The things you¡¯re buying are all for infants around zero to six months of age. He won¡¯t be able to use all of them even if he ys with a new toy every other day. I haven¡¯t even mentioned you making repeated purchases of the same toy. He¡¯s going to change into new toys when he¡¯s six to twelve months old.¡±

    It was not the only time that Qi Chengzhi shopped together with her. Previously, when she took the leave to stay home and rest, Qi Chengzhi would carry a box of stuff full of things home from time to time that he had bought for Qi Youjin. Qi Chengzhi had turned into a shopaholic for Qi Youjin who had not even been born yet.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the shopping cart that was filled to the brim silently. He did not know how this happened. He seemed to find everything he sees interesting. Unknowingly, his cart was already full.

    He nodded his head and said that he would shop sensibly before he headed to the cashier to pay. Song Yu looked at his back while he was in the middle of the transaction. She was amused to see a refined, tasteful man like him buy baby products with his sleeves rolled up.

    After paying, Qi Chengzhi was pushing the cart back when he saw Song Yu¡¯s smile. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity.

    Song Yu did not exin. She just held onto his armughingly. When they walked to the entrance, Song Yu started having a slight migraine when she saw how hot it was outside. The shop was air-conditioned, so she felt ratherfortable. However, she would sweat a lot once she stepped out. She had growing more sensitive to heat ever since her belly grewrger.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at her worrisome face and said softly, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first, I¡¯ll turn on the air-conditioner for you.¡±

    Song Yu nodded. Qi Chengzhi sent her to the car and started the air-conditioning before heading out again to move the stuff they bought into the car.

    When Qi Chengzhi got back to the car and was about to drive home, he received a call from Qi Chengyue. ¡°Big brother, are you guys heading back now?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re about to,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. When he turned around, he saw Song Yu sweating after walking from the shop to the car. He took out the tissue from the storage box in the car to help her wipe off the sweat.

    He extended his hand and used his slender fingers to push aside her long locks that were dampened by her sweat.

    ¡°Great, Dongge and I are looking at houses nearby. Can we have dinner with you guys?¡± Qi Chengzhi said.

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled, ¡°You¡¯re wee.¡±

    After hanging up, Qi Chengzhi told Song Yu about Qi Chengyue¡¯s n. Song Yu said, ¡°If they¡¯re able to choose a ce near ours, that¡¯ll be nice.¡±

    ¡°I remember there¡¯s a residence nearby our ce that was under Qilin¡¯s construction. It¡¯s rather decent,¡± Qi Chengzhi said while he started the car. Then, he nced at Song Yu again, ¡°Are you bing more sensitive towards the heat nowadays?¡±

    ¡°Uhm,¡± Song Yu could not help but to fan herself with her hands even though the car was air-conditioned. ¡°I hope that summer passes sooner.¡±

    ...

    ...

    When they arrived, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were already waiting at their house.

    Song Yu let out a sigh of relief when she felt the cool, dry air in the house. She scooted over to sit on the sofa hurriedly. Qi Chengzhi did not follow. Instead, he went into the kitchen and poured a ss of milk for Song Yu.

    Song Yu received the milk from Qi Chengzhi. After sitting down, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll massage your legs.¡±

    Qi Chengyue choked and stared at Qi Chengzhi with an astonished expression on her face. She never thought that he could speak such words so openly¡ªhe even said it so righteously.

    Song Yu¡¯s face blushed instantly. She felt embarrassed getting a massage from Qi Chengzhi in front of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge. Most importantly, she did not want to ruin Qi Chengzhi¡¯s image, and so she hurriedly said, ¡°No need.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows and stared at her with a piercing gaze. ¡°You¡¯ve been following me around the whole day. Just listen to me.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s face got even redder since Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were staring. She got closer to him and said softly, ¡°Chengyue and Dongge are here.¡±

    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at her very seriously and said, ¡°It¡¯s not like we¡¯re doing something that shouldn¡¯t be seen.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless. Since he did not take up her offer to protect his image, Song Yu could only put her legs on hisp. Qi Chengzhi took two pillows and ced them on the sofa arm for Song Yu to lean against. Then, he started to massage her legs and calf.

    Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge¡¯s wedding was set for the next month. October¡¯s weather was not too cold or too hot¡ªit was perfect for weddings. Qi Chengyue mentioned that she was going to have a wedding photoshoot next week. Qi Chengzhi asked, ¡°How¡¯s the quality of that photography studio?¡±

    ¡°Not bad. The photographer had taken wedding photos for many celebrities. They all look quite pretty,¡± Qi Chengyue said while she tried her best not to focus her eyes on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand movements where he was massaging Song Yu¡¯s legs. She could not get used to it.

    ¡°What about photos for pregnantdies?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    ¡°You guys want to document your pregnancy?¡± Qi Chengyue took her cellphone out. ¡°Hold on for a moment. I have the WeChat number of the studio. They have all sorts of albums.¡±

    Qi Chengyue searched for photos of pregnantdies and showed them to Qi Chengzhi. He was quite satisfied with them and took the number from Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°Oh right, I¡¯m thinking of asking Ruan Danchen to be my bridesmaid too,¡± Qi Chengyue told Song Yu. She could not decide on thedies from noble families. Furthermore, she was not that close to them anyway.

    Before this, they would meet during gatherings, but after she got divorced from Jian Yi, she heard the way they were gossiping about her and started to stay away from them.

    ¡°Fourth brother is not free to be the groomsman because he has to return to the army after attending the wedding,¡± Qi Chengyue ate a piece of watermelon and continued, ¡°I¡¯m thinking who¡¯s more suited to be the best man. Dongge¡¯s family all live in Li City. We n to invite his parents to attend the wedding here and have another wedding dinner in Li City. Then, his cousin sisters and brothers can be the groomsmen and bridesmaid. The others are already married, and that¡¯s why I don¡¯t know who to look for here.¡±

    ¡°We still have Chenglin, right?¡± Qi Chengzhi received a pinching on his thigh from Song Yu.

    ¡°Will second brother ept?¡± Qi Chengyue said uncertainly.

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows and gave an ambiguous smile, ¡°Do you think he can reject? It¡¯s your wedding. If you don¡¯t believe me, you can call him up and ask now.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nced at Qi Chengzhi with a doubtful look before calling Qi Chenglin, ¡°Second brother, can I ask for a favor from you?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Uhm, it¡¯s just a small matter. I can¡¯t find anyone to be the groomsman for my wedding. Can you be our groomsman?¡± Qi Chengyue asked unsurely.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Bridesmaid? It¡¯s Ruan Danchen.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Thank you, second brother!¡±

    Qi Chengyue hung up with an unbelievable expression. ¡°Second brother just epted it straight away after asking who¡¯s the bridesmaid.¡±

    Qi Chengyue blinked her eyes and thought, ¡®This isn¡¯t Qi Chenglin¡¯s usual behaviour at all!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi curved the corner of his mouth and put on a shallow smile but he did not say a thing.

    ¡°Right, you said that you¡¯re here to see houses. How did that go?¡± Song Yu asked after gulping a mouthful of cold milk.

    ¡°We really like them, but we still have topare it to the one yesterday,¡± Qi Chengyue looked at Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi smilingly, ¡°You guys won¡¯t mind if we move nearby to your ce, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. What are you thinking? It¡¯s nice to gather like this once in a while,¡± Song Yu said gleefully. ¡°Also, I n to work from home after giving birth to Youjin so that I can take care of him. You will also stay at home for quite some time after you get pregnant. We can be each other¡¯spany so that you won¡¯t feel so lonely then.¡±

    Qi Chengyue gave it a thought and felt that it was a good idea. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, what happened to our honeymoon ns?¡±

    ¡°Well, your older brother had already done quite some research on Greece. We can go together when the timees,¡± said Song Yu.

    ...

    After dinner, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge left. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu went back to the bedroom.

    Qi Chengzhi took out the small toy that he just bought and tried to figure out how to use it. He stuck the two strings on Song Yu¡¯s belly and held a microphone-shaped thing on his hand, except that there was no speaker function.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thick eyebrows furrowed slightly and said, ¡°Did I get cheated. Is this even working?¡±

    ¡°You just try and say something to Youjin,¡± Song Yu said excitedly.

    Qi Chengzhi was sitting beside Song Yu with both of his long legs crossed. He frowned again and coughed dryly when he looked at Song Yu¡¯s stomach¡ªhis charming face grew a little redder.

    Song Yu could not resist his smile. At this moment, she felt that this elegant, mature man looked like a kid.

    ¡°I¡¯m your daddy,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a low, mellow voice with a frown. ¡°If you hear me, move something.¡±

    Song Yu was skeptical on whether Qi Youjin could really understand what Qi Chengzhi said. However, she could feel that he moved gently inside after a while.

    ¡°Did you feel that?¡± Song Yu asked excitedly.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand was ced on her stomach. He put on a gleeful smile, his eyes looking extraordinarily charming.

    ¡°Son, we... are very happy to have you. Daddy will definitely protect mommy and you,¡± Qi Chengzhi said seriously. ¡°Of course when you grow older, you¡¯ll have to protect mommy together with me.¡±

    Shortly after, he felt another movement from Qi Youjin. It was even more obvious that before.

    ¡°Daddy chose a name for you. It¡¯s Qi Youjin. Youjin, mommy and daddy love you. You need to grow faster. Please don¡¯t let your mommy suffer and make a smooth entrance, okay? Your mommy suffered quite a lot when she¡¯s carrying you so you have to be more thoughtful,¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a mellow voice.

    Song Yu ced her hand on top of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand gently. This charming man in front of her had such a warm expression, but the way he spoke was still quite reserved. It took him some courage to say those words as his voice was a little stiff, and the tips of his ears had turned red. It must have been rather embarrassing for him to say that out loud, but she felt very touched by his effort.

    ¡°Youjin, daddy is thirty-five this year and mommy is twenty-six. Fifty yearster, if daddy¡¯s not around anymore, you need to help me take care of mommy. Don¡¯t let her suffer, and don¡¯t make her angry or upset. The only thing that can be on her face is a smile, do you understand? She is your father¡¯s most beloved woman in this lifetime. One day, daddy will have no choice but to hand her over to you to take care on behalf of me. You can¡¯t let her be hurt. After you¡¯re born, I will show you how I love mommy. Then, you¡¯re only allowed to love her more than me, okay?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at Song Yu¡¯s tummy with such a serious expression as if Qi Youjin was right in front of him.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes reddened instantly when she heard him said all these with a throaty voice. ¡°Qi Chengzhi, what nonsense are you talking about!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lifted his head and saw tears rolling down her cheeks. He frowned heavy-heartedly. ¡°Why are you crying?¡±

    He threw the microphone aside and held her face with his elegant hands and wiped her tears away gently.

    Song Yu punched his chest unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s all because of you. Why are you saying things about when you¡¯re gone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m educating our son to treat you nicely. Might as well start earlier while he¡¯s still inside your tummy,¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled and said with a mellow voice. ¡°That¡¯s for us to worry a few decadester. Why are you crying now, silly?¡±

    He closed in towards her and nted a kiss on her delicate cheek. Then, he wrapped her in his embrace and said in a throaty, empathetic voice, ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡±

    ¡°Time flies. A few decades is not that far away.¡± Song Yu tightened her grip around Qi Chengzhi. She pouted her mouth and sobbed, ¡°Hearing what you said made me think, and it felt sad and scary. I don¡¯t want you to say anything about how you¡¯re not going to be around, not even hypothetically. I don¡¯t care how far in the future it¡¯ll be. You can¡¯t say that.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Qi Chengzhi tapped on the back of her head gently and softly said, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I won¡¯t say it ever again. If I knew that it¡¯ll make you cry, I wouldn¡¯t have touched this topic in the first ce.¡±

    Song Yu sniffed and hugged him even tighter. Her sobs were sorrowful but in a coddling way. ¡°Chengzhi, I wish that you can be with me forever.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head, his searing lips were right at the level of the corner of her eye. He kissed away the teardrop that was hanging on hershes and said in a raspy voice, ¡°Definitely.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi made Song Yu cry with his unintentional words, so he did not continue the conversation with Qi Youjin and focused onforting Song Yu. He lowered his head and kissed her eyes, taking those tears away with his kisses. When he sensed the flowery scent from her face, he could not resist rubbing against her face and her nose. He peppered kisses on her delicate skin, making Song Yu blush red.

    She remained still in his embrace. Her submissive appearance almost drove Qi Chengzhi mad. He got even more flustered the more he kissed her¡ªit was never enough. He lowered his vision and saw her pink supple lips which were half-opened, and he dived right in to suck on them.

    Song Yu also raised her head to meet him and returned the kiss. She traced gently on his charming face with her soft fingertips while she looked at him with a focused gaze. A thirty-five-year-old man still looked so elegant. It was as if his charm would never fade throughout his lifetime.

    ¡°How nice would it be if we won¡¯t ever grow old. Then, we can always be together,¡± Song Yu said softly while she kept brushing against his chest as if she wanted to bury herself in it.

    Qi Chengzhi put her down onto the bed gently and kissed her softly from her eyebrows to her eyes, then onto her nose and lips. He stared into her clear eyes and saw that they were filled with affection and tenderness.

    Qi Chengzhi put on a huge warm smile, ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how you look when you get old.¡±

    Song Yu burst intoughter. Her mood lightened with his words. ¡°I¡¯ll look ugly.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t.¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled, paving thin wrinkled patterns from the corner of his eyes. He pointed towards the corner of her eyes and mouth with his slightly roughed fingertips and said, ¡°I want to see wrinkles forming here, there and there.¡±

    Suddenly, Song Yu recalled that he had known her since she was in her infant years. He was there all along, from when she was still changing diapers, to a little girl, up until she became a teenager.

    ¡°Chengzhi,¡± Song Yu called out suddenly.

    ¡°Hmm?¡± Qi Chengzhi pushed her hair aside and kissed her.

    Song Yu hugged him tightly. ¡°It¡¯s great to have you protecting me all along.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head to look at her silky hair and saw a small patch of her exposed forehead. He kissed her hairline with a smile and remained silent. Song Yu felt especially secured while sheid in his arms.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi made an appointment to have the pregnancy photoshoot next Sunday with Qi Chengyue so that they could go together. The schedule was not affected since the photographer for the wedding and pregnancy photoshoot were two different people.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi ended the session earlier as their clothing were not asplex as Qi Chengyue. After they finished selecting the photos they wanted, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge still had not returned from the outdoor shoot. Soon enough, they called up Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi and told them that they were already on their way back.

 Chapter 285 - I Think He Made A Turn Inside

    Chapter 285: I Think He Made A Turn Inside

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi ended the session earlier as their clothing were not asplex as Qi Chengyue. Even after they finished selecting the photos they wanted, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge still had not returned from the outdoor shoot. However, they called up and told them that they were already on their way back.

    The photographer was looking through the unedited photos of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. Their poses were very natural without needing the photographer to prompt them most of the time. Those small unintended moments when they both interacted with each other looked far more touching and natural inparison to those intentional poses.

    ¡°Sir, Madam, can we disy your photos in the shop after we finish editing them?¡± asked the photographer. The emotions in their photos were so genuine that it was uparable to photos taken by the most talented and skillful photographer.

    He had taken photos for many celebrities but none of them were this good.

    Qi Chengzhi arched his eyebrows. Song Yu had her stomach exposed in most of these photos, so he replied without any second thoughts, ¡°No.¡±

    The photographer did not insist and regrettably replied, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu sat on the sofa and waited for Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge¡¯s return. Even though the studio was air-conditioned and they stood still during the photoshoot, they were sweating through and felt incredibly exhausted for no reason.

    ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to nap for a while?¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at Song Yu¡¯s obvious weary face. He brushed his lips on her smooth forehead as he asked in a raspy voice.

    When the photographer saw them, he took his camera and sounds of shutters fluttered. Qi Chengzhi was aware but he did not bother about him.

    Song Yu covered her mouth while she yawned. She did not notice the camera and leaned on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Let me take a nap.¡±

    Qi Chengzhiughed and took her in with one arm so that she could position herselffortably in his arms. He ced the other arm on her tummy so that he could feel Qi Youjin¡¯s movements if there was any.

    Qi Youjin was rather activetely. He kept making his presence known from within.

    Suddenly, Song Yu let out a cry and covered her stomach. Qi Chengzhi became nervous immediately and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°I think he made a turn inside, and it felt as if there was a tug on my stomach,¡± Song Yu said in surprise. Her weariness disappeared instantly and her whole face lit up.

    ¡°Did it hurt?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked Song Yu with concern, a frown etched on his handsome face.

    Song Yu shook her head and replied, ¡°It didn¡¯t hurt, I just felt a movement.¡±

    Only then Qi Chengzhiughed and touched her belly with his burning hands. He said in a mellow voice, ¡°Looks like this kid¡¯s getting stronger.¡±

    Both of them were bathing in the joy of Qi Youjin¡¯s movement while the photographer documented this moment by clicking the shutter.

    Half an hourter, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge returned. Qi Chengyue was still wearing the wedding gown. She saw Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were waiting for them, with Song Yu already asleep on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders. She greeted Qi Chengzhi softly before going off with Cheng Dongge to change their clothes.

    Another half an hour had passed before Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge came back. Qi Chengzhi woke Song Yu up. ¡°Chengyue and Dongge¡¯s here now. We¡¯re ready to make a move.¡±

    Song Yu was a little groggy after the nap and she looked quite interesting in her half-awake appearance. Qi Chengzhi could not help and gave her a kiss.

    Song Yu saw that Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were beside them, but they had got used to this. However, the staff and photographer were around them and saw the entire thing. Song Yu covered her mouth instantly and looked at Qi Chengzhi with a blush on her face.

    ...

    ...

    The four of them left together. Coincidentally, the studio was located near Dynasty so they went straight there to have dinner.

    Once they entered and walked in, Qi Chengyue saw Gao Jingqiu and Mu Sisi sitting in a rather secluded ce in the lobby and were having their meal. She tugged Cheng Dongge and informed Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu softly.

    Cheng Dongge nced over briefly and said, ¡°I heard that the Mu family is nning a marriage with the Gao family.¡±

    He said it very calmly. However, Qi Chengyue could not help but think of Huang Ziyue. Right before this, Gao Jingqiu broke up with Huang Ziyue for a young model.

    ¡°What expression is this?¡± Cheng Dongge nced at Qi Chengyue with an ambiguous smile. ¡°Gao Jingqiu had stated very clearly right from the start that his marriage would surely be a union with one of the noble families. He would never marry an ordinary woman.¡±

    ¡°I just didn¡¯t expect that Mu Sisi will agree to meet with Gao Jingqiu,¡± Song Yu said after entering Qi Chengzhi¡¯s VIP room.

    ¡°The Mu family is worried that news about Mu Sisi getting drugged and raped would leak out one day. They¡¯re seeking the opportunity to marry her off as soon as possible before things getplicated. If it spreads to others, those affluent families would never ept Mu Sisi. It¡¯ll be a great loss to the Mu family,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined with a clear voice.

    As they walked out after dinner, Song Yu took another look at the table but Mu Sisi and Gao Jingqiu had already left. She just hoped that Mu Sisi would be more grounded and would stop bothering them after she got married to Gao Jingqiu.

    ...

    ...

    Ever since Song Yu came back to work, Yang Yunshu could only mumble to herself and gossip about Song Yu discreetly. In front of Song Yu or other colleagues, she remained quiet and dared not say a thing.

    On Friday afternoon, Song Yu and Ruan Danchen came out from the design department. She thought that Chang Lai would be waiting for her at the entrance, but she was surprised to see Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi would always be waiting for Song Yu in front of the design department since she got back to work. The employees in Chengshi had gotten used to it. They were still fearful of Qi Chengzhi but they did not avoid him like they initially did. They were able to greet him openly as ¡®Young Master Cheng¡¯ and could wait alongside for the elevator to arrive.

    Of course, they would let Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu get on the elevator first.

    Qi Chengzhi stood upright with both hands inside his pocket, and he did not lean his back against the wall. His gaze was focused on the inside of the design department. No one knew how long had he been staring.

    Song Yu¡¯s whole face lit up when she saw that it was Qi Chengzhi. Ruan Danchen greeted him as ¡®Young Master Cheng¡¯ before running off in a hurry as though she was a fugitive on the run.

    Qi Chengzhi was not bothered by it. He lowered his head and stared at Song Yu with a gentle smile. Song Yu was quite calm as her colleagues were no longer staring at them incessantly like before since they had gotten used to their presence.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you busy today?¡± Song Yu took Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand and gently pinched his slender fingers. Even though they were already a married couple and even had a child, she could not control her heartbeat every time she saw his manly appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯ve finished the work that got piled up,¡± Qi Chengzhi held her hand and lowered his head to peck on her lips. He was not affected by the fact that many people were passing by.

    Looking at Song Yu¡¯s blushing face, those female colleagues regardless of their marital status envied her. People said that the skin condition would worsen and turn ugly if they were pregnant with a boy, but this did not reflect on Song Yu at all. Her skin became even more radiant and delicate¡ªshe was practically glowing.

    When they thought about having a husband like Qi Chengzhi who pampered her every day, it would be odd if she was not looking good.

    However, other than Song Yu¡¯s face, her body was totally out of shape. She looked bloated with a huge belly sticking right in front of her. While they were jealous of her, they could not fathom why Qi Chengzhi was so loyal to her. He had never once looked at other women the entire time he was here to pick up Song Yu. He only had eyes for Song Yu and this alone could already turn others from admiration to envy.

    ¡°The studio called me this morning and informed that the photos are ready. We can go and collect them.¡± Qi Chengzhi walked Song Yu to the elevator and entered together. ¡°Let¡¯s eat first, we¡¯ll collect it after.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not going back to thepany this afternoon?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°I worked overtime consecutively for a few days already. Since I¡¯vepleted them, I n to take this afternoon off,¡± Qi Chengzhi said smilingly.

    Both of them went to have lunch at Dynasty before heading to the studio.

    When the staff showed them the photos, they noticed that there were a few extra copies. It was them chatting on the sofa that day¡ªQi Chengzhi was hugging Song Yu while sheid in his arms submissively. He was whispering into Song Yu¡¯s ears with a warm expression on his face.

    The picture had an unexinable harmonious feeling. Song Yu never thought that this moment could be captured by a third person and portrayed in such a touching manner. She fell in love with the picture instantly.

    Coincidentally, the photographer had just finished a photoshoot with his customers. He was holding a sandwich while he walked out of the shooting studio. He did not know about Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s identity as he had to work with many customers every day. However, he recognized them instantly when he saw them as both of them made quite an impression.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, Mrs. Qi.¡± The photographer walked over and saw that they were choosing their photos. Heughed and said, ¡°When I saw both of you that day, the scene was so beautiful that I couldn¡¯t resist capturing it. Also, I didn¡¯t edit it much. I only altered the background and lighting, and I didn¡¯t touch both of your images. This is by far my best work. A picture is at its finest when it portrays the natural state of the person. It¡¯s far more worthy inparison to those photos with designed poses and pre-set angles.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled in satisfaction.

    The staff let Song Yu and him choose their preferred pictures. Qi Chengzhi liked them all including those that Song Yu left out, so he just decided to take all of them.

    They had already developed a few photos that they selected to be on the album and posters. However, Qi Chengzhi saw a few more photos from the photographer and truly liked them. He told them to print them out as well, but the staff said that they would not be able to finish it by today and told him that they would post it to them by tomorrow.

    Qi Chengzhi left his address Viewpark Residence before taking the developed photos and the original film and left with Song Yu.

    On the way, Qi Chengzhi took a detour and went to buy some nice photo frames before taking Song Yu home.

    Song Yu had nothing to do while she was in the passenger seat and opened the album to take a look. There were photos of Qi Chengzhi and herself holding the ultrasound scan of their baby. It could be considered as their first family photo.

    Song Yu lowered her head and rubbed her belly. She could not wait for the little guy toe out so that they could bring him to have a family photoshoot.

    Back home, Song Yu rushed Qi Chengzhi to choose the photos to put into the frame. Qi Chengzhi sat beside and look at Song Yu busy choosing the photos. He enjoyed apanying her quietly like this, looking at her fussing around.

    Song Yu nced at him and thrust the other photos and frames into his hands as she could use some of his help too. Qi Chengzhiughed while his slender fingers moved elegantly. It was already almost dinner time after finish selecting those photos.

    After dinner, Song Yu went back to the living room after using the bathroom. She saw Qi Chengzhi was facing the wall at the end of the hallway entrance looking at something.

    When Qi Chengzhi saw her walked over, he scooped her into his embrace with his long arms and exined, ¡°Let¡¯s make this a photo wall, okay? I¡¯m thinking of putting our family photo here so that people can see it right when they enter the house. We¡¯ll put up photos from our wedding up to when you got your pregnancy. We¡¯ll hang the photos after you give birth to Youjin.¡±

    Song Yu looked at the wall. She imagined how it would look like while she listened to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s description. She felt like this was a nice way to document their family throughout using photos.

    Qi Chengzhi could tell that Song Yu loved the idea. He proceeded to the study room to search for all their wedding photos for Song Yu to select.

    ¡°...¡± Only then Song Yu understood why Qi Chengzhi bought so many photo frames when they were on the way back home. He already had the intention of filling the wall with photos.

    When Song Yu was choosing from their wedding photos, she heard Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°It seems like both of us don¡¯t really have photos of our daily life.¡±

    Song Yu lifted her head and saw Qi Chengzhi looked as if he had thought of something. He said in an awkward expression, ¡°Like the ones that you took with Jian Yi.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    This happened so long ago, how could he still remember?

    Furthermore, he was not the kind who would take selfies when he goes out. If she insisted on taking selfies with him, it felt weird with his conservative image.

    ¡°We can take them in the future.¡± Song Yu scurried over and leaned on his shoulders. ¡°As long as you don¡¯t feel embarrassed.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her with his jet-ck eyes and gave her a mocking nce. Then, he stood upughing and brought thedder over together with a hammer and nails. He picked the photo frames filled with pictures and proceeded to nail them on the wall.

    Song Yu only needed to pass those photo frames to Qi Chengzhi since they had already chosen them from the pile.

    They took another look at the photos when Qi Chengzhi was fixing them onto the wall. Song Yu felt a sudden feeling of reminiscence when she saw their wedding photos from months ago. Time really flew past. She was smiling so blissfully and her baby bump was not visible yet.

    She was standing beside Qi Chengzhi. He looked exceptionally handsome in the picture. Even though she was carrying his child and was almost finished with her trimester, she still felt proud and excited whenever she thought about this remarkable man was her husband. She felt like she had umted a few lifetimes of karma to have his love. He never once looked at other women throughout their time together.

    Song Yu could feel a sense of warmth slowly filling her chest while she looked at those pictures and could not resist her giggles.

    Qi Chengzhi stood still on thedder and his hands stopped moving. He tilted his head and stared at Song Yu with his eyebrows arched. He asked with a confused smile, ¡°What are youughing about?¡±

    Song Yu blushed slightly and raised her head. She had the urge to kiss him when she met his gaze.

    Just when this thought popped in her head, the doorbell rang. Song Yu went to answer the door since she was nearer. She saw two strangers through the screen of the answering machine. ¡°May I know who you are?¡±

    ¡°Hello, we¡¯re Mu Huaisheng¡¯s parents. I¡¯m Mu Huili and this is my wife, Fang Anci,¡± Mu Huili answered.

    Song Yu turned around to look at Qi Chengzhi where he nodded. She then opened the door to let them in.

    Qi Chengzhi did note down from thedder right away. He continued nailing the picture that Song Yu passed to him just now.

    When Song Yu opened the door to let Mu Huili and Fang Anci into the house, he had just finished hammering thest shot. Mu Huili and Fang Anci stood at the entrance and saw him. They were surprised that he was wearing a thin, casual T-shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbow and a hammer in his right hand.

    Back in the days when Qi Chengzhi was studying in America, he had been to the Mu family¡¯s house to have a meal. He was an introvert and looked as if he was untainted by worldly matters. He did not seem like he would carry out such a mundane task.

    They never thought that he would be a family man.

    Qi Chengzhi left the hammer on thedder and nodded at them. ¡°Mr. Mu, Mrs. Mu.¡±

    Fang Anciughed dryly while her gaze fell on Song Yu¡¯s belly. ¡°You¡¯re Song Yu, right?¡±

    Song Yu nodded her head and greeted them the way Qi Chengzhi just did. ¡°Pleasee in.¡±

    They entered the living room and saw the mess on the table. Song Yu exined, ¡°We were arranging the photos.¡±

    Fang Anci nodded her head smilingly. Song Yu did not put them aside since they would continue to put those up after sending them off.

    Qi Chengzhi sat down beside Song Yu with a cold expression and said not a word.

    Song Yu saw that Mu Huili and Fang Anci remained quiet and thetter could onlyugh awkwardly, she went in and told Aunt Yang to prepare some snacks.

    Mu Huili nced at Qi Chengzhi and started talking first, ¡°Chengzhi, we¡¯re here for Sisi. We know that she had caused a lot of trouble all this while. We came here to apologize and also to inform you guys that we had started nning her marriage to Gao Jingqiu. She won¡¯t harass you guys in the future.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi extended his arm to take the cup of tea. He took a sip and did not respond.

    Mu Huili gave an awkward expression and continued, ¡°I know that your rtionship with Huaisheng was affected because of Sisi after she kept on bothering you guys. I know that we don¡¯t have the right to use our past rtionship to ask you for a favor, but we still came here thick-skinned to ask you guys. You guys are aware of the incident that happened to Sisi this time. Can you please keep it a secret? She¡¯s about to get married, and we¡¯ll keep an eye on her to prevent her from creating more troubles. If this goes out, it¡¯d ruin her life for sure, not to mention her marriage.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at him ndly. He did not beat around the bush and said in a cool tone, ¡°As long as she stops harassing us, I¡¯ll keep my end sealed.¡±

    ¡°I heard from Huaisheng that you got a copy of the surveince footage from the bar?¡± Mu Huili probed him.

    ¡°Indeed so. Even though I won¡¯t talk about it, I feel more secure if I have something on hand. If not, what can I do if Mu Sisi tries to frame me? Also, she¡¯ll be more honest if I have the evidence, am I right?¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly.

    Mu Huili knew that Qi Chengzhi would not hand over the video. He could only sigh without saying anything further.

    ¡°Song Yu, how far are you in?¡± Fang Anci looked at Song Yu¡¯s tummy smilingly.

    ¡°A little over six months,¡± came Song Yu¡¯s gentle reply.

    ¡°You have to invite us to your child¡¯s full moon party,¡± Fang Anci interjected hurriedly.

    Qi Chengzhi red at Fang Anci from aside. He knew that the Mu family wanted to take this opportunity to get back into the social circle. The Mu family¡¯s status had gotten a little shaky after that incident in MU.

 Chapter 286 - Ending 13: Excuse Me, Please Address Me As Mrs. Qi

    Chapter 286: Ending 13: Excuse Me, Please Address Me As Mrs. Qi

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi red at Fang Anci from aside. He knew that the Mu family wanted to take this opportunity to get back into the social circle. The Mu family¡¯s status had gotten a little shaky after that incident in MU.

    Song Yu had her portion of experience in dealing with businesses across dinner tables. She was not easily fooled by Fang Anci, so she just smiled out of courtesy and gave her no direct answer.

    Mu Huili suppressed his anger¡ªhe was actually more crossed at Mu Sisi. if it was not for her, the Mu family would not get into this situation.

    ¡°Chengzhi, does this mean we¡¯ll let bygones be bygones?¡± Mu Huili asked carefully.

    ¡°Mr. Mu, please be direct,¡± Qi Chengzhi said ndly.

    ¡°It¡¯s about MU. MU is going to start very soon, but we¡¯re still having some problems. We understand that you did that to punish Sisi. Since she¡¯s learned her lesson and MU suffered some losses, can we forgo everything this time?¡± Mu Huili said. ¡°We¡¯ve tried to contact some of the artists and invited them to our promotional events, but no one dared toe. The Wei family¡¯s mall that had agreed to let us have our booth also retracted their offer...¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mu, the people from The Great Eight Families would never eat our words. I did pull some strings to do this, and you¡¯re aware of the reason behind it. Since they¡¯ve decided to help me, they won¡¯t take it back. If they do, people would see that as being fickle. I¡¯m afraid that I can¡¯t help you with this. However, that incident was directed towards Mu Sisi, since it¡¯s already done, I won¡¯t continue with it,¡± Qi Chengzhi said inly.

    ¡°That means MU will never have the chance to get into the Wei family¡¯s mall, and no artist would be willing to help us promote as long as we stay in B City?¡± Mu Huili¡¯s expression darkened and it was not pleasant looking.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded.

    Mu Huili¡¯s hands grasped his knees tightly. ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯re being too much?¡±

    Fang Anci quickly held Mu Huili back and made him endure it before turning around to Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°Chengzhi, why should we end up in this state? You and Huaisheng had been good friends all along. You even went over to Huaisheng¡¯s ce to eat back then in the U.S. quite frequently. Huaisheng is even simr to you, he has high standards when ites to friends. You¡¯re one of them among his small circle of friends. We also like you the most among the others and treated you as half of our son.¡±

    Fang Anciughed gently. ¡°I even wished that you could be my son, to be a part of the family. I¡¯ve also had the intention to pair you and Sisi, but Huaisheng told me that you already had a girl that you liked back in the country. That¡¯s why I called it off.¡±

    Fang Anci smiled at Song Yu and said, ¡°Now that I saw you, you must be the girl that Chengzhi liked.¡±

    A vague blush adorned Song Yu¡¯s face as she nced at Qi Chengzhi sheepishly.

    Fang Anci smiled lightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want to see our friendship after so many years get destroyed because of Sisi¡¯s foolishness.¡±

    The expression on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face was minimal. He did not respond much and just said, ¡°Me too.¡±

    ¡°So...¡± a gleeful expression shed past Fang Anci¡¯s face.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I¡¯m not going to take any more actions,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in a in tone.

    Fang Anci¡¯s expression stiffened¡ªshe did not expect that her speech just now had no effect.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re not pursuing, why don¡¯t you tell We Ziqi and Han Zhuoli to retract their orders?¡± Mu Huili said coldly.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up and said, ¡°They¡¯re not my subordinates, and I can¡¯t order them around. Our family had gone to every family from the Great Eight and asked for their help. Each family was ready to attack. Until today, only the Wei family and Han family made a move. Since we¡¯ve talked it out today to put the past behind us, I¡¯ll go to the others and tell them not to carry on with the n.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Mu Huili was so furious that he could not speak properly. How shameless could Qi Chengzhi be? How was this putting the past behind?

    ¡°Actually, both of you came today to ask for the surveince footage from the bar, am I right? The MU incident is secondary.¡± Qi Chengzhi scanned Mu Huili and Fang Anci with his jet-ck eyes. ¡°I feel more secure if I kept a copy. As long as Mu Sisi doesn¡¯t harass us anymore, we won¡¯t say a thing. Of course, the video won¡¯t be made public.¡±

    ¡°If this is the case, we¡¯ll leave now.¡± Mu Huili stood up stiffly.

    Fang Anci also stood up slowly and said, ¡°Chengzhi, what about your friendship with Huaisheng? Is it gone because of Sisi?¡±

    ¡°I still admire Huaisheng very much.¡± Qi Chengzhi did not give a direct answer.

    Mu Huili left with Fang Anci unhappily with a long face.

    The visit from Mu Huili and Fang Anci did not affect Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s mood. They already knew about Mu Sisi marrying Gao Jingqiu.

    After their departure, Song Yu continued framing the photos while Qi Chengzhi ced them up on the wall.

    When the wall in the living room was almost full, Qi Chengzhi gathered the hammer and nails and headed towards the stairway connecting to the second floor. He then put up the photos chronologically along the stairs, starting with their wedding photo and then with Song Yu¡¯s pregnant photos.

    ¡°We¡¯ll add on the photos up to when Youjin is born.¡± Qi Chengzhi admired his finished result with satisfaction.

    Song Yu felt that he was on the way to be a photo maniac.

    She went over and hugged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. ¡°We¡¯ll have to take more photos of us the next time we go out.¡±

    Song Yu stared at the photos on the wall and said, ¡°It feels a bit dull with only our wedding photos as if something¡¯s missing.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and looked at her with a tender, loving gaze. His eyshes were slightly curved when he lowered his head and kissed her lips gently.

    Song Yu felt that it was quite rare for men to have such good-looking eyebrows. If his nose and eyes were covered, exposing only his eyes, he had the resemnce of a Western beauty with sharp features.

    ¡°I¡¯ll put them up once the studio sends us the remaining photos,¡± Qi Chengzhi said softly.

    ...

    ...

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding had been set on the 19th of October at Dynasty. Even though this was Chengyue¡¯s second marriage, the Qi family still wanted to have a big wedding for Qi Chengyue. They had to consider Cheng Dongge¡¯s side, especially his parents. Their son was going to marry his wife and it should be grand and not too shabby.

    At the same time, they wanted to show their support for Qi Chengyue and acknowledge the importance of this wedding. This wedding was much more impressive andvish that her wedding with Jian Yi.

    Apart from the Great Eight Families, some families including the Li family and the Gao family were all invited to the wedding. They even extended the invitation to the Mu family even though Grandmother Qi was not too happy about it. She still allowed it.

    Since Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were already married and Song Yu was pregnant, both of them did not participate in the bride and groom¡¯s team. They went to Dynasty together with Grandmother Qi and met the Mu and Gao family at the entrance. To their surprise, both families came together.

    Gao Jingqiu and Mu Sisi were walking alongside. Gao Jingqiu dared not linger his gaze on Song Yu in front of so many people. Mu Sisi could not resist and gave onest glimpse at Qi Chengzhi and shun away immediately as if she was too ashamed about what had happened. She could not look Qi Chengzhi anymore.

    Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi greeted the Mu family out of courtesy.

    Even though Mu Huili was displeased with Qi Chengzhi thest time they met in Viewpark Residence, he dared not disrespect Grandmother Qi and Grandfather Qi. He came up to greet sincerely, ¡°Mr. Qi, Madam Qi, my daughter¡¯s immaturity caused too many troubles. Her mother and I came over this time to educate her.¡±

    Grandmother Qi answered unwillingly. She was deeply affected by Mu Sisi¡¯s harassment and was not too willing to entertain them further. No matter how sincere Mu Huili¡¯s apology seemed, she still felt that it was all a pretense.

    Gao Shenghe saw Mu Huili was not budging anytime soon so he said understandingly, ¡°Brother Mu, we¡¯ll head inside first.¡±

    Mu Huili answered hurriedly and nced at Gao Shenghe with a grateful gaze. Gao Shenghe greeted the Qi family respectfully before entering Dynasty with his wife and Gao Jingqiu.

    Only then did Mu Huili say, ¡°Mr. Qi, Madam Qi, we dare not pay a visit without informing you beforehand. Since we¡¯re here today, please give a chance to Sisi so that she can apologize.¡±

    Grandmother Qi arched her eyebrows. She was not too enthusiastic about this. Grandfather Qi did not say anything. He just turned his gaze towards Mu Sisi who was standing beside and looked rather unwilling.

    Mu Huili yanked Mu Sisi over and barked, ¡°Apologize now!¡±

    With an ashen face and a lowered head, Mu Sisi murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Qi, Madam Qi.¡±

    ¡°Ms. Mu, to be fair, you don¡¯t owe us an apology. We¡¯re angry because we felt bad for our grandson and granddaughter-inw.¡± Grandmother Qi straightened her back and raised her chin. She said those words in formal Mandarin as if it was apanied by stage effects.

    Mu Sisi lowered her head and gritted her teeth. What Grandmother Qi meant was for her to apologize to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    However, she did not think that she was in the wrong. How was she wrong when all she did was out of her love for Qi Chengzhi? She truly hated Song Yu right to her guts.

    Without saying anything further, Mu Huili yanked Mu Sisi to stand before Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. When Mu Sisi lowered her head, her gaze fell on Song Yu¡¯s belly. Looking at her growing belly that was carrying Qi Chengzhi¡¯s child, she was extremely envious when she thought that she could never have that.

    ¡°Apologize!¡± Mu Huili ordered sternly.

    With a pale face and trembling lips, Mu Sisi said sobbingly, ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Please call me Mr. Qi,¡± Qi Chengzhi said coldly.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s whole body stiffened while both her hands balled into fists. ¡®Why can¡¯t she call him brother Chengzhi?¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°Mr. Qi,¡± Mu Sisi called him with her jaws clenched tightly.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded as if he was rather satisfied and said, ¡°Actually, my wife was hurt the most.¡±

    ¡°Apologize to Song Yu,¡± demanded Mu Huili.

    ¡°Song¡ª¡±

    When Mu Sisi just spoke, Song Yu¡¯s gentle voice interjected her, ¡°Excuse me, please address me as Mrs. Qi.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked at Song Yu with a tender gaze when he heard it. He arched his eyebrows, his eyes and the corner of his mouth were overflowing with joy.

    Song Yu felt embarrassed and squeezed his hand. Mu Sisi heard Qi Chengzhi said with a raspy voice over her head, ¡°Cheeky.¡±

    Tears rolled down Mu Sisi¡¯s cheeks. She could sense her father¡¯s cold gaze even though her head remained lowered. Feeling humiliated, she said softly, ¡°Mrs. Qi, I¡¯m so sorry to cause so many problems in the past. I¡¯m... wrong to treat you so rudely.¡±

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengzhi and saw him nodded. She said, ¡°Ms. Mu, I genuinely hope that you¡¯ll live your life well. I¡¯m already grateful if you don¡¯te looking for us in the future.¡±

    Mu Sisi remained quiet with her head lowered. Song Yu could see that she was shaking all this time.

    Mu Huili took a deep breath and looked towards Grandfather and Grandmother Qi. ¡°Mr. Qi, Madam Qi, I¡¯m sorry to cause such a big scene because of my daughter. Thank you for not holding a grudge against the Mu family. We¡¯ve just been here not long ago, we¡¯d be grateful if you could forgive us if we did anything wrong.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Mu, the Qi family is rather reasonable. We won¡¯t stoop down to the level of others so easily,¡± Grandfather Qi said inly. ¡°In fact, if we really want to take action, it won¡¯t be this scale.¡±

    Mu Huili was stunned. He wanted to move his lips to squeeze a smile but he failed.

    ¡°Aiyo, look at me. My old body can¡¯t stand for too long anymore, and my back and legs are starting to hurt.¡± Grandmother Qi ced her hand on her hips and frowned as if she was in a lot of pain.

    Xia Wenna hurried forward to help Grandmother Qi. She bent her knees as though she was about to fall.

    ¡°We won¡¯t bother you guys further. Please carry on inside,¡± Mu Huili could only answer this even though he knew that Grandmother Qi was just acting.

    ¡°Hehe, we¡¯ll excuse ourselves then,¡± Grandmother Qi said weakly. She then pressed on her head and seemed like she was having a headache too.

    She turned around and limped her way into Dynasty with Xia Wenna holding her up.

    When they were reaching the hall, Grandfather Qi could not tolerate any more and said, ¡°Stop acting, they can¡¯t see you here.¡±

    Grandmother Qi cleared her throat and straightened her back. Her body was perfectly fine and healthy.

    Xia Wenna knew that Grandmother Qi was just acting but she was also amazed by how genuine it looked.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you be a role model and teach Youxuan something good? He¡¯s following your footsteps now,¡± Grandfather Qi mumbled.

    Grandmother Qi pouted. ¡°I won¡¯t fight with you on such an auspicious day.¡±

    Qi Youxuan raised his head to look at Grandmother Qi and turned towards Grandfather Qi. He asked Guan Liya, ¡°Grandmother, what did I do wrong?¡±

    Guan Liya nced at Qi Chengzhi before looking at her grandson. She shook her head and sighed before saying, ¡°You take your eldest uncle as your role model, do you think it¡¯s good?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi and Xia Wenna were speechless.

    Guan Liya let out a sigh. Her good grandson had been ruined by his eldest uncle.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s doe eyes rolled and caught a glimpse of the Wei family who had just entered. Little Muran was wearing a whitece dress, looking exactly like a bride.

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran were the designated page boy and flower girl. Qi Youxuan was truly thankful to his aunt from the bottom of his heart for creating such an opportunity. At the same time, he felt that his aunt as exquisite taste, knowing that Wei Muran and himself looked verypatible with each other just by one look.

    Qi Youxuan released his hand from Guan Liya and ran towards Little Muran. The Wei family headed over to greet the Qi family. Then, Wei Ran handed Little Muche to Wei Ziqi before taking Qi Youxuan and Little Muran to the bride¡¯s waiting room so that they would lead the ceremony when the wedding starts.

    Qi Chengzhi led Song Yu and the others into the hall, where they met Li Zhuoan at the entrance who came out to smoke.

    Li Zhuoan was stunned. He put out the cigarette when he saw Song Yu¡¯s belly. He then raised his head to greet the elders of the Qi family.

    Qi Chengzhi gave him a slight nod before bringing Song Yu into the hall.

    ¡°Never thought that Song Yu could marry into the Qi family and even got pregnant. Who said that Qi Chengzhi was just toying with her?¡± Wu Lijun said coldly while she stared at them.

    ¡°Who knew she can still be so ostentatious when she¡¯s pregnant with her ex-brother-inw?¡± Li Qianyi said softly. Even though she said it out loud, she was also afraid that someone might hear what she just said.

    ¡°It seems like the Qi family really adores Song Yu. She has such a good life, being able to get a hold of the best person in the Qi family not long after her family went into bankruptcy.¡± Wu Lijun mmed the teacup onto the table with a chilly expression.

    Li QIanyi nced at Li Zhuoan right behind the Qi family who just came in. His gaze was fixated on Song Yu all the way. She could not fathom what was so attractive about Song Yu¡¯s plump figure that his eyes were almost popping out of its sockets.

    In Li Zhuoan¡¯s eyes, his feelings for Song Yu was not so deep or affectionate. Just that Song Yu was his crush back then in Jixia High School. She could be considered as his first love, that was the reason why he could not let her go so easily.

    Li Qianyi stopped staring and nced at Wu Lijun. Her expression worsen and said, ¡°Right, I heard that you¡¯re going to be engaged to Li Zhuoan soon?¡±

    Wu Lijun snickered and held the teacup up to hide her expression. She said, ¡°I haven¡¯t decided yet.¡±

    Li Qianyi then scoffed. ¡°I see that Li Zhuoan still doesn¡¯t have the idea of settling down. Is he still longing for Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°What can he hope for from a married woman? You said that as if she still has value. Everything she owns now is because of Qi Chengzhi, isn¡¯t it?¡± Wu Lijun said unconvincingly, and her voice could reflect her unhappiness.

    Li Qianyi said inly, ¡°Not really. The crucial factor is that Qi Chengzhi loves her very much and the Qi family also epts her. Who would care about the past if they have inws like that? Everything your husband owns will also be yours naturally. I heard that Qi Chengzhi transferred all his assets under Song Yu¡¯s name. If we¡¯re judging based on that, Qi Chengzhi is broke now. Look at the way Qi Chengzhi stares at Song Yu¡ªhe can¡¯t even move away from her. Even though Song Yu¡¯s pregnant and her body went out of shape, he still thinks she¡¯s the most beautiful person. I¡¯d have no regrets if I can find a man who loves me like that.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡± Wu Lijun could not help but humph coldly and stopped talking.

    ...

    ...

    All the guests arrived not long after and it was time for the wedding. The music started when the doors of the hall opened. Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran walked in.

    Qi Youxuan wore a ck suit and a red-brown striped bowtie, looking exceptionally handsome. His big round belly was nowhere to be seen.

    Wei Muran was wearing a whitece dress, her curls distributed evenly on her shoulders with white and yellow flowers on her head.

    Both children carried a flower basket and took out pink rose petals and scattered them onto the red carpet with their chubby white hands.

    Wei Ziqi squinted and looked at them both. Suddenly, he had a vision as if this was going to be the wedding of these two kids. He could not help but think of them walking down the red carpet in the future. He was not very happy about it.

    The red carpet was scattered with pink petals, looking very romantic. Qi Chengyue walked into the hall with Qi Zhongxun beside her. They walked step-by-step ording to the rhythm of the music towards Cheng Dongge.

    Guan Liya sobbed uncontrobly when Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge exchanged vows. She sincerely hoped that Qi Chengyue would be happy this time.

 Chapter 314 - Iâ€™ve Been Seducing You All Along, Canâ€™t You Feel It?

    <h4>Chapter 314: I¡¯ve Been Seducing You All Along, Can¡¯t You Feel It?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s reddened cheeks and curled his lips into a smile. In a swift move, he leaned closer to her and allowed his breaths to heat her cheeks.

    ¡°I was asking you something. What were you thinking about just now?¡± Qi Chenglin asked softly. Voice no longer stern, it was instead a muddled mess of sexiness.

    Just by listening to his voice alone, Ruan Danchen¡¯s body felt hot and her mouth became dry.

    Ruan Danchen felt that something was amiss so she looked up. In that split second, she was startled to feel his lips rubbing against her forehead and the bridge of her nose.

    She was not hallucinating any of it when she saw him lower his head slightly. He was inching closer to her lips, and the slightest movement from her would cause both their lips toe in contact.

    Ruan Danchen instinctively took a step back. She did not notice that one of his legs was hooking her from behind, and as a result, she stumbled backward.

    Qi Chenglin, however, stretched out his long arms and caught her. His masculine arm gripped her waist and pressed her firmly onto himself.

    Ruan Danchen was forced to tiptoe, and her lower abdomen was feeling hot because it was pressed against him. She tensed up subconsciously.

    He then turned her around and leaned her against the counter, trapping her in his embrace.

    Feeling incredibly flustered, she gulped and asked, ¡°Young Master Lin, did you misunderstand anything? I said it very clearly that I wasn¡¯t using Qi Youxuan to get close to you.¡±

    ¡°Did I say that today?¡± Qi Chenglin curled his lips tauntingly and asked softly.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t, but...¡±

    ¡°Or it is because you don¡¯t like me at all?¡± he asked, still smiling.

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips tightly, then exined, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m not a casual woman. You misunderstood my intentions when I invited you into my house so easily. I just wanted to cook a meal for Youxuan. I¡¯m not the kind of girl who ys around, and I don¡¯t want to y around, let alone seduce you or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of man either. I don¡¯t just simply y around with women,¡± Qi Chenglin eximed poetically. Those dark eyes of his were undeniably stern, making Ruan Danchen feel increasingly numb. ¡°You didn¡¯t seduce me, or rather, you didn¡¯t intend to seduce me, but I can¡¯t control myself when you look at me with those helpless eyes. It¡¯s already seductive enough when you keep blushing in front of me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± Ruan Danchen was well aware that her face was probably blushing at the time.

    ¡°I know, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. But I did. I¡¯m seducing you on purpose right now. I¡¯ve been seducing you from the kindergarten entrance up until now. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen inhaled sharply and recalled all the things he did throughout the day.

    She had earlier doubted whether he was trying to flirt with her. Whenever that thought crossed her mind, her doubts would soon be dispelled when she saw hisposed expression.

    She scarcely expected that he was actually acting indecently to her!

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched due to her anxiousness and she said, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m just a normal girl. Please don¡¯t joke around. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m from a good family and a good background. I just find Youxuan adorable and I wanted to treat him well. I don¡¯t have any other intention when ites to you.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, looking cynically at Ruan Danchen.

    She stared back at him in confusion and blinked a couple of times.

    Still pressed tightly onto him, his lips would lightly touch the corner of her lips whenever he spoke. At times they came in contact, but at times they did not. She could not guard herself against him, all while her breathing became heavier and her mind became dizzier.

    ¡°Why would you treat him so good? Why would you like him that much?¡± Qi Chenglin asked softly, his rich voice reverberating through her skin.

    Ruan Danchen trembled vigorously. The areas caressed by his voice and his breaths were numbingly hot.

    She looked down, afraid to gaze directly into his eyes, and hurriedly replied, ¡°No particr reason. I just like him.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed at her, his long thickshes in close proximity to her.

    The corner of his lips twitched slightly as if to mock her, then he took a half-step back and released her.

    Ruan Danchen exhaled as though she was going to copse. Qi Chenglin sat at one of the chairs behind him and took out his phone to scroll on it.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt no less pressure with him sitting there. ¡°Young Master Lin, you should sit outside. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be smelling all that soot.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked up ever so slightly and gave her a cold nce. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch here to prevent any idents from happening to you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless. ¡°What kind of ident would happen?¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my fast reflexes just now, you would¡¯ve cut your finger,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly. His voice was rich but his tone was annoyingly calm.

    Ruan Danchen failed to conjure a reply.

    ¡®I feel more pressured with you here, don¡¯t I?¡¯

    Qi Chenglin looked at the dazed Ruan Danchen and cocked a brow. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna cook? Youxuan is hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt unbearably choked, but since she could not do anything about him, she could only begin cooking.

    Her extra-cramped kitchen only enhanced Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence.

    As she began cooking, she could sense that Qi Chenglin was looking on curiously at what she did. However, she did not dare to actually turn back and look at him so obviously.

    Whenever she moved about in the small kitchen to take some seasonings or ingredients, she would unwittingly bump into Qi Chenglin¡¯s thighs. Ruan Danchen felt that she would soon lose her sanity if he continued to remain in the kitchen.

    At some point, Qi Chenglin stopped looking at his phone. It was still in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on Ruan Danchen¡¯s slender and beautiful legs.

    His pupils dted with every bump she made. His fire was raging because of her asional contact, yet Ruan Danchen was being oblivious and did not do it on purpose.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s face became gloomy. His sole desire was to haul her over, spread her legs, and insert himself into her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s back was facing him and her buttocks were swaying gently. Qi Chenglin¡¯s rod began stiffening. Pulling a long face, he got up from his seat and left the kitchen without saying a single word.

    She found it rather odd that his temperament was so fleeting.

    It was at that point though that she finally calmed herself down, but she still could not erase the memory of Qi Chenglin trapping her in his embrace. The scene floated in her mind constantly, causing her to feel shy and ashamed.

    ...

    ...

    Preparing the ingredients to be cooked was moreborious than the actual cooking. Ruan Danchen finished cooking soon after Qi Chenglin left.

    tes after tes of food were served on the dining table. Qi Chenglin was not in the living room and no one knew where he went.

    ¡°Youxuan, time to wash your hands and eat dinner,¡± Ruan Danchen said to the little boy who was watching cartoons on the sofa.

    The kid was very well-behaved. After returning from the supermarket, he really did refrain from eating junk food and saved his tummy to eat the food she cooked.

    Calling him like that, Ruan Danchen felt a warmth in her heart, as though she was at home calling her own child for dinner.

    The little one then got up obediently from the sofa and jogged to the toilet. He knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Dad, are you done yet?¡±

    After some time, Qi Chenglin came out. He stared groggily at Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan stood at the door and leaned in to smell. ¡°You didn¡¯t poop, Dad. What were you doing inside for so long?¡±

    ¡°Go and wash your hands now,¡± Qi Chenglin nced at him unhappily and came out, ignoring him.

    Qi Youxuan went in and muttered, ¡°Dad¡¯s getting weirder and weirder.¡±

    The little boy washed his hands speedily. Having learned from his past experiences, he knew that his dad would finish up all the goodies with the slightest dy.

    He ran back in a hurry and got up on the chair with Ruan Danchen¡¯s help.

    Ruan Danchen knew that the boy loved eating chicken drumsticks. When they were at the supermarket earlier, she specifically bought a free-range chicken and chopped off both the drumsticks. She braised one and deep-fried the other for Qi Youxuan. As for the chicken breast, she cut them into cubes and made a chili-chicken stir-fry.

    Most importantly, the free-range chicken she bought gave her more peace-of-mind than those frozen drumsticks and chicken breasts. Meat-based food was unhealthy if eaten too much.

    The remaining parts of the chicken were used to boil soup. She cooked some vegetables, a te of pineapple sweet-and-sour pork, and some fragrant pan-fried baby back ribs.

    Fortunately, the boy was not picky and had an appetite for just about anything. Sweet and sour stuff, in particr, whetted his appetite tremendously.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, your cooking is really delicious.¡± Qi Youxuan ate like a hungry wolf, gobbling the deep-fried drumstick and stuffing his cheeks to the brim. ¡°If only I can eat your cooking every day.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the boy¡¯s oily lips and hands. He was enjoying his food thoroughly, and he most certainly looked satisfied.

    ¡°If you like it, then you cane anytime. I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± Ruan Danchen said immediately. She wanted nothing more than to see him every single day.

    ¡°Dad, did you hear that? We¡¯re going to visit great-grandpa and great-grandma tomorrow and have dinner there, so how about wee here again the day after?¡± Qi Youxuan pleaded.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin¡ªshe wanted Qi Youxuan toe and visit but was not too enthusiastic about Qi Chenglin doing the same.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to have read her mind, so he did not reply to Qi Youxuan and merely twitched his lip tauntingly at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    ...

    ...

    After dinner, Ruan Danchen washed all the tes and came back to see Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan sitting on the living room floor.

    Qi Chenglin had undone his necktie and so were a few of his shirt buttons. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing his muscr arms. He was joining Lego blocks with Qi Youxuan. Qi Chenglin must have gone down and taken them back up when Ruan Danchen was busy in the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen ced the sliced fruits on the coffee table. Both boys then stopped ying and sat back down on the sofa to eat some fruits.

    Feeling cramped, Ruan Danchen went to get a chair and sat opposite to them.

    ¡°Ugh, Aunt Ruan. There¡¯re too many toys on the floor. Don¡¯t squish them. Come and sit here. There¡¯s a lot of space beside me.¡± The boy patted the empty area beside him.

    Ruan Danchen decided that it was not a problem to sit there since Qi Youxuan was separating her from Qi Chenglin. The episode inside the kitchen made her unable to look Qi Chenglin in the eye.

    She took her seat beside Qi Youxuan. Since dinner was too delicious for him and he gorged himself thoroughly, he could not stuff himself with fruit anymore and felt sleepy instead.

    He rubbed his eyes using his tubby and fair-skinned hands, then leaned his head on Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. She wrapped her hands around him immediately.

    ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    The little kid yawned and struggled to keep his head up. ¡°Aunt Ruan, can you hug me to sleep?¡±

    Ruan Danchen carried him at once. She was heartbroken to imagine that he did not have a mother¡¯s touch since he was young. Her soft hands patted his back gently to coax him into sleeping.

    Qi Youxuan fell asleep immediately in Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms, and there was no more distance between her and Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen looked at the clock awkwardly. Qi Chenglin proceeded to stand up and say calmly, ¡°Since Youxuan¡¯s tired, I should bring him back home.¡±

    The man was just tooposed as if the entire ordeal in the kitchen had never happened before. It was as if he was not the same man who admitted to seducing her.

    Ruan Danchen stood up but was reluctant to let go of Qi Youxuan because she did not have enough of hugging him. She looked down at his little head resting against her shoulder. He was sleeping so soundly, and his slumbering face made her heart melt.

    Qi Chenglin stretched out his hands to carry him but wondered if the boy was really sleeping or just faking it. After all, both of the little kid¡¯s arms were wrapped tightly around Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck. Qi Chenglin failed to pry the boy away so he could not carry him.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, maybe it¡¯s best that Youxuan sleeps here tonight,¡¯ Ruan Danchen suggested. She looked at the child lovingly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat him well for sure.¡±

    She looked apprehensively at Qi Chenglin because she felt that he would probably not agree to it.

    No one would be so willing to leave their child in someone else¡¯s home, especially not when the child was the Qi family little master.

    To her amazement, Qi Chenglin nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick him up tomorrow morning. Apologies for troubling you tonight.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was astonished. She felt overwhelmed by it and was so happy that she nearly shed tears of joy.

    Once Qi Chenglin finished speaking, Ruan Danchen could feel the boy¡¯s grip loosen¡ªas it turned out, he was just pretending to be asleep.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and brought Qi Youxuan to her bed. His feigned sleepy face was something she could not look away from. She ran her gentle fingers over his hair and cheek, but after realizing that Qi Chenglin was still there, she stood up and went out reluctantly.

    She was startled to bump into Qi Chenglin when she turned around.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare make a single peep. She retreated instantly and nearly fell down, but Qi Chenglin managed to catch her waist in time. The ces that he touched felt incredibly hot.

    Before she could even protest, he came closer to her. Ruan Danchen attempted to take a step back, but the smallness of her room meant that she was soon cornered to the wall. Once again, she was trapped in his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen looked anxiously at Qi Youxuan. The boy was sleeping with his back toward them. She uttered softly, ¡°Young Master Lin, please be mindful that Youxuan¡¯s here.¡±

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and snickered softly. He then took a few steps back and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sending me off?¡±

    ¡°...: Ruan Danchen stood in front of him and just stared nkly. His bodynguage suggested that he was not going to leave if she did not see him out. He was clearly behaving as though he had no shame, yet he maintained his solemnity to make him appear as though he was a two-faced man.

    Ruan Danchen walked past him silently and headed to the door.

    He smiled and followed suit.

    Once they reached the door to her home, Ruan Danchen opened it to let Qi Chenglin out. He took one step forward and immediately dragged Ruan Danchen out with him. All she heard was the bang of the closing door, following which Qi Chenglin pressed her onto the door.

    ¡°Young Master Lin?¡± Ruan Danchen eximed in surprise.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s face was magnified in front of her eyes. He was very close to her and his lips were soon going to stick on him.

    Just when Ruan Danchen scrambled to react, his rich voice resonated from beside her lips. ¡°Have you done ab test?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Her flush began draining from her face. She felt guilty when she recalled her actions of doing the maternity test.

    Then again, she told herself that her fears were unfounded, that Qi Chenglin could not possibly be referring to that.

    ¡°The maternity test. You¡¯ve done it, yes? Has the resulte out yet?¡± Qi Chenglin said it so casually in his rich and sexy voice. However, they were like the sound of rumbling thunder to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears.

    Blood drained from her face and her lips trembled. For quite some time, she could not spit out any words. She simply felt her blood run cold, her body leaning weakly against the door.

    ¡°You... What did you say... You... I...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth twisted into knots¡ªshe was neither able to formplete sentences nor find an appropriate answer.

    ¡®How did Qi Chenglin know?¡¯

    He took a half step back and maintained his tranquil expression. ¡°Go on inside.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Ruan Danchen did not give a damn anymore and grabbed his shirt sleeve. ¡°Why did you ask that question?¡±

    ¡°As a responsible father, I have to be more cautious when a woman treats my son well for apparently no reason,¡± Qi Chenglin said solemnly.

    Ruan Danchen knew that she could not hide it any longer. Feigning ignorance was no longer an option.

    She was not angry in the slightest and had no right to be angry in the first ce. On the contrary, she was happy that Qi Chenglin took such precautions.

    ¡°Then tell me, Youxuan...is he...is he my son?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with reddened eyes. She saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s unemotive face and hurriedly offered an exnation to prevent a misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m not using her or anything. I just want to know if he is...I know he is, but I want to be certain. I won¡¯t say it out loud and I won¡¯t use this to get into the Qi family. I just want to be assured that my child...is happy and healthy. I just wanted to make sure...I won¡¯t say anything to him either. He¡¯s too young and I don¡¯t want to give him so much pressure. As long as he can live without any worries, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already do the test? Wait for the results then. It¡¯s more conclusive than anything else,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked gravely.

    Ruan Danchen released her grip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    She did not elucidate what was it she was sorry for, but Qi Chenglin lifted his hand and wiped away his tears, saying, ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I know about this, and that there¡¯s no need to hide it from me. There¡¯s no other meaning.¡±

    It surprised her that Qi Chenglin did not denounce her or be confrontational with her.

    Confused, she asked, ¡°Then in the future...can I still meet him? I won¡¯t say anything about it. I just want to meet him.¡±

    ¡°Even if the report says that he¡¯s not your son?¡± asked Qi Chenglin as he cocked a brow.

    Ruan Danchen went into a stupor. In truth, she had never really doubted it when she found out about everything. The report was merely to augment her confirmation of it.

    Still, she nodded. ¡°Even if he¡¯s not my son.¡±

    Even if Youxuan really was not Ruan Danchen¡¯s son, she still found him to be an adorable boy. If her son was really dead, but¡ªfor argument¡¯s sake¡ªsurvived, he would be of the same age as Youxuan. Ruan Danchen would happily treat Youxuan as her own son.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Bonus scene:

    ¡°Dad, why were you in the toilet so long just now?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Maybe he has urinary incontinence,¡± replied Yan Beicheng.

    Qi Youxuan asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang simply replied, ¡°A prostate problem.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was at a loss of words.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan,¡± Qi Youxuan called out, ¡°Uncle Chu says Dad has a prostate problem.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    Qi Chenglin whispered to Ruan Danchen, ¡°I actually went in to rub one off.¡±

    ¡°Shameless!¡± Ruan Danchen cried out.

    Old Man: ¡°Bonus scenes were made primarily due to cartoons and animes. Most of them specially put a bonus scene at the end, and everyone eagerly anticipates it after the main scenes end. I wanted to try too, but I forgot that cartoons air once every week. I¡¯m doing it once every day! Puts a strain on the mind!¡±

 Chapter 288 - This Parcel Is Addressed To You

    Chapter 288: This Parcel Is Addressed To You

    When Song Yu regained her senses, she saw Qi Chengzhi closed in. His slender fingers pressed on the seatbelt and unsped it with a ¡®click¡¯. When she raised her head again, her eyes met with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s glowing face.

    Song Yu blushed every single time she gazed upon Qi Chengzhi closely, even if she was just staring at his face.

    Song Yu could not help but constantly wondered why this man was born with a handsome face that attracted numerous women. He was so outstanding and remarkable but he was loyal only to her. A man as good as he was almost considered an extinct species in the world. Song Yu did not know how blessed she was to be able to marry him in this life.

    Perhaps Song Yu was blessed in this life that she could probably end up with bad luck in her next life.

    ¡°Thinking of you,¡± Song Yu answered without thinking. She felt sweet to be pampered by Qi Chengzhi so she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

    Her kiss made Qi Chengzhi froze and he stared directly into her eyes. Qi Chengzhi got aroused when her skin was flushed pink and he pulled her into his embrace.

    Song Yu was now pregnant with a gravid abdomen, so Qi Chengzhi could not lift her up and sit her on his thigh as usual. At this instant, Qi Chengzhi wished that Qi Youjin would be born quickly so that he would not be an encumbrance between Song Yu and him.

    ¡°Chengzhi...¡± Song Yu spoke softly, her voice quivered and his gaze made her dwindled.

    ¡°Should we head back home now?¡± Qi Chengzhi stared at Song Yu, feeling blessed and happy.

    Song Yu was just a teenage girl when Qi Chengzhi had a crush on her and in a blink of an eye, she conceived his child.

    To be honest, Qi Chengzhi was already in an advancing age but Song Yu was just twenty-six years old and currently in her best condition. However, she got married to him at an early age and even conceived his child. Come to think of it, it was unfair for her.

    Thus, Qi Chengzhi appreciated and cosseted her.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, stop being naughty! Aren¡¯t you busy today? You still have a meeting to attend so we can go down now,¡± Song Yu rebuked.

    Then Qi Chengzhi brutally kissed Song Yu as if wanting to satisfy his cravings before letting her go.

    The moment when Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand and entered Qilin, it inevitably attracted a lot of attractions. Song Yu felt that some among the crowd was having the same thoughts that she had earlier.

    Song Yu blushed awkwardly, but she would not me the others for thinking this way because Qi Chengzhi brought her to thepany too frequently. Moreover, Song Yu had a history here when Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to thepanyst time¡ªshe met with Yu Keyao and Mu Sisi who were talking to Qi Chengzhi. She nearly argued with Mu Sisi on the first floor.

    Song Yu took a peek at the side of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face but he appeared calm and ignored those looks from the crowd.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu entered the elevator and pinched Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned forward and pulled her into his embosom when he felt the pain from his hand. ¡°What happened?¡± His lips almost touching hers.

    ¡°Just now the looks from the staff members made me feel like I am a tigress who didn¡¯t feel secure and must follow you to work,¡± Song Yu said softly.

    Song Yu¡¯s lips were rubbing against Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lips as she spoke because he never moved his face away from her.

    ¡°Do you want me to send a group mail stating that I¡¯m the one forcing you toe with me?¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled.

    Song Yu poked Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°I hate you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cornered her just when she finished her sentence. She got nowhere to escape and had to watch as Qi Chengzhi pressed in on her.

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi, there¡¯s a surveince camera in the elevator,¡± Song Yu whispered and blushed.

    Even though this was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s private elevator, the surveince camera was always running to ensure safety.

    ¡°You¡¯d call me by my full name when you¡¯re nervous even though I¡¯m much older than you, but I seldom heard you addressing me as your husband,¡± teased Qi Chengzhi with a raspy voice as he rubbed her lips.

    Song Yu blushed and smiled coquettishly, ¡°But you said you couldn¡¯t contain your impulse whenever I addressed you as my husband.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was stunned as he did not expect that Song Yu would say such words. He was usually calm and steady without showing many expressions, but now he was unable to contain hisughter and his shoulder quivered as heughed.

    ¡°Next time I¡¯ll ask them to turn off the surveince camera in this elevator. Shall we try it here afterward?¡± Qi Chengzhi spoke with a mellow voice but there was a tinge of anticipation in his voice.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    Song Yu did not expect this man to be so shameless. She could not help but wondered why she would fear him when he was the headmaster of Jixia High School.

    Qi Chengzhi seemed to know what Song Yu was thinking and said, ¡°You should wear Jixia High School¡¯s uniform and show it to me after you give birth. I loved it when you walked into my office with that outfit. It made me feel like pressing you on the table.¡±

    Song Yu¡¯s blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face was on fire. Her heart rate increased as she stared into his handsome face which almost touched hers. She did not expect at all that this ridiculous and shameless thought ran through his mindst time when she went into his office.

    Song Yu would always avoid Qi Chengzhi when she was still studying in Jixia High School except for that one time when she was seventeen and engaged to Qi Chengji, even though Qi Chengji already announced that he had a crush on Wei Ran. However, Song Yu did not care much as she was merely friends with him and there was not the slightest tinge of affection involved.

    However, it was unsure who instigated two brawny female students to bbor on Wei Ran to me Song Yu. Song Yu was frightened that Wei Ziqi would misunderstand and take revenge on the Song family, so she had no other alternative but to ask Qi Chengzhi for help.

    Song Yu remembered at that time when she entered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office, he was sitting straight with temperaments of a calm and restrained gentleman whose gaze was bright and steady. When she stared at him, she would feel an aura as if he would radiate domination and power even without showing anger. She could not breathe as she used to when she stood before him, but who would have thought such a mature man would be thinking about such shameless thoughts when he saw her.

    Now looking at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s anticipation and excitement, Song Yu also started to look forward to it.

    The most regrettable moment for Song Yu was to fall in love with Qi Chengzhi a little toote. She could not help but hope for a few more years of living with him. Since she could not return to the past, she could pretend to have time-traveled to the past by cosying and experience how she could have felt if she was in a rtionship with Qi Chengzhi from the start.

    Qi Chengzhi felt excited when he noticed that Song Yu did not reject his request. Now he hoped that Qi Youjin woulde out of her womb already.

    ¡°Does it mean that you agree if you remain silent?¡± Qi Chengzhi was excited with anticipation and hugged her.

    Song Yu blushed and said softly, ¡°I didn¡¯t agree because I wanted to shamelessly cosy with you. I was just thinking since we couldn¡¯t go back to the past, it¡¯d be great if we have a chance to relive the moment and experience the feeling as if we were together from the start.¡±

    Initially, Qi Chengzhi wanted to cosy for fun, but after listening to what Song Yu said, he became more exhrated and could not wait for it to happen.

    Even though Song Yu was twenty-five years old now, she did not look like it. If she was not pregnant, one would believe when told that she was just a schoolgirl when she wore Jixia High School¡¯s uniform as her appearance was almost the same as when she was just seventeen or eighteen in that uniform.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed Song Yu with fervor and replied with a croaky voice, ¡°So it¡¯s decided.¡±

    The elevator reached the destination at the same time and the door slid open, then Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to his office. He also instructed his secretary to deliver a cup of hot milk and some desserts to the office for Song Yu.

    Now Qi Chengzhi¡¯s office was well equipped with pillows and nkets so Song Yu could rest when needed. He also instructed that she was to be left alone and undisturbed before leaving for a meeting.

    Song Yu could not sleep at the moment so she used Qi Chengzhi¡¯sptop and surfed the inte. She noticed an article on the marriage between Gao Jingqiu and Mu Sisi which happened two days ago.

    Song Yu was surprised that the two of them just met with each other not long ago and had decided on a blitz marriage. She did not expect that Mu Sisi wouldpromise so easily and get married to Gao Jingqiu.

    Song Yu guessed that Mu Sisi did not continue her wilful behavior in fear that the public would catch wind of her drugged-and-raped incident.

    The inte would report the news regarding Gao Jingqiu¡¯s marriage with Mu Sisi because the Gao family was quite famous in B City and Mu Sisi was the precious daughter of MU. Recently the MU brand was popr in the country and it made Mu Sisi well-known locally. She was also a designer herself and would normally send some street snapshots to the media for publication to the entertainment news.

    Moreover, their wedding party was grand and sumptuous and they even invited Shen Man as the emcee of the wedding ceremony. The pageantry was grandeur with a lot of celebrities attended the party and congratted them, so inevitably these were all reported.

    Song Yu rxed and started to have a good mood when she knew Mu Sisi got married. Not only the Mu family but the husband¡¯s family would also control and look after her now. No matter how wilful Mu Sisi was, she would not be able to continue to do as she pleased like she was at home and she should not be able toe and disturb them anymore.

    Song Yu did not use theptop for too long due to the radiation emitted from it, so she took a nap on the sofa. However, she was not in a deep sleep thus she woke up just an hourter. She could not bear with the overwhelming boredom so she informed the secretary and went shopping at the stores near Qilin.

    Qi Chengzhi saw Song Yu¡¯s message on his cellphone after his meeting ended and coincidentally his secretary came to notify him regarding this too. He nodded and called Song Yu while walking out of the meeting room. ¡°Where are you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m eating cake at a dessert cafe just beside thepany. Are you done with the meeting?¡± Song Yu sipped her juice drink after eating a piece of cake and asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m done with the meeting. I¡¯ll go down and find you,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered.

    ¡°No need, I finished eating the cake and want to go back now. Don¡¯t need toe down, I¡¯m on my way back,¡± Song Yu insisted after asking for the bill.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Qi Chengzhi hung up the phone but he went into the elevator still.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu paid the bill and saw Shen Man passing by when she was about to leave the cafe, but Shen Man did not notice her at all.

    Song Yu did not bother about her or even attempt to greet her. Shen Man walked with a hurried pace and soon disappeared in a blink of an eye.

    Song Yu continued her stroll to Qilin and saw Shen Man talking to Qi Chengzhi but he appeared irritated and displeased.

    Song Yu remembered back in Li City, Shen Man clearly showed her affection towards Qi Chengzhi. She did not even try to hide it even though he was already a married man.

    Song Yu narrowed her eyes slightly and walked closer to them, then with a soft but firm voice, she said, ¡°Husband.¡±

    This voice of Song Yu addressing Qi Chengzhi as her husband was so charming and enchanting that it nearly aroused Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi and Shen Man looked at Song Yu and this made her feel embarrassed. She merely wanted Shen Man to back off so she tried to address Qi Chengzhi intimately but she did not expect that her voice would be so flirtatious.

    Song Yu walked towards them with her cheeks kissed pink like a spring rose as she felt so embarrassed. What was worse was that there were many staff members around and now her title as the jealous wife became true.

    Qi Chengzhi felt Song Yu was very cute so he hung back, allowing her time to walk over andpose herself while fighting back the smile that wanted to break out.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi,¡± Shen Man greeted politely.

    ¡°Miss Shen,¡± Song Yu returned the smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Shen Man smiled and walked towards the elevator.

    Song Yu looked at Qi Chengzhi in a strange way as she thought Shen Man came to find Qi Chengzhi on purpose.

    ¡°She came here to discuss job issues with Chenglin.¡± Qi Chengzhi knew what Song Yu had in mind and said with a slight mocking gaze.

    Song Yu felt awkward and Qi Chengzhi took her hand to leave for the office. He said with a mellow voice, ¡°Shen Man knew her ce after what I said to Donggest time in Li City. I purposely said it in front of her and since then, she never bothered me anymore.¡±

    Song Yu knew that she did not need to worry about these kinds of stuffs so she would not overthink whenever she was not present around him. Still, she would dly show her identity as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife if she did encounter these issues.

    ¡°What did you sayst time?¡± Song Yu grinned at Qi Chengzhi and raised her eyebrow in curiosity.

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed her hand and remained silent as they entered the elevator.

    ¡°Come on, tell me what did you say to herst time,¡± Song Yu questioned again.

    ¡°What else can I say other than I don¡¯t find this kind of people who had her mind in the gutter next time. Anyway I mentioned it rather harshly and I guessed she didn¡¯t want to lose the job either, so she didn¡¯t dare to bother me anymore after that,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered calmly and the angle of his mouth raised a little.

    Song Yu smiled and gestured him to lower his head.

    Qi Chengzhi leaned forward and let her kissed him on his cheek.

    ¡°Is this my reward?¡± Qi Chengzhi said with a glimmer of happiness in his eyes.

    ¡°Yes. Thank you, husband, for always making me feel secure.¡± Song Yu wrapped her arms around Qi Chengzhi¡¯s neck.

    Qi Chengzhi gave Song Yu a gentle stare and said, ¡°Am I still a man if I always make my wife sad and disappointed for these kinds of issues? I married you so that you won¡¯t have to worry about these. It¡¯s a man¡¯s fault and not due to a wife¡¯s overwhelming jealousy when a wife has to worry about her husband who can¡¯t resist temptations.¡±

    This man made Song Yu felt touched and she nearly cried.

    The two of them went back to the office. Qi Chengzhi continued his work and Song Yu just sat on the sofa reading books about parenting guidance without disturbing him.

    Qi Chengzhi kept looking at Song Yu while he worked. ¡°You don¡¯t want to rest for a while?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sleepy now. I slept for a while when you were in a meeting just now,¡± Song Yu replied.

    Qi Chengzhi stood up and moved around for a bit after settling a job issue. He also instructed his secretary to deliver a cup of coffee to the office.

    Song Yu noticed that Qi Chengzhi was taking a short rest and said, ¡°Just now when you were in a meeting, I surfed the inte and saw that the news regarding the marriage between Gao Jingqiu and Mu Sisi happened just two days ago.¡±

    Song Yu felt that this was just a dream as the news came as a shock to her.

    ¡°I know. The Mu family sent me an invitation but I didn¡¯t attend. I figured you didn¡¯t want to go as well so I didn¡¯t inform you about this.¡± Qi Chengzhi sat beside Song Yu and sipped his hot coffee.

    Song Yu did not continue on this matter and started massaging Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shoulders.

    It would induce annoyance when mentioning anything rted to Mu Sisi.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi moved out of her house after she got married to Gao Jingqiu. Mu Sisi went back to her work in MU after the two of them went on a week of honeymoon vacation.

    Mu Sisi did not have any affection towards Gao Jingqiu and she would not have any enthusiasm whenever they copted. She would only feel disgusted whenever Gao Jingqiu inserted his phallus into her. Mu Sisi would always shut her eyes whenever he crazily humped her, and would only feel better when she imagined that she was having coitus with Qi Chengzhi.

    Mu Sisi would feel gross and nauseated after the coption every single time. It pained her when she realized that her life would stay this way forever and she would not be able to win over Qi Chengzhi in her whole life. She gave her virginity to aplete stranger and waspelled to copte with a man whom she had no affection for.

    Mu Sisi would vomit multiple times whenever Gao Jingqiu was not around.

    Mu Sisi forcibly held her tears from streaming down her cheeks and took out a blueprint. She wanted to n for a new design but she could not think of an idea when she was in anguish.

    The door was knocked three times before Mu Sisi¡¯s secretary walked in with a parcel in the hand.

    Mu Sisi quickly thought of the summons from the court when she saw the parcel so now she felt annoyed looking at it.

    ¡°Miss Mu, this parcel is addressed to you.¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s secretary put the parcel on the table and left.

    Mu Sisi felt curious and picked up the parcel. The parcel was thick and she had no idea what was inside so she tore the parcel apart, revealing a kraft paper envelope sitting inside it.

    She opened the envelope and took out the items that were in it and all the blood drained from her face in a blink of an eye.

    There was a stack of photos between her fingers which were now jumping rhythmically as if in a spasm, and her lips quivered. She shook her head in disbelief and was sent reeling backward with her brain desperately scrambling to make sense of it all. She nearly screamed at the sight of the photos.

    Those were all nude photographs of herself, some entirely nude and some were close-ups. There were even a couple close up photos of the pervert¡¯s phallus inside her!

    In the photos, Mu Sisi appeared lewd as if she had lost herself in pleasure.

    Even though Mu Sisi recovered memories of the event that night, she still had no clue regarding the man¡¯s appearance. Still, she knew what she did that night and staring at the photos now sent a chill down her spine. She appeared a hundred times lewder in photos than in her memory!

    Mu Sisi flipped the photos one by one, each one made her lost her courage to peek at the next. Her eyes became teary as she went through the photos and her vision became cloudy like a water curtain covering up her eyes.

    Mu Sisi was on the verge of losing her mind as there were various lewd postures of hers in the photos. She could not believe that pervert snapped all these photos when she was delirious.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Mu Sisi threw the photos onto the table and shut her eyes. Shecked the courage to continue flipping through the embarrassing photographs but the images of her lewd behavior were embedded firmly in her mind.

    This was Mu Sisi and her family¡¯s worst fear and now it got delivered to her doorstep unexpectedly.

    Mu Sisi opened her eyes and collected the photos with trembling fingers. She turned the stack of photos upside down so that no one noticed it. She gave this a little thought but still had no idea what the pervert wanted so she decided to have a discussion with Mu Huaisheng.

    Although Mu Huaisheng was always going against her at almost everything, she would still depend on him at crucial moments.

    Mu Sisi felt disgusted holding the photos in her hands as if the photos were burning her alive.

    Mu Sisi could not hold her tears anymore. While she was cing the photos down, she noticed a paper inside the envelope which she identally left out just now.

 Chapter 289 - Not Sure If He Can Be Delivered On Christmas

    Chapter 289: Not Sure If He Can Be Delivered On Christmas

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mu Sisi could no longer hold her tears. As she put the photos down, she noticed a paper inside the envelope that she had identally left out previously.

    She took the paper out of the envelope and read the words that were printed on it.

    ¡°Deposit five hundred thousand dors to the following bank ount if you don¡¯t want these nude photographs to go public. Don¡¯t even think about reporting this to the police. I know all about your family, and I will send out all of these photographs to yourpany and your husband¡¯s family andpany if you tell the police. I¡¯ll even upload them to porn websites.

    ¡°These photographs are just part of my collection. If you still want to maintain your reputation and dignity, do reconsider your choices.¡±

    The message came attached with the Gao family¡¯s home andpany addresses, as well as the Mu family¡¯s address. It even had their email addresses on it. It was proof that the pervert knew her well, and they were serious about their ckmail threat.

    Mu Sisi quickly returned those photos to the envelope and called Mu Huaisheng on the phone. ¡°Brother... brother... pleasee to my office.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Please, this is really urgent...¡± Mu Sisi could no longer contain her tears and sobbed. ¡°I beg you, pleasee quickly. I have no idea what I should do, brother...¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was rmed as he did not know why Mu Sisi sounded terrified, so he hurried to her office. However, he noticed that the door was locked when he arrived.

    So, Mu Huaisheng knocked on the door.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s frightened voice traveled from behind the door.

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Mu Huaisheng answered calmly.

    Mu Huaisheng heard movements from the office, and a few momentster, Mu Sisi opened the door and took a peek outside. She rxed when she saw that they were alone and quickly pulled Mu Huaisheng into the room before she locked the door again.

    Mu Sisi started to cry after Mu Huaisheng asked her, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Brother, what should I do? Tell me what I should do? My reputation is destroyed... I want to kill that pervert. I want to tear him apart!¡± Mu Sisi wailed.

    ¡°What happened? Don¡¯t just keep crying, tell me what¡¯s going on?¡± Mu Huaisheng frowned and asked.

    Mu Sisi passed the envelope to Mu Huaisheng as she cried. She did not want Mu Huaisheng to see her nude photos. Mu Huaisheng was her brother, and it was not appropriate for him to look at them.

    However, she knew that she did not have a choice but to let him know about what had happened.

    As Mu Huaisheng took the photos out of the envelope, Mu Sisi suddenly shouted, ¡°Brother!¡±

    Mu Huaisheng immediately froze, and then he looked at Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Inside the envelope are... there are photographs of... me... of me... of me getting raped by the man that day,¡± Mu Sisi wrapped her arms around her shoulders as if she suddenly felt cold.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression darkened as he took the photos out of the envelope. He merely nced at some of the photos and did not flip through every single one of them. Even then, Mu Sisi was still embarrassed about that.

    Mu Sisi passed the message to her brother and asked, ¡°What should we do? We cannot report to the police, or else he will... I don¡¯t care about the Gao family. The worst that they could do is to demand a divorce if they were to know about this. But I don¡¯t want the whole world to know about this. How am I supposed to face the public if they saw nude pictures of me? Brother, please, you must help me. What should I do?¡± Mu Sisi continued to sob.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯splexion paled with anger, but he managed to hold his urge to say ¡®I told you so¡¯ to Mu Sisi.

    ¡°What else can we do? We don¡¯t have any other choice but to give him five hundred thousand dors and hope that he keeps his promises. Fortunately, it is not too big an amount for us, and hopefully, that guy is ignorant enough to think that it is a huge amount so that he is satisfied with it. Since it is a small amount, I worry that he will keep asking for more. Even if he asked for arger amount of cash, and if weplied, he might do it over and over again.¡± Mu Huaisheng analyzed the situation calmly.

    ¡°Then what should we do? Do we really want to get ckmailed by him again and again? What if... what if the photographs leaked out? When will this extortion end?¡± Mu Sisi burned with rage. She felt like she could tear the pervert to shreds.

    It was bad enough that the pervert was ugly, but he even had the nerve to do such nasty filth!

    ¡°Do you have any suggestions, other than to give him the money he demanded?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked with a t tone.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s lips quivered, and she remained silent.

    ¡°I have been rather active after I arrived at B City, and I have gotten quite close with Liu Dui from the investigation squad. I shall discuss this with him privately and request for an unofficial investigation so that we don¡¯t alert the pervert. Once we capture the guy, he won¡¯t have the chance to threaten us again,¡± Mu Huaisheng said.

    Mu Sisi nodded quickly. ¡°Please hurry.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng kept quiet. Mu Sisi nced at the photographs and suddenly thought of an issue, so she asked,¡± Do I need to provide these photos for Liu Dui to start his investigation?¡±

    Mu Sisi was depressed as she had lost her rights to her privacy, and there was a chance that strangers would see naked pictures of her.

    Mu Huaisheng let out a long sigh and returned the photos to Mu Sisi. ¡°Choose some photos that are not... too extreme, and I¡¯ll give them to Liu Dui.¡±

    ...

    ...

    That night, Mu Sisi returned to the new house that she and Gao Jingqiu had bought. Mu Huaishend told her that the money had been banked in, but Mu Sisi was still worried that the pervert would not keep his promise.

    Thendline telephone at home rang while Mu Sisi spaced out, and Aunt Ge picked up the call. ¡°Hello? Who are you looking for?¡±

    Aunt Ge hung up the phone after a while, and asked curiously, ¡°That¡¯s strange. The person called us, but he did not say anything.¡±

    Mu Sisi became alert as she had a bad feeling about that. Thendline telephone rang again shortly after that, and Aunt Ge went to pick up the call. However, the person at the other end of the telephone remained silent.

    Aunt Ge was annoyed by that and said, ¡°Psycho.¡±

    Then she hung up the phone.

    Thendline phone rang again while Aunt Ge continued her work. Mu Sisi stopped Aunt Ge and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get the call. If it¡¯s some stupid harassment, then I¡¯ll scold them off.¡±

    Aunt Ge shrugged it off and continued her work. Mu Sisi picked up the phone, but she said nothing. The person at the other end remained silent too.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± Mu Sisi finally ended the silence with a cold, t tone.

    There was a sudden sound of heavy breathing, which was creepy enough to give Mu Sisi goosebumps.

    It was him! The pervert had called her! Mu Sisi quickly lowered her voice so Aunt Ge could not overhear the conversation. ¡°Who are you? Say something!¡±

    ¡°Hi, honey, it¡¯s me. I received the money so I won¡¯t say a word about this if you continue to be a good girl, don¡¯t you worry,¡± the pervert said.

    Mu Sisi felt disgusted, and she did not expect the pervert to find the number of herndline telephone.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Mu Sisi asked angrily.

    ¡°Honey, don¡¯t act this way, please. Why the sudden change in your attitude? You whined with pleasure that night, and you even came with such joy. You begged me to do it again and again-¡±

    ¡°Shut up!¡± Mu Sisi was grossed by what he said and eximed in rage. ¡°I gave you the money, so why are you calling me again?¡±

    ¡°Of course! I wanted to relive the sweet memories of our special night together. You are the prettiest woman that I have bedded. When I shove myself into you, I can feel your tightness wrapping around me. I did not expect you to be a virgin, and that makes you even more delicious! I can¡¯t stop thinking about you, and I want to experience it again with you.¡±

    ¡°Shut up! You shut up!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯splexion paled with anger, and she felt nauseated as she continued to listen to him.

    ¡°Why did you speak in such a manner, my dear? You are breaking my heart. As the saying goes, one day together as husband and wife means endless devotion for the rest of your life. Besides, we slept together multiple times that night. Let me count, just how many times did we have sex? You seemed addicted after the first time, and you kept begging for more. You even took the initiative to give me a blowjob. I did not expect both holes to have the same tightness. What a lewd woman you are.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, you bastard!¡± Mu Sisi eximed with rage.

    ¡°Why? Is it because your husband could not satisfy you sexually? If he can¡¯t do that, then I wee you to experience pleasure again. By the way, do you know what I am doing right now?¡±

    Mu Sisi hung up the phone, but it rang again soon after.

    ¡°Honey, this is the first andst warning. Don¡¯t ever hang up on me again, or you¡¯ll face the consequences,¡± the pervert warned.

    Mu Sisi knew what he meant, so she did not hang up the phone. She kept quiet, and her eyes were heavy with unshed tears. The pervert continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish my sentences just now. I am currently watching a video recording of us making love, and it made me hard. Now I¡¯m jerking myself off, and by the way, the way that you jerked me offst time gave me a great feeling of ecstasy.¡±

    Mu Sisi heard disgusting heavy breathing from the other end of the phone soon after he finished his sentence. ¡°I bet you didn¡¯t expect that I even have video recordings and not just photographs of you.¡±

    Blood drained from Mu Sisi¡¯s face, and she covered her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting all the disgust out of her after the pervert ended the call.

    Gao Jingqiu had returned from his social engagements. Mu Sisi was not sure whether Goa Jingqiu went out for social entertainment or something else because she smelled a strong perfume scent the moment he stepped into the house.

    Gao Jingqiu asked casually when he saw Mu Sisi¡¯s annoyed expression, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Mu Sisi replied with a t tone. She had not recovered mentally from the pervert¡¯s call, and she nearly burst into anger again when she smelled the perfume on Gao Jingqiu.

    Mu Sisi did not expect that her life and marriage would end in such a miserable state. She knew that there was no turning back for her, and she was depressed and disgusted about everything around her. It was as if she had lost all hope.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s so-called husband even messed around with other women on the first day of their honeymoon trip.

    Mu Sisi could not help butpared him with Qi Chengzhi. Many beautiful celebrities were also attracted to Qi Chengzhi, and they showered him with attention. However, he ignored all of them, and he only had eyes for his one true love.

    Mu Sisi thought that Gao Jingqiu was terrible and utterly useless whenpared with Qi Chengzhi, and that made her even more depressed about her life, and how life was unfair to her. Must she continue to live a miserable life with a man she loathed and had no affection for?

    Mu Sisi did not realize that Goa Jingqiu had stepped toward her and tried to kiss her on the lips. She was surprised and taken aback by the strong perfume scent, and she frowned in disgust. Unconsciously, she avoided his kiss.

    When she did that, Gao Jingqiu immediately grabbed her hair and pulled her head back to him. Then he questioned her coldly, ¡°Why are you avoiding me? Is it because I am not Qi Chengzhi?¡±

    Mu Sisi pursed her lips and mocked him. ¡°Get rid of that perfume scent if you want to have a chance topete with him. You can¡¯t even practice a simple task like self-control after marriage, and you want topare yourself with him? He is not a womanizer, and he certainly won¡¯t return home with a body contaminated with such a disgusting perfume scent.¡±

    ¡°Did I say anything aboutparing myself with him? He has Song Yu, and this is already a fact that I can¡¯t beat. I already lost if we wereparing wives.¡± Gao Jingqiu smirked and pulled Mu Sisi¡¯s hair harder. If it could, her scalp would scream in pain.

    ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Mu Sisi gritted her teeth and questioned him.

    Did Gao Jingqiu mean that Mu Sisi lost to Song Yu in every aspect?

    In what way was Song Yu better than Mu Sisi? Mu Sisi felt nothing but anger when Qi Chengzhi chose and married Song Yu over her.

    Mu Sisi always thought that she was way better than Song Yu in every aspect and that Song Yu did not deserve Qi Chengzhi¡¯s affection. However, Gao Jingqiu told her cruelly that she was worse than that useless Song Yu.

    ¡°I mean exactly what those words meant to you. You thought that I was notparable to Qi Chengzhi, and you thought that it was unfair for you to be married to me. But did you think that I was willing to marry you too? This is a marriage to benefit two families, so it was the same no matter who I married. I won¡¯t have any affection for whoever I married, and she won¡¯t matter to me. Yes, I do think that you are worse than Song Yu. Since we are not satisfied with each other, at least it makes us couples with the same goals.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu smirked and released his grip on Mu Sisi¡¯s hair. ¡°You kept saying that you are a virgin, and you wanted to give your virginity to Qi Chengzhi when you were courting him. Don¡¯t ask me how I know about this, but it is no longer a secret in our social circle. However, from our nights together, I can tell that you were not a virgin. I do not care who you lost your virginity to, but I won¡¯t have an adulterous wife.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu smiled coldly and continued, ¡°I married you because of your family background. Let¡¯s be frank. You are nothing without the Mu family, so don¡¯t feel that you¡¯re being treated unfairly.¡±

    Mu Sisi gritted her teeth in anger. Other than Qi Chengzhi, no one dared to give her such humiliation.

    Gao Jingqiu ignored Mu Sisi and left to his bedroom.

    Mu Sisi pursed her lips in anger. Then her lips and chin quivered as she sobbed.

    ...

    ...

    Christmas Eve was a rest day for Qi Chengzhi as it fell on Sunday. The elders at his family did not bother to participate in the western festival, so the usual gathering on Saturday was not postponed to the next day.

    That was why Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were at home on a Sunday. Qi Chengzhi did not want Song Yu to wander into town as her expected delivery date was near.

    Both of them decided to stay at home and rest. They did not even go out for a date. Song Yu understood perfectly about her health condition. However, she decided to go along with Qi Chengzhi¡¯s suggestion to lessen his anxiety and his tendency to overthink stuff about her.

    Since it was their first Christmas celebration at home, Qi Chengzhi decided to decorate their home personally.

    He bought a Christmas tree on Friday, and he put that in the living room. He had started to decorate it when he came back to the mansion the day before. Song Yu passed him the decorative ornaments as he rolled up his sleeves and went up thedder to adorn the ornaments on the tree.

    Qi Chengzhi was finally satisfied with his work on the Christmas tree that they had decorated the night before. He wrapped his arm around Song Yu and stared lovingly at Song Yu¡¯s pregnant belly. ¡°It would be nice if Youjin can witness all of these. I wonder if he can be delivered on Christmas day.¡±

    Song Yu wrapped her arms around Qi Chengzhi¡¯s waist and said, ¡°He will still celebrate Christmas with us, from within the womb.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nned to prepare a sumptuous Christmas Eve feast for Song Yu, and Aunt Yang had helped with the ingredients before she went back home.

    Song Yu sat at the bar counter as she watched her husband busied himself with the meal preparation. She also had her attention on WeChat posts. Most of the posts on her friend list were about love and feasts on Christmas Eve, Christmas gifts from boyfriends or husbands, and also appreciation for the husbands.

    Song Yu put her phone aside and observed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s back as he prepared dishes. His back was straight, and his head was lowered as he moved with a fast-paced, rhythmic sound of a knife hitting the chopping board. It was afort to look at his firm and broad back. She could also see how his muscles contracted from behind his t-shirt as he chopped the ingredients.

    Song Yu almost salivated as she admired his broad shoulders that extended to his narrow waist. It was like an upside-down triangle.

    Qi Chengzhi was already thirty-five years old then, but he kept fit and maintained a well-built and defined body.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long pants covered his firm and muscr buttocks. If Song Yu did not have her enormous pregnant belly, she would pounce on him from behind and hugged him.

    Song Yu lowered her head and grinned at her belly as she had those thoughts.

    Youjin would be happy and prosperous with a father like Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi was already cooking the dishes when Song Yu shifted her gaze back to him. Then she picked up her phone and took pictures of Qi Chengzhi as he cooked.

    Song Yu nced at Qi Chengzhi again and noticed how his firm and solid arm muscles moved as he saut¨¦d the ingredients in the saucepan.

    The scene made Song Yu excited as she could not resist the temptation that radiated from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s powerful arm muscles.

    Qi Chengzhi did his research on how to prepare a turkey for the feast. When he was all done with the cooking, the turkey looked magnificent on the dining table.

    Song Yu suddenly remembered that Qin Chengzhi hadined about theirck of photographs together. So she tapped Qi Chengzhi¡¯s forearm, and with a face as red as a tomato, she asked for a selfie.

    However, since he had longer arms, Qi Chengzhi calmly took Song Yu¡¯s phone from her so that he could take the selfie. He found the perfect angle and snapped a beautiful photo of him, Song Yu, and a dining table full of delicious dishes behind them.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at the photo that he just took as if he was studying something on it. After a few moments, he said, ¡°Come closer.¡±

    Song Yu blushed and thought about how she just glued her face to his. Was that not close enough?

    Song Yu decided to make the first move and nted a kiss on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cheek. Qi Chengzhi used the phone to take another selfie of them. He could see Song Yu¡¯s slightly pinkish face in the photo.

    Qi Chengzhi was quite satisfied with the photo, but he suggested to take another selfie of him kissing Song Yu¡¯s lips.

    Song Yu stared at Qi Chengzhi and wondered how her husband had transformed into a selfie maniac who loved selfies like a young girl. She was embarrassed, so she hesitated for a while before she agreed with a slightly red face.

    Qi Chengzhi looked at the new photos, and then returned the phone to Song Yu with a great sense of satisfaction.

    Song Yu felt nothing but warmth when she looked at their selfies on her phone. It had been a long time since she posted an update, so she decided to post them. All of her previous posts were requested by Qi Chengzhi, and she had not taken the initiative to post anything that disyed affection between the two of them. She wanted to post the selfies to show her appreciation to her handsome husband.

    Song Yu grinned as she wrote the caption for the photographs. ¡°Husband cooked all these himself for our Christmas Eve feast. Thank you husband, this is the best Christmas present ever.¡±

    Song Yu finished her caption and double-checked it again as she wondered if the caption was suitable.

    Song Yu shifted her gaze back to Qi Chengzhi and noticed that he was staring at her with anticipation. ¡°Posting it to your friend list?¡±

 Chapter 290 - Ending 17: Congratulations, Itâ€™s a Boy

    Chapter 290: Ending 17: Congrattions, It¡¯s a Boy

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Song Yu shifted her gaze back to Qi Chengzhi and noticed that he was staring at her with anticipation. ¡°Posting it to your friend list?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu found his stare hard to resist. His eagerness was what made it hard for her to let him down.

    She forced herself to post it before she had any regrets. Qi Chengzhi was already refreshing his friend list on his phone. Once he received Song Yu¡¯s message in the group, he looked at Song Yu with a gentle smile. It was as if he gave her a nod of approval.

    ¡°So, happy?¡± Qi Chengzhi lifted his eyebrow, and he seemed a little arrogant with that smile of his.

    Song Yu knew that a man like him would always ask for more when it came to things like that.

    She looked at him briefly, and she did not want to let him down, especially since he had spent the entire day celebrating with her. The fact that he was excited after she had posted that message showed that he was easily appeased after a long day.

    Song Yu grabbed his arm and leaned over as she nodded obediently. ¡°Yes, very happy. You have been so busy preparing this for me. It¡¯s worth more to me than the things that money can buy.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled gently at her. After Song Yu let go of him, Qi Chengzhi jabbed his phone for a few more moments before Song Yu¡¯s phone lit up with a notification tone.

    Song Yu opened the notification questioningly and found that it was Qi Chengzhi who had replied to her message.

    [Qi Chengzhi: I¡¯ve put all of my assets under your name. I¡¯m a poor man now, so I will only be able to cook for you.]

    There was a shy emoji at the end of the sentence.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless.

    She considered Qi Chengzhi¡¯s usual temperament, and it was nothing like how he acted through the text message.

    After some time, her phone started to beep continuously. Yan Beicheng and the rest of her friends wrote ¡®...¡¯ as a reply to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s message.

    ¡°Ignore them.¡± Qi Chengzhi said with slight disgust in his tone. He carved a slice of the turkey for Song Yu and said, ¡°Try this. This is my first time roasting a turkey.¡±

    Song Yu took a bite. Under Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eager gaze, sheplimented him and said that it tasted great.

    ...

    ...

    After the meal, Qi Chengzhi prepared a cake for her, but he did not bake it himself. He had learned how to cook when he studied in the US. However, he did not learn how to bake desserts. He had Dynasty sent the cake over.

    The couple sat down on the couch. Qi Chengzhi wrapped Song Yu in his arms as sheid on his chest. They had cakes and watched the television together.

    All of a sudden, Song Yu paused before her next spoonful of cake. Qi Chengzhi could feel her frozen in his arms. He looked down at her and asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Song Yu was stunned and frightened. ¡°I felt... pain in my stomach.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nearly dropped the te on his hand. He moved their tes away and looked at her nervously.

    ¡°I think... I think I¡¯m having contractions.¡± Song Yu held onto her stomach. She did not think that Qi Chengzhi would be right, that Qi Youjin would arrive just in time for the festive season.

    Qi Chengzhi squeezed his watch. He had studied for more information aboutbor, including signs ofbor,bor pain, and even pseudo analgesia.

    After about a minute, Song Yu sighed in relief and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt anymore.¡±

    Her face was white because she was in so much pain before that. Her forehead was also covered in sweat. It had hurt a lot worse than the usual period pain.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get the things, we¡¯re going to the hospital,¡± Qi Chengzhi said. He had already packed the necessary things as Song Yu¡¯s due date drew nearer. He knew that if there was an emergency, he could just grab the bag and take Song Yu to the hospital.

    ¡°Aunty Yang!¡± Qi Chengzhi yelled.

    Song Yu grabbed Qi Chengzhi¡¯s arm. Even though she was not in pain at that moment, she was still a little weak. She was not sure if it was only a psychological pain, so she could not rx.

    ¡°You forgot that Aunty Yang had gone home,¡± Song Yu reminded him.

    Qi Chengzhi regretted that he did not ask Aunty Yang to stay with them. There was no other experienced person in the house. He ran to their bedroom on the second floor and grabbed a luggage bag from the closet.

    ¡°Can you walk?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked.

    Song Yu nodded. She got up and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi carried Song Yu into the car. It was Christmas Eve, so the traffic was even worse than usual. The Range Rover managed to get onto the main road, but it did not move for quite some time.

    After about half an hour on the road, they were still only halfway through their journey to the Chutian Hospital. ¡°Argh!¡± Song Yu clenched her stomach. She started to shiver as the contractions came and went without any warning. Song Yu did not want to say anything as she did not want to affect Qi Chengzhi¡¯s driving.

    ¡°Does it hurt again?¡± Qi Chengzhi turned and looked at her.

    Song Yu nodded as a piercing pain shot through her stomach. It felt as if someone had cut her stomach open. Song Yu¡¯s body shivered from the pain, and her right hand unconsciously felt for the handle the roof of the car. She held onto it tightly and clenched her teeth. She was about to cry from the pain.

    Qi Chengzhi could only watch her nervously. The traffic finally moved after some time, and Qi Chengzhi started driving right away.

    ¡°Just scream out loud if you can¡¯t take the pain, it¡¯s fine.¡± Qi Chengzhi knew what worried Song Yu. She was afraid that her screams would distract him. ¡°I¡¯ll be more worried if you¡¯re quiet. I won¡¯t be able to help myself but to keep looking at you. Don¡¯t hold it in, scream if it¡¯s painful. It¡¯s better to let it out.¡±

    Song Yu saw that Qi Chengzhi had extended his hand to her. She took it and clenched it so tightly that her nails dug into the back of his hand. Qi Chengzhi did not say anything when she did that. He seemed worried and nervous, but he showed no signs of pain. Song Yu was in so much pain that she did not know what she was doing.

    She finally screamed out loud, and she was in tears. Qi Chengzhi was extremely anxious, and he wished that he could share her pain.

    After another minute, the pain subsided, and Song Yuid back on the seat in defeat. She was drenched in cold sweat.

    Qi Chengzhi gave her hand a little squeeze offort before he grabbed his phone to call Chu Zhaoyang so that he could prepare the hospital staff.

    After he hung up, Qi Chengzhi put his phone on top of the storage space in between the seats. Song Yu saw the nail prints on the back of his hand, and they had turned dark red. She realized that it was her that had done that when she could not tolerate the pain.

    Song Yu grabbed his hand in distress and gently grazed her fingers over the wounds on the back of his hand. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pull your hand away just now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. This is nothingpared to the pain that you¡¯re going through. It¡¯s quite good that I can go through the pain with you. We can apany each other.¡± Qi Chengzhi said casually.

    Song Yu wrapped his hand with both of hers. She knew that the pain did not matter as long as she could safely deliver their child.

    After another 20 minutes, the car finally arrived at Chutian Hospital. Song Yu had gone through another round of pain in the traffic jam.

    Qi Chengzhi did not have enough time to find a parking space. He stopped the car right in front of the hospital¡¯s entrance and carried Song Yu out of it immediately.

    Song Yu¡¯s legs went wobbly, and she screamed in pain, ¡°Chengzhi!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi carried her in his arms and ran into the hospital. ¡°Does it hurt again?¡±

    ¡°Yes...¡± Song Yu was in so much pain that she had lost all of her strength. She could only grab onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shirt.

    The pains hade in shorter intervals.

    As Chu Zhaoyang was already notified beforehand, the nurses went to them with a hospital bed. Together with Qi Chengzhi, they put Song Yu onto it.

    ¡°Chengzhi! Chengzhi!¡± Song Yu was in pain, and she continued to shout Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name. However, her voice was weak because she was in so much pain.

    Qi Chengzhi made a mental note to himself. He would never let Song Yu give birth again. It was too much for a person to bear.

    The nurse pushed Song Yu to thebor room and had Qi Chengzhi take note of the intervals of Song Yu¡¯s pains. They also taught him a few tricks to ease Song Yu¡¯s pain.

    The nurse left to go to the delivery room. Only the husband and wife were left in thebor room. A doctor went in to check on them intermittently so that he could inspect the dtion of the cervix.

    Qi Chengzhi checked the time. Song Yu¡¯s contractions had been about ten minutes apart. Song Yu was in so much pain that she wanted to cry. However, she tried to follow the doctor¡¯s order and used her chest to breathe rhythmically.

    ¡°Chengzhi... Chengzhi...¡± Song Yu could not stop calling Qi Chengzhi¡¯s name. It was the only way she could have enough willpower to hold on.

    Qi Chengzhi was extremely concerned. He held her hand as he asked the doctor, ¡°Is it still not ready yet?¡±

    The doctor checked Song Yu¡¯s cervix again before he finally told the nurse, ¡°It¡¯s 6cm, we can go to the delivery room now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi continued to hold Song Yu¡¯s hand, and it seemed like he nned to enter the delivery room with her. Husbands were not usually allowed in the delivery room, but the doctor did not dare to stop him because of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s rtionship with Chu Zhaoyang.

    ¡°Chengzhi, please wait outside.¡± They were at the entrance to the delivery, and Song Yu attempted to stop Qi Chengzhi from entering the room. She realized that he intended to go in there with her when she noticed that he had not let go of her hand.

    ¡°I¡¯m going in there with you.¡± Qi Chengzhi said assertively. That was the first time that he had said no to her. He would usually just keep quiet rather than to reject her request outright. ¡°You¡¯re in so much pain right now. How can I not be worried while I wait outside here, all by myself?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting youe with me.¡± Song Yu was adamant. To deliver a baby was not a pretty sight. He was already worried about her. If he were to watch her deliver the baby, she was afraid that he would be terrified. ¡°If you¡¯re in there with me, then I will need to care for your feelings as well. The delivery of a baby is not a pretty sight.¡±

    She had read a report that mentioned how a man was traumatized because he had watched his wife gave birth. It had been a terrifying experience for him.

    Qi Chengzhi wanted to say something before Song Yu cut him short. She insisted. ¡°If you don¡¯t agree, then I¡¯m not going into the delivery room. I¡¯ll just stay here!¡±

    It was the first time that Song Yu was that firm with him. She seemed exceptionally adamant.

    Qi Chengzhi did not want to continue to argue with her while she was in so much pain, so he could only force himself to agree to that.

    The doctor also sighed in relief. If they had continued to argue, then he woulde to a difficult situation as he could not offend either of them.

    Qi Chengzhi was left alone when they pushed Song Yu into the delivery room. Exhaustion finally hit him, and he copsed into a chair. He rubbed his cold hands to get some warmth and wondered when Song Yu woulde out of the room.

    After a few moments, Qi Chengzhi thought about calling his family. So he called the house, Xia Wenna, and Yu Qingying. It was not until he hung up that he realized that it was already half-past ten.

    The door to the delivery room remained closed. No one came out of it yet, so he did not know what went on in there. He should have let Song Yu brought her phone with her so that he could at least talk to her via the speakerphone.

    At about half-past eleven at night, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna arrived before everyone else. Grandfather and Grandmother, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya, Qi Chengyue, and Cheng Dongge followed suit, while Donglin and Yu Qianying arrivedst.

    ¡°The traffic is so bad today.¡± Grandmother¡¯s mood was badly affected by the traffic jam. She was worried about her granddaughter-inw, but the traffic was in her way. ¡°Why are the people celebrating the white people¡¯s festival!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi had no response for that because they had celebrated it that night too.

    ¡°How long has Little Song been in there?¡± Grandmother asked as she sat down.

    ¡°One and a half hours,¡± Qi Chengzhi said nervously. He was no longer as calm as he usually was when faced with problems.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s normal to take a few hours to give birth.¡± Xia Wennaforted him. ¡°When I gave birth to you, it took me more than six hours to do it, but it was a lot faster when it got to your brother.¡±

    The clock struck past midnight. Qi Chengzhi could no longer sit still, so he stood up and paced back and forth in the hall.

    ¡°Chengzhi, please, calm down and take a seat. My eyes are blurry from all your pacing,¡± Grandmother said as she held her forehead.

    ¡°Mom, why don¡¯t you go with Dad and the rest of them,¡± Qi Zhongliang said. There was a VIP lounge in the hospital, and it was not good for the elders to sit there and wait.

    Grandmother was truly tired as well. She yawned and said, ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, we¡¯ll go and have some shut-eye. When Little Songes out, call us.¡±

    ...

    ...

    While Song Yu was in the delivery room, Mu Sisi and Gao Jingweiid in bed together. Gao Jingwei had invited a few friends to a Christmas party and had brought her along. He had a little too much to drink, so he smelled like alcohol as heid next to her and snored the night away.

    Mu Sisi was annoyed with the noise and turned over. All of a sudden, the wireless phone on the bedside table rang.

    Mu Sisi looked at the time and wondered why anyone would call past midnight. She picked up the call, and before she could say anything, she heard moans through the phone. Mu Sisi knew who it was right away.

    She looked at Gao Jingwei carefully, but he was sound asleep. Mu Sisi grabbed the phone and went into the shower. She locked the door and started to fill the bathtub so that the sound of water would overwhelm her conversation. ¡°What do you want? You are crazy to call me at midnight!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because I miss you, baby. I watched the video again, and I want to do you one more time,¡± the wretched voice said through the phone.

    ¡°Are you crazy? Do you want to let my husband know about this, calling me at this hour? He¡¯s not me, and he won¡¯t give in to your threats.¡± Mu Sisi clenched the phone.

    ¡°Hahaha, that is none of my business. I don¡¯t care if your husband finds out about this. But you¡¯re scared to death, aren¡¯t you? Be careful, don¡¯t let him hear this,¡± the man said arrogantly.

    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± Mu Sisi said through gritted teeth.

    The man had called her multiple times since she first got his call. Sometimes he would call her on the mobile phone, and sometimes on the house phone. It nearly drove her crazy.

    Every time he called her on the house phone, she worried that the maid would learn something she should not. What if the maid had picked up the phone? What would happen if everything knew about what had happened?

    Sometimes the man would also call her while she was in the middle of a meeting. He would say those wretched things no matter where she was. However, she did not dare to hang up on him as she was afraid that he would release the photos.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear what I said just now? I really want to do you right now,¡± the man said shamelessly.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes turned red. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she could no longer speak.

    ¡°Give me another five hundred thousand dors,¡± the man finally said.

    ¡°How much do you really want? Just name a price, and we can negotiate about it as long as you delete all the photos and stop harassing me!¡± Mu Sisi said softly.

    ¡°How could I do that? I¡¯m still counting on our long-term cooperation. Why don¡¯t you transfer five hundred thousand dors to me on the first day of every month, and I won¡¯t release your photos. Any month that I don¡¯t receive the money on time, then your photos will appear immediately on the Inte. Yourpany, your husband¡¯spany, even your family, and maybe even your father and brother, they could all see it.¡± The manughed maliciously.

    ¡°I can give you the money, but you need to stop calling and harassing me!¡± Mu Sisi said. He was driving her insane.

    ¡°Who are you to negotiate with me?¡± The man ignored her andughed. ¡°Speaking of which, I forgot to tell you something. While we are talking on the phone, I sent a few more photos to your phone.¡±

    Mu Sisi froze. It was as if the blood in her body had stopped flowing. She hung up without a moment of hesitation, ran out of the shower, and checked her phone. Her fingers tapped on the screen to open the texts, and she found two new photos from the man. She felt nauseated. She deleted the photos and hid in the shower to cry.

    She was at her breaking point after daily harassment from that man.

    ...

    ...

    At around half-past one in the morning, the door to the delivery room finally opened. A loud cry could be heard before anyone came out of the room. Qi Chengyue immediately went to notify Grandfather and Grandmother.

    Before they brought Song Yu out, the nurse carried Qi Youjin out of the room. He was so small and not much bigger than the palm of the nurse. He had his eyes closed, and his face seemed a little yellowish, but it was not crumpled. He had stopped crying after some time.

    ¡°Congrattions, it¡¯s a boy.¡± the nurse smiled and handed Qi Youjin to Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Both mother and baby are in good health. He weighs 3.6 kilograms.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi carried the little person carefully. Before he could study his son¡¯s face in detail, he looked into the delivery room and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s my wife?¡±

    ¡°She will be out in a minute,¡± the nurse said with a smile. ¡°I will bring the baby to the incubator now, and I will bring him back to the ward in about an hour so that the mother can feed him.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took another look at his infant son, intently. Everything about him was small. Since his eyes were shut, it was not possible to see who he took after.

    He handed the baby back to the nurse. Xia Wenna was still worried about him, so she went with the nurse to send the baby to the incubator.

    They finally brought Song Yu out of the room. She looked weak as sheid on the bed, and her face was a little pale. Qi Chengzhi went to her immediately and held her hand. ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Song Yu did not have much energy left in her. Her arm was still weak, and she opened her mouth slightly before she said, ¡°I feel a lot better after pushing it out. I¡¯m more rxed now.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi could not help himself butughed. She made it sound like she was constipated, and she had just pooped.

 Chapter 318 - You Can Forgo The â€˜Qiâ€™ Next Time

    <h4>Chapter 318: You Can Forgo The ¡®Qi¡¯ Next Time</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Young Master Mu¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Mu Huaisheng stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time to think about it since the renovation is not urgent.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know what to say to his insistence.

    ¡°Do you have something onter?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes instinctively shifted to Qi Chenglin who was sitting behind Mu Huaisheng. However, she could only see Qi Chenglin¡¯s back.

    A text followed suit. Unsurprisingly, it was from Qi Chenglin saying, ¡®I have something to tell youter.¡¯

    Back in the real world, Ruan Danchen gave her reply, ¡°I have some other business to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Where? I¡¯ll send you,¡± Mu Huaisheng said.

    A faint smile appeared on Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. ¡°There¡¯s no need, the ce is nearby.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng gave her a self-deprecating smile as he said, ¡°You¡¯re in such a rush to draw the line in the sand?¡±

    She felt awkward that she had to keep rejecting his suggestions. In hopes of salvaging her image, she said, ¡°It¡¯s really nearby.¡±

    The man could only nod his head. He did not persist after that and instead, got up and bid Ruan Danchen farewell. As he turned to leave, he spied Qi Chenglin sitting right behind him. Mu Huaisheng was stunned but managed to greet him anyway. ¡°Mr. Qi.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded slightly and greeted back without a hint of warmth. ¡°Mr. Mu.¡±

    ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked after noting that Qi Chenglin was alone.

    Qi Chenglin uttered a note of confirmation and said nothing more. Taking that as his cue to leave, Mu Huaisheng nodded and left.

    Sometimeter, Qi Chenglin got up and sat across Ruan Danchen. His heated gaze fell on her.

    As Qi Chenglin walked past the shop¡¯s window while escorting his clients, he noticed that Ruan Danchen was here with Mu Huaisheng. The scene looked as if they were on a date. At that point, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was as dark as a thundercloud.

    Ruan Danchen had hugged and kissed Qi Chenglin before, yet she was seeing another man behind his back. That woman had no stop button.

    A quick note to Jiang Yuan had him calling Qi Chengzhi to step in for the client¡¯s negotiation. Back when Qi Chengzhi was courting Song Yu, such asions have happened countless of times.

    Hence, once Qi Chengzhi had arrived, Qi Chenglin was relieved of his duty.

    Only when he sat down behind Mu Huaisheng and eavesdropped did he find out that the meeting was business-rted. It was followed by Mu Huaisheng¡¯s confession whichtled at Qi Chenglin but his mood was soon saved by Ruan Danchen¡¯s outright rejection.

    Ruan Danchen was anxious as she knew that Qi Chenglin had overheard their conversation. Her heartbeat was erratic and she felt numbness on her scalp. Under Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze, she felt like a guilty criminal despite notmitting any offense.

    Judging from his reluctance to speak, Ruan Danchen steeled her resolve and spoke first, ¡°Heh, doesn¡¯t Young Master Lin have clients to attend to?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my brothering in to take my ce?¡± Qi Chenglin said sarcastically.

    Ruan Danchen kept her mouth shut.

    Why were the two brothers so stubborn?

    ¡°Does Young Master Lin need something from me?¡± Ruan Danchen asked impatiently.

    Qi Chenglin suddenly leaned forward and those stern lips showed a hint of a smile. He spoke in a throaty but attractive voice, ¡°We¡¯ve hugged and kissed but you¡¯re still addressing me so formally. That won¡¯t do.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face immediately flushed red as she growled, ¡°Qi Chenglin, enough!¡±

    Her eyes darted left and right to check if anyone heard her.

    Qi Chenglin smirked and continued his teasing. ¡°You can forgo the ¡®Qi¡¯ next time.¡±

    She did not deign him a response.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± he spoke with emphasis.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Ruan Danchen questioned straightforwardly.

    At her tone, Qi Chenglin¡¯s countenance hardened and he stood up. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The change in tone caught her by surprise but she followed him out of Shengyue. They got into Qi Chenglin¡¯s car.

    ¡°In the glovepartment, there¡¯s a document folder,¡± Qi Chenglin informed as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat.

    Ruan Danchen opened the glovepartment warily and took out the folder. She nced at Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Open it up.¡± His attention shifted from her to the document folder.

    Ruan Danchen opened the folder and pulled out the document within. The paper was only halfway out when she froze.

    It was a DNA test for biological parents.

    Shocked, she turned around to face Qi Chenglin as he exined, ¡°You sent for the test. ording to the normal process, the results would only be out after thirty days so I went ahead to hasten the process. The report came out this morning.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s bottom lip trembled as she looked at the report. There was a jumble of emotions in her. She was so nervous that she hesitated to see the results.

    Qi Chenglin just waited patiently for her.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and pulled out the report. After reading the results, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was as she suspected beforehand, the confirmation meant a lot to her.

    Youxuan was her child. He really was hers.

    ¡°My son, my son... He¡¯s alive. My son...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulders shook as the dam broke, her sobs echoed through the car.

    Qi Chenglin frowned and asked solemnly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    His question was met with sobs.

    Qi Chenglin grasped her wrist and repeated his question. ¡°Why did you think he was dead?¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around to face him. The guilt on her face was evident. Her eyes and nose were red from all the crying as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°They told me that he was dead, that I went into prematurebour and had a C-section. When I woke up, they told me that the baby was stillborn. They lied to me... They lied to me...¡±

    Qi Chenglin let out a heavy breath. It hurt him to see her this upset. All of a sudden, he pushed the driver¡¯s seat back and scooped Ruan Danchen onto hisp.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now,¡± Qi Chenglin crooned softly as he stroked her hair.

    His sensual lips ced aforting kiss on her forehead. He moved his hand to her face and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

    His pair of lips made their way down to the side of her eye. He kissed away the tears on her eyshes.

    ¡°He is healthy and happy. He was born a bit prematurely and ced in an infant incubator for a month but from then onward, he was healthy,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered as his lips caressed her wet cheeks.

    At this moment, Ruan Danchen did not realize how intimate their exchange was. She buried herself in Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace as she cried and thought about Qi Youxuan growing up into the healthy boy he was now. To think that he had to stay inside an incubator when he was a baby made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartache.

    Qi Chenglin peppered her face with gentle kisses to calm her.

    Gradually, Ruan Danchen came back to her senses. The feeling of his hot lips made her body shake. The initial paleness of her face was quickly reced by a spreading blush. She pushed against him and leaned away.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was meek.

    His intimate kisses made Ruan Danchen hesitate to call him ¡®Young Master Lin¡¯ at this moment. Unwittingly, their rtionship was strengthened through this encounter.

    Qi Chenglin leaned forward as she tried to get away. Those passionate lips chased after her. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this...¡± Ruan Danchen was shaking.

    ¡°Like what?¡± His maic voice cooed.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s whole face had turned red. She was being worn down by his kisses as his words danced along her skin like feathers.

    The more she tried to speak up, the harder Qi Chenglin kissed her in an attempt to upy her lips.

    When he decided to let her go, her face was in an unspeakable shade of crimson. The blush extended underneath her blouse, giving her an innocent and naive look.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me kissing my son¡¯s mother?¡± Qi Chenglin nudged her lips as he muttered.

    Ruan Danchen said nothing.

    The problem was his son¡¯s mother was not equivalent to his wife!

    Ruan Danchen tried her best to keep her head down to hide her embarrassment. She did not see the soft, amused smile on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face. Those elegant fingersbed through her long hair and massaged her neck and head.

    Ruan Danchen was unwilling to raise her head so Qi Chenglin leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. His persistence had all but destroyed her resistance so she let him have his way. She kept her head down but did not fight his kiss.

    ¡°Tell me what happened back then.¡± One hand was rubbing the back of her head while the other hand was roaming around her waist without any shame.

    Every contact point with Qi Chenglin heated up as if electricity flowed between them. Ruan Danchen had no intention to keep the past a secret, especially from someone as intelligent as Qi Chenglin who could more or less piece the story together. If he were to judge her, she would not me him.

    Ruan Danchen let out a heavy sigh as sadness bubbled inside her. Although she had always resisted his advances, she did not want him to hate her.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me down first,¡± she said.

    ¡°No. Stay here and speak. Don¡¯t be childish,¡± Qi Chenglin rebutted.

    Ruan Danchen was not amused. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    She twisted in hisp and tried to climb over to the passenger seat but was held firmly by Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin shot her a look and hugged her tightly against his body. ¡°I¡¯m already like this. Do you really want me to let go?¡±

    Ruan Danchen let out a surprised gasp as her brain short-circuited. His hardened manhood was poking her from beneath.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, you!¡± Ruan Danchen was both ashamed and agitated. She had never met someone as shameless as him.

    ¡°Be good. You¡¯re my son¡¯s mother, can¡¯t you let me have a hug?¡± He cocked his eyebrows and asked innocently.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent.

    He was going to use that line on her every single time now.

    Qi Chenglin watched the disgruntled expression on her face but the woman did not resist. Her gullible obedience made him feel like bullying her.

    Ruan Danchen was bing cuter in his mind and his interest in her had only grown. He wanted to get to know her more.

    His expression softened as his hands traveled along her supple waist. He lifted her body and stole a quick peck from her lips, as if to reward her for her deference.

    By this time, Ruan Danchen was already paralyzed by his kisses and did not struggle against him. She heard him say, ¡°Be good and tell me what happened then?¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a nervous breath and told him the whole truth about her past. She did not expect Shen Jialiang to use such drugs until she had found herself trapped in his embrace.

    Her story was more or less what Qi Chenglin had guessed. Back then, he was unsure of Ruan Danchen¡¯s role and objective but after recent interactions, he understood that she had no intentions to harm his people. Moreover, the fact that the Shen family had lied to her about Youxuan proved that she was a victim after all.

    After hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s side of the story, Qi Chenglin came to the same conclusion. Liao Ronghua wanted to save her skin and threw Ruan Danchen under the bus.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to face Qi Chenglin. She kept her head down, ashamed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault.¡± She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed.

    Qi Chenglin tightened his embrace. His hand secured her head against his shoulder while he let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you so don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have promised them. All I thought of was the circumstances that led to my mom giving me up. I was not aware of the after effects of my actions on you. When I realized my mistake, it was already toote.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled and stroked her hair. ¡°You gave me a son. Youxuan¡¯s a great kid and I¡¯m happy to have him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy too, I¡¯m happy that I decided to give birth to him and that he grew up to be a smart and healthy boy.¡± The thought of Qi Youxuan made her heart swell with happiness.

    ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve never kept in contact with the Shen family?¡± Qi Chenglin asked in a light tone as he wiped the tears away on her face. Her tears had dampened his shirt.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. He followed up with another question. ¡°And Liao Ronghua?¡±

    ¡°After she got into the Shen family, she never came by to see me. I was still in university then but she never tried to find me. Once I graduated and got a job, I moved out and never saw her again. Just a phone call during the new year. Since I was not weed by the Shen family, I did not want to intrude. She once asked where I lived but I felt that she was just maintaining pretenses, acting as if she cared about me. Even if I were to tell her, she would have forgotten after she hung up the phone. I ended up not answering her question.¡± She was afraid that Liao Ronghua would ask her to do dirty favors for her. She also did not want to get her hopes up, waiting for Liao Ronghua to appear at her doorstep just to be disappointed.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to understand her thoughts. He dabbed the tears away as his heart ached for her. He knew how hard her life was when he looked into her university life.

    Liao Ronghua seemed to have forgotten that she had this daughter. She sacrificed her own daughter to get into the Shen family and no longer cared about Ruan Danchen.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s pale and saddened face, Qi Chenglin wrapped her in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ears.

    He rubbed the tears and kissed her face; it was not long before her face was clean again.

    Ruan Danchen did not shy away from his touch. She remained in his embrace as he showered her with affection.

    Qi Chenglin took out some tissue from the glovepartment and gently cleared away the tear tracks on her face.

    Ruan Danchen sniffled. Her eyes and nose were red like a rabbit¡¯s and Qi Chenglin could not resist the urge to cuddle her. There was some doubt in her eyes as she asked hesitantly, ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chenglin replied in his somber voice.

    ¡°You agreed to an engagement with Shen Zhijing but why did you cancel it? The Shen family wouldn¡¯t have agreed so easily,¡± Ruan Danchen asked. Sitting on hisp no longer felt weird.

    Qi Chenglinbed through her hair and exined softly, ¡°When I said I wanted to do a DNA test, Shen Jialiang was not worried because Youxuan was mine. What he didn¡¯t know was that I also requested for a maternal DNA test. I never believed that I slept with her. And when the results came out, it was evident that Youxuan was not Shen Zhijing¡¯s son, he was not even rted to the Shen family. Shen Jialiang had no right to force me to marry Shen Zhijing.¡±

    After so many years, Ruan Danchen finally heard the truth from his own ount.

    Qi Chenglin quietly watched over Ruan Danchen as she calmed down in hisp. After making sure that her mood had stabilized, he ced her back onto the passenger seat.

    He looked at the time¡ªit was already noon. ¡°It¡¯s already lunchtime, let¡¯s go grab a bite.¡±

    Without waiting for Ruan Danchen¡¯s reply, he started the car toward Dynasty.

    The staff at Dynasty weed them as the ck Mercedes-Benz stopped in front of the restaurant.

    Qi Chenglin got down and went around the car to Ruan Danchen. He held her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    Ruan Danchen looked down in surprise.

    His slender and delicate hand firmly encased hers.

    She was speechless. What was he trying to do?

    Noting that the waiter¡¯s attention was elsewhere, Ruan Danchen surreptitiously tried to pull her hand away but Qi Chenglin only tightened his grip. He clucked at her like a boyfriend would. ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t be naughty.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not speak.

    What did she do to bebeled naughty!

    The waiter overheard their conversation and could not resist taking a look. His gaze fell on the linked hands and he smiled in secret. As per Dynasty¡¯s service crew training, no matter what the situation or who their patrons were, they had to keep a neutral expression.

    Internally, the waiter was shocked at this revtion. All these years, the second Young Master of the Qi family had never had a partner despite having a son. Now, he was holding hands with a woman!

    The waiter did not dare to spy on them for too long but he was curious as to who the woman was. For someone who had no rumors of romance, Qi Chenglin¡¯s public disy of affection pretty much ascertained the woman¡¯s status as his future wife.

    Wasn¡¯t it the same for Qi Chengzhi?

    Manager Qian was stationed at the door and he was as polite as always. His eyes fell on the linked hands as he asked, ¡°Young Master Lin, to your private room?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded. Manager Qian hurriedly ordered some staff to get the room ready. In his mind, he was anticipating the next major Qi family event that might happen sooner thanter. This was the first time he witnessed Qi Chenglin dining with a woman in his private room.

    The room was spacious with a round dining table in the middle. The table was too big for the two of them, so they moved to a smaller tea table that was in front of the screen door. It did not matter much to them.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Free mini scene:

    ChengYu Mini Scene 3

    Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I randomly slotted one in.¡±

    ¡°But why do I feel that it¡¯s familiar?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Thinking about it?¡±

    Song Yu was exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m being serious! It looks like that time in Hong Kong...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi leaned forward. His lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Miss it?

 Chapter 292 - Ending 19: Do You Still Want to Be Friends with Youjin?

    Chapter 292: Ending 19: Do You Still Want to Be Friends with Youjin?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    She had received an SMS, but there was no number disyed for it. It merely indicated ¡®No Caller ID.¡¯

    Mu Sisi¡¯s heart sank. She was both furious and terrified, and her blood boiled whenever she saw those three words. She was going crazy. Every time that person called or texted, those three words would appear.

    Mu Sisi clicked on the SMS, and two unsightly photos appeared on the screen. The color drained from Mu Sisi¡¯s face. She hastily exited the message and scanned the people around her to make sure that no one saw them.

    She stood up abruptly, and that interrupted the design director¡¯s exnation. He gave her a puzzled gaze, but she said calmly, ¡°I¡¯m heading out for a while.¡±

    With her position, no one dared to question her actions.

    Qi Chengzhi 1 bolted back to the office, locked the door, and deleted the SMS. She clutched her phone tightly. Overwhelmed by rage, she burst into tears, yet there was nothing she could do about that.

    She dashed in front of her desk and swept all her things off the table in one motion. She punched the table like a maniac. She wanted to scream out loud but was afraid that it would draw others¡¯ attention.

    In the end, her knuckles were red and swollen. She slid down the side of the table and ended up on the floor.

    She stared down at the floor, hunched her back, and then sped the hair above her forehead. She wondered when she could stop living in fear.

    At that moment, her phone vibrated again. Due to the meeting that she was in, she had switched her phone to vibrate mode.

    It was the person with ¡®No Caller ID¡¯ again. Mu Sisi answered the phone. She did not wait for the person on the other side to talk as she yelled, ¡°What do you want? I¡¯ve already given you this month¡¯s payment! Why are you still harassing me?!¡±

    ¡°Hehehe, it looks like we have good chemistry now. You can even tell that it¡¯s me before I say a single word,¡± the person pointed out in delight.

    ¡°What do you want from me before you can leave me alone?! If you push me to the edge of the cliff, then both of us with lose. You¡¯ll get nothing out of this!¡± Mu Sisi cried hysterically.

    ¡°Go ahead and try then. I¡¯d love to see how you can make us lose it all,¡± the person scoffed disdainfully.

    ¡°Do you have the guts toe and meet me face-to-face? Even though I am disgusted by face your face, let¡¯s meet so we can clear things up. Show yourself if you¡¯re brave enough. Don¡¯t hide behind an unknown number,¡± Mu Sisi mocked in a sharp voice.

    ¡°Ten million,¡± the person said coldly, ¡°Give me ten million dors, and I¡¯ll stop ckmailing you with these photos and videos. I¡¯ll never contact you again, nor will I send those photos anymore.¡±

    ¡°Why should I trust a dirty low-life like you? You went back on your word again and again. How can I believe your words?¡± Mu Sisi spat in outrage.

    ¡°When have I gone back on my word? When I first asked you for five-hundred thousand, don¡¯t tell me that your family is so naive as to think that I¡¯ll only ask for the money once. Back then, I promised that if you pay me, I won¡¯t leak these photos to anyone. Tell me, besides you, have I ever shown these photos to anyone?¡± the person taunted, ¡°Besides, do you have a choice? Give me ten million, and I¡¯ll never contact you again. It¡¯ll be like nothing had happened before. Otherwise, you can enjoy seeing these photographs on the Inte next month.¡±

    The person hung up immediately after that.

    Mu Sisi flung her phone onto the floor. She grasped her hair and wailed.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu was finally done with her confinement period. Even though the confinement center had excellent facilities, a luxurious room, and delectable food, she was still restricted inside every single day. She could not bath or wash her hair either, so she felt filthy.

    When Qi Chengzhi came from work to apany her, she was too embarrassed to let him hug her. Qi Chengzhi was clean and fresh, and his body emitted a pleasant scent. Song Yu, on the other hand, had smelly, oily, and dandruff-covered hair. She was terrified that Qi Chengzhi might be disgusted with her. Her body was covered in filth since she had not bathed in a month.

    The only thing that made her feel better was the fact that Qi Chengzhi was persistent with rubbing essential oil and firming lotion on her when she was pregnant. As a result, there were no stretch marks on her belly, and her skin was still firm even after she gave birth.

    When it was thest day of her confinement period, Song Yu could not wait until she reached home. She immediately took a bath at the confinement center and thoroughly cleaned herself from head-to-toe.

    When Qi Chengzhi got off work in the afternoon, he came by the confinement center to pick up Song Yu. However, when he reached her room, only Yu Qianying and Little Youjin were there.

    ¡°Song Yu is taking a bath. She finally pulled through a month of confinement, so she couldn¡¯t wait until she goes home,¡± Yu Qianying exined.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded. His gaze subtly shifted toward the washroom door even though he did not move from his spot. There was no emotion on his handsome face, but Yu Qianying could tell that he wanted to go in.

    Since she had Little Youjin in her arms, Yu Qianying felt exceedingly awkward. Just as she started to think of an excuse to leave the room, Little Youjin began to cry.

    Yu Qianying quickly took a whiff at his little buttocks and said, ¡°Ugh, I think he pooped. I¡¯ll go change his diaper.¡±

    As she talked, she left swiftly with Qi Youjin.

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Yu Qianying as she scurried away. Only then did he lift his long legs and strode toward the bathroom. The moment he pushed the door open, he was stunned.

    Song Yu stood in the bathtub, but she was ready to step out of it. She had washed herself carefully. Her long, wet hair pasted against her fair skin, and her pale skin was half-hidden under her hair. Her chalk-whiteplexion shone in contrast to her ck hair. Beads of water slowly trickled down her skin along her body¡¯s beautiful curves. The alluring sight made Qi Chengzhi hard.

    Song Yu was bewildered. She knew that Qi Chengzhi would arrive soon, so she decided to step out of the bath quickly. She did not expect that he would barge into the washroom like that, especially since Yu Qianying was there. She thought that he would be too shy to go into the washroom.

    She reached for her towel hastily, as she wanted to wrap herself in it. Even though there were no stretch marks on her belly, she did not feel confident with how her body looked. After all, she just gave birth, so she still had a little tummy. It did not protrude, but it was no longer as t as before.

    Qi Chengzhi finally snapped out of his reverie. He shut the door behind him and strode toward Song Yu with his long legs. As he stood in front of her, he reached out with his long arms. Then he pulled her into his embrace.

    Song Yu did not have time to tie the towel, so it was sandwiched between them, and it revealed Song Yu¡¯s bare back. He ced his warm hands on her naked skin, and the heat spread throughout her body. Even her lower abdomen got a little warmer.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long fingers slithered downward from her waist. Song Yu was inmed, and her body trembled. ¡°Is my mom not here?¡±

    ¡°She went to change Youjin¡¯s diaper,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in his smoky voice as he stared passionately into her eyes. He was aroused intensely.

    Song Yu¡¯s body trembled. She was puzzled. Her figure was no longer the same as before since she had just given birth, so how could he still be enticed?

    Just as Song Yu contemted with a flushed face, Qi Chengzhi asked, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve bathed, is the lochia gone?¡±

    Song Yu looked down as she was afraid to look at him. Qi Chengzhi noticed that even her neck was red. The alluring color made him yearn to kiss her. Song Yu nodded her head gently and murmured, ¡°Mmm.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart was on fire. His muscr arms tightened around her. He could no longer restrain himself, so he put his lips on her earlobe and then worked his way down to her warm, red neck.

    There were still some droplets of water on her neck, and she had a refreshing after-shower scent on her. Her skin was so soft and tender, and it caused Qi Chengzhi¡¯s breath to tremble.

    ¡°Mom should be back soon,¡± Song Yu mumbled, ¡°It¡¯d be so humiliating if she finds us.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi inhaled sharply and let go of her slowly. ¡°You can go out first.¡±

    Song Yu looked up at him in bemusement. She noticed that his expression was a little off. Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows at her, and only then did Song Yu get the message. Her gaze involuntarily fell downward. When she saw therge bulge in his pants, Song Yu quickly wrapped the towel around her, grabbed her clothes, and went out of the washroom.

    Yu Qianying had already changed Little Youjin¡¯s diaper. She tried to coax him on the sofa with a luby.

    Song Yu came out in a towel, but Qi Chengzhi was nowhere to be seen, so Yu Qianying asked her about it.

    ¡°He¡ª¡± Song Yu turned her back at Yu Qianying awkwardly. Once she had gotten dressed, she continued, ¡°He¡¯s inside... uh... using the toilet.¡±

    Masturbation could be considered as ¡®using the toilet,¡¯ right?

    Yu Qianying could guess what had happened, so she did not pursue the matter any further.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi sent Yu Qianying home and stayed at the Song family¡¯s house for a while to let Song Donglin and Yu Qianying bond with their grandson. After that, he brought Song Yu and Little Youjin back to the old mansion.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes dazzled the second she saw Little Youjin. ¡°Hey, hurry up and let me see my great-grandson.¡±

    ¡°You guys came at the right time. We are just discussing Youjin¡¯s baby shower,¡± Xia Wenna said. She could not help but leaned over to see her grandson too.

    After a month, the little boy¡¯s features had started to grow, and he looked much more attractive than when he was a newborn. His tiny face did not have a yellow tint anymore, but instead, it was fair and white. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu both had fair skin, so naturally, Little Youjin¡¯s skin was great too.

    At that moment, the little boy¡¯s eyes opened. He looked at all the elders curiously. His eyes were especially alert.

    ¡°Wow, Youxuan¡¯s eyes were just as huge when he was younger.¡± Grandmother Qi recalled fondly.

    It was Friday, so Qi Youxuan was still at school, and the men were still at work. Only Qi Chengzhi had pushed his evening schedule to send Song Yu home.

    Song Yu noticed that the house was much quieter without Qi Youxuan.

    When Song Yu was still at the confinement center, Xia Wenna would discuss Little Youjin¡¯s baby shower with Yu Qianying whenever she visited. Everything had been set, and they decided to hold it on Sunday.

    They did not invite many guests to the baby shower, and all of the guests were part of The Eight Great Families. It was nothing like Qi Chengyue¡¯s wedding, where they had a moreprehensive list of guests.

    ¡°We have sent out the invitation cards.¡± Guan Liya revealed, ¡°We did not invite too many guests, so we only booked a small hall in Dynasty. On Sunday, we will disy a bigger one.¡±

    Grandmother Qi grinned from ear to ear as she held Little Youjin in her arm. She held onto his tiny hand, unwilling to let go. She loved him dearly. ¡°I already went to the jewelry shop and had a gold bracelet and charm made for him. Please let Youjin wear all of them on Sunday.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t hog him like that. Let me hold him too.¡± Grandfather Qi red impatiently from her side.

    ¡°Hold on.¡± Grandmother Qi refused to let go. ¡°Let us bond a little longer.¡±

    Grandfather Qi red at her. In a hoarse voice, he fumed, ¡°Is he only your great-grandson? Isn¡¯t he mine too?¡±

    The two elders fought over him for a long time. In the end, Xia Wenna, who was the grandmother of the child, did not get to hold her grandson. She could only watch from the sidelines, afraid to fight for him with the two elders.

    Somehow, Qi Youxuan caught wind of Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s visit to the old mansion too. He secretly made a call back to the old mansion from his kindergarten, with a request to return home earlier. He insisted on Xiao Fan to pick him up.

    Grandmother Qi advised against it, but she could not talk him out of it. He was so young, and yet he was already so stubborn. Everyone wondered how he would turn out in the future.

    Grandfather Qi snatched the phone from her. Irritated, he scolded, ¡°Qi Youxuan, do you have any discipline? You can¡¯t just leave early or whenever you wanted. If you abuse your privileges like this when you are young, it will be a habit and stick with you even after you be an adult!¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted as he held the phone. ¡°I want to see my little brother!¡±

    Grandfather Qi groaned and calmed his emotions. ¡°Be a good boy, and stay at your kindergarten obediently. You¡¯re forbidden to leave early on your own ord. You can still see your little brother after school ends.¡±

    ¡°Won¡¯t Auntie and Uncle have left by then?¡± Qi Youxuan shouted anxiously, and Song Yu overheard him from beside the phone.

    So, she asked Grandfather Qi to hand her the phone so that she could assure Qi Youxuan. ¡°Youxuan, it¡¯s me, Auntie. We will stay for dinner tonight, so you¡¯ll see him when youe home from school.¡±

    When he heard that, Qi Youxuan was finally somewhat satisfied. So, he hung up the phone.

    Nheless, Grandmother Qi was still troubled. Qi Youxuan, the little brat, was full of devious schemes. Sometimes, it was as if the boy truly feared no one. Grandmother Qi was afraid that although he made a promise, he might secretly make his own way home. Therefore, she quicklymanded Xiao Fan to be on a lookout in front of his kindergarten.

    At four in the evening, Xiao Fan sent Qi Youxuan to the old mansion.

    Before anyone saw him, they could already hear his booming voice as he screamed, ¡°Where¡¯s my little brother?¡±

    ¡°Shush.¡± Guan Liya instructed Qi Youxuan to lower his voice. ¡°Youjin just fell asleep. Keep it down, so you don¡¯t disturb him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan shut up instantly. He widened hisrge, round eyes, and his pupils darted around. He looked exceedingly adorable.

    He whispered, ¡°Where¡¯s my little brother?¡±

    ¡°Over here.¡± Grandmother Qi waved at him and pointed at the cradle beside the sofa.

    Grandmother Qi purposely requested Xia Wenna to buy the cradle from the mall. Grandmother Qi wanted to have one at the old mansion so that whenever Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu brought Little Youjin over, he would have a ce to sleep. Additionally, the adults could sit and chat as they kept their eyes on him. That way, it would not cause any inconvenience to anyone.

    The railings on the crib were as tall as Qi Youxuan. He stood beside it with his hands on the rail as he watched Little Youjin, who was sound asleep. Qi Youxuan¡¯s heart was filled with eagerness.

    ¡°Little Brother, you must grow up quickly. Then, I will bring you out to y.¡± Qi Youxuan was usually alone at home, so he was quite lonely.

    Song Yu¡¯s gaze softened as she watched Qi Youxuan. She patted his head. He had hair wax on again, and it felt sharp and pointy. ¡°You cane to our house anytime to see Youjin. I¡¯m not working anymore, so I¡¯ll be free, even in the day. I¡¯ll be at home most of the time, and you can ask your father to bring you over on weekends too. Children grow up very fast. In the blink of an eye, Youjin will be able to run and jump and y with you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Qi Youjin expectantly. His big, dark eyes sparkled. One of his chubby arms reached into the cradle through the bars and held Qi Youjin¡¯s tiny hand. ¡°Little Brother, grow up quickly. I¡¯ll introduce cute little girls to you.¡±

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    After that, Qi Youxuan stayed by the cradle the whole time he was there. He watched as Little Youjin slept soundly. Qi Youxuan mumbled to Little Youjin in an exceptionally low voice, as if he was talking to himself. He was afraid he would disturb Little Youjin.

    Finally, Little Youjin woke up. As he opened his big, ck eyes, he saw his little older brother in front of him. Qi Youxuan was overjoyed.

    Suddenly, Qi Youxuan studied Little Youjin carefully with a troubled expression. After a long time, he finally said, ¡°I wonder how high will Little Brother¡¯s IQ be when he grows up.¡±

    ¡°Do you still think you have a high IQ?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked. He felt like his son had just been looked down upon by that plump little child.

    Qi Youxuan nced at Qi Chengzhi from afar, then pointed out bashfully, ¡°Is that not the truth? Great-grandma and Grandma always say that I¡¯m bing more and more like Dad and Uncle.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi chuckled. ¡°Do you still want to be friends with Youjin?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had their dinner at the old mansion, and they returned home with Little Youjin after that. Qi Chengli also brought Qi Youxuan home even though he was reluctant to leave. He wanted to go back with Qi Chengzhi.

    When they reached home, they decided to let Aunt Yang care for Little Youjin for a little while. Besides breast milk, they had also prepared form milk for Little Youjin.

    The second they entered the bedroom, Song Yu fell onto the bed. She rubbed her face against the soft,fortable bed. ¡°The bed at home is the best. I missed home so much when I was at the confinement center.¡±

    As she sprawled on the bed, she suddenly felt pressured. Even though Qi Chengzhi did not make a sound, she could still feel him as he went closer to her. She felt the atmosphere in the room shifted.

    Song Yu swallowed nervously. Her breathing was all over the ce. She kept still, and she did not move an inch. She even held her breath. She felt something pressed down the edge of the bed, where her legs were. His presence drew closer and closer.

    His hot breath blew on her ear, and that made her tremor vigorously. Heid on his back and squeezed her into his embrace. She felt his warm lips leaned toward her ear. In his husky and intoxicating voice, he said, ¡°I missed it a lot too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed. She instantly turned her face away. Her hands sped onto the nket subconsciously. Suddenly, she felt his long fingers as they gently tucked away her hair. His fingertips brushed across the tender and sensitive back of her neck, and that sent a shiver down her spine.

    Immediately after, she felt his warm lips on the back of her neck. His lips ground against her skin and worked their way to the side at a tormenting pace. Finally, he worked his way up to her ear and rubbed his lips against her earlobe.

    As his sizzling lips ground against her earlobe, Song Yu felt as if she was on fire. His smoky voice echoed right beside her ear, ¡°Show me your face.¡±

    Song Yu trembled, but she turned her head coyly. The minute she revealed her face, Qi Chengzhi kissed her. His warm palm slid onto the small of her back, and gradually stripped off her clothes. Then he flipped her around.

    Song Yu tried to resist as she still had a little tummy. However, Qi Chengzhi stopped her. He pressed his fiery palm onto her lower abdomen. In a hoarse voice, he said, ¡°It¡¯s soft.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t look good now,¡± Song Yu mumbled as she pressed her forehead against his neck. She felt a little embarrassed.

    He was still as fit as ever. Even if he did not have a charming face, his six-pack abs would have made hundreds of women drool. Her, on the other hand, did not even have a visible waistline. Her body was shaped like a bucket. It was even soft and bby.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s palm rested on Song Yu¡¯s abdomen. He pecked her lips tenderly and murmured, ¡°I think you look great. You¡¯re my wife. You look like this for now because you just gave birth to my child, but I think you look gorgeous. As I look at and feel your stomach, it reminds me of much youbored to carry my child and give birth to my child. I¡¯m immensely grateful. There is no oneparable to you.¡±

    Footnotes:

 Chapter 293 - Ending 20: The Photos Were Leaked

    <h4>Chapter 293: Ending 20: The Photos Were Leaked</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s palm stopped on Song Yu¡¯s abdomen. He pecked her lips tenderly and murmured, ¡°I think you look great. You¡¯re my wife¡ªyou¡¯re only looking like this now because you just gave birth to my child. I think you look gorgeous. As I look at and feel your stomach, I¡¯m reminded of how much youbored to carry my child and give birth to him. I¡¯m immensely grateful. No one can bepared to you.¡±

    He took Song Yu¡¯s hand and ced it on his stomach. Her palm happened to cover the scar on his abdomen entirely.

    ¡°Do you think this part of me is ugly?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked quietly.

    Song Yu shook her head immediately. She did not think it looked ugly¡ªit only made her heart ache. Every time she saw the scar, it reminded her of the crime done against him. The scar had tainted such a perfect man, and her heart wrenched in pain each time she saw it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t mind my scar, so why would I think your figure isn¡¯t beautiful?¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled. His lips suddenly curled up into a naughty smirk. He grabbed her hands and moved down. ¡°Do you think this is a reaction of a man who dislikes your body?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face flushed red and she trembled vigorously. Nevertheless, she was relieved and smiled faintly.

    Seeing Song Yu¡¯s blushing cheeks and delicate appearance, Qi Chengzhi was fervently aroused. He kissed and sucked her. The second he prated her, a look of satisfaction spread across his face, making Song Yu extremely bashful.

    ...

    ...

    It was Sunday, the day when little Youjin¡¯s baby shower was held. Although it was slightly after a month from his birth, this tradition was not something they could just skip over.

    Qi Youxuan was wearing a suit. Dressed handsomely, he stood at the entrance collecting red packets from the guests. His extreme eagerness embarrassed the entire Qi family.

    ¡°Do you think there¡¯s something wrong with our family¡¯s education method, making Youxuan act as if he¡¯s never seen money before? He¡¯s so avaricious.¡± Grandmother Qi could not stand it. She started to question whether they were too strict with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Well... he¡¯s never short of anything¡ªhe has everything. Even though we don¡¯t give him too much pocket money, it¡¯s still enough for a kid like him to spend.¡± Gaun Liya did not know where they went wrong either. She watched as Qi Youxuan extended his arms to ask for a red packet from Han Zhuoli.

    It was not only Han Zhuoli¡ªhe did not let any guests who came to slip away. The saying that one person represented the whole family was clearly inurate.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Chenglin? Hurry up and let him bring Youxuan away.¡± Grandfather Qi could not watch any longer. Qi Youxuan was making others think the Qi family mistreated the child.

    Guan Liya looked around. Only then did she notice that Qi Chenglin had disappeared. She did not know where he went.

    ...

    ...

    While the Qi family was having Qi Youjin¡¯s baby shower joyously, a scrawny man with a fully tattooed face appeared in the airport.

    He was holding his passport and a flight ticket. 11 million yuan was stored in the card he had.

    As he was lining up to go through security, a hand suddenly patted his left shoulder. He turned his head and was met with a police officer standing in front of him. At the same time, another police officer blocked him on the right.

    ¡°Zhang Zhenlong, you¡¯re suspected of extortion. Pleasee with us,¡± Liu Dui ordered while clutching onto his shoulder.

    Zhang Zhenlong looked at them anxiously¡ªhe knew that he could not escape. He was dragged away by Liu Dui.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Huaisheng got a call from Liu Dui. He and Mu Sisi were requested to head down to the police station to identify the suspect.

    Thus, the whole Mu family rushed down to the police station.

    ¡°Liu Dui, thank you so much for this,¡± thanked Mu Huili.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. It¡¯s our duty to do so after all.¡± Liu Dui shook hands with Mu Huili then brought them in front of a one-way mirror so that they could see Zhang Zhenlong clearly in the interrogation room.

    ¡°It¡¯s him?¡± Mu Sisi was not confident¡ªafter all, the security footage from the bar was quite blurry. Mu Sisi could recall that night but she had trouble remembering Zhang Zhenlong¡¯s appearance.

    She looked at him from another angle. His side profile looked quite simr.

    ¡°You can¡¯t even remember this?¡± Mu Huili questioned.

    Mu Sisi turned away. She clenched her teeth and kept silent out of embarrassment.

    ¡°Besides the bar¡¯s security footage, we¡¯ve checked with the receptionist at the hotel Mr. Mu suggested. The receptionist had confirmed that the man who brought Miss Mu to the hotel and used her identity card to rent a room was indeed him,¡± Liu Dui exined. He then continued, ¡°The two hotel employees are next door right now. We also found a bank card on him that had 11 million yuan stored in it. That¡¯s almost the same as the amount you have given him up till now.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s this person?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked.

    ¡°His name is Zhang Zhenlong, an unemployed vagrant. He goes around doing odd jobs. He¡¯d do anything as long as there¡¯s money in it. He frequents bars and ces like that. ording to our investigation into his background, he had sold cars in ck markets, watched for fraud in an underground casino and was even the manager of a pornographic website. He had also taken the lead to be a middleman in the illegal selling of drugs banned from the market. The drug used on Miss Mu is one of the most popr products on ck markets,¡± Liu Dui expounded.

    Mu Sisi trembled with anger. She stared at Zhang Zhenlong furiously¡ªhe was the man who destroyed her life and harassed her at that time!

    As Mu Sisi stared into the mirror, she felt as if Zhang Zhenlong could see her. He turned her way abruptly. Although Mu Sisi knew it was a one-way mirror where only the people from outside can look in while the people from inside could not, she still stumbled backward and shivered in fear when Zhang Zhenlong¡¯s gaze fell on her. She hid behind Mu Huisheng, afraid to let Zhang Zhenlong see her.

    Moreover, she could not bear looking at his face. It made her feel disgusted.

    After that, she saw Zhang Zhenlong turn away and nced at his wristwatch. He looked up again and said something to the officers interrogating him.

    Then, one of the police officers stood up and walked into the room they were in.

    ¡°Zhang Zhenlong said to ask you all to check yourpany¡¯s inbox,¡± the police who came in reported.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s expression shifted instantly. Mu Huaisheng speedily took out his phone and logged into thepany¡¯s inbox. It was thepany¡¯s internal inbox but it was not hard to find if one wanted to.

    Just as he logged in, he saw that one of the eye-catching titles was ¡®MU. Precious Daughter¡¯s Sex Photos¡¯.

    He noticed that the mail was sent to a mass of recipients, not just him and Mu Huili. Even the department managers and a majority of the staff members in thepany have received the mail.

    Mu Huaisheng knew there were ways to get his email address but he was clueless as to how Zhang Zhenlong managed to get the email address of so many of their employees. Even though the suffixes of the email addresses were the same, the prefixes were all chosen by the employees themselves. He could not have just guessed blindly.

    He saw that the time received was four minutes ago.

    Mu Huaisheng clicked into it. Under the title, it was written, [Lady from the notable Mu family, Mu Sisi¡¯s top-secret, non-censured sex photos. Thedy that appears perfect and innocent by day is secretly a slut! Those interested to see the photos, click here to download. There¡¯s even a videoing soon.]

    Mu Huaisheng could only delete the mail he received but could not do anything about the others. Mu Sisi was watching from the side. Her face waspletely ashen.

    ¡°Everyone... saw it...¡± Mu Sisi uttered. She was horror-stricken.

    Immediately after, they heard the notification for new mail. Mu Huaisheng looked at the new mail and saw that it was the video mentioned in the previous mail.

    ¡°How... How did this happen...¡± Mu Sisi bolted to the mirror and pounded on it with her fists. ¡°You lied to me! You promised that you won¡¯t leak those photos as long as I pay you 10 million! B*stard, you tricked me! I gave you the money, you *sshole! I¡¯ll kill you! I¡¯ll kill you!¡±

    The police officer and Mu Huili hastily held Mu Sisi back. Mu Huili scolded, ¡°What nonsense are you spitting here?!¡±

    Just then, the other officer in the interrogation room came out too.

    Seeing the chaos in the room, he staggered for a while then recapitted Zhang Zhenlong¡¯s words. ¡°Zhang Zhenlong said that he set a specific time for the email to be sent. If he didn¡¯t cancel it before the scheduled time, it would mean that something happened to him. In that case, the documents will all be sent out to the list of people he mentioned before.¡±

    ¡°What list of people?¡± Liu Dui¡¯s eyes darted to Mu Huaisheng in a sh.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression was dark. Just as he was about to answer, Mu Huili¡¯s phone rang. He took out his phone and saw that it was Gao Shenghe calling. His heart dropped.

    Mu Huili answered the phone right away. He greetedposedly, ¡°Lao Gao.¡±

    ¡°Director Mu, what¡¯s going on with Mu Sisi¡¯s photos?¡± Gao Shenghe¡¯s wrathful voice sounded on the phone.

    ¡°Lao Gau, I can¡¯t talk right now. I¡¯ll meet you at once and exin the situation face-to-face,¡± Mu Huili answered.

    ¡°Meet me? There¡¯s a crowd of reporters gathered in front of ourpany. How are you supposed to meet me? Mu Sisi¡¯s photos were sent to me, Jingqiu, and even the employees of thepany. Now the whole world knows that us, the Gao family, had brought a slut into our family!¡± Gao Shenghe yelled furiously.

    ¡°Director Gao, this is all a misunderstanding¡ª¡± Mu Huili red at Mu Sisi. If she had not caused such a huge mess for the family, he would not have to be so courteous with Gao Shenghe.

    Mu Huaisheng stepped toward a corner of the room. His sentence was instantly cut off by Gao Shenghe. ¡°Misunderstanding? Director Mu, from your tone, I don¡¯t think you sound surprised at all. Your family had long known about Mu Sisi¡¯s despicable actions, right?¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not true. We have just found out about it too. We¡ª¡± Mu Huili argued slightly sheepishly.

    ¡°You just found out? Mu Huili, do you think I¡¯m an idiot? How dare you take advantage of my family like this! The two children have just met yet you all were so impatient to let them get married. Mu Sisi clearly loved Qi Chengzhi very much yet she still agreed to marry Qingqiu. Do you think you can just find a random man to be the father of the bastard child in her stomach? Your daughter¡¯s out of control! Don¡¯t drag others down too!¡± Gao Shenghe condemned angrily.

    ¡°Director Gao, you¡¯re going too far. This is truly a misunderstanding. My daughter was a victim¡ªshe didn¡¯t want this either. We¡¯ll meet with the Gao family face-to-face and rify everything. However, Mu Sisi isn¡¯t a wild child!¡± Mu Huili scowled.

    ¡°Fine. We¡¯re reasonable people, so since you imed this is a misunderstanding, I¡¯ll give you a chance to exin yourself. Come to our house tonight and exin it all clearly!¡± Having said that, Gao Shenghe hung up the phone without saying goodbye.

    Mu Huili¡¯s face was twisted with rage yet he restrained himself.

    On the other end, Mu Huaisheng had finished discussing the matter with Liu Dui. Since the photos have been leaked and Zhang Zhenlong had admitted to it himself, the evidence was conclusive. The police had nothing more to do with this. Mu Huaisheng needed to rush back to MU. to deal with the photos.

    ¡°You should go home with Mom first. After an incident like this, you shouldn¡¯t go to thepany for now,¡± Mu Huaisheng advised in a low voice.

    Mu Sisi was wailing non-stop. Shetched on to Fang Anci, seekingfort from her. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m done... I¡¯m done...¡±

    Fang Anci¡¯s mind was a mess. Merely the thought of their situation with the Gao family had made her panic and distressed. She was in no mood tofort Mu Sisi.

    Mu Huaisheng hurried back to thepany while Fang Anci brought Mu Sisi home.

    When the car stopped outside their building, Mu Sisi and Fang Anci saw a horde of reporters gathered at the entrance downstairs. All of them had somehow received the news¡ªit spread like wildfire.

    Mu Sisi wanted to hide in the car but it was toote. The reporters swarmed toward the car and surrounded it. There was no escape.

    Cameras, video cameras, and microphones were all pressed against the car windows. Even their faces were only inches away from the windows. They banged on the car doors and windows constantly. Mu Sisi could not take it anymore¡ªshe lowered her head and pulled at her hair.

    ¡°Mom, make them go away. Please make them go away. I don¡¯t want to get out! I don¡¯t want to!¡± Mu Sisi covered her face with her hair. Nheless, she could still feel the camera¡¯s shing lights shining in through the window.

    ¡°You should just go out¡ªyou¡¯ll have to do it eventually. Do you want to stay in the car forever?¡± Seeing Mu Sisi like this, Fang Anci¡¯s heart thawed. She pulled Mu Sisi into her embrace and gently patted her back,forting her. ¡°Now that it¡¯se to this, we have no choice but to go out and face it. This will pass. There¡¯s nothing in the world that can¡¯t be ovee. If you push past this hurdle today, things will get easierter.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t, Mom, I can¡¯t. I despise that man! I hate him! He ruined me!¡± Mu Sisi cried and shook her head vigorously, pulling at her own hair. ¡°The people outside are only here to ridicule me! I¡¯m done... If they see me... if they see me...¡±

    Mu Sisi cried so hard she was choking. Her tears flowed like a river. She looked as if she had gone crazy.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look at them.¡± Fang Anci produced a pack of tissues from her bag and wiped Mu Sisi¡¯s tears away. ¡°When we go out, just close your eyes.¡±

    ¡°Mom, it¡¯s possible that everyone on the has seen me like that. Those pictures... Do you know how disgusting they are? I only acted that way because I thought he was Qi Chengzhi. Everyone has seen me in those pictures... I really want to kill him. Then, I¡¯ll hide away alone. I don¡¯t want to see anyone,¡± Mu Sisi wailed. ¡°I¡¯m going to go insane. I¡¯m really going insane!¡±

    Seeing Mu Sisi like this, Fang Anci could only sigh.

    She pondered upon their situation for a while, then took out her phone and called the management of the building. She requested for their security team to drive away the reporters or at least get them away from the car door.

    Meanwhile, Fang Anci and Mu Sisi could only hide in the car. The reporters outside were banging on the car windows. In the shelter of the car, they could still hear the ruckus they were making outside.

    The reporters started pushing and shoving, making the car rock side-to-side.

    The car window was so crowded that not even a ray of light could pass into the car. Those who could not seize a ce by the side windows even climbed onto the car and surrounded the front and rear windshield, taking pictures of Mu Sisi who was bawling her eyes out.

    ¡°What do they want? Make them go away! Make them all go away! Stop taking pictures of me! Stop it!¡± Mu Sisi screamed. She turned around to see those savage reporters who only cared aboutpeting for scoops. She was going to lose it.

    ¡°Mom, remember these people! I want to make them lose their job in this field forever!¡± Mu Sisi shrieked furiously.

    Fang Anci could only sigh helplessly¡ªshe was still so capricious even in a situation like this. She was already an adult, yet her thinking was still so childish.

    However, seeing Mu Sisi¡¯s situation now, Fang Anci refrained from saying anything.

    Finally, the security team arrived and hurriedly pushed the reporters away. However, there were too many reporters and too few security guards¡ªit wasplete pandemonium. As they blocked off the reporters on one side, the ones from another side took the chance and rushed toward the car again. Nheless, it was much better than before. A security guard swiftly called for backup through his walkie-talkie.

 Chapter 294 - Ending 21: Put the Bite on Us

    <h4>Chapter 294: Ending 21: Put the Bite on Us</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At that time, the security guards arrived and hurriedly pushed the reporters away. However, there were too many reporters and too few security guards¡ªit wasplete pandemonium. As they blocked off the reporters on one side, the ones from another side took the chance and rushed toward the car again. Still, the situation was much better than before. A security guard swiftly called for backup through his walkie-talkie.

    In the end, the security guards could only surround the car and were barely able to prevent the reporters from going near it.

    Fang Anci grabbed onto Mu Sisi¡¯s arm and said to her, ¡°Let¡¯s go, we should seize the chance to hurry back home now. You can hide in the house for as long as you wish after we enter the house. We can¡¯t hide in the car for our whole lives.¡±

    Fang Anci shielded Mu Sisi as they got out of the car. The reporters rushed toward them immediately while the security guards tried to prevent them from being pushed and trampled on in the havoc. Still, they were unable to stop the reporters from dashing forward desperately.

    ¡°Miss Mu, who was the man in the photo? Was it your husband Mr. Gao?¡±

    ¡°But Miss Mu, ording to rumors, the ce of the incident in the photos is in a budget chain hotel. Mr. Gao and youe from prestigious families and wouldn¡¯t choose such a cheap hotel supposedly. Could it be that the guy wasn¡¯t your husband Mr. Gao?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, when did this incident happen? Before or after your wedding?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, was that the reason you suddenly married Mr. Gao at the spur of the moment?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, did Mr. Gao know about this before the wedding?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, was the Mu Family aware of it? If they were aware of it, were they deliberately hiding it from the Gao family?¡±

    ¡°Stop talking about it. The situation was different from what you¡¯re all saying. No!¡± Mu Sisi suddenly red fiercely at the reporters who were questioning her.

    ¡°What really happened then? Please exin to us for a while,¡± asked a reporter who seized the opportunity immediately.

    ¡°Get lost! All of you, get lost!¡± shouted Mu Sisi hysterically. ¡°Get lost, don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go back home!¡± Fang Anci hurriedly dragged Mu Sisi into the building and stopped her from being pestered by the reporters. At this juncture, any words uttered by her would most probably be interpreted wrongly.

    The reporters still took the opportunity to snap pictures of Mu Sisi incessantly.

    Fang Anci managed to drag Mu Sisi into the house with great difficulty. Mu Sisi went into her bedroom and locked herself in it. She did not answer the door when Fang Anci knocked at it.

    Fang Anci sighed heavily and went to the living room. She called Gao Jingqiu but he did not pick up the call.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu was busy preparing for Little Youjin¡¯s full moon celebration and did not take note of this kind of news. They felt quite tired after they brought Little Youjin back home after the banquet.

    During the banquet, Yan Beicheng and the others tried to give drinks to Qi Chengzhi under the table. They told him that his child was born and he no longer needed to abstain from smoking and drinking. He had no excuses to decline their requests.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mood was extremely good, so he did not refuse their requests when they urged him to drink more. As a result, he was a little euphoric after he was home. He rested on the bed right after he reached home and switched on the television. He was switching the channels absent-mindedly.

    Fortunately, this guy could still behave well after he was drunk and was aware of his limits. Although he drank a lot of alcohol, the volume was not too excessive. He could even remain sober and control himself. He did not talk much andid on the bed alone in silence.

    Song Yu remembered that she saw him in a few dinners before, and when others were behaving repulsively after they were drunk, he was still behaving gracefully with impable manners.

    Aunt Yang gave a ss of honey lemon water to Qi Chengzhi to relieve the effects of the alcohol. Song Yu was sitting beside Qi Chengzhi, coaxing Little Youjin into sleeping.

    ¡°Let me coax him, you get some rest.¡± Qi Chengzhi pushed Song Yu¡¯s hair which was hanging beside her ears to behind her ears and proceeded to carry Little Youjin in his arms.

    ¡°You were busy for the whole day, I¡¯m not tired yet. Besides, it¡¯s not tiring to coax him,¡± insisted Song Yu. ¡°You¡¯ve been taking care of Youjin these few nights so that I could sleep well. You should have some proper rest since you drank quite a lot of alcohol today.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled at her. He was still not drowsy even though he was tipsy¡ªit was the optimum level of insobriety. He started to caress Song Yu¡¯s hair softly and gazed at her as she lowered her head to coax Little Youjin into sleeping.

    After a while, Song Yu adjusted her posture to lie in his arms and watched the television with him.

    Qi Chengzhi simply switched the channels constantly, but he stopped when he switched to a channel that was broadcasting news. In the footage showing a chaotic scene, a group of reporters were surrounding two women.

    ¡°Stop talking about it. The situation was different from what you¡¯re all saying. No!¡± A sharp female sound could be heard from the speaker of the television and they saw Mu Sisi¡¯s deranged face shortly after.

    They found out the things that had happened to Mu Sisi from the news report.

    Qi Chengzhi immediately took theptop on the bedside cab and searched for information about the incident on the inte. After that, he called Lawyer Song and asked him to prepare the security footage of the pub. Then, he called Chang Lai and asked him to go to the budget chain-hotel to make a copy of that night¡¯s security footage.

    ...

    ...

    At that night, Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng went to the Gao family¡¯s house. They let Fang Anci keep Mu Sisipany at home to prevent her from doing anything dangerous.

    The members of the Gao Family were sitting in a row with stony expressions. Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng sat opposite to them.

    ¡°You said you wanted to exin to us on the phone, what do you need to exin? Please tell us,¡± said Gao Shenghe with a frigid expression.

    ¡°Director Gao, we were truly unaware of that incident. We only found out about it today when we received the same mail as you. Although I sounded calm on the phone, I was extremely mad. However, I shouldn¡¯t vent my anger on you when I was talking to you, right? Before you called us, we asked Sisi about it and she admitted it. In reality... she was drugged by someone...¡± Mu Huili gave a heavy sigh and lowered his head like he was embarrassed to look at the members of the Gao family.

    ¡°Inws, Jingqiu, our family had wronged your family in this matter, we had involved you all in this incident and brought troubles to your family. We know that Jingqiu had to bear a huge amount of stress due to it. This trouble was caused by Sisi, so please just tell us what we could do to make you all feel better and less angry,¡± Mu Huili could only talk in such a submissive way.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve married her, we hope that Jingqiu could pull through this difficult situation with Sisi,¡± said Mu Huaisheng indifferently. ¡°If both of you could face it together, the public opinion will incline toward sympathizing you both in time. It would then be beneficial toward the reputation of the Gao family and thepanies owned by your family. There was a simr incident before¡ªthe wife of a male star had the same experience, but the star gained praises and support from the masses because he supported his wife. If your family could handle this matter well, Jingqiu would benefit from it.¡±

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean Sisi won¡¯t be responsible for it anymore, but the matter had already be known to the public. We could only think about ways to solve it and turn the situation around so that we could be in a more favorable position as the matter progresses, right?¡± said Mu Huili gently.

    Gao Jingqiu pursed his lips. He then countered coldly with a furious and mean expression, ¡°I want to divorce her! We won¡¯t be associated with the Mu family anymore after a divorce, so we wouldn¡¯t need to rack our brains to find a way to protect our reputation. She was drugged? The guys who did this kind of thing were mostly filthy. Could it be that she was infected by some filthy disease or got pregnant? She wanted to marry me so that I could conveniently be that child¡¯s father?¡±

    Gao Jingqiu turned his head and said to Gao Shenghe, ¡°Dad, tomorrow I¡¯ll go to the hospital for a health checkup. I¡¯m already so unlucky, please don¡¯t let me catch some filthy diseases.¡±

    Mu Huili was clenching his teeth out of anger. ¡°She¡¯s not pregnant, so there¡¯s no need to be afraid. Besides, Sisi told me that she went for a health checkup at a hospital after the incident, and she was clear of all diseases.¡±

    Mu Huili dared not exin too much¡ªhe was worried that the Gao family might notice that they had known about the incident before today.

    ¡°Fuff!¡± Gao Jingqiu sneered. ¡°Who could be sure about this? Didn¡¯t you say that you all were unaware of her filthy affair? Since she hid it from you all once, she could hide other things from you all many more times. Why should I believe you all? I¡¯d surely divorce her no matter what!¡±

    Mu Huili had discussed with Mu Huaisheng before¡ªthey could never let him divorce Mu Sisi. Mu Sisi¡¯s whole life would be ruined if he divorced her and it would be detrimental to the Mu family.

    ¡°Jingqiu, please calm down, I don¡¯t wish to say it was Sisi¡¯s fault because she was a victim as well. However, we had involved your family in this incident, so we¡¯ll try our best topensate you all,¡± Mu Huili coaxed. ¡°Just tell me your conditions.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu narrowed his eyes and deduced that the Mu Family did not want a divorce, thus demanded, ¡°I know that you gave Mu Sisi eight shares of MU as dowry, and I want five shares. Then, we¡¯d be in the same boat. I wouldn¡¯t hope that MU suffer any losses, so I¡¯ll do my best to cooperate with you and help the Mu family to get through this crisis. I could also sessfully build an impression of Mu Sisi as a victim to gain society¡¯s sympathy so that she could pull herself together and continue with her life.¡±

    Mu Huili¡¯s face turned stern and stared at Gao Shenghe abruptly. He knew it was Gao Shenghe¡¯s idea for sure, that old fox!

    He came here with Mu Huaisheng expecting that the Gao family would put the bite on them, but he did not expect that they would ask for so much. Gao Jingqiu and his father were sure that Mu Sisi would not allow a divorce between her and Gao Jingqiu to happen now because her life would be ruined if she went through a divorce.

    ¡°You¡¯re my son-inw, the property that Sisi inherits in the future will be yours sooner orter. I wouldn¡¯t say no if you ask for shares, but five shares are too much,¡± said Mu Huili coldly. ¡°Three shares, I could only give you three shares. This is already a very good condition.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu pouted and replied to him indifferently, ¡°Four shares, this is my bottom line. Otherwise, I¡¯ll announce our divorce tomorrow. If the Mu Family oppose it, we could go through legal procedures and that would make things worse for the Mu family.¡±

    Mu Huili was clenching his teeth bitterly. He had to lose 4% of hispany¡¯s shares because of a trivial matter, but he had to agree with the condition.

    ¡°Alright, I promise you,¡± relented Mu Huili in a deep voice.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s ask awyer to prepare a contract. I¡¯d step forth to take on the burden together with Mu Sisi after we sign the contract and it goes into effect.¡± Gao Jingqiu leaned forward and took a box of cigarettes on the coffee table in front of him. He took out a cigarette from the box and lit it. He inhaled the cigarette smoke very happily and exhaled a cloud of smoke with a rxed expression.

    ...

    ...

    Fang Anci immediately asked them about the meeting after Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng went back home.

    Mu Huili did not answer her questions. He looked around the living hall and asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Sisi?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s in her bedroom. She locked herself in it since she was back, she doesn¡¯t even want to eat,¡± replied Fang Anci helplessly.

    ¡°It¡¯s no use crying over spilled milk. If she didn¡¯t behave like that at that time, how would she end up like this? She wouldn¡¯t need to marry Gao Jingqiu as a desperate measure and live an undesirable life. Even if she was too proud and don¡¯t want to get married, we wouldn¡¯t press her to marry someone if she was well-behaved. Is she satisfied with the situation now?¡± Mu Huili became more and more furious when he thought of the way he was mistreated by the Gao family and there were no ways to vent his anger.

    ¡°Our child was depressed enough, please don¡¯t talk about it anymore,¡± said Fang Anci and she heaved a sigh. Mu Huili was talking very loudly, and even though Mu Sisi had locked the door, she could hear what he said clearly.

    Sheid prone on her bed and furiously pounded at the mattress with her fists non-stop.

    ¡°Is she feeling depressed? I¡¯m more depressed than her¡ªthe Gao family took the opportunity to put a bite on us because they know that we¡¯d never let Gao Jingqiu divorce her. They went as far as to ask for four shares that belong to Sisi, and now we¡¯ll be in the same boat with the Gao family forever. Ourpany is doing great until now, but the Gao family would be taking part in it now. Do you think I¡¯m not depressed?¡± said Mu Huili furiously.

    ¡°What¡ª¡± Fang Anci was still startled by his words when the door of Mu Sisi¡¯s bedroom suddenly opened.

    Mu Sisi rushed toward them and said, ¡°Dad, what are you talking about? How could you give my shares to Gao Jingqiu?¡±

    ¡°What could be done if we refused to give him the shares? He was threatening to divorce you. Do you know the consequences if you divorce him? Even if you want to divorce him, you could do so in the future. You shouldn¡¯t do it now no matter what! If you divorce him, your life would be ruined,¡± replied Mu Huili harshly. How could Mu Sisi still unable to see the situation? Why did he have such a foolish daughter?

    ¡°But he doesn¡¯t love me at all and doesn¡¯t treat me well, how could he receive part of my property! Those are my shares, how could we let him take advantage of me?!¡± shrieked Mu Sisi. Everything that happened to her today was so unfortunate, and it felt like all the people in the world were setting themselves against her.

    ¡°Do you think I want that?¡± Mu Huili also spoke to her loudly. ¡°I was the one who gave you all those shares and frankly speaking, they belonged to me. However, I had to go and beg the Gao family humbly because of you and offered them the shares. Now you¡¯re talking to me like this? You¡¯re angry, so am I! You¡¯re only concerned about your property now, but why weren¡¯t you concerned about it when you were doing all those stupid things previously? If it weren¡¯t for you, our family wouldn¡¯t find it so difficult to grow in B City! Your brother was close to Qi Chengzhi at first, and we would¡¯ve expanded our business in B City smoothly with his help. In the end, Qi Chengzhi fell out with your brother because of you. Today is his child¡¯s full moon celebration and he didn¡¯t even invite us. If it weren¡¯t for you, we wouldn¡¯t be left out because of the friendship between him and your brother. You had done so many stupid and brainless things, now you still dare to argue with me? If you weren¡¯t so stubborn in turning your nose up at Gao Jingqiu and thought that you¡¯re very outstanding and capable on that night, you wouldn¡¯t have run away from home. How would you have encountered that incident then? If you behaved well, Gao Jingqiu may treat you better and the big problem today wouldn¡¯t have arisen. You¡¯re the cause of all the trouble, and you¡¯ve brought a lot of harm to our family. You¡¯re still not stopping now and want to continue causing trouble?¡±

    ¡°I also never hope for the situation like today! Don¡¯t you think that I¡¯m very sad? How could I see other people after this incident? I¡¯m clearly the victim and that b*stard deserves to die. Why are you ming me for everything that happened?¡± said Mu Sisi as she started to cry. She was falling apart.

    This was the moment that she needed the support of her family the most, but all of them could not understand her feelings and could not ce themselves in her shoes. She was heartbroken and her sadness made her feel like dying.

    Mu Huili stopped talking for a while, breathing heavily. ¡°Mu Sisi, you still think that you did nothing wrong until now. You think that you¡¯re the victim and the whole world let you down, isn¡¯t it? Looks like you haven¡¯t recognized your mistakes. Go back into your bedroom and reflect on it yourself properly. Don¡¯te out of your room until you¡¯ve recognized your mistakes!¡±

    Mu Sisi cried, aggrieved. She nced at her parents and Mu Huisheng and realized that no one was standing by her or pitying her. She clenched her teeth bitterly and turned around to go back to her room.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Mu Sisi¡¯s photos were spread on arge scale to the public. The house phone and the cell phones of everyone in the Mu family had not stopped ringing. Atst, they pulled out the telephone cable from its socket and switched off their cell phones since there was nothing else to be done.

    Fang Anci and Mu Sisi could do that easily, but Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng were working, and they had to register another phone number for temporary use.

    There was still arge group of reporters waiting outside of the Mu Family¡¯s house. They were changing shifts to keep a close watch on the house at the entrance of it. Even when Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng were leaving the house to go to work, their cars were surrounded by reporters. The crowd was imprable and they needed the help of the security guards again to leave the neighborhood with great difficulty. When they reached thepany, the security guards at thepany had to block the reporters so that they could get in thepany¡¯s building.

 Chapter 295 - Ending 22: Why Did He Come Here, Iâ€™m Not Going Back with Him!

    Chapter 295: Ending 22: Why Did He Come Here, I¡¯m Not Going Back with Him!

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Arge group of reporters waited outside of Mu family¡¯s home.

    They changed shifts to keep a close watch on the house, especially the entrance. When Mu Huili and Mu Huashing left for work, the reporters would surround their cars. It was a big crowd, and even with the security guards¡¯ help, they barely managed to leave the neighborhood. When they reached thepany, the security guards there had to block the reporters so that they could get into the building.

    All the staff in thepany had a copy of Mu Sisi¡¯s nude photos and film footage. None of them liked her as they could not bear her behavior, and all of them watched the video footage discreetly. Many took it as a way to exact their revenge on her, and some even used that as an excuse to satisfy their lust.

    Unfortunately, Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng did not have the authority to demand that they delete the video footage and photos. No one would listen to them anyway. Therefore, the photos and video footage spread like wildfire in their employees¡¯ social circles. Eventually, the footage fell into the hands of the reporters.

    Mu Sisi locked herself in the bedroom ever since she arrived home the night before that. She was afraid to face the reality of the circumstance, but at the same time, she could not refrain from keeping up-to-date with the situation.

    It was dark in the house. Her father had closed all the curtains because he was worried that the reporters could take photos of her.

    Finally, she took the tablet that was on her table and searched for some keywords on the Inte. The search results showed a lot ofments on Weibo.

    [One of thements stated: I remembered when she appeared in the newspaper before. She was the naked person who hugged the son of the Qi family. Even though she stripped naked in front of him, he still rejected her, and their whole family was forced to criticize her publicly. When I saw the footage and photos of her now, why am I not surprised?]

    [There was anotherment: Haha, looked like she was really thirsty, her private part was too itchy.]

    [Does she need to lust after men so much?]

    [I had watched the video, and it is terrific. It even included the exact moment when she lost her virginity.]

    [Please share with me the video, it¡¯s hard to find a good cherry-breaking video these days.]

    [Please email me the video, ]

    [Same request, you¡¯re a kind person.]

    [This woman is the descendant of the king of the Kingdom of Yue, right?]

    [What do you mean?]

    [Goujian 1 (literally tranted into a very cheap person)]

    Mu Sisi could no longer read thements. She closed the page and threw the tablet onto her bed. Many people had already seen the photos and videos by then. Mu Sisi¡¯s breathingbored, and she felt slightly hysterical.

    Suddenly, she ran to the window and opened the curtain slightly, and peered through the small gap. When she saw the crowd of reporters outside her home, she closed the curtain immediately. She retreated to her bed and sat down there.

    ...

    ...

    No one knew who noticed that first, the Inte users or the reporters. Even though Mu Sisi¡¯s voice was pretty low in the video and the quality of the sound was quite bad, someone heard her calling ¡®Brother Chengzhi¡¯ faintly in between her moans and groans.

    For example, ¡°Brother Chengzhi, you¡¯re wonderful.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, finally, you wanted me.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chengzhi, I love you.¡±

    In short, she mumbled ¡®Brother Chengzhi¡¯ continuously when she was not moaning in the video.

    Her monologue prompted viewers to suspect the identity of the man in the video. Could that man be Qi Chengzhi?

    Not long after the viewers had their suspicions, two security footage emerged on the Inte. One of the footage showed the man who carried Mu Sisi from the pub to the hotel. He had an extremely miserable appearance. He was as thin as a bamboo stick, and pimples adorned his face. It was apparent Qi Chengzhi was not the man in the video.

    [One of the inte usersmented: My sister¡¯s friend is the receptionist of that budget chain-hotel. It was her shift during the night of the incident, and she handled their check-in. That guy who carried Mu Sisi to check-in the hotel was definitely not the son of the Qi family; he was the wretched guy in the two videos. He used Mu Sisi¡¯s identity card for the registration, and he was also the same guy who checked out of the hotel. No one from the Qi family was involved in this. I think that Miss Mu was high after she took some drugs and thought the guy to be the son of the Qi family.]

    That Weibo post became one of the hottest posts on the Inte, and it attracted many otherments.

    [This guy looks very different from the guy from the Qi family.]

    [Most probably she took drugs and hallucinated.]

    [My uncle is a cop, and he is handling this case. ording to inside information, they had captured the guy in the security footage, and Mu Sisi had gone to the police station to verify the guy¡¯s identity. She confirmed that he was the guy in the video. He was the one who released all the photos and videos.]

    [Haha, it was like having sex with a dog, the woman must be disgusted.]

    [That ugly guy was so lucky. I should have been the one who did that with her. I have a huge penis, and I have excellent skills.]

    ...

    ...

    That afternoon, Mu Huili asked hiswyer to draft the documents to handle the transfer of the shares. Mu Sisi did not make an appearance as they were still at a critical juncture. It was not usible for her to go to the office. So, Mu Huaisheng brought the documents home for Mu Sisi to sign.

    ¡°Dad tried his best to fight for you. Even if the Gao family took the four shares that you owned, we could still control them. We will not let them take any advantage. Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t let you lose.¡± Mu Huaiisheng put the document in front of Mu Sisi, and then he put a ck pen on top of the document.

    ¡°But these are my shares, how could you give him my shares? I refuse to give in!¡± Mu Sisi stared at the document and did not take up the pen. ¡°Why must I give him what¡¯s mine?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng pursed his lips and stared at Mu Sisi coldly. ¡°Why are you still not admitting your mistakes? Are you only concerned about yourself? The Gao family could not have extorted us had you not made that mistake. If you refused to give them your shares, would you rather Dad and I give them ours? Why should we bear the burden of your mistakes? This is all your fault. Since you involved our family in this incident, you need to take responsibility for it. Dad and I had to run around to solve your problems. Dad even had to act humble in front of Gao Shenghe and his son. He hoped that the Gao family would stand by your side during this difficult time. Their attitude is what¡¯s important now. It is not the time for them to arrange for a divorce between you and Gao Jingqiu. If he were to divorce you, Go Jingqiu would be fine because the Inte would take his side. They would direct all of their filthy and insulting remarks at you, and your reputation would bepletely ruined. Do you really think that we would give the shares to the Gao family and let them be a part of MU willingly? They disgust us! You refuse to give in because you¡¯re angry, but we¡¯re angrier than you are right now. We have to behave so cowardly because of what you did, so should we feel wronged?¡±

    ¡°You can decide whether to sign the document or not.¡± Mu Huaisheng had a cold expression on his face. ¡°If you refuse to sign, then we would no longer bother about you. You can do whatever you like and try to survive on your own. We wouldn¡¯t care if your reputation ispletely ruined because MU would not suffer any losses anyway. We will use the four shares that you owned to buy your reputation. Who was it that came to me in tears and begged for my help? And now, you are giving me all this nonsense? If you refuse to listen to us this time, then be prepared to stand on your own when the matter bes more serious, or the next time you are in trouble.¡±

    After Mu Huaisheng said that, he stood up immediately and started to walk away. As he was about to walk out of the room, he heard Mu Sisi¡¯s resigned sigh as she said, ¡°I¡¯ll sign it.¡±

    So Mu Huaisheng turned around and walked back toward her. He watched as she signed the papers. After that, he took the documents with him and went back to MU. Gao Shenghe and Gao Jingqiu also went to MU as per their previous conversation. Mu Huilian was openly hostile toward them, but they did not mind that at all. Even though they were quite shameful of their acts, however, they also had the advantage of receiving four of MU¡¯s shares.

    ¡°Sisi had signed the papers.¡± Mu Huili passed the document to Gao Jingqiu. Lawyer Gu was also with them.

    Gao Jingqiu started to read the terms and conditions carefully, and he found that there were many restrictions on it.

    For example, Gao Jingqiu could not propose a divorce unless Mu Sisi proposed it first. Otherwise, the Mu family had the right to take back the four shares that Mu Sisi had given him.

    Even though Gao Jingqiu owned MU¡¯s shares, he was not allowed to intervene in its operation. He was also not allowed to be a board member or participate in any MU work-rted matter.

    The shares that were given to Gao Jingqiu could not be transferred to anyone except the members of the Mu family. After Gao Jingqiu¡¯s passing, Mu Sisi would inherit his shares.

    Gao Jingqiu pouted. It seemed like they wanted to use all those restrictions to control him. However, he was not surprised as he knew that Mu Huili would never give the shares to him in a straightforward manner.

    He did not mind whether he could divorce Mu Sisi or not. Even if they were not divorced, he would still live his own life.

    Therefore, Gao Jingqiu signed the document without any hesitation.

    Since the Mu family gave him half of Mu Sisi¡¯s shares, he had no choice but to keep his promise. He decided to step into the limelight and face the burden with Mu Sisi.

    That afternoon, Gao Jingqiu showed up at the Mu¡¯s family home.

    When his car approached the house, the reporters recognized his BMW¡¯s te number.

    The reporters did not even need to announce his arrival, and everyone surrounded him as soon as he stopped his car. Gao Jingqiu could not even open his car door because the reporters blocked it.

    ¡°Excuse me,¡± said Gao Jingqiu coldly. He pushed his car door forcibly, and finally, he managed to push those that surrounded it away.

    After he got out of the car, the reporters circled him right away. Gao Jingqiu¡¯s personal space was incessantly invaded by cameras, video cameras, microphones, and many other gadgets.

    ¡°Please let me through.¡± Gao Jingqiu tried to control his anger, and his expression darkened.

    ¡°Mr. Gao, it took you a day to finally show up here. Have you made a decision?¡±

    ¡°Do you n to maintain your marriage with Miss Mu? Or did youe to discuss a divorce with her?¡±

    ¡°Rumors are saying that Miss Mu married you hurriedly because of that incident. What¡¯s your opinion?¡±

    Gao Jingqiu walked to the entrance of the building and halted. He turned around and said to the reporters, ¡°I came here today to bring my wife home. After that incident, my father-inw and mother-inw brought her back to their house immediately to protect her. In the meantime, we are investigating the incident. That was why I waited until now toe here. Since I married Sisi, I have a duty to go through thick and thin together with her. I am not going to divorce her just because of this trivial matter.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re nning to forgive Miss Mu?¡± a reporter asked.

    ¡°There is nothing to forgive. Sisi is a victim, and someone drugged her before our wedding day. That was what happened. That person even took photos and videos without her knowledge. He is such a despicable man. He released the footage to the public to hurt both families, but the one who hurt the most is Sisi. It was unfair how everyone treated her when the story broke. You are all trying to make the most out of this, so you used it to your advantage. You refused to sympathize with Sisi as a victim and did not hesitate to hurt her further so that you could publish a piece of news.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know about it before our wedding, but even if I knew, what could I have done? If I med her for something that is beyond her control, am I still a man? In these incidents, women are the ones who hurt the most. She didn¡¯t wish for this to happen. Since I¡¯m her husband now, it¡¯s my duty to go through this burden with her. We will get through this crisis together. I do not care about what happened before our marriage, but I care about what happens now.¡±

    ¡°I am here to bring her home today, and I hope that you will all refrain from disturbing her again with regards to this incident. This is cruel behavior. Sisi had already been hurt, and she needs care and encouragement from others the most. She does not need anyone to rub salt onto her wound or make use of her to write news articles.¡±

    ¡°But in the videos, Miss Mu was calling Mr. Qi¡¯s name constantly. It¡¯s obvious that she still could not let go of him. ording to our investigation, that incident happened not long before the wedding. It is possible that Miss Mu still loves Mr. Qi deeply? Mr. Gao, would you mind it if that¡¯s the case?¡±

    Gao Jingqiu gave the reporter who asked the question a cold stare. He frowned scornfully and said, ¡°Everyone has a person that they hold dear in their heart, a person that they could never forget. Usually, that person is their first love. It is normal for her to think about her first love. Even I couldn¡¯t quite forget my first love. I have a woman who I admired so much that I see her as a goddess. Does anyone here dare to say that you have forgotten your first love? And who has never dreamt of another woman or called out another woman¡¯s name when they are drunk? This is why I understood why Sisi behaved the way that she did.¡±

    ¡°Everyone knows that she liked Qi Chengzhi. I knew about that before we were wedded. However, I am confident that I could make her forget about him after the wedding. I would treat her kindly and then take Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ce in her heart. I won¡¯t let her regret marrying me. Besides, after the wedding, she had never done anything that let me down or betrayed our marriage. I would support her until the end, and I hope that all of you would stop fabricating news and hurt an already hurting woman further .¡± After he said that, Gao Jingqiu immediately went into the house.

    Mu Sisi was not aware of what Gao Jingjiu had said since his speech was not broadcasted live. When Gao Jingqiu came into the house, she was still hiding in her bedroom.

    Gao Jingqiu was rude to Fang Anci when he saw her, and he said to her coolly, ¡°I am here for Mu Sisi.¡± His behavior was totally different than when he was in front of the reporters.

    Fang Anci knew about the transfer of the shares, so she did not invite him to sit down. She quietly walked toward Mu Sisi¡¯s bedroom.

    When Mu Sisi found out that Gao Jingqiu was there, she shrieked, ¡°Why did hee? I¡¯m not going with him!¡±

    ¡°Do you think that I wanted to bring you back?¡± They did not realize that Gao Jingqiu was standing at the doorway to her bedroom, and he stared at her with contempt. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you had such lust in you. Usually, you would just lie under me like a dead fish. You must have been so horny when you imagined the guy to be Qi Chengzhi. Even the pornstars are not as brilliant and as aggressive as you have been.¡±

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu!¡± Fang Anci shouted. ¡°What nonsense are your sprouting! If this is how you treat Sisi when I¡¯m standing right here, what is your attitude toward her when I¡¯m not around?!¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t divorce her, not even when she was so horny with another man. I¡¯m even helping her now. Therefore, I think that I have been treating her well enough.¡± Gao Jingqiu snorted.

    Mu Sisi took a small mirror on the dressing table and threw it at Gao Jingqiu. ¡°I bought that with my share. Get lost! I¡¯m not going with you!¡±

    ¡°Suit yourself, but if you want this incident to pass sooner rather thanter, you had better listen to me.¡± Gao Jingqiu shrugged in indifference as he did not really care about her future.

    Fang Anji pulled a long face and said frigidly, ¡°Please go out first. I want to talk to Sisi.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu shrugged again, and then he left the room.

    Fang Anci closed the door behind her. Gao Jingqiu did not know what she said to Mu Sisi, but about half an hourter, Mu Sisi came out of her room obediently. Even though she still had a long face and she red at Gao Jingqiu furiously, she followed him home.

    Gao Jingqiu snorted in disdain and walked out of the door first. He did not care whether Mu Sisi followed him or not. When they were in the elevator, they still did not talk to each other.

    When the elevator reached the ground floor, and the door was just about to open, Gao Jingqiu grabbed Mu Sisi¡¯s hand. Before Mu Sisi could react, Gao Jingqiu had already walked out of the elevator with her hand in his.

    Mu Sisi could only follow his lead and started the pretense after she saw the number of reporters who waited outside of the building.

    As they walked out of the building, the reporters immediately surrounded them. Amidst the chaos, Mu Sisi lowered her head, and then she felt Gao Jingqiu embraced her shoulder to shield her body from the onught. At that time, she thought that Gao Jingqiu had a firm and solid chest, and that led her to the misconception that she could rely on him.

    ¡°Miss Mu, can you tell us about the identity of that guy?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, would this incident affect your marriage with Mr. Gao?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, did you marry Mr. Gao in a hurry because of this incident?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, why did that guy carry you to the hotel that day?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, what happened that day?¡±

    ¡°Miss Mu, pleasement on this incident. You have not talked about it until now. This is the first time that you¡¯ve shown your face, so please give us ament.¡±

    ¡°Please step aside! All of you, please get out of the way!¡± Gao Jingqiu pretended to be angry and raised his voice. ¡°How could you all be so cruel! Are you all bullying others just to get news content? I have said so much just now, and yet none of you heard a single word that I¡¯ve said!¡±

    His outburst startled the reporters for a few moments, but before long, they continued with their questions.

    Gao Jingqiu escorted Mu Sisi into the car with great difficulty. After that, he got in the car too, and then they drove off. Gao Jingqiu¡¯s attitude changed once they were out of the reporters¡¯ sight.

    He drove Mu Sisi back to his home and said, ¡°Stay here and behave. Don¡¯t leave the house or cause any trouble. If you need anything, just ask Aunt Ge.¡±

    After he said that, he left right away without entering the house.

    ...

    ...

    The events that happened between the Mu family and the Gao family did not affect Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. After Qi Chengzhi handed over his work, they had ns to go to Greece with Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue for their honeymoon.

    Before they left, they sent Little Youjin to Xia Wenna¡¯s house. They had prepared Song Yu¡¯s breast milk and infant form for the baby. They could only travel for one week because Qi Chenglin could not handle the double duties for an extended period.

    Song Yu hated to part with her son, so she was still reluctant to leave her when it was time for them to go.

    She took the opportunity to stay with Little Youjin in the house for a little longer when Qi Chengzhi loaded their luggage into the car.

    It seemed like Little Youjin knew that his parents were leaving him to go on a vacation. He cried non-stop in Xia Wenna¡¯s arms. Song Yu felt very sorry for him and hurriedly carried him again in her arms.

    Footnotes:

 Chapter 296 - Youâ€™re 23: Youâ€™re Just like Your Dad, Good at Acting

    Chapter 296: You¡¯re 23: You¡¯re Just like Your Dad, Good at Acting

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It seemed like Little Youjin knew that his parents were leaving him to go on a vacation. He cried non-stop in Xia Wenna¡¯s arms. Song Yu felt very sorry for him and hurriedly carried him again in her arms.

    Once he was in Song Yu arms, Little Youjin stopped crying immediately. Although there were still droplets of tears on his long eyshes and he still sobbed and sniffled, he became quieter. He put his small hands on the Song Yu¡¯s breast and appeared to be at ease when he was in his mother¡¯s arms. He stared at her with hisrge and damp eyes ¨C eyes that looked remarkably simr to Song Yu¡¯srge eyes. It seemed like he was reluctant to part with her.

    His stare could almost melt Song Yu¡¯s heart. She felt as if she could not walk at all. She tried to get him to stop crying as she wiped his tears away.

    ¡°OK, we are not going to make it if we don¡¯t leave now.¡± Qi Chengzhi walked toward her. He raised his eyebrows and stared suspiciously at his son. Then, he carried him from Song Yu¡¯s arms and passed him to Xia Wenna again.

    Everyone in the Qi family encouraged them to go on a honeymoon, and Xia Wenna was not unhappy about it even though it meant that Song Yu would not be able to care for her child.

    She understood that the couple had gone through many obstacles that happened continuously, so they did not have the time for a honeymoon. Song Yu also got pregnant not long after her wedding, so it was not convenient for her to move around too much.

    Song Yu was very lucky to have conceived a baby boy in her first pregnancy. Xia Wenna was thrilled with the news, and she thought that Song Yu deserved a lot of credit for that too. She was in such a great mood that she was willing to fulfill almost all of Song Yu¡¯s wishes if they were not too excessive.

    Furthermore, Xia Wenna had two children of her own. She knew how limited a woman¡¯s life would be after they got pregnant. If a mother wanted to live and enjoy her life in a carefree way, she would have to wait for the next twenty to thirty years.

    Her son and daughter-inw had been married for so long, how could she let them wait for another twenty to thirty years to go on a honeymoon?

    Therefore, Xia Wenna also supported their ns to go on a honeymoon. She did not mind it when they asked her to care for Little Youjin while they were on vacation.

    Xia Wennaforted Song Yu as she took Little Youjin from her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about him, just enjoy your vacation. Qianying and I will take turns to care for him. Don¡¯t you trust us? You have prepared enough milk for him, so he has enough food. You can still call us while you are traveling, right? We will give you updates whenever you call us. Just go, you should be happy when you go on a honeymoon. Don¡¯t be sad to leave.¡±

    When Xia Wenna saw that Little Youjin was on the verge of crying, she immediately asked Aunt Lian for a pacifier. She wanted to put something in his mouth so that he would not cry.

    Qi Chengzhi took that opportunity to lead Song Yu away while his son had stopped crying. However, just as they walked out the door, they heard Little Youjin wailed.

    Little Youjin was in Xia Wenna¡¯s arms when he decided to stop sucking the pacifier. He opened his mouth, and the pacifier dropped onto the floor. Song Yu felt so sorry for her son, and she wanted tofort him. However, Qi Chengzhi stopped her and said, ¡°If you continue doing this, we won¡¯t be able to leave for our vacation.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu could only turn her head and looked at the house once every few steps as they walked away from it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad to leave him. We¡¯re only gone for a week. We¡¯re going on our honeymoon, and we only get to do this once in our lifetime,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he pinched her hand. ¡°Are you choosing your son over your husband?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu had never seen a man fought for his wife¡¯s favor with his son like that, so she could only follow Qi Chengzhi into the car speechlessly.

    There was really no exnation for that, but about ten minutes after his parents left, Little Youjin suddenly stopped crying. Perhaps he sensed that his parents would note back for him even if he continued to cry. He blinked hisrge eyes, and there were tears on his eyshes. He started to look around his new environment.

    ¡°...¡± Xia Wen was speechless as she stared at the little baby in her arms. ¡°You¡¯re just like your dad, so good at acting.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi reached the airport slightlyter than Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue because they spent a long time before they could part with Little Youjin.

    After they passed the customs and the security check, they went to the VIP lounge to wait for their flight.

    Song Yu was worried about Little Youjin, so after Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge went to get some drinks and fruits for their wives, she called Xia Wenna.

    Aunt Lian passed the phone to Xia Wenna. Song Yu felt quite embarrassed as she said, ¡°Mum, how¡¯s Youjin?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry. He had stopped crying around ten minutes after you left. He was just acting in front of you, and that particr behavior is so simr to his dad. He is sleeping soundly now. Your parents wille and look after Youjin in the afternoon, so don¡¯t worry about him,¡± Xia Wenna said over the phone, ¡°I¡¯ll snap a photo of him and send it to you. He looks so adorable now.¡±

    A few moments after they hung up the phone, Xia Wenna sent a picture of Little Youjin, who slept soundly in the crib. Song Yu looked at it, and it seemed like he was not sad to part with her. Song Yu was relieved, but she was a little disappointed as well.

    They had nothing to do while they waited for their flight. Since there was Wi-fi in the VIP lounge, they chatted with each other while they surfed the Inte. They shared some of the interesting things that they had seen on the Inte.

    Song Yu watched Gao Jingqiu¡¯s speech from the night before on the news. Gao Jingqiu¡¯s poprity on the Inte had soared after his little speech. The viewers described him as the best husband and the best guy in China, and they also discussed how every woman should get married to a guy like him.

    At the same time, the public had started to sympathize with Mu Sisi too. Most of the viewers pitied Mu Sisi and thought that she did not do that on purpose. She was also a victim, and many women found her experience heartbreaking, and they hoped that she could pull herself up as soon as possible.

    However, many gossip bloggers had found out about what Mu Sisi had done before, and that included her attempt to seduce Qi Chengzhi and to destroy his marriage with Song Yu. In the end, she failed to do that. The bloggers also shared footage of her when she stripped naked in front of Qi Chengzhi. Some people pitied her, and some thought that she deserved the punishment.

    Some people alsomented that even though she was confused in her drug-addled mind, she still saw that person as Qi Chengzhi. She kept calling out his name, and she thought that it was him that had sex with her. She refused to forget about him even though he was already married. The discussion mentioned how she did not feel guilty when she mistook that guy for Qi Chengzhi and still catered to his lust. They questioned her personality because of that, and they thought that she did not deserve any sympathy.

    Fortunately, many rational and reasonable peoplemented that even though Mu Sisi had done many despicable things, she still did not deserve to be drugged and raped and to have her nude photos and videos spread around the Inte. She deserved some sympathy, and even though she had acted wrongly before that, it did not mean that she deserved that horrible encounter.

    In short, the Inte had different opinions about what Mu Sisi and what had happened to her. However, as usual, there was no end to arguments on the Inte. Song Yu browsed through thements for a while longer, and then she closed the browser.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi had been quite furious during those few days. Every time they appeared in public, Gao Jingqiu would instantly put on an act. He pretended to support her and to forgive her so that he could create the impression of a good husband. He had received a lot of praise, and even the stock price for the Gao family¡¯spany surged to its daily limit. MU had alsounched their store for quite some time. However, the number of their customers had decreased, presumably because of what had happened to her.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s thoughts were on that issue when she heard the doorbell rang. Then she heard Aunt Ge¡¯s voice. ¡°Sir, you¡¯re back.¡±

    Mu Sisi was shocked when she heard that. She stared at the door with annoyance. That guy had not been back for the past few days, so she wondered what brought him home that day.

    However, before Gao Jingqiu entered the house, Mu Sisi saw an awkward expression on Aunt Ge¡¯s face. Then Gao Jingqiu walked into the house with another hand on his arm. That hand was attached to a woman who looked to be around twenty-two years old.

    That woman acted like she did not see Mu Sisi as she looked around the house uninhibitedly. ¡°So this is your house. Surprisingly, it does not look like you just had your wedding.¡±

    After she said that, she stared at Mu Sisi¡¯s face and pouted with contempt. Then, she averted her gaze and ignored her, as if she taunted her.

    ¡°Please wait here, I¡¯lle back after I take some of my stuff,¡± Gao Jingqiu said with a gentle voice as he lowered his head.

    Just when he was about to leave, that woman pulled him back and pouted. Gao Jingqiu smiled at her and lowered his head to kiss her. Mu Sisi blushed because she was angry that they behaved so rudely in front of her. It was as if they did not see that she was right in front of them!

    Mu Sisi dashed toward them without hesitation and pulled that woman away from him immediately. Then, she turned around and said to Gao Jingqiu, ¡°Gao Jingqiu, I don¡¯t care what you do when you¡¯re out there, but don¡¯t you dare bring women back here and show off in front of me!¡±

    ¡°Since when do you have the right to talk here? What can you do if I insist on bringing a woman back to spend the night? Who do you think you are? You¡¯re just a woman who was yed thoroughly by a hooligan. Are you not ashamed to challenge me?¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s face almost turned purple. She extended her neck and shouted, ¡°Gao Jingqiu, you acted like a good man in public. Aren¡¯t you afraid that someone might shoot a picture of you showing your true colors?¡±

    ¡°So what if that¡¯s the case? Even if I chase after other women, people would understand, and nobody would criticize me.¡± Gao Jingqiu sneered. ¡°I can¡¯t me myself for marrying a woman like you, right?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Mu Sisi pointed at Gao Jingqiu. She felt that he had utterly humiliated her. ¡°Get lost, both of you get lost! Gao Jingqiu, stop bringing this kind of cheap women back here to disgust me!¡±

    ¡°How could you say that!¡± That woman was upset. ¡°Let us guess who is the one who had her nude photos and videos taken by someone else. Who is the cheap woman?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a shameless woman, how could you act like seducing a married man is the right thing to do? Are you not ashamed to step into this house! Other mistresses do this kind of things sneakily, and you¡¯re the only one who is so shameless!¡± Mu Sisi said furiously.

    ¡°You¡¯re the one to talk! You still went to disturb Qi Chengzhi regrly, even after his wedding. You told him that you love him so much in front of his wife, and you sang your own praises even though what you did was essentially what a mistress would do. You talked like you were doing the right thing at that time. How could you criticize me now?¡± the woman replied with a scornful expression.

    Coincidentally, the woman was at the caf¨¦ below Chengshi when Mu Sisi spoke to Song Yu, and she heard what Mu Sisi had said. Besides, all the staff at Qilin knew about some of the shameless things that she had done. It was mainly because she had gone to Qilin and bumped into Song Yu. The knowledge about things that she had done was widespread among the staff, and they were no longer secrets.

    ¡°You...¡± Mu Sisi had never expected that someone would use her own words to refute her. She stared at the woman who she had never seen before. Mu Sisi trembled in anger when the woman with a low-status background dared to jeer at her.

    That woman snorted rudely and said, ¡°At least Jingqiu allow me toe here. Unlike you who went to their house every time without asking for their permission. They had to drive you away every time too. Maybe you were too upset with them and decided to sleep with a random guy that you met? It was not worth doing that. You said that I¡¯m cheap? I have never slept with that kind of wretched man before, or let all the people in our nation watch the process too. I have always dated men who are decent and honorable, and I have never dated strange hooligans. I¡¯m also clean and have never been infected with any diseases.¡±

    Mu Sisi could not bear it whenever people talked about the incident where a hooligan drugged her. She shrieked and raised her hand to p her. ¡°Who did you say was the one who was infected? You¡¯re a mistress, and youe to our house to provoke me, you shameless woman!¡±

    However, Gao Jingqiu grabbed her wrist before she could hit her. His grip was so strong that Mu Sisi thought that her wrist would break. She lost her strength immediately due to the pain. She almost fell over when Gao Jingqiu pushed her to the back of the sofa.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so shameless. I let you stay here to help you to rebuild your reputation. You should behave yourself and stop acting so arrogant just because you are my legal wife.¡± Gao Jingqiu stared at Mu Sisi coldly, his eyes filled with disdain. ¡°I¡¯m the one who brought her back here. Do you think you have the right to criticize her? At least she did not embarrass me by having sex with other men randomly, and no one ridiculed me because of her. I always feel like there is a green light floating above my head 1 wherever I walked because of you.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu snorted. ¡°And you still have the nerve to make noise here? It¡¯s good enough that I¡¯m not divorcing you. If you could not bear it any longer, or if you feel unhappy, just divorce me!¡±

    Mu Sisi clenched her teeth furiously, and tears dampened her eyes. She did not dare to propose a divorce because of the conditions in the document that she signed. It was stated that if Gao Jingqiu proposed a divorce first, then he would have to return the four shares of MU that was given to him. Mu Huili did that to protect her interest. Therefore, Gao Jingqiu would never propose a divorce.

    It was obvious that he behaved that way because he wanted to provoke Mu Sisi into divorcing him. Mu Huili came up with that idea to protect Mu Sisi¡¯s interest and to safeguard the shares of their family. So, no matter how badly Gao Jingqiu treated her, Mu Sisi would never propose a divorce. So, she had no choice but to tolerate all the things that Gao Jingqiu had done. Even if she suffered, she told herself to bear with it.

    As long as Gao Jingqiu did not propose a divorce, then she would be trapped in that marriage and could not go anywhere.

    Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng were shrewd enough to predict that situation. Still, they knew if the document stated that Gao Jingqiu was required to return the shares even if the Mu family proposed a divorce, he would never have signed it.

    The Gao family were also worried that they would cut down the trees that gave them shade. After Gao Jingqiu helped Mu Sisi got through the crisis, the Mu family might ask for a divorce, and the Gao family would have gained nothing out of that situation.

    Therefore, Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng had a lengthy discussion with Lawyer Gu and weighed the risks against the benefits before they decided to insert that condition into the document.

    However, Mu Sisi did not expect Gao Jingqiu to fall out with her so quickly and treated her so badly.

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu, my family used our shares to exchange for your assistance. You did not volunteer to help us, so you have no right to insult me like this! Divorce? I also want to divorce you. It¡¯s better to get rid of you sooner rather thanter. As long as you return all the shares to me, I¡¯ll divorce you immediately!¡± Mu Sisi said furiously.

    ¡°Return them to you? All those shares are mine now, and they have nothing to do with you. Let me tell you this. Don¡¯t hope that you can return to your family for the rest of your life. Why should I return the shares to you? Even if I don¡¯t divorce you, I could still fool around. There¡¯s nothing that you can do to me even if I¡¯m providing for many mistresses out there,¡± Gao Jingqiu said with a sneer. ¡°You can just carry your ¡®Mrs. Gao¡¯ title around and live out the rest of your life slowly. You¡¯re like a mad dog. Are you counting on meeting a man who will treat you well? I¡¯m afraid that I would be infected if I were to have sex with you. I feel very disgusted whenever I remember that I had sex with you for those few times. Luckily, I went for a checkup, and I¡¯m not infected with any diseases.¡±

    Mu Sisi blushed furiously because she was ashamed and angry. Gao Jingqiu went so far as to humiliate her in front of that woman. She stared at Mu Sisi with disgust, like she was a filthy person and was infected with some STDs.

    ¡°Do you think that I¡¯m happy to be touched by you? Gao Jingqiu, let me tell you, I¡¯m cleaner than all of your mistresses, and I¡¯m much cleaner than this woman!¡± Mu Sisi darted forward. She wanted to hit Gao Jingqiu, but he managed to shove her off fiercely.

    She fell onto the ground, but Gao Jingqiu was not sympathetic at all. He shoved her with all of his strength. Mu Sisi felt pain in her bottom after the fall and also in her arm hit the ground with significant momentum. Mu Sisi¡¯s face turned deathly pale due to the pain.

    However, she could not be bothered with her pain as she red at Gao Jingqiu ferociously.

    ¡°If you cannot bear it, just propose a divorce. If you don¡¯t divorce me, I¡¯m telling you now that I¡¯ll never touch you. I can find any woman out there, no? I don¡¯t need to ask you for sex. You¡¯re like a pair of crappy shoes. Qi Chengzhi didn¡¯t want you even when you were a virgin, do you think I¡¯ll want you now that you¡¯re not one anymore?¡± Gao Jingqiu pointed at Mu Sisi and said rudely, ¡°And stop talking about your shares, those four sharespensation for damaging my reputation and the negative impact on my mind.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu nce at her again, but he looked like he was disgusted at the mere sight of her. He did not say anything further to Mu Sisi and turned around and left with the woman.

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu, you¡¯re a bastard!¡± Mu Sisi was still on the floor as she shrieked. She moved her injured arm to support her weight so that she could get up to chase after Gao Jingqiu. However, she screeched in pain after she moved it.

    Gao Jingqiu did not turn back, and he mmed the door shut. Mu Sisi screamed like she had gone crazy. She did not know whether she screamed because of her pain or her anger. She felt as if she could not possibly vent her rage no matter what she did then.

    Aunt Ge trembled with fear after she heard her scream. She rushed toward her immediately and asked, ¡°Madam, what¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°My arm, it¡¯s so painful...¡± Mu Sisi sweated because of the pain. Then she burst into tears.

    Aunt Ge tried to support her arm, but Mu Sisi screeched in pain when she touched her. ¡°Ouch! Why did you still touch it even though I told you it is painful!¡±

    ¡°Hmm...¡± Aunt Ge did not have a better option. ¡°Maybe you could try to get up on your own? You can¡¯t sit on the floor forever. I¡¯ll call for the driver to send you to the hospital for an examination. I¡¯m afraid that you might have a fracture.¡±

    Aunt Ge went to call the driver. Mu Sisi forced herself to get up despite the pain, but she did not dare not to move her painful arm at all.

    ...

    ...

    Fang Anci was woken by Mu Sisi¡¯s call in the middle of the night. She was still half-awake at that time, and she heard Mu Sisi¡¯s voice as she cursed like a crazy woman on the phone. After she listened to her for a very long time, she finally figured out that Mu Sisi went to the hospital because she fractured her arm. A ster cast was applied to her arm, and she was on her way back home.

    ¡°How did you fracture your arm so suddenly?¡± asked Fang Anci with a yawn as she sat up on the bed.

 Chapter 297 - Ending 24: Why Did You Lock the Door?

    <h4>Chapter 297: Ending 24: Why Did You Lock the Door?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Why is your arm fractured all of a sudden?¡± asked Fang Anci as she yawned while sitting up.

    Mu Sisi screamed, cursed, and cried while on the phone. She ranted about Gao Jingqiu¡¯s actions and ranted, ¡°If everyone hadn¡¯t forced me to marry him, I wouldn¡¯t have ended up like this! He¡¯s taken my shares and we can¡¯t even divorce now. I have no power to control him and he can show off his affairs in front of me. He even went physical on me! He brought another woman home today. Who knows if he¡¯ll let them stay here next time?¡±

    Fan Anci sighed helplessly. They originally wanted her to get married to Li Zhuohui but she declined with the reason that he was a divorcee. His character, though, was much better than Gao Jingqiu¡ªLi Zhuohui was a responsible man.

    Then again, with Mu Sisi¡¯s incessant tantrums, Li Zhuohui may well have found it difficult to bear with her.

    All Fang Anci could say was, ¡°Go home. Don¡¯t think so much about all these things. Have a good night¡¯s rest. I¡¯lle to look for you tomorrow.¡±

    Fang Anci hung up, leaving Mu Sisi in the car. She raged and threw her cellphone in the car mirror.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and the other three arrived at a destination that could not be missed¡ªSatorini Ind. Both he and Cheng Dongge brought wedding dresses over.

    Since Song Yu¡¯s and Qi Chengyue¡¯s dresses were too precious, it was inadvisable to carry them along. Cheng Dongge had made preparations in advance before they went there by shipping over both women¡¯s wedding dresses.

    They all went to the studio and changed into their wedding attires with the shop assistant¡¯s help.

    During applying her makeup, Song Yu received a video message from Xia Wenna. Little Youjin was lying inside the baby cot and staring at the toys hung at the bed¡¯s edge. He had a toothless smile but could yet produce augh. Nheless, his meaty limbs were just too cute.

    Song Yu gave Xia Wenna a video call at once and it did not take long for it to connect.

    ¡°I knew you were going to call home.¡± Xia Wenna smiled helplessly once the call went through. Without further ado, she faced the camera to Little Youjin. ¡°Youjin, mommy¡¯s giving you a video call. Say hi to mommy.¡±

    Youjin stared dazedly at the cellphone with his mouth wide open, as if he was looking at some curious new toy.

    When he looked at the screen and saw Song Yu, he raised his fair-skinned tubby arms, although it was not known whether he did so because he found the cellphone amusing or because he recognized Song Yu. His slow-moving, short, and fat fingers stretched out and began reaching for the screen.

    ¡°Youjin, do you miss mommy?¡± Song Yu asked lovingly.

    Little Youjin was still not able to make a sound but he kept his toothless lips locked in a smile. His little hands were waving wildly at Song Yu.

    Song Yu looked at him and felt her eyes turning red. Her desire to return home increased even more and her anxiousness made her miss her son even more.

    ¡°Youjin, mommy¡¯s gonnae back in two more days.¡± Song Yu sniffled. Her eyes reddened when she saw her son¡¯s tubby white hands.

    Qi Chengzhi had finished preparing and so came to see Song Yu¡¯s progress. When he came, however, he saw Song Yu¡¯s reddened eyes and nose.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Qi Chengzhi lowered his head and saw Song Yu¡¯s miserable demeanor. He bent down and looked at the cellphone screen.

    At that point, Xia Wenna appeared on the screen along with Little Youjin. ¡°You miss you son already. You¡¯ll get to see Youjin in two more days so don¡¯t let yourself suffer, okay? Youjin is still eating and drinking well in your absence. He¡¯s fully healthy and there¡¯s no problem at all.¡±

    Song Yu continued looking at Little Youjin until the baby was tired. He closed his eyes quietly and promptly fell asleep. Song Yu then spoke with Xia Wenna for a bit before hanging up.

    Song Yu tilted her head and hugged Qi Chengzhi¡¯s waist, burying her face into his stomach. ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose. I¡¯m really happy to go on this honeymoon with you, but I still miss Youjin.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Qi Chengzhi smiled gently. His long and delicate fingers touched her soft hair. Song Yu¡¯s actions did not disappoint him.

    Song Yu sniffled and when she sat up straight, the makeup artist gave Song Yu a tissue. Song Yu apologized for ruining the makeup. After she was settled with all that, the makeup artist redid the makeup and gave some final touches.

    Before their arrival at the ind, they went to a temple dressed in ancient Greek clothes to photograph a unique style of wedding photos.

    Song Yu and Qi Chengyue looked exceptionally beautiful when they wore flower crowns made from olive branches and donned the white long dresses used in ancient Greece.

    Song Yu put on her own wedding dress this time, but the stylist curled Song Yu¡¯s hair to resemble that of traditional Greek women. Her long, wavy hair draped over her back, setting both sides of her hair firmly in ce.

    When she stood up, she realized that the French-style wedding dress took on an ancient Greek quality because of her different hairstyle and makeup.

    Since Song Yu did not have to go to work even after her confinement, she still would exercise at home when she took care of Youjin. Afraid that she might not have any time to leave the house, Qi Chengzhi decided to modify one of the guest rooms into a gym. He bought her a treadmill, an indoor cycle fitness trainer, and a yoga mat. It would then be convenient for Song Yu to do some exercise at home, be it using sports equipment or simply doing Ptes.

    Song Yu would go into the gym whenever she had a moment to spare. She slimmed down tremendously and was already six or seven kilos lighter than when she just delivered the baby. The wedding dress had to undergo some alterations because of her pregnancy, but surprisingly, it fitted her quite perfectly.

    Qi Chengzhi was left in a daze when he saw Song Yu dressed like that. Qi Chengzhi was transported back to the time when he was just married. The Song Yu in front of him had already given birth to a baby but she still looked as young as ever, just like the first time they reunited with each other.

    Dressed in her wedding gown and standing in front of him, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s head began to throb and even his heart was starting to quicken its pounding. He found it hard to resist lowering his head and kissing her on the corner of her lips. He did not kiss her lips directly because he was afraid of smudging his lipstick.

    The corner of Song Yu¡¯s lips tickled from his kiss. She looked up at him and saw him standing upright in his grooms¡¯ suit, eliciting a smile from her as well.

    Most Europeans were tall, strong, and handsome. Qi Chengzhi was not considered tall there since many were about his height¡ªmore muscr, even. Song Yu, though, regarded him at the most handsome out there.

    They went to the most famous blue-roofed white-walled buildings in Santorini, a venue that made countless appearances in postcards. Song Yu said, ¡°Wait till Youjin¡¯s a bit older. We¡¯ll have to bring him here.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and hugged Song Yu. Their faces were parallel to each other, and Song Yu¡¯s wedding dress was draping beautifully over the stage. Song Yu kissed him spontaneously without any prompt, and the photographer immediately captured that scene.

    ...

    ...

    Fang Anci brought Mu Sisi to the hospital, and in the car, Mu Sisi cursed, ¡°I¡¯m going to expose Gao Jingqiu¡¯s true nature to the media! He pretends to be a good man and a good husband in front of the camera, but behind them shows off all his mistresses in front of me. It¡¯s all because of that contract. I can¡¯t ask for a divorce now.¡±

    ¡°We still need him now. What else can we do? Just endure it. He doesn¡¯te home often, right? At least you¡¯ll have some peace. Since you don¡¯t like him too, just stay alone at home and livefortably. Why must you give yourself all that suffering? Gao Jingqiu won¡¯t be affected anyway if you¡¯re unhappy. The Gao family will suffer if you spill it all to the media and air out all our dirtyundry, but our family will be the first to be attacked. You still have us with you. Gao Jingqiu is already like that, but if our family encounters difficulty and we can¡¯t take care of you anymore, don¡¯t you think Gao Jingqiu will be even more reckless?¡± Holding in her temper, Fang Anci began breaking it down to Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes reddened in grief and she said chokingly, ¡°Am I supposed to continue like this forever? When can I leave him? Even if there¡¯s no way I can be with Qi Chengzhi, I don¡¯t want to spend the rest of my life with a bastard!¡±

    Fang Anci could only say, ¡°Just be patient. Once everything passes, your dad and brother will surely find a way for you.¡±

    Mu Sisi gnashed her teeth and kept quiet. Fang Anci was basically suggesting that Mu Sisi had to wait for it because there was no other way. Mu Sisi found it appalling that her family was not even willing to put themselves out for her at such a juncture.

    Fang Anci brought Mu Sisi to do the checkup, but when they walked out of the entrance, they were immediately surrounded. No one knew where those reporters caught wind of that news, but each of them asked, ¡°Miss Mu, rumor has it that you fractured your arm. ording to your neighbors, there was some noise of amotion during the night of the twentieth. Was this domestic violence?¡±

    ¡°My daughter slipped while she was taking a bath,¡± Fang Anci answered hurriedly.

    ¡°Then why isn¡¯t Mr. Gao with you at a time when you are unwell?¡± another reporter chimed in.

    ¡°He¡¯s busy with work...¡±

    Fang Anci was barely able to finish the sentence when a reporter interrupted her and said, ¡°Miss Fang, may I ask Miss Mu to answer that herself?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me, please give way.¡± Gao Jingqiu appeared all of a sudden from the swarm of reporters. He walked over and held Mu Sisi. ¡°I¡¯m sorry foringte.¡±

    Once hepleted his sentence, he lowered his head to kiss Mu Sisi on the lips before facing the reporters. ¡°I was busy at work, but I made arrangements with my wife to meet her here and pick her up. All this about domestic violence isplete nonsense. Please stop harassing my family.¡±

    The hospital¡¯s security guards rushed out to cordon off the reporters, allowing Gao Jingqiu to bring Mu Sisi up into his car and let Fang Anci go back into her own.

    Upon closing the door, Gao Jingqiu took a packet of tissues and hand sanitizer from his glovebox. He cleaned his hands with the hand sanitizer and took out a few tissues to clean his mouth. His utter revulsion was evident in his expression.

    He drove up a stretch of road and stopped by the roadside. He told her coldly, ¡°Get down from the car.¡±

    Mu Sisi stared at him in shock. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t understand what I said? I dealt with all those reporters surrounding you. Now get off of my car. I have other things to do,¡± Gao Jingqiu said coldly.

    Mu Sisi was just about to say something when Gao Jingqiu¡¯s phone rang. His expression softened dramatically once he saw the caller. The look of disgust he showed Mu Sisi waspletely gone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be done soon, Darling.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. It won¡¯t be troublesome if it¡¯s you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s all because of that Mu girl. She doesn¡¯t do anything good at all and only knows how to trouble me. I settled it as fast as I could and I¡¯m ditching her now to get back to you.¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s anger caused her face to warp. She extended her non-injured left hand and grabbed the phone from Gao Jingqiu. It caught him off-guard, and Mu Sisi was thus able to swiftly take the phone away from him.

    She lowered the windows and smashed it as hard as she could on the ground outside. His phone was not the type where the back cover could be easily opened, so the cover and batteries still remained inside the phone. Scratches covered the phone body and the screen was shattered as well. The phone shut down automatically.

    ¡°Why did you say that about me to all those other b*tches?!¡± Mu Sisi screamed.

    Gao Jingqiu¡¯s expression dimmed down significantly. All of a sudden, he stretched forward, grabbed Mu Sisi¡¯s hair, and pulled her toward him. Mu Sisi felt so painful that she howled. She felt as though her hair was going to be pulled off by him.

    ¡°What right does a woman like you have to talk about others like that? Do you think only your body is hideous? Your words and your thoughts are horrible too. From head to toe, and from in to out, there¡¯s nothing about you that others like. Even that face of yours disgusts others.¡± Gao Jingqiu parted the hair on her forehead to reveal the scar on her face.

    Since her right arm had a ster cast, putting makeup was a hassle. She applied only a tiny bit of foundation just to cover the scar, it was still very much visible upon closer inspection.

    ¡°You don¡¯t seem disgusted at all with that stic face of yours.¡± Gao Jingqiu flung her head back, causing her hindbrain to hit the car window. Mu Sisi felt dizzy for quite some time after the knock. She was seeing stars.

    Her vision was still pitch-ck, but she heard the sound of a car door opening. Not longter, the door on her side swung open and she nearly fell because she was leaning on it.

    Then, Gao Jingqiu held her arms and dragged her out from the car. He threw her down forcefully from the car.

    Gao Jingqiu did not even look at her. He went back into the car and drove off.

    Mu Sisi sat down on the ground and watched the rear end of the car disappear into oblivion. All of a sudden, she screamed madly, ¡°GAO JINGQIU! YOU B*STARD! YOU THINK YOU¡¯RE THAT GREAT?!¡±

    Gao Jingqiu¡¯s car, however, was long gone, and everyone beside them stared at Mu Sisi oddly.

    She shouted fiercely, ¡°THE HELL ARE YOU LOOKING AT!¡±

    As she shouted, she could not control herself from crying. She ced her left palm on the ground, but she could not go up no matter what. Her shoes for the day were a pair of ultra-thin high heels. Her knees were bent, and since the heels were too high, she could not manage to step firmly on the ground.

    ¡°Sisi!¡± Fang Anci¡¯s car came and she hurried down with her driver to help Mu Sisi up the car.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m not going back. I¡¯m not going back anymore! I can¡¯t divorce him, but I sure as hell don¡¯t want to live with him.¡± Mu Sisi cried and said, ¡°He bullied me...he phoned his other girls in front of me. He ditched me to the side of the road and ran to look for that woman. What did I do wrong to meet a husband like him!¡±

    Fang Anci looked at Mu Sisi¡¯s miserable appearance by the road, but could do nothing except to bring Mu Sisi back home.

    Somehow, the reporters seemed to possess remarkable skills in finding out what happened. Mu Sisi stayed at home for a few days only. To prevent more unsavory news popping up, she had no choice but to return to Gao Jingqiu¡¯s new house.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge returned home with their wives after their honeymoon. In a sh, half a month had gone by and spring was upon them.

    New Year¡¯s Eve and New Year¡¯s Day were always spent at the Qi manor. On the second day of the lunar new year, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu would then bring Little Youjin back to visit Song Yu¡¯s parents.

    Song Donglin and Yu Qianying were very close with Little Youjin. One would hug him and then the other¡ªneither wanted to let go of the baby.

    Theypletely ignored Qi Chengzhi as they carried the baby and went for a round in the neighborhood.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were both attractive people. The Qi family¡¯s strong genes, in particr, led their many children to inherit the Qi family¡¯s trademark eyes. Little Youjin¡¯s face was bing more and more mature, and those deep eye sockets of his made him look as though he was mixed blood.

    Yu Qianying used to dread meeting the neighbors, who always asked, ¡°Song Yu hasn¡¯t found a man yet?¡±

    ¡°Has Song Yu found a partner yet?¡±

    When Song Yu had finally started a rtionship with Qi Chengzhi, people then began asking, ¡°Song Yu hasn¡¯t gotten married yet?¡±

    ¡°When does she n to get married?¡±

    When the two of them finally got married, Yu Qianying thought that she could finally step out of the house and show herself. She also wanted to return the favor to those whose children have not yet gotten married, by asking them the same questions as well.

    Little did she expect that after the marriage, there were people who asked her, ¡°Song Yu isn¡¯t pregnant yet?¡±

    ¡°When does she n to have a child?¡±

    ¡°She still doesn¡¯t want a child? You can¡¯t use youth as an excuse to dy it.¡±

    ¡°They want to just let it happen naturally? They¡¯re not being half-hearted about it, are they?¡±

    Yu Qianying¡¯s gloominess was past the point of no return. Why must others be so hot and bothered about her own daughter!

    Since the baby was already born, there was nothing those other people could say anymore. Yu Qianying hugged Little Youjin and brought him for a walk to show him off, up until the neighbors heaped praise on the baby. Yu Qianying was so happy that she could not stop herself from smiling.

    It was cold though, so she did not want to stay out too long for fear that the child would get cold. Just a while was enough. She brought Little Youjin back after that. Nevertheless, she and Song Donglin still huddled over Little Youjin. Even seeing him sleep made them feel very happy, and they simply could not leave him be.

    Eventually, it was time that Yu Qianying went to prepare dinner. That was when she left Song Donglin with the baby.

    As Yu Qianying was busy in the kitchen, Song Donglin paid full attention to the sleeping baby. Qi Chengzhi took the opportunity to give hinting looks to Song Yu.

    Her face reddened and she sneaked a peek at Song Donglin. Noticing that he was not paying attention to them, she hurried into her room, but she did not expect Qi Chengzhi to follow her in.

    In addition to going into her room, Qi Chengzhi even locked the door behind him. Feeling shy, Song Yu whispered, ¡°Why¡¯d you lock the door?¡±

    ¡°Weren¡¯t you worried that they¡¯d notice us?¡± Qi Chengzhi cocked his brow and said with utmost seriousness.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu believed that she might have misunderstood him. She went over quietly to her wardrobe and told Qi Chengzhi to take out a leather case from the bottom.

    The case had clearly aged. Song Yu spoke casually, ¡°This was passed down from my grandmother, mom¡¯s side. Their family was well-offst time and left a few antiques behind. Butter, because of the cultural segregation, they knew what wasing and sold off the antiques beforehand. It was a pity, but at least it did not cause too much of a loss. Although this leather case isn¡¯t a valuable antique, its quality still remains. It has a tremendous amount of history and even until now, it¡¯s still usable.¡±

    Song Yu tried unzipping the case but it was rough due to years and years of just sitting there. It was hard to unzip it, and in the end, Qi Chengzhi helped her to open it up.

    The contents were filled with many of the things that Song Yu wore and used during her days as a child. Not everything was present inside, but one or two pieces from each period of Song Yu¡¯s life were kept by Yu Qianying as a memento.

    There was a little quilt used to wrap Song Yu when she was an infant, along with a small pair of shoes that looked like a toy. Also present was a small piece of clothing, about the size of two palms. They were all cute and tiny.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s slender fingers picked one out. The more he looked at them, the more intrigued he became. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice all these thingsst time?¡±

 Chapter 298 - Ending 25: Miss Song, Would You Like to Follow Headmaster Home?

    <h4>Chapter 298: Ending 25: Miss Song, Would You Like to Follow Headmaster Home?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s slender fingers picked one out. The more he looked at them, the more intrigued he became. ¡°Why didn¡¯t I notice all these thingsst time?¡±

    Song You wanted to tell him that he did not notice all that because his attention was focused too much on Jian Yi..

    Qi Chengzhi took out a small princess gown that amounted to no more than the size of an A4 paper. It was like the kinds of clothes that were given to toy dolls to wear. Hepared it to Song Yu¡¯s body and said, ¡°I remember this dress. I¡¯ve seen you wear it when you were young.¡±

    ¡°...¡± She herself did not remember it at all.

    Song Yu felt shy. She felt a bit embarrassed and awkward to think about the fact that he saw her through her younger days.

    Little kids did not care much for appearances. In her youthful naivete, she would surely have dirtied herself on asion when she yed. She also remembered how she used to dig her nose in front of others. Qi Chengzhi has seen all her other unmannerly actions.

    ¡°You still remember how I looked like when I was younger?¡± Song Yu could not resist asking.

    Qi Chengzhi turned around and looked at her gleefully. ¡°You were a wild little girl when you were small. You wore your potty-training pants and ran around the house. I still remember you dragging me to apany you when you pee, and then...¡±

    Song Yu covered his mouth immediately to stop him from saying anything further. She could not remember most of the things that he said, but she never suspected him of lying to her. She simply felt that she was unruly during her younger days and did not let him remember all that. He was probably going to just poke fun at her.

    She cared about him a lot, and with that, she paid special attention to her image. She wanted to be eternally perfect in his eyes, just like how Qi Chengzhi was always elegant in hers. Even at home when they were alone in the bedroom, he could wear house clothes or pajamas and still had a unique character even when there was nothing special about those clothes.

    There were a few times Song Yu had mischievous thoughts of wanting to do some online shopping and buy some of those best-selling, cheap, and made-for-the-masses pajamas for him to wear. She was curious about how he would look in them.

    ¡°What naughty ideas do you have now?¡± Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow and smiled. He was wondering what Song Yu was thinking of when she looked at him and let out a slight small smile.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Song Yu shifted her attention immediately onto the case and dug up her uniform from Jixia High School. ¡°This is thest one I wore before I changed schools when I was seventeen¡ªI¡¯ve thrown away the rest.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi took the uniform and felt the soft fabric with his slender fingers. It was the first time he touched Song Yu¡¯s uniform. During her school days where she used to wear her uniform to school, he had never even touched her hand and simply looked at her from afar.

    Holding her uniform felt like something of a wishe true.

    Song Yu looked on as his long fingers slid through the uniform and felt as though he did it rather suggestively. Blushing, she tried grabbing the uniform back, but Qi Chengzhi caught her hand and pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°How about trying it on and seeing if it fits?¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s heart seemed to be itching as his thin, warm lips touched her ears.

    ¡°It¡¯s surely dirty after being kept for so long. It needs a wash when we go home before I can wear it.¡± Song Yu pushed Qi Chengzhi away but he was reluctant to let go of her. The hand that was pressing her from behind started caressing and massaging her back slowly.

    She looked up and saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s handsome face near hers. Even though he was leaning close to her, his facial features still looked as handsome as ever regardless of which angle she looked at.

    Song Yu felt emotional and decided to kiss his stubbly chin spontaneously. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression changed drastically into one that was ravenous, and he was on the verge of just pinning her down. Song Yu said hurriedly, ¡°Quick, time to go out.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes were fixed on her face, causing her face to feel hot. He then leaned over and hauled Song Yu into his arms to give her an unrestrained kiss.

    He could not hug her like that when Song Yu was pregnant as it was not good for her stomach. Since he could then hugged her like that, he made sure to do so as tightly as he could.

    cing her onto hisp and hugging her tender body in her arms was nothing short of satisfying.

    He kept her that way and caressed her before letting go. Being the first to stand up, he noticed that Song Yu remained motionless with her reddened face. She looked absolutely helpless and very adorable.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted to go out?¡± Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow and stared puzzlingly at her.

    Song Yu blushed and stretched out her hand to him. ¡°My knees are weak from your kiss.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was incredibly amused by her words. His lips could not resist curling up, and even those deeply enigmatic eyes emitted a gentle warmth with his curled brows.

    Wordlessly, Song Yu felt extra bashful because his kisses made her so subservient. It was quite embarrassing for her indeed.

    He was smiling so smugly, but he looked handsome even though he was smug. She turned even shyer.

    At that point, Qi Chengzhi stretched out his hand and said in his rich voice, ¡°I¡¯ll pull you up.¡±

    Song Yu protested slightly by shooting him a nce before epting his open palm. He did not let go of her hand even after pulling her up.

    When they walked to the door, Song Yu said suddenly, ¡°Hold up.¡±

    She ran back and took a few clothes from the case without looking, then zipped it back up and told Qi Chengzhi to put it back into the wardrobe. Only after that did she and Qi Chengzhie out of the bedroom.

    It just so happened that Yu Qianying was walking to the dining hall while bringing out a te of lettuce cooked in a sesame-peanut sauce. She saw the couple just as they left the room.

    Noticing a mess of clothes on Song Yu¡¯s hand, she spotted Song Yu¡¯s uniform from Jixia High School hidden underneath the bundle of clothes.

    Realizing that those clothes looked really familiar, Yu Qianying recognized it after a few extra nces. ¡°Why did you take out all your childhood clothes?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu stalled for a moment before cooking up a reason. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a good thing if kids wear clothes that have been worn by others? Used clothes aren¡¯t harsh on the skin. I¡¯ll bring these back and have them altered for Youjin to wear.¡±

    Yu Qianying believed her¡ªalbeit not entirely¡ªand asked no further questions. ¡°Time to eat. You can tidy everything after we eat.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already taken it out.¡± Song Yu shoved the clothes into her bag as fast as she could. If her parents saw her take out her uniform, who knows what they would think of it.

    ...

    ...

    There was a seven-day holiday for Chinese New Year and all of Jixia¡¯s students had their winter break. No one was at school except for a few teachers who worked on shift. Other than that, various student groups mighte for some of the events from time to time.

    A ck Range Rover parked directly at the foot of the tallest building. The principal¡¯s office was located right at the very top. Jixia High School¡¯s Director of Education waited for Qi Chengzhi there, opening the car door for him immediately after seeing him. ¡°Young Master Cheng!¡±

    Director Yan was the Director of Education back when Qi Chengzhi was still the headmaster. When Qi Chengzhi went to Qilin, the position of headmaster became vacant. The initial n was to let Qi Chengji assume the position once he left the army, but no one expected him to stay with them ever since he joined the troops. The post remained vacant with Director Yan holding two posts.

    Nevertheless, Director Yan was not the headmaster per se, so he still continued to do work in Director of Education¡¯s office. The headmaster¡¯s office remained empty after Qi Chengzhi left. Aside from the asional cleaning, no one else used the room.

    Director Yan received a call from Qi Chengzhi before the Spring Festival began. Qi Chengzhi recounted how he missed his days as headmaster in Jixia High School and wanted to take the opportunity to visit during the holidays. That way, he would not disturb the teaching staff and the students.

    Although Director Yan found it quite odd, he did not ask too much. The entire building was empty except for him since he came over just for Qi Chengzhi. As for the teachers who were on shift, they remained at their respective departments.

    The entire building was empty, and Director Yan warmly weed Qi Chengzhi from the Range Rover. Qi Chengzhi came down and smiled. He had a gentle expression when giving Director Yan a nod, making thetter feel overwhelmed.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to apany me around. I¡¯m familiar with the ce and I just want to take a stroll by myself,¡± Qi Chengzhi said inly. His ck eyes gazed upward to the window of the principal¡¯s office and lingered there. He smiled faintly and shifted his gaze away. ¡°It¡¯s the new year. You should go ahead with your business.¡±

    Director Yan did not dare to get too cozy with Qi Chengzhi. Just looking at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stern face reminded him of how direct and no-nonsense Qi Chengzhi was as headmaster.

    He passed to Qi Chengzhi the keys to the headmaster¡¯s office and promptly left.

    After Director Yan left, he looked down at the keys. He recalled something that made him smile and began walking to the building with the keys in his hand.

    As he walked into the headmaster¡¯s office, everything looked exactly like how he left it all those years ago. The only difference was the absence of all those documents.

    He reminisced by looking at and touching everything inside the office. Then, he took his seat on the chair behind the desk. His posture was rather upright, and his dark pupils gazed warmly at the door. A small smile appeared on the corner of his lips.

    Having brought hisptop with him, he took it out, ced it on the table, and switched it on. He perused the stock market briefly, but since his mind was not focused there, he was eventually staring nkly at the screen.

    After a while, there was a knock on the door. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s eyes lit up and his posture became even more upright. His slender, handsome fingers straightened his tie before he cleared his throat and replied. ¡°Come in.¡±

    His voice might be rich and tranquil, but his heart was nearly about to jump out of his chest. His eyes were fixed onto the door as it slowly began to swing open.

    The door slowly swung open, and there stood Song Yu wearing Jixia High School¡¯s uniform. She looked at the floor and stood there looking guilty.

    Jixia¡¯s uniform bore some resemnce to the uniform worn by schoolgirls during the Republic of China era. On Song Yu, however, they looked exceptionally graceful and subdued. Qi Chengzhi was absent-minded as he felt like he had been transported to when she was still seventeen.

    Qi Chengzhi could not help but gulp. Seeing her looking so attractive in his uniform, he felt like he could not calm himself down as he used to all those years ago.

    With her fair-skinned body d in that uniform, she looked like the purest of virgins.

    His long fingers loosened up his tie smoothly and he gulped once again. Following that he crooned in the sexiest of voices, ¡°Aren¡¯t youing in?¡±

    Song Yu looked down and grabbed her dress guiltily. Her hands became cold unwittingly and she was so nervous that her palms were sweating.

    She kept her head low and closed the door as she came in. Standing in front of the work desk, QI Chengzhi¡¯s gaze made her feel so nervous that she couldn¡¯t say a single word.

    His vision did not waver after he locked eyes on her body. He looked at her from head to toe, and without moving, he said huskily, ¡°Come here.¡±

    Song Yu felt her throat turn sore. She gulped and said weakly, ¡°In what capacity are you saying that?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked a brow and said, half-smiling, ¡°Headmaster?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re saying that in the capacity of a headmaster, I¡¯ll tell you that I¡¯m still a student. It¡¯s not proper.¡± Song Yu remarked softly, ¡°At this age, I¡¯m still a senior high school student.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi smiled and stood up suddenly. Hisnky figure was separated from her by only a table, and the pressure was beginning to mount.

    Next, he went around the table and walked over to her. Song Yu did not even have the time to turn and face him when he trapped her in his embrace. His strong arms were ced on the table on either side of her, thereby holding her captive.

    Song Yu¡¯s breathing became coarser and coarser. She could feel him slowlying into contact with her back, and even his rod below became stiffer by the second.

    Even before she could turn around, she felt his face leaning ever closely onto her. His breathing became closer and closer, and his scalding-hot breaths brushed against her ears as well as her cheek and corner of her lip. She could feel his movements near her face without even looking at him.

    Song Yu¡¯s nervousness resulted in herbored breathing, and even the sounds of her breaths were bing heavier and heavier.

    Finally, she felt his thin lips touch her earlobe, after which he let out his ever-burning breaths all over her ears. She could hear his husky voicee in waves as they entered her ear, ¡°When I was the headmasterst time, my biggest wish was to keep you hidden for myself.¡±

    Silently, Song Yu trembled inadvertently. The bang in her brain made it feel like her brain was exploding. When she recalled the few past asions where they interacted with each other, his expressions as well as the looks he gave her all seemed to contain a deeperyer of meaning behind them.

    All of a sudden, Qi Chengzhi turned her around so she was facing him. His hands were ced on her waist as he lifted her up onto the table. Qi Chengzhi advanced forward, intending to take full advantage of her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her at the same time. Song Yu felt herself being pressed firmly into his stomach since he hugged her rather tightly.

    Qi Chengzhi kissed her fervently before rxing his grip on her slowly. His lips still remained touching against hers, and gradually, they began traveling to the corners of her lips. His voice was hoarse and extremely sexy, as though it had a maic quality that was capable of sucking her soul.

    ¡°Miss Song, would you like to follow the headmaster home?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked hoarsely. ¡°There are a few things I¡¯d like to discuss with you in private.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was very red. Those words he said seemed so serious that she really felt as though she went back to when she was still seventeen.

    Knowing full well that Qi Chengzhi would not have said all those things in the past, Song Yu still could not resist putting herself in that moment of time. She wondered how she would react in the past if Qi Chengzhi hugged her and said all those naughty things to her when she entered into his office.

    ¡°Headmaster and student... This isn¡¯t right...¡± Song Yu yed along with him too. Her then-character was half-genuine and half-feigned. When she spoke, her lips rubbed against his, causing her to feel a yearning in her heart. She wanted to kiss him properly.

    ¡°Do you like me?¡± QI Chengzhi sucked on her upper lip and asked in his husky voice.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was red-hot, and even her lips were trembling after he came into contact with her. Still shaking, she eventually managed to let out a tiny squeak, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°Really? How much do you like me?¡± Qi Chengzhi was so pleased that it showed in his eyes¡ªthey lit up very brightly.

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but look at you every day. I suffer if I don¡¯t see you and when I do see you, I feel really happy. I can¡¯t resist eyeing you from afar, and I can¡¯t move my eyes once I look at you. My mood changes with each action that you do, and I really wanted you to notice me. My biggest dream is to marry you, and from the first time we met, I wanted to be your wife,¡± Song Yu said softly. She stood there with the mindset from when she was seventeen, for she wished so dearly that she could meet him sooner and replenish all the times they could have had together.

    Back then he was the one who always looked at her from afar, noticing her each and every move. If Song Yu knew everything earlier, she would have paid more attention to him.

    Qi Chengzhi carried her up all of a sudden and kissed her passionately. Song Yu felt as though he was going to make her burst in mes from those kisses. Sometimeter, he ced her back down and led her out of the room.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Song Yu followed behind him.

    ¡°Home. My bed.¡± Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice sounded exceptionally tense. He pulled Song Yu immediately into the elevator.

    As soon as Song Yu¡¯s headnded in his chest, the elevator door closed shut behind her. She could feel the intense heating from his chest, while her waist was wrapped around firmly in his arms.

    Song Yu looked up and looked into the fire burning within his eyes. She shuddered and asked, ¡°What do you mean going home? I¡¯m only seventeen, aren¡¯t I? You¡¯re the headmaster.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked his brows. He twitched his lips due to the sudden tenseness that he felt. That brief tensed-up smilepletely bedazzled Song Yu, causing her to teeter on the edge of being a love-struck fool.

    ¡°The hical headmaster brings his girl students home.¡± Qi Chengzhi hoisted her and pressed her onto the wall before kissing her forcefully. While still pressed to her lips, he said hoarsely, ¡°I got hard just from seeing you at the door dressed like this. I could still keep it in back then, but now I can¡¯t do it anymore. I really salute my former self for being able to keep calmst time.¡±

    Song Yu inhaled sharply. Her lips were half-open and her chest was puffing up excitedly. Although she knew that he was struggling to contain himself, his oftentimes tant expressing of those shameless intentions affected Song Yu to the point where her heartbeat quickened.

    When the elevator reached the ground floor, Qi Chengzhi set Song Yu back on the ground and brought her out.

    Although Qi Chengzhi told Director Yan that thetter¡¯spany was not required and he could mind his own business, Director Yan still waited at the ground floor just in case Qi Chengzhi needed something and had no one else to call.

    Hearing the noise from the elevator, Director Yan looked over. The ensuing sight made him open his eyes wide in disbelief. He was looking at Qi Chengzhi walking over with a girl student d in Jixia¡¯s uniform.

    Qi Chengzhi took great strides, and the student was lowering her head. Her reddened cheeks could be seen slightly, but her face was unclear.

    From looks alone, she looked like a student from Jixia High School. Why would she be wearing the school uniform if she was not?

    Director Yan looked on with his mouth agape as Qi Chengzhi ushered the student into his car before getting on it himself. They did not seem to notice that Director Yan was still there and that ck Range Rover soon disappeared from his eyes.

    By that point, Director Yan was stunned silly. ¡®Isn¡¯t Qi Chengzhi married? He has a son, doesn¡¯t he? Why is he with a girl student all of a sudden...¡¯

    Judging from how Qi Chengzhi and the student looked, there was an electrifying suggestiveness lingering in the air despite theirrgely unintimate actions. Dissatisfaction was so obvious on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face that only a blind person would fail to notice that something was going on between him and the student.

 Chapter 299 - Ending 26: Whoâ€™s That Student?

    <h4>Chapter 299: Ending 26: Who¡¯s That Student?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Judging from how Qi Chengzhi and the student looked, there was an electrifying suggestiveness lingering in the air despite theirrgely unintimate actions. Dissatisfaction was so obvious on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face that only a blind person would fail to notice that something was going on between him and the student.

    ¡®This...

    ¡®Jixia¡¯s oldest students are senior high schoolers at most. Is that girl even of legal age yet?¡¯

    Director Yan was wondering why, after all those years, Qi Chengzhi decided toe back to Jixia to visit all of a sudden. He even requested for the headmaster¡¯s office. Could he have made prior arrangements with the girl so he could secretly meet with her there?

    Did he really have an affair even though he just got married?

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengzhi parked the car at the garage and urged Song Yu into the house. His raging fire was uncontainable, and he became more and more incapable of controlling himself the more he looked at Song Yu. He wanted to take her in the elevator if he could.

    It was her uniform in particr that lent her the look of a seventeen-year-old. This aroused Qi Chengzhi tremendously and it encouraged him to fulfill the fantasy he had all those years ago.

    Dragging Song Yu behind him, Qi Chengzhi opened the door and entered the house. Coincidentally, Aunt Yang walked out of her room and was heading to the kitchen to find something to eat. She saw Song Yu wearing a uniform and stared nkly in shock. ¡®What is this married couple up to again?¡¯

    Song Yu looked down in embarrassment. Her face was so red and she felt that she could never face Aunt Yang again.

    Qi Chengzhi could care less about all that. He brought Song Yu straight into the room and pressed her on the bed. He did not even have the patience to take off her clothes properly¡ªhe simply undid a couple of buttons and tore the dress away in his haste.

    In the end, they were both drenched in sweat and hugging each other despite being half-clothed. Barely a few buttons were undone on Song Yu¡¯s top. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s shirt buttons had popped off because of Song Yu¡¯s constant pulling. Just looking at it was enough to make her feel shy. She hardly expected herself to be so thirsty for him just now.

    It seemed as though Qi Chengzhi purposely chose not to take off her clothes. He hugged her and looked extremely satisfied to see her half-clothed attire. Pleased, he gave her an eight-word verdict, ¡°Your uniform is seductive. It made me sin.¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    Just like that, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hand had already entered into her clothes. Although she was made fun of by him through all those actions, she was somewhat at a loss for words since he looked so lecherous and unable to contain himself that day.

    Song Yu silently stared at the hand inside her clothes and remarked helplessly. ¡°Isn¡¯t it a bit too perverted for you to have such an interest in me when I was seventeen? I wasn¡¯t even mature yet at the time¡±

    It was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s turn to be speechless.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Aunt Yangid out the morning newspaper on the dining table since Qi Chengzhi had the habit of reading the news while having breakfast.

    Song Yu was still feeling a bit awkward when she took her seat at the table. She felt embarrassed to look Aunt Yang in the eye.

    Qi Chengzhi opened the newspaper and flipped through. A particr piece of news caught his eye all of a sudden, and his expression was rather odd. Song Yu was unable to see it however, since his face was shielded by the papers.

    At that precise moment, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s phone rang. He nced at it and noted that the call came from the manor. He picked it up but before he could even say anything, a barrage of questions came from the olddy. ¡°What¡¯s happening here? Who¡¯s that student?¡±

    Song Yu then noticed his odd expression and was getting suspicious. Her gaze subsequentlynded on a familiar-looking photograph in the paper.

    She took the paper and realized that the picture was of her and Qi Chengzhi. It was taken at Jixia High School the day before when Qi Chengzhi dragged her up the car. Dressed in a school uniform, she lowered her head, so the photograph did not catch her face clearly.

    The report alleged that Qi Chengzhi cast away his wife to meet in secret with a student from Jixia High School. An extramarital affair was supposedly in the making. The student¡¯s identity remained unknown as of yet, and it was not known whether the student was of legal age or not.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was rendered speechless for a moment. She blushed, and her head felt numb as she looked at Qi Chengzhi.

    How were they supposed to exin everything?

    Were they supposed to tell the reporters that the student was actually her and they were simply roleying? That would be utterly shameful.

    ¡°Grandma, that¡¯s Song Yu in the photo,¡± Qi Chengzhi answered calmly, without feeling the slightest ounce of guilt.

    ¡°What do you mean Song Yu? Don¡¯t you lie to me,¡± said the olddy unhappily. Though she trusted Qi Chengzhi¡¯s character, she was still afraid of the slightest possibility that Qi Chengzhi had been swayed by a young vixen. How then, if hemitted a wrong at the spur of a moment? ¡°I¡¯m telling you¡ªSong Yu suffered a lot when she gave birth to your child and raised him. You can¡¯t be doing things that amount to betraying her!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s thick eyebrows cocked up and his lips curled in a half-smile. He did not get angry at how his grandmother distrusted him. On the contrary, he was d that the olddy ced Song Yu first in times like that. Qi Chengzhi thus did not care much for those other minor things.

    ¡°Song Yu¡¯s right beside me. She¡¯s reading the same news.¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at thepletely humiliated Song Yu and said, half-smilingly, ¡°Talk to her then if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Without further ado, Qi Chengzhi handed the phone over to her.

    Song Yu steeled herself and took the phone from him. Her head remained numb as she said, ¡°Grandma. I¡¯m reading the news.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chengzhi said that woman is you, my dear Song Yu. Don¡¯t protect him. Tell the truth if it isn¡¯t you. I¡¯ll deal with him on your behalf¡ªyou don¡¯t need to be nervous. Always make sure that you don¡¯t let yourself be treated unfairly.¡± The olddy¡¯s voice was crisp and clear through the phone. Hearing it was enough to make Song Yu feel a warmth in her heart.

    ¡°Grandma. It¡¯s really me,¡± Song Yu said while shooting Qi Chengzhi a nce. She was thoroughly embarrassed to be in that position, yet he was smiling so smugly there.

    ¡°It¡¯s really you?¡± The olddy was skeptical.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Song Yu red at Qi Chengzhi, albeit not too intensely. ¡°When I got married to him, he admitted that he liked me since I was still in Jixia High School.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s expression changed dramatically. He did not expect Song Yu to blurt out the truth. The olddy was probably beaming happily at the other end of the phone.

    Song Yu¡¯s eyes had a hint of mischievousness when she looked at him, almost as if she was taking revenge for his past misbehavior.

    ¡°Really?¡± Surprisingly, the olddy raised her voice in both shock and excitement. Her voice was so loud that it could be heard by those around.

    ¡°Mm. I was actually kinda scared of himst him. I didn¡¯t know he liked me. He said he always spied on me from afar,¡± replied Song Yu, seemingly full of zeal. She was no longer blushing and a smile even formed on her lips. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face became even sourer.

    ¡°Oh my, our eldest grandson having a crush?¡± The olddy was truly astonished. She could not wrap her head around how Qi Chengzhi could have such a restrained and innocent moment. It was not his style at all.

    Song Yu smiled at Qi Chengzhi and continued the conversation with the olddy. She began to blush once more as she spoke softly, ¡°I changed my school because of the bankruptcy after that, remember? Chengzhi always regretted it, and I regretted it too. I regret not being able to understand his intentions sooner and be with him earlier. So, since it¡¯s the holidays and there aren¡¯t any students in Jixia, I dug up my old uniform and went there with Chengzhi to experience how it would have been like if we got togetherst time. Somehow the reporters managed to take photos without a clear view of my face.¡±

    ¡°I get it, I get it.¡± Song Yu did not know what the olddy actually understood, but from thetter¡¯s tone, it seemed to be a suggestive one. ¡°Alright then. Since this is all a misunderstanding, I won¡¯t be worried anymore.¡±

    A brief exchangeter, the olddy knew that it was a misunderstanding. Her grandson and granddaughter-inw were still on very good terms with each other and she hung up happily.

    Song Yu smiled and handed the phone back to Qi Chengzhi, saying, ¡°Grandma told me to apologize on her behalf. She apologized for the misunderstanding with you. Deep down, she really does trust you.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi looked askance at her with his ck pupils. His mood was indiscernible at that time. All of a sudden, he leaned over and trapped her on the chair, saying, ¡°Since you¡¯ve told Grandma all about my crush, why don¡¯t you just tell her all those things we did yesterday?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu blushed and realized that the man was probably embarrassed that someone else knew about his crush. Nevertheless, she wrapped her arms wantonly over his neck and said, ¡°How embarrassing would that be. That¡¯s such a private matter. How can I talk about it so casually? I had no choice but to sacrifice your image a little.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared at her without knowing whether tough or cry. Though he was quiet, he was really happy to discover that she was confident that he would always have her back.

    After a while, Xia Wenna¡¯s called as well. She asked about none other than the news report. All Song Yu could do was tell the same thing once again, but she did not go into too much detail about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s crush for fear that he would feel more embarrassed.

    ...

    ...

    That evening, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu brought Little Youjin to a swimming center for babies. The moment his Range Rover drove off, countless cars followed suit.

    He nced at them, but once he knew those were reporters, he paid no mind to them.

    The swimming center for babies was situated inside a mall, so when they parked the car in the mall¡¯s parking lot, a throng of reporters swarmed them immediately after they got down from the car.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, you were photographed meeting a young student. How long have you been together?¡±

    ¡°Were the two of you together when Mrs. Qi was pregnant?¡±

    ¡°The person you photographed in the school uniform was my wife,¡± Qi Chengzhi said bluntly with Youjin in his arms.

    Song Yu reached for the cap on Little Youjin and fixed it more properly on his head. She was afraid that the camera shes would bother the infant.

    ¡°HUH?¡± The reporters were all stunned.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s unfeeling eyes swept across everyone, and he twitched his stern lips rather sarcastically. ¡°Can¡¯t a husband and wife do some roleying to spice up the bedroom?¡±

    Some of the reporters had a lightbulb moment and remembered that Song Yu was studying at Jixia when Qi Chengzhi was the headmaster. Were the two of them roleying a forbidden rtionship between teacher and student?

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu poked his lower back surreptitiously, urging him to walk a bit faster. She scarcely expected him to just say the truth.

    Qi Chengzhi smiled inly. With one hand holding one Little Youjin and the other holding Song Yu, he brought them toward the swimming center. The reporters were so speechless that they did not follow him suit.

    Song Yu¡¯s reaction did not seem to suggest that she was at odds with Qi Chengzhi. The news was nothing but an unexpected misunderstanding.

    ...

    ...

    Ever since Mu Sisi got married to Gao Jingqiu, the Gao family controlled her very strictly, especially in light of the leaked nude photos and sex videos. The Gao family was nothing like the Mu family, and at the end of the day, Mu Sisi was still Mu Huili and Fang Anci¡¯s daughter whom they spoiled rotten. No matter how strictly Mu Sisi¡¯s parents treated her, they had no way to truly restrict her actions.

    The Gao family, however, had information that was detrimental to Mu Sisi in addition to her shares. Gao Jingqiu treated her without courtesy at all and went physical as soon as his temper red up. Due to that, Mu Sisi did not dare to act without thinking.

    Her stubbornness stemmed from her family¡¯s doting on her, but she was basically the kind who bullied the weak and feared the strong. She quickly became listless without someone to rely upon, especially since the other party had nothing to fear and waspletely unhesitant to teach her a lesson. She no longer had the mood to bother Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu as a result of all that.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were enjoying their happy life together, while the Qi family was all happy and peaceful in the home. It was in their moment of joy that disaster struck on Mu Sisi¡¯s side.

    After the Gao family seized the opportunity to ckmail Mu Sisi into giving four of MU¡¯s shares to him, Mu Sisi did not hold Gao Jingqiu¡¯s parents in high regard. She had no interaction with them at all and treated them as enemies. The new year wasing but it was impossible that she would follow Gao Jingqiu to his home.

    On the eve of the new year, Mu Sisi and Gao Jingqiu celebrated with their respective families.

    The reporters, though, seemed to have nothing better to do. They managed to find out about it, and Fang Anci had to show up to exin to them that Mu Sisi dide back home, but the reporters neglected to capture photographs of Gao Jingqiuing over to pick Mu Sisi before heading to the Gao family home.

    That was the reason Fang Anci told Mu Sisi to head back to the Gao family home on the fifth day of the Lunar New Year. It was not to mend rtionships with the Gao family, but rather to dodge any questions from those pesky reporters. Otherwise, the ugly truth would surface, and MU¡±s image would be even more tarnished.

    Mu Sisi was left with no choice but to visit the Gao family. Little did she expect that upon entering the door, Yu Keyao was seen sitting on the sofa.

    She then heard Gao Jingqiu¡¯s mother, Li Lianna, say, ¡°Keyao, drink this birds¡¯ nest soup to replenish your body.¡±

    Li Lianna was so friendly toward Yu Keyao. It was apletely stark contrast to how she treated Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi red intensely at Yu Keyao. She made no effort to hide her shock when she asked angrily, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Yu Keyao paused marily while holding the birds¡¯ nest soup. She turned toward Gao Shenghe and Li Lianna as if at aplete loss as to what she should do.

    ¡°I invited Keyao here.¡± Li Lianna had a frosty attitude when talking to Mu Sisi. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant, so she¡¯ll be staying here from now on.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s staying here because she¡¯s pregnant?¡± Mu Sisi clenched her jaw so hard that her face was distorted. ¡°Yu Keyao, what¡¯s the meaning of this?¡±

    Yu Keyao ced the bowl of soup down and maintained a very gentle gaze. Mu Sisi was clearly shaken after seeing Yu Keyao¡¯s expression.

    Ye Keyao rubbed her stomach and remarked softly, ¡°I¡¯m pregnant with Jingqiu¡¯s child. It¡¯s been six weeks now. I¡¯ll be staying here in confinement from now on.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Mu Sisi simply stared in shock with her mouth wide open, unable to say a single sentence. She wondered when Yu Keyao got involved with Gao Jingqiu and conceived his child.

    ¡°Yu Keyao, you think by getting pregnant you can change your life for the better? I¡¯m telling you, if I don¡¯t bring up the subject of divorce, Gao Jingqiu cannot bring it up too. Even if you give birth to that child, you¡¯ll always be a mistress for the rest of your life. You¡¯re only fit to be raised outside of the home. You have no status or share, and when the timees for Gao Jingqiu to throw you away, you won¡¯t get a single benefit from it. Your child will always be a bastard,¡± Mu Sisi gnashed her teeth and said.

    Unexpectedly, Yu Keyao was all smiles as she said, ¡°I never had any intention of getting married to him in the first ce. I know that you¡¯re married to him, and if you knew of my existence, you wouldn¡¯t let me be happy even if it means you¡¯ll be unhappy too. You¡¯re exactly the kind of person who harms others even if it doesn¡¯t benefit yourself. I don¡¯t need the status. Jingqiu and his parents have already agreed that my child will bear the Gao surname. Everything that has to do with registering the child will be settled by the Gao family. The child may be born out of wedlock but will be treated in the same way as a child born in wedlock. He will grow to be the Gao family¡¯s noble son. My child will have the Gao family¡¯s right of inheritance. I don¡¯t have the status, but Jingqiu will treat me as a wife. Other than that status, there¡¯s nothing else I won¡¯t get.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Gao Jingqiu appeared on the stairs. He had earlier taken his afternoon nap in his bedroom and had just gotten up. The first thing he heard when he got down was Mu Sisi¡¯s shrieking.

    Calm and unruffled, he went down and looked at Mu Sisi in disdain. ¡°Are you still oblivious to your own status? You¡¯re the Gao family¡¯s daughter-inw only by name. You don¡¯t have anything else. Did you really think I¡¯d give you a chance to carry my child and use him to take back your shares in MU?¡±

    The look in Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes changed drastically. She wanted to divorce and be free of Gao Jingqiu, but the discussion as regards to that was exactly that¡ªthe results of Mu Huili and Mu Huaisheng¡¯s discussion was that Mu Sisi should conceive Gao Jingqiu¡¯s child. That way, a divorce would mean that half of Gao Jingqiu¡¯s assets would be inherited by the child.

    It did not ur to her that the Gao family had thought of that beforehand.

    Gao Jingqiu smirked in contempt and snickered. ¡°Mu Sisi, don¡¯t even think about having my child for as long as you¡¯re alive. I won¡¯t even touch you. Who knows, you might sleep around and have someone else¡¯s child. What if you try to frame me by saying that child is mine?¡±

    That was precisely why he impregnated Yu Keyao. It was not as if Gao Jingqiu really liked her anyway.

    He knew that Ye Keyao once pursued Qi Chengzhi and felt disgusted at that. It appalled him that all the women beside him had some sort of rtionship with Qi Chengzhi.

    With regard to children, however, Gao Jingqiu would never choose an ordinary girl. Otherwise, he would have done so with Huang Ziyue. Where could he find someone who did not want status but had a good family background?

    After much searching, the only one who fit those criteria was Yu Keyao. Her family might have been on the edge of bankruptcy with theirpany bordering on a copse, but it only affected Yi Zidong¡¯spany. The assets inherited by Yu Zixiu from the Yu family was still present, and even though hispany was not that great, it was not too bad either.

    No matter what, Yu Keyao¡¯s background was sufficiently good and the Yu family also paraded her for beingpatible with the Gao family. Since Yu Keyao¡¯s home was also in need of help, Yu Keyao had no other avenue. Thus, they all arrived at that predicament.

    Yu Keyao grinned at Mu Sisi and said softly, ¡°You of all people should understand me better. You were willing to be Qi Chengzhi¡¯s lover and didn¡¯t ask for any status. You were even willing to have his child without asking for anything in return. He didn¡¯t even need to take responsibility. All you wanted was for his child to be with your forever. That¡¯s enough for you, isn¡¯t it? I think I¡¯m luckier than you. Jingqiu is willing to take responsibility for my child. What I¡¯m doing now is the exact same thing that you were doing all along. You understand me, surely.¡±

    Mu Sisi did not for once think Yu Keyao would use her past statements as a rebuttal.

    Mu Sisi clenched her jaw and red angrily at Yu Keyao. She knew Yu Keyao was getting back at her, but she never foresaw that Yu Keyao would go to such lengths just to do all that!

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu, don¡¯t you know that Yu Keyao has been with my elder brother before?¡± Mu Sisi smiled coldly as if she could dangle the shameful title of a cuckold above his head. ¡°You¡¯re sure that this is yours?¡±

    ¡°Yo, could it be your brother¡¯s?¡± Gao Jingqiu sneered. ¡°If it was, then I¡¯d be happy to send the child to your home once it pops out. I don¡¯t think Mu Huaisheng is that big of an idiot to forget protection. Your words make me feel worried about your family. Only someone as stupid as you can cause trouble for your own family no matter the time and ce.¡±

 Chapter 300 - Epilogue (Part I)

    <h4>Chapter 300: Epilogue (Part I)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He snickered and continued, ¡°It¡¯s okay to be stupid as long as you know your ce. Being stupid and pretending to be smart is nothing but disgraceful. Your brother¡¯s quite smart, and he came from the same father and mother as you. Why is it that you¡¯re so f*cking dumb?¡±

    Mu Sisi was fuming so hard that her eyes were bloodshot. She first looked at Yu Keyao, then Gao Jingqiu, then finally Gao Jingqiu¡¯s parents. All of them eyed her wryly as though she was truly an idiot.

    She raised her trembling hand and pointed at Yu Keyao. ¡°The hell are you looking so smugly at me? You think you¡¯re so amazing now, huh? Gao Jingqiu changes women constantly. You won¡¯t get anything at all. Do you really think he¡¯ll treat you as a wife? The Gao family can¡¯t be trusted and they always go back on their word. Sure, they¡¯ll mention all that casually to achieve their aims, but when you already have the child, they¡¯ll just kick you away and turn their backs on you!¡±

    ¡°Speaking of turning one¡¯s back, you¡¯re one of those people too, aren¡¯t you Miss Mu?¡± Yu Keyao asked frostily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so smug. Frankly speaking, all you¡¯re offering is a stomach for the Gao family to raise their child. Even surrogate mothers provide only the stomach. As for you, you¡¯ve provided him with your lower body, too. Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s dirty?¡± Mu Sisi shrieked.

    ¡°I can¡¯tpare to you though¡ªyou¡¯ve shown yours to the entire country.¡± Yu Keyao did not hold back at all.

    The one thing that Mu Sisi absolutely could not take was when people mentioned that incident. It was like a switch that drove her mad immediately. Seeing Yu Keyao¡¯s self-satisfied expression made Mu Sisi ran up suddenly with a violent look on her face. She grabbed Yu Keyao¡¯s long hair and pulled her down to the ground.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you be proud of yourself. You think that you¡¯re so good just because you¡¯re pregnant? What right do you have tough at me when your entire family is crumbling? You think you¡¯re so high and mighty because you¡¯re a mistress serving as a vessel for someone¡¯s child? All you want to do is get revenge on me, right? I¡¯d like to see if you can still give birth to that baby!¡± Mu Sisi¡¯s piercing voice resembled the sound when someone scraped their fingernails over a piece of ss.

    Yu Keyao shrieked too, but she was so scared that she protected her stomach with both hands andpletely ignored her hair being pulled. At that point, Mu Sisi was like a deranged lunatic that ran out of a mental asylum, and no one knew what she was going to do.

    ¡°Mu Sisi, you¡¯re insane! What are you doing? Don¡¯t make a scene here, ahh...¡± Yu Keyao was in so much shock that her face went pale. Her stomach was most precious to her at that time, since it was the deciding factor on how her life would be from then onward.

    Gao Jingqiu rushed up immediately. He held Yu Keyao¡¯s arms to prevent Mu Sisi from dragging her down, and at the same time, he grabbed Mu Sisi¡¯s wrist so strongly that the pain forced her to let go.

    He shielded Yu Keyao behind him and pushed Mu Sisi onto the ground without hesitation.

    The impact against the marble floor was very painful for her backside. With all that pain and suffering she endured, she broke down instantly and cried.

    Her parents told her to go over, but it did not ur to her that she would be bullied so harshly when she came. It was the most terrible of humiliation¡ªthe Gao family were bastards of the highest order!

    Suddenly, she felt a warm moist liquid beneath her. Mu Sisi felt her energy drain from her body, with the kind of dizziness that was reminiscent of getting a high fever.

    Gao Jingqiu and the others watched as color drained from her face. They looked again and saw red liquid seeping out from between Mu Sisi¡¯s thighs. Very soon, the puddle beneath her expandedrgely in size.

    Mu Sisi managed to look down and spot the frighteningly-red sight before turning pale and passing out.

    ¡°This...¡± Li Lianna stared in shock at Mu Sisi. ¡°She¡¯s pregnant!¡±

    Gao Jingqiu did nothing and simply stared at the passed-out Mu Sisiying on the marble floor. As Li Lianna was about to step forward and help Mu Sisi up, Gao Jingqiu stopped her. ¡°Don¡¯t touch her just yet.¡±

    Li Lianna stopped her actions. Gao Jingqiu¡¯s expression was so icy that he waspletely emotionless when looking at Mu Sisi.

    The profuse bleeding caused Li Lianna to feel anxious. ¡°How long are we going to wait? Don¡¯t wait till her life is on the line.¡±

    Gao Jingqiu kept quiet and sat down, looking absolutely calm. Ye Keyao looked on coldly from one side and did not say anything.

    Li Lianna kept a close watch on the time. More than an hour had passed before Gao Jingqiu finally picked up the phone and called an ambnce.

    ...

    ...

    Mu Sisi gradually regained consciousness. Her listlessness paled inparison to anything she had ever experienced before.

    ¡°Sisi, how are you feeling?¡± came Fang Anci¡¯s voice.

    Mu Sisi blinked a couple of times to finally realize that she was inside a ward. Her mind could not think straight for a short while and it took her some time for her to remember what actually happened.

    Gao Jingqiu pushed her to the ground and she lost consciousness soon after. She could not remember anything else after that.

    The Gao family was there with her parents and Mu Huaisheng. Yu Keyao was not there.

    ¡°Mom...¡± Mu Sisi called out weakly. ¡°What happened? Am I okay?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± A heartbroken Fang Anci paused before resuming, ¡°You had a miscarriage. The doctor said that your body is the kind that has high-risk during pregnancy. This miscarriage is no small injury, and maybe next time...¡±

    Mu Sisi¡¯s eyes opened wide. In a frenzy she sat up suddenly and screamed, ¡°Gao Jingqiu, you bastard! I¡¯ll kill you! Do you think I enjoy having your child? I¡¯m d that your baby suffered a miscarriage, but you can¡¯t deprive me if my chance to carry someone else¡¯s child!¡±

    ¡°Sisi, calm down.¡± Fang Anci held Mu Sisi down. ¡°You just had a miscarriage. It¡¯s just as important to recuperate as though you¡¯ve just given birth. Don¡¯t do anything risky or you¡¯ll contract an illness otherwise. If so, you¡¯ll have to deal with it forever.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t give birth to a child now! What other illness can be worse than this?!¡± Mu Sisi screamed in anguish.

    ¡°A child? If you don¡¯t carry my baby, whose baby are you going to carry? Qi Chengzhi¡¯s?¡± Gao Jingqiu snarked at her. ¡°You¡¯re fortunate if he doesn¡¯t look at you with disgust.¡±

    ¡°Gao Jingqiu, you have the decency to say that to my face? Who¡¯s the one that caused the miscarriage in the first ce? I was kind enough to visit your parents during the new year since we¡¯re married, and it¡¯s better for our families to live harmoniously with each other. I was surprised to see that you brought your pregnant mistress home and attend to her. You Gao family people like bullying others, don¡¯t you?!¡± Mu Sisi cried.

    All the injustice she suffered throughout her entire life could never add up to the totality of injustice that she suffered after marrying Gao Jingqiu. ¡®Why is my life so miserable?!¡¯

    ¡°Big Brother, it¡¯s Yu Keyao. We gave her a job and she said she loved you, but in the end she got pregnant with Gao Jingqiu¡¯s child and is living at their home too! Their entire family was grinning while making fun of me, and even though Yu Keyao is their vessel to carry the baby, she¡¯s so content with her position that she joined the Gao family in bullying me! She sobbed with abandon. ¡°Why... Why must my life be like this...¡± Mu Sisi wailed. She tugged on Fang Anci¡¯s clothes and shook her.

    ¡°It¡¯s all your fault! You forced me to marry Gao Jingqiu. Perfect, just perfect! Now my shares are gone and I can¡¯t even conceive! IT¡¯S ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!¡±

    Fang Anci felt her heart twinged in pain when Mu Sisi shook her and began wailing. The shaking alone made Fang Anci¡¯s eyes reddened, and it was surely impossible for her to take it when her own daughter suffered such injustice in the Gao family¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Mr. Mu, Mrs. Mu, we never wanted this to happen. But even if you¡¯re not divorcing, Jingqiu and Sisi¡¯s rtionship has already broken down. After that incident, our two children never...slept together anymore,¡± said Li Lianna with embarrassment. ¡°Even if Gao Jingqiu wanted it, Mu Sisi would probably not give it to him. Her thoughts arepletely filled with Qi Chengzhi, and our Jingqiu is a very proud man. He couldn¡¯t possibly touch her like that, right? We want the Gao family to continue the practice of burning joss sticks [1], but Sisi just said that she isn¡¯t willing to conceive Jingqiu¡¯s child. We can¡¯t let Gao Jingqiu be childless and let the Gao family just end there, right? Our Gao family needs a sessor to continue the family business too. I think there are logic and reason for Gao Jingqiu to make a baby with someone else.

    ¡°Perhaps none of you will understand us, but we do have our own difficulties. Our family has to take responsibility for all the things that happened. We didn¡¯t inform Sisi about this earlier and gave her no time to prepare. That¡¯s the cause of this massive ident.¡± Li Lianna sighed regretfully. ¡°We¡¯re not trying to shift the me either. How about this. Even if Sisi can¡¯t bear children, she¡¯ll continue to be the Gao family¡¯s daughter-inw. She can forever remain the Gao family¡¯s daughter-inw unless she chooses not to. No matter what Gao Jingqiu does outside or who he bears children with, none of those outside women can take away your status. Sisi, you and your family can rest assured that no outsider wille to provoke you. Although Yu Keyao got pregnant, she knows very well that she can¡¯t marry Jingqiu and has no intention of doing so.¡±

    ¡°What if I don¡¯t agree to that?¡± The angry Mu Sisi smiled bitterly. ¡°You say some nice words in front of my family, but your attitude was far from this when I was at your home! Everything you say now sounds so nice, but who the hell knows if how badly you¡¯ll talk about us behind our back?¡±

    Li Lianna sighed again. ¡°Then what do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°Hand me back my four shares and I¡¯ll divorce immediately. I won¡¯t put a burden on your family, and Gao Jingqiu can have babies with whoever he wants. You can choose whichever girl you like to get married to him,¡± Mu Sisi retorted.

    ¡°About this, I think it¡¯s best that we go ording to the contract.¡± Gao Shenghe began speaking glumly. ¡°The contract says that the shares are ours if Mu Sisi¡¯s the one who says she wants a divorce.¡±

    ¡°Since that¡¯s what the contract says, we won¡¯t argue with you on this point,¡± Mu Huaisheng remarked calmly. Mu Sisi became anxious immediately and started worrying that her family will continue to use her as a sacrificialmb.

    She was just about to open her mouth when Fang Anci grabbed her hand and held her down, preventing her from running amok.

    ¡°Sisi has already sustained an injury, and a longsting one at that. You can¡¯t just do nothing about it. Our family may have risked it all for this life and death struggle, but we won¡¯t let you torment us as you please. Everyone has a limit, including our family. We, the Mu family, won¡¯t allow ourselves to be bullied so easily. Don¡¯t be of the mistaken belief that we¡¯ll keep quiet and let you do whatever you like. You agreed to Mu Sisi¡¯s marriage with Gao Jingqiu because you looked favorably on our family background. Did you forget that our family has a good background too?¡± Mu Huaisheng saidposedly. He did not mince his words and even seemed to mock them slightly, making the Gao family feel very ufortable. Clearly, Gao Jingqiu was not on the same status him.

    ¡°What do you propose then?¡± Gao Jingqiu asked solemnly.

    ¡°Either let Yu Keyao abort the child, or never recognize that child¡¯s status if you want her to give birth to it. If you choose thetter, you cannot raise the child in any way whatsoever and you can¡¯t give Yu Keyao any support. It¡¯s fine if she insists on giving birth to the child, but she has to raise it by herself. No matter how hard things are for her, the Gao family cannot interfere, even if she¡¯s barely surviving.¡± Mu Huaisheng twitched his lip. ¡°If you agree to this, then we won¡¯t press on about this matter any further.¡±

    ¡°Impossible!¡± Gao Shenghe then continued frigidly, ¡°We won¡¯t agree to that condition. The Gao family has taken great pains to get a grandchild, and there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll do that. We¡¯ve more than made up for everything by our willingness to retain Mu Sisi¡¯s status as the legal wife. If this were to happen to any other family, they would surely not treat you as kindly as we are now. If news of Mu Sisi¡¯s infertility is made public, do you really think that other men would want to marry her even if she divorces?¡±

    Gao Shenghe held only four of MU¡¯s shares, and as small as it might seem, it was actually a significant amount. Mu Sisi previously had only eight in total even though she was the only daughter of the Mu family. They were thus determined not to let those four shares fall blindly into the hands of the Gao family since thetter wanted more than what had been given.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if everyone knows. How further down can my reputation go? I don¡¯t n on marrying again anyway!¡± Mu Sisi sted. ¡°I¡¯d rather be single my entire life than be with your family. You think I¡¯m willing to put everything on the line just to be known as Mrs. Gao?¡±

    Gao Shenghe¡¯s cold gaze turned to Mu Sisi, but what surprised him was Mu Huaisheng¡¯s calmness. He was not at all livid and simply said, ¡°If so, we have nothing more to talk about. You may leave.¡±

    Gao Shenghe huffed. He regarded Mu Huaisheng as a young man who tried hard to appear like a profound thinker.

    Before they all left, he shot Mu Huaisheng a disdainful stare.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, it came as aplete surprise to the Gao family that news of Gao Jingqiu¡¯s mistress, including her pregnancy, made waves in the news.

    There were even reports of Gao Jingqiu and the mistress joining hands to bully Mu Sisi and cause her to suffer a miscarriage. Reporters flocked to the hospital to verify the ims. Many were stopped by nurses who said that Mu Sisi was in no condition¡ªboth physically and mentally¡ªto be having visitors. Regardless, they were able to peek through the small window on the door and saw Mu Sisi¡¯s tear-drenched face.

    Gao Jingqiu was not the only one exposed¡ªYu Keyao was, too. In a sh, various curses were hurled at them on the web, including things like ¡®douchebag¡¯, ¡®shameless¡¯, ¡®The mistress should go to hell¡¯, ¡®karma is a b*tch¡¯.

    Those who once thought that Gao Jingqiu was the ideal man of the new era began cursing at him for being a good actor. He quickly turned from ¡®the ideal man of a new era¡¯ to ¡®the biggest bastard in the entire world¡¯.

    Yu Keyao¡¯s background and status were outed as well, including her failure to woo Qi Chengzhi and the copse of herpany. It was stated that her father, Yu Zidong, was a ruthless man who divorced his wife of many years just to save hispany.

    Others said that Gao Jingqiu specialized in picking up those women that Qi Chengzhi did not want. Mu Sisi¡¯s pursuit of Qi Chengzhi was well-known throughout the country, and Gao Jingqiu¡¯s mistress was also someone who once could not get over Qi Chengzhi.

    Gao Jingqiu wasbeled as someone to recycles used goods.

    The entire scandal was another blow to Yu Zidong¡¯s nearly-copsingpany, but even the Gao family¡¯s surging high stock fell dramatically. In fact, it fell so much that it reached the limit down price.

    If the situation persisted, those who once had the intention of specting on stocks and investing in them would dump those shares when they realized thepany was not going to give them any benefit.

    Their action of dumping those stocks was done privately as there were people who contacted them beforehand and gave them a very high price¡ªat least whenpared to the highest price that thepany was able to offer at that time. The small-time shareholders weighed the pros and cons and felt that it was feasible since they had in their hands a significant number of otherpanies¡¯ shares. The Gao familypany¡¯s shares were not that important as they dropped to such a low price already. It benefited them to sell it at a good price and earn a bit of profit, and when it came to the crux, it was no different from specting on property investments.

    The buyer¡¯s one request was that the shareholders could not let the Gao patriarch know about it, which thetter party happily obliged.

    When Gao Shenghe and Gao Jingqiu finally noticed the shareholders¡¯ actions, it was already toote for them to recall the shares because it had all been sold.

    ¡°Chairman, Mu Huaisheng from MU came to see you,¡± the secretary said at the door.

    Gao Shenghe was appalled because Mu Huaisheng did not arrange for a meeting. It was solely on Mu Huaisheng¡¯s status that the secretary informed Gao Shenghe instead of sending away Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°I understand. Tell Jingqiu toe in as well,¡± Gao Shenghe ordered sullenly. He had the feeling that Mu Huaisheng came bearing ill will.

    When Gao Jingqiu went up, he bumped into Mu Huaisheng, who was already outside Gao Shenghe¡¯s office.

    Mu Huaisheng curled his lips and smiled. The smile was nearly imperceptible but it seemed to be taunting. He remained unruffled and nodded slightly at Gao Jingqiu. The secretary then opened the door for Mu Huaisheng to enter.

    Gao Jingqiu went past the desk and stood behind Gao Shenghe. A file of photocopied documents was ced on the table by Mu Huaisheng. Gao Shenghe took it suspiciously and wondered what tricks Mu Huaisheng was up to. When he finallyid eyes on it, his expression froze and he eximed, ¡°It¡¯s you!¡±

    He was shocked to see that the hidden hands who bought off all those shares was none other than Mu Huaisheng!

    All those small-time shareholders said that they sold off their shares, prompting Gao Shenghe to suspect that they sold them to one person.

    The shares Mu Huaisheng held were worth far more than four of MU¡¯s shares!

    ¡°What¡¯s your purpose for showing them to me?¡± Gao Shenghe asked unhappily.

    ¡°Let Yu Keyao abort her baby. The condition has changed now. The child can¡¯t be born. Other than that, Mu Sisi will divorce Gao Jingqiu, and MU¡¯s shares will be returned in exchange for these.¡± Mu Huaisheng then threatened, ¡°If you don¡¯t want this, I¡¯ll be happy to be yourpany¡¯s thirdrgest shareholder.¡±

    Gao Shenghe gnashed his teeth. He could not make a decision right then, but the truth was that he had no other choice.

    It was no wonder then that Mu Huaisheng was so full of confidence back in the hospital. As it turned out, he had been nning everything all along.

    ¡°I don¡¯t give a damn if Gao Jingqiu wants to impregnate whichever woman he wants after the divorce, but Ye Keyao¡¯s baby must be aborted,¡± Mu Huaisheng said. He did not believe that Gao Jingqiu would marry Yu Keyao after Mu Sisi¡¯s divorce.

    In Gao Jingqiu¡¯s eyes, Yu Keyao¡¯s status at the time was suited only for an extramarital rtionship, not a proper marriage. Yu Keyao was well aware of that, which was why she told Mu Sisi that she had no intention of making it a proper marriage.

    ...

    ...

    A weekter, Gao Shenghe and Mu Huili signed a new agreement. Yu Keyao was forced to the hospital by Gao Jingqiu, and because Mu Huaisheng had his doubts, he went to the hospital as well.

    ¡°NO. I Don¡¯t want to abort the baby, Jingqiu, this is your baby!¡± Yue Keyao pulled on Gao Jingqiu¡¯s clothes. She was strapped onto the hospital bed and cried like nobody¡¯s business.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it too but we can¡¯t lose thepany just because of a baby.¡± Gao Jingqiu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Listen to me¡ªyou¡¯re still early in the pregnancy, and getting the abortion now won¡¯t have too big of an effect on you. There will be chances for a child in the future. I won¡¯t mistreat you.¡±

 Chapter 301 - Epilogue (Part II)

    <h4>Chapter 301: Epilogue (Part II)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I don¡¯t want it too but we can¡¯t lose thepany just because of a baby.¡± Gao Jingqiu gritted his teeth and said, ¡°Listen to me¡ªyou¡¯re still early in the pregnancy, and getting the abortion now won¡¯t have too big of an effect on you. There will be chances for a child in the future. I won¡¯t mistreat you.¡±

    Yu Keyao could not stop shaking her head. She knew that once she aborted the baby, she would no longer matter to Gao Jingqiu. He would just marry another girl from a good family and have kids¡ªwhy would he need her to give birth to a bastard child?

    ¡°Young Master Mu, Young Master Mu, I beg you. Please don¡¯t make me abort the child. I promise I won¡¯t talk back to Miss Mu ever again. Just let me have the baby. Young Master Mu, have mercy, we were once... once... Seeing that we were once a couple, have mercy and let me keep the child please!¡± Yu Keyao begged. She tried to pull Mu Huaisheng¡¯s hand but he shifted away.

    ¡°Miss Yu, I¡¯m afraid you misunderstood. We were never a thing. We were just two adults engaging in pleasure, nothing more,¡± Mu Huaisheng said coldly. He studied Yu Keyao. ¡°How did Zhang Zhenlong know the email addresses of ourpany employees, I keep wondering.¡±

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng!¡± Yu Keyao screamed. ¡°You¡¯re not human!¡±

    It seemed that Mu Huaisheng knew Yu Keyao was the one who gave the email addresses to Zhang Zhenlong, which was why he was exacting revenge now. It was not simply because she was carrying Gao Jingqiu¡¯s child.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s expression did not change. That delicate and schrly face wore a gentle expression as the man took a step back and let the nurses push Yu Keyao into the operating theater.

    Some timeter, an unconscious Yu Keyao was wheeled out of the room. Her face was white as a sheet. From then onward, Yu Keyao no longer had any hope. She could not even muster the strength to turn in her bed.

    Gao Jingqiu and Mu Sisi signed the divorce papers. The two families bartered the familypany shares that were previously exchanged during the marriage.

    The alliance between their families was initially proposed for mutual benefits but in the end, none of them gained anything. Instead, losses were made.

    When the Mu family first entered the business scene, they announced a marriage with the Gao family. It was the hot topic picked up by every media station. Who knew that it would end in such a tragedy.

    ...

    A monthter, Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi brought Little Youjin to a baby swimming ss. After they were done, Youjin was ced into the baby stroller and pushed along in the mall.

    Little Youjin was growing rapidly¡ªthere would be a new development every month. They would be able to buy some new season¡¯s clothing for the baby today.

    After picking out the clothes for Youjin, Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to the women¡¯s section. He wanted to buy some clothes for her even though she had way too many clothes at home, some still had their price tags on. Yet, no matter what Song Yu said, Qi Chengzhi was adamant.

    Song Yu noticed that Qi Chengzhi was bing a shopaholic. He could not stop buying things for her and baby Youjin.

    After Little Youjin¡¯s birth, the photo wall in their living room was filled within weeks. Even the walls along the stairs were almost filled.

    Yesterday night, as Qi Chengzhi was nailing a photo to the wall, he said, ¡°Maybe we should move to a bigger house? A three-story mansion maybe. Else, this wall may no longer be enough.¡±

    Song Yu was speechless.

    After buying her clothes, Song Yu pushed Little Youjin along while Qi Chengzhi carried the multiple shopping bags. The feeling of spending his hard-earned money on his wife and kid made Qi Chengzhi feel incredibly blessed.

    As they strolled, they saw Fang Anci and Mu Sisi walking in their direction.

    The news of Mu Sisi¡¯s intimate photos had died down but the failed marriage between her and Gao Jingqiu was still the talk of the town. Mu Sisi had on a pair of sunsses and a cap even though she was inside the mall. Only the lower half of her face was visible.

    Song Yu only recognized half-hidden Mu Sisi because of her frequent harassment from before.

    Mu Sisi was also shocked to see them, her footstepsing to a halt. As she was wearing sunsses, her expression was not visible. She nced at Qi Chengzhi and was surprised to see him carrying so many shopping bags¡ªconflicting with his usual cool persona.

    Then, Mu Sisi shuffled behind Fang Anci with her head lowered, as if afraid to face Qi Chengzhi.

    Meanwhile, Qi Chengzhi had on his trademark stoic expression when he saw Mu Sisi.

    Mu Sisi tugged at Fang Anci¡¯s arm. Her mother turned around and guided Mu Sisi away, not bothering to greet Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    Seeing Mu Sisi¡¯s panicked retreat, Song Yu sighed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Feeling pity for her?¡± Both of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s hands were upied so he could not hold Song Yu¡¯s hand. He could only raise his eyebrows at her.

    ¡°Not really. Isn¡¯t there a saying about people who are pitied are likely to be hated as well? If she didn¡¯t do all those awful things before, she wouldn¡¯t have ended up where she is now. Just wondering why she did all those things. She had a good life and a good family, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to have a good marriage. Yet she was busy chasing after something that couldn¡¯t be. In the process, she lost so many things and tortured herself to this point.¡± Song Yu remembered those hectic, chaotic days and felt relieved that it was over.

    In the past, Mu Sisi was a force to be reckoned with. She was proud and savage, never bowing down to anyone. Now, she was nothing but a shell of her former self as she hid her face from the rest of the world.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it.¡± Qi Chengzhi could not provide Song Yu with any physical reassurance but he gave her lips a soft peck. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to the family house. Youxuan has been talking non-stop about bringing his dad and stepmom back.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and followed Qi Chengzhi to the parking lot. When she looked at the stroller, she found Little Youjin¡¯s eyes wide open as he gurgled happily to the background music of the mall. His stubby arms swayed in the air while his hands remained clenched.

    The couple took baby Youjin back to the family manor. Qi Chengzhi moved the shopping bags into the car trunk and retrieved a storage box that contained the baby¡¯s toys.

    For the sake of Little Youjin, Qi Chengzhi would always have a disinfected storage box filled with toys in the car trunk. No matter where they went with Qi Youjin, he could bring out some toys for his son.

    Aunt Ge was walking past the manor¡¯s gate and ran into the couple. She greeted them enthusiastically, ¡°Chengzhi, Song Yu, back with your son?¡±

    Song Yu greeted back warmly while Qi Chengzhi just gave her a faint smile and nod.

    Aunt Ge said, ¡°Look, Little Youjin is growing up to be so handsome. Clearly inherited the best of you both. I¡¯ve never seen a baby this good-looking all my life. He¡¯s going to be a charmer next time.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi still had that calm, steady look but his eyes gleamed with happiness. The edges of his lips twitched. He adjusted his shirt cor proudly, his glee palpable.

    ¡°To be fair, we both have great features so Youjin can take after any part of us. Even if he doesn¡¯t, he wouldn¡¯t have any disadvantage,¡± Qi Chengzhi said lightly.

    Song Yu stayed quiet.

    Who could be this shameless to say such a thing?

    Aunt Ge also did not know how to reply.

    She never realized how thick-faced the eldest grandchild of the Qi family was despite knowing them for thirty odd years.

    Aunt Ge could only smile and agree with him. Then, she left them to carry on.

    The couple brought baby Youjin into the house. In the house, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were in high spirits. Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun were smiling widely while Xia Wenna and Qi Zhongliang stood aside with a happy look.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, Dad, Mom, Uncle, Auntie,¡± Song Yu greeted each of them. ¡°Why are you guys so happy?¡±

    ¡°Chengyue, tell them.¡± Guan Liya gently nudged Qi Chengyue. Qi Chengyue seemed ecstatic, expectant, and anxious altogether.

    Her eyes flitted to Cheng Dongge and a sweet smile graced her face. Cheng Dongge held her hand in a solid grip.

    ¡°I¡¯m pregnant.¡± Qi Chengyue squeezed Cheng Dongge¡¯s hand. ¡°We went to the hospital for a check-up this morning.¡±

    ¡°Congrattions!¡± Song Yu said in a high-pitched voice. Her excitement surprised Little Youjin.

    The tone was a happy one so Little Youjin was not frightened. He was infected by the joyous atmosphere and wiggled happily in Song Yu¡¯s arms,ughter spilling out in gurgles.

    ¡°It has been one good news after another.¡± Grandmother Qi took baby Youjin into herp and started ying with her great-grandson. She was lucky that she would soon be able to have three great-grandchildren. With some effort, she might be able to carry a few more. The thought made her happy beyond belief.

    ¡°Baby Youjin¡¯s birth followed by Chengyue¡¯s pregnancy. And Chenglin is bringing his wife back. So much good news for the family,¡± Grandmother Qi saidughingly. ¡°Bliss for the family!¡±

    The family manor was filled with smiles andughter.

 Chapter 302 - Danchen, Uncle Shen Has Some Matters to Discuss with You

    Chapter 302: Danchen, Uncle Shen Has Some Matters to Discuss with You

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Seven years ago.

    Ruan Danchen was 19 years old. She was a sophomore at A University.

    On Fridays, she usually headed straight home after her afternoon sses were over. It was a ce that she called home. However, it was also a ce she barely considered as her home.

    Even though the area that they lived in was not a particrly upper-ss area, they were pretty satisfied with the environment and the facilities there. Anyone who could purchase a house in B City was considered as quite well-off. The houses were expensive there.

    Ruan Danchen stepped out of the elevator. As she took her keys to open the door, she saw a pair ofvish and exquisite men¡¯s leather shoes at the doorstep

    Her heart sank. She contemted leaving, but before she could, someone called out, ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re back! Come on in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath. She turned to see Liu Ronghua as she walked toward her with a warm and genial smile spread across her face. Evidently, she was in an exuberant mood.

    Liu Ronghua was always in a bright mood whenever Shen Jialiang came to their house. However, Shen Jialiang did note over often. He only visited about three or four times a month, but it was never at a fixed date.

    Ruan Danchen did not have any recollection of her biological father. As she got older, she asked Liu Ronghua about him, but her expression always changed whenever the topic came up. She always looked grief-stricken whenever she delved into the memories of Ruan Danchen¡¯s father. Finally, she revealed that he had passed away a long time ago.

    The mother-daughter duo could only depend on each other for survival after her father¡¯s passing.

    However, they did not strictly have only each other. Liu Ronghua had never stopped looking for apanion. She was even married once, but the man divorced her as he could not tolerate Liu Ronghua¡¯sziness.

    One could say that Liu Ronghua had only the necessary skills to take care of herself. She had to depend on a man for everything else. Her ex-husband was a good man, and he treated her well. Nheless, he could not take the stress when he lived with Liu Ronghua, and it overwhelmed him. He had no choice but to divorce her.

    Even though Liu Ronghua was already forty years old, she still looked gorgeous. She took care of her appearance well and had a great foundation. She still looked like a thirty-year old, and her skin was smooth and fair. Even though she had given birth before, she had a teenager¡¯s figure. That was why men fell in love with her at first sight.

    After the divorce, Liu Ronghua had a few more boyfriends, but none of them would marry her. The men were usually overwhelmed when they got to understand her more, and so they would break things off with her.

    Liu Ronghua met Shen Jialiang when Ruan Danchen was in the ninth grade. The Shen family was quite notable in B City, and they had close ties with other distinguished families too. Their status was the same as the status of the Li family and the Guan family.

    Shen Jialiang was also a widower. He started to date Liu Ronghua after they met by chance. Then they ended up in a rtionship with each other.

    Since he was from the upper-ss, he was not troubled by Liu Ronghua¡¯s inabilities. Shen Jialiang simply got his subordinates to run his errands for him. He did not have to deal with it himself, and so he did not find Liu Ronghua troublesome.

    Even since then, they dated until Song Yu 1 entered university. Nevertheless, Shen Jialiang never proposed to her. Even after all those years, Liu Ronghua had not yet stepped one foot into the Shen family¡¯s home.

    Shen Jialiang was also adies¡¯ man. In fact, he was quite the yboy. Even so, he still needed a fixed femalepanion to tend to his needs and sometimes to chat with him. There were also events where he needed to bring a date. He did not need hispanion to be well educated or aplished as he only needed her to stand there quietly like a vase, and to smile and nod when it was appropriate.

    Liu Ronghua met these criteria perfectly. Therefore, Shen Jialiang never broke up with her. He even bought an apartment with two rooms and two halls to amodate Liu Ronghua.

    However, after so many years, it seemed like Shen Jialing finally lost interest in her as he was no longer as tolerant with Liu Ronghua as before. His visits also became less frequent.

    In the beginning, he would visit her four or five times a week. Then it became four or five times fortnightly, and eventually, he would only appear two or three times a month. That was why Liu Ronghua was exhrated every time he visited her.

    Due to the situation, Liu Ronghua became extremely anxious. She feared that one day, another woman would bait him, and then he would ignore her entirely. She had spent many carefree years under Shen Jialiang¡¯s wings, and so she had be adapted to thatfortable lifestyle.

    Liu Ronghua was terrified for her future as there was no marriage to bond their rtionship. Ruan Danchen had no choice but to listen to Liu Ronghua¡¯s rants and sighs whenever she returned home from school. Ruan Danchen was always afraid to go home because she did not want to deal with her mother.

    Furthermore, Ruan Danchen had never regarded the apartment as her home.

    ¡°Mom. Uncle Shen.¡± Ruan Danchen greeted them coolly as she changed into her room slippers at the doorway.

    Shen Jialiang gave her a curt nod. While Shen Jialiang liked Liu Ronghua passionately, he had always been cold with Ruan Danchen. To him, she was like an unwanted stepchild.

    Especially since he had to pay for Ruan Danchen¡¯s school fees after he met Liu Ronghua, and it was obvious that he thought that Ruan Danchen owed him for that.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and put my bag in the room first,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered. She did not look at Shen Jialiang.

    ¡°Come, sit down first,¡± Shen Jialiang instructed hastily in a distant tone.

    ¡°Danchen, pleasee and sit down with us first. Uncle Shen has some matters to discuss with you,¡± Liu Ronghua said in a gentle voice as she dragged Ruan Danchen by the arm. She even put on an apple-polished smile. It was all too unusual.

    Liu Ronghua sat between Shen Jialiang and Ruan Danchen. She chuckled. ¡°Uncle Shen is here to see you today because he needs your help.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was puzzled. She did not know how she could be of help to Shen Jialiang since she was only the daughter of an ordinary woman with no notable status.

    ¡°THere¡¯s this thing,¡± Liu Ronghua began to exin. She paused momentarily as if the words were too hard to utter. ¡°You already know that Uncle Shen has a daughter, Shen Zhijing.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did notment on that, nor did she react either. She merely sat as she listened to her mother.

    Liu Ronghua felt like she was talking to herself. Even though she felt a little awkward, she could only resume her words. ¡°Uncle Shen wanted to form an alliance with the Qi family through Zhijing¡¯s marriage to the second son of the Qi family. The Qi family is still contemting it. However... Zhijing identally got pregnant while she was studying overseas. After she had an abortion, she became infertile. If they do get married, this matter will surely destroy their marriage.¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned. She tried to guess Shen Jialiang¡¯s objective, but she thought it was too inconceivable. What was more unbelievable was the fact that Liu Ronghua was the one who told her all that. She was her mother!

    ¡°What does that have to do with me? I can¡¯t magically make Shen Zhijing pregnant again,¡± Ruan Danchen stated coldly.

    Suddenly, Shen Jialiang banged his teacup violently on the coffee table, and that frightened Liu Ronghua. Ruan Danchen was also startled, and her expression changed slightly.

    ¡°It does have something to do with you because they need your help. After this, Zhijing would be your half-sister after all,¡± Liu Ronghua replied in a peculiarly ttering manner, ¡°You see, Qi Chenglin will be going to the Shen family¡¯s home for dinner next Saturday. They will find a way to make him stay the night. Uncle Shen hopes that you would...¡±

    Liu Ronghua bit her lips. The words were stuck in her throat. Finally, she revealed, ¡°He hopes that you would take Zhijing¡¯s ce and... with Qi Chenglin... and find a way to get pregnant with his child. Of course, you will be attending the dinner as Zhijing. When the child is born, we will pretend that it¡¯s hers. After that, you won¡¯t have anything to do with this matter anymore. It won¡¯t affect you. As for Zhijing, she will get engaged with Qi Chenglin first. Then she will find an excuse to dy the wedding until the child is born. This way, the Qi family will never find out about it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she was speechless. There were no words to describe the immense sorrow that she felt. Her eyes stung, and her pupils trembled as she stared at Liu Ronghua in disbelief.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m your daughter! This is not a typical surrogacy. You¡¯re asking me to get into bed with aplete stranger! How is this any different than me selling my body! What did the Shen family offer you that made you agree to this ridiculous demand?!¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice broke. Her eyes stung even more as tears began to well up. In the end, she could not hold her tears back, and they fell from her eyes like raindrops.

    Liu Rongshu looked down with guilt. She nced at Shen Jialiang, and then she pulled Ruan Danchen up from the sofa. ¡°Let¡¯s discuss this in the room.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sobbed silently, but her tears flowed faster and faster. She pulled away from Liu Ronghua¡¯s arms and entered the bedroom before her. Liu Ronghua looked downward as if she was in shame.

    Liu Ronghua locked the door. Her eyes had also turned red. ¡°Danchen, I know that this is unjust toward you, but... but I¡¯m getting old now, and I needed a guarantee. Uncle Shen¡¯s visits are getting less frequent now. Who knows if he will just cut me off without a word and abandon me entirely? You had always known that my biggest dream is to be married into the Shen family, to get a status in the family, a guarantee ¡ª so that I won¡¯t need to live in fear that one day, he would leave me for someone else.¡±

 Chapter 303 - Iâ€™ll Do It

    Chapter 303: I¡¯ll Do It

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua locked the door. Her eyes had also turned red. ¡°Danchen, I know that this is unfair to you, but... but I¡¯m getting old, and I needed a guarantee. Uncle Shen¡¯s visits are less frequent now. Who knows if he will just cut me off without a word and abandon me entirely? You¡¯ve always known that my biggest dream is to be married into the Shen family, and to get a status in the family, just like a guarantee. All this so that I won¡¯t need to live in fear that one day, he would leave me for someone else.¡±

    ¡°Will he marry you if I were to agree with his terms?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a pale face.

    She was surprised when Liu Ronghua shook her head. ¡°He... he promised to let me move into the Shen family¡¯s home, but he... didn¡¯t mention anything about marrying me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to describe her feelings anymore. She felt as if she were either disappointed or upset about that.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t promise to marry you, but only to let you move into their home. Yet you are willing to let me get in bed with aplete stranger?¡± Ruan Danchen screamed furiously. Her voice must have prated the walls of the room.

    ¡°Danchen, please lower your voice. Don¡¯t let Uncle Shen hear this,¡± Liu Ronghua whispered as she grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm hastily.

    Ruan Danchen threw Liu Ronghua¡¯s hand away violently. Her voice broke as she said, ¡°I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re worried about Shen Jialiang hearing us now! Are you really my mother? How can a mother sell out her own daughter for her gain? What are you thinking?!¡±

    ¡°Danchen, I have no other choice!¡± Liu Ronghua started to bawl too. ¡°I¡¯m already 40. I¡¯m not young anymore. If I can¡¯t find another man who wants me, how am I going to survive in the future?¡±

    ¡°I can take care of you!¡± Ruan Danchen yelled.

    ¡°How are you going to do that? You¡¯re still in school, and you¡¯ve never worked before. Besides, your school fees are all paid by Shen Jialiang. Where are you going to find money to take care of me? Let¡¯s not talk about buying a house because you can¡¯t even afford to pay rent!¡± Liu Ronghua shrieked.

    As she had been with Shen Jialiang for so many years, she had gotten used to afortable lifestyle. She did not want to return to the pitiful days where she suffered with Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Can¡¯t I work while I¡¯m studying?¡± Ruan Danchen cried, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to work. As long as I don¡¯t have to sell my body, I will take care of you even if it means that I don¡¯t have money to feed myself!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve had enough of that kind of horrid life! Danchen, you know me, I can¡¯t suffer through that. Besides, all these years, my biggest wish is to be married into the Shen family. It has been my dream for years. How can you tell me to give up on that when I havee so far? I¡¯ll lose everything.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was utterly bewildered at the fact that Liu Ronghua could say such things. She was so exasperated that she started tough. ¡°Now I know why all those men broke up with you after only a short while. You are a leech. All you know to do is to suck the blood of others. Eventually, you will suck all the blood out of the people that you love if they were to stay by your side.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, how could you say that to me?¡± Liu Ronghua was both angry and distressed. She had taken care of Ruan Danchen for so many years, and yet she condemned her so. ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about how long Uncle Shen had taken care of you too? For all these years, he had paid for your food, clothes, and even your school fees.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying I should use my body to repay what I owed him?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips trembled furiously. Her chest hurt as if a hammer had struck it. There were no words to describe the sorrow and despair that she felt.

    ¡°I know what he thinks of me. Every time I look at him, the words ¡®you owe me¡¯ are written all over his face. So, I have made my decision to earn and pay back every penny that he ever spent on me. The truth is, I¡¯ve already found a job, and I¡¯m starting tomorrow. Even though I¡¯m only getting meager pay now, it¡¯ll still be enough for next year¡¯s school fees. I don¡¯t need Shen Jialiang¡¯s money.¡±

    ¡°Then, would you do it as a way to repay me?¡± Liu Ronghua clutched onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms as she cried. ¡°I raised you all these years, and it was not easy. Can you do this for me? Just help me this once, please. Danchen, I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    ¡°Do you really want to be a part of the Shen family so badly?¡± Ruan Danchen looked at Liu Ronghua in disbelief. How could she sacrifice her daughter for that?

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Liu Ronghua nodded as she continued to sob. ¡°Danchen, I¡¯m begging you. I would do anything to be a part of the Shen family. Please, just help me this once! I¡¯ll even kneel! As your mom, I¡¯m kneeling to beg you, so please, Danchen, just this once. You won¡¯t have anything to lose, Danchen, please.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was smiling and crying at the same time. She was utterly disappointed. She felt as if her life had ended.

    She did not expect that Liu Ronghua would kneel in front of her. When her mother knelt, Ruan Danchen could not take it anymore.

    ¡°If I agree to it this once, the two of you will think that you can simply sell my body to anyone. Will you treat me like a prostitute and have me sleep with man after man?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she knelt too. Her heart was filled with disgust, and she felt a shiver down her spine.

    She pulled away from Liu Ronghua¡¯s clutch and shuffled two steps back. She crossed her arms to hug herself. She felt frigid. She had no idea what would happen to her after that.

    The dreadful despair made her shiver uncontrobly.

    ¡°We won¡¯t! It¡¯s just this once! I promise!¡± Liu Ronghua nodded continuously as if to assure Ruan Danchen. ¡°Truthfully, Uncle Shen had been paying attention to you all these years.¡±

    ¡°Stop calling him ¡®Uncle Shen¡¯! Shen Jialiang is a cold-blooded monster!¡± At that moment, Ruan Danchen despised Shen Jialiang from the depths of her heart.

    ¡°He had always paid attention to you,¡± Liu Ronghua continued, ¡°He knows that you are pure and clean. You¡¯re never... never had a man. That¡¯s also one of the reasons he asked for you. He also has his back against the wall. Qi Chenglin is a self-loving man with principles. He had never been a yer, and in all these years, there isn¡¯t a single rumor about him. It¡¯s a trend for the youngsters to date celebrities, but he had never done that either. That¡¯s why Shen Jialiang thinks that if... if he thinks that it¡¯s Zhijing¡¯s first time, and in addition to her being from the Shen family, he would take responsibility for it. Coincidentally, you are a¡ª¡±

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ruan Danchen interrupted, ¡°If I agree to this, do you promise that it will be just this once?¡±

    ¡°I promise!¡± Liu Ronghua nodded intensely as she smiled and sobbed.

    ¡°Come on, stand up. I¡¯ll do it,¡± Ruan Danchen said weakly as she continued to sob.

    ¡°Really?¡± Liu Ronghua smiled with joy. She quickly dried her tears with her hand and then stood up.

    Ruan Danchen also stood up slowly. She had no strength to stand, so she leaned against the wall.

    She red at Liu Ronghua scornfully. A sad smile appeared on her pale face. She mocked, ¡°I hope that you won¡¯t get kicked out after you get into the Shen family¡¯s home.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, Danchen, I won¡¯t let your sacrifice go to waste.¡± Liu Ronghua wiped her tears dry. She abruptly became confident. ¡°Getting into their home is only the first step. As long as I can get in, there¡¯s a chance that I¡¯ll be Mrs. Shen one day. If I can¡¯t even set foot into their home, then how can I be Mrs. Shen?¡±

    ¡°I hope that you can sit firmly on the position that you would have gained with your daughter¡¯s purity,¡± Ruan Danchen uttered coldly. There was not a hint of warmth in her words.

    Liu Ronghua was stunned. Her confident expression turned sorrowful again. ¡°Danchen, you hate me, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not answer her. She stood up straight and exited the room immediately.

    Shen Jialiang sat in the living room with a dark expression. He heard all the things that Ruan Danchen yelled out as if he was not there.

    ¡°I¡¯ll agree to your condition.¡± Ruan Danchen looked at Shen Jialiang coldly. ¡°Nheless, even though I have never seen or heard of Qi Chenglin, I know that he¡¯s not that dumb. How would he think that I¡¯m your daughter?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. The only thing that concerns you is climbing into his bed,¡± Shen Jialiangmanded crudely.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face paled at his vulgar words. She clenched her fists, but yet she did not utter a single word.

    Shen Jialiang continued, ¡°If you seed in doing this, I won¡¯t mistreat you. I know that you are majoring in design, so not only will I continue to pay your school fees, I will negotiate with your school to make you a foreign exchange student. You can study abroad, and I¡¯ll take care of all of your expenses.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for that,¡± Ruan Danchen interrupted him coldly.

    Unexpectedly, Shen Jialiang red at her mockingly. ¡°A youngster like you shouldn¡¯t make decisions based on your instinct. Don¡¯t ruin your future because of your emotions. Take what you should.¡±

    Ruan Danchen scowled at him too. ¡°You have spent quite arge amount on my school fees already, so I¡¯ll feel sorry if I were to ask you for more. After I helped you with this, we¡¯ll be even, so stop acting like I owe you anything anymore.¡±

    Shen Jialiang scoffed. He looked down at her arrogant attitude with disdain as he thought that it was just a pretentious act.

    At that moment, Ruan Danchen felt as if she was a puppet drained of all human emotions. She stared at Shen Jialiang apathetically.

    He was a good-looking man. Even though he was already 49 years old, his body was still in good shape, and he had pretty attractive features. It was apparent that he was a handsome man in his younger years.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think that I¡¯m pretentious either. Of course, I have conditions of my own before I agree to do this,¡± Ruan Danchen revealed calmly.

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s expression was full of contempt as he scoffed. ¡°What conditions?¡±

    ¡°From today onward, I will move out of here. I won¡¯t stay in the house that you, Shen Jialiang, bought. The money that you¡¯ve spent on me previously, I¡¯ll pay you back. If you think that it¡¯s not enough, I will resume payment when I start to earn more in the future. From now on, anything that involves the two of you is none of my concern. When this ends, I won¡¯t being back here.¡±

    She did not know if Liu Ronghua would ask her to do other things for her if she were to stay with her.

    She had already made her sleep with a stranger for her own status; she might make her sleep with another man for Shen Jialiang¡¯s business next.

    All of that terrified her!

    She felt as if the sole reason that Liu Ronghua raised her was for that day.

    However, in truth, Liu Ronghua had not spent much money on her. She had never stopped having boyfriends, so they covered most of her school fees and daily expenses.

    If it were not for those men, Ruan Danchen was not even sure if Liu Ronghua would let her continue with her studies.

    When she was in school, she never had any tutors. She worked hard, and with each step that she took, she eventually made it into A University.

    Ever since she knew how to take care of herself, Liu Ronghua had never given her any care in her life. The sad truth was that Liu Ronghua could barely even take care of herself.

    Ruan Danchen ran errands and did chores all by herself. Liu Ronghua was always busy with dates, and she could count the times that she was home with the fingers on just one hand.

    Ruan Danchen basically raised herself.

    Liu Ronghua did not even know that she had made it into A University. It was not until the day when she said that she would go to school, stay at the hostel, and only return home on the weekends that Liu Ronghua realized that she had already entered university.

    It was quite an unbelievable tale. Even Ruan Danchen thought that it was fiction when she thought back on it. s, it was what happened to her.

    Liu Ronghua came out with tears in her eyes. She stumbled into the living room with a hand on her mouth. ¡°Danchen, how could you... how could you say that?¡±

    ¡°I am really terrified of you. When ites to these things, once there¡¯s a first time, a second one would follow. I¡¯m still a virgin, and yet you can ask me to do this. Next time, you won¡¯t think that it¡¯s a big deal to ask me to do it again. You even told me that I had nothing to lose. You will ask me to do it for a second time, and then for the third time. Since I have agreed to it once already, you won¡¯t think that it would make a difference if I were to do it again. Eventually, I will only be someone that you can sell to the highest bidder. I will only be your tool.¡± For some reason, Ruan Danchen¡¯s head was clear at that very moment. She could think straight, and she was able to think things through.

    Liu Ronghua merely shook her head continuously. She did not dare to admit it, but she was the only one who knew the reason she did not refute Ruan Danchen¡¯s theory.

    ¡°Go and find awyer on Monday. I need an agreement to make sure that after this, I¡¯ll have no connection with the Shen family whatsoever. No matter what happens, you¡¯re not allowed to make me sell my body again.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not need to hear Shen Jialiang¡¯s reply. She strode past Liu Ronghua, grabbed her bag from the sofa, and then she left.

    Only Ruan Danchen knew how feeble she felt when she went past Liu Ronghua. She had the urge to lie down on the floor and cry her heart out, to beg Liu Ronghua not to do that to her. Why could they not have lived just as a mother-daughter duo?

    They did not need any luxuries. Why would Liu Ronghua push her onto a stranger¡¯s bed for a man like Shen Jialiang? It was just so that she could move into the Shen family¡¯s home. He did not even promise to marry her.

    Just like a prostitute, she felt so dirty and cheap.

    They had been together for so many years. If Shen Jialiang had genuinely wanted to marry her, he would have done so a long time ago. How could she not understand that Shen Jialiang had no intention to marry her? When she moved into the Shen family¡¯s home, she might just be a house guest.

    Ruan Danchen knew it was impossible for her mother to understand, so she swallowed it all and hid the words in her stomach.

    She grabbed her bag and left. The moment she stepped into the elevator, she leaned against the wall weakly. She waspletely drained.

    She gradually slid down the elevator wall, and then she crouched on the floor. She covered her face with both hands and bawled her eyes out. She did not know how she would continue with her life.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen moved back into the hostel. On Monday, she received a call from Shen Jialiang¡¯s assistant, who told her to be at thepany to sign the agreement.

    They followed Ruan Danchen¡¯s terms and the agreement that neither Shen Jialiang nor Liu Ronghua could make her sell her body again, make any unreasonable requests, or make her do anything against her will.

    ...

    ...

    On Sunday, Shen Jialiang sent a driver to Ruan Danchen¡¯s school quite early in the day. It was as if he was afraid that she would negate on their agreement.

    During that week, Shen Jialiang had brought her to the hospital for a check-up to make sure that she was healthy and had no other problems with her body. He even brought her imported medicine, which was one of the best fertility drugs out there.

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s eye-catching Bentley was parked in front of the university¡¯s entrance. Many students went in and out of the campus that day, so the car drew quite a lot of attention.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that there were many pairs of eyes on her when she entered the car, and she wondered what they thought of her. She had kept a low profile throughout her university life. She never wore branded clothes, and she was also thrifty whenever she had to spend money. Everyone in her hostel even knew that she took a part-time job.

    Even though Shen Jialiang gave her a good amount of allowance, she knew that he did so unwillingly. However, she could not drop out of school, so she let Liu Ronghua use the money that Shen Jialiang gave to pay for her school fees. Nevertheless, she had gotten a job to pay back every penny that he had spent on her. Apart from that, she did not use any of Shen Jialiang¡¯s money.

    She had to depend on her schrship money to pay for her daily expenses. A University had many top students from all over the country, and she only got in due to the bonus points that were awarded to local B City students. She was not one of the top achievers in A University, but she still had exceptional grades.

    She managed to exceed the requirements of the schrship each time, but she still did not get much money from that.

    The Bentley drove up to the Shen family¡¯s courtyard entrance. Liu Ronghua had also just arrived, and Ruan Danchen ran into her there. She did not know how to face a mother who would push her own daughter onto a stranger¡¯s bed for her own benefit.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen merely glimpsed at her for a short while before she turned away. Ruan Danchen did not even greet her.

    She walked past Liu Ronghua when she entered through the courtyard door. Then, Liu Ronghua called out from behind her, ¡°Danchen!¡±

    She held back her rage and stopped in her steps. However, before she could turn back, Liu Ronghua seized her arms.

    ¡°You hate me, right?¡± Liu Ronghua asked in distress. ¡°Are you going to deny me as your mother after this?¡±

    ¡°Would you let me leave and not force me into sleeping with that man?¡± Ruan Danchen questioned her. Her eyes were red, but she regained some hope when she saw Liu Ronghua¡¯s troubled look.

    Liu ROnghua¡¯s lips trembled. She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s just this once. Please do it for your mother¡¯s happiness. If I can be part of the Shen family, you will have a good life too. Wouldn¡¯t that be great?¡±

    Ruan Danchen pulled away from her mother¡¯s grip despondently. Her lips trembled as she opened her mouth and coldly said, ¡°We should head in. Shen Jialiang must be worried.¡±

    She did not wait for Liu Ronghua¡¯s reply and entered the courtyard.

    That was both Ruan Danchen and Liu Ronghua¡¯s first time visiting the Shen family¡¯s home. The Shen family¡¯s housekeeper, Aunt Li, opened the door for them. Ruan Danchen silently assessed the luxury of the massive mansion. She did not notice that Liu Ronghua, who followed behind her, shook with excitement.

    As long as Ruan Danchen got pregnant, she would move into that pce. The mansion was colossal, and they even had maids. The two-bedroom apartment she lived in then was nothingpared to that.

    Ruan Danchen entered the living room. Shen Jialiang must have told Aunt Li her role because she instructed, ¡°Miss Ruan, Madam Liu, pleasee with me. Sir instructed that you must stay in the room first. Don¡¯t show yourself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen red when she heard that he wanted to keep her hidden.

    They followed Aunt Li upstairs. Just as they headed toward the guest room at the end of the hallway, a door in the middle opened. A woman in her mid-twenties exited the room. She looked a little older than Ruan Danchen, and she was quite gorgeous.

    Ruan Danchen reckoned that thedy was Shen Jialiang. If her memory served her right, Shen Zhijing was 24 years old that year.

    Shen Zhijing stood in front of Ruan Danchen and red at her coldly. She harbored great animosity toward Ruan Danchen, and she examined her from head to toe. When Shen Jialiang first suggested that they find ady to take her ce, Shen Zhijing had fumed with discontent.

 Chapter 304 - Qi Chenglin Is Already in the Room

    <h4>Chapter 304: Qi Chenglin Is Already in the Room</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Shen Zhijing stood in front of Ruan Danchen and red at her coldly. She harbored great animosity toward Ruan Danchen, and she examined her from head to toe. When Shen Jialiang first suggested that they find ady to take her ce, Shen Zhijing had fumed with discontent.

    How could she be pleased when that woman would sleep with her future husband in her own home? If it were not for her wish to marry Qi Chenglin, there was no way she would agree to that.

    She had agreed to it reluctantly. Then, she realized that Ruan Danchen was younger than her. Her skin was fair, and she had a pair ofrge, innocent eyes. She also had a pure and lovable appearance. Even though Shen Zhijing would never admit it, Ruan Danchen was truly more attractive than her.

    When Shen Zhijing knew that, she was even more furious about the situation

    ¡°Hmm, this must be a real bargain for you.¡± Shen Zhijingmented coldly.

    Ruan Danchen bit her lips. Her eyes were slightly red. ¡°I don¡¯t want this kind of bargain.¡±

    When she said that, Ruan Danchen strode past Shen Jialiang, and paid no more attention to her.

    However, after just two steps, Shen Zhijing grabbed her arm. ¡°Listen up. You can¡¯t tell anyone about this. And don¡¯t you dare think about developing a rtionship with Qi Chenglin either. After tonight, this matter will no longer have anything to do with you!¡±

    Ruan Danchen pouted indifferently. ¡°I hope that all of you can hide this for the rest of your lives. If Qi Chenglin is as outstanding as you imed him to be, I doubt you can keep this a secret for long.¡±

    She pulled her hand away and continued to walk forward.

    Aunt Li quickly caught up to her, but Liu Ronghua did not. Instead, she turned to Shen Zhijing and apologized to her courteously. ¡°Zhijing, Danchen is only saying that because she¡¯s angry. Don¡¯t stoop down to her level. Rx, I will keep an eye on her. She won¡¯t reveal this to anyone, and she will definitely not have any ideas about Qi Chenglin.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, she had better not,¡± Shen Zhijing spat coldly. She did not show a hint of respect toward Liu Ronghua even though she was an elder. ¡°You better keep a close eye on your daughter and don¡¯t think that you can move into our home so easily. If anything goes wrong, we can still kick you out.¡±

    It was not a long hallway, and Liu Ronghua did not lower her voice. Ruan Danchen heard every word her mother had said before she entered the guest bedroom.

    Her heart ached. It looked like Liu Ronghua gave no second thoughts about sacrificing her own daughter to move into the mansion. However, with one look at Shen Zhejing¡¯s attitude toward Liu Ronghua, how could she live afortable life there?

    Ruan Danchen closed her eyes. She looked up to prevent the tears that welled up in her eyes from falling. She entered the room and shut the door without listening to Liu Ronghua¡¯s reply.

    A few minutester, Liu Ronghua opened the door and walked into the room. She saw Ruan Danchen as she sat on the bed and stared out the window. Liu Ronghua wondered what she was looking at, or rather, what was in her thoughts.

    ¡°Danchen, can you be more polite with Zhijing?¡± Liu Ronghua said as she walked toward her.

    ¡°She¡¯s rude to me, so why should I be polite to her? I don¡¯t even want to be here. When you said those things to her just now, did you even think about me? You¡¯re afraid that she would be mad, yet you¡¯re willing to sacrifice me for your status. Besides, Shen Zhijing clearly treats you with contempt. She was not the slightest bit polite and didn¡¯t even have a hint of respect for you. Do you really think your life would be awesome after this? If this the life you want?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± Liu Ronghua said without any hesitation. ¡°Anyway, Zhijing doesn¡¯t stay here often as she has a house in the city, so she¡¯d be far away from me. I¡¯ve lost the chance to live a good life for so many years to raise you, so now, I want a life of my own. Why won¡¯t you help me? I¡¯ve suffered so much for you, so why can¡¯t you suffer just a little and help your mother? Danchen, I don¡¯t owe you anything.¡±

    ¡°And you think that I owed you?¡± Ruan Danchen gaped at Liu Ronghua. She was baffled. She did not know that Liu Ronghua viewed her as a burden for all those years.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I meant.¡± Liu Ronghua shook her head immediately and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. ¡°I just... I just want to live a good life. I¡¯m old now, and I can¡¯t struggle like before anymore. If Shen Jialiang breaks up with me, who can I find that still wants me? There are so many youngdies out there. Why would anyone want an olddy like me?¡±

    Rean Danchen nodded dejectedly. Liu Ronghua had always been like that; she had always been reliant on men and not herself. It was as if her life would end if she did not have a man in her life.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Let me sit quietly, alright? It¡¯s not like I will go back on my promise.¡± Ruan Danchen shuffled toy down on the bed and then covered her face with the nket.

    Liu Ronghua stared at Ruan Danchen, who was wrapped in the nket. Tears rolled down Liu Ronghua¡¯s face as she moved away from Ruan Danchen.

    In the afternoon, Aunt Li brought lunch for both of them.

    Once Aunt Li left, Liu Ronghua sat down next to Ruan Danchen and pulled the nket away to reveal her sweaty face.

    ¡°Danchen, get up and eat,¡± Liu Ronghua said softly.

    Danchen kept her eyes closed and remained silent. She pulled the nket to cover her head again. As time passed by and night closed in, she got more anxious. Her stomach twisted with disgust, and yet there was nothing that she could purge from her system. How could she muster an appetite for food?

    Liu Ronghua sighed and did not pester her further. Since Ruan Danchen refused to eat, she was ashamed to eat too. So she only ate a bit to keep her hunger at bay.

    An hourter, Aunt Li came back to collect the tes. She noticed that Ruan Danchen hid under the nket and asked Liu Ronghua, ¡°The young miss did not eat?¡±

    Liu Ronghua shook her head.

    Initially, Aunt Li thought that Ruan Danchen was the same as Liu Ronghua. She felt that she was the type of person who would be willing to do anything for the Shen family¡¯s luxury. Furthermore, Qi Chenglin was an outstanding young man, so she thought that Ruan Danchen might see that as a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sleep with Qi Chenglin.

    However, when she saw Ruan Danchen that day, Aunt Liu realized that someone had forced her into it.

    Liu Ronghua was not a mistress, and Aunt Li had no problem with her when she and Shen Jialiang merely dated. Her impression of Liu Ronghua crumbled when she realized that she sacrificed her own daughter for her own benefit. She wondered about what kind of mother Liu Ronghua was that she would be so selfish to sacrifice her child for her gain?

    She could not help but wonder about Ruan Danchen¡¯s life when she lived with Liu Ronghua for so many years. When she saw Liu Ronghua dolled herself that day and then continued to push her daughter into such a horrible situation, Aunt Li knew that she must not have been a very responsible mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but you will have to have dinner in the room too. I¡¯ll bring dinner for the both of you before Mister Qi arrives. No matter what¡ª¡± Aunt Li looked at the girl bundled up on the bed empathetically. If it were her, there was no way she would ruin her daughter like that. ¡°You should let Miss Ruan eat something for dinner. After all, she needs to... It¡¯s important to take care of her health. Otherwise, she might not be able to take itter.¡±

    Liu Ronghua nodded. Aunt Li took that tes and left.

    At five o¡¯clock in the evening, Aunt Li brought them their meals for dinner. She saw that Ruan Danchen was still curled up in the same position. She appeared as if she had not moved for the whole day.

    After Aunt Li left, Liu Ronghua advised Ruan Danchen to eat again. However, she did not need to uncover the nket as Ruan Danchen did that herself.

    Liu Ronghua was delighted. She thought that Ruan Danchen had finally thought it through. However, she did not expect Ruan Danchen to sit up abruptly. She jumped off the bed and rushed into the toilet. Then she knelt in front of the toilet bowl and threw up.

    She had only eaten a little bit for breakfast, and she did not have a single bite after that. All that came up was only bile.

    After she dry-heaved for a long time, she finally dragged her frail body back to bed. Her face was ashen.

    At nine o¡¯clock that night, someone knocked on the door. It was Shen Jialiang and Aunt Li.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin is already in the room. Aunt Li will bring you there,¡± Shen Jialiang announced apathetically.

    Ruan Danchen felt frigid. Her body shivered as she followed behind Aunt Li. Shen Zhijing¡¯s room door was open. She stood at the doorway and red at Ruan Danchen with much hostility.

    Aunt Li opened the door to the room, and Ruan Danchen stood at the doorway. She noticed that the room was pitch-ck. All the curtains were closed to block the dim moonlight from outside. One could not even see the fingers on one¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Come on, head in.¡± Aunt Li got a little impatient.

    Ruan Danchen trembled vigorously. She felt like she wanted to puke again. Her face waspletely drained of color. She did not want to enter, but Shen Jialiang shoved her into the room.

    Ruan Danchen stumbled, and the door behind her was closed, and the room was enveloped in total darkness.

    Once her eyes gradually got used to the darkness, she finally saw the figure on the bed. Qi Chenglin¡¯s body was exceptionally slender and attractive. He still had his clothes on ¡ª both shirt and trousers. Even though heid still on the bed, he had an aura of excellence.

    Ruan Danchen could not see his face clearly even though she stood beside the bed. She bent and touched his face with her shaky fingers. She wanted to feel his features to get an idea of his appearance.

    However, her fingers burnt the moment they touched his face. She wondered what Shen Jialiang did to him that made his body boil.

    Suddenly, his eyes opened, and they shone in the dark. Ruan Danchen was startled. She wanted to step back as she thought that he had awakened.

    However, he abruptly grabbed her hand that she had on his face and pulled her onto the bed. He flipped himself over and pressed her into his embrace. His movements were lightning fast, and her reactions were too slow.

    Ruan Danchen eximed as she panicked. That was when she realized that something was odd with Qi Chenglin. Even though the two of them were fully dressed, she could still feel the heat that radiated from his body. His eyes were not as bright as she thought it was. She was so surprised that she did not notice them sooner.

    At that moment, she saw that his eyes were a little cloudy. Even though she had never seen his usual appearance, she knew that he must have been drugged.

    Qi Chenglin was a smart and intelligent man, so what could Shen Jialiang have possibly done to him?

    Ruan Danchen knew that Qi Chenglin was only 26 years old, so byparison, he was still very young. He must have been too naive to see through Shen Jialiang¡¯s wicked schemes.

    Ruan Danchen suddenly regretted her decision. Her stomach twisted in pain, but it was not because of her previous reasons. Instead, it was because she felt that it was unfair for Qi Chenglin.

    The Shen family should not have tried to trap him with vile tricks. She was forced into that predicament, but was it not the same for Qi Chenglin?

    He should not have been deceived like that.

    Ruan Danchen started to cry. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    Ruan Danchen repeated that sentence over and over again. She wanted to get off the bed. She could not bring herself to ruin an innocent man, even if it meant that Liu Ronghua would me her for ruining her chance with the Shen family for her entire life

    At that moment, Qi Chenglin¡¯s head started to clear a little. He heard the woman in his arms whimpered her remorse. However, due to the effect of the drug and the pitch-ck setting, his mind was clouded again, and his rationality drifted away.

    When Ruan Danchen wanted to leave, she shuffled around in his arms, and it enticed the fire he had been holding back.

    When he was alone, he was confident that he could endure it. However, there was a soft and sweetdy who whimpered pitifully in his arms. Even though he could not see her face, all that he wanted to do was to embrace her.

    Qi Chenglin was oblivious to the fact the Shen Jialiang had drugged him with exceedingly strong drugs to ensure that the effects wouldst. It was also to guarantee that Qi Chenglin could get hard multiple times throughout the night.

    Even if it failed in the beginning, there would still be ways to impregnate Ruan Danchen with his child as long as they could keep their hold on Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin trapped Ruan Danchen firmly in his arms when she tried to leave. When he heard her repeated apologies, he leaned in and covered her lips with his.

    Her soft and warm lips had a hint of a sweet fragrance, and Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart melted as he kissed her.

    His palm pressed against her soft body and tugged against her blouse. His searing palm crept under her blouse, and then he swiftly yet forcefully slid upward from her waist.

    No one had touched Ruan Danchen like that before. She was nervous, and yet her heart was tender. An indescribable and strange pulse of electric surged from his sizzling palm and onto her smooth skin.

    She trembled eagerly. She grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pushed him away from her. ¡°Mister Qi, please snap out of it, Mister Qi. I can¡¯t... We can¡¯t... You will regret this. I can¡¯t do this...¡±

    Qi Chenglin lifted his head abruptly and stared at the dark figure in his arms through his dim eyes. Then, he kissed her passionately again, sometimes gently while other times forcefully and eagerly. Ruan Danchen had never experienced that before. As he kissed her, she felt faint and feeble. Her hands, which were pushing him away, grabbed onto his shoulders instead.

    Only then did she realize that he had already removed his shirt. Her hands were ced directly on his sizzling velvety skin. Her blouse had also been unbuttoned without her knowledge. His hot lips worked their way from the edge of her mouth and down to her neck.

    ¡°No, you can¡¯t.¡± Ruan Danchen cupped her hands on his face and pushed him away. As she gazed into his eyes, which burned with passion, her body and voice trembled wildly. ¡°Mister Qi, please wake up. It¡¯s for your own good, Mister Qi. Snap out of it.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not utter a single word. Instead, he kissed her again.

    While Ruan Danchen was still trying to wake him up, his lips were already pressed against her breasts. They lingered on her chest and sucked all of her strength. She felt so frail and delicate. Suddenly, she let out a delicious moan. Ruan Danchen hurriedly covered her mouth. She could not believe that she made such a humiliating sound.

    In a sh, his huge hands grabbed hers and pressed them down beside her head.

    Immediately, he kissed her again. His sizzling palm slid down her smooth and sensitive skin, all the way to the waistband of her pants, and he went further down.

    Ruan Danchen was still trying to think of ways to wake him up. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain surged from her woman part below. She could feel himpletely inside her.

    Tears flowed out of her eyes. Her face was pale, and she had lost all strength. She stopped talking.

    Her mind was nk. She had no idea what to do after that. After that exact moment, she knew that there was no going back.

    Her mind was all over the ce, and she did not even realize that Qi Chenglin had stopped.

    She felt different as he went in deeper and deeper. Ruan Danchen could not help but hug him tightly. She looked up, and her forehead was at his shoulders. She sobbed quietly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen woke up at dawn.

    She did not get any sleep that night, and Qi Chenglin had just finished another round with her.

    She wondered about the strength of the drugs that Shen Jialiang had used on him as he had multiple erections that night. She was so tired that she stopped keeping track.

    Each time he took her, he rendered her breathless. Just as she was about to fall asleep, he would pull her over again. They did it again and again throughout the night until finally, Qi Chenglin fell asleep.

    Ruan Danchen predicted that the drug¡¯s effects must have faded by then. He was not likely to wake up or to want to do it again.

    Every part of her body ached ¡ª her neck, shoulders, arms, abdomen, buttocks, and thighs all ached tremendously. She could barely sit up from all the pain.

    Furthermore, she could only move slowly as she did not want to wake Qi Chenglin. Nheless, he slept like a log and would not be easily disturbed.

    After she got out of bed, she quickly put on her clothes, but they were all wrinkled.

    After she got dressed, she took advantage of the little light in the room to find out what Qi Chenglin looked like.

    Ruan Danchen felt a twist in her stomach. Qi Chengli was an attractive man, and he possessed a certain kind of masculine beauty. The features on his face were delicate when observed individually, but when they were all grouped, they appeared especially manly.

    His eyebrows were full and ck. Even though his eyes were closed, Ruan Danchen could tell that his beautiful eyes were exceptionally bright, even in the dark. She also noticed that his eyes were particrly deep, as well.

    His eyshes were long and thick. He had a high nose bridge and a pair of thin lips, and yet not too thin. He also had a defined jawline. No matter from which angle, his face was remarkably charming.

    It was especially so when heid on the bed with his upper body exposed. The nket only covered him from the waist down, and it revealed arge portion of his abs, his narrow waist, and a glimpse of his V-line.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes began to sting. They felt warm, and gradually, her tears obscured her vision.

    She quickly turned away and kept her eyes closed to stop her tears from falling. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks with her fingers and opened her eyes again. Her eyes were red. She nced at Qi Chenglin again, then finally headed toward the door. She was afraid to look back.

    She stood at the door with her hand on the handle. She took a deep breath, and finally, she turned the handle to open the door. However, a surprise awaited her there.

    Shen Zhijing stood in front of the door, and no one knew for how long. She had a cold expression on her face, and she red at Ruan Danchen enviously. It was as if she had heard everything she had done with Qi Chenglin.

    In reality, Shen Zhijing had stood there for a majority of the night.

 Chapter 305 - Seven Years Later

    Chapter 305: Seven Years Later

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In reality, Shen Zhijing had stood there for a majority of the night.

    Initially, Shen Zhijing stayed in her room. However, she could not sleep, as she still could not swallow the idea. So, she went out to the hallway and stood in front of the door where she waited.

    She did not expect to hear Ruan Danchen¡¯s passionate moans throughout the night. Shen Zhijing sobbed and gasped as she wondered about how Qi Chenglin went down on Ruan Danchen.

    Shen Zhijing felt only envy as Qi Chenglin, and Ruan Danchen had sex in the room. She even imagined that she was the woman inside.

    Finally, Ruan Danchen came out with dark circles around her eyes fromck of sleep. Nevertheless, her skin still glowed. Her skin even had a hint of flush, especially on her cheeks. They looked delicate and beautiful. Those were only minimal signs, but Shen Zhijing could already tell how good Qi Chenglin was in bed.

    Shen Zhijing¡¯s eyes flushed with envy. She clenched her teeth, but Ruan Danchen turned her gaze away from her and walked past with an impassive expression. Suddenly, Ruan Danchen heard the door closed behind her. She stopped in her steps and turned her head around. However, Shen Zhijing had gone into the room, and the door was shut.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s stomach twisted intensely. She returned to the guest room that she was in the day before.

    Her daughter had slept with a stranger for her benefit, and yet Liu Ronghua was not the least bit worried. She slept like a baby on the bed.

    She only woke up when she heard Ruan Danchen closed the door. When she saw that it was her daughter, she quickly sat up.

    ¡°Danchen, how did it go?¡± Liu Ronghua asked hastily.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Liu Ronghua without any expression on her face. She frowned and then went into the toilet without saying a word to her mother. She locked the door.

    ¡°Danchen!¡± Liu Ronghua yelled as she got off the bed and chased her to the toilet.

    Ruan Danchen turned on the tap and sat on the toilet bowl lid. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

    After what felt like an eternity, she finally calmed down. She washed her face with cold water and stared at her disheveled face through the mirror. There were horrible dark lines around her eyes, and her face was as pale as a ghost.

    She held onto the side of the sink with both of her hands. Suddenly, she chuckled. Tears flowed down her cheeks as sheughed maniacally.

    She did not even know how she felt at that moment. However, she knew that she felt aggrieved. She felt as if something had been snatched from her, and yet it was not her virginity, nor was it her innocence. It was something that she could not describe, and it made her awfully dejected.

    Liu Ronghua paced anxiously in front of the toilet door. Finally, the door opened, and Ruan Danchen came out with a nk expression. She grabbed her bag from the table and headed toward the door.

    ¡°Danchen, where are you going?¡± Liu Ronghua followed behind her and grabbed her arm.

    Ruan Danchen pulled her arm away. ¡°I¡¯ve done my part. There¡¯s no need for me to stay here.¡±

    She rushed out of the room, but Liu Ronghua stopped in her steps. She did not dare to chase her as she was afraid that Qi Chenglin would notice that.

    When Ruan Danchen passed by Qi Chenglin¡¯s room, she could not help but pause in her steps. She turned her head and nced at the room. As she clutched her bag tightly, she bolted down the stairs.

    ...

    ...

    Shen Zhijing stood beside the bed. She stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s half-exposed body with love and greed. She unbuttoned her shirt slowly and stripped herself naked. Then she climbed onto the bed.

    When she was about to tuck herself under the nket, she saw the red stter of stain that Ruan Danchen had left. She sulked. Then she scooted toward Qi Chenglin, who was still sound asleep and cuddled herself into his embrace.

    She frowned when she smelled Ruan Danchen¡¯s scent on his body. Shen Zhijing pressed her lips firmly together as her hands slid down Qi Chenglin¡¯s body, past his abdomen, and finally, she grabbed at his private part.

    However, no matter how much Shen Zhijing teased him, he did not react at all. Shen Zhijing¡¯s frowned again. Was she really that unattractive? Finally, she got under the nket. She did it until her mouth was numb, and yet Qi Chenglin was still deep in his sleep. He had no reaction at all.

    Shen Zhijing had no choice but to give up. She told herself that Qi Chenglin was too tired. He had been drugged too strongly and waspletely drained of energy. Then sheid back into his arms.

    ...

    ...

    At around seven in the morning, Aunt Li opened the door and walked into the room, just as they had nned. When she saw Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijingid naked together on the bed, she screamed at the top of her lungs.

    Her screams shocked Qi Chenglin back into thend of the living. The moment he opened his eyes, he felt a weight in his arms.

    When he looked down, Shen Zhijing had coincidentally just woke up as well. She wrapped herself in the nket shamefully. With an intense blush, she stared down on the bed, as if she was too afraid to look at Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin squinted his eyes. Shen Zhijing had pulled the nket toward herself, and so he could only grab a pillow to hide his modesty. When he looked around the room, he immediately noticed the red stain on the bed. He looked at Shen Zhijing dumbfoundedly. He tried to remember what happened the previous night. He knew that he had a woman with him, and that little fact alone unbridled him.

    However, was that woman Shen Zhijing?

    As he pondered about that, Shen Jialiang dashed in hastily. When he saw the two of them, he widened his eyes and fumed, ¡°Qi Chenglin, what are you doing! I was kind enough to let you stay at my house for the night, and yet you¡ª My daughter¡ª You¡ª¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyebrows knitted. His throat was dry for some reason. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. ¡°This should be my guest room.¡±

    ¡°I... You got drunk yesterday, so I came over to see how you were doing. I wanted to check if you were feeling alright. But you grabbed me so suddenly and¡ª¡± Shen Zhijing merely nced at him once, then turned away again bashfully. Her hands sped onto the nket tightly.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, you are so brave! How dare you steal my daughter¡¯s innocence in my house!¡± Shen Jialiang yelled as he pointed his finger furiously at Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember drinking much yesterday night. How could I have had so little self-control?¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes skeptically.

    When he had a moment of rity the night before, he realized that he had been drugged, and he knew that the Shen family tried to frame him. He knew that he had been too young and too naive to underestimate the Shen family¡¯s shamelessness.

    Nheless, it did not matter as the Shen family would never admit that.

    ¡°How am I supposed to know? Qi Chenglin, you are caught red-handed in our home, and yet you still won¡¯t admit to it?¡± Shen Jialiang raged.

    Qi Chenglin was remarkablyposed. His voice was still hoarse, but he asked, ¡°Then what do you want me to do?¡±

    ¡°What do I want you to do? Do I have to spell it out for you? I want you to take responsibility for my daughter!¡± Shen Jialiang shouted furiously.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up into a taunting smile as he stared calmly at Shen Jialiang. Shen Jialiang thought that Qi Chenglin would never agree to his demands so easily, but he already had ns for if he refused.

    Shen Jialiang knew that Qi Chenglin would eventually find out that they had drugged him. However, they were in their home turf, so how could Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wordspete with them?

    Thus, he did not expect it when Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Fine.¡±

    His lips curled up into a sneer, but it showed neither a hint of anger nor annoyance.

    ...

    ...

    Even though Ruan Danchen had returned to her hostel and started to attend her sses, Shen Jialiang still sent his people to monitor her behavior. He alsomanded Liu Ronghua to buy pregnancy kits for her every week.

    A monthter, Ruan Danchen tested positive for pregnancy. She also confirmed it at the hospital. Shen Jialing demanded that the university suspend her sses temporarily, and he made her stay at home all day. He could not risk anything to go wrong.

    Half a monthter, Liu Ronghua joyfully announced that Shen Zhijing was engaged to Qi Chenglin. It was because the Shen family had shown him the results of the pregnancy test.

    Throughout her pregnancy, Shen Jialiang ordered his driver to bring Ruan Danchen health tonics every day. He also had her brought to the hospital for regr check-ups.

    However, no one expected that Ruan Danchen would give birth prematurely, about two months before her due date.

    The doctor put her under anesthesia and performed a caesarian section surgery to deliver the baby.

    When Ruan Danchen woke up on the hospital bed, she saw that only Liu Ronghua was with her.

    Ruan Danchen was terrified when she saw her mother¡¯s ashen face and blood-shot eyes. She put her hand on her belly, and she noticed that there was a huge wound across it. The anesthetic had lost its effect, and it hurt like hell.

    ¡°Where¡¯s the baby?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with trembling lips. She was so petrified that her eyes welled up with tears.

    Even though she knew that the child would never be hers, she still felt a maternal bond with the baby. After all, she did spend thest seven months with the baby in her stomach, and she had watched her belly grew little by little daily. It was only natural that she would be reluctant to part with her baby.

    ¡°They couldn¡¯t save the child.¡± Liu Ronghua turned away as if she could not bear to see Ruan Danchen¡¯s grief.

    ¡°What? How is that possible?¡± Ruan Danchen felt as if half her soul had left her body.

    She was not the typical surrogate mother as she had made the child with Qi Chenglin through natural means. She had long developed feelings for the child in her stomach.

    She touched her belly, but it no longer protruded. The child was gone; the little life that resided inside her was gone. Ruan Danchen felt iplete. Half her soul was gone.

    Her body tremored as she sobbed silently. ¡°I was so careful during pregnancy... I was so cautious... Why... Why was it born prematurely...¡±

    ¡°Danchen, please don¡¯t dwell on this. Even though the child is gone, you¡¯ll still have more opportunities in the future. This premature birth won¡¯t affect your future pregnancies. It is an ident that no one wished for, and the Shen family doesn¡¯t me you for it. The child came out early. When it was taken out, it was already... It was not breathing.¡± Liu Ronghua held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. ¡°The doctors have tried, but they couldn¡¯t save him.¡±

    ¡°Why... How did this happen...¡± Ruan Danchen turned her face away as if she did not want to look at Liu Ronghua.

    Even though she knew that the child would not be hers after it was born, she still wished for the child to be born healthy. Despite that, it did not even get a chance to the world, or to see its mother.

    Even a single nce would satisfy her!

    She wanted to see the child too, and to engrave it in her memory forever.

    ¡°Was... was it a boy or a girl?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she wept.

    ¡°It was a boy,¡± Liu Ronghua murmured.

    ¡°My child, I¡¯m so sorry... I¡¯m sorry... My baby... It¡¯s all my fault... I didn¡¯t take care of you... I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ...

    ...

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡± Ruan Danchen woke up abruptly on the bed with a face full of tears. She fixed her gaze on the familiar ceiling of the room that she rented.

    She was still in a daze, so she could not differentiate between dream and reality. Her tears flowed endlessly. Her heart ached as she felt a massive weight pressed against her chest. She felt suffocated.

    Ruan Danchen panted heavily and trembled weakly. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief, and it was only then that she was certain that she was indeed in her rented room.

    She sat up slowly, and in exhaustion. It had been a while since shest had that dream, but it had returned, and it was much more intense and severe.

    She dried her tears and then blew her nose. She got off the bed and went into the washroom that was adjacent to her room. She stared at her disheveled face through the mirror. She looked like she did that morning.

    When Liu Ronghua told her that the child was gone, she did not suspect anything. While she recovered in the hospital, Liu Ronghua only came by asionally. She had merely employed a maternity matron to take care of Ruan Danchen.

    Once her wound healed and she hadpleted her month of confinement, she discharged herself from the hospital without informing Liu Ronghua.

    At that time, she still had more than two months before school resumed, so she applied for a full-time job as a cashier in a fast-food restaurant. She also went to the university to make arrangements so that she could resume her sses and to apply for a student loan.

    When school started again, she resigned and only worked part-time. Eventually, she saved enough money to pay for her school fees and to repay the loan.

    During that whole time, Liu Ronghua never contacted her even though she did not change her phone number.

    One day, she saw a news article on the Inte mentioned that the Qi family had retracted from their engagement with the Shen family. Previously, there were rumors that Qi Chenglin¡¯s fianc¨¦e, Shen Zhijing, was pregnant. Since Qi Chenglin went back on the engagement, the world assumed that the child was not his.

    However, not long after that, another news portal reported that Qi Chenglin¡¯s son celebrated his first birthday. Everyone was confused because not many people knew that he had a son. They calcted his son¡¯s birthday, and they deduced that he was not Shen Zhijing¡¯s son either because his birthday was two whole months before her due date.

    So, the world came up with another theory. They thought that Qi Chenglin must have had another woman on the side, and that was why he refused to marry Shen Zhijing. Qi Chenglin was immediately thrown into a whirlpool of insults. People condemned him as a love rat, a cheater, and many other names.

    Nheless, even though Shen Zhijing imed to be pregnant, there was no news about the birth of her baby. Therefore, some informed sources spected that she was not pregnant in the first ce, or that Qi Chenglin had been duped.

    All the spectators and journalists were thrown into confusion with all those theories. Eventually, no one cared about that news anymore.

    When Ruan Danchen saw the news, her heart stopped. She made some calctions based on the information on the news, and she knew that Qi Chenglin¡¯s son was born around the same time she went intobor.

    She did not know the exact date, and so she did not dare to dive into the matter just yet. She was also afraid that the Qi family would misunderstand her intentions.

    She would have still given them the child had he survived. Even though she wanted to raise him, she knew that it was impossible, so she would rather not harbor hopes for that. She only wished for the child to be healthy. She really wanted Qi Chenglis¡¯s son to be her child.

    After she had her suspicions, she arranged a stakeout outside of Qi Chenglin¡¯s family home to catch a glimpse of the child. However, her efforts were in vain. She tried to get more information from the news, but the Qi family had protected the child too well, and not a single information was leaked to the media.

    So, she went to see Liu Ronghua. Initially, she resolved to have as little contact as possible with her mother. However, since she wanted to uncover the truth about her child, she did not hesitate to go see her.

    Unfortunately, the apartment that they lived in had a new owner then. Liu Ronghua had long moved out.

    Ruan Danchen was worried about her mother. She wondered if Shen Jialiang had kicked Liu Ronghua out of his mansion because she failed to help the Shen family to achieve their goal.

    If that was the case, then Ruan Danchen regretted that she did not contact her for so long. Liu Ronghua could not survive on her own, so she was extremely concerned about her.

    If Shen Jialiang had really abandoned her, Ruan Danchen would definitely step in to take care of her.

    However, when Ruan Danchen called Liu Ronghua, her words were slurred and vague. Liu Ronghua ended the call in haste. She did not even manage to tell Ruan Danchen about her situation.

    So, Ruan Danchen decided to go to the Shen family¡¯s home and question Shen Jialiang herself. She was surprised to see Liu Ronghua walked out of the courtyard, and she was dressed elegantly and luxuriously. She entered the Shen family¡¯s car and left thepound.

    Ruan Danchen hid outside the Shen family¡¯s courtyard and waited. At around four in the evening, Liu Ronghua returned to the mansion. Ruan Danchen waited until midnight, and yet Liu Ronghua never came back out.

    Chills surged through Ruan Danchen¡¯s body. It looked like Liu Ronghua had sessfully moved into the Shen family¡¯s home. Otherwise, Shen Jialiang would never have let her waltz in and out of the house whenever she pleased.

 Chapter 306 - It Just So Happens That I Am Free Tonight, Iâ€™ll Follow You Home To Take The Gift

    Chapter 306: It Just So Happens That I Am Free Tonight, I¡¯ll Follow You Home To Take The Gift

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    A chilling feeling surged through Ruan Danchen¡¯s body. By the looks of it, Liu Ronghua must have sessfully moved into the Shen family¡¯s home. Otherwise, judging from Shen Jialiang¡¯s attitude previously, how could he let Liu Ronghua waltz in and out of the house whenever she pleased?

    Ruan Danchen felt cold all of a sudden as she recalled Liu Ronghua once told her that the baby was stillborn. If that was the case, how was it possible that Shen Jialiang would let Liu Ronghua live in the Shen manor?

    Ruan Danchen thought of one harsh possibility. The Shen family feared that Ruan Danchen would be unwilling to let go of her child thus they lied to her that her baby was stillborn to prevent her from causing further trouble and she would not observe her child from afar.

    Ruan Danchen was leaning against a telephone pole, unable to stand straight due to heartache. She did not expect that her own mother would betray her for self-benefit.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen ended her desire to question Liu Ronghua.

    Ruan Danchen did not know whether Qi Chenglin¡¯s son was hers or not and she kept observing him for these past few years.

    Ruan Danchen finally met with Qi Youxuan when she attended Song Yu¡¯s wedding. She confirmed that Youxuan was her kindred after asking for Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday on that day at the Qi family¡¯s house.

    Ruan Danchen felt conflicted afterward. She was happy and grateful that her own son lived healthily and grown to be a cute and cheerful boy even without his mother¡¯s guidance.

    At the same time, Ruan Danchen felt sorry for Qi Youxuan. Youxuan was a boy now and she could not apany him for these past six years, thus she felt that she did not have the right to acknowledge Youxuan as her son. She would feel satisfied just by looking at him from afar and talked to him if there was any chance.

    Ruan Danchen would feel grateful if she could do all these.

    There was nothing happier than to see her son grew up happily and healthily.

    Ruan Danchen would not want to disturb her son¡¯s life and induced such heavy burden on his tiny shoulders by simply acknowledging him as her son. She would not want the carefree smile to disappear from Youxuan¡¯s cute face.

    Ruan Danchen inhaled with her sore nose and wiped the tears off her face.

    Now Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes appeared swollen and bloodshot due to her endless crying when she dreamt.

    Ruan Danchen went to the kitchen, made herself a simple sandwich and warmed a ss of milk. She then used a cloth to wrap some ice she retrieved from the refrigerator and applied it on her eyes while she took her breakfast.

    Ruan Danchdn noticed that her eyes were less swollen after her breakfast, then she applied some eye drops to get rid of those capiries that were bulging out on her eyes. Afterward, she did some simple makeup before leaving for her work.

    ...

    ...

    Song Yu took a nce at Ruan Danchen once she stepped into the design department. Even though there was a makeup on her face, Song Yu could still notice that Ruan Danchen was not in a good mood.

    ¡°Danchen, what happened to you? Did you not sleep well? Why were your eyes so red?¡± Song Yu was taken aback when she saw Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen quickly took out a portable mirror and had a look of herself. Her eyes were a little less red aspared to this morning after the application of eye drops but it was still easily noticeable.

    ¡°Nothing, I just had a bad dream and ended up bursting into tears,¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and answered awkwardly.

    ¡°Chang Lai wille and fetch me to the banquet tonight. Do you want toe with me?¡± Song Yu suggested softly.

    Qilin would set up a banquet celebration for Qilin Hotel which was at its final stage of construction at a buffet restaurant at Shengyue. The main purpose of the banquet was to show appreciation for the staff of Qilin and Chengshi.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at Song Yu and said, ¡°What are you talking about? Chang Lai will surely fetch you straight to Qi Chengzhi, where should I go once you met him? I don¡¯t want to be the third wheeler. Thepany will send out vans to fetch us to Shengyue tonight so I¡¯ll just follow themter.¡±

    Song Yu replied Ruan Danchen with a smile as she knew Chang Lai woulde much earlier to thepany. Since she was pregnant now, Qi Chengzhi wanted her to leave work earlier and Director Zhao did not have a choice but to agree with it, but the same did not apply to Ruan Danchen, she could not possibly leave work earlier.

    In the end, as expected, Chang Lai came to fetch Song Yu off a couple hours earlier before it was time to get off work.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen followed the vans to Shengyue at night, with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu arrived shortly after. Both of them sat at one corner and Ruan Danchen did not purposely go and greet Song Yu.

    Even though Ruan Danchen was close to Song Yu, she did not want to simply greet Song Yu in front of the crowd as the consequences may be disastrous. They would gossip that Ruan Danchen was a bootlicker and wanted to kowtow both of them, thus she did not want to act ostentatiously.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu home after staying for a while due to her current pregnancy.

    Qi Chenglin arrived shortly after Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu left due to work overtime.

    This humongous buffet restaurant was in chaos as there were staff from two differentpanies feasting and chatting together. Qi Chenglin was being low profiled so except for Qilin¡¯s important cadre, none would notice that Qi Chenglin arrived.

    However, for some reason, Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence as soon as he stepped into the restaurant.

    Ruan Danchen could see the door from where she sat but the distance between her and the door was far and she did not purposely observe the movements in and out of the door. It was a sudden tingling sensation, palpitations and warm ears that made her peeked at the door unconsciously and there Qi Chenglin was, standing at the doorway in a sharp-looking suit.

    The tie was properly knotted and the suit was especially well-fitted as it entuated his wide shoulders with a narrow waist and perfectly showed off his inverted triangle body shape.

    Qi Chenglin radiated an aura just by standing there and it induced irregr breathing in Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chenglin appeared to not notice Ruan Danchen at all, which was logical as it was crowded at the restaurant and he did note here to find Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to stare at Qi Chenglin openly so she peeked at him from the corner of her eyes. She noticed Qi Chenglin looked at the opposite direction, nodded and walked in that direction. She followed his gaze and noticed that Qi Chenglin went to talk to Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge.

    Ruan Danchen rxed slightly, then she heard her colleague sitting opposite her asking, ¡°Xiao Ruan, don¡¯t you want to take some food and eat?¡±

    Only then Ruan Danchen remembered that she had not taken any food until now and her te was clean and empty.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and take some food now,¡± Ruan Danchen replied and took a nce at Qi Chenglin again. When she noticed that Qi Chenglin was talking to Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue attentively, she hurried off to the Japanese cuisine area and chose her favorite sashimi.

    She then took a sauce te and squeezed some wasabi out, and just as she was about to pour some soy sauce, a mellow voice traveled to her ears. ¡°I thought you said you were going to prepare presents for Youxuan? It has been so long, are you giving him a perfunctory promise?¡±

    The voice was unexpected and it made Ruan Danchen jumped. Her hand shook and the soy sauce dripped onto her pants. There was not much soy sauce that identally got onto her pants but she wore white pants. It would still be obvious even if it was just a drop or two.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head in surprise and stared at the man who came out of nowhere behind her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s height only reached Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest level even if she stood with her back straight. It was Qi Chenglin¡¯s firm and athletic chest despite buried within his suit and his tie that caught her eyes the moment she turned around.

    Qi Chenglin was standing close to her, Ruan Danchen could tell that the tips of their shoes were almost touching each other. She could even feel the heat radiating from his chest.

    The men¡¯s perfume still remained on Qi Chenglin despite a full day¡¯s work and the scent traveled all the way into her nostrils. It felt like someone had suddenly turned on an internal heater inside her system and her skin turned into a shade of a ripe strawberry. She could feel warmth now bloomed into a full-blown, sweltering heatwave bursting through her pores as if she was standing beside a stove.

    ¡°Young... Young Master Lin,¡± Ruan Danchen swallowed hard as she was sent reeling backward. She was as red as a beetroot and radiated heat like a hot pan, one could cook a three-course meal on her steaming scalp. She felt so nervous until she did not care whether they attracted the public¡¯s attention or not.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen backing off as if trying to escape from a grotesque monstrosity, Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes slightly and his gaze shifted to the soy sauce stain on her pants.

    Ruan Danchen followed his gaze to her pants where the soy sauce stained and she found a reason out of this. ¡°I¡¯ll tidy up myself in the washroom.¡±

    She lowered her head, avoiding Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze and hurried off. She purposely moved one step further away from Qi Chenglin as if he was a zing fire ready to consume her.

    Qi Chenglin quirked up a corner of his mouth and smirked. He stared with narrowed eyes at Ruan Danchen who was rushing towards the washroom with her head down.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen used tissue papers to try and wipe the soy sauce stain off her pants. The stain faded slightly but still remained noticeable. She had no choice but to wait until she returned home.

    Ruan Danchen crumpled up the tissue and threw it into the bin. She looked at herself in the mirror and let out a heavy sigh, thinking for a reason to leave the banquet earlier.

    She left the washroom after a while and immediately froze in ce right after she turned around.

    Qi Chenglin was leaning against the wall with his left foot stepping on the wall, a cigarette was between his long and slender fingers and he exhaled cigarette smoke. Ruan Danchen had no idea what was he thinking but his usual expressionless face now became stern and firm.

    His hair fell slightly on his forehead created shadows around his eyes which made him appear dour and unapproachable.

    Ruan Danchen started to feel a little gastric pain. Qi Chenglin turned towards her and raised his eyebrows. He straightened up and face her, then leaned against the wall again from the side and took another deep drag.

    ¡°I bought Youxuan¡¯s present, I just couldn¡¯t find a chance to give it to him,¡± Ruan Danchen grimaced.

    This man acted like he was collecting debt when he kept asking the status of his son¡¯s present.

    Qi Chenglin puffed out the smoke towards Ruan Danchen. Even though they were not close to each other but the smoke hit her face directly.

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips and held her breath as she did not want to inhale secondary smoke. She frowned and took a small step backward.

    Qi Chenglin gave her a slight smirk and asked, ¡°You left the present in your house?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded slowly, with hesitation as she did not want to admit it.

    Qi Chenglin straightened his back and said with a mellow voice, ¡°It just so happens that I am free tonight, I¡¯ll follow you home to take the gift.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless as he did not ask if she was free tonight.

    ¡°Haha. Young Master Lin, I thought you are going to attend the celebration banquet tonight? Are you not supposed to speak something on stageter?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a dry smile.

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes slightly and gave her a mock smile, his mellow voice mixed with a tinge of taunt. ¡°Mr. Qi Zhongxun will personally address to the staff tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words.

    Qi Chenglin stared at her with mocking eyes. He kept quiet and left.

    Did Qi Chenglin want Ruan Danchen to follow him or just let her be? She had no idea what Qi Chenglin wanted so she froze in ce with hesitation.

    ¡°Why are you not moving?¡± Qi Chenglin turned his head slightly and asked calmly.

    Ruan Danchen felt as if she was strangled and followed Qi Chenglin unwillingly.

    Ruan Danchen went back to her seat and saw Qi Chenglin walking straight towards the door and stood still like a statue afterward.

    Even though the distance between them was far and Ruan Danchen could not really notice his gaze but somehow she could feel his gaze locking onto her as if waiting for her to leave.

    Ruan Danchen felt herself be numb due to the pressure Qi Chenglin radiated. She took her bag unwillingly and informed her colleagues that she wanted to leave soon.

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving now? You haven¡¯t eaten anything,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s colleague took a nce at her empty te.

    The Japanese cuisine area Ruan Danchen went to just now was far from her seat so the scene happened between Qi Chenglin and her did not attract her colleague¡¯s attention. Ruan Danchen was in a hurry to avoid Qi Chenglin just now and left her te at the Japanese cuisine area.

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling a little under the weather. I¡¯m not sure if it was because of the lunch I had this afternoon but I feel disgusted andcking in appetite now,¡± Ruan Danchen had a nightmarest night and did not sleep well, so when she pressed on her gastric region now, it became really convincing that she was unwell.

    ¡°Then go home and rest. Normally it costs around three hundred dors even by group purchase so it¡¯s a pity that you wasted such an opportunity to dine in when there are so many delicious cuisines for free,¡± Her colleague said.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile and let out a long sigh. ¡°Well, I¡¯m out of luck today.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then took her bag and walk towards the door.

    Qi Chenglin turned around and walked away when he saw Ruan Danchen was almost at the door.

    Ruan Danchen followed Qi Chenglin but she remained at least three to four meters away from him to prevent others from misunderstanding.

    While Qi Chenglin was waiting for Ruan Danchen at the door, he instructed the valet to fetch his car so the moment he stepped out of the restaurant, the valet from Shengyue already parked his car in front of the door and passed him the keys.

    Qi Chenglin did not turn around and went straight into the driver¡¯s seat.

    Ruan Danchen observed her surroundings carefully to make sure there was no acquaintance around, then she quickly ran towards the car. When she opened the back door of the car and about to get in the car, she heard a cold voice from Qi Chenglin. ¡°Am I your driver?¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned his head ever so slightly and Ruan Danchen could already noticed his annoyance and stern face.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen became sluggish. She closed the car door and unwillingly sat on the front.

    Ruan Danchen was so nervous when she sat so close to Qi Chenglin. The scent of Qi Chenglin lingered in the car and she could feel the scent of the perfume on Qi Chenglin coated her everything.

    Ruan Danchen could only keep her head as low as possible and unconsciously, her gaze fell on the long lower limbs of Qi Chenglin.

    The Mercedes-Benz Qi Chenglin drove was huge and spacious but Qi Chenglin bent his long and muscr legs as if there was not enough space for his built.

    All of a sudden Ruan Danchen felt her scalp burnt as if a cavitation was going to form from the zing fire. This was what she felt every time Qi Chenglin stared at her.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to lift her head up and only looked at him from the corner of her eyes, which she noticed Qi Chenglin was really staring at her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face burned with embarrassment and she felt especially stressed. She started hyperventting and gasping for air.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to act dumb and ignore his gaze but Qi Chenglin just would not start his car. She felt the initial spacious environment became smaller as Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze became more prating.

    Did Qi Chenglin noticed Ruan Danchen peeking at his long and slender legs?

    Ruan Danchen summoned up her courage and met with Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze, who was still staring at her with a sparkle in his eyes.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed down her nervousness and felt her heartbeat became irregr. ¡°Young... Young Master Lin?¡±

    ¡°Do you want to fasten your seatbelt?¡± Qi Chenglin asked calmly which did not match his sparkling eyes.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    The reason why Qi Chenglin kept staring at Ruan Danchen was because of this seatbelt issue?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you just say it if you want to remind me to fasten my seatbelt?¡± Ruan Danchen pulled the seatbelt and when she was about to buckle up, she noticed Qi Chenglin was still staring at her.

    Ruan Danchen raised her head again to look at Qi Chenglin and noticed his face appeared as if annoyed at her for talking back at him, and his gaze radiated intense pressure on her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands started to tremble under stress and just could not buckle up the seatbelt even after endless attempts.

 Chapter 307 - Why Donâ€™t You Say This When You Let Me Consume A Full Bowl Of Preservatives Just Now?

    Chapter 307: Why Don¡¯t You Say This When You Let Me Consume A Full Bowl Of Preservatives Just Now?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands started to tremble under stress and just could not buckle up the seatbelt even after endless attempts.

    Just when Ruan Danchen became anxious, suddenly a clean and elegant hand with short and tidy nails came before her eyes, and Qi Chenglin grabbed her hand before she could react. His grip was strong and firm, and he guided her to buckle up her seatbelt.

    He then released her hand and started the engine, leaving Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand warm and numb. At that instance, she felt her hand was not a part of herself anymore.

    Ruan Danchen curled her hand into a fist and hid it below her bag. She then turned her head towards the window and started to have palpitations.

    Qi Chenglin took a peek at Ruan Danchen¡¯s face from the side, admiring her light makeup which made her fair and beautiful.

    When Qi Chenglin was engaged with Shen Zhijing in the past, he kept postponing the engagement as he wanted to wait until the baby was born. He wanted to do gic profiling of the newborn but the Shen family did not feel fear or worry about it.

    However the Shen family did not know that Qi Chenglin did not want to perform a paternity test, he wanted to do a maternity test instead to check if Shen Zhijing was the newborn¡¯s biological mother. The result came back as ipatible in the gic coding.

    Qi Chenglin went straight to the Shen manor after acknowledging the result and threw the report right on Shen Jialiang¡¯s face, then he took Youxuan away with him.

    Qi Chenglin did not ignore the fact that there was a new face in the Shen manor whom he did not notice the first time he was there.

    To be honest, Qi Chenglin never stepped into the Shen manor since the coption conspiracy until the maternity test report came out, so he paid extra attention to the woman named Liu Ronghua after he left the Shen manor.

    He did some investigations into Liu Ronghua afterwards and knew that she had a daughter named Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chenglin had some memories of what happened on that night. He remembered the fragrance she emitted and the feelings when he hugged and kissed her, but he just could not recall her face.

    Qi Chenglin suspected Ruan Danchen could be the one in bed with him on that night thus he investigated further into her after finding out that she was Liu Ronghua¡¯s daughter.

    Ruan Danchen really raised suspicions as Liu Ronghua moved to the Shen manor straight after the incident, even though Shen Jialiang did not marry Liu Ronghua until now and Ruan Danchen never visited her mother since then.

    Ruan Danchen paid for her tuition fees herself and she had financial issues for quite some time but all of those improved after she started working.

    If the woman with him that night was really Ruan Danchen and she was not doing it for cash, was she doing it just so Liu Ronghua could move into the Shen manor?

    It was until not long ago when Qi Chenglin fetched the drunk Ruan Danchen home after Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wedding where he heard her mumbled ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ and he was stunned after hearing that.

    He recalled the moment when the woman with her that night kept repeating ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯.

    He could not remember anything about her appearance before, but all of that came rushing to his brain after Ruan Danchen said ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯. It was like someone just unlocked his hidden memories and all of a sudden his brain was flooded with her repeatedly saying ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡¯ and her change in mind as she did not want him to get framed.

    It was at that moment when Qi Chenglin realized the woman was indeed Ruan Danchen.

    Inside the car, there was a pin drop silence, as Ruan Danchen kept quiet due to nervousness while Qi Chenglin was immersed in his own train of thoughts.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin parked his ck Mercedes-Benz near Ruan Danchen¡¯s house, and she said before leaving the car, ¡°Wait here for a while, I¡¯lle back down after getting the present.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin felt speechless and stared at Ruan Danchen. ¡°I¡¯d like to use the washroom.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Now it was Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn to be speechless.

    In the end, Qi Chenglin entered Ruan Danchen¡¯s house.

    Ruan Danchen stayed alone in a single-bedroom apartment with a small living room which she also used it as a dining room, so her house basically appeared cramped up.

    The initial cramped up house became even packed the moment Qi Chenglin entered the house.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Qi Chenglin was studying her house instead of going to the washroom, so she could not help but ask, ¡°Young Master Lin, I thought you said you wanted to use the washroom?¡±

    Qi Chenglin then nodded slightly and went to the washroom and he did not even close the door. He just simply washed his hands and came out.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Youxuan¡¯s present,¡± Ruan Danchen said and went into her room, leaving Qi Chenglin alone in the living room.

    She took out a big stic bag from the wardrobe as there were presents inside it.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned and speechless when she came out of the room.

    She had no idea when Qi Chenglin took off his suit and tie, and one of the buttons on his formal shirt was unhooked. His tie was put under thepel and the buttons on his sleeves were released too. He rolled up his sleeves, revealing his muscr forearms.

    His arms felt solid hard and every move radiated strength and power just by looking at them.

    He was sitting casually on the couch reading a magazine about home refurbishing that was ced on the coffee table previously with his suitid beside him.

    Ruan Danchen walked towards Qi Chenglin and stopped one step away from him as she did not dare to go any nearer to him. She then let out a dry cough to get his attention and said, ¡°Young Master Lin, these are for Youxuan.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gave the presents a nce and noticed that the big stic bag was full with boxes. He did not need to count and knew straight away that there were six boxes inside the bag.

    ¡°Have you had your dinner?¡± Qi Chenglin did not ept the bag. He simply shifted his gaze from the magazine towards her and asked calmly.

    His voice was not loud but somehow was a little croaky which made Ruan Danchen blushed.

    ¡°I thought you were rushing for the presents?¡± Ruan Danchen said petntly as she partly med Qi Chenglin for her lost of opportunity to dine in at such high standard buffet. She would not be able to afford such high quality buffet based on her current financial status.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin curled his lips and said, ¡°I haven¡¯t had my dinner too.¡±

    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t Young Master Lin leave after dinner?¡± Ruan Danchen became frustrated.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was really speechless at Ruan Danchen. He took out his cell phone and dialled his home number. ¡°Aunt Chen, is Youxuan asleep? Oh, really? Let Youxuan answer the phone.¡±

    While Qi Chenglin was waiting for Aunt Chen to look for Qi Youxuan, he exined to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Chen said Youxuan missed me, I¡¯m going to talk to him for a while.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen remained silent as she did not know why was Qi Chenglin exining to her.

    ¡°You¡¯re not a baby anymore, in just a brief moment of my absence and you¡¯re already missing me?¡± Qi Chenglin spoke on the phone.

    ¡°Dad, what are you talking about?¡± Qi Youxuan said while picking his nose with his white, chubby finger.

    ¡°Ask Chauffeur Xiao Yang fetch you over if you miss me,¡± Qi Chenglin ignored his son¡¯s question and continued his drama.

    ¡°Dad, what do you want now? I¡¯m still watching cartoons, if there¡¯s nothing else then I¡¯ll hang up the phone,¡± Qi Youxuan said impatiently as the cartoon was just at its climax when Aunt Chen called him over.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m at Aunt Ruan¡¯s house,¡± Qi Chenglin continued to ignore his son and said.

    Qi Youxuan got surprised and there was a twinkle in his eyes. Just when he was about to yell in excitement, he suddenly stopped his movement and quickly investigated his surroundings.

    Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya were watching a rey of a pce struggle series very attentively as the series was getting intense, so they did not notice themotion on Qi Youxuan. Aunt Chen left after she passed the phone to Qi Youxuan too so he did not attract their attention from the show.

    Qi Youxuan covered the phone and his mouth with his chubby hand and whispered, ¡°Dad, you said you¡¯re at Aunt Ruan¡¯s house, do you mean I cane over too?¡±

    The angle of Qi Chenglin¡¯s mouth raised slightly as if giving a slight smile and peeked at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going! Quick, contact Chauffeur Xiao Yang and ask him toe and fetch me!¡± Qi Youxuan got a little too excited and forgot to lower his voice. His sudden loud voice attracted Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya¡¯s attention.

    Guan Liya was curious and asked after Qi Youxuan hung up the phone. ¡°Where are you going at thiste hour?¡±

    Qi Youxuan was happy when he thought about Ruan Danchen. He gave a little happy dance and said, ¡°Dad wants Chauffeur Xiao Yang to fetch me to a ce but I don¡¯t know where it is.¡±

    He had not been to Aunt Ruan¡¯s home so it was normal that he did not know about her address.

    Guan Liya still felt worried so she called Qi Chenglin to confirm that he did instructed to fetch Qi Youxuan off, then she said, ¡°Then bring the child back earlier, I don¡¯t care if he goes back home ore back here but don¡¯t forget that he has to go to the kindergarten tomorrow morning. Let him sleep earlier.¡±

    Qi Chenglin hung up the phone and talked to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Youxuan said he missed me and insisted toe over. Since he had dinner, we should have something to eat now too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen forgot the unhappiness just now and instantly became really excited, almost in a panic state when she knew that Qi Youxuan wasing over. ¡°Youxuan ising now? I don¡¯t have any snacks now, maybe I should go and get some.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was displeased and groaned, ¡°He is on a diet now, no snacks for him.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s true. I don¡¯t have any fruits to serve too so should I go and get some? I should at least serve some food when hees here,¡± Ruan Danchen recalled Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby appearance and felt that he really should be on a diet too.

    She remembered Qi Youxuan loved food and was not a picky eater too. He was easy to entertain as long as the food was nice and delicious.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and said, ¡°I¡¯m still hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± His words made Ruan Danchen speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯ll fetch you to the mall and buy fruits after you cook some food for me,¡± Qi Chenglin said while hisplexion paled with annoyance.

    Ruan Danchen had no idea what Qi Chenglin was annoyed about. Qi Youxuan was his son and he had no idea that she was Youxuan¡¯s mother too. Did he just feel unhappy with her being kind to Youxuan?

    ¡°Alright then,¡± Ruan Danchen could not do anything but to agree and went to the kitchen.

    To be honest, there was nothing much that they could eat at home. She normally would work overtime and she chose not to go out and eat as she wanted to save money. She would usually eat instant noodles with ham and sausage provided by herpany.

    Ruan Danchen would only go to the mall and buy packaged vegetables for meal preparation when she did not work overtime.

    Although those delicate packaging of vegetables sold in the mall was more expensive than those sold in the market, but the quantity was lesser inparison which suited Ruan Danchen the most as she could just cook all of them for a meal and there would not be any wastage. If she bought in the market, there would be leftover vegetables and inevitably became waste as she did not know if she was going to work overtime the next day. Thus, it was more cost-effective if she bought at the mall.

    Ruan Danchen just worked overtimest night and she nned to enjoy herself in the buffet tonight so she did not purchase any ingredients, and now there was only a few packets of instant noodles left at home.

    Ruan Danchen felt displeased when she recalled that Qi Chenglin made her lose the opportunity for a high quality buffet, so she threw packets of instant noodles into the pot.

    However she thought of Qi Chenglin¡¯s smugness and him appearing calm and noble with an outstanding temperament despite sitting in a tiny living room. She did not know if he had consumed any instant noodles in his lifetime. She imagined that maybe he ate high quality food delivered from Dynasty whenever he worked overtime.

    This instant noodle was really ipatible with Qi Chenglin¡¯s temperament. Ruan Danchen already felt sorry for him when she imagined the scene of him eating instant noodles.

    After some considerations, Ruan Danchen took two eggs from the refrigerator and made two poached eggs.

    The house which Ruan Danchen rented was not big so with Qi Chenglin sitting at the couch, soon he detected a fragrance travelling from the kitchen. However, he became suspicious as he realized the scent was probably from instant noodles.

    Just when the thought popped out in his mind, he saw Ruan Danchen held a bowl of hot soup out and put it in front of him.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was at a loss of words.

    It really was instant noodles and there were two poached eggs on top of it, so should he thank her for that now?

    ¡°You¡¯re cooking this for me as dinner?¡± Qi Chengzhi looked at the instant noodles in disgust and raised his eyebrows in annoyance at Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen returned his gaze with an annoyed stare. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to try the high standard buffet too. There is a huge difference between instant noodles and buffet in case you didn¡¯t realize. Do you think I have all the ingredients needed for your dinner?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you tell me if don¡¯t have any ingredients? We can go out and buy them! Why don¡¯t you just mention that you have no ingredients as well when you said you¡¯re gonna buy fruits for Youxuan? Didn¡¯t you think that we could buy ingredients along with fruits?¡±

    This woman did this on purpose!

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen kept quiet.

    Qi Chenglin was stunned when she turned around without saying a word and went into the kitchen. Did she just got angry?

    She was afraid of him initially but now she got enough nerve up to be angry with him?

    Ruan Danchen came back a momentter holding another bowl of instant noodles which she just cooked and gave Qi Chenglin an annoyed stare. Did he really feel reasonable that he made her lost the opportunity to dine in a high standard buffet?

    She felt annoyed at him eating instant noodles with her in the house.

    Qi Chenglin could not do anything but finish all the food that was in his bowl. To be frank, the instant noodles tasted delicious but it was not healthy at all.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go to the nearby mall and buy some fruits for Youxuan after we¡¯re done with our dinner,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°Not going,¡± Qi Chenglin was displeased at the double standard she employed on Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin. ¡°I thought you said you¡¯re going to fetch me to the mall just now?¡±

    ¡°My appetite wasn¡¯t satisfied so I don¡¯t have much energy now,¡± Qi Chenglin said coldly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless and said sarcastically, ¡°Do you want another packet of instant noodles?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Now it was Qi Chenglin¡¯s turn to be speechless.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s anger reached a peak and chose to keep quiet, then he left the bowl on the table after the instant noodles were consumed.

    Ruan Danchen tidied up the table and washed the bowls. Afterwards she took her keys and wallet and said, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m going to buy fruits now so wait for me here.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Chenglin really chose not to fetch her and turned on the television with a remote control. He did it like he was at his own house and simply changed to a finance channel and watched.

    There was a shop selling fresh fruits nearby her housing area. She used a little more than half an hour to walk from her house to the shop, bought some fruits and returned home.

    Chauffeur Xiao Yang just brought Qi Youxuan to Ruan Danchen¡¯s doorstep after she reached home a moment ago.

    Ruan Danchen saw Qi Youxuan standing on the doorstep with Chauffeur Xiao Yang carrying a twenty inches luggage bag when she opened the door.

    ¡°Miss Ruan,¡± Chauffeur Xiao Yang addressed Ruan Danchen politely.

    Ruan Danchen started to feel anxious when she felt a warm presence behind her. It was Qi Chenglin who was almost touching her from the back and she had no idea since when he came up behind her.

    ¡°Young Master Lin,¡± The chauffeur greeted Qi Chenglin politely.

    Ruan Danchen then brought Qi Youxuan in and asked when she saw Chauffeur Xiao Yang carrying the luggage bag into the house, ¡°This luggage is for...¡±

    ¡°Inside the luggage are my personal belongings,¡± Qi Youxuan blushed and said in embarrassment.

    Qi Youxuan started to notice a savory smell of instant noodles lingering in the air soon after he finished speaking.

    ¡°Dad, did you just had dinner at Aunt Ruan¡¯s house?¡± Qi Youxuan asked unhappily as his own father ate alone at Ruan Danchen¡¯s house without asking him to join them.

    ¡°I ate instant noodles only,¡± Qi Chenglin said with disgust.

    ¡°Look at you feeling disgusted and all. If Aunt Ruan cooks instant noodles for me, I will dly ept it,¡± Qi Youxuan gave Qi Chenglin a dumb look and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand with his fair and chubby hand.

    Ruan Danchen felt happy and warm when Qi Youxuan grabbed her hand and she squeezed his hand firmly in return. ¡°Aunt Ruan, I want to eat too.¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    ¡°Instant noodles aren¡¯t nutritious and full of preservatives, they are not healthy. Are you hungry?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    ¡°If he eats then it¡¯s not healthy. Why don¡¯t you say this when you let me consume a full bowl of preservatives just now?¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes in disapproval and asked coldly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt speechless.

    ¡°You¡¯re on a diet. Why do you want to eat instant noodles at thiste hour?¡± Qi Chenglin spoke harshly to Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°But I am not full yet even though I had my dinner,¡± Qi Youxuan gave his belly a little tap.

    ¡°Do you want me to call your grandmother and ask how much have you eaten tonight?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and asked.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan kept quiet. He pursed his lips and lowered his head like a child not getting what he wanted, feeling unhappy. He whispered, ¡°I hate you, dad.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not bear the sight of Qi Youxuan feeling down and in sorrow, so she kneeled down and said softly, ¡°Aunt doesn¡¯t have any ingredients to prepare meals for you. If you¡¯re not famished then wait for me, I¡¯ll go buy some ingredients and prepare supper for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was happy when he heard Ruan Danchen. Just when he was about to agree on her suggestion, Qi Chenglin¡¯s mellow but unhappy voice travelled to their ears. ¡°Just cook instant noodles for him if he¡¯s hungry. It iste now and the mall is about to close soon, where else can you buy ingredients?¡±

    Qi Youxuan was about to protest but he kept quiet when he saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s angry stare and shook Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. ¡°Aunt Ruan, instant noodles are fine for me as long as you¡¯re the one cooking it.¡±

    His childish voice was soft and slow and one would feel pity for him when his voice was heard.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to go out and buy ingredients for him but looking at the time, all the malls would be closed by now. She did not have a choice but to agree on it. ¡°Alright.¡±

    Qi Youxuan immediately put on his happy face and pulled the luggage into the living room, being overly familiar just like his father. ¡°Aunt Ruan, where is your bedroom?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise by Qi Youxuan¡¯s over familiar attitude and could not help but wonder that he acted exactly like someone she knew. After a while, she found the answer. He was simr to Grandmother Qi who adopted the same attitude that made you unable to refuse her requests.

    However, Ruan Danchen really could not refuse whatever Qi Youxuan requested as she would always be soft-hearted to his every action. She did not think much and simply pointed at one direction, then Qi Youxuan carried the luggage straight into her bedroom.

    Qi Chenglin followed closely behind like he was one of the house owners and said, ¡°Don¡¯t simply touch anything when you enter the room.¡±

    Qi Chenglin appeared as if he was supervising Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen had no choice but to follow them, then she saw Qi Youxuan ced the luggage bag on the floor and opened it. Inside the luggage bag was his pillow, a set of pajamas, an ultrasonic toothbrush and a cup for it, a Johnson face cream for kids, and a teddy bear.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheeks were flushed pink when he noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s stare and said, ¡°I looked at the time and thought that it would bete when I arrived, so I brought all these in case I fell asleep.¡±

 Chapter 308 - He Wouldnâ€™t Randomly Go To Womenâ€™s House With That Awful Temperament

    Chapter 308: He Wouldn¡¯t Randomly Go To Women¡¯s House With That Awful Temperament

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheeks were flushed pink when he noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s stare and said, ¡°I looked at the time and thought that it would bete when I arrived, so I brought all these in case I fell asleep.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt speechless at him.

    ¡°These are your birthday presents,¡± Qi Chenglin passed a huge stic bag to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan stared at the presents with sparkles in his eyes and quickly took out all the boxes in the bag.

    Ruan Danchen exined to him, ¡°I bought all these because I wanted topensate for your birthdays for the past six years. You probably don¡¯t y some of these now but I still wanted to get these for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan examined the presents and noticed she really bought all these based on the age groups from one year old to six years old.

    The gift for one year old was a pair of pre-walker shoes, and a huge intable swimming pool, which was now deted and folded so it was not space-upying, as a gift for two years old. The present for three years old was a bnce bike, a remote controlled four-wheel drive sports utility vehicle for four years old, an Optimus Prime figure for five years old, and a Lego City set as a present for his current age, six years old.

    Qi Youxuan had no clue about pricing but Qi Chenglin was an expert in it, just the Lego set alone cost at least three to four thousand dors.

    Qi Youxuan was extremely interested in the Lego set and he tore the packaging immediately after he thanked Ruan Danchen and started ying with it.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make supper for you,¡± Ruan Danchen rxed when she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s interest and happiness in the Lego set and went into the kitchen.

    Never would Ruan Danchen imagined that she would ever have a chance to make supper for her own son personally. She initially thought that even if her son was alive, she would be grateful to see him from afar, but now, she could meet face-to-face with her son and even made him supper.

    Ruan Danchen closed the door to the kitchen and with red eyes, she turned on the kitchen exhaust hood. Her whimpering sob was drowned by the loud noise the hood made.

    She cleared the mucus in her nose and wiped the tears off her cheek, then she boiled the water and threw half a packet of instant noodles inside. She scooped the instant noodles out after they softened up a bit and rinsed it under clean water repeatedly to wash off as much preservatives as she could. Afterwards she put the rinsed noodles into a frying pan and added some seasonings such as soy sauce and some pepper, then she pan-fried the noodles into an attractive looking dish.

    Afterwards she made an omelette using the frying pan and wrapped the instant noodles with the omelette. Later, she squeezed some ketchup sauce on it, making a modified version of omurice ¨C an omu-noodle.

    Even though she could only cook instant noodles for Qi Youxuan, she still hoped that he can eat a little healthier with it.

    Ruan Danchen served the omu-noodle and went back to her bedroom, which she noticed that Qi Youxuan already changed into his pajamas and sleeping on her bed with a teddy bear in his embosom. Qi Chenglin sat alone on the ground ying one of the Lego figures whom Ruan Danchen just gave Qi Youxuan as present.

    He heard the sound of Ruan Danchen opening the door and turned towards her. He whispered in fear of waking Qi Youxuan up, ¡°He yed for a few minutes before feeling tired, then he went straight to sleep.¡±

    ¡°I just finished cooking so you can wake him up for supper now. I¡¯m going to cut some fruits for him,¡± Ruan Danchen took a nce at Qi Youxuan who was sleeping peacefully on the bed, appearing extremely cute.

    His chubby little face appeared pinkish and he was very quiet now. His fair and chubby hand resting beside his face which appeared cute to Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chenglin put down the Lego set and stood up while Ruan Danchen returned to the kitchen to cut the fruits.

    When she was done with the fruits and went back to the living room, she saw Qi Chenglin sitting at the dining table, eating supper she prepared for Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen became angry and just when she was about to say something, Qi Chenglin said unhappily, ¡°Why did the food you prepared for Youxuan was better and more delicious than the one you prepared for me?¡±

    ¡°Youxuan is a kid. I need to take more caution in preparing his meal. By the way, I prepared this for Youxuan, why did you eat it?¡± Ruan Danchen had no idea why but whenever she faced Qi Chenglin¡¯s questioning, she would always soften up.

    ¡°I just mentioned that my appetite wasn¡¯t satisfied, so now I¡¯m hungry again,¡± Qi Chenglin stared at Ruan Danchen as if these were all her fault.

    To be honest, Qi Youxuan was not in a deep sleep and he kept remembering that Ruan Danchen was making supper for him. He smelled the food fragrance travelling from the living room when he woke up, so he went out of the room and saw Qi Chenglin eating.

    ¡°Dad, are you eating my supper?¡± Qi Youxuan was a bit drowsy, afterall he just woke up, but upon seeing that Qi Chenglin was probably eating his supper, he was now wide awake and in rage.

    ¡°You fell asleep, the food wouldn¡¯t taste nice if it was left to cool down, that¡¯s a waste of food,¡± Qi Chenglin said while picking thest piece of omu-noodle off the te.

    Qi Youxuan became frantic and rushed towards Qi Chenglin. He used up all his strength to pull Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm down, trying hard to prevent him from taking thest bite. ¡°Why did you not wake me up? This is mine! Mine! Why did you steal my food? You are so bad! Don¡¯t eat it!¡±

    Qi Chenglin gave him a cold stare and Qi Youxuan quickly became fearful of him and stopped shaking his arm, but he stood there, puckering his mouth and staring in despair while Qi Chenglin took down thest bite of the omu-noodle.

    Qi Youxuan became more and more sorrowful as he had no idea what kind of father was this who stole his food. He puckered his mouth with tears pooling up in his reddened eyes. When the tears streamed down his cheeks, some of the droplets were stuck on his long eyshes. This scene was heart-wrenching to Ruan Danchen.

    Children¡¯s tears were especially crystal clear and each tear droplet from Qi Youxuan made Ruan Danchen felt like her heart was bleeding.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Youxuan, I¡¯ll make you another one. I still have half a packet of instant noodles,¡± Ruan Danchen pulled Qi Youxuan to her embosom and wiped the tears off his cheeks.

    ¡°Dad, you are a bad person!¡± Qi Youxuan eximed angrily.

    Ruan Danchen also gave an angry stare at Qi Chenglin but he just sat there, looking proud and almighty, and did not bother for self-reflection. Qi Chenglin even studied them with mocking eyes with his lips twisted into a humorless smile.

    Now Ruan Danchen was furious as she did not know how many times had Qi Chenglin bullied Qi Youxuan, and this made her heart broke.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make another one for you, be a good boy,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    When Ruan Danchen stood up, she felt her hands grabbed by Qi Youxuan and he said, ¡°I¡¯m going with you this time, I won¡¯t fall asleep no matter the circumstances.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan into the kitchen and both of them ignored Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin stared at the backs of the duo and felt himself at peace looking at them. He shifted his gaze to the empty te in front of him and smiled, appearing to be in a good mood

    Qi Chenglin then stood up, picked up the te of cut fruits and sat on the couch. He changed to a movie channel and started enjoying the movie while eating the fruits.

    Ruan Danchen made another omu-noodle for Qi Youxuan in the kitchen. This time, Qi Youxuan did not take the food out to the living room, he ate it on the spot instead.

    ¡°Yummy!¡± Qi Youxuan gulped down the food with joy and exuberance.

    ¡°Slow down, no one is going to steal your food this time,¡± Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Youxuan¡¯s may have gastric problem if he bolted through the food.

    ¡°Humph! I hate Dad, I¡¯m not going back with him tonight,¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his head and stared at Ruan Danchen with his dewy and misty eyes which still had a little redness in them, and those eyes softened Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart and she would not be able to resist him at all.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, can I sleep over at your ce tonight? Dad was being awful today,¡± Qi Youxuan stared at Ruan Danchen with anticipation.

    Ruan Danchen was tempted as she really wanted to stay longer with Qi Youxuan. She wanted to tell him bedtime stories and put him to sleep.

    ¡°I¡¯ll discuss with your fatherter, let¡¯s see if he agrees,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Qi Youxuan was very excited when he heard this. His cheeks were full as he ate another big mouthful of food and mumbled with unclear voice, ¡°To be honest, my dad is a good man. Normally he was calm and dependable, but at times he may have had a stroke or something and acted capricious.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gently stroke Qi Youxuan¡¯s soft hair, thinking why was he so cute as he was praising his father despite the fact that he just got bullied by his father just now.

    Ruan Danchen fetched herself a ss of water as she felt thirsty chatting with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, do you want to be my stepmother?¡± Qi Youxuan said suddenly.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s question came out of a sudden. Ruan Danchen was about to swallow a mouthful of water and the water ended up entering her windpipe, inducing pain in her throat and causing a choking sensation.

    Ruan Danchen coughed repeatedly to relieve the choking sensation. Qi Youxuan saw this and rushed behind her to give her some gentle taps on the back, although it did not help at all.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cough went for quite some time and her face flushed red with tears and nasal mucus expelled out. She took out a tissue paper to wipe her secretions away and drank another sip of water to try and ease the pain, but her trachea still burned.

    ¡°Why did you ask this?¡± Ruan Danchen whispered as her throat was still painful from the choke.

    ¡°Because I like you, and you¡¯re good to me too, and I think my dad likes you too,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s face was flushed with pink as he felt embarrassed.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared at him and was at a loss of words. ¡°Nonsense. I believe that you like me, but why do you think that your dad likes me too?¡±

    ¡°Why would he be here if he doesn¡¯t like you? He wouldn¡¯t randomly go to women¡¯s house with that awful temperament,¡± Qi Youxuan said with pride but it was unknown whether he was praising or scolding Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words. ¡°He came here for the presents that I bought for you, or else I couldn¡¯t find any chance to give them to you.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, that¡¯s not the case,¡± Qi Youxuan finished the supper. The portion Ruan Danchen prepared for him was not big as she feared health issues may arise if he sleep right after a full stomach. His chubby hands were oily from the food so Ruan Danchen lifted him up to the sink to which he washed his hands and wiped them with clean paper towel.

    Qi Youxuan continued. ¡°He usually never chat with women unless it¡¯s job-rted, and he was always polite to others. My great-grandmother said he definitely likes the woman if he ever talks sarcastically to her. The more sarcastic he talks, the more affection he has for you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    ¡°Ha ha. Grandmother Qi really over thought about this,¡± Ruan Danchen let out a dryugh.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you trust me? It was just an excuse for Dad toe here and take my presents, or else why would he still be here after he took my presents? I¡¯m telling you, Aunt Ruan, my great-grandmother said my Dad has a low emotional quotient especially when we were talking about rtionship issues. My Dad has never courted any girl since young, and I¡¯m worried sick for him too,¡± Qi Youxuan got irritated and stamped his foot furiously.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, please reconsider this! My Dad is thirty-three years old now, a little too old for you but he is still younger than my uncle, and my aunt doesn¡¯t mind the age difference between my uncle and her. To be honest, you¡¯re quite fortunate that your future-husband is younger than her husband but my Dad is quite bad-tempered. Well, at least he is handsome, so you can try to just focus on his mour and ignore his temperament. He is very rich too, you can take over all of his possessions after your marriage with him. By the way, if possible, write my name on some of the possession ownership transfer too,¡± Qi Youxuan felt embarrassed while saying this.

    ¡°Besides, all men in the Qi family treat their wives well. Look at how my uncle treat my aunt. Look at how I treat Muran, my Dad will surely-,¡± Qi Youxuan recalled Qi Chenglin¡¯s awful temperament and found himself speaking with a guilty conscience. ¡°Anyway, you can teach him when the timees. If I can act kind to a woman, I¡¯m quite sure that he can too.¡±

    ¡°Youxuan, honestly, are you really praising your Dad?¡± Ruan Danchen could not help but think that Qi Youxuan was exposing all the shorings of Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was at a loss of words.

    Qi Youxuan was worried sick when Ruan Danchen still chose not to believe him despite everything he just mentioned.

    Why should he do when such a good stepmother was married to another man?

    In the end, Ruan Danchen led Qi Youxuan to the living room and he saw Qi Chenglin not only devoured his supper, but also ate all the fruits that was meant for him.

    Qi Chenglin was watching a movie while eating all the fruits!

    This man really let Qi Youxuan down. He kept mentioning all the good about Qi Chenglin and in the end he just did not portrayed like Qi Youxuan indicated.

    Anger started to boil deep in Qi Youxuan¡¯s system, as hot asva. He released Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, went back into her room before erupting in his furious state and crawled up her bed to sleep.

    Even though Qi Youxuan was resting his head on his pillow, he could still smell Ruan Danchen¡¯s scent on the nket. The scent had a motherly feel to him and it was pleasant to inhale.

    Qi Youxuan grabbed the nket and put it under his nose for couple attempts at deep inhaling. Soon, he felt his mood lightened up and he closed his eyes with joy and satisfaction.

    Qi Chenglin shifted his gaze from the direction Qi Youxuan disappeared into and ced the empty te in his hand on the coffee table.

    Ruan Danchen gave up on the argument of Qi Chenglin stealing food from his son. She noticed that Qi Chenglin was in a good mood so she summoned up her courage and asked, ¡°Young... Young Master Lin, Youxuan wanted to stay over at my ce tonight, is it alright for you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin peeked at Ruan Danchen from the corner of his eyes. ¡°You seemed to like him?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I like that kid,¡± Ruan Danchen unconsciously painted a ray of sunshine all over her face whenever she thought of Qi Youxuan. Her grin was especially tender and for a split second everything stopped while Qi Chenglin stared and admired her.

    Ruan Danchen noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s persistent stare. Her brain went haywired and recalled what Qi Youxuan mentioned just now.

    ¡°I think my Dad likes you too.¡±

    A gentle flush of pink had arisen in Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks when she recalled what Qi Youxuan said. She felt very awkward under Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze.

    Qi Chenglin quickly recovered from the nk state of mind but his gaze remained fixated on Ruan Danchen as her cutesy face was flooding his senses now.

    She did not know what to think now and did not dare to return his gaze. She kept her head low with face as red as a beetroot.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze shifted unconsciously to Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips, admiring its tenderness. He recalled the feelings when he kissed her on the night of the wedding party and wanted to relive it again.

    Qi Chenglin responded with a mellow but deep voice, with a tinge of hoarseness in it, ¡°Then let him stay over for tonight, I¡¯ll instruct the chauffeur to fetch him tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s awesome, thank you so much!¡± Ruan Danchen looked at him with exhration. Suddenly, her hand was grabbed and she was pulled towards the couch before she could react.

    Ruan Danchen lost her bnce and fell into Qi Chenglin¡¯s embosom. He used the opportunity and fell on the couch, his strong and muscr arms wrapping around her waist. Then, he flipped over and put his weight on her.

    Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise and let out a soft cry. She noticed his handsome face was getting closer and the next thing she knew, he had mmed his lips to hers and nearly knocked out all wind from her lungs.

    His tongue was as demanding as the owner. Ruan Danchen hardly had any moment to react before he pressed his tongue to the seam of her lips and, at her grant of ess, delves inside her mouth.

    Sparks flew in every direction, and the world was slowly disappearing around Ruan Danchen. She forgot to resist as his kiss obliterated her every thought, causing her body to flush with heat. The heat seems to travel through her veins, warming her.

    She felt the buttons on her shirt was unhooked by him while she was still drunk on endorphins. Then, his hands drifted into her shirt and settled there, encircling her and pulling her closer. She was breathless as he showered her with those fiery and demanding kisses, each with its own flicker of warmth. The warmth had now bloomed into a full blown, sweltering heat wave bursting through her pores.

    His kisses were demanding and at times soft and gentle. It made Ruan Danchen recall the events that night.

    Qi Chenglin worked his way from her tender, smooth lips down to her neck slowly and attempting to run his lips further down.

 Chapter 309 - Youâ€™re Already an Adult, How Could You Be so Immature?

    Chapter 309: You¡¯re Already an Adult, How Could You Be so Immature?

    Slowly, his soft and burning lips rubbed against the corner of her lips.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but remember what happened that night. She recalled how she felt when he embraced her¡ªit was such a familiar feeling.

    ¡°Lin... Young Master Lin...¡± Ruan Danchen pushed his shoulders weakly. She felt that her arms were feeble. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Chenglin paused for a while, his thin and hot lips were still stuck to the delicate skin of her neck. Ruan Danchen felt his thin lips were moving slightly on her skin, then she saw him raised his head and pouted. His thin lips which made him looked stern normally seemed to invoke gentleness now.

    ¡°You¡¯re so desperate to keep Youxuan here. It¡¯s because you want me to stay, right?¡± Qi Chenglin was sneering mockingly. ¡°I¡¯m doing what you wish for, so don¡¯t y hard to get, okay?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned pale instantly, her body that was initially hot when she flirted with him turned cold in an instant. She did not know where she found the courage to p him, but she did so in a fury.

    Qi Chenglin was stunned after she pped him. Ruan Danchen seized the opportunity to push him away and climbed over the sofa frantically. She stood up quickly and walked away from him.

    She was almost fully undressed by him, her open blouse revealed the alluring scenery inside it without her knowing. Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and felt the physiological reaction of his private part was bing stronger.

    Ruan Danchen was still furious and embarrassed. After a while, she noticed that Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze was quite suspicious. She looked down and suddenly, her deathly pale face blushed immediately. Her face was red hot and she felt like it was fuming. She hurriedly grabbed her blouse to cover her exposed body. Her fingers were trembling non-stop and she could not button her blouse. She was so annoyed, angry with herself for buying a blouse with such small buttons.

    Sitting up, Qi Chenglin touched the part of his face which was pped by her with his long bony fingers. He was staring at her calmly.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes turned red because she felt humiliated. Her lips were quivering incessantly, and she could not hold back her tears.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, let me tell you this again, I¡¯m kind to Youxuan because I like him and want to treat him well. I¡¯m not thinking about some filthy ns to try to seduce you. I¡¯m not interested in you, so don¡¯t think too highly of yourself! I like Youxuan not because of you, and I¡¯m not making use of him for social climbing. Your mind is filthy, that¡¯s why you assume others have the same filthy mind as you. How could you... how could you treat me like this!¡± Ruan Danchen was incensed, her hands shivering violently as she grabbed onto her blouse.

    She did not understand why Qi Chenglin regarded her as a scheming woman.

    ¡°I¡¯d never make use of Youxuan to do anything, remember this. Please leave my house now¡ªI¡¯ll never wee you again!¡± said Ruan Danchen as she clenched her teeth. She stood far away from him and stared at Qi Chenglin frigidly.

    However, Qi Chenglin remained calm and expressionless.

    Qi Chenglin stood up after nearly a minute, but he walked straight into Ruan Danchen¡¯s bedroom.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head, her fingers trembling. She managed to button her blouse hurriedly, even though she missed a few of them because she was flustered.

    She rushed to her bedroom and saw Qi Chenglin walked to her bed and bent his body to carry Qi Youxuan.

    The little boy was woken by his actions even though he was sleeping soundly after a filling meal. He was wearing a set of cartoon pajamas with big-mouth monkeys on it. He was rubbing his eyes with his fair and delicate little hands and was still half-awake.

    His young and tender voice sounded drowsy but especially adorable, ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re going back home,¡± said Qi Chenglin with a deep voice. His mellow and deep voice sounded calm and did not contain any feelings in it. He was talking like his usual self.

    After hearing what he said, the little boy became fully alert right away. He red at Qi Chenglin with hisrge and perfectly round eyes. ¡°Dad, please go back on your own. I told Aunt that I¡¯d be sleeping here tonight.¡±

    ¡°You still have to go to kindergarten tomorrow, you shouldn¡¯t sleep here. Come back home and sleep, don¡¯t disturb her,¡± said Qi Chengling in a deep voice.

    Qi Youxuan was twitching his body in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms to force him to let go of him. ¡°I¡¯m not disturbing her, Aunt Ruan said that I¡¯m not disturbing her.¡±

    He raised his head and saw Ruan Danchen who was standing at the doorway. He then shouted, ¡°Aunt Ruan, please tell him whether I¡¯m disturbing you or not?¡±

    ¡°No¡ª¡± Qi Chenglin had walked past her straight away with Qi Youxuan in his arms after she opened her mouth to speak.

    Her house was not veryrge, and Qi Chenglin only needed to take a few steps with his long legs to reach the doorway.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, why are your eyes red? Did Dad bully you?¡± shouted Qi Youxuan after he noticed her red eyes.

    Ruan Danchen could only shake her head. However, Qi Youxuan struggled fiercely in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms as he was worried about her. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving! Dad, let go of me, I don¡¯t want to leave!¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned his head suddenly and stared at Qi Youxuan coldly.

    This kind of stare was very useful to subdue Qi Youxuan usually, but he was worried about Ruan Danchen now, so he became bolder. ¡°There¡¯s no use staring at me! I don¡¯t want to leave because you bullied Aunt Ruan. I want to keep herpany and y with her, you¡¯re already an adult. How could you be so immature? How could you bully a woman? So embarrassing, let go of me now!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and said unhappily, ¡°Stop fooling around.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted disgruntledly. Ruan Danchen felt very sorry for him and really wished she could cuddle him andfort him.

    However, she could not do anything due to her status now. She could only watch helplessly as Qi Chenglin carried a disgruntled Qi Youxuan who was on the verge of crying out of the door.

    Ruan Danchen chased after them and stopped at the doorway. ¡°Youxuan, sorry...¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s all Dad¡¯s fault,¡± said Qi Youxuan as he sobbed sadly. He lifted his little hand to wipe away his tears with the back of his hand, and he snorted at Qi Chenglin furiously.

    Ruan Danchen waited until Qi Chenglin carried him into the elevator and she could no longer see them, and only then did she entered her house. She was still worried about him, so she walked to the balcony and extended her neck to look downward. After a while, she saw Qi Chenglin carried Qi Youxuan to the car and put him in the passenger seat.

    Qi Youxuan skillfully climbed into the child safety seat that was fixed on the passenger seat and fastened the seatbelt.

    After Qi Chenglin got into the car and started the car, Qi Youxuan said unhappily, ¡°Dad, what did you do that caused Aunt Ruan to be angry?¡±

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and stared at him impatiently.

    ¡°Do you think that you can find a wife if you behave like this? I¡¯m worried to let Aunt Ruan married you because of your bad temper. You¡¯ll bully her and wrong her if she marries you!¡± Qi Youxuan was truly worried about Qi Chenglin¡ªhe wished that his father could have half of his EQ.

    ¡°Humph, I shouldn¡¯t have kept praising you in the kitchen just know. I told her many of your good qualities! I could see that Aunt Ruan started to like you a little after I praised you?¡ª?¡±

    ¡°What did you say just now?¡± asked Qi Chenglin as he turned his head around after stopping his car abruptly.

    ¡°Eh? What did I say?¡± Qi Youxuan was startled by Qi Chenglin¡¯s sudden question. He stared at his father nkly.

    ¡°Thest sentence that you said.¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes. Qi Youxuan felt that his father¡¯s expression was happier now.

    ¡°Thest sentence?¡± Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes while he was thinking. ¡°When I said that Aunt Ruan started to like you a little after I praised you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin pouted and it looked like his mouth was twitching as he tried to resist the temptation to smile. ¡°She said that?¡±

    ¡°No, she didn¡¯t.¡± Right after Qi Youxuan said that Qi Chenglin changed his expression. Qi Youxuan felt that his father¡¯s expression tonight was very diverse and mystical. ¡°But I could tell. When I asked her to be my stepmother, she blushed right away. If she doesn¡¯t like you, would she blush? Besides, when I told her I could feel that you like her too, Aunt Ruan became very shy, and her face was redder than before.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and sat up straight quietly. Then, he started the car again.

    ¡°Dad, I had promised Aunt Ruan to stay at her house tonight so that I could have the chance to praise you more,¡± said Qi Youxuan helplessly. ¡°You ruined such a great chance.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you¡¯ll have the chance to do it tomorrow,¡± said Qi Chenglin coolly. His voice was extremely calm and steady.

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Youxuan leaned forward excitedly. ¡°Dad, are you saying that we¡¯re going to Aunt Ruan¡¯s house again tomorrow?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi sneered. ¡°So, are you going to stop crying now?¡±

    ¡°Tell me first, are we really going?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands could not reach the driver seat because of the safety belt. He was very anxious.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± answered Qi Chenglin haughtily. He could not stop his lips from curving upward. ¡°Your things are still in Ruan Danchen¡¯s house. We¡¯ll go and take them tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was dancing in his seat happily and was not angry with his father anymore. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so bad, did you purposely leave my things there?¡±

    To that, Qi Chenglin had no reply.

    ...

    ...

    After Qi Chenglin¡¯s Benz was out of sight, Ruan Danchen walked back into her house.

    She unconsciously glimpsed at the sofa and remembered the moment when Qi Chenglin pressed her down on the sofa with his body. Ruan Danchen trembled due to a special feeling and her body became blistering hot.

    However, her body turned cold when she recalled the words that Qi Chenglin said. She dared not look at the sofa again. She rushed into her bedroom and found out that Qi Youxuan left his things here, including the present she bought for him. He forgot to bring them with him because they left in a hurry.

    The Lego parts were heaped on the floor, along with his little box and teddy bear as well.

    Ruan Danchen kept his things and put the Lego parts back into the box.

    When she walked to the edge of her bed, she found out that Qi Youxuan¡¯s little pillow was on the bed as well. When she was just about to take the pillow, she found two soft strands of hair of finger¡¯s length on the pillow.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s hair was not so soft and thin while her hair was not so short. It could only be Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair.

    Ruan Danchen immediately took a small bag with a seal from the drawer. She then carefully kept the two strands of hair in the bag. She remembered that Qi Youxuan drank water at the kitchen just now and he did not wash the ss afterward, so she took another bag to keep the ss.

    After she kept all of Qi Youxuan¡¯s stuff, he went to the bathroom and found out that he had already put his ss and toothbrush on the bathroom sink.

    She smiled involuntarily when she thought of the sharp-witted and naughty boy. She kept the ss and toothbrush too.

    After she kept all the things, she showered in the bathroom. The water trickled down her skin but it could not wash away the heat that Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips left on it.

    The memory of the night seven years ago became clearer in her mind because of the incident that happened just now.

    Ruan Danchen involuntarily hugged herself tightly with her arms.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen did not expect that she would have such arge reaction when she thought of him¡ªshe even thought that she behaved too shamelessly. Qi Chenglin humiliated her like that a while ago, but now she had such a reaction when she thought of him.

    She felt extremely embarrassed. She dried her body and changed into pajamas. When she looked in the mirror, she found out that she looked very pretty when she blushed.

    She muttered something under her breath and walked back to her bedroom. She was angry with herself. When sheid on the bed, she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s small luggage beside the wall. She thought for a while and went to take out Qi Youxuan¡¯s pillow. She hugged his pillow after she returned to her bed. Ruan Danchen closed her eyes and buried her face into his little pillow. She could still smell the odor of his body which smelled like milk.

    Ruan Danchen was on the verge of crying but she restrained herself with great difficulty. When she looked at her phone to check the time, she found out that she had two missed calls from Qi Youxuan.

    She hesitated for a while only, then she thought that she was calling Qi Youxuan, not Qi Chenglin, so that should be okay!

    Besides, she hated to disappoint Qi Youxuan. After thinking, she called him back.

    Someone answered the phone just after it rang. Ruan Danchen, ¡°Youxuan, sorry, I didn¡¯t hear my ringtone because I wasn¡¯t in my room just now.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s asleep.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s deep and mellow voice was transmitted through the cell phone. Her voice sounded sexier and pleasant on the phone.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect Qi Chenglin to answer the phone, and she started to feel restless. Above all, she had arge reaction when she thought of him during the shower just now.

    She was lying on the bed now. She felt like his deep and mellow voice had escaped from the phone and became palpable and started to crawl on her skin. Then, it transformed into tentacles and wrapped her body tightly.

    Ruan Danchen blushed furiously¡ªshe did not know what she should say to Qi Chenglin. She stuttered, ¡°Then I won¡¯t disturb you.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for what happened tonight.¡± She suddenly heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s mellow voice. He sounded cool and steady, just like how he always behaved in front of others. ¡°I med you wrongly. I apologize for what happened on the sofa.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded and confused. She never expected him to apologize to her shortly after he med her wrongly and criticized her in such a serious manner.

    She least expected that a man so proud like him would take the initiative to apologize to her. Previously, he would tease her and mock her every time he talked to her.

    ¡°I...¡± Ruan Danchen did not know what she should say now. She felt like forgetting about it, yet he had humiliated her severely, and she was taken advantage of by him many times so she found it hard to be kind to him.

    Although they had done something much more intimate previously, Qi Chenglin most probably did not know about it.

    Her mind was getting more and more confused. She replied to him involuntarily before she could even think about it carefully. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±

    After she said that, she regretted it immediately. She quietly knocked her head with her knuckles. She felt that she did not have a backbone because she forgave him so easily after being treated by him like that.

    Qi Chenglin truly wanted to know why she was angry. She felt like she heard faintughter on the phone.

    ¡°We left Youxuan¡¯s stuff and his birthday present at your house,¡± said Qi Chenglin in a husky voice. ¡°I¡¯ll bring him to take them back tomorrow.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was truly afraid of him, she dared not let hime to her house anymore. She hurriedly said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring his stuff to work tomorrow. I¡¯ll pass it to Youxuan tomorrow at the kindergarten entrance after school.¡±

    Qi Chenglin knew what she was thinking and he snorted softly. ¡°You still don¡¯t trust me? Just now you told me that it¡¯s okay just to make me feel happy?¡±

    ¡°I...happen to be free tomorrow, you don¡¯t need to make a detour toe to my house again,¡± said Ruan Danchen as her scalp started to feel numb.

 Chapter 310 - I Have Liked You a Lot Since the First Time I Saw You

    Chapter 310: I Have Liked You a Lot Since the First Time I Saw You

    ¡°I...happen to be free tomorrow, you don¡¯t need to make a detour toe to my house again,¡± said Ruan Danchen as her scalp started to feel numb.

    Qi Chenglin snorted, ¡°What if I tell you it¡¯s not inconvenient for me to go to your house again?¡±

    Ruan Danchen had no reply to that.

    ¡°It¡¯s time for you to sleep. Goodnight.¡± Qi Chenglin hung up straight away. He did not tell her what he nned to do next.

    Ruan Danchen was quite sleepy at first, but after talking to him, she no longer was.

    ...

    ...

    After he hung up, Qi Chenglin ced Qi Youxuan¡¯s Totoro kids¡¯ phone on the table in front of him before he took a cigarette from a cigarette¡¯s box on the table and lit it. His movements were extremely graceful when he held the cigarette with his long bony fingers.

    He removed his necktie and unbuttoned his shirt uninhibitedly. He rolled the sleeves up to his elbows. He appeared to be extremelyid-back and even looked a little like a hooligan.

    He turned his head to look out of the window and took a puff of his cigarette.

    He recalled the feeling when Ruan Danchenid in his arms tonight. He remembered his thirst when he held her soft body parts and the little bright red spots revealed when she forgot to cover her body. Qi Chenglin could feel his lower abdomen heating up and the heat flowed downward rapidly. He then saw his private part protruding under his pants.

    Qi Chenglin exhaled heavily and a circle of smoke was formed around him. He did not know the dosage Shen Jialiang used seven years ago when he drugged him¡ªit caused him unable to erect since then.

    Shen Zhijing tried to seduce him after his engagement with her but he had no reaction toward her.

    He had tried to date other women before, and he was in contact with some of them who he had good chemistry with. However, no matter how much he admired a woman, his private would not react to her.

    He eventually stopped dating people and made Grandmother Qi worried about him, but she did not know that he could not do anything about it.

    He was furious and resentful before, and he even took the opportunity to go to the hospital for a checkup when he went for a business trip. s, nothing could be done.

    Gradually, he gave up on recovering and felt that it was eptable to live a sexless life. He already had a son, so he did not feel the pressure of carrying on his family lineage.

    On Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu¡¯s wedding day, Qi Youxuan suddenly opened the door when he was using the bathroom, and he found out that besides Qi Youxuan, Ruan Danchen was also standing outside the door.

    Unexpectedly, her innocentrge eyes stared continuously at his penis without trying to avert her gaze at all. However, he could see that she was too astonished and could not react to the situation.

    He felt his penis reacting a little when she stared at it. It started to tremble and be hotter before it started to erect.

    He hurriedly pushed it back into his pants to avoid making a fool of himself.

    After that, when he sent Ruan Danchen back, Ruan Danchen mumbled an apology to him and he recognized her voice. He further confirmed her identity when he kissed her.

    Unexpectedly, his private part started to harden involuntarily after he kissed her.

    It might be a misperception when his private part hardened during the first time¡ªmaybe it happened by chance. However, he could not help but became excited and puzzled after he had another erection when he kissed her.

    He was unsure whether he could only have a reaction toward Ruan Danchen or he had recovered. He had browsed through some pornographic images but he still could not elicit any reaction of his private part.

    Until tonight, his penis would react every time he saw him like he was a pervert. He could not control himself at all when he pressed his body against hers on the sofa.

    Even now, his private part was extremely excited with just the thought of her.

    Qi Chenglin sighed heavily. Could it be that his private part could only react to Ruan Danchen?

    He lowered his head to nce at it helplessly. Then, he put out his cigarette and went to shower in the bathroom.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen still brought all of Qi Youxuan¡¯s items with her to work because even if Qi Chenglin came to Chengshi to find her, she could pass them to him without having to invite him into her house.

    The thing that was troubling Ruan Danchen was that she wanted to get closer to Qi Youxuan, but she was unwilling to get close to Qi Chenglin. Unfortunately, Qi Chenglin was Qi Youxuan¡¯s father and she could not avoid him most of the time if she wanted to meet Qi Youxuan.

    Song Yu was on leave today and did note to work, so the seat beside Ruan Danchen was empty.

    In the morning, she took Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair and the ss that he used to aboratory by finding an excuse of meeting with a client.

    The biggest benefit of her job was flexible working hours so she could leave at any time if she said she was going to meet with clients, and her boss was unable to find out whether she went to meet with clients or did other things.

    Therefore, she used the same excuse to leave work early and went to Qi Youxuan¡¯s kindergarten.

    The dismissal time of kindergartens was usually quite early. If she went there after work, she would not make it due to the traffic of B City.

    The students were not dismissed yet when she reached the kindergarten entrance so she waited at the entrance. After about ten minutes, the kindergarten started to bustle with noise and the children in the kindergarten were walking out in groups.

    Ruan Danchen found Qi Youxuan after a quick look around among the crowd of noisy and giggling children.

    He was holding a toy car which was a mini version of a ck four-wheel drive. He was surrounded by four to five boys of the same age. All of them were extremely excited, and they were gesticting at his car and were fighting over it.

    The little boy was protecting his car and did not allow anyone to touch it like it was his treasured object.

    ¡°You¡¯re all allowed to only look at it, no touching. My aunt bought this for me,¡± said Qi Youxuan proudly. ¡°This car has excellent traction. It could race on any track no matter how curved the loop is, it wouldn¡¯t leave the track even if it speeds through a series of loops. It¡¯s so awesome, it truly proves itself to be a limited-edition car!¡±

    Zhang Mingming was salivating at the sight of his toy car. ¡°That¡¯s really cool. I¡¯ll ask Mum to buy one for me when I¡¯m back home.¡±

    ¡°Hah, this car is very expensive, I secretly asked the driver to bring me to a shopping mall to check its price. It costs a few thousand.¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his chin proudly. ¡°My aunt loves me dearly, Aunt Ruan too. She bought a lot of birthday presents for me, but I forgot to take them back home yesterday. I¡¯m going to her house to take them today. There¡¯s a Lego set of a whole vige with a coffee shop, cinema, vi, fire truck, skyscraper, and ake! It¡¯d be super cool after I put the parts together!¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Aunt Ruan? You¡¯re always talking about her,¡± asked Zhang Mingming curiously. Previously Zhang Mingming was annoyed by Qi Youxuan because he kept talking about his aunt and mocked him for talking about his aunt because she was not his mother.

    Qi Youxuan was furious at that time but he forgot about it the next day.

    Not long after that, he started to keep talking about Aunt Ruan.

    ¡°She¡¯s my future mum.¡± Qi Youxuan smiled bashfully when he thought of that beautiful scene of her bing his mother.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be your stepmother? Aren¡¯t you afraid that your stepmom would bully you? My mum¡¯s colleague is such a kind of stepmother. She already has a son, then she married a man who has a daughter who¡¯s younger than her son. Her son bullies that little girl every day at home, and her stepmother didn¡¯t stop him. She even helps her son to bully her. She takes away all her toys and food and gives them to her son. The little girlined to her father about it, but her father said she¡¯s too young to understand her stepmother.¡±

    ¡°As it turns out, her stepmother had already talked badly about her in front of her father, so her father thought that the little girl wants to frame her stepmother because she hates her. He asked the little girl to be more thoughtful and obedient and stop behaving so badly at such a young age. That little girl was so pitiful¡ªshe knew she¡¯s the one being framed, but her father didn¡¯t trust her and nobody could support her. Her stepmother even shows off about how she lies to her husband to manipte him and how she bullied that pathetic girl at the office. My mum told me that she really felt sorry for the girl when she came back from work,¡± said Zhang Mingming. His eyes turned red as he talked because he felt sorry for that girl too.

    He used his little hands to wipe away his tears and said, ¡°Youxuan, will you be bullied by your stepmom in the future too? Your stepmom would bully you when your father isn¡¯t around, and even if you tell your dad about it, he¡¯ll never believe you. He only believes in your stepmom. After your stepmom gives birth to a child, they¡¯ll only love your stepmom¡¯s child. You¡¯ll be like a Chinese

    cabbage

    , nobody will love you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! You¡¯ve never meet Aunt Ruan, so don¡¯t talk nonsense! She¡¯s so pretty and gentle, and she¡¯s very kind to me!¡± said Qi Youxuan furiously. He was angry with Zhang Mingming for talking like that.

    ¡°How could you be sure? Maybe she¡¯s pretending to be kind in front of your dad. My mom¡¯s colleague did that before the wedding¡ªshe was so kind to that little girl and took care of her so nicely. However, after marrying her father, she changed a lot.¡± Zhang Mingming pouted¡ªhe was talking about the truth. ¡°I¡¯m telling you this for your good. I don¡¯t want you to be bullied and to lose out. Maybe your Aunt Ruan treats you nicely because she¡¯s nning to marry your dad. She¡¯ll change after marrying your dad!¡±

    ¡°No, she won¡¯t!¡± Qi Youxuan was fuming. He stamped his foot and grasped his toy car tightly. ¡°Hmph, I won¡¯t let you y my car anymore!¡±

    After saying that, Qi Youxuan turned around and left with his toy car.

    Suddenly, he heard someone calling Muran. He turned his head around and saw Little Muran walking with her friends. Dai Zhiyao appeared out of nowhere and he was already walking beside Little Muran when Qi Youxuan noticed his presence.

    Based on his actions, he was nning to hold Little Muran¡¯s hands!

    Qi Youxuan was angry because of what Zhang Mingming said just now. He became angrier now and rushed toward Little Muran immediately and waved his toy car in front of her. ¡°Mumu.¡±

    Little Muran smiled when she saw him. In Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes, her smile was especially sweet.

    Qi Youxuan did not talk to Dai Zhiyao. He pouted when he saw Dai Zhiyao was still following them. He chatted with Little Muran as they walk and purposely ignored Dai Zhiyao.

    Ruan Danchen was watching Qi Youxuan ying and chatting with his friends but she could not hear what they were saying. She was extremely nervous when she saw Qi Youxuan wasing out of the kindergarten.

    Suddenly, she heard someone calling her. ¡°Danchen?¡±

    She turned her head around and saw Wei Ran walking toward her.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Wei Ran with a smile.

    Feeling somewhat embarrassed, Ruan Danchen pointed at Qi Youxuan¡¯s little luggage and the bag which contained his presents. ¡°Youxuan left some of his stuff at my ce, so I came here to return him the stuff.¡±

    At that time, Qi Youxuan and Little Muran walked out of the kindergarten. Little Muran called her mother and dashed toward her to hug her.

    When Qi Youxuan saw Ruan Danchen there, he eximed, ¡°Aunt Ruan!¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him gently. ¡°You left in a hurry yesterday, and you left your presents and stuff at my house.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s so inconvenient for you to send my stuff here. You should¡¯ve just called me, and I would¡¯ve happily asked Dad to go to your house and take it.¡± Qi Youxuan blushed because he was overjoyed. He did not know why he would feel shy easily in front of Ruan Danchen even though he usually had a brazen personality.

    Wei Ran stared at Ruan Danchen, then she stared at Qi Youxuan and smiled involuntarily. She said goodbye to Ruan Danchen and left with Little Muran.

    ¡°I¡¯m free now, so I came here to pass you your stuff.¡± Ruan Danchen did not want to tell him that she was reluctant to let his fathere to her house.

    Although this little boy always quarreled fiercely with Qi Chenglin, she could see that he still liked Qi Chenglin very much.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, did my dad make you angry yesterday?¡± Qi Youxuan raised his head and stared at Ruan Danchen. His chubby and attractive little face looked worried now, and it made him look more adorable.

    ¡°Why do you think so?¡± asked Ruan Danchen gently. She really wanted to hug this little boy now.

    Qi Youxuan pouted slightly and said softly, ¡°I called youst night and you didn¡¯t pick up the phone. I thought you ignored me because of my father who isn¡¯t thoughtful at all.¡±

    ¡°No, I was showering when you called mest night and I couldn¡¯t hear the ringtone. I immediately called you back when I saw your missed call, but your dad answered it and he told me you were asleep,¡± exined Ruan Danchen hurriedly. She did not want the little boy to misunderstand her. ¡°How is it possible that I would ignore you.¡±

    ¡°Dad is so annoying. How could he not wake me up!¡± said Qi Youxuan unhappily. ¡°Did he make you angry again?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°No.¡±

    On the contrary, he even apologized to her.

    ¡°Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen saw a boy of the same age as Qi Youxuan running toward them. He was chatting with Qi Youxuan as they walked just now, but Qi Youxuan ignored him suddenly and she wondered why he did that.

    At that time, Qi Youxuan turned his head around and saw it was Zhan Mingming. He groaned and looked away, pretending to be angry with him.

    ¡°Youxuan, is she the Aunt Ruan you have been talking about?¡± asked Zhang Mingming as he walked toward them.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect that Qi Youxuan would often talk about her in front of others.

    ¡°Mhm, isn¡¯t she very pretty and gentle?¡± Qi Youxuan lifted his chin proudly.

    Zhang Mingming blushed and nodded in embarrassment. ¡°Mhm, she¡¯s much prettier than my mum¡¯s colleague.¡±

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t say that! How could youpare the two of them! Your mum¡¯s colleague has an ugly heart, so she¡¯d never look pretty,¡± Qi Youxuan retorted. He could not ept Zhang Mingmingparing his future stepmother with that evil woman.

    ¡°Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen called his name and ced her hands on his shoulders to stop him from talking in such a manner.

    Zhang Mingming did not mind his words. He raised his head and stared at Ruan Danchen. His eyes were not veryrge, but they looked innocent. ¡°Aunt Ruan, after you be Youxuan¡¯s stepmother, please don¡¯t bully him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was startled by his words and she blushed. She did not know how she should reply to him.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan will never bully me!¡± said Qiu Youxuan confidently.

    Zhang Mingming nodded and said politely, ¡°My mom is here to fetch me. Bye, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was still unhappy. Ruan Danchen then caressed his chubby little face and said, ¡°That kid did that to help you, he¡¯s a kind-hearted child.¡±

    ¡°I know that, but I don¡¯t like him doubting you,¡± replied Qi Youxuan slightly unhappily.

    Ruan Danchen was very touched when she looked at his disappointed little face. She crouched down and looked into his eyes, and she asked, ¡°Youxuan, you¡¯ve only known me for a short time and we¡¯ve only met a few times. Why do you trust me so much?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t tell.¡± Qi Youxuan then added without uncertainty, ¡°But I trust you nevertheless.¡±

    He lowered his head bashfully and his delicate cheeks were blushing slightly. He stood straight with his little belly protruding and said, ¡°I¡¯ve liked you a lot since the first time I saw you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was on the verge of crying and she could feel her eyes were getting warm. She covered the little boy¡¯s delicate cheeks with her soft palms. ¡°Youxuan, thank you for trusting me so much. I guarantee you that I¡¯ll never do anything to hurt you.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan suddenly.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head around in astonishment, and she saw a Benz parked on the roadside. Qi Chenglin¡¯s stuck his long legs out and got out of the car. He looked extremely attractive, more handsome and elegant than actors and models. Nobody could emte his charisma.

    He was wearing a well-ironed and wrinkle-free suit. He put his elegant hand on the car door and closed it before walking toward them.

    The sun was lower in the sky now. He stood straight in such a magnificent manner¡ªthe sun was glowing behind him and his body was surrounded by a golden radiance.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned and forgot to react. She remained squatted there, staring at him nkly with her head tilted.

    Qi Chenglin stopped in front of her and lowered his head to peer at her. Ruan Danchen looked up along the edge of his pants and then she noticed her eyes were at the same level as his pant¡¯s zipper.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and stayed quiet. Ruan Danchen blushed immediately and she felt extremely embarrassed. She did not know why she was always in an embarrassing posture every time she met him.

    ¡°Dad!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan happily with a strong and crisp voice.

    Qi Chenglin nced at him and sneered.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing and she dared not look at him. She wanted to stand up, but unexpectedly, her legs were numb after crouching for a while. After she lifted her bottom for a little, she felt a pain shooting up from her feet to her calves. Her legs felt weak and extremely painful like they were being poked by needles.

    Ruan Danchen sighed and fell backward. When her rear was just about to hit the ground embarrassingly, he suddenly grabbed her body by her armpit closely to her breast and lifted her.

    He lifted her body off the ground. Ruan Danchen whimpered and subconsciously grabbed his shoulders. The part of her body that was grasped by him was still quivering and it affected her breathing.

    They were standing extremely close to each other and almost touch each other¡¯s bodies. However, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained unchanged. He still appeared to be so calm and collected, and even his breathing pattern did not change as he breathed steadily.

    Qi Chenglin put her on the ground and Run Danchen wanted to retreat immediately, but her legs were still numb and she could not stand. Her legs were feeling very ufortable and gave way to her weight.

    When she was falling to the ground, Qi Chengzhi supported her immediately. His blisteringly hot hands were still ced at her armpits and just adjacent to her breasts.

    She almost leaned into Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing, her hands still clutching his broad and firm shoulders. She raised her head and saw that he was staring at her intensely. His eyes were glowing brightly like they were on fire.

    His stern-looking lips were closed naturally, and it felt like he was angry with her.

    At that time, he lowered his head, and she could feel his scorching breath with her face and lips. She dared not breathe at all.

    A Chinese expression used to describe a person who is naive and gullible.

 Chapter 311 - Ruan Danchen Felt like She Had Fallen into Their Trap

    Chapter 311: Ruan Danchen Felt like She Had Fallen into Their Trap

    At that time, he lowered his head, and she could feel his scorching breath with her face and lips. She dared not breathe at all.

    Ruan Danchen was extremely confused now, and she felt like her head was about to burst. Her face became warmer and warmer, almost as though it was going to burn. She lowered her head as she was afraid to meet his gaze. The way he looked at her was like he wanted to swallow her whole. She was unsure whether she was seeing an illusion or not.

    She always felt that it was better for her not to imagine that he reciprocated her love.

    She managed to calm down with great difficulty, then she started to blush again. He went as far as to put his hands on that part of her body!

    Hisrge and hot hands were clutching her armpit just adjacent to her breasts and his thumbs were pressing on the side of her breasts. She felt like he was holding half of them.

    This hooligan!

    When that thought crossed her mind, she felt his thumb pressing her breasts.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and raised her head to re at him, only to meet with Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained serious. He used his glistening eyes to stare at her earnestly like what just happened was only her illusion.

    At that time, even Ruan Danchen was undecided whether he did that on purpose or not. She dared not question him about his actions rashly when she saw his honorable expression.

    Then, she heard him asking seriously with his deep and mellow voice, ¡°Can you stand on your own now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was extremely embarrassed after he said that. He sounded like she purposely let him support her so that she could be in his arms.

    She moved her legs and felt that they were still ufortably numb, but she could still bear it because she was mentally prepared. She nodded at him.

    Qi Chenglin immediately let go of her. Ruan Danchen¡¯s body became stiff all of a sudden and her abdominal muscles contracted. When he withdrew his hands, his thumbs rubbed softly against the small bumps of her breasts.

    She was not sure whether he did that deliberately.

    When she looked at him, she saw Qi Chenglin lowered his head to talk to Qi Youxuan and did not behave unusually.

    Could it be that she med him wrongly again?

    He seemed like an honorable man, not that kind of man who would sneakily take advantage of women.

    When she was still puzzling over that matter, she heard Qi Youxian talked to his father. ¡°Dad, when I went to bedst night, didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯re not free to fetch me today?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin pouted unhappily. ¡°I¡¯m free now.¡±

    ¡°As a man, you shouldn¡¯t always go back on your word.¡± Qi Youxuan shook his head. ¡°How could you change your mind so fast like a woman?¡±

    Qi Chenglin had no reply to that.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but stare at Qi Chenglin. She remembered that she told himst night that she would send the stuff to Qi Youxuan today.

    Maybe that was the reason he came here as well?

    After thinking, she felt that it was not very possible. She was certainly not so charming to make the Qi family¡¯s young master came here on purpose just to see her, was she?

    Maybe it was just a coincidence.

    Ruan Danchen took the opportunity to hand over Qi Youxuan¡¯s stuff to Qi Chenglin. ¡°Youxuan left this stuff in my housest night, so please take it back.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked askance at her coldly and did not take it.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm was extended awkwardly. After a while, she was tired and put her hand down. Then, he heard Qi Chenglin asked her with a cool and mocking voice, ¡°Don¡¯t you like Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense! I like Youxuan very much,¡± answered Ruan Danchen hurriedly.

    Out of the corner of her eyes, she saw the little boy heaved a sigh of relief and blushed bashfully.

    Immediately after, she felt a soft little hand squeezed into her palm. Her heart melted by that soft feeling of his hand.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head and saw Qi Youxuan timidly put his other hand behind his body. He blushed and lowered his head and said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I like you very much too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile at him gently. However, she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s low and mellow voice again. ¡°Why do I felt like you always try to chase us away?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    She was only trying to chase him away, okay?

    ¡°I apologize if I made you feel that way,¡± said Ruan Danchen softly.

    Qi Chenglin felt that she apologized unwillingly. He knew that she wanted to chase him away, and only him.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, I suppose that you haven¡¯t had your meal yet at this hour, right?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at his watch. Qi Youxuan was dismissed at four-thirty in the afternoon and it was four forty-five now.

    Ruan Danchen did not know how she should answer him. She puckered her lips, then she heard Qi Chenglin said, ¡°It¡¯s inconvenient for you to send the stuff here. Let me treat you to dinner.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I want to eat the food you cook, may I?¡± said Qi Youxuan hurriedly.

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen was interrupted by Qi Chenglin when she was just about to talk.

    ¡°Youxuan, don¡¯t be naughty, we¡¯d be causing her too much trouble,¡± said Qi Chenglin indifferently.

    Qi Youxuan pouted disappointedly. He lowered his head and drawled a reply, ¡°Okay. I really like to eat the food that Aunt Ruan cook, it has the taste of a mother¡¯s cooking. Although I grew up without a mom and have never even seen a picture of her or taste her cooking before, I was always warmed by the food Aunt Ruan prepared. I¡ª¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not have the heart to reject his request when she saw he was on the verge of crying. She hated to let Qi Youxuan down.

    Ruan Danchen felt so sorry for him, especially when he said that the food that she cooked had the taste of a mother¡¯s cooking. She hurriedly said, ¡°No problem at all. Although the food I cook isn¡¯t as good as the food of Dynasty, you all cane to my house if you don¡¯t mind. I¡¯ll cook for, Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t force yourself to do that,¡± said Qi Chenglin coolly.

    Although his face remained solemn and indifferent, when Ruan Danchen stared at it, she was annoyed by him because she felt like he was mocking her.

    She stole a nce at him furiously and softly replied, ¡°No problem.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sneered and did not reply to her.

    Qi Youxuan cheered joyfully, ¡°Thanks, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    He then turned around and bounced his way to the ck Benz with Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared at their backs and felt like she had fallen into their trap.

    Qi Youxuan opened the car door. Then, he climbed into a child safety seat and buckled the seatbelt on his own. He did it effortlessly and it was clear that he had done it on his own for countless times.

    Ruan Danchen felt quite sad when he saw what Qi Youxuan did. Usually, for children of Qi Youxuan¡¯s age, their parents would help them to do this kind of thing. Although the parents might spoil their children by doing that, most of them could not help but do it.

    When she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s smooth movements, she wondered when he started to do this kind of thing on his own. Qi Chenglin was raising Qi Youxuan alone, and men were generally less attentive than women.

    Besides, he always put on a poker face and quarreled with Qi Youxuan frequently. He did not feel the need to give in to a child sometimes, and he certainly was not so attentive in helping Qi Youxuan do this kind of thing.

    Ruan Danchen felt very sorry for him¡ªshe wished she could hug and take care of him lovingly when she saw Qi Youxuan did this kind of thing.

    After Qi Youxuan buckled his seatbelt, he surreptitiously raised his thumb at Qi Chenglin from his seat. ¡®Dad, well done!¡¯

    His father told himst night that he would bring him to Aunt Ruan¡¯s house the next day. He thought that the chance was gone when he saw Aunt Ruan came to send his stuff. However, he was surprised when his father sessfully manipted Aunt Ruan so that she would fall into his trap.

    Indeed,

    older gingers were spicier

    !

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled upward slightly¡ªhe appeared to be in a good mood.

    When he saw that Ruan Danchen had not followed them into the car yet, Qi Youxuan rolled down the window and leaned out of it and waved at a daydreaming Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Ruan,e here quickly!¡±

    Ruan Danchen stopped daydreaming and walked to the other side of the car and got into it. She sat beside Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan tool out a packet of fruit milkshake from the side pocket of his bag. Qi Chenglin saw what he did from the rearview mirror and said, ¡°Don¡¯t eat junk food after you drink that so that you won¡¯t be too full for dinner. It¡¯s almost dinner time now.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Qi Youxuan promised him straight away.

    ¡°Hmm... Can you take me to the mall first? I¡¯m out of vegetables,¡± said an abashed Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± replied Qi Chenglin very proudly. He drove his car to a supermarket which was on the way home.

    Qi Chenglin was in no hurry at all. He strolled at thenes between the shelves slowly like he had never been to a supermarket before. He was curious about everything that was disyed on the shelves and took each of the things one by one and inspected them before putting them back.

    At that time, an olddy aged around fifty years old and a youngdy aged around thirty years old walked toward him with a trolley. A boy was sitting on a small foldable seat in the trolley. He was around the same age as Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan blinked hisrge coal-ck eyes at the trolley before he nced at the trolley Ruan Danchen was pushing. He nced at Qi Chenglin¡¯s back and furtively pulled the sleeve of Ruan Danchen¡¯s blouse.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head and saw the little boy wanted to say something, albeit hesitant.

    Ruan Danchen bent her body and leaned closer to him. She asked him gently, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Can kids really sit in the trolley?¡± asked Qi Youxuan curiously.

    Ruan Danchen was startled, then she crouched down. ¡°Youxuan, you¡¯ve never been to a supermarket before?¡±

    Qi Youxuan shook his head innocently. ¡°Dad¡¯s usually busy and never brought me out to a supermarket. Nanny Chen is the one who buys groceries in our family. Granny is worried to let me go out with Nanny Chen alone because Nanny Chen is old and Granny felt that I¡¯m too naughty, so she¡¯s worried that I might be lost in crowded ces. She¡¯s usually the one who buys the junk food that I eat, and I find out about all the different types of junk food from themercials.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt sorry for him and she caressed the little boy¡¯s soft cheeks. Then, she carried him and put him on the seat in the trolley.

    Qi Youxuan blinked hisrge eyes and his face was filled with curiosity. His small hands were clutching the armrest in front of him and he was extremely excited when he sat in the trolley.

    ¡°Dad, look at me!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan happily. Of course, he did not shout too loudly in public because he did not want to disturb others. He did that without an adult telling him to do so because he had an excellent upbringing.

    Qi Chenglin was holding a packet of

    pocky

    in his hands and he was observing it interestedly. He turned his head when he heard Qi Youxuan called him, and he saw Qi Youxuan was waving his hands and moving his feet happily. He was clearly overjoyed.

    Ruan Danchen was pushing the trolley behind Qi Youxuan. Everyone would assume they were a mother and her child from their appearance because they resembled each other.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes and mouth took after Qi Chenglin, but his forehead and nose resembled Ruan Danchen¡¯s.

    Previously, nobody had everpared the appearances of Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. However, after he scrutinized their faces, he felt they looked like each other more the longer he observed them.

    That was an extremely beautiful scene, Qi Chenglin smiled involuntarily. His facial features seemingly turned gentle as he smiled, his sharp eyes had be warmer, and he was staring at Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan gently.

    After that, he gazed at Ruan Danchen. He did not attempt to conceal the affection in his gaze at all. He fixed his gaze at her like he wanted to melt her with his gaze.

    Ruan Danchen felt utterly embarrassed and was clueless about what she should do next. She stood still and felt quite ufortable. As she started to blush, she lowered her head because she felt shy to stare at Qi Chenglin.

    However, the little boy who was sitting between them did not sense the warm and ambiguous chemistry between the two adults, and he was still amazed by the goods disyed.

    ¡°Dad, can you pleasee here and push the trolley together with Aunt Ruan?¡± asked Qi Youxuan longingly. He was blushing shyly. ¡°Like a family of three.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt like her head just exploded, her hands which were on the trolley¡¯s handle trembled involuntarily.

    Then she heard Qi Youxuan begged Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, please? I¡¯m begging you.¡±

    His begging voice could melt anyone¡¯s heart.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but raise her head and stared at Qi Chenglin curiously.

    She was having an internal conflict. She wished she could provide Qi Youxuan with the happiness that came with aplete family, but she was afraid to get close with Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin happened to stare at her at the same time. He put on a faint smile and his gaze was gentle.

    Unable to hold his gaze, Ruan Danchen lowered her head and blushed. She felt extremely ufortable.

    Ruan Danchen kept her head lowered as Qi Youxuan stared at her longingly and nervously. She saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s refined leather shoes were moving toward her slowly.

    Then, she felt her shoulder was being touched by something. She knew that he was standing beside her even though she did not raise her head.

    They were standing close to each other side by side. He appeared to be especially tall and straight when he stood beside her. Ruan Danchen felt extremely stressed. her hand grasping the trolley handle tightly due to her nervousness.

    She then saw Qi Chenglin raised his hands and ced them on the trolley¡¯s handle. He appeared to unconsciously put his right hand on the back of her left hand, and it covered almost half of her left hand.

    Ruan Danchen felt his hand was blisteringly hot and she felt like her hand was burned by it. She immediately withdrew her hand without any hesitation. She felt quite awkward afterward because her movements were a little exaggerated.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± muttered Qi Chenglin with his cool and mellow voice as he nced at her calmly.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure whether he did it on purpose or not, so she did not know how to reply to him. She was blushing furiously, and even the part of her hand which was touched by him felt like it was burning. She felt like current was flowing incessantly at the back of her hand.

    She put her hand beside her thigh and secretly rubbed the back of her hand against her pants, but she could not rub away the strange feeling of her hand. It still felt extremely numb.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Qi Chenglin peered at her indifferently¡ªhe did not miss her little actions. He understood the reason she was doing it and her lips curled slightly upward.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s scalp, ears, and the back of her neck felt numb. Her hand was sweating due to her nervousness. She clenched her fist for a short while before raising her hand and grabbed the handle of the trolley. Of course, she ced her hand far away from Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand.

    Both of her hands were ced just next to each other and it made her movements extremely awkward.

    Qi Chenglin nced at her hands and his attractive lips curled upward scornfully. He said with his deep and mellow voice, ¡°If Miss Ruan felt that it was awkward for the two of us to push the trolley together, I could push it on my own.¡±

    Ruan Danchen wanted to agree with him at first, but Qi Youxuan would not allow that to happen. He immediately turned his body around and said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I hope you can push the trolley together with Dad. Is that okay?¡±

    Blushing, Ruan Danchen felt extremely uneasy. She found it embarrassing to look at Qi Chenglin. However, she could not resist Qi Youxuan¡¯s cute little face at all.

    ¡°I¡¯ll push the trolley together with him,¡± Ruan Danchen forced herself to say that.

    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful. I¡¯ve been wishing for a moment like this since a long time ago. We look like a family of three, so nice!¡± Qi Youxuan was delighted. He shook his little buttocks on the seat. His little face turned red and he was waving his chubby and short little arms joyfully.

    Ruan Danchen kept mum.

    Qi Chenglin stole a nce at Ruan Danchen and smiled furtively.

    Lowering her head, Ruan Danchen involuntarily stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands which were ced on the trolley¡¯s handle. He was grabbing it carefreely. His fingers were slender, and she felt that he was very strong by just looking at the back of his hands. The distance between his hands was quiterge, and he took up most of the space on the handle. Ruan Danchen¡¯s could only sullenly squeezed her hands together near the side of the handle.

    She wondered what mischievous idea Qi Youxuan had conceived now as he twisted his bottom restlessly on the seat. Then, he turned his body around and extended his hand toward Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, give me your phone for a while.¡±

    ¡°What for?¡± asked Qi Chenglin with his indifferent and mellow voice as he raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°I want to take pictures of us.¡± Qi Youxuan blushed bashfully and said, ¡°This is the first time I visit a supermarket with Dad and Aunt Ruan. This is also the first time I sit in a little car like this, so I want to remember it.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sneered before he took out his cell phone and gave it to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan skillfully opened the camera of the phone and opened the selfie mode. After that, he extended his little arm.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan, please lower your head a bit,¡± urged Qi Youxuan. Their face was not shown on the screen and the little boy was very anxious about it.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head first and leaned forward until his head was right above Qi Youxuan¡¯s head.

    Ruan Danchen felt sorry for Qi Youxuan after hearing what he said just now. She just wished she could satisfy his request and disregard a potential embarrassment to the back of her mind.

    It could be said that Ruan Danchen would try her best to make Qi Youxuan¡¯s wish came true no matter what.

    Therefore, she lowered her head too and leaned her head closer to the top of Qi Youxuan¡¯s.1

    A Chinese expression which means that old men are wiser.

    A snack food produced by Ezaki Glico. Pocky was first sold in 1966 and were invented by Yoshiaki Koma. They consist of chocte-coated biscuit sticks.

 Chapter 312 - I Think What Manager Luo Means Is That You and I Are Good Friends

    Chapter 312: I Think What Manager Luo Means Is That You and I Are Good Friends

    Qi Chenglin looked at the screen and leaned in closer to Qi Youxuan and Ruan Danchen. Qi Chenglin¡¯s head was gently rested against Ruan Danchen¡¯s.

    Before she could retreat, Qi Youxuan said, ¡°Say cheese! I¡¯m gonna take the photo now!¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s instinctively smiled as a response. Then came the shutter-like sound.

    Qi Youxuan looked at his photo contentedly because it looked like they were aplete family.

    He tapped on the screen and sent the photo to his phone through multimedia messaging.

    ¡°Is it okay if you send it to me too?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    She really wanted the picture because it was her first photograph with Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin took back the phone and looked at her. ¡°I¡¯ll add you on WeChat and send it to you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen paused beforeughing dryly. ¡°Well, actually, Young Master Lin, you can send it to me through SMS.¡±

    ¡°Multimedia messages are too expensive.¡± Qi Chenglin said in his monotonous expression.

    His reply rendered Ruan Danchen speechless.

    It was peculiar for the Qi family¡¯s second eldest grandson to say that sending a multimedia message was too expensive.

    Upon seeing her unsettled expression, Qi Youxuan exined, ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s the truth. My great-grandparents taught my father to be wise with money, and my grandparents taught me the same thing too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not feel that Qi Youxuan was making it up since the clothes he usually wore were usually inexpensive. She also frequently saw him wearing clothes that were a size bigger. Many older folks felt that kids grew fast, so buying a size up would allow the child to wear those clothes for a slightly longer time.

    Qi Chenglin tapped on the screen, and after a while, said, ¡°I¡¯ve sent my request. Go ept it.¡±

    She hesitated as could not possibly pretend not to have seen it whilst he was right in front of her. Left with no other choice, she epted his request.

    Having received the notification, his face softened as he was pleased.

    A few secondster, Ruan Danchen received the pictures he sent.

    She tapped to open them. Although Qi Chenglin was not smiling, his facial features were gentle. Even she smiled warmly, but Qi Youxuan¡¯s smile was the happiest of them all. His eyes reduced to thin slits.

    The picture really seemed to portray a genuine family of three. Ruan Danchen smiled uncontrobly when she looked at it and felt as though she was going to cry.

    Her soft fingers zed across the photo on her phone screen. She would have never expected that she would one day have the chance to be photographed alongside Qi Youxuan and Qi Chenglin.

    The Qi Youxuan inside the picture was lively and adorable, yet she had missed out on six years of his life¡ªshe was his mother, but she did not have the chance to raise him.

    At that moment, her heart was filled with regret, so much so that she deemed herself to be unworthy of receiving the affection Qi Youxuan showed her.

    She closed her eyes and forced her tears back down. She made sure to store the picture alongside the picture of Qi Youxuan¡¯s new hairstyle that Qi Chenglin sent her some time ago.

    Under Qi Youxuan¡¯s insistence and supervision, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin pushed the car forward.

    Bumping into each other was inevitable when they walked together like that. Their closeness with each other gave the impression that they were truly a family of three walking around a supermarket.

    ¡°Wait a minute,¡± Qi Youxuan blurted after walking for some time.

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin both stopped.

    They saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s pointing his finger at a box of imported oats. The boy¡¯sprehension of English was not great, so he did not understand it too well. He said, ¡°Aunt Ruan. Look at that big box over there. It¡¯s so colorful and pretty. What is it? It looks delicious.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at it and replied, ¡°They¡¯re oats. I think they contain some dried fruit too.¡±

    ¡°Can you take it down for me to look?¡± Qi Youxuan stretched his arms and tried anxiously to reach the box of oats.

    Ruan Danchen tiptoed and stretched her arms out as much as she could to no avail.

    All of a sudden, a strong and exceptionally sturdy chest was pressed against her back. Qi Chenglin¡¯s body was emitting a searing heat that turned her ears red.

    Ruan Danchen quivered and overlooked the possible consequences when she turned around instinctively due to shock. She met head-on with Qi Chenglin¡¯s face, and her lips nearly touched his.

    She inhaled sharply but felt that he was leaning too close to her. His lips were just below her eyes and they looked stern. He remained aloof and unconcerned with this stony expression.

    She saw him looking at her and wiggling his brows.

    Speechless, Ruan Danchen had no idea what to do next. He leaned into her too abruptly, and it was much too close and suggestive.

    She turned back at once, but for some reason, Qi Chenglin leaned even closer. His lips came into brief contact with the corner of her eyes.

    A shiver came over Ruan Danchen and the corner of her eye felt numbingly hot. She wanted to look behind and see what was going on, but at the same time, she was afraid to move too much. Qi Chenglin then ced his left hand on the shelf and trapped her from behind. By then, Ruan Danchen was almost fully pressed against the shelf.

    Her ear and nape burned from Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm breaths. Her back was practically in full contact with his chest and she was barely able to move.

    She then saw Qi Chenglin raise her right hand up to reach for the topmost shelf. After taking the box of oats, he even rubbed against her from behind, though Ruan Danchen did not know whether it was intentional.

    Her mind nked out immediately when she realized that his groin was rubbing against her buttocks. She began trembling involuntarily due to the tension.

    It was incredibly brief, as she eventually felt Qi Chenglin withdraw.

    Ruan Danchen closed her eyes and held on firmly to the shelf.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, do you want to get those snacks? If you do, you can put them in the trolley. My dad¡¯s treat, don¡¯t worry,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s crisp voice appeared all of a sudden.

    It was then that Ruan Danchen realized how ridiculous she looked right then, like a mentally impaired person. Her brain felt like it had suffered a huge blow and exploded.

    She blushed and felt incredibly embarrassed. After taking a few steps back and standing upright, she turned and noticed Qi Chenglin standing barely a foot away from her. Looking incredibly dashing in his suit, his expression remained cool, as though he did not feel her up earlier.

    Ruan Danchen began to doubt herself after seeing his calm demeanor, perhaps she simply misunderstood his actions?

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, aren¡¯t you going to buy it?¡± Qi Youxuan wondered. Ruan Danchen¡¯s entire body was leaning forward against the shelf, and her hesitance made it seem like she really wanted to eat them.

    Ruan Danchen twitched her lips embarrassedly and cooked up an excuse, ¡°I leaned over to have a closer look, and it¡¯s not really something I would like to eat.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded and did not appear to doubt her one bit. He simply nudged the two adults to continue walking.

    Along the way, Qi Youxuan took the opportunity to ask for various snacks, but Qi Chenglin refused to get any of them.

    The breakfast oats they took just now were healthy, so it was alright to buy them for him. As for other fattening foods, Qi Chenglin only agreed to buy a few¡ªeven chocte was limited to one small box. Drinks like fruit juices and C were all sternly rejected.

    Their visit to the snacks section yielded only a few measly items. The little boy pouted and said, ¡°Dad, why are you so petty toward your own son? This is my first time inside a supermarket. Can¡¯t you grant some of my wishes? I don¡¯t even know if this will be myst time here!¡±

    Qi Chenglin was speechless and his face soured. He could not understand how he managed to raise such a bbermouth of a son. ¡°Stop it with that nonsense! You want to slim down, right? You¡¯re gonna have to cut down on all the junk foods. You¡¯re lucky I¡¯m even willing to buy them for you to satisfy your cravings. If you keep asking for it, you¡¯re won¡¯t be allowed to eat rice tonight. You¡¯ll only be given fresh vegetables and sds. After you¡¯re done, you can go to sleep.¡±

    Qi Youxuan fell silent after hearing that. That night marked a rare asion as he was able to taste Ruan Danchen¡¯s cooking, but Qi Chenglin seemed to be adamant about hoarding it all for himself, not sharing the joy with his son. ¡°Hmph! Don¡¯te up with excuses just so you can eat all of Aunt Ruan¡¯s food yourself. I won¡¯t fall for your tricks! Keep dreaming, Dad. I won¡¯t let you get the chance!¡±

    Qi Chenglin scoffed and uttered coldly, ¡°Then don¡¯tin that you have too little snacks. You¡¯re not allowed to eat any of these before dinner tonight. You can only eat them half an hour after dinner, and only one bag a week.¡±

    ¡°Dad, are you torturing a little kid?¡± Qi Youxuan puffed up his cheeks. ¡°This is not allowed, that is not allowed. Forget it then. It¡¯s just too much for me to see all those snacks and be unable to eat them!¡±

    ¡°Do you want to know the true meaning of torture?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked a brow. His slender fingers reached in the trolley, picked up the two bags, then ced them back on the shelf. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to eat them, then so be it.¡±

    There was not a lot of snacks to start with, and with Qi Chenglin putting back them back, the little boy became frantic. His face was so anxious that it turned red, but he could not bring himself to beg his father.

    All of the Qi family¡¯s males were concerned about how they appeared to others.

    A small box of choctes was all that was left in the trolley, and Qi Chenglin wanted to pick it up and throw them back to the shelf. The boy was upset and agitated but maintained his stubborn and unwillingness to give in. Ruan Danchen was incredibly heartbroken.

    At that point, she could not care less about the pressure that Qi Chenglin gave. Her courage as a mother spurred her to grab hold of Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm with both her hands. She immediately snatched the box of choctes from him and ced them back into the trolley.

    She then turned to Qi Youxuan and advised, ¡°Youxuan, your dad wants the best for you. If you¡¯re just a little slimmer, you¡¯d be more handsome than you are now. You¡¯re already really handsome now, but if you¡¯re slimmer by that tiny bit, you would be unmatched in kindergarten.¡±

    While Ruan Danchen waited at the kindergarten entrance earlier, she had a rough idea of his character after seeing his interaction with Little Muran and another friend.

    Qi Youxuan was surprisingly mature for his age.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s words struck him deep in his heart.

    Startled, Qi Youxuan asked in astonishment, ¡°Really?¡±

    ¡°Really.¡± Ruan Danchen nodded and sneaked those two bags that Qi Chenglin had taken away back into the trolley. ¡°You can have snacks, but they must be taken in moderation. You can eat them sometimes as your dad says. Once a week is good enough. Eating these things every day will not only make you fat. They¡¯re bad for your health too. When you finish them, I¡¯ll bring you to the supermarket and let you choose your favorite snacks again. Is that okay?¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯ll bring me again next time?¡± Qi Youxuan was so happy that his grape-like eyes lit up considerably. He wanted to seize the opportunity to keep in touch with Ruan Danchen.

    Seeing how gleeful and happy he was from hearing her words, Ruan Danchen felt an aching tinge of regret in her heart. Touching his head softly, she smiled, ¡°Yes. I promise. You have my phone number, right? If you¡¯ve finished eating them, you can call me. I¡¯ll bring you here.¡±

    As soon as she finished speaking, she realized that it was a bit inappropriate, so she immediately turned to Qi Chenglin and asked, ¡°Young Master Lin, is that okay?¡±

    Qi Chenglin cocked a brow but gazed toward the part of his arm that Ruan Danchen held earlier when she ¡®acted outside the norm¡¯.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed because she somehow understood what he was trying to say. She looked down awkwardly and felt nervous. She had no idea how she managed to summon up the courage earlier.

    Only then did Qi Chenglin nod. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes were glimmering brightly when Ruan Danchen extended her pinky. She bent it slightly and said, ¡°Then it¡¯s a deal. Pinky swear.¡±

    To her surprise, Qi Youxuan looked at her slightly disdainfully. He even had a proud expression on his face as he said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, the only reason I¡¯m doing such a childish thing is out of respect for you. I don¡¯t do this ordinarily because I¡¯m not a two- or three-year-old baby.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was lost for words.

    She giggled and began retracting her hand embarrassedly. Realizing how little she understood him, she was slightly angry at herself in her heart.

    Before she retracted, however, Qi Youxuan grasped her little finger. A hint of anxiousness was visible in his little face. ¡°I didn¡¯t say we won¡¯t pinky swear.¡±

    With that, the two of them made a pinky swear and sealed the promise by touching their thumbs together. She then pushed him in the trolley and continued their shopping.

    Ruan Danchen felt like she was bringing kids to the supermarket¡ªQi Youxuan was one, as was Qi Chenglin who never went supermarket shopping before.

    Qi Chenglin was very curious about everything, and in the end, the three of them spent nearly two hours in the supermarket just to finish what they came for¡ªto buy some groceries.

    After waiting in line at the cashier, Qi Chenglin paid and carried everything. He did not want to trouble Ruan Danchen. Although he was dressed in a suit, both of his hands were filled with bags of various sizes. Spring onions even protruded from one of them, making him look homely and much more approachable, weakening his imposing figure.

    Ruan Danchen was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand, and when the three of them searched for the exit to the carpark, they passed by a row of checkout counters. On one of them, a middle-aged man¡ªwho had a beer belly and thinning hair¡ªwas standing right outside. He looked as though he was waiting for his wife to finish her payment at the counters.

    That man was someone Ruan Danchen recognized.

    ¡°General Manager Qi!¡± Luo Yushu¡¯s eyes darted around in boredom while he waited for his wife to pay for the groceries. He soon regretted letting himself wander around, for he did not expect to meet his general manager¡ªthe Qi family¡¯s second young master¡ªin a ce so down-to-earth.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes narrowed. He actually felt embarrassed when Luo Yushu saw him like that.

    However, within two seconds, Qi Chenglin calmed down and nodded solemnly at Luo Yushu. Qi Chenglin stopped and asked inly, ¡°Buying stuff at the supermarket?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes. I apanied my wife and daughter to pick up some things.¡± Luo Yushu then asked hastily, ¡°Hehe, General Manager Qi, you brought your son to buy stuff too?¡±

    Qi Chenglin uttered, ¡°Mm,¡± and continued, ¡°Buying some groceries to cook at home.¡±

    Luo Yushu¡¯s sharpness led him to notice Ruan Danchen, who at that point was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s little hand.

    He knew Ruan Danchen too because of Qilin¡¯s coboration with Chengshi. The director¡¯s wife was an employee of Chengshi, and as the best friend to the director¡¯s wife, Ruan Danchen was no stranger to Luo Yushu. Even though the two of them did not interact much with each other.

    ¡®Why was Ruan Danchen holding hands with Qi Youxuan?¡¯

    ¡®And why in the world is Qi Chenglin carrying so many groceries?¡¯

    ¡®He said he was going home to cook dinner. Did this mean he was in a rtionship with Ruan Danchen?¡¯

    Luo Yushu was bbergasted. ¡®How lucky Chengshi is to have two of their employees be Mrs. Qi?¡¯

    ¡°Hehe, so it seems Miss Ruan is our general manager¡¯s...¡± Luo Yushu left the sentence hanging and said, ¡°Miss Ruan keeps a really, really low-profile. Hehe.¡±

    Luo Yushu did not have any doubts that she would be the wife of the Qi family¡¯s second eldest grandson. After all, there was never any word of the general manager dating anyone, and it was probably not easy for a woman to suddenly appear alongside him. The general manager was not young and was definitely rushing to get married, so naturally, he was serious when it came to his rtionship.

    Interestingly, Ruan Danchen appeared to have a wonderful rtionship with Qi Youxuan. It was amazing that she could ovee the hurdle of winning over that young boy.

    Even more intriguing was how the general manager did not try to hide anything at all. If he could say that openly, then he must surely be serious toward Ruan Danchen, and their rtionship had probably reached that stage already.

    Ruan Danchen red at Qi Chenglin. There was nothing wrong with what he said and how he said it, but it was still possible that they would cause a misunderstanding!

    The man beside her did not have any self-realization at all. He just stood calmly after finishing his words, with no intention of correcting Luo Yushu¡¯s misunderstanding whatsoever.

    ¡°Manager Luo, I¡¯m actually...¡± Ruan Danchen tried to exin.

    ¡°Hehe, Miss Ruan, I understand. Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not a gossipy person. I won¡¯t go around telling anyone. You have to keep it low in Chengshi right? No wonder you¡¯re best friends with our director¡¯s wife. You¡¯re both low-profile people who don¡¯t like using status to intimidate people. Don¡¯t worry, don¡¯t worry.¡± Luo Yushu smiled as he spoke. He waved his hands about and gave his word that he would not tell.

    ¡°No, Manager Luo...¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Miss Ruan, just call me Xiao Luo. There¡¯s no need to call me manager or anything like that. I feel a bit pressured when you call me that,¡± Manager Luo said immediately. He shook his hands and head in fear and trepidation. ¡°Hehe, General Manager Qi, Miss Ruan, Little Master Qi, my wife is done. I won¡¯t bother you both any longer. Don¡¯t worry, my lips are sealed.¡±

    Afterpleting his sentence, he did not wait for Ruan Danchen¡¯s exnation. He turned around, waved his hand before leaving with his wife and daughter.

    Ruan Danchen did not know what to say.

    ¡°Young Master Lin.¡± Ruan Danchen mustered the courage to ask, albeit timidly, ¡°It isn¡¯t good that Manager Luo misunderstood, right?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at her and fired back another question, ¡°What did he misunderstand?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was baffled. She thought about it and realized that Luo Yushu did not explicitly mention the kind of rtionship she had with Qi Chenglin. At that point, she did not know how to respond.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t make it clear, but his demeanor, it was like...like I¡¯m... like you and me...¡± Ruan Danchen was incredibly mortified. Luo Yushu did not actually say it, and if she was the one who did say it, it would make her look like she was thick-faced and thought highly of herself.

    What if the shameless Qi Chenglin faked ignorance just to use that to make fun of her?

    ¡°I think what Manager Luo means is that you and I are good friends,¡± Qi Chenglin said in all seriousness.

    Ruan Danchen could not respond to that.

    She really wanted to ask, ¡®Hehe, you think you can fool anyone with that, Qi Chenglin?¡¯

    She made the decision to keep quiet, as she was so exasperated from Qi Chenglin¡¯s shamelessness that her insides were hurting.

    After walking for some time, Qi Chenglin noticed that Ruan Danchen was being quiet. His deep voice boomed as he asked, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you saying anything?¡±

    Ruan Danchen red at Qi Chenglin, and all she wanted to say was, ¡®There¡¯s no way I can interact with someone as shameless as you.¡¯

    Bonus scene:

    Jiang Yuan, ¡°Manager Luo, Young Master Lin says you did well today. If you can keep it up, he¡¯ll consider giving you some bonuses at the end of the year.

    Lup Yushu, ¡°Really? Special Assistant Jiang, you have to tell Young Master Lin not to worry. I¡¯ll continue to work hard and be of use to the Qi family¡¯s wives. I guarantee Miss Ruan...no, Young Master Lin¡¯s wife, will be happy. She can call me if she needs anything.¡±

    Jiang Yuan, ¡°Manager Luo, you have a bright future.¡±

    Luo Yushu, ¡°Hehe, aww shucks...¡±

    Old man, ¡°How about I give you an award for being the most outstanding male supporting cast?¡±

    Luo Yushu, ¡°Then would you let me appear more?¡±

    Old man, ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±

 Chapter 313 - Donâ€™t Talk Nonsense, Your Aunt Ruan Gets Ashamed Easily

    <h4>Chapter 313: Don¡¯t Talk Nonsense, Your Aunt Ruan Gets Ashamed Easily</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Yo, are you still acting up because you¡¯re angry?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked a brow. His tone was somewhat sarcastic, but it was not as though he was angry.

    Ruan Danchen put on a brave face and red at him. Her ears turned red as she said, ¡°Young Master Lin, could you please not say anything that will cause others to misunderstand next time?¡±

    ¡°What did I say?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked a brow and asked.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless. She twitched her lip and said, ¡°You told Manager Luo that you were buying groceries to cook at home.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t we here to buy groceries so we can cook once we get home? Tell me what I said that was wrong, and I¡¯ll fix it,¡± Qi Chenglin responded bluntly. He behaved as if he was kind and willing to learn from his mistakes.

    ¡°Hehe!¡± In truth, there was nothing inherently wrong about his words, but they were still able to stir up a misunderstanding!

    Ruan Danchen waspletely lost for words. By then, they had already walked to the car. She got into the car along with Qi Youxuan and left Qi Chenglin to load the stuff into the boot.

    Qi Chenglin looked into the car and smiled before cing everything in.

    When Qi Youxuan¡¯s small hands reached for the seatbelt, Ruan Danchen took it and helped him put it on.

    Although he knew how to put on a seatbelt, she wanted to seize every possible opportunity to take better care of him.

    Qi Chenglin got up and started the engine. Qi Youxuan rolled his eyeballs and directed his gaze to look outside through the car window. There was nothing to see, so he retracted his gaze and shifted them to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, Zhang Mingming said stepmothers torture their children,¡± Qi Youxuan suddenly blurted out.

    ¡°Zhang Mingming?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°The boy that came to say hi to you at kindergarten just now,¡± Qi Youxuan exined.

    Ruan Danchen immediately recalled everything and looked at Qi Youxuan curiously. No wonder the boy ran over and said some really odd things. She wondered what else the boy told Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan then told Ruan Danchen about Zhang Mingming¡¯s mother¡¯s colleague, the one who bullied her stepdaughter.

    Ruan Danchen felt pity for the little girl after hearing the story. She really could not fathom what the stepmother was thinking. Even she did not birth the girl, how could a stepmother have the heart to bully such a young child?

    ¡°No, there aren¡¯t a lot of people like that. You¡¯re so cute. How could anyone have the heart to bully you? Your dad will always responsibly take good care of you, and he won¡¯t get married to anyone who treats you poorly, would he?¡± Ruan Danchen assured softly.

    She was fully aware that a person of status like Qi Chenglin would get married sooner orter. That person would then be Qi Youxuan¡¯s mother, and Ruan Danchen might never get the chance to hear Qi Youxuan call her mom.

    Although she hade to terms with that long ago, the mere thought of Qi Youxuan calling another woman ¡®mom¡¯ was something that made her heart ache tremendously. She was in agony at that exact moment.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Qi Youxuan said, but he also gave his dad a nervous look. ¡°You won¡¯t right, Dad?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at them through the rear-view mirror. He remained quiet, but his gaze was rather disdainful.

    Qi Youxuan looked pitifully at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Ruan, just look at Dad¡¯s attitude. Why do I feel like I can¡¯t trust him?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was aching herself and she could notfort Qi Youxuan. He was not the only one who was worried¡ªshe was, too. Qi Chenglin¡¯s status meant that he would find someone on a simr level as himself.

    If all those daughters from prestigious families were like Shen Zhijing, Mu Sisi, or Yu Keyao, then it was certain that none of them would treat Qi Youxuan well.

    Perhaps the Qi family and Qi Chenglin might not abuse Qi Youxuan, but they would neglect him. Maybe other women would treat their own children better than Qi Youxuan, favoring one and discriminating against the other. Both were uneptable.

    Negligence was considered emotional abuse.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartbreak became even worse when she looked at Qi Youxuan¡¯s cute little face. Worried that he would be treated badly in the future, her eyes began to redden.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, why are your eyes red?¡± Qi Youxuan stretched his stubby hands and hugged Ruan Danchen. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad. I¡¯m sure that you won¡¯t bully me and treat me really well. Although, Zhang Mingming said that you might not treat me as well after you get married to my dad. But I don¡¯t believe that¡¯ll happen. You¡¯ll always treat me well.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blinked in confusion a couple of times. ¡®Where is this conversation going? Why did the attention shift from stepmothers to her?

    ¡®Why was she supposed to get married all of a sudden?¡¯

    She was stupefied. Anguish had emerged in her heart earlier, but after Qi Youxuan¡¯s bbing, she could not help but look at Qi Chenglin.

    He did not seem to have heard anything and was focused on driving.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right, Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm and looked up anticipatedly.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned. ¡®How am I going to answer this?¡¯

    ¡®If I say yes, then am I not admitting that I would be his stepmother?¡¯

    ¡®Didn¡¯t Qi Chenglin misunderstand my intentionsst time? He thought I was being good to Youxuan just to get close to him, right?¡¯

    ¡®If I admit it now, then wouldn¡¯t it fit his usation? It¡¯ll cause an even bigger misunderstanding.

    ¡®If I say no, Qi Youxuan would probably be really sad.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen thought for a moment before slowly saying, ¡°Youxuan, I¡¯ll treat you good, but...¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± Qi Youxuan pped his hands without waiting for Ruan Danchen to finish. ¡°I knew Aunt Ruan would be good to me.¡±

    ¡°Youxuan, I won¡¯t...¡± The car stopped before Ruan Danchen could say anything.

    Qi Chenglin interrupted her sentence and said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed that the car had stopped at her apartment. Qi Chenglin¡¯s actions did nothing to resolve her predicament, as he was the first to step out of the car.

    In Qi Chenglin¡¯s absence, Ruan Danchen rushed to exin everything properly to Qi Youxuan, but she was concerned about disappointing him.

    Just like his father, Qi Youxuan did not spare her opportunity of uttering a single word. He released himself from his seatbelt and got down, leaving her alone in the car.

    The helpless Ruan Danchen got down. Qi Chenglin had already brought everything out, and just like before, he carried everything by himself. Ruan Danchen¡¯s only task was to hold Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand.

    The three of them waited at the elevator. Qi Youxuan switched the topic of discussion, effectively ending their conversation in the car earlier.

    The elevator finally reached the first floor. After the door opened, ady in her fifties pushed a baby stroller out of the elevator, her grandson lying inside¡ªher daughter stood alongside her as well.

    Ruan Danchen knew thedy and her daughter. They stayed at the floor below Ruan Danchen. When Ruan Danchen leaves for work, she would oftentimes bump into Aunt Chen dragging her little trolley¡ªon her way to buy vegetables at the nearby market. Before thedy¡¯s daughter got married, Ruan Danchen would sometimes bump into her as she made her way to work.

    Once in a while, she would also see Aunt Chen and her husband bring their grandson out for morning strolls.

    ¡°Aunt Chen,¡± Ruan Danchen called out, then smiled at Aunt Chen¡¯s daughter. ¡°Bringing Tangtang outside to y?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s pretty warm today, isn¡¯t it? We¡¯re bringing him for a walk outside. Since he¡¯s yful, he always talks about going outside,¡± Aunt Chen smiled and said. Her eyes darted instinctively at Qi Chenglin, then to Qi Youxuan, whom Ruan Danchen was holding hands with.

    To her knowledge, Ruan Danchen was still single.

    The man looked older than her and even brought a child with him. Ruan Danchen was a good and properdy who should not resort to being a stepmother. The man was quite handsome, but when all was said and done, he still had a son.

    Aunt Chen would not give her blessing if it was her own daughter, not when the man was a divorcee who already had a son.

    ¡°Hehe, Danchen, is this your rtive? Your big brother?¡± Aunt Chen smiled and asked. With those earlier assumptions in mind, Aunt Chen felt awkward asking Ruan Danchen those questions.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed and could hardly find a response. If it was up to her, she would have wanted to acknowledge Qi Youxuan openly.

    ¡°Hello Grandma, hello Auntie, my name is Qi Youxuan, Aunt Ruan¡¯s future son.¡± Qi Youxuan greeted politely, but he blushed when he spoke the second half of his sentence.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned red. Aunt Chen was stunned and was momentarily unable to find a suitable reply. Ruan Danchen¡¯s blushing face was practically silent admission.

    ¡®Did she really be his stepmother?

    ¡®What a pity!¡¯

    Aunt Chen¡¯s smile became uneasy. Qi Chenglin, with his hands full of all those bags, said in a deep voice, ¡°Youxuan, don¡¯t talk nonsense. Your Aunt Ruan gets ashamed easily.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was lost for words.

    It would have been better for him not to say anything than to exin it like that!

    ¡°Hehehehe!¡± Aunt Chen spotted the groceries in Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand and figured that Ruan Danchen was getting serious with him. Their rtionship must have progressed quite significantly since the man even brought his son to have a meal at her ce.

    They looked just like a husband and wife going about their daily routine. The rtionship surely must have had good progress for them to reach that stage.

    ¡°You¡¯re all in a hurry and haven¡¯t eaten yet, I suppose?¡± Aunt Chen asked.

    Ruan Danchen kept quiet but smiled and nodded. Both sides then went their separate ways.

    It was only when the elevator reached the top did Aunt Chen push the stroller and whisper to her daughter. ¡°I never imagined that Little Ruan would get together with a divorced man, let alone one who has a son.¡±

    ¡°Mom, that guy looks rich. I¡¯m guessing that his clothes are from really expensive luxury brands. Tangtang¡¯s daddy loves that brand, but he¡¯s always reluctant to buy them because a full suit costs about a hundred thousand. Tangtang¡¯s daddy only looks at them. I recognize the brand because he always looks at them. If he¡¯s really that rich, plenty of women would want to chase him regardless of whether he already has a son. I think Ruan Danchen¡¯s quite impressive. Just look at the guy. He¡¯s rich, handsome, and his son is really well-behaved. It¡¯s no small feat to be on such good terms with a guy like that. You read the news on the entertainment industry, right? You¡¯d know that all those ugly rich men are usually apanied by young models and celebrities. They change girlfriends so often. Just look at all of those celebrities who get married to rich men. Most of those men already have children. You¡¯re bound to sacrifice a bit to get a good life,¡± Aunt Chen¡¯s daughter remarked.

    Aunt Chen shook her head. ¡°Maybe my way of thinking is old, but celebrities are celebrities. That¡¯s their business. You can admire them, but that¡¯s the furthest I would go. I wouldn¡¯t want that to happen to me.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Inside the house, Qi Chenglin brought all the groceries into the kitchen. Ruan Danchen then noticed that Qi Chenglin had brought up Qi Youxuan¡¯s little luggage bag. For some reason, it slipped her attention earlier.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her and exined, ¡°Since small, Youxuan has had a habit of bringing some things with him, especially his teddy bear. He feels at ease when he hugs it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes shifted to Qi Youxuan. He was sitting quietly in the living room, watching some cartoons¡ªa far cry from the kind of child who would be shy of strangers.

    ¡°Go sit down. I¡¯ll quickly whip up dinner,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Qi Chenlin nodded and turned around to join his son.

    Before entering the kitchen, Ruan Danchen nced at them. Both father and son were sitting there, making for an extraordinarily heartwarming scene.

    Qi Chenglin was uninterested in the cartoon, so he picked up from where he left off with one of his magazines.

    After a while, Qi Youxuan began feelingzy. He started leaning on Qi Chenglin and lied down. At times, he would kick his feet with joy due to the show¡¯s plot.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and entered the kitchen.

    She first took out the vegetables. Vegetables bought from supermarkets were clean, so only a simple wash was needed, and nothing extra had to be done.

    As she was drying them in the basin, she heard the door click open. She turned and saw Qi Chenglin enter.

    Ruan Danchen felt as though his head was so tall that it could reach the ceiling. All he had to do was stand to create tension between them.

    ¡°Why are you...¡± Ruan Danchen gulped anxiously. Her voice was very soft as if it was stuck inside her throat. She did not even know whether Qi Chenglin heard it or not.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± he said as he undid the buttons of his shirt cuffs. His slender fingers held his sleeves as he began rolling them up, revealing his muscr arms.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that he had taken off his suit jacket and was only wearing his handsome white dress shirt. The Qi family were all very fair-skinned, though not as fair as a woman. It was simply very neat and clean, invoking a certain sense of elegance when coupled with a handsome white dress shirt.

    He rolled up his sleeves and undid a few of his shirt buttons. He looked casual, and very... sexy.

    When he reached in to take out the vegetables, his sturdy arm muscles were fully exposed. His shirt was stretched tight against his arms and chest, and he looked like the perfect model for those clothes.

    Ruan Danchen stared from the side and fell into a daze. She could not deny that Qi Chenglin was handsome from head to toe and was more than capable of causing women to drool.

    Her gaze traveled from his arms to his chest, and she could not help but stop at his stomach. She remembered how strong the muscles underneath that shirt was, and she was curious if they still looked the same.

    All of a sudden, Ruan Danchen felt oddness in the atmosphere. She looked up and saw Qi Chenglin staring at her mischievously.

    ¡°What are you thinking about? You didn¡¯t even hear what I said.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled in a teasing half-smile.

    ¡°I...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s tongue knotted itself. Her face was red and on the verge of nearly going up in mes. Her ears were hot, and she felt restless.

    How could she possibly say that she was daydreaming of him?

    ¡°I was thinking of work. What was it you said just now?¡± Ruan Danchen was blushing. Afraid to look at him due to guilt, she was wary of revealing her thoughts.

    Qi Chenglin was much too sharp. There seemed to be nothing that she could hide from him.

    ¡°I was asking you where I should put these vegetables after washing them?¡± Qi Chenglin pointed at the basket of veggies that he was holding.

    ¡°Er... Just pass them to me.¡± Ruan Danchen took them, ced them down, then began preparing to cook.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence made her feel uneasy. She told him, ¡°Young Master Lin, please have a seat. Don¡¯t trouble yourself. I can handle this myself.¡±

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s already hungry,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked calmly.

    His reply shot down any hope of Ruan Danchen persuading him. She had no choice but to let him stay in the kitchen.

    Qi Chenglin was washing some vegetables while Ruan Danchen began cutting those that he had already finished washing.

    He looked at her familiarity with everything and asked, ¡°What¡¯s bugging you at work?¡±

    ¡°What was that?¡± Ruan Danchen blinked a few times and failed to react promptly.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you had work on your mind?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    Ruan Danchen looked down and continued chopping her vegetables. Her face felt red-hot as she said, ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    ¡°After what happened with Mu Sisi, your work will still be affected even though you sued her,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked.

    ¡°My workload is slightly less than before. But even if I¡¯m proven innocent, there are still a lot of clients who have their doubts and are afraid to work with me again. No matter how you put it, my reputation has definitely taken a hit. Even if I sue her, everything that happened in the past has already negatively impacted me.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled. ¡°In this profession, there are plenty of other designers. There¡¯re always other people who can rece me. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m indispensable. Even if I¡¯m innocent, they won¡¯t lose anything by choosing another designer.¡±

    Qi Chenglin kept quiet and finished washing the vegetables.

    Ruan Danchen watched his movements and knew that he was not someone who was familiar with doing these daily tasks. It came as a surprise that he was doing it with her, and in that span of time, her heartbeat quickened.

    ¡°What else do you need me to do?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    His voice resonated in her ear and gave her a fright. It was then that she noticed him standing beside her, his chest pressed against her arm.

    His fragrance was overwhelming and entranced her. His scent filled her with lust, and she had no idea why she felt like that.

    ¡®Ruan Danchen, when did you be so insatiable!¡¯

    With her face feeling hot, she clenched her jaw and refrained from looking at Qi Chenglin

    Despite not looking up, she knew that he was looking at her, but she could not tell what kind of look he was giving her.

    Merely thinking of those dark eyes made her feel flustered. He acted incredibly oddly that day, and ever since their supermarket trip, he continued to look at her with the kind of gentle and sentimental gaze.

    The day before, he clearly took a jibe at her for trying to climb up the socialdder by using him. All of that changed in just a day.

    Her mind wandered and she did not pay attention to her knife. All of a sudden, he grabbed her hand and took the knife. She came back to her senses and noticed his handsome hands taking away the knife and cing it on the cutting board. She also saw his hand holding hers.

    ¡°What were you thinking of when you were cutting those vegetables? You nearly cut your own finger.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s rich and sonorous voice rang from the top of her head.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth was gaping when she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s stern expression¡ªhis brows were pressed together, and his expression looked serious. Ruan Danchen felt some of his intensity at the start, but at that point she was petrified. She was exactly like a little girl who did something wrong and looked down in guilt. His entire palm covered her wrist.

    Ruan Danchen felt so hot that she pulled away.

    Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s reddened cheeks and curled his lips into a smile. In a swift move, he leaned closer to her and allowed his breaths to heat up her cheeks.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Bonus scene:

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°Qi Chenglin, you¡¯re such a shameless person. How can you just hold her hand like that!¡±

    Grandmother Qi, ¡°Hehehehe, our family¡¯s men are skilled. Look at them, one after another, so adept at chasing after women. It¡¯s the norm to be shameless these days when courting the fairer sex.¡±

    Grandmother Han, ¡°HAN ZHUOLI, COME HERE!¡±

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°Cause my dad doesn¡¯t need to worry about continuing his ancestral line.¡±

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°GRANDMA, DON¡¯T PINCH MY EARS...UGH...¡±

 Chapter 314 - Iâ€™ve Been Seducing You All Along, Canâ€™t You Feel It?

    <h4>Chapter 314: I¡¯ve Been Seducing You All Along, Can¡¯t You Feel It?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s reddened cheeks and curled his lips into a smile. In a swift move, he leaned closer to her and allowed his breaths to heat her cheeks.

    ¡°I was asking you something. What were you thinking about just now?¡± Qi Chenglin asked softly. Voice no longer stern, it was instead a muddled mess of sexiness.

    Just by listening to his voice alone, Ruan Danchen¡¯s body felt hot and her mouth became dry.

    Ruan Danchen felt that something was amiss so she looked up. In that split second, she was startled to feel his lips rubbing against her forehead and the bridge of her nose.

    She was not hallucinating any of it when she saw him lower his head slightly. He was inching closer to her lips, and the slightest movement from her would cause both their lips toe in contact.

    Ruan Danchen instinctively took a step back. She did not notice that one of his legs was hooking her from behind, and as a result, she stumbled backward.

    Qi Chenglin, however, stretched out his long arms and caught her. His masculine arm gripped her waist and pressed her firmly onto himself.

    Ruan Danchen was forced to tiptoe, and her lower abdomen was feeling hot because it was pressed against him. She tensed up subconsciously.

    He then turned her around and leaned her against the counter, trapping her in his embrace.

    Feeling incredibly flustered, she gulped and asked, ¡°Young Master Lin, did you misunderstand anything? I said it very clearly that I wasn¡¯t using Qi Youxuan to get close to you.¡±

    ¡°Did I say that today?¡± Qi Chenglin curled his lips tauntingly and asked softly.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t, but...¡±

    ¡°Or it is because you don¡¯t like me at all?¡± he asked, still smiling.

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips tightly, then exined, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m not a casual woman. You misunderstood my intentions when I invited you into my house so easily. I just wanted to cook a meal for Youxuan. I¡¯m not the kind of girl who ys around, and I don¡¯t want to y around, let alone seduce you or anything like that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of man either. I don¡¯t just simply y around with women,¡± Qi Chenglin eximed poetically. Those dark eyes of his were undeniably stern, making Ruan Danchen feel increasingly numb. ¡°You didn¡¯t seduce me, or rather, you didn¡¯t intend to seduce me, but I can¡¯t control myself when you look at me with those helpless eyes. It¡¯s already seductive enough when you keep blushing in front of me.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t...¡± Ruan Danchen was well aware that her face was probably blushing at the time.

    ¡°I know, you didn¡¯t do it on purpose. But I did. I¡¯m seducing you on purpose right now. I¡¯ve been seducing you from the kindergarten entrance up until now. Can¡¯t you feel it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen inhaled sharply and recalled all the things he did throughout the day.

    She had earlier doubted whether he was trying to flirt with her. Whenever that thought crossed her mind, her doubts would soon be dispelled when she saw hisposed expression.

    She scarcely expected that he was actually acting indecently to her!

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched due to her anxiousness and she said, ¡°Young Master Lin, I¡¯m just a normal girl. Please don¡¯t joke around. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m from a good family and a good background. I just find Youxuan adorable and I wanted to treat him well. I don¡¯t have any other intention when ites to you.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, looking cynically at Ruan Danchen.

    She stared back at him in confusion and blinked a couple of times.

    Still pressed tightly onto him, his lips would lightly touch the corner of her lips whenever he spoke. At times they came in contact, but at times they did not. She could not guard herself against him, all while her breathing became heavier and her mind became dizzier.

    ¡°Why would you treat him so good? Why would you like him that much?¡± Qi Chenglin asked softly, his rich voice reverberating through her skin.

    Ruan Danchen trembled vigorously. The areas caressed by his voice and his breaths were numbingly hot.

    She looked down, afraid to gaze directly into his eyes, and hurriedly replied, ¡°No particr reason. I just like him.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed at her, his long thickshes in close proximity to her.

    The corner of his lips twitched slightly as if to mock her, then he took a half-step back and released her.

    Ruan Danchen exhaled as though she was going to copse. Qi Chenglin sat at one of the chairs behind him and took out his phone to scroll on it.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt no less pressure with him sitting there. ¡°Young Master Lin, you should sit outside. Otherwise, you¡¯ll be smelling all that soot.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked up ever so slightly and gave her a cold nce. ¡°I¡¯ll keep watch here to prevent any idents from happening to you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless. ¡°What kind of ident would happen?¡±

    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for my fast reflexes just now, you would¡¯ve cut your finger,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly. His voice was rich but his tone was annoyingly calm.

    Ruan Danchen failed to conjure a reply.

    ¡®I feel more pressured with you here, don¡¯t I?¡¯

    Qi Chenglin looked at the dazed Ruan Danchen and cocked a brow. ¡°You¡¯re not gonna cook? Youxuan is hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt unbearably choked, but since she could not do anything about him, she could only begin cooking.

    Her extra-cramped kitchen only enhanced Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence.

    As she began cooking, she could sense that Qi Chenglin was looking on curiously at what she did. However, she did not dare to actually turn back and look at him so obviously.

    Whenever she moved about in the small kitchen to take some seasonings or ingredients, she would unwittingly bump into Qi Chenglin¡¯s thighs. Ruan Danchen felt that she would soon lose her sanity if he continued to remain in the kitchen.

    At some point, Qi Chenglin stopped looking at his phone. It was still in his hands, but his eyes were fixed on Ruan Danchen¡¯s slender and beautiful legs.

    His pupils dted with every bump she made. His fire was raging because of her asional contact, yet Ruan Danchen was being oblivious and did not do it on purpose.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s face became gloomy. His sole desire was to haul her over, spread her legs, and insert himself into her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s back was facing him and her buttocks were swaying gently. Qi Chenglin¡¯s rod began stiffening. Pulling a long face, he got up from his seat and left the kitchen without saying a single word.

    She found it rather odd that his temperament was so fleeting.

    It was at that point though that she finally calmed herself down, but she still could not erase the memory of Qi Chenglin trapping her in his embrace. The scene floated in her mind constantly, causing her to feel shy and ashamed.

    ...

    ...

    Preparing the ingredients to be cooked was moreborious than the actual cooking. Ruan Danchen finished cooking soon after Qi Chenglin left.

    tes after tes of food were served on the dining table. Qi Chenglin was not in the living room and no one knew where he went.

    ¡°Youxuan, time to wash your hands and eat dinner,¡± Ruan Danchen said to the little boy who was watching cartoons on the sofa.

    The kid was very well-behaved. After returning from the supermarket, he really did refrain from eating junk food and saved his tummy to eat the food she cooked.

    Calling him like that, Ruan Danchen felt a warmth in her heart, as though she was at home calling her own child for dinner.

    The little one then got up obediently from the sofa and jogged to the toilet. He knocked on the door and asked, ¡°Dad, are you done yet?¡±

    After some time, Qi Chenglin came out. He stared groggily at Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan stood at the door and leaned in to smell. ¡°You didn¡¯t poop, Dad. What were you doing inside for so long?¡±

    ¡°Go and wash your hands now,¡± Qi Chenglin nced at him unhappily and came out, ignoring him.

    Qi Youxuan went in and muttered, ¡°Dad¡¯s getting weirder and weirder.¡±

    The little boy washed his hands speedily. Having learned from his past experiences, he knew that his dad would finish up all the goodies with the slightest dy.

    He ran back in a hurry and got up on the chair with Ruan Danchen¡¯s help.

    Ruan Danchen knew that the boy loved eating chicken drumsticks. When they were at the supermarket earlier, she specifically bought a free-range chicken and chopped off both the drumsticks. She braised one and deep-fried the other for Qi Youxuan. As for the chicken breast, she cut them into cubes and made a chili-chicken stir-fry.

    Most importantly, the free-range chicken she bought gave her more peace-of-mind than those frozen drumsticks and chicken breasts. Meat-based food was unhealthy if eaten too much.

    The remaining parts of the chicken were used to boil soup. She cooked some vegetables, a te of pineapple sweet-and-sour pork, and some fragrant pan-fried baby back ribs.

    Fortunately, the boy was not picky and had an appetite for just about anything. Sweet and sour stuff, in particr, whetted his appetite tremendously.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, your cooking is really delicious.¡± Qi Youxuan ate like a hungry wolf, gobbling the deep-fried drumstick and stuffing his cheeks to the brim. ¡°If only I can eat your cooking every day.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the boy¡¯s oily lips and hands. He was enjoying his food thoroughly, and he most certainly looked satisfied.

    ¡°If you like it, then you cane anytime. I¡¯ll cook for you,¡± Ruan Danchen said immediately. She wanted nothing more than to see him every single day.

    ¡°Dad, did you hear that? We¡¯re going to visit great-grandpa and great-grandma tomorrow and have dinner there, so how about wee here again the day after?¡± Qi Youxuan pleaded.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin¡ªshe wanted Qi Youxuan toe and visit but was not too enthusiastic about Qi Chenglin doing the same.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to have read her mind, so he did not reply to Qi Youxuan and merely twitched his lip tauntingly at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    ...

    ...

    After dinner, Ruan Danchen washed all the tes and came back to see Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan sitting on the living room floor.

    Qi Chenglin had undone his necktie and so were a few of his shirt buttons. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, exposing his muscr arms. He was joining Lego blocks with Qi Youxuan. Qi Chenglin must have gone down and taken them back up when Ruan Danchen was busy in the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen ced the sliced fruits on the coffee table. Both boys then stopped ying and sat back down on the sofa to eat some fruits.

    Feeling cramped, Ruan Danchen went to get a chair and sat opposite to them.

    ¡°Ugh, Aunt Ruan. There¡¯re too many toys on the floor. Don¡¯t squish them. Come and sit here. There¡¯s a lot of space beside me.¡± The boy patted the empty area beside him.

    Ruan Danchen decided that it was not a problem to sit there since Qi Youxuan was separating her from Qi Chenglin. The episode inside the kitchen made her unable to look Qi Chenglin in the eye.

    She took her seat beside Qi Youxuan. Since dinner was too delicious for him and he gorged himself thoroughly, he could not stuff himself with fruit anymore and felt sleepy instead.

    He rubbed his eyes using his tubby and fair-skinned hands, then leaned his head on Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. She wrapped her hands around him immediately.

    ¡°Are you sleepy?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    The little kid yawned and struggled to keep his head up. ¡°Aunt Ruan, can you hug me to sleep?¡±

    Ruan Danchen carried him at once. She was heartbroken to imagine that he did not have a mother¡¯s touch since he was young. Her soft hands patted his back gently to coax him into sleeping.

    Qi Youxuan fell asleep immediately in Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms, and there was no more distance between her and Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen looked at the clock awkwardly. Qi Chenglin proceeded to stand up and say calmly, ¡°Since Youxuan¡¯s tired, I should bring him back home.¡±

    The man was just tooposed as if the entire ordeal in the kitchen had never happened before. It was as if he was not the same man who admitted to seducing her.

    Ruan Danchen stood up but was reluctant to let go of Qi Youxuan because she did not have enough of hugging him. She looked down at his little head resting against her shoulder. He was sleeping so soundly, and his slumbering face made her heart melt.

    Qi Chenglin stretched out his hands to carry him but wondered if the boy was really sleeping or just faking it. After all, both of the little kid¡¯s arms were wrapped tightly around Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck. Qi Chenglin failed to pry the boy away so he could not carry him.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, maybe it¡¯s best that Youxuan sleeps here tonight,¡¯ Ruan Danchen suggested. She looked at the child lovingly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll treat him well for sure.¡±

    She looked apprehensively at Qi Chenglin because she felt that he would probably not agree to it.

    No one would be so willing to leave their child in someone else¡¯s home, especially not when the child was the Qi family little master.

    To her amazement, Qi Chenglin nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll pick him up tomorrow morning. Apologies for troubling you tonight.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was astonished. She felt overwhelmed by it and was so happy that she nearly shed tears of joy.

    Once Qi Chenglin finished speaking, Ruan Danchen could feel the boy¡¯s grip loosen¡ªas it turned out, he was just pretending to be asleep.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and brought Qi Youxuan to her bed. His feigned sleepy face was something she could not look away from. She ran her gentle fingers over his hair and cheek, but after realizing that Qi Chenglin was still there, she stood up and went out reluctantly.

    She was startled to bump into Qi Chenglin when she turned around.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare make a single peep. She retreated instantly and nearly fell down, but Qi Chenglin managed to catch her waist in time. The ces that he touched felt incredibly hot.

    Before she could even protest, he came closer to her. Ruan Danchen attempted to take a step back, but the smallness of her room meant that she was soon cornered to the wall. Once again, she was trapped in his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen looked anxiously at Qi Youxuan. The boy was sleeping with his back toward them. She uttered softly, ¡°Young Master Lin, please be mindful that Youxuan¡¯s here.¡±

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and snickered softly. He then took a few steps back and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sending me off?¡±

    ¡°...: Ruan Danchen stood in front of him and just stared nkly. His bodynguage suggested that he was not going to leave if she did not see him out. He was clearly behaving as though he had no shame, yet he maintained his solemnity to make him appear as though he was a two-faced man.

    Ruan Danchen walked past him silently and headed to the door.

    He smiled and followed suit.

    Once they reached the door to her home, Ruan Danchen opened it to let Qi Chenglin out. He took one step forward and immediately dragged Ruan Danchen out with him. All she heard was the bang of the closing door, following which Qi Chenglin pressed her onto the door.

    ¡°Young Master Lin?¡± Ruan Danchen eximed in surprise.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s face was magnified in front of her eyes. He was very close to her and his lips were soon going to stick on him.

    Just when Ruan Danchen scrambled to react, his rich voice resonated from beside her lips. ¡°Have you done ab test?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Her flush began draining from her face. She felt guilty when she recalled her actions of doing the maternity test.

    Then again, she told herself that her fears were unfounded, that Qi Chenglin could not possibly be referring to that.

    ¡°The maternity test. You¡¯ve done it, yes? Has the resulte out yet?¡± Qi Chenglin said it so casually in his rich and sexy voice. However, they were like the sound of rumbling thunder to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears.

    Blood drained from her face and her lips trembled. For quite some time, she could not spit out any words. She simply felt her blood run cold, her body leaning weakly against the door.

    ¡°You... What did you say... You... I...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth twisted into knots¡ªshe was neither able to formplete sentences nor find an appropriate answer.

    ¡®How did Qi Chenglin know?¡¯

    He took a half step back and maintained his tranquil expression. ¡°Go on inside.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Ruan Danchen did not give a damn anymore and grabbed his shirt sleeve. ¡°Why did you ask that question?¡±

    ¡°As a responsible father, I have to be more cautious when a woman treats my son well for apparently no reason,¡± Qi Chenglin said solemnly.

    Ruan Danchen knew that she could not hide it any longer. Feigning ignorance was no longer an option.

    She was not angry in the slightest and had no right to be angry in the first ce. On the contrary, she was happy that Qi Chenglin took such precautions.

    ¡°Then tell me, Youxuan...is he...is he my son?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with reddened eyes. She saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s unemotive face and hurriedly offered an exnation to prevent a misunderstanding. ¡°I¡¯m not using her or anything. I just want to know if he is...I know he is, but I want to be certain. I won¡¯t say it out loud and I won¡¯t use this to get into the Qi family. I just want to be assured that my child...is happy and healthy. I just wanted to make sure...I won¡¯t say anything to him either. He¡¯s too young and I don¡¯t want to give him so much pressure. As long as he can live without any worries, I¡¯m willing to do anything.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already do the test? Wait for the results then. It¡¯s more conclusive than anything else,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked gravely.

    Ruan Danchen released her grip. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    She did not elucidate what was it she was sorry for, but Qi Chenglin lifted his hand and wiped away his tears, saying, ¡°I just wanted to tell you that I know about this, and that there¡¯s no need to hide it from me. There¡¯s no other meaning.¡±

    It surprised her that Qi Chenglin did not denounce her or be confrontational with her.

    Confused, she asked, ¡°Then in the future...can I still meet him? I won¡¯t say anything about it. I just want to meet him.¡±

    ¡°Even if the report says that he¡¯s not your son?¡± asked Qi Chenglin as he cocked a brow.

    Ruan Danchen went into a stupor. In truth, she had never really doubted it when she found out about everything. The report was merely to augment her confirmation of it.

    Still, she nodded. ¡°Even if he¡¯s not my son.¡±

    Even if Youxuan really was not Ruan Danchen¡¯s son, she still found him to be an adorable boy. If her son was really dead, but¡ªfor argument¡¯s sake¡ªsurvived, he would be of the same age as Youxuan. Ruan Danchen would happily treat Youxuan as her own son.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Bonus scene:

    ¡°Dad, why were you in the toilet so long just now?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Maybe he has urinary incontinence,¡± replied Yan Beicheng.

    Qi Youxuan asked, ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang simply replied, ¡°A prostate problem.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was at a loss of words.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan,¡± Qi Youxuan called out, ¡°Uncle Chu says Dad has a prostate problem.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    Qi Chenglin whispered to Ruan Danchen, ¡°I actually went in to rub one off.¡±

    ¡°Shameless!¡± Ruan Danchen cried out.

    Old Man: ¡°Bonus scenes were made primarily due to cartoons and animes. Most of them specially put a bonus scene at the end, and everyone eagerly anticipates it after the main scenes end. I wanted to try too, but I forgot that cartoons air once every week. I¡¯m doing it once every day! Puts a strain on the mind!¡±

 Chapter 315 - Stop Pretending and Open the Door

    Chapter 315: Stop Pretending and Open the Door

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin nodded and said, ¡°He really likes you, but you mustn¡¯t disappoint him.¡±

    ¡°Thank you...¡± Ruan Danchen breathed a sigh of relief.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and wiped the tears from her eyes. ¡°Go on in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around but froze.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chenglin asked after seeing her standing motionlessly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen said helplessly, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring a key because I thought I was going to send you from inside the home. I didn¡¯t expect you to drag me out.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not respond to that.

    Without another word, he reached for the doorbell.

    ¡°You¡¯re gonna wake Youxuan up.¡± She held his hand but it was too little toote. He had already rung the bell.

    Qi Youxuan still did note out to open the door.

    Ruan Danchen thought that the boy must have already fallen asleep, or perhaps he did not mind the doorbell because he thought she was at home.

    Qi Chenglin fished out his phone and dialed the boy¡¯s number. After a while, he said, ¡°Stop pretending and open the door.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Not longter, the door opened. Ruan Danchen looked down and noticed that the young man had already changed into his pajamas. One of his fair-skinned hands were holding a Soundwave 1[1] toothbrush, which looked huge in his hands.

    His children¡¯s toothbrush made a brushing sound, his mouth filled with foam.

    ¡°Eh, why are you both suddenly outside? When did you go out?¡± The toothbrush was still in Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth when he spoke. He was spewing foam and speaking rather incoherently.

    He pretended so well that Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched.

    Ruan Danchen, on the other hand, was quiet.

    Qi Youxuan then came to the realization that he had pretended to sleep earlier. He was aware of how odd it would look if he became so energized all of a sudden, so he feigned fatigue and leaned on the wall, saying, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯ve got the good habit of brushing my teeth every morning and every night. I won¡¯t sleep well if I don¡¯t brush my teeth. I remembered that I haven¡¯t brushed my teeth, so I got up to do so.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    ¡°Oh, go on, keep pretending.¡± Qi Chenglin scoffed and nced cynically at him.

    Qi Youxuan was fuming! ¡®What kind of that is he! He¡¯s always exposing me! Why am I even helping him all the time!¡¯

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m still very sleepy. I don¡¯t have enough energy to go home,¡± Qi Youxuan added.

    Qi Chenglin snickered and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to bring you home. You can stay here for the night. I¡¯ll pick you up tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Dad!¡± Qi Youxuan was so happy that he forgot his mouthful of toothpaste foam. He identally spat out arge part, but fortunately, none of itnded on Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin.

    Embarrassed, he kneeled down and wiped off the foam with his bare hands. His careful movements made Ruan Danchen feel heartbroken. She quickly pulled him back up.

    ¡°Don¡¯t wipe it anymore. I¡¯ll be mopping the floorter anyway,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°Go back and brush your teeth.¡±

    The little boy saw that Ruan Danchen was willing to let him stay and ran gleefully to the washroom.

    Ruan Danchen watched as thed dashed into the toilet and closed the door. She then turned to Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    With his hands in his pockets, he looked at Ruan Danchen as she stood by the door. Her moist and innocent-looking eyes were slightly red. Her skin was fair, and her nose was red due to her crying. Nevertheless, none of that dampened the pureness that was inherent within her.

    Her reddened eyes and nose lent her a look of innocence, making others feel sympathy for her.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s head felt hot. The one thing he absolutely wanted to do was press her onto the wall and kiss her violently.

    On the surface, however, he kept his cool and nodded before turning to leave.

    ...

    ...

    By the time Ruan Danchen closed the door and went back into the house, Qi Youxuan was done and had returned to lie down on her bed. Ruan Danchen did a cursory mopping of the floor and bathed. She then changed into her sleepwear and blow-dried her hair.

    When she went back to the bedroom, the young boy was already asleep. Hearing the noise, he rubbed his eyes and opened them. He was very much drowsy-eyed.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen, he shifted inside and asked anticipatingly, ¡°Aunt Ruan, can you tell me a bedtime story? I wanna listen to Ultraman defeating monsters.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had no idea how to tell the story. She had never even watched Ultraman on TV, but she could not bring herself to reject the boy¡¯s request. All she could do was tell him what she saw from those monster-disaster movies.

    Qi Youxuan fell asleep very soon. Ruan Danchen even heard his faint mumbling, ¡°Aunt Ruan, can you please be my stepmother?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the boy in her arms and kissed his forehead tenderly. It never crossed her mind that the chance would evere for her to hug him while he slept.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin went back to Prestige Residences. Upon entering his home, he saw Guan Liya sitting down.

    ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± Qi Chenglin asked and changed into his slippers.

    ¡°The manor¡¯s neighbor, Aunt Chen, her son is working in Germany. He came back for the holidays and brought some snacks. Aunt Chen dropped by the manor and gave these for Youxuan. Grandmother told Xiao Fan to send them to our home, and I decided toe by tonight to give them to Youxuan. I didn¡¯t know you won¡¯t be home,¡± Guan Liya said. She noticed that Qi Youxuan was nowhere to be seen, and the main door was closed too, so she asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°At a friend¡¯s house.¡± Qi Chenglin changed his footwear and replied bluntly.

    ¡°Friend? What friend? You¡¯re not worried to leave him all alone? What¡¯s wrong with you? You usually don¡¯t treat him like a child, but don¡¯t forget that he¡¯s only six-years-old. You¡¯re just going to let him be alone? What if he gets scared at night? Tell me, when are you going to treat your son better? He¡¯s just a small boy. Is it really okay for him to wake up in the middle of the night and realize that his family isn¡¯t there?¡± Guan Liya was exasperated. Qi Chenglin is such an irresponsible man¡ªwhat in the world was he thinking that night?

    Guan Liya went back to the living room after chastising Qi Chenglin. She took her bag and headed out, dragging Qi Chenglin along the way. ¡°This is uneptable! Which friend¡¯s house did you leave him at? We¡¯ll go and get him back.¡±

    ¡°Mom, he was the one who wanted to stay there. Even if you go there now, he won¡¯t follow you home.¡± Qi Chenglin stopped his mother. ¡°He even put on an act just to stay back.¡±

    Guan Liya was curious. ¡°Whose home is he at? I can¡¯t believe Youxuan voluntarily wanted to be there.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled into a smile. Guan Liya spotted that and asked him in anticipation and apprehension, ¡°Is it the stepmother that Youxuan has been harping about?¡±

    Without waiting for Qi Chenglin to answer, she grabbed Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm excitedly and said, ¡°You have someone you¡¯re serious about? What¡¯s her profession? Where is she from? What kind of family does shee from? What about her character? You¡¯re not worried to let Youxuan stay there with her? Does Youxuan really like her?¡±

    Qi Chenglin listened to her barrage of questions and answered them one after the other, ¡°I have a good impression of her and I¡¯m taking this seriously. She¡¯s from Sheng City, but when she was still a baby, she followed her mother to B City. She¡¯s now working as a normal employee in a smallpany. She¡¯s the only one at home right now. I trust her character, and I¡¯m not worried to let Youxuan stay there. Youxuan genuinely does like her.¡±

    Guan Liya was bbergasted. She did not expect Qi Chenglin to know that woman so well.

    Youxuan mentioned her once back at the manor, but Qi Chenglin at that time was unwilling to divulge anything at all. How far did their rtionship progress for him to suddenly exin everything in such detail to Guan Liya?

    ¡°How about you find a time to bring her home and introduce her to us? If you like her, then we trust your judgment of her. I don¡¯t demand anything in particr from her as long as she treats Youxuan well and doesn¡¯t do anything bad to him. At the end of the day, he isn¡¯t her son, and although I won¡¯t ask her to love Youxuan like her own son, at the very least she has to treat him as though he was.¡± Guan Liya was anxious. She might trust in Qi Chenglin¡¯s judgment, but she knew that there were times where a man¡¯s mind would be too muddled because of how smitten he was with a woman. What if the woman was pretending to be nice?

    She wanted to meet the woman so her worries would be eased.

    ¡°She¡¯s very nice toward Youxuan, but not to me.¡± Qi Chenglin pulled a long face. ¡®Didn¡¯t you notice that I was shooed?¡¯

    Guan Liya was speechless.

    ¡°By that you mean the girl doesn¡¯t like you yet and your interest is unreciprocated?¡± Guan Liya asked cautiously.

    ¡°Not exactly,¡± came Qi Chenglin¡¯s ambiguous response. The entire situation was not easy to exin as of yet. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. When the timees, I¡¯ll definitely bring her home.¡±

    Following that, Qi Chenglin said nothing further no matter how determinedly Guan Liya tried to pry.

    He sat downposedly on the sofa and read the news. He responded with the same monosybic ¡®mm¡¯ to every single question that Guan Liya asked, making her feel as though he was not even paying attention to whatever she was saying.

    Finally at wit¡¯s end, she decided to leave after realizing that she could not get anything out of him.

    Xiao Yang had earlier stopped the car at the foot of the building. After Guan Liya went in, Xiao Yang drove off. Guan Liya then made a call to the manor. ¡°Aunt Liu, is Grandmother asleep?¡±

    After some time, the olddy took over from the call. Guan Liya had an indescribable mood¡ªboth happy and nervous, she said, ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a girl that Chenglin likes.¡±

    ¡°Really? From which family? What does she do? How old is she? Where is she from and how does she look like?¡± The olddy turned frantic and began firing away her questions.

    Guan Liya recounted everything that Qi Chenglin told her earlier.

    ¡°Mom, I know it¡¯s a good thing that Chenglin has someone he likes. I¡¯m just worried that the woman won¡¯t treat Youxuan well. Chenglin¡¯s situation is different from Chengzhi¡¯s because Song Yu¡¯s character is something that everyone knows. Qi Chenglin¡¯s not telling who the woman is, and Youxuan wouldn¡¯t say anything too. I¡¯m worried that he¡¯s being deceived. What if the woman is only pretending to be nice just so she could be a part of the Qi family? What if her true nature is only revealed after she bes one of us? What are we going to do if she treats Youxuan badly?¡± Guan Liya said worriedly. She was not afraid to say all that in front of Xiao Yang. After all, Xiao Yang had been in the family¡¯s employ for many years, just like Aunt Chen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. If he hasn¡¯t brought her back yet, then nothing¡¯s certain. We¡¯ll wait and see. I¡¯ll find a way to ask around, and even if I can¡¯t find anything out, Chenglin will have to bring her sooner orter. By then, we¡¯ll be able to have a look.¡± Grandmother Qi ced quite some thought into it. With Qi Chenglin¡¯s marriage, the one thing that concerned them most was Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s a smart boy. Back then, he really took a liking to Song Yu, and from what you said, he seems to like this woman very much too. Youxuan is adept at recognizing a person¡¯s character and sincerity. They¡¯ll being over tomorrow, so we can think of a way to ask Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing else we can do,¡± Guan Liyamented and hung up.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen woke up early to tidy up and prepare breakfast for the little one.

    Not long after she woke up, the boy woke up and even changed into his sports clothes. Ruan Danchen did not expect that he would bring over the clothes that he would change into.

    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± Ruan Danchen had just finished tidying things and did not even start making breakfast yet.

    ¡°I go for a jog every morning so I can slim down,¡± said the young boy while he did warm-ups inside the house.

    Since he was unfamiliar with the area, Ruan Danchen was worried that something might happen to a small boy like him. Thus, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll join you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan beamed with happiness. After Ruan Danchen changed into her sportswear, they both went out together.

    Since it was a Saturday, most working-ss people were still sound asleep. Most of the elderly, however, did not sleep as much as plenty were out and about, doing their morning exercises.

    Ruan Danchen held Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand, and as soon as they went out of the building entrance, they met Aunt Wu. She came back from the market and was dragging along her little trolley.

    She was stunned to see Ruan Danchen holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand.

    When she was walking her dog the evening prior, she bumped into Xiao Chen and her daughter who lived in apartment 501. They had a little chat, and Xiao Chen said that Ruan Danchen was in a rtionship with a divorcee who had a child. The man even brought his son to have dinner at Ruan Danchen¡¯s house.

    Aunt Wu listened to all that without paying too much attention to it, but when she saw Ruan Danchen holding that little boy¡¯s hand and going out, she wondered if the man and his son spent the night at Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce.

    ¡°Danchen, why are you out so early on a Saturday?¡± Aunt Wu smiled and asked.

    ¡°Bringing this boy out for a walk.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and remarked candidly.

    In Aunt Wu¡¯s ears, however, the sentence took on a different meaning altogether. ¡®Did Ruan Danchen really be the boy¡¯s stepmother?¡¯

    ¡°Hi Granny,¡± Qi Youxuan greeted politely in a crisp and clear voice.

    ¡°Eh, hello, hello. You¡¯re so polite.¡± Aunt Wu was no match for the charm of the adorable little boy. She was no longer thinking about whether his father was a divorcee or not.

    During the night before, Xiao Chen mentioned that the boy¡¯s father was very handsome, but she said it rather vaguely, so Aunt Wu could not picture how handsome the man was. After seeing Youxuan, however, she found the boy to be extremely cute. The father must also be incredibly good-looking.

    ¡°This is my friend¡¯s son,¡± Ruan Danchen introduced. ¡°Youxuan, this granny is my neighbor.¡±

    Qi Youxuan heard that and instantly became more energized and polite. ¡°Granny, please take good care of Aunt Ruan when my dad and I aren¡¯t around.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stupefied.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s words seemed more and more out of ce.

    Aunt Wu had the same thought as Aunt Chen and nodded while smiling. ¡°Hehehe, such a good boy. Don¡¯t worry about it. Oh yes, where¡¯s your Dad?¡±

    ¡°Dad went homest night. I didn¡¯t want to leave, so he let me stay here,¡± the little boy said earnestly.

    Aunt Wu thought to herself and felt that it was no small feat for Ruan Danchen to win over the boy.

    ¡°Hehe, you and Xiao Ruan seem to have a genuinely good rtionship,¡± remarked Aunt Wu with a smile. Believing that Qi Youxuan was still a naive little boy who would not think much, she asked directly, ¡°What does your Dad do?¡±

    Upon hearing that sentence, Qi Youxuan puffed out his chest and asked proudly, ¡°Have you ever heard of Qilin, Granny?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard of it, it¡¯s a bigpany,¡± answered Aunt Wu and nodded. She surmised that the little boy¡¯s dad was an employee at Qilin.

    Qi Chenglin nodded and answered crisply, ¡°Mm, that belongs to my family.¡±

    Aunt Wu was stunned speechless.

    At that moment, it was a shock of lightning struck her brain. Her mind went nk and she was dumbfounded.

    She wondered how Ruan Danchen could meet such a rich young master through daily conversations alone. It was not even a normal rich guy¡ªhe was practically impossible-to-reach since he was from such a prestigious family.

    Aunt Wu found it hard to believe when she looked at Qi Youxuan, but there was no reason for the boy to lie to her.

    She looked at Ruan Danchen, who hastily said, ¡°Aunt Wu, you should head up. We¡¯re going for our jog now.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay,¡± Aunt Wu said. She was still in shock and looked startled out of her mind.

    Aunt Wu finally regained her senses after Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan away. She even heard Ruan Danchen tell the little boy, ¡°Don¡¯t just reveal your family background to a stranger next time. Granny Wu isn¡¯t a bad person, so it¡¯s no problem, but what if you met a bad guy who wants to harm you because he knows your family background?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± The young boy nodded and looked sincere in learning from his mistake.

    ¡°...¡± Aunt Wu felt her legs go weak. The night before, Xiao Chen¡¯s daughter intimated that the boy¡¯s father was rich, but never did she expect that he was filthy rich. Simply using the word ¡®rich¡¯ was not apt enough of a description.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to circle run onep around the nearby park. Their faces were red from the running.

    When they returned, they passed by a roadside stall selling some breakfast. There were wontons, deep-fried glutinous rice dough cake, and also sesame balls among other things. His eyes were fixed onto the food once he smelled the aroma wafting from afar.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I wanna eat those.¡± Qi Youxuan pointed his finger and waved it in the direction. ¡°It smells so good.¡±

    Ruan Danchen brought him over, much to the little boy¡¯s delight and curiosity. The wontons did not interest him, because despite not having any of those from outside stalls, Aunt Chen and Aunt Zheng made them frequently. It was the fried cakes and sesame balls that intrigued him since he had never eaten them before.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, what are these?¡± Qi Youxuan pointed and asked.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never eaten them before?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Qi Youxuan shook his head and said, ¡°I usually have breakfast at home. Aunt Chen makes them at Grandma¡¯s home and in my home Nanny Zheng makes it. I¡¯ve never eaten outside breakfast before.¡±

    Ruan Danchen understood that. She bought two bowls of wontons, two fried cakes, and two sesame balls in the end.

    The young boy was surely unable to finish such a big bowl of wontons. In addition to the fried cakes and sesame balls, probably half of the full portion would be left over for her to finish.

    She carried the food in one hand and held Qi Youxuan in the other. Then, she spotted a Benz parked below her apartment, the exact same one that Qi Chenglin bought.

    ¡°Dad came here early,¡± the boy said, having spotted the car too.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartbeat quickened. She was unprepared to face him after what happened the previous night.

    Qi Chenglin already knew that she was the woman from that fateful night seven years ago. Along with the rtionship she had with Qi Youxuan, she felt embarrassed, shy, and ashamed to face him.

    She wondered what was on his mind when he looked at her.

    Two tugs were felt on her hand, prompting Ruan Danchen to look down and see the little boy looking up. He urged her, ¡°Aunt Ruan, let¡¯s go home quick. We have to eat these when they¡¯re hot.¡±

    The boy¡¯s cute demeanor made her set aside those issues temporarily, and she thus went into the building with him.

    After getting out of the elevator, she turned to the side and saw Qi Chenglin standing at her door. His a-hundred-and-ny-centimeter-tall body was standing there, upying practically the entire door.

    ¨C

    Bonus scene.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Qi Youxuan called out, ¡°next time when you want to bring Aunt Ruan outside so you can kiss her, please bring keys. If you do this, I¡¯ll be so embarrassed.¡±

    ¡°Next time, I¡¯ll bring her home,¡± Qi Chenglin answered. ¡°I won¡¯t need to bring keys by then.¡±

    ¡°You have a point, Dad,¡± Qi Youxuan answered in agreement.

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded by their conversation.

    ¡°Ah, Aunt Ruan, you¡¯re here?¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless for a while before she spoke, ¡°Can both of you consider my feelings next time when you speak?¡±

 Chapter 316 - She Was Taking Some Stuff and Tripped On The Cabinet Leg

    Chapter 316: She Was Taking Some Stuff and Tripped On The Cab Leg

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin was dressed in a way that revealed his social ss. His presence was a stark contrast to the bare-looking street.

    Qi Chenglin had one hand in his pocket while the other held a cigarette. As Ruan Danchen was approaching, she saw him smoking¡ªthe smoke he exhaled clouded his polished face.

    Hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice, Qi Chenglin turned in their direction but his eyes were fixated on Ruan Danchen.

    She was wearing a hoodie, zipped up to her chest with a white tank top underneath. Her shorts matched her hoodie¡¯s design¡ªboth were athletic wear.

    The gym shorts were very short, revealing the sinews of her pale, long legs. Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze slowly moved up to Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. There was a faint blush on her face, likely due to the exercise session. Her breathing was still heavy despite the effort to control it.

    Skin as fair as jade 1, face as beautiful as the morning bloom.

    The words appeared in Qi Chenglin¡¯s mind without warning.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were parted as she panted softly. The action made Qi Chenglin think of that night, seven days ago. A me was burning in the pit of his stomach and his eyes darkened involuntarily.

    ¡°Dad, why are you here so early?¡± Qi Youxuan did not like that his dad was picking him up early.

    ¡°To take you home. I don¡¯t want you to waste other people¡¯s time and leave a bad impression,¡± Qi Chenglin said coolly.

    ¡°No worries about that. Youxuan has been good,¡± Ruan Danchen quickly replied. She was met with Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze. The blush on her face became a shade darker.

    Qi Chenglin was staring deeply into her eyes when Qi Youxuan took his hand and swung both their hands. ¡°Dad, I have not eaten. After the run, we went to buy breakfast. Can we finish breakfast first before leaving?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯ve already bought breakfast,¡± Ruan Danchen said. She wanted to spend more time with the little boy as well.

    Qi Chenglin saw packed breakfast in her hand and said, ¡°I¡¯ve not had breakfast too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen more or less understood his intentions despite their infrequent interactions. ¡°This might not feed all three of us. I¡¯ll go and buy more.¡±

    As she said that, she fumbled with her house keys to open the door. Qi Chenglin swept in and took the package from her hands. When his fingers brushed against her, Ruan Danchen could feel a rush of electricity pass through her and her fingers twitched in response.

    ¡°No need for that. You can cook some breakfast if it¡¯s insufficient,¡± Qi Chenglin spoke. He stood aside with the food, waiting for Ruan Danchen to open the door.

    ¡®He really doesn¡¯t treat himself as a stranger,¡¯ Ruan Danchen thought.

    She felt like her scalp was on fire. She took a quick nce at Qi Chenglin¡ªhe wore a cored shirt and long pants but did note off as too formal. With a cigarette in one hand and a stic bag in another, he looked like a husbanding home with the family. Ruan Danchen felt her heart race.

    Qi Chenglin stood near her, almost touching her shoulder. She could smell the attractive and masculine scent of tobo on him. When it came to Qi Chenglin, even the scent of cigarettes smelled elegant on him.

    ¡°Smoking before breakfast. Isn¡¯t that bad for the body?¡± Ruan Danchen mentioned in passing when she saw the lit cigarette still in his hand.

    The sides of Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched. Wordlessly, he walked past her to the nearby trash can. A loud ttering sound could be heard. When he came back, the cigarette was gone.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s throat was dry so she said nothing.

    It was only a passingment. She did not think he would actually take her words seriously.

    Suddenly, Qi Chenglin leaned forward. He whispered in her ear in a husky tone, ¡°So, this is what it feels like to be bossed around by a woman.¡±

    A full-on blush immediately spread across Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. The tips of her ears were burning at this point. Her shoulders and neck were tense as she avoided eye contact. She felt like she wouldbust if she were to look into his eyes now.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to boss you around,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly, worried that she might have crossed the line.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrow and let out a huff. He pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and ced a stick between his thin lips. He got his lighter out, ready to light the cigarette.

    Ruan Danchen rushed forward to tug his arm. ¡°Don¡¯t smoke. Secondhand smoke is bad for Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t want to boss me around?¡± Qi Chenglin said sarcastically with a stony expression.

    A second before, she was burning under his gaze. Now, she shivered.

    ¡°So, do you care or not?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with the cigarette between his lips. He cocked his eyebrows questioningly.

    He had that rebellious and defiant look. She was conversationally forced into a corner.

    Ruan Danchen was unhappy with the situation. She had no ties with this man, yet she was forced to handle him.

    She gritted her teeth and said, ¡°I care.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled. He immediately removed the cigarette and kept the lighter.

    ¡°Dad, the wonton is getting cold. Can you guys continue to talk inside the house?¡± Qi Youxuan wondered if he was the only person who was worried about their breakfast.

    The two adults were dilly-dallying at the entrance, and yet the door remained unopened.

    Qi Chenglin gave him the stink-eye for breaking the tension.

    Normally, it was Qi Youxuan who was rushing to find a stepmother. Now that the opportunity had risen, Qi Youxuan was being a hindrance.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face burned up. She quickly unlocked the front door to let them in.

    Once inside the house, she did not bother to change her attire and hurried into the kitchen. She poured the wontons, sesame balls, and fried cakes onto some tes.

    The young boy was full after having one fried cake, one sesame ball, and some wontons. The rest was left for Ruan Danchen.

    There was another bowl of wontons for Qi Chenglin. Although Qi Youxuan could no longer eat the remaining fried cakes and sesame balls, he did not want to share the food with his dad. He only agreed to let Qi Chenglin have some after Ruan Danchen exined that the food would not be tasty if it had gotten cold.

    There was a sense of ipatibility when watching someone from the upper ss munch on these street food.

    Qi Chenglin did not seem to care. He gulped down the soup that came with the wontons and ate in abundance. Ruan Danchen was stunned to find that Qi Chenglin looked good even while eating.

    Distracted, she vaguely heard the calls of the young boy.

    Ruan Danchen snapped out of her trance and looked at the kid. With an innocent face, Qi Youxuan asked, ¡°Aunt Ruan, why are you staring at my dad? I was calling you and you didn¡¯t even notice. Well, I guess my dad is quite handsome so your reaction is pretty normal.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tensed. She could hear the blood rush in her ears as embarrassment filled her. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s smug face. He must beughing at her!

    She got up from the table. Her sudden reaction made her appear even guiltier.

    She piled up all the empty tes and bowls and mumbled under her breath, ¡°I¡¯ll wash these.¡±

    She carried the dishware and left with her head down.

    Qi Chenglin noted the redness that colored the back of her neck.

    Once Ruan Danchen closed the kitchen door, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Control yourself. If you scare her away, don¡¯te crying to me.¡±

    Qi Youxuan sucked at his oily fingers before taking a piece of tissue to clean his hand. ¡°Aunt Ruan was truly staring dreamily at you.¡±

    A smirk appeared on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face but he replied in a serious tone, ¡°Okay, go wash your hands. Don¡¯t stir things up.¡±

    Qi Youxuan climbed off the chair and walked to the bathroom. ¡°He¡¯s clearly happy but wants to act tough, even his lips are twitching. I don¡¯t know who he¡¯s trying to fool.¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned to the te that previously held the sesame balls and fried cakes. In her hurry to escape, Ruan Danchen missed out that te.

    He slowly got up and picked the te up with his slender fingers. Then, he headed for the kitchen.

    The sink was near the doorway. As Ruan Danchen was washing the dishes, the kitchen door suddenly opened. Qi Chenglin walked in and ced the te into the sink. He stayed back in the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen was scrubbing the tes so she could not hide from him.

    ¡°So, you were staring while I was eating. Am I that good-looking?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s deep voice echoed above her head. There was a teasing tone to his words.

    His voice was like electricity arcing from the top of her head to the back of her neck. Ruan Danchen felt her ears go numb. The dishes were abandoned¡ªshe put down the bowl and turned off the tap. She took two steps back and said, ¡°My mind was upied and it just so happened that I was spacing out in your direction.¡±

    Qi Chenglin grinned mirthfully and took a step forward. ¡°Try looking at me now and think about something.¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Qi Chenglin had been bugging her all the time recently. He was like a chewing gum that was stuck to the sole of her shoe.

    She put on her best fake smile and spoke in a polite tone, ¡°Young Master Lin is hrious. If you keep this up, I¡¯d think that you¡¯re trying to seduce me with your roguish ways.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that I wanted to seduce you yesterday night? Have you already forgotten?¡± Qi Chenglin gave her a charming smirk. As Ruan Danchen retreated, he inched forward.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, don¡¯t joke. You... It¡¯s improper.¡± Ruan Danchen took a step back and bumped into the kitchen cab. She was cornered.

    The edges of his lips curled upwards. He put his hand out onto the cab door, effectively boxing her in.

    That clean-shaven and handsome face slowly inched nearer. Grazing past her face, he whispered in her ear, ¡°Not joking. I¡¯m seducing my son¡¯s mother. How is that improper?¡±

    Ruan Danchen went still. Even though she had had confirmation beforehand, the sudden admission by Qi Chenglin still surprised her. ¡°Youxuan is my son, isn¡¯t he?¡±

    Qi Chenglin leaned back. Those indecipherable, ck eyes gleamed at her.

    There was a heavy silence between them. Ruan Danchen felt her scalp go numb under his scrutiny; even her stomach was twisted into a knot.

    A momentter, Qi Chenglin spoke in a low voice, ¡°If it¡¯s true, will you let me seduce you?¡±

    What was the man even thinking about?

    Ruan Danchen made herself even smaller. ¡°Young Master Lin, I am amoner whoes from a low standing family. I don¡¯t want to get involved with your games. I just want to treat Youxuan well. Even if I can¡¯t take care of him myself, being able to see him is enough. If you want some woman to toy with, I¡¯m not the one.¡±

    ¡°What if I said I was serious? That I want to marry you? Will I be a suitable partner then?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked his eyebrows at her.

    Ruan Danchen blushed. The way he phrased the questions made it seem like she was the one with the higher ground, as if she wanted to marry him. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Don¡¯t twist my words. It¡¯s so difficult to talk to you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin ced one hand against the cab while the other snaked around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist. He tugged her forward, pressing his body against hers.

    ¡°For men and women tomunicate without reservations, there¡¯s only one obvious way,¡± he spoke against the corners of her lips. The infinitesimal distance between their lips made Ruan Danchen panic.

    His hot breath was scalding her. He must beughing at her weak resolve, yet she could not control the trembling of her lips. With such a dashing countenance and attractive body, even models might not be on par with a man like Qi Chenglin. He was a capable person who came from a prestigious family¡ªevery path he took was without obstacles.

    No woman could resist a man like him, especially when he was actively pursuing her. The more mature and stable the man was, the more attractive he became. It was hard for a woman to keep her heart from falling for his charm.

    All Ruan Danchen could do now was to cautiously guard her heart. She knew her ce in the world, she never considered getting into a rtionship with someone of a higher social ss. Before she knew of Qi Youxuan¡¯s existence, her marriage goal was just to find a man who would treat her well. Perhaps a man from the working ss, someone who was diligent. They could work hard for their future together¡ªbuy a house, have kids, toil for a brighter tomorrow. She had never thought of marrying the rich to climb the socialdder.

    Ruan Danchen did not believe that she had the necessary criteria to walk that path. She was different from Song Yu. Qi Chengzhi had had his eyes on Song Yu since a long time ago. Ruan Danchen only wanted a normal and happy marriage even though there might be some limitations in life.

    However, now that she found out about Qi Youxuan, she figured that she might not marry after all. She wanted to look over him as he grew up. asionally, he coulde over to her ce and they could bond.

    He would never know Ruan Danchen as his birth mother, but just as the kind and fun Aunt Ruan. It hurt her but this was better for Qi Youxuan.

    As Ruan Danchen dwelled on the thought, the pain in her chest throbbed.

    Qi Chenglin noticed that Ruan Danchen was staring off into space. He did not know what she was thinking but those clear, big eyes were clouded with sadness. She was no longer looking at him.

    His heart clenched at the sight of her sadness. He leaned in closer and pressed his body on hers.

    Ruan Danchen let out a startled breath and leaned further back. She stared wide-eyed in disbelief at Qi Chenglin.

    He... This was harassment!

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, what are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen called out his full name in a shocked and embarrassed tone, his social standing forgotten.

    ¡°I want to get to know you better.¡± Qi Chenglin dared to say something so shameless with a straight face. Those lips were getting nearer to her face, grazing past the edge of her mouth.

    Ruan Danchen trembled. The spot that he grazed past tingled. She immediately pushed him away. ¡°Qi Chenglin! Don¡¯t you care about your pride?¡±

    The man replied nonchntly, ¡°No.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless after that. She could feel his hand on her waist. Even though her shirt was preventing direct contact, she felt the heat radiating from his palms. Her abdomen clenched tightly. Her house was not big and the kitchen door was transparent. Anytime, Qi Youxuan could wander in and see them.

    Ruan Danchen was agitated and frustrated at this point. She said in a low tone, ¡°Let go of me. What if Youxuan sees us? I don¡¯t want him to misunderstand and think that I¡¯m using him to get close to you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He will be quite happy if that were true.¡± Qi Chenglin smirked. Passion burned behind the dark eyes that stared at Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft lips. His breath was hot on her skin.

    Ruan Danchen was silent.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice echoed from afar.

    Cold sweat dripped across her back. Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Youxuan woulde into the kitchen. She tried to push Qi Chenglin away. ¡°Let go of me before hees in.¡±

    ¡°He would be happy if he saw us,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a grin.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan, you guys haven¡¯t finished washing the dishes?¡± The childish voice was getting closer to the kitchen.

    This made Ruan Danchen even more nervous and distressed. She struggled against Qi Chenglin, and as she opened her mouth to say something, her lips were caught in a kiss. Wide-eyed, she let out a ragged breath as she was pressed hard against the cab door.

    Using both her arms, she pped his back but her blows were nothingpared to his firm and solid muscles. He hugged her even tighter. Pressed up against him, she felt that his chest was even more solid than it was seven years ago. The masculine scent on his body stimted her senses and made her heart beat faster. After a while, she was unconsciously snuggling into his embrace, the hands that were initially pushing him away clutched tightly at his shirt. The arms gradually moved up to his neck. With her resistance withering away, she allowed him to kiss her senselessly as she restedfortably in his arms.

    Qi Chenglin was enamored by her surrender. He tightened his embrace and breathed in the faintly sweet scenting from Ruan Danchen. His member was unusually active¡ªa feeling that had eluded him for the past seven years. He felt like a brand new person again. Although he had epted his fate a long time ago, this renewed vigor reminded him how great the feeling was.

    The fire in Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart burned brighter with every passing second. Suddenly, Ruan Danchen found herself in the air with her feet dangling. Qi Chenglin had carried her in a moment of passion. She was starting to feel dizzy in his arms.

    During that incident seven years ago, he was not in the right state of mind, yet his actions were gentle as always. To be honest, she never did forget Qi Chenglin¡ªespecially now that he was dropping in on her life so often. Every time Ruan Danchen saw him, her feelings only intensified.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan.¡± Qi Youxuan opened the kitchen door. He blinked his eyes and read the situation. Qi Chenglin was standing by the sink with the dishes in hand while Ruan Danchen was on the floor with her back against the kitchen cab. He was confused.

    Qi Chenglin turned around and gave the child a bored look. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth was agape. Never in his life had he ever seen his father washing the dishes.

    ¡°Dad, what happened to Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan asked after he recovered from the initial shock. Ruan Danchen¡¯s head was lowered and her long hair prevented him from seeing her face.

    ¡°She was taking some stuff and tripped on the cab leg,¡± Qi Chenglin said in a steady voice. His face gave nothing away.

    Free mini-scene:

    ChengYu Mini Scene 1

    One day, Song Yu went into the study room to find a book to read. She saw a leather-bound book standing out in the crowd of other books that had no covers, so she took it out.

    The title of the book was ¡¯48 Styles for A Happy Sex Life¡¯.

    Song Yu was speechless. She flipped open the book with some suspicion. Inside, there were drawings of couples in sexual positions and written exnations.

    Song Yu narrowed her eyes at one of the drawings. It looked familiar.

 Chapter 317 - This Is Why You Canâ€™t Get A Wife

    <h4>Chapter 317: This Is Why You Can¡¯t Get A Wife</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen sat on the floor, she had no strength to stand back up.

    When Qi Youxuan came in, Qi Chenglin let her go in time to walk over to the sink and resume washing the dishes. On the other hand, her legs decided to give up on her and she slid down the cab door.

    She had her head lowered, feeling guilty about what had happened. Her face was still burning as she resisted the urge to p herself. Why did she lose herself in the kiss?

    Qi Youxuan was so close to stumbling into the affair. Ruan Danchen was still trying to recover from the shock.

    If he had really caught them in that precarious situation, she did not know how she should face him.

    ¡°Dad, why aren¡¯t you helping her up? This is why you can¡¯t get a wife.¡± The little boy shook his head disapprovingly, ignoring his father¡¯s darkened expression. Qi Youxuan walked toward Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, are you okay? Does it hurt?¡± Seeing that Ruan Danchen kept her head down, Qi Youxuan figured she must be crying from the pain.

    Ruan Danchen calmed herself down and tidied her hair before looking up. During themotion, Qi Chenglin had tugged her ponytail loose and the hair tie was nowhere to be found.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Ruan Danchen said sheepishly. She averted her gaze from Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Eh, Aunt Ruan, why is your face red? Are you hurting?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°Em...¡± Ruan Danchen uttered.

    ¡°Is it still hurting?¡± Qi Youxuan was worried as he took Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    His small, soft hands tried their best to reassure her. Ruan Danchen was incredibly touched by the gesture.

    ¡°No, it doesn¡¯t hurt anymore,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll help you up.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s small hands had a hard time pulling Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm, let alone her whole body. Knowing his limitations, he turned to his father. ¡°Dad,e help Aunt Ruan. Really, dad. You make me worry for your future.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes narrowed at the boy. Qi Youxuan hunched his shoulders, realizing that he might have gotten too carried away.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and walked over. Without any preamble, his arm circled around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist. Ruan Danchen shivered as the warm palm settled on her hip. She blushed as she stared at the hand resting on her body.

    Hisrge hand made her waist look delicate.

    ¡°I can get up on my own,¡± Ruan Danchen said as her face heated up.

    She heard Qi Chenglin breathe out a sigh over her head. The breath caressed her forehead, leaving behind a numbness.

    After that, she was pulled up by Qi Chenglin. Her arm instinctively wrapped around his shoulder. Once her footing was secured, she quickly let go of Qi Chenglin, her eyes avoiding him.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled. It tickled his heart to see Ruan Danchen shy and embarrassed.

    If it were not for Qi Youxuan¡¯s presence, he would have already taken her to bed.

    Later, Qi Youxuan was adamant that he escort Ruan Danchen out of the kitchen to rest on the couch.

    Qi Chenglin followed them out. He said indifferently, ¡°Pack up your stuff, we¡¯re leaving.¡±

    Qi Youxuan had just sat down on the couch. He immediately hid behind Ruan Danchen and hugged her by the waist. Not wanting to leave, he cried out, ¡°So soon? Let me y a while longer.¡±

    ¡°She needs to rest. Don¡¯t forget, we¡¯re going back to the old manor today.¡± Qi Chenglin shot Ruan Danchen a look.

    Ruan Danchen was reluctant to part with Qi Youxuan. She hugged him tightly. ¡°Can¡¯t he stay for just a little longer?¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared into Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes and saw the guilt behind them. She knew that she had no right to keep Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Go pack up,¡± Qi Chenglin ordered coldly.

    Qi Youxuan knew that his father was not budging on the issue. With a pout on his face, he crawled down from the couch and walked dejectedly into the bedroom to pack.

    The scene made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartache and she gave Qi Chenglin a pitiful look.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips as he sat down beside her. He felt the uneasiness radiating from Ruan Danchen¡ªshe seemed like she wanted to move away but had no guts to do so.

    ¡°Why are you nervous?¡± he asked teasingly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Ruan Danchen said under her breath, avoiding his gaze.

    Qi Chenglin had just kissed her senseless a moment ago and here he was now, acting as if nothing had happened.

    Qi Chenglin snorted and teased her, saying, ¡°Then why won¡¯t you look at me?¡±

    ¡°Why should I? There¡¯s nothing worth looking at,¡± Ruan Danchen said moodily.

    There was a period of silence. Qi Chenglin did not speak.

    She could feel the intensity of his gaze even with her head down.

    The pressure on her was immense as he refused to look away.

    In the end, Ruan Danchen raised her head and took a peek. Her eyes were instantly drawn into Qi Chenglin¡¯s obsidian orbs.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in an incredulous tone. Her scalp was feeling numb under his stare.

    ¡°You¡¯re pretty,¡± Qi Chenglin smirked and said yfully. The intensity of his gaze felt like the sun scorching her.

    Ruan Danchen was at a loss. She chewed her lip and said, ¡°Young Master Lin, please don¡¯t make these kinds of jokes.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± Qi Chenglin replied in a deep, sensuous voice.

    Ruan Danchen did not know what Qi Chenglin was thinking. As she was about to reply, the young boy gloomily walked into the room with his little box.

    ¡°Did you take all your gifts? Don¡¯t leave stuff behind again,¡± Qi Chenglin asked as he stood up.

    ¡°They¡¯re already in the box,¡± Qi Youxuan replied in an unhappy tone.

    Qi Chenglin took hold of Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and walked over to the front door. Qi Youxuan still did not want to leave; he pouted as he said goodbye to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen could not find a legitimate reason to keep Qi Youxuan here, so she could only watch as Qi Chenglin took him away. She followed them all the way to the elevator. Watching the young boy¡¯s face disappear behind the elevator doors made Ruan Danchen tear up. She sniffled as tears threatened to flow.

    When she returned home, she went out to the balcony and spotted Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. Perhaps it was because of the bond forged from Qi Youxuan staying over, she found herself wanting to spend more time with him.

    As she watched them, Qi Youxuan suddenly stopped and looked up at her. He proceeded to dramatically wave his small arm at her.

    At this point, Ruan Danchen could no longer hold back her tears. Thankfully, Qi Youxuan was not there to witness it.

    She waved back at Qi Youxuan. She watched the boy look back in her direction periodically as he was being ushered away by Qi Chenglin, all the while waving goodbye until he got into the car.

    Ruan Danchen stayed on the balcony until the car left.

    She sat on the couch and daydreamed for a moment before realizing that she was still in her sports attire. She had not washed off the sweat from her morning jog, thus she went to the bedroom to get ready for a shower. Seated on her bed was Qi Youxuan¡¯s teddy bear.

    Ruan Danchen walked over to the bed and pulled the teddy bear into a hug. She could still smell Qi Youxuan¡¯s scent as he had always slept with the toy.

    The teddy bear was something he carried around with him everywhere. She wondered how it got left behind.

    Ruan Danchen ced the teddy bear on the bedside table and went to shower.

    After drying her hair, she went to lie down on the bed. She hugged the teddy bear and inhaled the lingering baby scent of the boy; in doing so, it calmed her.

    She spent around thirty minutes rxing on the bed before she was interrupted by a phone call.

    It was Qi Youxuan calling. She quickly picked up the call. ¡°Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m at Great-grandpa¡¯s house now,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s bright and clear voice echoed through the phone. ¡°I think I identally left my teddy bear at your ce.¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruan Danchen looked down at the toy and said gently, ¡°I¡¯m hugging it now.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was especially happy to hear that and his voice went a pitch higher as he said, ¡°Really? We¡¯ll leave that bear at your house then. When I¡¯m not there, you can think of it as me and feel like I¡¯m there with you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have a habit of hugging the bear to sleep at night? Are you sure that it¡¯s okay to leave it here?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly. Just hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice made her smile.

    ¡°No worries. I¡¯m happy that the teddy bear is keeping youpany,¡± Qi Youxuan said while blushing.

    ¡°Okay. I shall hug the teddy to sleep every night,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she smiled. She felt that Qi Youxuan had intentionally left the toy here.

    Qi Youxuan continued to happily chat with Ruan Danchen until he saw Grandmother Qi walking over. He quickly said his goodbyes and hung up.

    Grandmother Qi was interested to know more about the woman Qi Chenglin was interested in. However, Qi Youxuan seemed unwilling to share any information so she walked away feeling unsatisfied.

    ...

    ...

    On Monday, Ruan Danchen was meeting a client at Shengyue. It was not a big-name client, just a client who wanted to do some house renovations. Now that her name was tarnished, major clients did not frequent her service. Hence, even minor jobs such as house renovations fell into her purview.

    After the discussion, the client took his leave.

    As Ruan Danchen was packing up to leave, a call came from Mu Huaisheng.

    She was indifferent toward Mu Huaisheng. Anything beyond friends was unthinkable as he was rted to Mu Sisi.

    ¡°Mr. Mu,¡± Ruan Danch addressed politely through the phone.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, I have a renovation job that requires your help. Are you in the office? I can go over to meet you,¡± said Mu Huaisheng.

    ¡°I just finished up with a client at Shengyue,¡± Ruan Danchen replied. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in another forty minutes.¡±

    ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m around the area. How about we meet at Shengyue?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked.

    The call ended and Ruan Danchen waited at Shengyue.

    Twenty minutester, Mu Huaisheng showed up.

    He was dressed in a tailored suit and the cold aura he exuded was much more elegant than Qi Chenglin. Nevertheless, she had always preferred Qi Chenglin.

    Without having Qi Chenglin as aparison, Mu Huaisheng was an eyecatcher.

    As he approached, Ruan Danchen stood up as a sign of respect. She was treating him as she would a client.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to barge in on you suddenly.¡± Mu Huaisheng sat down and gave her an apologetic smile.

    ¡°Mr. Mu is giving me business. I should be the one thanking you.¡± Ruan Danchen returned the smile. ¡°It¡¯s just, MU. is already in operation so I¡¯m unsure as to what other renovations there might be?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this, my parents visited B City a while back and decided to stay longer. Initially, we wanted to live together in the house that I had originally bought, but it might be too much of a squeeze for the whole family. So I chose another vi for my sister and parents while I moved to an apartment that¡¯s nearer to thepany. Since I¡¯m living alone, a big house will only end up feeling empty.¡± Mu Huaisheng¡¯s sonorous voice carried on. ¡°For these two houses, I would like you to design them if you have the time.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was a little hesitant. If that vi was meant for his parents and Mu Sisi, taking on the job might mean running into Mu Sisi and that was thest thing she wanted.

    As for Mu Huaisheng¡¯s bachelor pad, it would mean a lot of interaction with him during the renovation works. She was notfortable with the thought as she preferred not to have too much dealings with him.

    However, this was a job opportunity that was hard toe by. The decline in her number of clients had garnered some looks from Director Zhao.

    In the midst of her internal debate, Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes fell upon Qi Chenglin.

    He had just walked in with his assistant, Jiang Yuan, by his side. They were apanied by another two middle-aged men that she did not recognize. One had a bald spot at the top of his head while the other sported arge belly¡ªboth who looked like clients. They were chatting happily with Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin was a sight to behold with his tall and slender frame, every gesture from him was graceful and charming. Standing next to him, the two clients were an unsightly scene.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s anxiety was piqued as she worried that Qi Chenglin would see her. Although she was only talking business with Mu Huaisheng, she felt like she was getting caught cheating by her boyfriend. The whole thing was ridiculous.

    She only saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s side profile and already her face was red. His long legs followed the directions given by the waiter while his eyes were fixed ahead. It seemed like he was not aware that she was here.

    Funnily, she found herself feeling a bit disappointed that he did not notice her at first sight.

    The change in her expression from bashful to disappointed must have been obvious as Mu Huaisheng turned around to understand the situation.

    At that point, Qi Chenglin had already walked down the corridor toward the private rooms. Mu Huaisheng only saw the waiter that was serving Qi Chenglin. Confused, he turned back and asked, ¡°Miss Ruan, you saw a friend?¡±

    Ruan Danchen quickly snapped back to the situation and shook her head. ¡°No, I was mistaken.¡±

    ¡°So, Miss Ruan, are you willing to take this case?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked in a light tone. He gave her a look that suggested a closer rtionship than just the average client but it did not make her feel ufortable.

    ¡°Mr. Mu, I am thankful that I¡¯m your first choice but because of Miss Mu, I don¡¯t think I should be taking on this case. The renovations on the vi will require some degree of interaction with Miss Mu and there¡¯s some conflict of interest. To be honest, I would like to have zero interactions with her,¡± Ruan Danchen replied in all honesty.

    Since the incident with Mu Sisi, Ruan Danchen¡¯s words carried some weight to them and Mu Huaisheng had no right to be mad.

    Mu Huaisheng nodded his head calmly. ¡°I understand. The renovation in the vi would be a bigger project which would bring you more profit but if you¡¯re notfortable, we can forget it. How about my apartment, I take that there are no such considerations?¡±

    Ruan Danchen peered at him doubtfully. Her attention was diverted to the arrival of Qi Chengzhi at the front door.

    The maism of the two Qi brothers was a force to be reckoned with. When Qi Chengzhi walked in, it was akin to a stork among chickens. He stood out without much effort.

    Qi Chengzhi somehow noticed Ruan Danchen and turned in her direction. She felt her skin crawl under his gaze.

    Qi Chenglin was always a tease which made her heart race like a deer caught in the headlights. On the other hand, Qi Chengzhi only filled her with dread.

    From afar, Qi Chengzhi only nodded his head and bounded for the private room.

    A momentter, Qi Chenglin walked out from the corridor. He took long strides toward the public dining hall, each footstep was steady and measured, making Ruan Danchen nervous.

    Mu Huaisheng was facing the other direction and could not see what was happening. Qi Chenglin was clearly looking at her as he walked toward their table. For some reason, he had a smirk on his face.

    She was not spotted by him just now, yet here he was.

    His expression seemed to imply that she had been caught red-handed.

    Although she had done nothing wrong, guilt lingered in her heart.

    She watched as Qi Chenglin walked toward their table but stopped short at the table before them. He took a seat behind Mu Huaisheng.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    What was he doing now?

    ¡°Miss Ruan?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked when he noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s unfocused gaze.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s attention returned to Mu Huaisheng. ¡°Can I have some time to consider?¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was surprised. He smiled and said, ¡°Is your schedule tight these days?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to answer his question. Mu Huaisheng just had to ask around to learn of her recent decline in work performance.

    Director Zhao would be his main source of information regarding herself.

    Mu Huaisheng chuckled. ¡°Miss Ruan, there is no need to feel pressured. This is purely a work offer, nothing more. I am interested in you, something that I¡¯m sure you¡¯re aware of. I do not want to be off-putting in the process of courting you. I know that my sister has caused a lot of problems for you at work, hence I wanted to do my best to alleviate that. Notwithstanding the incident with my sister, I would still be inclined to have you work on this project, if for nothing else than to leave a good impression. If this renovation project brings us closer together, it would be an additional benefit.¡±

    This took Ruan Danchen by surprise. Mu Huaisheng¡¯s unexpected honesty left her with nothing to say.

    ¡°Mr. Mu chose the wrong person.¡± She decided to respond in kind. ¡°I have no intentions of getting into a rtionship. If you are approaching me as a normal client, I would be more than happy to take on your case. But now, I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll have to reject your offer. I hope you can understand my decision.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was not expecting an outright rejection. It took him a while before speaking up, ¡°Miss Ruan, don¡¯t be hasty with your rejection. Taking on this project does not mean you have epted me, take it as a chance for us. Or you can treat it purely as work and I will be your innocent client, then there will be less pressure on you, I¡¯d say?¡±

    Free mini scene:

    ChengYu Mini Scene 2

    As Song Yu was taking the book out, Qi Chengzhi was ying with five-month-old Youjin.

    ¡°What¡¯s with this book?¡± A red-faced Song Yu shoved the book at Qi Chengzhi.

    Qi Chengzhi gave the book a quick nce and said, ¡°A present for Chenglin.¡±

    Silence.

    ¡°And what about that bookmark?¡± Song Yu pointed at the card slotted between the pages of the book.

 Chapter 318 - You Can Forgo The â€˜Qiâ€™ Next Time

    <h4>Chapter 318: You Can Forgo The ¡®Qi¡¯ Next Time</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Young Master Mu¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Mu Huaisheng stopped her. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time to think about it since the renovation is not urgent.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know what to say to his insistence.

    ¡°Do you have something onter?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes instinctively shifted to Qi Chenglin who was sitting behind Mu Huaisheng. However, she could only see Qi Chenglin¡¯s back.

    A text followed suit. Unsurprisingly, it was from Qi Chenglin saying, ¡®I have something to tell youter.¡¯

    Back in the real world, Ruan Danchen gave her reply, ¡°I have some other business to take care of.¡±

    ¡°Where? I¡¯ll send you,¡± Mu Huaisheng said.

    A faint smile appeared on Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. ¡°There¡¯s no need, the ce is nearby.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng gave her a self-deprecating smile as he said, ¡°You¡¯re in such a rush to draw the line in the sand?¡±

    She felt awkward that she had to keep rejecting his suggestions. In hopes of salvaging her image, she said, ¡°It¡¯s really nearby.¡±

    The man could only nod his head. He did not persist after that and instead, got up and bid Ruan Danchen farewell. As he turned to leave, he spied Qi Chenglin sitting right behind him. Mu Huaisheng was stunned but managed to greet him anyway. ¡°Mr. Qi.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded slightly and greeted back without a hint of warmth. ¡°Mr. Mu.¡±

    ¡°Waiting for someone?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked after noting that Qi Chenglin was alone.

    Qi Chenglin uttered a note of confirmation and said nothing more. Taking that as his cue to leave, Mu Huaisheng nodded and left.

    Sometimeter, Qi Chenglin got up and sat across Ruan Danchen. His heated gaze fell on her.

    As Qi Chenglin walked past the shop¡¯s window while escorting his clients, he noticed that Ruan Danchen was here with Mu Huaisheng. The scene looked as if they were on a date. At that point, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was as dark as a thundercloud.

    Ruan Danchen had hugged and kissed Qi Chenglin before, yet she was seeing another man behind his back. That woman had no stop button.

    A quick note to Jiang Yuan had him calling Qi Chengzhi to step in for the client¡¯s negotiation. Back when Qi Chengzhi was courting Song Yu, such asions have happened countless of times.

    Hence, once Qi Chengzhi had arrived, Qi Chenglin was relieved of his duty.

    Only when he sat down behind Mu Huaisheng and eavesdropped did he find out that the meeting was business-rted. It was followed by Mu Huaisheng¡¯s confession whichtled at Qi Chenglin but his mood was soon saved by Ruan Danchen¡¯s outright rejection.

    Ruan Danchen was anxious as she knew that Qi Chenglin had overheard their conversation. Her heartbeat was erratic and she felt numbness on her scalp. Under Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze, she felt like a guilty criminal despite notmitting any offense.

    Judging from his reluctance to speak, Ruan Danchen steeled her resolve and spoke first, ¡°Heh, doesn¡¯t Young Master Lin have clients to attend to?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see my brothering in to take my ce?¡± Qi Chenglin said sarcastically.

    Ruan Danchen kept her mouth shut.

    Why were the two brothers so stubborn?

    ¡°Does Young Master Lin need something from me?¡± Ruan Danchen asked impatiently.

    Qi Chenglin suddenly leaned forward and those stern lips showed a hint of a smile. He spoke in a throaty but attractive voice, ¡°We¡¯ve hugged and kissed but you¡¯re still addressing me so formally. That won¡¯t do.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face immediately flushed red as she growled, ¡°Qi Chenglin, enough!¡±

    Her eyes darted left and right to check if anyone heard her.

    Qi Chenglin smirked and continued his teasing. ¡°You can forgo the ¡®Qi¡¯ next time.¡±

    She did not deign him a response.

    ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± he spoke with emphasis.

    ¡°What do you want from me?¡± Ruan Danchen questioned straightforwardly.

    At her tone, Qi Chenglin¡¯s countenance hardened and he stood up. ¡°Follow me.¡±

    The change in tone caught her by surprise but she followed him out of Shengyue. They got into Qi Chenglin¡¯s car.

    ¡°In the glovepartment, there¡¯s a document folder,¡± Qi Chenglin informed as he sat in the driver¡¯s seat.

    Ruan Danchen opened the glovepartment warily and took out the folder. She nced at Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Open it up.¡± His attention shifted from her to the document folder.

    Ruan Danchen opened the folder and pulled out the document within. The paper was only halfway out when she froze.

    It was a DNA test for biological parents.

    Shocked, she turned around to face Qi Chenglin as he exined, ¡°You sent for the test. ording to the normal process, the results would only be out after thirty days so I went ahead to hasten the process. The report came out this morning.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s bottom lip trembled as she looked at the report. There was a jumble of emotions in her. She was so nervous that she hesitated to see the results.

    Qi Chenglin just waited patiently for her.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and pulled out the report. After reading the results, she breathed a sigh of relief. Although it was as she suspected beforehand, the confirmation meant a lot to her.

    Youxuan was her child. He really was hers.

    ¡°My son, my son... He¡¯s alive. My son...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulders shook as the dam broke, her sobs echoed through the car.

    Qi Chenglin frowned and asked solemnly, ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    His question was met with sobs.

    Qi Chenglin grasped her wrist and repeated his question. ¡°Why did you think he was dead?¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around to face him. The guilt on her face was evident. Her eyes and nose were red from all the crying as tears rolled down her cheeks. ¡°They told me that he was dead, that I went into prematurebour and had a C-section. When I woke up, they told me that the baby was stillborn. They lied to me... They lied to me...¡±

    Qi Chenglin let out a heavy breath. It hurt him to see her this upset. All of a sudden, he pushed the driver¡¯s seat back and scooped Ruan Danchen onto hisp.

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine now,¡± Qi Chenglin crooned softly as he stroked her hair.

    His sensual lips ced aforting kiss on her forehead. He moved his hand to her face and gently wiped her tears away with his thumb.

    His pair of lips made their way down to the side of her eye. He kissed away the tears on her eyshes.

    ¡°He is healthy and happy. He was born a bit prematurely and ced in an infant incubator for a month but from then onward, he was healthy,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered as his lips caressed her wet cheeks.

    At this moment, Ruan Danchen did not realize how intimate their exchange was. She buried herself in Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace as she cried and thought about Qi Youxuan growing up into the healthy boy he was now. To think that he had to stay inside an incubator when he was a baby made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartache.

    Qi Chenglin peppered her face with gentle kisses to calm her.

    Gradually, Ruan Danchen came back to her senses. The feeling of his hot lips made her body shake. The initial paleness of her face was quickly reced by a spreading blush. She pushed against him and leaned away.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was meek.

    His intimate kisses made Ruan Danchen hesitate to call him ¡®Young Master Lin¡¯ at this moment. Unwittingly, their rtionship was strengthened through this encounter.

    Qi Chenglin leaned forward as she tried to get away. Those passionate lips chased after her. ¡°Eh?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be like this...¡± Ruan Danchen was shaking.

    ¡°Like what?¡± His maic voice cooed.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s whole face had turned red. She was being worn down by his kisses as his words danced along her skin like feathers.

    The more she tried to speak up, the harder Qi Chenglin kissed her in an attempt to upy her lips.

    When he decided to let her go, her face was in an unspeakable shade of crimson. The blush extended underneath her blouse, giving her an innocent and naive look.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me kissing my son¡¯s mother?¡± Qi Chenglin nudged her lips as he muttered.

    Ruan Danchen said nothing.

    The problem was his son¡¯s mother was not equivalent to his wife!

    Ruan Danchen tried her best to keep her head down to hide her embarrassment. She did not see the soft, amused smile on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face. Those elegant fingersbed through her long hair and massaged her neck and head.

    Ruan Danchen was unwilling to raise her head so Qi Chenglin leaned forward to kiss her on the lips. His persistence had all but destroyed her resistance so she let him have his way. She kept her head down but did not fight his kiss.

    ¡°Tell me what happened back then.¡± One hand was rubbing the back of her head while the other hand was roaming around her waist without any shame.

    Every contact point with Qi Chenglin heated up as if electricity flowed between them. Ruan Danchen had no intention to keep the past a secret, especially from someone as intelligent as Qi Chenglin who could more or less piece the story together. If he were to judge her, she would not me him.

    Ruan Danchen let out a heavy sigh as sadness bubbled inside her. Although she had always resisted his advances, she did not want him to hate her.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you let me down first,¡± she said.

    ¡°No. Stay here and speak. Don¡¯t be childish,¡± Qi Chenglin rebutted.

    Ruan Danchen was not amused. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡±

    She twisted in hisp and tried to climb over to the passenger seat but was held firmly by Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin shot her a look and hugged her tightly against his body. ¡°I¡¯m already like this. Do you really want me to let go?¡±

    Ruan Danchen let out a surprised gasp as her brain short-circuited. His hardened manhood was poking her from beneath.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, you!¡± Ruan Danchen was both ashamed and agitated. She had never met someone as shameless as him.

    ¡°Be good. You¡¯re my son¡¯s mother, can¡¯t you let me have a hug?¡± He cocked his eyebrows and asked innocently.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent.

    He was going to use that line on her every single time now.

    Qi Chenglin watched the disgruntled expression on her face but the woman did not resist. Her gullible obedience made him feel like bullying her.

    Ruan Danchen was bing cuter in his mind and his interest in her had only grown. He wanted to get to know her more.

    His expression softened as his hands traveled along her supple waist. He lifted her body and stole a quick peck from her lips, as if to reward her for her deference.

    By this time, Ruan Danchen was already paralyzed by his kisses and did not struggle against him. She heard him say, ¡°Be good and tell me what happened then?¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a nervous breath and told him the whole truth about her past. She did not expect Shen Jialiang to use such drugs until she had found herself trapped in his embrace.

    Her story was more or less what Qi Chenglin had guessed. Back then, he was unsure of Ruan Danchen¡¯s role and objective but after recent interactions, he understood that she had no intentions to harm his people. Moreover, the fact that the Shen family had lied to her about Youxuan proved that she was a victim after all.

    After hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s side of the story, Qi Chenglin came to the same conclusion. Liao Ronghua wanted to save her skin and threw Ruan Danchen under the bus.

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to face Qi Chenglin. She kept her head down, ashamed.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault.¡± She buried her face in her hands as she sobbed.

    Qi Chenglin tightened his embrace. His hand secured her head against his shoulder while he let out a sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not ming you so don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t have promised them. All I thought of was the circumstances that led to my mom giving me up. I was not aware of the after effects of my actions on you. When I realized my mistake, it was already toote.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything wrong.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled and stroked her hair. ¡°You gave me a son. Youxuan¡¯s a great kid and I¡¯m happy to have him.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m happy too, I¡¯m happy that I decided to give birth to him and that he grew up to be a smart and healthy boy.¡± The thought of Qi Youxuan made her heart swell with happiness.

    ¡°All these years, you¡¯ve never kept in contact with the Shen family?¡± Qi Chenglin asked in a light tone as he wiped the tears away on her face. Her tears had dampened his shirt.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. He followed up with another question. ¡°And Liao Ronghua?¡±

    ¡°After she got into the Shen family, she never came by to see me. I was still in university then but she never tried to find me. Once I graduated and got a job, I moved out and never saw her again. Just a phone call during the new year. Since I was not weed by the Shen family, I did not want to intrude. She once asked where I lived but I felt that she was just maintaining pretenses, acting as if she cared about me. Even if I were to tell her, she would have forgotten after she hung up the phone. I ended up not answering her question.¡± She was afraid that Liao Ronghua would ask her to do dirty favors for her. She also did not want to get her hopes up, waiting for Liao Ronghua to appear at her doorstep just to be disappointed.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to understand her thoughts. He dabbed the tears away as his heart ached for her. He knew how hard her life was when he looked into her university life.

    Liao Ronghua seemed to have forgotten that she had this daughter. She sacrificed her own daughter to get into the Shen family and no longer cared about Ruan Danchen.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s pale and saddened face, Qi Chenglin wrapped her in his arms and whispered sweet nothings in her ears.

    He rubbed the tears and kissed her face; it was not long before her face was clean again.

    Ruan Danchen did not shy away from his touch. She remained in his embrace as he showered her with affection.

    Qi Chenglin took out some tissue from the glovepartment and gently cleared away the tear tracks on her face.

    Ruan Danchen sniffled. Her eyes and nose were red like a rabbit¡¯s and Qi Chenglin could not resist the urge to cuddle her. There was some doubt in her eyes as she asked hesitantly, ¡°Can I ask you something?¡±

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chenglin replied in his somber voice.

    ¡°You agreed to an engagement with Shen Zhijing but why did you cancel it? The Shen family wouldn¡¯t have agreed so easily,¡± Ruan Danchen asked. Sitting on hisp no longer felt weird.

    Qi Chenglinbed through her hair and exined softly, ¡°When I said I wanted to do a DNA test, Shen Jialiang was not worried because Youxuan was mine. What he didn¡¯t know was that I also requested for a maternal DNA test. I never believed that I slept with her. And when the results came out, it was evident that Youxuan was not Shen Zhijing¡¯s son, he was not even rted to the Shen family. Shen Jialiang had no right to force me to marry Shen Zhijing.¡±

    After so many years, Ruan Danchen finally heard the truth from his own ount.

    Qi Chenglin quietly watched over Ruan Danchen as she calmed down in hisp. After making sure that her mood had stabilized, he ced her back onto the passenger seat.

    He looked at the time¡ªit was already noon. ¡°It¡¯s already lunchtime, let¡¯s go grab a bite.¡±

    Without waiting for Ruan Danchen¡¯s reply, he started the car toward Dynasty.

    The staff at Dynasty weed them as the ck Mercedes-Benz stopped in front of the restaurant.

    Qi Chenglin got down and went around the car to Ruan Danchen. He held her hand as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

    Ruan Danchen looked down in surprise.

    His slender and delicate hand firmly encased hers.

    She was speechless. What was he trying to do?

    Noting that the waiter¡¯s attention was elsewhere, Ruan Danchen surreptitiously tried to pull her hand away but Qi Chenglin only tightened his grip. He clucked at her like a boyfriend would. ¡°There, there. Don¡¯t be naughty.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not speak.

    What did she do to bebeled naughty!

    The waiter overheard their conversation and could not resist taking a look. His gaze fell on the linked hands and he smiled in secret. As per Dynasty¡¯s service crew training, no matter what the situation or who their patrons were, they had to keep a neutral expression.

    Internally, the waiter was shocked at this revtion. All these years, the second Young Master of the Qi family had never had a partner despite having a son. Now, he was holding hands with a woman!

    The waiter did not dare to spy on them for too long but he was curious as to who the woman was. For someone who had no rumors of romance, Qi Chenglin¡¯s public disy of affection pretty much ascertained the woman¡¯s status as his future wife.

    Wasn¡¯t it the same for Qi Chengzhi?

    Manager Qian was stationed at the door and he was as polite as always. His eyes fell on the linked hands as he asked, ¡°Young Master Lin, to your private room?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded. Manager Qian hurriedly ordered some staff to get the room ready. In his mind, he was anticipating the next major Qi family event that might happen sooner thanter. This was the first time he witnessed Qi Chenglin dining with a woman in his private room.

    The room was spacious with a round dining table in the middle. The table was too big for the two of them, so they moved to a smaller tea table that was in front of the screen door. It did not matter much to them.

    ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Free mini scene:

    ChengYu Mini Scene 3

    Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I randomly slotted one in.¡±

    ¡°But why do I feel that it¡¯s familiar?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi cocked an eyebrow. ¡°Thinking about it?¡±

    Song Yu was exasperated. ¡°I¡¯m being serious! It looks like that time in Hong Kong...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi leaned forward. His lips curled into a smirk. ¡°Miss it?

 Chapter 319 - Youâ€™re Not My Subordinate, Why Are You Behaving like My Attendant?

    <h4>Chapter 319: You¡¯re Not My Subordinate, Why Are You Behaving like My Attendant?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin looked through the menu casually, then he asked her spontaneously, ¡°Is there anything that you don¡¯t like to eat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything, I¡¯m not picky.¡± Ruan Danchen felt awkward because she was unwittingly dragged out for lunch by him.

    The waiter stood by waiting for their order. Qi Chenglin stopped reading the menu, raised his head and stared at her quietly¡ªthis made Ruan Danchen feel increasingly nervous.

    ¡°Tell me the truth.¡± He narrowed his eyes and his mellow voice turned cold and deep.

    Ruan Danchen was startled, she glimpsed at the waiter and saw him trying to restrain himself from smiling. ¡°I don¡¯t particrly like seafood that has a fishy smell, and I don¡¯t eat animal heads no matter what animal it is. I don¡¯t like celery and carrot as well, that¡¯s it.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sneered. ¡°Less than what I imagined.¡±

    ¡°Told you, I¡¯m really not a picky eater,¡± mumbled Ruan Danchen with a weak voice.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and looked at her with a smile. ¡°What vor do you like the most?¡±

    ¡°I like spicy food,¡± answered Ruan Danchen hurriedly, she did not want to embarrass herself in front of the waiter again.

    She could feel that Qi Chenglin was very satisfied with her reply. The contentment in his eyes became more apparent, he ordered several spicy dishes and asked the waiter to serve them quickly.

    It was already half-past twelve when the dishes were served. Ruan Danchen was already starving and the tastes of the dishes were to her liking, so she quite enjoyed the meal despite Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence.

    Qi Chenglin saw her savoring her food, it seemed like she truly loved eating spicy food.

    As Ruan Danchen was enjoying the food, she noticed that Qi Chenglin was eating very slowly, and he only ate small portions of the food unlike how he ate when he was at her house. Although he ate his food elegantly at the time, he had devoured his food quickly.

    She could not help but ask him when she saw him eating so slowly. ¡°You don¡¯t enjoy spicy food?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was startled for a while. ¡°I... Cough!¡±

    After he coughed, he realized that the hot food caused him to produce some phlegm. Therefore, he took a sip of water and cleared his throat. ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not very hungry.¡±

    ¡°Do you like spicy food?¡± asked Ruan Danchen suspiciously. ¡°You don¡¯t need to put up with me if you don¡¯t enjoy spicy food. All the dishes you ordered were spicy.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at her and gave her a cheerful smile. ¡°I like.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed and felt that her chest was burning inexplicably. She was unsure whether she misinterpreted his reply or not, but she felt that he was not referring to the dishes, rather...

    Qi Chenglin ended up just staring at her while he ate, and for the majority of the meal, he just stared at her. As a result, he had only eaten a small portion of food.

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely ufortable with his stare. She ate slower and slower as she became stressed.

    As a result of his stare, she felt like she was suddenly already full even though she was initially quite hungry.

    Ruan Danchenid down her chopsticks. Her scalp felt numb due to his stare. ¡°I¡¯m full.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows. She obviously ate much less than she wanted judging from the way she relished the food in the beginning. Qi Chenglin smiled confidently and checked the time. He said, ¡°I¡¯ll send you back to Chengshi.¡±

    After saying that, he got up from his seat and walked toward the exit. Ruan Danchen followed him and stared at his long and straight back nervously and suspiciously. Her heart strangely began beating faster, and she was blushing.

    After they exited the restaurant, Qi Chenglin suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned his head around unexpectedly and he managed to catch Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression when she was gazing at him absent-mindedly. It seemed like she was infatuated with him.

    He raised his eyebrows proudly and stared deeply at Ruan Danchen with his bright ebony eyes, Ruan Danchen immediately blushed and swiftly averted her gaze, but she made it more conspicuous when she tried to hide her feelings.

    She stopped about half a step behind Qi Chenglin, and she looked away diffidently. She dared not look into his eyes because she felt that it was extremely embarrassing to be caught staring just now.

    She heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s typical mocking voice from above her head. ¡°You¡¯re not my subordinate, why are you behaving like my attendant?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned for a while, bing slightly infuriated. She raised her head, wanting to retort. However, she found that he had leaned toward her, and his body now almost touching hers. He lowered his head and looked down at her.

    When she looked up, her forehead rubbed against his lips, and she felt her face burning.

    Ruan Danchen blushed furiously and was left dumbfounded. She retreated immediately as if she was scalded. However, he had embraced her with his long arms, encircling her waist. She was unable to retreat and saw him lower his head even more¡ªhis gleaming eyes were staring at her lips. Ruan Danchen felt her whole body be zing hot and she forgot how to breathe¡ªunknowingly holding her breath.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s stared at Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips with intensity. They were slightly swollen because of the spicy food she ate. Her cherry-red lips looked extremely soft and mesmerizing.

    He lowered his head straight away and kissed her lips without hesitation. He stuck his lips onto hers and began to wildly rub them against her lips. The moment his lips touched hers, he threw out the idea of pecking her gently and inserted his tongue into her mouth.

    His arms held her tightly, and he instinctively stretched his tongue deeper in. Ruan Danchen was quivering in his arms and she put her arms softly on his chest. She was unable to resist his kiss and responded to his advances submissively.

    After quite a while, Qi Chenglin took a deep breath and let go of her lips.

    He anticipated that Ruan Danchen would be too weak to stand, so he did not withdraw his arms and let her rest in his arms. He lowered his head and saw her face had turned as red as a peach.

    He rubbed the tips of his nose and lips against her face. He could smell the pleasant scent of her skin as well as the heat emanating from her, and he could not help but sniff her body.

    He used the tips of his nose to rub against her hairline and ears, while his lips rubbed against her delicate skin.

    Ruan Danchen was stupefied, she did not respond to him and remained in his arms.

    After a while, Qi Chenglin finally let go of her, otherwise, they would never have left Dynasty.

    Ruan Danchen dared not raise her head. She started to inhale some air and her brain slowly started to function again. She realized that they were still standing in the corridor of the restaurant. She stood there and let him kiss her, it was too bold!

    Didn¡¯t he know how to be low-profile?

    Besides, what had she done that caused him to think that he could treat her like that? That he could hug and kiss her as he liked it!

    When she was just about to reproach him for his actions, her body was turned around by Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm and pulled forward by him as they walked.

    Immediately after she turned her body around, she saw Li Zhuoan who was standing with a waiter just a few steps in front of them. They were stunned and stared at them in disbelief.

    Even though the waiter of Dynasty was well-trained, he was not calm at all at that moment.

    Li Zhuoan was especially shocked.

    Most of the people who came to Dynasty were quite distinguished, even though some of them were not so well-distinguished, they would try their best to avoid losing face at Dynasty because of the setting of the restaurant. No one would make out here because they would want to maintain their positive image.

    For the waiter and Li Zhuoan, they least expected Qi Chenglin would be the one making out with a woman in public. This was because he has never been caught in any scandals with other women before¡ªespecially because he has been single for many years. He has maintained a positive image over the years and not dated anyone. Some gossipy people even worried that he suffered from a medical ailment because he has abstained from sex for too long.

    However, they now unexpectedly saw him hugging a woman and kissing her, totally oblivious of his surroundings.

    They saw that Qi Chenglin had hugged and kissed that woman so ferociously, he should have just carried her into a room and threw himself at her.

    If anyone had witnessed that scene just now with their own eyes, they would never suspect that Qi Chenglin had any medical ailments.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing, she felt like her head was going to explode. She wished she could choke Qi Chenglin to death¡ªshe was extremely embarrassed.

    She felt deeply ashamed of herself, but Qi Chenglin dragged her toward Li Zhuoan.

    ¡°Young Master Lin,¡± said Li Zhuoan as he tried to calm down with great difficulty. However, he still stole a curious nce at Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chenglin nodded, not embarrassed at all. He calmly introduced her to Li Zhuoan with a calm expression. ¡°Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Li Zhuoan immediately stared at her differently, Ruan Danchen was unsure whether she misread his stare or not because she felt that he exhibited respect in his stare.

    ¡°Miss Ruan.¡± Li Zhuoan called her name respectfully.

    Qi Chenglin was satisfied with Li Zhuoan¡¯s attitude toward her. He nodded coolly and left the restaurant with Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was still bewildered when he brought her to his car. They had already nearly reached Chengshi when she finally came to her senses.

    Ruan Danchen was clutching her handbag¡¯s strap tightly, she felt incredibly confused. Apart from the spicy taste of the food she had just now, she could only taste Qi Chenglin¡¯s odor in her mouth. Besides, the car was filled with the fragrance of his perfume and it caused her to be unable to slow her heartbeat.

    ¡°Here we are.¡± She heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s indifferent voice.

    Ruan Danchen collected her thoughts and realized that he had stopped his car in front of Chengshi.

    She lowered her head, and her hands were trembling. She frantically unfastened her seatbelt. When she wanted to get out of the car, he grabbed her arm with his warm hand

    She turned around and looked at him nervously. Qi Chenglin said with his husky voice, ¡°Not going to say goodbye to me?¡±

    ¡°Goodbye,¡± said Ruan Danchen quietly. She turned her body around to open the door, but he pulled her back in again.

    At that moment, there was not even enough time for her to look at him before she was pushed against the door. Then, he leaned into her. One of his hands supported her back and the other hand held the back of her head, then he kissed her lips.

    He could feel a fire burning in his private part, it was so hot that he felt like his whole body was ame. He truly wished he could have sex with her in the car straight away. He did not know how long he could control himself.

    Ruan Danchen felt like he had sucked away all the air in the car. She was quivering in his arms and she felt like her body had melted. She could smell the fresh scent of his breath and it was intoxicating. She felt like she had been drugged. She felt ted and aroused.

    If he wanted to have sex with her right then, she felt that she would not be able to refuse.

    She felt his thin, warm lips rubbing against her lips before slowly moving toward her earlobe and then to the side of her neck. She felt itchy and numb and felt as if she had no control over herself anymore.

    Suddenly, he stopped moving. His lips still stuck on the side of her soft and delicate neck. His face was buried in the pit of her neck. His breath was making her skin felt extremely itchy.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin,¡± shouted Ruan Danchen helplessly.

    Qi Chenglin took a deep breath and withdrew his face. He pinched her back and rxed his arms. ¡°You can go now.¡±

    However, his arms were still ced on her body and she was still pushed against the door. Ruan Danchen dared not move.

    ¡°Changed your mind?¡± He raised his eyebrows and rubbed his lips against the corner of her mouth. Heughed attractively with his deep voice.

    Ruan Danchen was speechlessly enticed by his voice, she stuttered, ¡°You... you have to let go of me so that I can get out.¡±

    Qi Chenglin paused.

    He kissed her forcibly as if to punish her for saying something wrong. He sucked her lips until they were swollen, then he released her without uttering a word.

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly got out the car. This time, Qi Chenglin did not pull her back into the car.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her figure as she frantically ran away from him. He stopped staring at her when she entered the elevator with a crowd that had just returned from their afternoon lunch break.

    He lowered his head and looked at his protruding zipper andughed softly as he was in a good mood.

    This feeling was pretty good.

    He could not drive a car in this state, so he took out a box of cigarettes. He put a cigarette between his lips and lit it.

    He took a puff of it and lowered his head to stare at his private part again. He thought that it would be perfect if he could release it by taking it outpletely.

    When he recalled the feeling of her soft body when Ruan Danchen was in his arms and the feeling of her hugging him tightly, the heat that was burning inside of him became stronger.

    He really wished he could rush into her office and drag her out of it so he could take her back home immediately!

    ...

    ...

    When Director Zhao returned to the office building after his lunch, he noticed a Benz was stopped on the roadside when he was just about to enter the building and found it to be familiar.

    He slowed down his footsteps and looked around him. He pretended like he was going about his day and snuck to the front of the Benz from behind.

    Then he turned his head and looked into the car and he saw Qi Chenglin resting his elbow on the window. He was holding a cigarette with his fingertips and took a puff of it with his eyes narrowed.

    ¡°Young Master Lin!¡± shouted Director Zhao in astonishment. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at Director Zhao nonchntly. He still appeared calm and collected. He said with a cool voice, ¡°I¡¯m just passing by. I stopped my car to rest for a while.¡±

    Director Zhao could not help but feel disappointed that he was not here to discuss business deals with Chengshi.

    However, no one in Chengshi was close to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Then I shall not disturb you. If there is anything that I can help with, Young Master Lin can just call me directly,¡± said Director Zhao with a smile, he hurriedly took out a business card from his pocket and handed it to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin took the card and looked at it, Director Zhao¡¯s number was on it.

    ¡°Sure.¡± Qi Chenglin nodded seriously, it seemed like he said it with intent.

    Director Zhao was overwhelmed with joy after hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s response and he left.

    After a cigarette, Qi Chenglin¡¯s fire had almostpletely disappeared. He started his car and left.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen bumped into Yang Yunshu unexpectedly after she walked out of the elevator.

    When Yang Yunshu saw her appearance, she gave her a suspicious stare. Her hair was messy, and her lips were very swollen. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were smiling joyfully. She guessed that Ruan Danchen had just finished making love with someone a while ago.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, why are your lips so swollen?¡± asked Yang Yunshu suspiciously.

    Ruan Danchen was lost for words, she did not have time to look in a mirror. She recalled that Qi Chenglin kissed her many times on the way here. She was unaware of how her lips looked like after being repeatedly kissed by him. She quickly pursed her lips and said, ¡°I had Sichuan cuisine <sup>1</sup> for lunch, that¡¯s why my lips are numb and swollen.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Yang Yunshu stared at her skeptically. ¡°You went to meet with a client in the morning?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s wrong with that?¡± asked Ruan Danchen coldly.

    She knew that recently, Yang Yunshu frequently came to the design department because Song Yu was not around. She was nning to find an opportunity to return to the design department, therefore, she has lingered in the design department and gossiped about others whenever she was free for the past few days.

    ¡°Nothing wrong.¡± Yang Yunshu sneered at her scornfully and she snorted. ¡°I was wondering why your lips appear swollen just now because I don¡¯t know you had Sichuan cuisine. I thought you ate something else.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was not an innocent little girl anymore. Although she only had that experience once when she did it with Qi Chenglin, itsted for a whole night. Besides, she read news about those matters before and the married staff in the office did not feel embarrassed talking about them at all. As a result, she overheard them talking about those matters a lot and she could easily take a hint.

    Recently, the number of her clients had almost reduced by half, and Yang Yunshu always poked fun at her with sarcastic remarks when she came to the design department. Yang Yunshu was hostile toward her because she was close to Song Yu.

    Was Yang Yunshu implying that she offering sex to clients to increase her business?

    Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth furiously and she said frigidly, ¡°Yang Yunshu, if you want toment on anything, just say it directly, you don¡¯t need to mock or sneer at me. If you have any proof, just show it, don¡¯t gossip about me and tarnish my name without any evidence.¡±

    ¡°What did I say? Tell me, what sarcasticments did I make about you?¡± Yang Yunshu raised her voice and crossed her arms. Sheughed coldly. ¡°I did not say anything sarcastic, maybe you misunderstood my words? If you aren¡¯t guilty, why would you misunderstand my words? You¡¯re the one who is involved in filthy matters, don¡¯t use me of giving you a bad name!¡±

    ¡°Yang Yunshu, you know who the one with shady intentions is. Have you forgotten the reason you were transferred to another department to work as an ordinary clerk? If you really want to return to the design department, you should apologize sincerely and correct your attitude. Stop thinking about those dirty ideas and focus on your work. You don¡¯t need toe here and provoke me every day. Do you think that I will leave just because of your offensive words so that you can return to this department?¡± said Ruan Danchen disdainfully, she felt that Yang Yunshu was slowly slipping into evil.

    She was a dishonest person, and she had chosen to invest her effort in the wrong way. She never thought of working hard to excel in her work, instead, she kept thinking of ways to make use of men to gain sess.

    Didn¡¯t she know that it always ends up badly that way?

    She envied other people, but she did not know that she would be unable to outdo everyone as there were some rare exceptional talents around her.

    ¡°You...¡± Yang Yunshu¡¯s expression turned angry. ¡°Ruan Danchen, don¡¯t be so proud of yourself. You think that you are close to the Qi family because you managed to get close to Song Yu? Song Yu¡¯s not around now, and no one in the Qi family cares about whether you¡¯re alive or dead. Stop acting like a good person, you¡¯re a pretentious bitch. Song Yu is so close to you, but she does not ask the Qi family to help you in your work.¡±

    ¡°My work is my business, I¡¯ll take responsibility whether it¡¯s good or bad. I never think of relying on anybody,¡± replied Ruan Danchen bluntly. ¡°I¡¯m friends with Song Yu, but I never nned to make use of her or ask for any help from her when we became friends.¡±

    ¡°Do you know what I hate the most about you?¡± said Yang Yunshu as she stared at Ruan Danchen contemptuously. ¡°I hate you because you always act like you¡¯re a righteous person. It¡¯s as if nobody is as righteous as you. So pretentious.¡±

    After she said that, Yang Yunshu turned around and walked toward her office.

    Ruan Danchen was trembling from anger as she rushed to the rooftop to calm herself down, feeling the wind brushing her face. After a while, she went back to the office when she felt that her lips were no longer as swollen, and her face would appear normal.

    ...

    ...

    At night, after Qi Chenglin entered his house, Aunt Zheng helped take his bag. Then Qi Chenglin bent his body to untie his shoces and changed into slippers. Qi Youxuan dashed toward him immediately after he found out he was back.

    ¡°Dad, why did you ask someone to empty my yroom! Nothing is left in it now!¡± shouted Qi Youxuan as he furiously put his hands on his hips.

    He habitually rushed to the yroom as usual when he returned from kindergarten today but unexpectedly saw a heartbreaking scene when he reached the doorway of the yroom.

    He did not know when the workers came and removed the cupboards and cabs in his yroom. When he reached home, they were removing the wallpaper.

    Qi Youxuan burst with anger on the spot and asked them what they were doing.

    Aunt Yang hurriedly rushed to the yroom and exined that Qi Chenglin asked them toe. They came at around two o¡¯clock and his toys were alright. They kept his toys temporarily in the guest room, they were neither thrown away nor broken.

    However, Qi Youxuan was still worried, and he was shocked. Could it be that his father emptied his yroom and would never let him have one in the future?

    The little boy brooded over the matter in a distressed mood for quite a while, but he could not think of a reason. He did not do anything that made his father unhappy recently.

    Finally, Qi Chenglin was back. Qi Youxuan felt like he had waited for him for years, and he quickly ran toward him.

    Qi Chenglin changed into slippers and walked toward the living hall. He nced at Qi Youxuan and said coolly, ¡°I¡¯m nning to renovate your yroom.¡±

    The little boy heaved a sigh of relief immediately, he was relieved because his father was not going to get rid of his yroom.

    Then, he thought of another question. He asked as he blinked his eyes puzzledly. ¡°Why would you renovate my yroom? It is still in good condition.¡±

    ¡°Your yroom has been there since you were born, almost six years have passed. Aren¡¯t you bored of it?¡± Qi Chenglin went upstairs and walked into his bedroom. He removed his necktie and threw it onto the sofa, then he took off his suit as well.

    Qi Youxuan followed him into his bedroom. He was still shaking his head.

    Qi Chenglin glimpsed at his son scornfully who he suspected to have a lower than average IQ. He said nonchntly, ¡°Your Aunt Ruan is a designer, she specializes in interior design.¡±

    Qi Youxuan still could not get the hint. After thinking for a while, his eyes which appeared to be dispirited suddenly glowed brightly. He excitedly hugged one of Qi Chenglin¡¯s long legs tightly, raised his head and ask, ¡°Dad, are you going to ask Aunt Ruan to help us design the yroom?¡±

    Qi Chenglin snorted softly, he appeared to be pleased with himself.

    ¡°Dad, you¡¯re the best! Please quickly ask someone to tear down my yroom further!¡± From Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression, it seemed like he wished his house was demolished so that Ruan Danchen could re-design every part of it again from the floor to the roof.

    ¡°That will do,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he changed into his leisurewear.

    Qi Youxuan agreed with him after thinking about it. His yroom waspletely empty with four bare walls. He rubbed his little belly against the long legs of Qi Chenglin. ¡°So, Dad, have you considered asking someone to empty my bedroom too? I want to sleep in a room designed by Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and looked around his bedroom quietly. He felt that the color tone of his room was quite cool as if something was missing.

    ¡°I have a dinner party tomorrow night. I¡¯ll talk to her the next day,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°That¡¯s great!¡± Qi Youxuan was overjoyed, he turned around and went downstairs for dinner.

    He felt that his father was finally enlightened by him, and that his great grandmother and grandmother did not need to worry about whether he would get married or not anymore.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Ruan Danchenid on her bed. She was tossing and turning because she felt agitated.

    When she closed her eyes, she could see him hugging and kissing her. He could see his face leaning toward her¡ªhis eyes, nose, and mouth appeared so close to her.

    She had already taken a shower, but her body was still hot. She could vividly remember the feeling of him touching her skin with his hands and lips. Even his odor seemed to linger around her, and she was unable to get rid of it.

    He kissed and hugged her thoughtlessly, but she could not tell what his opinion of her was.

    At first, she thought that he would at least text her, but it was alreadyte¡ªshe was yet to receive any news from him.

    Ruan Danchen took her cell phone from the bedside cab and looked at the time. It was already a quarter past eleven.

    She was unable to describe her feelings now. She felt ufortable, but in reality, she did not truly understand what her opinion of Qi Chenglin was.

    She only knew that she would be nervous whenever he came near her.

    He hugged her and kissed her recklessly, but she was not disgusted by his actions and never thought of pushing him away. Not even on that night seven years ago.

    When she was just about to put her phone back onto the bedside cab, it suddenly rang. She was shocked by it and hesitated for a while.

    She looked at her phone again and saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s name on the screen. Ruan Danchen was very nervous, she did not know what she to do. She was unhappy when he did not contact her. However, when he finally did call, she was at a loss.

    She turned over her body andid on her side. She answered the call after her phone rang for a while and almost mistakenly hung upon him.

    ¡°Why did it take you so long to pick up my call?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was cool and steady, but it felt like he wasining.

    ¡°I was sleeping,¡± answered Ruan Danchen softly. She pulled her nket to cover her neck. She buried her pointed chin below the nket.

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Chenglin was sitting on his bed. His nket was covering his lower body. His attractive six-pack and V-cut abdominal muscles could be seen, they were overwhelmingly attractive.

    When he heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice, he could picture her lying on her bed, and he was a little aroused by it.

    Ruan Danchen was feeling inexplicably ufortable. She curled her body under the nket and replied to him, ¡°Mhm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m lying on my bed too.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s deep and husky voice was transmitted through the phone and it prated her ears like strands of threads¡ªit was extremely seductive.

    Ruan Danchen regretted answering his call while lying on the bed because it felt like something was going on between them. Her heart was beating wildly. Initially, she could not sleep because she was feeling agitated. After being teased by him, she curled up her body into a ball. She felt like she could not resist his tease.

    ¡°Are you wearing any clothes under the nket?¡± Ruan Danchen was fidgety when she heard Qi Chenglin suddenly ask her with his husky voice.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± shouted Ruan Danchen. When did men start asking questions like this!

 Chapter 320 - If You Accept This Assignment, You Would Have a Chance to Spend More Time with Him

    <h4>Chapter 320: If You ept This Assignment, You Would Have a Chance to Spend More Time with Him</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m naked now.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled upward slightly. He lifted the nket a little and underneath was his naked body.

    ¡°I¡¯m wearing clothes now!¡± replied Ruan Danchen exasperatedly, she was embarrassed and annoyed. ¡°Why did you call me? If there¡¯s nothing important, I¡¯m sleeping now!¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and said with his charming voice, ¡°I like sleeping naked.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was blushing furiously, she felt like her head was about to explode. When she heard his voice, the image of his naked body involuntarily appeared in her mind.

    More importantly, she saw his naked body before, so the image did not stem from her imagination. It was not difficult for her to picture his naked body at all.

    Ruan Danchen felt that she was unable to chat with him any longer, so she hung up the phone angrily.

    Qi Chenglin nned to continue teasing her at first, but she unexpectedly hung up on him. He was speechless for a while before he called her again.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone started ringing again before she put it back on the bedside cab. She felt her phone was getting very hot, she unconsciously wrapped herself in the nket tightly and stuffed her phone under her pillow. She did not answer the phone even though it was continuously ringing, but she did not have the courage to cancel the call or turn off her phone.

    Qi Chenglin hung up and called her again two more times, but Ruan Danchen still did not answer his call. And so he texted her straight away.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone finally became silent, but not long after that, she heard the sound of a text notification from her phone.

    She took her phone out from under the pillow and opened the text to read it. [If you still don¡¯t answer my call, I¡¯ll go to your house immediately and talk to you in person.]

    He was worse than a hooligan, he was a wretch.

    Right after she read his text, Qi Chenglin called her again. Ruan Danchen finally answered it. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°I want to discuss work-rted matters.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s monotone voice could be heard on the phone.

    ¡°You shoulde to mypany during the daytime if you want to discuss work-rted matters. It¡¯s past office hours now,¡± said Ruan Danchen nervously. She was trying her best to calm down.

    ¡°I intend to ask for your service directly, not through yourpany, so that you can earn all the profit. Yourpany won¡¯t be able to take a portion of the profit. You can take it as extra ie for your work outside of your usual working hours,¡± exined Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen was quite interested. She had the resources to do so, but by working at Chengshi, she could eliminate the risk of her clients putting off the payment, and her clients would feel more reassured. Therefore, unless she really trusted her clients, she dared not ept personal projects.

    As for Qi Chenglin, she was sure that the young master of the Qi family would not default on his debts, but she was a little nervous because she would be dealing with Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°What assignment is it?¡± asked Ruan Danchen doubtfully.

    ¡°My bedroom, Youxuan¡¯s bedroom and yroom. I want to renovate all of them. We have lived in this house for quite some time, the wallpaper and furniture look quite old now. Besides, Youxuan is growing up and the decoration of his bedroom and yroom is not suitable for a child of his age anymore. His bedroom and yroom were designed by a designer when he was still a baby. However, I did not give any input at the time. I let the designer make all the decisions. You could say that I did not put any effort into the design.¡±

    ¡°At the time, I saw Youxuan as a child who was given birth by an unknown woman. That woman forcefully passed him to me. I did not wish for a son. Therefore, I didn¡¯t really care about him. However, after we¡¯ve lived together for such a long time, we became connected, and he is very important to me now. When I look at his yroom and bedroom, I know that I did the wrong thing initially. Therefore, I want to amend my mistakes and provide him with a loving environment that truly belongs to him.¡±

    ¡°Besides, you should be very excited to design his bedroom in person? You didn¡¯t have the chance to do it when he was younger, but you have the opportunity now. Do you want to try?¡± asked Qi Chenglin. He spoke at a moderate pace.

    ¡°I want to try!¡± replied Ruan Danchen eagerly. She wanted to ept that assignment even before Qi Chenglin had finished talking.

    At that time, she stopped considering Qi Chenglin¡¯s intentions anymore, she would seize any opportunity that would enable her to live with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I would love to do that, and I¡¯m willing to ept it,¡± repeated Ruan Danchen. ¡°When shall we start?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find the time to discuss it in detail with you.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled upward proudly, but his voice remained calm and cool as usual. ¡°However, if you ept this assignment, it may upy a lot of your working hours and private time. Please think it over, don¡¯t force yourself to do it.¡±

    ¡°No trouble at all.¡± Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth in excitement. In the beginning, he talked about it at great length to persuade her to ept this assignment. But now he was taking her for granted after she expressed her enthusiasm for taking on the assignment!

    Qi Chenglin smiled. ¡°Oh, by the way, Youxuan will enter elementary school in September. His holidays will start this Friday, and he will be resting at home. If you ept this assignment, you will have a chance to spend more time with him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was truly thrilled to hear that. She wished she could go to his house tomorrow morning and begin working.

    After she hung up the phone, Quan Danchen gradually calmed down and felt that she was like a fish just now. Happily swimming toward Qi Chenglin¡¯s bait and biting it not wanting to let go. He did not even need to invest significant effort to make her take the bait.

    Ruan Danchen put her phone on the bedside cab. She wrapped her body with the nket and tried hard to sleep.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, she called Mu Huaisheng the moment she reached Chengshi.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, I didn¡¯t expect you to return my call so soon,¡± said Mu Huaisheng with a smile after he answered her call.

    ¡°Mr. Mu, I¡¯m so sorry. I¡¯m calling you to thank you for your appreciation and trust in me. However, I¡¯m unable to ept the assignment that you offered. I¡¯m so sorry. I thank Mr. Mu for offering me a chance.¡± Ruan Danchen felt guilty for rejecting his offer so directly, but she had no other choice than to force herself to do so.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, you don¡¯t need to respond to my offer so hastily, you can take your time and think it over.¡± Mu Huaisheng did not expect that Ruan Danchen would still reject him.

    He knew very well about her situation at Chengshi, she should be epting as many assignments as possible, how could she reject his offer?

    ¡°I have thought it through. I¡¯m currently epting another assignment to help my friend,¡± said Ruan Danchen. Although she only called Qi Chenglin a friend, she still felt quite awkward. ¡°There will be an ovep between these projects, and I think I won¡¯t be able to work well on both projects simultaneously. Therefore, I have to decline Mr. Mu¡¯s offer, I regret it very much.¡±

    Since Ruan Danchen had rejected him so bluntly, Mu Huaisheng knew that even if he were to talk until he was blue in the face, Ruan Danchen would never change her mind. He decided to give up and let it be.

    After she hung up the phone, Yang Yunshu snorted at her. She did not notice Yang Yunshu enter her office. ¡°You rejected an assignment which was offered to you in person, but you epted another assignment privately, is that right? Just now you kept calling the client Mr. Mu, could it be that the client you rejected was Mu Huaisheng? I know that hees to meet you quite often. If you offend him and cause ourpany to lose a customer, let¡¯s wait and see how you exin yourself!¡±

    Previously, Ruan Danchen¡¯s reputation was damaged after she was framed by Mu Sisi, so her clients rapidly decreased. At the time, Yang Yunshu rejoiced in her misfortune and she was waiting to see how she would end up.

    Unexpectedly, Ruan Danchen profited from it and attracted Mu Huaisheng¡¯s attention. Mu Huaisheng came here every now and then to ask her out for lunch. However, Ruan Danchen acted smugly and was not willing to go out for lunch with him. She acted like she was not interested in him and wanted to keep him at a distance.

    Yang Yunshu envied her very much for that, and she thought that Ruan Danchen was extremely pretentious.

    Ruan Danchen said indifferently, ¡°Even if I need to exin myself, I¡¯ll do it in front of Director Zhao. I don¡¯t need to exin to you, so you can stop worrying about me.¡±

    Yang Yunshu snorted. ¡°I really want to see how would you exin yourself to Director Zhao.¡±

    ¡°Before you tell Director Zhao, why don¡¯t you ask for my opinion? I¡¯m the manager of this department.¡± They were unaware of how long Manager Xu had been listening in on them as they did not notice his presence.

    Yang Yunshu was startled for a while, then Manager Xu said coldly, ¡°You¡¯re not working in this department anymore. If you have anyints about Ruan Danchen¡¯s matters, you can tell them to me directly and allow me to handle it. What did you mean when you said you wanted to talk to Director Zhao directly without talking to me first? Since you like to meddle in the matters of the design department so much, why not I propose straight away to Director Zhao to transfer you back here and take my ce?¡±

    ¡°Manager Li, that¡¯s not what I meant,¡± said Yang Yunshu embarrassedly. ¡°I was thinking in thepany¡¯s interest, I was worried. Since Manager already knows about this, then I won¡¯t talk about it any further.¡±

    Yang Yunshu nced at Ruan Danchen and left the design department.

    After that, Manager Xu said to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Danchen, I understand your situation now, it is not unusual for you to ept private assignments as others in this department are doing the same, and I don¡¯t usually mind it. However, please don¡¯t let others use that information against you. Don¡¯t make it difficult for me.¡±

    ¡°I understand, thanks, manager,¡± replied Ruan Danchen softly.

    Manager Xu nodded and went back to his office.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen waited for Qi Chenglin¡¯s call for the whole day, but she did not receive any calls from him.

    After she finished work, she packed her belongings and left. She had fewer assignments nowadays, so she did not need to work overtime.

    When she walked out the door of the office building, she saw a familiar-looking ck Benz parked on the roadside.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat, she saw the window of the passenger seat roll down and Qi Youxuan¡¯s head appeared. He waved eagerly at her. ¡°Aunt Ruan,e here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly dashed toward him. She saw the little boy gave up his seat which was nearer to her so that she could get in the car.

    ¡°My dad has a dinner party tonight, I don¡¯t want to have dinner alone at home, so I asked Dad to tell Uncle Xiaoyang to bring me here to meet you,¡± exined Qi Youxuan after Ruan Danchen got in the car.

    ¡°Miss Ruan.¡± The driver known as Xiaoyang greeted her.

    They had met before, Ruan Danchen greeted him back.

    Then, Qi Youxuan took out a leaflet from his bag. It had a fine design and the images printed on it were extremely attractive.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, this mall just opened yesterday, they even invited a star to the opening night. I¡¯m not familiar with the star so I did not go because the ce would be jam-packed with young people,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen almostughed because she was amused by his choice of words. In fact, he would be the youngest person there if he attended the event tomorrow.

    However, she restrained herself fromughing because she was afraid that it would hurt his self-esteem.

    ¡°However, this mall has many new restaurants, let¡¯s go there and have dinner, shall we?¡± said the little boy as he used his chubby little finger to point at one of the restaurants¡¯ advertisements. ¡°While I was waiting for you just now, I asked Uncle Xiaoyang to read the advertisements aloud for me. I want to have dinner at this Japanese restaurant. After that, let¡¯s buy a cup of milk tea at this caf¨¦.¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Ruan Danchen could not stop herself from stroking his head.

    Qi Youxuan styled his hair that morning, he used hair wax to maintain his hairstyle after he pushed his hair upward. It was a little messy and curly, but he looked very handsome in that hairstyle. Since he styled his hair, he did not allow anyone to touch it, even Song Yu was not allowed to touch it.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan did not whine when Ruan Danchen touched his hair. On the contrary, he smiled gleefully. Xiaoyang was watching them through the rearview mirror and he was extremely astonished by Qi Youxuan¡¯s behavior. The scene of them¡ªan adult and a small child¡ªinteracting with each other was especially harmonious.

    ¡°Have you already waited for a long time?¡± asked Ruan Danchen. She knew that the dismissal time of kindergartens was quite early, it would be around four o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    ¡°No, we just arrived because there was a traffic jam just now,¡± answered Qi Youxuan as he shook his head.

    Xiaoyang nced at his young master again, they had waited there for more than half an hour, and a policeman just issued him a traffic ticket.

    ...

    ...

    Xiaoyang took them to the newly opened mall. The mall held a veryrge campaign for their opening, they invited six A-list celebrities to attend the opening night yesterday. The busy road at the entrance of the mall was closed and cars were not allowed to pass through the road.

    In the end, their campaign was so sessful and too many fans came. The number of fans far exceeded the number projected by the mall and there was not enough space for all of them. As a result, some people were injured in the chaos. The mall decided to end the meet and greet session prematurely even though nobody was injured badly. The fans were forced to leave the mall in disappointment.

    When they were waiting for Ruan Danchen in front of the entrance of Chengshi, Qi Youxuan chatted with Xiaoyang. He told Xiaoyang he felt that it was truly a stupid act to go to such a crowded ce just to look at the celebrities from a very far distance.

    Although the situation had improved a lot today, traffic was still congested when they were entering the parking lot of the mall. They queued for almost twenty minutes before they managed to enter the parking lot. All the parking spaces were upied, so Xiaoyang found a space just beside a wall and parked beside it.

    Ruan Danchen invited Xiaoyang to join them for dinner, but he declined her invitation with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s OK, I¡¯ll find a fast food restaurant and have some food. I¡¯m waiting for Young Master Lin¡¯s call, he might call me anytime to ask me to fetch him.¡±

    Therefore, Ruan Danchen did not insist. They entered the mall and Xiaoyang walked into a Pizza Hut straight away. Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to the Japanese restaurant.

    The Japanese restaurant had many customers and there was a long queue outside the restaurant, but Qi Youxuan insisted on having his dinner there even if he had to wait for the long queue to subside.

    Finally, it was their turn. Ruan Danchen dared not order too many raw dishes because she was afraid that Qi Youxuan might catch diarrhea. She only ordered a few raw dishes, most of the food she ordered was cooked food like sushi, tempura and such.

    Xiaoyang called Ruan Danchen when they were halfway through dinner. Before they entered the mall, she exchanged numbers with Xiaoyang so that they could easily contact each other after dinner.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, have you and Young Master finished eating?¡± asked Xiaoyang.

    ¡°Not yet, we spent quite some time queueing just now,¡± exined Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°I just received young Master Lin¡¯s call. He asked me to pick him up from Shengyue. After you finish eating, can you wait at the restaurant for a while? I¡¯lle and fetch all of you after I pick up Young Master Lin,¡± said Xiaoyang on the phone.

    ¡°No problem. Just do your job first, don¡¯t worry about us. We¡¯ll stay here for a while, then we¡¯ll explore the mall,¡± replied Ruan Danchen with a smile.

    Xiaoyang hung up the phone. Ruan Danchen told the little boy about their conversation. Qi Youxuan did not say anything and continued eating his sushi. His belly was bloated, but he was still not satisfied even though he was already full.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I want to go to the washroom,¡± said Qi Youxuan quietly.

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly stood up and grabbed her handbag before she brought him to the washroom.

    ...

    ...

    Liu Ronghua was having dinner with her friends. This Japanese restaurant originated from the S city and it had received rave reviews. Therefore, she invited her friends to have dinner here after she found out that a new branch opened here.

 Chapter 321 - That Little Girl in Front Is so Pretty

    Chapter 321: That Little Girl in Front Is so Pretty

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua spotted a familiar figure as she was eating.

    Ruan Danchen?

    Momentarily startled, Liu Ronghua stared at the figure and she was convinced it was Ruan Danchen. She would not mistake another person for her.

    ¡°I have to go to the washroom,¡± said Liu Ronghua immediately. She stood up and followed Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Danchen.¡± Liu Ronghua walked slowly toward her. She stared at Ruan Danchen with a sad and pitiful expression as always. ¡°What a coincidence. You came here for dinner?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned. Liu Ronghua was dressed in a very presentable way like a nobledy, adorned with jewelry that cost a fortune. She appeared to be graceful, just like the meaning of her name 1.

    It seemed like time favored her and left no trace on her face. Even after seven years, her appearance remained the same. Her figure was still as slim as a youngdy. She looked healthy, happy, and radiant.

    Ruan Danchen never expected she would meet Liu Ronghua here.

    After thinking, she knew that she did not stumble upon her for the past few years because they lived in different worlds.

    Liu Ronghua had a private driver to send her anywhere she wanted to go, while Ruan Danchen usually used public transport like the subway. Liu Ronghua would always dine in restaurants like this costly Japanese restaurant.

    As for her, she usually ordered delivered food or cook herself. Even if she went out for dinner, she would opt for street food because it would be difficult for her to order dishes in a restaurant as she could not finish the food on her own.

    Ruan Danchen nodded, her feelings toward her mother were veryplicated. She did not know why calling her ¡®Mom¡¯ was such a difficult feat. She sometimes wondered whether she was too cold-blooded as she refused to acknowledge her mother.

    After so many years, although she would call Liu Ronghua on every New Year¡¯s Eve to wish her happiness, she did not attempt to meet with her at all.

    Ruan Danchen felt a lump in her throat and she could hardly breathe through her nose. She could only breathe through her mouth, and tears started to well up in her eyes.

    ¡°Danchen, it¡¯s been many years. You only call me on every New Year¡¯s Eve, but you nevere and visit me before. Seven years had passed since west met, nobody would believe us if we tell others about this.¡± Liu Ronghua sobbed. It seemed like she was on the verge of crying. ¡°Danchen, do you still hate me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve finally stopped holding a grudge against you after so many years, but I couldn¡¯t face you and those from the Shen family without feeling ufortable. Besides, if you meet with me too frequently, Shen Jialiang would feel unhappy about it, and you¡¯d stop meeting with me eventually. I figured I should just save you the trouble,¡± said Ruan Danchen nonchntly, trying not to choke.

    Genuinely, she no longer loathed her.

    Although she could not forgive what they did to her at that time, she could not hold a grudge against them because she had such an adorable son in Qi Youxuan now.

    ¡°Nothing like that. You¡¯re my daughter, how could I refuse to meet with you?¡± said Liu Ronghua hurriedly. ¡°I really miss you throughout the years, but I dare not call you because I¡¯m afraid you might think that I¡¯m nning to make use of you for my benefit.¡±

    Ruan Danchen quivered. Her face turned pale and her hands became ice-cold.

    ¡°Danchen, I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t talk like that,¡± said Liu Ronghua immediately.

    Ruan Danchen licked her dry lips and sniffed. She could not help but ask a question she had been burning to ask for the past seven years. ¡°Then why did you abandon me at that time? When I was still in the hospital, you didn¡¯t visit me after you told me about the news at the beginning. After that, I continued my studies at A University. My school was just there, but you never came to meet me.¡±

    She had never asked this question every time she called Liu Ronghua for the past seven years¡ªshe dreaded that Liu Ronghua¡¯s answer would disappoint her. She did not want to make things difficult for herself and dwell in the past.

    However, it seemed like Liu Ronghua missed her very much based on her current expression. She looked like a mother whose feelings were severely hurt by her daughter. Ruan Danchen kept asking herself the same question, ¡®If you really miss me so much, why didn¡¯t youe and find me?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Liu Ronghua blinked her eyes, she was at a loss. She lowered her head and hesitated for a while, then she raised her head back and said, ¡°At that time...the situation didn¡¯t permit. You were admitted to the hospital at that time, and you left secretly after you settled the discharge procedures on your own. You didn¡¯t even inform me about it. I thought you truly hated me and didn¡¯t want to ept me as your mother anymore, no longer wanting to be involved in my life. After all, you had such a furious reaction at that time, so I dared not find you. I was afraid...even if I went to meet you, you¡¯d refuse to see me and would say things to hurt my feelings on purpose. That¡¯s why I never went to find you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not reply to her. Even though Liu Ronghua said that she dared not meet her in the beginning, she wanted to ask Liu Ronghua why she still did not attempt to find her after she started calling her during Chinese New Year.

    Liu Ronghua knew where her workce was but she never came to visit her. Maybe she was afraid that others would find out about their rtionship?

    Over the years, although Liu Ronghua did not manage to be Mrs. Shen, people called her Madam Liu respectfully. Maybe she did not want others to find out that she had a daughter who was already a grown-up. Perhaps the Shen family did not like Ruan Danchen because of her rtionship with Liu Ronghua, reluctant to let others learn about their rtionship. Thus, Liu Ronghua dare not find her from the start until now.

    Ruan Danchen bit her lips quietly and sneered scornfully.

    ¡°Danchen, I¡ª¡± The door of the men¡¯s washroom opened when she just started to talk.

    Qi Youxuan walked out from the men¡¯s washroom and said happily, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m done, let¡¯s go back to the restaurant and continue eating.¡±

    He then walked toward her and held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°This little boy¡ª¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s expression changed a little. She stared at Ruan Danchen suspiciously.

    After so many years of not seeing her, could she have gotten married and had a son?

    However, Ruan Danchen never told her that she had a son before on the phone.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat and hurriedly shielded the little boy with her body. She was worried that Liu Ronghua might recognize him, or the little boy might tell her about his family because he was too innocent.

    If Liu Ronghua found out about the little boy¡¯s background and discovered that she had dealings with Qi Chenglin, she would probably make use of her to gain something.

    Thest thing Ruan Danchen wanted was for someone to use the little boy.

    Liu Ronghua and everyone from the Shen family had never met him since Qi Chenglin took him away.

    The Qi family did well in protecting Qi Youxuan, they never allowed him to appear in the media, and even the kindergarten that he attended had excellent security.

    Since Qi Chenglin took Qi Youxuan away from the Shen Family, he lost contact with them. Shen Jialiang did not invest any effort to find out anything about Qi Youxuan because he was not the son of the Shen family. Besides, the Qi Family was very cautious when they deal with the Shen family after the incident.

    After the incident, the Shen family stopped getting in touch with the Qi family. As a result, Liu Ronghua was unable to recognize Qi Youxuan even after she saw him in person.

    Qi Youxuan did not reply to Liu Ronghua. Ruan Danchen heaved a sigh of relief, she said indifferently, ¡°He¡¯s my friend¡¯s child.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± said Liu Ronghua. She saw Qi Youxuan tugging Ruan Danchen¡¯s blouse when she was just about to talk to Qi Youxuan. ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m not full yet, let¡¯s go back to the restaurant and continue eating.¡±

    Qi Youxuan could feel that the attitude of Ruan Danchen toward Liu Ronghua was different from her attitude toward others. Ruan Danchen was on her guard when she was talking to her and did not treat her like how she treated her neighbor previously.

    Besides, he remembered that Ruan Danchen told him not to tell strangers about his family background at will, so he very obediently followed her instructions and did not tell Liu Ronghua his information voluntarily.

    ¡°Excuse me, the child is hungry,¡± said Ruan Danchen indifferently.

    Liu Ronghua forced a smile and said unhappily, ¡°Then you all should continue eating your dinner now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and walked past Liu Rounghua with Qi Youxuan.

    After a few steps, she stopped when she heard Liu Ronghua called her. ¡°Danchen.¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around, and Liu Ronghua asked, ¡°You¡¯re still noting back home this year to celebrate Chinese New Year?¡±

    ¡°Chinese New Year should be celebrated at home, but the Shen¡¯s family house isn¡¯t my home,¡± said Ruan Danchen coolly. ¡°Besides, they¡¯d feel unhappy if they see me. It isn¡¯t good to make each other unhappy during Chinese New Year.¡±

    Ruan Danchen saw Liu Ronghua kept quiet and it seemed like she had nothing else to talk to her, so she left with Qi Youxuan.

    After Qi Youxuan sat back on his seat, he saw Liu Ronghua walked toward her friends from far. Though curious about her, he restrained himself from asking Ruan Danchen.

    He was full after eating for a while more. Ruan Danchen wiped his mouth for him and brought him to the cashier counter.

    When she was verifying her orders at the cashier counter, Liu Ronghua walked toward her again. She said to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Danchen, let me treat you, okay?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ruan Danchen coldly dismissed her. ¡°I promised the child that I¡¯d treat him.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, please let me foot the bill. I know that it¡¯s not easy for you to live on your own. You¡¯re not earning a lot from your work, and you need to pay for your rent and living expenses. It¡¯s better to save your money, right?¡± Liu Ronghua smiled at her and took out a credit card from her purse.

    Ruan Danchen felt very ufortable after listening to her words. She stared at the credit card that she was holding frigidly and stopped her from giving it to the waiter. ¡°You¡¯re paying with Shen Jialiang¡¯s money, right?¡±

    Liu Ronghua was stunned for a while and her body stiffened.

    ¡°The money that I earn may be less than the pocket money that Shen Jialiang gives you, but I¡¯m quitefortable spending the money I earn. I promised to treat the child to dinner, so please don¡¯t make me an adult who eats her own words,¡± Ruan Danchen replied as she took out her card and gave it to the waiter.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s offer was rebuffed by Ruan Danchen. She could only put her card back in embarrassment, but she could not help but ask softly, ¡°Danchen, do you still hate me? You seemed so reluctant to spend my money even though I¡¯m your mother.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s better for me to do that because I don¡¯t want to owe Shen Jialiang or you anything, even though I¡¯m owing it indirectly,¡± said Ruan Danchen coldly. Suddenly, she felt someone hugged her leg tightly.

    She lowered her head and saw the little boy was looking at her worriedly as he hugged her leg.

    Ruan Danchen was touched by his actions and she stroked the little boy¡¯s head lovingly to reassure him.

    ¡°Do you really want to discuss our private matter here?¡± Ruan Danchen pulled a long face.

    Astonished by her question, Liu Ronghua stopped talking awkwardly. She was worried that others might overhear their conversation and found out about their rtionship.

    The waiter returned Ruan Danchen¡¯s card back. She signed the receipt and bid farewell to Liu Ronghua indifferently. She then left with Qi Youxuan.

    Liu Ronghua could only walk back to her seat. One of her friends sitting opposite to her asked curiously, ¡°Who was that youngdy just now?¡±

    Liu Ronghua tried to avoid eye contact with her friend and smiled nervously, ¡°She¡¯s the daughter of an old friend. I chatted with her for a while since we bumped into each other.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan out of the restaurant. She had not received Xiaoyang¡¯s call, so they went shopping in the mall. Qi Youxuan begged and pestered Ruan Danchen unceasingly to bring him to the supermarket at the lower ground floor. They bought plenty of junk food there.

    After Ruan Danchen made the payment, they saw many people were queueing after they turned a corner. They approached the crowd and found out that they were queueing in front of a famous shop selling milk tea.

    The little boy wanted to try the milk tea after hearing about it, so Ruan Danchen brought him to queue up.

    When it was almost their turn, Ruan Danchen received Xiaoyang¡¯s call. He told her they were at the parking lot now.

    ¡°We¡¯re queueing to buy milk tea, it¡¯ll take a little longer,¡± said Ruan Danchen, she was afraid that Qi Chenglin might lose his patience while waiting.

    However, it was Qi Chenglin who answered her on the phone. ¡°Which shop?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was startled for a while before she told him the shop¡¯s name.

    ¡°Just wait there after you bought the milk tea,¡± said Qi Chenglin coolly.

    After she hung up the phone, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°I think your father ising to find us.¡±

    When it was their turn, Ruan Danchen bought two cups of milk tea. At first she could not decide whether to buy a cup of milk tea for Qi Chenglin. That guy was so petty, she did not know how to deal with him if he became angry with her for not buying milk tea for him.

    However, after thinking it through, she felt that he would not like this kind of beverage, so she did not buy it for him.

    Just after they came out of the shop, they saw Qi Chenglin waiting for them at the entrance. He appeared to be extremely quiet in the noisy crowd. It felt like they suddenly discovered a spring in a desert when they saw him.

    Qi Chenglin saw the two of them¡ªan adult and a young child-were each holding a cup of milk tea in their hands, and he felt that it was such an adorable scene.

    ¡°Dad, why did youe here?¡± Qi Youxuan walked toward him and held his hand like he was trying to please him.

    ¡°The parking lot is too big, I¡¯m afraid that you two won¡¯t be able to spot the car,¡± exined Qi Chenglin before looking at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Shall we leave now?¡±

    He stared at her quite deeply and intensely. Ruan Danchen blushed and her face felt numb after meeting his gaze. She deliberately walked to the other side of the little boy so that the little boy would stand between them as she was afraid to stand too near to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Did you drink a lot tonight?¡± Ruan Danchen found a subject to start a conversation with him as she feared that the situation would turn awkward. She remembered he went for a dinner party tonight, but she did not expect him toe back so early.

    ¡°Not too much,¡± answered Qi Chenglin indifferently, his coal-ck eyes slowly focused on her face, then he stared at the cup of milk tea in her hands. ¡°But I feel quite dizzy now.¡±

    ¡°Do you need me to buy you a beverage to sober you up?¡± asked Ruan Danchen carefully.

    ¡°No thanks, the queue is so long,¡± said Qi Chenglin with his mellow voice. He extended his long arms and took the cup of milk tea from her hands with his fine and attractive long fingers before Ruan Danchen could react to his actions. Then, he took a sip of it with the straw Ruan Danchen was using.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect that he would straight away drink the tea from her straw. She blushed furiously when she remembered that she had used her tongue to touch the part of the straw that he was using just now. She hissed bashfully, ¡°Qi¡ª¡±

    However, she decided to hold her tongue because Qi Youxuan was around.

    Qi Youxuan was holding his milk tea. Hisrge ck eyes were looking around and he suddenly let go of Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. ¡°That little girl in front is so pretty!¡±

    He dashed forward for a short distance so that Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin could still see him, but he was not standing between them anymore.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless after she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s exaggerated acting skills. There was no pretty girl in front of them, the people around them were all men. At that time, she felt a blisteringly hot hand grasped her waist. Then, Qi Chenglin leaned toward her. ¡°So concerned about me?¡±

    ¡°I¡±m¡ª¡± Qi Chenglin put the straw into her mouth the moment Ruan Danchen opened her mouth to talk.

    ¡°Try it, it¡¯s tasty,¡± said Qi Chenglin with a cool smile.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was forced to keep the straw in her mouth. She wanted to tell him that she had drunk it just now, and she knew whether it was tasty or not.

    The next second, she suddenly realized that Qi Chenglin had just used the straw and their saliva was mixed now.

    She was not sure whether she was hallucinating or not, but she felt like she could taste his odor.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and kept silent.

    Qi Chenglin sneered and looked like he was pleased with himself. He then used his strong and firm arm to hug her waist. When he touched her body, Ruan Danchen felt like she was burned by his hand and she leaned on him and trembled.

    Qi Chenglin felt that she was behaving unusually. He lowered his head to look at her and saw her ears had turnedpletely red. They appeared to be smooth and glowing red, her earlobes looked like red jades and looked very tender and attractive. Her long eyshes were hanging down and her cheeks were reddened like the color of a sunset.

 Chapter 352 - I Love You, Donâ€™t Need to Thank Me for That

    Chapter 352: I Love You, Don¡¯t Need to Thank Me for That

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her biggest wish in life was to have Qi Youxuan acknowledge her as his mother.

    Even though Qi Chengli made the decision without consulting her, she did not feel as if he disregarded her. She had no impulse to use him of disrespecting her. Ruan Danchen had always thought that he was a very reliable man.

    If anything, she thought that her previous misgivings were ridiculous.

    He had nned to marry her ever since they started to date, and he had never thought of breaking things off with her. She did not even know when he had begun to make ns for their wedding.

    Ruan Danchen looked up and saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s honest and handsome face. He looked so attractive, and he possessed such a mature charisma. When she looked at him, she could only think about his consistent reliability.

    In hindsight, even though she had been worried about whether their rtionship would survive or not, she had never been afraid he would let her down somehow. She was also never concerned about the existence of another woman while they were together.

    Even subconsciously, she knew that he was a dependable and responsible man. She was confident that he would never have any interest in another woman as long as they were together. He would not even look at women who were prettier than her.

    Mu Huaisheng might be an outstanding man, but she thought that hecked certain qualities whenpared to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, seven years ago, I promised my mom that I would sneak into your bed. Then, I gave birth to Youxuan, and I thought that was the best thing that I would have ever done in my life.¡± Ruan Danchen tip-toed to kiss his lips. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful that I could meet you again, and I¡¯m so lucky to have met you in my life. I¡¯m also grateful that such a good man like you exists in the world. There are no words to describe my luck. Thank you for not being angry with me. What I did to you seven years ago was unforgivable. I never expected that I would have your love and also a life with you.¡±

    ¡°I never thought that I would meet you and Youxuan again, or to hear him calling me mom, or to be a family with the both of you. I don¡¯t know how I am so lucky to have you treat me so well.¡± Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s face lovingly. Her eyes showed only love and affection for him. ¡°I love you, Qi Chenglin. I really, really do love you. Thank you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed at her gently and tenderly. He lowered his head to kiss her lips softly, and then he chuckled. ¡°I love you too. There is no need to thank me for that.¡±

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen felt his erect penis poked at her, and she was speechless. They just had a touching moment, so how did the atmosphere change so suddenly?

    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she pushed him away. ¡°Youxuan should be hungry by now, so I¡¯m going to prepare dinner.¡±

    ¡°Let Aunty Zheng do it.¡± Qi Chenglin rubbed his body against hers. ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you always proud of the little fact that you can maintain it for a long time? Why do you say that it won¡¯t take long now? Have you be a rapid gunner?¡± Ruan Danchen asked mockingly with raised eyebrows.

    Qi Chenglin hugged her quickly and pressed his body against hers. ¡°You¡¯re rushing to cook, right? I can do it as fast as I need to be. I may not fully enjoy it, but at least I can satisfy my needs a little. If you want to test how long can Ist, I¡¯ll let you find out about that tonight.¡±

    ¡°..¡± Ruan Danchen knew that the man would never feel embarrassed before she did. At first, she had wanted to tease him, but it looked like she had managed to shoot herself in the foot. She did not think she would be able to bear with it if he really did try to do it for as long as he could.

    ¡°Stop messing around. You¡¯ve worked for the whole day, so you must be tired now. Go and get changed, thene downstairs for dinner.¡± Ruan Danchen ced her hands on his chest and pushed him away from her. Her ears felt warm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry now.¡± Qi Chenglin grabbed one of her hands and put it on his private part. ¡°But this part of me is hungry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand felt hot, and it trembled continuously. She blushed and then rested her forehead on his chest.

    She closed her eyes as she was too embarrassed to look at him when he did something that obscene.

    ¡°Behave yourself. We can do thister if you want,¡± Ruan Danchen softly said as she shivered in his arms.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to stare at her. His stare was so intense; it was as if there was a fire in his eyes. Ruan Danchen¡¯s breathingbored.

    ¡°If we do this at night, will you be okay for no matter how long we do it?¡± Qi Chenglin mumbled with his deep and hoarse voice. He pouted slightly and rubbed his lips against the corner of her mouth.

    Ruan Danchen shuddered after she heard those words. Her body felt blisteringly hot, and she blushed furiously. She felt like she could not control herself anymore.

    Her ears werepletely red, and she was speechless. She could only nod her head in agreement.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and rubbed her hand against his private part for a little while more before he decided to let her go.

    Ruan Danchen clenched her fist after he released her hand, but it still felt warm. Then she quietly said, ¡°Do it quickly. Dinner will be ready soon.¡±

    After she said that, she ran out of the room as if she was in a hurry.

    ...

    ...

    When Ruan Danchen reached downstairs, Qi Youxuan had already changed his clothes. He sat on the sofa with his word cards, and he did his revision diligently. However, he kept ncing at the stairs. When he saw Ruan Danchen walked down the stairs, he blushed, and he immediately turned his head to stare at the cards again.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him and then walked to the kitchen. When she was almost done with the cooking, Qi Chenglin finally went downstairs.

    Ruan Danchen carried a bowl of soup from the kitchen when Qi Chenglin sat down at the table. She could not help but stare at Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    It would have been fine if she had not known what he had done. However, she did know what he had done in the room, and she was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

    Even though she knew that all men would need to satisfy their thirst somehow, she could not imagine that Qi Chenglin would need to do the same. She felt somewhat awkward with the knowledge that a man like him would resort to that kind of thing.

    Then again, she could not help but imagine him as he yed with himself. She felt like a demon had controlled her because she could not stop thinking about that.

    Qi Chenglin sneered because he knew what was in her mind. He raised his eyebrows at her.

    Ruan Danchen immediately blushed, and she averted her gaze. He was acting like a shameless hooligan!

    She lowered her head and sat down. Qi Chenglin could still see her ears were as red as a piece of heated iron.

    Suddenly, he leaned toward her and took her hands with his right hand under the table. He pinched her hands and then whispered hoarsely into her ears, ¡°I yed with myself using this hand just now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen suddenly shivered when she felt her hands in his. Then, he pulled her hand toward his private parts.

    Luckily, she managed to react quickly to that. She withdrew her hand immediately when it was about to touch his private parts. ¡°Let¡¯s start eating!¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and did not disturb her further.

    Ruan Danchen thought that the man deliberately swayed his right arm in front of her as he used his chopsticks. Every time his elegant and bony hands moved, indecent thoughts assaulted her mind.

    She was very preupied during dinner, and she had a blush on her face.

    Finally, Qi Youxuan had to ask her, ¡°Aunty Ruan, are you feeling ufortable?¡±

    He had called her ¡®mom¡¯ impulsively in the afternoon, but he was too embarrassed to call her that again. So he addressed her as ¡®Aunty Ruan¡¯ as he usually did.

    Ruan Danchen did not mind that he called her ¡®Aunty Ruan¡¯ again. She knew that the little boy saw her as his mother, so she would not force the issue. Even though Qi Youxuan did not realize that she was his biological mother, she was confident that he would call her ¡®mom¡¯ when she married Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°No, I feel great,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she shook her head. She did not want the little boy to worry about her.

    ¡°Why is your face so red?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Maybe it was the smoke in the kitchen just now,¡± Ruan Danchen exined quietly.

    Qi Youxuan believed her exnation, and he did not question her further.

    After the dinner, Qi Chenglin told Qi Youxuan to go back to his room toplete his homework. Aunty Zheng cut some fruits for the little boy.

    He did not have too much homework that day, so the little boy managed to finish them quickly. Then he jogged on the treadmill while he watched an episode of a cartoon. After that, he took a shower and promptly went to bed.

    Since Qi Youxuan started to exercise at night, he would fall asleep immediately after heid on his bed. He would no longer ask her for a bedtime story.

    However, Ruan Dachen would still look in on him before he slept so that she could tuck him in and wish him good night.

    When she finally went back to her room, Qi Chenglin was not there because he had to finish some work in the study. Ruan Danchen decided to take a bubble bath.

    She managed to enjoy her bubble bath while she watched an episode of a variety show. Suddenly, the washroom¡¯s door opened, and she felt a cold draft.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head around and saw Qi Chenglin as he stood at the doorway. He had removed his shirt before he opened the door. He only wore a pair of long pants, and his muscr and well-built upper body was exposed.

    His arm looked muscr and well-developed, so it looked attractive and not too bulky. Ruan Danchen admired his six-pack because they looked like a chocte bar, and they were quite springy to touch.

    Qi Chenglin took a step forward and then closed the door. He stood in front of her casually.

    Ruan Danchen subconsciously curled into her body. The vapor from her hot bath water was warm, so the whole bathroom was covered in a mist, and the visibility in the bathroom was very low. It somehow made the atmosphere more erotic.

    ¡°Why did youe in here?¡± Ruan Danchen asked quietly. She felt weak, and her body started to shiver in the bathwater. Her exposed shoulders had a tinge of redness to it, and there were goosebumps on her skin because she was nervous and excited.

    ¡°It¡¯s already night time,¡± Qi Chenglin said as he unbuckled his belt slowly. ¡°Since you are taking a long bubble bath and wouldn¡¯t leave the bathroom, I thought that I should juste in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gulped, and her breathing quickened. That man had deliberately unbuckled his belt so slowly, and his movements were too seductive!

    ¡°Do you want to help me?¡± Qi Chenglin pointed at his briefs.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and asked softly, ¡°Are youing into the bathtub?¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised one of his eyebrows and answered her suggestively, ¡°Sure, I¡¯lle in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen got the hint immediately. She really did not know how to deal with that guy.

    Qi Chenglin could not control himself when he saw her bashful andpliant expression. He stepped into the bathtub with his long legs and sat behind Ruan Danchen. Then he hugged her tightly.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen eximed in surprise. He had started to make out with her, but she was not prepared for that at all.

    Qi Chenglin hugged her tighter. He was unwilling to loosen his grip as his every movement was filled with love and longing for her.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchenid in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms dreamily. He had carried her from the bathtub and into the room. Then he dried her body with a towel. She felt only warmth when he took her in his arms.

    After she had calmed down, her shoulders felt cold, so she pressed her body against him.

    Qi Chenglin smiled again when he saw her involuntarily clingy actions. He could not help but to kiss and caress her.

    After he kissed her lips, he stood up reluctantly.

    Ruan Danchen frowned. She felt a little chilly as their bodies were further apart. She hugged him tighter, and then like a spoiled child, she asked unhappily, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I need to make a call. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Qi Chenglin pinched her face gently as if she was a child who needed to beforted. Then he pecked her lips softly.

    Ruan Danchen frowned again. She only let Qi Chenglin left after she wrapped her body tightly with a nket.

    Qi Chenglin smiled. He got out of bed, and then he pinched her cheeks once again before he left the bedroom.

    A few minutester, Qi Chenglin was back in the room. Ruan Danchen was already half-asleep by then because she was drained. However, she could feel his long arms hugged her tightly.

    She felt safe and peaceful in his embrace. She adjusted her posture so that she was a little morefortable. Then, she promptly fell asleep again.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen opened her eyes half-awake even though her rm had not rung yet.

    Even though she did not need to go to work, she still woke up early to prepare breakfast for Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan and to see them off.

    However, she felt pretty tired that morning. She was exhausted after she fooled around with Qi Chenglin the night before. He ¡®yed¡¯ with her to his heart¡¯s content because she had not started work yet, so he did not need to worry if herck of energy would affect her work.

    Therefore, even though she was already half-awake, she did not want to open her eyes. She wanted to wait until the rm clock on her phone ring before she would do that.

    Even though sleepiness took her, she could still feel it when someone lifted her left arm and slid something cold and hard onto her middle finger.

    Ruan Danchen felt more awake by then. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a ring on her middle finger, and it was a simple silver ring. It was about two to three millimeters wide, and it had a small diamond in the middle. It was low-key and nothing that dazzled too wildly.

    The diamond embedded into the ring, and so it was just a smooth circle.

    Ruan Danchen stared at the ring on her finger, and then her gazended on Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegant fingers that held her hand. She noticed that he also had a simr ring on his middle finger. The only difference was that it had no diamond.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± He had just woken up too. His voice was deep and hoarse, and it sounded deliciously sluggish.

    He smiled at her as heid on his side and supported his head with his right arm.

    ¡°This is¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen blinked. She was notpletely awake yet, and so she was a little confused.

    ¡°Couple rings. I ordered them the other day, and I¡¯ve asked someone to fetch to me this morning,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly.

    ¡°Why did you want to wear this so suddenly?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in surprise. She did not know Qi Chenglin was the type of man who would do that kind of thing.

    ¡°Even though you are working for me, I still have to protect you from the people who might want to chase after you.¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes, though he did have an ulterior motive.

    Ruan Danchen preferred to remain low-profile. She did not want her colleagues to find out about her status so that they would not bother her about it.

    However, she did not know that Qi Chenglin had called for a meeting with the managers from various departments so that he could inform them about her. He did not invite Yao Qingzhi to the meeting.

    In the meeting, Qi Chenglin had told them, ¡°The new designer at the design department, who will being in next Monday, is my wife. Her name is Ruan Danchen. Please treat her with kindness.¡±

    Manager Zou from the design department had heard about the news right before the meeting, so he was not surprised. However, he did have to rack his brain to think of the best ways to keep the general manager¡¯s wife pleased.

    The other managers stared at him with mixed emotions. They pitied him, and yet they were also envious of him at the same time. However, they were mostly relieved about the situation.

    It was an excellent opportunity to win the favor of the general manager¡¯s wife, but they might annoy her as well if they made any mistakes. No one wanted the general manager to me them for offending his wife.

    ¡°Of course, please keep it to yourself. I¡¯d prefer it if she doesn¡¯t know that all of you are informed about her status. More importantly, don¡¯t let the staff bullies or plots against her. Please don¡¯t criticize her if she made minor mistakes in her work as well,¡± Qi Chenglin said bluntly. ¡°If there is any trouble with her, pleasee to me directly.¡±

    Manager Zou was quite nervous, but he managed to summon some courage to ask, ¡°General Manager, what do you mean by minor mistakes?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at him and frowned. Then he bluntly said, ¡°Any mistakes she may make are minor mistakes, no matter how serious they turned out to be.¡±

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else.

    ¡°Of course, Danchen had worked in this field for many years now. She is an expert and a real professional. Therefore, she would never make mistakes,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else again.

    Qi Chenglin went all out to protect his wife. He made it clear that any decisions his wife made were the right ones. Everyone thought that their director was very protective of his wife, but they never expected that their general manager to be even more protective of his wife.

    ¡°Manager Zou, I know that thepetition is quite stiff in your department. Please pay attention to her, and don¡¯t let anyone irritate her.¡± Qi Chenglin stared at Manager Zou again.

    ¡°Just leave it to me, General Manager,¡± Manager Zou answered hurriedly.

    The other managers pitied Manager Zou even more after that.

    ¡°Also, Board Member Yao told me that his daughter is interested in joining our design department. Manager Zou, please offer Miss Yao a job as an assistant designer and evaluate her abilities. If she is notpetent enough, then you can dismiss her,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Manager Zou agreed to do that.

    ¡°Even though Miss Yao is the daughter of Board Member Yao, please do not offer her any special treatment. Be fair to the others and treat her like any other ordinary employee. We should treat everyone equally at Qilin,¡± Qi Chenglin said nonchntly.

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else yet again.

    General Manager Qi did not give them the same instructions about Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Everyone should pay attention to this, especially you, Manager Zou. If she makes any mistakes, please don¡¯t let her off the hook just because of her father¡¯s position. If Yao Qingzhi is unhappy, then tell him to take it up with me. Also, it seems like Miss Yao had quarreled with Danchen after the interview in the afternoon. She thought that Danchen¡¯s position was created for her. If there is ever another conflict between Miss Yao and Danchen, you all know what to do, right?¡± Qi Chenglin gave Manager Zou a cold stare.

    Manager Zou readily replied, ¡°General Manager, please do not worry. Miss Ruan is always right. If there¡¯s a conflict between Miss Ruan and Miss Yao, then it must be because Miss Yao wanted to find fault with her. I will never tolerate this kind of behavior.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded in content. Then he had a sudden thought. ¡°Is an assistant designer responsible for doing odd jobs?¡±

 Chapter 353 - Why Does That Woman, Standing Among the Qi Family, Look so Familiar?

    Chapter 353: Why Does That Woman, Standing Among the Qi Family, Look so Familiar?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, Manager Zou really knew nothing about an assistant designer¡¯s scope of work. They had never had such a position in their department before. When asked at that moment, he trembled with a start and nodded hurriedly. ¡°Yes, indeed. Various general work.¡±

    ¡°Hm, then feel free to assign these chores to Ms. Yao. Don¡¯t worry about her identity,¡± Qi Chenglin nodded.

    All the managers sighed silently in their hearts and thought to themselves, ¡®Yao Qingzhi¡¯s daughter is really unlucky.¡¯ Out of so many people that she could provoke, it just had to be General Manager Qi¡¯s wife.

    They had begun to wonder why General Manager Qi easily agreed to assign another position for Yao Jingfei upon Yao Qingzhi¡¯s request.

    Such special treatment was only reserved for Ruan Danchen originally. Yao Qingzhi was just a small shareholder of thepany where the Qi family still held the authority. Even if there was a need to vote, those board members did not have any say in fact. Considering the headcount, the Qi family had already upied over half the seats on the board. Where was the need to vote then?

    It turned out that General Manager Qi intended to avenge Ms Yao for his wife.

    They could not help but look towards Qi Chenglin, thinking, ¡®General Manager Qi¡¯s really petty!¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin was staring at the ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand satisfactorily. There were numerous smart individuals in Qilin. As long as they observed attentively, they would be able to notice the couple rings and guessed the identity of Ruan Danchen without needing him to intentionally announce it.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin before her sight fell onto the distinctive joints of his long fingers. The simple ring that he was wearing had made his hand looked even more elegant and attractive than it already was.

    ¡°You told me that you were going out to make a call yesterday. Could it possibly be because of this incident?¡± asked Ruan Danchen as she recalled.

    Qi Chenglin took a glimpse at her and suddenly said, ¡°Time to wake up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Knowing that she had guessed correctly from his reaction, sheughed, ¡°Just admit it if it¡¯s true. Why are you so slow to warm up?¡±

    Qi Chenglin who had wanted to get off the bed changed his mind instantly and leaned down on her, that hard rod pressing against her. ¡°Do you want me to have it at you again?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned red. Why couldn¡¯t she remember that that man was not someone she could easily tease. ¡°Waking up now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin chuckled. He looked at her and squeezed her hand which had the ring on it. ¡°Remember to wear your ring at all times. Don¡¯t remove it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. It¡¯s from you after all.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed lightly and dropped her eyes. Her soft delicate fingers threaded through his, holding his hand and bringing it close to her sight. Looking at the ring on his long finger, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t remove it, too. If any other women tried to flirt with you, remember to show them your ring.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his brow and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Getting jealous?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not answer. With a heated face, she gazed at his attractive hand attentively. Her soft fingers were rubbing the ring on his finger lightly. ¡°In fact, I think it is rather beneficial to work in the samepany as you. This way, I can observe you closely. If I ever catch other women trying to seek your attention in the day, I¡¯ll get back at you when we¡¯re back home at night.¡±

    ¡°Why am I facing the retribution when I¡¯m the one being pestered by the women, not the other way round?¡± Qi Chenglin could not help butugh. He was in an exceptionally good mood at her jealousy.

    He enjoyed watching her being possessive over him.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not for your seduction, do you think that they will pester you?¡± Ruan Danchen took a faint glimpse at him.

    Qi Chenglinughed, ¡°I¡¯ve seduced you for quite some time in the first ce. So, why didn¡¯t you cling on me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I now?¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and wrapped herself tightly around him with all her limbs.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s ck-colored eyes darkened and burned with faint mes. His lip curled up mischievously. His burning palms slid up her legs and suddenly lifted her up a little before tucking himself in.

    Ruan Danchen drew in a deep breath, her eyes foggy with a thinyer of watery tears. Her legs tightened their grip on him. She could not stop herself from using all her energy to hug him tight.

    ¡°I love the way you cling on me,¡± whispered Qi Chenglin huskily. His eyes shone brightly while he brushed his burning thin lips against hers.

    ...

    ...

    In the past, the little one only woke up so early in excitement on his first day of school. When he had gotten used to his school life, the excitement melted into boredom and he lost interest in going to school. Subsequently, he reverted to his previous habit ofzing in bed. Ruan Danchen had to wake him up and carried him to the washroom to freshen up. It would take a while for him to be fully awake.

    However, that Friday morning, little Qi Youxuan was again feeling a little excited.

    He was already awake when Ruan Danchen entered his room. Despite being overwhelmed by excitement, he was still mentally listless.

    Sitting on his small bed, the little round head nodded in a daze.

    Although the house was equipped with heaters, it was not as warm as being in bed. The little one wrapped himself under the duvet. He slowly extended a little arm out from the duvet to open the drawer of the nightstand and fish out a pair of new socks. He grabbed the socks and quickly retracted his arm so he could put them on under the duvet.

    Ruan Danchen would always prepare the next day attire for the little one and ced the clothes on the nightstand. Therefore, after wearing his socks, Qi Youxuan once again extended his arm towards his fall attire on the nightstand before shrinking back under the duvet.

    He took off his pajamas while hiding under the duvet. His fall clothes were left exposed to the cold the whole night, unlike the pajamas that were warmed by his body temperature. As soon as he put on the fall attire, he shivered in cold and let out some ¡®ooh, ooh¡¯ sounds.

    Chuckling, Ruan Danchen walked towards him and sat on the bed. She took the sweater and school pants to help him put them on, starting with the sweater. The mild electrical current that ran through it had messed up his soft hair.

    The little one shivered again while grumbling, ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡±

    Ruan Danchen pulled him out from under the duvet and helped him to put on his school pants. Then, she grabbed the school zer and tugged it on him.

    Qi Youxuan simply leaned against Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms. Though he did not want to sleep anymore, he was still feeling a bitzy. So, he closed his eyes and stopped moving.

    Since Ruan Danchen moved in, Qi Youxuan felt that his happy life also began. In the past, who would have bothered to help him with petty matters such as waking up in the morning?

    During his preschool years, if hezed in bed in the morning, his father would enter his room and took away his duvet, letting him curled up in cold. If he still refused to wake up, his father would slip his cold, wet hand that he just washed under Qi Youxuan¡¯s pajamas, causing him to jump out of bed from the cold.

    His father was not as patient with him as Ruan Danchen, who would let him leaned in her armsfortably.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace was very soft unlike Qi Chenglin¡¯s. Whenever he was held by Ruan Danchen, the little one could hardly exin why he would be so deeply moved. He only knew that her warm embrace made him teary sometimes.

    The little one was rubbing up against Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace. He let her smoothed out his clothes and carried him into the washroom, cing him on the small stool.

    She squeezed some toothpaste onto the electrical toothbrush before giving it to him to brush his teeth.

    After freshening up, Qi Youxuan had be fully awake. He stared at Ruan Danchen scooping some hair gel onto her hands to style his hair. Then only she led Qi Youxuan to the dining room for breakfast.

    That morning, Qi Youxuan was sent off to school by both Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. As it was the parents¡¯ visitation day, the little one also felt slightly nervous that he rarely spoke throughout the journey.

    Parking their car in the car park, they found that Grandmother Qi had not arrived. Qi Chenglin said, ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting here. You go first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen helped Qi Youxuan to put on his hat and gloves before letting him out of the car.

    The couple walked Qi Youxuan to the school entrance and watched him entering the school until he was out of sight before returning to the car park.

    Not long after they stayed inside the warm car, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi came, followed immediately by Guan Liya. Qi Zhongxun and Qi Chengzhi stayed back in thepany while Song Yu was forbidden by Grandmother Qi from attending the event because her belly had grown bigger each day.

    Grandmother Qi was wearing the sunsses that Song Yu bought her when she and Qi Chengzhi traveled to France. She was also dressed in a thick coat and had put on the hat that came with the coat.

    ¡°My goodness! It¡¯s really cold today.¡± Grandmother Qi adjusted her scarf so that it covered her mouth.

    The drama, that Grandmother Qi acted in, was already on air and she was concerned about being too famous from the drama. She intentionally chose that outfit not only to withstand the cold weather but also to conceal her face from the public.

    Grandfather Qi got out from the car to see Grandmother Qi unting herself, and he harrumphed in disdain.

    He had been reluctant to go out with Grandmother Qi recently. Every time that olddy left their house, she would act so dramatically like a maniac, making him feel embarrassed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Youxuan?¡± asked Grandmother Qi when she saw only Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchening out from their car.

    ¡°He went into the school first. We were worried that we may hold him back too long from ss,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    At that moment, there were already a number of cars in the car park that had be almost full. Those parents were also present to attend the parents¡¯ visitation day.

    They could choose to not turn up at any other time, but the parents¡¯ visitation day was a very important event. As long as the parents were free, they would attend the event. That included The Great Eight Families.

    The Great Eight Families, such as the Wei family and the Qi family, ced great importance on their children that the other families would go as far as to try their luck if they could catch a sight of anyone from the Great Eight Families. Therefore, no matter how tied down they were, they would always rearrange their schedule to make time for the event.

    As a result of such a cycle, the parents¡¯ visitation day would turn out to be a very lively event every time. The Jixia Elementary School had be a stage for the upper-ss society to get acquainted with one another.

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s go too,¡± pushing up her sunsses, Grandmother Qi said hastily and walked into the school before the others.

    ¡°Mom, it has just snowed and the road is slippery. Please slow down.¡± Guan Liya hurried along to support Grandmother Qi.

    They had already met a number of familiar faces along the way.

    Usually, anymon family would not simply step up to greet them. Instead, they would observe from a distance. In case that their children were just in the same ss as Qi Youxuan, they would rejoice. During ss, they could take this opportunity to converse with the Qi family.

    Nheless, it was really unexpected to see such a big group of the Qi family. Even Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were present. That led them to deduced Qi Youxuan¡¯s importance to the Qi family, he could not simply be an illegitimate child.

    ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, auntie.¡± A voice greeted from behind them.

    They turned around to see Li Zhuohui striding towards them.

    Grandmother Qi was rather fond of Li Zhuohui. The Li family had always stayed low and did not have many scandals. She could understand that the youngsters would y around and get into affairs asionally. In their circle, even if they did not initiate it, someone would still try to stick around them. They could not even stop it.

    Among the families¡¯ younger generation, Li Zhuohui was considered to possess a steady disposition.

    Next to Li Zhuohui were his mother and aunt. They too greeted Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi politely.

    ¡°Xiao Li, why are you here?¡± Grandmother Qi asked with a smile.

    ¡°I came with my mom and aunt. My cousin just happens to be on a business trip and his wife is still in confinement. Today is the parents¡¯ visitation day. So, I am here on their behalf.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Grandmother Qiughed while nodding her head.

    ¡°Are you here to visit Youxuan?¡± Li Zhuohui¡¯s aunt, Zheng Yuxia asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Grandmother Qi nodded happily.

    Li Zhuohui¡¯s mother, Xu Yaomin, was wondering why Grandmother Qi was in such a good mood. Although Grandmother Qi always greeted the others with a smile, she seemed more thrilled that day.

    ¡°I heard from Youxuan that he¡¯s in the same ss as your Jianyu,¡± remarked Grandmother Qi, her back straightened suddenly.

    Zheng Yuxia agreed with a smile. Her eyes suddenly came across Ruan Danchen and asked curiously, ¡°This youngdy is...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Grandmother Qiughed delightfully. She was waiting for someone to ask her that question. She pulled Ruan Danchen towards her and introduced, ¡°This is my second grandson¡¯s girlfriend. Her name is Ruan Danchen. Our Youxuan loves her very much and we have also considered her a part of our family.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Then I suppose that the good news is in order?¡± Xu Yaomin¡¯s sight fell on Ruan Danchen before smiling towards Grandmother Qi saying, ¡°The Qi family¡¯s happy asionse one after another. Isn¡¯t the wife of your eldest grandson going to give birth soon? Your youngest granddaughter has just gotten married and now, a wife for your second grandson. This is really triple happinessing one after another.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Grandmother Qi was stroking Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand softly when she felt something hard and looked down. ¡°Oh, Xiao Ruan! Why¡¯s there a ring on your finger? Has Chenglin proposed to you?¡±

    ¡°We...¡± Ruan Danchen tried to exin but was not given the chance. Grandmother Qi turned around and smiled towards the Li family in tion.

    ¡°Sigh, my second grandson acts really fast. Liya, quick! Make a call to print the wedding invitation, the one that printed the wedding invitation for Chengzhi and the Song girl. Their cards were pretty exquisite.¡± Grandmother Qi told Guan Liya before turning back to the Li family and said in a smile, ¡°We will send you the invitationter!¡±

    Xu Yaomin and Zheng Yuxiaughed along with her. They felt thankful that the grandmothers from the remaining of The Great Eight Families were not present today. Otherwise, they would have ripped into Grandmother Qi.

    The Qi family¡¯s grandchildren had gotten married one after another, getting on the nerves of the other families.

    Looking at the high spirited Grandmother Qi, Ruan Danchen was unable to exin any further. She could not refute Grandmother Qi, embarrassing her in public. She could only exin when they were back hometer.

    Li Zhuohui, his mother and aunt then took their leave and started towards the school building ahead of the Qi family.

    The others who saw the urrence nced towards the Qi family. Although they might not be qualified enough to greet the Qi family, they were also curious about Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend.

    If she could attend Qi Youxuan¡¯s parents¡¯ visitation day with the Qi family, she must have already been epted into the family. Thus, they could not help but stare at her a little longer.

    They noticed that Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm was wrapped around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist protectively. He seemed to dote on her very much. Ruan Danchen also appeared to be a lot younger than Qi Chenglin. The two Qi young masters had both gotten themselves young wives.

    Checked out Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm gaze on Ruan Danchen. That was the first time they have ever seen it.

    In the past, when Qi Chengzhi took off his sunsses, those sharp eyes softened when they met Song Yu. Now, Qi Chenglin who looked at everyone else impatiently would be full of patience when his sight fell onto Ruan Danchen.

    They wondered which family did thatdye from for she could firmly attract the attention of the second young master of the Qi family.

    Looking back at Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya, their mood seemed lifted and they gleamed happily at Ruan Danchen. Their sincere smiles revealed their eptance of Ruan Danchen as their granddaughter-inw. It seemed that a wedding was in order for the Qi family.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Zhijing, why does that woman, standing among the Qi family, look so familiar?¡± When Gu Ziyao and Shen Zhijing walked into the school ground, they saw Grandmother Qi holding onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand affectionately while conversing with the Li family.

    Shen Zhijing was apanying Gu Ziyao to the parents¡¯ visitation day. Her brother, Shen Zhenghong, was in Z City. Gu Ziyao was unable to care for their two children at the same time on her own. Hence, she asked Shen Zhijing over to help her out.

    Shen Zhenghong and Gu Ziyao had a boy and a girl. Their nine-year-old son, walking next to Gu Ziyao, was in the third year of Jixia Elementary School. Their younger daughter, Shen Manman, whose hand was held by Gu Ziyao, was in the same ss as Qi Youxuan.

    Gu Ziyao would attend her son¡¯s parents¡¯ visitation day and leave Shen Manman¡¯s to Shen Zhijing.

    ¡°That auntie is Qi Youxuan¡¯s dad¡¯s girlfriend,¡± said Shen Manman all of a sudden.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Shen Zhijing stopped in her tracks and red down at Shen Manman.

    Shen Manman was intimidated by Shen Zhijing¡¯s intensive re and hid behind Gu Ziyao. Shen Zhijing¡¯s expression at that moment was really frightening, her eyes opened wide as if they could gobble her up anytime.

    Gu Ziyao was displeased with that and shielded Shen Manman from Shen Zhijing¡¯s sight. She advised, ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t get too agitated. You¡¯re scaring the child.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Shen Zhijing ignored Gu Ziyao to re at Shen Manman.

    Frightened, Shen Manman took another step backward, ¡°Why are you being so mean to me, auntie?¡±

    Shocked and enraged, she could not be bothered about Shen Manman¡¯s feeling but pushed on instead, ¡°You said that she¡¯s Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend. Is she the one whose hands are sped by Grandmother Qi?¡±

    Shen Manman nodded perturbed.

    ¡°Zhijing, what¡¯s wrong with you? You are scaring the child.¡± Gu Ziyao frowned at Shen Zhijing while shielding her daughter.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask why that woman seems so familiar? She is Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Stunned into silence, Gu Ziyao blinked and her face changed after recalling her memory.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen? Could you possibly be mistaken? Perhaps they only look simr. It has been seven years after all. It¡¯s perfectly normal to not remember clearly.¡± Gu Ziyao frowned, looking towards Ruan Danchen.

    Fortunately, the Qi family¡¯s attention was on the Li family and did not notice them.

    ¡°Impossible! I met her at the entrance of Shengyue a few days ago. At that time, she was with Mu Huaisheng¡¯s assistant and I thought that they were going out together. How did she end up with Qi Chenglin?¡± Shen Zhijing was driven mad with rage.

    She already abhorred the sight of Ruan Danchen when she saw her again after seven years. She hoped that Ruan Danchen would vanish and never appear in her life ever again.

    Looking at Ruan Danchen among the Qi family, she was not only shocked. She could not ept it at all!

 Chapter 324 - It Was Obvious That She Did Something Filthy, Yet She Still Doesnâ€™t Admit to It

    <h4>Chapter 324: It Was Obvious That She Did Something Filthy, Yet She Still Doesn¡¯t Admit to It</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Oddly enough though, Ruan Danchen was not intimidated by Qi Chenglin anymore. She used to get extremely flustered but now she was no longer scared. Perhaps it was because she now knew why he was angry earlier, or perhaps it might be because their rtionship had just changed.

    ¡°That happened on an afternoon a while back when you came to show me the report,¡± Ruan Danchen said while blushing.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression turned unusually gentle. His mood took a turn for the better after recalling the time he dropped her off and remembered the allure of her face at the time.

    Ruan Danchen red at him and could already imagine what would happen if Yang Yunshu walked in. If Yang Yunshu saw her with Qi Chenglin, she would presume that Ruan Danchen was trying seducing him even if she was nowhere near him.

    The faintughter from outside drew closer, but Qi Chenglin was stilltched onto her. Growing more and more frantic, Ruan Danchen begged her, ¡°Please let me down this once. I beg you.¡±

    He pursed his thin, handsome lips and looked at her with those enigmatic eyes.

    Ruan Danchen felt uneasy from his stares. She did not want to hide the rtionship, but at that moment, she had no intention of letting Yang Yunshu have reason to gossip.

    ...

    ...

    Yang Yunshu and Wu Min continued their chit-chat and opened the meeting room door. They immediately saw Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen standing beside the conference table. Ruan Danchen was blocked by Qi Chenglin, so they could not see her clearly.

    All they heard was, ¡°Young Master Lin, let me escort you out.¡±

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes at her and snickered. ¡®Young Master Lin? Really?¡¯

    Ruan Danchen felt a wave of guilt and felt her head throb just from looking at him. She looked pitiful and apologetic, making it hard for Qi Chenglin to me her for anything.

    He twitched his lip and looked strangely at her as if to tease her. It took him quite a bit of effort to nod and answer unhappily, ¡°Mm.¡±

    Ruan Danchen breathed out a sigh and followed Qi Chenglin out. She lowered her head, so her hair covered her face as she walked out. She especially did not enjoy letting Yang Yunshu see her, especially since Ruan Danchen herself had no idea whether she looked disheveled at the time.

    She let out a relieved sigh once she was out of the meeting room. Having sent Qi Chenglin to the design department¡¯s entrance, she made a show of saying, ¡°Young Master Lin, take care.¡±

    Qi Chenglin stopped and stared at Ruan Danchen. He cocked his thick brow and asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to send me off?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned. She blushed but mustered the courage to move her fingers over. She was just about to touch his hand when she heard the cking of high heels nearing from behind.

    Ruan Danchen pulled her hand back immediately and said in a clear voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Young Master Lin, I¡¯ll draw up a few designs as fast as possible so you can choose from them. I¡¯ll get to it right away.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at the approaching Yang Yunshu and twitched his lip coldly. Giving Ruan Danchen a little snicker, he left the design department.

    Hisst nce made Ruan Danchen feel numb in the head.

    She turned around to see Yang Yunshu¡¯s sarcastic-looking face. Ruan Danchen nced at her coldly and ignored her before going back to her own seat. She grabbed her bag and decided to go to a nearby convenience store to get a sandwich. It was far toote to go for a full meal at a restaurant.

    Yang Yunshu then began speaking in a mocking tone, ¡°Ruan Danchen, how shameless can you be? Now you¡¯ve even seduced a client onpany grounds,pletely unaware of your surroundings. Were you really just about to get it on in the meeting room?¡±

    Ruan Danchen grabbed her bag and turned around, frowning. ¡°Yang Yunshu. Is it that hard for you toe to work every day without criticizing others? Why do you always have indecent thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Me? Indecent?¡± Yang Yunshu cackled coldly. ¡°Even if I¡¯m thinking lewd thoughts, it¡¯ll never be worse than your lewd actions. It makes me feel disgusted! Do you think you can be the next Song Yu just by seducing Qi Chenglin? You think you can just sit around like her without doing anything and have Director Zhao afraid to take action on you? Who do you think you are? Do you really think you could be part of the Qi family? Please, just stop embarrassing yourself!¡±

    ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on? What are you arguing about?¡± Wu Min came out of the meeting room after hearing the conversation. She immediately saw Yang Yunshu confronting Ruan Danchen in a heated argument.

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense, Yang Yunshu! You should know who attempted to use hical means to advance her career. I had a proper work-rted discussion with Young Master Lin in the meeting room, that¡¯s all. Don¡¯t you dare start a rumor and make wild usations!¡± Ruan Danchen felt slightly guilty when saying that.

    Yan Yunshu huffed icily and threw a pocket mirror to Ruan Danchen¡¯s table. ¡°Nothing, you say? Why don¡¯t you take a look in the mirror!¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned and took the mirror. She looked at her reflection and noticed that it was much better than expected.

    Her hair, however, was slightly messy because of Qi Chenglin cupping her face in his hands. From her hair alone, it did look she had been given a bit of loving earlier.

    Her lips were not that swollen, but her lipstick was all devoured by Qi Chenglin. The blush in her cheek had not fully disappeared yet and was still rosy, which reinforced the usation that she had been intimate with Qi Chenglin.

    She may be blushing, but she threw the mirror onto the table and said, ¡°Yang Yunshu, do you have any proof of what you¡¯re using me of? Have you seen anything with your own two eyes? Don¡¯t start your bloody rumors if you have no proof and didn¡¯t even see anything. I hate and despise people who are hical when trying tond a project. I swear on the future of my career that I have never and will never use filthy means just to obtain a project. Do you dare swear the same? Do you dare swear that you never made a false usation toward me? That you weren¡¯t trying to start rumors to taint my reputation? Do you dare to or not?¡±

    Yang Yunshu stood nkly as her face turned green. She was unable to speak.

    She kept quiet not because of superstition, but because her stubbornness might lead to a problem in the future.

    ¡°You don¡¯t dare to? Then you¡¯d better shut your damn mouth and stop being so atrocious with all your usations. Don¡¯t even greet me from now on. You disgust me!¡± Ruan Danchen said without a care in the world.

    Yang Yunshu¡¯s repeated fault-finding gave Ruan Danchen no reason to be kind toward her.

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips, threw a piercing re at Yang Yunshu, then grabbed her bag and left the design department.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°What was it that caused such a big argument? What if Director Zhao came back and saw everything?¡± Wu Min tugged on Yang Yunshu¡¯s shirt and both of them went back into the meeting room.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see her lustful face in the meeting room just now? I have no idea what she did to seduce Qi Chenglin! It was obvious that she did something inappropriate, yet she still refuses to admit it. Instead, she pretended to be the victim and med me instead. Isn¡¯t that sickening?¡± Yang Yunshu said unhappily. She entered the meeting room and sat down with a plop. Then, she began tossing the bowl of sd that she had not eaten yet.

    ¡°Who knows what secret potion she poured into their drinks. Even Manager Xu is so protective of her all the time. Since she¡¯s good friends with Song Yu, Director Zhao still lets her stay around even though her workload is so small. She¡¯s barely bringing in any profit for thepany. Hasn¡¯t it crossed Director Zhao¡¯s mind that the Qi family wouldn¡¯t treat Chengshi any better just because of her and her rtionship with Song Yu?¡± Yang Yunshushed out.

    Wu Min sat there in silence, having no desire to be involved in squabbles between colleagues.

    Besides, Ruan Danchen was a pleasant character, and Wu Min did not believe that Ruan Danchen was that kind of person. Though Wu Min knew of Yang Yunshu¡¯s character, it was thetter who went up to her and suggested that they slim down and have lunch together. She deemed it would be impolite to decline, so all she did was make sure that she watched her words whenever they spoke.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen stormed out of the office in anger. Her stomach ached from hunger, but she had no appetite because of what happened with Yang Yunshu.

    Nevertheless, thest thing on her mind was to go back to the office and see Yang Yunshu¡¯s face again. As she walked to the elevator and was wondering where to go, she received a call from Qi Chenglin.

    Simply looking at his name on the screen made her heart thump wildly. The anger and annoyance caused by Yang Yunshu disappeared immediately, and she felt her cheek heat up.

    Having picked up the call, she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s rich voice resounding from the phone. ¡°Come down.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartbeat quickened. Ever since they had the big talk that officially began their rtionship, it was an entirely different feeling hearing his voice then, as if there was a newyer of intimacy between them.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t left?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in shock.

    He hung up without replying.

    Stunned, she looked at her phone and mumbled in an irritated fashion, ¡°You and your temper.¡±

    The elevator came, and she stepped into it with a degree of resentment.

    Her anger at Yang Yunshu had been diffused after his call, but her mood soon reverted back to annoyance because of his temper.

    Once the elevator reached the ground floor, she walked out and saw his ck Benz right by the building entrance. It was parked at the exact same spot and had not been moved since hest came down.

    She walked toward the car, and when she was about a step away, the car door swung open.

    Ruan Danchen scanned her surroundings frantically. Lucky for her, many people were still out having lunch and so no one was around. Ruan Danchen immediately got into the car.

    It was not the first time she sat in the front passenger seat, but the feeling was very different this time.

    She never expected that she would be together with a man she met just once seven years ago who was also the respected second young master of the Qi family.

    Nerves were getting to her as she sat beside him. Even her breathing was getting increasingly heavier. When she entered the car, however, the first thing she smelled was that of food.

    She turned to look at him and noticed that his suit jacket had been taken off. It was thrown onto the back seat and he was left wearing only his dress shirt. The sleeves were not rolled up, and he looked just as professional dressed like that, although it was slightly more casual than when he donned a full suit.

    Since the dress shirt was the only thing covering him, it was easy for her to spot the muscles on his arms and chest. The clothes were not stretched out, they actually fitted him quite well. It made one wonder how strong and sturdy the muscles underneath his shirt were.

    Ruan Danchen blushed simply from looking at him, more so when she imagined being in his embrace. The solidity of his chest was very attractive indeed.

    There did not seem to be anything unusual about Qi Chenglin. He looked at her in a teasing manner, making her feel a bit glum as she thought to herself, ¡®Am I really in a rtionship with him? He¡¯s always looking at me so coldly.¡¯

    He kept quiet and stretched his long arms to his back seat. The motion pulled his shirt taut, revealing the shape of his strong chest muscles while also inadvertently shifting him closer to her.

    Ruan Danchen froze on the spot, and even her breathing became stifled.

    He then retracted his hand, and what he had was a container, held in his clean, beautiful hands. The joints of his thumb were slender and prominent.

    ¡°Eat up. This is your lunch.¡± Ruan Danchen heard his sonorous voice.

    Feeling surprised, she took it from him and saw that his other hand was holding a container as well. Qi Chenglin then exined, ¡°You didn¡¯t have lunch, so I went to a nearby restaurant to get some.¡±

    Though she was slightly angry at him earlier for hanging up on her, that quickly disappeared and was reced by warmth in her heart. She said softly, ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was in a good mood. His lips curled and he said, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Lift your head a bit.¡±

    Still in a daze due to being alone with him in the tight confines of his car, she lifted her head obediently without thinking too much.

    Almost immediately, a shadow loomed over her head. Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face leaned closer as soon as she looked up. Before she could react, he caught her off guard and nted a kiss on her lips.

    It was not a long kiss, for he broke free of her lips after giving her a peck.

    Even so, Ruan Danchen felt extra shy. She could sense her head and cheeks heating up.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s seemed to have quite the appetite after kissing her. He wolfed down his food in a primal manner. Ruan Danchen would never have thought that such a well-dressed and proud man would eat his takeout in such an uncivilized way within the cover of his car.

    Most of the shops nearby Chengshi were not well-known and could hardlypare to ces like Dynasty, yet Qi Chenglin still ate them quite contentedly.

    Ruan Danchen began eating too. She heard Qi Chenglin say, ¡°I¡¯m working overtime tonight. Xiao Yang will pick Youxuan from kindergarten beforeing here to pick you. If you don¡¯t mind, you can bring Youxuan home. I¡¯lle over when I¡¯m done.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t mind,¡± Ruan Danchen replied instantly. She was bubbling with excitement because that was exactly what she wanted.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and finished his food before Ruan Danchen. She was a bit slower, so he waited until she finished before he took the empty container from her.

    Seeing how spotless it was inside with not even a single grain of rice left, Qi Chenglin chuckled. ¡°You were hungry?¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt slightly embarrassed. She was rather famished after being cooped up in the meeting room with him on an empty stomach.

    She said shyly, ¡°I don¡¯t usually eat that much.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Qi Chenglin ced both containers into the stic bag, stepped out of the car, and threw everything into a nearby rubbish bin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go up now,¡± said Ruan Danchen once Qi Chenglin came back. As Qi Chenglin seemed to have no objections, she turned to open the door.

    ¡°Come here,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s rich voice rang from behind her.

    Ruan Danchen could only turn around and let Qi Chenglin caress her.

    The moment his hands came into contact with her waist, Ruan Danchen trembled and said, ¡°Lunch break is over. I¡¯m gonna bete.¡±

    ¡°Did anyone gossip just now?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips approached her own, and it was only when he was an inch away that he spoke with his mesmeric voice.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips trembled and she said softly, ¡°It¡¯s just conflict between colleagues. Nothing much.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at her with a serious expression, but he did not say a word. He kissed her once more before letting her go. ¡°You can go up now.¡±

    Their new rtionship was still something that Ruan Danchen was unustomed to. When she left the car, she did so in a daze.

    ...

    ...

    At around ten minutes past four in the evening, Ruan Danchen received a call from Xiao Yang saying that he had picked Youxuan up and was on his way to Chengshi. He estimated that he would arrive at about five-thirty.

    Ruan Danchen looked at her colleagues, got up, then rushed out of the office. She went to the staircase and said softly, ¡°Xiao Yang, can you park a bit further away when you arrive?¡±

    Xiao Yang did not ask why and happilyplied, ¡°Would it be okay if I park at the intersection before Chengshi?¡±

    ¡°That would be fine, thank you,¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    Ruan Danchen was not particrly bothered with what her colleagues think¡ªher main concern was that her rtionship with Qi Chenglin would be spread around by those bbermouths and somehow make its way to the Shen family¡¯s ears. If they knew she was with Qi Chenglin, they would certainlye looking for her.

 Chapter 325 - Iâ€™ve Never Seen the General Manager This Happy to Go Home and Have Dinner

    <h4>Chapter 325: I¡¯ve Never Seen the General Manager This Happy to Go Home and Have Dinner</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen began packing up her things when the clock struck half-past five while Xiao Yang¡¯s call came a couple of minutes before five-forty. He informed her that they had arrived.

    Thus, she packed everything in a hurry and left immediately after.

    ...

    ...

    Liu Ronghua was sitting in a taxi and was fast approaching Chengshi. From afar, she could spot Ruan Danchening out of the office building.

    She said immediately, ¡°Sir, can you drop me off just in front of the entrance.¡±

    The roadside was full of cars and the taxi driver was unable to find a suitable spot to park. He had to drive further ahead before finally stopping. The entire sequence of events had taken up quite a bit of her precious time, seeing as she still had to make payment for the ride.

    By the time she stepped out of the car, Ruan Danchen had already turned around the corner. She caught up as fast as she could, but Ruan Danchen had already gotten into the Benz. The car sped away, and Liu Ronghua did not manage to catch a glimpse at the te number either.

    She stood rooted to the ground with doubts filling her head. ¡®Was it the same man I saw in the shopping mall that day?¡¯

    ...

    ...

    As soon as Ruan Danchen got into the car, Qi Youxuan remarked excitedly, ¡°Aunt Ruan, Dad said you¡¯ll design my room for me.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Ruan Danchen could not resist touching his stiff, curly hair. ¡°Do you have anything in mind? How would you like your room? Just let me know.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m okay with anything. What¡¯s most important is that Aunt Ruan likes it.¡± Qi Youxuan smiled bashfully. ¡°When you be my stepmother next time, you¡¯ll have to stay at our home too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless, but she had no doubts that Qi Youxuan was Qi Chenglin¡¯s son¡ªboth father and son had the habit of making decisions for her without caring about her opinion.

    All of a sudden, her phone rang. Her mood spiraled downhill when she saw that it was Liu Ronghua¡¯s call.

    She picked it up and heard Liu Ronghua say, ¡°Danchen, I¡¯m at your workce. I wanted to meet up with you, but I saw you leaving in a Benz.¡±

    ¡°Is something up?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as her heart skipped a beat.

    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to see you,¡± Liu Ronghua said.

    Ruan Danchen pondered for a moment. It was simply impossible that Liu Ronghua had no ulterior motive in wanting to meet her all of a sudden, given it had been seven years since theyst spoke. Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart sank¡ªshe deeply feared that Liu Ronghua had found out about the little boy¡¯s roots.

    ¡°Danchen, that Benz is...¡± Liu Ronghua asked hesitantly.

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan and nned to tell him that it was a client¡¯s call, but then again, she did not want to lie to the kid. All she could do was continue talking. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Don¡¯t think too much.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not thinking too much, Danchen.¡± Liu Ronghua said immediately. ¡°The other day at the mall, I saw you in the arms of a man. Is he the boy¡¯s father? You...¡±

    ¡°Do you have anything else to say?¡± Ruan Danchen asked immediately, cutting her off. She did not want to let Liu Ronghua finish her question.

    ¡°Danchen, don¡¯t I have a right to care about you? Are you really that incapable of resolving a few of my questions?¡± Liu Ronghua said in distress as she stood beside the road. A few drops of tears even formed in her eyes.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to ask her, ¡®Oh, so now you care about me? You never asked me about a single thing after I gave birth to the baby, and for the past seven years, you never once showed that you cared about me. Am I not supposed to be worried that you¡¯re suddenly showing concern for me?¡¯

    ¡°No. I¡¯m a bit busy with something. It¡¯s not convenient for me to be speaking with you for so long right now,¡± was all Ruan Danchen could say. She looked at Qi Youxuan and saw the boy twiddling his fingers.

    Liu Ronghua sighed and offered, ¡°Can Ie to your home? Where are you... staying now?¡±

    She felt embarrassed to even ask that question, for it was only when she wanted to visit Ruan Danchen that she realized she had no idea where Ruan Danchen stayed. It never even crossed Liu Ronghua¡¯s mind that she might need to get in contact with Ruan Danchen someday.

    ¡°Seven years. In seven years, you¡¯ve never once asked me where I stayed. Why now?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was calm andposed.

    ¡°I...¡± Liu Ronghua could not respond to that question. ¡°Danchen, I am an ipetent mother. I¡¯ve not been attentive enough toward you, but I¡¯ve always kept you in my heart. From today onward, I want to make up for everything. I won¡¯t forget it again if you tell me.¡±

    ¡°Actually, my residence isn¡¯t permanent, since I¡¯m renting a room. I move whenever the lease expires. How about this, if I have the time, I¡¯ll call you,¡± Ruan Danchen said inly. Before Liu Ronghua could say anything, she hastily continued, ¡°I¡¯m really very busy now. I¡¯ll hang up here and call youter.¡±

    She then hung up immediately.

    Qi Youxuan was still fiddling with his thumbs as he tried to sneak a peek at Ruan Danchen. He looked up to see Ruan Danchen smiling at him.

    Feeling a bit flustered, the little boy blushed and shied away instantly. He said, somewhat bashfully, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I feel shy when you look at me like that.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    True enough, he was as thick-skinned as his father due to his upbringing.

    ¡°What do you want to eat tonight?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    She had none of the ingredients to cook what the boy wanted, so she told Xiao Yang to stop by a supermarket.

    She did not want to bother Qi Chenglin at work, but she was afraid that he would get worried, so she texted him when they reached home. [I¡¯ve reached home with Youxuan.]

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin was busy discussing work with Luo Yushu when he received the message. His lips curled into a smile when he saw that it was from Ruan Danchen. He stared fondly at the phone¡ªhe felt he was living a good and simple life.

    Luo Yushu looked on cautiously, not daring to make a sound.

    The general manager was not as cold as the director and evidently not as unapproachable. He would smile at his subordinates from time to time. Nevertheless, he was still a member of the Qi family, and that haughty trait he had was still capable ofmanding respect from people.

    Jiang Yuan then came knocking on the door, bringing with him a bit of takeout dinner.

    Qi Chenglin nodded and said, ¡°Manager Luo, you may have your dinner now and resume workingter.¡±

    Luo Yushu gave a brief reply before carrying his dinner out.

    Jiang Yuan left Qi Chenglin¡¯s dinner on the table and went out of the room as well.

    Qi Chenglin smelled the takeout and felt slightly annoyed. It was just like any other restaurant and waspletely different from the aroma of Ruan Danchen¡¯s homely cooking.

    The more he thought about Ruan Danchen¡¯s cooking, the less inclined he was to eat the meal in front of him.

    He struggled to open the container, and although his chopsticks were right next to the food, he could not stomach any of it. He recalled the text Ruan Danchen sent and decided to give her a call.

    When she picked up, he heard a humming sound and asked her what it was. ¡°What are you doing? Why is it so noisy?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m cooking for Youxuan. It¡¯s probably the kitchen fan making that noise.¡± Ruan Danchen said before she closed the kitchen door. Qi Youxuan was busy watching cartoons in the living room.

    Qi Chenglin felt it was rather unfair that he had to put up with takeout while his son atefortably in Ruan Danchen¡¯s home.

    ¡°Have you eaten?¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and asked shyly. She was still unustomed to their rtionship.

    ¡°I have some takeout in front of me, but I don¡¯t feel like eating it. I want to eat your cooking.¡± Qi Chenglin looked at the takeout and frowned even more. The disgust he felt was discernible even from his voice.

    Ruan Danchen heard his gentle tone and nearly lost herposure. She fried her vegetables and said, ¡°How about you eat some of the takeout first, and I¡¯ll save some leftovers for you so you can eat when you¡¯re here.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s mood became much more cheerful and he immediately closed the takeout container. He brought it out and gave it to Jiang Yuan, saying, ¡°I haven¡¯t touched it yet. Give it to whoever wants it.¡±

    ¡°General Manager, you¡¯re not eating?¡± Jiang Yuan asked in shock.

    ¡°Mm. Dinner¡¯s waiting for me at home. I¡¯ll be going back home to eat now,¡± Qi Chenglin responded, unable to conceal his glee.

    Jiang Yuan looked at him oddly. ¡®I¡¯ve never seen the general manager this happy to go home for dinner.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan was used to having his bedtime at eight o¡¯clock. After dinner at Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce, his sleepiness kicked in at eight and he went to Ruan Danchen¡¯s bedroom to sleep.

    When it was around nine, the doorbell to Ruan Danchen¡¯s home rang. Knowing that it was Qi Chenglin, her heartbeat shot through the roof.

    She went over and opened the door. True enough it was Qi Chenglin standing there. He lowered his gaze at her, and his expression softened tremendously.

    Still feeling a bit shy, Ruan Danchen blushed and stepped aside so he could enter. When Qi Chenglin was already inside, he kissed her abruptly on the lips and asked, ¡°Did you miss me during the evening?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was too nervous to answer his question. Instead, she said softly, ¡°Come inside, I¡¯ll heat up dinner for you. It¡¯ll only take a few minutes.¡±

    Qi Chenglin closed the door behind him and walked over to her so he could give her a hug. He gazed at her lips and said in a raspy voice, ¡°First, tell me. Did you miss me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen had never been in a rtionship before and it was only natural that she would never say those sappy things to a man. Being forced into a corner by Qi Chenglin made her face feel so heated, and she failed to utter a single word.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to be hellbent on keeping her in his arms as long as she did not tell him what he wanted to hear. Ruan Danchen looked down and spat out a single word, not louder than a mosquito¡¯s hum. ¡°Yes.¡±

    Pleased atst, Qi Chenglin smiled and looked at her reddened face. His lips could still feel the heat of her cheek.

    ¡°I¡¯m hungry,¡± he muttered, with his lips still pressed against hers.

    A shiver came over Ruan Danchen. His words and voice were far too suggestive, making her wonder which part of him was feeling the hunger.

    Before she could react, QI Chenglin let go of her as if nothing had happened. He walked calmly into the living room.

    Ruan Danchen hurried to the kitchen despite still feeling weak in the knees.

    She reheated the food and brought everything out to the dining table. Qi Chenglin was sitting on the sofa watching television.

    He turned and saw Ruan Danchen holding two sets of bowls and chopsticks. ¡°You haven¡¯t eaten?¡±

    ¡°I ate a bit with Youxuan just now but waited for you toe,¡± Ruan Danchen said meekly.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her with much glee and sat down at the table to eat with her.

    After dinner, Qi Chenglin woke Qi Youxuan up, giving him time to clear his hazy mind before bringing him home.

    Qi Youxuan was very unhappy. Hezed around on Ruan Danchen¡¯s bed and said, ¡°Dad, you can go home yourself. I need to take care of Aunt Ruan. What if someone takes her away when I¡¯m not here?¡±

    Qi Chenglin snickered. ¡®Who would dare do that?¡¯

    He nced briefly at the room door and leaned close to Qi Youxuan, whispering, ¡°Do you want to live with Aunt Ruan every day from now on?¡±

    ¡°Of course I do!¡± Qi Youxuan blurted out at once. He added, ¡°Of course I want her to be with you, Dad. If I get to live with both of you, that would be the best possible scenario.¡± Youxuan said that because he was worried that Qi Chenglin might turn sad if he felt that he would be overlooked once had a stepmother.

    ¡°If you do, then you have to follow me home tonight,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered again.

    Qi Youxuan still had a reluctant and displeased look on his face. Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and asked patiently, ¡°Do you think Aunt Ruan likes you?¡±

    Qi Youxuan hugged the little teddy that he left in her care. When he climbed into bed to sleep, he saw the teddy ced nicely on the headboard. He was happy because he felt that Ruan Danchen took good care of his belongings and treasured them.

    He buried his little red face into the teddy¡¯s soft fur and said, ¡°You¡¯re joking, Dad. I¡¯m such a cute boy. Who wouldn¡¯t like me?¡±

    A speechless Qi Chenglin then said, ¡°Speak properly.¡±

    ¡°I think she likes me,¡± Qi Youxuan replied immediately. ¡°I think she really, really likes me.¡±

    ¡°So, if you don¡¯t stay here, your Aunt Ruan will begin missing you even more. Then, when she can¡¯t take it anymore, she¡¯ll stay with us,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered.

    Qi Youxuan gasped and stared at his father with his big eyes. Shocked, he said, ¡°Dad, you¡¯re so shameless!¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not think of a reply.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ve heard enough. I¡¯ll get ready,¡± Qi Youxuan mumbled as he got off the bed. He promptly packed everything but left the teddy behind. With his bag on his back, he strutted out of the bedroom.

    When entering the living room, he told Ruan Danchen, ¡°Aunt Ruan, thanks for your hospitality tonight. I¡¯m sorry for preventing you from sleeping on your bed. I¡¯ll go home with Dad now. If you find the time,e to our home and be our guest!¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan curiously. ¡®When did the boy be so courteous?¡¯

    Qi Youxuan hardly looked like a boy who had just woken up¡ªhis energy level was incredibly high. He waved at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Bye, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    ¡°Bye...¡± Ruan Danchen said. She was still unable to process what was happening.

    ...

    ...

    On Friday, Director Zhao went for a business trip to Z City. Yang Yunshu stood outside his wife¡¯s office and knocked beforeing in.

    Director Zhao¡¯s wife was in thepany for the sole purpose of keeping an eye on Director Zhao. She did not want him seeking thepany of other women. There was nothing in particr that the director¡¯s wife needed to do, and in her boredom, she surfed the web. Nevertheless, Yang Yunshu could not see what she was doing due to the monitor blocking it from view.

    ¡°Please sit.¡± Madam Zhao looked at Yang Yunshu and pointed at the chair in front of the table.

    Yang Yunshu sat down and said, ¡°Madam, I¡¯d like to talk to you about Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Madam Zhao frowned. ¡°What about her?¡±

    ¡°You probably know that Ruan Danchen¡¯s reputation has fallen due to what happened in the Mu incident. She has half as many projects now, and very few clients. This Wednesday, Qi Chenglin came here in the afternoon and said that he had a case he wanted to discuss with her. She brought him to the meeting room. During lunch, I and one of the designers, Wu Min, brought our sds and decided to eat in the meeting room, but when we walked in, we saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s shirt and hair in a mess, her face was red, and she had teary eyes. Though Qi Chenglin was very happy.¡±

    Yan Yunshu analyzed the reaction of the director¡¯s wife. She knew that Director Zhao¡¯s wife hated that kind of thing, especially after what happened with Wang Liwei. As expected, the director¡¯s wife frowned and was displeased.

    ¡°Continue,¡± said Director Zhao¡¯s wife unhappily, her mood having been soured by what she just heard.

    ¡°At the time, Qi Chenglin didn¡¯t look happy at all. When Ruan Danchen sent him off at the design department entrance, Qi Chenglin even gave her a cold re. I think he was trying to warn her. I¡¯m worried that... Ruan Danchen has been trying to use these dirty tactics because she¡¯s not getting any businesstely. She tried and failed to seduce Qi Chenglin in the meeting room. After all, Song Yu is one example in thepany. She got together with Qi Chengzhi, and everyone treats her nicely, admires her, and aspires to be in her position. Now Ruan Danchen is close to Song Yu. She was never close to Song Yu, but after Song Yu got together with Qi Chengzhi, Ruan Danchen has started getting closer to Song Yu. Her reasons for doing so are too obvious.¡±

    ¨C ¨C ¨C

    Bonus scene:

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Dad, when are you tricking Aunt Ruan into staying with us?¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°Nonsense! What do you mean ¡®trick¡¯? I¡¯ll use sincerity to convince her.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan: ¡°Dad, don¡¯t ever ask me toe home with you again. I want to stay at Aunt Ruan¡¯s house.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin: ¡°Are you doubting my sincerity?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Dad, you need to have no sense of shame when you¡¯re going after a woman. Look at my Elder Uncle. He brought Auntie back home in just a few days. It¡¯s going to be hard for you because you¡¯re not shameless enough.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 326 - When You Come Back Tomorrow, You Will See Aunt Ruan Sleeping in Our Home

    <h4>Chapter 326: When You Come Back Tomorrow, You Will See Aunt Ruan Sleeping in Our Home</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Madam Zhao¡¯s expression shifted. She started to feel that Yang Yunshu¡¯s words had some sense in it.

    ¡°That¡¯s why she wants to imitate Song Yu. That way, even if she doesn¡¯t have many clients¡ªor any clients for that matter¡ªthepany still won¡¯t be able to take any actions against her. On the contrary, thepany will have to treat her like a goddess. Nheless, her n had failed and she ended up enraging Qi Chenglin. Madam, what I¡¯m truly afraid of is that Qi Chenglin¡¯s wrath toward Ruan Danchen might affect the wholepany. It¡¯s true that with Song Yu around, Qi Chenglin won¡¯t cause any trouble for Chengshi, but Song Yu had now be the Qi family¡¯s precious daughter-inw. She won¡¯t be staying at Chengshi for much longer. Besides, she¡¯s pregnant now so she¡¯s guaranteed to leave sooner orter. When we don¡¯t have Song Yu anymore, why would the Qi family still care about Chengshi? If there are any suitable jobs for us in the future, Qilin might refuse to hand it to us just because of Ruan Danchen. Wouldn¡¯t that cause massive losses for thepany?¡±

    Yang Yunshu nced at Madam Zhao. Hesitantly, she revealed, ¡°Moreover, there¡¯s one more thing, but I¡¯m not sure if I should tell.¡±

    ¡°What is it? Just let me hear it,¡± Madam Zhaomanded in a stern voice.

    ¡°On Monday morning, Ruan Danchen said that she was going to meet a client, but when she came back in the afternoon, her face was flushed, eyes dreamy and lips swollen¡ªit was obvious that she had just...¡± Yang Yunshu¡¯s reluctance to say the word was evident on her face. ¡°...been with a man. Since we¡¯re colleagues, I didn¡¯t want to make assumptions¡ªwhat if I was wrong? Hence, I asked her where she had been, and she told me she was out to see a client. What could she have possibly been discussing with a client that made her look like that? I fear that to gain some clients, she resorted to...¡±

    Yang Yunshu sighed. ¡°It¡¯s great to bring in customers for thepany, but I¡¯m afraid that she¡¯d spoil thepany¡¯s name, making the world think ourpany allows its employees to use hical methods in order to gain clients. It doesn¡¯t matter if only Ruan Danchen¡¯s name is spoilt, but because of her rotten name, the rest of us would be too humiliated to admit we¡¯re from thispany too. Nowadays, it¡¯s not easy to find a job in this field, so we can¡¯t just easily switch jobs either. I¡ª¡±

    ¡°From my knowledge, you used to be in the design department too, right?¡± Madam Zhao interrupted abruptly.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Yang Yunshu answered with a troubled expression.

    ¡°I heard from Lao Zhao that back then, Qi Chengzhi personally requested him to fire you. You were only able to remain in thispany because Lao Zhao shifted you to another department,¡± Madam Zhao brought up.

    ¡°Madam, it was a misunderstanding. When I first came to thepany, I was too hasty in trying to prove my worth, so when I saw Qi Chengzhi, I wanted to leave a good impression and could not help but blew my own trumpet. Yet, Ruan Danchen held a grudge against me for a reason even I don¡¯t know¡ªshe rattled to Song Yu that I was trying to seduce Qi Chengzhi. Besides, I already had a boyfriend at that time. Nheless, Song Yu believed her words and was unhappy about it. Madam, even you know that Qi Chengzhi pampers Song Yu immensely. To make her happy, he didn¡¯t care that I was wrongly used. Immediately I was transferred away. I had no say in the matter.¡±

    ¡°However, Madam, the reason I am here today is definitely not to exert any kind of revenge toward Ruan Danchen. I¡¯m only telling you facts. She tried so hard to push me out back then, so now that she has done such unspeakable things, of course I won¡¯t help her hide it. Truthfully speaking, the saying ¡®repay good for evil¡¯ doesn¡¯t make sense to me.¡±

    If Yang Yunshu had rebutted strongly, it was likely that Madam Zhao would question her words against Ruan Danchen. However, now that Yang Yunshu had spoken so honestly, Madam Zhao could put herself in Yang Yunshu¡¯s shoes and understand her situation.

    Madam Zhao nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll keep my eyes out for Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Yang Yunshu guessed that Madam Zhao had no other intentions against Ruan Danchen, yet she did not dare to express her disappointment. As she was leaving, Madam Zhao announced, ¡°Song Yu is on leave right now. She¡¯s not in thepany. Besides, that means that we¡¯re left short-handed in the design department, so I¡¯ll get someone to issue a transfer order for you to rejoin the design department. You can go back to your old position. Do report to me any other issues in other departments too, no matter big or small.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Madam Zhou, for your trust,¡± Yang Yunshu swiftly thanked as she rejoiced.

    Madam Zhao waved her hand dismissively. Then, Yang Yunshu left.

    ...

    ...

    It was Saturday morning. Ruan Danchen was ready.

    Yesterday was Qi Youxuan¡¯sst day of kindergarten. After the holidays, he would be starting as a first-grader in elementary school.

    The night before, Qi Chenglin told Ruan Danchen that he woulde to pick her up and drive her to Prestige Residences to discuss the design of Qi Youxuan¡¯s toy room. Ruan Danchen was overjoyed to hear that she could spend the whole day with Qi Youxuan.

    As she waited at home, her phone rang. When she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s name disyed on her phone, she immediately leaped to her feet. Qi Chenglin said over the phone, ¡°I¡¯m here. Come down.¡±

    Once she hung up, she hurriedly grabbed her bag and dashed out the door.

    Upon reaching the first floor, she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s ck Mercedes stopped at the front. She did not dare to make him wait so she quickly trotted toward the car, opened the door and sat inside.

    Qi Chenglin was wearing a ck button-up shirt without a suit. His appearance was especially casualpared to usual, yet he still looked smart and stylish.

    His tight shirt disyed his attractive body clearly. A ck belt was wrapped around his slim waist and his long legs were curled up in the car.

    Every inch of his body gave off a fresh and pleasant aura.

    Qi Chenglin turned to her. His thin lips moved slightly. In his intoxicating voice, he said, ¡°Why aren¡¯t you greeting me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was troubled¡ªshe did not know what she should say. Her lips twitched, but before she could think of any suitable words, she was pulled toward him.

    Qi Chenglin wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and locked lips with her. He came on strong. She felt his thin hot lips against hers. He gave off a powerful aura distinct to him, overbearing yet indulging.

    After a long while, he finally let go of her. Indulged in his kiss, she was thrown into a drunken stupor¡ªshe did not even realize he had buckled her seatbelt for her. She just sat there obediently.

    Qi Chenglin felt as though his body would act subconsciously whenever he touched her. When he removed his hand from the seatbelt, his handnded on her waist again as if it had its own mind. Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks reddened. Seeing her flustered and submissive manner, Qi Chenglin was extremely satisfied.

    ¡°It would¡¯ve been great if I was conscious seven years ago that night,¡± Qi Chenglinmented abruptly as he kissed the corner of her lips.

    Ruan Danchen started at him with her gorgeous eyes and a flushed face. Her pupils tremored as she murmured, ¡°If you were conscious, you wouldn¡¯t have wanted me. Then, we wouldn¡¯t be here now.¡±

    ¡°I would. I would always want you,¡± Qi Chenglin stated firmly in his hoarse voice. He smirked, tightening his grip on her waist. ¡°Would you like me to prove it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lower abdomen pulsed vigorously. She felt defenseless when ced in front of Qi Chenglin.

    In all those years, he was the first and only man who could make her heart race. Back when they were at the Shen family¡¯s house, she felt the exact same when she saw him sleeping soundly on the bed.

    When she saw him then, she knew she liked him immoderately.

    When she cried, it was not because she had to sell her body off to a stranger, but because he would never know it was her that night.

    Deep in her heart, she longed for him to know. When she nced at him onest time before leaving the room, she was deeply in love.

    Back then, her heart wrenched at the thought that Qi Chenglin could be under the impression that the woman that night was Shen Zhijing for the rest of his life.

    Her whole life she never believed in love at first sight. Now that she was with him, she realized she truly had fallen in love with him at first sight back then. For the many years that passed, she had never fallen for any other men, making her mistakenly assume that what she wanted was a love that developed slowly.

    However, now Qi Chenglin would kiss and touch her every time he saw her. She knew that this man would not have the patience to wait for a few months and develop their rtionship first.

    From the moment she became his target, he had made advances to her at lightning speed. Every word he spoke and every move he made clearly illustrated his urge to make herpletely his.

    Before this moment, Ruan Danchen never thought about it, but she could confidently say she would not hesitate now.

    Perhaps it was because she had done it with him seven years ago. Nheless, what was important was the passion and love she had toward him. Whenpletely in love, she would not hesitate¡ªas long as he wanted it, she would give it to him without any reservations and despite her bashfulness.

    That feeling for Qi Chenglin remained ever since, even now.

    She even had a hunch that after going to his house today, she would not be able to leave.

    Though his bright clear eyes seemed calm and unwavering, they reflected Qi Chenglin¡¯s fiery lust.

    He stared straight at her through his deep, dark eyes. Only then did he return to his seat and started driving.

    Ruan Danchen was staring down. Suddenly, an exquisite hand appeared before her eyes. It was elegant yet manly. Strands of ck hair stood out on his fair fingers¡ªthey looked especially virile.

    The hand in front of her eyes held onto her hand tightly all the way until he parked the car into his garage.

    After he exited the car, he went around the car and took her hand again. Their fingers were inteced as they entered the elevator.

    Ruan Danchen felt as if she was floating on air. She did not dare nce at Qi Chenglin the entire way up until they entered his home, with Aunt Zheng greeting them at the door.

    When Aunt Zheng saw Ruan Danchen, she smiled a genial smile and greeted, ¡°Miss Ruan.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi introduced, ¡°This is Aunt Zheng.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was surprised that even Aunt Zheng knew who she was. Qi Chenglin had mentioned Aunt Zheng to her before too, so they were notplete strangers.

    Aunt Zheng kept her amiable smile on as she looked Ruan Danchen up and down. Aunt Zheng concluded that she was truly a capable woman¡ªa beautiful one to boot.

    In the house, Aunt Zheng would hear the father-and-son duo chatter about Ruan Danchen all the time. Even when they were eating, they did not forget to cook up a scheme to trick thedy intoing to their home somehow. As they plotted, they did not think to hide it from Aunt Zheng at all.

    Ruan Danchen greeted Aunt Zheng politely, making Aunt Zheng quite content.

    However, after what felt like an eternity, Ruan Danchen still did not even see the shadow of Qi Youxuan. ording to his personality, he should have bolted out here the moment she arrived.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Youxuan?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she scanned the house.

    ¡°He just started his holiday today. Those at the old mansion misses him, so I sent him there to stay for a few days,¡± Qi Chenglin exined calmly as he led her into the living room.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart dropped. She could onlye here without fear because she thought Qi Youxuan would be around. She also wanted to interact with him more. Even so, she came all the way here yet Qi Youxuan was not even home.

    Reading her mind, Qi Chenglin red at her and said cooly, ¡°His holiday is still long. Just let today go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears were starting to burn up. Her scalp itched and she did not know what to do.

    She felt like a sheep entering a lion¡¯s den. Without Qi Youxuan around, she felt especially ufortable. Even her hands felt awkward and constantly pulled at the hair by her ears.

    ¡°Then... Since he¡¯s not here, I can¡¯t discuss the toy room¡¯s design,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled, her face boiling.

    ¡°You can take a look at the room first and produce a design draft. If he needs anything else, you can revise the design. Nheless, I think as long as you¡¯re the one designing it, he wouldn¡¯t mind anything.¡± Qi Chenglin looked down to see Ruan Danchen¡¯s face red like a sunrise. His heart throbbed.

    His gaze made Ruan Danchen extremely tense. She did not dare to look him in the eye¡ªhis eyes were too seductive.

    Qi Chenglin looked down at her face which had reddened with shyness. From above, he could see the tip of her high-bridged nose. Ovee by passion, he bents down and pecked her lips.

    Aunt Zheng had long known that Qi Chenglin was bringing Ruan Danchen over, so she had prepared a fruit tter and was bringing it out from the kitchen. When she walked out of the kitchen door, she saw that Qi Chenglin helplessly kissed thedy in the living room. Instantly, Aunt Zheng brought the fruit tter back into the kitchen. She did not dare to nce back, not wanting to disturb the couple.

    In her mind, she thought that Sir must really like Miss Ruan¡ªhe could not even restrain himself for a second. Gazing at her, he looked like he would eat her alive.

    With his slender body, he was much taller than Ruan Danchen. Just from this scene, it was obvious that Ruan Danchen would not stand a chance to escape from his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was so hot that it was on the verge of exploding. The warmth of his lips lingered around from the peck; the tenderness made her heartbeat elerate.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to see Youxuan¡¯s toy room and his bedroom. He wants you to redesign his bedroom too,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen was exhrated. She could not wait to see where the little boy grew up.

    Qi Chenglin held her hand and led her upstairs.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan was thrown into the car by Qi Chenglin early in the morning. Qi Chenglin had Xiao Yange to fetch him to the old mansion.

    Their regr family gathering was held today, so besides Qi Chenglin, everyone else was there.

    Qi Youxuan spected that this was all part of his father¡¯s scheme. The night before, Qi Youxuan even tidied up his room and waited in anticipation for Ruan Danchen¡¯s arrival today.

    Unexpectedly, his dad told him that he needed to go to the old mansion earlier today.

    Naturally, Qi Youxuan opposed it immediately. In the end, his dad questioned, ¡°Do you want Aunt Ruan to live in our home?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded his head vigorously. ¡°Of course I do. Do you really need to ask?¡±

    ¡°Then, if everything goes smoothly and if you¡¯re willing to cooperate, you¡¯ll see Aunt Ruan sleeping in our home when you return tomorrow,¡± Qi Chenglin told Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s face had an unusually convincing quality. Besides, Qi Youxuan was confident in his dad¡ªif he said it out loud, that meant he could achieve it.

    Therefore, Qi Youxuan was willing to sacrifice his happiness temporarily for the good of the finale. He went to the old mansion and left the entire house for his dad.

    In spite of that, Qi Youxuan was still mncholic about it. He wondered what could his dad possibly do with Ruan Danchen at home.

    ¡°Youxuan, are you not feeling well? You¡¯re not even eating your snacks. What are you pondering upon?¡± Seeing her grandson absentminded, Guan Liya could not help but worry. She was anxious that their constant restriction on his snacks to make him lose weight had somehow broken him.

    Qi Youxuan could only eat snacks once a week, so on usual days, he would have pounced on the snacks mercilessly. Today, he did not even reach for one.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have an appetite for food now. I don¡¯t know how Dad and Aunt Ruan are doing. I left the house to both of them, so Dad has to be strong,¡± Qi Youxuan muttered dejectedly. He was still lost in his thoughts.

    When he finished, everyone turned silent. Horrified, he finally snapped out of it.

    He turned to see the whole family staring at him with dumbfounded expressions. Qi Youxuan retracted his neck and scanned the room anxiously. Finally, he stuttered, ¡°Did I... say something?¡±

 Chapter 327 - You Guys Canâ€™t Just Ruin the Perfect Life My Dad and I Are Going to Have

    Chapter 327: You Guys Can¡¯t Just Ruin the Perfect Life My Dad and I Are Going to Have

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Mom, did you hear that? Youxuan said it! Chenglin has a girl!¡± Guan Liya screamed excitedly. She had tears welled up in her eyes as she turned to Grandmother Qi.

    Grandmother Qi stared at Qi Youxuan, her eyes twinkling. ¡°Youxuan, did you say Aunt Ruan just now? Is it the Xiao Ruan that we all know?¡±

    Xia Wenna leaned in curiously too. ¡°They¡¯re at your house now?¡±

    Even Song Yu, who was usually calm and did not like to be a busybody, had the urge to call Ruan Danchen and confirm with her.

    Qi Youxuan wished he could bolt out the door and escape. He covered his eyes with his plump hands, unwilling to face the mess he made. He shook his head and in his youthful and crisp voice, he deflected, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I didn¡¯t say a thing just now. I¡¯ve lost my memory.¡±

    Having said that, he rolled his eyes upward and fell on the sofa, pretending he was dead.

    Everyone fell silent.

    ¡°Sigh, this child. Your dad having ady is good news, so why are you two hiding it from us?¡± Grandmother Qi walked over and picked up Qi Youxuan. She sat down at his spot and seated him on herp.

    Grandmother Qi pulled his hands away from his face and questioned, ¡°What exactly is going on? Is thedy Xiao Ruan? They¡¯re at your house now?¡±

    Qi Youxuan widened his gorgeous eyes and stared at Grandmother Qi. He looked exceedingly adorable. ¡°Great-grandma, I¡¯m hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Qi gently smacked his head in annoyance. ¡°Forget it, I won¡¯t ask you anymore. Wenna, Liya, let¡¯s go. Pack up a bit. We¡¯re going to Chenglin¡¯s house. I was wondering why he didn¡¯te with Qi Youxuan for today¡¯s family gathering.¡±

    Grandmother Qi stood up and ced down Qi Youxuan.

    Hearing that, Qi Youxuan hastily pounced onto Grandmother Qi¡¯s legs and shouted, ¡°Great-grandma, you can¡¯t go there! What if you scare Aunt Ruan? If she runs away, where will I find another stepmom? Dad said that when I go home tonight, I¡¯ll see Aunt Ruan sleeping in our home! What if she doesn¡¯t want to stay after seeing you all? I still want to hear her telling me the story of Ultraman fighting little monsters. I sacrificed the chance to stay at her housest time just for today. I purposely left the house to Dad alone so he can make an all-out-effort!¡±

    Qi Youxuan was tremendously distressed. Hetched onto Grandmother Qi¡¯s legs tightly and tried to pull her back with all his might.

    Despite being a smart child, Qi Youxuan was still a six-year-old. Once agitated, he would spill everything out on his own ord. Thus, they obtained a clear and detailed exnation without asking a single question.

    It was still alright before Qi Youxuan said those words, but once he did, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya werepletely riled up.

    They were astonished that Qi Chenglin was already this intimate to thedy. Judging from Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, it must not have been a recent thing. After all, he already went to her house.

    Now that Qi Chenglin had fished her into his home and prepared to let her stay the night, how could they still stay put? They wanted to go see what was going on immediately.

    At this moment, Grandmother Qi was positive that thisdy was Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Chengzhi, hurry up and take Youxuan away. Don¡¯t let himtch onto me like this.¡± Grandmother Qi kicked with all her might but with her old and atrophied legs, she could not get Qi Youxuan off no matter how hard she tried.

    Qi Chengzhi strode forward and pulled Qi Youxuan away by the cor.

    ¡°Auntie, look what Uncle is doing! How can he be so mean! I¡¯m being choked by the cor!¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby hands held onto his cor. He even stuck his tongue out for effect.

    Qi Chengzhi clicked his tongue irritatedly and hoisted Qi Youxuan onto his shoulder.

    ¡°Ugh, Uncle, put me down! You guys can¡¯t just ruin the perfect life my dad and I are going to have!¡± Qi Youxuan kicked his little legs fretfully as he saw Qi Chengzhi¡¯s long legs marching toward the front door.

    Qi Chengzhi spanked his butt impudently but lightly. ¡°Having a useless teammate like you must¡¯ve been a huge hindrance for your dad.¡±

    Song Yu tugged on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Carry him properly. The child isn¡¯tfortable.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi nced at Song Yu then reluctantly carried Qi Youxuan in his arms properly. He even pouted andined, ¡°You¡¯re so heavy.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Liu! Xiao Liu!¡± Grandmother Qi, who was already outside the house, rushed back in again. ¡°Hurry up and bring me a lunar calendar. I¡¯ll bring it over.¡±

    As she said that, Qi Youxuan was carried out of the house by Qi Chengzhi and thrown into his Range Rover. Song Yu sat at the back to apany the little boy. She was still pregnant so Qi Youxuan sat obediently without throwing a tantrum¡ªhe was afraid he might hurt Song Yu.

    Grandfather Qi had Xiao Fan prepare the car. He was already sitting inside. Grandmother Qi dashed out with a lunar calendar at hand¡ªshe did not even have time to stuff it in her bag. Speedily, she entered the car.

    In the end, four groups of people in four separate cars set off to Prestige Residences together.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin led Ruan Danchen upstairs. They passed by a bedroom, its door open ajar. Looking inside instinctively, Ruan Danchen saw that the whole room was filled with cold colors and the decorations were all ck and grey. Immediately, she saw the big bed in the room.

    Suddenly, Qi Chenglin tightened his grip on her hand. He turned to her with passionate eyes. ¡°That¡¯s my room. Do you want to have a look?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was burning up. With a flushed face, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll just look at the toy room.¡±

    Qi Chenglin pouted subtly but kept silent.

    He brought her to the toy room. The toys had all been cleared out and were piled in the living room. Right now, the only thing left in the room were the wallpapers.

    ¡°We wanted to renovate the whole room so we cleared out all the things,¡± Qi Chenglin rified.

    There was nothing in the room, so there was not much to see.

    Nheless, Ruan Danchen came here with full intention of designing the perfect room for Qi Youxuan. She produced a measuring tape from her bag and made several measurements. She even took a few pictures.

    Raun Danchen squatted on the floor to measure the length and width of the room. She stood up and tidies her hair. Suddenly, a deep, husky voice sounded beside her ear. ¡°Don¡¯t you have to measure the height?¡±

    Out of nowhere, Qi Chenglin had drawn closer and pressed himself against her back. When he spoke, she could feel his hot breath blowing onto her earlobe. Without turning back, she could see his face from the corner of her eyes. Although she could not see his lips, she could still feel the movement of his hot lips through the irregr breathsnding on her ear as he spoke.

    Every time she thought he could note closer, he would lean in abruptly, giving her no time to prepare at all. However, once she was prepared, she could only feel his hot breath burning her skin.

    Just like this, he always made her heart race. It beat faster and faster in a disorderly manner.

    Their faces were extremely close together. When she turned her head, she could smell his breath. Ruan Danchen¡¯s was so hot, it was starting to itch, yet she still let him stick onto her. She did not move.

    ¡°When you were at MU., I saw Mu Huaisheng hugging you when I went in. Did you stumble when going up the stairs?¡± Qi Chenglin teased. His smoky voicended in her ear again.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless. She did not expect him to remember an incident from so long ago.

    It was an ident. That day, he walked in silently and left silently as well, no reaction in any way. Unexpectedly, it stayed on his mind to this day.

    ¡°I was just careless,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled weakly. Being so close to him, her heart and body were starting to tremble and she could not raise her voice. Her voice was soft like a mosquito. Luckily, Qi Chenglin was extremely close to her so he could hear her clearly.

    His lips twitched and sighed. His breath was searing. In a low, gravelly voice, he muttered, ¡°If you were just careless, why did you let him hug you so tightly?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was a little annoyed. Was he trying to hold her ountable after so long?

    ¡°I was just too shocked. When I fell, he caught me. You walked in all of a sudden when I was going to stand on my own feet, giving me a shock. I was totally stunned. If you hadn¡¯t walked in so abruptly, I would¡¯ve backed away much earlier,¡± Ruan Danchen murmured.

    When she saw him back then, she was extremely anxious.

    ¡°You still dare to me it on me?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched. The more he thought about it, the more vexed he became. He felt as though Mu Huaisheng had gotten lucky for nothing¡ªhe even got to hug her.

    He wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and ced his sizzling palm t on her lower abdomen. He pulled her close into his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen was shaking. Her back was practically being burnt by his body heat. She felt his solid muscles pressed against her soft back¡ªthe contrast was startling.

    Somehow, Ruan Danchen had the courage to insult him. ¡°Don¡¯t hold me ountable for something that happened so long ago. You¡¯re so petty. Besides, we weren¡¯t even dating back then. Let¡¯s not talk about me identally falling and he just happened to catch me. Even if I was going out with anyone back then, it would be none of your business.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi squinted. Instantly, he pushed her against the wall and pressed his hard and fit body against her. The heat was intense.

    Seeing his aggressive manner, the courage that she had mustered up deted again. She wanted to soothe him but she had never flirted with anyone in her life so, at that moment, she had no idea how to soothe him.

    Back when she lived with Liu Ronghua, Liu Ronghua was always busy ndishing men. How would she let Ruan Danchen sweet-talk her into anything?

    From young, Ruan Danchen had been a strong and independent girl. How would she know anything about ttery?

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s sizzling hands were wrapped tightly around her waist. He kissed her forcefully, pressing his lips against hers with all his might. Her lips felt numb and slightly painful while the back of her head was pressed firmly onto the wall.

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if you still dare to let other men touch you,¡± Qi Chenglin warned somewhat menacingly, his lips still glued onto hers.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was gradually running out of breath. Her soft lips were plump and red. She was panting heavily. Seeing her delicate and innocent appearance, the fire inside Qi Chenglin burnt fiercer and fiercer.

    ¡°Would you rather I fall and get injured, then let someone catch me?¡± Ruan Danchen did not dare move, fearful of provoking the me inside him. Nevertheless, she could not help but give a little fight.

    Qi Chenglin inevitably hugged her tightly in his embrace. Her soft body felt exceedinglyfortable and seductive in his arms.

    ¡°Then you should follow me around all day. If you fall, I¡¯ll be the one to catch you. Don¡¯t lean into any other men¡¯s arms.¡± Qi Chenglin grinned as he saw her wrapped coquettishly in his arms. He was devilishly aroused.

    ¡°I never knew you were so narrow-minded,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered with a flushed face. She was not angry. Rather, she felt that it was quite funny.

    It was because he cared about her dearly and was always anxious for her. He was such a big and strong man, yet when it came to her, he would be so petty. Ruan Danchen thought that thisbination of traits was quite adorable.

    Suddenly, Qi Chenglin had a thought. He gazed down at her red hot face. With a tender smile, he rubbed his lips against hers again and again, to and fro. ¡°If I didn¡¯t fall for you, I won¡¯t be so petty.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks were at the pinnacle of redness. Qi Chenglin was curious¡ªwas the body under her clothes tinted with such an amorous shade of red too?

    ¡°I want to see Youxuan¡¯s bedroom,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. Her face and scalp were insanely itchy. She kept her head down shyly, refusing to look at him.

    Her heart was beating violently and out of rhythm. Under his gentle and alluring gaze, she waspletely dazed.

    However, Qi Chenglin did not let go of her. In his low and melodic voice, he unveiled, ¡°You can see itter. I¡¯ve already told you that I really like you, that I love you. You have something that I¡¯ve never seen on anyone else. When I see you, I couldn¡¯t resist the temptation to hug you, to kiss you. I can feel the overwhelming heat ring up in me. I¡¯ve never felt so impulsive.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt as if she was going to faint. Subconsciously, she started holding her breath. Only when she was suffocating did she realized she had stopped breathing. Hurriedly, she took a deep breath and spat it out.

    She swallowed nervously. Gathering her courage, she looked up. Unexpectedly, just as she raised her head, her gaze fell into his deep, ck eyes.

    ¡°But you¡¯ve never told me how you feel about me.¡± Qi Chenglin stared deep into her eyes. Even though he was sure of her answer, he still needed to hear it from her.

    He could tell that she still had reservations¡ªthere was still hesitation and uncertainty in her heart. He needed to rid her of those thoughts.

    Ruan Danchen sucked in her lips. She looked down and stared at the buttons on his shirt. Softly, she whispered, ¡°If I didn¡¯t fall for you, I would¡¯ve stated it clearly like what I did with Mu Huaisheng. If I didn¡¯t fall for you, I wouldn¡¯t have let you hug me and kiss me constantly.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression melted. Thoroughly touched, he looked down and kissed her again passionately.

    Ruan Danchen was limp in his arms. She trembled. Qi Chenglin slid her fingers through hers and inteced them. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to Youxuan¡¯s room.¡±

    Ruan Danchen followed him out of the room in a daze. She was in no mood to see which room was Qi Youxuan¡¯s. When she finally snapped out of it, they were already standing in Qi Youxuan¡¯s bedroom.

    His bedroom was not big, and it was the perfect size for a six-year-old child. She believed that Qi Chenglin had intentions to move him into a different bedroom when he grew older.

    A small single bed was ced against the wall. Beside it stood a study table with a small bookshelf joint to it.

    On the study table, there was an Apple Desktop Computer. On the bookshelf, there were all kinds of books:ics, an as and a picture-filled encyclopedia that was perfect for a child his age.

    There were also many stic figures disyed on the shelf. Additionally, there were some toys that he took from the pile in the living room. The little room felt very cozy.

    Ruan Danchen felt that there was no need to renovate the room¡ªit was more or less perfect. She felt blessed that she could see the space where the little boy grew up.

    Ruan Danchen walked toward his bed. On the shelf behind the headboard, a few photos of Qi Youxuan were disyed. He was about the same age in the photos as he was now. There was one taken at a beach and one at a zoo.

    The boy in the photo looked witty and cute. Even through just photos, she could tell that his huge, ck eyes were filled with energy.

    Ruan Danchen lingered in Qi Youxuan¡¯s room for a long time. She was reluctant to leave.

    In the end, Qi Chenglin told her there would still be chances to see the room next time and dragged her out of the room.

    However, he did not bring her to the living room. He made a detour and led her into his bedroom.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned. She suddenly noticed that his bed was peculiarlyrge. It took up a gigantic amount of space in the room. She felt as though she could only see the bed and nothing else.

    ¡°Once you are done designing Youxuan¡¯s toy room, do design my room too. Design it however you please.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s muscr arms enveloped her waist and pulled her tight into his embrace.

    His words implied that he wanted her to move in with him, to have her name carved into his home. Though indirect, they carried kind of silent intimacy.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart inevitably melted. Although this man always acted so indecently whenever he saw her, small actions like this always reassured her. Wordlessly, his actions connoted his seriousness toward this rtionship.

 Chapter 328 - Just Promise Me First, Then Weâ€™ll Talk Terms in the Future

    Chapter 328: Just Promise Me First, Then We¡¯ll Talk Terms in the Future

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As of then, she had been invited into the house.

    ¡°When I called you that night, I was right there lying on that bed.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice echoed in her head, trickling down her forehead, slowly dripping down her body.

    This made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skip a beat as she was reminded of what he said. ¡°I sleep in the nude.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt like her mind waspletely blown wide open by the sudden revtion of what she had just been reminded of. Images of Qi Chenglin lying on the bedpletely naked was the only thing that filled her very lustful mind. She could not look straight at the bed.

    The image that flooded her mind was too vivid, and in addition to that wild imagination, the owner of that bed was right there with her in that room, making her even more awkward than she already was. She dared not to even nce at that bed and avoided it altogether.

    She felt Qi Chenglin slowly inching closer towards her¡ªhis lips moving ever so slightly from her forehead, brushing softly and gently across her eyelids. She could feel the warmth from his lips. Her focus now fully directed toward every detail of his sweet passionate lips. She could feel it. Every brush inching downwards on her face. It was soft and light¡ªlike a feather gently brushing against her skin¡ªand at times, it was heavy and warm. The suction of both his lips moved down her eyes, brushing against the bridge of her nose, her cheeks and finally stopping at her lips. Then, both their lips werepletely locked. Both of them kissing back and forth, not willing to let go of their passionate make-out session.

    Ruan Danchen could not control herself. She was trembling and shaking, with both her hands clenching tightly at his shirt. She could not stop blinking. Her longshes were like the wings of a butterfly fluttering uncontrobly.

    ¡°Every time I called you on the phone, I can¡¯t help but lust for you. I would enjoy making passionate love with you right on this very bed that I¡¯m lying on right now,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he seductively licked her lower lip all while speaking in a very sexy deep manly voice. As he said that, he breathed directly into her mouth. ¡°Everything here belongs to me, this is my territory and you are no longer in Shen¡¯s house,¡± he added.

    This very seductive exchange drove Ruan Danchen crazy. She felt hot all over. Every time she tried to look away, he would tilt her head back to face him. His lips were now locked on hers, the warmth turned into uncontroble mes of lust, warming up her soft and tender lips. Her mind was clouded by lust, conflicting with her own morale.

    Ruan Danchen could no longer control herself. She was in a pool of lust. Every kiss only grew tenser, turning her on even further. Since she could not fight her lustful mind, her whole body fell into his warm embrace.

    She felt a warm touch on her back. She was slowly being pushed back, inch by inch. Then, with one sudden move, she was being carried from behind. It was smooth and sudden.

    Just momentster, her back was touching the cold sheets of the bed, as he made his way on top of her.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen squealed nervously. She did not expect it to be this quick. She did not expect to see daylight already.

    ¡°I will not force you if you don¡¯t want this, but I¡¯ll have you know that I very much want this,¡± Qi Chenglin said in a deep sexy voice as both their lips were touching. She immediately allowed him to fully embrace her. She could feel the sudden change in the size of his warm phallus.

    Ruan Danchen was trembling violently for a brief moment as she grabbed his waist tightly. It did not matter if his shirt was still on because the heat that radiated off his body was enough to warm up her palm quite well.

    She could feel her stomach clenching as she was nervous. She could not voice out her words, thus making her incapable of rejecting him.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s phallus had a darker and deeper shade. Seeing that she silently consented, he was excited beyond words. He lowered his head and started passionately making out with her.

    The surrounding atmosphere grew warmer, blocking out any sounding from outside as they could only focus on each other, feeling one another. They werepletely lost in the moment of lust as not even the doorbell from downstairs could be heard.

    Qi Chenglin hugged her tighter. Out of nowhere, he heard Aunt Zheng¡¯s loud voiceing from downstairs. It was obnoxiously loud. ¡°Sir, Madam, young master and ma¡¯am, what are you guys doing here?¡±

    Ruan Danchen instantly froze. Her body tensed up. She felt cold as she nervously stared at Qi Chenglin.

    At this moment, Ruan Danchen felt extremely annoyed and he simply thought to himself, these people just had to choose this very moment to show up.

    ¡°You need to get up quick,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she pushed Qi Chenglin hurriedly. She could not possibly let the elders of the Qi family see her like this.

    She was worried that upon seeing her, the elders could tell that she had been hooking up with Qi Chenglin since she waspletely disheveled.

    She was unsure if Qi Chenglin would introduce her to the elders of the family, but since all of the elders were now present at home, she would not want to leave them with a bad first impression of her.

    Qi Chenglin refused to get up, still pressing on her body. He cuddled up with her while breathing in deeply. This caused Ruan Danchen to nudge him harder. Her resistance finally made Qi Chenglin let go of her and getting up reluctantly.

    Ruan Danchen was feeling really embarrassed at that moment. If it was not for her forced consent, she would not be so embarrassed right now.

    She was blushing hard as she was pulled up by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°What do I do now?¡± Ruan Danchen asked frantically. She was unsure if Qi Chenglin would introduce her to the elders or if he refused, should she find somewhere to hide herself.

    ¡°What do you mean, what do you do now?¡± Qi Chenglin asked while raising his eyebrows as he helped her tidy her clothes up slowly. With his palm still on her body, he yfully groped her a little since he was still lusting for her. Tired of ying, he pulled her into himself, giving her a tight hug all while petting her heavily, not willing to let go, as if he really loved her.

    ¡°Stop fooling around would you. Didn¡¯t Aunt Zheng mention that Madam Qi was here too?¡± said Ruan Danchen with a frantic tone.

    ¡°Yea,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a hollow tone as he reluctantly let go of her. He tucked in his shirt while staring into his reflection in front of a mirror as he fixed his cor.

    Ruan Danchen was gasping for air as she shrugged her neck a little. While panting heavily, she said, ¡°It was not like I don¡¯t want to meet them, I just didn¡¯t expect...¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t expect me to bring you along to meet them?¡± Qi Chenglin said with his eyebrows raised, looking surprised. He yfully added, ¡°I told you, I¡¯m very serious about us. About you.¡±

    Aunt Zheng had a rough idea as to what took Qi Chenglin so long to get ready when she was told that he would be bringing home a female guest. She let out a chuckle. In order to get their attention for them to hurry up a little, she intentionally raised her voice.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma.¡± Qi Chenglin greeted as he walked Ruan Danchen down the stairs with him. He silently nced across the room and never expected the entire entourage of the Qi family to arrive. Even Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were present. It was certainly quite a spectacle. ¡°Aunt, uncle, mom, dad.¡± Qi Chenglin continued to greet his family.

    A pair of dark pearly eyes were focusing solely on Qi Youxuan¡¯s body as he stood behind Song Yu.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean what I said dad, it just slipped my mouth,¡± cried Qi Youxuan as he tried to exin himself while grabbing onto Song Yu¡¯s leg. ¡°I tried to stopped them from showing up, but they ignored my very strong refusal.¡±

    ¡°Young man, you should know better than to hide your girlfriend from us. You know having one would be amazing news, especially when thedy is Xiao Ruan!¡± As the elderly Madam Qi happily eximed as she could not hide her overwhelming joy upon seeing Ruan Danchen.

    She would be worried if it was some otherdy and it would have taken some more time to observe the personality of the otherdy, but since it was none other than Ruan Danchen¡ªthat sweet girl with a wonderful personality¡ªand was personally taught by Song Yu, she knew her well enough to know that this youngdy would be a wonderful person.

    ¡°I will not beat around the bush, I was hoping to use this very opportunity of a formal family gathering to introduce her formally to the elders,¡± said Qi Chenglin calmly.

    Ruan Danchen was surprised by his sudden announcement and could only stare at him wondering if he was serious about all of that. However, with his very calm and clear appearance, it seemed unlikely that he was lying.

    ¡°Really?¡± said the elderly Madam Qi, as she thought that the announcement he made was indeed too good to be true. She could not shake the feeling as if something was off.

    The usual bachelor of the family, Qi Chengzhi that always seemed to have trouble getting into a rtionship had finally gotten married this year and had a grandchild on the way. Not long after that, Qi Chengyue, who was initially stressed by her divorce had since got together with a good man like Cheng Dongge. The remaining single people in the family left would be none other than Qi Chengji and Qi Chenglin.

    To be fair, Qi Chengji could be excused for being single. Since he was still young, he should not be too rash in making decisions. Qi Chenglin¡¯s case, however, would be slightly moreplicated. He was getting older, if she were to bring him along for an intimate blind date with anyone else, he would be rejected.

    But, who would have expected that he, too, would have a girlfriend now.

    The elderly Madam Qi had never been happier at that moment. She must have thought that she was being rewarded for all the good karma that she had done.

    Seeing that Qi Chenglin had nodded, Madam Qi could not contain her excitement as she grabbed Ruan Danchen by the hand and happily said, ¡°Come on now Xiao Ruan, take a seat. Sigh, our little Chenglin may be quick to anger, but he is a decent and responsible man.¡±

    Seated directly opposite of Ruan Danchen was Guan Liya. She seemed to have left a great impression on Guan Liya.

    ¡°I¡¯ve asked Chenglin before about his rtionship status. I didn¡¯t expect that he was actually talking about you,¡± Madam Qi added. ¡°If I had known it was you that he was talking about, I wouldn¡¯t have worried so much,¡± Guan Liya said whileughing cheerfully.

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, I was told by Chenglin that you came to B city when you were little with your mother. Besides your mom, is there anyone else in your family?¡± Madam Qi asked curiously.

    ¡°No, not that I know of,¡± Ruan Danchen answered.

    ¡°What does your mother do for a living?¡± Madam Qi asked further.

    This question caught her off guard as Ruan Danchen hesitated if she should tell the truth or not. If she did, it would reveal her ties with the Shen family, and it would also reveal what happened all those years ago.

    She was lucky that Qi Chenglin could understand what she had to do all those years ago. However, she was unsure if the rest of his family would be as understanding as him. What if the truth pissed off the entire family? She would not know what to do then.

    ¡°When she was still studying at her university, her mother remarried into another family. Her mother never cared much about how she did anyway. The family that her mother remarried into did not like the idea of her having her own daughter, so this was why Danchen has never visited her since her university days. She alone had to bear the weight of her tuition fees and other expenses. She worked really hard to pay off everything,¡± said Qi Chenglin. It was partly true anyway.

    ¡°Some mother she is! How irresponsible!¡± Madam Qi yelled as she smacked her leg in anger. She felt slightly embarrassed at her outburst and held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. ¡°Please forgive my bluntness. If you both agreed to get married, you still have to let your mother know. After that, we shall send a wedding invitation to your stepfather and his family. They cane if they please. That will show them that even without their support, you can still take care of yourself quite well,¡± said Madam Qi.

    After she said that, Madam Qi took out a chinese calendar booklet from her bag and said, ¡°Look, I have even brought along a chinese calendar with me. Let¡¯s pick a date that you like shall we?¡±

    The booklet was forcefully shoved into Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands, making her blush. She was frozen in shock as she does not know how to respond in this very awkward situation. She shyly looked at Qi Chenglin, desperately calling out for help.

    ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re gonna scare her away. Today is her first time here anyway and besides, she had just very recently became my official girlfriend,¡± said Qi Chenglin. ¡°We¡¯ll discuss marriage alone. Besides, I have to propose to her first,¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    Judging from how quick Qi Chenglin jumped to her defense and seeing that Ruan Danchen was already blushing uncontrobly, Madam Qi could not have been happier at the scene. She kept the booklet and stop persisting.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect him to say that and could not help herself but to nce at him, but she was met by his eyes as he, too, was looking directly into her eyes. His eyes were filled with life, and she could not take her eyes off his very soft but serious gaze. It did not seem like he was not serious about what he said to Madam Qi. She could feel the serious truth from his words.

    She was under his spell. She could not look away from his very stunning warm gaze. The love radiating from just his gaze alone was enough to fill her heart with warmth. She felt nervous around him, and her stomach was churning as she tried to hide her intense blushing.

    ...

    ...

    Since everyone was now present in the vi, it was decided that the family gathering will be held here so that it would not trouble anyone to return to the mansion.

    Aunt Zheng was busy preparing lunch for the guests in the kitchen. She noticed that the ingredients in the fridge were not enough for this many people, she called Xiao Yang to send her to the market to get more ingredients.

    Ruan Danchen did not want Aunt Zheng to be overwhelmed by work alone in the kitchen, so she had decided to help her. She helped out by preparing the ingredients that were left in the kitchen. As she was doing that, Song Yu entered the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen let out a nervousugh as she listened to what Song Yu had to say. ¡°Well, I did not expect you to keep this from me for so long.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that... He was telling the truth though. We had just recently started dating. It had only been days,¡± Ruan Danchen answered nervously.

    This was all due to the fact that when Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi were together, Ruan Danchen was really gossipy, so in a yful retaliation, Song Yu would love to return the favor. The unrelenting probing by Song Yu broke Ruan Danchen as she was in a puddle of her embarrassment begging for mercy.

    Ruan Danchen hesitated a little as she was unsure if she should tell Song Yu about Qi Youxuan. However, no matter what she had to say, this would certainly not be the right ce. So she held back.

    Aunt Zheng returned, and seeing that Song Yu would want to help out in the kitchen with her, Ruan Danchen simply told her off. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, you shouldn¡¯t be in the kitchen. All this smoke is not good for you. Even if you don¡¯t leave now, Qi Chengzhi would drag you outter.¡±

    Song Yu reluctantly walked out after hearing what she said.

    ¡°Aunt Zheng, what kind of taste does the family prefer?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. She was told that Qi Youxuan had a simple pte as he was not picky when ites to food, as long as it tasted good.

    In truth, she would love to know more about Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Master Qi and young master are not picky either,¡± Aunt Zheng said while cooking. ¡°As long as it¡¯s not too spicy. Master Qi was working way too hard when he was younger and was always workingte. He never had a fixed time for his diet, thus taking a huge toll on his stomach. He spent all these years getting his health back in line. But he still has to keep a close eye on his diet. So nothing too spicy. If it was too spicy, it would cause him to have a gastric attack. Sometimes, it would cause a very bad case of diarrhea,¡± Aunt Zheng added.

    ¡°Speaking of which, he brought some gastric pills home a few days ago,¡± Aunt Zheng said as she was reminded.

    Ruan Danchen thought back a few days ago and remembered that Qi Chenglin joined her to have some traditional Szechuan dish in Dynasty. He knew he could not eat those but still, he never said anything. He had even shared a few bites with her.

    She never expected an arrogant, masculine man like Qi Chenglin, would do something so reckless just for her.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine on my own Miss Ruan. Go ahead and take a seat outside.¡± said Aunt Zheng as she noticed Ruan Danchen picking at the vegetables.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you¡¯ll overwork yourself alone here, look at the number of people you had to cook for.¡± Ruan Danchen replied with a smile as she helped Aunt Zheng to wash and prepare the vegetables. This would speed up the pace, as Aunt Zheng was cooking on the side.

    It was just in time for lunch just as they finished preparing the meal. The food was served and Ruan Danchen sat next to Qi Chenglin. Seated next to her was Qi Youxuan.

    She had never thought that she would get to enjoy a meal with Song Yu and Qi Chenglin along with their families. It filled her with joy and warmth as this moment was like a family meal. She felt an overwhelming sensation of love and care.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, look, I have set our picture as my wallpaper,¡± said Qi Youxuan as he held his Totoro phone while showing Ruan Danchen the picture he had. It was the same picture taken when the 3 of them were at the mall.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, you and daddy both should set the same wallpaper. That way, we will all have matching ones!¡± said Qi Youxuan excitedly as he showed her the picture. He then ced his phone on the table.

    Ruan Danchen took her phone out and immediately set the same picture as her wallpaper. Looking at her phone screen fills her with warmth.

    As she nced over at Qi Youxuan. She noticed how he was so easily satisfied with the little things. This made her grieved a little.

    ¡°Daddy, you too!¡± Youxuan impatiently rushed his dad.

    Qi Chenglin never took his phone out, all he did was nce over to Ruan Danchen, giving her a scheming look from his eyes. He suddenly stood up, without saying a word, he went straight to the kitchen.

    ¡°What are you up to daddy?¡± Qi Youxuan asked curiously as he tried to turn toward Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to grab a drink,¡± Qi Chenglin replied.

    Out of nowhere, Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang. It was from Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless upon seeing his name on her phone. What does he want? She simply thought to herself.

    Blushingly, she turned to the elders and said, ¡°Excuse me for a second, I need to answer this call.¡±

    Ruan Danchen excused herself to the living room, and seeing that the coast was clear, she then proceeded to answer the phone. ¡°What on earth are you doing?¡±

    ¡°If I used that wallpaper, what¡¯s in it for me?¡± Qi Chenglin said seductively as he schemed.

    ¡°What do you want then?¡± Ruan Danchen raised her eyebrows a little. She did not expect this man to even ask for something in return for literally minute things like this.

    ¡°Just promise me now, then we can talk terms in the future,¡± said Qi Chenglin in a soft tone while leaning on the fridge and holding a ss of water in his left hand.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking for a lot here, Qi Chenglin. Just for Youxuan¡¯s minor request. Did you ever think about how he would feel? Just by you asking for so much in return. He will be really disappointed and sad if you don¡¯t promise him,¡± Ruan Danchen replied frustratingly. He dared to ask for so much for his son¡¯s very simple request.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin said nothing.

    His intention was only to tease her, he never expected her to get annoyed at him.

    ¡°Just do what you want with this,¡± Ruan Danchen answered angrily at him and hung up the call.

    Qi Chenglin could only stare at his phone, speechless. They only had been officially dating for a couple of days, he never knew she had it in her to snap at him like this, taking control away from him.

    After hanging up the call, Ruan Danchen returned to her seat while apologizing to everyone. She felt uneasy seeing Qi Youxuan eating by himself as she could only think about Qi Chenglin.

    After a while, Qi Chenglin came back to the table and sat down next to her only to be ignored by her.

    Ruan Danchen was busy helping Qi Youxuan to grab the served dishes on the table since his arms were too short. He could not reach the food in front of the table and it did not seem to be enough for him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have enough either,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen continued to ignore him.

    ¡°Are you really mad at me?¡± Qi Chenglin added softly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen remained silent.

    Everyone started to notice Qi Chenglin whispering something under his breath but could not make out what he said to Ruan Danchen. Qi Chenglin let out a fake cough as he took his phone out and ced it on the table.

    He tried to make it as sneaky as possible, his index finger pressing the home button, unlocking his phone. While putting his arm away, he seemingly nudged Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder by ident.

    Ruan Danchen took a nce at the screen of his phone and noticed that he had changed the wallpaper of his phone to the picture requested by his son. This warmed her heart a little.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile a little as she sneakily nced at him. She noticed that he was drinking a ss of water pretending to not know anything.

    This man¡¯s pride was unbelievable. Ruan Danchen thought to herself.

    She took his phone and showed it to Qi Youxuan. ¡°Look, your dad had changed it too.¡±

    Upon seeing his dad¡¯s phone, Qi Youxuan excitedly climbed down his chair and started to run around his dad. He yfully put both his arms on Chenglin¡¯s shoulder, wrapping around him and hugging him.

    _________

    Mini Scene

    Qi Chengzhi. ¡°So how does it feel to have a wife control you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin. ¡°Good¡±.

    Qi Chengzhi. ¡°So what about when your wife gets mad at you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin. ¡°Good¡±

    Qi Chengzhi. ¡°What about coaxing your wife?¡±

    Qi Chenglin. ¡°Good.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi. ¡°What about having your ns ruined by your wife.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin. ¡°Go away.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Here¡¯s a monthly ticket to cheer this dude up.¡±

 Chapter 329 - Uncle, You Wonâ€™t Make Any Friends Like This

    Chapter 329: Uncle, You Won¡¯t Make Any Friends Like This

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Dad, could you please lower your head a little,¡± said Qi Youxuan as he tiptoed to reach his dad excitedly.

    A warm feeling spread in his heart as he gazed at his child¡¯s adorable little face getting excited over small things, so he lowered his head for the little kid to immediately kiss his cheeks with his greasy lips. Satisfied, he rushed back to his seat, continuing to devour that drumstick.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was speechless as he did not know how to react in situations like these. His face was smeared with oil from the kiss bestowed by Qi Youxuan earlier. He did not know whether to thank his son or to wipe the grease off his face.

    ¡°Come wipe my face for me,¡± Qi Chenglin said to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen pulled out a piece of tissue from the tissue box and started wiping his face, all whileughing at him.

    The entire interaction between Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin made both Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi very happy. They too knew about the little phone trick Qi Chenglin tried to hide earlier.

    It certainly was rare for him to be so submissive to ady. It showed just how much thisdy meant to him.

    Everyone present could not help but feel like a wedding would soon be expected.

    ...

    ...

    After the delicious meal, everyone sat around making small talk until it was around three in the evening.

    Qi Youxuan could not keep himself awake for more than thirty minutes after a heavy lunch as he had a habit of taking an afternoon nap in his preschool. He thus went to his room and took a nap.

    Like an innocent child he was, he kept telling Ruan Danchen to promise him that she would stay until he would wake up from his nap.

    Ruan Danchen promised him immediately, musing to herself about how long a child¡¯s nap could be. However, even after everyone had left and the time showed to be exactly three in the evening, there was not a sign of this kid waking up anytime soon.

    She had no clue that Youxuan had already woken up from his nap and was instead ying with his toys in his room.

    He had apparentlye up with a n of making sure than Ruan Danchen would not leave. He would pretend to be asleep until tonight so that Ruan Danchen had no choice but to hold up her end of their promise.

    While helping Aunt Zheng clean up the ce, she noticed Qi Chenglin staring at his phone, happily grinning away. She wondered what was making him happy.

    Upon close inspection, she realized that he was staring at his wallpaper¡ªa wallpaper with all three of them.

    Sensing that Ruan Danchen was getting closer to him, he pulled her directly into him, swiftly wrapping his arms around her and forcing her into his warm embrace.

    ¡°Aunt Zheng will see us when she gets out,¡± Ruan Danchen argued weakly.

    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± teased Qi Chenglin with lips perked. Giving her a quick stare, he added, ¡°Where did that tempere from?¡±

    Knowing that he was talking about the wallpaper incident earlier, she softly replied, ¡°I just didn¡¯t want to disappoint Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°I was just thinking about making you stay the night,¡± he said while getting closer to her. Seeing her blush somehow made him excited as he could feel the blood rushing down south.

    ¡°We¡¯ve only been dating for a few days, don¡¯t you think we¡¯re progressing a little too fast?¡± countered Ruan Danchen as her face reddened even more.

    yfully, Qi Chenglin replied, ¡°7 years wasn¡¯t fast.¡± A huge grin stered on his face, he then added, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to spend a little more time with Youxuan?¡±

    Thest sentence made her hesitate a little. She felt conflicted as she thought about how fast her rtionship was progressing.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think I can hold back my urges any longer. If I keep holding back my urges, I¡¯m afraid it¡¯ll stop functioning normally,¡± said Qi Chenglin before he let out a sigh. He could not resist his lustful urges as he started to kiss her lips.

    However, just as they started their passionate kissing, a loud ringing sound emanated from Chenglin¡¯s phone. Qi Chenglin gave her a grin and seductive look, signaling her as if he was letting her go temporarily. The entire while he kept her in his warm embrace, not letting go to her.

    ¡°Are you not going to pick up?¡± sassed Ruan Danchen as she was locked in his thick strong arms. He had no intention of moving a muscle, and she waspletely locked in his embrace. Her blush deepened even more as she could not move away from him.

    ¡°I¡¯m busy hugging you, can¡¯t seem to reach my pocket,¡± Qi Chenglin teasingly replied as he ignored the call, hugging her tighter than before.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned from his reply¡ªthis man¡¯s tongue sure had his way with words. ¡®Not only was he not ashamed for making that statement in a public space, but he owned it with pride too!¡¯ Ruan Danchen thought to herself.

    ¡°Take my phone out for me,¡± insisted Qi Chenglin as he gently brushed his lips against her earlobes. He found it adorable, staring at the tiny follicles protruding from her warm blushing ears¡ªthey looked like tiny animals.

    ¡°Get it yourself,¡± Ruan Danchen yfully protested¡ªhe was not crippled, after all.

    ¡°Come on now,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s teasing amplified. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want it to keep ringing now would you?¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    While saying that, he kept brushing his soft, warm lips against her ears, slowly progressing toward the corner of her eyes.

    Ruan Danchen had no options left as he kissed her softly on her forehead. She reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. Looking at the screen for the caller I.D., it simply showed, [Young Master Cheng].

    Still kissing her at the moment, he noticed just how flushed her face looked. It was so adorable to him¡ªhe could not help himself but love her even more like this.

    Without any moment of hesitation, Qi Chenglin scooped her up and sat her on hisp while teasing her. ¡°Just go ahead and call me big brother, stop it with the Young Master Cheng. It¡¯s like we¡¯replete strangers.¡±

    ¡°Are you going to pick up the phone or not?¡± Ruan Danchen was annoyed by his constant kissing and teasing. She felt like the mes of lust hadpletely engulfed her.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let go, why don¡¯t you hold the phone for me.¡± Said Qi Chenglin as his gaze now locked at her soft lips. He leaned in for another kiss. This time on her lips.

    Just as things were beginning to heat up, the phone rang again.

    Ruan Danchen felt guilty, what if it were something urgent from Young Master Cheng. This time, she dared not to hesitate, she picked up the call and ced it on Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears.

    Qi Chenglin had both his hands on her waist, they both were in an awkward position, he yfully pinched at her waist as he tried to answer the call in the most normal voice possible, he said. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you pick up earlier?¡± a voice said through the phone¡¯s speakers.

    Since they were so close to each other, she could hear everything Young Master Cheng said on the phone. She felt extremely guilty.

    Feeling embarrassed for the ability to eavesdrop on his call, she poked at his stomach yfully. ¡®Why is he answering the call now, stop fooling around,¡¯ she thought to herself.

    ¡°Look at the Wechat text,¡± the voice said. The phone call ended abruptly after thatst line.

    Upon hearing this, Qi Chengling finally let go of one hand, looking through his Wechat messages. He noticed the [8by8group] had been quite activetely.

    He did not know how or what caused such an uproar, but he had a feeling that he might know what caused it.

    The moment he opened the group chat, he was immediately bombarded by what the members had sent. [Whoa! Qi Chenglin had found himself a girlfriend. How absurd is this?] texted Han Zhuoli.

    [It was Miss Ruan all along, no wonder he kicked us out the groupst time. Keep your guard up, guys.] Gui Zhiqian texted.

    [Some brother he is. How dare he keep this from us?] Yan Beicheng replied.

    [Since she had already met the parents, it¡¯s about time we invite her in.] Wei Ziqi added.

    Qi Chenglin had a grin on his face¡ªhe knew exactly what this meant. He knew it was payback by Qi Chengzhi since he too joined in on the fun of teasing him when Qi Chengzhi was dating Song Yu.

    He had zero intentions to keep this a secret from those guys, so he immediately added Ruan Danchen into the group.

    After a few clicks on the screen, he simply told Ruan Danchen, ¡°Go say hi to the boys.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was observing his every move. She knew Song Yu was once in her shoes, and she had no idea how Song Yu managed to find the courage to even show up in the group. It was rather daunting for her.

    Ruan Danchen was trying to stall as she wanted to pretend to ask for his permission but seeing as Qi Chenglin was enjoying himself while making fun of her, she held back.

    She took out her phone and booted up the app. Her phone instantly came to life as the messages came flooding in while her phone chimed away. Seeing who was in that group made her nervous as her palms began to sweat, she pushed herself to send, [Hi everyone.]

    [What¡¯s up Xiao Ruan.] Yan Beicheng texted in reply.

    [Seeing how everyone is all romantic with each other upon entering the group, I feel very excluded!] Han Zhuoli replied.

    Gui Zhiqian then texted, [You need to bring out the shameless personality, Lao Han. Look at all of us¡ªwe only got to be in a rtionship by being extremely shameless. Wei Ziqi was a great example, the moment he became a man, someone had already taken him. Now look at Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin, both of them are absolute delinquents. They are really cunning, you know. So be brave and shameless my brother.]

    [Word! Now be shameless Lao Han!] Yan Beicheng replied.

    [...] Han Zhuoli was at a loss of words.

    [Show yourself Qi Chenglin, you have some exining to do.] Yan Beicheng added.

    [What do you want?] Qi Chenglin texted.

    He sent that text with full arrogance, making the ones who were single mad jealous at him.

    [Since you¡¯ve found yourself a girlfriend, let¡¯s all n a date to meet up at night for some dinner.] Yan Beicheng suggested.

    [Alright.] Qi Chenglin replied.

    He nned the date with his boys before he went upstairs for a change of clothes in order to check on Youxuan. Ruan Danchen followed behind.

    Upon reaching Qi Chenglin¡¯s bedroom door, she was stopped by Qi Chenglin. ¡°Are youing in with me?¡± he said seductively.

    This made her blushed a little. ¡°Go alone,¡± she sheepishly said.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like you¡¯ve never seen me change before,¡± Qi Chenglin said snarkily, all while staring at her lustfully.

    Embarrassed by his flirty gaze, Ruan Danchen nervously replied, ¡°I¡¯ll check on Youxuan.¡±

    After saying that, she nervously iled her hand out as she walked toward Qi Youxuan¡¯s room.

    This made Qi Chenglin pout a little as he reluctantly walked into his room alone.

    Still assuming Qi Youxuan was still fast asleep, she did not even knock on his door, afraid of waking him up. Simply turning the doorknob slowly to open the door, she was surprised to see young Youxuan ying with his train set.

    He hadid out a long and tall track in front of him as the little train chugged along the tracks, climbing a small hill.

    Qi Youxuan was immersed in enjoyment but when Ruan Danchen entered his room suddenly, he was stunned as his tiny child-like brain could not process the sudden intrusion. He could only blink with a dumbfounded look.

    He was frozen for about 3 seconds then proceeded to fall backward while loudly eximing, ¡°I¡¯m bored, I don¡¯t wanna y anymore.¡±

    Before Ruan Danchen could respond, she could only watch as his tiny head hit the floor loudly. It seemed like it really hurt, however, Youxuan only closed his eyes, he did not even flinch, he almost seemed like he hadpletely passed out upon impact.

    Stunned by his sudden outburst, Ruan Danchen stopped the toy train and went over to him with a bewildered look¡ªshe was unsure of how she should act in this situation. She picked him up, still puzzled, and calmly said, ¡°Hey buddy, your dad and I will be going to the Red Roof Club to meet with Yan Beicheng and the others. Do you want to join us?¡±

    Hearing this, Qi Youxuan could no longer keep up his act. He immediately sprung to life and asked, ¡°Is Mumuing too?¡±

    ¡°Maybe, since Wei Ran ising along,¡± spected Ruan Danchen assumed as she did not ask about the details earlier.

    ¡°Then I¡¯m going too!¡± Youxuan excitedly eximed as he ran for the washroom, stood on the tiny stool and violently washed his face in front of the basin.

    He had just woken up from a nap thus his hair still a mess. He then asked Ruan Danchen to help him fix his hair.

    Qi Chenglin had already done the packing as he waited for Ruan Danchen to bring his son downstairs.

    ¡°Hold on please,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he rushed toward the kitchen.

    After a brief moment, he came back with a beautiful tin can.

    Ruan Danchen felt strange as she listened to Qi Youxuan¡¯s exnation. ¡°Aunt Song Yu is still pregnant and Uncle Chengzhi wouldn¡¯t allow anyone to smoke. I¡¯m bringing lollipops for everyone so no one would feel awful anymore.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could only stare at his adorable face. ¡®How thoughtful of him to share his lollipops with everyone,¡¯ she thought to herself.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin drove them all to the Red Roof Club, and it was already five-thirty in the evening when they arrived. The server knew Qi Chenglin personally but was surprised to see Ruan Dachen holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s tiny hand. They truly looked like a mother-and-son pairing.

    The server proceeded to escort the three of them to Yan Beicheng¡¯s private room. Upon entering, they noticed that Wei Ziqi¡¯s family had not arrived yet. Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were already there waiting for them. This made Ruan Danchen slightly morefortable since knowing that Song Yu was present with them, it would not stress her out as much.

    The first thing Qi Youxuan did was to open up the tin can filled with different vors of lollipops.

    ¡°Do you want a lollipop, Uncle Yan?¡± Youxuan asked excitedly as he ran toward Yan Beicheng.

    Yan Beicheng let out an awkward cough as he took out his own lollipop from his pocket. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I have brought my own,¡± said Yan Beicheng.

    Qi Youxuan pouted a little as he looked for Han Zhuoli. At the same time, he took out a lollipop from his pocket, unwrapped it and shoved it in his mouth. ¡°Your uncle Yan gave everyone a lollipop when he arrived,¡± said Han Zhuoli.

    ¡°I called all the big shots here today, I don¡¯t feel like smoking at all,¡± Gui Zhiqian said as he chewed on some melon seeds.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless and he simply bolted back to Qi Chengli¡¯s side. He angrily eximed while looking at everyone else, ¡°You guys won¡¯t make any friends like this...¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Chu Zhaoyang chortled as he slowly unwrapped his lollipop.

    Ruan Danchen was confused by the whole exchange as she sat next to Song Yu. Seemingly able to read her mind, Song Yu exined, ¡°Since they¡¯re not allowed to smoke, Youxuan charged them 50 bucks per lollipop thest time he was here.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen fell silent.

    Qi Chenglin brought his son over and had him seated next to him. This kid was upset since he could not make a quick buck today, and he felt bad for his son. Even though he was genuinely interested in money at such a young age, his interest in business could be encouraged. His son, at the very least, was never interested in losing. ¡®If he is to pick up the torch, teaching him from now on won¡¯t seem like a bad idea,¡¯ Chenglin mused to himself.

    And so, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you go get yourself some snacks, buddy. Don¡¯t eat too much though, alright? It¡¯s almost time for dinner.¡±

    Hearing this brightened Youxuan¡¯s mood a little bit as he rushed off to get his favorite pistachios.

    Ruan Danchen was observing from the sidelines¡ªQi Chenglin did not seem too strict on his own son. In fact, he was quite flexible in parenting the young boy. This made Youxuan quite independent, and she assumed that it was due to Qi Chenglin¡¯s principles in raising his own kid. Every man should learn to be independent from a young age.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s strong and independent personality was in line with the Qi family principles.

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, can we start over with our introductions? From now on, please call me by my name,¡± said Yan Beicheng.

    Han Zhuoli, Gui Zhiqian and everyone else followed suit. It was more or less the same¡ªthey did away with formalities and went with their own names. If she needed anything at all in the future, she could contact any of them if she pleased.

    Finally, it was Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s turn. He walked toward her while covering his face, offering a brief and simple introduction that went, ¡°Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Chu Zhaoyang.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    Finally, Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°Just address me as how Qi Chenglin addresses me. Big brother.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed as she did not expect everyone to be that easy-going.

    ¡°Next time whenever any of you run into Ruan Danchen, please call her Aunty Qi as well,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he deshelled pistachios for his son.

    ¡°Why?!¡± Han Zhuoli protested.

    ¡°Firste first serve, buddy. Whoever finds a wife first gets to call the shots. Who told you guys to be slow in the first ce,¡± sassed Qi Chenglin with a in expression, eyebrows slightly raised.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed as she heard what Chenglin said. How did he spin her into bing his wife?

    Qi Chenglin handed over a teful of pistachios to his son and said. ¡°Just eat these first. If you have too many, you won¡¯t be able to finish your dinnerter.¡± He then took out a piece of tissue to wipe his hands.

    Qi Youxuan had no objections as he happily took the te of pistachios and started munching on them.

    After a short while, Wei Ziqi and his family finally arrived. Seeing that Wei Muran too hade with them, Youxuan excitedly grabbed her and shared his te of pistachios with his friend.

    The main purpose of today¡¯s hangout was to formally introduce Ruan Danchen to the entire group.

    Since she was no stranger to alcohol, she drank alongside everyone else as a sign of respect. She never shied away from keeping up with their drinking pace.

    There were no ill intentions in feeding her alcohol continuously as it waspletely a show of respect. Ruan Danchen thus could finally let loose and drink to her heart¡¯s content.

    Her binge drinking habits certainly gained Yan Beicheng and everyone¡¯s respect.

    Gui Zhiqian got increasingly excited as he drank¡ªhe felt amazing. ¡°Us boys are all really good to each other, and we don¡¯t just invite anyone into our circle. Consider yourself lucky to be invited into this super exclusive circle of friends. You know, Qi Chenglin was single for quite some time, though he was in on-and-off rtionships with a few girls. Still, they never seem tost long or go anywhere. He never introduced any of them to us,¡± said Gui Zhiqian.

    ¡°He¡¯s right though.¡± Han Zhuoli nodded before he continued, ¡°You seem to be a truly special person to him. Even though he said that you two were only dating for a few days, he¡¯s very serious about this rtionship then, as he had never made a decision so quickly before.¡±

    With raised eyebrows, Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin.

    It did not matter if two people are officially dating, hearing about any previous rtionships would leave a bitter aftertaste to anyone.

    ¡°Are you guys trying to ruin me?¡± said Qi Chenglin in exasperation.

    ¡°No no, nothing like that, we¡¯re just telling her how serious you are to her,¡± Yan Beicheng chirped in reply.

    Not long after, Ruan Danchen received a text message from Qi Chenglin.

    It simply read, [When I was young, my family was pushing me to get Youxuan a mother. I met a girl whom I had good first impressions, but after we met, it slowly faded. We had only met that one time, never since then.]

    Ruan Danchen felt weird upon receiving the text but it did cheer her up a little. She typed on her screen and replied with, [I didn¡¯t say anything. What are you exining for?]

    Reading her reply, he had a slight grin as he thought about teasing her. So he replied with, [I¡¯m just afraid you wouldn¡¯t let me sleep with you.]

    ...

    Mini Scene

    As Yan Beicheng was driving to the Red Roof Club, he noticed a grocery shop along the way. He parked his car and went into the store.

    After a quick stroll down a few aisles, he went out with a huge bag of lollipops as he hummed all the way to his car.

    Upon arrival, he gave everyone each a lollipop

    Han Zhuoli smiled as he held the lollipop and said, ¡°Well prepared this time.¡±

    ¡°Youxuan has to learn not to be too greedy with money. He needs to be educated at his age,¡± Yan Beicheng added.

 Chapter 330 - We Canâ€™t Stay at Home Right Now

    Chapter 330: We Can¡¯t Stay at Home Right Now

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen exhaled roughly. She thought that the alcohol would only turn her face slightly pink, but it had turned puffy and crimson.

    Her face felt numb and swollen. As she put her phone away, she whispered softly, ¡°I never even intended to let you sleep with me!¡±

    ¡°I meant to get in my bed 1, what were you thinking about?¡± Qi Chenglin stopped texting as well. He lowered his head and closed the distance with Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear, and whispered. His warm breath flowed into Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear, tickling it more than it should.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s forehead felt hot and itchy. She snorted softly and said, ¡°If you want to get in your own bed, I couldn¡¯t care less.¡±

    Without realizing it, his hot and dry palm reached out and grabbed her hand that was on her thigh. Rubbing the back of her palm gently and speaking softly, he said, ¡°But if you got in my bed, I¡¯d definitely care.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt as if her head might explode, and as though she had shut down, she inhaled sharply¡ªher entire body had been set on fire by his flirtatious words.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± she warned softly as she turned and tried to draw her hand back but could not. The back of her hand felt like it was burning under the heat of his palm. ¡°Who said I would want to... to get in your...¡± shemented awkwardly.

    ¡°Then if I get in yours, that works too,¡± Qi Chenglin said nonchntly.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough from you!¡± In that moment, Ruan Danchen felt ten million ¡®motherf*cker¡¯ surging through her heart. When this fellow wanted to be shameless, he had no limits! It was simply boundless thirst!

    The two of them were the main characters for the evening, sitting there murmuring to each other with their heads lowered. Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was so red, it was obvious she had never been the center of attention.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s big eyes¡ªwith its contrasting cks and whites¡ªwere darting to and fro his father and Aunty Ruan. It seemed like the two of them got along well and were very happy.

    Ruan Danchen was also afraid that if she kept speaking to Qi Chenglin, Qi Youxuan would feel left out. So at the same time, she made sure to devote some of her attention to Qi Youxuan by using her chopsticks to take food for him from the table. Qi Youxuan liked to eat mantis shrimp but the shell would easily cut one¡¯s hands, so Ruan Danchen helped him peel the shell.

    Eventually, Qi Chenglin felt bad for Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands and could bear it no more. He reached over to take all the shrimp. His bony and long fingers still looked elegant even while he was peeling shrimp shells.

    The little boy Qi Youxuan could not be happier as he ate the deshelled mantis shrimp.

    ...

    ...

    It was eight thirty in the evening. The adults around the table had already finished chatting and the children were getting tired, so they began to leave.

    Qi Chenglin held Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand in one hand, and Ruan Danchen¡¯s in the other. They walked out with Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu, while Xiao Yang and Chang Lai were already waiting outside.

    As they walked to the door, they coincidentally saw Mu Huaishenging in with some clients.

    Mu Huaisheng waved to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu first before his gaze fell upon Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen holding hands. He was stunned for a moment before he nced sideways at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed under his gaze. Previously she told him that she had no intention of getting involved in romance, and now here she was holding Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand. It most definitely did not look right.

    Qi Chenglin seemed worried that she would draw her hand away so he gripped it tighter.

    Ruan Danchen tried to assuage him by squeezing his hand in return. Qi Chenglin¡¯s facial expression seemed to rx a bit and he rxed his grip on her hand as well.

    ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought I would meet the two Mr. Qis here,¡± one of the clients who were with Mu Huaisheng said in muted awe. He seemed especially happy to be able to meet Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin.

    Both of them greeted the clients politely. ¡°You¡¯re here to talk business with Mr. Mu, correct? We won¡¯t disturb you,¡± Qi Chenglin said cordially.

    ¡°Very well,¡± the clients all said while smiling.

    In front of the clients, Mu Huaisheng could not say anything and could only give onest look at Ruan Danchen before he left with the clients.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu to his Range Rover. Simrly, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the car.

    Qi Youxuan very familiarly climbed into the car and sat himself in the child¡¯s safety seat inside, buckling the seatbelt.

    After Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen had secured themselves in the back, Qi Chengyi spoke. ¡°Let¡¯s go back to Prestige Residences.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tensed up and slowly tugged at Qi Chenglin¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Send me home first.¡±

    Qi Chengling tilted his head to look at her. This made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart beat harder, unsure if he would agree. If he insisted on bringing her back to Prestige Residences, she would not be able to do anything about it.

    After a long while, only did Qi Chenglin speak. ¡°Let¡¯s send her home first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sighed in relief.

    ...

    ...

    The car stopped in front of Ruan Danchen¡¯s house. Qi Chenglin got out of the car first to let Ruan Danchen, who was sitting in the middle, to get out.

    Qi Youxuan was too tired and had fallen asleep in his chair. Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan¡¯s sleepy appearance and felt a little unwilling to go. She looked at him gently and leaned down to kiss his petite, fragrant face, before getting out of the car.

    Qi Chenglin closed the door and stood under the pale light of the moon and the dim streetlight. His features looked all the more brooding and his expressions looked even more exceptional.

    Ruan Danchen was a little shy, but as usual, she gathered up her courage and took the initiative to hold his hand.

    This small action made Qi Chenglin raise his eyebrows. He felt the softness of her palm and held her hand in return.

    ¡°Thank you for sending me home,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    Qi Chenglin knew that she was referring to him respecting her wishes by sending her home instead of insisting on taking her to Prestige Residences.

    ¡°I respect your decisions,¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a grunt.

    Afraid that he would be unhappy, Ruan Danchen pushed on and exined, ¡°I just think it¡¯s too fast. While seven years ago we had already... but that time we had no romantic feelings for each other. Now, we¡¯re really with each other. Qi Chenglin, you¡¯re my first man, and also the only one all through these years. Right now we are courting each other, and you¡¯re my first love. I¡¯m not afraid of your jokes. I¡¯m already 26 and have never been in a rtionship. I don¡¯t know the steps in romance and what they should be, but I feel that going home with you right now would be a bit...¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked into the car, before replying, ¡°I¡¯ll walk you upstairs.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not reply but let Qi Chenglin lead her by the hand upstairs.

    The lights in the elevator were very bright. It was a stark contrast to the gloomy darkness. Both of them still did not speak, making Ruan Danchen feel uneasy.

    She forced herself to look up at Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegant and handsome face. His expression was stern, as though he was displeased.

    Ruan Danchen wondered if he was unhappy because she insisted oning home.

    If that was the case, she would be unhappy that he was so petty and would have drawn her hand away from his palm.

    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows, holding her hand tighter and not letting go.

    ¡°Are you upset?¡± Ruan Danchen asked a little sullenly.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyebrows arched once more, and he frowned. ¡°Who said I¡¯m unhappy?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen paused, unable to say anything.

    The elevator stopped at the 7th floor, and Qi Chenglin led her out to her unit entrance before he spoke lowly, ¡°Open the door, we¡¯ll talk about it when we¡¯re inside.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had just unlocked the door and walked in when she heard the door m behind her. She did not have the time to react as Qi Chenglin was already embracing her, pressing his lips against hers as he pinned her to the door.

    Ruan Danchen panicked but did not resist. She gently rested her hands on his shoulders.

    He was too tall and she was almost lifted off of her feet. She felt so fragile in his arms.

    Her lips felt raw and were swollen from his kisses; her body weak and trembling. When he broke away, she wanted to pull him back in.

    He brushed her forehead and lifted her into his arms. His forearms felt as if they were chiseled from stone¡ªholding her in his embrace seemed like no effort at all. ¡°Just because you follow me home now doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯d think of you as easy and won¡¯t respect how well you¡¯ve treated me. I¡¯ve always felt a sense of impatience when ites to you. I don¡¯t deny that, neither do I try to cover it up. Ever since I met you and started courting you, I¡¯ve always wanted to lure you into my bed.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was trembling, unable to imagine that he would speak so directly. His actions all this while certainly did not cover up this goal, but was it a good idea to speak so candidly about it?

    ¡°You think we¡¯re going too fast, and I won¡¯t insist. But I just wanted to let you know that I fear I can¡¯t wait much longer.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was uniquely low at that point.

    Ruan Danchen felt that his chest was really warm, while his lower regions were stirring slowly. It was so hot. Her abdomen contracted tightly, and she dared not move. However, being squeezed like this, her heart could not help but flutter.

    ¡°Give me some time to get ready,¡± Ruan Danchen said quietly. She had not thought of rejecting Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin buried his face in her hair and breathed in deeply before raising his face, looking at her and smiled. ¡°I¡¯m your first love?¡±

    Ruan Danchen slowly lowered her head. It was not a surprise that she would be embarrassed. She was already 26 and have never had a boyfriend¡ªit was very embarrassing.

    Qi Chenglin was able to read her thoughts, and he spoke gently to her ¡°It¡¯s not embarrassing. I¡¯m very d.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chenglin.¡± Ruan Danchen lifted her head slowly and unsurely, a little ashamed to call out his name.

    Qi Chenglin arched his eyebrows once more, but his expressions were warm. His clear and elegant features were gentle¡ªthe corners of his mouth and his eyes showing the hints of a warm and gentle smile.

    Ruan Danchen felt a warmth flow from her abdomen. She blushed and quickly pecked him on the lips. ¡°Thank you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was surprised. This was the first time she had kissed him of her own ord, and not him shamelessly pulling her into his arms for the kiss. Even though it was fleeting, it filled his heart with joy.

    Her soft and fragrant body was still in his arms, and Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart was all over the ce. It took a lot to get his passions under control, and all it took was a fleeting kiss to rekindle them again.

    He suddenly kissed her passionately to the point where Ruan Danchen was unable topose herself.

    After a long while, his burning lips were nibbling at her ear lobe, as he whispered hoarsely. ¡°I want it so bad!¡±

    ¡°Youxuan is still waiting in the car,¡± Ruan Danchen said, her voice trembling.

    Qi Chenglin finally put her down, and her feet touched the ground, and saw his face in a half-smile, having read her intentions.

    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± Qi Chenglin said as he let her go and reached his hand out to open the door.

    Suddenly, he stopped again, turned and asked, ¡°Just now when we saw Mu Huaisheng, why were you so ufortable?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had note to her senses yet, and he already asked such a question. She paused before answering, ¡°I told him I had no intention of getting into a rtionship, but a few dayster, he sees me holding your hand and walking together. I couldn¡¯t help but be embarrassed.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and said, ¡°Go to bed.¡±

    He then left.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin returned to the car. Qi Youxuan had woken up a while ago but he was still half asleep and in a daze.

    When he saw Qi Chenglin return alone, Qi Youxuan rubbed his eyes and asked, ¡°Daddy, why did youe back alone? Where¡¯s Aunty Ruan? Didn¡¯t you say Aunty Ruan could sleepover tonight?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s sleeping at her ce tonight,¡± Qi Chenglin said and sighed when he saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s disappointed face. ¡°I wanted to eat Aunty Ruan¡¯s homemade breakfast tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows before mumbling, ¡°You won¡¯t have breakfast with her, but it¡¯s the same if you have dinner with her.¡±

    ¡°Daddy, what do you mean? Aunty Ruan will sleepover at ours tomorrow night?¡± Qi Youxuan immediately perked up.

    Qi Chenglin smirked and looked gently at his clever little boy. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    ¡°Okay! Daddy, I believe you can do it!¡± QI Youxuan raised a little fist in encouragement to Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen had just finished her breakfast and was heading to the nearby supermarket to buy some groceries. She was debating between going home, going straight to Prestige Residences, or just giving Qi Youxuan a call to discuss the matter of renovating his yroom.

    She wanted to see Qi Youxuan and to talk to him¡ªjust thinking about it made her heart warm¡ªbut she was worried that if she went there directly, she would be seen as being too direct by Qi Chenglin.

    Whilst thinking of Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome and elegant face, she also thought that if she was too direct, he would never let her go.

    After deciding to go with the first option, she stepped off the elevator with her groceries in a bag and turned the corner to her apartment door. As she made the turn, she stopped in surprise, nearly dropping the groceries that were in her hand.

    She saw the father and son pair, Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan, standing in front of the door to her apartment, each with his own luggage.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, you¡¯ve finallye back!¡± Qi Youxuan said as he ran over to Ruan Danchen the moment he saw her. He threw himself at her thighs and hugged her.

    Ruan Danchen stumbled to pick him up and looked at Qi Chenglin in surprise. ¡°What are you two...¡±

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, our house is under renovation. You were supposed to design my toy room and my daddy¡¯s bedroom right? Today daddy called up some workers to clear out all the furniture in the rooms, so right now there¡¯s no way we can stay in the house!¡± Qi Youxuan did not look unhappy at all that he could not go home. His little face was so happy.

    ¡°Once the renovations are done, the house would be smelling of formaldehyde, so it¡¯s still not inhabitable. If Youxuan is affected by it, I wouldn¡¯t know what to do,¡± Qi Chenglin exined matter-of-factly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had nothing to say.

    Could it be that Qi Chenglin¡¯s parents had nowhere to stay?

    ¡°My parents have nowhere to stay as well,¡± Qi Chenglin said very solemnly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was still speechless.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, I¡¯m so hungry. I haven¡¯t even eaten breakfast yet.¡± Qi Youxuan rubbed his little round tummy, sounding so miserable.

    ¡°You guys came over without eating?¡± Ruan Danchen said, shocked, and scrambled to grab a key to open the door.

    ¡°Yeah, early this morning they came to clear out the room. Nanny Zheng also went home to her own house.¡± Qi Youxuan followed behind her like a little tail, exining as he walked in through the door.

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly brought the groceries into the kitchen. ¡°Just wait a bit. I¡¯ll prepare something right now.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not eating.¡± Qi Chenglin walked to the kitchen entrance and almost blocked out all the light from outside for a moment.

    ¡°I know. I¡¯m only making two portions.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and thought, ¡®Why is this grown man trying topete with a kid.¡¯

    Qi Youxuan did not stay in the kitchen. He dragged his luggage and casually walked into Ruan Danchen¡¯s bedroom and started to unpack.

    Ruan Danchen took out milk, white bread, ham, and vegetables. She hastily made a simple ham sandwich, and poured two sses of warm milk¡ªone for Qi Chenglin and another for Qi Youxuan.

    After they finished, she took the tes and cups into the kitchen to wash. Not long after, she saw Qi Chenglin walking in from the corner of her eye. Hisnky body squeezing in through the door and closing it as he walked in.

    ¡°This small apartment of mine isn¡¯t enough for so many people,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    ¡°Then you want to chase Youxuan out? He was so happy toe here and stay with you.¡± Qi Chenglin arched his eyebrows, as he needled her.

    Ruan Danchen could not bear to chase Qi Youxuan out. Hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s needling voice once more, ¡°Or do you want to kick me out, his dad?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stopped. Just based on Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone, she dared not speak.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that,¡± she said weakly. ¡°It¡¯s just that this ce isn¡¯t enough. You could let Youxuan stay here, you...¡±

    ¡°In a while, we¡¯ll go to the furniture store to buy a small bed for Youxuan to sleep in the living room. I¡¯ve done the research. If we put the bed near that window and put a screen to block it, he¡¯ll be perfectly fine.¡± Qi Chenglin did not wait for her to finish, cutting her off, andpletely negating whatever Ruan Danchen intended to say.

    Ruan Danchen did not ask where he would be sleeping. They already brought their luggage and his intentions could not be clearer. She did not need to ask unnecessary questions.

    This man clearly said he could wait, and then? It was only for a night?

    She had never seen such a shameless, bold man!

    After Ruan Danchen finished cleaning up and walked out to the living room. She could not see Qi Youxuan so she walked straight to her bedroom and found that he had already brought his luggage into her room and unpacked.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin walk in, the little boy was excited and shy at the same time, nervously pinching at his tummy. ¡°Aunty Ruan, where should I put my clothes?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan putting his clothes on her bed. He kept his underwear in a separate clear bag.

    At this time, Ruan Danchen felt a very unique sense of happiness¡ªliving with a son and feeling very much like a family.

    ¡°In a while, we¡¯ll go to the furniture store. Let¡¯s look for a small wardrobe for you to keep your clothes,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°But you brought so little, is it enough?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s not enough, we can go home and grab more,¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°The house is under renovation and it¡¯s uninhabitable. But clothes can always be kept there.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was very excited. It felt like they were going to move in. Following Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin to the furniture store, he got to choose a small single bed that he liked. In the end, he chose a very cartoony one. They made arrangements for it to be delivered in the afternoon.

    They had originally wanted to let him choose a screen, but decided to get him a shelf instead so that he could put his books and toys on them, and also use it to partition a small space for himself.

    The apartment Ruan Danchen rented had limited space so the nice-looking wardrobes would not fit. They could only give Qi Youxuan a simple wardrobe and a small chest for his personal belongings since they were not particrly bulky anyways. The wardrobe was foldable, and the chest for personal belongings was not big. They put it in the boot of Qi Chenglin¡¯s car and transported it home.

    Even though she knew Qi Youxuan was only living there temporarily, but being unable to buy nice furniture made Ruan Danchen felt very bad.

    ¡ª

    Mini scene

    At the furniture store, Qi Youxuan saw a round water bed and excitedly jumped onto it. It felt like he was floating on the surface of the water, soft and cool. The fluttering feeling was extremely unique.

    ¡°Daddy, buy this big bed for your bedroom, it¡¯s so interesting!¡± Qi Youxuan rolled around on top of the bed, he was so happy.

    One of the staff saw them and came to promote the benefits of the bed to them.

    Qi Chenglin looked at the bed, and then at Ruan Danchen before saying bluntly, ¡°This bed doesn¡¯t transfer force well.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Salesman: ¡°...¡±

    A sketch within a sketch:

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°What does it mean?¡±

    Old Man: ¡°Your dad means he needs more monthly votes.¡±

 Chapter 331 - A Rhythm That Impedes For 100 Years

    Chapter 331: A Rhythm That Impedes For 100 Years

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, Qi Youxuan did not seem to mind, instead, he was very happy throughout the journey, as long as he could stay with Ruan Danchen, he was content.

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan¡¯s joyful attitude, she didn¡¯t feel upset, she always felt like she owed the boy too much, her hand was held firmly by him.

    She paused and looked at Qi Chenglin, and saw that his expression was warm and gentle, and he slowly looked at her.

    He whispered softly, ¡°didn¡¯t you want to help him design his new room? When the timees just do a good job, and make him happy.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt warm in her heart, she didn¡¯t know how this man could always see through her, always knew what her heart wanted, and even though there were rarely any sweet words, she always felt very affectionate.

    Ruan Danchen blushed, and could not help but toe closer to him, lightly clinging onto his arm. Her hand had also turned, interlocking her fingers with his.

    Qi Chenglin looked down at her, eyebrows raised, and could not help but smile.

    After they paid, they returned to the store and let the staff package the goods to be loaded into the car. Qi Chenglin loaded it all into the car¡¯s boot.

    When they returned home, Ruan Danchen changed into her house clothes and went to the kitchen to prepare lunch, Qi Chenglin had rolled his sleeves up to his elbows, and sat crossed-legged on the floor, and started to assemble the wardrobe.

    The assembly of the wardrobe was simple, just a few metal struts and boards, a heavy curtain, and a few smaller parts.

    Ruan Danchen had finished making lunch and walked out to see father and son sitting on the floor, Qi Chenglin was setting the final few corners, while Qi Youxuan held the small parts, studying them intently, imitating his father.

    Qi Chenglin reached out his hand to Qi Youxuan, without saying anything, and the little boy ced the necessary parts in his palm.

    This scene was really heartwarming, and Ruan Danchen could not tear her eyes away. Thinking about family life, this would be it.

    Qi Youxuan, with nothing to do, could no longer sit still and stood up, turned and saw Ruan Danchen looking at them.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Youxuan ran over to her, seeing Ruan Danchen looking as though she might cry.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Lunch is ready. Go wash your hands, ande eat.¡± Ruan Danchen said, smiling smally, gently rubbing Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby face.

    Qi Youxuan immediately ran over to the bathroom, and Ruan Danchen walked over to Qi Chenglin¡¯s side, ¡°finish it after you eat.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just about done.¡± Qi Chenglin screwed on thest screw, and pped the sides, it looked fairly sturdy.

    He then pulled the wardrobe up, and ced it next to the TV cab.

    Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Danchen, knowing what was wrong, and firmly took her by the arms and pulled her into his embrace, ¡°feels good, right? If you move in with us, it would be like this.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Ruan Danchen said softly, the scene just now moving her so much she was about to cry.

    She realized, ever since Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan had walked into her life, she could not bear to live alone again.

    Every time Qi Chenglin took Qi Youxuan and left, leaving her alone at home, it was unbearably lonely. She had spent so many years living like this, and she had never felt lonely, but now it was so pervasive.

    Qi Chenglin thought he misheard her, and paused, ¡°what did you say?¡±

    ¡°I said okay. When the house is ready, I¡¯ll move in with you.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she looked up, her soft whisper full of determination.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms wrapped around her tightly, lowered his head and kissed her.

    Ruan Danchen, in a daze, could only think of one thing, in a moment Qi Youxuan will see them.

    Qi Youxuan had taken the opportunity to relieve himself in the bathroom, and had just stepped out, and turned to see Qi Chenglin kissing Ruan Danchen, his little hands immediately covered his eyes, and walked towards them even as he could not see, and banged his head on the dining table. It was a good thing that the table was curved, or it might have cut the skin.

    In the stupor, Ruan Danchen could still hear a ¡®bang¡¯ and the little boy¡¯s cry of ¡°aiya!¡±.

    Ruan Danchen snapped out of it, and urgently struggled her way out of Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace, making him release his grasp. She turned to see Qi Chenglin covering his head, on the floor.

    ¡°Youxuan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruan Danchen rushed over and helped him up, pulling his hand away. She saw a red lump on the little boy¡¯s fair forehead, and her heart ached upon seeing it.

    Qi Chenglin also walked over, his mood sour, this brat always kept saying how he wanted to help, but it would always turn out that he¡¯d do just the opposite, is this the rhythm that would impede for a 100 years?

    ¡°I hit the dining table.¡± Qi Youxuan was in so much pain his eyes, sorge you could see the whites and cks, was misty with ayer of tears. His fluttering eyshes were alsoced with tears, that pitiful expression made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartache so much she thought she would die.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you look where you were going?¡± Qi Chenglin asked unhappily, the good mood that was going on had been ruined by his own son.

    The youngd Qi Youxuan was also upset, and fiercely looked up and red at Qi Chenglin. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault, kissing indiscreetly, usually on the TV when people kiss, grandma would cover my eyes! Seeing you two kiss, how could I not cover my eyes!¡±

    Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned crimson, they really had been seen by the child, and he only hit his head because he was trying to avoid it. She felt so bad inside.

    Ruan Danchen was very embarrassed but didn¡¯t know what to say. Her heart ached as she saw the growing red lump on his forehead. She touched it gently to test it, ¡°does it hurt?¡±

    The little boy was exceptionally upset, he had knocked his head hard, and his dad didn¡¯t know how tofort him, so he could only whine to Ruan Danchen, ¡°it hurts.¡±

    ¡°Keep acting.¡± Qi Chenglin said, his face dark.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, he¡¯s already in so much pain, can your attitude be a little bit better?¡± Before Qi Youxuan could reply, Ruan Danchen had made her displeasure known.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips sternly, he suddenly felt very depressed. Things were great just now, Ruan Danchen was reacting well to him, not to mention clingy, and now, almost in an instant, she was upset with him because of the boy.

    He honestly felt that in Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart, he was far below Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s our fault.¡± Ruan Danchen said, her heart still aching for the boy as she carried him, gently rubbing his back tofort him.

    Who knew, Qi Youxuan suddenly wailed with a ¡°Wah¡±, burying his face in Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder, a pair of chubby arms wrapping around her neck tightly. He was beside himself, crying.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Does it hurt that much?¡± Ruan Danchen was panicked by his crying, andforted him endlessly, ¡°it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll make an ice pack for your forehead, it won¡¯t hurt anymore, don¡¯t cry.¡±

    Who knew, Qi Youxuan¡¯s head, which was still pressed against her shoulder, was shaking. ¡°No... it¡¯s not because it hurts... ooh...¡±

    ¡°Then what¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruan Danchen asked worriedly, ¡°if it doesn¡¯t hurt why are you crying? Or does some other part of your body hurt?¡±

    ¡°Ooh...¡± the little boy¡¯s arms hugged her tighter, his crying broke Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart, ¡°so this is what it¡¯s like to have a mommy, to have mommy¡¯sfort when you¡¯re hurt, ooh... Aunty Ruan you¡¯re so kind, will you be my mommy?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned, she never thought that Qi Youxuan would be crying because of this. Hearing his words, her eyes stung with tears too.

    ¡°Ooh... when I¡¯m with daddy at home, and I make him mad, only Nanny Zheng will secretlyfort me, I don¡¯t have a mommy to defend me, since I was small until now, I¡¯ve never had a mommy to fight with daddy because of me. The feeling of having a mommy to love me and take care of me is so good, ooh... Aunty Ruan, don¡¯t leave daddy. Aunty Ruan, I like you a lot, I want you to be my mommy, I want a mommy that loves me, ooh... I want a mommy to tell me stories, tuck me in, I want a mommy to cook for me, send me to kindergarten, I want a mommy to kiss me and hug me, ooh... I want a mommy, ooh...¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was already breaking from the boy¡¯s crying, and she broke down and cried too. This little boy never had a mother. When other children were with their mothers and fathers, he could only look on, never knowing what it would be like to have a mother of his own.

    Qi Chenglin loved his son, but he was a man, and he could not easily show his emotions. Qi Youxuan needed a mother who would love and spoil him, whose heart would ache when he had idents, and would hug andfort him when he was at his weakest and on his knees.

    A mother¡¯s love would eternally be different from a father¡¯s.

    He could have a grandmother and a great-grandmother who loved him, but it would never substitute a mother¡¯s love.

    The little boy was so young and was always optimistic, and while he was always asking for a mother, he never made known his sadness about not having a mother. How could a six-year-old boy endure this much?

    When he was alone at night, how much pain he was in, she didn¡¯t dare imagine.

    This little child, since he was aware of things, how did he endure it all this while?

    Ruan Danchen carried the little boy with more energy, burying her own face into his shoulder, crying uncontrobly, really wanting to apologize to him that he had to suffer for so many years.

    Even Qi Chenglin could tell, this time the little boy wasn¡¯t putting on a show, he didn¡¯t know what vigor had filled his heart to move his emotions that he had kept suppressed in that little heart of his, that was now being poured out.

    Watching him cry until he was trembling, his body heaving and huping, Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart ached as well.

    Watching Ruan Danchen holding Qi Youxuan, mother and son sobbing uncontrobly, Qi Chenglin sighed, and stepped forward two paces,ing in front of them.

    An elegant hand reached out, and almostpletely covered Qi Youxuan¡¯s little head.

    His hand pressed against Qi Youxuan¡¯s head, rubbing it gently, and he spoke gently, ¡°don¡¯t cry, you¡¯ve already made Aunty Ruan cry¡±

    ¡°Ooh...¡± the little boy kept crying, but upon hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice, he lifted his head, tears streaming down his face, seeing Ruan Danchen was also crying.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, why are you crying too, don¡¯t cry.¡± He lifted his hand and began to wildly wipe the tears from his face, and then reached out his wet hand to wipe Ruan Danchen¡¯s tears too.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head, seeing the little boy bean-sized tears were still falling, like pearls falling off a broken string. His tears were so clear and clean, it felt as though nothing in this world was cleaner than this boy¡¯s tears.

    ¡°Youxuan, do you me your mommy for never being there?¡± Ruan Danchen asked, crying, wiping his tears, they felt like fire, burning her skin, hurting her.

    Qi Youxuan shook his head, blowing his nose, and huped, ¡°I don¡¯t know, Nanny Zheng said... it¡¯s not that mommy didn¡¯t want me, she just couldn¡¯t find me. But it¡¯s been so many years, the Qi family is so famous, why can¡¯t she find me? I don¡¯t know...¡±

    Ruan Danchen breathed deeply, her nose was blocked, at this moment every mouth sighed, chests aching.

    In front of her eyes, a box of tissues suddenly appeared, it was held by a beautiful hand whose finger bones were clear and beautiful, Ruan Danchen looked up at Qi Chenglin, and took a tissue to wipe Qi Youxuan¡¯s tears, only wiping her own after she had wiped his face clean.

    Because she was crying, Qi Youxuan had calmed down somewhat and was no longer crying, but now it wasn¡¯t just the lump on his forehead, his luminous eyes were also puffed red, making him look like a peach.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, I¡¯m not crying anymore, so don¡¯t be sad.¡± Qi Youxuan used his pale hands to wipe her tears, his voice still trembling slightly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not crying anymore.¡± Ruan Danchen forced a smile, but looking at Qin Youxuan¡¯s puffy red eyes, her heart still bled.

    She held Qi Youxuan¡¯s face in both her hands, and breathing in hard from her nose, she spoke, ¡°Youxuan, no matter what happens between me and your daddy, I will always love you like a mommy.¡±

    Qi Youxuan did not speak, as Ruan Danchen wiped his tears, and sat him on a chair nearby, then got up and went to the kitchen. She took the ice tray out of the freezer, knocked out all the ice cubes, and wrapped them in a cloth, making an ice pack, before returning.

    Sitting next to Qi Youxuan, Ruan Danchen ced the ice pack on his face. ¡°How does that feel?¡±

    The coolness neutralized the burning heat from his forehead, and Qi Youxuan nodded, ¡°better.¡±

    The child felt bad for letting her hand keep it up for so long, and so took the ice pack from her hands, holding it against his head by himself. Ruan Danchen helped him pick food, and put it on his te, and with an ice pack in one hand, a pair of chopsticks in the other, he ate.

    Ruan Danchen was worried that he¡¯d get tired from holding the ice pack up by himself, and so she rushed through her meal, before returning to help him hold the ice pack.

    After a while, Qi Youxuan¡¯s mood improved considerably, and though his eyes were still red, his expressions were a lot more rxed and ate with increasing gusto.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, I feel a lot better now, you don¡¯t need to hold it anymore.¡± Qi Youxuan said, while gnawing on a rib.

    Ruan Danchen removed the ice pack, and looked at the redness of Qi Youxuan¡¯s forehead. She couldn¡¯t tell if it was red from the impact, or from the ice.

    ...

    ...

    After lunch, Ruan Danchen cleared the table, Qi Youxuan sat for a moment, before he went to have his nap. After about 3 hours, he was woken by the sound of the doorbell.

    Opening the door revealed that Qi Youxuan¡¯s little bed and screen had arrived. With the two pieces of furniture ced, her small living room looked cramped, and with Qi Chenglin¡¯snky body standing in the house, it felt like there wasn¡¯t even space to move.

    The child was so happy he immediatelyy on his bed, rolling around in excitement. He rolled up, then down, then left, then right, until he was breathless, andy spread-eagled on the bed.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, before I sleep tonight, will you read me a story?¡± Qi Youxuan suddenly asked, lifting his head.

    ¡°Of course.¡± Ruan Danchen sat at the side of the bed, running her hand over his hair very affectionately, ¡°will you be okay sleeping alone?¡±

    While the living room was fairly cosy, it wasn¡¯t as big as his room in the mansion. Furthermore, this wasn¡¯t a ce he was familiar with, and it was dark at night, connecting directly with the corridor and the main door, Ruan Danchen was worried he might get scared.

    But Qi Youxuan wasn¡¯t afraid, he blinked his eyes, thinking of making Ruan Danchen keep himpany, but he was immediately seen through by Qi Chenglin, who suddenly coughed.

    Qi Youxuan suddenly thought, at this time he needed to support daddy as much as he could to marry Aunty Ruan. After they were married, and she was his mommy, there would be all the opportunity to let her keep himpany.

    Thinking for a moment, he shook his head, ¡°I¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Chenglin with suspicion but saw him smiling approvingly at his son. Those attractive lips were curved attractively, warm and enticing.

    Looking back at Qi Youxuan, he seemed proud that he had his father¡¯s approval.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    Qi Youxuan was finished rolling around, and climbed out of his bed, wiggling his little bum as he walked into Ruan Danchen¡¯s bedroom. Then, she saw him run out of her room with his clothes, breathing hard.

    The rotund body, and chubby limbs being so lively was so adorable, making Ruan Danchen imagine a chubby corgi.

    Qi Youxuan put his clothes in the wardrobe, Ruan Danchen wanted to help him put his undergarments in the drawer, and the child blushed.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, my underwear is still inside, I¡¯d be embarrassed if you looked.¡± He said, his face red, head lowered, twisting his no so obvious hips.

    Ruan Danchen felt like saying there was nothing to be ashamed about, but looking at Qi Youxuan, she let it go and allowed him to do it himself.

    After a while, she realized that Qi Chenglin was missing, and she didn¡¯t know where he was. She heard Qi Youxuan say, ¡°I saw daddy walk into your room just now.¡±

    ¡®...¡¯ Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was beating erratically, gave the child a nce, who was concentrating on folding his clothes. While he was slow, it was very neat work. She went to her own room.

    At the door, she saw the Qi Chenglin had already ced his luggage on the floor and opened it, putting all of his clothes on the bed. He was now cing them one by one into her own wardrobe.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and saw that all her clothes were hung together, the wardrobe had been divided into two parts, one for him, and one for her.

    Looking at their clothes being hung in the same wardrobe, a sense of unspoken intimacy permeated the atmosphere.

    ¡°Come and help me?¡± Qi Chenglin asked as he looked at her, a half-smile on his face.

    Ruan Danchen looked at him, invading her home, previously with Qi Youxuan it didn¡¯t feel that way, but now it was just her and Qi Chenglin, and the intimacy was too much.

    She didn¡¯t speak, her scalp itched as she took a hanger and hung his clothes in the wardrobe.

    As Qi Chenglin saw that she was helping out, he turned to do something else, and pulled open the drawer where Ruan Danchen kept her inner-wear. Inside, he could see her bras and panties all arranged neatly, with enough space for his own.

    Ruan Danchen turned, to see Qi Chenglin¡¯s clean and long fingers holding her panties.

    ¡ª

    Mini scene:

    One day, Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran brought Little Muran and Little Muche to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s home to y. Qi Chenglin had also brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan along.

    Qi Youxuan had pulled Little Muran to one side to chat, ¡°do you know why I don¡¯t let Aunty Ruan see my underwear?¡±

    Wei Muran: ¡°No.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Because I¡¯m saving it for you.¡±

    Wei Ziqi: ¡°Get lost.¡±

 Chapter 332 - Do You Think I Donâ€™t Know Why You Want Me To Sleep Earlier

    Chapter 332: Do You Think I Don¡¯t Know Why You Want Me To Sleep Earlier

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s panties appeared particrly small and thin between Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingernails. The scene of him holding panties in his hand was unbearable to watch.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face went as red as a beetroot and snatched her panties off Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Tidying up the wardrobe so that I can put mine in. Where else do you have in mind?¡± There was a faint curve to Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips when he asked.

    Not only Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks, but her whole face extending to the neck turned red. She lowered her head to avoid his gaze and hurried past him. When she stood in front of the wardrobe, pondering ways to reorganize the closet, she noticed Qi Chenglin continued to stare at it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s attempt to obstruct Qi Chenglin¡¯s view on the wardrobe was to no avail as he was much taller than her. He could still take a look at the wardrobe by simply abducting his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯re going to stay with me for the rest of your life and I¡¯ll have to see it sooner orter, so why are you blocking?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows in curiosity and his gaze shifted back to her hand which was holding her panties.

    Ruan Danchen turned around swiftly and gathered all her undergarments, emptying a drawer. She then stuffed all the underclothes into another drawer and quickly closed it before saying, ¡°This empty drawer is for you.¡±

    However, Ruan Danchen did not expect to fall into Qi Chenglin¡¯s embosom the moment she turned around. She had no clue since when Qi Chenglin creeped up behind her.

    Qi Chenglin wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned forward, resting his forehead on hers, the way his lips lifted upwards appeared exceptionally seductive. With a croaky voice, he said, ¡°Do we look like we¡¯re having a married life?¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept quiet and lowered her head, avoiding direct eye contact with Qi Chenglin due to embarrassment. Her cheeks were kissed pink like a spring rose, the blooming color so cute against her fair skin. Qi Chenglin¡¯s muscr arms around her waist squeezed a fraction tighter. He could not hold himself further and began nuzzling her ear with delicate kisses.

    Qi Chenglin felt Ruan Danchen¡¯s tremble in his embosom and heard her whisper. ¡°Youxuan is outside now,¡±

    Qi Chenglin covered her mouth with his in a hungry kiss and said, ¡°I¡¯m just kissing you, not going to do anything else.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words.

    Kissing was considered not going to do anything else?

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin wanted to bring the kid for bathe at night, but there was no bathtub in Ruan Danchen¡¯s house and the kid had never showered using a shower faucet before.

    Upon hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s words, Qi Youxuan hurried behind Ruan Danchen and hugged her thighs, protesting. ¡°Two men having a shower together? Then you¡¯ll see me naked, this is outrageous! Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m taking a shower with you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless and lifted him up, away from Ruan Danchen. ¡°Do you think it is more reasonable for her to see you naked than me? I had seen everything since you were born.¡±

    The kid was mortified and quickly covered his private part. ¡°I only nned to let Mumu see!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s mouth twitched a little and said, ¡°Don¡¯t ever let Wei Ziqi hear this, otherwise you won¡¯t be meeting his precious daughter for the rest of your life.¡±

    He carried Qi Youxuan to the bathroom as he spoke.

    Now that Ruan Danchen¡¯s house had liven up with addition of a man and a son, this experience brought a smile on her face.

    She then proceeded to make Qi Youxuan¡¯s bed. Approximately forty minutester, she heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s yell across the bathroom. ¡°Aunt Ruan, I forgot to take my pajamas.¡±

    Ruan Danchen searched for Qi Youxuan¡¯s pajamas in the cab then hurried to the bathroom after she found it. The door was closed and she could still hear the sshing sound from the shower faucet.

    She knocked on the door and it opened momentarily. There Qi Chenglin was, standing at the doorstep naked. The water dripped down his hair softly and the drops slowly made their way to his body and the perfect abs he had.

    Ruan Danchen was shocked, amazed, bbergasted, mesmerized by this scenery. Her mouth was frozen wide open in an expression of stunned surprise like her brain cogs could not turn fast enough to take in the information from her wide eyes. Her gaze unconsciously shifted downwards as her mind went nk.

    Qi Chenglin did not bother to cover himself and just stood there calmly.

    His physique appeared more mature and well-toned after seven years. His abdominals were sculptured to perfection as his six-packs popped but they did not exert pressure on Ruan Danchen.

    The Apollo¡¯s belt on his body was drool-worthy.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s blush seared through her cheeks and for a minute she thought her face was on fire and about to explode when her gaze shifted further downwards.

    ¡°Care to join me?¡± Qi Chenglin mocked with a croaky voice.

    Ruan Danchen stared into his gaze which had a tinge of happiness in it.

    ¡°Disgusting,¡± She uttered softly in embarrassment.

    Then she put Qi Youxuan¡¯s pajamas into Qi Chenglin¡¯s wet arms and hurried off to her bedroom.

    Ruan Danchen could feel her pounding tachycardia almost bursting through her chest upon shutting the door.

    Every detail of that scene etched into her brain. She could not wave those images away and they became clearer instead in her memoryne.

    She could not help but recalled the moment she identally witnessed Qi Chenglin passing urine in men¡¯s washroom during Song Yu¡¯s wedding party. He acted the same way too, standing there calmly and did not bother to cover his private part. She felt like he was showing it to her on purpose at that time.

    What an indecent bastard!

    A momentter, there was a knock on the door. ¡°Aunt Ruan, are you there?¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and looked at herself in the mirror. She had calmed down from the embarrassment just now but her face remained red as a rose.

    She opened the door to Qi Youxuan who was wearing pajamas with teddy bear, checkered pattern. His skin appeared pinkish and his hair that had been coiffured and held with hair gel initially was now hung limp after a hot shower. Qi Chenglin probably dried Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair as it was not wet at the moment.

    ¡°We¡¯re done with the shower,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Qi Chenglin was already in the living room watching Qi Youxuan¡¯s favorite cartoon series when Ruan Danchen came out. One would not believe that he was actually watching ¡®Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf¡¯ with the serious expression on his face.

    Qi Chenglin suddenly turned his head towards Ruan Danchen. His eyes seemed to gleam with baleful fire as he locked his gaze onto her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lower limbs almost sank under her and she quickly avoided direct eye contact. She hurried back to her bedroom, retrieved her pajamas and rushed into the bathroom.

    Qi Youxuan shifted his gaze from Qi Chenglin to Ruan Danchen, wondering about the weirdness of adults¡¯ actions. Knowing that he would not be able to understand at this age, he gave up and continued watching his cartoon show. Even though he felt this show was childish, this was the only avable cartoon show on screen, at least it was better than nothing.

    However, who would have thought Qi Chenglin would suddenly turned off the television.

    ¡°Dad, what are you doing? I¡¯m still watching the show,¡± Qi Youxuan felt annoyed and wanted to grab the remote control, but Qi Chenglin quickly kept it away.

    ¡°You will sleep earlier tonight,¡± Qi Chenglin carried Qi Youxuan up easily like he was picking up a doll.

    Qi Youxuan could not do anything but to let Qi Chenglin put him down on the new bed that they just bought for him.

    ¡°Are you insane? It¡¯s eight o¡¯clock right now and I usually sleep at nine o¡¯clock during the holidays,¡± The kidined and resisted.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin stared at him, his voice deep and calm. ¡°You¡¯re going to bed early tonight and go to your grandmother¡¯s house tomorrow. I have told her to allow you to have chocte as snacks.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stopped resisting upon hearing this and gazed upon him. ¡°Dad, can you stop dismissing me like I was just a three years old kid?¡±

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Qi Chenglin felt slightly annoyed.

    ¡°I want a whole set of Gundam figures,¡± Qi Youxuan blurted out as if he had thought this through.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be greedy,¡± Qi Chenglin smirked ¨C just a small pouting of the lips and narrowing of the eyes.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t promise me this, then I¡¯ll ask Aunt Ruan to tell me bedtime stories until midnight and even ask her to hug me until I sleep. Aunt Ruan likes me so she won¡¯t reject my pleads. Do you think I don¡¯t know why you want me to sleep earlier? You just want to hug Aunt Ruan and sleep,¡± Qi Youxuan sat on the bed with his chubby legs crossed and head tilted upwards.

    ¡°Where did you learn all these nonsense?¡± Qi Chenglin felt speechless and asked.

    ¡°Usually the drama series have this kind of stuff. There was one scene where an uncle went above an aunt in bed and started kissing in a romance dramast night. I know you wanted to do the same to Aunt Ruan too. Didn¡¯t you guys just kissed this afternoon?¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded and decided to limit Qi Youxuan¡¯s time on television, but he let this matter go at the moment and said, ¡°You will sleep at eight o¡¯clock sharp every night when you¡¯re here and you¡¯re not allowed to ask Aunt Ruan to tell you bedtime stories for too long.¡±

    ¡°She will tell you bedtime stories for only half an hour max, no more than that, and don¡¯t even think about asking her to apany you to sleep. I will buy it for you if youply,¡± Qi Chenglin took a nce at his watch and said.

    ¡°A whole set of Gundam series?¡± Qi Youxuan asked for confirmation.

    ¡°One whole set,¡± Qi Chenglin twitched his lips in annoyance and made a promise.

    Qi Youxuan trusted what his father said as he was a man of his words.

    Qi Chenglin promised to take Aunt Ruan back to Prestige Residences permanently and looked at him now, seeking shelter in her house in order to achieve his goal.

    Thus Qi Youxuan nodded lightly and said, ¡°You¡¯re also going to allow Grandma to give me a packet of chocte as a snack tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Only for tomorrow,¡± Qi Chenglin bargained.

    ¡°Deal,¡± Qi Youxuan hissed through gritted teeth and appeared frustrated as if Qi Chenglin was desperately bargaining for best possible price on his goods.

    Qi Youxuan noticed his father remained still on the bedside. He quickly buried himself under the nket and closed his eyes. ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sleeping now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt funny looking at his son¡¯s action but he contained hisughter. He suddenly recalled another issue while leaving and said, ¡°You¡¯re forbidden to watch those nonsense on the television. I¡¯ll inform Aunt Zhengter to supervise you on that.¡±

    Qi Youxuan let out a heavy sigh, feeling as if he had just shot himself in the foot.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was done with shower and changed into a set of dull cotton pajamas. She found herself submerged in a world of darkness after exiting the bathroom. She slowly creeped towards where the kid¡¯s bed was supposed to be and noticed that the kid was sleeping rather unsightly.

    One of the nket¡¯s corners was resting on his belly and his lower limbs were exposed. The pants were pulled upwards, revealing two fair-skinned legs.

    Ruan Danchen sat quietly on his bed in fear of waking the kid up. After her eyes were limatized to the darkness, she could visualize the cute face of the sleeping child.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression softened unconsciously at the sight of the kid. She did not even realize that her lips curled into a gentle smile at that moment.

    She could not contain her urge to stroke the kid¡¯s soft hair and caressed his face gently. She then leaned forward and kissed him on the forehead.

    She stood up, preparing to leave even though she was unwilling to do so and wanted to stare at this cute scenery forever.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I wasn¡¯t asleep yet,¡± The kid voiced out suddenly.

    Ruan Danchen turned around in astonishment and noticed his big, round eyes appearing particrly sparkling amongst the darkness.

    ¡°I thought you said you wanted to tell me a bedtime story? I will sleep after you did so,¡± Qi Youxuan cleared out some space and gestured Ruan Danchen to sit.

    Ruan Danchen grinned and sat down, wrapping her arm around his shoulder and told him a bedtime story softly.

    Qi Youxuan started to doze off under Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft and gentle voice. He was already asleep within half an hour of storytelling.

    It was satisfying that she could put Qi Youxuan to bed. She kissed him on the forehead again before leaving him.

    However, she halted right before her bedroom. The peace and calmness just a moment ago was now reced with anxiety.

    She knew that Qi Chenglin was waiting eagerly inside for her. He mentioned there was no ce to sleep in during his house refurbishment, but that was just an excuse for him to stay here and have coption with her.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze was burning hot as if wanted to swallow her whole when she was about to go for a shower. He would have barged into the bathroom if Qi Youxuan was not here.

    Ruan Danchen knew she could not escape her fate and it was just a matter of time. However her hands trembled under anxiety and stress as she did not know how to deal with him after she entered the room.

    She experienced tachypnea and was aware of the sound of her heart throbbing against the cage of her chest. She held the doorknob, summoning up the courage to twist and open it, but then the door opened itself.

    There Qi Chenglin stood, leaning against the wall while emitting scents from her shower gel. Both of them used the same shower gel but the scent he emitted was mixed with the aroma of masculinity, radiating a smell that only belonged to him.

    Ruan Danchen was frozen to the spot, feeling breathless as his eyes studied her with silent intensity. Soon after, his voice mixed with slight contempt was heard above her head. ¡°What are you doing outside?¡±

    Ruan Danchen mustered up her courage and looked at him in the eye. She could feel the heat growing in her cheeks, by now they must be beyond an attractive rosiness. Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart immediately softened upon witnessing the cute, red face on Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was expecting Qi Chenglin to pull her into the bedroom and do whatever he wanted, but to her surprise, he backed off a little to clear out some space for her to enter the room as she pleased.

    He did not want to demand anything as it would be meaningless to coerce Ruan Danchen into performing actions she did not wish for.

    With her hands sped tightly in front of her stomach, she constantly fiddled with her knuckles, weaving her fingers in and out of each other. Somehow, she knew Qi Chenglin¡¯s intention, but she took a deep breath and stepped into the room nheless.

    Ruan Danchen liked Qi Chenglin, so she did not want to reject him.

    She also felt extremely difficult to reject an awesome man like Qi Chenglin.

    He was usually calm and mature but at times, he acted indecently. Whichever identity he used, it would induce anxiety and palpitations in Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen adored his calmness and steadiness. His maturity was right on point for a man aged thirty-three years old. She fell deeply in love whenever she witnessed his confidence and elegance.

    However, she would get butterflies in her stomach whenever Qi Chenglin disregarded his pride and clinged onto her. She did not expect that a man as calm and restrained as him had another secret identity of indecency. She was always taken by surprise whenever he shifted identity and acted ordingly.

    Ruan Danchen just took the first step before she was yanked into Qi Chenglin¡¯s embosom with the door slowly closing behind them. She was turned around and felt the world was spinning around her before ending up in bed with Qi Chenglin on top of her.

    Qi Chenglin was extremely gentle with his kiss, much to Ruan Danchen¡¯s surprise. His lips were firm against hers, but the kiss remained soft, gentle and slow, which was in contrast from the burning intensity his eyes radiated.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Her voice trembled. ¡°After that night, I didn¡¯t...¡±

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m your first love,¡± Qi Chenglin felt his heart throbbed when he said this.

    Qi Chenglin was Ruan Danchen¡¯s first love and he took her virginity. This was the most exciting and unforgettable experience for a man. This memory had embedded in his mind and he was grateful for it.

    ¡°I know what we¡¯re going to doter will be simr to what had happened on that night. I couldn¡¯t control myself and wasn¡¯t gentle enough seven years ago, but that will change tonight. Besides, you¡¯re not the only one alone after seven years. I never had any woman too since then,¡± Qi Chenglin brushed his lips on hers while saying with a husky voice.

    ¡°Perhaps I would disappoint you tonight,¡± He smiled,cking in confidence.

    Ruan Danchen was astonished at his statement. His sexual desire was so strong, how could he possibly had not touched any woman for seven years? He would always tried to have a sexual rtionship with her just moments after re-acquainted. How could he possibly contain his impulses if he was alone all these years?

    However she did not have time to think this through as Qi Chenglin mmed his lips onto hers, and the lips moved together like two dancers sashaying through a melody. His body, lips and hands were pressed against her. His fingers gently ran up and down her body, coaxing shivers out of her. She had no idea when her pajamas was removed and Qi Chenglin savoured every inch of her body.

    Ruan Danchen contracted her lower abdomen. Warmth radiated from the spot where his lips touched and slowly spreading through the rest of her, sending wild tremors along her nerves. Her arms reached up and tangled on his shoulders, waiting for the moment he pressed in.

    Qi Chenglin tightened his embosom and rained down gentle kisses on her from eyebrows to the tips of the nose, finally ending up on her plump, velvety lips. His body began to tremble uncontrobly with excitement when his body was perfectlypatible with hers.

    He felt incredibly touched when he finally regained his masculinity and able to release his sexual impulses after seven years.

    Ruan Danchen was the only one who could make him aroused and awakened his body that was in sexually vegetative state. He loved it when a gentle flush of pink had arisen in her cheeks that made her look vulnerable.

    Ruan Danchen felt herself hugged tightly by him and at the same time, her tightness enveloped him. She felt like crying for some reason and pressed her head against his sculpted chest, hugging him back firmly.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was resting peacefully under his embosom. Her eyes were misty and she was exhausted after what he had done to her.

    The two of them were closely bonded, their bodies united as one. Ruan Danchen felt anxious and her heart was racing at an incredible speed.

    Qi Chenglin gazed upon the delicacy under him. He was unsure whether the experience was the same as seven years ago, but right now he felt extremely satisfied. Looking at Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes which were lustrous, coquettish and mixed with a little embarrassment, his mood lightened up. In just a few moments, theid became big and woody hard again.

    ¡°Are you getting used to me now?¡± Qi Chenglin pressed his lips on her lustrous eyelids out of excitement.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen eximed. Who would have thought he would act like this.

    ¡°Sh. Be a good girl. My craving wasn¡¯t satisfied enough because I feared I may identally hurt you. This time I¡¯ll unleash my full potential,¡± Qi Chenglin caressed her soft skin as heforted her softly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen could not help but pondered, if he did not unleash his full potential just now, what could he possibly doter?

    Qi Chenglin put his weight on top of her again before she could protest. Soon his scent wrapped around her body as he nted his mark into her.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin did not rest for the whole night and Ruan Danchen had no idea how he regained his energy in such a short time. He would always reasoned that he had not unleashed his full potential or his cravings were not satisfied yet every single time. Some research had found out that men had limited energy for this sort of action. It would be impossible for men to copte for multiple times in a day, and even once per day would be considered inhuman.

 Chapter 333 - I Havenâ€™t Had My Breakfast Yet, Consider This An Appetizer

    Chapter 333: I Haven¡¯t Had My Breakfast Yet, Consider This An Appetizer

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The Japanese pornographic actors could not perform for multiple times in a day and each video required days toplete.

    However, this did not apply to this man!

    Ruan Danchen only let out soft moans because the kid was just outside of their room, but in the end, she did not have the strength to moan anymore. She justid t on bed ratherzily and let Qi Chenglin did whatever he wanted on her.

    She was getting annoyed at him now. What kind of man was this who did not even allow her time to rest!

    It waste at night when Qi Chenglin came pressing on her again. Ruan Danchen could not contain her annoyance any longer and kicked him on his calf with all her might. ¡°Qi Chenglin, what happened to you? Are you done yet?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was taken aback. He realized that she was really annoyed right now and his actions tonight were too much for her to handle.

    However, he could not help it. After all, he had erectile dysfunction for the past seven years and now he felt himself resurrected back to life. This experience was too addicting and he wanted to relive this addiction over and over again, so inevitably his action became beyond measure.

    His spear was getting blunt over the years, and now he wanted to sharpen it again.

    Ruan Danchen quickly rolled over to the edge of the bed. She would have run out of the room if her lower limbs and abdomen were not sore after all the actions.

    Qi Chenglin closed in on her despite the awkwardness.

    ¡°Get lost!¡± Ruan Danchen was getting angry now. She mustered up all her strength and kicked him on the calf again.

    How could she go to work if he was being insistent?

    Ruan Danchen raised her arm, trying to find her phone on the bedside table, but her arm gave way as the muscles were sore and fatigued out.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet were soft thus the kicks she sent did not induce pain on Qi Chenglin. In fact, he was being masochistic as her kicks made himfortable.

    ¡°Cut it out. I won¡¯t ask for more, alright? I just want to hug you and sleep,¡± Qi Chenglin closed in on her again shamelessly and his arms tangled around her paper-thin waist from behind.

    ¡°Get lost, you¡¯re not allowed to hug me! Give you an inch and you¡¯ll take a mile. I¡¯m angry at you!¡± Ruan Danchen grabbed his thick, muscr arms around her waist and tried to pull them off. ¡°You came here shamelessly and insisted to... I epted my fate. We wille to this stage sooner orter since we¡¯re in a rtionship now, but this was only the first night and you were already asking for this much. How do you expect us to live for the rest of our lives?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was surprised at her reaction. Judging from her voice, it was not just a simple annoyance. He did not expect just a few rounds of coitus would enraged her.

    Naturally, Qi Chenglin did not release her and instead, his grip on her waist tightened. Qi Chenglin med himself for hisck of self-control and consideration for Ruan Danchen after listening to her upset voice.

    ¡°It¡¯s my fault for myck of self-control. I promise this won¡¯t repeat again,¡± Qi Chenglin hugged her delicate softness tightly, savoring the satisfaction after their bonding actions. He was in a really good mood and would not mind her attitude right now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, I won¡¯t ask for more. That¡¯s all for tonight,¡± Qi Chenglin began nuzzling her shoulder with delicate kisses, working his way to the nape of her neck. This back and forth lips caressing made Ruan Danchen felt itchy.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent as she was dispirited right now.

    ¡°Turn around and let me hug you,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered against her earlobe.

    Ruan Danchen remained still for a while.

    ¡°Are you still mad at me? Turn around, I want to take a look at your face,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Chenglin was usually strict and firm towards Qi Youxuan, but now he was well-tempered andforting her gently. Ruan Danchen felt there was a huge contrast in his attitudes.

    She tried to move, then she said, ¡°Can¡¯t move, my muscles are sore right now.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin regretted his inconsiderate actions. Her body ached in just one night, what would happen tomorrow night? What if she rejected him due to intense body ache? He could not force her into coitus.

    From now on, he decided to learn from this mistake for the better future.

    Qi Chenglin flipped her around to face him and stared at her red face and the teardrops on her eyshes. It was obvious that she was sexually tormented by him.

    Qi Chenglin let out a heavy sigh. He leaned forward and kissed her on the eyelids, sucking the teardrops off her eyshes. Then heforted her with a soft voice. ¡°Sorry.¡±

    The sight of Qi Chenglin trying desperately tofort her was enough to release the breath Ruan Danchen did not know she was holding. She would appear unreasonable if she did not forgive him after all his effort inforting her. With the sigh, her arms encircled his well-defined waist. Just when she closed her eyes and was about to sleep peacefully, she was poked by him.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen hissed through gritted teeth as the inside of her thighs was swollen and painful after all the actions.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin felt wronged, his usual matured look now reced with innocence. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose.¡±

    Since Qi Chenglin did not get angry with Ruan Danchen kicking him for multiple times, her courage was boosted, so she kicked him again.

    Qi Chenglin was helpless so he got off the bed and put on his shorts. He went to the washroom without tightening his shorts.

    Ruan Danchen was alone in bed now but for some reason, she could not sleep. Somehow her brain was haywired as all of a sudden she felt pity for that man whom she just dismissed.

    She buried herself under a nket, feeling troubled and uneasy. She gazed upon the ceiling which was now etched in charcoal, feeling the warmth on her cheeks. She would believe all of these were just a dream if her muscles were not sore right now.

    Qi Chenglin returned momentarily. His unzipped pants hung loosely around his hips, revealing the well sculpted six-packs and the sexy Apollo¡¯s belt.

    He pushed his pants off on his way towards the bed, which ended up falling on the floor. He walked over his pants towards the other side of the bed and did not even bother to cover his private part.

    Ruan Danchen was not as indecent as Qi Chenglin and she shut her eyes in embarrassment.

    Qi Chenglin got into the bed andughed when he saw Ruan Danchen shut her eyes out of anxiety. He reached out to her and pulled her back into his embosom. He would not be able to sleep alone after getting used to hugging her and sleep.

    ¡°Let¡¯s sleep,¡± Qi Chenglin leaned forward and nted a kiss on her forehead, then he wrapped his arms around her before falling asleep.

    ...

    ...

    It was half past six o¡¯clock in the morning when Ruan Danchen¡¯s preset rm clock rang.

    Ruan Danchen was reluctant in moving her arm as she felt fatigued after one whole night of exercising.

    She unconsciously turned her back towards Qi Chenglin after submerged herself in deep sleep, and he continued hugging her from behind throughout the night.

    Ruan Danchen was physically exhausted right now. Her eyelids felt heavy and she fumbled around the bedside table to turn off the rm amidst the mental cloudiness. She knew it was time to get up but at the moment, her body gave way to gravity, shaky and weak.

    While her mentality was trapped in blurriness and her eyes remained shut in half-awaken state, she felt movements behind her. Her lips was genty pecked before she heard a husky voice of a man who just woke up but not fully awakened yet. ¡°Sleep in, I¡¯m going to get us some breakfast.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not recognize the owner of the voice amidst the blurriness but she felt peaceful and secured after hearing it. She replied with a soft ¡°Hum¡± before passing out in a leaden, death-like slumber.

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at Ruan Danchen after he carefully got off the bed. Serenity was stered across her face as she slept and it made him feel happy and blessed.

    He opened the cab and noticed his clothes were arranged tidily right next to Ruan Danchen¡¯s. This lightened up his mood and put a smile on his face.

    He took out a formal shirt and a set of suit from the cab, then he went to the washroom after exiting the bedroom.

    He was surprised to see Qi Youxuan wide awake, brushing his teeth with his ultrasonic toothbrush when he opened the washroom¡¯s door.

    ¡°Up so early?¡± Qi Chenglin walked towards the toilet basin and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s toothpaste, squeezing it on his own toothbrush.

    ¡°I went to bed earlierst night so I got up earlier too,¡± Qi Youxuan mumbled with the toothbrush in his mouth.

    ¡°Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. Apply this method from now on,¡± Qi Chenglin was pleased with this result and said.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was at a loss of words.

    Qi Chenglin was done tidying up himself and changed into his suit, then he took his wallet, preparing to leave the house. Qi Youxuan noticed that his father was going out alone, so he asked out of curiosity, ¡°Dad, where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going out to buy breakfast. Your Aunt Ruan was exhausted, let her sleep a while more,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    ¡°I¡¯m going with you,¡± Qi Youxuan said quickly. He missed the Tianjin-style Jianbing sold at the morning stall outside.

    In the end, the duo went out together and bought three Tianjin-style Jianbing. There was no chopped green onions in the breakfast as they feared the strong scent of it may linger in their mouths.

    It was nearly half past seven o¡¯clock when they came back due to a long queue at the morning stall.

    Qi Chenglin poured soy milk into a cup and let Youxuan have his breakfast first before waking Ruan Danchen up in her bedroom.

    Ruan Danchen was well rested after she slept for another hour. Her eyshes were full of crusted rheum that umted throughout the night, and her eyelids snapped open when Qi Chenglin called out to her.

    Her mind was still hazy after she woke up, who would have thought the first thing she saw was Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face.

    Now the walls between them broke down and they were more closely bonded after the actionsst night, but her current image was not appealing at all, especially after she just woke up. She quickly buried herself in a nket and rubbed the crusted rheum off her eyes before emerging from the nket again.

    Qi Chenglin felt funny looking at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Wake up, it¡¯s time for breakfast. It¡¯s half past seven now and your work starts at nine o¡¯clock. We have to send Youxuan to my parents in between, so we should go out at eight o¡¯clock based on my calctions.¡±

    ¡°Go out and let me get dressed,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled through the nket.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled upwards, his gaze locked on Ruan Danchen induced anxiety and stress on her. All of a sudden, his hand slipped into her nket and onto the perfect softness she possessed.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen cried out. Her body trembled uncontrobly as energy left her gradually.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t had my breakfast yet, consider this an appetizer,¡± Qi Chenglin leaned closer to her and whispered.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face went as red as a ripe strawberry. His action was contradictory to the high quality suit and appearance.

    Qi Chenglin stopped teasing her and smiled before leaving the room.

    Ruan Danchen winced in pain as she got off the bed, quickly got dressed despite every movement caused some muscles or bones to ache. When she exited her bedroom towards the washroom, she saw Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan sitting at the dining table, munching on the Tianjin-style Jianbing in unison.

    Ruan Danchen felt weird looking at Qi Chenglin crunching on the Tianjin-style Jianbing in a well-tailored, expensive suit.

    She hurried to the washroom to brush her teeth and applied simple makeup in a sh.

    It was eight o¡¯clock when she was fully prepared and there was not enough time for breakfast.

    ¡°Have your breakfast in the car,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He had poured the remaining soy milk into a Thermos cup just now.

    Qi Chenglin carried the Thermos cup while Ruan Danchen held the Tianjin-style Jianbing, and the duo brought Qi Youxuan out together.

    It was a hectic morning, but Ruan Danchen felt happy that she was able to experience the married life she longed for.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin drove to Jade Field Park to drop off Qi Youxuan to his grandparents.

    Aunt Chen was waiting at the vi when Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen exited the car together. She was there when Guan Liya, Qi Zhongxun and Qi Chengyue were celebrating Qi Chenglin¡¯s engagement in a rtionship, so inevitably she knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity. She greeted happily to Ruan Danchen while Qi Chenglin introduced them to each other.

    Aunt Chen just fetched Qi Youxuan over when Guan Liya trotted towards them.

    Guan Liya stood near the window sill waiting eagerly for her grandson after her breakfast, and she rushed out of the house when she saw Ruan Danchen came too.

    ¡°Hi, what a coincidence, you came too?¡± Guan Liya asked with excitement. She gazed upon Ruan Danchen like she was looking at her daughter-inw.

    ¡°We came out from Aunt Ruan¡¯s house just now,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    ¡°Fetching Danchen to work early in the morning?¡± Guan Liya was happy that the duo had strong affection for each other.

    ¡°No, we stayed at Aunt Ruan¡¯s house sincest night,¡± Qi Youxuan blurted out.

    Guan Liya was taken by surprise at Qi Youxuan¡¯s statement. Qi Chenglin had no choice but to exin to her. ¡°My house was in refurbishment and now full of awful smell, so we¡¯re now staying at her house for the time being.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Guan Liya was dumbfounded. The duo insisted to stay at Ruan Danchen¡¯s house despite the fact that there were so many empty rooms in the vi.

    ¡°Is there enough space in Danchen¡¯s house?¡± Even though Guan Liya had never been to Ruan Danchen¡¯s house, she figured that Ruan Danchen fell in the lower-middle economic ss as she worked alone without any support. Furthermore, she was an unmarried woman, she could not possibly live in a huge mansion.

    ¡°More than enough! Dad and Aunt Ruan slept in the same room and they bought a new mattress and cab for me!¡± Qi Youxuan nodded quickly.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s train of thought was simple. His grandmother would insist them to stay at the vi if any one of them said there was not enough room in Ruan Danchen¡¯s house, then he would have lost the opportunity to live with Ruan Danchen.

    It was obvious to Guan Liya that Qi Chenglin basically used any possible excuses just to stay over at Ruan Danchen¡¯s house to live with her.

    Guan Liya felt embarrassed to admit that Qi Chenglin was her son based on his shameless attitude.

    However, it was a rare sight that Qi Chenglin would take the initiative and courted a woman. When he was introduced to many women, and some even appear appealing to him, he would still appeared calm as if these were not important at all. All the previous dates were perfunctory, a duty done, a ritual performed. There was no initiative involved in any dates he went to.

    Guan Liya felt pleased at that time because at least Qi Chenglin would give it a try.

    However, when Qi Chenglin tried every possible method, throwing away his dignity and pride in order to start a rtionship with Ruan Danchen, Guan Liya then realized, previously he did not go for a date, he merely went for a meal with a stranger.

    Ruan Danchen felt especially embarrassed now and did not have the courage to face Guan Liya. She feared Guan Liya would think that she was an indecent woman who let Qi Chenglin stayed over after a few days of being in a rtionship.

    Qi Chenglin grabbed her hand at this very moment. She gazed upon her hand buried under his clean, elegant hand, feeling the firm grip that squeezed her hand, it made her feel deeply secured.

    ¡°Danchen will bete if we don¡¯t leave now. We¡¯ll return tonight to fetch Youxuan,¡± Qi Chenglin reverted back to his usual calmness and said with a mellow voice.

    ¡°Since you¡¯reing back tonight, let¡¯s have dinner together. I¡¯ll ask Chengyue and Dongge toe and join us. If Chengzhi and Song Yu are free tonight then ask them to join us too,¡± Guan Liya said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Chenglin promised. Ruan Danchen bid them farewell before entering the car with Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    Chengshi was just around the corner when Ruan Danchen said, ¡°Can you please park your car at the corner there?¡±

    ¡°Am I unpresentable?¡± Qi Chenglin gave her a cold stare.

    ¡°No. I¡¯ll exin to you once you parked your car,¡± Ruan Danchen said with a serious face.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯splexion paled with anger but he obeyed hermand and parked his car.

    He turned towards her and said after turning off the engine, ¡°Exin yourself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen bit her lip and grabbed his hand. Qi Chenglin¡¯s stern expression softened up and raised his eyebrows in response to her trying to apple-polish him.

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to let anymotion going on in thepany. I don¡¯t want to getments like how I social climbed on you and let them poisoned the public against me. Plus, I don¡¯t want Director Zhao acting solicitous towards me or taking advantage of me for his own benefits. It¡¯s unwise to mix business with pleasure. I don¡¯t want you to get yourself into trouble by giving special privileges to Chengshi just because of me,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°The business that I will give Chengshi are negligible and won¡¯t even influence the oue, so why should I care? Besides, if these can let my woman feel less stressed at work, then what¡¯s wrong with it? Why shouldn¡¯t I do it if I have the ability to do so?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and said naturally.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but let out a smile after listening to his statement which radiated dominance and power.

    ¡°You mentioned that the influence on the oue is negligible, but still there¡¯s a slight influence, right? I don¡¯t want you to make yourself difficult at work. Our rtionship was personal, I don¡¯t want to drag official work in too. There¡¯s one more important point, my mom came looking for me the other day. Coincidentally, you went to work overtime and it was Xiao Yang and Youxuan who fetched me. She saw me getting into this car and even asked me who am I with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen let out a heavy sigh and continued. ¡°She wanted to prove herself so much in the Shen family, but she didn¡¯t even get a proper identity after all these years. This became her obsession. I feared what the Shen family would do if she knew about this. I don¡¯t really care, to be honest, but I don¡¯t want Youxuan to get involved with this.¡±

    ¡°Do you wish to keep this a secret forever? Do you not want to marry me?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    Ruan Danchen was taken aback by his question. She was Youxuan¡¯s biological mother but to be frank, she had never given much thought about this and did not ponder the possibility of marrying to Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind went nk as she stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand. If Qi Chenglin was nning on marriage, sooner orter this secret would be uncovered.

    Then, Qi Chenglin¡¯s firm and strong voice traveled to her ears. ¡°We had just started a rtionship, I forgive you for yourck of confidence and not recognizing my true power. I will cooperate with you for the time being if you wish to keep this a secret, but the cooperation will be short-lived. You will learn to depend on your man and you will know that I will be there no matter what happens. I will give benefits to Chengshi if that makes your life in thepany better. You fear the Shen family, then I will let you know, I¡¯m more powerful than them.¡±

 Chapter 334 - Qi Chenglin, I Think That I Have Fallen in Love with You

    Chapter 334: Qi Chenglin, I Think That I Have Fallen in Love with You

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen felt like her heart was trembling. She took a deep breath and stared at Qi Chenglin. She suddenly realized that she had fallen in love with this man.

    She realized that she did not merely like him anymore. She loved all his qualities¡ªhis gentleness, his rascal-like behavior, his responsibility, and the way he tried to protect her.

    ¡°Not getting out of the car?¡± said Qi Chenglin stared at her with the corner of his mouth curling upward while she was lost in thought.

    Ruan Danchen collected her thoughts and pinched his hand yearningly. Suddenly, she did not feel like going to work, she just wished she could stay by his side now.

    This was the first time she experienced the feeling of loving someone, and she truly wished she could look at him all the time.

    ¡°Drive safely,¡± said Ruan Danchen softly.

    Suddenly, Qi Chenglin unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned toward her. He ced his zing hot palms on her waist, and his sexy and tender lips almost touched her lips.

    She heard him saying with his husky and attractive voice, ¡°I¡¯lle and fetch you at noon, then we can have lunch together.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± replied Ruan Danchen softly.

    He rubbed his lips against hers, and asked her gently, ¡°I haven¡¯t asked you about it, are you still aching this morning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m feeling slightly better,¡± said Ruan Danchen quietly. Her lips were trembling.

    ¡°So can we do it again tonight?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s ebony eyes glowed immediately, he was looking forward to it.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin.¡± Ruan Danchen was annoyed, why did he keep on thinking about that?

    Qi Chenglin smiled at her gently with his ebony eyes and pinched her waist. ¡°You should leave now.¡±

    He let go of his hand, but Run Danchen was not in a hurry to get out of the car. She gazed at Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face. She could feel that her feelings for him were getting more powerful ever since she realized she had fallen in love with him.

    She put her hand on the car door. She did not know how she was able to summon the courage to tell him about her feelings, but she felt a strong urge to say it, and she said it from the bottom of her heart involuntarily, ¡°Qi Chenglin, I think thatI have fallen in love with you.¡±

    After saying that, she dared not look at his reaction. She did not even wait for his reply. She blushed furiously and opened the car door and got out of the car at the speed of light.

    Qi Chenglin was stunned, she confessed her love to him so boldly without any hints before that. He did not stop her from running away immediately after confessing because he was astonished.

    After he collected his thoughts, Ruan Danchen was already out of his sight after she dashed into another street.

    Qi Chenglin could not help but smile, the happiness he felt now was indescribable. He was feeling euphoric.

    His heart was beating happily, and he could feel his heartbeat in the throat. He was thrilled and touched, it felt like he was a youngster who had just listened to a confession of a girl who he liked, and the happiness that he felt was beyond words.

    Qi Chenglin started his car, then he found out that his hands were trembling because he was too excited. He lowered his head andughed softly, his voice was extremely attractive and husky. If Ruan Danchen was by his side now, she would probably have a chance to experience orgasm just by hearing his voice.

    Not long after Qi Chenglin made a turn, he saw Ruan Danchen was running like a madwoman. The way she ran actually looked quite foolish, but in Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes it was extremely adorable. The only thing he was thinking now was to get out of his car and dragged her into his car, then brought her home and threw her onto his bed.

    Qi Chenglin found a space to park his car in front of the entrance of Chengshi, then he took out his cell phone and called Ruan Danchen. At that time, Ruan Danchen happened to reach the doorway of herpany¡¯s building. She slowed down her footsteps as she was gasping for breath, then she took out her phone from her bag.

    Her face looked extremely gorgeous now because she was blushing, but she was unsure whether the blush was due to the intense running just now or due to her confession.

    Qi Chenglin saw Ruan Danchen used the back of her hand to wipe away the sweat on her forehead and lowered her head to look at her phone. She paused for a while, then she hung up.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin.

    How could she refuse to answer his call after confessing to him! How could she be so irresponsible!

    After that, he saw Ruan Danchen put her phone back into her bag and walked into the office building.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was still burning due to the blush. She did not know how she summoned the courage to confess her love to him, she just blurted out the words. She dared not even answer Qi Chenglin¡¯s call just now. She was still at a loss when he called her, so she straight away hung up without thinking it through.

    She was quite afraid to hear his overly proud voice.

    After Ruan Danchen entered the elevator, she touched her face and sighed.

    Qi Chenglin did not call her anymore after she walked out of the elevator. Ruan Danchen could not tell whether she was relieved or very disappointed.

    After she entered her office, she noticed Yang Yunshu was sitting in her old seat before she was transferred to another department. There was a lot of stuff on her desk and theputer was on.

    Yang Yunshu was arranging his personal belongings on the desk when she saw Ruan Danchen walked in. She stared at her proudly and snorted.

    Ruan Danchen curiously nced at her. Then, she sat down and switched on herputer. After a while, she received an email from the human resources department which stated that Yang Yunshu was transferred back to the design department because they were understaffed.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head, she finally found out the reason she was so pleased with herself.

    However, she hoped that Yang Yunshu would not find fault with her after she achieved her goal. She was stressed every day during work because she had to face clients from all walks of life. Therefore, she did not want to be further annoyed by Yang Yunshu.

    She started to work after she had settled down. Suddenly, she heard Yang Yunshu¡¯s voice when she was lowering her head to study something. ¡°Director Zhao, Mr Mu.¡±

    Ruan Danchen raised her head in astonishment, then she saw Director Zhao was walking into the office with Mu Huaisheng.

    Director Zhao¡¯s wife had told Director Zhao about the transfer of Yang Yunshu. Director Zhao was not against it because Song Yu was on vacation leave and they need more manpower, but the most important reason may be that he was always intimidated by his wife.

    Director Zhao smiled and said, ¡°The thing is, Mr. Mu wants to renovate two of his residences, one of them is a condominium and the other one is a vi. If anyone of you are interested, you all can propose your idea to Mr. Mu and we¡¯ll see Mr. Mu likes whose idea the most.¡±

    Although Director Zhao told the staff that, Mu Huaisheng fixed his stare at Ruan Danchen.

    Director Zhao turned his head and stared at her too, Ruan Danchen could only say, ¡°I still have some work that needs to bepleted as soon as possible. Yang Yunshu was just transferred here, she should have time for it.¡±

    Yang Yunshu did not understand why Ruan Danchen did not seize such a good opportunity.

    Opportunities like this were hard toe by, it would be beneficial for the career prospect and private rtionships of the person who epted the assignment because that person would have an extra assignment to work on and have the chance to get close to Mu Huaisheng.

    Mu Huaisheng looked away from Ruan Danchen and nodded, then he said in an indifferent tone, ¡°Then I shall offer the assignment to Miss Yang, please contact my assistant if you have any questions.¡±

    Director Zhao knew that Mu Huaisheng had set his mind to offering Ruan Danchen his assignment. He did not understand why Ruan Danchen was messing around now, she did not have any important projects now, yet she refused to grab such a great chance. What if Mu Huaisheng thought that she was behaving insolently and unhappily left the office straight away?

    The profit from this assignment was not very high, but it was a good chance to build rapport with him, and it would matter more than earning profit from the project.

    Humph! If it were not for her close rtionship with Song Yu and he was afraid to make Song Yu unhappy, he would have asked Ruan Danchen to leave thepany in the beginning.

    Director Zhao nced at Ruan Dachen unhappily again, then he saw Mu Huaisheng off.

    ¡°Humph, stop acting so smugly, you even rejected an assignment offered to you in person.¡± Yang Yunshu rolled her eyes at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. She said coldly, ¡°Yang Yunshu, just ept the assignment that was offered to you, why are you bbering so much? How about I call Mu Huaisheng now and say that I want to ept that assignment now? If so, would you still keep on bbering?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t talk like you¡¯re doing something charitable by letting me do it!¡± Yang Yunshu blushed angrily because she felt like she was living off Ruan Danchen. ¡°Who do you think you are to make Mu Huaisheng do what is told by you? Do you really think he¡¯ll do everything that you ask him to do?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not want to argue with her, her cell phone rang just in time, but unexpectedly, it was Mu Huaisheng who called her.

    She sighed heavily and walked out of the office without looking at Yang Yunshu.

    Yang Yunshu was fuming, she snorted angrily as she stared at Ruan Danchen¡¯s back.

    Ruan Danchen walked to the stairwell and closed the two doors of the emergency exits, then only she answered the call. She said with a polite tone, and tried to sound slightly unfriendly, ¡°Mr. Mu.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ruan, I call you not because I have any other intentions. I just wanted to tell you that I would not force you if you don¡¯t have feelings for me. However, I hope that would not affect your work and causes you to purposely refuse to ept my assignments just because of me.¡± She could hear Mu Huaisheng talking with his elegant voice on the phone.

    His voice was very attractive like those famousmentators on the inte. His pronunciation was very clear, and he was able to articte his idea well. When she heard his voice, she would involuntarily think of his graceful demeanor.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent so Mu Huaisheng continued to say, ¡°I know that you don¡¯t like me, but I hope at least you see me as your friend. I¡¯m such a man, even if you don¡¯t reciprocate my feelings for you, I still hope that I can be your friend because you¡¯re the woman I like. I hope that I can help you if I¡¯m able to. To be honest, I¡¯m quite hurt when you reject my good intentions.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was quite astonished because Mu Huaisheng did not question her about what happened between Qi Chenglin and her.

    Mu Huaisheng¡¯s way of thinking was simple, he did not want to lose his poise. Ruan Danchen told her in the beginning that she was reluctant to start a new rtionship, but not long after that, she started dating Qi Chenglin. Therefore, it was apparent that she was just finding an excuse to reject him at that time so he should not ask questions that would make her feel that he was graceless and annoying.

    ¡°I merely wanted to avoid making Qi Chenglin angry because he is not so tolerant of this kind of matter,¡± exined Ruan Danchen indifferently.

    Qi Chenglin could still remember that Mu Huaisheng held her arm before. If she epted Mu Huaisheng¡¯s assignment and contacted him frequently or went to his house, she could not imagine how furious that man would be.

    Mu Huaisheng did not know whether Ruan Danchen realized that she would unconsciously spoke very gently and sweetly when she spoke of Qi Chenglin or not.

    ¡°Are you nning to exclude yourself from all future assignments that are rted to me?¡± asked Mu Huaisheng involuntarily.

    Ruan Danchen had to admit that she did not think about the long-term consequences when she rejected his offer today because the first thing that she thought of was to avoid making Qi Chenglin angry. She did not realize that if she rejected his offer, it may affect her career prospects at Chengshi.

    When Mu Huaisheng asked her about it now, Ruan Danchen considered it seriously for a while, then she said, ¡°I¡¯ll avoid involving myself in your assignments as much as possible.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng was startled for a while. After a moment, heughed softly as he shook his head. He said helplessly, ¡°That being the case, I shall not force you.¡±

    After she hung up, Ruan Danchen returned to her office and ignored Yang Yunshu.

    ...

    ...

    When it was almost lunchtime just before noon, Ruan Danchen received Qi Chenglin¡¯s call. He told her that he was waiting on the roadside opposite herpany¡¯s building.

    Since she was in the office, Ruan Danchen only dared to reply to him by saying ¡°Mhm¡±.

    ¡°Such a simple way to reply to me by just saying ¡®Mhm¡¯ and nothing else?¡± said Qi Chenglin unhappily as he pouted.

    Ruan Danchen looked around and hurriedly walked out of the office while holding her phone.

    After she reached the stairwell, she finally dared to reply, ¡°What do you want me to say some more?¡±

    Qi Chenglin could feel that she had changed her tone as she was talking in a gentler tone. His lips curled into an attractive grin.

    He was sitting in the car and looking at the office building opposite the road. He raised his hand and looked at his watch, ¡°It¡¯s about time, you cane out now.¡±

    After she hung up, Ruan Danchen checked the time and found out it was already noon. She returned to her office to take her bag and leave, but she saw Director Zhao¡¯s wife was standing in front of her desk.

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, why aren¡¯t you always sitting at your desk?¡± asked Director Zhao¡¯s wife unhappily.

    ¡°I was answering a call from a client just now.¡± Ruan Danchen simply found an excuse.

    ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you talk to the client at your desk? Please take note of this. What if your clientse to meet with you when you¡¯re not around?¡± When she heard her excuse, Director Zhao¡¯s wife immediately thought of what Yang Yunshu told her when she snitched on Ruan Danchen.

    Could it be that Ruan Danchen was flirting with the client? Maybe that was the reason she deemed it inappropriate to talk in the office?

    ¡°I¡¯ll take note of that.¡± Ruan Danchen could only reply to her like that.

    Director Zhao¡¯s wife stared at her sternly, then she left.

    Ruan Danchen heaved a sigh of relief, then she heard someone snorted when she was tidying up her desk. She did not raise her head, but she saw Yang Yunshu passed by her from the corner of her eyes and she was the person who snorted just now.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head and kept her things, but she waited until almost everybody had left before she walked out of the office.

    ...

    ...

    After she walked out of her office building, she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s car on the opposite roadside. She remembered that she confessed to him in the morning, but he did not mention it at all on the phone just now.

    She regretted confessing to him impulsively in the morning. Although she was embarrassed now, she could only bite the bullet and walked toward his car.

    After she got into the car, she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s suit was thrown on the passenger and he had removed his necktie as well. The air conditioner was on because of the hot weather. He rolled up the sleeves of his shirt till below elbows and revealed his muscr arms.

    His ck hair covered his arms, theyer of was neither too dense nor too sparse. Ruan Danchen felt that the density of his hair was just fine, and it made him looked extremely sexy.

    The way he dressed did not make people feel that he was unkempt, but it gave him a carefree appearance. His muscr physique also fitted well with his shirt, he truly looked good in anything he wore.

    ¡°Are you gaping at me again?¡± Qi Chenglin was staring at her with a teasing smile.

    Ruan Danchen was indeed staring at him in awe, she could not believe that this was her man the longer she looked at him.

    She could not stop herself from feeling a little proud.

    Suddenly, he leaned toward her and pushed her back toward him so that she would lean tightly against his body. Then, he started to kiss her aggressively.

    Ruan Danchen was blushing furiously. They were still in the car and there were so many people passing by. She was sure someone would have seen them making out.

    Her body was pushed backward by him until her back touched the car door, then he leaned forward and sucked her lips recklessly.

    After quite some time, Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips became numb and swollen. She was almost unable to talk anymore. Finally, he let go of her, but he was still gently rubbing his lips against hers and said with a deep and husky voice, ¡°Do you miss me now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was beating extremely fast. She felt like she had exhausted her courage when she confessed to him this morning. She could not even tell him that she missed him now.

    However, she held his face with her hands and stared at his graceful face. She was fascinated and aroused by his face, and she suddenly leaned forward and pecked his lips.

    It was a very quick peck, she retreated right after she pecked his lips. She was blushing furiously.

    Qi Chenglin could not help butugh softly. His ebony eyes were filled with his affection for her. His lips curled into a sexy and attractive curve, and he kissed her again.

    He stuck his lips on hers and breathed into her mouth. ¡°I missed you the whole morning. You said that you love me in the morning, but I didn¡¯t react to you in time. So, I wish to tell you now¡ªI love you too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath in astonishment, she was truly not mentally prepared to hear that. She felt a little disappointed since morning, but she felt like there was a sting sound in her heart after hearing his words.

    Qi Chenglin smiled after he saw her reaction, then he kissed her again. After that, he retreated quietly and started the car.

    Ruan Danchen was still stunned like she was just struck by lightning. She was dumbfounded until he stopped his car in front of Dynasty.

    Qi Chenglin got out of the car and dragged her out. He let the worker of Dynasty drove his car away and he dragged Ruan Danchen into Dynasty by clutching her hands.

    Ruan Danchen was still bewildered. When she was in the elevator, she noticed that Qi Chenglin was not bringing her to have lunch in a private dining room. She saw the elevator¡¯s button showing the number ¡°12¡± was lighted.

    Qi Chenglin kept quiet and held her hand as they walked out of the elevator and entered a room. Ruan Danchen felt ufortable abruptly.

    ¡°We¡¯re not having lunch?¡± It was a suite, and Ruan Danchen followed Qi Chenglin to the living room. Her heart was beating wildly as she was very nervous.

    ¡°It¡¯s more peaceful to have our lunch here, no one will disturb us,¡± answered Qi Chenglin calmly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless, nobody would disturb them even if they had lunch in his private room. Did they need toe here?

    There was only one reason he brought her here straight away, and Ruan Danchen knew surely what the reason was.

    However, that guy had just fooled around with her for the whole night yesterday, couldn¡¯t he just rest now!

    Ruan Danchen did not ask him about it because she was afraid that she would be embarrassed. He would surely tease her by saying that she got carried away.

    After a while, a waiter came in and he was holding a menu. Ruan Danchen was a little embarrassed by herself as it seemed like Qi Chenglin truly came here to have lunch. Could it be that she really got carried away?

    Since when her mind became so abnormal and kept on thinking about sex?

    Ruan Danchen was quite embarrassed by herself at that time, she felt that her thoughts were too dirty.

    Qi Chenglin looked away from the menu and stared at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Why are your face so red?¡±

    ¡°Is it? Maybe the weather is too hot.¡± Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed to look at him. She averted his gaze and looked around while using her hand to fan her cheeks.

    ¡°I turned on the air conditioner of the car all the way here, and we just walked for a short distance before we entered the hotel, and the hotel is air-conditioned as well. Why would you feel hot?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows.

    Ruan Danchen red at him. He should not embarrass her in front of others. Why must he make her say her thoughts out loud?

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled upward slightly, and he stared at her mockingly. ¡°If you¡¯re feeling hot, please bear with it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was unsure whether she misunderstood his words, but she felt like his words had hidden meaning.

    She glimpsed the waiter and found out that he was blushing slightly. Ruan Danchen immediately blushed furiously, and she felt so embarrassed to talk even after quite some time.

    Qi Chenglin looked away from her and started to order food. Ruan Danchen heard him ordered spicy dishes only, and she remembered Aunt Zheng¡¯s words, so she said, ¡°Why are you ordering spicy dishes only?¡±

 Chapter 335 - Youâ€™re That Typical Kind of Woman Who Wonâ€™t be Interested in Men Once You Have a Son

    Chapter 335: You¡¯re That Typical Kind of Woman Who Won¡¯t be Interested in Men Once You Have a Son

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like to eat spicy food?¡± asked Qi Chenglin in an aloof manner, offering her a mere mild reaction.

    ¡°The weather is hot now, and we¡¯ll feel hotter if we eat a lot of spicy food. You should just order food which tastes mild.¡± Ruan Danchen straight away took the menu from him and said to the waiter, ¡°Please cancel all the dishes that we ordered just now.¡±

    Previously, Ruan Danchen asked Aunt Zheng about Qi Chenglin¡¯s favorite food in detail as they prepared lunch together at Prestige Residences.

    After she looked through the menu, she ordered some of the dishes to test whether he liked them or not. She nned to observe Qi Chenglin¡¯s reaction when he ate the foodter.

    Last time when they had a meal together, Qi Chenglin only ate a small portion of the spicy food he ordered.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and sneered as he listened to her ordering dishes. Two of the dishes she ordered were indeed his favorite dishes.

    Ruan Danchen felt that she had ordered enough food. Although the portion of Dynasty¡¯s dishes was notrge, only two of them were eating and they did not eat like horses.

    After the waiter left, she said, ¡°Why did you order so many spicy dishes even though you can¡¯t tolerate spicy food?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you like to eat spicy food?¡± said Qi Chenglin with a faint smile. He did not ask her about how she found out he could not tolerate spicy food.

    ¡°You¡¯d have an upset stomach if you eat spicy food. You don¡¯t need to cater to my wants in the future,¡± said Ruan Danchen quietly. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person who must eat spicy food in every meal.¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned his head around and stare at Ruan Danchen in utmost concentration. He carried her body and put her on his thighs; he really liked to caress her. His fondling caused Ruan Danchen¡¯s whole body to turn red and she felt like her bones had mellowed.

    ¡°What are you doing? We¡¯re waiting for our lunch.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face felt numb by his touch.

    ¡°The dishes aren¡¯t served yet. Do you want to go and have a look at the bedroom?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s ebony eyes were glowing longingly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen already knew he had shady intentions when he brought her here for lunch!

    When she thought of his passionst night, her legs felt like jelly.

    ¡°No,¡± said Ruan Danchen with a trembling voice before she leaned her forehead against his firm shoulder.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and stared at her reddened face. He rubbed her hot and thin lips gently against her delicate skin, then he slowly moved his lips to her lips and kissed them.

    He was unable to stop kissing her at all because of her soft and tender lips. He said with his attractive and husky voice, ¡°Then we¡¯ll do it after lunch.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt that she would not be able to avoid fooling around with him this afternoon. She did not know why this man was so energetic. ¡°What if I¡¯mte for work?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t you tell them you¡¯ll be meeting with a client?¡± Qi Chenglin was not worried at all. If Director Zhao dared to find fault with her, he would cover her.

    Ruan Danchen remembered Yang Yunshu¡¯s usations about her when she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s words. She smiled involuntarily. ¡°If you¡¯re a client, then Yang Yunshu really did say the right thing.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you designing my bedroom? I should be considered as your private client,¡± mumbled Qi Chenglin with his deep and husky voice, a smile etched on his face. His voice was extremely attractive and it made her skin felt numb and itchy.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turnedpletely red because of his kisses. ¡°Let me go first, the waiter¡¯sing in a minute.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go.¡± Qi Chenglin was still embracing her tightly and immodestly. He felt sofortable with her soft body in his arms and he was reluctant to let go of her. He kissed her incessantly and it felt like his lips were always in contact with her face. ¡°After we have lunch, I¡¯ll be your client and I want to force you to do something bad.¡±

    Ruan Danchen found it both amusing and annoying that he was actually role-ying now.

    At that time, the waiter knocked on the door. He arrived to serve the dishes to them.

    ¡°Put me down,¡± said Ruan Danchen hurriedly.

    ¡°Listen to me, you¡¯re my girlfriend. What¡¯s wrong with me hugging you?¡± Qi Chenglin did not want to let go of her. She refused to let others know about their rtionship whether in Chengshi or other ces. On the contrary, he would love to let the world know about their rtionship.

    The waiter entered the suite after knocking a few times. He was startled for a short while when he saw Qi Chenglin hugging Ruan Danchen, unwilling to let go of her. The waiter felt a little awkward.

    He also saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s face which had turnedpletely red and he thought that Young Master Lin was truly lustful.

    After the waiter left, Qi Chenglin reluctantly ced Ruan Danchen back on the sofa so that they could have lunch. Still, he sat close to her. One of his hands was holding a pair of chopsticks while the other circled her waist. He refused to withdraw his hand and stopped touching her body no matter what.

    Ruan Danchen had no idea what was wrong with him and why was he so thirsty like a hungry wolf.

    Qi Chenglin ate hastily, gobbling the food in the speed of light. After that, he stared at Ruan Danchen continuously and caused her to lose her appetite.

    ¡°Don¡¯t stare at me like this.¡± Ruan Danchen was flustered by his stare.

    ¡°Eat slowly, don¡¯t need to hurry,¡± said Qi Chenglin gently with a soft voice. However, his stare was filled with eagerness.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    Did he really mean what he just said?

    In the end, Ruan Danchen was unable to continue eating anymore due to his stare. Moreover, she already started to feel full. She ced her chopsticks down and used a piece of tissue to wipe her mouth. Then, she heard Qi Chenglin asking, ¡°Are you full now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless after she saw his eager expression. He carried her and darted toward the bedroom before she could answer his question.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen felt so embarrassed when she saw him behaving so impatiently. She yelled at him annoyedly as he pressed his body against her on the bed.

    Qi Chenglin immediately pressed his lips against hers and started kissing her. He was already making out with her before Ruan Danchen could undresspletely.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen did not know how he carried her into the car because she was still stupefied. Qi Chenglin even helped her to fasten her seatbelt.

    Qi Chenglin felt content and aroused when he saw her beautiful and charming face. The experience in the room from before still lingered. He felt somewhat sorry for her because he was too eager, and everything happened too hastily.

    Qi Chenglin pecked her lips lovingly and caressed her body around the waist as he was reluctant to part with her. After quite some time, he started the car.

    He stopped his car in front of Chengshi. Ruan Danchen did not expect this man to be so thirsty. After fooling around with him in the afternoon, she felt like she might not be able to work properly.

    ¡°I¡¯lle and fetch you in the afternoon and bring you to my parent¡¯s ce,¡± said Qi Chenglin before Ruan Danchen got out of the car.

    ¡°Mhm,¡± replied Ruan Danchen. He extended his arm and held her hand, using his thumb to massage the back of her hand. ¡°Are you okay with what I did?¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed as she knew what he meant. She said with a slightly displeased tone, ¡°If I wasn¡¯t okay with it, would you restrain yourself from doing it?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was happy to see her talking frankly to him and acting a little like a spoiled child; he would not like her treating him like an outsider.

    His lips curled into a sexy curve and stared at her with his glowing eyes. He said with a hoarse voice, ¡°I can¡¯t restrain myself if it¡¯s you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was beating wildly due to his stare. She felt like she had difficulty breathing and she gulped her saliva forcibly. She said quietly with a meek voice, ¡°I¡¯m leaving now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin withdrew his hands. All of a sudden, she leaned forward quickly and pecked his lips softly, and Qi Chenglin felt like someone just stroked his lips with a feather. Immediately after pecking him, she blushed and got out of the car in a hurry.

    Qi Chenglin could not help but smile; she always kissed him without warning. Was she going tond a bomb on his lips every time she left him?

    He used his attractive and delicate fingers to trace his lips gently and he could feel his lips were still a little hot. He felt like the fragrance of her lips were still on his lips, and it made him wish he could kiss her now. His body felt hot.

    He stared at Ruan Danchen passionately as she crossed the road and walked into the office building. He started his car and left after she was out of sight.

    ...

    ...

    When Ruan Danchen walked out of the elevator on the floor where Chengshi was located, he saw Director Zhao and his wife walked out of another elevator beside her.

    She greeted them, but when Director Zhao¡¯s wife saw her, her expression became quite stern inexplicably.

    Ruan Danchen did not know the reasons she did that, but she did not think too much about it.

    Qi Chenglin brought her to the Jade Field Park at night, with Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge already there. Even Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were there.

    When Aunt Chen was preparing dinner, Qi Chenglin sneaked into the kitchen after he made sure no one was looking at him. He opened the refrigerator and started to search for something.

    Aunt Chen was cutting the vegetables beside the refrigerator. Confused, she asked, ¡°What are you looking for, Young Master?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m just having a look.¡± Qi Chenglin closed the refrigerator and nced at the chopping board. ¡°What are we having tonight?¡±

    Aunt Chen felt that Qi Chenglin was behaving more and more peculiar; he had never felt curious about this kind of matter before. She told him what she was preparing for dinner.

    Aunt Chen knew that Qi Chenglin could not tolerate spicy food, so she would only use a few chilis even if she cooked spicy dishes when Qi Chenglin was here for dinner.

    ¡°Do you have any more chilis?¡± asked Qi Chenglin indifferently. He was acting like he asked the question spontaneously.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Aunt Chen nodded.

    ¡°Then please cook a few spicy dishes. Danchen likes to eat spicy food, so just cook the ones you¡¯re good at,¡± said Qi Chenglin snobbishly. He tried to maintain a poker-face, but when he turned around and walked out of the kitchen, Aunt Chen noticed that he was walking stiffly. He even nearly knocked his head at the door frame.

    Aunt Chen was speechless for quite a while. She then figured that perhaps Qi Chenglin felt shy as that was his first time pampering his future wife and he was not used to it.

    ¡°Aha!¡± Aunt Chen smiled and she took a handful of dried chilis from the drawer of the kitchen cab.

    After a while, Guan Liya came into the kitchen with Qi Youxuan to find chocte because Qi Chenglin promised him that he could eat more today.

    When Guan Liya took out the chocte from the top cab, she saw many chilis on the te, and she said, ¡°Chenglin couldn¡¯t tolerate spicy food, and Song Yu has to eat less spicy food too. Why¡¯d you take out so many chilis?¡±

    Aunt Chen grinned and nced at Qi Youxuan. Then, she said softly, ¡°Young Master was the one who asked me to take out the chilies because Miss Ruan likes spicy food. He asked me to cook a few spicy dishes for Miss Ruan. Hehe... Young Master really loves her dearly; he felt shy to tell me about it directly when he came in here just now.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Guan Liya was grinning as while. She felt like she could start preparing for their wedding soon.

    When they were having dinner, Qi Chengyue noticed that there were more spicy dishes on the dinner table than usual, and they were ced just in front of Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Wow, Brother, you were so nasty toward her previously. Your attitude changes so fast after you started dating her.¡± Qi Chengyue raised her eyebrows and poked fun at Qi Chenglin. Previously, there would not be any spicy dishes on the dinner table if Qi Chenglin came back for dinner.

    Qi Chenglin stared at her scornfully and pouted. ¡°You talked like you treated Dongge very kindly in the beginning,¡± he sassed in return.

    Qi Chengyue could not bite back after Qi Chenglin said that. Cheng Donggeforted her immediately with a smile and helped her to peel the prawns.

    After dinner, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen left with Qi Youxuan.

    Guan Liya stood at the doorway of the courtyard and saw them off. She felt like they were a family of three going back home together. The scene truly warmed her heart.

    ...

    ...

    For the following days, Qi Chenglin would send Qi Youxuan to his parents¡¯ ce before work and would bring him to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce after work.

    It was September. Qi Youxuan was going to attend elementary school as school would start soon.

    This morning, Qi Youxuan was extremely nervous. He was attending a new school and had to adapt to a new environment. Fortunately, many of his friends at kindergarten also enrolled in Jixia Elementary School. However, they were not in the same ss; even Zhang Mingming was put in a different ss.

    Qi Youxuan could be viewed as the crown prince of Jixia Elementary School.

    In the morning, Qi Youxuan woke up very early because he was very nervous and excited. He got out of bed at six o¡¯clock. Ruan Danchen was preparing breakfast for him in the kitchen. Although she was exhausted after fooling around with Qi Chenglinst night, she remembered that today was a very important day for Qi Youxuan so she dared not slept in.

    Qi Chenglin was still sleeping when she got up, hugging her around her waist. He noticed she was awake the moment she moved his body.

    His eyes remained shut. ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± he mumbled, ¡°sleep for a while more.¡±

    He turned her body to face him before he continued hugging her.

    He hugged Ruan Danchen tightly, her delicate skin in contact with his firm and smooth chest. She raised her head and saw his eyes were still closed as he continued to sleep.

    She could see stubble that grew overnight at his chin. His thick ck eyshes were covering his eyes, and he seemed to be sleeping in peace.

    Ruan Danchen felt that this man¡¯s facial features were so refined and attractive no matter how she looked at them.

    Suddenly, he lowered his head to cover her face and kissed her lips.

    Ruan Danchen blushed as she felt embarrassed. She wished she could push him away but she was not strong enough to do that. Then, she felt he inserted his tongue recklessly into her mouth and moved it wildly.

    After quite a while, he eventually let go of her. Ruan Danchen covered her mouth with her hands bashfully. Then she said unhappily, ¡°Your mouth was closed for the whole night and you¡¯re having bad breath now. Don¡¯t kiss me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Qi Chenglin pushed her hand away and kissed her lips again. ¡°Do you hate my smell?¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed as she shook her head. Qi Chenglin felt that she looked extremely adorable when she shook her head while blushing. He waspletely awake now, and he rubbed his hot and thin lips against her delicate cheeks.

    ¡°You were staring at me when my eyes were closed just now. Why do you stop staring at me after I open my eyes?¡± Qi Chenglin felt that is was not so pleasurable hugging her like that, so he turned his body over and pressed it against her.

    Her body was so soft, it was trulyfortable lying on her body.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked at her embarrassedly, how did he know she was staring at him just now with his eyes closed?

    She pushed him away and said, ¡°You can continue sleeping. I¡¯m getting up now. Today is Youxuan¡¯s first day of school. I¡¯m preparing breakfast for him.¡±

    ¡°Just sleep for a while more, let him eat in the car.¡± Qi Chenglin could not help but kiss her cheeks and slowly moved his lips downward. ¡°If you couldn¡¯t get back to sleep, then you can do some morning exercise with me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re so shameless, what morning exercise are you talking about?¡± Ruan Danchen blushed. ¡°Stop fooling around, today is a very important day for Youxuan, how could we let him have his breakfast in the car? A healthy breakfast will ensure he¡¯s in a good mood for the rest of the day.¡±

    Qi Chenglin hugged her tightly and pinched her softly. ¡°Then what about me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and said quietly, ¡°You¡¯re alright living on your own previously, so you should have no problem now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin buried his face into the pit of her neck and sucked her skin forcibly. Then, he said with an attractive and husky voice, ¡°You¡¯re typical of that kind of woman who¡¯s not interested in men anymore once you have a son.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck felt numb and slightly painful after his strong suck. She held Qi Chenglin¡¯s face and pecked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m still interested in you, aren¡¯t I going to prepare breakfast for you too?¡±

    ¡°Are you acting stupid in front of me?¡± Qi Chenglin stared at her and smiled mockingly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen simply rested her forehead on her chest. After quite some time, she raised her head and kissed his lips. Then she said with great difficulty, ¡°I love you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was startled for a while. Suddenly, he did not know how he should respond when he saw her reddened face with a gorgeous smile.

    He chuckled and turned his body over to lie beside her, then he patted her bottom. ¡°Just go ahead.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt like she had found an effective way to deal with this guy. She kissed him again when she was getting up, then she hurriedly got out of bed and changed her clothes.

    She was frying eggs and ham steaks with a frying pan. The sound of the boiling oil was very appetizing.

    The door of the kitchen opened, but Ruan Danchen did not hear the door opening because it was covered by the noise of the boiling oil and exhaust hood. She turned her head when she heard someone gently called her. ¡°Aunt Ruan.¡±

    She saw the kitchen¡¯s door was slightly opened and Qi Youxuan¡¯s extended his head through the opening. He was still wearing his teddy bear pajamas.

    Ruan Danchen felt that he was too cute when she saw him. She walked toward him and said, ¡°Why do you wake up so early?¡±

    Qi Youxuan simply walked into the kitchen and closed the door. His little belly was bulging under his pajamas, he was grabbing the edge of his pajamas with his chubby little hands and said bashfully, ¡°Today is the first day of school, I couldn¡¯t sleep.¡±

    Ruan Danchen knew that the little boy was feeling nervous and looking forward to it at the same time.

    ¡°Go and wash your face and rinse your mouth first. Breakfast will be ready in a minute, I¡¯ll help you dress up properlyter.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was reassured when he heard her words, so he left the kitchen immediately.

    After a while when Qi Youxuan had washed his face and rinsed his mouth, Ruan Danchen already put the sandwiches that she made on the table. She added a piece of cheese between the hot egg and ham, and it melted instantly. The melted cheese adhered to the egg and ham and it made the sandwich smelled extremely appetizing.

    When Qi Youxuan almost finished his breakfast, Qi Chenglin came out of the room already dressed. Ruan Danchen was afraid that he would say something petty like she was not interested in men anymore since she had a son, so she hurriedly served him his breakfast.

    After Qi Youxuan finished eating, Ruan Danchen brought him to change into his uniform. The boys¡¯ uniform of Jixia Elementary School was a Zhongshan suit 1 . The suit was made ording to Qi Youxuan¡¯s body size and it was tiny. Qi Youxuan looked all too adorable in it.

    After changing, she brought him to the washroom and helped him styled his hair. His new hairstyle looked a little curly and messy.

    When they returned to the dining hall, Qi Chenglin had also finished his breakfast.

    Qi Youxuan was very nervous because this was his first day of school and he did not want to bete. He also nned to go earlier so that he could get acquainted with more ssmates. Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan had their breakfast but Ruan Danchen had not eaten anything yet; she was busy preparing breakfast and after preparing breakfast, even helping Qi Youxuan to put on his clothes. In the end, she could only take her breakfast with her to eat in the car.

    After they took their things, they went downstairs and Qi Chenglin got in the car. After Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan got in the car, Qi Chenglin did not start his car immediately. He rummaged through his car like he was finding something.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruan Danchen paused as she was about to have breakfast.

    ¡°I think I left my driver¡¯s license in the house.¡± Qi Chenglin frowned with a puzzled expression. ¡°I¡¯ll go back and take it.¡±

    ¡°Let me go,¡± said Ruan Danchen. She did not want him to rush back to the house again, so she passed her breakfast container to Qi Youxuan and went back to the house.

    After she was at the doorway, she saw something on the dining table which looked like his driver¡¯s license. Ruan Danchen felt puzzled because she did not see it on the table when she was leaving the house just now.

 Chapter 336 - It Is Stated on Your Driverâ€™s License, I Saw It Just Now

    <h4>Chapter 336: It Is Stated on Your Driver¡¯s License, I Saw It Just Now</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After she removed her shoes and walked to the dining table, Ruan Danchen took the tiny folder and opened it. Qi Chenglin¡¯s driver¡¯s license was indeed in the folder. She looked at his license as she walked out of the apartment, and she felt that Qi Chenglin looked very handsome in his license picture.

    Although his look in the picture was slightly different and less handsome than the actual person, it was much more good-looking than others¡¯ ID photos.

    She looked at the information printed below the photo and she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s birthday¡ªMay 22. Unexpectedly, that man¡¯s horoscope was Libra. No wonder he behaved so peculiarly sometimes.

    She found out that this month was his birth month, and she had to figure how to celebrate it as soon as possible.

    Ruan Danchen walked out of the door with Qi Chenglin¡¯s license and entered the elevator. She continued looking at his license since she had nothing else to do. Suddenly, she felt that it was unusual for him to leave his license on the dining table. He would often keep his license in his car, so why would it appear on the dining table this morning?

    ¡°...¡± Realization struck Ruan Danchen that he did not forget to take his license. Instead, he left his license on the dining table on purpose so that she would find out about his birthday.

    Seriously! He could have told her directly if he wanted a birthday celebration.

    Ruan Danchen got back in the car and gave him the license. Qi Chenglin took it with a cool expression without a word spoken. However, Ruan Danchen felt like his movements were quite pitiable as he kept away his license.

    Nevertheless, she would still celebrate his birthday with him no matter what, so Ruan Danchen said, ¡°Is this month your birth month?¡±

    With raised eyebrows, Qi Chenglin turned his head and asked in astonishment, ¡°How did you know?¡±

    Still acting!

    Ruan Danchen was speechless for a while before she said, ¡°It¡¯s stated on your driver¡¯s license, I saw it just now.¡±

    ¡°Mhm,¡± replied Qi Chenglin before he turned his head and continued driving. She was unsure whether she saw it wrong, but she thought that she saw his lips curled slightly upward. Although he still maintained a cool expression, she felt like he was delighted.

    Ruan Danchen took the sandwiches from the little boy. She ate the sandwich while taking out her phone to look at the calendar. ¡°May 22 happens to be a Sunday. Since there¡¯s no gathering at the old mansion, let¡¯s celebrate your birthday at home.¡±

    ¡°Mhm.¡± She heard Qi Chenglin replied to her faintly.

    ...

    ...

    Most of the students of Jixia School were from wealthy families and were sent to school by cars. The management of Jixia School considered that during the establishment of the school, hence a parking lot was built by utilizing a piece ofnd beside the school.

    Qi Chenglin parked his car in the parking lot before he got out of the car and brought Qi Youxuan to the school¡¯s entrance with Ruan Danchen. Parents were not permitted to enter the schoolpound unless activities were held in the school or during Open Day.

    When they were walking toward the entrance, they saw many children who were also new students. The boys were wearing Zhongshan suit whereas the girls were wearing blue blouses and ck skirts simr to the girls¡¯ school uniforms during the early years of the Republic of China.

    They stopped at the entrance. Qi Youxuan took out his Totoro kid¡¯s phone and used his chubby little hands to hold it. He was using the phone¡¯s screen as a mirror under the sunlight. After checking his appearance for a while, he raised his head and said, ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan, is my appearance okay?¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not feel like responding to him¡ªhis narcissistic behavior bored him.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him and reassured him, ¡°You look wonderful. I think you¡¯re the most handsome boy among all the boys we met during the walk here.¡±

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Qi Youxuan grinned so happily that the corner of his mouth almost touched his ears.

    ¡°You should get moving. Aren¡¯t you nning to make new friends?¡± urged Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Youxuan hurriedly looked at the clock and waved his adorable hand at them. ¡°Bye, Dad. Bye, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen waved at him too. When Qi Youxuan turned his body around and walked toward the entrance, he bumped into Dai Zhiyao who was attending Ji Xia School too.

    They stared at each other angrily because they were rivals in love. Qi Youxuan snorted rudely at him and looked away from him straight away. It was obvious that Qi Youxuan was ignoring him.

    ¡°...¡± Dai Zhiyao was speechless for quite some time before he turned his head and politely greeted Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. He called them Uncle and Aunt.

    Ruan Danchen had met him before when she fetched Qi Youxuan at the kindergarten previously, so she was familiar with him.

    She then saw the little boy waving at them again from far away. He met a few old ssmates from kindergarten and they were chatting happily as they walked together.

    Ruan Danchen felt quite sad and tears welled up in her eyes when she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s figure became smaller as he walked further away from her.

    Noticing that her mood had dropped all of a sudden, Qi Chenglin held her hand and lowered his head to ask, ¡°What happened to you? You were alright just a moment ago.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sniffed and held back her tears. She sobbed, ¡°I feel that he¡¯s growing up very quickly. Just now when I saw him walking toward the school, I feel that he¡¯ll be a grown-up soon and will be an independent man. He¡¯ll never depend on me and be so clingy like he is anymore. I truly hope that he¡¯d never grow up and could stay by my side forever. I¡¯m really afraid that after he grows up, we won¡¯t be so intimate anymore.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t think too much.¡± Qi Chenglin clutched her hands tightly. Qi Youxuan was already out of sight so he brought Ruan Danchen back to the car.

    He took out some tissues from the glovepartment and gave them to Ruan Danchen to wipe her tears. Then, he said, ¡°Why are you thinking so much now? Even if he grows up, has his own life and stops relying on us like he does now, that will only happen after many years. He¡¯s only a six-year-old kid now, he¡¯ll still be clingy and needs you to look after him. He still wants you to hug him while he¡¯s asleep and tell him bedtime stories. We still have to wait for at least seven to eight years before he reaches a rebellious age.¡±

    Qi Chenglin saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s gloomy face and sighed. He carried her to his seat and kissed the corner of her eyes, then he teased her with his deep and husky voice, ¡°Maybe we can give birth to another child if Youxuan stops being clingy in the future so that you still have his sisters and brothers to look after. The thing you regretted the most is that you missed the first six years of his life. You didn¡¯t have the chance to see him when he was still a baby. During that time, he had the cutest appearance throughout his life. We can give birth to another child and let you have the chance to witness it.¡±

    ¡°That child will be different from Youxuan,¡± said Ruan Danchen quietly, no longer saddened. She raised her head to look at Qi Chenglin, never anticipating that he had thought about having another child.

    Qi Chenglin was staring at her seriously with glowing eyes. ¡°I¡¯m serious,¡± he assured with his deep and mellow voice.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears turned red and numb. She buried her face into the pit of his neck like an ostrich hiding from its predator.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and hugged her for a while more. Then, he looked at the clock and said, ¡°Do you want to leave now? You¡¯re going to bete for work.¡±

    After he said that, Ruan Danchen hurriedly checked the time and asked Qi Chenglin to let go of her.

    Qi Chenglin pinched her softly and pecked her lips before letting go of her. He then started the car and drove to Chengshi.

    When Ruan Danchen entered her office, she was almostte.

    ...

    ...

    On May 22, it just so happened that Qi Chenglin had to work overtime at hispany because some clients from S City came for a meeting. When he was leaving for work, he was very unhappy because he nned to stay at home and see how Ruan Danchen prepared for his birthday celebration.

    ¡°Just go quickly, the meeting will finish earlier if you go earlier. If you can¡¯t make it at noon, then we can celebrate at night,¡± said Ruan Danchen at the doorway.

    Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan had stayed in her small apartment for such a long time. As a result, they were used to it and had stopped feeling that her apartment was too cramped.

    Qi Chenglin nced at her unhappily and suddenly said, ¡°I heard someone said that you were the one who gave Song Yu suggestions on how to celebrate Valentine¡¯s Day and the celebration made my brother very happy?¡±

    He did not know how exactly they celebrated it because Qi Chengzhi would never tell Qi Chenglin such intimate things, even though they were brothers.

    However, when he met Qi Chengzhi on the next day after Valentine¡¯s Day, Qi Chengzhi was rejuvenated, refreshed, and in a buoyant mood.

    Qi Chenglin did not think too much about it at that time, merely asking a little curiously when they were chatting, ¡°Did you enjoyed your Valentine¡¯s Day celebration yesterday?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ebony eyes were filled with happiness. He nced at Qi Chenglin delightedly and said proudly, ¡°Mhm, Song Yu put a lot of effort into it.¡±

    He found out it was Ruan Danchen¡¯s idea when Song Yu unintentionally told others about it.

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed when she recalled her idea.

    In fact, she gave Song Yu very bold suggestions because Song Yu was the one who would carry out her n, so she had no pressure at all.

    When Qi Chenglin mentioned it, Ruan Danchen knew that she would not dare to carry out her own ns.

    She heard Qi Chenglin asking again, ¡°What did you suggest Song Yu do actually?¡±

    ¡°Nothing special, stop asking. Anyway, I already have some ideas for your birthday.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and pushed him away. She then pulled his body toward her and stood on tiptoes to kiss him. As she could not reach his lips, she kissed his chin instead. ¡°Drive safe.¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at her quietly and lowered his head to whisper beside her ears with his deep and hoarse voice, ¡°I want a big present at night anyway.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed immediately as Qi Chenglin turned around his body and left.

    ...

    ...

    Since Qi Chenglin¡¯s birthday fell on a school holiday, Qi Youxuan slept in. He woke up at around ten o¡¯clock. Ruan Danchen prepared breakfast for her. After having breakfast, she told him that she was going to the supermarket to buy things for Qi Chenglin¡¯s birthday celebration. Qi Youxuan immediately said he wanted to follow her.

    He was more interested in supermarkets than in the yground now. There was so much delicious food sold there and he could shop the whole day. It was difficult to make him leave after he entered a supermarket.

    Qi Youxuan intended to ask Ruan Danchen to buy him more tasty food when Qi Chenglin was not around as she would not have the heart to refuse.

    Ruan Danchen agreed to bring him to the supermarket. When they were at the courtyard, they met Aunt Wu there who just came back from a grocery store and was dragging a small trolley filled with groceries. They greeted her.

    Aunt Wu was startled for a while when she saw Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan holding hands.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s neighbors had found out that Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan were staying at Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce, but Aunt Wu was curious why they were staying in Ruan Danchen¡¯s cramped apartment like some poor guys if the Qi family truly owned Qilin as Qi Youxuan imed in front of her.

    Although she saw Qi Chenglin drove his Benz every day, maybe he was just living beyond his means.

    She greeted Ruan Danchen and left without saying anything further.

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to a supermarket and bought the ingredients needed to cook a meal for Qi Chenglin. She also bought some junk food for Qi Youxuan. Of course, Ruan Danchen did not pamper him by purchasing everything that he asked for. She stopped buying things for him when she thought she had bought enough.

    Qi Youxuan was still in first grade now and the school had just started, so he did not have a great deal of homework. He was just idling at home today.

    After they came back home, he saw Ruan Danchen took out the ingredients that she bought online for making a cake from a cab. He put down his toy and ran toward her and stared at her curiously.

    Ruan Danchen exined, ¡°I¡¯m going to make a cake for your dad.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it,¡± said Qi Youxuan. His eyes were still staring at the heap of fresh fruits and canned fruits continuously.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile. She took a bowl and put all the fresh fruits and canned fruits into the bowl together and gave it to Qi Youxuan. Then, she let him taste one spoon of the cake that she was baking. ¡°Here you go.¡±

    The cake was being baked in the oven. Ruan Danchen was stirring the butter with an electronic egg beater, Qi Youxuan observing her actions by her side. After she finished stirring the butter, he could not help but extend his little arm to take some of the butter with his fingertips and put it into his mouth now and then. He narrowed his eyes delightedly due to the fragrant, sweet taste and the smooth texture of the butter.

    After the cake was baked and cooled, she started decorating it with Qi Youxuan.

    After thinking for a while, Qi Youxuan used a pastry bag filled with chocte paste to draw three tiny people on the cake. It looked like a piece of abstract art as he only drew a few simple lines. Ruan Danchen could barely discern the appearance of three people from his drawing. One of the people had two straight lines at each side of the person¡¯s somewhat elongated head, so Ruan Danchen guessed that person was a woman.

    Then, he drew three chocte dots on the face which represented the person¡¯s eyes and mouth.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt that Qi Youxuan had many excellent qualities, but he was certainly not artistically talented.

    Ruan Danchen could guess that he was drawing Qi Chenglin and her without needing him to tell her. The four crooked lines which were joined together represented them holding his tiny hands.

    Ruan Danchen was touched and she stroked his tiny head. She could im that Qi Youxuan also helped with baking the cake because she let Qi Youxuanplete the decoration of the cake even if it might not look all too charming in the end.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin had lunch with his clients at noon. After they left Shengyue, his clients wanted to go to another ce for some drinks, so Qi Chenglin asked Jiang Yuan to keep thempany.

    ¡°Director Qi, let¡¯s go together,¡± said one of his clients with a grin.

    ¡°I¡¯m very sorry, today¡¯s a special day because it¡¯s my birthday. My family is waiting for me at home,¡± said Qi Chenglin nonchntly.

    ¡°Really? Happy birthday, Director Qi. We don¡¯t know about it, we won¡¯t ask you to apany us. Do return now,¡± said the client hurriedly.

    Qi Chenglin nodded and asked Jiang Yuan to apany them. He drove back to Prestige Residences.

    He did not drink any alcohol at noon because his clients dared not force him to drink.

    ...

    ...

    It was already three o¡¯clock when he reached Prestige Residences. Ruan Danchen kept his cake in the refrigerator.

    Qi Chenglin felt genuinely at peace as he entered the house. He was used to staying here so he did not feel that the house was small anymore. He thought that it was heart-warming for them to live in a cramped house as a family.

    Ruan Danchen was taking an afternoon nap with Qi Youxuan. She woke up when she heard Qi Chenglin opened the door.

    She nced at Qi Youxuan, the little boy still sleeping soundly. The skin of his little face was rosy and his eyshes looked so long when he closed his eyes.

    She got out of bed quietly. She saw Qi Chenglin changing his shoes the moment she walked out of her room.

    Qi Chenglin saw her half-awake face with a pair of drowsy eyes. After Qi Chenglin changed into a pair of slippers, he extended his arms to embrace her and kissed her especially soft lips because she just woke up.

    ¡°You were sleeping?¡± asked Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking an afternoon nap with Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed. She noticed that he did not smell of alcohol. ¡°You didn¡¯t drink any alcohol?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you all going to celebrate my birthday?¡± Qi Chenglin still remembered. ¡°I don¡¯t want my body to smell like alcohol.¡±

    ¡°Go and get some rest first, I¡¯ll cook dinner in a while,¡± said Run Danchen.

    ¡°What did you prepare?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows. He could not stop wondering about it throughout the day.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you at night,¡± said Ruan Danchen but Qi Chenglin already dragged her into the bedroom.

    The moment he closed the door, he pressed his body against her until her back touched the door. His usual honorable face was now smiling wickedly as he pressed his body against her forcibly. ¡°At night?¡±

    His lips curled into a sexy curve and he kissed her lips. ¡°What surprises are you giving me at night?¡±

    ¡°Please talk properly, it¡¯s not what you think it is.¡± Ruan Danchen was blushing.

    ¡°What did I say? I was just asking how you will celebrate my birthday at night?¡± said Qi Chenglin as he resisted the temptation to smile.

    Ruan Danchen did not believe that Qi Chenglin was thinking that only, ring at him unhappily. Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.

    Then, they heard Qi Youxuan talking outside. ¡°Aunt Ruan, what are you doing? I saw an extra pair of shoes at the doorway, is Dad home?¡±

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly tried to push him away but Qi Chenglin refused to let go of her, even kissing her lips straight away.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head sideways so that she could talk, but Qi Chenglin conveniently started to kiss her neck as she turned her head after he rubbed his blisteringly hot and tender lips against her lips.

    Ruan Danchen trembled as her skin was feeling extremely numb after being kissed by him.

    She saw that Qi Chenglin did not intend to reply to Qi Youxuan, so she could only try hard to maintain a steady voice and said, ¡°Mhm, he just came back. He¡¯s changing his clothes now.¡±

    As she was talking, Qi Chenglin suddenly retreated and stopped kissing her.

    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Qi Youxuan and he walked away to do something else.

    Ruan Danchen heaved a sigh of relief. When she looked at Qi Chenglin, she found out that he had removed his shirt in such a short while. His muscr upper body was revealed and he was taking off his pants.

    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± asked Ruan Danchen with a reddened face as she opened her eyes wide.

    ¡°I¡¯m changing clothes, isn¡¯t that what you told him?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s pants dropped to the floor as he talked.

    He was just wearing a pair of underpants now. He had broad shoulders and slim bottoms, his six-pack very distinct and firm. He had a pair of long legs that looked straight and powerful. His sexy physique was extremely masculine.

    Ruan Danchen felt that even male underwear models were not as attractive as him. She could see his underpants were filled with something eye-catching.

    She blushed furiously and her heart was beating rapidly. She really wanted to throw herself at him and tear off thatst piece of cloth!

    Ruan Danchen dared not stay in the room any longer because this guy was exceptional in seducing her. She turned around and opened the door and ran out of the room.

    Qi Chenglin did not stop her. He smiled involuntarily and changed into leisurewear.

    After she ran out of the bedroom, Ruan Danchen went into the washroom and used her hands to fan her face as she looked in the mirror. She was very embarrassed when she recalled that she almost failed to get out of the room. If she stayed for a while more, she would throw herself at Qi Chenglin even if he did not take the initiative.

    She looked in the mirror and stuck out her tongue in disdain. ¡°So horny!¡±

    After she calmed down a little, she went to the kitchen and drank arge ss of cool water. Then, she started to prepare dinner.

    The sky had turned dark by the time she finished cooking dinner.

    Ruan Danchen asked Qi Youxuan to ask Qi Chenglin toe to the dining hall, who then came and sat at the dining table. It felt inharmonious as he sat in her cramped dining hall with his proud expression.

 Chapter 337 - Youâ€™re Willing To Do So With Others, But Why Not With Me?

    Chapter 337: You¡¯re Willing To Do So With Others, But Why Not With Me?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan sat opposite Qi Chenglin, and the duo stared at each other at the dining table.

    Ruan Danchen turned off the lights in the living room, the room swallowed by the encroaching darkness. She returned to the kitchen and lit the candles on the birthday cake before serving it to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Youxuan and I made this together. I baked the cake and Youxuan decorated it with creamy designs and fruits,¡± Ruan Danchen exined and sat beside Qi Youxuan. The duo stared at Qi Chenglin with anticipation and anxiety.

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at the two of them, admiring the simrity in their facial features. The candlelight entuated the innocence and honesty in Qi Youxuan¡¯s big, round eyes, all too identical to Ruan Danchen¡¯s.

    Warmth coursed through his heart. He closed his eyes as though making a wish and blew out the candlelights.

    Ruan Danchen then turned on the lights and served the dishes. Sitting back down, she spoke sheepishly, ¡°It may not be a grand celebration with no special surprises, but this is the first time I¡¯m celebrating birthdays with you and Youxuan. I want us to celebrate birthdays at home, it¡¯s cozy and warm that way.¡±

    ¡°This is good enough. To be honest, it¡¯s been a long time since Ist celebrated birthdays. I don¡¯t need any surprises, this is good enough for me.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze on Ruan Danchen was soft and gentle.

    Guan Liya probably felt unnecessary to celebrate Qi Chenglin¡¯s birthday as he became more mature. Moreover, he really did not bother about birthdays.

    He only wished that Ruan Danchen would remember every asion rted to him as they now shared a special rtionship. He did not need a grand or special celebration¡ªit was more than enough if she could just remember his own birthday.

    He truly felt that the three of them celebrating birthdays cozily at home was better than the most grand celebration in the world.

    Being the birthday boy, Qi Chenglin made the first cut on the cake before cutting out a small piece to Qi Youxuan.

    Surprisingly, Qi Youxuan did not gobbled down the piece of cake even though he appeared gluttonous at that moment.

    Qi Chenglin served another piece of cake to Ruan Danchen before cutting a small piece for himself. Eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness, Qi Youxuan stared at him. ¡°Dad, have a taste.¡±

    Even though Qi Youxuan merely ced all the ingredients and decorative items pre-prepared by Ruan Danchen on the cake, he felt that at least he had his fair share as if he baked the cake himself.

    Qi Chenglin nodded after tasting the cake. ¡°Delicious.¡±

    Qi Youxuan let out a sigh of relief. He rxed and started munching on the food.

    Qi Chenglin felt Qi Youxuan was not his usual self after staying with Ruan Danchen.

    Even though he was cheerful all these while, his attitude seemed to have changed for the better.

    ...

    ...

    The designing and refurbishment of Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan¡¯s bedrooms along with the kid¡¯s toy room in Prestige Residences took approximately two months time. The entire process finished in October, and what was left now was the elimination of paint smell. The best guess was that they could move back in during November.

    Song Yu reported back to work at Chengshi after her maternity leave in October. Surprisingly, Yang Yunshu did not cause troubles to Ruan Danchen this month, probably due to Song Yu¡¯s presence.

    They would just ignore each other¡¯s presence, not greeting despite passing by each other. However, Ruan Danchen did not bother about this¡ªat least she felt happy to be able to chat with Song Yu during work.

    Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan would apany her when she returned home after work. If Qi Chenglin¡¯s identity was disregarded, this was the life Ruan Danchen desired the most.

    However, Song Yu quit her job after one month and stayed at home, waiting for the birth of her baby.

    Qi Chenglin came to fetch Ruan Danchen back to Chengshi after her lunch with Song Yu.

    Ruan Danchen returned to her office and took a peek at the table beside hers unconsciously. Song Yu packed up all her personal belongings so the table was empty, and the desktop was turned off too.

    Yang Yunshu just came out of the resting area. This time she was unsure to whom she gossiped with again.

    She took a nce at Song Yu¡¯s now-empty workce and smiled coldly. ¡°Are you feeling upset now since you lost all possible support in thepany after Song Yu quit her job?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not feel like arguing with her, so she inhaled deeply and replied with a t tone, ¡°Find someone else to y with if you¡¯re bored. I don¡¯t have spare time for you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then sat down and started working on her desktop, ignoring Yang Yunshu.

    Yang Yunshu mocked and her lips curled into a cold smile. Surprisingly, she did not argue with Ruan Danchen and went back to her seat, continuing her work.

    ...

    ...

    The first week was uneventful, peaceful and quiet. On the second week, Ruan Danchen had an appointment with Xu Haode, a financial manager from Huanghua Property.

    Huanghua Property was bidding on and for the establishment ofmercial housings. Thend itself was decently sized, thus the scale of thepound would be limited¡ªaround ten high-rise residential buildings in total. Even though the bidding result was not announced yet, there had been rumors that Huanghua Property was quite certain that thisnd would be theirs. They were just standing on ceremony with the bidding process since they were using a closed bidding system this time.

    Thus, Huanghua Property seized every minute and made every minute count. They started discussing with every possible designpany instead of waiting patiently for the bidding result. They would choose thepany which provided the best design and refurbishment proposal.

    Naturally, Ruan Danchen participated in thepetition to try and seize the opportunity. Even though thepound was not huge, it was still a business opportunity. Back in the day, she would have passed on this kind of small-scale projects without hesitation.

    She had an appointment with Xu Haode at Shengyue. Whenever she had a business discussion with a male client, she would always book a ce at the dining hall to avert any cmity. She could not be too careful even when the other person involved was only nning for a simple business discussion¡ªthat way she could avoid any potential rumors from spreading.

    However, Xu Haode insisted for the discussion to be held in a private dining room with the reason of noisy environment in the dining hall. Ruan Danchen tried to reject his suggestion indirectly but this induced annoyance in Xu Haode. He reasoned that it would be fine if she gave up on this job opportunity as it was a simple job discussion, but if she insisted on causing trouble, did she mean that she did not trust his personality?

    If this issue was made public and Xu Haode lost his reputation, how was he going to continue on his work?

    Ruan Danchen could not disagree with his suggestion as she really wanted to seize this job opportunity. After all, Huanghua Property was one of the fewpanies who was willing to give her a chance to prove herself.

    The waiter led Ruan Danchen to the private dining room when she arrived at Shengyue and waited patiently for Xu Haode who would be reaching shortly after her.

    The door to the private dining room opened a quarter-hourter. A man in his forties with an average build and well-shaped facial features stood at the doorstep. Overall, there was nothing special about this man who just walked into the room.

    Ruan Danchen stood up and greeted politely, ¡°Manager Xu.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha. Let¡¯s not stand on ceremony here, Miss Ruan. Come, let¡¯s have a seat,¡± Xu Haode walked over with a smile. There was a big, round table in the center of the private dining room, and he chose to sit beside Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Manager Xu, I had coboration with yourpany before, I¡ª¡± Xu Haode then interrupted Ruan Danchen¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, let¡¯s order for food first before continuing our talk in business,¡± Xu Haode interjected with a smile. He ordered quite a number of dishes and wanted to order alcoholic beverage too. ¡°Miss Ruan, which kind of alcohol do you prefer? I suggest wine fordies, will that be alright for you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips curled into a polite smile and said, ¡°I have to get back to work in the evening. I don¡¯t think my boss will be pleased if I went back to work reeking of alcohol.¡±

    Xu Haode ignored Ruan Danchen and waved to the waiter. ¡°I¡¯ll get a wine please, the one which costs one thousand four hundred and eighty Yuan.¡±

    Then he turned towards Ruan Danchen with a smile, drawing near to her as he spoke. ¡°This meal is on me. It¡¯d be a shame if I ask a youngdy like you to pay for this.¡±

    Ruan Danchen became stiff and she could hardly maintain the smile any longer as the situation became increasingly ufortable. She tried to move further from Xu Haode without making it too obvious in the waiter¡¯s presence.

    However, Xu Haode wrapped his arm around Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder unexpectedly and leaned himself forward, his face almost resting on her shoulder right after the waiter left the room. The tobo stench in his mouth assaulted her nostrils during his speech.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, Miss Ruan. Ask your boss to call me if he scolds you, I¡¯ll tell him it¡¯s my request. We should drink some wine since we¡¯re out now. It¡¯s happier that way.¡± Xu Haode¡¯s hand that was initially on her shoulder slipped downwards gradually during his speech. He rested his hand on her waist, attempting to go further downwards.

    Ruan Danchen was shocked and she stood up immediately. She then distanced herself from Xu Haode by shifting to the empty seat next to her.

    Ruan Danchen got away just in time as Xu Haode lunged at where she originally sat.

    ¡°Manager Xu, I¡¯m here to discuss about the proposal, so it¡¯s unwise to have alcoholic beverage now,¡± reminded Ruan Danchen with hardened expression.

    Xu Haode sat up straight. He was smiling a little, a smile with a twist to it¡ªthe smile one wore in annoyance. ¡°Miss Ruan, don¡¯t disappoint me, we should have fun when we¡¯re having meals outside. There were rumors saying that you were good at drinking. Since you can drink with others, why can¡¯t you do it with me now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept her back straight, getting prepared to run out of the room. ¡°Manager Xu, I hope you¡¯re viewing me in a professional manner. With all due respect, my sole purpose ofing here was to discuss regarding the project¡ª¡±

    ¡°Am I not doing this? We will discuss about the projectter. Miss Ruan, I¡¯ve heard about your ¡®professionalism¡¯ during work discussion, I hope you¡¯ll treat me with the same ¡®professionalism¡¯ too.¡± Xu Haode smirked. He sat closer to Ruan Danchen and held her hand.

    Ruan Danchen felt that there was a hidden message behind his statement. Xu Haode massaged her hands and gave up hiding the creepy, pervert look in his eyes. ¡°Miss Ruan,e to think of it, you were so beautiful and appeared especially cute since I first saw you. You made my heart itch, touch it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Xu Haode put Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand on his precordium without asking for her permission.

    His action disgusted Ruan Danchen and nearly made her vomited. She knew only too well that she would not be able to get this job opportunity, so she stood up abruptly and pulled her hand back with all her might.

    ¡°Manager Xu, please behave yourself. I believe this business opportunity with Huanghua is considered a failure. I don¡¯t care what you¡¯re trying to imply but sorry, I don¡¯t use whatever method you have in your mind for business discussion. All the work I¡¯ve done were all based on my skills and potentials. If the client chose not to use my proposal, then it¡¯d be due to myck of skill, and I won¡¯t win over any projects using disgraceful methods,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s tone was cold and t. Her face reddened after his insult and she tried desperately to contain her tears.

    Xu Haode stood up, his face appeared ferocious and hideous. ¡°You¡¯re willing to do so with others, but why not with me? Why are you pretending to be chaste? God knows how many times you¡¯ve had sex with them for your previous projects!¡±

    Xu Haode knocked the chair and charged towards Ruan Danchen. ¡°Miss Ruan, I¡¯ve known you all too well, so why are you even trying to pretend? Let¡¯s be honest here. If you make me happy, then this project is yours. Didn¡¯t you do the same for all other projects too?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I think this was a misunderstanding. I¡¯ve never done such actions before.¡± Ruan Danchen held on to the slight calmness inside her and said before opening the door.

    Just when her hand was about to reach the doorknob, Xu Haode grabbed her arm from behind and pulled her back. His face was wild like a barbarian when he eximed. ¡°Ruan Danchen, I gave you a chance so stop making yourself an embarrassment, or else don¡¯t even think about getting projects from Huanghua ever again! If you served me well this afternoon, not only that this project will be yours, I¡¯ll give you every project avable in Huanghua. Since you can provide special privilege to others, you can provide the same to me too, so don¡¯t even try to pretend that you¡¯re chaste unless...you¡¯re actually despising me? Do you think my position was unworthy of your special privilege?¡±

    He tried to pull Ruan Danchen into his embosom as he spoke.

    Ruan Danchen was exasperated and yelled, ¡°Xu Haode, are you out of your mind? Let go of me! I don¡¯t care where you heard all these nonsense, but I never provide such special privilege! I don¡¯t want any projects from Huanghua anymore!¡±

    Xu Haode confirmed his suspicion that Ruan Danchen looked down on him as she did not want to give him the special treatment.

    Burning rage hissed through Ruan Danchen¡¯s body, screeching a demanded release in the form of unwanted violence. Sheshed out at his face without hesitation when she was about to fall into his embrace, which identally caught his eye in the process.

    Xu Haode released his grip due to the intense pain in his eyes which were now teary after the assault.

    He cried out in pain and grimaced, pressing on the eye that was injured. His menacing eyes were a zing red as his hand cracked across Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheek. Then, with an aggressive tone, he roared, ¡°B*tch! All the staff in yourpany knew you had sex with your clients in exchange for projects, stop pretending now!¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s head was snapped backward with the force of his blow and the pain she felt had an unpleasant warmth to it.

    Her eyes glowed red as she stared at him and hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Who fed these nonsense to you? Is it Yang Yunshu? Xu Haode, just wait for yourint letter. If yourpany found out regarding your attempt in demanding sex in return for giving me business project and physically vited me when your attempt had failed, let¡¯s see how you¡¯ll survive then.¡±

    Xu Haode was stunned upon hearing her statement.

    He did not expect such strong resistance from Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen quickly escaped the room when Xu Haode¡¯s mind went nk. Her nervous system was fired up when she faced Xu Haode in fear that he might force her into coption.

    Ruan Danchen let out a sigh of relief after her escape, but soon the relief was followed by a great sense of mortification. Tears started welling up in her red-rimmed eyes, and they burst forth like water from a dam, spilling down her face.

    Ruan Danchen trembled with wrath. She did not want to cry in public but she just could not hold it.

    Yang Yunshu went a bit too far in her bullying!

    Ruan Danchen had heard rumors spreading in thepany. One would know who started and spread the rumors by thinking with the foot, since this was not the first time Yang Yunshu used her in her presence.

    Still, she did not expect that she would go this far and affected her job.

    Ruan Danchen rushed off with her head lowered, and identally ran into someone else.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± she mumbled without lifting her head, attempting to run away again.

    The floodgate was failing as she struggled to contain her tears, and she could not even make a statement clearly. The apology she just uttered was mixed with a sobbing tone.

    However, the other person she ran into did not n to let her go. Suddenly, her shoulders were held firmly and a familiar voice traveled to her ears. ¡°Miss Ruan?¡±

    Petrified on the spot, Ruan Danchen did not lift her gaze as her look was not appealing due to tears.

    Xu Haode reached the door with an obvious palm mark on his face. He was stunned upon noticing Mu Huaisheng and mmed the door in their faces, returning to the private dining room.

    Mu Huaisheng frowned and lifted Ruan Danchen¡¯s face up with a stony expression. He noticed the tears made wet tracks down her face and dripped from her chin, and one side of her face was red and swollen from the p.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Mu Huaisheng questioned monotonically.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hair was messy after themotion. There was an obvious palm mark on her cheek and her eyes were red from the constant crying.

    Ruan Danchen quickly shook his hand off and took two steps back before noticing that Mu Huaisheng did note alone.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for business discussion,¡± Mu Huaisheng exined.

    Ruan Danchen nodded and was about to leave when Mu Huaisheng stopped her in her path. ¡°Hold on, I can¡¯t let you leave alone in this condition. I¡¯ll ask someone to send you back.¡±

    Mu Huaisheng turned towards his assistant, Chen Zhengming and said, ¡°Send Miss Ruan to wherever she wants.¡±

 Chapter 338 - The Guilty Party Files The Suit

    Chapter 338: The Guilty Party Files The Suit

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Ruan Danchen did not reject his offer as it was difficult to hail a taxi at this hour. Moreover, it was inappropriate to wait at the roadside for a taxi with her current appearance.

    Mu Huaisheng gave her a nod before Cheng Zhengming led Ruan Danchen to the car.

    Mu Huaisheng then apologized to his client. ¡°Sorry, she¡¯s a friend.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can understand.¡± His client nodded. Both of them noticed Xu Haode returned to his room aftering out, and they figured Ruan Danchen got the short end of the stick from Xu Haode just now.

    They understood what she just went through.

    ...

    ...

    Chen Zhengming and Ruan Danchen met a woman on their way down the staircase leading out of Shengyue.

    Shen Zhijing.

    Ruan Danchen recognized her even though it had been seven years since shest saw Shen Zhijing.

    Ruan Danchen knew Shen Zhijing worked as a general manager in a propertypany under the Shen family. Shen Zhijing turned thirty-one years old this year, currently unmarried and not engaged as well. She knew this when shest called Liu Ronghua.

    The effect of dissolving an engagement by the Qi family remained after all these years. Shen Zhijing¡¯s pregnancy was a fraud and she disappeared into thin air after themotion, which brought a disastrous effect on her reputation. No family dared to let Shen Zhijing be their daughter-inw.

    The Qi family disallowed any form of contact with the Shen family after the incident. Even though the Qi family did not confront the Shen family directly, they refused all possible business cooperation with the Shen family. The Qi family would not invite the Shen family for any of their banquets, and if other families invited the Shen family for their respective banquet, the Qi family refused to attend no matter how reputed the organizer was.

    Thus, none would offend the Qi family for the Shen family, and eventually none would invite the Shen family to any banquet that the Qi family would attend. The problem was that the Qi family was invited to nearly all the banquets. Thus, the consequence was that the Shen family was almost kicked out of this social circle.

    However, there was no permanent friend or foe in the business field. Business would go on as usual despite the damaged reputation.

    Now, Shen Zhijing was apanied by a client whom Ruan Danchen recognized as the person in charge of thend bidding in Chengxi. She knew the person in charge as he once had a business discussion with Song Yust time.

    Shen Zhijing was stunned when she saw Ruan Danchen. She squinted and stared coldly at Ruan Danchen, never expecting to meet Ruan Danchen again in B City after seven years.

    Shen Zhijing was expecting Ruan Danchen had already run off and hid in some deserted ce.

    Shen Zhijing shifted her gaze to Chen Zhengming. She was familiar with Mu Huaisheng and his assistant, Chen Zhengming since MU had quite a good reputation in B City.

    Chen Zhengming nodded slightly and greeted, ¡°Miss Shen.¡±

    Shen Zhijing returned the nod and asked, ¡°Came for business discussion?¡±

    Chen Zhengming remained silent and gave a slight nod in response to her question. He was smart enough to avoid causing trouble to any matters rted to Mu Huaisheng.

    Shen Zhijing nced at Ruan Danchen coldly and with her chin lifted high, she entered the restaurant.

    ...

    ...

    Chen Zhengming fetched Ruan Danchen to Chengshi as she requested.

    Anger and rage from the humiliation were burning intensely inside her, and she held her tears back when she reached Chengshi.

    She held her head down along the way and suddenly, a pack of tissues appeared before her eyes. Ruan Danchen thanked Chen Zhengming before epting the tissue and wiped the tears off her cheek.

    She muttered her gratitude to Chen Zhengming again before getting out of the car.

    Chen Zhengming called Mu Huaisheng stating that Ruan Danchen had reached her destination after she entered the office building.

    Ruan Danchen rushed into the design department with reddened eyes. She even ignored Wu Min¡¯s greeting when she hurried toward Yang Yunshu¡¯s desk.

    It was still lunch hour when Yang Yunshu surfed the inte to shop for new clothes. She lifted her head slowly when she noticed that someone was approaching her.

    She smirked upon realizing that someone was Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth and grabbed onto Yang Yunshu¡¯s hair suddenly, yanking it backward.

    ¡°Ouch! Ruan Danchen, what are you doing?¡± A sudden gush of pain jolted through Yang Yunshu¡¯s scalp as Ruan Danchen pulled her hair with all her might. ¡°Ruan Danchen, are you out of your mind? Let me go!¡±

    Yang Yunshu held onto her hair to protect her scalp and tried to release them from Ruan Danchen¡¯s grip.

    To be honest, Ruan Danchen did not have the strength of an ox and she could not have possibly pulled her away. When Yang Yunshu fell out of her seat, Ruan Danchen released her grip and connected her hand with Yang Yunshu¡¯s cheek.

    Ruan Danchen was exasperated at Yang Yunshu, so she did not hold her strength back and pped Yang Yunshu with all her might. Her palm felt painful and itchy after the strike.

    Yang Yunshu was unstable in her gait when Ruan Danchen yanked her out of her seat, and she wore high heels to work, so inevitably she stumbled and dropped to the ground after getting pped on the face.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, you want a fight? You got it now!¡± Yang Yunshu¡¯s raw voice was brutal against Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears. She looked like a psychopath who just came out of a mental hospital with her messy hair. Yang Yunshu got up from the floor and pounced at Ruan Danchen.

    Yang Yunshu wanted to grab Ruan Danchen¡¯s hair but her movement was far too slow. Ruan Danchen parried her arm and responded with another p on Yang Yunshu¡¯s face.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, you lunatic!¡± Yang Yunshu was in wrath as her hair was pulled and she just got pped twice.

    The colleagues around them were unable to withstand the situation and broke up the fight between the duo.

    ¡°Stop fighting. Can you guys just calm down and have a peaceful discussion?¡± Senior Juan yelled in annoyance. All of them were colleagues but now they were wreaking havoc in the office. This was outrageous!

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me this, tell Ruan Danchen! She came here striking me without warnings. Maniac! Ruan Danchen, did I provoke you before? Can you be reasonable?¡± Yang Yunshu eximed as her face reddened with anger and veins popped out of her neck.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes glimmered with watery tears of rage as she was pulled backward by her colleagues. ¡°You don¡¯t know what you just did? Since I don¡¯t have any projects now, you spread rumors about me having sex with clients to get their projects. Do you really think I don¡¯t know who started this rumor?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stared at her colleagues. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys know? Even so, you guys helped spread it and talked behind my back.¡±

    All her colleagues, including Senior Juan, felt embarrassed and awkward.

    ¡°I tolerated your nonsense and avoided any form of arguments with you in the office. I¡¯ve never done such disgraceful matters before so I can face you with a clear conscience. I did my job honestly with a low profile, and I won¡¯t entrap others for my own benefits even if I don¡¯t have much achievement. It was bad enough that this scious gossip got passed around with indecent efficiency in thepany, but you have to spread it out to themunity. You tried to bring harm to my reputation without doing yourself any good. Do you feel disgusted at your actions?¡±

    ¡°Which eyes of yours saw me creating rumors about you? You¡¯re the one who tried to me me at the current moment. Do you realize this is defamation if you don¡¯t have any evidence to prove your statement? Do you think you¡¯re being reasonable to harm me physically without any warning? You dared to perform such actions and you think it was unreasonable for us toment on it?¡± Yang Yunshu refused to admit to Ruan Danchen¡¯sint.

    ¡°What¡¯s all this bickering about?¡± Manager Xu came out after being awakened from his sweet nap in his office.

    Wu Min announced at this moment. ¡°Director Zhao and Madam Zhao are here.¡±

    Director Zhao and Madam Zhao arrived shortly after the announcement.

    Madam Zhao¡¯s stare was lethal and piercing on the fighting duo, then her gaze fixated on Yang Yunshu. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Ruan Danchen was being unreasonable. She came here and hit me without saying anything,¡± Yang Yunshu covered her face and sobbed.

    Madam Zhao frowned and pursed her lips in anger. She took a nce at Ruan Danchen and said, ¡°Ruan Danchen,e to my office.¡±

    Ruan Danchen remained silent, but the sight of Yang Yunshu burying her face between her hands in pain brought a cold smile on her face. She contained all her wrath and followed Director Zhao and Madam Zhao back to their office.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Just now Manager Xu from Huanghua called us to file aint. He mentioned about you trying to get projects in an unscrupulous way, that you¡¯re willing to let him do whatever he wants on you if he gives you the project?¡± Madam Zhao asked in disbelief and red at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes widened in response to the question as she did not expect Xu Haode to frame her on this. However, she understood his intention¡ªthe guilty party filed the suit. Since she mentioned on her intention to file aint on Xu Haode¡¯s behavior before she left Shengyue, Xu Haode probably got scared of the consequences and wanted tounch a counterattack.

    Ruan Danchen clenched her fists tightly. Regret washed over her as she realized her action was a little too impetuous and gave Xu Haode a chance to frame her in advance.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t, Xu Haode¡¯s lying! It was him who overheard from someone else saying that I¡¯d sell my body off for work. He touched me during work and even told me that the project is mine in exchange for my body. Naturally, I refused him but I was being too impulsive at that time. I told him regarding my intention toin about his behavior and gave him a chance to file aint against me in advance,¡± Ruan Danchen said angrily.

    Madam Zhao pursed her lips and let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Xu Haode had a good reputation and he had been cooperating with Chengshi for a long time. It was uneventful since then, but why all of a sudden this issue arises in your presence? Nheless, there are rumors spreading in thepany regarding your unscrupulous act to gain projects since your cases are reducing.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath before replying in a t tone. ¡°Madam, are you using me? I can¡¯t say that my designs were outstanding since I started working in Chengshi, but at least I followed strictly on the rules and regtions of thepany and didn¡¯t use any dishonest methods to ask for projects. I¡¯m well aware of the rumors spreading in thepany and I know who was the culprit starting it. I was framed, and I hope Director Zhao and Madam Zhao could investigate further before deciding on the final judgment.¡±

    Madam Zhao squinted and rxed her pursing lips. ¡°Judging from the situation just now, you meant Yang Yunshu, right? Ruan Danchen, you said Yang Yunshu framed you, and now you¡¯re going to me on Xu Haode too?¡±

    ¡°Are you implying that everything¡¯s my fault?¡± Ruan Danchen tried desperately to stabilize her trembling voice.

    ¡°Naturally, we¡¯d think this way since all the evidence points to you,¡± Madam Zhao answered calmly.

    ¡°Director Zhao, you understood thepany¡¯s situation, and you¡¯re well aware of the reason why Yang Yunshu was transferred initially. Do you believe her moral quality?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in rage.

    Director Zhao sighed before answering her question. ¡°Xiao Ruan, Yang Yunshu isn¡¯t a good person but she isn¡¯t too bad either. On the other hand, it¡¯s a fact that you¡¯recking in cases and projects now.¡±

    ¡°Is this the reason why you think I¡¯d have sex with my clients in exchange for cases?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in disbelief. She did not know what was the most appropriate response for their assumptions amid her exasperation.

    Ruan Danchen had sealed her emotions within a wall but brick by brick, her wall came tumbling down as tears started welling up in her eyes.

    Madam Zhao took a nce at Director Zhao before shifting her cold gaze back to Ruan Danchen. ¡°I don¡¯t care what the truth is, but we have to deal with theint Xu Haode filed.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± a disheartened Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°How about this; I¡¯m going to give you a few days of unpaid leaves and you¡¯ll return to work afterward. This punishment is the least severe for you,¡± Director Zhao answered helplessly after pretending to give this some thought.

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you have suggested the exchange to Xu Haode or not, or if you performed such unscrupulous act before. My only advice was for you to introspect at home these few days. We¡¯ll let the past stay in the past after you returned to work, but I hope that you¡¯ll continue your job with absolute honesty. I don¡¯t want to hear any rumors about you again,¡± Madam Zhao said coldly.

    Director Zhao and Madam Zhao were ying good cop and bad cop with Ruan Danchen at that moment.

    ¡°You meant to say I actually did those disgraceful things before? When I said I didn¡¯t do it, it means I didn¡¯t do it at all. This was a disgrace to my reputation and I won¡¯t sell my body for a mere project. You med me for everything but you didn¡¯t deal with the real problem. You didn¡¯t take any action when Yang Yunshu spread nonsense about me and made the wholepany gloomy, and now you put all those on me?¡± Ruan Danchen questioned out of rage.

    Director Zhao¡¯s face paled with annoyance but he contained his rage as Ruan Danchen was Song Yu¡¯s friend. ¡°Xiao Ruan, we¡¯ve decided on your punishment. If you¡¯re genuinely innocent, then none of the rumors will actually spread. Yang Yunshu doesn¡¯t have any power to let this gossip spread inside thepany. You choose not to introspect yourself and insist on ming others now that the rumors are flying thick in thepany. Why did Yang Yunshu me you and not others? Shouldn¡¯t you introspect yourself?¡±

    Director Zhao sighed before continuing, ¡°You must understand that we have to deal with this matter officially since a client just filed aint against you directly. It doesn¡¯t help that you don¡¯t have much work to do, since your cases are so less. To be honest, this is uneptable in anypany, but I chose to turn a blind eye on this for a couple of months now and even let you stay in thispany. I only gave you unpaid leaves in response to theint against you now. Xiao Ruan, please realize that I¡¯m being kind to you now.¡±

    ¡°In any case, I hope you can behave and won¡¯t let us down. We would¡¯ve fired him if it was someone else,¡± said Madam Zhao.

    ¡°You want me to resign, right? Even if I want to resign, I¡¯ll resign when the truth is revealed. I was framed, I can¡¯t resign as a scapegoat! I¡¯ll only resign when the timees. I won¡¯t upy any space inside thepany and continue to be an encumbrance to thepany,¡± Ruan Danchen ignored them and rushed out of the office after finishing her sentence.

    She returned to the design department and started packing her belongings.

    Yang Yunshu went to the washroom just now to tidy up herself and made herself presentable in public. She applied foundation to try and cover the swelling on her cheek due to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ps. However, the swelling on her cheek appeared slightly asymmetrical on her face.

    She walked over when she noticed Ruan Danchen was packing up her belongings. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong, are you quitting your job?¡±

    Ruan Danchen lifted her cold gaze to meet Yang Yunshu¡¯s and said, ¡°I won¡¯t bow down easily to a vile person like you. My resignation will just greatly satisfy you, right? Why should I let you work withfort while I suffer? You think I¡¯m a nuisance and want me gone, right? I rather stay and suffer, at least you¡¯ll continue to feel disgusted that way.¡±

    Ruan Danchen finished packing up her belongings after finishing her statement. She took her bag and walked past Yang Yunshu, ignoring herpletely.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes started to burn once she exited the design department. She wiped her cheek and noticed small crystal beads resting on her palm.

    She wiped the tears off her face and entered the elevator. Even though the elevator was empty, she tried to hold the tears that threatened to leave her eyes in case someone wanted to enter the elevator at any floor level.

    She attempted to hide her grief but it was ovee by the wave of her emotions. The muffled sobs wracked against her chest and she quickly covered her mouth. A lone tear traced down her cheek, and just like that, the floodgates opened.

    Ruan Danchen stood at the front door of Chengshi. She then headed toward the subway as she was in no mood to hail a taxi.

 Chapter 339 - It Really Was Qi Chenglin Standing Right In Front Of Her

    Chapter 339: It Really Was Qi Chenglin Standing Right In Front Of Her

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Battered, Ruan Danchen wiped her tears off as she walked when her phone rang.

    She took out her cell phone. It was Song Yu who called her, so Ruan Danchen epted the call. ¡°Song Yu.¡±

    Song Yu noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s unusual tone immediately and asked, ¡°What happened to you? Your voice doesn¡¯t sound right, are you crying?¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and buried her sob forcibly before whispering, ¡°No, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to tell you that you should bring Youxuan along to our house and have meals together since Chenglin isn¡¯t here,¡± said Song Yu.

    The paint odors in Prestige Residences were almost fully eliminated. They could move back to Prestige Residences together but unfortunately, Qi Chenglin went on a business trip.

    Even though they reached a consensus that Ruan Danchen would move to Prestige Residences with Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan once the refurbishment had beenpleted, it would be impolite to move in alone since Qi Chenglin was not around at the current moment. Thus, she left this aside and nned on waiting for Qi Chenglin¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll fetch him and visit your houseter once he¡¯s done with school,¡± replied Ruan Danchen as she wiped the tears that rolled down her cheeks.

    ¡°Danchen, are you sure you¡¯re alright?¡± Song Yu asked again as she felt Ruan Danchen was not in a good mood.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, really,¡± insisted Ruan Danchen.

    Song Yu did not question Ruan Danchen further and hung up the call.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen threw her bag on the couch after returned home and went to the washroom. She looked battered as the reflection in the mirror showed a swollen cheek and red-rimmed eyes.

    Did Director Zhao and Madam Zhao really think Ruan Danchen could seduce Xu Haode in this condition?

    She washed her face in the washroom before wrapping the ice she took from the kitchen with gauze and applied it on her swollen cheek. She did not want to let Qi Youxuan worry when he saw her swollen face aftering back from schoolter.

    The ice pack was applied right on her burning, swollen, reddish cheek. She went back to her bedroom and sprawled herself across her bed, feeling disgusted as she recalled Xu Haode¡¯s behavior this afternoon.

    Why did she need to endure this sort of injustice when she had never provoked anyone before?

    Ruan Danchen buried herself in a nket and started to wail, wishing that Qi Chenglin would be there with her at that moment.

    The doorbell rang after some time.

    Pushing herself off the bed, Ruan Danchen wiped her tears and nced at her reflection in the mirror. The eyes remained red but the swelling on her cheek had at least subsided.

    She let out a sigh of relief before answering the door and was surprised when she saw Song Yu bearing a huge abdomen at her doorstep.

    ¡°Song Yu, why are you here?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in surprise.

    ¡°Why are you crying? Your voice sounded unusual over the phone so I went to Chengshi in search of you, but I was told by the people in the design department that you weren¡¯t in and nobody told me where you went. I met Director Zhao after I came out of the department and he appeared strange when I said I¡¯m looking for you. Did Director Zhao cause troubles to you again?¡± said Song Yu as she entered the house.

    Song Yu felt fatigued easily while walking around with a huge abdomen, so she went to have a sit on the couch.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and sat down with her. ¡°It¡¯s my fault for crying for something minor.¡±

    ¡°What happened actually?¡± Song Yu stared at Ruan Danchen, not believing it was just a minor event.

    Ruan Danchen was usually well-mannered and staunch. She had a positive attitude toward everything and normally would not act unreasonably.

    Ruan Danchen poured a ss of water for Song Yu and told her the truth. She did not bother to hide any details as it would be easy to get the whole story with a simple inquiry.

    ¡°They¡¯re fools! You don¡¯t need to be mad about this. It¡¯s not like you need Chengshi to survive,¡± Song Yu said angrily.

    ¡°I know. I don¡¯t mind resigning but I don¡¯t want Yang Yunshu to be the reason for my resignation. I don¡¯t want to be a scapegoat when I resign and let others think that I really sold my body in exchange for projects,¡± Ruan Danchen swallowed a fewrge gulps of water to calm the raging fire that burned inside her.

    ¡°Moreover, even though I¡¯m in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin, I don¡¯t want to be overdependent on him. I prefer to separate business with pleasure so best not to let him worry about my work too.¡± Ruan Danchen ced down the ss with a heavy sigh.

    Song Yu suggested that Ruan Danchen return to Viewpark Residence together and have dinnerter in fear that she would overthink as though having a bee in her bo.

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely stressed and impossible to rx when she recalled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s usual expression. She rejected Song Yu¡¯s offer, iming that she wanted to rest at home. Since Song Yu now understood her current situation, she did not insist on her offer.

    Just when Song Yu was about to leave, Ruan Danchen hesitated for a moment before deciding to break the news. ¡°Song Yu, I have something... that I wanted to tell you.¡±

    Song Yu was curious and lowered her gaze to Ruan Danchen who was sitting on the couch, hesitating. She sat back down before asking, ¡°Yes?¡±

    Ruan Danchen inhaled deeply and looked at Song Yu. ¡°To be honest... Youxuan... is my son.¡±

    Song Yu blinked, unable to digest the news that she just heard. Ruan Danchen continued, ¡°Biological son.¡±

    ¡°What... What do you mean?¡± Song Yu¡¯s face was washed nk with confusion as she stared at Ruan Danchen with wide eyes.

    Ruan Danchen told Song Yu everything that happened seven years ago. ¡°I¡¯m lucky to be able to reunite with Qi Chenglin and blessed that he¡¯s willing to ept me instead of ming me and let me reunite with Youxuan again. Since I¡¯m in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin now, I don¡¯t want to keep this a secret from you.¡±

    ¡°Are you nning to let Youxuan know about this?¡± Song Yu¡¯s brain cogs could not turn fast enough to take in the information she just received. If she was reacting this way, who would predict how Qi Youxuan would react.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, perhaps let nature takes its course. If he can¡¯t ept it, I¡¯ll keep this from him forever for his own good. If I can take care of him and watch him grow up, then I¡¯m satisfied,¡± Ruan Danchen answered softly.

    Song Yu held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand before saying, ¡°My mouth is sealed.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. ¡°I know, and I¡¯m telling you this because you¡¯re my best friend.¡±

    Song Yu chatted with Ruan Danchen regarding this issue for a while before leaving.

    ...

    ...

    Xiaoyang drove Ruan Danchen to school at approximately four o¡¯clock in the evening to wait for Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss to end.

    Qi Youxuan was strolling when he saw Ruan Danchen standing at the school gate. Joy and happiness were written all over his face as he trotted toward Ruan Danchen with excitement. ¡°Aunt Ruan, why are you here today? I thought you were supposed to be at work?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m taking a few days of rest.¡± Ruan Danchen hid her emotions from Qi Youxuan and acted calmly. Moreover, the sight of him made all her gloomy feelings disappear into thin air.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s good! Then can youe and fetch me every day?¡± Qi Youxuan asked happily.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ruan Danchen nodded and bent down in an attempt to lift Qi Youxuan up.

    She could not contain her urge to hug him when she saw his chubby appearance.

    ¡°Hold on, we¡¯re at the school gate now. Aunt Ruan, please don¡¯t destroy my image here.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s face was flushed pink in embarrassment.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned at his reaction. She gave him a smile and stroke his hair.

    All of a sudden, they heard a childish voice. ¡°Qi Youxuan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan shifted their gaze toward the voice. A girl with two ponytails carrying a wheeled bag, followed by a man who appeared to be her chauffeur, walked toward them.

    The girl stared at Qi Youxuan, then shifted her gaze to Ruan Danchen in confusion and greeted politely. ¡°Good evening, Auntie.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled and nodded in response, then she heard the girl asked, ¡°Qi Youxuan, is this your mom?¡±

    It was unprecedented that Qi Youxuan did not answer that question immediately.

    He puffed out his cheeks in hesitation. He fought the urge to say ¡®yes¡¯ in fear that Ruan Danchen would be unhappy about it.

    Ruan Danchen held Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand, squeezing it gently. ¡°Yes.¡±

    However, she blushed after answering the question. Luckily, Qi Chenglin was not around to know about this, or else he would be mocking her right now.

    Qi Youxuan was gleeful after hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s answer. Joy and exultance were written all over his face as he could finally show off that he had a mother.

    ¡°Shen Manman, why are you looking for me?¡± Qi Youxuan asked. However, he sounded rather impolite as if impatient at the sight of her.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Youxuan in curiosity as this was not his usual attitude.

    ¡°I wanted to ask you; is it okay with you if we form a two-man team for tomorrow¡¯s group activity?¡± Shen Manman asked with two small dimples appeared alongside her sweet smile.

    ¡°Not okay,¡± Qi Youxuan blurted out.

    Shen Manman was taken aback as she did not expect a rejection as straightforward as he did. ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not forming a team with a girl, it¡¯ll be disastrous if Mumu knows about this,¡± Qi Youxuan exined.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect Qi Youxuan would be so loyal to a girl.

    ¡°Who¡¯s Mumu?¡± Shen Manman¡¯s expression darkened with a tinge of finicky on her face.

    ¡°Obviously she¡¯s a girl that I like, so stop bothering me from now on,¡± Qi Youxuan answered impatiently.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Youxuan was not being narcissistic as Shen Manman¡¯s face went red and appeared unhappy as though her heart just took a beating.

    ¡°Humph, what makes you think I care?¡± Shen Manman asked. With her cheeks puffed in anger, she pulled her bag and walked away.

    Ruan Danchen then held Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and entered the car. She did not expect him to be so popr among girls in the first few days of school.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, don¡¯t tell Mumu about what happened just now. I feared that she may misunderstand me,¡± Qi Youxuan said seriously.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen kept quiet as she felt Little Muran might not care about this.

    ¡°Who was the little girl just now?¡± Ruan Danchen asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°She¡¯s a nuisance, kept bothering me since the first day of school. I made myself very clear and hope she won¡¯t bother me anymore,¡± Qi Youxuan said coolly.

    Ruan Danchen felt that Qi Youxuan¡¯s attitude toward females was the same as Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin. None of them would bat an eye toward women who they dislike.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, why are you taking a few days rest?¡± Qi Youxuan took out his bottle from the side pocket of the bag and started drinking with the straw.

    ¡°Thepany gave me a few days of holiday, so I can make use of this opportunity to apany you,¡± Ruan Danchen exined with a smile on her face.

    The car was parked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s house and she got down from the car first, but after waiting for some time, Qi Youxuan still had not exited the car.

    She peeked into the car out of curiosity and saw Qi Youxuan with a reddened face remained seated with his seatbelt on. He clutched onto the seatbelt with his chubby hand and whispered with embarrassment. ¡°Aunt Ruan, you wanted to pick me up and hug me just now, right?¡±

    Ruan Danchenughed. Qi Youxuan wanted to protect his reputation and dignity at school so he disallowed her to carry and hug him. Now that they were alone, his desire grew stronger.

    Ruan Danchen leaned into the car and unbuckled his seatbelt, then she gestured him to sit near to the door before picking him up.

    Qi Youxuan was a little overweight for his age so Ruan Danchen felt strenuous lifting his weight. However, it would be impossible for her to lift him up as he grew older, so Ruan Danchen appreciated this moment and carried him despite the tiredness.

    Ruan Danchen went to prepare dinner in the kitchen once they returned home. Qi Youxuan took out his kid¡¯s Totoro cell phone from his bag and looked around vigntly. When he saw Ruan Danchen remained in the kitchen and preparing dinner attentively, he hurried to the washroom.

    His hands expertly dialed Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone number.

    ¡°Dad, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re fine today. Aunt Ruan is on holiday now and she said she¡¯ll apany me at home.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°How many days of holiday? I don¡¯t know, I forgot to ask.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s on holiday. Aunt Ruan didn¡¯t mention anything other than she¡¯s on a holiday now.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m only six years old right now. You¡¯re asking too much out of me.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Return home early if you¡¯re worried. You kept asking me questions but you¡¯re not satisfied when I can¡¯t answer them. Why are you so stubborn?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t notice any emotional changes in Aunt Ruan.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan went to school and fetched me today. There was a girl in my ss asking if she was my mother and Aunt Ruan said yes. Aunt Ruan is a nice woman.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Oh Dad, when are youing back?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡±

    Qi Youxuan heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice traveled from the kitchen when he hung up the call. ¡°Youxuan, it¡¯s time for dinner.¡±

    Qi Youxuan ced his phone back into his pocket quickly and washed his hands before exiting the washroom.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan had a lot of arts and crafting works toplete instead of homework at the current moment. Ruan Danchen tutored him on his homework and put him to bed at half-past eight at night.

    She went back to her bedroom once Qi Youxuan fell asleep. Sitting alone in the room, all the upsetting moments started to overwhelm her like a great rush of water.

    Her eyes started to water and her chest started to ache as she went down the memoryne.

    Then, the phone rang. It was Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen quickly wiped the tears off and took a few deep breaths before answering the call.

    ¡°Are you asleep?¡± Qi Chenglin asked after the call was answered.

    ¡°Not yet,¡± Ruan Danchen lowered her voice and answered. She rxed when the voice produced did not convey unusual emotions in fear that he might get worried during his outstation. ¡°I¡¯m lying on the bed now with nothing to do.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not at home, is that why you have nothing to do in bed?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s sexy voice traveled from across the phone. Ruan Danchen could imagine the flirty curl to his lips by just hearing his voice.

    ¡°Indecent bastard,¡± Ruan Danchen turned over and covered herself with a nket to the chin level. She felt incredibly ufortable lying alone in bed without Qi Chenglin at her side.

    The bed was the same as before, but now with the addition of the lonesome feeling.

    She curled herself into a tight ball. Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice caressed her delicate skin and right now she wished that he was just beside her, hugging her to sleep.

    ¡°How are you at home?¡± Qi Chenglin asked softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m good, I got Youxuan to apany me,¡± Ruan Danchen answered. She slowly regained calmness as she listened to his mellow voice.

    ¡°Youxuan said you¡¯re on holiday right now?¡± A faint smile appeared on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruan Danchen had no idea when Qi Youxuan called Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Why are you on holiday all of a sudden?¡± Qi Chenglin asked out of confusion.

    ¡°Nothing, just wanted to take some rest for the moment. I can use the time to apany Youxuan too,¡± Ruan Danchen answered, skipping most of the details as she did not want to lie to him.

    There was a moment of silence from the other end of the phone, or at least Ruan Danchen felt that that period of silence was particrly long.

    ¡°When are youing back?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a guilty conscience in fear that he might detect some abnormalities, plus she really missed him right now.

    ¡°Miss me?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s mellow voice mixed with a tinge of happiness.

    ¡°Yes,¡± she whispered with a snotty tone as Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes felt sore all of a sudden.

    She missed him initially, and now the feeling grew stronger as she listened to his voice. Her nose became red and wished he could be beside her now.

    ¡°Miss me until you cry?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was deep and husky over the phone.

    It felt like Qi Chenglin was whispering against her ears when she held her phone close to her ears, and the voice caressed her skin, coaxing shivers out of her.

    ¡°No,¡± Ruan Danchen denied.

    ¡°I¡¯m going back soon,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly.

    ¡°How are you? Are you eating regrly?¡± She remembered Qi Chenglin¡¯s gastric problem.

    ¡°I¡¯m taking note of my eating habits. Do you want me to report every meal to you when I go outstation next time?¡± Qi Chenglin replied as warmth spread throughout his entire body. He liked it when Ruan Danchen was concerned about him.

    ¡°Then will others mock you if you do this?¡± Ruan Danchen broke intoughter. Tears started to break free and rolled down her cheeks, which she wiped off immediately.

    ¡°They¡¯ll only feel envious because I have a wife who cares about me,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly with his head and gaze lowered.

    ¡°Who¡¯s your wife now?¡± Ruan Danchen blushed, realizing that they had not discussed their future ns yet.

    To be honest, she did not dare to start the discussion. She did not want to fantasize about it either as she had no idea what kind of nning Qi Chenglin had for them.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and asked her to rest early and not overthinking before hanging up the call.

    Ruan Danchen yearned for Qi Chenglin after the phone call. She nced through the call history in her phone and felt particrly sweet and warm when she stared at the word ¡®Qi Chenglin¡¯ on her phone. For some reason, her dependence on Qi Chenglin grew stronger.

    She did not expect her rtionship woulde to this, that it would be getting out of hand.

    She was used to loneliness after living her life alone for the past twenty-six years. She could only depend solely on herself whenever she hit rock-bottom. Qi Chenglin became someone who she could depend on, and she could finally rx and did not have the need to remain strong again. Now, she wanted to depend on him so badly.

    To be honest, this was what she had been trying hard to avoid but it seemed like the attempt was an utter failure.

    She put her phone down and closed her eyes, rolling on the bed for quite some time before finally able to fall asleepte at night.

    However, she was not sleeping well, and she woke up semi-consciously upon hearing a noise in the bedroom. She thought it was Qi Youxuan who wanted to sleep with her since Qi Chenglin went outstation, but her eyes opened to a humongous and tall figure standing among the darkness.

    Ruan Danchen was shocked. She jolted awake and quickly sat up, then she heard a soft voice, ¡°Sh, it¡¯s me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned as she could not believe her ears. The voice sounded exactly like Qi Chenglin.

    She turned on the tablemp on the bedside table, and true enough, it really was Qi Chenglin standing right in front of her.

    ¡ª

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    ¡°Little Young Master, are you really that popr in ss?¡± asked Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Of course,¡± replied Qi Youxuan, ¡°it¡¯s rare to see a boy as handsome as I am.¡±

    Jiang Yuan failed to muster a reply.

    ¡°Please be humble,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°My teacher taught us to be honest since young, so I can¡¯t lie with a guilty conscience,¡± Qi Youxuan bit back.

    Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words.

 Chapter 340 - Donâ€™t Let Me Ask Around Only To Realize That My Woman Had Received Unjust Treatment

    Chapter 340: Don¡¯t Let Me Ask Around Only To Realize That My Woman Had Received Unjust Treatment

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Dust from the environment had settled on Qi Chenglin¡¯s outfit, and the night¡¯s coolness and scent still lingered on him. The cor of his shirt and tie were loosened and his coat was resting on his forearm. He looked tired, with beard stubble emerging from his face.

    Ruan Danchen was frozen to the spot. She had a phone call with him just a few hours ago and now he was standing right in front of her.

    Her throat felt slightly sore and aching. She quickly got off her bed and pounced into his embosom.

    Ruan Danchen buried her face in Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest. Qi Chenglin lowered his head, his soft and gentle gaze rested on her head. She looked like a grief-stricken child who was treated unfairly. Qi Chenglin carried her in his embosom, his hug tightened, and sat on the bed.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you¡¯reing back during the call just now?¡± Ruan Danchen inhaled deeply and fought the urge to shed tears.

    ¡°I¡¯m worried about you being alone here.¡± Qi Chenglin put her on his thighs, leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead.

    Ruan Danchen smiled coquettishly. For some reason, her mind was at peace when Qi Chenglin returned home.

    ¡°Nothing happened these past few days?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, his voice low and croaky possibly due to tiredness. His lips were burning hot when it brushed on her forehead, coaxing chills down her spine.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head as she could not speak at the moment.

    Then, she heard him asking further, ¡°Don¡¯t you want to tell me the truth about why you¡¯re on leave?¡±

    Ruan Danchen lifted her head slowly and stared at him with surprise.

    Though his face appeared weather-beaten and tired, he remained handsome and mature.

    He let out a sigh before exining, ¡°Youxuan called me today saying that you¡¯re on a holiday. I felt that something was wrong so I called you at night, which confirmed my suspicions after hearing your voice. You didn¡¯t want to tell me so I have no choice but to ask Song Yu. She told me everything.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to worry about me,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    ¡°I¡¯m more worried if you don¡¯t tell me anything. You rather tell Song Yu and keep this a secret from me¡ªare you saying she¡¯s more intimate to you than I am?¡± Qi Chenglin tightened his hug around her waist. He moved his lips away from her and she could notice the stern expression on his face.

    Ruan Danchen stared at his expression which appeared slightly upset.

    ¡°I just don¡¯t feel like involving you in any matters rting to my job. I normally settle matters myself whenever I hit the rocks in my work before I started a rtionship with you. I don¡¯t want to start depending on you now that I have you in my life¡ªI¡¯d feel useless that way,¡± Ruan Danchen conceded mncholically, her head lowered as she spoke.

    To be honest, she did not want to depend solely on a man as how Liu Ronghua did. No man would be able to tolerate such attitude as it would induce a tremendous pressure on him.

    ¡°You could only stay strong since I wasn¡¯t there before, but now you don¡¯t need to since I¡¯m here. You can always tell me whenever you feel unhappy or wronged¡ªthere¡¯s no need to carry the burden all by yourself since I can usually settle it effortlessly. I won¡¯t feel that you¡¯re useless or over-dependent on me, and I certainly won¡¯t feel annoyed at you. It¡¯s my responsibility to take care of and protect you since you¡¯re my woman now, and I¡¯ll give you justice if you¡¯re wronged. My shoulders are prepared especially for you to rest on, and I want you to depend on me. Now I feel sad and upset when you chose not to tell me when you¡¯re treated unfairly,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly, his gaze gentle and loving.

    ¡°Sorry.¡± Ruan Danchen snuggled in and her arms squeezed a fraction tighter around him.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to apologize to me. You just need to depend on me from now on, and you don¡¯t need to settle matters all by yourself anymore. If you¡¯re wronged again, just tell me no matter the severity. Don¡¯t let me ask around only to realize that my woman had received unjust treatment. You needn¡¯t distinguish a lot of matters that clearly with me.¡± Qi Chenglin leaned forward and kissed on her forehead.

    He held Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulders firmly so that she could look into his deep and gentle eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not like your mother¡ªshe couldn¡¯t even be independent at all. That sort of dependency annoys men, but men choose to leave her because of theck of affection too. You¡¯re different¡ªyou¡¯re independent and I need to beg you to depend on me. I won¡¯t feel annoyed at you even if you don¡¯t know anything and depend solely on me. I like the feeling when you depend on me and tell me everything, and I love solving all your problems. I hope you canin to me immediately whenever you¡¯re wronged. Whoever bullied you or made you unhappy, tell me and I¡¯ll bring justice to you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to sort things out very clearly with me. You prefer not to mix business with pleasure, but if I can help you in any way in business, I¡¯ll lessen your burden and make your work simpler. I¡¯ll do anything that makes you happy and decrease your stress level. If I can make your life at work easier than before, then why shouldn¡¯t I do it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes began to water when she gazed upon his handsome face. It was no surprise that women would fall for him and went hell-bent on him.

    She was fortunate to have given birth to a son for a man as good as him.

    ¡°I think...the most correct decision my mom did on her entire life was to let me rece Shen Zhijing on that night.¡± Ruan Danchen grinned in embarrassment as she was not used to taking the initiative on the confession.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up in a sexually attractive way and said in a low and croaky voice, ¡°I think so too.¡±

    Qi Chenglin hugged her and stroke her hair gently.

    Ruan Danchen could not fall asleep now that Qi Chenglin returned, and the unjust treatment she received today did not feel unjust at all. His presence could magically make all injustice and unhappiness disappear into thin air.

    She did not expect a man nearly as ill-mannered and sarcastic toward her initially would act excessively gentle towards her now.

    Qi Chenglin considered Ruan Danchen his aegis and responsibility. The way he took over her burden on his shoulder and shielded her from harm appeared particrly charming to her.

    ¡°You must inform me first if there¡¯s any trouble, alright?¡± Qi Chenglin said softly while stroking her hair gently.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Ruan Danchen nodded in his embosom, her cheek rubbing on his shirt.

    Qi Chenglin smiled, his gaze and curling of lips remained soft and tender.

    ¡°You rushed back home after work because of this?¡± Ruan Danchen lifted her head and asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get worried if I let you stay alone at home with no one to whine with when you¡¯re wronged,¡± said Qi Chenglin while caressing her hair.

    He leaned in softly and wet kisses on her head¡¯s temporal region and the corner of her eyes.

    Ruan Danchen could not express her gratitude and affection enough for this man. He was willing to put all his matters aside just to return home for her straight after work at night.

    In contrast, Ruan Danchen felt that the unjust treatment she received was so minor that it was unworthy of him to rush around just for her.

    There was a faint curve to Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips and he brushed her lips with his lovingly, as though he knew what went through her mind.

    His heart ached at the thought of her staying alone at home, suffering the unjust treatment she received. A body as thin and fragile as hers would not be able to endure this much pressure.

    ¡°You must be tired, get some rest soon. Are you done with your work there?¡± Ruan Danchen said quickly due to guilt.

    ¡°Not yet, there¡¯s still a little bit of work left to do. I¡¯ll take the earliest flight back there tomorrow and should be able to return home the day after tomorrow.¡± Qi Chenglin took off his shirt. Surprisingly, Ruan Danchen did not look away and her gaze fixated on him affectionately.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush around like this next time. I¡¯ll get worried if you exhaust yourself,¡± said Ruan Danchen as she did not want him tuckered out by taking care of her.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want me to feel exhausted, then let me know immediately if you face any problems. I rushed back here because I was worried about you since you didn¡¯t want to tell me anything,¡± replied Qi Chenglin as he took off his pants, his underwear the only remaining article on him. He stared at Ruan Danchen intensely in an almost naked state and this scenery appeared strange in her eyes.

    ¡°Alright, it won¡¯t happen again next time,¡± said Ruan Danchen, like a child admitting her mistake and apologizing.

    Qi Chenglin broke intoughter when he saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s obedient attitude. He walked toward her, leaned down and pecked her on the lips before rushing to the bathroom for a quick five-minutes shower.

    Ruan Danchen had buried herself in a nket when Qi Chenglin went back to the bedroom. He noticed the softened expression on her face which signified that she was no longer affected by the incident this afternoon.

    Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin with her big, round eyes. Even though her gaze was clear and without any dirty thoughts, Qi Chenglin was stimted and aroused nheless.

    Qi Chenglin buried himself into the heap of covers. Ruan Danchen took the initiative and squeezed into his embosom without him needing to reach for her. Her soft and slim arms encircled and tightened around him. Her fair, delicate and innocent face rested firmly against his chest. She moved around to find the mostfortable position before closing her eyes.

    Ruan Dachen felt his long, slender fingers pinching the corner of her pajamas after a while.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it...¡± Ruan Danchen whispered and her body felt hot amid the embarrassment.

    ¡°I want. I went outstation for a couple of days now and I want it so badly. It was torture,¡± Qi Chenglin spoke softly and pecked her lips continuously.

    ¡°I thought you wanted to catch the earliest flight in the morning?¡± Her body trembled but she did not stop him.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I don¡¯t think I can sleep if I endure it any longer,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was extremely husky and deep. There was a charm to his voice which made him especially attractive.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face reddened like a strawberry in embarrassment and remained silent. She took the initiative and lifted her head to kiss him on the lips.

    Ruan Danchen missed him a little too much, especially when he magically appeared right in front of her after she wished that he was here to apany her today.

    She felt extremely touched when Qi Chenglin rushed back home after knowing that she received unjust treatment. Although her heart wrenched at the sight of him rushing around for her, she felt warm and happy when he valued her and treated her well.

    She felt at ease because of him and she knew he would always have her in his mind no matter where he went. If she encountered a problem, no matter the severity, he would always return to her in a sh.

    Tears started to well up in her eyes. She had not figured it out until now why such a good man existed in this world, and why she was able to be loved and cared for by such a good man.

    Ruan Danchen squeezed into his embosom and her arms encircled him tightly. She pressed her lips on his muscr shoulder and whispered, ¡°I love you...¡±

    Her confession exploded in the calmke within him. Waves came rushing toward him and carried him away, and he embraced her into hiske of exploding excitement.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was lying on the bed in a leaden, death-like slumber the next day. She knew it was time to wake up but her body did not heed hermand and her eyes just would not open.

    Qi Chenglin was ferocious in satisfying his cravingst night. He had a few roundsst night to make up for the few days of abstinence during his outstation.

    Ruan Danchen reached out to her cell phone that was resting on the bedside table, but her arms were extremely sore and fatigued. Thectic acid buildup started this morning due to prolonged muscle contractions when she clutched onto her pillow during the wild coptionst night.

    It was ten in the morning when he unlocked her screen and opened her eyes amidst the semi-consciousness, then she saw a message notification. She rubbed her eyes and clicked on the message, which turned out to be from Qi Chenglin.

    [I¡¯m leaving now. I didn¡¯t wake you up because you¡¯re sleeping soundly. I¡¯ll get off the ne at approximately half-past ten o¡¯clock in the morningter.]

    Ruan Danchen jolted awake after she finished reading the message. She fell into a deep sleep and did not wake up at his departure. She felt guilty and extremely terrible that there was no attempt to wake up and send him off even though he informed her he would catch the earliest flight back to work.

    He even rushed around from dawn to dusk just for her.

    The muscles on her abdomen and lower limbs screamed in agony due to soreness and she did not dare to move them, though she eventually did manage to lift herself after some time. She felt that it was all a mere dream when she turned her head to gaze upon the space beside her.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s warmth and scent still lingered on her body. Ruan Danchen clutched onto the nket tightly and inhaling his fragrance that remained.

    She closed her eyes for a while before opening them again and get off the bed.

    She felt happy when he came back to herst night, but now that he was gone, the initial joy had been reced with a terrible feeling. She missed him so much right now.

    Ruan Danchen endured the muscle aches and hurried to the washroom to tidy herself. Upon exiting her bedroom, she saw Qi Youxuan holding a toast he took from the refrigerator in one hand and a bottle of milk in another. He was munching on the toast while watching Kung Fu Panda on a cartoon channel. There was half a packet of toast initially, but Qi Youxuan had immersed himself in the movie with great interest, leaving only two pieces of toast without him realizing.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, you¡¯re awake,¡± Qi Youxuan was munching on the toast when he turned toward Ruan Danchen, speaking energetically.

    Ruan Danchen felt guilty as she felt that she did not take good care of him. ¡°What time did you wake up? Why didn¡¯t you wake me up too?¡±

    ¡°Dad said you¡¯re exhausted. He asked me not to wake you up and let you sleep in.¡± Qi Youxuan finished thest toast in the packet though only realizing it when his chubby hand reached inside and found nothing. He puckered his lips as if his craving was not yet satisfied.

    He crumpled the packet and threw it into the dustbin, then he held the milk with his chubby hands and started drinking.

    ¡°You saw him?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in surprise.

    Qi Chenglin would have left at around four in the morning based on the time his nended on the destination.

    ¡°Coincidentally, I saw Dading out of your room when I woke up to pass urine.¡± Qi Youxuan finished his milk too. The straw created a vacuum against the empty container, creating a gush of noise that traveled to their ears.

    Qi Youxuan threw the empty milk container into the dustbin before realizing it. ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯ve finished all the toast.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I can have something else to eat.¡±

    She went to brush her teeth and readied herself before cooking a bowl of instant noodles for herself.

    Instant noodles had a strong fragrance and the kid started to starve after inhaling the scent. He stood aside staring at the instant noodles and swallowing the saliva intensely, feeling gluttonous as his stomach started to growl.

    There was nothing Ruan Danchen could do but to serve a very small portion in a bowl to him. ¡°You can only eat this much because instant noodles aren¡¯t nutritious, and it¡¯s not good for your health.¡±

    Qi Youxuan agreed and started chewing on the little instant noodles in the bowl.

    Qi Youxuan ate half a packet of toast and drank two hundred milliliters of milk initially, thus he felt extremely bloated and ufortable after consuming that small portion of instant noodles. Heid down t on the couch, feeling his distended abdomen, and let out a long and loud burp. ¡°I¡¯m so full right now.¡±

    ¡°Rest for a while before you start doing your homework, and once you¡¯re done, we¡¯ll go to the old mansion in the evening. I¡¯ll bring you out to y tomorrow.¡± Ruan Danchen grinned.

    ¡°Where are we going tomorrow?¡± Qi Youxuan sat up immediately and his big, round eyes were alight and filled with anticipation.

    ¡°Where do you want to go? How about the amusement park?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great!¡± Qi Youxuan fought the urge to dance and jump with delight.

    Qi Chenglin was usually busy at work and always worked overtime, hence he would not have the time to go to the amusement park with him.

    It was impossible for Qi Youxuan¡¯s grandparents to bring him to the amusement park either due to their advancing ages, and there was absolutely no need to count on Qi Chengzhi at all. His uncle who was Qi Chenglin¡¯s fourth younger brother, on the other hand, pampered him a lot, but he only had one day of free time per week to attend the family gathering. His uncle would not have the free time to bring him to the amusement park too.

    There was one time when Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were in a rtionship, they brought Qi Youxuan to the amusement park and he was exultant at that time.

    ¡°Then finish your homework quickly.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled.

    At least there were some benefits on Ruan Danchen¡¯s forced leaves. Now she got more time to apany Qi Youxuan at home.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan was leaning over the coffee table to do his homework in the living room while Ruan Danchen kept ncing at the clock. When it reached half-past ten in the morning, she took her cell phone and went into the kitchen.

    Qi Youxuan shifted his gaze from his homework to Ruan Danchen. He covered his mouth which broke into a smile as if understood the situation before continuing his homework.

    Ruan Danchen closed the door to the kitchen and called Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin just stepped out of the cabin door to the ne which opened a few seconds before when he received Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone call. His lips curled to a gentle smile as he answered the call. ¡°Calling me right on the time of my arrival?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face radiated heat as she agreed softly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wake me up in the morning?¡±

    ¡°I felt reluctant to wake you up since you were sleeping soundly, and besides, you were too tiredst night,¡± Qi Chenglin said as he walked. His voice would be soft and gentle, and a little bit croaky too, whenever he talked to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°I wanted to send you off, but you were already gone when I woke up. I didn¡¯t even get to see you in the morning.¡± Ruan Danchen lowered her head and her fingers were rubbing in circles against the dressing table.

    ¡°Miss me after you opened your eyes when you woke up?¡± Qi Chenglin was in a good mood right now as he knew Ruan Danchen cared for him.

    ¡ª

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    Qi Chenglin instructed Jiang Yuan to book the earliest flight back to B City after ending a phone call with Song Yu.

    Jiang Yuan: ¡°General manager, what¡¯s so urgent in B City?¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°My love at home received an unjust treatment and I¡¯m going back tofort her. I¡¯ll be back tomorrow morning.¡±

 Chapter 341 - Aunt Ruan, Are They Talking About You?

    Chapter 341: Aunt Ruan, Are They Talking About You?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    After an eternity, Ruan Danchen finally uttered shyly, ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s not much work left to be done here, so I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Qi Chenglin revealed.

    ¡°Be mindful of your diet outside¡ªAunt Zheng told me you often suffer from indigestion. Don¡¯t forget to eat on time even if you¡¯re busy. It¡¯s okay to drink if you have no choice, but please don¡¯t smoke,¡± reminded Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Alright,¡± answered Qi Chenglin in a soft and tender voice. He felt blissful to have a woman show concern for him, care about him and miss him.

    ¡°Do you think I nag too much?¡± Ruan Danchen was anxious that she was irritating him.

    ¡°Not at all. I love it. On the contrary, if you don¡¯t nag me, I¡¯ll feel like you don¡¯t care about me.¡± Qi Chenglin was already waiting for his luggage at the baggage reim area.

    Worried that she would miss him more if they kept talking, Ruan Danchen hurriedly said, ¡°Hurry up ande home. I miss you very much.¡±

    Having said that, she hung up instantly.

    Just as Qi Chenglin wanted to reply, he noticed that the call has ended.

    He stared at the phone and smiled wryly. What kind of habit was that? Every time she confessed her feelings, she would hang up instantly¡ªhe never had the chance to say a word in reply.

    With her phone at hand, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart beat rapidly. Her face flushed when she thought about her conversation with Qi Chenglin. She did not expect herself to say something like that either. She had always thought she had a passive personality¡ªshe would not unveil her inner thoughts so easily, not to mention taking the initiative to say things like ¡®I love you¡¯, etcetera.

    In spite of that, when she was with Qi Chenglin, she would always do things that surprised even herself. She felt as if she did not know herself anymore.

    She lingered in the kitchen for a while before she eventually left.

    ...

    ...

    In the evening, Xiaoyang brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the old mansion.

    Even though Qi Chenglin was on a business trip, Qi Youxuan still needed to attend the scheduled family gathering at the old mansion. Moreover, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi both missed him dearly. They would take full advantage of Qi Youxuan¡¯s weekly visits to bond with him.

    The Qi family had long acknowledged Ruan Danchen¡¯s position in the family¡ªGrandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya already saw Ruan Danchen as Qi Youxuan¡¯s stepmother. They predicted that Qi Chenglin would inevitably marry her someday.

    Song Yu only had a month until her baby¡¯s due date¡ªher stomach was extraordinarily huge. Additionally, the fetus was moving frequently in her tummy.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Song Yu¡¯s protruding belly curiously. His big, ck eyes were fixed solely on her tummy. ¡°Auntie, can I touch?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Youjin is quite active in my stomach now. Put your hand on my stomach and don¡¯t move, you¡¯ll feel his movements after a while,¡± Song Yu instructed with a smile.

    Qi Youxuan sat beside Song Yu with his legs crossed. He put both hands lightly on her stomach¡ªhe was afraid he might damage her tummy, so he was extra careful.

    Song Yu¡¯s heart melted when she saw Qi Youxuan¡¯s adorable little face. She looked at him then turned to Ruan Danchen, noticing that Ruan Danchen¡¯s focus waspletely on Qi Youxuan. A tender smile spread across Ruan Danchen¡¯s face.

    Song Yu could not help but patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s head. Although the boy was sometimes naughty, gluttonous and also a money-grubber, he was still a kind and thoughtful boy deep down.

    His handsnded on her stomach lighter than feathers. Seeing his cautious manner, Song Yu was so touched that she felt like crying.

    Suddenly, Qi Youxuan eximed with an astonished expression. ¡°Youjin moved! He moved! It was a sudden kick right under my palm. It felt like something was jumping beneath my hand. How interesting!¡±

    Song Yu smiled warmly as she caressed Qi Youxuan¡¯s little face. Qi Youxuan looked up and asked, ¡°Auntie, does it hurt you when he moves like that?¡±

    ¡°No. It only feels like something walking across my skin and poking me lightly at times,¡± exined Song Yu.

    Qi Youxuan nodded as though he understood. He tilted his head and questioned curiously, ¡°I wonder if I was the same when I was in my mother¡¯s stomach. I wonder if my mother was hurt by my kicking.¡±

    His innocent words made Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes sting. Qi Youxuan even showed concern for a woman he had never seen since birth, afraid that he might have hurt her when kicking inside her tummy.

    Ruan Danchen felt that she did not deserve a son as good as him.

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t have,¡± Song Yu assured gently, her eyes a little wet. Even Grandmother Qi, Guan Liya, and even Xia Wenna had tears welled up¡ªGuan Liya was even subtly wiping her tears away.

    ¡°Look, even though Youjin is so naughty, I don¡¯t feel pain at all. You¡¯re such a good boy, I¡¯m sure you didn¡¯t hurt your mother. Besides, when children are in their mother¡¯s tummy, they kick very lightly. They know to love their mothers, so they won¡¯t use much strength,¡± Song Yu exined. She then continued, ¡°When you put your hands on my tummy, don¡¯t you think Youjin¡¯s kick was extremely light? Moreover, this is the baby¡¯s way to tell its mother that it¡¯s safe, that everything is well in the womb.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Youxuan stared at Song Yu¡¯s stomach suspiciously.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true.¡± Ruan Danchen picked up Qi Youxuan and put him on herp. She loved the child even more dearly now. ¡°You¡¯re so smart and caring¡ªall you did was gently touch your mother¡¯s tummy. It didn¡¯t hurt at all.¡±

    She recalled the days she was pregnant with him, his movements especially gentle as though he was afraid to hurt her. It was exceedingly adorable when he kicked once or twice asionally.

    However, due to her premature birth, she did not get to experience the times where fetal movement would have been at a peak.

    ¡°How would you know? You¡¯re never given birth before,¡± Qi Youxuan questioned. His thoughts were pure and he did not think much about it, but his innocent words hurt Ruan Danchen deeply.

    In the past, she only wanted to be by his side, but now she had grown greedy¡ªshe wanted him to know she was his mother and that she gave birth to him. Nheless, she could not because she was afraid the little boy would me her and would not forgive her.

    Before Ruan Danchen uttered a word, Qi Youxuan suggested, ¡°Aunt Ruan, why don¡¯t you have a child with Dad so you can experience pregnancy? It¡¯ll be best if it¡¯s a little sister! Of course, you can¡¯t stop pampering me after having a little sister. Otherwise, I won¡¯t agree with you giving birth.¡±

    He talked as if he would be the only one making this decision.

    Unexpectedly, Ruan Danchen smiled and kissed his forehead, forgetting that the entire Qi family was watching.

    ¡°Rest assured, I¡¯ll always love you the most. I¡¯ll always pamper you the most,¡± Ruan Danchen reassured tenderly.

    In her heart, even if she became pregnant with another child, gave birth to it and watched it grow up, it would still feel different from Qi Youxuan.

    She would always feel that she owed Qi Youxuan for not being by his side for the first six years of his life¡ªit was something she could never make up for.

    She thought that even if she gave birth to another child, she would still favor Qi Youxuan more and love him more. He would always be the chubby little boy in front of her eyes now.

    ¡°You said that yourself. Don¡¯t forget,¡± Qi Youxuan mumbled as he pillowed his head onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°I promise. I won¡¯t go back on my words,¡± Ruan Danchen guaranteed.

    ...

    ...

    Guan Liya watched from the side. After a while, she slipped out to the backyard while no one was looking.

    Not long after, Song Yu and Grandmother Qi received a massage. Song Yu and Grandmother Qi exchanged nces, then Grandmother Qi abruptly announced, ¡°Ah, I¡¯m going to the washroom.¡±

    She stood up and left.

    A whileter, Song Yu nced a Ruan Danchen and dropped her a hint. Then, Song Yu left.

    Qi Youxuan was lying in Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms. His huge eyes darted here and there. He whispered to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Great-grandma is acting again. I wonder what they¡¯re doing. Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m going to see what¡¯s going on.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need,¡± Ruan Danchen hugged him to hold him back. ¡°It¡¯s nothing big.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted and eventually relented.

    When Song Yu entered the backyard, Guan Liya and Grandmother Qi were already there.

    ¡°Grandma, Auntie, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Song Yu was holding her stomach. Guan Liya quickly helped her down the steps.

    Guan Liya licked her lips and began, ¡°Well, I may be oversensitive, but why do I find the conversation between Qi Youxuan and Ruan Danchen just now extremely abnormal? She¡¯s not just saying that because we were in the room, right? I mean, Qi Youxuan isn¡¯t her biological son, so when she has her own child, surely she¡¯d favor her own child¡ªthis is only human nature. I¡¯ve already prepared myself emotionally for this whenever Chenglin remarries. That is why I wanted Chenglin to find a kind-hearteddy¡ªeven if she favors her own child, it wouldn¡¯t be too extreme. After all, it¡¯s her own flesh and blood. Besides, it¡¯s typical for families to pamper the youngest child the most. Ironically, now that Ruan Danchen said that, it made me more anxious.¡±

    Guan Liya sighed. ¡°Song Yu, I know she¡¯s a good friend of yours but please don¡¯t be mad. I am deeply traumatized by Jian Yi¡ªI can¡¯t have another person entering our family and acting good in front of us just to turn around and misuse us after marriage. Youxuan can¡¯t bepared to Chengyue. Chengyue is an adult, and she can take care of herself after getting hurt. She can endure more. On the other hand, Youxuan is just a child¡ªhow can he endure such a big blow? Furthermore, he really likes Danchen, so if things don¡¯t go as nned after their marriage, wouldn¡¯t Youxuan be devastated? Besides, he can¡¯t stay with us forever. The child needs to stay with his parents. If he has to go through such a huge emotional shock at such a young age, who knows what would happen to him?¡±

    As Guan Liya pondered upon it, her heart ached horribly. She loved her adorable little grandson dearly.

    Song Yu was not mad. She understood that Guan Liya¡¯s thoughts were typical of human nature.

    Even Grandmother Qi, who was standing at the side, was nodding in agreement. She, too, was harboring ayer of concern.

    ¡°Grandma, Aunt, rest assured. I can swear on my name that Danchen was speaking from her heart. She was staring at Youxuan wholeheartedly and had forgotten that we were in the room too. She didn¡¯t say that for us to hear. I¡¯ve known Danchen for as many years as I had worked in Chengshi, and I can vouch for her character,¡± Song Yu assured in a soft voice.

    ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t Chenglin brought up Danchen¡¯s past? Although her mother had just remarried a few years ago, the truth is that her mother had never cared about her even before remarrying. Her mother is one of those terribly weak women who only thought about relying on men. She knew nothing other than that. She could not even take care of herself, so how would she care for Danchen?¡±

    ¡°Since young, Danchen knew that she could not rely on her family¡ªshe could only rely on herself. She cooked and washed; she handled all the trivial matters in life; she went to school herself and learned to work many times harder than others. Although her mother never cared about her, she never went down the wrong path. She worked hard and got into university all through her own efforts. The funny thing was if Danchen did not say anything, her mother wouldn¡¯t even have known she had sessfully been epted into the university. Once she graduated, she found a job on her own. In all these years, Danchen¡¯s mother doesn¡¯t know what she¡¯s up to¡ªit¡¯s as if she never had this daughter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not hide Liu Ronghua from Song Yu. She told her everything truthfully.

    Only then did Song Yue to know, in all those years, Ruan Danchen had spent New Year alone.

    Since Qi Chenglin told them that, Song Yu just went with his version of the story.

    ¡°Her mother remarried when Danchen was in university. Just as Chenglin mentioned earlier, the family didn¡¯t like Danchen. To them, Danchen was nothing but an unwanted stepchild. They thought Danchen had no right to use their family¡¯s money. Nevertheless, her mother didn¡¯t dare to contact her because she feared enraging the family. All these years, Danchen had spent New Year alone. Her mother had never cared about her.¡±

    Song Yu took a deep breath, then continued softly, ¡°Grandma, Aunt, Danchen had experienced life without a mother herself. Youxuan still has Chenglin; he still has you guys. On the other hand, Danchen only had her mother, and her mother had to act that way. She had been so lonely her entire life. Her mother was only someone who held the title of a mother without acting like one at all. As a result, she knows the suffering of not having a mother more than anyone else.¡±

    ¡°I think the reason she¡¯d pamper Youxuan so much is that she had experienced this herself and is able to put herself in his shoes. She may think he¡¯s pitiful and needed to be loved. She wants to give him what shecked; he doesn¡¯t want him to have the life she had. She¡¯ll give her all to Youxuan, even if it meant treating him better than the younger sibling she¡¯ll bring for Youxuan. Her love for him is genuine.¡±

    Hearing the story Song Yu told, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya were overwhelmed by sympathy and sorrow.

    Although Qi Chenglin had brought it up when they were at Prestige Residences¡ª informing them that Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother had remarried and that her rtionship stepfather¡¯s family and her own mother was quite horrid¡ªthey did not know that the actual situation Ruan Danchen was in was this much worse.

    Guan Liya was reassured. She nodded and confessed, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. I misjudged her. Danchen is such a poor child.¡±

    ¡°Aunt, please don¡¯t talk like that. It¡¯s only human nature for you to be concerned. For Youxuan¡¯s future, you¡¯ll naturally think about every possible scenario. Nheless, rest assured that Danchen would definitely treat Youxuan with love,¡± Song Yu guaranteed confidently.

    Guan Liya fished out a handkerchief from her pocket to wipe her tears. Grandmother Qi strategized, ¡°My dear Song Yu, you should go back in now. We¡¯ll go back separately. Otherwise, we might arouse Xiao Ruan¡¯s suspicion and she might fill her own head with nonsense. If she finds out what we thought of her, she¡¯d be devastated. What if we infuriate her and she ends up dumping Chenglin? It¡¯s not every day that Chenglin can find such a greatdy.¡±

    Thus, Song Yu went into the house. Not long after, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya came back one after the other too.

    ...

    ...

    At night, when Ruan Danchen was leaving with the little boy, Grandmother Qi was extremely reluctant to let them go. Therefore, she suggested, ¡°Danchen, Chenglin isn¡¯t home these past few days, so why don¡¯t you and Youxuan spend the night here?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not mind. She knew the elderlies missed the child. It was not good for her to hog the child at home either, so she agreed.

    The next day, Qi Youxuan woke up early in the morning¡ªearlier than Ruan Danchen.

    When Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi came back from their morning exercise at seven o¡¯clock, they saw that Qi Youxuan was already dressed neatly, waiting for breakfast.

    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± Grandmother Qi asked with surprise.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan said she¡¯ll bring me to the amusement park today,¡± Qi Youxuan announced gleefully.

    Just as he said that, Ruan Dachen had finished getting ready. When she saw Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi, she quickly greeted them.

    Despite only staying there for a day, Ruan Danchen still felt immensely pressured.

    Qi Youxuan was extremely excited. He swallowed his breakfast hastily and dashed into his room to get his little yellow duck backpack.

    When he was in kindergarten, he only needed to put snacks and some toys in his bag so there was sufficient space. However, now that he was in elementary school, he had switched into using a normal backpack. His books would never fit into his old tiny bag, so he used it as a casual backpack instead.

    Seeing the little boy¡¯s exuberant manner, Ruan Danchen did not tarry¡ªshe finished her breakfast hurriedly and asked Xiao Yang toe over. The two of them set off.

    Due to his height, the little boy was not allowed on numerous rides. Nheless, he could still go on safer rides such as roller coasters, ferries wheel, carousel, and honeypot ride 1. The little boy was already content with these rides.

    After enjoying all those rides in the morning, Ruan Danchen brought him to a themed restaurant in the park for lunch. There was a dolphin show in the evening, and after having lunch and resting for a while, they could catch the performance just in time.

    At the restaurant, Qi Youxuan needed to use the washroom. Ruan Danchen brought him there. When passing by one of the tables, she heard a familiar voice saying, ¡°Speaking of Ruan Danchen, I think that her being sent home on leave because of the matter with Xu Haode is too unfair for her. My sister¡¯s ssmate works at Shengyue¡ªshe saw Ruan Danchen bolting out of a room with red eyes and half her face swollen. She didn¡¯t look like she was trying to seduce Xu Haode at all; rather, she looked like he¡¯d taken advantage of her.¡±

    When Ruan Danchen was passing by with the little boy, her eyes were not focused on her surroundings. Only when she heard this voice did she realize that her coworkers, Wu Min and Yang Yunshu, along with Zhang Fangfang from the finance department and Huang Ting from human resources, were sitting together. They must havee out to have fun as it was a Sunday.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®unfair¡¯? If she was truly so innocent, why would Xu Haode find her? Your sister¡¯s ssmate only saw what happened outside the room, who knows how dirty that woman was inside the room? Don¡¯t you know that she¡¯s always been good at acting?¡± Yang Yunshu condemned coldly after eating a spoonful of curry.

    The truth was that the others did not believe Ruan Danchen to be someone like that. However, Yang Yunshu seemed to have be Madam Zhao¡¯s blue-eyed boy. When she fought with Ruan Danchenst time, even though Ruan Danchen had Song Yu to lean on, she was still sent home on leave by Madam Zhao while Yang Yunshu escaped without a scratch.

    It was called a leave, but it was clearly a punishment. No one knew when would Ruan Danchen be brought back.

    Therefore, no one dared to refute Yang Yunshu¡¯s words. It would make their life harder if they were to wrong her.

    To be frank, they did not think Ruan Danchen could stay in thepany for much longer. After this incident, Madam Zhao would definitely find a way to force Ruan Danchen to quit the job.

    They knew that offending Yang Yunshu would bring about many troubles to their work lives¡ªthey were not willing to make that sacrifice just to defend Ruan Danchen. None of them wanted to end up like her. It just was not worth it.

    Ruan Danchen still had Song Yu to lean on. If she cannot continue in Chengshi, Song Yu can still open a backdoor for her into Qilin. They, on the other hand, did not.

    They all sat silently, listening to Yang Yunshu spitting vicious remarks about Ruan Danchen.

    Suddenly, they heard a young child¡¯s voice asking, ¡°Aunt Ruan, are they talking about you? Her name is exactly the same as yours.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was infuriated when she heard Yang Yunshu¡¯s words. She had turned her jolly mood into misery.

    She nned to leave quickly with Qi Youxuan, yet unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan abruptly spoke out loud.

    Even Ruan Danchen was staggered, so needless to say, Wu Min and the others were too.

 Chapter 342 - That Crone Has Crossed the Line! Just Wait and See How Iâ€™m Going to Deal with Her!

    Chapter 342: That Crone Has Crossed the Line! Just Wait and See How I¡¯m Going to Deal with Her!

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even Ruan Danchen was staggered, so needless to say, Wu Min and the others were too.

    Shocked, Wu Min and the other two looked up to see Ruan Danchen holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand. She was looking at their direction, standing diagonally behind their table.

    Due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, she had no choice but to stop and look toward them. Her original n of pretending she was never here would clearly not work anymore.

    ¡°Danchen.¡± Wu Min smiled at her awkwardly, her lips twitching.

    Ruan Danchen replied with a cool nod. Everyone else felt awfully awkward too.

    ¡°How are you these few days on leave?¡± Zhang Fangfang asked.

    ¡°Not bad. It¡¯s nice to take some time off once in a while. It¡¯s a good change in mood,¡± Ruan Danchen answered calmly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you on unpaid leave? I wonder how long your leave willst. You can¡¯t just live on your savings forever, right? How can you live like that? The living expenses in B City is extraordinarily high. With daily expenses on food and clothes, along with rent, how much can you actually save a month? Your savings will be depleted in no time,¡± Yang Yunshu said in a disturbing tone, turning around in her seat to look at Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°In my opinion, you might as well hurry up and apply for a new job instead of wasting time waiting for thepany to allow you to return.¡± Yang Yunshu snickered. Acting as if she had just remembered, she eximed, ¡°Ah! I forgot that your name has been spoilt in this industry¡ªeven if you¡¯re looking for a job, I¡¯m sure nopany would want you. Is this why you¡¯re clutching onto Chengshi like your life depended on it? Even so, is it really worth it to sleep with a client just for an order? Once the incident with Xu Haodees out, your name won¡¯t just be spoilt¡ªit¡¯d bepletely rotten.¡±

    Ruan Danchen immediately shielded Qi Youxuan, who was fiddling with his kid¡¯s phone. She did not want him to hear such vicious words. Despite being young, Qi Youxuan was a bright child¡ªhe could understand what adults were saying.

    ¡°Yang Yunshu, you¡¯re going too far. Isn¡¯t it enough for you to nder me in thepany? You even came all the way out here to tarnish my name. What¡¯s wrong with you? I could understand that you attacked me back then because you wanted to return to the design department, but now that you¡¯re back, why do you still have to talk bad about me? I really am curious, what do you gain from this? Can you not peacefully sleep at night if you go a day without harming others?¡±

    ¡°Yo, why are you mad again? We all know in our hearts whether I¡¯m ndering you or not. You don¡¯t have to stand here and pretend to be the victim. You think I¡¯m attacking you? Why would I do that to you and not anyone else?¡± Yang Yunshu stood up, crossing her arms and puckering her lips happily.

    The words had slipped out of Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth in a fit of rage. She never wanted to argue with her in front of Qi Youxuan. She regretted her words then¡ªshe should have left after greeting them, no matter what Yang Yunshu spat out.

    ¡°Whatever,¡± Ruan Danchen uttered, turning around to leave with the little boy.

    Qi Youxuan, however, stood firm at his spot. He questioned, ¡°Auntie, who are you?¡±

    Yang Yunshu was stunned. When she saw Ruan Danchen pouncing at her as if she was her prey, she did not notice the tiny Qi Youxuan. When she finally saw him now, she was shocked.

    Wu Min hastily tried to loosen up the atmosphere. She smiled and asked, ¡°Little boy, you¡¯re so cute. Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Auntie,¡± Qi Youxuan thanked Wu Min¡¯s praise politely. He then answered, ¡°I¡¯m Aunt Ruan¡¯s boyfriend¡¯s son.¡±

    A simple identity was told in such a roundabout way by Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s four colleagues could not hide their astonishment. Even the way they looked at her changed.

    Nheless, Yang Yunshu could not care less. She covered her mouth exaggeratedly andmented harshly, ¡°Ah, Ruan Danchen, are you serious? Even if your career isn¡¯t going well, did you really need to find a man looking to remarry? Not only do you have to be his second wife, you even have to be a stepmother. How tragic!¡±

    ¡°Youxuan, let¡¯s go,¡± Ruan Danchen prodded Qi Youxuan in a gentle voice. She was not giving Yang Yunshu any attention.

    ¡°He¡¯s not even your biological son. Why are you treating him so well? Do you want to marry his father so badly? You¡¯re quite an attractive woman¡ªit¡¯s not like no one would want you¡ªso why did you have to find a man looking to remarry and raise his child for him? Why are you trying to please his son now? Why are you in such a rush? Have you really stooped so low?¡± Yang Yunshu sneered, shaking her head. Her lips were crooked with mockery.

    ¡°You can¡¯t talk about Aunt Ruan like that! I want Aunt Ruan to be my mom! What does this have to do with you!¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s face reddened with rage. He was usually a well-tempered child, yet at that moment, his body shook with wrath.

    Zhang Fangfang could not endure seeing this anymore. She tugged on Yang Yunshu but she did not care. Yang Yunshu pushed her hand away irritatedly. Yang Yunshu pressed her lips into a thin line then scolded, ¡°Hey kid, where are your manners? Did your family not teach you that kids can¡¯t interrupt adults¡¯ conversations? How can you speak so rudely? Did your family educate you on how to behave? Is it because you don¡¯t have a mom to teach you, so you don¡¯t even know what manners are?¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s little face waspletely red. His body trembled with rage. His pair of huge, round eyes turned red and his vision was clouded by tears.

    ¡°My family is great! I won¡¯t let you talk like that!¡± Qi Youxuan was choking with fury.

    Everyone pampered him so much at home¡ªhow could this evildy say he had no manners?

    Eyes red, he clenched his other hand not held by Ruan Danchen into a tight fist. After all, he was just a six-year-old child. How could he endure Yang Yunshu¡¯s rancorous words?

    He might be clever, but he still threw little tantrums at times. At home, all the adults would let him win. Everyone loved him dearly, thus they would never let him suffer even a tad bit. Although Qi Chenglin was usually strict toward him, the truth was that he was never too serious with Qi Youxuan. He might not say it out loud, but he would silently let Qi Youxuan have his way every time.

    Seeing that the child was on the verge of tears, Ruan Danchen was ovee by guilt.

    If she had left in the beginning without locking horns with Yang Yunshu, Qi Youxuan would not be hurt.

    She swiftly picked Qi Youxuan up. Her heart aching, she apologized to Qi Youxuan, ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    She then turned to Yang Yunshu and red at her coldly. ¡°Anything you want to say, say it to me. Don¡¯t bully the child. Do you not feel horrible saying those things to a child? It¡¯s a character problem when you use me and attack me, but when you pounce on a child, it shows that you¡¯re not even human. Anyone with but a trace of kindness would never say such things to a child!¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes welled up with tears too. Infuriated, she immediately left with Qi Youxuan in her arms.

    She trotted into the corridor leading to the washroom, and only then did she slow down. She looked down to see Qi Youxuan. Overwhelmed by guilt and despair, she murmured, ¡°I¡¯m sorry that I let you go through something like this.¡±

    The little boy, who had always been active and never tired, was now filled with sorrow. His soft and chubby face rested on Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder. Thinking that Ruan Danchen would not notice, he quickly raised his tiny hand and wiped away his tears silently.

    Of course, Ruan Danchen did notice.

    Her heart ached tremendously. She wanted to tear Yang Yunshu¡¯s mouth straight off her face.

    ¡°Youxuan, I¡¯m sorry,¡± Ruan Danchen repeated, hugging him tightly. She was so hurt to see him like this that she had no idea how tofort him.

    The tears that flowed down the little boy¡¯s cheeks felt like a chunk of her flesh being cut off.

    Qi Youxuan shook his head against her shoulder. ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s that Auntie¡¯s fault! Why is she so wicked?!¡±

    Ruan Danchen caressed the back of his head and told, ¡°Don¡¯t take her words to heart. Don¡¯t care about them. There¡¯s not a single truth in her words.¡±

    ¡°She said my family didn¡¯t educate me. She said I don¡¯t have a mom to teach me,¡± Qi Youxuan mumbled, disheartened.

    ¡°How¡¯s that true? You¡¯re the most polite child I¡¯ve ever seen, and the cutest too. Everyone in your family has taught you well, making you a well-educated child. On the contrary, thedy just now can¡¯t even bepared to you or anyone in your family. She¡¯s the uneducated one. Insulting others without reason is truly the act of an uneducated person,¡± Ruan Danchen assured tenderly.

    Not hearing a reply from Qi Youxuan, she asked, ¡°Do you believe the things she said about me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Qi Youxuan yelled, shaking his head instantly. Now, he was full of energy.

    Heart aching, Ruan Danchen caressed his little face. ¡°See? There¡¯s not a word from her mouth that can be trusted. It¡¯s not worth it to enrage yourself with her nonsense. Don¡¯t punish yourself with others¡¯ lies.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Qi Youxuan agreed. Nheless, he was still in low spirits. ¡°Aunt Ruan, are they your colleagues?¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruan Danchen uttered. Qi Youxuan did not push it after that.

    Ruan Danchen brought him to the entrance of the washroom then anxiously watched the little boy enter alone.

    After a long while, he finally came out. On their way out, Ruan Danchen purposely avoided Yang Yunshu and the others¡¯ table.

    After lunch, she brought him to the dolphinarium. They were quite early so they got to sit in the first row.

    Qi Youxuan was in a glum mood at first, but once the show started, his mood improved a lot.

    When the interactive session began, the host looked for a few kids from the audience to volunteer. Ruan Danchen speedily raised Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and raised her own hands as high as she could to attract the host¡¯s attention.

    The little boy was eager to interact with the dolphins as well. He had forgotten about his woe that afternoon and jumped up from his seat. He bounced up and down energetically, trying to attract the host¡¯s attention.

    He indeed got chosen in the end. The little boy nced at Ruan Danchen exuberantly and Ruan Danchen nodded at him, encouraging him. Thus, he scurried up the stage with his little round and plump buttocks bouncing in the air.

    Ruan Danchen watched the boy interact with the dolphins from below, but her heart still dwelled on the incident that afternoon. The more she saw the little boy smiling joyfully, the more guilty she felt. Her eyes were starting to sting.

    When the interactive session ended, Ruan Danchen hastily got herself together and weed the boy back with a smile on her face.

    The dolphin show had recovered Qi Youxuan¡¯s mood ¡ª it was as if he hadpletely forgotten about his despair that afternoon.

    Although children are forgetful, Ruan Danchen was still worried that the incident would haunt him.

    ...

    ...

    They returned to the old mansion in the evening. Ruan Danchen asked the little boy, ¡°What would you like for dinner? I¡¯ll cook dinner tonight.¡±

    Hearing that, the boy was overjoyed. He ordered countless dishes without shame.

    Luckily there were ample ingredients avable in the old mansion. Ruan Danchen headed to the kitchen instantly. Aunt Liu was also there to help.

    Qi Youxuan went back to his room with his little backpack. Not long after, he poked his head through the living room door and craned his neck to see Ruan Danchen still busy in the kitchen. Thus, he decided to find Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Great-grandma,e here,¡± Qi Youxuan whispered, waving his hands in a peculiar, spy-like manner.

    Grandmother Qi saw her great-grandson¡¯s abnormal actions and inquired confusedly, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Shush!¡± Qi Youxuan pressed his chubby finger against his lips. ¡°Great-grandma, please lower your voice. Just follow me.¡±

    ¡°Urgh, what shenanigans is this child up to now?¡± Grandmother Qi removed her presbyopia sses and put down the book, An Actor Prepares. She then followed Qi Youxuan and entered his room with him.

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s going on? Why are you being so secretive?¡± Grandmother Qi questioned before closing the door.

    Qi Youxuan ran to the door and stuck his head out, ncing in all directions before finally closing the door.

    Grandmother Qi sat on his little bed, contemting whether they should cultivate this child into a war film star in the future.

    ¡°Great-grandma, we ran into some of Aunt Ruan¡¯s colleagues at a themed restaurant when I went to the amusement park with her today, but they were all such wicked people!¡± Qi Youxuan revealed angrily. As he recalled Yang Yunshu¡¯s words, his eyes reddened.

    ¡°Ah, what¡¯s the matter?¡± Grandmother Qi¡¯s heart ached when she saw Qi Youxuan like that. She pulled him into her embrace instantly. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Did someone do you wrong today?¡±

    Grandmother Qi did not suspect Ruan Danchen at all¡ªafter everyone left yesterday, leaving Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan at the house, Grandmother Qi observed her carefully and noticed that as long as Qi Youxuan was around, Ruan Danchen¡¯s entire focus would fall on him. Her gaze was soft and tender. Even if they told others that Ruan Danchen was his biological mother, no one would be suspicious.

    There was no way Ruan Danchen would let anything unjust happen to Qi Youxuan. Therefore, Grandmother Qi presumed that it must have been the colleagues Qi Youxuan mentioned.

    Qi Youxuan wiped his tears with the back of his hands. He stuck his hand into his pocket and pulled out his Totoro-shaped phone. He yed a recording for Grandmother Qi.

    When Ruan Danchen saw him fiddling with his phone that afternoon, she did not think much about it, but in reality, he was recording their conversation.

    As Grandmother Qi listened, her expression turned darker and darker. In the end, her expression was so menacing that even Qi Youxuan was terrified.

    The recording ended. Grandmother Qi squinted¡ªshe knew then that this Yang Yunshu was constantly bullying her granddaughter-inw at thepany. She even used her granddaughter-inw of sleeping with a client just for a project!

    Humph! If Ruan Danchen wanted a project, there¡¯s plenty avable! With just a word, Qilin can hand all their projects to her, though the only problem was that she might be too busy.

    Furthermore, that Yang Yunshu even dared to insult Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan was the eldest grandson in the Qi family!

    Grandmother Qi could not tolerate her iming that the Qi family was uneducated!

    The fact that Qi Youxuan did not have a mother had always been a thorn on the Qi family¡ªno one outside the family dared to touch it. Whoever did would be stung and poisoned.

    Thus, when Yang Yunshu said those words, Grandmother Qi exploded.

    Grandmother Qi immediately made a call to Guan Liya with Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone. ¡°Liya,e to the old mansion tomorrow.¡±

    After she hung up, she eximed, ¡°That crone has crossed the line! Just wait and see how I¡¯m going to deal with her!¡±

    Her words sent a shiver down Qi Youxuan¡¯s spine. He retracted his neck, thinking about how petrifying his great-grandmother truly was.

    Grandmother Qi snapped out of it. In a fit of rage, she forgot Qi Youxuan was right there. Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s horrified look, she hurriedly got rid of her stern expression and put on a wrinkly smile. ¡°Be a good boy now. Great-grandma will surely avenge you and Xiao Ruan.¡±

    ¡°Great-grandma, can I help when you avenge me and Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan yearned to participate in seeing Yang Yunshu regretting her actions terribly.

    ¡°Stop joking around. Focus on school.¡± Grandmother Qi patted his head and left.

    ...

    ...

    After dinner, Ruan Danchen returned home with Qi Youxuan.

    They did not stay longer as Qi Youxuan¡¯s school uniform and textbooks were still at home. Besides, the distance from the old mansion to Jixia Elementary School was longer.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin came back on Monday, but he did not inform Ruan Danchen about it. When he came home, Ruan Danchen was preparing to wash QI Youxuan¡¯s school uniform and the clothes he wore to the amusement park.

    As she carried the pile of clothes from Qi Youxuan¡¯s bed to the washroom, she saw the front door open ¡ª Qi Chenglin came in with his luggage.

    Ruan Danchen was staggered. When she saw Qi Chenglin entering, she was so exhrated that she tossed the dirty clothes on the ground and ran straight into his arms. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you¡¯re back?¡±

    ¡°Spot-check. I wanted to see what you¡¯re up to at home,¡± Qi Chenglin teased, wrapping his arms around her waist.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t even wake me up when you left that morning.¡± Ruan Danchen pouted with her soft lips. Her words carried a hint of me.

    Suddenly, she felt his grip tighten around her waist. When in his embrace, in his arms, she felt especially delicate; she felt that her waist was so slender that it could not be held.

    She did not hear a reply from him but she saw the fire of passion burning in his eyes, igniting the fire in her heart.

    It was as if Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice had been swallowed by him¡ªshe could not utter a word. She swallowed nervously, her breathing thrown out of rhythm. Under his scorching gaze, her body was inmed, her scalp felt like they were burning.

    As she breathed nervously, Qi Chenglin lowered his head gradually and finallynded his hot lips on hers. His arms tightened further, squeezing her deep into his embrace.

    ¡°I missed you so much,¡± he said, lips still pressed firmly against hers.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s body trembled. She stood on tip-toes and held on tight to his neck as she kissed him.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms tightened around her. In a sh, he picked her up, leaving her legs dangling in the air.

    ¡°I still need to wash Youxuan¡¯s clothes.¡± Ruan Danchen knew what he wanted to do. At that moment, he was already carrying her to the bedroom. ¡°You just came back. You must be tired...¡±

    Before she could finish, Qi Chenglin locked lips with her.

    Immediately after, she was pressed onto the bed. Qi Chenglin pressed close on top of her. ¡°I¡¯m not tired. When I got down from the ne, all I wanted to do was bolt back home.¡±

    His lips were pressed against hers so whenever he spoke, she could feel his sizzling breath blown on her. Ruan Danchen could not help but shiver. The heat was overwhelming. As his hot, raspy voice spilled onto her skin, she felt itchy and numb.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s flushed face, Qi Chenglin could not help but chuckle. Merrily, he teased, ¡°In fact, I feel especially energetic right now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed. She could not utter a word. Qi Chenglin proceeded to kiss her again¡ªhe kissed her everywhere.

    ¡°What time did you wake up that morning?¡± Qi Chenglin remarked as he ground against the corner of her lips.

    Knowing that he clearly harbored no good intention, Ruan Danchen mumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t like you.¡±

 Chapter 343 - You Standing Here and Seeing Me Off

    Chapter 343: You Standing Here and Seeing Me Off

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin smirked. His vocal cords were vibrating gently. Ruan Danchen rested her fingertips on the bulge on his neck¡ªshe found it oddly interesting. As he teased her, she did not realize that her clothes had all been removed.

    His searing lips worked their way down her body. When Ruan Danchen could not hold herself back anymore, he abruptly started grinding.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s entire body tingled. The feeling of electric pulsing through her body and straight to her brain was difficult to be put into words. She could not help but clutch onto him, sinking her nails into his back.

    Luckily, her nails were not long.

    Ruan Danchen was extremely bashful when she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s satisfied expression, so she buried her face against his neck.

    Qi Chenglin looked down and reached for her lips again. He kissed her from the moist corner of her eyes to the corner.

    Ruan Danchen unveiled her face for him submissively, letting his lips work on her face. She held on to him tight, closing her eyes to feel his presence. He brought her a kind of blissfulness she could not describe.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen lied in Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace, wrapped in his arms. His long fingers danced on her back while his other hand stroked her long hair. He tucked her hair behind her ears, revealing her alluring reddened face.

    Seeing her delicate cheeks tinted with ayer of red, Qi Chenglin waspletely bewitched. He could not help but kiss her and touch her. He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

    Ruan Danchen lied in his armszily. She shuffled around a little andidfortably in his embrace.

    ¡°Move to Prestige Residences today,¡± started Qi Chenglin, his voice coarse and intoxicating. There was still a hint of satisfaction from before. ¡°The renovations are done and the odor is gone. We could¡¯ve moved in long ago.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± Ruan Danchen murmured. She was a little anxious about moving in with him.

    They had been living together here for a while, but it felt different to move into Prestige Residences together.

    They cuddled on the bed for a long time. Eventually, Ruan Danchen had rested enough and got up to get dressed. As Qi Chenglin was also putting on his clothes, she saw the long lines of red scratches on his back. Although her nails were short and could not prate his skin, they still left a whole row of red marks running down his back. Ruan Danchen was utterly embarrassed.

    She thought, ¡®Was I really that wild just now?¡¯

    ¡°What are you staring at?¡± Qi Chenglin had just worn his pants, his belt still unbuckled. His seductive abs and Adonis belt were disyed in front of Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes¡ªshe felt exceedingly privileged.

    Ruan Danchen walked up to him shyly. She ced her slightly-cold fingertips on the red marks on his back. The way her fingers moved gave him so much pleasure.

    ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Ruan Danchen asked guiltily.

    Only after she mentioned it did Qi Chenglin notice that it did hurt a little. At that moment, he recalled the way her nails dug into his back.

    Nheless, he was in so much pleasure that he did not even notice.

    He turned his back at the mirror and observed the red marks she left. With a smirk, he turned to Ruan Danchen and teased, ¡°I never thought you¡¯d be so wild.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed intensely. It was all because he went in so hard, making her lose control.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t do it on purpose. I won¡¯t do it again,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered. She was humiliated.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. I like it when you scratch.¡± Qi Chenglin pulled her into his arms and kissed her on the lips. ¡°It adds some sensations.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen red at him suspiciously. Could it be that he had a kink for those kinds of things?

    ¡°Stop thinking nonsense.¡± Qi Chenglin could read her thoughts without hearing a word from her.

    ...

    ...

    The two of them had dressed neatly. There was no time to wash Qi Youxuan clothes anymore so they brought them along to Prestige Residences to be washed there.

    Ruan Danchen knew that she would be moving when the rental lease expired, so she already had enough boxes at home to pack away all her stuff. After packing her stuff into a few giant boxes, they carried it to the Qi Chenglin¡¯s Mercedes, filling up the entire bo and the backseats.

    Fortunately, they could move everything in one trip.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s leasested a year¡ªit was expiring in February next year¡ªso there were still three months left. Thus, Qi Chenglin made a call to Jiang Yuan and had them advertise the room online to find a short-term tenant. Ruan Danchen could rent the house out at a lower price¡ªshe would not lose as much money that way.

    Aunt Zheng had long moved back to Prestige Residences. The doorbell rang. She opened the door to be met with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen standing at the door with tworge boxes.

    Ruan Danchen was a little shy, but Aunt Zheng greeted them both gleefully. ¡°Ah, Sir, Miss Ruan, you¡¯re finally back. I was getting quite lonely, staying in this big house by myself all these days.¡±

    Aunt Zheng quickly invited them in. She wanted to help with the baggage but Qi Chenglin stopped her.

    She nced at the clock and realized it was about time she started preparing lunch, so she hurried to the kitchen.

    Qi Chenglin carried the boxes into his room one by one. While the renovations went on, he regrly visited to observe the progress many times.

    The style of the room waspletely different.

    Even so, the bed was still the same. However, the style and color of the bedsheet and nket had changed¡ªthey were all in warm colors.

    Even the wallpapers were in a warm color.

    Additionally, a dressing table had been added to the room. As Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze fell on it, his lips curled up into a smile.

    Ruan Danchen exined bashfully, ¡°Before the renovations started, you already promised to let me move in, right? So I took the chance to buy a dressing table now to avoid having to do everything over again.¡±

    ¡°You thought everything through so thoroughly?¡± Qi Chenglin pulled her over and enveloped her in his arms. Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s flushed face, he chuckled smugly.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless. She poked him and dered, ¡°I should hurry and unpack.¡±

    Qi Chenglin let go of her, keeping the smirk on his face. He noticed that there were a few photos nailed onto the side of the dressing table. There was a photo of Qi Youxuan, a photo of him and Qi Youxuan, and a photo of the three of them together taken at the mall¡ªthere were six photos in total.

    Qi Chenglin turned around to see that Ruan Danchen had already opened the boxes. She took out her skincare products, cosmetics etcetera and arranged them on the dressing table.

    The initially empty table was filled up in a sh. After that, she proceeded to unpack her clothes.

    She hung the clothes suitable for this season into the wardrobe and was going to move the rest into the cloakroomter.

    Ruan Danchen unpacked speedily, nearly done in less than two hours. The only thing left was her undergarments that she was especially embarrassed about.

    Qi Chenglin opened a drawer. ¡°You can put them here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned and saw his undergarments had taken up half the space. She opened the drawer below it and saw that it was filled with socks.

    Qi Chenglin rified coolly, ¡°It¡¯s not hygienic to put undergarments with socks.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    In the end, she had no choice but to put hers with his. When she was closing the drawer, Qi Chenglin suddenly tugged on it.

    She turned to him confusedly. Qi Chenglin inspected the contents scrupulously, then finally closed it contentedly.

    Although he said nothing of it, Ruan Danchen had a feeling that he wanted to see how it looked like when their undergarments were kept together.

    Once she had arranged everything properly, she collected Qi Chenglin¡¯s dirty clothes from his business trip and Qi Youxuan¡¯s clothes together. She then called someone from theundry toe pick it up for washing.

    Qi Chenglin stood in the room and judged every corner in detail. When he first came in, it felt much warmer and cozier though a little barren.

    Nheless, now that Ruan Danchen had filled the room with her stuff, it felt even more snuggly and homely. There was something that belonged to her at every corner.

    Her skincare products and cosmetics were on the dressing table; on the shelf above the bed, the little crystal bear that she brought from her house was disyed. Qi Chenglin could not help but think how both the mother and the son loved bears so much.

    On the thick furry carpet of the bay window, a little plush¡ªwhich seemed to have been won from a w machine¡ªwas ced.

    Meeting his gaze, Ruan Danchen revealed, ¡°I brought Youxuan to the amusement park yesterday. He won that from a w machine.¡±

    Moreover, the teddy bear that Qi Youxuan left at her ce was also disyed there. There were innumerable toys ced on the bay window¡ªit gave off a warm and inviting aura.

    Subconsciously, Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up into a tender smile. He never imagined his room would be as cozy as it was now.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see Youxuan¡¯s room,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly, proactively stuffing her hand into Qi Chenglin¡¯s palm.

    Thus together they went to Qi Youxuan¡¯s room. Qi Youxuan¡¯s childbed was custom-made, shaped like the pirate ship, ¡®Going Merry, in One Piece¡¯.

    The bed frame was shaped like a ship. Inside the ¡®ship¡¯ was a custom mattress and above the headboard, little action figures of all the members of the Straw Hat Pirates were disyed.

    There was a shelf attached to the headboard, and on the shelf was a Garfield-shaped phone. There were also two framed photos of Qi Youxuan.

    A study desk with a bookshelf attached to it was ced against the wall. His old Apple Desktop Computer sat on the desk.

    There was also a soft rug spread across the floor. The whole room appeared especially childlike.

    As for Qi Youxuan¡¯s toy room, aside from the toys he stored inside, there were many cartoon characters drawn on the four walls.

    All three rooms looked much more refined and exquisite than before.

    Qi Youxuan had never seen the house after the renovations¡ªRuan Danchen could not wait to see his reaction.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin did not head to thepany today. In the evening, he went to fetch Qi Youxuan from school with Ruan Danchen.

    At Jixia Elementary School, Qi Youxuan was walking toward the school gate with Zhang Mingming. Diagonally behind him, Shen Manman was walking a distance away.

    Shen Manman was pouting, her discontent evident on her pretty little face. Although she was quite a distance away from Qi Youxuan, herrge eyes were still fixed on him.

    Naturally, Qi Chenglin noticed this. Ruan Danchen exined, ¡°That girl has a crush on Youxuan.¡±

    Qi Chenglin squinted. He appeared quite unhappy¡ªhe did not like Shen Manman¡¯s manner.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s not like Youxuan is dating at this age,¡± Ruan Danchen rified. She was afraid that Qi Chenglin would condemn Qi Youxuan.

    However, when she thought about it, Qi Chenglin never expressed any disapproval when Qi Youxuan constantly said he liked Xiao Muran. It was quite odd.

    Qi Chenglin turned to her and smiled warmly. ¡°It¡¯s nothing.¡±

    Within the huge crowd of students at the gate, Qi Youxuan suddenly spotted Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. He instantly said goodbye to his little friends and bolted toward them with his bag.

    ¡°Dad! Aunt Ruan!¡± Qi Youxuan called out exuberantly. He ran straight into Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms.

    ¡°Don¡¯t run or you might trip.¡± Ruan Danchen pinched his little chubby cheeks happily.

    ¡°Dad, when did youe back?¡± Qi Youxuan asked as he turned to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°This morning,¡± Qi Chenglin replied. ¡°Get in the car first.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was over the moon with both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchening to pick him up. He marched forward in style with his chest puffed out¡ªhe felt extremely prideful.

    When walking to the carpark, the little boy squeezed himself between them and held their hands, his tiny hands swinging back and forth joyously as he held onto them. Sometimes, he would even start skipping.

    Qi Chenglin looked down to watch his son¡¯s silly actions¡ªhis mood brightened.

    ¡°How was school today? What did you learn?¡± Qi Chenglin inquired, not forgetting to oversee the little boy¡¯s studies.

    Qi Youxuan reported his day in detail.

    On the car, as Qi Youxuan was still talking about school, he noticed that they were going in the wrong direction. ¡°Dad, are we not going home?¡±

    ¡°We are.¡± Qi Chenglin nced at him through the rearview mirror. ¡°We¡¯re going back to Prestige Residences.¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked a few times. He was quite disappointed. Turning to Ruan Danchen, he begged, ¡°Aunt Ruan, can¡¯t I stay at your home?¡±

    ¡°Your Aunt Ruan ising home with us,¡± Qi Chenglin announced coolly.

    ¡°Really?¡± Excited, Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice inevitably turned higher and louder.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and nodded. Qi Chenglin continued, ¡°She has moved all her stuff there today.¡±

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at Ruan Danchen through the rearview mirror and revealed, ¡°When we were renovating the rooms, she even ordered a dressing table for herself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    This man was speaking as if she was impatient to move in!

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, you¡¯re so thorough,¡± Qi Chenglinmented while twisting his little body.

    ¡°...¡± The father-and-son duo was too simr.

    As they brought the little boy home, Qi Youxuan eximed joyfully, ¡°It¡¯s great to be home!¡±

    Ruan Danchen grinned. She followed Qi Youxuan upstairs.

    Qi Youxuan dashed into his room excitedly. The moment he saw the Going Merry bed, he squealed. He mbered into the bed instantly.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I love this room so much!¡± Qi Youxuan shouted gleefully.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go see the toy room in a while.¡± Ruan Danchen felt immensely satisfied seeing Qi Youxuan on cloud nine.

    Qi Youxuan climbed out swiftly and darted into the toy room. Once again, he was ebullient. When his bedtime came, Qi Youxuan, who always had to be forced to bed, unexpectedly climbed into bed without Qi Chenglin¡¯smand. He tossed and turned and rolled around the bed¡ªhe was too excited to sleep.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen woke up early in the morning to make breakfast. She ate with the father and son and saw them off.

    Qi Chenglin hinted at Qi Youxuan and the little boy then grabbed his bag and went out first. Qi Chenglin stood at the entrance alone. He looked down at Ruan Danchen. ¡°I¡¯ve always wished for this¡ªyou standing here and seeing me off.¡±

    Ruan Danchen stood on her tiptoes peaked his lips without reservations. Her heart was filled with blissfulness. ¡°Be careful on the road.¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at her deeply. He nodded and finally left.

    ...

    ...

    In the morning, after work-hours had only started for half an hour in Chengshi, Jiang Yuan arrived.

    As Qi Chenglin¡¯s assistant, everyone in the design department knew him.

    Yang Yunshu anxiously weed him with a beautiful and genial smile, ¡°Mister Jiang.¡±

    Jiang Yuan replied with an expressionless nod. He did not greet her either. His gaze fell on the empty seats of Ruan Danchen and Song Yu. Frowning, he asked, ¡°Is Miss Ruan not here?¡±

    Yang Yunshu was staggered. Her expression shifted abnormally. Quickly, she put her smile back on and answered, ¡°Danchen is on leave. I¡¯m handling her work for now. Whatever it is, Mister Jiang, you can just let me know.¡±

    Nheless, Jiang Yuan¡¯s brows knitted even tighter together. ¡°She¡¯s not here? I¡¯m here just to see Miss Ruan. When will she be back?¡±

 Chapter 344 - Why Do You Use Such Roundabout Ways to Pamper Your Wife

    Chapter 344: Why Do You Use Such Roundabout Ways to Pamper Your Wife

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°That... I¡¯m not sure,¡± Yang Yunshu said reluctantly. ¡°It should still be some time.¡±

    ¡°Is it?¡± Jiang Yuan¡¯s expression darkened. His discontent was evident.

    ¡°Mister Jiang, all my colleagues here are very professional too. It doesn¡¯t matter who takes the project. Why don¡¯t I introduce some colleagues to help you instead?¡± Yang Yunshu suggested with a smile.

    Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow and asked, ¡°Are you the person in charge here?¡±

    His question made Yang Yunshu extremely awkward.

    Her lips twitched and her smile stiffened. ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°Mister Jiang, can I help you?¡± Manager Xu walked out of her office and asked Jiang Yuan, shooting a cold nce at Yang Yunshu.

    ¡°Manager Xu.¡± Jiang Yuan was much more courteous with Manager Xu¡ªhe even put on a pleasurable smile.

    Jiang Yuan nodded at Manager Xu and revealed, ¡°I¡¯m here to see Miss Ruan, but I heard that she¡¯s on leave?¡±

    Naturally, Manager Xu would not disclose an internal scandal to an outsider. He only told simply, ¡°Yes, she is. May I ask what do you need?¡±

    ¡°Well, do you remember when our general manager came to discuss some work with Miss Ruan? The thing is, we have a case we want Miss Ruan to work on. Our general manager was very satisfied with the design proposals that Miss Ruan sent to us previously, so he sent me here today to discuss the matter with Miss Ruan and if possible, sign a contract with her,¡± Jiang Yuan exined. He noticed that beside him, Yang Yunshu¡¯s expression darkened.

    She tried her best to maintain her smile, but s, her smile turned crooked.

    The moment Manager Xu heard his exnation, he knew that he could not decline this offer. After all, it was Qi Chenglin¡¯s business, so it must be big. Manager Xu inquired, ¡°Must it be Ruan Danchen? We have many colleagues in the design department who are also very professional. I can even offer to handle this case personally.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be too much of a hassle,¡± Jiang Yuan expressed, sighing. ¡°If we use a different person, we¡¯ll have to fix up another n. Who knows how much time will be wasted there? Our general manager is very meticulous when ites to efficiency¡ªhe¡¯d never allow time to be wasted. Miss Ruan is just on leave. Manager Mu, can you find a way to ask Miss Ruan toe back in? We¡¯ve already discussed the remuneration but since we¡¯re causing some inconvenience by asking Miss Ruan toe back from leave, we¡¯re willing to increase the remuneration. Our general manager is an understanding and reasonable man after all.¡±

    ¡°That...¡± Manager Xu was awfully distressed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to bring this up to Director Zhao first. Mister Jiang, please hold on.¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded. Manager Xu returned to his office and made a call to Director Zhao.

    Jiang Yuan went ahead and sat on Ruan Danchen¡¯s seat. Although the desk was now empty, it was still the desk of the general manager¡¯s wife. Jiang Yuan sat there and judged it silently.

    After a while, Manager Xu rushed out of the office again. ¡°Mister Jiang, Director Zhao is heading over right now.¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded. Barely a few minutester, Director Zhao waddled in with his protruding belly.

    Jiang Yuan stood up politely and greeted, ¡°Director Zhao.¡±

    In reality, Jiang Yuan¡¯s position was much higher than Director Zhao¡¯s.

    Director Zhao might have apany, but the scale wasrgely different, so needless to say he could notpete with Jiang Yuan.

    In Qilin, Jiang Yuan¡¯s rank was considered higher than that of a manager¡ªhe was almost on par with the deputy general manager. When put in front of a man with such a high position, Director Qi could only nod and smile.

    ¡°Mister Jiang, please sit down.¡± Director Zhao pointed at the chair Jiang Yuan was sitting on just now. Only when Jiang Yuan sat down did Director Zhao brought Song Yu¡¯s chair over and sat down too.

    ¡°Mister Jiang, Manager Xu told me that you¡¯re here because General Manager Qi has a project for us. Is that true?¡± Director Zhao asked. Although he was grinning from ear to ear, his heart was racing anxiously.

    Jiang Yuan nodded. ¡°Director Zhao, you know that Qilin has recently started a new property development in the north of the city, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡± Director Zhao nodded intensely. ¡°I hear that thepetition there is fierce.¡±

    ¡°It is.¡± Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement. ¡°Previously, our general manager was introduced to Beicheng by our Director¡¯s wife, Mrs. Qi. She revealed that Miss Ruan is an exceptionally professional designer. She exined that Miss Ruan¡¯s name isn¡¯t well-known due to herck of formal qualifications for the industry, but in truth, her skills are no less than a famous designer¡¯s. That¡¯s why our general director came here personally to have a discussion with Miss Ruan. He wanted to see if Miss Ruan¡¯s ability is as outstanding as Mrs. Qi described; if so, he ns to let Miss Ruan handle the design of every single house in our new development.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, you must¡¯ve known that this new development is on a massive scale. Every house there are equally luxurious and will be sold fully furnished. Our vision is to let the owners be able to move in with just a suitcase. As a result, there¡¯s a need for numerous sets of designs to be made. It¡¯s an enormous project and is of great importance to our general manager.¡±

    The more Director Zhao listened, the more nched his face became. His heart ached and his stomach twisted.

    ¡°Miss Ruan treasures this opportunity deeply. Up till now, she had presented us with plenty of design proposals,¡± Jiang Yuan continued, maintaining a faint but genuine smile. ¡°When ites to Miss Ruan¡¯s sincerity and dedication, and of course, her design proposals, our general manager is extraordinarily satisfied. Thus, he wants to appoint Miss Ruan for this project.¡±

    ¡°That...¡± Director Zhao uttered troubledly. ¡°I think Xiao Ruan has gone on vacation during her leave. She¡¯s not in town.¡±

    ¡°In that case, we won¡¯t be so tenacious. I¡¯ll head back and report to the general manager and we¡¯ll switch to anotherpany,¡± Jiang Yuan announced calmly. ¡°Sorry for disturbing.¡±

    Having said that, Jian Yuan stood up, ready to leave.

    ¡°Mister Jiang, please wait. We can talk over this again.¡± Director Zhao hastily stopped Jiang Yuan. He was unwilling to let go of this dazzling business opportunity. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that General Manager Qi disliked wasting time on matters like this? If you were to switchpanies, you¡¯ll need to find a new designer and go through new proposals. It¡¯d be the same as using other designers from ourpany, so why don¡¯t you give us a chance?¡±

    Hearing this, Yang Yunshu stood straight with her chest puffed¡ªevidently, she yearned for the position.

    ¡°Well, the thing is,¡± Jiang Yuan exined patiently with a smile, ¡°Miss Ruan isn¡¯t the only person we reached out to. Naturally, we madeparisons with many otherpanies. It¡¯s just that we never advertised this position publically. Miss Ruan is our first choice. Of course, there are otherpanies with good proposals too. Since Miss Ruan isn¡¯t here, we¡¯ll just move on to our second choice. We won¡¯t be wasting any time at all.¡±

    Director Zhao was frightfully rmed. His body perspired wildly. How could he let the big fat duck right in front of his mouth just fly free?

    In spite of that, he was unwilling to call Ruan Danchen. Although his words were not absolute, it did not change the fact that he had wronged Ruan Danchen. Unlike his wife, he did not believe that Ruan Danchen would do anything like that with a client just for an order. Nheless, he took it as a chance to force Ruan Danchen into quitting the job without enraging Song Yu.

    Thepany could not afford to keep someone who contributed nothing to thepany anymore. Besides, Ruan Danchen did not have any direct rtions with the Qi family. If this went on, not only would thepany experience losses, her colleagues would start talking too. Just like Yang Yunshu, who could not stand seeing her misusing her rtions.

    Director Zhao remembered the incident with Song Yu like it was yesterday. Back then, he had to lower his voice and humble himself to get her back. He truly did not want to plead with Ruan Danchen as he did with Song Yu, giving her the opportunity to take advantage of his desperateness.

    He then wondered, ¡®What is up with the men in the Qi family? Why do all of them have to wait until someone left in anger, only to thene and ask for those employees? Why can¡¯t they juste earlier?¡¯

    ¡°Mister Jiang, didn¡¯t you say that General Manager Qi is extremely satisfied with Ruan Danchen¡¯s design proposals? Then why should you settle for anything less? Since the proposals already exist, it won¡¯t make a difference no matter who implements it. If there¡¯s anything you¡¯re unsatisfied with, our designers can make changes ordingly,¡± Director Zhao proposed smilingly.

    However, Manager Xu¡¯s expression shifted abruptly. Immediately after, Jiang Yuan, who had kept a genial smile on the entire time, darkened his expression too.

    ¡°Director Zhao, how can you utter something so unprofessional!¡± Jiang Yuan¡¯s gaze was stern and his expression was terrifyingly cold. ¡°Don¡¯t you know that giarism is a huge taboo in your industry? If you let another designer use Miss Ruan¡¯s designs, in the end, who¡¯s name should be credited? Who¡¯s design would it be? If credit falls on the designer who implements it, how is that any different from giarism?¡±

    Director Zhao broke out in cold sweat. He was indeed nning on crediting it to others. He was terribly anxious¡ªhe could not even think about wiping his sweat.

    Jiang Yuan continued coldly, ¡°If Chengshi is full of such unprofessional behavior, I¡¯m thankful that Miss Ruan isn¡¯t here and our coboration didn¡¯t seed.¡±

    With a frigid expression, he walked past Director Zhao and strode toward the door.

    Director Zhao hastily grabbed onto him. ¡°Mister Jiang, please don¡¯t be mad. It¡¯s my mistake. After all, you¡¯re bringing in such an enormous business opportunity. I was so anxious to grasp this opportunity that I let my words slip out without thinking.¡±

    Jiang Yuan pouted coldly. He mocked, ¡°If Director Zhao makes mistakes out of nervousness so easily, I think it¡¯d be troublesome to work with Chengshi.¡±

    Director Zhao was so humiliated that his face turned into the color of pig¡¯s liver¡ªhe did not dare to refute.

    ¡°I recall that something like this had happened in Chengzhi before. If I¡¯m not wrong, it happened to Mrs. Qi. At first, we¡¯ve agreed to hire Mrs. Qi, yet the agreement was signed by another woman from yourpany. Now, Director Zhao, you¡¯re suggesting the same thing again. Could this be Chengshi¡¯s tradition?¡± Jiang Yuan scorned, not leaving a shred of dignity for Director Zhao.

    Director Zhao¡¯s heart was consumed with rage, yet he did not dare to show it¡ªhe kept smiling. ¡°No, no. This is all a misunderstanding.¡±

    Jiang Yuan grimaced coldly. In a firm tone of voice, he pointed out, ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about that first. Even if proposals are lifeless, the designer isn¡¯t. I say that our general manager is content with Miss Ruan¡¯s proposal, but in truth, doesn¡¯t that mean that he¡¯s pleased with Miss Ruan¡¯s talent? Later on, no matter what requests our general manager has, Miss Ruan will be able to fulfill it. Can the others do the same?¡±

    His words made Yang Yunshu extremely dissatisfied. Jiang Yuan¡¯s every word was putting Ruan Danchen on a pedestal as if nothing can be done without Ruan Danchen; as though no one else was worthy of being a designer besides Ruan Danchen.

    As Yang Yunshu listened, her heart drowned in hatred and disgust. ¡®It can¡¯t be that Ruan Danchen has some secret rtionship with Jiang Yuan, right?!¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°Mister Jiang, please don¡¯t be mad,¡± Director Qi pleaded, still smiling. ¡°Why don¡¯t I give Xiao Ruan a call and find out where she is? Her leave only started not long ago¡ªperhaps she¡¯s still in B City. If she¡¯s still here, I¡¯ll ask her toe back instantly. How¡¯s that?¡±

    Jiang Yuan chuckled mockingly in his mind. Director Zhao still did not know where Ruan Danchen was?

    She was in their general manager¡¯s home!

    ...

    ...

    In Prestige Residences, Ruan Danchen was sitting idle. She sat in the living room, eating fruits and scrolling through a recruitment site, seeing if there were any positions suitable for her.

    She knew that she could not stay at Chengshi much longer. Even if she was called back, she would not want to stay there anymore.

    Despite that, it was not easy to find a suitable job at that time. As she was scrolling through, her phone rang.

    She picked up her phone and to her surprise, saw that it was a call from Qi Chengyue.

    Ruan Danchen answered the phone. ¡°Chengyue?¡±

    ¡°Danchen, Song Yu told me that you¡¯re being bullied in Chengshi,¡± Qi Chengyue said, jumping straight to the point.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing,¡± Ruan Danchen replied, smiling.

    ¡°Here¡¯s the thing¡ªI just received news that Qilin¡¯s design department is coincidentally looking to recruit new designers. Are you interested to give it a try?¡± Qi Chengyue asked through the phone.

    Of course, she was interested. She hastily replied, ¡°Yes, I¡¯d love to try. Of course, you can¡¯t tell Chenglin.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Qi Chengyue nced at Qi Chenglin who was sitting right in front of her. He was the one who instructed her to make this call.

    Seeing Qi Chenglin raising his eyebrows, Qi Chengyue might as well put her on speakerphone to let Qi Chenglin listen in.

    Raun Danchen exined, ¡°If he knew about this, he¡¯d definitely let me in through a backdoor. No matter what, I can¡¯t let others in thepany look down on me, thinking that I don¡¯t have what it takes and can only rely on him to get in. Moreover, I don¡¯t want anyone to be discontent with Chenglin due to this. It¡¯ll hinder his work in the future. Additionally, if others know about my identity, they¡¯d inevitably approach me for all kinds of reasons¡ªbe it thinking I came in through a backdoor or fawning over me. I¡¯m terribly afraid of these things happening in the office.¡±

    Qi Chengyue glimpsed at Qi Chenglin. Seeing him nod, she said, ¡°Okay. Nheless, since we have the resource, it¡¯s a waste to not utilize it, right? There¡¯s no need for my brother to jump in¡ªI¡¯ll help you. I¡¯ll ask for an exam paper from human resources and find out some interview questions from the examiner. I¡¯ll hand them to you so you can prepare at home and increase your chance of seeding.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not reject Qi Chengyue¡¯s proposal. Why would she give up on a chance to make proper preparations? It could even boost her confidence.

    Besides, the others who were applying could have a backdoor too. If Qi Chengyue could tell her, that could mean that others in the higher levels, or even ordinary employees, could reveal these things to their friends and rtives.

    Ruan Danchen merely did not want others to think she misused her rtions with Qi Chenglin, causing him troubleter on. Nevertheless, she was still open to adapt in different ways.

    ¡°Alright then, just wait for my message. I think I¡¯ll be able to collect all those by this evening. I¡¯ll email it to you,¡± Qi Chengyue told her.

    ¡°Chengyue, thank you so much,¡± Ruan Danchen thanked sincerely. She was overjoyed.

    ¡°We¡¯re a family¡ªwhat are you being so polite about?¡± Qi Chengyuemented cheerfully. They talked about their lives recently, although they had just seen each other on Saturday, and eventually hung up.

    Qi Chengyue red at Qi Chenglin teasingly. ¡°Brother, why do you use such roundabout ways to pamper your wife?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯ll only be happy if she passes with her own abilities,¡± Qi Chenglin stated coolly.

    ¡°Can you keep this a secret forever? Aren¡¯t you afraid that she¡¯ll be mad when she finds out?¡± Qi Chengyue askedughingly. She was gloating over this situation.

    ¡°She¡¯ll only be mad for a while. She doesn¡¯t have the heart to stay mad at me.¡± Whenever Qi Chenglin mentioned Ruan Danchen, his expression would soften and his gaze would be warm and tender. Even his voice was gentle. ¡°Besides, she¡¯s a capable woman¡ªshe can still win her way into Qilin even on her own.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was rendered speechless. In front of her, Qi Chenglin had already appeared so gentle when talking about Ruan Danchen. If he was actually in front of Ruan Danchen, Qi Chengyue could not imagine how cloying he would be.

    ¡°Both you and Big Brother really pamper your wives at an out-of-the-world level. Let¡¯s not talk about Big Brother. I can¡¯t believe you made the design department make space for another designer just for Danchen. What if she doesn¡¯t seed?¡± Qi Chengyue rested her chin in her hands. It was a rare asion that Qi Chenglin was in the office. She was idle anyway, so she stuck around to chat with him.

    _________________________

    Extra mini-scene:

    At night, Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan were bathing together. Qi Youxuan saw the scratch marks on Qi Chenglin¡¯s back. ¡°Dad, who scratched your back?¡±

    Qi Chenglin glimpsed at him, then replied coolly, ¡°A cat.¡±

    Qi Youxuan then asked, ¡°Since when do we have a cat at home?¡±

    ¡°I was attacked by a stray,¡± came Qi Chenglin¡¯s reply.

 Chapter 345 - My Path in Art Has Always Been Abstract

    Chapter 345: My Path in Art Has Always Been Abstract

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    When Qi Chenglin came in earlier, the first thing he told Qi Chengyue was that he had ordered the design department to add another position. He wanted Qi Chengyue to call Ruan Danchen and inform thetter of the vacancy.

    In retrospect, Qi Chengyue realized that her elder brother understood his future wife rather well. He knew that Ruan Danchen did not like to rely on him when it came to work, so he used Qi Chengyue as his mouthpiece to ry the news.

    ¡°No ifs,¡± Qi Chenglin said confidently and stood up. ¡°I¡¯m going now. Do your work properly. Don¡¯t secretly y games on yourputer all day.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked at the game that she had opened in herputer. She wondered how he knew when the sound was silenced and the screen was out of Qi Chenglin¡¯s view.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen had a tough time finding a suitable job opening online and shut herptop after having decided not to continue searching. A call then came.

    She picked her phone up and the caller ID was Director Zhao.

    Her pleasant mood soured immediately.

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips and took a deep breath before picking it up. She greeted frigidly, ¡°Director Zhao.¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Xiao Ruan, you knew it was me?¡± Director Zhao chuckled and asked.

    His fakeugh caused goosebumps to form all over her entire body.

    ¡°The caller ID says it¡¯s you,¡± Ruan Danchen replied frankly. ¡°Is there something you need from me?¡±

    ¡°Hehe, Xiao Ruan, where are you right now?¡± Director Zhao asked.

    ¡°At home.¡± Though her voice may sound cold, she was actually feeling rather warm in her heart when saying those two words.

    In all her twenty-six years of life, it was the first time she felt like she actually belonged somewhere, and for the first time ever, she experienced what it meant to be at home.

    ¡°Ahh, that¡¯s perfect! You haven¡¯t left anywhere yet! I called just in time,¡± Director Zhao said.

    Ruan Danchen cocked her brow and wondered what the hell was Director Zhao babbling about.

    ¡°Director Zhao, what is it you want to say?¡± she asked, with her brow still cocked.

    ¡°Hehe, Xiao Ruan, I know you¡¯ve been working for a good half-year without taking a break. I apologize that I have to call you back when you¡¯re having your hard-earned break.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, what are you trying to tell me? Can you please get to the point?¡± Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and spat out.

    Director Zhao¡¯s lips were twitching. Ruan Danchen was being nothing short of rude, but he was too afraid to get angry.

    The same thing that happened with Song Yu in the past was now happening with Ruan Danchen. ¡®Why am I the depressed one when I¡¯m supposed to be the boss!¡¯

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, it¡¯s like this. Do you still remember when General Manager Qi came looking for you the other day?¡± Director Zhao asked.

    She cocked a brow and was surprised that Qi Chenglin was the subject matter of what Director Zhao wanted to talk about.

    ¡°Mm, I do. I also remember Yang Yunshu using me of seducing General Manager Qi. Does she really think that I go around seducing everybody?¡±

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, don¡¯t take it to heart. It¡¯s just that she talks too much.¡± Director Zhao red at Yang Yunshu. He was extremely unhappy.

    ¡®Why does this woman bring so much trouble!

    ¡®Last time it was Song Yu, now it¡¯s Ruan Danchen.¡¯

    Director Zhao, however, forgot that his cell phone leaked sound quite readily. Yang Yunshu just so happened to be near him and was therefore able to hear their phone call with crystal clear rity. She was left fuming after listening to the conversation.

    ¡°Oh, is that so? I remember you trusting everything she said, Director Zhao. I wouldn¡¯t be on holiday now if it weren¡¯t because of that,¡± Ruan Danchen aimed a sarcastic jibe at him.

    Director Zhao exined hastily, ¡°Xiao Ruan, listen to me. When you left, I quickly began an investigation. I¡¯m so sorry to have misunderstood you. I apologize for that.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, why are you being so nice all of a sudden?¡± Ruan Danchen continued the sarcasm.

    ¡°It¡¯s not just me being nice. I¡¯m being genuine here,¡± Director Zhao said immediately. ¡°Xiao Ruan, you shoulde back as soon as you can. General Manager Qi is very satisfied with your design. All that¡¯s left is for you toe back and sign the papers.¡±

    ¡®Design? What design?¡¯

    Ruan Danchen felt it odd, but after some thought, she finally realized that Qi Chenglin found an excuse to head to Chengshi and took revenge on behalf of her.

    She could not help but break into a smile. There was an indescribable feeling of sweetness in her heart. It was the first time in her life that she felt the feeling of having someone to rely on. Come rain or shine, someone would always be there to shield and protect her. At the first sign of injustice, the person she relied on would immediately avenge her.

    All Ruan Danchen wanted to do was hang up and call Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Director Zhao, I¡¯m nning to resign. I don¡¯t want the project anymore,¡± Ruan Danchen replied curtly.

    Director Zhao was stunned silly. Dazed, he stood there for some time before beginning his sentence incoherently, ¡°No... This... Xiao... Xiao Ruan, everything¡¯s all... It¡¯s all been good, why do you want to resign all of a sudden? If it really is because of the misunderstanding, I¡¯ll apologize to you and I¡¯ll tell Xiao Yang to do the same. You did a good job here at Chengshi, and it won¡¯t be easy if you go out in search of another job. Even if you can find a new job, you¡¯ll have to start from scratch. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you stay put rather than putting yourself out there again? Besides, the MU incident has definitely impacted you. This may sound harsh, but otherpanies might not necessarily want someone like you for the same position.

    ¡°And Xiao Ruan, Qilin¡¯s project is a big one, and if you manage toplete it, you have nothing else to worry for the rest of the year. It¡¯ll be such a pity for you leave and give up on this. You might not even get the same kind of opportunity elsewhere,¡± Director Zhao advised. Chengshi¡¯s year would end on a high if the project was a sess.

    ¡°Director Zhao, I don¡¯t want the project and I don¡¯t want to be in the samepany with Yang Yunshu. I said it before, I¡¯ll resign if my name is cleared, so since you said it yourself that it¡¯s a misunderstanding, I can resign without worrying,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    The oue was vastly different from what Director Zhao had in mind. He pleaded, ¡°Xiao Ruan, I know you¡¯re angry. How about youe back and I¡¯ll let Yang Yunshu apologize to you in front of everyone? I¡¯ll call a meeting and have her do it there. How about that?¡±

    Yang Yunshu opened her eyes wide. She could not possibly apologize in front of everyone!

    She was so preupied with being shocked that she did not notice Jiang Yuan smiling.

    Ruan Danchen smiled icily. She had already made the decision to resign anyway, so she did not bother being courteous and simply said, ¡°I don¡¯t just want her to apologize to me. I want her to resign after apologizing. If you want me in thepany, then she has to go. Simple as that.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Ruan, you¡¯re putting me in a difficult spot.¡± Director Zhao¡¯s reluctance stemmed not from how much he treasured Yang Yunshu as an employee, but from the mere fact that he could not possibly set such a precedent.

    How then, if any employee gets a simrly big contract in the future and hangs it over the boss¡¯ head just to override any decisions made by human resources?

    Ruan Danchen twitched her lip. ¡°Director Zhao, those are my conditions. If you can¡¯t do it, I won¡¯t insist on it. You can think about it. I¡¯m appreciating the holiday actually. It¡¯s a really good time for me to rest and be with my family.¡±

    She hung up immediately after finishing her words.

    Director Zhao ced his phone down sullenly and smiled bitterly at Jiang Yuan. ¡°Mr. Jiang, it¡¯s rare for her to take a break, so she doesn¡¯t want toe back yet.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Manager Xu rolled his eyes surreptitiously. The sound leakage from Director Zhao¡¯s phone was so bad that everyone could hear their conversation so clearly, but the man still wanted to put on a fa?ade.

    Jiang Yuan smiled. ¡°There¡¯s some difficulty, it seems. I¡¯ll be off then.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Jiang, can you give me a few days¡¯ time? I¡¯ll try to advise her,¡± Director Zhao requested.

    Jiang Yuan thought for a moment and said, ¡°Negotiating the details with otherpanies will take a bit of time. I can only give you about another week¡¯s time.¡±

    ¡°Okay, okay!¡± Director Zhao was content with having one week and he nodded his head immediately.

    He was confident that he could persuade Ruan Danchen toe around within that one week.

    ...

    ...

    Barely minutes after returning to his office, Qi Chenglin received Ruan Danchen¡¯s call.

    When the three characters of her name were seen, Qi Chenglin smiled knowingly and picked up. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°You went to Chengshi and helped me vent my anger?¡± Ruan Danchen curled her lip ever so slightly. His maic voice alone made her feel so blessed.

    ¡°I told Jiang Yuan to go. It¡¯ll be too obvious if I go.¡± Qi Chenglin swiveled in his chair and faced the ss wall of his office. He looked down and observed the hustle and bustle on the street.

    Ruan Danchen could not control herself from beaming with a huge smile. She wondered how the man could be so two-faced regardless of the time and ce.

    ¡°Director Zhao apologized to me, but I¡¯ve decided to resign. Even if you can look after me with all your projects, I don¡¯t want Chengshi to reap the benefits.¡±

    ¡°I support your decision,¡± he said gently. He sounded as though he would say the same thing, even if Ruan Danchen had wanted Chengshi to be run to the ground.

    Ruan Danchen smiled shyly and said meekly, ¡°Thank you. I feel happy knowing that you helped me vent out my anger.¡±

    ¡°That is why you must let me know if anything else happens in the future.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled handsomely.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Ruan Danchen answered softly. ¡°I won¡¯t keep you from your work.¡±

    After hanging up, Qi Chenglin stared at Ruan Danchen¡¯s name for a moment. He tapped on the setting to edit her contact information and deleted the three characters of her name. He changed it to Softie [1].

    ...

    ...

    In the afternoon, Qi Chengyue sent an email to Ruan Danchen regarding the contents of the written examination, the interviewer¡¯s information, and the possible questions that would be asked during the interview.

    Ruan Danchen began preparing immediately without dy.

    Later that afternoon, Qi Chenglin brought Qi Youxuan home from school. Ruan Danchen packed up her things and went out of her room.

    She stood at the entrance hall and saw Qi Youxuan standing in front of Qi Chenglin. The boy was the first toe in. He called out ¡®Aunt Ruan¡¯ and ran into the kitchen to fetch himself a ss of cold water from the fridge. He filled up his big ss and gulped it down to quench his thirst.

    It was then that Qi Chenglin stretched his long legs over and set his warm gaze onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s face.

    Ruan Danchen looked behind her to check that Qi Youxuan was not yet out. She then tiptoed and gave Qi Chenglin a quick peck on the lips.

    Just as she was about to push him away, Qi Chenglin wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her to himself. He lowered his head and said, ¡°That¡¯s all? Where¡¯s your sincerity?¡±

    Then, he mmed his lips onto hers and kissed her passionately.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips nearly went numb because of his kiss, and the constant assailing on her lips made her unable to breathe. That was when Qi Chenglin let go of her, just moments before Qi Youxuan ran out, having quenched his thirst.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan, why are you both being such slowpokes at the door. It¡¯s time to eat,¡± Qi Youxuan shouted from the living room.

    His eyes were filled with immense happiness after seeing her beautifully-pinkish face.

    He held her hand and led her to the living room. Qi Youxuan¡¯s tubby and fair-skinned hands were still holding the cup. He looked at the two adults suspiciously, shifting his eyes between the two of them a couple of times. Then, he shook his head¡ªperhaps because he found the two of them so ineffable¡ªand went to the dining hall.

    Aunt Zheng joined them for the meal. Qi Chenglin asked Ruan Danchen, ¡°What¡¯s your n after resigning?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll find the same job. This is the only thing I know. I¡¯m nning to apply for a position at one of thepanies in the next few days,¡± she said.

    Qilin was thepany that she was going to apply to, just that she kept it from him.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her, causing her to feel guilty. She had a nagging feeling that he knew something and that her efforts to conceal it from him were futile.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be busy preparing for the interview these few days. It¡¯s a written exam and an interview,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°I hope I can make it.¡±

    ...

    ...

    After the meal, Qi Youxuan ran into his room and brought out a bag of stuff. He searched high and low in the living room, but Qi Chenglin was the only person present there. The man was swiping on his iPad.

    ¡°Dad, where¡¯s Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan went over and asked.

    ¡°She¡¯s preparing for her job application in her room.¡± Qi Chenglin shifted his attention away from his iPad and onto his son. ¡°What do you need to do?¡±

    ¡°The teacher gave us an assignment to do some arts and crafts. We were given materials and we¡¯re allowed to use them to our creativity to do whatever we want.¡± Qi Youxuan carried the bag and climbed up onto the sofa, taking his seat beside Qi Chenglin.

    He dumped out the contents of the bag and noticed that there were a few colored-cloths, a wad of cotton, and thread.

    ¡°Teacher says we need to pass it up tomorrow.¡± Qi Youxuan looked earnestly at Qi Chenglin. He looked at his father with his dark pupils and big, dewy eyes.

    Qi Chenglin had a rather nasty thought when he likened his son¡¯s gaze to that of a little puppy begging for food.

    Unable to withstand his son¡¯s fervent stare, Qi Chenglin reached out with his long fingers and pinched an orange-yellow cloth. He scrutinized it carefully. After a long while, he finally said, ¡°Get a pair of scissors from Aunt Zheng.¡±

    ¡°Are you helping me do it, Dad?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s monochromatic eyes glimmered and his face was full of glee.

    Qi Chenglin was getting uneasy because of the boy¡¯s stares. The man¡¯s expression became stiff. During his younger days at school, he never did all those arts and crafts homework that the teacher gave.

    ¡°Don¡¯t dilly dally. Go,¡± Qi Chenglin said and nced at him.

    Qi Youxuan climbed down the sofa immediately and moved those two little legs as fast as he could. He disappeared into the kitchen and reappeared sometimeter, with a huge pair of scissors. He gave it to Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°Dad, here.¡±

    Qi Chenglin held the scissors in one hand and the yellow cloth in the other. He began cutting the cloth into a weird shape. Qi Youxuan had no idea what it was, but he dared not ask either.

    His father had a stern expression, frowning even. Though Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingers were slender, he gripped the needle in a very awkward manner. He looked helpless while holding all those things.

    ¡°Dad, are you okay?¡± Qi Youxuan asked eventually.

    Half an hour passed, but there was still no inkling of what Qi Chenglin was going to do. All that changed in that half hour was the addition of another weirdly-shaped cloth. The edges of both cloths were stitched together.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and became annoyed due to his inability to get it done. He ced both cloths on his thighs and said, ¡°How about you give it a go?¡±

    ¡°Dad, didn¡¯t you teach me to finish something that has been started? I think it¡¯s best that you do it.¡± Qi Youxuan held up the cloth and gave it back to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be your homework? By right, you should be the one finishing it by yourself,¡± Qi Chenglin cocked his brow and said inly.

    ¡°Dad, I¡¯m still young. It¡¯s too dangerous to be ying with needles.¡± Qi Youxuan shook his head.

    Qi Chenglin snickered and twitched his lip. He then took all that stuff back up and began to stitch them back again.

    In the end, Ruan Danchen came down from upstairs and saw Qi Chenglin doing some sewing. With a manner so elegant and a dress sense so stylish, the sight of a needle and thread on his handsome fingers made for an extremely quirky scene.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen walked over and asked curiously.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, are you finished?¡± Qi Youxuan got down from the sofa and looked at Ruan Danchen as if she was his saving grace.

    ¡°Mm, I¡¯m done for today. I¡¯ll continue tomorrow.¡± Ruan Danchen sat beside Qi Chenglin. She carried Qi Youxuan onto herp in the most natural manner ever.

    As she stared perplexedly at everything that Qi Chenglin was holding, Qi Youxuan began exining. ¡°My teacher told us to do some crafts. Dad¡¯s making one for me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen became even more curious. She peered closer and was still unable to understand what Qi Chenglin was trying to do, so she asked, ¡°What are you making?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin looked at her in silence. It took him some time to begin speaking. ¡°A duck.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was lost for words.

    Qi Youxuan could not bear the sight of it and proceeded to look away in silence.

    Ruan Danchen, however, did not have the heart to say anything about it. It was rare indeed that the man put so much heart into something and did those crafts together with Youxuan. As ugly as it was, he still did it with the utmost sincerity.

    Nevertheless, his actions looked undeniably silly. He was a grown man, so it was a bit hard on him to let him do all that needlework.

    Ruan Danchen took them from him and said, ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    Qi Youxuan breathed a sigh of relief and went down from herp.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s movements were swift. Soon enough, shepleted the sewing ording to Qi Chenglin¡¯s outline and stuffed the cotton into it.

    ¡°There.¡± Ruan Danchen gave it to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan took it from her, and even though she yed a part toplete the article, the duck shape was stillcking.

    ¡°Dad, what did you say it was again?¡± Qi Youxuan held the ¡®duck¡¯ and looked teasingly at Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin looked at it for quite some time before lifting his hand and reached for the teacup on the coffee table. He took a sip and asked, ¡°Have you finished all your homework?¡±

    ¡°We had a period for individual study, so I finished them all already!¡± Qi Youxuan said happily.

    Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    The topic, however, had been sessfully dodged by Qi Chenglin, and thus Qi Youxuan did not ask that question again.

    ...

    ...

    The next day in ss, the teacher came to collect all their finished articles. Everyone¡¯s creation would be hung on the wall behind their ssroom and disyed to the parents during parents¡¯ visitation day.

    The teacher went to Qi Youxuan¡¯s seat and looked at the yellow thingamabob on his desk. She stared at it for some time but could not decide what it was exactly.

    All the teacher could do was pick it up, turn it around, but was still clueless as to what it was.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan, what did you make?¡± the teacher asked.

    Qi Youxuan stood up politely and looked at the teacher with his big eyes. With an expression bursting with sincerity, he said, ¡°This is the yolk thates out from a sunny-side-up egg.¡±

    The teacher simply kept quiet.

    Qi Youxuan lifted his head and said with conviction, ¡°Teacher, my path in art has always been abstract.¡±

    The teacher could only muster a gentleugh before bringing Qi Youxuan¡¯s ¡®egg yolk¡¯ away.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan submitted his homework at about ten-thirty in the morning. At the same time, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya made their way to Chengshi.

 Chapter 346 - Is There Someone Named Yang Yunshu Here?

    Chapter 346: Is There Someone Named Yang Yunshu Here?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Since there was one earlier asion where Grandmother Qi brought Xia Wenna over to look for Song Yu, many of those in Chengshi remembered the olddy¡¯s face.

    When Grandmother Qi came out of the elevator with Guan Liya, the receptionist thought she was seeing things and was afraid to even greet them without being greeted first.

    At that time, the olddy had already brought Guan Liya in.

    ¡°Youngdy,¡± the olddy greeted.

    The receptionist¡¯s memory was jogged immediately after hearing the olddy¡¯s voice.

    ¡°You¡¯re the esteemed Madam Qi?¡± the receptionist greeted, still shocked and struggling to calm herself down.

    ¡°Aye,¡± said the olddy amicably. ¡°Youngdy, please do not be afraid.¡±

    ¡°Madam, you¡¯re here because...¡± the receptionist asked with caution. Song Yu had already resigned. At that point in time, there was probably no one else that the elderly woman knew there.

    ¡°Hehehe, I¡¯m looking for Xiao Ruan,¡± the olddy smiled and said.

    ¡®Xiao Ruan?¡¯

    The receptionist was lost in thought for a moment, as she remembered that the only person with the surname Ruan was Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Are you looking for Ruan Danchen?¡± the receptionist asked. She was shocked and surprised. ¡®When did Ruan Danchen be on such good terms with the olddy, that she would be paid a personal visit by the olddy herself?¡¯

    Song Yu received that kind of treatmentst time because she was the olddy¡¯s granddaughter-inw.

    Back then, the old woman brought Xia Wenna¡ªwho was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s mother and Song Yu¡¯s mother-inw¡ªwith her.

    ¡®Who did the olddy bring over now?¡¯

    ¡°Madam, Ruan Danchen took leave. She¡¯s not in thepany at the moment. Why are you looking for her?¡± the receptionist asked carefully.

    ¡°Ah, that can¡¯t be. Xiao Ruan didn¡¯t tell me,¡± the olddy mumbled. She was already dragging Guan Liya into the design department.

    The receptionist did not dare to just stop the two of them. The only thing she could do was pick up her cell phone and follow behind the two women, all while giving Director Zhao a call. ¡°Director Zhao, Madam Qi is here, she¡¯s looking for Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Director Zhao was so dumbstruck that he flew out of his office at once. ¡®What in tarnation is that old woman doing here? And why did she ask specifically for Ruan Danchen?¡±

    ¡®The hell is with Ruan Danchen!¡¯

    The olddy surveyed the entire design department with Guan Liya and said, ¡°She¡¯s really not here.¡±

    That was when Director Zhao burst in with a head full of sweat. He was still gasping for air when he greeted, ¡°Madam.¡±

    He looked at Guan Liya and was even more shocked. ¡®Were the two of them here just to shake up Qilin with every step that they take?¡±

    Director Zhao did attend Song Yu¡¯s wedding, and although he was not worthy ofing up to them to greet them, he did remember Guan Liya¡¯s face.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi,¡± Director Zhao greeted hastily as well. ¡°The both of you came because...

    ¡°Is there something we¡¯ve done wrong?¡± Director Zhao asked guiltily.

    Guan Liya smiled and ced a paper bag on Ruan Danchen¡¯s empty desk. ¡°I heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s been having some diforttely and her energy levels aren¡¯t that good. I decided to buy some tonics and send them here. At the same time, I¡¯d also like to see her work environment. Hopefully, she¡¯s not overworked.¡±

    Director Zhao¡¯s heart was beating as if he was taking a ride on a rollercoaster. It was thumping manically and he waspletely frozen. ¡®When did Ruan Danchen be on such good terms with Guan Liya!¡¯

    ¡°Speaking of which, why did Xiao Ruan take leave? She never mentioned it when she came to our home. When did she start taking leave?¡± the olddy looked directly at Director Zhao and asked.

    ¡°Justst week,¡± said the sweaty director.

    ¡°Oh no, Mom, I think Danchen¡¯s fatigue and listlessness started sincest week. She didn¡¯t have any appetite for meals either.¡± Guan Liya¡¯s gaze turned chilly. She frowned and scanned across the entire office before looking at Director Zhao. ¡°Does she feel at ease when working here?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Almost immediately, Director Zhao understood why those two women came that day.

    ¡°Madam, Mrs. Qi, Xiao Ruan¡¯s rtionship with the both of you is...¡± Director Zhao probed apprehensively.

    ¡°The future wife of my second-eldest grandson. You didn¡¯t know?¡± the olddy looked at Director Zhao with a confused expression.

    Director Zhao felt as though his brain had exploded. ¡°Ruan Danchen¡¯s your future granddaughter-inw?¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, Danchen wasn¡¯t treated here badly, was she?¡± Guan Liya cocked her brow and asked. ¡°Disagreements and arguments between employees are amon urrence in everypany and I¡¯m well aware of that. Sometimes, others might conspire behind one¡¯s back. These things are inevitable. Our Danchen, however, is an honest and ethical person. She never does these kinds of things and even if she was wronged, she would simply hide away and suffer by herself. Taking revenge and using dirty tactics is not something she would do, so we need to help her out when ites to these things. Director Zhao, if you could please pay a bit more attention to her. You took care of Song Yu well when she was still working here, and we¡¯re all really thankful and appreciative of your actions.¡±

    At that moment, Director Zhao was on the verge of letting his tears spill for the olddy and Guan Liya. ¡®When did that Ruan Danchen be the young madam of the Qi family? And she still wants to hide it from us? Isn¡¯t that an act of deceiving us?¡¯

    Director Zhao was still thinking of an excuse because he was well aware that he had offended her rather seriously that time.

    The olddy then nodded and said, ¡°Danchen keeps too low a profile. She doesn¡¯t like to show off her status. All she wants is to do her job properly. When ites to work-rted matters, she doesn¡¯t like Chenglin to get involved. If she did, she wouldn¡¯t be suffering all by herself.¡±

    Yang Yunshu listened on from one side with her facial expression changing immediately. She gritted her teeth and wondered how the situation progressed so quickly with such a sudden shift in the sequence of events.

    ¡®What tricks did Ruan Danchen have that enabled her to get a hold of Qi Chenglin? Did she really seed that time when they were in the meeting room?¡¯

    ¡°This...¡± Director Zhao did not dare to feign ignorance since they would be able to get the full picture if they went back and asked Ruan Danchen. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye out more in the future.¡±

    ¡°Oh yes, is there someone named Yang Yunshu here?¡± the olddy asked all of a sudden.

    Director Zhao thought that the olddy knew about Yang Yunshu bullying Ruan Danchen.

    Yang Yunshu, however, immediately recalled the little boy that was with Ruan Danchen when they had a meal in the ypark¡¯s themed-restaurant.

    It wasmon knowledge that Qi Chenglin had a son. ¡®Could it be that the little boy was actually his son?!¡¯

    ¡°Yang Yunshu, get over here!¡± Director Zhao called out sternly.

    Yang Yunshu felt so unhappy. It was a hard-enough task to spite Ruan Danchen into leaving the office, so why did that kind of thing had to happen again!

    She walked over uneasily, but before the olddy and Guan Liya could say anything, Director Zhao eximed angrily, ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to apologize? You take advantage of the liberty I give you when I don¡¯t interfere with your work too much and decide to go around nose-picking in the office? You soured the good working environment that we have here!¡±

    Director Zhao then turned to face the olddy and Guan Liya. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure that she apologizes to Ruan Danchen, and this time I¡¯ll regte the working environment of the entirepany. Those who stir up office politics and falsely use others will be punished severely!¡±

    He finally understood why Qi Chenglin insisted on Ruan Danchen for the project with Qilin¡ªthe man simply wanted to take care of his wife at work.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this? You¡¯re the one who¡¯s been harassing Ruan Danchen at work?¡± Guan Liya looked sternly at Yang Yunshu.

    ¡°I thought you had no idea that Ruan Danchen was bullied at work? Why do you know about it all of a sudden?¡± the olddy asked Director Zhao.

    Director Zhao had no choice but to be honest and ask, ¡°The both of you aren¡¯t referring to this matter?¡±

    ¡°My grandson came home telling me that this Miss Yang told him that he had no family values and no mother to teach him that. Miss Yang, is this the kind of thing that a person with a good family upbringing would say? Your family seems to have educated you pretty well,¡± Guan Liya jibed and red at Yang Yunshu. She was trembling with anger after remembering how she listened to the recording that the olddy gave. ¡°Do you know how it feels to hear all that when I¡¯m his grandmother? What kind of sick person are you to say all those terrible things to a little kid! You¡¯re probably the first one to ever say that the Qi family doesn¡¯t bring up their children with values.¡±

    Yang Yunshu was getting fidgety and she was so petrified that color drained from her face. She did not know how else to salvage herself. Back then, Qi Chengzhi had nearly caused her to lose her position as a designer, and she could not possibly imagine how things would end after offending both Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know he¡¯s...¡± Yang Yunshu said helplessly.

    ¡°If you knew he was my grandson, then you wouldn¡¯t have said all those things? Are you implying that it¡¯s not wrong for you to say that if it¡¯s someone else¡¯s son?¡± Guan Liya asked coldly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it that way, Mrs. Qi, I...¡±

    Yang Yunshu did not have any opportunity toplete her sentence as the olddy had already waved her hand and was sick of hearing Yang Yunshu¡¯s voice.

    ¡°Director Zhao, we have no intention of using our status to bully others, or else some people might call us uneducated hooligans. Danchen is your employee, so naturally that entails yourpany¡¯s rules and regtions. We¡¯re in no ce to interfere.¡± Though the olddy spoke gently and was seemingly appearing to reason with them, her expression was so solemn that it elicited the reverence of everyone there.

    ¡°I came here today as Youxuan¡¯s great-grandmother and I¡¯m trying to talk some sense into Miss Yang,¡± the olddy remarked coldly.

    ¡°Madam, I¡¯ve made a mistake.¡± Yang Yunshu hurriedly offered, ¡°Can you please give me a chance to personally say sorry to Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary.¡± The olddy would never give her the chance to see Youxuan. That would give Yang Yunshu an opportunity to mingle with the upper-ss people.

    ¡°Director Zhao, you seem to be suggesting that Miss Yang was the one who caused Ruan Danchen trouble. We won¡¯t interfere with this as this is yourpany¡¯s internal problem, but we hope you can act justly on this,¡± Guan Liya remarked solemnly.

    ¡°Yes, yes. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Director Zhao nodded a couple of times.

    ¡°Okay then, we¡¯ll be on our way. Danchen¡¯s not here so we came here for nothing,¡± the olddy said. Guan Liya helped her immediately.

    ¡°I¡¯ll send the both of you off,¡± Director Zhao said and followed suit blindly.

    ¡°No need,¡± Guan Liya said coldly.

    Nevertheless, Director Zhao still followed suit and sent them to the elevator beforeing back.

    The minute he entered into his office, Director Zhao pointed at Yang Yunshu¡¯s nose and said angrily, ¡°Go and apologize to Ruan Danchen right now, and resign immediately after that! You¡¯re a good-for-nothing except dragging thepany down in the mud. Instead of thinking about how to do your job properly, all you know is y hical and dirty tricks all day. Last time it was Song Yu, and if it wasn¡¯t for me pleading on your behalf, both you and Chengshi would have no future in this field. In the end, you still haven¡¯t learned your lesson. You thought that Ruan Danchen has no good background and makes for an easy target, is that it?¡±

    ¡°No, Director Zhao, please give me another chance. I¡¯ll make it up to you. I won¡¯t dare to do that kind of thing anymore. I really didn¡¯t target Ruan Danchen on purpose. I was just thinking of thepany¡¯s good when I told your wife everything that I saw. I didn¡¯t exaggerate or anything. No one would¡¯ve had known that it was all a misunderstanding,¡± Yang Yunshu begged miserably. If it were not for her own dignity, she would have cried right there and then, and if she was asked to kneel down, she probably would have done so too.

    She knew that she could no longer pursue a career in that field if she was fired. Even though the olddy and Guan Liya came because of Qi Youxuan, it was also Ruan Danchen¡¯s interest that they came and put pressure on thepany.

    How lucky was Ruan Danchen and Song Yu to be able to form a part of the Qi family? If it was just any other rich family with a small business, the two women might not even be worth envying. It just had to be a family as prestigious as the Qi family, whose members were near-unfathomable for most ordinary people.

    Song Yu and Ruan Danchen did note from good backgrounds and were simply ordinary people, so why was it that they had such good lives?

    ¡°Hmph,¡± Director Zhao huffed. He did not believe her one bit. ¡®Does Yang Yunshu think I¡¯m stupid?¡¯

    ¡°I don¡¯t care whether it was a misunderstanding or not. You¡¯ll resign after you apologize. If your attitude was slightly better, Ruan Danchen wouldn¡¯t have med you, and Qi Chenglin wouldn¡¯t have even resorted to such drastic measures.¡± Director Zhao, however, was of the opinion that the likelihood of all that was low.

    Even if Ruan Danchen did not hold a grudge against Yang Yunshu, Qi Chenglin would not have taken it lightly when Yang Yunshu cursed at Qi Youxuan like that. Moreover, Qi Chenglin would definitely not have just let his woman be vited, especially since Yang Yunshu¡¯s gossip nearly caused Ruan Danchen to be taken advantage of by Xu Haode.

    After Director Zhao finished talking, he did not want to look at Yang Yunshu a second longer. She had been the bane of thepany, offending the Gods of Wealth that gave thepany business. He was still worried about Chengshi¡¯s declining results since Song Yu had left, but with Ruan Danchen there, Chengshi could still be reasonably well off. How unfortunate that the same thing happened again.

    He quickly went to think of a way to make Ruan Danchen stay.

    Director Zhao turned around and left, leaving behind Yang Yunshu pale-faced and grieving. She whimpered, covered her mouth, and ran out to thedies¡¯ room.

    Her colleagues from the design department ignored her and were secretly rejoicing. When Yang Yunshu was hitting down the already fallen Ruan Danchen, those colleagues did note to Ruan Danchen¡¯s aid, but they did not join in and target her either.

    ...

    ...

    Director Zhao went back to his office and phoned Ruan Danchen immediately. At the same time, she was at home preparing for the part of Qilin¡¯s job application that required her to do a written test. If she managed toplete it, she would then proceed to the face-to-face interview.

    She picked up the call from Director Zhao and heard him in an even more polite tone then before. ¡°Danchen, I¡¯ve already chastised Yang Yunshu. When are you going toe back? I¡¯ll let her apologize publicly to you and after that, I¡¯ll have her fired. I promise that you¡¯ll get justice.¡±

    Ruan Danchen continued listening and realized that the first call he had given her was solely because of the business that she brought to thepany. Back then, he tried to advise her toe back. On the second call, his tone wasced with attempts to curry favor with her and he was being extremely cautious when talking to her.

    She shifted her gaze from theputer and spoke softly, ¡°You were reluctant to agree to itst time, didn¡¯t you, Director Zhao? Only a short time had passed since then, and now you¡¯re agreeing to it already?¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t immediately agree because I wanted to find a better solution for all this. Danchen, please don¡¯t worry, mypany will not let the same thing happen again. Healthypetition among colleagues is allowed, but resorting to malicious tactics is strictly forbidden. She has already broken thepany¡¯s rules and crossed the line, and I won¡¯t want this kind of employee of course. I¡¯ll add one more line to thepany¡¯s constitution¡ªemployees must strive to create a good working environment for each other in thepany,¡± Director Zhao said nicely.

    ¡°But please, don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions. This has nothing to do with Qilin¡¯s projects. Even if there were no projects, I¡¯ll still deal with Yang Yunshu,¡± Director Zhao hastily exined.

    Ruan Danchen thought for a moment before nodding and saying, ¡°Director Zhao, let me check my schedule.¡±

    She ced her phone aside and went to Baidu to check the interviewer¡¯s messages.

    Although she had yet to take the written exam, she was rather confident in it. Qi Chengyue had been kind enough to give her theplete set of examination papers.

    Afterpleting her read of the interviewer¡¯s details, she took up her phone and said inly, ¡°Director Zhao, I¡¯m sorry, but after checking just now, I¡¯ll only be free next week. Try and see if that¡¯s okay for you?¡±

    Director Zhao had his phone put to his ear the entire time and finally heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s reply. He knew she was doing it on purpose, but he could not lose his temper at her. ¡°Sure, sure.¡±

    He then hung up without daring to ask further. He was afraid Ruan Danchen would be annoyed with those questions

    He let out a sigh. Lots of other people were big bosses, not just himself, but his role as a boss was gued with a medley of unending issues!

    ...

    ...

    In the afternoon, Ruan Danchen went to Qilin, but because she was afraid Qi Chenglin might know, she did not ask Xiao Yang to send her. Instead, she took a cab there.

    She was scared at the thought of meeting Qi Chenglin there, but then again, she remembered that he was Qilin¡¯s general manager. He probably would not just waltz around without a purpose in the lobby.

    When Ruan Danchen got off the cab, however, she did not expect to see Qi Chengyue waiting at the entrance.

    Ruan Danchen was feeling shy. It was far too obvious for Qi Chengyue to be waiting in the open.

    ¡°Danchen!¡± Qi Chengyue waved immediately after spotting her.

    Ruan Danchen walked over speedily and scanned the surroundings. Thankfully, it was office hours, so there were no people there and it would not attract too much attention.

    ¡°Why did you wait for me here?¡± Ruan Danchen came over and said embarrassedly.

    ¡°I was worried you couldn¡¯t find your way.¡± Qi Chengyue smiled. The truth, however, was that Qi Chenglin called her and asked her to go down and fetch Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chengyue held Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm intimately and led her in. When they waited for the elevator, its doors opened to reveal Luo Yushu standing inside. His mind went nk and he forgot that he was supposed to actuallye out of the elevator.

    ¡°Miss Qi, Miss Ruan,¡± Luo Yushu greeted immediately. From inside the elevator, he ced his hand on the doors to prevent them from closing. In his mind, he was amazed to see Ruan Danchen being on such good terms with the Qi family.

    ¡°Manager Luo,¡± Qi Chengyue smiled and greeted back.

    ¡°Hehe, are you here to meet our General Manager, Miss Ruan?¡± Luo Yushu asked, smiling.

    Apart from the Qi family, there were probably no other people in thepany who knew of Ruan Danchen¡¯s status, so Luo Yushu was rather pleased that he was in the know.

    Feeling slightly hard-pressed, Ruan Danchen did not know how to answer as she was afraid that Luo Yushu might tell Qi Chenglin that he saw her.

    Besides her, Qi Chengyue smiled and remarked, ¡°Not at all, Danchen¡¯s here to apply for the job opening but she wants to keep a low profile and hide it from my big brother. She¡¯s afraid that he would bring her in through the back door, which will be a bad effect on thepany. Don¡¯t tell anyone, okay.¡±

    Luo Yushu looked at Ruan Danchen puzzledly. ¡®How is it low profile when Qi Chengyue came to personally escort you up?

    ¡®Moreover, the new position in the design department seemed to have popped up quite recently. How coincidental that Ruan Danchen is here. The position couldn¡¯t possibly have been made specifically for Ruan Danchen, right?¡¯

    The pressure at work would be hellish with the addition of the general manager¡¯s future wife.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I promise not to say anything,¡± Luo Yushu shed a smile and said. He walked out of the elevator and kept the door open for them to get in.

    When they got out, Qi Chengyue brought Ruan Danchen to the meeting room where the written test was held. The test had not yet started, and before they made the turn to reach the room, they were already hearing noisy gossip from the corner of the corridor.

    __________________________

    Free bonus scene:

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Great-Grandma, Grandma, did you go and teach that bad auntie a lesson?¡±

    Grandmother Qi: ¡°Well, it¡¯s not really teaching a lesson. It¡¯ll be so embarrassing if we showed our hand. Why should we give her face?¡±

    Song Yu: ¡°All that your grandma and great-grandma has to do is just stand there. That¡¯s already enough.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°Leave the rest to your dad.¡±

 Chapter 377 - You Could Somehow Spin Skewed Reasonings Into Something Convincing

    <h4>Chapter 377: You Could Somehow Spin Skewed Reasonings Into Something Convincing</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In the end, the three of them managed to clear half of the whole turkey, with Qi Youxuan eating the least. Seeing a huge piece of meat on his te in front of him, he only took a few nibbles of the meat on his te.

    As for the takeout from Dynasty, seeing just how beautiful Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes were as they glimmered and how happy she was while enjoying her meal, Qi Chenglin dared not to even touch the takeout.

    Qi Youxuan could not help but feel that Aunt Ruan and his father truly belonged to each other!

    After the meal, Ruan Danchen proceeded to do the dishes since Qi Chenglin had been hard at work preparing the feast for them earlier that day. Moreover, he had been taking care of her the entire night thus not being able to catch a break.

    Qi Chenglin initially did not allow Ruan Danchen to do any chores since she was still ill.

    However, Ruan Danchen told him, ¡°I¡¯m only having a regr cold, it¡¯s nothing too serious. Am I not able to even aplish a simple task?¡±

    Without allowing Qi Chenglin a chance to speak, Ruan Danchen pushed him out of the kitchen and shut the door in front of him. Qi Chenglin had no choice but to return to the living room.

    Qi Youxuan still felt hungry as he ate so little for dinner thus there he was; sitting merrily on the couch, munching messily on a watermelon. His entire mouth was coated with watermelon juice and his cheeks were stained red due to his messy style of eating.

    Qi Youxuan happily munched and nibbled on his watermelon as he had no ns of going to bed anytime soon; the time at that very moment was close to nine. Ruan Danchen had just finished doing the dishes and as she stepped out of the kitchen, she could hear Qi Chenglin desperately attempting to coax his son to sleep.

    Qi Youxuan was persistent as he waspletely focused on the gifts under the Christmas tree. Qi Chenglin pouted and told his son, ¡°You¡¯ll get to open it first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t open it,¡± Qi Youxuan argued as he stared at the gifts like a hawk. No amount of coaxing would make him budge.

    ¡°Young man, if you don¡¯t go to bed right now, I¡¯ll be taking your gifts away and you won¡¯t be able to open any gifts tomorrow morning.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a wink as he got up and approached the gifts under the tree, pretending to take the gifts away.

    ¡°Hey, hold on just a second, Dad,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he sprinted over to his dad, hugging his legs with both his arms and legs; he was like a sloth hugging a tree branch. Qi Youxuan looked like he was hanging from Qi Chenglin¡¯s legs. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed right now so don¡¯t take the gifts away, alright?¡± Qi Youxuan surrendered in defeat.

    As expected, Qi Chenglin did not pick the gifts up from underneath the tree. Qi Chenglin lowered his head to face his son, and with a smug look on his face, he said, ¡°Well, get a move on.¡±

    Only after his dad¡¯sment, Qi Youxuan slowly climbed off his dad¡¯s legs. He reluctantly and painfully gave the gifts under the tree a long, final look while he slowly and heavily inched his way up the stairs.

    After Qi Youxuan made his way to his room, Qi Chenglin turned to Ruan Danchen and pulled her to him. Since Ruan Danchen had just finished doing the dishes earlier, her hands were still slightly damp. Qi Chenglin walked her upstairs all while saying, ¡°Since you loved it so much, why don¡¯t I make you lunch from now on. You could bring it to the office and we¡¯ll have lunch together.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless from his statement.

    ¡°Heheh, there¡¯s no need for that since you¡¯re already swamped with work every day. How could I let you make lunch for me on top of your busy schedule?¡± Ruan Danchen exined as her fingers were crossed with Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingers while she hugged Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder with her other hand. ¡°Having take out isn¡¯t too bad,¡± added Ruan Danchen while being coquettish.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows a little upon hearing her remarks over his food. He let out an awkwardugh and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my food was delicious earlier? Changed your mind?¡±

    ¡°That was nothing, cooking requires constant practice,¡± Ruan Danchen frantically exined. She then continued, ¡°I¡¯ll wait till you get better so I can show off your amazing handmade cooking.¡±

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and replied, ¡°Look at your panicked expression, I was just teasing you. If I¡¯m feeding you, of course I¡¯ll only be feeding you the best food I coulde up with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was blushing a little as she remained silent, only bearing a very coquettish smile while she followed Qi Chenglin back to his room.

    Qi Chenglin made sure she took her meds. Ruan Danchen wanted to take a shower since she was soaked in her puddle of sweat for the entire night. Although it was not sticky, it still made her feel a little ufortable in that state.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®take a shower¡¯? You¡¯re not fully recovered yet.¡± Qi Chenglin stopped Ruan Danchen from taking a shower. He added, ¡°Just wait till you¡¯re feeling a little better. Your fever had just subsided, what happens if your fever returns after your shower?¡±

    Ruan Danchen lifted her shirt slightly to give herself a whiff. She asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you mind that I smell awful?¡±

    If it was the past, living alone in her small tiny apartment, she would not even bother to take a shower and would not care if she made her ce smell. However, since she was now living with Qi Chenglin, she had to keep up her best image as she was afraid of being abandoned by him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spooned your sweaty self for the entire night anyway. I don¡¯t mind one bit,¡± answered Qi Chenglin as he scooped Ruan Danchen by the waist and ced her on the bed.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I do smell awful?¡± Ruan Danchen teased Qi Chenglin upon hearing his reply.

    The truth was that she could not smell her body odor, merely jesting him with it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t smell at all,¡± Qi Chenglin frantically exined himself as he lowered his head to squeeze his face into her neck and took a deep breath a couple of times. ¡°Not a hint of sweat, and you don¡¯t smell at all. This is perfectly fine right now,¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    However as he smelled her thoroughly, it seemed there was a change in behavior as his hands were slowly inching upwards into her shirt, feeling her warm, gentle skin.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose was stuffed and so she could not breathe normally. All she could do was breathe through her mouth. She felt extremely warm from Qi Chenglin¡¯s sneaky and unrelenting caress of her body. Qi Chenglin never kissed her lips as he was afraid that she could not breathe if he had kissed her. All he could do was gently peck at both her upper and lower lip separately, moving back and forth from the edge of her lips and back, then progressively inching downward.

    Ruan Danchen could only very softly nudge Qi Chenglin a little as she waspletely exhausted. With her quick thinking, she told Qi Chenglin with a soft voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t taken a shower yet.¡±

    She had been profusely sweating the entire night, and the sweat had dried offpletely by now. Even when the sweat was not sticky, she felt ufortable since the sweat had dried off her skin.

    ¡°You¡¯re not filthy,¡± Qi Chenglin said flirtatiously.

    Hearing this, Ruan Danchen took a deep breath as she seemingly inhaled her belly inward, contracting it. She ced both hands on Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulders, gently grabbing it a little while she lowered her head to look directly at Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°You took care of me the entire day and even made dinner for me. Aren¡¯t you exhausted right now?¡±

    ¡°I am exhausted,¡± Qi Chenglin answered honestly as he lifted his head from her chest, revealing a very perverted smile. Ruan Danchen did not even notice when Qi Chenglin stripped her of her shirt, but now he was pressing on top of her with his body. It felt warmer than before and she did not even feel cold at all. The only thing was the way he looked up and due to how he was positioned on top of her body; his face looked extremely perverted, rather inappropriate and primal.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I need your yin energy to bnce out my yang to nourish my soul.¡± After he said that, Qi Chenglin immediately buried his head again.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless by his bold statement.

    This tramp...

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was once againpletely soaked in sweat after being tossed around by Qi Chenglin; flipped and turned over and over. She never knew just how flexible she could be, and it was like she had awakened some sort of hidden innate talent of her own. She felt like she had justpleted a yoga session; her entire body ached from her shoulders to her calves, and even her belly ached.

    She wondered if she could develop some packs on her stomach just by being flipped and turned to some very awkward positions.

    At the very moment, both of them were covered in sweat, mixed into the same puddle. They could no longer tell whose sweat it was since Qi Chenglin sweat had dripped on her body earlier.

    For the very least, beingpletely soaked in a puddle of sweat felt extremely ufortable. Qi Chenglin was cuddling her, allowing her toy t on his body. She was used to it by now; Ruan Danchen waspletely fine with having her entire weight on Qi Chenglin¡¯s body without worrying about crushing him.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest was bing stiffer than usual. She felt odd since Qi Chenglin was usually extremely busy and barely had time to hit the gym. On top of that, they were always together, traveling to and fro from work, and she knew his entire routine and schedule like the back of her hands. Never did she once seen Qi Chenglin hit the gym. How on Earth did Qi Chenglin manage to seemingly grow fitter would be a mystery to her.

    Her face was lying t on Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest. She could feel the tender yet stiff muscles on his chest as she traces the lines of his chest muscles gently with her fingers. She was not aware that her fingers had moved on its own and slowly slipping down his very stiff chest muscles. There was a saying that stated, ¡®The pinnacle of men¡¯s sexual desires would cause all women¡¯s fingers to move irresistibly on their own, and in that instant, would cause a chain reaction that turns everything sexual.¡¯ She guessed that Qi Chenglin had reached that peak of sexual attraction.

    Her soft gentle fingers ended on top of Qi Chenglin¡¯s belly as she traces the crevices of his every muscr pack. It almost seemed like she was drawing something on his belly uncontrobly.

    ¡°Want another round?¡± Qi Chenglin asked as he grabbed her arm by surprise, pressing it against his belly.

    His left arm was grabbing onto her hand while his other arm was grabbing her waist, and it was as if he wanted to flip her over and get on top of her once again. This sudden act caught Ruan Danchen off guard and she was shocked by the sudden intensity. She pushed back in response, not allowing Qi Chenglin to move on further.

    ¡°Nope, nope!¡± Ruan Danchen frantically answered. ¡°Stop messing around, I¡¯m still very sick. And didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t allow me to do much work earlier? Look at me now, you¡¯vepletely exhausted me,¡± Ruan Danchen added.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you work at all,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a flirtatiously perverted look as he added, ¡°as a matter of fact, it¡¯d be me working you up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen blushed hard as she stared at him. She said, ¡°Stupid tramp!¡±

    Ruan Danchen wanted to yell her lungs out. How can this man be so submissive to his primal instincts?

    ¡°What tramp.¡± Qi Chenglin would not admit anything. He simply cuddled her by her waist, not insisting on another round. However, he would never let go of the rare opportunity of petting and feeling every inch of her skin, causing Ruan Danchen to blush heavier than she ever did before. Her breathing was irregr and unrhythmic as it was ironic that her nose waspletely stuffed. All she could do was open her mouth as wide as she could to breathe.

    She could not help but wonder about how ridiculous she must have looked.

    Qi Chenglin had the audacity to im that he was not a tramp. What did he think he was doing then?

    The actions of his uncontrolled hands and paired with his serious, bold ims to not being a tramp... Only someone as shameless as he would be capable of doing what he did.

    However, from Qi Chenglin¡¯s perspective as he looked down on Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression, somehow he felt that her painful, blurry expression on her face was seductively beautiful. It was all due to the infection she had, her stuffy nose, her misty eyes. The look of her tormented suffering expression caused by themon cold paired with her exhaustion looked particrly innocent.

    He could not resist but pinch her a little.

    ¡°The iller you are, the more exercise you¡¯ll need. That way, you¡¯ll speed up the recovery process,¡± Qi Chenglin teased as he stared down at her adorable blushing cheeks. They were irresistibly beautiful.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart was pounding hard as he submitted to his primal instincts and proceeded to bite down on Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks hard while sucking it savagely. He had only released his suction when Ruan Danchen squealed in pain, leaving her with a hickey on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just blown away by your skewed reasoning. You somehow have a surprisingly amazing skill in spinning horrible excuses into somewhat convincing ones,¡± Ruan Danchen said sarcastically as she gently nuzzled against his hard yet tender chest. It was firm and extremelyfortable.

    ¡°How was it skewed reasoning? Don¡¯t you just look a lot better and livelier now?¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a teasing grin. The genuine joy could be felt through his dark, glistening pupils and his thick, luscious eyebrows.

    He spoke in a deep almost hypnotizing tone while he nuzzled his lips against her forehead, slowly and seductively rubbing against the thinyer of sweat on her forehead onto his lips.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless as she had nothing to say as a rebuttal against him.

    Just like that after the intense tangle they both had, they were coated in sweat. However, it was a pleasant feeling and it would be best described as a simr feeling topleting a workout. The mind was no longer clouded and the entire soul feltpletely refreshed. Apart from the stuffy nose, she feltpletely rejuvenated.

    ¡°See for yourself, this is exactly what I meant by skewed reasoning,¡± Ruan Danchen said with her flushed cheeks. Her beady adorable eyes stared intensely at Qi Chenglin, and she looked all too adorable.

    Qi Chenglin never argued back as he only gave her a warm, loving smile. Warmth and love were radiating through his gentle, loving smile as though his expression was not obvious enough. His beatific eyebrows had joy written across the arc.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s long hair waspletely soaked in her sweat as it was sticking to her body, making it extremely ufortable. She flipped her head back, frowned a little and softly whispered to Qi Chenglin, ¡°Just let me take a bath, would you? I feel sticky and ufortable.¡±

    Qi Chenglin probably felt the same as he gently nodded in agreement while he carried her into the washroom.

    ¡°I¡¯m capable of washing myself,¡± stated Ruan Danchen, even though she wanted to have a bath with him but was being coquettish.

    Qi Chenglin winked as he hugged her tighter and said, ¡°I¡¯m sticky too, let¡¯s take a bath together then.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen never said anything in response. She simply thought that it would not make any difference if they had bathed separately anyway.

    However, Qi Chenglin had seemingly seen through her facade. He proceeded to lower his head and said with a soft, almost pitiful tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been working all day today. I was worried about you the entire night since yesterday and because of that, I didn¡¯t get much sleep. Poor me, I was cooped up in the kitchen at night and most importantly even just now, I gave what little energy I had left to you.¡±

    Though Qi Chenglin said it in such a pitiful tone, he could end his pitiful statement with something so knavish. It was pretty coy of him to speak so casually of something so low for his standards. It was almost as natural as breathing for him.

    Nheless, he had a nk and empty look on his face as he made that pitiful statement. He did not even give the effort to put on an equally pitiful look. His statement, however, was enough to make Ruan Danchen feel slightly guilty. It was enough for her topletely dismiss his final sentence in his statement as she immediately hugged his neck and never argued back.

    Qi Chenglin was worried that since she was covered in sweat moments ago and being in a colder environment would be too much for her body to handle since the sudden temperature change would be overwhelming for her body. Upon entering the washroom, he covered her with a bath towel before swiftly soaking her in a tub of warm water.

    The instant Ruan Danchen¡¯s skin made contact with the warm water in the tub, she instantly moaned in pleasure as the water was perfect. She felt drowsy when the warm vapors from the hot tub got to her. She instantly fell into Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms. The out-of-body experience was sofortable for her that she was tempted to fall asleep right then and there.

    Qi Chenglin never nned to soak in the tub for too long as all he wanted was to rinse off theyer of sweat from his body. After the quick dip, he proceeded to carry Ruan Danchen out the washroom, then swiftly wrapped her body with a clean towel to dry her body as fast as he could. After all that was done, he then carried Ruan Danchen to the bed and wrapped the thick nket around her body as tightly as he physically could. It was as if he was serving a princess.

    Never in Ruan Danchen¡¯s life had she been treated so well before. She was being so passionately cared for by Qi Chenglin¡¯s gentle andpassionate love. His every touch to her was soft and tender, as if he was afraid of hurting her even by the slightest.

    Being sopassionately treated by Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen was touched by his loving gesture as her eyes teared up a little. She then slithered into Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving arms while nuzzling against his chest with her face. She only feltpletely at ease after smelling his body¡¯s familiar yetforting scent. Upon doing so, sheid still, unmoving, perfectly rxed in his loving warm embrace.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to look at her with a gentle gaze and said with a soft, tender smile, ¡°Why are you being extra coquettish today?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a person would be at their weakest when they¡¯re ill?¡± Ruan Danchen said in a soft tone as she took another whiff of hisforting scent. She continued, ¡°When I was sick before, no one cared about my wellbeing; not even my dad nor my mom. Now, being so passionately cared for by you feels extremely well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll still care for you even when you¡¯re not sick,¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a smile as he hugged her tighter while gently patting her back coaxing her lovingly. He said, ¡°Just go ahead and sleep.¡±

    With a satisfied smile, Ruan Danchen copsed gently onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving arms and proceeded to close her eyes. Since she had quite a long nap during the day, she could not fall asleep immediately. All she wanted to do was to tease him yfully.

    She was never as coquettish as to this extent before. However, she somehow had be extra skittish from her current infectious condition.

    Qi Chenglin gave Ruan Danchen¡¯s forehead a soft gentle kiss as he leaned his face against her forehead then proceeded to close his eyes.

    Qi Chenglin was indeed exhausted, so even before Ruan Danchen had fallen asleep, it only took an instant for him to drift away into his slumber.

    Although Qi Chenglin was in deep sleep, he was hugging Ruan Danchen extremely tight, making even the slightest movement a difficult task. She could not even turn her body around as any slight movements would cause Qi Chenglin to pull her back into her original position.

    Ruan Danchen was not aware of how much time had past when out of nowhere, Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone broke the silence as the ringtone was increasing in volume and pitch, waking Qi Chenglin from his deep slumber. Hearing the sharp ringtone, Qi Chenglin slowly opened his eyes. Since he had just been woken up from his sleep, his eyes looked somewhat disoriented, a confused expression crossed his face. He almost seemed overwrought with his confused, nk expression on his face.

    It was very rare to see Qi Chenglin in such a confused, unfocused state, and Ruan Danchen felt very amused by his disy of disorientation. She was tempted to hug him in her arms, tempted to pat his head and run her fingers through his hair just to mess it up.

    However, his confused state of mind was short-lived as his self-control was extraordinary. It took him only a second to rpose himself, and he was himself again instantly.

    He reached back to grab his phone that was ced on top of the headboard of the bed. ncing at the screen, it showed it was from Guan Liya.

    Looking at the time, it was very close to midnight. It was odd since Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya should be asleep at this time.

    Qi Chenglin was worried that something serious had happened. Without a second thought, he picked up the call immediately. Even Ruan Danchen was worried about Qi Chenglin.

    As Qi Chenglin was listening to the call, his facial expression changed as his eyebrows werepletely raised. He replied urgently, ¡°I¡¯ll be there right now.¡±

    The instant Qi Chenglin hung up the call, Ruan Danchen immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu is giving birth to her child right now in the hospital. There are no updates yet, so I¡¯ll be going to check on her,¡± exined Qi Chenglin as he got up from the bed.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to go with him. As she got ready to get out of the bed, Qi Chenglin immediately stopped her from getting up and said, ¡°You¡¯re still sick, and there¡¯s plenty of other pathogens in the hospital. What happens if you get a secondary infection when you¡¯re so close to recovering now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to respond to his statement. It was as if he made hermon cold seem like the gue or something.

    ¡°Besides, After Song Yu¡¯s delivery, both mother and child¡¯s immune system will dip tremendously. What would you do if you unintentionally infected them?¡± Qi Chenglin followed up with a better argument because he knew his previous statement would do nothing to stop her from going.

    Although his main concern was Ruan Danchen¡¯s health, the follow-up reason seemed more reasonable for her to ept.

    Just as he thought, the sheer mention of Song Yu would cause Ruan Danchen to relent.

    Ruan Danchen was stopped once again when she intended to send Qi Chenglin off. As Qi Chenglin got dressed, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°Call me the instant Song Yu gave birth to her child.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Chenglin replied as he put on his usual casual clothes; a sweater and sweatpants followed by an oversized jacket.

    While saying alright, he walked toward Ruan Danchen to give her forehead a soft kiss. Seeing that her body temperature was normal and she looked significantly better than before, his mind was at ease.

    ¡°Sleep well at home... I was told that a delivery can take a long while. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯d be Song Yu¡¯s case so don¡¯t wait up for me,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a soft tone.

    Ruan Danchen let out a soft sigh as she smiled and gently kissed his lips. She said, ¡°Drive safely, and call me when you¡¯re at the hospital, alright? Just to make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Qi Chenglin knew she would not be able to sleep without receiving his call so he promised her he would.

    Since it was sote at night, there was not much traffic on the road. He arrived at the hospital in half an hour.

    The moment he entered the main entrance of the hospital, he gave Ruan Danchen a call to ease her mind.

    However, Ruan Danchen could not sleep in peace as Qi Chenglin was not at home with her, so she took out a nket from the closet and went to the living room to wait.

    Since she could not sleep with her current state of mind, she made herself a ss of warm milk and took out her iPad to watch a video. The top right corner of the screen was showing the time while she held onto her ss of milk with one hand and the iPad in the other as she binged on her videos.

    A faint sound of the front door opening could be heard as Ruan Danchen sluggishly opened her eyes, unaware of when she had fallen asleep. The autoy of the videos on the iPad had switched to who knew what at that point since it was not the same video she was watching earlier.

    Looking at the top right corner of the screen, the time showed it was already past four in the morning.

    She frantically closed the video and sprinted to the front door as she saw Qi Chenglin entering with a chilly breeze from outside as he walked into the house. The moment he saw Ruan Danchen still being quite awake, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep well at home?¡± he questioned with a stern voice.

    He nced over to the couch and he notice the iPad lying t on the couch while several ss mugs on the table. He knew Ruan Danchen had spent quite some time awake right there on that spot.

    Although his tone was stern, his actions however said otherwise as his frisk, dry palm gently caresses her forehead. The entire motion was gentle and soft, a stark contrast to his strict, lecturing tone.

    ______

    Extra Mini Scene

    Christmas Gift

    As Ruan Danchen was taking a long afternoon nap, before Qi Chenglin brought Qi Youxuan to the grocer, Qi Youxuan had been staring at the Christmas gifts under the tree for a good long while.

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Daddy, what did Aunt Ruan gifted you for Christmas?¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°I have no idea, I¡¯m as curious as you are.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Do you wanna take a peak by unwrapping it a little? We¡¯ll fix it with some tapeter.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°So is this how you lied to us back then?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°...¡±

    _______

    Extra Unrted Mini Scene

    Yan Beicheng: ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that is a box of monthly tickets?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang: ¡°Heheh.¡±

 Chapter 348 - This Is My Girlfriend, and I Plan to Marry Her

    Chapter 348: This Is My Girlfriend, and I n to Marry Her

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Are you at thepany now?¡± asked Ruan Danchen softly. She had walked to the opposite side of the staircase and spoke, facing the wall.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the office, but it isn¡¯t too busy.¡± Qi Chenglin remembered that Ruan Danchen was at Qilin and could instantly guess her motive for being here. So he asked, ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°As a requirement of my job application, I sat for a written examination. It was just nearby,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly. Keeping it a secret from him made her feel quite uneasy. It was as if she wasmitting something criminal.

    ¡°Then why not look for me,¡± Qi Chenglin said tenderly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not bothering you?¡± Ruan Danchen asked, smiling happily.

    ¡°You called to ask me where I am, so you must miss me. Do you want toe up?¡± Qi Chenglin said, cocking a brow. He then said, half-smiling, ¡°I¡¯m not busy now. You¡¯re not going to be bothering me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Ruan Danchen hung up and took the elevator straight to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    At his office, she ran into Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Special Assistant Jiang.¡±

    Jiang Yuan did not seem at all surprised to see her there. ¡°Miss. Ruan, looking for the general manager?¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed, ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Jiang Yuan then opened the door for her.

    She saw Qi Chenglin look up in silence; his gaze was warm.

    Ruan Danchen, drawn in by his eyes, drifted to him without realizing it.

    She circled his desk and sat beside him.

    Ruan Danchen looked at him shyly and lowered her gaze, resting it upon his hand thaty atop the arm of his executive chair. His suit jacket hung on the clothes rack, leaving him in only his dress shirt. The shirt, molded to his frame, revealed the muscles thaty beneath.

    She gulped, as her mind was consumed with the sole desire of running her hands across him. She remembered how sturdy and firm those muscles of his hands were.

    Qi Chenglin had lifted his hand and reached over to hold hers. He pulled her onto hisp.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands instinctively went around his shoulders. She thought it would have been outrageous for her to seat herself on hisp whilst he was in the office, as she had viewed this space to be the domain of all things serious and professional.

    Qi Chenglin, however, did not seem to care one bit. His strong arms wrapped around her waist, and his fingers curved just enough that his fingertips found purchase on her slim waist.

    ¡°How was the exam today?¡± Qi Chenglin smiled and asked.

    Ruan Danchen felt a tinge of guilt, as she was still keeping thepany she was applying to a secret from him. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I can definitely pass this round.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and grasped her fingers gently. ¡°You¡¯re not telling me whichpany?¡±

    ¡°Wait till I get through. Then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± Ruan Danchen was firm in her resolve. She could not possibly keep it a secret forever, not when she would be in the samepany as him, if shended the job. Then she would be seeing him every day.

    But, she was unustomed to hiding things from him.

    Thest thing she wanted was for him to give her preferential treatment; thereby, making her status known to everyone in thepany. If she really made it through and started working there, telling him would be no big deal.

    Qi Chenglin did not press further. Ruan Danchen then told him about Director Zhao¡¯s call.

    ¡°Why did he change his tone so suddenly? Director Zhao was nice to me when you sent Jiang Yuan to Chengshi thest time, but he¡¯s even nicer now,¡± Ruan Danchen said curiously.

    ¡°Grandma called me in the afternoon. She went there with Mom.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled.

    Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she nearly jumped out of hisp. ¡°Did they really go there because of me? That can¡¯t be. It isn¡¯t nice to make them show up for such a small matter.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not entirely because of that. Remember when you brought Youxuan to the yground and met Yang Yunshu? Youxuan told Grandma about it. The boy is smart: He recorded Yang Yunshu¡¯s words.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression darkened when he mentioned Yang Yunshu. ¡°Whether it is you or Youxuan, Grandma won¡¯t just sit around doing nothing.¡±

    Qi Chenglin had been fuming after hearing Yang Yunshu say all those vile things about his own son. He did not act on it immediately. Instead, he held a grudge; Yang Yunshu won¡¯t be forgiven so easily.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault. I should¡¯ve just taken Youxuan away. I shouldn¡¯t have argued with her,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly. She had not only dealt with the situation incorrectly, but it was because she was Qi Youxuan¡¯s mother, that Yang Yunshu had something to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. It doesn¡¯t make sense for you to have left anyway, after all she did say plenty of vile things. But you should¡¯ve just used my name at the time; don¡¯t always keep a low-profile. Next time, if something can be solved easily by using my name, use it. It¡¯s much easier that way, and it also stops people from wronging you. You saw the instant results after Grandma showed up, right?¡± Qi Chenglin gently remarked.

    ¡°Okay, I know now,¡± Ruan Danchen nodded and said.

    Qi Chenglin did not dwell on it, and the topic was abandoned. His lips curled into a gentle smile, and he looked at her warmly, ¡°I¡¯m really d that you thought of visiting me when you were nearby.¡±

    ¡°I was worried I¡¯d bother you at work.¡± Ruan Danchen was d she came too.

    ¡°Of course not. If you¡¯re in the area next time, always remember to drop by,¡± Qi Chenglin said, giving her a peck on the lips.

    Ruan Danchen was so excited, and she hoped that she managed tond the job. When the timees, she would tell him the good news.

    She did not stay there and wait for him to finish work. Despite his assertion that he was not busy, Jiang Yuan came in twice and had a mountain of matters that required his attention. Hence, Ruan Danchen left early, apanied by Xiao Yang, who had been instructed by Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    ...

    Friday was the day that Huanghua joined the auction. Xu Haode went to the auction venue filled with confidence. He was fortunate to have reacted quickly in the ¡°Ruan Danchen Incident,¡± and lodged aint against her, before she could undermine him with her ownint. Although, even if she had been the first one to lodge theint, there was a huge chance that thepany would not have believed her version of the events.

    Xu Haode sat with his colleagues at the specially reserved seats for Huanghua. Not long after they were seated, they heard shuffling and whispersing from behind them. Xu Haode turned around and was shocked to see Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan.

    Xu Haode even heard the bewildered murmurs from the people seated around him.

    ¡°Why did General Manager Qi personallye to this auction?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right. Qilin has never participated in auctions for small lots ofnd. Didn¡¯t they just acquire a piece ofnd in the northern part of the city? Now that¡¯s what you call a big piece ofnd. That¡¯s probably thergestnd allotted formercial development in City B at the moment, and Qi Chenglin didn¡¯t even show up that time. It was Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushu who went. Today¡¯s auction is for smallernd allotments, so why is he here?!¡±

    Everyone was beginning to wonder what could possiblypel Qi Chenglin to attend such an auction.

    In the midst of all the murmurings, Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan had entered the building and were steadily making their way towards him.

    Then, he saw Qi Chenglin standing in front of him. He stood up immediately and greeted the unexpected visitors, ¡°General Manager Qi, why are you here? Is Qilin interested in this piece ofnd?¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold gazended on Xu Haode before he retorted, ¡°Just having a look.¡±

    He sat down.

    ¡®It¡¯s as if he is window shopping. Doesn¡¯t he have more important matters to attend to?! Is heing to these auctions simply to have a look?!¡¯

    Jiang Yuan nced briefly at Xu Haode and sat down.

    It was only then that Xu Haode dared sit down. He had never expected Qi Chenglin to sit beside him. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t a man like him be sitting in front of me?¡¯

    He soon spotted Qi Chenglin¡¯s slender fingers taking his cell phone out and cing it onto the table.

    Xu Haode at once motioned to his colleagues, and they all respectively left to make some calls.

    After a few minutes, Xu Haode received a call from the colleagues that had just left.

    Xu Haode picked it up. ¡°I¡¯ve just made a call to confirm. Qilin is not interested in the auction. We have no idea why Qi Chenglin is here,¡± reported the caller.

    Xu Haode hung up and sneaked a nce at Qi Chenglin. He was still sitting upright and had not said a single word. He still wore the austere expression that gave away nothing.

    Huanghua was a modestly sizedpany, and, unlike Qilin, they had no power to bid for the extremely expensiverge plots ofnd in City B. Getting a small plot ofnd would be good enough so long as the location was ideal. Though, an ideally located plot would attract a higher price point.

    Not long after the call, the bidders were informed that the results would be announced soon. Since Qilin was not participating, Xu Haode began to feel less worried about Qi Chenglin¡¯s purpose there.

    Hence, it came as a shock when Qilin was announced as the winning bidder!

    ¡®Qilin was the sessful bidder!¡¯

    Xu Haode¡¯s mind went nk. Huanghua had given the seller countless benefits just ensure that thend would eventually be theirs. Their sure-fire n had been foiled by Qilin.

    Still in shock, he turned to look at Qi Chenglin to see the man unlock his screen as if to look at the time. Even more shocking was the picture on the screen: Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, and a little boy.

    They seemed really close to each other in the photo as if they were a family of three.

    All of a sudden, Xu Haode felt a chill run through his body. His lips trembled and his knees felt weak.

    Never in his life did he expect Ruan Danchen to be in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin. He trembled, as he continued to stare at the screen, unable to look away.

    Qi Chenglin seemed oblivious to Xu Haode¡¯s anxiety and nced coldly at him. Qi Chenglin¡¯s looked rather proud when he said, ¡°This is my girlfriend.¡±

    Xu Haode shivered, scared out of his wits.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin added, ¡°I n to marry her.¡±

    Xu Haode no longer harbored any hopeful wishes that Qi Chenglin knew not what he did. He then realized Qi Chenglin¡¯s true purpose foring to the auction.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen told me the other day that a client believed in the rumors spread by one of her colleagues. ording to the rumors, Ruan Danchen sleeps around to acquire her projects. She was furious, and I was curious. Being as powerful as I am, why would my girlfriend need to concern herself with the acquisition of projects?¡± Qi Chenglin wore a somber expression; his lip twitched upward in a mocking sneer. ¡°Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    ¡°Qi¡ªGeneral Manager Qi, I didn¡¯t know Ruan Danchen was your girlfriend. I...I¡¯m a terrible person for not knowing. General Manager Qi, please don¡¯t be offended by a nobody like me.¡±

    Xu Haode had no intention of feigning ignorance. Qi Chenglin hade for him, and the only thing he had left was hope that Qi Chenglin would forgive him.

    The regret punctured deep into his core; he had never expected to have shot himself in the foot. How unlucky he was to have angered Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend! No knew that his girlfriend was Ruan Danchen! There was no news about it at all, and he thought that she was a nobody because Chengshi¡¯s employees had been brave enough to spread such rumors!

    Ruan Danchen had be his downfall!

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and took out a packet of cigarettes. He fished one out and clipped it between his fingers, then lit it up with the lighter in single fluid motion. The venue was a no-smoking zone and there was even arge sign hanging on the wall, yet no one dared to say anything to Qi Chenglin.

    His well-defined fingers held the cigarette, and he narrowed his eyes, dragging in a puff. He exhaled a billowy cloud of smoke that eclipsed Xu Haode, who had dared not avoid it.

    ¡°I went to Shengyue and asked about it. The servers said that Ruan Danchen came out from the room crying; a side of her face swollen.¡± His other hand, perched atop the table, began to drum. With his eyes still narrowed, his expression grew colder. ¡°I didn¡¯t even manage tofort her in time. I was shocked to hear that someone had struck her, when even I dare not raise my voice against her. Tell me, how should I get even?¡±

    ¡°Qi... General Manager Qi, Young Master Lin, I was blind. I was blind to her status. I...let me apologize to you, to Miss. Ruan. I won¡¯t ever dare do it again.¡± Xu Haode did not even care that he was in a public space with his colleagues seated beside him. If Qi Chenglin wanted to get down to the bottom of it, Xu Haode would be fortunate if it was just his current job on the line¡ªit was his greatest fear that it might impact his ability to procure a job in the future.

    Nothing else was on his mind except persuading Qi Chenglin to be easy on him. He did not even bother about how embarrassing and disgraceful he looked.

    Xu Haode pped himself. ¡°General Manager Qi, I was wrong. You don¡¯t need to hit me, I¡¯ll hit myself.¡±

    His colleagues were stunned to see that.

    They knew that Xu Haode filed aint to Chengshi against Ruan Danchen, but they did not expect that Xu Haode had been falsely using her. Based on how malicious those actions were, Xu Haode was surely done for.

    Xu Haode pped himself a second time. The sound of skin against skin was crisp, indicating that the p had been rather forceful and tight; his cheek was a bright red.

    ¡°Director Qi, please don¡¯t take offense.¡± Xu Haode was on the verge of tears. ¡°I¡¯ll kneel down before Miss. Ruan and beg for forgiveness.¡±

    Qi Chenglin twitched his lip and ignored him. He turned to Jiang Yuan and said, ¡°Call Huanghua¡¯s Director Huang.¡±

    Jiang Yuan took out his cell phone, searched for Director Huang¡¯s number, then made the call.

    ¡°Director Huang. Yes, hello. Our general manager has something to say to you, do you have a moment?¡± Jiang Yuan asked inly.

    Director Huang, who did not dare to say no, quickly stated that he wasn¡¯t busy. Jiang Yuan then passed the phone over to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Director Huang. It¡¯s me, Qi Chenglin.¡± His voice was calm andposed. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if yourpany has informed you yet, but I have purchased thend.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ve already done all that was necessary to ensure that they would sell thend to you, and that you¡¯ve already prepared for its development. Not to worry, I can still sell it to you.¡± Qi Chenglin then quoted a price.

    ¡°Director Qi, isn¡¯t this price a bit too high?¡± Director Huang said, shocked.

    Director Huang was relieved that Qi Chenglin was prepared to sell him thend, for a significant amount of money would have been burned if thend were to slip through their fingers. It would have been a devastating blow.

    However, buying thend for thatrge a sum had surpassed their original budget.

    The price Qi Chenglin named teetered on the fine edge between what Huanghua was willing to spend and what they could not afford to spend. In that way, it proved to be the perfect bait.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled as he looked at Xu Haode while saying, ¡°Director Huang, is there someone named Xu Haode in yourpany?¡±

    ¡°Yes, General Manager Qi. And you¡¯re mentioning him because...?¡± asked Director Huang puzzled.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s a small matter. Some time ago, he made aint to Chengshi about one of their female employees. He said that she offered sexual favors in exchange for projects, but the morally upright Mr. Xu declined it forcefully,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly. ¡°But I¡¯m sure there was some kind of mistake. The person heined about was my girlfriend. I don¡¯t think my girlfriends needs to beg Xu Haode and exchange favors just to get projects, right? She can just say the word and I¡¯ll give her all the projects she wants. Don¡¯t you agree?¡±

    Director Huang immediately understood and said, ¡°General Manager Qi, please don¡¯t fret. Xu Haode will no longer be an employee of Huanghua.¡±

    ¡°Director Huang, I¡¯m not trying to insinuate anything, but didn¡¯t Huanghua conduct a proper investigation when Xu Haodeined? Yourpany doesn¡¯t consider a person¡¯s moral standing, does it? After all, it was a serious usation. Does Xu Haode have free rein to do and say as he pleases? Even if Ruan Danchen was not my girlfriend, such remarks will do nothing except ruin a person¡¯s future. Xu Haode¡¯sint not only ndered my girlfriend, he ndered me too,¡± said Qi Chenglin.

    Xu Haode paled, and he knew that Qi Chenglin was not about to forgive him.

    ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll make an announcement to state his reasons for dismissal, and I don¡¯t think anypany would want to employ him in the future. It was my oversight that we didn¡¯t conduct an investigation on this matter and allowed Xu Haode to make those usations. General Manager Qi, we¡¯ll buy thend from you at your price,¡± Director Huang said. He did not want to offend Qi Chenglin over that matter.

    As high as Qi Chenglin¡¯s price was, it was not wholly uneptable for thepany.

    As for Xu Haode, Director Huang was livid; not only did Xu Haode cause them to sustain such a huge loss, he even went so far as to offend the Qi family. Director Huang would not have forgiven him so easily even if Qi Chenglin did not act on it.

    After hanging up, Director Zhao was so vexed that his chest hurt. Gnashing his teeth, he hissed, ¡°Go to hell, Xu Haode!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin handed the phone back to Jiang Yuan and gave Xu Haode an icy stare. He stood up and said gravely, ¡°Jiang Yuan, make an announcement stating that Qilin will not deal with anypany that employs Xu Haode. It¡¯s not just Qilin Properties, but the entire Qilin Corporation.¡±

    After saying that, he led Jiang Yuan away.

    Xu Haode was left, a lifeless husk of a man, paralyzed on his seat. He did not know what to think and who to hold a grudge against¡ªshould he hate Yang Yunshu, who told him the rumor; or Ruan Danchen; or Qi Chenglin?

    Everyone else looked at Xu Haode with disdain; no one pitied him. Even his colleagues did not say a single word to him and left for thepany without him. They were not going to mix around with him in the future anyway, and no one knew whether he was able to survive once he left thepany.

    ...

    ...

    The next Monday, Ruan Danchen decided to go to Chengshi and ept Yang Yunshu¡¯s apology, as well as deal with the procedures for resignation. She no longer wished to continue at Chengshi even if her application to Qilin was unsessful.

    She left for thepany, arriving at ten-thirty.

    When she entered the design department, all her colleagues were inside, working. There was originally some chatter amongst them, but, upon Ruan Danchen¡¯s entrance, the room fell silent.

    Ruan Danchen swept her eyes across all of them and saw that Yang Yunshu was sitting at her desk.

    Yang Yunshu had initially wanted the day off, but Director Zhao had not given his approval and she had not been brave enough to just stay home. She still hoped that there might be a chance for her to continue at Chengshi. So, she was not willing to do anything that might incur the wrath of Director Zhao.

 Chapter 349 - Aunt Ruan Is Just Too Innocent

    <h4>Chapter 349: Aunt Ruan Is Just Too Innocent</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    These days, Ruan Danchen was having a hard time at work. None of her colleagues were talking to her.

    They were afraid of offending the Qi family. Even the wife of Director Zhao was cold toward her as if she was the root of all their problems.

    Ruan Danchen could not even raise her head in thepany. She could only hope to boost her clientele so that Director Zhao would think twice about firing her.

    She had been dealing with Mu Huaisheng for the past few days but all her designs to date have been rejected. He seemed to be unsatisfied with her work but could not point out which part which he did not like. Instead, he just told her to redo the design.

    Till this day, Mu Huaisheng had not signed any work contract. Ruan Danchen might have slimmed down one size due to the pressure at work.

    Yang Yunshu clenched her teeth and kept her lips sealed. Her chin was trembling slightly as she watched Ruan Danchen.

    Yang Yunshu felt that the woman intentionally hid her status to trick her into offending her.

    ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re here!¡± Director Zhao heard about her arrival from the front desk and quickly came downstairs with his wife in tow. He was all smiles and sunshine.

    Ruan Danchen nodded faintly at him. Director Zhao hurriedly tugged at his wife¡¯s arm.

    The wife showed a gentle expression and said, ¡°Danchen, I¡¯m sorry for misunderstanding you. Stay here and focus on your work. I promise you, this won¡¯t happen again.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stony-faced and did not answer her.

    ¡°Yang Yunshu,e here!¡± Director Zhao shouted.

    Yang Yunshu walked over with her jaw clenched. ¡°Danchen, I¡¯m sorry. It was my fault. I was jealous and wrongly used you. I won¡¯t do it again. A magnanimous person such as yourself shouldn¡¯t worry about small-minded me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could ept the apology for the insults that were thrown at her but she could not forgive Yang Yunshu for denigrating Qi Youxuan.

    The thought of it made Ruan Danchen¡¯s blood boil.

    ¡°Director Zhao, I have epted her apology. In the future, I do not wish to hear the name, Yang Yunshu, in Chengshi,¡± Ruan Danchen said without mercy.

    ¡°Rest assured, the ounts department has already calcted her pay. Once the money is released, she will be dismissed,¡± Director Zhao replied.

    Yang Yunshu¡¯s face turned pale but she did not beg for her job. She knew that Director Zhao could not retain her if he wanted to stay in Ruan Danchen¡¯s good books. She will just have to search for work elsewhere.

    Ruan Danchen nodded. Then, she took out a letter from her bag and handed it to Director Zhao. ¡°This is my resignation letter. I would like toplete the process today.¡±

    ¡°This¡ª¡± Director Zhao¡¯s expression shifted. ¡°Danchen, we can talk things over. Didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯ll stay if Yang Yunshu apologizes and I fire her?¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, I believe you misunderstood. I did not make any promises, just a request for Yang Yunshu¡¯s apology and dismissal.¡±

    Director Zhao was worried. If thepany let Ruan Danchen leave without negotiating now, it would be an affront to the Qi family.

    In a moment of panic, he blurted out, ¡°Danchen, you can¡¯t be so cruel!¡±

    ¡°Does she have a choice?¡± A deep, male voice boomed from the entrance of the design department.

    Everyone including Ruan Danchen turned their heads toward the door. Qi Chenglin stood at the doorway, exuding an air of ss.

    His appearance immediately calmed Ruan Danchen. Her eyes were drawn to him like mas while a loving smile yed on her lips.

    Qi Chenglin had his left hand in his pocket while Qi Youxuan held onto his right. Qi Youxuan was dressed in sports attire instead of a school uniform. He had on a down jacket but it was not zipped up.

    ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in school?¡± Ruan Danchen asked Qi Youxuan. Her reaction was very mother-like, as observed by the other staff in thepany.

    ¡°It¡¯s gym ss so I asked Dad to bring me here,¡± Qi Youxuan answered obediently.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s encounter with Yang Yunshu was very upsetting. Hence, Qi Chenglin checked his son¡¯s ss schedule. Since gym was thest period he had today, Qi Chenglin agreed to take him out of school to visit Chengshi as a form of moral support.

    Qi Chenglin did not want Yang Yunshu¡¯s words to prick at his heart forever.

    Qi Chenglin brought the little boy over and Ruan Danchen ruffled his round head affectionately. She looked up and asked Qi Chengling, ¡°Why are you here all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°Xiao Yang said he dropped you off here. Wanted to see how was your resignation process going,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    He was likely worried that she would be taken advantage of by thepany and decided to drop by. Her heart warmed at the sentiment. She lifted her head and smiled sweetly at him, her eyes crinkling. His support made her feel anchored.

    ¡°Director Zhao says that I¡¯m cruel. Seems like he¡¯s unwilling to let me go,¡± Ruan Danchen paid no mind to Director Zhao and spoke honestly.

    Qi Chenglin already told her to be truthful about anything that was upsetting her.

    The coyness in Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice improved Qi Chenglin¡¯s mood. He smiled at her warmly. The female employees around them could only watch with envy.

    Previously, it was Song Yu who triggered them. Now, even Ruan Danchen was being blessed by the fates.

    Although Qi Chenglin came with his son, to be cared for by a man like him, they would not mind if he had a football team worth of sons.

    When Qi Chenglin looked at Director Zhao, all warmth left his gaze. He asked sardonically, ¡°Director Zhao is unwilling to let her go?¡±

    ¡°No, no. Young Master Lin, do not misunderstand.¡± Director Zhao¡¯s heart jumped in his chest. ¡°I just feel that Danchen has been with us for so long, it would be a waste to see a familiar face leave.¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, this is my first time hearing a rejected resignation. Truth be told, as my fianc¨¦e, Danchen can go to whateverpany she wants. Why do you think she would want to stay cooped up here? If she wanted to, she could open up her ownpany. Why should she stay here and endure your treatment?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold, dark eyes made Director Zhao sweat.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, don¡¯t be mad. It was my fault for believing the wrong person. I actually have a lot of faith in Danchen. When I made her take leave, it was just to shut some people up. I really treasure Danchen as an employee here,¡± Director Zhao quickly said.

    Qi Chenglin gave him a cynical look. He grabbed the resignation letter from Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and tossed it at Director Zhao. The director rushed to catch the letter.

    ¡°The resignation letter has been submitted. I hope that it¡¯s effective immediately,¡± Qi Chenglinmanded.

    Director Zhao¡¯s face was somber. They had just managed to please Song Yu but Yang Yunshu had to find trouble with Ruan Danchen. He was at wit¡¯s end.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s line of sight shifted to Yang Yunshu. The woman squirmed and thought of hiding.

    ¡°I heard that you said my soncked manners. Were you implying that I did not raise him well?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze was cold as winter. Qi Youxuan squeezed his hand tightly.

    Ruan Danchen went to stand by the boy. She ced both her hands on his shoulder.

    Yang Yunshu chewed her lips. With a cracking voice, she said, ¡°No. I am the one whocks manners. It was my fault for saying those things to a child Young Master Lin. It was my fault. I am sorry Little Master. It was my fault. I¡¯m the one without the manners. Please forgive me.¡±

    ¡°You hear that? She¡¯s the one whocks manners,¡± Qi Chenglin lowered his head and spoke to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s big, round eyes focused on Qi Chenglin and then Ruan Danchen. He only rxed after Ruan Danchen gave him a slight nod of affirmation. He turned to face Yang Yunshu.

    Unexpectedly, Yang Yunshu got onto her knees and crawled toward Qi Youxuan. ¡°Little Master, please forgive me. Young Master Lin, I know my wrongs. I will resign immediately, I beg you and Dan... no, Miss Ruan to forgive me. Miss Ruan, I know it¡¯s my fault. Please, I will never do it again.¡±

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Chenglin shouted as Yang Yunshu tried to take hold of Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand. He quickly stepped in front of his son and carried him into his arms.

    ¡°Hold her back!¡± Director Zhao angrily yelled at the other employees in the office.

    The other employees stared at each other. The sight of Yang Yunshu begging on the floor was enough to make them ignore the director¡¯s order.

    ¡°Be mindful next time,¡± Qi Chenglin said coldly. He walked off with one arm carrying Qi Youxuan while the other hand holding onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Young Master Lin, walk safe.¡± Director Zhao followed them and shouted, ¡°Young Master Lin, please cool off.¡±

    Only after the elevator door had shut did Director Zhao walk back to the office with his head down. This was a bad premonition.

    When he got back to the design department, his secretary, Xiao Wang was there with panic in his eyes.

    ¡°Director Zhao.¡± Xiao Wang started, then he nced around and decided to go to the director¡¯s ear. ¡°We just received news, Qilin has issued a statement that they will no longer partner with Chengshi,¡± he whispered.

    Director Zhao¡¯s looked crestfallen. This statement from Qilin would make otherpanies reconsider Chengshi as a business partner.

    ¡°It¡¯s done...¡± Director Zhao muttered under his breath. Suddenly, he turned to re red-eyed at Yang Yunshu. Brimming with anger, he pointed a finger and shouted, ¡°Get lost!¡±

    ¡°Director Zhao, Qilin also said that anypany that employs Yang Yunshu will not have Qilin¡¯s support.¡± Xiao Wang figured this news might put Director Zhao in a better mood.

    Yang Yunshu copsed on the floor. Qi Chenglin was burying her in. How would she get a job now?

    Qilin¡¯s business portfolio spanned across multiple fields. They were not only killing her current career as it would be impossible for her to even find other jobs.

    Shame was thest thing on her mind as Yang Yunshu cried loudly into her palms.

    Director Zhao cursed. ¡°B*tch! You dare cry! Mypany is being dragged down the drain by you! Don¡¯t you dare cry here!¡±

    Spit flew from his mouth as he shouted furiously. ¡°Call security and get her out of here!¡±

    Everyone but Xiao Wang was stunned. Xiao Wang dialed for security, and momentster the guard escorted Yang Yunshu out of the office.

    ...

    ...

    In the car, Qi Youxuan felt much better after hearing Yang Yunshu¡¯s apology. His mood was better now, especially after the bad auntie begged from the floor.

    Ruan Danchen felt very rxed after resigning from her post. Qi Chenglin could sense the happiness of the mother and son in the backseat.

    ¡°What do you guys want for lunch?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, clearly in a good mood.

    It was the end of November and the weather was colder now. The air conditioner in the car was on. Qi Youxuan watched as the strong winds howled outside the car. He rubbed his meaty palms together and said, ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go to Uncle Yan¡¯s hotpot shop.¡±

    Qi Chenglin checked the time and determined that there was enough time to send Qi Youxuan back to school, so he agreed.

    He called up the shop and booked a private room.

    Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan were not fans of spicy food so they got a hotpot with the divider. Ruan Danchen ate the spicy side.

    The spicy side of the hotpot came to a boil first. Ruan Danchen was not shy to start her meal first.

    Qi Youxuan stared hungrily as Ruan Danchen begun eating. His own pot of soup was not even bubbling yet.

    The slice of beef between Ruan Danchen¡¯s chopsticks was dipped in some sauce. The smell of cooked meat made Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth water.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at Qi Youxuan and asked, ¡°Do you want to try out the spicy side?¡±

    Qi Youxuan gulped and licked his lips. He was still too young to have tasted spicy foods. Additionally, his dad suffered from a weak stomach so Aunt Zheng rarely prepared spicy foods.

    This time, Qi Youxuan could not resist the temptation. He sucked his lips and said, ¡°Let me have a try.¡±

    So Ruan Danchen cooked a beef slice and ced it in his bowl. The young boy took a cautious bite but the spice was strong enough to make him cough. He quickly gulped down some water. Although his initial reaction was bad, he slowly got used to the spice and the more he ate, the more addicting the vor was. When the non-spicy side of the hotpot started to boil, Qi Chenglin cooked some vegetables and ced them in Qi Youxuan¡¯s bowl, not wanting him to only eat meat.

    As they were eating, Ruan Danchen received a call from Qilin¡¯s human resources department. She excused herself to pick up the call¡ªturns out they were asking her to go for an interview tomorrow.

    Qi Youxuan saw Ruan Danchen disappear to take the call. As he chewed on a slice of lotus root, he turned his dad, ¡°Dad, does Aunt Ruan have a lover?¡±

    Qi Chenglin almost choked. He ced his chopsticks down and looked at his son. ¡°What are you talking about?¡±

    ¡°Well, why is she so secretive about the phone call? Why can¡¯t she answer in front of us?¡± Qi Youxuan had been extremely vignt when it came to Ruan Danchen as if worried that someone might steal her from him.

    ¡°Your Aunt Ruan is trying to get a job in Qilin. She doesn¡¯t want to get in with my connections so she¡¯s hiding her application from me,¡± Qi Chenglin exined to his son.

    Qi Youxuan turned his head to the door, then back to his father. He sighed. ¡°Aunt Ruan is too innocent.¡±

    Qi Chenglin said nothing.

    After a moment, Ruan Danchen came back to the table in high spirits. The father-son duo said nothing and continued eating.

    ...

    ...

    The interview the next day was set at ten in the morning. Ruan Danchen arrived outside the interview room and counted nine other people who were waiting to be interviewed. Yao Jingfei was one of the people waiting.

    Yao Jingfei was dressed in a less ostentatious fashion, just a tan-colored wool coat over a shirt and cks. A look of surprise crossed her face when she saw Ruan Danchen, she thought Ruan Danchen would have failed the written interview.

    Yao Jingfei was the third to go in, Ruan Danchen the fifth.

    A momentter, Yao Jingfei walked out of the room with her chest puffed and her chin held high. She was brimming with confidence as if she had already secured the job.

    Yao Jingfei gave the people who were waiting a haughty look. Her lips curled into a smirk and she said to them all, ¡°One of the examiners <sup>1</sup> is my dad, so y¡¯all should know the oue by now.¡±

    The person before Ruan Danchen came out from the interview room. ¡°You¡¯re next.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and went in. She froze at the sight of the panel.

    The three examiners were not the ones Qi Chengyue told her about. Sitting in the middle seat was someone Ruan Danchen knew.

    It was Qi Chenglin himself!

    Ruan Danchen was shocked. She felt a bit guilty now that she was caught red-handed by Qi Chenglin.

    A blush was starting to form on her face. Qi Chenglin raised an eyebrow and pointed at the chair. He spoke with a smirk on his face, ¡°Not sitting?¡±

    Yao Qingzhi, who was seated to his right, was surprised at Qi Chenglin¡¯s sudden shift in demeanor.

    Yao Qingzhi had personally requested the human resources department put him as one of the examiners so that his daughter would be favored. He even tried his best to get in the two other examiners¡¯ good books in hopes that they would score his daughter well.

    However, when he arrived this morning, both examiners had been reced. Instead, it was Qi Chenglin and the manager of the design department.

    Qi Chenglin had on a stern and stoic face when the previous candidates came in. Thosedies who came in clearly adored him but also feared him.

    When Ruan Danchen walked in, Qi Chenglin¡¯s attitude immediately changed. While he could not be called gentle, there was an obvious change in him.

    Manager Zou who sat beside Qi Chenglin knew what was happening. Qi Chenglin had already told him about Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity and expressed hopes that Ruan Danchen would be weed into the design department.

    Through this request, Manager Zou understood the sudden appearance of an empty position. It was clearly meant for Ruan Danchen. Manager Zou knew that he had to look after Ruan Danchen and make sure that she does not get mistreated.

    Previously he also heard news about Yao Qingzhi¡¯s daughter wanting the position, which was why Yao Qingzhi had been trading favors around the Qilin. Today, Qi Chenglin suddenly came and asked him to join for the interviews, recing the original examiners. Qi Chenglin likely knew about Yao Qingzhi¡¯s intentions.

    Manager Zou could not help but smile when he thought of Yao Jingfei¡¯s smug face, as if she was an elite. When she came in and saw Qi Chenglin, her eyes were fixated. Throughout the whole interview, she only looked at Qi Chenglin.

    She was not aware that her status was nothingpared to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and sat down with a guilty look. She did not dare face Qi Chenglin¡¯s teasing smirk.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, isn¡¯t it?¡± Qi Chenglin flipped through Ruan Danchen¡¯s resume.

    Ruan Danchen could only y along and whispered, ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Miss Ruan is speaking too soft, I can¡¯t quite hear you,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°My name is Ruan Danchen,¡± she raised her voice and said.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and looked down at her resume. ¡°It says here that Miss Ruan is unmarried. Do you have a boyfriend?¡±

    Yao Qingzhi nearly spat out his saliva. Qi Chenglin never asked this question to the candidates before.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was red when she replied, ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Any marriage ns in the near future?¡± Qi Chenglin put down the resume and fixed his gaze on Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen felt his gaze scorching her bones. ¡®What was this man thinking? Asking such a question in a job interview?¡¯

    Clearly he had no intention of conducting a proper job interview. Ruan Danchen went with the flow and answered, ¡°Unsure. This depends on my boyfriend, he hasn¡¯t proposed yet.¡±

    ¡°If he were to ask, would you ept?¡± Qi Chenglin leaned forward inquisitively.

    Yan Qingzhi let out a dry cough. The questions were getting out of hand.

    Manager Zou was also shifting around in his seat. Marriage was suddenly in the talks now.

    ¡°Well, that will have to wait until he proposes.¡± Ruan Danchen lifted her chin slightly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She knew the man¡¯s reaction to her confession so she said with a smile, ¡°But I really love him. I think he¡¯s the one I want to spend my life with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked into Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes. There was weight behind those words and her lips curled into a blissful smile. ¡°To know him in this lifetime is the luckiest thing that could happen to me. If I could marry him, it would be the good karma that I¡¯ve collected from all my past lives. I don¡¯t know how I got the karma to meet a man like him. I am eternally grateful for him. He has a huge heart and doesn¡¯t argue with me. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever find someone as patient as him. I always feel that I¡¯m no match for him because he¡¯s too good. I¡¯m not sure if he¡¯s willing to marry me but I really want to be his wife.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s throat was dry. He could not even utter a single word. While his face showed nothing unusual, his neck which was covered by the shirt cor was red.

    Ruan Danchen seemed to be able to spy the redness beneath his cor but she could not be certain.

    Qi Chenglin stared at her and said nothing.

    If it were not for her self-control, she would have went up to him and kissed him but they were still in the middle of an interview.

    She lost track of which confession was it when she realized that Qi Chenglin blushed very easily whenever she expressed her love for him. His reaction was a far cry from his usual demeanor.

    ¡°Huh!¡± The longer Yao Qingzhi listened, the more it did not make sense. This was not an interview but a flirtatious exchange. He was not impressed by Ruan Danchen and immediately drew an ¡®X¡¯ on the evaluation form.

    However, other than Yao Jingfei, his rating for other candidates were also below average.

    Since Qi Chenglin had been struck speechless, Yao Qingzhi asked Ruan Danchen some work-rted questions and subsequently wrapped up the interview. ¡°Alright, Miss Ruan, you can wait for our call. Please inform the next candidate toe in.¡±

 Chapter 350 - Why Were You so Naughty Just Now? You Confessed to Me During the Interview

    <h4>Chapter 350: Why Were You so Naughty Just Now? You Confessed to Me During the Interview</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen was not worried that she would fail the interview at all because Qi Chenglin was around. She was more confident than Yao Jingfei. She was only a little concerned that Qi Chenglin would be angry with her because she kept him in the dark.

    Ruan Danchen told the next interviewee that she was leaving now, then she walked to the elevator. However, she did not leave Qilin, she took the elevator to get to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    Jiang Yuan was standing outside the office. He was not surprised when he saw Ruan Danchen. On the contrary, he smiled at her like he expected her toe.

    When Ruan Danchen saw his smile, she could not help but ask, ¡°You knew that I¡¯ming for the interview?¡±

    ¡°I found out about it when Manager Luo told me that you¡¯reing for the interview on the phone just now. Who would have expected that our general manager is the interviewer? Such a coincidence,¡± said Jiang Yuan with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen was not totally convinced by his words, she felt like this was their n all along. She shook her head and entered Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    She sat on the sofa and took out her cell phone from her bag. She turned off the silent mode of her phone and texted Qi Chenglin. [I¡¯m in your office.]

    Qi Chenglin read her text message. He saw the interviewee who will be interviewed after Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn was still sitting on her seat, so he stood up and said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave it to you all.¡±

    After saying that, Qi Chenglin walked out of the room immediately. Yao Qingzhi was bewildered, and he nced at Manager Zou.

    On the contrary, Manager Zou was unperturbed and continued asking the interviewee questions.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chengling strode forward with his long legs as he tried to remain calm, but he increased the length of his strides involuntarily.

    After he walked out of the elevator, he strode toward his office. He opened the door and saw Ruan Danchen sitting on the sofa. She turned her head when she heard him opening the door.

    Qi Chenglin was standing at the door. He had calmed down and he was staring at Ruan Danchen with his dark ebony eyes.

    He took a step forward and closed the door, then he walked toward her while gazing at her deeply.

    Ruan Danchen felt a little nervous now, she could not help but extend her arms and raised her head to look at Qi Chenglin in a cute expression to please him.

    Qi Chenglin almostughed inadvertently, but he restrained himself fromughing and he raised one of his eyebrows. He continued to stare at her with a serious expression.

    After staring at her for quite a while, Ruan Danchen felt more guilty now, the back of her neck started to feel numb and got goosebumps. When she was just about to stand up and exin to him properly, she saw him finally strode toward her with his long legs and sat beside her. However, he ignored her extended arms and sat at a distance from her, about two fists away.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears were feeling numb as she turned her head to look at him. She quietly moved her body closer to him until their thighs were in contact with each other. Although her legs were quite hot and she was embarrassed, she maintained that position without moving again.

    Luckily, Qi Chenglin did not move his body away from her. She heaved a sigh of relief because he was not too furious with her.

    Ruan Danchen hugged his arm and said gently and quietly, ¡°I know that I have done something wrong.¡±

    ¡°What did you do wrong?¡± asked Qi Chenglin mockingly as he raised his eyebrows.

    She had not seen him talking to her in such a manner for a long time. Before they were dating, he always talked to her in such a manner and it made her feel very stressed.

    After they had been together, his attitude toward her changedpletely. He was so gentle and kind toward her like he had always been a caring and considerate man, and she had forgotten that he had such a temper.

    ¡°I had nned to inform you after I was epted for the job,¡± said Ruan Danchen softly. She was hugging his arm and rubbing her body against him like a spoiled child. She said gently, ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    ¡°So you did not think of informing me before the interview? If I¡¯m not in charge of the interview today, I won¡¯t find out that you came for a job interview at mypany without telling me about it.¡±

    ¡°I was thinking that if I told you about it before the interview, you would surely ask your colleagues to let me pass the interview no matter what or just directly hire me and cancel the interview. All the staff in thepany would have known about my status if you did that, then they¡¯ll probably try to make use of me for their personal gain. I don¡¯t want the staff to make use of me to gain something from you or try to get close to me by fawning over me. That¡¯s why I kept you in the dark. I nned to inform you about this after I get the job offer and hide my status from the other staff of Qilin,¡± exined Ruan Danchen softly.

    Qi Chenglin nced at her indifferently, his lips still looked quite stern. ¡°I don¡¯t care what are your considerations, but I¡¯m angry because you kept me in the dark. If you don¡¯t want me to pull the strings, you could have told me directly. I¡¯m not an unreasonable person.¡±

    ¡°I knew that. I made a mistake by not telling you about it. I was feeling guilty when I was keeping you in the dark.¡± Ruan Danchen clutched his hands and said, ¡°I guarantee that I will never hide anything from you in the future no matter what. I will inform you about everything.¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at her, but it seemed like he did not trust her wordspletely and was reluctant to forgive her so easily.

    Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth. She could feel her face ming, and she forced herself to stand up.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her puzzledly, then he saw her sat on her thighs and hugged him around his neck with both her arms. Her fingertips inadvertently swept across the hair at the back of his neck and it made his body felt hot and gave him goosebumps at the back of his neck as he was feeling excited.

    Ruan Danchen quickly pecked his lips. ¡°Please don¡¯t be angry.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not restrain himself anymore. He twitched his lips and held her waist with his hands.

    It was already winter now and the heater in the office was on. Ruan Danchen removed her jacket, but she was wearing a thick and loose dark blue sweater underneath it. However, it could not stop her from feeling the zing heat of Qi Chenglin¡¯s palm.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist felt blisteringly hot and she was a little ufortable, but she dared not move at all because she felt that it was quite dangerous sitting on his thighs.

    ¡°Why were you so naughty just now? You confessed to me during the interview,¡± said Qi Chenglin with a hoarse voice. His deep and mellow voice was very attractive. They were not too near each other, but her skin felt hot and numb when his voice was transmitted into her ears.

    Qi Chenglin suddenly tightened his grasp at her waist and pulled her closer to him. He hugged her tightly and leaned toward her face. His eyes were filled with affection.

    ¡°You were the one who started the topic. You did not interview me properly because you asked me about my private life.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed slightly as she grumbled.

    She confessed to him in front of another two men, she did not know the reason she was so thick-skinned just now.

    Qi Chenglin smiled, and he could not help but kiss her lips. Her lips were soft and tender, and he could not stop himself from kissing them. He sucked and sipped her saliva. He rxed a little after he attacked her mouth with his tongue fiercely for a while.

    His hot, thin and wet lips were rubbing against her lips. His lips curled upward slightly, and he was staring at her gently with his ebony eyes. ¡°You confessed to me so daringly just now, are you really so desperate to marry me?¡±

    Unexpectedly, Ruan Danchen punched him and said angrily with her face reddened, ¡°Qi Chenglin, how could you talk like that! I¡¯m serious about our rtionship so I hope it will have a good ending. Even if I feel that I don¡¯t deserve you, I truly like you and I told you that I love you before. Don¡¯t make fun of our rtionship. No one would ask a woman about marriage in such a manner. I said it out today, but I never thought that I would have the courage to tell you and I never thought about our wedding before. I always feel that I¡¯m not worthy of you, so I never dare to think about such a wonderful thing, and you have never mentioned it before. I¡ª¡ª¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t talk like this anymore.¡± Qi Chenglin hugged her tightly and affectionately kissed her lips intermittently. ¡°You deserve me and are worthy of me. You shouldn¡¯t think about whether you¡¯re worthy or not in a rtionship. I¡¯m very sorry for saying those words and made you thought that I¡¯m making fun of our rtionship. I¡¯m extremely happy after your confession and got carried away by my joy. You¡¯re the woman I love and my son¡¯s mother, I have never thought of marrying another woman besides you. I never talk about it before because I thought that you know what I¡¯m thinking. I never thought that it would make you feel insecure.¡±

    ¡°I had told everyone about it. I even told Xu Haode that you¡¯re the woman I want to marry. I have never wavered from my decision.¡± Qi Chenglin hugged her tightly and stared at her firmly with his ebony eyes.

    ¡°You even went to find Xu Haode?¡± asked Ruan Danchen in astonishment.

    ¡°He bullied you. Aren¡¯t I supposed to do something? How could I be your man if I do nothing?¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes. ¡°Besides, he even hit you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not expect him to find out about it. She did not even tell Song Yu about it. When Song Yu came to meet her that afternoon, her face was not swollen anymore.

    When Qi Chenglin came home in the middle of the night, he did not notice any changes in her face at all.

    ¡°When a man requests you to do that kind of thing, it proves that he is not a gentleman. If you reject him, he could do anything to hurt you. I don¡¯t believe that he¡¯ll let you leave like a gentleman. Since you did not tell me about it, I went to Shengyue and asked some of the staff there,¡± said Qi Chenglin coolly.

    Ruan Danchen rested her forehead on his shoulder. She turned her head to touch the pit of his neck with her forehead. ¡°Qi Chenglin, you¡¯re such a wonderful man. I¡¯m really afraid that I¡¯m not good enough for you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and lowered his head to look at her. Ruan Danchen could see his long eyshes were swaying slowly.

    ¡°I want to treat you better now because you truly deserve me,¡± said Qi Chenglin gently and he kissed her lips.

    Ruan Danchen unconsciouslyy on the sofa and he pressed his body against hers.

    He slipped his zing hot hands beneath her loose sweater and rubbed against her skin. She could not help but tremble incessantly. She dared not shout because she was scared that someone outside the room may hear her.

    ¡°We¡¯re in your office.¡± Ruan Danchen grabbed her hands while he was holding her hands.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we can go and have lunch right after this,¡± said Qi Chenglin with his hoarse voice.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s whole body turned red because she was embarrassed. She did not expect she woulde to his office on the day of the interview. She came here to have a proper interview, but now she was doing this kind of thing on the sofa of his office and he was pressing his body against hers.

    She was blushing furiously, then suddenly she felt him inserted his private part into hers. Her private was stuffed to the fullest extent.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen took a deep breath. Her voice was extremely gentle and seductive and Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart melted when he heard her shout.

    He lowered his head and saw her blushing. Her watery eyes were half-shut and her mouth was slightly opened. Her expression was very alluring.

    ¡°It feels different to fool around with you in the office. After you start working officially, that would mean I¡¯m making out with my subordinate. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s very exciting?¡± Qi Chenglin was chuckling. When he thought of that, his private part hardened further.

    ¡°Shameless.¡± Ruan Danchen rested her forehead in his arms. This man could not keep his mind off those indecent thoughts.

    Qi Chenglin used his fingertips to gently wipe away the tears on her forehead, then he brushed his hair to the back of her head and ears. ¡°It¡¯s really convenient for me if you work here. When I miss you, I can just ask you toe here and fool around with me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless, what nonsense was he talking about!

    ¡°You should work properly and stop thinking of all these matters!¡± said Ruan Danchen. She found his words both funny and annoying. Suddenly, she was a little suspicious of him. ¡°Did you purposely arrange this job interview so that I¡¯ll apply for it? Maybe you¡¯re just pretending that you don¡¯t know that I¡¯ming so that you can pretend to be angry with me.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± Qi Chenglin snorted softly. He continued to move his lower body aggressively before Ruan Danchen could respond to him. She did not have time to think through the matter.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen wereying on their sides and facing each other. They huddled together on the sofa that had the same size as a single bed. Ruan Danchen was lying inside.

    She leaned her body against the back of the sofa and the front part of her body touched Qi Chenglin¡¯s body. She was being trapped inside like that and she could only smell his body¡¯s fragrance and his breath.

    At that moment, Ruan Danchen did not have time to continue thinking about the matter just now. Her soft fingertips were pressing against his chest. She saw a bead of sweat on his chest and she wiped it away gently.

    Qi Chenglinbed her hair intermittently with his long bony fingers. ¡°You can start working next Monday, are you OK with it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen knew that he would never follow the proper procedure after he found out about her interview today because he had the power to decide who they should hire, so she nodded.

    ¡°What do you want to eat for lunch?¡± Qi Chenglin held her hands which were on his chest and put them beside his lips. Then, he kissed her fingertips one by one.

    ¡°I¡¯m too weak to move now,¡± said Ruan Danchenzily. She rested her forehead on his chest. ¡°I don¡¯t feel like going out for lunch.¡±

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to look at her slothful expression, then he kissed her beside her eyes and got up and walked to the office desk to order in food.

    Although the air conditioner in the office was on, Ruan Danchen suddenly felt a little cold because she was not in his warm arms anymore. She extended her hand to take her jacket and cover her body with it. She put on her sweater and her pants. She zipped her jacket up and buttoned it.

    When she felt warmer, she stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s body.

    He was calling Dynasty to order in food. Although he was still wearing his shirt, it was unbuttoned and opened, and the edge of his shirt was hanging outside his belt. He did not fasten his belt and it was hanging loosely at his waist like it was going to fall to the ground anytime.

    His back was facing her so she could not see his wonderful body, but he was very attractive in a special way with this kind of disheveled appearance.

    Ruan Danchen felt like a warm current just flowed through her lower abdomen. She was thinking of asking him toe back to the sofa so that he could hug her tightly. She felt that she had be extremely thirsty since she was in a rtionship with him.

    She saw Qi Chenglin hung up and walked toward her. Ruan Danchen felt that she was quite fortunate to work at the samepany as him.

    She smiled at him gently and stretched her arms from underneath the jacket like she was asking Qi Chenglin to hug her like a spoiled child.

    Qi Chenglin was stimted by her action and he suddenly threw himself at her and removed her jacket to have sex with her. At that time, Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands were still touching her body and he shamelessly refused to withdraw it. He forcibly stretched his hands deep under her clothes. Ruan Danchen¡¯s breath became irregr as he caressed her body.

    ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me, I¡¯m going to answer a call.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s cell phone was on the coffee table in front of the sofa, but she could not reach it because Qi Chenglin was pressing his body against hers.

    ¡°So we¡¯ll do it again after you answer the call?¡± Qi Chenglin continued pressing his body against hers as he felt that it was veryfortable doing that. ¡°It¡¯s going to be a while before our food is delivered here anyway.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen blushed and she was speechless for quite some time. ¡°Pass me my phone first.¡±

    ¡°Tell me your decision, do I have your word?¡± asked Qi Chenglin eagerly as he continued to press his body against her forcibly.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s scalp felt numb as she felt him using his private part to poke her. ¡°I agree.¡±

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and pecked her lips contentedly, then he stretched his arm to take her phone. He found out that Qi Youxuan was the person calling her.

    However, Qi Youxuan hung up the phone the moment Ruan Danchen took her phone because he waited for a while and nobody answered his call.

    Ruan Danchen immediately called him back as she was worried that Qi Youxuan may have encountered an ident. She red at Qi Chenglin because he dallied when he was passing the phone to her just now causing her to miss the call.

    Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes slightly and suddenly kissed her lips fiercely as she called Qi Youxuan back.

    Ruan Danchen almost dropped her cell phone to the ground. She hurriedly pushed him away.

    After her phone rang a few times, she heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s young and crisp voice on the phone. ¡°Aunt Ruan, why didn¡¯t you answer my call just now?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was sucking Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips and she could not talk. She impatiently pushed Qi Chenglin away harshly.

    Qi Chenglin could also hear Qi Youxuan on the phone. He kissed her aggressively for one more time before letting go of her. Ruan Danchen was still panting and she hurriedly replied, ¡°I was in an interview just now, so I turned on silent mode.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely guilty for lying to that innocent little boy who trusted her.

    ¡°Your interview is over now?¡± asked Qi Youxuan immediately. He did not mind her missing his call.

    ¡°Mhm, I just finished my interview,¡± said Ruan Danchen while Qi Chenglin was trying to remove her sweater.

    Ruan Danchen immediately grasped his hands and red at him. She was talking to his son on the phone, what was he doing!

    ¡°Your dad was the interviewer, so I¡¯ll start working at Qilin next Monday,¡± said Ruan Danchen honestly. She did not hide the fact that she joined Qilin through the back door.

    Qi Youxuan thought, ¡®Such a cunning act.¡¯

    Then he said to Ruan Danchen, ¡°That¡¯s great, we have to celebrate it. Aunt Ruan, pleasee and take me to lunch at noon!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen felt that the little boy was clearly addicted to skipping sses, he was finding a way to get out of the school now.

    She pulled Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands out of her sweater and looked at his watch. She estimated that if she asked Xiao Yang to pick Qi Youxuan up, he would reach his school during their lunch break. He could drive him here and the food they ordered from Dynasty should arrive by the time Qi Youxuan was here.

    ¡°Please hold on a minute, let me discuss with your dad,¡± said Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, my dad is beside you now?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Mhm, I came to his office after my interview,¡± answered Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Youxuan suddenly became very eager to meet with them after he heard what Ruan Danchen said.

    Ruan Danchen told Qi Chenglin about it. Qi Chenglin nced at her and said coolly, ¡°You¡¯re pampering him. What if he continues to try to get out of school at noon in the future?¡±

    Qi Youxuan heard Qi Chenglin on the phone, he instantly bellowed, ¡°Dad, just let me leave the school for once. I want to celebrate with Aunt Ruan!¡±

    It was the interval between lessons now, so his surroundings were quite noisy. Beside Qi Youxuan voice, Ruan Danchen could also hear other children ying.

    Ruan Danchen felt that she would not cause him to miss sses if she took him out at noon, so she did not mind him joining them for lunch. She held Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands and massaged them to please him. ¡°Please ask Xiao Yang to pick him up. I¡¯m missing him too.¡±

    Qi Chenglin shut his thin lips tightly. He looked stern. After a while, he said, ¡°Just for once.¡±

    ¡°OK.¡± Ruan Danchen immediately kissed him to please him.

    The little boy heard what Qi Chenglin said and he was cheering happily on the phone.

    Then, Ruan Danchen heard the ring of a bell which signaled the start of the next lesson. Qi Youxuan said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m going to go to ss now, remember to ask Uncle Xiao Yang toe and pick me up!¡±

    After saying that, he hung up in a hurry.

    Ruan Danchen smiled involuntarily and gave her phone to Qi Chengling and she asked him to put it back on the coffee table. Then, Qi Chenglin leaned toward her again.

    ...

    ...

    Before Xiao Yang sent Qi Youxuan to the office, Ruan Danchen specially ordered the little boy¡¯s favorite fried pork chop from a Western food restaurant nearby after she asked Jiang Yuan for the phone number of the restaurant.

    Since Qi Youxuan had started going to school, it was difficult for him to lose weight by reducing his food intake, so Qi Chenglin just installed a treadmill in their house. He asked Qi Youxuan to run on the treadmill after he hadpleted his homework every night.

    Ruan Danchen was sitting on the sofa and staring at Qi Youxuan. He was using his fair and delicate little hands to hold the pork chop while he munched it. His tiny mouth became oily as he was eating the pork chop. She felt that he did not lose any weight at all, but luckily, he also did not be chubbier.

    The members of the Qi Family were tall, all the three Qi brothers had tall stature. Therefore, Qi Youxuan probably would grow tall in the future and his figure would be more attractive thenl, so Ruan Danchen was not too worried about it.

    ¡°Dad, our school is going to organize Open Day this Friday. Are you and Aunt Ruan free toe?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby little hand was holding the fried pork chop while staring at Qi Chenglin with hisrge eyes eagerly.

    ¡°I¡¯m free to go,¡± said Ruan Danchen. She had not started working yet on that day. Even if she was working, she would have requested leave for Qi Youxuan.

    After thinking for a while, Qi Chenglin asked, ¡°How long would it take?¡±

    ¡°Just one and a half hours. You just have to stay from the start of our first ss in the morning until the end of the second ss.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll ask Jiang Yuan to put off my work during that period untilter.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s too great!¡± said Qi Youxuan delightedly. He felt hungry again and continued to eat his fried pork chop.

    Qi Chenglin could bear seeing him eating pork chop only, he pushed a te of sd to his front. ¡°Eat some vegetables too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin happily. Although Qi Chenglin was strict with Qi Youxuan usually, he would satisfy his wants most of the time. Therefore, Qi Youxuan had grown to be a lively boy.

    Qi Youxuan was idling on the sofa with his belly bulging after he had his lunch. He was forced by Qi Chenglin to exercise his legs by moving them in a stepping motion to help indigestion. However, he stopped moving when Qi Chenglin was not paying attention to him.

    After a while, he stretched his little arm toward Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Ruan, please help me take my bag.¡±

    Qi Chenglin went out to settle something just now. He heard him asking Ruan Danchen to take his bag the moment he came back to his office. He immediately frowned and pulled a long face. ¡°Go and take yourself, you¡¯re toozy.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted and reluctantly moved his bottom toward his bag on the sofa, but he was still lying on the sofa and did not sit up. He was wearing a pair of cartoon socks. When his little feet touched his bag, he used them to sandwich the bag and threw it toward his arms. He stretched his arms to arms to catch his bag.

    Qi Chenglin sneered at him. The bag was so near to him, yet he was toozy to move his body to get it, how could he not remain fat?

    If he continued to behave like that, Qi Chenglin was afraid that he would turn himself into a flexible and fat boy.

    Qi Youxuan took out his Totoro kid¡¯s phone from his bag and made a call to the old manor. ¡°Nanny Liu, can I talk to my Great-Grandma?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Great-Grandma, Dad promised toe to my school on Friday for the Open Day. Aunt Ruan ising too.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Really? That¡¯s great, I¡¯ll call grandma after this.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Grandma, Dad said that he¡¯sing to my school¡¯s Open Day on Friday. Great-Grandma said that she¡¯ll drag Great-Grandpa toe with her too.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Really? I¡¯m so happy to hear that. Please keep a low profile when you alle because you all are a big team. Don¡¯t need to prepare a banner or such.¡± Qi Youxuan turned his body over andy on his stomach. He lifted his lower legs and kicked them backward repeatedly. ¡°I¡¯m studying at an elementary school now, I should not be so high-profile like when I was in kindergarten.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Guan Liya thought, ¡®He was the one who wrote all the slogans on the banners on his own during the sportspetition of his kindergarten, OK?¡¯

    Qi Youxuan hung up and started to use his fingers to count the people who wereing to the Open Day and he was very satisfied with the result.

    After he settled that matter, Qi Youxuan started to feel drowsy because he was quite full. His eyelids felt heavy and he fell asleep after a while.¡±

    Ruan Danchen woke him up when she thought it was time for him to leave. She nned to send him back to school first before returning to Prestige Residences.

    At first, Qi Chenglin wanted to see them off, but Jiang Yuan came to his office to discuss work-rted matters, so Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan downstairs by herself.

    Ruan Danchen was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s soft and chubby hand as she walked out of the elevator. Coincidentally, the door of the elevator beside her opened and she saw Yao Jingfei walked out of it. There was a loud tapping sound when the heels of her high-heeled shoes hit the floor as she walked.

    Since they bumped into each other, Ruan Danchen could not pretend that she did not see her. She nodded at her indifferently. ¡°Miss Yao.¡±

    Yao Jingfei was startled for a while. She nced at Ruan Danchen, then she turned her head and stared at Qi Youxuan. ¡°Why are you still here?¡±

    She went to Yao Qingzhi¡¯s office and waited for him toe back to his office so that she could ask him about the performances of the interviewees after her.

    Yao Qingzhi mentioned Qi Chenglin treated Ruan Danchen differently and it made Yao Jingfei who always belittled Ruan Danchen started to pay attention to her inadvertently.

 Chapter 351 - If Youâ€™re Just Rubbernecking, You Wouldnâ€™t Care If the Matter Became More Serious

    Chapter 351: If You¡¯re Just Rubbernecking, You Wouldn¡¯t Care If the Matter Became More Serious

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Miss Yao is still here too,¡± said Ruan Danchen coolly.

    Yao Jingfei snorted in disdain. ¡°My dad is a board member of thispany. It¡¯s normal for me to talk with him for a while before I leave. Let¡¯s talk about you. Why are you still around after the interview has ended? You even brought your son here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not want to lower herself to her level, so she said, ¡°Yeah, I heard someone say that the staff¡¯s cafeteria of Qilin is quite decent, so I thought that I should take this opportunity to try its food no matter the result of the interview. That¡¯s why I brought my son here, too. You should know that he¡¯s from a single-parent family. The food at the staff¡¯s cafeteria is nicer than the food that he usually gets to eat.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not hesitate in calling Qi Youxuan her son. Qi Youxuan was overjoyed when he heard that, so he did not mind Ruan Danchen lying about his background. He stood happily beside Ruan Danchen with a reddened face.

    Besides, he was used to his uncle and father making up stories.

    He did, however, think that she had been influenced by his father because Ruan Danchen was such an honest person, but she had learned how to lie to others now.

    Yao Jingfei was not suspicious of her words at all. Her eyes were filled with contempt, and she said mockingly, ¡°You all surely had a lot of food during lunch?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, we are so full now.¡± Ruan Danchen nodded, straightaway seeing her as a gullible young girl and did not want to lower herself to that level.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you order some takeout food so that he can bring the food back? Chances like this are hard toe by; you probably won¡¯te here in the future anymore.¡± Yao Jingfei replied frankly, not caring to speak discreetly. She sneered at Ruan Danchen scornfully and did not conceal her disdain.

    ¡°Oh, can I order takeout food at the staff¡¯s cafeteria? I assumed that takeout was not avable, so I was embarrassed to ask,¡± said Ruan Danchen regretfully.

    She began to understand why Great Grandmother Qi loved to act now.

    ¡°It¡¯s OK. We coulde here and eat every day,¡± piped up Qi Youxuan from beside her. The little boy was in wonderful spirits now.

    He raised his head to stare at Yao Jingfei. ¡°Aunt, are youing for the interview as well?¡±

    Yao Jingfei reluctantly nodded.

    ¡°Oh, what a pity. You will surely fail the interview, I wonder whether the staff¡¯s cafeteria is still open or not; why don¡¯t you go try their food? You won¡¯t have a chance to do it in the future!¡± said Qi Youxuan in his soft and crisp voice. Suddenly, his nose felt blocked, so he inserted a finger into one of his nostrils.

    After picking his nose for a while, he managed to dig out a lump of snot. He rolled it into a ball and flicked it off his finger.

    Yao Jingfei stared at the little boy. What horrid behavior! ¡°You¡¯re just a little boy¨C what do you know? Why would I fail my interview?!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s only one vacancy, right? My mum will surely pass the interview. If she fails the interview, I¡¯ll change my family name into yours 1.¡± Qi Youxuan raised his head and stood straight. Yao Jingfei felt that his extremely confident disposition was very annoying. She fumed.

    ¡°Since she has passed the interview, surely you will not get the job. How could you ask me such a simple question?¡±

    Yao Jingfei saw Qi Youxuan staring at her disdainfully, and she trembled in anger.

    The little boy was looking at her like she was an idiot.

    ¡°Aunt, won¡¯t it be too difficult for you to get a job at such a bigpany with your IQ?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    When he asked her that, Yao Jingfei felt like it was the same as him asking her whether she knew how to write or not. She was furious!

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Yao Jingfei clenched her teeth and she suddenly turned her head to face Ruan Danchen. ¡°How do you raise your child? Why is he so rude and bad-mannered?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was still astonished; she had not gathered her thoughts after Youxuan had called her mom. She had never imagined anyone would call her mom for the rest of her life, and she had never thought that Qi Youxuan would be the one calling her mom.

    She lowered her head involuntarily and looked at Qi Youxuan. She did not understand the reason the little boy suddenly called her mom. Previously, she felt sad when he called her ¡°Aunt Ruan¡±, but she bore with it and was used to it now.

    Sheheld Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands tightly. Qi Youxuan raised his head and looked at her.

    Qi Youxuan grinned when he saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression. She was touched. His tiny white teeth were revealed when he grinned warmly.

    After seeing his grin, Ruan Danchen did not have the heart to reproach him, even if he had said something rude. Besides, she thought that Qi Youxuan did not say anything wrong.

    ¡°Children and fools tell the truth. Miss Yao, please don¡¯t bother about his words. Besides, what you just said to me was not very polite, and I see no difference in manners between you and him.¡± Ruan Danchen finally turned her head to stare at Yao Jingfei. She smiled at her indifferently and spoke in a gentle voice.

    Yao Jingfei clenched her fist, wondering how she had missed Ruan Danchen¡¯s sharp tongue previously.

    Based on what Ruan Danchen had just said, wasn¡¯t she implying that Yao Jingfei was behaving improperly like a child?

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, I see that your attitude had changed a lot after the interview! Don¡¯t think that Young Master Lin has taken a fancy to you just because he treated you differently during the interview. You should stop daydreaming. Look at yourself: you¡¯re a single mother with a son, and you¡¯re still fantasizing? He just talked to you for a little longer than others, and you¡¯re behaving like you¡¯re Mrs. Qi? Come on!¡± Yao Jingfei sized her up contemptuously and snorted. ¡°Please know your ce. They would keep the job for me anyway. You could see this interview as a fine memory and remember it. I suppose this would be your only chance to be here.¡±

    Suddenly, they heard a man talking with a cold and deep voice. ¡°Why is it so noisy? Please take note of your volume; this is a public ce, not a ce for you all to quarrel.¡±

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan turned their heads toward the direction in which they heard footsteps and saw Cheng Dongge walking towards them.

    Qi Cheng was beside him, while Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu walked behind him. Song Yu was walking slowly with Qi Chengzhi by her side, so they were two to three meters behind Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    Ruan Danchen stared at them in surprise. She saw Song Yu blink her eyes at her furtively.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at her and winked at them, but she did not greet them because she did not want to reveal her status.

    The little boy was about to greet his uncles and aunts when Qi Chengzhi stopped him with an intense gaze.

    Qi Youxuan felt very ufortable because he had to hold his tongue. However, when he saw his uncle¡¯s mischievous expression, he blinked hisrge eyes and stared back at him naughtily.

    All the staff at Qilin knew about Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue¡¯s rtionship, so naturally, Yao Jingfei knew about it as well. She dared not behave arrogantly in front of Cheng Dongge even if she was the daughter of a board member. Her proud expression immediately vanished, and she said politely, ¡°Mr. Cheng, Miss Qi.¡±

    Qi Chengyue nodded at her coldly. Cheng Dongge said, ¡°Miss Yao, I remember that you¡¯re the daughter of Board Member Yao.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that Mr. Cheng still remembers me,¡± said Yao Jingfei. She felt ecstatic.

    Cheng Dongge did not exin further, saying indifferently, ¡°Qilin is our official workce, and the lobby is the first ce that everyone would pass by if a persones to ourpany. No matter what upsets Miss Yao, it¡¯s inappropriate to quarrel with others here.¡±

    Yao Jingfei blushed after being criticized by him, but she dared not retort. She could only say embarrassedly, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ll take note of that in the future.¡±

    ¡°Aunt, will you being here in the future? I told you that you¡¯d fail your interview, right?¡± said Qi Youxuan rudely.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk like that. She is the daughter of a board member of thispany, so it¡¯s no big deal if shees to visit her father,¡± said Ruan Danchen gently.

    Yao Jingfei was blushing furiously as Qi Youxuan asked curiously, ¡°What is a board member?¡±

    ¡°A person who owns shares of apany,¡± exined Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Oh.¡± Qi Youxuan nodded. ¡°No wonder she is so confident to say that they will keep the job for her and you won¡¯t get the job.¡±

    By now, Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu had reached them. Qi Chengzhi asked in a deep and cold voice, ¡°Really? Did Miss Yao say that?¡±

    Yao Jingfei dared not admit it when she was facing Qi Chengzhi. She heard Qi Chengzhi say frigidly, ¡°I suppose that Miss Yao mistook our intentions. Qilin does not consider your background during the interview. We only look at your abilities.¡±

    After Qi Chengzhi said that, he left with Song Yu.

    Yao Jingfei lowered her head. She was extremely embarrassed. She did not see Cheng Dongge smile and nod to Ruan Danchen. Qi Chengyue winked at her and Qi Youxuan too.

    Qi Youxuan waved his little hand and he mouthed a farewell to Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue.

    After that, Ruan Danchen ignored Yao Jingfei and left with Qi Youxuan.

    When they were in the elevator, Qi Chengyue could not help but ask, ¡°Board Member Yao and his daughter haven¡¯t found out about it?¡±

    Cheng Dongge paused for a while, then he said, ¡°Board Member Yao had indeed given prior notice about his daughter to the managers of each department before the interview. He even talked to the manager of the human resources department to pull the strings. If Yao Jingfei fails to get into Qilin, Board Member Yao will never let this incident pass.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi held Song Yu¡¯s hand and smiled at her mischievously. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Chenglin¡¯s office first. That Miss Yao was so rude to Xiao Ruan, let¡¯s see what Chenglin would think of her.¡±

    Suddenly, she felt that Yao Jingfei was quite pitiful.

    ...

    ...

    Xiao Yang stopped his car in front of the entrance of Jiaxia Elementary School. Qi Youxuan was still blushing before he exited the car. ¡°Goodbye,¡± said Qi Youxuan bashfully as he got out of the car immediately.

    ¡°Youxuan,¡± shouted Ruan Danchen as she chased after the little boy.

    Qi Youxuan halted in front of the school¡¯s entrance.

    ¡°Youxuan, you called me mom when you were talking with Aunt Yao just now, right?¡± Ruan Danchen stared at the little boy¡¯s face. She felt like her heart was beating in her throat.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheeks med. She had seen Qi Youxuan blush before, but never so red.

    He lowered his head bashfully and felt too shy to reply. He kept quiet for quite some time.

    Ruan Danchen was waiting for his response anxiously beside him. After a while, she saw the little boy raise his head and tug at her down jacket bashfully with his gloved hands. Then he said quietly, ¡°Just now you told the aunt that I¡¯m your son, right?¡±

    Qi Youxuan lifted his arms to his chest and lowered his head. He tugged at his gloves repeatedly. ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve always wanted you to be my mom. I don¡¯t want to call you Aunt Ruan anymore. It is also very troublesome to call you that because I have to say two words.¡±

    He lifted his head and blinked hisrge eyes. She felt sorry for him when she saw his nervous expression. ¡°Don¡¯t you want me to call you that? Is it because you and Dad are not married yet or because I¡¯m not your son, so you don¡¯t want me to call you mom?¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt her heart warm, and tears welled up in her eyes.

    ¡°No, I would love that!¡± said Ruan Danchen firmly. She could not hold back her tears anymore. She quickly wiped them away. ¡°I was afraid that you may be reluctant to call me mom. I don¡¯t want to force you to do anything. I truly like it when you call me mom¨C I really like it. Youxuan, can you continue calling me mom in the future?¡±

    Qi Youxuan blushed. He was pinching the edge of his shirt nervously. He lowered his head and said, ¡°If you like, I¡¯ll always call you mom.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not want to burst into tears in front of a child, but she could not stop them. She leaned forward and hugged Qi Youxuan tightly. ¡°Please just call me mom in the future, okay? I like it when you call me mom, I have been waiting for it for too long.¡±

    Slowly, Ruan Danchen felt his little arms hug her back. ¡°I really hope I can find a person whom I can call her mom too, but I don¡¯t simply call anyone mom. I only feel like calling you mom.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that her wish had finallye true after so many years. She felt like her heart was touching his heart and all their blood vessels were connected.

    She could not help but tilt her head and kiss Qi Youxuan¡¯s soft cheeks. His delicate cheeks werepletely red and cold because of the strong wind.

    After a while, Qi Youxuan let go of her. Ruan Danchen wiped away her tears and said, ¡°Quickly go to your ssroom now. You¡¯re going to bete.¡±

    Ruan Danchen adjusted his hat, hating to part with him now.

    When Ruan Danchen saw him running to the school like a little white bear, she could not help but shout, ¡°Slow down, stop running.¡±

    The little boy did not turn his head around, but he slowed down and walked.

    After he turned a corner, he knew that Ruan Danchen could no longer see him. Then he turned his head around and stretched his neck to peep at Ruan Danchen and saw that she was still standing at the entrance and gazing at the direction in which he left.

    In this freezing winter, Qi Youxuan¡¯s heartfelt warm. He truly experienced the feeling of being loved by his mother.

    He sniffed and removed the glove of his right hand. Then, he used his right hand to wipe away his tears and walked to his ssroom.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan, why are your eyes so red?¡± Shen Manman who was sitting in front of him turned her head around and asked him.

    ¡°The wind is too strong,¡± said Qi Youxuan proudly as he lifted his chin.

    ¡°Really? Why do I feel like you just cried,¡± said Shen Manman doubtfully. ¡°Did anyone bully you?¡±

    ¡°How is that possible? My dad and mom won¡¯t let anyone bully me.¡± Qi Youxuan sat straight and put on a proud and confident face.

    His round face turned redder like an apple because the ssroom was quite warmpared to the temperature outside. There were heaters installed in his ssroom.

    ¡°Mom? Since when do you have a mom?¡± asked Shen Manman curiously.

    Everyone in Jixia Elemental School knew that Qi Youxuan was Qi Chenglin¡¯s son and they also knew that he was raised by only his father since he was born.

    ¡°Could it be that your mother is the aunt who was standing at the entrance at that time? Is she marrying your dad?¡± asked Shen Manman.

    ¡°Why are you asking so many questions? This is my family matter. How could you pry into others¡¯ matters? Let me tell you, it¡¯s useless even if you try to win her favor. I¡¯m not going to marry you, so you should give up now!¡± said the little boy smugly and he tilted his head with his chin lifted highly. Then, he snorted.

    Shen Manman was furious and embarrassed. She felt that Qi Youxuan was so annoying. How could he talk like that in the ssroom in the presence of all their ssmates? Besides, he talked so loudly, now everyone knew about her feelings for him!

    Even if she truly liked him, he should not talk like that!

    She had never been so embarrassed before. She was blushing furiously, and tears started to well up in herrge eyes. Suddenly, she started sobbing.

    ¡°You- You¡¯re so annoying!¡± Shen Manman stood up and covered her face with her hands and ran out of the ssroom while crying.

    ¡°Hmph, Mumu is the only one in my heart. I really hate homewreckers,¡± said Qi Youxuan very seriously as he did not feel sorry for her at all.

    His desk-mate said nothing.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Ruan Danchen had already prepared all the ingredients for dinner. She would only start cooking after Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan came back home so that the dishes would not turn cold.

    After she heard the doorbell, Ruan Danchen hurried to open the door. She saw Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan was standing at the doorway.

    Qi Chenglin asked Qi Youxuan to change his shoes first. Ruan Danchen had already prepared his little slippers for him

    Qi Youxuan untied his shoces nimbly with his little chubby fingers and changed into slippers. He raised his head and looked at Ruan Danchen, then he blushed. He twitched his belly as he was very shy to call her mom again even though he was happy to see her. He did not just blurt it out like what he did at noon just now.

    Ruan Danchen understood his feelings, so she said gently, ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re still not used to it. You can call me ¡®Aunt Ruan¡¯ as usual. It¡¯s enough that I know that you intend to call me mom.¡±

    Suddenly, the little boy was extremely embarrassed. He mumbled a few words bashfully, then he ran to his room. There was a pping sound as he ran because he was wearing slippers.

    Qi Chenglin entered the house and watched Qi Youxuan run upstairs. He changed into slippers and asked, ¡°What¡¯s happened to him?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartfelt warm when she recalled what happened at noon. She took Qi Chenglin¡¯s coat and walked into the bedroom with him.

    When Qi Chenglin was changing his clothes, Ruan Danchen informed him that Qi Youxuan had called her mom at noon.

    ¡°He called me mom even though he is unaware of the truth. I¡¯m very happy. I had already decided to keep him in the dark for his whole life and I¡¯m ready to hear him calling me ¡®Aunt Ruan¡¯ for the rest of my life. I¡¯d never expected I could hear him calling me mom. I¡¯m content. Even if it only happens once, I¡¯m truly delighted.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled contentedly.

    ¡°I think that he¡¯s still not used to calling me mom. He wanted to call me mom, but he¡¯s too shy to say it out loud. That¡¯s why he blushed and ran away.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled involuntarily when she thought of Qi Youxuan¡¯s adorable expression just now.

    Qi Chenglin had just unbuttoned his shirt. He had not removed it yet, but his chest was revealed. She could see his muscr chest and six-pack. It was so alluring when he only revealed a part of his sexy body.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen felt like she was unable to continue talking. She was startled by his attractive body.

    Qi Chenglin walked toward her and embraced her. Ruan Danchen shook slightly and hugged him around his waist. They continued hugging each other tightly for a while.

    ¡°I never thought of keeping him in the dark for his whole life. At first, I nned to find an opportunity to exin to him and make him understand your situation after we were married. Mustn¡¯t we let him know that his own mother was already by his side all the time? It would be better for both of you if he finds out that you¡¯re his biological mother,¡± said Qi Chenglin in deep and husky voice.

    He never told her about his opinion regarding this matter before, so Ruan Danchen did not know that he had nned to do that.

    Besides, this was the first time he talked about their marriage. Unexpectedly, he already had a n without her knowing.

    She also never expected that he never wanted her to keep Qi Youxuan in the dark for the rest of her life.

    ______

    Extra scenes:

    After Yao Jingfei left, Qi Chengzhi and the others went to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office at noon.

    Qi Chengzhi said, ¡°I bumped into Yao Jingfei and Danchen on the ground floor just now.

    ¡°Yao Jingfei was showing off in front of Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not reply. He called Manager Zou of the design department. ¡°Manager Zou, please create a vacancy for an assistant designer in the design department.¡±

    After a moment of silence, Qi Chengyu said, ¡°Bro, are you actually offering Yao Jingfei a job? Just ignore her father if hees asking about it. Yao Qingzhi thinks that he¡¯s a very important person.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows coolly, ¡°It¡¯s easier to seek revenge if she was under me.¡±

    Qi Chengyue fell silent.

 Chapter 352 - I Love You, Donâ€™t Need to Thank Me for That

    Chapter 352: I Love You, Don¡¯t Need to Thank Me for That

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Her biggest wish in life was to have Qi Youxuan acknowledge her as his mother.

    Even though Qi Chengli made the decision without consulting her, she did not feel as if he disregarded her. She had no impulse to use him of disrespecting her. Ruan Danchen had always thought that he was a very reliable man.

    If anything, she thought that her previous misgivings were ridiculous.

    He had nned to marry her ever since they started to date, and he had never thought of breaking things off with her. She did not even know when he had begun to make ns for their wedding.

    Ruan Danchen looked up and saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s honest and handsome face. He looked so attractive, and he possessed such a mature charisma. When she looked at him, she could only think about his consistent reliability.

    In hindsight, even though she had been worried about whether their rtionship would survive or not, she had never been afraid he would let her down somehow. She was also never concerned about the existence of another woman while they were together.

    Even subconsciously, she knew that he was a dependable and responsible man. She was confident that he would never have any interest in another woman as long as they were together. He would not even look at women who were prettier than her.

    Mu Huaisheng might be an outstanding man, but she thought that hecked certain qualities whenpared to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, seven years ago, I promised my mom that I would sneak into your bed. Then, I gave birth to Youxuan, and I thought that was the best thing that I would have ever done in my life.¡± Ruan Danchen tip-toed to kiss his lips. ¡°I¡¯m really thankful that I could meet you again, and I¡¯m so lucky to have met you in my life. I¡¯m also grateful that such a good man like you exists in the world. There are no words to describe my luck. Thank you for not being angry with me. What I did to you seven years ago was unforgivable. I never expected that I would have your love and also a life with you.¡±

    ¡°I never thought that I would meet you and Youxuan again, or to hear him calling me mom, or to be a family with the both of you. I don¡¯t know how I am so lucky to have you treat me so well.¡± Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s face lovingly. Her eyes showed only love and affection for him. ¡°I love you, Qi Chenglin. I really, really do love you. Thank you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed at her gently and tenderly. He lowered his head to kiss her lips softly, and then he chuckled. ¡°I love you too. There is no need to thank me for that.¡±

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen felt his erect penis poked at her, and she was speechless. They just had a touching moment, so how did the atmosphere change so suddenly?

    ¡°Stop fooling around,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she pushed him away. ¡°Youxuan should be hungry by now, so I¡¯m going to prepare dinner.¡±

    ¡°Let Aunty Zheng do it.¡± Qi Chenglin rubbed his body against hers. ¡°It won¡¯t take long.¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you always proud of the little fact that you can maintain it for a long time? Why do you say that it won¡¯t take long now? Have you be a rapid gunner?¡± Ruan Danchen asked mockingly with raised eyebrows.

    Qi Chenglin hugged her quickly and pressed his body against hers. ¡°You¡¯re rushing to cook, right? I can do it as fast as I need to be. I may not fully enjoy it, but at least I can satisfy my needs a little. If you want to test how long can Ist, I¡¯ll let you find out about that tonight.¡±

    ¡°..¡± Ruan Danchen knew that the man would never feel embarrassed before she did. At first, she had wanted to tease him, but it looked like she had managed to shoot herself in the foot. She did not think she would be able to bear with it if he really did try to do it for as long as he could.

    ¡°Stop messing around. You¡¯ve worked for the whole day, so you must be tired now. Go and get changed, thene downstairs for dinner.¡± Ruan Danchen ced her hands on his chest and pushed him away from her. Her ears felt warm.

    ¡°I¡¯m not hungry now.¡± Qi Chenglin grabbed one of her hands and put it on his private part. ¡°But this part of me is hungry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand felt hot, and it trembled continuously. She blushed and then rested her forehead on his chest.

    She closed her eyes as she was too embarrassed to look at him when he did something that obscene.

    ¡°Behave yourself. We can do thister if you want,¡± Ruan Danchen softly said as she shivered in his arms.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to stare at her. His stare was so intense; it was as if there was a fire in his eyes. Ruan Danchen¡¯s breathingbored.

    ¡°If we do this at night, will you be okay for no matter how long we do it?¡± Qi Chenglin mumbled with his deep and hoarse voice. He pouted slightly and rubbed his lips against the corner of her mouth.

    Ruan Danchen shuddered after she heard those words. Her body felt blisteringly hot, and she blushed furiously. She felt like she could not control herself anymore.

    Her ears werepletely red, and she was speechless. She could only nod her head in agreement.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and rubbed her hand against his private part for a little while more before he decided to let her go.

    Ruan Danchen clenched her fist after he released her hand, but it still felt warm. Then she quietly said, ¡°Do it quickly. Dinner will be ready soon.¡±

    After she said that, she ran out of the room as if she was in a hurry.

    ...

    ...

    When Ruan Danchen reached downstairs, Qi Youxuan had already changed his clothes. He sat on the sofa with his word cards, and he did his revision diligently. However, he kept ncing at the stairs. When he saw Ruan Danchen walked down the stairs, he blushed, and he immediately turned his head to stare at the cards again.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him and then walked to the kitchen. When she was almost done with the cooking, Qi Chenglin finally went downstairs.

    Ruan Danchen carried a bowl of soup from the kitchen when Qi Chenglin sat down at the table. She could not help but stare at Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    It would have been fine if she had not known what he had done. However, she did know what he had done in the room, and she was too embarrassed to look him in the eyes.

    Even though she knew that all men would need to satisfy their thirst somehow, she could not imagine that Qi Chenglin would need to do the same. She felt somewhat awkward with the knowledge that a man like him would resort to that kind of thing.

    Then again, she could not help but imagine him as he yed with himself. She felt like a demon had controlled her because she could not stop thinking about that.

    Qi Chenglin sneered because he knew what was in her mind. He raised his eyebrows at her.

    Ruan Danchen immediately blushed, and she averted her gaze. He was acting like a shameless hooligan!

    She lowered her head and sat down. Qi Chenglin could still see her ears were as red as a piece of heated iron.

    Suddenly, he leaned toward her and took her hands with his right hand under the table. He pinched her hands and then whispered hoarsely into her ears, ¡°I yed with myself using this hand just now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen suddenly shivered when she felt her hands in his. Then, he pulled her hand toward his private parts.

    Luckily, she managed to react quickly to that. She withdrew her hand immediately when it was about to touch his private parts. ¡°Let¡¯s start eating!¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and did not disturb her further.

    Ruan Danchen thought that the man deliberately swayed his right arm in front of her as he used his chopsticks. Every time his elegant and bony hands moved, indecent thoughts assaulted her mind.

    She was very preupied during dinner, and she had a blush on her face.

    Finally, Qi Youxuan had to ask her, ¡°Aunty Ruan, are you feeling ufortable?¡±

    He had called her ¡®mom¡¯ impulsively in the afternoon, but he was too embarrassed to call her that again. So he addressed her as ¡®Aunty Ruan¡¯ as he usually did.

    Ruan Danchen did not mind that he called her ¡®Aunty Ruan¡¯ again. She knew that the little boy saw her as his mother, so she would not force the issue. Even though Qi Youxuan did not realize that she was his biological mother, she was confident that he would call her ¡®mom¡¯ when she married Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°No, I feel great,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she shook her head. She did not want the little boy to worry about her.

    ¡°Why is your face so red?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Maybe it was the smoke in the kitchen just now,¡± Ruan Danchen exined quietly.

    Qi Youxuan believed her exnation, and he did not question her further.

    After the dinner, Qi Chenglin told Qi Youxuan to go back to his room toplete his homework. Aunty Zheng cut some fruits for the little boy.

    He did not have too much homework that day, so the little boy managed to finish them quickly. Then he jogged on the treadmill while he watched an episode of a cartoon. After that, he took a shower and promptly went to bed.

    Since Qi Youxuan started to exercise at night, he would fall asleep immediately after heid on his bed. He would no longer ask her for a bedtime story.

    However, Ruan Dachen would still look in on him before he slept so that she could tuck him in and wish him good night.

    When she finally went back to her room, Qi Chenglin was not there because he had to finish some work in the study. Ruan Danchen decided to take a bubble bath.

    She managed to enjoy her bubble bath while she watched an episode of a variety show. Suddenly, the washroom¡¯s door opened, and she felt a cold draft.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head around and saw Qi Chenglin as he stood at the doorway. He had removed his shirt before he opened the door. He only wore a pair of long pants, and his muscr and well-built upper body was exposed.

    His arm looked muscr and well-developed, so it looked attractive and not too bulky. Ruan Danchen admired his six-pack because they looked like a chocte bar, and they were quite springy to touch.

    Qi Chenglin took a step forward and then closed the door. He stood in front of her casually.

    Ruan Danchen subconsciously curled into her body. The vapor from her hot bath water was warm, so the whole bathroom was covered in a mist, and the visibility in the bathroom was very low. It somehow made the atmosphere more erotic.

    ¡°Why did youe in here?¡± Ruan Danchen asked quietly. She felt weak, and her body started to shiver in the bathwater. Her exposed shoulders had a tinge of redness to it, and there were goosebumps on her skin because she was nervous and excited.

    ¡°It¡¯s already night time,¡± Qi Chenglin said as he unbuckled his belt slowly. ¡°Since you are taking a long bubble bath and wouldn¡¯t leave the bathroom, I thought that I should juste in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gulped, and her breathing quickened. That man had deliberately unbuckled his belt so slowly, and his movements were too seductive!

    ¡°Do you want to help me?¡± Qi Chenglin pointed at his briefs.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and asked softly, ¡°Are youing into the bathtub?¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised one of his eyebrows and answered her suggestively, ¡°Sure, I¡¯lle in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen got the hint immediately. She really did not know how to deal with that guy.

    Qi Chenglin could not control himself when he saw her bashful andpliant expression. He stepped into the bathtub with his long legs and sat behind Ruan Danchen. Then he hugged her tightly.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen eximed in surprise. He had started to make out with her, but she was not prepared for that at all.

    Qi Chenglin hugged her tighter. He was unwilling to loosen his grip as his every movement was filled with love and longing for her.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchenid in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms dreamily. He had carried her from the bathtub and into the room. Then he dried her body with a towel. She felt only warmth when he took her in his arms.

    After she had calmed down, her shoulders felt cold, so she pressed her body against him.

    Qi Chenglin smiled again when he saw her involuntarily clingy actions. He could not help but to kiss and caress her.

    After he kissed her lips, he stood up reluctantly.

    Ruan Danchen frowned. She felt a little chilly as their bodies were further apart. She hugged him tighter, and then like a spoiled child, she asked unhappily, ¡°Where are you going?¡±

    ¡°I need to make a call. I¡¯ll be back shortly.¡± Qi Chenglin pinched her face gently as if she was a child who needed to beforted. Then he pecked her lips softly.

    Ruan Danchen frowned again. She only let Qi Chenglin left after she wrapped her body tightly with a nket.

    Qi Chenglin smiled. He got out of bed, and then he pinched her cheeks once again before he left the bedroom.

    A few minutester, Qi Chenglin was back in the room. Ruan Danchen was already half-asleep by then because she was drained. However, she could feel his long arms hugged her tightly.

    She felt safe and peaceful in his embrace. She adjusted her posture so that she was a little morefortable. Then, she promptly fell asleep again.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen opened her eyes half-awake even though her rm had not rung yet.

    Even though she did not need to go to work, she still woke up early to prepare breakfast for Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan and to see them off.

    However, she felt pretty tired that morning. She was exhausted after she fooled around with Qi Chenglin the night before. He ¡®yed¡¯ with her to his heart¡¯s content because she had not started work yet, so he did not need to worry if herck of energy would affect her work.

    Therefore, even though she was already half-awake, she did not want to open her eyes. She wanted to wait until the rm clock on her phone ring before she would do that.

    Even though sleepiness took her, she could still feel it when someone lifted her left arm and slid something cold and hard onto her middle finger.

    Ruan Danchen felt more awake by then. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was a ring on her middle finger, and it was a simple silver ring. It was about two to three millimeters wide, and it had a small diamond in the middle. It was low-key and nothing that dazzled too wildly.

    The diamond embedded into the ring, and so it was just a smooth circle.

    Ruan Danchen stared at the ring on her finger, and then her gazended on Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegant fingers that held her hand. She noticed that he also had a simr ring on his middle finger. The only difference was that it had no diamond.

    ¡°Are you awake?¡± He had just woken up too. His voice was deep and hoarse, and it sounded deliciously sluggish.

    He smiled at her as heid on his side and supported his head with his right arm.

    ¡°This is¡ª¡± Ruan Danchen blinked. She was notpletely awake yet, and so she was a little confused.

    ¡°Couple rings. I ordered them the other day, and I¡¯ve asked someone to fetch to me this morning,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly.

    ¡°Why did you want to wear this so suddenly?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in surprise. She did not know Qi Chenglin was the type of man who would do that kind of thing.

    ¡°Even though you are working for me, I still have to protect you from the people who might want to chase after you.¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes, though he did have an ulterior motive.

    Ruan Danchen preferred to remain low-profile. She did not want her colleagues to find out about her status so that they would not bother her about it.

    However, she did not know that Qi Chenglin had called for a meeting with the managers from various departments so that he could inform them about her. He did not invite Yao Qingzhi to the meeting.

    In the meeting, Qi Chenglin had told them, ¡°The new designer at the design department, who will being in next Monday, is my wife. Her name is Ruan Danchen. Please treat her with kindness.¡±

    Manager Zou from the design department had heard about the news right before the meeting, so he was not surprised. However, he did have to rack his brain to think of the best ways to keep the general manager¡¯s wife pleased.

    The other managers stared at him with mixed emotions. They pitied him, and yet they were also envious of him at the same time. However, they were mostly relieved about the situation.

    It was an excellent opportunity to win the favor of the general manager¡¯s wife, but they might annoy her as well if they made any mistakes. No one wanted the general manager to me them for offending his wife.

    ¡°Of course, please keep it to yourself. I¡¯d prefer it if she doesn¡¯t know that all of you are informed about her status. More importantly, don¡¯t let the staff bullies or plots against her. Please don¡¯t criticize her if she made minor mistakes in her work as well,¡± Qi Chenglin said bluntly. ¡°If there is any trouble with her, pleasee to me directly.¡±

    Manager Zou was quite nervous, but he managed to summon some courage to ask, ¡°General Manager, what do you mean by minor mistakes?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at him and frowned. Then he bluntly said, ¡°Any mistakes she may make are minor mistakes, no matter how serious they turned out to be.¡±

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else.

    ¡°Of course, Danchen had worked in this field for many years now. She is an expert and a real professional. Therefore, she would never make mistakes,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else again.

    Qi Chenglin went all out to protect his wife. He made it clear that any decisions his wife made were the right ones. Everyone thought that their director was very protective of his wife, but they never expected that their general manager to be even more protective of his wife.

    ¡°Manager Zou, I know that thepetition is quite stiff in your department. Please pay attention to her, and don¡¯t let anyone irritate her.¡± Qi Chenglin stared at Manager Zou again.

    ¡°Just leave it to me, General Manager,¡± Manager Zou answered hurriedly.

    The other managers pitied Manager Zou even more after that.

    ¡°Also, Board Member Yao told me that his daughter is interested in joining our design department. Manager Zou, please offer Miss Yao a job as an assistant designer and evaluate her abilities. If she is notpetent enough, then you can dismiss her,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Manager Zou agreed to do that.

    ¡°Even though Miss Yao is the daughter of Board Member Yao, please do not offer her any special treatment. Be fair to the others and treat her like any other ordinary employee. We should treat everyone equally at Qilin,¡± Qi Chenglin said nonchntly.

    ¡°...¡± thought everyone else yet again.

    General Manager Qi did not give them the same instructions about Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Everyone should pay attention to this, especially you, Manager Zou. If she makes any mistakes, please don¡¯t let her off the hook just because of her father¡¯s position. If Yao Qingzhi is unhappy, then tell him to take it up with me. Also, it seems like Miss Yao had quarreled with Danchen after the interview in the afternoon. She thought that Danchen¡¯s position was created for her. If there is ever another conflict between Miss Yao and Danchen, you all know what to do, right?¡± Qi Chenglin gave Manager Zou a cold stare.

    Manager Zou readily replied, ¡°General Manager, please do not worry. Miss Ruan is always right. If there¡¯s a conflict between Miss Ruan and Miss Yao, then it must be because Miss Yao wanted to find fault with her. I will never tolerate this kind of behavior.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded in content. Then he had a sudden thought. ¡°Is an assistant designer responsible for doing odd jobs?¡±

 Chapter 353 - Why Does That Woman, Standing Among the Qi Family, Look so Familiar?

    Chapter 353: Why Does That Woman, Standing Among the Qi Family, Look so Familiar?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, Manager Zou really knew nothing about an assistant designer¡¯s scope of work. They had never had such a position in their department before. When asked at that moment, he trembled with a start and nodded hurriedly. ¡°Yes, indeed. Various general work.¡±

    ¡°Hm, then feel free to assign these chores to Ms. Yao. Don¡¯t worry about her identity,¡± Qi Chenglin nodded.

    All the managers sighed silently in their hearts and thought to themselves, ¡®Yao Qingzhi¡¯s daughter is really unlucky.¡¯ Out of so many people that she could provoke, it just had to be General Manager Qi¡¯s wife.

    They had begun to wonder why General Manager Qi easily agreed to assign another position for Yao Jingfei upon Yao Qingzhi¡¯s request.

    Such special treatment was only reserved for Ruan Danchen originally. Yao Qingzhi was just a small shareholder of thepany where the Qi family still held the authority. Even if there was a need to vote, those board members did not have any say in fact. Considering the headcount, the Qi family had already upied over half the seats on the board. Where was the need to vote then?

    It turned out that General Manager Qi intended to avenge Ms Yao for his wife.

    They could not help but look towards Qi Chenglin, thinking, ¡®General Manager Qi¡¯s really petty!¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin was staring at the ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand satisfactorily. There were numerous smart individuals in Qilin. As long as they observed attentively, they would be able to notice the couple rings and guessed the identity of Ruan Danchen without needing him to intentionally announce it.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin before her sight fell onto the distinctive joints of his long fingers. The simple ring that he was wearing had made his hand looked even more elegant and attractive than it already was.

    ¡°You told me that you were going out to make a call yesterday. Could it possibly be because of this incident?¡± asked Ruan Danchen as she recalled.

    Qi Chenglin took a glimpse at her and suddenly said, ¡°Time to wake up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Knowing that she had guessed correctly from his reaction, sheughed, ¡°Just admit it if it¡¯s true. Why are you so slow to warm up?¡±

    Qi Chenglin who had wanted to get off the bed changed his mind instantly and leaned down on her, that hard rod pressing against her. ¡°Do you want me to have it at you again?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned red. Why couldn¡¯t she remember that that man was not someone she could easily tease. ¡°Waking up now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin chuckled. He looked at her and squeezed her hand which had the ring on it. ¡°Remember to wear your ring at all times. Don¡¯t remove it.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t. It¡¯s from you after all.¡± Ruan Danchen blushed lightly and dropped her eyes. Her soft delicate fingers threaded through his, holding his hand and bringing it close to her sight. Looking at the ring on his long finger, she said, ¡°You can¡¯t remove it, too. If any other women tried to flirt with you, remember to show them your ring.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his brow and looked at her with a faint smile. ¡°Getting jealous?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not answer. With a heated face, she gazed at his attractive hand attentively. Her soft fingers were rubbing the ring on his finger lightly. ¡°In fact, I think it is rather beneficial to work in the samepany as you. This way, I can observe you closely. If I ever catch other women trying to seek your attention in the day, I¡¯ll get back at you when we¡¯re back home at night.¡±

    ¡°Why am I facing the retribution when I¡¯m the one being pestered by the women, not the other way round?¡± Qi Chenglin could not help butugh. He was in an exceptionally good mood at her jealousy.

    He enjoyed watching her being possessive over him.

    ¡°If it¡¯s not for your seduction, do you think that they will pester you?¡± Ruan Danchen took a faint glimpse at him.

    Qi Chenglinughed, ¡°I¡¯ve seduced you for quite some time in the first ce. So, why didn¡¯t you cling on me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t I now?¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and wrapped herself tightly around him with all her limbs.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s ck-colored eyes darkened and burned with faint mes. His lip curled up mischievously. His burning palms slid up her legs and suddenly lifted her up a little before tucking himself in.

    Ruan Danchen drew in a deep breath, her eyes foggy with a thinyer of watery tears. Her legs tightened their grip on him. She could not stop herself from using all her energy to hug him tight.

    ¡°I love the way you cling on me,¡± whispered Qi Chenglin huskily. His eyes shone brightly while he brushed his burning thin lips against hers.

    ...

    ...

    In the past, the little one only woke up so early in excitement on his first day of school. When he had gotten used to his school life, the excitement melted into boredom and he lost interest in going to school. Subsequently, he reverted to his previous habit ofzing in bed. Ruan Danchen had to wake him up and carried him to the washroom to freshen up. It would take a while for him to be fully awake.

    However, that Friday morning, little Qi Youxuan was again feeling a little excited.

    He was already awake when Ruan Danchen entered his room. Despite being overwhelmed by excitement, he was still mentally listless.

    Sitting on his small bed, the little round head nodded in a daze.

    Although the house was equipped with heaters, it was not as warm as being in bed. The little one wrapped himself under the duvet. He slowly extended a little arm out from the duvet to open the drawer of the nightstand and fish out a pair of new socks. He grabbed the socks and quickly retracted his arm so he could put them on under the duvet.

    Ruan Danchen would always prepare the next day attire for the little one and ced the clothes on the nightstand. Therefore, after wearing his socks, Qi Youxuan once again extended his arm towards his fall attire on the nightstand before shrinking back under the duvet.

    He took off his pajamas while hiding under the duvet. His fall clothes were left exposed to the cold the whole night, unlike the pajamas that were warmed by his body temperature. As soon as he put on the fall attire, he shivered in cold and let out some ¡®ooh, ooh¡¯ sounds.

    Chuckling, Ruan Danchen walked towards him and sat on the bed. She took the sweater and school pants to help him put them on, starting with the sweater. The mild electrical current that ran through it had messed up his soft hair.

    The little one shivered again while grumbling, ¡°It¡¯s so cold!¡±

    Ruan Danchen pulled him out from under the duvet and helped him to put on his school pants. Then, she grabbed the school zer and tugged it on him.

    Qi Youxuan simply leaned against Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms. Though he did not want to sleep anymore, he was still feeling a bitzy. So, he closed his eyes and stopped moving.

    Since Ruan Danchen moved in, Qi Youxuan felt that his happy life also began. In the past, who would have bothered to help him with petty matters such as waking up in the morning?

    During his preschool years, if hezed in bed in the morning, his father would enter his room and took away his duvet, letting him curled up in cold. If he still refused to wake up, his father would slip his cold, wet hand that he just washed under Qi Youxuan¡¯s pajamas, causing him to jump out of bed from the cold.

    His father was not as patient with him as Ruan Danchen, who would let him leaned in her armsfortably.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace was very soft unlike Qi Chenglin¡¯s. Whenever he was held by Ruan Danchen, the little one could hardly exin why he would be so deeply moved. He only knew that her warm embrace made him teary sometimes.

    The little one was rubbing up against Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace. He let her smoothed out his clothes and carried him into the washroom, cing him on the small stool.

    She squeezed some toothpaste onto the electrical toothbrush before giving it to him to brush his teeth.

    After freshening up, Qi Youxuan had be fully awake. He stared at Ruan Danchen scooping some hair gel onto her hands to style his hair. Then only she led Qi Youxuan to the dining room for breakfast.

    That morning, Qi Youxuan was sent off to school by both Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. As it was the parents¡¯ visitation day, the little one also felt slightly nervous that he rarely spoke throughout the journey.

    Parking their car in the car park, they found that Grandmother Qi had not arrived. Qi Chenglin said, ¡°We¡¯ll be waiting here. You go first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen helped Qi Youxuan to put on his hat and gloves before letting him out of the car.

    The couple walked Qi Youxuan to the school entrance and watched him entering the school until he was out of sight before returning to the car park.

    Not long after they stayed inside the warm car, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi came, followed immediately by Guan Liya. Qi Zhongxun and Qi Chengzhi stayed back in thepany while Song Yu was forbidden by Grandmother Qi from attending the event because her belly had grown bigger each day.

    Grandmother Qi was wearing the sunsses that Song Yu bought her when she and Qi Chengzhi traveled to France. She was also dressed in a thick coat and had put on the hat that came with the coat.

    ¡°My goodness! It¡¯s really cold today.¡± Grandmother Qi adjusted her scarf so that it covered her mouth.

    The drama, that Grandmother Qi acted in, was already on air and she was concerned about being too famous from the drama. She intentionally chose that outfit not only to withstand the cold weather but also to conceal her face from the public.

    Grandfather Qi got out from the car to see Grandmother Qi unting herself, and he harrumphed in disdain.

    He had been reluctant to go out with Grandmother Qi recently. Every time that olddy left their house, she would act so dramatically like a maniac, making him feel embarrassed.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Youxuan?¡± asked Grandmother Qi when she saw only Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchening out from their car.

    ¡°He went into the school first. We were worried that we may hold him back too long from ss,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    At that moment, there were already a number of cars in the car park that had be almost full. Those parents were also present to attend the parents¡¯ visitation day.

    They could choose to not turn up at any other time, but the parents¡¯ visitation day was a very important event. As long as the parents were free, they would attend the event. That included The Great Eight Families.

    The Great Eight Families, such as the Wei family and the Qi family, ced great importance on their children that the other families would go as far as to try their luck if they could catch a sight of anyone from the Great Eight Families. Therefore, no matter how tied down they were, they would always rearrange their schedule to make time for the event.

    As a result of such a cycle, the parents¡¯ visitation day would turn out to be a very lively event every time. The Jixia Elementary School had be a stage for the upper-ss society to get acquainted with one another.

    ¡°Aye, let¡¯s go too,¡± pushing up her sunsses, Grandmother Qi said hastily and walked into the school before the others.

    ¡°Mom, it has just snowed and the road is slippery. Please slow down.¡± Guan Liya hurried along to support Grandmother Qi.

    They had already met a number of familiar faces along the way.

    Usually, anymon family would not simply step up to greet them. Instead, they would observe from a distance. In case that their children were just in the same ss as Qi Youxuan, they would rejoice. During ss, they could take this opportunity to converse with the Qi family.

    Nheless, it was really unexpected to see such a big group of the Qi family. Even Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were present. That led them to deduced Qi Youxuan¡¯s importance to the Qi family, he could not simply be an illegitimate child.

    ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, auntie.¡± A voice greeted from behind them.

    They turned around to see Li Zhuohui striding towards them.

    Grandmother Qi was rather fond of Li Zhuohui. The Li family had always stayed low and did not have many scandals. She could understand that the youngsters would y around and get into affairs asionally. In their circle, even if they did not initiate it, someone would still try to stick around them. They could not even stop it.

    Among the families¡¯ younger generation, Li Zhuohui was considered to possess a steady disposition.

    Next to Li Zhuohui were his mother and aunt. They too greeted Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi politely.

    ¡°Xiao Li, why are you here?¡± Grandmother Qi asked with a smile.

    ¡°I came with my mom and aunt. My cousin just happens to be on a business trip and his wife is still in confinement. Today is the parents¡¯ visitation day. So, I am here on their behalf.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Grandmother Qiughed while nodding her head.

    ¡°Are you here to visit Youxuan?¡± Li Zhuohui¡¯s aunt, Zheng Yuxia asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Grandmother Qi nodded happily.

    Li Zhuohui¡¯s mother, Xu Yaomin, was wondering why Grandmother Qi was in such a good mood. Although Grandmother Qi always greeted the others with a smile, she seemed more thrilled that day.

    ¡°I heard from Youxuan that he¡¯s in the same ss as your Jianyu,¡± remarked Grandmother Qi, her back straightened suddenly.

    Zheng Yuxia agreed with a smile. Her eyes suddenly came across Ruan Danchen and asked curiously, ¡°This youngdy is...¡±

    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Grandmother Qiughed delightfully. She was waiting for someone to ask her that question. She pulled Ruan Danchen towards her and introduced, ¡°This is my second grandson¡¯s girlfriend. Her name is Ruan Danchen. Our Youxuan loves her very much and we have also considered her a part of our family.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Then I suppose that the good news is in order?¡± Xu Yaomin¡¯s sight fell on Ruan Danchen before smiling towards Grandmother Qi saying, ¡°The Qi family¡¯s happy asionse one after another. Isn¡¯t the wife of your eldest grandson going to give birth soon? Your youngest granddaughter has just gotten married and now, a wife for your second grandson. This is really triple happinessing one after another.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it true?¡± Grandmother Qi was stroking Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand softly when she felt something hard and looked down. ¡°Oh, Xiao Ruan! Why¡¯s there a ring on your finger? Has Chenglin proposed to you?¡±

    ¡°We...¡± Ruan Danchen tried to exin but was not given the chance. Grandmother Qi turned around and smiled towards the Li family in tion.

    ¡°Sigh, my second grandson acts really fast. Liya, quick! Make a call to print the wedding invitation, the one that printed the wedding invitation for Chengzhi and the Song girl. Their cards were pretty exquisite.¡± Grandmother Qi told Guan Liya before turning back to the Li family and said in a smile, ¡°We will send you the invitationter!¡±

    Xu Yaomin and Zheng Yuxiaughed along with her. They felt thankful that the grandmothers from the remaining of The Great Eight Families were not present today. Otherwise, they would have ripped into Grandmother Qi.

    The Qi family¡¯s grandchildren had gotten married one after another, getting on the nerves of the other families.

    Looking at the high spirited Grandmother Qi, Ruan Danchen was unable to exin any further. She could not refute Grandmother Qi, embarrassing her in public. She could only exin when they were back hometer.

    Li Zhuohui, his mother and aunt then took their leave and started towards the school building ahead of the Qi family.

    The others who saw the urrence nced towards the Qi family. Although they might not be qualified enough to greet the Qi family, they were also curious about Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend.

    If she could attend Qi Youxuan¡¯s parents¡¯ visitation day with the Qi family, she must have already been epted into the family. Thus, they could not help but stare at her a little longer.

    They noticed that Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm was wrapped around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist protectively. He seemed to dote on her very much. Ruan Danchen also appeared to be a lot younger than Qi Chenglin. The two Qi young masters had both gotten themselves young wives.

    Checked out Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm gaze on Ruan Danchen. That was the first time they have ever seen it.

    In the past, when Qi Chengzhi took off his sunsses, those sharp eyes softened when they met Song Yu. Now, Qi Chenglin who looked at everyone else impatiently would be full of patience when his sight fell onto Ruan Danchen.

    They wondered which family did thatdye from for she could firmly attract the attention of the second young master of the Qi family.

    Looking back at Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya, their mood seemed lifted and they gleamed happily at Ruan Danchen. Their sincere smiles revealed their eptance of Ruan Danchen as their granddaughter-inw. It seemed that a wedding was in order for the Qi family.

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Zhijing, why does that woman, standing among the Qi family, look so familiar?¡± When Gu Ziyao and Shen Zhijing walked into the school ground, they saw Grandmother Qi holding onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand affectionately while conversing with the Li family.

    Shen Zhijing was apanying Gu Ziyao to the parents¡¯ visitation day. Her brother, Shen Zhenghong, was in Z City. Gu Ziyao was unable to care for their two children at the same time on her own. Hence, she asked Shen Zhijing over to help her out.

    Shen Zhenghong and Gu Ziyao had a boy and a girl. Their nine-year-old son, walking next to Gu Ziyao, was in the third year of Jixia Elementary School. Their younger daughter, Shen Manman, whose hand was held by Gu Ziyao, was in the same ss as Qi Youxuan.

    Gu Ziyao would attend her son¡¯s parents¡¯ visitation day and leave Shen Manman¡¯s to Shen Zhijing.

    ¡°That auntie is Qi Youxuan¡¯s dad¡¯s girlfriend,¡± said Shen Manman all of a sudden.

    ¡°What did you just say?¡± Shen Zhijing stopped in her tracks and red down at Shen Manman.

    Shen Manman was intimidated by Shen Zhijing¡¯s intensive re and hid behind Gu Ziyao. Shen Zhijing¡¯s expression at that moment was really frightening, her eyes opened wide as if they could gobble her up anytime.

    Gu Ziyao was displeased with that and shielded Shen Manman from Shen Zhijing¡¯s sight. She advised, ¡°Calm down. Don¡¯t get too agitated. You¡¯re scaring the child.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier?¡± Shen Zhijing ignored Gu Ziyao to re at Shen Manman.

    Frightened, Shen Manman took another step backward, ¡°Why are you being so mean to me, auntie?¡±

    Shocked and enraged, she could not be bothered about Shen Manman¡¯s feeling but pushed on instead, ¡°You said that she¡¯s Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend. Is she the one whose hands are sped by Grandmother Qi?¡±

    Shen Manman nodded perturbed.

    ¡°Zhijing, what¡¯s wrong with you? You are scaring the child.¡± Gu Ziyao frowned at Shen Zhijing while shielding her daughter.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask why that woman seems so familiar? She is Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Stunned into silence, Gu Ziyao blinked and her face changed after recalling her memory.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen? Could you possibly be mistaken? Perhaps they only look simr. It has been seven years after all. It¡¯s perfectly normal to not remember clearly.¡± Gu Ziyao frowned, looking towards Ruan Danchen.

    Fortunately, the Qi family¡¯s attention was on the Li family and did not notice them.

    ¡°Impossible! I met her at the entrance of Shengyue a few days ago. At that time, she was with Mu Huaisheng¡¯s assistant and I thought that they were going out together. How did she end up with Qi Chenglin?¡± Shen Zhijing was driven mad with rage.

    She already abhorred the sight of Ruan Danchen when she saw her again after seven years. She hoped that Ruan Danchen would vanish and never appear in her life ever again.

    Looking at Ruan Danchen among the Qi family, she was not only shocked. She could not ept it at all!

 Chapter 354 - Are You Acquainted with Danchen?

    Chapter 354: Are You Acquainted with Danchen?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Shen Zhijing could not figure out how Ruan Danchen met Qi Chenglin. After seeing her that day, she asked Liu Ronghua who told her that Ruan Danchen was working as an interior designer.

    Even if Ruan Danchen managed to meet Qi Chenglin at work, it would still be a distance away. They would not have the chance to talk to each other.

    Considering their status, regardless of a coboration with Qilin, Qi Chenglin would not possibly have a discussion with her personally.

    Shen Zhijing could not understand how Ruan Danchen got together with Qi Chenglin.

    Was it possible for her to boldly confess to Qi Chenglin that she was the mother of his son?

    Qi Chenglin would have to believe in her for that to happen!

    Even so, was he able to forgive her?

    That was the reason why she did not consider Ruan Danchen a threat when Qi Chenglin took the child with him.

    Shen Zhijing clenched her teeth in anger. Why was luck on Ruan Danchen¡¯s side? What tactic did she resort to get together with Qi Chenglin?

    Shen Manman peeked at Shen Zhijing and slowly lost her fear after a while. She said, ¡°Qi Youxuan really like her. He goes around talking about Aunt Ruan, Aunt Ruan all the time.¡±

    ¡°Look! Even Manman said that her family name is Ruan. It can¡¯t be wrong,¡± Shen Zhijing remarked.

    Gu Ziyao frowned. ¡°If it really is Ruan Danchen, why didn¡¯t Liu Ronghua inform us?¡±

    ¡°I reckon that she is recalcitrant for failing to be raised to the status of a wife after so many years in the Shen family. Furthermore, I have never respected her. So, she intentionally keeps this piece of information from me, waiting to make a joke out of me.¡± Shen Zhijing¡¯s nced towards Ruan Danchen with malicious intent. ¡°Let¡¯s set Liu Ronghua aside at this moment. I will get back at herter.¡±

    It was then that the Li family parted ways with the Qi family.

    The Qi family did not look in their direction but they proceed directly towards the school building.

    Judging from Shen Zhijing¡¯s condition, Gu Ziyao suggested, ¡°How about I attend Manman¡¯s parents¡¯ visitation day while you bring Lili to his ss?¡±

    ¡°No need for that. I want to look with my own eyes whether Ruan Danchen will feel guilty after seeing me,¡± Shen Zhijing muttered coldly and hastily walked off in her heels.

    Shen Manman nced back at her mother perturbed until Gu Ziyao gave her a light push. ¡°Go on to your ssroom. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Pouting her lips, Shen Manman walked to her ss with her head lowered and Gu Ziyao also went on her way with her son.

    ...

    ...

    When Qi Chenglin¡¯s group entered the ssroom, the bell had just rung.

    Fortunately, there were in fact not many students in Jixia Elementary School. The school adopted the method of teaching in small groups. Thus, there were only a few children in the wide ssroom, leaving enough space for the parents.

    The teacher had already arranged some chairs at the back of the ssroom, but it was slightly more than usual.

    That was because when the teacher had summed up the number of attendees and arranged just enough chairs for them, Qi Youxuan informed the teacher that his great-grandfather, great-grandmother, grandmother, father, and his father¡¯s girlfriend would all be present.

    The children immediately ryed this information back home. When their parents heard of it, they quickly pushed back even important work just to attend the parents¡¯ visitation day.

    As a result, the number of parents attending the parents¡¯ visitation day in little Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss had broken the past record.

    Qi Youxuan was sitting in his seat and looking towards the back of the ssroom every now and then. Once he spotted his family entering the ssroom, he waved at them passionately even when the foreign English teacher walked in.

    Feeling resigned, Qi Chenglin red at Qi Youxuan and warned, ¡°Pay attention in ss!¡±

    Shen Manman who stepped into the ss at the bell instantly went to her seat. Shen Zhijing sat on the chair near the entrance. There were a number of people sitting between her and Ruan Danchen. So, the Qi family did not notice her.

    Throughout the lesson, Ruan Danchen focussed fully on Qi Youxuan.

    The little one was not very earnest in ss and often absent-minded. Thankfully the teacher was rather lively and had made many interactions with the children so they could sit through the lesson and absorbed what had been taught.

    Moving on, the teacher asked a question that was directed to Qi Youxuan. It was his turn to answer.

    The little one used simple sentences and words that he had just learned in his answer, earning himself praise. Little Qi Youxuan immediately turned around and proudly showed Ruan Danchen a ¡®peace¡¯ sign.

    When Qi Chenglin¡¯s face darkened, Qi Youxuan quickly sat back in his chair and to continue on with the lesson.

    After managing to sit through the lesson until the bell rang, all the children ran towards the back of the ssroom looking for their own parents.

    Qi Youxuan also hurried towards his family and stopped in front of them. ¡°You really didn¡¯t bring the sign.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Weren¡¯t you the one who forbade us from bringing it because you wanted to keep it low?¡±

    ¡°I was just trying to be modest. Why are you taking a child like me so seriously?¡± Qi Youxuan shook his head and sighed.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Dad, did you take photos of me when I answered the question just now?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan knew that his father did not do so from his reaction. Feeling upset at once, heined, ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t do this to me! I even purposely turned around and made that pose. Why aren¡¯t you a little more tacit? If you can¡¯t grasp such a small implication, how are you going to manage that bigpany?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin red at him coldly. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±

    Taking advantage of having those who doted him around, Qi Youxuan was not afraid in the slightest. Qi Chenglin could not get mad at him, even if he did scold him, Grandmother Qi would be the first to step in.

    He turned towards Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Ruan, we¡¯re having anguage lesson next. Do remember to take a lot of my photoster.¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± Ruan Danchen pulled him nearer lovingly to smooth out his clothes.

    Qi Youxuan looked around him and found that none of his ssmates¡¯ parents would smooth out their children¡¯s clothing so gently as they were all trying to upkeep their public image. His ssmates¡¯ mothers were dressed up finely for the asion. They even sat up straight to avoid crumpling their clothes.

    In the whole ssroom, only Ruan Danchen was dressed inly and smoothed out his clothes for him. The little one puffed up his chest in pride.

    The other parents were actually observing the interaction between Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan. They did not expect Ruan Danchen to be so loved by Qi Chenglin¡¯s son. When they were standing together, they really presented the image of a family of three.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan,¡± called out a melodious child¡¯s voice.

    Qi Youxuan turned his head to see Shen Manmaning over with a woman behind her.

    Ruan Danchen looked in the direction of the voice and her breath stopped abruptly. Her face began to pale and she seemed to almost copse. She instinctively pulled Qi Youxuan into a tight embrace in defense, blocking off his sight.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Qi Youxuan asked curiously.

    Qi Chenglin nced at Shen Zhijing lightly, his strong long arms wrapped around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist in protectively.

    Ruan Danchen looked up at Qi Chenglin to see his unwavering dark eyes. His warm palm pressed against her waist tightly to calm her down.

    ¡°Youxuan, is this your ssmate?¡± asked Grandmother Qi.

    In fact, Qi Chenglin had not told his family about the incident with the Shen family. Even Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya knew nothing about the Shen family¡¯s scheme. They were only aware that Qi Chenglin used to be engaged with Shen Zhijing but the engagement waster called off.

    The only person who knew more about that incident was Qi Chengzhi.

    Grandmother Qi found Shen Zhijing rather familiar but was unable to recall who she was. It had been seven years since that incident after all. Even during that time, Shen Zhijing did not have the chance to visit Grandmother Qi. So, both Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi did not have much impression of her.

    Seven years ago, when they heard of Qi Chenglin¡¯s engagement with Shen Zhijing, Guan Liya had wanted to meet her future daughter-inw. However, they did not even have an engagement banquet at that time, so much so that parents from both sides did not get to meet each other. Qi Chenglin also merely released a one-sided statement of his engagement with Shen Zhijing.

    Therefore, Guan Liya¡¯s suggestion of meeting her daughter-inw was rejected by Qi Chenglin.

    Even if they had not met each other, Guan Liya could still recognize Shen Zhijing.

    ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, auntie,¡± greeted Shen Zhijing with a smile, ¡°I¡¯m Shen Zhijing and this is my niece, Shen Manman.¡±

    Shen Manman also greeted them sweetly.

    Just then, Guan Liya¡¯s expression had changed due to awkwardness for she did not know the reason behind Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijing¡¯s broken engagement.

    Grandmother Qi, not recalling who Shen Zhijing was, turned to ask Grandfather Qi, ¡°Why does this name sound so familiar?¡±

    Grandfather Qi let out a huff, blew his mustache, and ignored her.

    ¡°Mom, Ms Shen used to be engaged with Chenglin,¡± whispered Guan Liya.

    The memory clicked instantly on Grandmother Qi and she greeted her awkwardly, ¡°Hehe. So it¡¯s Xiao Shen. What a coincidence.¡±

    Although the other parents present were talking among themselves and could not listen well to the conversation, their eyes were still focusing on them.

    Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijing¡¯s past engagement was still clear in their memories. Wasn¡¯t it a little exciting now that the ex-fiancee and the current girlfriend had met?

    ¡°Danchen, I did not expect to see you here. It has been quite a while since Ist saw you. You are already dating Young Master Lin.¡± Shen Zhiqing looked at Ruan Danchen, her lips curled up cynically.

    Ruan Danchen was so tensed that her body stiffened, face paled, and she could not response to Shen Zhijing.

    ¡°Are you acquainted with Danchen?¡± asked Grandmother Qi, her eyes wandered between Shen Zhijing and Ruan Danchen in doubt.

    ¡°Danchen is the daughter of an aunt that I knew,¡± Shen Zhijing exined shortly, then turning her focus to Qi Youxuan. ¡°You must be Youxuan. Look at how much you have grown. I remember holding you in my arms when you were younger.¡±

    Unaware of the truth, Qi Youxuan greeted, ¡°Nice to meet you, auntie.¡±

    Ruan Danchen hugged him protectively, not knowing what Shen Zhijing was plotting.

    Nevertheless, she was sure that Shen Zhijing would not want to see her living a good life, even more so with Qi Chenglin. From Shen Zhijing¡¯s perspective, that would be letting Ruan Danchen off lightly.

    Shen Zhijing could have revealed Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother¡¯s identity. With such a background, perhaps the Qi family would be unable to ept her as a part of them. Why did she not do so?

    ¡°Qi Youxuan, I didn¡¯t know that my aunt had carried you in her arms before. Doesn¡¯t that mean we might have already known each other when we were younger?¡± Shen Manman said happily, feeling as if she had just gotten closer to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan scowled and asked, ¡°Dad, is it true?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not familiar with this woman. You don¡¯t need to greet her when you meet next time. She had indeed carried you in her arms before, even the nurses did when you were just born. There were so many people who have done that. It would be hard on us if every single one of them also wished to profess their rtionship with us.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegant hand rested on Qi Youxuan¡¯s small shoulder, covering itpletely in his palm. His protectiveness was implied in that move.

    The little one turned his head back towards Shen Manman, his chin lifted slightly. ¡°Shen Manman, stop trying to get close to me. We¡¯re not familiar with each other.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Feeling hurt, Shen Manman¡¯s eyes teared up.

    Guan Liya took pity on the little girl and reprimanded Qi Youyi lightly, ¡°Youyi, please mind your manners.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Lin, do you have to put it this way? Danchen and I...¡± Shen Zhijing took a glimpse at Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Would you prefer that I divulge in the reason behind our broken engagement?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes narrowed dangerously, stopping her midway for he knew that she intended to give away more details of Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity.

    Although Ruan Danchen was partly involved in the broken engagement, he believed that Shen Zhijing would not want the public to know what she had done in the past. Otherwise, her future would bepletely destroyed.

    ¡°It came to my knowledge that Ms Shen still has not found a suitable boyfriend yet.¡± Qi Chenglin curled his lips. ¡°Perhaps Ms Shen has every intention to stay single your whole life or you would like the Shen family to be unable to afford your dowry.¡±

    Even though they were in the ssroom, the children¡¯s loud voices had drown out theirs, causing the others to be unable to listen in on their conversation.

    Shen Zhijing paled. Just then, the bell rang and Qi Chenglin ushered Qi Youxuan back to his seat. Shen Zhijing took another nce at Ruan Danchen before returning to her seat near the entrance.

    The others looked at them curiously. Despite not knowing the content of their conversation, they could deduce from Shen Zhijing¡¯s expression that the second young master of the Qi family had just ripped into his ex-fiancee for the sake of his current girlfriend.

    Guan Liya and Grandmother Qi stared at Qi Chenglin questioningly. They could not listen clearly to what Qi Chenglin had said. They only knew that he had said something that caused Shen Zhijing¡¯s face to pale.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was heavy with worries throughout the lesson. Arge hand suddenly came into her sight, elegant and attractive. The warm palm covered the back of her hands, holding them tight.

    Ruan Danchen nced towards Qi Chenglin when he leaned in closer, his warm lips whispered into her ears, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grabbed his hand. The ssroom was not a suitable ce to have a talk. Therefore she kept silent and tightened her grip on his hand.

    Shen Zhijing, on the other hand, was not in the mood to observe Shen Manman¡¯s performance in ss. Her focus was entirely on Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen throughout the lesson. When she saw Qi Chenglin holding Ruan Danchen intimately and whispering into her ears, Shen Zhijing could not help but clench her teeth.

    ...

    ...

    When the ss was almost over, the ss teacher asked the parents to take a look at the handicraft work, hanging on the wall at the back of the ssroom.

    Ruan Danchen sight instantly went to that yellow lump on the wall. Beside her, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya were searching through the artworks. ¡°Which one belongs to our Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°Is it that little strawberry bag?¡± Guan Liya pointed towards the well-made little backpack hanging on the wall.

    Upon taking a closer look, they realized that it was not Qi Youxuan¡¯s work.

    ¡°Oh, I think that it may be that little bear. Wasn¡¯t Youxuan holding onto a little bear all the time in the past?¡± said Grandmother Qi, her eyes on the little bear artwork not far away.

    However, just as she spoke, she saw a child pulling his mother¡¯s hand and pointed excitedly at that little bear, ¡°Mom, mom, look! I made this together with Grandmother Liu.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Qi let out a cough and beckoned Qi Youxuan over. ¡°Youxuan,e over here. Tell me, which one is yours?¡±

    Qi Youxuan raised his chubby little hand to point at that yellow lump hanging in the center. ¡°That¡¯s the one. Dad made it for me.¡±

    Guan Liya was surprised to hear it that she blurted out before looking at the artwork, ¡°Your dad made you the handicraft work? He must have changed since bing a father. When he was young, he never did any of those handicraft work assigned by his teacher.¡±

    During that time, Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi were staying in the Qi family manor. Qi Chengzhi is only two years older than Qi Chenglin. Therefore, they would always y together. Qi Chenglin had been following Qi Chengzhi around since he started to wear the open-crotch pants.

    Qi Chengzhi had never done those handicraft work when he was in elementary school. When it was Qi Chenglin¡¯s turn to go to the elementary school, he imitated Qi Chengzhi¡¯s bad habits and always left the handicraft work Aunt Liu¡¯s hands.

    After being caught by Guan Liya, she told Aunt Liu that she could make the craft together with him but notplete all the work for him.

    As a result, Qi Chenglin just deliberately refused to submit any handicraft work and Guan Liya would be called over to school every few days for that matter.

    She would be invited to school about three times every week. However, as the school was established by the Qi family, the teacher had to put it in a mild and polite manner whenever she was called over for a discussion, nothing harsh.

    Even so, she felt rather exasperated to be invited to school so frequently.

    Thus, she did not expect Qi Chenglin, who had be a father, to make a handicraft work for his son.

    She looked in the direction that Qi Youxuan pointed to.

    Guan Liya, ¡°...¡±

    Grandmother Qi, ¡°...¡±

    Written under the yellow lump was ¡®The Yolk that Flowed Out of the Poached Egg¡¯.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Guan Liya glimpsed at Qi Chenglin who had been skimping on handicraft work since young. Did he really have to make a yolk when he finally took the effort to make a handicraft work for his son?

    Qi Chenglin did not dare to rify that it was actually a duck, not a yolk.

    ...

    ...

    After the parents¡¯ visitation day hade to an end, Qi Chenglin along with Ruan Danchen, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya went on their separate ways.

    Qi Chenglin checked the time in the car. As it was already over ten, he instructed Xiao Yang to drive them to Dynasty.

    It was almost eleven when they reached Dynasty. Qi Chenglin led Ruan Dancheng directly into his room, telling the waiter toe in and take their order at twelve.

    Once they were left alone in the room, Qi Chenglin pulled her over to the tea-tasting couch and set Ruan Danchen on hisp after sitting down on the couch.

    Qi Chenglin did not utter a word. His long fingers rubbed the back of her neck, giving her a rxing massage.

    Ruan Danchen finally sighed and rested her forehead against his chest. ¡°I know I can¡¯t hide it forever but I didn¡¯t expect to be seen by Shen Zhijing so quickly. The instant I saw the look in her eyes, I knew that she¡¯ll never let me off so easily. I¡¯m really afraid that she¡¯ll plot something against me.¡±

    Qi Chenglin continued to massage her neck slowly until she had gradually loosened up. He lowered his head to look at her eyes that were dropped slightly. Hershes were long and curled, dark and thick, but her brows were furrowed faintly.

    His warm and attractive lips slid down from her forehead and stopped in between her brows. He nted soft kisses there to slowly smooth her furrowed brows.

    ¡°The only thing that she can bring up to cause a scene is that incident seven years ago. Despite holding it against you, she is also being chained down by it. If she makes it public, then the Shen family¡¯s scheme wille to light. It is not beneficial to her in any way. So, she¡¯ll have to figure out another way to get to you. It will be kept at bay as long as she doesn¡¯t want that incident to be made public,¡± Qi Chenglin exined slowly.

    ...

    ...

    ________________________________

    Extra mini-scene:

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°Actually, Chenglin did make one handicraft work when he was younger. However, it was so terribly done that he stopped after being traumatized.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°What did he make?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°Do you want to know?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Yes! Yes! Yes!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°Give me your monthly vote and I¡¯ll reveal it.¡±

 Chapter 355 - In This Life, I, Qi Chenglin, Will Only Marry You

    Chapter 355: In This Life, I, Qi Chenglin, Will Only Marry You

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I know that too, but I¡¯m still worried,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled.

    ¡°Your man will be there with you, so what are you worried about? If anything, I¡¯ll deal with it first.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips formed into an alluring smile. His hot, thin lipsnded between her newly unfurrowed brows and worked their way down along her face. His lips kissed and rubbed the delicate skin beneath her eyes.

    This seductive grinding sensation made Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks re up into an enticing red. She could not help but lean back a little.

    Noticing this, Qi Chenglin cupped his hand on her cheeks and rubbed his thumb on her reddened cheek. As the coarse surface of his thumb rubbed against her cheek, pulses of electric-like sensation coursed under her skin.

    ¡°When will you learn to not overthink things? If you run into any problems, don¡¯t worry about it, just let me handle it,¡± Qi Chenglin stared at her for a long time, then finally continued, ¡°If the incident from seven years ago still bothers you greatly, we¡¯ll find a chance to reveal it to our family one day.¡±

    Ruan Danchen returned his gaze. She yearned to let go of this burden.

    Qi Chenglin stroked her hair and pointed out, ¡°After my big brother and Song Yu¡¯s matters, and also Chengyue and Dongge¡¯s matters, my family¡¯s tolerance had sky-rocketed. They will be shocked at first, but I don¡¯t think this is something they cannot ept. Especially since you are Youxuan¡¯s mother ¡ª if they can¡¯t ept you, who in the world can they ept?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was still hesitant. ¡°Give me some time to brace myself; then, we¡¯ll tell them.¡±

    ¡°What are you afraid of?¡± Qi Chenglin questioned, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Previously, you told them that my mother had remarried, but the truth is that she merely lives with the Shen family ¡ª to this day, she never officially entered the family. I don¡¯t believe that your family won¡¯t mind that. After all, we did lie to them. I¡¯m afraid that they would be even more furious,¡± Ruan Danchen confessed, ¡°I¡¯m afraid that they won¡¯t ept me; that they won¡¯t agree to us being together.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi stared deep into her eyes. Ironically, he was delighted with her concerns. ¡°If they don¡¯t agree, I won¡¯t register our engagement behind their backs ¡ª that would be too irresponsible of me. Besides, if they don¡¯t approve of you from the beginning, this would only make matters worse. It would make you miserable when with my family. I don¡¯t think you would agree to that either.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. She looked up to see his charming face. She was astonished by how well he knew her. His dark, shining pupils stared deep into her soul ¡ª he looked exceedingly serious.

    Qi Chenglin resumed, ¡°So if I don¡¯t get their blessing, I will never marry anyone in this life. If they don¡¯t approve of you, they¡¯ll have to see me stay single forever and watch Youxuan grow up without a mother his whole life. I¡¯m already 33 ¡ª sooner orter, they¡¯ll realize I can¡¯t drag this on any longer. For Youxuan, they¡¯ll know they can¡¯t let me drag this on.¡±

    ¡°...¡± To Ruan Danchen, his words sounded like he was going rogue. It was as if he had nothing to lose.

    ¡°Do you trust me?¡± Qi Chenglin asked abruptly, ¡°If we¡¯re not bound by a marriage certificate, will you still be confident in this rtionship?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruan Danchen stated confidently. She gazed at Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face. There were two thin lines of wrinkles extending from the corner of his eyes, making him appear especially mature and reliable.

    He had a high nose bridge, a defined jawline, and angr facial features. He appeared stern ¡ª not exactly the warm and gentle type ¡ª but that was the kind of man that Ruan Danchen felt she could trust.

    He was that dependable a man.

    ¡°I would believe anything you say. I know that you will only promise things that you know you can aplish, so no matter what you say, I¡¯ll believe you. Even without a marriage certificate, I¡¯ll dly be with you for the rest of my life. You said you will never let me suffer. I will always be with you. I believe that you won¡¯t fall for anyone else,¡± Ruan Danchen dered, staring at Qi Chenglin earnestly.

    Hearing her words, his stern lips melted into a warm smile. His gazended tenderly on her face.

    Ruan Danchen blushed. Wrapped in his embrace, she gently circled her arms around his waist ¡ª her soft hands pressing gently on the small of his back. Subconsciously, her hands started rubbing against his clothes.

    ¡°For those who have gotten married and have a marriage certificate, divorce will still be inevitable if they lose interest in one another. However, you, Qi Chenglin, already see me as your wife. Even if we don¡¯t have a marriage certificate, I know you will never do anything to hurt me, so why would I feel insecure?¡± A tender smile spread across Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. Her smile even carried a hint of mischievousness, making Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart throbbed.

    His gratitude toward her unconditional trust could not be put into words. He was genuinely moved.

    In spite of her believing that she could never be good enough for him, she still stayed with him earnestly without saying a word. The truth was, she never thought she would be able to marry him.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart suddenly ached for her ¡ª from young, she had never had a family.

    In a soft, tender voice, he assured, ¡°This is merely spection ¡ª Grandma still wants other great-grandchildren beside Youxuan. She wishes to see my big brother and me, and Chengji and Chengyue have more and more great-grandchildren for her.¡±

    With a resolute expression and a tender yet stern gaze, he dered, ¡°Ruan Danchen, in this life, I, Qi Chenglin, will only marry you. I will give you aplete family.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose stung, her chest felt stuffy and she felt like choking. She never expected Qi Chenglin to say something so sweet and touching.

    How could this man be so perfect!

    She could not wrap her head around why he would fall for someone like her.

    He knew perfectly well that that night was all part of a scheme, yet he never med it on her. On the contrary, he even allowed her to spend time with Youxuan and to be with him. Now, he even wanted to give her a home.

    Her eyes stung but she refused to cry. She buried her face in his chest and hugged him tightly.

    Qi Chenglin looked down and pecked her forehead and between her brows. Then, he leaned in andnded a kiss on her soft lips.

    With his searing lips still pressed against hers, he assured, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve never nned to hide this from my family forever. If I want to marry you, I¡¯ll inevitably have to disclose the incident from seven years ago and the fact that you are Youxuan¡¯s mother. If you are still afraid, I can wait. Whenever you¡¯re ready, I¡¯ll go with you together.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded silently. Her cheek was rested on his chest. Seeing her meek and spiritless appearance, his heart ached.

    ...

    ...

    At night, Shen Zhijing returned home from herpany. The moment she entered the house, she saw Liu Ronghua and Shen Jialiang seated on the sofa. Liu Ronghua was refilling Shen Jialiang¡¯s cup with tea. The moment she saw Shen Zhijing, she put down the teapot hastily and stood up fawningly. ¡°Zhijing, wee home.¡±

    When Liu Ronghua first moved into the Shen family¡¯s home, she had calcted every move well. She thought that as long as she moved in, one day, Shen Jialiang would surely make her part of the family. Although Shen Zhijing disliked her, she had found out that ever since Shen Zhijing came back from studying overseas, she started living outside. She only came back on weekends to have a meal at home.

    It was only a meal, so she could endure it.

    As for Shen Jialiang¡¯s eldest son, Shen Zhenghong, ever since he got married, he stayed with his own family outside. He also only came back on weekends.

    Shen Zhenghong did not carry much hostility toward Liu Ronghua, but he was still cold and distant toward her. Nheless, he never deliberately tried to trouble her. It was likely because Shen Zhenghong knew that Liu Ronghua was too old to have another child, so there was no way she could get her hands on his portion of the inheritance. Consequently, he did not see Liu Ronghua as a threat.

    Unexpectedly, instantly after Liu Ronghua moved in, Shen Zhijing moved back in too. Shen Zhijing watched her carefully every day she came home as if she was afraid Liu Ronghua would snatch away her portion of the inheritance. Without saying, her attitude toward Liu Ronghua was not pleasant in the least bit ¡ª she would get mad at her for the most insignificant things.

    Whenever Shen Zhijing was around, Liu Ronghua had to be extremely careful with everything she did ¡ª she was fearful of Shen Zhijing would tattle about her to Shen Jialiang, enraging him.

    Ever since she moved into the Shen family¡¯s home, Shen Jialiang instructed her to not say a word about Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen was not allowed to be entangled in a single affair of the Shen family. Although Liu Ronghua seemed to be living a morous life in an enormous mansion, was being treated as a richdy outside and did not have to worry about daily expenses, the truth was that she did not have much freedom.

    In the beginning, Shen Jialiang gave her an allowance of about the same amount as before. However, Shen Zhijing found out about her allowance somehow and was extremely discontent about it. Therefore, she convinced Shen Jialiang to reduce her allowance to a fraction of the original amount.

    Throughout these years, Liu Ronghua had worked hard to befriend a few richdies within the Shen family¡¯s social circle. When she needed to have a meal with them or go shopping for branded stuff, she would save up as much as she could beforehand to avoid being judged when she went out with them.

    After all these years of living there, Shen Jialiang never brought up a thing about officially making her a part of the Shen family.

    She felt helpless but no matter what, she had to clench her teeth and keep trying. After all, she chose this route herself. She hade so far ¡ª there was no way she would give up now.

    She could not afford to fall out with Shen Zhijing, so she could only lick her boots.

    At this moment, Liu Ronghua had a smile on her face as she saw Shen Zhijing march in with a glum expression. Despite that, it did not bother Liu Ronghua ¡ª after all, Shen Zhijing had the same face on every time she saw Liu Ronghua ¡ª she had grown ustomed to it.

    In fact, she even extended her hand to take Shen Zhijing¡¯s bag for her.

    However, Sheng Zhijing shot a cold nce at her and hurled the bag toward the sofa. The metal buckle on the bag hit Liu Ronghua¡¯s extended hand and scraped her hand as it slid down.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Liu Ronghua eximed in pain. She turned to her hand to see a cut made on her index finger. It was red and bleeding.

    Shen Jialiang, who was still sitting on the sofa, furrowed his brows. ¡°Zhijing, what was that for?¡±

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask her what she did?¡± Shen Zhijing was so angry that she could barely catch her breath. She red at Liu Ronghua furiously. ¡°Your surname is Liu, yet you stay in the Shen family¡¯s home, eat the Shen family¡¯s food and spend the Shen family¡¯s money. Even so, you dare to do such things to us?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t understand...¡± Tears welled up in Liu Ronghua¡¯s eyes. She sucked the wound on her finger. She nced at Shen Jialiang helplessly, then turned her gaze back to Shen Zhijing, ¡°Zhijing, you came home and convicted me without exining a thing. What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t know? Miss Liu, your acting skills are amazing!¡± Shen Zhijing pointed her finger straight at Liu Ronghua¡¯s nose. Shen Zhijing had the urge to p her across the face. ¡°You are staying in my Shen family¡¯s home yet you have your daughter out there seducing Qi Chenglin ¡ª are trying to get two strings to your bow? Are you satisfied now? With Ruan Danchen dating Qi Chenglin and admitting to being Qi Youxuan¡¯s real mother, you can run to your daughter in the future and be the mother-inw of the Qi family¡¯s second son, so what are you still doing in our home! You¡¯ve been staying here for so many years, yet this is how you repay us?¡±

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly together. His expression darkened as he leaned forward on the sofa. He could not keep hisposure anymore. ¡°Zhijing, what are you talking about? How can Ruan Danchen be dating Qi Chenglin?¡±

    ¡°How would I know? Today, I went to Manman¡¯s ss for parents¡¯ visitation day and I saw Ruan Danchen with the Qi family. Qi Chenglin even had his arms around her! No one would believe it if they deny that they¡¯re going out together. Moreover, the olddy from the Qi family was going around telling everyone Ruan Danchen is her second daughter-inw!¡±

    Shen Zhijing turned to Liu Ronghua and red at her maliciously. ¡°What did you promise us that day? Ruan Danchen was supposed to leave after giving birth. She was to carry on as if she never had that child. She was not supposed to meet him. But I turn around and now she¡¯s going out with Qi Chenglin! Who does she think she is! If it weren¡¯t for us, would she ever meet Qi Chenglin? Would she have carried his child? Do you resent us for not letting you be a part of the Shen family after all these years? Is that why you made your daughter go to the Qi family? Liu Ronghua, you did such horrid things behind our backs yet you have the nerves to keep staying at our house and try to tter me?!¡±

    Liu Ronghua widened her eyes in shock. She could not believe her words. Liu Ronghua shook her head vigorously, but Shen Jialiang continued without giving her a chance to exin.

    ¡°Dad, kick her out now!¡± Shen Zhijing screamed.

    ¡°No, I honestly did not know. Zhijing, this is a misunderstanding. I did not instruct Danchen to do this. Is she really with Qi Chenglin? That¡¯s impossible ¡ª with her status and his status, there¡¯s no way they would meet. They are both frompletely different worlds ¡ª how could that have crossed paths?¡± Liu Ronghua justified hastily.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me? The fact is that I saw them with my own eyes today! When I went up to them, she even remembered who I am!¡± Shen Zhijing scowled, clenching her teeth.

    ¡°I honestly knew nothing about this. I did everything ording to your instructions. In all these years, I¡¯ve only called her during New Year. Even when she was going through confinement after giving birth, I never visited her. I don¡¯t even know when she left,¡± Liu Ronghua exined anxiously, ¡°Only until recently when I ran into her at a restaurant did I exchange a few words with her.¡±

    Having said that, Liu Ronghua abruptly remembered ¡ª when she say Ruan Danchen, she was with a little boy. ording to the child¡¯s appearance, he was about the same age as the child Ruan Danchen gave birth to.

    Could he be Qi Chenglin¡¯s child that Ruan Danchen gave birth to that year?

    Liu Ronghua did not reveal this. Silently, tears began to roll down her face. She sobbed, ¡°But that¡¯s my daughter! I¡¯ve done so much for you all! All these years, I finally saw her a while ago. She despises me so much ¡ª why would you think I¡¯m capable of telling her to do anything now? From the day she left the hospital seven years ago, she never told me where she lives. I even had to inquire from others to know where she¡¯s working now. To this day, I still have no idea where she stays, let alone step foot into her house! In these seven years, I couldn¡¯t even see her on New Year. New Year is supposed to be the day families hold reunions, but she had to spend seven years of it alone. All this because she hates me. Even if she is with Qi Chenglin, do you think she¡¯ll ever tell me?¡±

    ¡°I fear that I¡¯m the one she¡¯s hiding this the most from. She may be afraid that I¡¯ll steal her spotlight and take advantage of her situation, humiliate her. Zhijing, I know that you¡¯ve never liked me. In all these years I¡¯ve been living here, you¡¯ve always seen me as an outsider. Your expression is always dark when you see me and you¡¯re discontent with anything I do. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because you think I have reced your mother¡¯s role in the house, or if it¡¯s because of something else¡ª¡±

    ¡°Stop blowing your own trumpet!¡± Shen Zhijing shouted disgustedly, ¡°Who do you think you are to rece my mother? Unlike you, my mom was officially wedded to my dad. She¡¯s a knowledgeable woman and the respectable daughter of an eminent family! She is the first wife in this family ¡ª even in her grave, she still is!¡±

    Shen Zhijing looked Liu Ronghua up and down and expressed her disgust. She pouted in disdain. ¡°You are merely living in our home. You have no ce here whatsoever. ording to ancient times, you are nothing but a concubine. What makes you think you canpare yourself to my mother? It¡¯s true that I dislike you. In fact, I¡¯ve always looked down on you. Didn¡¯t youe here just for our money?¡±

    ¡°Zhijing, you¡¯re crossing the line! Tell me, what have I gained after so many years of being here? I want to marry Jialiang because I love him from the bottom of my heart. Which woman doesn¡¯t want to marry a guy she loves? This has nothing to do with money. Besides, how much can I get by staying here?¡± Liu Ronghua cried.

 Chapter 356 - Let Ruan Danchen Return to the Shen Familyâ€™s Home

    Chapter 356: Let Ruan Danchen Return to the Shen Family¡¯s Home

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Shen Zhijing scoffed mockingly. ¡°You¡¯re not getting money? How many years have you sat idle without working? Haven¡¯t you depended on men all this time? In my house, you don¡¯t need to work yet have people serving you. Every month, you get 500 yuan of allowance for nothing. My sry isn¡¯t even as high as what you¡¯re getting and yet you say you¡¯re not getting money? Ah, is this not enough for you? Do you have your eyes locked on the Shen family¡¯s assets and properties?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Liu Ronghua cried. She was bing more and more distressed. She shook her head vigorously, appearing terribly helpless and pitiful.

    Shen Zhijing despised her feeble act the most. She was nearing 50 years old yet she still thought of herself as a delicate little princess. The way she talked and acted disgusted Shen Zhijing.

    ¡°Zhijing, frankly speaking, I know that this is also one of the reasons you hate me, right? You think I covet the Shen family¡¯s possessions, right? You think I¡¯ll snatch away something that belongs to you. However, I truly don¡¯t want that. I solely want to be here because I love Jialiang. I¡¯m willing to treat you as my own daughter ¡ª I¡¯m not just trying to get on your good side. I know that if I¡¯m nice to you, Jialiang would be happy, and I¡¯m willing to do anything that makes him happy. Please don¡¯t paint me in such a horrible light,¡± Liu Ronghua begged ¡ª her hand clutching her chest.

    Shen Zhijing scoffed, ¡°Treat me as your own daughter? Please. You¡¯re willing to sell off your daughter just to enter our family. You want me to be your daughter? Sorry but I don¡¯t dare to.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± At the spur of the moment, Liu Ronghua could note up with a good excuse to counter Shen Zhijing¡¯s words.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say so earlier? All these years, you only called Ruan Danchen during New Year. After so many years, you¡¯ve only seen her the first time recently. Since you treat your biological daughter as such, I really don¡¯t dare to let you treat me as your own daughter. Who knows, one day you might sell me off too.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡ª¡± Liu Ronghua tried to exin herself.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. Is this really time to argue about this?¡± Shen Jialiang interrupted.

    Only then did Shen Zhijing remember the initial point of the conversation. Maddened by Liu Ronghua, shepletely forgot about Ruan Danchen¡¯s matter.

    Shen Zhijing red at Liu Ronghua with resentment. Fuming, she sat down on the sofa across Liu Ronghua.

    Shen Jialiang turned to Liu Ronghua and stated, ¡°I believe that you didn¡¯t know about your daughter¡¯s matter.¡±

    Liu Ronghua kept silent. She was busy wiping her tears away.

    ¡°All these years, Ruan Danchen had to survive out there on her own ¡ª her situation really is quite pitiful. She doesn¡¯t even have a family. She had no one but herself to depend on,¡± pointed out Shen Jialiang unexpectedly. He sighed and picked up his cup, taking a sip of tea.

    ¡°Dad, what are you trying to say?¡± The color on Shen Zhijing¡¯s face changed abruptly.

    Shen Jialiang put down the cup and revealed, ¡°The truth is, even after all these years, Qi Chenglin never forgave us. On the surface, it appears as if he had no interactions with our family any more, but in truth, he still has an effect on us. The Shen family has never been invited to some banquets and business cooperations. As long as the Qi family is attending an event, our family won¡¯t be able to attend. Although we are still part of the social circle, our zone of activity is greatly restricted by Qi Chenglin ¡ª it¡¯s about time we break out of this situation.¡±

    Shen Jialiang turned to Liu Ronghua. ¡°I know that Danchen is mad at you, but no matter what, she¡¯s still your daughter. A family can¡¯t stay mad at each other forever, right? Even if she doesn¡¯te back, did she really never call you on her own ord? I trust that deep in her heart, she wants nothing more than to rekindle her rtionship with you.¡±

    Liu Ronghua opened her mouth but no words coulde out.

    Shen Jialiang continued, ¡°When you recover your rtionship with Danchen, the two of us will go register for marriage. After this, you will be Mrs. Shen and Danchen will be my stepdaughter. She is also someone with high status ¡ª no one will look down on her. Ronghua, you have been in the Shen family¡¯s home for seven years now ¡ª you¡¯ve seen many things that go on in this social circle; you know how important status is in this circle. Danchen is but a normal girl. She doesn¡¯t have a good background. While you, her mother, live with the Shen household but don¡¯t carry the family name ¡ª you are her biggest weak spot. This can easily leave a bad impression.¡±

    Liu Ronghua looked down without uttering a word. Shen Jialiang resumed, ¡°This way, in the end, the Shen family will still be connected to the Qi family through marriage. It¡¯ll be beneficial for the Shen family, and in turn, be beneficial to you.¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Shen Zhijing yelled. She was outraged ¡ª she did not expect Shen Jialiang to not only shift the me off Liu Ronghua but also refuse to break up Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. Instead, he wanted to make Ruan Danchen his daughter.

    Shen Jialiang red at her sternly, then glimpsed at Liu Ronghua again. ¡°Ronghua, I¡¯ll let you think about it first. Zhijing,e with me.¡±

    Shen Jialiang brought Shen Zhijing into the study room, leaving the dumbfounded Liu Ronghua alone in the living room.

    She did not think for a moment that Ruan Danchen would wind up with Qi Chenglin and reunite with the boy she gave birth to.

    She thought that even if Ruan Danchen could achieve a better life, the most she could do is get a young and capable husband with merely an average ie ¡ª not some kind of millionaire. Nheless, she believed that Ruan Danchen would work hard and be part of the middle ss, but she thought it to be impossible for her to set foot into the social circle she was in now. Liu Ronghua thought that Ruan Danchen would live the rest of her life as an average person.

    However, things took an unexpected turn.

    Liu Ronghua recalled the day she saw Ruan Danchen holding the hand of that little child; she recalled seeing her walking with a man; she recalled seeing her entering a Mercedes at Chengshi.

    That man must have been Qi Chenglin!

    If her memory served her right, Qi Chenglin¡¯s car was indeed a Mercedes.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s head was spinning ¡ª too many things were happening that night.

    First, it was the revtion of Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin being hurled at her; then came Shen Jialiang¡¯s shocking deration that he wanted Ruan Dachen to be his stepdaughter.

    As she pondered on these things, time flew by and Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing had returned to the living room.

    Shen Zhijing¡¯s discontent was evident on her face, but her expression was not as intense as before.

    With a glum expression, she returned to the seat across Liu Ronghua.

    Shen Jialiang sat down too. Putting on a genial expression, he asked, ¡°Ronghua, have you decided?¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s face was nched. Hesitantly, she said, ¡°Of course I would love if the Shen family can establish such rtions with the Qi family.¡±

    Liu Ronghua knew that it would be advantageous to her too.

    Even without the benefits that the Qi family was going to bring, after this, Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing would not be able to treat her with bad temperament again ¡ª she could finally act high-and-mighty in the Shen household.

    She could even leave the Shen family behind and go with Ruan Danchen instead.

    If she became homeless, she knew Ruan Danchen would take her in.

    Instead of being cooped up by the Shen family, having to face Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing¡¯s insulting res, she could simply leave and be Qi Chenglin¡¯s mother-inw. She would finally be free.

    Truth be told, her many years of persistence in the Shen family¡¯s home was not only motivated by her obsession but also the family¡¯s upper-ss lifestyle and their ability to satisfy her materialistic needs.

    Nevertheless, now that she was going to be Qi Chenglin¡¯s mother-inw, she no longer cared about the Shen family.

    Thus, Liu Ronghua straightened her back and sighed. ¡°But even you two should know that the incident had left a deep scar on her heart. She could not refuse her mother¡¯s pleading, but because of that, her heart had turned cold toward me. In all these years, she did not contact me much ¡ª it¡¯s as if she hadpletely cut me off. So, where can I find the shamelessness to beg her again?¡±

    Liu Ronghua shook her head. Wiping her tears, she continued, ¡°When I ran into her at the restaurant, I told her toe home for New Year this year, but she said she doesn¡¯t have a home. She said that the Shen family doesn¡¯t wee her. Now that she¡¯s with Qi Chenglin, the Shen family suddenly wants her toe home. Danchen is not dumb ¡ª there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll listen. In fact, she might hate us even more.¡±

    ¡°When I called her to ask her where is she staying, she wouldn¡¯t even tell me. She didn¡¯t say so, but I know that she¡¯s afraid that if anything happens, I¡¯ll force her into doing things she¡¯s not willing to do if I know where she lives.¡± Liu Ronghua sniffled. Her tears flowed uncontrobly. She did not even bother to wipe them anymore.

    ¡°Jialiang, I really can¡¯t show up in front of that child anymore. Before this, you wanted me to cut her off, saying Danchen has no rtions to the Shen family. She doesn¡¯t even have a home to return to on New Year. All these years, she had to spend New Year alone in her little rented apartment. However, now that you know she¡¯s with QI Chenglin, you¡¯re asking me to tell her toe home to the Shen family and to be the Shen family¡¯s daughter ¡ª even if I am shameless enough to tell her this, there¡¯s still no way she would agree to it!¡±

    Shen Jialiang pressed his lips together sternly. He noticed Liu Ronghua¡¯s change in attitude.

    Although she was crying and sobbing, from her tone, he could tell that she had be more confident and pompous.

    Needless to say, Shen Zhijing saw through her too. She scoffed and pointed out, ¡°Who do you think you are? You don¡¯t even carry the Shen surname. If the Qi family finds out that Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother is a mistress in the Shen family, do you really think that they¡¯ll still let Ruan Danchen marry into the Qi family?¡±

    Liu Ronghua staggered. Her tears still fell but her mind was so upied that she forgot to wail. She stared at Shen Zhijing nkly.

    Shen Zhijing pouted coldly. ¡°So our suggestion not only benefits us but also you and Ruan Danchen. It¡¯s a win-win situation.¡±

    Shen Zhijing red at Liu Ronghua with disdain. ¡°So ignorant. You really do live under a rock. You¡¯re thinking that with Ruan Danchen having Qi Chenglin to rely on, you don¡¯t have to depend on our family any more, right? You want to move out and lean on Ruan Danchen instead. After all, you¡¯re still her mother. If you cry and sob in front of her, her heart will thaw and she¡¯ll still take you in. Then, you can continue to be the leech you are and treat her like your ATM, right? You can¡¯t be too presumptuous in our home, but with Ruan Danchen, you can get whatever your heart desires, right?¡±

    Liu Ronghua kept silent. Shen Zhijing read her like an open book, but she would never admit it.

    ¡°No, I¡ª¡± Liu Ronghua shook her head.

    Shen Zhijing did not have the patience for her excuse. She interjected, ¡°But you didn¡¯t anticipate that the Qi family still don¡¯t know about Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity; they don¡¯t know about the night she slept with Qi Chenglin in my ce; they don¡¯t know that you are a mistress in the Shen family who doesn¡¯t even carry our surname. The Qi family only excepted her because they don¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that the Qi family no longer cared about the spouse¡¯s status or family background. Nevertheless, even if they¡¯re not looking for the perfect match, they still want a family who is pure and innocent. If they find out that Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother had dated my dad from the beginning, and even sold out her daughter to be a mistress in the Shen family ¡ª if they find out that her family is so vile and hical ¡ª do you think they would still permit Ruan Danchen to be with Qi Chenglin?¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s expression changed. Her pupils darted around rampantly ¡ª her gaze shifted here and there rapidly.

    ¡°When they find out, Ruan Danchen will be left with nothing ¡ª so will you. Even if you¡¯re unsatisfied with being a mistress in the Shen family, you have nowhere else to go. You will stay this way forever. I know you¡¯ve always been bitter about this.¡± Shen Zhijing bit her lips, then unveiled apathetically, ¡°Liu Ronghua, let me be honest ¡ª before this, my goal was to keep you from getting the Shen surname as long as I am around.¡±

    A shiver was sent down Liu Ronghua¡¯s spine. Both her hands grasped tightly onto her shirt cor. Her lips tremored as she muttered, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you despise me so much.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t despise you. After all, my dad only met you after my mother passed away, so why would I despise you? I merely look down on you in contempt. How can someone like you be my stepmother? You¡¯re not worthy,¡± Shen Zhijing denounced without a shred of mercy.

    ¡°Even so, this is your chance,¡± Shen Zhijing dered. ¡°Once the Qi family catches wind of your awkward position in the Shen family, they¡¯ll never ept Ruan Danchen. However, once you be the official ¡®Mrs. Shen¡¯, Ruan Danchen will be someone with a background rather than being the daughter of a lover. Even if she¡¯s not my dad¡¯s biological daughter, she will still be the Shen family¡¯s stepdaughter. She¡¯ll have status. The Qi family will not be discontent.¡±

    Liu Ronghua did not reply. She knew that Shen Zhijing¡¯s analysis was on point.

    ¡°This is all a cycle. It¡¯s a win-win situation. As long as Ruan Danchen agrees to return, Qi Chenglin would stop the boycott toward the Shen family. In the future, the Shen family will be joint with the Qi family through marriage. We can cooperate. The day Ruan Danchen moved back into the Shen household, my dad will give you the position you yearned for. Once you carry the Shen surname, the Qi family will naturally ept Ruaqn Danchen ¡ª her marriage with Qi Chenglin will go smoothly.¡±

    Shen Zhijing thought out every detail scrupulously.

    When in the study room, Shen Jialiang had exined to Shen Zhijing ¡ª once Ruan Danchen returned, they will take advantage of her feeble personality. Without Shen Jialiang getting his hands dirty, Shen Zhijing would be able to control Ruan Danchen and force her to give them whatever they want.

    With the marriage to the Qi family, Shen Zhijing could also find herself a powerful family to marry into ¡ª even the Eight Great Families was not out of reach.

    After so many years, she had turned 31, yet she was still single.

    It was not her who was unwilling to marry, but after the incident seven years ago where Qi Chenglin dumped her, all the prominent families refused to marry her. Even small families were not willing to marry her ¡ª due to differences in status, they predicted that they would have to follow the restrictions of the Shen family, so they would rather marry within their social circle and live a life with freedom.

    As for average families, Shen Zhijing never even considered them. Even when it came to families of lower status than hers, she would not ept it even if the family agreed.

    With the higher families rejecting her and her rejecting the lower families, her marriage dragged on until she was this old.

    However, the reason Shen Zhijing agreed to this was not because of Shen Jialiang¡¯s words ¡ª she wanted to ruin Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin¡¯s rtionship.

    Once Ruan Danchen entered the Shen household, it would be a piece of cake.

    Even if Qi Chenglin would never fall for her, she still could not stand seeing Ruan Danchen stealing him away.

    Shen Zhijing nced at Liu ROnghua¡¯s ever-changing expression. She scoffed and pouted. ¡°Since the Qi family still don¡¯t know Ruan Danchen¡¯s secret, I don¡¯t mind heading there and telling them. I reveal it to them, Ruan Danchen will lose everything she had. Consequently, you¡¯ll have to stay a mistress in our house forever!¡±

    Liu Ronghua trembled. She bit her lips, turning to Shen Jialiang with tears in her eyes.

    She might have been 47, but she did not look a day over 35. Tears in her eyes, she appeared especially feeble and pitiful.

    ¡°Jialiang,¡± Liu Ronghua whimpered ¡ª her breathing was unsteady. ¡°We¡¯ve been together for so many years. In your eyes, is this the only value I am to you? After all these years, you¡¯re still only willing to marry me if my daughter can be of use to the Shen family? Can our rtionship only be measured by these tangible values?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve followed you since I was in my early 30¡¯s. In my 40¡¯s, I finally got to move in here, but to this day, your family still doesn¡¯t acknowledge me. I don¡¯t about this. I tell myself that what I love is you, not the Shen surname. I know how precious Zhenghong and Zhijing are to you, so I¡¯ve never even thought about having another child with you. When I was in my 30¡¯s ¡ª when I was still young ¡ª I¡¯ve never thought about it. Now that I¡¯m nearing 50, it¡¯s already toote. I gave my youth to you without condition. Do you know how important it is to a woman to bear the child of a man she loves?¡±

    Extra mini-scene:

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s Arts and Crafts Workbook 1

    Qi Chenglin was in first grade. It was the first time his teacher gave him an arts and crafts workbook. Qi Chenglin had just started school so he was still at the stage of excitement. He dly took the materials given by his teacher home and was resolved toplete the workbook.

    Qi Chenglin contemted on it for an eternity, then finally decided to make a simple version of the little bear toy he had. He had a great n. He stuffed cotton into a coffee-colored cloth and sewed it tight, forming a little brown ball. Then, he made a smaller brown ball and sewed both together. Next, he sewed on its arms and legs. It was not perfect but it did not matter.

    The teacher could not have too high expectations for a six-year-old like him.

    Mini-scene to be continued in the next chapter.

 Chapter 357 - When Will You Register Your Marriage?

    Chapter 357: When Will You Register Your Marriage?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°But after all these years, you never brought up a word about our engagement. You let me stay in the Shen household with this awkward position. Everyone looks at me disdainfully.¡± Liu Ronghua paused. She was not talking out of rage ¡ª in the Shen household, even Aunt Li, who had worked there for years, looked down at her scornfully.

    Aunt Li did not bother to hide her disgust. Although she never said it out loud, Liu Ronghua could tell from her manner that she harbored contempt toward Liu Ronghua because she gained all this by sacrificing her daughter.

    ¡°Now, you want to raise another condition? You won¡¯t marry me unless I convince Danchen to return? Jialiang, am I really so unworthy of bing your wife?¡± Liu Ronghua whimpered.

    ¡°Ronghua, don¡¯t say it like that.¡± Shen Jialiang sighed. His tone sounded abnormally patient. ¡°That year, although Danchen agreed to our terms, in the end, we did not get what we asked for. The child was born, but Qi Chenglin took him away. Zhijing did not end up marrying Qi Chenglin. On the contrary, she had been single all these years. Even so, I sill brought you here. If I really wanted to follow our agreement, I could have left you in that apartment because the end goal was not met. I also have feelings toward you. In all these years, although you are not officially my wife, I still saw as my wife, and treated you as such.¡±

    ¡°Ronghua, tell me this ¡ª in all the years you¡¯ve been in my house, have I ever cheated on you? Has there ever been any other womaning here and threatening to take your position? Even without the certificate, you are still the woman of the house. Isn¡¯t that how thedies you socialize with see you too? Otherwise, why would they befriend you? I¡¯ve never brought it up because I know my children have notpletely epted you. I don¡¯t want to ruin the household¡¯s peace. After all, we¡¯re all doing just fine this way. I don¡¯t want to destroy that.¡±

    Shen Jialiang sighed again. ¡°Nheless, this is a chance for you. It took me a lot of convincing to get Zhijing to agree to this. As long as you manage to get Danchen to return here, recovering the rtionship between the Shan family and the Qi family, I will marry you.¡±

    Liu Ronghua sniffled. The waterworks stopped but her eyes were glistening with tears when she turned to Shen Jialiang.

    ¡°Ronghui, the truth is, I really do want to marry you. I know that you¡¯ve suffered all these years. I¡¯ve seen how nice you are to Zhenghong and Zhijing. Finally, these children don¡¯t oppose this anymore ¡ª it¡¯s finally our chance. This way, Danchen can also finally have a home.¡± Shen Jialiang stared at Liu Ronghua earnestly.

    ¡°I know you must feel guilty toward Danchen, so this is also your chance to make it up to her wholeheartedly. Bring her here; let her stay here. From that day on, she¡¯ll be the precious daughter of the Shen family. Her status here will be equal to Zhijing. I can¡¯t guarantee that I can treat her as well as I treat Zhijing ¡ª after all, she is my flesh and blood ¡ª but I promise that I will never wrong her.¡±

    Shen Jialiang observed Liu Ronghua¡¯s reaction carefully. He noticed that she had been moved a little.

    Thus, he resumed, ¡°This way, not only can you reunite with your daughter, but we¡¯ll be able to give Danchen a real family too. ording to Zhijing, Danchen and Qi Chenglin are close to the stage where they start discussing their marriage. With a reliable adult discussing with the Qi family, the odds of it seeding would be much higher. We can back Danchen up. During the wedding, Danchen can marry with the status of the Shen family¡¯s daughter ¡ª no one would judge her that way. No matter what, this is still beneficial for Danchen. As long as you exin everything to her clearly, I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll understand.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true that there was much friction between us before. We were both weary or each other and treated each other with suspicion. However, this is something of advantage to her ¡ª for her future, she should let go of the past and move on. She shouldn¡¯t let her past affect her future. Danchen is a smart girl ¡ª I know she¡¯ll understand.¡±

    Shen Jialiang paused for a while. He saw that Liu Ronghua waspletely moved. In an even more tender voice, he asked, ¡°Ronghua, what do you say?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to her.¡± Liu Ronghua finally nodded in agreement.

    ...

    ...

    On Saturday, Liu Ronghua woke up exceptionally early ¡ª even Shen Jialiang was astonished.

    Therefore, she exined, ¡°I have heard Danchen mention that on Saturday mornings, she has to do overtime at herpany. She doesn¡¯t usually have much break time so I want to visit her at her office earlier.¡±

    Liu Ronghua sighed and admitted, ¡°She doesn¡¯t want to see me now. If I call her, I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll find an excuse to evade me. Even if she¡¯s not at the office today, I can inquire from her colleagues her address.¡±

    Shen Jialiang was extremely pleased with Liu Ronghua¡¯s devotion. He nodded delightedly. ¡°She will understand your struggles.¡±

    Liu Ronghua sighed deeply. She acted as if she was a loving mother who had her heart broken by her daughter. ¡°I hope so.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Liu Ronghua arrived at Chengshi. As expected, there was someone avable at the reception area. Many employees were there to do overtime.

    The receptionist watched at Liu Ronghua strutted grandly toward her. Noticing her well-maintained appearance, the receptionist assumed that she must be a woman with exceptionally high status.

    Ever since Ruan Danchen¡¯s resignation and Qi Chenglin cklisting Chengshi, it became extremely rare to see clients from the upper ss.

    Now, it was pretty much impossible for Chengshi to take on anyrge projects such as designing and renovating whole housing areas, hotels, and public recreational facilities. Chengshi had no chance to take part in any of those.

    In the beginning, Director Zhao still wanted to try his luck, thinking that Qi Chenglin would not do much against Chengshi ¡ª he thought that the second Young Master of the Qi family would not stoop down to the level of a smallpany like them.

    However, every time he went for an auction, the moment he mentioned he was from Chengshi, he would not even be allowed to enter, much less to make bids.

    When he tried to contact clients in private, whenever they heard the word ¡®Chengshi¡¯, they would disregard even the mostmon courtesy and hang up immediately.

    After going through this several times, Director Zhao finally gave up. Now, he could only rely on small projects like refurbishing old houses and renovating or making small changes to second-hand houses. There was not even much to discuss for small projects like those.

    Nheless, Director Zhao could not do anything about it. At least it was better than closing down entirely. After all, many a little makes a mickle. It was better than nothing at all.

    Basically, everyone is the higher social circle had boycotted them under Qi Chenglin¡¯s instructions ¡ª they would not even let Chengshi handle their own houses¡¯ renovations. All the clients that came in were merely average Joes.

    Thus, seeing Liu Ronghua striding toward the reception desk was like a dreame true.

    The receptionist hurriedly presented a genial smile and asked eagerly, ¡°Madam, how can I help you?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here to see Ruan Danchen. Is she here?¡± Liu Ronghua inquired in a gentle voice.

    Her voice was soft and tender, like that of a delicate little princess.

    The receptionist was stunned ¡ª she did not expect that after Ruan Danchen left for so long, there would still be clientsing here to look for her.

    Whenever Ruan Danchen was brought up, the receptionist could not help but be reminded of Yang Yunshu.

    The receptionist heard that Yang Yunshu was now struggling to find a job within her expertise. She had applied in a fewpanies, but none dared to employ her. She even applied in small, namelesspanies but even they refused to employ her.

    The industry was not as big as she thought ¡ª the news spread quickly. None of thepanies dared to offend Qilin, so Yang Yunshu could only give up.

    It was said that she had not be a seller on WeChat, selling random items from maternal and baby products to makeup and cosmetics. Lately, she had even started selling high-quality replicas of branded handbags.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen had resigned long ago,¡± the receptionist exined. ¡°Are you an old client of hers?¡±

    Smiling politely, Liu Ronghua shook her head and corrected, ¡°I¡¯m her¡ª¡±

    She wanted toe right out and say she was her mother, but to think that a mother did not know how her daughter was doing, or when she resigned, or even where she lived, the receptionist probably would not have believed her.

    Instead, Liu Ronghua imed, ¡°I¡¯m her mother¡¯s friend. Her mother isn¡¯t in B City, so I¡¯m here to visit her.¡±

    The receptionist nodded smilingly. She did not suspect a thing.

    ¡°Do you know where she lives now?¡± Liu Ronghua smiled and rified, ¡°I¡¯ve always waited for her near thepany.¡±

    ¡°That...I¡¯m sorry but I don¡¯t know,¡± the receptionist confessed, ¡°Danchen had worked in thispany for a long time ¡ª the address she filled up for human resources must have been from a long time ago. After so many years, I¡¯m sure she had moved several times.¡±

    In the end, Liu Ronghua left empty-handed.

    The receptionist reckoned that Ruan Danchen must be living with Qi Chenglin now, but she did not disclose that to Liu Ronghua and let her leave just like that.

    Liu Ronghua contemted her situation as she exited the office building and entered a white BMW. Then, she told the Shen family¡¯s chauffer the address of the Qi family¡¯s old mansion. She ordered him to drive her there.

    The Qi family¡¯s Saturday gatherings were not much of a secret. Liu Ronghua had found out about it from others.

    ...

    ...

    On Saturday morning, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the old mansion. Just as they entered the house, Ruan Danchen was ambushed by Grandmother Qi.

    Grandmother Qi grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s left hand and caressed the ring on her middle finger as if she had never seen a ring in her life. She then grabbed Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand and stared at the ring on his middle finger. The more she stared at the rings, the more jubnt she became.

    ¡°Ah, we were in too much of a rush yesterday. Before I could say a word, this child had dragged you away. I didn¡¯t even get to have a proper conversation with you. I wonder what was he so impatient about.¡± Grandmother Qi red at Qi Chenglin, then dragged Ruan Danchen to the sofa.

    While the adults were not paying attention, Qi Youxuan slipped into the kitchen to see Aunt Liu.

    Nheless, Qi Chenglin could still vaguely hear the boy¡¯s voiceing from the kitchen. ¡°Nanny Liu, I¡¯m so hungry. Do you have anything tasty for me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin had not sat down yet ¡ª he was following behind Ruan Danchen. The moment he heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice, he took a detour and entered the kitchen instead. He picked the boy up and scolded, ¡°You just had breakfast less than an hour ago. What do you mean you¡¯re hungry?¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯srge, grape-sized eyes were fixed on the kitchen yearnfully. His little chubby hands reached out as if to grasp onto the kitchen door. He appeared terribly pitiful.

    Heart aching, Guan Liya swiftly took the boy over from Qi Chenglin and caressed his little face. Qi Youxuan did not style his hair today ¡ª the strands of hairid t on his tiny round face, making him look exceedingly adorable.

    ¡°Youxuan,e and let Grandma look at you.¡± Guan Liya ran her hands along his chubby cheeks. ¡°Yo, I think your little face has be thinner! The diet is working!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin red at Guan Liya speechlessly. ¡°Mom, from which angle exactly does he look thinner?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious?¡± Guan Liya asked, turning to Qi Chenglin. ¡°You¡¯ve been looking at him every day, so you won¡¯t notice. We, on the other hand, only see him once a week, so the change is obvious. Sister-inw, don¡¯t you think so too?¡±

    Xia Wenna, who had been appointed to speak, turned to look at Qi Youxuan. Although she did not notice any changes, she still nodded vigorously. ¡°Youxuan has definitely lost weight.¡±

    Grandmother Qi, who was still tugging on Ruan Danchen, took a glimpse at Qi Youxuan and yed along too. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Come. Grandma bought snowy rice crackers from the supermarket yesterday just for you.¡± Guan Liya took Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and led him into the kitchen.

    A whileter, Qi Youxuan waddled out with a small pack snowy rice cracker in each of his plump little hands.

    Luckily, even though Guan Liya pampered her grandson, she still had themon sense to not hand him the entire packet.

    ¡°Even since Youxuan went on a diet, he doesn¡¯t have many chances to have snacks. He worked so hard to make it till Saturday, so at least let him have some,¡± Guan Liya told Qi Chenglin.

    After that, Qi Chenglin kept quiet.

    Qi Youxuan was afraid that Qi Chenglin would change his mind. He quickly tore open the stic and chomped down on the snowy rice crackers.

    Grandmother Qi shifted her attention back to Ruan Danchen. ¡°We parted too hastily yesterday ¡ª I didn¡¯t even get to ask when are you two nning to get married? Have you discussed the wedding date? If you haven¡¯t, we can all discuss it together today. What kind of wedding would you like? Have you told your mother about this?¡±

    ¡°You two are getting married?¡± Qi Chengyue eximed, bbergasted yet thrilled. She turned to Qi Chenglin. ¡°Brother, you sure move fast!¡±

    ¡°What joyous news! Congrattions! When will the wedding be? When will you register your marriage?¡± Song Yu was also exuberant. Soon, Ruan Danchen would be her sister-inw.

    ¡°Oh, right. How can I forget something as important as registering your marriage? Ah, clearly my dear Song Yu¡¯s young and active brain is more reliable than mine.¡± Grandmother Qi pped her thigh and turned to Ruan Danchen expectantly. ¡°When will you register your marriage?¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not utter a word. They were all filled with anticipation ¡ª she did not have the heart to disappoint Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, you¡¯re finally going to marry my dad? That¡¯s awesome!¡± Qi Youxuan, who was busy devouring the snowy rice crackers, joined in too.

    Ruan Danchen was pushed to the edge of a cliff. She had no idea what to reply ¡ª especially after seeing the little boy¡¯s exhrated expression. Gazing into his big, sparkling eyes, Ruan Danchen could never bring herself to disappoint him.

    Helpless, she turned to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin sat on the sofa, sipping his tea casually. He was not even looking at her. After a while, only did he notice her subtle cry for help. He turned to her and raised an eyebrow. ¡°Why are you looking at me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was so irritated that her face was tinted red. Stealthily, she nipped his thigh.

    It did not hurt, but after he felt her tender fingers pinching him, he leaned closer to her ear and whispered, ¡°Your pinching is turning me on.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face waspletely flushed. Although she knew that it was rude to whisper in front of the elders, Ruan Danchen had no choice but to murmur, ¡°Hurry up and exin it to them!¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to marry me?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows. He grabbed her hand which was nipping his leg and pinched her delicate fingers softly. His expression seemed a little glum.

    Ruan Danchen was taken aback. She grumbled, ¡°What are you talking about? Is this your proposal?¡±

    Qi Chenglin stared at her for a long while. Finally, his mocking re softened into a warm gaze. Seeing the two whispering in each other¡¯s ears, Grandmother Qi frowned. She did not know what to say.

    Finally, Qi Chenglin turned to Grandmother Qi ¡ª his expression was abnormally stern. ¡°Grandma, this is our couple ring. Danchen is starting her job in Qilin soon, but she wants to keep her identity a secret. She wants to enter thepany modestly and stay a normal employee in thepany. She even kept her application a secret from me ¡ª if I weren¡¯t the interviewer for her interview, I never would have found out about this. Nheless, I promised to keep our rtionship a secret. Even so, I¡¯m worried that someone might go after her, thinking she¡¯s single. That¡¯s why I put a ring on her.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was content with his exnation. Shemented, ¡°A wise move indeed.¡±

    She took Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands again. She admired her modesty and appreciated that she did not march out waving the Qi family name like a g. However, she still advised, ¡°Ah, Xiao Ruan my dear, you are too humble. You were bullied in your oldpany because you¡¯re too honest and innocent! It¡¯s alright if no one annoys you, but if someone in Qilin bullies you, don¡¯t hesitate to hurl Qi Chenglin¡¯s name at them! Just reveal your identity as if it¡¯s nothing big. Don¡¯t let those who bully the weak and fear the strong think you¡¯re an easy target.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt quite ashamed when Grandmother Qi brought that up. ¡°Grandma, I¡¯m sorry that you and Auntie had to go to Chengshi just for me that day.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Grandmother Qi waved it off. ¡°The two of us are always idle anyway. It was like a little outing for us.¡±

    Having said that, Grandmother Qi turned to Qi Chenglin expectantly. ¡°Sigh, this child. Why is it so hard for you to propose? When will you finally marry Danchen and make her part of our family?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s scalp itched, her ears felt ame and her throat tightened. She was extremely bashful.

    She felt that Grandmother Qi was forcing Qi Chenglin to marry her.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up into a warm smile. His hand holding hers, she could feel his long, bony fingers sliding between hers, intecing their fingers. He held her hand tight. ¡°A proposal is a serious matter. If I reveal my ns now, how would I surprise Danchen?¡±

    A numbing sensation surged through Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears. Her head felt as if it was going to explode. She knew that Qi Chenglin was only saying that to please Grandmother Qi.

    Just as nned, Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyes sparkled with joy. She leaned in front of Ruan Danchen and inched closer to Qi Chenglin. ¡°You already have a n?¡±

    ¡°Grandma,¡± Qi Chenglin warned impatiently.

    ¡°I know, I know. You want to surprise her. I won¡¯t ask anymore, okay?¡± Grandmother Qi was ecstatic. Nheless, she could not hide her curiosity. She seemed to be having a hard time suppressing it.

    ¡°Mom, the fortune drawn from the temple that day is so urate,¡± Guan Liya pointed out. After the incident Qi Chengzhi went through, those in the Qi family naturally avoided bringing it up. ¡°Didn¡¯t it say that Qi Chenglin will finally meet his match? Look, he met Danchen!¡±

    ¡°Indeed.¡± Grandmother Qi nodded. She felt that the money she donated for oils and incents was not for nothing.

    ¡°I think one day we should go there and pray wholeheartedly,¡± Guan Liya joked.

    Grandmother Qi pped her thigh and said, ¡°That ¡®one day¡¯ should be today! Since everyone is here today, we can all go pray today. Coincidentally, I wanted to pray for Chengyue to hurry up and get pregnant too. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s a boy or a girl. I just want another grandchild to hold.¡±

    ¡°Grandma...¡± Qi Chengyue grunted weakly.

    Cheng Dongge smiled faintly. He extended his hand and grabbed hers.

    Qi Chengyue stared down at the floor, blushing. Suddenly, Cheng Dongge said out loud, ¡°We didn¡¯t use any contraceptive methods after we got married, so I think if everything goes smoothly, we can have a child in no time.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s hand twitched. Her face reddened. She turned to Cheng Dongge. Angry, she pinched him on the slender back of his hand as hard as she could.

    Extra mini-scene:

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s Arts and Crafts Workbook 2

    Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya were passing by. Seeing Qi Chenglin devoting his entire focus onto the craft, Grandmother Qi was delighted.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad at all. You¡¯re much more reliable than your big brother.¡± Grandmother Qi nodded happily.

    Coincidentally, Qi Chengzhi was passing by with a popsicle. He caught a glimpse of the two humps in Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    Stay tuned for the part of the story ~

 Chapter 358 - How Could You Abandon Me Right After You Used Me? Dad, Youâ€™re Too Vile!

    Chapter 358: How Could You Abandon Me Right After You Used Me? Dad, You¡¯re Too Vile!

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ah, this man! Even though they were family, how could Cheng Dongge be shameless enough to say these things out loud?

    Cheng Dongge did not mind. He looked down to see that the back of his hand had turned red from Qi Chengyu¡¯s pinches. She must have been quite distressed because her pinch was quite forcefully. Cheng Dongge¡¯s hand hurt slightly.

    However, it did not bother him. Rather, he caressed her hand lightly. Although his gaze was fixed on Grandmother Qi, his fingers still moved lovingly across her hand.

    His response made Qi Chengyue feel guilty. As she looked down and saw the red patch on the back of his hand, her heart ached. Sheid her tender fingers on the back of his hand and massaged the spot gently. That was her way of apologizing without words.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s eyes darted to her hands. His lips curled up into a grin. Then, he turned back to Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya. ¡°Chengyue isn¡¯t thick-skinned. She¡¯s too shy to say it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue froze. Staring at Cheng Dongge¡¯s reddened hand, she had the urge to smack him out of humiliation.

    Nheless, she did not have the heart to do so.

    Grandmother Qi was overjoyed. Even Grandfather Qi, who rarely smiled, grinned from ear to ear.

    ¡°Come,e. Let¡¯s all go to the temple.¡± Excited, Grandmother Qi stood up quickly and was ready to leave. She truly was a spontaneous woman. ¡°You guys are working hard yourselves, so we have to keep up with your pace too.¡±

    Qi Chengyue: ¡°...¡±

    Thus, they all got in their cars and set off for the temple.

    ...

    ...

    The Qi family¡¯s handful of cars have only left for a couple of minutes when a white BMW drove up to the old mansion and stopped across the mansion.

    Liu Ronghua got out of the car and looked left and right before entering the courtyard. She looked around inside.

    The courtyard was unusually quiet. There seemed to be no one at home.

    Liu Ronghua contemted whether she should ring the doorbell or call Ruan Danchen directly.

    She was already at the door ¡ª there was no way Ruan Danchen would refuse to see her, right?

    Liu Ronghua hesitated for close to 30 minutes already. Suddenly, a woman in her 50s came out of the house with a grocery trolley in hand. Her hair wasbed in a in and simple way.

    The woman closed the door and locked it before walking toward the courtyard entrance.

    Before Liu Ronghua could hide, the woman spotted her.

    Aunt Liu saw Liu Ronghua standing at the courtyard entrance. She approached her in a guarded manner and stared at her with suspicion. ¡°Excuse me, madam, can I help you?¡±

    ¡°Ah... No... Sorry for intruding.¡± Liu Ronghua shook her head vigorously. Having said that, she bolted out the door.

    Liu Ronghua furrowed her brows. She was troubled by Liu Ronghua¡¯s suspicious actions. However, Xiao Fang was out fetching Grandmother Qi and Grandfather Qi to the temple while she had to buy some groceries from the market nearby for the meal to be prepared when they return from the temple.

    Aunt Liu stood at the courtyard entrance for a long time. She looked left and right but could not spot Liu Ronghua. After seeing that Liu Ronghua did not return, she finally left.

    Once Aunt Liu was out of sight, Liu Ronghua slipped out from a corner and carefully scurried back to the courtyard entrance. She stuck her head in through the entrance and scanned the courtyard.

    ¡°Are you looking for someone?¡± A voice sounded from behind Liu Ronghua, giving her a huge fright. She turned around with her hands clutching her chest. Behind her stood a woman in her 60s dragging a shopping trolley behind her.

    Liu Ronghua got herself together and put on a smile. Faking herposure, she said, ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m here to visit but I didn¡¯t inform them beforehand. Now that I¡¯m here, it seems like no one is home.¡±

    Aunt Ge lived in the mansion right across the street. When she was going out, she ran into Grandmother Qi and had a brief conversation with her. Aunt Ge knew where they were.

    Aunt Ge was not suspicious of Liu Ronghua. Affably, she revealed, ¡°They all went to the temple.¡±

    ¡°The temple?¡± Liu Ronghua inquired for the address and thanked Aunt Ge. Immediately, she hopped back into the BMW.

    Seeing this, Aunt Ge became even less suspicious.

    She thought, ¡®It must be a woman from some rich familying to visit Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi.¡¯

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya were kneeling on futon cushions while praying to Buddha. Although they hade to give alms for three days, they still wanted to thank Buddha sincerely for the blessing.

    ¡°Thank you, Buddha, for protecting my eldest grandson, Qi Chengzhi, and letting him escape safe and sound. Buddha, please bless my eldest grandson¡¯s wife and let her go through birth safely. I pray for a healthy great-grandchild. My younger granddaughter is also married. Please bless the couple with a sessful pregnancy. My second grandson has also found his match. I pray that everything goes smoothly and the two can have eternal love,¡± Grandmother Qi murmured earnestly. She had her hands together, praying wholeheartedly.

    After praying, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya helped Grandmother Qi up.

    Although they only kneeled for a short while, Grandmother Qi¡¯s knees were already hurting. As she was standing up, her knees were buckling. It took her a while before she could stand on her own again.

    Immediately after, she went up to Qi Chengzhi and dragged him along. ¡°Hurry. You have to thank Buddha yourself too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi stood there arrogantly, his back straight and his long legs fully extended. In his whole life, he had never kneeled before ¡ª except during the incident with Yu Qianying. It was hard to imagine him kneeling on the futon cushion.

    Song Yu knew that Qi Chengzhi was a non-believer. Besides, it was difficult to get a man with such strong aura and sense of pride to kneel down ¡ª even if it were only to pray for a few minutes.

    Nheless, Grandmother Qi prodded, ¡°Hurry up! The fortune we drew previously is so urate! If we hadn¡¯te here to pray for you, who knows how you¡¯ll end up. Hurry up and thank Buddha.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin turned to Grandmother Qi. She may be old, but her heart was still young ¡ª her hair was dyed a modern and youthful maroon color; her skin looked like that of a fifty-year-old¡¯s. Despite that, when during Qi Chengzhi¡¯s incident, Grandmother Qi looked many years older than she did now.

    Thinking back on the incident, Qi Chengzhi finally kneeled down. He thanked Buddha just as Grandmother Qi instructed.

    What Grandmother Qi did not know was, while kneeling down, Qi Chengzhi silently prayed for Buddha to look after Grandmother Qi and wished for her health and safety. He wanted her to stay beside them forever and be the cheerful Grandma she was.

    Qi Youxuan blinked his huge, beautiful eyes again and again. He turned to Grandmother Qi then suddenly slumped onto the futon cushion, giving Grandmother Qi a shock.

    Kneeling on the cushion, Qi Youxuan ced his little chubby hands together and closed his eyes. He shook his hands exaggeratedly. ¡°Buddha, oh Buddha, please bless my father so that he can sessfully marry Aunt Ruan. Please let my father marry Aunt Ruan quickly, then I can finally have a mother.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    Having said that, Qi Youxuan opened his eyes. Grandmother Qi felt immensely proud. She hurriedly helped Qi Youxuan up and praised, ¡°Ah, this kid is getting smarter and smarter.¡±

    Next, Grandmother Qi led Xia Wenna and the others to get talismans. Xia Wenna feared that the smoke from incents would affect Song Yu and her baby, so she instructed Qi Chengzhi to bring Song Yu away for the time being. She asked them to rest somewhere away from the smoke or to return straight to the car.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes stung from the smoke. They were turning red. He kept his eyes closed, afraid to open them. His little hands were constantly rubbing his eyes and wiping his tears away.

    Ruan Danchen took out some tissues hastily. She did not want him to use his hands as they were already tainted with smoke particles. Moreover, the curious child had been touching everything he saw, so his hands must have been covered in bacteria.

    She handed the tissues to the little boy to wipe his eyes. She then led him out too.

    The few of them headed toward the parking lot in front of the temple.

    The temple was packed. The prayers made in this temple were extraordinarily fruitful and the fortunes were extremely urate. Thus, believers came one after another, crowding the temple.

    When they wereing out of the hall, they saw a horde of believers praying with incents in hand.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes stung so much that he could not open his eyes. Tears flowed continuously. Ruan Danchen was afraid he would bump into others, so she picked him up.

    Qi Youxuan was very heavy now. Even though they put him on a diet, he was still a portly round child. Ruan Danchen was struggling a little.

    He turned to see Ruan Danchen looking at Qi Youxuan sorrowfully. In her arms, Qi Youxuan kept wiping his tears with tissues. His eyes were red and swollen. He looked terribly pitiful. Qi Chenglin had never been one to pamper the child, but seeing this, his heart softened too.

    Qi Chenglin sighed. He could not stand seeing the mother and child looking so pitiful. He extended his arms and offered, ¡°Let me take him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan turned to Qi Chenglin as if he was contemting who¡¯s arms would be morefortable around him. s, he decided that he preferred Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft embrace. His tiny, short arms wrapped around Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck. Without a word, he turned away from Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled. Although he was heavy, she would still hold him dly. ¡°I¡¯ll hold him.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Your arms are shaking.¡± Qi Chenglin eyed her slender arms ¡ª they looked like they could be snapped like sticks. How could those arms stand Qi Youxuan¡¯s weight?

    Hearing that, the little boy looked down and noticed Ruan Danchen struggling to hold him. Finally, he let go of her and reached for Qi Chenglin instead.

    Qi Chenglin took Qi Youxuan over. To Qi Chenglin, his weight was nothing. Qi Chenglin was not struggling the least bit and was not tired at all.

    Qi Chenglin was wearing a blue V-neck sweater that day. On top of the sweater, he wore a ck wool coat that reached the length of his knees. In that coat, his tall figure appeared even taller.

    It was freezing but he was wearing such thin clothes. Nheless, he did not appear to be cold at all.

    The hands holding Qi Youxuan had a pair of leather gloves on. From top-to-toe, he looked exceptionally elegant.

    Qi Chenglin looked elegant and stylish but also emitted a cold and distant air. However, once he had Qi Youxuan in his arms, his cool manner was reced with an aura of warmth.

    Gazing at the father-and-son duo, Ruan Danchen could not help but let out a tender smile.

    As Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze fell onto her beaming face, his heart melted. He held Qi Youxuan in one arm and reached for Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand with the other.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s plump and heavy body seemed weightless on Qi Chenglin¡¯s muscr arms. Qi Chenglin was very rxed despite of the weight on his arms.

    Ruan Danchen had always thought that men looked especially manly when holding a child. They possessed a certain charm that men without children could never have. She found them especially attractive.

    Seeing Qi Chenglin now, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart raced. She waspletely allured.

    Qi Chenglin noticed this. He wondered what happened that made her stare at him so captivatedly. Nevertheless, he was more than happy to see his woman bewitched by his charms. He feltcent.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s spellbound appearance, he also felt more and more attracted to her. Disregarding the fact the Qi Youxuan was still in his arm and the fact that they were surrounded by people, Qi Chenglin leaned toward Ruan Danchen and peaked her on the lips.

    He did not lean back instantly. His lips lingered on hers for a while, feeling her soft lips against hers, then finally let go. Ruan Danchen could taste his lips on hers. They carried a fresh and masculine smell.

    Ruan Danchen could not wrap her head around how every inch of this man¡¯s body could smell so good. His whole body gave off a seductive aroma.

    With just a quick peck, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart pounded insanely fast. There was no way she could calm down.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips parted slightly. Her heart was still racing. Suddenly, she caught a nce of Qi Youxuan, who was still in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm. The thought of the little boy watching Qi Chenglin kiss her was so humiliating that she did not dare to look at him anymore.

    Even married couples would usually not do these kinds of things in front of their children.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face waspletely flushed. She did not know what to do or say ¡ª all she could do was re at Qi Chenglin helplessly.

    Qi Chenglin sneakily pinched Qi Youxuan¡¯s waist. Qi Youxuan was going to ask why he did that.

    However, when Qi Youxuan turned around, he saw from Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression that he was silently trying to tell him something. Thus, Qi Youxuan refrained from asking. After pondering on it for a while, he abruptly understood Qi Chenglin¡¯s signal.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, don¡¯t be shy. After all, it¡¯s not my first time seeing you two kiss. Next time, you two can kiss as much as you want ¡ª just pretend I¡¯m not here.¡± Qi Youxuan had one arm around Qi Chenglin¡¯s neck while the other was waving around. ¡°There are many scenes like that in TV series too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at the boy coolly, then told him, ¡°Next time, don¡¯t watch those dramas.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was vexed. ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t... what¡¯s that idiom again? How could you abandon me right after you used me? Dad, you¡¯re too vile! Are you this traitorous when doing business with others?¡±

    The little boy was infuriated. He could not tolerate his dad¡¯s betrayal. At the same time, he med himself for letting thatst sentence slip out.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s extreme reaction seemed as if Qi Chenglin had yed with his emotions.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin waspletely speechless. His exaggerated reaction was clearly learned from TV series. This only made Qi Chenglin even more determined to limit his TV time. ¡°The idiom you¡¯re looking for is to destroy the bridge after crossing the river 1.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan thought that his dad was too shameless ¡ª not only did he not feel ashamed, he even had the mood to teach him idioms.

    Ruan Danchen watched as the father-and-son duo talked back at one another. In this situation, she was powerless. Qi Chenglin took her hand and they continued walking with Qi Youxuan in his arm.

    After a moment of silence, Qi Youxuan abruptly asked, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m very heavy, aren¡¯t I?¡±

    Ruan Danchen staggered. Then, she shook her head. ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡±

    ¡°Dad said that your arms were shaking when you were carrying me,¡± Qi Youxuan pointed out, not believing Ruan Danchen¡¯s words.

    ¡°He was just talking nonsense,¡± Ruan Danchen lied. She did not want to hurt the little boy¡¯s feelings.

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Why are you constantly twisting the truth for him? When you¡¯re worrying about his feelings, why don¡¯t you think about mine too?¡± Qi Chenglin grunted discontentedly. His expression appeared calm but his tone suggested otherwise. ¡°Besides, his teachers in school teach him to not lie. You¡¯re his role model ¡ª don¡¯t be a bad influence.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    What kind of man wouldin about this over his own son?

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, I will definitely lose weight!¡± Qi Youxuan announced resolutely, raising his little clenched fist.

    He wanted Ruan Danchen to be able to carry him again.

    Ruan Danchen patted his head and grinned from ear to ear. That boy was just too adorable. She could not help but kiss his delicate little cheek.

    Qi Youxuan blushed. He was shy because they were surrounded by so many people.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted at the sight of the bashful little boy. The more he blushed, the more she wanted to kiss him. It was like teasing an adorable little doll.

 Chapter 359 - Daddy Is Really Too Much, Heâ€™s Acting like a Child

    Chapter 359: Daddy Is Really Too Much, He¡¯s Acting like a Child

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    At that point, it suddenly made sense why Qi Chenglin always liked to tease her.

    So before releasing him, Ruan Danchen kissed him on the other cheek. The child¡¯s face flushed even more, to the point that it looked like it was glowing.

    He bashfully twisted his undefined hips in Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace, extremely embarrassed, and softly called, ¡°Aunty Ruan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled widely, extremely happy, and was about to withdraw, but was stopped by Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand.

    Looking up, she saw him half smiling at her, arching his eyebrows. That pair of sexy, attractive lips pouted, not too obvious, but Ruan Danchen could easily make it out.

    However, she could not bear to look at Q Chenglin¡¯s face with his lips pouting that way. That air of elegance was definitely unsuited for him to be acting cute. While that may be so, Ruan Danchen could not help but think that he was rather adorable this way.

    Qi Chenglin gently pouted once more, Ruan Danchen knew, because she kissed the boy, now the man wanted her to kiss him of his own ord.

    Ruan Danchen blushed as well, this was karma! She had just teased the child, and now she was being teased.

    Ruan Danchen ignored him, blushing as she tried to leave, but Qi Chenglin wouldn¡¯t let her.

    ¡°Hurry up¡± Qi Chenglin whispered into her ear softly, his voice raspy, there was an indescribable sultriness in it.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, why don¡¯t you just kiss daddy, he¡¯s really too much, acting like a child.¡± Qi Youxuan spoke up while the both of them were caught up in the moment.

    His crisp voice was light and beautiful,pared to the raspy, sultry whispering of Qi Chenglin, there was a massive difference.

    Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    Ruan Danchen gave a look at Qi Chenglin that said, ¡°embarrassed yourself yet?¡± Qi Chengling was unable to take it, as the both of them stood there looking at each other, unable to take into ount a child¡¯s feelings.

    ¡°Since Youxuan¡¯s already spoken up, you may as well hurry it up.¡± QI Chenglin said bluntly, his voice not even intentionally lowered now, his ck eyes filled with anticipation, his attractive lips curving upwards slightly, waiting for her.

    Ruan Danchen blushed, delicate and charming, as she nced at him shyly.

    If she said refused, Qi Chenglin would just keep this up. Ruan Danchen looked at him, how could such an elegant man be so childish at times, to the point that he could be worse than Qi Youxuan?

    But there were so many people around, and Ruan Danchen was not thick skinned. After hesitating for quite a while, she quickly stepped forwards, tiptoed and nted a kiss on Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips.

    Qi Chenglin was finally satisfied, and his attractive lips curled in a smile as he held her hand.

    While they were there being lovebirds, Qi Chengzhi had already brought Song Yu outside. While Qi Chengzhi was also very affectionate in public, he neverined when he acted that way, only doing so when other people were disying affection publicly.

    There were quite a few passerbys around,, and they couldn¡¯t help but look as they walked past them.

    This family of three was too eye-catching, the man was handsome and elegant, and was extremely attractive, while the boy was a little rotund, he was at the age where he was adorable, and being a little bit plump was just right for his age, making him extremely cute, melting the hearts of everyone around him.

    Thosedies who were single or yet to be married could not help but feel a bit envious of Ruan Danchen. They did not know where her luck came from, to have such a blissful life, with a handsome husband and an adorable son.

    Simply based on Ruan Danchen¡¯s husband¡¯s looks alone, they would not care if he were rich or poor, to just be able to look at his face everyday would be an exceptional pleasure that would bring them joy.

    However, looking at the way Qi Chenglin carried himself, and the way he dressed, even though one couldn¡¯t make out the brand of the clothes, they could tell that it wasn¡¯t cheap, and their envy grew, to the point that one might say they were jealous of Ruan Danchen.

    They couldn¡¯t help but think, Ruan Danchen wasn¡¯t an exceptional beauty, how could she have such a good life!

    Naturally, Ruan Danchen could not know what the people around her were thinking, but to just feel their gazes upon her was too much to handle, and she couldn¡¯t bear to stay there any longer, and she was eager to leave.

    Before she could think about turning and leaving with Qi Chenglin, she saw Liu Ronghua walking in from the entrance.

    Ruan Danchen hesitated, and unconsciously held Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand tightly. Her flushed face had turned pale, and she was so nervous she couldn¡¯t speak.

    Qi Chenglin held on Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand firmly, encouraging her. He looked at Liu Ronghua and smiled.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s gaze switched constantly between Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, and in between she looked at Qi Youxuan quite a few times as well.

    Qi Youxuan kept feeling that this woman¡¯s gaze was very hostile, and he felt very ufortable because of it, causing him to unconsciously hold Qi Chenglin¡¯s neck tightly, turning away and not looking at Liu Ronghua.

    Liu Ronghua even now had a feeling of unease, the child in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms was her grandson. Her grandson was the grandson of the Qi Family.

    She opened her mouth, but shut it under Qi Chenglin¡¯s look of warning.

    Instead, she turned to look at Ruan Danchen, and said forlornly, ¡°Danchen.¡±

    She had originally thought that Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen weren¡¯t all that serious, Shen Zhijing had said so, but that was because of her dislike for Ruan Danchen, and so she had exaggerated the truth.

    She had always thought that based on who Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin were, even if the Qi Family were not concerned with familial backgrounds, Qi Chenglin would not be too serious with Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen wasn¡¯t Song Yu, back in the day the Song family was formidable, and even if Song Yu¡¯s family was in dire straits, but she still held a lot of value, unlike Ruan Danchen.

    Even if she-

    Liu Ronghua stopped herself. At the end of the day she simply did not imagine Qi Chenglin would be so serious towards Ruan Danchen, that he would act up and ask for a kiss from her like that in public.

    She had thought she had misidentified someone else earlier, how could the man who had acted like that earlier be the usually stoic and taciturn Qi Chenglin?

    Could he be that uncaring of his image, could he really like Ruan Danchen that much?

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s thoughts kept turning in her head,pletely different from her original viewpoint.

    When she had originally consented to the Shen familying over, she was not all too sincere about it, she always thought that Ruan Danchen would never wed Qi Chenglin, so if she invited Ruan Danchen it wouldn¡¯t matter. Even if Ruan Danchen were to refuse, in the future Qi Chenglin would break up with her, so the point would be moot.

    She just did not want to displease Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing, so she came to oblige them.

    However, Liu Ronghua was seriously reconsidering her position, as she looked down from Ruan Danchen¡¯s face, to see Ruan Danchen holding Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Danchen, you guys are now together?¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s face changed to one of surprise, as though she had coincidentally met them, and that she had just known that they were an item, ¡°previously when I saw you at the mall, and at thepany, it was actually him, wasn¡¯t it? You-¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes hardened, and he handed over Qi Youxuan to Ruan Danchen to carry. Ruan Danchen could feel Qi Youxuan¡¯s anxiety, and she held him tight, standing behind Qi Chenglin, blocking him from Liu Ronghua¡¯s view.

    Qi Chenglin didn¡¯t let Liu Ronghua finish her sentence, stepping forward to block Liu Ronghua, speaking coldly, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re here today by coincidence, or by design, but don¡¯t ever show your face in front of Danchen and my son again. Not just you, but the entire Shen Family. Do you think I don¡¯t know what you all are ying at?¡±

    ¡°I-¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s lips trembled, she thought that she was still Qi Chenglin¡¯s future mother inw, how could he be so rude to her.

    He should still keep Ruan Danchen¡¯s face in mind, and treat her better than this!

    ¡°I¡¯m Danchen¡¯s mother, you can¡¯t possibly mean that I can¡¯t see her for the rest of my life?¡± Liu Ronghua said forlornly, twisting her head to look for Ruan Danchen behind Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen just held onto Qi Youxuan tightly, her face ghostly.

    ¡°If you just wanted to see your daughter, do you think I would stop you?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s ck eyes were extremely cold, and Liu Ronghua trembled slightly under his gaze, ¡°you can try, I don¡¯t mind doing to the Shen family now what I didn¡¯t do 7 years ago.¡±

    Liu Ronghua shuddered, and looked over Qi Chenglin to look at Ruan Danchen, speaking to her, ¡°Danchen, I just want to see you. Does this mean when we see each other on the street, we can¡¯t even talk anymore? Since when was I, as your mother, not allowed even care about you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was white, her lips pursed tightly, covering Qi Youxuan, and spoke lowly, ¡°All the care you¡¯ve shown me, I¡¯ve epted from others for the past 19 years.¡±

    Liu Ronghua opened her mouth to try and exin, but Qi Chenglin immediately took Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and led her away.

    Liu Ronghua turned to pursue after Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Qi Youxuan had turned away to face the back, and now he turned once more to face the front, determined not to look at her.

    Liu Ronghua looked distraught, as she heard from behind her, ¡°let¡¯s go, don¡¯t keep Youxuan waiting, he must think that there¡¯s nothing interesting here, and I think the Song girl must be feeling rather tired.¡±

    Liu Ronghua turned once more to look, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya were holding Grandmother Qi in between them, leaving Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun on each side of Grandfather Qi, walking behind them.

    Xia Wenna did not even greet Liu Ronghua when she saw her.

    Even though she wasn¡¯t on the same level as the Shen family, but even in this circle, this was clear. When chatting with their friends at the foundation, they would hear of Liu Ronghua. They would know she stays with the Shen family, but has no personal clout, the richdies were also gossips, and would know of her past life and rtionships, and it was obvious that she had sold her dignity to live with the Shen family as a mistress for money.

    The way they acted towards her, could be thought of as disdain.

    Grandmother Qi would not know who Liu Ronghua was, and so she did not react when seeing her. While Xia Wenna and Guan Liya¡¯s attitude was cold, Liu Ronghua naturally could not pretend that she did not know them, and it would be a good chance to see if the Qi Family really did know who Ruan Danchen was.

    ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi.¡± Liu Ronghua greeted as thedies got closer, before turning to call out to Qi Zhongliang and the others.

    Grandmother Qi did not know her, but nodded and greeted her politely, while Xia Wenna and Guan Liya smiled and nodded coldly, politeness thest thing on their minds.

    ¡°Mrs. Liu.¡± Xia Wenna said.

    Liu Ronghua looked pained, and she couldn¡¯t quite lift her head, she really wanted to be called ¡°Madam Shen.¡±

    Grandfather Qi and the other men would have even less reason to know her. They were not gossips, and they never had any interactions with the Shen family, while Liu Ronghua¡¯s status would never permit her to meet people of their level.

    After they had made some distance, did Grandmother Qi asked softly, ¡°who was that just now?¡±

    ¡°Do you remember Shen Zhijing from yesterday?¡± Guan Liya asked.

    Grandmother Qi nodded, unable to forget even if she wanted to, ¡°yes.¡±

    ¡°Shen Zhijing¡¯s father has an au pair, and that was her.¡± Guan Liya was too polite to directly say ¡®lover¡¯, and had spoken very diplomatically.

    ¡°She¡¯s been living with the Shen Family for many years now, but she hasn¡¯t gotten anywhere, her position is rather awkward.¡± Guan Liya said.

    ¡°Oh, why bother¡± Grandma Qi tutted, as she shook her head.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen carried Qi Youxuan into the car, and took her seat.

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, thatdy just now was your mom?¡± Qi Youxuan asked softly, as he had overheard the conversation just now and figured it out.

    ¡°Erm.¡± Ruan Danchen grunted softly in reply.

    ¡°You and daddy both don¡¯t like her, do you? Did she treat you badly?¡± Qi Youxuan asked, his eyes sorge you could make out the white and ck, looking at Ruan Danchen innocently.

    Even though he never had a mother since he was small, everyone at home treated him well, so the child had never experienced anything like Liu Ronghua.

    But looking at Liu Ronghua just now, it was rather pitiful.

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to exin it to the child, so she just yed with his hair. She thought that Qi Youxuan wasn¡¯t like other children, and she couldn¡¯t put wool over her eyes like one could with other children.

    Ruan Danchen also thought back, all this while everyone in the Qi Family, including Qi Chenglin, had spoken to Qi Youxuan as a peer, and treated him like an adult, and not as a child.

    The way she looked at it, this was also a form of respect for Qi Youxuan.

    She thought for a while, then spoke: ¡°thedy just now, she is my mother. How do I say this, even though she was my mother, she never really cared for me. I never had a daddy, but my mom never really cared for me too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at him lovingly, smiling while she ruffled his hair more, ¡°it¡¯s really no big deal, at least I¡¯ve got a mom, I tell myself, it¡¯s good enough to be able to call someone mom. Until 7 years ago, she did something that was too far, so much so that you couldn¡¯t imagine a mother could do, and after that I started to avoid her.¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked, but didn¡¯t ask Ruan Danchen what Liu Romghua did, if she could, Aunty Ruan would tell him.

    But to be able to force Aunty Ruan to act this way, she must have done a lot.

    The car was not yet started, they were waiting for Grandmother Qi toe out, so Qi Youxuan got up and knelt, he had grown and could no longer stand on the seat.

    Qi Youxuan didn¡¯t speak, and suddenly kissed Ruan Danchen on the cheek, ¡°Aunty Ruan, in the future daddy and I will take care of you.¡±

    The little boy spoke confidently, his round, adorable face was serious.

    He thought about himself, and how even though he didn¡¯t have a mother, he still had a lot of family members, who all loved him, and in that way he was far luckier than Aunty Ruan.

    Ruan Danchen smiled, her heart melted by this child, and she couldn¡¯t help but hug him, and kiss him in return, ¡°thank you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was so pleased he grinned.

    ...

    Liu Ronghua returned the Shen manor, and was surprised to see Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing were still at home, they had never really liked staying home before, and she then understood, they were waiting for her to see how she fared.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s heart sunk, as she changed her shoes at thending, and heard Shen Jialiang asked impatiently, ¡°how¡¯d it go?¡±

    Liu Ronghua sighed, ¡°how else would it go? It¡¯s as I thought, Danchen will never happily ept, the truth is she hates me to death now.¡±

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s face sank, and he wasn¡¯t too happy.

    ¡°But today wasn¡¯t an entire loss,¡± Liu Ronghua took a seat opposite him, and let Aunt Li serve her a ss of lemon water, which she took a sip of before she continued, ¡°today the Qi family went to the temple to burn incense, I also saw Qi Chenglin and the boy together with Ruan Danchen, the three of them looked very loving, and Qi Chenglin likes her a lot. And from the way the elders in the Qi Family acted, they don¡¯t know the rtionship between me and Ruan Danchen, so from that angle, it might work.¡±

    Shen Jialiang nodded, his face lighting up, his tone warming up as well, ¡°at the end of the day, you did your best. As long as it works, you will have done a lot for the Shen Family. Ronghua, I will definitely not shortchange you.¡±

 Chapter 360 - Aunt Ruanâ€™s Personality Is Exactly The Same As Mine

    Chapter 360: Aunt Ruan¡¯s Personality Is Exactly The Same As Mine

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua nodded eagerly as if feeling touched at Shen Jialiang¡¯s statement.

    ...

    ...

    Monday was the first day which Ruan Danchen started to work in Qilin.

    She was not a newbie at work anymore, but she felt more anxious than the first time she reported to Chengshi after her graduation. This intense nervousness was due to the fact that she was about to start her work in a new environment, especially when that environment was owned by Qi Chenglin.

    She feared regarding her possible substandard performances in Qilin may brought embarrassment on Qi Chenglin.

    Even though the staff in Qilin did not have a clue regarding her rtionship with Qi Chenglin, she would still feel embarrassed and feared that he may be disappointed when any of her mistakes went up to him.

    She woke up half an hour earlier than usual on this particr morning, and the first thing she noticed when she opened her eyes was Qi Chenglin who was still asleep beside her. He appeared especially gentle and calm in his current unprepared, sleeping face. It was a kind of feature which would be absent when he was wide awake, and she found it particrly attractive.

    She did not mean that he was more attractive in his current state, but he would either act serious and unrelenting, or indecent and nasty when he was awake. His usual attitude was totally different than his current unprepared calmness.

    However, it was this humongous contrasting feature which entuated a different kind of mor in his current appearance.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure whether Qi Chenglin only disyed this sort of unprepared feature whenever he was with her.

    However, she still felt exhrated to be able to sleep beside him and gain his trust.

    Her lips curled into a sweet smile as she lifted herself up slowly and carefully. The nket fell off her shoulders during the process, revealing the reddish-purple hickeys on her shoulders and vicles.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at the sight of his peaceful slumber as she reminded herself to draw graffiti on his face the next time she found him sleeping soundly in the morning.

    She could not contain herughter when she was imagining the scene, and now the sight of this man who was sleeping calmly appeared cute to her.

    She leaned forward and gave a soft but careful peck on his lips before backing off immediately, and just when she sat back up and about to get off the bed, a firm and muscr arm encircled her waist suddenly.

    Ruan Danchen knew to whom did the arm belonged to but she took a nce on it unconsciously, admiring the difference between their arms.

    Her arms were slim and appeared fragile, whereas his arms were firm, muscr and appeared especially masculine. Ruan Danchen felt that every part of his body was sexy, attractive and without any ws in them.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm contracted slightly and pulled Ruan Danchen back to him amidst her inattentiveness.

    He got on top of Ruan Danchen before she could make a sound.

    ¡°Why are you up so early?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a croaky, sleepy voice, which obviously meant that he was not fully awake yet.

    He was used to sleeping with herpanion now. Even though he did not hug Ruan Danchen sometimes during his deep sleep, instinctively, he would still acknowledged the fact that she was beside him and the thought of it made him feel secure.

    That was the reason why he knew she was not beside him just now even though her movement was light and slight.

    Ruan Danchen knew he was still sleepy now as his eyes opened only momentarily before closing again. Now he was lying on top of her with his face buried beside her neck. She could also feel his breaths bing slow and steady too.

    However, Qi Chenglin only put less than half of his weight down on her with great care to avoid any possible harm to her despite the fact that he was still sleepy right now.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep anymore since today is the first day I start my work in Qilin, so I decided to wake up now. You should continue your sleep now,¡± Ruan Danchen answered and tried to push him away, but her attempt failed even though only less than half of Qi Chenglin¡¯s weight was on her.

    Qi Chenglin jolted awake after listening to her statement. He felt satisfied when he inhaled the familiar fragrance emitted from her warm and delicate neck which was mixed with his smell.

    ¡°Nervous?¡± Qi Chenglin lifted his soft and gentle gaze to meet hers. He rested his arms on each side of her face, brushing her long hair to the sides with his long and slender fingers, revealing the delicate face which was smaller than his palm. The face would usually be swollen upon waking up in the morning, but her delicate face appeared fair and clean instead without any signs of swelling.

    She normally wore a light make up to work, but now she did not have the need to make up anymore since she was unemployed. However, she did make up slightly whenever she went out and it would make her appear like a university student. No one would believe that her actual age was twenty-six years old because she appeared almost as young and innocent as those university students with the slight make up on her. She looked like she was just around eighteen or neen years old with her pure and honest appearance now and with her big, round eyes staring at him innocently. This made Qi Chenglin felt like he wasmitting a crime right now.

    ¡°A little,¡± Ruan Danchen answered honestly. She had decided to tell him the truth, no matter the severity of cases or even if it was just her feeling, after the job interview on that day.

    Since this man would not get angry with her no matter the circumstances.

    Ruan Danchen was fearless now after constantly being pampered by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯m a little nervous since it¡¯s my first day of working in a new environment after all,¡± Ruan Danchen admitted sincerely.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes were particrly gentle when he stared at her and his voice was soft yet croaky. ¡°Why are you nervous? I¡¯m there, right?¡±

    ¡°I know, but I don¡¯t want to make you feel embarrassed if I made mistakes,¡± Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed when she answered him.

    ¡°Do you want to reach thepany earlier?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a smile on his face.

    ¡°That¡¯s not necessary, it¡¯s good enough to just arrive on time,¡± Ruan Danchen did not want the father and son to rush just for her.

    ¡°Tell me the truth,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a twitch to his lips after leaned in closer to her and tightened his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and whispered in embarrassment, ¡°Yes, I want to go earlier to familiarize myself with the environment.¡±

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at her and smiled softly, then he leaned forward to kiss her lips and patted her buttocks gently. ¡°Wake up, we¡¯re leaving earlier today.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too early right now, we can just leave at the usual timing. Let Youxuan sleep a while more,¡± Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin sat up together but she held his arm back.

    ¡°He had already woken up by now,¡± Qi Chenglin turned around and nced at her with a smile on her face before pulling her up from the bed.

    Ruan Danchen remained skeptical at his statement. It was impossible that he would wake up early based on his constant sleep ins.

    However, Qi Chenglin urged and pushed her into the bathroom.

    Qi Chenglin went downstairs first and saw Aunt Zheng tidying up the house with a robotic cleaner vacuuming the floor.

    All the meals were prepared by Ruan Danchen for the father and son to consume after she started living here.

    ¡°Aunt Zheng, make breakfast for us this morning please, because Danchen is feeling anxious on her first day of work,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Aunt Zheng nodded in response and ced the cleaning cloth down before hurrying off to the kitchen.

    Qi Chenglin then went back up to second floor and saw Ruan Danchen exiting the bedroom with a casual outfit.

    He raised his eyebrows and asked, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you change into professional work outfit?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to wake Youxuan up and make breakfast afterwards. I¡¯ll change again after I¡¯m done because it¡¯s not convenient to perform all those tasks wearing an official outfit,¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    ¡°You can just settle your own matters and leave the rest to us. Aunt Zheng will prepare breakfast and I¡¯ll go wake Youxuan up,¡± Qi Chenglin felt her benevolence and peace when she wore casually, as if now she belonged to him after abducting her into this house.

    Ruan Danchen felt especially rxed as there were no restrictions in this house. She considered this as her home and subconsciously, she was the owner of this house now.

    Qi Chenglin felt happy and closed in on her, squeezing her near to the door frame. His hand rested on her waist, radiating heat through the soft cotton of her casual outfit to her skin.

    He squeezed in further and almost nestling up on her, then yed with her in his embosom. He leaned forward, his lips almost touching hers, and the tip of his nose brushing on her cheek, teasing her.

    Ruan Danchen could feel his hot breath spraying on her cheek. She started to blush and the numbness started to spread from her ears extending to the whole of her face and finally to her neck.

    Qi Chenglin inhaled the slight fragrance on her face and felt his mood today would brightened a lot.

    Qi Chenglin felt motivated at work right now, and this was also due to the fact that she would start her work today in Qilin and worked with him in the samepany.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s breathing became heavy and avoided direct eye contact. His nice looking lips were almost touching hers but he just did not want to kiss her, making her feel embarrassed and ashamed.

    She was squeezed near the doorframe passively but now her hands quivered cowardly, and she grabbed the corner of his shirt tightly in the end.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and his gaze on hers was full of mollycoddle.

    ¡°Do you want to take the initiative?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled into a warm but indecent smile and pinched her softly.

    ¡°I hate you,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft voice quivered as she felt extremely embarrassed right now.

    ¡°Kiss or not?¡± His lips were almost on her cheek and they brushed against her skin as he spoke.

    He really liked it when she took the initiative.

    Ruan Danchen felt her face burned and numb, and she avoided eye contact due to embarrassment. Finally, she summoned up her courage and lifted her head after Qi Chenglin urged her by pinching on her waist twice. Her height was only until his shoulder level but his lips were close to hers when he lowered his head.

    She tiptoed slightly and pecked on his soft and nice looking lips in a hurried pace.

    Her face was rosy pink when she returned to her original position and whispered, ¡°I¡¯m going to get dressed now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched into a faint smile. It was a smile that no one could imitate and it always induced palpitations in her.

    Qi Chenglin did not let her go and mmed his lips onto hers instead, pressing his tongue to the seam of her lips, and at her grant of ess, delved inside her mouth. Energy was being constantly drained out of her as they kissed, and she was already leaning against his chest when their lips parted. Her initial clear eyes now became misty as if covered by a thin fog which appeared especially attractive to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s Adam¡¯s apple slithered within his throat as he nced upon her red, plump lips and now, he did not want to release her from his embosom.

    He took a deep breath and released her after a while, turning around to Qi Youxuan¡¯s room after Ruan Danchen went back to her bedroom.

    He saw Qi Youxuan sleeping in a sort of luxurious sprawl upon entering his room.

    Qi Chenglin was unsure since when Qi Youxuan¡¯s pajamas was lifted up, revealing a fair-skinned abdomen which despite one whole night of fasting, remained rounded and protruded.

    His left calf was curled inwards and pointed towards the right corner of the bed, and his fair, chubby feet appeared especially cute in his sleeping posture.

    His arms were raised above his head as if surrendering, and the corner of his nket covered half of his abdomen. His mouth was wide open in his deep slumber, with saliva trailing down from the corner of his mouth.

    Qi Chenglin smiled at the sight of his sleeping posture. He walked towards Qi Youxuan and ced his hand on Qi Youxuan¡¯s abdomen, which was huge inparison with the abdomen.

    Qi Chenglin said with a deep, calm voice while shaking his abdomen, ¡°It¡¯s time to wake up now.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was having a dream about him eating a pizza and swallowed his saliva with a loud slurp before he was shaken back to reality. Then, he felt a coolness wrapping around him in a semi-conscious state.

    His small hand held onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s wrist and pushed it away. Then, he flipped around to his side, opened his eyes forcibly to take a peek at the Winnie the Pooh clock. After realizing he still had half an hour of sleep before his usual wake up routine, he rxed and wrapped himself tightly with the nket before closing his eyes and dozing off to sleep.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes and shook him again. ¡°Get out of bed quickly.¡±

    ¡°Shut up, I still have half an hour of sleep left before waking up,¡± Qi Youxuan mumbled in a sleepy tone before flipping around again and now his back was facing Qi Chenglin. He wrapped himself tighter with the nket and almost covered up his face in the process.

    Qi Chenglin went to lift the nket up instead but his attempt proved to be a failure since Qi Youxuan wrapped himself up tightly like a cocoon.

    Qi Chenglin stared at Qi Youxuan for a while, then he went to the washroom all of a sudden and came back with his hands wet momentarily.

    Qi Youxuan continued his slumber peacefully, not knowing the danger that was slowly creeping up to him. Qi Chenglin tried to lift up the nket with his dry hand and when a space was created within the nket, he slipped his wet hand inside.

    On the next second, the kid let out a cry and jumped up. Now, he was wide awake.

    He turned around and red at the culprit with his eyes wide opened indignantly. ¡°Dad, what are you doing?¡±

    He almost froze to death!

    They could control the water output temperature in the house and based on the temperature of Qi Chenglin¡¯s wet hand, his father purposely washed his hands under the coldest setting.

    It is winter now and he just did not feel sorry for his son!

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to wake up when I called out to you nicely,¡± Qi Chenglin stared at Qi Youxuan calmly and answered in a t tone.

    Qi Youxuan had a bad temper upon waking up and now, he was exasperated. He reached out to his clock with his chubby hand and pointed at the time to Qi Chenglin. ¡°There¡¯s still half an hour left! Why are you waking me up so early? It¡¯s tiring enough to study, can¡¯t you let me have a good rest?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin felt speechless. Qi Youxuan normally finished his homework at school and Qi Chenglin would supervised Qi Youxuan for English revision once he returned home. Then, Qi Youxuan would watch cartoons while jogging before taking a rest, shower and sleep in the end. How tired could he possibly be?

    ¡°Your Aunt Ruan is feeling nervous since today is her first day of work, and she wants to familiarize herself with the new environment. We will leave earlier too,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    Qi Youxuan was shivering from the icy coldness but he got down from the bed immediately after hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s exnation. ¡°Dad, I¡¯d wake up if you told me that it¡¯s Aunt Ruan who wanted to leave earlier.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was especially deft in his actions. He went to the washroom and stood on a stool before squeezing some toothpaste on his toothbrush and started brushing his teeth.

    A few momentster, he walked out of the washroom while still brushing his teeth, then he mumbled with his mouth full of foams which was iprehensible to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°Speak clearly.¡±

    Qi Youxuan returned to the washroom immediately. He stepped back on the stool, spit out the foams and rinsed his mouth before exiting the washroom again. ¡°Dad, we owned thepany, right? Why does she need to familiarize herself with the environment when you can just let her be in charge?¡±

    ¡°Your Aunt Ruan wants to be low profile and doesn¡¯t want to show off in thepany,¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    Qi Youxuan blushed upon listening to his statement and said in embarrassment, ¡°Aunt Ruan¡¯s personality is exactly the same as mine.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin stood up from the small bed and mocked. ¡°She isn¡¯t as shameful as you are.¡±

    He walked out of the room after mocking Qi Youxuan.

    However, Qi Youxuan was not bothered about his statement. He went back to the washroom and took a nce at the mirror. When he noticed there was residual foam at the corner of his lips, he cleaned it off and washed his face before applying Johnson lotion on his face.

    He even got dressed and went to the dining area looking neat and clean so that his Aunt Ruan¡¯s morning went on smoothly and would not feel extremely anxious at work.

    Ruan Danchen had finished tidying up herself and put on a light makeup. She had not apply lip balm yet and nned to do so only after she had her breakfast. She did not go downstairs after exiting her bedroom and instead, she went to Qi Youxuan¡¯s bedroom first, which was empty was she entered.

    She went to the dining area and just when she was about to ask for Qi Youxuan¡¯s whereabouts, she saw the father and son sitting at the dining table with breakfast in front of them. There was breakfast prepared even at her empty seat.

    This made Ruan Danchen felt embarrassment, and she asked while sitting down, ¡°Did you guys wait me for long?¡±

    ¡°No, we just got down not long ago,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly.

    Qi Youxuan lowered his head and started eating his porridge, thinking that his father came down here the earliest.

    It was half an hour earlier than usual when the trio finished their breakfast. Ruan Danchen applied ayer of lip balm lightly before taking her bag and went out of the house with Qi Chenglin.

    They sent Qi Youxuan to Jixia Elementary School before going to Qilin together.

    Qi Chenglin usually drove to work himself as there was no need for Xiao Yang to be the chauffeur unless there was any emergency in the morning.

    Qilin had two different parking areas ¨C above ground and underground parking areas. The Qi family had reserved parking slots in both the parking areas, and they usually would park their cars in either parking slots based on their moods.

    Ruan Danchen feared that she may have acted ostentatiously if she went down the car which was parked in the above ground parking area.

    She did not want this rtionship to be a sort of secret affair and was not nning to hide it purposely, so she would sit Qi Chenglin¡¯s car whenever she went to work in the morning or getting off work at night. Now, she nned to go with the flow, and would feel grateful for the peace and quiet if no one knew about this.

    However, she was not bothered and would just simply admit it if someone found out about it.

    She would still preferred to be low profile and not going to brag about it, so she let Qi Chenglin parked his car in the reserved parking slot at the underground parking area.

    Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chenglin, Qi Chengyue and even Cheng Dongge¡¯s parking slots were arranged together. There were differences between theirs and the normal staff¡¯s parking slots, but remained low profile nheless.

    Ruan Danchen turned towards Qi Chenglin and said in embarrassment after the engine was turned off, ¡°Er... I¡¯m leaving first, you can leave two steps behind meter.¡±

    She feared that Qi Chenglin may feel unhappy after finishing his statement, which turned out to be true as his face was expressionless and his emotions were unreadable now. She knew he was not feeling happy about it right now as this man wanted the whole world to know how loving he was towards her.

    She had no idea what kind of disease he had contracted as it felt like he was suffocating from not being able to let the world knew how he pampered her with the whole of his heart.

    Did he acquire this habit recently or he usually acted this way since he was born?

    Ruan Danchen leaned forward quickly and kissed him on the lips. Now she was taking the initiative unlike this morning which she felt embarrassed in kissing him actively.

    It was strange that she was able to take the initiative and kissed him if they were not clinging onto each other, but when he went up to her flirtatiously, she could not perform anything due to nervousness.

    ¡°I am happy to be able to work with you in the samepany,¡± Ruan Danchen put on a sweet smile. She purposely said what Qi Chenglin loved to hear but this was the truth. She really liked it when she could work with him and met up at him whenever she wanted.

    Sure enough, Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes started to sparkle and there was a faint smile on his face, unlike the t expression he put on just now.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    <<Qi Chenglin¡¯s Arts and Crafts Workbook 4>>

    Qi Chenglin did not bother to put on ears and nose on the little bear craftworks since it was an utter failure and took two lumps straight to the school on the next morning.

    The teacher asked all the students to introduce their artworks one by one in the ss.

    When it was Qi Chenglin¡¯s turn, he held the two lumps to the podium and announced seriously. ¡°I made these after getting inspiration from watching <<Animal>>st night.¡±

    There was a glimmer in the teacher¡¯s eyes and thought that the Qi family¡¯s child was different from the others as he had a different, higher mindset. ¡°What did you make?¡±

    Qi Chenglin disyed the two lumps in his hands slowly¨C

 Chapter 361 - Handsomeness Is The Root Of All Troubles

    Chapter 361: Handsomeness Is The Root Of All Troubles

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen retrieved her hand which was holding Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm unconsciously when she kissed him just now, but he grabbed her wrist immediately and pulled her into his embosom. He leaned forward and mmed his lips on hers with precise uracy, pressing his tongue to the seam of her lips forcefully and delved inside her mouth deeply.

    The way he held her and made her head leaned backwards induced palpitations and rosiness on her cheeks. Her body was even leaning helplessly but feeling secure in his embosom.

    He let her go after a while but Ruan Danchen still feeling dizzy from the kiss just now.

    Qi Chenglin nced at her adorkable look and his lips curled into a sweet smile of affection. He pampered her with kisses on her lips again before reminding her in a good mood. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want to leave two steps earlier than me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen blinked as if she was not fully conscious, finally reacted to his question after a while as she stared at him in slight annoyance. The underground parking lot was dimmerpared to the above ground parking lot.

    His eyes were deep and crystal clear, his lips curled into a faint smile, and his face appeared handsome and elegant. One would describe him as peerless in elegance and talent.

    The calm temperament he radiated would induce admiration in others.

    Ruan Danchen thought to herself. ¡°Handsomeness is the root of all troubles.¡±

    She had lost her sense of direction after their lips danced together and now she had forgotten her nervousness. She looked around her surroundings before getting out of the car, which was clear as their parking slot was quite covert aspared to others.

    Ruan Danchen got off the car with a reddened face, then she heard the sound of car door closing and locking from behind after she walked for two steps.

    She turned around in curiosity and saw Qi Chenglin putting his car key with his elegant, long fingers into his pocket. He walked two steps further and stopped when he saw her standing still.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to walk two steps slower than me?¡± Ruan Danchen had nothing to worry about since they were alone and asked him directly.

    Qi Chenglin took his hand out after inserting his phone into his pocket and raised his eyebrows, then he scanned the distance between his and Ruan Danchen¡¯s toes without saying a word.

    Then he said, ¡°I thought you wanted me to walk two steps behind you?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words and estimated the distance between them, which was approximately two steps away based on his gait. This man held onto grudges and was unwilling to follow her instructions.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure how to react to his question so she chose to walk back to him instead. Then, she slipped her soft hand into his warm palm and stroke the hair on his arm. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll just walk with you then.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not scared to let others know about this?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and mocked, but deep down he was happy like a child.

    ¡°Not going to publicize deliberately, not going to conceal deliberately,¡± Ruan Danchen spoke like it was a kind of slogan.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and his expression appeared warm. ¡°You¡¯re making a poem now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled in embarrassment and her reddened face appeared especially pretty and cute to him.

    Qi Chenglin put on a faint smile and brought her to the entrance leading to Qilin¡¯s lobby before releasing his grip.

    Ruan Danchen turned towards him in doubt. Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and said, ¡°I thought you wanted to be low profile?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt sorry for him as she felt she treated him unfairly, and stared at him with a sense of guilt.

    Qi Chenglin broke intoughter and pinched on her face. ¡°What kind of expression is this, it¡¯s not like you¡¯re running away from home.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then took the initiative and held his hand again. ¡°Thank you for tolerating me and agreeing to my wilful request.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wilful, and besides, it¡¯s natural for a man to do his very best to satisfy a woman¡¯s needs. Your request isn¡¯t beyond measure and it¡¯s not something that I can¡¯t do,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up faintly but gently as he stared at her affectionately.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s statement softened and warmed Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart and she felt so touched now until she did not know how to respond to him. There was no one who would pamper her, made her a priority and more important than himself like Qi Chenglin did since young.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes started to be misty and her nose became snotty. She swallowed and sighed. This man was treating her extremely well, and her guilt grew stronger as she felt sorry for him.

    Ruan Danchen blinked in embarrassment before she tiptoed and kissed him quickly.

    Qi Chenglin was taken aback as he did not expect her to kiss him in public. He squeezed her hand after collecting his thoughts and said, ¡°Come to my office for lunchter.¡±

    It would be inconvenient to go out for lunch since she wanted to stay low profile, and he usually was not very particr regarding his eating habits, so he decided to order delivery from Dynasty and have lunch with Ruan Danchen together in the office in future.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Ruan Danchen agreed softly, feeling especially happy that she was able to meet with him in thepany from now on. She would not be bothered even if someone, who did not realize her identity, caused troubles to her. Now, all her anxiety due to first day of work had disappeared into thin air because of him.

    She thought she was independent and would not cling onto anyone since young. She despised it if she became a woman who waspletely dependent on a man after what had happened to Liu Ronghua. She did not mean to be extremely strong-willed which would induce difort to others but at least she would not simply ept a man¡¯s kindness or help.

    During the period when Ruan Danchen went back to study after giving birth to Youxuan, there were boys in school who would express their affections towards her and confessed to her. After she graduated and started her job in Chengshi, and since her work required her to visit clients¡¯panies, inevitably she had tomunicate with the staff or met them coincidentally at the client¡¯spany. They wanted to court her but she did not have any intention to start a rtionship at that time.

    She never attempted to find someone to rely on and endured even the hardest moment all these while all by herself.

    However, she could not help but always depended on Qi Chenglin whenever she faced him. She could feel at ease and ignored everything, knowing that he would be there to support her even if the sky copsed on her.

    Qi Chenglin leaned forward and kissed her before gesturing her to go ahead. Ruan Danchen then walked ahead of Qi Chenglin.

    However, Qi Chenglin followed behind with only around two to three steps distance between them. He did not want to stay further from her as if could not bear the thought of her not being in his field of vision.

    Thus the duo entered Qilin one after another, keeping a few steps of distance between them. The general staff did not notice anything peculiar about them and greeted Qi Chenglin politely. ¡°General manager.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded lightly and entered the private elevator which was owned by Qi Chengzhi and him.

    He turned around to look for Ruan Danchen standing in front of the elevator among the crowd after pressing the ¡®Up¡¯ button.

    The crowd in front of the elevator was not big, consisting of approximately seven or eight people, but it was difficult locating Ruan Danchen who was standing right in the middle of the crowd. However, Qi Chenglin could always locate her in an instance no matter how huge the crowd was.

    The elevator that general staff used was on the seventh floor now but the door to the private elevator opened, and Qi Chenglin took a peek at Ruan Danchen again.

    Luo Yushu was wearing a down coat when he entered Qilin. He was already fat and now, he looked like a bear with his coat on. It was warm inside Qilin so he took his scarf and leather gloves off as he walked towards the elevator, and coincidentally, Qi Chenglin looked at his direction which made him stunned.

    He greeted quickly. ¡°General manager, good morning.¡±

    Qi Chenglin then managed to shift his gaze from Ruan Danchen to him and responded lightly. ¡°Morning.¡±

    Even though Qi Chenglin did not disy any special expressions such as a smile, Luo Yushu felt that he was in a good mood now because his facial features appeared soft and gentle.

    Luo Yushu was overwhelmed by surprise and wondered why all of a sudden the general manager was being well-mannered towards him.

    He looked around his surroundings before Qi Chenglin entered the private elevator.

    ¡°Good morning, Manager Luo,¡± After the private elevator that Qi Chenglin took closed and started to go up, the staff around Luo Yushu greeted him. Ruan Danchen did not want to act differently than the others, and besides, she met Luo Yushu for quite a few times before.

    ¡°Good morning, Manager Luo,¡± Ruan Danchen turned around and greeted him with a smile on her face. Even though she greeted him based on Qi Chenglin¡¯s prestige, at least Luo Yushu really took care of her well.

    Shivers went down Luo Yushu¡¯s spine as he realized what Qi Chenglin was staring at just now.

    He recalled Qi Chenglin once informed him that Ruan Danchen wanted to stay low profile, so he quickly responded with a smile and said, ¡°Good morning, Miss Ruan. Oh, that¡¯s right, today¡¯s your first day of work.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked around her in embarrassment, and true enough, all other staff was looking at her full of surprises. They did not understand why Luo Yushu was being respectful to her like he was treating Mrs. Qi.

    Did this youngdy had some kind of background too?

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to respond appropriately so she just smiled and nodded.

    Luo Yushu then said quickly, ¡°Come and find me if you encounter any issues.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded now and Luo Yushu blushed after finishing his statement. There was no need for her to report to him as she was General Manager Qi¡¯s wife, she would report directly to the general manager if she encountered any issues.

    However,e to think of it, it was beneficial to express his loyalty and standpoint.

    The elevator reached the ground floor at this moment and the door opened momentarily. Naturally, the staff would make way for the leader to enter first, so Ruan Danchen took half a step backwards and gestured Luo Yushu to enter first without saying a word.

    Luo Yushu was a smart man. He knew not to make it too obvious so he entered the elevator first but with a guilty conscience because General Manager Qi¡¯s wife just gave precedence to him out of courtesy.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s design department was at the eighth floor but Luo Yushu would exit the elevator at the seventh floor.

    Luo Yushu was thinking long and hard in the elevator. If he made it appeared too obvious and exposed the fact that Ruan Danchen was General Manager Qi¡¯s wife, the general manager himself would be happy about it. However, the general manager would still punish him if Ruan Danchen was unhappy about her identity being revealed publicly andint to Qi Chenglin.

    After racking his brain for quite some time, he found a solution. When the door opened after the elevator reached the seventh floor and before he stepped out of it, he greeted all the staff in the elevator with kindness and warmth before saying goodbye to Ruan Danchen with cordialness and enthusiasm.

    Luo Yushu silently praised himself for his quick-witted actions after exiting the elevator and walked back to his office with a happy mood.

    The staff who remained in the elevator were curious about Ruan Danchen¡¯s true identity but it would be impolite to ask openly.

    Thus, all of them could only contained their curiosities and nned to inquire about it from Luo Yushu next time.

    Furthermore, there was not enough time for them to ask Ruan Danchen as the elevator reached the eighth floor in mere seconds. Ruan Danchen gave them a faint smile and nodded before exiting the elevator.

    However, to her surprise, she saw Manager Zou from design department waiting at the doorstep of the department which was just around the corner.

    Manager Zou did not wait for Ruan Danchen at the elevator because it would attract unwanted attention.

    Manager Zou was still asleep when his phone rang in the morning, and his first impression was that it was a harassing phone call because he did not recognize the caller¡¯s phone number. He picked up the call nheless, and it was his habit to remain silent and let the caller spoke first. If it was some kind of advertisement or harassment call, he need not spoke as well and would just hung up the call.

    However, the caller remained silent too after he epted the call.

    Manager Zou started to feel annoyed. The most difficult task in the morning was to get up from bed and get as much sleep as possible. He was still drowsy after awakened by the phone call and with an annoyed and sleepy voice, he said, ¡°Hi.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± Qi Chenglin responded lightly. He called Manager Zuo stealthily in the washroom on the first floor with the door locked when Ruan Danchen was getting changed in her bedroom, and it made him feel like he was a thief.

    The tone and pitch of the voice was altered by the phone itself and the space within the washroom, plus Manager Zou had not regained his consciousness at that moment. He did not recognize the voice and his annoyance grew stronger as he asked, ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Qi Chenglin,¡± Qi Chenglin remained expressionless as he answered with a deep voice.

    Shivers ran down Manager Zou¡¯s spine and he jolted awake in an instance, soaked in cold sweats. The shock sent him tumbling down the bed and Qi Chenglin could even hear a slight ¡°Bang¡± on the other end of the phone.

    ¡°General... general manager, so... sorry, I didn¡¯t know it was you who called... I thought it was some kind of harassing phone call... Ah! No, I didn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re harassing me...¡± Manager Zou stammered. He was so surprised until his clothes were soaked in sweat and he even ignored the pain from falling onto the ground as he did not expect that it was Qi Chenglin who called him. Jiang Yuan usually was the middleman if any matter arose, so naturally he would not save Qi Chenglin¡¯s contact number in his cell phone.

    Manager Zou was annoyed at himself and pped his mouth because his exnation seemed to make things worse.

    To be honest, Qi Chenglin was not angry. He merely put on a stern and cold expression to outsiders, with Ruan Danchen as an exception who he would be extremely gentle and affectionate towards her.

    He interrupted Manager Zou¡¯s messy exnation and said, ¡°Danchen will reach the office earlier today to familiarize herself with the new environment.¡±

    Manager Zou snapped out of drowsiness and became clear-minded now. He got up from the floor immediately after hearing the statement and there was no need for Qi Chenglin to exin any further. ¡°I¡¯m going to thepany now and wait for Madam. I¡¯ll arrive earlier than Madam.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was satisfied with Manager Zou¡¯s statement. Meanwhile, he took a nce at the mirror and tidied up his tie in the washroom before asking calmly, ¡°Did I disturb your rest?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Manager Zou was helpless.

    Qi Chenglin was not angry, but he sure was narrow-minded!

    ¡°No, no, I¡¯m about to wake up now,¡± Manager Zou hurried to the wardrobe and flipped through it to look for his office outfit before saying goodbye to Qi Chenglin and hung up the call.

    He did not dare to prolong the call with Qi Chenglin, or else Qi Chenglin would continue to find trouble for him.

    Manager Zou finished tidying up himself and got dressed before exiting the bedroom. He went to the kitchen to check if breakfast was ready, and his appearance surprised Mrs. Zou who was preparing breakfast for her husband and their daughter who was studying in junior high school. ¡°Why are you up so early today?¡±

    Manager Zou stopped recalling the memory as it brought tears and sadness if he continued going down the memoryne. Now, he faced Ruan Danchen with respect.

    Ruan Danchen recognized Manager Zou as he was one of the interviewers who interviewed her, so she greeted him. ¡°Good morning, Manager Zou.¡±

    Manager Zou put on a wide smile immediately which made his face appeared wrinkled. ¡°Ha ha, Miss Ruan, you¡¯re here early.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt that Manager Zou had exactly the same expression as Luo Yushu. She could not help but wondered if Qi Chenglin instructed Manager Zou to take care of her as well?

    Ruan Danchen felt curious but she did not inquire about it directly and said, ¡°Yes, I want to familiarize myself with the environment. Manager Zou, you can just call me Xiao Ruan. Miss Ruan seems a bit too much, I¡¯ll feel stress about that title.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha, alright,¡± Manager Zou nodded and took a peek at the watch. ¡°It¡¯s still early now, I can¡¯t introduce you to the staff now as not all of them are present yet. How about this, I¡¯ll bring you to the human resources department andplete your employment registration procedure. All the staff in the design department should arrive by the time your registration ispleted.¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯m sorry to trouble you, Manager Zou,¡± Ruan Danchen said. She knew the location of human resources department as she left her contact number thest time she came for interview.

    She just did not reject Manager Zou¡¯s offer because she wanted to know if he had realized her true identity or not.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s not troublesome at all,¡± Manager Zou smiled and acted especially kind towards her. He appeared benign and uncontentious, unlike how the staff in design department referred him as the ¡°Deadly Comet Reminder Zou¡±.

    Manager Zou brought Ruan Danchen to the human resources department. The manager had not arrived yet but there was staff working already.

    There were not many staff in the human resources department ¨C one manager and two staff only. However, this kind of work did not require a lot of staff to work on it.

    Manager Zou noticed that the manager of human resources department had not arrived yet but he did not bother much about it, at least human resources department manager would not fawn over General Manager Qi¡¯s wife. Thus, he asked the female staff who had arrived to start working on Ruan Danchen¡¯s employment registration procedure.

    Ruan Danchen brought her graduation and bachelor¡¯s degree certificate for the registration, and while the female staff was working on it, Manager He from human resources department arrived. She wore a neat office outfit with a bag in her hand when she entered the department.

    She noticed Manager Zou standing alongside a woman inside the department, whom she did not recognize initially because she only saw the woman¡¯s side view. After she walked towards them and had a closer look at the woman, she rushed forward with her high heels making loud ¡®click¡¯ sounds and said with surprise, ¡°This must be general... Miss Ruan, right?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stared at the human resources department manager who was in her thirties and confirmed her suspicions. Manager He and Manager Zou knew her true identity as Manager He identally slipped the information out of her mouth just now.

    Ruan Danchen felt awkward right now. She suspected that it was Qi Chenglin who instructed them to take care of her behind her back.

    She did not know how to respond to Qi Chenglin¡¯s actions now. Initially, he promised her to remain low profile but informed Manager He and Manager Zou silently without telling her.

    Ruan Danchen guessed that man, whose efficiency was his code, called a meeting with the cadres from middle to upper management levels and told them everything. Perhaps all of Qilin¡¯s cadres from middle to upper management levels knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s true identity now.

    It was undeniable that despite the fact that Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin were not married yet, they possessed tacit understanding like a husband and wife now. Her guess about Qi Chenglin¡¯s possible actions was all correct.

    Come to think of it, did Qi Chenglin purposely added in extra working position in the design department for Ruan Danchen unlike what Yao Jingfei mentionedst time stating that it was prepared especially for her by Yao Qingzhi?

    She had that suspicionst time but she did not give it further thoughts after it was interrupted by Qi Chenglin.

    The initial suspicion plus Manager He and Manager Zou¡¯s reactions made Ruan Danchen feel like this was the truth. She could not describe her current feelings now. She felt a little funny but at the same time, she felt touched at his actions.

    That man feared that she would not want to ept his help so he did all these behind her back and with absolute care and cautious. He wanted to pamper and ingratiate her, but he had to do these without letting her know.

    He was a stern and calm man who usually reacted lightly to others, but he racked his brain just for her and even pampered her directly and indirectly. The very thought of his actions warmed and softened her heart.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome and elegant face appeared in Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind and she could not wave the image away.

    Now that Ruan Danchen worked together with Qi Chenglin in the same building in the samepany, and he was currently at the twenty-fifth floor, she fought the urge to go up and meet him to give him a kiss for what he did.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    <<Qi Chenglin¡¯s Arts and Crafts Workbook 5>>

    Qi Chenglin held up the two lumps to chest level and let the whole ss witnessed his artworks.

    He then introduced his works. ¡°The <<Animal>> was exining about dung beetles pushing dung ballsst night, so I made a replica out of it. These two lumps were dung balls rolled by the dung beetles. The big lump was rolled by a bigger dung beetle and the smaller lump was rolled by a smaller dung beetle.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The teacher and all the students were left speechless.

    The teacher did not know how to respond to him. He somehow knew he could never have high hopes for the Qi family¡¯s siblings to perform their arts and crafts work properly. She recalled that Qi Chengzhi plucked a piece of lotus leaf out of the pond in his parent¡¯s housing area and said that he made an umbre out of thisst time! An umbre!

 Chapter 362 - Who Gave You Permission To Simply Refer Her As Xiao Ruan

    Chapter 362: Who Gave You Permission To Simply Refer Her As Xiao Ruan

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Since Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin worked together in the samepany and in the same office building, and he was on the twenty-fifth floor, she had to fight the urge to get up there and kiss him for what he had done for her.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s my first day of work today. I¡¯m here to register for my employment,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she snapped out of her thoughts.

    Both of the managers knew her identity, though she did not show nor did she try to hide it.

    However, Manage Zou tried to signal Manager He to tell her that she was quite obvious in her actions. It would have been fine if Ruan Danchen figured out their intentions, but what if the staff noticed it too?

    The general manager had only given them instructions and not the other general staff, and he had explicitly told them to be low profile. Unfortunately, their actions depicted otherwise.

    Manager He realized her mistake, and so she instructed one of her subordinates toplete the employment registration procedure.

    Ruan Danchen filled in her personal information on the form, and she managed toplete the procedure ten minutes before work was due to start.

    Manager Zou then brought Ruan Danchen to the purchasing department to get her office supplies. Luo Yushu, the manager, was there to greet and wee her personally. They had many kinds of office supplies, and so he filled the box with stationeries regardless of whether Ruan Danchen had a use for them or not.

    ¡°If you need anything else, just call us, and I¡¯ll get someone to send it to you,¡± Luo Yushu whispered to Ruan Danchen when he determined that no one was watching them.

    Ruan Danchen finally knew what it was like to have the superiors¡¯ favor. Everyone tried to kiss-up to her wherever she went, and no one dared to bully her or talk behind her back.

    Ruan Danchen politely epted Luo Yushu¡¯s offer. He then instructed one of his subordinates to carry Ruan Danchen¡¯s box of office supplies to the design department because he thought that he should not ask General Manager Qi¡¯s wife to carry the box herself. He also knew that he could not ask Manager Zou to help Ruan Danchen with the box because she wore a casual office outfit, and it was inappropriate to let Manager Zou carry a box for a ¡®general staff.¡¯

    Everyone thought that it was unusual for Manager Luo to be so kind toward a general staff, but they could not disobey him. Xiao Zhang had the misfortune to be singled out, so he quickly took the box from Ruan Danchen and followed her and Manager Zou to the design department.

    Luo Yushu did not return to his office. Instead, he stood at therge open bay outside of the department when Xiao Zhan, who thought that it was rather peculiar, returned.

    Then, Luo Yushu asked, ¡°Have you delivered the supplies?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I put the box of supplies right on Xiao Ruan¡¯s desk.¡± Xiao Zhang nodded with curiosity.

    Luo Yushu¡¯s small eyes widened in surprise even though the sizes of his eyes remained the same as before. Then, he said dourly, ¡°Who gave you permission to refer her as Xiao Ruan?¡±

    ¡°She... she told me to. She said that we¡¯re all colleagues, and she¡¯s two years younger than me, so I can just call her Xiao Ruan,¡± Xiao Zhang answered innocently.

    Luo Yushu pursed his lips and asked, ¡°Did you help her tidy up the desk beforeing back here?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xiao Zhang was dumbfounded.

    Xiao Zhang leaned forward, rubbed his hands in anticipation and asked cautiously, ¡°Manager, who is Xiao... Miss Ruan? Is she a rtive or a friend of someone from thepany¡¯s higher management level?¡±

    Luo Yushu rolled his eyes in response to his question and said, ¡°What do you mean? Ruan... Xiao Ruan is my best friend¡¯s daughter. She has just started working here, so naturally, I have to take good care of her.¡±

    Xiao Zhang did not believe a word of that because of how respectful Manager Luo was toward Ruan Danchen.

    Since Manager Luo kept his mouth shut, Xiao Zhang gave up his attempt to satisfy his curiosity.

    ...

    ...

    Work had officially started, and the staff in the design department had already reported for duty. Yao Jingfei had also arrived, and she was already seated at her desk.

    There was nothing on her desk, not a pen or a piece of paper, except for a lonelyputer.

    However, there was a huge box full of office supplies on Ruan Danchen¡¯s desk, and that had surprised all the staff in the design department. They did not receive that many office supplies when they started their jobs there, and it was a luxury to hope that someone would deliver those supplies to them too.

    Did Xiao Zhang from the purchasing department have a crush on Ruan Danchen?

    That was a possibility because their new colleague was a pretty and graceful woman. Even though she did not have stunning looks, something radiated from within her that everyone found irresistible when they looked at her. It was as if they could not direct their gaze elsewhere if they were to do that.

    Ruan Danchen had fair and bright skin, and she had purposely worn only light makeup so that she would appear more intellectual. A heavy and overemphasized makeup would induce antipathy in her female colleagues and bosses as they might think that she had a tendency for misconduct and would be difficult to manage.

    Even then, her innocent appearance made her look younger, like a fresh university graduate who radiated a pure aura from within her. She did not appear old or mature in the way she dressed.

    Ruan Danchen looked young because of her pure and bright temperament, and not because she was blessed with a babyface. If one were to put it simply, Ruan Danchen¡¯s beauty was young and pure, and it was the kind of beauty that would not get snubbed by the same gender.

    Some female colleagues, especially those who were in a rtionship or married, stared at Ruan Danchen and thought that perhaps Xiao Zhang was interested in her and had wanted to court her. The gossip had started to spread like wildfire.

    It was Luo Yushu who had instructed Xiao Zhang to carry the box for General Manager Qi¡¯s wife. Still, everyone misunderstood that as an attempt to court a youngdy.

    Coincidentally, Yao Jingfei saw Xiao Zhang as he followed behind Manager Zou and Ruan Danchen with a box in his hands when she arrived.

    Yao Jingfei had also just reached the office, and she had notpleted her employment registration yet. She stood up immediately when she saw Manager Zou apanied Ruan Danchen to the design department. She tried to walk between them to subtly push Ruan Danchen away from Manager Zou.

    Ruan Danchen did not care about that, and she even moved aside to make space for Yao Jingfei to squeeze her way in.

    Ruan Danchen was quite surprised when she saw Yao Jingfei in the design department. She recalled that there was only one vacancy left in the design department. If her guess was correct, Qi Chenglin had added the extra vacancy slot specifically for her, so she did not expect to see Yao Jingfei there too.

    After she thought about it, she realized what had happened. She assumed that Yao Qingzhi did not give up after she took the new vacancy slot. He probably forced them to create another vacancy in the design department for Yao Jingfei.

    However, Yao Jingfei was as surprised as Ruan Danchen. Yao Qingzhi had told Yao Jingfei that the designer vacancy slot was given to a woman named Ruan Danchen. Still, Yao Jingfei did not expect that Ruan Danchen was epted for the job.

    The conversation between Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin during the interview the other day left a significant impression on Yao Qingzhi.

    Yao Jingfei was exasperated when she heard the news at that moment. They promised her the new designer job, but that vacancy slot was then given to Ruan Danchen.

    Yao Jingfei even showed off confidently in front of Ruan Danchen that the job was hers. How Ruan Danchen must have mocked her then!

    However, Yao Qingzhi told her that Qi Chenglin had agreed to add a new vacancy slot for an assistant designer after he discussed it with him. Since Ruan Danchen already had a few years of work experience, it was unsuitable and illogical for a fresh graduate like Yao Jingfei to take up the helm as a designer in Qilin.

    Even so, Yao Jingfei was not satisfied. She wanted to be a designer, how could they simply dismiss her with an assistant designer job?

    However, she really wanted to work in Qilin, so she had no choice but to grit her teeth and agreed with her new position. She had her father¡¯s support in thepany, and it would be a shame if she still lost to Ruan Danchen, who had no background or any title to her name.

    Yao Jingfei had made up her mind. She would cause enough trouble for Ruan Danchen so that not only she would resign, but she would be too disgusted to work in Qilin, and she would leave in tears too.

    Yao Jingfei still remembered how Ruan Danchen and her son humiliated her. She had not forgotten about that. She wanted to exact sweet revenge on her, and it started with an unsightly action that morning.

    Yao Jingfei thought that no one would say anything if she bullied Ruan Danchen openly.

    Manager Zou noticed that Yao Jingfei tried to push Ruan Danchen to the side, and his expression darkened as he was quite unhappy about that. The general manager¡¯s instructions were already embedded in his mind.

    Manager Zou pped his hands to attract the staff¡¯s attention, even though the staff had already fixated their gazes on the two female neers as they walked in.

    ¡°I think all of you know that we have two new female staff today, so let me introduce them to you,¡± Manager Zou said before he introduced Ruan Danchen. However, he skipped over Yao Jingfei, who stood right beside him.

    ¡°This is Ruan Danchen, our new designer in the design department. Since she¡¯s new here, so let¡¯s try to take care of her,¡± Manager Zou said with a smile.

    All the colleagues in the design department had heard of the name ¡®Ruan Danchen¡¯ from the incident where she sued Mu Sisi. That asion was a hot issue, and since they were all in the same profession, that sort of gossip got around efficiently.

    However, they had heard about Mu Sisi¡¯s attitude and behavior too. Furthermore, there was also gossip about Mu Sisi¡¯s naked photos and pornographic videos that revealed her indecent attempts to win Qi Chengzhi¡¯s affection. Anyone with a brain could guess who was at fault when Ruan Danchen sued Mu Sisi.

    So, the staff in the design department had noments about Ruan Danchen on that particr matter.

    After he introduced Ruan Danchen, Manager Zou then briefly said, ¡°This is Yao Jingfei, our new assistant designer. I know all of you are usually busy with work, so we¡¯ve added this position specifically to lessen your burdens. Let Xiao Yao help if you have anything needed doing.¡±

    Manager Zou did not try to hide his aloofness, unlike how he introduced Ruan Danchen with a gentle smile and a soft tone. The statement he made onlycked another sentence. ¡°You can give any chores to Xiao Yao, and she¡¯ll do it for you.¡±

    Yao Jingfei was slightly stunned and stared at Manager Zou in disbelief. Did he not know her true identity?

    Yao Jingfei could still work in Qilin¡¯s design department after the designer position was given to Ruan Danchen. If Manager Zou was a smart man, he should know that she was not to be offended, and he needed to please her.

    However, Manager Zou had meant for Yao Jingfei to do chores there and then!

    All the staff stared at Yao Jingfei. Unlike Ruan Danchen, Yao Jingfei wore a high-profile outfit as she feared the public would not be able to tell that she was from a much higher status than the rest of them.

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s outfit was bright and colorful. Her shirt and floral trousers were bright yellow, and she also wore an overcoat that almost reached her calves. Her makeup was exquisite but exaggerated, and it made her appear wicked and maniptive.

    Thus, they did not have a good first impression of Yao Jingfei.

    Manager Zou pped his hands again. ¡°Alright, folks, let¡¯s head back to work. Xiao Ruan, even though you already have work experience, you can just ask the staff if you encounter any issues since this is a new environment for you. If the staff is busy, then feel free to ask me too.¡±

    All the staff stared at Manager Zou in shock. Since when did Deadly Comet Reminder Zou be so nice and kind?

    Ruan Danchen showed her appreciation with a node and a smile. Yao Jingfei just stood there and waited for Manager Zou to say a few kind words to her too.

    However, Manager Zou turned around unexpectedly to go back to his office as if he had forgotten about Yao Jingfei¡¯s presence. He walked for a few steps before something came to his mind. Then he turned toward Yao Jingfei and said tly, ¡°You just came, and you haven¡¯t registered for your employment, right? Go and register quickly and take your office supplies so that you can start your work.¡±

    Manager Zou walked toward his office after he said that.

    Yao Jingfei was frozen to the spot. Was it necessary for Manager Zou to have such a massive contrast in his attitude?

    However, all the staff there felt that it was normal for Manager Zou to behave like that.

    Ruan Danchen ignored Yao Jingfei and went back to her desk to start to tidy her belongings.

    Yao Jingfei noticed it too, and so she walked toward Ruan Danchen in her high heels. She peeked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s full box of office supplies and then demanded arrogantly, ¡°I¡¯m going to register for my employment now. I¡¯m taking this box of supplies, so you can go to the purchasing department again to get another box.¡±

    She needed to register for the employment herself, or else she would have been toozy to go to the human resources department. It would just be too troublesome if she had to go to the purchasing department too.

    Ruan Danchen turned around and stared at Yao Jingfei like she was an idiot. ¡°Why should I give my supplies to you?¡±

    Yao Jingfei smiled coldly and mocked her as she said, ¡°Let me make things clear to you. These are not your supplies. These are thepany¡¯s properties that were distributed to you. My father is thepany¡¯s board member, so my family had investments in the properties that you¡¯re holding right now. You can think of it as you¡¯re using my supplies right now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips and gave Yao Jingfei a cold stare. She did not bother to argue with Yao Jingfei during the interview session, but Yao Jingfei had intensified her attacks. Ruan Danchen had not caused any troubles to Yao Jingfei, but she kept trying to harass her.

    Ruan Danchen was not one to resign herself to adversity. She tolerated Yao Jingfei¡¯s troublesome attitudest time, but things had worsened. She was the type of person who would ask for a mile if you were to give her an inch.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was not loud, but it was stern with a hint of gentleness. ¡°You just said that they were thepany¡¯s properties, and then they became your supplies. Do you mean you own Qilin? This is the first time that I¡¯ve heard about it. If I¡¯m not mistaken, your father is just a board member, not a chairman of Qilin. Thispany belongs to the Qi family and not to the Yao family. I requested for these supplies, and I have a use for themter. If you need them, you can ask for them from the purchasing department and then get them yourself. We¡¯re all colleagues here, and I think it¡¯s for the best if we can work in peace and harmony. Your father is just a board member with a small part of Qilin¡¯s share. He is not part of Qilin¡¯s conglomerate. I think even the members of the Qi family wouldn¡¯t have acted this way, so I suggest that Miss Yao maintain a lower profile.¡±

    Only then did the rest of the staff there realize that Yao Jingfei was the daughter of thepany¡¯s board member. That was probably the reason she was so arrogant.

    There was only one board member whose surname was Yao, and that was Yao Qingzhi. They disliked that board member due to his tendency to show off and it was no surprise that Yao Jingfei had the same attitude as well. Like father, like daughter.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, have care of what you speak! What¡¯s wrong with my Dad being a board member of thepany? You should show some respect since you already knew my identity. Thispany may not belong to the Yao family, but trust me, it¡¯ll be as easy as lifting my hand to fire an employee.¡± Yao Jingfei¡¯s expression paled with anger.

    Yao Jingfei did not bother to remain low profile, so she threatened Ruan Danchen arrogantly in front of all of their colleagues in the office.

    Even though it was ridiculous for such a bicker to ur in the office, none of the other staff tried to step in to break their argument as they feared that they would get fired since Yao Jingfei was the precious daughter of thepany¡¯s board member.

    However, Ruan Danchen remained fearless at Yao Jingfei¡¯s threat. If Yao Qingzhi wanted to fire Ruan Danchen, would Qi Chenglin agree to that?

    All the personnel from the middle to higher management levels knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity by then. Who would dare to listen to Yao Qingzhi?

    Thus, Ruan Danchen treated Yao Jingfei like a young and mischievous child. She smiled as if she did not give a damn about what Yao Jingfei had just said. As she tidied her office supplies, Ruan Danchen remarked, ¡°Go ahead and run to Board Member Yao to ask him to fire me now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen assembled the file shelves with efficiency, and then she ced a few folders on the table. Next, she ced the pen holder somewhere she could easily reach and put the erasers, rulers, crayons, marker pens, pencils, gel pens, and many other misceneous things into it. Soon, the pen holder was full of stationeries.

    Luo Yushu gave a lot of crayons of different kinds and qualities to Ruan Danchen when they were in the purchasing department. The pen holder was not big enough to store all those crayons, so she had no choice but to put the extra crayons in the drawer temporarily.

    Ruan Danchen was extremely confident then, and she relished the benefits of being protected by superiors. She became fearless as she did not need to care about any threats or bullies.

    She wanted to maintain a low profile, but it did not mean that she would keep quiet whenever Yao Jingfei bullied and threatened her arrogantly, or else she would not be able to get her work done normally and in peace. It was like the saying, ¡®give Yao Jingfei an inch, and she will take a mile.¡¯

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, stop pretending to be confident here. You said this yourself, so don¡¯t cry if you are fired on your first day of work here!¡± Yao Jingfei raised her voice unconsciously as she was not very confident when she said that.

    Yao Jingfei was unsure if Yao Qingzhi could even fire Ruan Danchen if she had requested it.

    ¡°Yes, I said it, so go ahead. If Qilin is unable to distinguish between public and private matters, and any board members can simply fire an employee with just a request, then you¡¯ll be the one in my current position instead of just being an assistant designer. By the way, Miss Yao, you¡¯re just an assistant designer, whereas I¡¯m the designer, so to sum it up, your position is lower than mine. If I were to ask you to take some stuff for me, then you have no choice but to take it for me. There¡¯s no such thing as me taking some stuff to you. You keep saying that you¡¯re Board Member Yao¡¯s daughter, so I don¡¯t know whether you¡¯re here to work or to brag. I suggest that you request Board Member Yao to build apany specifically for you so that you can enjoy special privileges at work, and no one will bat an eye on your arrogance,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she nodded earnestly.

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s expression paled with anger when she heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s statement, who then ignored her and turned to herputer instead.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, who do you think you are to give me suchments on the first day of work?¡± Yao Jingfei raised her voice further in response to Ruan Danchen¡¯s mockery. What Ruan Danchen had meant was that thepany did not belong to the Yao family, so Yao Jingfei should just drop her pretense.

    Du Jieshu was the head of the design department. She noticed that the situation had spiraled out of control, and she needed to step in soon, but she was unsure which side to stand on. Absolute justice was impossible, but she must choose a side for mediation.

    Senior Du did not want to step in earlier due to Yao Jingfei¡¯s identity. So, she had no choice but to stealthily instruct Chen Siyu to summon the manager before she walked toward the sources of the argument.

    ¡°Both of you stop arguing and calm down. This constant bickering is ridiculous, especially since it¡¯s working hours now. If the boss were toe down now, the whole department would be punished for this.¡± Senior Du¡¯s tone was not stern, and she had advised instead of scolded them.

    However, Yao Jingfei was unsatisfied, and just when she was about to yell again, Manager Zou rushed toward them. Chen Siyu quickly returned to her seat in fear that Yao Jingfei might remember that it was her who called Manager Zou.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What¡¯s with all these arguments on the first day of work?¡± Manager Zou walked toward them, but his stern expression and questions were directed at Yao Jingfei.

    Yao Jingfei remained silent. Perhaps she knew that she did not have the upper hand in the situation.

    Initially, Ruan Danchen did not want to offer any exnation. However, it was apparent that Senior Du did not wish to offend Yao Jingfei either, so she had no choice but to exin everything from the start. She did not exaggerate or add any personal opinions in her ount of what had happened.

 Chapter 363 - He Rather Die Than To Let Her Replace His Name With Such Retarded Nickname

    Chapter 363: He Rather Die Than To Let Her Rece His Name With Such Retarded Nickname

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, Ruan Danchen did not want to offer any exnation. However, it was apparent that Senior Du did not wish to offend Yao Jingfei either, so she had no choice but to exin everything from the start. She did not exaggerate or add any personal opinions in her ount of what had happened.

    Manager Zou¡¯s face darkened as he red at Yao Jingfei. Then he said coldly and harshly, ¡°Yao Jingfei, this is where you work. It is not a ce for you to act mischievously. Qilin values abilities and performances instead of one¡¯s background or identity. Not to mention, your father is only a board member, and I won¡¯t even allow members of the Qi family to act unreasonably here. If you want to continue working as an assistant designer, then carry on professionally instead of acting like this. If you¡¯re unsatisfied with the job, or if you think that it¡¯s a waste of your talent, then feel free to resign. No one will beg you to take up this position again.¡±

    ¡°I think you should understand by now that you were epted for this position through hical means. This isn¡¯t something that you should be proud of. Even the precious daughter of the Qi family doesn¡¯t act as you did, showing off to every person she met when she worked here,¡± Manager Zou mocked as if he despised Yao Jingfei.

    Yao Jingfei pouted in annoyance as she felt that Manager Zou was just spouting nonsense. Everyone knew who Qi Chengyue was. Was it necessary for her to show off in thepany?

    ¡°If you¡¯re unsatisfied and unconvinced, then ask Board Member Yao to talk to me. I want to know what he has to say about my standpoint on equity,¡± Manager Zou spoke sternly as if he believed in the sense of justice.

    Manager Zou was fearless because he knew that he had Qi Chenglin¡¯s support. He was trying to protect General Manager Qi¡¯s wife, and the general manager had announced that Board Member Yao could go straight to the general manager if he had any issue.

    Who would care about Board Member Yao if his actions made the general manager happy?

    However, the staff in the design department was surprised by Manager Zou¡¯s sense of justice and equity.

    Then, Manager Zou turned to face his colleagues. ¡°We don¡¯t consider your background when you work in Qilin, and as for those who are incapable of performing, we certainly won¡¯t allow them to stay here either. An assistant designer¡¯s job is to assist you, so just give your orders. There¡¯s no need to consider whoever¡¯s identity here. If anyone tries to demand special privileges or threaten you with their identities and backgrounds,e and tell me about it. Especially if you¡¯re not in the wrong. I firmly believe in honesty and sincerity in our work, and we don¡¯t promote our ancestry here.¡±

    ¡°To sum it up, do whatever you¡¯re supposed to do. Whoever tries to form a clique in this office, deliberately ingratiate others, or consider someone¡¯s background before performing a task, then you should resign immediately. I don¡¯t want such staff to work in my department.¡±

    Manager Zou¡¯s statement embarrassed and traumatized Yao Jingfei. He had mentioned ¡®someone¡¯s background¡¯ and something about ¡®those who are incapable¡¯ purposely to mock her.

    Yao Jingfei did not expect things to turn out that way. She had pleasant expectations for her first day of work as she thought that they would try to please her because of her background, even though she was only an assistant designer. Who would have guessed that things would go sideways when she arrived for work that morning?

    Tears from the humiliation started to well up in her eyes. Then, Manager Zou said harshly, ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve caused enough ruckus this morning. Register your employment status quickly ande back for work. All the tasks in their hands are now yours.¡±

    Everyone in the department was happy when they realized that Yao Jingfei was there to work on their tasks.

    They did not dare to offend her father, Board Member Yao, but no one would find fault if they assigned Yao Jingfei to do what she was supposed to do anyway.

    After Manager Zou left, Yao Jingfei red at Ruan Danchen relentlessly before she headed toward the human resources department.

    Senior Du requested Chen Siyu to take a few files to Ruan Danchen so that she could familiarize herself with how things ran in the design department. Ruan Danchen was studying the documents when Yao Jingfei returned to the office. Unlike Ruan Danchen, who came back with a box full of office supplies, Yao Jingfei returned with only a few items in her hands.

    If one were to take a closer look, there was only a ballpoint pen, a few crayons and a ruler in a pen holder, and a notepad in her hands. That was all she got from the purchasing department.

    The staff was shocked again. Did Yao Jingfei act out and showed off in the purchasing department too?

    How else could they exin the fact that she received way lesser office supplies than they did back when they started at thepany?

    Yao Jingfei did not understand that either. Ruan Danchen got a big box full of office supplies like it was a wholesale, but she barely received a few office supplies.

    Yao Jingfei had requested a lot more items while she was at the purchasing department, and the staff there was quite direct and straightforward about her request. However, Manager Luo came out of his office at that same time, as if he had sensed Yao Jingfei¡¯s presence.

    Naturally, Yao Jingfei greeted Manager Luo enthusiastically as she attempted to recover the imbnce treatment she had received from Manager Zou. She recalled that Manager Luo was rather kind toward her.

    However, she did not expect Manager Luo to shake his head immediately when he saw her request list. He mentioned that she would only receive one notepad. They would give her folders when she needed them, and she did not require a lot of pens as she was only an assistant designer. Her job was only confined to designers¡¯ tasks, and she could always request from the respective designer if she were instructed to color the design blueprints.

    In conclusion, she was not allowed to receive every office supplies and could only get what she needed at that time.

    Yao Jingfei had a habit of getting aplete set of everything she wanted, regardless of whether she needed them or not. She could always save them for a rainy day. She would always buy an extra piece of things that she adored, whether it was clothing, shoes, or other items. It was so that she could have a spare if the original ones were dirty or unusable.

    Yao Jingfei hated it when Luo Yushu said that she could not have any extra items. She was notfortable to break her usual habit.

    Yao Qingzhi was in a meeting when Yao Jingfei called him on her way back to the design department. He did not pick up because his phone was on silent mode. Yao Jingfei had no choice but to return to the design department with a depressed look on her face.

    However, the staff in the design department was reluctant to assign their tasks to Yao Jingfei despite what Manager Zou had announced. Manager Zou was aware of the situation, so he came out of the office and assigned tasks to Yao Jingfei personally.

    For one to be a manager, they needed to know how to satisfy their superiors¡¯ needs, and they also had to be capable in their line of work. Manager Zou knew about the projects that everyone was working on and the progress of each one, so he managed to assign quite a few tasks to Yao Jingfei. She was mmed with work that whole morning.

    ...

    ...

    Soon, it was already lunch hour. Qi Chenglin had called Ruan Danchen just a few minutes before that. She blushed when she saw the caller ID ¡®Sweetheart¡¯ and picked it up. The phone felt warm in her hand.

    One would need to revisit what happened the night before to understand the origin of ¡®Sweetheart.¡¯

    Usually, Qi Chenglin would squeeze into the bathtub with Ruan Danchen shamelessly whenever she took a bath. However, he was busy the night before, and he had to continue his work in the study room. So, Ruan Danchen took her bath alone.

    When he finished his bath and exited the bathroom, he saw Ruan Danchen as she stared at her cell phone. She was frowning at the phone, but he did not know the reason for that. Then he noticed that she was staring at his name in her phone¡¯s address book. She appeared dazed when he leaned in for a closer look.

    His name was on the Edit page of the address book.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen felt a shadow loomed over her head, and she detected a familiar scent of a body shampoo. It was the same smell that Qi Chenglin¡¯s body emitted, and that made Ruan Danchen felt hot.

    Then, a drop of water dripped onto her phone¡¯s screen.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her head and saw a towel on Qi Chenglin¡¯s head, and water slowly dripped from the hair on his forehead.

    His fair skin was flushed pink after his shower, and the joints in between his long, slender fingers were whitish as he held the ends of his towel with his two hands.

    He lowered his head slightly and fixed his gaze on her phone¡¯s screen.

    Then, he asked as Ruan Danchen looked at him, ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    His voice sounded a littlezy, and at the same time, deep but sexy. Ruan Danchen did not know if his tone was the aftereffect of the shower, but it sent shivers down her spine as it boosted her desire.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to work in yourpany tomorrow, right? I just think that it¡¯s unwise for others to notice your name on my phone when you call me. So I¡¯m trying to create a nickname for you,¡± Ruan Danchen said. Qi Chenglin tried to towel dry his hair while he walked past Ruan Danchen and then sat down beside her.

    She wrapped her arms around his arm as she thought that he would be unhappy. ¡°It¡¯s normal to use nicknames between couples. We seemed aloof because we use our names directly. To be honest, I¡¯ve always wanted to create a nickname for you, but I just couldn¡¯t think of a good one. Every nickname I thought of isn¡¯t quite aspatible with your temperament.¡±

    ¡°What kind of temperament do I have?¡± Qi Chenglin knew that she was coaxing him, so he stared at her with a faint smile on his face.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face flushed pink. It was an apparent attempt to get her to praise him and to say what she liked the most about him.

    She rested her head on his shoulder in response to his question. He had a kind of temperament which she could not describe in words, and she adored it.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent. He did not want to change the topic, so he waited for her response. His gaze was deep and prating as he stared at Ruan Danchen, which made her feel bashful.

    Ruan Danchen knew that she could not escape her fate, so she answered him. ¡°Mature and steady with a calm temperament, a little indecent and shameless at times. But when that happens, you¡¯ll look like a bastard. It is irresistible when a mature man radiates an indecent aura asionally. There are more, but I don¡¯t know how to describe them.¡±

    Ruan Danchen thought that that was enoughpliments for him. She had no idea how proud Qi Chenglin would be if she continued to praise him further.

    Her praises almost made him feel as if he could soar through the sky. It was eptable for the degree ofpliments that she had just given him.

    Her scalp radiated heat like a hot pan, and she felt too embarrassed to lift her head after that. Then, he brushed his lips from her forehead and down toward her nose, and then finally, he found her lips.

    As he deepened his kiss, his firm, sculpted chest pressed against Ruan Danchen. She reached out with her arms to tangle around his thick, strong shoulders as their lips moved like two dancers as they sashayed through a melody, and their tongues delved into each other¡¯s mouth. His scent mixed with a mint aroma from the toothpaste lingered in her mouth, and it made her heart sang in pure joy as euphoric bliss enveloped her.

    Qi Chenglin was aroused too as his heart raced at an incredible speed. His warm and strong hands massaged her deltoid and waist, and he was unwilling to part his hands from the delicate softness on those areas.

    He inhaled deeply at her fragrance that lingered between his teeth as he continued to peck on her lips affectionately.

    He lowered his gaze to stare at her half-closed eyes as they looked blurry, helpless, and innocent. He adored her appearance so much that his slightly swollen lips curled up into a faint smile.

    ¡°How many nicknames did you have in mind before this?¡± Qi Chenglin leaned against the head of the bed before he lifted Ruan Danchen and put her into his embosom. He let her reddened, beautiful face rest on his chest so that he could find his way to her lips if he lowered his head. Then he kissed her on her forehead.

    Qi Chenglin was satisfied with her position. His long and elegant fingers pinched her soft waist asionally as he admired her appearance. She looked like a cute little cub with her misty eyes and her velvety, red lips. It was a kind of cuteness that he loved, but could never describe in words.

    Ruan Danchen had not regained her calmness yet. She was aroused after the previous kisses, and her heartbeat fluttered as her body was stimted.

    She became restless in his embosom as she inhaled the body shampoo¡¯s fragrance emitted from his body, which did not help her situation at all.

    Her soft and slender fingers poked his chest, and they drew the asional circles.

    Qi Chenglin only wore a pair of long pants after his shower, and he threw the towel that was initially on his head onto a chair near the bed. He was half-naked, and she could feel his muscr, chiseled body wherever she touched.

    Qi Chenglin thought that it was a funny, unconscious act. It stimted a fire within him, and it burned strongly then. So, he did not stop her, and he merely enjoyed the sweet sensation as she continued to do that.

    Then he tightened his arms that encircled her waist and yanked her closer to him.

    Ruan Danchen blushed when she felt the burning heat that radiated from his body, and she started to feel nervous when his erection poked at her body.

    Her face was as red as a beetroot and as warm as a hot pan. Then she rested her face on his chest. She was not sure if the warmth was from her face or his chest.

    Then, she answered with a soft and trembling voice, ¡°I was thinking about Chengcheng, but it felt like I was referring to Qi Chengzhi with that nickname, so I had decided against it. After that, I thought of calling you Linlin, but it felt ipatible with your temperament, and this nickname almost felt unfair to you, so I gave up on that as well.¡±

    She frowned and immersed herself in deep thoughts. She ignored the difort beneath her temporarily as she focused all of her attention on her brain cells. Then, she said, ¡°I really can¡¯t think of any other nicknames. Let¡¯s stick to Linlin then.¡±

    Ruan Danchen reached for her phone that she had identally dropped when Qi Chenglin yanked her into his embosom.

    When she had her phone in her hands and was about to change Qi Chenglin¡¯s name, he snatched it away from her hands.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes twitched at her decision on his nickname. He would rather die than to let her rece his name with such a retarded nickname. His long finger pressed on the ¡®Home¡¯ button and then he unlocked her phone with a PIN since he could not ess it via the fingerprint security. The PIN passcode was abination of his and Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday.

    She had initially used Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday as her passcode, and Qi Chenglin had noticed it when he had to unlock her phone after a system upgrade. He was unhappy that the passcode contained only Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday and had nothing to do with him. So he insisted that she changed it to thebination of their birthdays. He was also adamant that she put his birthdaybination first, before Qi Youxuan¡¯s.

    Her phone was unlocked sessfully after his fingers pressed on four digits nimbly. Then he reced his name with a new nickname quickly.

    Sweetheart.

    Ruan Danchen recalled his serious expression and gentle gaze when he keyed in his new nickname on her phone. Her phone¡¯s screen illuminated his face, and it seemed to entuate the brightness that shone from his eyes.

    Her face blushed as she went down the memoryne. Then, she grabbed her phone and exited the office immediately.

    She was alone in the corridor when she picked up the call hastily. She was afraid that Qi Chenglin might feel impatient due to the long wait.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice traveled to her ear before she could say anything, ¡°Come up for lunchter.¡±

    ¡°I remember,¡± Ruan Danchen replied softly as a sweet smile appeared on her face unconsciously.

    Qi Chenglin smiled warmly on the other end of the phone. His long, elegant left fingers yed with thendline phone¡¯s cable as he asked, ¡°How was work in the morning?¡±

    ¡°It was good, the manager took care of me well,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she left out everything about Yao Jingfei. However, she knew that Manager Zou would inform Qi Chenglinter anyway.

    Qi Chenglin was satisfied and continued to say, ¡°Call me directly if you encounter any issues.¡±

    Ruan Danchen agreed and hung up the call before she returned to her seat. She still had another minute to go before it was lunchtime.

    All her colleagues in the design department finally summoned up their courage and assigned their tasks to Yao Jingfei after Manager Zou¡¯s lead.

    Manager Zou even instructed Yao Jingfei to make a cup of coffee for him. Yao Jingfei stood up unwillingly. She had decided to endure it for a little while longer and thenined to Yao Qingzhiter in the afternoon.

    As Yao Jingfei made coffee in the pantry room, Manager Zou announced, ¡°Pass all of these tasks to Xiao Yao next time and focus on your work. There¡¯s no need to trouble your fellow designers anymore if you need a drink or food delivery, just let Xiao Yao do it since this is her job now.¡±

    It was easy to follow Manager Zou¡¯s train of thoughts. Yao Jingfei argued with Ruan Danchen that morning, and he had stood firmly on Ruan Danchen¡¯s standpoint.

    However, the general manager was quite narrow-minded sometimes. What if he med him for not setting a more severe punishment for Yao Jingfei?

    He would probably be punished if General Manager Qi¡¯s wife returned home andint to Qi Chenglin about the unfair treatment that she had received in the department.

    Thus, he did his very best to get Yao Jingfei to perform as many tasks as possible. It was considered torture for her, so the general manager should be satisfied with the severity of the punishment.

    Yao Jingfei returned with a cup of coffee in her hands, which she passed to Manager Zou.

    Manager Zou did not return to his office. Instead, he wanted to demonstrate how her punishment was supposed to be done in front of all of the staff.

    He took a sip of the coffee and frowned. ¡°Instant coffee?¡±

    Yao Jingfei nodded, and Manager Zou passed the cup back to Yao Jingfei. She shrieked when she took the cup as it was burning hot, and she nearly dropped it onto the floor.

    ¡°I don¡¯t drink instant coffee. There are some coffee beans in the pantry, so brew a cup of coffee for me,¡± Manager Zou instructed.

    Yao Jingfei frowned as she thought that Manager Zou was trying to cause more trouble for her.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Manager Zou asked coldly.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Yao Jingfei answered as she stomped away angrily in her high heels.

    After some time, she came back with another cup of coffee. Manager Zou tasted it and said, ¡°Why does it taste so sour? How much milk did you put? It¡¯s also too bitter.¡±

    Yao Jingfei was the precious daughter in her family, and others usually waited on her. It was good enough that she knew how to brew a cup of coffee. It was simply too much to ask for her to know how much sugar or milk she should put in a cup of coffee.

    She felt that Manager Zou was simply trying to embarrass her.

    She thought that Manager Zou would demand her to make another cup of coffee, but he just frowned and waved his hand unhappily. ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can go back to work now.¡±

    Yao Jingfei pouted. Then, she heard Manager Zou mumbled after he turned away from her. ¡°What is this? Can¡¯t even perform such a simple task well.¡±

    His statement made Yao Jingfei felt ufortable. She was a proud woman, but Manager Zoumented as if she was a useless idiot who knew nothing.

    She went back to her seat. Just as she was about to continue her work on Senior Du¡¯s task, Zhang Jitong from the design department passed his duties to her as well.

    ¡°How am I supposed to finish all these? I still have a lot of work to do.¡± Yao Jingfei was unwilling to ept the additional tasks.

    Zhang Jitong frowned and asked her, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the function of your job?¡±

    ¡°You guys did all of these by yourselves before I came here, so why are you throwing it at me now?¡± Yao Jingfei replied annoyingly.

 Chapter 364 - The Director Was Fully Aware That Mrs. Qiâ€™s Words Were The Law Here

    Chapter 364: The Director Was Fully Aware That Mrs. Qi¡¯s Words Were The Law Here

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°You¡¯re an assistant designer, so this is your job. Why are you here if you don¡¯t need to do all these? Just go home,¡± quipped Zhang Jitong before walking away.

    He was Manager Zou¡¯s confidant, and Manager Zou texted him stealthily just now to let him treat Yao Jingfei as harshly as he could.

    Zhang Jitong was curious at Manager Zou¡¯s instructions. Yao Jingfei was the precious daughter of Board Member Yao, but who did she offend to be able to let Manager Zou punish her without restrictions?

    In the end, Yao Jingfei failed toplete all her work until lunch hour. She tidied her documents and nned toin to Yao Qingzhi.

    Zhang Jitong called out to her just as she was about to stand up and leave. ¡°What are you doing?¡±

    ¡°Lunch,¡± Yao Jingfei replied harshly.

    ¡°Have youpleted all the work that I assigned to you just now? I made an appointment with a client at two o¡¯clock in the afternoon so I need themter. Are you sure you can finish them before two o¡¯clock?¡± Zhang Jitong questioned her.

    Yao Jingfei was about to retort when Manager Zou came out coincidentally. It appeared as if he had predicted what was about to happen. He pretended like he just noticed themotion and asked, ¡°What happened again this time?¡±

    Zhang Jitong then exined everything from the beginning. This time, Manager Zou advised her patiently unlike his stern and t tone this morning. ¡°Xiao Yao, why was your temper so bad when you just started your work here? All the fresh graduates who started their work here took every matter cautiously and seriously, and they¡¯d get worried if their work got lesser aspared to others. Almost everyone here worked seven days a week and worked overtime every day. Why is it different when ites to you? This is your job; who should do it if you don¡¯t? Your actions not only made us feel uneasy, but you embarrassed Board Member Yao himself too. Do you realize what kind of impact it brings when rumors about Board Member Yao¡¯s precious daughter showing off her identity¡ªacting like a tyrant, demanding sry without working¡ªwent flying thick in thispany? Board Member Yao won¡¯t be able to protect you if this sort of rumor traveled to the Qi family¡¯s duo. Let¡¯s be honest here; do you want to continue working in Qilin?¡±

    Yao Jingfei had no choice but to stay in the office, gritting her teeth in exasperation while she continued her work.

    She took a peek at Ruan Danchen who was tidying up her documents and said suddenly, ¡°Ruan Danchen, since we¡¯re both new here, it¡¯s illogical that I¡¯m busy as a beaver here while you¡¯re just sitting here at your leisure. Since Manager Zou mentioned that neers should be busier than the rest, soe and help me with my work! I noticed that you were free this whole morning without much work to do.¡±

    Ruan Danchen still needed to have lunch with Qi Chenglinter. He most likely woulde down and looked for her personally if she waste, and it would be disastrous when that happened.

    However, she really had nothing much to do this morning so it was unwise to reject Yao Jingfei.

    Ruan Danchen was scrupulous in separating official and private matters, and she did not mind the extra work even though she disliked Yao Jingfei.

    Manager Zou replied before Ruan Danchen could say anything, ¡°What¡¯s the matter with you, Xiao Yao? Do you realize your current job position? Danchen is a designer and you¡¯re an assistant designer, which means you¡¯re her assistant. Do you think it¡¯s logical for a designer to assist an assistant? This isn¡¯t her job so she doesn¡¯t need to help you at all. You¡¯ll finish your own work independently. Let this be the first and final time I saw this, or else I¡¯ll issue a warning letter next time.¡±

    Yao Jingfei was recalcitrant towards Manager Zou as she felt he was taking side with Ruan Danchen openly. Why was he so kind towards Ruan Danchen?

    Suddenly, the staff who had not left the office faced the office entrance and greeted. ¡°Mrs. Qi.¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned towards the sound and saw Song Yu standing at the doorstep with a gravid abdomen. Her gaze was soft and gentle as she smiled and greeted the staff.

    ¡°Danchen, I heard you came here for work so I came to visit,¡± Song Yu walked towards Ruan Danchen and said.

    Manager Zou suddenly recalled that General Manager Qi¡¯s wife and Mrs. Qi were best friends and they had worked together in the samepany before!

    Manager Zou quickly put a smile on his face and greeted, ¡°Madam.¡±

    ¡°Manager Zou.¡± Song Yu smiled.

    Manager Zou felt Mrs. Qi¡¯s gaze radiated approval when their eyes met. Did she overhear his reprimand on Yao Jingfei?

    Only then did the staff realized. It was no wonder Manager Zou chose to stand on Ruan Danchen¡¯s side and acted all too kind to her. It was all because Ruan Danchen had massive support from Mrs. Qi.

    Mrs. Qi¡¯s identity and background had more influence than Board Member Yao.

    Mrs. Qi¡¯s words had the ultimate authority as the director would always listen to her, disregarding if it was justified or not. The director was fully aware that Mrs. Qi¡¯s words were thew here. It was undeniable that Mrs. Qi brought a greater impact that the director himself.

    If Ruan Danchen was bullied andined to Mrs. Qi who would thenin to the director himself, the oue would be disastrous.

    Looking back at Song Yu who purposely came to the design department with a gravid abdomen just to visit Ruan Danchen, one would believe that they shared a close bond.

    Fortunately, the staff was kind towards Ruan Danchen and they could not help but wipe the sweat off in relief.

    Yao Jingfei thought Ruan Danchen had her back supported by Song Yu too and wondered contemptuously. Did Manager Zou not mentioned that he would treat everyone equally without considering their backgrounds?

    Ruan Danchen raised her eyebrows curiously at Song Yu stealthily. Did Qi Chenglin send Song Yu to fetch her?

    Song Yu put on a diffident smile and asked, ¡°Why haven¡¯t you left when it¡¯s lunch hour now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Ruan Danchen replied and left the office with Song Yu under the public¡¯s gazes.

    Naturally, Song Yu brought Ruan Danchen straight to the private elevator, and due to the fact that it was lunch hour now, many staff noticed the duo while they were on their way towards the elevator.

    Ruan Danchen raised her eyebrows and questioned Song Yu after they entered the private elevator. ¡°Did Chenglin ask you toe?¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Song Yu did not deny but grinned in response to her question. She then said, ¡°He was worried that it¡¯d raise others¡¯ suspicions when they saw you going to the top floor alone. It¡¯ll be perfectly justified if I bring you up myself.¡±

    ¡°Still trying to cover this up?¡± Ruan Danchen was unsure how to respond then. ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll have to keep on finding me every single day? It must be him who thinks that he can¡¯t help me himself when I¡¯m bullied so he brings you to me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was getting more familiarized with Qi Chenglin¡¯s train of thoughts by now.

    Qi Chenglin promised her to stay low profile, but there was no mention of him not able to ask others to help her.

    Song Yu¡¯s face was filled with expressions as she grinned. ¡°Both of you look like husband and wife now. You¡¯re very familiar with his thoughts right now!¡±

    Ruan Danchen stared at Song Yu and joked, ¡°Why do I feel like our positions have changed? I was teasing you before this, and now you¡¯re taking revenge on me?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s really the case now,¡± admitted Song Yu with a nod.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and shifted her gaze to Song Yu¡¯s gravid abdomen before putting her hand on it. ¡°How are you feeling right now? Are you nervous since it¡¯s close to the expected date of delivery?

    ¡°Oh God, I¡¯m really nervous about it. I couldn¡¯t refrain myself from worrying about it whenever the due date is getting closer. The more I think about it, the more anxious I get, and every single time I¡¯ll get out of breath from overthinking.¡±

    Ruan Danchen understood Song Yu¡¯s concern since she had experienced it once when she gave birth to Youxuan. Then, she said, ¡°How should I put this; my situation was a little different than yours. I gave birth prematurely in the eighth month of pregnancy, and that was more than a month from the expected date of delivery so I didn¡¯t worry as much on this matter. I¡¯d asionally feel worried as I feared I couldn¡¯t withstand the excruciating pain from the delivery. I was totally unprepared when my baby was going to be delivered prematurely, and I was terrified that my baby may not make it at that time. I didn¡¯t go through the pain from vaginal delivery since I underwent a lower segment Caesarean section at that time, but the fear and worry remained for the wellbeing of my baby. I assume it¡¯s the same feeling that you¡¯re experiencing right now, so don¡¯t you worry. When the timees and you¡¯re lying in the delivery room, you¡¯ll feel extremely brave and all the negative thinking will cease. You¡¯ll want to give birth to a healthy child with all your attention. You¡¯ll even ignore the pain while doing so.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was unsure whether her speech had any effect on Song Yu¡¯s mindset. Song Yu caressed her abdomen, then she suddenly recalled something and said, ¡°Come to my house this Sunday, Dongge and Chengyue will be there too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen agreed without question.

    The elevator reached the twenty-fifth floor.

    They saw Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin standing side by side like two threshold guardians when the elevator doors opened.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s initial stony t expression softened immediately upon seeing Song Yu, and he then offered his hand to her.

    Song Yu fixed her gaze on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face and let him helped her out of the elevator before turning towards Qi Chenglin and smiled. ¡°I brought you your woman.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was embarrassed and before she could protest, Qi Chenglin pulled her out of the elevator.

    Staring at Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen felt that he was too high profile to ask Song Yu¡ªwho was also Mrs. Qi¡ªto visit Ruan Danchen in the design department in person. However, she did not mind it, since she could not change whatever decisions Qi Chenglin made.

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu back to his office. Even though he ordered food delivery from Dynasty just like Qi Chenglin did, he made no attempt to invite Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen for lunch together. It was obvious that he did not want Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen to interrupt their sweet moments together.

    Ruan Danchen was not bothered about Qi Chengzhi¡¯s attitude. After all, he was born this way and shared almost the exact same personality with Qi Chenglin.

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin was exhrated since he preferred not to have Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu to be the third and fourth wheels. He was not paying attention to his work this whole morning as the thought of him flirting with his subordinate during lunch hour induced excitement in him and he was unable to calm down afterward.

    Ruan Danchen was unaware of Qi Chenglin¡¯s indecent thoughts. She just felt peaceful when she stared at his calm and steady expression from the side, feeling his hand wrapping around hers firmly.

    Ruan Danchen was pulled by Qi Chenglin into his office after bidding goodbye to Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu.

    She came to his officest time when she was having an interview in Qilin, but today, she experienced it differently from the first time she came here.

    She was his girlfriend and subordinate now. It was an indescribable feeling.

    The food delivery from Dynasty was ced on the coffee table. The food remained warm and when Ruan Danchen was about to take out of food from the container, Qi Chenglin stopped her.

    ¡°The food is still hot, let me do it,¡± Qi Chenglin said, reaching out to those food containers and opened them with his long and elegant fingers.

    Ruan Danchen stood aside and watched. Her heart would have wrenched if his elegant hand was burned instead of hers.

    She leaned forward slightly and supported her cheek, staring at Qi Chenglin¡¯s actions as she spoke suddenly, ¡°All those that are above Manager level in Qilin knew my identity now, right?¡±

    Qi Chenglin remained silent. His hands were nimble as he ced the food containers right in front of Ruan Danchen, and was considerate enough to pass the bowl and chopsticks to her too.

    Ruan Danchen fought the urge tough upon seeing him pretending to remain calm. ¡°There¡¯s no need to dissimte, I¡¯m not ming you. It¡¯s alright to speak the truth, no need to create lies on purpose for this sort of issues. I know you wanted them to take care of me in fear that I¡¯ll receive unjust treatment in the office.¡±

    Then only Qi Chenglin turned his head towards her, making sure that she was not angry with him. He let out a sigh of relief after knowing she was not mad at him at all. ¡°I¡¯m worried after what had happened in Chengshi.¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt that it would be an irresponsible act and ipetency towards Ruan Danchen if he did not take any precautions for matters that could potentially happen. It would reflect on how mentally retarded he was.

    His intellect was intact, and most importantly, he insisted on being a qualified boyfriend to her.

    Ruan Danchen used a pair of chopsticks to pick up a piece of sweet and sour pork strip, which was Qi Chenglin¡¯s favorite dish, and fed him with it.

    He was unsure was it because the sweet and sour pork strip was fed by Ruan Danchen, but it tasted extremely delicious which surpassed Dynasty¡¯s usual standard. Its sweetness and sour taste were ptable; crispy and crunchy on the outside but tender and juicy on the inside.

    ¡°I was treated well in thepany today. Manager Luo, Manager He from the human resources department, and Manager Zou from the design department were nice to me, but their kindness embarrassed me,¡± Ruan Danchen said and smiled when Qi Chenglin picked up a piece of pan-fried cod fish and fed her.

    Qi Chenglin was greatly satisfied after he heard what Ruan Danchen said.

    Then, he asked again, ¡°I knew Yao Jingfei was working in the same office too. Did she cause any trouble for you?¡±

    ¡°Not really. She¡¯s quite ill-mannered but Manager Zou managed to sort it out whenever she attempted to cause trouble. Manager Zou took the lead and instructed the staff to give quite a number of their chores to her, so I guess now she¡¯s still working overtime in the design department,¡± Ruan Danchen told him the truth, bypassing those details regarding what Yao Jingfei did. It was not necessary to blurt out those details as Qi Chenglin would punish Yao Jingfei and inevitably would start an argument with Yao Qingzhi in the end.

    Ruan Danchen would tell him the truth because she thought Qi Chenglin would ask Manager Zou anyway. Since Manager Zou would tell him everything, there was no point in her trying to hide the truth.

    Qi Chenglin appeared as if greatly satisfied by all these.

    Ruan Danchen appeared tired after lunch and even yawned.

    ¡°Tired after working for the whole morning?¡± Qi Chenglin asked gently. If she said yes, then he would instruct Manager Zou to assign lesser work for her.

    ¡°No. To be honest, I didn¡¯t have much work to do this morning, I merely scanned through the documents to familiarize myself with the work in the design department. I think it¡¯s because it¡¯s been a long time since Ist worked and I¡¯ve been living my life toofortably at home. Now I haven¡¯t limated myself to the working environment yet.¡± Ruan Danchen felt especially secure when she rested her head on Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a half day¡¯s leaveter and rest at home? I¡¯ll instruct Xiao Yang to fetch you backter.¡± Qi Chenglin lowered his head, feeling his heart wrenched when he gazed upon Ruan Danchen¡¯s exhausted appearance while brushing his soft, warm lips against her forehead.

    ¡°How can I take leave on the first day of work? I¡¯m not tired too.¡± Ruan Danchen broke intoughter.

    ¡°Then take a nap here for a while,¡± Qi Chenglin said and forced Ruan Danchen to lie down on the couch. He then took a nket and a pillow out of the cab and covered her with it.

    The nket and pillow were newly purchased for Ruan Danchen to use in his office at every lunch hour.

    Then, Qi Chenglin picked up the leftover containers and threw them away to prevent the smell from lingering in the office and induced difort in Ruan Danchen.

    The secretary¡¯s room was empty now that everyone went out for lunch.

    Qi Chenglin threw the garbage out and when he came back, he saw Yao Qingzhi and Yao Jingfei standing on his office¡¯s doorstep, waiting for him to return to the office.

    Yao Qingzhi smiled and greeted when Qi Chenglin was almost at the doorstep. ¡°General Manager Qi.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked down on Yao Qingzhi and asked lightly, ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Haha... There are some issues that I want to discuss. Should we have the discussion in your office?¡± Yao Qingzhi suggested with a smile.

    ¡°My girlfriend is resting inside so now isn¡¯t a good time. We can discuss any issues right here,¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a t tone.

    Qi Chenglin said confidently as he thought he was not publicizing after recalling Ruan Danchen¡¯s instructions.

    Yao Qingzhi was frozen to the spot and nced at the closed office door unconsciously.

    Yao Jingfei was shocked too as she did not expect Qi Chenglin to have a girlfriend already.

    Yao Qingzhi brought Yao Jingfei to meet with Qi Chenglin at an annual meeting in Qilinst time and she immediately had a crush on him at first sight. She felt Qi Chengzhi was too stern and old for her. Moreover, Qi Chengzhi was married now, which extinguished any thoughts she had on him.

    Even though Qi Chenglin had a son before marriage, his market value had not decreased since then. There were still a lot of women who wanted to be his son¡¯s stepmother.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s calm and steady temperament and his asional smile which brought a sense of gentleness were irresistible to others and they would be unable to shift their gazes elsewhere.

    It was an easy task to be acquainted with Qi Chenglin based on his father¡¯s identity. Yao Jingfei thought it was impossible for a fresh graduate, youngdy like her to be ipatible with an old man with an illegitimate son like Qi Chenglin.

    Her children would be the official direct descendant of Qi Chenglin once they were married. Qi Chenglin¡¯s illegitimate son would not be able to get anything even if he was the oldest among the children.

    It was unexpected that Qi Chenglin had a girlfriend now and even brought her to thepany. Did he n to reveal his girlfriend¡¯s identity and marriage since he was acting so high profile?

    Yao Qingzhi¡¯s expression appeared unnatural now since he was unable to hold on to that smile any longer.

    However, Qi Chenglin put on the impatient look, signaling Yao Qingzhi to speak here or get lost. Yao Qingzhi had no choice but to voice out his intention. ¡°General Manager Qi, I¡¯m not sure if you remember but this is my daughter, Yao Jingfei. You met her at the annual meetingst year.¡±

    Qi Chenglin took a nce at Yao Jingfei and replied with a t tone. ¡°Don¡¯t remember.¡±

    Yao Qingzhi and Yao Jingfei were stunned at his response, but Qi Chenglin remained impatient and frowned. ¡°What is it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. I came to you before this and requested for a vacancy slot for Jingfei in the design department, right? In the end, she worked as an assistant designer despite the fact that she had graduated from a reputed university as a professional designing student. Is it a great talent gone to waste for her to assist designers? It¡¯s beneficial for her to stand from the side and learn some experiences, but she even did chores like serving tea and drinks. I couldn¡¯t help but feel like the design department is trying to overthrow neers,¡± spected Yao Qingzhi.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent and just stared at Yao Qingzhi coldly.

    Yao Qingzhi was unable to continue this conversation but Yao Jingfei gave his elbow a nudge stealthily.

    Yao Qingzhi had no choice but to continue. ¡°I heard that there¡¯s a new designer who¡¯s close to Mrs. Qi. Is it possible that Manager Zou was trying to please Mrs. Qi and show partiality for the new designer, disregarding the fact that who was in the wrong?¡±

    Yao Qingzhi pouted when Qi Chenglin remained silent and said, ¡°Jingfei likes to stay low profile and didn¡¯t mind them at all, but I hope that Manager Zou won¡¯t take matters any further.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and finally opened his mouth. ¡°I knew what had happened, Manager Zou told me everything about it. I think he did a good job and didn¡¯t show any favoritism on this matter. Let me make things clear since Miss Yao is here; Qilin prioritizes capability rather than personal background. Miss Yao kept mentioning about Board Member Yao in the design department and was fearful that others didn¡¯t know regarding her identity. Based on this fact alone, I think Manager Zou deserves apliment and assurance since he was undisturbed by a stronger authority.¡±

    ___________________________________________________________________________

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    <

    >

    Qi Chengzhi was too good-looking when he was born. One would believe when told that he was a girl.

    Grandmother Qi stared at his grandson¡¯s cute appearance and asked Xia Wenna, ¡°He was given the name Chengzhi, how about his nickname?¡±

    Xia Wenna hugged Qi Chengzhi and said, ¡°Let me think. I think we should call him Chengcheng. Mom, what do you think about it?¡±

    Grandmother Qi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a good name.¡±

 Chapter 365 - Unmarried, Young Men Will Keep A Distance From Her

    Chapter 365: Unmarried, Young Men Will Keep A Distance From Her

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°It¡¯s obvious that Miss Yao was in the wrong here, so I hope Miss Yao can perform her job nicely and honestly instead of creating trouble in the future. Qilin will fire any staff who uses their background to ck off at work or even threaten other colleagues. If Board Member Yao and Miss Yao think that being an assistant designer is a waste of talent, I won¡¯t reject Miss Yao¡¯s resignation. To be honest, Qilin isn¡¯tcking in outstanding people with great potential. Qilin doesn¡¯t value one¡¯s educational background; capability is the most important requirement here.¡± Qi Chenglin stared at Yao Qingzhi coldly.

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s expression darkened. She did not expect Manager Zou toin to Qi Chenglin drastically and Qi Chenglin¡¯s statement to be so harsh towards her.

    Moreover, Qi Chenglin did not even nce at her during the entire conversation except for that one time when he stared at her coldly during Yao Qingzhi¡¯s previous introduction.

    ¡°Besides, I instructed him personally to manage his department and subordinates as usual without the need to consider anyone¡¯s background. Don¡¯t evere to me again for these sorts of small issues at work next time. Who do you think you are toin about such a small issue to me? There are so many hardworking professional staffs in Qilin, so why should I allow someone to have special privilege to bypass his own superior andin directly to me? Board Member Yao, you¡¯re just a board member of thispany with no authority on thepany¡¯s management, so there¡¯s no need to put pressure on fellow managers of each department. I permitted all their decisions and I don¡¯t want to hear anyints regarding work difficulties from them. To be perfectly honest, I¡¯ve given you special privilege by allowing Miss Yao to work in Qilin through hical means. I won¡¯t make you feel difficult if you¡¯re unwilling about this.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold gaze did not once waver as he red at Yao Qingzhi.

    Now, even Yao Qingzhi¡¯s expression darkened. Qi Chenglin did not care about their reputations and even embarrassed them publicly.

    Fortunately, they were alone here.

    ¡°Anything else?¡± Qi Chenglin cast a mere nce at Yao Qingzhi. His elegant hand was holding the doorknob, appearing impatient as though eager to apany his girlfriend in his office.

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Yao Qingzhi¡¯s face twitched and he almost answered Qi Chenglin through gritted teeth.

    Qi Chenglin immediately pushed the door open and entered his office, ignoring the duo that was standing outside.

    Yao Qingzhi and Yao Jingfei took a peek at thedy who was sleeping on the couch in his office in a short time when the door opened and closed. Still, they could not identify thedy due to her long hair covering her face with a nket on her body.

    Thedy was able to take a nap on the couch in Qi Chenglin¡¯s office without the slightest scruple, and Qi Chenglin did not even allow them to enter his office in fear that they would disturb her slumber. One could see how affectionate he was toward thedy.

    Yao Jingfei felt ufortable deep down after taking all the information in.

    It was undeniable that the best things in the world were those that were unavable.

    Yao Jingfei had this feeling deep down in her heart now. The image of Qi Chenglin¡¯s tall and straight figure had etched itself deeply in her mind now and she could not wave it away no matter how hard she tried.

    The more she put him on her mind, the more affectionate she became toward him. The affection was so strong that she was unable to let him go, like a disease spreading deep within her.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin closed the door gently and saw Ruan Danchen was staring at him when he walked to the couch.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t sleep at all?¡± He sat down beside her. He could not help leaning closer to her and smiled, caressing her hair and kissing her at the same time.

    ¡°I rested my eyes for a while, can¡¯t really fall asleep to be honest,¡± answered Ruan Danchen as she sat up. She heard Yao Qingzhi and Yao Jingfei¡¯s voice just now, guessing that they were here to makeints.

    However, she did not ask Qi Chenglin about it as she knew he would not treat them nicely.

    She whispered after taking a peek at Qi Chenglin, ¡°I¡¯m going down now.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the rush? I haven¡¯t had fun with you yet,¡± Qi Chenglin voiced out his intention straight away before lifting her and putting her on his thighs. This was a rare asion where they would have fun in broad daylight without Qi Youxuan as the third wheeler.

    Ruan Danchen stared upon his serious expression, feeling his hand moving downwards on her body. She knew he was not joking around with her.

    Ruan Danchen quickly held his wrist and avoided direct eye contact as his gaze was too hot and prating for her to handle. ¡°Stop messing around, I still have to workter. How am I supposed to go back to the office afterward?¡±

    Qi Chenglin rested his hand on her waist and yanked her into his embosom. He buried his face beside her neck andpressed her long hairs in the process as he said in a deep but pitiful voice, ¡°But I¡¯ve been thinking about it this whole morning.¡±

    This man always chose to imagine all sorts of nonsense instead of working!

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen felt a little helpless after she felt the intense heat he radiated.

    She heard him sigh and the hot air he expelled passed through her hair strands and caressed her neck.

    Qi Chenglin let her go after a while. Nheless, he remained immobile and gazed at her with an attitude as though demanding an appetizer if the main course was not served yet. He just held his face in an expression that appeared shameless no matter which angle she looked at and stared at her.

    His lips curled slightly into a faint smile as he stared at her with his deep, abnormally firm gaze.

    Ruan Danchen was impressed at Qi Chenglin¡¯s adversaries at work due to the intense stress they must have experienced when he stared at them with such gaze.

    Her scalp burned in embarrassment as he knew what Qi Chenglin was waiting for. After hesitating for a while, she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. The moment her lips touched his, Qi Chenglin tightened his arms like a pair of strong vines encircling her firmly.

    Ruan Danchen kept her eyes shut as she felt herself spun around and all of a sudden, he was on top of her on the couch. His kisses were fiery and demanding as his tongue delved inside her mouth in passion.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were getting numb from the kisses. She tried to push him away grudgingly, and to her surprise, Qi Chenglin actually released his grip and even sighed loudly.

    For some explicable reason, she felt bad for him when she looked at his regretful expression. She lifted her head and kissed him before blurting out softly, ¡°I¡¯ll make it up to you tonight.¡±

    There was a glimmer in Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes as he stared at her with a faint smile on his face. His face appeared as if his n had seeded and Ruan Danchen suddenly felt regret about her decision just now. Was it possible that Qi Chenglin anticipated that statement from her?

    ¡°You said it.¡± Qi Chenglin pinched her waist out of joy and kissed on her lips before letting her go.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stood up and tidied her outfit, feeling nothing but regret right now.

    Then, she rushed into the washroom and nced at her reflection in the mirror. The only abnormalities she noticed were her rosy face and slightly swollen lips; her outfit was tidy and wrinkle-free otherwise.

    She did not dare linger in his office any longer upon exiting the washroom and quickly bid goodbye to Qi Chenglin. He was unsure how to react when she ran out of his office as though escaping from danger.

    It was fortunate that nobody noticed her exiting his office since there were lesser staff working on this floor level. Moreover, it was lunch hour now and some of the staff were surfing the inte in their respective offices.

    Ruan Danchen quickly went back to the design department via the elevator.

    Unlike the twenty-fifth floor, it was crowded in the design department. She could even hear somemotions going on inside even though she was unsure what were they gossiping about before she entered the department.

    There was a pin-drop silence when Ruan Danchen entered the department as all eyes were now fixed on her.

    Ruan Danchen walked back to her seat ufortably under all their gazes. She was worried that someone with keen eyes would notice any part of her body remained untidy.

    Then, Senior Du called out to her just as she was about to sit down, ¡°Danchen,e.¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed that all the staff was smiling and did not appear annoyed towards her, so she walked towards them and gazed upon the crowd curiously.

    Chen Siyu pulled a chair and gestured Ruan Danchen to sit.

    The staff would not try to cause trouble to Ruan Danchen due to her rtionship with Song Yu and instead, they would want to be intimate with her.

    They did not ask about her whereabouts during lunch since Song Yu came and looked for her personally this afternoon. They guessed she most likely had lunch with Mrs. Qi, and probably the director himself was there too.

    ¡°I had lunch with Xiao Ding and her gang from the finance department this afternoon, and guess what? She said Xiao Li from her department saw the general manager acted especially intimate with a woman, hugging and kissing her repeatedly when he parked his car in the underground parking lot this morning. The scenery was so sweet and he wasn¡¯t the usual calm and steady general manager that we knew,¡± Zhang Lefei said.

    Ruan Danchen felt nervous all of a sudden. Now she realized why it was so hectic in the department just now. They were discussing this issue!

    ¡°Yo, who¡¯s the woman?¡± Senior Du asked. She was forty-three years old now and was the oldest in the department. Even Manager Zou was a year younger than her.

    Even then, she joined in the gossip out of curiosity.

    Once upon a time, there were two fossil-like bachelors in Qilin. There were no rumors of love affairs about them and even when there was a time when Qi Chenglin was engaged, all rumors went silent after the dissolution of engagement. There were no women who appeared alongside them except for the women in the Qi family.

    Now, Qi Chenglin was the only bachelor left after Qi Chengzhi got married. Even though the female colleagues were not having any delusions or vain hopes, they could not help but started gossiping about the legendary fossil-like bachelor¡¯s love life.

    Ruan Danchen stared at Zhang Lefei anxiously but she just shook her head regretfully. ¡°She said Xiao Li didn¡¯t have much of a clear view. The parking lot was dim and all he could see was darkness from his viewing angle at that time, but it looked like a woman from the body shape. He couldn¡¯t even get ahold of her outfit style. Plus, he¡¯s a coward. He didn¡¯t dare to get close to them too in fear that the general manager might see him, so he stood from afar and snapped a picture of them.¡±

    Zhang Lefei shook her phone in her hand, flipping through the photos to find it and said, ¡°I asked Xiao Ding to send it to me. All of them in the finance department acted like Sherlock Holmes today and everyone started investigating with this photo on their phones, but none of them found the answer yet.¡±

    They gave a conclusion after taking a nce at the photo¡ªit was totally useless. They could only visualize that it was a picture of a man and a woman¡¯s backs. Otherwise, it was poorly pixted with a lot of image noise in a dim environment. They would not be able to recognize that the man was indeed the general manager himself if they were not informed, so it was impossible to even guess the identity of the woman beside him.

    ¡°What are we supposed to see from this photo?¡± All of them felt extremely disappointed when Senior Du returned the phone to Zhang Lefei.

    Zhang Lefei winked at Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Danchen, since you¡¯re so close with Mrs. Qi, did she divulge anything to you? For example, Qi Chenglin¡¯s girlfriend or something simr?¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed that all the gazes remained fixed on her and it made her heart race anxiously. She had no choice but to answer, ¡°She did mention something about this but I had forgotten about it because the memory was vague. We normally won¡¯t chat issues regarding the Qi family. It¡¯s hard to talk about them when they¡¯re one of the great families.¡±

    Senior Du and the rest nodded understandingly as the Qi family might misinterpret her intentions when she talked about them in public.

    Chen Siyu waved her hands and said, ¡°Forget about it, maybe we¡¯ll see them again next time.¡±

    They stopped the discussion regarding this topic and shifted their attention to Ruan Danchen again. ¡°Danchen, is Xiao Zhang trying to court you?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Ruan Danchen was puzzled due to the rapid change in topic, and besides¡ª

    ¡°Which Xiao Zhang?¡±

    ¡°ying the fool.¡± Zhang Lefei smiled and poked on Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm, trying to be more intimate with her. ¡°The Xiao Zhang from the design department who helped carried the box of office supplies for you this morning.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then realized who were they referring to before Zhang Lefei continued. ¡°There are rumors about him trying to court you. To be honest, Xiao Zhang is a really nice guy.¡±

    ¡°No, Manager Luo merely instructed him to help me with the office supplies,¡± Ruan Danchen quickly denied as she knew the consequences would be disastrous if this went to Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears.

    The crowd recalled Ruan Danchen¡¯s rtionship with Mrs. Qi after hearing her statement. It was natural that Manager Lou wanted to ingratiate her.

    The sharp-eyed Senior Du noticed a ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s left middle finger and lifted her hand straight away. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re actually taken.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was flushed pink. She did not deny and simply said, ¡°Yes.¡±

    Fortunately, the ring Qi Chenglin gifted was quite low profile. It was not made from a famous brand but it was more expensive than those luxurious brands, and not a lot knew regarding the brand¡¯s existence. The ring Qi Chengzhi used for the engagement between him and Song Yu was made from the exact same brand too.

    The ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s finger was low profile and the diamond on it was miniature, so Senior Du and the rest did not take this matter seriously.

    The chat and gossiping continued until the end of lunchtime and all of them went back to their seats afterward.

    Yao Jingfei walked back to her seat too with her high-heels knocking loudly on the floor. She was not in a good mood after getting humiliated by Qi Chenglin so instead of returning to the office, she went to a nearby shopping mall and bought various new clothes. However, she did not ce all the newly bought clothes in her car. Instead, she carried multiple bags of clothes in her hands as she walked into the office with a unting intention.

    When she passed by Ruan Danchen¡¯s seat, she rolled her eyes purposely and snorted.

    Ruan Danchen was baffled but she chose to ignore Yao Jingfei.

    ...

    ...

    Rumors about Xiao Zhang courting Ruan Danchen really traveled to Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears for some reason, and he called out a meeting with all the managers from each department directly.

    The managers lined up in front of his office desk like a ss of obedient students.

    Qi Chenglin inquired regarding Ruan Danchen¡¯s working condition in the design department, which Manager Zou answered truthfully. He also thoroughly exined his punishment on Yao Jingfei just for Ruan Danchen so that Qi Chenglin knew about this beforehand and could support his back if Board Member Yao decided to take revenge on him.

    Qi Chenglin nodded with great satisfaction. ¡°You did well.¡±

    Manager Zou was exhrated.

    Qi Chenglin added. ¡°Danchen is too low profiled and she¡¯ll always tolerate as much as possible when others bullied her. This concerns me, so Manager Zou¡ª¡±

    Manager Zou immediately focused his attention while Qi Chenglin continued. ¡°You just need to bully them before they have the energy to bully Danchen, that¡¯s it. Yao Qingzhi brought her daughter to me this afternoon. Don¡¯t you worry, I informed him that I was the one who permitted your decisions. He wouldn¡¯t dare to cause trouble to you, so you can do what you want unfettered.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Manager Zou felt that Qi Chenglin obviously wanted Yao Jingfei to suffer in agony without admitting his intentions.

    ¡°Danchen also told me this afternoon that Manager He, Manager Luo, and Manager Zou took care of her well.¡± It was a rare sight for Qi Chenglin to put on a friendly smile towards the managers whom he mentioned just now. The managers automatically categorized his smile into the ¡®friendly¡¯ category even though his smile was quite faint.

    The three managers stood proud and straight, feeling their heights increased at least a centimeter due to the pride.

    They had decided to treat General Manager Qi¡¯s wife with more kindness after realizing that she really did mention it to the general manager himself.

    The rest of the managers wanted to receivemendations from the general manager but unfortunately, they did not have the chance yet.

    ¡°However, when you want to help Danchen in the future, either you help her yourself or you instruct a female staff to assist. Don¡¯t ever let a single, unmarried male staff aid her as it¡¯ll lead to misunderstanding fairly easily,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he moved his left hand that was resting on the table. Then, his long fingers from his right hand rotated the ring in his left middle finger purposely, disying its presence.

    Manager Luo and the rest of the managers noticed it with their keen eyes. Luo Yushu himself was especially aware of the rumors that were flying thick in thepany. He remained undefeated as a manager in thispany as he would always get ahold of any new rumors beforehand.

    Naturally, Luo Yushu was well aware of the rumor regarding Xiao Zhang trying to court Ruan Danchen.

    Thus, he immediately understood what Qi Chenglin meant with that statement and action.

    He quickly moved a step forward and stood at attention. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, General Manager. In the future, only the female staff will help General Manager Qi¡¯s wife. Unmarried, young men will keep a distance from her.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded with great satisfaction and said, ¡°Go back to your work and keep it up.¡±

    Thus, Manager Zou took more extreme care toward Ruan Danchen after returning to the design department in the evening. Whenever he rested from work, he would take a look outside his office through his office¡¯s window, always getting prepared to rush out and stood by Ruan Danchen¡¯s side firmly when Yao Jingfei caused trouble to her again.

    Somehow, Yao Jingfei remained silent this whole evening.

    ...

    ...

    It was time to go off work at night but most staff in the design department needed to work overtime. Inevitably, Yao Jingfei needed to work overtime too as Manager Zou took the lead and instructed the designers to throw all their chores to her.

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s current work volume was almost the sum of all the work her colleagues had, thus she might only be able to get off work muchter than them.

    Ruan Danchen nced through the documents this whole day as there were not many projects in her hands now. She felt embarrassed to get off work alone when all her colleagues were busy as a beaver. Still, it was unwise for her to barge in other fellow designers¡¯ projects too even though they were colleagues.

    Yao Jingfei mmed the documents in her hands on the table heavily and criticized enigmatically. ¡°Do you think it¡¯s reasonable for you to leave first when the rest of the staff are still busy at work? To be honest, you didn¡¯t even work at all this whole day.¡±

    Today was Ruan Danchen¡¯s first day of work; it was natural that she had no projects in her hands yet.

    Ruan Danchen ignored her but had decided to stay and help. However, Manager Zou came out of nowhere and appeared in front of Ruan Danchen before she could say anything.

    He took a nce at Yao Jingfei rather impatiently and said, ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you, Xiao Yao? This is just the first day of work and you¡¯re insistent on being a troublemaker now. Can you even try to work in harmony with your fellow colleagues? Is there any problem with Danchen leaving first since she had done her work? She can¡¯t help her colleagues in their works too. Will you allow others to see your design blueprints? Danchen is experienced so she knows this well. You, on the other hand, are inexperienced but you had a design major. From what I¡¯ve heard, you graduated from a reputed university too, so how can you not know about this basic knowledge? You want Danchen to stay and help, but who? You? These are your work, why should she help you?¡±

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s expression paled with anger after Manager Zou threw a great pile of words on her.

    She was the precious daughter of a board member. Even if Ruan Danchen had an intimate rtionship with Mrs. Qi, why was there such a disparity?

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang. When she took her phone out, Manager Zou noticed the caller identity ¡®Sweetheart¡¯ on her screen, and his heart skipped a beat. The general manager had called to urge her to leave work now.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    <

    >

    Thus, Xia Wenna kept referring to Qi Chengzhi, who was still a baby at that time, as ¡®Chengcheng¡¯.

    The nickname remained until Qi Chengzhi grew up and was able to understand normal conversations. One day, Xia Wenna took his favorite toy and showed it to him.

    ¡°Chengcheng, look! What¡¯s this?¡±

 Chapter 366 - You Will Definitely Look Better Than Him When You Grow Up

    Chapter 366: You Will Definitely Look Better Than Him When You Grow Up

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Manager Zou thought silently in his heart, ¡®Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were really mushy, even when naming each other.¡¯

    Not noticing that Manager Zou took a peek on the caller, Ruan Danchen picked up her phone and had just managed to utter a ¡®Hello¡¯ when she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s deep voice, which sounded more mesmerizing over the phone. ¡°Are you not out yet?¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was especially hypnotizing. Without even seeing him in person, one could be captivated just by listening to his voice.

    His voice was nothing limpid. Instead, it was low and mellow that exuded a sense of allure.

    ¡°I¡¯m just packing up.¡± Ruan Danchen nced apologetically at Manager Zou.

    Manager Zou ears were pricked up at the exchange.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting by the road across the office.¡± Qi Chenglin hung up soon after, killing Ruan Danchen¡¯s intention to work overtime.

    Looking at her helpless expression after hanging up the call, Manager Zou deliberately ignored Yao Jingfei and turn towards Ruan Danchen with a kind smile. ¡°Xiao Ruan, quickly get off work. Don¡¯t let Gen... ahem... him wait too anxiously.¡±

    Manager Zou had wanted to say General Manager Qi but thankfully stopped himself in time before blurting it out.

    Ruan Danchen could only smile apologetically before packing up and left the office.

    ...

    ...

    Qilin¡¯s employees got off work at six in the evening, whereas Qi Youxuan¡¯s sses were over at five. Thus, Xiaoyang first picked up Qi Youxuan before driving him to Qilin.

    When Ruan Danchen saw that familiar ck Mercedes-Benz stopping across the road, her lips unconsciously curled up into a smile. She looked to her left and right to find herself unnoticed by most people around her. On that ount, she swiftly crossed the road as the traffic light turned green and got into the car.

    Inside the car, Qi Youxuan was sitting in the child safety seat, holding onto a box of yogurt drink in his hands. He took the opportunity to remove the seat belt and move his muscles while waiting for Ruan Danchen in the static car. It was rather ufortable to be strapped down by the seat belt.

    The child safety seat was ced on top of the car seat, lifting it slightly higher. His short legs could not reach the ground and were left to swing in the air.

    Qi Youxuan took a sip of the yogurt drink and glimpsed at Qi Chenglin who was sitting in the driver seat before letting out a sigh.

    Turning his head to the side, he caught sight of Ruan Danchen jogging towards them from across the road.

    It was winter and she was dressed in thicker clothes. The in ck hooded down coat with furs around the hood enveloped her thickly, making her look adorable.

    The wind in B City was not too strong but piercing cold during winter. Therefore, Ruan Danchen had to wrap another scarf around her neck. The way she swaddled herself tightly did not make her seem like a bear perhaps, it was nheless a rather interesting sight.

    Even though her long hair was bound under her scarf, it still stuck up messily from being caught in the wind.

    When Ruan Danchen reached the car, Qi Chenglin noted through the window that her face was flushed from being blown by the wind. Her nose was also reddish. She lifted her arms to simply wipe off the tears in herrge eyes.

    She was not afraid of messing up because she did not put on any eye makeup.

    Then, Ruan Danchen got into the back seat of the car and settled herself next to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched. He took a nce at his son through the rearview mirror and did some mental calctions. Ruan Danchen seldom sat in the passenger seat in his car. When they usually went out together, Qi Youxuan would definitely tail along her side.

    As long as Qi Youxuan was present, Ruan Danchen would choose to sit with him.

    Qi Chenglin gazed at the empty passenger seat dejectedly. When pursuing Ruan Danchen, his son was a tag-on as well as a hinder.

    After getting together, Qi Youxuan had practically be the third wheel in their rtionship.

    Qi Chenglin humph gloomily and threw his documents onto the passenger seat carelessly. After all, there was no one in the passenger seat.

    As if unaware of his father¡¯s dampened mood, Qi Youxuan let out a deep sigh.

    However, it went unnoticed by Ruan Danchen who was called by Qi Chenglin. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned around to stare at her reddish face caused by the cold wind and said, ¡°Come here.¡±

    Not understanding his intention, she inched closer to him, stopping in between the driver and passenger seats.

    Looking at the face that pressed near him, he covered her flushed face with his palms.

    Although the car heater was turned on, Ruan Danchen had not warmed up enough as she had just entered the car. Her face was still cool to touch. His palms that were suddenly pressing against her cheeks felt burning hot in contrast.

    The stimtion from the temperature difference made her face blushed brighter.

    She watched him warming up her face in silence. He only let go of her after the coldness on her face had subsided, but not without a grumble. ¡°Won¡¯t it be more convenient to sit in the passenger seat?¡±

    Noting that Qi Youxuan¡¯s attention was not on them, Ruan Danchen took the chance to swiftly catch hold of Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand and ced a kiss on his palm before returning to the back seat.

    The feeling on his palm was soft, moist and slightly ticklish, yet veryfortable.

    As she was settling down in the back seat, Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand was grabbed by Qi Chenglin who pulled her towards himself. If not for the two front seats blocking her shoulders, she would have fallen into his embrace.

    He gave her a light peck on her lips, letting her off after just a few seconds.

    Ruan Danchen blushed deeply when she sat back in the back seat, her face reddened even more than it was when she entered the car.

    Qi Chenglin then started the car sedately and drove off.

    Catching the little act between those two adults, Qi Youxuan did not give it much thought because it was nothing more than just kissing each other. They did not even argue at any other time.

    His dejection had gone unnoticed for the couple was whispering to each other in front of him earlier.

    Securing himself with the seat belt, he took in arge sip of the yogurt drink gloomily while waiting for Ruan Danchen to settle down. Only then did he let out another sigh, which had sessfully captured her attention.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruan Danchen asked concerned.

    The little one¡¯s body was warm after staying for a long time in the car but he was wearing a scowl on his face.

    Ruan Danchen felt her heartbeat in her throat instantly. Could he possibly run into any unhappy circumstances in school?

    The environment in the elementary school differed greatly from the preschool. There were only a few children attending the preschool and everyone was equally naive at that time. Jixia Elementary School, on the other hand, had arge number of students after adding up the few students in each ss of each year.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but worry over Qi Youxuan like most parents. Was the little one mistreated by his teachers? Did he have a conflict with his ssmates? Was he bullied by his seniors in school?

    Parents often took the school lightly, considering it an ivory tower. However, the school is actually a condensed smallmunity, which Ruan Danchen would never underestimate.

    Qi Youxuan took another sip of his yogurt drink that only had a little left. He sucked on the almost-empty boxed habitually, producing a suckling sound until it was finished. Then, he sighed, ¡°Say, Aunt Ruan, look at how tall dad is. Why am I still stuck in this height?¡±

    That day, Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss was going to learn the radio gymnastics during their gym lesson but an incident that happened then had hit him hard.

    Their gym teacher had instructed them to queue ording to their heights and Qi Youxuan was positioned rather front in the queue. He was among the shortest students in his ss where many of his female ssmates were even taller than him. He had been queueing in simr positions during gym sses in the past that he did not feel differently.

    Unfortunately for Qi Youxuan, Dai Zhiyao¡¯s gym ss schedule was swapped with their English ss that day. Thus, Dai Zhiyao¡¯s ss was also present in the gym and was going to have the gym lesson together with Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss.

    When Dai Zhiyao¡¯s ss entered the gym, the girls in Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss began to boil in excitement. They could not stopplimenting Dai Zhiyao¡¯s good look. His tall stature had positioned him at thest row in the queue.

    Qi Youxuan who was positioned second in the second row was displeased about it. He was about the same height as Dai Zhiyao when they were in preschool. Why did Dai Zhiyao¡¯s height leap not long after bing a first-year elementary school student?

    If he remembered correctly, Dai Zhiyao and Wei Muran¡¯s families were living in the same neighborhood. Perhaps, they would often bump into each other and Qi Youxuan could do nothing about it.

    ¡°You were worried about your height?¡± asked Ruan Danchen dumbfoundedly.

    Seeing Qi Youxuan nodding so earnestly, Ruan Danchen let out a breath of relief and caressed his little head. ¡°It¡¯s perfectly normal for the boys to grow slightly slower than the girls. I had a deskmate in my junior high school that was half a head shorter than me until our second year. However, he suddenly went through a growth spurt in our third year and had be a head taller than me. You¡¯re still not at the age for a growth spurt yet. Just wait until your junior high. Your height will leap and cannot be stopped. Look at your dad¡¯s stature, you can¡¯t be any worse than that.¡±

    It seemed that all the men in the Qi family had tall statures due to the dominant traits of their height genes. Grandmother Qi, Xia Wenna and even Guan Liya were only moderately tall but their sons¡¯ height was not held back in any way. From Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun to Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengji, each one of them had grown so tall, even taller than their predecessors.

    The only exception was Qi Chengyue. With only a 1.65 meters stature, she was deemed to possess an appropriate height for a woman, neither too tall nor too short. Perhaps the dominance in height had all been inherited by the men in the Qi family.

    That was why Ruan Danchen was not in the least worried about Qi Youxuan¡¯s height even though he was currently one of the shortest boys among his peers.

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Youxuan asked in uncertainty.

    In order to appear more convincing, Ruan Danchen nodded firmly and said, ¡°You can ask your dad if he was also pretty short in elementary school.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed into his son¡¯s hopeful eyes through the reflection of the rearview mirror.

    He curled his lips and said with his deep voice, ¡°Who said so? I have always been tall even since elementary school and usually stood at the back in the line.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    That man, even if it was the truth, could he not tell some white lies to motivate his son?

    Ruan Danchen did not know that Qi Chenglin was actually vexing his annoyance at his son. A petty act of revenge on Qi Youxuan for always standing in Qi Chenglin¡¯s way, that he could hardly enjoy more time with Ruan Danchen alone as a couple.

    Qi Youxuan felt immensely disappointed when he heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s response. He passed the empty box in his hands to Ruan Danchen and started to fish out another box of yogurt drink from his school bag. As he was removing the straw from the packaging, he said, ¡°I heard that you can grow taller by drinking more milk.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at the rearview mirror while maneuvering the steering wheel. ¡°What they meant is fresh milk, not those processed drinks you have.¡±

    Qi Youxuan halted his movement upon hearing that. ¡°This is also made from milk. Fresh milk tastes terrible by the way!¡±

    ¡®He¡¯s simr to me on this matter,¡± thought Qi Chenglin. Yet, he said, ¡± Don¡¯t you know that the better a drink tastes, the less effective it is? Medicine is definitely effective but does it taste any good? Moreover, drinks with additives do not have much nutritional value. No matter how much you drink, it¡¯ll be all for nothing.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s little hands held onto the yogurt drink as a war waged in his mind. Finally, he bit his teeth and stuffed the box of unopened yogurt drink into Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands. Putting on a generous facade, he said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, please put this away for me. You can also finish those few boxes of yogurt drink left in the fridge at home. Can we drop by the supermarket on the way? I want to buy a carton of milk and start drinking it tomorrow.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked back and forth between the little one and the yogurt drink in surprise. Usually, the little one would not have any milk when asked to drink as if the milk was some kind of poison. Even Qi Chenglin, of all people, hated milk. Hence, she had no choice but to drink those milk left at home with Aunt Zheng.

    It had just been a few days since they finished the milk and Qi Youxuan was now requesting to get some milk for himself.

    Ruan Danchen did not have any problem with his request and Qi Chenglin immediately steered into the direction heading towards the supermarket.

    ¡°Why¡¯re you so concerned about your height all of the sudden?¡± Ruan Danchen asked curiously.

    Thus, Qi Youxuan recounted the incident during their gym ss that day and shared his worry about Dai Zhiyao and Little Muran living in the same neighborhood.

    Ruan Danchen remembered Dai Zhiyao. He was a polite and good-looking boy. She had also heard that the Dai family was a notable family.

    Qi Chenglin stopped his car at the indoor carpark of the supermarket. Turning off the engine, he said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. The younger a child is during his growth spurt, the shorter he will be in the future. His height may leap now but when the timees for him to grow, it will slow down. If I¡¯m not mistaken, Dai Zhiyao¡¯s mother had a short stature with slightly over 1.5 meters height and his father did not even reach 1.8 meters. He was gically inferior in terms of height and so will not grow as tall as you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took the seat belt off the little one and carried him out of the car. Qi Chenglin nced at him calmly and added, ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t drink enough milk, you may not be able to grow as tall as me.¡±

    With a clear determination showing on his face, Qi Youxuan proimed that he would drink milk every day.

    Qi Chenglin nodded in satisfaction and decided to give him a little more encouragement. ¡°Besides, even if you are good-looking when you¡¯re young, it may not be so when you¡¯ve grown up. Although Dai Zhiyao looks charming at the moment, we¡¯re not sure how he¡¯ll turn out when he grows up. One thing for sure, he doesn¡¯t have as much potential as you. His mom¡¯s appearance is in whenpared with your Aunt Ruan. His dad is also not as attractive as me. Since you were born, those who have seen you remarked that you inherit my good look. From this point alone, you¡¯ll definitely look better than him when you grow up.¡±

    Sure enough, little Qi Youxuan was brimming with confidence. With the dissipation of the haze clouding his mind, he bounced right into the supermarket.

    Walking a few steps behind Qi Youxuan, Qi Chenglin held Ruan Danchen back from shadowing the little one.

    Ruan Danchen uttered softly, ¡°There are so many people in the supermarket that I¡¯m afraid we¡¯ll lose Youxuan in the crowd.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t. He is a very smart boy. We needn¡¯t worry about losing him because he is afraid of getting lost himself.¡± While Qi Chenglin was speaking, Ruan Danchen noticed Qi Youxuan turning around frequently to check if they came along with him like a little puppy.

    Ruan Danchen was slightly relieved. Although her attention was still on Qi Youxuan, she gave him some space by falling two steps behind with Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s back before inching closer to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear, saying out of the blue, ¡°It seems that you remember your junior high deskmate very well.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so petty. When I was still in elementary school, my deskmate hadn¡¯t hit his puberty. My deskmate in senior high was a girl. Of course, I could only choose my deskmate in junior high as an example. Do you really have to get jealous over something like this?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words. Instead, he sped her hands tightly.

    Since Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen got together, they would frequent that supermarket, sometimes in three and other times with only both of them because it was nearest to Prestige Residences.

    Therefore, Qi Youxuan was quite familiar with theyout of the supermarket and had gone directly to get a shopping trolley.

    The supermarket had a batch of new shopping trolleys, specially prepared for customers who brought their children along. There was a child-sized toy car attached under each new shopping trolley that could move along when the shopping trolley was pushed. A child could easily fit into the toy car, thus rousing their excitement over the new shopping trolleys.

    Qi Youxuan found the new shopping trolley interesting and went right away to take it.

    Fortunately, he was a step faster because the shopping trolley he spotted was thest one avable. There was a child, sitting in his mother¡¯s arms, who was pointing eagerly at thatst shopping trolley. Noticing apetitor present, Qi Youxuan rushed forward to get hold of the shopping trolley before it was taken by the child¡¯s mother.

    As the mother¡¯s arm stretched towards the shopping trolley, just seconds away from the handle, Qi Youxuan managed to grab ahold of the shopping trolley and darted back towards Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen with it.

    That incident had taught little Qi Youxuan to get the things that he wanted on his own. Otherwise, he might lose out if merely relied on the others.

    Qi Youxuan stopped the shopping trolley in front of Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. He subsequently slipped into the toy car underneath the shopping trolley and put his hands on the steering wheel. Just then, his eyes caught sight of the mother walking towards them while trying exasperatedly to stop the child in her arms from crying.

    The child did stop as he stared longingly at the toy car that Qi Youxuan was sitting in.

    Qi Youxuan puffed up his little chest with pride.

    The mother, who was already vexed by her child¡¯s tantrum, grew angrier as sheid her eyes on the smugged culprit and his indifferent parents.

    She let out a humph, rolled her eyes at Qi Youxuan, and spat, ¡°What an ill-mannered child!¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned upon hearing that. How could the woman say such things?

    Qi Chenglin raised his brow as he witnessed the child throwing a fit in that woman¡¯s arm. ¡°Mom, I wanna sit in that car! I wanna sit in that car! I want it! I want it!¡±

    The child bounced up and down continuously, his bottom thumping against his mother¡¯s arm causing her to almost drop him. She chided, ¡°Stay still or I¡¯ll not carry you anymore!¡±

    ¡°I want that car! I want that car! That car¡¯s mine! He snatched it from me!¡± The little boy bawled, pointing at Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin questioned Qi Youxuan, ¡°Did you snatch their shopping trolley?¡±

    ¡°What a mean thing to say. I merely acted faster to get the trolley over here before they could take it away. Even if I throw a fit in front of you, you¡¯ll not help me get the shopping trolley anyway,¡± said Qi Youxuan solemnly, lifting his face upwards through the hollow window of the toy car.

    ¡°I did not snatch the shopping trolley from their hands. This auntie was just a step slower than me. Well, she couldn¡¯t help it as she has to carry such a heavy child in her arms. The boy should get what he wants on his own, rather than bawling out when it is taken away from him. Who can he me for that?¡± sighed Qi Youxuan, shaking his head in disappointment when he took a glimpse at the little boy in the woman¡¯s arm. Served him right for not getting to sit in the toy car.

    The woman was shocked speechless while the child cried even louder, not understanding what Qi Youxuan had just said.

    Qi Chenglin nodded his head in agreement and ruffled Qi Youxuan¡¯s head,mending, ¡°You were right and you did well too. At the very least, you did not embarrass me by bawling out when you failed to get the toy car. You¡¯re a big boy now. Keep it up.¡±

    He then took another glimpse at the crying boy and said to Ruan Danchen, ¡°When we have a second child, we need to teach him proper manners so he does not embarrass us like this.¡±

    As his speech ended, he pushed the shopping trolley and went on his way with his family.

    Ruan Danchen could hear the mother¡¯s enraged voice behind them, ¡°What¡¯s with the family? That¡¯s enough! Stop crying now! It¡¯s embarrassing!¡±

    She was at a loss for words. Should she reprimand Qi Youxuan? However, Qi Chenglin seemed to not intend to do so from his response.

    While she was still pondering on that matter, they had already arrived at the drinks section in the supermarket. In the middle of the rows of shelves, stacked imported fresh milk rmended by the retailer.

    Qi Chenglin walked towards the shelves to check out the milk. The milk seemed decent and so, he took a carton and ced them in the shopping trolley. ¡°It¡¯s not enough to drink only milk if you want to grow taller. You need to eat more vegetables too. Eating only meat will make you grow fatter.¡±

    Resolved to surpass Dai Zhiyao, Qi Youxuan agreed to it despite his adorable face was slightly scrunched.

    Qi Chenglin took the opportunity to quickly call back home and requested Aunt Zheng to cook up more vegetable dishes before Qi Youxuan could regret it.

    Since they were already at the supermarket, they simply strolled around the aisles to see if there was anything that they would like to buy.

    During their stroll, they stumbled upon Wei Ziqi¡¯s family who came from the opposite direction.

    It was obvious that they came to the supermarket slightlyter. As Qi Youxuan took thest shopping trolley with the attached toy car, Wei Ziqi¡¯s family only used the normal shopping trolley left. Little Muran was sitting inside the shopping trolley with her legs stretched out.

    Little Muran was still very short. Even after stretching out her legs, there was still sufficient space in the shopping trolley to ce their groceries. Wei Ran smiled at the sight of Qi Chenglin¡¯s family and the two families approached one another with their shopping trolleys.

    When the shopping trolley finally stopped, Qi Youxuan slid out from the toy car and posed in a show-off manner. One of his hands was supporting the front of the car, his back leaned against the car body, and his legs crossed.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin could not bear to look at the silly boy who acted as if the toy car was a luxury car.

    ¡°Mumu, do you wanna sit in this car?¡± Little Qi Youxuan invited happily.

    Little Muran appeared to be excited about it and Wei Ziqi could only let her down for her to get into the toy car.

    As a result, the two families had to do their shopping together.

    Qi Youxuan walked alongside the toy car, trying multiple times to hold Little Muran¡¯s hand. However, he would be caught by Wei Ziqi every time he tried. Qi Youxuan dared not make a move whenever he was stared by those cold almond-shaped eyes.

    That had caused Wei Ziqi to make up his mind. He should purchase a simr toy car for Wei Muran and bring it along whenever they went to the supermarket to prevent someone else from making use of the situation.

    Wei Ziqi¡¯s family still had some things to pick up when Qi Chenglin¡¯s family had done their shopping. Hence, under Qi Youxuan¡¯s reluctance, the two families parted ways.

    ...

    ...

    Back at Prestige Residences, Qi Youxuan surprisingly ate a lot of vegetables during dinner. Then he jogged a few rounds on the treadmill and gulped down a ss of warm milk before going to bed.

    Qi Chenglin had juste out from the shower. He leaned against the head of the bed, crossed his legs cozily, and was changing the TV channel with the remote control. He finally stopped at a parent-child variety show that starred fathers taking care of their children at home.

    Watching the fathers preparing meals for their children clumsily, Qi Chenglin let out a snort of disdain.

    Ruan Danchen, who was getting ready to shower, turned around to look at the television. Then she nced at Qi Chenglin and simply blurted out, ¡°Say, I have never seen you cooking up a meal before.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin gazed at her silently and switched the TV channel.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had a feeling that that man was trying to cover something up. Thus, she walked towards Qi Chenglin to study his expressionless face. Her eyes narrowed as she asked, ¡°Why did you change the channel? Can it possibly be that you can¡¯t cook?¡±

    Qi Chenglin caught the underlying meaning behind Ruan Danchen¡¯s questions. He hadughed at the fathers in the variety show but was not any better than them.

    Although both Qi Chenglin and Chengzhi went to study abroad, Qi Chengzhi had always had Song Yu in his heart. He practiced his culinary skills not only because he was not used to eating western meals in the long run, but also to better care for Song Yu after their marriage.

    Unlike Qi Chengzhi, Qi Chenglin still had not met Ruan Danchen neither was he in any romantic rtionship at that time. He was a single man who was fine with eating burgers, pizzas or steaks daily to fill his stomach. He would be able to eat more Chinese meals when he returned home during the school break.

    That was why he had never touched any cooking utensils even when he was abroad.

    Currently, his culinary skills were limited to making instant noodles. It would be a great challenge for him to even turn on the stove.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s brows furrowed before rxing. He pulled Ruan Danchen into his embrace and kissed her deeply until her mind became fuzzy and she could not utter a single word. It was only then that Qi Chenglinughed, ¡°It¡¯s alright to not know how to cook as long as I get to eat.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen caught on his sexual implication immediately before realizing that she had also been influenced by Qi Chenglin significantly.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to shower?¡± Qi Chenglin asked Ruan Danchen who was lying limply in his arms. His mood ted and his eyes curved into a smile.

    Ruan Danchen came back to herself and stood up swiftly. Her face was flushed red and she had already forgotten to question Qi Chenglin¡¯s culinary skills.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen quickly washed her hair, took a shower, and put on her pajamas. As she was blowing her hair dry, the washroom door was opened from the outside.

 Chapter 367 - You Had a Crush in Senior High?

    Chapter 367: You Had a Crush in Senior High?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Through the reflection of the mirror, Ruan Danchen saw Qi Chenglin entering the washroom with her phone in his hand. ¡°You have a call.¡±

    Ruan Danchen switched off the booming hairdryer, took the phone from Qi Chenglin and looked at the caller. It was her senior high deskmate.

    Her senior high deskmate was a woman, and that was why Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained the same and did not seem unhappy.

    Ruan Danchen decided to simply leave her hair as it was. She was about to head out with the phone but was stopped by Qi Chenglin, who moved the chair at the side toward them.

    Using only one hand to move the chair, Ruan Danchen could see the force exerted by the distinctive joints of his long fingers. The firm muscles in his exposed arm were also bulging from the force. She found his strong, firm muscles to be particrly attractive and sexy.

    Getting Ruan Danchen to sit on the chair, Qi Chenglin reached over the shelf to take a towel. He then started to dry her hair attentively and patiently with it.

    Ruan Danchen studied his faint expression through the mirror. His soft, patient gaze drew a smile on her face.

    She answered the phone with a grin, ¡°Hi deskmate. Why did you call?¡±

    Despite being a female, her deskmate was given a male name by her parents, Gao Xiaoyang. Just like how bipr her name and gender were, her carefree name did not reflect her quiet and elegant character. Ruan Danchen got to know that her deskmate was currently working as a journalist for an economics newspaper.

    Ruan Danchen and Gao Xiaoyang were deskmates for two years in senior high, so they were rather close to each other. It was only after graduation, on top of Ruan Danchen¡¯s unpleasant experience, that they seldom contacted each other.

    When nostalgia for the past had be popr after joining the workforce, everyone started to get back into contact with one another through reunions, QQ, and Wechat.

    They did not chat very often, merely having some discussion with or leaving somements for one another asionally on topics such as the Spring Festival reunion.

    ¡°Just following up with you on our Spring Festival reunion n in advance, in case you¡¯ve already made a n for the Spring Festival vacation,¡± answered Gao Xiayang. Before going further into the details, she asked, ¡°Who¡¯s the guy that picked up your phone? Are you married? You didn¡¯t even inform us!¡±

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face burned up as she looked at Qi Chenglin through the mirror. He was still drying the tips of her hair carefully. ¡°He¡¯s my boyfriend.¡±

    ¡°You have a boyfriend!¡± Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s voice sounded slightly disappointed.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruan Danchen asked curiously.

    ¡°Nothing. It¡¯s just that Chen Libai will being back for this reunion. Didn¡¯t you have a crush on him during senior high? The guys close to him revealed that the feeling was mutual. Since it was in time for the university entrance exam, he had set it aside, waiting to confess when he managed to get in. However, his family had arranged for him to study abroad after his graduation, so he didn¡¯t manage to go to the same university that you applied even after signing up for the entrance exam. When he came back and went to look for you during his first-year summer vacation, you weren¡¯t at University A. He even went around and found your address but you¡¯ve already moved. You missed each other out just like that. We had a little group gathering with him when he was back this year. I felt that it was somewhat a pity after listening to him. Now that he¡¯s about to graduate from the medical university overseas, though he didn¡¯t mention it, I feel it in my gut that he decided toe back especially for you.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang let out a sigh. ¡°I initially thought that this reunion will be a good chance for both of you to get back together. Who¡¯d knew you have a boyfriend now. Considering that you¡¯re still together at this hour, could it be that you¡¯ve moved in together?¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help butugh at her question. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that you actually have the potential to be Sherlock Holmes.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang was simply guessing to draw out some news from her. When Ruan Danchen did not deny it, she raised her voice in shock, ¡°You¡¯re living together for real!¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a glimpse at Qi Chenglin to find him lifting his brow with the ¡®I¡¯ll interrogate youter¡¯ expression.

    Only then did she remember that sounds were leaking from her phone. Qi Chenglin must have heard the conversation she had with Gao Xiaoyang from his perked-up ears.

    His gaze had gotten her to avert her eyes in guilt as she listened to Gao Xiaoyang sighing repeatedly, ¡°What a pity!¡± After that, she continued, ¡°Regardless, we¡¯ll be gathering at Shengyue on the fifth day of Spring Festival at half-past eleven in the morning. Wang Kai had already reserved a room for us. You just need to give the attendant Wang Kai¡¯s name and contact number when you reached.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang did not mention that Chen Libai was holding onto the thought of getting together with Ruan Danchen when he returned in glory. That was why he had intentionally chosen a high-ss venue for their reunion. Furthermore, Chen Libai¡¯s family was rather well-off; they would not be able to support his medical studies abroad for so many years otherwise. After all, It was not cheap to study in the medical field overseas.

    He had offered to pay for the expenses of the uing reunion, hoping that the others would be able to attend. As ssmates, the others knew well of his feelings for Ruan Danchen and therefore epted his offer.

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin carefully but could not decipher anything from his expression. She thus told Gao Xiaoyang, ¡°I can¡¯t make it on the fifth because I already have a n on that day.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang caught on her excuse and said, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that you have something on earlier? Now that you know Chen Libai is joining in this reunion, you just have to have somethinging up all of a sudden? Are you trying to avert your boyfriend¡¯s suspicion? Just treat this asion as a normal gathering; we haven¡¯t met for a year now. Since everyone is free during the Spring Festival, let¡¯s meet up together! As for Chen Libai, even if you can¡¯t be together or if you feel awkward to even be his friend, there¡¯s no harm in treating him as a ssmate from senior high. Your boyfriend won¡¯t be so petty that he can¡¯t even agree to this, right? Plus, now that you¡¯re going out with each other, don¡¯t tell me that he doesn¡¯t even ce this little trust in you? Who doesn¡¯t have a past romance? If he doesn¡¯t allow you to attend the reunion because of this, such pettiness must¡¯ve been unbearable.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s raised her voice further as she got more worked up.

    Qi Chenglin had heard her in as the day for her voice had been leaking out from Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone.

    He pursed his lips in a tight line. The woman over the phone was only a step away from saying, ¡®Since he¡¯s so petty, you can just break it off with him right away.¡¯

    As he scoffed in his heart, he heard Ruan Danchen saying, ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I do have something to attend...¡±

    Before she couldplete her sentence, her phone was taken away from her ears by Qi Chenglin. He covered the phone with his hands and said, ¡°Just go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was in aplete dilemma. She could not tell if he was being honest.

    What if he merely told her to go but was in fact miserable about it?

    What if he truly meant it and felt that she was being guilty about something if she chose not to go?

    She strongly believed that the man behind her could make it happen.

    Noticing her concern, Qi Chenglin stressed, ¡°I do mean it. Just go to the reunion. You won¡¯t be meeting him alone anyway. Do I look like such a petty person?¡±

    ¡®Yes, you do.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen murmured in her heart. She was still hesitating when she saw his raised brow as he scoffed, ¡°Not going? Are you guilty about something?¡±

    Silence enveloped Ruan Danchen.

    She just knew that that would happen!

    ¡°What can I be guilty about? There¡¯s nothing between us after all. If you really don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll attend the reunion then.¡± Qi Chenglin loosened his grip on her phone, allowing her to bring it back near her ears. Thankfully Gao Xiaoyang had not hung up on her.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be attending the reunion.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang once again reminded her of the time and venue of the reunion. Then, with a little worry, she told Ruan Danchen that the information would be sent to her via Wechat before ending the call.

    Ruan Danchen stood up when her hair was almost dry.

    Qi Chenglin left the towel at the shelf next to him and followed Ruan Danchen out of the washroom.

    Ruan Danchen heard his attractive, low voice behind her sneering, ¡°So you had a crush in your senior high?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen climbed into her side on the bed and waited for Qi Chenglin to get in as well. She did not notice when the TV channel had been switched back to that parent-child variety show that she saw before going for a shower. It was pretty lively with the children bouncing about actively.

    Ruan Danchen noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s jealous expression and thought, ¡®Why did he put up such magnanimous facade when he¡¯s actually very petty?¡¯

    She had been to the reunion every year anyway. Missing out on a year did not make much difference. Furthermore, they were still keeping in touch through Wechat.

    ¡°That was when I was still young and ignorant.¡± Ruan Danchen hugged Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm tightly. He seemed happier after listening to her exnation. She rubbed herself against his embrace coquettishly and stuck close to his firm chest which made her feel safe.

    ¡°Did you confessed to him in the past?¡± he asked after pondering about it.

    ¡°Of course not. He had gone abroad without saying anything. What¡¯s there to confess?¡± Ruan Danchen blurted out honestly.

    ¡°So you did intend to confess to him if he hadn¡¯t gone abroad? I¡¯m unaware that you¡¯ve such initiative.¡± He lifted his brow and pursed his lips. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you have such initiative when you¡¯re with me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Considering the fact that a romantic rtionship during the youthful years as a student is the most unforgettable. It didn¡¯t matter whether the rtionship was sessful because it was, after all, your first love.¡± Qi Chenglin snorted, his attractive face had turned sour in jealousy.

    ¡°...¡± If it continued in such a manner, Ruan Danchen could not predict what he would be.

    Hence, she gave his calf a little kick as her face sank, seemingly mad. ¡°Enough of it, Qi Chenglin. How long has this been? Who doesn¡¯t have a past romance? When I was in school, it was inevitable for me to admire an outstanding guy in ss. Moreover, we had missed the chance to be together. He must not like me as much either, or he would¡¯ve told me before leaving the country otherwise. Since he had left without saying a thing, that confusing feeling that I had then wasid to rest. Am I not your girlfriend now? With Youxuan, I¡¯m already a woman with her man and her son. You¡¯re a lot more mature and better than him. I must be crazy to fall in love with him instead. If Gao Xiaoyang didn¡¯t mention it, I would¡¯ve forgotten all about him.¡±

    Qi Chenglin listened to her happily, and even if she was jabbing his chest with her finger, he was still ted.

    He lowered his head that was beaming and asked in a low, seductive voice, ¡°I¡¯m that good?¡±

    ¡°No, you¡¯re not. This pettiness of yours isn¡¯t a good trait.¡± Ruan Danchen answered before rolling back on the bed, pulling the duvet upwards until it covered her chin. She thought to herself, ¡®You can¡¯t spoil a man.¡¯

    As soon as she lied down on the bed, that man inched towards her shamelessly, pulling her into his embrace and letting her back stick closely to his chest. Brushing his warm, thin lips against her ear, he whispered, ¡°It¡¯s my fault. Don¡¯t be mad at me. I was just jealous at the thought that you had a crush on another man.¡±

    Ruan Danchen opened her eyes slightly and red at him from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Then tell me, how many girlfriends did you have before me?¡±

    It was Qi Chenglin¡¯s turn to be speechless.

    ¡°When you did it with me for the first time seven years ago, you were no longer a virgin right? I¡¯ve heard that men will ejacte prematurely on their first time but you didn¡¯t.¡± She pursed her lips, imitating his sneer.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin hugged her closer, pressing that part against her for a moment and said, ¡°That was because I¡¯m gifted.¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept mum.

    She felt that hot part pressing against her and was at a loss for words, her ears reddened. His lips that were brushing her ear had caused her ears to burn up even more. She could not calm herself.

    ¡°You shameless man!¡± Ruan Danchen kicked him again.

    He got down the root with her but when the ball was bounced back to him, it was exined as being gifted. Who would believe such lies?

    ¡°Do enlighten me, how many girls have you dated? You¡¯re already 33, don¡¯t tell me that you¡¯ve never dated anyone before.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not truly mind his past rtionships. Knowing that he was not the type to fool around, he must have been serious about his past girlfriends.

    Besides, he was not Qi Chengzhi who had only have Song Yu in his heart. It could not be helped that Qi Chenglin had dated other girls before she came into his life.

    Qi Chenglin could not answer.

    The man behind her kept his silence for some time; he did not want to lie to her yet he was afraid that she could be angry about it if he spoke the truth. Therefore, he tantly inched closer to her, lifting himself slightly, and kissed her on the lips.

    Relentlessly, Ruan Danchen pinched his waist hardly until he let go of her in pain.

    She then kicked him to the other side. ¡°Go away. You can¡¯t even exin your past rtionships but keep fussing over mine. My first kiss and first time were all given to you. Who knows who you gave yours to. If you¡¯re going to keep this up in the future, then you¡¯ll need to make yourself clear first.¡±

    Qi Chenglin failed to muster a reply.

    He could not argue about it because it was true.

    Ruan Danchen removed his hands from herself and got down the bed.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qi Chenglin was getting ready to carry her back to bed if she insisted on moving to another room.

    However, Ruan Danchen climbed back into the bed with an iPad.

    Qi Chenglin watched her lying on her back, holding up the iPad and pressing into an online shop. He then saw her key in the words ¡®s*x doll¡¯.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin caught sight of her pressing the search button and various dolls had appeared on the screen instantly, even ones that looked like celebrities. ¡°Why are you searching for this?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced at him and humphed, ¡°I¡¯m buying this for you. Whenever you make me unhappy, help yourself with this instead.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    He immediately seized the iPad from her in a second.

    He pressed down on her, hugging her tightly in his arms. ¡°Let¡¯s stop messing around. There¡¯s no need to waste money on that.¡±

    ¡°Mnnn...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were immediately locked in a kiss. ¡®This shameless man!¡¯

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen was preparing breakfast in the kitchen with her sore body.

    When she brought out the breakfast, she saw Qi Chenglin already well-dressed, sitting at the dining table. He was holding onto a newspaper in his hands, reading the entertainment section.

    Who knew that theposed and discreet General Manager Qi was interested in gossips?

    Recalling his hardcore enthusiasmst night, she was overwhelmed with gloom. She ced the breakfast on the table and refused to speak with him outright.

    Qi Chenglin put down the newspaper and nced at her. His elegant hand stretched towards her, covering her left hand and moved towards her.

    He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered, ¡°Are you okay?¡±

    Ruan Danchen red at him and removed her hand from his grip. ¡°I¡¯m still mad at you.¡±

    He was not only unrepentantst night but also continued shamelessly for so long.

    Ruan Danchen, who was not genuinely angry, had be furious at his shameless enthusiasm.

    Just then, Qi Youxuan came down with his school bag. After cing his school bag on the floor near his chair, he climbed up the chair, took a pie and bit into it, smearing his mouth with oil.

    With his son present, he straightened his tie and posture, turned the newspaper to the international news section and read the news while eating his breakfast.

    Ruan Danchen was tight-lipped.

    He was pretty good at acting. Why was he reading the international news section?

    Qi Chenglin was like a worm in her stomach; it was as if he knew what she was thinking. Lowering the newspaper, he exined, ¡°It¡¯s important to pay attention to the international trend when making decisions on some of Qilin¡¯s investments.¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept mum.

    Qi Youxuan was chomping down the pie as his eyes darted back and forth between Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. He gave up on figuring out what had happened between the two of them and continued to enjoy his breakfast.

    ...

    ...

    After having their breakfast, the family left their house and first dropped off Qi Youxuan at Jixia Elementary School.

    They saw him getting out of the car and walking into the school but unlike usual, Ruan Danchen still remained seated in the back seat.

    ¡°You¡¯re noting to the front?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, observing her closely.

    Ruan Danchen turned her sight towards him and asked, ¡°Will you still be so petty in the future?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin did not reply, merely driving off after shifting the gear.

    Those things were innate; he did not dare to vouch that it would not happen again.

    Ruan Danchen chose to keep silent.

    She was silent along the journey until Qi Chenglin stopped the Mercedes-Benz in Qilin¡¯s indoor carpark. Ruan Danchen did not even say goodbye when she got out of the car and went on her way.

    Would it evere to an end if his pettiness sparked continuously on such little matters?

    Ruan Danchen thought angrily to herself before proceeding to the office. Qi Chenglin then helplessly got off the car and returned to his office on his own.

    Not long after starting on her work, Ruan Danchen noticed Manager Zou leaving the design department in a hurry, not knowing what he had gone to do.

    A few momentster, she could hear Manager Zou¡¯s loud voiceing from the corridor. ¡°General Manager Qi, this way please.¡±

    Ruan Danchen raised her brow and caught sight of Manager Zou leading Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan into the design department shortly after.

    Her colleagues in the design department were shocked to find General Manager Qi visiting their department all of a sudden. There had only been a number of times for him to visit the design department in a year.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze swept across the room, looking at everyone present. Nheless, his gaze stopped about two seconds longer on Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°...¡± Dumbfounded, Ruan Danchen wondered if he intentionally visited the design department because she ignored him that whole morning.

    She then noticed his faint smile as he raised a brow at her.

    It was not obvious but Ruan Danchen could clearly see the slight movement of his thick brow.

    ¡°Hehe... General Manager Qi had purposely visited our department after finding out that we have a new colleague,¡± Manager Zou exined with a grin.

    All the other staff fell silent.

    Manager Zou felt a little awkward when he saw their disbelief.

    Clearing her voice, he said, ¡°What¡¯s with your reactions? Our general manager is concerned about us all this time.¡±

    The silence remained.

    ¡°...¡± Manager Zou looked toward a direction and a p was started.

    The others followed suit and were soon pping one after another.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up faintly and he glimpsed deliberately at Ruan Danchen. Standing there proudly, he gave off a distinguished air of excellence and stability.

    There was one person whose bright eyes were staring shyly at Qi Chenglin as her face reddened. Ruan Danchen was unsure if Yao Jingfei had mistaken the situation. Nheless, it seemed that Qi Chenglin did not even cast a look at her.

    Yao Jingfei wore the ¡®General Manager Qi is here to see me¡¯ prideful expression on her face. Although she waspletely disregarded by Qi Chenglin yesterday, she believed that her status was what brought him personally to the design department.

    She had overlooked Ruan Danchen, who was known to be Song Yu¡¯s close friend.

    In Yao Jingfei¡¯s opinion, Qi Chenglin was trying to stay impartial at work. Perhaps Song Yu had also requested him to look after Ruan Danchen, so it was best for him to set apart the public from his private interest despite wanting to practically care for Yao Jingfei.

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to have a look. Please keep up your good work. Qilin¡¯s new development in the housing area at the northern district will be a tough challenge. Thepany has decided to hand the project over to the design department this time. That being said, please be fully prepared to tackle this project. I¡¯ll be bringing along a few representatives from the design department to inspect the site next Friday,¡± said Qi Chenglin. Though calm and mellow, everyone in the room could still hear his voice.

    With this, everyone knew that those who were chosen for the trip next Friday would be in charge of the design in that project.

    After all, it was not enough to employ only one designer for such arge project.

    Qilin¡¯s previous project, the seven-star leisure hotel, had been handed over to an external party, causing unsettlement among those in the design department. Nevertheless, they began to slowly ept the decision upon finding out that the external party was Mrs. Qi and eximed at the risk taken by Director Qi in pursuing his wife.

    Although the new project was not as good as the previous project, the opportunity to work on such arge plot ofnd was definitely worth it.

    Thus, everyone in the department took the chance to present their eagerness in being a part of the new project to Qi Chenglin.

 Chapter 368 - Donâ€™t Rely On Me To Gain Any Benefits From The Qi Family

    Chapter 368: Don¡¯t Rely On Me To Gain Any Benefits From The Qi Family

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin seemed pretty satisfied with himself as he turned to Manager Zou and said. ¡°Have some men follow me upstairs and organize the documents about the property, then bring it down with you. ¡±

    Manager Zou noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze shifted over to Ruan Danchen¡¯s direction, with his quick thinking, he said. ¡°Danchen, since you¡¯ve just arrived and there¡¯s not much work, why don¡¯t you follow him upstairs.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless as she stood up. She could only assume the both of them had a prior agreement.

    Yao Jingfei was infuriated by Manager Zou as she had an unsatisfied expression on her face while she red at Manager Zou. She thought to herself, just how blind this man was. He was unable to see that Qi Chenglin intended to have her go upstairs instead.

    As Ruan Danchen was walking over to Qi Chenglin and as she reached her, Yao Jingfei stood up immediately and said all while she snorted in her heart. ¡°Manager Zou, just let me as the personal assistant handle matters like this, so I¡¯ll go instead.¡±

    As she made her statement, Manager Zou simply red at her furiously as he knew thisdy was all bark and no bite. She was nothing but an empty arrogant vessel for her own stupidity! So why should he show her any mercy at all!

    ¡°Are you done with your current task already?¡± Manager Zou said as he annoyingly waved his hand.

    ¡°No, but...¡± Yao Jingfei tried to exin.

    ¡°If you¡¯re not done then just stay here andplete your damn task, stop being so distracted! Everyone¡¯s work is extremely urgent, so you should know better to dy, weren¡¯t you so persistent inining about Ruan Danchen not doing anything yesterday, what are you so unsatisfied about now? She has work to do now and yet you want to take her work to your te? What are you nning to do? Trying to show that you¡¯re hardworking in front of the CEO?¡± Manager Zou snapped furiously at her.

    Yao Jingfei instantly grew pale as she never expected Manager Zou to snap at her like this, she was upset at his outburst since she felt her apparent unfair treatment!

    She intended to snap back at him, words were flooding her mind as she started to speak. However, before she could speak a syble, she turned around, and felt her tears streaming down her cheeks as she sat down.

    The other employees were shocked at Manager¡¯s Zou¡¯s outburst. He was always known to be patient and easy going. None of them had ever seen him like this. They could only wonder at what exactly Yao Jingfei did to push him over the edge.

    Ruan Danchen felt bad at Yao Jingfei as she walked past her.

    Qi Chenglin patted Manager¡¯s Zou¡¯s shoulders seemingly praising him as he brought Ruan Danchen upstairs alongside him.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen followed Qi Chenglin into his office, the moment the door shuts behind them and before Ruan Danchen could even react, she was instantly pulled toward Qi Chenglin¡¯s very warm embrace. Hugging her tightly.

    ¡°Still mad?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a whisper. His current loving and warm attitude waspletely differentpared to when he was with his design department earlier.

    ¡°I knew you had other intentions when you wanted me to follow you into your office for work.¡± Ruan Danchen replied as she was not even offended or mad. Instead, it made herugh.

    After hearing her casual cheerful reply, Qi Chenglin breathed out a sigh of relief as he took Ruan Danchen by the hand, leading her to the couch, then proceed to scoop her up in the air and sitting her down on hisp. He said. ¡°I can¡¯t guarantee that in the future, I can rid myself of jealousypletely, but I will do my best to loosen its grip on me alright.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was focused on the giant piles of documents her colleagues would eventually hand it to her downstairs and how she kept so many people waiting. Ironically, here she sat, in Qi Chenglin¡¯sp, cuddling with him. This thought made her blush a little.

    While still deep in her thoughts, she was staring at the button on Qi Chenglin¡¯s shirt as she unconsciously gave it a couple yful tugs. She said. ¡°You know, on a much deeper thought, a man like you getting jealous over me, and how you mind so deeply about everything that has to do with me, makes me quite happy. Knowing just how much you value me, strengthens your ce in my heart.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin remained silent as he squeezed onto her waist tighter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen said nervously.

    ¡°Alright, I was a little flirty okay, just do what you have to do, I¡¯ll admit that I too was a little jealous.¡± Ruan Danchen replied anxiously.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin remained silent.

    It was as if his morning grogginess hadpletely been purged by her words alone.

    Ruan Danchen felt guilty as she let out an awkward chuckle while she pecked Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips, giving him a light kiss. She said. ¡°Don¡¯t feel too bad okay, I¡¯ll make it up to you when we get home alright. I¡¯ll be going downstairs now.¡±

    As Ruan Danchen got up, she was instantly pulled back down onto Qi Chenglin¡¯sp. She noticed he was quite annoyed. ¡°Were you trying to coax Youxuan?¡± Qi Chenglin said frustratingly.

    ¡°...¡±Ruan Danchen said nothing as her face was blushing hard from embarrassment. Fighting through her embarrassment, she replied. ¡°Weren¡¯t there a group of people waiting for me downstairs? If I kept them waiting any longer, they would¡¯ve seen through what I was up to through my face alone. That would not be nice at all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be so difficult with me next time alright?¡± Qi Chenglin said with a monotone unhappy voice as his dark ck eyes stared deeply into Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Alright. I won¡¯t¡± Ruan Danchen replied embarrassingly while she shook her head.

    Seeing how well behaved she was, Qi Chenglin smirked as his heart melted into a warm puddle, he leaned in and gave Ruan Danchen a long passionate kiss. Apparently, he intended to only give her a soft and light kiss, however, he sumbed to temptation as he could no longer keep his primal instincts at bay.

    She could not focus as her mind was on an emotional high, putting her in a trance after Qi Chenglin had sent Ruan Danchen off.

    As Ruan Danchen walked out, she seemingly heard her name called by someone. It took her a good while to snap out of her trance like state. As she finally snapped out of her infatuation, she realized Jiangyuan was standing right in front of her, desperately trying to hold back hisugh, all with an awkward expression on Jianyuan¡¯s face.

    She looked at Qi Chenglin that was standing beside her with a blur. Qi Chenglin was calm andposed as he unknowingly reminded Ruan Danchen for a brief second.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Jianyuang was desperately holding back hisughter as he raised his hand to his mouth to mask a cough. He handed 3 files to Ruan Danchen and said. ¡°I have arranged everything here already just hand them over to Manager Zou on your way back alright.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but nce over to Qi Chenglin, although it was not work rted when Qi Chenglin brought her up with him, and it was extremely obvious of his personal motives in the name of work, she did not expect him to be so thorough in covering up by having her documents neatly organized for her.

    Ruan Danchen left the office after receiving her documents.

    ...

    ...

    She noticed Yao Jingfei was in a horrible mood as she walked past her upon returning to the design department. Completely ignoring her, Ruan Danchen handed her documents over to Manager Zou.

    Even though Manager Zou hadpletely destroyed Yao Jingfei publically earlier, Ruan Danchen could see though her intentions as clear as day. She knew thisdy obviously had a crush on Qi Chenglin and all she wanted was a chance to get close to him and know him a little better. However, Ruan Danchen harbored zero ill thoughts for Yao Jingfei, inyman¡¯s terms, she did not have the heart to get mad at Yao Jingfei.

    It was noon and it was almost time for lunch, Ruan Danchen was notified that the reception had got a call earlier and ady iming to be her mother was waiting for her downstairs by the main entrance.

    Ruan Danchen had no idea how Liu Ronghua managed to get hold of the information that she was in fact working in Qilin. She replied to the receptionist. ¡°Just tell her that I will be working overtime tonight.¡±

    She knew exactly what Liu Ronghua¡¯s purpose was for reaching to her. If it was just a regr mother-daughter reunion, she would be more than happy to oblige. However, chances for that was close to none.

    Her personal phone rang not long after she had hung up the call with the receptionist. ncing at the screen, it was from none other than Liu Ronghua. This made Ruan Danchen feel extremely awful, as she felt her chest tighten around her and tears forming her eyes while her sinuses were stuffed. She felt the vice grip tighten harder around her chest causing her pain.

    She sighed deeply and proceeded to walk out with her phone.

    The very moment she answered the call, she could hear Liu Ronghua voice saying. ¡°Danchen, were you so unwilling to greet me even once?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m busy right now, Qi Chenglin was just here earlier and being the new guy meant a huge pile of work.¡± Ruan Danchen replied as she sniffled while she desperately fought back the urge to cry.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to lie to me Danchen. You¡¯re dating Qi Chenglin right now and you¡¯re basically the unnamed co-owner of Qilin right now, not a single soul would dare make you work overtime. You don¡¯t even need to lift a finger and all you need to do is to wait for your pay every month. No one would dare speak about it. I¡¯m not blind to the fact that the main purpose of Qi Chenglin making you work in hispany was none other than to spoil you rotten.¡± Liu Ronghua said with a soft gentle tone as usual. However, it takes a no brainer to note the mockery in her voice.

    This very statement offended Ruan Danchen, as she was unsure if Liu Ronghua intended to offend her on purpose or not. However, every word she said was filled to the very brim with arrogance and mockery.

    ¡°I came into thispany to work like regr people and I intend to work with all my heart. I do not wish to spur any drama in thepany. Just like every employee of thepany, I too was expected and required to work overtime, and my mistakes would be noted and critiqued just like everyone else.¡± Ruan Danchen replied coldly as she felt the tight grip around her chest had loosened. ¡°I¡¯ll need to get back to work, this is where our conversation ends and if you have anything to talk about, we¡¯ll do it some other time.¡± Ruan Danchen added.

    ¡°Danchen!¡± Liu Ronghua frantically said before Ruan Danchen had the chance to hang up. She added frantically. ¡°I am your mother, how could you not wish to even meet me once, how could you call yourself a daughter? I came by to see you and all I wanted was to have a meal with you, can¡¯t you even do that? I know how much you hate my guts, at least give me the opportunity to make things right between us okay?¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed someone walking in her direction, she proceeded to take the phone call to the stairway at the end of the hallway.

    Since there were people around her, she remained silent, this made Liu Ronghua misunderstood her silence to her ignorance. She added. ¡°If you refuse to meet me, I will be waiting in Qilin as long as thispany stands. I would not believe that you will not need toe down here at all.¡±

    ¡°If you refuse to meet me today, I will return tomorrow and the day after that until you relent. There will be a day where you don¡¯t work overtime right? So I will be able to at least meet you once right?¡± Liu Ronghua added further as Ruan Danchen sighed.

    As she spoke, Ruan Danchen could her Liu Ronghua¡¯s desperate sobbing through the phone. ¡°Danchen, you weren¡¯t like this back then, do you n to abandon your only mother? Do you wish everyone in yourpany to know that you were so heartless that you would refuse to meet your mother?¡± Liu Ronghua pleaded.

    This painful plea by her mother made her very close to crying as she sighed deeply and took a deep breath, while her nose were stuffed and she was fighting back the strong urge to bawl her eyes out as she continued to listen to her mother¡¯s unreasonable, embarrassing sobbing. She replied. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll meet you downstairs.¡±

    ¡°Oh, good, alright. I¡¯ll wait for you downstairs.¡± Liu Ronghua said as she was now happy.

    As she walked out of the stairwell, she looked at the time and it was time for lunch break, and thus, she proceeded to call Qi Chenglin.

    At this very moment, food was being served onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s desk. At the same time, he received a phone call from Ruan Danchen, making him to be in an amazing mood. However, through the phone, he heard her say. ¡°I might join you a littleter.¡±

    ¡°What happened.¡± Qi Chenglin replied as he could not believe that Manager Zou actually wanted her to work overtime.

    ¡°My mom is here, she does not want to leave the main lobby as she was persistent in meeting me. I¡¯ll meet up with her for a bit to find out what she actually wanted.¡± Ruan Danchen replied with a sigh. However, upon hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice, it relieved some of her awful feelings in her heart, seemingly giving her some support.

    Hearing this made Qi Chenglin frown instantly. He never expected that the strong and stern warning to Liu Ronghua the other day at the temple was futile. She had zero morality as she would do anything for whatever little rewards the Shen family could promise her. Her own personal gain outweighs her moralpass.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll go alone, I¡¯ll see exactly what she wants. If youe along with me, she would not dare reveal her ulterior motives, this will make her keeping back for me until she had said what she wanted to. As long as you¡¯re here, she would not daree by. She would only attempt to do whatever she nned to do in your absence.¡± Ruan Danchen said while walking to her office grabbing her bag as she walked out.

    ¡°If you¡¯re nning to have lunch in a restaurant elsewhere, make sure you send the location to me alright.¡± Qi Chenglin replied after a slight pause.

    ¡°Alright.¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to enter the elevator after hanging up the call.

    Upon arriving at the ground floor, Ruan Danchen noticed her mother was sitting on a couch next to the main entrance all while presenting herself to look as elegant and wealthy as she could be. In any stranger¡¯s eyes, by looking at her stance and how Liu Ronghua presented herself to be, would assume she was from a higher social status and that she had gotten herself married to a very wealthy family.

    Liu Ronghua was focussed on the elevator doors, seeing Ruan Danchen walk out of it, she immediately stood up and weed her over to her side.

    ¡°Danchen!¡± Liu Ronghua said while holding onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands, still with tears in her eyes, as she looked extremely depressed. She said. ¡°How are you doing these days?¡±

    From how she looked, it was as if she had gone through hell and back.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Ruan Danchen replied coldly as she calmly removed her hands from her mother¡¯s grasp.

    Ruan Danchen brought Liu Ronghua to a nearby cafe. This very cafe had a private room as an added perk. That room was known as the romantic room. The room was decked out to the brim with princess themed decorations and the style andyout of the room was very Europe inspired, the walls were painted pink, the shelves were filled with plush toys, no matter the age, this room alone was made to appeal to any girl of any age.

    Ruan Danchen care very little about how the room was decorated as she only cared about the private room perk. This allowed them some privacy to talk. Not many were present in the cafe since it was noon and all were busy getting lunch.

    The waiter came in with a menu, Ruan Danchen only ordered a ss of red tea, she does not like to drink coffee before lunch. Liu Ronghua ordered the same drink as her daughter as she too was not able to put her mind at ease and fully pay attention to the menu.

    After a short while, the waiter brought 2 pots of red tea in the room. It was nothing too special about it. It tasted like regr store bought tea.

    As Liu Ronghua remained silent, Ruan Danchen too never spoke a word. She thought to herself, it would be a blessing for her if Liu Ronghua¡¯s mouth remained sealed due to her anxiety, she would not need to listen to any of it. She knew Liu Ronghua¡¯s exact purpose for their meeting even without her speaking her mind. As long as Liu Ronghua stayed quiet, Ruan Danchen would y the oblivious one.

    Liu Ronghua was expecting Ruan Danchen to ask her about her main purpose first. However, she was caught off guard by Ruan Danchen¡¯s silence while she sipped her tea.

    Finally breaking the silence as she could no longer keep it in, Liu Ronghua nervously asked. ¡°Danchen, are you okay living with Qi Chenglin?¡±

    Ruan Danchen never answered her question, she only gave her an impatient nce.

    Perhaps her time spent with Qi Chenglin were long enough for her to pick up some of his habits. Her mocking, judgemental look was uncannypared to Qi Chenglin.

    Liu Ronghua was seemingly hurt by her daughter¡¯s cold, emotionless expression, she ced her arm on the table while crossing her fingers bringing it close to her chest as she had a painfully hurt and depressed expression on her face. She said with a sad, almost pitiful tone in her voice. ¡°I could tell he adores you and absolutely loves you to bits, I heard his family loves you very much as well.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sighed, and stared into her cup of tea as she had no appetite to drink. She felt disgusted somehow. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Does his family... know about my matters?¡± Liu Ronghua asked as she felt excruciatingly difficult to speak her mind.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Ruan Danchen probed as she frowned.

    ¡°I mean... I have been living with zero status in the Shen family for so many years. Does his family know about it?¡± Even for Liu Ronghua, it was extremely difficult for her to even borate on that question. It took a lot of courage for her to say something so shamelessly.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent as she continued to frown.

    Seemingly able to read the situation, Liu Ronghua awkwardly said. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure you never told them, since I know that I am as disgraceful as I could ever be. If they¡¯d known about me, they would not ept you in their family right?¡±

    ¡°So, what exactly is your point?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Danchen, your Uncle Shen knew about your matters, and he is fully on board with you dating Qi Chenglin, he do not wish to break the both of you up and to show his support in you marrying into the Qi¡¯s family, he had decided to formally marry me, making it official and with that, giving me somewhat of a status at home.¡± Liu Ronghua exined with a soft whisper.

    ¡°Just name your damn terms.¡± Ruan Danchen continued to frown as she knew that Shen Jialiang would never in his lifetime be this generous and kind.

    Liu Ronghua had what could only be described as a pitiful look on her face as she chuckled awkwardly. However, her self pity had no effect on Ruan Danchen as she waspletely numbed by her facade.

    She continued to listen to Liu Ronghua¡¯s borate self pity. ¡°Your Uncle Shen...¡±

    At this point, Ruan Danchen was toozy and tired to even stop Liu Ronghua¡¯s formalities in addressing Shen Jialiang. She had told her countless times 7 years ago to stop addressing him as Uncle Shen.

    However, as much as Ruan Danchen had told her, Liu Ronghua was stubborn and refused to listen. She assumed by closing the gap of both their rtionship, she would be able to help her.

    ¡°Your Uncle Shen said, as long as he marries me, you will officially be his step daughter. Your wedding with Qi Chenglin requires both families to have a meal together around the same table and at least meet up right? However, if I¡¯m the only one present, and truth be told, my identity and social status is no longer any secret now right, since Qi Chenglin¡¯s own mother even knew who I was exactly. I ran into them the other day at the temple, judging by the way they look at me, I could tell they were looking down on me, they had no respect for me. If they found out that you were my daughter, I¡¯m afraid they would be reluctant to ept you in their family. I know for a fact that the Qi family would not like anyone to say that the mother of their daughter inw was nothing more than a mere servant right?¡± Liu Ronghua borated further as she sighed deeply and drank some hot tea.

    Ruan Danchen waspletely baffled by the fact that this woman could feel no shame in making that statement. She was shocked by how Liu Ronghua could say that she as a servant was a job of shame and just how boldly she eximed that statement.

    ¡°However, if I could marry your Uncle Shen and be his official wife, it would not be so shameful when we eventually meet up with Qi Chenglin¡¯s family. You will have ss, even though you¡¯re his step daughter, you still would be the star of Shen¡¯s family, with that, you will be able to match Qi Chenglin¡¯s status.¡± Liu Ronghua added. However, it just seemed like every word from this viledy¡¯s mouth was sugarcoated. Every sentence was masked with benefits to Ruan Danchen.

    Ever since she was little, Ruan Danchen had never once knew what her mother¡¯s natural motherly, warm scent was. Liu Ronghua had a habit of spraying heavy perfume onto herself, it does not matter if she had just showered, the scent of the perfume never left her body. Besides, Liu Ronghua had never once given her own daughter a hug.

    Coaxing her to sleep would be in the realm of impossibility.

    The scent of her perfume could be smelled at the moment. Although it was as thick, it was instead a well known branded perfume. However, Ruan Danchen waspletely disgusted by the smell alone.

    She had finally drank some tea, seemingly trying to suppress that disgusting scent, while she squeezed her nose tightly. She took a deep breath after that, and replied with an exhausted tone. ¡°Just get to the damn point of your purpose of meeting me here today. The Shen family had always shunned me away, never loved me and had never once wanted anything to do with me, this is a fact the both of us knew deep down in our hearts. Shen Jialiang had always been clear with his intentions, what does this man want now? Since he¡¯s so kind and generous to offer you a ce in his family, and wanted me to be his step daughter.¡±

    ¡°The main goal is... Since you will be the golden child of Shen¡¯s family then, this wedding would ultimately be both Qi and Shen¡¯s family¡¯s business, the entire rtionship would naturally change. Your Uncle Shen wished for you to return and live in his house. This will help to mend both families rtionship. This was all due to the incident that happened years ago that made Qi Chenglin and the entirety of the Shen family to be in horrible terms with each other. Qilin would not invest or partner with the Shen family. This made the entirety of the Shen family really difficult to expand in that business circle. As long as the both of them could salvage their broken rtionship, it would be smooth sailing for the Shen family. With that, it would ultimately be a win-win situation for both us, don¡¯t you think this is the best oue ever?¡± Liu Ronghua shamelessly exined as she had an awkward smile on her face. Her body was slightly tilted forward facing Ruan Danchen.

    Hearing her shameless statement made Ruan Qingsiugh sarcastically, almost mocking her. She replied. ¡°Shen Jialiang really is something, he had the audacity to request something of this magnitude after what he did to Qi Chenglin back then and how awful he treated me? There is no limit for this man¡¯s shamelessness.¡±

    Liu Ronghua looked stiff after hearing her daughter¡¯s reply. Even though she was talking about Shen Jialiang, she could not help but feel as if Ruan Danchen was indirectly talking about her too.

    ¡°Danchen, this is for both our benefits, you don¡¯t even need to change yourst name...¡± Before Liu Ronghua could finish, Ruan Danchen interrupted her.

    ¡°Why would I even want to change myst name, I am just baffled at his evil intent and greed. He sure can scheme against Qi Chenglin, What right does he have to benefit from Qi Chenglin after making him call him father inw? I will absolutely never allow Qi Chenglin to be used like this.¡± Ruan Danchen eximed. ¡°You¡¯re done saying everything you came here to say right? I will be leaving now. You may tell Shen Jialiang that I will never set foot in his house, it doesn¡¯t matter if he marries you or not, even if he did, I will never be his step daughter. He may keep dreaming about any benefits from the Qi family. He will receive nothing from them.¡± Ruan Danchen said sternly.

    ¡ª

    ¡ª

    Mini Scene

    Regarding About A Nickname 3

    ¡°Cheng Cheng, what do you think this is?¡± Xia Wenna asked Qi Chengzhi while showing him a toy by swaying it in front of him.

    Qi Chengzhi initially was staring at the toy, however, upon hearing his nickname, Cheng Cheng being called, his entire face contorted as he cringed. He refused to answer.

    After a couple more times, as long as Xia Wenna address him as Cheng Cheng, Qi Chengzhi would not respond.

    Unable to get a reaction from him, Xia Wenna decided to test him out a couple more times. As long as she called him Qi Chengzhi, he would respond. However, with Cheng Cheng, would only bepletely ignored by him as he pretended to not be aware of his nickname being called.

    And so, this short lived nickname slowly faded away as it was never brought up again. Slowly but surely faded from the memories of everyone.

    Until Qi Chenglin was born...

    To know what happens next, stay tuned to the next chapter.

    Qi Youxuan asked. ¡°What¡¯s my daddy¡¯s nickname?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin remained silent.

    ¡°We revealed our son¡¯s nickname, for the sole purpose of gaining the monthly ticket.¡± Xia Wenna said.

 Chapter 369 - So Youâ€™re Saying I Should Thank You?

    Chapter 369: So You¡¯re Saying I Should Thank You?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen stood up, she said to Liu Ronghua as her chin was slightly shaking. ¡°I don¡¯t care if this revtion would cause the entire Qi family to hate me, I don¡¯t care if this will cause me to break up with Qi Chenglin, I will never agree to Shen Jialiang¡¯s terms.¡±

    Hearing her daughter¡¯s stern and bold statement, Liu Ronghua frantically stood up and before Ruan Danchen could leave, she immediately grabbed onto her daughter¡¯s arm almost begging her. She said, ¡°Danchen, even if you don¡¯t think about yourself or me, you¡¯ll need to think about Qi Chenglin¡¯s feelings right? I could tell he cares deeply for you, what if the Qi family refused to let you date Qi Chenglin because of my status, do you think Qi Chenglin would just agree to that? He will never give up without a fight. What happens if he had a falling out with his entire family because of you, fracturing his rtionship with his family, causing him to be caught in between two hard ces. Do you wish to see him like this?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched a little as she replied, ¡°I believe in Qi Chenglin¡¯s ability to defend me, I have faith in the entire Qi family¡¯s ability to fully ept me, I have even more faith that their family is able to ignore my past and ept me for who I am. You and I are 2pletely different people, they will never use the same judgement on me the same way they did on you. I fully believe in their judgement and they will treat me fairly. They will never judge me based on my past and my familial ties. They are good people. If it mattered that much, then I would rather both families to never meet up at all, I never had ns to invite the Shen family to my wedding anyway.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt tears forming at the edge of her eyes, her nose became increasingly stuffy as she desperately fought back the urge to bawl her eyes out. Through her trembling voice she said. ¡°I will level with you here, I can take a couple steps back and level with you, It does not matter to me if the entirety of Qi family reject the person I am because of my familial ties, I don¡¯t care if I get married or not. It matters so little to me if I am legally married on paper, I have faith in Qi Chenglin to be able to love me for a lifetime, we can live like married couples do, there¡¯s not much of a difference anyway. I know for a fact that he will never betray my feelings. I have a man that loves me to the moon and back, he will never abandon me. Married or not, it matters so little to me, I trust him that he will treat me as well as he possibly can and more. I already have a son and I do mind if Youxuan knew that I am his birth mom or not, even if he never calls me mother, It does not matter. My feelings are clear and that¡¯s all that matters to me.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and do your worst, tell Shen Jialiang. I would rather stay unmarried for as long as I live and I will be with Qi Chenglin without any formal status, I will never allow him even a sliver of a chance to use me to get close to anyone from the Qi family. He will gain nothing from Qi Chenglin.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she clenched her teeth so tightly from her boiling anger, it almost seemed like her words were being forced out from the gap between her teeth.

    ¡°How could you be so cruel? Danchen, can¡¯t you think of your own mother? You would rather be looked down on in the entire Shen family and everyone else? You would you wish to hold any sort of higher status or ss in your life?¡± Liu Ronghua started to bawl after saying this. Her tears were as if the floodgates were opened. It came out pouring. This was unexpected as she started bawling without any warning. ¡°If I have any sort of higher status or ss, you too will be able to benefit from it. Don¡¯t you get it?¡± Liu Ronghua added

    ¡°I can¡¯t understand, since you¡¯ve remained at the bottom of the entirety of the Shen family¡¯s household for all these years, and just by using your own daughter, only then will he offer you a formal ce in his house? Why are you so obsessed in staying there anyway? You know, by leaving that hell on Earth, just do you part as a single mother, no one in the Qi family will turn their back on you.¡± Ruan Danchen exined as she fought back her overwhelming urge to cry as her heart wrenches.

    ¡°It¡¯s toote for me to escape now, everyone knew about my ties with the Shen family. If I get out now, people will know that I¡¯ve been kicked out by them. I had nothing all these years, all I ever wanted was a name for myself, to climb higher on the socialdder, and to think that all my hard work amount to nothing, and being kicked out of the Shen family. I can¡¯t lose him now. I need him now more than ever, I had too much on the line to lose! Think about it, even if I do manage to leave that family, everyone knew what I did in the past. It will be the same as you!¡± Liu Ronghua exined frantically as she grabbed onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm.

    ¡°I am not young anymore, Danchen. Can¡¯t you just let me have this, just promise me this one little favor please? Being a part of the Shen family isn¡¯t all that bad. You will never be wronged by them; instead, you will be the golden girl, the star of the family. No one would dare cross you, all because of your ties with the Qi family.¡± Liu Ronghua exined.

    ¡°I¡¯ve helped you once back then, and I believed that I had made myself very clear then, that would be the first andst time I will ever help you. Back then, you made me leave, just because all you cared about was getting yourself into the Shen family. Was that not enough for you?¡± Ruan Danchen eximed as she pulled her arm away from Liu Ronghua¡¯s grip.

    ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to that incident, you were able to meet Qi Chenglin and have such an adorable boy with him. Think about it, if it wasn¡¯t for that, you will never have met him in the first ce. The both of you were from a different world altogether, he would never have paid any attention to you right? So all that happened was fated to happen. Your meeting with him was all destiny¡¯s n!¡± Liu Ronghua said as she tried to grip onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm again, however, this act alone made her took a step back, avoiding her grip.

    Ruan Danchen could not believe what she heard from that woman¡¯s mouth. Every word from Liu Ronghua was filled with discrimination and judgement. As if she was looking down on her.

    Liu Ronghua had her head caught in the clouds. She thought that by living in the Shen family¡¯s household, made her a person of a higher status,pletely outright discriminating against her own daughter who had to climb her way up from the bottom.

    So Liu Ronghua actually thought that her own daughter does not match a person like Qi Chenglin.

    How could she even say something this vile!

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I should thank you? Thank you for being Qi Chenglin¡¯s matchmaker? I should probably thank Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing then. If it wasn¡¯t for them, I would¡¯ve never slept with Qi Chenglin, that in my lifetime, I would¡¯ve never been noticed by him and that I would¡¯ve never met him, not to mention, gave him a son even. Was that what you meant?¡± Ruan Danchen said as her heart grew colder. She felt the need to just yell, she wanted to ask Liu Ronghua exactly what was in her brain to make her perceive her own daughter like this.

    What kind of mother would be like Liu Ronghua!

    ¡°To be absolutely blunt, yes exactly as you said.¡± Liu Ronghua recoiled a little as she replied with a face full of tears all with a pitiful look on her face.

    This reply had finally caused Ruan Danchen to break.Without warning, ¡°Hehehe¡± as Ruan Danchen muttered softly under her breath. She suddenly started to sob as all could be heard was her sad, depressing wheezing. Her shoulders were trembling violently as she dissolved into a puddle of tears when she looked up.

    Liu Ronghua was shocked to see her daughter¡¯s sudden violent crying.

    At this very moment, Ruan Danchen felt a strong urge as she was tempted to ask Liu Ronghua if she was actually her own birth daughter. She wanted to tell her there was no mother on the face of the Earth that would do something like this to their own birth daughter.

    ¡°Then, I am thankful for all of you guys.¡± Ruan Danchen replied sarcastically.

    ¡°Danchen, no matter how things started, but the oue was in all honesty, helped you out greatly...¡± Liu Ronghua said as she sniffled while licking her lips.

    ¡°Enough!¡± Ruan Danchen snapped back at her. ¡°Are you saying that you want me to repay you now as a daughter¡¯s duty? You keep saying that you guys were helping me, however, you never once asked about me or even cared about me for 7 whole years, and here you are shamelessly expecting your daughter to fulfil her duty!¡± Ruan Danchen said as she fought through her cracked voice.

    ¡°Look at how well you¡¯re doing now, is this not enough for you?¡± Liu Ronghua replied as she shrugged her shoulders.

    ¡°You could see the fact that I am doing well now, but had the thought of how much I struggled to get to where I am now crossed your mind? I have not even mentioned about my tuition fees, I worked to pay off my fees, slept for only 4 hours a day. I don¡¯t even have the luxury of going home during semester breaks. Every year during Chinese new year, all I could do was stare at the empty B City while everyone left home to celebrate the festive season with their families. I felt so lonely, as I could only seclude myself in my rented house. I had to shut out the sounds of fireworks by increasing the volume of my TV to the max. I do not have the heart to walk outside only to be greeted by people having fun with fireworks. All those happy,ughing children downstairs, being shielded by their parent¡¯s love. I don¡¯t need to talk about the present, even in my childhood, I had never felt the same love and warmth as these kids did. You assumed I was doing well, but where were you then? You¡¯re only busy pleasing and sucking up to the Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing!¡± Ruan Danchen ranted.

    ¡°You told me to thank all of you, because without you guys, I would never have been able to date Qi Chenglin now. What does that matter now anyway, does it really matter if I¡¯m doing quite well at the moment? What does my well-being have to do with you anyway? Just because of that little biological rtion with you? I am lucky to have met him. What do you think my current fate would be if it were to be someone else instead? Even if that person was the scummiest of men, you would have done the same, you would have still forced me to sleep with him regardless of how much you would¡¯ve ruined my entire life. How would I still have the good fortune I own now?¡± Ruan Danchen ranted further.

    ¡°But...but you were talking about possibilities and what ifs. Since you¡¯re doing so well for yourself right now, why even think about what happened back then? There is no ifs or would¡¯ves. It is all thanks to us, you met Qi Chenglin, you have the life you live now. Danchen, you don¡¯t have much back then, but now you do, just help your mother out would you?¡± Liu Ronghua attempted to reason with her daughter through her sobbing. Her thick, selfish skull had apparently stopped her from listening to her daughter¡¯s plea earlier.

    Hearing her mother¡¯s skewed reasons, Ruan Danchen felt hopeless as there was no redemption for her own mother. All she did was shook her head in disbelief and painful disappointment.

    ¡°Mom.¡± Ruan Danchen cried out.

    Liu Ronghua was shocked and surprised at her daughter¡¯s cries, as this was the first time in a very long while, she had called her mom.

    ¡°You¡¯ve told me before that I have never once called you mom, now I¡¯ll do it, I¡¯m calling you mom for once now. I¡¯m begging you, just leave me alone alright? I¡¯ve never begged you before. Not even when your selfish needs to get into the Shen family¡¯s household and what you did to me back then. Even then, I¡¯ve never begged. So, I¡¯m begging you now, with everything in my life and from the bottom of my heart I beg you, please leave me alone okay? You want me to help you out, but I¡¯m begging you, help me out here as well, alright?¡± Ruan Danchen begged her mother.

    ¡°I¡¯m begged for you, so just leave me alone, just leave me with my peaceful and happy life okay? I am seriously begging you, don¡¯t back me to a corner, stop using me for your own gain.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she sobbed. Some words were unclear due to the heavy sobbing. ¡°I¡¯ve never experienced a mother¡¯s love as a child growing up, when you married Uncle Lee back then, he treated me well, he loved me as his own daughter, he came to my school¡¯s Parents Teachers conference. He came to support me for sport¡¯s day, however unfortunately, it neversted till Chinese New Year. He could not take you any longer. In my entire lifetime, I never had a perfect home, never had a mother¡¯s love. Anything that slightly resembles a father¡¯s love for a child was that short year I had with Uncle Lee. Now that I have met Qi Chenglin, and I have Youxuan, all I could ever want and wish with all my heart was to form aplete and happy, loving family with Qi Chenglin. I will never want Youxuan to grow up without a mother, and I want nothing more than to experience the love of aplete family.That is my only wish. I want a home. So I¡¯m begging you, please leave me alone.¡± Ruan Danchen pleaded.

    Ruan Danchen closed her eyes, as all that heavy crying actually hurts her eyes.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s mouth twitched a little as she started to speak. ¡°You know, if youe live with the Shen family, it would be the same. I will be your mother, your Uncle Shen will be your father and Shen Zhijing will be your sister. You can still marry Qi Chenglin, this way, you¡¯ll have two families. Wouldn¡¯t that be nice?¡±

    Hearing her outrageous reply almost drove Ruan Danchen to the brink of insanity, she wanted to yell her lungs out. She squatted on the ground, covered her face with both her hands as she waspletely speechless.

    Liu Ronghua... How on Earth did shee up with reasons like these!

    ¡°If by bing part of the Shen family is what I need to do to get a family, then I would never! I would rather be without a family my entire life, than to allow Shen Jialiang to use Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan! I would rather die than to let the Shen family have their way. Do you wish death on me? Have I not made myself clear enough? It doesn¡¯t matter what you or anyone from the Shen family say to me, I will never give them what they want. Being used and manipted by you guys once is enough for me. I will never allow you guys any possible way of interacting with Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan.¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°How could you say.. Something like that Danchen? Can¡¯t you just think of my feelings? If I can¡¯t convince you, I¡¯ll be kicked out of the Shen family¡¯s home!¡± Liu Ronghua pleaded while sobbing hard as she gripped hard on her sleeves of her dress. ¡°This was a good thing for everyone, it benefits everyone, why can¡¯t you just agree to his terms? Do you actually want to see me kicked out from their home, being left alone on the streets? Danchen, is this about revenge? Because of what happened back then, you resented me to the core; and nothing makes you happier than to watch me left to me own devices? You wanted me to go through the same pain you did right?¡± Liu Ronghua added.

    Ruan Danchen looked up as she could only stare at Liu Ronghua with a desperately hopeless look. The look in Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes as she stared at Liu Ronghua could only be described as a dead, hollow gaze. There was not a single hint of life left in her eyes. Looking at how pathetic Liu Ronghua was made Ruan Danchen shiver a little.

    Ruan Danchen stood up from her squatting position. As she stood up, she suddenly felt dizzy as her vision suddenly went dark, before she could tip over and fall, she summoned as much will as she could to swiftly grab onto the edge of the table preventing her fall. She took a short break to rpose herself. As her vision returned, the only thing she could see was the quiet and cold room before her eyes.

    ¡°Danchen...¡± Liu Ronghua pleaded pathetically.

    ¡°From this day on, stay...away from me.¡± Ruan Danchen said through her sobbing voice as she took a deep breath. ¡°Just forget you ever had me as a daughter. If the Qi family mind so deeply about my familial ties and past, so be it. That would mean that I was never lucky enough to marry Qi Chenglin then. Whatever you choose to say to anyone from the Qi family is up to you, since I am mentally prepared to not marry Qi Chenglin now. I will spend my entire life with him, never marrying anyone else anyway.¡± Ruan Danchen painfully added.

    ¡°Whatever matters you have with the Shen family doesn¡¯t concern me. Don¡¯t youe looking me. I¡¯ve told you before, 7 years ago in fact. You¡¯ve promised me as well, and here you are now, not holding up to your end to our bargain. Since nothing I say could get through your head anyway and you somehow convinced yourself that you are free of guilt and that you¡¯repletely right. If you somehow decided to show up in Qilin just to cause a scene and the sole purpose of destroying my reputation, you are wee to do so as you please. I havepletelye to terms with my inability to marry Qi Chenglin anyway, so why should I care? Just do your worst, destroy my name as you please.¡± Ruan Danchen ranted further.

    ¡°Do what you and the Shen family as you guys please, whatever you guys say or do, will be up to you guys to decide.¡± Ruan Danchen said calmly however, her tears were streaming uncontrobly down her cheeks. Her entire expression lookedpletely drained of life.

    Liu Ronghua could only stare at her daughter. Ruan Danchen at this very moment resembled a living, breathing zombie. Completely devoid of life.

    ¡°This is all I had left to say to you. What else do you think you and the Shen family have left to use as a leverage against me? To back me to a tighter corner?¡± Ruan Danchen was bawling her eyes out as she said that. Her mouth twitched a little as she continued. ¡°I havepletely given up of ever hoping to receive any form of motherly love from you, all that I could hope for was for you to think about my feelings, even for the slightest moment would be enough for me. Even for that would be a request of luxury from a person like you.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, you can¡¯t...¡± Liu Ronghua replied.

    Before Liu Ronghua could finish her sentence, the door was swung open forcefully by someone.

    Liu Ronghua was shocked by the sudden intrusion as she turned her head to look. She instantly grew pale as she saw the person that barged into the room was a fuming Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen had apparently secretly sent the location of the cafe to Qi Chenglin the moment she had arrived with her mother. Upon knowing her exact location, Qi Chenglin did not waste any time, as he rushed to the cafe immediately.

    He was worried that Ruan Danchen would be bullied in his absence. He knew exactly how unreasonable and shameless Liu Ronnghua could be.

    However, the longer he listened to their conversation, the hotter his blood boiled. He was so furious, his arms were literally trembling in his boiling wrath of fury.

    As furious as he was, after hearing how willing Ruan Danchen sacrifice everything, to rather have nothing left than to allow them any possible interaction with Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. He was beyond touched by her selfless act of self sacrifice just for his sake. He was speechless as his heart was filled withpassion and the warm love for her.

    Her heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s painful, depressing cries as she pleaded with all her heart to her mother, however, nothing was getting through her mother¡¯s ignorant thick skull. All Liu Ronghua cared about was herself. Her selfish motives outweighs her rational mind.

    Qi Chenglin could no longer take it as he felt awful for Ruan Danchen. His heart ached deeply for her current circumstances. All he could think of was how Ruan Danchen would be drowning in her own puddle of tears. By that very thought alone, made his heart throb even more in pain.

    He could no longer keep his anger suppressed and so he barged in with the full intent of unleashing his unbound fury.

    Ruan Danchen Stared at Qi Chenglin with beady teary eyes, she never expected him toe this soon, she had nothing to worry about now.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cries now possessed a second meaning. Her cries before Qi Chenglin¡¯s arrival was out of pure emotional pain and hurt, however now that Qi Chenglin was present with her, her painful wails had morphed into a coquettish cry. She had someone to shield her for her mother¡¯s torment now, a cushion for her to fall back on. She was now able to allow herself to be fully vulnerable.

    Qi Chenglin said nothing as he took giant strides over to Ruan Danchen hugging her with both his arms, shielding her in his warm, loving embrace. His heart wrenched to see Ruan Danchen cried to this extent.

    He hugged her face tightly against his body, never minding her tears and snot staining his shirt.

    He felt that before hugging her, her body was stiff and tense. However, after embracing her and giving her such aforting hug, he could feel her body rxing as she continued sobbing and wheezing as if she was unloading all her emotional torment on Qi Chengling. She was seemingly like a childining to their parents about how much they were bullied.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head as he gave her a kiss on top of her head,forting her. All while staring coldly at Liu Ronghua.

    This entire interaction terrified Liu Ronghua as her entire expression grewpletely pale. She had no idea what Qi Chenglin was thinking at that moment. The moment his sharp, cold stare met Liu Ronghua¡¯s eyes, she felt her legs grew weak as she unconsciously took a couple steps back.

    Qi Chenglin said nothing as all his lips were pressed together extremely tightly. The only time his lips rxed a little was when he lowered his head to look at Ruan Danchen.

    Just like that, he took Ruan Danchen with him and left the cafe.

    ...

    ...

    Upon entering Qi Chenglin¡¯s car, instead of letting Ruan Danchen to be seated in the front seat, he ced her on hisp, cuddling up with her. Qi Chenglin said nothing, only patting her head,forting her.

    Qi Chenglin waited patiently for Ruan Danchen to calm down a little, when she eventually did, she huped a little while being in Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving cuddles. As she huped, her shoulders too twitched a little.

    Looking at Ruan Danchen¡¯s sorrow filled state, Qi Chenlin¡¯s heart ached for her emotional torment, as he took out a piece of tissue to wipe her nose.

    ¡°I¡¯m filthy, let me do it myself.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she reached out to grab onto the piece of tissue from Qi Chenglin. However, he never let go of the tissue.

    ¡°Stay put alright, let me do it for you.¡± Qi Chenglin said in aforting soft voice.

    As he was done wiping Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose, the entire tissue was soaked by her snot, some even got onto his fingers, however, he never minded a single bit from that. Ruan Danchen could not help but feel slightly embarrassed for causing this mess.

    After that, Qi Chenglin simply took out another piece of tissue slowly and gently wiping away her tears stained eyes.

    Her face was flushed from the violent crying, as she wheezed and gasped for air. However, she managed to calm her mind and stop herself from feeling like an emotional wreck. Since, she was being so gently cared for andforted by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Better?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice echoed in Ruan Danchen¡¯s head. She was focussed on Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm breath as he breathed onto her forehead. It was warm andforting.

    Ruan Danchen nodded, her heart was still wrenching from the emotional torment earlier. She replied sadly. ¡°She¡¯s my mother, I can¡¯t just leave her alone, but how could she...¡±

    Ruan Danchen sighed deeply and said. ¡°In my darkest moments, I used to think just how happy I would be, if I wasn¡¯t her daughter. I would rather not have a mother like her. I felt awful because I know how bad of a person I would be by thinking about that.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you don¡¯t have to care about her any longer, it¡¯s all going to be okay.¡± Qi Chenglin said as he lowered his head, kissing away the tears from her eyshes. ¡°Pay no mind to what she told you, there¡¯s nothing you need to worry about.¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    ¡°You knew?¡± Ruan Danchen asked while she looked up. Qi Chenglin was hurt as he could not bear looking at her beady tearful eyes.

    He replied nothing to her question. All he said was. ¡°I could guess.¡± while staring out the window.

    ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of what they will eventually do, since I¡¯m already mentally prepared for the worst. You¡¯ve told me once that in order to preserve Shen Zhijing¡¯s reputation, they would not dare reveal anything about Qi Youxuan. As long as they keep Youxuan out of this mess, I have zero problems with it.¡± Ruan Danchen said softly

    ¡°I¡¯m here for you.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a soothing voice,as he kissed her tears dry. ¡°Now that you know what Liu Ronghua¡¯s purpose is, and if she or anyone from the Shen familye looking for you, there is no need for you to meet them at all. If Liu Ronghua preyed on yourpassion to meet her just like today and would not leave you alone, let me know, I will meet her alongside you.¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    Ruan Danchen silently nodded her head as if she were a child beingforted by an adult. This adorable sight made Qi Chenglin felt conflicted if he should smile or feel hurt at this pitiful sight.

    ¡°It¡¯s all my fault, if only my family is slightly normal, you wouldn¡¯t be dragged into this mess.¡± Ruan Danchen sighed. She waspletely mentally drained and extremely exhausted by Liu Ronghua¡¯s unreasonable torment. She felt guilty as she was being cuddled up in Qi Chenglin, strong and loving embrace.

    She felt guilty since she was of no help in his daily tasks, and instead, she was beingpletely shielded by him now,

    It was like when she was being picked on in the city, he was the only person to stand up for her. When she needed a job, Qi Chenglin pulled some strings for her and gave her one. Afraid of internal rumors being spread, he was the one to make sure every single manager of her sector treat her well.

    And now, he too was being dragged into the mess with Liu Ronghua and the Shen family, this thought made her feel extremely guilty.

    ¡ª

    ¡ª

    Mini Scene

    Regarding About A Nickname 4

    The nickname for Qi Chengzhi had failed, however, the olddy would not relent.

    Olddy said. ¡°Liya, would you give Chenglin a nickname please. We already have a not so adorable grandchild now, we can¡¯t allow Chenglin to have the same fate now would we?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Xia Wenna said nothing.

    Qi Chengzhi paid no attention to their conversation as he was busy ying with his toy car on the side.

    ¡°Then... What do you think we should call him mom?¡± Guan Liya asked.

    ¡°What about Cheng Cheng?¡± Olddy asked.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Qi Chenzhi¡¯s nickname?¡±

    Read the next chapter to know what happens next.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think splitting a scene up in parts like this is a good idea?¡± Said the Old man.

    ¡°Good. It¡¯s better for the monthly ticket.¡± The olddy replied.

 Chapter 370 - The Shares You Hold, Do You Intend To Sell Them?

    Chapter 370: The Shares You Hold, Do You Intend To Sell Them?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What are you talking about¡± Qi Chenglin said, looking down at her, his lips stuck to her forehead, so when he spoke, he rubbed his lips against her bright and smooth forehead. The rubbing felt unusually warm for her.

    ¡°I¡¯ve never been troubled by your affairs.¡± Qi Chenglin said softly, his gentle whisper made her feel really safe.

    Ruan Danchen sighed, breathing in the unique aroma of his body, she couldn¡¯t get enough of it.

    She knew the brand of his cologne, when she brought Qi Youxuan shopping once, she even went to look for it, but the smell on his body was slightly different from it.

    She felt that the smell of Qi Chenglin¡¯s body was nicer.

    Ruan Danchen stood there quietly in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms, even though they didn¡¯t speak, she still felt happy and content.

    After a while, she heard Qi Chenglin speak, ¡°let¡¯s go and eat.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen to Dynasty, the takeout in the office had gone cold, if it were reheated it just wouldn¡¯t taste the same as if it were freshly made.

    After lunch, Qi Chenglin insisted on sending her home to Prestige Residences, she would not work in the afternoon.

    Having been provoked by Liu Ronghua that way in the afternoon, she felt terrible, and her eyes were swollen to the size of walnuts, how could Qi Chenglin feel at ease?

    Ruan Danchen intended to continue working in the afternoon, but Qi Chenglin would not allow it, so she could only let him send her home.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen returned to work.

    When she arrived at the office, she walked towards her seat. When she passed by Yao Jingfei, Ruan Danchen heard her snort coldly, ¡°you really think you¡¯re a big deal, you¡¯ve just started here for 2 days and then you apply for leave.¡±

    Ruan Danchen didn¡¯t look at her, and just took her seat.

    It was unclear if Manager Zou had been keeping an eye out for her, she had just taken her seat and turned on herputer when he shot out, and asked, ¡°Danchen, are you feeling better?¡±

    ¡°Much better, I¡¯m really sorry, I just joined and then had to ask for time off, and troubled everybody,¡± Ruan Danchen replied very politely.

    ¡°No problem, no problem, in any case you haven¡¯t had much on your te.¡± Manager Zou waved his hand, beckoning to Yao Jingfei a few tables away, ¡°Xiao Yao, there¡¯s some honey lemon that we just bought in the pantry, go and make some for Danchen.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yao Jingfei stood unhappily, and wanted to snap back.

    Ruan Danchen was worried Manager Zou was being too obvious, and stood, ¡°it¡¯s fine, I¡¯ll make it myself.¡±

    If she really let Yao Jingfei make it for her, she was also worried that Yao Jingfei would secretly add something in it.

    Without waiting for Manager Zou to stop her, she rushed to the pantry, and made the honey lemon for herself before returning.

    When she returned to the design department, she saw Mu Huaisheng in the office, standing next to Manager Zou, who was gesturing, inviting Mu Huaisheng into his office.

    Mu Huaisheng saw Ruan Danchen out of the corner of his eye, turned and smiled, ¡°Ms Ruan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was slightly surprised, but steadied herself and nodded, ¡°Mr Mu.¡±

    ¡°Manager Zou, previously Ms Ruan designed for MU.pany, and for this branch, I want the style to be uniform, so I¡¯d like Ms Ruan to handle it.¡± Mu Huaisheng spoke blunty, and didn¡¯t walk into Manager Zou¡¯s office with him.

    Manager Zou was a perceptive person, and in the course of doing business he¡¯s met all sorts of clients, ever since Mu Huaisheng could recognize Ruan Danchen from a nce, and his words now, Manager Zou knew Mu Huaisheng was gunning for Ruan Danchen.

    From Mu Huasheng and Ruan Danchen¡¯s reactions, it seemed the Managing Director¡¯s love rival hade.

    While Mu Huaisheng wasn¡¯t watching, Manager Zou frantically sent a message to Jiang Yuan.

    Secondster, he received a reply from Jiang Yuan, telling him to keep Mu Huaisheng there.

    Obviously, the Managing Director did not wish Ruan Danchen to ept the job.

    As soon as Manager Zou understood, he chuckled, ¡°Director Mu, Ruan Danchen just joined us, and still isn¡¯t too familiar with the job, if you are able to trust us, why don¡¯t we hand this to someone else in our design department?¡±

    ¡°Ms Ruan isn¡¯t an inexperienced designer, what else does she need to familiarize herself with?¡± Mu Huaisheng asked back.

    At that moment, Jiang Yuan rushed into the office, Ruan Danchen could see his breathing was still unsteady, how did he run all the way here?

    ¡°Ms Ruan, there¡¯s still a bit of paperwork to sort out that we didn¡¯t finish yesterday, could you please follow me upstairs.¡± Jiang Yuan straightened his tie, his face dead serious.

    Ruan Danchen gave Mu Huaisheng an apologetic look, ¡°excuse me.¡±

    She then left with Jiang Yuan.

    Mu Huaisheng smiled, and didn¡¯t insist, he was just here to test the waters, he knew Ruan Danchen wouldn¡¯t agree, and so he allowed Manager Zou to introduce him to someone else.

    Mu Huaisheng simply left the means to contact his assistant Chen Zhengming, so that she could liaise directly with Chen Zhengming, and left.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen came up to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office, what documents were there, instead there was freshly brewed tea, Dim Sum and cakes on the coffee table.

    Looking at Qi Chenglin, he had his head buried in documents.

    Seeing here in, he lifted his head, his face, which was normally cold at work, warmed slightly.

    He smiled at her, ¡°nothing important, just take a seat and have something, take a break, go back down when Mu Huaisheng has left.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was silent.

    This man did not cover up his intentions at all.

    Ruan Danchen sat there with nothing to do, and she couldn¡¯t keep eating, so she sipped some tea, and took in Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    There really wasn¡¯t much to look at, after she looked around, she gradually observed Qi Chenglin¡¯s behavior at work. When he was not looking at her, his face was stern and serious.

    Ruan Danchen thought of amon saying, that a man was at his most attractive when he was working wholeheartedly.

    The saying had been repeated endlessly, but it was true.

    His suit was on a hanger, and he only wore a shirt, the sleeves unbuttoned and rolled up to his elbows, and it seemed untidy, it was obvious he had rolled his sleeves impatiently.

    His upper arms leaned on the table, his elbows curled, making his biceps seem even firmer, and they looked better than usual.

    Ruan Danchen thought, when a man was dressed up like that, it was particrly sexy.

    Without realizing it, Ruan Danchen was looking at him directly, in a moment she was staring, forgetting everything, to the point that she didn¡¯t even realize that Qi Chenglin had raised his head to look at her.

    Qi Chengling raised his eyebrows, he didn¡¯t realize it while he was focused on his work, but he suddenly felt her prickling gaze that he could not ignore, and so he looked up.

    Therefore he saw Ruan Danchen looking at him directly, even her gaze was direct, she didn¡¯t even look away after ten minutes.

    Qi Chenglin smiled, he couldn¡¯t work with her looking at him like this, he may as well just look back, and see when she would realize.

    Finally, after 5 minutes, Ruan Danchen finally realized that Qi Chenglin had looked up at an unknown time, and was smiling at her. A pair of ck irises, slightly curved, warm and weing. His hot lips were curved attractively, he was almost too good looking to be real.

    Ruan Danchen blinked, and blushed slightly.

    ¡°You were bedazzled looking at me?¡± Qi Chenglin arched his eyebrows slightly, the curve of his mouth looked like they were mocking her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned crimson as she looked away, without speaking, and took a bite of the handmade biscuit in her te.

    ¡°You¡¯re not biting me, you don¡¯t need to use that much force.¡± Qi Chenglin said in half jest.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen nearly dropped her biscuit, ¡°you¡¯ve finished your work?¡±

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t work with you looking at me like that.¡± Qi Chenglin even pushed away the papers.

    Ruan Danchen couldn¡¯t take it, and stood, ¡°then I¡¯m going back down.¡±

    ¡°Mu Huaisheng hasn¡¯t left yet, why the rush?¡± Qi Chengling said.

    Based on his facial expression, he thought that she was eager to see Mu Huaisheng. He was rather petty.

    ¡°How would you know?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°I told Manager Zou to inform me when Mu Huaisheng has left.¡± Qi Chenglin said bluntly.

    Ruan Danchen did not reply.

    The meaning behind his words were, as long as there was no news from Manager Zou, she could not leave.

    She was just about to take a seat, when there were three knocks on the door, and Jiang Yuan walked in, with Manager Wang from the sales department behind him.

    As soon as Manager Wang saw Ruan Danchen, he stopped in his tracks, before speaking respectfully, ¡°Ms Ruan.¡±

    Even though she knew that all the middle level executives knew of her status, Ruan Danchen still felt very ufortable, and acknowledged with a blush, saying, ¡°I should leave, you have work.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you can stay here. No need to hide.¡± Qi Chenglin said, and took up theptop that he usually used to work at home, handing it to Ruan Danchen. ¡°If you get bored, y some games or surf the.¡±

    His office had WiFi ess, and was very convenient.

    Manager Wang¡¯s heart beat hard as he looked on.

    This was theptop that the Managing Director usually used for work, and contained untold amounts of confidential and important documents. To throw it like a toy to Ruan Danchen to use freely, he treated her better than his own son.

    When Qi Youxuan was on his summer break one year, no one could look after him despite the amount of people in the Qi Family.

    At the time Grandmother Qi had brought Xia Wenna and Guan Liya on vacation to America, Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun had work, and Grandfather Qi was spending his days ying chess in the park. Aunt Liu and Aunt Yang were on vacation as well. Aunt Zheng¡¯s father was ill and was admitted to the hospital, and she had to look after him, so she applied for leave as well.

    Without any alternatives, Qi Chenglin had to bring Qi Youxuan to work.

    Manager Wang at the time hade to deliver a work report, and saw Qi Youxuan bored out of his mind, but Qi Chenglin would not give the child hisptop to y with. Without any choice, he had to ask Jiang Yuan to go and get an Early Education Device to appease Qi Youxuan.

    Despite ounting for the fact that a child may not know what he is doing and mess with the files on theputer, the difference between the way Qi Chenglin treated Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan was stillrge. Just on the basis that there are so many critical files on theptop, and he gave it to Ruan Danchen without a second thought, meant that Manager Wang could not take Ruan Danchen lightly!

    Inevitably, Ruan Danchen¡¯s importance in Manager Wang¡¯s mind grew exponentially.

    Manager Wang told himself that this incident could not be told to others, to prevent them from currying favor with Ruan Danchen. In the future he would take good care of the Managing Director¡¯s wife, and prevent the Managing Director from suffering any embarrassment, he would climb up no matter the difficulty!

    Ruan Danchen took theptop that Qi Chenglin passed to her with a look of embarrassment, and sat back down, cing theptop on herp, surfing the web while she ate and sipped her tea, never looking at the documents.

    Manager Wang discussed business with Qi Chenglin, but Ruan Danchen did not make any attempt to listen in, but the discussion wasn¡¯t long, Manager Wang was just here to deliver a report, and left the office after a short while.

    Manager Wang had just left, when Jiang Yuan stood at the door, saying, ¡°Managing Director, Director Yao wishes to speak to you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked over at him nkly, seeing Yao Qingzhi standing behind Jiang Yuan, looking as though he¡¯d barge even if Qi Chenglin didn¡¯t let him in.

    Qi Chenglin nodded, and Jiang Yuan let Yao Qingzhi enter the office.

    In truth Yao Qingzhi had arrived a while ago, but Jiang Yuan had used the excuse that the Managing Director was having a meeting with Manager Wang to keep him outside. Yao Qingzhi didn¡¯t insist, and just waited outside.

    After a while, when he saw Manager Wang left, Yao Qingzhi wanted to go in, but was held back by Jiang Yuan again, because Ruan Danchen was still inside.

    When Qi Chenglin nodded his head, Jiang Yuan intentionally looked at Ruan Danchen, who was still surfing the web.

    While Qi Chenglin and Manager Wang were having their discussion, Ruan Danchen had nothing to do, and didn¡¯t dare to watch a drama for fear of disturbing them, and was browsing some entertainment news.

    Yao Qingzhi walked in, and furrowed his brows when he saw Ruan Danchen, ¡°why are you here?¡±

    He had asked in a very impolite manner.

    Ruan Danchen at that moment did not know what to say in reply, but Qi Chenglin stepped in, ¡°that property in the northern district, with regards to matters of design, I asked her toe and help me arrange the documents, and transcribe my words.¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept quiet.

    Regardless of whether Yao Qingzhi could see, she quickly closed the webpage and opened up Word.

    Yao Qingzhi looked at the delicacies in front of Ruan Danchen, and wondered when the employees of Qilin were treated that well, that they were not only able to sit in the Managing Director¡¯s office, but also snack while they work?

    There was still a half eaten cookie on the te.

    This was because when she heard that Yao Qingzhi wanted toe in, Ruan Danchen had put the biscuit back onto the te.

    Before Yao Qingzhi had time to think about it any more, Qi Chenglin asked bluntly, ¡°why are you looking for me?¡±

    He had to make a request, and so Yao Qingzhi¡¯s face warmed slightly, ¡°it¡¯s like this, that property in the northern district, we¡¯re handing it to our own design department to handle, and I hear we¡¯re choosing three people?¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his brows, but didn¡¯t reply, making Yao Qingzhi feel awkward.

    It felt like if he did not open his mouth, Qi Chenglin had no intention of doing so as well, Yao Qingzhi cleared his throat awkwardly, saying, ¡°what I mean to say is, could we give Jingfei a chance, and pick her as one of the three?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, looking as though he had never heard of the name.

    ¡°...¡± Yao Qingzhi¡¯s face hardened a little, ¡°Jingfei, Yao Jingfei, my daughter.¡±

    ¡°Oh...¡± Qi Chenglin looked as though he had just realized, exaggerating his reaction of realization, ¡°if I remember correctly, your daughter is only an assistant designer? What has she got to do with the interior design of our property in the northern district?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yao Qingzhi¡¯s face seemed ufortable, ¡°even though she¡¯s temporarily an assistant designer, she¡¯s still a graduate from a good school, even if she can¡¯t make designs on her own, it would be good to let her try and gain some experience. So I was thinking, next Friday when we pick the three members of the team, can Jingfei be one of them?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s 1 mouth curled in contempt, as though he could not tell what Yao Qingzhi wanted.

    Regardless of his engagement with Shen Zhijing that year, or after the engagement was called off, even with him already having Qi Youxuan, he couldn¡¯t stop some people from relentlessly pushing their daughters and granddaughters to him.

    This Yao Qingzhi, intended to use this Friday¡¯s site visit as an opportunity for Yao Jingfei to interact with Qi Chenglin up close.

    Especially since in thepany, Qi Chenglin and Yao Jingfei were oceans apart in rank, regardless of the situation there wouldn¡¯t be much opportunity for them to interact. It was rare that he would show up personally, and Yao Qingzhi thought this was a golden opportunity.

    ¡°Director Yao, even though you¡¯re a director of thepany, but you always approach me for backdoor opportunities, isn¡¯t it improper for you to interfere with my decisions?¡± Qi Chenglin said bluntly, just hold on to those measly shares in your hand, sit down and take your dividends, don¡¯te and meddle, you don¡¯t have that right.

    ¡°We agreed on three designers, and to just freely allow an assistant designer to take a spot, isn¡¯t that a waste of a position? It¡¯s unfair to the other designers. Even if she goes, she can¡¯t make any designs, it adds on the workload of the other two for nothing. Again, if she just goes to the site to look around, what can she learn? Why doesn¡¯t she just stay in the office, surrounded by designers, isn¡¯t that enough for her to learn? If she really thinks that it¡¯s humiliating to be a designer¡¯s assistant, it¡¯s fine, she can go to anotherpany and do well, just relying on you, Director Yao, it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Yao Qingzhi pursed his lips and didn¡¯t reply, hearing Qi Chenglin continue, ¡°Director Yao, you know that me and my brother hate those who use back channels, and interfere with our decision making.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Yao Qingzhi thought unhappily, did your brother rarely use back channels?

    For Song Yu, no one knew how many times he used them.

    ¡°The shares you hold, do you intend to sell them?¡± Qi Chenglin asked coldly.

    Yao Qingzhi was stunned, and when he looked at the fury on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face, he knew that Qi Chenglin was angered. Truthfully he was aware that these past few days he had beening here to ask for favors a bit too much.

    Under Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold gaze, Yao Qingzhi shivered all over, his mind clearing up slightly as well, understanding his position. He was only a minor shareholder in Qilin, he really didn¡¯t have any standing to talk.

    Before Yao Jingfei came, he didn¡¯t concern himself much, so he never felt that he had grown arrogant from the courtesy and respect he had been afforded by others. When Yao Jingfei arrived, to ensure his daughter would do well in thepany, he had gone a bit too far in his endeavors.

    He knew that if he pushed thing any further, there was no telling what methods Qi Chenglin would use, to force him to remove the shares in Yao Jingfei¡¯s hand.

    ¡°I understand. I will not interfere in the future.¡± Yao Jingfei said sullenly.

    Qi Chenglin did not react, his gaze still cold, looking at Yao Qingzhi until he wavered, and without thinking about Ruan Danchen, he left with a simple ¡°I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled, and it was Ruan Danchen who felt ufortable.

    Despite Qi Chenglin¡¯s previous talk about integrity, after he finished he still bent the rules for Ruan Danchen.

    Yao Qingzhi had just left, when Jiang Yuan knocked and entered, ¡°Managing Director, Ms Ruan, Mu Huaisheng has left.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had also sat around for too long, bored, and her co-workers in the design department downstairs were all busy, and she was here snacking and surfing the web, she couldn¡¯t take it anymore, and hurried downstairs.

    ...

    On Sunday, as agreed upon with Song Yu, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to Viewpark Residence.

    Because Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge had bought a new house nearby Viewpark Residence, and so the distance was closer, they arrived first.

    When Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived, Qi Chengyue was sitting next to Song Yu, holding a thick photo album in hisp.

    ¡ª

    Free Sketch:

    ¡°Regarding the Question of Nicknames 05¡±

    Grandmother Qi: ¡°Chengzhi isn¡¯t suitable? If I don¡¯t call it I don¡¯t feel at ease, if we can¡¯t call Chengzhi then call Chenglin.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Guan Liya smiled, ¡°that¡¯s not good too, Zonggui is Chengzhi¡¯s nickname, what are we to do if we mix it up, why don¡¯t we call Chenglin ¡®Linlin¡¯?¡±

    Grandmother Qi: ¡°That¡¯s fine too, Linlin sounds cute, like a girl. If that¡¯s the case, I should buy a few girl¡¯s clothes for Chenglin, suitable for his nickname.¡±

    Guan Liya: ¡°...¡±

    Therefore, before Qi Chenglin was able to understand anything, asionally Grandmother Qi would make him wear girl¡¯s clothes, and call him ¡°Linlin!¡±

 Chapter 371 - Why Do You Two Brothers Have Such A Love-Hate Relationship for No Reason?

    <strong>Chapter 371: Why Do You Two Brothers Have Such A Love-Hate Rtionship for No Reason?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It was only when Ruan Danchen walked over that she realized it was a picture of Qi Chengzhi in his younger days.

    ¡°I was talking to Chengyue just now. We had nothing to do, so we thought about how the baby would look like after he¡¯s born. Chengyue said that we could roughly make out his appearance by looking at some pictures from Chengzhi¡¯s younger days,¡± Song Yu smiled and said. She told Ruan Danchen to join them as well.

    ¡°Yes, the genes of our Qi family¡¯s men are very strong, especially when ites to the sons. If it¡¯s a son, the baby will always be like his father. I¡¯ve got plenty of first-hand experience with my father, my elder uncle, and my other siblings. Just look at Youxuan, doesn¡¯t he look remarkably like my big brother? My mom said that Youxuan looks exactly like my big brother when he was younger, and when you put their two photos together, the only visible difference is the age of the photographs. Other than that, they¡¯re virtually indistinguishable.¡± Qi Chengyue took a bite out of an apple and said with a smile.

    Song Yu knew of Qi Youxuan¡¯s history, and because of Qi Chengyue¡¯s words, she could not help but look at Qi Youxuan. After some scrutiny, she really did notice that the boy was simr to Qi Chenglin in a number of aspects, although Ruan Danchen¡¯s profile was still discernible in some of his minor characteristics.

    Ruan Danchen did not think much however and simply looked at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s photo. Qi Chengzhi had red lips and white teeth, and even though he was a young boy, he was a very handsome one at that. When he reached his teens, he remained no less handsome than he already was.

    As she looked, she could not help but face Qi Chenglin, who was just beside her. ¡°Do you have any pictures of you as a small boy at home?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re all with my parents,¡± Qi Chenglin smiled and answered. ¡°You wanna see them?¡±

    ¡°Mm, I wanna see how you looked like when you were younger,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Qi Youxuan was a chubby little boy and Guan Liya said that Qi Youxuan looked exactly like a young Qi Chenglin. Ruan Danchen wondered if Qi Chenglin was just as round and chubby.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s present-day magnificence made it hard to imagine that he could be as adorable as Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°If you want to take a look, we¡¯ll stop by my parents¡¯ ce and bring the albums back.¡± Qi Chenglin was calm not because he was not afraid of her looking at them, but because hepletely forgot how he looked like when he was younger. Regret awaited him once Ruan Danchenid eyes on the photographs.

    Ruan Danchen did not know how he looked like, so she agreed to it gleefully.

    ¡°Auntie, where¡¯s my elder uncle?¡± Qi Youxuan came in and did not spot Qi Chengzhi. He looked all around him and proceeded to ask about his uncle¡¯s whereabouts.

    ¡°He¡¯s cooking lunch in the kitchen,¡± Song Yu said with a smile.

    Qi Chenglin did not seem shocked at all. Instead, it was Ruan Danchen who looked at the kitchen in shock, and with a stupefied look, she asked, ¡°He¡¯s cooking?¡±

    ¡°Aunt Yang¡¯s on leave today. I¡¯m pregnant, so he doesn¡¯t allow me to do such work. He doesn¡¯t even let me cook because he said I can¡¯t be standing long, so he went to the kitchen himself.¡± Song Yu recalled Qi Chengzhi¡¯s stoic demeanor and was unable to help herself from blushing and smiling.

    ¡°We¡¯re in luck today. He can¡¯t help it since Aunt Yang¡¯s not here. He usually only cooks for Song Yu in secret. He¡¯ll never cook for anyone else,¡± Qi Chengyue scrunched her nose and said.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Big Brother to know how to cook.¡± Ruan Danchen could not resist looking at Qi Chenglin. Both men shared the same surname, so why was it that Qi Chenglin did not know how to do anything at all?

    Most of the time, he entered the kitchen only to get something. He would never touch the pots and pans.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent.

    His face soured as he felt like he was no match for Qi Chengzhi.

    Beside him, Qi Youxuan blurted out crisply as if afraid that no one would notice him, ¡°From what Grandma told me, Dad didn¡¯t even know how to prepare powdered milk for me. There was one time he prepared it with boiling water which scalded my tongue and caused a blister to form.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    An anguished Ruan Danchen carried Qi Youxuan onto herp. A voice then rang from the entrance of the kitchen. ¡°If men nowadays don¡¯t know how to cook, how can they take care of their wives?¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned to look. At some point in time, Qi Chengzhi exited the kitchen and was standing at the kitchen entrance.

    Qi Chenglin felt that he was purposely showing off his ability to cook. A man who was always so mindful of how he looked to others would never just show himself to everyone whilst wearing an apron and holding a spat.

    He was clearly showing off!

    Soon after, Qi Youxuan then turned to Cheng Dongge¡ªwho was sipping tea just beside Qi Chengyue¡ªand asked, ¡°Do you know how to cook, Uncle?¡±

    The corner of Cheng Dongge¡¯s lips curled into a slight smile. He looked at Qi Chenglin and felt just a touch of pride.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue spotted his anticipation that she would gloat to everyone about him, but she could only say, ¡°Normally, if we aren¡¯t working and are at home, we would cook together. But if your uncle¡¯s not busy, most of the time he¡¯s the one that cooks for me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was not the only one staring at Qi Chenglin; Qi Youxuan¡¯s beady, monochrome eyes were also staring furtively at him, as if the man had no skill whatsoever.

    ¡°Dad, you can¡¯t be like this. What if Aunt Ruan is brought away by someone who knows how to cook? Other than your handsomeness, you don¡¯t have any other strengths!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin shot his son a look. The little brat just had to pick a time where many people were around to smear his name. ¡°I have you as my trump card and that¡¯s enough.¡±

    He even looked at Ruan Danchen after saying that.

    Everyone else did not understand exactly why but Ruan Danchen and Song Yu did.

    Little did he expect Qi Youxuan to let out a long sigh and say with utmost seriousness, ¡°Even though you have an extremely adorable son like me, you can¡¯t be like this or else I can¡¯t help you anymore.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words.

    He shifted his eyes to Qi Chengzhi, who was leaning against the door and swaying the spat around. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s smug expression really made Qi Chenglin grit his teeth. Qi Chenglin had reason to believe that Qi Chengzhi was showing off deliberately to him on that day.

    Qi Chenglin let out a brief ¡°hehe¡± and took the phone that he had earlier ced on the coffee table. All of a sudden, he turned to Qi Chengzhi and snapped a picture.

    In the photograph, the handsome man was wearing an apron at his waist and swinging around his spat¡ªit was a stark contrast with usual his dignified aura. The apron appeared as though it was stuck on him, making for an odd andical scene. Furthermore, his expression was dour, as if someone had put a spell on him.

    Qi Chenglin snapped the picture too quickly. Qi Chengzhi did not even manage to dodge it and he simply turned glum as his picture was taken.

    Qi Chenglin then tapped into his WeChat and sent the photo to the 8by8 group chat.

    Han Zhuoli: [YO, someone put a spell on Chengzhi?]

    Yan Beicheng: [What¡¯s happening?]

    Gui Zhiqian: [He looks pretty good.]

    Wei Zilin: [I¡¯ve seen my elder brother dress like this before when he was cooking a meal for his wife.]

    Han Zhuoli: [...]

    Yan Beicheng: [...]

    Gui Zhiqian: [....]

    Yan Beicheng: [Wei Ziqi knows how to cook?]

    Han Zhuoli: [Can¡¯t imagine that.]

    Gui Zhiqian: [I¡¯d like to try it if the chance everes.]

    Wei Ziqi: [Keep dreaming.]

    Qi Chenglin: [I have no idea whether you¡¯ll be able to eat Wei Ziqi¡¯s cooking, but my big brother¡¯s busy in the kitchen right now. If youe here immediately, you can still make it.]

    There was no longer any noise after that.

    A satisfied Qi Chenglin ced the phone on the table without waiting for them to reply.

    Qi Chengzhi did not have his phone with him, so he was in the dark as to what Qi Chenglin did.

    Song Yu and Ruan Danchen, however, felt their phones vibrate, and they soon realized what Qi Chenglin had done once they took them out.

    Song Yu could not help but look at Qi Chenglin and thought to herself, ¡®So petty.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen was already used to it. She ced her phone down and asked, ¡°Why are they all silent?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re rushing here,¡± Qi Chenglin said in a calm manner.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Song Yu, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was already continuing his cooking inside the kitchen. Song Yu had no choice but to carry her pregnant self into the kitchen and tell him to cook more.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t these enough?¡± Qi Chengzhi pointed at all those dishes.

    ¡°I think Yan Beicheng and the others areing too,¡± Song Yu said.

    Qi Chengzhi was utterly speechless.

    ¡°Why do you two brothers have such a love-hate rtionship for no reason?¡± Song Yu shook her head, mumbled, and left.

    ¡°...¡± With a long face, Qi Chengzhi rummaged through the fridge and took all the ingredients out.

    ...

    ...

    No one knew where Yan Beicheng and the others were originally at or how they managed toe over, but even in the jam-packed roads of B City, they managed to rush over in half an hour.

    The inte began sounding and Qi Chenglin walked leisurely over to get the door. He was able to see through the screen that a row of faces was present. Surprisingly, they all came at the same time.

    Qi Chenglin opened the door for them and it took them no time toe in. Even Wei Ziqi¡¯s entire family was here, including Little Muche, who was being pushed in on a baby stroller.

    The little baby was d to see a big brother inside the house and let out a huge smile. Being only a-year-and-three-months old, he could not say much and was only able to wiggle around excitedly in the baby stroller. He was not well-behaved at all and kept pointing at Qi Youxuan while wailing.

    His apparent anxiousness prompted Wei Ran to carry him up and put him down.

    Little Muche stood on the ground as if he was going to fall at any time. He began walking toward Qi Youxuan like a little penguin.

    After struggling hard to reach the halfway point, Qi Youxuan got off the sofa abruptly and passed by Little Muche like the wind. He went up to Little Muran and said happily in a crisp voice, ¡°Mumu.¡±

    Little Muche was left in a daze, as if he was wondering why the big brother just breezed past and went to meet his big sister.

    He stood rooted to the ground and turned his head to look dazedly at Qi Youxuan. He persevered and turned around, once again walking like a little penguin back to where he came from. Seeing that Qi Youxuan wanted to bring Little Muran to y, he mumbled, grabbed Qi Youxuan¡¯s shirt and swung it as he wanted to y with them too.

    Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Youxuan might lose patience and walk too fast, thereby causing Little Muche to tumble over. She immediately reminded him to be more careful when walking and to bring the little toddler with him as well.

    Qi Youxuan was not too happy to have someone tail him and be his lightbulb 1. He turned to look at Little Muche with some disdain.

    Little Muche however, was much too young to understand. He opened his eyes adorably wide and said, ¡°Hug hug...¡±

    At that point in time, Little Muche was only able to mumble a few simple words that only required his lips toe in contact. For example, ¡®Papa¡¯, ¡®Mama¡¯, ¡®Sister¡¯, ¡®Hug hug¡¯, and simr words, as they did not require too much tongue movement.

    ¡®Grandpa¡¯ and ¡®Grandma¡¯ were not yet pronounceable for him.

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    Looking at Qi Youxuan¡¯s displeased expression, Qi Chenglin decided to remind his son. ¡°This is your future wife¡¯s younger brother.¡±

    Wei Ziqi was speechless.

    Without demur, Qi Youxuan stooped down and gave Little Muche a loving hug, even giving the baby a kiss on the cheek. He called out clearly, ¡°Brother-inw.¡±

    Little Muche did not seem to have any inkling of what those words meant but Qi Youxuan¡¯s actions still made him smile.

    Qi Youxuan then held Little Muran in one hand and his brother-inw in the other. ¡°Brother-inw, let¡¯s go and y.¡±

    Wei Ziqi remained at a loss for words.

    ¡°Hehe, your Qi family is really smart. Already taking possession of their wives since they¡¯re young. No need to worry in the future then.¡± Yan Beicheng found a ce to sit and treated it as his own home.

    There were a few empty tea cups on the coffee table, courtesy of Ruan Danchen taking them out from the kitchen.

    Yan Beicheng conceitedly poured out a cup of tea for himself and waved to Han Zhuoli as well as the rest. ¡°Why are you standing there for? Quick, grab a seat. Make yourselves at home, don¡¯t need to be too courteous.¡±

    Everyone else fell silent.

    Once everyone sat around the coffee table, Yan Beicheng took a sip of tea and turned to Han Zhuoli. ¡°Say, why didn¡¯t your family have this kind of thought before? Back then, if your elders knew better than to let you take possession of a daughter-inw, your grandma wouldn¡¯t need to suffer hair loss by worrying all day about your rtionships as a single adult.¡±

    Han Zhuoli, ¡°...¡±

    Was his grandmother really losing hair over that? Surely, it was just normal hair loss!

    Wei Ziqi cleared his throat. ¡°Am I nonexistent to all of you? I haven¡¯t even agreed on anything yet. What¡¯s all this nonsense for?¡±

    Once he finished talking, Qi Chenglin looked at him, ¡°My son¡¯s not that bad. I think our Qi family¡¯s men are much better than you back then when ites to wives. Besides, your EQ is so high. What if Muran is treated badly if she is with someone else?¡±

    Wei Ziqi, ¡°...¡±

    Wei Ran could not help butugh. She pinched Wei Ziqi¡¯s hands and said, ¡°The kids are still young. We won¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen in the future. Why are you being such a worrywart?¡±

    It was only then that Wei Ziqi calmed down slightly. He thought about it and realized he had been a little too anxious about it.

    Nothing could be done about that though as he had a daughter. Ever since Little Muran was born, he had been thinking about how terrible he would feel if Muran found a boyfriend and got married.

    ¡°We won¡¯t know what will happen in the future with Muran, but as you can see from my big brother, the Qi family men will not let go of the person that they have their hearts set on,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly while sipping his tea.

    Wei Ziqi, ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Wei Ziqi¡¯s intensely grim expression and could not take it any longer. She sneakily poked Qi Chenglin and leaned over to him, whispering, ¡°Let him enjoy the next twenty years of his life. Why do you need to provoke him so early?¡±

    Although she said it softly, Wei Ziqi¡¯s acute hearing enabled him to listen to each and every word. His expression became worse and he gnashed his teeth, saying, ¡°It¡¯ll be such a pity if you two don¡¯t get married.¡±

    ¡°Nothing to pity at all. We will get married,¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. His words were said with such glee and confidence.

    Just when they could feel that Wei Ziqi was about to flip the table over, Qi Chengzhi came at just the right time and called out, ¡°Time to eat.¡±

    Everyone then proceeded to make their way to the dining room and sat around the table.

    Song Yu¡¯s belly was big so it was a bit inconvenient for her. Ruan Danchen and Wei Ran both took small cartoon-shaped bowls that were meant for kids, filling them with food for Qi Youxuan and Little Muran to eat.

    Qi Chengzhi even cooked a special bowl of noodles for Qi Youxuan¡¯s brother-inw, although he was not too happy to be cooking it. However, he still cooked it because Song Yu told him to.

    Song Yu also told him to take out the baby chair¡ªthe one that they prepared for the unborn Youjin¡ªso Little Muche could sit there for the time being. Wei Ran held up the bowl, intending to feed Little Muran, but Wei Ziqi took it from her and said, ¡°I¡¯ll feed him. You eat.¡±

    When Wei Ziqi was at work, Little Muche would always pretend to act haplessly whenever Wei Ran fed him. If Wei Ziqi was around, however, a simple re would turn Little Muche into a well-behaved boy who did what he was told and ate his meals properly.

    Therefore, Wei Ran did not protest as she knew that her husband wanted her to eat her meal properly. When Little Muche saw that it was his father feeding him, he became well-behaved and did not dare to show any sign of stubbornness. He ate each mouthful that he was fed, and because it was a big mouthful, the entire bowl of noodles was soon gone.

    Wei Ziqi then carried Little Muche out, allowing him to y with Qi Youxuan and Little Muran.

    ...

    ...

    After the meal, everyone had some tea and chatted for a while. They did not stay and talk too long though, as they were afraid that Song Yu got tired in her pregnant state.

    Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to Jade Field Park. They looked for Guan Liya and asked for the pictures of Qi Chenglin when he was younger.

    As Guan Liya went over to look for the photos, she turned around and asked, ¡°Why do you want to look at your pictures from when you were small?¡±

    ¡°Danchen wants to look at them,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    ¡°If Ruan Danchen didn¡¯t bring it up, you wouldn¡¯t even think about looking at it. I suppose you¡¯ve forgotten how you looked like when you were younger,¡± Guan Liya smiled and said.

    Into the study they went, and from the bottom of the bookshelf, she dragged out a paper box.

    The box looked clean and it was evident that it had been wiped regrly. Although it was at the bottom of the bookshelf, not a single speck of dust was on it.

    Qi Chenglin carried the box and went into the living room.

    Since they were all there, they decided that they might as well just look at the pictures on the spot. Guan Liya looked happy as well, perhaps because she also wanted to take a look and reminisce about the old times.

    Guan Liya sat in the middle and hugged Qi Youxuan, cing the album on Qi Youxuan¡¯s short and stubby thighs. Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin sat on either side.

    The album wasbeled ording to Qi Chenglin¡¯s age. Qi Chenglin as a newborn was of average size, with his face reddened and his two eyes ck, shiny, and full of energy.

    ¡°It looks like Youxuan was he was younger.¡± Ruan Danchen saw one of Qi Youxuan¡¯s baby photos back at Prestige Residences, which looked exactly like Qi Chenglin albeit with some minor differences.

    ¡°This is nothing. The true resemncees when he¡¯s a bit older,¡± Guan Liya said.

    She leaned over to the coffee table and fished out a thick album. While opening it, she said, ¡°This album is when he was five or six years old. Exactly like Youxuan¡¯s current age.¡±

    When Guan Liya opened it, Ruan Danchen saw a short, fat kid sitting on the carpet. His fat legs were rxed and there was even a watermelon in the little boy¡¯s hands.

    If it were not for the yellowed picture and the difference in clothing styles, Ruan Danchen would have actually thought that it was Qi Youxuan in the picture.

    Qi Youxuan blinked and turned around to look at Guan Liya, ¡°This is my Dad?¡±

    ¡°Yes. This was when he was five,¡± Guan Liya said while smiling. Her expression was very tender and she really missed Qi Chenglin¡¯s adorable looks when he was younger. ¡°Your dad loves to eat watermelon when he was younger especially when it was summertime. He¡¯ll always have a small slice every day.¡±

    Guan Liya used her hands to demonstrate the size, which was roughly as big as a ramen bowl.

    Qi Youxuan turned his head to the other side and looked at Qi Chenglin for a long time. Then he looked down at the photo again and said, ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you at all. Did you do any stic surgery?¡±

    Five-year-old Qi Chenglin was so round, but adult Qi Chenglin had such refined facial features with sharp and distinct lines.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Footnotes:

    Ch 371 Footnote 1

    µçµÆÅÝ ¨C a third wheel, or third-wheeling. Literally trantes to ¡®being a lightbulb¡¯ or ¡®lightbulbing¡¯. Supposedly, the reason the term came about has much to do with an ideal dating situation¡ªa nice, dark intimate setting where a couple can enjoy ¡°intimate conversations¡±. However, the act of ¡®lightbulbing¡¯ or ¡®being a lightbulb¡¯ means that a third party is hanging around, thus rendering the couple unable to enjoy their moments together. Third-wheeling is akin to a light bulb in the sense that it makes the ideal date too bright and too public for the couple to enjoy.

 Chapter 372 - Dad, Are You Thinking of Eloping with Aunt Ruan?

    <strong>Chapter 372: Dad, Are You Thinking of Eloping with Aunt Ruan?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan then stared at the picture for a long time and burst out saying, ¡°You¡¯re also fat when you were young, Dad. Why are you always calling me fat now!¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt regretful. If he knew that he looked like that when he was younger, he would never have let the two of them see it

    He turned to look at Ruan Danchen and saw her looking at him with a beaming smile. Her look was that of affection and was exactly the same as when she looked at Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Ay, this is your father¡¯s picture when he was five-years old. When he turned six¡ªwhich is your age now¡ªhe slimmed down,¡± Guan Liya said. Fortunately for Qi Chenglin, she did not continue to denigrate him.

    She flipped the album to the middle and it was Qi Chenglin at six-years-old. It was a photo of him when he was already in elementary school, and he did look quite slimmed down. Despite having some baby fat, his handsome features made a faint appearance.

    Qi Chenglin breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his posture. Feeling more confident, he told Qi Youxuan, ¡°That¡¯s why you need to continue slimming down.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was disappointed, but not by much. By seeing his father¡¯s younger pictures, at least he had the confidence that he would turn out very handsome when he was older.

    Since they were already there, they made no rush to leave. It was a perfect time for Guan Liya to spend some time with Youxuan since things had been rather busy after Youxuan went to elementary school.

    During his kindergarten days, he woulde back ahead of schedule, but it was not that big of a deal if he did not want to stay too long at kindergarten. With elementary school, it was different as none of them wanted him to miss a single ss.

    Jixia Elementary School¡¯s sybus was different from other elementary schools. It leaned toward schools from outside of the country, with less homework and more of a hands-on approach. Their focus was on the all-round development of students.

    Other elementary schools would not teach a foreignnguage during Year One, especially not when their students had yet to master the nationalnguage. Jixia Elementary, however, taught English and Mandarin right from the get-go. Other than the conventional subjects in the sybus, there were also many other sses like pottery sses, skiing lessons, archery, and Wushu.

    Once students reached senior high, they would also learn hunting and rock climbing.

    That was the reason why plenty of Jixia High School¡¯s graduates did not enroll into universities within the country. Most of them would go directly to renowned overseas universities. Even if there were those that went into the local universities, they would not do so via an entrance exam. Instead, they would be invited by renowned local universities to fill in the quota needed. Some sponsoring would also be required to be channeled into the school. The basis for that was because they could not stand a chance against others if they did participate in the entrance exam.

    Even though that was the kind of sybus, the Qi family still ced much importance to it. In the future, they would want Qi Youxuan to attend some extracurricr piano sses to train his mental disposition. The boy¡¯s temperament and personality needed to be enhanced.

    Although some of the great families would send their kids to Lanshan Institute, the Qi family was afraid that their own children might suffer there as it was very unbearable. The children would have to stay in T City for an extended period of time and it was very far apart from the parents.

    Due to that, Jixia decided it was better to cooperate with Lanshan Institute for Wushu sses. They invited a trainer from Lanshan Institute toe over and give sses once a week.

    The Qi family did not expect Qi Youxuan to be incredibly skilled; it was enough that it kept him fit and enabled him to deal with some small-time thieves.

    As a result, Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun had fewer chances to see their grandson. Qi Zhongxun originally thought that Qi Youxuan would not being over, so he had left to y golf, but would be back before dinner.

    Everyone decided to have dinner there before leaving.

    Before dinner, they watched the news and heard that it was the flu season. Hospital pediatricians and pediatric centers were filled to the brim with kids.

    Ruan Danchen was not quick enough to pay attention to it. On Monday, Qi Youxuan went to school and came back with the flu.

    Fortunately, there was no fever, just a constant stream of nasal mucus and repeated sneezing.

    The boy was much more afraid of needles than eating medicine, and Ruan Danchen had to go to great lengths to convince him that he would not need a shot unless he got a fever. She coaxed him to eat his medicine, but when the second day came, he began coughing.

    Ruan Danchen gave him some sweet orange with a bit of salt, as well as some cough syrup. Qi Youxuan was still coughing madly nheless, and even his appetite was lost. Ruan Danchen was worried sick, and she apanied Qi Youxuan while he slept on the bed.

    The incessant coughing, however, made his throat feel pain, and Qi Youxuan struggled to fall asleep. In the end, he even vomited out what little food he had had earlier that night.

    Ruan Danchen called Qi Chenglin back immediately. She covered Qi Youxuan in thick fleece clothing, carried him up into the car, and went to the hospital.

    Qi Youxuan was suffering terribly, so even if he was afraid of the needle, he did not have any more protests. He did not look at the needle and skittishly buried himself in Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace.

    Ruan Danchen felt heartbroken and consoled him endlessly. The sight of him being listless, unable to sleep, painful in the throat, and letting out tears made her wish she could bear all that suffering on behalf of him.

    After measuring his temperature, he was deemed as not having a fever, so the shot given was to reduce inmmation. It worked like a charm as Qi Youxuan stopped coughing and his throat did not hurt anymore. Since he had been so tired for about half the night, he fell asleep immediately after going home andid his head on the bed.

    The next day, Ruan Danchen told Qi Chenglin to apply medical leave from school so Qi Youxuan could rest at home for one day. It saved him the trouble of going to school with a weak body and dark circles around his eyes since he had only slept for about three hours throughout the entire night.

    Lack of rest would lower the body¡¯s immune system, and since Jixia Elementary School¡¯s kids could not escape the flu, the cross-infection would make his sickness even worse.

    Ruan Danchen applied for leave too so she could take care of Qi Youxuan at home.

    When Manager Zou heard that she wanted to stay home and take care of Qilin¡¯s Little Master, he immediately agreed and asked if one day was enough.

    Ruan Danchen cared deeply for Qi Youxuan but she would not let him stay home for too long. She figured that a day¡¯s rest would be enough, so she said yes to Manager Zou.

    Qi Youxuany on the bed, and Ruan Danchen decided to just apany him in his room.

    When lunchtime came, Qi Youxuan was feeling much better. He said, ¡°Aunt Ruan, I wanna eat noodles.¡±

    Ruan Danchen immediately went and cooked him a bowl without saying anything further.

    Qi Youxuan ate and ate, but all of a sudden, he turned to look at her with teary eyes.

    ¡°What is it? Do you feel terrible again?¡± Ruan Danchen touched his forehead immediately. ¡°Do you feel worse?¡±

    Qi Youxuan shook his head. ¡°Whenever I was sickst time, Aunt Zheng was the only one who cared for me like this. It feels wonderful to have you taking care of me.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll always take care of you in the future,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said. If it was not for the bowl that she held in her hand, she would have immediately pulled Youxuan into her embrace.

    A child whocks a mother may receive love and care from others but it would never be the same thing.

    The one thing she simply could not stand looking at was Qi Youxuan¡¯s deste-looking demeanor.

    ¡°Will you get married to Dad?¡± Qi Youxuan looked up and asked, still somewhat apprehensive.

    ¡°As long as it¡¯s possible, I will.¡± Ruan Danchen did not want to lie, because there may still be a possibility that the Shen family may cause it to fail. She did not want the boy to feel disappointed.

    ¡°Back at Uncle¡¯s house, Dad said that he will marry you. He said he will definitely seed,¡± Qi Youxuan said. Although he and Qi Chenglin sometimes traded banter with each other, the boy still trusted his father very much.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Ruan Danchen nodded.

    Qi Youxuan felt as though arge rock had been lifted from his heart. It was then that he continued eating his noodles.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin came home at four in the evening, and by then Qi Youxuan¡¯s condition had already improved.

    Seeing Qi Chenglin enter, Ruan Danchen looked at him in surprise. ¡°Why are you back so early?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll be too tired alone at home,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°I¡¯m not alone. Aunt Yang is with me, isn¡¯t she?¡± Ruan Danchen took the ck wool coat that he had taken off. ¡°But you, did you rush your work at thepany just so you cane back home earlier?¡±

    She was spot on with that guess, because he even had to skip a dinner party.

    Qi Chenglin would never admit to it and simply said, ¡°No, I didn¡¯t have much work today to begin with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tentatively believed it.

    ¡°How is Youxuan?¡± QI Chenglin asked.

    ¡°He¡¯s more energetic.¡± Ruan Danchen draped Qi Chenglin¡¯s jacket over her arm and followed Qi Chenglin into the room. Once Qi Chenglin changed his clothes, they went to see Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan was seen to be eating a soup of white fungus, lotus seeds, and rock sugar that Ruan Danchen had boiled for him. As he drank, he held aic and was reading it. He looked veryfortable and it seemed that his vitality had increased exponentially.

    Hearing the door swing open, Qi Youxuan looked up and called out in shock, ¡°Dad, you came back so early! Are you worried about me?¡±

    Qi Chenglin actually wanted to go home to help Ruan Danchen with everything, but when he saw the little boy¡¯s joyous expression and beady huge eyes, he could not bring himself to disappoint his son. He simply responded with a simple, ¡°Mm.¡±

    ¡°Really, Dad! You¡¯re worried about me but you¡¯re still embarrassed?¡± Qi Youxuan misunderstood Qi Chenglin¡¯s reaction.

    Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    ¡°Youxuan, what do you want to eat tonight?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°I wanna eat sweet-and-sour pork ribs, braised prawns, fried chicken wings, and meat skewers.¡± The image of all that food floated in QI Youxuan¡¯s mind as he mentioned all that, and it was like he could smell the aroma already. He began salivating almost immediately.

    Qi Chenglin blinked couple of times and twitched his lip. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re all good, and since that¡¯s the case, you can go to school tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I have a headache.¡± Qi Youxuan threw hisic book and ced his tubby hand on his head.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Get up,¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°Xiao Yang went to school to take down everything that was taught today. He¡¯ll teach you tonight. Make sure you study. You can¡¯t fall behind on your work.¡±

    Qi Youxuan could not do anything about it. He ced his bowl down, came down unwillingly from his little bed, then took the bowl and went out.

    ...

    ...

    When dinner came, Ruan Danchen did not cook not all of the dishes that Qi Youxuan wanted. He was still sick, so he could not be eating so much heaty things. Ruan Danchen could only cook the sweet-and-sour ribs, and the rest were all nder and less heaty.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Qi Youxuan¡¯s energy had returnedpletely, but Ruan Danchen was the one who got infected by his flu.

    She felt lethargic when she got up, and at the time, Qi Chenglin was still asleep. She wanted to wake up quietly, but an itchy nose caught her by surprise and she sneezed loudly, thereby waking Qi Chenglin up.

    Ruan Danchen could feel that her nose was blockedpletely. It felt sore, itchy, and she could not stop sniffling.

    ¡°What is it? Did you get a cold?¡± Qi Chenglin sat up straight and massaged his face. Once he was slightly more awake, he looked at the sniffling Ruan Danchen beside him.

    ¡°I think so. My nose is sore, and I feel like my body is hot,¡± Ruan Danchen said. Her nose was feeling incredibly ufortable and she struggled to keep her eyes open.

    Qi Chenglin held her forehead immediately to gauge if she was having a fever.

    ¡°How about you take leave today and not go to work?¡± Qi Chenglin said. It did not ur to him that the elder one in his home would get sick just barely before the younger one got better.

    ¡°No need for that. It¡¯s just a flu. I¡¯ve already taken leave yesterday. It won¡¯t be good if I don¡¯t go again today,¡± Ruan Danchen said. She had just started working and already taken two days¡¯ worth of leave.

    Qi Chenglin could not pressure her either, so he could only ept it although he wanted to take better care of her body in thepany.

    He told Aunt Zheng to get some flu medicine so Ruan Danchen could bring them with her.

    When she left the house, Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan both wore masks respectively. Ruan Danchen wore her mask rather normally, but Qi Youxuan¡¯s mask had a picture of a pig¡¯s nose. Wearing it made him look like a little, whimpering piglet.

    Qi Chenglin could not help but smile upon seeing that.

    He first sent the boy to Jixia Elementary School, then Ruan Danchen sat in the front passenger seat. Qi Chenglin looked at her sufferable, heavy-eyed expression and said, ¡°The on-site survey in the north side of the city is scheduled for tomorrow. How about we change the dates?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s already been decided, and you¡¯re so busy. If we change the dates, it¡¯ll throw off all your earlier ns. I¡¯ll be fine,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Qi Chenglin was not required to personally make the visit to the city¡¯s north side and survey the property. However, Ruan Danchen¡¯s rtive newness in Qilin would make her an easy target to denounce if she did not do any work.

    Ever since Ruan Danchen was in Chengshi, Qi Chenglin had already decided to give that project to Ruan Danchen. Whicheverpany it may be that Ruan Danchen worked in, the project would still follow her wherever she went.

    Nevertheless, it was impossible for him not to follow her to the northern district if she went. From Qi Chenglin¡¯s point of view, it was either they both went or did not go.

    If they did not go, however, it would not look good when the contract came and had Ruan Danchen¡¯s name on it.

    Ruan Danchen sniffled again and sucked on a lozenge. She turned to him and said, ¡°You don¡¯t really need to go.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at her and reached for her hand with his slender fingers. ¡°We don¡¯t get much time to be alone together. This is the only time we have. Most of the time, Youxuan is this high-wattage lightbulb thates between us. It¡¯s difficult for us to find a moment where we can spend alone.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen thought about how he said that Youxuan was a high-wattage lightbulb, but since they were on a business trip, they would have so many colleagues around them. How high would the wattage be then?

    The wattage would not only be high, but the number of lightbulbs would be plenty too.

    ...

    ...

    When noon came, Ruan Danchen seized a moment when no one was looking and sneaked into Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    She had no appetite due to her flu, so Qi Chenglin specifically ordered some nd dishes for her. Ruan Danchen looked at the table full of veggies and said, ¡°Is this enough for you?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m still hungry, I¡¯ll get someone to order takeout,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He had already handed her the chopsticks.

    After the meal, Qi Chenglin paid attention to the time and gave Ruan Danchen her medicine, after which he let her sleep in his office for some time. Drowsiness was prevalent whenever one took flu medicine, so the hazy Ruan Danchen soon fell asleep.

    Before she slept however, she made a point to set an rm to ring just before lunch break ended. She left the office but was shocked to see a couple of people from the secretary¡¯s office, all of which had juste back from lunch. They were quite shocked to see Ruan Danchening out of the general manager¡¯s office.

    Fortunately, Jiang Lai reacted quickly. He took a stack of documents and shoved them to Ruan Danchen, saying, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry to call you over for work at thest minute.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Ruan Danchen speedily took advantage of his help to get her out of the situation and subsequently went down.

    Those from the secretary¡¯s office retracted their shocked gaze and went back to their office.

    Ruan Danchen shed a grateful smile to Jiang Yuan. In response, he returned the smile and nodded. Ruan Danchen then made her way to the design department.

    As soon as the second half of the working day was underway, Manager Zou came in.

    He audibly pped his hands twice to draw in the attention of the employees. He said, ¡°Let me make an announcement regarding the on-site survey trip tomorrow with the general manager. The general manager has chosen three designers and I¡¯ll announce the name list.¡±

    Everyone¡¯s ears perked up and they all wanted to vie for that opportunity.

    Ever since Qi Chenglin mentioned it thest time around, everyone in the office began secretly currying favor with Manager Zou.

    ¡°On this asion, Senior Du will lead the group. Chen Siyu and Ruan Danchen will be going along,¡± Manager Zou said.

    Those who were not selected frowned. They had no objections with Senior Du and Chen Siyu, but Ruan Danchen was a newbie at Qilin. She may be the good friend of the director¡¯s wife, but surely it was uneptable to do all that?

    ¡°Manager Zou, why does a neer like Ruan Danchen have the chance to get such a big project within such a short span of time?¡± None of them voiced out their objections and Yao Jingfei was the first to speak up. ¡°Does the general manager want to suck up to her simply because she has a good rtionship with the director¡¯s wife?¡±

    Manager Zou cocked an eyebrow and twitched his lip. ¡°You¡¯re a board member¡¯s daughter, but do you see me trying to suck up to you? Why does everything have to do with you? No one¡¯s even said anything about it yet. Why are you, an assistant designer, nitpicking on other people¡¯s business? If everything¡¯s unfair to you, then resign immediately. I don¡¯t need you bringing all this negativity into this department!¡±

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s face reddened from Manager Zou¡¯s chastising. She then heard him say, ¡°Youin that Danchen has no work to do, but now that she has work to you, you stillin. Will you only stopining if she stops working here?¡±

    Yao Jingfei¡¯s face turned a greenish shade. She felt that Manager Zou was continuously finding fault with her.

    ¡°Let me put it on record that our department doesn¡¯t pay its worker to be idle. I¡¯ve been looking for a job to give Danchen and this is a good opportunity. We can¡¯t just let her stay idle without doing anything right? Besides, she¡¯s not the only one doing the designing and won¡¯t be the only person toplete this project. She will be cooperating with Senior Du and Chen Siyu. In the meantime, I¡¯ll use this as an opportunity to assess Ruan Danchen¡¯s capability. If she¡¯s not up to the task, I might rece her with someone else midway. I¡¯m not just directing my words at Ruan Danchen; I¡¯m directing it to every single one of you,¡± Manager Zou said.

    With that, no one else had any objections anymore.

    That was only a brief episode. When Friday came, Ruan Danchen, Senior Du, and Chen Siyu brought came with their luggage bags on them.

    Before they left the house in the morning, Qi Youxuan saw the two luggage bags that the adults had ced at the front entrance. All of a sudden, he had a rather bad feeling.

    ¡°Dad, are you thinking of eloping with Aunt Ruan?¡± Qi Youxuan held on tight to Ruan Danchen¡¯s clothes and showed no sign of letting go. He was afraid that the two grown-ups would just silently leave him behind.

    That was uneptable¡ªhe already had no mother and could not possibly lose his father too.

    He still remembered the one time he was watching movies at his grandma¡¯s house. The movie depicted a young woman who was abducted and sold off to a family in a remote vige. She became the family¡¯s daughter-inw and attempted to escape. She failed in the first attempt, and soon after, she became pregnant with that man¡¯s child.

    The woman utilized her gestation period to begin hatching an escape n. Once she gave birth to the child, she secretly made a run for it.

    In the movie, the woman¡¯s packed her stuff silently, and Qi Youxuan felt as though the same scenario was unfolding before him.

    The corner of Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes twitched. ¡°What kind of nonsense movie did you watch again?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted without saying anything. He leaned deeper into Ruan Danchen. ¡°If you¡¯re eloping, can you bring me too? I promise not to cause trouble for the both of you and I¡¯ll just eat less in the future.¡±

    ¡°Stop thinking all that nonsense.¡± Ruan Danchen patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s head. ¡°We¡¯re not eloping. We¡¯re going on a business trip.¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked rapidly, seemingly unconvinced.

    ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± Ruan Danchen then began exining, ¡°We¡¯re in the samepany, aren¡¯t we? Coincidentally, we¡¯re going on a business trip together. We¡¯ll be back tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t be back tonight, so Xiao Yang will pick you up tonight and send you directly to Grandpa¡¯s house,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Youxuan turned to look at the two luggage bags as though still skeptical of the veracity of their words.

    Ruan Danchen pointed at the luggage bags and said, ¡°See, we didn¡¯t bring too many things. No one elopes with such few items on them. Our toiletries are just enough for tonight and tomorrow, and we only brought a set of clothes to change tomorrow. Nothing else.¡±

    Only then did Qi Youxuan believe her, albeit with some doubt. He remained that way until they sent him to school. Qi Youxuan got down from the car and looked at the back seat, with no one being able to guess what he was thinking about.

    ...

    ...

    In the afternoon, Manager Zou sent word to the three employees¡ªincluding Ruan Danchen¡ªwho were tasked to go to the northern district of the city. A little over four o¡¯clock, they brought their luggage bags and gathered in the lobby.

    As Ruan Danchen reached for hers, she let out an abrupt sneeze.

    Senior Du passed by her and said caringly, ¡°Is your body feeling okay?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine, it¡¯s just a normal flu,¡± Ruan Danchen shook her head and said.

    Yao Jingfei lips twitched. ¡°Came down with flu, but still stubbornly wants to join.¡±

    Senior Du noticed that Ruan Danchen took the liberty of wearing a mask so she had no objections to it. No one was bothered with Yao Jingfei and they all carried their luggage bags down.

    On that particr business trip, Qi Chenglin joined and so did Luo Yushu.

    Luo Yushu felt that he was quite fated with the Qi family¡¯s significant others. In an earlier business trip, the director got together with Song Yu. Although the general manager and Ruan Danchen were already together during the present trip, only he, Jiang Yuan, and the general manager himself knew about the situation.

    When Ruan Danchen and the two others reached the ground floor, Luo Yushu was surprisingly already waiting for them there.

    Upon seeing them, Luo Yushu stood up and smiled warmly, ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. Sit, sit, sit.¡±

    Luo Yushu seamlessly and voluntarily took Ruan Danchen¡¯s luggage from her hands and vacated his seat for her.

    Not longter, Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan came and sat down as well.

    Senior Du and the others immediately greeted him with much courtesy, ¡°General Manager.¡±

    They did not usually report directly to Qi Chenglin, and the most they would interact with him was when they greeted him in thepany. They never interacted that closely with him before, and that caused them to be slightly nervous.

    Although Chen Siyu did not have any improper thoughts toward Qi Chenglin, his positive character and grounded demeanor prompted her to sneak a few peeks at him.

    Ruan Danchen followed suit and greeted vaguely ¡°General Manager.¡± Qi Chenglin, however, had his attention focused on her ever since he showed up. As ambiguous as she sounded, Qi Chenglin could hear it from him, and at the same time, he looked at her with a tiny hint of sarcasm in his eyes.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    All of them got into a seven-seater Benz that was used for business purposes. Qi Chenglin no longer chose to ride in his own car. The atmosphere therefore became very tense, especially with Senior Du and Chen Siyu, who did not dare to make a single peep.

    Luo Yushu smiled and asked, ¡°Anyone here gets carsick? I have some anti-motion sickness medicines here.¡±

    No one there got carsick because it was wintertime. The heat was turned up in the car and the air was rather stuffy, causing the difort in Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose to increase even more. She sniffled countless times and narrowed her eyes. Her face constantly looked as though she had the urge to sneeze but was unable to do so.

    Qi Chenglin gave Jiang Yuan a look, and thetter immediately took out a small tube of medicine. ¡°Miss Ruan, try this. It¡¯ll clear up your sinuses with a tiny application.¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed and glimpsed at Qi Chenglin before taking it. With her mask still on, she dabbed it on her nostrils. Jiang Yuan did not take it back from her and simply allowed her to keep it.

    Throughout the journey, Ruan Danchen had the feeling that Qi Chenglin kept looking at her. ¡®Can he be a bit more low-key?¡¯ She was feeling an immense pressure there.

    In the end, she decided to just look out the window, even though there was nothing to see outside. Despite that, her hindbrain was feeling Qi Chenglin¡¯s luminous gaze.

    When they reached the destination, her neck was sore and she nearly failed to twist it back to normal.

    Everyone proceeded to get off the car, but for some reason, Qi Chenglin was thest to get off. He took the opportunity to disembark with Ruan Danchen when everyone else was not looking.

    ¡°Does your neck feel sore?¡± Qi Chenglin kept a low voice but it was still crystal clear to her. He had directly leaned into her ear when he said that.

    She did not realize it but when Qi Chenglin was at the end of the line, Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushu tacitly inserted themselves in front of Ruan Danchen, thereby effectively separating the other women from Ruan Danchen like a screen. Senior Du and Chen Siyu were not tall either, so they were still unable to see anything if they turned around.

    Ruan Danchen however, still felt guilty and red-faced. She reacted like a spooked bunny, almost causing Qi Chenglin tough.

    The ear that he previously blew at became really itchy and she covered it instantly. Her fingers pinched her ear and she said, ¡°Who told you to keep on looking at me throughout the journey. You weren¡¯t even afraid that someone might spread a rumor that you weremitting sexual harassment.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s perfect then. I have a justification to harass you every day then,¡± Qi Chenglin said smilingly. He even put his words into practice and pinched her on her bum. He retracted his hand incredibly swiftly, as if he did not even do anything at all.

    Ruan Danchen nearly shouted. She did not expect him to act in such a way at all. She looked up with a reddened face and red at him, but all she saw was the side profile of hisposed face, as though the one who pinched her was someone else entirely.

    His eyes remained as calm as ever and he even looked down at her in bewilderment. Ruan Danchen even began to suspect that he was not the culprit and nearly turned around in search of the ¡®true culprit¡¯.

 Chapter 373 - Your Aunt Ruan Promised to Acknowledge Me

    <strong>Chapter 373: Your Aunt Ruan Promised to Acknowledge Me</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin smiled and leaned over on purpose to give her a quick peck on the lips. Before Ruan Danchen could even react to what happened, he took great strides and walked quickly ahead of her, catching up to Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushu in no time.

    One step of his was equivalent to two of Ruan Danchen¡¯s. Unable to utter a single word, Ruan Danchen could only blush and watch as Qi Chenglin walked away.

    When they were checking-in at the reception, Luo Yushu very casually arranged the rooms for all three women. His reasons were very sound. ¡°Okay, if you don¡¯t mind, Senior Du can stay in a room with Xiao Chen. Xiao Ruan¡¯s flu looks quite serious and it won¡¯t be good news if someone else gets infected. I¡¯ve let her have her own room.¡±

    It sounded very reasonable so Senior Du and Chen Siyu had no objections to it.

    From the corner of his eye, Luo Yushu caught a glimpse of Qi Chenglin¡¯s apparent expression of approval.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s room was a suite located two floors above Senior Du and Chen Siyu¡¯s room.

    Her only wish was that Senior Du and Chen Siyu did not pop by for a visit, or else they might be wondering why their rooms were so vastly different from each other.

    As soon as she ced her luggage bag down, the doorbell rang.

    Ruan Danchen was quite taken aback. Surely, Qi Chenglin would not cling to her so quickly!

    She knew exactly why Luo Yushu arranged for her to stay alone in the room¡ªit was to facilitate Qi Chenglin toe looking for her and vice-versa.

    As she thought of that, she somehow had the feeling that the whole setup felt like an affair.

    Ruan Danchen took a look through the peephole, but to her surprise, it was Xiao Yang. He was supposed to pick Qi Youxuan home from school, but there he was, looking all flustered and anxious.

    Ruan Danchen almost immediately felt a jolt in her heart. Her knees were getting weak and the first thought in her mind was that Qi Youxuan met with an ident.

    Already pale-faced, she opened the door immediately, but before she could even say anything, she heard a crisp voice call out, ¡°Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Her mind went nk immediately. She blinked a few times and her pale face begin to fill with blood again. She lowered her gaze and saw Qi Youxuan standing properly before her, all while holding hands with Xiao Yang. She literally felt like she was dreaming.

    Qi Youxuan did not look as though he went home. He was still dressed in his uniform and his schoolbag was held in Xiao Yang¡¯s other hand.

    ¡°Miss Ruan,¡± Xiao Yang began awkwardly. ¡°I brought Youxuan to Jade Residence but he insisted oning to looking for the both of you. I couldn¡¯t stop him. He didn¡¯t want to eat his medicine if he wasn¡¯t brought here and we couldn¡¯t force feed him. Madam was heartbroken and couldn¡¯t stand him crying so much, at the same time, she couldn¡¯t bring herself to force feed him those pills. She told me to bring Youxuan here.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan but saw no trace of a boy who was crying earlier. Nevertheless, she hurried them in immediately.

    Xiao Yu immediately phoned back to Jade Residence. ¡°Madam, Youxuan has been sent to Miss Ruan.¡±

    After that, Xiao Yang handed the phone over to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Miss Ruan, Madam wants to speak with you.¡±

    ¡°Auntie,¡± Ruan Danchen said after taking the phone.

    ¡°Sigh, Danchen, I¡¯m so sorry. Chenglin told me that the both of you were going on a business trip and ced Youxuan under my care, but who would¡¯ve known that the boy threw himself on me and cried, saying that the both of you eloped and didn¡¯t want him anymore. He said he was already motherless and did not want to end up being fatherless too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked at Qi Youxuan speechlessly. She thought everything had been properly exined to the boy in the morning.

    ¡°I told him that the both of you were on a business trip to the city¡¯s northern district, not that you didn¡¯t want him anymore, but he didn¡¯t believe me. He kept saying that the both of you eloped.¡± Guan Liya¡¯s hands were tied too. She nearly believed him even, since his cries were just so stringent earlier.

    ¡°We can¡¯t let the child keep crying right? He¡¯s not eating food and he¡¯s not eating medicine. We have no choice but to let Xiao Yang bring him over. It¡¯s a Saturday tomorrow anyway and he doesn¡¯t need to go to school. When you and Chenglin are busy, just let him be a good boy and stay in the hotel room,¡± Guan Liya said.

    Ruan Danchen looked at the little boy. ¡®Problem is, will he be able to behave and stay in the room?¡±

    Qi Youxuan sat conscientiously on the sofa and dangled his little short legs. He reached the fruit tter prepared by the hotel and popped a cherry tomato into his mouth.

    His innocent and na?ve manner made Ruan Danchen sigh in silence. She responded, ¡°Okay. It¡¯ll be fine.¡±

    Not long after hanging up, Chen Siyu called her and asked if she wanted to join them for dinner.

    Due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s presence, Ruan Danchen refused the invitation by using her illness as an excuse. She called room service and ordered two bowls of Yi noodles and a fresh veggie sd to eat with Youxuan. She then told Xiao Yang to inform Qi Chenglin of the situation.

    Ten minutester, the doorbell rang.

    Qi Youxuan blinked and eximed in surprise, ¡°This hotel is so efficient!¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt odd and thought that it was unlikely that room service came. She looked through the peephole and saw a dour-looking Qi Chenglin standing outside.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen turned around, looked at the boy reveling in his good fortune and said, ¡°It¡¯s your dad.¡±

    Qi Youxuan then let out a choked expression and watched as Ruan Danchen opened the door to let the somber Qi Chenglin in.

    The boy then immediately threw the cherry tomato he was holding. The one in his mouth was quickly chewed and swallowed.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get Xiao Yang to send you home after dinner,¡± Qi Chenglin said glumly.

    Qi Youxuan had no appetite then and protested depressingly, ¡°I don¡¯t want to go home.¡±

    ¡°You saw it yourself that we¡¯re here for work. We need to go to work tomorrow. It¡¯s unreasonable for you to be here!¡± Qi Chenglin said unhappily.

    The dispirited Qi Youxuan looked at Ruan Danchen. It was not that much of a deal to stay at his grandma¡¯s ce in the past, but when he finally experienced the warmth of a three-person family, he could not bear to be apart with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. He would feel ufortable if Ruan Danchen did note and look at him before he slept at night.

    ¡°Looking at your Aunt Ruan won¡¯t do you any good,¡± Qi Chenglin said coldly.

    Ruan Danchen opened her mouth to plead on the boy¡¯s behalf, but Qi Chenglin stared at her and remarked bluntly, ¡°Loving mothers spoil their child.¡±

    No one would have predicted that Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan would smile so joyously and be in such a good mood.

    Qi Chenglin waspletely at a loss for words. Ruan Danchen slowly moved over and held his hand in the interlocked-finger grip that he so adored.

    The man¡¯s gaze warmed up and even the corner of his lip was unable to resist curling into a smile.

    Qi Youxuan looked on as if it was a mysterious sideshow.

    Qi Chenglin was originally a big tiger, but Ruan Danchen¡ªthe tamer of beasts¡ªmanaged to tame the man into a big house cat. He was perfectly happy to be tamed and was extremely obedient.

    ¡°The child is already here and it¡¯s veryte in the night. Jade Residences is really far from here and it would take a two-hour drive. It¡¯s still peak hour on the road right now, and if we factor in the jam, we don¡¯t even know when Youxuan will get home. Xiao Yang will have to drivete at night too, and this worries me. How about we just let Youxuan stay here,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    Her voice was so soft that Qi Chenglin answered immediately, but not without some resentment.

    Ruan Danchen spoke softly but not to the extent of whispering on purpose. Qi Youxuan could hear it very clearly from his seat on the sofa and he immediately stood up straight and gave Qi Chenglin a puppy-eyed look.

    Qi Chenglin looked at him, and at that instant, it was like his eyes became even beadier.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin pursed his lips. ¡°Can you promise to behave tomorrow and stay in the room without running all over the ce?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded vehemently. ¡°I promise not to go anywhere.¡±

    Qi Chenglin then nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll let Xiao Yang look after you in the room.¡±

    Qi Youxuan agreed.

    Ruan Danchen then called room service and ordered some more food. Dinner was served shortly after.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s lips were stained red from the sauce of the Yi noodles, and the sight led Qi Chenglin to let out a heavy sigh. ¡®Where is the romantic couple¡¯s world that we agreed on earlier?¡¯

    After Qi Youxuan had his fill, his tummy became very big. He held his fatty stomach and went into the toilet with Qi Chenglin following him behind.

    Upon opening the door however, the smell of feces hit Qi Chenglin¡¯s nostrils.

    Qi Youxuan pulled up his pants immediately to cover his little ¡®chili pepper¡¯ down there. He eximed frantically, ¡°Dad! What are you doing!¡±

    ¡°...¡± The smell caused Qi Chenglin to frown and he switched on the bathroom exhaust fan. ¡°How can you poop so fast after just finishing your food?¡±

    Qi Youxuan reacted like a hapless littlemb. ¡°I have good digestion.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin looked askance at him and said, ¡°Sleep earlier tonight. I¡¯ll bring you to my room tomorrow morning.¡±

    ¡°You and Aunt Ruan slept in different rooms?¡± Qi Youxuan was about to expel a nice big turd, but because he was too shocked, he failed to maintain pressure on his sphincter and it went back into his rectum.

    An expression of constipated knottiness immediately surfaced on Qi Youxuan¡¯s red, round face.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Your Aunt Ruan likes to keep it low,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°Ohhhh.¡± Qi Youxuan understood immediately.

    Qi Chenglin twitched his lip and said curtly, ¡°Why are you always present?¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I originally wanted to use this as an opportunity to get closer with your Aunt Ruan, but you insist oning over and being a busybody,¡± Qi Chenglin said in irritation.

    ¡°You said it was for work.¡± Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes.

    ¡°To get closer and work at the same time,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen had no idea what the father-son duo were murmuring about inside the toilet. Momentster, Qi Chenglin came out followed by Qi Youxuan.

    The hotel was a hot spring hotel and the tub faucets obtained water directly from the hot springs. Qi Youxuan¡¯s enjoyed afortable hot spring bath in the bathtub and Ruan Danchen then helped him blow dry his hair. Once that was done, Qi Chenglin told him to go and sleep.

    As soon as Qi Youxuan¡¯s head hit the pillow, Qi Chenglin came out and locked Qi Youxuan out.

    Looking at Ruan Danchen¡¯s worrisome look, Qi Chenglin exined inly, ¡°This is to prevent him for butting in again.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I still want to be with you in our romantic couple¡¯s world,¡± Qi Chenglin grumbled begrudgingly. His lips then approached her and was very near to hers.

    Ruan Danchen covered her nose and mouth immediately. She spoke in a muffled voice, ¡°I¡¯m sick. It¡¯ll infect you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. If you infect me, then you¡¯ll get better faster,¡± Qi Chenglin said and kissed her without further ado.

    The flu caused the temperature of her lips to soar upward and his heart was soon filled with fire. He felt extremely restless, and the more he kissed, the less control he had over himself. Ruan Danchen was then mindlessly pushed onto the sofa.

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s inside,¡± Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and said. Her nose was severely blocked due to her flu, and his kisses made her unable to breath even more, so she had to hold in her breath. It was a struggle just to break free from his lips and she began panting heavily after that.

    ¡°Then you have to be quiet,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered and groped her.

    Ruan Danchen moaned and bit his shoulder. She could feel the heat from his palm and its endless teasing. She may be naked, but instead of feeling cold, she was beginning to heat up even more. After the insertion, she clenched her jaw and moaned. Her entire body started trembling and she did not dare to make any more noise.

    ...

    ...

    The bed was upied by Qi Youxuan, so Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen huddled over on the soda. Fortunately, it was broad enough, almost equivalent to the size of a single bed.

    Lying down t was impossible, but they could just barely lie on their sides.

    At four o¡¯clock in the morning, Qi Chenglin woke up and covered Ruan Danchen with a nket. The nket had a different warmth than his own and the slightest change was enough to wake Ruan Danchen up.

    Dazed and hazy, she had no clue what time it was. She looked out and saw that the sky was still dark, so she thought it was still in the middle of the night.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ruan Danchen asked foggily.

    ¡°Carrying Youxuan back to my room,¡± Qi Chenglin said softy. ¡°Since you¡¯re awake, you can sleep on the bed after I carry him off. Don¡¯t sleep on the sofa.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was almost fully awake by then but her phone was not beside her and the whole room was so dark. Unable to locate her phone, she asked, ¡°What¡¯s the time now?¡±

    ¡°A little over four,¡± Qi Chenglin answered softly.

    A strong feeling of guilt rushed forth from the depths of her heart. It was because of her insistence to keep a low profile that made him look like he was unfit to be seen. He had to secretly bring his son back to his room before the sun even rose up.

    When she really put some thought into it, she realized that making her rtionship public was nothing of a big deal actually. Most of Qilin¡¯s higher-level employees knew her status and were treating her good. That was practically the same thing as covertly trying to get on Qi Chenglin¡¯s good books.

    The normal employees could try but they would still get nowhere by trying to fawn on her.

    Once she finally came to terms with it, she sat upright and wrapped herself in the nket so that nothing was showing. Qi Chenglin did not look too pleased. He narrowed his eyes and hooked his finger on the tip of the nket. In a half-smiling manner, he teased, ¡°What are you covering for? I saw everything before I covered you with the nket.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Her guilt nearly disappeared after what he said.

    Nevertheless, when she touched his awake, slightly fatigued, and cold face, the guilt that began disappearing came back with a vengeance.

    She did not uncover her hands and expose herself to Qi Chenglin, but she leaned forward and pressed her forehead on his chest. After a while, she said, ¡°How about we find a time, go with the flow, and announce our rtionship? I feel bad to see you sneaking around.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes lit up even in the darkness. He felt touched and was so happy that he forgot to lower down his voice. He reached out and hugged her spontaneously.

    ¡°Mm.¡± Ruan Dnachen did not expect that a simple sentence could be enough to make him so happy. She felt like she had done injustice toward him in the past.

    However, she added, ¡°But remember, let ite naturally. Don¡¯t force it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not notice Qi Chenglin¡¯s glimmering pupils and only heard his answer of approval.

    Qi Chenglin then went into the bedroom and carried Qi Youxuan out.

    Qi Youxuan was sleeping very soundly, but he felt a burst of cold air after Qi Chenglin carried him up. He curled himself up but still felt that something was off, so he opened his eyes in a daze and looked at his father. It was then that his fears were ayed, but he continued to feel that something was not right. He asked, ¡°Dad, are you sending me back home?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not. Didn¡¯t we agree that I¡¯ll bring you back to my room to sleep?¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    Qi Youxuan mumbled, ¡°Oh¡±, and finally set his mind at ease. He closed his eyes and continued sleeping, but after a moment, he asked, ¡°Dad, you look like you¡¯re really happy. What¡¯s the good news?¡±

    Qi Chenglin carried Youxuan up and since he had his hands full, Ruan Danchen helped him open the door. As Qi Chenglin left with the boy, Ruan Danchen heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s 1 soft reply. ¡°Your Aunt Ruan promised to acknowledge me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen staggered and nearly tumbled down.

    After Qi Youxuan congratted him, the father-son duo was silent.

    Ruan Danchen closed the door silently. Qi Chenglin¡¯s words had such a profound effect on her that she could not fall asleep anymore.

    ...

    ...

    When morning came, Ruan Danchen went down to the restaurant. It had a breakfast buffet spread, and she joined Senior Du as well as Chen Siyu for lunch. She saw Jiang Yuan and Luo Yushue down but neither Qi Chenglin nor Qi Youxuan was present. She began wondering if they had already woken up.

    Luo Yushu and Jiang Yuan both grabbed some food and sat down with thedies. Without waiting for Ruan Danchen to ask, Jiang Yuan exined, ¡°The general manager is having his breakfast in the room.¡±

    Ruan Danchen finally felt relieved. The important thing was that both father and son were eating well.

    When it was time for them to visit the property, Qi Chenglin came down by himself. As he walked over, Ruan Danchen received a call from Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan sat on the sofa and swayed his short little legs. He ate the fruit tter ordered from room service earlier and said to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Aunt Ruan, I¡¯m at Dad¡¯s room. Uncle Xiao Yang is taking care of me.¡±

    ¡°Have you eaten your breakfast?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Of course! I even drank a huge ss of milk, ate lots of sd, and now I¡¯m eating fruits,¡± Qi Youxuan answered as he took a refreshing bite out of a slice of watermelon.

    ¡°If there¡¯s anything you want to eat, just tell Uncle Xiao Yang to order it for you. You didn¡¯t really sleep wellst night, did you? Don¡¯t watch so much TV and sleep if you¡¯re feeling tired,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    She finally felt relieved after getting Qi Youxuan¡¯s assurance. A few more words of adviceter, she hung up.

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu heard from Yao Jingfei that Ruan Danchen had a child and was probably a single parent. Neither of them was surprised to hear the contents of her phone call, as they both thought that she was speaking to her son.

    They examined the configuration of the entire building, making measurements of every aspect and photographing them too. Later, when theypleted their design, they could make a show house for interested prospective customers.

    Their work continued non-stop until over two in the afternoon. They missed lunchtime, so theyhad to make do with a snack shop nearby the building.

    Ruan Danchen was not at all worried about Qi Youxuan, since he would never let himself go hungry. When it came to food, he was more proactive than anyone else.

    As they had lunch, Qi Chenglin sneezed a couple of times.

    Ruan Danchen was already feeling much better, and it seemed apparent that she transferred all her germs to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°General Manager, are you sick? Danchen, do you have any flu medication?¡± Senior Du asked.

    ¡°I do. The medicine was always with her. She took them out from her bag and handed them to Qi Chenglin. ¡°Remember to eat this after half an hour.¡±

    At that moment, it slipped her mind and she spoke to Qi Chenglin in a very casual manner, just like how she usually spoke to him. It was a stark contrast to how her colleagues speak to him and it sounded as though she was even ordering him not to forget.

    After those words escaped her mouth, Senior Du and the others looked at her immediately.

 Chapter 374 - If Revenge Breeds Revenge, Will There Ever Be an End to It?

    <strong>Chapter 374: If Revenge Breeds Revenge, Will There Ever Be an End to It?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Senior Du thought to herself, ¡®Why did Ruan Danchen speak so casually with the general manager? She spoke as if she was talking to a child.

    ¡®She must¡¯ve been too used to being a mother!¡¯

    Senior Du wondered if the general manager would be unhappy because Ruan Danchen¡¯s attitude was not proper enough.

    The most shocking, jaw-dropping bit came when Qi Chenglin took the medicine without showing a hint of unhappiness at all.

    Ruan Danchen saw that everyone was giving her strange looks and finally realized that her own attitude was out of ce. She had been used to giving him orders and she was very casual, having gone through through thatyer of intimacy.

    Nevertheless, she did not exin herself further, since she had already agreed with Qi Chenglin to let everything go with the flow without the need to hide the rtionship on purpose.

    Even if the two women thought too much about it, they would probably not go so far as to think indecent thoughts.

    Luo Yushu¡¯s gaze shifted suggestively between Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. He smiled suddenly, as if he knew the reason why Qi Chenglin caught the cold.

    ...

    ...

    Back at the hotel, everyone went into their respective rooms to pack up. They would soon be heading back to the city.

    Everyone, including Ruan Danchen, brought their luggage bags down to checkout of their rooms. Even the driver who sent them there waited at the lobby for Qi Chenglin toe down.

    Then, Qi Chenglin came down with a luggage bag in one hand. His other hand held a fat, but still considerably handsome little boy. A young man kept up with the boy and helped to carry the boy¡¯s bag.

    When they were nearer, Senior Du noticed that the little boy resembled Qi Chenglin¡ªhe was practically a splitting image of the man if his face was rounder, less sharpened, and his body waspressed into a small ball.

    ¡°This is my son,¡± Qi Chenglin introduced. He missed me, so he insisted oning.¡±

    The rest of them looked at Qi Youxuan. Jiang Yuan had seen the boy once when he sent some files to Prestige Residence, but everyone else¡ªincluding Luo Yushu¡ªhad never seen the boy before.

    Senior Du could not help but feel shocked. She knew Qi Chenglin had a son, but he never once showed the boy in public before, and no outsider ever knew how he looked like.

    Back at Qilin, Yao Jingfei was the only one who ever saw the boy.

    Bringing Qi Youxuan over was rather surprising. A sense of pride came over those who were there, because they felt like they had finally seen the world.

    ¡°Hello Uncles, hello Aunties,¡± Qi Youxuan greeted politely.

    Senior Du and the others felt incredibly happy and privileged. They never met the kids of rich people and were expecting a bit of arrogance. Reality shows often depicted them as spurning other people.

    It was a surprise then, that Qi Youxuan was so well-behaved. Not a single whisker of haughtiness was present and he seemed very natural in his mannerisms.

    ¡°All of you would like go home directly, yes? Tell me your address, I¡¯ll tell the driver to send you home,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s such a long detour and it¡¯ll only dy you from going back to your home, General Manager.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no dy. Since Xiao Yang drove overst night to send Youxuan here, he can send us home immediately.¡±

    Senior Du had a sudden realization of awkwardness as she herself had misunderstood.

    Jiang Yuan surmised that no one wanted to be the first one to speak, so he went first and gave his address. As Qi Chenglin¡¯s assistant, he knew Qi Chenglin¡¯s disposition and was roughly able to understand what Qi Chenglin was thinking.

    Soon after, he gave Luo Yushu a knowing gaze, prompting Luo Yushu to state his address too.

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu subsequently gave their addresses without too much worry.

    Finally, it was Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn. Everyone looked toward her, and Qi Chenglin even waggled his brows at her.

    Left without a choice, Ruan Danchen bravely gave her address as Prestige Residences. She did not give the exact house number, nor did she explicitly say Prestige Residences, but gave instead the street name that Prestige Residences was located.

    Due to everyone¡¯s expertise in the same field, they knew also that Prestige Residences¡ªthe general manager¡¯s residence¡ªwas located in the same street as well. Although the street did not just have Prestige Residences as one of its residential areas, most of the areas there were expensive, upscale properties. At that point, everyone looked at Ruan Danchen in a different light.

    Almost immediately, they began wondering if Ruan Danchen was a low-profile darling daughter of some rich family. Otherwise, how could that bullish Yao Jingfei be kept in check?

    Manager Zou treated her very courteously too, in contrast to how Yao Jingfei¡ªa board member¡¯s daughter¡ªwas snubbed so frequently.

    Coupled with Ruan Danchen¡¯s close friendship with Song Yu, Senior Du and Chen Siyu believed that they finally figured out the entire situation.

    Only Jiang Yuan, Luo Yushu, and Xiao Yang knew what was really going on.

    Qi Chenglin nodded calmly and said in the with the utmostposure, ¡°So it turns out Miss Ruan is staying rather near with me. Perfect, then I¡¯ll send you home, since it¡¯s on the way. You cane with us.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®This man, he¡¯s really taking it slow and steady in bringing the two of us closer to each other!¡¯

    Once Qi Chenglin said that, Senior Du and Chen Siyu looked at Ruan Danchen again, but they did not know what to feel at that point.

    They were both shell-shocked as they gawked at Ruan Danchen getting into Qi Chenglin¡¯s Benz. She sat at the back seat and appeared rather at ease, without even trying to modestly decline it. Qi Youxuan then sat inside, as if he did not find it odd at all to sit beside Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Chenglin then had a sour expression as he sat at the front passenger seat.

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu thought to themselves, ¡®How could he not be so sour-faced?

    ¡®It was unreasonable for an employee to sit at the back and let the boss sit in the front passenger seat.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen did not usually seem to be the kind of person whockedmon sense.

    Even though the Benz was already a long way off, the two women were still immersed in shock.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen sat in the car, and having already decided not to hide anything, she did not bother about what the others had to say. She asked Qi Chenglin, ¡°Have you eaten your medicine?¡±

    ¡°Yes. Youxuan and Xiao Yang watched me eat them.¡± Qi Chenglin turned around and smiled at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen then noticed Xiao Yang take a peek at her through the rear-view mirror. From his eyes, it seemed that he was smiling. Ruan Danchen then realized she may have been too controlling with Qi Chenglin, and her face heated up immediately after that.

    As the car entered the city, Qi Chenglin received a call from the manor. They asked him when he was going home and said that they would wait for him to eat dinner that night.

    Qi Chenglin then remembered that there was a gathering at the manor on that day. He was so preupied with how he wanted to naturally make their rtionship public that he forgot about the gathering. He responded immediately, ¡°We¡¯re on our way. We¡¯ll be there in about an hour.¡±

    After hanging up, he told Xiao Yang to drive to the manor. That was when Ruan Danchen remembered about it. Qi Chenglin was not the only one who forgot, as it slipped her mind as well.

    She counted the days and recalled suddenly that the next day was Christmas already. She could not help but sneak a nce at Qi Chenglin, wondering if he had the habit of receiving gifts.

    All of a sudden, a voice filled her mind. ¡°It¡¯s Christmas tomorrow. You know that, right?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was thinking and thinking, and she wondered why the voice sounded so real. She then felt her arm being swayed. ¡°Aunt Ruan, Aunt Ruan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked down and realized that the voice was Qi Youxuan¡¯s, not hers.

    She looked guiltily at Qi Chenglin. Knowing that the man was a bit slow when it came to such celebrations, she originally nned to feign ignorance. They were going to stay home anyway, so if they did not go out, they would not experience the atmosphere of the celebration. She wanted the day to just pass by, since buying gifts for him was a real headache.

    However, her bid to shrug it off failed due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s question.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s Christmas tomorrow,¡± Qi Youxuan reiterated. His face was red and seemingly excited for gifts.

    Ruan Danchen patted the boy¡¯s head. She smiled and said brazenly, ¡°I remember.¡±

    ¡°I want theplete set of Avengers mini figurines. I like them a lot,¡± Qi Youxuan said embarrassedly.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    ¡°Mm, I remember. I wonder if Santa us will give you a surprise, hehehe.¡± Ruan Danchen let out a dryugh.

    Qi Youxuan blinked a couple of times. Ruan Danchen felt that Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze was as if he was looking at a retarded person.

    ¡°He didn¡¯t believe in Santa us since he was three,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked bluntly.

    Qi Chengzhi was to me for that. Three-year-old Youxuan still believed in the existence of Santa us before it was Christmas. During the Christmas week, he bbed constantly about going to the mall to take a picture with Santa us.

    At that time, Qi Chenglin was on a business trip in Germany and was not at home. Qi Chengji, on the other hand, was in the army, so the only other person that could be subjected to Qi Youxuan¡¯s harassment was Qi Chengzhi.

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi put on a serious face and slowly exined to him that there was no Santa us in existence.

    He even found a few Mandarin-dubbed foreign movies that he insisted Qi Youxuan to watch. All of those movies were about bad people disguising themselves as Santa us.

    Then, he searched up some documentaries that exined the origin of Santa us.

    Qi Youxuan was fuming at that time. He used Qi Chengzhi of corrupting his belief, and a small part of his heart still insisted that Santa us was real.

    Qi Chengzhi simply chuckled and stuffed Qi Youxuan into the Range Rover. He brought the boy to the mall and patiently waited in the long line to the Santa us photo booth.

    It took a long while for Qi Youxuan¡¯s turn toe. He instructed Qi Chengzhi to stay there and take his picture, then ran to the Santa us with full of excitement, climbing onto the Santa us¡¯p.

    All of a sudden however, Qi Chengzhi walked over and without a single word, stripped the Santa us of his hat, wig, and fake beard. A young man¡¯s face was revealed, and he was wearing Santa us¡¯ red clothes.

    ¡°See. Fake,¡± Qi Chengzhi said as he pointed at the fake Santa.

    Qi Youxuan was speechless.

    So was the youngd.

    The young man was stunned silly and he simply stared at Qi Chengzhi.

    He was merely a university student who took up the job to get some hourly pay. It was the first time he ever experienced such a situation.

    The rest of those kids who stood in line to take pictures were also simrly stunned. Their face was stered with the look of defeat.

    No one knew who started crying first, but when one child cried, it set of a chain reaction with the rest. They all came to take pictures with Santa us. What did those children do to receive such punishment, for their Santa us to turn into an ordinary young man?

    Waves after waves of children¡¯s sobs were interspersed with consoling murmurs and reproaching from afar. It was both incredibly chaotic and very noisy.

    Qi Chengzhi had a look that screamed ¡®I told you so¡¯, making Youxuan feel extremely depressed.

    Amidst the disorder, security was alerted. Fortunately, the mall belonged to Wei Ziqi, which was why there were no police reports lodged against Qi Chengzhi¡¯s public disorder.

    Qi Chengzhi was the main culprit behind all that, but he seemed so unaffected by everything, as if nothing happened at all. He simply brought Youxuan to choose his Christmas present.

    Qi Youxuan was incredibly hurt, so in order to console himself, he immediately chose the gift that he wanted most.

    Qi Chengzhi brought him to make payment and while doing so, said, ¡°See, your family¡¯s the one that buy¡¯s Christmas presents for you. It has nothing to do with Santa us. Don¡¯t always heap your praise on that old man when we¡¯re the ones who are always spending the money.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    Although Qi Youxuan got what he wanted, it forever became a scar in his heart.

    The boy was still quite angsty when he recounted the entire event. ¡°Aunt Ruan, can you judge who¡¯s right and wrong? I¡¯m a young, innocent boy, and it¡¯s so adorable that I believe in all those fairytales, but Uncle just had to tell me the cruel truth.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did in fact feel that Qi Chengzhi went overboard simply because he was too petty to let Santa get all the credit for presents that other people bought. He even spent so much of effort to make sure Youxuan knew that Santa did not exist.

    After hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s words however, she did not know what to react. She could no longer get mad at Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. When Youjin grows up, I¡¯ll give him a life lesson too,¡± Qi Chenglin calmly responded from the front seat.

    Qi Youxuan did not say anything, but his round face gave of a smugly content expression.

    That expression of his did look incredibly deserving of a beating...

    ¡°Dad, when the timees, bring me too,¡± Qi Youxuan said crisply.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Qi Chenglin answered bluntly.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    If revenge breed revenge, will there ever be an end to it?

    ...

    ...

    Xiao Yang parked the car at the manor. Ruan Danchen thought for a moment, and before getting of the car, she told Xiao Yang, ¡°Can you wait here for a moment? I¡¯lle out in a bit. I need you to bring me to buy some stuff.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s beady pupils lit up. ¡°Aunt Ruan, are you going to buy gifts for me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    The three of them entered the house, and after Ruan Danchen greeted the elders, she quickly followed Xiao Yang to get her stuff.

    Both Grandmother and Grandfather Qi were puzzled as to why she left so early, but Qi Youxuan gleefully told them that she went to buy Christmas gifts for him.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s gift was rather easily found. It was there on the sixth floor of the mall, where all children¡¯s toys were, and was even disyed rather obviously.

    Ruan Danchen bought the entire set. Xiao Yang then drove her once again, and after a while, she told him to stop at the roadside.

    She got down hurriedly from the car and turned into a small road. After a while, she came out carrying arge box and was even red-faced.

    Xiao Yang got down immediately and opened the boot for her. He took the box from Ruan Danchen and to his amazement, he found it quite light.

    ¡°Miss Ruan, what did you buy?¡± Xiao Yang asked.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin¡¯s Christmas present,¡± Ruan Danchen replied hastily.

    Xiao Yang did not ask any further and drove Ruan Danchen back to the manor.

    ...

    ...

    When they left the manor at night to head back to Prestige Residences, Qi Chenglin was the one driving. After Xiao Yang sent Ruan Danchen to the manor, Qi Chenglin let him off work.

    Qi Chenglin drove the car into the garage and switched off the engine. Once they got off, Ruan Danchen told Qi Chenglin to open the boot.

    Qi Chenglin looked at the huge book that she carried and took it from her while asking, ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen began to regret her spur-of-the-moment purchase, and could only muster ¡°Your Christmas present. You¡¯ll know tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Chenglin cocked a brow and looked eager. His handsome face was filled with delight. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you¡¯d remember mine in addition to Youxuan.¡±

    From his expression, Ruan Danchen was no longer able to stay calm. She could not resist smiling when she imagined him opening the gift. ¡°I remember.¡±

    Ruan Danchen pulled QI Chenglin¡¯s hand and went into the elevator. ¡°It¡¯s something that¡¯s very practical for you.¡±

 Chapter 375 - Is It Nice of You to Treat A Sick Person Like This?

    <strong>Chapter 375: Is It Nice of You to Treat A Sick Person Like This?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Upon hearing that, Qi Chenglin was even more curious. He rued not being able to tear it open immediately.

    Qi Youxuan was also carrying his own gift. It was thoroughly wrapped in wrapping paper and the insides could not be seen at all. Ruan Danchen did not let him open it, causing him to feel incredibly ticklish in his heart.

    After entering the house, the boy carried his gift and was about to enter his room. Ruan Danchen, however, stopped him and said, ¡°Wait a minute.¡±

    Qi Youxuan had just halted his footsteps, and before he could even speak, the present was whisked away by Ruan Danchen. She ced it under the Christmas tree in the living room and said, ¡°You can only open it after midnight tomorrow.¡±

    The boy¡¯s expression turned gloomy after hearing that, but Ruan Danchen simply smiled and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you wanted a Christmas present? Since you ced so much importance on Christmas, you should open your gift ording to Christmas tradition.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡¯

    He felt that his father was a bad influence on Aunt Ruan.

    ¡°You won¡¯t secretlye out in the middle of the night to tear open your gift, right? If you do that, I won¡¯t buy gifts for your next year,¡± Ruan Danchen remarked.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan sighed and drooped his shoulders. ¡°I know. I won¡¯t open it.¡±

    He originally had that exact intention in mind, but it seemed that Ruan Danchen took advance precautions against him.

    Qi Youxuan sighed helplessly. Aunt Ruan seemed to understand him even more at that time!

    ...

    ...

    Later that night, Ruan Danchen took a bath and noticed that she was feeling unwell. She could not exert too much energy and her entire body felt lethargic to the bone.

    She finally dragged her body onto the bed. Qi Chenglin had hisptop on hisp and was dealing with work, but when he turned, he saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s face looking exceptionally red.

    He closed hisptop and turned to her. ¡°Are you sick?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but my head hurts all of a sudden. I feel a bit cold too. Maybe it¡¯s because I just finished my bath.¡±

    Qi Chenglin frowned and reached out to touch her forehead. ¡°It¡¯s so hot. Do you have a fever?¡±

    He postted that the cause was her rushing here and there. She must have been tired, and her illness probably worsened because her body was unustomed to the temperature in the northern district, which was much lower than in the city.

    ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll measure your temperature,¡± Qi Chenglin said and hurried down to get an ear thermometer and some medicine to reduce her fever.

    He measured her temperature and found it to be 37.3 degrees. It was not a high fever, fortunately, so he gave her some medicine and added anotheryer of nket so she could sweat more.

    Ruan Danchen pulled the nket to her chin and the remaining parts of her exposed body were incredibly red. Qi Chenglin could no longer focus on his work. He turned to hug her, but to his surprise, she carried her two nkets and got off the bed.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Qi Chenglin pressed her back down and covered her firmly with the nket. ¡°You¡¯re cold right? You keep switching between hot and cold. Do you want the fever to get worse?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m worried I¡¯ll infect you. I¡¯m going to sleep in the guest room for one night,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was muffled from the fever, and Qi Chenglin locked her on the bed to the point where she could no longer move.

    ¡°Stop making a fuss. If it really infected me, it would¡¯ve happened long ago. Other than the few sneezes this afternoon, I¡¯m all okay after eating the medicine. I don¡¯t have any flu,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He made sure to wrap her even tighter in the nket before switching off the lights and hugging her tightly.

    Ruan Danchen stayed put obediently and leaned into his embrace. She heard his rich voice resounding from the top of her head. ¡°If you have a fever, it¡¯ll get better if you sweat it out. Grandma and Great-Grandma used the same method when Youxuan had fevers.¡±

    She could not resist smiling. Although the fever made her feel cold, her heart was filled with warmth.

    The twoyers of nkets, coupled with the warm air inside the house, caused Ruan Danchen to begin sweating soon after she slept. Her enjoyable slumber meant that she had no sense of control over her actions, and she moved to push away the sheets.

    Qi Chenglin was constantly hugging her and did not sleep too deeply for fear that she would feel even more unwell in the night. The slightest of her movements woke him up, and once he saw that Ruan Danchen was about to push open the nket, he immediately wrapped her tighter.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s reddened face could be seen clearly, even in the dark of night. Though she was soundly asleep, her face disyed her irritation from all that heat that she felt.

    With no idea if she was even able to hear his words, he coaxed her gently, ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t kick the nket. Just hang on for a bit more, otherwise, it¡¯ll get worse. Listen to me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen slowly became obedient after his cajoling. She buried deeper in his embrace, soaking him with her sweat. Qi Chenglin did not find it disgusting, however ¡ª he simply smiled and showed the utmost tolerance.

    He hugged her and dared not make a single move because he was worried that the wind would enter into the covers and make her feel cold. Holding her in that manner allowed him to prevent her from moving around.

    Throughout the night, Qi Chenglin woke up a couple of times just to check on Ruan Danchen¡¯s situation.

    When morning came, he was barely able to pull through, and when he was about to fall asleep, he felt Ruan Danchen move again.

    Opening his eyes at once, he saw that Ruan Danchen was awake too. She had her eyes open and was wiggling rather insufferably.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at her somewhat shy demeanor and asked.

    ¡°My whole body is sweating. I¡¯m dirty. Don¡¯t hug me like that, you¡¯ll get yourself icky too,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    She felt icky all over, and her hair was irremovably sticking to her forehead and neck. Q Chenglin was supposed to wake up fresh, but her sweat made his body feel sticky too.

    Ruan Danchen foremost worry was that she had spread the infection to him, yet he gave her a kiss on the forehead without even wiping off her sweat.

    He pressed his soft lips on her forehead and remained there for a while before saying, ¡°I think your temperature has gone down a bit. Wait here.¡±

    Once he said that, he turned the other way carefully and grabbed the ear thermometer that he ced near the headboard. He took her temperature. The reading was 36.8 degrees, and the ever had reduced. Qi Chenglin finally breathed a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Are you still going to sleep?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m not feeling good, I don¡¯t think I can sleep.¡±

    The fever may have reduced, but she was still feeling cold. The symptoms of flu were returning, causing her to suffer from a blocked nose and a sore throat.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Aunt Zheng to cook some porridge for you,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He did not tidy himself up, if any at all, and simply wore some clothes before going down.

    After a while, he came back and saw the sight of Ruan Danchen covering herself with plenty of thick clothes. She was wrapped firmly in them, and was even sniffling with a blocked nose.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chenglin asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯m cold,¡± Ruan Danchen replied. She coughed terribly and felt that it was much morefortable to be down with a fever.

    Although she felt dizzy when she had a fever, her throat was not painful, and neither was her nose.

    Qi Chenglin touched her forehead again. It was not hot. ¡°Let¡¯s go visit the doctor.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a fever anymore. A bit of medicine should be fine. We shouldn¡¯t be going to the hospital during a festive time. 1¡±

    Fortunately, Christmas was not a celebration that China usually celebrates. Aunt Zheng was not in a habit of celebrating such Western festivals, and so did not apply for leave. If she did, Qi Chenglin would be left flustered because he probably would not be able to cook his porridge.

    After the fever subsided, however, Ruan Danchen¡¯s flu got worse. She coughed repeatedly, even to the point of vomiting out her breakfast of porridge.

    Without further ado, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen to the hospital immediately. She was given a shot to reduce inmmation, and a particrly effective oral medication with the same properties was dispensed as well. She took two pills after getting home, and her throat condition improved immensely.

    At noon, Qi Chenglin gave Aunt Zheng the day off for some reason.

    Qi Youxuan stared at the Christmas tree in the living room, or more urately, the present underneath it. He would constantly keep watch on the clock, counting down the minutes and hoping that midnight came soon.

    Seeing Aunt Zheng pack her bags and leave, Qi Youxuan could not help but ask, ¡°Dad, what about our Christmas feast now that Aunt Zheng went home? Have you ordered from a restaurant already?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was just about to enter the kitchen and take some more porridge for Ruan Danchen. He wanted her to eat a bit, since she was no longer coughing already and her breakfast earlier had been vomited out.

    Before he entered the kitchen, he looked at the boy and said, ¡°No.¡±

    Qi Youxuan got anxious when he heard that. Lack of a feast was a more pressing matter than waiting to open his gift. He rushed into the kitchen and asked, ¡°Then what are we eating tonight?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll cook.¡± Qi Chenglin took the bowl of porridge and said curtly, ¡°You won¡¯t go hungry.¡±

    Qi Chenglin remembered how much admiration Ruan Danchen had when she heard that Qi Chengzhi cooked for Song Yu. He had already decided to give Ruan Danchen a surprise on Christmas, and at the same time, train his skills.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was silent. All of a sudden, he ran out of the kitchen and held his toy-like phone. He dialed Aunt Zheng¡¯s number and asked, ¡°Nanny Zheng, where did you put the gastric medicine?¡±

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    With one hand holding the bowl, he whisked away Qi Youxuan¡¯s handphone with his other hand and hung the call up. ¡°What kind of reaction is this?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted and tiptoed to try and get the phone back. Sadly enough, he could not reach it notter now long he stretched his arm, and gave up thus.

    He looked up at Qi Chenglin. ¡°Tell me dad. Have you cooked before?¡±

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan is sick, and you insist on cooking for her. Even if it tastes bad, she will still eat it. Is it nice of you to treat a sick person like this?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Completely at loss for words, Qi Chenglin simply stared at his son.

    It was a rare that he would have his heart set on making an impression. Did his son really have to douse his excitement just like that?

    ¡°I haven¡¯t even cooked it yet. How do you know it¡¯s going to taste terrible? If it¡¯s really that bad, I¡¯ll order something for you,¡± Qi Chenglin responded coldly. ¡°Don¡¯t stand in my way. Your Aunt Ruan is waiting for her porridge.¡±

    Qi Youxuan finally let the man pass, but the boy followed closely behind¡ªas though he was Qi Chenglin¡¯s tail¡ªand they went up together.

    Heid eyes on Ruan Danchen¡¯s fleece-wrapped body and tissue-stuffed nose, not a very pretty sight indeed.

    She did not expect Qi Chenglin toe up so suddenly. She felt shy because heid eyes on her in all her ugly glory.

    Qi Chenglin nearlyughed. He saw her reaching for the tissue and taking it out, to which he said, ¡°Just keep them in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was still shy, so she did not stuff them in anymore. Qi Chenglin held the bowl of porridge and sat beside the bed. ¡°You vomited your breakfast. You should eat a bit now.¡±

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, are you still sick?¡± Qi Youxuan climbed up the bed and leaned over.

    ¡°Youxuan, stay away. You just got better. Don¡¯t get infected again by me,¡± Ruan Danchen said hurriedly.

    ¡°I got the flu just a while ago, it¡¯ll be fine.¡± He not only decided to stay further away, he even sat down crossed-legged just beside Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen took the porridge and ate it unknowingly as she spoke with the father-son duo.

    She felt a bout of tingling in her nose, but it was not due to her flu. She sniffled to hide the tingling she felt.

    In the past, she was always alone in that small little apartment. No matter how seriously she fell ill, no one ever cared about her. She was always left to fend for herself, but she did not think much of it. It was as if taking care of herself was the normal thing to do.

    However, Qi Chenglin¡¯s meticulous care and Qi Youxuan¡¯s concern was a warmth that felt incredibly pleasing to her. If she reverted back to being all alone again, she might not have the strength to carry on taking care of herself like she used to back then¡ªshe might even bury her head and cry despondently.

    Qi Chenglin took the empty bowl and turned to hand it over to Qi Youxuan. ¡°Bring the bowl down.¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked. If it were any other asion, he would definitely refuse to carry out the order, even though he would still do it obediently in the end. Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s sufferable state made him feel that it was good to do something for Ruan Danchen, no matter how small that thing was. Therefore, he took the bowl and went down without saying anything further.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s ck pupils gazed on Ruan Danchen warmly and the corner of his lips curled up in a gentl smile. His slender that well-defined fingers touched the top of her head, and she kneaded it softly as his fingertips prated her hair. Hebed her hair gently from the root to the tip, and his husky voice rang out, ¡°Don¡¯t think so much. You¡¯ll always have us.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gazed at him in surprise. She did not say anything at all, but for some reason he already knew what she was thinking.

    Being constantly pampered by her made her act coquettishly toward him without her even knowing it. Ruan Danchen looked at him lovingly without saying anything andy her head firmly on his chest, knocking on it soundly. Qi Chenglin coughed because of it.

    Feeling pleased, he looked down at the ck head on her hair and smiled. His strong palm was touching her head softly, massaging her hindbrain tenderly and rubbing her hair gently.

    He lowered his head and his lips searched for the corner of her eye to give it a tender kiss.

    Ruan Danchen looked like a timid little puppy in his embrace. She even resembled a little pup with her wet nose. The flu made caused tears to form in her eyes time and again, making her eyes moist and pitiful-looking.

    ¡°Infection.¡± Though she may have said that, she was still rubbing against him in his embrace.

    ¡°It¡¯s good then if it infects me. You¡¯ll suffer less,¡± Qi Chenglin smiled and said.

    Ruan Danchen leaned on his chest and was positioned quite near to his cor. She need only roll her eyes downward to see the exposed corbone outside his shirt¡ªit was very fair and sturdy, like a jade carving.

    Just beside his corbone was his throat. Ruan Danchen was fascinated with men¡¯s throats, and his was particrly prominent and very masculine.

    Just above his throaty a small, domed protrusion. It was like a walnut got stuck, and she was absolutely intrigued by it.

    When he chuckled softly, she could feel the vibration in his throat.

    Ruan Danchen looked up slightly and stared at his beautiful corbone. She had the exact same corbone too, but it looked so much more seducing on him.

    ¡°But I can¡¯t bear to see that,¡± Ruan Danchen whispered. She blushed harder than the red on her face when she had a fever, and after saying that she quickly tucked her throat beneath herself.

    Qi Chenglin looked down and searched for her lips. He gave them a kiss and did not even seem to mind her illness, with his lips roaming around inside her mouth. Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth felt dry and hot because of her flu, but at that time, his originally-warm tongue was quite cold. It was wet, cooling, and extremely refreshing.

    Unbeknownst to her, she was pressed down by him. He kissed her so forcefully that his nket was soon going to be buried under her.

    Afraid that Ruan Danchen would be suffocated due to her stuffed nose, he released her, only to see her nose and cheek turn extremely red. Qi Chenglin could not help but give her quick pecks across her red face before pulling her up. He gave her some warm water and told her to eat her medicine.

    Due to the medicine¡¯s side-effects, Ruan Danchen felt sleepy and entered into slumber very soon. When she woke up and looked at the time, it was already past four.

 Chapter 376 - Promise Me Not To Burn This Bridge

    <strong>Chapter 376: Promise Me Not To Burn This Bridge</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Due to the effects of the medicine, it never took long for Ruan Danchen to feel tired and so she fell asleep. Upon waking up, she looked at the time, it was already past 4PM.

    She felt amazingly better after her nap. Her body felt lighter and her face was flushed with life. Her nose was not too stuffy after waking up, she was, however, a little parched. She reached out to the edge of her bed. Qi Chenglin had apparently ced a ss of water by her bed while she was asleep. She immediately chugged the entire ss down to quench her thirst.

    She waspletely covered in sweat, so she proceeded to the washroom, soak a towel with some warm water to wipe away the sweat from her face and neck. After freshening herself up, she proceeded downstairs.

    However, she noticed it was quiet downstairs, almost seemed like the entire house was empty.

    ¡°Chenglin? Youxuan?¡± Ruan Danchen called out. However, there was no response.

    She felt odd, as she got ready to give Chenglin a call, she could hear the front door beep. It was the sound of the fingerprint lock being unlocked, however, before anyone opened the door, she could hear Youxuan¡¯s voiceing from behind that door, ¡°Daddy, it¡¯s your first time cooking anything, are you sure you want to make something so challenging? I saw some delicious roast turkey back at the grocer?¡±

    ¡°Are you done?¡± Qi Chenglin said to his son as he was being bombarded by his son¡¯s unrelenting brutally honest, discouragingments the entire journey back. He turned to re at his son before entering the house.

    Ruan Danchen noticed Qi Chenglin was carrying huge loads of ingredients from the local grocer, she rushed to help him carry some bag, however, Qi Chenglin refused to let her help, as he simply ced the bags on the ground to put on his slippers beforeing in.

    Qi Youxuan held nothing on his hands, he only wanted to apany his dad to the grocer.

    As Ruan Danchen took a nap. Qi Chenglin wanted to buy some ingredients from the local grocer for tonight¡¯s dinner. There were some ingredients left in the fridge, however, after he looked up the recipe, he realized it was not enough. Plus, he wanted to buy a turkey to roast for dinner.

    Upon hearing this, Qi Youxuan was excited and wanted to tag along. Since this was his dad and not Ruan Danchen, he was not allowed to buy any snacks.

    Feeling annoyed and frustrated, Qi Youxuan never held back despite being his dad by relentlessly destroying his dad¡¯s enthusiasm.

    It was a rare opportunity to discover something his dad was not good at, Qi Youxuan seized this opportunity to retaliate against his dad, since he would not have known when another simr asion like this would arise.

    ¡°You went to the local grocer?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she carried the bags from the ground to the kitchen. Qi Chenglin could not stop her from helping, thus he went ahead to carry the rest to the kitchen.

    ¡°Yep, I would be making dinner tonight.¡± Qi Chenglin whispered softly from her back.

    Ruan Danchen waspletely surprised after hearing his bold statement, she had almost dropped the bags on the floor. She swiftly ced everything on the kitchen counter, turned around and gave Qi Chenglin a huge surprised stare. She said, ¡°You? Make Dinner?¡±

    Qi Chenglin said nothing as he stoically turned around to grab the cookbook from one of the bags on the countertop.

    ¡°...¡±Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless.

    ¡°But you never cooked before?¡± Ruan Danchen said as she observed Qi Chenglin¡¯s slender fingers turning the pages in the cookbook. Her heart was beating like a drum as she waspletely surprised.

    ¡°Nope, that¡¯s why I bought this cookbook.¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a stoic, confident look. His reply was like the usual deep, confident tone he always had.

    ¡°Why did you thought about cooking on your on?¡± Ruan Danchen was confused. She cautiously asked, ¡°What happened to Aunt Zheng?¡±

    ¡°I gave her a break.¡± Qi Chenglin replied as he waspletely focused on the page about roast turkey in the cookbook. He looked up to give Ruan Danchen a nce and said, ¡°Weren¡¯t you jealous that my brother would cook for Song Yu?¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯re cooking for me?¡± Ruan Danchen replied with a huge smile, her eyes werepletely hidden from her beaming smile. She calmly observed her cool looking man standing so stoically, so confidently, however, there was a slight hint of embarrassment in front of her. She could not resist but to get closer and cuddled up with his arm.

    Qi Chenglin did not reply to her question directly, only given her a quick nce. He stood tall and almost unnaturally stiff as he simply replied to her, ¡°Just to calm your envious feelings.¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t envious, the truth is, you can¡¯t cook. Having your heart alone would make anyone envious and jealous of my life already. If I was still envious, then I would¡¯ve been unappreciative already.¡± Ruan Danchen said with a smile, as she waspletely infatuated by this man¡¯s willingness to cook for her despite his inexperience.

    This act alone was much better than those who were naturally talented in cooking. She was touched by what Qi Chenglin was willing to do for her.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that you wouldn¡¯t eat anything I cooked?¡± Qi Chenglin yfully teased.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± Ruan Danchen replied as she stared at him, ¡°Now I¡¯m very intrigued. I¡¯ll definitely need to try a bite.¡± Ruan Danchen said with a smile.

    Qi Chenglin smirked.

    Ruan Danchen stood on her toes as she could only reach Qi Chenglin¡¯s chin, and so, she gave him a soft kiss on his prickly, fuzzy chin. She said, ¡± Would you like my help?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was a little worried as she took a quick nce at the cookbook¡¯s recipe. This is his first time cooking anything in his life, and he would attempt something so challenging for his first time. That was quite outrageous.

    He had grown and progressed so much since day one!

    ¡°You¡¯re sick, don¡¯t even think about helping out, go outside and take a break, you can watch some TV or go online. Just wait for dinner alright.¡± Qi Chenglin said while hugging her shoulder with one arm as he pushed her outside and proceeded to sit her down on a couch. Only after that, he returned to the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to say that she was worried that he might be overwhelmed, since this was his first time cooking after all. She was uncertain when dinner would actually be served.

    Seeing that Qi Chenglin had made his way back to the kitchen, Ruan Danchen was unsure if she should ask Qi Youxuan if he had a hidden stash of snacks somewhere in this house.

    However in the end, she decided to return to the kitchen to watch Qi Chenglin being overwhelmed by everything as she sat by the counter.

    Qi Chenglin knew exactly how bad his cooking skills was, so he had bought pre-sliced vegetables and other pre-made ingredients from the local grocer. Everything was wrapped tightly with saran wrap. All he needs to do, was only to wash the ingredients as he would not even need to slice anything.

    However, the only thing that overwhelmed him the most was the turkey. The turkey he had bought was already cleaned up and stuffed, but Qi Chenglin was frustrated as he frowned while holding onto the turkey¡¯s butt. It waspletely filled with stuffing, this made his hands to feel greasy and sticky.

    He was already wearing gloves, however the stuffing got onto his untrained hands, making it extremely messy and ufortable.

    He suddenly heard a sounding from behind him. He turned around to see Ruan Danchen sitting by the counter, with her head propped up by both her arms on the countertop. She was fascinated as she just sat there silently observing him minding his own business

    Upon seeing her, Qi Chenglin blushed in embarrassment, while keeping his messy hands away as he stoodpletely still and unnaturally stiff, he said, ¡°What are you doing here for?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m just here to observe! I was told that when a man cooks anything, they would look hot, so I had to see for myself.¡± Ruan Danchen said while her head was cupped in her hands. She was smiling as she observed Qi Chenglin¡¯s distraught state.

    Qi Chenglin pouted and said, ¡°A man looks hot when he¡¯s focussed on his work, doing the dishes and even cooking. A man looks hot doing women¡¯s chores.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen said nothing as she red at Qi Chenglin. She replied, ¡°Focussing on work has nothing to do with women¡¯s chores!¡±

    Qi Chenglin continued stuffing the turkey, he simply thought to himself, if she wanted to observe so much, so be it then. He smirked and said, ¡°A man¡¯s hard work is only to make his wife¡¯s life better.¡±

    What he said was exactly as she meant just now.

    However, Ruan Danchen was not his wife yet!

    Ruan Danchen blushed, she could no longer observe. She felt as if any longer would scald her butt from sitting on the chair.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be looking for Youxuan now.¡± She was blushing so hard that even her neck was blushed. She stood up while keeping her head down as she proceeded to leave the kitchen.

    Qi Chenglin smiled as he resumed viting the turkey. However, after only a couple seconds, Ruan Danchen peeked in from the corner and asked, ¡°You really don¡¯t need my help?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin felt as if Ruan Danchen took joy in watching him suffer. How despicable he thought to himself. However,he was finally at ease since Ruan Danchen looked much better than earlier today. He replied while raising his eyebrows, ¡°Nope, I¡¯m serious.¡±

    Ruan Danchen finally left after he assured herpletely.

    This Christmas feast Qi Chenglin promised was not an easy one to wait. They had patiently waited from 4pm until 7pm and it was not even close to being done. Not a single hint of a scent had left the kitchen. Ruan Danchen waspletely famished at this point. She wanted to go into the kitchen to help him out, but was afraid of stressing him out.

    Qi Youxuan was also afraid of walking in the kitchen. He was afraid of stressing his dad out to the point of unleashing his dad¡¯s fury on him.

    Ruan Danchen was starving. She felt a soft pat from her back.

    She turned around to find no one behind her, she could only hear a soft and faint whisper from nowhere, ¡°Aunty, I¡¯m here.Right here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen knelt on the couch to look behind the couch, only to see that Qi Youxuan hiding behind the couch whisper to her. She asked curiously.¡±What are you doing Youxuan?¡±

    ¡°Aunty Ruan, are you hungry?¡± that little kid asked cautiously while staring at her huge, ck beady eyes.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen remained silent as she would not want to crush Qi Chenglin¡¯s warrior spirit. However, the truth was, she was indeed starving. She rubbed her belly and silently nodded, admitting her hunger.

    Qi Youxuan childishly looked left and right with full caution, he hade to a huge decision. He cautiously asked again, ¡°Do you want to eat something? Who knows how much longer my dad would take to get dinner ready?¡±

    ¡°I do.¡±Ruan Danchen answered as she actually wanted to eat something.

    ¡°I had hidden a couple packs of chips and some cookies in my room. Oh and few packs of seaweed, you...¡± Before Qi Youxuan could finish, Ruan Danchen jumped off the couch, came around and grabbed his hand.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything yet, I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Ruan Danchen said hastily with a soft whisper. She took Qi Youxuan by the hand and brought him upstairs.

    In Qi Youxuan¡¯s room, Ruan Danchen Qi Youxuan took out a couple stacks of clothing from his closet. Hidden at the corner of his closet was a box slightly bigger than a shoebox. He then proceeded to take that box out his closet.

    Upon opening the box, it was filled to the brim with all sorts of snacks.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless.

    So this was the reason why his diet n failed and his arduous journey to lose weight was so difficult.

    Qi Youxuan took out a pack of chips from the box and as he handed over to Ruan Danchen, he changed his mind and pulled back, hugging that pack of chips tightly. He said, ¡°Aunty Ruan, you can¡¯t tell my daddy okay, I¡¯m only doing this because I can¡¯t stand watching you starve so you have to promise me to not burn this bridge okay? Keep this between us alright?¡±

    The term burning one¡¯s bridge was picked up by Qi Youxuan when he was at the temple the other day. It was amazing for a child to apply what he had learned in his day to day life.

    ¡°I promise to not say a word.¡±Ruan Danchen assured him, as Qi Youxuan handed her the bag of chips.

    He then took out another bag of chips and before he could open it, Ruan Danchen stopped him and said, ¡°Let¡¯s just share a pack together, or else, we¡¯ll be full and won¡¯t be able to eat whatever your father so painfully made for us.¡±

    After hearing this, Qi Youxuan pouted and frowned. He had originally intended to be full before he was forced to consume his dad¡¯s concoction of hell. Since Ruan Danchen had spoken, he could only sigh in despair as he ced that bag of chips back into the box unwillingly. He thought to himself, he was just being way too thoughtful and loyal, he could not bear to watch his Aunty Ruan starve, instead, he too was forced to starve as well.

    And so, the both of them sat on his little rug and proceeded to merrily devour that pack of chips in no time as they chatted while they ate.

    Ruan Danchen dusted her hands, crumpled the wrapper into a small ball and threw it in the trash. Only after that, Ruan Danchen out the room with Qi Youxuan.

    As they went down to the living room, Ruan Danchen hastily wiped her mouth to erase any evidence of their sinful snacking. She was worried that Qi Chenglin would be hurt if he knew they were snacking away.

    However, after only a moment in the living room, they heard the doorbell rang.

    Ruan Danchen grunted and said, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    She proceeded to walk toward the door only to be surprised as she looked at a man dressed in the Dynasty restaurant chain¡¯s uniform holding a cooler box.

    Ruan Danchen opened the door while she asked Qi Chenglin loudly, ¡°Did you order takeout?¡±

    She never heard a reply from Qi Chenglin. She proceeded to open the door allowing the man toe in. After greeting Ruan Danchen, the man entered the house politely as he made his way to the kitchen. He opened the cooler box and neatly ced the takeout on the table.

    At this moment, Qi Chenglin walked out lookingpletely devastated.

    After the man had left, Ruan Danchen hesitantly looked at Qi Chenglin. He let out an awkward cough and said, ¡°Let¡¯s... just have these for dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan too was speechless.

    Qi Youxuan felt extremely unfair and offended, as his dad had kept both of them starving for so long, and he nned to feed them only with takeout!

    Don¡¯t think for a second that takeout from Dynasty would make it up for it. Takeout was still takeout!

    Ruan Danchen felt awful since Qi Chenglin had worked so hard to make this feast happen. She felt the need to at least try a bite no matter the taste.

    Failing to cook up a feast, the obvious thing to do would be to throw the food away. All of the failed experimental concoction would be for nothing.

    Ruan Danchen went around the dinner table and proceeded to hug Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Where¡¯s the food you made?¡±

    Qi Chenglin had worked really on the meal for literally a couple of hours.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was not too willing to admit defeat. He was blushing a little due to the embarrassment he felt. It was quite ironic that Qi Youxuan was right about his horrible cooking skills. He blushingly replied, ¡°It¡¯s inedible.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had never seen Qi Chenglin looked so devastated before. Her heart ached for his current emotional state. Even though, she was not as strong willed as him, however, she could not bear seeing him so devastated and distraught right now.

    ¡°How could bepletely inedible? Just let me take a look.¡± Ruan Danchen hugged Qi Chenglin by the shoulder while leading him to the kitchen, ¡°I was really excited when you said, you would be cooking up a feast today. I don¡¯t care how bad it looked. I just want to taste a bite. Since it was made by your own two hands.¡± Ruan Danchen added.

    Qi Youxuan was shocked as he covered his face with his hands. He thought to himself if he too would be forced to eat that concoction of hell. Qi Youxuan remained in the living room.

    As both of them entered the kitchen, Qi Youxuan swiftly took a few bites from the takeout.

    The moment Ruan Danchen walked into the kitchen, she was shocked at what she saw. The entire kitchen looked like a crime scene. The once clean kitchen was now inplete chaos. Everything was aplete mess. The originally spacious kitchen looked cramped and narrow from all the chaos.

    The pre-processed and sliced ingredients that Qi Chenglin had bought earlier, was now a charred mess. It waspletely unrecognizable from that burned mess that was once a perfectly fine ingredient.

    The truth was, Qi Chenglin poured his heart and soul into trying to cook up whatever he was making. He never expected topletely burn the dish that he was trying to make. Refused to be discouraged, he told himself that it was simply a practice dish, since he had bought extra ingredients anyway.

    However, who would have guessed that every dish he attempted to make, was ruined by his touch. Hence the current state of the kitchen.

    SInce the entire kitchen waspletely masked by the strong charred, smokey scent, Ruan Danchen had a difficult time telling exactly what she was tasting.

    She walked around the kitchen and she noticed that the oven light was on. Thus, she opened up the oven door revealing apletely burned, dark lump that was once a perfectly fine turkey. She guessed that Qi Chenglin hid it in the oven in order to get rid of the evidence when he got the opportunity to do so.

    Ruan Danchen put on some mittens to retrieve the turkey from the oven.

    Upon closer inspection, the turkey was not that bad. There were some parts that were not fully burned.

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to grab a knife to slice into the turkey. She realized the stuffing and turkey was cooked perfectly fine. On top of that, it smelled really good as well. The only parts that were charred and burned was the outer skin of the Turkey, the meat was a little dry, but Ruan Danchen was not bothered by it.

    The only dishes that gone to waste was theplete ruined ones. Thus, Ruan Danchen took the turkey out and ced it in the middle of the table. Qi Chenglin followed behind while blushing slightly as he awkwardly walked out the kitchen.

    Ruan Danchen sat Qi Chenglin down on his seat and said, ¡°Isn¡¯t the turkey fine? Cooking requires practice, you¡¯ll need to keep practicing in future alright!¡±

    Ruan Danchen gently patted Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulders as she observes his very elegant, cool demeanor, as his physical presentation waspletely unfit to be anywhere near the kitchen. Ruan Danchen¡¯s quick thinking and herment was seemingly encouraging him to keep cooking for her.

    She felt sorry for Qi Chenglin as his tedious battle scene in the kitchen was reying in her head.

    However, it was toote to go back on her own words now. She was afraid that Qi Chenglin would assume that Ruan Danchen was criticizing his horrible cooking and would not want to carry eating. She did not know what to say in this very moment and thus the only thing she did was to pat his shoulder all while giving him an encouraging look. This brighten up Qi Chenglin a little as he was seemingly smiling as his mood grew better.

    Ruan Danchen ced some stuffing from the turkey on Qi Youxuan¡¯s te and carved away the burned spots from the turkey and ced the edible parts on his te.

    ¡°Your father made this,e on and give it a taste.¡± Ruan Danchen said to Youxuan as she carved out a piece for herself. After taking a bite from the turkey, Ruan Danchen closed her eyes to enjoy and savor the taste of that turkey. Seemingly signaling to everyone that turkey was delicious. As she chewed on the turkey meat, she said ¡°Mmm¡± and she added, ¡°This is extremely delicious.¡±

    After that, her eyes lit up and looked at Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan hesitated and took a bite, he looked as if he was about to cry.

    It was not delicious at all. The meat was dry and there was not a single drop of gravy in the meat, on top of that, it tasted extremely nd. Qi Youxuan thought to himself.

    He never expected Aunty Ruan was one to forget about loyalty when she was infatuated by love!

    Qi Chenglin knew exactly where his skills stood in terms of cooking. He was not fully bought by Ruan Danchen¡¯s acting and thus he too tried a piece. It was not horrible, but certainly not good.

    However seeing how Ruan Danchen was enjoying herself and had not even touched the Dynasty take out, Qi Chenglin was worried that she was only doing that to not hurt his feelings. He stopped her hands and said, ¡°Stop eating it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s seriously amazing.¡± Ruan Danchen replied as she ate the turkey with the stuffing.

    ¡°You¡¯re sick, you¡¯ll need to eat better food.¡± Qi Chenglin said, ¡°I know my cooking is horrible, you don¡¯t have to care about my feelings.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like it was poisoned or it could kill me anyway.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she took a bite.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    Thisment was a hard pill to swallow indeed!

    ¡°Since this is way better than Dynasty take out anyway.¡± Ruan Danchen said. As her te was empty, she helped herself to another serving of turkey with some stuffing. She served Qi Youxuan another serving as well as the poor boy was traumatized.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled a little as he toopletely ignored the takeout from Dynasty and proceeded to serve himself a te of his own turkey as well.

    He looked at the food on his te and turned to face Ruan Danchen with the warmest and mostpassionate gaze he had and said, ¡°Well, it looks like I¡¯ll need to work harder and cook for you more often. I will make sure my cooking will progressively get better.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless from his father¡¯sment.

    He thought to himself just how these two grown adults could just ignore his presence?

    At the end, the three of them managed to clear half of the whole turkey. Qi Youxuan ate the least. Seeing a huge piece of meat on his te in front of him, he only took a couple nibbles of meat off his own te.

    _________

    Extra Mini Scene

    The Aftermath of the Christmas Feast

    The following was the personal opinion of the couple of them

    Qi Chenglin :[Since I have the full encouragement of my family, I will have to keep practicing my cooking skills, I will make sure my cooking will ultimately get better, since I felt like I have some sort of hidden natural talents in the field of culinary arts.]

    Ruan Danchen: [As long as it was made by Qi Chenglin, it doesn¡¯t matter how awful the taste was, I will love it. Of course it would be an asional thing, I can¡¯t eat this everyday.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: [Next time I see daddy in the kitchen, I am so going to grandma¡¯s house!]

    Grampa: ¡°Would you like to know what your dad would make next time and when he would be making it¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Yes yes yes yes yes.¡±

    Grampa: ¡°Just sell your cuteness, help me gather some more monthly tickets then I¡¯ll tell you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡± I am already naturally cute, why would I still need to sell it?¡±

    Grampa: ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 377 - You Could Somehow Spin Skewed Reasonings Into Something Convincing

    <h4>Chapter 377: You Could Somehow Spin Skewed Reasonings Into Something Convincing</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    In the end, the three of them managed to clear half of the whole turkey, with Qi Youxuan eating the least. Seeing a huge piece of meat on his te in front of him, he only took a few nibbles of the meat on his te.

    As for the takeout from Dynasty, seeing just how beautiful Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes were as they glimmered and how happy she was while enjoying her meal, Qi Chenglin dared not to even touch the takeout.

    Qi Youxuan could not help but feel that Aunt Ruan and his father truly belonged to each other!

    After the meal, Ruan Danchen proceeded to do the dishes since Qi Chenglin had been hard at work preparing the feast for them earlier that day. Moreover, he had been taking care of her the entire night thus not being able to catch a break.

    Qi Chenglin initially did not allow Ruan Danchen to do any chores since she was still ill.

    However, Ruan Danchen told him, ¡°I¡¯m only having a regr cold, it¡¯s nothing too serious. Am I not able to even aplish a simple task?¡±

    Without allowing Qi Chenglin a chance to speak, Ruan Danchen pushed him out of the kitchen and shut the door in front of him. Qi Chenglin had no choice but to return to the living room.

    Qi Youxuan still felt hungry as he ate so little for dinner thus there he was; sitting merrily on the couch, munching messily on a watermelon. His entire mouth was coated with watermelon juice and his cheeks were stained red due to his messy style of eating.

    Qi Youxuan happily munched and nibbled on his watermelon as he had no ns of going to bed anytime soon; the time at that very moment was close to nine. Ruan Danchen had just finished doing the dishes and as she stepped out of the kitchen, she could hear Qi Chenglin desperately attempting to coax his son to sleep.

    Qi Youxuan was persistent as he waspletely focused on the gifts under the Christmas tree. Qi Chenglin pouted and told his son, ¡°You¡¯ll get to open it first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t be able to sleep if I don¡¯t open it,¡± Qi Youxuan argued as he stared at the gifts like a hawk. No amount of coaxing would make him budge.

    ¡°Young man, if you don¡¯t go to bed right now, I¡¯ll be taking your gifts away and you won¡¯t be able to open any gifts tomorrow morning.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a wink as he got up and approached the gifts under the tree, pretending to take the gifts away.

    ¡°Hey, hold on just a second, Dad,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he sprinted over to his dad, hugging his legs with both his arms and legs; he was like a sloth hugging a tree branch. Qi Youxuan looked like he was hanging from Qi Chenglin¡¯s legs. ¡°I¡¯ll go to bed right now so don¡¯t take the gifts away, alright?¡± Qi Youxuan surrendered in defeat.

    As expected, Qi Chenglin did not pick the gifts up from underneath the tree. Qi Chenglin lowered his head to face his son, and with a smug look on his face, he said, ¡°Well, get a move on.¡±

    Only after his dad¡¯sment, Qi Youxuan slowly climbed off his dad¡¯s legs. He reluctantly and painfully gave the gifts under the tree a long, final look while he slowly and heavily inched his way up the stairs.

    After Qi Youxuan made his way to his room, Qi Chenglin turned to Ruan Danchen and pulled her to him. Since Ruan Danchen had just finished doing the dishes earlier, her hands were still slightly damp. Qi Chenglin walked her upstairs all while saying, ¡°Since you loved it so much, why don¡¯t I make you lunch from now on. You could bring it to the office and we¡¯ll have lunch together.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless from his statement.

    ¡°Heheh, there¡¯s no need for that since you¡¯re already swamped with work every day. How could I let you make lunch for me on top of your busy schedule?¡± Ruan Danchen exined as her fingers were crossed with Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingers while she hugged Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder with her other hand. ¡°Having take out isn¡¯t too bad,¡± added Ruan Danchen while being coquettish.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows a little upon hearing her remarks over his food. He let out an awkwardugh and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say my food was delicious earlier? Changed your mind?¡±

    ¡°That was nothing, cooking requires constant practice,¡± Ruan Danchen frantically exined. She then continued, ¡°I¡¯ll wait till you get better so I can show off your amazing handmade cooking.¡±

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and replied, ¡°Look at your panicked expression, I was just teasing you. If I¡¯m feeding you, of course I¡¯ll only be feeding you the best food I coulde up with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was blushing a little as she remained silent, only bearing a very coquettish smile while she followed Qi Chenglin back to his room.

    Qi Chenglin made sure she took her meds. Ruan Danchen wanted to take a shower since she was soaked in her puddle of sweat for the entire night. Although it was not sticky, it still made her feel a little ufortable in that state.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®take a shower¡¯? You¡¯re not fully recovered yet.¡± Qi Chenglin stopped Ruan Danchen from taking a shower. He added, ¡°Just wait till you¡¯re feeling a little better. Your fever had just subsided, what happens if your fever returns after your shower?¡±

    Ruan Danchen lifted her shirt slightly to give herself a whiff. She asked, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you mind that I smell awful?¡±

    If it was the past, living alone in her small tiny apartment, she would not even bother to take a shower and would not care if she made her ce smell. However, since she was now living with Qi Chenglin, she had to keep up her best image as she was afraid of being abandoned by him.

    ¡°I¡¯ve spooned your sweaty self for the entire night anyway. I don¡¯t mind one bit,¡± answered Qi Chenglin as he scooped Ruan Danchen by the waist and ced her on the bed.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying that I do smell awful?¡± Ruan Danchen teased Qi Chenglin upon hearing his reply.

    The truth was that she could not smell her body odor, merely jesting him with it.

    ¡°You don¡¯t smell at all,¡± Qi Chenglin frantically exined himself as he lowered his head to squeeze his face into her neck and took a deep breath a couple of times. ¡°Not a hint of sweat, and you don¡¯t smell at all. This is perfectly fine right now,¡± Qi Chenglin added.

    However as he smelled her thoroughly, it seemed there was a change in behavior as his hands were slowly inching upwards into her shirt, feeling her warm, gentle skin.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose was stuffed and so she could not breathe normally. All she could do was breathe through her mouth. She felt extremely warm from Qi Chenglin¡¯s sneaky and unrelenting caress of her body. Qi Chenglin never kissed her lips as he was afraid that she could not breathe if he had kissed her. All he could do was gently peck at both her upper and lower lip separately, moving back and forth from the edge of her lips and back, then progressively inching downward.

    Ruan Danchen could only very softly nudge Qi Chenglin a little as she waspletely exhausted. With her quick thinking, she told Qi Chenglin with a soft voice, ¡°I haven¡¯t taken a shower yet.¡±

    She had been profusely sweating the entire night, and the sweat had dried offpletely by now. Even when the sweat was not sticky, she felt ufortable since the sweat had dried off her skin.

    ¡°You¡¯re not filthy,¡± Qi Chenglin said flirtatiously.

    Hearing this, Ruan Danchen took a deep breath as she seemingly inhaled her belly inward, contracting it. She ced both hands on Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulders, gently grabbing it a little while she lowered her head to look directly at Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°You took care of me the entire day and even made dinner for me. Aren¡¯t you exhausted right now?¡±

    ¡°I am exhausted,¡± Qi Chenglin answered honestly as he lifted his head from her chest, revealing a very perverted smile. Ruan Danchen did not even notice when Qi Chenglin stripped her of her shirt, but now he was pressing on top of her with his body. It felt warmer than before and she did not even feel cold at all. The only thing was the way he looked up and due to how he was positioned on top of her body; his face looked extremely perverted, rather inappropriate and primal.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly why I need your yin energy to bnce out my yang to nourish my soul.¡± After he said that, Qi Chenglin immediately buried his head again.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless by his bold statement.

    This tramp...

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was once againpletely soaked in sweat after being tossed around by Qi Chenglin; flipped and turned over and over. She never knew just how flexible she could be, and it was like she had awakened some sort of hidden innate talent of her own. She felt like she had justpleted a yoga session; her entire body ached from her shoulders to her calves, and even her belly ached.

    She wondered if she could develop some packs on her stomach just by being flipped and turned to some very awkward positions.

    At the very moment, both of them were covered in sweat, mixed into the same puddle. They could no longer tell whose sweat it was since Qi Chenglin sweat had dripped on her body earlier.

    For the very least, beingpletely soaked in a puddle of sweat felt extremely ufortable. Qi Chenglin was cuddling her, allowing her toy t on his body. She was used to it by now; Ruan Danchen waspletely fine with having her entire weight on Qi Chenglin¡¯s body without worrying about crushing him.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest was bing stiffer than usual. She felt odd since Qi Chenglin was usually extremely busy and barely had time to hit the gym. On top of that, they were always together, traveling to and fro from work, and she knew his entire routine and schedule like the back of her hands. Never did she once seen Qi Chenglin hit the gym. How on Earth did Qi Chenglin manage to seemingly grow fitter would be a mystery to her.

    Her face was lying t on Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest. She could feel the tender yet stiff muscles on his chest as she traces the lines of his chest muscles gently with her fingers. She was not aware that her fingers had moved on its own and slowly slipping down his very stiff chest muscles. There was a saying that stated, ¡®The pinnacle of men¡¯s sexual desires would cause all women¡¯s fingers to move irresistibly on their own, and in that instant, would cause a chain reaction that turns everything sexual.¡¯ She guessed that Qi Chenglin had reached that peak of sexual attraction.

    Her soft gentle fingers ended on top of Qi Chenglin¡¯s belly as she traces the crevices of his every muscr pack. It almost seemed like she was drawing something on his belly uncontrobly.

    ¡°Want another round?¡± Qi Chenglin asked as he grabbed her arm by surprise, pressing it against his belly.

    His left arm was grabbing onto her hand while his other arm was grabbing her waist, and it was as if he wanted to flip her over and get on top of her once again. This sudden act caught Ruan Danchen off guard and she was shocked by the sudden intensity. She pushed back in response, not allowing Qi Chenglin to move on further.

    ¡°Nope, nope!¡± Ruan Danchen frantically answered. ¡°Stop messing around, I¡¯m still very sick. And didn¡¯t you say that you wouldn¡¯t allow me to do much work earlier? Look at me now, you¡¯vepletely exhausted me,¡± Ruan Danchen added.

    ¡°I¡¯m not letting you work at all,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a flirtatiously perverted look as he added, ¡°as a matter of fact, it¡¯d be me working you up.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen blushed hard as she stared at him. She said, ¡°Stupid tramp!¡±

    Ruan Danchen wanted to yell her lungs out. How can this man be so submissive to his primal instincts?

    ¡°What tramp.¡± Qi Chenglin would not admit anything. He simply cuddled her by her waist, not insisting on another round. However, he would never let go of the rare opportunity of petting and feeling every inch of her skin, causing Ruan Danchen to blush heavier than she ever did before. Her breathing was irregr and unrhythmic as it was ironic that her nose waspletely stuffed. All she could do was open her mouth as wide as she could to breathe.

    She could not help but wonder about how ridiculous she must have looked.

    Qi Chenglin had the audacity to im that he was not a tramp. What did he think he was doing then?

    The actions of his uncontrolled hands and paired with his serious, bold ims to not being a tramp... Only someone as shameless as he would be capable of doing what he did.

    However, from Qi Chenglin¡¯s perspective as he looked down on Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression, somehow he felt that her painful, blurry expression on her face was seductively beautiful. It was all due to the infection she had, her stuffy nose, her misty eyes. The look of her tormented suffering expression caused by themon cold paired with her exhaustion looked particrly innocent.

    He could not resist but pinch her a little.

    ¡°The iller you are, the more exercise you¡¯ll need. That way, you¡¯ll speed up the recovery process,¡± Qi Chenglin teased as he stared down at her adorable blushing cheeks. They were irresistibly beautiful.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart was pounding hard as he submitted to his primal instincts and proceeded to bite down on Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks hard while sucking it savagely. He had only released his suction when Ruan Danchen squealed in pain, leaving her with a hickey on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m just blown away by your skewed reasoning. You somehow have a surprisingly amazing skill in spinning horrible excuses into somewhat convincing ones,¡± Ruan Danchen said sarcastically as she gently nuzzled against his hard yet tender chest. It was firm and extremelyfortable.

    ¡°How was it skewed reasoning? Don¡¯t you just look a lot better and livelier now?¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a teasing grin. The genuine joy could be felt through his dark, glistening pupils and his thick, luscious eyebrows.

    He spoke in a deep almost hypnotizing tone while he nuzzled his lips against her forehead, slowly and seductively rubbing against the thinyer of sweat on her forehead onto his lips.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless as she had nothing to say as a rebuttal against him.

    Just like that after the intense tangle they both had, they were coated in sweat. However, it was a pleasant feeling and it would be best described as a simr feeling topleting a workout. The mind was no longer clouded and the entire soul feltpletely refreshed. Apart from the stuffy nose, she feltpletely rejuvenated.

    ¡°See for yourself, this is exactly what I meant by skewed reasoning,¡± Ruan Danchen said with her flushed cheeks. Her beady adorable eyes stared intensely at Qi Chenglin, and she looked all too adorable.

    Qi Chenglin never argued back as he only gave her a warm, loving smile. Warmth and love were radiating through his gentle, loving smile as though his expression was not obvious enough. His beatific eyebrows had joy written across the arc.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s long hair waspletely soaked in her sweat as it was sticking to her body, making it extremely ufortable. She flipped her head back, frowned a little and softly whispered to Qi Chenglin, ¡°Just let me take a bath, would you? I feel sticky and ufortable.¡±

    Qi Chenglin probably felt the same as he gently nodded in agreement while he carried her into the washroom.

    ¡°I¡¯m capable of washing myself,¡± stated Ruan Danchen, even though she wanted to have a bath with him but was being coquettish.

    Qi Chenglin winked as he hugged her tighter and said, ¡°I¡¯m sticky too, let¡¯s take a bath together then.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen never said anything in response. She simply thought that it would not make any difference if they had bathed separately anyway.

    However, Qi Chenglin had seemingly seen through her facade. He proceeded to lower his head and said with a soft, almost pitiful tone, ¡°I¡¯ve been working all day today. I was worried about you the entire night since yesterday and because of that, I didn¡¯t get much sleep. Poor me, I was cooped up in the kitchen at night and most importantly even just now, I gave what little energy I had left to you.¡±

    Though Qi Chenglin said it in such a pitiful tone, he could end his pitiful statement with something so knavish. It was pretty coy of him to speak so casually of something so low for his standards. It was almost as natural as breathing for him.

    Nheless, he had a nk and empty look on his face as he made that pitiful statement. He did not even give the effort to put on an equally pitiful look. His statement, however, was enough to make Ruan Danchen feel slightly guilty. It was enough for her topletely dismiss his final sentence in his statement as she immediately hugged his neck and never argued back.

    Qi Chenglin was worried that since she was covered in sweat moments ago and being in a colder environment would be too much for her body to handle since the sudden temperature change would be overwhelming for her body. Upon entering the washroom, he covered her with a bath towel before swiftly soaking her in a tub of warm water.

    The instant Ruan Danchen¡¯s skin made contact with the warm water in the tub, she instantly moaned in pleasure as the water was perfect. She felt drowsy when the warm vapors from the hot tub got to her. She instantly fell into Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms. The out-of-body experience was sofortable for her that she was tempted to fall asleep right then and there.

    Qi Chenglin never nned to soak in the tub for too long as all he wanted was to rinse off theyer of sweat from his body. After the quick dip, he proceeded to carry Ruan Danchen out the washroom, then swiftly wrapped her body with a clean towel to dry her body as fast as he could. After all that was done, he then carried Ruan Danchen to the bed and wrapped the thick nket around her body as tightly as he physically could. It was as if he was serving a princess.

    Never in Ruan Danchen¡¯s life had she been treated so well before. She was being so passionately cared for by Qi Chenglin¡¯s gentle andpassionate love. His every touch to her was soft and tender, as if he was afraid of hurting her even by the slightest.

    Being sopassionately treated by Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen was touched by his loving gesture as her eyes teared up a little. She then slithered into Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving arms while nuzzling against his chest with her face. She only feltpletely at ease after smelling his body¡¯s familiar yetforting scent. Upon doing so, sheid still, unmoving, perfectly rxed in his loving warm embrace.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to look at her with a gentle gaze and said with a soft, tender smile, ¡°Why are you being extra coquettish today?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that a person would be at their weakest when they¡¯re ill?¡± Ruan Danchen said in a soft tone as she took another whiff of hisforting scent. She continued, ¡°When I was sick before, no one cared about my wellbeing; not even my dad nor my mom. Now, being so passionately cared for by you feels extremely well.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll still care for you even when you¡¯re not sick,¡± Qi Chenglin replied with a smile as he hugged her tighter while gently patting her back coaxing her lovingly. He said, ¡°Just go ahead and sleep.¡±

    With a satisfied smile, Ruan Danchen copsed gently onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving arms and proceeded to close her eyes. Since she had quite a long nap during the day, she could not fall asleep immediately. All she wanted to do was to tease him yfully.

    She was never as coquettish as to this extent before. However, she somehow had be extra skittish from her current infectious condition.

    Qi Chenglin gave Ruan Danchen¡¯s forehead a soft gentle kiss as he leaned his face against her forehead then proceeded to close his eyes.

    Qi Chenglin was indeed exhausted, so even before Ruan Danchen had fallen asleep, it only took an instant for him to drift away into his slumber.

    Although Qi Chenglin was in deep sleep, he was hugging Ruan Danchen extremely tight, making even the slightest movement a difficult task. She could not even turn her body around as any slight movements would cause Qi Chenglin to pull her back into her original position.

    Ruan Danchen was not aware of how much time had past when out of nowhere, Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone broke the silence as the ringtone was increasing in volume and pitch, waking Qi Chenglin from his deep slumber. Hearing the sharp ringtone, Qi Chenglin slowly opened his eyes. Since he had just been woken up from his sleep, his eyes looked somewhat disoriented, a confused expression crossed his face. He almost seemed overwrought with his confused, nk expression on his face.

    It was very rare to see Qi Chenglin in such a confused, unfocused state, and Ruan Danchen felt very amused by his disy of disorientation. She was tempted to hug him in her arms, tempted to pat his head and run her fingers through his hair just to mess it up.

    However, his confused state of mind was short-lived as his self-control was extraordinary. It took him only a second to rpose himself, and he was himself again instantly.

    He reached back to grab his phone that was ced on top of the headboard of the bed. ncing at the screen, it showed it was from Guan Liya.

    Looking at the time, it was very close to midnight. It was odd since Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya should be asleep at this time.

    Qi Chenglin was worried that something serious had happened. Without a second thought, he picked up the call immediately. Even Ruan Danchen was worried about Qi Chenglin.

    As Qi Chenglin was listening to the call, his facial expression changed as his eyebrows werepletely raised. He replied urgently, ¡°I¡¯ll be there right now.¡±

    The instant Qi Chenglin hung up the call, Ruan Danchen immediately asked, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Song Yu is giving birth to her child right now in the hospital. There are no updates yet, so I¡¯ll be going to check on her,¡± exined Qi Chenglin as he got up from the bed.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to go with him. As she got ready to get out of the bed, Qi Chenglin immediately stopped her from getting up and said, ¡°You¡¯re still sick, and there¡¯s plenty of other pathogens in the hospital. What happens if you get a secondary infection when you¡¯re so close to recovering now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to respond to his statement. It was as if he made hermon cold seem like the gue or something.

    ¡°Besides, After Song Yu¡¯s delivery, both mother and child¡¯s immune system will dip tremendously. What would you do if you unintentionally infected them?¡± Qi Chenglin followed up with a better argument because he knew his previous statement would do nothing to stop her from going.

    Although his main concern was Ruan Danchen¡¯s health, the follow-up reason seemed more reasonable for her to ept.

    Just as he thought, the sheer mention of Song Yu would cause Ruan Danchen to relent.

    Ruan Danchen was stopped once again when she intended to send Qi Chenglin off. As Qi Chenglin got dressed, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°Call me the instant Song Yu gave birth to her child.¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Qi Chenglin replied as he put on his usual casual clothes; a sweater and sweatpants followed by an oversized jacket.

    While saying alright, he walked toward Ruan Danchen to give her forehead a soft kiss. Seeing that her body temperature was normal and she looked significantly better than before, his mind was at ease.

    ¡°Sleep well at home... I was told that a delivery can take a long while. I¡¯m guessing that¡¯d be Song Yu¡¯s case so don¡¯t wait up for me,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a soft tone.

    Ruan Danchen let out a soft sigh as she smiled and gently kissed his lips. She said, ¡°Drive safely, and call me when you¡¯re at the hospital, alright? Just to make sure you¡¯re safe.¡±

    Qi Chenglin knew she would not be able to sleep without receiving his call so he promised her he would.

    Since it was sote at night, there was not much traffic on the road. He arrived at the hospital in half an hour.

    The moment he entered the main entrance of the hospital, he gave Ruan Danchen a call to ease her mind.

    However, Ruan Danchen could not sleep in peace as Qi Chenglin was not at home with her, so she took out a nket from the closet and went to the living room to wait.

    Since she could not sleep with her current state of mind, she made herself a ss of warm milk and took out her iPad to watch a video. The top right corner of the screen was showing the time while she held onto her ss of milk with one hand and the iPad in the other as she binged on her videos.

    A faint sound of the front door opening could be heard as Ruan Danchen sluggishly opened her eyes, unaware of when she had fallen asleep. The autoy of the videos on the iPad had switched to who knew what at that point since it was not the same video she was watching earlier.

    Looking at the top right corner of the screen, the time showed it was already past four in the morning.

    She frantically closed the video and sprinted to the front door as she saw Qi Chenglin entering with a chilly breeze from outside as he walked into the house. The moment he saw Ruan Danchen still being quite awake, he frowned. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to sleep well at home?¡± he questioned with a stern voice.

    He nced over to the couch and he notice the iPad lying t on the couch while several ss mugs on the table. He knew Ruan Danchen had spent quite some time awake right there on that spot.

    Although his tone was stern, his actions however said otherwise as his frisk, dry palm gently caresses her forehead. The entire motion was gentle and soft, a stark contrast to his strict, lecturing tone.

    ______

    Extra Mini Scene

    Christmas Gift

    As Ruan Danchen was taking a long afternoon nap, before Qi Chenglin brought Qi Youxuan to the grocer, Qi Youxuan had been staring at the Christmas gifts under the tree for a good long while.

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Daddy, what did Aunt Ruan gifted you for Christmas?¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°I have no idea, I¡¯m as curious as you are.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Do you wanna take a peak by unwrapping it a little? We¡¯ll fix it with some tapeter.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°So is this how you lied to us back then?¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°...¡±

    _______

    Extra Unrted Mini Scene

    Yan Beicheng: ¡°Would you believe me if I told you that is a box of monthly tickets?¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang: ¡°Heheh.¡±

 Chapter 378 - Danchen, You Canâ€™t Be Trying to Pursue the General Manager, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 378: Danchen, You Can¡¯t Be Trying to Pursue the General Manager, Right?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen knew Qi Chenglin did not truly me her for not sleeping, so she did not get upset.

    Instead, she smirked. Her smile was gentle and her sickly body was soft and slithery. Face reddened, she shuffled toward him and hugged his arm. ¡°I can¡¯t sleep when you¡¯re not around.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was initially unhappy with her not resting, but how could he possibly be mad seeing her acting cute with him now?

    Qi Chenglin stared at her from the corner of his eyes, his lips curled into a faint smile. He pulled her into his embrace and warned, ¡°Don¡¯t think that acting cute will work every time.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen blushed, feeling slightly embarrassed.

    Qi Chenglin had not rested for the days; he waspletely drained. The dark circles beneath his eyes were obvious. When Ruan Danchen noticed him trying to suppress a yawn, she hurriedly dragged him to the bedroom.

    Qi Chenglin did not change into his pajamas and instead took off his shirt and tossed it on the sofa. Immediately after, he slumped onto the bed. He was in no mood to clean up or brush his teeth. He pulled Ruan Danchen into his arms and shut his eyes. Out of habit, he kissed her forehead. After making sure that his body temperature did not change, he was relieved and could finally rx.

    Chin resting on Ruan Danchen¡¯s head, he yawned. ¡°I was in such a rush to get home that I forgot to call you after Song Yu gave birth. It¡¯s a boy.¡±

    The name ¡®Youjin¡¯ was given when Song Yu was still pregnant. Before that, they already knew the baby¡¯s gender through one of her check-ups¡ªRuan Danchen knew too.

    Ruan Danchen was also getting sleepy. She covered her mouth and yawned. Slowly, she drifted into sleep in Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm embrace.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen felt much more energized the next day. Although her nose was still runny, it was much better than the day before.

    She woke up quite early but the bed was already empty. She had unknowingly tugged all the nket to her side and rolled herself up in her sleep at night. Qi Chenglin¡¯s side was cold and the bedsheet was wrinkled. She wondered how long he had been awake.

    Moreover, there was no sounding from the washroom.

    Ruan Danchen jumped out of bed. She rushed through her morning routine, including washing up, changing and putting on some CC cream to hide her grimplexion. After using about 15 minutes to get ready, she dashed to Qi Youxuan¡¯s room.

    Unexpectedly, she opened the door to find that Qi Youxuan was not there either. His bed was still a mess but he was no longer there¡ªonly his teddy bear-themed pajamas was left on the bed.

    Ruan Danchen nced at the clock¡ªit was only six in the morning. Typically, Qi Youxuan sprawled on his bed, drooling.

    However, this morning, both the big one and the little one was gone.

    Ruan Danchen headed downstairs curiously. When she entered the living room, she saw the well-dressed Qi Youxuan sitting under the Christmas tree. He had his back against her, his little hands tearing off the wrapping paper around a huge toy.

    Ruan Danchen smiled. No wonder the boy woke up so early; he was impatient to open his gifts.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Dad?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she approached Qi Youxuan. She saw that the gift she bought Qi Chenglin was still under the Christmas tree, untouched.

    Qi Youxuan ced his little plump hands on his forehead and uttered tragically, ¡°He¡¯s making breakfast.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was taken aback.

    Qi Youxuan stood up, holding the toy under his armpit. ¡°Aunt Ruan, it¡¯s because of your encouragement yesterday that made Dad so motivated today, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    From his expression, Ruan Danchen could tell that what he meant was, ¡®Why¡¯d you have to encourage him?!¡¯

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared at him, then pinched his tender and chubby cheeks. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that. Dad woke up so early today just to make us breakfast. He¡¯s working hard.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pondered on it; it was rare for his dad to do such things. It was rather touching. In spite of that, his questionable culinary skills made Qi Youxuan shiver. He was having mixed feelings about this.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring the toy to my room first,¡± Qi Youxuan said, staring straight at the floor.

    Hearing that, Ruan Danchen suddenly remembered something. She warned, ¡°I recall that there are cupcakes in that box of yours. You¡¯re not allowed to eat it as an excuse to not eat the breakfast Dad is preparing, okay?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was rendered speechless.

    It had only been one night but Aunt Ruan had already betrayed him. The little boy regretted showing her his secret stash.

    Ruan Danchen exhaled softly. She walked up to him and cupped her hands gently onto his little face. In a tender voice, she exined, ¡°Dad¡¯s working hard in the kitchen, making breakfast for us. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s tasty or not, you should still be thankful. Your dad has been taking care of me since the night before when I got this fever. He didn¡¯t get much sleep that night and had been taking care of me the whole day yesterday too. Last night, he was busy in the kitchen with us and just as he was going to bed, he received a call to head to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned anxiously.

    Ruan Danchen smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s your auntie¡ªshe was giving birth. It¡¯s a boy. I¡¯ll bring you to visit himter.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was exhrated.

    Seeing this, Ruan Danchen quickly added, ¡°Your dad only came back at four o¡¯clock midnight yesterday. After merely two hours of sleep, he mbered out of bed just to make breakfast for us. Additionally, he still needs to go to workter. That¡¯s why we have to show that we¡¯re grateful, okay?¡±

    After contemting her words and realized that his dad had indeed worked hard, Qi Youxuan nodded.

    Ruan Danchen patted his head lovingly and let him head upstairs to put away his toy.

    The little boy was a child that one could easily reason with. He was also a boy of his words,ing straight down without eating anything after keeping away his toy.

    Ruan Danchen turned to look into the kitchen. She noticed Aunt Zheng standing anxiously next to Qi Chenglin who was frying eggs.

    ¡°Sir, it¡¯s time to take it out. Hurry up, sir. Hurry or it¡¯ll burn,¡± instructed Aunt Ruan.

    She came here early in the morning to prepare breakfast. To her surprise, when she entered the kitchen, Qi Chenglin followed. He scratched his nose and shyly hinted that he wanted to prepare today¡¯s breakfast.

    Aunt Zheng was dumbfounded. She had worked here for years but she had never seen Qi Chenglin cook a thing. While she was still in a daze, Qi Chenglin had already put on an apron. He even asked Aunt Zheng to stay by his side to guide him through it.

    After what happened yesterday, Qi Chenglin could no longer trust recipe books. Instead, he had the experienced Aunt Zheng taught him how to cook.

    Qi Chenglin was helplessly talentless in this area. His brows were furrowed and his body stiff. To him, cooking was like going to war.

    Luckily, Aunt Zheng was there to guide him. The eggs were only burnt at the sides and the cold dishes he prepared smelt decent enough.

    Aunt Zheng was so busy helping Qi Chenglin that she did not have time to cook porridge. Thus, they drank milk instead.

    Qi Chenglin watched as Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan ate the egg but did not ask them anything. He merely sat there coolly.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and praised, ¡°It¡¯s so good.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at her with a soft expression before turning to Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan stared at the egg, then turned to his dad. Surprisingly, it tasted alright, so he nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s tasty.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was delighted. His expression melted. ¡°I¡¯ll have Aunt Zheng make burgers for dinner.¡±

    Hearing that, Qi Youxuan took the chance to tter Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, the breakfast you made is so delicious! When can I have it again?¡±

    Qi Chenglin bit his lips. ¡°Wait till the weekends. I was just trying my hands today.¡±

    Hearing that, Aunt Zheng let out a sigh of relief.

    After finishing breakfast, Qi Chenglin left the dining room first and waited for Ruan Danchen. Ruan Danchen was staring at the bottom of the Christmas tree anxiously. She contemted whether she should remove the gift. She thought, ¡®I must¡¯ve lost my mind when I decided to buy this.¡¯

    Unexpectedly, the gift was already gone¡ªthe spot he left the gift in was empty. Ruan Danchen blushed when she saw that Qi Chenglin was no longer in the living room. She guessed that he must have gone upstairs to take the gift away.

    Not long after, she saw Qi Chenglining back down. Ruan Danchen swallowed nervously; Qi Chenglin, on the other hand, appeared to have no reaction. He kept the usual faint smile that he showed Ruan Danchen whenever he looked at her¡ªthere was not a hint of anger or crudeness in his expression.

    Noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s gaze, he went up to her and raised his eyebrows.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± he questioned, standing beside her.

    Ruan Danchen felt guilty. She paid close attention to Qi Chenglin¡¯s reaction, but he was not exhibiting much emotion. Maybe he had not opened the gift. Perturbed, she asked, ¡°You brought it upstairs already?¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± he answered, as his gaze shifted to the Christmas tree. That was all he said. Ruan Danchen was extremely curious to know what he thought about the gift but the words would not leave her.

    After a while, she eventually asked, ¡°Have you opened it?¡±

    Qi Chenglin red at her. Just as he opened his mouth, Qi Youxuan dashed out from the kitchen, making Qi Chenglin shut his mouth immediately.

    Qi Youxuan bolted into the living room and grabbed the backpack on the sofa. ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced at the little boy dejectedly. Only then did she know what Qi Chenglin must have felt whenever Qi Youxuan weighed him down.

    Qi Youxuan put on his sports shoes swiftly and ran outside as Ruan Danchen put on hers. Just as she was heading out, Qi Chenglin blocked her way.

    Ruan Danchen turned to him perplexedly. Staring into his deep, dark eyes, she noticed that his expression was odd as if he had something bottled up inside. He was clenching his teeth and his eyes burnt passionately. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you pay for this tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    He opened it.

    Having said that, he strode out of the house and turned back at her, asking, ¡°What are you waiting for? Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen scrunched up her shoulders and walked out. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tightly.

    He was a little angry but also looked extremely helpless, inducing a numbing sensation across Ruan Danchen¡¯s scalp. Qi Youxuan was standing in front of the elevator, waiting for it to arrive. When the elevator door opened, he went in first and held his finger firmly on the open door button. Sticking his head out, he yelled, ¡°Hurry up, you two!¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at him, then bowed his head down and whispered into Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear, ¡°I only need you. I don¡¯t need those kinds of things.¡±

    Having said that, he dragged Ruan Danchen into the elevator.

    Hearing that, Ruan Danchen¡¯s face reddened entirely. She felt like she was being teased and ridiculed. Moreover, it felt disturbingly odd to bepared with that thing.

    ¡°Aunt Ruan, why is your face so red?¡± Qi Youxuan asked, looking up at her.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t she sick? She hasn¡¯tpletely recovered yet,¡± Qi Chenglin answered in her stead.

    ¡°But wasn¡¯t she fine just now?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned curiously.

    ¡°Her fever came back again.¡± Qi Chenglin looked down at Qi Youxuan and advised him in a serious tone, ¡°Look at your Aunt Ruan, still going to work even though she¡¯s sick. This is something you should learn from her. Don¡¯t simply skip school every time you get sick.¡±

    Qi Youxuan and Ruan Danchen were both left speechless.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin dropped Qi Youxuan off at school and parked his Mercedes in the indoor car-park in Qilin.

    Ruan Danchen unfastened her safety belt and gave him a kiss. Since they did not mind their rtionship being open now, she wanted to walk with him.

    However, she saw Qi Chenglin fixing his tie with his long, slender fingers. Clearing his throat, he turned to her and stared at her with his captivating eyes. Under the dim lighting within the car, she could still see a light tint of red appearing on his cheeks.

    Ruan Danchen stared at him suspiciously. Finally, he cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Is it true that the breakfast today was good?¡±

    ¡°Of course. I didn¡¯t say that just to make you happy,¡± Ruan Danchen assured instantly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you eat it too? Did you think it was bad?¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows. A smug smile appeared on his face. ¡°I do think it was pretty decent.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but chuckle. She cupped his face with one palm and rewarded him with a kiss.

    ¡°I¡¯ve decided that I¡¯ll practice my culinary skills starting from the most basic breakfast. I want to take it step-by-step,¡± Qi Chenglin announced resolutely.

    ¡°Then you can wake up on weekends to cook. On workdays, don¡¯t wake up so early to make breakfast,¡± Ruan Danchen advised, grinning ear to ear.

    Qi Chenglin burst outughing. He pinched her waist. ¡°You sure aren¡¯t shy to ask.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gazed at the man in front of her with tender eyes. Although it was dark in the car due to it being parked indoors, his alluring features were still clear visibly. She was genuinely touched by his initiative to take up cooking just for her. Even so, she did not thank him, but only uttered, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    She got out of the car.

    Qi Chenglin smirked. He stared at her slightly awkward posture from behind before getting out of the car, locked it, and walked with her.

    If they had walked hand-in-hand as they usually do, it would have been a perfect time for them to make their rtionship known to the public. However, for some reason, Qi Chenglin did not show any initiative to do so. Instead, he merely walked beside her.

    Ruan Danchen knew that he did not want to hide this any longer, but she could not tell what this man was plotting again.

    The two walked side-by-side from the car park to the first floor of Qilin and toward the elevator. It was the time when most people got to work in the morning, so it was exceedingly crowded. The sight of the two walking together had made many pairs of eyes pop.

    Feeling abashed, Ruan Danchen was ufortable with the others¡¯ gazes. She subtly glimpsed at Qi Chenglin; he had one hand in his pocket as his long, slender legs strode. Nheless, he adjusted his pace ording to hers instead of walking hastily. He appeared calm and restrained, making it difficult for others to guess the rtionship between the two.

    ¡°Xiao Ruan,¡± Senior Du called out. She came with Chen Siyu. Hearing her name, Ruan Danchen stopped in her steps.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin, who was walking beside her, stopped too.

    Senior Du was taken aback. Before this, Chen Siyu was already pointing out to her that the man beside Ruan Danchen seemed to be the general manager. However, Senior Du was not convinced. Despite the fact that besides Qi Chengzhi, no one else in thepany gave out the strong aura that Qi Chenglin did. Even so, it was even more impossible for the man to be Qi Chengzhi.

    Although Ruan Danchen was good friends with Mrs. Qi, their director still kept a significant distance away from any women besides Mrs. Qi, including his friends.

    Surprisingly, when Ruan Danchen stopped, Senior Du realized that it really was Qi Chenglin. ¡°General Manager,¡± she greeted hastily.

    Qi Chenglin nodded coldly. Senior Du turned to Ruan Danchen; she wanted to look at Qi Chenglin but did not have the guts to. She yearned to ask why they were walking together but her lips froze in a stiff smile, too afraid to move.

    Qi Chenglin uttered calmly, ¡°I ran into Miss Ruan.¡±

    Only then did Senior Du and Chen Siyu rx. Seeing Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold attitude toward Ruan Danchen, they were assured that there was nothing too out of the ordinary going on.

    However, it was now Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn to be perplexed. What was he trying to achieve?

    Qi Chenglin nodded distantly and left.

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu immediately moved to Ruan Danchen¡¯s left and right, surrounding her. As they walked, Chen Siyu inquired, ¡°Danchen, you can¡¯t be trying to pursue the general manager, right?¡±

    ¡°Ah?¡± Ruan Danchen was in aplete daze.

    ¡°Otherwise, even if you ran into him outside thepany, why would you choose to walk with the general manager?¡± Chen Siyu whispered, ring at her. ¡°You were even walking right beside him.¡±

    Senior Du was also staring at her with suspicion. Ruan Danchen had always appeared to be an innocent littledy. Turned out, she had her eyes on unattainable, high-status men as well.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Watch: everyone else would tread carefully behind him when they see the general manager. Who in the world dares to walk alongside him?¡± Senior Du pointed her chin at the crowd of people standing in the elevator for Ruan Danchen to see.

    In her heart, Ruan Danchen muttered, ¡®Doesn¡¯t Jiang Yuan walk side-by-side with him too?¡¯

    ¡°That¡¯s not it. It¡¯s just that the general manager is quite gregarious, so we ended up sharing a conversation,¡± Ruan Danchen refuted, her face glowing red.

    ¡°Our general manager? Gregarious?¡± Chen Siyu questioned, baffled. As she uttered those words, she turned to the elevator and saw that Qi Chenglin was entering the elevator expressionlessly.

    Once he left, all the employees let out a sigh of relief. Everyone was finally rxed.

    Chen Siyu turned back to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Are we talking about the same person?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did not know what to reply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself. It must¡¯ve been just you trying to attract the general manager¡¯s attention!¡± Out of nowhere, Yao Jingfei popped up and included herself in the conversation. Senior Du and Chen Siyu¡¯s voices were not loud, yet she somehow overheard their conversation.

    Yao Jingfei was standing in front of Ruan Danchen but was not facing her. Facing the side, she red at Ruan Danchen disdainfully from the corner of her eyes. ¡°Listen up, you should be more self-aware. You don¡¯t even know yourself, yet you want to bring up a child and pursue the general manager? This tactic had been overused by so many women¡ªhow cliche. There are so many women trying to get closer to him and that includes you, so just admit it. I hate hypocrites like you the most. You were clearly approaching him with that intention, yet you deny it. Doing it so conspicuously in thepany without shame, aren¡¯t you being too hasty?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Yao Jingfei as though she was a moron. Ruan Danchen shook her head and said, ¡°If you have good intentions in mind, you¡¯ll think others have good intentions too; you¡¯ll think others have bad intentions if you harbor them yourselves. Whatever is on your mind is reflected on how you view others. Miss Yao, I advise you to talk a little less next time, to avoid exposing yourself like this.¡±

    Having said that, Ruan Danchen ignored her and left by herself.

    Ruan Danchen was not trying to be rude to Senior Du and Cheng Siyu. However, she was not certain that dragging the two of them away with her would be the best course of action¡ªthey might even be unwilling to leave. After all, the two of them would want to avoid offending Yao Jingfei.

    Yao Jingfei sneered. She turned to Senior Du and Chen Siyu and scoffed, ¡°If she¡¯s not guilty, why is she running?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not right¡ªI recall that Ruan Danchen has a boyfriend. She even has a ring on her finger,¡± Chen Siyu pointed out.

    ¡°That boyfriend of hers is so ridiculous. The diamond on the ring he bought here was no bigger than a grain of rice. She must be thinking of ditching this boyfriend and pursuing the rich and powerful general manager instead. Gold-diggers are more thanmon these days.¡± Yao Jingfei grunted disdainfully.

 Chapter 379 - Sometimes I Feel Like Youâ€™ve Planted Something in My Stomach

    <strong>Chapter 379: Sometimes I Feel Like You¡¯ve nted Something in My Stomach</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen did not know how what kind of story Yao Jingfei was making up about her and she was not interested either. She entered the office, put her bag aside and turned on herputer. Sheter called Song Yu to check up on her. She told Song Yu that she would visit once she had fully recovered to avoid passing it on to Song Yu and little Youjin.

    After hanging up, she started pondering on the design of small development in the city¡¯s north district.

    Once Manager Zou arrived, he called Ruan Danchen, Chen Siyu, and Senior Du in for a meeting. He had work for them; he presented them with different types of houses each and had theme up with a few designs for each type.

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu let Yao Jingfei handle some of the numerical data. Ruan Danchen, however, knew that Yao Jingfei harbored animosity toward her, so she did not ask her to do anything. Who knew if Yao Jingfei would be of help or just cause more trouble for her.

    Ruan Danchen did not want to think the worst of her, but sabotaging her work was something that Yao Jingfei waspletely capable of doing.

    Besides, these kinds of incidents were not umon in Chengshi. Back then, Wang Liwei had stolen Song Yu¡¯s design diagrams. This made Ruan Danchen more cautious about trusting others to avoid bringing unnecessary troubles to herself.

    Moreover, Yao Jingfei had always been discontent when anyone brought her work to do. She always used her father as an excuse, putting others in an awkward position. Also, she was not efficient anyway.

    Even if Yao Jingfei did not try to sabotage her work, her unproductivity would dy the entire project anyway.

    Thus, despite it being troublesome, Ruan Danchen would still deal with everything herself no matter how big or small. After all, she did not have an assistant designer in Chengshi either¡ªshe had to do everything herself. It did not bother her back then and it would not bother her now.

    She recorded the measurements made on Saturday into herputer. After drawing out the statistics and arranging the data, she began to work on the floor n based on the numbers.

    ¡°Miss Ruan,¡± Jiang Yuan¡¯s voice suddenly sounded above her head.

    Startled, she looked up abruptly, nearly pulling a tendon in her neck.

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s eyes twitched subtly, his iconic warm smile was spread across his face. In Qilin, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin had always been single, making everyone view them as unattainable.

    On the other hand, Cheng Dongge and Jiang Yuan, as their assistants, had exceptionally high positions in Qilin and were both young and handsome. Many female employees had be their secret admirers, and Jiang Yuan¡¯s fanbase wasrger than Cheng Dongge¡¯s.

    That was because Cheng Dongge always had a stern expression on his face. Although he was exceedingly attractive, many thought that he was unapproachable and was too uptight. He never cracked jokes and although he was courteous, he always maintained a distant attitude when greeting and nodding in acknowledgment.

    On the contrary, Jiang Yuan smiled at everyone he saw. It was as if everyone in the world were his friends. He knew everyone in thepany, no matter their status. He was truly gregarious and could strike up a conversation with anyone.

    Without waiting for Ruan Danchen to ask, Jiang Yuan extended two boxed of medicine to her¡ªa box of cold medicine and the other was an anti-inmmatory. ¡°Miss Ruan, the general manager was afraid that you forgot to bring your medication, so he asked me to go buy you some.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    What was that man doing? Before they went out that morning, he had already asked her if she remembered her medicine. She even double-checked and showed him the medicine in her bag to assure him. Why was he still worried that she had forgotten?

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be heading back.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled and excused himself.

    Ruan Danchen started at the medicine confusedly. Suddenly, she realized that the atmosphere in the office waspletely off. She was shocked.

    Turning around, she saw that everyone was ring at her as if she had some kind of inappropriate rtionship with the general manager.

    Chen Siyu was close to her as they had been on a business trip together. Coincidentally, the water dispenser in the office was right beside Ruan Danchen¡¯s desk, so she used her sk as an excuse to approach Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Danchen, what¡¯s going on?¡± Chen Siyu whispered, ¡°First, you walked in side-by-side with the general manager, and now Special Assistant Jiang is bringing you medicine personally? Don¡¯t tell me there¡¯s nothing going on.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    At that moment, Ruan Danchen did not know what to say. Should she tell her that she was her girlfriend? That she was living with him? If she had said that, Chen Siyu might not even believe her.

    Just then, her phone, which was ced on her desk, vibrated. It was an SMS. Chen Siyu glimpsed at it and saw that the sender¡¯s name was set as ¡®Sweetheart¡¯.

    Chen Siyu raised her eyebrows and nudged Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. ¡°Your boyfriend?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded honestly. Chen Siyu thought about it, then questioned, ¡°I really am curious. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re a gold-digger in any way, but you have a boyfriend, so what¡¯s going on between you and the general manager?¡±

    Ruan Danchen pondered on it, then finally decided to tell her the truth¡ªno matter if she would believe it or not. Nheless, just as she was about to speak, Manager Zou approached them and scolded, ¡°Xiao Chen, why aren¡¯t you working but chatting instead?¡±

    Chen Siyu stuck her tongue out and hurried back to her desk with her sk in hand.

    Manager Zou smiled at Ruan Danchen and left too.

    Ruan Danchen turned to her phone to read the message. [Did you receive the medicine?]

    Ruan Danchen was sure that Jiang Yuan must have reported to Qi Chenglin when he returned, but he just had to ask. It felt extremely deliberate. [I got it. Didn¡¯t I show you that it was in my bag this morning? I brought my own medicine.]

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin replied, [I forgot.]

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    [Did you take your medicine this morning?] asked Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen replied, [I did.] After that, Qi Chenglin did not text her anything anymore¡ªhe could be busy. Thus, she returned her focus on her work too.

    ...

    ...

    Before this, Ruan Danchen did not have much to do in the design department. She spent her time browsing thought documents and familiarizing herself with the department¡¯s previous projects. Thus, she was always on time to have lunch with Qi Chenglin.

    However, now that she had actual work to do, she was so focused on her work that she lost track of time. Even when the office¡ªwhich became extremely rowdy at lunchtime¡ªsuddenly quiet down into pin-drop silence, she did not notice a thing. Furrowing her brows, her head was buried deep in her work as she scribbled all over the floor n.

    She did not even hear the sharp, unified gasp of everyone around her. Only when arge figure appeared behind her, casting shadows on her diagram, did she turn her head away from her work.

    She was staggered. Qi Chenglin was suddenly standing in front of her eyes. She did not know how long he had been there, standing tall, giving off a powerful aura.

    He was still in his suit with one hand in his pocket. He looked indescribably dazzling.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s jaw dropped. Taken aback, her lips moved but no words came out of her mouth. At the moment, she could not decide what to call Qi Chenglin. Subconsciously, her words slipped out. ¡°You... Why are you here?¡±

    Qi Chenglin extended his left arm toward her and pointed at his watch. ¡°It¡¯s lunchtime. You didn¡¯te upstairs so I came down to see you.¡±

    With Qi Chenglin in front of her, she instantly forgot about the crowd around them. She acted like how she would when they were together outside thepany. She did not think much about the situation and she did not pretend either. Putting away her diagrams, she said, ¡°Ah, I was so busy that I lost track of time. I¡¯m done now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin caught a nce at the papers she had in her hand and frowned. ¡°Why are you working on these trivial matters? Isn¡¯t that the assistant designer¡¯s job?¡±

    Ruan Danchen red at him with irritation. He knew full well why she was doing all these herself.

    The entire design department was dumbfounded. What in the world was going on?

    Why was Ruan Danchen acting so familiar with the general manager?

    Several employees also noticed her re. They thought, ¡®Is she out of her mind?¡¯

    Senior Du and Chen Siyu, whose desks were next to each other, exchanged bbergasted nces. Then could not help but think back on the way Ruan Danchen gave Qi Chenglin the cold medicine when they had lunch that Saturday; the way she got into his car without hesitation when he offered to send her home; and finally, the fact that she walked with him into the office this morning.

    Now, it seemed like the situation was not as simple as Ruan Danchen trying to pursue Qi Chenglin.

    Noticing her re, Qi Chenglin was not the least bit angry for disrespecting him. Rather, he was thrilled. It was as if she became thick-skinned for him. Grinning ear-to-ear, he teased, ¡°What are you ring at? Are you being bullied here?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was suddenly abashed. She finally remembered that she was in the shared office area and all her colleagues were staring at her. Her face burnt up instantly as she eyed Qi Chenglin.

    He pretended he did not know her this morning yet he ran all the way down here to see her now. Why could this man not take things seriously?

    ¡°No.¡± Ruan Danchen had tidied up her things.

    When she stood up, Qi Chenglin boomed, ¡°Manager Zou, who¡¯s the assistant designer here?¡±

    When Manager Zou saw Qi Chenglin, he had alreadye out of his office. Nheless, he did not dare to get too close, to avoid disrupting the general manager and Ruan Danchen¡¯s conversation. Hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s summoning, he speedily walked toward them and answered, ¡°It¡¯s Board Member Yao¡¯s precious daughter, Yao Jingfei.¡±

    Even though Yao Jingfei was always prideful about that, she could still hear the mockery in Manager Zou¡¯s words.

    Qi Chenglin nodded. In a distant tone, he condemned, ¡°No matter what status you have here, you must still do your job. What kind of employeees here but don¡¯t work?¡±

    ¡°General Manager, I did do my job,¡± Yao Jingfei refuted instantly. She stood up, pointing at the documents and materials on her desk. ¡°These are all part of my job. It¡¯s Ruan... Miss Ruan that doesn¡¯t hand me any work, so how would I know if she has a task for me? How could you me me for that?¡±

    Yao Jingfei might not have said it explicitly, but her words clearly denoted that it was Ruan Danchen who was trying to frame her.

    Qi Chenglin red at Yao Jingfei coldly through his deep, dark eyes. After so long, it was the first time he ever looked her in the eye.

    His cold stare made Yao Jingfei terribly distressed. Qi Chenglin did not say a word. His gaze shifted away from her and when itnded back on Ruan Danchen, the coldnesspletely melted away. Everyone in thepany had only seen that warm and tender eyes on one other person¡ªQi Chengzhi when looking at Song Yu.

    Seeing that, even the dumbest person on earth would know what the rtionship was between Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. However, no one knew how long this had been going on or whether it had started before she joined thepany and had hidden her identity when she first came. The hrious part was, Yao Jingfei had always thought that Ruan Danchen was a rank below her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Qi Chenglin extended his hand to Ruan Dachen.

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely shy as she felt the entire department¡¯s gaze falling on her. With her scalp itching and her face burning, she put her hand on Qi Chenglin¡¯s palm and walked out of the design department hand-in-hand.

    On their way to the elevator, they ran into many people. When they greeted the general manager, their gaze could not help but fall on her too.

    If it were not for Qi Chenglin holding her hand, her legs would have given way. At that moment, their steps were almostpletely in sync.

    She said she wanted things to progress naturally and go with the flow. Was this Qi Chenglin¡¯s idea of natural progression?

    When they entered Qi Chenglin¡¯s office, she could finally let out a sigh of relief, as if she had juste back from a war.

    Although it was difficult, she still inevitably had to go through this. Now that the cat was out of the bag, she felt rather relieved.

    ¡°I was wondering why weren¡¯t you making any moves. I knew you were harboring some bad intentions. You were waiting to do that since morning, weren¡¯t you?¡± Ruan Danchen sat on the sofa and took off her heels. She sat cross-legged on the sofa¡ªit was exceedinglyfortable.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s long, bony fingers opened the box of takeout he ordered and presented it neatly in front of Ruan Danchen. He had always been a cool and haughty man. Even when doing this, he gave off an air of superiority, yet his hands moved elegantly as if the movements had been deeply engraved in his bones. When serving Ruan Danchen, his movements flowed like water in a river. He did not even need to think about it.

    As Qi Chenglin handed her a pair of chopsticks, he asked, ¡°Isn¡¯t this the ¡®natural progression¡¯ you wanted? The truth is, I wanted to pretend to pursue you once again, but whenever I see you, I can¡¯t help but act as we do typically.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®again¡¯? You¡¯re talking as if you¡¯ve pursued me before,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. What he did was stick firmly onto her without giving her a chance to reject him.

    Qi Chenglin nced at her and fed her a small spoon of corn. ¡°When one takes the initiative to make a move, that¡¯s called pursuing. If it weren¡¯t for me taking big steps toward you, Mu Huaisheng would¡¯ve seized the opportunity instead.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen red at him from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Why are you bringing up Mu Huaisheng again?¡±

    ¡°Hispany never had many professional rtions with Qilin, yet he abruptly came all the way here to be our client.¡± Qi Chenglin scoffed. ¡°Does he think I¡¯m stupid?¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not bat an eye about him being overly-cautious. She stuffed a spoonful of corn kernels into his mouth. Then, she suddenly recalled, ¡°Did you deliberately make Special Assistant Jiang buy me medicine too?¡±

    ¡°You said you wanted to go with the flow, so all I did was go against it,¡± Qi Chenglin exined earnestly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was rendered speechless.

    His actions truly were out-of-nowhere.

    Speaking of which, she thought of the nickname he set in her phone. ¡°Hey, what did you set my name as on your phone?¡±

    Qi Chenglin handed his phone to her. ¡°Look for it yourself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took the phone. The fact that he was fully transparent with her warmed her heart.

    After all, most men would never let their girlfriends check their phones.

    Especially when it came to the contacts list and texts¡ªwho knew what kind of dirty secrets their girlfriends might find. Worst yet, they might be cheating.

    Ruan Danchen looked through Qi Chenglin¡¯s entire contacts list ¡ª all the women on the list were those that she knew. They were only women of the Qi family and no one else¡ªnot even Wei Ran¡¯s. This was Qi Chenglin¡¯s private phone, and only those who he was extremely close to knew this phone number.

    Other work-rtedmunications were all handled by Jiang Yuan.

    On this matter, he had the same system as Qi Chengzhi.

    After browsing through his entire contacts list, she scrolled to the entry ¡®Softie¡¯ and clicked into it¡ªit was her phone number. She blushed. She did not ask why did he set her name as Softie, but she knew he must have had some crude thoughts in his mind when he thought of it.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen fully absorbed in his contacts list, Qi Chenglin took a piece of vegetable and fed it to her. ¡°It¡¯s not a novel, how are you looking at it for so long? There are only a few names in my contacts list.¡±

    Although she still had the chopsticks in her hand, her hand did not move. She waited for Qi Chenglin to feed her while she looked through her phone. Suddenly, he turned the screen toward him and asked, ¡°Why did you set Yan Beicheng and the others¡¯ names like this?¡±

    Yan Beicheng was set as Yan Er 1; Han Zhuoli as Han Er; Gui Zhiqian as Gui Er; Wei Ziqi and Wei Zilin as Big Wei and Wei Er respectively, just to differentiate between the two of them; Chu Zhaoyang as Boring Chu.

    Thest one she could understand. Chu Zhaoyang was truly a boring man; he never talked much. She thought the name suited him well.

    Qi Chenglin fed her a piece of meat. ¡°Well, all of them are so dumb and reckless. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m doing them justice if I don¡¯t set their names like that. Besides, it¡¯s so tiring to enter all their names. This is way easier to type and to distinguish between them.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss of words.

    This man seemed to be quite childish sometimes. She wondered if Yan Beicheng and the others knew that he had set their names as these.

    Eventually, she realized that she had not moved her chopsticks in a while, but she was already full after being fed by Qi Chenglin.

    After having lunch, she did not wait for the hallway to be empty like before. Since their rtionship was already out in the open, she could go straight back to her department. Qi Chenglin did not even need to bring her to every department. Gossip spread like wildfire; news of what happened in the afternoon must have spread all over thepany now.

    Even so, Ruan Danchen was a little vexed. She knew everyone would huddle around her and bombard her with questions the moment she returned to the office. The mere thought of it made her yawn.

    Qi Chenglin went out to dispose of the takeout boxes. When he came back, he saw Ruan Danchen slouching on the couch with a troubled expression.

    ¡°If you¡¯re so worried, just don¡¯t go back to the design department this evening,¡± Qi Chenglin advised, smiling.

    Ruan Danchen turned to himzily. ¡°Sometimes I feel like you¡¯ve nted something in my stomach¡ªhow else can you read all my thoughts so well?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve exchanged saliva and I¡¯ve been inside you every night. My fluid is in you, down there. Who knows, maybe they¡¯re doing something in your stomach right now.¡± Qi Chenglin sat down beside her and pressed his elegant hand on her lower abdomen.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt as though her face was burning.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchenzed around, dragging time on. In the end, she waited until lunchtime was over before she returned to the design department. This way, her colleagues would not be able to crowd around her asking her questions. As for their stares, she quickly forgot about them when she buried her head deep in work.

    Not longter, Yao Jingfei received a call from human resources, requesting her to head to the department.

    After an hour or so, all the employees received an email; Yao Jingfei had lost her position in thepany. Tomorrow, a new assistant designer would take her ce.

    After a few minutes, Yao Jingfei came back with a dark expression. She red at Ruan Danchen murderously. ¡°You really are wicked!¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not care; Yao Jingfei was a troublemaker and in no way a productive worker. Ruan Danchen did not mind her being fired at all.

    Only then did her colleagues understand why Manager Zou was so kind to Ruan Danchen all this while and why Ruan Danchen was brave enough to dismiss Yao Jingfei.

    Turned out, she was not backed by Mrs. Qi, but the general manager himself.

    When Ruan Danchen first applied, there were already rumors going around that Yao Jingfei was extremely discourteous with Ruan Danchen. Could it be that the general manager shifted Yao Jingfei into this department just to get on her nerves?

    In the end, the entire design department did not get much work done that day. Although their eyes were on theirputers, their minds were fully upied by the gossip and drama that unfolded today.

    When working hours ended, Ruan Danchen started tidying up her desk. Suddenly, she heard Manager Zou greeting, ¡°General Manager.¡±

    Shocked, Ruan Danchen looked up abruptly¡ªQi Chenglin was standing at the doorway. He nodded at Manager Zou. Manager Zou swiftly moved out of his way and thus, Qi Chenglin entered the office.

 Chapter 380 - Why Would You Buy Me a Toy like That? Seriously, What Were You Thinking?

    <strong>Chapter 380: Why Would You Buy Me a Toy like That? Seriously, What Were You Thinking?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen hastily shoved her things into her bag. She did not want to waste any time, as Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence intimidated everyone.

    Qi Chenglin kept quite. His lips were curled into a secret smile and his expression, as he watched her buzz about, was soft. He took her hand into his, grabbing her attention.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you wait in the car?¡± Ruan Danchen whispered.

    ¡°You already promised to marry me, so why should I keep hiding in the car?¡± Qi Chenglin replied.

    As he did not care for whispering, quite a number of people overheard his statement.

    Ruan Danchen was utterly embarrassed. Her face burnt like hot pepper.

    The couple went into the elevator and descended to the first floor, where more people saw them. Ruan Danchen felt the skin of her scalp prickle. ¡°Brother. Sister-inw.¡±

    Before turning around to greet Qi Chengyue, Ruan Danchen shot Qi Chenglin a re. It was obvious that the two had nned this from the beginning.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s words had officially stated Ruan Danchen¡¯s status for all members of thepany to hear.

    As she walked toward them, she shot Qi Chenglin a wink. Cheng Dongge nced at her in amusement. Qi Chengyue pointed out, ¡°You two had caused quite a stir in thepany today.¡±

    Ruan Danchen thought of Yao Jingfei and asked, ¡°Is Board Member Yao okay with what happened to Yao Jingfei today?¡±

    ¡°I heard from human resources that when they fired her, she caused a huge scene at the office. In the end, Board Member Yao came in and dragged her out. He must have thought her actions to be utterly humiliating. Anyhow, she¡¯s still on probation, so thepany has all the right to fire her,¡± Qi Chengyue stated indifferently. ¡°Even if Board Member Yao is discontent, what can he do? So, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    The four of them headed to the car park. Suddenly, Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang. It was a number she was not familiar with, but the code showed that it was andline within the city.

    She suspected it to be a spam call, but she picked up anyway. Right after she said hello, she heard the all too familiar voice of Liu Ronghua. ¡°Danchen, it¡¯s me.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruan Danchen asked distantly. Her heart sank a little.

    For thest time Liu Ronghua sought out Ruan Danchen, she had made sure that it would be thest. Qi Chenglin had made sure to silently tug some strings, ensuring that the Shen family were ced in a pickle.

    Ever since, the Shen family business had not been progressing well. Though thepany was not ced in a dire situation, thepany¡¯s very foundations had been affected. Their losses had been substantial. They even had problems retaining clients, who had always seemed to abandon them the moment discussions began.

    They knew that this was Qi Chenglin¡¯s way of warning them, without the hassle of an appearance. The message was clear: stay away from Ruan Danchen.

    Consequently, Shen Jialiang and his daughter maintained their expression of displeasure when speaking to Liu Ronghua. They instantly interrogated her about her exchange with Ruan Danchen. Their goal was for Liu Ronghua to rekindle her rtionship with Ruan Danchen, not to further ruin it.

    Liu Ronghua was enraged by the idea. It was the Shen family¡¯s idea to force her to plead with Ruan Danchen, but when something went wrong all the me fell onto Ruan Danchen.

    When she did well, they had never praised her or expressed even a hint of gratitude. However, when she did anything that displeased them, they would condemn her andbel her as an idiot.

    Liu Ronghua clenched her teeth. She swallowed her wrath and asked cautiously, ¡°Danchen, are you with Qi Chenglin?¡±

    At that time, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge had said goodbyes and got into their car.

    Ruan Danchen entered the Mercedes and sat in the front passenger seat. Composedly, she inquired, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t Chinese New Year just around the corner?¡± Liu Ronghua had pped on a forced smile while holding the phone. ¡°So, I wanted to ask you toe home for New Year. Mom really wants to have a nice reunion dinner. Danchen, don¡¯t keep away. Pleasee home, so that we can have a nice and rambunctious family dinner. Wouldn¡¯t that be great? Please don¡¯t spend your New Year alone again; mom is worried about you. Didn¡¯t you also say that you don¡¯t wish to spend New Year alone again? It breaks my heart to think that you are spending New Year all by yourself!¡±

    Liu Ronghua kept on smiling rigidly; she tried her best to maintain a loving tone. ¡°When youe home for Chinese New Year, we can watch the Spring Festival G together, y with firecrackers together, have a reunion dinner, and wee the new year while eating dumplings together. Wouldn¡¯t that be great? Isn¡¯t that what you¡¯ve always wanted?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was no idiot. She knew that the home Liu Ronghua kept on mentioning was the Shen family¡¯s home. She suggested, ¡°It¡¯s true that I don¡¯t want to spend Chinese New Year alone, so why don¡¯t we go out? Let¡¯s not spend New Year in that house. The two of us can spend New Year together. Even if it¡¯s at a restaurant, I¡¯ll still be happy to have a reunion dinner with you.¡±

    ¡°Danchen...¡± Liu Ronghua hesitated.

    Ruan Danchen turned to Qi Chenglin, who was opening the car door. Time had flown by so quickly, without her realizing, Chinese New Year was already around the corner. She was not mentally prepared at all.

    She had been living afortable and blissful life with Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxaun for so long that she had grown ustomed to this perfect life. She hadpletely forgotten about her own family and New Year.

    She was not part of the Qi family yet. On New Year¡¯s Eve, Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxan would surely leave for the old mansion and she would be left alone, again. Only this time, it just might be even more depressing for her.

    As she pondered her answer, her phone was suddenly snatched away. Startled, Ruan Danchen turned to see Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegantly long fingers wrap around her phone.

    Her phone, like many other popr phones, had arge disy. The phone was huge but in Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands, it appeared rather lightweight.

    ¡°On New Year¡¯s Eve, Danchen ising to the Qi family¡¯s home with me,¡± Qi Chenglin announced coldly.

    Liu Ronghua was shocked by the sudden change in speaker. It took her a long while to finally realize that it was Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice. Her lips trembled.

    ¡°Qi¡ª¡± she stuttered, lips trembling. Qi Chenglin did not want to hear it; he hung up immediately.

    He tossed the phone aside and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. ¡°What was she thinking? Has she forgotten about me? Why did she think you¡¯ll spend New Year¡¯s Eve alone?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned too. She must have been crazy to think that. There was no way Qi Chenglin would abandon her on New Year¡¯s Eve.

    Ruan Danchen was utterly touched. She turned to look at Qi Chenglin as he drove. From the side, he still looked gruff. Even from the side, his features looked exceedingly attractive. Ruan Danchen thought that she had never seen such a perfect side-profile; it was utterly unique and devastatingly debonair.

    ¡°If you keep seducing me with your eyes, we¡¯ll end up in an ident,¡± Qi Chenglin teased. He squeezed her hand tightly; his sizzling hot palm pressed against the back of her hand. His fingers slid through hers and rubbed against her palm.

    His rubbing was ticklish for Ruan Danchen; she wanted to pull her hand away but he held on tight, refusing to let go. With her fingers entangled between his long, slender fingers, she had no way of shaking his hand off.

    ...

    ...

    At night, when Ruan Danchene out from a shower, she saw Qi Chenglin sitting cross-legged on the bed. On the rug beside the bed, there was a box.

    Ruan Danchen was bbergasted. With all that happened that day, she hadpletely forgotten about this.

    Qi Chenglin turned to her with a faint smile. His gaze was ridiculing, but she held her ground, maintaining her innocence.

    Qi Chenglin did not bring it up in the afternoon either, so she had forgotten about it.

    ¡°Come here,¡± Qi Chenglin orderedposedly.

    However, the calmer Qi Chenglin was, the more distressed Ruan Danchen became. She gazed into his deep, dark eyes, which did not exhibit much emotion, yet it carried the weight of authority found in the head of households.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed nervously. Tugging on her pajamas, she slowly shuffled toward him.

    Just as she ced one knee onto the bed, Qi Chenglin grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto hisp. His muscr arms wrapped around her, pulling her into his tight embrace. ¡°Why would you buy me a toy like that? Seriously, what were you thinking?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shuffled around and made herself at home in his embrace; her arms encircling his waist while she rubbed her face against his lower abdomen. A fierce me burnt in Qi Chenglin¡¯s stomach. He was so close to giving in to his urges and losing to her.

    He realized that Ruan Danchen¡¯s seduction skills had improved drastically. She had be an expert at teasing him. Noticing this, Qi Chenglin raised his hand and pped her butt with his huge palm. ¡°Stop messing around.¡±

    Ruan Danchen merely twitched and theny t on his abdomen again. She mumbled, ¡°Urgh, I don¡¯t know what came over me either. When Youxuan asked for a Christmas present, I thought I should get you one too.¡±

    Her arms wrapped around his waist; she nipped at his clothes from behind with her gentle fingers. She pinched and poked at the small of his back, and, when she got bored of doing that, she proceeded to draw circles with her finger. Qi Chenglin tensed. He looked down to see a muddled expression on her face.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know why, but, for some reason, I recalled the night I went online to look for a blowup doll for you and the more I thought about it, the more excited I became to see the look on your face when you receive it. I did it in the heat of the moment and immediately after, I regretted it. Nheless, I can¡¯t just let my money go to waste right? So, just keep it ¡ª there¡¯s always going to be a few days in a month when I can¡¯t do it, so if you¡¯re horny, you don¡¯t have topromise by having to use your hand.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not take it any longer, he never realized that she could think of something like that!

    Evidently, she had adopted some of Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheekiness.

    ¡°So, you think using this is notpromising?¡± Qi Chenglin scoffed. His eyes darted to the cardboard box and he pouted.

    At that moment, an image of Qi Chenglin using that toy appeared in Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind ¡ª it was trulypromising.

    It even triggered a hint of jealousy in her for some reason.

    Although that thing was not an actual human, she still could note to terms with him holding it in his embrace.

    The second she thought about that image, she dered, ¡°I¡¯ll throw it out first thing in the morning.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not bothered about wasting your money anymore?¡± Qi Chenglin questioned, raising an eyebrow at her. He recalled the day she was browsing the web searching for it ¡ª he had caught a nce of the screen and thought, ¡®Those look very well made. The cheapest would still be a few thousand yuan.¡¯

    He reckoned that she was genuinely trying to find something close to a real human being so it would not feel like apromise.

    The thought of that made Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitch.

    ¡°No, not anymore,¡± Ruan Danchen sighed and tightened her grip around his waist. ¡°Even though it¡¯s just a doll, it still has the face of another woman ¡ª I can¡¯t ept that.¡±

    Qi Chenglin burst outughing. He had never expected her to be such a jealous woman.

    ¡°I can¡¯t get hard for anyone else anyway,¡± Qi Chenglin stated, smirking.

    Ruan Danchen did not look up. She thought that he was just joking, yet suddenly, she felt something pushing against her face which was pressed against his thigh. Her face turnedpletely red. Moreover, Qi Chenglin reached down and ced his hands on the back of her head, holding her head down.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin!¡± Ruan Danchen yelled weakly. Her face was so hot that she felt she was going to explode.

    Qi Chenglin picked her up and flipped her onto the bed with him on top of her. ¡°During those few days each month, you¡¯ll just have to use your hands.¡±

    ¡°No one would do that for you,¡± Ruan Danchen grunted. Hearing that, Qi Chenglin grabbed her hand and ced it on his crotch.

    She inhaled deeply. Suddenly, the savage on top of her said, ¡°I can teach you if you don¡¯t know how to do it. From tomorrow afternoon onward, you should practice diligently so you can gain more experience.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was utterly speechless.

    Just as she opened her mouth, Qi Chenglin pushed his lips against hers. With her voice muffled, she could not even get a proper sentence out.

    ...

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen was looking for tape to seal the box and toss it out. Although as hard as she tried, she could not locate the tape. .

    Just then, Aunt Zheng walked into the living room yawning. Seeing Ruan Danchen rummaging through the TV cab drawers, she inquired, ¡°What are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Tape. Is there none in the house?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she turned to Aunt Zheng, tucking her loose hair behind her ears.

    ¡°Let me see. I could have sworn I kept it in the TV cab. If it¡¯s not there then we must¡¯ve ran out. We don¡¯t use tape much ¡ª it takes years to finish a single roll,¡± Aunt Zheng mumbled to herself as she approached Ruan Danchen. Suddenly, she pped her thighs and said, ¡°Ah, now I remember! Youxuan needs it for his arts and crafts ss but he keeps forgetting to bring it, so I let him keep it at school instead.¡±

    Aunt Zheng turned to Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°What do you need the tape for?¡±

    Obviously, Ruan Danchen did not tell her the truth, she merely stated, ¡°I just need it to seal a box. If we don¡¯t have it then never mind.¡±

    The box was not small. She would need one of those big ck garbage bags to fit it in. However, there was none at home. She looked at the time; it was half past six. It was still early. There were not many people outside, so if she moved cautiously, she should be able to dispose of it without anyone noticing. Thus, she asked Aunt Zheng to prepare breakfast and she rushed back to the bedroom.

    Qi Chenglin was awake. Even so, he was toozy to get up, so he kept lying on the bed, drifting in and out of sleep. When she ran back into the room, he opened his eyes and mumbled, ¡°Why are you running around so early in the morning?¡±

    Embarrassed, Ruan Danchen replied, ¡°There are not many people outside; I¡¯ll quickly get rid of this without anyone noticing.¡±

    Qi Chenglin snickered. ¡°You were brave enough to buy it, yet you don¡¯t have the guts to toss it out?¡±

    Ruan Danchen picked up the box, her fingers trying their best to keep it closed. She was already too embarrassed to look at the doll inside. Even though it was deted, if that thing were to be exposed, Ruan Danchen would be humiliated to death.

    ¡°Well, when I bought it, I thought that I won¡¯t be seeing anyone from that shop ever again, and I won¡¯t go back to that area again anyway. But now, we¡¯re surrounded by our neighbors, who I¡¯m guaranteed to run into them again someday. It would be horrible if they misunderstood anything.¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    Hearing that, Qi Chenglin thought that Qi Youxuan¡¯s ability toe up with the most bizarre exnations was definitely inherited from Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Enough talking. I¡¯m going to throw this out while it¡¯s still early,¡± Ruan Danchen said as she stumbled down the stairs with the box in her arms.

    Noticing that Aunt Zheng was still in the kitchen, she bolted for the door.

    She took the elevator down to the first floor. She scanned the area. Luckily, there was no one. Just as she was going to throw the box into the garbage bin, a voice called out from behind. ¡°Miss Ruan, you¡¯re up early!¡±

    Feeling like she was caught red-handed, Ruan Danchen trembled in shock. She turned to see that it was Aunt Wang, who lived in the unit below them and was good friends with Aunt Zheng.

    When Ruan Danchen went to buy groceries with Aunt Zheng, they ran into her, so Ruan Danchen and her were acquainted.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruan Danchen replied. Staggered, she identally loosened her fingers, allowing the box to open, revealing one-third of the content.

    Aunt Wang nced at the box instinctively. However, she could not tell what was inside.

    Ruan Danchen was utterly humiliated. She did not know what to say.

    ¡°Hehehehehehe!¡± Aunt Wangughed, shooting Ruan Danchen an extremely suggestive gaze. Then, she left.

    Ruan Danchen could not utter a word.

    She worried about how Aunt Wang would think about Qi Chenglin from now on.

    When Ruan Danchen returned, Qi Chenglin had already washed up and changed. He was sitting in the dining room, waiting for breakfast. She did not dare mention the incident to him but merely looked at him with an odd expression. She turned away guiltily.

    Qi Chengzhi raised his eyebrows. He wondered what was up with her now.

    Aunt Wang did not keep her mouth shut for Ruan Danchen. Qi Chenglin¡¯s ¡®sexual interest and strong taste¡¯ had slipped out and bemon knowledge.

    When Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen came home from work, even Aunt Zheng looked at Qi Chenglin with a suspicious gaze.

    Aunt Zheng could not look him in the eye for days. Qi Chenglin was perplexed for the longest time.

    On the fourth day of Chinese New Year, when they met up with Yan Beicheng and the others, Ruan Danchen had a little too much to drink and was so engrossed in their conversation that in the heat of the moment, she identally let it slip. Only then did Qi Chenglin find out that he had been a scapegoat this whole time. His expression darkened. Naturally, Yan Beicheng and the others did not let him off the hook so easily; he was teased and mocked relentlessly.

    ...

    ...

    On Saturday, Ruan Danchen had fully recovered from her cold. There was not a trace of it left. Thus, before heading to the old mansion, they went to visit Song Yu at the confinement center.

    By the time Song Yu was done with her confinement and could bring Little Youjin home, New Year¡¯s Eve would already be around the corner.

    ording to the schedule published for the Spring Festival holiday, the seven-day holiday would start on the first day of Chinese New Year. Even so, Qilin allowed out-of-town employees to leave earlier. However, those from within the city had to keep working, including Qi Chenglin.

    Both him and Ruan Danchen had to work, so Qi Youxuan was sent to the old mansion early in the morning.

    At around three o¡¯clock in the evening, Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone rang.

    The phone number disyed on her screen looked quite familiar; it was from within the city.

    She guessed that it was the Shen family¡¯s home phone number. She declined the call instantly. Then, she looked through her call history. It was indeed their number.

    Immediately after, her phone rang again. It was a different number this time. The number was not in her contact list.

    Ruan Danchen declined the call too, thinking it was Liu Ronghua trying to convince her to go back to the Shen family¡¯s home again.

 Chapter 381 - This Is Shen Zhijing. Your Mother Got in a Car Accident

    <strong>Chapter 381: This Is Shen Zhijing. Your Mother Got in a Car ident</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen declined the call too, thinking it was Liu Ronghua trying to convince her to go back to the Shen family¡¯s home again.

    After that, her phone did not ring anymore. However, not long after, she received a text.

    [This is Shen Zhijing. Your mother was involved in a car ident.]

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart stopped, she suddenly felt cold and she shivered. Without thinking, she grabbed her phone and bolted out of the office. She dashed to a secluded area and dialed the number.

    ¡°You¡¯re finally willing to talk to me,¡± Shen Zhijing¡¯s voice was cold and contemptuous.

    ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of that text?¡± Ruan Danchen asked coldly.

    ¡°It means exactly what it says. Your mother got into a car ident. She broke her leg. She¡¯s resting at home now. She needs a wheelchair and all that,¡± Shen Zhijing stated indifferently. There was not a shred of empathy in her tone. Instead, she snickered, ¡°She¡¯s already in this state, are you still not going toe visit her? Sitting in a wheelchair on New Year¡¯s Eve... Just so you know, none of us will take care of her.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not reply. She hung up immediately and leaned against the frigid wall.

    When she dashed out, she did not grab her coat; she only had a thin sweater on. Most of B City used central heating systems Qilin was no exception. Despite that, the heat did not reach the stairwell.

    The frostiness of the wall prated her sweater, making her back sting with pain.

    If Liu Ronghua was truly in a car ident, there was no way Ruan Danchen would not be worried. After contemting it for a while, she finally called Qi Chenglin.

    At that time, Qi Chenglin was in a meeting. When he received her call, he smiled. He was just upstairs, yet she still chose to call him. Even so, it amused him to know that she was only a few steps away, but they stillmunicated through their phones.

    ¡°We¡¯ll pause for a while,¡± Qi Chenglin announced. He then left the meeting room and answered her call, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°Chenglin, Shen Zhijing told me my mother got in an ident and broke her leg. I want to visit her at the Shen family¡¯s home,¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    Qi Chenglin furrowed his brows. He was suspicious of Shen Zhijing¡¯s words. ¡°Everything was fine before. Why would something like this happen so suddenly? And on this day specifically?¡±

    ¡°I thought that she might be lying to me too, but, nheless, I should still pay her a visit. I can¡¯t rest easy otherwise. I believe that no matter how vile they are, they still wouldn¡¯t joke about something like this,¡± Ruan Danchen reckoned, but she sounded a little doubtful herself.

    Nevertheless, Qi Chenglin did not stop her. ¡°I¡¯ll drive you there.¡±

    ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t. If they see you, who knows what kind of tricks they¡¯ll y on you again. I¡¯m just informing you so you won¡¯t panic if you can¡¯t find me in the office. Besides, who knows how long I¡¯ll have to stay there. You don¡¯t have to wait for me. If I can¡¯t make it for dinner in the old mansion, please apologize to everyone for me. You can¡¯t skip the reunion dinner, so please go back to the old mansion,¡± Ruan Danchen instructed. She was worried that he would insist on sending her there and be dyed. Therefore, she suggested, ¡°If you¡¯re still worried, you can ask Xiao Yang to drive me there.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not promise her anything, he merely uttered, ¡°Okay, got it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen asked for leave from Manager Zou, and Xiao Yang then sent her to the Shen family¡¯s home.

    Xiao Yang did not know of her connection with the Shen family but he did not ask either. He stopped the car in front of the Shen family¡¯s house and waited outside just as Qi Chenglin ordered.

    Ruan Danchen rang the doorbell. After a while, Aunt Lee came out.

    Ruan Danchen had only seen Aunt Lee once; that was seven years ago. Aunt Lee was especially courteous toward her, but she had no idea if it was out of sympathy or merely something she had to do. However, when Aunt Lee saw Xiao Yang, who was standing by the car, she hastily invited Ruan Danchen in.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect that, after all these years, she would step into this house again. An indescribable coldness filled her heart. From the moment she entered the courtyard, she was gued by a feeling of unease.

    ¡°Danchen, you finally came back,¡± a familiar voice called out, just as Ruan Danchen entered the mansion. Immediately after, someone grabbed her hand.

    Her eyes widened as she stared at the woman in front of her.

    The woman was wearing a festive red Tang jacket. Her makeup looked exquisite and the hand holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s had nails painted a bright red. She gave off a strong air of joy and vitality. She looked nothing like someone who had broken her leg in a car ident. She stood just fine on her two legs.

    Ruan Danchen widened her eyes so much that her eyeballs were going to fall out. Her eyes stung and her vision started to turn blurry. She was utterly infuriated.

    ¡°Just to trick me toe here, you would jinx yourself into breaking your legs in a car ident?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were trembling. She stared at Liu Ronghua; her heart filled with disappointment she could never put into words.

    Just to achieve her goal of duping her intoing back, she was even willing to treat her body like a joke.

    ¡°Danchen, I had no other choice. If I hadn¡¯t done this, would you havee?¡± Liu Ronghua put on her helpless and pitiable face. She held on tight to Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and smiled lovingly. ¡°Come on in. Aunt Lee is making dumplings. Since you¡¯re already here,e in and have dinner with us.¡±

    Ruan Danchen pulled her hand away violently. She was so angry that she startedughing. ¡°Why would I ever have dinner here? Mom, from the day I was born ¡ª apart from the times you needed me ¡ª have you ever thought of me as your daughter? Oh, wait, even when you were using me, you never thought of me as your daughter. If you did, you never would have exploited me. Mom, do you even love anyone besides yourself?¡±

    ¡°Danchen¨C¡± Liu Ronghua called out but was interrupted instantly.

    ¡°Danchen, we want you toe home too. We can all sit together and discuss this as a family. We never would have used this to trick you if you would just give us a chance.¡± Shen Jialiang approached Ruan Danchen with Shen Zhijing following beside him.

    Ruan Danchen did not look at him. She stared at Liu Ronghua and snickered disappointedly. ¡°It seems like you joining the Shen family has been pretty great for you; you allpliment each other perfectly. Every one of you is equally selfish. You don¡¯t love anyone but yourselves.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, how could you say that?! It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve. Won¡¯t it be great to have reunion dinner together? We want you to have a family too.¡± Liu Ronghua reached for Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, but she quickly moved her hands away and shuffled backwards to the door.

    ¡°Chenglin has already given me a family. It¡¯s not something I¡¯mcking in,¡± Ruan Danchen uttered in a distant tone. She turned to Shen Jialiang, ¡°Shen Jialiang, did she not exin it to you clearly? Well, if that¡¯s the case, I¡¯ll make things clear right now. I know your goals well, but I¡¯ll never agree to do it. In this life, don¡¯t you even think about using me to fix your rtionship with the Qi family again.¡±

    Ruan Danchen snickered and shook her head scornfully. ¡°What is the point of tricking me intoing here? I¡¯m never going to agree to this. You won¡¯t use Youxuan¡¯s identity to threaten me, now will you? If you do, Shen Zhijing¡¯s image would be utterly ruined. Nheless, if you dare expose Youxuan¡¯s identity, not only Qi Chenglin, but the entire Qi family will want revenge. So, at the end of the day, all you have is my mother¡¯s position here to threaten me, right?¡±

    Shen Jialiang squinted. His displeasure was evident in his expression.

    Ruan Danchen sneered, ¡°I don¡¯t need whatever high status you are offering me. If you want to rat me out to the Qi family then go ahead. I won¡¯t be able to marry Qi Chenglin and your family won¡¯t be able to gain anything from the Qi family. You would think that you can threaten me with that, but, in truth, it won¡¯t do your family any good either.¡±

    ¡°Danchen, can you not say that we are using you?¡± Liu Ronghua requested softly. ¡°All we want is for you to join this family, and we can all live happily ever after. Wouldn¡¯t that be great? If you help me, I can have a family again. We both can have a family.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve always had a family, but you didn¡¯t want it.¡± Ruan Danchen red at Liu Ronghua. ¡°Are you saying a mother and daughter can¡¯t be family? I¡¯ve never stopped you from trying to form aplete family. I wanted you to be happy too, but happiness what you really want? In these seven years, don¡¯t you think you¡¯ve lived a happy life?¡±

    Liu Ronghua opened her mouth, but no words came out.

    Ruan Danchen sniffled, ¡°Did you even think about how worried I was on the way here, thinking that you had broken your leg in a car ident and now wheelchair bound? I abandoned my work and rushed all the way here, just to find out that you lied to me. Of course you had never thought about that! You have never thought about my feelings anyway.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath. Her breaths were shaking as she started choking up. ¡°I don¡¯t want anything to do with the Shen family. If the Shen family wants me to take advantage of Chenglin, I would rather stay single for the rest of my life and die a lonely woman. Back then, you forced me to exploit him once, I¡¯ll never give you another chance to do that again!¡±

    Ruan Danchen identally let a single tear spill out. She wiped it away hastily and started at Shen Jialiang coldly. ¡°Shen Jialiang, did I make myself clear? I am a woman of my word. If you have the guts, go ahead and tell the world. As long as I know Chenglin loves me, and that my son is living a good life, that¡¯s enough for me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen kept wiping her tears. ¡°It¡¯s quite unlucky for Chenglin to have a girlfriend like me! I dragged him into this, I wronged him. I don¡¯t have the power to help him, so when I can help protect him by doing something small like this, I will do it! I won¡¯t allow you to seed.¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned to Liu Ronghua onest time. ¡°Enjoy your reunion dinner tonight.¡±

    Having said that, she turned to leave.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s face was nched. She flinched when she heard Ruan Danchen m the door. With her eyes filled with tears, she turned to Shen Jialiang. ¡°Jialiang, you saw it yourself. She has made up her mind; it¡¯s futile for you to try and change things.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t she say she didn¡¯t mind?¡± Shen Jialiang fumed, clenching his teeth. ¡°Well then, since she doesn¡¯t want to help us, we don¡¯t have to keep her secret either.¡±

    ¡°Jialiang, what are you nning?¡± Liu Ronghua asked anxiously.

    ...

    ...

    When Ruan Danchen exited the mansion, she noticed that it was snowing.

    She had not been in there for long. She guessed that it must have started snowing the moment she stepped through the doorway.

    Ruan Danchen looked up. As the tiny snowkesnded on her cheeks, they melted away almost immediately, turning into small pearls of water, cooling her face. She felt a lot more awake.

    She wiped away the tears and melted snow and wondered if her eyes were still red. She did not want Xiao Yang to see her like that.

    She took a few unsteady breaths and let herself calm down a little before walking out of the courtyard.

    To her surprise, the person standing by the car waiting for her was not Xiao Yang but was Qi Chenglin.

    He was still wearing his dapper suit with a ck overcoat on top of it. He stood tall under the falling snow. Snowkes gently floated onto his hair and his shoulders, the individual specks of white could be seen clearly against the ck of his hair and coat.

    The heart that Ruan Danchen emptied out in the Shen family¡¯s home just now was instantly filled with warmth. Even as the freezing snow fell on her face and her hands, she did not feel cold.

    She sniffled and strode toward him. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°I was worried, so I came.¡± Qi Chenglin pulled her into his embrace out of habit. ¡°I had set up a time limit. If you took longer than I deemed necessary, I would have gone in for you.¡±

    Hearing that, Ruan Danchen smiled warmly. With his arms around her waist, she instinctively ced her hands onto his muscr arms.

    Qi Chenglin stared at the pale hands ced on his ck coat. Against his coat, her hands were so pale that they appeared to be glowing. As the chalk-white snow floated onto her fair hands, they disappeared instantly, as if they had melted into the white of her hands.

    Qi Chenglin frowned. He took her hands and stuffed them into the pockets of his coat. ¡°Why do you always not wear gloves?¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled faintly. She stared at him intensely, as if he would disappear any second. She had to look at him as much as she could before that happened.

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Qi Chenglin raised an eyebrow at her. He lifted his hand, which had a ck glove on, and swept away the snow on her hair.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head and pressed her face against his chest. She even opened up his overcoat, which was covered in snow, andy on his clean, dry suit instead.

    Due to the insted overcoat, his suit was warm and cozy, making it exceedinglyfortable to lie on.

    Seeing her acting like a child, sticking onto him without a reason, Qi Chenglin gazed at her tenderly and asked, ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing. My mom really did lie to me. She¡¯s not hurt,¡± Ruan Danchenmented. She did not wish for him to know the full reason for her unhappiness.

    ¡°Well, no matter what, it¡¯s still a relief to know that,¡± Qi Chenglin consoled.

    Ruan Danchen nodded. After a while, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car first.¡±

    Only then did Ruan Danchen remember they were still standing outside. She hurriedly got into the car. Xiao Yang had already been sent home for the New Year.

    Sitting in the passenger seat, Ruan Danchen noticed that Qi Chenglin¡¯s face was a little red from the cold. She took her hands out from his pocket and pressed them against his cheeks. ¡°You¡¯ve been waiting for so long outside. Your face is red from the cold.¡±

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. He did not tell her that, although he did not go in, he was still terribly anxious and had been standing outside this whole time. Although he could not see inside, he still craned his neck the entire time.

    ¡°Liar.¡± Ruan Danchen puffed up her cheeks and red at him. She was displeased with him making himself suffer like that.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and squeezed her hands. ¡°When we get home tonight, I have something to show you.¡±

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruan Danchen asked curiously.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we get back.¡± Having said that, he started the engine and drove off. He stole a nce at her and wondered what kind of reaction she would have after seeing it. Hopefully, it would bring her some joy and relief.

    ...

    ...

    When they returned to the old mansion, Song Yu and the others were in the midst of preparing the food for the reunion dinner. Aunt Liu had already returned home for the New Year. She had prepared the dumplings early in the evening.

    Qi Chengyue had returned to Li City with Cheng Dongge for the New Year. Guan Liya was not ustomed to this change yet. In all these years, Qi Chengyue had never spent Chinese New Year away from home before.

    Ruan Danchen speedily took off her coat, washed her hands and headed into the kitchen to help out.

    At night, the reunion dinner was exceedingly rowdy. There were so many people in the Qi family. Everyone sat around a huge round table and filled the room withughter. It was Ruan Danchen¡¯s first time experiencing this. She turned to watch Qi Youxuan y with Qi Youjin, who was being held by Song Yu as he ate. Indulging in the rowdiness, Ruan Danchen wondered if she would still be able to join them next year.

    After dinner, everyone gathered in the living room to watch the Spring Festival G. When it came to the g¡¯s red envelope shake event, Qi Youxuan, the little money-grubber, passed on ying with firecrackers just to win a few yuan.

    Thus, the men of the Qi family all watched calmly as their women yed this game. Qi Youxuan was jumping around shaking as hard as he could. Seeing how exhrated Grandmother Qi was as she shook her phone, Grandfather Qi, who had always cared deeply about his pride, had his interest piqued too. In the end, he could not help but join in the fun.

    Amongst the explosion of firecrackers and the sound from the television, the doorbell rang. Everyone was too busy shaking their phones that none of them heard it. Nheless, Qi Youxuan¡¯s sharp ears picked it up immediately. ¡°The doorbell rang.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at the door and said, ¡°I¡¯ll get it.¡±

    He looked at the video inte and saw that it was Shen Jialiang, Shen Zhijing, and Liu Ronghua. Liu Ronghua still had on her weak and feeble act. Qi Chenglin tutted. She was already so old yet still acted this way.

    After opening the door, he did not wait at the doorway for them to enter. He went back to the living room and announced ndly, ¡°It¡¯s the Shen family.¡±

    Grandmother Qi staggered, ¡°Shen family? Which one?¡±

    ¡°The one you were engaged to?¡± Guan Liya asked before he could reply.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded coolly and returned to his seat beside Ruan Danchen. He grabbed her hand, which had turned to ice. He squeezed firmly and began reassuring her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. In spite of that, she still had trouble breathing, knowing what they were here for.

    Qi Chenglin put his arm around her shoulders and told Qi Youxuan, ¡°Go back to your room and y by yourself for a while.¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked up and blinked at him. Just as he was going to say something, Song Yu came up to him and took his hand. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Qi Chenglin for a while, then closed his mouth and left obediently with Song Yu.

    When walking down the corridor, Qi Youxuan asked Song Yu, ¡°Auntie, are the bad guys here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the bad guys. But don¡¯t worry,¡± Song Yu assured, smiling. ¡°Now that they¡¯ve entered our den, there will be nothing left of them but bones.¡±

    Qi Chenglin tossed his car keys to Qi Chengji and instructed, ¡°Do me a favor and grab the document kept in my car¡¯s glovepartment. I can¡¯t leave right now.¡±

    Qi Chengji did not argue with him; he took the keys and left quietly.

    When he opened the door, Shen Jialiang and the others were standing right in front of him. Seeing Qi Chengji, they were all shocked.

    Qi Chengji did not show much expression. He nodded at them coolly and headed out.

    Shen Jialiang led the group into the house. When he saw Ruan Danchen, he gave her an evil re. Since she would not help them and would not let them benefit, they would not let her live a good life either.

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s n was simple: since their rtionship with the Qi family was already sour, it would be great if they could benefit through Ruan Danchen, however, since Ruan Danchen would not listen to pleads nor threats, they decided that they would expose Ruan Danchen¡¯s past. They had nothing to lose anyway. Shen Jialiang thought that it was not their fault, so the Qi family would not do anything against them, but Ruan Danchen¡¯s perfect life would from then on be ruined.

    Noticing Ruan Danchen frozen in her spot, Shen Jialiang¡¯s lips curled up into an ominous grin. Only then did he turn to Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi and greeted them.

    ¡°Have a seat. It¡¯s New Year¡¯s Eve today, why are all of you here? It¡¯s not time to pay New Year calls yet.¡± Grandmother Qi looked at the three curiously.

    Shen Jialiang chuckled and sat down. ¡°Well, we¡¯re here to see Danchen. It¡¯s Chinese New Year, yet she abandoned us and bolted here to spend her New Year. Her mother feels so dejected.¡±

    ¡°Mother?¡± Guan Liya questioned suspiciously. She looked at Ruan Danchen, then turned to Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Madam Liu here is her mother,¡± Shen Jialiang stated.

    His words made it clear to the Qi family that Liu Ronghua was not Mrs. Shen yet.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s eyes were red. Suddenly, she started crying. The whole Qi family was stunned.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You haven¡¯t said a word and you¡¯ve already started crying. Here, wipe your tears away,¡± Grandmother Qi said, but she did not move to hand her a tissue or anything like that.

 Chapter 382 - Is Danchen Really Your Daughter?

    Chapter 382: Is Danchen Really Your Daughter?

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? You haven¡¯t said a word and already you have started crying. Here, wipe your tears away,¡± Grandmother Qi said, but she did not move to hand her a tissue or anything like that.

    As these visitors are their guests, Grandmother Qi was being courteous to them. This did not mean that she did not notice their hostile aura.

    These three visitors came by suddenly, uninformed. No one with even the slightest decency would pay someone a visit without calling in advance, especially on such a day.

    Besides, Grandmother Qi had regarded Liu Ronghua with contempt. On such a festive day, she hade to their house and cried. Was that not intentionally causing trouble for them? Crying on a Chinese New Year?! It was going to bring bad luck.

    Grandmother Qi was usually very particr about such customs. When she saw Liu Ronghua weeping, she began to sigh silently in her heart.

    Shen Zhijing handed Liu Ronghua a tissue for her to wipe away her tears.

    Liu Ronghua was still sobbing as she tried to dry her eyes. Even after she had wiped away the tears, new tears began to slide down her face.

    ¡°It¡¯s Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve and you¡¯re here at our house. Why did you cry before even uttering a word?¡± Grandmother Qi was frustrated with Liu Ronghua¡¯s fragility.

    No woman in the Qi family was like Liu Ronghua. Grandmother Qi detested such character.

    Liu Ronghua sniffled and said, ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry. I just feel... hurt.¡±

    ¡°This... We¡¯ve not upset you in any way, right? Why did you start crying immediately after sitting down? Looking at you like this upsets me as well,¡± said Grandmother Qi, ncing at Liu Ronghua unamusedly, imitating Cai Ming¡¯s sketch.

    ¡°It¡¯s... It¡¯s Danchen...¡± Liu Ronghua sobbed. Her eyes focused on no one apart from Ruan Danchen. She stretched out her hand to grab Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm but pulled back when she was blocked by Qi Chenglin. She did not dare act rashly under his re.

    ¡°Danchen, I know that you look down on me, seeing that I was not given a ce in the Shen family. Since being in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin, you¡¯ve not visited me and you no longer wish to keep in touch with me. In fact, you¡¯ve also kept your rtionship a secret from me. You don¡¯t even want to celebrate Chinese New Year with me. Instead, you had rather celebrate with the Qi family in secret. I know you feel that I¡¯m an embarrassment, but do you know how much you¡¯ve hurt me? My daughter refuses to acknowledge me. Do you intend to push me away forever? Do you no longer wish to be my daughter? You¡¯re afraid that the Qi family will not ept you, so you¡¯ve concealed your identity, isn¡¯t it? I begged you... I begged you toe home and spend this day with me but you turned me down... Danchen, do you still think of me as your mother? I have to visit someone else¡¯s home just to meet my daughter. I... I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯ve shamed you...¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s blood ran cold. Even when she was embraced by Qi Chenglin, she still felt a chill running throughout her body. Tears rolling down her cheeks and lips quivering, she looked at the person in front of her who suddenly seemed unfamiliar.

    That was her mother?

    Her mother hade to deliberately distort the truth just because she had refused to help the Shen family?

    Ruan Danchen was so shaken that she could not utter a word, allowing Liu Ronghua to further propagate those lies.

    Her left hand was held by Qi Chenglin while her other empty hand was clenched tightly on top of her knee, turning her palm and fingers white.

    As she cried silently, she also felt likeughing out of the blue. That had caused her lips to twist and her hands to tremble uncontrobly.

    ¡°Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, we understand that it¡¯s rude of us to visit at such an inappropriate time. It¡¯s just that Ronghua was so saddened by this that her tears began to fall while eating during the Chinese New Year reunion dinner. I could not bear to see her in distress. So, I brought her over to ask Danchen if she still recognizes Ronghua as her mother,¡± Shen Jialiang said, her voiceced with pain.

    ¡°Ow!¡± Grandmother Qi felt a sudden headache. She furrowed her brows. Her fingers were massaging her temple as she leaned on the sofa limply.

    Guan Liya nced at Ruan Danchen and asked in disbelief, ¡°Danchen, is Madam Liu your mother?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Danchen weakly as she sniffled. Shedding her tears, she found it funny all of a sudden and her lips curled up in a sneer.

    What she said in the Shen Residence was true. She had been prepared for the Shen family to cause her distress. Nheless, she did not expect it to be on such a day, neither did she expect Liu Ronghua to participate in the spreading of such lies

    Seeing that Ruan Danchen did not speak anymore, Shen Jialiang secretly gave Liu Ronghua a jab on her back, urging her to continue.

    ¡°Danchen didn¡¯t even tell me that she¡¯s in a rtionship with Chenglin. She hasn¡¯te home for a long time. Whenever I give her a call, she doesn¡¯t pick up. I had gone to look for her at her formerpany when I missed her. Even so, I didn¡¯t dare let the others know that I¡¯m her mother for fear of embarrassing her. I could only say that I¡¯m her mother¡¯s friend. Only then did I find out that she had resigned for some time and is in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin,¡± Liu Ronghua sobbed, her face filled with tears.

    Beforeing by the Qi family manor, she had removed her makeup. Her bare face looked more haggard as she cried.

    ¡°Danchen, are you hoping that I don¡¯t show up when you and Chenglin get married? You¡¯re afraid that I¡¯ll embarrass you, right? Grandmother Qi, I don¡¯t know what Danchen told you about me, but what she did really hurt me!¡± Liu Ronghua took yet another tissue to wipe her tears. Her eyes were already swollen.

    While massaging her temple, Grandmother Qi let out another groan, before she nced at Liu Ronghua feebly. ¡°Oh, Madam Liu!¡±

    ¡°Grandmother Qi,¡± Liu Ronghua wept pitifully.

    Sitting beside Liu Ronghua, Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing were pleased with the situation but did not express their delight. Instead, they stared coldly at Ruan Danchen.

    If they could not benefit from her rtionship, she would not as well!

    Ruan Danchen must not have expected them to harm her without benefiting themselves!

    That was why she should have just agreed to their condition. Would it not be better for both parties?

    Grandmother Qi sighed again, ¡°Madam Liu, are you Danchen¡¯s biological mother?¡±

    Liu Ronghua was startled and blinked. She seemed to be stunned by Grandmother Qi¡¯s question. After a short while, she resumed crying and wiping away her tears. ¡°Grandmother Qi, what are you talking about? How am I not Danchen¡¯s mother?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯re her biological mother, why aren¡¯t you hoping for the best for your daughter?¡± Grandmother Qi said slowly in a kind tone.

    Qi Chenglin smiled as he caught on to Grandmother Qi¡¯s insinuation.

    However, Liu Ronghua could not make out what she meant. Her tears stopped momentarily. Sniffling, she asked, ¡°How can I not hope for the best for her?¡±

    ¡°Madam Liu, I perceived, from your outpouring, you feel that you are looked down upon. Evenmon families are reluctant to wee someone whose mother is a mistress into their families, let alone a family like ours, isn¡¯t it? You¡¯re aware of this yet youe by without informing us beforehand. The things that you were saying in our presence implied that Danchen is unfilial. She refuses to recognize you as her mother in order to stay with Chenglin. Any family who heard of this will no longer ept Danchen as their daughter-inw, right?¡± Grandmother Qi exined while rubbing her head, seeming to still be in pain.

    Seeing that, Xia Wenna left to bring back a bottle of Wood Lock medicated oil. Grandmother Qi took the medicated oil, poured a few drops on her fingertips, and rubbed it on her temple.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was empty at that moment. She heard Grandmother Qi but did not listen to what she was saying.

    If only she was not too depressed, she could also grasp Grandmother Qi¡¯s implication. Addressing her affectionately as Danchen was an indicator that Grandmother Qi held her in high regard.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen felt a strong arm drape across her shoulders. She knew that it was Qi Chenglin without needing to turn her head around. His body scent had calmed her down slightly. Nevertheless, her body was still trembling.

    Qi Chenglin noticed her ssy eyes and stupefied expression. Her pale face was drenched in silent tears. She could not say anything in her own defense. His heart ached for her. As it was improper to put her on hisp and hug her tightly with the elders around, he closed in on her ear and whispered, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Soon after, Grandmother Qi continued, ¡°A mother in your position, who really thinks for the sake of her daughter, wouldn¡¯t even need her daughter to conceal her identity. She would immediately cover up the truth on her own, fearing that she may hinder her daughter¡¯s happiness. You, on the other hand, have brought along your lover and his daughter to our house. This is to tantly cause us troubles during Chinese New Year!¡±

    ¡°Our Chenglin has a good family background, character and appearance. He also treats his beloved exceptionally well. He is the perfect man for your daughter from every angle. Any mother would usually fight to bring them together. What¡¯s the logic behind pushing away such an opportunity? Madam Liu, are you truly hoping for the best for her?¡±

    At Grandmother Qi¡¯s rationalization, Liu Ronghua instantly evaded her gaze and lowered her head. ¡°I¡¯m genuinely hoping for the best for her! I... I just miss her so much that not being able to celebrate Chinese New Year with my daughter hurts me deeply! Thus, I came here without thinking this through. Grandmother Qi, I¡¯m a straightforward person. Sometimes I speak and act impulsively without much thought. It¡¯s hasty of me toe like this but I really couldn¡¯t meet her had I not done so. She didn¡¯t pick up my calls and refused to meet me when I went to Qilin. I...¡±

    ¡°Madam Liu.¡± Song Yu, who was in Qi Youxuan¡¯s room earlier, walked into the living room. ¡°Do enlighten me. Is it Danchen who refuses to meet you, or you who refuses to meet her?¡±

    Stunned, Liu Ronghua raised her head to look at Song Yu. The Qi family had always been one to keep a low profile. There was seldom news about them; their photographs were also blurry the few times they were in the news. Therefore, Liu Ronghua did not know Song Yu even if she could guess her identity in the family.

    Song Yu returned to her seat next to Qi Chengzhi. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s cold gaze softened instantly. Since she came into the living room, his sight had been on her until she sat down beside him. He held her hand in his and kneaded it unconsciously.

    Shen Zhijing had nothing to do and could not bare to focus solely on Ruan Danchen¡¯s soulless expression. So, she quickly caught sight of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s little action, her eyes shing in jealousy. Why was there no such outstanding man treating her that way?

    When she turned her gaze back to Ruan Danchen and saw Qi Chenglin embracing her tenderly, she fumed.

    Song Yu calmed down a little as the back of her hand was kneaded by Qi Chengzhi. ¡°Madam Liu, do you recognize me?¡±

    ¡°You must be the eldest young master¡¯s wife.¡± Liu Ronghua managed a delicate smile.

    Song Yu added with a smile, ¡°I used to be Danchen¡¯s colleague at her formerpany. In the wholepany, we were closest to each other. Madam Liu, do you not know me?¡±

    ¡°I¨C¡±

    She was cut off by Song Yu, ¡°Madam Liu, didn¡¯t you say that you often went to Chengshi to look for Danchen?¡±

    ¡°I... used to wait for her downstairs,¡± stammered Liu Ronghua.

    Song Yu nodded. ¡°No wonder I¡¯ve not seen you before.¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s lips quivered. She chose not tounch in a hasty response.

    Song Yu continued slowly, ¡°Has it been seven years since Madam Liu lived with the Shen family?¡±

    Liu Ronghua only nodded. She did not answer verbally, not knowing what Song Yu intended to say next.

    Song Yu smiled and said, ¡°I was Danchen¡¯s colleague for three years. She used to celebrate Chinese New Year on her own every year. On the eve, when everyone was enjoying their reunion dinner, she would make dumplings for herself in her rented apartment. There was even a time when, because of an emergency, I went to visit her and found her sitting with her dumplings in front of the television. Madam Liu, if you really wanted to enjoy the reunion dinner with her, why did you leave her alone in her rented apartment then?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Liu Ronghua lowered her gaze, her eyes shifty. ¡°I did ask her toe back with me but she declined. She...¡±

    Even if Liu Ronghua did not exin further, the members of the Qi family who were present understood Ruan Danchen¡¯s reasoning.

    Liu Ronghua did not have any official status in the Shen family. Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing did not seem to be tolerant too. Perhaps, if Shen Jialiang was truly head over heels in love with Liu Ronghua, he would be more epting of her daughter. Unfortunately, that was not the case. Otherwise, why were they still not married to each other? How could he treat her daughter well if he had never loved Liu Ronghua?

    It was obvious that Liu Ronghua desired wealth and her life in the Shen family. Thus, she sacrificed her rtionship with her daughter in order to stay with the Shen family.

    Grandmother Qi almost could not contain her anger. ¡®You have no official status in the Shen family, but you insist on staying with them rather than celebrating Chinese New Year with your daughter. Are you being reasonable?¡¯

    ¡°Although she didn¡¯t return with you, you too didn¡¯t seek her out to celebrate Chinese New Year for all these years. Why did you choose toe by today, crying aloud saying that you miss Danchen when she has finally had the chance to celebrate a proper Chinese New Year?¡± Song Yu clenched her hands tightly before rxing them when Qi Chengzhi began rubbiong soothing circles into them.

    Despite the Song family being bankrupt, her parents were still there for her. She did argue with Yu Qianying sometimes but she knew that Yu Qianying did it out of love. The more loved she was by her parents, the more she detested Liu Ronghua.

    It was unimaginable how there was a mother like Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°I...¡± Liu Ronghua became speechless fleetingly.

    Shen Jialiang¡¯s face turned solemn. He thought to himself, ¡®Even Song Yu has quite a sharp tongue and is difficult to handle. As expected from the Qi family.¡±

    Just when he wanted to start talking, the sound of a door opening could be heard. After a while, they saw Qi Chengjiing in with a file in his hand.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips in distaste, ¡°What took you so long?¡±

    ¡°Just received a call,¡± Qi Chengji answered, handing the file to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin took the file but did not open it. The Qi family was curious about his intent when he asked Qi Chengji to get that file when the Shen family came. They wondered what was inside the file.

    ¡°Madam Liu, let me ask you again. Is Danchen really your daughter?¡± Qi Chenglin questioned coldly.

    Liu Ronghua stared nkly at him, not understanding why he asked her that question. Her eyes glinted and she frowned. ¡°What do you mean? Of course, Danchen is my biological daughter. I carried her for ten months before giving birth to her.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded. He took out the documents from the file and threw a copy near her. ¡°Being a woman who can¡¯t conceive, I wonder how you gave birth to Danchen.¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s face turned pale. Ruan Danchen was astounded and turned to face Qi Chenglin instantly.

    Qi Chenglin pulled her into his arms tofort her. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Trust me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced at Liu Ronghua, refusing to believe that that was the truth. How could she not be Liu Ronghua¡¯s biological daughter? Qi Chenglin must have made that up to trick Liu Ronghua.

    She would rather be Liu Ronghua¡¯s biological daughter than not know who her parents were.

    ¡°I...¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s face turned white. Her lips quivered. ¡°I only became unable to conceive after an ident. I... I gave birth to Danchen. Her father met with an ident when she was born. I was suffering from anxiety and did not concern myself with postnatal care at the time. They are the root cause of my disability.¡±

    Qi Chenglin continued to nod as if epting her excuse. ¡°You used to live in Shuo City, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Liu Ronghua did not answer, not knowing what Qi Chenglin wanted to say.

    ¡°Shuo City is not arge city. It is currently a county-level city. Before bringing Danchen to B City, it was still a small county town. There were only a few hospitals, four of them in total. It¡¯s very easy to conduct an investigation. Based on the timing, we can no longer find Danchen¡¯s birth record. Nheless, you should be pregnant the year before Danchen was born. However, at the time, you were teaching in Shuo City First High School; you were: single, unmarried and without a boyfriend. At that time, getting yourself pregnant before marriage would cost you your teaching career. Moreover, you were not pregnant. I had sent someone to Shuo City First High School to investigate. If there was an unmarried pregnant teacher, there would have been an uproar back then but there wasn¡¯t any. There is an old staff member still teaching at the school who, unfortunately, remembers you. He told us that you were not on leave neither were you pregnant. I would like to know, how could you have given birth to Danchen?¡± mocked Qi Chenglin.

    Liu Ronghua could not stand Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze and panicked. Her eyes were shifty. Her mouth was moving but nothing could be heard.

    Ruan Danchen stared at Liu Ronghua in disbelief. It was hard to ept the truth. The woman whom she called ¡®Mom¡¯ for twenty-six years was not her biological mother?

    Impossible... It was neither a novel nor a drama. Where did such an ident arise from?

    ¡°Mom, tell me. Say something. What... exactly happened?¡± Ruan Danchen cried out.

    ¡°In fact, the easiest way to discern your biological rtionship is through a DNA test. We can see the results at a nce,¡± Qi Chenglin suggested soberly.

    Liu Ronghua shuddered as she sobbed. Suddenly, she looked directly at Ruan Danchen, ¡°Yes! You¡¯re not my biological daughter. You were adopted.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sped Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand. Was that why she had been treated that way?

    That was the reason why Liu Ronghua could use her without feeling guilty about it?

    In her fits of rage, she had used to demand to know if Liu Ronghua was her biological mother; she understood now. Liu Ronghua had used her time and time again without guilt because she was not her daughter. Liu Ronghua could sacrifice her in any way she wanted for her own gain.

    ¡°Twenty-six years! You¡¯re only telling me now that you¡¯re not my mom? You¡¯ve never considered me as your daughter, did you? Otherwise, you would have never done those things to me, right?¡±

    ¡°Danchen, how can you put it this way? I¡¯ve raised you for so many years! Without me, do you think you can grow into what you¡¯re now? I gave you food and sent you to school, didn¡¯t I? Although we¡¯re not biologically rted, I still raised you. What¡¯s wrong with asking you for some help? Can¡¯t you just treat it as repaying me? Seven years ago, you asked me if you owed me anything. Let me tell you now. Yes!¡± Liu Ronghua replied resentfully.

    ¡°I picked you up from the roadside. You wereying in a box, covered with a nket. I pitied you and brought you home with me. I was young at the time. I had just graduated from school. I didn¡¯t even have a boyfriend. Every time I dated, my boyfriend would break it off with me when they found out about you. You were an obstruction to my many unrealized dreams. Despite these, I raised you up without abandoning you. I¡¯ve done my duty to you! We¡¯re not rted in any way, yet I treated you well. Don¡¯t you think that you owe me for that? If not for you, I would have been married to a good man already. Unlike now, having to beg you pitifully for a status.¡±

    _________

    Author¡¯s Note:

    I have written two supplementary editions. One is the story of Chengzhi and Song Yu during their younger days. It includes an exnation for everyone¡¯s question: Why did Chengzhi fall in love with Song Yu, and why did he start loving her at such a young age. Another story is about Little Youjin and his wife. His wife¡¯s identity is considered a credit cookie. You will find out after reading it~

 Chapter 383 - Her Family Background Is Crystal Clear

    <h4>Chapter 383: Her Family Background Is Crystal Clear</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua clutched onto her intricate red tang jacket. ¡°I¡¯ve spent my prime on you. Is it wrong to ask for something in return? Even if my biological children treated me badly, others will consider them to be unfilial. I¡¯ve raised you up into an adult. Don¡¯t you think that you owe me for that?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned pale. Her body swayed, seeming to copse at any moment. Qi Chenglin had his arm wrapped around her to support her.

    ¡°Do you really think she¡¯s in your debt? Anything owed has already been repaid in full earlier on,¡± said Qi Chenglin coldly. ¡°The things that she was made to do is sufficient. Since you¡¯re feeling so much grief, why not let her go? You¡¯re not her biological mother, so there¡¯ll be nothing between you anymore. You¡¯ll both be free.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not enough! The things that she did was insufficient to repay me! She owed it to me, she owed it to me! She should help me!¡± Liu Ronghua shrieked hysterically.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips were pursed solemnly. After a short while, they curled down and he asked mockingly, ¡°Was Danchen really picked up from the roadside?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Liu Ronghua answered without a doubt.

    Qi Chenglin sneered, ¡°Do you think we believe that? Seeing that you¡¯re such a selfish person, did you really have enoughpassion to bring home a baby from the roadside? Let alone being so young at that time, just at the right age to enjoy yourself. Even being over forty years old now, you still look delicate, hoping that your man and daughter can get things done for you all the time. Were you really keen on looking after another when you can¡¯t even take good care of yourself?¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned her gaze towards Liu Ronghua absentmindedly.

    Liu Ronghua could not keep her face straight when she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s question. ¡°Who are Danchen¡¯s biological parents?¡±

    Although Qi Chenglin did not have any proof to show that Liu Ronghua might know something about Ruan Danchen¡¯s biological parents, he just felt it in his gut that she had some idea about that.

    ¡°She was picked up! Adopted! I don¡¯t know who her parents are!¡± Liu Ronghua insisted. ¡°I¡¯m the one who raised her up, painstakingly.¡±

    Liu Ronghua stared at Ruan Danchen. ¡°Danchen, you cannot be so heartless. I have done so much for you. You cannot just turn your back on me like this.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had always felt that even if Liu Ronghua did not consider her as her daughter, Liu Ronghua was nevertheless her biological mother. That gave Ruan Danchen something to hold on to.

    However, the thing that she had been clinging onto was nonexistence. Seeing Liu Ronghua¡¯s hysterical expression, Ruan Danchen felt that the woman in front of her was sinister. The only reason for Liu Ronghua¡¯s refusal to let her go was her ability to provide Liu Ronghua with more benefits.

    In Liu Ronghua¡¯s mind, Ruan Danchen could never ever repay her debt. She would only consider Ruan Danchen¡¯s debt fully paid off after Ruan Danchen was sucked dry.

    Ruan Danchen stiffened. She watched as Liu Ronghua moved closer to her, her face growing bigger in her eyes every second. Liu Ronghua¡¯s shriek rang in her ears, repetitively telling her that she owed it to Liu Ronghua.

    Ruan Danchen felt suffocated. She could not get enough air even with her mouth open wide. Liu Ronghua¡¯s voice faded and she cked out.

    Ruan Danchen could not let herself faint at that moment. Her short nails dug into her palms. The pain had helped her regain some consciousness.

    ¡°You know in your heart that she owes you nothing.¡± Qi Chenglin ignored Liu Ronghua and turned his cold gaze toward Shen Jialiang. ¡°Since everything has cleared up, I believe that the Shen family no longer needs to im kinship with us. It¡¯s Chinese New Year, so please show yourselves out.¡±

    Shen Jialiang red at Ruan Danchen maliciously. He did not expect things to turn out this way. Liu Ronghua was not Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother. Looking back at what Liu Ronghua did, Ruan Danchen would never acknowledge her in the future.

    Thus, the rtionship between the Shen family and the Qi family was surely broken off. The Shen family even downright offended the Qi family.

    Shen Jialiang glimpsed at Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi. He could only hope that their interference would rouse further displeasure toward Ruan Danchen, stopping her from obtaining any benefit as well.

    As Shen Jialiang left with Liu Ronghua and Shen Zhijing, Grandmother Qi was still massaging her aching head.

    ...

    ...

    Shen Jialiang kept his silence in the car where the driver was present.

    Once they entered the Shen Residence and saw Aunt Li, Shen Jialiang spoke through his gritted teeth, ¡°Aunt Li, if there¡¯s nothing else to do, please go back and have a rest.¡±

    Aunt Li did not utter a word. She merely lowered her head and returned to her room.

    Only then did he glower at Liu Ronghua. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us earlier that Ruan Danchen is not your daughter?¡±

    Liu Ronghua had also pressed her luck that night. Facing Shen Jialiang¡¯s seething expression, she raised her voice at the umon sight, ¡°Even if you knew, would you have stopped using Danchen? You would still have used her as you like! Today¡¯s event has turned out too suddenly. You¡¯re angry because you¡¯ve just lost your chance to continue using her.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re clear about this,¡± scoffed Shen Jialiang.

    Liu Ronghua was definitely aware of it. If she was no longer rted to Ruan Danchen, Shen Jialiang could send her on her way anytime.

    The Qi family¡¯s speech that day had assured her that Ruan Danchen would not recognize her as her mother in the future. If she was ousted from the Shen family, she would truly have no one to rely on.

    She was too shocked and furious at the Qi family earlier that she blurted out the truth without much consideration. She had regretted her actions.

    Merely thinking about it drove her mad. She had looked after Ruan Danchen for so many years, and Ruan Danchen could just disown Liu Ronghua after her life had turned for the better.

    Ruan Danchen had refused to help her when she still thought of Liu Ronghua as her mother. Now, Ruan Danchen would only ignore her further.

    Nheless, Liu Ronghua told Shen Jialiang, ¡°Even if we¡¯re not blood-rted, it remains a fact that I¡¯ve raised her up. Ruan Danchen is a softie. From this alone, she¡¯ll not leave me out. Despite being her adoptive mother, I still have some value left.¡±

    That coincided with Shen Jialiang¡¯s thought. He remained silent, worried that he might appear too heartless. He felt nothing toward her. It was how he was able to use her. After all, Liu Ronghua still had some value left to him.

    When Liu Ronghua had spoken out his thoughts, Shen Jialiang acted as if his anger still lingered and let out a sigh after a moment.

    ¡°Ronghua, I¡¯m not ming you. Today¡¯s event happened too suddenly that I¡¯m not well prepared for it. I¡¯m furious at Ruan Danchen. She just sat there putting up such a fragile pretense and even turned her back on you.¡± Shen Jialiang said in distress.

    Liu Ronghua sniggered in her heart, yet she nodded her head, tears rolling down her face.

    Shen Jialiang pped her shoulder and hugged her lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t be sad. Think nothing of tonight¡¯s event and get some rest.¡±

    Liu Ronghua nodded and followed Shen Jialiang back into the room.

    ...

    ...

    At the Qi family manor, Qi Chenglin wiped Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes dry. He frowned at the sight of her soulless expression and held himself ountable for announcing the truth too suddenly.

    The other Qi family members did not say a word. The elders scrunched their brows in deep thought.

    Qi Chenglin said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her to the washroom to wash her face.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was empty, her face drenched in tears. She merely allowed Qi Chenglin tow her to the washroom.

    Lifting Ruan Danchen onto the countertop in the washroom, Qi Chenglin gazed at her.

    He wiped her face softly with a wet towel and apologized, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. It was too sudden. I had nned to show you the documents after going back home today. I didn¡¯t expect the Shen family to visit us out of the blue.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I just... just don¡¯t know what to do. Even though I was sad, I could still hold on to the knowledge that I have a mother. However, that mother I have desperately clung onto is not real. I...¡±

    ¡°Danchen, do you remember what I told Liu Ronghua?¡± Qi Chenglin ced his palms against her cheeks.

    Her cheeks were damp. Considering that it was winter, Qi Chenglin had intentionally wiped her face with a warm wet towel. Nevertheless, her face turned cold after a short while.

    Ruan Danchen blinked. She had not paid attention to their conversation.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and moved half a step nearer to the countertop, pulling Ruan Danchen into his embrace. When he noticed her gaze on him, he said, ¡°You¡¯re aware that Liu Ronghua is a very selfish person. She had never taken good care of you since you were young. She even coerced you to get into bed with me and bear my child so that she could be epted into the Shen family. After giving birth to our child, she tricked you into believing that the baby was dead, persuading you to give up on the baby so that this incident doesn¡¯te to light in the future. She did not even stay with you during your confinement, which was important after giving birth to our child. I know that the period of confinement for a woman who sessfully gave birth and a woman who had a miscarriage is different.¡±

    ¡°Do you know that you treated yourself like a woman who had a miscarriage despite giving birth to our child. What¡¯s going to happen if it left a lingering effect on your health? She was not concerned about all this and left you alone at the hospital,¡± exined Qi Chenglin calmly, even though he was stuck with worry at the possibility.

    His heart ached for Danchen, while at the same time loathing Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°Based on her selfish character, do you really believe that she would be so kind as to pick up any child from the roadside?¡± Qi Chenglin asked, his expression solemn.

    Ruan Danchen was stunned. Her eyes darkened as she realized that that was indeed something that Liu Ronghua would not do.

    Qi Chenglin continued, ¡°I believe that she might be kind enough for having at least some decency to call the police but adopting you was something that she would never do.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Ruan Danchen asked dumbfoundedly. Her brain was unable to process the information. The news had hit her so hard that she did not have much energy left to ponder further.

    Looking at Qi Chenglin¡¯s firm chest, she felt oddly at ease. As long as she was in his embrace, breathing in his familiar scent, her mind would be set at rest.

    She knew that she was not so smart. Even in her career, she had never made up those petty schemes. ttering her superior, associating with her colleagues, pleasing her customers, she did not know how to do any of those.

    During her time in Chengshi, she designed ording to her clients¡¯ requirements until they were happy about it. She did whatever was instructed of her by Director Zhao without considering his preferences. She had never sent out any wishes on festive days. She merely performed her duties as they were as long as she did not make any mistakes.

    Fortunately, she met Song Yu, who had be her close friend.

    That was why she was not worried about not possessing sufficient brain cells to think things through. She had Qi Chenglin at her back after all.

    Feeling worthless, she sighed dejectedly while staring at Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest.

    ¡°I¡¯m wondering about that too. I¡¯ve not found any information on this and Liu Ronghua insisted that you were picked up from the roadside. Nheless, I will figure out a way and continue to investigate this further.¡± He said softly. Looking at her despondent expression, he lifted her face and rubbed her cheeks lightly. ¡°Don¡¯t think too much. You have me with you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen let out a breath and looked up into his eyes. He was very close to her. His breath could be felt against her lips. His grip was as gentle as always.

    His face was exceptionally refreshing and handsome. His stern ck irises were left with gentle constion along with a faint smile, moving her so much that her eyes were once again filled with tears.

    ¡°I no longer have any family from now on. I¡¯ve really be an orphan,¡± said Ruan Danchen, feeling a sharp pang in her heart.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s elegant hands that held her, pinched her cheeks instead. ¡°Am I not your family? Don¡¯t you still have me and Youxuan?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes were zed and her nose turned red. She buried herself into his embrace. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯m d to have you around.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also d to have you around.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. We have to talk about this with the others,¡± remarked Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen moved slightly so that Qi Chenglin could ce her on the ground.

    She was ready to have their rtionship rejected by the elders. She did some psychological establishment daily to prepare herself for the worst, in case she lost the right to stay together with Qi Chenglin.

    If that day ever came, she was prepared to take it all on herself.

    Letting out another breath, she thought that after all those mental reconstructions, there was nothing that she could not face at the moment.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Holding onto her hand, Qi Chenglin led her back into the living room.

    Grandmother Qi straightened her back. A hint of peppermint from the Wood Lock medicated oil still lingered around the room. Grandmother Qi seemed to feel much better though.

    When they sat down, Ruan Danchen plucked up her courage to apologize, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    The joyous mood of the Chinese New Year¡¯s Eve had been ruined because of her.

    Grandmother Qi sighed again. Perhaps her headache had returned as she was rubbing her temple lightly. ¡°Who would¡¯ve thought that it¡¯ll turn out like this?¡±

    Guan Liya stared at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen.

    During their absence, Grandmother Qi had asked Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun about their thoughts on that matter, since they were already informed of Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯ve no idea.¡± Guan Liya¡¯s head felt heavy. ¡°Although Danchen is now an orphan, her family background is considered clean, right?¡±

    A person without any family left, her family background was definitely as clean as a whistle.

    ¡°However, she has an adoptive mother, Liu Ronghua. The way she stormed in tells us much about her. Danchen is a good child but Liu Ronghua...¡± Guan Liya did not dare bring up the Shen family. She felt as if saying it out would degrade their status.

    ¡°Despite being an orphan, our reputation may be tarnished if words of Danchen¡¯s rtionship with Liu Ronghua got out.¡± Guan Liya was in a dilemma as she took a glimpse at Qi Zhongxun. She shook her head, trying to clear up her messy mind. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Zhongxun, what do you think?¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask him anymore. I just want to know if you like Danchen, regardless of her family background?¡± Grandfather Qi asked.

    ¡°Danchen is a good child. I can see that she sincerely treats both Chenglin and Youxuan well. Most importantly, Chenglin loves her. If we disregard Liu Ronghua and the Shen family, I will fully ept her into our family,¡± answered Guan Liya.

    Qi Zhongxun nodded in agreement. ¡°I don¡¯t even want to look at her past rtionship with Liu Ronghua and the Shen family, as long as she has a good character and a clean family background.¡±

    Grandmother Qi nodded too. ¡°As you said, Danchen is an orphan. Her family background must be clean enough. Thus, there should not be any problem.¡±

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re...¡± Guan Liya looked curiously at both Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi.

    Before she could resume, Qi Chenglin had brought Ruan Danchen back into the living room.

    When Grandmother Qi looked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s anguished and dispirited appearance as she apologized, her heart ached for her. Why was she so pitiful at such a young age?

    ¡°Danchen, do you have anything to say? You can tell us first.¡± Grandmother Qi said in a kind tone.

    Not knowing what she could say, Ruan Danchen¡¯s sight swept past everyone in the Qi family. Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengji remainedposed while Song Yu nodded at her encouragingly. Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna felt that it was inappropriate for them to poke their nose into other¡¯s family matters. Thus, they remained expressionless as well.

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what else I can say. I¡¯m sorry for hiding the truth about my mother. I¡¯m sorry that things turned out badly tonight. Apart from apologizing, I don¡¯t know how I should face you. I¡¯m ashamed to even apologize to you. If... If you think that I¡¯m not suitable for Chenglin, I can...¡±

    Before she could finish, Qi Chenglin thundered, ¡°Danchen!¡±

    Ruan Danchen stopped herself. Her heart skipped a beat and she dared not look at him.

    That was the first time Qi Chenglin admonished her. His voice was full of anger.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head, knowing that it was her fault.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry...¡± she whispered. ¡°It would have been so much better if it¡¯s not me whom you meet. You won¡¯t be so troubled. It¡¯s my fault, it¡¯s all my fault that you have so much grievance.¡±

    ¡°Stop it!¡± Qi Chenglin said sternly.

    He looked up at Grandfather Qi, Grandmother Qi, and his parents. ¡°When you questioned me about Danchen, I did not lie, except for the fact about her mother. This is all my fault. It has nothing to do with Danchen. I told you before she could, so she was unable to refute. I lied because I knew that you will not be so epting of her if you were aware of her rtionship with Liu Ronghua and the Shen family. Instead, you¡¯ll look at her judgmentally, magnifying her little mistakes and disliking her from your heart.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you like her before knowing that her mother was Liu Ronghua?¡± Qi Chenglin continued. ¡°I had initially investigated Liu Ronghua to hold something against her and the Shen family and to stop them from bothering Danchen again. This way, she can marry me without any burdens. I did not expect to find out that Liu Ronghua is not Danchen¡¯s biological mother. I won¡¯t say much about repaying her for raising Danchen. With what she had done, Danchen has surely repaid it all.¡±

    ¡°This child.¡± Grandmother Qi shook her head and said helplessly, ¡°Anyway Danchen is now an orphan. Her family background is crystal clear.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Extra Mini Scene:

    Qi Youxuan, Get Out

    Ever since knowing that his mother is Ruan Danchen, Qi Youxuan was ted. He did not only tell everyone he knew, he even changed the lyrics of all the songs he learned during music lessons into words that were rted to his mother.

    In one of his music sses, they learned the song ¡®The House Painter¡¯.

    During the sing-along, there was a discord note:

    I have a good mommy, who makes me yummy food~

    Sweet-sour pork ribs, hamburger, yummy yu-yummy~

    Aiya my little tummy, growing bigger now~

    The entire ss remained silent.

    The music teacher said, ¡°Qi Youxuan, get out!¡±

 Chapter 384 - Donâ€™t Leave Me Anymore

    <h4>Chapter 384: Don¡¯t Leave Me Anymore</h4>

    <b>Trantor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion <b>Editor:</b> EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Grandmother Qi waved her hand. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter now. We don¡¯t find any problem with Danchen¡¯s character anyway. You young people¡¯s love rtionship. It¡¯s not as though we can interfere when you¡¯re truly in love with each other. That Shen family is nothing. We aren¡¯t afraid of them even if they want to create more troubles for us.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at Grandmother Qi in shocked. ¡°Grandma...¡±

    Grandmother Qi let out a sigh, her eyes seemingly gentle as she said, ¡°You¡¯re such a poor child; we don¡¯t have the right to me you for this. It isn¡¯t something that you can control. What¡¯s more important is that Chenglin loves you. It¡¯s been such a long time yet we¡¯ve never seen him fall in love with someone. It¡¯s a wonder that he thinks a lot about you. Youxuan likes you as well. We¡¯re satisfied as long as you young people can live your lives well.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had readied herself to be rejected by the Qi family. However, she did not expect that Grandmother Qi would ept her well.

    Grandfather Qi sipped on his tea next to Grandmother Qi. His lips curled up into a smile as he took a glimpse of Grandmother Qi, not saying a word.

    ¡°Nheless, you need to be prepared when the Shen family takes this to the public. They must not want to see you well. The damage those rumors can cause should never be underestimated,¡± warned Grandmother Qi.

    Ruan Danchen nodded. ¡°I understand, but if it brings harm to the Qi family...¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s there to be worried about? It¡¯s not as if we haven¡¯t gone through bad rumors before,¡± Qi Chenglin was the first to respond.

    Grandfather Qi emitted an angry cough, ring at Qi Chenglin petntly.

    ¡°Alright, alright. Since this is over now,¡± interjected Grandmother Qi, ¡°Wenna, please turn up the volume of the television. Sigh... After the Shen family¡¯s disruption, I¡¯ve missed out Cai Ming¡¯s sketch.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not believe that things had proceeded so smoothly. She turned around to look at Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin smiled gently at her and whispered, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you so? Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Dad, can Ie out now?¡± Qi Youxuan shouted as Xia Wenna was turning up the television volume.

    Only then did the others remember that Qi Youxuan was still in his room.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go and bring him here,¡± said Ruan Danchen as she stood up from her seat, and Qi Chenglin followed suit wordlessly.

    During their absence, Guan Liya could not help but reconfirm, ¡°Dad, Mom, are you sure...¡±

    Grandmother Qi took a sip of the tea and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t stop Chengzhi and Song Yu then, and I won¡¯t stop Chenglin and Danchen now. These are their own affairs. There¡¯s nothing to do with their family background. You didn¡¯t have any problem with Danchening from a humble family, so why do your opinions conflict now? Just assume that you¡¯ve gotten a troublesome inw. Moreover, since Danchen is no longer rted to Liu Ronghua and the Shen family, those people shouldn¡¯t have any other ideas even though we¡¯re not afraid of them if they even tried something. Is it right for us to ruin our children¡¯s marriage all because of the ant-like Shen family? You should be more receptive too. Rtionships can only be justified by standing in our children¡¯s shoes.¡±

    Guan Liya hesitated until Grandmother Qi continued to advise, ¡°There¡¯s nothing more important than the younger generation¡¯s happiness. Even if you disagree with it now and break them apart, that stubborn Qi Chenglin won¡¯t look for another partner nor will he ept any other outstandingdies you rmend. Love is based solely on the heart, nothing to do with being remarkable. Do you really want him to stay single forever while raising Youxuan on his own?¡±

    Guan Liya sighed. ¡°I won¡¯t intercept their rtionship then. They... I¡¯ll just let them do as they please.¡±

    Grandmother Qi chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t show them your reluctant expression when they¡¯re backter.¡±

    ¡°I know. It¡¯s Chinese New Year and we have to keep the mood lively.¡±

    As soon as she finished, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin came in with Qi Youxuan between them. The little one was still holding onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    Ruan Danchen ced Qi Youxuan on herp, seeming to have more to say.

    ¡°Dad, Aunt Ruan, didn¡¯t you say that you have something important to tell everyone?¡± Qi Youxuan nced back and forth between Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen in a daze.

    When he was sent back to his room earlier, his auntie had turned on theputer for him. He was able to watch the live broadcast online and got the chance to shake the red envelope. However, the live broadcast online was a few minutes slower than the live broadcast on the television. Thus, he could not obtain any red envelope from the event and was left to watch only the broadcast instead.

    Ruan Danchen nced at the little one with a heavy heart. His beautiful little round face was carefree, hisrge eyes crystal clear. There was no hint of distracting thoughts, merelyplete trust in them.

    A sharp pang hit Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart. Her courage to speak dissipated slightly.

    Qi Chenglin gazed at Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands that were holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s. He ced hisrge pale hands on top of theirs, enveloping them in his palms.

    The others in the Qi family had noticed the change in atmosphere and stared at them curiously.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s sight fell on the file on the table. ¡°There¡¯s another document inside this file. Grandpa, Grandma, please have a look.¡±

    With that, the others made no move to check the document before Grandfather Qi. Qi Zhongliang passed the file to Grandfather Qi.

    Grandfather Qi took the documents with a mumble. As Aunt Liu was not around at that moment, he asked Qi Chengji to bring him his presbyopia sses. Hearing that, Grandmother Qi requested Qi Chengji to bring hers along as well.

    After putting on his presbyopia sses, he took out the document and lowered his head to read its content. His expression darkened and he instantly looked up at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart constricted yet she could not escape Grandfather Qi¡¯s intense scrutiny. She thus tightened her arms over Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Grandmother Qi asked anxiously next to him.

    Grandfather Qi did not know how to describe his current feelings. Without a single word, he handed the document over to Grandmother Qi solemnly.

    Grandmother Qi held onto her presbyopia sses as she scanned the document. Her eyes gaped wide opened before eximing, ¡°Aiyo!¡± Then, she tapped on her chest to smooth her breathing.

    ¡°Oh, Zhongxun, Liya. Read this.¡± Grandmother Qi gave Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya the document.

    Qi Zhongxun¡¯s expression turned grim while Guan Liya¡¯s hands were trembling. ¡°This... This...¡±

    Xia Wenna took the document from them curiously. She browsed through the document with Qi Zhongliang and they were both astounded with the content.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu were the only ones who knew about that matter, hence they remainedposed.

    ¡°What is this?¡± Grandfather Qi fumed as he glowered at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Shen Zhijing is infertile. For the sake of entering the Shen family, Liu Ronghua had forced Danchen to take Shen Zhijing¡¯s ce and she conceived my child. After giving birth to Youxuan, the Shen family tricked me into believing that Youxuan was Shen Zhijing¡¯s son. Moreover, as Youxuan was born prematurely, the Shen family took the opportunity to delude Danchen that her baby had died,¡± Qi Chenglin exined truthfully.

    ¡°What else are you hiding from us?!¡± Grandfather Qi was seething and almost flipped the table.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Youxuan¡¯s little body froze in her embrace. He was stiff, not moving an inch.

    Suddenly, Qi Youxuan struggled to get out of her embrace and jumped onto the ground before dashing back into his room.

    ¡°Youxuan!¡± Afraid that Youxuan would not forgive her, Ruan Danchen left the others out of her mind and rushed after him.

    However, Qi Youxuan did not look at her, not even once. He went into his room and mmed the door shut. Ruan Danchen could hear him locking the door from the inside.

    Qi Chenglin frowned and trailed behind them.

    Grandmother Qi sighed. ¡°No wonder Chenglin said that Danchen no longer owes Liu Ronghua anything. She has repaid all her debts to her after all.¡±

    Guan Liya nced at Qi Zhongxun. Who would have known that the stepmother Qi Youxuan was looking for was, in fact, his biological mother? It was not surprising then for the boy to be so affectionate towards Ruan Danchen; they were bound together by blood. Even before the truth was revealed, there was already a natural intimacy between them.

    Ruan Danchen knocked on Qi Youxuan¡¯s door frantically. When Qi Chenglin arrived, he saw Ruan Danchen kneeling outside Qi Youxuan¡¯s room pathetically, like a child who had done something wrong.

    ¡°Youxuan, please open the door. If you want to me me or if you¡¯re mad at me, just open the door and tell me in my face. You can say whatever you want. It¡¯s alright to even ignore me. Please don¡¯t hide in the room alone. I¡¯m worried.¡± Ruan Danchen was concerned that Qi Youxuan would let his imagination run wild and feel miserable all alone in his room.

    It was the adults¡¯ fault. She did not want Qi Youxuan to feel bad about it.

    Qi Chenglin walked towards her and sat near her on the floor. His long legs were folded to keep Ruan Danchen safe in his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen could sit no longer. ¡°Youxuan, I beg you. It¡¯s all my fault. Don¡¯t be like this. I¡¯m really worried. I¡¯m sorry, Youxuan. If you... If you don¡¯t want me as your mom, just let me know. Please don¡¯t keep it to yourself in there. I¡¯m the one at fault. I deserve to not be recognized as your mom...¡±

    ¡®Click!¡¯

    The door opened suddenly and Qi Youxuan appeared in front of them, his little face was drenched in tears.

    ¡°Are you really my mom?¡± he wept.

    Ruan Danchen nodded as she sobbed, ¡°I am, I really am.¡±

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you search for me all this time? Why didn¡¯t you tell me? I called you Aunt Ruan but you¡¯re fine with it. You¡¯ve never asked me to call you mom. You don¡¯t want me anymore, do you?¡± Qi Youxuan cried.

    ¡°How can that be possible?¡± Ruan Danchen stretched out her arms, wanting to pull him into a hug but the little one evaded her as he wiped away his tears with his little hands.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms were left stretched out. She felt a sense of emptiness overwhelming her as though her heart was ripped off her chest.

    ¡°You were born prematurely and I gave birth to you through a c-section. They lied to me... They lied to me saying that you were dead, so I had gone back to school. It was many yearster that I found out your dad had brought you home. I didn¡¯t know if you were truly my child, so I kept it in my heart but dared note close to you. I only looked at you from afar yet I couldn¡¯t see you well. It was only during your aunt¡¯s wedding that I met you in person. I was still unsure then until I came across your birthday. At that moment, I knew for sure that you¡¯re my child. Youxuan, I¡¯m sorry, I wasn¡¯t by your side all these years. I¡¯m sorry... You can me me for that... I deserve it. I failed to perform my duty as your mother...¡±

    ¡°After that... After that, I was afraid that I¡¯d frighten you. I didn¡¯t dare reveal my identity to you. I was worried that you¡¯d feel miserable about it. I¡¯ll be happy as long as you grow up without worries, even if you treat me as your stepmother.¡±

    Qi Youxuan lowered his arms from his eyes and wailed, ¡°Then, will you stay by my side always? Will you leave me again?¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Ruan Danchen vowed. ¡°No matter what, I¡¯ll never let you go ever again. I¡¯ll stay by your side forever. I¡¯ll remain by your side even if you¡¯re still mad at me, don¡¯t want to recognize me as your mom, or call me Aunt Ruan.¡±

    ¡°Waa...¡± Qi Youxuan yowled and pounced into Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace.

    His chubby short arms wrapped around Ruan Danchen¡¯s as he cried incoherently, ¡°I don¡¯t want to, I don¡¯t want you to leave. Don¡¯t leave me anymore. Boohoo... I¡¯ve got a mother now... I¡¯ve got a mother now... You cannot leave me anymore... Don¡¯t leave me anymore... Boohoo... Mom... Mom... Waa...¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart broke at Qi Youxuan¡¯s cry. She quickly hugged him tightly saying, ¡°I won¡¯t leave, I won¡¯t leave. I¡¯m sorry... Youxuan, I¡¯m sorry... for being useless...¡±

    Qi Youxuan cried for a very long time. Fortunately, Ruan Danchen was sitting on the floor. Although her bottom was hurt slightly from the marble ground, it was still warm and not too painful. Besides, Qi Chenglin was supporting them at the side.

    The little one sniffled, ¡°Dad said that you were forced by that fake Grandma to give birth to me...¡±

    Qi Youxuan was not simply watching the live broadcast in the room earlier. He had left the door opened slightly. When Liu Ronghua shrieked in the living room, he could hear her clearly.

    Since Liu Ronghua had said that Ruan Danchen was adopted, Liu Ronghua was deemed as a fake Grandma by Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Did you not want me at that time as well?¡± Qi Youxuan asked pitifully. His arms were sped tightly around Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck, refusing to let her go in fear she would not want him anymore. His question hurt Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart.

    ¡°No!¡± Ruan Danchen exined instantly, ¡°I¡¯ve missed you so since conceiving you. If I knew that you were well alive and saw them took you away from me with my own eyes, I would¡¯ve cried myself to death.¡±

    ¡°Waa...¡± Qi Youxuan wailed louder.

    Qi Chenglin looked helplessly at the mother and son. Would they ever stop crying? He could only pull them into his embrace to coax them.

    His left and right hands were each patting the back of their heads. He consoled them gently, ¡°Alright now. It¡¯s Chinese New Year. don¡¯t cry your eyes out. Don¡¯t you always want your Mom? Now she is here and will never leave you. She¡¯ll marry me and we¡¯ll be a real family.¡±

    ¡°Really? You¡¯re getting married?¡± Qi Youxuan finally looked up at them. Ruan Danchen felt anguished at the sight of his teary face.

    Ruan Danchen could not think much about being romantic and proposing; as long as she would marry Qi Chenglin and could live a good life with him. Furthermore, they already had a son, thus there was no point in getting too fancy about it.

    Perhaps she would have a little regret but those were nothingparatively.

    Seeing that Ruan Danchen had nodded her head in agreement, Qi Youxuan was finally relieved.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get up. Great-grandpa and the others were concerned about you,¡± Qi Chenglin ushered.

    Qi Youxuan pulled back from Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace and Qi Chenglin supported her as she stood up. Before she could lower her head to search for Qi Youxuan, she felt a little hand pressing into her palm.

    She nced at Qi Youxuan, his little hand in her palm and his small head hung down slightly. He seemed very shy, his teary little face flushed brightly.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart warmed up at the sight. She squeezed his little hand, kneeled down instinctively and ced a kiss on his cheek. ¡°Youxuan, I¡¯m blessed to have you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was dumbfounded. Although he had been kissed by Ruan Danchen before, it was different back then. His face reddened even more as tears had once again rolled down his cheeks.

    Ruan Danchen wiped off his tears in panic. She felt bad for making him cry.

    Qi Youxuan hugged her neck once more. Indeed, it was always Ruan Danchen who kissed him. He had never given her a kiss. When he was still unaware that she was his mother, kissing her seemed as though overstepping his bounds despite really liking her.

    Now, without any restraint, he turned to ce a kiss on Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheek.

    It was Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn to be stunned. When she felt a soft wet touch on her cheek, her heart became a puddle. She could not control her tear nds momentarily.

    Resigned, Qi Chenglin looked at both of them. They were both made of water that night. He could only caress their hair, saying, ¡°There¡¯s still a long time to go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen sniffled and smiled. Standing up, they brought Qi Youxuan back to the living room.

    Many things had happened that night. Ruan Danchen was ashamed to face the elders as she sat ufortably on the sofa.

    Qi Youxuan tugged on her sleeve, hisrge watery eyes stared at her legs, expressing his desire to sit on herp.

    The little one rarely acted so spoiled but he could not stop himself once he knew Ruan Danchen was her biological mother. Ruan Danchen smiled contently as she put Qi Youxuan on herp. Her contentment made her seemed as if she had the world in her hand.

    Grandmother Qi and the others observed their exchange and sighed. Both of them used to be close to each other. Now, they had literally be inseparable.

    Grandmother Qi nced at Guan Liya without a word. Her sight was tantly saying, ¡®Youxuan has finally reunited with his mother. This alone suffices to not break Chenglin and Danchen apart.¡¯

    ¡°There¡¯s a lot to take in tonight,ing one after another. I¡¯m feeling unwell from the excessive input.¡± Grandmother Qi sipped her tea to calm her nerves. ¡°Chenglin, do you still have anything left unsaid? You can tell us everything now.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s none. Only these,¡± replied Qi Chenglin lightly.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Qi Zhongxun was a little wary.

    ¡°There¡¯s really none left. I didn¡¯t intend to say so much initially. However, since Danchen and Liu Ronghua¡¯s rtionship was exposed, I felt it was right to exin her rtionship with Youxuan to you altogether so we don¡¯t need to do it twice.¡± Qi Chenglin exined sincerely.

    Everyone remained silent.

    Striking them with such a huge blow because he found it troublesome to do it twice, was that really good?

    No, they could not put it that way as well.

    The elders were at a loss on how to feel.

    ¡°Alright. Then, let¡¯s live our lives well.¡± Grandmother Qi looked at the time and eximed, ¡°Oh, it¡¯s almost time to cook the dumplings.¡±

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s sudden change of topic made the earlier events seem as if they had not happened. The mood was still joyous.

    Ruan Danchen shifted Qi Youxuan onto Qi Chenglin¡¯sp and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go and cook the dumplings.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll help you,¡± Song Yu said standing up.

    Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes cheekily and climbed down Qi Chenglin¡¯sp. He raced towards Ruan Danchen, calling her happily, ¡°Mom!¡±

    Ruan Danchen stopped in her tracks. She turned around to find Qi Youxuan running towards her. His two little arms hugged her arm tightly. They were so small that he could not cover her entire arm in his. ¡°Mom, let me help you.¡±

    Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya wiped their tears off stealthily at the side.

 Chapter 385 - Dad, Donâ€™t Be So Stingy

    <strong>Chapter 385: Dad, Don¡¯t Be So Stingy</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Grandmother Qi took a nce at Guan Liya and held her hand. ¡°They¡¯re really mother and son. Look at how natural he greets his mother.¡±

    Guan Liya could not disagree with her and nodded in agreement. It was heart-wrenching to look at Qi Youxuan¡¯s joyful expression when he greeted his mother. This was the first time he called out to his mother since he was born, and they felt unfamiliar with it, but the sight of his exhration made them happy yet mncholic altogether.

    Ruan Danchen held Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and brought him into the kitchen. Then, she made him sit on the chair before boiling the water to cook the dumplings with Song Yu.

    However, Qi Youxuan got off the chair as soon as his buttocks touched it and trailed behind Ruan Danchen like he was her tail.

    Qi Youxuan could not hold Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand due to her kitchen work, so he held onto the corner of her shirt. Ruan Danchen lowered her gaze and saw him staring back at her with his big round eyes, looking especially reluctant to leave her side.

    Qi Youxuan felt embarrassed but he did not avoid direct eye contact with Ruan Danchen when she lowered her gaze. His head remained lifted but his face was flushed red as a beetroot due to the embarrassment.

    This was the first time he realized that his biological mother would apany him from now on. It made him happy to finally have a biological mother now and he fought the urge to show her off publicly. He wanted to stick closer to her but was too embarrassed to do so.

    Ruan Danchen lifted him and put her on the kitchen table after the water was heated to boiling point. Qi Youxuan¡¯s face appeared devastated from his previous crying. All the tears were wiped clean but his face appeared tainted still, so she turned on the faucet and set the water temperature to ¡®warm¡¯ before letting him wash his face.

    ¡°Sit here and wait for a while, I¡¯ll be back soon,¡± Ruan Danchen hurried to the living room after giving him her instruction.

    Shecked the courage to face the elders in the Qi family after all themotions just now. The more Grandmother Qi chose to forgive her and acted as if nothing had happened, the more apologetic she felt deep down.

    She felt awkward when she returned to the living room.

    ¡°What are you looking for?¡± Qi Chenglin noticed that she was rummaging through her bag in search of something.

    ¡°Looking for Youxuan¡¯s face cream. I brought it with me everywhere I went. His face looked devastated after all the crying just now so I let him wash his face. Since the winter¡¯s atmosphere is dry, I¡¯ll apply some cream on his face or else his skin will get damaged from the cold,¡± Ruan Danchen answered and finally found a bottle of Johnson face cream in her bag.

    Grandmother Qi was delighted after taking this in and immediately felt that Liu Ronghua and the Shen family were not important issues at all. Most importantly, Ruan Danchen was Qi Youxuan¡¯s biological mother; she would take care of Youxuan lovingly with all her heart. The fact that her second grandson¡¯s family was finally reunited was better than everything else in the world.

    Qi Youxuan was already on the ground when Ruan Danchen returned to the kitchen. Song Yu was the one who put him down from the chair.

    Qi Youxuan was pestering Song Yu to give the dumplings with money stuffed inside them to him at the moment. ¡°Auntie, I actually made a few markings on some of the dumplings, not all of them though. It¡¯s okay, I¡¯m not greedy, I don¡¯t want all of them. Just give me those that had markings on them since I don¡¯t eat much.¡±

    Ruan Danchen broke intoughter. She then asked him to sit tight while applying face cream on his face.

    Song Yu teased him yfully and purposely. ¡°How can I do that? We need to depend on luck when we eat this kind of dumplings. It only works if you ate it inadvertently and vice versa if you premade markings on the dumplings.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡± Qi Youxuan yelled happily and hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs straight away. He had the feeling that he finally had support and protection now.

    Ruan Danchen scratched his nose and said, ¡°Just try on your luck since you made markings on them, right?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted. When Ruan Danchen and Song Yu were busy and diverted their attention from him, he grabbed the dumplings with markings on them with his bare hands, which then resulted in him blowing on his fingers due to the heat from the hot dumplings.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Qi Youxuan was holding a te of dumplings like they were his treasure after she finished serving the rest of the dumplings. She was unsure how to react when there were quite a few dumplings on his te. ¡°Can you even finish them?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll take away if I can¡¯t finish them and continue tomorrow,¡± Qi Youxuan answered with determination.

    When all the members in the Qi family sat down in the dining room and munching through the dumplings, Grandmother Qi informed Ruan Danchen to follow Qi Chenglin to pay a New Year call 1tomorrow. Her action meant that she had acknowledged Ruan Danchen¡¯s status in the Qi familypletely.

    After they finished the dumplings and were about to return home, Grandmother Qi held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and called out, ¡°Xiao Ruan!¡±

    Grandmother Qi let out a heavy sigh before continuing, ¡°What happened tonight was too sudden, so don¡¯t overthink when you¡¯re hometer. It¡¯s considered a relief since Madam Liu isn¡¯t your biological mother. Everything you have is given by her if she¡¯s your biological mother. You can¡¯t disregard your bloodline no matter what happens, because even your blood and bones are gifts from her. How can you disregard it or return the debts, right? We have no choice and certainly can¡¯t watch her suffer in agony. It¡¯s not an easy task for her child with such a mother.

    ¡°Since we knew the truth now, then Chenglin was right. She didn¡¯t let you live your life as a vagabond for these past few years, raised you and you even received the education that you were supposed to have; these were undeniable acts of kindness. We¡¯ll repay her kindness instead of owing her debts of gratitude. What you did for her was a genuine act of repaying her kindness. Let Chenglin discuss with herter about the total foster fees from the moment she brought you in with her until now, then you¡¯re absolutely unrted with her afterward.¡±

    Ruan Danchen knew Grandmother Qi was trying to shield the Qi family from being constantly bothered by the Shen family. Based on the Shen family¡¯s shameless attitude, Liu Ronghua could take advantage of her identity as Ruan Danchen¡¯s adoptive mother to disturb the Qi family again in the future.

    Ruan Danchen took a nce at Qi Chenglin, who nodded in agreement, before saying, ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯lle back again tomorrow morning,¡± Qi Chenglin informed Grandmother Qi before leaving.

    Qi Youxuan was leaping and jumping around when he held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, and it induced a great satisfaction in Grandmother Qi as she stared at the backs of the trio.

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were sitting at the back of the car. They initially wanted Qi Youxuan to sit in the safety seat but he protested that he would not be able to sit with Ruan Danchen together. Thus, Ruan Danchen immediately asked Qi Chenglin to dismantle the safety seat and threw it into the trunk of the car.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Qi Youxuan called out happily as he pounced into Ruan Danchen¡¯s embosom.

    Qi Chenglin wanted Qi Youxuan to shut up but then he noticed that Ruan Danchen was hugging him and chirped, ¡°Say it again.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Call me again.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Call me again.¡±

    ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    He let out a heavy sigh and forced the words down his throat.

    The mother and son sitting at the back did not feel like their conversations were childish and boring. They felt gratified instead as the kid¡¯s constant repetition of ¡°Mom¡± wiped away all the unhappiness which happened a few moments ago.

    Ruan Danchen was satisfied by Qi Youxuan¡¯s reiteration of ¡°Mom¡±; she no longer cared about those unhappy events. She gave up thinking about them.

    The duo wasughing in the back of the car as Qi Youxuan squeezed himself into Ruan Danchen¡¯s embosom. He rested his head on her thighs and rolling around repeatedly in the back seat.

    Ruan Danchen protected Qi Youxuan carefully as she was worried that he could fall down as he rolled around continuously in the car.

    The car stopped in front of the traffic light. Qi Youxuan was still calling out ¡°Mom¡± persistently while rolling around in the back seat, which induced annoyance in Qi Chenglin as his expression darkened. Just when Qi Chenglin was about to scold him to roll down the car if he insisted on misbehaving again, a car beside him slid down its car window.

    The driver was a young man. He whistled towards Qi Chenglin¡¯s car and said, ¡°Yo, so bold and unrestrained!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless.

    Fortunately, his car windows were heavily tinted. Otherwise, he would feel embarrassed if anyone saw him in the car.

    Qi Chenglin turned his head in annoyance with the intention of telling Qi Youxuan to behave himself, but what appeared in his eyes was Ruan Danchen¡¯s unburdened smile. Her smile was especially cheerful, and this was the first time she expressed such a delighted smile after Liu Ronghua left tonight.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice failed after noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s smile. His expression was so gentle with his lips curled upwards, and creases appeared below his eyes as he stared at the most precious treasure in his entire life.

    His gaze remained on her, only to snap out of it when there was a loud, impatient beep from the car¡¯s horn behind him, which he quickly sat up straight and drove his car.

    It was half-past one o¡¯clock at midnight when they returned home after staying upte to wee New Year and finished the dumplings. Qi Chenglin urged Qi Youxuan to brush his teeth and wash his face before sleep as they needed to wake up early to pay a New Year call.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen went back to their bedroom. Qi Chenglin yanked her into his embosom instead of asking her to get changed quickly. ¡°Do you me me for my unteral decision making tonight?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head, then she took the initiative and hugged him before answering, ¡°To be honest, it feels good after revealing the truth; at least I¡¯m mentally relieved from the burden right now. I won¡¯t consider them anymore and there¡¯s no need to fear that they¡¯ll trouble you in the future.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sighed in relief; this was the best oue if she was able to think this way.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her head and stared at him, feeling especially secure with him by her side, and smiled. ¡°When did you start investigating this matter?¡±

    ¡°Liu Ronghua and the Shen family kept disturbing you, right? I wanted to investigate her and the Shen family to see if I can get ahold of anything against them so that they¡¯d stop disturbing us. Then, I found all these as a result of my investigation,¡± Qi Chenglin exined it like it was an easy task.

    However, Ruan Danchen knew all his information traced back to more than twenty years ago. This sort of investigation consumed time and energy, thus naturally it was not as easy as what he just mentioned.

    ¡°I found something during the investigation but it wasn¡¯t clear enough, so that was why I didn¡¯t tell you beforehand. I knew you¡¯d be stressed to marry me if Liu Ronghua continued her stay with the Shen family in fear that they¡¯d cause trouble to me. I knew you¡¯d feel guilty for bringing such inconveniences to me, even though I always wanted to tell you that your matters were not inconveniences to me. This sort of miniature inconvenience was nothing to me. I don¡¯t mind bringing Liu Ronghua and the Shen family with me if I can marry you, but if you don¡¯t mind, I¡¯ll wreak havoc upon them and make sure they suffer without any chance to gain benefits.¡± Qi Chenglin lowered his gaze and stared at Ruan Danchen seriously.

    ¡°I know you¡¯ll still feel stressed. It¡¯s useless if I merely said it without any actions, so I¡¯ve decided to do it myself.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. The curve of his lips was soft and gentle but Ruan Danchen felt touched when she gazed upon it. She could feel her heart throbbed against the cage of her chest as she stared at this man. The more she stared at him, the more affectionate she was toward him.

    She felt her heart wrenched a little. He was too kind to her by solving all the troubles she kept causing him. She had never done anything for him yet and this pained her every time she thought about it.

    All of a sudden, Ruan Danchen tightened her arms around him and pushed her head against his chest firmly. She almost wanted to squeeze his chest bones away and buried her face within his precordium.

    Her actions inducedughter in Qi Chenglin. He stroked her hair gently and asked, ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind to me, and I don¡¯t know what I should do to repay your kindness. I don¡¯t want you to be the only one devoting in this rtionship, it¡¯ll exhaust you. I don¡¯t want you to feel fatigued; I want to do something for you, no matter how insignificant it seems. It made my heart wrench to see you devoting alone and treating me with such affections,¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was soft and sounded extremely cute when she buried her face on his chest.

    Qi Chenglin stroked her hair gently like he was petting a pet. ¡°I know you won¡¯t let me feel tired, but it feels good to be able to devote to the woman I love.¡±

    However, his statement made Ruan Danchen feel more ufortable as deep down, her heart truly ached for this man whom she loved. She hugged his tall and muscr body tightly, inhaling the fragrance he emitted. Now, her heart raced at an incredible speed.

    Then, Qi Chenglin heard her sigh heavily.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    ¡°Why are you so good? You have a good ability to induce heart-wrenching sensations with your goodness.¡± Ruan Danchen brushed her face against his chest like a kitten.

    Qi Chenglin broke intoughter. ¡°Sighing because of this?¡±

    ¡°Yes, because I feel extremely stressed when I have no idea how to treat you well or what I can do for you. You¡¯ll make me feel like I¡¯m useless here.¡± Ruan Danchen moved in his embosom again, feeling his firm, muscr chest which was stic too. Most importantly, the fragrance he emitted induced addiction in her and made her feel secure and especially attached to him.

    ¡°Let me say something which may sound machismo.¡± Qi Chenglin patted gently on the back of her head like he was ying with a kitten, but he really felt that she was acting like a kitten now when she kept rubbing her head in his embosom.

    He lowered his head and his smile-curved lips brushed against her forehead gently. His voice was husky but soothing, with a slight tinge of power in it. ¡°It¡¯s a man¡¯s fault if he let a woman devote for her man. How can a man let a woman worry for him? It¡¯s a man¡¯s incapability to let a woman worry and exhaust herself for her man. A man¡¯s responsibility is to protect his woman and do no harm to her precious heart. If you¡¯re happy, then I¡¯m a happy man too.¡±

    ¡°Yes, macho man,¡± Ruan Danchen replied gently with a smile on her face.

    She lifted her head, her hands which were originally on his waist went up and sped on either side of his face. Qi Chenglin remained silent as he raised his eyebrows happily.

    ¡°I want to look at my macho man,¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    Qi Chenglin blushed for some reason when Ruan Danchen stared on his face, so heunched a counterattack. ¡°Do I look more handsome, and do you like me more the longer you stare at me?¡±

    ¡°Half correct. The more I stare at you, the more handsome you look, and the more I love you.¡± Ruan Danchen tiptoed and kissed him on the lips.

    Qi Chenglin could not help butugh before lowering his head and kissed her passionately.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice traveled from the corridor.

    Qi Chenglin sighed. Since the situation tonight was considered special, he decided not to make a fuss with his son. He had no choice but to release Ruan Danchen from his embosom.

    Their bedroom door opened momentarily and Qi Youxuan was standing there, wearing bear-patterned footed pajamas with a toothbrush cup in one of his chubby little hands and a Johnson baby face cream on another hand. Inside the toothbrush cup were his toothbrush and toothpaste.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Qi Chenglin had a bad feeling about Qi Youxuan¡¯s appearance.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to brush my teeth!¡± Qi Youxuan answered before attempting to walk past Qi Chenglin and went into their washroom.

    However, his attempt was futile as Qi Chenglin lifted him straight away when he just reached Qi Chenglin¡¯s side. ¡°You have a washroom in your room too.¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked at him seriously and replied, ¡°Dad, I¡¯ve decided to sleep with my Mom tonight after our reunion. It¡¯s obviously unrealistic to let Mom apany me in my room because you won¡¯t agree to it, so Ipromised in the end, and here I am now. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t sleep in between you and Mom. Mom will sleep between us so that you can hug her and sleep too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    What did this kid learn usually?

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s face darkened with annoyance and said, ¡°I won¡¯t allow it even if you sleep on the other side of the bed.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s short limbs moving around in the air when Qi Chenglin lifted him by grabbing the cor of his pajamas made him look like a tortoise.

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t be so stingy. You¡¯ve been hugging Mom and sleep for so long, so what¡¯s wrong with me hugging half of Mom?¡± Qi Youxuan hissed through gritted teeth as he waved all four limbs in protest.

    ¡°Do you really think I don¡¯t know you well? If I allow you to sleep here tonight, I can guarantee that you¡¯lle here again tomorrow night. You¡¯re not a baby anymore; do you even feel ashamed of yourself?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and did not release his grip on Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin pouted andined silently. If Qi Youxuan was a tortoise, he would be a fat tortoise.

    ¡°Dad, tonight is supposed to be a reunion night, right? We should reunite together in bed too!¡± Qi Youxuan said while continuously waving all his four limbs in the air.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    Was that how reunion work?

    Ruan Danchen would not embarrass Qi Chenglin in the presence of Qi Youxuan as it would damage his reputation and dignity as the head of the family. She would not plead with Qi Chenglin in front of Qi Youxuan unless absolutely necessary.

    She knew Qi Chenglin would soften up and agreed if she spoke, but when the frequency increased, Qi Youxuan would start to plead with Ruan Danchen on every issue. That would be detrimental to his growth, so it was necessary to be strict and dour at times.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen remained silent on this matter and watched their whole conversation from the side.

    She smiled at Qi Chenglin when he nced at her.

    Qi Chenglin then shifted his gaze back to Qi Youxuan and noticed that he was staring back at him with his big, cute eyes, trying desperately to act cute.

    Did the mother and son know that their actions were against the rules?

    Qi Chenglin let out a heavy sigh before ring at Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°Just for tonight. If you dare toe again tomorrow night, I¡¯ll lock the bedroom door in the future.¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, alright!¡± Qi Youxuan appeared especially funny when he nodded his head quickly in response.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and put him down on the ground. Qi Youxuan then brought his cup and Johnson face cream and rushed into the washroom to get himself cleaned before getting into bed happily.

    Qi Chenglin took a peek at him before changing his clothes and went into the bathroom for a quick five-minutes bath. After that, it was Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn to go into the bathroom.

    When Ruan Danchen exited the bathroom, she noticed Qi Chenglin sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at Qi Youxuan who was rolling on the other side of the bed with disgust. Qi Youxuan yelled during the rolling process, ¡°There¡¯s Mom¡¯s scent here!¡±

    Then, he grinned upon noticed Ruan Danchen exiting the bathroom. ¡°Mom, I asked Dad. He said you usually sleep on this side of the bed!¡±

    Ruan Danchen got into bed happily and the duo sandwiched her quickly. Qi Youxuan squeezed into her embosom immediately after sheid down, inhaling rapidly on her shoulder like a dog. ¡°Mom¡¯s scent!¡±

    Naturally, Ruan Danchen turned to face Qi Youxuan and kissed him on his chubby cheek. However, Qi Chenglin turned her back almost immediately and said, ¡°Don¡¯t turn your back on me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    Did Qi Chenglin n to let her lie on the back for the whole night?

    ¡°Time to sleep. Goodnight Dad, goodnight Mom,¡± Qi Youxuan greeted sweetly out of exhration that night. That day was considered the first day of New Year after they returned home, and he felt the beginning of New Year went off to a good start.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    <<Mom!>>

    Qi Youxuan felt that he had an extremely powerful support after having a mother.

    Qi Chenglin: Don¡¯t eat too much meat.

    Qi Youxuan: Mom!

    Qi Chenglin: Go to bed.

    Qi Youxuan: Mom!

    Qi Chenglin: Go back to your room.

    Qi Youxuan: Mom!

    Finally, Qi Chenglin had reached the end of his forbearance. ¡°If you call Mom again, I¡¯ll send you back to your grandma¡¯s house for two days!¡±

 Chapter 386 - Wei Ziqi, Did Your Son Come With The Package When You Top Up Your Phone Charges?

    <strong>Chapter 386: Wei Ziqi, Did Your Son Come With The Package When You Top Up Your Phone Charges?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Time to sleep. Goodnight Dad, goodnight Mom,¡± Qi Youxuan greeted sweetly out of exhration that night. That day was considered the first day of New Year after they returned home, and he felt the beginning of New Year went off to a good start.

    ¡°Goodnight,¡± Ruan Danchen replied softly. She would always respond to him whenever he called her ¡°Mom¡±.

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and spoke in a muffled voice, ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan remained in his deep slumber when Ruan Danchen woke up the next morning,

    Ruan Danchen had turned to lie on her side throughout the night unconsciously. Qi Youxuan was sleeping in her embosom like a piglet while she had her back pressed against Qi Chenglin¡¯s chest. His long arm extended to Qi Youxuan and pulled them into his embosom as though protecting them firmly.

    Ruan Danchen smiled unwittingly as she stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s pinkish face in deep slumber. She then kissed her lightly on his cheek to avoid waking him up.

    Even so, the kid woke up, rubbing his sleepy eyes with his small hands before opening his eyes slowly. He was still in a state of confusion at first but he snapped out of it as soon as he saw the person in front of him. A smile spread wide open on his face as he called out cheerfully, ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Shh. Keep your voice down, your Dad¡¯s still asleep.¡± Ruan Danchen held her index finger in front of her mouth.

    Qi Youxuan nodded happily in agreement and squeezed into her embosom like a piggy.

    Ruan Danchen broke intoughter before looking at the time¡ªway past eight o¡¯clock now. It was time for them to get up from the bed and prepare themselves to visit the Qi family manor, so she whispered to Qi Youxuan, ¡°Get up and go back to your room to tidy up yourself. It¡¯s time for us to wake up too.¡±

    It was not a day or two Qi Youxuan lived with Ruan Danchen but after realizing that Ruan Danchen was his biological mother, and for some reason, he felt that he should behave well and make her happy after realizing that she had a well-behaved son. He thus got out of bed without hesitation and with great care as he tiptoed out of the bedroom in fear of waking Qi Chenglin. He was even thoughtful enough to close the bedroom door as he exited the bedroom.

    Ruan Danchen then turned to face Qi Chenglin carefully and noticed that he had not woken up yet. She thought he might be too exhausted.

    His thick, longyer of eyshes covered his closed-shut eyes. His lips touched each other gently in a natural way, and there were even beard stubbles growing on his chin. Ruan Danchen adored the ticklish itchiness feeling when she kissed his stubble-covered jawline. The feeling was something simr to an electric shock, which would induce tingling sensation and numbness in her.

    All she could feel was joy when she stared at his face.

    He was handsome and elegant even in slumber, even though his facial features appeared stern.

    She was not one who would judge people by their appearances, but after being in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin, she realized that his handsomeness remained undefeated. Her man had the most striking appearance in the world and she could not get enough of that sight.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for a long time. Are you going to kiss me or not?¡± The man, whom she initially thought was slumbering, voiced out suddenly.

    His voice remained sleepy and husky even though he was awake, which sounded especially attractive to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears and even made her aroused.

    Ruan Danchen blushed as Qi Chenglin opened his eyes slowly, revealing a pair of deep eyes that radiated a tinge of joy. It made his expression appear bright and clean.

    ¡°When did you wake up?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a smile on her face before feeling his embrace tightened.

    ¡°When Youxuan called you,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s stern expression was softened by the joy in his eyes.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t open your eyes,¡± mentioned Ruan Danchen before she kissed him on his stubble-covered jawline to satisfy him.

    Qi Chenglin yanked her further into his embosom and get on top of her. ¡°That brat acted as the third wheeler throughout the night. How else can he leave the room if I don¡¯t pretend to sleep?¡±

    ¡°This was the first time the three of us sleeping together in bed, and it felt good. Just now when I woke up, my son was in my arms and both of us were in yours. I couldn¡¯t be more blessed at the sight of this.¡± Ruan Danchen let out a smile that expressed how blessed she was now. She even took the initiative and pecked on his lips until Qi Chenglin stopped being mad at his son for being the third wheeler.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wake up, we still need to head to the old mansion.¡± Ruan Danchen gave him a little nudge.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get much sleepst night, still feeling sleepy now.¡± Qi Chenglin remained on top of her and refused to leave.

    ¡°Your willy is quite energetic though.¡± Ruan Danchen obviously felt that his phallus was poking on her like a sword stabbing at her.

    Qi Chenglin became happy upon hearing her statement and pressed down on her firmly. ¡°So I want to get energetic too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen actually felt regret the moment she blurted that statement. It must be due to her disorganized mind after waking up, and she med her mouth for talking too fast without thinking this through.

    Qi Chenglin started his workout with Ruan Danchen in order to drive away the sleepiness quickly. Ruan Danchen was unable to escape since she was trapped beneath him, so she had no choice but to let him closed in on her shamelessly, kissing and caressing every inch of her body. Then, they stimted each other¡¯s blood cirction and stretching each and every muscle on their bodies during the exercise until all energy was drained from Ruan Danchen after the end of their workout.

    Both of them went downstairs afterward, with Qi Chenglin feeling lively and energetic. Ruan Danchen, on the other hand, blushed and her pace was quite slow due to the muscle soreness.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, why did youe downte?¡± Qi Youxuan with a new outfit for New Year finished eating his breakfast and was sitting on the sofa in the living room, watching a rey of crosstalk and sketches of Chinese New Year¡¯s G on his iPad.

    He was getting used to calling Ruan Danchen ¡°Mom¡± now, and would always put on a sweet smile whenever he greeted her.

    Ruan Danchen felt exhausted after physically tortured by Qi Chenglin initially, but after hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s greet, her energy level reached a peak in an instant and she no longer felt tired.

    ¡°Your Dad was having a lie-in just now,¡± Ruan Danchen answered. The exercise that Qi Chenglin did was considered a type of lie-in too, so in a way, she was not using him.

    Qi Youxuan immediately pursed his lips in detest and said, ¡°You¡¯re an adult now but poor in self-control.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    Son, did you know it brought an entirely different meaning if it was spoken by an adult?

    It was a rare sight for Qi Chenglin to not argue with him and went to the kitchen with a good mood instead.

    Ruan Danchen suddenly recalled that Aunt Zheng was on a holiday. Since no one would make breakfast for them, she asked Qi Youxuan, ¡°What did you eat for breakfast just now?¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t there bread and milk in the fridge? I have no idea when you guys wille down so I took that as my breakfast. One won¡¯t be able to survive in this house without any capability,¡± Qi Youxuan even let out a heavy sigh after finishing his statement.

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?¡± Qi Chenglin admonished before sitting at the dining table, waiting for breakfast to be served.

    Ruan Danchen went straight to the refrigerator to retrieve bread, ham, and vegetables. She then pan-fried two eggs and made sandwiches with the ingredients hastily before gulping them down and getting ready to visit the Qi family manor.

    Qi Youxuan got down from the sofa with the iPad in his hands and went to the kitchen, even though he was full after consuming breakfast. He paused the video and crawled up his chair, resting his chin on his hands while he watched Ruan Danchen busy as a beaver in the kitchen. The sight of her brought a different feeling from what he experienced before.

    Initially, he was staring at a stepmother who was kind towards him. He adored her too and felt happy that she could join in this big, wonderful family.

    Now, he was staring at his biological mother, which made him felt especially secure.

    Ruan Danchen finished making sandwiches in a sh. She smiled and stroke Qi Youxuan¡¯s head when she returned to the dining table for breakfast.

    After that, the trio went to the Qi family manor.

    The outfit Qi Youxuan wore was especially jubnt. His red, short down jacket entuated his chubbiness and made him appear extremely cute; he looked like a little bear with a pair of snow boots on.

    Qi Youxuan started demanding for Chinese Lucky Money 1 the moment he entered the old mansion. He returned momentarily with four thick red packets in his hand. They were from Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna, his grandparents, and finally Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chengyue.

    Ruan Danchen guessed there were at least twenty thousand Yuan in total based on how thick the red packets were.

    Qi Youxuan handed those red packets to Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°Dad, help me make an investment or anything will do.¡±

    Qi Chenglin epted it silently. Qi Youxuan was born as a money-grubber and he would always give all his money¡ªwhether it was his usual savings or through ckmail¡ªto Qi Chenglin for investment purposes.

    One could only describe Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression as interesting when Qi Youxuan gave his savings of approximately ten thousand Yuan to Qi Chenglin for the first time.

    Qi Chenglin had never invested with only ten thousand Yuan as it was just like a drop of water in a vast ocean, so he threw the money into his bank ount without hesitation. He would give the money back to Qi Youxuan based on the interest rate when the time came.

    The first time when Qi Youxuan gave his money to Qi Chenglin for investment purpose, he demanded a contract in fear that Qi Chenglin would take his money by force.

    Qi Chenglin merely thought that he was ying around since he was just a kid, so he asked Qi Youxuan to write the contract himself and let him sign when the document was prepared. However, Qi Youxuan insisted on an official agreement contract made by Qilin¡¯swyer.

    Qi Chenglin ignored him straight away. One day, Qi Youxuan asked Grandmother Qi to let Xiao Fan fetched them to Qilin, and they really asked Lawyer Song to make a contract for Qi Youxuan to entrust Qi Chenglin as his financial advisor!

    Qi Chenglin was so embarrassed at that time until he avoided direct eye contact with Lawyer Song. The contract and legal documents were finally made and Qi Chenglin had no choice but to stamp his personal seal onto the documents with a darkened expression under Grandmother Qi¡¯s stern gaze.

    Qi Youxuan even imitated the adults and stamped his thumbprint on the documents. From that time onward, he would gaze upon Qi Chenglin like he was an important customer and Qi Chenglin was merely a subordinate whenever he passed all his money to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin was toozy to even argue with him so he simply passed all the red packets to Ruan Danchen for safe-keeping.

    After a few moments, different families came to pay a New Year call one by one. This was the day where Qi Youxuan would feel the happiest since he would receive a lot of red packets from the adults.

    Qi Chengzhi was brazen enough to hold Qi Youjin and appeared in front of the guests who came to visit without saying a word. His attitude made the guests speechless when they gave red packets to Qi Youjin. Then, Qi Youxuan, without any reservations, came to them and greeted, ¡°May you have a prosperous New Year!¡± His greeting was without sincerity yet he reached out to them with his chubby hand, demanding red packets.

    There was not much money inside those red packets and it was just to lighten the mood by giving them to children. However, the only people whom they would feel reluctant and unwilling to give red packets to were the children in the Qi family. Initially, there was only Qi Youxuan who made them feel this way, but now with the addition of Qi Chengzhi, it disgusted them greatly.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone rang after sending off a family who came to visit. When he noticed that the caller was Yan Beicheng, he raised his eyebrows curiously and had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chenglin asked lightly after picking up the call, feeling a little disgusted.

    Yan Beicheng did not mind his tone at all on the other side of the phone and asked, ¡°Are you guys at the old mansion right now?¡±

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re entertaining visitors in the morning and will pay them a New Year call in the eveningter,¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    ¡°Good. We¡¯re on our way to the old mansion now, so don¡¯t leave just yet,¡± Yan Beicheng said.

    ¡°We?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows as he felt something odd and fishy about this.

    ¡°Yes, stay there and don¡¯t leave,¡± Yan Beicheng hung up the call after finishing his statement. Qi Chenglin wanted to enquire more but he was toote.

    Qi Chenglin was speechless at Yan Beicheng for acting as though advising a child.

    They did not n to leave the mansion in the morning anyway. They had reached a consensus after all these years that all men in the Qi family would stay at home in the morning. Thus, everyone who nned to visit the Qi family would rush to the old mansion in the morning.

    The doorbell rang after a little more than half an hourter, and Qi Chengyue went to answer it. Then, Yan Beicheng entered the mansion momentarily, followed by Han Zhuoli, Chu Zhaoyang, Gui Zhiqian, Wei Ziqi and his family, and Wei Zilin.

    The bunch of them entering the house brought joy to the atmosphere.

    Yan Beicheng and the gang greeted the Qi family¡¯s elders with extreme respect and courtesy. Then, Qi Youxuan and Qi Chengzhi who was carrying Qi Youjin sat in front of them.

    ¡°Uncle, may you have a prosperous New Year!¡± Qi Youxuan gave them a perfunctory greet one by one.

    It was obvious that his greetingcked sincerity, merely demanding for money. Yan Beicheng took out a red packet and gave Qi Chenglin a condemned stare.

    Qi Chenglin pouted. ¡°My son is saving up to marry his wife. A child who knows how to earn money like my son won¡¯t let his wife down in the future. Ziqi, am I right?¡±

    Qi Youxuan quickly nodded in agreement before Wei Ziqi could answer. ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi was so disgusted until he nned not to pay a New Year call to the Qi family in the future.

    It was Yan Beicheng who took the lead to cause trouble to Qi Chenglin; why did he even aim Wei Ziqi?

    Wei Ziqi rolled his eyes in response to Qi Chenglin¡¯s question petntly and answered coldly, ¡°Ha ha. My maiden daughter caught a gun during the one-year-old-catch 1, and she even told me that she wanted to learn martial arts. I initially thought that it was unwise for ady to y with these sorts of activities which involved punching and beating around, bute to think of it, at least she won¡¯t receive any unjust treatment from his future husband. I¡¯ll have to research it further when I get home.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    Ruan Danchen felt hrious watching the arguments between the duo. It would be hectic when the two children grew up and truly marry each other, but the duo remained persistent in their bickering.

    She could even imagine the duo remained vindictive and their expressions of not yielding to each other when these two families sit together in the future.

    Qi Youxuan was the litigant in this issue but he was not bothered at all. Instead, he brought Little Muran away from the bickering, followed by Little Muche who acted like he was their tail.

    They could even hear Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice from afar. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t make you angry in the future and certainly won¡¯t retaliate if you scold or even hit me. You don¡¯t need to learn martial arts, I¡¯ll be your punching bag.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled. ¡°My son is fully aware of his situation now.¡±

    Wei Ziqi nodded with great satisfaction too. ¡°You¡¯re fully conscious too to raise your son as a punching bag for other family¡¯s maiden daughter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not take this to heart since they were just joking. On the other hand, Wei Ran looked at her apologetically, which Ruan Danchen smiled and shook her head to indicate that she did not mind at all. Then, Song Yu and her pulled Wei Ran to one side and started chatting.

    ¡°Mom! Mom!¡± Qi Youxuan ran out after a while.

    Ruan Danchen felt that he would show off publicly regarding the fact that he finally had a mother now based on his style. Well, here he came.

    ¡°There¡¯s a box of Potato Farm chips[3] in the cab. Can I share it with Muran and Muche?¡± Qi Youxuan asked. It was obvious that it was just an excuse and he was just finding a chance to show off that he had a mother now.

    Ruan Danchen did not expose his intentions and instead, she stood up happily and grabbed his little hand. ¡°Come, I¡¯ll take it for you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen went to the kitchen and took the Japan Three Brothers French Fries down from the cab. Then, she found a small but beautiful te and put some sweets and desserts for the kids. Qi Youxuan walked away happily after that.

    Ruan Danchen saw Qi Chenglin waving towards her when she returned to the living room. She guessed that it was because Qi Youxuan referred her as his mother, so she walked towards him obediently and slipped her hand in his habitually.

    Then, she noticed the gang winking at her. Wei Ziqi was married so he remained calm and steady. The other older bachelors were calm and steady too when they were working outside, but when they were gathered with their friends, they would lose their calmness and started to behave yfully.

    ¡°Good, he already referred her as his mother now. When¡¯s your wedding dinner?¡± Han Zhuoli asked with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Wedding dinner will be held soon, but Danchen is his actual mother. Biological mother,¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    Ruan Danchen did not bother about his first statement anymore. Qi Chenglin was not one who knew nothing about romance and they had reached a consensus that they would get married together in the future. She just felt slightly annoyed at his confidence and without proposing officially.

    She fought the urge to stomp on his foot and asked, ¡°Who will you marry soon?¡±

    However, it was obvious that Yan Beicheng and the rest were shocked by Qi Chenglin¡¯sst statement. Their eyes widened as they stared at Ruan Danchen, which embarrassed her.

    ¡°Aiyoh, what in the world happened? You¡¯re really cunning!¡± said Han Zhuoli.

    ¡°This is between the two of us so don¡¯t need to inquire further. Just know that Danchen is Youxuan¡¯s biological mother and that¡¯s it.¡± Qi Chenglin did not n on exining the past incident to them. Even though they were like his brothers, it would still be embarrassing for them to know the truth, so only the Qi family knew what had actually happened.

    Yan Beicheng and the gang did not mind too and stopped their inquiries.

    ¡°Since this is a huge joyous matter, how about we gather at the Red Roof? Tonight¡¯s on me,¡± Yan Beicheng suggested. It was boring recently and besides, they had not had a gathering for such a long time.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent and turned his head to Ruan Danchen instead to ask for her permission.

    ¡°Damn! You¡¯re not married yet but acting like a hen-pecked husband now!¡± Gui Zhiqian mentioned it like he was watching a show while eating sunflower seeds.

    Qi Chenglin ignored him straight away but Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed after listening to his statement. Qi Chenglin was the head of the family and no matter what happened, she had to protect his reputation whenever they were outside. ¡°I¡¯m fine with it. Since we have nothing to do, I¡¯ll follow your decision.¡±

    Qi Chenglin then agreed to his suggestion. Since Qi Chengzhi and his family were free too, they agreed to join the party tonight.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right, I nearly forgot about the true intentions of my visit. I¡¯m going to share a video link in the group. Go ahead and have a look,¡± Yan Beicheng said and took out his phone.

    Grandmother Qi and the rest of the family were listening to their conversation while munching through the sunflower seeds. Yan Beicheng¡¯s statement raised their curiosities and Grandmother Qi asked immediately, ¡°What link?¡±

    ¡°Granny, I¡¯ll send it to you too, don¡¯t worry,¡± Yan Beicheng said while his fingers kept poking on his phone¡¯s screen repeatedly.

    All the elders in their families followed the trend and knew how to use WeChat so Yan Beicheng and the gang registered these elders as friends. After a while, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi, Qi Zhongliang and Xia Wenna, and Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya received the video sent by Yan Beicheng.

    They saw a Mercedes-Benz shaking while being surrounded by cars in front of the traffic light in the video. Grandmother Qi criticized, ¡°Young men nowadays are really outrageous. They can¡¯t contain themselves even when they¡¯re waiting for the traffic light to turn green. This brings such a bad impression on them.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nced at Qi Chenglin amid the embarrassment.

    Grandmother Qi put on her spectacles with presbyopia lenses to take a clearer view of the number te, which was quite familiar to her. ¡°Chenglin, is this your car?¡±

    Yan Beicheng grinned at Qi Chenglin, whose expression paled with anger, and said, ¡°This video was shared like crazy in my friends¡¯ list. They said the people in this car were bold and untrammeled. They couldn¡¯t even contain themselves when the traffic light turned red. Then, I noticed that the number te was quite familiar so I took a closer look. Yo, wasn¡¯t that your car?¡±

    Han Zhuoli stared at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen ambiguously. Ruan Danchen¡¯s face went as red as a beetroot now and the elders in the Qi family were still sitting together with them. It would be disastrous if they misunderstood the situation.

    ¡°Youxuan and I were ying around in the back of the carst night, that was the reason why the car was so...¡± Ruan Danchen was unable to mutter the word ¡°bouncy¡± anyhow.

    ¡°Lao Chu, what are you doing?¡± Yan Beicheng took a nce at Chu Zhaoyang who was sitting beside him quietly, but his fingers were busy poking at his phone.

    ¡°Downloading the video, perhaps it maye in handy when they¡¯re getting married,¡± Chu Zhaoyang said lightly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were dumbfounded.

    ¡°All of you came here together just for this?¡± Qi Chenglin felt especially speechless as he thought they were too silly.

    Gui Zhiqian gave him a magnanimous nod. ¡°It¡¯s hectic during the New Year festival, and you should be honored that we paid you a visit.¡±

    It was afternoon after they were done messing around with him, so Grandmother Qi made them stay for lunch in the old mansion.

    Then, the Qi family realized that Yan Beicheng and the gang came here straight after their assemge and had not paid other families a New Year call yet. Thus, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin brought their wives and children and followed them to pay a visit to each family.

    They had decided to visit the Han family manor first since it was the nearest to the Qi family manor.

    Wei Ziqi carried Little Muran in his embosom after the women served lunch and started eating and feeding Little Muran at the same time, ignoring his sonpletely.

    Ruan Danchen served a small bowl of noodles to Wei Ran, who was carrying Little Muche, so that she could feed her daughter.

    Wei Ziqi was extremely patient in taking care of Little Muran meticulously.

    Little Muran took a bite of the food she disliked and spat it out, and Wei Ziqi then ate it without feeling disgusted even though there was some unknown object in the meat he just ate.

    Little Muran felt bored after eating for quite some time, so she started misbehaving and did not want to continue her lunch in peace. Wei Ziqi then coaxed her with a good temper. ¡°Alright, alright. Come and have a bite again. We¡¯ll stop eating after ten bites, alright? I¡¯ll count for you.¡±

    Little Muran finally started eating again after endless coaxing, but she held the food in her mouth instead of chewing it. Wei Ziqi then grabbed a piece of stewed beef and said, ¡°Look at how I chew. One, Two, Three... That¡¯s right.¡±

    The other bachelors were on the brink of vomiting at the sight of Wei Ziqi tolerating his daughter¡¯s wilfulness. Wei Ziqi would not have such a good temper before he had a daughter. If anyone dared to act capricious towards him, he would kick the person¡¯s buttocks without hesitation, and even the person¡¯s death would not be able to resolve his anger.

    Little Muche, who was sitting beside them, misbehaved too. He did not want to eat the noodles Wei Ran fed, and he would turn his head away when the spoon was near his mouth. When Wei Ran found a good opportunity after cajoling him for a while and forced a spoonful of noodles into his mouth, he would spit it out without hesitation.

    Wei Ziqi noticed it from the corner of his eye and red at Little Muche with a stern gaze.

    Little Muche went stiff and made a crying expression, looking especially pitiful. Wei Ziqi then raised his eyebrows and gave him a condescending sneer.

    Little Muche was about to cry initially, but after noticing his father¡¯s gaze, he pursed his lips and widened his teary eyes, trying desperately to hold the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. He thus kept the tears and snot at bay before eating the noodles Wei Ran fed obediently, peeking at him from time to time vigntly.

    Wei Ziqi continued cajoling his daughter to eat her lunch patiently.

    ¡°Wei Ziqi, did your sone with the package when you top up your phone charges?¡± Yan Beicheng shifted his gaze between Little Muche and Little Muran, noticing a huge difference between their treatment.

    ¡°What are you talking about? He¡¯s a product of me and my wife¡¯s hard work.¡± Wei Ziqi red Yan Beicheng with a little annoyance from being misunderstood.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ran was dumbfounded.

    Wei Ziqi¡¯s sleeves were being encumbrances so Wei Ran helped him to roll up his sleeves, which revealed a washable tattoo of SpongeBob SquarePants on his arm.

    ¡°Yo, Wei Ziqi, are you still childish?¡± Han Zhuoliughed at the sight of the SpongeBob SquarePants tattoo on Wei Ziqi¡¯s arm; he was an adult man but with a cartoon tattoo on him.

    ¡°Muran liked it and insisted on sticking it on him,¡± Wei Ran exined with a smile on her face.

    She recalled Little Muran was chewing bubble gum when she came back from kindergarten on one day. There was a washable tattoo sticker inside the packet so she insisted on sticking it on Wei Ziqi¡¯s back of the hand.

    It was unwise for his subordinates and clients to notice the cartoon tattoo during his work, but he could not bear the sight of his daughter¡¯s disappointed expression. Nheless, Little Muran was persistent in her demand on sticking the tattoo on a conspicuous location.

    Feeling helpless, Wei Ziqi persuaded Little Muran to ce the tattoo on his arm. However, it was still noticeable if he did not hide it carefully.

    ¡°The status difference between your son and daughter is huge, don¡¯t you think so?¡± Gui Zhiqian winked and took a closer look at Little Muche again. Even though his eyes, nose, and mouth were the absolute spitting images of Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran, Wei Ziqi treated him as if he was picked up from the roadside.

    Wei Ziqi rolled his eyes and said, ¡°A daughter has to be doted delicately, whereas a son must be treated harshly so that he won¡¯t suffer in the future.¡±

    Little Muran was full after Wei Ziqi finished his sentence, and her father then advised before putting her down on the ground, ¡°My daughter, if there¡¯s any man who tries to court you in the future, don¡¯t promise him if he didn¡¯t treat you better than I did. Don¡¯t marry if that happens. Stay home and I¡¯ll take care of you.¡±

    Xiao Muran nodded prudently before going to y with the others.

    Footnotes:

    Ch 386 Footnote 1

    [1] Lucky money is prepared for children by adults and the elderly and given after the reunion dinner. There are no clear literary sources from which to trace the origin of the red envelope tradition. In China, during the Qin Dynasty, the elderly would thread coins with a red string. The money was called yasui qian (y¨¡ su¨¬ qi¨¢n Ñ¹ËêÇ®) meaning ¡°money warding off evil spirits¡±, and was believed to protect the elderly from sickness and death. The lucky money was reced by red envelopes when printing presses became moremon and is now found written using the homophone for su¨¬ that means ¡®old age¡¯ instead of ¡®evil spirits¡¯. In folk culture, the children will live safe and sound for the whole year if they get lucky money. This custom still remains and the amount of money is increasing. Children use their money to buy books or other school supplies. Some families also save money for future use or use it to help cultivate in their children the habit of saving.

    Ch 386 Footnote 2

    [2] One-Year-Old Catch (zhu¨¡ zh¨­u ×¥ÖÜ) is a tradition with a long history in China. It was recorded even when it was in the Song Dynasty (s¨°ng ch¨¢o ËÎ³¯). One-Year-Old Catch is usually held before eating the long-life noodles when it is on the day when a baby is one year old. The family willy out sutras, brush pens, ink sticks, paper, ink bs, abacus, copper coins, ount books, pieces of jewelry, flowers, rouge, foods, toys, etc. For girls, scoops, scissors, rulers, thread, scissor-cut will be added. Then the parents put the baby in front of these articles and make it sit up. Nobody will give any instruction or cue to the baby so that it is left free to choose. Watching the baby catch the articles it likes, the family can then make predictions about its potential interests, future career and development.

 Chapter 387 - Itâ€™s Agonizing, I Wonâ€™t Walk Alongside You Guys In The Future

    <strong>Chapter 387: It¡¯s Agonizing, I Won¡¯t Walk Alongside You Guys In The Future</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Xiao Muran nodded prudently before going to y with the others.

    Wei Ziqi gave Qi Chenglin acent look as if trying to say, ¡®See? If your son isn¡¯t as good as me, then don¡¯t even bother to try and court my daughter.¡¯

    There was only one thing going through everyone¡¯s mind now¡ªchildish men!

    Qi Youxuan took out a piece of tissue paper from the tissue box to wipe his mouth after he had his stomach full. He then climbed down the chair and ran towards Little Muran. ¡°Mumu, I¡¯m going to treat you well now!¡±

    Qi Chenglin shifted his gaze away from Qi Youxuan slowly before replying to Wei Ziqi. ¡°I have confidence in my son.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi was left speechless.

    Grandmother Qi was smiling at them, thinking that Qi Youxuan had a bright future ahead of him. If she was fortunate to live long enough, she might even be able to witness Youxuan¡¯s marriage with his future wife!

    The lunch ended in an enigmatic atmosphere between the two future families-inw. Then, they left together to start paying New Year calls.

    Qi Youxuan followed them as he would not miss any opportunity to receive more red packets.

    ...

    ...

    Their first stop was the Han family manor. Grandmother Han weed them enthusiastically and gave red packets to the three children happily, feeling envious as she fixed her gaze on Little Muche.

    ¡°Look at you. Ziqi had two children now and even Muche was getting older,¡± Grandmother Han red at Han Zhuoli after giving all the red packets away.

    Han Zhuoli did not dare to respond to her. However, Qi Youxuan passed the red packets to Ruan Danchen deliberately to show off and said, ¡°Mom, help me take these red packets for safekeeping.¡±

    Grandmother Han was unable to remain calm now. Her initial thunderous voice became even louder as she spoke, ¡°Chenglin, you¡¯ve decided on your marriage, is it?¡±

    ¡°I had nned to marry Danchen all these while,¡± Qi Chenglin held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and answered confidently.

    Grandmother Han was getting anxious now. ¡°Han Zhuoli, can you stop being a disappointment and live up to my expectations? Youxuan has a stepmother now but you don¡¯t even have a girlfriend.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was unhappy about Grandmother Han referring to Ruan Danchen as his stepmother. She was his biological mother after all, so he corrected Grandmother Han. ¡°Great-grandma, she is my biological mother, not my stepmother.¡±

    ¡°Ah? Biological mother? What happened?¡± Grandmother Han raised her voice and asked.

    Qi Chenglin then gave her a simple exnation. ¡°It was a misunderstanding from the past. Anyway, I¡¯ve reunited with Danchen now and had exined it to my family and Youxuan.¡±

    Grandmother Han was a fan of Korean drama, and she was especially fond of reading romance novels. However, she could not stare at the screen for too long as it would induce difort such as headaches and blurry vision, so she instructed someone else to download audiobooks for her. After that, she would feel nothing but joy and pleasure when she listened to the audiobook of romance novels every single day.

    After listening to Qi Chenglin¡¯s exnation, Grandmother Han immediately pictured a reunion after a break-up due to misunderstandings.

    ¡°Aiyoh, your child had grown up so much and you even reunited with your wife. That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good. Zhuo¡¯zi, you¡¯re not bad looking yourself too but why can¡¯t you find a girlfriend until now? Even Chengzhi has a child now! Did you know how embarrassed I felt whenever I went out? I always saw the others hugging their grandchildren and ying with them outside, and I didn¡¯t even dare to amuse and y with them because I feared that they¡¯d ask if my grandson has a girlfriend or not. That would make me feel so embarrassed and humiliated.¡± Grandmother Han nced at the three beautiful children in front of her, feeling nothing but affection and envy no matter how she stared at them.

    Grandmother Han¡¯s nagging made Han Zhuoli uneasy. He kept signaling the others to leave quickly so that he could use that as an excuse to escape from this terrible situation.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right,¡± Chu Zhaoyang, who remained silent all this while, voiced out suddenly. His deep voice sounded especially calm and steady.

    Grandmother Han held onto Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s hand as though she finally found a soulmate who understood her and sighed. ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t even know if I can live long enough to see Zhuo¡¯zi marry his wife.¡±

    In the end, Qi Chengzhi remained loyal to his friends and said that they needed to pay other families a New Year call. Han Zhuoli then quickly left alongside them in relief.

    Han Zhuoli pointed his finger at Chu Zhaoyang angrily the moment they stepped out of the house. ¡°Lao Chu, you¡¯re not loyal to your friends at all!¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang gave him a haughty stare with his deep eyes. ¡°Ha ha.¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang normally would not act spitefully to others if he was not provoked. Song Yu was well aware of his behavior so she took a nce at Yan Beicheng, who wasughing at the side. It was obvious that he knew what was going on between Chu Zhaoyang and Han Zhuoli.

    ¡°Lao Chu¡¯s family was urging him to get married too and they introduced ady for him to go on a blind date. However, thatdymented that he was too boring. He was silent throughout the whole meal and the most that he mentioned was ¡°Alright¡±. So, thedy went back home andined, saying that he shouldn¡¯t go on a blind date without the intention to do so. Wasn¡¯t that humiliating? Auntie went straight to thepany after hearing theint and coincidentally, Zhuo¡¯zi was there too and gloating at the side,¡± Chu Zhaoyang grinned as he exined to them.

    Han Zhuoli had forgottenpletely about this matter. Now that Yan Beicheng reminded him, he immediately pointed at Chu Zhaoyang andshed out. ¡°Dang, you¡¯re a cunning b*stard! It was just a miniature matter and yet you¡¯re bearing the grudge now. You¡¯re such a narrow-minded person!¡±

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Chu Zhaoyang straightened his tie in a decorous way before moving his long, slender legs, entered the car and drove away.

    Whenever when they visited a family, Qi Youxuan would always find opportunities to call his mother. It was obvious the reasons why he called his mother were just excuses; he merely wanted to show off that he had a mother.

    Even when they were outside and met with anyone, disregarding whether they were acquaintances or strangers, Qi Youxuan would call out to his mother deliberately.

    Ruan Danchen would lower her gaze and reply to him every single time tirelessly.

    The kid was out of excuses in the end. He called out to his mother again and when Ruan Danchen lowered her gaze and asked him what was going on, he hesitated for quite some time, trying desperately toe up with a new reason but failed. He blushed and answered, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    Qi Chenglin pouted. To be honest, he was getting annoyed at Qi Youxuan¡¯s constant yelling which made him feel like there was callus formation in his ears now.

    Ruan Danchen grinned instead and lifted Qi Youxuan. ¡°You can call me as many times as you want, I love hearing it.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s heavy.¡± Qi Chenglin frowned.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I want to carry him.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled.

    The kid felt embarrassed instead and said, ¡°Mom, put me down, I can walk on my own.¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed that the kid¡¯s gaze kept shifting towards Little Muran who was lying in Wei Ziqi¡¯s embosom and understood his concern, so she put him down on the ground.

    Qi Chenglin then received a phone call from Jiang Yuan. Other than ¡°alright¡±, Qi Chenglin remained silent throughout the call and hung up.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and exined to her, ¡°I instructed Jiang Yuan to visit the Shen family and pass them a cheque. That cheque was considered as payment for the university¡¯s tuition and foster fees for these past few years. Didn¡¯t Shen Jialiang think that you owe him money? The debt is paid now. Since Liu Ronghua didn¡¯t take much responsibility in raising you, we don¡¯t owe her anymore after they received the cheque.¡±

    Ruan Danchen realized that thest sentence Qi Chenglin mentioned was meant to release her burden, so she nodded after understood his intentions. She was not particrly curious regarding her biological parents since she had a home and lived a prosperous life now.

    She did not inquire regarding the sum of that cheque but guessed that it would be a humongous amount since Qi Chenglin wanted the Shen family to keep this matter as a secret.

    She felt apologetic towards Qi Chenglin since he had to give such a huge amount of money to the Shen family for free. Even though the money was considered little for Qi Chenglin, she felt utterly disgusted.

    Qi Chenglin squeezed her hand just as the thought crossed her mind. She lifted her gaze and met his gentle, bright eyes and nice, vaguely smiling nice lips. His facial expression then appeared mischievous and made his initial stern features looked younger instantly.

    ¡°I¡¯m not buying a wife,¡± came Qi Chenglin¡¯s soft answer, a little croaky but rxed nheless.

    Ruan Danchen grinned. ¡°I rather you don¡¯t spend even a penny, I¡¯ll sell myself to you for free.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. My wife is priceless,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Ah, this couple is too much for me to handle!¡± Wei Ziqi was fed up with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Absent-mindedly, they had been showing their affections publicly since they exited the Wei family manor and as they walked toward the parking lot.

    Han Zhuoli nodded his head indignantly. ¡°Three pairs of couples came out today. It¡¯s agonizing, I won¡¯t walk alongside you guys again in the future!¡±

    It was too unfair for him. In front of him were Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen whose actions could make bachelors suffer in agony, whereas behind him was Wei Ziqi who loved his daughter a little too much like she was his dear life. He could not live in peace and quiet now!

    Ruan Danchen blushed upon hearing their yful teases and she sheepishly avoided direct eye contact with them.

    Qi Chenglin fought the urge to lean forward and kiss her blushing cheeks.

    When Ruan Danchen apanied Qi Youxuan to buy new clothes for the New Year festival, she bought a red-colored trench coat as he insisted her to buy the same colored outfit as him.

    Ruan Danchen normally wore a simple and in outfit with makeup so light that no one would be able to notice it and thought that she did not wear any makeup at all.

    Now, she used a brighter lipstick to match the red colored outfit, which made her appear beautiful and morous. One would describe her as pretty and flirtatious with her current fashion.

    Qi Chenglin was a man without scruples and he certainly did not care whether the bachelors behind him could handle their affections or not, but Ruan Danchen was a very bashful woman. He was thick-skinned enough to endure the criticism or yful teases made especially by Han Zhuoli and the gang, but he feared Ruan Danchen would be too embarrassed to appear in front of the gang again, so he had no choice but to contain his urge.

    Qi Chenglin entered the car and saw Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan sitting at the back of the car. His annoyance toward his son was unrestrained when he took a peek at the back through the rearview mirror.

    Qi Chenglin would certainly yank Ruan Danchen into his embosom for some lip-dancing if they were alone without that little third wheeler¡¯s presence.

    Ruan Danchen felt his gaze and noticed his annoyed re toward the unknowing Qi Youxuan. Then, he shifted his gaze to meet hers after feeling her stare on him, which radiated a burning heat immediately upon eye contact.

    Ruan Danchen was scorched by his burning gaze which resulted in rosy cheeks. Then, she red back at him before avoiding his gaze in embarrassment, but she kept recalling it and wanted to take a look at him again. Moreover, she was curious and wanted to know if he was fixing his gaze on her.

    True enough, she noticed his burning stare lingered still when she eventually lifted her gaze. His gaze was scorching hot as though wanting to swallow her whole, and it made her body tremble.

    Heat seared through her body as she was fully immersed in his burning gaze. She suddenly jumped in shock at the sudden loud, ring car horn sound.

    She turned her head and saw Han Zhuoli stopped his car beside theirs. He slid down the car window and asked, ¡°Are you leaving or not?¡±

    He drove away right after.

    ¡°Let¡¯s leave now,¡± insisted a flustered Ruan Danchen.

    Though Qi Chenglin was reluctant to shift his gaze away from Ruan Danchen¡¯s pinkish face, he eventually started driving away.

    After their visits to pay a New Year call to every family and Qi Youxuan grabbing every opportunity to show off that he had a mother, Grandmother Qi received a lot of phone calls to congratte her at home in the evening. This induced exhration in Grandmother Qi and she even promised to deliver countless wedding invitation cards to each family who called.

    Grandmother Qi then made some calctions with her fingers and realized that Grandmother Han had not given her a call to congratte her, so she took the initiative and called Grandmother Han personally. ¡°Xiao Han, did my two grandsons bring their wives and children to pay you a New Year call?¡±

    Grandmother Han held the phone at home, gritted her teeth out of annoyance and took a bite at the apple with all her might. Grandmother Qi had been showing off persistently since Qi Chengzhi finally got married.

    It would be fine if Grandmother Qi showed off to everyone equally, but she aimed all firepower purposely at Grandmother Han after all her cannons roared at the same time. Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin came out directly from the Qi family manor with their families, right? However, Grandmother Qi had to emphasize that two of her grandsons brought their wives and children.

    These two grandmothers werepetitive even though they were good friends;parative and would argue every single time they met. They had known each other for a long time, and they started bickering andining when they were students, but for some reason, their friendship was not affected at all until now. The friendship between them was perceived as a miracle by others.

    Grandmother Han chewed the apple for quite some time deliberately before replying, ¡°They came, and left for quite a while too.¡±

    ¡°Hahahahaha...are you surprised? I didn¡¯t inform you before so are you alright after hearing Youxuan calling out to his mother?¡± Grandmother Qi asked happily.

    ¡°Hahahahahahaha.¡± Grandmother Han gave up responding to her.

    Grandmother Han had been showing off for the past decades that she got married earlier than Grandmother Qi, and even her son¡¯s marriage was earlier than Grandmother Qi¡¯s son too. She did not expect that she would lose when it came down to her grandson!

    ¡°Hahahaha! I was thinking that it¡¯d be extremely difficult for my second grandson to find a wife and feared that my future granddaughter-inw would be unkind to Youxuan since she wasn¡¯t Youxuan¡¯s biological mother, right? Even though my grandson was acting restrained normally and there wouldn¡¯t be a second time when he was introduced to ady, he was actually thinking about his son¡¯s mother! Look at him, finally marrying his wife and reunited with his family. Extremely good news!¡± Grandmother Qiughedcently.

    Grandmother Han hung up the call after listening to Grandmother Qi¡¯s constant bragging for quite some time and called Han Zhuoli¡¯s father.

    Han Xianghui was paying a New Year call at the Qi family manor when he picked up the call. He only had time to say ¡°Mom¡± before Grandmother Han bombarded him with a roar through the phone. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, don¡¯t y around with those virtually nonsenses of properly-matched-marriage. Find ady for Zhuoli now, I want to hug my great-grandchild!¡±

    Grandmother Han hung up the phone angrily after yelling through the phone. She was in a better mood now after releasing all her mncholy that umted in her heart.

    However, Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi heard her clearly since her voice was thunderous enough to prate through the phone.

    Han Xianghui felt so awkward and embarrassed in an instant, especially when Grandmother Qi who sat opposite him grinned proudly while munching through the sunflower seeds.

    ...

    ...

    It was the fifth day of the lunar month when Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were having a lie-in at home. Then, her phone rang; it was the reminding rm of her memorandum. Her curiosity led her to turn on the phone, and she suddenly recalled that she had a senior high gathering in the afternoon.

    Since Ruan Danchen had promised to attend the gathering, naturally she would not renege at thest minute, so she put her phone down to get off the bed.

    Qi Chenglin was awakened by the rm too. He opened his eyes slightly and his arm around Ruan Danchen tightened. Then, he was on top of her, burying his face directly beside her neck and asked while exhaling, ¡°What happened?¡±

    His voice waszy and sleepy as if acting coquettishly, which sounded especially intoxicating to her. His warm breaths were caressing the most sensitive spot on her neck which made her whole body flush pink in an instant.

    Qi Chenglin tried his best to pull Ruan Danchen as close to his embosom as possible, and he then assumed ateral sleeping position and rested his palm on her back. The fact that his palm was merely running up and down her spine coaxed shivers out of her as heat engulfed her body.

    ¡°I love the pinkish look on you,¡± Qi Chenglin mumbled with a deep and croaky voice as if not fully awakened yet.

    When Ruan Danchen was not in her sound mind during his gentle caressing, he lifted her and inserted himself into her.

    Ruan Danchen let out a quivered moan and held onto him tightly as her lips pressed against his shoulder firmly.

 Chapter 388 - I Thought You Couldnâ€™t Get over Your Old Flame

    <strong>Chapter 388: I Thought You Couldn¡¯t Get over Your Old me</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    No one could have predicted that Qi Chenglin would be so energetic having just woken up. It was like he wanted her to copse from exhaustion. His zeal was much more than the night before, and Ruan Danchen almost could not breathe. He made her unable to contain herself, and her body did not even answer to her anymore.

    His chest was broad and she was wrapped tightly in him, bearing the weight of him engulfing her. She curled her arms and legs instinctively on him, hanging on him as if she was holding tightly onto a piece of floating wood.

    Qi Chenglin intimately wiped off the sweat from her forehead. He felt very content.

    ¡°What time is it?¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled and asked.

    Qi Chenglin nced at the clock on the nightstand and said, ¡°Ten thirty.¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, I forgot that I have a senior high school reunion to go toter.¡± Her words were so, but he did her so good that she was not that keen on getting up. She would much rather nuzzle in his embrace than attend the reunion.

    Qi Chenglin remembered her school reunion too, but the main reason was because Ruan Danchen¡¯s old crush would be attending too. He was hoping that she would forget the reunion.

    He looked at her distantly but there was no way he could forbid her from going since that would all but reveal his pettiness.

    There was a knock on the door. Qi Youxuan¡¯s spirited voice resounded from outside. ¡°Dad, Mom, are you awake yet? I want to eat!¡±

    Qi Chenglin wanted to cozy himself with Ruan Danchen for a while longer, but Ruan Danchen got up immediately after hearing that her son was hungry.

    ¡°If you still want to sleep, you can sleep a while more.¡± Ruan Danchen looked at his handsome face and could not resist kissing him a few more times.

    His pampering of her made her feel like she was bing a member of the ¡®good-looks association 1¡¯ [1].

    Qi Chenglin did not say a single word and got up after she did.

    After tidying things up, Ruan Danchen went out to see Qi Youxuan standing at the door. He was holding his little tummy and sporting a rather pitiful and hungry expression.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll get to it now.¡± Ruan Danchen brought him to one side and asked, ¡°What do you want to eat?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d like to eat some hot noodles for breakfast,¡± Qi Youxuan proimed. He thought about slurping his noodles without a care in the world, and with a hot bowl of soup and the white steam emitting from his noodles. Then, he imagined the warm feeling he would get after eating those noodles. His face looked absolutely gluttonous.

    Ruan Danchen was incredibly amused by his demeanor and she wondered how the kiddo turned out to be such an adorable child. From the freezer, she took out some luncheon meat, some vegetables, and eggs. She whipped up three bowls of soup swiftly.

    After the meal, all the dishes and utensils were cleaned up ced away. Ruan Danchen did not intend to put on any makeup. She might have considered doing so if it was just a simple reunion, but Chen Libai was there. He was old news, and the little embers of fondness wilted away before anything even started. After so many years, everyone was mature and no one would take all that too seriously.

    She knew though, that Qi Chenglin was petty. Although she did not have any ulterior motives, putting on makeup might make him feel like she was eagerly looking forward to meeting with Chen Libai. She simply applied ayer of BB cream, some eyeliner, and a thinyer of lipstick. It was practically the same as her natural skin tone.

    When she carried her bag out, she saw Qi Chenglin holding his iPad, but she could not see what he was looking at. He seemed to be engrossed in it and looked extremely focused.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but do a double-take. ¡®Is he really that epting?¡¯

    Even so, she asked him in good faith, ¡°Would you like toe with me? It¡¯s okay to bring family members.¡±

    Although that was the case, in past reunions, all those men bragged about bringing their own partners the next time they had a reunion. Most of them had girlfriends, while some were contemting marriage and others were already married, yet not once did any of them bring their other half over.

    They figured that everyone might feel ufortable since their own friends were not familiar with their significant others and might be reserved with their jokes.

    Ruan Danchen had no apprehensions about it, but with Qi Chenglin¡¯s aura, no one would probably say anything if he were to sit there, and the dinner would probably be cold.

    It was Qi Chenglin¡¯s feelings that Ruan Danchen cared the most about. She did not want him to sulk at home by himself.

    Qi Chenglin remained nonchnt and lowered his iPad calmly. He cocked a brow at her and said, ¡°Family member?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen red at him. She knew that the man was using that chance to poke fun at her, but his waggling eyebrows and mischievous look made her feel shy.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be a family member then so be it,¡± Ruan Danchen said bashfully. She headed out, but he grabbed her wrist.

    She was then pulled down to be seated beside him.

    Qi Chenglin decided to ce the iPad to one side and lean over. ¡°You¡¯re proposing to me?¡±

    ¡°I hate you!¡± Ruan Danchen murmured softly. She was still irked by it even though she knew he was teasing her on purpose. ¡°A proposal is the kind of thing that men should do!¡±

    Her willingness to invite him to join her was something that made him happy, but he masked that happiness and put on a solemn expression, remarking seriously, ¡°It¡¯s your school reunion. I¡¯m not close to them. If I sit there, I don¡¯t think they can talk freely, so I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll go.¡±

    After saying that, he stood up. ¡°I¡¯ll send you ande back home.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you won¡¯t be worried if you don¡¯t go?¡± Ruan Danchen looked at him suspiciously.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was incredibly calm and he was about to take his car keys.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to send me. It¡¯s rare for you to be off work, so you should rest at home. I¡¯ll just take a cab,¡± Ruan Danchen stopped him as she did not want him to drive to-and-fro.

    ¡°It¡¯s not easy to get a cab here,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen swiped her phone. ¡°There are e-hailing apps, right? I learned it from a colleague. It¡¯s very convenient. Aunt Zheng is on leave and there¡¯s no one at home. I¡¯ll be worried if Youxuan stays at home alone.¡±

    ¡°But you wanted me to go with you?¡± Qi Chenglin cocked a brow and asked.

    ¡°If you went with me, we could bring Youxuan or drop him off at Jade Field Park.¡± Ruan Danchen had already decided on that.

    Qi Chenglin then nodded. ¡°Okay. Call me when you¡¯ve reached.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tiptoed and kissed his lip. ¡°I won¡¯t stay there too long.¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± Qi Chenglin responded. He sent her off at the doorstep, and although he really wanted her to just skip the reunion, he was so mindful of his dignity that he could not utter a single word.

    Ruan Danchen went out of Prestige Residences 1 [2], and before she could evenunch the e-hailing app, she saw an empty cab in front of her, which she gged down immediately.

    Around forty minutester, Qi Chenglin received Ruan Danchen¡¯s call.

    She paid her fare and walked to Shengyue while saying, ¡°I¡¯m here.¡±

    ¡°What time do you want to leave? I¡¯lle pick you.¡± Qi Chenglin looked at the clock and was already feeling impatient just waiting at home.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see. Will let you knowter,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°Maybe in an hour or two.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sat on the sofa with his iPad still on hisp, but none of the content or words could enter into his brain.

    Once she hung up, Ruan Danchen went into Shengyue. She was already in the list of VIP members, so when the manager saw her, he immediately weed her in.

    ¡°Miss Ruan,¡± the manager greeted.

    Ruan Danchen mentioned the name Wang Kaiyi, and the manager used his walkie-talkie to ascertain it with the front desk. He then escorted Ruan Danchen to a room on the second floor.

    She went in and looked at the time. It was forty minutes past eleven and she arrived slightlyter than the agreed-upon time. She went into the room and noticed that everyone was present¡ªshe was thest to arrive.

    A man was seated on one of the seats that faced the wall. Ruan Danchen recognized him as Chen Libai.

    He did not look too different from his senior high days, save for the slight maturation. He wore a ck dress shirt with two buttons undone, lending his cor a casual but confident look. His sleeves were folded up too, and he was chatting with the others in a very rxed manner.

    Chen Libai was attractive and handsome, butpared to Qi Chenglin he was just slightly inferior, be it in his looks or his charisma.

    If Qi Chenglin really did show up, it was more than likely that everyone would be hesitant to speak up, if at all. They might just answer obediently to whatever questions that Qi Chenglin asked, making for an incredibly awkward situation.

    ¡°Danchen!¡± Gao Xiaoyang turned around and waved.

    Ruan Danchen walked over with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Come, sit! We¡¯ve saved a spot for you.¡± Gao Xiaoyang looked at her phone. ¡°You¡¯re ten minuteste.¡±

    Twenty people were present and seated at therge round table. The only empty seat was beside Chen Libai. Ruan Danchen did not feel anything toward Chen Libai, so she went there and sat without feeling shy at all. Gao Xiaoyang was seated at her other side.

    ¡°Long time no see.¡± Chen Libai was originally in the middle of a conversation with Chang Jingqiu, but once he saw Ruan Danchen sit down, he simply cut off the conversation and ditched Chang Jingqiu to greet Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen had just arrived, so she did not hear what Chen Libai and Chang Jingqiu were talking about. That was part of the reason why she did not notice Chang Jingqiu¡¯s rather unhappy expression.

    She smiled and replied courteously, ¡°Yes, it¡¯s been a long time. I heard from Xiaoyang that you¡¯ve just returned to the country.¡±

    ¡°What ns do you have after returning? Do you want to get into your family¡¯s business?¡± Wang Kaiyi asked.

    Chen Libai shook his head. ¡°I want to venture out myself and see whether I have what it takes. I can give myself this challenge because I¡¯m still young. If it doesn¡¯t work out and I suffer some losses, it¡¯ll still be a beneficial thing.¡±

    ¡°I never expected you to think of it that way. You¡¯re very different from those other rich kids that I know,¡± Chang Jingqiu smiled and said. Her beautiful eyes were constantly hovering over Chen Libai¡¯s face.

    Chang Jingqiu transferred to their school during thetter half of their second year in senior high. Her family was from J City, but despite that, her family¡¯s business was well-known across the country. In terms of ranking, the Chang family 1¡¯s position was quite high. J City was a small ce after all, with the upperssmen paling in number whenpared to B City. The Chang family [3] all migrated to B City and sessfully integrated with B City¡¯s upper-ss society

    ¡°Chen Libai, you keep a pretty low profile, don¡¯t you? Ever since high school, I knew you were from a good background, but I didn¡¯t know that you were this good,¡± Gao Xiaoyang smiled and remarked. ¡°I¡¯m now a finance journalist. If there are any interviews in the future, maybe you can do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°If I can, I will,¡± Chen Libai answered with a smile.

    ¡°Libai, you studied abroad but you didn¡¯t bring a girlfriend home?¡± Wang Kaiyi asked knowingly.

    Chen Libai smiled and nced briefly at Ruan Danchen, saying, ¡°Westerners don¡¯t suit my tastes, and the cultural discrepancy is just too wide. Our personalities don¡¯tplement. In other words, I already knew that I¡¯d being home, and sooner orter I¡¯ll have to break up with them. Why should I have that yboy mentality and do all those irresponsible things?¡±

    ¡°I thought you couldn¡¯t get over your old me,¡± Gao Xiaoyang chimed in.

    She had earlier agreed with Wang Kaiyi to lead the conversation to Chen Libai¡¯s love life. Sensing their intentions, Ruan Danchen was left with no choice but to feign ignorance.

    ¡°When I was younger, I didn¡¯t want to be an irresponsible person. I¡¯m not the kind of person who can just promise you things on a whim, then p your a*s and leave just like that. Truth is, there were some things I couldn¡¯t forget,¡± Chen Libai said. He looked at Ruan Danchen without being discreet at all.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did not know what else to do. She could only pretend to be clueless and drink some tea to hide what she felt.

    ¡°I remember too, even though the both of you didn¡¯t say it, the entire ss knew that you both liked each other,¡± Wang Kaiyi said.

    Chen Libai was smiling constantly beside her, and Chang Jingqiu suddenly asked, ¡°I heard Xiaoyang say that you already have a boyfriend, Danchen?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu was all smiles and the question was asked in a very gentle voice, but Ruan Danchen felt that something was not quite right.

    Nevertheless, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sentences were Ruan Danchen¡¯s saving grace. She had no qualms about affirming it, as that would prevent Chen Libai and the others from making things awkward.

    ¡°Mm,¡± Ruan Danchen said without missing a beat. Fearing that her response might be too slow that others may use her of finding an excuse. She was still rather worried, so she added, ¡°We¡¯re really happy with each other.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu sniggered and said, ¡°Why are you so anxious for? You¡¯re that proud to have a boyfriend?¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt embarrassed, realizing that her answer was made in some haste, as though she was dying to let everyone know that she had a boyfriend.

    She chuckled awkwardly, but Chang Jingqiu smiled and added, ¡°Okay, I won¡¯t tease you anymore. I know you¡¯re really happy with the rtionship. Xiaoyang said the two of you are living together.¡±

    Chen Libai¡¯s expression became forced once he heard that, and his mien started to be dull.

    Ruan Danchen did not know what Chang Jingqiu was up to because those words did not seem to tally with the smiling face. Those sentences seemed to be directed toward Chen Libai.

    However, Ruan Danchen was not at all bothered about Chen Libai¡¯s thoughts, as it would be best to extinguish quickly whatever intentions he might have.

    She nodded without even blushing. ¡°Mm, we¡¯re discussing marriage already. He¡¯s considered my first love.¡±

    ¡°And I thought your first love was Libai,¡± Wang Kaiyi said jokingly.

    Ruan Danchen red at him. ¡°Don¡¯t make these kinds of jokes. My boyfriend will be jealous if he finds out.¡±

    ¡°Yo, you¡¯re that scared of him?¡± Wang Kaiyi cocked a brow.

    ¡°I¡¯m not scared of him. I love him a lot.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was already set on killing off whatever thoughts Chen Libai had, which was why she could say that so brazenly.

    She was not a fan of keeping others in the dark, and she would not string anyone along either.

    ¡°You¡¯re showing a lot of love, but your boyfriend¡¯s not even here. If he was, I don¡¯t even know how lovey-dovey the both of you would be,¡± someone jested.

    ¡°But Danchen, you¡¯re the same age as me, right? If your boyfriend is your first love, doesn¡¯t that mean that your first love came a little bit toote?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked half-smilingly.

    Ruan Danchen giggled and said, ¡°I knew him when I was neen. He was my first love, but we were separated for some time, and I didn¡¯t look for anyone else. We got together againter on.¡±

    After finishing those few sentences, she continued, ¡°Why are we focusing so much on me? It¡¯s nothing important to be focusing on. Aren¡¯t we here to wee Libai back?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, exactly!¡±

    Everyone¡¯s attention was thus sessfully diverted to the topic, but Chen Libai looked at Ruan Danchen with a very convoluted expression.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin sat in the living room and watched the rey of a newly-produced variety show, but he was not actually paying attention to it. The entire show was just boisterous noise, which Qi Chenglin used to drown out the loneliness in the home.

    Having watched it for a while, Qi Chenglin looked at the time. It had been an hour since Ruan Danchen¡¯s call. He looked at Qi Youxuan sitting on the rug and ying with his Lego while watching television. He wondered if the child was heartless, because it had been so long since Ruan Danchen left, yet he did not think to be worried for her.

 Chapter 389 - Why Not Invite Him up and Introduce Him to Everyone?

    <strong>Chapter 389: Why Not Invite Him up and Introduce Him to Everyone?</strong>

    Having watched it for a while, Qi Chenglin looked at the time. It had been an hour since Ruan Danchen¡¯s call. He looked at Qi Youxuan sitting on the rug and ying Lego while watching television. He wondered if the child was heartless, because it had been so long since Ruan Danchen left, yet he did not think to be worried for her.

    ¡°Ahem.¡± Qi Chenglin cleared his throat. Qi Youxuan did not seem to notice at all, treating it as though there was an itch in his father¡¯s throat. He continued ying.

    Qi Chenglin then coughed a couple of times andpletely covering the noise from the television. It was then that Qi Youxuan turned and said, ¡°Dad, if your throat isn¡¯t feeling well, you should drink more water.¡±

    After saying that, he lowered his head and continued ying with his Lego, and from time to time he would even look at the television, as if he did not have enough eyes to watch everything.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin drank some water unhappily and suddenly froze. With a sour face, he ced the cup down.

    There was nothing wrong with his throat in the first ce!

    Qi Youxuan still did not react after some time had passed. Qi Chenglin cleared his throat and asked, ¡°Are you hungry?¡±

    ¡°Nope. I had ate breakfast. Two meals are enough for today. I have some junk food too,¡± Qi Youxuan said without even looking up.

    ¡°What do you mean junk food?!¡± Qi Chenglin roared angrily.

    Sometimeter, Qi Chenglin looked at his son¡¯s arched back and asked, ¡°Mom¡¯s not home. Don¡¯t you miss her?¡±

    Qi Youxuan finally looked up at the clock. ¡°She¡¯s only been gone for two hours. When I¡¯m in ss, Mom¡¯s at work. I don¡¯t get to see her for the entire day.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and then twitched them slightly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you still treat her as Aunt Ruan back then? The feeling has to be different.¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked down and pieced it all together. He finally looked up at his father and stared at the man with his huge, grape-like eyes.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s hair was beginning to stand on end because of the boy¡¯s stare. ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    ¡°Dad, do you miss Mom?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze was nothing short of disdain.

    ¡°When did I say that? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯ll miss her. The both of you had just gotten closer, and aren¡¯t you two still in the early loving stages?¡± Qi Chenglin asked in a low voice. He decided to pick up the newspaper beside him and use it to block his face.

    Qi Youxuan was having none of it. He grinned after seeing Qi Chenglin¡¯s guilty disposition. ¡°Dad, why are you like a child? You miss her after not seeing each other for just a while. You need to give Mom some time to do her own stuff.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingertips¡ªwith their neatly trimmed nails¡ªgrasped tighter on the newspaper and flipped a page angrily.

    Qi Youxuan blinked and threw his Lego down. He ran up to Qi Chenglin and asked, ¡°Dad, is Mom at her senior high school reunion?¡±

    Qi Chenglin simply responded, ¡°Mm¡±, and ignored him. After a while, a chubby arm crept up from the paper and pushed it down.

    The man raised an eyebrow and looked at his son with a sullen expression.

    Qi Youxuan looked at him suspiciously. ¡°Could it be that Mom¡¯s old crush will be at the reunion too?¡±

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Qi Chenglin cleared his throat and refrained from answering.

    Qi Youxuan ran into his room at once and took out his Totoro-shaped cell phone. ¡°Dad! You¡¯re worried and you want me to call her right? You could¡¯ve said that earlier! Mom won¡¯t get close with another man and leave you, but you¡¯re worried that someone else might keep bothering her, right?¡±

    As the boy mumbled, he dialed Ruan Danchen¡¯s number. Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched a couple of times.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was in the midst of a conversation. She was seated quite awkwardly with Chen Libai.

    Even though she had no other thoughts, Chen Libai still seemed to be unrelenting. On top of that, there was also Chang Jingqiu, who seemed to be rather friendly even though Ruan Danchen felt that something was terribly off. She wondered if it was simply her own subjective interpretation of the situation, and she began questioning if she was a narrow-minded person.

    Listening to everyone else¡¯s conversation revealed that Chang Jingqiu was colleagues with Gao Xiaoyang. Ruan Danchen wondered but did not ask, why the former did not go into the family business.

    At about that time, the cell phone in her bag began ringing. Ruan Danchen took it out and saw that Qi Youxuan was calling. She excused herself and went to pick the call up.

    Ruan Danchen picked up the call outside and smiled while asking, ¡°Youxuan, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Mom, when are youing home?¡± Qi Youxuan dragged his voice and asked coyly.

    Ruan Danchen smiled. ¡°You miss me already?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded immediately. ¡°I miss you.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯lle home now,¡± Ruan Danchen said, although she did enjoy going to reunions in the past.

    Chatting with her old ssmates and meeting them was nice as all her senior high school friends were good people and did not show off about their jobs or anything of the sort. They mostly talked about the interesting things that happened in school, but the overall gist of the conversation took an unexpected turn that afternoon, and it was pointless to keep staying there.

    Qi Youxuan was just about to tell her how much he missed her, but after hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s words, he immediately answered, ¡°Mom, you¡¯reing back now?¡±

    He turned to tell that to Qi Chenglin, but the man had already left his side. Hearing some noise at the door, he realized that Qi Chenglin was putting on shoes at the door, having already taken a jacket and his car keys.

    ¡°Mom, Dad is going to pick you up.¡± Qi Chenglin was already out the door after Qi Youxuan said that.

    From behind, Qi Chenglin looked as tall and proud as ever, but his footsteps were very much quickened.

    Qi Youxuan stretched his neck to look out. He was sure that Qi Chenglin had left, but he still suppressed his voice and whispered, ¡°Mom, Dad¡¯s the one that¡¯s missing you. He kept looking at the clock when he was sitting in the living room. He¡¯s too embarrassed to admit it and kept using me as an excuse. All of a sudden, he asked me if I¡¯m hungry, or if I miss you. He really wants to keep appearances and pretend like it¡¯s no big deal.¡±

    Ruan Danchen giggled. She found it hard to imagine Qi Chenglin anxiously waiting for her toe home. Due to Youxuan¡¯s words, her mind was filled with the imagery of Qi Chenglin wanting her toe back home soon but was too proud to call and tell her. She found it extremely adorable.

    ¡°When he left to fetch you, he was walking really fast.¡± Qi Youxuan was revealing everything to Qi Chenglin without showing any signs of holding back.

    ¡°He went out already?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. The thought of Qi Chenglin brought an exceptionally warm smile to her face.

    ¡°Yup!¡± Qi Youxuan nodded and said, forgetting that Ruan Danchen could not see him. ¡°I wanted to follow him to pick you up, but I didn¡¯t because I wanted to tell you about what Dad did.¡±

    ¡°Are you okay with being alone at home?¡± Ruan Danchen was slightly worried. Although the young boy was already in his primary school, he was still a child in her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I won¡¯t just run away,¡± Qi Youxuan promised.

    ¡°Alrighty, I¡¯ll be back really soon. Call me if there¡¯s anything. Also, the book underneath thendline phone at home has the numbers of your upstairs and downstairs neighbors. You can call them if anything happens, do you understand?¡± Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Youxuan might be alone one day and would have to visit the neighbours in order to find someone to care for him.

    A ce like Prestige Residences was not the kind of ce with neighbors who were keen on visiting one another. Most of them were sessful people and were busy with their respective careers. It was rare to meet them. Nevertheless, everyone¡¯s housekeepers were familiar with each other.

    Fortunately, Aunt Zheng knew the neighbors¡¯ servants quite well, and if something were to happen and Aunt Zheng was not there, Qi Youxuan could look for the neighbors¡¯ housekeepers.

    Nevertheless, Ruan Danchen decided she would greet everyone in the evening when most of them were already at home. A couple of visits would break the ice a bit.

    Qi Youxuan answered and acted coquettishly for a while before hanging up.

    A smile was still present on Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips. She just could not help herself when she thought of the boy¡¯s cute looks and how Qi Chenglin was sulking at home all alone.

    She wanted to give Qi Chenglin a call, but after a second thought, she decided not to because he was driving.

    As she held her phone and headed back to the room, she looked up to see Chen Libai standing right beside her since God-knows-when.

    Seeing her finally realize his presence, Chen Libai smiled warmly, but traces of his gloominess was still there.

    Ruan Danchen distanced herself politely and returned the smile. She had no idea why Chen Libai was so despondent. They may have had feelings for each other during their school days, but they were nothing more than na?ve children who were experiencing love for the first time.

    When Chen Libai left back then, she did feel some sadness and found it a bit hard to bear, but it was not to the extent that she was unable to part from him. Not longter, she managed to pick herself up, and by then her feelings toward Chen Libai was simply her first awakening of love.

    If in the present, it was Qi Chenglin who left, she would have been in such unimaginable suffering that she may not ever date anyone else again in the future.

    In her eyes, no one couldpare to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°You¡¯re talking with your boyfriend?¡± Chen Libai smiled and asked.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°My son.¡±

    ¡°Your...¡± Chen Libai felt choked for a moment.

    ¡°I had him with my boyfriend. He¡¯ll be seven after the new year.¡± Ruan Danchen knew that Chen Libai was still harboring hope, although she did not know why it was something worthy of not letting go. Therefore, she decided that she might as well reveal her son to him.

    After standing there in shock for some time, Chen Libai finally regained his senses and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen followed him back, but once he sat down, he no longer had the mood to keep on thinking. If someone made a joke, he wouldugh as well but his thoughts were constantly fixated on Ruan Danchen¡¯s child.

    He began counting in his brain. Her son¡¯s age tallied with the year that Ruan Danchen broke up with her boyfriend. She was pregnant, but she did not expect to break up with her boyfriend. She carried the child herself and raised him, but eventually she crossed paths with her ex-boyfriend again. Once the ex knew that she had given birth to his son, he may have decided to get together with her to acknowledge the child as his.

    Chen Libai then realized that Ruan Danchen had her boyfriend¡¯s child but still referred to him as her boyfriend. In that case, that would mean she got pregnant out of wedlock, and with the son already seven years of age, it was surely not something to be proud of.

    Naturally, he would not simply bring that subject up in front of others as that would probably tarnish Ruan Danchen¡¯s reputation. What surprised him was that Ruan Danchen proudly proimed it, as though she did not mind at all that she was not yet married.

    Chen Libai thought that it was quite irresponsible for the boyfriend not to give her status as a wife, considering the fact that their child was already seven-years-old. He then thought further and concluded that the boyfriend probably could not bear the responsibility, since he made her pregnant when she was only neen.

    Neen was an age where one could still be considered a child.

    The man was probably very young too, and due to his inability to provide for the child, he decided to run away irresponsibly. It waspletely different from Chen Libai himself, who did not lead people on because he knew he would not be able to take responsibility¡ªthat was a proper thing for a man to do.

    As he thought of all that, Chen Libai frowned. From his observation, Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriend was an unreliable person. Otherwise, he would not have ditched mother-and-son in the past. The boyfriend probably did not have what it takes anyway and was unable to give Ruan Danchen happiness. That might be the reason why he did not even dare to wed her.

    If the boyfriend only cared about his son, then just give the boy to him. Chen Libai was more than willing to take care of Ruan Danchen.

    His first love was unforgettable. Even though he went out of the country, Ruan Danchen was always in his memory. Memories are often capable of painting a person in a better light, making it even harder to forget the innocent first love he had as a teen.

    Coming back home and seeing Ruan Danchen, he realized that the pureness she had during her school days was still present. Nevertheless, her purity was not faked¡ªit was all natural, making one feel rather pleasant when looking at her. Due to her age, she became more and more mature as the days went by, giving her an attractiveness that she did not have in the past.

    At times, her off-handed smile would cause her pure attractiveness to ooze out and made Chen Libai¡¯s heart thump even harder.

    He made a firm decision to overlook the fact that she birthed another man¡¯s son¡ªChen Libai was hell-bent on showing Ruan Danchen how unreliable her current boyfriend was.

    Ruan Danchen had no idea that Chen Libai¡¯s mind was filled with all those weird thoughts. However, she was restless because she knew that Qi Chenglin wasing over to pick her up. From time to time, she would nce at the time on her watch.

    Once Qi Chenglin¡¯s call came, she picked it up immediately, but instead of going out, she walked to the window just behind her chair.

    ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was as delightful as always. It was mature and sonorous, much unlike most of her same-age ssmates.

    Through the window, Ruan Danchen was able to spot his ck Benz parked just below. Qi Chenglin was standing on the front passenger seat door, leaning on it with his slender-looking legs ced slightly in front of him.

    It was snowing on the pavement and he was wearing all ck. He appeared arrogant against the backdrop of the snow, and his chilly aura caused many passersby to do a double-take.

    His hands were ced inside his pockets and he was even wearing a pair of sunsses. He directed his gaze to Shengyue¡¯s entrance originally, but for some reason¡ªperhaps having sensed her gaze¡ªhe proceeded to look up.

    Even if it was separated by the sunsses, Ruan Danchen knew that their gazes had met.

    Her heartbeat quickened after being looked at from a distance, and it felt to her like she was fresh into the rtionship.

    How was it that he had such a strong aura just by standing there? Shepletely forgot everything else after looking at him.

    That man was hers. He was devoted to her, and thinking about that made her heartbeat quicken even more. Shemented that father and son would be thirty-four and seven, respectively, but continued to be as attractive as ever.

    Plenty of women who passed by looked at him, not once but a couple of times. Ruan Danchen felt sick in her heart.

    Soon after, Qi Chenglin smiled at her and said crisply, ¡°Come down.¡±

    Ruan Danchen replied, ¡°Mm.¡± She was just about to leave but managed to spot a womaning up to him and saying something. Qi Chenglin kept a stern face and answered briefly, though she had no idea what he said to her.

    Nevertheless, Ruan Danchen could make out that the woman was hitting on him.

    Ruan Danchen was getting angry. She hung up and grabbed her bag, wishing she could just jump down from the window.

    Although she was really anxious, she turned around and said to everyone, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, my boyfriend¡¯s here to pick me. I have to go.¡±

    Naturally, none of them were willing to just let her leave so easily.

    ¡°Oh,e on, you¡¯ve only just sat here for a while. We¡¯re all having such a good chat, it¡¯s gonna be disappointing if you leave,¡± someone said.

    ¡°Yeah! It¡¯s not easy for all of us to have a reunion,¡± another remarked while looking at Chen Libai.

    None of them knew that Ruan Danchen had a child. All they saw was a relentless Chen Libai, who seemed to be hung up on her even though she already told them that she had a boyfriend.

    Everyone could see that Chen Libai¡¯s attention was wholly focused on Ruan Danchen. When she went out to pick up the call, he followed suit as well.

    Even after returning, his unwavering determination showed no signs of fading.

    Since they were ssmates in senior high, they were all very close to each other. Chen Libai liked Ruan Danchen, sopared with the boyfriend whom none of them ever met, they were quite supportive of Chen Libai. Whether intentionally or otherwise, they all wanted to lift his spirits and put down Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriend, whom none of them were acquainted with.

    ¡°Since he¡¯s here, why not invite him up and introduce him to everyone?¡± asked someone.

    ¡°Yeah! He¡¯s already here let him stay around for a while,¡± Wang Kaiyi said courteously.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! He¡¯s already here, we should meet him,¡± said another, although the tone was not so much polite as it was odd.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression remained steadfast, but deep down she was quite unhappy.

    They did not know Qi Chenglin¡¯s status and definitely would not take that into consideration. If Qi Chenglin were allowed toe up, he would be faced with an endless assault of peculiar remarks. Although Qi Chenglin would definitely not get the worst out of it, she still did not want him to hear all those rude and inconsiderate remarks.

    There was no need for her to drag him there and show him off like a trophy. She hated doing that.

    She was also worried that Qi Chenglin might just tolerate everything for her sake. She felt incredibly unhappy when she thought about how an eminent man like him would have to suffer all those insensitive jokes and be the subject of everyone¡¯s attention.

    Besides, Qi Chenglin was a smart man¡ªif she could make out that something was off with her ssmates¡¯ words, then it was even more likely that Qi Chenglin could sense it. He might even be able to recognize Chen Libai with just one look and kick up a fuss with her at home. She would then have to coax him.

    Ruan Danchen smiled calmly. ¡°He¡¯s waiting downstairs and he drove, so he can¡¯t drink any alcohol. My son¡¯s alone at home, and he¡¯s too young, so we can¡¯t let him be alone for too long. We¡¯re gonna have to rush back home, so my boyfriend¡¯s not going toe up.¡±

    Chen Libai frowned. ¡®That¡¯s nothing to be proud of, so why did she say it out loud?¡¯

    Those who heard her were shell-shocked. With eyes wide open and mouths agape, they could not say anything at all. Everyone looked at each other, and it was so quiet that awkwardness began setting in.

    ¡°You have a son?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked.

    Ruan Danchen nodded and smiled. ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be seven this year.¡±

    ¡°Is he a child your boyfriend had with someone else?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked again.

    As rude as the question was, everyone knew that Ruan Danchen would have to be pregnant when she was neen if the child were to be hers. To them, that was impossible. Ruan Danchen was a proper girl when she was still in school, and she would never do such an out-of-character thing.

    That was why no one regarded Chang Jingqiu¡¯s question as rude.

    Ruan Danchen was very unhappy after hearing that. ¡°Of course not. I gave birth to him.¡±

    _____

    Author¡¯s Note:

    An error in yesterday¡¯s chapter. When I wrote about Chang Jingqiu¡¯s background, I was constantly thinking about how to arrange our Xiao Ruan¡¯s background, hence my error in writing ¡®Ruan family¡¯ when it¡¯s supposed to be ¡®Chang family¡¯. So sorry. I can¡¯t change it anymore, because if I did, they will have to review it again and I wouldn¡¯t have any idea when it¡¯ll be done. I won¡¯t amend it, but I¡¯ll make a note here. Sorry for the confusion to all the readers who read it. _(:§Ù¡¹¡Ï)_ All I can do is lie down and make googly-eyes~

 Chapter 390 - Was It Not Too Over-The-Top to Say That out on the Street?

    <strong>Chapter 390: Was It Not Too Over-The-Top to Say That out on the Street?</strong>

    Ruan Danchen was very unhappy after hearing that. ¡°Of course not. I gave birth to him.¡±

    ¡®Qi Chenglin? Fathering someone else¡¯s child?¡¯ Though it may only be a hypothetical situation, it still angered her terribly.

    Seizing their moment of bafflement, Ruan Danchen fished out two-hundred yuan and said, ¡°You guys continue. Don¡¯t let me ruin the mood. I¡¯ll be going.¡±

    Chen Libai was the first toe to his senses. He reached out and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s wrist.

    She looked at his actions without frowning, but her expression remained calm. That calmness, however, made Chen Libai retract his hand in embarrassment. He took the money and gave it back to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°We¡¯ve all agreed that today will be my treat,¡± Chen Libai remarked with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen had no intention of arguing with him for fear that the others might snap out of their bewilderment and continue insisting that Qi Chengline up.

    She kept the money and made herself scarce immediately.

    Ruan Danchen walked out of Shengyue just in time to watch Qi Chenglin throw a small wad of paper into a nearby bin.

    ¡°Someone was hitting on you just now?¡± Ruan Danchen waggled her brows and asked. She was grinning from ear to ear and showed no sign of being angry.

    Her own man was lusted after by women and it was not something to be happy about, but despite feeling sick at heart, it did not go to the extent of jealousy. There was no need for her to act petty; instead, she was felt like teasing him.

    ¡°You saw that?¡± Qi Chenglin saw herck of jealousy and felt slightly crushed. He pulled Ruan Danchen to him and hugged her without rushing to get in the car.

    He knew that people in the building would be able to look at them from upstairs.

    From what Gao Xiaoyang said through the phone earlier, Qi Chenglin knew that Ruan Danchen¡¯s ssmates were all very curious. He wondered how many people were watching from the windows at that exact time.

    He was wearing sunsses, so Ruan Danchen could not see his eyes. She failed to notice that Qi Chenglin was looking up, and as expected, there were plenty of people at the window looking down.

    They were relieved because Qi Chenglin did not look up.

    Qi Chenglin was thus free to show his love to them. Ruan Danchen had no idea that he was thinking that way.

    The restaurant was warm and the weather was cold, but despite therge difference in temperature, she warmed upfortably after he wrapped himself around her.

    ¡°I was standing at the window, remember?¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and allowed Qi Chenglin to wrap her inside his overcoat.

    Through the woolen overcoat, she felt his warmth in addition to his fresh scent flowing down from the top of her head.

    Qi Chenglin cocked a brow. His sunsses were big, so his brow was only faintly visible above the sses. He curled his lip and his hands were gently grasping at her waist. The force of his grip was not painful, but it managed to convey to her his unhappy state of mind.

    ¡°You¡¯re not jealous?¡±

    ¡°You ignored her, right?¡± Ruan Danchen beamed with an infectiously sweet smile simply because he ignored the female stranger. ¡°You¡¯re so attractive. How much more jealous can I be if I were to be jealous at every single little thing?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched. She was still somewhat chagrined by his immense attractiveness.

    She shot him a minorly-resentful nce. ¡°You¡¯re a good man who simply stands by the road doing nothing, even wearing sunsses that prevents you from using your eyes to seduce women. And yet you still manage to attract women¡¯s attention. What are you made of?¡±

    Despite knowing that she was messing with him, Qi Chenglin¡¯s body heated up because he was piqued by her pettiness. He answered bluntly, ¡°me that on my good looks.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Was it not too over-the-top to say that out on the street?

    Qi Chenglin did not even try to lower his voice. Some of the men who passed by and heard him tripped on the rocks beneath their feet.

    His gaze remained steadfast underneath his shades. He continued looking at Ruan Danchen and said in all honesty, ¡°The woman gave me a name card. I rolled it into a ball and threw it away.¡±

    Ruan Danchen knew that it was the same ball that Qi Chenglin had just thrown into the dustbin.

    Looking at Qi Chenglin again, Ruan Danchen had a feeling that he would be wagging his tail at her if he actually had a tail.

    He was too loyal!

    Ruan Danchen looked at his proud-but-too-shy-to-show-it expression. He was insistent on putting on a calm fa?ade¡ªhe could not control his lips from forming a smile, but he was wary of smiling too widely.

    He looked too adorable like that.

    Wrapped tightly in his embrace, she tiptoed. Acting in tandem with her, Qi Chenglin lowered his head and locked lips with her.

    His handsome lips then curled into a slight smile, seemingly pleased.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and looked at her round-neck sweater. Her corbone was disyed faintly, showing off her long and fair-skinned neck. It was as though the wind could freeze her with a single blow.

    He frowned. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you bring a scarf? Doesn¡¯t it feel cold to expose your neck like this?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms were tightly coiled around his waist and she was firmly tucked in his clothes. She could not move, and hence, could not touch her own neck.

    After he mentioned it, she realized she did feel rather cold. Retracting her neck, she said, ¡°I didn¡¯t notice.¡±

    Qi Chenglin thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have one either.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. She never once thought of buying such an item before. B City¡¯s winters were biting-cold and pierced the bone, so making do without gloves was a big no-no.

    Nevertheless, she was never in the habit of wearing gloves, and most of the time she simply stuffed her hands into her pockets. Taking out her hands once in a while was no big deal for her.

    As for scarves, she did feel the cold sometimes, but she never remembered to buy it. Whenever she did remember, winter was almost going to be over.

    Then she thought, ¡®Winter is only those few months each year,¡¯ so in the end, she was toozy to buy them.

    Qi Chenglin realized that the two of them had been outside for quite some time. He took off his leather gloves and held Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck¡ªit was cold, as he expected.

    Ruan Danchen closed her eyes in satisfaction, as his hands were just too warm. The heat from his hands warmed up her skin, causing her to feel an indescribable warmth.

    His hands were handsome, elegant, and his palm was rough. Slightly thinner skin would make him look less well-off, but thicker skin would make him seem clumsy. At times, Ruan Danchen could just stare at his hands for a long time.

    She looked up at him. The man seemed to be so perfect from head to toe.

    He was frighteningly well-endowed too.

    Thinking of that made her blush. She chastised herself for thinking such lewd thoughts and being so indecent.

    Qi Chenglin did not know what she was thinking of and why she blushed, but her blush was beautiful nheless.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get in the car. It¡¯s cold,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He led Ruan Danchen to the front passenger seat and opened the door for her to get in. He surreptitiously nced at the second-floor window, noticing that everyone had stopped looking after Ruan Danchen entered the car.

    He smiled, got in the car, and drove Ruan Danchen home.

    ...

    ...

    Wang Kaiyi and his friends sat back awkwardly at their seats. Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriend did not look up, hence theirck of worry over whether or not he knew they were looking. Nevertheless, why did they feel so guilty about it?

    Chen Libai did not look too good. He saw how Ruan Danchen was getting all lovey-dovey with public disys of affection, and looking very much in love.

    Her boyfriend was a far cry from what the young, unreliable chap that Chen Libai originally imagined. Since the boyfriend wore shades and was too far away, Chen Libai could not make out the man¡¯s age. Nevertheless, the boyfriend seemed to carry a dignified aura and hardly looked like an ordinary man. He even drove a Benz.

    As everyone returned to their seats, they were all silent for a moment. For some reason, it was as though a cat got their tongue.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Wang Kaiyi chuckled awkwardly before continuing, ¡°Danchen¡¯s boyfriend isn¡¯t courteous at all. He¡¯s already down there, but doesn¡¯t want toe up. He doesn¡¯t even care for his girlfriend¡¯s reputation. That kind of behavior alone makes me question if he¡¯s really sincere toward Ruan Danchen.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t even know how he got his Benz. It¡¯s probably just to put up a front,¡± someone added.

    ¡°Yeah, if he¡¯s really that great, why did Danchen not bring him up and introduce him to everyone? I¡¯m guessing he¡¯s probably not worthy of being shown off.¡±

    The men were all looking at each other exchanging a couple of remarks. Chen Libai¡¯s gloominess began to dissipate and he began sumbing to their views. He initially felt bummed after seeing her boyfriend and thinking that the boyfriend was a great person. However, after listening to what the others had to say, he discovered that they had a point¡ªpeople must not be judged by their appearances.

    ¡°I really don¡¯t know what she¡¯s thinking. From what she said, her son is already so grown-up, but she¡¯s still not married to the guy. Isn¡¯t that a bit too irresponsible of him?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked.

    The earlierments were all made by the guys, but they might not necessarily hold that view. They said that mainly because they wanted to console Chen Libai.

    None of the female ssmates voiced their opinion except for Chang Jingqiu.

    Her words, however, made sense to everyone else.

    Wang Kaiyi nodded in agreement and frowned. ¡°In that case, it¡¯s clear that the guy has no ability to take care of her at all. Perhaps he might be capable but he doesn¡¯t take her seriously, hence theck of intention to marry her.

    Chen Libai got more worried for Ruan Danchen after hearing that.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough.¡± Gao Xiaoyang pursed her lips. ¡°You¡¯re all guys, for heaven¡¯s sake. Why are you talking behind her back like gossipy women? No matter what, it¡¯s her own life. She has the right to choose what she wants. We don¡¯t know whether she¡¯s living a good life or a bad one, and it¡¯s not in our ce to draw up conclusions. I know that you¡¯re standing on Libai¡¯s side because you¡¯re close with him, but you can¡¯t say such harsh things and look down on her. Libai likes Danchen, and I support him going for her. All is fair in love and war, and there¡¯s nothing bad about it.¡±

    Thest sentence was ast-minute addition by Gao Xiaoyang. She was worried that saying too much might make Chen Libai unhappy. Her mouth was to me for that, as she was prone to offending people due to her directness. She regretted her words as soon as she finished saying everything, but her mind managed to find a way around her words by adding thosest few sentences.

    She was born with that directness, which was why she chose journalism as her career. She can be as direct as she liked and owe it to the general practice in journalism. Those who were slighted by her words could do nothing to me her, as it was all a professional matter.

    Fortunately, the Chen family was a strong family, and as a financial journalist, she had to interview a few of the more prominent figures in the business world. She had been frequently liaising with their secretaries for a month or so, yet she was never able to arrange a meeting. Her editor-in-chief scolded her constantly, so she was really hoping that Chen Libai would be able to help her. She took a firm stand on her principles, but she did not dare to go so far as topletely crush whatever dignity Chen Libai had.

    Speaking of interviews, Gao Xiaoyang disdained Chang Jingqiu. Thetter was her colleague but used the Chang family¡¯s influence to do interviews as she pleased. Many big shot business people knew the Chang family well, so whenever there were any work-rted matters, they made things easy for her by happily agreeing to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s interviews.

    Whenever their superiors gave them assignments, Chang Jingqiu could finish them properly and efficiently. Those high-profile businessmen were difficult for Gao Xiaoyang to interview, but whenever it was tasked to Chang Jingqiu, those interviews were incredibly easy to arrange.

    Soon enough, Gao Xiaoyang was made the subject ofparison, with her superiors frequentlyparing her with Chang Jingqiu, causing Gao Xiaoyang to sulk tremendously. Just before the new year, another of Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s interviewees was snagged away by Chang Jingqiu.

    The male ex-ssmate that earlier voiced his opinion felt awkward after Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s chastising. Embarrassment was stered all over their faces, and in that brief moment, the atmosphere became awkward again.

    Xia Zishan, who sat beside Chang JIngqiu, asked thetter, ¡°I want to go to the restroom. Do you want toe with?¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Chang Jingqiu nodded. The restroom within their room was being used by another male ex-ssmate, so the two of them went in search for one outside.

    Once they were at the walkway with no one else beside them, Chang Jingqiu whispered to Xia Zishan, ¡°Don¡¯t take their words to heart okay. Men are naturally born with low EQ, and everything they did was to support their bro blindly. I don¡¯t think they mean it. Ruan Danchen and her boyfriend seem to love each other very much, and leaving aside whether her boyfriend is a capable man or not, Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t look like she feels anything toward Chen Libai. Plus, her son is already so big. Even if Chen Libai wants to marry her, his family won¡¯t agree to it, so don¡¯t worry alright.¡±

    ¡°Thank you for helping me test the waters today,¡± Xia Zishan said.

    Xia Zishan¡¯s family was not considered one of the more prominent families in B City. She was simply the bottomyer of B City¡¯s upper circle. Nevertheless, Chang Jingqiu did not mind getting on her good books, as she might find some use for Xia Zishan in the future. Besides, helping Xia Zishan did not put herself at a disadvantage, as she did not say anything that would offend anyone.

    Chang Jingqiu wrapped her hand intimately around Xia Zishan¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Such a small matter, no need for thanks. If there¡¯s anything else with Chen Libai that you need my help with, just let me know. I¡¯ll help as much as I can.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen thought that Qi Chenglin would bring her back to Prestige Residences directly, but rather, he stopped at a mall owned by Wei Ziqi.

    There was a total of three malls in B City that were owned by Wei Ziqi. The one that they were heading to had an exclusive right to trade in high-quality luxury goods. Qi Chenglin parked the car at the outdoor, unshaded parking lot. He then brought Ruan Danchen down and went straight into a shop that was very well-known for its windbreakers.

    Instead of buying the windbreaker for her, he went to a rack that disyed scarves. His bright pupils nced at the rack, then reached out to take one with his slender fingers. He wrapped it firmly around her neck, of which the originally uncovered state was enough to make one feel cold.

    His wrapping was not overly spectacr. It was simple, unlike those fancy knots in tutorials littered all over the web.

    He turned Ruan Danchen around so she faced the mirror. Her jaw was buried in the scarf, looking incredibly warm, with her petite face looking even smaller as a result.

    The journey from the car to the mall was not long, but Ruan Danchen¡¯s skin was too delicate and too defenseless against the cold. Just that tiny bit of wind was enough to make her face red.

    After going into the mall, the heated air amplified the redness of her face.. She looked like a doll that had its cheeks dyed red.

    The scarf covered her lower jaw, with her dainty nose exposed and her big, monochrome eyes standing out even more.

    She looked just like a young student, and Qi Chenglin could not resist arranging the scarf for her before lowering his head and kissing her on the lips.

    His kiss was sudden, but since her face was already red, there was no change whatsoever except for her bunny-like eyes that looked even more helpless. From the mirror, she even saw the staff member smile and turn away, giving them their privacy.

    ¡°This looks really nice. You don¡¯t look like a mother that already has a child.¡± Qi Chenglin looked down at her, with the tip of his nose almost touching her cheek.

    Her skin warranted close scrutiny, and although she applied a thinyer of powder, the silkiness of her skin was still evident. It would be an exaggeration to say that her pores were absent, but the truth was that they were so small as to be almost negligible. It did not go so far as to be as smooth as a baby, but it was glistening and very pleasing on the eye.

    His hand, originally arranging the scarf on her neck, began creeping up unhesitatingly. His thin and elegant-looking fingers rubbed casually against her silky skin. It felt really good, but Ruan Danchen began to feel a bit ticklish and wanted to scratch it.

    Qi Chenglin smiled and lowered his lips to kiss the ces he had touched earlier. After a couple of pecks, he even drew a circle with his tongue, licking her. Ruan Danchen¡¯s face felt even more ticklish.

    She managed to see that the store attendant had fled to the entrance and stayed far away from them. She even saw the attendant¡¯s blushing face.

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely embarrassed, but despite his teasing, it was like she was rooted to the ground and could not move.

    ¡°Stop it.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face became warm; so warm in fact, that she felt like it was burning. Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips could even feel the heat from her cheek.

    He appeared to ignore her, however, as he continued kissing there without even pausing a beat.

    He wanted to stop, but he just could not help it.

    Ruan Danchen felt more and more ticklish at the spot that he kissed as if he was going to break her skin by kissing it.

    She had no choice but to be honest with him. ¡°Your kisses are tickling me too much.¡±

    Qi Chenglin proceeded to do something that made her absolutely speechless.

    He bit down on the ticklish area.

    True enough, it did not itch anymore.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    Seeing her mortified look, Qi Chenglin smiled and finally let go of her.

    Ruan Danchen felt extremely embarrassed and she did not look at him. Her head was getting numb from his stares, so she scanned the rack and quickly took one that was the same pattern as the one she was wearing.

    Luckily for her, Qi Chenglin chose one that was a couple set.

    She wrapped it around his neck too, and it looked far better than how Qi Chenglin wrapped it around her.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent but smiled happily. Seeing their reflection, with the matching scarves around their neck, made her endlessly happy.

    Qi Chenglin was happy too, and his clear eyes were filled with glee as well as warmth.

    He smiled and said, ¡°A matching set. I like it. Let¡¯s wear these when we go to work.¡±

    He then brought her to pay for them, leaving them wrapped around her neck.

    It was the first time that the store attendant came across that kind of man. A simple act of buying scarves was enough to ignite their passion, and a couple of kisses to the cheek was enough of a catalyst to escte the situation to a point where the man might have just pushed her down and be done with it right there and done.

    The attendant did not even dare to look up after receiving Qi Chenglin¡¯s card. The earlier scene was merely a kiss on the cheek, but it was made to look so much more intimate.

    The store attendant herself began wondering if she could try itter that night with her boyfriend.

    ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Ruan Danchen took the card from the attendant¡¯s hand and gave it back to Qi Chenglin. She then took out her own card and handed it over.

 Chapter 391 - Do You Have To Be So Secretive For A Proposal?

    <strong>Chapter 391: Do You Have To Be So Secretive For A Proposal?</strong>

    ¡°Wait a moment.¡± Ruan Danchen took Qi Chenglin¡¯s member card from the shop employee and stuffed it back at Qi Chenglin, then passed her own member card to the shop employee instead.

    Qi Chenglin frowned slightly, but Ruan Danchen responded with a smile: ¡°Give me a chance to get you a gift too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s thoughts were simple. Qi Chenglin had always purchased various things for her. She did not want to be the one that was always on the receiving end. She had always thought of getting something as a gift to Qi Chenglin, not as repayment, but purely to show her love by sending her gifts. Unfortunately, she had no idea on what to gift.

    Now that there¡¯s such a chance, she wanted to pay it out of her own pocket.

    Her ie was iparable to Qi Chenglin as her basic sry added withmissions were approximately around twenty thousand a month. She had only joined Qilin recently, and barely closed the deal on the property in the northern district of the city but have yet to collect themission, so she only had her basic sry. However, these two scarves were still within her budget.

    Additionally, spending time together with Qi Chenglin, he had never let her spend any money, leaving her sry almost untouched.

    Qi Chenglin pondered for a moment and his hands were being lightly shaken by Ruan Danchen. ¡°I really want to get you something.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gave it a thought and put on the scarf gifted by Ruan Danchen. It turned out to be a rather happy thing that he felt warmed up in an instant so he nodded in agreement, but added: ¡°Yours is a gift from me, and mine will be a gift from you.¡±

    Runa Danchen nodded dly. Qi Chenglin then proceeded to have the shop employee split the bill.

    The employee was exhausted by these two and wanted nothing more than to send them off, resulting in a surprisingly quick process.

    Later, both of them put on the scarf gifted by each other and walked away happily hand-in-hand.

    When Ruan Danchen thought about the earlier incident, she felt that they were both rather shameless, and so decided they would try to avoid this shop in the future. If they were toe again, it would have to be when this particr employee was not there.

    ...

    ...

    After exiting the shop, Qi Chenglin¡¯s sent Ruan Danchen back to Prestige Residences. However, he had Ruan Danchen wait in the car while he went upstairs to fetch Qi Youxuan, iming that they were eating out that night.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to ask why they were going out for dinner for no apparent reason as he had always preferred to eat at home. He did not like to eat out unless there were no other options.

    However, Qi Chenglin had already walked into the unit before she could raise her question.

    After a while, Qi Youxuan could be seen following Qi Chenglin out of the building excitedly.

    Little Qi Youxuan had been losing weight recently, but his body shape was still slightly round. With the extrayers he had on him due to the cold weather, he looked like a little penguin as he jumped around behind Qi Chenglin.

    He nimbly got into the backseat and got into the child safety seat and fastened the seatbelt. Surprisingly he did not request for Ruan Danchen to sit with him in the backseat.

    It was obvious that Qi Chenglin was very satisfied by Qi Youxuan¡¯s performance when he got into the car.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ruan Danchen turned around and asked.

    ¡°To the Red Roof Club.¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    Ruan Danchen did not question further, and treated it as an appointment to meet with Yan Beicheng and co.

    She had a meetup at Shengyue during noon time. It could be during that time that he made the appointment with Yan Beicheng and co.

    When they got to the Red Roof Club and parked the car, Ruan Danchen found it weird. ¡°Why are there so few cars today? The Red Roof Club don¡¯t have many customers!¡±

    Furthermore she knows all the cars that are parked here.

    When she was here on the first day of the new year, there were very few cars as well, but that was understandable since it was the first day of the new year. Even so, that was still way more than this day.

    ¡°Yan Beicheng mentioned that everytime we had a gathering, there were too many random strangers being in the way, making him unable to standout as the bosspared to the normal customers. If he can¡¯t have that elitist feel, there was no point being a boss. In the end he decided as long as we¡¯re here for a gathering, they will not serve outsiders.¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    Ruan Danchen pouted. ¡°It¡¯s different being the boss huh.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded seriously. ¡°The rich tends to be capricious.¡±

    ¡°Achoo!¡± Yan Beicheng was in the middle of giving orders to his employees when he suddenly exploded with an extra loud sneeze, sniffled, and then continued on.

    Ruan Danchen stopped asking and followed Qi Chenglin inside. Instead of the path to the usual room they used, Qi Chenglin led her to the second floor.

    Red Roof Club¡¯s courtyard originally belonged to the brother of an emperor in the Qing dynasty. When Yan Beicheng initially purchased this ce, he did not change any of the design and left it to its originalyout.

    The central room on the second floor wasrger. Even though it could notpare to the banquet room of Dynasty, it was still capable of aodating 40-50 people as it was previously used for shows.

    Rumor has it that when it was too cold outside during winter for viewing, those dignitaries would stay here and watch the show from above, looking directly at the stage below, equivalent to a VIP theatre box.

    At the door, Qi Youxuan spoke out all of a sudden. ¡°Daddy, Mommy, I need to go pee.¡±

    Upon hearing that, Ruan Danchen wanted to bring him over immediately, but was firmly rejected by Qi Youxuan. ¡°The toilet is just by the side. I can go by myself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked towards the direction that Qi Youxuan pointed at, noticed that it was just diagonally across not far away. At that moment, the waiter leading them at the front proactively went and led Qi Youxuan to the washroom. Ruan Danchen kept an eye on Qi Youxuan as he entered while the waiter waited outside. Only then she could rx.

    After Qi Chenglin led Ruan Danchen into the room, Qi Youxuan quietly snuck out, apparently not showing any urge to pee at all.

    The room was dark and the lights were not lit. Ruan Danchen was confused as she entered, with her hands held tightly by Qi Chenglin. The window was right across the room from her.

    The window was fully open, but she did not feel cold since she had her scarf wrapped around her.

    Qi Chenglin dragged Ruan Danchen up to the window. Right after that, Ruan Danchen saw the opposite window lit up all of a sudden. It was not because the lights in the opposite room was lit as the rooms were still all dark.

    It was the light projected on the dark window opposite the. Those were her photos, photos that were taken when she was resting on his office sofa. On the next window was a photo of her cooking in the kitchen of the house in Prestige Residences. Beside that, was another photo of her ying with Youxuan, with both of themughing especially happily.

    Slowly, photos were scattered everywhere. All the windows across them were lit up with projected photos, all from the moments in her life, recorded by photographs.

    In every single photo, she was not looking at the camera lens. She had no idea when did Qi Chenglin took these photos. She was sure that these photos were all taken by Qi Chenglin.

    Even though she did not look at the lens, her photos were still taken beautifully with a natural look. Ruan Danchen had always failed to imagine how it felt to see the love of the photographer from a photo, or how to tell if the love was there.

    However, she could really tell by looking at these photos. Every single photo was filled with emotions, touching one¡¯s heart. It was as if their entire journey from when they met, got to know each other, then eventually got together was put on rey, giving a nostalgic feeling.

    The originally dark night without a sign of light was now covered in a warm color by these photos.

    Looking at the photos, feeling warm, yet strangely her eyes felt sore.

    The windows across them were all filled with photos, leaving only the middle window in their direction still dark.

    Finally, the dark patch that was the middle window was also projected with a photo, but it was no longer photos of Ruan Danchen alone. It was a photo of her, Qi Chenglin, and Qi Youxuan¡¯s group photo. All three of them smiling warmly, emanating an aura of happiness. Anyone would agree that they are a family of three.

    In a short moment, everything opposite of them were lit up. The lights from the photo shined through and the reflected light on this building gave off a faint halo.

    Qi Chenglin cleared his throat with a slight awkwardness. When the moonlight from outside and the projector lights from across shined through, Ruan Danchen could faintly see Qi Chenglin¡¯s face was blushing slightly.

    ¡°All these time we were together, I¡¯ve always recorded them unknowingly. In the future, I still want to continue recording more of these in but wonderful life full of warmth. Youxuan and I had you in our lives, and we want to continue having you in it. I want your children to be given my family name.¡±

    ¡°Ever since knowing you, my life felt like these photos. Filled with warmth, exceptionally warm. You said you have wanted to have a family from a young age. I hope that from now on, we three will all have a family.¡± Qi Chenglin felt his hand sweat, nervously took a deep breath, then continued. ¡°Danchen, are you willing to give me a chance, to let me take more photos of you, have more group photos with Youxuan and I, continue to record the next 50, 60 years? Are you willing, for me to provide you with a family?¡±

    Ruan Danchen already knew what he wanted to do, but she did not expect him to make such a big scene out of it.

    She noticed an intricate box that had somehow appeared in Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands. She was focused on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face earlier and never noticed anything.

    Now that she lowered her head, she could see Qi Chenglin nervously grasping around.

    ¡°In the past 20 years, all the things you didn¡¯t have, all the things you envied, I will give them to you. I have always thought that in this life, I will be spending it with Youxuan, as father and son before I met you. I have given up on remarrying.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled nervously. Ruan Danchen saw that his lips was trembling. If not for her witnessing this, she could not imagine him looking like this.

    ¡°Thank you for your appearance, that gave us father and son a new family. Perhaps I should be asking instead, Danchen, are you willing to give us a family? Will you marry me?¡± Qi Chenglin opened the ring box and swallowed nervously.

    ¡°The past few times I mentioned this, I was not joking. Every time I asked you, I had wished that you would say yes. The reason I asked that way was because I did not know how to propose.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled stiffly. ¡°I was hoping that if you had agreed to it, then I wouldn¡¯t need to be this nervous.¡±

    Seeing his stiff looks, he was nothing like the cool, calm, and proud man he used to be. Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes were tearing up, yet she wasughing. She could not care about the ring in his hands and directly jumped into his embrace.

    Both her arms tightly wrapped around Qi Chenglin¡¯s neck, almost strangling him.

    He quickly closed the box to prevent losing the ring, then held her in his arms while letting her wrap around his neck without voicing out.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to waste so much effort. All you had to do was ask me directly if I was willing to marry you will do.¡± Ruan Danchen suddenly felt that this guy also had his stupid moments.

    ¡°I put in the effort because I treasure you.¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°So with this, I take it that you agree to marry me, right?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded rigorously, with her forehead stuck to his sternum, rubbing his neck.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head, just to see her raising her head. ¡°Mm, I was waiting for you to ask me seriously. Apart from you, I¡¯m not marrying anyone else. If I can¡¯t marry you, I¡¯ll just be single for life. If you ditched me, I¡¯ll be a woman that nobody wants for my whole life.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled. The conversation was originally on her agreeing to the marriage, but somehow she managed to derail the topic to talk about breaking up, and with such tragic ending.

    While she spoke, all her breath were on his neck, making him feel hot and itchy. All these hooking onto him had hooked up the fire in him.

    Holding onto her, he couldn¡¯t resist but to push her waist tight and then shove his lower part close to her, branding her with his burning hot tool.

    As expected, Ruan Danchen quivered. She weakly pinched at the back of his neck. ¡°Put the ring on my finger.¡±

    ¡°So impatient?¡± Qi Chenglin could not help but joked at her.

    Ruan Danchen coquettishly squirmed around in his embrace. ¡°If you don¡¯t put it on, then forget it.¡±

    ¡°Yes yes, I¡¯ll put it on.¡± Qi Chenglin quickly replied. ¡°Stop squirming. If you continue to squirm I can¡¯t hold back anymore.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could hear his voice slowly turning hoarse and stopped moving. His head lowered, intentionally brushing his lips against her ears as he spoke.

    Looking down through the dim hazy illumination, he could see her flushed ears. Under the hazy lighting, her short, white fine hair were clearly visible, seemingly covering her ears ayer of halo.

    With a sudden thought, Qi Chenglin¡¯s warm lips kissed her on the base of her ears and suckled on it lightly. Seeing how much Ruan Danchen was quivering uncontrobly, with her face flushed and speechless, Qi Chenglin had some difficulty holding back his urges.

    Moving forward from the base of her ears, kissing her up to her cheeks, his downcast eyes could see that her eyes were half shut. Her eyes were misty and hazy, as though it were a mist of alcohol, getting him drunk in it.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s breathing got heavier, both lips moving towards her eyes. He especially loved her eyes, those beautiful and seductive orbs.

    ¡°Bang!¡±

    The door was pushed open so suddenly, even Qi Chenglin was shocked. Not letting go of Ruan Danchen, still holding her in his arms, he turned around to see...nobody.

    ¡°Daddy, are you done proposing?¡± A voice came from below.

    Due to the darkness, they just realized that it was this little fe that came in.

    Followed by a clicking sound, the room was filled with bright lights and the projectors were turned off.

    They could see Grandfather and Grandmother Qi leading the Qi family members inside, following behind them were Yan Beicheng and the rest.

    ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, you¡¯re all here...¡± Ruan Danchen said stiffly, feeling extremely awkward, unsure how much they have overheard.

    She gave Qi Chenglin a stare, meaning to ask ¡®why did you bring along so many people over for a proposal?¡¯

    Qi Chenglin looked back at her innocently, signalling to her that these people were not here by his invitation.

    ¡°I only told Yan Beicheng that I needed to borrow a ce and had him help out.¡± Qi Chenglin said lowering his head while shooting a stare at Yan Beicheng.

    Yan Beicheng scratched the side of his nose and said smiling: ¡°Isn¡¯t it merrier with more people? I only brought it up with Zhuo¡¯zi and the gang. Who knew he would let his grandmother find out.¡±

    Han Zhuoli rolled his eyes. ¡°When you called me to talk, I was at the old mansion with my grandma was sitting right next to me. How could she not find out?¡±

    ¡°Hehehehe, the moment Xiao Han heard that it was a secret and you did not tell us, she immediately came to me to show off. She was bragging that she found out about my grandson¡¯s stuff earlier than I did.¡± Grandmother Qi looked at Qi Chenglin with slight disatisfaction.

    ¡°Do you have to be so secretive for a proposal?¡± Grandfather Qi stared at him, also showing dissatisfaction.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin wanted it to be done quietly with just the two of them, without such a big crowd watching them.

    ¡°Aiyo, isn¡¯t this to save time for you both?¡± Grandmother Qi said. ¡°Save you both the trouble of taking an extra trip to the old mansion just to deliver the news.¡±

    At that moment, the lights were turned on. Ruan Danchen just realized that in this big room, there was a small square table with three seats. It should be for Qi Chenglin, Qi Youxuan and her.

    Now that there were so many people, they all moved back downstairs to Yan Beicheng¡¯s room.

    Everyone took their seat and waited for the food. Grandmother Qi took out a chinese calendar.

    Just as she wanted to discuss the dates with Guan Liya, she suddenly started thinking as she looked at the people around the table. Grandmother Qi did not treat Yan Beicheng and the gang as outsiders. These kids were so close to her own grandson, Grandmother Qi treated them as if her own grandchildren.

    On top of that, back when Song Yu was kidnapped by Jian Yi and her family was busy with gathering funds, these kids, without a word ofint, brought along cash as they came by, one by one showing their loyalty. Even though normally they may seem to bber around unthinkingly, this time, about Qi Chenglin¡¯s proposal, it was actually Yan Beicheng that exposed it on purpose. Grandmother Qi knew deep in her heart, even Qi Chenglin knew deep in his heart.

    However, this kid knows his limits. He knows what to expose, and what to keep secret. Those that are not meant to be said will not be mentioned.

    Moreover, from Grandmother Qi¡¯s perspective, even though Liu Ronghua will not let this slide, her being the stepmother to Ruan Danchen was not quite the secret either, impossible to be hidden forever. Might as well just be truthful about it, since Ruan Danchen and Liu Ronghua has no actual rtions.

    Based on the likes of Liu Ronghua, the adoption of Ruan Danchen most likely had other darker secrets behind it.

    Hence, Grandmother Qi did not bother to beat around the bush and asked directly: ¡°Danchen, do you need to talk with Madam Liu about the wedding?¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°No need, Grandmother. You can make the decision along with Auntie. I was not nning to invite her and the Shen family anyway.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that Liu Ronghua was someone who does not know how to carry herself and could make a scene regardless of the situation. If by then she decided to make a scene and embarass everyone, that would be no small matter.

    Since Liu Ronghua had put it that way on that day, she had no need to fight with her and drag the Qi family into this.

    It would seem that Grandmother Qi was very satisfied with this decision and excitedly nodded.

    ¡°What¡¯s with the Auntie when you¡¯re already getting married.¡± Qi Chenglin threw a nce at her.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was too shy to say anything.

    Guan Liya had thought it through. Even if Ruan Danchen¡¯s background was a littleplicated, was it something that the Qi family could not cover for?

    At Qi family¡¯s current status, there was no need for allied marriage anymore, so as to the daughter-inw, that was up to themselves.

    Chengze¡¯s wife was of a decent background, but in the end did not prove to be of much help was it not? In fact, she failed to properly take care of him.

    Grandmother Qi specifically called her over to the old mansion and had a long discussion with her. She understood the reasoning to take a capable wife with good character. It was more important than family background.

    Who does not want someone with good character and family background, but such perfect circumstances was not something that will appear just because you want it. If one were to be found, Grandmother Qi thought that too much of a good thing and trouble will follow suit. Things are better with the imperfections.

    Although it was rather superstitious, it managed to convince Guan Liya. Most importantly, Ruan Danchen was Qi Youxuan¡¯s biological mother. Just that alone left nothing much to be argued about.

    _

    Extra mini-scene:

    (NOZUONODIE¢Ù)

    Recently arge scale gamingpany had released a pure wuxia genre game. During initialunch, ess was limited.. Qi Chengrui had a female ssmate that was by chance the daughter of thepany¡¯s CEO, a few ounts were given to Qi Chengrui.

    Qi Chengrui enjoyed the game and passed on the remaining ounts to Ruan Danchen, Song Yu, and Wei Ran. Turned out the three of them also found it interesting and were addicted for a time.

    At night, with Qi Chenglin in the bedroom, Ruan Danchen was no longer hurrying into bed, instead stayed in front of theputer hunting for equipment with the other three. The four of them were ambitious and made the decision to create a guild together when their levels were sufficient.

    Unfortunately their skills were poor and paired with bad luck. They had difficulty killing monsters, barely able to kill them. Not meeting the standard, high level equipments were rarely found.

 Chapter 392 - See This Group of People Being Dumb On WeChat Moments

    <b>Chapter 392: See This Group of People Being Dumb On WeChat Moments</b>

    Although it was rather superstitious, it managed to convince Guan Liya. Most importantly, Ruan Danchen was Qi Youxuan¡¯s biological mother. Just that alone left nothing much to be argued about.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s about time to change the way she addresses.¡± Guan Liya said while smiling happily.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face filled with surprise, looked at Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya¡¯s gentle features, and obediently addressed them ¡°Dad and Mom¡±.

    ¡°Danchen¡¯s situation is different from an average family. We can¡¯t have both families dine together. As for the proposal, what are you thoughts, Danchen?¡± Guan Liya asked.

    Ruan Danchen felt that it did not matter so she spoke her mind. ¡°The proposal doesn¡¯t matter as I¡¯m now alone. Anything is fine, no need to be troublesome.¡±

    Qi Chenglin moved his hand over and held onto hers, smiling lightly: ¡°I just want to be married with her sooner.¡±

    ¡°Useless.¡± Guan Liya did not know whether to cry orugh. ¡°Then you should quickly go get your marriage certificate. Today¡¯s the fifth day of the new year. By the eight day the Civil Affairs Bureau should be open.¡±

    ¡°That quick?¡± Ruan Danchen unconsciously blurted. She did not think it was too fast, but more of shock due to the suddenness it was brought up.

    ¡°Not fast at all.¡± Qi Chenglin grabbed her hand. ¡°I also want it to be official sooner.¡±

    With that those issues were settled. As for the wedding, Qi Chenglin wanted it as soon as possible. Ruan Danchen also suggested that it did not have to be so grand.

    Despite that, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya still thought that it would be better to make it grand. Although there is no need to go out of the way, it still needed to show how much importance the Qi family treated this. Otherwise, outsiders may think that the Qi family did not like Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen thought about it, agreed as well and left the rest up to Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya to manage.

    Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya flipped through the chinese calendar and marked a few dates that they liked before approaching Dynasty for the appointment. There were many things to n for a wedding and they cannot be rushed.

    Qi Chenglin overheard Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya muttering: ¡°I think we should do it on thetter half of the year. That way more preparations can be done.¡±

    ¡°Grandma, that¡¯s way toote. Can it be earlier?¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°You rugrat. Wedding is an important issue. Everything has to be considered and well taken care of. It would take us at least half a year to prepare.¡±

    ¡°Half a year is too long. It¡¯s not like we don¡¯t have enough people. Just leave it to the wedding nners to deal with it. More people should increase the efficiency.¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    ¡°Tch.¡± Grandmother Qi pouted. ¡°The wedding is just a ceremony. You are both getting registered soon anyway, why rush the wedding?¡±

    ¡°I just want to let everyone know I am married earlier. Just getting the certificate is not conspicuous enough.¡± Qi Chenglin said matter-of-factly.

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Then why don¡¯t you publish a notice in the newspaper first?¡± Grandfather Qi did not take him seriously and just took a random jab in return.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin nodded. ¡°After the registration I will give Xiao Yunqing a call and have them publish it on the newspaper for me.¡±

    Grandfather Qi: ¡°...¡±

    Just as Grandfather Qi¡¯s eyes were twitching, wanting to lecture him, little Qi Youxuan joined: ¡°I also want everybody to know I have a mother now.¡±

    Hearing that, Grandmother Qi finally decided to push the wedding date as early as possible.

    The night, Grandmother Qi was overjoyed, and that joy brought along great appetite.

    They ordered quite a bit of food earlier and had yet to finish them, but Grandmother Qi could not get enough and wanted to try more vors.

    ¡°Xiao Yan, do you serve any kebab here? I want those roasted over charcoal.¡± Grandmother Qi looked at Yan Beicheng, smiling.

    Yan Beicheng: ¡°...¡±

    Red Roof Club is a high ss establishment. Where to find kebab roasted over charcoal?!

    If the club members were inundated with the smell of charcoal roasted kebabs as they arrive, and then seeing Red Roof Club¡¯s chef standing over the grill, holding onto a fan fanning at the kebabs, just what kind of image would that be?

    However, when faced with Grandmother Qi¡¯s smiling face filled with anticipation, Yan Beicheng could only call on the waiters and have them rush to the nearest shops to get some kebabs.

    The waiters rushed at top speed to bring back some kebabs and reheated them. Grandmother Qi was totally satisfied.

    ...

    ...

    When they got back to Prestige Residences at night, Qi Youxuan was still filled with excitement. Dad and Mom are finally getting married. Even though these words sounded derogatory when spoken out loud, it did not matter. He did not mind.

    Jumping around, he could not sleep. He kept thinking of the word his dad said to his mom when proposing, especially the part where he said it was to give them father and son a family!

    Thinking about it made Qi Youxuanugh with happiness.

    After entering, he did not take off his clothes or hat and straight away started rolling around on the carpet.

    ¡°So happy so happy so happy! From now on we are a real family!¡± Qi Youxuan happily rolled left and right.

    Ruan Danchen did not know whether to cry orugh looking at this little boy being so excited. She understood why he was being so happy, but also because of that, her heart felt slightly bitter.

    She bent over and took off his hat and scarf. Seeing how tired Qi Youxuan was from all that rolling about and breathing heavily on the floor, she helped him up, took off his jacket, and then carried him upstairs to his room.

    Qi Youxuan was carried to his bed. On his bed, he continued to roll around again. His little face flushed red and his eyes gleaming brightly.

    ¡°My Dad and Mom are getting married, I¡¯m a child with Dad and Mom now!¡± Qi Youxuan continued rolling as he kept muttering the same thing.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile as she took his pajamas out from the closet. ¡°Yes, from now on we all have aplete family. Get up now, let mommy help you change your clothes.¡±

    Upon hearing those words, Qi Youxuan jumped up from the bed as if injected with chicken blood, quietly stood in front of Ruan Danchen in an especially well behaved manner.

    His head was filled with Ruan Danchen¡¯s words: ¡®Let mommy help you change your clothes.¡¯

    Following that, he started to smile stupidly, ruminating on the sound of those words, so sweet and filled with happiness.

    After changing Qi Youxuan¡¯s clothes, she ushered him to the washroom to wash up. Looking at him as he rubbed his face with lotion, then climbing up on the bed. At that moment, Qi Chenglin came in.

    He was already in his pajamas, saw that Ruan Danchen have not returned, so he came looking for her.

    ¡°Why are you still up?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at his son, seeing his face filled with energy, did not look sleepy at all.

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡± Qi Youxuan hugged his pillow, looked at his father, then his mother. The happiness he felt at that moment could not be described with the vocabry that he learnt as a first grader.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, when you go get your marriage certificate, can you bring me along?¡± Qi Youxuan asked in full anticipation.

    ¡°You need to go for piano lesson.¡± Qi Chenglin firmly rejected.

    ¡°But I want to see you get your certificate.¡± Qi Youxuan pouted.

    During dinner, he specifically asked Grandma and found out that to be married, one needs to first obtain a marriage certificate. That was why little Qi Youxuan longed to witness that historical moment.

    ¡°To obtain the certificate, we have to wait in line. It¡¯s not good if you skip ss for this matter.¡± Ruan Danchen exined gently. ¡°After youe back from school you can look at our marriage certificate, okay?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted his small mouth, obviously unsatisfied. ¡°Mom, this is just like me wanting to eat sweet and sour ribs, but you both show me the bone after you finish eating your ribs.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen understood Qi Youxuan¡¯s meaning, and because of that understanding, she caved, turning her head around to look at Qi Chenglin. Just as she wanted to discuss it with him if they should let Qi Youxuan apply for a half day leave, she was cut off by Qi Chenglin¡¯s righteous rejection.

    ¡°If you behave yourself, I¡¯ll let you be the page boy during the wedding ceremony.¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°And that¡¯s alongside Muran.¡±

    Qi Youxuan tutted. ¡°I¡¯ve been a page boy before.¡±

    His craving to personally witness them obtain their marriage certificate had trumped over Little Muran.

    Qi Chenglin realized, his son did seem like he was on the way to bing a professional page boy.

    ¡°That was for your aunties, but this time it¡¯s for your daddy and mommy. It¡¯s not the same.¡± Qi Chenglin persuaded.

    Qi Youxuan struggled with the decision. Qi Chenglin was doing this because of his good behaviour that night. He was cooperative, and also the fact that the child was pitiable as he had always craved for aplete family with father and mother. Otherwise, he would have just ignored him.

    ¡°So do you agree or not?¡± Qi Chenglin hurried him.

    Qi Youxuan sat on the be unwillingly, twisting his hips. His head lowered, not giving a clear answer of yes or no.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s felt pained. The more she thought of how happy he was earlier that night, the more it hurt her.

    ¡°What about this, when we queue up to get the certificate, we will record the entire process on the phone for you to watch when you¡¯re back.¡± Ruan Danchen suggested.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s little brows frowned, then nced at Qi Chenglin, knowing full well that his father will never let him take leave to watch them get the certificate. Not daring to ask for more, he could only nod his head slowly, looking extremely miserable.

    ¡°Then you need to record it from the moment you start queuing up. Remember to talk to the screen, just like you¡¯re talking to me.¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    ¡°Yes, sure.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was greatly pained seeing how disappointed this little guy was. However, she also understood that Qi Chenglin was doing this for his benefit, not wanting him to simply take a leave of absence.

    If this exception was made, then Qi Youxuan may start to think of taking a leave over every small issue. That was not good for his development.

    However, Ruan Danchen still felt sorry for him and hugged him tight in her bosom. ¡°Getting the certificate is not that exciting. It¡¯s nothingpared to the wedding. You attending another person¡¯s wedding is very different from attending daddy and mommy¡¯s wedding. You can go ask, how many children can see their own daddy and mommy host a wedding? For an average child, they were not even born yet when their daddy and mommy host a wedding.¡±

    Upon hearing it, the little guy thought it made sense and his mood finally improved.

    ¡°Go sleep now.¡± Ruan Danchen ushered him to lie down on the bed and tucked him in.

    With the nket covered up to his chin, leaving only a tiny, round head, he looked especially cute.

    Right at that moment, Wei Ran called. Ruan Danchen picked up the call, found out that Wei Ziqi wanted to make use of their holiday time and bring the two kids along with Wei Ran to the amusement park, asking if they wanted to join.

    Ruan Danchen ryed the message to the father and son duo.

    ¡°I want to go!¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes opened wide, gleaming with anticipation.

    Qi Chenglin was thinking of resting at home, but Ruan Danchen heard Qi Youxuan saying: ¡°I have not been to an amusement park before.¡±

    Dad was busy in the past, how would he be free to bring him there.

    Ruan Danchen was already feeling guilty for not being able to fulfill that little guy¡¯s wish that night. Now that she heard this, she gently pulled at Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms. ¡°Let¡¯s go together?¡±

    With that Qi Chenglin finally nodded. Ruan Danchen immediately replied Wei Ran and set the time to meet them at the amusement park entrance the following morning.

    After ending the call, Qi Chenglin told Qi Youxuan: ¡°If you want to go, then you should sleep soon. We have to get up early tomorrow.¡±

    Qi Youxuan quickly said goodnight and shut his eyes tight.

    Ruan Danchen bent over and gave him a kiss, then followed Qi Chenglin back to the bedroom.

    ...

    ...

    After showering and packing, Ruan Danchen went back to bed with her phone. She pulled Qi Chenglin¡¯s right hand over without saying anything, her left hand and his right hand¡¯s grip crossed, her slender and delicate fingers crossing between the gaps of his fingers, their digits sped together.

    Between his long elegant fingers, the engagement ring that he put on her middle finger was nicely shown through. Looking at their hands firmly held together, Ruan Danchen could not get enough of it.

    At that moment, her phone notification rang. It was a WeChat notification. Ruan Danchen did not release his right hand. While holding hands, her own right hand that was free grabbed the phone and unlocked the screen. Unfortunately the phone screen was too big for her thumb to swipe through.

    Without her saying anything, Qi Chenglin¡¯s moved his index finger over to help her tap open the WeChat app. She thought it might be the 8by8group members were being too free again, followed by her opening her own WeChat ount.

    What she found out was, the 8by8group was deadly quiet. Nobody was chatting.

    Qi Chenglin moved closer in surprise, and looked at Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone. It was someone sending her a friend request. The request came with Chen Libai written on the remark section.

    Ruan Danchen did not need to raise her head to know that Qi Chenglin was watching. She did not speak, but only question him with a look, ept or not?

    Qi Chenglin snorted, without even trying to hide the jealousy from showing on his face at all, yet he raised his brows, his thin lips cynically twitching. ¡°ept, why not. Quickly ept it.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen lowered her head, quietly rejected.

    On the side, Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips hooked up, yet he managed to hold it in immediately.

    After a short while, another friend request was sent over. This time, it asked: ¡°I am Chen Libai, did your hand slip earlier?¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Just as she wanted to reject it, her phone was taken by Qi Chenglin. At first she thought it was him tired of waiting for her slow actions and wanted to reject him himself, but Qi Chenglin unexpectedly hit ept.

    After epting, he did not return the phone to her, but just raised his eyebrows at her, said with an insincere smile: ¡°I was really asking you to ept it, not being sarcastic. You really think I¡¯m that petty?¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Did he really thought she was stupid enough to not identify the sarcasm in his tone? She would be really stupid if she believed what he said!

    However, now that Qi Chenglin is putting on such a face of unwillingness, Ruan Danchen dared not ask for her phone back. Otherwise who knows what kind of petty stuff he will nag her withter.

    She could already imagine him saying: ¡°Are you in such a hurry to chat with him?¡±

    Even his tone and facial expression can be predicted.

    She wanted to see, just what will he do with her phone.

    Before Qi Chenglin could do anything on her phone, Chen Libai had already sent a message over. ¡°You there? What are you doing?¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his brows, the corner of his lips twitched and said: ¡°I¡¯m with my boyfriend on the bed now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    She stared at him, not knowing what to say. Qi Chenglin was telling the truth, that was something she could not argue with.

    As expected, the other end went quiet for a good couple of minutes without any replies.

    However, Qi Chenglin was not done yet. Since the other side was not responding, he send Chen Libai another message: ¡°We¡¯re going to bed now. Goodnight.¡±

    Having sent the message, Qi Chenglin turned around to look at her. ¡°How was it?¡±

    ¡°What ¡®how was it¡¯? Wasn¡¯t it just you chatting with him?¡± Ruan Danchenughed, although those two messages that he sent was so embarrassing that she does not know how to face others.

    Even though it she was unlikely to run into Chen Libai in the future, but if they do meet each other, she will be too embarrassed to raise her head. Despite that, she still let Qi Chenglin send those shameless replies.

    ¡°If he stilles looking for you in the future, you don¡¯t reply. Let me know and I¡¯ll reply in your stead.¡± Qi Chenglin said, felt that hiding behind Ruan Danchen¡¯s ount to face off his rival in love was rather interesting.

    Ruan Danchen did not bother to fight with him over this and just obediently answered ¡°yes¡± while nodding her blushing face.

    Qi Chenglin stared at that lovely and innocent face, seeing how she did not make a fuss and let him do as he pleases, totally fine with what he had done. This time all his thoughts were on their hands, focusing on the engagement ring, feeling joyful.

    With that, the disgust he felt from Chen Libai earlier vanished, lowered his head looking at her happy face, feeling joyful himself.

    He thought for a moment, held onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and took a picture of their hand holding with fingers crossed, then started poking away at the screen.

    Later, he posted it onto his WeChat Moments, captioned it with: I do.

    The end was followed by a kissing emoji.

    Ruan Danchen poked her head over to look, realized that he was really artistic. After applying some filters, it looked as though it was taken by some professional photographer. Those that did not know might even think this was some stock photo from the inte.

    Qi Chenglin immediately grabbed his own phone and gave Ruan Danchen¡¯s post a like, followed with a flower and bride emoji.

    After posting, he still mumbled in dissatisfaction: ¡°Too bad the WeChat Moments can only be seen by friends.¡±

    Ruan Dan stared at him. Was it not enough to have your friend see it?

    Qi Chenglin was of a mind to post it onto Weibo to show off, but after thinking about it, the inte is filled with all sorts of people. If some busybody decided to dig up Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity, that would be harmful for her. With that he gave up the notion.

    In a short while, underneath Ruan Danchen¡¯s photo was plenty of replies, all of them congrattory.

    Ruan Danchen has also added her coworker from the design department, with someonementing: ¡°The general manager proposed? That¡¯s wonderful!¡±

    Qi Chenglin was happy, took note of that ID and decided, if this person were to make a mistake in the future, he will forgive her once.

    Following, the design department and other coworkers also said their blessings, none of them posted any saltyments. This made Qi Chenglin very happy and he decided to increase the year end bonus for the design department.

    He switched to his left hand to hold onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. His right index finger nimbly poked away at the screen, replying all thements and thanking them for their blessings.

    At the end of each reply was a dash, signed Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s circle of friends was not wide, mostly school friends and coworkers. Other than that would be Yan Beicheng and that gang.

    Her friends have not heard of Qi Chenglin¡¯s name, and even those that heard of it before did not rte it to the Qi family. The big families were too high and mighty afterall. Just like how ady shares with her sisters about the boyfriend she was dating was simr to a celebrity¡¯s name, nobody would think that she was really dating a celebrity.

    That was why most of her school friends did not think much about it. Her colleague from Chengshi who knew about her rtionship with Qi Chenglin however, were surprised over the attention they got from Qi Chenglin¡¯s reply. Of course, it was more fear than a pleasant surprise.

    As for the design department, it was an entirely different story. Everyone was seemingly crazy. Ruan Danchen had attached a memo of their name to each ount. Manager Zou was all but calm in his reply: ¡°General manager, it is a great honor to have your personal reply.¡±

    Chen Siyu was even worse: ¡°Ahhhhhh, it¡¯s the general manager! Hello general manager! See you again general manager!¡±

    Senior Du: ¡°General manager, your rtionship with Danchen is so eviable!¡±

    Zhang Xutong had left an earlier message: ¡°Wishing our general manager and Mrs. a harmonious unionsting a hundred years, to be as one for eternity.¡±

    Thisment had fully captured Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart, resulting in a longer reply from him: ¡°Thank you for your blessings young man. You have good visions. ¨C Qi Chenglin.¡±

    Zhang Xutong: ¡°That¡¯s all because of our general manager¡¯s wonderful guidance! I have always looked up to you as my role model!¡±

    Manager Zou saw that his favored subordinate doing so well at polishing apples, he felt worried. He regretted for not thinking of saying such words.

    Zhang Yuefei: ¡°The general manager is sharing ount with Ruan Danchen now, so sweet! General manager you are so cute!¡±

    Those words greatly improved Qi Chenglin¡¯s mood, so he got off the bed.

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Ruan Danchen asked out of curiosity.

    ¡°I¡¯m in a good mood, gonna go get a bottle of red wine.¡± Qi Chenglin said, still holding on to her phone.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to get red wine then leave my phone here.¡± Ruan Danchen said, felt that it would be inconvenient for him to hold onto the wine bottle and wine ss while holding onto a phone.

    ¡°I still need to reply those words of blessings.¡± Qi Chenglin replied, then lowered his head and continued replying to thements, not missing a single one out.

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    This person...using her ount to reply so passionately, is that a good thing?

    Qi Chenglin went downstairs to get wine, leaving Ruan Danchen to be bored by herself. She stretched her arms and reached for Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone. Between Qi Chenglin and her, there were never any privacy to speak of. Qi Chenglin had never hidden anything from her.

    Other guys were afraid of their wife or girlfriend looking through their phone, but Qi Chenglin instead pushes his phone for her to y with. Rather, it was usually Ruan Danchen that returned the phone to him after unlocking the phone and found that there were no games at all.

    Ruan Danchen took his phone and got into WeChat. Qi Chenglin¡¯s friends on WeChat was even fewer than hers, only Yan Beicheng and the gang. The Eight Great Families¡¯ members were not that close to him. Apart from them, Jiang Yuan was also friends with Qi Chenglin. Ruan Danchen was not surprised to see that.

    Yan Beicheng and the gang was not friends with Ruan Danchen¡¯s school friends and coworkers, so they did not see Qi Chenglin¡¯s shameless replies, but only saw him liking the post, the emoji hemented, and Jiang Yuan¡¯s blessings.

    Yan Beicheng and the gang did not forget to take a few jabs while giving their blessings.

    Yan Beicheng: Little Sister Ruan, you¡¯ve taken after Qi Chenglin¡¯s bad habits, developing the love to publicly disy your affections.

    Softie replied to Yan Beicheng: I dare you to find a wife and publicly disy your affections in front of us.

    Han Zhuoli: That¡¯s right, so conspicuous. Qi Chenglin haven¡¯t even said anything, yet you¡¯ve shared the news so quickly. If you let him know you want to marry him that badly, be careful that he keeps you pressed down in the future.

    Softie replied to Han Zhuoli: I press on him every night, and asionally he presses himself on me too.

    Gui Zhiqian: Little Sister Ruan, if you want to post something like that, you should have Qi Chenglin post it first.

    Softie replied to Gui Zhiqian: I posted it to whom?

    Wei Ziqi: Then again, Qi Chenglin¡¯s WeChat has barely any friends. Even if you posted not many people would see it.

    Softie replied to Wei Ziqi: I¡¯m willing to post it again for you to see.

    Wei Zilin: It¡¯s only us few right? Even if you don¡¯t post it we will know.

    Softie replied to Wei Zilin: I¡¯m willing to post it again.

    Chu Zhaoyang: Other than Qi Chenglin, everyone above is right.

    Softie replied to Chu Zhaoyang: Scram scram scram scram scram scram scram! (Get the hell out of here!)

    Yan Beicheng: F*ck, Qi Chenglin you swapped ounts with Little Sister Ruan! Is it because you will die if you both don¡¯t show off your love?

    Han Zhuoli: Heheh, Qi Chenglin you shameless person. Not only did you use Little Sister Ruan¡¯s ount to y here, you had to go gad a dash and sign your name.

    After a while, Ruan Danchen refreshed again to see Han Zhuoli posted a few screenshots. They were screenshots of Qi Chenglin using Ruan Danchen¡¯s ount to replyments.

    With Yan Beicheng taking the lead, all the way to the end, they all spammed the same words: Shameless!

    After that, Ruan Danchen saw her own name appear again.

    Softie: How did you find out?

    Han Zhuoli replied to Softie: Jiang Yuan sent them!

    Softie: I¡¯m deducting Jiang Yuan¡¯s sry when I get back.

    Yan Beicheng: You should quickly change back to your own ount. Looking at Little Sister Ruan¡¯s name followed by some wild statements, I feel out of character.

    Jiang Yuan replied to Softie: General manager, forgive me!

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    She watched as her own ount shamelessly replied one after another, experiencing an unexinable weird feeling. She was feeling even more out of character!

    Seeing that Qi Chenglin have not returned after such a long time while her ount was actively replying messages, She knew that man must be downstairs replying messages excitedly.

    Ruan Danchen did not know whether to cry orugh. She decided to personally get him downstairs. However, midway down the stairs, she saw Qi Chenglin holding the red wine under his arm, with his bony, long fingers hooking on to two wine sses, lowering his head and messaging on the phone with extreme speed. Ruan Danchen thought that Qi Chenglin, Yan Beicheng and the gang was going to chat on WeChat Moments as though it was on their chat group.

    Ruan Danchen came down, took over the red wind and wine sses. Laughing inside on how this man could sometimes behave just like a kid. So rebellious.

    Exactly that moment, Qi Chenglin raised his head, with a face full of pride, and smiled at her. That smile left her at a loss for words.

    Returning to the bedroom Qi Chenglin finally swapped their phones back. Ruan Danchen grabber her own phone, opened up WeChat Moments to find a new message notification. This time it was from the silent Qi Chengzhi.

    Earlier, Qi Chengzhi was feeding milk to Little Youjin, changed his diapers, and coaxed him to sleep. Finally managed tofortably lie in bed together, heads touching.

    Then he went on WeChat, just to see this group of people being dumb on WeChat Moments.

 Chapter 393 - You Give Me Your Sister And Iâ€™ll Give You Mine

    <strong>Chapter 393: You Give Me Your Sister And I¡¯ll Give You Mine</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He then went on WeChat just to see this group of people acting obnoxious on WeChat Moments.

    He screenshotted without hesitation and posted it with the caption, ¡®A bunch of idiots!¡¯

    Qi Chengzhi came out as a tank who attracted enmity so Yan Beicheng and the gang immediately aimed all their firepower at him. Finally, Ruan Danchen¡¯s WeChat was at peace.

    Qi Chenglin put his phone down too and poured some red wine into two wine sses. Since he felt happy tonight, he wanted to drink with Ruan Danchen as a celebration.

    Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, Yan Beicheng and the gang could not let themselves go when the elders of the Qi family were present in Red Roof earlier.

    Qi Chenglin received a phone call from Jiang Yuan as they both enjoyed their wine, iming that there was an important email that required his attention.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin extended his long legs, ced hisptop on his thighs and started reading the email.

    Ruan Danchen guessed that Qi Chenglin was settling an important issue since his expression was stern and serious, so she did not disturb him. Sheid down on the bed instead and stared at his face silently, slowly bing obsessive the longer she fixed her gaze on him.

    She rested her chin on her palms and stared at him persistently and attentively. She figured that the side of the face was the best angle to determine if a person was good looking or not, but Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsomeness was over the top even from the side.

    Not to mention that he had a highly arched nose, even the slight curvature on his chin was on point.

    Ruan Danchen could not contain her urge to grin. Even though she lived in this house for quite a while now, the experience would be different once she officially married him.

    She felt delighted to know that after their marriage, she would feel cheerful at the sight of his face every single time she woke up.

    Ruan Danchen finally understood the meaning of ¡®a feast for the eyes¡¯. Unwittingly, she started drinking the wine one ss after another as she stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s side profile.

    Qi Chenglin was done reading the email and sent a reply to Jiang Yuan before cing hisptop on the nightstand. When he turned his head toward Ruan Danchen, he noticed her smile as though she just obtained a great deal from a bargain, unsure of what happy event was going through her mind. Her expression appeared silly and the rosiness on her cheeks made her look especially cute at the moment.

    Qi Chenglin shifted his gaze to the wine, and he was stunned upon noticing that she drank more than half a bottle of wine herself. Heughed.

    ¡°Why are you smiling like this?¡± Qi Chenglin gave Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose a gentle squeeze to bring her back to reality.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that he had already ced hisptop down, so she asked with a grin, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of asking you just now. Do you have to work tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°No, just replying email will do. My client needs to rest, even if I don¡¯t, so I¡¯ll settle it when it¡¯s working days,¡± Qi Chenglin answered andid down on the bed with his hand supporting his head, assuming a position simr to Ruan Danchen.

    Naturally, his other hand climbed onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist and started rubbing in a circr motion.

    ¡°What was the silly smile for?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a grin. His eyes radiated warmth like the sun rays.

    ¡°It just crossed my mind that I¡¯m marrying you soon and I¡¯ll be Mrs. Qi after our marriage. It all seems like a dream to me.¡± Ruan Danchen could not help but covered her mouth andughed softly at the thought of her future title.

    Herughter was soft and gentle, and it caressed his skin like tentacles, inducing itchiness.

    Qi Chenglin leaned closer to her, pressing himself on her back and swept her hair to the side, revealing her fair and clean neck and ears. He then started rubbing his lips on them gently.

    ¡°Yes, Mrs. Qi, that¡¯s a nice title. How I wish we can register for our marriage and receive the certificate tomorrow.¡± Qi Chenglin felt that it was best for him to marry her as soon as possible.

    The back of Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck felt itchy from his constant lip-rubbing, so she retracted her head, attempting to roll over to lie supine. However, her attempt was stopped by Qi Chenglin who pressed on her and prevented her from moving. ¡°Don¡¯t move, I like this position. Let me kiss you.¡±

    Then, Qi Chenglin rubbed his lips against Ruan Danchen¡¯s neck from the back to the side continuously, making her feel extremely itchy. She buried her face into the pillow and held it tightly with both her hands, feeling her body trembled uncontrobly at his kisses.

    Ruan Danchen could not withstand the itchiness any longer after being kissed back and forth by Qi Chenglin. She tried to roll over again but Qi Chenglin continued pressing on her and insisted in a croaky voice, ¡°Stop moving around.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt wronged and said, ¡°I just want to turn around and look at you.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡± Qi Chenglin leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek.

    ¡°Because you¡¯re handsome,¡± Ruan Danchen answered sincerely as she tried desperately to turn her head to look at his handsome face.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin seemed to have understood something. He turned her around to let her lie supine and remained on top of her. ¡°So is that why you were grinning rather strangely just now? Because you were looking at my face?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was flushed pink as she sped her hands on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face, the face she adored a lot. ¡°I think even if you¡¯re poor, I¡¯d be willing to work hard and earn money every day for you just because of your face.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s imagination started to run wild as the image of Qi Chenglin being a gigolo with his usual temperament appeared in her brain. She grinned at the thought of it and kissed him on the lips.

    Her hands started rubbing on his face as she said regretfully, ¡°Damn, how I wish to be your sugar mummy!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless.

    He realized that this woman was getting excited after drinking wine as he looked at her rosy cheeks and misty eyes.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll give you all the money that I had earned, then you¡¯ll be my sugar mummy,¡± Qi Chenglin replied calmly.

    Ruan Danchen stared at his calm expression and gave him a sudden firm hug paired with a happy grin on her face. ¡°Qi Chenglin, we¡¯re getting married.¡±

    Qi Chenglin returned Ruan Danchen¡¯s tight embrace and replied, ¡°Yes, we are.¡±

    He buried his face in her neck and kissed her continuously. ¡°Are you happy?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I think I can wake up smiling after my dreams,¡± Ruan Danchen answered sincerely.

    Qi Chenglin broke intoughter after hearing her response. His neck felt itchy afterward, and it was due to Ruan Danchen snickering while burying her face in his neck.

    ¡°Why did your personality change to one of a child after drinking wine?¡± Qi Chenglin said while feeling helpless.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m seven years younger than you.¡± Ruan Danchen giggled.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched, feeling that she was mocking at his old age.

    ¡°Older age will lead to a better growth; even Lil Qi is more mature than the rest,¡± Qi Chenglin boasted.

    Ruan Danchen understood him immediately and sheepishly mumbled, ¡°Such a thick-skinned b*stard.¡±

    A wide grin appeared on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face. ¡°This is the truth, try it if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    He then leaned forward and covered her mouth with his before she had the chance to say anything that could potentially irritate him.

    His attractive eyes narrowed with satisfaction and pleasant sensation when he was squeezed tightly by Ruan Danchen. He then whispered in a croaky voice, ¡°Yours is definitely small.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    She could hear the loud explosion in her head as her face flushed a rosy red.

    This man acted so indecently tonight!

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, did you drink a little too much too?¡± Ruan Danchen asked doubtfully.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and responded with a thrust which silenced her.

    ¡°You¡¯re only allowed to say that your Lil Qi is big and not mention about my old age from now on,¡± Qi Chenglin hissed through narrowed eyes.

    What was her Lil Qi?

    Ruan Danchen was not in her normal state of mind after Qi Chenglin¡¯s constant thrusting. She racked her brain for quite some time before realizing what he actually meant; she lowered her gaze to look at Lil Qi.

    What a shameless bastard!

    ¡°Forget it, Lil Qi is a misrepresentation. You should call it Big Qi from now on,¡± blurted Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt speechless.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure how this conversation started from his age but ended with Big Qi, and how shamelessly confident he was about it.

    ¡°Am I old?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    Hence, Qi Chenglin asked the same question repeatedly in order to brainwash Ruan Danchen sessfully. Now, Ruan Danchen could blurt out the answer correctly without thinking.

    ¡°Do you like Big Qi?¡± Qi Chenglin asked unexpectedly after Ruan Danchen was sessfully brainwashed.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen gave his back a light punch out of annoyance. ¡°Qi Chenglin, that¡¯s a bit too much. Don¡¯t reach out for a yard after taking an inch.¡±

    ¡°Am I not inching forward repeatedly?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and asked.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was dumbfounded.

    She could not even have a proper conversation with this man tonight!

    ¡°So do you like it or not?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a faint smile on his face.

    This time, Ruan Danchen chose to ignore him through gritted teeth; she instead buried her face into Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder and remained silent.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider your silence as an agreement,¡± Qi Chenglin answered his own question when he noticed that Ruan Danchen was not nning on responding.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen kept quiet.

    Yes, she was indeed agreeing in silence.

    In the end, Qi Chenglin held the quivering Ruan Danchen in his embosom with great satisfaction. He then patted her back as if praising her and stroke her hair gently. ¡°I think I¡¯ll buy you a penis sex toy next time and let youpare with a real man, then you¡¯ll know I¡¯m not bluffing.¡±

    Ruan Danchen gave him a soft kick, which made Qi Chenglinugh lightly in return as she remained in his embosom.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen failed to wake up earlier the next morning. She seemed to have heard the rm clock rang amidst her mental cloudiness, but Qi Chenglin turned it off so that she could continue her slumber.

    A few momentster, Qi Youxuan mmed the door. ¡°Dad, Mom, have you guys woke up yet? Get up quickly, we have to go to the amusement park today!¡±

    It was then when Ruan Danchen woke up. She reached out to her phone and took a nce at the time, jolting wide awake afterward.

    However, her movement was so abrupt that it induced pain in her muscles.

    She turned to face the culprit who made her muscles sore. She lowered her gaze to his arm which rested across her waist, then shifted her gaze to Qi Chenglin who rolled over to a prone position and buried his face into the pillow, unwilling to wake up. She kicked his calf without reservation.

    Qi Chenglin gave Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist a gentle rub before shifting his head to her thighs with his eyes closed. Then, he buried his face into her lower abdomen and started rubbing and kissing it before he drawled, ¡°Be a good girl and sleep a while more. Don¡¯t bother about him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nearly fell back onto the bed as warmth started to spread on her lower abdomen after Qi Chenglin¡¯s kissing and rubbing.

    She quickly pushed his face away and said, ¡°We made an appointment with Wei Ran. It¡¯ll make us look bad if we¡¯rete, so get up now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin acted shamelessly by wrapping his arms around her waist tightly.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, wake up!¡± Qi Youxuan was persistent with his door-mming outside the room.

    Ruan Danchen finally pulled Qi Chenglin up with great effort in the end. His sleepy expression, adorned with some of his hair curling upward, made him look especially dorky and adorable. It was a kind of temperament that was absent from his usual self.

    Ruan Danchen could not get annoyed at him after seeing his extremely cute feature. His eyelids were unwilling to part ways and appeared especially innocent. It was a rare sight for this man to express such facial features.

    Ruan Danchen sped her hands on his face and kissed him on the lips. ¡°Wake up. I¡¯ve never been to an amusement park too.¡±

    Qi Chenglin opened his eyes immediately. ¡°You too?¡±

    Ruan Danchen answered openly without feeling embarrassed, ¡°You knew my situation, so who could have brought me to the amusement park?¡±

    Qi Chenglin yanked her into his embosom, stroking her hair gently while burying and rubbing his face on her thin shoulder. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you today.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was feeling embarrassed now. His tone of voice sounded as if he was bringing two children to the amusement park.

    Qi Chenglin rubbed his face to make himself awake before tidying himself up quickly.

    Ruan Danchen quickly got changed and went to open the door in fear that Qi Youxuan would get worried about his parents breaking the promise. However, she opened the door to Qi Youxuan making a call with his Totoro-designed cell phone.

    ¡°Aunt Wei, Dad and Mom are still in their bedroom, refusing toe out. Can you make a detour to my house and fetch me along to the amusement park? There¡¯s no need to bring my parents along.¡± Ruan Danchen heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s request.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen quickly took his cell phone away and told Wei Ran that they were departing soon; there was no need to trouble them.

    She then hung up the phone and passed it back to Qi Youxuan. He was done tidying himself and even applied hair wax on his hair to shape it nicely.

    ¡°You were so happyst night and wanted the world to know that you finally had a mother, but now you want to shake us off today.¡± Ruan Danchen gave him a bitter stare.

    Qi Youxuan was shocked and hugged her thighs immediately. ¡°Mom, honestly I really want to go together with you!¡±

    Ruan Danchenughed. ¡°Haha...my son won¡¯t stay by my side after growing up.¡±

    Qi Youxuan wrapped his legs around Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs as if hugging a pole after hearing her statement. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll bring Mumu back to fulfill our filial duties to you in the future!¡±

    Qi Chenglin had finished getting ready by then, wearing a light brown sweater and a pair of ck, long pants on him as he exited the bedroom. He grabbed Qi Youxuan¡¯s cor and yanked him away from Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs. ¡°You¡¯re heavy, so stop hanging on your mom.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen made breakfast hastily and after the trio had finished gulping down the food, they departed to the amusement park.

    Wei Ziqi and his family were waiting at the entrance of the amusement park when the trio arrived, with one cotton candy given to Little Muran and Little Muche respectively.

    They greeted each other before Qi Chenglin set his eyes on the cart selling cotton candies.

    He took a nce at Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Do you want to eat cotton candy?¡±

    Ruan Danchen could feel all the gazes fixed on her suddenly and made her feel embarrassed.

    Qi Youxuan pulled Qi Chenglin¡¯s shirt and asked, ¡°Dad, did you ask the wrong person? You should¡¯ve asked me.¡±

    ¡°Your Aunt Ruan has never been to an amusement park, so I¡¯m bringing her here to relive childhood experiences.¡± Qi Chenglin lowered his gaze to stare at Qi Youxuan and added, ¡°Of course, with you too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were dumbfounded.

    Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran¡¯s gazes made Ruan Danchen feel so embarrassed, even Little Muran and Little Muche gave her scornful gazes.

    Ruan Danchen took out her phone silently and texted Qi Chenglin. [Do you want to sleep in the bedroom tonight?]

    Qi Chenglin felt his phone¡¯s vibration, so he took it out and opened the message. Then, he turned his head and gave Ruan Danchen an extremely innocent stare.

    Ruan Danchen was nearly subdued by his current expression, but she quickly regained her consciousness and sent another message. [Don¡¯t act cute!]

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin failed toe up with a reply.

    Qi Chenglin tidied his outfit and went to buy tickets in silence. He even took out his phone on his way to the ticket booth and turned on the front camera, using it as a mirror to take a look at himself. Which part of him radiated such frivolous temperament such as acting cute?

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were euphoric since they entered the amusement park. Ruan Danchen was acting like an overgrown child, ying with Qi Youxuan on various games facilities such as the carousel, bumper cars, flying elephant rides and so forth, which Qi Chenglin felt disdain to y with.

    However, looking at Ruan Danchen¡¯s delighted expression, Qi Chenglin had decided toe here with Ruan Danchen during his free time to y some exciting programs like the haunted house, et cetera.

    Children were unable to y with the more exciting programs due to height limitations. They could not even enter the pirate ship in the park.

    There were a few shop lots in the European-themed town in the park that were selling dolls or outfits rted to the amusement park; even the blue dress from Frozen was sold here.

    Little Muran was especially fond of the movie Frozen, so she was frozen on the spot the moment she saw the blue dress hanging in the disy cab.

    There was no need for Little Muran to say anything. Wei Ran and Wei Ziqi, who was a maniac in spoiling his daughter, noticed Little Muran¡¯s gaze and immediately brought her into the shop, leaving Little Muche at Qi Chenglin¡¯s side. Wei Ziqi asked the shop assistant to take the dress out and let Little Muran try it on.

    Little Muran appeared especially beautiful in the blue dress, looking as sweet as candy, nearly melting Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart.

    Qi Chenglin noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s reaction, so he leaned forward and whispered, ¡°Jealous?¡±

    Ruan Danchen blushed and replied softly, ¡°It¡¯s nice to have a daughter.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s work hard together,¡± Qi Chenglin whispered back at her. His voice was charming and husky as if plucking the cello string.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her gaze unconsciously and met with his burning gaze that radiated intense warmth. Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsomeness deluded her and her ears started to turn red as the warmth in his eyes rested on her. She nearly forgot where she was at that moment.

    Qi Chenglin leaned forward and nted a kiss of her pinkish ear, which deepened to a scarlet red color and resembled a lightbulb as predicted.

    Qi Youxuan was used to this sort of scenery between his parents. He stared at his parents calmly before shifting his gaze to his future brother-inw left alone by Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran. ¡°Brother-inw, please give me your support on my marriage with your sister in the future. When my mom would give birth to my sister, I¡¯ll let her be your child-bride. You give me your sister and I¡¯ll give you mine. None of us will suffer any losses if we¡¯re deeply attached to each other.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, Wei Ziqi, and Wei Ran were at a loss of words.

    ¡°I think for a son like you who isn¡¯t loved by parents, there¡¯s no need to count on them to be concerned about your future marriage. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll act as your father and love you with all my heart in the future,¡± Qi Youxuan said sincerely.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi red at Qi Chenglin. ¡°Where did your son learn all these from?¡±

    ¡°He watched Justice Bao with Grandmother Qi in the manor during the holidays. There were quite a number of plots about poverty and suffering,¡± Qi Chenglin exined calmly.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi was dumbfounded.

    He had no intention of bing Qi Chenglin¡¯s best friend now.

    ...

    ...

    Wei Ziqi bought a set of blue dresses for his precious daughter and let her wore it the instant they left the shop before heading toward the Ferris wheel.

    However, Wei Ziqi tried his very best to separate Qi Youxuan and Little Muran after listening to Qi Youxuan¡¯s statement.

    He did not even agree to sit in the same passenger cabin in the Ferris wheel with Qi Chenglin¡¯s family.

    Even though Qi Chenglin did not have the intention to sit together with Wei Ziqi¡¯s family, he wanted to throw Qi Youxuan to them so that he could have some sweet moment with Ruan Danchen, though Wei Ziqi denied his request.

    Qi Chenglin had no choice but to bring Qi Youxuan along with them as a third wheeler, though he forced Qi Youxuan to sit alone on the bench opposite them in the cabin.

    Their passenger cabin was rising slowly, and Qi Chenglin took out his phone, turned on the front camera to snap some selfies with Ruan Danchen. He then passed the phone to Qi Youxuan and asked him to snap a photo of them.

    Qi Youxuan was intive when he took over Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone. He felt that his parents were here for a date and considered him as their personal assistant.

    ¡°Can you guys please give my emotions some consideration? Your son is just a bachelor, so do you think it¡¯s alright to show your affections publicly?¡± Qi Youxuan was fed up after taking the tenth photographs of his parents.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you have Muran already? So don¡¯t need to pretend that you¡¯re still single.¡± Qi Chenglin pouted and gave him a disdainful stare.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s true. It¡¯s just that my future father-inw is a little too stingy to separate the two of us persistently.¡± Qi Youxuan nodded happily.

    ¡°Be persistent in your goal. Muran will definitely go to Jixia Elementary School when the timees. He can¡¯t butt in anymore when you¡¯re in school,¡± Qi Chenglinforted Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    Was this the right way to teach a child?

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s mood improved drastically after listening to Qi Chenglin¡¯s statement. When they exited the Ferris wheel, Wei Ziqi could feel Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze on him was odd and weird.

    ...

    ...

    Time passed quickly during the holiday, and it was already time for work in a blink of an eye. Qi Youxuan was sent to Guan Liya¡¯s house as his piano lesson had not started yet. Guan Liya would fetch him to school and Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen would fetch him back when they were done with their work.

 Chapter 394 - What Was Going On With His Tone?

    <strong>Chapter 394: What Was Going On With His Tone?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen had initially nned to register for their marriage during working hours but Qi Chenglin received an unexpected callst night and had to depart to H City in haste.

    Qi Youxuan experienced the greatest disappointment in this matter. They would be dered as an official family after his parents received the marriage certificate, but Qi Chenglin had to go outstation for a business trip unexpectedly.

    Qi Youxuan asked when they were leaving the house together in the morning, ¡°Dad, when are youing back?¡±

    ¡°Thursday, I guess. I¡¯ll try my best to return as soon as possible. I want to marry my wife earlier too,¡± Qi Chenglin nced at Ruan Danchen and held her hand.

    Ruan Danchen recalled the moment when Qi Chenglin went on a business tripst time; Qi Youxuan and her were living in her small rented apartment.

    She liked Qi Chenglin at that time but due to the fact that they just started a rtionship, she did not dare express her emotions fully even though she missed him.

    However, it felt different this time as Qi Chenglin was going on a business trip.

    She started to miss him before he even left the house.

    ¡°How I wish that you can return home earlier too. It¡¯d be best if you can leave in the morning and return home at night just like the normal working schedule, but don¡¯t exhaust yourself when you¡¯re outside, alright? Don¡¯t be anxious and rush back home if it can¡¯t be settled quickly, Youxuan and I will be good at home. Take care of yourself, don¡¯t smoke too much when you¡¯re tired, remember to eat on schedule, and don¡¯t drink too much alcohol.¡± Ruan Danchen gave his hand a gentle squeeze and stared at his handsome face, reluctant to let him go.

    Qi Chenglin decreased his smoking frequency since they embarked on their rtionship. Still, he would smoke a little if he felt exhausted at work.

    Ruan Danchen could detect the faint cigarette smell lingering in his office whenever she came to find him every afternoon.

    Qi Chenglin agreed on her every instruction, and it was a rare sight for Qi Youxuan to not insist Ruan Danchen apany him in the back of the car.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look at Qi Chenglin from time to time.

    When the traffic light turned red, Qi Chenglin reached out to her and stroked her hair to the side, caressing her delicate cheek gently with his long, slender fingers. Her face turned red wherever Qi Chenglin touched it, as though his fingers had paint on them.

    He grabbed her hand too from time to time.

    Qi Youxuan, who was sitting on the back of the car, rolled his eyes at the sight of his parents showing affection publicly in his presence. He thus pretended to have fallen asleep.

    They sent Qi Youxuan to Jade Field Park before Qi Chenglin sent Ruan Danchen to Qilin.

    Qi Chenglin stopped the car at Qilin¡¯s main entrance instead of going into the carpark, calling Xiao Yang afterward and informed him to fetch him to the airport.

    Since Xiao Yang had not arrived yet, Ruan Danchen unfastened her seatbelt and turned to face Qi Chenglin, taking his hand with her.

    She lowered her gaze to his elegant hand; the veins were especially prominent on the back of his fair-skinned hand. His finger pulp was soft and she could easily identify the phnges.

    Her thumb that rested on the back of his hand started moving along his long, slender finger, feeling its distinctive phnges structures. She could not help but gave his finger joints a gentle squeeze.

    Ruan Danchen was all too reluctant to let Qi Chenglin leave her side for a business trip.

    Qi Chenglin flexed his fingers and brought her hand into his palm. ¡°Don¡¯t want me to go?¡±

    Ruan Danchen admitted openly without pretending to be coy. ¡°I¡¯m already missing you even before you go; I don¡¯t know how badly I¡¯ll miss you when you¡¯re truly gone.¡±

    She then leaned forward and kissed him on the lips.

    Qi Chenglin felt touched and his long arms encircled her tightly. When she wanted to back off from him, he followed up closely and kissed her, covering her mouth with his and started sucking on it. He pressed his tongue into her and delved inside her mouth, wantonly tasting her every scent.

    Ruan Danchen kept backing off due to his constant pressure on her, and he would feel powerless if he was going to lean further forward, so he lifted her onto his thighs without hesitation. Unconsciously, her back was pressed against the steering wheel.

    However, none of them noticed it as they were immersed in a euphoric bliss right now. Qi Chenglin merely wanted to exert more pressure on her as it was not satisfying enough to just holding her in his embosom. In the end, due to the intense pressure¡ª

    ¡®Beep!¡¯

    His car let out a loud horn sound all of a sudden, which gave Ruan Danchen quite a shock. The sudden noise also drew the attention of the staff who came for work in the morning. When they noticed that the sound came from the general manager¡¯s car, they became curious. Why did he press the car horn?

    Ruan Danchen experienced palpitations due to the sudden shock. Her face was flushed red and even her lips were swollen after Qi Chenglin sucked on them.

    Her lips felt numb and swollen even after she sucked on her lips in embarrassment.

    Her mind was in a chaotic mess under Qi Chenglin¡¯s burning gaze. Her gaze started to drift away and suddenly, she noticed Xiao Yang standing outside the car with his back toward them. She did not know when he arrived.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt utterly embarrassed at that moment.

    Even though Qi Chenglin¡¯s car windows were heavily tinted, one could still visualize the car¡¯s interior if they were close enough to the window. She was unsure what Xiao Yang had noticed since his arrival.

    Ruan Danchen pushed Qi Chenglin away and asked him to put her down quickly.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s outfit was a mess after all the smooching so Qi Chenglin did not let her go immediately and started tidying her outfit instead. She had taken off her scarf when she entered the car as it grew warmer once the car heater was turned on.

    Qi Chenglin took Ruan Danchen¡¯s scarf back and wrapped it around her neck. It was beneficial for her to put the scarf on since she could use it to hide her face and embarrassment when she got off the carter.

    After Qi Chenglin tidied Ruan Danchen¡¯s outfit, he put her back on the passenger seat.

    ¡°Let me know when you got off the ne,¡± Ruan Danchen said quickly in fear that she might hold up too much of his time. Moreover, it would be embarrassing to let Xiao Yang stand too long in a cold environment.

    She lifted her head and stared at Qi Chenglin again. The disadvantage of Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsomeness was that one would not get enough of it and would feel reluctant to let it disappear. She kissed him again quickly before instantly getting off the car afterward.

    Her action was so fast that Qi Chenglin could not pull her back in time and kiss her aggressively; a pity for Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen greeted Xiao Yang hastily before covering her reddened face with her scarf and ran into thepany.

    Qi Chenglin exited the car and entered the back seat, giving the driver seat to Xiao Yang.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen received a lot of warm blessings upon entering the office, and even Manager Zou was acting unprecedented as he did not instruct the staff to return to their seats and start working. Instead, Manager Zou followed the crowd and surrounded Ruan Danchen to congratte her.

    ¡°Danchen, since your rtionship with the general manager went public and it was great news too, it was a lucky charm for the design department! Maybe the general manager could treat us dinner as a celebration tonight?¡± Zhang Jitong leaned against the table with one hand supporting his body on the table. His legs were crossed as his right leg bent slightly with his toes nting towards the left of his left foot.

    She would not mind to treat them dinner if Qi Chenglin did not go on a business trip, and she did not want to disappoint her colleagues.

    However, Qi Chenglin went on a business trip now, so she had no choice but to answer, ¡°He went on a business trip this morning.¡±

    Chen Siyu¡¯s expression became interesting as she patted her chest lightly and lifted her head slightly. ¡°You knew the general manager so well and was fully aware of his whereabouts. What kind of sweet and happy feeling is this?¡±

    Ruan Danchen realized that these colleagues were not so bad after all, especially when they worked together for quite some time and after the replies these colleagues gave on her social mediast night. The office now was in peace and quiet after Yao Jingfei resigned.

    They managed official business affairs strictly, and even when there were small mistakes or arguments at work, they remained friendly, chatting and joking with each other after official business time was over. This was a good atmosphere in apany.

    Perhaps it was due to the fact that she was in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin. Naturally, they would treat Ruan Danchen kindly, but she felt morefortable socializing with her colleagues here than when she was working in Chengshi.

    She smiled at their yful teases towards her without feeling even the slightest difort. She then answered, ¡°I¡¯ll treat you guys for dinner since he isn¡¯t here tonight, but I¡¯ll need to bring Youxuan along.¡±

    To be honest, Qi Youxuan could stay overnight at Jade Field Park though he obviously had no intention of doing so. Inevitably, it would be toote when she was done with the dinner celebration with her colleagues tonight¡ªapproximately eight or nine o¡¯clock at the earliest. Qi Youxuan would most probably be asleep when she returned to Jade Field Park afterward. Even so, she could not really wake the child up and bring him back home.

    Even though the staff in Qilin had never seen Qi Youxuan¡¯s face, they knew his name well enough. Senior Du and Chen Siyu recalled the fact that they saw Qi Youxuan before when they were going on a business trip, which most probably meant that Ruan Danchen was already in a rtionship with Qi Chenglin at that time.

    ¡°Of course, no problem.¡± Senior Du nodded. It was alright to bring a child along, and besides, that was the general manager¡¯s son.

    The crowd went back to their stations for work after official business time had started. Ruan Danchen figured Xiao Yang was still driving towards the airport at this hour so she called Qi Chenglin directly instead of giving Xiao Yang a call.

    ¡°Miss me so soon?¡± Qi Chenglin said immediately after picking up the call.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen purposely went to a corner of the corridor as she felt too embarrassed to make the phone call in the office. Moreover, there were only a few passers-by in the corridor as almost all the staff were working in their respective stations.

    ¡°You expressed our affections a little too muchst night, so my colleagues in the design department wants you to treat them a meal today. I told them I¡¯ll treat them dinner tonight since you went on a business trip, right? I was thinking of asking Xiao Yang to fetch Youxuan and Iter at night, and we can go back home together after dinner too.¡±

    ¡°Alright, have you chosen a ce to dine in? Dynasty, Shengyue, or Red Roof?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    ¡°I think I¡¯ll choose Shengyue.¡± Ruan Danchen felt that Dynasty and Red Roof were too high-ss for her to treat her colleagues to dinner; they might think that she was trying to show off.

    Moreover, they would usually choose Shengyue to discuss business projects or treat their clients a meal, so they should feel more rxed since they were familiar with that ce.

    ¡°Shengyue, then. I¡¯ll call Shengyueter and let them charge the bill on my ount. Consider it my treat to your colleagues.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled faintly with a gentle gaze.

    Ruan Danchen agreed to it without feeling embarrassed since the staff would feel happier if they knew Qi Chenglin was the one treating them to a meal.

    ¡°You¡¯re starting to have an imposing manner as the General Manager Qi¡¯s wife.¡± Qi Chenglin grinned.

    Ruan Danchen continued the conversation for a while with a reddened face, but she did not dare speak for too long since she had a lot more to worry about now that her rtionship with Qi Chenglin went public.

    The others would keep everything to themselves even if they felt exasperated toward Ruan Danchen due to her current identity and status difference, which was exactly why she did not dare to demand special privileges with her current identity.

    It was good enough that the cadre in Qilin treated her kindly as usual, but she would not perform her job carelessly.

    Ruan Danchen thus bade Qi Chenglin goodbye hastily before hanging up the phone and returned to her seat to continue her work.

    Approximately two hourster, she received Qi Chenglin¡¯s text message stating that he was boarding the ne now.

    [Okay.] Ruan Danchen replied.

    It required two and a half hours from B City to H City by flight. It was a quarter past one in the afternoon¡ªlunch hour¡ªwhen Ruan Danchen returned to the office after lunch with her colleagues and was currently lying down on her table.

    Jiang Yuan was on the top floor but she did not go up since Qi Chenglin was not in the office.

    Her phone rang when she was in deep slumber in her seat.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that the call was from Qi Chenglin so she epted it quickly. ¡°You arrived?¡±

    ¡°Yes, just got off the ne.¡± Qi Chenglin felt quite irritated during the flight initially, but his mood improved after hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice.

    He could not wait to buy the flight ticket back to B City immediately after he settled all business issues quickly.

    ¡°Have you had lunch on the ne?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Ruan Danchen initially wanted to prepare lunch for Qi Chenglin to eat on the ne, but she rejected her own thought since it would be harmful for him to consume a cold lunch due to his gastric issue. Moreover, he bought a first-ss ne ticket; the food prepared should be better than in economy ss.

    ¡°Yes, I ate even though it didn¡¯t taste good,¡± Qi Chenglin replied honestly.

    The manager from the sales department walking with Qi Chenglin backed off a little and gazed at his subordinates. When he saw the astonished look on their faces as well, he felt better instantly.

    However, what was going on with Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone, sounding like an honest child reporting to his parents that he was being a good boy today?

    Ruan Danchen felt happy if Qi Chenglin could have his meals on time. She lifted her head to take a look at the surroundings. Some of her colleagues were ying cards around a table, two of her male colleagues were ying ping pong in a ss cubicle just behind the design department, and a few other colleagues were surfing the Inte. None of them noticed what she was doing at the moment.

    Ruan Danchen then made a kissing voice on the phone. ¡°Mwah, this is your reward.¡±

    A wide grin broke across Qi Chenglin¡¯s face immediately. Fortunately, the manager from the sales department and his subordinates were walking behind Qi Chenglin, else they would tremble with astonishment after noticing the smile on his face.

    ¡°Reward me with something more realistic when I¡¯m back home,¡± Qi Chenglin said lightly. His tone was deep and husky which sounded especially attractive.

    Those passers-by could not refrain from giving Qi Chenglin a stare when they heard his soft and attractive voice which brought a sense of indecent jokes.

    Men¡¯s reaction was normal, but women would melt when they heard his mellow voice. When they turned around and stared at his handsome face, they were all frozen to the spot. They envied thedy on the other line and sighed at the thought that they were not the lucky one to be with such a handsome man.

    There were even tomboys who were willing to support his whole life based on his face alone!

    Naturally, Qi Chenglin ignored his surroundings since he was chatting with Ruan Danchen attentively all this while with a warm smile on his face.

    He thought that Ruan Danchen would feel embarrassed after hearing his statement initially, but her soft and naughty voice traveled to his ears unexpectedly. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll give you a reward when you¡¯re back.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was stunned, unsure whether what he heard was ¡®reward¡¯ or ¡®s*x¡¯ 1.[1]

    Qi Chenglin remained silent for quite a while now, which made Ruan Danchen happy since she finally seeded in flirting with this man. She only felt slightly regretful that she could not witness his shocked expression.

    However, she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s yful tease momentarily, ¡°I¡¯ll workout with you when I¡¯m back home. I¡¯ll even allow you to ride on top of me the whole night.¡±

    Initially, Ruan Danchen was drinking a ss of water happily, but after hearing his statement, she nearly choked and fought the urge to vomit.

    The manager from the sales department was not too far behind Qi Chenglin, but he got shocked upon hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s tease and quickly backed off further from him.

    It was best not to listen to the lovers¡¯ prattle!

    The statement made by the general manager was too unorthodox and inharmonious with his usual self.

    Qi Chenglin reached the baggage reim area unwittingly after chatting with Ruan Danchen for a while.

    Qi Chenglin remained on the phone as the manager from the sales department reimed his baggage naturally without the need for him to do it personally.

    Qi Chenglin then pulled his luggage and walked toward the exit. When he saw the person responsible to pick him up, he then bade Ruan Danchen goodbye before hanging up.

    The general manager from the other party brought his chauffeur and assistant to wee them personally. Qi Chenglin returned to his usual self¡ªstern, restrained and sexually continent¡ªwhen he started chatting with the other parties after hanging up the call, which made the manager from the sales department and his subordinates apuded deep down.

    Footnotes:

    Ch 394 Footnote 1

    Reward and sex were pronounced as ¡®Shang¡¯ in Chinese hence Qi Chenglin was unsure what Ruan Danchen had mentioned.

 Chapter 395 - Donâ€™t Make Irresponsible Remarks In The Presence Of A Child (Update Two)

    <h4>Chapter 395: Don¡¯t Make Irresponsible Remarks In The Presence Of A Child (Update Two)</h4>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Xiao Yang brought Qi Youxuan and fetched Ruan Danchen off work at night. Most of her male colleagues in the design department had their own transportation, and those without were too embarrassed to sit in Qi Chenglin¡¯s Mercedes-Benz.

    Even though the general manager was not present himself, but they would still feel stressed since his son was sitting inside too.

    Thus, those male colleagues with their own transportation fetched those without any while Ruan Danchen sat alone with Qi Youxuan at the back of the Mercedes-Benz. They would gather at the entrance of Shengyue once they arrived.

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were not thest to arrive, so they apanied her colleagues who arrived first and waited for the rest.

    The staff were pleasantly surprised when they finally witnessed the legendary eldest grandson of the Qi family, and each and every one of them greeted Qi Youxuan happily. Moreover, the kid still appeared chubby and especially cute despite the fact that his weight had decreased slightly.

    Furthermore, Qi Youxuan was not arrogant and proud when he saw them, and even greeted them politely, ¡°Hi uncles and aunties.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s colleagues felt happy and honored instantly. The mysterious eldest grandson of the Qi family who had never appeared even once in public was greeting them adorably now!

    They could not help but sighed, only one word could describe the family education by the great families ¨C good!

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan into Shengyue first, which their presence was weed by the lobby manager immediately. He had reserved the biggest dining room in Shengyue as Qi Chenglin called Shengyue personally for the reservation when he was on his way to the airport.

    Manager Zou was the only leader who came along with them for the dinner. Ruan Danchen normally would not act haughty and would perform her job well and honestly. She wouldplete her job without using her identity to demand others for assistance.

    The only problem was that she did not work overtime at all, but that was due to Qi Chenglin¡¯s persistence, so she normally would bring all her unfinished work back home.

    This was exactly why they felt unpressured and even made jokes happily during dinner tonight. To be honest, Zhang Jitong was not being sincere with his suggestion on asking Qi Chenglin to join the dinner tonight. This was the most perfect oue for them to enjoy the dinner tonight while the general manager paid for them.

    None of them would dare to make a sound if the general manager himself was present tonight.

    The dishes were served one by one on the table. One of Qi Youxuan¡¯s favourite dishes, Blueberry Yam, was served opposite him, and he fixed his gaze on that particr food, no matter where it was turned.

    Qi Youxuan acted a little restrained since he was surrounded by many unfamiliar uncles and aunties.

    He would not act over familiar with everyone. He merely felt that since these were all staff from his father¡¯spany, he could not abashed his father and destroyed his reputation.

    Chen Siyu¡¯s heart softened upon seeing Qi Youxuan trying desperately to remain calm despite the strong temptation. She thought deep down, how did such a stern man like Qi Chenglin had such a cute son like Qi Youxuan?

    ¡°You want to eat Blueberry Yam, right?¡± Chen Siyu asked. Qi Youxuan moved slightly closer to Ruan Danchen stealthily as her overwhelming enthusiasm nearly made him think that he met with some strange auntie.

    However, Qi Youxuan appeared especially innocent now and made Chen Siyu felt that he was getting cuter and thus acted more enthusiastic towards him.

    Chen Siyu turned the Blueberry Yam to Qi Youxuan straight away. Qi Youxuan had no choice but to show his appreciation. ¡°Thank you, auntie.¡±

    They would turn the food to Qi Youxuan¡¯s front as long as desserts were served.

    Qi Youxuan felt extremely stressed when Chen Siyu kept staring at him with intense enthusiasm.

    ¡°Mom, I want to go to the toilet,¡± Qi Youxuan dragged Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm suddenly. He desperately needed to go out and get some air from these uncles¡¯ and aunties¡¯ abnormally fond gazes.

    To be honest, he did not have much desire to pass urine, but he could squeeze a little pee out if he put in some effort.

    Thus, he seized the opportunity to voice out when he noticed Zhang Jitong entered the washroom in the room.

    However, as soon as Qi Youxuan blurted out his request, the initial hectic environment became an eerie pin drop silence as everyone shifted their gazes which were full of surprises on Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen feared that her son may suffer from holding the urine for too long so she ignored their reactions and brought Qi Youxuan to the washroom.

    There was a sudden explosion in the room as soon as Ruan Danchen left.

    Senior Du inhaled deeply in surprise. ¡°Oh my God, he called her as his mother!¡±

    ¡°It seems like Danchen and the general manager¡¯s son get along very well!¡± Chen Siyu said.

    Life was difficult for a stepmother, but Ruan Danchen seemed to have performed her task quite well.

    Zhang Jitong noticed themotion after exiting the washroom, so he asked them quickly about it since he had no idea what was going on.

    Thus, the crowd exined to him again.

    Zhang Jitong sat down and gave a thumbs up too.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to the washroom while she waited for him outside the door.

    She took out her phone and nced at the time¡ªit was half past seven o¡¯clock now, and she was unsure if Qi Chenglin had his dinner on time or not. Qi Chenglin brought a few subordinates from the sales department for business discussion this time, and they were probably having the discussion right now, so even though Ruan Danchen was concerned for his man, she would not dare to disturb him abruptly. Thus, she put her phone down.

    Her phone rang just when she put her hand down.

    She lifted her phone again and noticed that the call was from Qi Chenglin whom she missed just now.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile as Qi Chenglin seemed to read her mind like a Vulcan mind meld.

    She epted the call immediately, and before she could mutter a word, Qi Chenglin asked, ¡°Still at Shengyue?¡±

    ¡°Yes. What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen answered.

    ¡°Having dinner with my clients,¡± Qi Chenglin sounded happy due to joy whenever he chatted with Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that his voice sounded sober and clear, as if he was not drunk.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t drink much alcohol?¡± Ruan Danchen asked with a smile on her face.

    ¡°Drank a few sses as a token of respect, my subordinates will handle the rest,¡± Qi Chenglin reported honestly.

    ¡°You¡¯re not done with your business discussion, right? Why are you calling me now?¡± Ruan Danchen took a nce at the time and figured that normally client entertainment started at this hour.

    ¡°Well, I miss you. That¡¯s why I¡¯m giving you a call now,¡± Qi Chenglin leaned against the wall, the pair of his long legs extended forward pleasantly. His head was slightly lowered with a smile hanging on his face.

    His long eyshes buried the joy that shone brightly in his eyes, but asionally a gentle ray which slipped through his eyes blinded the passers-by.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin chatted with Ruan Danchen on the phone with his especially soft tone.

    His chat prolonged until the subordinates he brought from the sales department were struggling to handle all the binge drinking, and now it was the manager from the sales department¡¯s turn to step onto the battlefield personally. One of his subordinates exited the room with an unsteady gait to check on Qi Chenglin who went to the washroom for far too long.

    Then, he saw the general manager chatting on the phone with his wife upon exiting the room, so he returned again with an unsteady gait.

    Even though Qi Chenglin was chatting with Ruan Danchen, he noticed his subordinate who came out and reentered the room silently just now. Thus, he chatted with Ruan Danchen for a while more, exhorted her to let Xiao Yang brought them home instead of taking a cab, then only hang up the call after Ruan Danchen agreed with him.

    Ruan Danchen hang up the call and noticed that Qi Youxuan had not exited the washroom after chatting with Qi Chenglin for so long.

    She was not worried about Qi Youxuan getting abducted since she was staring at the washroom door during her chat with Qi Chenglin just now.

    Then, she gave Qi Youxuan a call which he picked up almost immediately.

    ¡°You¡¯re not done yet? What took you so long?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m passing motion, but still not done yet. My legs are getting numb now,¡± Qi Youxuan was helpless too. His legs were almost paralyzed from the prolonged kneeling but he could not exit the washroom when he had not empty his bowels.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt relieved after realizing that Qi Youxuan was alright, and as for the numbness due tock of blood supply, stamping his feet repeatedly after standing up would do just fine.

    Approximately five minutester, Ruan Danchen saw Qi Youxuan gritting his teeth while resting his hand on the wall for support as he exited the washroom. It was obvious that the numbness from his lower limbs was quite agonizing for him.

    Ruan Danchen carried him quickly upon noticing his suffering. He would be fine since the numbness would subside after recirction of blood supply.

    When they were on their way back to their own reserved dining room, one of the other dining rooms opened and three people exited from it.

    Chen Libai, Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan.

    The trio and Ruan Danchen were stunned. She was hoping that the trio had not noticed her at all.

    Ruan Danchen disliked Chang Jingqiu for some reasons. She was not close to Chang Jingqiu when they were studying in senior high, but Chang Jingqiu had built a good rapport with some of the boys with decent family conditions and would always y with them. One of the boys was Chen Libai.

    Moreover, Xia Zishan¡¯s gaze on Ruan Danchen was a bit strange, and as for Chen Libai, Ruan Danchen did not want to involve any further in his matter any longer.

    However, the trio noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s presence, and even Chen Libai called out to her.

    Ruan Danchen had no choice but toe to a halt. Chen Libai felt awkward staring at Ruan Danchen right now since he just contacted her on WeChat here yesterday night, even though he had no idea that the person he was chatting with was actually Qi Chenglin all along.

    Ruan Danchen had forgotten about the WeChat issue, but now she could only put on a smile and greeted, ¡°What a coincidence, did you guys just had your dinner?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯re having dinner with your family?¡± Chen Libai nodded. His initial gaze which was fixed on Ruan Danchen shifted involuntarily to Qi Youxuan who was in Ruan Danchen¡¯s embosom.

    ¡°I¡¯m having dinner with my colleagues tonight. I brought my son along too since there was no one left at home,¡± Ruan Danchen gave them a simple exnation.

    Initially, Chang Jingqiu figured that the boyfriend Ruan Danchen had did not have much capability, and after hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s exnation, she confirmed on her guesswork.

    If Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriend had any capability, why did he not hire a babysitter to take care of the child at home?

    It was embarrassing to bring a child along to a gathering with her colleagues.

    Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan had been working for a long time. Even though Chen Libai just started to be an entrepreneur, he owned apany and naturally, he gained more experience in the art of dealing with people. They felt Ruan Danchen¡¯s actions were unwise and would induce repugnance from others.

    ¡°Mom, my legs aren¡¯t numb anymore,¡± Qi Youxuan did not care about the twists and turns from the trio and voiced out straight away.

    Qi Youxuan was unable to understand the thoughts that went through the trio¡¯s minds at his current age, and even if he understood, he was a child who only did things his own way. He dared to court Wei Muran even in Wei Ziqi¡¯s presence, would he fear the trio in front of him now?

    Ruan Danchen knew what went across their minds by looking at their expressions, but she did not care as there was no way she could prevent these thoughts from arising in their brains. Since this trio did not have a close rtionship with her, she would not lose a muscle or even made her life miserable just because of them.

    However, the corner of her lips curled upwards involuntarily. If Qi Chenglin was here and no matter what she did, he would not feel abashed at all and would stand beside her firmly instead to face all the embarrassment together with her. Then, he would consider the embarrassing action as logical and reasonable with a calm expression as if the action he performed was not embarrassing at all.

    Ruan Danchen put Qi Youxuan down as a response to his request. Then, she held his hand and let him stand on her side.

    ¡°Is this your son?¡± Xia Zishan, who did not have much conversation with Ruan Danchen during the gathering on the fifth day of the lunar month, asked suddenly with a smile.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Ruan Danchen then lowered her gaze to Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°Uncle and aunties are my high school ssmates.¡±

    Even though Qi Youxuan did not understand the disdainful looks on their faces, he had an intuition on people and his first impression on these trio was bad. Thus, although he greeted them politely, it was obvious that his interest was low, unlike the enthusiasm he conveyed when he greeted Ruan Danchen¡¯s colleagues.

    ¡°How long until your gathering ends? It¡¯s not easy to hail a cab at this hour, how about I send you back hometer?¡± Chen Libai asked.

    Xia Zishan was not happy about it and Ruan Danchen understood immediately upon noticing her look.

    Ruan Danchen did not want Chen Libai to send them back home initially too, so she answered, ¡°No need, we¡¯re not done with our gathering yet.¡±

    ¡°Then when will you guys leave? The child needs to sleep early too, right? He should be tired by now,¡± Chen Libai asked again with persistence.

    The probability of meeting Ruan Danchen coincidentally was so low and now Chen Libai had a legitimate reason to get along with her, or else she would not agree to him if he asked her out abruptly on normal times.

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate it. Someone will fetch us back home when the gathering is over. We¡¯ll head back to the room now,¡± Ruan Danchen rejected lightly.

    ¡°Let us go. We shouldn¡¯t intervene since someone else will send them back home,¡± Chang Jingqiu said.

    Ruan Danchen nodded with a smile on her face and said, ¡°Be careful on your way home.¡±

    Then, she brought Qi Youxuan and left hastily in fear that Chen Libai would bother them further.

    Chen Libai followed them immediately and walked alongside Ruan Danchen. ¡°I¡¯ll walk with you guys back to your room.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had no idea how to reject his offer as it was unwise to destroy their friendship because of this.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan walked towards their dining room in silence and upon arrival, Ruan Danchen said quickly, ¡°We have arrived.¡±

    Chen Libai¡¯s gaze dimmed when he noticed Ruan Danchen sighing in relief. ¡°You seem eager to shake me off.¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned slightly. ¡°Don¡¯t make irresponsible remarks in the presence of a child.¡±

    Chen Libai was stunned and replied awkwardly, ¡°Sorry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled before entering the room with Qi Youxuan.

    Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan walked over and saw Chen Libai staring nkly at the dining room door which was now closed. Xia Zishan gritted her teeth with recalcitrance.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± Chang Jingqiu walked over and reminded him.

    Chen Libai then nodded in response. When they were walking towards the exit, Xia Zishan dragged Chang Jingqiu¡¯s arm stealthily.

    Chang Jingqiu was slightly unhappy as she thought Xia Zishan was using her, so she pretended to not notice it and remained silent.

    Xia Zishan noticed Chang Jingqiu¡¯s silence. She had no choice but to say, ¡°I think Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriend isn¡¯t reliable at all. I guess he isn¡¯t born in this city. Even if there¡¯s no babysitter at home, Ruan Danchen can just send her son to his grandparents and let them take care of him temporarily while she attends thepany¡¯s gathering, but now Ruan Danchen had to bring his son here. I think both Ruan Danchen and her boyfriend are working in B City alone. Their life will be difficult with such living conditions.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu remained silent and nodded her head slightly in agreement.

    Xia Zishan took a peek at Chen Libai again and noticed that his expression was not good. She was unsure if he was angry due to her statement just now or at Ruan Danchen for not giving him a chance.

    ¡°In that case, God knows where the Mercedes-Benz came from when her boyfriend came to fetch herst time,¡± Chang Jingqiu said lightly.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. No matter what, it¡¯s immoral to talk behind their backs,¡± Chen Libai said coldly.

    Xia Zishan¡¯s expression paled with annoyance but she kept quiet nheless.

    Chang Jingqiu then said after exiting Shengyue, ¡°I was afraid that I would drink today, so I didn¡¯t drive tonight. How about¨C¡°

 Chapter 396 - Ah, You Sure Have the Tendency to Keep Me on a Leash Now

    <h4>Chapter 396: Ah, You Sure Have the Tendency to Keep Me on a Leash Now</h4>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Just as Cheng Jingqiu was about to ask Chen Libai to send her and Xia Zishan home, Chen Libai interrupted, ¡°I just remembered I have something to do. I can¡¯t send you two home.¡±

    Xia Zishan¡¯s expression shifted but she quickly put on a smile. ¡°You go do your thing. You don¡¯t have to send us back, we can go home ourselves.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for a cab with you two.¡± Chen Libai was a little worried about twodies taking a cab by themselves at night; he was not one to abandon women.

    Luckily, they were able to hail a cab rtively quickly this time. He let Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan enter the cab.

    He returned to his car after seeing them off, but he did not leave.

    After waiting for almost an hour, he saw a Mercedes stopped in front of Shengyue. Chen Libai raised an eyebrow; when hest saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s boyfriending to fetch her, he only noticed the brand of the car but not the license te number. Thus, he could not confirm that the car was here for Ruan Danchen.

    Even so, his guts told him that it was indeed her boyfriend.

    A whileter, he saw Ruan Danchening out while holding her son¡¯s hand and saying goodbye to her colleagues. Only when everyone else had gotten into their own cars did Ruan Danchen approach the Mercedes with Qi Youxuan.

    Just then, the man in the driver seat got out of the car. He was wearing a dapper suit and gave off an exceptional aura. However, Chen Libai did not get the same feeling as he did from the man that came to fetch Ruan Danchen previously.

    He frowned as he watched Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan enter the car. When the Mercedes left, he started his car engine and drove off too.

    He had nned to follow them, but after getting stuck at a few traffic lights, he lost sight of the Mercedes.

    Xiao Yang looked in the rear-view mirror and saw that the Lexus was no longer trailing behind. Only then did he turn his focus back on the road. He pouted.

    Chen Libai could no longer see even a shadow of the Mercedes. With a dark expression, he turned his car around and left.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin had just got off the phone with Xiao Yang. He was in the hotel room and had juste out from a bath. He turned on the television but did not watch it; he merely listened.

    After the night¡¯s dinner, the general manager over there wanted to drag him to some clubhouse. Qi Chenglin knew his intentions full well, so he declined firmly.

    Just now, Xiao Yang had reported over the phone that Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan had reached home safely. He also disclosed to Qi Chenglin the matter with Chen Libai.

    Just as Qi Chenglin was going to call Ruan Danchen, his phone rang. It was Qi Youxuan.

    The little boy, Qi Youxuan, was just done showering and drying his hair. He snuggled cozily in his nket, acting out the role of a little spy masterfully.

    ¡°Dad, let me tell you, today when Mom was having dinner with her colleagues, we ran into an uncle. By the looks of it, he has feelings for Mom.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know that uncle¡¯s name. How would I know? A kid can¡¯t just ask an adult something like that, you know? It¡¯s very rude. I didn¡¯t want to spoil you or Mom¡¯s name.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°But rest assured, Dad. Although the uncle is quite attractive, he¡¯s no match for you.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Mom didn¡¯t give him much attention either, she merely said a few words and left.¡±

    After listening to Qi Youxuan¡¯s report, Qi Chenglin ended the call. He was quite vexed to find out that he had another love rival in B City.

    He turned on hisptop and keyed in the name ¡®Chen Libai¡¯. Although he had heard of this name before, he did not know what he looked like.

    To his surprise, Chen Libai was not a nobody. From elementary school to university, he had won innumerable awards when studying abroad. Besides, the Chen family was quite well-known in B City; it was inevitable that the inte would have some news about Chen Libai.

    ...

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s business discussion went smoothly. The final decision was made on Wednesday and on that night itself, Qi Chenglin signed the agreement with the director and general manager over dinner.

    After dinner, Qi Chenglin was impatient to go home as one more night seemed so unbearable. Therefore, he had someone check for avable flights that night. Luckily, there was one first-ss ticket left on a ne that departed at the nearby airport. Thus, Qi Chenglin abandoned the others from the sales department and returned to B City.

    Qi Chenglin did not inform Ruan Danchen.

    He was afraid that the flight might be dyed so he did not call Ruan Danchen just yet. However, when boarding time arrived, Qi Chenglin nced at his watch and saw that it was already eleven-thirty. Worried that Ruan Danchen was already asleep, he refrained from calling her once again.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was sound asleep. Although Qi Chenglin would only be away from three days, she still counted down the days at home. Even in her dreams, she smiled when she thought of Qi Chenglin arriving home soon.

    She was unustomed to lying on the bed alone, especially now that it was winter. Although the house was equipped with heaters, she still missed feeling Qi Chenglin¡¯s body heat by her side.

    In the end, she had to drink a bit of red wine to fall asleep. Otherwise, she would have lied on the bed all night thinking about Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen had never expected herself to miss a man so dearly. When she was single, she watched girls bawl their eyes out for a boy after a breakup; she watched her roommate being all lovey-dovey with her long-distance boyfriend over the phone; she watched young couples flirting with each other with the girl clinging onto the boy¡¯s as they sauntered down a road.

    Ruan Danchen could not understand why they had to act so cloyingly.

    Reflecting on herself now, she was utterly shocked by how much she changed.

    Qi Chenglin felt his way up the stairs in the dark. He opened his bedroom door, worrying that his son had taken his spot.

    Gradually, his eyes adjusted to the dark. With the little bit of moonlight pouring in from the window, he could make his way around the room just fine.

    He closed the door gently. When he saw the little body wrapped up in the nket, he instantly felt his exhaustion leave his body and instead feltpletely energized.

    He was afraid that bathing in the bedroom would wake her up, so he headed to the bathroom down the corridor and took a quick shower. He did not bring his nightwear with him so he simply walked around naked.

    Qi Chenglin did not n on putting on anything either. Naked, he lifted a corner of the nket carefully.

    Ruan Danchen must have felt cold in her sleep. Eyes closed, she was scrunched up into a ball and had wrapped herself tightly in the nket.

    Qi Chenglin burrowed into the nket and held her in his embrace.

    Even when asleep, Ruan Danchen was familiar with the warmth of Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace. Subconsciously, she positioned herselffortably in his arms, as that position had been deeply engraved in her bones. Snuggled up in his embrace, Ruan Danchen felt infinitely safer.

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen was woken up by the rm. She needed to go to work.

    As usual, she reached out to grab her phone and turn off the rm. Suddenly, she felt that something was off. She opened her eyes and blinked a few times. To her surprise, she was met with a wall of flesh with snow-white skin and solid muscles. It even gave off the scent of an exceedingly familiar body wash.

    Ruan Danchen was immediately wide awake. She stared at him wide-eyed, doubting what she was seeing in front of her eyes.

    She had just been on the phone with him yesterday morning; he had clearly stated that he was almost done with his work and would only being home today. In spite of that, she was lying next to him right now.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her head slowly, afraid to disturb him. She fell asleep and woke up in his arms. it was like a dream.

    Qi Chenglin lookedpletely worn out, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. Softly breathing, he was still sound asleep.

    Ruan Danchen did not want to leave his embrace. After not seeing him for a few days, Ruan Danchen missed him dearly. She buried her face deep into his embrace and moved her nose around like a puppy, sniffing at the scent of his body.

    The two of them shared the same body wash, but she loved the way it smelled on him especially.

    She could not help but press her face against his chest. As she lied gently and carefully against his chest, she could feel his heart beating.

    Her movements were extraordinarily tender; even she could not imagine herself being so gentle. She was like a feather rubbing against his chest, making him feel a little ticklish.

    Ruan Danchen was worried that she would bete for work. She tried to move his arm away without waking him up.

    However, just as she gently grabbed his wrist, Qi Chenglin woke up abruptly. He grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest, his palm encapsting the back of her hand.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you wake up?¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. She wondered what time he came home yesterday.

    She went to bed quitete. It was already past twelve by the time she was lying on the bed.

    ¡°I woke up every time you move.¡± Qi Chenglin let go of her hand and pulled her tight into his embrace. He buried his face against her neck and got a good whiff of her scent. He sniffed her everywhere, from her neck to her shoulders, to her lips then to the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this the minute I reached home, but I didn¡¯t want to wake you up.¡± Qi Chenglinnded a long, forceful kiss on her cheek. He was pushing so hard that her cheek was being pushed into her bones.

    Even after a night¡¯s sleep, her face still smelled sweet.

    ¡°What time did you reach home?¡± Since he was already awake, Ruan Danchen reached to touch the dark circles under his eyes.

    ¡°A little past three,¡± Qi Chenglin answered.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyebrows shot up instantly. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you just wait till today toe home? It¡¯s so tiring to travel at midnight.¡±

    From the time he got home, he could only have been home for around three hours. Moreover, he had clearly taken a shower before he went to bed. He could not have slept much.

    ¡°Why do you think I came back so early?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips were curled and an eyebrow was raised. He kissed her at the corner of her lips. ¡°I missed you the entire time I was away, so I quickly wrapped things up over there and rushed home.¡±

    Although she could not stand seeing him so tired, she was still thrilled to see him earlier.

    Just now, she was afraid to disturb him, but now that he was awake, she took long, deep sniffs at him. ¡°Next time youe home sote, juste to bed. You must¡¯ve been tired. There¡¯s no need to shower first¡ªI won¡¯tin.¡±

    ¡°But what if I get used to beingzy? Eventually, you¡¯ll start to dislike it.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled.

    It was quite a lot of pressure to have a wife. Not only did he need to be cautious about his appearance outside, he now had to do it at home too.

    Ruan Danchen kissed his stubble-covered chin without any reservations. She then kissed him on the lips and finally got off the bed. ¡°You should sleep for a while longer.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not stop her this time.

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly got changed and went down for breakfast. Aunt Zheng had already returned from her leave. Qi Youxuan, on the other hand, was still having holidays and was still sound asleep in his room. During the day, Aunt Zheng was around to take care of him and if he wanted to go to Jade Field Park or the old mansion, a driver would take him there. Thus, Ruan Danchen could set her mind at ease.

    As Ruan Danchen was frying eggs, someone suddenly hugged her from behind and pecked her cheek.

    ¡°Why are you out of bed already?¡± Ruan Danchen turned her head to look at him. Just then, Qi Chenglin took the chance and kissed her on the lips. He kissed her long and hard as if he wanted to suck her straight into his stomach. The eggs were starting to burn.

    Qi Chenglin released her once he was satisfied. In a gentle loving voice, he said, ¡°When I was away on the business trip, there was some work piling on at my desk. I¡¯ll deal with them today and tomorrow, we can head to the Civil Affairs Bureau together.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skipped a beat. Staring into his deep, dark eyes, she did not expect herself to feel so blessed and exhrated to know that she was going to marry him soon.

    ¡°Okay.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled, and in no way was it bashful. She grinned ear-to-ear, exposing her shiny white teeth. She did not restrain herself at all; she looked like she had just won the lottery.

    ¡°You seem happy,¡± Qi Chenglin teased. He was delighted to see her beaming away.

    Ruan Danchen nodded earnestly. ¡°Yup, I¡¯m super happy. There¡¯s no way for me to put my happiness in words. It¡¯s indescribable. My heart is beating so fast right now.¡±

    ¡°Let me feel it,¡± Qi Chenglin said. Immediately, he cupped his hand onto her.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    It was so early in the morning yet he was already having lewd thoughts?

    Just then, Aunt Zheng was heading into the kitchen to make breakfast with Ruan Danchen. However, when she saw Qi Chenglin hugging Ruan Danchen so tightly from behind, she stopped at the kitchen door and quietly backed away.

    She felt like it was getting harder and harder to move around in this house; she would run into Sir and Madam being intimate with each other everywhere she went.

    ¡°It really is beating fast.¡± Qi Chenglin smirked.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did not know what to say. Her face was flushed.

    With his hand grabbing her like that, of course it would be beating fast.

    ¡°What if we go register our marriage today?¡± Qi Chenglin suggested.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have to deal with your work today?¡± Ruan Danchen asked as she scooped the eggs out of the frying pan.

    ¡°You¡¯re so excited, so I thought it¡¯d be better to do it sooner.¡± Qi Chenglin snickered.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt that he was always ridiculing her. ¡°We¡¯ll just roll with the original n. What difference does it make if we do it today or tomorrow?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not too impatient to wait?¡± Qi Chenglin questioned, raising an eyebrow at her.

    Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth. ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°Really?¡±

    Ruan Danchen red at him.

    Qi Chenglin burst outughing. Seeing Ruan Danchen fuming as she stomped into the dining room, he followed behind with a grin.

    ...

    Qi Chenglin went back to the bedroom after they finished breakfast. Ruan Danchen did not know why he went up there, but he did note back down for a long while. Thus, she went up to investigate. When she entered the bedroom, she saw his tall, slender body standing handsomely in front of the mirror. Oh, what a view!

    His long, bony fingers were working on the couple scarf he bought with Ruan Danchen that day. He pulled and twisted it around for ages but was still unsatisfied with how it looked.

    ¡°Let me help you,¡± Ruan Danchen offered. She walked up to him and tidied up the scarf.

    She had never seen him wear things like this so when she bought it, she thought it was the perfect chance to get him one. She wanted to gift him something but never expected him to wear it to work. She always thought that the scarf did not match the vibe he gave off. After putting on the scarf, his usual cold and distant appearance instantly melted; he appeared much warmer and more gentle.

    Ruan Danchen would already be happy if he were to wear it in private.

    Since it was Ruan Danchen who worked on it, Qi Chenglin waspletely satisfied with it. He took the other scarf and let Ruan Danchen put it on too. Finally, he took her hand and headed out contentedly.

    When Aunt Zheng was seeing them off, she noticed the couple scarf that stood out obviously from his smart and tidy suit. Her lips twitched; she wondered what the employees in Qilin would think when they see Qi Chenglin dressed like that.

    Ruan Danchen got into the car. As the heater warmed up the car, she took off her scarf. Qi Chenglin, on the other hand, was adamant to keep it on.

    Ruan Danchen understood what he was trying to express. Her heart was filled with warmth. ¡°You should take it off. It¡¯s hot in the car. The car will be parked in the indoor car park when we reach thepany, so there¡¯s no need to wear it.¡±

    ¡°Mm,¡± Qi Chenglin mumbled but his hands did not move.

    When he reached Qilin, he did not turn into the indoor car park. Instead, he parked it outside.

    The outdoor car park was quite a distance away from the building¡¯s main entrance. Due to therge size of the car park, it would take about five to six minutes to walk to the main entrance.

    Qi Chengzhi turned off the engine and pulled out the keys. He turned to Ruan Danchen and said, ¡°It¡¯s cold outside. You should put on your scarf.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was utterly speechless.

    Just to show off the couple scarves, he deliberately parked the car at the furthest end of the outdoor car park. Just for that, they had to withstand the frigid winds to get to thepany.

    Ruan Danchen put on the scarfpliantly. The moment she got out of the car, he grabbed her hand and they walked toward thepany together.

    Qi Chenglin was bing more and more egoistic. The more employees crowded around them, the more pleased he was. His ego was close to that of a peacock spreading its feathers.

    As for Ruan Danchen, she could not handle being the center of attention; it was too stressful for her. She was blushing the whole way there.

    Even after they entered thepany, Qi Chenglin was still clutching onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. She did not act too coquettish when walking beside him; the wholepany had found out about their rtionship after all. Besides, she did not want to pretend to be someone she was not.

    Even when Qi Chenglin pulled her into the private elevator with him, she did not protest. After all, it was better than having to cram into a crowded elevator where all eyes were on them.

    When they were reaching the design department, Ruan Danchen looked up and grinned. ¡°You¡¯re happy with the couple scarves now, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± Qi Chenglin did not deny it.

    Ruan Danchen pecked his lips. ¡°I¡¯m going now. I know you have a lot to do today, but don¡¯t smoke too much.¡±

    The elevator reached the design department¡¯s floor, and Ruan Danchen stepped out.

    Working hours had not begun yet. Just as Ruan Danchen entered the office, she was once again surrounded by her colleagues who teased her about their couple scarves.

    The whole department was already well acquainted with Ruan Danchen, and they knew her personality. They knew that when they tease her, she would merely get flustered, but not angry. She would not hold grudges on petty things either as she epted jests.

    They treated Ruan Danchen like a normal colleague instead of as the general manager¡¯s wife. They could be casual with her and would not feel pressured around her.

    ...

    When lunchtime was approaching, Ruan Danchen received Qi Chenglin¡¯s call. He said that he needed to entertain a client this afternoon and that he would have someone bring her takeout. He instructed her to eat in his office.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. You¡¯re not here anyway so what¡¯s the point of me eating in your office? I¡¯ll just have lunch with my colleagues,¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    Qi Chenglin thought that sounded logical, so he suggested, ¡°We¡¯re now at Qiaopin, which is very near thepany. Why don¡¯t you just eat here with your colleagues?¡±

    ¡°Stop fooling around. Ah, you sure have the tendency to keep me on a leash now! I¡¯ll follow the crowd; wherever my colleagues go, I¡¯ll go. You¡¯re meeting your client, so why should I be there?¡± said Ruan Danchen.

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    NoDoNoDie 2

    That night, Ruan Danchen had made ns with Song Yu and the other two to fight monsters in an instance dungeon. Qi Chenglin waited and waited, but his wife never came.

    He lied on the bed, feeling terribly dejected. ¡°Danchen, are you done?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re trying to defeat this monster. Just give me a few more minutes,¡± replied Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°If you want that equipment so badly, why don¡¯t you just buy it online? Why spend so much effort?¡± argued Qi Chenglin.

    Just then, Ruan Danchen finished her game. She turned around abruptly and red at him disdainfully. ¡°We despise people who pay to win the most. Our goal is to get as far as possible without spending a single penny.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Silently, Qi Chenglin left the bedroom.

    After a while, Ruan Danchen suddenly went offline. ¡°Why was I disconnected?¡±

    To be continued in the next mini-scene~

 Chapter 397 - A Blind Date in Disguise

    <strong>Chapter 397: A Blind Date in Disguise</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ah, was this man trying to keep her within his sight twenty-four seven?

    ¡°I¡¯d love to have you tethered to me all the time.¡± Qi Chenglin nodded solemnly. ¡°Sigh, aren¡¯t I just trying to pay the bill for you all?¡±

    ¡°Please don¡¯t add pressure to my colleagues; it wasn¡¯t easy for them to finally treat me like a normal colleague. I enjoy being able tough and joke with them,¡± Ruan Danchen revealed.

    Judging from her tone, Qi Chenglin felt like Ruan Danchen wasining about him. Mncholically, he grumbled, ¡°Fine, I won¡¯t bug you anymore.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but chuckle. ¡°Good boy!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Qi Chenglin hung up as he did not know what to reply. He was quite confused about how he felt about it too. Although he knew that her ¡®good boy¡¯ was just to tease him, somehow, he still felt a little downhearted.

    Ruan Danchen opened her chat with Chen Siyu and asked her where they were going for lunch.

    [Chen Siyu: You¡¯re not eating with General Manager today?]

    [Ruan Danchen: He has a client to entertain today. You guys must take me in today. If you leave me alone here, I¡¯ll be so lonely.]

    [Chen Siyu: Alright, alright, stop acting so pitiful. You can join up for lunch.]

    Ruan Danchen closed the chat with a smile. When lunchtime arrived, Ruan Danchen followed Chen Siyu and the others to lunch. When they reached the restaurant, Ruan Danchen read the restaurant¡¯s name and her lips twitched. ¡°We¡¯re eating here?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I spent quite a lot of money when I treated my clients to lunch here, so the restaurant gave me a hundred yuan voucher, expiring in two days. We can all save a ton of money by eating here,¡± Chen Siyu exined. She grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and kept silent. She followed Chen Siyu and the others into the restaurant.

    Due to its location being right across Qilin, many employees chose to eat there. Business was exceptionally well during lunchtime.

    Chen Siyu found a table at a corner of the restaurant, an area that was rtively private. Even so, Ruan Danchen was quite anxious that they would run into Qi Chenglin. She was worried that Qi Chenglin would think she was here because she could not bear being apart from him, even though she told him she would note here; that would be a huge misunderstanding. It would inte his ego by many folds.

    Luckily, Qi Chenglin hade earlier and was already in a private room so she did not run into him.

    It was just the four girls so they merely ordered four dishes and a soup.

    Halfway through lunch, Ruan Danchen went to the restroom. On the way there, she heard someone calling from behind. ¡°Danchen?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was staggered. She turned around to see Chang Jingqiu striding toward her.

    She was wearing brown ankle boots and light blue stretchy skinny jeans, making her legs look exceedingly long and slender. Additionally, the loosely-fitted cape-style sweater she wore also made her look remarkably slim.

    Chang Jingqiu was not tall, standing at only a hundred and sixty centimeters; she was a lot shorter than Ruan Danchen.

    However, Ruan Danchen typically wore ts, so Chang Jingqiu looked like she was at Ruan Danchen¡¯s height when she strode over in her heeled ankle boots.

    Ruan Danchen watched her approach her with an impassive expression. Chang Jingqiu was the kind of woman who could dress herself up in a way that made her petite build look tall and slender. Although she was a hundred and sixty centimeters tall, her clothes made her look like she was a hundred and seventy centimeters in height.

    From the way she walked, it was clear that she was a precious daughter from a high-status family. Her proud struts attracted a lot of attention.

    ¡°I saw you from behind just now, but I wasn¡¯t sure if it were you.¡± Chang Jingqiu approached her, smiling. Ruan Danchen nced at the corridor she came from; there were a few private rooms along that corridor. Chang Jingqiu continued, ¡°I just came out to use the washroom. I didn¡¯t expect I¡¯ll run into you.¡±

    After hearing that, Ruan Danchen entered the washroom with her.

    ¡°Lately, we seem to be running into each other a lot. Must be fate,¡± Cheng Jingqiu pointed out, giggling.

    ¡°It is quite a coincidence,¡± Ruan Danchen stated coldly. She did not know her well, so she did not have much to say to her.

    Moreover, when it came to Chang Jingqiu, she was not interested in engaging in any kind of conversation with her, even if it were just to be polite.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Chang Jingqiu chuckled. ¡°What brings you here? Are you meeting a client?¡±

    ¡°Mypany is just around the corner,¡± Ruan Danchen answered.

    ¡°Huh? I heard that you are working in Chengshi. Did you switchpanies?¡± Cheng Jingqiu inquired curiously.

    ¡°Yeah, Qilin,¡± Ruan Danchen stated simply. She was not interested in knowing more about Chang Jingqiu¡¯s life and did not want her to pry into her life either.

    ¡°Qilin?¡± Chang Jingqiu widened her eyes in astonishment. She grinned from ear-to-ear.

    Ruan Danchen had always felt that Chang Jingqiu did not like her much, so she was utterly confused by why Chang Jingqiu was so delighted to hear that.

    ¡°Wow, you are amazing. I heard that it¡¯s awfully tough to get into Qilin as the wholepany is full of elites. I heard that if anyone who has worked at Qilin for a few years decides to find another job, everypany would be scrambling to hire them. Your value doubles instantly,¡± Chang Jingqiu bubbled, her eyes sparkled with joy. Ruan Danchen truly could not wrap her head around why she was so exhrated. Chang Jingqiu even seemed proud and honored.

    Ruan Danchen did not have the guts to tell her that she entered thepany through a backdoor. Thus, she did not dare to boast about it but merely nodded and smiled.

    After entering the washroom, Ruan Danchen went into a stall. Chang Jingqiu was there to touch up her makeup.

    When Ruan Danchen came out, she was still staring in the mirror, putting on lipstick.

    Ruan Danchen went to wash her hands. Standing beside Chang Jingqiu, she asked out of courtesy, ¡°What about you? Are you here on a job?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face lit up as if she had been waiting all day for Ruan Danchen to ask that question. ¡°My uncle is here to discuss business with a man and in the meantime, asked me to tag along to introduce me to him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen understood what she was implying. ¡°Oh, a blind date.¡±

    This was clearly a blind date in disguise. The aim was not explicitly stated to avoid awkwardness between the two parties. It was also used when one was afraid the other would reject a blind date, and so used a business meeting as an excuse to introduce the two to each other.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Chang Jingqiu was already blushing. Evidently, she did not feel awkward about the blind date at all. On the contrary, she could barely hide her delight. Thus, Ruan Danchen pointed out, ¡°You sure seem to be pleased with the guy.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s quite rare toe across guys as good as him nowadays.¡± Chang Jingqiu kept her lipstick in her bag and headed out.

    Ruan Danchen suddenly felt that something was wrong, but she could not put her finger on it and the feeling faded away quickly. While her mind was still pondering on that ominous feeling, she did not notice Chang Jingqiu smiling at her radiantly.

    ¡°This is my stop.¡± Chang Jingqiu stopped in front of a private room, pointing at it. ¡°I¡¯ll head in first. I¡¯ll call you out for lunch one day.¡±

    Ruan Danchen agreed out of politeness; she knew that Chang Jingqiu only said that out of politeness too.

    Nowadays, saying ¡®I¡¯ll call you out for lunch one day¡¯ was no different than saying ¡®goodbye¡¯.

    Chang Jingqiu opened the door and entered. Subconsciously, Ruan Danchen peeked inside. She saw a middle-aged man sitting in the position facing the door¡ªit must be her uncle. There was another man facing away from her though Ruan Danchen could not see his face.

    However, just from his back, Ruan Danchen knew exactly who it was. She squinted her eyes and her lips twitched. Even so, she did not say a word. When leaving, she caught a nce of Chang Jingqiu sitting down beside her uncle.

    Ruan Danchen returned to her seat and continued eating. She was not the least bit upset¡ªthat was how much she trusted him.

    ...

    Chang Jingqiu returned to her seat. Chang Zhiyuan wasughing as he revealed, ¡°I love to coborate with straightforward people like you the most, General Manager Qi. We¡¯ve always worked so well together¡ªI hope we can continue working together happily in the future.¡±

    Qi Chenglin put on a faint smile but did not show any kind of expression.

    Chang Jingqiu turned to look at his indifferent expression. His devilishly attractive face made her heart race.

    She had always thought such perfect men only existed in novels, but after seeing Qi Chenglin, that was the adjective that first appeared in her mind. Nothing else described him as well as that.

    She could not help but imagine how tantalizing he must have been when he was younger.

    He looked nothing like a man who had a seven-year-old son, and even if he was walking around with his son, it would not diminish his attractiveness in any way. He was so alluring and bewitching that women would willingly disregard the fact that he had a son that old and be the boy¡¯s stepmom just to be with him.

    After the meal, they started to chat. Chang Zhiyuan took out a pack of cigarettes and lit one for Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin did not decline and did not reject out of courtesy either. He sat straight on his seat, watching Chang Zhiyuan lighting the cigarette for him with a nk expression, despite him being the elder and was old enough to be his father.

    Chang Jingqiu did not dwell much on that either. She saw it merely as an old eunuch serving the emperor.

    Although her uncle had to humble himself so much, she was not irritated at all.

    Her gaze fell from his enticing eyes and brows to his long and bony fingers. She watched as he took the cigarette between his slender fingers and rested his palm on the table. He tapped the cigarette with his long fingers¡ªthe ashes fell.

    Any man knew how to do this, but when Qi Chenglin did it, the action became especially bewitching.

    He was sitting with his back straight yet he gave off azy and rxed impression. Cheng Jingqiu thought that no matter what he did, she would still like him.

    Qi Chenglin took a puff at the cigarette and blew out a white cloud. Cheng Zhiyuanughed again and revealed, ¡°General Manager Qi, Jingqiu is now a journalist working for a financial newspaper. I know that you don¡¯t do many interviews, but there are many journalists who would love to interview you. General Manager Qi, could you help out Jingqiu with this?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at Chang Jingqiu. Chang Jingqiu returned his gaze in a dignified manner. She kept a faint smile on her face.

    Qi Chenglin squinted his eyes and put out his cigarette. This gave Chang Zhiyuan quite a shock; he had only taken one puff of the cigarette after all.

    Noticing Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s stunned reaction, Qi Chenglin smiled tenderly and exined, ¡°I just remembered that I promised my fianc¨¦e I won¡¯t smoke when not under too much stress. I took a puff out of habit but when I remembered her words, I stopped.¡±

    Hearing that Qi Chenglin had a fianc¨¦e and not merely a girlfriend, the smiles on Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu¡¯s faces melted away. How could they not know that he had a fianc¨¦e?

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen did not keep their engagement a secret. Even so, they did not announce it to the world either, so it was no wonder not many knew about it. They wanted things to just progress naturally.

    Chang Zhiyuan chuckled awkwardly. ¡°Haha, I see. I¡¯ve never heard that you have a fianc¨¦e, General Manager Qi.¡±

    ¡°She has already met my family. It¡¯s just that we didn¡¯t go out of our way to publicize it. But of course, the wedding must be grand,¡± exined Qi Chenglin patiently.

    Chang Zhiyuan wanted to inquire about Qi Chenglin¡¯s fianc¨¦e; he was quite doubtful about her existence. He had indeede with the intention of introducing Chang Jingqiu to him.

    Chang Jingqiu was his niece. Both her parents had passed away when she was just a child, so her mother¡¯s family, the Chang family, brought her in. Due to this unfortunate event, everyone in the family pampered her dearly, especially Grandmother Chang. She would fulfill every single one of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s requests, and she pampered her more than any of her other grandchildren.

    As for Chang Zhiyuan, he was very close to his sister that passed away and so treated Chang Jingqiu as his own daughter.

    Right now, Chang Zhiyuan was suspicious that Qi Chenglin was only making up the fact that he had a fianc¨¦e as an excuse. Nheless, before Chang Zhiyuan could question him about it, Qi Chenglin announced, ¡°Miss Chang, if you¡¯d like to interview me, please book an appointment with my assistant.¡±

    Before Chang Jingqiu could rejoice, she saw Qi Chenglin look at his wristwatch.

    Therefore, Chang Zhiyuan ended that afternoon¡¯s blind date in disguise.

    ...

    Chen Siyu was drinking her soup. Just as she raised her head to talk to Ruan Danchen, she caught a glimpse of Qi Chenglin, Chang Zhiyuan, and Cheng Jingqiu walking toward the front door. ¡°Danchen, isn¡¯t that the general manager?¡±

    They were seated at the extreme corner of the restaurant and from there, they could see people entering and exiting the restaurant clearly. On the other hand, it was fairly difficult for people at the front door to see their table.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head back, not fearful of Qi Chenglin spotting her anymore. Even so, none of the three noticed her.

    She did not know if it was on purpose or not, but Chang Jingqiu was walking right beside Qi Chenglin.

    Although she was wearing heeled shoes to add on to her hundred and sixty-centimeter height, she still appeared like a petite little girl next to Qi Chenglin. The height difference between them made them look like a cute couple. Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze was tilted down slightly. She sauntered delicately beside Qi Chenglin, her lips curled up into a faint smile.

    In the eyes of those who did not know the full story, the two of them appeared like a perfect couple whoplemented each other wlessly.

    Chen Siyu furrowed her brows. ¡°I don¡¯t think that woman harbors good intentions. Why is she walking so close to the general manager? Didn¡¯t he say he¡¯s meeting a client? Don¡¯t tell me he got set up on a blind date.¡±

    ¡°Mm, it sure does seem like a blind date.¡± Ruan Danchen chuckled and continued drinking her soup.

    ¡°Ah, why aren¡¯t you panicking? Hurry up and go up to him. Show her that he¡¯s yours. Let her know that you¡¯re his girlfriend and she should stop dreaming,¡± Chen Siyu bbered. ¡°That woman is looking at him all wrong. She¡¯s even acting cute in front of him. It¡¯s clear that she haspletely fallen for him.¡±

    Chen Siyu was not exaggerating, even Ruan Danchen could tell. Although Chang Jingqiu was restraining herself, it was still clear as day that she had feelings for Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen was a little upset but she was not anxious. She turned back around and continued drinking her soup. ¡°What¡¯s there to be panicking about? He won¡¯t fall for her anyway. I trust him. He was still single and many women were trying to pursue him even before I met him, but he didn¡¯t fall for any of them. After we got together, he became even more distant toward other girls. Look at him now; he has sunsses on and his expression is cold as ice. He barely even paid attention to thatdy. Thatdy might be passionate toward him but he knows what boundaries shouldn¡¯t be crossed.¡±

    Chen Siyu finally started to understand why Qi Chenglin would fall for Ruan Danchen.

    She could think logically and was reasonable. Men do not like women who pester them about every little thing, put them on a tight leash and explode with jealousy at the most trifling hints that another woman is interested in their men. Even so, that was inevitable when a woman falls deeply in love.

    The more they cared, the more they would lose control.

    Qi Chenglin was such a desirable man, and any other woman would have been awfully distressed to see him walking with another woman. When a man was too desirable, there would be women trying to pursue him even without him making a move. Women would be charmed by him unintentionally. If it were any other woman, she would have gone berserk on Qi Chenglin if he were just an inch closer to another woman.

    In this situation, Chen Siyu reckoned that any other woman would have marched up there and imed her boyfriend, even herself.

    Although Qi Chenglin had no feelings toward thedy, she would still have approached him to destroy any shred of hope thedy had of dating him. However, doing so would humiliate the man, and after being embarrassed more than a few times, the man would naturally get irritated.

    Both parties would be tired and their rtionship would sour further and further, until the point when all they would do is fight and argue.

    ¡°I know this is the reasonable thing to do, but not many out there can actually do it,¡± Chen Siyu praised as she turned her gaze away from Qi Chenglin since Ruan Danchen was not worried at all.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen still able to maintain her appetite, Chen Siyu continued eating too.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Even myself, who¡¯s already so old, can¡¯t stay asposed as Danchen is now,¡± Senior Du chimed in.

    Ruan Danchen smiled calmly; she truly had no doubt in her mind. ¡°Well, that¡¯s because he¡¯s a good man who has never done anything that worries me. He always keeps proper distances when with other women and whenever he observes that the woman might have some feelings for him, he¡¯d immediately announce that he has a girlfriend. The more thedy tries to express her feelings toward him, the more distant he bes. Moreover, he never checked out other women and had never tried to hide our rtionship. When I first joined Qilin, it was my idea to keep it a secret. He, on the other hand, couldn¡¯t wait to let the world know.¡±

    Ruan Danchen put down her spoon and stopped eating. ¡°He¡¯s done everything he should and can, so if I still don¡¯t trust him and get jealous about even little incident, don¡¯t you think it will hurt him deeply? He¡¯s done so much, how can I still not trust him?¡±

    Whenever Qi Chenglin got jealous over her, he only did it in private and was only trying to tease her. It did not bother her at all.

    On the contrary, Ruan Danchen was secretly delighted by his little tantrums. It made her feel that he cared deeply about her.

    ¡°He told me that he¡¯s here to entertain a client, so that must be the case. If they had told him this was a blind date, Chenglin would¡¯ve never agreed toe. They must¡¯ve used a business meeting as an excuse to set up this blind date. Of course, they still discussed business to avoid embarrassing themselves in front of Chenglin,¡± Ruan Danchen analyzed and expounded.

    Chen Siyu gave Ruan Danchen a big thumbs-up to show her admiration. ¡°You truly deserve a ¡®like¡¯. It ain¡¯t easy to win the general manager¡¯s heart, and even after one had won him over, there¡¯s no guarantee he¡¯d stay with her forever. Without an open mind like yours, there¡¯s no way he¡¯d keep her around.¡±

    ...

    Qi Chenglin, Cheng Zhiyuan, and Chang Jingqiu stood at the front door. They had already finished their discussion so there was no reason for Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu to follow him into Qilin. They thus said their goodbyes at the front door.

    ¡°Hehehe... I enjoyed our meeting today. Do keep in touch,¡± Cheng Zhiyuan said as he shook Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand. ¡°My niece is still young so if she makes any mistakes, please try to tolerate it.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Lin, thank you so much for agreeing to an interview.¡± Chang Jingqiu smiled tenderly, failing to hide her feelings for him in the end.

    Qi Chenglin merely replied with a faint smile. He never promised her anything.

    Perhaps she had misinterpreted his words just then. He merely allowed her to contact Jiang Yuan to make an appointment, but whether he had time to see her or not was a totally different matter.

    He agreed to let her make an appointment but never promised that she would be able to make one.

    Clearly, she had misunderstood him, but Qi Chenglin did not rify anything; he rather saved himself the trouble and let her believe whatever she wanted.

 Chapter 398 - I Like Him

    <strong>Chapter 398: I Like Him</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Jingqiu could not hide her attraction toward Qi Chenglin. Even a simple smile from him made her heart bloom.

    When saying goodbye to Cheng Zhiyuan, Qi Chenglin caught a glimpse of Ruan Danchen sitting at the corner table through the restaurant¡¯s window.

    The restaurant was extremely crowded at that time but he could spot her in one quick nce.

    Thus, after he saw Cheng Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu off, he went back into the restaurant.

    When Ruan Danchen asked the waiter for the bill, the waiter unexpectedly told her, ¡°The bill for your table has been taken care of, miss.¡±

    The four girls were stunned. Suddenly, a person appeared behind of Ruan Danchen.

    She turned around to be met with Qi Chenglin, who she had just seen leaving a few minutes ago.

    ¡°I saw that you were all here too, so I took care of the bill for you guys,¡± Qi Chenglin exined with a smile.

    Chen Siyu and Senior Du had never seen the general manager being so genial ¡ª they were both dumbfounded.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you don¡¯t want to eat here?¡± Qi Chenglin teased, staring at her.

    It was Chen Siyu and Senior Du¡¯s first time seeing the general manager¡¯s warm and sunny side ¡ª it was like a blessing. They felt that when they return to the office, their image of Qi Chenglin could never revert to the cool and distant general manager again.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless. ¡°It¡¯s a coincidence.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows, expressing his skepticism. It also connoted his belief that she secretly came here because she wanted to be with him.

    ¡°It really is just a coincidence,¡± Ruan Danchen repeated.

    ¡°It¡¯s true,¡± Chen Siyu affirmed as she nodded her head vigorously. She could not stand seeing Ruan Danchen so helpless. ¡°I¡¯m the one who suggested wee here. It¡¯s because I have a voucher for it.¡±

    ¡°Are you guys done with lunch?¡± Qi Chenglin inquired, smiling.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we are. We... We¡¯ll get going first,¡± Senior Du announced as she tugged Chen Siyu away with her. She did not want to be a third wheel.

    After that, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen to his car.

    Although the restaurant was very close to Qilin, he could not have asked Chang Zhiyuan to walk there with him.

    ¡°I came here to talk business with Chang Zhiyuan. To my surprise, he brought along his niece,¡± Qi Chenglin rified just as they entered the car. He did not even wait for Ruan Danchen to ask.

    ¡°Yeah, I know. I saw,¡± Ruan Danchen revealed, ¡°Chang Jingqiu was my ssmate in high school. I ran into her when I went to the washroom. She seemed to like you a lot.¡±

    He had not driven far but they had already reached Qilin. Qi Chenglin parked the car at the car park and got out of the car with Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°I hate it when people try to drag my private life into a business meeting.¡± Qi Chenglin was quite irritated by Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s behavior that day but could not do much about it due to their need to cooperate with the Chang family.

    ¡°What are you exining yourself for? I¡¯m not even mad. I could tell how you feel from your behavior toward Chang Jingqiu.¡± Ruan Danchen proactively ced her hand on her palm. ¡°After all, I trust you. And because I trust you, I¡¯m not worried about anything.¡±

    Qi Chenglin turned to her and grinned warmly.

    She did not say anything overly sentimental, yet his ears burnt like fire.

    ¡°Were you close to Chang Jingqiu?¡± Qi Chenglin asked abruptly as they entered the elevator.

    ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Ruan Danchen questioned curiously.

    ¡°Well, I was thinking, if you were close friends with her, then I¡¯ll let her down slowly; if you weren¡¯t, then I can save myself the trouble,¡± Qi Chengzhi exined coolly.

    ¡°You¡¯re so confident that she wille to see you again?¡± Ruan Danchen knew that Chang Jingqiu would definitelye, but she did not like seeing him so arrogant.

    He clearly knew his power over women very well. What a snob!

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m very confident about that.¡± Qi Chenglin adjusted his tie and red at Ruan Danchen from the corner of his eyes. ¡°Did you forget who your man is?¡±

    ¡°We weren¡¯t that close. She did not attend out high school reunion either. The first time I¡¯ve seen her since graduation was during this year¡¯s Chinese New Year. So, I can¡¯t really say if we have a good or bad rtionship ¡ª I can only say that we were pretty much strangers. I¡¯ve always thought that she was never friendly toward me,¡± Ruan Danchen expressed her honest opinion about her without hiding a thing.

    Although she trusted Qi Chenglin, naturally, she would still want to get rid of her love rival.

    ¡°She wasn¡¯t friendly toward you?¡± Qi Chenglin furrowed his brow. His expression showed that he was ready to get revenge for Ruan Danchen.

    Knowing that Qi Chenglin had misinterpreted her words, she quickly grabbed onto him and rified, ¡°She never did anything to me. She never scolded me or anything like that ¡ª it¡¯s just the aura she gave off. I always felt that her attitude toward me was quite odd, but nheless, she was never rude to me.¡±

    Qi Chenglin understood and nodded. He jotted down these things about Chang Jingqiu in his mind.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t be gentle with her,¡± Qi Chenglin dered.

    ¡°Of course you shouldn¡¯t.¡± Ruan Danchen hugged his arm. ¡°Even if we were close, you don¡¯t have to be gentle with anyone who¡¯s trying to win your heart.¡±

    Those words made him tremendously gleeful. He pulled her into his embrace. ¡°Yet you say you¡¯re not jealous.¡±

    ¡°Ah, this is different.¡± Ruan Danchen puffed up her cheeks and expounded, ¡°I know you won¡¯t ept anyone else nor will you won¡¯t have any shady rtions with another woman either so I won¡¯t be jealous of them. Nevertheless, that doesn¡¯t mean I won¡¯t be annoyed by women who try to get close to you on purpose. I¡¯m not jealous, nor am I mad at you, but you can¡¯t restrict me from being mad at those girls.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not help but burst outughing. He had once again experienced the bizarre exnations Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan never failed toe up with.

    His Softie¡¯s outlook was truly extraordinary.

    ...

    Chang Jingqiu and Cheng Zhiyuan were sitting in the backseat of their car. Chang Zhiyuan turned to his niece and smiled. ¡°What do you think? It looks to me that Qi Chenglin is quite pleased with you. He didn¡¯t even refuse your interview.¡±

    ¡°Uncle,¡± Chang Jingqiu uttered. She looked down shyly as she was blushing away. ¡°I think he only said that to avoid embarrassing you.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± Chang Zhiyuan assured. Heughed and continued, ¡°Qi Chenglin is always cold and distant toward anyone ¡ª he never puts on a smile for anyone. I heard that the Qi family had set up many blind dates for him in the past but when he went, he just sat there silently with a dark expression as if thedy owed him something. However, today, he kept a smile on his face and had quite a gentle gaze. Although it¡¯s true that he has to maintain our rtionship for business, as the second Young Master of the Qi family, I doubt he would entertain us for a second longer if he were not interested in you.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan turned to his niece, who was still terribly bashful. He smiled and resumed, ¡°From what I see, his attitude toward you is already much better than toward anyone else ¡ª that must mean that he sees something in you. Besides, his son is already so big ¡ª it¡¯s a rare opportunity for him for a damsel from the Chang family to want to date him. Since you don¡¯t care about that, what are you still hesitating about? I only introduced you to him because I think he¡¯s a good man. You are a preciousdy of the Chang family. When you were a baby ¡ª when you didn¡¯t know any better ¡ª you lost both your parents. After that, the whole Chang family pampered you the most ¡ª we all wish for your happiness. We hope that you can find a remarkable and reliable man to marry.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled. ¡°You see something in him, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu did not try to hide it anymore. With a flushed face, she nodded. ¡°He truly is an outstanding man. After meeting him, I think it will be much harder for me to fall for any other men now. Even though he has a son, I don¡¯t mind at all.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan nodded in agreement. ¡°The few brothers in the Qi family ¡ª besides the deceased Qi Chengze ¡ª are all the best of the best. It can be said that no one in their generation can dream topete with them. Even though Qi Chenglin has a son, after you marry him, you can simply pretend to like his son. Although I¡¯m a man myself, I can tell you with confidence that all men are the same ¡ª after you conceive another son with him, he would forget about this elder son. After all, no one knows a thing about the boy¡¯s real mother. To this day, the Qi family never revealed it to the public ¡ª that must mean that they are ashamed of this child. The boy would be a nobody whenpared to the legitimate child you¡¯re going to give him. Besides, your child will tie them to the Chang family too. Your son would be the true eldest grandson in the family.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t thought this far yet. When the timees, I¡¯ll just take things step-by-step. But I think a child this small will never be enough to change my mind. I don¡¯t think he will be too troublesome either,¡± she spluttered. Her mind was too fully upied by Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome and beguiling face that she could not think about anything else.

    Chang Zhiyuan was very contented. ¡°Although you are a maternal grandchild, you carry your mother¡¯s surname. We all see you as part of the Chang family. You have a clear vision ¡ª you are already doing much better than the other grandchildren in our family.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s devotion toward Cheng Jingqiu was only partly due to his rtionship with his sister ¡ª he also favored her as she was self-aware of her position in the family. SIt was her own decision to study journalism in university and although she got a job with the help of the Chang family¡¯s connections, she still worked earnestly as a journalist. Additionally, she had never asked to partake in the family business. Even when someone in the family gave her an opportunity to, she would shake her head and decline ¡ª her excuse being she was not interested in business.

    However, was that true?

    If she was not interested, why did she choose to be a financial journalist? In truth, the whole family understood her intention ¡ª she did not want to fight for positions in thepany with her cousins. Moreover, as a financial journalist, she needed to have a firm grasp on the trends of the industry and had to run frompany topany interviewing countless businessmen ¡ª the information she collected was greatly beneficial for the Chang family¡¯s business.

    Due to her helpful knowledge of current affairs and her proactive decision to stay out of the family business, the Chang family naturally supported her and let her do as she pleased. For the same reason, Grandmother Chang adored her dearly.

    As an orphan who was raised in her maternal grandmother¡¯s home, Chang Jingqiu had always maintained her position in the Chang family cautiously.

    ¡°Since you like Qi Chenglin, you should be the one making moves on him. After all, he is a man with countless admirers ¡ª he¡¯s not someone who needs to pursue a woman himself. You¡¯ll be dreaming if you¡¯re waiting for him to make a move on you. Even so, you can¡¯t be too forward with him ¡ª if you appear too enthusiastic, he might look down on you or think you¡¯re annoying.¡± Chang Zhiyuan paused for a while, then smiled again. ¡°Ah, what am I saying? You are a brightdy ¡ª you don¡¯t need me to remind you of these things.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu nodded, expressing that she knew how to act appropriately. Suddenly, she received a call from Grandmother Chang, who asked her toe home tonight as she wanted to know how things went that afternoon.

    ¡°Grandma, I...¡± Chang Jingqiu murmured bashfully, ¡°I like him.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was overjoyed to hear that. She had always felt that owed this granddaughter of her something. If it were not for Grandfather Chang¡¯s stubbornness, her daughter would never have...

    Her heart ached everything she thought about Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mother, so she especially treasured Chang Jingqiu. It was as if she was trying topensate for whatever wrongs they had inflicted on her mother through Chang Jingqiu.

    As a result, no matter what Chang Jingqiu wanted, Grandmother Chang would fulfill it. Now that she had found someone she liked, Grandmother Chang would give it her all to satisfy her.

    She was definitely spoiling Chang Jingqiu.

    Grandmother Chang was also thankful that Chang Jingqiu grew up to be a clever and obedient youngdy. She behaved much better than mostdies from other families, and thus, Grandmother Chang cherished her even more.

    ¡°To hear that you like him is music to my ears,¡± Grandmother Qi replied, ¡°Rest assured, Grandma will support you all the way.¡±

    ...

    Still oblivious about another woman falling head over heels for Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin were going to head to the Civil Affairs Bureau. Qi Youxuan did not have any activities that day, so they decided to bring him along.

    In the morning, Qi Youxuan was still lying aroundzily on his bed. However, the second he heard Ruan Danchen suggested they bring him along to the Civil Affairs Bureau, the little boy jumped out of bed and rushed to get ready without anyone prodding him.

    After having breakfast, he went out with his mom and dad joyously.

    At the Civil Affairs Bureau, the three of them lines up patiently outside. Luckily, it was not a special day and did not imply the numbers 520, 1314 1 or have any other hidden meanings behind the date. Consequently, the bureau was not too crowded and they could still find seats to sit down and wait.

    Afraid that Qi Youxuan would be bored while waiting, Ruan Danchen wanted to bring along an iPad. Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin stuffed an Early Education Device into her bag instead. He wanted him to revise his English if he got bored. The little boy¡¯s face instantly turned green.

    Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s pitiful expression, Ruan Danchen held back herughter and kept the device into her bag again.

    Qi Youxuan was bored out of his mind. His legs, which could not reach the ground, swung back and forth in the air as he sat on the chair. Observing this, Ruan Danchen asked, ¡°It¡¯s boring, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Hearing that, his eyes darted to her bag. He shook his head firmly. ¡°Nope, not at all. I¡¯ll just sit here and wait. I¡¯m perfectly fine!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen ruffled his hair. The little boy sure hated studying.

    ¡°Did you hate studying when you were younger too?¡± Ruan Danchen whispered to Qi Chenglin.

    He was turning on the hotspot on his phone with hisptop ced on hisp. If there was anything happening in thepany that needed is attention, Jiang Yuan would call him.

    He had taken the morning off today, so Qi Chengzhi was likely to help him deal with his things first.

    His hands stopped in motion and he turned to Ruan Danchen. He was not annoyed by her interruption at all.

    He heard the entire conversation between Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan just now. After ncing at Qi Youxuan, he adjusted his cor proudly and announced, ¡°I was a smart child. I only needed to skim through the material once and I could remember everything ¡ª I didn¡¯t need revision.¡±

    Qi Youxuan puffed up his cheeks andughed in disbelief. His dad could not be implying that he was stupid, right?

    ¡°Humph, I am smart!¡± Qi Youxuan fumed and proceeded to ignore his dad.

    Qi Chenglin snickered and continued working.

    Seeing the little boy all worked up, Ruan Danchen picked him up andforted him. After an eternity of coaxing, he finally felt better.

    Just then, she received a call from Grandmother Qi, who asked them to have lunch at the old mansion after their registration.

    Grandmother Qi sounded extremely impatient over the phone ¡ª she could not wait to see their little red book 1.

    The little boy woke up very early today. As he sat there waiting, he gradually grew sleepy. Ruan Danchen held him in her arms and let him sleep.

    When it was finally their turn, Qi Chenglin kept away hisptop and took Qi Youxuan from Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms. Irritated, heined, ¡°Is this boy here to watch us register our marriage or is he just here to cause trouble?¡±

    Hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice beside his ear, Qi Youxuan woke up and rubbed his eyes with his chubby hands. Still in a blur, the boy blurted out, ¡°Daddy, Mommy, are you getting married now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen burst outughing. The only thing on the little boy¡¯s mind was them getting married. Thus, she answered, ¡°Yup.¡±

    The little boy hastily made Qi Chenglin put him down. Exhrated, he hadpletely woken up and was scanning the entire room curiously.

    It was the first time the worker there had seen a couple bring their child along. When they were going through the procedures, the little boy tugged on Qi Chenglin¡¯s sleeve. ¡°Dad, give me your phone.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not know why he wanted his phone to but he gave it to him anyway.

    The little boy opened the camera and switched it into video mode. He began to record Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin. Naturally, he did not forget to add somementary. He cleared his throat and began, ¡°To my little brothers and sisters who are yet to be born, how are you? Today is the day Daddy and Mommy registered their marriage. I am your big brother, Qi Youxuan. Unfortunately, you won¡¯t be able to watch Daddy and Mommy get registered in person, and you can¡¯t attend their wedding either. It¡¯s not my fault that you all aren¡¯t born yet. Nheless, your big brother can attend ¡ª aren¡¯t you envious?¡±

    The little boy turned the camera around and turned himself around so that he could include Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen in the shot too.

    ¡°You all admire me, don¡¯t you? Only I can do these things. Even the big brothers from other families can¡¯t do this. You must be jealous to death, hahahahaha!¡±

    The worker stared at the boy who wasughing maniacally, then turned back to Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. They were utterly humiliated. Qi Chenglin turned away from the camera defeatedly ¡ª he had no idea what to do with that child.

    The little boy then turned the camera around again and pointed it at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. ¡°Quick, say hello to your future children!¡±

    ¡°...¡± They were bothpletely speechless.

    However, Ruan Danchen subconsciously waved at the camera and even greeted, ¡°Hi~¡±

    When she realized what she was doing, she quickly put her hand down. She felt as if she was possessed for a second there.

    ...

    Coming out from the room after getting their red booklets, Ruan Danchen was so red that she looked as if she had juste out from a sauna.

    She could feel her face steaming.

    The little boy took their little red books and stared at them for a long time. He smiled senselessly the whole way to the car.

    From that day on, Ruan Danchen had officially be his mom!

    The three of them headed to the old mansion. Grandmother Qi had made some phone calls that afternoon and asked Qi Zhongliang and the others toe over ¡ª even Qi Chengji was there. It felt like one of their Saturday gatherings ¡ª everyone was present.

    Before Ruan Danchen could sit down, Grandmother Qi asked her about their marriage certificate. Ruan Danchen quickly took them out and handed them to her.

    Grandmother Qi moved the tea on the tea table around and made space for the booklets. Arranging them neatly on the table, she took a picture of them with her phone and immediately opened WeChat.

    Putting on her presbyopia sses, she typed out the caption letter by letter. After typing for ten minutes, she finally managed to type out, [I have a second granddaughter-inw now. @Xiao Han]

    After a long while, Grandmother Han still did not leave anyments ¡ª she did not even ¡®like¡¯ the picture.

    Grandmother Qi could not wait anymore. She called Grandmother Han. ¡°Xiao Han, did you see my WeChat?¡±

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    NoDoNoDie 3

    For a few consecutive days, Ruan Danchen had lost inte connection at 10 p.m. sharp. It was even more punctual than when she was living in her university hostel. Ruan Danchen knew that something was off.

    Therefore, one day, when the clock was close to striking ten, she told Song Yu to hold off on the attacks first. Through the corner of her eyes, Ruan Danchen caught sight of Qi Chenglin silently leaving the room. She immediately followed behind.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin, what are you doing!¡± Ruan Danchen caught him red-handed ¡ª more specifically, with a wire in hand.

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    Footnotes:

    Ch 398 Footnote 1

    520, 1314 ¨C connotes ¡®I love you, forever and always¡¯ as the numbers are read as ¡®w¨³ ¨¨r l¨ªng, y¨© s¨¡n y¨© s¨¬¡¯ Îå¶þÁã,Ò»ÈýÒ»ËÄ in Mandarin, which is simr to ¡®w¨¯ ¨¤i n¨«, y¨© sh¨¥ng y¨© sh¨¬¡¯ ÎÒ°®Äã,Ò»ÉúÒ»ÊÀ, which means I love you, forever and always in Mandarin

    Ch 398 Footnote 2

    little red book ¨C refers to a marriage certificate which is in the form of a small red booklet in China

 Chapter 399 - Since She Wants to See Me, Iâ€™ll Head Downstairs Now

    <strong>Chapter 399: Since She Wants to See Me, I¡¯ll Head Downstairs Now</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t see it? Oh, then quick, go see it. Don¡¯t forget to give me a ¡®like¡¯.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good news. Of course, it¡¯s good news.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Finally, Grandmother Qi hung up contentedly. She opened her WeChat and saw that Grandmother Han had liked her picture. She could imagine Grandmother Han clenching her teeth as she pressed the ¡®like¡¯ button.

    Thus, shemented on the picture she posted, [Thank you all for the likes and blessings in thements. Xiao Han, I believe that one day, you will get a granddaughter-inw too!]

    As a result, Grandmother Han did not contact Grandmother Qi for many days after seeing thatment.

    Qi Chenglin logged on to his WeChat too. He saved the photo Grandmother Qi posted and sent it to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Check your WeChat,¡± Qi Chenglin instructed.

    Ruan Danchen opened her WeChat and opened her private chat with Qi Chenglin. She saw that he only sent the picture and did not text her anything else. Even so, Ruan Danchen could guess what he was implying.

    Thus, without his prodding, she posted it onto her WeChat Moments without captioning anything but a blushing face emoji.

    Right after she posted it, she received an abundant of likes andments.

    [Chen Siyu: Wow, so fast! So, you took leave today to register your marriage, huh!]

    [Senior Du: Congrattions!]

    [Manager Zou: Hehehehe, from now on I can call you Mrs. Qi in front of everyone.]

    [Zhang Jitong: Good afternoon, Mrs. Qi!]

    [Chen Libai: Congrats.]

    [Chang Jingqiu: You¡¯ve already gotten married? Wow, this is so sudden. You didn¡¯t tell us a thing before either. Congrats! When will your wedding dinner be?]

    Seeing Chang Jingqiu¡¯sment, Ruan Danchen was reminded of what happened yesterday afternoon. She did not want to reply to herment.

    Thus, shemented, [Thank you all for your blessings! I won¡¯t be replying to yourments individually.]

    [Yan Beicheng: Little Sister Ruan, it must be Qi Chenglin who forced you to post this picture!]

    [Han Zhuoli: Little Sister Ruan, it must be Qi Chenglin who forced you to post this picture!]

    [Gui Zhiqian: Little Sister Ruan, it must be Qi Chenglin who forced you to post this picture!]

    [Wei Zilin: Little Sister Ruan, it must be Qi Chenglin who forced you to post this picture!]

    [Wei Ziqi: Little Sister Ruan, it must be Qi Chenglin who forced you to post this picture!]

    [Chu Zhaoyang: Definitely.]

    [Yan Beicheng replying to Chu Zhaoyang: We do you always ruin our formation?]

    [Han Zhuoli replying to Chu Zhaoyang: It¡¯s disgraceful to break out of formation.]

    [Gui Zhiqian replying to Chu Zhaoyang: You always stick out like a sore thumb!]

    [Wei Zilin: Congrats, you two. I wish you a happy marriage.]

    [Wei Ziqi: Congrattions.]

    [Han Zhuoli: Nooo, Wei Zilin said it before me. Little Sister Ruan, congrattions. Alright, that¡¯s all from me. My grandma is calling.]

    [Yan Beicheng: Congrattions! Wish you two a happy marriage. I¡¯d also like to give my sympathy to Zhuo Zi 1.]

    [Chu Zhaoyang: Congrats. My sympathies to Zhuo Zi.]

    [Gui Zhiqian replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    [Wei Zilin replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    [Wei Ziqi replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    [Yan Beichang replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    [Qi Chengzhi replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    [Qi Chenglin replying to Han Zhuoli: Praying for you.]

    Chu Zhaoyang was toozy to type, so he sent a picture of a red praying candle instead.

    ...

    After lunch, Qi Zhongliang and Qi Zhongxun returned to Qilin Technology. Qi Chenglin needed to send Song Yu back to Viewpark Residences, so Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, Qi Chengyue, and Cheng Dongge returned to Qilin Property first.

    The four of them used the private elevator instead of cramping in with everyone else.

    Right after they entered the elevator, Chang Jingqiu walked through the Qilin¡¯s front entrance.

    She wanted to contact Qi Chenglin that morning but realized that he did not give her his contact. Hence, like everyone else, she could only contact Jiang Yuan.

    Chang Jingqiu was quite displeased by that. She felt that in his eyes, she was just everyone else ¡ª nothing special, nothing distinct. She did not want him to see her as ordinary.

    After all, she was the precious daughter of the Chang family. Although she was a maternal granddaughter, she still carried the Chang surname ¡ª that was already something that should have sent her apart for the others.

    Jiang Yuan told her that Qi Chenglin would not being in this morning, so he inquired why she wanted to see him.

    Chang Jingqiu told him she wanted to interview him. Unexpectedly, Jiang Yuan replied, ¡°I¡¯m sorry but our general manager has no intention of epting any interviews at this time or in the near future.¡±

    ¡°That can¡¯t be true,¡± Chang Jingqiu blurted out hastily, ¡°Young Master Lin had agreed to let me interview him. He was the one that told me to book an appointment with you.¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised an eyebrow. Maintaining his distant yet polite tone, he asked, ¡°May I have your name, miss?¡±

    ¡°I am Miss Chang, Chang Jingqiu.¡±

    Hearing that, Jiang Yuan finally understood the situation. When Qi Chenglin came back from lunch with Chang Zhiyuan, Jiang Yuan noticed that he was in quite a good mood ¡ª yet not the kind of good mode he got into when business meetings were a big sess.

    Jiang Yuan analyzed Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression and concluded that his good mood couldpletely be credited to his wife, Mrs. Qi¡¯s expert coaxing.

    Besides, Qi Chenglin even instructed Jiang Yuan specifically to deny Chang Jingqiu¡¯s interview request with whatever excuse he could cook up.

    ¡°Miss Chang, my apologies but our general manager really isn¡¯t taking any interview requests right now. Besides, his schedule is too packed for that,¡± Jiang Yuan exined.

    ¡°But it was your general manager himself who told me to contact you,¡± Chang Jingqiu insisted.

    Jiang Yuan rolled his eyes. He sensed that their conversation was slowly turning into an endless cycle.

    ¡°You see, the reason the general manager told you to contact me is to check if he has time to ept your interview. However, I had just checked his schedule just now and it¡¯spletely packed ¡ª he has no time. It will remain that way for these three months. Why don¡¯t you try again three monthster, miss?¡± Bored with the conversation, Jiang Yuan yed with the phone¡¯s coil cord. He wanted nothing more but to get rid of Chang Jingqiu swiftly.

    Even so, he still sounded exceedingly professional and courteous.

    If Chang Jingqiu¡¯s only intention was to interview Qi Chenglin, she would have unyieldingly asked to book his time three months from now. However, to Chang Jingqiu, the interview was only an excuse to get closer to Qi Chenglin. If she had to wait three months for that, how could she possibly get close with him?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask your general manager about it first? Just tell him Chang Jingqiu called about the interview and see if he epts it. You haven¡¯t even asked him yet you¡¯re rejecting my request on your own ord. You don¡¯t have the right to do that,¡± Chang Jingqiu condemned, clenching her teeth.

    ¡°It is one of my responsibilities to arrange the general manager¡¯s schedule and deny appointments for him. I am merely doing my job, Miss Chang. I hope you can understand that. Besides the interview, is there anything else I can help you with, Miss Chang?¡± asked Jiang Yuan. He was like a rock that could not be moved.

    ¡°Will your general manager be around this evening?¡± Chang Jingqiu inquired coldly. She did not want to waste her breath on him anymore.

    ¡°He will return this evening,¡± Jiang Yuan told her honestly.

    ¡°Alright, I will call again in the evening,¡± Chang Jingqiu dered aloofly. She hung up and thought that she ought to put Jiang Yuan in his ce whenever she had the chance.

    However, when evening came, Chang Jingqiu changed her mind. Instead of calling Jiang Yuan and inevitably being denied by him, she decided to head straight to Qilin.

    Unsurprisingly, she was stopped at the front desk.

    Chang Jingqiu did not pester the receptionist; instead, she called Jiang Yuan again. ¡°Mr. Jiang, hello. This is Chang Jingqiu. I¡¯m at Qilin¡¯s front desk right now and I¡¯d like to see Young Master Lin. Could you please inform the receptionistdy about it?¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised his eyebrows. Just then, Qi Chenglin marched in with springs in his step ¡ª evidently, he was in high spirits.

    Jiang Yuan had also scrolled through his WeChat Moments in the afternoon and so knew about Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen registering their marriage as well. Consequently, he knew the reason behind his sunny disposition.

    Jiang Yuan covered the phone receiver and smiled at Qi Chenglin. ¡°General Manager, congrattions.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was over the moon. He adjusted his tie and patted Jiang Yuan¡¯s shoulders amicably. ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll send you an invitation to my wedding and bring you wedding candy. And when I have a child, I¡¯ll be sure to give you red eggs 1.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuanughed. His general manager was so excited about the future that he had forgotten to maintain his image at the moment.

    ¡°Ah, General Manager, Chang Jingqiu called. She¡¯s at the front desk now and she wants to see you,¡± Jiang Yuan revealed.

    ¡°I¡¯m not seeing her. I¡¯m busy,¡± Qi Chenglin dered firmly. He frowned when he heard the name, Chang Jingqiu.

    Jiang Yuan knew his schedule full well ¡ª he would stay in his office all-day and definitely had time to see her.

    Despite that, he nodded. ¡°She called this morning about the interview, but I pushed her away.¡±

    ¡°Just keep pushing her away. Don¡¯t worry about upsetting her. We don¡¯t need to save the Chang family any embarrassment. I¡¯m not meeting this woman,¡± Qi Chenglin dered. His expression was telling Jiang Yuan, ¡®Chang Jingqiu does not have good intentions and you know it.¡¯

    Jiang Yuan expressed his understanding and removed his hand from the phone receiver. ¡°Miss Chang, I¡¯m sorry but the general manager is truly too busy to see you today. Why didn¡¯t you warn us that you wereing? Why don¡¯t you set an appointment now and I¡¯ll arrange a date for you.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu had entertained the possibility that Qi Chenglin did not want to see her and was only using Jiang Yuan to shoo her away. However, she did not believe that Qi Chenglin would dare to embarrass the Chang family so badly.

    After all, the cooperation between Qilin and the Chang family was quite important.

    She was slightly relieved to hear Jiang Yuan¡¯s words. Thus, she inquired, ¡°Then, if I make an appointment now, when will the general manager be avable to meet me?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you this morning, Miss Chang? The general manager¡¯s schedule is packed for the next three months,¡± Jiang Yuan lied. His lips were curled up into a smirk.

    Qi Chenglin was going to enter his office, but as he ced his hand on the door handle, he heard the lie Jiang Yuan concocted to annoy Chang Jingqiu to death. Qi Chenglin stopped and turned to Jiang Yuan amusedly. He was intrigued by how Jiang Yuan was going to get rid of Chang Jingqiu.

    Qi Chenglin knew that this assistant of his was notably capable. However, he never got to know what tactics Jiang Yuan used to get him out of some troublesome situations. Hence, he stayed and watched curiously.

    Chang Jingqiu exploded instantly. Was Jiang Yuan trying to y her?

    Who did he think he was? How dare he made decisions on his own ord!

    ¡°Mr. Jiang, are you toying with me?¡± Chang Jingqiu snapped as she took two steps further away from the front desk.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to,¡± Jiang Yuan said in a rxed manner, ¡°Miss Chang, you¡¯re not here on business, are you?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu was taken aback. She had nned to use this interview to get close to Qi Chenglin from the very beginning. She could not help but stagger when exposed like that. Despite all, she answered, ¡°I am.¡±

    ¡°Miss Chang, your ¡®business¡¯ is to interview the general manager, right?¡± Jiang Yuan questioned.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Chang Jingqiu replied, clenching her teeth.

    ¡°Ah, if you want to interview him, you have to book an appointment, right? The general manager is busy for these three months. You can make an appointment at a dateter than these months. I¡¯ll check if the general manager has time. Besides that, I¡¯ll have to ask if he agrees to do the interview or not.¡± Jiang Yuan stared at the ceiling. He was starting to lose patience.

    Meanwhile, Qi Chenglin was still standing there, listening to him talk for some reason.

    Just then, the secretary came to deliver some documents and greeted, ¡°General Manager Qi.¡±

    Jiang Yuan beckoned her to simply put down the documents and leave.

    Hearing the words ¡®General Manager Qi¡¯ through the phone, Chang Jingqiu blew up. Now, she knew for sure that Jiang Yuan was dismissing her.

    Her fingers clutched onto the phone tightly. ¡°Mr. Jiang, did I wrong you in any way?¡±

    Jiang Yuan raised his eyebrows. ¡°Miss Chang, what makes you think that?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t help but feel that you are discriminating against me,¡± Chang Jingqiu growled.

    Jiang Yuan rolled his eyes. She was exhaustingly think-skinned!

    ¡°Miss Chang, you have misunderstood ¡ª I am simply doing my job.¡± Jiang Yuan¡¯s tone was still very polite, letting all of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s ragend on cotton wool, which merely absorbed and did not reflect.

    ¡°Well, in that case, I want to see Young Master Lin for a personal matter,¡± Chang Jingqiu corrected.

    ¡°If it¡¯s a personal matter, please contact the general manager directly through his private number. I am only responsible for his work-rted matters. His personal matters are not part of my responsibilities,¡± Jiang Yuan exined.

    Chang Jingqiu was fuming. If she had Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone number, she would never have called him!

    ¡°Could you please hand the phone to Young Master Lin? I have something to tell him,¡± Chang Jingqiu requested, clenching her teeth.

    Jiang Yuan pouted. ¡°Is it a personal matter or a business matter?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s a business matter, please make an appointment. For now, I can ry your message to the general manager and get back to you when I have his reply. However, if it¡¯s a personal matter, please contact the general manager directly through his private phone,¡± Jiang Yuan reiterated.

    Chang Jingqiu felt that it was Jiang Yuan who was bringing her around in circles ¡ª there was no end to it.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Chang Jingqiu scoffed, right before she hung up in rage.

    She clenched her teeth. She had alreadye all the way here ¡ª she was not about to leave empty-handed.

    Suddenly, an idea sparked in her mind. She turned around and headed toward the front desk again. ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m also here to see my old friend, Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Meeting Qi Chenglin required a prior appointment, but Ruan Danchen was just an ordinary employee.

    Chang Jingqiu thought that as long as she was granted ess to the elevator, she could find a way to sneak into Qi Chenglin¡¯s office.

    The receptionist red at her suspiciously. Chang Jingqiu was an outsider so she may not have known, but even the receptionist had heard from her coworkers in the design department that Ruan Danchen had taken the morning off the register her marriage with Qi Chenglin. Ruan Danchen had now be Mrs. Qi.

    If it was anyone else that Chang Jingqiu wanted to meet, the receptionist would have sent her upstairs in the blink of an eye.

    However, the person that Chang Jingqiu wanted to see was Ruan Danchen ¡ª there was no way she would simply let anyone go up to see her. Moreover, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression just now made the receptionist extremely wary about her intentions toward the general manager.

    In the past two years, she had not only gained experience in her job but had also got to meet all kinds of people. She had seen enough womening to Qilin to stick onto Qi Chengzhi to be able to tell exactly what kind of woman Chang Jingqiu was at a nce.

    Regardlessly, she maintained a polite smile and asked, ¡°May I know which department is Miss Ruan working in?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu staggered for a while. Then, she remembered that Ruan Danchen used to work in the design department in Chengshi, so she assumed that she would enter the same department in Qilin. Thus, she answered, ¡°She¡¯s in the design department.¡±

    Observing Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hesitant reply, the receptionist guessed that she was not close to Ruan Danchen. Therefore, she called Ruan Danchen¡¯s desk through the inte and told her about Chang Jingqiu.

    Ruan Danchen was perplexed ¡ª she was never close to Chang Jingqiu, and her attitude had always been somewhat repulsive. Why would shee all the way here to see her?

    However, after pondering upon it for a little longer, Ruan Danchen realized Chang Jingqiu¡¯s real intention: Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin had told her all about it. Naturally, Qi Chenglin would never give Chang Jingqiu the chance to get close to him by using the interview as an excuse.

    Ruan Danchen was worried that Chang Jingqiu was plotting to use her only to get past the front desk.

    The receptionist nced at Chang Jingqiu and decided to warn Ruan Danchen indirectly, ¡°Miss Chang is here to see the general manager and wanted too while she is here.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu stared at the receptionist curiously. She had no idea what was her purpose of saying that.

    Hearing that, Ruan Danchen knew that her assumption was spot-on. Hence, she smiled and answered, ¡°Since she wants to see me, I¡¯ll head downstairs now.¡±

    The receptionist snickered at her reply. She hung up the phone and informed Chang Jingqiu, ¡°Miss Ruan said she¡¯sing down to see you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face flushed red with wrath.

    What use would Ruan Danchen be to her if she came down to meet her?

    Her intention was never to see Ruan Danchen!

    She thought, ¡®How could that woman be so bad at reading situations? Not only did she bring her child to a ss reunion, she even insisted on heading downstairs today, ruining my entire n!¡¯

    A whileter, Chang Jingqiu saw Ruan Danchen approaching her.

    Ruan Danchen did not even greet her first. Instead, she smiled at the receptionist and thanked her.

    In Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes, Ruan Danchen was thanking the receptionist for ringing her up, but she could not figure out why she needed to thank her for that.

    On the contrary, the receptionist knew that Ruan Danchen¡¯s gratitude was for warning her about Chang Jingqiu¡¯s intentions.

    The receptionist was ttered ¡ª she was thrilled to be praised by the general manager¡¯s wife. She even covered her face shyly.

    ¡°Danchen,¡± Chang Jingqiu greeted.

    Only then did Ruan Danchen turn to her and smile. She walked toward her. ¡°What made you want to see me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m here on some errands and so I thought that since I¡¯m here, I might as well see you too,¡± Chang Jingqiu exined and she grabbed onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm eagerly. ¡°Since I¡¯m here, why don¡¯t you bring me upstairs and let me look around.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shot a nce at her as she bit the corner of her lips. Suddenly, Chang Jingqiu got a feeling that Ruan Danchen had seen through her ns.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do that. Ourpany is very strict about not letting outsiders head upstairs without registering beforehand. People who want to visit have to make a call here to register their names and book a time. Then, they¡¯ll have to bring along an interview card that ourpany will send over to be granted ess to the elevator. If someone finds out that I brought you in without proper procedures, I¡¯ll be punished.¡± Ruan Danchen stared at Chang Jingqiu with a distressed expression.

    The receptionist waspletely bbergasted. Since when did theirpany adopt these procedures? Mrs. Qi was truly a talented woman.

    ¡°Then can¡¯t I just register right now?¡± Chang Jingqiu questioned, furrowing her brows together.

    Extra Mini-Scene:

    NoDoNoDie 4

    Ever since Ruan Danchen caught Qi Chenglin pulling out the Wi-Fi cable, she stayed mad at him until this day.

    The consequences of an angry wife were dire.

    In his office, Qi Chenglin pondered long and hard on how to obtain her forgiveness. Finally, he decided to download the game. Additionally, he asked Jiang Yuan to buy a max-leveled ount for him.

    That night, Ruan Danchen was ying the game on herptop again. Qi Chenglin logged on to the game secretly and sent her a friend request.

    When Ruan Danchen saw that the request was from a max-leveled gaming god, she epted the request out of curiosity.

    The user sent her a message in a private chat: [My dear wife, I¡¯ll help you defeat the monsters.]

 Chapter 400 - Qi Chenglin is Really My Husband

    <strong>Chapter 400: Qi Chenglin is Really My Husband</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen hinted at the receptionist, who shook her head immediately. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. You can¡¯t.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu had a feeling that Ruan Danchen was lying. When she went to Qilin with Chang Zhiyuan the day before, they did not register themselves. Nheless, she had not been to Qilin for an interview so she was left in a state of doubt.

    After contemting the situation, Chang Jingqiu pulled Ruan Danchen aside and said softly, ¡°Danchen, actually... Can you please do me a favor?¡±

    ¡°How do you want me to help?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯sshes fluttered as she looked at Chang Jingqiu. She could vaguely guess Chang Jingqiu¡¯s intention and almost chuckled in amusement.

    ¡°It¡¯s like this. Do you remember yesterday afternoon when we met at Qiaopin?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked. Her face burned up gradually.

    ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Despite Ruan Danchen¡¯s impassive reply, deep in her heart, she pouted her lips and felt disturbed at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression.

    ¡°I remember telling you that I was there with my uncle. My uncle was, in fact, trying to introduce me to a boyfriend. However, he was worried that a blind date might cause unnecessary pressure to both sides. So, he took the opportunity of that business discussion for us to meet. We can always explore the possibility of getting together if we show interest in each other. Even if we don¡¯t, it was less awkward that way,¡± Chang Jingqiu exined softly. Her face flushed a beautiful red from embarrassment.

    The more Ruan Danchen listened to Chang Jingqiu, the more disturbed she became. She did not want to listen to other women professing their admiration and interest in her husband.

    However, as soon as that thought came up, her train of thought begun to deviate from the situation.

    Her husband...

    Her husband...

    He was her husband!

    Why was she overwhelmed by such possessiveness and pride?

    Ruan Danchen suddenly realized that after registering their marriage, they had not just officially be husband and wife. As his legal wife, she had every right to stop other women such as Chang Jingqiu from pestering her husband. She could tell them confidently, ¡®This is my man, my husband. You have missed the chance to be with him. So, please like someone else instead.¡±

    Thinking that she could then rightfully guard Qi Chenglin under her wings and thank her opponents for liking her husband, the weight in her heart was suddenly lifted and she broke into a sweet, content smile.

    The smile had led Chang Jingqiu to believe that Ruan Danchen was supportive of her rtionship and would like to dig up more gossip from a woman¡¯s perspective.

    Chang Jingqiu felt full of herself as her lips curled into a smirk and she said, ¡°By the way, I didn¡¯t get the chance to tell you that the man my uncle introduced me to is Qi Chenglin, your general manager.¡±

    ¡°So?¡± Ruan Danchen lifted a brow.

    Chang Jingqiu did not expect Ruan Danchen to react nonchntly. She instinctively felt that Ruan Danchen¡¯s reaction was slightly hostile.

    Nheless, she still needed Ruan Danchen¡¯s help so she responded passionately, ¡°Can you bring me into yourpany? The receptionist refuses to allow me in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen studied Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face until she almost shuddered by that intensive stare. Only then did Ruan Danchen said calmly, ¡°Since you¡¯re here to meet the general manager, why don¡¯t you just contact him directly?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression darkened. The smile on her face stiffened and she did not utter a word.

    Ruan Danchen was pleased to know that Qi Chenglin had distanced himself from his pursuer. She gave him a thumb up in her heart.

    ¡°Could it be that you like the general manager but he has no interest in you? Didn¡¯t he ignore you when you tried to contact him?¡± said Ruan Danchen as she lifted her brow.

    Chang Jingqiu turned mad from embarrassment. She felt as if being ridiculed by Ruan Danchen and so she responded stubbornly, ¡°No, he has a good impression of me and wants to keep in touch with me. I¡¯m here now just to give him a surprise. That¡¯s why I ask for your help to bring me into thepany. Are you helping me out or not?¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes narrowed in suspicion. ¡°Our general manager is already a married man. Do you intend to break apart his marriage? How little self-respect you have for yourself!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu waspelled to swing her arms and pped Ruan Danchen but had managed to hold herself together. Nheless, infuriation was clearly shown on her face.

    She let go of her grip on Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Impossible! Ruan Danchen, did I rub you in the wrong way? You refuse to help me because you¡¯re jealous, right? I¡¯ve sought help from the wrong person!¡±

    Ruan Danchen had almostughed at her absurdity. ¡°What are you thinking about? Our general manager is really married. He wasn¡¯t in the office this morning because he had applied for a half-day off to get his marriage certificate. Ask her if you don¡¯t believe me.¡±

    Ruan Danchen dragged Chang Jingqiu towards the receptionist and asked in a smile, ¡°Can you please let Ms Chang know if Qi Chenglin is already married?¡±

    Ruan Danchen used Qi Chenglin¡¯s name instead of addressing him as the general manager since she had no intention to conceal her identity from Chang Jingqiu.

    Why did she need to hide her identity when she was his legal wife?

    Chang Jingqiu was seething at Ruan Danchen¡¯s action that she did not notice the different forms of address. Then, she saw the receptionist nodding her head in confirmation. ¡°Yes, the general manager had gone to register his marriage this morning. Everyone in thepany knows about this because General Manager Qi¡¯s wife shared their marriage on her WeChat.¡±

    ¡°It can¡¯t be! Why don¡¯t I know that he¡¯s already married? He told me yesterday that he only has a fiancee!¡± Chang Jingqiu pressed on.

    Ruan Danchen was affronted by Chang Jingqiu¡¯s statement and said, ¡°Why are you still pursuing him when you know that he already had a fiancee? Do you intend to be the other woman?¡±

    ¡°Ruan Danchen! How can you say that? As long as he is still unmarried, I have the right to fight to be with him. How can I be the other woman then?¡±

    ¡°But he¡¯s already married,¡± said Ruan Danchen as she pointed to herself, ¡°to me. Didn¡¯t I share our marriage in WeChat Moments this morning? You even congratted me.¡±

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, this is not funny. You¡¯re so bold that you made a joke about your general manager. I understand that Young Master Lin is such an outstanding man and many women in yourpany may dream of being with him. Despite that, you¡¯re being a little too over.¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression darkened in distaste as if another woman was interested in her man. ¡°Besides, saying this in front of your colleague. Aren¡¯t you the least bit ashamed of yourself?¡±

    Ruan Danchen stared at Chang Jingqiu in disbelief. Was that woman alright? How could she act so confidently in assumption?

    ¡°Qi Chenglin is really my husband,¡± Ruan Danchen reiterated weakly.

    What could she do if Chang Jingqiu refused to believe the truth?

    Chang Jingqiu, who had be irritated by Ruan Danchen¡¯s joke, pointed at Ruan Danchen¡¯s face as she said, ¡°Ruan Danchen, what¡¯s wrong with you? Why are you still so shameless even after these years. Aren¡¯t you aware of your own condition? You don¡¯t have the right to even dream about it. Wanting to be with Young Master Lin when you already have a child that big? What a joke!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned speechless. Did she have to call Qi Chenglin down for such petty matters?

    ¡°That child was mine and Chenglin¡¯s,¡± Ruan Danchen exined. She felt that she had been rather good-tempered with Chang Jingqiu.

    She was slightly hurt that Chang Jingqiu had refused to believe the truth.

    ¡°You...¡± Chang Jingqiu felt sick at Ruan Danchen¡¯s insistence. How could she not be ashamed of herself?

    ¡°Are you joking with me? Everyone knows that Young Master Lin has a son. His son has been with him since young. How can his son be yours? How old were you when his son was born? Your lie is so illogical!¡±

    With Qi Chenglin¡¯s status, he would get himself any youngdy from a respectable family. That Ruan Danchen did not even look at herself in the mirror when she lied!

    Ruan Danchen sighed helplessly, ¡°Didn¡¯t I say that my son is already seven during ourst gathering?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu answered in annoyance, ¡°It¡¯s only a coincidence.¡±

    She looked at Ruan Danchen in disdain. How could this woman be so sick? Spouting all those nonsense in front of her colleague. Did she think that her lie would not travel into Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears? Was that the reason for her to be so insistence?

    The receptionist beside them could not bear to listen any further to their argument. Thus, she told Chang Jingqiu politely, ¡°Ms Chang, Ms Ruan is indeed our general manager¡¯s wife.¡±

    ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± Chang Jingqiu rebutted.

    Chang Jingqiu knew that Ruan Danchen was saying the truth with the receptionist¡¯s affirmation. However, she was reluctant to ept the truth.

    Ruan Danchen was left with nothing else to say. The receptionist, on the other hand, was contemting to call Special Assistant Jiang so he could help to rify Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity for Chang Jingqiu.

    General Manager Qi¡¯s wife had clearly met an unreasonable person.

    Just as the receptionist picked up the handset to dial Jiang Yuan¡¯s number, a voice called out to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen turned around to find Song Yu walking towards her. She said something to Qi Chengzhi, who smiled and nodded at Ruan Danchen before striding towards the elevator.

    When Song Yu stopped in front of her, Ruan Danchen asked, ¡°Didn¡¯t you go back earlier? Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°When we almost reached home, the engineering department manager gave me a call. I¡¯m here because he wants to discuss that project in the north district with me,¡± exined Song Yu. Then, she noticed Chang Jingqiu who stood beside Ruan Danchen.

    Before calling out to Ruan Danchen, Song Yu saw from afar that she seemed to have a dispute with Chang Jingqiu.

    However, when she went near them, Chang Jingqiu had schooled her expression and was looking at Song Yu with respect.

    Chang Jingqiu knew that Song Yu was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife. It was unmistaken for she had appeared in thepany with Qi Chengzhi earlier.

    ¡°Your friend?¡± Song Yu smiled politely, regarding Chang Jingqiu as Ruan Danchen¡¯s friend.

    Chang Jingqiu felt slightly awkward because she had not expected Ruan Danchen and Song Yu to be so close to each other.

    Nevertheless, Song Yu could be her future sister-inw. So, she brought out her sweetest smile as she greeted, ¡°Mrs Qi.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and looked at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen pouted helplessly before introducing, ¡°This is my senior high ssmate, Chang Jingqiu. She said that she was introduced to Chenglin yesterday by her uncle and they have a mutual interest in each other. She¡¯s here today to meet Chenglin and give him a surprise. So, she asked me to bring her into thepany.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu frowned at the side. She was feeling uneasy when she caught Ruan Danchen addressing Qi Chenglin so intimately in front of Song Yu.

    Refusing to ept the truth, Chang Jingqiu deluded herself into believing that Ruan Danchen¡¯s intimate address was due to her close rtionship with Song Yu.

    Song Yu nced at Chang Jingqiu in confusion, ¡°Mutual interest?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu blushed lightly at her question. The receptionist, who stood beside them, nodded her head earnestly in response to her query.

    ¡°How can that be? Chenglin has never looked at anyone else aside from you. How can he have an interest in another woman? I even wonder if he can remember other women¡¯s faces?¡± Song Yu eximed in surprise. ¡°Didn¡¯t you tell her that you are married to Chenglin?¡±

    ¡°I did but she doesn¡¯t believe me.¡± Ruan Danchen was nice enough to not bring up Chang Jingqiu¡¯s disbelieving speech word by word.

    She could not press on too closely when Chang Jingqiu was already ashamed of herself.

    Ruan Danchen merely hoped that Chang Jingqiu could withdraw her advances after epting the truth.

    Chang Jingqiu dropped her polite demeanor. She red at Ruan Danchen even in the presence of Song Yu. ¡°You... Didn¡¯t you say that you have a son?¡±

    ¡°Yes, he¡¯s mine and Qi Chenglin¡¯s son. As I said, we broke up due to some misunderstandings. Now, we are back together again,¡± exined Ruan Danchen patiently. ¡°Qi Chenglin and I are married. He is now a man who has a wife. I appreciate your feelings towards Chenglin. You have a keen eye for men. He is an outstanding man and it is normal for him to attract women¡¯s attention. Even being married to him, I know that I cannot stop other women from liking him. Besides, we did not intentionally broadcast our rtionship to the public. So, it is understandable that you may not know of it. I¡¯m sorry that it has caused a misunderstanding for you.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face reddened. She felt as though there were numerous stares on her from the surrounding, wanting to see her embarrassing herself.

    She clenched her hands tight. Her mind was overwhelmed by fury towards Ruan Danchen who caused her to embarrass herself in public. She felt that Ruan Danchen seemed to enjoy her misfortune as she bragged about her rtionship with Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen did not appear to be wealthy even after being together with Qi Chenglin.

    Chang Jingqiu had forgotten that it was only their own assumption. When Qi Chenglin picked her up with his Mercedes-Benz, they had even ridiculed about where she got the car from.

    When Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to their high school reunion in Shengyue, she had assumed that Ruan Danchen was so poor she could not even hire a nanny for her child.

    Chang Jingqiu had only herself to me for looking down at others. She kept on assuming the worst out of Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Indeed, I was unaware of it.¡± Chang Jingqiu could not bring herself to apologize to Ruan Danchen. She was also unwilling to leave just like that.

    She stole a nce at Ruan Danchen and then pouted her lips in disdain. ¡°In that case, Qi Chenglin must have pulled some strings for you to be employed by Qilin.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes.¡± Ruan Danchen nodded frankly. She did not refute Chang Jingqiu¡¯s usation. ¡°Perhaps he was afraid that I could not pass the interview. He even became the interviewer to make sure that I was hired.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that there was no need to cover up the truth.

    In fact, the wholepany must have thought that she was hired through the rtionship. Well, since Qi Chenglin was her man, she was not sorry that she was given a bit of special treatment.

    Ruan Danchen strongly believed that having good connections also reflected a part of a person¡¯s capability. She was lucky her man had happened to be Qi Chenglin. That was just it, regardless of whether it was fair or not. It was already obvious that Qi Chenglin had helped her into thepany. If she had insisted to be hired through her own capability in spite of his effort, it would have been too pretentious.

    Chang Jingqiu did not expect Ruan Danchen to affirm her usation directly. How could she be so bold?

    Chang Jingqiu was fuming and refused to speak with Ruan Danchen any longer. She left after muttering a cold ¡®Goodbye¡¯ to them.

    Ruan Danchen and Song Yu were not in the least bothered by Chang Jingqiu. They did not even consider her a threat enough to affect their good mood. Therefore, both of them chattered andughed as they went on their way into the office.

    Seeing that, the receptionist was left behind in awe. Both Director Qi and General Manager Qi¡¯s wives were unbelievingly tolerant!

    ...

    Chang Jingqiu did not feel like returning to the newspaper office. Instead, she drove herself to Grandmother Chang¡¯s house.

    She shouted, ¡°Grandma!¡± as soon as she entered the house. Then, she pounced into Grandmother Chang¡¯s embrace in tears.

    ¡°Yo, what¡¯s the matter? Who made you cry? Tell Grandma. I have your back,¡± Grandmother Chang coaxed as she patted Chang Jingqiu¡¯s head softly.

    ¡°Grandma, Qi Chenglin is already married. He went to register his marriage this morning,¡± sobbed Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°What? Didn¡¯t he tell you that he¡¯s getting married?¡± asked Grandmother Chang in disbelief. She had heard of Qi Chenglin¡¯s good character. Rumors were indeed unreliable.

    ¡°Sob... Sob... Grandma, he did mention yesterday that he was already engaged, but I wasn¡¯t sure if he was sincere about it or if he was merely using that as an excuse to dodge me. Nheless, I still truly like him. I had already heard many great things about him before meeting him in person. When I saw him for the first time in the university, I have begun to admire him. You can say that it was love at first sight. I still remember that it was during my first year at university. He came to our faculty to deliver a speech,¡± said Chang Jingqiu as she sniffled. She sounded especially miserable.

    ¡°However, I was still young. I was afraid that my feelings were immature, only pure admiration of a young girl. So, I didn¡¯t dare to let you know or asked for your help to introduce us. I didn¡¯t expect myself to still have him in my mind. I cannot help myself to follow every news on him. Even seeing him in the magazine would be satisfying. Time has passed unknowingly like this. I realized that my feelings for him did not dissipate. They have grown stronger and upied me so much so I cannot imagine myself being together with any other man. I know that feelings were real, it wasn¡¯t immature like I had thought.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why as long as he¡¯s still unmarried, I can try to get him for myself even when I was told that he had a fiancee. I can¡¯t just give up without trying. I just didn¡¯t expect...¡± Chang Jingqiu lifted her head to look at Grandmother Chang with watery eyes. ¡°Grandma, he¡¯s already married because I¡¯m one step slower. Grandma, I regret it so much.¡±

    ¡°Silly child.¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s heart ached as sheforted Chang Jingqiu by brushing her hair. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so earlier? What can we do now? He¡¯s already a married man.¡±

    Grandmother Chang sighed internally. Since her granddaughter was young, she was not given much aside from more favorable conditions. She was not even allowed into the Chang family¡¯spany.

    Although Chang Jingqiu was the one who gave up her rights, Grandmother Chang knew why she did that. Grandmother Chang had agreed to not let her into their family business.

    Grandmother Chang felt that she had owed Chang Jingqiu for that and had been trying topensate her in any other way.

    ¡°Child, let us put him aside. There are so many good men out there who are more outstanding than him. We also have many excellent men among the Great Eight Families. Yan Beicheng and Han Zhuoli are also equally outstanding. Grandma will introduce better men to you. This time we have to grab him and not let him go.¡±

    ¡°Grandma, I understand. It¡¯s just painful to know that Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife is no notable woman. If she is outstanding enough to match him, I can still ept my defeat,¡± said Chang Jingqiu as she gritted her teeth.

    ¡°What do you mean? Have you met her before?¡± Grandmother Chang asked in shock.

    Chang Jingqiu straightened her back and wiped away her tears. ¡°She¡¯s my senior high ssmate, Ruan Danchen. Not only that she isn¡¯t from any notable family, but her family background is even worse than any normal family. Her mother is Liu Ronghua. Grandma, do you know that Liu Ronghua is a mistress in the Shen family. She is not given a legitimate status even after seven years.¡±

    ¡°What does Qi Chenglin see in this woman? Regardless of your ssmate¡¯s character, he cannot marry her if she has such a mother!¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s face had turned solemn when she heard of Liu Ronghua.

    She was unhappy that Qi Chenglin had chosen someone with a messy family background as his wife.

 Chapter 401 - Find A Chance To Announce Loudly To Feel The Excitement

    <strong>Chapter 401: Find A Chance To Announce Loudly To Feel The Excitement</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Jingqiu was not looking down on the general public. On the matching of family status, since the Qi family did not mind, she had nothing to say about it. Considering the precedence of Song Yu¡¯s example, the Qi family probably would not care.

    However, Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity, wasn¡¯t that just disgusting?

    Turning away someone from an honorable and reasonable background, just to get married to Ruan Danchen.

    A wedding also involves the inws. Presented with a shameless woman the likes of Liu Ronghua, how would the Qi family be at peace?

    ¡°That¡¯s not all, if it¡¯s only about her identity, I would not be this unwilling. When I went to look for Qi Chenglin, how did I know he was married? Then Ruan Danchen had to use me of being a mistress, and she did so by baiting me to twist my words while hiding her identity, just to make a fool of me. After that showing off her rtionship with Qi Chenglin in my face, with all her words filled with insults,¡± mid-sentence, Change Jingqiu started to cry, ¡°Moreover, she was saying all those things in the first floor¡¯s main hall in Qilin. That ce was full of peopleing and going, with so many of Qilin¡¯s employees, and the front desk girls were just listening on the side. After I left, won¡¯t this incident spread all over Qilin, even to our circles? Who knows what those people talked about behind my back.¡±

    ¡°She ruined my reputation.¡± Chang Jingqiu continued to cry, rubbing her tears with the back of her hands, looking pitiable, ¡°Now that I think about it, I¡¯m not sure if she was doing it on purpose, intentionally say all those stuff in front of others to nder against me just to take revenge on me. I didn¡¯t know that Qi Chenglin was married, how could she treat me like that.¡±

    Grandmother Chang grew more furious as she listened. ¡°That¡¯s over the line. With that kind of personality, how can she marry into Qi family!¡±

    Based on Chang Qingqiu¡¯s description, Ruan Danchen was many levels below her granddaughter. To think that Qi Chenglin would choose someone like that over her own granddaughter, Grandmother Qi feel aggrieved in her heart and that grievance could not find an outlet.

    ¡°It¡¯s because of her acting skills. It took her so much effort to leech onto Qi Chenglin. In order to have the Qi family ept her and to get Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart, she must have put on a gentle and generous facade, while revealing her despicable and mean personality behind their backs. Grandma, after some thoughts, I think she might have had a grudge on me since high school. However, I was still young and ignorant so I did not realize it. Now that I¡¯ve grown up, stepping into society and started to slowly understand the way this world works, it¡¯s starting to make sense.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t our family rich? I transferred schools midway, so on the third year of high school, I did not enter into Jixia High School, but instead, went to a public school. At that time, Chen Libai and I were the only ones with good family background. I was also quite popr. It would seem that Ruan Danchen did not like me much all the while, but during that time she was keeping a low profile in the ss, keeping to herself. It may be due to her mother¡¯s issue, she had quite the inferiorityplex. At that time most people in our school knew about her mother¡¯s incident, so her rtionship with the students were not close. I did not realize it then, but now that I think about it, she treated me more coldlypared to anyone else. Whenever I initiated a conversation with her, she always ignored me, and even the way she looked at me was always cold.¡±

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Grandmother Chang harrumphed. ¡°That¡¯s her being envious, jealous! Behaving that way from such a young age, now that she¡¯s grown up, at her current age, it¡¯s no surprise that she turned out to be like you said. Especially with a mother without self-respect like Liu Ronghua, the apple doesn¡¯t fall far from the tree, the daughter can¡¯t be any better.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu sniffled with her nose full of snot, finally stopping her tears, and said with puffy eyes, ¡°If Qi Chenglin chose someone great, I wouldn¡¯t mind. If he can¡¯t recognize my value, that¡¯s his loss, but to find someone like Ruan Danchen, how can ept it? Qi Chenglin and the whole Qi family is obviously tricked by Ruan Danchen. I don¡¯t want to be a mistress, but I really want Qi Chenglin to see through Ruan Danchen¡¯s real personality. I can¡¯t allow him to be scammed by Ruan Danchen for his whole life.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu did not go into detail, but Grandmother Chang understood fully. No matter what she said, Qi Chenglin was the Prince Charming in Chang Qingqiu¡¯s life.

    Now that Qi Chenglin was married to Ruan Danchen, by Chang Qingqiu¡¯s perspective, it was as though casting pearls before swine.

    Chang Qingqiu¡¯s respect and veneration of Qi Chenglin could not ept that a woman like Ruan Danchen is destroying her Prince Charming¡¯s image.

    Grandmother Chang let out a long sigh and patted Chang Qingqiu¡¯s back in constion, ¡°I can understand your feelings. To see such a good boy like Qi Chenglin to be tricked by Ruan Danchen, even I feel that it¡¯s unfair. We must definitely not be a mistress. Tearing apart another family is also something we should not do. However, if it¡¯s possible to have Qi Chenglin see Ruan Danchen¡¯s true face and have him rid himself of such a despicable woman, that will be great. Of course, if Qi Chenglin already knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s true face, yet pick her without a care of all consequences, then our hands are tied. We have done what we could.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu nodded her head depressively. Grandmother Chang hugged her, consoling, ¡°Isn¡¯t Grandma¡¯s birthdaying up? I will ask your uncle to send an invitation to the Qi family. They will have to give your grandmother some respect, they wille. At that time, I¡¯ll personally talk to that Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu was not afraid that her lies would be revealed since she already told Grandmother Chang that Ruan Danchen was two-faced. With that she had no fear that Grandmother Chang will feel that Ruan Danchen was likeable after meeting with her.

    Rather, Grandmother Chang might even think that Ruan Danchen¡¯s acting skills were just too good.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Grandma, there¡¯s something else.¡± Chang Qingqiu lifted her head from Grandmother Chang¡¯s embrace, frowning slightly. ¡°Ruan Danchen ims that Qi Chenglin¡¯s son is her biological son. Do you think they have been together back then?¡±

    ¡°Hmph, if that¡¯s true, how old was Ruan Danchen when she was pregnant?¡± Grandmother Chang pouted, feeling even more annoyed.

    ¡°She¡¯s the same age as me,¡± Chang Qingqiu said obediently.

    ¡°That means she¡¯s only 19 years old when she was pregnant?¡± Grandmother Chang red, already disliking Ruan Danchen even more before they even met. ¡°Having a child for another man at 19 years old, what kind of morals! At that time she must have held onto Qi Chenglin unwilling to let go, yet somehow broke up afterwards.¡±

    ¡°Regardless, they are now together again.¡± Chang Qingqiu said. ¡°I¡¯m afraid Ruan Danchen is using the child to grab hold of Qi Chenglin. I heard the Qi family adored Qi Chenglin¡¯s son greatly. If Ruan Danchen is really the biological mother, they might extend that love for his son over to her.¡±

    Grandmother Chang groaned for a moment, then ruffled Chang Qingqiu¡¯s hair, ¡°alright, don¡¯t think too much. This terrible incident has made you feel depressed. Take the afternoon off and go take a nap. You¡¯ll feel better after a nap.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu obediently nodded and stood up with droopy shoulders. Seeing her made her way upstairs dejectedly, Grandmother Chang felt aggrieved.

    Chang Qingqiu went back to her room, sat on the bed and frowned in deep thought.

    When she was bringing Ruan Danchen¡¯s matter to Grandmother Chang, she thoguht of something.

    Back then Qi Chenglin was engaged to Shen Zhijing, thenter cancelled the engagement, andter without any notice brought a son back to the Qi family. Now Ruan Danchen suddenly appears and imed that she was the biological mother.

    Chang Qingqiu frowned as she paced within the room. Was this matter somehow rted to Shen Zhijing?

    No matter how you put it, Shen Zhijing was one of the persons involved in this.

    After some thoughts, Chang Qingqiu took out a phone from her bag and gave Xia Zishan a call, ¡°Zishan, are you close to Shen Zhijing?¡±

    ¡°A little. We have met a few times. What¡¯s the matter?¡± Xia Zishan asked in confusion.

    ¡°Oh, nothing much. Invite her over for some fun when if she¡¯s free,¡± Chang Qingqiu replied.

    Xia Zishan was dumbfounded, and asked out of curiosity, ¡°I don¡¯t think you have met Shen Zhijing before right? Why do you suddenly want to meet her?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just some minor things, no need to let her know. Just treat it as getting to know each other through some fun times. Be natural.¡± Chang Qingqiu said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell her that I¡¯m trying to know her.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mysterious behavior was making Xia Zishan more and more curious.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask. Think of it as helping a friend,¡± Chang Qingqiu was getting a little impatient, but she did not want to voice it out.

    ¡°Sure, it¡¯s just a small matter, nothing I can¡¯t help with,¡± replied Xia Zishan. When ites to Chen Libai¡¯s matters, Chang Qingqiu was quite helpful. With Chang Qingqiu¡¯s request being nothing too difficult, she would naturally agree to help.

    ¡°Let me see, how about tomorrow? I¡¯ll give her a call and ask her out for dinner and karaoke. I¡¯ll call along a few friends too. That should look more natural, and I¡¯m sure she won¡¯t think too much about it.¡±

    ¡°Alright, you take care of it,¡± Chang Qingqiu replied.

    ¡°Okay then, I¡¯ll call her and make an appointment with her,¡± Xia Zishan said.

    They then ended the call.

    ...

    The news of Ruan Danchen personally going downstairs to confront her love rival spread quickly and got to Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears. Even the words used by Ruan Danchen on Chang Qingqiu brought to his knowledge.

    Why would he know about it?

    If was none other than the girls impatiently chatting with others, spreading the news that the director¡¯s wife allied with the General Manager¡¯s wife to fight with a mistress in full details. Ruan Danchen and Song Yu¡¯s words were all repeated word for word.

    When Jiang Yuan came to notify him, Qi Chenglin wasughing uncontrobly while listening. He felt that the way Ruan Danchen talked with Chang Qingqiu had a simr effect to Qi Youxuan in the way that it will make someone speechless.

    After work, Qi Chenglin went directly to the design department¡¯s door and waited for Ruan Danchen.

    At first Ruan Danchen still had some unfinished work, but it was not worth going overtime or bringing it home, so she decided to finish it right here as it would only take another five or six minutes.

    However with Qi Chenglin standing there at the door, everyone was heavily pressured.

    Manager Zou had to stay for overtime that night so he took his mug and walked towards the pantry, wanting to get some coffee, yet unexpectedly ran into Qi Chenglin the moment he exited the door.

    ¡°General Manager!¡± Manager Zou panicked and blurted.

    ¡°Chill, I¡¯m just waiting for Danchen,¡± Qi Chenglin said, making Manager Zou more nervous.

    From his vantage point, Ruan Danchen kept working with her head down, not raising her head at all and continued to be oblivious to his presence.

    ¡°General Manager, please wait a moment, I¡¯ll go notify Mrs. General Manager,¡± Manager Zou did not mind the troublesome title of ¡®Mrs. General Manager¡¯, but rather said it in all seriousness.

    Without waiting for Qi Chenglin¡¯s affirmation, Manager Zou had walked back with his empty mug.

    He walked up to Ruan Danchen¡¯s desk, then asked in a polite manner, ¡°Mrs. General Manager, you¡¯re not going back yet?¡±

    It took Ruan Danchen quite some time before she realized that Manager Zou was speaking to her. She was not used to being addressed this way, especially in this office and Manager Zou being her superior.

    Ruan Danchen raised her head and touched the tip of her nose with a pen, then said ufortably, ¡°Manager Zou, how you have addressed me and talked to me in the past, you should interact with me in the same way in the future. All these Mrs. General Manager and ¡®You¡¯[1], I feel very pressured when you address me like that during working hours.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Manager Zou hesitated for some time before he spoke, ¡°With a Manager¡¯s spouse working under me, I¡¯m feeling pressured too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen noticed that extremely stern facial expression on Manager Zou¡¯s face, then sighed, ¡°then let¡¯s make a deal. In private you can call me Mrs. General Manager all you like, but during working hours we address each other based on our seniority. Will that work? You see, even if I¡¯m the General Manager¡¯s wife, ourpany does not have a position of Mrs. General Manager. During working hours, you are my superior. We¡¯ll just handle this professionally, okay?¡±

    Manager Zou gritted his teeth, then reluctantly agreed, ¡°Alright.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled, ¡°What do you need me for?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, the General Manager is waiting for you right outside,¡± Manager Zou quickly replied after he remembered the reason he looked for Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen looked over and saw that Qi Chenglin was waiting outside. She had forgotten about the time while working. She quickly called out to Qi Chenglin, ¡°You wait a minute, I¡¯ll pack up now.¡±

    To have Qi Chenglin waiting outside for her to finish her work, she felt greatly pressured.

    At that moment she could really empathize with Manager Zou¡¯s feelings.

    As she was busy packing up, Qi Chenglin got tired and walked right in. He looked at her draft that was almost finished, ¡°How much left?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just five minutes of work. I¡¯ll bring it home to finish it,¡± Ruan Danchen said and packed everything.

    She followed Qi Chenglin and left the office. When they arrived at the carpark, she saw from afar his ck Mercedes-Benz.

    At that moment, Xiao Yang got out of the car and stood to the front car. The back car window wound down and Lil¡¯ Qi Youxuan¡¯s head poked out from the car.

    During Winter time, Ruan Danchen insisted that he put on a hat while being outdoors. That day he went to Jade Field Park with Guan Liya. When Xiao Yang brought him over from Jade Field PArk, Guan Liya also insisted for him to put on his hat.

    That was why he did not style his hair that day. The soft and fine hair stuck to his head smoothly, making him look even cuter than usual.

    ¡°Daddy, Mommy!¡± Qi Youxuan immediately waved at them, causing the other coworkers in the parking lot to look over. Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s cuteness, they all could not help but smile.

    ¡°Why did Youxuane along?¡± Ruan Danchen quickened her pace while asking Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°We¡¯re getting the ring tonight, and I¡¯m afraid he might be impatient at home, so I brought him along. We¡¯ll just have our dinner outside as well.¡± Qi Chenglin held her hands, raised them, and then rubbed them. ¡°We¡¯re already married. I feel that I should put on a ring to avoid others mistaking me to be single.¡±

    Qi Chenglin threw a look at her, that pair of ck eyes full of warmth and gentleness, smiling, ¡°Next time if any woman triestch on to me, I don¡¯t have to say much and just show them my left hand.¡±

    ¡°You know of the incident this afternoon?¡± Ruan Danchen put on a smile that did not look like a smile. Qi Chenglin felt that she was making fun of him for leaving her with such a mess, throwing so many love rivals for her to get rid of.

    ¡°Cough.¡± Qi Chenglin raised his head and looked upwards. ¡°I did not expect her to be that smart to think of using you to enter thepany.¡±

    Unfortunately for Chang Qingqiu, her attempt at being a mistress ran right into the legitimate wife. Was that not looking for trouble?

    Ruan Danchen harrumphed angrily. If not for him being too attractive, why would a woman take the initiative toe all the way to thepany to find him?

    Nowadays women can behave in a scary manner when they take the initiative. Discovering a man with good conditions, they would fight for him to no end.

    Even though this incident was not Qi Chenglin¡¯s fault, but to express her dissatisfaction of him being too attractive, she insisted to sit in the backseat with Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her, feeling wronged. He did not purposely attract them.

    However, since Ruan Danchen was angry, he did not dare to voice out. Instead, he secretly felt rather happy. The angrier she gets meant the more she cared for him. Later he would put in the extra effort to coax her. His heart was bubbling up with feeling of sweetness.

    As he entertained those thoughts, the corner of his mouth started curling upwards, driving away happily.

    Ruan Danchen saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curling upwards via the rear-view mirror, thought to herself that he seems to be in a good mood with her being angry. However, considering Qi Chenglin¡¯s temper, she could somewhat guess the reason behind him being in a good mood and then could not help but smile.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s brows twitched, his pair of ck orbs smiling.

    He thought to himself that his wife was just that cute and so understanding. Without needing any coaxing, her anger was gone just like that. Thinking about it, the smile on Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face got even brighter. He was thinking that he could now legitimately and openly proim ¡®my wife¡¯. Just silently saying it to himself in his mind was already so exhrating, he needs to find a chance to announce this loudly and feel the excitement.

    Qi Youxuan had some snacks during the day while he was at Jade Park Field so he was not really hungry. Only after Ruan Danchen had made sure he was not hungry did she agree to Qi Chenglin¡¯s suggestion to head to the shop for ring purchase first.

    ...

    When they reached the store, Qi Chenglin picked a simple ring for himself. It¡¯s just a simple round ring with no patterns or diamond iys worn over his ring finger on his left hand, yet it looked extremely elegant on him.

    His long slender fingers elegant and distinct, the ring simple and majestic.

    After that, the manager went into the backroom, took out a tray from the safe with a ring on it. When the manager came out, he was surrounded front and back by two serious-faced bodyguards dressed in ck.

    Looking at the seriousness of the two bodyguard¡¯s expression, Ruan Danchen felt greatly pressured. Even Qi Youxuan felt nervous and leaned in closer to Ruan Danchen¡¯s leg.

    The manager put the tray down and removed the nnel on top, revealing a little transparent box underneath.

    It was obvious the box was made with some sort of anti-theft ss. Ruan Danchen did not know if there were any more technologically advanced and more amazing materials. The bottom bracket underneath the box came with a passworded lock.

    Through the ss, Ruan Danchen could see a diamond ring within it. The blue diamond was more towards the hue of powder blue instead of a sharp blue color. The craftsmanship of the cut was exquisite, unlike the ssy ir of modern craftsmanship. However, it looked more beautiful than any other ring out there.

    This store¡¯s brand was famous. Ruan Danchen had only ever heard of it. Themonly priced ring in this store was something she could afford, but would definitely be unwilling to buy. If it were the better looking designs, then she really could not afford them.

    When she entered the store, Ruan Danchen felt a little dizzy. She felt that every design here had its own uniqueness, refined and beautiful.

    However, after looking at that particr ring, the rest of the rings were iparable.

    Even though the band of this ring was not aplicated or rare design, but instead just a simple ring.

    ___

    A hearty celebration of the supplementary edition for reaching the 100th chapter. Apuse ~

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°Hearty celebration of the love between my wife and I to the 100th chapter.¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Hearty celebration of our family living harmoniously to the 100th chapter.¡±

    Yan Beicheng: ¡°Hearty celebration of our gang being sidelined all the way to the supplementary edition.¡±

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°Did you guys not notice QI Chenglin was only taking this opportunity to say the words ¡®my wife¡¯?¡±

    Gui Zhiqian rolled his eyes: ¡°We noticed, that¡¯s why we ignored him and let him stew. Yet must you mention it and give him the pleasure.

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°¡®My wife¡¯ are lovely words.¡±

    Chu Zhaoyang: ¡°Hehe.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°¡®Asking for tickets¡¯ and ¡®my wife¡¯, which is more lovely?¡±

    Gramps: ¡°For me, ¡®asking for tickets¡¯ is more lovely.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°Of course it¡¯s ¡®my wife¡¯.¡±

 Chapter 402 - My Finger Will Feel Heavy When Iâ€™m Walking

    <strong>Chapter 402: My Finger Will Feel Heavy When I¡¯m Walking</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The store manager smiled and exined. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if you¡¯ve seen the news, but a rich English aristocrat dered bankruptcy and all his jewels were sold at auction. Among them was a blue gem that was bought by our store. It was originally a gift given to the Qing dynasty¡¯s Qianlong Emperor by a foreign delegate. Sometimeter, the stone was embedded on a phoenix¡¯s cor. When the Qing dynasty fell to ruins, the artifact passed through many hands, but all that¡¯s left today is the gem itself. Modern cors don¡¯t have this jewel, with other jewels taking its ce.

    ¡°This blue gemstone retains the original cutting and workmanship from back then, and has not suffered any damage. In the present day, it can be ssified as a gem of the highest quality. The cutting may not be on par with the techniques were have now, but it still looks exquisite, and aparison with the workmanship prevalent during that period shows that it far exceeds the skills known at that time. It is valued much more than the kind of workmanship we have in modern times, which was why we refrained from refining it after it had been acquired. Its natural state is preserved, and we proceeded to set it in a ring and put it up for sale,¡± the manager smiled and said. ¡°Plenty of customers wanted to buy this, including a friend of ourpany¡¯s director, but Mr. Qi was willing to pay our selling price and even double it, so it¡¯s now his.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was so shocked that she could not even say a single word. Judging from the manager¡¯s words, she could not possibly fathom the kind of price they had to pay just to bid sessfully for the item. Setting it into a ring would increase the price even more, but Qi Chenglin went and doubled all that. She no longer had the courage to ask how much it costed.

    She wanted to kick Qi Chenglin for his unnecessary spending. If she were to wear it, she would be constantly gued by the worry of losing it.

    ¡°Because of its high value, it was specially flown from our headquarters in Ennd, with bodyguards apanying it through its entire journey. It just arrived yesterday, and for safety reasons the bodyguards are still here to keep watch. But don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Qi, we maintain a strict confidentiality about our clients so one knows the ring is with you,¡± the manager smiled and assured.

    It would have been better if the manager did not tell her that, because her stress levels increased after what he said.

    Ruan Danchen poked Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm. ¡°I feel really pressured to wear that ring. What if I identally lose it? My finger will feel heavy when I¡¯m walking.¡±

    Her voice was soft, but the proximity of her distance with the manager allowed him to her everything. He nearly burst outughing, but in order to keep it in, the corners of his lips were twitching.

    Qi Chenglin spared her no blushes and immediately exploded withughter.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen looked at him begrudgingly. It was such an expensive thing, and yet he had the decency to poke fun at her andugh.

    ¡°Then we¡¯ll keep this one at home. Wear it during our wedding ceremony, or if there¡¯s any other important event,¡± Qi Chenglin suggested. Worried that Ruan Danchen still stressed over it, he added, ¡°I already spent the money anyway.¡±

    Ruan Danchen scrunched her face up and nodded. That bitter, forced appearance made her look as though she was forced to swallow down the ring.

    Qi Chenglin could not help butugh. He felt that her expression was simple too cute, and his pupils were glimmering with delight too as his eyes resembled a downward crescent-shape that was filled with precious stones. His well-defined fingers pinched her cheek lightly.

    He did not exert too much force, but when he retracted his hand, her cheek was already slightly red. Qi Chenglin frowned immediately and pained to see her cheeks redden because of his pinching.

    Anxious and worried, he asked, ¡°It is painful?¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not painful.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled in order to try and ease Qi Chenglin¡¯s worry. She kneaded her face, intending to rub the red away, but her actions merely increased the intensity.

    ¡°Stop rubbing.¡± Qi Chenglin frowned, holding her hand to stop her from rubbing. ¡°Is it really not painful?¡±

    ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t pinch me too hard. Don¡¯t you know how much force you were using just now?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. With their hands holding each other, she took the opportunity to rub his fingertips, tickling the emotions in his heart.

    Her fingers were very soft, and were much different from his. It was as if softness was the only thing present in her fingers and she was devoid of bones. He felt as though her finger was a feather that stroked him endlessly.

    Unable to resist it anymore, he grabbed her finger and pressed softly on her fingertips. The tenderness was overwhelming, making him dread letting it go. The more he touched, the more aroused he became.

    He made a mental note to himself that he would fiddle with her fingers properly when he got home, and kissing them too. He recalled the time he guided her hand to help him rub one out, and the softness of her touch led him to lose himself tremendously.

    He shifted his eyes to Ruan Danchen and thought about persuading her to do it again that night.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s hair stood on end after being on the receiving end of his gaze. His luminous eyes gave her the feeling that he was not thinking of anything good.

    Just as she was thinking of asking him what kind of thoughts made his gaze so prating, he lowered his head and nted a kiss on the redness of her cheek. All Ruan Dancgen could feel was moistness and tenderness on her face. For a brief moment, she felt like she had been jolted with electricity, making her entire body feel numb.

    ¡°Not painful anymore?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone resembled that of a person coaxing a child, although his voice was maic and smoky. His tone suggested that he was trying to cajole children, but his sexy voice suggested otherwise. It was clearly suggestive of his intention to bed her.

    ¡°...¡± The red mark on Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was no longer visible because her entire face turned red, covering the original mark in its entirety.

    The manager looked on shyly from one side. From the sky-high price that Qi Chenglin offered for the ring, it could already be discerned that Qi Chenglin ced great importance on his wife. Otherwise, even the richest of the rich would not have bought such a thing to please their wives.

    Previously, it was rumored that the others who contacted thepany¡¯s director were intending to buy the diamond for collection purposes, rather than letting their wives wear it every day.

    From the looks of it, Qi Chenglin would have told Ruan Danchen to wear it, if not her stressing out over it. The manager wondered, if Ruan Danchen really did lose the ring, what would Qi Chenglin do?

    Judging by how Qi Chenglin ignored everyone else around him and teased his wife, the manager could not help but feel that Qi Chenglin would just pat her head if she lost it and say, ¡®Be good. If it¡¯s lost, then it¡¯s lost. I¡¯ll buy you a new one.¡¯

    The manager had no idea why he was so confident about that, but the helpless look Qi Chenglin gave to Ruan Danchen was an ineffable signal that the exact same scenario would happen in real life.

    Qi Chenglin held her hand and brought her to look at some of the other rings there. Since she was afraid to wear such a high-priced ring every day, she had no choice but to let Qi Chenglin buy her another one.

    As for pricing and value, Ruan Danchen did not think about it anymore. The blue gem ring was too expensive that her head became dizzy.

    However, since it was a wedding ring, Ruan Danchen made sure to pick one out carefully. She did not think too much about saving his money, and he did not like it when she was frugal with it. Arguments were bound to ur if that happened.

    Qi Chenglin chose a few that he liked, and it turned out that Ruan Danchen liked them too. Amongst the few that Qi Chenglinid out, she picked one and tried it on.

    ¡°How¡¯s this one?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. She was torn between that and another one that she liked.

    ¡°Put them on both hands topare them,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen then put the other ring on her right ring finger. Under her closeparison, each seemed to have its own merits.

    ¡°Why not just buy both, then,¡± Qi Chenglin was basically announcing his intention.

    ¡°That won¡¯t do. There can only be one wedding ring,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°One of it can be treated as a wedding ring, while the other can be treated interchangeably,¡± Qi Chenglin answered. He was showcasing his rich man persona right then.

    ¡°We¡¯re choosing the wedding ring now, right? Even if you buy both, you still have to choose one as the wedding ring,¡± Ruan Danchenmented.

    Qi Chenglin was not in a hurry. He was happy to apany her as she chose them, saying, ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much. Look slowly. The more you look at them, the easier you¡¯ll be able to choose the one that¡¯s looks nicer.¡±

    All Ruan Danchen could do was stare at them. The manager did not rush them either, since Qi Chenglin was such a huge client, and the buyer of the blue gem no less. He had noints even if he was asked to stay with the couple throughout the night.

    Ruan Danchen did not let him wait that long, though. All of a sudden, she raised Qi Chenglin¡¯s left hand¡ªhe had already chosen his ring and worn it.

    She looked at it for a moment before deciding to lift up her hand, remarking, ¡°This ring seems to match yours.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at it and felt the same way too. He smiled at her and gave her a warm gaze. ¡°Then we¡¯ll get these.¡±

    ¡°Mm!¡± Ruan Danchen answered happily, then took out the one she was wearing on her right hand.

    The manager took out the blue gem ring from the ss box and gave it to Ruan Danchen.

    She could feel its weight on her hands.

    ¡°Wear it,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen kept quiet and looked at him, with her face expressing her worry at losing it.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t wear it, we wouldn¡¯t even know if it¡¯s lost,¡± Qi Chenglin said with a cocked brow.

    Ruan Danchen heard that and wore the ring at once. She then put on the normal ring too. With two big rings shining brightly on her finger, she felt like a parvenu but was aware that doing so was much safer than keeping it in the bag.

    Qi Youxuan scrutinized Ruan Danchen and facepalmed, thinking, ¡®Mom is growing up!¡¯

    As they left the shop, Qi Chenglin had already made reservations for a Western restaurant within Dynasty, bringing with him the little boy. Having chosen the rings and worn them, Qi Chenglin was beyond ted, and he suggested for them to eat out because he wanted to celebrate.

    The family of three went into Dynasty, with Manager Qianing over immediately to wee them. ¡°Young Master Lin, Miss Ruan.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s now my wife,¡± Qi Chenglin appeared to have waited so long for that moment as he proimed it very proudly.

    Manager Qian was stunned, but came back to his senses quickly. ¡°Hehehe, congrattions Mr. Qi, Mrs. Qi. When did you two get married?¡±

    ¡°We got our marriage certificates yesterday,¡± Qi Chenglin answered Manager Qian¡¯s question very patiently. He then raised Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and said, ¡°We went to choose our rings tonight and decided toe here and celebrate.¡±

    Manager Qian paused for a moment. He was blinded by the glimmer of both rings on her finger, thinking to himself that Qi Chenglin must have bought two rings for her out of sheer happiness with the marriage.

    ¡°I wish you both a prosperous, happy marriage.¡± Manager Qian brought Qi Chenglin to the Western restaurant and said, ¡°Tonight¡¯s dinner is one the house. Our sincere treat.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, I appreciate the gesture,¡± Qi Chenglin nodded in eptance without any sign of being modest. ¡°When its time for our wedding ceremony, please do me the honor of attending.¡±

    ¡°Of course, of course!¡± Manager Qian was overwhelmed by the favor. No matter how big a Qi family¡¯s wedding was, and no matter how many guests were there, it was not the kind of even that he would ordinarily be present at. He became even more courteous as Qi Chenglin was kind enough to invite him to the wedding.

    The distinguishing feature of the Western restaurant within Dynasty was itsck of a private room. Everyone dined together in the dining hall, but the innermost part of the hall had a raised tform with three tables. Those three tables were covered by a wooden screen. Unless one was discussing business, most couples who wanted to savor the moment would ordinarily choose not to sit there.

    The primary reason for that was because the floor was made out of ss, resembling the sea. Beneath the ss was a plethora of colorful fishes, including clownfish, and some aquarium d¨¦cor of valleys and seagrasses. During the course of the meal, one could just look down and see the beautiful scene under them.

    Before the dishes were served, Qi Youxuan sat on the chair and wiggled his buttocks from time to time. The myriad of vibrant-looking fishes made him incredibly happy.

    After observing for some time, he looked up at Ruan Danchen. His big, grape-like eyes were shimmering brightly, looking particrly handsome under the dim light of the restaurant.

    ¡°Mom, would you like to send me to ss when school reopens?¡± Qi Youxuan asked eagerly with his sparkling eyes.

    School would reopen in about half-a-month, as the winter holidays were short. As ofte, Qi Youxuan was constantly mulling over how he would go to school and show his mother off.

    Ruan Danchen understood Qi Youxuan well and caught on to his thinking. She replied without the slightest hesitation, ¡°You bet.¡±

    Once dinner was served, Qi Youxuan ate happily.

    ...

    Returning to Prestige Residences after dinner, she gave the little boy a bath before telling him a bedtime story and coaxing him to sleep. By the time all that was done, two hours had passed.

    Ruan Danchen hurriedly tidied up her things, and after she finished her bath, Qi Chenglin was already in the bed, watching television. He took his bath much earlier when she was busy coaxing Qi Youxuan to sleep.

    The remote was ced not far from him, and the nket only managed to cover him to his stomach. He was half-naked from the waist up, and even though he was just sitting there, there was no b at all, only muscles. They were extremely seductive.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you cold?¡± Ruan Danchen felt cold after the bath, and she hurriedly tucked herself in the nket. Qi Chenglin then hauled her into his embrace.

    Ruan Danchen was no longer feeling cold. Instead, she was getting hotter and hotter, as she could feel Qi Chenglin¡¯s breath on her forehead. She got so nervous that she forgot how to breathe.

    Qi Chenglin stopped watching at the television, he embraced Ruan Danchen and rubbed against her. Her body was so soft that he was in a state of bliss. His thin lips moved from her forehead and traveled downward, letting his scalding hot breaths brush against her face. Ruan Danchen¡¯s breathing became more and more erratic.

    As he kissed her, he did not neglect to feel her, holding her hand and touching the tips of her tender fingers. A burst of passion, followed by him gulping a couple of times, led him to press her hand down.

    Ruan Danchen inhaled sharply due to the shock. She wanted to pull back, but he pushed her down. It may not be very forceful, but she could not break free of his grip.

    ¡°Help me rub one out,¡± Qi Chenglin kissed her and said shamelessly.

    Even if she did not want to, she was unable to evade him, but when it came to that man, she could never say anything. His wish was hermand, and she wanted to satisfy him. There was not a single body part of his that she disliked.

    Though she was blushing and trembling, she still jerked him off.

    Qi Chenglin closed his eyes in ecstasy and pulled her other hand to his lip. Softly, he began kissing them, as well as his lips. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking of this ever since we were choosing our rings.¡±

    With what little brainpower she had left, she remembered his burning gaze from earlier and understood why he looked so naughty at that time.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s misty eyes stared at him, she pursed her lips and chastised weakly, ¡°Shameless.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and finally allowed her hand to break free. He flipped he over, pushed her down, and went in.

    ...

    ...

    Xia Zishan acted in ordance with the instructions from the prior night and contacted Shen Zhijing, saying that she wanted to go out since they had not met for so long. Shen Zhijing did not suspect of his presence, and since she had nothing to do that night, she agreed.

    In order to make things look as natural as possible, Xia Zishan invited Chang Jingqiu and another friend to have a meal together.

    Due to what happened with Qi Chenglin, Shen Zhijing¡¯s circle of friends no longer kept in touch. Most of those who still kept contact were those who were not on the Shen family¡¯s level, a good example of which was Xia Zishan.

    Shen Zhijing however, was aware of her situation and did not make too much a fuss. Xia Zishan did not alienate her, so Shen Zhijing maintained a good rtionship with her.

    Rumors circted that the Xia family was busy trying to set Xia Zishan up with Chen Libai. If it turned out to be a sess, then the Xia family would be raised to another level¡ªall the more reason for Shen Zhijing to maintain good rtions with Xia Zishan. That was one of the reasons why she was so willing to show up after only one phone call from Xia Zishan.

    In addition, one of the friends that Xia Zishan also invited was Chen Libai¡¯s sister, Chen Pinyan. Shen Zhijing knew of Chen Pinyan, but was not too familiar with her, although they previously met before when some of the rich families¡¯ daughters came out to have fun.

    Another one was Chang Jingqiu, whom Shen Zhijing did not now.

    After Xia Zishan¡¯s introduction, Shen Zhijing was slightly taken aback. The Chang family was no ordinary family¡ªthey had the potential to be rted be marriage to any one of the Eight Great Families. It was surprising that she would apany Xia Zishan there.

    Just as those doubts began surfacing, Xia Zishan exined, ¡°Jingqiu is my high school ssmate.¡±

    Shen Zhijing immediately understood how two people of different societal hierarchy could be such good friends.

    Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan were both well-acquainted with Chen Libai, so Chen Pinyan knew them both too. Everyone was in high spirits during the meal. Everyone wasughing and smiling, and their conversations were littered with topics such as makeup, clothes, travel, and non-surgical cosmetic surgery. They all had a st.

    Shen Zhiing held Chang Jingqiu in high regard, as she felt that thetter did not have the mannerisms of a rich daughter and was easy to talk to.

    ¡°Zhijing?¡± a voice called out.

    Shen Zhijing¡¯s gleefulugh disappeared instantly. She turned around coldly and saw Liu Ronghua standing hesitantly behind her, barely two feet away. The woman looked unsure and reluctant.

    Shen Zhijing looked at Liu Ronghua briefly and turned back to see Chang Jingqiu and the others. She was worried that she mighty her eyes on looks of disdain from the group of girls.

    Their faces did not seem to have any such looks, only suspicion.

    Seizing the pause, Liu Ronghua took a couple of steps forward and asked, ¡°Zhijing, are you here to have a meal with your friends? Such a coincidence, so am I.¡±

    ¡°You are...¡± Chang Jingqiu seemed as though she was unable to find a word to describe Liu Ronghua. It took her some time to smile and say, ¡°...Auntie, right?¡±

    ¡°My aunt,¡± Shen Zhijing nodded. She did not dare to address her using her full name in front of the others.

    At home, Shen Zhjing usually addressed Liu Ronghua by her full name.

    ¡°You¡¯re here alone, Auntie? Why not join us for a meal?¡± Chang Jingqiu smiled and offered.

    ¡ª-

    Bonus scene:

    You Think Having A Wife Makes You So Great!

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°I hate this kind of behavior from rich people, buying two wedding rings just to show off.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°I have a wife.¡±

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°unting your wealth is soooooooo un-ssy.¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°I have a wife.¡±

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°If you have what it takes, don¡¯t use such low-end means to show-off your wealth!¡±

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°I have a wife.¡±

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°If you have what it takes, don¡¯t show-off your wife!¡±

    Qi CHenlin: ¡°I have a wife.¡±

    Han Zhuoli: ¡°... Someone take this trash away please. I can¡¯t take it anymore. You think having a wife makes you so great!¡±

 Chapter 403 - Iâ€™ve Never Held Anything Against You, But Now Youâ€™re in Over Your Head!

    <strong>Chapter 403: I¡¯ve Never Held Anything Against You, But Now You¡¯re in Over Your Head!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Its fine.¡± Liu Ronghua spotted Shen Zhijing¡¯s expression and said immediately, ¡°I¡¯m here with some friends. I thought I¡¯d stop by and say hi. Go on ahead girls, don¡¯t mind me.¡±

    Shen Zhijing pulled a long face and remained quiet. Liu Ronghua looked at her expression and said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back to them.¡±

    She smiled at Chang Jingqiu after saying that and returned to her seat, continuing the chat with her friends.

    Chang Jingqiu nced briefly at Liu Ronghua and retracted her gaze seamlessly. She continued smiling and talking, as if the incident with Liu Ronghua did not happen at all.

    Slowly but surely, Shen Zhijing went back to normal.

    After a while, she ced her cup down and said, ¡°I¡¯m going to the restroom for a bit.¡±

    Soon after she left her seat, Liu Ronghua received a text: [I¡¯m waiting for you at the restroom. Come here now.]

    Chang Jingqiu noticed that Liu Ronghua got up and went to the toilet, so the former excused herself from her seat on the pretense that she was going to take a call.

    Xia Zishan had no idea what was there about Shen Zhijing that Chang Jingqiu wanted to take advantage of, but she knew that Chang Jingqiu came because of Shen Zhijing. Xia Zishan thus went along with Chang Jingqiu. On the other hand, Chen Pinyan knew nothing at all, and thus did not suspect anything.

    Once Liu Ronghua entered the restroom, Shen Zhijing locked the door.

    With no one else inside, Shen Zhijing said unhesitatingly, ¡°If you see me outside next time, just pretend not to know me. Don¡¯te up to me and acknowledge me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Liu Ronghua put on a pitiful expression, angering Shen Zhijng even more.

    Shen Zhijng was so exasperated that she wanted to give Liu Ronghua a p. Annoyed, she said, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that pitiful look. I¡¯m not a man. I won¡¯t have any pity on you. Besides, you¡¯re already so old. Would men even take pity on you? Isn¡¯t it disgusting for such an olddy to act all pitiful like a young woman?¡±

    Liu Ronghua stared at Shen Zhijng dolefully and sadly, ¡°Zhijing, why must you say something like this? For better or worse, we¡¯re still family, and I...¡±

    ¡°Who are you calling family, huh? Don¡¯t disgust me,¡± Shen Zhijing cut her off unhappily. ¡°Oh yes, you don¡¯t have any family now, because Ruan Danchen¡¯s not even your own daughter. She doesn¡¯t even acknowledge you now. I just don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re still clinging on to our Shen family? Qi Chenglin gave you a lot of money, right? With that money, you can live by your own outside and befortably well-off. You¡¯ll still be like a rich woman. Why must you suffer the mistreatment of the Shen family? My dad doesn¡¯t like you, and I hate you even more. What are you nning exactly?¡±

    Shen Zhijng regarded Liu Ronghua as a brainless woman who just had to tell everyone that Ruan Danchen was not her own daughter. If she kept her mouth shut, she would still be useful and could still take advantage of Ruan Danchen. With the truth revealed, Ruan Danchen did not even acknowledge her as her mother. Liu Ronghua¡¯s usefulness was all but gone.

    Moreover, if Shen Zhijing were in Liu Ronghua¡¯s shoes, she would have long deserted the Shen family and seized the opportunity to mend rtionships with Ruan Danchen. Sucking up to Ruan Danchen was the normal, proper thing to do. She could have endless riches if she could be on good terms with Ruan Danchen and had Qi Chenglin as a son-inw.

    Even if Ruan Danchen was not her own child, Ruan Danchen might¡ªat the very least¡ªfeel some form of gratitude for being raised by Liu Ronghua. If Liu Ronghua were to acknowledge all those mistakes in front of Ruan Danchen and get thetter¡¯s forgiveness, Ruan Danchen might just be filial to her as if she was Ruan Danchen¡¯s own mother.

    Shen Zhijing wondered what Liu Ronghua¡¯s brain was filled with, as the women was adamant on clinging to the Shen family, repulsing Shen Zhijing daily.

    ¡°Zhijing, how could you say such a thing?¡± Liu Ronghua was beginning to feel unhappy and looked disappointedly at Shen Zhijng. ¡°I did so much for you, for the Shen family. I don¡¯t want you to like me that much, but you should at least treat be courteously. Isn¡¯t it good if we lived peacefully together! All those years ago, on your behalf, I was even willing to let Ruan Danchen...¡±

    ¡°SHUT YOUR MOUTH!¡± Shen Zhijng expression changed in an instant, cutting off Liu Ronghua¡¯s 1 [1] words at once. ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to bring up whatever that happened in the past. None of that happened during that time. If you dare to bring it up again, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯repletely exiled from the Shen family! Forget about everything that happened in the past! Also, don¡¯t talk to me about all that as if I should be grateful for your help. You agreed to it because it¡¯s a condition that we brought up. It¡¯s a like-for-like exchange and we each got what we wanted, so we¡¯re even!¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s lips were trembling, and so was her lower jaw. She may be cutting a sorry figure, but her words were thus, ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned all that, I guess I don¡¯t need to keep wishing for you to treat me slightly better. You asked me why I¡¯m still clinging to the Shen family?¡±

    Tears were puddling at the rim of her eyes, and it seemed as though it would flow out at any given time. Her lips began twitching and trembling.

    ¡°Because I¡¯ve given you so much, and yet none of you have ever been grateful to me. You use me when you need me, and then treat me like your servant, telling me to do this or do that, as if that¡¯s the proper thing to do. If I can¡¯t do it then I¡¯m useless, or I¡¯m stupid. It¡¯s like I owe you all the world, and no matter what I did for you, you¡¯ll never say a word of thanks to us. You never even show me a warm expression, let alone a smile. Why should I continue to be treated like your bull or your horse?

    ¡°You¡¯re correct, Ruan Danchen isn¡¯t my daughter, and I made sure to say that to the Qi family because I don¡¯t want any of you to continue using me. I know that no matter what I do for all of you, none of you will treat me even the slightest bit better. Why should I keep letting you reap benefits from me then? As long as Ruan Danchen knows that she isn¡¯t rted to me, she wouldn¡¯t even care about me after what you did to her by using me. If you don¡¯t treat me well, why should I treat you well? Let¡¯s see what you can do without Ruan Danchen¡¯s rtionship with me!¡±

    Liu Ronghua pursed her lips and snickered. ¡°You asked me why I¡¯m still purposely hanging on to the Shen family? It¡¯s because I want to do exactly that. I know you don¡¯t look kindly on me and feel disgusted to see me, so I want to make sure I show myself in front of you and disgust you to death. Now that I have money, there¡¯s nothing for me to be afraid of if you cut me off and remove my means of survival. I live in the Shen Residence, but I don¡¯t need you to show me your good side. The more you despise me, the happier I¡¯ll be! Even if I don¡¯t get my status, just staying in the Shen family is good enough, at least I don¡¯t need to spend money to buy a house.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Shen Zhijng did not think that Liu Ronghua would sink into such a crazed despair. The woman waspleted undaunted¡ªlike a dead pig that did not fear scalding water¡ªand in that split second, Shen Zhijing found herself unable to deal with the situation at hand.

    ¡°Shen Zhijng.¡± Liu Ronghua smiled coldly. ¡°You don¡¯t need to think about chasing me out. I know that you treat me as if I¡¯m an idiot, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that smart either. There¡¯s no need for you to think about chasing me out of the Shen family. If you really dare to do that, or let¡¯s put it this this way, if you still dare to treat me rudely, I¡¯ll reveal everything that happened in the past!¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care how Ruan Danchen might end up, but I thought about it before. She has already given Qi Chenglin a son, and I heard that they¡¯ve already gotten a marriage certificate. Even if news gets out, divorce is unlikely even if Ruan Danchen¡¯s reputation gets tarnished and everyone starts to say things about the Qi family. They won¡¯t divorce, not unless Qi Chenglin really get disappointed in her.

    ¡°You, on the other hand, are nearly thirty, but still no one wants you. If everything about your past was exposed, you¡¯ll be done for, and it¡¯ll be even more impossible for you to find a good husband. You¡¯re not happy with those whose status is lower than you, but anyone who has a higher status than you doesn¡¯t want you. I think you¡¯ll be spending your entire life in solitude and ending up worse than me,¡± Liu Ronghua chided. The pitiful look on her face was no longer present at all.

    ¡°If you want to maintain your reputation, then you¡¯d best be treating me nicer, don¡¯t order me around!¡± Liu Ronghua sniggered. ¡°I¡¯ve never held anything against you, but now you¡¯re in over your head!¡±

    Shen Zhijing was trembling in anger, but she was in such stupor that she could not even say out a single word. Even the ¡®You¡¯ that she uttered earlier could not escape from her mouth.

    At the door, Chang Jingqiu heard everything and left quietly. She wanted to hurry back to her seat before Shen Zhijing came out.

    She looked down, wondering about the things that she had just heard.

    ¡®What did Liu Ronghua mean when she said all that?

    ¡®What was the secret thing happened in the past?¡¯

    She did not expect that Qi Youxuan was really Ruan Danchen¡¯s child, but from Liu Ronghua¡¯s words, the couple¡¯s rtionship was not as simple as breaking up and then getting back together.

    The incident that Liu Ronghua referred to involved the Shen family, Shen Zhijing, Liu Ronghua, and Ruan Danchen.

    ¡®What was their connection?¡¯

    Chang Jingqiu was in such deep thought that she did not notice Shen Zhijing¡¯s presence.

    Shen Zhijing even reeked of tobo. Liu Ronghua was the first to leave the restroom, leaving Shen Zhijng alone there. She smoked a cigarette to vent out the anger that Liu Ronghua had incited.

    ¡°Jingqiu, Jingqiu,¡± Chen Pinyan called out a couple of times, finally snapping Chang Jingqiu out of it.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? What are you thinking about?¡± Chen Pinyan asked.

    Chang Jingqiu smiled immediately and replied, ¡°Nothing, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    ...

    After the four of them finished their meal, Shen Zhijing had no mood for karaoke after Liu Ronghua¡¯s appearance. The remaining three decided not to carry on, and each of them left respectively.

    All four of them drove there, so they each left on their own.

    Chang Jingqiu was in no rush to go home. She sat inside her car and waited at the entrance. Then, she saw Liu Ronghuaing out with the friends, and after those friends waved their goodbyes, Liu Ronghua stood by the road with the intention of calling a cab.

    Due to the fiasco with the Qi family during the new year, Shen Jialiang no longer spared her any honor, leading her to feel a pain in her heart. The more pain she felt, the more unjust she regarded everything to be, and the more wronged she felt. Although she had umted some resentment toward the Shen family, that resentment grew slowly, to the point where she truly hated the family.

    Liu Ronghua no longer cared about whether she continued having a happy life. As long as the Shen family had it worse than her, she would feel slightly better.

    If she could not live happily, she was going to do her best and wreck the hell out of Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing.

    Ever since thest day of the lunar new year, when Liu Ronghua came back from the Qi family and the truth about her rtionship with Ruan Danchen was revealed, Shen Jialiang felt that Liu Ronghua¡¯s usefulness had diminished significantly. Perhaps there might be another opportunity to use her, but no one knew if that kind of opportunity would ever arise.

    In order to punish Liu Ronghua¡¯s stupidity, Shen Jialiang took away the keys for the car that was provided for her to get around. In addition, her pocket money was cut in half.

    Liu Ronghua stood by the side of the road, letting the cold wind blow on her. As she thought of what happened that night, Shen Jialiang might not even give her the pocket money that he halved.

    Never mind, then.

    Liu Ronghua thought about how she did not care that much for Shen Jialiang¡¯s money. Qi Chenglin gave her more than enough, and she did not need Shen Jialiang¡¯s money at all. Annoying the father-daughter duo was good enough.

    Nevertheless, cabs were hard toe by at that time. Most of them had passengers, and even those that were empty chose not to ept passengers as they were rushing to get off the job.

    ¡°Auntie, where are you heading? I can send you.¡± Chang Jingqiu drove to Liu Ronghua and lowered the windows.

    Liu Ronghua was stunned, but she soon smiled and said, ¡°It¡¯ll be too troublesome. You¡¯re too kind.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright. You can¡¯t get a cab around this time. It¡¯s a cold day too, and you might be left to stand out here for a long time.¡± Chang Jingqiu opened the door to the front passenger seat immediately. ¡°Come on up. I know the road to the Shen family home. It¡¯s not that far away.¡±

    Liu Ronghua nodded and went in, bringing the gush of cold wind with her.

    After closing the door, she said while putting on her seatbelt, ¡°Thank you. Oh yes, I don¡¯t know your...¡±

    ¡°My name is Chang Jingqiu. Just call me Xiao Chang or Jingqiu, whatever you like,¡± Chang Jingqiu said with a smile before driving off.

    ¡°Hehe, Jingqiu, thank you for today,¡± Liu Ronghua smiled and thanked.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that big a deal. If I bump into someone I know, I won¡¯t just let her stay out in the cold,¡± Chang Jingqiu remarked.

    ¡°Sigh, I¡¯m so lucky to meet you here tonight, if not...¡± Liu Ronghua shook her head and smiled bitterly. ¡°Oh right, are you friends with Zhijing?¡±

    Knowing that Liu Ronghua had a bad rtionship with Shen Zhijing, Chang Jingqiu said, ¡°We met for the first time tonight. An ex-ssmate of mine from high school knew her. We agreed toe and have dinner together, and my friend asked Miss Shen out too.¡±

    ¡°I see.¡± Liu Ronghua remained silent after saying that, and she began silently cooking up a plot.

    Silence filled the car for quite some time, before Liu Ronghua finally spoke up, albeit awkwardly, ¡°Would you feel weird about Zhijing¡¯s attitude toward me?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu paused and said, ¡°Not really. Although Miss Shen didn¡¯t talk about your rtionship, but her attitude, I think I can understand why. This is the first time I met her, but I can see that she¡¯s a very proud person.¡±

    Chang Jingiqu said nothing further after making those remarks.

    ¡°She...doesn¡¯t like me, and doesn¡¯t look kindly on me,¡± Liu Ronghua said softly. ¡°I was shocked that you¡¯d send me so willingly. I thought you were her friend and that you¡¯d stand on her side.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu smiled. ¡°That¡¯s a private matter between the both of you. It¡¯s not right for a third party like me to side on anyone. I can understand her thoughts and yours as well, so I don¡¯t think anyone¡¯s at fault here. The interaction has toe from yourself. I have no right to judge on things that happen at your home.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, if only Zhijng thinks like you. Jingqiu, I never expected you to be so rational,¡± Liu Ronghua said gratefully.

    Chang Jingqiu smiled. ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that.¡±

    As the car was getting closer to Shen Residence, Liu Ronghua told her to stop about a couple of hundred meters away.

    Liu Ronghua exined, ¡°If you stop at the door and Zhijng sees you, I¡¯m worried it might affect the rtionship between both of you.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu nodded and left it at that. She merely took out her name card and handed it over to Liu Ronghua, ¡°Auntie, this is my name card. You can see my contact information there. If there¡¯s anything you need me to help, just call me. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Liu Ronghua seemed to be very happy when she took the name card, but still, she sighed, ¡°Speaking of which, I¡¯ve lived here with Zhijing for nearly eight years, and I¡¯ve known her far earlier than that. Still, the way she treats me could neverpare to you, a girl whom I¡¯ve just met.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that. I feel like Miss Shen will one daye around,¡± Chang Jingqiu consoled.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Liu Ronghua chuckled. Eight years passed and Shen Zhijing still did not toe around. How much longer did she need? ¡°I¡¯m not thinking of all that anymore. So sorry to have bothered you tonight. It¡¯ste and I had you take a detour just to send me.¡±

    ¡°No worries. It¡¯s dark, so be careful,¡± Chang Jingqiu advised.

    Liu Ronghua smiled and said not another word, save for a couple more thanks. She then got off the car.

    Utilizing what little illumination from the streetlights, she nced at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s name card while walking, and a cold little twitch appeared on the corner of her lip.

    ...

    In recent days, Ruan Danchen had been living a rather peaceful life. She went to work and got off work with Qi Chenglin, as husband-and-wife, while an adorable little Qi Youxuan awaited her when she came home. Once a week, they would gather at the manor, and from time to time she would even have a girls¡¯ day with Song Yu and Qi Chengyue.

    Footnotes:

 Chapter 404 - That Old Lady Did Not Look Like A Good Person

    <strong>Chapter 404: That Old Lady Did Not Look Like A Good Person</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    On the other hand, Liu Ronghua and Chang Jingqiu met on a regr basis to chat or take a stroll. Chang Jingqiu listened to Liu Ronghua¡¯smentations, and their rtionship thus began improving.

    It was Sunday, and Qi Chenglin brought Jiang Yuan to Jinshi City because of some urgent,st-minute matters. Something happened there and it was an pressing issue, but before he left, he told Ruan Danchen that he would be rushing home on the same day itself.

    Ruan Danchen, worried that it would tire him out too much if he insisted on rushing back, told him not to be hasty. ¡°If its already veryte, don¡¯t rush back. As long as its dark, don¡¯te back. You cane back tomorrow. Don¡¯t drive sote at night.¡±

    Previously in Chengshi, she had gone on a night journey to Jinshi City for a business trip. At that time, Director Zhao did not want his employees to request leave and be absent from work, so he was adamant that they leave for the destination at night ande back home the night after. That way, their working period for the day would be left untouched.

    Sitting in the car at that time, she looked at the dark highway, lit only by some inferior lights. Even their driver was unable to keep his eyes open, keeping her on her toes. She knew exactly how dangerous it was to drive sote into the night.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Qi Chenglin answered. ¡°I¡¯ll go there early and I expect to be back at about four or five in the evening. It¡¯s an urgent matter, but not something that¡¯s tricky to handle. The other party is just insisting that I show up.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and sent Qi Chenglin off.

    Then, she brought Qi Youxuan to the mall. His height was increasing rapidly by the day, and his clothes were no longer wearable, forcing them to get new ones.

    She had no idea why the boy had was predisposed to going shopping in the mall. The minute she mentioned buying him new clothes, his spirits went up and he was incredibly excited. He followed Ruan Danchen out buoyantly, and although it was cold, the temperature did not dampen his energy. His little face was constantly red and she did not feel cold at all.

    Since Xiao Yang was driving Qi Chenglin for thetter¡¯s business trip, Ruan Danchen was fine and capable of making do all by herself. She would never let her son suffer, so she ordered a cab through an e-hailing app and made sure that they did not need to wait in the cold.

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to Wei Ziqi¡¯s luxury mall. It was filled with internationally-renowned high-end brands as well as domestic luxury goods, all of which were equally expensive.

    When Qi Youxuan was in kindergarten, he was given normal clothes to wear. However, going to school at Jixia Elementary was a different thing altogether. All the kids there were from strong backgrounds and were brought up differently from normal kids. Comparing them with the Qi Youxuan of kindergarten was a futile exercise. Kindergarten kids were na?ve, and Qi Youxuan¡¯s good behavior were equal parts due to family teachings and the kindergarten environment.

    At Jixia Elementary however, dressing mediocrely would make him the butt of jokes, leading to an outcast scenario. Ruan Danchen decided to discuss with Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya about it, with the elderdies feeling that Qi Youxuan would need to wear something that befitted his family¡¯s status, since he was attending Jixia Elementary School.

    Ruan Danchen had the utmost confidence in her son, knowing that he would not be used by anyone.

    Qi Youxuan did not think too about anything at all. He knew nothing of those brands and never looked at the price when buying clothes¡ªif it looked good, he tried it, and he particrly enjoyed various suave-looking clothes.

    Ruan Danchen was not keen on buying too many clothes for him and only bought a few seasonal ones, since he would grow out of them really soon anyway.

    In the blink of an eye, she was carrying many bags for Qi Youxuan. Upon deciding that it was all enough, she led him out. Just before one of the esctors, they saw an eye-catching advertisement promoting the new indoor amusement arcade. It was a famous Japanese one, with replications of various anime scenes.

    Amongst all the ads was the AE86 that Fujiwara Takumi drove in Initial D. He got incredibly excited, pointing to the drawing with his tubby fingers and saying, ¡°Mom! It¡¯s the AE86, it¡¯s the AE86! Let¡¯s go and y!¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at it for a moment before lowering her gaze, saying inly, ¡°Are you legs long enough to press the elerator?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless. Mom spent too much time with Dad, and it showed in the simrity of their speech.

    ¡°You drive, I¡¯ll sit beside. There¡¯re also many other things that I can y, right? Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go!¡± Qi Youxuan swung Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm. Her hands were full with various bags, and she shook it to the point where Ruan Danchen struggled to hold everything.

    ¡°Okay, okay, okay. We¡¯ll go,¡± Ruan Danchen agreed immediately. She thought to herself and decided to spend the entire day having fun with the little one.

    She brought the boy to store their all their bags. With her hands free, she brought Qi Youxuan to the amusement arcade, which was located on the fifth floor.

    Due to being newly opened, the arcade was filled with people. Each section had a long line, but the boy shrugged it off and happily stood in line.

    By noontime, he had only managed to y in two sections. Ruan Danchen brought him to have lunch first, promising to bring him back after they had their meal.

    ¡°What do you want to eat for lunch?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°How about McDonalds?¡± Qi Youxuan looked up and suggested. On the one hand, he wanted to have some fried chicken, on the other he felt that fast food would speed things up and enable him to quickly get back in line. Any other restaurant would have needed a long time for dishes to be served.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll let you have it today,¡± Ruan Danchen nodded and said.

    Qi Youxuan had few chances to eat such fast food, since the school lunches were all incredibly nutritious and it was Ruan Danchen who often cooked at home. If they went out, Qi Chenglin would usually bring him to Dynasty.

    Fast food like McDonalds was something he probably ate only once a year.

    Ruan Danchen seated him down on the chair and made sure he did not run around. Having chosen his Happy Meal, Ruan Danchen went and stood in line.

    A grey-haired olddy stood in front of Ruan Danchen and seemed to be incredibly old of age. Ruan Danchen figured that the olddy brought her grandchildren with her and they wanted to eat McDonalds too.

    The olddy¡¯s eyesight was not good. She was shortsighted and had unclear vision, making her unable to see the menu on the wall.

    When it was her turn, she narrowed her eyes but still did not ce her order. Both the servers and customers behind her were getting impatient.

    ¡°May I know if you¡¯ve already decided on your order? If you haven¡¯t decided yet, you can stand at one side and look slowly. Let those behind you order, is that okay?¡± a young, chubby, bespectacled server asked.

    ¡°That¡¯s no good. I waited for so long and its finally my turn. If I go to one side and wait, wouldn¡¯t I have to stand back in line again if I made my choice? Look at my old arms and legs, I can¡¯t stand long!¡± the olddy said unhappily and remained rooted to the ground.

    The server did not say anything further, as that olddy did not look like a good person. If the server voiced out her opinion, she might just bebeled disrespectful to elders.

    In the end, the olddy stood there for a further ten minutes without deciding what to order.

    Qi Youxuan sat on his seat and stretched his neck, noticing that Ruan Danchen was already second in line.

    They were in the middle of a peak hour, and being a Sunday, parents with children were aplenty. Kids usually prefer fast food, so there was arge number of people there.

    Some of those who were at the tail end of the line decided to switch to another line out of sheer frustration.

    Ruan Danchen was also wondering if she should change to another line.

    She looked at the olddy and suggested, ¡°Auntie, are you here with you grandson?¡±

    ¡°I am,¡± the olddy replied with a nod.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let the kids wait. You have time to look at the menu, but the kids are waiting to have lunch. How about you take a McShare Chicken Box? The packaging style is a minion now, which kids nowadays love. The portion is enough for the both of you too.¡± Ruan Danchen pointed at the advertisement on the counter.

    Though the olddy was unable to see things from afar, she could see the poster advertisement very clearly. The box really did look appealing to kids, and she usually saw her grandson acting like a minion, so she nodded and said, ¡°Alright then, I¡¯ll take that one.¡±

    The server breathed a sigh of relief, quickly assembled the set meal, and gave it to the olddy.

    Ruan Danchen usually did not pay much attention to all those other things, but when she saw the minion, she felt that Qi Youxuan would like it a lot. Other than the Happy Meal that Qi Youxuan wanted, she took the box set with the minion too. Realizing that minion toys were avable for sale, she asked the price before buying two.

    Since the minion design was at random, so she bought two with full awareness that they might turn out to the be same. If that were the case, she could give them to Little Muche and Little Youjin.

    Ruan Danchen held the minions and carried the tray back to their seat. Once Qi Youxuanid eyes on the box set and the minion, he eximed in surprise, ¡°Mom! You bought these?!¡±

    When he was stretching his neck to see the counter earlier, he saw a photo of the minion box hanging on the wall. He wanted it immediately, instead of the happy meal.

    He thought of going over to tell Ruan Danchen about it, but he was afraid to leave his seat because there were too many people. Someone would definitely take his seat if he left, as there were already plenty of people asking him if there was anyone seating beside him.

    It therefore came as a surprise that Ruan Danchen bought it for him.

    ¡°I saw this and I thought you¡¯d like it, so I bought it for you,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said. She looked on as the little boy opened the box like a present, with his ck, grape-like eyes glistening with joy.

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯re the best!¡± Qi Youxuan eximed gleefully and rejoiced at how good it was to have a mother!

    If he went out with his father, the man would not even bring him to McDonalds, let alone buy the toy for him.

    Going out with his grandma would be the same, as thedy knew nothing about those things.

    ¡°There¡¯s more where that came from. Give Mom a kiss,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said, before leaning toward the little boy.

    With so many people around, Qi Youxuan was feeling rather shy. His face was slightly reddened and he looked around furtively. Everyone seemed to be busy eating and chatting, with their attention ced elsewhere.

    Qi Youxuan nted a smack on Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheek.

    She then smiled and took out the bunch of little minions, leaving the boy quite looking stumped. ¡°Wow! Mom, you bought so many!¡±

    ¡°Mm, since the design is random and we couldn¡¯t choose, we might end up with the same design, so I bought a few more,¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    Qi Youxuan did not even care about his food. He was entirely focused on the toys, but Ruan Danchen put them away and said, ¡°Eat your lunch. You can open them after you¡¯re done. Don¡¯t forget, if the fried chicken wings get cold, they won¡¯t be crispy anymore, and they won¡¯t taste good.¡±

    As a foodie, Qi Youxuan¡¯s greatest fear was if his food did not taste good. He stopped opening the toys and grabbed a chicken wing to begin munching. His other hand was upied too, as he raised his C for a drink before grabbing a Chicken McNugget.

    Feeling content from eating, he forgot about his toys and focused on his chicken wings.

    When he was finally too full to have any more, he took a paper napkin to wipe his hands and mouth. Ruan Danchen took out her antibacterial hand gel and told the boy to rub his hands, before using a wet tissue to wipe it all off.

    She pulled the tray toward herself to clear up the space on the table. Then, she brought the toys up. Ruan Danchen finished the chicken wings that Qi Youxuan was unable to and watched as the boy opened his toys happily.

    There were a few repeated designs inside, which Qi Youxuan separated, intending to give his future brother-inw.

    Seeing all those minions made him feel overjoyed, and he spontaneously leaned over to kiss Ruan Danchen on the cheek. ¡°Mom, you¡¯re the best!¡±

    The two of them put away everything, and Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to the toilet in order to wash his hands. After that, they went back to the amusement arcade.

    As they were standing in line, a little boy stubbornly jumped queue and stood in front of Qi Youxuan. The boy looked to be about the same height and age as Qi Youxuan.

    Faced with that queue jumper, Qi Youxuan was resoundingly unhappy. He poked the boy and waited until the boy looked behind before saying, ¡°You can¡¯t cut in line. Can you please go to the back and line up?¡±

    ¡°Why? Which one of your eyes saw me cut in line? This is my spot, I just went to the toilet for a while, and now I¡¯m at my original spot,¡± the young boy said confidently.

    Ruan Danchen frowned. Both she and Ruan Danchen had been standing there for nearly half an hour, and the particr game was the most popr attraction in the entire amusement arcade¡ªit was the car from Initial D that Qi Youxuan saw from the advertisement.

    In front of the car was arge screen, depicting the gamey with roads winding around the mountains. The car was suspended midair, moving along with the turn of the steering wheel, giving it a sense of realism when ying. Therefore, there were plenty of people standing in line.

    When they came, the little boy was not even there yet, and no one goes to the toilet for half an hour. It was obvious that the boy was lying.

    Ruan Danchen looked at the boy and shook her head. What kind of family upbringing did that kid have? Lying was second nature to him.

    Just as she was about to open her mouth, Qi Youxuan asked, ¡°Alright then, tell me. How long ago did you go to the toilet?¡±

    The other kid paused for a moment and rolled his eyeballs around, saying, ¡°About twenty minutes.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was pleased with that answer. ¡°We stood here for more than half an hour. If you went to the toilet twenty minutes ago, we would¡¯ve seen you. But when we came, we didn¡¯t even see you. We only saw the big sister in front of us.¡±

    Thedy was ted to hear a little kid calling her ¡®big sister¡¯, so she turned around immediately.

    Qi Youxuan looked much cuter than all those other kids who called her ¡®auntie¡¯.

    Seeing thedy turn around, Qi Youxuan tugged at the clothes of that girl, aged twenty or so years old. ¡°Big Sister, since you¡¯re in front of us, you stood here longer than us, right? How long did you wait in line?¡±

    ¡°I think about forty minutes,¡± the girl looked at her phone before answering. ¡°The line¡¯s too long, so many people behind me left instead of continuing to stay in line.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded and made a show of being earnest. ¡°In that case, did Big Sister ever see him standing in line?¡±

    The girl was amused by Qi Youxuan¡¯s adorable actions. He looked like a cute little ball of dough, but he spoke seriously and with an eye for detail, just like a detective. It was too cute.

    ¡°No. He never stood here. Behind me there were some who stood a while and left. A few high school students, some adults, but other than you, there were no children,¡± the girl answered honestly.

    ¡°What do you have to say now?¡± Qi Youxuan turned to the other kid. ¡°You not only cut in line, you even lied!¡±

 Chapter 405 - My Momâ€™s Surname Is Ruan Too; Youâ€™re Both from The Same Clan!

    <strong>Chapter 405: My Mom¡¯s Surname Is Ruan Too; You¡¯re Both from The Same n!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The other kid¡¯s face soured immediately. As a little kid, he felt uneasy after his lie was exposed and looked somewhat embarrassed. Ruan Danchen was about to go easy and tell Qi Youxuan to just let the kid stay in line, but the kid said, ¡°So? Why are you so nitpicky? It¡¯s just one person. How much time will I take from you? In any case, I can just let you all stand in front of me!¡±

    The kid noticed that adults formed the bulk of people lined up behind Qi Youxuan. He figured that Qi Youxuan and Ruan Danchen would feel embarrassed to argue with a child.

    ¡°How could you saw that? It¡¯s not about how long the wait is. Cutting in line is not the right thing to do! Haven¡¯t your parents ever taught you about this? Haven¡¯t your teachers ever taught you?¡± Qi Youxuan got angry.

    His temper was actually quite good initially and he was magnanimous¡ªas long as the kid knew those actions were wrong and apologized, Qi Youxuan would have let the kid continue to stand in line.

    Surprisingly, the kid not only refused to apologize after his lie was exposed¡ªhe even reaffirmed his stance, angering Qi Youxuan even further.

    Ruan Danchen patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s head. He was still very angry, but Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft touch decreased his anger by half.

    She knelt down and hugged Qi Youxuan, saying, ¡°Okay, that¡¯s enough. You¡¯ve already made a spectacle of him after exposing his lie and teaching him a lesson. I think he wants to apologize to you, but is too embarrassed and angry that he felt ashamed. Don¡¯t be angry. Let¡¯s be tolerant okay. You see, our friend is all alone here. He¡¯s been standing for so long but his family hasn¡¯t shown up. It¡¯s lonely for him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted, but after some thought, he nodded and said to the little boy in front of him, ¡°I won¡¯t criticize you for standing here in line, but due to your actions of cutting in line, you must say sorry to me. And since I allowed you to stand here in line, so you have to thank me for that too.¡±

    The other kid remained obstinate. He stubbornly refused to utter an apology to Qi Youxuan, but he did not leave the spot either.

    Someone from behind criticized, ¡°Which family does this kid belong to? Jumps queue but doesn¡¯t apologize. Does he even have any manners?¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a kid, you can¡¯t hold that against him.¡±

    ¡°From the looks of it, his family didn¡¯t teach him well.¡±

    ¡°Nannan, why did youe here alone? Grandma was looking all over for you,¡± a shocked and agitated voice was heard.

    Ruan Danchen turned to look, and to her surprise, it was the same indecisive olddy that stared so long at the menu in McDonalds and left everyone behind waiting for so long.

    The olddy had a cup of hot milk tea in her hand. She probably went to buy the drink for the boy, but instead of standing in line, he cut it, causing the olddy to be unable to find him.

    That Nannan boy saw his grandmother as a saving grace and wailed loudly all of a sudden, crying and shouting, ¡°Grandma,¡± before throwing himself over to the olddy.

    ¡°What is it, what is it? Who bullied you? Who did something bad to you?¡± the olddy asked as she shielded her grandson in her arms. Her first line of sight was Qi Youxuan.

    The reason was because he stood with Nannan, and squabbles among kids weremon.

    ¡°It¡¯s him!¡± Nannan pointed tantly at Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen frowned and protected the boy behind herself.

    Before she could say anything, she heard Nannanin, ¡°They bullied me. They thought I was alone, so they bullied a small boy like me. His mommy said that I stood here for so long but no one came to look for me!¡±

    The olddy was not happy to hear that. She said to Ruan Danchen, ¡°I thought you were a reasonable young woman when you helped me at McDonalds just now. Who knew you were such an irrational person? How do you teach your child? Saying those kinds of things to a little boy is too much! How can you bring up your child like this? Not only did you not stop an argument between children, you yourself make nastyments about my grandson. How could you have the heart to say all that out loud! Based on all this, your son doesn¡¯t have any manners too!¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not stand it if people said unsavory things to Qi Youxuan. She could bear with it if it was directed at her, but saying those things to Qi Youxuan was a big no-no. More so, when Qi Youxuan did nothing wrong to deserve all those words from the olddy.

    Taking a deep breath, Ruan Danchen decided to pull Qi Youxuan before her and protect him. She made sure his back was facing the olddy, so she did not have to look at the olddy¡¯s fierce-looking face.

    Ruan Danchen was caressing Qi Youxuan¡¯s head, letting him ease his worries while she turned to the olddy. ¡°He¡¯s a young kid, but he already knows how to twist the truth. I¡¯m the one who should be asking whether your family taught any manners. I didn¡¯t say anything out of respect for an olddy like you, and I expected you to be a rational person. Seems like I overestimated you.¡±

    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about?!¡± the olddy berated. She pointed at Ruan Danchen in anger and was trembling madly. ¡°How dare you speak like that? You should be respecting the old and cherishing the young!¡±

    Compared to Ruan Danchen¡¯s calmness, the olddy seemed violent and sinister. Onlookers were sweating just by looking at her, wondering if she would exert herself too much after getting so worked up.

    There were too many instances where people scammed someone by setting up an ¡®ident¡¯ to make it seem as though the ¡®victim¡¯ sustained some sort of injury from the target. If the olddy really did faint, no one would dare to step forward and help her up.

    Moreover, the olddy did not seem to be a reasonable person. What if their kindness was repaid by a beating from the olddy?

    None of the bystanders took pity on the hag.

    Ruan Danchen ignored the olddy¡¯s anger but remained calm instead, saying, ¡°Our little friend here cut in line for no reason and stubbornly wanted to stand in front of my son. My son told him to line up at the back instead of jumping queue. Your grandson said he went to the toilet and he originally stood in front of my son. He said he was merely getting back to his original position aftering back from the toilet.¡±

    Looking at the cup of milk tea in the olddy¡¯s hands, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°I think, if our little friend went to the toilet, you wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve left him alone and went to buy milk tea, right? We¡¯ve been waiting in line for half an hour, so my son asked our friend how long ago he went to the toilet. He thought about it and said it was twenty minutes. He was smart. He told us he was gone for a long time, but he didn¡¯t know that we had been standing here longer.¡±

    The olddy¡¯s expression was already very sour. Ruan Danchen continued to speak calmly, ¡°We¡¯ve exposed his lies, but not only did he not apologize, he insisted that him cutting in line was only going to add an extra one person to wait. In my son¡¯s eyes, this has nothing to do with how long the wait is; this is a question of a person¡¯s character, and a question of right and wrong. In the home and in school, my son was taught that cutting in line is a very rude thing to do. He would never do such a thing, and he won¡¯t ever let anyone do the same. I saw your grandson being alone, with no one apanying him to y here, probably because the adults were away for some time. So, I told my son to just let him stand in line before him.

    ¡°This isn¡¯t a big issue, but in a kid¡¯s eyes, what¡¯s wrong is wrong, and what¡¯s right is right. Although this isn¡¯t something major, my son was the wronged one and yet he tolerated it. Your grandson likes this kind of game and my son does too. Kids are all excited. As for your grandson¡¯s rude actions, my sonpromised, saying that he would allow your grandson to be ahead of him in exchange for an apology and a word of thanks. How could he twist all that and say that we¡¯re the ones bullying him?¡±

    ¡°You... You youngsters know how to talk. Of course my grandson couldn¡¯t win an argument against you. You¡¯re using that to bully my grandson, what kind of person are you!¡± The olddy¡¯s expression changed.

    The rest of them who stood in line could not take it any longer and began criticizing them.

    ¡°How can an olddy like you not know the difference between right and wrong? You just go around ming others after hearing whatever your grandson says. And you¡¯re saying that her son has no manners? What did her son say? Her son didn¡¯t even say a single word!¡±

    ¡°Yeah, all of us saw it. Your grandson is the one who cut queue, lied, and was rude. The other boy tried topromise with your grandson, but your grandson didn¡¯t budge. When he saw youing, he lied and twisted the truth. From whom did the young kid learn from, I wonder?¡± someone insinuated angrily.

    Children were nk canvasses, and bad behavior was almost certainly learnt from someone else. People were enraged that such a small kid was given wrong treatment by an adult.

    ¡°You¡¯re an unreasonable olddy. Why are you looking down on others just because you¡¯re elderly?¡±

    ¡°Her son didn¡¯t tell lies. Right is right and wrong is wrong. It was your grandson that lied again and again. You use others of not teaching their child well, so I¡¯d like to ask you a question: if your family teaches your grandson well, does that mean you¡¯re teaching him to lie and all that?¡±

    ¡°Her son was so kind topromise with your grandson, but you¡¯re now using them of having no manners. What kind of person are you?¡±

    ¡°Exactly, look how much the child has to suffer!¡±

    ¡°Looking at you, olddy, your attitude can never be a good role model for children. No wonder your grandson is like that even though he¡¯s so young.¡±

    ¡°You should learn to control your temper. Once the child is taught the wrong things, it¡¯ll be toote.¡±

    One after another, the crowd hurled criticisms at the olddy. They could not help it, since they saw everything unfold with their own eyes. The things Ruan Danchen said to Qi Youxuan were not heard by those further away, but anyone who was nearby managed to hear it all.

    With so many people vouching for the truth of the matter, the olddy could never be in the right even if she had a hundred mouths to counter them with.

    The olddy was trembling with anger, and her face was even turning green.

    ¡®What kind of people were they!

    ¡®Saying that our family did not teach children well. Does all these ordinary people even know what her family status was?!¡¯

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you; you can never hope to be on the same level as my family!¡± the olddy remarked exasperatedly. ¡°Hmph! I won¡¯t take offence with all of you today. The atmosphere in today¡¯s society is getting worse. Everyone only knows how to bully the old and the young. What kind of people are these!¡±

    She began bringing her grandson away as soon as she said that. As she walked off, she said, ¡°Nannan, don¡¯t get angry. Don¡¯t go to their level. They¡¯re all useless people who bullied us.¡±

    Everyone was utterly speechless.

    Unreasonable olddies made the news frequently, but none of them foresaw that they meet one in person.

    The crowed rolled their eyes and could not resistmenting, ¡°What kind of person is she!¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s mood took a turn for the worse after what happened with the olddy and her grandson. He was not as excited to stand in line as before and simply hugged Ruan Danchen, looking incredibly listless.

    Ruan Danchen was heartbroken to see that. Sheforted him immediately, ¡°Youxuan, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s not your fault. Don¡¯t keep thinking about it. You were a good boy just now.¡±

    Qi Youxuan knew that, but his spirits were dampened and he remained very downcast.

    Those two rows of people lining up found the little guy to be very adorable and handsome. They had all took a liking to him from the start, and some even smiled and teased him with their facial expressions when they lined up.

    Seeing the boy¡¯s wronged appearance made them feel heartbroken too. They thought about how good a child he was, as he had manners and knew how topromise. He listened to his mother and heeded her advice, making sure that he did not put a burden on his mother. In the end however, he was bullied by the irrational grandmother-grandson duo.

    Everyone began consoling him, although some rued that they did not have any candy or junk food that they could use to coax him.

    One youngdy, who came with her boyfriend, held a Spiderman figurine that she managed to win from a w machine. It was not big, but it took a lot of effort to get it out.

    She gave it to Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°Little friend, don¡¯t be sad. Here, have this.¡±

    Qi Youxuan shook his head. ¡°It was difficult for you to get that, right? I can¡¯t take it. My mom bought a lot of minions for me today.¡±

    The young girl¡¯s heart shattered because he was such an obedient and considerate kid!

    The first in line was a young man who looked like a high school student. His turn was next.

    He turned around and told his friend to hold his spot, before walking over and kneeling before Qi Youxuan, ¡°Little Brother, my turn is up next. Would it be okay if I let you y first?¡±

    The little boy hesitated for a moment but eventually shook his head. He had earlier shown despise toward the other kid¡¯s actions of jumping queue.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s not cutting in line. I¡¯m the one who¡¯s willingly letting you y. I don¡¯t think anyone will have any objections against that,¡± the youngd smiled and said.

    He was a handsome, the archetype of a radiant young man. With his courteous and graceful demeanor, he resembled Qi Chengzhi or Qi Chenglin, but was even more simr to Qi Chengji when still in Jixia High School.

    After Qi Chengji went into the military however, all that refinedness disappeared, only to be reced by pure masculinity.

    Everyone seemed to be conveying that they had no issues with Qi Youxuan going first.

    Blushing, the little boy looked yearningly at the car that was swaying from side to side.

    ¡°How about, you join me and we y together, Big Brother?¡± The little boy then began exining. ¡°Since I¡¯m too short, I can¡¯t reach the steering wheel or the elerator, so I¡¯ll sit on the passenger side while you drive. I¡¯ll experience it with you from one side. I stood in line with my mom and she was supposed to drive while I sat beside her, but I think her driving skills aren¡¯t as good as you.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    The little boy dragged his mother down without sparing her blushes at all!

    Qi Youxuan never saw his mom drive before, since it was always his dad or Uncle Xiao Yang who drove him when they went out. Even if she had a driver¡¯s license, she might not pass the levels with the skills she had. In particr, the game had so many sudden turns, which were even harder for her. It would have been a waste if she drove for a while and it was already game over.

    Bystanders who heard that could not resistughing, although they held it in almost immediately.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared speechlessly at the blissfully unaware Qi Youxuan, but thankfully the boy had already reverted to his buoyant character, making her slight embarrassment entirely worth it.

    The youngd agreed immediately. Qi Youxuan was ted, because he got the chance the y earlier in addition to not offending anyone, thereby achieving both his aims in one fell swoop.

    Qi Youxuan followed the youngd into the car, and the elder boy¡¯s skills were not bad at all. He drove for a long time, satiating Qi Youxuan¡¯s craving for the game.

    Qi Youxuan then came down with his reddened cheeks, looking incredibly excited with no trace of the dispiritedness he had earlier.

    Ruan Danchen thanked the young man and brought Qi Youxuan to y other games.

    Even so, they were not able to try out most of the games, since the line was too long.

    Ruan Danchen looked at the time and realized that it was almost five. When Qi Youxuan got down from one of the games, she brought him out of the ce.

    Qi Youxuan looked as though he did not have enough. Ruan Danchen booped him on the nose and said, ¡°Don¡¯t be so greedy. We can stille here and y next time. There¡¯re too many games, and even if we don¡¯t need to line up, we can¡¯t y all of them in one day.¡±

    ¡°We can stille next time? Next time can we ask dad toe with us? I want him to drive the car. I¡¯ll sit beside him. Dad¡¯s driving skills are really good,¡± Qi Youxuan suggested excitedly.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll tell him,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said.

    As she spoke, Qi Chenglin¡¯s call came.

    ¡°Where are you?¡± Qi Chenglin asked after hearing all the ruckus from the phone.

    The indoor arcade was filled with noises of machines, music, andughter. It was very noisy. Once Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan out, everything was silent.

    ¡°In the mall. I brought Youxuan to buy some clothes today, and it just so happened that an arcade opened in the mall, so I brought him to y. Are you still in Jinshi City?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m back. We¡¯re entering the city now and heading home. Which mall are you at? I¡¯ll go get the both of you.¡± Ruan Danchen heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s maic and warm voice. It even had a twinge of glee in it.

    Ruan Danchen told him the name and heard Qi Chenglin chuckling. ¡°Coincidentally, I¡¯m near. Wait half an hour for me.¡±

    ¡°Okay.¡± Ruan Danchen hung up and said to Qi Youxuan, ¡°Dad¡¯sing back from Jinshi City and he¡¯lle fetch us. He¡¯ll be here in about half an hour. Are you tired? Let¡¯s go find somece to sit.¡±

    ¡°Another half an hour, can we still go and y?¡± Qi Youxuan wanted to go back after hearing that.

    ¡°No.¡± Ruan Danchen did not indulge him any longer. ¡°You¡¯ve already yed the entire day and you can¡¯t go and y again. We wille back some other day. It¡¯s too noisy inside, and it¡¯s not good for your eyes and ears when you y too much. Letting you y the whole day is already excessive enough.¡±

    The little boy saw how resolute Ruan Danchen was and knew that no amount of cajoling could persuade her. All he could do was pout slightly sadly and mumble, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Since they had to wait another half-hour more for Qi Chenglin toe, there were plenty dessert shops around the mall. Ruan Danchen brought him to the nearest one and asked for a bowl of mango pomelo sago and some mango crepe.

    The portion was not that big and she was worried that the boy might get hungry. The desserts would fill his tummy a bit for the time being, and after Qi Chenglin arrived, they would all go to dinner together.

    Mango crepes were cold and it was also a cold winter¡¯s day. Despite the heating in the mall, Ruan Danchen allowed him to eat only one.

    Although Qi Youxuan¡¯s delectable treats were limited, he was happy that Ruan Danchen controlled him.

    ¡®So this is how it feels like for Mom to control me!¡¯

    The little boy was dismayed that he met Ruan Danchen toote on. Six years had gone to waste already.

    As he was drinking his mango pomelo sago, he pointed behind Ruan Danchen and asked, ¡°Mom, isn¡¯t that the Big Brother that yed the game with me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen turned around to look, spotting the young man who sat in the car with Qi Youxuan as well as his friend. The two young boys came into the shop and was about to find a ce to sit.

    Qi Youxuan waved amicably. ¡°Big Brother!¡±

    The youngd saw him and smiled warmly too, before proceeding to bring his friend over.

    There was still some space with Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan, so the two young boys joined them.

    After chatting for some time, they found out that the young man was in year three of senior high. He was a top student in the school and was rmended to A University¡¯s Department of Mathematics. His friend on the other hand, was epted by a famous overseas university. The two of them, therefore, did not have any stress with their exams, so they came out during the weekend to enjoy themselves.

    Inevitably, the two of them introduced themselves.

    The young man¡¯s friend was Li Yiming.

    ¡°I¡¯m Ruan Zeer,¡± the young man smiled and said.

    ¡°Oh! My mom¡¯s surname is Ruan too, you¡¯re both from the same n!¡± Qi Youxuan eximed excitedly. He was trying hard to be friendly with Ruan Zeer, causing the three of them to chuckle.

    Ruan Danchen smoothed Qi Youxuan¡¯s hair. The little boy¡¯s logic was that all those with the same surname were of the same n.

    Chatting while they ate, Ruan Danchen slowly found out that the two boys¡¯ families were not very rich. They were merely ordinary people. Li Yiming¡¯s family was in the tea leaf business. Although it was not arge-scale operation, it raked in much more money than other people, so he could be considered quite well-off. Due to that, his family was able to bear the burden of sending him to study abroad.

    ¡°Ah, he, he¡¯s the genius in math. It¡¯s in the family,¡± Li Yiming pointed and Ruan Zeer and smiled. ¡°His grandfather is a schr in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and is also professor in the A University¡¯s math department, with a few disciples following usually. His father is also a math professor at A University and a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Sciences as well. His uncle used to be at J University, and if he¡¯s still around, he¡¯s probably going to join A University of B University.¡±

    Ruan Zeer smiled somewhat dolefully. ¡°I¡¯ve never met my uncle before, but my dad says he would¡¯ve achieved much more than my dad. His natural genius far surpassed my dad, even when they were young, and he was the one who had the most potential for taking over from my grandfather.¡±

    ¡°So, his family is just filled with math geniuses.¡± Li Yiming then quickly changed the subject after bringing up Ruan Zeer¡¯s sad moment.

    Although Ruan Zeer¡¯s family was not rich, they were very knowledgeable schrs. All of them were, and no ordinary schrs at that.

    All of a sudden, Ruan Danchen felt a gush of academic aura hitting her in the face. It was a bit stressful to be facing Ruan Zeer.

    Having chatted for some time, Qi Chenglin called again to inform that he was already at the mall. Ruan Danchen then told him the name of the store they were at and its location.

    Not longter, Ruan Zeer¡ªwho was sitting beside Qi Youxuan¡ªsaw a handsome man at the door. He stood proudly, with a grey wool overcoat worn over his suit, and although it looked travel-worn, the frost lent the man an abundance of masculinity.

    The man standing at the door was the kind of man that could turn straight men gay.

    His energy was one-of-a-kind, with no one in the entire mall, let alone the shop, who could possiblye close to him.

    The man¡¯s face was stiff and cold, but undeniably handsome. The frost on him gave him an extrayer of coldness.

    Ever since the man showed up, Ruan Zeer noticed that many women¡¯s gazes were pulled toward the man. None of those gazes ever shifted away.

    The man however, seemed to ignore all their looks. His handsome face remained cold and he appeared to be looking for someone in the shop.

    All of a sudden, the little boy beside Ruan Zeer raised his hand and waved, calling out, ¡°Dad, here!¡±

    Ruan Zeer looked on in shock as Qi Chenglin¡¯s originally irritated expression softened upon seeing mother and child.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s pupils were so soft, as if they were melting. He was all smiles, making for aplete contrast between his earlier stern expression. His eyes looked like it was filled with glitter, and his restrained warmth made him look even more charming.

    The women in the crowd were incredibly disappointed after hearing the little boy shout ¡®Dad¡¯. Such high-quality men were either married or gay!

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes no longer strayed in any other direction, so he waspletely oblivious to their disappointed expression. All his attention was affixed to Ruan Danchen¡¯s body, with his lips smiling ever so gently.

    Li Yiming made way immediately and sat beside Ruan Zeer.

    Both he and Ruan Zeer had nevere across such a magnificent man before.

    Li Yiming¡¯s tea leaf family business was at most, a small business, raking in about two or three million a year. He was still a high school student who did not try his hand in dabbling with the family business. He might meet a few customers on asion, so he could never have the same aura as Qi Chenglin had.

    Ruan Zeer had plenty of contact with academicians, especially the colleagues and students of his father and grandfather. Nevertheless, the characteristics exhibited by academicians were entirely schrly, like a knowledgeable gust of wind, which was different from businessmen, particrly someone like Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin looked at all of them seated together, giving the impression that the twods knew Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan. He was curious as to when Ruan Danchen got to know that kind of half-grown kids.

    Ruan Danchen exined voluntarily, ¡°I brought Youxuan out to buy clothes today, and the they opened an indoor arcade in the mall. I brought Youxuan to y and we got to know these two young men.¡±

    She refrained from saying ¡®kids¡¯ even though she regarded them as kids.

    Nevertheless, she also knew that such grown-up kids regarded themselves as adults already and hated being called kids.

    Referring them as ¡®young men¡¯ made them feel very happy.

    Ruan Danchen introduced them to Qi Chenglin and then told them, ¡°This is my husband, Qi Chenglin.¡±

    The two boys had no idea about the intricacies of the upper circle, and although Li Yiming did not admit to being a child, he was still one. The Qi family was a family he heard before, but other than that, he knew nothing more.

 Chapter 406 - What A Huge Honour For The Chang Family

    <strong>Chapter 406: What A Huge Honour For The Chang Family</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Zeer, on the other hand, was a downright nerdy schr. He was the best person to study mathematics, but anything about business issues would be all Greek to him.

    Thus, none of them knew anything about Qi Chenglin¡¯s identity. They only felt that this family was extraordinary based on his temperament alone.

    Qi Chenglin greeted them politely, but he knew Ruan Danchen would not be acquainted with others simply especially when they were ying arcade games, and besides, the kid had a strong vignce towards strangers. Even though the kid epted Song Yu and Ruan Danchen easily, those two were the exceptions, it did not mean that he would ept strangers easily too. Something must have happened here.

    Qi Chenglin did not question them immediately and took the half bowl of mango pomelo sago from Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands in silence instead.

    ¡°Dad, order it yourself, I¡¯m not done yet!¡± Qi Youxuan puffed his cheeks immediately and red at Qi Chenglin anxiously after his mango pomelo sago was pulled away from him, but he did not dare to snatch it back.

    ¡°It¡¯s dinner time soon. You won¡¯t have much appetite for dinnerter if you eat so much now. It¡¯s good enough for you to have a taste of desserts but you must have your proper meals,¡± Qi Chenglin finished the half bowl of mango pomelo sago in a blink of an eye and returned the empty bowl to Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan felt despondent as he stared at the empty bowl. Then, he noticed a leftover sago pearl in the bowl, which he picked up quickly and put it into his mouth. His unhappy expression induced pity andpassion, but at the same time he appeared like a loser too.

    Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming could not bear the sight of Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression, whereas Qi Chenglin merely felt speechless staring at his son.

    ¡°I always have proper meals,¡± Qi Youxuan protested.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and nced at the minion toys which were ced on the ground beside their table. The toys were even ced inside a McDonald¡¯s stic bag which made the origin of the toys especially obvious.

    Coincidentally, Qi Chenglin passed by a lot of McDonald¡¯s restaurant with minion toys advertisement in Jinshi City today, so he was familiar with the toys at their table now.

    ¡°Well then, tell me what you ate in the afternoon,¡± Qi Chenglin had the ¡°just you wait¡± look on his face as he pouted and stared at Qi Youxuan from the corner of his eye.

    The kid¡¯s spirit withered away immediately. This sort of junk food such as McDonald¡¯s whichcked in nutrition was not considered as a proper meal for Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m so hungry right now since I didn¡¯t have much dessert just now. Let¡¯s go for dinner now!¡± Qi Youxuan said quickly. Then, he picked up the bag of minion toys and hugged it tightly in fear that Qi Chenglin may snatch it away.

    Staring at his son who was acting like a loser now, Qi Chenglin pouted and ignored him as he was not bothered to argue with the likes of him.

    ¡°We¡¯re going for dinner now. Come and join us,¡± Qi Chenglin invited Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming kindly.

    Even though Qi Chenglin had no idea what had happened, he figured that the duo had given some assistance to Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan and thus was able to have afternoon tea together with them.

    Qi Chenglin had to express his gratitude no matter what assistance they had given.

    ¡°No need,¡± Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming stood up and rejected since they had their afternoon tea.

    Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming would not dare to ept the offer since they were just acquainted with the trio today.

    ¡°We¡¯re going back home soon. Our family members will get worried if we return homete,¡± Ruan Zeer said and took his jacket off the chair.

    Qi Chenglin nodded without insisting on his offer.

    Qi Youxuan lifted his head and grabbed onto Ruan Zeer¡¯s shirt. ¡°Elder brother, give me your phone number.¡±

    Ruan Zeer was slightly surprised at Qi Youxuan¡¯s enthusiasm since they just met for the first time and he merely gave Qi Youxuan a small assistance. However, he liked the little kid so he typed his phone number into the kid¡¯s Totoro-designed cell phone.

    Qi Youxuan nodded. ¡°Okay, so I¡¯ll find you when I can¡¯t solve any mathematics questions.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was left speechless.

    This was the kid¡¯s intention all along.

    ¡°Sure, no problem,¡± Ruan Zeer agreed without hesitation.

    The duo bidded farewell with Qi Chenglin and his family before leaving the restaurant.

    Qi Chenglin and his family decided to have their dinner in a Thai restaurant in the mall instead of going to any restaurant which was far away.

    Qi Chenglin asked after they ordered the dishes. ¡°What happened in the amusement arcade just now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned upon hearing the question, and before she reacted to it, Qi Chenglin continued, ¡°Otherwise how do you get to know the two teenagers?¡±

    Ruan Danchen finally realized what Qi Chenglin was asking about, so she exined the situation regarding the granny and her grandson to him.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal, just that Qi Youxuan was wronged in this issue,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°You did a good job,¡± Qi Chenglinmended Qi Youxuan with a smile on his face.

    Even though Qi Youxuan had put this matter to rest, he still felt difort deep down in his heart. However, he waspletely alright now that Qi Chenglin praised him and even consumed arge portion of dinner due to exhration instead.

    None of them bothered about the granny and her grandson and hadpletely forgotten about it afterwards.

    ...

    ...

    Today was Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday in a blink of an eye.

    The Chang family had decided to celebrate Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday at Dynasty¡¯s banquet hall in order to make it grand. The Chang family invited The Great Eight Families too, which they epted the invitation as a token of respect.

    The elders of The Great Eight Families would not attend the banquet itself. They would send the youngsters instead which were more than enough as a sign of respect.

    The Chang family would not have such honour at normal times, but today was Grandmother Chang¡¯s seventieth birthday which was also known as the tinum jubilee. Even though not all the members of The Great Eight Families would attend the banquet, they would send a few representatives from each family as their tokens of respect.

    For example, Qi Zhongliang did not attend the banquet but he sent Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu as his representatives. Qi Zhongxun brought Guan Liya along to the banquet due to the rumours about Chang Jingqiu went to Qilin on purpose to court Qi Chenglin and even acted discourteous towards Ruan Danchen despite the fact that she was Ruan Danchen¡¯s high school ssmate.

    Ruan Danchen did not mention anything regarding this matter to the Qi family. However, since this rumour went flying thick in thepany and naturally, Qi Chengyue knew about this too.

    Ruan Danchen would not notify the Qi family as it may appear that she wasining to them.

    However, the same did not apply to Qi Chengyue. Ruan Danchen was Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife-to-be no matter what happened, and yet Chang Jingqiu acted rudely towards her. Had Chang Jingqiu ever given any consideration to the Qi family?

    Moreover, Qi Chengyue had a bad impression of Chang Jingqiu, so she informed Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya regarding this issue when she returned home from work.

    Guan Liya had decided to attend the banquet and take a look at Chang Jingqiu after hearing about this issue. Furthermore, as Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother-inw, she had to stand on Ruan Danchen¡¯s side and give her some support and encouragement.

    Since Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya had decided to attend the banquet, naturally Qi Chenglin did not need to attend too. However, he deemed it necessary to bring Ruan Danchen along to show off their affection publicly. Not only did he want Chang Jingqiu to give up, it would be best if he could make her feel ashamed too, thus he brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan along with him to the banquet.

    Qi Chengyue, on the other hand, merely wanted to join in the fun so she insisted on bringing Cheng Dongge along too.

    Since Qi Chengji was in the army, it was good enough for him to take military leave for own family issues. However, taking military leave just for Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet was a little too much. There was no need for him to grace Grandmother Chang with his presence as she did not have that high of a reputation.

    In the end, it seemed like the Qi family gave too much respect and honour to the Chang family.

    Initially, Xia Wenna wanted to join in the fun too but Grandmother Qi stopped her as it would mean that almost all the members from the Qi family would grace Grandmother Chang with their presence. What a huge honour for the Chang family!

    Grandmother Qi, Guan Liya and Xia Wenna would always gossiped together at normal times, so naturally Guan Liya told Grandmother Qi and Xia Wenna regarding Chang Jingqiu¡¯s issue.

    Grandmother Qi figured that the Chang family was indifferent than the rest after listening to the whole story. How good could the elders be if this was how they educate Chang Jingqiu?

    Thus, Grandmother Qi did not have much respect for the Chang family. If it was not for Ruan Danchen, she would not even allow any members of the Qi family to attend Grandmother Chang¡¯s banquet since there was absolutely no need to give them any respect at all.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Zhixing brought their wives respectively to wee all the guests at the main entrance of the banquet hall.

    Chang Zhiyuan was forty-six years old now. His eldest son went to Ennd to further his studiesst summer while his youngest daughter was studying in Jixia High School.

    Chang Zhixing was forty-two years old now. It was not toote when he got married but his wife could not conceive for a long time after marriage. Grandmother Chang even wanted them to divorce just because of this issue which gave quite a lot of stress to Chang Zhixing¡¯s wife, but after various methods and a great deal of effort and attempts, Chang Zhixing¡¯s wife finally conceived when he was at the age of thirty-four years old. His son was seven years old now, which was about the same age as Qi Youxuan.

    His wife conceived a baby at an advanced age after they had endeavoured for a couple years. Fortunately, his wife gave birth to a boy, which silenced Grandmother Chang and induced exhration in her. After that, Grandmother Chang¡¯s attitude towards Chang Zhixing¡¯s wife improved.

    Naturally, the Chang family would love the grandson dearly since they had wished for a grandchild for so long. Grandmother Chang even pampered the grandson excessively to the extent of overindulging and spoiled him.

    When Chang Zhiyuan saw that the Qi family sent so many representatives to attend the banquet and gave the Chang family such a huge honour, a wide grin broke across his face as he felt highly respected in the presence of other families now.

    Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya even attended the banquet despite the fact that they were seniors, unlike the other Great Eight Families who sent only the youngsters like Yan Beicheng and his gang as a token of respect to the Chang family.

    Little did Chang Zhiyuan knew Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya came all the way here just to give their daughter-inw support and encouragement.

    Chang Zhiyuan could not help but stare at Ruan Danchen when he was greeting Qi Chenglin.

    Grandmother Chang was exasperated at the news regarding Qi Chenglin¡¯s marriage and she had been talking about it repeatedly for these past few days. She was convinced that the coquette must had forced Qi Chenglin into marrying her and that was the reason why Qi Chenglin did not ept Chang Jingqiu in the first ce.

    However, now that Chang Zhiyuan saw Ruan Danchen personally, he felt that the youngdy gave him a sense offort. She did not show off and was not overly gentle and quiet too. Everything about her was natural and poised without being ostentatious.

    Chang Zhiyuan liked Ruan Danchen more than Chang Jingqiu if blood rtion was disregarded. Both of them conducted themselves well in society, but Chang Jingqiu was more calctive and adept at schemes, and she always nned carefully before making any decisions. Her every words or actions would let others feel that she was not being entirely sincere at all.

    However, Chang Jingqiu was his niece. Chang Zhiyuan would express his aversion if she was a stranger.

    Thus, Chang Zhiyuan did not bother about Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu¡¯sment on Ruan Danchen and treated her kindly instead.

    Chang Zhiyuan would not mind Chang Jingqiu trying her best to win Qi Chenglin over if he was not married with Ruan Danchen at that time. Now, there was no need to destroy their family since they were officially married and even their son had grown up too.

    ¡°Congrattions on your marriage! Don¡¯t forget to invite me to your wedding dinner!¡± Chang Zhiyuan congratted them with a smile on his face.

    ¡°Of course,¡± Naturally, Qi Chenglin would not make Chang Zhiyuan feel embarrassed since he had taken the initiative to congratte him openly, and especially when both of them had business cooperation.

    Chang Zhiyuan and his wife, Mo Yuxin shook hands with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen respectively. When Mo Yuxin noticed the blue diamond ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s left ring finger, her eyelids twitched in astonishment.

    Mo Yuxin was unsure how impressive was the origin of the blue diamond, but even a normal blue diamond was worth a king¡¯s ransom.

    It seemed like Ruan Danchen was Qi Chenglin¡¯s love of his life and the elders in the Qi family was very fond of her too, or else she would not wear such costly ring and acted so high profile.

    As a matter of fact, Qi Chenglin wanted Ruan Danchen to put it on before they left the house.

    He thought that since they were attending Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet which was considered a big asion, he wanted Ruan Danchen to put the ring on to show off to the Chang family.

    Then, Chang Zhixing and his wife, Liu Xiangwen shook hands with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, and naturally, Liu Xiangwen noticed the ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s finger too.

    The Qi family entered the banquet hall and there was no new guests which required their attention.

    Liu Xiangwen then grabbed Chang Zhixing¡¯s arm and said unhappily, ¡°Did you notice the ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s finger? Why did she attend grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet with such a high profile? Was she worried that the others were unaware of her identity status in the Qi family? Maybe she felt diffident and had to wear it on purpose to brag about her identity status.¡±

    Mo Yuxin stared at Liu Xiangwen coldly. She snickered deep down as she truly felt a deep repugnance for Liu Xiangwen.

    In the Chang family, Chang Yuehuan was Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s sister who passed away and thus Chang Zhiyuan merely wanted to treat the orphan, Chang Jingqiu, well. Liu Xiangwen, on the other hand, got close to Chang Jingqiu only because of Grandmother Chang¡¯s love for Chang Jingqiu and merely wanted to gain some benefits from her. Moreover, Liu Xiangwen did it purposely so that Grandmother Chang would feel happy and treated her better.

    Liu Xiangwen did not have a high status in the Chang family due to her difficulty in conceiving a child at a younger age which induced loathe in Grandmother Chang. Moreover, Grandmother Chang despised her family due to theck of reputation. If it was not for her family¡¯s wealth, Grandmother Chang would not even allow her to marry into the Chang family.

    Thus, Liu Xiangwen had no choice but to ingratiate Chang Jingqiu. Chang Jingqiu was smooth and slick in establishing social rtions too in order to gain advantages from either parties, so she would not reject Liu Xiangwen¡¯s active ttering. Thus, she built a harmonious rtionship with Liu Xiangwen as if they were biological sisters.

    Mo Yuxin would not mention anything since Chang Jingqiu was the daughter of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s deceased sister, but deep down, she detested Chang Jingqiu.

    Mo Yuxin did not want to associate herselt too intimately with Chang Jingqiu due to her extremely calctive mind. It was difficult to say whether Chang Jingqiu was exploiting Liu Xiangwen for her own benefits or vice versa in her opinion, but Mo Yuxin would have goosebumps galore whenever she saw Chang Jingqiu and Liu Xiangwen closely associated with each other.

    Mo Yuxin was getting extremely impatient at Liu Xiangwen¡¯s jealousy tone now since there was no need to put all the me on Ruan Danchen despite being envious.

    Mo Yuxin fought the urge to yell at Liu Xiangwen that Ruan Danchen could wear the beautiful ring was all thanks to her man who bought it for her.

    Liu Xiangwen did not even have the chance to show off since her man did not buy it for her!

    However, Mo Yuxin kept all these to herself since both of them were sisters-inw and today was Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday.

    Thus, Mo Yuxin put on a t expression and started chatting with Chang Zhiyuan, ignoring Liu Xiangwenpletely.

    ¡°Keep those nonsense to yourself! It¡¯s crowded here and there¡¯s always a possibility that your nonsense will travel to the Qi family¡¯s ears. What benefits will you gain from offending the Qi family?¡± Chang Zhixing was starting to get annoyed.

    The Qi family was within Liu Xiangwen¡¯s field of vision when she took a nce at the banquet hall.

    The Qi family radiated an invisible aura in the banquet hall, which induced hesitation in other families to engage a conversation with them. They did not dare to act rashly and fought the urges to be acquainted with the Qi family even though they felt extremely anxious deep down.

    However, members of The Great Eight Families such as Yan Beicheng and his gang walked over and joined the Qi family naturally, which formed an invisible force field around them. As a result, no one dared to get close to The Great Eight Families now.

    Liu Xiangwen felt more envious when she noticed Ruan Danchen chatting calmly and happily with Yan Beicheng and his gang.

    Ruan Danchen was born with a normal background unlike Liu Xiangwen, but how was she able to find such an awesome man with a kind family?

    The Qi family was not bothered about Ruan Danchen¡¯s background at all and did not give her the cold shoulder. Instead, Ruan Danchen was able to join in every asion gracefully and chatted happily with all the members of The Great Eight Families as if she was closely associated with them. This scenery made Liu Xiangwen felt extremely unfair for her current life.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one around us so who can hear our conversation? Besides, Mom clearly stated that she disliked Ruan Danchen, so what do I have to fear?¡± Liu Xiangwen said unhappily as she felt truly unfair deep down.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! I told you to keep all these to yourself and now you¡¯re making it worse. Mom mentioned it at home and there¡¯s no outsiders, but take a look at the situation now before you make any irresponsible remarks. How sure are you that none of your nonsense travelled to others¡¯ ears? Do you think that you can evenpare yourself with Mom?¡± Chang Zhixing rebuked Liu Xiangwen with lowered voice.

    Liu Xiangwen felt disgraced when Chang Zhixing criticized her in the presence of Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin.

    She recalled Qi Chenglin¡¯s loving and caring attitude towards Ruan Danchen even though Qi Chenglin did not mention anything. The image of blue diamond ring on Ruan Danchen¡¯s finger emerged in her brain and she took a nce at her own diamond ring. Even though the diamond on her ring weighed one carat, it appeared ordinary and nd aspared to Ruan Danchen¡¯s blue diamond.

    All of these induced jealousy and envious in Liu Xiangwen¡¯s heart. Everything on Ruan Danchen was indicative of Qi Chenglin¡¯s diligence and love for her.

    However, Chang Zhixing scolded her in front of their family members.

    Chang Zhiyuan whispered just as Liu Xiangwen was about to protest out of recalcitrance, ¡°That¡¯s enough, guests areing.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen pursed her lips tightly and exhaled heavily before standing still at Chang Zhixing¡¯s side. Mu Huili, Fang Anci and Mu Huaisheng had arrived but Mu Sisi was nowhere to be seen.

    Mu Sisi and Gao Jingqiu divorced not long ago and the outside world had no idea that she had a miscarriage which was all thanks to Gao Jingqiu. The public only remembered that she had coptions with a pervert whom she assumed was Qi Chengzhi and refused to let Qi Chengzhi go afterwards. None of them had forgotten about this issue since it happened only recently.

    Thus, it was expected that Mu Sisi would not appear in public for quite a long time.

    ¡°Director Mu, Mrs. Mu, Mr. Mu. Wee and thank you foring, pleasee in,¡± Chang Zhiyuan greeted the trio politely.

    Mu Huili and Fang Anci chatted with Chang Zhiyuan politely while Mu Huaisheng took a nce at Liu Xiangwen.

    His nce gave Liu Xiangwen a shock. Did Mu Huaisheng overheard herint just now despite the lowered voice?

    However, Mu Huaisheng shifted his gaze elsewhere momentarily as if nothing had happened.

    Liu Xiangwenforted herself to avoid overthinking regarding this issue as this was probably just a coincidence.

    She did not dare to make any further remarks after the Mu family entered the banquet hall.

    Mu Huaisheng noticed Ruan Danchen in the banquet hall from afar but he did not walk over to greet her. He was not an overly persistent man, or maybe his affection towards Ruan Danchen was not strong enough. He merely liked Ruan Danchen and wanted to start a rtionship with her.

 Chapter 407 - She Brought Her Son To Get A Free Meal Again (Update One)

    <strong>Chapter 407: She Brought Her Son To Get A Free Meal Again (Update One)</strong>

    Mu Huaisheng would not force her if she had no intention to do so.

    Since Ruan Danchen was married now, Mu Huaisheng refrained from performing anything that could potentially lead to misunderstanding or disgust and caused troubles to her.

    ...

    ...

    On the other end of the hall stood Chang Jingqiu¡¯s best friends¡ªXia Zishan and Chen Libai. Chang Jingqiu invited them on purpose so that Xia Zishan could have a chance to start a rtionship with Chen Libai and she would owe Chang Jingqiu a favour upon sess. This way, both Chang Jingqiu and Xia Zishan could gain benefits from each others.

    Beside Chang Jingqiu¡¯s best friends stood Gao Xiaoyang.

    Gao Xiaoyang was just a normal girl born in an ordinary family who studied hard and furthered her studies in the renowned University F. She returned to B City after graduation to seek for job, and finally epted an offer of employment in a newspaperpany.

    The top management of her newspaperpany found out regarding Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet, so they instructed Chang Jingqiu to bring Gao Xiaoyang along to get in touch with the business mogul. It would be easier to appoint an interview with them once Gao Xiaoyang had familiarized herself with those business mogul.

    Chang Jingqiu managed to agree on it despite the reluctance and sent an invitation to Gao Xiaoyang.

    Xia Zhishan was trying her best to engage in a chit chat with Chen Libai in order to gain his favouritism while Gao Xiaoyang came tonight just for work. Even if she could not get to know every business mogul tonight, she could probably gained some shocking information, no matter if it was a sign or not, by watching and listening to them.

    Thus, Gao Xiaoyang shifted her gaze across the hall repeatedly and suddenly, her gaze made an emergency U-turn and rested on Ruan Danchen. Then, she rubbed her eyes repeatedly thinking that she had recognized wrongly.

    After staring at that person for a long while, that was Ruan Danchen, right?

    She saw Ruan Danchen and a child in the buffet area, piling up the te in her hands with food for her child.

    Ruan Danchen brought the kid to search for food since he was hungry. Qi Chenglin wanted to follow initially but was stopped by Ruan Danchen, iming that they were just going to get some food. His persistence in following them everywhere would end up being aughing matter to Yan Beicheng and his gang so she thought that it was for the best for Qi Chenglin to continue chatting with them.

    Moreover, this banquet hall was not considered big and Qi Chenglin could notice them straight away by simply turning around.

    Guan Liya, on the other hand, was surrounded by a group of women who were busy expressing theirpliments. She continued the conversation with them gracefully despite the annoyance, but she too had no time to attend to Qi Youxuan.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen was the only one left who could apany Qi Youxuan.

    Gao Xiaoyang then poked Xia Zishan immediately. Xia Zishan was in the middle of a conversation with Chen Libai and felt unhappy instantly upon disturbance. Gao Xiaoyang asked when she turned around, ¡°Look, is she Danchen?¡±

    Xia Zishan shook her head andughed before she even looked at the direction Gao Xiaoyang gestured. ¡°Impossible, I think you¡¯re mistaken, or maybe Jingqiu invited her too?¡±

    Xia Zishan thought to herself while looking at the direction Gao Xiaoyang pointed, Ruan Danchen was really shameless if this was the case.

    Ruan Danchen dared to attend the banquet despite the fact that all guests were of much higher status than her. Was it possible that she brought her son here to get a free meal again?

    In the end, damn, Ruan Danchen was here!

    Xia Zishan pouted disdainfully and her eyebrows were raised in contempt. ¡°What a shamelessdy, she really brought her son here to get a free meal. She dared to bring her son here to embarrass herself and even threw away her dignity just for a free dinner. Why would Jingqiu invite such a shameless person?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu did not mention anything about Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin¡¯s marriage to Xia Zishan especially when she needed Xia Zishan to introduce Shen Zhijing to her, thus she did not want Xia Zishan to notice her true intention from here.

    Gao Xiaoyang was not present when they met Ruan Danchen at Shengyuest time.

    To be honest, Chang Jingqiu and her gang despised Gao Xiaoyang who was just ady from an ordinary family. They normally would not invite her unless it was for high school gathering.

    Gao Xiaoyang knew that she would not get along well with Chang Jingqiu and her gang too so she never tried to show excessive passion towards them.

    Gao Xiaoyang disagreed on Xia Zishan¡¯s harsh statement, so with her eyebrows raised, she said directly without hiding any facts, ¡°Do you think what you have said just now is appropriate in Libai¡¯s presence?¡±

    Xia Zishan¡¯s expression changed immediately. Ruan Danchen disgusted her since Chen Libai had a crush on Ruan Danchen. Thus, Xia Zishan would forget everything whenever she saw Ruan Danchen and would insult her with all her might.

    Xia Zishan immediately took a nce at Chen Libai anxiously after hearing Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s statement.

    To be honest, Xia Zishan was unsure what Gao Xiaoyang meant by her statement. Did Gao Xiaoyang meant that it was inappropriate for her to criticize Ruan Danchen since Chen Libai had a crush on Ruan Danchen, or Gao Xiaoyang was aware that she had a crush on Chen Libai and he would feel disgusted at her due to her harsh criticism on Ruan Danchen in his presence?

    Gao Xiaoyang was indeed a reporter to be able to speak with such a high standard.

    Gao Xiaoyang left them alone and went to find Ruan Danchen when Xia Zishan was getting anxious.

    There would be standard proper meals for Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet, thus the food in the buffet area consisted mainly of desserts for guests to have a bite when they were hungry.

    The cakes were cut to miniature sizes until one would not get his mouth full when biting one full piece of cake, but they were delicate and tasted delicious too.

    Ruan Danchen took two small pieces of cake and a small piece of fruit tart for the kid as she did not want him to consume too much desserts.

    Then, she held the te and was prepared to bring the kid back to the seat.

    ¡°Danchen,¡± Ruan Danchen turned her head and saw Gao Xiaoyang walking towards her with an astonished look. Gao Xiaoyang was purely surprised as to why Ruan Danchen was here without any harsh thoughts.

    Sure enough, Gao Xiaoyang asked when she was near Ruan Danchen, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    Then, Gao Xiaoyang noticed the kid beside Ruan Danchen who was eager to consume the desserts in his te. There were glimmers in her eyes as she stared at the kid¡¯s chubby but good looking face. Gao Xiaoyang asked again before Ruan Danchen could respond to her, ¡°Is this your son? So cute!¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled and touched the kid¡¯s neck instead of his hair.

    The kid purposely fashioned his hair into a stylish design tonight, so Ruan Danchen took extreme care in avoiding any potential damage to his hair.

    Qi Youxuan could feel that this auntie was different than those he met in Shengyuest time, so he greeted politely, ¡°Hi, auntie.¡±

    ¡°By the way, why are you here too?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Gao Xiaoyang exined everything to Ruan Danchen and snorted. ¡°I feel extremely stressed in this sort of ce, and yet my boss instructed me to familiarize myself with them. How shameless should I get in order to make myself known in their social circles? My boss sent me here because he was worried about losing his dignity.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled. Then, Gao Xiaoyang asked again, ¡°By the way, why are you here? Did Chang Jingqiu invite you too?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang frowned in confusion and said, ¡°She isn¡¯t the friendly sort of person though.¡±

    Xia Zishan and Chen Libai walked over just when Ruan Danchen was about to answer. Xia Zishan said harshly before Ruan Danchen could mutter a word, ¡°Danchen, why are you here? Did Jingqiu invite you?¡±

    Then, sheughed lightly after noticing the kid beside her. ¡°No one at home to take care of your son again?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang frowned as Xia Zishan went a little too far in her criticism now..

    Ruan Danchen answered before Gao Xiaoyang defended her, ¡°Yes, my whole family is here now, so naturally there¡¯s no one left at home.¡±

    Xia Zishan did not give much thought to this matter as she assumed Chang Jingqiu had invited Ruan Danchen to this banquet which allowed Ruan Danchen to bring her son and husband here shamelessly.

    ¡°You¡¯re quite smart,¡± Xia Zishan pouted. She waszy to hide her disgust now.

    However, Xia Zishan did not realize that Ruan Danchen was the actual one feeling surprised upon seeing them. The Chang family was well known for putting the rich within his reach and the poor beneath his contempt. Since the Chang family had a higher status than the Xia family, they would not invite the Xia family to the banquet.

    Thus, Xia Zishan was the actual one attending the banquet using Chang Jingqiu¡¯s fame and she felt too embarrassed to even bring her family members over to the banquet.

    Chen Libai frowned slightly too. He did not understand why Ruan Danchen mated with a useless man and put her future to waste, and she even acted shamelessly by bringing her family over to this banquet.

    He thought Ruan Danchen¡¯s life must be difficult to attend the banquet for a free meal just to save money.

    Qi Youxuan already gulped down all the cakes in his te while the adults were talking.

    Qi Chenglin, who was chatting with Yan Beicheng and his gang, would turn around from time to time to check on Ruan Danchen and wondered why she had not returned yet.

    This time, he saw Chen Libai talking to Ruan Danchen when he turned around to look for her.

    When Qi Chenglin was investigating Chen Libai on the inte, his photographs were attached too. Even so, he did not recognize Chen Libai at first nce due to a difference between the actual person and photographs. However, he had confirmed Chen Libai¡¯s identity after taking a few more nces at him.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and walked towards Ruan Danchen without hesitation. His sudden act without any warnings gave Yan Beicheng and his gang quite a surprise.

    Yan Beicheng and his gang were too embarrassed to yell at Qi Chenglin and asked what was going on in this sort of asion.

    Gui Zhiqian blinked and stared at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°Why do I feel an intense aura radiated from Qi Chenglin?¡±

    ¡°Yo, something fishy is going on,¡± Han Zhuoli stood beside Gui Zhiqian and narrowed his eyes too.

    The two of them appeared like fortune telling demigods which kind of destroyed their images.

    ¡°Why are we staring at him? Let¡¯s follow him,¡± Yan Beicheng waved his hand and marched forward.

    Han Zhuoli and Gui Zhiqian followed closely behind. Chu Zhaoyang was about to give hisment but since everyone was gone, he froze for a while and looked at his surroundings before following behind them too.

    ¡°Dad!¡± The kid saw Qi Chenglin walking towards him with his keen eyes and yelled at the top of his voice before Qi Chenglin even arrived. He did not care whether it was embarrassing or not since he was just a child. He deserved special privileges.

    Everyone, especially the excited Xia Zishan, turned their heads after hearing Qi Youxuan as they were eager to know the true identity of Ruan Danchen¡¯s husband. However, they only saw Qi Chenglin walking towards them followed by Yan Beicheng, Han Zhuoli, Gui Zhiqian and Chu Zhaoyang.

    All of them were on the top of the food chain and way out of league for the Chang family, not to mention the Xia family too.

    Xia Zishan did not notice anyone else other than them.

    Who was Ruan Danchen¡¯s husband then?

    Qi Chenglin walked past Chen Libai without any attempt to make eye contact and stood beside Ruan Danchen, slipping his hand on her waist naturally. He raised his eyebrows and stared at Chen Libai and Xia Zishan with a hostile gaze. ¡°Acquaintance of yours?¡±

    ¡°Yes, they are my high school ssmates. I didn¡¯t expect to meet them here,¡± Ruan Danchen answered lightly without any intention to introduce Xia Zishan and Chen Libai to them.

    Ruan Danchen was not a doormat too so there was no way that Ruan Danchen would give Xia Zishan a chance to get acquainted with Qi Chenglin and his gang.

    This might sound arrogant and shameless, but it would be an honour to let Qi Chengin and his gang acknowledged one¡¯s name especially for the type of social ss which Xia Zishan was categorized into.

    Which was exactly why many wanted to introduce themselves to The Great Eight Families shamelessly.

    Ruan Danchen did not have much antipathy for Chen Libai. He was merely a victim which was all thanks to Xia Zishan.

    Since Ruan Danche did not want to introduce Xia Zishan, naturally she would not introduce Chen Libai alone too.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s main worry was not Xia Zishan¡¯s dignity issue but Qi Chenglin¡¯s narrow-mindedness.

    Xia Zishan¡¯s expression changed immediately as she stared at Qi Chenglin full of surprises. Meanwhile, Yan Beicheng and his gang stood beside Qi Chenglin as if watching a show, with Chu Zhaoyang acted ever so slightly restrained than the rest.

    Her expressions kept changing in disbelief. Then, her gaze shifted involuntarily to Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand on Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist.

    Could it be that... Qi Chenglin was Ruan Danchen¡¯s husband?

    This was impossible!

    This was not real!

    Xia Zishan was unwilling to ept the truth even though everything was pointing towards it.

    This matter was totally unreal for her anyway!

    However, this was the truth. She had no choice but to ept it.

    She did not understand how would Ruan Danchen get to know Qi Chenglin and even married to him. How fortunate would Ruan Danchen be to have found such a good opportunity?

    Xia Zishan felt a great sense of difort at the thought of Ruan Danchen as a young madam in the Qi family now.

    Ruan Danchen was the most ordinary person in high school whose existence was almost close to none. However, a person with a family background which was worse than normal initially had turned out to be one who Xia Zishan must look up to now.

    Xia Zishan was left speechless now.

    ¡°Is Youxuan full now?¡± Qi Chenglin ignored Xia Zishan and Chen Libai who were frozen to the spot due to shock and asked Ruan Danchen with a soft tone.

    ¡°He ate some desserts but it wasn¡¯t much since dinner will be served soon,¡± Ruan Danchen answered.

    ¡°Do you still need to catch up with your ssmates? Are we disturbing you?¡± Qi Chenglin asked as if he had just realized that Xia Zishan and Chen Libai were standing in front of him.

    ¡°No, they were just here to say hi,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled.

    Qi Chenglin nodded before giving a perfunctory statement to Xia Zishan and Chen Libai. ¡°Excuse me, we¡¯re leaving now.¡±

    Then, he ignored the duo and walked away with Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen bid goodbye to Gao Xiaoyang only before she left.

    Xia Zishan remained submerged in the sea of astonishment at the moment. Gao Xiaoyang remained on her spot too instead of following them since they were in a totally different social category than her.

    She did not have the courage to acquaint herself with them even though the top management had instructed her to familiarize herself with the business mogul.

    Then, she heard Xia Zishan¡¯s dispirited mumbling. ¡°How is this... How did Ruan Danchen start a rtionship with Qi Chenglin, what is this...¡±

    Xia Zishan lifted her head suddenly after regaining consciousness from mumbling for quite a while and said, ¡°Ruan Danchen was so atrocious that she even schemed to embarrass us on purpose! She purposely kept his husband¡¯s identity a secret just to show off at this very moment, right? What a calctive woman! Why would she treat us badly when we didn¡¯t offend her at all?¡±

    ¡°She hid her husband¡¯s identity during the high school reunion. She didn¡¯t rify the misunderstanding when she brought her son to Shengyuest time. She didn¡¯t even make it clear when I was just standing right in front of her!¡± Xia Zishan turned to face Chen Libai suddenly. ¡°Libai, you noticed her expression just now, right? She didn¡¯t reveal that Qi Chenglin was actually her husband on purpose and attended this banquet with him just to set a trap for us. This is just great, I wonder what sort ofint she¡¯ll give to Qi Chenglin now. She acted malicious towards us when we didn¡¯t even offend her! Look at her expression when she finally showed off to us! She even acted low profile at usual times. What a pretentious b*tch!¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang was fed up with Xia Zishan now. No wonder Xia Zishan was able to get on intimate terms with Chang Jingqiu. Their personalities and attitudes werepatible after all!

    ¡°Xia Zishan, you were the one who treated Danchen harshly at first, and now you said Danchen was the one setting up traps for you? If you didn¡¯t treat her with hatred and disgust, then you wouldn¡¯t worry about herining to Qi Chenglin now, right? Even if she didin to him, it would still be the truth, so how was it considered aint?¡±

 Chapter 408 - Everything She Did Was Wrong Since You Disliked Her Anyway (Update Two)

    <strong>Chapter 408: Everything She Did Was Wrong Since You Disliked Her Anyway (Update Two)</strong>

    ¡°Danchen mentioned that she had a good boyfriend and even had a child too at the gatheringst time. She even said that their rtionship was stable and they were nning on marriage too. Do you think she should tell you that her husband is actually Qi Chenglin? Who do you think you are to ask her to report to you on every single matter? You saw it with your own eyes when Qi Chenglin drove Mercedes-Benz to fetch Danchen, right? Even so, you had doubts that he was actually a chauffeur and he probably rented the car from somewhere. Will you believe even if she tells you the truth? Will you think that she¡¯s just bluffing and pretending?¡±

    ¡°I had no idea what happened at Shengyue since I wasn¡¯t there so I have noment on it, but you were criticizing her for no absolute reasons tonight. What did she say? Was she wrong when she said all her family members were here? You were the one who assumed that she was pitiful. Normally, you would start to figure out her true identity when she said so, right? Her whole family members were here, which means they were one of the families here, then you should have realized that she most probably belonged to one of those families.¡±

    ¡°Besides, you insisted that she was showing off even though she was merely telling the truth. You spected in a negative way and assumed that she was in a pitiful state when she acted low profile, then you insisted that she was showing off when she acted high profile. Now you were saying that she pretended to stay low profile and framed you on purpose when she told you the truth. Everything she did was wrong since you disliked her anyway. Have you ever thought of your own behavior? Would you feel scared right now if you socialize honestly?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang pouted disdainfully. ¡°To be honest, you feel happier when she¡¯s in a more pitiful state! You merely felt angry when she had achieved so much instead and you were unable to achieve the same goal in your lifetime.¡±

    Xia Zishan¡¯s expression paled with anger as Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s every words meant exactly what she was thinking right now.

    Chen Libai remained silent. He knew Gao Xiaoyang was right even though he was unwilling to admit it. He assumed that Ruan Danchen¡¯s husband was nowhere as good as him and categorized her husband as useless initially as a form of selffort. This way, Ruan Danchen would feel regret for missing out such an awesome man like him.

    ¡°Gao Xiaoyang!¡± Xia Zishan roared through suppressed voice. She did not want to embarrass herself among the crowd disregarding the facts whether they were strangers or acquaintances.

    ¡°Why are you condemning justly and righteous now instead of mentioning all these before? You just want to ingratiate Ruan Danchen after knowing her true identity now, right?¡± Xia Zishan scoffed.

    Gao Xiaoyang remained calm and smirked. ¡°I don¡¯t care what do you think about me, but now you have no chance to ingratiate her again.¡±

    Then, Gao Xiaoyang turned around and left.

    She did not search for Ruan Danchen to avoid arousing suspicions as Ruan Danchen and the Qi family would think that she was seizing the opportunity to fawn over them.

    However, she did not have any other acquaintances in the banquet hall and it would be unwise to introduce herself to the business mogul rashly. Thus, she had no choice but to enter the washroom.

    Then, she saw Ruan Danchen washing her hands upon entering the washroom.

    Gao Xiaoyang felt awkward now that she realized Ruan Danchen¡¯s true identity, but she gave Ruan Danchen a smile nheless.

    Ruan Danchen pulled out a piece of tissue paper to wipe her hands and threw it into the wastepaper bin. Then, she smiled at Gao Xiaoyang and said, ¡°I wasn¡¯t keeping it a secret from you on purpose. In fact, I wanted to tell you just now but then Xia Zishan came over.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang felt at ease after hearing Ruan Danchen.

    Then, she washed her hands and touched up her makeup since she was not here to answer nature¡¯s call. ¡°Xia Zishan was beaten up after you left. Do you know that they assumed you¡¯re living a poverty-stricken life now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. ¡°I can see that from their expressions and tones.¡±

    Then, she looked at Gao Xiaoyang and asked, ¡°You¡¯re not here to answer nature¡¯s call?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang snorted. ¡°I came here to rx myself since it was out of my elements out there.¡±

    She recalled that perhaps Ruan Danchen would worry about his son, so she said, ¡°Don¡¯t need to care about me, you can leave first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then said after giving this a little thought, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe with me?¡±

    ¡°Hey, there¡¯s no need for that. All of them are from the Qi family, I¡¯ll feel more stressed if I go with you,¡± Gao Xiaoyang rejected immediately.

    Ruan Danchen grinned. ¡°Your boss sent you to familiarize yourself with the business mogul, right? I¡¯ll introduce you to The Great Eight Families then.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang panicked since this was a rare opportunity but she was reluctant to seize it due to extreme nervousness.

    Ruan Danchenughed upon noticing her expression and said, ¡°They¡¯re quite fun, so don¡¯t need to feel nervous.¡±

    ¡°Only for a close friend like you,¡± Gao Xiaoyang stared at Ruan Danchen intively.

    Ruan Danchen grinned. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t help you with anything about interviews but I can introduce you to them. I cannot guarantee that you¡¯ll be able to interview them since it¡¯s all up to you now, but at least you have connections, right? So, do you want to go or not?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s arm, summoned up her courage and nodded through gritted teeth. ¡°Go!¡±

    The duo then exited the washroom, and before they walked further, Ruan Danchen noticed Chang Jingqiu and a granny walking towards them. Coincidentally, she recognized the granny¡ªshe was the one who brought her grandson and bickered with Ruan Danchen at the amusement arcadest time.

    Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise at the unfortunate coincidence. Looking at the intimacy between Chang Jingqiu and the granny, she figured out the granny¡¯s identity too.

    Grandmother Chang was stunned too as she did not expect to meet the ill-mannered youngdy who quarreled with her before.

    Chang Jingqiu pretended as if nothing had happened and introduced Ruan Danchen with a polite smile. ¡°Grandma, these two are my high school ssmates¡ªRuan Danchen and Gao Xiaoyang.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was not bothered about Gao Xiaoyang and ignored her straight away. Instead, she fixed her slightly cloudy eyes on Ruan Danchen and pursed her wrinkled lips tightly before walking with Chang Jingqiu and stood right in front of Ruan Danchen closely.

    ¡°Humph!¡± Grandmother Chang smirked. ¡°Youngdy, didn¡¯t expect to see me so soon, right?¡±

    ¡°Hello,¡± Ruan Danchen greeted lightly with a t expression.

    There were no signs of nervousness, fear or regret, which further irritated Grandmother Chang.

    She clung to the mistake instead of correcting it!

    ¡°Why are you here? Since when did the Chang family acquainted with such ill-mannered youngdy? Why did we allow any random ill-bred to attend my birthday banquet?¡± Grandmother Chang pretended to have known nothing and asked Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°Grandma, I think there¡¯s a misunderstanding here. She¡¯s Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife,¡± Chang Jingqiu replied but her gaze on Ruan Danchen was full of disdain.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife? She was worthy for him? How did Qi Chenglin believe her? She must have acted well in front of him but ill-mannered behind his back! She brought her son and bullied me and Nannan in the mall that day! What kind of attitude was that? Did she think everything will be fine when the Qi family knew nothing about this? Well, she didn¡¯t expect to meet me here!¡±

    Grandmother Chang gave Ruan Danchen a disdainful stare. ¡°The Qi family must have felt ashamed to have such an ill-mannered person like you! Youngdy, you must improve your manners and don¡¯t push your luck. The Qi family will know the truth one day if you continue damaging the Qi family¡¯s reputation. You encountered me today and you¡¯ll encounter another person in the same social circle tomorrow. You¡¯re still young, so best to perform your duty well and improve your personality and behaviour.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang was exasperated before Ruan Danchen could make a statement.

    Grandmother Chang took advantage of her seniority and made such a derogatory criticism.

    Every statement she made was meant to criticize Ruan Danchen¡¯s ill mannerism, but she did not realize that she was the actual one who behaved rudely now!

    Then, Ruan Danchen pinched Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s wrist stealthily as a hint to prevent her from acting rashly.

    Grandmother Chang continued when Gao Xiaoyang managed to contain her anger. ¡°It is understandable when I recalled your family background. A crooked stick casts a crooked shadow. How good can a daughter be with such mother? I really don¡¯t know why the Qi family epted you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fortunate that the Chang family doesn¡¯t have such worry. There¡¯s no need to trouble you as to why the Qi family epted me and about my attitudes, my family will be the judges. Besides, don¡¯t assume that you were absolutely right regarding what happened in the mall that day, there were witnesses who were able to judge what was right or wrong. If you think that your grandson¡¯s lies and shameless acts at such a young age was considered well-mannered with proper attitudes, then I am truly doubtful about your standard and criterion. At the same time, I¡¯m truly happy and relieved that my attitudes and behaviors are not up to your standard.¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang made no attempt to hide herughter. She did not expect Ruan Danchen to speak ferociously and criticized Grandmother Chang tactfully.

    Gao Xiaoyang was considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy since she did not have any strong backgrounds, thus it was unwise for her to speak rashly. It would be fine if the other party felt unworthy to argue with her, but Grandmother Chang would take her sweet revenge and inevitably, her only oue would be disastrous.

    Grandmother Chang was indeed this type of person based on her behaviour just now.

    Which was exactly why Ruan Danchen reminded Gao Xiaoyang to keep quiet and let her do all the talking. Ruan Danchen had the Qi family¡¯s support and thus there was no need for her to worry too much if the Chang family was offended.

    The Qi family was quite protective in this sort of matter.

    ¡°So rude and disrespectful towards elders! Look at where you stand and whose birthday banquet is today before you start speaking rudely! The Qi family must have been cursed to have a daughter-inw like you! You will never get up to standard when you don¡¯t have a good mother to educate you properly.

    A chicken will always be a chicken even if it stays in a phoenix¡¯s nest

    !¡±

    It broadened Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s mind to hear Grandmother Chang¡¯s criticism getting harsher. Each of them was born in a silver spoon but their behaviors were ipatible with their supposed temperament.

    Grandmother Chang was criticizing Ruan Danchen since the beginning without realizing something. What did Ruan Danchen mentioned so far, and what did she said up to this point?

    What sort of double standard was this?

    Ruan Danchen inhaled deeply as she was on the brink of losing her cool. ¡°I don¡¯t know who is my biological mother or how does she look like, so I won¡¯t judge her simply, and none will have the right to judge her without any evidence.¡±

    It was obvious that Grandmother Chang was taken by surprise at her statement. Initially, Gao Xiaoyang thought that her conscience had gotten the better of her.

    However, Grandmother Chang ignored Ruan Danchen straight away and patted gently on Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand before saying sincerely, ¡°I think I overestimated her. The problem wasn¡¯t with her mother giving an improper education to her, she didn¡¯t even have a mother to begin with.¡±

    Grandmother Chang went a little too far now!

    Even Gao Xiaoyang felt indignant as an onlooker, so one could imagine how exasperated Ruan Danchen was right now.

    Gao Xiaoyang met with all kinds of people as a reporter, but she had never seen such detestable individual before.

    They could potentially retaliate recklessly if their opponent was younger, but Grandmother Chang acted without the slightest scruple just because she was an elder. All Grandmother Chang had to say was that they were disrespectful towards elders if they argued a little too much, so they felt especially helpless towards this elderly individual.

    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t say that. I was born without a mother too, but luckily I had grandma and uncles to educate me,¡± Chang Jingqiu said softly and appeared especially lovely right now.

    Grandmother Chang felt extremely satisfied after hearing Chang Jingqiu and patted the back of her hand softly in response.

    Before Grandmother Chang could continue her criticism on Ruan Danchen, another voice interrupted. ¡°Old Madam Chang,¡±

    Grandmother Chang turned towards the voice and saw Mu Huaisheng walking towards them from the back.

    Grandmother Chang was criticizing Ruan Danchen unscrupulously since they were alone in the corridor, thus she was unsure if any of her words travelled to Mu Huaisheng¡¯s ears.

    She knew her statements were too harsh in the first ce.

    Mu Huaisheng gave quite a good impression on Grandmother Chang. The Mu family would be perfect if it was not for his dumb sister.

    Even so, Grandmother Chang shifted her target and intended to introduce Chang Jingqiu to Mu Huaisheng since Qi Chenglin was married now. She just needed to know if Mu Huaisheng was interested or not.

    Grandmother Chang was worried if Mu Huaisheng overheard her criticism towards Ruan Danchen just now and resulted in a bad impression on Chang Jingqiu.

    Grandmother Chang calmed herself down before putting on a natural smile. ¡°Huaisheng, ha ha, why did you appear behind us out of nowhere?¡±

    ¡°I went to the washroom just now,¡± Mu Huaisheng replied calmly with a t expression.

    Grandmother Chang sighed in relief. Then, there was a sudden racketing from the banquet hall.

    They could hear themotion clearly since they were quite close to the banquet hall.

    ¡°Old Madam! Old Madam!¡± A woman in her forties rushed forward anxiously and her nervousness increased upon seeing Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why the rush?¡± Grandmother Chang asked annoyingly.

    ¡°It¡¯s Little Young Master, he is fighting with a child,¡± The babysitter who was hired by the Chang family to take care of Chang Jianan said.

    Grandmother Chang did not bother about Ruan Danchen anymore and hurried towards the scene with Chang Jingqiu.

    Ruan Danchen thought of Qi Youxuan all of a sudden since there were not many children who attended the banquet and they had an argument with Grandmother Chang and her grandson not long ago. Thus, she ran pass Grandmother Chang whose pace was much slower than hers and arrived at the scene before Grandmother Chang did.

    There was an area in the centre of the banquet hall which was more hectic than the rest. She could even hear a loud cry from a child faintly but it did not belong to Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen rushed into the crowd and saw Guan Liya carrying Qi Youxuan up.

    The kid¡¯s face was flushed red due to anger and when he saw Ruan Danchen, he yelled, ¡°Mom!¡±

    Ruan Danchen then hurried forward and saw Guan Liya¡¯s angry expression. ¡°Mom, what happened?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know whose child is this but he is very rude!¡± Guan Liya frowned.

    Qi Chenglin came and took Qi Youxuan over from Guan Liya into his embosom.

    Then, Qi Chenglin put him down since the kid was struggling in his embosom.

    It was expected that the other kid was indeed Nannan, who was Grandmother Chang¡¯s grandson from the amusement arcade that day.

    Chang Jianan was soaking wet and there was ice falling from within his shirt while he was jumping around repeatedly on the same spot. Judging from the scattered ice on the floor, it was obvious that his wet clothes were a result of melted ice.

    The freezing Chang Jianan was crying while hopping around repeatedly. It was winter now and even though the environment of the banquet hall was warm, he could not withstand the cold from the pile of ice in his shirt.

    Chang Jianan saw his parents first before Grandmother Chang and immediately felt that his support was finally here. He wailed and threw himself straight into Liu Xiangwen¡¯s embosom.

    This is a proverb in chinese ¡°Ò°¼¦¾ÍËãÊÇ»ì½ø·ï»ËÎÑÀïÒ²»¹ÊÇÒ°¼¦¡± which means one cannot alter his character by joining the upper social sses.

 Chapter 409 - Out Of 5 People, 3 Slipped Away Through Their Cellphones.

    <strong>Chapter 409 Out Of 5 People, 3 Slipped Away Through Their Cellphones.</strong>

    ¡°What is this, what is going on?¡± Liu Xiangwen was wearing a dress, while she was hugging Chang Jianan her bare forearms and shoulders stuck to his wet shirt, and had felt the cold very soon, and goosebumps formed on her forearms.

    Liu Xiangwen asked worriedly, ¡°why is it so cold?¡±

    When she saw the ice cubes all over the floor, she understood.

    Chang Zhixing hurriedly took off his jacket, and without caring about the fact that there were lots of people around who were looking, removed Chang Jianan¡¯s shirt and covered him with the jacket.

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s heart ached at seeing her son shivering from the cold.

    ¡°Mommy, daddy, he bullied me!¡± Chang Jianian said, bursting into tears. They didn¡¯t know who Qi Youxuan was, and even if they did, they hadn¡¯t yet realized how serious things were.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± in the confusion of the crowd, Liu Xiangwen had not yet been able to see that the members of the Qi Family did not have pleasant looks on their faces, kneeling down to ask her child, while wiping away his tears.

    Chang Jianan just kept crying, ¡°He bullied me! He bullied me, why is he here! He even sshed ice on me!¡±

    Chang Jianan was crying in a particrly pitiful manner, and in the end even Grandmother Chang came with Chang Jingqiu rushed over, and upon seeing her grandson¡¯s pitiful state, she nearly burst out cursing in anger.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± this time it was Qi Chenglin who asked, looking down at Qi Youxuan, but his face was not stern, he knew his son, and knew that his son was not the kind to cause trouble without reason.

    Qi Youxuan huffed at Chang Jianan dismissively, before recounting what had happened in full.

    While Ruan Danchen was at the washroom, Qi Youxuan was surrounded by people, and Grandfather and Grandmother Qi were not around. Therefore Qi Youxuan ran off to the buffet¡¯s dessert table to grab something to eat.

    Unfortunately, he bumped into Chang Jianan who was also there to get something to eat.

    The Chang Family was hosting the banquet tonight, making Chang Jianan think that this was his territory, and so he was rather rxed, and just a little bit prideful.

    Therefore when he saw Qi Youxuan, it was as though two enemies had met in an alley, reopening old wounds.

    Chang Jianan was not aware of who Qi Youxuan was, and only thought of the history between the two of them, and rushed up to flip the te of cakes in Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand.

    The te fell onto the floor and shattered with a crash.

    In the bustle of the banquet, this sound was not particrly audible. Only the service staff of Dynasty saw it, but just assumed that it was the carelessness of the child who dropped the te, and rushed over to clean up.

    However, just as the service staff arrived, and had not yet been able to start cleaning up, Chang Jianan savagely shoved Qi Youxuan, charging towards him with the intention of pushing Qi Youxuan to the floor so he would be cut by the shards of the te.

    Qi Youxuan wobbled slightly, his body tilting to the back, his arms osciting back and forth constantly to maintain his bnce.

    At that time he was terrified, knowing the consequences of falling over, it would be no big deal if his buttocks were pierced and bled, fortunately just before he fell, his little hand held onto a table, and with great difficulty he stabilized himself, and didn¡¯t injure himself falling down.

    However Chang Jianan was still not letting it go, and strained his tonsils shouting, ¡°How are you here? This is my grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, it¡¯s my family¡¯s territory, you¡¯re not wee here, get out! Get out! Get out! You¡¯re not allowed to eat my family¡¯s food! This was all bought with my family¡¯s money, you¡¯re not allowed to eat it! You miserable thing, the audacity toe and eat my family¡¯s things!¡±

    Chang Jianan kept shoving Qi Youxuan as he shouted, this time not to push him down, but with the intention to chase him out.

    ¡°What are you doing, I¡¯m here with my daddy and mommy, we were invited.¡± Qi Youxuan evaded him, exining.

    However Chang Jianan was not listening, and Qi Youxuan was getting tired of being pushed, the little boy was not to be lightly bullied, and being pushed by Chang Jianan made him angry.

    Qi Youxuan turned to look, and saw a few slices of ice cream cakes, to maintain the temperature, there wereyers of ice cubes on the te.

    The little boy grabbed the te, and along with the pieces of cake, and threw them at Chang Jianan.

    Apart from the slices of ice cream cakes, the entire pile of ice cubes sshed over Chang Jianan¡¯s body with a tter.

    Chang Jianan screamed from the shock of the cold, and jumped around without pause, he felt ice around his neck, and he shivered from the cold.

    Qi Youxuan looked around once more, and saw a small bucket of ice on the side, it was for guests to cool their drinks, and so he nonchntly grabbed the bucket, and with one hand opened up Chang Jianan¡¯s cor, and poured the contents of the bucket into it. The ice cubes slid down Chang Jianan¡¯s skin, making him cry from the cold.

    At that Qi Youxian was finally satisfied, and rubbed his palms, which were cold.

    After hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, Guan Liya looked over, because the incident involved the two Young Masters fighting, the greatest priority was still the Young Master of the Qi Family, the service staff very wisely did not clear away the evidence of the shattered te, but kept watch there to prevent any guests from getting injured.

    Guan Liya saw the broken te on the ground, if Qi Youxuan did fall from being pushed, being injured on his hands and arms would be fortunate, what if he fell on his head?

    Guan Liya was so furious her eyes were red, and hearing Chang Jianan wailing next to her added on to her ire.

    Her grandson wasn¡¯t crying, what was this Chang Jianan crying about!

    It was at this moment that Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu arrivedte to the scene, and upon seeing her grandson crying so pitifully, Grandmother Chang did not inquire into what happened, but asked instead, ¡°Nannan[1], what happened, who bullied

    you?¡±

    ¡°Bullied him? Our Youxuan isn¡¯t an undisciplined brat.¡± Guan Liya could not stand Grandmother Chang¡¯s overbearing demeanor.

    Without asking about what happened, or who was right or wrong, she immediately assumed someone had bullied Chang Jianan.

    What was this!

    ¡°Your grandson wanted to harm our Youxuan, and our Youxuan let him off lightly by teaching him a lesson like this.¡± Guan Liya was not one to be discreet, on ount of her status not even Grandmother Chang would dare to be brazen before her.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the Chang family educates their children, to have such venomous thoughts at such a young age. He knocked down my grandson¡¯s te, and doesn¡¯t have any courtesy towards guests as a host, I can still ept it as him being young and immature. Kids will be kids, and it¡¯s normal for them to get into scuffles and fights, we as adults can understand that. But for him to try and push my Youxuan onto that broken te, how venomous can one get?¡±

    ¡°If my Youxuan fell there, if he were to simply be cut that would be fortunate, but if he were to be seriously injured or die, which one of you will give me back my grandson!¡± Guan Liya said furiously.

    Qi Zhongxun stood aside with no intention to intervene, it was better for women to take the lead in matters like this, and he would support her fully.

    Qi Youxuan was the treasure of their family, how can he be bullied here!

    Grandmother Chang almost lost her temper from Guan Liya¡¯s remarks, generally it was she who would subdue others with her fury, and nobody had the right to do the same to her.

    With great difficulty, Grandmother Chang replied stiffly, ¡°isn¡¯t it fine now?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine now, but if it were not fine it would have been toote! Fortunately nothing bad happened, and you should be thankful for that! If my grandson were to suffer any injury because of you, the Qi Family will not let you rest easy!¡± Guan Liya retorted.

    She had already lost a son, so this was a trigger for her, if anything happened to anyone in the family, it would get on her every nerve, no matter who it was, even if they suffered a bit of misfortune or injury was something she could not tolerate.

    Grandmother Chang just had to provoke her on this matter.

    Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin rushed forwards, and seeing Grandmother Chang trembling with rage, her fierce visage looking like she was about to respond, Chang Zhiyuan quickly stepped in front of Grandmother Chang, saying, ¡°we apologize, our Nannan was wrong in this matter.¡±

    He still had a business rtionship with Qilin, and could not allow that to deteriorate over this.

    Grandmother Chang was displeased upon hearing that, ¡°why is it Nannan¡¯s fault, it¡¯s Nannan who has been sshed with ice, shivering in the cold!¡±

    Grandmother Chang looked at Guan Liya, ¡°no matter what, your grandson should apologize!¡±

    Qi Youxuan clenched his jaw, he was just defending himself, to tell him to apologize, the words just would not leave his mouth.

    He felt victimized, and ayer of tears clouded his ck irises.

    Ruan Danchen was still imagining in fear what would have happened if Qi Youxuan was really pushed onto the shards of the te.

    She shivered, and quickly picked up Qi Youxuan to hold in her arms, no matter what was said she would not let Qi Youxuan apologize to Chang Jianan.

    She could see from Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes the indignity he felt.

    Qi Chenglin saw it too, and hisrge hand ran over his son¡¯s head,forting him.

    ¡°Grandmother, right now Nannan is shivering, shouldn¡¯t we get a room for him, and change him into fresh clothes to warm him up? If we leave him cold like this any longer he¡¯ll catch a fever.¡± Chang Jingqiu reminded quietly.

    The volume wasn¡¯t particrly loud, but everybody around heard it clearly.

    Everybody now could not help but feel somewhat sorry for Chang Jianan.

    His prior motives were no longer the focus, the end of it was that Chang Jianan was the one who came out worse off, so nobody thought about the cause of the two boys¡¯ scuffle, and the venom in Chang Jianan¡¯s intentions.

    Qi Zhongxun looked at Chang Jingqiu coldly, this youngdy had a n, and a simple sentence couldpletely change the focus of the crowd.

    But this n was used at the wrong ce, even if Qi Chenglin had no girlfriend, based on her character, the Qi Family could not possibly ept her.

    Qi Zhongxun lowered his head, and asked Qi Youxuan gently, ¡°why did you fight with Chang Jianan? Did the both of you know each other before? If not he wouldn¡¯t run up and knock your te over for no reason.¡±

    The crowd realized that was true, there must be a reason for the fight, it may well be that it was the Young Master of the Qi Family that started it at the very beginning.

    However, Qi Zhongxun had faith in his grandson, that he definitely would not be the kind to make trouble unprovoked, and that was why he asked.

    Qi Youxuan lifted his face from Ruan Danchen¡¯s abdomen, turning to look at Qi Zhongxun, his ck irises still clouded over by tears, his nose red, looking really pitiful.

    Qi Youxuan then retold the incident of queue cutting at the indoor amusement park as it happened.

    The crowd looked at Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu in a different light, in the end it was still the grandson of the Chang Family that had started it!

    Cutting queue and then lying, lying and then still being unreasonable, the upbringing of the Chang family was problematic. On such an important day, with all the various families present, the grandson of the Chang Family did not know his ce.

    Those who were originally a little sympathetic towards Chang Jianan were also shaking their heads, feeling that if this child was not educated properly soon, it would be toote.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s face changed and changed again, who knew that at this time that trivial matter would be brought up again.

    ¡°Such a small matter and he recalls it so clearly, he¡¯s so petty!¡± Grandmother Chang said, ¡°furthermore the mere words of a child shouldn¡¯t be believed.¡±

    ¡°My grandson never lies.¡± Guan Liya smiled proudly, looking condescendingly at Grandmother Chang.

    Grandmother Chang was shaking in rage, Guan Liya was insulting her grandson through her!

    ¡°Furthermore, no matter how immature a child is, how could he kick up a ruckus on his grandmother¡¯s birthday banquet, and want to wound my grandson. Grandmother Chang, you¡¯re getting on in years, if there were to be such bad luck as blood being spilt during a birthday banquet, that wouldn¡¯t be good.¡± Guan Liya said coldly.

    That reply left Grandmother Chang bbergasted, and she was unable to think of a reply.

    ¡°Today I think I can say I know the Chang Family, and I didn¡¯t think they would be so unreasonable.¡± Guan Liyaughed in fake politeness, ¡°a little boy can lie and me others, it¡¯s no wonder Ms. Chang can be so thick faced as to go to Qilin, knowing full well that our Qi Chenglin is getting married, and still pester him to take her as a mistress.¡±

    When Guan Liya said that, the entire crowd gasped.

    The implications of Guan Liya¡¯s words were extreme!

    Who would have thought the Chang Family was such an immoral one!

    Ms Chang, the daughter of Chang Zhiyuan, was underaged, she was not even old enough to be a mistress, so was Guan Liya referring to Chang Jingqiu?

    The eyes of the crowd fell on Chang Jingqiu, looking at her gentle and elegant appearance, you really could not judge a book by it¡¯s cover!

    ¡°Mrs Qi, you... how could you smear my name like that!¡± Chang Jingqiu said in a panic, looking as though she might burst into tears, her face flushed red.

    Grandmother Chang was also besides herself with anger, Guan Liya¡¯s words had ensured that Chang Jingqiu¡¯s name was ruined among the circles, in the future none of the capable young men would want her, which family would ept a woman who had once been a mistress?

    Guan Liya¡¯s words, were far too venomous!

    Grandmother Chang could already see that some among the crowd were looking at Chang Jingqiu with disdain, some were already shaking their heads, showing their loss of interest in her, and many among them were those whom Grandmother Chang viewed as good candidates!

    ¡°Today my grandson was nearly wounded, and if things went badly his life would be threatened, I don¡¯t have any desire to stay here. Just based on your attitude just now, Grandmother Chang, I also cannot bring myself to make any felicitations. The Qi Family says farewell.¡± Guan Liya said, and grabbed Qi Zhongxun¡¯s arm.

    Qi Zhongxun did not make any attempt to hide his intentions, and turned to leave with his wife.

    Qi Chenglin took Qi Youxuan into his arms, and holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, left without saying another word.

    Ruan Danchen looked back, and gave Gao Xiaoyang an apologetic look, she originally wanted to introduce Gao Xiaoyang to the Eight Great Families, but who knew this would happen?

    Gao Xiaoyang mouthed back ¡°it¡¯s fine¡± soundlessly to Ruan Danchen, and gestured to her to just go.

    She was a reporter, and she had a job to do today, she couldn¡¯t just leave because she wanted to, so she could only just stay here.

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu made no dys, and nodding their regards to Yan Beicheng and others, and left, Qi Chengyue also made a hasty exit along with Cheng Dongge.

    Yan Beicheng¡¯s phone suddenly rang, and he picked it up for a moment, before replying, ¡°aiyo, something came up at thepany, I must go now, I¡¯m so sorry.¡±

    Han Zhuoli looked at his watch, ¡°my grandmother wants me home early tonight.¡±

    Gui Zhiqian saw Han Zhuoli and Yan Beicheng had already turned and left, and cursed them for not having anyradeship, and not giving him a reason why.

    He suddenly took out his phone, and pretended to pick up a call, and didn¡¯t hesitate in throwing his eldest sister under the bus,¡± What? Big Sis and Brother In Law are fighting again? Okay okay okay, I¡¯ll go home and break it up, wait for me!¡±

    He then left.

    Chu Zhaoyang was not one who spoke much, and he couldn¡¯t be bothered to even produce a reason, he only spoke two words to Chang Zhiyuan, ¡°good bye.¡±

    Wei Ziqi at this point also pretended to pick up a call, ¡°huh, Muche¡¯s crying? Okay, I¡¯ll bring Weiran home now.¡±

    ¡°...¡± the crowd watched as these people all left with flimsy lies, and out of 5 of them 3 of them slipped away using their phones, Han Zhuoli even used his grandmother, since when was he so obedient?

    Chu Zhaoyang was even better, without bothering to make up an excuse, he just said ¡°goodbye¡± and left.

    Therefore the remaining guests, were all not that important.

    In a moment, an air of awkwardness settled on the venue.

    An originally boisterous birthday banquet, with representatives from all Eight Great Families, but now in the blink of an eye everyone was gone. The entire banquet hall felt like it had emptied in an instant.

    Everybody was at a loss of what to do in the awkwardness, and no one spoke, making the entire venue seem dead cold.

    Chang Zhiyuan was besides himself in rage, he wasn¡¯t angry at the Eight Great Families leaving just like that, he was angry at his own mother, for not being able to control her temper, and not realizing who she was talking to, daring to be so unreasonable.

    If they were in the right, it would still be fine, but they were clearly in the wrong, if they would just apologize this would be settled, but they just had to make this matter worse.

    Chang Zhiyuan let out a depressed sigh, and turned to Liu Xiangwen, ¡°Bring Nannan to the room to change, don¡¯t let him sit around here.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen quickly picked up the still crying Chang Jianan, who seemed to bepletely unaware of the circumstances, and carried him away.

    Grandmother Chang could not have thought that her birthday banquet would have gone this way, and her chest hurt in her rage.

    Chang Zhiyuan turned to Chang Jingqiu, ¡°bring mom to rest first, when the banquet starts, bring her back.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu felt as though she had suffered an irrecoverable disaster tonight, and it was all brought about by Chang Jianan. If it was not for his fight with Qi Youxuan, things would not have gotten this bad.

    But the Qi Family was influential, and they could not touch them, so she could only lead Grandmother Chang away with a pained face.

    Grandmother Chang massaged her chest as she walked, ¡°I¡¯m going to die from anger! I¡¯m going to die from anger!¡±

    When Grandmother Chang had gotten a fair distance away, only did Chang Zhiyuan humble himself and apologize to the other guests, ¡°everyone, my apologies, our family has made a fool of ourselves tonight. This incident tonight was the fault of the Chang Family, our hospitality iscking, we ask for your forgiveness. As for the Qi Family, I will personally apologize to them, let¡¯s not spoil the mood over such a trivial matter.¡±

    The guests finally dispersed slowly, and conversation resumed, but this time, the topic of the conversation was all focused on gossiping about what just happened.

    Gao Xiaoyang did not look for Xia Zishan and Cheng Libo, Chang Jingqiu had just been embarrassed for no good reason, and would not be back soon.

    Gao Xiayang thus sat alone in a corner, and took out her phone to write a draft. This trip tonight wasn¡¯t a waste, when she went back to hand in her draft to the editor-in-chief, she even had the title thought out: The Eight Great Families Retire From The Birthday Banquet of The Matriarch of The Chang Family, Will The Markets in B City See A Shift?

    With an explosive topic such as this, the editor in chief was sure to be happy, but what was unknown was whether he would hesitate on ount of Chang Jingqiu.

    As the Qi Family exited Dynasty, Qi Chenglin turned to see Yan Beicheng and the others had followed them out.

    Yan Beicheng then exined, ¡°all of you aren¡¯t around, there¡¯d be no reason for us to stick around, and there¡¯s no need to stay there and give face to Grandmother Chang.¡±

    [1] This is a nickname for Chang Jianan, a repetition of the final syble of his name.

 Chapter 410 - They Basically Do Not Consider Me As Human

    <strong>Chapter 410 They Basically Do Not Consider Me As Human</strong>

    The members of the Qi Family knew, Yan Beicheng was helping the Qi Family, standing on the same line as them, and pressuring the Chang Family.

    ¡°All of you.¡± Qi Zhongxun smiled, before saying sincerely, ¡°thank you.¡±

    Yan Beicheng and the others did not feign modesty, especially since they did so specifically to support the Qi Family.

    That was the reason the Eight Big Families were so well respected, besides the warmth and close ties in each individual family, it was also because all of the Eight Big Families stood together, prospering and suffering together, to insult one family, was to invite the wrath of the other seven.

    If only one of the families were out to get you, one might be able to handle it, but if one family causes you loss here, and another causes you loss there, these losses would start to umte into a big loss, and nobody could bear that.

    Yan Beicheng and the others went their separate ways, and the members of the Qi Family all got into their cars, but they didn¡¯t go their separate ways, but they all returned to the old residence of the Qi Family, to tell Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi what happened.

    When Grandmother Qi heard what happened, she tutted, and sipped her tea, before saying, ¡°that Grandmother Chang must have gone mad.¡±

    ¡°Who said she hasn¡¯t! When I heard that olddy¡¯s words, I was so angry I couldugh, how could there be such an unreasonable person. Even though her grandson instigated this entire affair, it¡¯s fortunate that Youxuan didn¡¯t suffer any injury, and actually sshed ice on her grandson. If someone in the Chang Family had been reasonable, and talked reasonably, I would have told Youxuan to apologize to Chang Jianan, since he did use violence. But that attitude of Chang Jianan, as though it were always Youxuan¡¯s fault, why would I let our child be humiliated like that.¡±

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s heart ached too, thinking about how today the little boy went whole, but may have returned unwhole, it made her shudder to think about it.

    She quickly gestured the little boy toe over, and carried him onto herp, touching his little face, arms, and legs, ¡°all of you rushed here, you haven¡¯t eaten have you?¡±

    Having said that, she quickly told Aunt Liew to make something for them to eat.

    While they ate, Grandmother Qi made her viewpoint clear.

    In this matter, Grandmother Qi¡¯s intentions were that, since the Chang Family were unreasonable, then there was no reason for the Qi Family to be reasonable. If anything, they had all the right to be unreasonable.

    If Qi Youxuan had really fallen on that broken te, his life would have been in danger.

    There was a news article once, a female star had installed an aquarium walkway in her house, and because of an ident she fell, and broke the aquarium in her fall. Unfortunately, her wrist had fallen on a shard of ss from the aquarium, and she died from the cut to her artery.

    If Qi Youxuan had fallen on his head or wrist, what then?

    After everyone had finished their meal at the old residence, they went their separate ways home.

    In the car, Ruan Danchen sat in the back seat, and didn¡¯t put Qi Youxuan in the child¡¯s seat, holding him in her arms. She still felt afraid at the thought of what could have happened.

    Qi Youxuan blinked, in the ckness of the car¡¯s interior, his eyes were especially bright and clear.

    Knowing that Ruan Danchen was still worried, he shook Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, and said reassuringly, ¡°mommy, I¡¯m fine.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked down and looked at the little boy¡¯s angelic face, as he grew with each year, his appearance changed minutely, unnoticeably, until one day, one would realize he had grown up.

    The small face was no longer round like a ball, it was still rotund, but it was starting to slim down, and the first signs of Qi Chenglin¡¯s attractive outlines were showing.

    Ruan Danchen bemoaned the fact that her son was growing up, and she was not ready or willing for it, she wanted time to return to six years ago, and see the little boy¡¯s cuteness back then.

    She could not help but squeeze his soft face, and kissed him enthusiastically.

    Qi Youxuan was slightly bashful at Ruan Danchen¡¯s actions, and he blushed, in the past he would shy away bashfully, but thinking of the shock that everyone had tonight, he let his mother kiss him more.

    Qi Chenglin drove into Prestige Residences, and arrived at the ground floor of the house, and just as he was about to drive into the garage, he saw a champagne colored Bentley parked to the left of the door.

    Just as the Mercedes was about to drive past the Bentley, the door of the Bentley opened, and someone stepped out of it.

    It was Chang Zhiyuan.

    Qi Chenglin did not pretend he did not see him, and stopped the car, rolling down the window, and Chang Zhiyuan hurried over, standing next to the car door, saying, ¡°Young Master Lin.¡±

    He wore a ck trench coat, but it was still so cold he had huddled his shoulders, and his breath fogged in white puffs from his mouth.

    Qi Chenglin nodded nkly, but did not speak, driving directly into the garage, and killing the engine.

    He spoke to Ruan Danchen, ¡°bring Youxuan up first.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded, and brought the little boy from the garage into the elevator.

    Qi Chenglin put on his leather gloves, and walked out of the garage, stopping in front of Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°Young Master Lin,¡± Chang Zhiyuan greeted again, ¡°I should have gone to your parent¡¯s home to apologize first, but I was worried it waste, and Mr and Mrs Qi would have gone to bed, so I didn¡¯t dare disturb them.¡±

    ¡°Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet has ended?¡± Qi Chenglin asked lightly.

    Chang Zhiyuan nodded awkwardly, if it had not ended, he would not leave early. If Grandmother Chang knew he came here just to apologize, there would be no peace.

    Qi Chenglin smirked snidely, ¡°if you really were sincere in apologizing, you¡¯d have done so at the scene. At the worst, you could have chased after us as we were leaving to apologize. Not waiting for the end of the banquet, and apologizing to us while hiding it from Grandmother Chang.¡±

    ¡°Young Master Lin, my mother is old, it¡¯s inevitable that she¡¯d be a bit befuddled. The older one gets, the more defensive they are of their shorings, please don¡¯t take her seriouly. I did not want her kicking up a fuss at home, and that¡¯s why I came here secretly.¡± Chang Zhiyuan said, rather awkwardly.

    ¡°Director Chang, do you speak for your entire family?¡± Qi Chenglin arched his eyebrows, ¡°don¡¯t be apologizing here, andter Grandmother Chang throws nder at us. The Qi Family¡¯s grace isn¡¯t that cheap.¡±

    ¡°I most definitely cannot represent my mother, Young Master Lin please just consider her as old and senile, and don¡¯t take her seriously.¡± Chang Zhiyuan could only say, thinking of Grandmother Chang, he instantly felt powerless.

    ¡°Even if we don¡¯t take her seriously this time, what about next time? The next time she nders us, and is unreasonable, and we still don¡¯t take her seriously, one time after another, wouldn¡¯t Grandmother Chang feel like reason is on her side?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s gloved hands slid into his pockets, wanting to take out a cigarette to smoke, his hand was already on the box, but he thought better of it and rxed his hand. However, he kept his hands in his pocket.

    Chang Zhiyuan remained silent, he had already prepared himself before he came, he knew Qi Chenglin would not easily forgive the Chang Family.

    ¡°As for our cooperation, we¡¯ve already signed the agreement, I will not go back on it, but as for the future, it will depend on the circumstances at the time. As for the incident tonight, it¡¯s not a question of whether or not we can forgive the Chang Family, we are just disappointed.¡± Qi Chenglin said deliberately, ¡°we can always separate work and private life, and as for our working rtionship, as long as you are not derelict in your obligations, I see no reason to change who I cooperate with. You can be assured of that, Director Chang.¡±

    At that point, Chang Zhiyuan could breathe a sigh of relief, at least Qi Chenglin was not so angry as to let it affect work rted matters.

    ¡°As for private matters, the Qi Family never really had any interactions with the Chang Family, and in the future our ties will not be all too close as well. If Grandmother Chang acts unreasonably again, we will not be courteous as usual.¡± Qi Chenglin said, a sh of impatience crossing his face.

    He nodded curtly at Chang Zhiyuan, ¡°my son has suffered quite a shock tonight, I should go back and check on him, so I will not be inviting you in Director Chang.¡±

    What else could Chang Zhiyuan say? He could only agree politely.

    While Qi Chenglin opened the door and went in, Chang Zhiyuan could only sigh, and return to his Bentley, returning home instead of going to Grandmother Chang¡¯s house.

    Ruan Danchen had just changed Qi Youxuan into his pajamas, and was just about to help him brush his teeth and wash his face, when she looked up to see Qi Chenglin standing at the door of Qi Youxuan¡¯s room.

    He hadn¡¯t changed yet, and he brought in the cold from outside, his shoulder resting against the doorframe. Despite his easy, rxed pose, his body posture was still fairly straight, and it made him look more natural than usual.

    It was unknown for how long he had been standing there, their backs were to the door, and never noticed him.

    This man always walked soundlessly.

    The moment Qi Youxuan saw Qi Chenglin, he didn¡¯t feelfortable being clingy to her anymore.

    ¡°Mommy, I can wash up myself.¡± he immediately said.

    He waddled off after finishing his sentence.

    Ruan Danchen didn¡¯t go after him, and instead walked to Qi Chenglin. He took off his gloves, and put his hand on her face, his palms were warm.

    ¡°Chang Zhiyuan came to apologize.¡± Qi Chenglin exined softly.

    Ruan Danchen nodded, but said nothing, when it came to matters that involved two families, she did not get into it. With too many matters to be involved in, at the end of the day she¡¯d follow Qi Chenglin¡¯s intentions.

    She could guess the intention of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s visit, but as Chang Zhiyuan came alone, it had little use.

    ¡°His apology is mostly meaningless,¡± Qi Chenglin said eventually, ¡°in the future just do what we need to do, when ites to Grandmother Chang, if she gets unreasonable, you don¡¯t need to be polite.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯d get many opportunities to see her in the future.¡±

    In a moment, the little boy had finished cleaning up, and after making sure he wasn¡¯t too affected, they turned off the lights for him to sleep.

    The next day, Ruan Danchen received a call from Gao Xiaoyang while at work.

    Gao Xiaoyang wanted to tell her what happened after the Qi Family left.

    ¡°Last night after you left, Chang Zhiyuan sent Grandmother Chang off to rest, before apologizing to the guests, I don¡¯t know what was in their minds, but they all smiled and looked as though it were no big deal. Grandmother Chang only showed her face again when it was just about time to start the banquet, and she still looked displeased. Chang Jingqiu came with her, but she looked so withered and didn¡¯t speak at all, this is the first time I¡¯ve seen her so honest, throughout the entire time she didn¡¯t mix with the other heiresses in her age group.¡± Gao Xiaoyang said.

    ¡°After the banquet, I intentionally took my time leaving, and could still hear Grandmother Chang kicking up a scene.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could imagine what Grandmother Chang wasining about, it would be the same few things over and over again, if it wasn¡¯t the Qi Family using their position to bully people, it would be them making light of her position.

    ¡°Yesterday was a special circumstance, I didn¡¯t even get the chance to introduce you to them, one of these days I¡¯ll find the chance to invite you out to a gathering for you to get to know them.¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. If it¡¯s too intentional I¡¯d worry they¡¯d think I had an agenda.¡± Gao Xiaoyang said hurriedly, ¡°these days I make a call to people in all Eight Great Families. In the morning once I clock in, I don¡¯t do anything else, I make over ten calls, from Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant to Gui Zhiqian¡¯s assistant, in a continuous circle, I don¡¯t believe that if I call daily, I won¡¯t get a lead?¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but burst outughing, as she imagined the sight of Gao Xiaoyang relentlessly making calls in the morning. She didn¡¯t know the other assistants, but she knew Cheng Dongge and Jiang Yuan very well, and when she thought about the two of them having to deal with Gao Xiaoyang first thing in the morning every day, she found it particrly funny.

    Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s dogged professionalism, and she didn¡¯t have any ulterior motives, made Ruan Danchen admire her a lot, and she didn¡¯t say much more.

    It wasn¡¯t good for them to chat too much while at work, so they both ended the call.

    Gao Xiaoyang hung up the phone, and returned to the office, and met Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes narrowed, and looked as though she had a score to settle with her, and she stood up and walked towards Gao Xiaoyang. Chang Jingqiu was halfway there when her phone rang on her desk.

    Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips, and looked at Gao Xiaoyang unhappily, before turning back, when she saw who was calling, she was slightly surprised, and took her cellphone out of the office.

    ¡°Aunty.¡± Chang Jingqiu said as she picked up the call.

    Recently her and Liu Ronghua¡¯s rtionship seemed to be getting pretty close, whenever Liu Ronghua had any problem she would call Chang Jinqiu, andin to her.

    A majority of what she had to say was to do with her mistreatment at the Shen family. How Shen Jialiang treated her harshly, how Shen Zhijing got on her nerves, and how she didn¡¯t respect her.

    Whenever Chang Jingqiu came crying to her toin, she felt that her ear would fall off, but for the sake of getting closer to Liu Ronghua, she had to endure it. Listening to herints, and still having to reply every once in a while,forting her, and also sympathize with her in ming Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing.

    Everytime Liu Ronghua called, it was the same old thing every time. It made Chang Jingqiu¡¯s heart sink every time she saw a call from Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°Jingqiu.¡± the sound of Liu Ronghua¡¯s crying came through the phone.

    ¡°Aunty, what happened?¡± Chang Jingqiu had a look of impatience on her face, but her voice sounded concerned and urgent, ¡°Did Shen Jialiang and his daughter bully you again?¡±

    Liu Ronghua sobbed, ¡°Jingqiu, I can¡¯t take it anymore, I can¡¯t take that father and daughter pair of ungrateful animals. Are you free now? Can youe out? I feel really bad, and I don¡¯t know who to talk to, I¡¯ve held this in for so long, if I don¡¯t vent it out, I¡¯m going to go crazy.¡±

    ¡°Aunty, don¡¯t panic, are you at the Shen residence?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked, feigning worry in her voice.

    ¡°I just left, I can¡¯t stay there for a moment more, but I don¡¯t know where to go.¡± Liu Ronghua sobbed.

    Chang Jingqiu thought for a moment, then said the name of a cafe, it was not near the office, as she did not want to be seen interacting with Liu Ronghua, and if someone did some digging based off of that sighting, she did not want her reputation to be spoiled by Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°That cafe, do you know it aunty?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked.

    Liu Ronghua nodded, and held back a sob to say, ¡°I do.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s meet there then.¡± Chang Jingqiu said.

    Knowing that someone was willing to listen to her vent, it didn¡¯t matter that the ce was a little further away, Liu Ronghua was happy, and hung up.

    Chang Jingqiu then returned to the office, and took her bag before leaving.

    As a reporter it was normal to always run out for an interview, so for her to leave, she could just use the excuse of an interview.

    Chang Jingqiu arrived at the cafe agreed upon by her and Liu Ronghua. This cafe had bookshelves lined along the walls, the shelves were full of books, for patrons to read while they drank their coffee, and the atmosphere was quite artistic.

    Chang Jingqiu spied a few young women scattered in the cafe, some of them had an air of sophistication, some of them looking like white cor elites, withptops in front of them, looking like they were working hard.

    The cafe was very quiet, and Liu Ronghua had picked a small meeting room.

    Chang Jingqiu was led by a service staff into the room, and Liu Ronghua sat there, looking unhappy, a ss of tea in front of her, there was a cat of unknown origin, which was in Liu Ronghua¡¯s arms.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s anguished face was lowered, petting the cat at times, stroking it¡¯s fur from front to back, the ck and gray cat was closing its eyes in contents, asionally letting out a meow.

    Upon hearing the door open, Liu Ronghua looked up and saw Chang Jingqiu, and she suddenly stood up.

    The cat was not at all ready for that, and meowed in surprise, as it saw that it was about to hit the floor, it quickly stretched out it¡¯s limbs, and ran out the open door.

    ¡°You¡¯re here!¡± Liu Ronghua sounded as though she had met a lover when she saw Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°Aunty, have a seat.¡± Chang Jingqiu said hurriedly. They sat down, and ordered a ss of tea from the waiter. When the waiter left, Chang Jingqiu asked, ¡°aunty, what happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s always Shen Jialiang and his daughter, they don¡¯t treat me like a human.¡± Liu Ronghua took a napkin from the table and wiped her tears, ¡°they treat me as though I¡¯m invisible at home, as though I don¡¯t exist, they ignore me no matter what I say. Shen Zhijing always mocks me. I know, she wants to throw me out. The father and daughter are so ungrateful, and don¡¯t have any decency!¡±

    ¡°They always assume that I¡¯ve got ulterior motives, but they never thought that just based on the current state of the Shen family, what could I possibly want from them? I¡¯m not poor, even if it¡¯s not as much as the worth of the entire Shen family, but it¡¯s a lot more than what I currently get living with them, I shouldn¡¯t need to deal with them!¡±

    As she spoke, the waiter returned with a pot of tea, and Liu Ronghua had to stop, waiting for the waiter to put the tea on the table, fill up Chang Jingqiu¡¯s ss, and refilled Liu Ronghua¡¯s ss, before leaving the room.

    Chang Jingqiu use a pair of tongs to pick up a slice of lemon, and squeezed some juice out, mixing it into the tea, before asking with a worried face, ¡°if that¡¯s the case aunty, why are you still staying at the Shen family? If you live alone, even if you¡¯re alone, nobody¡¯s there to make you angry through their attitude, you¡¯d even feel better on your own, why should you continue to stay in the Shen family? In any case, you don¡¯t even need them now?¡±

    Liu Ronghua sobbed again when she heard that, ¡°I just can¡¯t. I¡¯ve given so much for the two of them, wasn¡¯t it all just for their recognition? But I never thought that after all these years, without counting my time before I came to Shen Residences, just ever since I¡¯ve been at Shen Residences, it¡¯s been 8 years. 8 years of living together, evenplete strangers would develop some measure of a bond? But they still ignore me, no matter what I do for them, they still despise me.¡±

    ¡°I see it now, from beginning till the end, Shen Jialiang has always just been using me, one promise after another, just like some form of transaction, if I do everything they asked of me, they¡¯d give me some favor, but if I don¡¯t seed, they will just ignore me. It¡¯s no wonder after all these years they don¡¯t give me any title, because in their eyes, I¡¯m just their employee.¡±

 Chapter 411 - A Single SLR Camera With Telephoto Lens Captured The Entire Scene

    <h4>Chapter 411: A Single SLR Camera With Telephoto Lens Captured The Entire Scene</h4>

    ¡°Auntie, don¡¯t say that,¡± Chang Qingqiu¡¯s eyes turned red, as if feeling bad for Liu Ronghua.

    Liu Ronghua was moved and her urge to rant grew stronger, ¡°Did you know, nowadays they wouldn¡¯t even save me any food. When the housekeeper prepares a meal, there will only be two bowls for Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing, none for me. If the two of them are busy and noting home, the housekeeper won¡¯t prepare a meal. ording to her, Shen Zhijing had told her there was no need to prepare my meal.¡±

    ¡°After all that I did for them, in the end I couldn¡¯t even get a hot bowl of rice. I¡¯ve suffered for so many years in the Shen family and did everything for them. Now they want me to just give up and leave. What about all those sacrifices I made throughout the years? This is why I¡¯m unwilling to leave just like that. I feel dejected that they had taken so much advantage of me and still have things going their way in the end. I am also regretful. If I had left earlier, I would not have ended up like this, wanting to leave but reluctant,¡± Liu Ronghua said wiping her tears.

    Chang Qingqiu interjected, ¡°Auntie, have some tea first.¡±

    Liu Ronghua sipped some ck tea, then lowered the cup. She sniffled, then continued, ¡°That father and daughter duo are heartless. Based on what I have done for them, anybody with the tiniest bit of conscience would not have treated me this way. If I did not beg Ruan Danchen in the beginning to have her rece Shen Zhijing...¡±

    Liu Ronghua suddenly stopped and stared at Chang Qingqiu nervously, her face showing signs of regret as though something had identally slipped her tongue.

    At that moment, her lips shut tight and just kept quiet. She lowered her eyes to look away from Chang Qingqiu, lifted the teacup and kept drinking, trying to hide.

    ¡°Aunti, what¡¯s the meaning of those words?¡± Chang Qingqiu did not n to let Liu Ronghua get away that easily, then immediately followed up questioning. ¡°What Ruan Danchen did in the ce Shen Zhijing?¡±

    Chang Qingqiu stayed alert, her intuition told her that that was something important, something that could be the dirt on Ruan Danchen that she was trying to hard to find.

    Liu Ronghua kept shaking her head with an unnatural expression, no longer crying. She quickly replied, ¡°Nothing much. Just forget what I have said. That is something I can¡¯t say.¡±

    After Chang Qingqiu set the bait up for such a long time and the prey was in sight, there was no way she could let this prey run free. She adjusted her facial expression to avoid Liu Ronghua¡¯s suspicions.

    ¡°Auntie, do you still not believe me? You have shared so many things with me, yet did I ever spread them? I just wanted to help you. I can only help youe up with a solution if you told me what exactly happened. Even though I have no idea what this is about, but from what you have said, this seems to be something that can impact the Shen family greatly. With just your powers alone may be insufficient. We can discuss this together and then see how we can use this information suitably,¡± Chang Qingqiu said in all earnesty, then took the initiative to fill Liu Ronghua¡¯s cup of ck tea.

    Liu Ronghua hesitated, bit her lip and considered for a long time. Chang Qingqiu did not rush her.

    Liu Ronghua sighed after some time, then said, ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll tell you. Qingqiu, I really didn¡¯t treat you as an outsider. I also believe that you will not leak this information, so it¡¯s okay to share this with you. I¡¯ve been keeping this in my heart for so many years, it¡¯s making me feel bad. It¡¯ll make me feel better to have someone to talk it out with.¡±

    Hence, Liu Ronghua told her about the incident where Ruan Danchen took Shen Zhijing¡¯s ce to give birth to Qi Youxuan for Qi Chenglin.

    Chang Qingqiu¡¯s emotions ran amok after hearing the news, her facial expression unable to hide the shock she was in.

    No wonder Ruan Danchen was so sure that Qi Youxuan was her son. No wonder she was unclear with the details when ites to Qi Chenglin¡¯s past.

    She had guessed wrong all these while. She never thought the truth was so unbelievable.

    While Chang Qingqiu was still in shock, she could hear Liu Ronghua added, ¡°Even though Ruan Danchen was not my biological daughter, I did bring her up for that many years. How could it be devoid of feelings? To use her like that, I was deeply hurt too. I felt guilty all these while, feeling that I have wronged her. I brought her up for so many years. Even if she was not my own, I have already taken her as my own biological daughter. However, just for Shen Jialiang and his daughter Shen Zhijing, I was forced to sacrifice my own daughter.¡±

    ¡°That Shen Jialiang did not even utter a word of thanks, as if agreeing to let me stay in the Shen family was the best reward of my life. No matter how Shen Zhijing bullies me, he would turn a blind eye, causing Shen Zhijing to despise me all the more. All because of his ignorance, from Shen Zhijing to the housekeeper, all of them looked down on me.¡±

    ¡°Even that was fine, I thought after all that I did for him, he would eventually be moved to marry me. However, it turns out that he did not even have that intention since the beginning,¡± Liu Ronghua fumed.

    Chang Qingqiu put on a face filled with sympathy for Liu Ronghua, yet deep down, she was cold and uncaring.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s words were filled with emotions, as though she cared deeply for Ruan Danchen. However, if she really treated Ruan Danchen as her biological daughter, would she have done those things to her?

    As a person that would sell her daughter, whom she had raised all the way, just like that, Liu Ronghua was definitely not a trustworthy person.

    ¡°For them, I even lied to Ruan Danchen that I got into an ident just to get her back to Shen family. For them, I have lost my daughter. Ruan Danchen will never forgive me or acknowledge me as her mother. If not for them, I would have been Qi Chenglin¡¯s mother-inw by now. What else would I ask for? Even greater respect? However, I have given up all of that. I sacrificed so much for that Shen Jialiang, yet in the end, I lost my value. He would not even speak to me, much less show me a decent look.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu sneered in her heart. That Shen Jialiang and Liu Ronghua was really like a family, and they even live together in a household. Both are selfish people. No wonder they were close to each other.

    ¡°Auntie, let me think about this carefully. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll never tell anyone else,¡± Chang Qingqiu said.

    Liu Ronghua carefully wiped her tears, ¡°After sharing this with you, I feel so much better. It was so hard to bear, holding it in for so many years.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu further consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we will definitely make use of this information and have the Shen family pay for it. I¡¯m just afraid no matter how we do it, Ruan Danchen would end up being involved. I¡¯m not sure if you¨C¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem.¡± Liu Ronghua said resolutely. Feeling as though she had answered too quickly, her expression slightly ruthless, she then added a sigh in resignation. ¡°Now that she no longer acknowledge me as her mother, in her eyes, I¡¯m already an evil person. Moreoever she is currently under the protection of the Qi family, she won¡¯t be harmed.¡±

    Chang Qingqiu nodded her head, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t feel bad doing it. Let me think through this, then I¡¯ll let you know.¡±

    ...

    That afternoon, before Chang Qingqiu could decide how to make use of the information she acquired from Liu Ronghua, she saw news about herself being published in the newspaper.

    It was what Guan Liya had said the day before during Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet, about how she was throwing herself at Qi Chenglin despite knowing that Qi Chenglin was already married.

    Chang Qingqiu angrily crumpled the newspaper into a ball.

    That Guan Liya, such nonsense!

    When she was throwing herself at Qi Chenglin, she had not known that Qi Chenglin was already married. She only knew that he had a fiance.

    Although she was still unwilling to give up despite knowing Qi Chenglin was married, she only kept this to herself, not even Grandmother Chang knows about it. Guan Liya only mentioned it in passing, but to those who were not in the know, it would appear as if Guan Liya was ndering her.

    However, Guan Liya had to choose that night to bring up this issue, making it difficult for her to exin herself.

    Even though she did not manage to solve this issue with Guan Liya, it was useless to get angry at this moment. All she wanted to know at that moment was who leaked this information.

    Even though the birthday banquet the night before invited a lot of guests, they were all personal guests, without any journalists...

    Chang Qingqiu stopped for a moment, it was not without journalists, for she herself was a journalist. There was no way she would throw dirt on herself, but other than her, was there not still a Gao Xiaoyang?

    At the newspaperpany, Gao Xiaoyang had always been her rival. This incident must have been leaked by Gao Xiaoyang.

    Chang Qingqiu rushed angrily towards Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s desk and said with a dark face, ¡°Gao Xiaoyang, get out here!¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s eyebrows twitched, seeing how Chang Qingqiu was fuming, she followed her outside towards the top floor. Chang Qingqiu was silent along the way, showing a gloomy face and filling up with rage. She looked as though she was ready to explode at any moment, causing Gao Xiaoyang to be riddled with confusion.

    When they reached the top floor, Gao Xiaoyang following behind Chang Qingqiu also began to feel irritated.

    ¡°What do you want¨C¡± before Gao Xiaoyang could finish her sentence, Chang Qingqiu turned around and immediately gave her a p.

    Gao Xiaoyang was bamboozled by the hit, ¡°Chang Qingqiu, are you crazy?!¡±

    Chang Qingqiu threw that crumpled ball of newspaper at Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s face, ¡°Look at it yourself!¡±

    Normally, it would not hurt to be hit by a newspaper in the face. However, it coincidentally hit the part where she was just pped, causing her to frown.

    To be pped by Chang Qingqiu for no reason, how could she not feel wronged? Gao Xiaoyang could her nose feeling a little sore, but she held it in. She unfurled the newspaper, then finally understood when she saw the article title.

    ¡°You think that I leaked it?¡± Gao Xiaoyang looked coldly at Chang Qingqiu, the side of her face still burning with pain.

    ¡°Who else could it be if not you? Apart from me, you were the only other journalist at the banquet yesterday, and I would not throw dirt on myself. Also, I saw you typing a draft on your phonest night,¡± Chang Qingqiu red at her.

    ¡°I was typing a draft, but what I wrote was about how people from the Eight Great Families left early and how that may impact on the Chang family¡¯s status in the business world,¡± Gao Xiaoyang was not afraid of telling the truth. The draft has been approved by the director and Chang Qingqiu will be able to see it when it is published.

    ¡°I¡¯m a financial journalist, not some paparazzi. The entertainment section is none of my concern, and I¡¯m only concerned about my own job scope,¡± Gao Xiaoyang said calmly.

    ¡°A journalist knows many others in the same field. Who knows if you leaked the information to other journalists? Even if you didn¡¯t write it, it¡¯s essentially the same thing if you just told someone else,¡± Chang Qingqiu said through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Chang Qingqiu, don¡¯t group me together with someone as shameless as you. I don¡¯t need to resort to these underhanded tricks. Youmitted those shameful actions, others would eventually find out. Last night¡¯s banquet was full of people, and people talk. You think your upper ssmunity is very noble? Are there not people like you in there? We are both journalists. Don¡¯t you understand that even in thatmunity of yours, people love to spread rumors and gossip? With so many people witnessing itst night, do I even need to tell anyone specifically?¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang pointed at her own face that was pped by Chang Qingqiu, oblivious to how swollen it was, only knowing that the p from Chang Qingqiu was not a light one.

    ¡°I¡¯ll consider this p as my own bad luck. To have received this surprise p from you, I will consider it as a lesson learnt. If I am ever near you again in the future, I would be 120 percent alert to prevent getting harmed by you,¡± Gao Xiaoyang was frustrated. She wanted to return the a p to Chang Qingqiu, but she of smaller staturepared to her and her arms were also shorter too. Now that Chang Qingqiu was defensive, she would not have pulled it off.

    Gao Xiaoyang squinted. Since she could not return that p, she balled up the newspaper and threw it directly at Chang Qingqiu¡¯s face, then walked off without looking back.

    ...

    Our little friend¡¯s holiday passed very quickly andfortably. It was a Monday, Lil¡¯ Qi Youxuan was officially starting school.

    The free and easy Winter holiday life was over. It was back to school and homework. Qi Youxuan was by no means feeling down, but instead filled with excitement. He held onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand the entire journey, excited for some reason that nobody knew.

    Ruan Danchen could hardly understand Qi Youxuan¡¯s thoughts, but Qi Chenglin helped exined, ¡°He had waited for an entire Winter holiday, just waiting to show off having a real mother now.¡±

    Hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s words, the little guy stopped immediately.

    Ruan Danchen looked downwards. The little guy held onto her hand shyly, with his round little head lowered and the base of his ears were visibly red from blushing.

    He was being shy.

    Seeing him like that, the cuteness was just too much. However, when she thought about why the little guy was so excited, she felt a slight pain in her heart.

    They walked from the parking lot to the school gate. After having his thoughts exposed by Qi Chenglin, Qi Youxuan now felt embarrassed to introduce Ruan Danchen to everyone. He could only speak in a normal voice, ¡°Goodbye Mommy, goodbye Daddy.¡±

    Having said that, he carried his bag and walked in alone.

    ¡°Youxuan!¡± Ruan Danchen suddenly called out behind him.

    The little guy immediately stopped and turned around. Ruan Danchen squatted, then opened her arms, ¡°You forgot to give Mommy a kiss before going in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice was really loud that everybody around heard her.

    The little guy¡¯s handsome face instantly brightened and rushed over, rushing directly into Ruan Danchen¡¯s embrace. His meaty little arms coiled around her neck and gave a ¡°muacks¡± on her cheek.

    ¡°Goodbye Mommy,¡± the little guy said in a powerful voice.

    Ruan Danchen returned a kiss to him as well. Qi Youxuan was delighted. Just as he wanted to leave, he heard Zhang Mingming calling out, ¡°Qi Youxuan.¡±

    The little guy stood still, waited for Zhang Mingming to let go of his mother¡¯s hand and rushed over with his bag.

    ¡°Hello, uncle and auntie,¡± Zhang Mingming greeted courteously.

    Qi Youxuan cleared his throat out of the blue, tidied up his neatly ironed uniform and told Zhang Mingming, ¡°This is my Mommy.¡±

    Zhang Mingming¡¯s eyes brightened up and instantly broke into a smile, ¡°Congrattions! You finally have a stepmother now.¡±

    The little guy¡¯s face puffed up and shot back immediately, ¡°She¡¯s not my stepmother, she¡¯s my real mother!¡±

    ¡°I know, auntie treats you well, just like a real mother. I can understand. Wasn¡¯t that what you have been telling me all this time?¡± Zhang Mingming patted the little guy¡¯s shoulders, trying to show that he understood the situation.

    For the first time, the little guy felt that Zhang Mingming was so stupid! He was great in his studies. Was it because of him being good at his studies that caused him to be slow in other aspects?

    ¡°I¡¯m saying she¡¯s my Mommy. Not a stepmother like a real mom, but my actual real mother, biological mother!¡± Qi Youxuan said through gritted teeth, frustrated to the point of almost jumping.

    Zhang Mingming was baffled, unable to properly digest this news. He could only stare at Qi Youxuan introducing the next student, ¡°This is my Mommy, biological mother. I¡¯ll be in your care.¡±

    After that, seeing his ss teachering over, the little guy immediately said, ¡°Good morning Teacher Liu! This is my Mommy, biological mother. I¡¯ll be in your care!¡±

    Following that, he waved at the gym teacher that was approaching from afar, ¡°Teacher Chen, this is my Mommy, biological mother. I¡¯ll be in your care!¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned scarlet. Even though she was willing to cooperate with her son, she was really embarrassed being advertised this way by him.

    She felt like this is the first day of school for her, while being led by her own son at that.

    However, seeing how delighted Qi Youxuan was, Ruan Danchen felt that she should bear with the embarrassment. As long as the little guy was happy, all was fine.

    Looking at his overjoyed expression, it was all because he could finally tell others legitimately that he had a mother.

    Teacher Liu and Teacher Chen were both surprised hearing this. They looked at Ruan Danchen. All these while, it wasmon knowledge that Qi Youxuan¡¯s mother was not known. Later on, it was also known that Qi Youxuan gained a future stepmother.

    Unexpectedly, the stepmother suddenly transformed into his biological mother.

    With that, parents with their children and the teachers that came by all politely greeted Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s haughty expression, they did not know how to react to him properly.

    Surprisingly, Qi Chenglin did nothing to stop Qi Youxuan¡¯s behavior. Only after he had excitedly made introductions for some time, did Qi Chenglin pointed at the big clock on the ss building saying, ¡°You¡¯re going to bete.¡±

    Qi Youxuan took a look, then hurriedly bid Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen farewell. He then ran full speed to ss with his short little legs, at the same time looked back at Ruan Danchen and said, ¡± Mommy, we will continue this after school!¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    The area was bustling with activity. Nobody noticed that across the street, in a discreet and dark corner, a SLR camera with telephoto lens captured the entire scene.

    ...

    Finally the crowd in front of the school gates dispersed. Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin got in the car.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was still burning hot. It was in the middle of Winter, yet it was scorching hot that her neck was all sweaty.

    She removed her scarf and fanned her cheeks. Qi Chenglin was watching from the side, enjoying the view.

    He did not stop Qi Youxuan because he felt that Qi Youxuan¡¯s method of advertising was quite good. Later on, Jixia Elementary School¡¯s kids will tell their parents, then the parents will further spread the news. Everyone will know that he was married to Ruan Danchen. That was free advertisement.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s face blushing red, he felt a little excited. Having a kid at home was a little inconvenient. He could not be too open at home. Even when he was back in his bedroom, he still had to stay alert just in case Qi Youxuan came knocking on the door.

    Qi Chenglin took off the safety belt and moved over, scaring Ruan Danchen. He pinned her to the car door.

    The tip of his nose almost touching her burning cheeks and sniffed lightly. The heat on her face seemed to have intensified her own fragrance, making it exceptionally alluring.

    Staring at Qi Chenglin¡¯s face close-up, Ruan Danchen swallowed hard.

    This guy¡¯s charms was too strong. Being so close, she could hardly remain calm.

    The zoomed in view of his face made her unable to see his features clearly, yet his facial features within her vision were still exquisitely handsome.

    In order to see him clearly, Ruan Danchen squinted her eyes slightly and was hugged around her waist by him, ¡°Let¡¯s find a day and send that little guy to his grandmother¡¯s house so we can stay at home alone. With such a big third wheel around, it¡¯s impossible to enjoy our own private time.¡±

 Chapter 412 - Her Face and Peach Blossom Reflected Each Otherâ€™s Glow. So You Saw Them Too!

    <h4>Chapter 412: Her Face and Peach Blossom Reflected Each Other¡¯s Glow. So You Saw Them Too!</h4>

    Ruan Danchen could already imagine the little one¡¯s bitter reaction. Her face reddened as she chuckled, ¡°How sad he would be.¡±

    Qi Youxuan had worked hard to help his father pursue his mother. However, soon after their marriage, his heartless father had been nning to send him off so they could have more time to themselves without a third wheel.

    ¡°Just for about two days.¡± Qi Chenglin sniffed in her fragrance from the side of her lips. His heart itched terribly for her. ¡°Okay?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had difficulty rejecting him yet she could not bear to part with her son. Thus, she responded, ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡±

    Qi Chenglin let out a sigh. ¡°I wish that our rtionship started off slowly. Then, we could at least have a few years to ourselves.¡±

    He rubbed his lips continuously against Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks until her face burned up with a tingling sensation. She could feel an electrical shock running through her scalps and ears. Sucking in her lower abdomen and giving Qi Chenglin¡¯s ribs a jab, she said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. We¡¯re going to bete to work.¡±

    Qi Chenglin gazed longingly at her soft lips. He was reluctant to leave just like that. His arm, that was wrapped around Ruan Danchen, was squeezing her as he enjoyed the feeling of her waist.

    His thin lips reached the side of her lips and immediately took them into his mouth. Before Ruan Danchen could react further, she was lifted to hisp and wrapped tightly in his embrace.

    ¡°Okay?¡± asked Qi Chenglin in a whisper as he continued to peck her.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind had exploded from his passionate kiss. When she could finally breathe in some air, her face was flushed a deep red. Her lips were swollen and left opened slightly. She leaned against his chest. Her head was resting on his shoulder as she clutched onto his shirt.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head and his lips quickly found the side of her eye. They moved down her face and once again pecked her lips.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was empty. She could not think of anything apart from his overwhelming scent. Her whole body had be limp from his kiss.

    Then, she caught Qi Chenglin asking again with his husky voice, ¡°Okay?¡±

    Ruan Danchen buried her face in his neck and pushed herself further into his arms. ¡°Two days ago, Youxuan came home with their new schedule this term. The school has organized a winter camp at a resort next week. They will leave on Friday and return on Sunday.¡±

    As soon as he heard that news, Qi Chenglin pulled her into another kiss, making a loud ¡®pop¡¯ as a result. Ruan Danchen felt so embarrassed that she could not move an inch.

    ¡°We need to think about what we can do then,¡± said Qi Chenglin in excitement. He gave her waist another squeeze. His dark eyes were slightly narrowed with joy.

    Qi Chenglin was thrilled at the chance for a normal date. He scooped her face in his palms and went in for a deep long kiss.

    He only let her off after taking a nce at the time. They were alreadyte for work.

    Ruan Danchen could hardly keep up with him. The impulsive yet passionate kiss in the car had emptied her mind and left her dizzy.

    Knowing that, Qi Chenglin leaned over her to help her buckle the seat belt.

    Just then, Ruan Danchen blinked as she came back into senses and saw his face up close. His thick brows were manly and unfurrowed. When he helped her strap on the seat belt, she could observe his deep double eyelids and thick curlyshes from his lowered eyes.

    That man looked even more gorgeous up close. From afar, he had an unrivaled imposing manner. Up close, he seemed exceptionally refined.

    Ruan Danchen could not help herself from inching her face forward and giving him a quick peck on his lips.

    Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded. He did not expect Ruan Danchen to sneak in a kiss. He turned around to face her and found her face flushing brightly. He was unsure if the embarrassment from earlier had not faded or if she was abashed from the sneak attack.

    Staring into Qi Chenglin¡¯s amused eyes, a hint of mischievousness began to peek out from Ruan Danchen¡¯s own. Her lips curled into a smug like a cat that ate the canary. Taking advantage of Qi Chenglin¡¯s dumbfoundedness, she gave him another quick peck on his chin.

    She caught a whiff of aftershave left on his chin. It was a very masculine and pleasant scent. It could make one tipsy and unconsciously bury oneself into his embrace.

    As he had just shaved that morning, she could only see some light short facial hair at close distance. When her lips touched his chin lightly earlier, she could still feel the subtle prick that tickled her lips.

    Qi Chenglin chuckled at the sight of her. She acted like a mischievous child sometimes.

    In fact, with Qi Youxuan¡¯s age, it was inevitable to overlook that she was only twenty-six years old. Unlike Ruan Danchen who was already a mother, other youngdies at her age would still be dating. Even if they were married, they would nevertheless be considered to have settled down early.

    Qi Chenglin recalled the hardships that she had gone through at such a young age. As he did so, his heart ached for her and he leaned in for another deep kiss.

    ¡°Do you even need to sneak? Just let me know if you ever desire a kiss. I¡¯ll make sure that you have your fill,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he rubbed his lips against hers.

    ¡°...¡± Feeling embarrassed, Ruan Danchen ushered, ¡°Aren¡¯t we heading to work now? Hurry, let¡¯s go.¡±

    However, Qi Chenglin did not move away from her. Ruan Danchen could only recline further into her seat. Otherwise, her lips would brush against his even when she did not speak. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you moving?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you want to kiss me? Save the sneak attack. I¡¯m just right here. You can kiss me all you want before we go,¡± Qi Chenglin replied without inching away.

    Feeling flustered, Ruan Danchen nudged him. ¡°No more kissing. Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ¡°Just one kiss before we go,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he pouted his lips. ¡°One deep kiss.¡±

    As Ruan Danchen was about to give in to his insistence, she heard him adding, ¡°Make sure to have your fill so you don¡¯t lose controlter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    That man was truly shameless!

    ¡°I can hold myself in so get off me.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands were pressing his face in an attempt to push him away but her wrists were grabbed instead.

    ¡°I¡¯ll start the car after you¡¯ve kissed me.¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless at Qi Chenglin¡¯s ¡®I¡¯m afraid you cannot hold it in¡¯ expression.

    After their long struggle, he took her lips in a searing kiss before she could initiate it. When he released her lips, her face had be a beautiful red from the kiss. He could not stop himself from giving her a few more pecks before settling back in his seat and drove away.

    ...

    Both of them were indeedte for work.

    When Qilin employees caught them walking into the office together, their expressions turned into that of understanding.

    Then, one of the employees posted on Weibo.

    [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody:

    Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter

    !]

    The Weibo post was immediately shared by another colleague.

    [I Gossip in the Office:

    Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow

    . So you saw them too!]

    [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody: Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter!]

    [You on the Right, Enough of It:

    Thinking deeply on the precious water-patterned bamboo mat

    . I was on the spot just now!]

    [I Gossip in the Office: Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow. So you saw them too!] [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody: Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter!]

    [You Don¡¯t Know Who I Am, ¡®I was right beside you this morning. Gazing at the emperor from the

    immortal pavilion

    !]

    [You on the Right, Enough of It: Thinking deeply on the precious water-patterned bamboo mat. I was on the spot just now!] [I Gossip in the Office: Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow. So you saw them too!] [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody: Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter!]

    [A Cover is a Must Online:

    I knew you came from afar and your goodwill

    . I¡¯m waiting for gossips at the front line!]

    [You Don¡¯t Know Who I Am: I was right beside you this morning. Gazing at the emperor from the immortal pavilion!] [You on the Right, Enough of It: Thinking deeply on the precious water-patterned bamboo mat. I was on the spot just now!] [I Gossip in the Office: Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow. So you saw them too!] [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody: Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter!]

    Qi Chenglin was given a report on his schedule that day when he entered the office. After the report, Jiang Yuan wore a strange expression on his face.

    Qi Chenglin peered at Jiang Yuan and asked, ¡°What¡¯s with your expression? What happened?¡±

    Jiang Yuan let out a cough. He took out his phone, tabbed into Weibo, and showed Qi Chenglin the thread. ¡°Director Qi reported work on time this morning.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin scanned through the thread and realized that it was a discussion about him and Ruan Danchen beingte to work together.

    ¡°Cough!¡± Qi Chenglin adjusted his tie. Although the discussion was exaggerated, it was still a fact that he had immersed himself with kissing Ruan Danchen in the car that morning and was reluctant to drive away.

    Qi Chenglin furrowed his brows. He took out his phone and logged in to his Weibo ount.

    He had a Weibo ount that he seldom used. He only logged in to share Qilin promotional activities when needed. Thus, there was nothing much on his Weibo page.

    Despite that, he still had numerous fans following him on Weibo. He had never shared his selfie or promotional photographs on social media. The clearest photograph of him on the Inte only showed the side of his face. Even that was secretly taken by a journalist.

    Yet, the blurry side face was so dashing that they were sure he looked very attractive!

    With Qi Chenglin¡¯s identity, the unclear photograph had also added a mysterious charm to him, allowing his female fans to unleash their fantasies about him.

    Consequently, every promotional activity he shared for thepany would have a long thread of fans calling him their husband. That had left him speechless.

    As he did not particrly follow any Qilin employee on Weibo, he simply searched for the thread about him and Ruan Danchen from the first ID that appeared on his page. When he found it, he shared the thread and added ament: [It seems that you¡¯re all very free to be able to log in to Weibo at work. Will get the IT department to trace your IP.]

    Qi Chenglin did not use any pseudo name for his Weibo ount. Therefore, seeing ¡®Qi Chenglin¡¯ sharing their thread had left those who started, shared andmented on the thread dumbfounded.

    However, a bigger surprise still awaited them. Shortly after Qi Chenglin shared the thread, Qilin employees who were a part of that thread realized that General Manager Qi was not the only one who showered them with his grace. Even Director Qi had decided to join in the fun!

    [Qi Chengzhi: Our General Manager Qi and his wife have contributed greatly in adding some light amusement for our employees during working hours. It is especially apparent that recently our employees have been proactive inpeting to report to work early. Our General Manager Qi and his wife are definitely trying to motivate our employees¡¯ proactiveness.]

    [Qi Chenglin: It seems that you¡¯re all very free to be able to log in to Weibo at work. Will get the IT department to trace your IP.]

    Qi Chenglin had started to work on his task on hand and was unaware that Qi Chengzhi had also shared his Weibo thread.

    It was an hourter that he finally recalled the thread. After stretching his stiff neck, he took out his phone and once again tabbed into Weibo. He had turned off the notification alert to avoid listening to that annoying constant beeping.

    So, when he logged into his ount, he was surprised to see a few at tags.

    He tabbed into the first thread which was shared by Qi Chengzhi. Other than the usual husband proimingments, there was also a neat stretch ofments that eximed: [Our wise Director Qi, thank you for your understanding!]

    Thosements were obviously by Qilin employees.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    He felt as though thousands of alpacas rushed past him

    after reading Qi Chengzhi¡¯s post.

    As for those husband proimingments, he had chosen to ignore them because he could no longer bear to read them. That was why both he and Qi Chengzhi hated to post on Weibo.

    He scrolled up further to read other shares.

    [Yan Beicheng: One was caught on the news for getting a room with his wife. The other one waste to work because he had s*x with his wife. There¡¯s no need to tease each other, unamused emoji.]

    [Qi Chengzhi: Our General Manager Qi and his wife have contributed greatly in adding some light amusement for our employees during working hours. It is especially apparent that recently our employees have been proactive inpeting to report to work early. Our General Manager Qi and his wife are definitely trying to motivate our employees¡¯ proactiveness.] [Qi Chenglin: It seems that you¡¯re all very free to be able to log in to Weibo at work. Will get the IT department to trace your IP.]

    [Han Zhuoli: Your employees in Qilin have pretty goodnguage~]

    [Qi Chengzhi: Our General Manager Qi and his wife have contributed greatly in adding some light amusement for our employees during working hours. It is especially apparent that recently our employees have been proactive inpeting to report to work early. Our General Manager Qi and his wife are definitely trying to motivate our employees¡¯ proactiveness.] [Qi Chenglin: It seems that you¡¯re all very free to be able to log in to Weibo at work. Will get the IT department to trace your IP.] [A Cover is a Must Online: I knew you came from afar and your goodwill. I¡¯m waiting for gossips at the front line!] [You Don¡¯t Know Who I Am: I was right beside you this morning. Gazing at the emperor from the immortal pavilion!] [You on the Right, Enough of It: Thinking deeply on the precious water-patterned bamboo mat. I was on the spot just now!] [I Gossip in the Office: Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow. So you saw them too!] [Qilin¡¯s Little Nobody: Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter!]

    [Gui Zhiqian: Qilin seems lively. I should visit more often.]

    [Qi Chengzhi: Our General Manager Qi and his wife have contributed greatly in adding some light amusement for our employees during working hours. It is especially apparent that recently our employees have been proactive inpeting to report to work early. Our General Manager Qi and his wife are definitely trying to motivate our employees¡¯ proactiveness.]

    [Chu Zhaoyang: Hehe.]

    [Qi Chengzhi: Our General Manager Qi and his wife have contributed greatly in adding some light amusement for our employees during working hours. It is especially apparent that recently our employees have been proactive inpeting to report to work early. Our General Manager Qi and his wife are definitely trying to motivate our employees¡¯ proactiveness.] [Qi Chenglin: It seems that you¡¯re all very free to be able to log in to Weibo at work. Will get the IT department to trace your IP.] [A Cover is a Must Online: I knew you came from afar and your goodwill. I¡¯m waiting for gossips at the front line!]

    Of course, the appearance of those big shots had once again raised the heat of the husband proimingments.

    [1st Comment: Honey, I¡¯m willing to f*ck you in the car, on the horse, or any way you want.]

    [2nd Comment: What¡¯s wrong today? The gentlemen showed up one after another. My eyes are dazzled by so many choices I don¡¯t know who should I profess my love to first. Blood tank emptied!]

    [3rd Comment: 2nd Comment, it must be my Young Master Han! My Young Master Han is still single. We still stand a chance!]

    [4th Comment: Honey, thank you for your hard work.]

    [5th Comment: Honey, remember to keep a bnce between work and rest alright? Muacks.]

    Qi Chenglin was rendered speechless by thosements. He tabbed on thements below Yan Beicheng¡¯s post.

    [1st Comment: Although there are many prince charming today, I still love you only.]

    [2nd Comment: Honey, you haven¡¯t updated your Weibo for so long. I¡¯m so touched to see your update today.]

    [3rd Comment: I¡¯ve missed you, honey. Though we have just met this morning.]

    In Qi Chenglin¡¯s opinion, thements in Yan Beicheng¡¯s thread were even more disgusting. He quickly closed the thread and moved on to Gui Zhiqian¡¯s thread.

    [1st Comment: Weing Young Master Gui toe often!]

    [2nd Comment: Young Master Gui, can you share a few photos of yourself? I want to set them as my screensaver.]

    When Qi Chenglin noticed some Qilin employees¡¯ments in the thread, he ced his darkened face in his palms with an exasperated sigh. He did not expect to find such devoted fans in thepany.

    Even Chu Zhaoyang who was toozy to type a few more words had a long stretch ofments under his post.

    [1st Comment: My honey is still as restrained as usual. How cute!]

    [2nd Comment: Although there are so many prince charming today, I still like Director Chu the most.]

    [3rd Comment: I just like the devious character that Young Master Chu possesses.]

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Besides, their thread sharing had caused a craze among Qilin employees. Those who missed out earlier had swarmed in the Weibo thread to worship their gods.

    The female employees in Qilin, especially, had caught on the fangirling flu.

    [A Cover is a Must Online: So many princes charming has surprisingly showered me with their grace. Who should I apany tonight?]

    [I Gossip in the Office: Director Qi, General Manager Qi, Director Yan, Director Han, Director Chu, hoping for a mutual following~]

    Qi Chenglin no longer wished to read those shameless Weiboments. So, he shut his Weibo and went back to focus on his work.

    ...

    In the afternoon, Ruan Danchen was surprised to receive a call from Gao Xiaoyang.

    Before Ruan Danchen could make fun of her, she heard Gao Xiaoyang saying hastily, ¡°Danchen, quick! Log in to Weibo. Read the link that I just sent you in our private chat.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Ruan Danchen in shock.

    ¡°I can¡¯t exin well but it¡¯s about the past incident among you, Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijing. It seems unbelievable but the author wrote with certainty. It¡¯s causing a wave on the Inte now though everyone is doubtful about it,¡± Gao Xiaoyang exined in a hurry.

    Ruan Danchen could feel her heart dropping at Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s words. Her chest turned cold and she almost lost her grip on her phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll... go have a look.¡± Ruan Danchen hung up the call listlessly. Her hands were trembling as she logged into her Weibo ount.

    She knew instantly which incident that Gao Xiaoyang meant. She only hoped that it was merely fake rumors, not the truth from their past.

    She did not understand who could have leaked the information if the news on the Inte happened to be the truth. That incident was only known to the Qi and Shen families. Moreover, she believed that the Shen family would not destroy their own future by disclosing such information to another.

    Despite wishing that the news was fake, her conversation earlier with Gao Xiaoyang made her feel that the possibility of a sham was very low.

    She saw numerous notifications of private messages as soon as she had logged into her Weibo ount. Tabbing into those messages, she found them to be verification requests on that news shared on Weibo.

    Those private messages were from tabloid ounts with a great number of followers.

    Ruan Danchen was shocked that those paparazzi were able to find her on Weibo. She did not certify her identity nor did she use her real name as her ID.

    Ruan Danchen was reluctant to read those messages. It hurt her heart every time she read them. It was painful and terrifying. Nheless, she had no choice but to ovee her fear. Gathering her courage, she scrolled down those messages and finally found Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s.

    Spending blissful nights behind warm hibiscus curtain, the emperor skipped morning court sessions thereafter (Ü½ÈØÕÊÅ¯¶È´ºÏü,´Ó´Ë¾ýÍõ²»Ôç³¯°¡) is a line from the Tang poem ¡®Song of Eternal Sorrow (³¤ºÞ¸è)¡¯. The poem tells the tragic love story of Tang Emperor Xuanzong and Imperial Consort Yang.

    Her face and peach blossom reflected each other¡¯s glow (ÈËÃæÌÒ»¨ÏàÓ³ºì) is a line from the Tang poem ¡®At the Homestead South of the Capital City (î}¶¼³ÇÄÏÇf). This line describes the beautiful scene of a youngdy gazing shyly at the poet.

    Thinking deeply on the precious water-patterned bamboo mat (Ë®ÎÆÕäô¡Ë¼ÓÆÓÆ) is a line from the Tang poem ¡®Penning Emotions (Ð´Çé)¡¯. The poem tells the ordeal and heartbreak of a man who could not date the woman he loved.

    Gazing at the emperor from the immortal pavilion (ÍûÏÉÂ¥ÉÏÍû¾ýÍõ) is a line from the Tang poem ¡®A Pce Poem (¹¬´Ê)¡¯. This poem euphemistically describes the resentment of the concubines who hoped to serve the emperor but were not graced by the monarch. Immortal pavilion (ÍûÏÉÂ¥) in this context refers to the ce where concubines resided in the imperial pce.

    I knew you came from afar and your goodwill (ÖªÈêÔ¶À´Ó¦ÓÐÒâ) is a line from the Tang poem ¡®For My Nephew (×óÇ¨ÖÁÀ¶¹ØÊ¾Ö¶ËïÏæ)¡¯. This poem tells the depression of the poet who was demoted to Lan County. His wife and children were nowhere to be seen when he reached the border of Lan County. Only his nephew journeyed a long distance with him.

    As though thousands of alpacas rushed past him (ÍòÇ§²ÝÄàÂí±¼ÌÚ¶ø¹ý) is the modern Chinese way of expressing anger and extreme dissatisfaction. This term is poprized in social media.

 Chapter 413 - Qi Chenglin Exclaimed Internally that He Was Indeed Captivating

    <strong>Chapter 413: Qi Chenglin Eximed Internally that He Was Indeed Captivating</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen was thankful that Gao Xiaoyang said nothing apart from sharing the link.

    With trembling fingers, she tapped into the link and saw a long stretch of Weibo thread.

    It was obvious that the post owner was a newly registered dummy ount. The ount had no following nor was there any profile image. Besides, the only content on the owner¡¯s homepage was that long Weibo post.

    Nheless, that sole long post had garnered the attention of numerous fans. In just a short time, the number of followers of the post owner had reached six hundred thousand.

    Taking in a deep breath, Ruan Danchen anxiously clicked onto that long Weibo post. Her eyes quickly caught sight of the owner swearing that the information shared was absolutely reliable as it was obtained from a trustworthy source. The way it was written implied that the information came from a party involved in the incident.

    Before divulging the details, the owner also cursed that if there was any falsification in that post, the owner would die in different ways such as being struck by lightning, hit by a car, choked on water, and hit by a falling vase.

    Due to the post owner¡¯s ruthless curse, most people had believed in the owner even before reading the content below.

    Immediately after reading the lead paragraph, Ruan Danchen had a feeling that the post owner was a professional tabloid journalist who was perhaps hired to expose the truth.

    She used to read gossips on Weibo in the past. Therefore, she knew that the writing style of professional tabloid journalists was different from regr Weibo users. The tabloid journalists were well versed in capturingizens¡¯ attention. Even when breaking fictional news, they could write in ways to persuade their audience that the news was real.

    Ruan Danchen took in another deep shaky breath. Then, she gathered her courage to continue reading the content.

    The result was not what she wanted to see the most. The content was not far from the truth in her past. However, it was misleading the audience to believe that she was a cunning woman who used sly tactics to advance her social standing.

    The owner exined that Shen Zhijing was infertile due to multiple miscarriages. So, she asked Liu Ronghua to persuade Ruan Danchen into giving birth on her behalf. The child born would belong to Shen Zhijing. Liu Ronghua had agreed to help Shen Zhijing out of her love for Shen Jialiang. Nevertheless, she was unsure if Ruan Danchen would be willing to help. Who knew that Ruan Danchen was, in fact, looking for a way to approach Qi Chenglin. Thus, she had quickly agreed to it.

    The Shen family had drugged Qi Chenglin and let Ruan Danchen spend a night with him. Under the influence of the drug, Qi Chenglin had a sexual rtionship with Ruan Danchen that night. When he finally fell asleep after the act, Shen Zhijing took over Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce in the bed next to him. As a result, after waking up and regaining his consciousness, Qi Chenglin had assumed that the person he had a sexual rtionship with was Shen Zhijing.

    That night was Ruan Danchen¡¯s first time. With the act happening at the Shen family manor, Shen Jialiang had intentionally caught Qi Chenglin in bed with Shen Zhijing. Their scheme had gone surprisingly smoothly. After that night, Ruan Danchen had be pregnant with Qi Chenglin¡¯s child. As nned, Shen Zhijing took the opportunity to inform Qi Chenglin that she was pregnant. That led to the announcement of Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijing¡¯s engagement.

    Therefore, one of the mysteries that year had been revealed. Netizens finally understood why Qi Chenglin was engaged with Shen Zhijing despite his status.

    Despite the unexpected development and seemingly fictional twist, the post owner¡¯s well-organized description, clear logic, and presentation of cause and effect had led many to believe that the truth was most of the time unimaginable.

    With that, more audience had begun to believe in the post owner.

    Then, the post owner added that the child was born prematurely in the eighth month. Ruan Danchen was under the effect of anesthesia during the c-section. When she was awake, the Shen family tricked her that she had a miscarriage. In fact, the Shen family had brought the child home secretly and told Qi Chenglin that Shen Zhijing had given birth to the child. Qi Chenglin, of course, did not trust them easily. So, he took the child to perform a DNA test. The child was indeed his but had no rtionship with Shen Zhijing.

    Thereafter, Qi Chenglin and Shen Zhijing¡¯s engagement was called off.

    Yet another mystery was revealed. That had exined why Shen Zhijing had imed to be pregnant but did not give birth to the child, why Qi Chenglin was engaged with Shen Zhijing butter broke off their engagement, and why Qi Chenglin suddenly brought home a child with him.

    Until then, about ny percent of the audience had believed in the post owner.

    The cunning Ruan Danchen was also not easily tricked by the Shen family. She noticed that Qi Chenglin had brought home a son and began to suspect that the child was hers. So, she tried every means to approach Qi Chenglin.

    After seven years of patience, Ruan Danchen finally had the chance to get close to Qi Chenglin and his son with Song Yu¡¯s help. Using the natural advantages of their blood rtion, she first got Qi Youxuan¡¯s trust before winning Qi Chenglin¡¯s love. She devised her n carefully and was finally married to Qi Chenglin.

    The post owner¡¯s conclusion: ¡®This is a real inspirational show of a scheming woman disguised as a white lotus 1, who struck down the fair-skinneddy from a decent family to reach the top. She is a model of sess, a winner in life.¡¯

    The post owner¡¯s sarcasm was clearly directed to both Ruan Danchen and Shen Zhijing. However, that sarcasm had indicated that the incident was definitely not caused by Shen Zhijing.

    If Shen Zhijing had wanted to pull herself out from that incident, she could have used other ways instead of mming herself by exposing her n of getting a recement and being infertile.

    The fact of being infertile was enough to destroy her marriage in the future. No one from themon family, let alone their circle, would be willing to marry her with that knowledge in mind. Being rich could not resolve the problem that was closely tied with their lineage.

    Besides, there was barely love as a fundamental of their rtionship. Even if the man was very much in love with her, it was still difficult to marry her with the great pressure from the family elders, not to mention that she was still single at the moment. Her pathway to marriage in the future would be blocked by her infertility.

    Nheless, Ruan Danchen was still relieved that the person behind the post owner seemed to only want to m her and Shen Zhijing at the same time. It was because both Ruan Danchen and Shen Zhijing were too eye-catching in the post. Qi Youxuan¡¯s presence in the post, on the other hand, was lowered. Most audiences had just overlooked the fact that Qi Youxuan was her son. So, they did not start the issue of his lineage.

    Thements below the post were mostly bashing her with only some directed towards Shen Zhijing.

    [1st Comment: What a winner in life. She finally got the prince charming through various means. That¡¯s why we say that a woman who is not shameless has difficulty rising in society.]

    [2nd Comment: Hahaha. Does that mean that Shen Zhijing brought that on herself?]

    [3rd Comment: Why is a woman like Ruan Danchen married to Qi Chenglin? How can she match him? What¡¯s her right for happiness?]

    [4th Comment: Although I feel disappointed when I heard that Young Master Lin is already married, I¡¯m still aware of our difference. I can usually just idolize him from afar yet I know that I can never be together with Young Master Lin in my life, not even meeting him in person. I send him my best wishes on his marriage and hope that he finally found a good wife who loves and matches him. However, I have never expected his wife to be such a derogated person. She is not a match for Young Master Lin!]

    [5th Comment: Shameless woman! B¡¯tch! Leave him!]

    [6th Comment: That shameless scheming b¡¯tch! She is not a match for Young Master Lin! She doesn¡¯t deserve happiness! I feel sorry for her son to have a mother like her!]

    [7th Comment: If even a b¡¯tch like this can get happiness, there is no more justice left in this world!]

    [8th Comment: How does she deserve the prince charming? Stop ruining him! My heart aches for him.]

    [9th Comment: How can this Ruan Danchen truly love Young Master Lin? Doesn¡¯t she just want his money? What a money face. Out of so many people, she just has to get Young Master Lin who is so handsome and charming. She should get herself an old man if she loves money so much!]

    [10th Comment: I support thement above. Young Master Lin, divorce her quickly! Don¡¯t let her taint you. Marrying her is a taint in your life!]

    [11th Comment: It¡¯s so obvious that she is a woman with loose morals. Wishing her luck with all the bashing!]

    Ruan Danchen read through thosements to find some that pitied Qi Chenglin. Suchments were less intense and still bearable while others were just too harsh. She swiftly nced over thements to confirm that her child was not a subject for those mming. Apart from a fewments, most audiences merely felt sorry that Qi Youxuan had a mother like her. Seeing that no harm fell unto her child, she exited thements.

    After exiting the link, she quickly noticed thousands ofments below her Weibo post from a year ago.

    When Weibo had just started to be popr, she would always log in to Weibo because it was new to her. Despite that, she rarely posted on her Weibo. Most of the time, she enjoyed reading the posts of the VIPs, some amusing jokes, and gossips.

    Then, WeChat had begun to grow in poprity with a better offer of privacy. Unlike Weibo, an owner¡¯s post can only be seen by the owner¡¯s circle of friends. Even if the owner had friends who advertised their procurement services and sold health care and makeup products, those advertisements were still tolerable. Therefore, Ruan Danchen¡¯s time spent on Weibo had gradually reduced. That post from a year ago was herst post on Weibo. She would only log in to Weibo to read some recent news.

    Ruan Danchen entered her Weibo homepage to find all those thousands ofments were mmingments directed to her.

    Herst post was a picture of the rarely seen blue sky in B City. The text that apanied the post was: ¡®Looking at the blue sky, my mood is also lifted¡¯.

    In the past, there were only a fewments on that post including ament from Song Yu.

    Within a few minutes after that long Weibo post, herst post had gained thousands of newments and Song Yu had be inevitably entangled in it.

    [1st Comment: B¡¯tch! Stop harming a good man! Have some shame and quickly leave him alone! Don¡¯t bring harm to your son as well!]

    [2nd Comment: B¡¯tch is really dramatic!]

    [3rd Comment: A hardworking woman fights with her capability while a b¡¯tch opens her legs to sell herself!]

    [4th Comment: Hehehe. A woman who could sleep with a man without hesitation. I wonder how many men she has slept with these seven years.]

    [5th Comment: Stop cheating on Young Master Lin and stop tainting him! Leave him quickly!]

    [6th Comment: Don¡¯t be tricked by this woman. Look at her true self and quickly get away from her. Protect yourself against fire, disaster, and bestie! @SongYu]

    [7th Comment: How will your son live with a mother like you? You can be a b¡¯tch all you want. Don¡¯t drag your son down with you. That child is innocent.]

    [8th Comment: If I were you, I will quickly leave without telling anyone.]

    [9th Comment: Please leave Young Master Lin and the Qi family. I beg you. Don¡¯t harm them anymore. My heart really aches for them.]

    [10th Comment: I cry when I see Young Master Lin being tricked by this woman.]

    Ruan Danchen let out a sardonicugh when she read the 9th and 10thments.

    As she was reading, morements flowed in continuously. The contents in thosements were simr to one another. They were all mming her. Somements were so harsh they even included certain organs and elders. Some were interesting with theirworknguage while others were creative with their doggerels.

    Nheless, she felt most apologetic to Song Yu for involving her in thosework bashing just because they followed each other on Weibo. Ruan Danchen did not follow many people nor did she have many followers. Besides, Song Yu¡¯s ount was named ¡®Feather 1¡¯. The ¡®Yu¡¯ character made it easy to guess her identity. Thus, many people even tagged Song Yu when t they leftments under her post.

    As Ruan Danchen did not have a VIP ount on Weibo, she was unable to turn off thement section. There was nothing that she could do to stop thements from flowing in continuously. So, she went to Weibo settings and turned off thements notification alert instead. Once the alert was turned off, peace had finally returned to the upper right corner of her Weibo.

    After looking into the tags that Weibo users had put her in, she realized that not only did some major VIP tabloid ounts leaked her Weibo ID to the public, they were also kind enough to tag her on their posts. Consequently,izens could simply click the tag to reach her in Weibo.

    She had noticed a post by a marketing ount named ¡®The Tabloid Inn¡¯ earlier.

    [VIP The Tabloid Inn: In today¡¯s explosive yet inspirational post about a scheming loser climbing up thedder by ¡®So, I¡¯m an Online Cover¡¯, one of the parties, Ruan So and So¡¯s Weibo ount is here. Portal: Hawthorn Roll. (I can only help your honey till here. Don¡¯t ask me why. I¡¯m a five-stroke armband 1.)]

    There were also Weibo users whoter shared that post or even wrote and tagged her in their new posts. So, Ruan Danchen turned off the tagging notification alert as well.

    The mmingmotion on Weibo at that moment was directed at her. No one dared to even mention the rather exciting thread which was started by the Qilin employees that morning.

    For a short while, Ruan Danchen stared absent-mindedly at her phone. Then, she got up and walked out of the office with her phone in her hand.

    Not long after she left the office, her colleagues had also read that news on Weibo. They, too, were at a loss for words all of a sudden.

    They were usually on good terms with Ruan Danchen. Besides, the wholepany could see how Qi Chenglin pampered her. Therefore, they were unlike the otherizens who reacted in an extreme manner. Even so, they were still caught off guard and did not know what to think about at that moment.

    Ruan Danchen did not know that her colleagues had already read the news. Nheless, she expected them to see that post sooner orter.

    Striding out the elevator towards Qi Chenglin¡¯s office, she met a few Qilin employees who greeted her politely. However, the look in their eyes was slightly different.

    Ruan Danchen did not have the time to ponder about those looks. When she was about to reach the door to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office, she received a call from him.

    ¡°Are you free now? Come up to my office if you are.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was still tender and pleasant through the phone. It possessed the strength to calm her down.

    As soon as she heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice, Ruan Danchen felt an overwhelming sense of relief. Her heart was no longer as heavy as it initially was from the Weibomotion.

    She was only worried that Qi Youxuan would be dragged down along the line when the Weibomotion started.

    ording to the situation earlier, Ruan Danchen could conclude that all negative intentions were clearly directed at her. Even Shen Zhijing was rarely brought up during themotion. Being infertile had garnered enough pity from the audience, much less having the post owner implying subtly that Shen Zhijing was actually being used by Ruan Danchen. Thus, after verbally attacking Shen Zhijing, they had all pointed their guns at Ruan Danchen.

    Although Ruan Danchen was mad and hurt by theizens¡¯ m, she was still surprisinglyposed.

    Listening to Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice had made her realized that she could only stay so calm andposed because he was there with her. As long as she had Qi Chenglin by her side, she had nothing to worry about. He was sure to resolve the problem for her.

    She just felt bad that the incident had caused troubles to him and the Qi family.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s attractive voice was so gentle and husky that it warmed her heart. Setting aside her troubles, Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips curled into a smile as she continued towards his office. ¡°What a coincidence. I¡¯m just right at your door.¡±

    Even Qi Chenglin was surprised at her statement. He could not help himself from furrowing his brows in response. Could it be that Ruan Danchen had seen themotion on Weibo? Was that why she went to look for him?

    However, she did not sound like someone who had just received a blow. Her speech had a hint ofughter and her mood seemed perfectly normal.

    Regardless of his worry, everything would be fine as long as her mood was not affected.

    When Jiang Yuan had informed him about themotion on Weibo earlier, Qi Chenglin immediately called Ruan Danchen after taking a look at it. He was afraid that she might be hurt by the online bashing. So, he had quickly asked her to head to his office.

    Although she would still know about that matter, at least, he was there by her side. He could give her some time to prepare herself to minimize the effect of the blow. His presence would also support her and provide her with courage in time, calming her before her fear emerged.

    With that thought in mind, Qi Chenglin asked, ¡°Then, why don¡¯t youe in?¡±

    Then, he quickly added on, ¡°Don¡¯t need to knock.¡±

    Just as he finished his sentence, the door to his office was pushed open. Ruan Danchen stepped into his office with her phone still sticking to her ear. At the sight of Qi Chenglin, the pain that troubled her earlier had flown out her mind.

    Her distinctive big round eyes shone brightly as they curled into crescents with her smile. Those eyes could not move away as soon as they fell onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s clear elegant face.

    She felt that as though she could just stare at him forever.

    Even if he was already in his forties or fifties, he would still carry an air of power and elegance. He would nevertheless be a handsome and outstanding middle-aged man. She could never have enough of him even when they had grown old.

    Qi Chenglin was d to notice her staring dumbfoundedly at him. He eximed internally that he was indeed captivating. He had a sense of achievement for attracting so much of his wife¡¯s attention.

    He instinctively sat up straighter in pride. His suit had well enveloped his body shape, making him looked unusually tall and strong. He was even better looking than those models, just like a true knight.

    ¡°Why are you still holding the phone next to your ear when you are already here in person?¡± Looking at her bewitched expression, Qi Chenglin raised his brows proudly. His arrogance was slightly infuriating.

    Ruan Danchen instantly recalled the time when she was framed by Mu Sisi and was confined behind bars in the police station. After being taken to the Qi family manor by Song Yu, Qi Chenglin had called her at her number. At that time, she had also be dumbfounded when receiving his call and was teased by him for that.

    When she thought about it, she, too, felt that she was pretty silly.

    Jiang Yuan, who was waiting for Qi Chenglin¡¯s instruction, had decided to leave the two alone. He turned around and smiled at Ruan Danchen before walking out of the office.

    With Jiang Yuan outside the office, no one would be able to disturb them. Qi Chenglin beckoned Ruan Danchen to go near him as he remembered her infatuated stare. ¡°Come.¡±

    Ruan Danchen walked towards him quickly to tell him that post on Weibo.

    Yet, just as she called out ¡®Cheng¡¯, he pulled her into his arms and settled her on hisp.

    It was great to be able to hug her like that even during working hours.

    Qi Chenglin began to plot in his mind. In the future, if he was alone in his office and had no need to meet any other Qilin employees, he would ask Ruan Danchen to go up to his office and hugged her as he worked.

    If she had work to be done, she could always bring them up to his office and did her work with him. That way, he could look at her as much as he liked. What a pleasing sight to fuel his mood at work. He was sure that his performance would sky-rocketed with her by his side. Besides, he could also be motivated by kissing her from time to time.

    With that thought in mind, he lowered his gaze to find her ears burning brightly. The fluffy little white hair on her flushed ears caused her pale skin to appear as translucent as ss.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart itched terribly at the sight. He could not help himself from brushing his lips against one of her ears and then taking it into his mouth. Her ear tasted sweet in his mouth.

    Ruan Danchen had wanted to discuss a serious problem with him but was distracted by his actions. She shivered as she felt her ear in the boiling warmth of his mouth. Her skin blushed inevitably from the top to the bottom.

 Chapter 414 - Honeymoon After A Break, Distance Creates Beauty.

    <strong>Chapter 414: Honeymoon After A Break, Distance Creates Beauty.</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin embraced her soft body, and could not suppress his desires, and held her tighter and tighter. He squeezed and caressed her in his arms, kissing her from her earlobe to her pale neck, which was flushed crimson. He brushed her hair to the other side, revealing the nape of her neck, slender and pale.

    Ruan Danchen often kept her long hair loose, and so the nape of her neck was often hidden from the kiss of the sun, and so it was exquisitely beautiful in its¡¯ paleness, the musk that secreted from her skin fragrant and irresistible. Qi Chenglin could no longer keep himself in check, and nted one kiss after another on the nape of her neck.

    ¡°Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen groaned his name weakly, the skin of her neck tingling with each brush of his lips, and she shuddered involuntarily. Her core spasmed, warmth emanating from it to her entire being.

    ¡°Hold off for now, I¡¯m here on official business.¡± Ruan Danchen said, her voice quivering, growing weaker and weaker.

    Even though she spoke to dissuade him, she did not shy away, or struggle. She remained docile in his arms, her demure appearance stirring up such passions and desires in Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart that he could not bear it. He held her even tighter in his arms, and unable to hold himself back, kissed her on her lips twice with longing. His fingers ran over her scalp, and he took in the wonderful fragrance of her body, his heart aflutter with exuberance.

    ¡°What a coincidence. I needed to see you about something as well.¡± Qi Chenglin whispered throatily into her ear, intending to let Ruan Danchen get drunk in desire first, and lower her guard, before slowly moving things forward.

    Ruan Danchen craned her neck to look at him, her delicate face flushed red. Her luminous eyes showing an uncertain trust, her hands unconsciously grabbing him at his slender waist, and she spoke softly, ¡°then you go first.¡±

    Qi Chenglin carefully considered his words before saying, ¡°it¡¯s about that matter on Weibo. Promise me, don¡¯t get worried after you read it. I¡¯m here. Leave it to me.¡±

    His whisper reduced in its hoarseness and sounded clearer than just now. His low and deep voice made her feel so safe.

    After Ruan Danchen heard this, she asked in return, ¡°didn¡¯t you say that there was this one guy on Weibo called A Cover is a Must Online, who was talking about my business with Shen Zhijing all those years ago?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was taken aback, and his eyebrows arched slightly, ¡°you¡¯ve read about it?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded, ¡°it¡¯s the reason why I¡¯m here right now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at her intently for a while, and his gaze made Ruan Danchen fidgety, making her bounce on hisp.

    Qi Chenglin felt a surge of fire in his being from the bouncing, and he took hold of her waist urgently, and he growled lowly, ¡°stop that.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was surprised for a moment, but immediately came clean.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t panicked from seeing it?¡± Qi Chengling felt some degree of relief that her shy and red face did not show any signs of being troubled by what was on Weibo.

    He brought up his long and slender fingers to caress the flushed baster skin of her cheeks, and helped her to arrange her hair.

    She was so beautiful, and all he wanted to do was to protect her, and prevent her from suffering any harm. Back then her 19-year-old self was so helpless, with no one by her side to protect her. No matter what happened, she could only bear it alone.

    A young woman did not have any knowledge on how to protect herself. However, now she had him by her side, and he had no intention of allowing her to be worried or hurt by such matters anymore.

    Ruan Danchen was in his arms, and with such loving protection, she not only felt safe, but there was also no opportunity for any insecurities or worries to surface. There was only security that she had never felt before.

    She shook her head, ¡°in the beginning when I had just seen it I didn¡¯t know what to do, so after I finished reading it, I came straight to you. However, when I picked up your call at the door, I felt reassured as soon as I heard your voice. I felt that no matter what came my way, as long as I have you by my side, I would not be afraid of anything. Therefore, I didn¡¯t feel panicked anymore.¡±

    Hearing her put so much trust in him made Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart burst in joy. A wide smile creeping across his handsome face, and he looked extremely happy.

    He gripped her by the hips, and nted a sudden and passionate kiss on her lips, before saying, ¡°you got that right.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had no time to react, and doubt spread across her luminous eyes, but Qi Chenglin only felt joy in his heart. Her trusting nature had already seeped into her habits, and she felt that this was only natural. She did not understand how her words could make him so happy, and that only served to make him even happier.

    Qi Chenglin wrapped Ruan Danchen in his arms once more, feeling as though he would not be satisfied no matter how tightly he held her in his arms.

    ¡°Thetter part of your words couldn¡¯t have been said better, as long as I¡¯m here, you don¡¯t need to be afraid of anything.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingers caressed Ruan Danchen¡¯s delicate face, and he felt content to just do that.

    Ruan Danchen smiled widely before leaning forward to kiss him, ¡°then I won¡¯t worry myself over this anymore. I¡¯ll let you handle it.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was overjoyed at her reaction. His woman should be this carefree when facing trouble, and just let him handle it. If not, what would he be good for?

    Therefore, in front of Ruan Danchen, he began to resolve the matter. He could not let his wife think that he was all talk.

    Qi Chenglin immediate called Jiang Yuan, but did not call him up. He had Ruan Danchen in his arms, and since he had no intention of letting her go, it would not be appropriate for Jiang Yuan toe in.

    ¡°Take note of everybody who has been spreading that article on Weibo, especially those who have been doing so a lot, and pass their names on to Lawyer Song. Those who have shared it more than 500 times qualifies as libel, and can be sued. Those verified ounts are easy to locate, you can just instruct Lawyer Song to serve the letter of demands to them. As for the original poster who started this entire thing, do your best to find them.¡± Qi Chenglin said over the speaker phone.

    That ount called A Cover is a Must Online, there was a chance that the person behind the pseudonym was experienced, and had predicted that this would blow up. They would not let themselves be easily found out.

    ¡°One more thing, contact Shen Jialiang.¡± Qi Chenglin told Jiang Yuan his ns, but did not personally seek out Shen Jialiang.

    The other side must think that they had sessfully smeared Ruan Danchen, but they had made a misstep. They had also unintentionally besmeared Shen Zhijing. They had implicated both Shen Zhijing and Ruan Danchen, and for the sake of Shen Zhijing¡¯s future, the Shen Family would have to cooperate with him.

    As long as Shen Zhijing and Ruan Danchen sang from the same book, no one could make any morements about what happened in the past.

    However, Chang Jingqiu held a grudge herself, and she promised Liu Ronghua to deal with Shen Zhijing, deceiving Liu Ronghua to reveal what happened. Therefore, it was inevitable that She Zhijing would suffer some degree of loss to her reputation, but she had not thought thing through as much as Qi Chenglin had.

    After conveying his instructions, Qi Chenglin hung up.

    Ruan Danchen had been by his side, listening to his every word, but she kept silent. Qi Chenglin spoke, ¡°about that incident in the past, only you, me, the Shen Family and Liu Ronghua know about it. The Shen Family would never speak of it to others, and the servant of the Shen Family, Aunt Li had been with them for decades. The Shen Family trust her enough to involve her in these matters. Anybody who can stay with a family for decades is a trustworthy person.¡±

    Ruan Danchen thoughts turned to Aunt Liu at the old mansion, and nodded.

    ¡°You suspect-¡± Ruan Danchen did not get a chance to finish her sentence.

    Qi Chenglin nodded, tely Liu Ronghua has been discontent at the Shen Family, it very well may be that she resents Shen Jialiang and his daughter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was aware of the fact that Qi Chengling had given Liu Ronghua a sizeable sum of money after the Spring Festival. However, she did not ask about the amount, and assumed that it was Qi Chenglin repaying Liu Ronghua for the expenses of fostering Ruan Danchen.

    However, she did not realize that Qi Chenglin had another purpose, and that was to allow Liu Ronghua to have some confidence based on that sum of money. Naturally, it would make her discontent fester, and feel like she could sustain herself without the Shen Family, and slowly she would consider betraying the Shen Family. This way, the Shen Family would not be gracious towards Liu Ronghua, and Qi Chenglin could use them as a weapon to avenge Ruan Danchen.

    However, Qi Chenglin felt personally responsible for his oversight in not foreseeing Liu Ronghua taking this step.

    At that, a thought suddenly came to Qi Chenglin, and he made another call to Jiang Yuan, ¡°go and find out, who has Liu Ronghua been associating with recently.¡±

    ¡°Are you saying that she intended to take on Shen Zhijing?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in awe.

    ¡°I assume that must have been her intentions, however the content of what is on Weibo was clearly targeting you. I fear she may have been used.¡± Qi Chenglin furrowed his brows slightly, trying to figure out who would want to undermine Ruan Danchen, given how she had not offended anybody.

    He thought of what happened during Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet, as Ruan Danchen said, ¡°there can¡¯t possibly be more to this affair than meets the eye?¡±

    ¡°Who knows. It will be wise to take precautions.¡± Qi Chenglin said as he pinched her tender cheeks.

    ¡°Will Youxuan have any problems?¡± Ruan Danchen was the most concerned about the little boy.

    Qi Chenglin smiled reassuringly,bing her hair and giving her a massage, making Ruan Danchen feelfortable. Her scalp was massaged by his fingers, making her rx. It made her feel numb, and tiny jolts of electricity shot across her scalp, and Ruan Danchen could not help but close her eyes.

    Upon seeing her cat-like enjoyment, Qi Chenglin smiled and continued to massage her scalp.

    ¡°He¡¯s at Jixia Elementary School, there will be no issues, security there is excellent. There may be reporters camping out at the school gates, but they will never be able to get in. He will not be disturbed, and we couldn¡¯t possibly stop sending him to school. As for the children there, they don¡¯t have any way to ess the inte, so they would be unaware of what¡¯s going on. Even if their family talks about it at home, Jixia Elementary School is our territory, who would dare to run their mouth in front of Qi Youxuan?¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes shone clearly, ¡°we¡¯ll leave earlier today, and pick him up from school.¡±

    Usually the little boy would finish school before they clocked out, and Xiao Yang would pick him up and send him to the office. In that way by the time Qi Youxuan reached the office, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin would have clocked out.

    ¡°It just so happens that there are reporters at the school gates. It would save us the trouble of organizing a press conference.¡± Qi Chengling said. In one fell swoop, they would be able to handle this entire mess, and everything would be rified appropriately.

    What was originally a matter that gave Ruan Danchen a headache with no idea where to start, became a trivial matter the moment it reached Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen felt like she could rx, and smiled at Qi Chenglin. Her eyes squinted behind her smile, but they still glittered as she looked at him in devotion.

    Ruan Danchen eximed, ¡°my hubby¡¯s so capable, nothing¡¯s too hard for him.¡±

    She always knew that Qi Chenglin was very capable, but that was always hearsay from others. She had never seen for herself every step of his work process. Obviously she knew that he was impressive, but after seeing it for herself, she felt that the rumours were all conservative, and couldn¡¯t do her husband justice.

    Her husband was clearly even better than the rumours!

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart fluttered from Ruan Danchen¡¯s adoring gaze, and felt a sense of coolness he had never felt before. At that moment he really wanted to look at himself in the mirror, and see his own amazing appearance.

    It would not do to be so narcissistic in front of Ruan Danchen, but he could see his own reflection in her eyes, and looked deeply into them, as though his wife¡¯s eyes had only him. How pleasant was that!

    However, he eventually noticed that Ruan Danchen¡¯s facial expression was one of unhappiness. He immediately asked in concern, ¡°what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t outsiders always say that you¡¯re capable? Usually when you go for banquets and things, even the elders in the marketce praise you.¡± Ruan Danchen said, albeit with a sigh.

    What was this reaction of hers?

    Qi Chenglin needed to have some dignity in front of his wife. He wasn¡¯t bragging, but it still wasn¡¯t ideal to be telling her that her man just was that good.

    However, Ruan Danchen wrinkled her nose and said, ¡°they¡¯re so despicable, lying all the time. If they want to praise you why can¡¯t they be honest about it? You¡¯re clearly so much better than how they describe you, how could they just speak of you as though it were just out of courtesy? That¡¯s just so unreasonable of them.¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not reply, but simple smiled at her. He couldn¡¯t help but hold her even tighter.

    With those thoughts in his mind, he held her forcefully, and kissed her until her lips swelled.

    Ruan Danchen originally came with anxiety and worry, but who knew that matters would develop to this stage.

    ¡°Then I won¡¯t interrupt your work anymore.¡± Ruan Danchen pushed him away, and rose to leave, her face blushing.

    She really had spent quite a while there, and she did not feelfortable disturbing him any more.

    But Qi Chenglin did not let her go, wrapping his arm around her waist, and looked at the time. It was past 3pm, and he said, ¡°Youxuan finishes at 5pm, we should leave at 4. That leaves you with less than an hour left, what¡¯s the point of going back?¡±

    Furthermore, he was worried that after what happened, Ruan Danchen would not feelfortable when she returned to the office. ¡°What do you have on your te right now?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m left with a few more draft designs.¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Qi Chenglin then told Jiang Yuan to go to the design department, pack up Ruan Danchen¡¯s things and bags, and bring them here. In a while she¡¯ll leave with him.

    Even though he said nothing, Ruan Danchen could imagine his anxiety, knowing that he was worried for her. Therefore, she said nothing.

    After a while, Jiang Yuan knocked on the door. Qi Chenglin only then let her go, and Ruan Danchen immediately got off hisp.

    She had no idea what state Qi Chenglin had left her in after all his affections, so she could onlyb her hair quickly, and straightened her outfit. She then stood next to Qi Chenglin. She did not go to the sofa, and fool herself.

    Only upon seeing that Ruan Danchen was ready, Qi Chenglin let Jiang Yuan enter. He ced her bag on the sofa, and ced her documents and drafts on the coffee table.

    Without waiting for Qi Chenglin to ask, he said on his own ord, ¡°the atmosphere in the design department is pretty good, I quietly walked in, and intentionally lurked outside the door for a moment. They were discussing the Weibo affair, but no one spoke badly of the Madam. Manager Zou also told everyone to be careful of their words, and to not hurt her feelings with careless words.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded in satisfaction, he didn¡¯t expect that the employees in the design department were all decent people. Except for that director¡¯s daughter who was a bit of a bad apple, but that wasn¡¯t their fault.

    Qi Chenglin finally felt at ease, and it won¡¯t be a big deal to let Ruan Danchen return to work.

    Jiang Yuan left, and Qi Chenglin let Ruan Danchen sit opposite him. The both of them shared the desk, facing each other as they worked.

    His desk was wide, and he had no engagements to meet anyone in the afternoon.

    However, Ruan Danchen, who was sitting opposite him, had no way to focus on her work. She kept feeling his prickling gaze on her forehead.

    This kept on for a while, until she could no longer bear it, and she lifted her head. Qi Chenglin was staring at her, meeting her gaze and staring at her openly.

    Ruan Danchen blushed, and could only say, ¡°aren¡¯t you tired of looking at me?¡±

    Qi Chenglin just smiled in response, and kept looking at her, his dark eyes warm.

    Regardless if he spoke or not, Ruan Danchen already knew his answer.

    However, she still had an iota of worry in her heart, she could not help but say, ¡°I mean, you¡¯re just sticking to me every day, we leave for work together in the morning, have lunch together, and sometimes you even call me up here for no reason other than to see me. Then we have dinner together, and we spend all night together, aren¡¯t you sick of me by now?¡±

    She really did like Qi Chenglin a lot, and really did not mind clinging to him at every moment. However she felt that men just weren¡¯t the same. As the saying went, honeymoon after a break, distance creates beauty?

    If they were always clinging to each other, what would she do if he got tired of her?

    She was not a beauty of the age, and she was well aware of her own looks.

    Ever since the days of old, it has always been better an affair than a marriage. She trusted that Qi Chenglin would never do that to her, but she was still afraid that Qi Chenglin would get tired of her.

    Furthermore, for someone as outstanding as Qi Chenglin, even if he was married and had children, it would be impossible to prevent women from throwing themselves at him. Ruan Danchen felt threatened because of that.

    Qi Chenglin arched his thick eyebrows, and half smiled at her, ¡°we¡¯ve been ceaselessly clinging to each other everyday, are you sick of me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not. My man is so handsome.¡± Ruan Danchen pouted, ncing at him furtively. She honestly felt that Qi Chenglin was so much more good looking than her.

    ¡°How could I ever get enough of your face, furthermore other women don¡¯t even get a chance to see you even if they wanted to. I can¡¯t possibly be ungrateful, I must look as much as possible.¡± Ruan Danchen said as she grinned. ¡°I feel like it¡¯s good for the eyes to see you like this every day.¡±

    ¡°I feel the same way.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a smile as he looked at her, his voice maic.

    Ruan Danchen felt that the saying that the voice that could impregnate one¡¯s ears was true of Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice.

    While she was drunk on Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice, he had already gotten up, and reached over to her, lifting her chin up to kiss her greedily.

    Through his lusty eyes he could see her face blush beautifully, her eyshes closed tight, then fluttering.

    This girl did not know, he could only feel this way about her. Other women did not even elicit a response from him. He could not get enough of her even as he saw her every day, how could he possibly grow tired of her?

    Ever since he met Ruan Danchen, every day he felt as though he was reinvigorated. After 7 lonely years, he loved this feeling, how could he possibly be bored. Usually he was just afraid of wearing her out, or else the frequency in which they did it would increase.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face burned as he kissed her, and she saw his glittering eyes, the fire in them especially wild, and she frantically pushed him away.

    ¡°If you¡¯re going to be like this I¡¯m going back to the design department. In any case my coworkers there are all great, and there¡¯s nothing for us to worry about.¡± Ruan Danchen said as her ears burned.

    Qi Chenglin gently pinched her cheeks, before ncing at the time. It was almost time to go, and he wasn¡¯t rushing at this moment, so he returned to his work.

    Ruan Danchen looked at him again, then returned to her sketches as well.

    However, her son was always on her mind, and after a few strokes, she looked at the time. It was 5 minutes to 4, and so she got up and started to pack up.

    Qi Chenglin stopped as well, and stretched his stiff neck.

    Ruan Danchen had just finished packing and looked at him at that moment, and saw his fatigues appearance. She walked over and massaged his neck.

    Her fingers were strong, and made Qi Chenglin feel good. His dark eyes closed in pleasure. Ruan Danchen could feel the knots in his shoulders as she massaged him, and every time she pressed down on one he would groan, making her heartache.

    This man was just too tired. No matter how capable he was, he was still human. She thought that she relied on him too much, just like the affairs today, pushing everything to him to handle. Even though he was happy to do it, she still felt so useless.

 Chapter 415 - The Name Liu Ronghua Sounds Familiar To Me.

    <strong>Chapter 415: The Name Liu Ronghua Sounds Familiar To Me.</strong>

    ¡°In the future after lunch, I¡¯ll give you a massage. If you¡¯re tired, let me know, and I¡¯ll give you a massage. Same thing at night when we¡¯re home.¡± Ruan Danchen said, thinking that she could not do much for him, so she would do her best.

    Qi Chenglin grunted in reply,pletely content.

    Ruan Danchen nced at the time, it was 4, but didn¡¯t remind him. It was rare for him to be this rxed, and so she massaged him for a while longer. However, she would not neglect to pick up Qi Youxuan.

    It turned out that Qi Chenglin¡¯s estimation of time wasn¡¯t too far off, and opened his eyes to look at the time. He took her hand, and stopped her. He turned to look at her and gave her a peck on the lips, smiling warmly, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded, taking Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms and left, Jiang Yuan following behind them.

    Because contacting the Shen Family was his responsibility, Jiang Yuan followed them, and he called up Xiao Yang to drive them there.

    Jiang Yuan drove his own car, trailing behind them.

    While they were on the road, they received a call from the principal of Jixia Elementary School, and it turned out that there were arge number of reporters outside the gates.

    ording to Qi Chenglin¡¯s instructions, the principal had mobilised a substantial amount of security guards, and even called the police. When the dispatched officers arrived, it took them a considerable amount of effort to maintain order outside the gate.

    Because the number of reporters were too great, it affected traffic. The traffic police had to seal off the road leading to Jixia Elementary School¡¯s gate, barring entry to the reporters.

    Usually, Jixia Elementary School did not allow vehicles that did not belong to staff to enter thepound. Despite the school being owned by the Qi Family, they had never asked for special privileges.

    However, on ount of the chaos outside, the principal specially approved Qi Chenglin to enter thepound and park within it.

    As Qi Chenglin¡¯s Mercedes and Jiang Yuan¡¯s car pulled up, the reporters rushed forwards with wild abandon.

    While the Mercedes¡¯ tinting was very dark, there were reporters who still pressed close and almost mashed their face against the windows in the hope of catching a glimpse of Ruan Danchen inside.

    Ruan Danchen felt nervous but bravely kept herposure so as to not embarrass herself.

    Qi Chengling quietly held her hand, and absentmindedly squeezed it. His actions slowly assuaged her fears.

    The security guards did their best to keep the reporters at bay as the school gates opened to let the two cars in, before mming shut and preventing any reporter from slipping in.

    As the car pulled up, they did not get out. Ruan Danchen couldn¡¯t help but to open her Weibo, and saw that there was a new album of photos, and she quickly called Qi Chengling to look.

    Qi Chenglin took a look, and saw that someone had taken photos of them dropping off Qi Youxuan in the morning.

    There was even an article enclosed with it, as though to prove the authenticity of the news. It specifically mentioned that the author had heard with their own ears that Qi Youxuan introduced Ruan Danchen to others as his biological mother.

    The article also suggested that a lot of people at the gate heard it, and they could be proof of this.

    Qi Chenglin smirked coldly, but said nothing. He was extremely displeased that Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan¡¯s privacy had been vited like that. He told Jiang Yuan to make some calls to have those photos taken down.

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s call was only a few minutes long, but when Ruan Danchen refreshed her feed, the photos were all gone.

    After a while, Ruan Danchen received a call from Shen Jialiang, and spoke to Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, ¡°Shen Jialiang and his daughter have arrived.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded, Ruan Danchen could see Qi Youxuan walking out of the school building in the distance, and immediately got out of the car to pick him up.

    The parking lot was not visible from the school¡¯s main entrance, so she was not worried about being photographed.

    When the little boy saw the Ruan Danchen was already there, he ran over in joy. Looking at the car behind her, he also noticed his father was there.

    ¡°Mommy, why are you guys so early today?¡± Qi Youxuan asked, his eyes sparkling.

    Ruan Danchen got him into the car first, sitting between her and Qi Chenglin, before telling him about what was going on in Weibo.

    She did not know if Qi Youxuan couldprehend the matter, but she felt relieved that Qi Chenglin had already told the family the truth. Qi Youxuan knew about the matters in the past as well, so that now, when matters came to a head, there was no fear that Qi Youxuan would be unable to bear the shock.

    ¡°Therefore in the next few days you may have reporters surrounding you, but don¡¯t be scared. If you don¡¯t want to answer them, you don¡¯t need to.¡± Qi Chenglin looked down at his son drinking his milk greedily, and feeling as though his son¡¯s character was passed down from him.

    Qi Youxuan nodded, swallowing a mouthful of milk. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯ll y it by ear.¡±

    He then continued to drink his milk greedily, hisrge eyes scanning the surroundings from the car. Even though he had already seen the school and explored it so many times, looking at it from the outside had a different feel about it, and it was all rather new to him.

    Ruan Danchen rubbed the little boy¡¯s head, he may be fine now, but when the reporters crowded around them in a while, she did not know if he would be afraid.

    Even though Qi Chenglin had already vinated Qi Youxuan, it was prudent to prevent direct contact with the reporters as much as possible.

    Qi Chenglin told Xiao Yang to drive towards the school gate. As they turned the corner, they saw a ck Cadic stopped outside the gate. The passengers of the car were not as fortunate as them, and the car was already swamped with reporters.

    It seemed as though the reporters had increased in number, and word must have gotten out that they were here, which attracted the reporters like a swarm of gnats. Compared to their numbers previously, it was like they had descended in torrents.

    Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing wore sunsses as they got out of the car. They had also very prudently hired bodyguards to bolster the security avable at the school. Theirbined strength forced the reporters away.

    Xiao Yang stopped the car not too far away from the school gate, and this was noticed by reporters, who yelled, ¡°Qi Chenglin and the others havee out!¡±

    The swarm of reporters immediately split into two bands, one of which still surrounded Shen Jialiang and Shen Zhijing, while the other crowded to the school gate, looking as though they might try to squeeze through the gaps in the fencing in their rush.

    ¡°Have they gone mad?¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s chubby hands held on to his milk box, his eyes wide.

    ¡°Stay here. Don¡¯t open the window, we¡¯ll be back.¡± Qi Chenglin told his son, before turning to Xiao Yang, ¡°Xiao Yang, stay here with Youxuan.¡±

    He then led Ruan Danchen and Jiang Yuan out of the car.

    They did not leave the schoolpound, but kept the school gate between themselves and the reporters. The cameras of the reporters snapped like volleys of gunfire through the school gate, all sights aimed at them.

    Looking at the voracious nature of the reporters, Qi Youxuan watched them in worry from the car.

    At the same time, the other children were all finished with ss, and they were kept inside by the press of reporters, the parents outside were also unable to get in.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, is what was said on Weibo today true?¡±

    ¡°About Ms. Ruan¡¯s affairs, does your family know?¡±

    ¡°What is the Qi Family¡¯s reaction to this?¡±

    ¡°If everybody could keep quiet, if you¡¯d like to know the truth about this matter, and hear what Young Master and Mrs. Qi¡¯s statements, please be silent.¡± Jiang Yuan bellowed, suppressing the waves of questions from the reporters.

    Upon hearing Jiang Yuan¡¯s words, the reporters finally stopped talking, though there were still murmurs of conversation.

    Qi Chenglin slowly opened his mouth, ¡°the article on Weibo today is nothing but baseless drivel. Except for the fact that Youxuan is both me and my wife¡¯s biological child, nothing else is true. Furthermore, Youxuan being our biological child is no secret. Ever since we told the Family and the boy, we never made any attempt to hide it, and we would always openly represent ourselves as such to people outside. Just this morning, my son introduced my wife to his teachers, ssmates and parents. During the banquet, I introduced my wife in the same way. As long as they are in our circles, they know.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, there was no small number of service staff and outsiders at the banquet, and so the information was spread to many people, and not just limited to those that me and my wife know. I imagine that even those of you here today, would know about it.¡± Qi Chengling smirked, ¡°as long as someone would like to know about this, it¡¯s not difficult. Furthermore, the intention of the Qi Family was to let everybody know.¡±

    All the reporters were silent as they listened. They really did know about this matter, and the Qi Family never did try to hide the truth.

    ¡°As for the so-called shocking truth in the article, all I can say is, the author truly has an imagination.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled inughter, his eyes scanning over the reporters at the gates. The reporters felt a shiver of fear up their spine as he looked at them,

    It was as though anyone who had fallen for this so easily was intellectually challenged.

    ¡°I met my wife 8 years ago, when she was 19 and still at university. I liked her very much back then, but she was too young, and I was already 26. I had seen more than her, and this was her first romance. For a young girl who knew nothing of the world to like me, and be willing to give everything to me, is to be expected.¡± Qi Chenglin held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, looking down at her with a warm smile.

    An originally cold and blustery day turned warmer just because of Qi Chenglin¡¯s smile.

    That face and eyes that were full of love, just could not be faked.

    Ruan Danchen blushed as she looked up at him, thinking that he said that other people were good at lying, but he was the one that knew how to tell tall tales.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s mouth curled, as he squeezed her hand. He turned back to look at the reporters, ¡°and that was the year, she got pregnant. In the beginning she did not know it herself, but when she did, I had agreed to be engaged to Shen Zhijing due to my family¡¯s request.¡±

    The reporters looked at Qi Chenglin¡¯s remorseful expression, and watched as he looked down at Ruan Danchen, sharing an apologetic connection with her.

    Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    It was a waste that this man did not make a career of writing novels.

    ¡°At the time I had very low self esteem, and had no respect for women. I always thought that Danchen liking me meant that she would stay by my side and sacrifice for me, and I never considered her feelings. I even thought, that even if I married Shen Zhijing, but I loved Danchen, and treated her just as well, I would not be exploiting her.¡±

    ¡°Qi Chenglin...¡± Ruan Danchen furrowed her brows, and squeezed his hand. Telling a lie was one thing, but why was he making himself look bad?

    He clearly was not that kind of person, but for her he had made himself the bad guy, so that others would point fingers at him and berate him.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart ached and she clenched her teeth, but she saw Qi Chenglin smiling at her, and shaking his head at her. He was telling her it was fine.

    If they did not tell a good story, how would they expect people to believe them.

    This was all thanks to Qi Chengyue and Lu Nanxi bing good friends. Apart from reading Hentaiics all day, Lu Nanxi also read romance novels, with many ns in the plot. He also rmended a lot of them to Qi Chengyue.

    When things yed out on Weibo, the first thing Qi Chengyue did was to contact Lu Nanxi. At that time the only thing he told Qi Chengyue was to fully disclose Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity, and turn what was on Weibo into rumors.

    ¡°Ah yeah, isn¡¯t this just reunion after separation? My boy certainly has a lot of ns!¡± Qi Chengyue pped the table in joy. He then proceeded to tell Qi Chenglin a few ploys that he got from novels. Even though they were somewhat exaggerated, Qi Chenglin still chose one from the list.

    ¡°After that Ruan Danchen gave birth, but she could not bear to see me marry another woman, and so she left.¡± Qi Chenglin took a deep breath, his eyes darkening, as though he were looking back on the past, looking pained.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart ached as he thought of the idea of Ruan Danchen leaving him while he spoke.

    ¡°After Ruan Danchen left me, only then did I know that I loved her.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled tightly and in pain, ¡°isn¡¯t there a saying? You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ve got until it¡¯s gone. I was just that indecisive back then, only knowing that I loved her after losing her, so I could not marry another woman. Therefore I could only cancel my engagement to Ms. Shen. All these years, I have been looking for her. It was onlyst year that I found her again. My family knew all about this, and have epted her. As for those things on Weibo, it is all drivel, and baseless rumours.¡±

    Qi Chenglin spoke in a measured cadence, and the reporters were all silent, stunned as they were as they listened.

    Somebody in the crowd murmured, ¡°this is just like a movie!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right¡± Shen Jialiang continued in a timely manner, ¡°at the time there were rumours that Zhijing was pregnant or something, and our family just could not be bothered to deal with it, and those who believe such rumors, well it just speaks about their own intellect. Zhijing was never pregnant, and never suffered a miscarriage. Chenglin had approached us to call off the engagement, and while we were furious, we too were aware of Youxuan¡¯s existence, and could only understand. However for us to let this go without gripes is impossible, so that¡¯s why over the years, the Shen Family and the Qi Family¡¯s rtions have not been great. As long as the Shen Family has appeared somewhere, Qi Chenglin was afraid to anger us, and did not show up. Conversely, wherever the Qi Family appeared, we would also not show up in view of the past.¡±

    Qi Chenglin had expected as much from Shen Jialiang, that he would try and score some cheap points. But these points did not cost Qi Chenglin much, so he was happy to let Shen Jialiang have them.

    Ruan Danchen held on tightly to Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand, for the sake of helping her, Qi Chenglin had made himself the bad guy, and still needed to be taken advantage of by Shen Jialiang to win some cheap points. She hated herself for being so useless, and bringing him trouble.

    As she looked at Shen Jialiang, her hand was squeezed gently by Qi Chenglin. Ruan Danchen looked up at Qi Chenglin, and saw him smiling at herfortingly, warm and at ease, like a clear moon and gentle breeze on this cold day.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath, and really wanted to hug him, but she had to endure.

    ¡°I¡¯ve read that article on Weibo¡± Shen Jialiang said, ¡°as for whatever that article said about my daughter being pregnant, it¡¯s just too much! I can even go to the hospital and ask for a report to be issued. I just want to ask the original poster, what proof does she have, for her to use my daughter like that. Her empty words are easy to write, but how does that affect her in the future? Just because of her irresponsible words, she will destroy someone else¡¯s life, how shameless can someone be?¡±

    Shen Jialiang was getting agitated, his breathing intensifying. Some reporters finally started to respond, and asked, ¡°but Mr. Shen, that article spoke very definitively, back then Madam Liu Ronghua and Mrs. Qi, along with the Shen Family had nned this. ording to the article, if one looks into that year, Liu Ronghua entered the Shen Family, and Mr. Qi and Ms. Shen got engaged. After all these years, Liu Ronghua still hasn¡¯t gotten any recognition.¡±

    Shen Jialiang was stunned, unable to respond as he did not know what to say.

    Previously it was Jiang Yuan who contacted him. His position was not enough for Qi Chenglin to contact him personally.

    He had worked out the details with Jiang Yuan, but never thought that the reporter would ask such a question.

    Qi Chenglin however, felt that this suited his purposes. It was as though someone had given a sleepy person a pillow, and he looked approvingly at the reporter who asked the question. The reporter had an uneasy feeling as he saw Qi Chenglin looking at him, unsure what the Young Master Qi had in n.

    ¡°Speaking about Madam Liu, that article has another lie in it.¡± Qi Chenglin smiled coolly, his expression self-confident, drawing attention to himself. ¡°The article says that Madam Liu is Danchen¡¯s mother. But the reality is, she was only Danchen¡¯s adoptive mother. Her reason for adoption was also only to use Danchen. She always mistreated Danchen, and even Danchen¡¯s living expenses and tuition fees in university were covered by Danchen herself by working. At the time she was adamant, and even when she was with me she refused to use my money. Afterwards, I hurt her and she left, and even more so she did not seek out Liu Ronghua, she bore it all herself.¡±

    ¡°Liu Ronghua therefore is just using her adoptive rtionship with Danchen, and keeps on squeezing her. Not too long ago, I gave her a sum of money, and since then she has had nothing to do with Danchen. On the one hand she took my money, and then suddenly this informationes out. I imagine Liu Ronghua is not too happy, as she has no way to exploit my wife¡¯s fortune?¡± Qi Chenglin smiled coldly.

    ¡°I can attest to this, because I promised Zhijing after her mother died, that I would never find another woman to be her stepmother. So I never gave Liu Ronghua the title, and so she has very strong views about my family.¡± Shen Jialiang said, implying that Liu Ronghua had something to do with this affair.

    The reporter listened, before following up, ¡°Mr. Qi, are you saying that this affair all stems from Madam Liu Ronghua not being happy, and wanting to take revenge?¡±

    ¡°Those are your words, not mine. It wouldn¡¯t do for me to be sued for defamation. I gave her so much money, so she definitely would be able to hire an attorney.¡± Qi Chenglin said snidely.

    The reporter was speechless.

    Was he still afraid of being sued?¡±

    ¡°I originally did not want toe out and speak about this entire matter online, especially since it has no bearing on our lives, and I do not have any interest in entertaining the masses. That article online, has some truth to it. However, as it involves the reputation of my wife and son, I have toe out and exin it to all of you, but only this one time. As for whether or not people believe it, and still maliciously wish to drag my wife, I really don¡¯t care. But if anyone does do so, they can wait for my attorney¡¯s letter. Please make sure you add that into your reports so everyone will know about it. This afternoon, the main yers on Weibo have already received my attorney¡¯s letter of demand. As for the one called A Cover Is A Must Online, I will not rest until I find them.¡± Qi Chenglin said nkly.

    The reporters around them were here to take Qi Chenglin¡¯s statement, and Qi Chenglin had cooperated,ying out his explosive love story to all. The reporters had no further questions to ask.

    Therefore, Qi Chenglin took Ruan Danchen back into the car, and the school gates opened, letting the cars drive out, and the reporters had no choice but to make a way.

    Qi Chenglin had not greeted the father and daughter pair from the Shen Family. Today the Shen Family had used him to whitewash themselves, and that could be considered payment for their cooperation.

    Qi Youxuan was in the car, and did not hear anything that Qi Chenglin had said. Qi Chenglin saw that the boy had finished drinking his milk, and crumpled the empty box, before pulling out a stic bag from a pouch and put the box in it. A very thorough and responsible attitude.

    Ruan Danchen saw that the boy was so responsible, and was overjoyed, stroking his head. She couldn¡¯t help but to kiss his cheeks.

    Qi Chenglin sat with them in the back, but it did not feel crowded, since the little boy did not take up much space.

    ¡°If you see any news regarding me and mommy, don¡¯t believe it. Just believe what we told you back then.¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Qi Youxuan nodded. At times lies were necessary, especially when dealing with people whom they would rather not deal with. The little boy who considered himself as having a very realistic worldview did not see anything wrong with that.

    ¡°Tomorrow at school you may hear some nasty things, but don¡¯t believe them. If you feel mistreated let us know, don¡¯t keep it to yourself, okay?¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    The little boy looked up earnestly at Ruan Danchen, his face serious, ¡°you¡¯re my mommy, and that¡¯s all I need to know.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was moved by him, and was unable to speak for a moment.

    Qi Chenglin was very pleased, and said, ¡°tonight you may have some potato chips.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes immediately shone in excitement, but a guarded look shed across his face, ¡°I spoke truthfully to mommy, not to get to have snacks.¡±

    ¡°Even better. Then there¡¯s no need to eat it then.¡± Qi Chenglin nodded with approval.

    Qi Youxuan had no reply.

    For a 7 year old child like Qi Youxuan, to have outyed himself again, made him sad.

    Cocking his head to look at his father¡¯s handsome features, Qi Youxuan felt that he would need to grow up quickly to be Qi Chenglin¡¯s match.

    ...

    Ruan Zeer was at the living room of the house, scrolling through the debate surrounding Ruan Danchen on his iPad. Thements were particrly toxic, thoseizens were so irresponsible with their words.

    They relied on the anonymity of the inte to make brazen and unscrupulousments on people, without considering the effect it would have on others and how they would feel, focusing instead on their own entertainment. They would think that their words were clinical and was the only correct opinion. They never thought deeply about it, and thought that they were the ones on the right side, and that their opinions mattered, and pretentiously judged other people¡¯s actions, telling them right and wrong. These people thought they were the authority on right and wrong, and only their opinion was the right one.

    asionally voices of reason would cut through the vitriol and attempt to refute the rumors, but would be quickly drowned out by spurious replies. Some of them were refuted with logic and facts, and so Ruan Zeer ignored the refuted points. Even though Ruan Danchen had never spoken, and suddenly she had to point out that she never said this, and what was the truth.

    As he looked on, Ruan Zeer felt that these people wereughable, and were just making themselves turn into pretentious fools.

    It came to a point that some people felt that just because Ruan Danchen refused to step forward to answer, that she must be hiding something, and so they grabbed on to this self-devised point and fanned the mes.

    Another group of people felt that Ruan Danchen did not respect them, and abused her online in their own search of self-existence.

    But what amused Ruan Zeer the most was, there was another kind of person, who pretentiously did notce their words with profanity, andmented wilfully on Ruan Danchen¡¯s affairs. They pretended to take the moral high ground, but still gave Ruan Danchen a lecture, then added as an afterthought, this is my personal view, if it displeases you, please do not respond.

    Ruan Zeerughed coldly. He hated this kind of people the most. You can give people a scolding, but after you finish you say that it¡¯s your personal viewpoint, and others may not respond in kind.

    The words ¡®if you¡¯re displeased, please do not respond¡¯ is truly omnipotent!

    Ruan Zeer could not help but be worried for Qi Youxuan. Even though he had only met the child once, and not for long, he could not help but like Qi Youxuan.

    They had even traded numbers, and he did not know what was on the boy¡¯s mind, to call Ruan Zeer from time to time to chat with him.

    Thinking about the little boy¡¯s unforgettable features, Ruan Zeer couldn¡¯t help but smile.

    Before today, Ruan Zeer did not know about Ruan Danchen¡¯s maternal rtionship with Qi Youxuan. He had nothing to do and was on Weibo, and saw that it was buzzing. He had seen Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan¡¯s names, and thought that it couldn¡¯t be a coincidence, was it really the same ones?

    He then saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s name, and he could not disbelieve anymore.

    It was unthinkable, for people he had met by coincidence, to have such distinguished positions.

    Ruan Zeer furrowed his brows in worry, and wanted to call Qi Youxuan to ask what was going on, but he knew that this was a very testing time. Should he call him, he was unsure if the adults in the family would grow suspicious, and feel as though he were there to exploit the situation.

    Ruan Zeer had not yet made up his mind, and brought his cell phone with him to the bedroom.

    Ruan Keshan nced at the iPad that Ruan Zeer left on the coffee table, and picked it up. Ruan Zeer¡¯s mother Chen Minxia was in the adjoining dining room wiping down the dining table, preparing it for dinner.

    Seeing Keshan holding the iPad, furrowing his brows in thought, Chen Minxia walked over, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, what are you thinking of there?¡±

    ¡°Nothing.¡± Ruan Keshan continued to furrow his brows, looking at his wife, ¡°just... this name, Liu Ronghua, it sounds familiar, as though I¡¯ve heard it before. Do you remember?¡±

    Chen Minxia shook her head, and looked at her bespectacled, schrly-looking husband, ¡°no, I don¡¯t. You usually attend so many conferences, and go on exchange programs with so many universities. Did you hear about it there, but forget where exactly?¡±

    ¡°Perhaps.¡± Ruan Keshan did not push it, but thinking about the name he saw just now, his mind had a shback, but it wasn¡¯t clear. Now when he thought about it, he could not make sense of it, and so he gave up.

    Chen Minxia smiled, her husband was a well-known researcher in academia, and no matter what the question, his mind was always active, but in other matters, his memory could be confused.

    If it would sound familiar to him, it may be that their family would know of them, and Chen Minxia kept that thought, saying, ¡°don¡¯t think too much about it. I¡¯ll go and find out, who Liu Ronghua is.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded, and did not think much more of it.

    Chen Minxia returned to the kitchen to cook, before telling Ruan Keshan to call Ruan Zeer out for dinner.

    After dinner, Ruan Zeer contemted it a while more, then decided to give Qi Youxuan a call.

    At the time the little boy was doing his homework, and Ruan Danchen was watching him from the side. He was good at everything except his concentration. If he were to be left alone to do his homework, he would write a few lines then go off on another tangent.

    Right now Qi Youxuan was doing some basic mathematics, when his Totoro Children¡¯s Phone rang with the Detective Conan theme song. His pale and chubby hand grabbed the phone and picked it up, ¡°Brother Ruan!¡±

    Ruan Zeer squinted, he had told Qi Youxuan multiple times not to call him that, it sounded too much like ¡®Brother Soft¡¯. He was an 18 year old in the prime of his youth, nothing about him was soft!

    However, every time Qi Youxuan called him that, he knew that it was unintentional. He had been called that multiple times, and couldn¡¯t be bothered to correct Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°You seem upbeat.¡± Ruan Zeer did not ask directly, hearing the little boy speak with such gusto, he knew that Qi Youxuan was not sad, and so he was at ease.

    ¡°Yeah! Daddy let me eat a pack of potato chips tonight.¡± Qi Youxuan said happily.

    Ruan Zeer did not respond.

    ¡°Brother Ruan, what¡¯s up with you?¡± the little boy asked.

    ¡°Oh, nothing much. I thought about you, and called to hear your voice. Am I interrupting you doing your homework?¡± Ruan Zeer could see Qi Youxuan was not affected, and so chose not to bring it up.

    Qi Youxuan nced at his workbooks, and said arrogantly, ¡°those things onlt make my mind go through the motions.¡±

    Both Ruan Danchen and Ruan Zeer had no response to that line.

    If it were so simple, why didn¡¯t you finish it quickly?

    Ruan Zeer left Qi Youxuan to finish his homework, and then hung up.

    Ruan Danchen listened in on Qi Youxuan¡¯s conversation with Ruan Zeer, and deduced that Ruan Zeer was worried about Qi Youxuan, and that¡¯s why he called. Therefore, she stepped outside to call Ruan Zeer again, and invite him over to their ce, since it¡¯s been a while since Qi Youxuan had seen him.

    ...

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s words in the afternoon had missed the deadline for the print media to publish, but online, the news was already published. When the reporters returned to the office, they learnt that in the afternoon thosemercial ounts involved were already served with letters of demand.

    As Qi Chenglin¡¯s story made its¡¯ rounds online, naturally a lot of people did not believe it. Qi Chenglin also did not expect them to, and somements started to flow out, this story is so exaggerated, it must be from a romance novel!

    However, both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen did not pay any attention to thosements, as they felt they had no need to let their emotions and lives be affected by the irresponsiblements of others.

    In the evening, Ruan Danchen had put the little boy to sleep, and returned to tell Qi Chenglin about her inviting Ruan Zeer over for a y date. Qi Chenglin nodded. Seeing how Qi Youxuan enjoyed seeing Ruan Zeer, and also kept in contact with him, Qi Chenglin had sent Jiang Yuan to do some research into Ruan Zeer.

    This young man was truly impressive, Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes glinted.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms wrapped around Qi Chenglin¡¯s narrow waist. Compared to hers, a man¡¯s waist was still wider, but just based on looks alone, Ruan Danchen felt that Qi Chenglin¡¯s waist was really very small, but solid.

    Even his waist was firm, without any excess fat, and solid as a rock.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but pinch his waist every time, with her face against his chest, squirming about until she found afortable position to rest, and take in the aroma of his body.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been troubled today.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands did not stay on his waist, and she pouted. She opened his cor, and pressed herself against his bare chest.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s passions raged wilder and wilder as she clung to him, and he took hold of her, ¡°wasn¡¯t it said that women love a bad guy? I think I was pretty bad today.¡±

    Hearing the smile in his voice, Ruan Danchen looked up, her soft hair getting rather unkempt from rubbing against his chest, and sticking out in strands like a cat with unkempt fur.

    Qi Chenglin patiently brushed her hair, soft strands running smoothly between his fingers, like a feather falling on his heart, it itched.

    Ruan Danchen looked up at his handsome face. He was supposed to be a man above reproach, but for her, today, he had allowed himself to be sullied.

    Ruan Danchen held him tighter, and suddenly buried herself in his chest.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart itched at her motions, and asked, ¡°has your rtive gone home yet?¡± [1]

    Ruan Danchen blushed. ¡°It¡¯s not quite clean yet.¡±

    Qi Chenglin said nothing, he had been holding himself back for a while now.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s cycle ran like clockwork, every period was earlier thanst month¡¯s by 2 days. It had never changed, but every time it did, it took a long while, usually 8-9 days.

    He had heard her say before, that when she was schooling whenever her period came, it would hurt so badly. She often heard from others or read online about some remedies. She never cared if they were actually helpful, or whether they were trustworthy, she would always give it a go, but it would never work.

    After going to high school, Gao Xiaoyang had introduced an old traditional chinese doctor to her, and she took his medications for a year, but they did not change anything. Gradually, Ruan Danchen gave up, and just took painkillers as required, but they never really helped as well, they could only alleviate the pain somewhat.

    When it came to childbirth, it still hurt, making Ruan Danchen think that the saying that it got better after childbirth was just a lie.

    Recently, she had been introduced to a new painkiller from overseas by Qi Chengyue, who had been told about it by her friends in America. That drug did not stop other pain, only menstrual pain. No matter how painful it was, taking that drug would improve things considerably. Ruan Danchen had given it a try, and the results were surprisingly positive.

    However, the timing was still as long as ever, and it made Qi Chenglin suffer. He always had to repress himself for so long ever month.

    He also felt embarrassed to ask other women if their periods were that long, even towards his own sister, Qi Chengyue, he just could not ask.

 Chapter 416 - She Was Not Troubled, But At The Same Time She Did Not Want To Trouble Qi Chenglin

    <strong>Chapter 416: She Was Not Troubled, But At The Same Time She Did Not Want To Trouble Qi Chenglin</strong>

    Qi Chenglin looked as though he could not take it anymore, usually, when he didn¡¯t see her, he was fine. It was not like he could react to anything, but now when he was in her arms, it was unbearable.

    ¡°Will it be clean tomorrow?¡± QI Chenglin rolled over on top of her, but there was no easy method of entry. The sudden pressure and friction made her feel the need to relieve it a little.

    Ruan Danchen could see that he could barely hold himself back, and herher regions were already afire from his prodding. She could not help herself but ask, ¡°you¡¯re already like this, how do you n to resolve it?¡±

    Qi Chenglin kissed her lips wildly, she already knew how he wanted to resolve it, but still she asked. Her question made his passions rise even more, and he could no longer keep himself under control.

    He rubbed against her, before he looked into her eyes with a savage look, before he got up to go to the bathroom.

    He had already risen, when Ruan Danchen grabbed him by the wrist. Qi Chenglin looked back at her slowly.

    Ruan Danchen herself could no longer resist her urges anymore. No matter how good-natured the man, if he were to be unsated, he was much like a woman on her period, both of them were very stubborn.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to handle it yourself, I¡¯ll help.¡± Ruan Danchen felt sorry for him, he had already endured it for 7 days, his face darkening every time the night came along.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face lit up, ¡°how will you help?¡±

    Even though Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand would feel better than his own hand, but the hands still did not feel very good.

    Ruan Danchen did not reply, but pushed him down onto his back, before leaning down to kiss him of her own volition.

    From his lips, she began to kiss downwards, her lips traveling down his body until in a blink of the eye she was already at his navel. She had no intention of stopping there. Qi Chenglin closed his eyes in bliss, as he groaned in ecstasy. However, he wanted to look at her, to the point that he did not even want to blink. He watched and waited for her next move in anticipation and excitement, but she stayed at the edge, and refused to go all the way down, teasing him by going back and forth.

    QI Chenglin smiled, and pinched her cheeks, ¡°aren¡¯t you naughty?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked up at the desperation on his face, and no matter how she looked at it she found it adorable, andughed.

    When she saw from the look in Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes that he could no longer endure it, she smiled and moved her head down.

    On the morning after, Qi Chenglin felt his entire body in bliss. In one fell swoop, the darkness of the entire week was lifted, and his mood was jubnt.

    His good mood tranted to the way he treated Qi Youxuan. It made the little boy even more nervous, in his head he wondered what evil trick his father had in store for him now?

    ...

    Themotion on Weibo was not something that would disappear in a few days, and many online still used QI Chenglin of spinning stories, however, both Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin did not bother with it.

    The other members of the Qi Family also paid it no mind, and went about with their lives.

    These days it wasmon for reporters to be tailing them, but Qi Chengzhi did not keep a low profile by going home immediately after work. Instead, he gave Qi Chenglin a call and invited him for dinner.

    Qi Chenglin smiled as he heard Qi Chengzhi¡¯s exnation, ¡°in any case those reporters are jumping through hoops to tail us, I¡¯d feel bad if we didn¡¯t give them something to take a photo of. It will also serve tomunicate our family¡¯s attitude. It wouldn¡¯t have been good for us to alle out with a statement yesterday, in case it raised an opposite reaction.¡±

    Qi Chenglin said he understood, and thus made an appointment with Qi Chengyue, the three siblings and their families would have dinner. They will eat andugh in harmony for all the reporters to see.

    When the news broke the next day, it made the reader doubt the veracity of the original article. If the Qi Family thought it was true, they would not have such good rtionships with Ruan Danchen.

    If Ruan Danchen really was a great actress, she still would be unable to pull the wool over the entire Qi Family¡¯s eyes.

    With that, the buzz online began to die down.

    After a few days, the noise online continued to diminish, as it had been overtaken by a series of scandals among celebrities caught cheating. The days soon returned to normalcy.

    What was not expected was that Liu Ronghua woulde to Qilin.

    She first gave a call to Ruan Danchen, but despite her best efforts could not get through. What she did not know was that Qi Chenglin had long ago blocked her number on Ruan Danchen¡¯s phone.

    Ruan Danchen was also not the kind of person to go through her phone¡¯s block list, so she was unaware of this entire matter.

    Even if she knew, she would not act out of turn with Qi Chenglin.

    When Shen Jialiang had returned home that night after being interviewed by the reporters, he had given orders that Liu Ronghua¡¯s personal items should all be packed up, and she should be kicked out, saying that the Shen Family would not take in an ungrateful dog such as her.

    Liu Rongua naturally could not admit that she was responsible for this mess, but regardless of how much tears she shed in her effort to prove her loyalty, both Shen Jialiang and his daughter did not believe her.

    Shen Jialiang did not suspect Aunt Li, the most suspicious person in the entire household was Liu Ronghua. Recently Liu Ronghua had been using the money Qi Chenglin had given her to act out of turn, and show her displeasure at the Shens. She even had the audacity to be more and more indiscrete about it.

    The incident when she met Shen Zhijing at the restaurant, and threatened her in the bathroom, how could Shen Zhijing not tell her father?

    Shen Jialiang thought about it, since Liu Ronghua was no longer of any use to him, even if he were falsely using her, he had nothing to lose. It would be better than keeping her around the house as an eyesore.

    Liu Ronghua had grabbed his legs and pleaded, tears and mucus streaming down her face, but Shen Jialiang only felt revulsion. He immediately had people throw her baggage into the yard, then personally threw Liu Ronghua out.

    Liu Ronghua was thrown onto the grass by Shen Jialiang, her baggage surrounding her. The neighbors could hear her sobbing, and curiously peered out to see what was going on. The humiliation to Liu Ronghua was great.

    After being with Shen Jialiang for so many years, without even being recognized as husband and wife, he really was so cold-hearted as to ignore any feelings, and dump her like trash outside, in front of so many people as well.

    Even though Liu Ronghua had money, but she was still unable to live alone. What would be of her when she grew old, with no one to look after her? She would be seen as just a lonely olddy, and what could she do if people took advantage of that?

    While she thought about it, she eventually thought about Ruan Danchen. If she could get her son inw Qi Chenglin to take care of her, what would she be afraid of?

    However, if that was just the case, she would note to them in such a rush. She did so because she was running out of funds, and unable to maintain the lifestyle she wished to live.

    When Qi Chenglin first gave her the money, she had many ns, and had no intention to just live in leisure. Therefore, she asked someone to introduce to her a trustworthy wealth manager. Her thought process was that as long as she was relying on the Shen Family, then that money would not be in pressing need to be used. She may as well invest it, and rue interest on it so that when she was older, she need not rely on the Shen Family anymore. When the time came, she could leave the Shen Family with a good financial foundation.

    Whenever she yed cards with the other mistresses, one of them would ce bets frivolously, and yet did not feel the sting of their losses, no matter the amount. Unlike others, who would be unhappy, and would refuse to join the next session. They would be absent for 2-3 sessions before they returned.

    On the other hand, that particr mistress, who betted frivolously,, even if she showed displeasure in losing, was not too bothered by it. From chatting with others Liu Ronghua found out that she was being supported by a married man. The man still had his wife waiting for him back home, closing one eye to her husband¡¯s indiscretion. Naturally, he would know to reciprocate his wife¡¯s tolerance, and not make things too unbearable for her. Therefore, the pocket money he¡¯d give the mistress would not be too great of an amount.

    It was after more gossiping that Liu Ronghua found out, the mistress had taken all of the money her man had given her and invested it. In the beginning, she ced it with loan sharks, and let her capital rue off of interest until she made a sizeable amount from quick returns. She then took that amount and began to diversify her portfolio.

    When Liu Ronghua heard that, it piqued her interest. The wealth manager she engaged was introduced by that mistress. However, Liu Ronghua felt that she had much to develop into, even that mistress was still doing business with loan sharks.

    Loan sharks these days all used corporate names that sounded shy. Therefore, with the guidance of that mistress, Liu Ronghua ced a sum of money with a loan shark.

    In the beginning, she ced 100,000 into micro-financing. After a while, she tasted the fruits of her investment, and therefore she ced more and more into it, until she reached a investment of 500,000.

    However, who would have known that in the past few days, the government had suddenly taken a stern stance against these illegal groups. The directors of thepany had taken the money and ran off, and her entire investment of 500,000 went up in smoke.

    Fortunately for her, the wealth manager still came back with good news at times, and still made her no small amount of dividends. This built her confidence in her, and she invested more and more money with him, to try and recoup her loss from the failed investment with the loan shark.

    After that, the wealth manager told her that uninsured investments paid even greater dividends. A lot of people balked at the idea of an uninsured investment, but in reality the risks were not that great. Liu Ronghua had already been hooked by her returns so far, and had full confidence in the wealth manager. Therefore, she gave him full control over her affairs.

    WIth investments like this, there would be gains and losses, and Liu Ronghua never had any suspicions, and slowly ced more and more money into the investment.

    However, what she did not expect was that Shen Jialiang would kick her out, and she would have no roof over her head.

    With whatever money she had left, she could not even afford to rent a house, let alone buy one.

    Therefore, Liu Ronghua called up the wealth manager, andmunicated her intent to withdraw her investment. An early withdrawal would not make any money, and she would ept that loss.

    What no one would expect was that the wealth manager told her that due to the fact that the investment was uninsured, she could no longer withdraw her investment after she hadmitted to it.

    Liu Ronghua, therefore, had no money left. Her cash on hand allowed her to rent arge house in a good area, but that would onlyst a year.

    Liu Ronghua had no other choice but to sign a year-long tenancy contract. Not long after that, in fact just the day before, the wealth manager had contacted her and told her that one of her investments was adversely affected by the stock markets and national policy. There was no other choice but to keep investing to maintain holding power, or she¡¯d risk losing everything.

    However, Liu Ronghua had no more money to invest, and so the wealth manager had to think hard and discuss things with her. One of her investments had matured, and the principal and interest could all be taken out. That sum of money could be invested into the loss-making one for the meantime.

    The wealth manager had confided in Liu Ronghua that he had received some credible information, the source of which he could not disclose, or he might face prison time. Briefly, as long as they could get through this period, the returns which she could get would definitely see her through the next decade or sofortably.

    Liu Ronghua could not help but be tempted, and so she agreed to his suggestion. However, out of caution, she only invested the principal, and kept the interest for herself.

    She asked the wealth manager how the rest of her portfolio was doing, and he told her they were doing fairly well, but she justcked cash on hand.

    Liu Ronghua was unustomed to living alone, and so she thought of looking for Ruan Danchen.

    When the receptionist saw Liu Ronghua walk through the door, she immediately pulled open a drawer and took out a photo. After making a quickparison, she waited for Liu Ronghua toe closer so she could make a clearerparison, and confirm that she was the person in the photo.

    At that point, Liu Ronghua was already at the front desk, and the receptionist quickly put the photo back in the drawer, shutting it.

    Without waiting for the receptionist to speak, Liu Ronghua spoke first, ¡°hello. I¡¯d like to see Ruan Danchen, she¡¯s my daughter.¡±

    The receptionist shed a pretty smile, and said assuringly, ¡°please hold.¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s heart jumped for joy, she never thought that things would work out this smoothly. She watched as the receptionist picked up the phone, but said, ¡°please escort her out.¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s face changed to shock, and before she knew what was going on, both her arms were gripped hard.

    She looked again, and on both sides of her were security guards who hade out of nowhere.

    ¡°What are you doing? I¡¯m here to see my daughter!¡± Liu Ronghua protested in outrage.

    The receptionist didn¡¯t react. Qi Chenglin had given out orders a long time ago, and circted Liu Ronghua¡¯s photo. If this person were to show up, immediately escort her out, so as not to upset the General Manager¡¯s wife. Furthermore, Ruan Danchen was not to know, it would be as though this woman had never came here.

    Therefore even though the lobby of the building was busy, not a single person looked at her, as though Liu Ronghua simply did not exist.

    ¡°I am Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother, the mother of the wife of your General Manager! What are you doing! Let me go!¡± Liu Ronghua would not just let the security guards drag her out.

    Despite her petite, demure and helpless appearance, she was unexpectedly strong. She suddenly rushed forwards and slowed down the speed of being dragged out by the security guards.

    She screamed and shouted, and Liu Ronghua finally knew that something wasn¡¯t right. Her original rage had given way to grief, her tears streamed down her face like a tap, gushing out of her eyes.

    ¡°Did Ruan Danchen put you up to this? If she just doesn¡¯t want to see me, that¡¯s fine, she doesn¡¯t need to humiliate me like this! To chase me out like amon beggar! Let me go! I have to see her today, I have to see how ruthless she has be! I am the woman who raised her, and she treats me like this? Is she not afraid of being condemned by others? Ruan Danchen,e out here if you dare! Come out and face me!¡±

    Liu Ronghua shouted it out so loudly, as though Ruan Danchen would be able to hear her.

    However, her shouting had finally drawn the attention of those employees in the lobby.

    ¡°Let me tell you, I know the things that Ruan Danchen has done! If she doesn¡¯te out, I¡¯ll tell it to all of you!¡± Liu Ronghua screamed in desperation as she was thrown out of Qilin by the security guards.

    However, Liu Ronghua refused to leave. She could be thrown out if she was on the premises, but the road outside the office was public property, and Qilin could do nothing about that!

    Liu Ronghua stood at the entrance of the office, and she spoke in a grief-stricken voice, ¡°you could even disown the mother who cleaned up your p*ss and sh*t when you were a baby, Ruan Danchen how heartless can you get! Everyonee and judge for yourself! Judge for yourself! I wasn¡¯t her biological mother, but all these years I have sacrificed for her, and what do I get for that? Is the grace of bringing someone up not greater than the grace of birth? Look at me now, I can¡¯t even see my own daughter.¡±

    Liu Ronghua looked as though she had lost her mind, as she turned from one pedestrian to another to talk to them, crying all the while.

    ¡°She married into the Qi Family, and is rich now, and so she abandons me, she leaves me.¡± Liu Ronghua said to the pedestrians. ¡°Ruan Danchen, let me tell you, I know what happened all those years ago, don¡¯t you dare try to gag me. Just to help you get to know Qi Chenglin, I threw the young Ms. Shen under the bus. Now you¡¯re well to do, with a husband and son, you disown me. It¡¯s all my fault for spoiling you as a child, that you¡¯ve turned out to be such an ungrateful thing.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t believe her!¡± Liu Ronghua told a pedestrian, who flinched as he thought she had gone mad. ¡°There was no love at first sight, and a reunion after they broke up. It¡¯s all a lie! It was Ruan Danchen who was shameless and seduced Qi Chenglin, it¡¯s all a lie, she-¡±

    ¡°Madam Liu.¡± A very familiar and cold voice sounded behind Liu Ronghua.

    Liu Ronghua turned to see Ruan Danchen there, and immediately surged forwards towards her, ¡°you finallye and see me? I am your mother! I can¡¯t even meet you, and have to debase myself to this point for you to be willing to see me? Do you n to not even call me your mother?¡±

    Ruan Danchen clenched her teeth, and her hands mped into fists as she trembled with rage.

    She did not know Liu Ronghua was here, she had gone to the pantry to make some coffee when she overheard the conversation between her coworkers and found out.

    The pantry of the design department was shared with other departments. Her coworkers in the design department were more cautious as they worked with her. Regardless of whether it was a private conversation, they would never discuss her private affairs. The other employees from other departments were another matter entirely.

    She had just walked to the door when she overheard two employees from an unknown department, talking about Liu Ronghua causing a scene and making a fool of herself over a cup of tea.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know just what kind of person Ruan Danchen is, but just based on the ruckus her mother is making, it can¡¯t be good. It¡¯s not just embarrassing the Qi Family, but ourpany as well.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that right? My rtives and friends know I work at Qilin, and they keep asking me about the General Manager and his wife. Truthfully, it¡¯s other people¡¯s business, how would I know? It¡¯s all getting quite annoying.¡±

    ¡°That Liu Ronghua is also one of a kind, she says she loves her daughter, but she keeps doing things to undermine her. This is our General Manager we¡¯re talking about, if it were any othe man, they would have broken up long ago.¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s to say? Furthermore for a family of such prestige as the Qi Family, this matter today must have been extremely humiliating, they definitely must have formed an opinion about Ruan Danchen by now. The General Manager is caught in the middle, he must be very troubled.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not enter the pantry, and so could not know who was speaking. She simply returned to the office with an empty mug.

    The two of them were right though. This affair truly did make Qi Chenglin feel very troubled.

    The Qi Family had kept silent, and still were very supportive of her. Qi Chengzhi, Song Yi, Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge had even taken the trouble to have dinner with her and Qi Chenglin while surrounded by reporters.

    She still took part in the family gathering at the old manor every Saturday, and Grandmother Qi still held her hand, and gave her words of encouragement.

    However, the longer things yed out, the more Ruan Danchen felt that she could not face Qi Chenglin and his wonderful family. Now Liu Ronghua was here making a scene. She knew that QI Chenglin had tried to inste her from all of this, so she would not feel bad.

    She was not troubled, but she did not want to trouble Qi Chenglin as well.

    Qi Chenglin had done enough for her. Even though she had said otherwise, she could not push all of the burden on him.

    Therefore, Ruan Danchen had walked straight to the entrance, and watched as Liu Ronghua, with her backed turned to the entrance of Qilin, aired her dirtyundry maliciously to every passerby with her mouth open and her hands gesticting.

    ¡°You ask me if I intend to recognize you as my mother,¡± Ruan Danchen said coldly, ¡°however have you ever treated me as your daughter?¡±

    The pedestrians who were rushing past stopped. They had been listening to Liu Ronghua¡¯s tirade, and had thought badly of Ruan Danchen. When they now saw Ruan Danchen, they did so with disapproving eyes.

    Ruan Danchen walked down the stairs, step by step, her face a visage of cold fury, ¡°if you truly, sincerely wish me well, why would youe to Qilin like this and make a scene? If you truly want the best for me, why are you here at the door, spewing out your vitriol, and smearing me with lies? You know full well I work here, but youe and make a scene. How will my colleagues view me? You know full well I¡¯m with Chenglin, but you spout such vicious lies about us, how will Chenglin look at me? How will the Qi Family look at me? You say that you¡¯re my adoptive mother, and that I owe you gratitude for raising me. However, a mother wants only the best for her daughter, and would worry if her daughter is being mistreated in her husband¡¯s, her mother-inw¡¯s household.¡±

 Chapter 417 - Ruan Keshan Heard Chen Minxia Loudly Exclaim â€œHeyâ€

    <strong>Chapter 417: Ruan Keshan Heard Chen Minxia Loudly Exim ¡°Hey¡±</strong>

    ¡°Any sensible mother would rather have all the harm in the world to be subjected to herself than to see her own daughter hurt. If her own daughter happens to find herself in any sort of trouble, without a second thought, any normal mother would do everything in their power to shield their daughter from everything. However, not only did you fail to do so, you instead have a hand in spreading rumors, any rumors out there that would potentially ruin my reputation, without hesitation, you would spread it further. Not long ago, the rumors about me online had just stopped spreading. However, you fanned the mes and started spreading it around once more. Have you ever thought about what kind of impact you would cause to the Qi family and to my husband?¡± Ruan Danchen eximed.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about, just because of your actions would cause them to dislike me, to treat me poorly? Have you ever thought about the tough position you would eventually ce my husband in? Even my colleagues knew about my marital status and me not having children yet. Your very own actions would cause disdain within my inw¡¯s family, would ce my husband in a very tough spot and furthermore cause people to look down on me.¡± Ruan Danchen added.

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to take a step forward closer to Liu Ronghua. By her stance alone, all Liu Ronghua was capable of doing was her iprehensible silent mutters as she found herself difficult in speaking her mind.

    It was unsure if it was due to how long Ruan Danchen had spent with Qi Chenglin that caused her to have such an aggressive and confident stance on her own. She never had anything like this before and now, she possessed a fierce and sharp re. It was uncanny to Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence.

    ¡°I happen to be extremely lucky to have such an understanding andpassionate inws. They were understanding enough to see both you and I aspletely different people. They do not me me for the nonsense you speak out there. My husband understands me, he loves me. He knew that you would be extremely persistent in clinging onto my life, he was worried that you woulde over to cause a scene for me hence, he stopped you from getting anywhere close to me. I initially still had remnants of what you call feelings toward you. However, those little feelings left for you was slowly, little by little destroyed by your own doing. I no longer feel anything toward whatever horrible things you say or do to me. However, Miss Liu, not a single living soul would evene close to act exactly like you.¡± Ruan Danchen borated.

    ¡°You keep iming that you loved and cared about me, think of me as your actual birth daughter and how you value our rtionship. However, just look at what you have done, is this what a woman that valued so deeply about their familial rtionships would¡¯ve done?¡± Ruan Danchen added further.

    After hearing what Ruan Danchen had to say, the people around her seemingly snapped out of their trance while their entire expression changed.

    The earlier outburst demonstrated by Liu Ronghua initially made the public perceive Ruan Danchen in a very bad light. However, after Ruan Danchen made her point clear, people were quick to change their minds and sided with Ruan Danchen as they felt just how awful Liu Ronghua truly was.

    It was hard for the men not to give this situation a much deeper thought. If one¡¯s mother inw made it her mission to ruin her own daughter¡¯s reputation and were in fact trash-talking and spreading rumors about her own daughter, how would the man of the house think of her. The oue would be clear, it would ultimately lead to nights of endless quarrels.

    As for the women, if their very mother acted the same way as Liu Ronghua did, not only did she not lessen her worries and aid her in her own struggles and problems, she instead had a hand in adding to her own personal problems. The spectating women could not help but think about what position will she have left to stand in the face of her inws family, how else would she live with her own husband. In times like these, the tragic oue would almost certainly end with spousal quarrels, haunted by the thoughts of divorce and not standing up for herself.

    The elderly on the other hand, could only mutter a long and painful sigh for what troubles the inws like her would bring to them. How they wished to rather die of old age than to spend a second with her.

    Hence, the spectating public looked down on Liu Ronghua with stares and gazes of much disdain, disgust and filled to the very brim with judgement

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to coldly question Liu Ronghua, ¡°You told the entirety of the Qi family that you were only my adoptive mother, you raised me for all these years and you told them that using me for your selfish reasons was getting back what you were owed by me. It was my responsibility to repay that debt. I have paid more that what you think I¡¯ve owed. That exorbitant amount of money was generously given to you by Qi Chenglin and you still had the audacity to continue disrupting our lives, dragging my reputation to the dirt. What exactly do you want?¡±

    There was an olddy who stood by the side. Justice was seemingly spilling out from her gaze. As she could watch no further, she pointed at Liu Ronghua and said, ¡°Good lord! What kind of a person are you! Even if she wasn¡¯t your own blood, with the length of time spent with her, how could you even destroy your own daughter like that!¡±

    ¡°Lady, you¡¯re being extremely unprofessional and disrespectful to have such an outburst in someone else¡¯s office. Even if you¡¯re doing it for your own daughter, it¡¯s still not right for you to do so.¡±

    ¡°Shame on you.¡±

    ¡°If I have a mother like you, I would not know what I¡¯ll do with you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like this! It¡¯s not like this!¡± Liu Ronghua frantically exined in a panicked state. Before she could exin further, someone else would yell for her to stop.

    In the midst of the chaos, a calm manly voice spoke, ¡°Miss Liu.¡±

    Upon hearing the voice, Ruan Danchen turned around only to see Jiang Ruan calmly walking toward the scene.

    He proceeded to greet Ruan Danchen before resuming his stroll.

    ¡°Who on Earth are you?¡± Liu Ronghua asked while having her full guard up.

    Jiang Ruan greeted with a cordial smile and nod. He was dressed elegantly to showcase his courteous and polite physical presentation of his own personality. He replied, ¡°Greetings, Miss Liu, I am Young Master Qi¡¯s personal assistant. I am here to deliver a message from him to you.¡±

    This statement made Liu Ronghua extremely anxious as she shuddered nervously. Haunting her very mind in this moment was Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold expression and the stern warning he had given to her upon receiving the money.

    With a slight grin on Jian Ruan¡¯s face, he inched to Liu Ronghua¡¯s side and calmly whispered into her ear. ¡°Young Master Qi was extremely clear when he had given you the money. You were told to be painfully honest and to leave Madam Ruan alone, or else that generous donation could always be withdrawn at any given moment. Since it¡¯s obvious that Miss Liu had forgotten about said warning. The rumors that were spreading in Weibo on top of today¡¯s debacle, Young Master Qi had decided to take his money back.¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s quick thinking replied, ¡°I¡¯ve spent it all, how are you going to get the money back then?¡±

    Jian Ruan smiled as he calmly said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about where you¡¯ve spent the money at Miss Liu?¡±

    Liu Ronghua initially had no reaction in response to that odd question. However, with a much deeper thought, her entire demeanor changed to a much sinister and vile look.

    She recalled she had spent most of her money in a private loan, only to be scammed by the CEO of the organization. She had also given a part of her money to a finance manager to help her invest, however, the investment flopped resulting in her paying more money to make up for the losses.

    She intended to withdraw her investment by getting her money back from the finance manager only to be declined by the finance manager.

    The series of her unfortunate events only happened quite recently.

    She initially had made a sizable profit, however, she had lost every single penny recently. It was as if she had cast a fishing line, when the profits increased, it peaked at a very high point, however, her losses were extremely sudden.

    ¡°It was Qi Chenglin.¡± Liu Ronghua was shocked at this revtion as her eyes were shot wider than she physically could open as her entire expression grew pale.

    Ruan Danchen could not hear what they were discussing. However, upon seeing Liu Ronghua¡¯s shocked and pale expression, she knew it was most certainly something terrible.

    She was unaware of what exactly Qi Chenglin did to terrify Liu Ronghua to such extent.

    ¡°Young Master Qi wanted me to tell you that his money isn¡¯t something you could so easily toy with. If only you were honest and responsible, he would not stop you from making any money. However, since you were ignorant, he could not bear to use his money to feed a stray hound. You perhaps have a meager sum left at the moment, if you could leave Madam Ruan alone, you may keep that meager sum. However, if you so much as show your face in the presence of Madam Ruan, or did something that could potentially affect Madam Ruan¡¯s reputation, you will be left with nothing.¡± Jiang Ruan calmly exined.

    A man with such elegance and calm voice felt inhumanly cold in Liu Ronghua¡¯s ears.

    Liu Ronghua shuddered as her mind wandered and questioned with the thought of that couple, that shady CEO and the finance manager was all but a pawn to Qi Chenglin in his long game?

    He had nned that far?

    Was he capable of such foresight, to n every step, even today¡¯s oue?

    It¡¯s inhuman to have foresight of this extent!

    Jian Ruan had seemingly read Liu Ronghua¡¯s mind before she could question what was in her head. He replied with a grin on his face, ¡°It¡¯s a rare sight for you to be smart once.¡±

    Upon hearing everything Jiang Ruan presented to her, Liu Ronghua had seemingly lost her bnce as her knees grew weak while she uncontrobly took a couple steps back.

    Jiang Ruan relentlessly inched closer to her, paired with his soft whisper he had done so simrly earlier, ¡°Why don¡¯t you think about the Weibo debacle in much deeper scale if that person was truly helping your cause or were you a pawn for that person¡¯s game. You may start from this mess and think about if this would benefit you in any possible way. Instead of relentlessly clinging onto our Madam Ruan, I suggest you have your full attention in nning for your future.¡±

    All Ruan Danchen could see was Liu Ronghua¡¯s increasingly pale face as her expression was akin to pure horror.

    Jiang Ruan proceeded to take a step back and coldly eximed, ¡°Miss Liu, if you continue to bother our Madam CEO, the CEO had made it clear to get a restraining order ced on you in court.¡±

    Upon making his statement, Jiang Ruan turned around and walked toward Ruan Danchen. Seeing Jiang Ruan approaching, Ruan Danchen proceeded to give him a nod as she returned to her office alongside him.

    At this very moment, Liu Ronghua was inplete shambles as the people around her were relentlessly pointing and judging her. However, she could not be bothered by their judgment.

    She stood by the streets desperately trying to haul a cab for twenty minutes. When she finally got one, she hastily rushed into the cab to give the finance manager a call.

    The instant the call went through, she questioned, ¡°You worked for Qi Chenglin don¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°What made you ask that question, Miss Liu?¡± The finance manager replied with a confused tone.

    ¡°Everything I¡¯ve invested in end up losing spectacrly, was it your doing?¡± Liu Ronghua questioned coldly.

    ¡°Miss. Liu, I suggest you stop with your usations, I happen to be a very ethical in my conduct of business.¡± The finance manager replied.

    Hearing that reply, Liu Ronghua gritted her teeth tightly with frustration, she probed deeper, ¡°Do you dare im to not know who Qi Chenglin is?¡±

    Upon saying that, she noticed a slight chuckle at the opposite end of her call, the finance manager casually replied, ¡°What a coincidence, Mr.Qi is one of are clients as well.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Liu Ronghua was speechless upon hearing that mocking reply.

    No matter what she tried to say, the finance manager was adamant in not admitting to her ims. Feeling it was a waste of time, Liu Ronghua furiously hung up the call.

    ...

    As Ruan Danchen and Jiang Ruan made their way back to the office, Ruan Danchen asked, ¡°Is Qi Chenglin busy at the moment?¡±

    ¡°Young Master Qi is currently in a meeting.¡± Jiang Ruan answered while looking at his watch he added, ¡°it should be over in about 20 minutes.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and proceeded to head over to the design department.

    She made her way over to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office after 20 minutes.

    After she got out of the elevator, she walked passed the meeting room at the same time the meeting concluded. Qi Chenglin was the first to step out the meeting room as the doors opened.

    Qi Chenglin seemingly foresaw Ruan Danchen¡¯s arrival as he was not even the slightest surprised to see hering. He had a gentle and starstruck gaze the instant he made eye contact with Ruan Danchen. With the biggest smile on his face, he walked over to her and gently held her hands.

    The managers from thepany¡¯s different departments as they werepletely used to the scene of intimacy shown by Qi Chenglin to Ruan Danchen as they pretended to pay no mind to the both of them in order to prevent an awkward situation for Madam CEO. Thus, every single manager acted as normally as they could and carried on with their day as they left.

    Ruan Danchen silently observed Qi Chenglin calm and gentle expression from the side. She thought about just how much thought and time Qi Chenglin had to put into and spent for Liu Ronghua¡¯s mess. She proceeded to squeeze his hands tight as a gesture ofpassion.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his head to look at Ruan Danchen as he noticed those gentle, beautiful dark eyes had a slight hint of hesitation and confusion.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him as she wrapped his hands in both her palms seemingly holding onto a precious treasure.

    Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen back to his office then proceeded to close the door behind him. He asked, ¡°You went downstairs to meet Liu Ronghua earlier didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and said, ¡°I know you¡¯re worried about how awful I¡¯d feel, how tough of a position I¡¯d be so you stopped her from bothering me, and hid the fact that she was here from me.¡±

    Qi Chenglin sat on the couch then proceeded to pull Ruan Danchen toward him as he sat her on hisp, while giving her a tight hug.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head to see both his arms were around her waist. It was strong but the grip was not too tight for her. She traced her fingers on his purlicue. Back and forth she yfully ran her fingers down the valleys of his purlicue. She gently ran her fingers on the edge, the proceeded to draw circles on the same spot. Unsatisfied by her mere touch, she gave it a squeeze.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s was in excruciating pain after having the palm of his hands yed in such fashion by her. He felt a jolt of electricity shot up from the purlicue of his palm directly into his heart. He grabbed onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s unconsciously moving hands to pull his own hand out of hers. He proceeded to lower his head to observe her gentle yet adorable face. She did not seem to look sad at all.

    Ruan Danchen turned around to look at Qi Chenglin seriously. She said, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry and there¡¯s no need to think about how tough of a position I¡¯d be in. I no longer harbor any feelings toward her since she had pushed things to this extent, she hadpletely destroyed any remnants of possibly feelings toward her. It doesn¡¯t matter if she ended up beingpletely right or wrong, it will always be her own doing. She caused so much disdain at home, put you in a difficult position. So whatever that you n on doing to her, I no longer mind. Do anything as you see fit, there¡¯s no need to worry about me any longer.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Chenglin might not believe what she said, she proceeded to give him a very confident smile. She then said, ¡°As of right now, there is nothing I want more than to be with you and Youxuan. I felt so useless and helpless knowing that you were shouldering such heavy burden because of my problems.¡±

    ¡°That is precisely why I do not wish for you to shoulder such weight any longer. I no longer mind.¡± Ruan Danchen exined as she flipped his palm over for a gentle squeeze.

    Qi Chenglin had his other hand on Ruan Danchen¡¯s face as his fingers extended to reach the back of her head. He proceeded to kiss her lips.

    It was second nature for Ruan Danchen to respond to his kiss by wrapping both her arms around Qi Chenglin¡¯s neck hugging it until Qi Chenglin released her, then he proceeded tond his soft, warm lips on her forehead, hugging her closer and tighter in his warm embrace.

    He lowered his head, brushing aside her hair with his lips alone as he proceeded to kiss her ear lobes, slowly making his way down tiny spot between her earlobes and cheeks. He said, ¡°There¡¯s no burden and even less thought went into facing Liu Ronghua.¡±

    Given the fact that Liu Ronghua¡¯s level of intelligence, she would have been mere leftovers if Qi Chenglin actually had given much thought in her.

    Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin¡¯s arrogant and confident expression, perhaps it was due to what she had said earlier causing him to hold nothing back as both his dark, stunning were brighter than usual.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already spoken, I will hold nothing back inmencing my game.¡± Qi Chenglin said with a huge smirk causing his eyes to squint while he yfully caressed Ruan Danchen¡¯s back.

    Ruan Danchen felt as if this man had been waiting forever for that one statement she made earlier.

    Ruan Danchen gave him a not- too obvious smile while she proceeded to peck his lips. She said, ¡°In future, if youe across anyone you absolutely resent, no matter what ties they have with me, I want you to not hold back and do as you wished.¡±

    Seemingly without warning, Qi Chenglin relentlessly patted her every inch as heavy as he could. He knew all she wanted was not cing him in a tough position, pinning him in between his family and her. Worried that it might affect Qi family in any way.

    However, the more she worried about him, the deeper in love he fell for her as he hugged her tighter than he ever could, causing Ruan Danchen to be slightly in paid as her bones were slightly crushed. This very tight hug had also made Ruan Danchen¡¯s breathing increasingly difficult but she never told him, leaving him to hug her as tight and as forceful as he wanted. Besides, she was clear about his unwavering position in her heart.

    ...

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s apparent outburst earlier was recorded by plenty of people present in the crowd since the entire area was swarmed by people, some of which tantly recorded the whole ordeal with their cellphones, posting her every speech and act online.

    Seizing this rare opportunity, every media reporter wanted a piece of this viral pie as the previous reported news too were extremely viral. Everypany were literally fighting for the headlines, every reporter were reporting the incident as they felt they had found purpose in their line of work, finally fulfilling their wish to be a news reporter in the front lines.

    Since Liu Ronghua¡¯s face and footage was stered all over the inte, the fading dying mes of online news was once again fueled and lit, making this incident the new headlines of every news media.

    The journalists and news reporters were merciless in writing about Liu Ronghua. The articles included Liu Ronghua¡¯s past in great detail, it even covered her 8 years living in the Shen household with unknown status.

    The article even included an interview with someone who had some info about her. The article stated that Liu Ronghua was not liked and epted by anyone from the Shen family, it was due to her persistence in staying, coupled with the news that had apparently ruined the reputation ofdy Shen that pushed the entirety of the Shen family to kick her out.

    Left without a home, Liu Ronghua had no choice but to look for her long-abandoned adoptive daughter. However, who knew that Ruan Danchen had been so hurt by Liu Ronghua since she had wronged Ruan Danchen repeatedly before and now that she was homeless after being kicked out by the Shen family thus, prompting her to look for her daughter that had long since cut ties with her. Nothing in this world could be this nice.

    Upon realizing things would not go her way, she proceeded to ruin her own daughter¡¯s reputation once more hence, the ugly scene in Qilin earlier today.

    As Ruan Danchen read the news article, she could not help but think that whistleblower was none other than Aunt Li of the Shen household.

    Unexpectedly, her assumption was right all along. Aunt Li had always been disgusted by how selfish and horrible of a person Liu Ronghua was. Her selfish behavior was resented by all as Aunt Li thought to herself, euthanizing this woman was not worth the hassle as it would be aplete waste of resources.

    Thus, while she was pushing a cart for some groceries, she was instantly stopped by the reporters camping outside of the Shen household. Without any second of hesitation, Aunt Li spoke the truth about how vile and horrible this woman was. Without her need of additional information, hearing about that woman¡¯s behavior and personality was enough to make anyone¡¯s blood boil and exim how unbelievable of a person this woman was.

    It would be an obvious thing for Aunt Li to not reveal the truth about Liu Ronghua and Shen Zhijing swapping ces all those years ago. The incidents after that event alone on top of Aunt Li¡¯s additional exaggeration was enough to paint Liu Ronghua as a vile and horrible woman.

    Hence, it was hard to believe that every rumor before that went viral online was Liu Ronghua¡¯s doing.

    ...

    Since Ruan Zeer was bored, he proceeded to read the news on his Ipad. His eyebrows twitched at the sight of this viral news.

    ¡°Zeer,e with me to AU after your summer break, we¡¯ll do some research on certain topics with some of my friends¡± Ruan Keshan told Ruan Zeer. As he was walking back after ending a phone call, he noticed Ruan Zeer was leisurely staring at the screen of his Ipad.

    He intended to fully train his son¡¯s potential. With his son¡¯s current knowledge, it would not be a problem keeping up with his friends.

    Ruan Zeer agreed to his father¡¯s offer then proceeded to resume reading the news.

    Curious to what got his son¡¯s full attention, Ruan Keshan sat next to him and proceeded to peer over his screen.

    ¡°Why are you so invested in pointless gossiptely?¡± Ruan Keshan said as he gave his son a quick nce.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just I know.¡± Ruan Zeer exined.

    ¡°You knew this person?¡± Ruan Keshan too was intrigued as he peered closer to the screen.The instant he read the article, he frowned. Being an educator, his gaze grew increasingly stern making him seemed extremely strict.

    Ruan Keshan thought to himself, when exactly did Ruan Zeer met someone so horrible.

    ¡°No I mean, I don¡¯t know her, I just happen to know her adoptive daughter.¡± Ruan Zeer proceed to exin his encounter with Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother and son duo. ¡°Big sister Ruan was impossible to be someone previously described by the news. I was quite worried about what impact the news would bring to both of them. Especially Youxuan, he¡¯s extremely adorable, mischievous and a little witty. I have never met another kid as intelligent as him.¡±

    Thinking about Qi Youxuan made Ruan Zeer smile extremely wide. He smiling through his teeth. He was not sure what the reason was, he just happened to love that kid. His love was never as trivial as his physical appearance. Unable to exin, Ruan Zeer just happened to love this kid to the core.

    ¡°Oh that¡¯s right, Big sister Ruan and I made an appointment to visit her in her house. I could meet Qi Youxuan. Let me have a quick check on the time then I¡¯ll head out alright?¡± Ruan Zeer asked.

    Ruan Keshan agreed since his son had been epted by the school, he never minded a bit.

    At this moment, a phone call by Li Yiming was heard. Ruan Zeer proceeded to answer the call, leaving the Ipad behind. Ruan Keshan proceeded to pick up the Ipad and started reading the news article.

    At the same time, Chen Minxia had just finished making her soup and decided to take a break. Upon noticing Ruan Keshan reading a news article, she proceeded to take a quick look. After a few moments of reading, Ruan Keshan was surprised by the Chen Minxia loud exim ¡°Hey¡±.

 Chapter 418 - I Wasnâ€™t Sugarcoating, Itâ€™s The Truth

    <strong>Chapter 418: I Wasn¡¯t Sugarcoating, It¡¯s The Truth</strong>

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± Ruan Keshan turned to ask Chen Minxia.

    ¡°This person looks extremely familiar but I just can¡¯t seem to recall who she is.¡± Upon further reading, Chen Minxia noticed Liu Ronghua¡¯s name sprawled across the article. She said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you used to tell me this name sounded familiar to you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Ruan Keshan nodded. He felt slightly annoyed as he was troubled by that feeling of knowing something at the tip of his tongue but was not able to put his finger on it. This feeling was driving him crazy.

    ¡°You thought her name sounded familiar and I¡¯m certain she look familiar. Perhaps it was someone we knew,¡± Chen Minxia said as she too was annoyed by her familiarity. Being a high school chemistry teacher should, in theory, mean she possessed a pretty amazing memory. She was puzzled by her sudden amnesia.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty impossible since both of us clearly know this person. How is it that none of us can recall who she was?¡± Chen Minxia said as she shook her head. Grabbing the Ipad over, she stares deeply at the picture on the Ipad. However, she still could not recall who that person was.

    ¡°Stop thinking about it if you can¡¯t seem to recall for a moment. Who knows... Maybe out of nowhere, when you least expected it, yo¡± somehow recalled the identity of thatdy,¡± Ruan Keshan told her as he gently patted her hands.

    Chen Minxia nodded as she ced the Ipad down then proceeded to resume cooking in the kitchen.

    ...

    Whatever Jiang Yuan said to Liu Ronghua was as if every single word was physically carved and seared onto her brain, making the very act of forgetting about the event impossible.

    Liu Ronghua was currently living in a huge, rented home. She spent a good amount of years living in a mansion, and although this house was no mansion¡ªsince there was no way she could afford renting one¡ªshe still rented a 3 bedroom with 2 living room high-end home for the rich.

    She did not take a single step out of her home ever since she returned yesterday. She had absolutely no clue as to where these journalists got the address to her residence from; as these journalists camped by the front gate of an alley near her house, it made it extremely difficult for her to leave her residence.

    As her current situation dictated, Liu Ronghua¡¯s inability to drive, the absence of a car, her inability to afford a personal driver and a car¡ªespecially after hearing everything Jiang Yuan had said to her¡ªshe was forced to remain in her own house. It was painfully obvious that Qi Chenglin had a vice grip over her ounts, thus the entirety of her future livelihood and the state of her future waspletely at the mercy of Qi Chenglin. Hence, her current state of extreme fury and dissatisfaction.

    Her forced exile made it easy for her to think and reflect. Liu Ronghua was a selfish person, and the very sin of selfishness clouded one¡¯s mind easily. However, clouded judgment was not the same as insanity. As she pondered and reflected upon her unfortunate downfall, her mind directed her in the direction of Chang Jingqiu.

    During her manic contemtion, she could not help but feel something was indeed off. The deeper she thought, the more things did not seem to add up for her, thus her conclusion for being a pawn to Chang Jingqiu.

    Thus, Liu Ronghua proceeded to give Chang Jingqiu a phone call. However, after several attempts at reaching her, it was proven to be futile as she never picked up. Unfortunately for her, since Liu Ronghua never had the number to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s office and she was being surrounded by persistent journalists camping outside her house, making leaving her residence extremely risky and difficult. She had no choice but to wait for her situation to progress to a less heated state.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan would be attending a winter camp event with his school on Friday and thus, Ruan Zeer nned for a ydate with them next week.

    A huge bus arranged by the school was already parked in the school¡¯s parking lot. As Qi Youxuan got out of the car, Qi Chenglin proceeded to get his tiny suitcase out from the trunk. As Qi Chenglin brought his son to him, he felt slightly reluctant to send his son off.

    Since she had been living with Qi Youxuan together now, this would be his first time leaving for such a long period of time. A full three days of absence. Ruan Danchen was already extremely heavy-hearted before he even left.

    ¡°Mom packed some anti-diarrheal meds, flu meds, anti-inmmatory meds and paracetamol for you. Just in case you don¡¯t feel too well, just bring these meds over to your teacher to let your teacher decide which one you¡¯ll need and how much you should be taking. Also, I¡¯ve packed some band-aids in the left pocket of your backpack. Just be careful not to hurt yourself alright,¡± Ruan Danchen said with extreme reluctance, thus prompting her to nag further, ¡°Be sociable, make sure you take part in any group activities alright, don¡¯t be a picky eater. If you find any food you don¡¯t like eating and don¡¯t finish it, no one would care if you¡¯re hungry or full. So remember to clean your te, understand?¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± said the kid as he nodded.

    Since they were not allowed to have their phones with them during the winter camp, Ruan Danchen could not call her son even when she missed him.

    Upon noticing Ruan Danchen was at the brink of tears, Qi Chenglin gave his son a stern re. Seemingly realizing his father¡¯s wrath, Qi Youxuan instantly wrapped his arms around his mother¡¯s neck giving her a hug as well as a kiss on her cheek. He said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry mom. I¡¯ll be fine. Three days will go by in a sh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± Ruan Danchen replied with a sad tone.

    Noticing his mother¡¯s sadness, Qi Youxuan released his mother all of a sudden as he puffed out his chest to stand as tall as he could. He said, ¡°To be worried for a son¡¯s voyage to afar, reciprocated were the feelings of worry to the son. Cease your worry mother, for my voyage to and afar will be a pleasant one.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but look up directly at Qi Chenglin as she wondered what on Earth had gotten into her son?

    Qi Chenglin, too, was stunned by what Qi Youxuan had said earlier. However, he soon understood what his son meant. Thus, Qi Chenglin proceeded to gently pinch Ruan Danchen¡¯s chin.

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to look around in her current direction. She noticed Dai Zhiyao was being led by his mom over to their direction. Qi Youxuan only had the uniform for Jixia highschool on. It looked like a chinese tunic suit, and was undeniably adorable on him. It was simr to an already adorable doll being dressed in a much adorable suit by the owner.

    Dai Zhiyao, on the other hand, was dressed like a gentleman. He looked smart and mature for such a young age. The way he dressed brought an illusion of maturity that was unmatched to his age.

    Unwilling to allow his immaturity to show in front of Dai Zhiyao, Qi Youxuan forced a look of maturity onto himself.

    The edge of Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched at the sight of her son¡¯s awkward, forced look. She was tempted to tell her son to stop. However, in an effort to preserve her son¡¯s reputation, she held back and just watched.

    Atst, both Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin watched as their son carried his little backpack while pulling his suitcase and waved goodbye to both of them with every tiny step he took. As he entered the school, worn on his face was a look of heavy yet calm expression.

    Both Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin did not leave immediately as they waited outside the school¡¯s gate, watching the kids get in line ording to their ss. As chaotic as the scene may be, it was without a doubt a parent¡¯s talent to identify their own kids amongst the sea of children. In an instant, Ruan Danchen was able to pick out her son amongst the crowd, watching him get in line. It was an unpleasant feeling to say the least, as she felt mixed emotions of contempt and sadness.

    The kids lined up in an orderly fashion and boarded the bus. After a headcount to make sure no kid was left behind, they got ready to depart the school. As the bus left the main gate of the school, Qi Youxuan leaned against the window as he watched his parents wave goodbye to him by the road. He began to tear up.

    The kid too was reluctant to part with his parents for three whole days.

    ...

    Qi Chenglin was still pondering on what ns he would have with Ruan Danchen for their hard-earned date night since he was keen to seize the very rare asion of Qi Youxuan¡¯s absence. However, he had received a phone call on Friday noon notifying him that Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding gown waspleted and that she was able to try it on.

    Guan Liya had apparently contacted Dynasty in regards to booking a hall with the dates they had chosen as reference. Since she had taken care of that beforehand, they were able to begin trying on Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding gown.

    Ruan Danchen was drawn to the same designer that made Song Yu¡¯s wedding gown. She loved the style the designer went for., thus Qi Chengzhi gave Qi Chenglin the contacts for that designer.

    Fortunately for her, that designer had opened a workshop in B City. After a phone conversation with that designer, she went over to the shop for some measurements to be taken.

    Since plenty had happened recently in a short amount of time, Ruan Danchen had totally forgotten about it.

    Since they had no ns, they decided to try on the wedding gown this Saturday.

    Although she had initially forgotten about the wedding gown¡¯s appointment, the instant Ruan Danchen was reminded about it, it rekindled her feelings of excitement almost instantly.

    It would be the first and only time she would have the opportunity to be the bride and put on a wedding gown. She used to think she would never in her lifetime see this day through. However, beyond anything in her wildest dreams, she was actually going to marry the man she loved and was actually going to spend the rest of her life watching over a man she initially thought nothing of.

    Since her days were blessed with such overwhelming joy, she could not help but feel slightly anxious with this feeling of joy. She was worried if the heavens would punish her due to her overwhelming joy.

    As she sat up, Qi Chenglin wrapped his long, strong arm on top of Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft belly. Since Qi Chenglin was still in a deep slumber, he could slightly feel Ruan Danchen¡¯s movements in his dazed state.

    Ruan Danchen proceeded to turn to face Qi Chenglin. Upon noticing his gentle yet elegant slumbering eyes, Ruan Danchen decided to give him a gentle kiss to wake her man up. As the tip of her tongue slithered its way into his mouth, the taste was not too awful even though his mouth was sealed the entire length of the night. Instead, a strong wave of familiarity was emanating from his body.

    As Qi Chenglin slowly woke up from his deep slumbering daze, he proceeded to inch the arms that were already wrapped around her waist higher, hugging her closer and tighter, thus locking the kiss firm as sheid herself on top of his body.

    Ruan Danchen used both her arms to squeeze his cheeks, peeling her lips free. She said, ¡°Come on. Hurry up and get up already.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a Saturday... Let me sleep a little longer,¡± Qi Chenglin said in a dazed mumble, then proceeded to flip over, copsing the upper half of his body directly on top of her as he buried his face in the nape of her neck. As he took his breath, in his mind he nned to resume sleeping while cuddling up with his wife.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen waspletely speechless.

    Confused at the sight of his awkward movements, she wondered if he was mimicking the movements of pigs being fed.

    Ruan Danchen was indescribably excited today. She was excited to finally try on a wedding gown, and was even more excited to see what she would look like wearing one. To be in this moment was every woman¡¯s biggest dream.

    As the saying goes, the luxury of being a bride would bring out the best of ady in a lifetime.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen proceeded to forcefully nudge his calf and said, ¡°Hurry up and wake up already. I need to try on the wedding gown today.¡±

    ¡°Just a little longer alright. It¡¯s still early. There¡¯s no need to rush,¡± Qi Chenglin replied in a mumble, drowsy tone as he cuddled her tighter.

    ¡°Say there¡¯s no need to rush once more. I dare you,¡± Ruan Danchen replied harshly as she noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯sck of concern along with hiszy expression toward their wedding.

    She was told by her colleagues during a session of office gossip that a man would be extremely excited to see theirdy in a wedding gown.

    Even if he was not by the slightest bit excited, he was well aware of just how excited she was. How could he still present an expression thatcked any sort of concern on his face?

    Ruan Danchen gave her man a look filled to the brim with absolute disdain and discontent. She was aware of how much her impatience had grown due to being spoiled rotten by her man. Hence, the asional petty outburst. However, she wanted Qi Chenglin to take a much-needed break during his weekend as well.

    However, she was just too overwhelmed by excitement!

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin said nothing as he could feel the impending fury of his wife. Feeling his wife¡¯s boiling rage, he got up instantly.

    Upon lifting his head off the nape of her neck, he noticed Ruan Danchen¡¯s sharp and furious gaze staring directly at him. Those huge ck pearly eyes, with her impatience spilling over from her eyes. It stood out to him as her eyes reflected brighter than before.

    Her look of discontent tempted Qi Chenglin to squeeze her cheeks. However, with her growing fury, Qi Chenglin dared not to provoke her.

    ¡°There¡¯s absolute undeniable need to rush, of course there is. I¡¯m getting up this instant!¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s replied with his quick wit.

    After replying her, Qi Chenglin instantly bolted up from his bed. That swift, fluid motion was an astounding feat nheless.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen simply observed a strong, fit man bolted as he changed into his clothes, rushed into the washroom to freshen up as fast as he physically could, then proceeded to make his way out the washroom feeling refreshed. Although he remained the same man of few words, he snuck a couple of winks in Ruan Danchen¡¯s direction in an attempt to cheer her up.

    Since Ruan Danchen would be trying on her wedding gownter, she made efforts to put on some make-up even though she was never the type who was fond of cosmetics. Upon noticing Qi Chenglin¡¯s goofy expression reflected upon the mirror, sheughed and thus she walked over to him. She then kissed him on the lips while standing on the very tip of her toes. After doing so, she resumed applying her make-up.

    With inhuman speed, she packed everything she needed, gobbled up her breakfast, reapplied a freshyer of lipstick, and then departed gleefully with Qi Chenglin.

    As they made their way to the shop, Qi Chenglin could feel the overwhelming excitement emanating from Ruan Danchen. Seeing just how happy she felt, Qi Chenglin felt happy for her too.

    Upon arriving at the store, they were greeted warmly by an employee of the store.

    Qi Chenglin was first seated on a couch as condiments were served while he waited. Ruan Danchen was led into the fitting room for her to try on the wedding gown.

    The wedding gown Ruan Danchen went with had a retro design. The designer incorporated the elements of embroidery onto the design of her gown. On the top half of her gown was aplicated yet intricate embroidery in the shape of a heart as it connected to the translucent fleece on her shoulders. As the corset wrapped tightly around her body, it showcased her very stunning curves. On the inneryers of her hemlines from her waist down were fold upon folds of transparent thin silk. After some impressive tailoring, it presented an illusion of Ruan Danchen standing onyers of pure crystals.

    Even Ruan Danchen could not recognize her own reflection. No wonder a bride would bring out the best in a woman.

    All she had on was her wedding gown. Not a single thing was done to her hair and she had no make-up on yet. Merely staring at her stunning beauty was enough to bring her close to tears.

    As the staff was fixing her gown, the staff told her with a smile, ¡°The hairdresser would be styling your hair to fit the style of this gown on that day. He showed me some of his work before, I¡¯ll have you take a lookter. Those hairstyles are masterpieces if I say so myself. The way he styled the bride¡¯s hair made it seem like they were wearing a halo of flowers. Our designer had taken the hairstyle into consideration and had decided that your veil should be a unique one. She would be using a halo of flowers to connect your hair to the veil. ording to her, that halo would be specially made to look like an illusion of you, as a flower, emerging fromyers of crystals. It would be more stunning than any mediocre veils out there.¡±

    The staff noticed Ruan Danchen waspletely stunned and was unsure if she actually had heard anything she said earlier.

    However, she was used to plenty of fresh new brides reacting the same way Ruan Danchen had. Thus, she understood what was happening. She chuckled and said, ¡°Let¡¯s show the groom then.¡±

    It was only after the staff¡¯s statement that Ruan Danchen snapped from her stunned daze. Thus, both of them made their way out of the fitting room with the staff lifting the tail ends of her gown.

    Qi Chenglin had his full attention on every littlemotion in the fitting room. It was only when he was fully seated and waiting did he feel the full brunt of his unnerving anxiety. One he paid no mind to before.

    The instant Ruan Danchen walked out of the fitting room, Qi Chenglin was stunned.

    Since Ruan Danchen never paid too much attention to her nd make-up, her regr appearance was simple and natural thus, making her look like a college student. However, she made an effort to put on her best make-up for such a special asion, and paired with her white sheepskin overcoat, it made her even more stunning than usual. The only difference was the entire look she presented at this moment gave her a much more mature look.

    However, the instant she changed into her intricately embroidered designer wedding gown, a surge of a queen¡¯s elegance emanated from within her. This look stunned every man present.

    Looking at her stunning elegance, Qi Chenglin unknowingly smiled extremely widely while he made his way over to her. He proceeded to grace her beauty with a tight hug as he irresistibly kissed her lips. As the warmth of the thin lips grazed the edge of her lips, he whispered, ¡°You look absolutely stunning.¡±

    He initially assumed all she needed to do was get the official wedding certificate and she would undoubtedly belong to him. She would officially be his wife. Since he thought a marriage¡¯s officiality was determined by the possession of that certificate.

    Trivial matters, such as the wedding ceremony, was only a ceremony to him. Since his mother and Guan Liya volunteered to n the entire event, he simply allowed them to do so. He cared so little for these trivial things as long as his wife was with him, nothing else mattered.

    However, seeing how stunning and elegant Ruan Danchen looked with the wedding gown on, it seemingly reignited a dead spark in Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart as he now realized how reality had struck him¡ªshe absolutely wanted to marry him. Someone so stunning was willing to marry him.

    Hence, his felt a sudden wave of regret and guilt for not taking the whole wedding seriously. He failed to realize how excited she was for their uing wedding and how desperately she was to be a beautiful wife.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure what Qi Chenglin was thinking at the moment to have such an expression of heavy guilt. Seeing his guilt made her heart wrenched. Thus, she decided to distract his focus by asking, ¡°So am I beautiful or is the gown more beautiful than me?¡±

    Qi Chenglin waspletely infatuated as he noticed the slight twitch at the edge of her lips. Her natural luscious lips were already a product of absolute beauty, and now on top of her natural beauty, her make-up made her indescribably stunning. Unable to resist, he proceeded to kiss her upper lip. He said, ¡°This gown could only look stunning on you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled gleefully while kissing his lips. She replied, ¡°You¡¯re exceptionally talented in ttery.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not ttery that I¡¯m saying, I¡¯m beingpletely honest,¡± Qi Chenglin said while giving her waist a slight squeeze. As he lowered his head to look at the seams of the corset that was binding her body, he asked, ¡°Does it fit?¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded, as this gown that she had on her body was more stunning than what she had imagined. It was more beautiful than her conversations with the designer and what the designer had described to her.

    When the designer presented her ideas to Ruan Danchen back then, Ruan Danchen was impressed by how attentive the designer was to detail, and in her mind she imagined the wedding gown as what was described to her. However, she was worried that the truth would disappoint, but she never expected the reality of how impressively done her wedding gown waspared to her imagination.

    Ruan Danchen lifted Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm to look at the time. She said, ¡°I¡¯ll change back into my clothes and we¡¯ll head back home.¡±

    However, Qi Chenglin was reluctant to let her leave as he grabbed onto her arm. He said, ¡°Just one more look for me alright.¡±

    Taking a couple of steps back to admire her from a distance, he observed every detail from her head to toes; observing her beauty in that very gown. He let out an impressed sigh and said, ¡°I honestly can¡¯t wait to see you put this wedding gown on during our wedding day.¡±

    ¡°I also wanted to watch the look on your face as you walked down the aisle toward me,¡± Ruan Danchen whispered to Qi Chenglin as she snarkily robbed Qi Chenglin the chance of hugging her once more as she made her way back into the fitting room while lifting her gown off the ground.

    Qi Chenglin smiled at the sight of her hasty escape. She looked exactly like an elf.

    As elegant and beautiful the gown was, putting it on and taking it off was an absolute chore. After she had removed her gown and got dressed back into her original clothes, the staff proceeded to wrap up the gown for her to bring back home.

    As Ruan Danchen walked out of the fitting room, upon noticing Qi Chenglin¡¯s disappearance, the staff exined, ¡°Mr. Qi is taking a phone call at the moment.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded as the staff finished wrapping up the wedding gown. It was ced in an intricately decorated box. That box was almost as tall as a human as the staff ced it by the waiting area in front of her. Ruan Danchen proceeded to wait for Qi Chenglin¡¯s return on the couch while enjoying some condiments prepared for her by the staff.

    Before Ruan Danchen could get herself seated on the couch, the main door was pushed open as an elderly lookingdy along with someone younger walked in the store. Upon closer inspection, never had she expected it was Grandma Chang and Chang Jingqiu.

    The instant she noticed both of them, she could not believe the coincidence the universe had for her as she gobbled up the snacks while pretending she did not notice the both of them.

    ¡°Madam, Miss. Chang, this way please,¡± the staff greeted them. It was just the right amount of politeness as it did not seem too overwhelming.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to pick up some clothes,¡± said Madam Chang as she was being led into the store by Chang Jingqiu.

    She did not need any form of assistance as she was physically healthy and fit. It was enough for her to go on a trip overseas alone if she was feeling bored. However, she enjoyed the respect and kindness that her granddaughter had shown.

    ¡°It¡¯s ready. Please wait for a short moment while I send someone to get it,¡± the staff replied with a smile as she sent her colleague to get their clothes. The staff added, ¡°You both may take a look at your clothes and decide if you are fond of the design or not. If the clothes don¡¯t fit, it¡¯s not toote to make alterations. We¡¯ve seen the clothes when it was sent over here. It was absolutely stunning and we thought just how special Miss Chang must be to put this on. If it were someone else, we assume they wouldn¡¯t be able to wear such beauty. The moment Miss Chang put this on during the birthday, she would stand out as the most stunningdy in the crowd. No one would be able to rival her beauty.¡±

    ¡°Heheh, you certainly know your way in ttery,¡± Madam Chang said with a huge smile on her face as the wrinkles on her face were being clumped together. She replied, ¡°I have full faith in your store. If everything was to my satisfaction, I¡¯ll make sure I rmend your store to all my friends and family¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re too kind, Madam. I wasn¡¯t ttering anyone, I was just being honest.¡± As the staff spoke, she pointed at the direction of the waiting area and said, ¡°Please wait by the couch, we¡¯ll have condiments sent your way. Your dresses will be ready in a moment.¡±

 Chapter 419 - The Chang Family Is Nothing to Me

    <strong>Chapter 419: The Chang Family Is Nothing to Me</strong>

    Ruan Danchen sighed when she realized that her fate was sealed.

    Sure enough, Grandmother Chang was in a good mood when she entered the shop with Chang Jingqiu initially, but stopped immediately upon noticing Ruan Danchen sitting on the couch as if the thought of sitting together with Ruan Danchen would sully her identity.

    ¡°Why are you here?¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s voice became thunderous and abnormally sharp all of a sudden which was contrasting to her initial amiable attitudes.

    Ruan Danchen stood up grudgingly. She was reluctant to acknowledge their presence but refused to be disrespectful towards elders. Grandmother Chang could potentially criticize that the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw did not have any sense of courtesy if Ruan Danchen ignored both of them.

    ¡°Old Madam Chang, Miss Chang,¡± Ruan Danchen nodded and greeted lightly.

    ¡°Humph! Do you think you¡¯re worthy enough to shop here? Do you think you can shop at such a high-ss ce after bing the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw?¡± Grandmother Chang stomped her foot angrily.

    Ruan Danchen kept quiet as she feltzy to give her any response. She had no choice but to wait for Qi Chenglin to wrap up his phone call so that they could leave the ce immediately.

    If it was not that Ruan Danchen had no idea where Qi Chenglin went for the phone call and he would get worried if he returned only to find her missing, she would wait with him outside instead of facing an olddy who thinks she was right all the time despite being irrational.

    Then, Grandmother Chang yelled at the shop assistant, ¡°Since when did your shop stop being particr about the customers you serve? She can even visit your shop to buy stuff even though she isn¡¯t up to the standard. How can we visit here again if others think we belong in the same category as her? I¡¯m afraid my sisters won¡¯t visit your shop again if they knew about this.¡±

    To be honest, Grandmother Chang loathed Ruan Danchen not only because of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s initial false usations, but also due to Qi Youxuan and Chang Jianan¡¯s bickering at the amusement arcade in the mallst time. Moreover, Grandmother Chang had preconceived notions about Ruan Danchen since Chang Jingqiu had imnted a bad impression on Ruan Danchen in her brain. On top of that, Chang Jianan¡¯s unjust treatment from Ruan Danchen and her son made her feel even more disgusted at Ruan Danchen.

    If Ruan Danchen did not bear Qi Chenglin¡¯s child, there was no way she would be superior to her granddaughter in any aspect.

    Thus, Grandmother Chang firmly believed the revtion that was posted on Weibo.

    The shop assistant felt especially awkward after listening to Grandmother Chang. If the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw was not up to the standard, then who was?

    Disregarding moral quality, Ruan Danchen was far superior to Grandmother Chang in terms of identity. Moreover, Mrs. Qi did not even start defending herself and instead, Grandmother Chang was the one acting rudely the moment she saw Ruan Danchen.

    However, the shop assistant did not dare to mention these since she could not afford to offend both parties. The only thing she could do was smile and try to mediate the dispute. ¡°Old Madam, Mrs. Qi is here to take her wedding dress.¡±

    The shop assistant was trying to remind Grandmother Chang unobtrusively regarding Ruan Danchen¡¯s current identity so that she would not go too far.

    However, Grandmother Chang was used to having absolute authority at home. None of her sons or daughters-inw dared to cross her path at home and all of them would obey her everymand. Thus, Grandmother Chang could not bother with the shop assistant¡¯s reminder amidst her overwhelming hatred towards Ruan Danchen.

    The title ¡®Mrs. Qi¡¯ fuelled the fire that burned within Grandmother Chang, and the big box sitting on the table was like gasoline. She exploded with anger.

    She pointed at Ruan Danchen and yelled, ¡°Tell me, which part of you is worthy of the title ¡®Mrs. Qi¡¯? I feel ashamed for the Qi family when youe out and let others address you as Mrs. Qi! Ady without courtesy, of bad quality, and family upbringing like you would just embarrass yourself, so just don¡¯t leave your house! It¡¯s alright if you embarrass yourself, but don¡¯t bring shame to the Qi family too!¡±

    The stare Ruan Danchen gave Grandmother Chang was freezing cold. ¡°Old Madam, I didn¡¯t say a word after your arrival but you were scolding and criticizing me ever since. Let me ask you now, who¡¯s the one without courtesy and standard? We¡¯ve only met each other twice. Each family will try to get along well with others and they¡¯ll greet each other politely when they met outside. None will offend others at first nce. You do realize that you¡¯re not actually embarrassing the Qi family by yelling and howling around in public.¡±

    ¡°I know you¡¯re good at talking!¡± Grandmother Chang said as she pointed at Ruan Danchen. ¡°The news on the inte is drawing so much attention now. I wouldn¡¯t even leave the house if I were you, you shameless b*tch! You¡¯re not considering the Qi family¡¯s fame by showing off publicly instead of hiding at home and waiting for the news to subside. Have you no sense of decency? The Qi family must¡¯ve been cursed to have you in their family!¡± Grandmother Chang scolded.

    ¡°Thank you, Old Madam, for having so many worries. But this is the Qi family¡¯s issue. You just need to take good care of your health instead of worrying about other family¡¯s matters,¡± Ruan Danchen replied coldly.

    The shop assistant felt that Grandmother Chang was sticking her nose into other people¡¯s affairs too. The Qi family was not bothered about it, so how did it concern Grandmother Chang?

    Besides, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s rtionship was very stable seeing how well they get along with each other just now.

    The shop assistant quickly gestured to another shop assistant to get Chang Jingqiu¡¯s dress, to which he nodded and scurried away.

    Grandmother Chang then said unexpectedly, ¡°How can I not worried? Qi Chenglin is a good man, but how does he get tainted by ady born but not raised by her mother? How does a charming man like Qi Chenglin adore ady like you? I knew it. You must have used tricks and deceptions to get near him and made him yours by bearing his child! What an indecentdy who would do anything for money. Shameless b*tch!¡±

    Ruan Danchen squinted and her lips curled up involuntarily upon hearing Grandmother Chang¡¯spliments on Qi Chenglin. She did not expect Qi Chenglin to have such a good impression on Grandmother Chang¡¯s mind, but she could not help but wonder, perhaps Grandmother Chang had mental retardation.

    ¡°Old Madam, I respected you and treated you politely because you¡¯re an elder, but please act like one instead of simply behaving rudely and swearing arrogantly. Even a child raised in an ordinary family won¡¯t swear rudely like you did, not to mention those from renowned families. You shouldn¡¯t involve family when you¡¯re scolding me, and you don¡¯t even know much about me, so please refrain from speaking maliciously which may cause your health to deteriorate. We can pretend to be strangers if you really despise me, and I don¡¯t want to get angry too for no absolute reason. You don¡¯t have to stand right in front of me and make yourself angry too. That¡¯s your body, so I won¡¯tpensate if there¡¯s something wrong with it.¡± Ruan Danchen was obviously mocking Grandmother Chang brazenly.

    Since Grandmother Chang was being discourteous even as an elder, there was no need for Ruan Danchen to show her any kind of respect.

    ¡°You should respect me because I¡¯m an elder! You¡¯re not a kid either so why should I treat you kindly? In fact, you were mocking and cursing me instead, you uneducated b*tch! You dare to continue living with the Qi family despite all the shameful matters you did. I would pack up my stuff and get the hell out of the Qi family if I were you, for the Qi Chenglin and the Qi family¡¯s sake! You¡¯re so full of sweet talk but you actually don¡¯t want to let the Qi family go, you shameless b*tch!¡±

    Even the shop assistant frowned involuntarily upon hearing Grandmother Chang¡¯s criticism. Grandmother Chang was supposed to be a well-reputed individual. Even though academics and education were not the priority during her youth, she must have been well-educated as a daughter from an eminent family. However, her current behavior was like a shrew shouting and cursing hysterically in public, even the other shrews would be too embarrassed to curse like how Grandmother Chang did just now.

    The shop assistant¡¯s ears ached upon listening to Grandmother Chang¡¯s curses.

    ¡°I feel pity for your son too when he has a shameless mother like you. You would¡¯ve understood your son¡¯s situation since you have such a stepmother too. I believe a parent will treat his biological child dearly no matter how wicked the parent is, since there¡¯s a saying¡ªa tiger, though cruel, will not devour its cubs. You should be sensible and leave the Qi family for good for the sake of your son. Stop bothering the Qi family from now on to avoid embarrassing them and your son. Besides, your bad character has led to an unsatisfactory upbringing of your son and he¡¯s acting unreasonably now.¡± Grandmother Chang recalled the event where Qi Youxuan ¡®bullied¡¯ Chang Jianan and assumed that it was due to his mother, Ruan Danchen, who taught him to act in such a way.

    ¡°So, you really should leave as soon as possible for the sake of your son¡¯s future,¡± Grandmother Chang continued. Ruan Danchen felt Grandmother Chang¡¯s gaze on her was full of resentment for failing to meet Grandmother Chang¡¯s expectations.

    Ruan Danchen smirked and took a scornful peek at Chang Jingqiu who was supporting Grandmother Chang in fear that she may lose consciousness and sneered, ¡°And give Miss Chang a chance to rece me once I left, right?¡±

    The shop assistant understood the whole situation immediately after listening to Ruan Danchen.

    The reason why Grandmother Chang was persistent in criticizing Ruan Danchen because Miss Chang was interested in a married man!

    No wonder Grandmother Chang acted as if she bore a deep grudge against Ruan Danchen.

    This designer branded shop was so well-reputed that it was considered an upstart in the current designing world. This designer not only designed wedding dresses, he designed formal and daily outfits too. There was a steady stream of upper-ss customers who came to this shop to customize their outfits, and the shop assistants were used to this sort of issues.

    They were not particrly revered about social status like Grandmother Chang was since even the womenfolk of The Great Eight Families often visited this shop too. Thus, they were quite clear about how the upper-ss individuals socialized with each other. They would treat each other politely as a sign that they were well educated, no matter how severe the hostility behind these families¡¯ backs were. This was the first time they saw a shrew like Grandmother Chang scolding and swearing rudely in public at first sight of her enemy.

    ¡°What are you talking about? Don¡¯t even think about ndering my granddaughter!¡± Grandmother Chang yelled out of exasperation.

    These shop assistants were garrulous and smarter than chimpanzees. They were capable of deciphering the true meaning of a simple statement made by Ruan Danchen. Then, they would gossip and spread rumors around, which could potentially destroyed Chang Jingqiu¡¯s reputation. How was she supposed to meet people afterward?

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s motive was extremely execrable!

    ¡°Such devious and calctive mind, no wonder you can¡¯t get up to standard. I merely gave you a few pieces of advice and now you¡¯re mocking and setting a trap for my granddaughter. Hmph, a woman like you won¡¯t be able to raise your child well!¡± Grandmother Chang pointed at Ruan Danchen and told Chang Jingqiu, ¡°Jingqiu, a woman like her isn¡¯t worthy to even carry your shoes!¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for Old Madam to bother whether I¡¯m worthy of anything or not. The Qi family hasn¡¯t given me any cold shoulder so it¡¯s not your turn to express your dissatisfaction towards me. You might as well continue living your life happily,¡± Ruan Danchen replied coldly.

    ¡°You! What a sharp-tongueddy. I¡¯ll help the Qi family teach you some manners today!¡± Grandmother Chang raised her hand in an attempt to p Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Ouch!¡± Suddenly, Grandmother Chang¡¯s wrinkled wrist was grabbed firmly by someone just when she lifted her hand. The grip was so strong that the blood cirction in her wrist slowed, making them feel cold and numb.

    ¡°Who¡¯s there? How dare you wound an olddy like me?¡± Grandmother Chang roared at the top of her voice before her hand was flung away. Then, she saw Qi Chenglin shielding Ruan Danchen upon closer look.

    ¡°An outsider like you don¡¯t have the right to teach the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw a lesson,¡± Qi Chenglin hissed coldly and his gaze on Grandmother Chang appeared sinister and ruthless.

    Qi Chenglin was answering a phone call outside the shop just now when the shop assistant came rushing towards him anxiously. However, the shop assistant did not dare to disturb him abruptly since he was on a phone call.

    Qi Chenglin ended the phone call immediately because he knew something must have happened. When he heard from the shop assistant that Grandmother Chang started scolding Ruan Danchen without demur upon entering the shop, he rushed into the shop straight away with rage boiling deep within his system.

    He even heard Grandmother Chang¡¯s criticism, which was intolerable to the ears, when he entered the shop.

    Even though he knew Ruan Danchen could dodge the iing p that Grandmother Chang was about to deliver, the whites in his eyes turned a pure red nheless.

    He could not allow that shameless olddy to bully Ruan Danchen when he was unwilling to even give the woman of his life the slightest attitude. Without any consideration of his image, he ran forward.

    This was the first time Qi Chenglin hungered for the desire to hit a female, and she was an olddy too. He could not wait to smack the unreasonable old face off that granny.

    ¡°Grandmother Chang, mind your own attitude before you start scolding someone. You can¡¯t me others for not showing you any respect when you¡¯re the one who started behaving rudely to them. Respect is earned, not given. Don¡¯t me others for destroying your image if you don¡¯t care about it at all.¡± A cruel sneer formed on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face.

    Qi Chenglin had superb self-control and hardly anyone was able to push him over the edge.

    However, he did not mind to be harsh and mean when his rage was fuelled.

    ¡°Did your old age muddle your thoughts? What makes you think that the Chang family has any capability to scold a Madam in the Qi family?¡± Qi Chenglin peeked at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s dress which was hanging on the shop assistant¡¯s arm before shifting his cold gaze back to Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°The Chang family is nothing to me.¡±

    Qi Chenglin threw the criticism at Grandmother Chang with a t expression before holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and leaving the shop, leaving Grandmother Chang¡¯s face paled with exasperation.

    Grandmother Chang was scolded and despised, but she only dared to yell towards the door after Qi Chenglin left. ¡°Nothing? Nothing! You¡¯re the one who¡¯s nothing to me! Ridiculous, I did it for your own good! You¡¯re biting the hand that feeds you!¡±

    The rest remained silent as Grandmother Chang did not dare to scold Qi Chenglin in his presence, only to rebuke after he left.

    The shop assistant was smart enough to follow behind Qi Chenglin¡ªwho was still in a rage¡ªwith the box of wedding dress in his hands and pass it to him.

    Qi Chenglin let Ruan Danchen enter the car first while he ced the wedding dress on the back seat.

    Then, he got into the driver¡¯s seat and sat still, waiting for the rage that burned within him to extinguish before he started driving to prevent possible idents.

    Ruan Danchen nced at him, who appeared especially stern amidst his frustration. His jaws were mped tight and he was grinding his teeth. His chest moved up and down greatly even though he was not tachypneic.

    Ruan Danchen reached out for his jawline and started massaging it in an attempt to rx it.

    Qi Chenglin finally turned his head towards her and grabbed her hand which was massaging his jawline. However, he remained silent.

    Ruan Danchen sighed before moving towards him. This was the first time she took the initiative and sat on Qi Chenglin¡¯s thighs in the car.

    However, there was not much space in the front seat and she felt nervous since it was the first time she sat on his thighs. Thus, she identally hit her leg on the gear shift lever upon settling down on his legs. The pain twisted her delicate face and made her lose control, resulting in her mming directly onto his thighs.

    As a result, Qi Chenglin¡¯s face distorted due to pain, and he groaned lightly in response.

    He prioritized Ruan Danchen and asked upon seeing her distorted face, ¡°What happened? Are you hurt?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nced at her leg and started massaging it.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Feeling a little pain from just now. Did I hurt you?¡± Ruan Danchen med herself after noticing his pale expression.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin felt heartbroken, and his conscience would not allow him to lie to her.

    Ruan Danchen knew where she had hurt him, but she could not massage the area in broad daylight. It was not as if she could take the pain away after massaging it. She would just be making him suffer, right?

    Thus, Ruan Danchen sat extremely still on his thighs. After a while, Qi Chenglin exhaled and said, ¡°I¡¯m good now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen then lifted her hand and started rubbing his chin with her soft fingers after noticing that his initial stern expression had softened up. It felt rough, like sandpaper, even though he shaved just now.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry,¡± Ruan Danchen coaxed.

    Qi Chenglin sighed before leaning forward, grabbing her hands, and kissing her fingertips.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to treat that olddy politely from now on.¡± Qi Chenglin narrowed his eyes after recalling her presumptuous criticisms and started nning his revenge to make Grandmother Chang regret what she had done.

    ¡°Okay, I got it.¡± Ruan Danchen leaned forward and kissed his spiky chin. Then, seeing that there was a lip print nted on his chin, she realized that she had put on a full face of makeup and was wearing a bright-colored lipstick.

    His initial cold expression, which radiated abstinence, suddenly had a tinge of debauchery with that lip print on his chin. This was the first time Ruan Danchen noticed this and without a doubt, it was a rare sight.

    However, Qi Chenglin had no clue that Ruan Danchen¡¯s train of thoughts had gone down the wrong railway. He stared at her doubtfully, which made him look innocent and somehow appear dorky and adorable too.

    Ruan Danchen could not help but nce at the crown of his head to check if there was any ahoge sprouting from it.

    Of course the answer was no, but Ruan Danchen took out her phone nheless and quickly snapped a picture of Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was dumbfounded.

    Then, Ruan Danchen wiped the lip print on his chin away before putting on a sweet smile. ¡°Don¡¯t be angry. It¡¯s not worth it to feel frustrated because of that unreasonable olddy.¡±

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m not angry now.¡± Qi Chenglin patted her back gently to make her feel secure, but he had a cold and sinister look on his curled up lips which made Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart skip a beat.

    It was supposed to be a joyful day to bring his wife to try on her wedding dress. Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart bloomed with joy when he gazed admiringly at his beautiful wife in the wedding dress, and felt that his day was getting better just like the clear blue sky. However, he did not expect Grandmother Chang to intervene and disrupt his good day just like that.

    ¡°She disrupted my good mood today, so I¡¯ll return the debt to her whole family soon enough.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone sounded sinister even though it remained mellow and deep as usual.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    Ruan Danchen was unsure what sort of evil schemes he had in mind but she lit a candle to sympathize with the Chang family for what was going to happen to them soon.

    Ruan Danchen noticed that he had regained his cool, thus she attempted to shift back to the passenger seat. However, Qi Chenglin stopped her attempt by hugging her tightly.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re here now, don¡¯t you want to kiss me before you return?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and asked. His raging fire was extinguished by Ruan Danchen¡¯s kiss on his chin just now, so what was left in his heart now was softness and gentleness for his wife.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I kiss you just now?¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. She leaned forward nheless and nted a kiss on his lips. When their lips parted ways, a glittering red stain was left on his lips from her lipstick.

    He was born with fair skin and now his lips were bright red, which added a sense of seduction in his usual cold expression. Ruan Danchen immediately thought of the phrase ¡®

    Red lips with white teeth just like Pan An

    ¡®. This proverb described a handsome man in the old times, which also suited Qi Chenglin¡¯s current appearance now, right?

    Nowadays, there would be a male supporting actor who was almost as beautiful as a woman in every novel-inspired television series. However, these male supporting actors did not appear appealing to Ruan Danchen no matter how they put on their makeup.

    Now, the more she stared at her husband, the more satisfied she felt. He normally had a temperament of a leading male actor, but now with a bright red color on his thin lips, he became a beauty who could bring cmity to a country.

    This is a Chinese proverb ¡°´½ºì³Ý°×,Ã²ËÆÅË°²¡±. Pan Yue, also known as Pan An, a famous litterateur in Jin Dynasty, might be the most famous handsome man in China. His reputation spread so widely that people used ¡°look like Pan An (Ã²ÈôÅË°²)¡± as apliment.

 Chapter 420 - The Ignorant Will Think That Youâ€™re My Big Brotherâ€™s Second Wife

    <strong>Chapter 420: The Ignorant Will Think That You¡¯re My Big Brother¡¯s Second Wife</strong>

    Ruan Danchen sped her palms on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face in the spur of the moment, which stunned Qi Chenglin as he had no idea what she was going to do next. Ruan Danchen was fighting her urge tough as she felt her man tends to be dorky and adorable sometimes.

    Ruan Danchen could not resist the smile on her face and her big, round eyes shined brightly¡ªit was very gratifying. Her naughty attitude made Qi Chenglin felt like she was only seventeen years old instead of twenty-seven years old. Then, her lips pressed against his, rubbing repeatedly on it until all the lipstick color shifted onto his lips before parting ways.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s mind became muddled and his grip on her waist loosened, so Ruan Danchen seized the opportunity and slipped back onto the passenger seat quickly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin stared quietly at Ruan Danchen¡¯scency. Then, he lowered the sun visor grudgingly and sighed heavily upon noticing his bright red lips through the mirror in the visor.

    He pushed the sun visor back to its original position and red at Ruan Danchen. He immediately felt ufortable when Ruan Danchen remained insensible and stared back at him with a gleam in her eyes¡ªas if he was some sort of beauty.

    Qi Chenglin pressed forward and mmed his lips onto hers which nearly knocked all wind out from her lungs, only to part ways with her lips with great satisfaction after her lips swelled and all the lipsticks were gone. Her initial gleaming eyes looked nk and blurry now.

    He returned to his seat and started driving, licking his lips from time to time until all the lipstick disappeared.

    Ruan Danchen had nothing to do so she took her phone out and started admiring the picture she snapped just now.

    Qi Chenglin noticed her stoked appearance and asked out of curiosity, ¡°What are you looking at?¡±

    Then, he stopped his car before the traffic light.

    Ruan Danchen turned her phone¡¯s screen toward him and said, ¡°You look so good... and especially flirtatious.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless.

    He red fiercely at Ruan Danchen and reached out to pinch her waist. Was that how she was supposed toment on her husband?

    Qi Chenglin immediately reached out to her phone in an attempt to take a closer look, but Ruan Danchen knew him too well. She withdrew her hand quickly so that he could not snatch her phone.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it for you to take a look. Don¡¯t even think about deleting the picture because you look really good in it,¡± Ruan Danchen pouted slightly and plead coquettishly.

    Qi Chenglin felt helpless as he could not snatch her phone. He took a final nce at the picture before shifting it back onto the road and started driving as the traffic light had coincidentally turned green.

    Then, he turned his head suddenly and warned with a t expression, ¡°Don¡¯t show it to others.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m unwilling to share your private appearance with others too. You¡¯re attractive enough already. It¡¯ll be troublesome if any youngdy witnessed your seductive look.¡± Ruan Danchen protected her phone like it was a precious treasure and smiled as she nced on the screen again.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin did not know how to respond to her now, feeling as though he was whipped and then fed with honey dates. However, he felt happy after being coaxed so he could not help but curl his lips up involuntarily.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin nced at the mirror again upon arriving at the old mansion. Once he ensured that all the lipstick had disappeared and was unnoticeable, he exited the car with Ruan Danchen.

    Then, he informed Grandmother Qi regarding the events that took ce during the wedding dress retrieval¡ªeverything from meeting Grandmother Chang to Ruan Danchen scolded by her¡ªwithout hesitation.

    ¡°Cursing and swearing to my granddaughter-inw? Who the hell does she think she is?¡± Grandmother Qi became exasperated and mmed heavily onto the coffee table until all the teacups on it shook violently.

    Grandfather Qi was reaching out to one of the teacups and he did not expect Grandmother Qi to m the coffee table so suddenly. His hand trembled from the sudden shock and he nearly spilled the tea in the teacup he was holding.

    ¡°Why are you still acting so immaturely at such an old age?¡± Grandfather Qi peeked at Grandmother Qi andined before taking a sip from the teacup.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. We can¡¯t let that olddy live happily,¡± Grandmother Qi hissed through gritted teeth.

    Qi Chenglin nodded. ¡°Grandma, leave this to us. Once I have your word, I¡¯ll make ns without holding back.¡±

    ¡°Do what you want and let me know if you need anything. Danchen is my granddaughter-inw, and yet Grandmother Chang scolded her. She has no respect for the Qi family!¡± Grandmother Qi said without much concern.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin dragged Qi Chengzhi away without hesitation.

    The duo went into the study room to discuss the Qi family¡¯s sweet revenge on Grandmother Chang.

    Song Yu took Little Youjin, who had his diapers changed after passing motion, out to the living room. Little Youjin had learned to roll over at his current age¡ªa little more than three months old¡ªand ording to Grandmother Qi, he would giggle when he was staring at people too.

    The adults could not assume that babies were ignorant just because of their age. They could actually understand what the adults were talking about and could remember those who were always by their side.

    A wide grin broke across Little Youjin¡¯s face when he saw Ruan Danchen in the house. His round and fair face with chubby and pinkish cheeks made him look exactly like a pink dango, and the grin on his face made him appear incredibly adorable and elegant.

    Song Yu carried Little Youjin and sat beside Ruan Danchen when she noticed both Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were nowhere to be seen. Then, Little Youjin reached out to Ruan Danchen and cooed as he was unable to talk just yet. His voice was so soft and tender that it instantly melted Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart.

    Ruan Danchen immediately grabbed Little Youjin¡¯s fair and chubby arms lightly, which appeared especially cute when they were sectioned like lotus rhizomes.

    Come to think of it, Guan Liya was not lying to Qi Youxuan when she said all the children in the Qi family were chubby at a young age.

    Fairly speaking, Little Youjin was not considered fat. He looked more like a pink dango.

    ¡°Youjin, auntie is here. Call me auntie... Auntie....¡± Ruan Danchen teased Little Youjin yfully with a smile on her face.

    Even though Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin had not registered for their marriage at the time when Little Youjin was born, the Qi family had already treated her as Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife-to-be.

    Grandmother Qi carried Little Youjin and introduced everyone in the Qi family to him while Song Yu was in confinement, disregarding whether the newborn could understand or remember every statement or face.

    When it was Ruan Danchen¡¯s turn, Grandmother Qi introduced her directly. ¡°Jinjin, this is your aunt.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face went as red as a beetroot right on the spot. She was not officially married to Qi Chenglin yet and felt it was inappropriate for Little Youjin to address her that way.

    Even so, Ruan Danchen was used to it now after she was addressed as Little Youjin¡¯s aunt repeatedly. It was for the best not to be pretentious since the Qi family had epted her and she only wanted to marry Qi Chenglin for the rest of her life.

    However, Ruan Danchen disliked the term ¡®Aunt¡¯ at that time as the title would make her feel old. Thus, she suggested Little Youjin to address her as little mother.

    Then, Qi Chenglin red at her in disagreement. ¡°The ignorant will think that you¡¯re my big brother¡¯s second wife if Youjin continues calling you his little mother.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen and the rest of the Qi family were dumbfounded.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen had no choice but to ept the title ¡®Aunt¡¯.

    Ruan Danchen was just trying to tease Little Youjin as he could not greet her just yet. She squeezed Little Youjin¡¯s soft and chubby arms gently which made him giggle in response.

    ¡°Oh? Is he teething?¡± Ruan Danchen noticed a white spot at the bottom of his gum where the central incisors were supposed to grow. It was difficult to spot without careful observation.

    ¡°Yes, it appears that his tooth is emerging soon.¡± Song Yu smiled and poked yfully at her son¡¯s nose with her index finger.

    ¡°This kid is teething much earlier than the rest,¡± Grandmother Qi felt a great sense of satisfaction at her great-grandson and said happily.

    Even though Ruan Danchen gave birth to Qi Youxuan too, she had no idea when was the appropriate age for teething since he was taken away by the Shen family before she could even take a look at her newborn child.

    Song Yu replied with a smile, ¡°I asked in a mother¡¯s forum before. They said teething process starts as early as four months old but they cane in aste as one year old too.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, then our Youjin¡¯s teething process started much younger than average,¡± Ruan Danchen was surprised. She could not help but feel a little disappointed as she was clueless when Qi Youxuan started his teething process.

    ¡°Of course, that¡¯s my son you¡¯re talking about,¡± Qi Chengzhi said suddenly.

    Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin were done conspiring and heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s surprising statement upon exiting the study room. Qi Chengzhi then stood up tall and proud as he walked toward them and carried Little Youjin in his arms.

    Little Youjin was not sleepy now due to adequate rest. When he noticed both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen there, he blinked with his big, round eyes repeatedly and his pink dango-ish head rotated persistently as if searching for something.

    He did not find what he was searching for after a while, so he shifted his gaze back with disappointment while waving his arms frantically in the air. His fingers contracted and extended helplessly as he could not control them well enough.

    ¡°What¡¯s he looking for?¡± Xia Wenna noticed her grandson¡¯s reaction and asked. Even though his actions appeared dorky and adorable, his inability to articte at his current age caused confusion to the rest of the family.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s looking for Youxuan?¡± Song Yu replied with a smile.

    The Qi family would hold a gathering every weekend and this habit had been going on for quite some time. Thus, Little Youjin would remember each member of the Qi family, and even though he could not speak yet, he would babble whenever he saw anyone of them, which was very gratifying.

    ¡°He remembered that Youxuan will always follow whenever Chenglin and Danchene over. Maybe he felt disappointed when he couldn¡¯t find Youxuan anywhere,¡± Song Yu helped her son exin happily.

    The crowd looked at Little Youjin again and there he was, staring curiously at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen at the moment.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect Little Youjin to be so smart. She held his hand lovingly and said, ¡°Big brother went to participate in social activities so he couldn¡¯te this week, but he¡¯ll be here next week to check on you.¡±

    She was unsure if Little Youjin understood her as his big, round eyes remained on Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. However, a grin broke across his face, revealing the white spot in his gums.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen had no clue what sort of conspiracy Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi had nned for the Chang family, but she would find out soon enough.

    It was Sunday when they finally woke up at approximately ten o¡¯clock in the morning after having a lie-in. Since there was nothing for them to do, Ruan Danchen purposely made an especially rich brunch.

    Qi Chenglin was munching through the food and said suddenly as if he recalled something important, ¡°Dress up nicelyter. I¡¯ll bring you to a ce this evening.¡±

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± Ruan Danchen asked simply.

    ¡°Dynasty,¡± Qi Chenglin answered without any attempts to exin further.

    However, Ruan Danchen would not give up easily and asked again, ¡°What are we going to do at Dynasty? Is there a gathering?¡±

    Qi Chenglin gulped down a crystal shrimp dumpling and answered, ¡°Something like that.¡±

    Ruan Danchen noticed a striking beam sh past his eyes. They appeared sinister and hence raised her curiosity. Why was he taking her to Dynasty for?

    However, he had an ¡®I would not exin any further¡¯ look on his face, so Ruan Danchen did not bother questioning him anymore since he would not put her in harm¡¯s way anyway.

    At around three o¡¯clock in the afternoon, Qi Chenglin went to answer a phone call. Even though he answered the call openly in her presence, he acted mysteriously and all Ruan Danchen could hear was, ¡°Alright. Everything¡¯s prepared? Understood¡±, along with some unclear statements. She could not make out anything from that phone call.

    Qi Chenglin hung up the phone call before urging Ruan Danchen to get dressed and reminded again, ¡°Remember to dress up and make yourself more beautiful than usual.¡±

    Ruan Danchen walked up the stairs curiously. Then, she stopped halfway, turned around, and asked, ¡°How beautiful should I get?¡±

    ¡°Astonishingly beautiful! The kind of beauty that drives others crazy!¡± Qi Chenglin answered firmly.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    How was she going to do her makeup when she was not born with the kind of beauty that could drive people crazy?

    However, she tried her very best to put on her makeup beautifully.

    It was March and the weather was not as cold as before, so Ruan Danchen wore a deep blue colored cape coat with a pair of ck leather pants and a pair of stiletto ankle boots. Since her outfit was dark, she decided to put on bright makeup.

    Her final appearance gave Qi Chenglin quite a shock when she exited the bedroom.

    He initially thought that Ruan Danchen radiated the aura of a queen because of the wedding dress yesterday, but he did not expect her to maintain the temperament of a queen with this outfit and bright makeup. Well, obviously her personality was not like that.

    Ruan Danchen looked like a youngdy who was ignorant of worldly affairs when she put on light makeup, but she radiated an invisible aura when she put on bright or heavier makeup. Qi Chenglin could not help but catch his breath at this sort of extreme contrasting features which were especially enchanting as he did not expect his wife to have such ability.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen noticed his stunned expression and asked with uncertainty, ¡°How do I look? Beautiful enough?¡±

    ¡°Stunningly gorgeous. Very suitable for tonight¡¯s asion,¡± Qi Chenglin wrapped his arms around her and nted a kiss on the corner of her lips to avoid destroying her lipstick. However, he could not contain his urge and licked her lips silently anyway.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to look so stunning in this makeup. You¡¯ll bring cmity to a country with such beauty.¡± Ruan Danchen red at Qi Chenglin who smiled faintly at her, but the re she gave was so attractive that he nted another kiss on the corner of her eye again.

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ruan Danchen blushed. She was well aware of her own appearance and it was definitely not as exaggerated as Qi Chenglin imed to be.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s gaze made his heart throb uncontrobly. He did not want to damage her lipstick but he could not fight the urge to kiss her and ended up licking all the lipstick that was on her lips.

    Ruan Danchen red at him before taking the lipstick out of her bag. Just as she stared at the mirror and wanted to reapply the lipstick, Qi Chenglin took her lipstick away and suggested seriously, ¡°I¡¯ll help you with it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s gaze on Qi Chenglin was full of distrust. ¡°Do you know how to do it?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just applying color to your lips, right?¡± Qi Chenglin had the ¡®This was an easy task¡¯ look on his face while answering confidently. He insisted that Ruan Danchen sit on the sofa so that he could start applying the lipstick on her lips.

    The only feeling Ruan Danchen experienced then was anxiety. Even though this man had the delicate hands of an artist¡ªas though he was born to perform delicate work¡ªhe was still a man. He would still be too careless for such a delicate task.

    She would contract her lips tightly when she started to feel nervous.

    ¡°Rx, or else don¡¯t me me if anything goes wrong,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen red at him before slowly rxing, but he took almost twenty minutes toplete the job.

    Then, he returned the lipstick to Ruan Danchen and said proudly, ¡°Go and have a look. I think I did a great job for a first-timer.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was shocked after listening to Qi Chenglin. It was obvious that Qi Chenglin realized that his work was not as good as intended despite the previous confidence and thus mentioned this statement as a cover-up to protect his dignity.

    Ruan Danchen hurried to the washroom on the first floor, and when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she felt speechless.

    Then, she took out a piece of tissue paper silently to wipe the lipstick away before applying some foundation around her lips and reapplying lipstick again. After all that was done, she exited the washroom.

    She raised her eyebrows and peeked at Qi Chenglin, who cleared his throat and stood proudly as if nothing had happened. Then, he held her hands and left the house together.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen peeked at the man who feignedposure, thinking that he really cared about his own dignity.

    ...

    ...

    It was half past five o¡¯clock in the evening when Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived at Dynasty.

    Qi Chenglin helped her out of the car and she took a nce at the parking lot. Some of the cars appeared familiar and Yan Beicheng¡¯s Grand Cherokee was the most obvious car among all.

    Qi Chenglin brought her into Dynasty before she could ask anything and nodded politely at the manager before entering his private dining room directly.

    Yan Beicheng, Chu Zhaoyang, Han Zhuoli, Gui Zhiqian, and Wei Ziqi were munching through the light refreshments and drinking tea around the table when they opened the door.

    Yan Beicheng gargled with tea after taking a few bites of the

    suncake

    which he broke into pieces.

    Qi Chenglin entered the room and asked directly without any attempt in greeting them, ¡°What¡¯s the situation now?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, no one dared to attend after Qi Chengzhi and you called them personally,¡± Yan Beicheng threw the suncake away and poured some tea for Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen personally.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on actually?¡± Ruan Danchen was dying to know what these men were doing.

    Yan Beicheng smiled and remained silent. Qi Chenglin was the representative of the Qi family and thus Qi Chengzhi was absent today, and they would not dare to smoke cigarettes whenever Qi Chengzhi was present.

    Yan Beicheng took out a cigarette unconsciously since Qi Chengzhi was not here, but before he could put it into his mouth, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Best not to smoke when ady is present.¡±

    Yan Beicheng almost choked and started gritting his teeth. These two brothers of the Qi family were absolute fanatics of their wives!

    Even so, he kept the cigarette away through gritted teeth but he felt slightly at ease upon noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s embarrassment.

    ¡°Today¡¯s Chang Jingqiu¡¯s birthday and the Chang family had set up a small banquet here,¡± Qi Chenglin turned to Ruan Danchen and exined. His initial furrowed brows when he was facing Yan Beicheng rxed immediately upon looking at Ruan Danchen.

    Yan Beicheng rolled his eyes and grumbled regarding Qi Chenglin¡¯s obvious differential treatments between him and Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen raised her eyebrows and asked, ¡°You¡¯re here to wreak havoc?¡±

    ¡°Little Sister Ruan understands Qi Chenglin really well. Chang Jingqiu¡¯s birthday isn¡¯t usually important, but her reputation was damaged after what had happened at Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquetst time. Thus, Grandmother Chang wanted to use this opportunity to make her birthday celebration grander and introduce her to talented young men within the social circle,¡± Han Zhuoli said while cracking and munching through the spiced sunflower seeds.

    ¡°The guests tonight won¡¯t be of any importance since it¡¯s just a junior¡¯s birthday banquet. The Great Eight Families had already rejected their invitation whereas those who epted were ordinary families, and the guests consist mainly of families with unmarried children whose parents mighte along too as a token of respect. However¡ª¡± Han Zhuoli took a sip of tea and admired its fragrance with the tip of his tongue before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m afraid Miss Chang will be greatly disappointed today.¡±

    ¡°Why is that?¡± Ruan Danchen asked out of curiosity.

    Ruan Danchen did not mind taking revenge on Grandmother Chang, whose behavior was considered psychotic, for the sake of her future. She did not want to get scolded or criticized by Grandmother Chang again if they met in the future. She could pretend that Grandmother Chang was a rabid dog who barked unreasonably, but her mood would get affected to some extent if that really happened.

    Ruan Danchen did not bother about how Qi Chenglin was getting his revenge on the Chang family and to what extent. She knew that he had a sense of propriety.

    There was no need for her to reject her man¡¯s loving consideration since he was just trying to protect the woman of his life. It was not worth it for her to make her man unhappy for a person she disliked.

    Her man¡¯s happiness was far more important than any unjust treatment others received, no matter the severity.

    ¡°Wait a while more and I¡¯ll bring you along for a show. Are you hungry?¡± Qi Chenglin stroked her hair gently.

    They were famished since they woke up prettyte in the morning and naturally, they had brunch instead of lunch.

    Qi Chenglin ordered some dishes and enjoyed the food with his gang without rushing.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Jingqiu appeared especially beautiful after dressing up today. The unhappy encounter in the shop yesterday did not conceal her satisfaction toward her dress. She felt exceptionally confident today as the dress entuated her fair skin and toned body, which made her look like a morous princess.

    Even though The Great Eight Families were absent, the rest of the families epted the invitation as a token of respect because the Chang family had quite a reputation too. There were not as many guestspared to Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquetst time, but those families would send a few representatives too to show their respects.

    Chang Jingqiu made up her mind to rebuild her reputation since the Qi family would be absent today.

    As a protagonist of today¡¯s event, Chang Jingqiu remained in her room and would go out after most of the guests had arrived.

    However, it was half-past six o¡¯clock in the evening and yet no one came to usher her out. Chang Jingqiu frowned and asked her cousin, Chang Jingwan, who was responsible for apanying her, ¡°None of the guests arrived? Why haven¡¯t they inform me to go out yet?¡±

    Someone was supposed to inform her to go out when more than half of the guests arrived.

    Chang Jingwan frowned and said, ¡°Wait here. I¡¯ll check it out.¡±

    Chang Jingwan saw an exasperated Grandmother Chang and her parents, Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin, with worried frowns when she arrived at the banquet hall.

    ¡°Grandma, Dad, Mom, none of the guests arrived yet?¡± Chang Jingwan asked in surprise.

    It was not as hectic as one would imagine for a birthday celebration. There was no one else other than the members of the Chang family and a few waiters in the banquet hall.

    ¡°What the hell is going on? The invitation card clearly stated that the banquet starts at six twenty-eight, and it¡¯s half-past six now. Where are the guests?¡± Grandmother Chang eximed.

    Normally the guests were particr about punctuality. They would not arrive too early but would usually show up five to six minutes before the actual starting time. The Chang family had set the starting time at eighteen twenty-eight to indicate good luck in the invitation cards, and yet none of the guests arrived even though it was way past the designated starting time.

    ¡°You know the traffic conditions here. The traffic congestion is terrible at this time. Let me make some phone calls and ask around.¡± Chang Zhiyuan had no choice but to cate Grandmother Chang.

    It would usually be embarrassing to call the guests and ask why they had not arrived yet, but Chang Zhiyuan had no choice because of Grandmother Chang¡¯s anger. Plus, it felt like there was something fishy going on.

    Some of the guests may bete due to unforeseen circumstances, but all of them?

    ¡°What phone calls? Do you think it¡¯s not embarrassing enough?¡± Grandmother Chang yelled angrily.

    Mo Yuxin was fed up with Grandmother Chang venting to her anger by yelling at Chang Zhiyuan, but she fought the urge to retaliate.

    Chang Zhiyuan asked, ¡°Then wait for a while more?¡±

    Grandmother Chang was not particrly pleased and hissed through gritted teeth, ¡°Wait a little longer. You can make the phone calls if no guests show up yet.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan could not disagree with Grandmother Chang¡¯s instruction. Chang Jingwan then called Chang Jingqiu to tell her to stay put as the guests had not arrived yet due to unforeseen circumstances.

    ¡°None arrived?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression paled.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was unsure how to respond to her.

    ¡°What sort of circumstances can all of them get caught in?¡± Chang Jingqiu stood up abruptly out of exasperation and nced at her reflection in the mirror. She looked especially beautiful today and yet nobody showed up to witness her mour.

    ¡°Sister, don¡¯t worry. Just wait a little longer,¡± Chang Jingwan said.

    Chang Jingqiu hung up on Chang Jingwan and for some reason, she immediately recalled Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze on them before they left the shop yesterday.

    None of the guests showed up after waiting for twenty minutes. Grandmother Chang could no longer contain her anger and yelled, ¡°Zhiyuan, call them!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan could not disobey hermand and started making phone calls with a long face.

    ¡°Director Zhu, haha. It¡¯s me, Lao Chang. Where are you now?¡± Chang Zhiyuan called one of his contacts and asked.

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Business trip? Oh, no wonder.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Nothing, we just have no idea that Director Zhu couldn¡¯t attend today.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You went there at thest minute. I can understand since it¡¯s an emergency.¡±

    Director Zhu said that he would apologize by treating him a meal before hanging up the call but Chang Zhiyuan knew he was just being polite.

    ...

    ¡°Director Cheng, it¡¯s me, Zhiyuan. Oh, your wife is unwell? Alright, I understand.¡±

    ...

    ¡°Director Wang, you can¡¯t attend tonight? Your son had to entertain customers tonight? Alright.¡±

    ...

    The Chang family had invited a lot of guests tonight so it was impossible for Chang Zhiyuan to call every one of them. He had made more than ten phone calls and all of them gave almost simr excuses for not being able to attend the banquet, but Chang Zhiyuan knew better. No one was going to attend the birthday banquet tonight.

    All of them seemed to have decided not to attend the banquet together. He just did not understand who had such power to let them take risks to offend the Chang family in such a way.

    ¡°Grandma, what¡¯s going on? Did the guests show up?¡± Chang Jingqiu noticed Chang Jingwan did not return to the room or inform her of the situation, so she felt too impatient and left the room straight away.

    Beautiful decorations adorned the tables with numerous delicate pastries on the dessert tables. Chocte fondue, macaron, and various kinds of traditional desserts were ced in exquisite tes, but the irony was that there were no guests to enjoy such delectable desserts in the empty banquet hall.

    Chang Zhiyuan was on the final phone call at the moment. He had decided not to make any more phone calls as the embarrassment was too much for him to handle even though the other parties in each phone call were acting politely and apologetically.

    This time, Chang Zhiyuan called a close friend of his, because by right, he would not bail on him no matter what happened.

    ¡°Lao Chang, I would give you my full support because we¡¯re friends for so long, but... sigh... How many people went today?¡± Lao Ye said grudgingly.

    Chang Zhiyuan realized that he must have known what happened so he answered truthfully, ¡°None. Lao Ye, you know something, right? We¡¯re friends for so long and I trust you. Something must¡¯ve happened and your absence became inevitable. I don¡¯t me you but you must tell me the reason.¡±

    Lao Ye let out a heavy sigh. He figured those gentlemen would not mind him exining the whole situation to Chang Zhiyuan. In fact, they might even want the Chang family to know the whole truth.

    ¡°This is what happened. Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin called us personally yesterday and said whoever attended your birthday banquet today would be a sign of disrespect to the Qi family. Who dared to offend the Qi family? Immediately after they hung up, Yan Beicheng, Han Zhuoli, Gui Zhiqian, and Wei Ziqi¡¯s phone calls followed and their instructions were simr. I don¡¯t mind taking the risk and attend the banquet stealthily if it¡¯s just the Qi family alone. I just need to be careful and not let them know about it. But I lost my courage after all of them called me. My family can¡¯t handle the rage from The Great Eight Families,¡± Lao Ye exined.

    ¡°If they called me personally, I think they called others too with the same instructions.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan felt gloomy and helpless after hearing from Lao Ye. The Great Eight Families were not bullying Lao Ye. It was obvious that they were going against the Chang family now.

    ¡°Lao Chang, did you offend any of them? If not, why would they go up against you together?¡± Lao Ye asked. It was more than enough to offend one of The Great Eight Families, but all of them? The Chang family would be doomed.

    Chang Zhiyuan frowned too. Qi Chenglin had promised not to take revenge on the Chang family for the event that took ce at Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquetst time. He believed Qi Chenglin would not break his promises.

    Otherwise, they did not offend anyone else from The Great Eight Families.

    Lao Ye recalled what had happened during Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquet too. Anyone would feel frustrated at Grandmother Chang¡¯s unreasonable act, not to mention the Qi family too.

    However, the Qi family did not take revenge after so long and everyone praised them for their high virtue. Why did they retaliate now?

    Was it possible that the Qi family chose the moment the Chang family nned a grand asion to take their sweet revenge on purpose?

    ¡°We¡¯ve been extremely careful after what happened during my mother¡¯s birthday banquetst time and certainly didn¡¯t offend the Qi family afterward. Is it possible that the Qi family bear grudges until now? Now I understand what happened. When I called the others just now, they simply gave me some perfunctory excuse instead of telling me the truth, so thank you for being honest with me.¡± Chang Zhiyuan sighed, feeling clueless.

    ¡°Hey, just don¡¯t me me for my absence. I¡¯ll visit and apologize to Grandmother Chang personally next time,¡± Lao Ye said honestly.

    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. I understand your concern,¡± Chang Zhiyuan replied.

    The duo chatted for a while more before hanging up the call.

    ¡°Mom, there¡¯s no need to wait anymore. Qi Chenglin, Qi Chengzhi, Yan Beicheng, Han Zhuoli, Gui Zhiqian, and Wei Ziqi threatened the guests we invited so none of them dared to show up. We¡¯ll be alone today,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said with disappointment.

    ¡°Why? Who do they think they are? It¡¯s my granddaughter¡¯s birthday today and she purposely dressed up gorgeously so that I can introduce her tonight! Who do they think they are to destroy Jingqiu¡¯s birthday celebration? My granddaughter¡¯s birthday is none of their business, so why do they have to destroy it on purpose?¡± Grandmother Chang was exasperated and her cloudy eyes were flushed red due to indignance.

    Chang Jingqiu was traumatized, her face white as chalk. The energy was drained from her limbs as she stumbled backward. She looked forward to this day so that those young, talented men would be able to witness her glory. She wanted to immerse herself in the sea of admiration even though she may not be interested in any one of them.

    She desperately wanted to restore her reputation which was stained by Guan Liya at Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday banquetst time.

    ¡°Mom, I apologized to Qi Chenglin and his parents personally about what happened on your birthday banquetst time. They promised not to hold us ountable¡ª¡±

    Grandmother Chang interrupted before he could finish his sentence. ¡°What? Why did you apologize to them when we weren¡¯t in the wrong? Why did you embarrass yourself?¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s voice was so high-pitched that it pierced the eardrums, causing pain.

    ¡°The Chang family has always been dignified but look at you, apologizing to them in a servile manner. You¡¯re an absolute embarrassment to the Chang family! You¡¯re a man, why do you want to be submissive to a young man? How am I supposed to let you take over the Chang family if you¡¯re acting in a servile manner as the head of the family? Chang Zhiyuan, we were not in the wrong, so tell me, why did you represent the Chang family and apologize to them? Don¡¯t drag the Chang family in this if you want to be the Qi family¡¯s dog!¡± Grandmother Chang pointed her finger at Chang Zhiyuan and eximed.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Chang Zhiyuan did not expect Grandmother Chang¡¯s words to be so harsh toward him. He gave Grandmother Chang love and respect at normal times, tolerating her whenever possible, but it did not mean that he would tolerate Grandmother Chang¡¯s harsh reprimand in this sort of asion where the waiters from Dynasty were present.

    The waiters in Dynasty knew their presence was inappropriate in this situation so they left the banquet hall to give some privacy to the Chang family.

    ¡°You were wrongst time! The adults have to tighten the reins on their kids. It doesn¡¯t matter who¡¯s in the wrong when the kids fight, but you certainly don¡¯t scold the other party in front of the crowd. Besides, it¡¯s Nannan¡¯s fault. He¡¯s bing unruly because of your excessive pampering. Spare the rod and spoil the child!¡± Chang Zhiyuan scolded angrily. He was loving and respectful toward his own mother and tolerated her as much as possible, but his rage had reached the end of his forbearance at Grandmother Chang¡¯s unreasonable thoughts. Thus, he made himself clear that day.

    Suncake or Ì«Ñô±ý: Is a type of pastry that has a ky exterior and is filled with sweet maltose filling. It is usually enjoyed with Chinese tea.

 Chapter 421 - Whoever Makes My Wife Angry Will Feel My Wrath Immediately

    <h4>Chapter 421: Whoever Makes My Wife Angry Will Feel My Wrath Immediately</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Zhixing and his wife¡¯s expressions darkened as they were not pleased to hear Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s reprimand on their son, but they did not protest in this sort of situation.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know how huge the difference is between the Qi and the Chang family? What makes you think the Chang family can confront the Qi family? The confrontation only puts the Chang family at a disadvantage. Take a look at what happened today¡ªno one dared to show up. Don¡¯t you understand? Everyone will treat the Qi family politely when they meet each other, but look at you, pointing fingers and scolding them as you please. Do you think the Qi family can tolerate it? I went to apologize so that they wouldn¡¯t take revenge on us and prevent situations like what happened today from happening,¡± Chang Zhiyuan rebuked as he was flustered and exasperated at Grandmother Chang¡¯s attitude.

    ¡°Mom! The Chang family isn¡¯t the king in this capital. There are a lot more families who are far superior to us, and the Qi family is certainly one of them. You can¡¯t be so aggressive towards anyone you meet because not everyone will tolerate your defiance,¡± Chang Zhiyuan felt helpless as he advised angrily.

    Grandmother Chang was not an idiot even though she always got angry and the rage would consume her logical thinking every single time. To be honest, she would feel regret whenever she vented her anger, but her pride prevented her from admitting her mistake.

    She was fully aware that Chang Zhiyuan was right, but she was unwilling to ept his lessons, so she said brazenly, ¡°Chang Zhiyuan, do you still know who am I? I¡¯m your mother! Is that how you speak to your mother? You unfilial son!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed and said grudgingly, ¡°Mom, tell me the truth. Did you provoke the Qi family again afterward?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± Grandmother Chang answered. However, she retracted her neck unconsciously and her tone was not as tough and firm as before, appearing as if she had a guilty conscience.

    Chang Zhiyuan noticed it and immediately knew that she was lying.

    ¡°Mom, when did you provoke the Qi family again?¡± Chang Zhiyuan asked angrily and grudgingly.

    Grandmother Chang should not have the chance to meet Qi Chenglin privately unless there were some business issues to deal with.

    Grandmother Chang realized that it was impossible to cover it up, so she truthfully said, ¡°We saw Ruan Danchen taking her wedding dress in the shop while I brought Jingqiu to take her dress yesterday. She created such a huge scandal and yet she showed up casually in public instead of hiding at home. Her actions are a total disgrace to the Qi family. Was there something wrong with the Qi family? Why would they ept a woman who wasn¡¯t even up to their standard? I felt that she was unworthy of the Qi family so I... gave her some advice. Who would expect her to reject my kind advice?¡±

    However, Chang Zhiyuan knew his mother too well. It was impossible for Grandmother Chang to advise Ruan Danchen. She would scold and criticize Ruan Danchen instead.

    Why would she feel that Ruan Danchen was unworthy for the Qi family when it was none of her business at all? Why would she worry in the first ce?

    ¡°Mom, what else do you want me to say? That¡¯s the Qi family¡¯s issue. Why do you even feel that she¡¯s unworthy for them?¡± Chang Zhiyuanined and waved his arm angrily.

    ¡°What kind of attitude is that? Why don¡¯t youment that Ruan Danchen was rude to me? She didn¡¯t show any respect to elders. What an uneducated b*tch!¡± Grandmother Chang was unwilling to listen to Chang Zhiyuan and protested.

    Chang Zhiyuan was too tired to argue with her and asked, ¡°Was Qi Chenglin there when you ¡®advised¡¯ Ruan Danchen yesterday?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Chang remained silent.

    Chang Zhiyuan was at the breaking point of his patience. Grandmother Chang¡¯s rebuke must have been so harsh that Qi Chenglin brought his gang to teach the Chang family a lesson.

    He had no idea how to plead for forgiveness now.

    The ashen-faced Chang Jingqiu suddenly recalled that she had invited Xia Zishan and Chen Libai but they did not show up too. It was obvious that they were scared of Qi Chenglin and his gang.

    Xia Zishan imed that Chang Jingqiu was her bestie but acted otherwise when the situation became critical. Thus, Chang Jingqiu did not bother to give them a phone call as there was no need for her to embarrass herself when she was well aware of their thoughts now.

    When Chang Zhiyuan was racking his brain on how to plead for forgiveness, the usherer at the entrance announced aloud all of a sudden, ¡°Mr. Yan Beicheng wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    The ashen-faced Chang Jingqiu was taken aback by the sudden announcement. Was this a surprise for her?

    Otherwise, why would Yan Beicheng with a higher social ss show up personally to wish her a happy birthday?

    Even though she did not believe it intellectually, her vanity gave her some hope and the paleness on her face were slowly reced with redness.

    There was a person following behind Yan Beicheng with a white wreath in his hand. Then, without needing Yan Beicheng¡¯s instruction, he presented the wreath to Chang Jingqiu after they came up to her.

    More blood drained from Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face afterward.

    This... this was obviously a funeral wreath for the deceased!

    Chang Jingqiu shuddered due to exasperation and tears started welling up in her eyes as she stared at the handsome man who was smiling at her.

    The usherer¡¯s voice traveled across the banquet hall momentarily. ¡°Mr. Gui Zhiqian wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Han Zhuoli wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Wei Ziqi wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    ¡°Mr. Chu Zhaoyang wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    They entered the banquet hall ording to the announcements by the greeter, and each of them was followed by a man of ordinary temperament who looked like an undertaker. Each undertaker would carry a wreath in his hands, and the flowers consisted of several colors such as in white, light yellow and so on.

    The wreath Chu Zhaoyang ordered was the most horrendous of all as there was a huge ¡®libation<sup>1</sup>¡® wording hanging on it.

    The birthday celebration was supposed to be grand and hectic, but it ended up being dested thanks to those men, and they even brought these wreaths to disgust them. Their actions made Grandmother Chang shudder in exasperation immediately.

    Were they cursing her granddaughter by bringing such whammy items to a birthday banquet?

    The greeter announced again, ¡°Mr. Qi Chenglin and his wife wishes Miss Chang a happy birthday.¡±

    Then, Qi Chenglin held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and entered the banquet hall. Ruan Danchen did not have the heart to enter the hall but she had no choice due to Qi Chenglin¡¯s insistence.

    It was not surprising to see a man following behind them with a wreath twice the size from the rest which he ced beside the other wreaths on the ground afterward.

    Qi Chenglin nced at the time when they were having dinner just now and stated softly that it was time to go. Then, he brought Ruan Danchen out of the dining room as Yan Beicheng and his gang followed closely behind them.

    Subsequently, they saw a row of people standing outside the room with a wreath in each of their hands.

    Ruan Danchen was curious at the identity of the individual who dared to bring bad luck to these gentlemen, but before she could ask aloud, Qi Chenglin said lightly, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    These people then followed behind them with solemn and stern expressions as if they were conducting a funeral.

    When they were on their way to the banquet hall, they met the manager from Dynasty whose face twitched as if he was having a stroke, but he could not give anyments to these gentlemen.

    Ruan Danchen was interested to know Qi Chenglin¡¯s intention and why these people carried wreaths initially, and her questions were answered when they came to the banquet hall which was upied by the Chang family only and gave the wreaths to Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°Grandma!¡± Chang Jingqiu wailed bitterly and pounced into Grandmother Chang¡¯s embrace.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyes started to glow red due to frustration as she stared at the gentlemen before her. All of them were elites and yet they stood proud and tall before her like a bunch of uncouth thugs.

    ¡°You... what are you guys doing?¡± Grandmother Chang raised her quivering arm but she was unsure who to point at amidst her anger. In the end, she pointed her finger at Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin smirked while enjoying the sight of Grandmother Chang¡¯s vexed expression as though the level of his satisfaction was directly proportional to her annoyance.

    ¡°The shop assistant mentioned yesterday that it was Miss Chang¡¯s birthday today. Since fate brought us together yesterday, I thought I should visit and express my wishes today,¡± Qi Chenglin smirked.

    ¡°You guys went too far in your insults!¡± Grandmother Chang eximed exasperatedly. The increase in her volume induced pain in her throat and she yelled while covering her neck, ¡°Water, give me water!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu was disabled by her constant weeping and thus Chang Jingwan poured a ss of water for Grandmother Chang. The pain in her throat subsided once she gulped down the ss of water.

    ¡°Yo, you should appreciate our gifts. These wreaths were chosen personally and we even requested every flower to be as huge and fresh as possible.¡± Yan Beicheng took out a cigarette out of his pocket unconsciously again as he wanted to enjoy the pleasure of smoking after pranking Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°What do you guys want? You¡¯re giving us these to curse my granddaughter when it¡¯s her birthday today? Who do you think you are to demand our guests to stay away and giving us gifts that brings bad luck? You went too far in bullying us!¡± Grandmother Chang shuddered and pointed at them angrily.

    ¡°Exactly, we¡¯re here today just to bully you so that you¡¯ll remember not to scold and criticize my wife again in the future. Am I right to assume that you won¡¯t know your ce if I don¡¯t do something about it? The Chang family is nothing to me¡ªthat¡¯s what I told you yesterday. So now I¡¯m showing you where exactly is the Chang family in my mind. The ruination of Miss Chang¡¯s birthday today is all because of your stupidity.¡± Qi Chenglin smirked and his contempt grew stronger as he faced Grandmother Chang¡¯s anger.

    ¡°You¡ª¡± Grandmother Chang was furious but she had no idea how to respond appropriately.

    Qi Chenglin was an unreasonable and arrogant savage at the current moment. He chose to disgust them openly and tantly instead of going up against them in business or ying tricks behind their backs.

    The Chang family could retaliate if Qi Chenglin opposed them in business, and they could pretend to be ignorant andunch a counterattack if he yed tricks behind their backs. That way, the Qi family could not condemn their deeds since they were the ones who started it first.

    However, Qi Chenglin chose none of it and took his revenge right in their faces like a shameless rogue. The Chang family had no choice but to take all of it silently since they could not rebuke or retaliate his indecent and tant acts thanks to his identity.

    ¡°Grandmother Chang, I¡¯ll take revenge on those who makes my wife unhappy, I hope you remember it now. Whoever makes my wife angry will feel my wrath immediately.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze on Grandmother Chang was full of contempt before shifting his gaze to Chang Jingqiu casually.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pity that we¡¯re unable to do this on Grandmother Chang¡¯s birthday,¡± Qi Chenglin added disappointingly.

    Grandmother Chang almost vomited blood after hearing his statement. Why did he even mention it with such a disappointing tone?

    Chang Jingqiu was unaware of themotion going on as she was still wailing in Grandmother Chang¡¯s embrace.

    This was the first time Grandmother Chang encountered such an unreasonable person whose actions were no different than a rogue. He made her feel incredibly vexed.

    Grandmother Chang was feeling annoyed and the sight of Chang Jingqiu weeping continuously in her arms made her even more exasperated.

    Qi Chenglin had enough of the Chang family and left the banquet hall with Ruan Danchen.

    Han Zhuoli¡ªon the other hand¡ªfelt reluctant to leave earlier because it had been a long time since anyone dared to provoke them. He wanted to enjoy the fun a while longer as it was a rare asion to go up against one who was fearless with highbat efficiency such as Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°Hey, leaving so soon? Qi Chenglin, hit me up if you¡¯re going to have simr fun next time! I¡¯m a formidable teammate,¡± Han Zhuoli yelled as he was dragged away without any warning by Chu Zhaoyang even though he wanted to stay.

    ¡°Are you as formidable as Lao Chu?¡± Qi Chenglin replied coldly without turning around.

    ¡°...¡± The corner of Han Zhuoli¡¯s lips twitched and he remained speechless when he recalled the huge ¡®libation¡¯ wording on the wreath Chu Zhaoyang gifted.

    Grandmother Chang exploded with anger upon hearing the conversation between Han Zhuoli and Qi Chenglin and took another nce at the wreaths. She was at an advancing age now, waiting patiently for her demise and every year she spent was considered a gift from God.

    However, the bunch of ominous wreaths that were ced before her appeared as if imprecating curses to wee her death. Then, the world went ck as she crumpled like a puppet suddenly released of their strings.

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin and his gang continued their dinner back in the dining room. It was almost time to depart for the banquet hall just now when they were only halfway through their meals. Fortunately, the food remained warm since they did not spend too much time in the banquet hall.

    Ruan Danchen remained silent at Qi Chenglin¡¯s revenge method and hadpletely forgotten about it afterward.

    Ruan Danchen was more concerned about Qi Youxuan. The winter camp organized by his school wasing to an end and ording to the schedule, he would depart from the resort at three o¡¯clock in the afternoon and arrive at his school approximately two hourster, assuming there was no dy to his journey.

    She already missed Qi Youxuan when they were on their way to Dynasty in the evening. She was worried that Qi Chenglin¡¯s n may take up too much of their time and dy their initial n to fetch Qi Youxuan home. However, Qi Chenglin figured that there was nothing more important than avenging his wife, so he instructed Xiao Yang to fetch Qi Youxuan home instead.

    While they were having their dinner before bringing trouble to the banquet hall, Xiao Yang called them at approximately six o¡¯clock stating that he had fetched Qi Youxuan safely. He also exined that the children arrivedte to school due to traffic congestion.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to have a little chat with the kid but he threw a tantrum and refused to talk to her because he was unhappy that his parents did not fetch him personally. Even so, she felt at ease that Qi Youxuan had arrived at school safely and asked Xiao Yang to give her a call once he brought the kid home.

    Nevertheless, Ruan Danchen kept ncing at the time and wondered why Xiao Yang had not called her yet. Qi Chenglin took a few pieces of poached fish fillets and picked out all the bones carefully before putting them onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s te. ¡°Have your food first. Don¡¯t keep staring at the phone.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not dare to call Youxuan, who was angry at her, which made her feel depressed and yet, she could not me Qi Chenglin either because he was doing this just to avenge her.

    Even so, she ate the poached fish fillet Qi Chenglin ced on her te. The fish fillet smelled rich and spicy, and the softness melted instantly upon cing it in one¡¯s mouth.

    Finally, Xiao Yang gave them a phone call after they were done with dinner and told them that the kid had entered his home safely, and Aunt Zheng had prepared Qi Youxuan¡¯s favorite dinner too.

    ¡°He¡¯s still angry?¡± Ruan Danchen smiled when she imagined the kid¡¯s angry expression.

    Xiao Yang did not answer her question and instead, she heard Xiao Yang call out to Qi Youxuan on the other end of the phone. ¡°Youxuan, Madam wants to have a word with you.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t want!¡± Ruan Danchen heard him faintly through the phone. It was obvious that he was yelling at Xiao Yang angrily.

    Ruan Danchen had no choice but to coax him when they returned hometer, thus she asked Xiao Yang to convey her message. ¡°Tell him that we were unable to fetch him today due to unexpected circumstances. We¡¯ll be back soon, and remind him to have his dinner too.¡±

    Xiao Yang conveyed the message to Qi Youxuan without hanging up the phone call.

    However, the kid did not respond and thus, she had no choice but to hang up the call.

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Chang was already in the hospital when she woke up. It was just a normal syncope because of the intense rage she experienced, and was not any serious health conditions. She would be fine after waking up but the doctors were worried that their actions may be perceived as irresponsible by her family members, thus they offered the family advice and asked that she stays home and rest, and to keep her anger in check.

    The Chang family did not dare to send Grandmother Chang to Chutian Hospital because of Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s friendship with Qi Chenglin.

    Chang Jingqiu pounced onto the hospital bed as soon as Grandmother Chang woke up. ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re awake! You scared me so much!¡±

    Grandmother Chang was annoyed at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s persistent weeping, and Chang Jingqiu continued crying again after she finally regained consciousness, as if mourning for her death. When she recalled the wreaths that were gifted by those men, her expression darkened further.

    However, Grandmother Chang stroke Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hair andined after recalling the unjust treatment she received today. ¡°Qi Chenglin went too far in his insult today!¡±

    ¡°Mom¡ª¡± Chang Zhiyuan said grudgingly.

    He could not deny that Qi Chenglin went a little too far in his revenge and Chang Jingqiu¡¯s birthday banquet ended up in a mess. He initially thought that threatening the guests so that they would not dare to attend the banquet was Qi Chenglin¡¯s way of teaching Grandmother Chang a lesson because it meant getting rid of Chang Jingqiu from this social circle, but he did not expect Qi Chenglin toe up with another outrageous act with his gang.

    Chang Zhiyuan felt that Chang Jingqiu had received unjust treatment too when he recalled that she was the only daughter of his beloved deceased sister.

    However, Grandmother Chang started venting her anger by yelling at Chang Zhiyuan the moment he opened his mouth. ¡°You still dare to call me your mom? You kept quiet when Qi Chenglin and his gang bullied me and now you¡¯re calling me? You watched them bully Jingqiu and I without any attempts in defending us. Is that how you¡¯re supposed to act as a son or an uncle?¡±

    Mo Yuxin was fed up with Grandmother Chang who was scolding her husband unreasonably and embarrassing him publicly. Moreover, this was not Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s fault. Everything happened because of Grandmother Chang herself.

    ¡°Mom, what do you want Zhiyuan to say at the banquet just now? If he utters so much as one syble and makes them angry, they¡¯ll gather up and go against the Chang family. We¡¯ll be doomed if that happens! What else can we do other than take the beating from them? Why would Qi Chenglin bring trouble to Jingqiu¡¯s birthday if you didn¡¯t provoke him? If you could just manage your own temper and don¡¯t provoke the Qi family, none of this would¡¯ve happened,¡± Mo Yuxin had reached the end of her forbearance and said angrily, feeling nothing but hatred when she stared at Grandmother Chang on the hospital bed.

    ¡°Are you ming me now? Chang Zhiyuan, you married a wonderful wife who scolded her mother-inw now. What else is she afraid to do? You allowed her to oppose me at will. Is this how you usually teach your wife, to pay lip service? She must be pretending to be respectful towards me but always talk behind my back, right? Mo Yuxin, I can see very clearly that you¡¯re unhappy with me, so why don¡¯t you blurt it all out today. Fuel my anger and let death consume me so that I won¡¯t bother you guys anymore.¡± Grandmother Chang mmed her fist on the bed repeatedly which let out multiple soft bangs.

    Mo Yuxin gritted her teeth with red-rimmed eyes, trying her best to contain her grievance.

    Her husband was fantastic and her children were thoughtful, but why did she have such an unreasonable mother-inw?

    Chang Jingwan leaned closer to Mo Yuxin due to fear and held her mother¡¯s hand quietly in an attempt tofort her.

    ¡°Mom, what are you talking about? It was supposed to be a good day today,¡± Liu Xiangwen said after pausing for second thoughts.

    Mo Yuxin red at Liu Xiangwen angrily. Liu Xiangwen was adding fuel to the me instead of advising Grandmother Chang. Did she really think that the family was not chaotic enough?

    ¡°Mom, Yuxin¡¯s tone may be too harsh just now but she cares for this family. Tell me the truth based on your conscience, if you didn¡¯t provoke Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen yesterday, will they bring trouble here today? Will Jingqiu¡¯s birthday end up in such a mess?¡± Chang Zhiyuan said seriously.

 Chapter 422 - Look at These Two Photographs, Arenâ€™t They the Same Person?

    <h4>Chapter 422: Look at These Two Photographs, Aren¡¯t They the Same Person?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Grandmother Chang was unwilling to yield even though he was telling the truth. Then, she protested with a softer tone. ¡°Even if I gave her a fewments, it would just be an elder advising a youngster. But their actions tonight were dreadful!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed. He knew well enough that Grandmother Chang was unwilling to admit her mistakes for the sake of her dignity. Besides, her current weakened temper was indicative that she regretted her previous actions.

    ¡°Mom, I know how harsh your words can be when you¡¯re angry,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said.

    Grandmother Chang pursed her lips tightly and remained silent.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? Qi Chenglin made it obvious that no one could scold Ruan Danchen¡ªeven the slightestint about her would make him explode with anger. Besides, anything between them was none of your business, so please don¡¯t trouble yourself and provoke them again,¡± Chang Zhiyuan advised.

    Grandmother Chang kept quiet but Chang Jingqiu wailed all of a sudden on her thighs. ¡°Grandma, what should I do after what happened just now? Nobody will pay any attention to me if this issue leaks out. Boohoo...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Jingqiu, I¡¯ve always assumed that you were a thoughtfuldy, but is this the right moment to cry? Would any of this happen if you advised your grandma yesterday?¡± Chang Zhiyuan interrupted Chang Jingqiu and scolded.

    ¡°That¡¯s it. What does this have to do with Jingqiu? She¡¯s pitiful enough today, so why are you scolding her? Jingqiu is the most innocent here. Ruan Danchen wouldn¡¯t bear grudges if you didn¡¯t introduce her to Qi Chenglinst time. Besides, can you really me her when she had no idea that Qi Chenglin was engaged with Ruan Danchen at that time? Ruan Danchen was so narrow-minded, and she even harbored bitter resentment. What a viciousdy!¡± Grandmother Chang red at Chang Zhiyuan angrily.

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled angrily after listening to Grandmother Chang. Did she realize that she was putting all the me on him when she mentioned all those?

    Chang Zhiyuan felt toozy to continue arguing with Grandmother Chang. He only hoped that she would remember the lessons and stop provoking Ruan Danchen in the future. He gave this some thoughts during Grandmother Chang¡¯s period of unconsciousness and realized that it was pointless trying to apologize to Qi Chenglin anymore. He only hoped that Qi Chenglin would not bear grudges after taking his revenge.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s sons fetched her home, since she was better, instead of staying and creating more disturbances in the hospital.

    Chang Jingqiu decided to leave as well.. Even though she did not continue wailing at Grandmother Chang, she needed to express her feelings after being unjustly treated too. Thus, a steady stream of tears flowed down her cheeks like a loser on her way home. The sight of her would induce pity in others for her.

    Grandmother Chang felt especially sorry for Chang Jingqiu when she noticed Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression trying to contain her grievance despite being wronged. Then, she mumbled that Chang Jingqiu was well-mannered, unlike Ruan Danchen whose thoughts were vicious.

    Fortunately, Chang Zhiyuan and his family were in a different vehicle, or else he would feel vexed upon noticing Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu¡¯s behaviors.

    ...

    ...

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen bid farewell to Yan Beicheng and his gang before returning to Prestige Residences.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart sank immediately when there was no sign of the kid yelling or weing them enthusiastically like he usually did upon entering the house. Then, Aunt Zheng whispered after Ruan Danchen changed into a pair of slippers, ¡°Youxuan is in the living room watching cartoons just now. Then, he turned off the television immediately after realizing that you were back and started sulking.¡±

    Ruan Danchen fought the urge to grin. The kid started to sulk only after they returned home, so was that considered sulking at all?

    This was exactly why they thought Youxuan was the cutest. The wind would blow away his temper so easily whenever he was angry.

    ¡°Youxuan, we¡¯re home.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s sweet voice went up several decibels on purpose, and unsurprisingly, there was no response from the kid.

    Ruan Danchen turned around and smiled at Qi Chenglin before bringing him to the living room.

    The kid extended his neck to stare at them initially, but he pouted and turned his head away immediately after noticing his parents.

    This was the first time the kid threw a tantrum at Ruan Danchen, so she had no idea how to respond. Left with no choice, she put on a smile and hugged the kid, trying to ingratiate him.

    The kid was stunned and frozen to the spot, pondering whether he should struggle or not. After a few seconds of consideration, he pouted unhappily and his small and soft body leaned closer to Ruan Danchen unconsciously like a good boy, sniffing the familiar scent his mother emitted.

    The kid really missed his mother after parting with her for three days.

    Ruan Danchen noticed his reaction and immediately recalled a phrasemonly used in novels with cool, handsome, wild, domineering, and assertive themes back in the days, ¡®The mouth says no, but the body says otherwise.¡¯

    It was especially amusing to apply this phrase on the kid himself.

    Looking at his awkward expression, Ruan Danchen smiled and nted a kiss on his soft cheek heavily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, your dad and I were caught in some situation this evening, which was why we couldn¡¯t fetch you personally today,¡± Ruan Danchen coaxed gently.

    ¡°Humph, don¡¯t you guys miss me?¡± Qi Youxuan pouted and questioned them.

    ¡°Of course we miss you. The house was so deste and quiet when you left that day. I even went to your room to check on you on the same night after you left, but I opened the door to an empty room instead.¡±

    Ruan Danchen went to his bedroomst Friday night to check if he kicked his nket away and wanted to give him a goodnight kiss, but she hadpletely forgotten about the fact that he was not at home that night.

    She opened the door to a cold, dark room with no signs of life. The sight of an empty bed without hearing his familiar snoring reminded Ruan Danchen that his son had left for his school trip, and she felt especially upset about it.

    ¡°What were you guys doing in the afternoon?¡± The kid asked with an ¡®I will not forgive you if your answer was unsatisfying¡¯ look on his face.

    ¡°She was bullied yesterday so I brought her to take revenge on the bully today,¡± Qi Chenglin exined lightly.

    Qi Youxuan forgot about his annoyance at them immediately after hearing what Qi Chenglin said. He asked firmly with a high-pitched tone, ¡°Who bullied Mom?¡±

    Qi Chenglin fought the urge to smile and sat beside Ruan Danchen, resting his elegant palm on the kid¡¯s head and stroking his hair gently.

    The winter camp organized by his school was meant to train the children, so the kid had no time to take care of his cool and handsome hairstyle. Thus, the hair which was soft and smooth on his head was now kinked out in random directions. It vaguely resembled a bird¡¯s nest after Qi Chenglin tousled his hair.

    ¡°Dad, don¡¯t mess around with my hair. I need to take care of my image at home too.¡± Qi Youxuan quickly lifted his chubby and fair arms and startedbing his messy hair with his short and plump fingers.

    ¡°There are no outsiders at home and besides, we¡¯ve seen your scruffy appearance after you wake up in the morning too.¡± Since the kid was so particr about his image, Ruan Danchen wanted to tease her cute son yfully, so she ran her fingers through his hair and made a mess out of it again.

    The kid sighed grudgingly and stared at Ruan Danchen as if he was trying to say, ¡®Mom, why are you so immature?¡¯

    ¡°This is me trying to take care of my image from a young age. I need to preserve my image consistently when I¡¯m married to Mumu in the future too. I can¡¯t afford to rx just because I¡¯m at home. Mumu will despise me when I be a faded old man,¡± Qi Youxuan said with a serious expression on his chubby face.

    Ruan Danchen felt speechless as she stared at her son. She heard of the phrase ¡®faded old woman¡¯ before, but what in the world was a ¡®faded old man¡¯?

    Then, Qi Youxuan nced at Qi Chenglin. His father had been dressing up nicely and made himself presentable ever since his mother stayed in this house in fear that she may feel disgusted at him.

    ¡°Dad, you haven¡¯t answered me. Who bullied Mom?¡± Qi Youxuan remembered Qi Chenglin¡¯s statement just now and his attention was not shifted by the sudden change in topic.

    Qi Chenglin did not raise Qi Youxuan as an ignorant boy, so he did not give his son any perfunctory exnation and told him the truth instead.

    Qi Youxuan listened to his exnation and his anger ceased immediately after realizing that they really went to take revenge for Ruan Danchen. The way Qi Youxuan tightened his fists and narrowed his big eyes made him look like Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯m not angry now, but bring me along with you next time when you seek revenge again!¡± Qi Youxuan said with tightened fists.

    ¡°Silly boy, you want your Mom to get bullied again?¡± Qi Chenglin tapped on Qi Youxuan¡¯s small head gently.

    Qi Youxuan pouted after realizing the mistake in his statement. He sat up straight in Ruan Danchen¡¯s arms with his chubby hands resting on each side of his rotund waist and said arrogantly, ¡°They only need to bully my mom once but we can avenge her multiple times. Make them regret, and make them too busy to bully my mom again!¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not take his words seriously. She just smiled and kissed his cheek in response.

    However, Qi Chenglin nodded his head seriously and said, ¡°Good idea.¡±

    ¡°...¡¯ Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words.

    ...

    ...

    Since the kid was back from his school trip, Ruan Zeer called him on Wednesday night and asked if the kid and his family were free theing Sunday. Ruan Zeer would bring Li Yiming along to visit them if they were free on that day.

    The kid jumped up out of exhration and ran barefoot from his bedroom to Qi Chenglin¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Dad, Mom, Brother Ruan called. He wants to visit us and asked if we¡¯re free this Sunday!¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re free,¡± Ruan Danchen took over her son¡¯s phone and replied Ruan Zeer personally.

    Ruan Zeer hung up the phone call happily and started reading an authentic literature on the head end of the bed.

    In the study room, Ruan Keshan was writing a thesis while Chen Minxia was searching for some reference books. All of a sudden, she noticed a box under the bookshelf and became interested in it after realizing that it was a box of photo albums.

    Her son had grown up and as a mother, she yearned for her son¡¯s cuteness during his youth. Thus, she withdrew the box and took out the photo albums inside it, wiping the dust that umted on the album cover over time, and flipped through the photographs.

    Then, she picked up another photo album, wiped the dust off the front cover before opening it. This was the Ruan family¡¯s photo album and inside it were photographs of Ruan Keshan and Ruan Keyu in their youths.

    Just when she was about to flip through the album, a photograph slipped out of it.

    Even though the photograph was colored, it had be discolored over the course of time and the outfits inside the photograph were old-fashioned too.

    Inside the photograph were three youngsters¡ªa male and two females. The females stood together beside the man, who was wearing a white shirt with rolled-up sleeves, revealing his muscr and fair arms, and a pair of ck long pants. She looked at the date which was written on the right lower corner of the photograph; it was taken twenty-eight years ago.

    The way the man inside the photograph dressed up was considered old-school ording to current trends because it was almost thirty years ago, but somehow the man did not radiate such temperament. He would still be a handsome and admirable individual if he wore the same outfit in the current world.

    The young man in the white shirt even looked schrly and elegant, and with a pair of delicate eyes, he appeared like an angel descending to the mortal world. He was considered an out-an-out handsome man even in the current world.

    It was considered beautiful if such facial features were on a woman, but it would be too good-looking if it belonged to a man.

    One of his hands was buried in his pocket while another held onto the woman¡¯s hand. Their fingers intertwined tightly and the very sight of it induced envy in others.

    The woman¡¯s height reached the man¡¯s shoulder level. Her skin was white as snow but her cheeks were flushed red. The redness was not only due to the makeup, but was also contributed by the joy and shyness when she stood beside her lover.

    Her waist-length hair hung limp naturally without any straightening or coloring, and a few strands of hair rested on the man¡¯s arm as it was blown by the wind, making it appear charming and beautiful.

    Happiness red in her eyes as they extended into crescent shapes, and by the looks of her, even the strangers would think that she was a gentle and quietdy.

    The kind of shy smile she had was natural and poised, whereas the otherdy who appeared almost the same age as her had the same shy smile on her face too. However, the seconddy¡¯s shy smile appeared unnatural in Chen Minxia¡¯s opinion.

    The seconddy had a pair of eyes that appeared innocent and could easily invoke pity in others. Some men loved such facial features, but most of them were as thick as two short nks. Chen Minxia assumed that any intelligent man would choose thedy in the middle to be his other half instead of thedy whose expression appeared fake and unnatural.

    Chen Minxia could not refrain from ncing at Ruan Keshan because her husband was an intelligent man too.

    Then, she grinned involuntarily while immersing herself in her thoughts.

    All the brainpower Ruan Keshan possessed was reflected in his intelligence quotient, whereas his emotional quotient was terrific. He was a dull person who only specialized in the research field. Anything other than research would be all Greek to him, so naturally, he knew nothing about circumlocution. In conclusion, he was considered a pure-minded man.

    He dedicated his life researching various propositions and theses, not for fame or fortune, but for scientific breakthroughs and advancements. His aim was simple and yet, no one would doubt him when he stated his intentions. That was his personality.

    She was introduced to Ruan Keshan through friends. It was not love at first sight, but she was intrigued by his honesty and straightforward personality. Even though there was no mention regarding Ruan Keshan¡¯s true feelings towards Chen Minxia but she figured that he liked her at first nce, judging from his constant stuttering on their first meeting.

    Besides research, Ruan Keshan puts the rest of his efforts into his family, wishing for good and prosperous lives for both his father and brother. Even though his father gave morepliments to Ruan Keyu, Ruan Keshan never felt envious at all and instead, he felt honored and proud to have such an awesome brother.

    Ruan Keshan who was too absorbed in his work did not notice his wife¡¯s gaze. Chen Minxia smiled and shifted her gaze back to the man in the photograph.

    Ruan Keyu was Ruan Keshan¡¯s brother and also her brother-inw. Even she must admit that Ruan Keyu would be an outstanding and remarkable man if he was still well and alive. He would be the utmost pride of the Ruan family.

    Chen Minxia sighed at the thought of Ruan Keyu, whose intellect induced jealousy in God and thus, he was sent to heaven.

    Then, she shifted her gaze for no reason to the seconddy whom she disliked, staring at her demureness...

    Demureness?

    A thought struck Chen Minxia. She took out her phone hastily and searched for Liu Ronghua in Weibo. Then, a list of topics regarding Liu Ronghua popped up almost instantaneously.

    Chen Minxia scrolled through the topics and in the twinkling of an eye, she found Liu Ronghua¡¯s photographs.

    ¡°Lao Ruan!¡± Chen Minxia yelled all of a sudden.

    The engrossed Ruan Keshan jumped at Chen Minxia¡¯s sudden cry, assuming that something had happened to her. He got up from the chair quickly and asked, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    He was in such a hurry that he almost knocked down the chair..

    Chen Minxia was not in the right mood tough at him. She hurried forward and said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m alright. Take a look at this.¡±

    Then, she passed her phone with Liu Ronghua¡¯s photo in it and the old photograph to Ruan Keshan.

    ¡°No wonder you said the name ¡®Liu Ronghua¡¯ sounded familiar. I felt that it was familiar too. Look at these two photographs¡ªaren¡¯t they the same person?¡± Chen Minxia uttered excitingly. Her heart raced at an incredible speed and her hands, which were holding the photograph, trembled uncontrobly.

    Ruan Keshanpared the two images in his hands, and without the need for Chen Minxia¡¯s reminder, he found Liu Ronghua straight away in the old photograph.

    It was fortunate that Liu Ronghua remained unremitting in her skin maintenance. She appeared more mature and plump now. There were faint wrinkles on her face and her skin was not as smooth as before, but Ruan Keshan recognized her straight away since there were not many physical changes in general.

    ¡°This... this...¡± Ruan Keshan stammered and his hands trembled out of excitement.

    Chen Minxia continued. ¡°Thisdy followed Keyu and Yuehuan when they came to Shuo City for the first time to visit us. If I¡¯m not mistaken, I was the one who took this picture of them at that time. Initially, it was just a photograph of Keyu and Yuehuan only, but thisdy ran towards them out of excitement and stood right beside Yuehuan. None of us gave this much thought since she it might just be her childish character. We kept this photo too because both Keyu and Yuehuan looked sopatible together.¡±

    Ruan Keshan stared at his brother in his youth in the photograph. His appearance would remain the same throughout the memory, devoid of any chances to grow old again.

    Tears started welling up in Ruan Keshan¡¯s eyes. ¡°Who would expect an explosion in aboratory in Shuo City University when Yuehuan was giving birth and coincidentally, Keyu was in that building too...¡±

    Chen Minxia felt dejected too. She tapped gently on Ruan Keshan¡¯s back with a lump in her throat, fighting back the tears that threatened to leave her eyes. ¡°Who would¡¯ve expected Yuehuan to pass away due to an obstructedbor? When we received the news and rushed to the hospital, both Yuehuan and the child were already long gone. We have no idea what has happened to the kid now...¡±

    Ruan Keshan shuddered. Even his hand which was holding the old photograph was shaking uncontrobly. ¡°Do you mean... Liu Ronghua knows the whereabouts of Keyu¡¯s child? We don¡¯t even know about his child¡¯s gender as of now. Keyu left us for more than twenty years already and we didn¡¯t even take good care of his child for this whole time. I¡¯ve failed you, Keyu! When Dad knew both Keyu and his wife passed away, and their only offspring were left deserted, alone in the world, he locked himself in his room for three days without having any meals, looking so much older when he finally came out of his room. The only matter I regretted the most throughout this lifetime was myck of care towards Keyu and thus at such a young age, he ended up...¡±

    Tears welled up in his red-rimmed eyes. They managed to escape as Ruan Keshan started weeping silently.

    ¡°I regret that I didn¡¯t manage to locate Keyu¡¯s child and take good care of his only offspring. How should I face him when the timees? I¡¯ll die with an evesting grievance if I can¡¯t find the child! I get scared whenever I think about how I have no idea what kind of life his child lived or the suffering he endured. I¡¯m worried that his life may be in a mess or he has suffered a great deal in life. What if he became a beggar? Nowadays the beggar organizations treats children rather inhumanly. What if they bullied and harmed him since young?

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t refrain from thinking about Keyu¡¯s child whenever I see those young beggars with deformed limbs on the road. I know some organizations controlled these beggars and none of the cash would end up in their hands, but I can¡¯t help but give them money because I fear Keyu¡¯s child is one of them! Don¡¯t forget about the human traffickers too. What if he ended up with a trafficker? I would be looking for a needle in a haystack if he got sold somewhere else. I lost Keyu¡¯s child just like that. I lost him! I don¡¯t deserve to be his brother!

    ¡°I remember Keyu liked to follow me when we were young. He was so small at that time, and he would grab onto my shirt and follow me wherever I went like a tail. He was always bullied by boys just because he was too beautiful¡ªjust like a girl¡ªand I would always be there to protect him. When we went to school, the girls would have a crush on him because of his appearance, whereas those hateful boys would bully him. I protected him. Our financial status wasn¡¯t very good at that time. We reared hens, and every time theyid eggs, my grandpa would be the first to eat. If there was more than one egg, then mom would give it to dad, and he would leave it for us to split it in half silently. I would always give the half with the most egg yolk to Keyu.¡±

 Chapter 423 - You Better Not Have This Thought Just Because Her Surname is Also Ruan

    <strong>Chapter 423: You Better Not Have This Thought Just Because Her Surname is Also Ruan</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°There¡¯s a saying that the elder brother is like a father. Keyu is seven years younger than me. In my eyes, he is partially my son. These years, the appearance of his younger self is bing clearer in my mind. I keep on recalling the beautiful look that he has when he was young. I had always kept this little brother under my wings and hoped to protect him forever. I had done so for over twenty years. Who would have thought that he...¡± Ruan Keshan could not fight back the tears that finally rolled down his face. ¡°I had protected him for so long but in the end, I could not keep his only child safe. I have failed him, I have failed him!¡±

    ¡°Yuehuan was also a poor youngdy. She only had Keyu to depend on. Although we don¡¯t know much about her, I¡¯m still very satisfied with this sister-inw. She was so pitiful yet I still could not protect her child. I just want to know where that child is... where...¡±

    Chen Minxia knew that the most painful prick in the hearts of the Ruan father and son was Ruan Keyu¡¯s child whom they had never met. They had never given up looking for that child all those years but what else could they do? There was no trace for them to follow and they did not even know whether the child was a boy or a girl. The only clue they found was the hospital where Chang Yuehuan gave birth. The hospital had informed them that Chang Yuehuan was apanied by a friend at that time.

    It was originally a procedure for the family to sign the papers if a woman went intobor and was to give birth at the hospital. However, the explosion at Shuo City University was too chaotic with heavy casualties. Even that hospital had received numerous casualties in the emergency department. With Ruan Keyu¡¯s death in the explosion and their family far away in B City, there was no one who could sign the papers for that maternity patient.

    In that era when the people were still sincere and honest, there were not as many rules and regtions to follow. The hospital had allowed an exemption for that case as they could not just see the patient lose her life. They let the maternity patient signed the papers on her own and specifically expressed that the hospital would not be responsible for any ident that might have urred thereafter.

    Only then did they move her into the delivery room.

    Despite that, they did not expect the patient to give in to death due to the massive blood loss during delivery.

    The medical treatment was not as strict at that time. There were many ws in the procedure. Furthermore, Shuo City was just a small ce with merely two public hospitals. The other public hospitals were only slowly established a few yearster.

    The situation then was also too chaotic as a result of the explosion. The surgical rooms were insufficient to cater to the continuous intake of casualties. Thus, many first aid surgeries were simply performed in the hall.

    The hospital even had insufficient doctors for their patients, let alone surgical rooms.

    With theck of manpower to properly care for those newborn babies, the child went missing when the Ruan family finally arrived at Shuo City. Nheless, the hospital still kept the childbirth record which had the hastily documented information of the child including the gender, weight, blood type, etc.

    Ruan Keshan could not trust the information recorded in such a chaotic situation. He was afraid that the record was simplyposed to turn him away. Even so, he still took down the information regardless of the truth. At least, there was something to hold on to.

    His father, Ruan Lichuan, had also turned up at Shuo City immediately after being informed of the incident. They imed Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan¡¯s bodies and buried the couple together. Of course, the Ruan family did not let the hospital off easily but so what?

    His brother and sister-inw had both passed on while their only child was still missing.

    All those years, they had never given up looking for that child with the little information they had.

    Ruan Keshan mmed a fist on the table suddenly. After the loud ¡®thud¡¯, he said, ¡°We had already had everything nned out. Once Yuehuan had given birth, we could bring them back to B City. Dad had even gotten Keyu a teaching post at B University. Who could have thought... Who could have thought...¡±

    Chen Minxia quickly wrapped her palms around Ruan Keshan¡¯s fist. She examined his bruised joints and a few other areas that were bleeding.

    ¡°Lao Ruan, calm down. I did not show you the photos to bring up your guilt from the past.¡± Chen Minxia wanted to treat his wound but knew that Ruan Keshan was not in the mood for that at the moment.

    Besides, it was merely amon bruise. So, there was nothing to fuss about. That punch, however, must have been painful for it had hit the bones.

    ¡°I just wanted to say, didn¡¯t the hospital tell us that there was a friend apanying Yuehuan at that time? I remember this Liu Ronghuaing to B City for a trip with Keyu and Yuehuan. They must have been quite close. Could it be her who stayed by Yuehuan¡¯s side?¡± Chen Minxia exined as she felt Ruan Keshan calming down. Upon hearing her guess, Ruan Keshan was also stunned.

    ¡°You¡¯re saying that... She might take Keyu¡¯s child away?¡± asked Ruan Keshan. His face lit with hope.

    All those years, they were searching relentlessly with the little information they had circting Shuo City. Whenever they found a hint, Ruan Lichuan and Ruan Keshan would both put aside their work to travel to Shua City in person. However, they would always return in disappointment.

    In recent years, Ruan Lichuan could no longer rush about as he grew older with age. Thus, Ruan Keshan was the only one left to continue the search.

    ¡°Perhaps. It could also be a nice samaritan who helped Yuehuan.¡± The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. So, Chen Minxia could only speak of her conserved thoughts to Ruan Keshan.

    The one who apanied Chang Yuehuan at that time was their biggest clue. They had asked around her colleagues and neighbors yet they found nothing.

    It even urred to them to contact Liu Ronghua but they were not familiar with her. During the time when Liu Ronghua went to B City with Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan, they also did not have much conversation with her. Therefore, they could not even recall Liu Ronghua¡¯s name, let alone looking for her.

    ¡°When we went to look for her then, we could not find her. Since we now know that she is in B City, we can just visit her. She is at least a clue to the child. Maybe we can get something out from her. She was so close to Yuehuan. Perhaps, Yuehuan did find her at that time,¡± said Chen Minxia.

    Looking at Ruan Keshan¡¯s hopeful expression, Chen Minxia squeezed his arm. ¡°Lao Ruan, don¡¯t put too much hope in this. It is after all merely a guess. I¡¯m afraid that like before, we¡¯ll go with hope but...¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Ruan Keshan patted the back of her hand softly. ¡°After all those tries, I¡¯ve actually prepared myself for disappointment whenever we found a trace. However, as long as I don¡¯t give up, I¡¯ll never lose hope even until my death. When Zeer is older and we still haven¡¯t found Keyu¡¯s child, I¡¯ll exin everything to him and let him continue the search.¡±

    Chen Minxia understood Ruan Keshan¡¯s feelings for his brother very well. That was why she had never asked him to give up the search. Both Ruan Lichuan and Ruan Keshan were working on scientific research. Their work nature did not earn them much. Nheless, they still received a considerable amount from their subsidies, rewards, and mary prizes for their research.

    Besides, Ruan Lichuan was the nation¡¯s most notable researcher in his field of study. He was even among the top ranks in the world and had been awarded the Fields Medal. There was no Nobel Prize for the field of mathematics. Thus, the Fields Medal was internationally considered as the field of mathematics Nobel Prize.

    Ruan Lichuan was definitely a leader in the mathematical field.

    Ruan Lichuan¡¯s worth could not be measured by money alone. He was a national treasure. The country had also not treated him badly. So, the Ruan family¡¯s financial capability was rather decent. It was only their search for Ruan Keyu¡¯s child those years that did not allow them to have much savings.

    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡± Ruan Keshan¡¯s expression changed suddenly. His eyes were overflowing with a pleasant surprise that was obvious even through his thick sses. ¡°Wasn¡¯t there a piece of news that caused an uproar? It mentioned that Liu Ronghua has an adoptive daughter named Ruan Danchen.¡±

    Chen Minxia let out a sigh. Although he said that he was prepared for disappointment, he still could not control his excitement and eagerness.

    ¡°You better not have this thought just because her surname is also Ruan. Even if we are suspicious of that fact now, we do not have any evidence. How would she perceive us if we just go to her rashly?¡± advised Chen Minxia.

    ¡°I know but...¡± Ruan Keshan still could not help but shake in excitement. He gripped Chen Minxia¡¯s hands tightly and asked, ¡°She is, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡± Chen Minxia shook her head. ¡°Before this, I did not have much recollection of Liu Ronghua but when I saw this photo, I began to remember things about her. When I first met Liu Ronghua, I felt slightly ufortable to be around her. I could not seem to like her because apart from her weak and pitiful appearance, I also noticed her feelings towards Keyu.¡±

    As Chen Minxia saw Ruan Keshan¡¯s confused gaze on her, she recalled that that man had a low EQ. Pursing her lips, she decided to put it bluntly, ¡°I think she liked Keyu.¡±

    When Ruan Keshan seemed to understand her point, she continued, ¡°Looking at how her actions werepletely revealed on the Inte, I feel that she is not a sensible person. We cannot predict her actions based on that of any other normal people. What if her feelings towards him led her to imagine herself raising Keyu¡¯s child by giving the child his surname? Which woman would harm the child of her beloved man? That Ms Ruan is really lucky to have finally found a good ce to belong. Otherwise, what¡¯s there awaiting her?¡±

    Chen Minxia sighed, ¡°I¡¯m in a dilemma right now. I hope that Ms Ruan is Keyu¡¯s daughter. Then, we can stop our neverending search. No matter the pain that Ms Ruan had gone through, she has finally had her happy ending. Yet I hope that it isn¡¯t her as well. I don¡¯t want Keyu¡¯s daughter to suffer so much earlier.¡±

    ¡°All in all, we can¡¯t just turn up in front of Ms Ruan rashly. It¡¯s not right to mislead her. Since she is here with her husband and child, she definitely won¡¯t vanish in an instant. If we have any suspicion, we can always get Keer to ask her. Now though, we must first visit Liu Ronghua to ask her about what she knows,¡± said Chen Minxia.

    As Ruan Keshan could panic easily when facing such matter, Chen Minxia was needed by his side to remind him.

    Whenever Chen Minxi finished a sentence, Ruan Keshan would nod his head just like her son.

    ¡°It¡¯s just that where do we find Liu Ronghua? Should we get a detective?¡± asked Ruan Keshan as he looked at Chen Minxia.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you know a few journalists?¡± Chen Minxia replied with another question. Ruan Keshan also frequently released some academic papers and was given countless awards. As a result, there were always a number of journalists who would like to interview him.

    He had only epted a few interview requests and instead, put his attention on his research. Nevertheless, he was still acquainted with a few journalists.

    ¡°Looking at the uproar earlier, I wonder if those journalists have gone to interview her? She may be staying away from the public but the journalists must have had her address. So, we don¡¯t need to waste our time by hiring a detective,¡± Chen Minxia said with a chuckle. ¡°However, if you don¡¯t want to owe someone a favor...¡±

    She knew Ruan Keshan¡¯s character very well. He would put all his heart into his research and seldom socialized with others. He also did not like to participate in simr socializing events even if to show himself up only for a short while. He did not like and did not want to socialize just like Ruan Lichuan.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, it¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll go and ask them now. Hiring a detective will take a long turn around,¡± said Ruan Keshan. Then, he quickly called his teaching assistant as these matters were usually handled by his teaching assistant.

    His teaching assistant was shocked to see him requesting the journalists¡¯ contact information. The teaching assistant was even more surprised when Ruan Keshan preferred the journalists who wrote social-rted topics or entertainment news.

    Despite that, the teaching assistant still gave Ruan Keshan the contact number of a journalist who wrote social news. That journalist used to interview Ruan Keshan so he was not unfamiliar to him. Furthermore, the teaching assistant was worried that those who wrote entertainment news could not be trusted and would simply make something up to trick him.

    After getting the contact number, Ruan Keshan immediately called the journalist. The journalist did not even ask anything. Instead, the journalist dly shared the address of Liu Ronghua¡¯s residing address with him.

    Ruan Keshan gripped the paper with Liu Ronghua¡¯s address tightly in his hands. It was as important as gripping onto life. That was the biggest clue they had in those twenty years.

    Chen Minxia took a nce at him and advised, ¡°It¡¯ste. Don¡¯t work toote into the night. It¡¯s bad for your eyes and your body. Remember to wash your faceter. Your eyes are still red after that outburst earlier. If you let Keer see you like this, he¡¯ll assume that we have had a fight.¡±

    ¡°Aye,¡± Ruan Keshan agreed honestly.

    Chen Minxia chuckled, ¡°Keer is going to visit the Qi family this Sunday. So, we can visit Liu Ronghua then. Let us beat around the bush with Keer these few days to ask about Ms Ruan¡¯s situation.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure,¡± responded Ruan Keshan quickly.

    Ruan Keshan tidied up his table and left the room. He let out a sigh of relief when he did not find Ruan Zeer around as he exited the room. He did not want his son to see him in a mess. Thus, he hurried into the washroom to clean up his face.

    Chen Minxia went to the living. When she saw Ruan Zeer holding a ss to fill it with water, she tried to ask unintentionally, ¡°Zeer, are you visiting the Qi family this Sunday?¡±

    Ruan Zeer nodded in affirmation. Hence, Chen Minxia continued, ¡°It¡¯s better to not go empty-handed. I¡¯ll buy some food tomorrow for you to bring along.¡±

    ¡°Okay,¡± smiled Ruan Zeer. He was also wondering about what he could bring for the Qi family.

    He had only recently known that Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were from such a wealthy family. He also knew that they were not short of anything that he could bring. The most important thing was the intention behind the gift yet that intention was the most difficult to grasp.

    ¡°I notice that Ms Ruan was still very young but her son is already so big,¡± said Chen Minxua as she poured herself a cup of tea.

    Ruan Keer did not hurry away after filling his ss with water. Instead, he sat down across Chen Minxia and continued the conversation. ¡°It¡¯s not right to address her as Ms Ruan anymore. She is already married after all.¡±

    Chen Minxia chuckled, ¡°I always saw her name on the news so I just subconsciously address her as Ms Ruan.¡±

    ¡°She did not mention how old she is but I guess that she should be around twenty-seven or twenty-eight. Actually, I feel that she seems more like twenty-three or twenty-four years old,¡± said Ruan Zeer.

    Chen Minxia nodded her head and sipped on her tea. She stopped asking about Ruan Danchen in fear that Ruan Keer would suspect something. If he acted oddly in front of Ruan Danchen, he might be considered to have impure intentions by the Qi family.

    ...

    That Saturday, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin both had to attend different business meetings and had left for the office. They would return to the Qi family manorter in the afternoon for a gathering. Cheng Dongge had to follow along as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant.

    Qi Chengyue was already in her fifth month of pregnancy yet her belly seemed to be so much smaller than the others in their fifth month. It was even smaller than Song Yu¡¯s belly.

    ¡°Why is your belly so small? Where are all the nutrition fed into you?¡± Guan Liya stared at her daughter¡¯s abdomen and shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve checked with the doctor but the doctor said that there was nothing wrong with the baby. Besides, it¡¯ll be easier on me if the child is smaller,¡± exined Qi Chengyue in a smile. She rubbed her belly affectionately as two dimples were clear on her cheeks.

    ¡°It¡¯s not good for the baby to be too small as well. We still have some birds nests at home. I¡¯ll ask your dad to bring it to the office for you.¡± Guan Liya clicked her tongue, ¡°You¡¯re always like this. If there is no one to monitor you, you¡¯ll never eat these things much less buy them. You seldom eat fruits as well. Do you take in more now that you¡¯re pregnant?¡±

    ¡°I still don¡¯t like to eat fruits. Well, at least my blood sugar level will not level up,¡± Qi Chengyue still responded with a smile. ¡°When I went to the hospital for a check-up, I passed all the necessary tests. I don¡¯t even have a high blood sugar level like every other pregnant woman because I don¡¯t eat too many fruits. I¡¯ll only take in some when Cheng Dongge gave me at night.¡±

    ¡°This child. What would you be without Cheng Dongge? You can¡¯t eat too much nor too little.¡± Guan Liya red at her. She seemed to control herself from apanying Qi Chengyue.

    ¡°I won¡¯tck nutrition. I always eat those supplements that you give and still have some left at home. Dongge would braise them for me every day.¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s face was glowing with happiness. Besides, her face was slightly rounded due to her pregnancy. That had made her look even more jubnt.

    Guan Liya noticed that Qi Chengyue kept mentioning Cheng Dongge in their conversation. It was obvious that their rtionship was very good. Seeing that Cheng Dongge treating Qi Chengyue well, Guan Liya felt relieved and happy for them.

    ¡°Alright, I know that Dongge treats you well! If you keep on mentioning him like this, others may think that I¡¯m not satisfied with this son-inw.¡± Guan Liya rolled her eyes at Qi Chengyue. ¡°When Dongge is at home, he can care for you. What about the time that he is not home? He has to attend business meetings after all.¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll not do anything.¡± Qi Chengyue bit on the banana that Guan Liya gave her. ¡°Actually, I do make myself something when he¡¯s not home but there are a few times when I forget. Mom, you do know how forgetful a pregnant woman is. Missing a few supplements is not a big deal.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t be bothered but I¡¯m concerned about my son-inw.¡± Guan Liya gave Qi Chengyue another re. ¡°Dongge is already so busy yet he has to care for you. He must have been very tired after his business meetings but still has to make time for you.¡±

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s smile grew sweeter at the thought of her husband.

    Since her pregnancy, she had be more dependent on Cheng Dongge. She did not know why but she loved to be affectionate towards him. Whenever he was not around, she would miss him so much that she went to peek at him at the office during working hours. She would feel a sense of satisfaction when she saw his charming look as he worked so seriously. After that, she would leave him secretly.

    However, her daily secretive actions were caught by her colleagues. Of course, Cheng Dongge knew of her actionster on but could not do anything about it.

    He also wondered why Qi Chengyue would look for him every day. There was no fixed timing for her secret visit. Whenever she thought of him, she would go to peek at him. Thus, Cheng Dongge could not wait the whole day for her to visit and had resorted to working calmly. Nheless, he would turn his head around to check if Qi Chengyue was there.

    There were a few times that he caught her with her big belly. Qi Chengyue was also ashamed to be caught red-handed. Her baby-face was slightly rounded during her pregnancy and that made her seem more adorable.

    She would blush and turn around to leave him to his work but Cheng Dongge would attend to her helplessly and with an affectionate smile. He had never asked her to not visit him during working hours. Her visit was also greatly weed by Cheng Dongge because he would miss her as well. Besides, he enjoyed seeing her embarrassed expression when she peeked at him.

    Therefore, he did not mind that people might pass by them. He pulled her into his embrace and nted a few soft kisses on her. As a result, Qi Chengyue was too embarrassed to visit him so frequently herself.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t I ask you to hire a housekeeper but you don¡¯t want to,¡± sighed Guan Liya as she shook her head.

 Chapter 424 - Do You Think That I Will Believe In Such Cliche?

    <strong>Chapter 424: Do You Think That I Will Believe In Such Cliche?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I don¡¯t like having strangers in our home. We¡¯re unlike you to have Aunt Chen, Aunt Yang, and Aunt Liu who have already been working with us for so long. If we hire a housekeeper, she¡¯ll be a total stranger to us,¡± said Qi Chengyue.

    Both Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge were living a very sweet life at the moment. They would usually prepare meals together and enjoyed each other¡¯spany.

    ¡°Everyone starts with being a stranger. Aren¡¯t they the same in your brothers¡¯ homes? Perhaps you don¡¯t feel the need for it but once your baby is born, you¡¯ll not be able to care for the child alone. You¡¯ll still have to hire a maternity matron. As the maternity matron cannot manage the household, you need to get a housekeeper as well.¡± Guan Liya felt that her daughter did not think things through.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get my brothers to find someone trustworthy for me,¡± Qi Chengyue chirped. Having twopetent brothers saved her so much trouble.

    Guan Liya stopped her nagging after hearing that. ¡°As long as you have a n in mind. Don¡¯t wear Dongge out too much.¡±

    ¡°As expected, the more the mother-inw looks at her son-inw, the more satisfied she is with him! See how protective you¡¯re of him,¡± teased Qi Chengyue with augh and a scrunched nose.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it so? I¡¯m very satisfied with this son-inw anyway!¡± Guan Liya spat at Qi Chengyue before snacking on the sunflower seeds.

    In the cradle beside them, Little Youjin was moving about.

    As he had learned to flip on his stomach, he was rolling himself back and forth restlessly.

    He was at the stage where he would begin to roll around as soon as he woke up, cry for milk when he was hungry, continue to roll around after his meal and fall back asleep after he had exhausted himself. As a result, Song Yu often found him in different sleeping positions depending on the extent he rolled himself over.

    Sometimes, he would roll to his side, close his eyes and go to sleep shortly after the drowsiness hit him. There was no interim in his actions. It happened so fast as though he had consumed the sleeping pills.

    At other times, he would roll to his front and fall asleep on his stomach.

    He hardly ever slept on his back in the proper posture.

    Thus, Song Yu could only pay him more attention to prevent him from falling asleep in a bad posture after rolling around.

    When Guan Liya was talking with Qi Chengyue earlier, Little Youjin was already awake and began the struggle of rolling around on his own in silence.

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan was guarding by the side of the cradle the entire time. He was unable to visit his brotherst week because he had gone to the winter camp. So, he was staring at Little Youjin regardless of whether Little Youjin was asleep or awake.

    As Little Youjin was entertaining himself, Qi Youxuan felt that his little brother¡¯s dumb action was really unlike his uncle. His uncle would never act inefficiently and do useless things which were a waste of time and energy.

    ¡°Auntie, isn¡¯t little brother a little dumb?¡± Qi Youxuan was baffled as he gazed at Song Yu. Hisrge clear eyes were overflowing with concern. He was afraid that his brother might be mentally retarded.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s concern expression had rendered Song Yu speechless. She felt a prick in her heart as her son was scorned.

    Her sight fell back on her son who was still rolling around while blowing bubbles. His little face was flushed from exhaustion. He was puffing and blowing yet he rolled around relentlessly.

    Even his mother, Song Yu, had to agree that her son¡¯s actions seemed a little dumb. She did not know how else to refute Qi Youxuan.

    Then, she caught sight of Qi Youxuan¡¯s suspicious look.

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    What was with the expression in that child¡¯s eyes?

    ¡°Auntie, can it be that little brother inherited your traits? Were you also like this when you were young?¡± Qi Youxuan looked at Song Yu in disdain. Then, he turned his gaze towards Little Youjin who had just rolled to the edge of the cradle and collided with the bed frame.

    The collision was merely a soft bump. Nheless, Little Youjin¡¯s tiny nose was smashed t against the bed frame.

    His face puffed up instantly like a bun. He seemed to be mad at the bed frame that was hindering his actions. He pursed his lips and red at the bed frame so hard as if his re could snap it into half. Then, he mustered up his energy to kick the bed frame with his two soft tiny plump legs and began to roll back to the other side.

    Qi Youxuan covered his eyes with his palms. Although his brother was born with a good look, his actions were too dumb for goodness sake.

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu also had no idea whose traits Little Youjin had inherited. Nevertheless, she decided to defend her own image. ¡°I used to be a very quiet baby. My mom told me that I didn¡¯t simply move around when I was sleeping. I would wake up in the same posture that I fell asleep in. I wouldn¡¯t cry when I woke up. Even when I peed, I wouldn¡¯t cry or move around.¡±

    As she was reminiscing about her past, Song Yu could not help ncing at Xia Wenna. It was tantly clear in her nce that she was questioning if Little Youjin had perhaps inherited Qi Chengzhi¡¯s traits.

    Xia Wenna quickly shook her head. She could let the matter rest if it was someone else but her son must not be embarrassed in front of Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Your uncle was very obedient when he was young. Look at how sedate he is now. Can you even imagine him rolling around in bed?¡± said Xia Wenna earnestly.

    Qi Youxuan shifted his gaze back to Little Youjin. Little Youjin was resting on his stomach. He lifted his head to watch them curiously. Why were those people staring at him?

    He let out a few babbles and resumed to blow his bubbles. Since he was tired of rolling around and had wanted to do something new, he tried to kick his legs instead. His kicks caused him to inch slightly forward unintentionally each time his knees hit the mattress.

    Song Yu had brought him to swim periodically since his birth. So, Little Youjin¡¯s limbs had managed to gain some strength from the training.

    Little Youjin was overwhelmed with excitement at that unexpected move. He believed that his achievement in moving forward that way was much better than merely rolling around. Hence, he began to kick his legs to move forward little by little.

    The strength of his kicks was still insufficient to move him much. It was almost unnoticeable as though he was staying in the same spot if one did not observe carefully.

    Despite that, Little Youjin was persistent in thumping his short arms and legs. Before he could even inch a considerable distance, the bedsheets were already scrunched up into a messy pile.

    Seeing his silly appearance, Qi Youxuan burst out into augh as he walked to one end of the cradle.

    While everyone else was wondering what he had in mind, Qi Youxuan said, ¡°Little brother, look at how fast I walk!¡±

    Then, he swiftly took a few steps backward to the other end of the cradle. ¡°Look, I can also walk backward.¡±

    He continued to walk forward and backward from one end to the other end of the cradle.

    Little Youjin¡¯s small round face turned bitter as he let out a humph. Turning around to leave Qi Youxuan with the sight of the back of his head, he continued to inch his way forward.

    ¡°Youxuan,e here.¡± Ruan Danchen beckoned the little one over.

    The little one gave Little Youjin a few smug chuckles before running toward Ruan Danchen. He stopped in front of her and called out softly, ¡°Mom!¡±

    Ruan Danchen grazed his tiny nose and asked, ¡°Why are you teasing your little brother?¡±

    Qi Youxuan puffed up his small cheeks. ¡°He is growing too slow that it¡¯s making me anxious! I want to bring him out to y!¡±

    Suddenly, he heard a string of baby babbles and quickly noticed that Little Youjin was pushing his upper body upward. Little Youjin was babbling nonstop at Qi Youxuan as if in protest.

    Song Yu lifted Little Youjin out from his cradle and sat him on herp. ¡°Your little brother is growing up very fast. When he was just born, he could onlyy down in bed. It has been only four months but he can now roll over and crawl forward a little. Give him a bit more time and he¡¯ll learn to walk. When that timees, he¡¯ll be following you around. So, you better not find him annoying then.¡±

    Song Yu squeezed his son¡¯s little plump arms lightly. The feeling of his small arms was so soft that they were pleasant to touch.

    Little Youjin also ttered her by gripping her finger tightly in his tiny hands.

    Song Yu rubbed her son¡¯s little fingers and told Qi Youxuan proudly, ¡°My son is very smart.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Little Youjin¡¯s face that was so simr to Qi Chengzhi¡¯s and nodded his head earnestly. ¡°Little brother, quickly grow up so you can follow me around. I won¡¯t get tired of you. You look a lot like uncle it¡¯ll be as if uncle is following me around and listening to mymand. It gives me a sense of aplishment. So little brother, you need to listen to me in the future!¡±

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    Xia Wenna: ¡°...¡±

    That little one actually held such ideas in his mind. He was having the delusion of overpowering his uncle through Little Youjin!

    Even so, Little Youjin still appeared to be extremely happy in Song Yu¡¯s embrace. He let go of her hands and lifted those tender small pale arms in front of him. He waved his arms excitedly while calling out, ¡°A... A...¡±

    Qi Youxuan was also very d about it. It seemed that his brother had begun to listen to him since young. That was great.

    The little one¡¯s mouth widened into a grin. Although Little Youjin did not understand why his brother was so happy all of a sudden, he still put on a silly smile for his brother.

    His short plump arms reached out for Qi Youxuan. ¡°A... Ya...¡±

    He was asking Qi Youxuan to hold him.

    Xia Wenna could not help sighing, ¡°Oh, my silly grandson!¡±

    ¡®Say, your dad is so smart. Even your mom has a quick mind. Why are you like this? Your brother is plotting against you yet you still throw yourself on him!¡¯

    ¡°Oh, my little brother is so obedient. Come here. Let big brother hug you.¡± Qi Youxuan grinned so broadly that his big round eyes narrowed into crescents. He held his arms out toward Little Youjin as well.

    Ruan Danchen was worried that the little one could not hold Little Youjin well while sitting on herp. So, she shifted him to the sofa.

    The sofa in the old mansion was very wide. It was just like a small bed. When the little one sat on it, only his ankles and feet protruded out of the sofa. Hence, she was not afraid that an ident could happen while he was holding Little Youjin in his arms.

    Song Yu ced Little Youjin in Qi Youxuan¡¯s arms. As the little one often observed the way Song Yu and Qi Chengzhi held Little Youjin, he was also doing quite well himself. However, Little Youjin was restless in his embrace. His short legs were kicking relentlessly. His little body was twisting about and rubbing against Qi Youxuan. It was apparent that he did not want to be held like a baby.

    Qi Youxuan lifted Little Youjin and sat him so they faced each other. Little Youjin¡¯s short chubby legs were split open. His soft clean toes were pressing against Qi Youxuan¡¯s soft little belly.

    Little Youjin was finally satisfied. He kept on bouncing on Qi Youxuan¡¯sp. His legs were bent as they pressed forward. They were also kicking Qi Youxuan¡¯s little stomach.

    Even though Little Youjin¡¯s kicks were not too hard, Qi Youxuan felt the pain after a few kicks. His small round face scrunched up and his facial features were shoved together like a bun.

    ¡°Don¡¯t kick me,¡± Qi Youxuan admonished. As his small arms were wrapped around Little Youjin, he could only subject himself to those kicks.

    Ruan Danchen suspected, ¡®Is the little one taking this opportunity to retaliate Qi Youxuan?¡¯

    Song Yu noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s small round face crumpling and hurriedly took Little Youjin back into her arms. ¡°Be good. Don¡¯t bully your big brother.¡±

    ¡°Ya...¡± Little Youjin was babbling again while waving his arms happily.

    ¡°That¡¯s right. Zeer ising over to our house tomorrow. I¡¯m thinking of buying some snacks at the supermarketter so we can serve them during their visit,¡± Ruan Danchen told Qi Youxuan. They had not bought any snacks since Qi Youxuan was put on a diet.

    ¡°I want to go too!¡± The little one¡¯s spirit lifted as soon as he heard about buying delicious food that he almost drooled.

    Ruan Danchen could not help pinching his cheeks. His face felt slimmer as there was less fat on his cheeks than before.

    ¡°Since I¡¯m telling you, I intend to bring you along.¡± Ruan Danchen carried him and ced him on the ground. ¡°Go and change your clothes.¡±

    ¡°I want to go too,¡± eximed Qi Chengyue suddenly.

    ¡°The supermarket is very crowded. It won¡¯t be a good idea for you toe along with your rounded belly. What if you are crushed in the crowd?¡± said Ruan Danchen.

    Guan Liya had the same concern but kept her silence because Ruan Danchen had already voiced it out to Qi Chengyue. Nevertheless, she nodded along with Ruan Danchen and praised her daughter-inw for being tactful in her heart.

    Qi Chengyue rubbed her abdomen with a flushed face. ¡°My belly is not that big yet.¡±

    Ruan Danchen raised a brow and teased, ¡°Can it be that you¡¯re missing Dongge right now?¡±

    The news of Qi Chengyue peeking at Cheng Dongge asionally in the office was already widespread throughout thepany. Despite that, no one wasughing at her. Instead, they felt that the couple¡¯s action was rather interesting.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue¡¯s face reddened yet she did not deny that notion. She mumbled, ¡°It¡¯s all because of mom. I started to miss Dongge when he was brought up in our conversation!¡±

    ¡°..¡± Guan Liya also felt embarrassed at her usation. ¡°If you miss him, just go and meet him directly. Why do you even need to squeeze through the crowd in the supermarket?¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it less embarrassing if she drags Danchen along?¡± Song Yu gave away Qi Chengyue¡¯s intention with pleasure. ¡°Although it¡¯s an off day, there are still people working overtime in Qilin. She has already frequented Dongge during working hours and the wholepany knows about it. So, she is a little self-conscious to visit him on an off day!¡±

    ¡°You call this self-conscious?¡± Guan Liya gave her daughter a teasing nce.

    ¡°Oh my! All of you!¡± Qi Chengyue red at them.

    However, she was born with an adorable face and it became rounded during her pregnancy. She was also not really angry at them. Thus, her re was not all that ferocious.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s drop by Qilin first. After Dongge is done with his work, I¡¯ll go to the supermarket with Chenglin and Youxuan. You cane back here with Dongge. If you still want to go to the supermarket, at least we are relieved to know that Dongge is there with you,¡± exined Ruan Danchen.

    Guan Liya nodded in agreement with Ruan Danchen¡¯s n.

    ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re so good to me!¡± Qi Chengyue hugged Ruan Danchen instantly. Apart from the children, Qi Chengyue was the youngest in the family. Furthermore, she felt her mentality dropping slightly with her pregnancy which added to her already childish behavior.

    ¡°Aye, your belly is pressing against me.¡± Ruan Danchen made a distasteful expression as she allowed Qi Chengyue to hug her.

    ¡°Auntie, what¡¯re you doing!¡± Qi Youxuan ran back to the living room after changing his clothes. When he caught sight of Qi Chengyue hugging Ruan Danchen tightly, he felt as though being confronted by a formidable enemy.

    Qi Chengyue purposely picked on the little one further by rubbing herself against Ruan Danchen a few more times before loosening her grip.

    ¡°Are you ready?¡± When she noticed Qi Youxuan had already changed his clothes and was ready with his backpack, Qi Chengyue ushered, ¡°Let¡¯s hurry along.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to give Dongge a call? So, he won¡¯t leave the office after work before we even arrive,¡± reminded Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Well, we can alwayse back here. It won¡¯t be a surprise anymore if I call him,¡± Qi Chengyue responded without much care. She had nothing to do anyway. She could treat the trip as going for a drive.

    As the little one walked toward the entrance, Little Youjin who stayed in Song Yu¡¯s arms became restless. His little head tailed along Qi Youxuan as he cried out for him.

    Qi Youxuan turned around to find Little Youjin ncing at him eagerly. His short arms were reaching out for Qi Youxuan. Therefore, the little one asked, ¡°Auntie, does little brother want toe along?¡±

    ¡°A... A... A... A!¡± Little Youjin seemed to understand the question. His cries became more anxious and his legs were kicking around more vigorously.

    Song Yu looked at the weather outside. It was the Tomb-Sweeping Day. The weather had just turned warm and there was no need to put onyers of thick clothes. Usually, she would also bring Little Youjin out under the sun if the weather was good in the afternoon.

    Therefore, Song Yu informed the elders before tagging along with Little Youjin.

    On the way to Qilin, Song Yu called Qi Chengzhi to check the time they finished up their work.

    ¡°Miss me?¡± asked Qi Chengzhi as he picked up the phone. There was a hint ofughter in his low mellow voice.

    Song Yu evaded his question. Instead, she asked, ¡°When will you be done?¡±

    ¡°Should be done before three,¡± responded Qi Chengzhi while checking the time on his watch.

    Song Yu took a nce at Qi Chengyue who was sitting beside her and chuckled, ¡°Chengyue misses Dongge. So, we¡¯re now on our way to Qilin. Don¡¯t let him know first. I just want to have an estimated time when you¡¯ll be done. If we reach earlier, we can find a ce to sit while waiting for you.¡±

    Then, she heard Qi Chengzhi clicking his tongue. ¡°Look at how Chengyue misses her husband. Why don¡¯t you miss me? You even call me to ask about someone else¡¯s husband.¡±

    Song Yu blushed lightly. She tried to hide at a side and whispered, ¡°Danchen and Chengyue are both with me.¡±

    ¡°Danchen is alsoing to look for Chenglin?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked with a raised brow.

    ¡°Hum,¡± Song Yu had wanted to exin the truth. However, Qi Chengzhi¡¯s voice leaked from her phone and his question was heard by Qi Chengyue. With her waist pinched at the mercy of Qi Chengyue, Song Yu did not embarrass Qi Chengyue further.

    ¡°Just right. We¡¯ve also nned to leave together anyway.¡±

    ¡°Then I¡¯m hanging up,¡± said Song Yu but was stopped by Qi Chengzhi.

    ¡°Do you actually miss me?¡± Qi Chengzhi asked again.

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    That man was really tiring. Did they not just split up at home that morning?

    ¡°Miss you.¡± Before Qi Chengzhi could say anything else, Song Yu quickly hung up the call.

    Qi Chengyue who was teased earlier had caught the chance to return the favor. She shook her head and chuckled, ¡°See, I¡¯m not the only one who misses my husband. You all are too. You¡¯re just taking the advantage toe out as well.¡±

    ¡°Xiao Fan, let¡¯s head directly to the supermarket instead,¡± Ruan Danchen said faintly from the passenger seat.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengyue did not expect Ruan Danchen to say that. She responded quickly, ¡°Oh! Danchen, you¡¯ve be as nasty as my brother after being with him for some time.¡±

    The car was full ofughter instantly. Even Xiao Fan could not helpughing. Of course, they did not turn around to head to the supermarket.

    ...

    Liu Ronghua was in her house thinking about the incident with Chang Jingqiu. The more she yed that thought in her mind, the more disturbed she became. Since being hinted by Jiang Yuan, she had not let that thought off of her mind.

    She had tried to call Chang Jingqiu numerous times but they were unanswered. She went to the newspaper office where Chang Jingqiu was employed but was told that Chang Jingqiu was away on a long leave. Thus, she could not even cause a scene in the newspaper office.

    After much consideration, she took the opportunity to get herself a new SIM card when the heat of the news was finally over and the paparazzi had left her alone.

    Even with a new number, Chang Jingqiu had assumed that the call was from a journalist and refused to answer it.

    Although the incident on her birthday did not make it in the newspaper, it was still exposed online. The few famous paparazzi¡¯ ounts on Weibo broke the news. Yet, it was not published in any legit newspaper since it was not a piece of proper news. One could only treat it as merely a rumor.

    As a result of the revtion, she had be a subject in the wave of heated discussion and was even mocked by theizens.

    In a short period of time, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s poprity had risen online. Many photographs of her in the past were shared on the Inte. She did not know who betrayed her but it was clear that the situation had made it difficult for her to even step out of the house.

    Shortly after refusing to answer the call, she received the message: ¡®I have your secret in my hand.¡¯

    Chang Jingqiu frowned at the message. She was at a sudden loss.

    There was no new message subsequent to thest one. Chang Jingqiu was initially worried that it was a trick used by a journalist to get her to call back.

    Nevertheless, she could not help her curiosity and had decided to call the sender. If it happened to be a journalist, she would hang up the call immediately.

    She did not expect Liu Ronghua to answer the call.

    ¡°So, you¡¯ve finally decided to call me?¡± spat Liu Ronghua through the phone.

    ¡°Auntie, what do you mean?¡± Chang Jingqiu feigned confusion.

    ¡°Stop your act! You used me to dig up information on that incident in Ruan Danchen¡¯s past. In the end, I was driven out of the Shen family and had to face Qi Chenglin¡¯s retribution. You, on the other hand, merely left to my own demise. Do you think that all these have nothing to do with you?¡± Liu Ronghua was seething. ¡°There¡¯s no way for you to disentangle yourself after using me!¡±

    ¡°Auntie, what are you talking about? I don¡¯t understand what you mean.¡± As soon as Chang Jingqiu confirmed that the sender was Liu Ronghua, she had thrown the message out from her head.

    In fact, she had always looked down upon Liu Ronghua. That brainless woman only knew how to put on a pitiful facade. She doubted Liu Ronghua¡¯s ability to cause amotion. Hence, she did not take her to heart. She was only being polite to Liu Ronghua because she did not want anyone to hold something against her.

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, stop your stupid act! Shortly after revealing Ruan Danchen¡¯s past to you, the same information had be widespread on the Inte. It didn¡¯t matter if I was driven out of the Shen family. You, however, should not cast me aside so quickly. I couldn¡¯t even reach you when I called. You don¡¯t want to have anything to do with me, don¡¯t you?¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s voice was raised higher from anger.

    Perhaps, Liu Ronghua had feigned weakness and delicacy in her whole life or it might be innate, even with a raised voice, her thin voice carried a hint of a quiver. It sounded so pitiful.

    ¡°Auntie, I don¡¯t get what you¡¯ve just said. You didn¡¯t tell me anything about Ruan Danchen. I only found out after the news was broken on the Inte. What¡¯re you talking about?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s lips curled up sinisterly.

    ¡°You...¡± Liu Ronghua did not expect Chang Jingqiu to stubbornly refuse any im about her. ¡°You... You shameless woman! Chang Jingqiu, you dare not admit what you¡¯ve done. You have no gut!¡±

    ¡°Auntie, please mind your words. Don¡¯t simply put the me on me. It could cause misunderstandings.¡± Chang Jingqiu satzily on her bed.

    She felt rather bored to be confined at home. Tormenting Liu Ronghua like that was entertainment to her boredom.

    ¡°What misunderstandings? It was you who did it. Why didn¡¯t I notice that you¡¯re such a treacherous person? Aren¡¯t you afraid that I tell Qi Chenglin you¡¯re the one behind that Weibo post?¡± Liu Ronghua breathed out through her clenched teeth.

    ¡°Auntie, what are you talking about? This is not my doing. So what if you tell Qi Chenglin? Do you have any evidence?¡± Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips. ¡°I heard that you even went to cause amotion at Qilin. You were spouting out many things about Ruan Danchen to the bypassers in front of the office. Who knows how many people you have told before?¡±

    ¡°You...¡±

    Chang Jingqiu cut her off. ¡°Auntie, I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to upset you so much so that you tried to wrong me out of hatred. No matter what, I¡¯ll not admit it even if you tell Qi Chenglin.¡±

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, you got close to me on purpose to get something against Ruan Danchen from me. You refuse to admit it right? It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just consider myself to be foolish enough to trust the wrong person this time. However, do you really think that I only have this information in my hand?¡± Liu Ronghua let out a sneer. Her confidence caused Chang Jingqiu¡¯s heart to constrict in worry.

    What could Liu Ronghua with that petty brain have against her?

    Chang Jingqiu did not have much contact with Liu Ronghua. Even if she got closer to Liu Ronghua in the past, it was Liu Ronghua who did most of the talking. Liu Ronghua was unaware of the fact that she did not share much about herself with her.

    What information could Liu Ronghua have against her then?

    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what else about me that you know. I¡¯ve been contemting this in my mind but we¡¯re not very familiar aren¡¯t we?¡± said Chang Jingqiu in clear disbelief.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s lips curled into a sadistic smile as she let on, ¡°What if one day, everything you have now no longer belongs to you? What if you¡¯re no longer Ms Chang? Do you still have the gut to appear so arrogant in front of me?¡±

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Chang Jingqiu frowned deeper. ¡°You¡¯re so crazy that you¡¯re starting to spout nonsense!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying that your mom is a vige woman and your dad is a farmer who is earning a living in the city. You¡¯re not blood-rted with that Ms Chang who had passed on. What do you think will happen if the Chang family found out about this? Everything you have had till now is built upon their guilt towards Ms Chang¡¯s death. Grandmother Chang treats you well because she regrets treating her daughter that way. Chang Zhiyuan treats you well because she was her beloved sister. Once they know that you¡¯re not her daughter, why do they even need to care for your wellbeing? Don¡¯t you think that they will feel disgusted when they find out that you¡¯re not blood-rted with them?¡± Liu Ronghua exined with hostility.

    Chang Jingqiu shot up on her feet. She did not know why she was feeling a sense of guilt. Her heart was beating rapidly against her ribcage.

    She took a few big strides toward the door and locked it. Then, she went into the washroom in her bedroom and locked herself in there.

    ¡°Liu Ronghua, are you crazy? Are you being delusional after being driven out of the Shen family? Do you think that I will believe in such cliche?¡± Chang Jingqiu lowered her tense voice.

    Despite knowing that her voice would not escape the washroom, she still kept her guard guiltily.

    Liu Ronghua ridiculed, ¡°Why are you so nervous then? I do have the evidence with me. Chang Jingqiu, if you had been sincere with me, I¡¯ll not even tell you this. Being able to be Ms Chang is a gift from me to you. I am after all your benefactor!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve never nned to ask anything of you even after meeting you again after all these years. I don¡¯t even intend to tell you this. I would have considered this information nonexistence and you can remain as the Chang family¡¯s youngdy. There was not much exchange between us and there will not be. I didn¡¯t want to use this against you.¡±

    Liu Ronghua pursed her lips. Then, Chang Jingqiu heard Liu Ronghua continued, ¡°When you tried to get close to me, I had thought that it was fate between us that began when I sent you to the Chang family. Who would have thought that a peasant is always a peasant? Your parents were not well off. You are also a malicious person with all those sinister acts.¡±

    ¡°Ridiculous!¡± Chang Jingqiu was infuriated.

    She had always looked down on Liu Ronghua¡¯s status. However, it was Liu Ronghua¡¯s turn to look down upon her.

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me this all of a sudden. Do you think I¡¯ll believe in you? Do you think I¡¯m no longer Ms Chang just from your speech alone? Who do you think you are? Liu Ronghua, you need evidence to prove the things you said!¡± Chang Jingqiu tightened her grip on the phone. Liu Ronghua would never know how much she was trembling over the phone.

    ¡°So, it¡¯s Liu Ronghua now. Didn¡¯t you put on such a good act by addressing me as auntie earlier?¡± mocked Liu Ronghua. ¡°Since I dare to tell you this, I definitely have the evidence with me. Chang Jingqiu, do you really think that I¡¯m stupid? I have all the cards in my hands. I only keep them with me until it is the right time to reveal them. By the way, I still keep the contact information of your blood parents. Do you want to meet them? You can also perform a DNA test if you like.¡±

    ¡°Why do I need to believe in the things that you say out of the blue?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s pretty fingernails dug into her flesh, causing it to redden.

    She was feeling startled and rmed that her mind was empty for a short while.

    She did not know what she could believe in. Her mind was a puddle of mess at the moment and she could note up with any n.

    Liu Ronghua called her suddenly to tell her such unbelievable things. How could she believe in her?

    She had been a youngdy of the Chang family for twenty-seven years!

    Then, one day, someone told her that she was not the youngdy of the Chang family. Her mother was not Ms Chang but a rowdy vige woman. How could she believe that? How could she ept that?

    She felt a series of lightning striking hard in her brain. She was beginning to feel restless.

    What if... What if what Liu Ronghua said was true?

    What if she really had the evidence with her?

    She chose to believe that an absent-minded person like Liu Ronghua would have the evidence if she dared to spill out the beans.

    She was just reluctant to think and admit that fact.

    She could not imagine what would happen to her if it was the truth and the Chang family found out about it.

    The Chang family would no longer keep her under their wings. She would lose everything she had in her life.

    Her circle of friends would stop befriending her. Yes, who would keep in touch with a person whose parents were from the vige?

    Everyone in their circle was indeed materialistic.

    She could not bear to lose everything she had had.

    ¡°Hehehe, I know. This is a big blow to you. I fully understand even if you don¡¯t believe in me.¡± Listening to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s shaken voice, Liu Ronghua¡¯s mood lifted. She was feeling so much better.

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a week to think about it. Otherwise, I¡¯ll bring your blood parents over to the Chang family mansion for tea. One week is sufficient for you to ept reality. Give me a call when you¡¯vee around during this period. I can show you the evidence, no worries.¡± Liu Ronghua¡¯s tone was bing more rxed. ¡°Oh right. My contact number still remains the same. It was the one I used earlier. After all, I¡¯m not one who would cast someone aside after they had served their purpose.¡±

    ¡°What do you want from this? Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s because I refuse to answer your call. You¡¯re not that brittle,¡± Chang Jingqiu said coldly. She did not want to be entangled with Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell you when we meet.¡± Liu Ronghua hung up the call after saying that.

    How could she not be a youngdy from the Chang family?

    Could it even be possible that the Chang family was mistaken about it?

    Impossible! Since the Chang family raised her up as their family, they could not be wrong about it. How could they simply take in a child before confirming her identity?

    With that in mind, Chang Jingqiu was slightly relieved. Nheless, the seed had been nted in her heart. There was no way for her to truly have peace of mind.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen, Song Yu and Qi Chengyue were chatting in a cafe next to Qilin¡¯s building. They were waiting for their husbands to finish up their work.

 Chapter 425 - The Child Is Still Young, So He Is Frank And Outspoken

    <h4>Chapter 425: The Child Is Still Young, So He Is Frank And Outspoken</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youjin was confined to his seat in the cafe. Nevertheless, he was very excited about a change in the environment. Everything was new to him.

    He peered around the cafe which had a different interior set up from his home. It was refreshing.

    When he was tired of the view inside the cafe, he turned his head around to take in the sight on the other side of the window. The hustle and bustle of pedestrians and cars outside the cafe had caught his interest unexpectedly.

    Ruan Danchen ordered a slice of chocte cake for Qi Youxuan. As he was enjoying the dessert, Little Youjin stared at him withrge round eyes. The intensity of his gaze had even caused a foodie like Qi Youxuan to feel awkward.

    Thus, Qi Youxuan plucked out the tiny chocte garnish on the cake and asked shyly, ¡°Little brother, do you want some?¡±

    Little Youjin responded with a delighted babble. He grabbed the chocte garnish and licked it in content.

    The chocte garnish was only the size of a thumb, so Song Yu was not in the least worried about letting her son have one. Soon, his soft little fingers were coated with melted chocte.

    When Song Yu noticed that he had had enough, she finished the remaining chocte in his hands and wiped them clean.

    Just then, Qi Chengzhi called her to let them know that they were done for the day.

    After hanging up, Song Yu and the others brought the children over to the office. Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge had not arrived at the lobby when they walked into the office building. Only Qi Chenglin and a woman could be seen standing in the lobby.

    Qi Chenglin seemed to be giving that woman a cold shoulder. His face was solemn and he only returned her a few cold responses asionally. Nheless, that woman appeared poised and dignified; she was neither conceited nor rash. She did not cower from Qi Chenglin¡¯s indifference nor did she look impatient.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that Shen Man?¡± Qi Chengyue turned around to look at Song Yu. ¡°Hadn¡¯t she seduced Brother Chengzhi before? Is she trying toy her hands on Brother Chenglin after her failure with Brother Chengzhi?¡±

    Ruan Danchen had seen Shen Man many times on the television yet she was unfamiliar with that woman. She also did not really fancy Shen Man even if she considered only her hosting skills. Ruan Danchen had once watched the opening ceremony of a film festival at home with Song Yu who was still single then, and Shen Man was the female host on the red carpet of the festival.

    Although it was a locally organized international film festival, numerous Hollywood celebrities still turned up on the red carpet. Some famous celebrities would have an interview with the host after walking the red carpet and signing autographs. The more famed a celebrity was, the longer was the interview.

    Besides, interviews with international celebrities should naturally be conducted in English.

    At that time, Ruan Danchen hadined to Song Yu, ¡°Say, what do you think is Shen Man¡¯s background? What benefits did she promise the organizers? She¡¯s always selected to host big events such as the film festival and the award presentation ceremony, but her hosting skills were merely average and her English was below par. She speaks standard Chinglish. At any rate, it just doesn¡¯t make sense for a female host of such standard to appear in important events on our nation¡¯s best television station.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see the news earlier? It seems that their circle is also very corrupt.¡± That was Song Yu¡¯s response to herint.

    Just like how the audience would be quickly attracted to some celebrities with good characters, they did not have as much affinity for others despite scanning those celebrities inside out or even if they did not know who those celebrities were.

    Furthermore, there were reports of Shen Man dating a wealthy businessman after that event. A beautiful female news anchor and host with a rtively high social status like Shen Man was a grab for many rich businessmen.

    Due to her work nature, Shen Man might not openly date or seduce a married man. Even if she had wanted to, it must be done behind closed doors. There used to be a famous female news anchor from the same agency who was rumored to be dating a married man. The news anchor had denied the rumor profusely but after the man was divorced, the two of them finally got together openly in public.

    Despite looking at Qi Chenglin standing alongside Shen Man and listening to Qi Chengyue¡¯s words, Ruan Danchen was not in the least concerned.

    The little one, on the other hand, was worried that Ruan Danchen could take Qi Chenglin wrong. So, he muttered softly, ¡°This man is really undependable. I¡¯ve only taken my eyes off him for a short while and he already managed to flirt with another woman.¡±

    His voice was not loud but he could still be heard by Ruan Danchen, Song Yu and Qi Chengyue.

    The three of them were dumbfounded.

    ¡°Dad!¡± the child shouted all of a sudden. He let go of Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and ran off toward Qi Chenglin.

    Little Youjin who was sitting in Song Yu¡¯s arms began to babble anxiously as he saw his brother running further away from him. He stretched out his two little hands toward Qi Youxuan and called out, ¡°Ya... Ya...¡±

    Ruan Danchen followed Qi Youxuan ahead of the others. Song Yu trailed behind her with Little Youjin in her arms. Little Youjin finally stopped his cries when he noticed his mother¡¯s swift strides.

    Before Ruan Danchen could stop in front of Qi Chenglin, she saw Qi Youxuan hugging Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm. His small face was serious as he said, ¡°Dad, you need to keep at least one meter¡¯s distance with any woman who¡¯s interested in you. How can it be only half a meter?¡±

    Not sure if it was intentional, but it seemed as though Qi Chenglin was pulled a few steps backward by Qi Youxuan until he was about a meter away from Shen Man.

    Shen Man felt awkward instantly. She did have a slight intention to flirt with Qi Chenglin but she did not mean to snatch him away; she knew that such a thought was unrealistic.

    She was used to interacting with many rich individuals in her field of work. Those individuals with money, status, and power would flirt with her regardless of whether they were still single or already married.

    They liked women who had self-awareness and would not badger them constantly. Both parties would just take what they needed from each other. Those wealthy individuals were willing to shower their women with love and pamper when they were together. They did not even mind helping their women to achieve sess. In return for the many things that they could give, those women should not be greedy for more. The women must never challenge the status of their wives at home or request them to divorce their wives.

    What Shen Man wanted was what those men were willing to give; that alone was sufficient for her. She knew that she would not get anything if she became too greedy.

    It was like those celebrities who failed to be famous; no matter how much support they had, there were still sugar daddies willing to invest for her to be a lead actress.

    Shen Man climbed her way up the industry in that manner. Despite being reported to having an intimate rtionship with a married man, there was no proof and she had denied the usations. Even if they were caught on the camera, she insisted that it was merely a normal outing with a friend. Therefore, even her agency could do nothing against her.

    In fact, the television station was turning a blind eye to her actions. They had a clear idea of the interchange within their industry.

    The television station did not earn much but it was very well-known. Just being engaged under the C station had already ced her among the top in the nation. She was not only famous, but her reputation was also much better than any othermon female celebrities. Any man would be proud to take her out with them.

    Her nature of work also allowed Shen Man to be acquainted with elites from various fields of work. That had provided her with further convenience to hook up with them.

    She had been with a few older men and even some younger men from prestigious families. Her rtionship with the older mensted longer. The younger ones were just seeking new experiences and would break it off with her after the excitement was over.

    Besides, as her age grew, the choices presented to her had also be narrow.

    After hitting the wall with Qi Chengzhi in the previous year, she had stopped her pursuit in him. Nheless, she would like to try her luck with Qi Chenglin as she chanced upon him for work purposes.

    A senior in her television station was going to further her studies in the United Kingdom, and that senior in question was in a rtionship with a very famous businessman who already had a family. The man was trying to file a divorce for the sake of that senior. Hence, it was obvious that Shen Man¡¯s senior traveled overseas to escape themotion. When she finally came back after themotion, she could then be in an open rtionship with that man.

    Shen Man was targeting a program left by that senior. That program had a good reputation and its rating was among the top in their television station. It did not matter who took over the program, the audience still might not be used to it at first. Nevertheless, with its solid foundation, the one who took over the program could easily reach a new high.

    Shen Man wanted to fight for a ce in that program. She thus tried to use Qi Chenglin with whom she had an acquaintance from work to achieve her goal.

    If Qi Chenglin could lend her a hand, she would be able to get through with many things easily aside from that program.

    She was nothing like the other women; she would not ask Qi Chenglin to make her his wife nor would she destroy his marriage or pester him endlessly. She only wanted to use the opportunity to win his good grace and let him know that she was a woman with self-awareness and capability. In return, she hoped that he would not mind helping her asionally.

    After all, she was also a famous person in the industry. Bringing her along to some gatherings would definitely let him yield twice the result with half the effort.

    In Shen Man¡¯s opinion, a woman like Chang Jingqiu had too many ideas above her own station. Chang Jingqiu liked Qi Chenglin but refused to stay low as his mistress. To Shen Man, a woman with that mindset would never seed in life.

    Shen Man lowered her head to look at the watchful little boy. She carried herself gracefully and was careful to not reveal her ideas, so it was as though she was being misunderstood by Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°You must be Youxuan, right?¡± greeted Shen Man with a sweet smile. ¡°How adorable you are.¡±

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯m my dad and mom¡¯s child after all!¡± The little one puffed up his chest and said with pride. ¡°Auntie, even though you look slightly uglier than my mom, you¡¯ll still have hope if you go for stic surgery. Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Shen Man noticed his cating expression as if he was sincerely worried that she would feel inferior. Despite knowing that he was only a young child and reminding herself to not take what that little chubby boy said to heart, her smile was still uncontrobly twisted.

    ¡°Youxuan, you¡¯re mistaken. I only have a business rtionship with Mr. Qi here,¡± Shen Man exined with a gentle smile.

    ¡°Of course it¡¯s only a business rtionship.¡± Qi Youxuan looked at her with a what-other-rtionship-do-you-want expression. That caused a lump of anger to be caught up in Shen Man¡¯s throat with no means for release.

    Then, Qi Youxuan ignored her to turn around and beckon to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Mom! Come here quickly. Even though dad isn¡¯t interested in any other woman apart from you, you shouldn¡¯t be so trusting as well!¡±

    Ruan Danchen was stunned.

    Although it was a public holiday, there were still people in the office albeit the number!

    Where could she hide in embarrassment from the little one¡¯s yell?

    Qi Chenglin gave the little one¡¯s head a flick in faint amusement. Then, he turned to apologize to Shen Man calmly, ¡°Ms. Shen, I¡¯m sorry. The child is still young, so he¡¯s frank and outspoken.¡±

    Shen Man was speechless.

    ¡®What do you mean by frank and outspoken? Shouldn¡¯t you say that it was nonsense instead?¡¯

    Labelling Qi Youxuan as being frank and outspoken implied that what the little one said was true.

    Even if she had the intention to flirt with him, it was not very presentable for the man whom she was pursuing to agree with a child so shamelessly.

    ¡°Naughty.¡± Ruan Danchen finally arrived next to them. She ced her hand on the little one¡¯s shoulder and squeezed it lightly.

    ¡°Ms. Shen, I¡¯m sorry. My son¡¯s a little mischievous,¡± Ruan Danchen chuckled softly.

    ¡°Mrs. Qi, do you know who I am?¡± Pride shed through Shen Man¡¯s eyes.

    ¡°Um, yes. I often see you in the entertainment news,¡± said Ruan Danchen with a smile.

    Shen Man fell silent.

    She knew exactly when she would appear in the entertainment news. It was always reporting about Shen Man having a dinner date with a married wealthy businessman.

    ncing at Ruan Danchen, Shen Man felt that the woman was not as pure and soft as she seemed.

    Shen Man sneered in her heart, ¡®Yes, if that woman is really harmless, how can she win Qi Chenglin over from his countless admirers?¡¯

    Although Ruan Danchen trusted Qi Chenglin and would not be mad at him, that did not mean that she could stay courteous with a woman who harbored ill intentions.

    ¡°Here to pick me up?¡± Qi Chenglin lowered his head and looked at Ruan Danchen in amusement.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stole a nce at Qi Chengyue. She did not dare to divulge in front of outsiders that they were here because her sister-inw missed her husband, so she could only go along with it and let out an awkward ¡®Um¡¯.

    Her response had let Qi Chengyue felt that both her sisters-inw were rather righteous. She was so happy that her dimples showed on her face.

    Just then, Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge walked out of the esctor with Jiang Yuan tailing them.

    Shen Man was still ashamed to meet Qi Chengzhi, thus she told Qi Chenglin, ¡°Mr. Qi, I won¡¯t keep you upied any longer. If you have any queries on this job, please don¡¯t hesitate to contact me.¡±

    However, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°I¡¯ve considered this through. I feel that this job isn¡¯t really suitable for Ms. Shen.¡±

    Then, he told Jiang Yuan, ¡°Contact Jiang Ronn on Monday. We¡¯ll be inviting Contilook¡¯s founder and Teck Asia¡¯s President this time. It¡¯s better to get someone with a goodmand of English, technical knowledge, and seemed more sedate.¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded in acknowledgment as Shen Man paled at that statement. Her poor English fluency and uracy was always a subject of public denunciation. Even some individuals in the station who were not satisfied with her would often castigate her with that subject. She felt even more ashamed that the subject was pointed out bluntly by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Ms. Shen, let me see you out,¡± Jiang Yuan stepped up and said politely.

    Shen Man had wanted to fight on initially but Qi Chenglin¡¯s blunt response had left her with no chance to make up for it. In the end, she could only let Jiang Yuan see her out of the office.

    When she saw Cheng Dongge, Qi Chengyue instantly went to hold his arm.

    Qi Chengzhi and Cheng Dongge would be sending Song Yu and Qi Chengyue back to the Qi family mansion as Little Youjin was already asleep, and Cheng Dongge was worried about Qi Chengyue¡¯s safety in the supermarket. Hence, only Qi Chenglin¡¯s family of three would proceed to the supermarket as nned.

    In the supermarket, Ruan Danchen was considering to prepare a home-cooked meal herself to serve Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming on the next day. However, they did not have all the ingredients at home. Fortunately, she knew what they werecking in and bought the ingredients back home.

    Chen Minxia went to the supermarket to buy a gift for Ruan Zeer to bring along to the Prestige Residences. She had bought a box of cherries and was going to get some snacks package for the child. Just as she was passing by Ruan Danchen¡¯s side, she heard the little boy sitting in the shopping trolley saying, ¡°Mom, a woman flirted with dad today. Let him kneel on the instant noodles when we¡¯re back home! If he crushes the noodles even just a bit, don¡¯t let him into the bedroom.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chen Minxia could not help but look toward the child. Were that child¡¯s thoughts not a little too vicious?

    ¡°Don¡¯t frame your dad just because you want to eat the instant noodles.¡± Ruan Danchen gazed at him with mirth. ¡°That food isn¡¯t healthy for you. No can do.¡±

    The little one puffed up his cheeks and was about to say something when he felt a sudden chill along the back of his neck. He turned his head around to find Qi Chenglin¡¯s cold stare. Even his curled lips seemed shady to Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°The air conditioner in this supermarket is pretty cold.¡± The little one twisted his body dully in the shopping trolley and became more well-behaved.

    Chen Minxia let out a chuckle. The child was just too smart and adorable. Her sight fell onto Ruan Danchen unconsciously and she felt a sense of familiarity and affinity toward that youngdy. Nheless, she did not think much of it and continued passed them.

    ...

    That Sunday, immediately after Ruan Zeer left home to meet Li Yiming before heading together to the Prestige Residences, Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia also went out to visit Liu Ronghua at the address given by the journalist.

    As Liu Ronghua was living in a slightly high-end condominium, Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia were stopped by the security guard at themunity entrance for not having an ess card.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to look for Liu Ronghua who lives on the twelfth floor. Her unit number is 401,¡± said Chen Minxia. She seemed as though she was familiar with Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°Please wait a moment,¡± the security guard responded before returning to the security room.

    Chen Minxia followed the security guard while pulling Ruan Keshan with her. The security guard called Liu Ronghua to inquire about her guests. Liu Ronghua was at home but imed to not have any visitors that day.

    When Chen Minxia heard that, she asked the security guard, ¡°May I speak with Madam Liu for a short while?¡±

    The security guard nodded his head and made some space for her near the phone.

    Chen Minxia took the receiver and said, ¡°Madam Liu, let me introduce myself. I am Chen Minxia. Perhaps you can¡¯t remember who I am but I believe that you¡¯ll remember Ruan Keyu, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s hands trembled and she almost dropped her phone. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    ¡°Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Chen Minxia, Ruan Keyu¡¯s sister-inw. I¡¯m here today with my husband, Ruan Keshan. We¡¯d like to have a word with you about Ruan Keyu,¡± Chen Minxia exined politely. However, it was not as courteous as it sounded.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for your loss but there¡¯s nothing much that I can say,¡± said Liu Ronghua. Her voice was tensed as she gripped her phone tightly.

    ¡°But there are some things that we¡¯d like to ask you. At that time, we failed to meet Keyu onest time before his death and we had lost contact with you. Wee here uninvited after managing to get ahold of your information on the Inte. We hope that you could meet us once,¡± Chen Minxia persuaded politely but there was an obvious firmness in her voice.

    Liu Ronghua knew that they would not give up easily even if she were to reject their request.

    ¡°Alright, I know. Are you still in the security room?¡± Liu Ronghua took in a deep breath to im her voice down. ¡°Please wait a moment, I¡¯lle down shortly.¡±

    ¡°Sure, thank you,¡± replied Chen Minxia courteously. She then hung up and got the security guard¡¯s permission to wait for Liu Ronghua in that room.

    Liu Ronghua hung up the phone. Her heart was beating strongly against her ribcage and she was rendered speechless from her nerves.

    She did not expect Ruan Keyu¡¯s family to find her thirty years after that incident.

    Her heart constricted in indescribable pain when she heard someone else uttered Ruan Keyu¡¯s name. She began to recall that refreshing handsome man from her memories and could not help but gripped her chest.

    Liu Ronghua paled as her eyes reddened.

    After some time, she breathed in deeply and went to change her clothes. Even when she stayed at home with no one to see her, she still put on an exquisite makeup. Looking at her own reflection in the mirror, her mood was lifted when she noticed that she was still her beautiful self.

    She studied her face carefully and touched up her makeup. Only when she was sure that there was no imperfection on her face¡ªher wrinkles would remain concealed if she controlled her facial expression¡ªdid she grabbed her bag and left her house.

    Ruan Keshan and Chen MInxia could immediately see Liu Ronghua walking toward them through the window of the security room. Ruan Keshan could wait no longer; he walked out instantly with Chen Minxia tailing him.

 Chapter 426 - The Mystery Of The Past 1 (The Truth Of Said Past, Donâ€™t Order If Unnaceptable)

    <h4>Chapter 426: The Mystery Of The Past 1 (The Truth Of Said Past, Don¡¯t Order If Unnaceptable)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua slowed down as she looked toward Ruan Keshan in shades, apletely elegant presentation from that man.

    She had met Ruan Keshan when she was much younger in B city. She bore quite the resemnce toward Ruan Keshan and assuming he was older now and at this age, she might not have too much of a difference to him, perhaps she assumed she might even look better than Ruan Keshan did.

    Liu Ronghua shivered as she took a deep breath before she stopped right in front of Ruan Keshan and Chen Mingxia.

    ¡°Do you still remember us, Miss Liu?¡± Chen Mingxia asked with a smile while nodding her head.

    ¡°Mr. and Mrs. Ruan.¡± Liu Ronghua greeted the duo calmly.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look for a spot to sit down for a bit, what do you think?¡± Chen Mingxia suggested.

    Remaining silent, Liu Ronghua simply nodded in response as she got into the car along with Chen Mingxia.

    Parked behind Ruan Keshan¡¯s Passat was a Z4 as Chang Jingqiu watched Liu Ronghua entered a stranger¡¯s car. Feeling suspicious by the whole situation, her eyebrows twitched as she wondered about who could those two strangers be?

    Judging by the elegance of these two people, these two people looked nothing like a married couple from a rural farming vige.

    Upon receiving Liu Ronghua¡¯s callst night, Chang Jingqiu grew increasingly restless as if sensing something was off. she nned to meet up with Liu Ronghua today just to discuss the matter at hand initially, however, never did she expected to witness this scene.

    This was all due to the anxious tone through Liu Ronghua¡¯s voice from the phone callst night. It felt as if whoever Liu Ronghua had crossed paths with, would undoubtedly be rted to that woman since she never hesitated even for a second before entering that car.

    They stopped at a restaurant as Chang Jingqiu noticed the odd expression on Liu Ronghua¡¯s face while getting out of the car. Hence, she squinted her eyes and proceeded to follow behind them.

    As they entered the restaurant, she overheard the two strangers requested for a private room and thus the waiter spoke through the inte to have them led into their private room. Chang Jingqiu noted the room number as she got seated in the main hall, she ordered some random dishes from the menu then proceeded to look for that private room.

    She waited outside the room after she had found where the room was located at. It never took long for a waiter to walk out that room. Upon noticing that she instantly stopped that waiter.

    ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± The waiter asked politely while remaining suspicious.

    Without saying a word, Chang Jingqiu took out a few banknotes from her purse, without counting the total amount, she proceeded to stuff the notes into the waiter¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Ma¡¯am, what is the meaning of this?¡± The waiter was shocked, after looking at both directions to make sure the coast was clear, the waiter returned the money to Chang Jingqiu.

    However, Chang Jingqiu stopped the waiter¡¯s hand and simply whispered, ¡°If you¡¯re determined to struggle with me, it¡¯ll be obvious for someone to notice our exchange. So why don¡¯t you keep the money when the coast is still clear at the moment.¡±

    The waiter nced over at every direction nervously and proceeded to swiftly stuff the cash into his pocket after crumpling the cash into a ball.

    ¡°I¡¯ll need you to lend me your phone for a bit.¡± Chang Jingqiu said in amanding tone.

    As ady of the Chang family, she was used to ordering people around, plus, the waiter had epted her bribe, so there was no need for her to hold back.

    Unaware of what her purpose was, however, since the waiter had actually taken the money; and even though it was forcefully given by Chang Jingqiu, but after she had sneakily counted the money, and noting it was at least one thousand Yuan which amounted to a fortnight¡¯s worth of his monthly pay, hence he never refused the money.

    After hearing what Chang Jingqiu had said, he promptly handed her his phone.

    Using the waiter¡¯s phone to call her number, she never hung up after the call was connected. Chang Jingqiu said, ¡°You¡¯ll find a reason to walk in that room again, have the call be set to loudspeaker mode and ce it in an inconspicuous spot. I want to know what they are talking about inside.¡±

    The waiter hesitated for a moment, however, Chang Jingqiu continued, ¡°After they had left, I¡¯ll give you the same amount you¡¯ve received earlier.¡±

    The waiter pondered for a moment as he thought since the phone was ced in an inconspicuous spot, so it would not be discovered anyway. Thus, the waiter agreed.

    After setting her call to loudspeaker mode, the waiter proceeded to push the door open and entered the room. While serving tea to the guests; using the opening he had when he ced the sk back, he proceeded to hide the phone behind the sk.

    He nodded to Chang Jingqiu upon exiting the room, signaling everything had been done ordingly.

    And thus, Chang Jingqiu requested for a room next to her target room. She proceeded to enter the room after the waiter ced the food she had ordered earlier on the table.

    ...

    ¡°Miss. Liu, you seem well in recent years.¡± Chen Mingxia said with a smile.

    Ruan Keshan said only a few words, besides anything that held any corrtion with the professional career-wise, he seemed held back when he had to talk about anything else. He left his wife in charge of the small talk.

    ¡°Big brother and his wife didn¡¯t seem to change much after all these years.¡± Liu Ronghua smiledpassionately.

    Ruan Keshan was stunned as Chen Mingxia¡¯s expression looked slightly cold. She said, ¡°Miss. Liu, it seemed inappropriate for you to address him like that, we still have our siblings, the ones who were dead too were our siblings, Miss. Liu, you¡¯re a friend to our brother and our siblings. You shouldn¡¯t address them as big brother and his wife. ¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded as he seemed slightly at ease after hearing what his wife had just said.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s smile seemed slightly stiff, she said, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant, it was only due to the great rtionship with Keyu, and since his elder brother would too be mine as well and so, I¡¯ve decided to address him as such. It was just like regr friends, isn¡¯t it the most natural thing to do when addressing the other person¡¯s family? However...Since Madam Ruan doesn¡¯t seem to like it then, I¡¯ll stop doing so.¡±

    Chen Mingxia nodded in response and said, ¡°I¡¯d prefer to not cause any unwanted misunderstandings to anyone.¡±

    Liu Ronghua never expected the hostility from Chen Mingxia, her lips twitched a little before saying, ¡°It¡¯s still unclear to me for the purpose of today¡¯s meeting by the both of you...?¡±

    Chen Mingxia never replied her, simply saying, ¡°My brother died on that day, both my brother and sister died due to a miscarriage, the whereabouts of the niece that left us behind was unknown. We¡¯ve never stopped looking all these years. The hospital staff told us back then, when our brother and sister were giving birth, a friend was apanying her by her side, and that friend, was you, Miss. Liu.¡±

    Ruan Keshan remained silent, even though he never enjoyed social interaction much, he was not a fool. Back then, there was never a mention of the identity of that person by any staff of the hospital. He knew the purpose of Chen Mingxia to have made such a im was merely only to trick Liu Ronghua.

    As expected, Liu Ronghua¡¯s expression changed slightly. She never expected Ruan Keshan and Chen Mingxia to have known about that.

    Ruan Keshan could no longer hold back his rash emotions, his entire body was leaned forward violently while tightly gripping the edge of the table with his dominant hand. He was bombarding with series and waves of questions, ¡°Then where¡¯s the child? Keyu¡¯s child, where is the child now? ¡±

    Liu Ronghua was seemingly startled by that sudden outburst as she recoiled backwards while pressing her hands against her chest, she said, ¡°I do not know as well. ¡±

    ¡°How could you not know? Weren¡¯t you by her side back then?¡± Ruan Keshan could not contain his frustration, it seemed by the looks of his reaction, he was at the brink of grabbing onto Liu Ronghua and violently shake het around, as if shaking the entire truth of the event out of her mouth.

    ¡°I seriously do not know!¡± Liu Ronghua replied with a pale look on her face, as she was at the brink of tears.

    Her lips were mumbling something, since she saw Ruan Keyu¡¯s sister inw, hence causing Liu Ronghua to be extremely uposed. Her natural dense and slow mind could not keep up with the current turn of events and thus she was easily tricked into confession by Chen Mingxia.

    Even till this very moment, Liu Ronghua could not believe Chen Mingxia had tricked her.

    However after seeing how frantic Ruan Keshan¡¯s reaction was, her mind was slightly cleared and thus she realized it was Chen Mingxia who had tricked her.

    Perhaps someone recalled seeing her at the scene, however, no one actually asked for her name.

    Liu Ronghua remained silent as she hid behind her crying facade. She recalled that event several times in her head and it was true that not a single person had asked for her name, on top of how chaotic that situation was back then, it would be impossible for Ruan Keshan and Chen Mingxia to have known that person present on that very same day was her.

    The only problem was, she had already admitted it was her, thus there was nothing she could say to take it all back.

    Liu Ronghua wiped her tears, while in her uposed bawling voice she said, ¡°When the child was born, Ruan Keyu was not present by her side; the doctor came out to inform him of that grim and unfortunate news of Yuehuan had passed due to a miscarriage, then the nurse carried the child into the newborn¡¯s room, hence, how was it even possible for me to be involved? I was only thinking about, no one could deny Keyu the chance to say his final goodbyes to Yuehuan, and thus, I went out of my way to look for him. However, when I had arrived at the first floor, I was only greeted by the chaotic state of the hospital, it was filled with all sorts of injured patients, even the door was backed up by several ambnces. It was only then had I found out about the explosion in the (Uni¡¯sb).¡±

    As Liu Ronghua spoke, she hadpletely dissolved into a puddle of tears, she was apologizing repeatedly while picking up a piece of tissue to wipe away her tears. After a brief whimper, she continued, ¡°At that very moment, I was in a panicked state and my first response was to call Keyu immediately, praying with all my heart for Keyu to be fine. The child had already lost its mother, it can¡¯t lose its father too at the same time...¡±

    The sheer mention of Ruan Keyu was enough topletely break Liu Ronghua as she was bawling her eyes out at this point. She said, ¡°However, the phone call I made to Keyu, no matter how many times I¡¯ve tried, it never went through. At that moment, I could feel something awful had happened, however, I kept telling myself to stop thinking irrationally, Keyu will be okay and he will be absolutely fine! HoweverI was afraid to find Keyu amongst the victims, I don¡¯t want him to get hurt. However, I was also worried, if he wasn¡¯t amongst the victims, then would he... would he be... I was conflicted by all my thoughts, if he was in amongst the victims, at least there was still hope. However, I was too afraid to check the list of names of the people who were deceased that were being put up by the hospital; however, reluctantly, I¡¯ve decided I had to take a look at it and I never expected... his name was actually in it. I¡¯ve found Ruan Keyu¡¯s name in that list.¡±

    It was almost as if Liu Ronghua could not bear the weight of that memory as she hid her face in both her palms and proceeded to sob.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just focus on your sobbing! Then what happened to that child?¡± even if Ruan Keshan was known for his patience, he could not stand Liu Ronghua¡¯s current attitude.

    ¡°Even till this very day, I still very much think about, what would it be like if he was still alive today. It was only till today, after meeting you, I¡¯ve truly felt, he would probably more or less be just like you.¡± Liu Ronghua covered her face and spoke through her sobbing tone.

    Ruan Keshan was extremely impatient since she was talking aboutpletely unrted things!

    Liu Ronghua proceeded to bawl for a good long while, her bawling had even caused Chang Jingqiu who was eavesdropping through her phone in the room next to them to be tempted to give Liu Ronghua a kick.

    After half a day had passed, Liu Ronghua said while still sobbing and wiping away her tears, ¡°There was nothing after that, that poor child, losing both its parents on the very same day, I kept thinking, as Keyu and Yuehuan¡¯s good friend, I had to shoulder her responsibility, or perhaps bring the child to you both. And thus, I¡¯ve returned, however, I could no longer find that child. I¡¯ve failed both Keyu and Yuehuan.¡±

    Liu Ronghua proceeded to begin crying once more as she spoke.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s entire body trembled as she was uncertain if it was all a coincidence. [It had to be a coincidence, it must be!]

    Even though they had never truly met, however, she often heard both Madam Chang and Chang Zhiyuan mentioned about the event.

    Her mother was called, Chang Yuehuan.

    This had to be a coincidence for the name to math.

    It was quite often that she asked about Chang Yuehuan¡¯s matter to Madam Chang, however, Madam Chang refused to tell her and made the answer extremely vague.

    Merely only told her that her mother had died from a guing ailment when she was very little and had no memories yet. Her father abandoned her mother and had left the country and thus, there was no news about that man ever since.

    It was from this point, the events do not seem to line up with what Liu Ronghua said about the fate of that Yuehuan person.

    If that was not true, why was Liu Ronghua so certain about she not being thedy of the Chang family?

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind was in shambles to the extent of the dishes that was right in front of her seemed extremely unappetising and disgusting to her.

    ¡°How was it possible for you to not know, don¡¯t lie to us! ¡± Ruan Keshan frantically said. This was the first time Chen Mingxia had seen Ruan Keshan had an outburst of fury of this magnitude from when they first met till when they got married.

    ¡°You were the only one present back then, who else would¡¯ve known if it weren¡¯t for you? Miss. Liu, we had been searching for my brother¡¯s daughter for 27 years. We had always been searching, my brother only had a daughter and we very much wish to truly care for her, to not let struggle in so much sorrow. She was the only... bloodline my brother have left.¡± Ruan Keshan said as the edge of his eyes were red, he was unsure as to why he could not believe anything Liu Ronghua had said.

    ¡°If you know anything, please tell me, alright, we¡¯re begging you!¡± Ruan Keshan¡¯s voice was shaky and coarse and a slight hint of sobbing.

    Ruan Keshan was reacting so frantically as if there was more for him to say, his trembling hands were being pushed down by Chen Mingxia.

    Pressing against the back of his hands, Chen Mingxia said, ¡°Madam Liu, do you like Keyu?¡±

    Liu Ronghua was stunned, as she lifted that messy, teary eyes all while sobbing, she looked directly at Chen Mingxia, she said, ¡°What... what did you say?¡±

    Chen Mingxia could not smile at this very moment, the only thing she could do was to allow her expression to be slightly gentle, she said, ¡°We¡¯re both women, so I could tell. When you followed both Ruan Keyu and Yuehuan to B City to have fun with us back then, the way you look at Keyu, as long as Keyu was present with the way you act. Also, you would always find some ways to spend some time alone with Keyu. It didn¡¯t matter if Keyu and Yuehuan were having a picture together, you wanted to join in too.¡±

    Liu Ronghua held onto her chin without saying a word, and thus, Chen Mingxia continued saying, ¡°Keyu and Yuehuan both treated you as a friend, nothing more than that. My little uncle has always been immature, hence he has poured his entire focus on Yuehuan and was indeed blinded to anyone else. So it¡¯s only natural for him to not notice what your heart thinks. However, as a spectator from the sidelines, I can see very clearly.¡±

    ¡°Why are you telling me all these?¡± Liu Ronghua squeezed onto the tissue tightly.

    Judging from herck of denial, Chen Mingxia continued, ¡°I do not know how much feelings you have left for Keyu, perhaps you had already moved on, but at the very least, you¡¯ve loved him once. How could you have the heart to leave the whereabouts of his child unknown? We¡¯re still his rtives, could you bear for that child to not even have anyone rted to her?¡±

    Liu Ronghua violently stood up, as she had almost toppled the chair over.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I seriously do not know!¡± Liu Ronghua reacted with an extreme outburst.

    ¡°Miss Liu...¡± Chen Mingxia stood up as well, seemingly worried she might escape and thus, she intended to stop her.

    Liu Ronghua yelled out as she was at the brink of breaking, ¡°I honestly do not know, there¡¯s no use for you both to continue forcing me. I am clueless to what happened, why must the both of you be so adamant in forcing me!¡±

    Unsure how the seemingly weak and frail Liu Ronghua gained the strength to burst out that door.

    Chen Mingxia was standing by the door, however, she was shoved aside by Liu Ronghua, she tripped over and violently smashed onto the table behind her.

    A loud, reverberating ¡®bang¡¯ was echoed through the hidden phone, startling Chang Jingqiu and thus, she picked up her phone and made her escape.

    Since it was through the conversation she eavesdropped through her phone, Chang Jingqiu could see Liu Ronghua bolted out the door when she slowly inched the door from her room opened.

    There was no need for the use of her phone to listen in onto the conversation, the door in the room next to her was not shut; all she did was stand by the door and she could very clearly hear the conversation Ruan Keshan and Chen Mingxia had while he grabbed onto her, ¡°How are you, are you okay?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Chen Mingxia was slightly sore from that stumble as she shook her head while frowning.

    Without the both of them noticing, Chang Jingqiu rushed out to catch up with Liu Ronghua while leaving two red banknotes on the counter as she left.

    Liu Ronghua dared not to hail a cab in front of the restaurant as she was worried that Ruan Keshan and Chen Mingxia would follow behind and thus, she kept running forward. Before she could cross the road, she was stopped by a Z4.

    Liu Ronghua was startled by that as she was forced to stop. However, she noticed Chang Jingqiu as the side windows were lowered.

    ¡°Get in¡± Chang Jingqiu said with a forceful tone.

    There was no more tears on Liu Ronghua¡¯s face, as only the edge of her eyes were slightly red. She pouted a little before entering the car.

    Chang Jingqiu brought Liu Ronghua to a ruralke park far from the city. The natural scenery of this park was stunning. When the weather was great, plenty of people would bring the entire family out for a jog and a pic. When it was winter, a thickyer of ice would form on the surface of theke and plenty of people would ice skate on its surface.

    The only thing was, the weather was warming up, however it was still slightly brisk. It was too brisk to y outdoors and theyer of ice on theke had thawed, it was an awkward weather to be in, thus theck of people present in this park. It seemed slightly calm and silent at this moment.

    After she had parked her car, Chang Jingqiu remained silent for a while as her thoughts were inplete utter chaos and she had no clue where to start.

    After taking a couple deep breaths and gradually calming herself down, she said, ¡°Those two people earlier, the Yuehuan they speak of, is she my mother?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± Liu Ronghua seemingly answered without any shroud of hesitation. She answered the instant Chang Jingqiu had finished asking.

    Chang Jingqiu breathed a sigh of relief. She knew everything was nothing more than a mere coincidence.

    However, she heard Liu Ronghua continued to speak, ¡°You¡¯re not the truedy of the Chang family, how could Chang Yuehuan possibly be your mother?¡±

    She gasped as soon as her sigh was released, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face was slightly contorted as her body was trembling. She said, ¡°That means, the Chang Yuehuan those two speak of, was the actual deceased member of the Chang family?¡±

    ¡°What is going on?¡± Chang Jingqiu suddenly punched the steering wheel causing a loud, high pitched re of the car horn.

    Liu Ronghua released her seatbelt, facing her back to the door as she took her high heels off while straddling her seat with both her legs, rxing.

    ¡°Chang Yuehuan, thedy of the Chang family. Those two people earlier were Ruan Keshan and his wife, Chen Mingxia. Ruan Keshan¡¯s father was chief of the. Hospital. An extremely respected man.¡± Liu Ronghua never stared directly at Chang Jingqiu as her gaze drifted slightly to the scenery outside the windshield.

    Theke was not calm as the wind kicked up waves of water and it was all due to that, the calm and clear waters of theke could not reflect the scenery around it.

    Liu Ronghua lowered the side windows while taking a pack of cigarettes and a lighter out her bag. She then proceeded to light a cigarette after she took one out of the box.

    She squinted her eyes and took a deep breath, then spitting out a cloud of smoke. There was no worry seen through her eyes, as if she was getting lost in her memories.

    She slowly said, ¡°His brother, however, Ruan Keyu was studying in J University with Chang Yuehuan back then. At that point in the timeline, Ruan Keyu was studying to be a researcher as a professor. While he was studying, he worked as the school¡¯s teaching assistant. Ruan Keyu was extremely famous in that school, unlike the worthless students who only cared to y basketball or perhaps the president of the student representative council which in turn gave him plenty of attention. No, instead, Ruan Keyu was extremely low profile at that time, his wit and intelligence was what that stood out for him the most, along with his elegant, amazing looks. He was truly a man of great precedence.¡±

    Liu Ronghua was seemingly lost in her memories, longing for the good old days as if Ruan Keyu was actually standing in front of her, facing his back to the sun as he slowly walked toward her. There was a slight grin at the edge of her mouth.

 Chapter 462 - Donâ€™t Even Think About Making Fun of Us

    <strong>Chapter 462: Don¡¯t Even Think About Making Fun of Us</strong>

    <strong>T</strong>rantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mo Yuxin stared at her husband on the sickbed and her mind wandered to Chang Jingqiu who remained unconscious after the operation in the sick room opposite theirs. ¡°Who could¡¯ve expected things to turn out this way?¡±

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Suddenly, the thunderous roar of an elderlydy traveled into the room. Her voice became high-pitched as anger and surprise fuelled her.

    Those in the room turned toward the door and saw Liu Xiangwen supporting Grandmother Chang at the doorstep with Chang Zhixing standing behind them.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Something in Grandmother Chang snapped the moment she saw Ruan Danchen, and she started acting like a rabid dog.

    Ruan Danchen frowned at the sight of Grandmother Chang¡¯s ferocious look. This elderlydy was Ruan Danchen¡¯s grandmother, but there was no way she could greet Grandmother Chang under such circumstances.

    Ruan Danchen could note up with an exnation because it was obvious that Grandmother Chang would not believe anything that came out of her mouth and may retaliate with harsher words toward her.

    Thus, Mo Yuxin wanted to disclose Ruan Danchen¡¯s true identity, but her attempt was interrupted by the ferocious, sharp voice of the elderlydy. ¡°You¡¯re here to make fun of us, right? My eldest son¡¯s unconscious and Jingqiu is badly injured, so you came here on purpose to make fun of us! Humph! You have such an evil mind at such a young age, karma will find you one day!¡±

    Ruan Danchen merely wanted to say that she had not done anything that gave her a guilty conscience, thus there was no need to worry about karma at all. However, it was obvious that karma seemed to have found its way to Chang Jingqiu at the moment.

    ¡°Mom, Danchen isn¡¯t here to make fun of us!¡± Mo Yuxin was fed up with Grandmother Chang. ¡°She¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you ungrateful woman!¡± The exasperated Grandmother Chang red at Mo Yuxin like she was an enemy of the Chang family and interrupted, ¡°My son is unconscious right now and Jingqiu¡¯s in the room opposite us, badly injured and unsure if she can ept her fate once she wakes up. Yet, you¡¯re speaking on Ruan Danchen¡¯s behalf? You allowed an evil-minded woman to enter the room, make fun of us and gloat over our misfortune;, can you face Zhiyuan in the future without feeling guilty?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any respect for me when you interrupted me before I¡¯m finished with my sentences? Is it because of Zhiyuan¡¯s unconsciousness that made you think that you¡¯re finally free from all restrictions and that¡¯s why you dare to bully an elderlydy like me right now? Since Zhiyuan is unconscious at the moment, decimate me all you want then!¡± Grandmother Chang glowered at Mo Yuxin.

    Grandmother Chang pressed on her chest and acted as if she was being treated very unfairly.

    ¡°Zhiyuan normally treats you so well and protects you to the extent that he was unwilling to hear my slightest criticism toward you. He would praise you every day in my presence so that you¡¯d make a good impression on me, and yet you treated me harshly right after Zhiyuan became unconscious!¡± the aggrieved Grandmother Chang yelled.

    Ruan Danchen was wondering whether Grandmother Chang would sit on the floor and wail like a kid ying tantrum.

    Grandmother Chang did not sit on the floor in the end. Instead, she held onto her youngest son¡¯s hand and wept, acting as if Mo Yuxin was an unfilial daughter-inw who tortured her after Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s death.

    Liu Xiangwen wasforting Grandmother Chang at the side, which made the situation a whole lot worse since her way offorting was utterly futile and merely added insult to injury.

    No, at least Liu Xiangwen¡¯s attempt fuelled Grandmother Chang¡¯s raging fire.

    Mo Yuxin pursed her lips tightly and refrained from arguing further due to the overwhelming anger which made her whole body tremble.

    Ruan Danchen was Grandmother Chang¡¯s biological granddaughter and Chang Jingqiu was merely a fake, and yet Grandmother Chang was scolding and criticizing her long-lost biological granddaughter for the sake of a totally unrted outsider at the moment. Mo Yuxin wondered if Grandmother Chang would regret her decision when she finally realized the truth?

    This was exactly the reason why Mo Yuxin wanted to interrupt Grandmother Chang quickly so that she would refrain from criticizing further which may bring deeper regret afterward.

    However, who could have expected Grandmother Chang to criticize Mo Yuxin with all those nonsense and balderdash?

    ¡°Mom, Zhiyuan is just unconscious and will wake up soon. Don¡¯t mention it like he¡¯s going to... going to... depart this life!¡± Mo Yuxin replied with red-rimmed eyes. Was that what a mother was supposed to do? Curse her own son?

    Even if Chang Zhiyuan was able to fully recover from his current condition, his recovery may fail after listening to his own mother¡¯s curse.

    ¡°Your constant bickering is of no use to Zhiyuan¡¯s recovery,¡± Mo Yuxin tried her best to contain her anger and continued, ¡°Danchen¡¯s here to visit Zhiyuan without any ill intention. It¡¯s impossible for her to treat Zhiyuan maliciously too. If Zhiyuan is awake right now, the person he wants to meet the most is definitely Danchen, because she¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched scream pierced through the door of the opposite sick room and traveled into the room that they were in.

    None of them were prepared, thus all of them were startled by this sudden scream.

    Ruan Danchen even jumped at this unexpected scream. Qi Chenglin protected her quickly since she could not afford to be frightened.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Qi Chenglin was worried even though there were no obvious changes in Ruan Danchen¡¯s facial expression.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little bit shocked.¡±

    ¡°Mom, Jingqiu woke up. I think she realized¡ª¡± Liu Xiangwen hesitated before continuing, ¡°We should check on her and don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡±

    Grandmother Chang heard Liu Xiangwen and rushed to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sick room without continuing her argument with Mo Yuxin.

    Mo Yuxin nced at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Then, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°We should go too.¡±

    Mo Yuxin nodded and led the way to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sick room. The door to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s room was left open so that they could react immediately if there was any sudden change in Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s condition.

    Lao Liang followed closely behind them too. Then, they saw an ashen-faced, fully conscious Chang Jingqiu upon entering the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I feel anything? I can¡¯t feel my legs!¡± Chang Jingqiu tried to stand up, but she had undergone a surgical operation with her surgical incision sutured not long ago. Thus, her attempt to get off the bed was futile.

    The anesthetic effect had already worn off, but the doctor prescribed patient-controlled analgesics to Chang Jingqiu so that she would not feel pain on the surgical wound site. There was only a slight difort on the surgical incision but it was not obvious at all.

    Chang Jingqiu had no idea about her current condition at all. Despite the slight difort at her lower back, she did not know that there was a freshly sutured surgical incision on the site. Thus, the incision wound almost dehiscence after her sudden attempt to get up from the bed, and blood started oozing out of the wound.

    Chang Jingqiu could feel the pain in her lower back but it was not as important as theck of sensation in her lower limbs then. She could no longer care for anything else other than her legs at present.

    However, there was ack of energy in her lower back, which was fortunate because she stumbled back onto the bed after a failed attempt to get out from it.

    Chang Jingqiu tried to lift herself so that she could touch her thighs with extended arms.

    However, Chang Jingqiu could not feel her hands on her thighs at all. In reality, one could confirm that he had lost the sense of touch in his lower limbs without the need to use his hands for double confirmation.

    Chang Jingqiu was lying on the bed with a nket on her lower limbs, and yet she could not feel them at all. Even though her lower back was drained of energy, it did not require a strenuous effort to simply move her toes too.

    Even so, Chang Jingqiu failed to perform such a simple task. Her lower limbs were devoid of any sensations and felt like they were not hers anymore.

    Chang Jingqiu yearned for all of these which were natural instincts before this.

    Chang Jingqiu gritted her teeth and squeezed her thigh with all her might. The strength was enough to tear the muscles apart, and yet there was no pain at all.

    ¡°How could this be? How could this happen?¡± Despite theck of energy post-surgery, Chang Jingqiu summoned up all her strength, pinching and mming her fists vigorously on her thighs, but she felt nothing at all.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Grandmother Chang stopped Chang Jingqiu quickly after noticing her inflicting harm on herself upon entering the room under the support of Liu Xiangwen.

    ¡°Jingqiu, what are you doing?¡± Grandmother Chang walked toward Chang Jingqiu, who slumped down into the bed, drained of all energy.

    ¡°You had just undergone a surgical operation, so you need to get adequate rest. It¡¯ll be disastrous if the wound breaks down, so stop hitting yourself!¡± Grandmother Chang held Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand and advised.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen stood at the doorstep, hiding in in sight.

    Chang Jingqiu was not in the right mood at the moment, so she failed to notice them and merely stared at Grandmother Chang with an ashen-grey face.

    ¡°Grandma, what happened to me? What actually happened to me? Why is my lower back so weak? Why can¡¯t my legs feel anything right now?¡± Chang Jingqiu grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s withered wrist firmly with both her hands.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s grip strength was not enough to hurt Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyes reddened at the thought of her granddaughter¡¯s future life and felt terribly sorry for her.

    ¡°Jingqiu, don¡¯t worry. There are no difficulties that can¡¯t be ovee,¡± Grandmother Chang stared at Chang Jingqiu lovingly while stroking her hair. Ruan Danchen had never witnessed such a loving gaze on Grandmother Chang¡¯s face before this.

    ¡°What does this mean? What do you mean actually? What¡¯s wrong with my legs? Is this the postoperative result? Is this due to the surgery itself? Grandma, tell me, my legs will recover after adequate rest, right? It¡¯s the anesthetic effect which causes thisck of sensation, right?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face contorted out of fear and terror.

    Obviously, Chang Jingqiu was just fooling herself.

    How could Chang Jingqiu feel the wound on her lower back if this loss of sensation was due to the anesthesia¡¯s effect?

    However, Chang Jingqiu would rather immerse herself in lies than to face reality at the current moment. She wished someone would tell her that her loss of sensation was actually due to the postoperative anesthetic effect.

    Chang Jingqiu stared hopefully at Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang avoided making direct eye contact.

    Liu Xiangwen noticed Grandmother Chang¡¯s act and gestured to Mo Yuxin, but Mo Yuxin ignored her. There was no way Mo Yuxin wouldfort Chang Jingqiu since Chang Jingqiu was an ungrateful and viciousdy who did not deserve others to do good to her. Moreover, every word Mo Yuxin said would be wrong and Chang Jingqiu would forget every good that she did in an instant.

    Liu Xiangwen had no choice since she could not let Grandmother Chang be the bad cop.

    Coincidentally, Grandmother Chang gestured to Liu Xiangwen to exin the situation. Thus, Liu Xiangwen muttered. ¡°Jingqiu, the doctor said that your lower back was badly injured and the associated nerves were damaged, so... your legs...¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! I was fine before this! How could this...¡± Chang Jingqiu yelled.

    ¡°Your lower back received a huge traumatic impact¡ª¡± Liu Xiangwen was reluctant to continue the exnation but deep down, she did not feel much sympathy at all.

    Liu Xiangwen was merely trying to ingratiate Grandmother Chang when she treated Chang Jingqiu well and fawned over her. Since Chang Jingqiu would establish her superiority over Liu Xiangwen asionally, she would be out of her mind to like Chang Jingqiu sincerely.

    In any case, Liu Xiangwen was Chang Jingqiu¡¯s aunt¡ªan elder after all.

    Chang Jingqiu was frozen to the spot. Where there should be memories was nk space and her mind was in a whirl after waking up to such a shocking realization.

    After listening to Liu Xiangwen, memories started flowing back to Chang Jingqiu slowly but surely like broken memory shards piecing themselves together in her brain.

    Chang Jingqiu recalled the vige where Huang Pinggui stayed, how she inflicted harm on herself to gain Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s trust and rolled down the slope on purpose when Chang Zhiyuan shoved her aside near the declivity.

    It was supposed to be a good n, but who could have expected Chang Jingqiu to ram into a tree trunk with such a huge force.

    Finally, Chang Jingqiu recalled the excruciating pain in her lower back when she came to an absolute stop beside the tree, which sent shivers down her spine. She must have injured her lower back at that time.

    There was no way Chang Jingqiu would decide to roll down the slope on purpose if she knew this was the oue.

    Then, Grandmother Chang advised after a while. ¡°Jingqiu, you¡¯re still young. We¡¯ll live through this together. Besides, medical technologies are advancing every year. Look at the current medical technologies and equipment, they were invented only recently! There may be a cure for your condition a few yearster and you can finally walk at that time, so the most important thing right now is to get better yourself. That way, your recovery will be better when the opportunity arises.¡±

    However, Grandmother Chang¡¯s advice ended up being futile as Chang Jingqiu was immersed in her train of thought, fixing her mind on an image of her crashing into a tree trunk.

    ¡°It was uncle... uncle wanted to shove me aside, that was why...¡± Chang Jingqiu mumbled absent-mindedly. Then, she held onto Grandmother Chang¡¯s hand firmly and said bitterly, ¡°Grandma, what should I do? What will be of me? I¡¯m paralyzed! Not crippled, but paralyzed! Even a crippled man can walk!¡±

    Grandmother Chang sighed and tried to avoid direct eye contact while Chang Jingqiu continued, ¡°Is that how I¡¯m supposed to live in the future? Grandma, I¡¯m only twenty-seven years old, I don¡¯t want to sit in a wheelchair for my whole life! Who¡¯ll think highly of me in my paralyzed state? Uncle... how can he be so cruel toward me... what... what will be of me? Grandma, I don¡¯t want to end up like this! I don¡¯t want to sit in a wheelchair or lie down in bed my whole life like a useless person! I want my legs to be normal again so that I can stand up myself! Boohoo! How I wish I didn¡¯t roll down the slope, I want to go back in time to reverse everything! Boohoo... What should I do? What should I do! My legs! My legs! Let me stand up! Let me stand up!¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s heart wrenched at the sight of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s pathetic state, and she directed her anger at Chang Zhiyuan after realizing the reason why Chang Jingqiu rolled down the slope. However, she seemed to have forgotten the fact that Chang Zhiyuan remained unconscious with his fate unknown.

    On the other hand, Mo Yuxin was well aware of the situation.

    Mo Yuxin had enough of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s selfishness andined coldly, ¡°Since you mentioned Zhiyuan, did you ask about your uncle¡¯s condition after you woke up? He was trying to save you and ended up rolling down the slope together with you at that time.¡±

    However, Liu Xiangwen grabbed Mo Yuxin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t make a fuss about this with Jingqiu. Understandably, she had forgotten to inquire about her uncle¡¯s condition since she had just taken a huge hit herself too.¡±

    Grandmother Chang expressed her dissatisfaction too, but Mo Yuxin sneered at Liu Xiangwen and mocked, ¡°Now you¡¯re siding with her, but will you continue your unfailing support on her after realizing that she isn¡¯t the granddaughter of the Chang family?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen was at a loss at the moment, puzzled at Mo Yuxin¡¯s baffling statement. ¡°Sister-inw, I know you¡¯re not in a good mood after big brother got into an ident, so why don¡¯t you take a rest and apany him in the meantime?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu stared at Mo Yuxin with shock and fear, and at that moment, she realized that Lao Liang was standing beside Mo Yuxin too.

    Lao Liang was at the scene when everything happened.

    Mo Yuxin stared disdainfully at Liu Xiangwen and scoffed, ¡°Jingqiu, why don¡¯t you exin the reason why your uncle shoved you aside? Why don¡¯t you exin the reason for your sudden appearance in a vige in J City? That¡¯s so far from here, and never once you went there ever since we came to B City, so why did you return suddenly after so many years to a vige that you¡¯ve never visited before? Your uncle cares for you and will try his very best to get everything that you like or want, so why don¡¯t you exin the reason for his sudden annoyance at you, your arguments and how he ended up rolling down the slope together with you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin lowered his gaze to Ruan Danchen, who may be affected emotionally after listening to Mo Yuxin.

    Since Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s love and affection was meant for Ruan Danchen all along.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze and lifted her gaze to meet his. Then, she squeezed Qi Chenglin¡¯s palm gently and smiled softly to indicate that she was not bothered at all.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze was soft as he stopped worrying about Ruan Danchen then.

    On the other hand, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze was bing flustered and unsettled. Her legs were not the main concern anymore since it was her glorious future that wasing to an end. She really had no idea how to survive with such a gloomy future ahead of her.

    ¡°Jingqiu, don¡¯t you n on exining? I think it¡¯s best for you to tell the truth yourself.¡± Mo Yuxin gave Chang Jingqiu a chance to confess since it brought a different meaning for self-admission than to hear the truth from others.

    The ashen-grey faced Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze drifted uncontrobly out of fear and worry.

    Chang Jingqiu stared at Mo Yuxin and nced at the confused Liu Xiangwen who had no idea what was going on before shifting her gaze to Grandmother Chang and ended up looking at Chang Zhixing, who was standing close to the door. Then, she froze.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were standing at the doorstep!

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s mock embedded in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind. Chang Jingqiu shuddered and rolled her eyes before passing out.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Grandmother Chang yelled anxiously before Chang Zhixing pressed the nurse call bell at the head end of the bed. After the doctor examined thoroughly and concluded that everything was fine, Grandmother Chang red at Mo Yuxin.

    ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s badly injured? What was going through your mind when you provoked her? Can you ept it if you stay paralyzed for the next sixty or seventy years of your life?¡± Grandmother Chang stood up and pointed right at Mo Yuxin¡¯s nose. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Jingqiu and she certainly doesn¡¯t need you to like her, so if you don¡¯t have any sympathy toward her, get out of the room at once!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Grandmother Chang turned toward Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. ¡°Get out of the room! Don¡¯t even think about making fun of us!¡±

    ¡°Mom, are you sure you want them out of the room? You want your biological granddaughter to get lost for the sake of a fake granddaughter?¡± Mo Yuxin replied coldly.

    Grandmother Chang was an awesome woman during her youth, but unlike Grandmother Qi who remained unambiguous and clear-cut on any affairs. The phrase ¡®more hair than wit¡¯ perfectly described Grandmother Chang¡¯s awesomeness, but somehow she still assumed that she was an intelligentdy who contributed a lot to the family.

    Grandfather Chang was there to control Grandmother Chang at that time, but after he passed away, Grandmother Chang¡¯s behavior became more outrageous and unreasonable. Her sons would notin unless absolutely necessary due to filial piety, which resulted in her troublesome attitude.

    Grandmother Chang was stunned and confused after listening to Mo Yuxin as if the statement was difficult to understand.

    Words finally escaped Grandmother Chang¡¯s mouth after a while. ¡°What... what did you say just now? What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 428 - Who Are You Calling Family?

    <h4>Chapter 428: Who Are You Calling Family?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Zeer, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®What do you know?¡¯ At that juncture, Ruan Zeer simply felt like crying.

    He had loosened up a bit after being bothered by Qi Youxuan, but unexpectedly however, Qi Chenglin popped a sudden question, ¡°Does your uncle have any children?¡±

    Ruan Zeer was briefly stupefied, requiring some time toe back to his senses and answer the man.

    ncing quickly at Qi Chenglin, Ruan Zeer was feeling slightly aggrieved. He thought that the topic had been dropped, but Qi Chenglin brought it up yet again.

    ¡°ording to my parents, there was one who disappeared as soon as she was born. Our family had been looking for her all these years, but because there weren¡¯t any leads, we weren¡¯t sessful,¡± Ruan Zeer said.

    It went without saying that those were private matters. He and Qi Chenglin were not that close and at most, they were able to interact to some degree. Ruan Zeer was no fool, however. He may have had a one-track mind when it came to factual matters as well as right and wrong, but his mind was nimble in most other asions.

    Knowing Qi Chenglin¡¯s status and capabilities, Ruan Zeer would have nothing to lose by telling the truth. It would be great if Qi Chenglin could help him out on ount of his friendship with Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan. If the man felt that their rtionship had not reached a point where he would offer his help to Ruan Zeer, then the young man¡¯s family would simply remain as it is, without any disadvantage to them.

    ¡°Something¡¯s disappeared?¡± Ruan Danchen and Aunt Zheng heard Ruan Zeer talking when they carried the dishes into the dining hall. ¡°Come and eat. You can talk while you have your meal.¡±

    Everyone then sat down on the dining table and Ruan Zeer retold everything.

    He did not know much because his grandfather and his father did not mention it specifically to him. All he knew what was he heard in passing during conversations his family had at the dinner table.

    Ruan Keyu¡¯s past with Chang Yuehuan was a blur too, so much so that he did not even know Chang Yuehuan¡¯s full name. His family mentioned her as Yuehuan or daughter-inw whenever they spoke about her.

    Ruan Zeer roughly knew what happened, which was his uncle¡¯s death in an ident and his aunt¡¯s death during childbirth. It was from then onward that Ruan Zeer¡¯s elder cousin sister disappeared.

    Ruan Danchen knew that his search was like searching for a needle in a haystack, so she asked for further details. Qi Chenglin might not have the time to make the search, but in the event that fate led them to obtain some news about the lost woman, it would still have a positive impact.

    However, Ruan Zeer scratched his head because he did not know the full story. He simply said, ¡°I¡¯ll go back home and ask me parents.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and left it at that.

    Meanwhile, it was Qi Youxuan who¡ªin the midst of the meal¡ªlooked up at Ruan Zeer and then at Ruan Danchen. His gaze moved back and forth over the two of them, scrutinizing them thoroughly.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Ruan Zeer smiled and asked.

    ¡°I suddenly noticed that Big Brother Ruan looks quite simr to Mom!¡± Qi Youxuan remarked crisply.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s mind went nk and so did Ruan Danchen. They both looked at each other at the same time.

    Their simrities in appearance were not that apparent, although their eyes and facial structure looked the same to some extent. It was not as obviously simr as brother and sister from the same parents, but there were some traces of likeness.

    If twopletely unrted persons such as themselves were put together, bystanders might think of the phrase ¡®predestined to marry because of their simr features¡¯.

    Of course, no one at the table had that kind of thought.

    Ruan Danchen burst out chuckling. ¡°Zeer and I are fated to meet, it seems. We both share the same surname and look quite simr to each other.¡±

    Ruan Zeer scratched his head while smiling. He did not mention anything about acknowledging Ruan Danchen as his sister for fear that Qi Chenglin might misunderstand him.

    Qi Chenglin curled his lips in an amorphous smile. His dark pupils shifted from Ruan Danchen¡¯s face and onto Ruan Zeer. In the end however, he said nothing.

    ...

    On Tueday, Chang Jingqiu received a call from Liu Ronghua. Chang Jingqiu knew what Liu Ronghua¡¯s purpose for the call was, without thetter needing to say anything at all.

    She listened as Liu Ronghua spoke, ¡°You want evidence, right? Your biological parents are here.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu gritted her teeth and replied, ¡°They¡¯re not my biological parents. You¡¯re not allowed to say that kind of thing in the future.¡±

    In the end, Liu Ronghua snickered, as if mocking Chang Jingqiu for thinking that ignorance is bliss.

    The unbothered Chang Jingqiu asked for the where and when. Liu Ronghua said that the couple would reach around ten that morning and had already arranged for them to stay at a hotel.

    Hearing that their daughter entered a rich family made the couple excitedly happy and very emotional. They wanted to meet their daughter and were so eager that they did not even rest. They indicated that they would like to have lunch with Chang Jingqiu.

    Hatred was the only thing that Chang Jingqiu felt in her heart, as she filled her mind with images of an avaricious old couple before even meeting them. She voluntarily suggested a restaurant and said that she wanted to meet them there.

    The restaurant that Chang Jingqiu proposed was rather far. The establishment served peasant dishes and was situated at the countryside, just beside one of the national highways. For the sake of arge courtyard, they furnished their rooms with brick tforms,plete with a low wooden table on top of it, leaving the room very spacious.

    Chang Jingqiu chose that location because she did not want anyone else to spot her. It was an isted and down-to-earth ce that people in her circle would never have a meal in.

    She went there before because the newspaperpany that she worked for had organized an excursion there once. The taste was so-so because they cooked their food peasant-style and not at all elegant. Much of the ingredients there were umonly found in the city, with poultry such as free-range chicken, wild geese, and even peacock.

    Most importantly, it was cheap. She had no intention of spending too much, if any at all, on the parents that refused to acknowledge her in the past.

    She had already clocked in for work, but after looking at the time, she drove to the restaurant under the pretense that she was going for an interview.

    By the time she arrived, Liu Ronghua was already waiting there with the couple. Chang Jingqiu pushed the door, entered, then saw the middle-aged couple sitting on the brick tform. They should probably be about the same age as Xia Wenna or Guan Liya, but through looks alone, they looked ten years older than either of the twodies.

    The man¡¯s hair was a disheveled mess. It was clear that it had been dyed, since the color was so ck that it looked unnatural. His skin was very tan, a result of long-term exposure to sunlight. Chang Jingqiu did not know what his job was but did not ask about it, since she was neither interested nor concerned.

    From his current look however, Chang Jingqiu surmised that he was a construction site worker. Years and years of ultraviolet rays eroded his skin, causing plenty of wrinkles to form. His eyes looked turbid while his lips looked unhealthy. Yellowed teeth¡ªthe consequence of frequent smoking¡ªgraced his mouth whenever he opened it, with patches of brownish dental que enveloping those teeth.

    Even though the man did not open his mouth, Chang Jingqiu could smell the strong tobo from him simply by standing beside him. The musk was characteristic of construction site workers, disgusting Chang Jingqiu to the point where she frowned.

    The woman beside the man had locks of gray hair interspersed with ck. Her hair was long and coiled into a bun, although some of the shorter hairs were more stubborn.

    It was obvious that the woman was negligent in taking care of her own health. She may not even have washed her face with facial wash, as her skin was dark and dry, with an abundance of wrinkles without even needing her to smile. Her hands were particrly rough, with coarse fingertips and a simrly textured skin, filled with plenty of calluses.

    Once the couple saw Chang Jingqiu entering, they got off the brick tform guiltily.

    The man looked at Chang Jingqiu as though he was trying to get on her good side but was apprehensive about it. He tried smiling, revealing a mouth filled with yellow teeth. The woman was much more excited than the man, wanting to step forward but hesitant to do so.

    She looked at Chang Jingqiu from head to toe, disying much admiration.

    The woman seemed unclear as to how she should address Chang Jingqiu, so she looked warily at Liu Ronghua.

    It was then that Liu Ronghua got up. She walked up to the area between Chang Jingqiu and the couple before introducing them. ¡°I¡¯ll get you all acquainted. This is Huang Pinggui, and this is Wang Lixia. They¡¯re your biological parents.¡±

    Liu Ronghua then turned to the couple and said, ¡°This is your daughter. She goes by the name of Chang Jingqiu now.¡±

    Evidently, the couple looked at Chang Jingqiu in shock and adtion. Chang Jingqiu had an air of nobility with her branded attire, and even if the couple no longer recognized her, they knew that she had a ton of money.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t lie to you back then, did I? I told you I¡¯ll send her to a rich family. Look at how good her life is now. Miss Chang is the treasured daughter of her family, and the Chang family is very renowned,¡± Liu Ronghua remarked with a smile.

    Chang Jingqiu noticed a glimmer in Huang Pinggui¡¯s eyes, and even Wang Lixia was finding it hard to contain her excitement.

    ¡°My daughter!¡± Wang Lixia stepped up in excitement and wanted to shake Chang Jingqiu;s hand.

    Chang Jingqiu dodged it instantly and narrowed her eyes. Sparing no courtesy, she said, ¡°We don¡¯t know yet if that¡¯s true, so don¡¯t jump the gun and call me that. Even if you were my real parents, you¡¯ve already sold me off, so we have no rtionship. I came to meet you not because I wanted to acknowledge you. I just wanted to see the truth for myself.¡±

    Wang Lixia retracted her hand awkwardly. She saw the ring on Chang Jingqiu¡¯s finger, but did not know what kind of jewel was in it. It looked expensive though, as the gem was glimmering and shimmering.

    Huang Pinggui rubbed his hands a smiled, saying, ¡°My daughter, you can¡¯t say something like that. We¡¯re your real parents. We sold you off because we had no other choice. We were in poverty. I went to work in the city as a temporary construction worker when your mother was still pregnant with you. The chief contractor was a terrible person who always did not pay our wages on time. We sold you because we didn¡¯t have a choice. There were even times where I didn¡¯t receive any money even though I spent an entire year working so hard. No one would sell their own child unless times were desperate!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right!¡± Wang Lixia nodded fervently, with tears in her eyes. She wiped them away with her coarse fingers. ¡°I wasn¡¯t willing to part with you at that time.¡±

    ¡°But look at you now. You¡¯re living a prosperous life because of those desperate times. You were born in a rich family, a family much stronger than ours. I heard you Aunt Liu say that you have a good life with the Chang family. They thought that you were their own granddaughter and they care for you deeply. If you were still with us, you would¡¯ve been a peasant girl who wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve grown up to be so beautiful, dressed in so much expensive things, isn¡¯t that right?¡± Huang Pinggui was truly in awe of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s attire.

    Chang Jingqiu was actually very grateful that they sold her off. She could not imagine how her life would turn out if she continued to live in the vige.

    She might end up like Wang Lixia, with coarse skin and doing farm jobs. Perhaps she might even be wedded off to one of the men there, who had nothing to offer and was probably doingborious jobs in the city just like Huang Pinggui.

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you for selling me off,¡± Chang Jingqiu said coldly.

    ¡°I¡¯m d you don¡¯t, I¡¯m d you don¡¯t. We¡¯re still family then,¡± Huang Pinggui nodded and said without hesitation.

    ¡°Who are you calling family?¡± Chang Jingqiu uttered in disgust.

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia were both stunned. Wang Lixia asked awkwardly, ¡°But...you don¡¯t me us, right? Why...¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t me you because I don¡¯t treat you as family. You¡¯re nothing but strangers to me, always have been and always will be. You and I have nothing to do with each other, understood?¡± Chang Jingqiu said coldly.

    ¡°But...but we¡¯re you¡¯re real parents!¡± Wang Lixia turned frantic. ¡°I still gave birth to you!¡±

    ¡°I came here today just to meet the two of you.¡± Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips and was fed up at having to talk too much to them. She knew exactly why they were so eager to meet her. ¡°Before we have a conclusion, it¡¯s best for you not to talk nonsense. I know why you¡¯re so eager to meet me, so if you want to continue getting some benefit, you¡¯d better shut your mouths.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu took out her wallet and removed six hundred yuan, which she threw onto the table. ¡°This is for lunch. I¡¯ll contact the DNA test center, and if there¡¯s no problems, we¡¯ll take it tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± Liu Ronghua stopped her before she left.

    Irritated, Chang Jingqiu turned around, to which Liu Ronghua then released her grip and said, ¡°While you¡¯re waiting for the test results, they still need to stay here at B City. I¡¯ve already paid for their flight tickets and their hotel room today. In the end, you¡¯re the one that wants the truth. It doesn¡¯t make sense for me to pay for everything else now, does it?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu twitched her lip in disdain and scoffed. ¡°How much did you spend? I¡¯ll pay you whatever money you¡¯ll spend, but I don¡¯t have much cash on me right now.¡±

    Liu Ronghua felt that if she went to look for Chang Jingqiu in order to settle the debt, thetter would not be so shameless as to refuse acknowledgement of the debt. Chang Jingqiu may not be a good person, but since she was from a rich family, she would likely keep her promise when it came to matters involving money.

    Liu Ronghua did not hold her back anymore, so she left.

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia looked on nkly. The upset Wang Lixia pouted and said, ¡°Our daughter¡¯s now a rich person. She¡¯s grown up. We can¡¯t im connections with her anymore.¡±

    Huang Pinggui took off his shoes, and with his feet covered in hole-filled socks, he sat back on the tform. With a sip of tea, he said, ¡°Hmph! We¡¯re still her biological parents. She¡¯s has to respect us because we¡¯re the ones that gave birth to her!¡±

    ¡°I think so too. Besides, the Chang family isn¡¯t poor. It won¡¯t be a big deal if she took care of us,¡± Wang Lixia added. She rolled her eyes after seeing Chang Jingqiu¡¯s attitude earlier. ¡°She doesn¡¯tck money at all. The clothes that she wears is enough for us to eat well for a few years, and it¡¯ll be enough for Dan¡¯er¡¯s studies. She¡¯s a cruel woman if she¡¯s willing to buy all those things but doesn¡¯t even want to give her own family a bit of money.¡±

    ¡°Sigh, we¡¯ll just keep this between us. It¡¯s not good to talk about this in front of her. We still need to depend on her for Dan¡¯er¡¯s school fees.¡± Huang Pinggui touched his hair.

    Since he knew he was going to stay in a hotel that day, Huang Pinggui neither bathed nor washed his hair, just so he could save some water at home. At that point, his hair was oily and had a musty odor.

    Unable to bear it any longer, Liu Ronghua covered her nose with a tissue.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep quiet.¡± Wang Lixia nodded while rubbing her stomach. They then asked Liu Ronghua to order because they were both hungry already.

    ...

    On Wednesday, Chang Jingqiu brought Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia over to get the DNA test. She contacted one of the people so the test results would be known as soon as possible.

    Their second meeting saw Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia fawn even more over Chang Jingqiu, but on the other hand, she remained indifferent and was not even willing to look at them. Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia tried talking to her, but she ignored thempletely and even showed her disgust for them at times.

    Her attitude led them to chastise her after they had gone back,ining that Chang Jingqiu was not a good person since she did not even acknowledge her own parents.

    ...

    During lunchtime, Ruan Danchen came looking for Qi Chenglin to have lunch. She noticed that Jiang Yuan was gone. His desk was empty and there were no documents at all, as if he did not even show up for work in the first ce.

    After entering the office, she asked Qi Chenglin about it.

    ¡°He¡¯s outstation for a few days to deal with some stuff,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    He omitted to mention what Jiang Yuan was tasked to deal with. Ruan Danchen did not ask too much either, as she felt that it was something rting to work.

    Due to his absence, one of the female employees from the secretary¡¯s office took over his duties temporarily. Nevertheless, the more important things were not assigned to her for fear that she might make a mistake; since Jiang Yuan would being back after a few days, it would be inconvenient for him to pick up where the temp left off. Qi Chenglin might as well let Cheng Dongge deal with those important things.

    Nevertheless, the temp was not too familiar with Jiang Yuan¡¯s tasks either, but if anyone can take his position, then Jiang Yuan would no longer be that useful to Qi Chenglin anymore.

    Qi Chenglin tried his best to make do for those few days, but the temp did hamper his work efficacy significantly.

    When Ruan Danchen came up, Qi Chenglin still had a bit more of his early morning work to finish up. Another task would be taking up thetter half of his day, so he did not want to dy the morning work and settle it in the afternoon.

    Ruan Danchen waited in the office for him, but after some thought, decided to order delivery. It was to prevent him from needing to decide on a ce for lunch, as that would entail a massive waste of time.

    Although Qi Chenglin said he would quick, Ruan Danchen did not want him to rush too much. She ordered the food and told him to take it slow without worrying.

    Fortunately, when the food came, Qi Chenglin managed to finish his work too.

    Looking at the time, he noticed that he had spent forty minutes dealing with it despite saying he would be done soon. He looked apologetically at Ruan Danchen and was thankful that she ordered delivery; otherwise, she would have gotten hungry along with him if she waited there.

    Ruan Danchen waved at him, smiling and telling him, ¡°Come and eat.¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt that she was quite alike to Qi Youxuan and could not help but cock a brow. Still, he followed her instructions and leaned over to her, hugging her tightly. Ruan Danchen was made to feel as though she was rearing a big dog.

    She gave him a pair of chopsticks and was just about to eat, but she was soon hoisted up and ced onto hisp.

    ¡°Let¡¯s eat. What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen was feeling quite hungry by the time she asked that.

    ¡°Feeding you,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He used his chopsticks to pick up a snow pea and held it up to Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips. ¡°Open your mouth.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at him and wondered if he was going to even eat properly.

    Having been with him for so long, she finally noticed that the man was sometimes a stubborn one with a one-track mind.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her for a moment and closed his eyes, exining. ¡°Too much work. Couldn¡¯t eat on time.¡±

    His words were ambiguous, but Ruan Danchen knew that he was apologizing because his work took up their lunchtime together.

    The apology was an unusual one in that he thought of feeding her lunch.

    Feeding someone was conducive to a bit of romance, and once in a while was okay. Qi Chenglin however, seemed intent to feed her until she was full.

    Ruan Danchen did not find it too nice to reject him, since that would make her seem unadventurous. She was very hungry however, and with him feeding her so slowly, she did not know when she would be satiated.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed the spoonful of rice that he fed and curled her lips into a naughty smile. There was plenty of oil on her lips after he fed her, so she immediately pressed her lip onto his face. She gave him a good kiss, and with the oil on her lips smeared over his face, her lips felt very clean.

    Qi Chenglin was stunned while Ruan Danchenughed like a kid that seeded in his quest for mischief. She looked at his stupefied expression and found it very adorable.

    She took a napkin and was about to help him wipe it off, but to her surprise, Qi Chenglin¡¯s face leaned over to her. He ced his cheek on her and rubbed against it, causing both their cheeks to turn incredibly oily.

    ¡°Why haven¡¯t I noticed your childish side before?¡± Ruan Danchen said whileughing. She wiped both their faces at once, but for some reason, the aroma of food was still prevalent on their faces.

 Chapter 429 - You Suffered All That but Didnâ€™t Retaliate at All?

    <h4>Chapter 429: You Suffered All That but Didn¡¯t Retaliate at All?</h4>

    Qi Chenglin chuckled but did not tease her anymore. He ced her down on the sofa and speedily had their meals.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to head out and throw the boxes away, but Qi Chenglin stopped her. He took the boxes, ced them into the stic bag, and went to throw them himself.

    When he came back, he saw Ruan Danchen on the phone, looking particrly flustered.

    Then, she heard her say, ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go there right now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen ended the call and stood up. Seeing that Qi Chenglin was back, she exined, ¡°Youxuan got into a fight with Chang Jianan at school. I don¡¯t know what kind of conflict they got into.¡±

    As the Chang family¡¯s grandson, Chang Jianan was enrolled into Jixia Elementary, although he was not in the same ss as Qi Youxuan. In the past, they were strangers to each other, so nothing untoward happened during that time.

    Ever since those two shed heads, Chang Jianan developed a hatred toward Qi Youxuan.

    In the beginning, he did not know that Qi Youxuan attended Jixia Elementary as well. He knew the Qi family owned the school, but because he was a young and dull kid, his deductive abilities were nonexistent. Hence, he could not put two-and-two together and realize that Qi Youxuan was definitely enrolled in Jixia Elementary too.

    The two boys therefore enjoyed a spell of harmony together in school for some time. Of course, the school was not that big a ce, so eventually, Chang Jianan bumped into Qi Youxuan when it was winter camp.

    From then onward, Chang Jianan tried instigating trouble whenever he met Qi Youxuan, although he was never Qi Youxuan¡¯s match to begin with. On each asion he tried to provoke Qi Youxuan, it was Chang Jianan himself that suffered the consequences.

    Qi Youxuan, the self-professed mature and wise boy, felt that such small-scale events were not at all worth mentioning. Chang Jianan also suffered the consequences of his own actions whenever he tried to do something to Qi Youxuan, so Qi Youxuan treated it as a source of amusement to liven up his boring school life. That was why he never brought it up to his parents when he went home.

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s ss teacher called me saying that the two boys got into a scuffle and were hurt. Their wounds aren¡¯t serious though, since it was just a kid¡¯s fight,¡± Ruan Danchen said, though she was still quite worried inside her heart. ¡°Both kids¡¯ parents were called by the ss teacher. Chang Jianan¡¯s mother is going, so I have to go too.¡±

    Qi Chenglin grabbed his keys immediately, held her hand, and walked out.

    ¡°You don¡¯t¡¯ need to go,¡± Ruan Danchen stopped him. ¡°You still have a lot of work to do. I can go myself.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you,¡± Qi Chenglin insisted. He had already dragged Ruan Danchen out of the office.

    Seeing his persistence, Ruan Danchen decided to let him be. Qi Chenglin addressed a few things with the temporary assistant and brought Ruan Danchen to the elevator.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Won¡¯t take much time. By my estimation, we won¡¯t be back toote,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    Ruan Danchen nodded. Although it was between their kids, the Chang family had an unreasonable olddy in Grandmother Chang. The ss teacher had earlier seemed to intimate that Grandmother Chang would be going there along with Liu Xiangwen.

    Liu Xiangwen was the jealous type, and with that bull-headed Grandmother Qi present, it was good that Qi Chenglin went in order to shake things up a bit.

    When Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin arrived at the school, it was no longer peak hours. The entrance was quiet and there were no cars there. Qi Chenglin drove into the school, but did not park his car at the staff parking lot. Instead, he brazenly parked it at the gate to Qi Youxuan¡¯s school building.

    He was very nonchnt about it, as it indicating that the school belonged to him and he could do whatever he wanted.

    When the two of them reached the office, Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen were not yet there. Ruan Danchen breathed a sigh of relief.

    If those two women had reached earlier, they would certainly have pointed at Qi Youxuan and began scolding. The ss teacher might not have the guts to face off against Grandmother Chang, so in the end, the little guy would be faced with a disadvantage.

    Ruan Danchen imagined countless different scenarios of what might happen, but the scene in front of her was far from what she expected.

    Chang Jianan was crying and shouting like there was no tomorrow, even retching from time to time. Qi Youxuan on the other hand, sat on the sofa, holding a cup of hot cocoa and drinking it.

    The table before him was filled with a gamut of junk food, one of the perks of being the staff at Jixia. Different snacks wereid out every day, and teachers who wanted a nibble in the office would be more than wee to do so.

    Qi Youxuan had special treatment, so the teachers made sure that he wasfortable in the office. All they could do was close one eye at him.

    Thus, the little boy secretly made himself a cup of hot cocoa, and on asion, he would sneak in a few biscuits into his tummy and take a piece of butter cake.

    He was very careful in the beginning, but when he went to take the cake, one of the teachers spotted him. Qi Youxuan halted his motion and stared at the teacher with his beady eyes.

    Then, the teacher slowly turned around and pretended not to see it.

    The little boy¡¯s mind soared in high spirits, knowing that the teacher¡¯s actions was a silent acquiescence.

    He then decided to eat in the open. Bearing in mind his restriction on junk food at home, he decided that he would have his fill there, and at the same time, he was thinking abouting up with future excuses so he could be at the teachers¡¯ office and gorge himself on snacks. One such example would being over to ask his teacher about things that he did not understand.

    In any event, the sight that awaited Ruan Danchen was that of Qi Youxuan sitting extremelyfortably, drinking hot cocoa and eating cakes while reveling in Chang Jianan¡¯s wailing state.

    When Qi Youxuan finally saw Ruan Danchen, he ced his hot cocoa down, sucked on his butter-stained fingers, and ran toward her.

    Before his excitement truly set in, he saw the stern-faced Qi Chenglin appearing from behind Ruan Danchen.

    Qi Youxuan retracted his neck and greeted meekly, ¡°Dad, why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Mom and I were just finishing lunch when your teacher called.¡± Qi Chenglin looked askance at him. ¡°Looks like you have a lot of time to get into a fight.¡±

    ¡°Then are you feeling full? If not, then how about you eat a bit more? There¡¯s plenty of snacks here!¡± Qi Youxuan grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand and led her to the sofa, although his dewy pupils remained fixed on Qi Chenglin.

    The teacher was speechless.

    ¡®This is my office and you¡¯re in the wrong, don¡¯t you know? Please don¡¯t use that kind of courteous tone to tell them to help themselves to the food, alright?¡¯

    Ruan Danchen pulled the reins on Qi Youxuan and flicked his head with her finger. ¡°Don¡¯t be naughty.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stood beside Ruan Danchen immediately, but he did not forget to tell Qi Chenglin, ¡°Dad, I really didn¡¯t hit him.¡±

    As soon as the boy finished his sentence, a frantic voice roared from behind. ¡°Where¡¯s my grandson? How is he?¡±

    Grandmother Chang was then seen rushing over with the aid of Liu Xiangwen. Upon seeing Chang Jianan crying and retching, she muttered, ¡°Oh dear!¡± and protected Chang Jianan in her embrace.

    ¡°Grandma! Waaaaaaaaaaaaaa!¡± Chang Jianan cried in anguish. ¡°Grandma, it¡¯s painful.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s painful? What happened? Tell Grandma, Grandma¡¯ll get justice for you!¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyes turned red after seeing her grandson gasp for breath and retch continuously.

    Liu Xiangwen touched Chang Jianan¡¯s hair softly too. She looked to Qi Youxuan and saw that the boy did not seem to bother at all. There was not a single wound on Qi Youxuan either.

    Although Chang Jianan did not have any wounds too, he was crying and retching!

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s blood boiled immediately, so she surreptitiously hinted at Grandmother Chang.

    The olddy turned to the family of three and lose her mind immediately. She turned to the ss teacher, Teacher Gao, andmbasted, ¡°We put our kids in this school because we trust you, but look at how our kids are now! I¡¯m telling you¡ªdon¡¯t you dare side with Qi Youxuan and bully my grandson just because he¡¯s from the Qi family. Otherwise, this little olddy will stay here and make sure you hear no end of it!¡±

    ¡°What actually happened? At least let us know what happened.¡± It was inappropriate for a big man like Qi Chenglin to voice out at that juncture, so Ruan Danchen spoke first in a solemn tone. She then shot nces at the olddy and Liu Xiangwen. ¡°No matter what it was that happened, it¡¯s still best to get the facts of the entire situation instead of simply putting the me on any one child.¡±

    As Ruan Danchen was making that remark, Qi Chenglin leisurely went over to the table and took two sachets of cocoa. He opened them and tipped them into two cups, then went over to the water dispenser to get some hot water. He came back to the table with those two cups, cing them there before bringing Ruan Danchen to sit on the sofa.

    He passed a cup of cocoa to Ruan Danchen and said, ¡°Sit down and talk. Don¡¯t tire yourself.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded in eptance of his suggestion. She blew on her cocoa and took a sip. Turning to Qi Chenglin, she said, ¡°Jixia¡¯s perks are pretty good. They have more snacks and drinks than Qilin.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded and replied, ¡°I¡¯ll let the Purchasing Department know.¡±

    The couple talked as if no one else was there and did not even seem to bother about the two kids¡¯ scuffle. Grandmother Change raged when she saw this, to the point where sparks were going to fly soon.

    Ruan Danchen satfortably on the sofa. Grandmother Chang did not even scream tiredness even though she was already so old, so there was no way a young person like Ruan Danchen would be tired.

    ¡°Nannan, what¡¯s going on here? Tell Grandma. Grandma will get justice.¡± Grandmother Chang patted Chang Jianan on the shoulder and said, ¡°Nannan, don¡¯t worry. They have to exin it to us today.¡±

    Chang Jianan however, continued to cry harder. He did not even say a single word, and his cries were already making Grandmother Chang feel annoyed.

    What was he crying for when his grandmother was already there to support him!

    Her anger increased even more when she saw Qi Youxuan sitting there and munching on like nobody¡¯s business.

    Ruan Danchen ced the cup down and asked her son, ¡°Youxuan, why don¡¯t you tell us why you and Chang Jianan got into an argument?¡±

    Use of the word argument deescted the severity of the situation. Chang Jianan may be crying his eyes out, but there was no evidence of wounds on him and Youxuan, suggesting that the boys might not have fought at all.

    Surprisingly, it was the grandmother who objected to it. ¡°Why must your son be the one to say that? Is it fair that he¡¯s allowed to tell one side of the story and pick out only the parts that benefit him?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was fed up at having to look at Grandmother Chang. She said slowly, ¡°Chang Jianan keeps on crying and doesn¡¯t want to talk, right? If he continues to cry for the whole afternoon, should we be waiting here for the whole afternoon as well? You¡¯ve got plenty of time now, but we have work to do.¡±

    Although it was not explicitly said, Grandmother Chang still felt that Ruan Danchen was taking at jab at her for being idle every day.

    Grandmother Chang was thoroughly irked. She knew all along that Ruan Danchen was no easy person to deal with, and was clearly hurling sarcastic remarks at her.

    Qi Chenglin could not be bothered with the olddy and told Qi Youxuan to begin speaking.

    Qi Youxuan stuffed thest piece of cake into his mouth, after which Ruan Danchen gave him a tissue. The boy wiped his hands while exining, ¡°Mom, you know that Chang Jianan doesn¡¯t like me. Ever since he saw me in school and knew that I went here, he¡¯s always been trying to stir trouble. I¡¯ve never started anything with him. Since we¡¯re not on good terms, I won¡¯t say hi to him if I meet him, but I also neve caused trouble for him. It was Chang Jianan who always tried to cause trouble for me.

    ¡°But he was the one causing trouble every single time. It wasn¡¯t me who started it. He tried causing problems to me but he ended up causing problems for himself all the time.¡± Qi Youxuan looked shot a look of contempt at the still-bawling Chang Jianan. ¡°I never bothered telling you because he¡¯s nothing anyway.¡±

    Despite being in the midst of crying, Chang Jianan could still hear Qi Youxuan¡¯s words. Thetter¡¯s remarks made Chang Jianan wail even more fervently.

    Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes exasperatedly and turned to his parents. ¡°Dad, Mom, look at his attitude. Do you think it¡¯s worth my time to cause trouble to him? Evening home and telling you about it isn¡¯t worth it at all.¡±

    Qi Chenglin had a matter-of-factly expression and he nodded. ¡°It really isn¡¯t worth it.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was fuming. The father-son duo was there just to annoy and anger her, and their words were incredibly hurtful.

    ¡°Then what happened this afternoon?¡± Qi Chenglin asked again.

    ¡°This afternoon, he came to my ss all of a sudden while I was about to eat. He was holding a container, and then he poured it all into my food. I looked and saw bugs. There were earthworms, ants, and other things all crawling in my food. There was even soil.¡± Qi Youxuan felt disgusted just by thinking about it. He nearly vomited after seeing soil and bugs in his meal.

    He pouted and grumbled, ¡°I haven¡¯t even had one bite yet.¡±

    Despite his maturity and bravery, he was still a seven-year-old boy. It was just too disgusting to look at and he could not take it at all.

    Recalling the creepy crawlies inside his meal repulsed him and his red face turned pale. It might even be the case that he would have no appetite when he looked at rice.

    Ruan Danchen looked at his demeanor and knew that the boy was still a bit scared. Feeling heartbroken, she touched his little face.

    In front of so many people however, she was wary of hugging the boy because she was afraid that he might find it embarrassing.

    Qi Youxuan rubbed his little face on Ruan Danchen¡¯s palm and batted his longshes.

    ¡°And then?¡± Ruan Danchen asked softly.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t eat the rice. I threw it away. The canteen was already closed at that time, so I couldn¡¯t buy anything else. Thankfully there¡¯s snacks in the office so I¡¯m quite full after eating them,¡± Qi Youxuan said, putting up an air of earnestness in his character.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®Nobody asked you that.¡¯

    She was aggrieved to hear that the boy went hungry, but she felt slightly relieved after knowing that he was full from all the cake.

    Qi Chenglin twitched his lip. Ruan Danchen was easily emotional and swayed by Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Nobody asked you that,¡± Qi Chenglin shot him a nce. ¡°You suffered all that but didn¡¯t retaliate at all? What did you do to Chang Jianan?¡±

    Qi Youxuan puffed his cheeks, thinking that he was able to gloss over that.

    Left without a choice, he said honestly, ¡°So, I went to catch some bugs. Chang Jianan already finished his meal, but I wouldn¡¯t do the same thing to him of course. I wouldn¡¯t be creative if I used the same trick on him, right? So, I poured the bugs over his head.¡±

    QI Youxuan peeked carefully at Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°And then he cried.¡±

    Qi Chenglin patted his head. ¡°Mm,¡± said Qi Chenglin, and not a single word was uttered after that.

    Qi Youxuan felt that his dad was not angry. The man even patted his head softly. Did that mean that Qi Chenglin was praising him?

    ¡°I think this is just some ruckus among kids. You bully me, I bully you back. There¡¯s no reason to react so exaggeratedly,¡± Qi Chenglin said to the two ss teachers.

    In fact, both the ss teachers had no idea what actually happened. Chang Jianan¡¯s ss teacher, Teacher Gao, did not manage to get anything out of Chang Jianan because the boy cried incessantly without answering any question.

    Qi Youxuan meanwhile, was so unperturbed that he even stealthily took some food to eat. Through Qi Youxuan¡¯s status alone, the teacher was hesitant to ask him, and moreover, he did not act as though he did anything wrong.

    The teachers only option was to call both boys¡¯ parents and let them settle it amongst themselves.

    Working as a teacher in Jixia Academy earned them much admiration from others, but those outsiders did not know how difficult it was to work there, due to the fact that they could not offend any of the students there.

    Both teachers did not know how to react, although they knew about Grandmother Chang¡¯s unreasonableness. Chang Jianan had previously been involved in an altercation with his ssmates. When scuffles happen, Chang Jianan would go back home, only for the grandmother to show up at school the next day.

    As expected, Grandmother Chang began rattling off unhappily before either of the teachers could say anything. ¡°Is that how this matter is going to be settled? I won¡¯t allow it! Qi Youxuan¡¯s the only one talking here. Our Nannan hasn¡¯t even said anything yet. It¡¯s ridiculous to just believe what your child is saying!¡±

    Grandmother Chang paid close attention to Chang Jianan¡¯s face. The were tears all over his smudged face, and an endless stream of snot was exiting his nose. His eyes were swollen like a goldfish and his face was red, as if he had just finished shouting wildly.

    Looking at his neck, she spotted some red marks.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Why is your neck hurt?¡± Grandmother Chang opened her grandson¡¯s cor and looked in.

    At longst, Chang Jianan halted his tears. He shivered and hupped before saying, ¡°It was... It was Qi Youxuan, he... Ugh... He poured the bugs on my head... They fell on my neck... I felt itchy...disgusting...so I scratched...¡±

    Fortunately, the weather was warm, but a kid¡¯s immunity was still weak. He was very lucky to have worn slightly more clothes, so the bugs did not enter his shirt.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen, teach your son a proper lesson! He¡¯s already such a terrible person even though he¡¯s so young! I always say that a mother is important, but you, as a mother, are not even showing a good example to your kid! How terrible did you teach your kid to be! His actions alone show that he was lying when he said all that!¡± Grandmother Chang scolded whenever the opportunity arose.

    Qi Chenglin frowned but looked at the boy with an even gentler expression than before. A slight smile was even present as he touched the boy¡¯s hair and said, ¡°You did good.¡±

    When Qi Youxuan realized that his dad praised him in addition to not being angry, the glee in his dark pupils increased, and his face slowly revealed a smugly-pleased expression.

    His chubby and fair-skinned face was tinted with a bashful redness. He looked down slightly, and feeling awkward, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll continue to maintain this and keep improving.¡±

    Grandmother Chang, ¡°...¡±

    Liu Xiangwen, ¡°...¡±

    Teachers, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°You... y-y-y-you.... What is this that you¡¯re talking about! Is this how you teach your kids, Qi Chenglin?¡± Grandmother Chang did not expect Qi Chenglin to be the most irrational person ever. Ruan Danchen must have been a bad influence on him!

    As the saying went, it was important to know what kind of wife one gets married to.

    ¡°How I teach my kid is none of your business, as an outsider,¡± Qi Chenglin nced at her, suggesting that Grandmother Chang was a busybody poking into other people¡¯s business. He then took another slow sip of his cocoa.

    Grandmother Qi was red-faced after hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯sment.

 Chapter 430 - Iâ€™ve Already Told You That Iâ€™m Unreasonable

    <h4>Chapter 430: I¡¯ve Already Told You That I¡¯m Unreasonable</h4>

    With Qi Chenglin¡¯s support, Qi Youxuan had enough backing.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can ask my ssmates. Everyone saw it when he came and poured all the bugs into my food,¡± Qi Youxuan remarked crisply.

    ¡°When I poured the bugs on his head, his ssmates were in ss too. If you ask them what time it was, you¡¯ll know who was the one who caused trouble first.¡± Qi Youxuan nced at the still-crying Chang Jianan. Qi Youxuan felt embarrassed that such an immature person was causing him trouble.

    ¡°Humph! Everyone knows this school is owned by the Qi family. All those kids are afraid of you, so of course they¡¯ll side with you!¡± Grandmother Chang said unhesitatingly. ¡°They¡¯re all helping you to bully my grandson.¡±

    All the teachers in the office began frowning. Since both kids¡¯ elders were there, it would be best to let the adults settle it amongst themselves. Even if they ended up disliking one another, it would still be between them. Grandmother Chang, however, insisted on dragging Qi Youxuan into it. She was a perfect example of how not to be an elder.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, why not transfer Chang Jianan to another school? Then you won¡¯t need to worry about him being bullied,¡± Qi Chenglin suggested. He nonchntly began rolling up his sleeves.

    Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen were both stunned. They did not expect him to say such a thing. It was far too uncouth to be saying that, surely?

    Qi Chenglin ced the cup on the table and leaned back casually on the sofa. His attitude seemed indifferent and he looked like he had on a smirk. Even though Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen were standing up and gazing down at him, they did not feel as though they wielded any influence.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched mockingly. His rich and sonorous voice induced goosebumps in Liu Xiangwen¡¯s skin. ¡°This is the Qi family¡¯s turf to begin with. You¡¯re the ones crying to be enrolled in our school. We¡¯re not begging you to do so.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s face began paling. Many people wanted their kids to get into Jixia, but not all seeded. The Chang family had to go throughyers andyers of connections to be able to enroll their boy into the school. Their sole reason was because all the rich kids were there. Getting into Jixia was a shortcut to expand one¡¯s contacts. Another plus was the reverence orded to a family once it was made known that the family¡¯s children attended Jixia Elementary.

    ¡°A spot in Jixia has been reserved for my son. Without even considering the fact that your child started it, you¡¯re powerless to do anything even if my son bullied your son. My son has the Qi surname. What can you do about it if the entire school, including the principal, teachers, and students, side with my son? If they want to continue staying in Jixia, they know that they should build a good rtionship with my son. Unlike your grandson, who not only chose not to build that rtionship but even tried to kick up a storm whenever he likes. I wonder how your family teaches their children. You rattle off about how our family teaches our children badly, but from Chang Jianan¡¯s attitude, it seems to me like it¡¯s a clear indication of how stupid your entire family is.

    ¡°Bullying him? If my son wants to bully your grandson whenever they see each other, you can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± Qi Chenglin remarkedzily. He put on an attitude that clearly disyed his disinclination for tolerance.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s unreasonableness could even make the unreasonable Grandmother Chang concede defeat.

    She was shivering and trembling, unable to say a single word to refute him. Qi Chenglin¡¯s words truly made her speechless.

    ¡°If Chang Jianan can¡¯t take it anymore, then spare him the suffering. Transfer him to another school.¡± Qi Chenglin then turned to the two ss teachers, and said, ¡°If something like this happens next time, there¡¯s no need to call us. My son behaves well and never starts any trouble. If there¡¯s a ruckus, it¡¯s definitely the other parties¡¯ fault. You should know how to handle it.¡±

    The teachers were silent.

    Other than Grandmother Chang, Liu Xiangwen had never seen anyone else as fiercely protective of their children as Qi Chenglin. Grandmother Chang¡¯s protection was not enough because there were still plenty of people that she could not afford to offend. Qi Chenglin, on the other hand, had the luxury of not worrying about that.

    His words were like a statement saying, ¡®This is my turf. If you feel offended, you might as well suck it up. If you can¡¯t suck it up, then scram.¡¯

    ¡°Qi Chenglin! Can you be reasonable!¡± Grandmother Chang berated.

    Chang Jianan¡¯s crying had stopped, but once he heard that he would be forced to transfer, he began wailing, ¡°WAAAAAAAA!¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Qi Chenglin shot her a nce. ¡°Nope.¡±

    Grandmother Chang nearly choked herself to death. She never expected him to admit it so shamelessly!

    It was shameless individuals that struck the most fear in unreasonable people.

    Unfortunately for Grandmother Chang, Qi Chenglin was a blend of shamelessness and unreasonableness.

    ¡°Alright then. It¡¯s settled. We¡¯ll be going now.¡± Qi Chenglin stood up and was about to take his wife and son away.

    Grandmother Chang would never be satisfied with that. She came to settle scores with Qi Youxuan, but Qi Chenglin¡¯s appearance foiled her n.

    ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to leave! Qi Youxuan has to apologize to my Nannan today! You can¡¯t be so unreasonable!¡± Grandmother Chang ced both hands on her waist and rushed to block the office door with her body.

    Most teachers in the office were reveling in Grandmother Chang¡¯s battering. Eighty percent of teachers there have suffered badly in the hands of the wicked olddy.

    The reality was that every teacher favored some students and disliked others. A mischief-maker like Chang Jianan, would not be looked upon too fondly by any of the teachers.

    Chang Jianan¡¯s ss teacher was the one who suffered the most under Grandmother Chang, and on that day, the ss teacher felt as though justice was finally served.

    Qi Chenglin turned to Qi Youxuan¡¯s ss teacher and said, ¡°Call the headmaster.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was thest person anyone wanted to offend, but evidently, Qi Chenglin¡¯s words were gospel there. The ss teacher phoned the headmaster immediately.

    The position was originally reserved for Qi Chengji, but no one expected him to remain with his troops after entering the army.

    Not long after, the headmaster arrived and was gasping for air. The weather was delightfully cool, but he managed to drench himself in sweat whileing over.

    ¡°Young Master Lin!¡± the headmaster greeted immediately. ¡°Madam.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled and nodded. Qi Chenglin then said, ¡°This student doesn¡¯t like my son and doesn¡¯t want to stay in Jixia Elementary anymore. Get all the school-transfer paperwork done by tomorrow.¡±

    The headmaster was shocked. Liu Xiangwen then interrupted after having enough of all that. ¡°We don¡¯t want to transfer!¡±

    ¡°We won¡¯t transfer him. Are you still going to force us to do so?¡± Grandmother Chang added.

    Chang Jianan was scared witless by the move to transfer him. He hid in Grandmother Chang¡¯s bosom and cried incessantly.

    Qi Chenglin nodded, prompting Liu Xiangwen to wonder what he was going to do. She then saw Qi Chenglin turn to the nervous headmaster and say, ¡°If they don¡¯t want to transfer, I¡¯ll kindly ask you to step down. And if you don¡¯t want to, I¡¯ll fire you.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was stunned silly. Dread was stered all over her face as she did not expect the situation to escte to such a stage.

    If word got out, the Chang family¡¯s reputation would go down the drain.

    ¡°You.... Are you going to be reasonable or not!¡± Grandmother Chang said earnestly.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already told you I¡¯m unreasonable. We didn¡¯t hold anything against you in the past, but you thought you were so high and mighty when you scolded my wife. If I don¡¯t show you what I¡¯m capable of, I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll continue to think highly of yourself and continue to be a nuisance in front of us. I wouldn¡¯t consider my actions today unreasonable¡ªit¡¯s nothing more than a small little punishment to preventrger problems in the future. You should grow some brains and learn from your mistakes,¡± Qi Chenglin said before holding Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand.

    He turned to the headmaster and said, ¡°I meant what I said today. Get this done by tomorrow, or I¡¯ll have someone else rece you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin led Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the door and saw the olddy still blocking their way. Her state of mind was no longer as tough as before and she was in a state of stupor.

    Liu Xiangwen dragged the olddy to one side so Qi Chenglin could pass.

    Both of Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes were haughtily radiant and looked coldly at the olddy. He remarked ambiguously, ¡°I hope you don¡¯t regret it in the future.¡±

    After saying that, he left with Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan.

    The two of them sent Qi Youxuan to his ss, and once they reached the entrance, Qi Chenglin cocked a brow and flicked Qi Youxuan¡¯s head, saying, ¡°Whatever I told Grandmother Chang just now, don¡¯t take them seriously. You¡¯re not allowed to be arrogant in school.¡±

    Qi Youxuan touched his head, which was not hurting that much actually, and pouted. ¡°Come on, Dad. You know I¡¯m the most sensible person out there.¡±

    Qi Chenglin snickered. ¡°Oh, are you, now? More like the most preposterous person.¡±

    The boy looked around him in haste. Seeing that no one was beside him, he grumbled to Qi Chenglin, ¡°Really, Dad! Can¡¯t you consider my feelings! I¡¯m the lushest grass in my year. Very famous.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean lushest grass in your year?¡± Ruan Danchen asked puzzlingly. Was that some new ng? Was she really behind on the times?

    ¡°That means the most handsome person at my age,¡± Qi Youxuan said boastfully while cocking his chin.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth twitched. Her son was so thick-faced that he could make such a remark.

    ¡°Why are you acting so proud for? You take after me. Your appearance is based on me.¡± Qi Chenglin nced at the boy before stiffening up his own shirt cor.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked askance at Qi Chenglin, after which he said goodbye to his parents and walked into ss.

    The couple subsequently left, though they did not need to walk far because the car was parked at the gate to the ssroom building.

    Once in the car, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was beautiful as he clipped on his seatbelt.

    Ruan Danchen felt a sudden impulse and leaned forward to give him a brief kiss on the lips. ¡°Hubby, you¡¯re so handsome today!¡±

    She had never called him that even though they had already gotten their marriage certificate long ago. Although calling him Chenglin was intimate enough, calling him ¡®hubby¡¯ was a different feeling altogether. Qi Chenglin felt like his bones were turning into jelly.

    He stopped putting on his seatbelt, and with his hands free, he pressed her down on the seat and gave her a strong kiss.

    When she was gasping for air, Qi Chenglin seized the moment and huskily suggested, ¡°How about I do you one time in the office when we get backter.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face reddened and she pushed him back. He was given an inch, yet he wanted a mile. ¡°Stop it! Go back and do your work properly.¡±

    Seeing his frozen state prompted her to scold him in embarrassment and anger, ¡°Start driving!¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled. He drove the car as instructed and stopped teasing her.

    After some time, Ruan Danchen spoke ufortably and said, ¡°Chang Jianan is just a kid and the issues between us adults have nothing to do with him. Forcing him to transfer is a bit too drastic, isn¡¯t it?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was silent for a while, but he then said, ¡°I¡¯ve actually thought about this on the way to the school. Grandmother Chang herself doesn¡¯t have any principles, and for Chang Jianan to be like this, it¡¯s certainly because their family imparted negative behavior in their upbringing of him. I don¡¯t want Youxuan to constantly be on guard against someone¡¯s plot. Even if it¡¯s a small matter, it will still be a burden on him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was silent after Qi Youxuan¡¯s name was brought up.

    ¡°That Grandmother Chang is unprincipled, and she doesn¡¯t understand anything no matter what we tell her in the past. This time, we¡¯ll use Chang Jianan¡¯s issue to teach her a lesson. The whole thing started with Chang Jianan, and if Grandmother Chang was a sensible person who can offer their apologies and ept ours, I wouldn¡¯t resort to this. Still, she carries on with that bad attitude. Her daughter-inw¡¯s no better because she didn¡¯t stop him. Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Zhixing have fully-functioning minds, so if they go back and hear all this, they¡¯ll know that it was Grandmother Chang who brought it upon herself and ced this burden on Chang Jianan. I hope this is an opportunity for Grandmother Chang to learn from her mistakes and reflect on her own character.¡±

    The car stopped at a red light and Qi Chenglin instinctively reached for his cigarettes. He took it out halfway, but the thought of Ruan Danchen popped up in his mind. He looked at her, and although she did not show any signs of unhappiness or repulsion, he still ced the cigarette back.

    Out of the blue, he asked, ¡°Do you want me to quit smoking?¡±

    He was reminded of how Qi Chengzhi quitpletely just for Song Yu, and since Qi Chenglin himself wanted another kid with Ruan Danchen, it would be nice to quit smoking too.

    The conversation was focused on Chang Jianan but the topic shifted suddenly to quitting smoking, which puzzled Ruan Danchen. She was stunned for a moment, but then said, ¡°I don¡¯t hate the smoke smell and I know you smoke one or two on asion because you¡¯re frustrated. I don¡¯t like it because of what it does to your health, not because I myself don¡¯t like it. Smoking when you¡¯re frustrated makes it even worse. I¡¯d definitely be happy if you can quit. But if you want to smoke one when you¡¯re really feeling irritated, I can still understand.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled. Ruan Danchen then saw him hand over his pack, saying in his rich voice, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I won¡¯t smoke.¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not help but smile softly. She took the pack and held his hand while she was at it.

    Qi Chenglin remained unconvinced, but he allowed her to hold him as his lips curled up in a smile.

    When the light turned green, he released his foot on the brake and stepped on the elerator. Ruan Danchen said, ¡°I don¡¯t want something to happen to your health. I want your body to stay healthy and live till we¡¯re both a hundred. I want the time we spend together to be as long as possible.¡±

    Feeling her grip tighten, Qi Chenglin returned the favor. His voice was husky when he replied slowly, ¡°Okay.¡±

    Ruan Danchen wrapped his hand within both her palms, but because his hand was muchrger, she was unable to cover itpletely even though she used both her hands. His skin was fair and merely darker than hers by a single shade, but a casual observation would not reveal that.

    There were a number of asions where she rejoiced at being fair herself. Otherwise, they would not make for a beautiful couple if her skin was darker than it was then. As she caressed and felt the bones and veins on his hand, she lost track of time and was surprised to see the car parked at the roadside.

    He held her hands and pulled her over¡ªassailing her lips was a kiss. His body leaned forward and pressed against her, tightly wrapping around his waist. Ruan Danchen could feel as though he might snap her waist like that.

    It took a great effort to release herself from his grip. She gasped for air, and with his hands tightly wrapped around her waist, her breathing became even more erratic.

    ¡°What came over you all of a sudden?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were swollen from all the kissing. His tight grip prevented her from moving much, so she braved through the pain and allowed herself to be hugged.

    ¡°Who told you to say all those things when I was driving? I can¡¯t hug you if I¡¯m still driving.¡± Qi Chenglin pinched her waist andid his chin on her shoulder. He turned to her neck and sucked forcefully, causing a red blotch to form.

    ¡°I swear I¡¯ll take good care of my body. And yours too, so we can have many more years ahead of us,¡± Qi Chenglin assured warmly.

    Ruan Danchen hugged him back and buried her face in his shoulders. Taking a deep breath, she inhaled the scent on his body and said, ¡°Mm.¡±

    After some time, Qi Chenglin finally let go of her, but he gave her a couple of kisses on her cheek before driving off.

    A period of time passed before Qi Chenglin suddenly remarked, ¡°The point is, don¡¯t feel guilty about Chang Jianan. Don¡¯t think that I bullied a kid. You must remember that an ill-intentioned kid will always be beside Qi Youxuan. What if the kid is manipted by someone else to do bad things?¡±

    Ruan Danchen admired Qi Chenglin¡¯s side profile. He looked stern, and his brows furrowed together.

    She was surprised that Qi Chenglin picked up from where he left off from the earlier topic.

    ¡°Chang Jianan¡¯s not a smart kid. Manipting him would be easy. I¡¯ve never shown Youxuan to the public before. All the outsiders know that I have a son named Qi Youxuan, but no one knows how he looks like. Youxuan¡¯s never appeared on the media, and if reporters managed to get a picture of him, I¡¯ll be the first to approach them and prevent them from publishing the photo. It¡¯s not because of my background as a single father¡ªI don¡¯t feel ashamed of my son¡¯s background, but my only concern is that others might do harm to my son,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen understood. There were too many cases of child kidnapping amongst the upper-ss circle, so the families were extra cautious with their children. Be that as it may, the Qi family raised Qi Youxuan as though he was any ordinary kid, which was something Ruan Danchen forgot.

    ¡°Chang Jianan has his family to keep indulging him, and because he¡¯s still young, he would grow up on the wrong path if his family kept on doing this. It¡¯d be better to throw him out since it¡¯s just transferring schools anyway. Nothing too harsh.¡± Qi Chenglin turned the steering wheel and drove past a bend.

    Ruan Danchen nodded and said nothing further.

    ...

    ...

    Back at the school office, Grandmother Chang finally snapped back after the Qi family left. She looked at the headmaster fiercely, ¡°How can Qi Chenglin be so irrational. I¡¯m telling you! I won¡¯t let Nannan be transferred!¡±

    Under Qi Chenglin¡¯s order, the headmaster did not have to worry about Grandmother Chang at all. He came over with a smile and said to the olddy, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, if your family doesn¡¯t want to do it, then I have no choice but to expel him. Of course, expelling him will have a negative influence if Chang Jianan were to enroll in another school. But, if you transfer him to another school, they¡¯ll give you plenty of respect if they know that he¡¯s from Jixia. Expulsion or transfer, it¡¯s your choice. How about you go back home and think it over. If you¡¯re not here tomorrow to deal with the transfer, I¡¯ll have no choice but to expel.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going. I¡¯ll stay here until I¡¯m satisfied with how this is concluded!¡± Grandmother Chang roared and sat at the floor just in front of the door. She sat crossed-legged there, making the headmaster feel as though the olddy would cry to the heavens at any moment.

    Liu Xiangwen was toiling in despair as she needed to console Chang Jianan too.

    Although she felt that the olddy was throwing her dignity by doing that, there was no other way. If being stubborn would result in Chang Jianan remaining at the school, then Liu Xiangwen was prepared to do the same with Grandmother Chang.

    As she thought of that, she carried up Chang Jianan and sat beside the olddy. ¡°Mom, I¡¯ll sit with you.¡±

    The headmaster was fuming withughter. The Chang family was a respected family, and yet here they were, doing such a shameless thing.

    He called security immediately. ¡°Send more men here and carry out Mrs. Chang as well as Grandmother Chang.¡±

    It was a drastic measure to escort those two women.

    Not longter, eight security guards came. It was a really serious matter to have eight mene and face the two women.

    They dragged and pulled Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen up.

    Chang Jianan cried yet again because he was frightened. He shouted for his grandma and for his mother.

 Chapter 431 - Are Youâ€™re Shooing a Beggar?!

    <h4>Chapter 431: Are You¡¯re Shooing a Beggar?!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°The Qi family is using their power to bully us!¡± Grandmother Chang did not fail to shout at the top of her lungs while being escorted by the guards. Floor after floor, she shouted and screamed so that the entire floor could hear what she was saying.

    Since it was still lunch break, many students were talking in the corridors and all of them heard, ¡°Even if the Qi family owns this school, they can¡¯t force someone not to study here! Me? Regret? F*CK YOU! I don¡¯t regret at all! Qi Chenglin is unreasonable and irrational! Take a good look, God! These young men are bullying an old bag of bones like me. Youngsters now are rude! I¡¯m being dragged out here today! What kind of society is this!¡± Grandmother Chang cursed and cursed, crying out to the heavens.

    The security guards were speechless.

    They began feeling embarrassed after the olddy said all that. In that fleeting moment of shame, they slowed down their movements because they did not know what else to do.

    ¡°What are you doing? She¡¯s already suffering so badly. Why aren¡¯t you hurrying up to send her to her car? What are you going to do if something happens? Move faster, send the olddy to the car quickly!¡± the headmaster ordered immediately after following behind and watching the situation unfold.

    The security guards immediately dragged Grandmother Chang out at a faster pace than before.

    Since Grandmother Chang kicked up a fuss, Chang Jianan was too embarrassed to return to ss, so Liu Xiangwen brought him home with her.

    The entire fiasco was not that big, but after Qi Chenglin forced Chang Jianan to transfer schools, Grandmother Chang¡¯s subsequent outburst made the entire school well aware of the situation. The Chang family¡¯s reputation was resoundingly tarnished and they would be filled with shame if they appeared in public next time.

    After sending Grandmother Chang home, Liu Xiangwen did not immediately go home. Although thetter was usually very petty, she did not dare to decide things on her own when it came to such a serious circumstance. She hurriedly gave her husband a call.

    Upon hearing the news, Chang Zhixing told Chang Zhiyuan at once. Both brothers then rushed back home from thepany.

    Mo Yuxin and Liu Xiangwen were watching over Grandmother Chang in the bedroom. The elderlydy was cursing and scolding so much that her head began hurting. She finally went to rest on her bed.

    Mo Yuxin and Liu Xiangwen did not dare to utter a single word, and even Chang Jianan was afraid to continue crying. He simplyid there in Liu Xiangwen¡¯s embrace.

    ¡°What is it? Why did things escte so badly?¡± Chang Zhiyuan barged in and asked sternly, with Chang Zhixing hiding behind him.

    ¡°Sis-inw, tell us. You weren¡¯t very clear over the phone, and Zhixing couldn¡¯t tell me the details,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said to Liu Xiangwen.

    Hugging Chang Jianan, Liu Xiangwen recounted everything in detail. Seeing as it was no small matter, she did not dare to exaggerate things andin about it.

    Chang Zhixing was shocked. He knew that it was all brought upon by Grandmother Chang herself. As a kid, Chang Jianan would at least be able to avail himself by saying that he was a kid. Kids lose their temper easily and think that an eye for an eye makes the world go around. Adults should be the ones advising the kids, figuring out a way to de-escte the situation, not make things worse as Grandmother Chang did.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you hold Mom back?!¡± Chang Zhixing released his anger on Liu Xiangwen as he was afraid to do so toward the olddy.

    Liu Xiangwen cowered guiltily. ¡°I...didn¡¯t dare to stop her!¡±

    ¡°Nannan¡¯s behavior is getting more and more out of hand! We should teach him well since he¡¯s still young. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t shoulder the me next time!¡± Chang Zhixing voiced out voluntarily as he did not want his elder brother to be chastised on this issue.

    ¡°I¡¯ll personally go and settle the school transfer tomorrow. I¡¯ll get my secretary to head over to Shining Star Elementary right away,¡± Chang Zhixing said.

    At the time Chang Jianan was going to enter into elementary school, Liu Xiangwen considered many other famous schools aside from Jixia Elementary¡ªone such school was Shining Star.

    Shining Star¡¯s school fees were considerably expensive from a normal person¡¯s point of view, as it amounted to a hundred thousand yuan a year, excluding misceneous fees. Most rich families would want their kids to be enrolled there because of their rigorous education. After graduating from elementary school, they could then enroll in B City¡¯s B1 High School. B1 was one of the most renowned high schools in B City and wasprised of junior high and senior high. Their students stood a very good chance of getting into university¡ªan aspect that was valued by many. Everyone hoped that their kids could enroll in these famous universities, thereby cementing their bright future and ensuring that they would be able tond good jobs once they graduate.

    Shining Star Elementary was affiliated with B1 High School, situated in the far suburbs of the 6th Ring Road. The school was modeled after a boarding school, and rumor has it that the conditions were arduous despite the high school fees. The kids who studied there were all bookworms, going so far as to skip meals just to study. They ate steamed buns or tbread with rice, and during winter, the water used for washing feet would turn into a block of ice by morning.

    They had to wake up at five in the morning, and by five-thirty, they had to gather for their morning run. A period of self-study began at six, with their first ss of the day starting at seven-thirty. ss would continue until six in the evening, and from then onward they were asked to do their own revision until nine, after which ss was officially dismissed. They then returned to their dormitories and continued revising again.

    High school sybi were all taught and learned during elementary school.

    ording to some, year six students of Shining Star Elementary were already able to answer questions from first year senior high. Many were even crowned champions of the International Mathematical Olympiad.

    As someone who had never suffered a day in his entire life, Chang Jianan would hardly be able to take it if he was enrolled into Shining Star Elementary.

    ¡°B City has plenty of other schools, and there¡¯s no shortage of elite ones. Why must you let Nannan suffer? Even if he can¡¯t stay at Jixia, he could still go to any of those elite schools. There will be plenty of upperssmen there, so his status won¡¯t be lowered. Why must he be sent to a school like Shining Star where all they do ispare their results? It¡¯s not like our Nannan needs to rely on good academic qualifications to get a job,¡± Liu Xiangwen said frantically.

    Chang Jianan did not know what kind of school Shining Star Elementary was, but from his mother¡¯s expression, he knew it was not a good sign. The sheer fright made his face turn pale.

    ¡°Stop talking! It doesn¡¯t really matter if a family like ours pamper our children, but we can¡¯t let him grow to have a bad temper. Pampering him doesn¡¯t mean we can allow him to be an arrogant person. You and Mom are always spoiling him, heaping praise on him in all the wrong ways. He doesn¡¯t understand the seriousness of some things and never considers other people at all. He¡¯s seven, and if he makes a mistake, we adults would dismiss it by saying he¡¯s a na?ve kid. But if this continues, he¡¯ll turn into a worthless person when he grows up! We might as well correct him while we can. I won¡¯t let you both spoil him like that anymore. He¡¯ll be going to that school!¡± Chang Zhixing roared in anger.

    His decisiveness left Liu Xiangwen with no choice but to hug the child. She did not have the heart to send him to school, but she did not dare to voice her objections.

    Grandmother Chang massaged her temples and sat up. ¡°Why are you taking it out on the boy?! Qi Chenglin¡¯s the one who¡¯s bullying people!¡±

    ¡°Mom, I can¡¯t say anything because you¡¯re my mother, but if I was in Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoes today, I won¡¯t be able to take it either.¡± Chang Zhixing tried his best to contain his anger. It was inevitable that he would get angry after his son was chased out from the school.

    Fortunately, he was a rational man. One who knew that Qi Chenglin¡¯s buttons should not be pushed and that everything happened because the olddy made a fuss.

    ¡°You feel that your grandson¡¯s been bullied. Everyone has the instinct to protect their children, don¡¯t they? You¡¯d want to protect Nannan, and Qi Chenglin would want to protect his son too. If we talked about it calmly and settle this dispute amicably between our families, it wouldn¡¯t havee to this. Instead of chastising Nannan, you me and criticize other people¡¯s faults. Qi Youxuan might¡¯ve been in the wrong, but were Nannan¡¯s actions correct? You¡¯re aware that Qi Chenglin uses his influence to pressure you, so why did you provoke him? In the end, we¡¯re the ones who have to suffer.¡±

    ¡°You... You... Fine, fine, it¡¯s a mistake for me to care about my grandson now, is it? You only me me if something bad happens. If everything¡¯s going well, I don¡¯t see you getting all angry at me when I care about my grandson. But now, you want to push the me to me! Perfect! You¡¯re all grown-up now, you can fend for yourself without needing to care about an olddy like me.¡± Grandmother Chang pointed at them and shouted, ¡°GET OUT! All of you! Everything¡¯s my fault. It¡¯s my fault our family is bullied! It¡¯s my fault for caring about my grandson!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s all because of you! You¡¯re not good enough, and that¡¯s what caused me¡ªyour mother¡ªto suffer so much in public. Guards dragged me out of the school, and you me me instead of looking at yourself.¡± Grandmother Chang massaged her head with one hand and punched the bed with the other. ¡°You¡¯re both the same! When will you spare me all these worries!¡±

    Chang Zhixing was itching to say, ¡®How about YOU save us all this worry!¡¯

    Nevertheless, he kept it to himself, otherwise the olddy might kick up another storm.

    Chang Zhiyuan gave Mo Yuxin a look, hinting for her to bring Liu Xiangwen and Chang Jianan out. He pulled Chang Zhixing and said, ¡°Mom, get some rest these few days. You¡¯ve already suffered so much. It¡¯s best not to go out anywhere.¡±

    In essence, they were covertly going to let her stay at home, thus preventing her from causing any trouble.

    Without waiting for the olddy to begin cursing again, he brought Chang Zhixing out and closed the door behind them.

    Once they went down, Chang Zhiyuan ordered Mo Yuxin and the housekeeper to keep watch on Grandmother Chang. The olddy should not be let out of the house. Keeping her there forever was impossible, but they were told to keep her there for as long as they could.

    Chang Zhiyuan felt helpless. ¡°Also, if Jingqiues and tries to get on Mom¡¯s good books by bringing her out, don¡¯t let it happen. Jingqiu has angered the Qi family a lot too.¡±

    Mo Yuxin nodded, as she never liked Chang Jingqiu much in the first ce.

    ¡°Just bear with it for these few days. Her words may be insulting and she¡¯ll definitely curse at you for not letting her out. Just ignore it,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said despondently. ¡°Sorry for the trouble.¡±

    Mo Yuxin shook her head and sighed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re in a much harder ce.¡±

    Chang Zhixing discussed it with Chang Zhiyuan. Thetter agreed to it, but he still brought Chang Zhixing into the study room to warn that special attention must be paid to Liu Xiangwen.

    Chang Zhixing knew what kind of person his wife was, so he simply nodded without any furtherments.

    He then brought Liu Xiangwen and Chang Jianan away, while Chang Zhiyuan returned to thepany.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was worried that Qi Chenglin would have to work overtime that evening, as Jiang Yuan¡¯s absence impacted his work efficiency significantly. She headed straight for his office after work but noticed that Qi Chenglin was in the midst of clearing his things.

    ¡°You¡¯re here? I¡¯ll be ready soon,¡± Qi Chenglin said. In truth, there was still some work to be done, but he could bring work home with him.

    She then watched as he took a stic bag, opened his drawer, and threw a few packs of cigarettes into the bag.

    He noticed her looks and began exining, ¡°I¡¯d have to be thorough since I¡¯ve decided to quit. There¡¯s no reason to keep these, so I¡¯ll throw them awayter. Those at home will be thrown away too.¡±

    Qi Chenglin carried the bag as well as his briefcase and walked toward Ruan Danchen. All of a sudden, her face turned red, as though she thought of something.

    Qi Chenglin found it particrly intriguing that her face turned red so suddenly. His slender, beautiful fingers poked her tender cheek. ¡°What are you thinking of?¡±

    Ruan Danchen gazed down to the bag of cigarettes and looked back up to his handsome face. ¡°Do you want kids?¡±

    ¡®Otherwise, why would he suddenly want to quit smoking?¡¯ she thought.

    Back then, Qi Chenglin had quit smoking because he wanted a kid.

    ¡°Do you want one?¡± Qi Chenglin looked at her half-smilingly, but for some reason, his expression was a mischievous one.

    ¡°I¡¯m just asking because you¡¯re quitting smoking,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. ¡°Well, Youxuan¡¯s grown up already, so it¡¯s a good time to have another one.¡±

    Qi Chenglin leaned over and kissed her on the lips. ¡°Then let¡¯s make one tonight.¡±

    As for the issue involving Qi Chenglin forcing the Chang family kid to transfer, the rest of the Qi family knew about it. After all, they owned the school, so the headmaster would frequently report anything to them. No one voiced any objections however, as one would definitely side with one¡¯s kin in such a situation.

    When night came, a concerned Grandmother Qi called to get a sense of what actually happened earlier. Feeling heartbroken, she spoke to the little boy and poured her heart out, saying that the Chang kid was a terrible person, and what Qi Youxuan did was right because he could not just let anyone bully him like that.

    ¡°Great-Grandma, I don¡¯t even have the appetite to eat rice. Looking at the rice grains reminds me of all the bugs in my food this afternoon. I can¡¯t eat because I feel so disgusted,¡± Qi Youxuan said pitifully.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s heart ached after hearing that. She muttered, ¡°Oh no,¡± repeatedly before saying, ¡°You can¡¯t skip your meals, okay? You¡¯ll get skinny. Is the food in school good? If you don¡¯t have any appetite, tell your Aunt Zheng to make a lunchbox for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan could even hear his great-grandfather ask his great-grandmother anxiously, ¡°What happened? What happened? Let me talk with him for a while. Ask him...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt! Or else I won¡¯t let you listen!¡± Grandmother Qi was getting annoyed with Grandfather Qi. She turned to re at him, shocking the old man considerably.

    He huffed and furiously twisted his head to one side, before straining his ears to try and listen to the conversation between Grandmother Qi and Qi Youxuan.

    She continued talking for quite some time before finally passing the phone over to the old man. Not longter, the old man began to smile again after being coaxed by the little boy.

    Barely moments after he hung up, Guan Liya brought along Qi Zhongxun and showed up at their doorstep. They wanted to console their shocked grandson, and the atmosphere at Prestige Residence became very lively that night.

    ...

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s dys caused the DNA report toe in half a monthter.

    Both she and Liu Ronghua brought Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia to get the report. Once it had been obtained, they did not choose to look at it on the spot¡ªthey searched for a restaurant instead and requested for a private room.

    Simr to before, the restaurant¡¯s location was in an inconspicuous and low-ss ce. Chang Jingqiu was thoroughly afraid to be seen in public with those people.

    In particr, Huang Pinggui and Wang Liwei were all shifty-eyed during the entire journey. Although there was minimal interaction, Chang Jingqiu could see Huang Pinggui¡¯s habit of rubbing his hands whenever he had the slightest of greedy thoughts.

    Huang Pinggui had been rubbing his hands ever since the report was obtained.

    As soon as the four of them entered the private room, Huang Pinggui stared at the paper envelope like a hawk.

    ¡°Hehe... Uh Jingqiu, let¡¯s have a look.¡± Huang PInggui rubbed his hands and looked greedily at the paper envelope.

    In truth, he had no doubts that Chang Jingqiu was his daughter ever since Liu Ronghua contacted them. Chang Jingqiu¡¯s insistence on getting a DNA test was simply the result of herst struggle.

    Chang Jingqiu herself believed in the same truth as well. Liu Ronghua was so confident in letting her get the test, but even before the test was taken, Chang Jingqiu believed itpletely.

    She did not look at Huang Pinggui because his voice was enough to make her feel repulsed. To think that the man even had the dignity to call her Jingqiu.

    ¡°Please call me Miss Chang.¡± She opened the envelope and took out the results whilementing, ¡°Even if we¡¯re rted by blood, there¡¯s no reason for you to try and get close. I¡¯m not close to either of you.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu was about to open the file, but before she could even look closely, Huang Pinggui snatched it away.

    He flipped through and said, ¡°Hehe, why are you being so distant for? We¡¯ll get to know each other slowly, right? Blood rtionships can¡¯t be denied, and no matter what, you¡¯re still my daughter. You can¡¯t say that we¡¯re not close.¡±

    Huang Pinggui looked at the results and handed them back to Chang Jingqiu with a smile.

    Chang Jingqiu gazed down and looked coldly at the results. She then heard Huang Pinggui say, ¡°Our family is finally reunited! Ah, Jingqiu! I¡¯ll bring your little brother toe and meet you, and then we¡¯ll have a nice meal as a family!¡±

    As he said that he rubbed his tummy. ¡°Oh yeah, I haven¡¯t eaten anything yet. I¡¯m hungry!¡± He pushed Wang Lixia and said, ¡°Call the waiter and order some food. Let¡¯s have a good lunch with our daughter.¡±

    Wang Lixia then called the waiter over immediately, then began ordering. Since they did not have to pay for anything, Huang Pinggui requested many different dishes regardless of the price or whether he could even finish them. He even ordered a bottle of Wuliangye <sup>1</sup> even though no one else drank it.

    Chang Jingqiu was thoroughly irked, but because the situation had not yet beenpletely settled, all she could do was sit and bear with it.

    From time to time, Huang Pinggui would use his saliva-coated chopsticks to take food from the tes. A few bitester, he would suck audibly on his chopsticks. Soon after, he rummaged around the food with his chopsticks and said, ¡°Eat up, eat up.¡±

    The dishes served at the restaurant were nothing special; they were simple, home-cooked dishes. By smell alone, one could tell that the oil used was of inferior quality.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s appetite was long gone after looking at how hideous Huang Pinggui looked when eating. Simrly, Liu Ronghua sported an unhappy expression and did not even touch the chopsticks at all.

    Wang Lixia had a few quick bites, and with her mouth still filled with meat, she said iprehensibly, ¡°Jingqiu, the evidence is in front of you. You¡¯re really our daughter, you can¡¯t just choose not to believe it. No matter what, we¡¯re still family...¡±

    Chang Jingqiu cut her off rudely, ¡°What do you want. Just spit it out.¡±

    ¡°Nothing much, really.¡± Huang Pinggui used a tissue to wipe his mouth. He sipped some of that alcohol, smacked his lips, then said, ¡°I¡¯m old. I can¡¯t be working so much anymore and no one wants to hire me. Your mother¡¯s bones are in bad condition and she¡¯s aching all over because of all the work she did since she was younger. We don¡¯t have the money to let her visit a doctor and medicine is very expensive.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips coldly, ¡°You just want money, don¡¯t you?

    ¡°Don¡¯t say it like that. There¡¯s nothing wrong with children taking care of their parents. You say it as though we¡¯re taking advantage of the situation to rip you off,¡± Huang Pinggui remarked unhappily and drank more alcohol. ¡°I can¡¯t work anymore, but we still need money to eat, don¡¯t we? Your mother also needs to visit the doctor, right? Look at her, she looks ten or twenty years older than women of the same age because she did so much work in the past. Your little brother is going to sit for his high school exams soon too, and university fees aren¡¯t cheap. He¡¯s very hardworking and good in his studies, which means he¡¯ll definitely be able to get into a good university. We¡¯d like him to go into A University or B University. Studying overseas isn¡¯t something we¡¯re hoping for. We¡¯re not greedy or anything, but we have to at least get him into a good university, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, that¡¯s right.¡± Wang Lixia nodded without the slightest dy. ¡°Speaking of your little brother, you¡¯ll have to take good care of him once he gets into A University. He¡¯s your family member. When the timees, we¡¯ll apany him, and we¡¯d need your help to buy a house and...¡±

    The exuberance of their demands kept on increasing, leading Chang Jingqiu to m her cup on the table. The resulting sound cut off Wang Lixia¡¯s words, startling her tremendously.

    ¡°Don¡¯t ask for so much,¡± Chang Jingqiu rebuffed coldly. ¡°I don¡¯t have any parents or any brothers. I¡¯m the daughter of the Chang family, and my parents died when I was young. I don¡¯t have any embarrassing rtives from the vige.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Huang Pinggui mmed his chopsticks on the table. ¡°We gave birth to you. The DNA report says it clearly, but you still don¡¯t want to admit it? No matter how much you refuse to believe it, we¡¯re still your birth parents! If we didn¡¯t give birth to you, do you think you¡¯ll still be the Chang family¡¯s daughter? We¡¯re your parents, and you have the responsibility and the obligation to provide a better life for us! If not, I¡¯ll separate you from them. Once the Chang family knows your real status, you won¡¯t be left with any benefit!¡±

    Huang Pinggui huffed twice. ¡°But we won¡¯t be that heartless to forget your good deeds. Even if you¡¯re no longer the Chang family¡¯s daughter, we¡¯ll still take care of you. Although the vige life is harsh and our food is simple, we won¡¯t let you go hungry. We¡¯re not like you. Humph. Humph.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression did not waver in the slightest. She smiled coldly and replied, ¡°You don¡¯t need to use that to threaten me. If you tell everything to the Chang family and they chased me out, I¡¯ll no longer by the Chang family¡¯s daughter, which means I won¡¯t have any money for you anymore. If you want money, then you¡¯d better keep your mouth shut. If I¡¯m not happy, then both of you won¡¯t have it easy either.¡±

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia grew up in the vige and did not pursue their studies. Huang Pinggui went to the city to work afterpleting junior high, while Wang Lixia only managed toplete elementary school. She could recognize a few characters and do simple math, just enough for her daily life. She did not continue her studies because the rest of her family¡¯s money was saved up for her brother to go to school.

    From Wang Lixia¡¯s family upbringing, coupled with the viger mentality of birthing children so someone could take care of them during theirter years, Wang Lixia ced more importance on her son. To her, a daughter was dispensable.

    When Cheng Pinggui entered adulthood, his family called him back to meet with Wang Lixia, after which their marriage was arranged. The two of them never received much education, so their knowledge was shallow. Huang Pinggui was clever when it came to trivial matters due to the craftiness he gained during his work, but that was the extent of his intelligence¡ªwhen ites to important matters, he was simply no match for Chang Jingqiu.

    As expected, the couple¡¯s expressions changed dramatically after hearing what Chang Jingqiu said. They were rmed and helpless.

    Evidently, they knew that the matter at hand was interrted with their benefit. Simply acting blindly without thinking was something they did not dare to do. They understood that the situation was not as easy as it looked, and if they really did provoke Chang Jingqiu too much, she would bring them down with her, leaving them without anything in return.

    Chang Jingqiu then slowly took out a cheque and threw it to Huang Pinggui. ¡°Here¡¯s eight hundred thousand. As long as you keep away from the city and stay put in the vige, it¡¯ll be enough tost you for the rest of your life. Your son¡¯s school fees are included too. If he¡¯s really that smart, the money¡¯s enough for him to get a master¡¯s after he graduates from university. It might even be enough to let him go overseas and study.¡±

    Huang Pinggui reached out to grab it, but Wang Lixia snatched it away at once and kept it, seemingly distrustful of Huang Pinggui.

    After noticing Wang Lixia¡¯s reaction, Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips and remained indifferent. She could not feel any familial connections between herself and the couple.

    ¡°Are you shooing a beggar?!¡± Huang Pinggui still felt dissatisfied. ¡°This is too little money for us to live our lives together. It¡¯s fine if you want to give this amount, but you have to give us living expenses every month. You¡¯re our daughter. Your mother carried you for ten months before giving birth to you and it wasn¡¯t easy for her to do that, but now you¡¯re shooing us with so little money? You should repay us for giving birth to you!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu stood up. ¡°That¡¯s all I¡¯m giving. No more. Tear the cheque if you don¡¯t want it. If you think it¡¯s not enough, by all means, go and ask the Chang family. Tell them who you are and see if anyone gives a damn about you. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you that every rich household has hical means of settling things. The Chang family ces lots of importance on their reputation, and if this matter goes public, their reputation would be lost too. I don¡¯t know what they¡¯ll do if they get angry, and I won¡¯t protect you if anything happens.¡±

    shing a malicious grin, Chang Jingqiu continued, ¡°After all, I won¡¯t be the Chang family¡¯s daughter anymore if that happens. Think carefully before doing anything. You can either choose to put your son¡¯s life and future on the line when the Chang family bites back, or you can seize the moment and take the money.¡±

    Like a mute, Huang Pinggui froze and was afraid to say anything further. He savored the taste of alcohol in his mouth and found it very distasteful.

    Chang Jingqiu looked at him disdainfully and said, ¡°After you take this money, you won¡¯t have anything to do with me anymore. Don¡¯te looking for me. If you show up in front of me, please don¡¯t me me for being discourteous. If you¡¯re smart, you¡¯ll take this money and live the rest of your lives properly in the same way as before, when you didn¡¯t know that I existed.¡±

    Her piercing gaze scared Huang Pinggui somewhat, but he simply mumbled in a dissatisfied tone, ¡°Understood.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu chuckled coldly. ¡°Good that you understand. We won¡¯t meet each other again in the future. I¡¯ll pay for lunch.¡±

    She turned to leave as soon as she was done talking.

    Liu Ronghua was in no mood to sit together with Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia. Upon seeing that Chang Jingqiu was leaving, she quickly caught up.

    Chang Jingqiu did not thwart the approach, and both women walked together with a tacit mutual understanding. Liu Ronghua only began to speak after she got into the car with Chang Jingqiu. ¡°I¡¯m not like Huang Pinggui or Wang Lixia. Don¡¯t even think about dismissing me as though I were them. Your threats to them can¡¯t fool me.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu simply asked calmly, ¡°How much money do you want?¡±

    ¡°Five million. It¡¯s not a high price to pay in exchange for the glory, splendor, wealth, and power associated with your status as Miss Chang,¡± Liu Ronghua said with a smile. ¡°You can trust me. I¡¯ve already promised you, so I won¡¯t tell anyone. I¡¯ve kept the secret with me for twenty-seven years¡ªI can keep it for another twenty-seven years.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu kept quiet. Her left hand was ced on the steering wheel, tapping her fingers lightly on it.

    It was not obvious from her face, but deep down she was cackling at Liu Ronghua¡¯s statement of trustworthiness. Believing that would be too na?ve and stupid of Chang Jingqiu.

    Within mere seconds, Liu Ronghua was capable of begging Ruan Danchen for forgiveness, then dig up thetter¡¯s scars after that. Liu Ronghua spoke of how deeply she loved a man, yet she had no qualms about taking advantage of the man¡¯s daughter. Was someone like her really worth believing?

 Chapter 432 - Why Donâ€™tâ€¦ You Go for a Check-Up in the Hospital?

    <h4>Chapter 432: Why Don¡¯t... You Go for a Check-Up in the Hospital?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even so, Chang Jingqiu still said, ¡°Let¡¯s make things clear, okay? This five million is a one-time thing, right? After I give you this five million, don¡¯t bring up anything else to ckmail me again¡ªI¡¯m not your ATM.¡±

    ¡°Of course I won¡¯t.¡± Liu Ronghua snickered. ¡°Anyway, what else can you do besides believe my words? I may promise you this now, but who knows, I might change my mind. After all, you can¡¯t possibly write a contract for these kinds of matters.¡±

    Seeing Chang Jingqiu¡¯s change in expression, Liu Ronghua sniggered. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll keep my promise. I¡¯m not some nobody like Huang Pinggui or Wang Lixia. You need not worry.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyebrows knitted together. She tapped her fingers repeatedly on the steering wheel. Liu Ronghua did not press her.

    In truth, if Qi Chenglin had not taken away most of her wealth, she would never havee to Chang Jingqiu. Liu Ronghua knew full well the risks of her actions. Moreover, Chang Jingqiu was not some naive woman one could easily get away with hurting either. She was vile¡ªhaving wronged her meant gaining another enemy for herself. In the end, she would bite back.

    ¡°Fine,¡± Chang Jingqiu agreed at longst.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s lips curled up into a smug smile. She knew from the beginning that Chang Jingqiu would not refuse.

    ¡°However, I do not govern my family¡¯s finances. Even for me, five million is arge sum, so I¡¯ll need some time,¡± Chang Jingqiu exined.

    Liu Ronghua could not care less about where she would find therge sum of money. Despite all, she was still the precious daughter of the Chang family¡ªtaking out such arge sum of money may arouse suspicion, but it was not something unachievable.

    ¡°How much time do you need?¡± Liu Ronghua raised an eyebrow at her.

    Chang Jingqiu pondered on it for a while and answered, ¡°One week.¡±

    ¡°Fine.¡± Liu Ronghua nodded.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression was dark¡ªher displeasure was evident. ¡°Since I gave you my answer, get out of the car. I¡¯m in no mood to send you home.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s insolent attitude toward Liu Ronghua was fully justifiable. Thus, Liu Ronghua got out without a word of protest.

    ...

    On Sunday, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen sat idly at home. Thus, they decided to bring the little one to Jade Field Park to visit Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya.

    Although they have already met during their family gathering on Saturday, Guan Liya still missed her grandson and wanted to spend more time with him.

    When the family of three walked through the front door, Guan Liya was taken by surprise. ¡°Ah, what brings you all here?¡±

    ¡°We just want to let Qi Youxuan see you two,¡± Qi Chenglin answered, smiling, as he entered the house while holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    The cheeky little boy passed through the gap beneath their intertwined hands and announced gleefully, ¡°Grandpa, Grandma, I¡¯m here!¡±

    Guan Liya¡¯s heart melted when she heard her little grandson¡¯s greeting. Instantly, she picked up the little boy and praised, ¡°Oh, my precious little grandson. What a good boy! What did you have for breakfast?¡±

    Qi Youxuan reported his meal in detail. Hearing the little boy¡¯s voice, Qi Zhongxun scurried over too. His face lit up when he saw his chubby little grandson.

    Only when Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen had changed into indoor slippers and entered the living room did they realize there were guests in the house.

    One of them was a middle-aged couple and beside them sat a youngdy. Thedy appeared to be in her mid-twenties. Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen wondered what they had been talking about for thedy to be smiling so merrily.

    When thedy saw Guan Liya entering the room with Qi Youxuan in her arms, she smiled at him warmly and in a clear yet gentle voice, she said, ¡°Ah, this must be Youxuan. He has grown so big.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at thedy quite indifferently. His joy from before seemed to have disappeared. ¡°Auntie, who are you?¡±

    Thedy did not expect Qi Youxuan to shun her like that. Awkward, she turned to Qi Chenglin. She smiled again and greeted, ¡°Big Brother Qi.¡±

    Ruan Danchen observed thedy¡¯s glimmering eyes. She possessed the kittenish qualities of a youngest child¡ªanyone would have had the urge to pamper the girl.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression did not change. He did not utter a single word of acknowledgment either. He merely took the little boy from Guan Liya¡¯s arms and put the boy on the floor, letting him stand on his own feet.

    Utterly ignored by both Qi Youxuan and Qi Chenglin, thedy felt even more awkward. She could only turn her gaze to Ruan Danchen. She gazed at her curiously but did not greet her.

    Ruan Danchen did not know what was Qi Chenglin¡¯s attitude about, so she did not take the initiative to strike up a conversation with thedy either. Instead, she merely put on a courteous smile¡ªno one could misinterpret that.

    ¡°Haha, I didn¡¯t know you guys areing today.¡± Guan Liya grinned at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, beckoning them to sit down. ¡°Chenglin, do you remember Uncle Wu and Aunt Zhao?¡±

    Guan Liya did not mention the youngdy either.

    Qi Chenglin turned to look at Guan Liya perplexedly. Making the three of them sit in front of the guests made the environment even more tensed.

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s been a long time since west met.¡± Zhao Fengchun broke the awkward silence.

    ¡°Have you forgotten? Aunt Zhao lived in the house right next to ours since I was a child. Her whole family had now moved to Italy.¡± Guan Liya turned to Zhao Fengchun. ¡°It¡¯s been at least seven years, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. When we were leaving, this little girl clung onto me and bawled her eyes out. She was reluctant to leave this house and the big brother next door. She missed you dearly when we were in Italy. When we first arrived, there was anguage barrier between us and the locals; after we became fluent in thenguage, we realized that due to differences in culture, we can¡¯t integrate ourselves well with the locals. Unlike over here, we didn¡¯t have as much freedom and didn¡¯t have neighbors we could visit whenever we please either,¡± Zhao Fengchun revealed. ¡°So, this time, we don¡¯t n to go back anymore. Since we didn¡¯t sell the old house next door, we¡¯ll just move back in.¡±

    Zhao Chunfeng put her arms around the youngdy beside her and said, ¡°When my girl heard that we were moving back, she was exuberant. Till this day, she still misses her big brother neighbor dearly.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin had on a faint smile. Shy, her head was tilted down slightly as she secretly stole a nce at Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was cold¡ªas if he did not remember her at all. The youngdy was awfully disappointed.

    ¡°I can recall that when they were still children, Qiaoyin would chase behind Chenglin wherever he went. Back then, Chenglin loved to cause trouble¡ªQiaoyin followed in his footsteps too. When they grew older, they started to understand boys and girls are not the same. Gradually, the two of them drifted apart. Eventually, Chenglin forbid Qiaoyin from following him around. Hearing that, Qiaoyin cried for days on end when she came home,¡± Zhao Fengchun recalled fondly as she took a sip of tea.

    Qi Youxuan was sitting on Guan Liya¡¯sp, chewing on a preserved plum. Suddenly, he butted in, ¡°Granny Zhao, my dad doesn¡¯t like women who are cry-babies.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun was taken aback by Qi Youxuan¡¯s words. Wu Qiaoyin blushed and argued sheepishly, ¡°I¡¯m more mature now¡ªI don¡¯t cry anymore.¡±

    ¡°Big Brother Qi, do you remember me now? I¡¯m Yinyin, your old neighbor.¡± Wu Qiaoyin had a honeyed smile stered on. Her voice was especially sweet.

    Hearing her tone, Qi Youxuan was disgusted by her eagerness; he could not help but gag.

    ¡°What happened? Are you feeling sick?¡± Guan Liya asked, caressing the little boy¡¯s face.

    The boy shook his head. ¡°This plum is too sweet! It¡¯s making me nauseous!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin turned to Qi Youxuan. She could not help but think the boy was mocking her but still wondered if she was merely overthinking.

    Guan Liya, on the other hand, did not think much about it. She poured a cup of tea and blew on it a few times. Then, she brought it in front of Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth. ¡°Here, drink some tea¡ªit¡¯ll help relieve your nausea. Be careful, it¡¯s hot.¡±

    Seeing that Qi Youxuan was distracted for the moment, Wu Qiaoyin continued, ¡°Now that we¡¯ve returned, we ought to hang out together more. Isn¡¯t this great?¡±

    Qi Youxuan gestured to Guan Liya that he was done with the tea. He turned his head to Wu Qiaoyin and announced, ¡°Aunt Wu, my dad doesn¡¯t like women who take the initiative to go after him either. He likes women like Mommy, who he had to pursue for a long time before winning her heart.¡±

    ¡°Ah, silly child, what are you bbering about?¡± Guan Liya pinched the little boy¡¯s cheeks and turned to Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin embarrassedly. ¡°He¡¯s just a little boy; please don¡¯t take his words to heart.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin forced herself to smile¡ªthe corner of her lips twitching. Then, she turned to Ruan Danchen. ¡°You must be my sister-inw. When I was in Italy, I didn¡¯t hear of Big Brother Qi¡¯s engagement at all. And to think that you have such a big boy already. Though, sister-inw, you seem quite young¡ªonly thirty-something perhaps?¡±

    Her head was slightly tilted as she gazed at Ruan Danchen with a pair of innocent eyes¡ªsmiling as if her words hid no other meaning.

    Ruan Danchen returned her smile. She was going to ask her how she knew her age, but the moment she opened her mouth, she identally let out a yawn. Awkwardness set in once again.

    She did not do it on purpose. They must think she was a disrespectful woman who was intentionally trying to humiliate them. However, that was not the case¡ªshe was merely tired.

    Expectedly, Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s expression soured.

    Wu Qiaoyin appeared troubled. Her well-trimmed eyebrows knitted tightly together. With a woeful expression, she asked, ¡°Sister-inw, did I say something wrong?¡±

    Ruan Danchen staggered. Lately, her reaction seemed to have slowed down significantly. After what felt like an eternity, she finally answered, ¡°No, you didn¡¯t. It just happened. Please don¡¯t take it to heart.¡±

    Having said that, Ruan Danchen yawned again. Ruan Danchen felt a little sick. Somehow, she felt that their impression of her was bing more and more tainted.

    Zhao Fengchun¡¯s expression darkened. She forced herself to smile, but in her mind, she thought, ¡®How rude! How dare this granddaughter-inw of the Qi family be so disrespectful that she cared not about the dignity of us elders! Such a disgraceful person should be kept away from the public!¡¯

    ¡°Aunt Wu, my dad doesn¡¯t like weak women either,¡± Qi Youxuan interjected again. The little boy saw the opportunity and he took it.

    Wu Qianyin¡¯s lips twitched. ¡°Haha, what a mischievous child Youxuan is. I¡¯ve been neighbors with Big Brother Qi since we were kids. We grew up together¡ªlike brother and sister.¡±

    Qi Youxuan kept silent. He merely stared suspiciously at her with his big, round eyes. Evidently, he did not believe her words.

    Wu Qiaoyin red at the child, yearning to hit him to put him in his ce. She wondered how Ruan Danchen educated that little brat.

    ¡°If you¡¯re tired, go ahead and head to bed,¡± Qi Chenglin said when he saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s exhausted state. She was swaying side-to-side as she sat unsteadily on the stool. Seeing this, Qi Chenglin put his arm around her shoulders and let her lean on him.

    The Wu family had taken up the entire couch and Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya each sat in a single-seater sofa. Thus, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen could only settle for wooden stools.

    Qi Chenglin had no problem sitting on a stool, but he could not handle seeing the drowsy Ruan Danchen sitting on the stone-hard stool without anything to lean on.

    Guan Liya saw how tired she was too. She knew that this daughter-inw of hers took care of her husband and son all by herself and had to work on top of that¡ªit was no wonder that she would be drained.

    Guan Liya knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s personality well¡ªdespite Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s insulting words, she knew Ruan Danchen did not yawn on purpose.

    Seeing her fatigued manner, Guan Liya nodded and said, ¡°That¡¯s right, Danchen. You should go take a nap in Chenglin¡¯s old bedroom.¡±

    Having said that, she shot a disapproving nce at Qi Chenglin. ¡°And you, how could you let Danchen be so tired?¡±

    Qi Chenglin thought that he had not asked Ruan Danchen to do muchtely¡ªwhy was she so exhausted?

    With guests in the house, how could Ruan Danchen possibly go to bed? Thus, she forced herself to stay awake, iming she was alright and continued sitting on the ufortable stool.

    Qi Youxuan mbered down from Guan Liya¡¯sp and climbed onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s. Ruan Danchen wrapped her arms around him instinctively.

    ¡°Mommy, I want to sleep too. Why don¡¯t you apany me?¡± Qi Youxuan hugged Ruan Danchen and rubbed against her chest. Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted.

    She poked the tip of Qi Youxuan¡¯s little nose with her finger. She knew that he only said that to get her to bed.

    Just as she was going to answer, a delicious fragrance came from the kitchen where Aunt Chen was preparing lunch.

    The scent made Ruan Danchen¡¯s stomach turn. She felt nauseated and although her stomach was empty, she still felt like vomiting.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face was nched. Qi Chenglin inquired hurriedly, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    Seeing this, Qi Youxuan did not dare to stay on herp any longer. Without Qi Chenglin¡¯s instruction, he climbed down by himself and gazed at his mother worriedly.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just my stomach acting up. I¡¯m feeling a little nauseous.¡±

    ¡°Did you eat something bad? What did you have for breakfast?¡± asked Guan Liya.

    Qi Youxuan was already thinking back on the things they had for breakfast. Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I didn¡¯t eat anything bad. It¡¯s okay. I¡¯ll just have some tea. It¡¯ll go away.¡±

    However, as the scent from the kitchen grew thicker and thicker, Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned paler and paler. The whole family was anxious, making the Wu family felt especially out of ce.

    ¡°You really should rest.¡± Qi Chenglin instantly picked Ruan Danchen up from the chair and helped her to the bedroom.

    Guan Liya wanted her to rest too, but something felt off, so she turned to Ruan Danchen and suggested, ¡°Why don¡¯t... you go for a check-up in the hospital?¡±

    Before Ruan Danchen could decipher her words, Qi Chenglin nodded decisively. ¡°Yes! We should head to the hospital.¡±

    Finally, it dawned on Ruan Danchen. She looked at Guan Liya and understood her meaning. Then, she turned to Qi Chenglin¡ªit was evident that this man was not on the same page.

    Ruan Danchen pondered upon it¡ªthere might be a chance Guan Liya was right. After all, Guan Liya was not delusional. Thus, she agreed, ¡°I should... go for a check-up.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun tutted quietly. There were guests at home yet they just had to go to the hospital. Was Ruan Danchen really so precious? This daughter-inw of Guan Liya seemed quite unbing.

    Wu Qiaoyin red at Ruan Danchen discontentedly. She felt that Ruan Danchen was merely scheming to kick them out.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s reaction, Guan Liya pulled Ruan Danchen away from Qi Chenglin to talk to her in private. Worried, Qi Chenglin called out, ¡°Mom!¡±

    ¡°Ah, you little rascal, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to bully Danchen. What¡¯s that face for?¡± teased Guan Liya.

    Qi Chenglin pouted and kept silent.

    Only then did Guan Liya whisper to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Danchen, you think so too, don¡¯t you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen was slightly troubled by Guan Liya¡¯s expectant expression. ¡°It¡¯s true my period iste by around a week. It had alwayse on time before this, but I¡¯m not sure yet. Mom, if the testes back negative, please don¡¯t be disappointed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s alright.¡± Guan Liya could not help but chuckle. ¡°After all, I already have Youxuan. You two giving me another grandchild is like icing on a cake. I¡¯m in no hurry either. I already have a grandchild in myp anyway. Youxuan is such an adorable child. So, Danchen, don¡¯t feel pressured. It doesn¡¯t matter when you give Youxuan a younger sibling; even if you don¡¯t, that¡¯s fine too¡ªhe still has Chengzhi and Chengyue¡¯s children to y with.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was relieved to hear that. She nodded. In truth, she was nervous and excited too¡ªshe hoped for a child as well.

    ¡°We don¡¯t use any contraceptive methods. I¡¯d love another child too,¡± Ruan Danchen admitted softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s good, that¡¯s good.¡± Guan Liya was overjoyed. Elders like her would always wish for more grandchildren.

    After ending their conversation, they noticed the father-and-son duo was still panicking. Guan Liya could not help but roll her eyes.

    What was with their expression? Did she look like an evil olddy?

    Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression, Guan Liya predicted that there was a ny percent chance that they¡¯ve hit the jackpot this time. She was ecstatic when she thought about getting little plump grandchildren one after another¡ªone from her daughter¡¯s stomach and one from her daughter-inw¡¯s. Oh, what a perfect life!

    ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go with you guys.¡± Guan Liya took Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand cautiously as if she was afraid she might break her. ¡°Old Man Qi, you stay here and entertain the guests! Lao Wu, Fengchun, do have lunch here before you leave. I¡¯m truly sorry about this but I¡¯ll have to apany my daughter-inw to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Hey, what happened? Is it that serious?¡± Zhao Fengchun stood up. ¡°Then we won¡¯t be bothering you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine,¡± Guan Liya said, grinning, ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious but better safe than sorry, right?¡±

    Seeing that Guan Liya could still joke and smile, Zhao Fengchun knew it was nothing serious. In her mind, she thought, ¡®Guan Liya sure pampers her daughter-inw. She¡¯s just a little unwell and yet Guan Liya became so anxious.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s pregnancy was merely spection. Without being sure, Guan Liya would not announce it to outsiders yet.

    Zhao Fengchun had simr experiences too¡ªby observing Guan Liya¡¯s reaction, she could guess what was going on.

    However, without Guan Liya, it truly was quite awkward. Qi Zhongxun was not someone they could make much conversation with. Staring at each other, the atmosphere became increasingly tense.

    Therefore, Zhao Fengchun stood up again. ¡°We were here just to have a little chat with you two, but since the situation is as such, we won¡¯t interfere much more and we excuse ourselves for now. After all, we live right next door¡ªwe cane to chat on any other day.¡±

    Hearing her say that, Guan Liya did not insist they stay anymore. Atst, Qi Zhongxun understood Guan Liya¡¯s reason for joy too. He wanted to follow them and thus asked Aunt Chen to hold off on cooking lunch; otherwise, everything would be cold by the time they got home.

    The two families said their goodbyes at the front door. Only after the Qi family entered their car did Zhao Fengchun turn to Wu Qiaoyin, frowning. ¡°What were you thinking?¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin acted baffled. With an innocent face, she looked down and tugged on her shirt. ¡°What did I do?¡±

    ¡°You know full well what you did. You should know your duty as the daughter of our family¡ªdon¡¯t go around doing things that gives others the opportunity to look down on us. You¡¯re tarnishing your name and the family¡¯s too,¡± Zhao Fengchun scolded sternly.

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s expression changed. She clenched her teeth and after a long while, she imed, ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about!¡±

    Having said that, she bolted back to their mansion next door.

    ...

    Wu Qiaoyin had always thought that she hid her feelings pretty well. Nheless, the Qi family saw through her without difficulty. Qi Zhongxun and Guan Liya never pointed it out to avoid embarrassing Wu Chuanshu and Zhao Fengchun. After all, Guan Liya and Zhao Fengchun go way back.

    Even the little boy, Qi Youxuan, read her like an open book. Needless to say, all the adults knew about it.

    ¡°Danchen, don¡¯t mind the Wu family. I didn¡¯t know they came back either. They just suddenly appeared in front of our house. Zhao Fengchun is an intelligent woman. I didn¡¯t know her daughter would be so unbefitting,¡± Guan Liya exined. Guan Liya was quite displeased by Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s behavior today too, but she did not want to point it out in front of her parents.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± Ruan Danchen assured. ¡°She¡¯s just a naive little girl.¡±

    She truly did not take Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s actions to heart. Qi Chenglin had pampered her so much that she was no longer worried about other women. She was absurdly confident. She knew that no other woman could move Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart; she knew no one else could seduce him.

 Chapter 433 - Five Weeks Pregnant

    <h4>Chapter 433: Five Weeks Pregnant</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Guan Liya was delighted. She did not want her carelessness to trigger a fight between her son and daughter-inw. However, it seemed that she need not worry as Ruan Danchen was a level-headeddy.

    Whenpared with someone like Ruan Danchen, Wu Qiaoyin truly seemed like an undignified woman.

    Before Qi Chenglin got married, the Wu family had intentions of ying match-makers to get Qi Chenglin and Wu Qiaoyin together. However, back then, Wu Qiaoyin was still a young girl¡ªwhen Qi Chenglin was 26, she was only 18 years old. In the eyes of Qi Chenglin, she was still a child. At that time, there were swarms of more mature women expressing their interests for Qi Chenglin as well. They all possessed their own unique qualities: maturedies, innocent damsels, beauties with unfortunate backgrounds, and strong, independent women. Wu Qiaoyin failed to stand out in that diverse crowd. Nheless, even those women failed to catch Qi Chenglin¡¯s eye, so Wu Qiaoyin had even less of a chance.

    Zhao Fengchun knew that it was not something that could be rushed either¡ªit would be more appropriate to wait until Wu Qiaoyin was older. Nevertheless, she did drop some hints for Guan Liya in private.

    Unexpectedly, it was revealed soon after that Qi Chenglin was engaged to Shen Zhijing, causing a hugemotion throughout the city.

    At that time, Wu Qiaoyin had not given up. She thought that as long as Qi Chenglin had not gotten married, she still had a chance. However, due to her young age, Qi Chenglin had never batted an eye at her. Even though she was always scheming to get closer to him, none of her ns worked. In the end, she could only watch from afar as the man she adored drifted further and further away.

    Since they were neighbors, Wu Qiaoyin had known Qi Chenglin since she was old enough to recognize faces. Zhao Fengchun frequently brought her along when she visited Guan Liya. Thus, she had many chances to spend time with Qi Chenglin ever since she was young. However, Qi Chenglin was always unwilling to y with her.

    Even so, due to Guan Liya¡¯s rtions with her mother, Qi Chenglin had no choice but toply. Nevertheless, he was always emotionless toward Wu Qiaoyin¡ªhe had never even given her a simple smile.

    Zhao Fengchun mentioned that Wu Qiaoyin had always chased behind Qi Chenglin since they were children¡ªit was true. However, she failed to mention that Wu Qiaoyin never once caught up to him.

    When Qi Chenglin grew older and entered middle school, he developed his signature stone cold gaze. With one menacing nce, Wu Qiaoyin would back up immediately.

    Yearster, Qi Chenglin got engaged, but Wu Qiaoyin still did not give up. Although she did not dare to throw herself on him, she still clung on to a glimmer of hope. To her surprise, the engagement was called off. Even so, before she could rejoice, news spread that Qi Chenglin came home with a child¡ªhis son.

    Although she lived right next door, she had never seen this son of his.

    Afterward, before Wu Qiaoyin could grow old enough to pursue Qi Chenglin, her whole family migrated to Italy for Wu Chuanshu¡¯s business.

    Despite Guan Liya and Zhao Fengchun knowing each other since young, they gradually stopped contacting each other due to the long distance between them. Consequently, Wu Qiaoyin stopped receiving updates about what went on in B City.

    She could only wait until theye home. Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin was already married. The child from before had grown so big. He was even calling Ruan Danchen ¡®Mommy¡¯ already. She wondered if Ruan Danchen was his biological mother or stepmother.

    ...

    Despite it being further, the Qi family still decided to head to Chutian Hospital¡ªsince it was not an emergency, they opted for a hospital they trusted so they could be more at ease.

    However, Ruan Danchen, who had never suffered from motion sickness, was struggling to keep herposure in the backseat. Her face was white as chalk.

    Seeing this, Qi Zhongxun instructed Qi Chenglin to stop the car and let him drive instead, so Qi Chenglin couldfort Ruan Danchen at the backseat. Coincidentally, there was a convenience store near where they stopped. Qi Chenglin went in and bought a bottle of water for Ruan Danchen, which relieved her nausea a little.

    Qi Zhongxun might not be the best at reading women¡¯s thoughts¡ªmen were all more heedless than women anyway¡ªbut his wife did give birth to three children, so he was quite experienced in this matter. Without Guan Liya pointing it out to him, he could tell that there was almost an eighty percent chance of Ruan Danchen being pregnant¡ªjudging from her current state.

    Afraid that Ruan Danchen might be too dizzy, Qi Zhongxun drove as steadily as he could.

    As a result, a fifty-minute journey took an hour and a half. Nheless, Ruan Danchen¡¯s condition had improved because of his steady driving.

    Even so, after getting out of the car, Ruan Danchen was so nauseous that she could not walk properly. She leaned on the car and started retching.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly together as he patted Ruan Danchen¡¯s back to soothe her. She kept on retching but nothing came out. Watching her suffer like that, Qi Chenglin would rather she did not get pregnant.

    He wished that a pregnantdy¡¯s suffering could be transferred to her husband instead. He wanted to at least be able to suffer with her.

    Although she had not taken the pregnancy test yet, there could not be any other reason for her current state.

    Ruan Danchen gagged for a long while, then finally managed to vomit some stomach acid. Qi Chenglin quickly took a sheet of tissue and tried to wipe her mouth. Ruan Danchen extended her hand, wanting to take the tissue, but Qi Chenglin would not give it to her. He insisted, ¡°Let me do it.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s dirty,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered embarrassedly. She felt so sick that she had no strength to talk loudly.

    ¡°What do you mean ¡®dirty¡¯?¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. He twisted the bottle cap open and let her drink some water.

    Guan Liya watched in bewilderment as her usually-aloof son took care of Ruan Danchen so attentively. He had never done this for Guan Liya. She could not help but feel a little envious. Nevertheless, the feeling of envy was not umon among mothers whose sons had wives.

    Even so, when she thought about her daughter-inw gifting her with a grandchild, the feeling quickly faded away.

    Luckily for Ruan Danchen, she had Zen Manrong before her to set the bar ridiculously low. Whenpared to Zen Manrong, Ruan Danchen was tens of folds better than her. Thus, although Guan Liya was a little envious, she did not criticize them.

    Ruan Danchen drank a few sips of water and finally felt better. She stood up straight and apologized to the two elders.

    ¡°Ah, what are you being so courteous for, child?¡± Guan Liya dismissed.

    Chu Zhaoyang was not around; they did not bother to call him either. They merely took a number at the gynecology department and waited patiently like everyone else. After all, it was not an emergency. Everyone waiting in the room was just as anxious as them, so they put themselves in their shoes and decided not to take advantage of their connections with Chu Zhaoyang.

    When Ruan Danchen¡¯s number was called, the whole family scurried into the consulting room with her, making her feel excruciatingly pressured. If it was merely a false rm, how could she ever make up for betraying the elders¡¯ earnest hopes?

    Director Lee was astonished to be met with Qi Chenglin¡¯s family. He smiled and asked, ¡°Why did you all wait behind the queue this time?¡±

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s nothing to be hurried,¡± Qi Zhongxun exined, smiling nobly and elegantly.

    Director Lee stared at them for a while and asked hesitantly, ¡°Which of you is the patient?¡±

    ¡°My daughter-inw,¡± Guan Liya answered jubntly as she let Ruan Danchen sit on a stool. ¡°Her period iste by almost a week and she¡¯s constantly sleepy and feels sickened when she smells certain food, so we came to have it checked out.¡±

    Director Lee instantly understood what she was suggesting. He smiled and brought Ruan Danchen to the testing room.

    They needed to wait in line for the result too, but since Director Lee knew them, he did not let them wait any longer. He made a call to theb and let Ruan Danchen jump the queue.

    When they obtained the results, Guan Liya could not understand what was written in the report. Thus, she handed it to Director Lee.

    ¡°Congrattions, Mr. and Mrs. Qi. The report indicates that you¡¯re five weeks pregnant,¡± Director Lee announced.

    Although they had already predicted this oue, they were still overjoyed to hear this official announcement.

    Guan Liya even shrieked in joy, hugging Qi Zhongxun.

    Qi Zhongxun was also grinning ear-to-ear. He squeezed Qi Youxuan¡¯s little head. ¡°Youxuan, you¡¯re going to be a big brother soon. Let¡¯s hope your mother gives birth to a little brother or sister just as adorable as you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan took after Qi Chenglin. Qi Zhongxun believed that Qi Youxuan, just like Qi Chenglin, would grow up into a tall and slender boy after hitting puberty. After all, Qi Chenglin was once a round, chubby boy too. Even so, Qi Zhongxun thought that his plump appearance when little was just too adorable.

    No matter a boy or a girl, Qi Zhongxun would bepletely satisfied as long as it was a soft and plump little baby. Babies like that were absolutely adorable.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s big, round eyes widened. He ran up to Ruan Danchen and hugged her waist.

    ¡°Hey, be gentle!¡± Guan Liya scolded anxiously. The first trimester consisted of the most critical months.

    ¡°I¡¯m hugging my little sister.¡± Qi Youxuan hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist and rubbed his cheek against her t stomach. ¡°I¡¯m being extra gentle.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Qi Zhongxun chuckled. Did the little boy think his little sister could feel him hugging his mother¡¯s belly?

    ¡°How do you know it¡¯s a little sister?¡± Ruan Danchen asked, smiling. The truth was, she wanted another son.

    She regretted not being able to raise Qi Youxuan from when he was a baby immensely. Therefore, she wanted another son¡ªone that resembled little Youxuan.

    ¡°Uncle already gave me a little brother to bully. If I have my own little brother, I won¡¯t have the heart to bully him, but it feels weird to not bully him... So, it¡¯s better if you give birth to a little sister who I can pamper.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s fair and chubby hands were cupped onto Ruan Danchen, gently rubbing her belly. ¡°Besides, a girl is sweeter¡ªshe won¡¯t hurt Mommy. A little brother is too naughty¡ªwhen Auntie was pregnant with Youjin, he kept rolling around in her tummy.¡±

    Ruan Danchen ruffled the little boy¡¯s silky hair. She could not help butugh. ¡°Well then, we¡¯ll find out if it¡¯s a little sister or a little brother when wee for a check-up again in a few months. Since you¡¯re so insistent on getting a little sister, I wish to give you one too.¡±

    It was not Ruan Danchen¡¯s first pregnancy, so she did not need Director Lee to warn her about the dos and don¡¯ts anymore. Thus, the family marched off merrily.

    It was just the beginning of the pregnancy, so it was not wise to publicize it yet. Guan Liya only made calls to the old mansion and Xia Wenna.

    Grandmother Qi was over the moon to hear that Ruan Danchen was also pregnant. Therefore, the family went straight to the old mansion so Grandmother Qi could see Ruan Danchen.

    In the car, Qi Youxuan¡¯s tiny hand was still stuck firmly onto her belly. ¡°Mom, when will your belly be bigger? I want Lil¡¯ Sis toe out quickly.¡±

    ¡°Urgh, when she starts elementary school, I will already be in middle school. I have to protect Lil¡¯ Sis. I won¡¯t let her be bullied and I won¡¯t let any boys get close to her!¡±

    ¡°Mommy, when can we buy clothes for Lil¡¯ Sis? I saw a little high-chair in Auntie¡¯s house that they use to feed Youjin<sup>1</sup>. It looks like so much fun! Let¡¯s get one for Lil¡¯ Sis too! And a swimming pool!¡±

    The little boy was not entertaining the possibility of it being a boy at all. Ruan Danchen inquired, ¡°What if it¡¯s a boy?¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Ruan Danchen with troubled eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you put in some effort and make it a little sister?¡±

    Ruan Danchen burst out inughter. ¡°This isn¡¯t something within my control!¡±

    The little boy had always been exceedingly cunning and clever, yet how could he be so ignorant in this matter?

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll make my little brother pin his little chili pepper to the back and pretend he¡¯s a girl,¡± the little boy dered as he stared fiercely at Ruan Danchen¡¯s stomach as if trying to make the fetus a girl using sheer willpower.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was rendered speechless.

    ¡°I will try my best to give you a little sister.¡± It would be better to not have a boy and let Qi Youxuan mutte him.

    Qi Youxuan turned to Qi Chenglin, looking for an ally. ¡°Daddy, do you want a son or a daughter?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, a daughter. I hope she resembles her mother. You already bring enough mischief for us to handle.¡± Qi Chenglin flicked the little one¡¯s forehead. With a warm smile, he turned his gaze to Ruan Danchen¡¯s belly. ¡°The words ¡®son¡¯ and ¡®daughter¡¯ when put together makes the word ¡®good<sup>1</sup>¡®. As they say, having both sons and daughters makes a familyplete.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked down, feeling a little dispirited. Nheless, she smiled and said, ¡°This will be our chance.¡±

    ¡°Mommy, I will help you take care of Lil¡¯ Sis!¡± Qi Youxuan stated in a serious tone.

    ¡°Okay.¡±

    ...

    When they arrived at the old mansion, the six-month pregnant Qi Chengyue was sitting on the sofa. Her stomach appeared to have expanded abruptly¡ªit was gigantic now.

    ¡°Ah, it seems like this house is piled up with pregnant women now,¡± Qi Chengyue joked.

    ¡°My pregnancy will only look obvious after you give birth,¡± Ruan Danchen pointed out with a smile. Grandmother Qi quickly beckoned her over to sit by her side. Ruan Danchen asked, ¡°Ah, you went to the hospital recently, right? Is it a boy or a girl?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a girl,¡± Qi Chengyue revealed exultantly¡ªshe had always wanted a tender and loving daughter.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll have two little sisters!¡± Qi Youxuan widened his eyes in both astoundment and delight.

    ¡°You¡¯re so confident that your mom is pregnant with a girl?¡± Qi Chengyue teased.

    ¡°If not this time, then it has to be the next! The point is, Mommy, you must give me a little sister,¡± demanded Qi Youxuan.

    There were not many instances where Qi Youxuan could be so persistent. Ruan Danchen wondered why he was so headstrong about having a little sister.

    ¡°Tsk, Mom, with Youxuan supervising them, you don¡¯t even need to plod Danchen to have more children anymore,¡± Qi Chengyue joked as she stroked her belly and opened her mouth to receive a piece of honeydew Cheng Dongge brought to her mouth. ¡°That boy can be the ultimate helper for your rtionship with your daughter-inw.¡±

    Guan Liya did not know if she shouldugh or cry. Rolling her eyes, shemented, ¡°You¡¯re going to be a mother soon, yet you still say such childish things.¡±

    Cheng Dongge nced at Qi Chengyue, grinning. ¡°Last night, she even said that she¡¯s the eldest daughter I have to raise.¡±

    Qi Chengyue was humiliated. With a flushed face, her eyes darted to Cheng Dongge. ¡°Why did you say that out loud!¡±

    Watching her cheeks puff up like a pufferfish, Cheng Dongge grinned and stroked her hair. His elegant fingers looked as if it was extended to y an instrument. He smiled tenderly.

    In fact, he did know how to y an instrument. Qi Chengyue only found out after they got married that when he was a child, his mother had arranged piano sses for him. Although he could not y at a professional level, he was still quite skilled.

    With graceful fingers like his, it would have been a waste to not y the piano.

    She had no idea what came over herst night. Due to her erged belly, her movements were quite restricted. After bathing, he helped her out of the tub to avoid any idents.

    She did not even need to lift a finger¡ªfrom putting on clothes to drying her hair, Cheng Dongge did it all. He was especially cautious when looking after her. Qi Chengyue thought that with him around, she did not need to move a muscle.

    Being pampered by him scrupulously, the words identally slipped out of her mouth. ¡°Being taken care of like this, I can¡¯t help but feel like I¡¯m your daughter.¡±

    Cheng Dongge froze. His lips twitched. ¡°What will I do with a daughter this old? When I kiss youter, I might even feel guilty.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Right after iming that he would feel guilty with a serious expression, that man turned into an animal the minute they got into bed. Her doctor told them to refrain from ¡®bedroom activities¡¯ during the first andst three months of pregnancy. However, she was six-months pregnant, so it was not an issue. Cheng Dongge must be dreading theing months, so he wanted to take full advantage of this month and was being particrly rough. Due to her pregnancy, they could only be lying on their sides. He wrapped his arms around her and prated her from behind. He did it until they were both breathless and disheveled.

    To her horror, Cheng Dongge revealed it to everyone. Qi Chengyue wanted to bury her head in sand.

    ¡°Ah, this child, what nonsense are you telling Cheng Dongge?¡± Guan Liya shot a nce at her. She was already so old, yet did not know what was appropriate or not to say.

    Qi Youxuan was holding a bottle of banana-vored milk with both hands as he squinted his eyes at Qi Chengyue. ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re already so old. How shameless.¡±

    Blushing hard, Qi Chengyue poked Cheng Dongge in the waist. ¡°This is all your fault.¡±

    Cheng Dongge grabbed her sneaky hand. He stared at her delicate facial features¡ªif it were not for the elders being present, he would have nted a long, hard kiss on her lips.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. When our daughteres out, I will raise you both together. You¡¯ll have the same treatment as her.¡± Cheng Dongge squeezed her hand and smirked.

    ¡°You animal,¡± Qi Chengyue grumbled softly, afraid others might hear.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s lips curled up uncontrobly. The corner of his lips went higher and higher. He could not kiss her, but could only subtly dig at her palm. He noticed that her hand was shaking. Subconsciously, she leaned closer to his body and started grinding against him.

    Cheng Dongge was burning with passion. He looked down to see her face¡ªtinted red, her face appeared even more stunningly attractive. Her huge eyes were watery. With just a few rubs on her palm, she was already turned on.

    He had secretly visited forums for mothers before, so he knew that it wasmon for women to be inclined to do these things when pregnant. Any contact would make them yearn for it.

    Cheng Dongge looked down¡ªhis sizzling breathnded on her face. Qi Chengyue could not help but meet his gaze¡ªher eyshes fluttering as she stared.

    She was already trying her best to suppress her urge, yet he was still pouring fuel on the fire.

    ¡°Are you tired?¡± Cheng Dongge asked abruptly.

    Qi Chengyue had not realized his intentions yet. She wondered why he asked that when she was clearly still very awake.

    Hearing that, Grandmother Qi urged, ¡°Pregnancy makes one easily tire. You should hurry and go take a nap.¡±

    ¡°I¡ª¡± Before Qi Chengyue could continue, Cheng Dongge had pulled her to her feet.

    Cheng Dongge dered, ¡°I¡¯ll take her to the room.¡±

    Just like that, he brought her out of the house.

    The old mansion had a fully enclosed courtyard. Although the houses had only one floor, there were still many rooms. Qi Chengyue¡¯s room was in the adjacent house, so Cheng Dongge brought her there.

    The moment the door shut, he embraced her carefully but locked lips with her aggressively.

    Qi Chengyue was in a daze from all the kissing. She stared at him with hazy eyes, struggling to catch her breath.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you want it just now? Your grinding made me horny too.¡± Cheng Dongge was rubbing is lips against hers, slowly inching forward. In response, Qi Chengyue inched backward. Unknowingly, she had led him onto the bed.

    Qi Chengyue¡¯s face hadpletely reddened. She did not want to admit it but could not help but give in to her urges.

    She stayed silent for a while, then finally muttered discontentedly, ¡°I hate you.¡±

    Cheng Dongge could not help but chuckle. As his deep, huskyughs were forced out of his throat, Qi Chengyue¡¯s body started to tremble. With his lips curled upward, he appeared rmingly seductive. She could not help but kiss the corner of his lips. He responded immediately, sucking on her lips, kissing her deeper.

    ...

    ¡°A pregnant woman shouldn¡¯t be angered! Especially in the first three months!¡± In the other house, Grandmother Qi was holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand as she red at Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan. ¡°You two, don¡¯t you dare make Xiao Ruan anger.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a good boy!¡± boasted the little boy and he puffed up his little cheeks. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t make Mommy angry!¡±

    Qi Chenglin rolled his eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not that kind of person.¡±

    Grandmother Qiughed merrily. She knew that the father-and-son duo would not enrage Ruan Danchen. Holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, she continued, ¡°As for the others, don¡¯t mind them. You can just treat them as a bunch of crazy dogs.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was clearly referring to Grandmother Chang. She knew all about the things that Grandmother Chang used Ruan Danchen of. Only people of the same generation as Grandmother Chang would be able to win an argument against her. However, Grandmother Qi thought of herself as a dignified and educated woman¡ªshe would not stoop down the Grandmother Chang¡¯s level and lock horns with her.

    ¡°And don¡¯t just sit there and let others yell at you¡ªyell back. But of course, you must forget about it after screaming back at them. Don¡¯t take their words to heart. Bottling up your rage will only bring about anguish, so let it all out and be done with it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words when she heard Grandmother Qi encouraging her to yell at others.

    That evening, Grandmother Qi instructed Aunt Liu to cook food fit for the appetite of pregnant women. Thus, the dishes served for dinner were mostly sweet and sour. There were also many kinds of appetizers served.

    Aunt Liu was quite experienced too¡ªalthough each pregnantdy had unique reactions to different kinds of food, she knew that the odor from fish and meat would be despised by nine out of ten women.

    Therefore, Ruan Danchen still had some appetite to eat that night. Even if she did not, she would force herself to eat for the sake of the child in her. Thus, she devoured quite an amount of food.

    In the end, she waspletely stuffed.

    After they went back to Prestige Residences, Qi Chenglin went to take a bath while Ruan Danchen liedzily on the bed. Her stuffed stomach was making her ufortable.

    When Qi Youxuan saw Ruan Danchen¡¯s miserable state, he inquired sympathetically, ¡°Mommy, is Lil¡¯ Sis being naughty? Is she kicking you?¡±

    Hearing the naive child¡¯s innocent words, Ruan Danchen could not help but chuckle. She patted his little head. ¡°No. I was afraid that your little sister isn¡¯t getting enough nutrients, so I...¡±

    Ruan Danchen was ashamed to admit her foolish thinking to her son. Her voice softened. ¡°So I ate a little too much.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression changed as if he had an epiphany. He nodded. ¡°I see, so you¡¯ve overeaten!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Sometimes, her son being overly smart also depressed her.

    The little boy shook his head and spat out, ¡°I heard that pregnant women suffer from something called ¡®baby brain¡¯; I didn¡¯t know it¡¯s real.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Mommy, when you were pregnant with me, you already became dumber by three years<sup>1</sup>. Now you¡¯ve only gained four years of wisdom back, but you¡¯ll have to lose three again! You sacrificed a lot, mother.¡± Qi Youxuan rubbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s belly. ¡°Hey, Mommy, your tummy is bigger now! Has Lil¡¯ Sis grown bigger because you ate so much tonight?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen thought, ¡®Child, you¡¯re feeling my stomach. It has only bloated up because Mommy overate...¡¯

    Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s little hands ced on her stomach with eyes teary fromughing. She thought it would be best to not say her thoughts out loud¡ªher son already thought she was dumb.

    ¡°Urgh!¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s little hands slid round and round her tummy. ¡°I wish your belly would hurry up and get bigger. I still remember when Auntie was pregnant and I could feel Youjin moving around inside. He surely is naughty but it was so interesting to feel him inside!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be big very soon. Just wait for three or four more months. It won¡¯t be long.¡± Ruan Danchen rubbed her belly. It felt exceedingly warm and touching to have a family by her side this time¡ªto have Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan to share this pregnancy journey with.

    ¡°You ought to go to bed now. You need to wake up early for school tomorrow.¡± Ruan Danchen was going to get off the bed, but Qi Youxuan stopped her.

    ¡°Mom, you lie there. Grandma and Great-grandma said that you shouldn¡¯t tire yourself out when pregnant. I¡¯ll go bathe and tuck myself in.¡±

    Ruan Danchen wanted to say she was simply pregnant, not sick, but before she could utter a word, the little boy jumped off the bed and bolted away.

    Just then, Qi Chenglin came out of the bathroom to be met with Qi Youxuan darting out the room and shutting the door behind him.

    ¡°What¡¯s up with him?¡± questioned Qi Chenglin curiously as he dried his hair with a towel.

    His confused expression made him look distinctly innocent. However, that innocent face was coupled with a steaming hot body fresh from the shower. His hair was still wet¡ªdripping. He only had a white towel wrapped around his waist, exposing most of his clear, fair skin. He looked exceedingly alluring, making Ruan Danchen yearn to toy with the beauty in front of her.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed. She liedzily on the bed, not moving an inch. Reiterating Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, she could not help but burst intoughter again.

    Unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin raised an eyebrow and red at her with fires of passion in his eyes. With a stern expression, hemented, ¡°Aren¡¯t you naughty?¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Ruan Danchen stared back at him in confusion.

    She was talking about Qi Youxuan¡ªwhat did that have to do with her being naughty?

    Qi Chenglin did not care to borate. He merely looked down, so she followed his gaze.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned.

    Without her realizing, her toes were rubbing against his calf with rhythmic and enticing motions. Ruan Danchen staggered. When did she be such an expert at seducing him? Why did these actions suddenly feel so natural to her?

    Ruan Danchen retracted her leg bashfully. She must have lost control when she saw Qi Chenglin¡¯s bewitching beauty.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t on purpose,¡± Ruan Danchen imed, putting on a guilty smile. Just as she was going to sit up, Qi Chenglin pressed her down again.

    Although her belly was still t, Qi Chenglin still took extra caution to avoid putting pressure on it. He pressed on her shoulders instead. ¡°You know that I can¡¯t touch you, yet you¡¯re rubbing against me like this? Why are you so naughty?¡±

    His eyes burned with lust. Watching him trying to suppress his urges, Ruan Danchen could not help but feel pity toward him. She pouted. ¡°It¡¯s not like I did it on purpose. It¡¯s your fault for being so irresistible.¡±

    She smiled coyly. Staring at Qi Chenglin¡¯s tormented expression, she pitied him and gave him a kiss. ¡°I¡¯m going to take a bath.¡±

    She pushed him gently, beckoning him to get up.

    Qi Chenglin got up. However, when Ruan Danchen sat up, he scooped her up and carried her bridal style.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Ruan Danchen shrieked out of shock. It was awfully scary to be lifted into the air abruptly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bathe you,¡± said Qi Chenglin as he marched toward the bathroom with her in his arms.

    ¡°I can bathe myself!¡± From his expression, Ruan Danchen could tell that he was insistent on taking off her clothes himself and bathing her.

    Qi Chenglin shot a nce at her. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. What if you slip and fall?¡±

    ¡°We have anti-slip mats on the floor...¡± Ruan Danchen was going to twist her way out, but her resolve melted away when her eyes met his tender expression. She lied in his arms obediently as he entered the bathroom. Qi Chenglin filled the tub, took off her clothes, and focused all his attention on washing her.

    However, there were still some ces Ruan Danchen was notfortable with Qi Chenglin washing, so she kept dodging. Qi Chenglin was drenched in sweat as he bathed her¡ªnot because it was aborious task, but because he had to hold back his desire the entire time. He was extraordinarily hard. He knew that bathing her would only make himself suffer more, yet he could not let go. He was spellbound by the feeling of her smooth skin brushing against his fingers.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough. I can clean myself. Get out for now. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m done.¡± Ruan Danchen dodged once more, but Qi Chenglin grabbed onto her. Captivated by his searing hot hands, Ruan Danchen froze.

    Qi Chenglin let go. She let out a sigh of relief, but before she was done exhaling, she saw him unwrapping the towel around his waist.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing? Stop fooling around.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes widened as she watched his long legs step into the bathtub silently. It was evident that his resolve was so strong, it could not be moved by even nine oxen.

    ¡°I¡¯m drenched in sweat from washing you. I¡¯ll bathe again.¡± The moment he entered the bathtub, he pulled her into his embrace.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess around,¡± Ruan Danchen warned anxiously.

    ¡°You know, I¡¯ve thought about it¡ªit¡¯s not like I can¡¯t touch you at all. You can still help me,¡± said Qi Chenglin in a serious tone.

    ¡°...¡±

    How could he say such crude things with a serious face!

    ¡°How shameless! Don¡¯t mess around!¡± scolded Ruan Danchen¡ªher face reddened.

    He tightened his arms around her. ¡°Three months is a long time. You¡¯re willing to let me suffer for three months?¡±

    He even disyed a pitiful expression.

    When a man, who usually appeared all high and mighty, put on such a pitiful expression, Ruan Danchen did not have the heart to refuse. He was usually quite the animal in bed¡ªmaking him control himself for three months did seem like a painful punishment. Not having the heart to let him suffer, Ruan Danchen extended her hands shyly.

    Qi Chenglin squinted his eyes with satisfaction. He rested his chin on her shoulder, smelling the sweet scent of her. He felt euphoric. Time and time again, he kissed her shoulders and her lips, moaning, ¡°My wife¡¯s the best.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grunted. Her hands were getting sore. Qi Chenglin said, ¡°I¡¯ll massage your armster. Let¡¯s not use hands tomorrow.¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked up at him. What else could she use? With a stern expression, his gaze fell onto her lips, making Ruan Danchen¡¯s blood boil with rage.

    The two had worked up quite a bit of sweat. They washed themselves with the warm water in the tub. Angered, Ruan Danchen shooed him out while she stayed inside to wash her hair.

    Now that he was satisfied, he did not insist on staying anymore. His long legs stepped out of the tub. He did not bother to wrap himself up with the towel anymore. Naked, he turned around abruptly. Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise. Her face was burning red. Hastily, she turned her gaze to his face, afraid to look down again.

    Qi Chenglin could not help butugh. He instructed, ¡°Call me when you¡¯re done. I¡¯ll carry you out. Despite everything, I¡¯m still worried about you.¡±

    Hisst words made Ruan Danchen swallow the words she was about to spit out. She opened her mouth but no words came out. In the end, she could only nod obediently with her face flushed and her head down.

    Seeing her submissive manner delighted him. He bent down with his hands holding the side of the tub and pecked her lips. Finally, he exited the bathroom.

    After a while, Ruan Danchen called for him. He pulled the nket away and hopped off the bed to carry her out. When she saw that he was still naked, she red at him disapprovingly. However, she did not utter a word about it; he was already shameless after all¡ªit would be a waste of her breath.

    Qi Chenglin dried her body and wrapped her up in the nket immediately¡ªhe was afraid she might catch a cold. Then, he took the hairdryer and dried her hair. Only after he ensured that her hair was thoroughly dry did he let her lie down.

    Watching him take care of her so mindfully, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted. When she was pregnant with Qi Youxuan, the Shen family also treated her with the utmost care¡ªnot because they were worried about her, but because they were worried about the child; Qi Chenglin¡¯s wholehearted care felt entirely different.

    Qi Chenglin put the hairdryer aside and turned his gaze on her t tummy. He smiled to himself.

    He lifted the nket and ced hisrge hand on her belly. His hand was scorching hot, making Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart race.

    ¡°Why are you smiling to yourself? You seemed so normal during the day.¡± Ruan Danchen stared at his silly grin. She could not help but caress his face.

    Qi Chenglin was indulged in her gentle touch¡ªhe wanted her to never stop. Subconsciously, he started rubbing against her palm, like a huge cat. He had no awareness of what he was doing.

    ¡°There were so many people around us during the day,¡± exined Qi Chenglin as he looked up to meet her gaze. Then, he looked down again and continued rubbing her tummy, smiling foolishly at himself.

    Ruan Danchen nced at him; speechless. It seemed he was merely holding himself back just to keep up his image.

    ¡°When you were pregnant with Youxuan, I wasn¡¯t by your side; this time, I promise I¡¯ll take good care of you,¡± whispered Qi Chenglin as he caressed her belly.

    ¡°Mmm, and I can experience having a husband to take care of me when I¡¯m pregnant too. Not only a husband¡ªI have my son by my side too,¡± murmured Ruan Danchen, smiling.

    Imagining Qi Youxuan running circles around Ruan Danchen and asking how she was doing made Qi Chenglin smile too.

    He kissed her belly. ¡°My precious daughter, hurry up and grow. Don¡¯t let your mom suffer.¡±

    ...

    The one week which Liu Ronghua gave Chang Jingqiu had ended. Chang Jingqiu drove to Liu Ronghua¡¯s residential area personally. She waited at the door.

 Chapter 469 - Granduncle, Congratulations On Getting Rid Of This Troublesome Life!

    <strong>Chapter 469: Granduncle, Congrattions On Getting Rid Of This Troublesome Life!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, Grandmother Qi figured that Grandmother Chang was an utterly outrageous elderly woman after listening to all those ridiculous stories about her. She wanted to admonish Grandmother Chang but there was no chance of meeting each other, and she could not visit the Chang family for this issue either. She was not a shrew after all.

    After that, Grandmother Chang turned out to be Ruan Danchen¡¯s biological grandmother. Grandmother Qi figured she would let bygones be bygones and tried to live together in harmony since they were, no matter what, inws. That way, Ruan Danchen would not feel awkward and ufortable staying with the Chang family.

    No matter how Grandmother Chang disliked Ruan Danchen previously, Ruan Danchen had a different identity at present, and there was no way a grandmother would loathe her granddaughter.

    Still, who would have expected Grandmother Chang to behave differently?

    Grandmother Chang preferred to express her affection toward a totally unrteddy than to love her biological granddaughter whom she owed so much after all these years. She tried to frame Ruan Danchen by inducing disgust in the Qi family and even attempted to use Ruan Danchen to bring harm to others without bringing Ruan Danchen¡¯s happiness into consideration at all.

    ¡°I wanted to get along with you since you¡¯re Danchen¡¯s grandmother, but after seeing your attitude just now, forget about it! I heard that you believed in Buddha too, so how can someone who believed in Buddha have such an evil mind? What goes aroundes around; karma will find you one day!¡±

    Grandmother Qi gritted her teeth in exasperation and felt Ruan Danchen did not deserve this. ¡°Since when did Danchen provoke you until you wanted to ruin her life? You wanted her future to be gloomy and wished that she wouldn¡¯t have a husband and a son who¡¯d love her for the rest of her life. As a family, you merely wanted to be calctive with her. When she¡¯s no longer needed, you¡¯ll send her to a deserted ce, and then ask her to marry someone else only when she benefits you. Is there any grandmother on this earth who¡¯d treat her biological granddaughter in this way? You¡¯re a cruel and unscrupulous old woman!¡±

    Grandmother Qi was in so much rage that she pointed at Grandmother Chang¡¯s nose and reprimanded her with fiery eyes. ¡°Let me tell you this: you don¡¯t need to love Danchen and she certainly doesn¡¯t need your respect, so don¡¯t even think of using your identity as her grandmother to oppress her. Do you truly think you¡¯re amazing? You¡¯re merely a speck of dust underneath our fingernails. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯d think highly of herself and assume that she¡¯s far superior than the rest. Stay away from Danchen from now on, and she doesn¡¯t need to visit your house anymore. There¡¯s no need to use your ¡®grandmother¡¯ status tomand her; we won¡¯t stand idly and let you humiliate Danchen!¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s wicked mind confused Grandmother Qi. Ruan Danchen was the only offspring left by her daughter!

    How could Grandmother Chang insist on humiliating her only granddaughter?

    It was understandable if Grandmother Chang had zero intimacy with Ruan Danchen since they had not met each other for the past twenty-seven years, unlike the unrted Chang Jingqiu whom she grew fond of after living together all these years.

    Grandmother Chang could treat Ruan Danchen coldly, but to humiliate Ruan Danchen was utterly uneptable!

    Grandmother Chang was ashamed after hearing Grandmother Qi¡¯s rebuke and her cheeks started to flush red with exasperation.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying these for the sake of your family! Are you repaying my kindness with such harshness? It just doesn¡¯t pay to be a nice guy after all.¡± Grandmother Chang refused to admit despite the guilty conscience.

    ¡°We don¡¯t deserve such kindness from you. Let me get this clear today: Danchen is my granddaughter-inw. Whatever you¡¯ve mentioned about Danchen having a harmful force was nonsense to us! I¡¯m alive and healthy right now! My husband, Lao Qi is well and strong too. Danchen and Chenglin had been together for so long, and our family is growing prosperous as the days go by. Danchen even conceived another baby at this moment, so where¡¯s this harmful force that you mentioned? If she does possess such force, I won¡¯t mind if she harms you.¡± Grandmother Qi smirked.

    Grandmother Chang nearly fainted out of exasperation after listening to Grandmother Qi.

    How could Grandmother Qi make such an evil curse?

    ¡°Okay, okay! I made a mistake by visiting you. My kind advice turned out to be an evil act from a wickeddy. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you if your family suffers from bad luck in the future. It¡¯s your fault for not listening to me!¡± Grandmother Chang nodded vigorously while her body trembled in wrath.

    Grandmother Chang turned around and attempted to leave after finishing her sentence, but she was stopped by Grandmother Qi. ¡°Stop!¡±

    ¡°What is it, are you regretting your decision?¡± Grandmother Chang turned around with slightcency in her face.

    Grandmother Qi gasped in amazement after noticing the smug on Grandmother Chang¡¯s face. It was fairly obvious that Grandmother Chang was suffering from psychosis. Did she think she could make Grandmother Qi regret after blurting out those statements?

    ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you to stop speaking nonsense in public. If I hear anyone spreading whatever nonsense you mentioned today in public, bear in mind that we have a bad temper as well,¡± chastised Grandmother Qi coldly.

    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s my mouth. Do you think you can control me when I¡¯m merely speaking the truth?¡± Grandmother Chang pouted and wore a hideous smile as though she found an idea to disgust the Qi family.

    Grandmother Qi shook her head in response; the elderly woman before her was definitely out of her mind and in desperate need of psychological treatment. Was it such a joyful event to damage her granddaughter¡¯s reputation?

    Grandmother Chang assumed that the silence in Grandmother Qi was an indication of fear and smugly let out a ¡°humph¡±. She then lifted her head, all proud and almighty, as she walked toward the door.

    Grandmother Chang only realized that Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were present when she reached the living room.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression was calm and t as though she was entirely unbothered by Grandmother Chang¡¯s words.

    However, Grandmother Chang assumed that Ruan Danchen was just putting up a show.

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. Grandmother Chang was unfamiliar with Qi Chenglin, or else she would realize that this sort of expression would indicate that something big was about to happen and she should fear it.

    ¡°Did you hear what I said just now?¡± Grandmother Chang asked. The smug on her wrinkled face made her look ferocious like cracks on parched earth.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained t as he replied with a deep and calm voice, ¡°Thank you for your consideration for our family.¡±

    Grandmother Chang seemed to have neglected the ridicule in Qi Chenglin¡¯s response. Instead, a hideous smile broke across her wrinkled face that made her appear especially terrifying.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard it, best if you can give this some thought. Don¡¯t act rashly due to a moment of anger,¡± Grandmother Chang said enigmatically.

    Qi Chenglin made no attempt to respond further. Grandmother Chang let out a loud ¡°humph¡± before ultimately leaving the house.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen walked to the living room and saw Grandmother Qi on the sofa, gulping down two teacups full of tea to calm her rage, all while patting her chest gently as she gasped for air.

    The angry Grandmother Qi noticed the duo and asked, ¡°Did you hear what she said?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded in response and saw Grandmother Qi pointing toward the door that Grandmother Chang just exited from.

    ¡°Why do such people even exist in this world? What could Danchen have possibly done to her and induced such hatred in her toward Danchen?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, she¡¯s not worth it,¡± replied Ruan Danchen after sitting next to Grandmother Qi.

    Grandmother Qi nced at Qi Chenglin. ¡°I thought I asked you to keep this a secret from Danchen? This isn¡¯t a usual annoyance, and anyone who hears it will feel ufortable. Danchen is pregnant now, she can¡¯t afford to have emotional fluctuations for this sort of matter. Who do you think she wants to hurt more after listening to her?¡±

    ¡°I was with Chenglin at that time. Besides, this matter concerns me since it¡¯s rted to Grandmother Chang. I can¡¯t possibly be ignorant about this issue.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s arm and continued, ¡°To be honest, she doesn¡¯t bother me at all and I¡¯m not trying tofort you. It¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯ve seen her true color before realizing that she¡¯s my biological grandmother. I¡¯m already used to her constant nonsense too, so I won¡¯t feel shocked or sad no matter how she humiliates me. Who does she think she is for my child to get hurt because of her alone?¡±

    Grandmother Qi rxed in an instant after knowing that Ruan Danchen truly did not take this matter to heart instead of merelyforting her.

    Grandmother Qi tapped Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder gently and felt sorry for her after recalling Grandmother Chang¡¯s terrible attitude.

    ¡°Nheless, the Qi family is stained with the likes of Grandmother Chang because of me. If anything like this happens again in the future...¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Qi Chenglin promised calmly.

    Ruan Danchen shifted her gaze to Qi Chenglin, who looked entirely solemn with lips pursed tightly, and nodded in response. What was he going to do? Ruan Danchen made no attempt to ask.

    There was no way Ruan Danchen would allow the entire Qi family to suffer because of her alone, thus she did not n on stopping Qi Chenglin at all. Moreover, she trusted Qi Chenglin to have a sense of propriety and would not drag Chang Zhiyuan along with it too.

    Ruan Danchen coaxed Grandmother Qi until her mood lightened before they returned to thepany again.

    Little did Ruan Danchen know that Qi Chenglin left Qilin immediately after he sent her back to the design department and called Chang Zhiyuan along the way.

    After that, Chang Zhiyuan weed Qi Chenglin in his office and they had some discussion for over two hours before Qi Chenglin left his office.

    Chang Zhiyuan shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. Then, his expression became firm and steady as though he had made a decision.

    ...

    ...

    Liu Xiangwen was on her way out of thepany after visiting Chang Zhixing, all while expressing her dissatisfaction toward him like he was a babe in arms. She had been nning for Chang Zhixing, and yet he chose not to fight with Chang Zhiyuan. Everything was for his own good yet he scolded her just now.

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression darkened at the very thought. Her gaze then fixed on a tall and straight figure in front of her.

    Liu Xiangwen hurried forward until the man before he exited the building and turned around the corner before she saw the side of his face.

    Qi Chenglin!

    Liu Xiangwen was frozen on the spot and started her own conspiracy theory.

    Qi Chenglin must havee to cooperate with Chang Zhiyuan, and the discussion might involve other matters as well. It was obvious that Qi Chenglin had decided to give his full support to Chang Zhiyuan!

    Liu Xiangwen hurried off with a sense of crisis nted deep within her.

    A few momentster after Liu Xiangwen left thepany, Chang Zhiyuan exited his office and called Mo Yuxin to head straight to Grandmother Chang¡¯s house together.

    Mo Yuxin had already arrived and was sitting at one corner of the sofa when Chang Zhiyuan entered the house. On the other hand, Liu Xiangwen sat together with Grandmother Chang and wasforting her softly regarding some issues.

    Meanwhile, Chang Jingqiu was sitting in a wheelchair on the other side of Grandmother Chang.

    The trio ignored Mo Yuxin, and Grandmother Chang would re at her from time to time.

    Chang Zhiyuan frowned and walked toward them with a darkened expression.

    Grandmother Chang nced impatiently at Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°Why did youe here when you should be at thepany at this hour?¡±

    ¡°Mom, did you go to the Qi family manor today iming that Danchen had a harmful force toward her loved ones?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan. His voice was calm like the sea seemingly at peace before the raging storm.

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Grandmother Chang.

    What did this elderly woman attempt to do?

    What sort of nonsense was a harmful force toward loved ones, and Grandmother Chang even went to the Qi family manor for this nonsense?

    ¡°You came back on purpose for this matter and for what? Teach me a lesson? Do you think it¡¯s reasonable for you to ignore thepany¡¯s affairs for such a miniature issue?¡± The annoyed Grandmother Chang nced coldly at Chang Zhiyuan.

    This cleared Liu Xiangwen¡¯s initial confusion. Qi Chenglin actually went to Changhe personally to file aint against Grandmother Chang just now.

    Liu Xiangwen smirked at the very thought. Did Qi Chenglin truly think he was a capable man?

    The furious Chang Zhiyuan smirked. ¡°You think you¡¯re acting reasonably by visiting the Qi family manor to speak such nonsense? What do you think you¡¯re actually doing? I don¡¯t understand you anymore. Do you want them to divorce after listening to you? Then Danchen will be exiled, is that right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m merely giving the Qi family a piece of kind advice. Besides, ording to Ba-Zi[1], she indeed lives a hard life and brings bad luck to those around her. Since she¡¯s the daughter of the Chang family right now, we can¡¯t possibly let the rumor about her bad Ba-Zi spread publicly, right? What should we do if the Qi family truly faces trouble? We can¡¯t possibly bring harm to others too, and Jingqiu might get involved if others get to know about this.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes were flushed red out of exasperation. ¡°Danchen is your biological granddaughter in any case, and she has never done anything wrong to you. The only problem is that she was never raised under your care for the past twenty-seven years, but this isn¡¯t her fault too, so why do you even insist on humiliating her? Why do you dislike her, and how deep is your resentment toward her? Why can¡¯t you just ept the fact that she lives a good life right now? Tell me! Answer me! Persuade me too, please!¡±

    ¡°Based on Ba-Zi, she lives a hard life and brings bad luck to those around her? Those are groundless superstitions and yet you mentioned them like they were absolutely real. You¡¯re afraid that Jingqiu might get involved, but why don¡¯t you consider your biological granddaughter¡¯s happiness too? You don¡¯t actually have much resentment toward her. It¡¯s hatred that causes you to bring harm to her. You... you...¡± Chang Zhiyuan hissed through gritted teeth. In the end, words failed to squeeze through his tightly gnashed teeth which were on the brink of shattering under such rage.

    ¡°You can stop any form ofmunication with her if you dislike her so much. What sort of resentment can make you bring harm to her to such an extent?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan experienced fear after giving this some thought.

    Fortunately, the Qi family was reasonable and remained unconcerned regarding superstitions and supernatural events. If this issue happened in other families, they would rather believe it to be the truth than to ignore it. Even though it might sound utterly ridiculous, they would still cast Ruan Danchen out just in case anything bad happened to them.

    If the rumor about Ruan Danchen¡¯s difficult life and brought bad luck to others based on Ba-Zi spread to the public, how could she stand firmly in society in the future? Who would be willing to get close to her?

    Ruan Danchen would be doomed for her whole life!

    Grandmother Chang was trying to bring Ruan Danchen down the drain!

    Grandmother Chang even wanted to send Ruan Danchen to a small town in the south and would marry Ruan Danchen to any rival family whom she disliked.

    Ruan Danchen was not recognized as Grandmother Chang¡¯s biological granddaughter; she was merely a weapon whom she could take advantage of at will!

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s statements sounded ridiculous, but Chang Zhiyuan was fully aware that she meant every single word.

    If Ruan Danchen was exiled from the Qi family, Grandmother Chang would definitely proceed as nned at once!

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression darkened with exasperation. She was rebuked by Grandmother Qi back in the Qi family manor and was scolded by Chang Zhiyuan again at home.

    Grandmother Chang felt that her status in the family was threatened at this moment.

    ¡°Big brother, I know you like and care for Danchen, but to return home and scold Mom isn¡¯t all too reasonable,¡± Liu Xiangwen peeked at Grandmother Chang and after noticing the satisfaction on her face. Liu Xiangwen then continued, ¡°I visited Zhixing in Changhe just now and saw Qi Chenglin on my way. I guess he went there personally toin to you? You threw your work aside and rushed back home to scold mom after listening to him alone, you¡ª¡±

    Liu Xiangwen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m aware that you¡¯re trying to get along with Qi Chenglin, but you can¡¯t side with him every time!¡±

    Grandmother Chang understood what Liu Xiangwen meant and red at Chang Zhiyuan annoyingly. ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Since when did your friendship with Qi Chenglin had gotten so close? It was just a miniature issue and yet he visited you personally forint. Since you two are so close together, what were you up to when you disagreed on our n to let Qi Chenglin assist in looking after Changhe? Since he asked you to return home and argue with me afterining about such a small issue to you, why couldn¡¯t he give more business opportunities to Changhe? The decision of your disagreement came drastically at that time, so I assume that you¡¯re siding with the Qi family right now!¡±

    ¡°Qi Chenglin came to me today for private issues, and what¡¯s wrong with me having a good friendship with him privately? We don¡¯t mix business with pleasure, just like how Qi Chenglin won¡¯t request me to suffer losses so that Qilin can have all the benefits. What am I up to? I¡¯m behaving scrupulously in separating business from private issues.¡± Chang Zhiyuan squinted and asked, ¡°Are you doubting me?¡±

    ¡°Of course we can¡¯t suffer losses. Our involvement in business is to ensure that we gain benefits, and there¡¯s no such thing as acting considerate on others. Besides, can our family evenpare with the Qi family? It doesn¡¯t matter if the Qi family suffers some losses since they¡¯re wealthy. It won¡¯t have much effect on their overall ie if they give us one or two business opportunities, because for them, it¡¯s basically a small bunch of sand slipping through their fingers into our hands. We¡¯re different, we can¡¯t afford to suffer any loss. Besides, shouldn¡¯t he help us since we¡¯re families by marriage now? You always mentioned that I treated Ruan Danchen harshly, but never once did she consider us as her family,¡± Grandmother Chang pouted andined as if she was wronged.

    ¡°Their wealth is none of our business, and we don¡¯t need one or two business opportunities from the Qi family too. Are you imagining that you can upgrade the Chang family as one of The Great Nine Families?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan, tired of continuing the argument with her.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s statement was meant to ridicule Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang seemed to have the same thought in her mind as well as she started appearing excited, and it grated on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s nerves even more.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible either. Since we¡¯re families by marriage, we should let the Qi family lend us a helping hand in this matter.¡± Grandmother Chang grew thrilled at the mere thought.

    The vexed Chang Zhiyuan mocked, ¡°The Great Eight Families have many rtives. Disregarding the other Great Eight Families¡¯ marriages, the Qi family had nned many marriages with different families such as Grandmother Qi¡¯s family, the Xia family, the Guan family, and each of them is far superior than us. Do you see the Qi family upgrading their families¡¯ status? If the Great Eight Families help every inws¡¯ families in their status upgrading, they will be The Great Many Families right now. They didn¡¯t achieve the title of The Great Eight Families overnight, it was thousands of years of umtions that led them to such a title. If any family can simply reach such height, then the Great Eight Families are no more and don¡¯t deserve respect and envy from others anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mom, stop dreaming about such fantasy and live your life honestly and earnestly. You have everything right now, and more money won¡¯t make any difference in your life too,¡± replied the mentally exhausted Chang Zhiyuan.

    How could he say that there would not be any difference? At least others would respect the Chang family more.

    Exactly like Grandmother Qi. She could not summon up the courage to retaliate after getting scolded by Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Why are you even giving me all sorts of excuses? Why can¡¯t you help thepany since you¡¯re close to Qi Chenglin? You¡¯ve clearly stated your disagreement twice, are you even caring for thepany with all your heart?¡± Grandmother Chang scolded.

    ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan with a frown.

    Grandmother Chang pursed her lips tightly and raised her eyebrows slightly before replying coldly, ¡°I know you had registered another privatepany in public. Even though it¡¯s scale isn¡¯t as big as Changhe, it has grown quite well after you¡¯ve managed it for all these years.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan figured out what Grandmother Chang meant and scorned while Grandmother Chang continued. ¡°It¡¯s quite possible that you may be transferring some business projects in Changhe to your ownpany gradually after all these years. I was merely turning a blind eye before this since you¡¯re my son after all, I couldn¡¯t possibly argue with you on this matter. However, greed seemed to have consumed you. Are you thinking about letting yourpany swallow Changhe?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan felt extremely disappointed at the elderly woman in front of him. She was his mother, and yet she would specte his intentions with the worst possible ways no matter how he contributed to this family.

    That was enough! Enough!

    The disappointed Chang Zhiyuan smirked. ¡°First of all, I set up my privatepany for Jingwan. I¡¯m fully aware that Changhe will end up in Nannan¡¯s hand in the future, and based on my dear sister-inw¡¯s mind, there¡¯ll be no ce for Jingwan once they take over Changhe. Take a look at recent events; it¡¯s like you have persecutory delusions and every time you¡¯ll find fault in me and even persuade my family to turn against me. I won¡¯t have the ability to protect Jingwan when I grow older.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware that you love Jingqiu and Nannan the most. Even thepany is prepared for your grandson and has nothing to do with Jingwan at all. I¡¯m getting tired after taking endless mes and your constant calctive minds. I want to take my wife and daughter away to live a peaceful and harmonious life instead of arguing with you. My wife and I set up mypany together for years, and every business project is Yuxin¡¯s nephew¡¯s hard work. The money used to set up mypany and business projects are totally unrted to Changhe and the Chang family. To be honest, we took advantage of the Mo family to achieve such sess for mypany. Before Yuxin¡¯s nephew worked in the Mo family¡¯spany, he worked in mine as an intern to gain experience, so some of the business projects are given by the Mo family out of respect.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan sneered and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch anything that belongs to the Chang family out of worry that you may assume that I was taking advantage of you, but who knew you had that thought in mind.¡± Chang Zhiyuan felt dejected when he thought about it.

    They were a family, and yet he had to be on guard at all times.

    ¡°Since you raised this issue out of worry that I was transferring all the benefits from Changhe to mypany, I¡¯ll return to Changhe and submit my resignation this evening. Zhixing will officially take over my position tomorrow and I¡¯ll focus on mypany¡¯s management instead.¡± Chang Zhiyuan then nced at Liu Xiangwen. ¡°We won¡¯t fight with you in the future. I¡¯ll keep my shares in Changhe and leave the rest to you. From now onward, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me anymore or make the assumption that I¡¯m trying to seize full control of Changhe by getting close to Qi Chenglin.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen was shocked when she realized that Chang Zhiyuan knew about this too.

    ¡°Sister-inw, I won¡¯t care about Changhe from now on since it isn¡¯t my business anymore. Jingwan won¡¯t enter Changhe in the future too. I used my savings to set up mypany for Jingwan so she won¡¯t fight with you, and you don¡¯t need to go against her. Don¡¯t even think about putting a spoke on my daughter¡¯s wheel for Changhe¡¯s profit shares too.¡± Chang Zhiyuan inhaled deeply as he recalled the conversation he had with Qi Chenglin in the office beforeing back home.

    ¡°To sum it up, don¡¯te looking for me for any issues in the future. I won¡¯t care no matter what happens. I won¡¯t gain any advantage if you¡¯re sessful, and I won¡¯t help if you face any difficulty. My family will manage my smallpany and live our lives in peace. If mypany faces any trouble, I won¡¯t ask for your help either and certainly won¡¯t ask you to fund me,¡± Chang Zhiyuan announced coldly.

    This statement answered Liu Xiangwen¡¯s question in mind.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s gaze was doubtful. ¡°Are you really willing to give up on Changhe?¡±

    Grandmother Chang mentioned it like he was seizing full control of Changhe by hook or by crook, and Chang Zhiyuan merely scorned in response.

    Chang Zhiyuan was mentally exhausted at this moment. He did not expect all his hard work and contributions in the past were considered as a means to seize control of Changhe.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be unwilling about, I¡¯m tired too. Mom, if you really trust Zhixing¡¯s ability, let him try. I¡¯ll be truly happy if he can bring the Chang family one step further. We¡¯ll leave if there¡¯s nothing else,¡± Chang Zhiyuan answered calmly.

    Mo Yuxin stood up and walked beside Chang Zhiyuan, nning to leave all this mess together.

    Mo Yuxin gave up serving this annoying family a long time ago.

    ¡°By the way, Danchen is none of your business too. I¡¯m devoting my full attention from this family issue to the only daughter left by my sister. I¡¯ll hand out Changhe and won¡¯t form a union with Qi Chenglin to threaten you, so don¡¯t even think about humiliating her in the future. From now on, Danchen has absolutely no rtion with this family anymore.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan was fixing his gaze on both Chang Jingqiu and Liu Xiangwen as he spoke.

    There was a slight shock registering on their faces despite their desperate attempt to hide it, as expected.

    Chang Zhiyuan smirked and spoke to Grandmother Chang coldly, ¡°Danchen is the only connection between this family and Qi Chenglin, and I¡¯ve managed to take some advantage from it. Both of us won¡¯t care about this family from now on, so there¡¯s no need to use the title of the Qi family¡¯s inws to blow your own trumpet and damage Danchen¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t even think about using this rtionship to enjoy the benefits Danchen brings while humiliating Danchen at the same time. Don¡¯t me me for standing up to you when that happens.¡±

    ¡°The others won¡¯t believe youpletely when I speak for Danchen as a member of the Chang family. Besides, I¡¯m more reputed than you in public and my words carry more weight than yours.¡± Chang Zhiyuan squinted; he mentioned this out of worry that these imbeciles might not take his words to heart.

    Fortunately, there was anger, reluctance and fear on their faces, which rxed Chang Zhiyuan. He then walked out of the house with Mo Yuxin.

    ¡°Do you me me?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan.

    Mo Yuxin shook her head and answered with a rxed expression, ¡°It feels better to stop caring about them. Besides, even though ourpany is iparable with Changhe, we¡¯ll still have enough to sustain our lives. Our quality of life won¡¯t be affected at all.¡±

    Mo Yuxin let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t need toe over in the future?¡±

    With a smile, Chang Zhiyuan nodded his head.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Zhiyuan submitted his resignation letter on the same evening, which brought a huge impact on the industry. Mo Yuxin, Chang Zhiyuan and his assistant, and even Changhe¡¯s human resources department received endless phone calls from reporters for the confirmation of this news.

    This news remained unknown to Ruan Danchen, and she had only realized it after reading some unofficial news while surfing the inte at night.

    The news mentioned that Chang Zhiyuan submitted his resignation letter in the evening, but Changhe¡¯s staff had no clue regarding this issue and Changhe¡¯s upper management was unreachable too.

    This news was posted individually instead of posted by official Weibo management.

    However, many reporters posted the same news. This worried Ruan Danchen but Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s phone was unreachable too.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to visit Chang Zhiyuan to verify the truth personally but was stopped by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be many reporters surrounding his house right now. We¡¯ll be adding more trouble if we visit them at this hour,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    Ruan Danchen thus gave up. However, she was worried that she was the cause of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation.

    Grandmother Chang visited the Qi family manor in the morning and Chang Zhiyuan resigned in the same evening? What a coincidence!

    It was inappropriate to question Qi Chenglin either since this news was yet to be confirmed.

    Ruan Danchen had no choice but to swallow her worry, which caused her to have insomnia. In the end, Qi Chenglin stopped her from rolling around in bed and pulled her into his embrace while speaking with an exhausted voice, ¡°Stop moving around. I have a meeting tomorrow morning. Do you want me to doze off in the meeting?¡±

    Ruan Danchenid still and tried her best to fall asleep. Then, Qi Chenglin continued. ¡°Trust me, we¡¯ll know if the news is true tomorrow morning.¡±

    Thus, Ruan Danchen was refreshing the news web page repeatedly in thepany the next morning.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen recalled that Gao Xiaoyang was in charge of this sort of news, so she must have first-hand information. Since she could not reach Chang Zhiyuan, at least she could give Gao Xiaoyang a phone call.

    At least it was more efficient to ask Gao Xiaoyang than to refresh the web page repeatedly.

    Gao Xiaoyang indeed had information regarding this issue, and Ruan Danchen could even hear the hecticmotion from the other end of the phone. ¡°Your phone call is just in time. I just came out of Changhe and the reporters are getting crazy over here. Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation was submitted yesterday and effective immediately, and he passed over his position to Chang Zhixing in front of thepany this morning. Chang Zhixing is the director of Changhe now. This is big news, and I¡¯m rushing back to post this news at once.¡±

    ¡°By the way, why did you ask about Chang Zhiyuan?¡± Gao Xiaoyang asked curiously.

    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle,¡± Ruan Danchen answered truthfully.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened? My instincts told me that Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation was rted to you,¡± Gao Xiaoyang asked as she sensed that something was amiss.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I wouldn¡¯te to you if I knew about it. As for Chang Zhiyuan being my uncle, that¡¯splicated. I¡¯ll tell you next time,¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    Gao Xiaoyang was on her way back in a hurry to type out the draft and post it as soon as possible, so she hung up the call without asking further.

    The official news was announced after a while.

    During the interview, Chang Zhiyuan announced his official resignation in Changhe and the intention of focusing his full attention on managing his privatepany. He also mentioned that hispany would have no business conflict with Changhe due to the horizontalpetition use.

    After that, it was the official question-and-answer session. Chang Zhiyuan hoped Changhe would be sessful despite the fact that he was not involved in it anymore. Furthermore, he denied that it was discord with his family members that led to his resignation.

    Chang Zhiyuan merely mentioned that Changhe needed a few changes and he needed his well-deserved rest too. He also wanted to train the youngsters at home after he had devoted his full attention to his privatepany and would retire for good once the youngsters were experienced enough to take care of thepany.

    Ruan Danchen received Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s phone call in the afternoon. His voice was calm without any sorrow after getting exiled from Changhe, and he even invited them for dinner.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen brought the kid while Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin brought Chang Jingwan to attend the dinnerter at night.

    Since they had met with the kid previously, Chang Jingwan would find Qi Youxuan at school frequently and slipped some food to him. Slowly but surely, they became closer together.

    The kid seemed to be able to get along well with just anybody. He could y together with Ruan Zeer, and could even enjoy the moment with Chang Jingwan too. Chang Jingwan basically treated the kid like her little brother.

    They had decided to have dinner in Shengyue, and since Chang Zhiyuan had nothing to worry about after the resignation, he was the first to reach Shengyue with Mo Yuxin. Chang Jingwan had to attend school and her sses ended muchter than Qi Youxuan, who was a first-grader in elementary school. Thus, Chang Jingwan would depart from her school straight to Shengyue.

    Chang Zhiyuan had exined the whole situation to Chang Jingwanst night. Chang Jingwan was fully aware of the privatepany¡¯s existence, so she was not surprised at all and remained calm regarding the fact that Chang Zhiyuan resigned from Changhe. She had epted this situation calmly, which was unexpected for Chang Zhiyuan.

    Chang Zhiyuan was chatting happily with Mo Yuxin when Ruan Danchen and her family arrived. They were talking andughing without any signs of gloomy mood, and they did not seem to be acting on purpose for Ruan Danchen too.

    ¡°What sort of expression is that, like I received unjust treatment after getting exiled. Take a seat, this dinner¡¯s on me.¡± Chang Zhiyuanughed.

    The kid walked toward Chang Zhiyuan while twisting his buttocks, acting exactly like a piglet.

    ¡°Granduncle, congrattions on getting rid of this troublesome life!¡± The chubby kid made his right hand into a half-fist while using his chubby left hand to hold the right fist in front of the chest, assuming a fist and palm salute[2], which made Chang Zhiyuanugh in return.

    After noticing the kid¡¯s constant ying and joking around, Chang Zhiyuan stroked his head gently. ¡°There¡¯s no need tofort your granduncle, I¡¯m fine, really. In fact, I feel rxed right now.¡±

    Mo Yuxin turned toward Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen sitting opposite her and said, ¡°You saw how they treated us at the Chang family¡¯s house at that time. Grandmother Chang was indeed biased and focused everything only for Chang Jingqiu and Chang Zhixing. She wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied no matter how good Zhiyuan was or how much he contributed. We¡¯re tired right now. After your uncle realized that Grandmother Chang went to the Qi family manor and spoke such ridiculous words, he went straight to Grandmother Chang. However, she imed that your uncle didn¡¯t treat Changhe with all his heart, and that he wanted to transfer all the benefits from Changhe to our privatepany when he disagreed to request for Chenglin¡¯s assistance. The scale of our privatepany isn¡¯t huge, and its existence is for Jingwan¡¯s good. Based on Grandmother Chang¡¯s attitude, Jingwan will be left with nothing once Zhiyuan retires, and Liu Xiangwen may even bully her too. We might as well give up fighting with them.¡±

    ¡°Both of us are tired. We were getting impatient when they were constantly creating trouble for us, so that was why we used this opportunity to quit Changhe and your uncle wouldn¡¯t continue this thankless task. We can use this time to take care of our privatepany too. It¡¯s better than to receive doubts despite giving arduous efforts and treating Changhe with all his heart. In the end, Changhe will fall into Grandmother Chang¡¯s grandson¡¯s hands and won¡¯t have anything to do with us anymore, so why do we need to continue being a fool for our pain?¡±

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] The Four Pirs of Destiny, as known as ¡°Ba-Zi¡±, which means ¡°eight characters¡± or ¡°eight words¡± in Chinese, is a Chinese astrological concept that a person¡¯s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour. Days, hours, months, and years are all assigned one of the ten Celestial Stems and one of the twelve Earthly Branches in the sexagenary cycle. A person¡¯s fortune is determined by looking up the branch and stem characters for each of these four parts of their birth time.

    [2] Fist and palm salute is one of the typical Chinese etiquettes with a history of more than 3000 years. Since West Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-BC 771), people had already used this etiquette when meeting peers (it is said that most Chinese traditional etiquettes originated from Zhou Li, created by the Duke of Zhou in early West Dynasty). In Modern China, fist and palm salute has already been one of themon etiquettes frequently used on traditional asions. Chinese people show their respect for others through distance, which is different from western people usually showing through physical closeness.

 Chapter 435 - Qi Chenglin Then Looked up at Zhao Fengchun Calmly Without Even Glancing at Wu Qiaoyin

    <h4>Chapter 435: Qi Chenglin Then Looked up at Zhao Fengchun Calmly Without Even ncing at Wu Qiaoyin</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Alright, Mom. She¡¯s yours now,¡± Crippled Wang said.

    Mother Wang bent down and grabbed one of Liu Ronghua¡¯s arms. ¡°Come, help me drag her into the house.¡±

    Crippled Wang walked forward and grabbed Liu Ronghua¡¯s other arm. The lower half of Liu Ronghua¡¯s body, which remained on the ground, rammed into the rocks in the potholes while she was dragged into the house by the duo.

    Her body ended up in a mess after crashing into a tall stoned door sill in the house.

    The crowd outside the house noticed that the duo had no intention of showing mercy to this poor, unconsciousdy and treated her like she was just livestock. They felt sorry for this poor soul but none of them uttered a sound, and they returned home after the fun was finally over.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin had his guards up against all possible dangers now that Ruan Danchen was pregnant, and he even wanted Ruan Danchen to quit her job. Ruan Danchen merely felt that it was good enough to be more cautious but not necessarily to such an exaggerated extent.

    Moreover, the doctor dered that she was healthy during her antenatal checkup and even advised her to engage in exercises whenever possible instead of rotting at home.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin asked Chu Zhaoyang for Director Lee¡¯s phone number and called him personally for a detailed questioning, which he assured repeatedly that working was eptable as long as she does not do overtime and get over-exhausted.

    ording to Ruan Danchen¡¯s daily working routine, it was not over-exhausting for her anyway.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin was left with no choice but to agree to Ruan Danchen¡¯s request to continue working reluctantly.

    In the morning, Qi Youxuan was staring at Ruan Danchen¡¯s abdomen and asked grudgingly, ¡°Why does my sister grow so slow?¡±

    ¡°You were growing quite slow before too. If my stomach is big now, it¡¯s due to fat instead of your sister growing bigger,¡± Ruan Danchen stroked his hair gently.

    The kid caressed Ruan Danchen¡¯s abdomen and sighed heavily. ¡°I want to take a look at my sister.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be absent-minded and concentrate in sster,¡± Ruan Danchen advised.

    The car stopped before the school gate and Qi Youxuan kissed Ruan Danchen and her belly before bidding goodbye. ¡°Goodbye dad, goodbye mom, goodbye sister.¡±

    Qi Youxuan rambled repeatedly about his sister every day after finding out that Ruan Danchen was pregnant. Even though it was impossible to check the fetus¡¯s gender at such an early trimester, Ruan Danchen was almost convinced that she conceived a baby girl.

    This was exactly why they said Qi Youxuan¡¯s brainwashing ability was really powerful.

    Qi Chenglin ignored Ruan Danchen¡¯s protest upon arriving at thepany and insisted to walk with her to the design department. He would feel satisfied only after watching Ruan Danchen going towards her seat safely and unharmed.

    Ruan Danchen reminded him softly when they arrived at the entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to keep this a secret until after the first trimester is over. It¡¯s alright for our family members to know about this but don¡¯t spread it to the public. I know this is a little superstitious but since it¡¯s a tradition from our ancestors, best to keep it that way.¡±

    Ruan Danchen trusted Qi Chenglin¡¯s calmness initially, but it was fairly obvious to others that something was definitely wrong by the anxiousness on his face.

    The result of Ruan Danchen¡¯s confirmed pregnancy came out onlyst week, but Qi Chenglin called Manager Zou out of his office first thing they arrived at thepany on Monday. Qi Chenglin gave a few instructions for Ruan Danchen¡¯s sake such as no overtime or strenuous work, disallowed extendedputer usage, and was only allowed to draw graphic designs for a short amount of time and leave the rest to assistant designers.

    Manager Zou was on the verge of crying when that happened, assuming that Qi Chenglin was ming him for hisck of care that had exhausted the General Manager Qi¡¯s wife. He even presumed that the general manager thought the workload on General Manager Qi¡¯s wife was too much and that Manager Zou himself was acting disrespectful towards General Manager Qi¡¯s wife.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen had absolutely nothing to do now and was bored to death after the discussion between Qi Chenglin and Manager Zou.

    asionally, Manager Zou assigned a few leisurely design drafts to Ruan Danchen so that she could draw just a little each day.

    It was fortunate that Manager Zou was a man who remained inattentive to details, so he failed to realize that Ruan Danchen was pregnant.

    Since then, Qi Chenglin would give her a call every hour. Initially, Qi Chenglin dialed her cell phone number, but Ruan Danchen was too annoyed at his constant phone calls, so she told Qi Chenglin to quit calling her with the excuse that she was exposed to huge and harmful radiofrequency radiation by holding the phone so close to her.

    Qi Chenglin then called her via thendline phone on her office desk.

    The first time Qi Chenglin dialed herndline number, Ruan Danchen had no idea that it was him. Thus, she epted the call and greeted politely. ¡°Hello, this is Qilin¡¯s design department.¡±

    ¡°How are you feeling? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice traveled through herndline phone.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, I promise. I¡¯ll let you know immediately when I¡¯m feeling slightly unwell. Am I disturbing your work when you¡¯re calling me every hour?¡± Ruan Danchen asked grudgingly.

    ¡°Not really, I can rest while giving you a phone call. Besides, how do you even make a phone call when you¡¯re feeling unwell?¡± Qi Chenglin figured that he killed two birds with one stone using this method.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen did not expect his excuses to be so ¡®logical¡¯. ¡°Don¡¯t I have a whole office of colleagues to help me if I can¡¯t make a phone call?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin remained silent on the other end of the phone.

    However, he did not attempt ending the conversation. Ruan Danchen figured something out suddenly and asked, ¡°Am I right to assume that you¡¯ve set rms to ring every hour?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin failed to muster a reply.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen took his silence as a sign of a guilty conscience. ¡°You really set rms?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯ve set rms for myself to rest every hour. Don¡¯t you remember that you¡¯re the one telling me to limber up asionally instead of constantly working?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s mellow voice sounded especially serious and made others feel embarrassed to even doubt him upon hearing such tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m walking around my office now while giving you a call since there¡¯s nothing for me to do.¡± Qi Chenglin was really strolling around in his office.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen said helplessly, ¡°I¡¯m fine, really. Are you feeling more assured now?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qi Chenglin dyed the phone call for a while before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m going to a meetingter and it might take some time, so I won¡¯t be able to call you an hourter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen let out a sigh of relief. ¡°I feel really good right now, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    Ruan Danchen finally managed to coax Qi Chenglin and hung up the phone call.

    Then, she continued her leisurely work assigned by Manager Zou.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s secretary exited the secretary¡¯s room and came down to the design department an hourter. She was the secretary who reced Jiang Yuan during his period of absenteeism.

    ¡°Madam, this is from the general manager.¡±

    It was a carton of milk and various desserts.

    ¡°The general manager was worried that you may be hungry,¡± the secretary exined.

    Then, Xiao Fan arrived with an instion pot in his hands after the secretary finished the sentence.

    ¡°Madam, this bird¡¯s nest was prepared under Old Madam¡¯s instruction,¡± Xiao Fan ced the instion pot on Ruan Danchen¡¯s office desk.

    Dumbfounded, Ruan Danchen stared at them, and that was when she received Grandmother Qi¡¯s phone call.

    ¡°Grandma,¡± Ruan Danchen greeted.

    ¡°Xiao Fan called me just now stating that he had arrived at thepany. Did you receive the bird¡¯s nest?¡± Grandmother Qi asked.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve received it. Xiao Fan just arrived a few seconds ago,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled at Xiao Fan.

    ¡°Good, don¡¯t forget to eat it quickly. Send me a picture of the empty pot once you¡¯re done with it so I won¡¯t get worried,¡± Grandmother Qi said. She came up with this idea since she could not stare at his granddaughter-inw until all the bird¡¯s nest was finished.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen felt that Grandmother Qi was really quick-witted. ¡°Alright.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let Xiao Fan deliver bird¡¯s nest to you every day from now on. Don¡¯t just work and neglect your health. You need to replenish your nutrients after exhausting yourself at work,¡± Grandmother Qi advised. She figured that it was good enough for her granddaughter-inw to enjoy it leisurely at work.

    ¡°Grandma, there¡¯s no need to deliver every day.¡± Ruan Danchen felt extremely stressed all of a sudden.

    ¡°No can do. There¡¯s no one else in the inws to take care of you so naturally, that¡¯s our responsibility now. That way, you won¡¯t feel aggrieved,¡± Grandmother Qi exined earnestly.

    Grandmother Qi figured that the Qi family must take over the inws¡¯ responsibilities now. Normally, the mindsets between the husband¡¯s family and a woman¡¯s family were different. Their intentions were good but there would be some treatment differences between a daughter and a daughter-inw. Most mothers-inw would focus their attention solely on their daughters. They meant no harm to the daughters-inw but would neglect them somehow.

    Thus, Grandmother Qi felt the need to take this as a warning, especially when Ruan Danchen had no one else left other than the Qi family. She would treat Ruan Danchen as her own granddaughter instead of granddaughter-inw so that she would do her very best to take care of Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen put on a warm smile after listening to Grandmother Qi, no longer rejecting her kind offer. However, there was so much food now and she could not finish them all. Thus, she had decided to share them with Qi Chenglin instead of wasting Grandmother Qi¡¯s kindness.

    Subsequently, Xiao Yang arrived with a big bag in his hand before Xiao Fan even left the office.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes widened and her jaw dropped, feeling speechless at the moment.

    Xiao Yang shifted his gaze between the secretary and Xiao Fan and smiled embarrassingly. ¡°Mrs. Guan instructed me to deliver bird¡¯s nest to you. She said she purchased bird¡¯s nests for both Mrs. Qi and you so she sent me here to deliver them.¡±

    Xiao Fan and Xiao Yang left together after Ruan Danchen epted the food.

    After that, she asked the secretary, ¡°Is the general manager in a meeting now?¡±

    ¡°No, the meeting will start in half an hour,¡± the secretary answered with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen nodded and took a pot of bird¡¯s nest before going up together with the secretary.

    Jiang Yuan noticed Ruan Danchen and put on a joyful expression immediately, which gave Ruan Danchen quite a shock. She looked around at the surroundings and found out that they were alone here.

    This was the first time Jiang Yuan expressed such joy and even felt touched upon seeing Ruan Danchen.

    Jiang Yuan had always been a calm and steady person who appeared very trustworthy. One would feel that he could aplish anything and his presence could easily induce confidence in others.

    However, such a man was grinning at Ruan Danchen like a blooming flower, as if Ruan Danchen had descended as a lifesaver. This was unsettling and made her feel anxious.

    ¡°Special Assistant Jiang, what happened to you?¡± Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and asked curiously.

    ¡°Enter the office quickly, there¡¯s a ¡®nymph¡¯ inside,¡± Jiang Yuan struggled for a moment before continuing, ¡°The ¡®nymph¡¯ brought backup this time. The general manager didn¡¯t want to trouble you and wanted to solve this himself without telling you.¡±

    However, Jiang Yuan figured that it was more appropriate for a woman to settle a woman¡¯s issue because a man would have trouble fighting back sometimes.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words.

    She did not know Special Assistant Jiang had the potential of a patron saint who guarded home and warded off evil spirits.

    Ruan Danchen coughed and nodded in response, but when she was about to knock on the door, Jiang Yuan stopped her.

    The nce Ruan Danchen gave Jiang Yuan conveyed a message. ¡°Didn¡¯t you want me to enter the room quickly? Why are you stopping me now?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need to knock on the door. That only shows that you¡¯re not on intimate terms with the general manager. The general manager announced that no matter what he¡¯s doing, you can enter the room directly without knocking.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled. Even though his smile appeared faint, the curvature in his eyes was not.

    This way, the ¡®witch¡¯ in the room would realize how close and stable the rtionship between the general manager and his wife was, and that General Manager Qi¡¯s wife had high authority in thepany.

    Ruan Danchen stared at Jiang Yuan and tapped on his shoulder gently with a wide smile on her face. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect Special Assistant Jiang to be a friend of women.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuan choked upon hearing the nickname Ruan Danchen gave him.

    How did the name ¡®a friend of women¡¯ sound nice at all?

    Ruan Danchen was amused by Jiang Yuan¡¯s dispirited look and tapped on his shoulder again. Jiang Yuan normally had a calm and well-controlled impression but once he started acting humorous, his good image shattered immediately.

    Initially, Ruan Danchen only had respect for Jiang Yuan¡ªthere was no closeness between them. That was because of her feeling that Jiang Yuan¡¯s style and temperament was considered on a higher level than the rest. However, looking at Jiang Yuan¡¯s current confusion, she felt that he was actually a humorous guy. Thus, she dared to make jokes with him.

    Ruan Danchen took Jiang Yuan¡¯s suggestion and barged into the room. Two women were sitting opposite Qi Chenglin with their backs facing Ruan Danchen.

    It was fairly obvious that one of the women was older than the other. They had no idea that Ruan Danchen had entered the room so the older woman continued talking. Her voice sounded familiar but Ruan Danchen had trouble recalling its owner.

    Qi Chenglin was facing the door with an impatient look on his face, but it was soon reced by unconceble jubtion as soon as Ruan Danchen barged in. ¡°Why did youe suddenly?¡±

    Normally, Qi Chenglin had to call Ruan Danchen for her to reluctantlye up to his office. It was rare for her to take the initiative and visit him in the office, and when she did, it was mostly for some issue that required his attention.

    Zhao Fengchun was talking to Qi Chenglin initially but he remained expressionless and inattentive, not even trying to answer her. If it was not for the fact that she was Guan Liya¡¯s childhood friend and Qi Chenglin had to protect Guan Liya¡¯s reputation, she figured that Qi Chenglin would not even let them enter Qilin¡¯s main entrance.

    Even so, Zhao Fengchun remained indomitable in continuing the conversation. The office was full of Zhao Fengchun¡¯s voice without a moment of awkward silence at all.

    However, this man who had on an annoyed expression initially suddenly lifted his gaze towards the door with exhration. Zhao Fengchun was taken aback by his sudden change in expression.

    Zhao Fengchun heard the door open without any prior knockings and wondered who was acting unruly to barge in when they were having a conversation in the office.

    Zhao Fengchun turned around and saw Ruan Danchen entering the room with an instion pot in her hand. Zhao Fengchun frowned upon noticing a pair of t shoes on Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet which appeared ipatible with the formal outfit she wore. Judging by the looks of it, Ruan Danchen seemed to be working in Qilin instead of visiting Qi Chenglin purposely from outside.

    Zhao Fengchun did not know much about Ruan Danchen because of her prolonged stay in Italy¡ªeven the hugemotion on the inte happened before her arrival to B City. Since there was no resentment between her and Ruan Danchen, there was naturally no need for her to investigate Ruan Danchen¡¯s past on purpose. Thus, she knew nothing about Ruan Danchen at all.

    Judging by Ruan Danchen¡¯s current appearance now, Zhao Fengchun figured that she probably worked in Qilin, and she despised Ruan Danchen for that. Was Zhao Fengchun right to assume Ruan Danchen used her rtionship with Qi Chenglin, depending solely on her man to work here?

    It would be a joke if the public realized that Ruan Danchen¡¯s inws provided a job for her.

    Moreover, how bad the influences would be for her to work in Qilin?

    Ruan Danchen coulde up casually just to find Qi Chenglin without distinguishing between public and private interests, and she even entered the room directly without knocking on the door. What would Qi Chenglin¡¯s subordinates think when they saw this?

    The Qi family¡¯s reputation would be damaged. Zhao Fengchun figured that the Qi family prioritized nepotism only instead of one¡¯s ability at work. How would Qi Chenglin maintain his prestige when he permitted his wife¡¯s capricious acts in thepany?

    Zhao Fengchun sized Ruan Danchen up without expressing her disdain.

    Ruan Danchen was taken by surprise when the two women were actually Zhao Fengchun and her daughter, Wu Qiaoyin. A grin then broke across her face as she recalled Jiang Yuan referring to them as a ¡®nymph¡¯ with a backup just now.

    The corner of her lips curled up involuntarily, but Ruan Danchen realized this smile was inappropriate in this current situation. Thus, she quickly readjusted her facial expression and put on a decorous and polite smile before greeting them. ¡°Mrs. Wu, Miss Wu.¡±

    ¡°Haha, what a coincidence, Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife. You¡¯re here too?¡± Zhao Fengchun remained seated and merely lifted her gaze to meet Ruan Danchen¡¯s and smiled.

    The reason why Zhao Fengchun asked that question was to probe for information whether Ruan Danchen was indeed working in Qilin, and if not, why did she was she there for no reason.

    Zhao Fengchun maintained a polite smile but deep down, she felt disdainful towards Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and answered, ¡°Yes, I didn¡¯t expect Mrs. Wu and Miss Wu to be here too.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun¡¯s smile froze for a moment and figured that Ruan Danchen was terrible in engaging a conversation. Anyone who heard her question would answer, right?

    Who would throw the question back at her like how Ruan Danchen did?

    ¡°What are you holding in your hand?¡± Qi Chenglin stared at the insted pot in her hand.

    Ruan Danchen walked forward without pretending to ask if she was interrupting them since her very presence here was indeed meant to disturb them.

    ¡°Grandma instructed Xiao Fan to deliver bird¡¯s nest just now, but I want to share it with you since I can¡¯t finish them all by myself. I asked your secretary just now, and she told me your meeting starts half an hourter, so here I am. Since you¡¯re calling me every hour, I might as welle up here personally to let you have a look, so you¡¯ll feel assured that way,¡± Ruan Danchen ced the insted pot on the table.

    Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin stared at Ruan Danchen in shock and doubt. Did Qi Chenglin really give Ruan Danchen a call every hour? Qi Chenglin really valued Ruan Danchen this much?

    Even Grandmother Qi instructed her driver to deliver bird¡¯s nest to Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was here to work, and it was notbored work too. Was it really necessary for Grandmother Qi to do so?

    Qi Chenglin knew that it was inappropriate for the pregnant Ruan Danchen to stand for long periods of time, but opposite them sat Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. Qi Chenglin would surely apany Ruan Danchen to the couch if they were alone in the office.

    However, those two women remained ignorant at the fact that Ruan Danchen entered the office and made no attempt in leaving them alone. They even satfortably on the couch while Ruan Danchen stood by Qi Chenglin¡¯s side.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression turned as cold as ice due to annoyance at those two women, but as soon as he faced Ruan Danchen, his cold expression melted immediately. Such a drastic change in his expression darkened Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s expressions.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± Qi Chenglin stood up and said. One of his hands held onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand while another grabbed the insted pot, leading Ruan Danchen to the couch and sitting down together with her.

    Qi Chenglin ignored Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin and opened the instion pot without needing Ruan Danchen to move a muscle. Then, he poured the bird¡¯s nest into the insted pot¡¯s cap which also functioned as a small bowl for Ruan Danchen. ¡°Drink it first, I¡¯ll drink the rest if you can¡¯t finish it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not attempt inviting Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin. To be honest, she did not want to associate herself further with these two women.

    Not just Ruan Danchen, even Qi Youxuan was fully aware of the Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s thoughts, and since Zhao Fengchun was a smart woman, she must be aware of her daughter¡¯s mindset as well.

    Zhao Fengchun brought Wu Qiaoyin over to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office even though Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s intention was very obvious, so Ruan Danchen figured that Zhao Fengchun was not a good person either.

    However, there was no need for Ruan Danchen to bicker with Zhao Fengchun and her daughter since Qi Chenglin¡¯s attitude was more than enough to embarrass them.

    Ruan Danchen agreed with a smile and started drinking the bird¡¯s nest with a spoon.

    Qi Chenglin then looked up at Zhao Fengchun calmly without even ncing at Wu Qiaoyin. ¡°I won¡¯t take up your time now, you may leave us.¡±

 Chapter 471 - Hey, Indirect Kisses Were Embarrassing!

    <strong>Chapter 471: Hey, Indirect Kisses Were Embarrassing!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless.

    After the kid finished showing off, he ran to Little Muran and said, ¡°Since I¡¯ll receive a lot of gifts today, don¡¯t forget toe over to my house and y!¡±

    Little Muran, who was eating a lollipop, nodded in response. She figured she should share anything that she liked to Youxuan, who was treating her exceptionally well.

    Thus, Little Muran took out the half-melted lollipop from her mouth and offered it to Youxuan. ¡°Brother Youxuan, I have a lollipop. We should eat together.¡±

    The exhrated kid¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons as he stared at the round and shiny lollipop that was enveloped in Little Muran¡¯s saliva, and without further hesitation, he put it into his mouth.

    Hey, indirect kisses were embarrassing!

    The kid sucked the lollipop intensely before passing it back to Little Muran. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. Mumu, here you go.¡±

    Little Muran figured that she was sharing happiness with Youxuan so she continued eating the lollipop with delight without thinking of it.

    Coincidentally, Wei Ziqi witnessed this scene and walked toward them with a darkened expression. He would definitely throw this brat out of the room if it was not his birthday today.

    Wei Ziqi was merely a few momentste and this brat had already taken advantage of his precious daughter. This brat surely knew how to seize every opportunity, and preventive measures proved to be useless against him!

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Wei Ziqi was on the brink of an explosion and wanted to direct his rage on the rascal who dared to take advantage of his daughter, and this rascal happened to be her own son.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen announced quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s head up, delicious food and entertainment are prepared. We even prepared many Disney cartoons and toys for ying house for the girls on purpose as well.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± The children yelled in joy and excitement as their parents brought them to the wondend, which slowed Wei Ziqi down.

    Ruan Danchen quickly seized this opportunity and dragged her troublesome son with her.

    Wei Ran held Little Muran¡¯s hand in the meantime. However, Qi Youxuan seemed to have a death wish when he turned around and yelled at Little Muran, ¡°Mumu,e over to my houseter to y house! I¡¯ll act as the father while you¡¯ll y as the mother, and Zhang Mingming will be our son!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Zhang Mingming and his mother were at a loss for words.

    ...

    ...

    The birthday boy blew out the candles after making birthday wishes and received a lot of birthday presents. Chang Zhiyuan even gave him seven birthday presents aspensation for missing out on his previous birthdays.

    The children had a piece of cake in each of their hands with creams smeared across their mouths and cheeks; it made them look like a kindle of kittens at the moment.

    On the other hand, the adults were chit-chatting in another corner. Since they were all parents of Qi Youxuan¡¯s friends, Qi Chenglin gave them the respect they deserved too.

    It was then when the manager walked toward Qi Chenglin and uttered with a normal tone, ¡°Young Master Lin. Grandmother Chang, Chang Zhixing, and Liu Xiangwen wish to attend Little Master¡¯s birthday party. They¡¯re sitting downstairs in the dining hall as we speak.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows curiously. He did not expect Grandmother Chang to swallow her pride for Chang Zhixing¡¯s sake.

    Since Dynasty¡¯s VIP card was registered under Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s name and in his hand as well, it was pointless for Chang Zhixing to bring his own VIP card. Thus, without a choice, the trio had to wait in the hall downstairs.

    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t even invite them. If we agree with every family¡¯s demand on attending shamelessly, what¡¯s the point of invitation cards? Who¡¯ll hold the Qi family in high regard if everyone cane and leave as they wish? Let them wait if they¡¯re willing. Please convey my message to them without missing a word, and make sure everyone can see them.¡± Qi Chenglin ced his chopsticks down.

    The indomitable manager nodded before returning to the trio and conveyed Qi Chenglin¡¯s every word to Chang Zhixing. He was the manager of Dynasty; he had absolutely no reason to fret about the Chang family.

    Chang Zhixing was mortified. His cheeks were flushed red, and rage started to boil within him.

    Grandmother Chang fought the urge to run straight into the party and confront Qi Chenglin. Her only reason being here was because of Chang Zhixing, who returnedst night and exined the trouble Changhe faced recently. He begged Grandmother Chang to reconcile with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen before Changhe was liquidated.

    Despite the reluctance, Grandmother Chang had no choice but to swallow her pride for the sake of her son and thepany.

    However, Grandmother Chang ended up meeting with a rebuff at this moment.

    Grandmother Chang lost her temper out of humiliation. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want toe and yet you insisted. They¡¯re youngsters. An elder like me isn¡¯t supposed toe over personally!¡±

    ¡°Mom, the elders in the Qi family and Ruan family are here tonight, so it¡¯s more appropriate if you can attend personally,¡± Chang Zhixing tried his best to persuade Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°Appropriate? Well, here I am, but they refused to meet us and even asked an outsider to convey a message. It¡¯s very obvious that they want to embarrass us!¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression contorted in wrath.

    Chang Zhixing was furious too. All this would not have happened if Grandmother Chang did not offend both the Qi family and the Ruan family.

    Grandmother Chang stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to embarrass myself further in this ce. I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    Chang Zhixing sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you instruct the chauffeur to send you home while Xiangwen and I continue our wait?¡±

    Grandmother Chang nodded reluctantly but Liu Xiangwen protested, ¡°I think I should apany Mom¨C¡±

    Before Liu Xiangwen could finish her sentence, Chang Zhixing red at her furiously. She took part in offending Ruan Danchen and even tried every attempt to push Chang Zhiyuan away from the Chang family, but she wanted to escape at this moment?

    ¡°Stay here! You created all this mess, and now you¡¯re thinking about running away? We¡¯ll wait here if they don¡¯t let us attend the party, and you¡¯ll apologize to them once they¡¯re done with their celebration.¡± Chang Zhixing red at Liu Xiangwen.

    Naturally, Grandmother Chang would not scold her son for the sake of her daughter-inw, and she would give her unfailing support no matter what Chang Zhixing said.

    Grandmother Chang even ignored Liu Xiangwen¡¯s desperate act of grievance.

    Liu Xiangwen then pondered in resentment. Chang Zhixing was ming her for everything at present, but why did he allow everything to happen in the first ce? He only knew how to speak righteously and pretended that he had never thought of fighting for possession with Chang Zhiyuan at all. However, he was not stopping her wholeheartedly at that time, so it was obvious that he had the same thought in his mind as well and was merely putting on a show. He wanted to be a good cop, so she had no choice but to be a bad cop instead.

    When everything had gone to hell at this moment, they put all the me on Liu Xiangwen.

    Grandmother Chang was unconcerned about this matter. When she was about to leave, the housekeeper at home pushed Chang Jingqiu into Dynasty.

    Chang Jingqiu was wearing a blue-white striped chiffon shirt with a high-waist milky white long dress to cover both of her lower limbspletely. The chiffon shirt was tucked into the dress which made her appear graceful and charming like an elegant angel.

    Moreover, Chang Jingqiu put on a light Korean-style makeup with a bitten-lips look. Pink-colored lipstick was applied on the inner part of the lips and a lighter colored lipstick applied on the outer aspect. Since she was sitting in a wheelchair, she appeared especially fragile and delicate like a sick beauty.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s every movement radiated pride when she was initially well and healthy, but after suffering from an injury and was forced to sit in a wheelchair, she appeared delicate and weak which could induce sympathy in others as well.

    ¡°Grandma, Younger Uncle, Younger Aunt,¡± Chang Jingqiu greeted and instructed the housekeeper to leave after she was pushed to the trio¡¯s front.

    ¡°Why did youe?¡± Grandmother Chang asked out of shock.

    Chang Jingqiu answered softly, ¡°I knew you came here to reconcile with Ruan Danchen, and since I took part in offending Ruan Danchen, why shouldn¡¯t Ie? We¡¯re a family in any case, so we should unite and face every trouble together. I¡¯m the cause of this trouble, so how can I hide at home while you stand on the front line? I¡¯ll apologize to Ruan Danchen and beg for her forgiveness. She won¡¯t embarrass me further since I¡¯m disabled now, right? We swallowed our pride to beg for their forgiveness, and if they continue their revenge on us, then they¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThey¡¯re heartless and without conscience!¡± Grandmother Changpleted the sentence coldly.

    Qi Chenglin and his family were fully aware of the conversation that was going on between the Chang family.

    Embarrassment was torturing Chang Zhiyuan. Both Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were smoldering underneath their stony expressions. Steam hissed through Grandfather Ruan¡¯s nose as hemented without scruple, ¡°Bunch of imbeciles!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan was mortified but words failed toe out of his mouth in response.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained cold and t. He merely dialed a phone number and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s present. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The members of the Chang family, who were waiting in Dynasty¡¯s dining hall, failed to notice Jiang Yuan¡¯s car which was parked close to Dynasty. Then, two individuals exited the car momentarily¡ªHuang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re experts in what¡¯sing soon, so act professionally.¡± The corners of Jiang Yuan¡¯s lips curled up in contempt.

    ¡°Mr... Mr. Qi needs to keep his promise. My son¡¯s future is at stake,¡± said Huang Pinggui out of worry.

    ¡°You¡¯re staying in B City recently so it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ve no idea what had happened back in your vige. You¡¯ll know once you give your son a phone call right now,¡± Jiang Yuan answered calmly.

    Joy started spreading within Huang Pinggui as he dialed his home number quickly.

    ¡°Dan¡¯er, how¡¯s everything at home?¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. By the way, dad, I received an offer letter from University A yesterday, but the university entrance exam was over just recently and I haven¡¯t even started filing my application form yet. Why would University A send me an offer letter? Is this a fake? I¡¯ve heard that there are many fake offer letters recently too.¡±

    Huang Pinggui asked quickly, ¡°Where¡¯s the offer letter? Did you throw it away?¡±

    ¡°No, the offer letter is designed very beautifully. I don¡¯t feel like throwing it away even if it¡¯s a fake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness. Don¡¯t throw it away, the offer letter is real,¡± Huang Pinggui advised.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huang Jincheng was frozen on the spot.

    ¡°Well...¡± Huang Pinggui found it very difficult to exin, so he created an excuse instead. ¡°Didn¡¯t I work in town previously? I have a close friend whom I met coincidentally in B City this time. That friend of mine earned a fortune and is very sessful right now. He knew you were having a university entrance exam this time, so he asked a friend of his to get you into University A directly.¡±

    Huang Pinggui was not an educated man and this excuse had many ws in it. How influential his friend needed to be in order to instruct a well-reputed university to deliver an offer letter as he wished?

    Did Huang Pinggui think that everyone was Qi Chenglin?

    However, Huang Jincheng graduated from high school not long ago and was born in a vige, thus he was inexperienced in social affairs. Thus, this offer letter came as a pleasant surprise to him as he believed his father¡¯s exnation.

    Huang Pinggui could even hear the incoherence and quiver in his son excited tone as they continued chatting for a while.

    Huang Pinggui noticed the expressionless Jiang Yuan after hanging up the call and promised immediately. ¡°I feel at ease right now. Don¡¯t worry, my wife and I will do our bestter.¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded and brought them to Dynasty¡¯s main entrance before gesturing them to enter.

    After Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia built up their emotions at the main entrance, they entered Dynasty and saw the Chang family¡¯s location straight away.

    Wang Lixia let out a thunderous sound of wailing as she ran straight toward the Chang family.

    ¡°Jingqiu, you¡¯re so cruel to disown your own parents. You were afraid that your true identity would be revealed, so you threatened us and wouldn¡¯t even let your brother further his study in a university. How could you do that?¡±

    The Chang family was caught off-guard and failed to react immediately when Wang Lixia pounced on Chang Jingqiu, grabbed her shirt and lifted her up.

    Wang Lixia was as strong as an ox since she was used to wielding hoe and shovel in the agricultural work, so she actually lifted Chang Jingqiu off the wheelchair at this moment.

    The ashen-grey faced Chang Jingqiu screamed at the top of her lungs and Chang Zhixing quickly came over to drag Wang Lixia away from her. ¡°What are you doing? Why did youe here acting like a barbarian?¡±

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, you¡¯re ruthless and cruel. You pushed Chang Zhiyuan down the slope which nearly cost him his life at that time, and now you want to harm us too. Whates around goes around; lightning will strike you one day!¡±

    There were many customers in Dynasty at the moment and Wang Lixia¡¯s voice was loud and clear too, so they were all taken aback after listening to Wang Lixia.

    ¡°This... this is hogwash!¡± Blood was drained from the bewildered Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face. She was framed this time, but unable to defend herself due to her soft voice since Wang Lixia was consistently shaking her body.

    ¡°You wanted to disown your own parents for wealth and prosperity. You¡¯re heartless and without conscience!¡± Wang Lixia released her grip and threw Chang Jingqiu onto the ground since Chang Zhixing was trying to pull her away.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Chang Jingqiu dropped onto the floor on all fours and her long dress was lifted up in the process, revealing a pair of legs that were devoid of all sensations.

    The pair of ballet ts flew off her feet and scattered onto the floor.

    Chang Jingqiu put the dress down quickly to cover up her exposed legs. It was not embarrassing to expose her lower limbs before this, but they appeared disgusting after she was paralyzed.

    She could not even reach her shoes since they were so far away.

    Then, she lifted her head and scanned the crowd in the dining hall. All of them seemed to be mocking her no matter how she looked at them.

    The shock that was registered on their faces appeared as if they wereughing at her current identity at the moment.

    When Chang Zhixing was about to help Chang Jingqiu, Wang Lixia turned around and grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s shirt. Grandmother Chang had lived her lifefortably and luxuriously, so there was no way she could dodge Wang Lixia. Before she realized what had happened, Wang Lixia held onto her shirt and shook her repeatedly, messing up her initial tidy hair as she was struck dumb with astonishment.

    ¡°What... What are you doing? You lunatic!¡± Grandmother Chang yelled in fear and surprise, but her opponent was strong and formidable. She was nothing but a dough whom Wang Lixia could handle at will.

    ¡°Let me tell you something. We¡¯re fearless and ready to risk everything so that the wicked like you won¡¯t have everything you wish!¡± Wang Lixia screamed angrily.

    Chang Zhixing had no choice but to leave Chang Jingqiu aside and protect Grandmother Chang. Chang Jingqiu remained a mess on the ground and she could not even sit up herself without the wheelchair¡¯s support.

    In the meantime, Huang Pingguiined to the customers in the dining room while Chang Zhixing was busy protecting his family. ¡°The Chang family is a bully! After Chang Jingqiu realized her true identity, she gave us eight hundred thousand Yuan to zip our mouths and disowned us. Grandmother Chang even threatened to destroy my son¡¯s future and he wouldn¡¯t be able to further his study in any university no matter how many exams he took! She was boasting! They tried to hide their hostility toward us from the public! Who did she think she was to disallow anyone from passing the university entrance exam? Is the Chang family really that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Even though we¡¯re Chang Jingqiu¡¯s biological parents, I can see that she¡¯s just a greedy and selfish white-eyed wolf. She¡¯ll leave the Chang family in an instant if there¡¯s a greater benefit elsewhere. The time wille, Chang family! However, Grandmother Chang was willing to disown her biological granddaughter for the sake of this white-eyed wolf. She spread rumors about her biological granddaughter and was eager to see her divorce so that she¡¯d live her life alone and helpless.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, our house is located in a vige in J City¡¯s district, and we perform our duty honestly and earnestly. Look at our clothes; we¡¯ve been wearing them for years. We¡¯ll only go to the market and buy a new set of clothes for a few Yuan which canst us for years. Do you know why? It¡¯s because we¡¯re poor! Chang Jingqiu despised us because of this and was worried that we¡¯d reveal her true identity that embarrassed her. This was exactly why Grandmother Chang threatened to cause my son¡¯s misfortunes if this secret was leaked out.¡±

    Huang Pinggui stomped his foot angrily and continued. ¡°Who do the almighty Chang family think they are to look down on us? There are more powerful families out there, but none is as outrageous as the Chang family! We stand here right now in front of everyone to debunk every dirty thing that the Chang family did! Do you have the courage to harm my son now? If anything happens to us, everyone will know this is the Chang family¡¯s doing! Don¡¯t you want respect? Are you looking down on us? You¡¯re worse than pigs or dogs!¡±

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, by standing here before the crowd, I announce that you¡¯re the daughter of two farmers. You don¡¯t have a noble identity, so you¡¯ve no right to act like you¡¯re Miss High and Mighty who¡¯s more superior than us! You¡¯re always looking down on others, right? You¡¯re the actual one who was born at the bottom of the pyramid! That isn¡¯t the problem frankly, but it¡¯s your self-abasement and guilty conscience that disgraced you! You dared to disown your own parents for identity and status!¡±

    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re our witnesses right now. Take a look at these evil and wicked people of the Chang family!¡± Huang Pinggui yelled at the top of his lungs.

    The crowd discussed and pointed their fingers at the Chang family. The dotard¡¯s attitude with an incredible fatuity was totally unexpected at all.

    Chang Zhixing finally pulled Wang Lixia away and said, ¡°Stop making nonsense!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t nonsense!¡± Huang Pinggui waved the document in his hand and continued. ¡°This is a report of a genealogical DNA test which proved that we¡¯re Chang Jingqiu¡¯s biological parents. She disowned us and made no attempt to visit us even once, so we¡¯re here today to seek justice for us and our precious son! Chang Jingqiu was willing to sacrifice her only brother for wealth and prosperity.¡±

    Wang Lixia copsed onto the floor and yelled, ¡°My poor son! We¡¯re good and honest people, but who knows we¡¯d give birth to a vile spawn. The Chang family is heartless and cruel to chase away the only granddaughter and eldest son for a couple of useless idiots and bully us! God, you must see that justice is served. You must punish them for their sins!¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you¡¯re all respectable individuals, so please help us! Is there anyone who¡¯ll punish them for their unreasonable bullies? The Chang family is outrageous to think that they¡¯re thew. Who do they think they are to destroy our lives as they wish? That¡¯s because we gave birth to a vile spawn named Chang Jingqiu. This is retribution; this is karma! She can punish us today, but the Chang family will suffer from her punishment tomorrow!¡± Wang Lixia tapped her thigh and wailed.

    Chang Jingqiu seemed to hear a voice among the crowd. ¡°No wonder Chang Jingqiu went off the grid recently. She¡¯s paralyzed.¡±

    ¡°I think these two are speaking the truth. It also exins why Chang Zhiyuan quitted Changhe.¡±

    ¡°Changhe without Chang Zhiyuan. Tut-tut.¡± A random stranger shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Qi family organized a birthday party for the little master upstairs, so why is the Chang family still here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that they haven¡¯t gone up, they¡¯re not invited at all. I¡¯ve heard that the Qi family only invited Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything while I was sitting beside the Chang family just now. The Qi family didn¡¯t wee these people, and that was the reason why they didn¡¯t receive the Qi family¡¯s invitation. They wanted to go upstairs shamelessly but the Qi family disagreed.¡±

 Chapter 437 - I Donâ€™t Have the Time to Accompany Those Old Men

    <h4>Chapter 437: I Don¡¯t Have the Time to Apany Those Old Men</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I, it¡¯s not...¡± Wu Qiaoyin felt the need to exin in order to prevent everyone from misunderstanding her, so she reached out to grab Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    Just as she stretched her hand, Qi Youxuan let out a sudden, ¡°Waaaa!¡± Feeling incredibly fearful, he buried his face in Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Don¡¯te near me. Mom, I¡¯m scared.¡± He sobbed with abandon, then said, ¡°The bad auntie wants to bully me,¡± before continuing his sobbing once more.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be scared, don¡¯t be scared,¡± Ruan Danchen consoled the little boy immediately. Her fingertips felt searing hot when she wiped off his bean-like teardrops.

    Xiao Yang shielded mother-and-son behind him and prevented Miss Wu from going near. ¡°Miss Wu, please don¡¯t bother them anymore. Our Little Master is already scared to death.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin was not about to let Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan leave just like that. Doing so would cause a big misunderstanding, would it not?

    She had even been used of bullying a small boy!

    Unbeknownst to her, everyone else had alreadybeled her that. Not only was she trying to be a third party in the rtionship, she even wanted to take away someone else¡¯s child. That was her level of shamelessness.

    ¡°I¡¯m didn¡¯t... I didn¡¯t want to hurt Youxuan. He¡¯s Big Brother Qi¡¯s son. I didn¡¯t even get the chance to care about him, why would I hurt him! I...¡± Wu Qianyin advanced persistently, but Xiao Yang was blocking her well.

    By then, Ruan Danchen had already carried the little boy into the car and closed the car door, leaving Wu Qiaoyin outside.

    She tried to feign gentleness by speaking in a soft tone, but it was obvious that her voice could not be heard from within the car.

    Xiao Yang pursed his lips. ¡°Miss Wu, who are you to give your affection to our Little Master? In fact, his condition and whether he¡¯s good or not has nothing to do with Miss Wu. It¡¯s best that you don¡¯t make remarks that might cause others to misunderstand you. We can¡¯t do anything if people form these misconceptions, but our Young Master Lin values his dignity a lot. The Qi family wouldn¡¯t want a misunderstanding to happen.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s face reddened due to her indignance while her expression turned timid. ¡°You... How could you use me like that? I never... You... You¡¯re bullying me! I just wanted to help! How could all of you say that about me!¡±

    She covered her face with her hands and cried, though it did not look pitiful.

    ¡°Big Brother Qi... Does he know that you¡¯re tarnishing his name by being so out-of-control in public?! I was being kind, but you... I can¡¯t believe that you...¡± Wu Qiaoyin wept andmented, but all she heard was a m.

    She looked up to see Xiao Yang going into the car¡ªhe had enough of herining. He started the car and drove off, deserting her at the entrance with a ton of people looking on.

    Wu Qiaoyin was angry and resentful. She looked down and wondered whether there was anything she could do to regain her image again.

    She then heard someone from the group of people talking to their child. ¡°You saw that right? If ady you don¡¯t knowes and picks you up, you must never go with her. Just run into the school. Outsiders can¡¯t go into the school, so just give Mommy a call from inside and wait for Mommy toe pick you. You mustn¡¯t ever go with those baddies.¡±

    ¡°Mm, I understand, Mommy.¡±

    Someone else then remarked, ¡°Seems like there are even more shameless women at the start of the year. Learn from your friend Youxuan, don¡¯t let strangers take advantage of you.¡±

    Another voice offered, ¡°Sigh, there¡¯s just too many terrible people this year. Putting your guard up isn¡¯t going to be much help. Does it really feel good to destroy someone else¡¯s family? Doesn¡¯t it make you feel guilty?¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s anger and resentment were unparalleled. She looked down and ran off crying.

    ...

    Within the car, Ruan Danchen looked heartbreakingly at Qi Youxuan¡¯s wrist. His other hand was rubbing Ruan Danchen¡¯s belly, although Ruan Danchen did not know if that was tofort her or the baby.

    ¡°Mom, I¡¯m actually not in pain. It¡¯s the mark that looks scary, but truthfully, it¡¯s not painful.¡± Worried that his mother might not believe him, his fat and soft fingers pinched his tummy a few times, causing red marked to form. ¡°I¡¯m just like you. Just a little touch to my skin and it turns red. See?¡±

    As he said that, he pressed again on a few other non-reddened areas, with the red marks forming instantaneously there.

    He shoved his short, fat, and fair-skinned arms to Ruan Danchen. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe me, you can try.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡± Ruan Danchen massaged his reddened areas. ¡°Come on, stop pinching yourself.¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡± the boy giggled. A hint of craftiness shed across his big eyes. He had cried earlier, and although he was not actually feeling emotional deep inside, he felt that his cries were not sincere. Afraid that someone might see through his ruse, he poked his own eyes to force out his tears.

    The redness in his eyes lingered on and so did his tears. Despite the rity shown by his eyes, his pitiful look tugged at one¡¯s heartstrings.

    ¡°Mom, how¡¯s Lil¡¯ Sis today?¡± The little boy¡¯s eyes were sparkling as his little hand drew circles on Ruan Danchen¡¯s stomach.

    Ruan Danchen knew that there was no use in telling him that she felt nothing. She figured that Qi Youxuan believed that there was a tiny human inside her already.

    ¡°She¡¯s a good girl today,¡± Ruan Danchen said. During lunchtime, Ruan Danchen made yet another trip to the bathroom and vomited.

    It happened in Qi Chenglin¡¯s office, fortunately. Qi Chenglin was peeved by the unhealthiness of added oil in outside food, so he ordered delivery from Dynasty.

    In spite of that, half of what Ruan Danchen ate was expelled out again.

    Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan were heading back to Prestige Residence. Ever since the pregnancy, Qi Chenglin decided that she would not be allowed to do any work at home. Still, Ruan Danchen gave her assurances that cooking was not a problem, saying that normal households would not hire a servant when a woman gets pregnant¡ªshe would still be required to cook at home even if she was pregnant.

    Qi Chenglin countered by saying that they were no ordinary household, and thus she should not use such strict methods ofparison with him.

    Under Qi Chenglin¡¯s insistence and Aunt Zheng¡¯s fervent cooperation, they took over all of Ruan Danchen¡¯s duties at home and forbade her from doing anything at all.

    By the time mother and son reached home, Aunt Zheng was already preparing dinner in the kitchen. She came out and said, ¡°Wait a while, yeah. Dinner will be done soon.¡±

    Ruan Danchen went into her room to have a change of clothes. Qi Youxuan did the same and changed into morefortable clothes.

    All three of them had dinner, and soon after, Qi Chenglin called Ruan Danchen to ask if she had eaten yet.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve just finished eating. I ate a lot, don¡¯t worry.¡± Ruan Danchen sat on the sofa and supported her waist with a pillow. Her waist was not that sore yet since her stomach was still small, but she had a little too much to eat that night.

    ¡°Did you vomit?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was crisp from the other end.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Aunt Zheng¡¯s food is perfect for my taste. Instead of vomiting, I ate a lot.¡± Ruan Danchen watched as Qi Youxuan leaned over andid his head on herp. He faced her stomach and began touching it.

    Ruan Danchen went nk. She recalled suddenly what Qi Youxuan said that day and was worried that he would say it again.

    ¡°Hasn¡¯t the dinner ended yet?¡± Ruan Danchen looked at the time and figured that it would not be so quick.

    Little did she expect to hear Qi Chenglin¡¯s rich voice saying, ¡°I left earlier. Jiang Yuan will deal with the rest of it. You¡¯re pregnant. I don¡¯t have the time to apany those old men.¡±

    Ruan Danchen had a hard time trying to keep in herugh when she heard his rascally tone and thought about how Jiang Yuan would be left behind all pitifully. ¡°Where are you now?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll reach in about twenty minutes,¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°Let¡¯s end the call here. Radiation from the cell phone isn¡¯t good for you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen hung up and saw Qi Youxuan mumbling at her tummy.

    Upon listening closely, he was actually singing, ¡°You¡¯re so beautiful, so charming. You¡¯re such a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful little sis.<sup>1</sup>¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen twitched her lip and could not resist flicking his forehead. ¡°What are you singing?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m praising my little sister,¡± the boy said with a smile. He then continued his singing and humming, but it all revolved around that one sentence.

    She wondered whether he forgot the rest of the lyrics or whether he realized they were inappropriate, but all in all, it was nice that he repeated that verse over and over again.

    Ruan Danchen became sleepy easily. She covered her mouth to stop a yawn, but the little boy saw it and said, ¡°Mom, if you¡¯re sleepy, you should go to bed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll wait for Dad,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and caressed the boy¡¯s head.

    Like a piglet, Qi Youxuan nuzzled in Ruan Danchen¡¯s tummy, but after noticing that Ruan Danchen was no longer caressing him, the red-faced boy rolled around in her embrace and said, ¡°Mom, touch my head again.

    Although Zhang Mingming said that it was not good to be caressed on the head by a woman, Qi Youxuan really enjoyed it when Ruan Danchen touched his head. It was gentle and veryfortable.

    Ruan Danchen continued to touch his head, but as she did so, the two of them fell asleep.

    When Qi Chenglin came back, he noticed his wife and son sleeping on the sofa. Ruan Danchen was leaning against the sofa and her head was tilted backward. Her hand even remained on the little boy¡¯s head. Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan was hugging Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist, sleeping so soundly that his saliva was drooling out.

    Qi Chenglin saw that Qi Youxuan had already changed into his pajamas, meaning he was all ready for bed. He then gently lifted the boy up.

    Qi Youxuan did not enter into too deep a sleep, so the slightest touch roused him up. Dazed, he looked at Qi Chenglin and was about to call out, ¡®Dad,¡¯ but Qi Chenglin stopped him before that could happen.

    ¡°Shh, don¡¯t be so loud. Mom¡¯s asleep.¡±

    The little boy stretched his head over Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder and saw Ruan Danchen sleeping with her mouth agape. He smiled in secret and allowed Qi Chenglin to bring him into the room.

    As soon as Qi Chenglin ced him on the bed, Qi Youxuan turned out swiftly and switched on the light beside his bed.

    He pulled his sleeve up to reveal the red mark on his wrist. ¡°Dad! Look!¡±

    ¡°How did that happen?¡± Qi Chenglin knew it was an adult¡¯s hand just by looking at it.

    ¡°That Auntie Wu we meet at Grandma¡¯s house the other day, she came to school. I don¡¯t know how she knew that you had an event at night. She told me she was your friend and insisted on bringing me away. I didn¡¯t want to, so she pulled me¡ªhard. Luckily, Teacher Liu came, so Auntie Wu did not bring me away,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice was gentle and pleasing to the ear.

    His gaze then shifted to Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, why do you attract so many women? Mom¡¯s mad. If you keep doing this, what¡¯s going to happen if Mom gets tired? You need to be careful. If Mom doesn¡¯t want you anymore, don¡¯t me me. I¡¯m siding with Mom.¡±

    Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s displeased expression, Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitch involuntarily. The boy was still his son though, so he asked, ¡°Did you suffer?¡±

    ¡°Of course not.¡± Qi Youxuan rolled his sleeves back down and reclined on the bed. He pulled his nket to his chin, leaving only his round face exposed, and said, ¡°Good night, Dad.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at his nket and said, ¡°Don¡¯t cry so loud when youinter, or else mom¡¯s gonna get worried after thinking that you suffered terribly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan did not expect Qi Chenglin to see through himpletely. His originally guilty looking face then decided to put it all out in the open.

    He took out his cell phone in front of Qi Chenglin and called the manor.

    When Qi Chenglin went out, he heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s pitiful cries, ¡°Great-Grandma, uhuhuhuhuhu...¡±

    Qi Chenglin cocked a brow and shut the door immediately. In one of his recent dinners, Han Zhuoli mentioned that hispany was looking for a new child star, and Qi Chenglin felt that Qi Youxuan fit the bill.

    Ruan Danchen was still asleep when he went back to the living room. He proceeded to carry her up.

    She was sleeping soundly, much unlike Qi Youxuan who woke up with a single touch. She curled herself into his embrace, but once her nose picked up on his alcoholic scent, her stomach began churning. Frowning, she gradually began waking up. Her face was pale and she wanted to vomit.

    ¡°You... Please put me down first.¡± Ruan Danchen tried hard to bear with the ill-feeling inside her stomach, thus making her voice falter.

    ¡°What is it? You don¡¯t feel good?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s face tensed up after seeing her unwell expression.

    Ruan Danchen frowned and said in disgust, ¡°The alcohol smell makes me wanna puke.¡±

    Qi Chenglin immediately brought her up to the upstairs toilet, whereby Ruan Danchen began vomiting as soon as she faced the toilet bowl. Qi Chenglin wanted to look after her from beside and pat her on the back, but Ruan Danchen waved him off and signaled him to leave.

    ¡°You smell of alcohol, I can¡¯t take the smell. Don¡¯t lean over to me,¡± Ruan Danchen said, followed by some more puking.

    Qi Chenglin was feeling very resentful. His wife was already avoiding him after a few drinks. Ever since Ruan Danchen¡¯s presence around the house, he refrained from drinking too much whenever he had to entertain clients, perhaps three sses or so just to keep up appearances. Even so, the smell of alcohol would inevitably cling to his body because others were drinking a lot.

    In the past however, Ruan Danchen never avoided him. In contrast, she was attentive enough to prepare a bath for him and the alcohol smell never stopped her from kissing him continuously. Once she was pregnant, he felt that his position in her heart had dropped significantly. If he had known earlier that it would turn out that way, he would not have hoped for her to get pregnant again.

    Being on the receiving end of his wife¡¯s disgust prompted Qi Chenglin to rush into the bedroom with an angry aura surrounding him. He brushed his teeth quickly and cleansed his mouth of the alcoholic taste before taking a bath.

    When he came out, a worn-out Ruan Danchen was lying on the bed, having vomited until her eyes turned red.

    Qi Chenglin rushed over. ¡°Smell me. There¡¯s no alcohol smell on me anymore.¡±

    It was then that Ruan Danchen nestled herself in him, curling her neck like a little puppy. ¡°I don¡¯t dislike you. I just can¡¯t stand the alcohol smell. I know you don¡¯t drink much. Before the pregnancy it was just a faint smell, but when I smell that now, it¡¯s very obvious to me.¡±

    Qi Chenglin secretly exhaled into his palm and smelled it forcefully. He scrunched his brows and made sure that there was absolutely no smell before kissing her.

    ¡°Can you still smell it now?¡± Qi Chenglin asked hesitantly.

    His expression was like an open book for Ruan Danchen, and it seemed as though it would be a severe blow to him if she were to tell him that the smell still lingered. He looked very pitiful, and she did not have the heart to say that.

    Ruan Danchen rubbed both hands on his shoulder and kissed him on the lip. ¡°The smell is gone. I didn¡¯t mean it. I like all of your smellsst time, but I¡¯m not sure why I¡¯m reacting so badly this time around. It wasn¡¯t like that with Youxuanst time.¡±

    She scrunched her nose. ¡°Maybe our child is being finicky because she¡¯s a girl.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always beside you. You can be as finicky as you want.¡± Qi Chenglin lifted her up to hisp and made sure she wasfortable. ¡°I wasn¡¯t there when you were pregnant with Youxuan. I can¡¯t make up for my past regrets, but I¡¯m d that I can take care of you now. That¡¯s why I¡¯ll take care of you no matter how fussy you are.¡±

    Being able to take care of his pregnant wife made him feel very emotional.

    ¡°You got angry at Youxuan¡¯s school just now?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s slender fingers began slowlybing her hair.

    ¡°Was it Youxuan or Xiao Yang who told you?¡± Ruan Danchen narrowed her eyes and smiled. ¡°I think it was Youxuan.¡±

    ¡°Mm. He¡¯s probably done speaking with Grandma now and moved on toin about it to Mom,¡± Qi Chenglin said in a warm, husky voice.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s soft fingertips drew circles on Qi Chenglin¡¯s naked chest. ¡°Speaking of anger, I¡¯m mostly angry about Wu Qiaoyin trying to manipte Youxuan. Just imagine how frantic we would¡¯ve been if she brought him away behind our back without us knowing at all. The fact that she could do all that is a clear sign that she doesn¡¯t know right from wrong and does things inappropriately. What if some ident happens? Who in the world takes away someone¡¯s else¡¯s child without even letting the parents know? How is that any different from kidnapping a child? Even if Mom went and fetched him, she¡¯ll remember to let us know so we don¡¯t get worried. Who does that outsider Wu Qiaoyin think she is?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s pointyshes seemed to curl up as she stared at him. The hand with which she used to draw circles on his chest poked him forcefully. ¡°I never expected you to be court such disaster!¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Qi Chenglin wrapped himself around her hand. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to attract all those annoying people. I¡¯m the victim too, you know.¡±

    ¡°Mom¡¯s rtionship with Mrs. Wu is good, so I¡¯m treating them courteously,¡± Ruan Danchen grumbled.

    ¡°Just wait till Youxuan finishesining. Mom will be even angrier than you. Next time, you don¡¯t need to be hesitant. If the situation is appropriate, just scold her. It was her family who so eagerly came looking for us. I wonder who¡¯s the shameless party here.¡± Qi Chenglin twirled a lock of her silky hair between her fingers, finding it incredibly amusing.

    ¡°If all she did was offend me, I might probably just watch her acting without getting mad. But once Youxuan is involved, I won¡¯t just let her off that easily,¡± Ruan Danchen grumbled.

    Having just finished her sentence however, Qi Chenglin pinched her on the waist.

    He did not dare to squeeze her waist too hard for fear that it would injure her stomach.

    Ruan Danchen tilted her head up dolefully and stared at him helplessly. ¡°Why did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Does that mean you¡¯ll be courteous if she drags me into this? She likes me, so you must not treat her with any courtesy at all.¡± Qi Chenglin sported a serious-looking face. He wanted to show her how unhappy he was after feeling that his wife did not attach too much importance to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re an adult. You¡¯ve got what it takes and a littledy like her can¡¯t do anything to do. Most importantly, I trust you because you love me very much. No matter how many vixense and lure you away, they¡¯ll never seed. Why must I be angry at her about this? But it goes without saying that if she chooses to be shameless, I won¡¯t give her any respect at all. Nobody told her to have such bad intentions toward my man.¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at her proud face and snickered, ¡°No problem if you want to be thick-skinned now.¡±

    However, Ruan Danchen noticed that the tips of his ears were red. She immediately leaned over and kissed him there, watching as his entire ear began reddening.

    ¡°Behave yourself!¡± Qi Chenglin roared hoarsely.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and gave him a bear hug. Once her face came in contact with his chest, she remained glued there.

    ¡°Oh yes, your birthday. All you wanted was to have cake at home, right? Let¡¯s invite Ruan Zeer over too,¡± Qi Chenglin suggested out of the blue. His longshes obscured his gaze and his voice was deeply warm.

    Ruan Danchen was confused. She never saw Qi Chenglin being overly friendly with Ruan Zeer when thed came; on the contrary, Qi Chenglin heaped on a mountain of pressure onto Ruan Zeer. Why was Qi Chenglin being so friendly with Ruan Zeer, to the extent that he would invite the young man over to celebrate something as private as a birthday celebration?

    Long ago, Ruan Danchen told Qi Chenglin that she did not want her birthday to be a grand affair. The hubbub of such a birthday celebration was not to her liking. The rest of the Qi family¡¯s siblings, like Qi Chengzhi for example, might not care so much about her birthday and would definitely be more interested in their own wife and kids.

 Chapter 438 - Her Surname Is Ruan and Her Birthday Falls on That Date

    <h4>Chapter 438: Her Surname Is Ruan and Her Birthday Falls on That Date</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen was content with celebrating her birthday with only Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan at home. That was what she wanted. It was the first birthday she ever had because no one had ever celebrated it with her in the past except for Liu Ronghua.

    As a kid, she used to yearn for it when she saw adults carrying a birthday cake while holding their children¡¯s hands. Back then, no one celebrated with her, so she drew the cake on a piece of paper along with the appropriate number of candles for her age. She would then walk to the window, look at the moon, and make a wish.

    When she got older, Liu Ronghua sometimes gave her pocket money. She could not buy anything because the money was not that big an amount, so she saved it. Once her birthday came, she bought a small cake, about the size of her palm. Owing to the small size, she could not put too many candles, so she only lit one for symbolism¡¯s sake.

    Many yearster, she gave birth to Youxuan and left Liu Ronghua to be her own person. She was already working by then, and although she did not earn much, cakes could still be afforded. She bought a six-inch cake and two numbered candles. The cake was much bigger and tasted even better than before, but she still spent her birthday by herself.

    Ruan Danchen finally had family beside her for the first time ever that year, and they were eager to give her a birthday celebration.

    She felt her eyes heat up, but she was happy and excited. She did not want a grand event with many guests as long as she could celebrate it at home with the people she cared about.

    It, therefore, perplexed her that Qi Chenglin would call Ruan Zeer over.

    She was not unhappy about Ruan Zeer¡¯s presence though since she really did treat him as her little brother, especially after Qi Youxuan remarked on their facial simrities. Ruan Danchen was even happy to hear that, and through more interactions with Ruan Zeer, she began treating him like a little brother more and more.

    Ruan Danchen looked puzzlingly at Qi Chenglin. She treated Ruan Zeer as a little brother, but why did Qi Chenglin¡ªsomeone who was not on close terms with Ruan Zeer¡ªthink of the young man so suddenly?

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes werenguid and he said, without batting an eye, ¡°Ruan Zeer, that kid. I like him.¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®How could he say that without blushing?¡¯

    Ruan Danchen beamed with a smile. She took her phone and looked for Ruan Zeer¡¯s number. ¡°I¡¯m d. It¡¯s not toote and his rest won¡¯t be disturbed. Let¡¯s tell him earlier.¡±

    ...

    Guan Liya hung up the call and Qi Zhongxun could see her marked dismay. He took a piece of watermelon and gave it to her. ¡°What happened? Who made you angry? What did Youxuan say to you?¡±

    As she ate the watermelon, she huffed angrily and recounted the incident with Wu Qiaoyin.

    The more she thought of it, the angrier she became. ¡°Danchen was right. Wu Qiaoyin is going overboard. Who the hell is she to pick up Youxuan behind our back? Is she going to pay if something happens to my grandson!¡±

    Guan Liya gnashed her teeth. ¡°Who would¡¯ve known that Zhao Fengchun gave birth to such an ignorant daughter.¡±

    ¡°Drink some tea, don¡¯t get angry. It¡¯s not worth it to get so riled up over that ignorant girl,¡± Qi Zhongxun tried consoling her.

    Guan Liya rejected the teacup and said, ¡°This is uneptable. I¡¯m going to see the Wu family.¡±

    She nced at the time and said, ¡°It¡¯s still early. I don¡¯t think they¡¯ll sleep so fast. After so many years without meeting them, I¡¯m curious to see the Wu family¡¯s family teachings.¡±

    Afraid that Guan Liya might be at a disadvantage, Qi Zhongxun hurried over. Aunt Chen could even hear Guan Liya¡¯s voice at the door, ¡°This is between women. Don¡¯t get yourself involved.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not getting involved. I¡¯m just going to sit down and talk with Old Man Wu.¡± Qi Zhongxun¡¯s voice sounded incredibly solemn.

    Guan Liya knew that he followed her because he wanted to give her some support. She knew he fears that she might not have enough influence if she were to go alone, which might cause her some problems with the Wu family.

    His presence would be a constant reminder of the Qi family¡¯s prowess. Guan Liya smiled and led Qi Zhongxun out.

    Qi Zhongxun felt happy after seeing his wife¡¯s expression soften, but his reserved and staid temperament made Guan Liya smile even brighter.

    ...

    Upon seeing Guan Liya and Qi Zhongxun, Zhao Fengchun warmly weed them in with a smile.

    ¡°What brings you here all of a sudden? Come sit,e sit.¡± Zhao Fengchun invited the couple in. Wu Chuanshu was standing in the living room, looking on with a smile.

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯m not bothering you bying at this hour, am I?¡± Guan Liya sat down, smiled, and asked. Beside them, the television was on a news channel, reporting various happenings and events.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s still early. We weren¡¯t doing anything at home, just drinking tea and chatting,¡± Zhao Fengchun took the liberty of taking two ceramic tea bowls from the tray before pouring tea for the couple.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Qiaoyin? She¡¯s not in?¡± Guan Liya pretended to ask mindlessly and even put on a very friendly expression on her face.

    ¡°Ah, we¡¯ve spoiled her since young. She went out today without doing anything, but she came back saying she was really tired because of jetg. She went straight to her room and slept. We¡¯ve been here for so long already, there¡¯s no such thing such as jetg. She¡¯s just stubborn.¡± Zhao Fengchun may have been saying that, but she was clearly very loving toward her daughter.

    ¡°Oh, maybe she¡¯s tired from waiting too long for Youxuan at his school. Our Youxuan is stubborn too.¡± Guan Liya sipped some tea. ¡°I¡¯ve already lectured Youxuan when he called just now. Qiaoyin has never faced difficulty since she was young. Perhaps I can take a look at her?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t need to care about her. She¡¯ll be okay after sleeping.¡± Zhao Fengchun stopped Guan Liya, who was just about to get up. Feeling slightly shocked, she asked, ¡°But why...was she waiting for Youxuan at his school?¡±

    ¡°Sigh, it¡¯s not that big a deal.¡± Guan Liya smiled and began telling them about everything that happened earlier that noon.

    She approached it from a different angle to try and relieve Zhao Fengchun¡¯s apparent anxiety. ¡°We¡¯ve always taught Youxuan not to follow any strangers. What if it¡¯s a kidnapper? Besides, the Qi family has a public reputation. We don¡¯t mind paying money if a kidnapping happens, but we¡¯re worried that it¡¯ll negatively impact the boy. We don¡¯t have the heart to let him go through all that when he¡¯s such a young boy. We care deeply about Youxuan since he was young, and we won¡¯t let him suffer even in the slightest.

    ¡°But the little boy is stubborn, and as a kid, his memory isn¡¯t that good yet. Even though he met Qiaoyin once, he couldn¡¯t remember her after that. His mind went nk and was afraid to go with Qiaoyin. It¡¯s probably also because we¡¯ve told him not to follow anyone he doesn¡¯t know unless our family explicitly agreed to let that person pick him up. We¡¯re not being prejudiced here, but we have no choice but to be on guard. Nowadays, there¡¯s no telling what a person can do. We have no idea if anyone we know is going to betray us by manipting the child, right?¡±

    Guan Liya sighed helplessly. ¡°I only have one grandchild now. He was wronged many times when he was younger, so we have to care for him properly. The child remembered our words and knew that Qiaoyin didn¡¯t inform us. He was afraid that my daughter-inw would be worried sick when they couldn¡¯t find him there. He was hell-bent on staying put and not going with Qiaoyin, even dragging his ss teacher to keep watch over him. He only felt calm after my daughter-inw came.

    ¡°And she...how could shee to the school sote? She knew there was going to be a traffic jam but didn¡¯t leave earlier. The child was really scared. After hearing Youxuan¡¯s words, I felt that it wasn¡¯t right to say anything tonight, but tomorrow I¡¯ll be sure to have a word with Danchen. She has to take care of her own child with all her heart. She can¡¯t me anyone else for giving her own child a scare,¡± Guan Liya said slowly.

    Zhao Fengchun could clearly discern that despite Guan Liya¡¯s insistence that it was not about Wu Qiaoyin, the fact was that she went there specifically to tell them that their daughter was doing that kind of thing outside of the home.

    Zhao Fengchun ced her teacup forcefully on the table and said angrily, ¡°Qiaoyin¡¯s too ignorant!¡±

    ¡°No, it¡¯s not Qiaoyin¡¯s fault. Our daughter-inw went overboard. I heard that Danchen got really angry at Qiaoyin, but Danchen didn¡¯t stop to think that you and I are such good friends. Why did she not respect that in the first ce! No matter what, she has to take into ount my dignity and our friendship, right? How could she make a spectacle of Qiaoyin in public?¡±

    Zhao Fengchun was beginning to feel that something was not right. She kept feeling that Guan Liya was making indirect usations on the pretense of criticizing her own daughter-inw. Zhao Fengchun felt that those criticisms held water when shifted onto Wu Qiaoyin.

    The nagging feeling was that Guan Liya made discreet jibes at Wu Qiaoyin under the supposed criticism of her own daughter-inw.

    Guan Liya was smart and the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw was no buffoon. Openly showing displeasure with Zhao Fengchun bymbasting Wu Qiaoyin was not an option, so Guan Liya decided to talk about her own daughter-inw. After all, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were their family, and an outsider like Zhao Fengchun would have no ce to interject.

    The Wu family¡¯s housekeeper came over to serve some refreshments, and in her heart, she was giving Guan Liya a big fat thumbs-up. Guan Liya was an expert in covert fights¡ªZhao Fengchun was no match at all!

    Zhao Fengchun mustered a stiff smile. ¡°Don¡¯t me your daughter-inw. My daughter¡¯s the one who was in the wrong. She doesn¡¯t understand things yet. Don¡¯t take offense. Anyone would get angry if it happens to them. It¡¯s Qiaoyin¡¯s fault¡ªshe¡¯s getting out of hand.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± Guan Liya waved her hand as if wanting to stop Zhao Fengchun from making things difficult for Wu Qiaoyin. ¡°This really is ack of consideration on Ruan Danchen¡¯s part. I can understand her anger, but she shouldn¡¯t have justshed out in the school entrance, am I right? There are so many people there, all of whom went to pick their children up. You know that the school belongs to us, right? Don¡¯t all the great families scramble to get their children into the school? They¡¯re all aplished and respectable people, aren¡¯t they? Wouldn¡¯t this tarnish Qiaoyin¡¯s reputation? The action was just too rash.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun¡¯s expression was stinking to high heaven. She could already imagine Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s actions in front of all those people there.

    Her daughter was spoiled to the point of beingpletely brainless, capable of hatching ns but stupid when the situation called for astuteness. With all those aplished and respectable people around, they had the wit of mind to see through Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s intention.

    Wu Qiaoyin was so dunderheaded that she did not even know how to conceal her intentions,ying it all out in the open instead. Even during the other day at Guan Liya¡¯s ce, Qi Youxuan was able to see through her intentions. Surely those renowned families could read her like an open book when they saw what she did at Jixia Elementary¡¯s entrance!

    No one would look kindly upon someone who seemed so eager to be a mistress!

    ¡°Don¡¯t me Danchen. Qiaoyin¡¯s actions were simply too much. If she embarrasses herself, she has only herself to me,¡± Zhao Fengchun said coldly.

    ¡°Sigh, I came here not toin to you. I just wanted to give you a heads up so you don¡¯t get surprised when you head out and socialize. My daughter-inw...¡± Guan Liya smiled and sported a kind expression. ¡°I offer an apology to you on her behalf. Don¡¯t take offense against them young folks. You know that my daughter-inw has been separated from Youxuan for so many years. Now that she¡¯s reunited with him, she really does care for Youxuan a lot. She¡¯s worried that something might happen to him, so I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right to me her after knowing that she acted rashly here.¡±

    ¡°I understand.¡± Zhao Fengchun¡¯s face had already stiffened. She no longer had the mettle to keep up her forced smile to face Guan Liya.

    She felt that her close childhood friend was being self-centered. Back then things were great between the two, but once Guan Liya¡¯s daughter-inw suffered a wrong, Guan Liya came over just to annoy her.

    Zhao Fengchun said nothing further after thosest two words and did not trade pleasantries with Guan Liya. A moment of chilly silence ensued.

    Guan Liya¡¯s mission was fulfilled. Zhao Fengchun was made to feel guilty¡ªshe should control her daughter and stop the young woman from embarrassing not only herself but Guan Liya¡¯s son and daughter-inw too. Wu Qiaoyin even tried to get Qi Youxuan involved, and that was what Guan Liya could not tolerate at all.

    Feeling content, Guan Liya stood up. Qi Zhongxun, being the unwavering support that he was, stood up immediately too. Guan Liya smiled amicably. ¡°In that case... we¡¯ll be going. It¡¯s gettingte and I wouldn¡¯t want to disturb your rest.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun took a deep breath before standing up. She put a smile that did not extend to her eyes and sent the couple off.

    The instant she closed the door, she pulled a long face and went up to look for Wu Qiaoyin.

    Guan Liya led Qi Zhongxun by the arm and felt d. Qi Zhongxun smiled too after seeing her in such a good mood, as though she had just released all her negative energy.

    ¡°Hmph, the daughter wasn¡¯t even taught well came running to destroy my son¡¯s marriage. Looks like I¡¯d need to put an end to it.¡± Guan Liya took a deep breath and inhaled the fresh, cool, night air. ¡°I still showed Zhao Fengchun some respect tonight. This is just a small reminder for her to keep control of her daughter.¡±

    Before Guan Liya even finished talking, Qi Zhongxun gave her a sideways nce.

    Was that really a show of respect? Guan Liya did not spare Zhao Fengchun any blushes, and with that insinuative tone she used when speaking, she had nearly infuriated the hell out of Zhao Fengchun.

    ¡°If Wu Qiaoyin wants to be shameless, I have no reservations in letting everyone know that she doesn¡¯t have a sense of shame nor any honor. Let¡¯s see if she manages to get married in the future next time,¡± Guan Liya huffed. She seemed adamant on decimating Wu Qiaoyin should thetter decide not to repent.

    ¡°Alright, alright, don¡¯t get angry anymore. We¡¯ll see if she courts disaster again in the future. You shouldn¡¯t get angry ahead of time,¡± Qi Zhongxun advised immediately.

    Guan Liya huffed a couple more times. Letting off her steam earlier made her feel slightly better.

    Back home, she gave Ruan Danchen a call at once.

    Ruan Danchen saw that Guan Liya was calling and figured that the young boy had finishedining. She surmised that Guan Liya was probably calling about what happened in the afternoon.

    After picking up the call and greeting Guan Liya, she heard Guan Liya¡¯s tender and loving voice say, ¡°Ah, Danchen. About this afternoon, I¡¯ve already helped you vent your anger. Don¡¯t keep being angry and don¡¯t worry. If that Wu Qiaoyin still wants to be shameless, I won¡¯t forgive her! Tell me if anything happens again in the future, I¡¯ll vent it out for you. You¡¯re still pregnant, and getting angry is bad for your body and the baby. Don¡¯t let my granddaughter get a bad temper.¡±

    Guan Liya said a ton of things that left Ruan Danchen feeling surprised.

    She understood however, that Guan Liya vented anger on behalf of her to show the Wu family how much Guan Liya valued and supported her.

    Ruan Danchen felt a sudden sourness in her throat and was momentarily unable to utter a single word.

    Sometimeter, she gulped and said softly, ¡°Thank you, Mom.¡±

    ¡°You silly child,¡± Guan Liya said. ¡°Rest earlier.¡±

    Ruan Danchen hung up and told everything to Qi Chenglin. She was still rolling her face in his embrace. ¡°I¡¯m so d I married you. I have such caring elders.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re incidental. I¡¯m the best.¡± Qi Chenglin was feeling slightly dissatisfied that she praised everyone else except for himself.

    ¡°Mm, that¡¯s right. You¡¯re the best thing to happen to me.¡± Ruan Danchen smiled contentedly.

    Delighted, Qi Chenglin¡¯s spirits soared high.

    ...

    Ruan Zeer hung up the phone and turned to Chen Minxia, saying, ¡°Mom, next Saturday is Big Sis Ruan¡¯s birthday. She invited me over.¡±

    Chen Minxia answered without much thought.

    Back inside her room, she leisurely looked at next Saturday¡¯s date. Once her eyes caught sight of it, the calendar dropped to her feet,nding onto the floor with a loud thud.

    At that time, Ruan Keshan was sitting on the bed while watching the news on the wall-mounted television. He got quite a fright when he heard the sound, and the sight of a pale-faced, shell-shocked Chen Minxia greeted him when he turned around.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Ruan Keshan quickly pulled Chen Minxia over to sit on the bed.

    She was absent-minded for a long time before she grabbed the remote and switched off the television. Then, she picked up the calendar and handed it over to Ruan Keshan.

    ¡°The Qi family¡¯s madam, Ruan Danchen, she gave Zeer a call. She said it¡¯s her birthday next Saturday and she invited Zeer to her home,¡± Chen Minxia said. Her voice was weak as if she had just suffered a great shock.

    ¡°It¡¯s no big deal. Are you still thinking that Ruan Danchen...¡±¡®...doesn¡¯t have any good intentions toward him? Surely not.¡¯

    ¡°NO! Look at the date next Saturday!¡± Chen Minxia urged anxiously.

    Ruan Keshan looked at the calendar scrutinized the date carefully. His pupils contracted and he looked up suddenly at Chen Minxia, staring at her with eyes wide open.

    ¡°Are you saying that Ruan Danchen... She... She¡¯s...¡± Ruan Keshan was getting tongue-tied. His eyes were red and he seemed as though he was going to cry at any time.

    ¡°Her surname is Ruan and her birthday is on that date. No matter how much of a coincidence it is, it wouldn¡¯t be that coincidental, right?¡± Chen Minxia stood up suddenly and headed out.

    ¡°Wait. Where are you going?¡± Ruan Keshan followed close behind and held her.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to ask Zeer if this birthday is ording to our lunar calendar or the sr calendar,¡± Chen Minxia exined.

    Ruan Keshan was stumped, but he quickly understood why.

    Dates in the lunar and sr calendars were vastly different from one another.

    Chen Minxia paid attention to detail.

    ¡°I¡¯ll follow you.¡± Ruan Keshan tailed behind Chen Minxia.

    Ruan Danchen might just be the niece that he had been searching for all those years. There was no way he was going to just sit there and wait for the answer.

    Chen Minxia nodded, and together with Ruan Zeshan, they went into Ruan Zeer¡¯s room.

    Ruan Zeer was reading a book while lying on his bed. He saw his parentse in so solemnly, and a second look revealed that their expression was exceedingly convoluted¡ªthere was apprehension, excitement, anticipation, and fear. Ruan Keshan¡¯s eyes were reddened, too.

    From what he could remember, the one thing that could elicit such a strong reaction from his parents was the whereabouts of his missing cousin sister.

    Ruan Zeer ced his book aside and looked at his parents with the same expression. ¡°Dad, Mom, what is it?¡±

    ¡°Zeer, your Miss Ruan. Is the date of her birthday ording to the lunar calendar or the sr calendar?¡± Chen Minxia asked in a faltering tone. Ruan Keshan was lost for words at that point and simply held his hands together in silence. He was afraid that he would copse if he received anymore stress.

    ¡°This... I don¡¯t know.¡± Ruan Zeer could already guess his parents¡¯ thoughts by their reaction.

    ¡°Mom, are you saying that... Big Sis Ruan... She... She could be...¡± Ruan Zeer was stuttering because he was getting emotional too.

    ¡°Her surname is Ruan, and her birthday falls on that date too. If... If it is the lunar calendar, then it¡¯s a misunderstanding on our part, but if it is ording to the sr calendar, then...¡± Chen Minxia sped her hands. All those years of hope were culminating right in front of her, causing her palms to sweat.

    ¡°I... I¡¯ll give Big Sis Ruan a call and ask.¡± Ruan Zeer flipped through his phone immediately, but in his nervousness, he could not even hold his phone properly.

    Chen Minxia was no better than Ruan Keshan. She was unable to pull herself together and held Ruan Keshan¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Let¡¯s... Let¡¯s sit down first.¡± Her bottom copsed onto the bed as soon as she finished speaking, dragging Ruan Keshan along with her.

    Ruan Keshan looked at his son anxiously. Things had already reached such an advanced stage, yet he found himself feeling timid.

    He had always been praying to the deities and to Buddha to let him find his niece, but he was now afraid and unsure of how he should face it all.

    What if Ruan Danchen was not the niece?

    ¡®No, that¡¯s impossible. Ruan Danchen is Liu Ronghua¡¯s adopted daughter, bearing the Ruan surname and born on that very same day. It couldn¡¯t be that coincidental. If Ruan Danchen wasn¡¯t, then...¡¯

    ¡®But if she was....¡¯ Ruan Keshan could no longer pull himself together anymore.

    Ruan Zeer was feeling very tense too. His fingers were shaking and it was not easy for him to locate Ruan Danchen¡¯s number. In the end though, he tapped on the wrong contact¡ªinstead of Ruan Danchen, he tapped on the contact above her. It was already dialing, and by the time he realized the mistake, the other side had already picked it up.

    He had no choice but to apologize and say that he made a mistake.

    Fortunately, the receiver of the call was Ruan Zeer¡¯s ssmate. Sensing that something was not right with Ruan Zeer¡¯s voice, the friend asked if something happened, but Ruan Zeer simply said that everything was fine.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s reluctance prompted the other party to hang up without pressing for further information.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just take it easy,¡± Chen Minxia consoled from beside. Being jittery herself, she knew that Ruan Zeer would feel even more anxious.

    It was a struggle for him to dial the right number, and when he finally heard Ruan Danchen¡¯s voice, he said emotionally, ¡°Big Sis...Ruan.¡±

    The pause in the middle could have been on purpose or due to the influx of emotions. The words ¡®Big Sis¡¯ was enough to make his eyes redden.

    Chen Minxia¡¯s eyes turned red too. When she turned around to look at Ruan Keshan, she noticed that Ruan Keshan was wiping his face.

    He was unable to stop his tears from flowing out, so he wiped them with his palm to prevent anyone from seeing it.

    ¡°Zeer, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Ruan Danchen felt that Ruan Zeer¡¯s voice did not sound too reassuring.

    She began worrying and subconsciously turned to Qi Chenglin. She relied on the man beside him for support, and at some point, she formed the habit of looking at him whenever something happened.

    Even though she was certain that Qi Chenglin knew not of what was going on, one look at him gave her all thefort she needed.

    Qi Chenglin wrapped himself around her arm and trailed his fingers through her hair. He gave her a smile that made her feel calm after seeing how she turned to look at him.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart felt much better when she heard Ruan Zeer¡¯s dithering voice, ¡°Nothing, I just wanted to ask... Your birthday, is it ording to the lunar calendar or the sr calendar?¡±

 Chapter 439 - Is It Right for Us to Go and Meet Her Like This?

    <h4>Chapter 439: Is It Right for Us to Go and Meet Her Like This?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Sr calendar. Why are you asking this?¡± Ruan Danchen asked. ¡°Zeer, you don¡¯t sound okay. What happened?¡±

    ¡°No... It¡¯s nothing. I¡¯ll call you back again.¡± Ruan Zeer hung up without so much as a word of goodbye.

    Ruan Danchen blinked and stared puzzlingly at the already cut-off call. ¡°He doesn¡¯t sound alright. I don¡¯t know what happened.¡±

    Qi Chenglin continuedbing her hair. ¡°He isn¡¯t someone that will just leave things hanging. He¡¯ll exin everything to you.¡±

    ¡°If I knew his address, I would go there to have a look myself,¡± Ruan Danchen said with a frown.

    ...

    Ruan Zeer hung up and turned to his parents with reddened eyes. ¡°She said it¡¯s the sr calendar.¡±

    ¡°IT¡¯S HER! It¡¯s definitely her!¡± Ruan Keshan began eximing emotionally. He constantly rubbed the tears on his face, but his cries only got stronger. ¡°She¡¯s definitely Keyu¡¯s daughter! She¡¯s definitely my niece! Zeer, she... She¡¯s your cousin sister! She is! I... We should go and look for her now!¡±

    ¡°WAIT!¡± Chen Minxia held him back. ¡°Zeer, give Ruan Danchen a call and ask if it¡¯s convenient for her to meet us. We can¡¯t just go over without considering this properly.¡±

    Ruan Zeer nodded, as did Ruan Keshan. ¡°Yes, I need to call Dad. He¡¯ll be very happy that we found Keyu¡¯s daughter.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be rash.¡± Chen Minxia pped his arm. ¡°Even if we believe that she¡¯s our niece, Keyu and Yuehuan are no longer in this world. We can¡¯t do any DNA test with them. Only you and Dad can. We¡¯ll go and meet her today, understand whatever we can, then tell Dad. He¡¯s already old. He¡¯s already suffered so much disappointment in the past, and all these years we¡¯ve seen his energy weaken year after year. He¡¯s aging faster than anyone else. If this time...

    ¡°There¡¯s plenty of hope this time, but if it turns out otherwise, the blow will be just as...¡± Chen Minxia wiped her tears. ¡°You might not even be able to take it.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded, to which Ruan Zeer called Ruan Danchen.

    She did not expect to receive that call barely a few minutes after hanging up.

    She heard him say, ¡°Big Sis, are you resting now? I... I¡¯d like toe by your house with my parents. Is it convenient for you?¡±

    Ruan Danchen looked at the time. It was already over nine, so it was neither early norte. They were not going to bed yet, but it was not the kind of time that someone woulde over to visit. It would already be ten by the time they visit.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s parents came from a cultured and educated background. Ruan Zeer himself was brought up properly and from that, she could discern that his family background was surely a good one.

    His parents were undoubtedly the kind that knew how to act appropriately. Schrs like Ruan Lichuan and Ruan Keshan were held in high regard by Ruan Danchen, who felt that those people were a cut above mortals and conducted themselves with the utmost dignity.

    Something urgent must have happened for them to insist oning over sote.

    Ruan Danchen responded, ¡°It¡¯s convenient. We¡¯re not going to bed yet.¡±

    Nevertheless, Ruan Zeer felt that it was not too nice to disturb them at night. After a few more exchanges, he hung up.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Qi Chengzhi touched her hair and his voice was crisply warm.

    ¡°Ruan Zeer wants toe over with his parents. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s something urgent?¡± Ruan Danchen frowned and sat up from Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about why his parents would want toe when I don¡¯t know them? I kept feeling that Ruan Zeer wasn¡¯t okay. He couldn¡¯t possibly be in trouble, could he?¡±

    If Ruan Zeer had any issues, she would definitelye to his aid.

    Qi Chenglin sat up straight too, with his dark eyes gazing deeply at Ruan Danchen.

    Sometimeter, he said, ¡°Have you ever thought about how you share the same surname with them? Why is it so fated? Remember the other day, Youxuan said that you looked simr to Ruan Zeer.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind went nk. ¡°What are you trying to say?¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s sharpened his gaze and after a while, he looked at Ruan Danchen again, ¡°Do you remember Ruan Zeer telling you that his uncle passed away long ago?¡±

    Uneasiness began creeping in. Ruan Danchen nodded and clutched Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand subconsciously.

    Qi Chenglin held her in return and massaged her to soothe her nerves.

    ¡°He also said that his uncle had a daughter, but was separated at birth. They couldn¡¯t find her until now,¡± Qi Chenglin said. He kept a close watch on Ruan Danchen, afraid that she was unable to take everything in one go.

    Ruan Danchen was clearly rattled. She opened her eyes wide, with fear and shock stered all over her face. ¡°You¡¯re saying... You¡¯re saying that I¡¯m...¡±

    Knowing that she could not say it out loud, Qi Chenglin did not have the heart to keep her suffering, so he said, ¡°When Jiang Yuan went on a business trip the other day, he actually went to Shuo City. Since there was no conclusion yet at the time and it was purely my suspicions, I didn¡¯t tell you. Ruan Keyu and his wife were both born in Shuo City. Ruan Keyu lost his life in an explosion while his wife died in childbirth. Their child¡¯s whereabouts were unknown too. On the second visit, I discovered some new information¡ªLiu Ronghua had a good rtionship with the couple. When Mrs. Ruan gave birth, sources say that a woman was with her in the delivery room. I suspect that the woman was Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°It was such a coincidence because when the child went missing, Liu Ronghua brought a baby from Shuo City to B City. After checking the baby¡¯s date of birth, it was the same as your birthday.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know what time I was born,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled. ¡°She never told me that. When I was young, I was always curious about my father and what kind of person he was, but she never told me about him.¡±

    ¡°All these years, Ruan Zeer¡¯s parents have never given up on finding Ruan Keyu¡¯s child,¡± Qi Chenglin exined softly.

    ¡°So that was why you wanted to invite Ruan Zeer to my birthday celebration.¡± Ruan Danchen looked at him.

    He nodded. ¡°Ruan Zeer is a good kid. He will tell his parents, and if they knew your birthdate, there¡¯s no way they wouldn¡¯t respond.¡±

    ¡°No wonder his reaction was weird,¡± Ruan Danchen muttered.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± Ruan Danchen hugged his waist and nted her forehead on his chest.

    ¡°We have to see their reaction first.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s fingers brushed across her face as he sighed. ¡°You¡¯re someone that I must protect. I don¡¯t want to see you suffer in any way whatsoever. I don¡¯t want to see you hurt, even if it¡¯s from your own family. They have good character, but I have to feel it myself.¡±

    ¡°Do you me me for doing it out of my own ord and keeping you in the dark?¡± Qi Chenglin was heartbroken when he saw how she hugged him. She might even be unaware of the sheer force she used when wrapping her hands around him.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head while her forehead was still on his chest. ¡°I know you want the best for me. Since you¡¯re around, I don¡¯t need to think much anyway. I¡¯ll turn into an idiot soon.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad to turn into an idiot.¡± Qi Chenglin rubbed her cheek. ¡°You have me now, right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a bit scared.¡± Ruan Danchen hugged him tighter. ¡°They searched for me for such a long time, so they must¡¯ve put in a lot of hope this time. If I wasn¡¯t her, they¡¯ll be really disappointed and sad. If I am her, I... How should I face them? I¡¯ve never had any family since I was young. I... I¡¯ll be really happy if they turned out to my family. I¡¯m very nervous now. I really hope I¡¯m the one that they¡¯re looking for. At least they don¡¯t need to search the world for her again, and I¡¯ll have a family.¡±

    ¡°You already have a family, don¡¯t you? I¡¯m your husband and Youxuan¡¯s your son. You still have us as family... You¡¯ll always have a family,¡± Qi Chenglin said. ¡°Even if this is all a misunderstanding, it¡¯s no big deal. You still have us. Mom treats you just like how she treats Chengyue. Whatever Changyue has, you¡¯ll have it too. Didn¡¯t she just kick up a storm with her childhood friend for you just now? As for the Ruan family, if you¡¯re not her and I¡¯ve let them down, I¡¯ll definitely do my very best to find Ruan Keyu¡¯s daughter for them.¡±

    Ruan Danchen knew that Qi Chenglin dared to do that because he was confident¡ªit may not be a hundred percent confidence, but at the very least he was eighty or ny percent sure. Moreover, the matter had everything to do with her, so the man was surely extra careful with it; otherwise, he would not have kept it a secret from her.

    Ruan Danchen took a deep breath. Breathing in his scent calmed her down.

    ¡°No matter what happens, I won¡¯t be sad because you¡¯re here with me.¡± Ruan Danchen kissed him on the chest through his pajamas.

    ¡°One more thing,¡± Qi Chenglin said, with a tone much graver than before.

    Ruan Danchen looked up in befuddlement. ¡°What is it?¡±

    Seeing Qi Chenglin¡¯s gloomy expression, Ruan Danchen grasped his hand and ced it to her lips, kissing him on the back of his palm. His hand was fair-skinned and skinny, and through theyer, she could already see his green veins and his bones.

    ¡°Tell me. I won¡¯t be afraid of anything. I have you, don¡¯t I?¡± Ruan Danchen urged softly. She smiled to soothe him, as though she had a simple mind.

    Qi Chenglin raised his hand to touch her forehead and said, ¡°Ruan Keyu¡¯s wife, her name is Chang Yuehuan.¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not know the name of the Chang family¡¯s deceased elder daughter, so she did not think much of it. On second thought, however, her heart skipped a beat once Qi Chenglin dropped the Chang surname.

    Responding quickly to it, the only reason Qi Chenglin would specifically tell her that was because...

    ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be the Chang family?¡± Ruan Danchen asked in shock. Her feelings were all negative.

    Qi Chenglin nodded and told her everything about Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan.

    Jiang Yuan¡¯s investigations did not reveal as much informationpared to Liu Ronghua and the Ruan family¡¯s understanding of the event, but Jiang Yuan did his utmost best to find out whatever he could. From J University to Shuo City, Jiang Yuan left no stone unturned when it came to Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan¡¯s rtionship.

    Even if their ssmates back then led their own lives now, Jiang Yuan tracked them down and managed to get in contact with a few of them. A couple of questions was then enough for him to roughly understand the entire situation.

    ¡°Then... Chang Jingqiu...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes widened. In truth, the entire surge of information that night was beginning to be a bit hard to handle.

    ¡°I thought Chang Jingqiu was the daughter of the Chang family¡¯s deceased elder daughter? How am I...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s brain was struggling to cope. She did not dare to think too much about any unfathomable scenarios.

    Qi Chenglin narrowed her eyes and exined coldly, ¡°The only thing it points to is that Liu Ronghua switched you both at birth. She loves Ruan Keyu, do I have no idea why she would do such a thing. But in light of all her actions up until now, her thinking is not easily deciphered by any ordinary person.¡±

    As smart as Qi Chenglin was, he could not wrap his head around why Liu Ronghua would be so devoted to Chang Jingqiu and tell the young woman all those things. How did her mind even work for her to think of such a thing?

    Ruan Danchen frowned and was unable to ept it. If she really was Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan¡¯s daughter, she was not at all angry that Chang Jingqiu stole her status from her.

    It was the thought of Grandmother Chang that frustrated her most. She was utterly and unequivocally unwilling to be a part of the Chang family.

    Seeing her expression, Qi Chenglin knew what she was thinking. He understood her well, after all.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want that, then we won¡¯t tell them. It¡¯s not like our family needs the Chang family¡¯s wealth.¡± Qi Chenglin stroked her hair and pinched her nose. ¡°Just treat it as information that can be used against Chang Jingqiu. If she brings any disquiet, we¡¯ll kick her out from the Chang family. If you don¡¯t want to get involved with them, we don¡¯t need to tell them the truth until desperate times call for it. You can be close with only the Ruan family because you¡¯re their niece whom they went to great lengths to search for all those years. Don¡¯t bother about anything else.

    ¡°But if you want to get to know the Chang family, it¡¯s not a big issue either. You have me. The olddy can¡¯t cause trouble and I won¡¯t let her take advantage or anything like that. Don¡¯t worry about it being a burden on our family. To tell you the truth, Chang Zhiyuan is a good person. His rtionship with Chang Yuehuan was the best, and because of that, he cares deeply about Chang Jingqiu. He would¡¯ve ignored her otherwise. If he knew your identity, it¡¯ll be nice to have an uncle like him to care about you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°In any case, I¡¯m not familiar with them. We won¡¯t know what¡¯s going to happen.¡±

    After a pause, she chuckled and said, ¡°Actually, everything¡¯s still up in the air. If I¡¯m not the person that the Ruan family was looking for, isn¡¯t it a bit too presumptuous to be saying all this right now? It¡¯ll look funny.¡±

    Qi Chenglin tapped her forehead and smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t hide from it. Do you still not trust me?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes narrowed as she smiled. She then heard Qi Chenglin say, ¡°The person who piled pressure on their daughter and subsequently caused the daughter to lose her life, was none other than the olddy herself. Later on, she was also the one who regretted it and tried making up to the things she did to her daughter, but was it even possible to make things right when the loss has already urred? I think Grandmother Chang doesn¡¯t feel like she let her daughter down. She¡¯s only worried that she destroyed her good fortunes. She tried to make amends just so she can sleep at night. Deep down, she probably doesn¡¯t feel any sort of obligation toward Chang Yuehuan and was only doing it so to put herself in a good light. Grandmother Chang is old, and I heard that she¡¯s been praying to Buddha these past few years. It¡¯s all because she¡¯s afraid that her misdeeds will cause her to have an unpeaceful death.¡±

    Qi Chenglin snickered. ¡°She¡¯s using what happened to her daughter to replenish whatever blessings that had been lost as a result of her past misdeeds. She¡¯s scared that her daughter¡¯s resentful spirit woulde to her. She¡¯s just doing it for appearances¡¯ sake. The way she treats Chang Jingqiu isn¡¯t sincere, because if she was, she wouldn¡¯t have inappropriately praised Chang Jingqiu. If you don¡¯t want to acknowledge them, it¡¯s fine. With Grandmother Chang¡¯s attitude, she would be the first to betray her own granddaughter if the smooth-sailing Chang family is in crisis.

    ¡°She¡¯s also still dependent on her two sons. Chang Jianan is her only grandson and she wouldn¡¯t have the heart to do anything to him. From the olddy¡¯s antics in public, something would surely happen to the Chang family sooner orter. Severing all ties with them is a good thing too,¡± Qi Chenglin said.

    Ruan Danchen was saying that everything was still up in the air, but in fact she was worried that her joy was short-lived. She would finally have a family, but if it ended in disappointment, she felt that she would not be able to bear the pain that stemmed from that disappointment. Hence, she kept reminding herself not to be too hopeful until the ultimate conclusion was reached.

    In her heart, however, she was convinced of the truth.

    She believed Qi Chenglin. For him to tell her everything and disclose it to the Ruan family, she knew deep down that everything was a hundred percent true.

    ¡°As for Chang Yuehuan.¡± Qi Chenglin gazed down at Ruan Danchen. To relieve her anxieties in advance, he said, ¡°Back then she had already left the Chang family. She did not even go back when she was pregnant because she knew her mother¡¯s character. If a woman is pregnant, any normal mother would acknowledge it and want the best for the daughter even if the mother isn¡¯t happy herself. If the daughter was so wary of her own mother and didn¡¯t dare toe home, then it looks likely that she doesn¡¯t want the baby to face difficulties created by Grandmother Chang. Since she could decide to sever herself from the Chang family, her daughter shouldn¡¯t be med for wanting nothing to do with the Chang family too.¡±

    She knew what he was thinking¡ªhe was surely worried that she could not make it through that obstacle in her heart, and was therefore trying his best to loosen her up. Ruan Danchen was touched by his meticulous thoughts, and like a little puppy, she buried her forehead in his chest. After a quick rub there, she looked up and kissed his stubble-filled chin.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to spend so much thought on this. If she¡¯s really my mother... She¡¯ll be the only one in my heart. After all, I¡¯ve never met her and I don¡¯t have any affection toward the Chang family. I wouldn¡¯t want our family to suffer just for the sake of the Chang family, and there¡¯s nothing to be guilty about. If anyone in the Chang family treats me well, I¡¯ll treat them the same. All I have to do is separate those that treat me well and those who don¡¯t. Those who treat me well are their own person, while the Chang family is the Chang family,¡± Ruan Danchen said. ¡°But if we can keep it a secret, let¡¯s just do it. It¡¯s better to have less to think about than to have more.¡±

    Despite that, she felt some guilt in her heart, because ording to Qi Chenglin, Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Yuehuan were on very good terms. Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s kindness toward Chang Jingqiu was not because of Chang Jingqiu per se, but because he thought that Chang Jingqiu was Chang Yuehuan¡¯s daughter.

    If Chang Jingqiu was not the daughter, then Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s kindness was misced. That was what led Ruan Danchen to feel guilty.

    With a shake of the head, Ruan Danchen sighed. Things ought to be dealt with one step at a time while keeping an eye out for future developments.

    Once Ruan Danchen thought of that, she pushed Qi Chenglin away and jumped off the bed all of a sudden.

    Qi Chenglin felt helpless after being pushed away by Ruan Danchen. He was slightly displeased. A minute ago, his wife was still being all meek and docile in his embrace. It was so wonderful to be hugging her gently, and his mood was exponentially good. Nevertheless, she could be averse to it so suddenly and push him away.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time to keep talking about this. Ruan Zeer is bringing his parents here and we need to prepare at least a bit. We can¡¯t possibly just wee them without doing anything,¡± Ruan Danchen remarked. She opened the cupboard and began looking for some clothes.

    She was wearing her house clothes as she did not manage to change into her sleepwear just yet. However, wearing house clothes was not proper enough when weing guests.

    ¡°You have to change your clothes too.¡± Ruan Danchen turned around and pulled Qi Chenglin up.

    Qi Chenglin waszing around, but he knew from her nervous demeanor that she was excited to see her uncle and aunt.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay if you¡¯re dressed like this. You look good in your house clothes. If you dress too well, they¡¯ll feel ufortable,¡± Qi Chenglin advised. He hugged her from behind and kissed the corner of her lip. ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. Just take it easy.¡±

    ¡°I... I¡¯m worried about disappointing them.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was so restless that she felt like it could jump out.

    ¡°Of course not. You¡¯re amazing. They¡¯ll cry tears of joy once they know you¡¯re their niece.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand traveled to her stomach. ¡°You¡¯re pregnant now. You need to wear bigger clothes at home.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that the two Ruan elders would be d to meet their niece regardless of whether it was her or not.

    At the mere mention of her child however, Ruan Danchen did not insist anymore.

    Her stomach had not ballooned up yet so she still did not prepare any maternity clothes. She nned to drag Qi Chenglin along to get them that weekend. Most of the clothes she had in the cupboard were tight to some extent.

    Her body may not have changed yet, but she did not want to wear restrictive clothes at home.

    She looked at the mirror and realized that her clothes were still quite proper. It was sufficient if she were to go out for a walk around the neighborhood.

    Qi Chenglin dug up a T-shirt and a pair of long pants, both of which were casually-styled articles.

    ¡°Aunt Zheng¡¯s already asleep. I¡¯ll go and boil some water and make tea for them. I¡¯ll cut some fruits too,¡± Ruan Danchen said, as she turned to the mirror and smoothed her hair and clothes.

    Qi Chenglin wanted to remind her that the only thing they would do when they cameter was cry. Sipping tea and eating fruits would be thest thing on their minds. Still, Ruan Danchen¡¯s actions were sincere and she wanted to leave a good impression on the Ruan family. Qi Chenglin thus stopped himself from saying that and left those words in his thoughts instead.

    He followed Ruan Danchen down as she headed to the kitchen and began preparing. She did not call Aunt Zheng, but Aunt Zheng could hear the ruckus from above. Aftering down and seeing Ruan Danchen getting busy, Aunt Zheng was given a fright.

    ¡°Danchen, why are you all busy here? What do you need to do? Let me do it,¡± Aunt Zheng said. She was wearing her pajamas with a thin jacket providing extrayer.

    She was narrowing her eyes when she got out earlier as she was not ustomed to the bright light yet.

    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Aunt Zheng, go ahead and rest. I want to prepare this myself,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    Aunt Zheng was about to protest, but Qi Chenglin walked in and said warmly, ¡°Let her do it. I¡¯ll be here helping her. This is her token of sincerity toward the guests.¡±

    Aunt Zheng was wondering what guest was so important that Ruan Danchen was allowed to do everything without any prohibition from Qi Chenglin.

    Aunt Zheng nodded, but added, ¡°If you need me, please let me know.¡±

    Seeing as Ruan Danchen¡¯s insistence on not letting Aunt Zheng help, thetter went back to the room and continued sleeping.

    Qi Chenglin took the tea leaves and began preparing, before getting some water to boil.

    ...

    Ruan Keshan was driving, though he wished the car could fly to Prestige Residence immediately.

    Chen Minxia watched Ruan Keshan while he drove. There was a frown on his face, so she advised him, ¡°Don¡¯t think so much when you¡¯re driving. Remember to be safe.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded, with his brows slowly rxing. Something was bugging him however, and he was unable to rxpletely.

    He exhaled and asked, ¡°Tell me, why did Liu Ronghua lie to us? What was her intention in doing that? Ruan Danchen¡¯s surname is Ruan and her birthday is the same as our niece. Liu Ronghua¡¯s the one who adopted her too, so that means she¡¯s our niece!¡±

    Ruan Keshan hit the steering wheel and said, ¡°That Liu Ronghua was on such good terms with Keyu and his wife, but when they were gone, she quietly took away their daughter without saying anything. We¡¯ve been searching for her for so many years! That Liu Ronghua is really...is really...¡±

    ¡®A piece of garbage!¡¯

    Ruan Keshan was thinking of that, but in the end, his innate character precluded him from actually uttering it out loud.

    ¡°We even asked her that day but she didn¡¯t admit to it! What kind of heart does she have! I¡¯m so angry! I¡¯m so angry right now! That woman! She¡¯s so terrible, so selfish. She! She! She!¡±

    Saying the word ¡®she¡¯ three times in a row sufficed to let Ruan Keshan feel an intense amount of hatred.

    Chen Minxia could not understand why either. She shook her head. ¡°That time, it was obvious that she likes Keyu. Those feelings alone makes it hard to understand how she could let Keyu¡¯s daughter suffer so much. How was it possible that a person like Liu Ronghua could even exist in this world?¡±

    Chen Minxia gnashed her teeth and felt resentful too.

    At the red light, Ruan Keshan stopped the car and turned to his wife. Feeling ufortable, he asked, ¡°Tell me... If she¡¯s really our niece, will she be angry at us and be reluctant to acknowledge us? We never managed to find her after all these years. We weren¡¯t there when she went through hard times and we never helped her a single bit. She¡¯s living a good life now because she¡¯s now the Qi family¡¯s young madam. If we suddenlye forward and call her family, will she think that we¡¯re just some unprincipled family members who came just to take advantage of her?¡±

    When the light turned green, Ruan Keshan looked back ahead and stepped on the gas pedal. He mumbled to himself, ¡°If I were in her shoes, I¡¯d actually think that way too. I won¡¯t be happy. In my time of desperation, my family didn¡¯t even show themselves, and when I¡¯m living a good, steady life, they appear all of a sudden.

    ¡°Oh, Minxia, tell me...is it right for us to go and meet her? Our family is too far behind the Qi family. Even if Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t think of us like this, would the Qi family think the same? Would they think less of her once they know she has family members like us?¡± Yu Keshan sighed.

    He was at odds over it. On one hand, he wanted to meet her because she was his younger brother¡¯s sole descendant and her niece. At the same time, he was afraid too¡ªhe was afraid of being estranged with her and being a burden on her.

    ¡°That won¡¯t happen,¡± Chen Minxia reassured from the side. ¡°The things that Liu Ronghua did gave her so much trouble, and wasn¡¯t there some bad news about everything earlier? The Qi family still treats her the same. They won¡¯t hate her because of us.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s true, then she¡¯s blessed. But we still have to think of her even if she has so many blessings. Her life has been rough, and it was difficult for her to get in a good ce and live a stable life. Is it right for us to go and meet her like this? Truthfully speaking... As long as I know my little brother¡¯s daughter is living a happy life, I won¡¯t ask for anything else,¡± Ruan Keshan mumbled.

    ¡°If you¡¯re afraid of that, then let¡¯s not go. It¡¯s all good if she lives her life well,¡± Chen Minxia said softly.

    As soon as she finished speaking, a bright light shone from up ahead. Chen Minxia was only able to hear Ruan Zeer shout from behind, ¡°DAD!¡±

    ...

    After Guan Liya left, Zhao Fengchun pulled a long face and ran upstairs angrily. She pushed open Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s door and barged in.

    Wu Qiaoyin was sitting up on the bed and staring into space. Shocked, she asked unhappily, ¡°MOM. Why did youe in without knocking?¡±

 Chapter 440 - Meeting Family

    <h4>Chapter 440: Meeting Family</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Why did you do such an embarrassing thing this afternoon? You never thought of telling us that?¡± Zhao Fengchun had an ugly expression when she asked that.

    Wu Qiaoyin was shocked. She looked gloomy to begin with, but her expression turned even worse when she thought that Ruan Danchen was trying to make life difficult for her.

    Zhao Fengchun got angry simply by looking at her daughter. She went and pinched Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s arm immediately.

    ¡°OW! MOM! What are you doing?!¡± Wu Qiaoyin held her arm. Tears were pooling up in her eyes due to the pain.

    ¡°You¡¯re asking me what I¡¯m doing?! You did such a stupid thing in public but you came home and acted as though it didn¡¯t happen?¡± Zhao Fengchun pinched her hard once more. ¡°Did you think of our family when you embarrassed yourself in public just now? Huh? Did you think of us? You think it¡¯s all right if you just hide it from us? Didn¡¯t you ever think that we¡¯ll learn about it when we go out in public? Did you think about how we¡¯ll be clueless and friendly with everyone, but they¡¯re actually despising us without us knowing? How did I even get such a stupid daughter like you! You could¡¯ve chosen anywhere to embarrass yourself, but you chose the ce that had the most people in our circle!

    ¡°Jixia Elementary brings together all of B City¡¯s greatest families. If you embarrass yourself there, isn¡¯t that the same as letting all those people know about it? If they knew about it, word will spread, and everyone in the circle would know. Other than being made the butt of jokes, how will you continue to socialize with them? How will you find someone to marry? You were scolded by someone¡¯s legal wife in public and people are calling you a third party. Which family would want you now?¡± Zhao Fengcun got incredibly exasperated just by looking at Wu Qiaoying. She really wanted to p the girl.

    How could Wu Qiaoyin be so brainless!

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s father was an aplished businessman while Zhao Fengchun herself was an astute person. How did they managed to give birth to such an idiot!

    ¡°What do you mean third party? Don¡¯t say such nasty things. I went there to help! You heard what Big Brother Qi said in the office just now right? He said he had to work overtime and couldn¡¯t pick up his son, so since I¡¯m free, I went to pick him! It¡¯s not like Youxuan never met me anyway, and I¡¯m not a bad person too. I¡¯ve no idea that Ruan Danchen would badmouth me like that. Is there any bad blood between us? Why must she use me like that? She¡¯s just pretending in front of Big Brother Qi and in Auntie Guan¡¯s house. She looks like a nice little girl, but no one knows how devious she is. I didn¡¯t offend her, but she used me of being a third party in front of everyone there! I¡¯m the victim here, and you¡¯re scolding me?!¡± Wu Qiaoyin was about to cry as she said that.

    ¡°Did Qi Chenglin say that to you? You selectively chose to listen to the first half. Didn¡¯t you hear what he said after that? He asked Ruan Danchen to pick their son up. You didn¡¯t hear that? That¡¯s their son, why are you getting so involved for? If you¡¯re really sincere and wanted to show yourself in a good light, you¡¯d tell their family before going to pick Youxuan up, not go behind Ruan Danchen¡¯s back to pick up the child. If that¡¯s not having bad intentions, then what is? You¡¯re the one who revealed that side of yourself and allowed people to use that against you. If you¡¯re an idiot, don¡¯t me others for using simr methods to deal with you!¡± Zhao Fengchun was explosively angry. Her voice could be heard from downstairs.

    Wu Chuanshu heard their bickering and looked at the housekeeper, hinting at thetter to hide. Wu Chuanshu then went up to see things for himself.

    The two women¡¯s arguing was so loud that it resonated through every corner of their vi. Despite going into her room, the housekeeper could still hear their arguments.

    ¡°MOM! I¡¯m your daughter! Why are you scolding me instead of helping me?¡± Wu Qiaoyin wept, cried foul, and said, ¡°I was just being kind! Ruan Danchen¡¯s the one who treated my kindness as if it was a terrible thing. You¡¯re Auntie Guan¡¯s good friend, and Auntie Guan watched me grow up too. How could Ruan Danchen be so rude to me!¡±

    ¡°You really think I don¡¯t know if you have good intentions or not? You should know better not to deceive yourself and others. Even a little kid like Qi Youxuan could see through you. You think Ruan Danchen wouldn¡¯t? You can keep lying to yourself and saying that you went there purely to help, but the parents of Jixia¡¯s students are all smart people. Do you really think they¡¯ll believe you? You¡¯re only fooling yourself,¡± Zhao Fengchun said tensely.

    Instead of deceiving others, she deceived herself. What kind of fool was she?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care if you want to get close to Qi Chenglin through Qi Youxuan, but be smart about it. Who the hell¡¯s going to believe you if you do it so obviously? Letting his parents know is the smart and logical thing to do. Everyone knows that, so don¡¯t tell me you didn¡¯t know!¡± Zhao Fengcun was itching to squeeze her daughter¡¯s brain and wring out somemon sense.

    ¡°I... Big Brother Qi definitely won¡¯t agree to it. Ruan Danchen wouldn¡¯t have let me talk to Qi Youxuan,¡± the upset Wu Qiaoyin replied.

    ¡°Did you think that they won¡¯t me you or anything if you brought their child away without letting them know?¡± Zhao Fengchun was at wit¡¯s end. ¡°I¡¯m saying you¡¯re an idiot, but you refuse to admit that you¡¯re one. If Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t agree, couldn¡¯t you have asked Guan Liya? You said it yourself that she¡¯s my good friend and someone who watched you grow up. Do you think she¡¯ll refuse you if you said you were going to pick up Youxuan and didn¡¯t show any ulterior motives?¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s upper lip trembled and she mumbled, ¡°I didn¡¯t think of...¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right. You didn¡¯t think of that at all, so you did something stupid. Now look at what¡¯s happened. Guan Liya came to our home and criticized you! Things were in your favor before this, but you squandered it all! Amazing!¡± Zhao Fengchun could no longer tolerate it anymore. Her restless fingers finally reach out and flicked Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s head.

    ¡°If you went and informed Guan Liya, she¡¯ll treat it as though you were her niece that cared about her grandson. You could even get close to her. Now? She thinks your behavior¡¯s inappropriate and you were trying to exploit her grandson. Do you think she¡¯ll think well of you when she only has one grandson? Whatever good impression is now gone simply because you dragged her grandson into this.¡±

    ¡°I...¡± Wu Qiaoyin felt regret too. She wanted to try and make a good impression, but in the end, she not only failed¡ªshe even managed to make herself look absolutely horrendous.

    ¡°I know you like Qi Chenglin, but he¡¯s married. You can¡¯t possibly be thinking of being a mistress and bing his extramarital lover? Our family is not that low-ss. Are you going to embarrass us publicly in the worst way possible? I never stopped you in the past because our family has a good rtionship with theirs. If you had a good rtionship with them, you¡¯ll get into a good marriage too. It¡¯ll help both our families. But you, you can¡¯t think ahead. You insist on butting in and throwing all that away. If you really have what it takes to exile Ruan Danchen and let Qi Chenglin divorce her to marry you, then I¡¯ll support you. Even if there¡¯ll be a period of time where your reputation isn¡¯t good, no one will remember after a while. You¡¯re already his wife anyway, and what matters is the ending. Eventually, the only thing people will remember is who his wife currently is. No one will remember the past. It¡¯s clear that you don¡¯t have what it takes, so you¡¯d better know your ce.¡± Zhao Fengchun red at her.

    ¡°Who said that I don¡¯t have what it takes?¡± Wu Qiaoyin was getting anxious. She originally thought that it would be difficult for her to face the hardship alone, but after realizing that her mother¡¯s mindset was such, she knew that her mother would support her as long as she did better. It was an opportunity she did not want to let slip.

    Zhao Fengchun pursed her lips and kept quiet. Wu Chuanshu stepped in with a frown and red at Wu Qiaoyin, before shooting Zhao Fengchun a nce. ¡°Don¡¯t you say anything that¡¯ll put all those nonsense thoughts in her brain! Who in the world encourages their daughter to wreck another family! They¡¯re a happy family, why must the both of you interfere?!

    ¡°You know her brain doesn¡¯t understand things, but you still made statements that give her hope. There¡¯s plenty of other good men in this world, so why must you do something as disgusting as going after a married man with kids? They¡¯re enjoying their lives and yet you still think it¡¯s reasonable for you to destroy that. Don¡¯t you feel guilty?¡± Wu Chuanshu looked at his wife and daughter and felt angst. He wondered how the two of them became so unreasonable.

    ¡°BUT I LIKE HIM!¡± Wu Qiaoyin felt that her father did not understand the pains of true love.

    ¡°You like him, but his wife likes him too! Are you going to interfere in their marriage on the grounds that you like him? What right do you have? If you want to get close to his son out of love for him, she can also scold you in front of everyone out of love for her husband. You¡¯re not even being rational here. How can you be so confident that you¡¯re right?¡±

    Wu Chuanshu still remembered his daughter¡¯s embarrassing actions next-door. Due to those disgraceful actions, he did not speak much, as he was afraid that he could not control himself from scolding her if he opened his mouth.

    When Guan Liya visited them that night and said all those things, Wu Chuanshu felt his internal organs twist up in pain.

    ¡°And you.¡± Wu Chuanshu looked at Zhao Fengchun in a very displeased manner. ¡°Guan Liya¡¯s your childhood friend, where¡¯s the logic in allowing your daughter to pester Guan Liya¡¯s son and daughter-inw? Putting in another way, if a young girl runs to our family, cries out true love, and is determined to tempt me into divorcing you and be with her, would you be happy?¡±

    Zhao Fengchun¡¯s silence made him wonder if she was using her expression to show his dissatisfaction or whether she felt that he did not ord her enough respect in front of their daughter.

    ¡°If you won¡¯t be happy about it, then why would you let our daughter go around disgusting others like that?¡± Wu Chuanshu then pointed at Wu Qiaoyin. ¡°You¡¯ll follow me to work tomorrow and learn. You¡¯ll sit in my car when we go to work and when we leave. If you have nothing to do, don¡¯t go and stir up trouble!¡±

    After saying that, he hauled Zhao Fengchun out without bothering about Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s dissatisfaction.

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s room door was mmed shut, and she could hear her father chastising her mother outside. ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense in the future. If this mess affects our family business, both of you will be the ones crying in the future!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin did not hear a reply from Zhao Fengchun and was unable to see thetter¡¯s expression. Then, she heard Wu Chuanshu say, ¡°Stop your ridiculousness with Qiaoyin. If you anger the Qi family, do you think your friendship with Guan Liya will count for anything? Today is a clear sign that she protects her daughter-inw. If she wasn¡¯t unhappy with Qiaoyin, she wouldn¡¯t have visited us to tell us all that. Angering them will only cause problems for our business. I¡¯ll leave you to cry yourselves if you ruin our family by doing all those vile things in the name of love! Why are you still doing all that when you know the feelings won¡¯t be reciprocated!¡±

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was in the dark about what happened to the Wu family. She had already prepared the fruit and refreshments, while the water had been boiled and she had rinsed the tea leaves once already.

    Everything had been prepared and all that was left was for the Ruan family toe.

    Ruan Danchen was nervous and had a nagging feeling that something was not right. She went to and from the kitchen numerous times but found nothing unusual. She then went to take a look at the mirror and tidy up her already-tidy hair.

    ¡°How about I have a change of clothes?¡± Ruan Danchen turned to look at Qi Chenglin. She was breathing erratically due to her anxiousness.

    Qi Chenglin looked at her fidgetiness. He was just about to let her go have a change of clothes so she would feel at ease, but her phone rang at precisely that time.

    He went to get her phone for her and seeing Ruan Zeer as the caller, Ruan Danchen picked it up immediately. ¡°Zeer, are you here yet? I¡¯ll go down and open the door.¡±

    ¡°No, we... We got into a car ident. We¡¯re at the hospital now so we can¡¯t make it tonight. So sorry for troubling you,¡± Ruan Zeer¡¯s guilty voice was heard through the phone. ¡°And we¡¯ve already agreed toe over too.¡±

    ¡°Car ident?¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart jumped to her throat. She asked frantically, ¡°How¡¯s everyone? Are the injuries bad? Is the ident severe? Which hospital are you at right now? We¡¯ll go visit.¡±

    Ruan Zeer did not expect Ruan Danchen to be so worried. Evidently, it was different from Ruan Keshan¡¯s expectations that she would be unhappy because they did not look for her all those years.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s mouth remained agape. Although he did not show it, he was very worried about Ruan Danchen¡¯s reaction. He would be very sad indeed if Ruan Danchen did not care about him again after the incident.

    Relief finally set in, causing his eyes to redden. ¡°Big... Big Sis, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s a minor injury. Mom and I are okay. Dad suffered the impact because he didn¡¯t want us to get injured, but luckily, it¡¯s only some abrasions on his arms and legs. Everything else is alright.¡±

    On past asions, Ruan Danchen felt that him addressing her as ¡®Big Sis Ruan¡¯ was merely forging a closeness between them. She did not think much either when Ruan Zeer called her twice earlier that night.

    When she heard him address her as Big Sis again, the feeling waspletely different. Ruan Danchen finally understood the significance behind the way he addressed her during the earlier phone call.

    Ruan Danchen asked which hospital they were at, but Ruan Zeer felt that it was toote. It was not good to let her rush over, as they had already troubled her a lot that night. Nevertheless, he divulged the information under Ruan Danchen¡¯s insistence, as well as Qi Chenglin¡¯s action taking the phone over and telling Ruan Zeer that Ruan Danchen could not sleep well if Ruan Zeer did not tell her.

    After hanging up, Qi Chenglin said without being prompted by Ruan Danchen, ¡°Let¡¯s go. It¡¯s cold at night, so wear a few moreyers. I¡¯ll take you there.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded. She did not want to change into any other clothes, so she merely put on a thick overcoat and left with Qi Chenglin.

    He held her by the waist and frowned. ¡°Take it easy. I know you¡¯re anxious, but you need to adjust your state of mind. You¡¯re pregnant.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded and took a few deep breaths. She covered her stomach and finally calmed herself down. ¡°Okay.¡±

    ...

    Very soon, the couple reached the hospital. Ruan Zeer waited at the entrance as he knew they wereing.

    Catching sight of Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, he ran over, but just before he went up to Ruan Danchen, his footsteps slowed down, as if he wascking courage.

    ¡°Big Sis,¡± Ruan Zeer greeted.

    Addressing her as so was not too out-of-ce since he had been calling her that anyway.

    With Qi Chenglin however, he was afraid to be presumptuous by addressing him as elder brother-inw. Ruan Zeer moved his lips, but in the end, he did not know how best to address him.

    ¡°I... I¡¯ll bring you both over,¡± Ruan Zeer said. He looked down and walked straight up ahead.

    After the three of them entered the elevator, and Ruan Zeer looked at Ruan Danchen a couple of times. She looked like she wanted to say something but was afraid to do so. If it were any other time, Ruan Danchen would be amused if he gave her that expression, but in her nervousness, all she could do was smile warmly at him.

    She would always feel like vomiting if she got anxious.

    A few deep breathster, she managed to calm herself down again. Following Ruan Zeer out from the elevator, she turned and gave Qi Chenglin and anxious look.

    ¡°What are you afraid of? You¡¯re meeting your family,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly and held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand.

    Ruan Zeer was walking with them, and although Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was low, it was not like those words were whispered into Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear. Ruan Zeer could hear everything clearly.

    He looked at the Qi Chenglin in shock and his jaw was left hanging. He asked sheepishly, ¡°You... You know about that?¡±

    Qi Chenglin did not answer him, but simply cocked a brow and asked in a crisp voice, ¡°We¡¯re not there yet?¡±

    Looking at his calm character, Ruan Danchen took a deep breath and eased her worries.

    Ruan Zeer went nk, he looked around red-faced and said, ¡°We¡¯re here.¡±

    He nearly walked past it.

    It was a single-bed ward, and Ruan Danchen stood by the door and felt Qi Chenglin squeeze her hand a couple of times. She looked up at his calm and tranquil demeanor, then turned to Ruan Zeer. The boy did not open the door immediately but stood by the door. With Ruan Danchen¡¯s nod, he pushed the door open and entered himself.

    Hearing sounds by the door, Ruan Keshan looked over in anticipation but was somewhat disappointed to see his son only.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Ruan Zeer greeted and moved aside.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heartbeat quickened as she walked into the ward with Qi Chenglin.

    Nervous, she opened her eyes wide, making them look even bigger than before and disying a restlessness that could not be helped.

    Ruan Danchen did not know how to address the two people in front of them. She opened her mouth but did not know what to say.

    Before her eyes, she saw Ruan Keshan cry the moment heid eyes on her. His thick sses were clouded in tears. Ruan Keshan took them down, but his fuzzy eyesight forced him to put them on again.

    He blinked a couple of times and looked at Ruan Danchen, eximing in between sobs, ¡°Minxia, she¡¯s really Keyu¡¯s daughter! She is! She looks just like Keyu! She looks just like him! Exactly like him! There¡¯s... There¡¯s no proof, but I know she¡¯s Keyu¡¯s daughter!¡±

    Chen Minxia was stunned as well. She did not expect Ruan Danchen to be the woman she encountered that fateful day in the mall!

    No wonder she felt that Ruan Danchen looked very familiar back then. At that time, she was unable to recall who Ruan Danchen resembled, and since they were both strangers, Chen Minxia would not put too much thought into figuring out who a stranger looked like, much less connect the dots to her deceased brother-inw.

    Ruan Keshan¡¯s mention of it made her realize that Ruan Danchen shared simr features with Ruan Keyu.

    Ruan Keyu had delicate features, and even his daughter took after him rather beautifully. Ruan Keshan need only look at Ruan Danchen¡¯s nose, eyes, and mouth, to see that they werepletely simr to Ruan Keyu

    Chen Minxia wiped her tears and nodded repeatedly. ¡°Yes, she looks just like Keyu. She¡¯s definitely his.¡±

    Ruan Keshan took off his sses and cried even harder, sobbing uncontrobly even. It was a terrible sight to see when grown men cried, but no one there thought less of him for doing so.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart was crumbling to pieces. Other than the Qi family¡¯s elders, it was the first time she truly received familial love.

    Despite having little conversation, Ruan Danchen could see Ruan Keshan¡¯s deep emotion through his cries. He was someone rted by blood to her¡ªher family.

    Seeing Ruan Keshan cry like nobody¡¯s business made Ruan Danchen realize that she could rely on him without any reservations and that he would treat her unequivocally well too.

    ¡°Child, we weren¡¯t good enough, you suffered so much when we weren¡¯t beside you,¡± Ruan Keshan cried and said.

    Ruan Zeer was the reason that they paid attention to news involving Ruan Danchen. When the explosive allegations surfaced, they knew it was biased, and at the same time, they were aware that Ruan Danchen would not have had a good life with a person like Liu Ronghua by her side.

 Chapter 441 - I Think These Are All Blessings You Brought About

    <h4>Chapter 441: I Think These Are All Blessings You Brought About</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Zeer was the reason that they paid attention to news involving Ruan Danchen. When the explosive allegations surfaced, they knew it was biased, and at the same time, they were aware that Ruan Danchen would not have had a good life with a person like Liu Ronghua by her side.

    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered a lot all these years. It¡¯s my fault. I¡¯ve wronged Keyu; I¡¯ve wronged you. I can¡¯t believe I let my niece suffer alone out there all these years. I left you alone¡ªalone to be bullied; alone to be called an orphan. I wasn¡¯t there for you... I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all my fault. It¡¯s all my fault...¡± Ruan Keshan looked down. Tears trickled onto the bed sheet, forming a puddle on the bed.

    Ruan Danchen sniffled. Her eyes turned red at the sight of the man throwing away his dignity and crying in front of her. That family had looked for her for twenty-seven years¡ªhow could she ever see them as bad people?

    She had no family for the past twenty-seven years¡ªshe was utterly touched to find out that they had been looking for her for so many years without giving in. She could not me them for anything.

    Staring down on the bed, Ruan Keshan¡¯s vision was clouded by tears. When he looked up, he saw that Ruan Danchen was sitting by his bed. He could simply reach out and touch her¡ªhis niece.

    As he gazed at Ruan Danchen¡¯s face, which resembled the deceased Ruan Keyu¡¯s, he could not help but reminisce about his days of youth with his little brother¡ªabout Ruan Keyu¡¯s warm smile.

    ¡°I¡¯ve found you. Keyu, I found your daughter. I found her. I can finally face you when I leave this world for yours, brother,¡± Ruan Keshan sobbed.

    Ruan Danchen tried her best to hold back her tears as she looked at Ruan Keshan, who was hooked up on drips and his limbs wrapped up in bandages.

    ¡°Are... are your injuries severe?¡± Ruan Danchen inquired softly.

    Those were the first words that she uttered since she entered the room. Ruan Keshan was moved beyond words.

    ¡°It¡¯s nothing... No... I¡¯m not hurt... Just...umm... twisted my ankle. Nothing serious. Nothing serious at all!¡± babbled Ruan Keshan incoherently.

    Thus, Ruan Zeer exined, ¡°Luckily, the other driver was able to react swiftly and dodged us. My dad¡¯s foot was jammed on the elerator, so he twisted his ankle there.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. She turned back to Ruan Keshan. Sniffling and holding back her tears, she suggested, ¡°Let¡¯s... get a DNA test someday.¡±

    ¡°You... Are you unwilling...?¡± Ruan Keshan¡¯s expression dulled. He wiped away his tears but was still whimpering; his lips twitched as he forced himself to smile. ¡°I understand. We... don¡¯t wish to disrupt your current life either. You¡¯re living peacefully now¡ªthat¡¯s great. We won¡¯t reveal this to anyone either. You¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± Ruan Danchen corrected hastily, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand. I didn¡¯t have any rtives since I was a child. I¡¯m over the moon to discover that I do have rtives¡ªrtives who genuinely care for me. It¡¯s something I never even dared to dream of having. I never knew who my father was, or what he looked like. When I asked Liu Ronghua who my father was, what he did and what he looked like, she would never answer me. Now, I have an uncle and so many rtives¡ªI have a family. I¡¯m thrilled.¡±

    She noticed that Ruan Keshan¡¯s expression loosened. She turned to Chen Minxia and Ruan Zeer, smiling at them.

    ¡°I know that you¡¯ve been looking for your niece for twenty-seven years. From the beginning until now, you guys never gave in. It¡¯s something very important to all of you, so I think it¡¯s better to verify it. If I¡¯m not the girl you¡¯re looking for¡ª¡±

    Ruan Danchen sucked her lips. ¡°Then the real Miss Ruan is still out there. I do wish that I¡¯m the one you¡¯re looking for; I yearn for you to be my rtives. It must be fate¡ªI¡¯ve always treated Zeer like a little brother. My husband knew about this too. He looked into it and told me that I¡¯m the one you want to find, and I believe him. So, I trust that you¡¯re my real family, but I still think that having some sort of proof will let you guys rest easier.¡±

    ¡°Even without proof, I know you¡¯re the one,¡± Ruan Keshan assured. Nheless, he understood where Ruan Danchen wasing from.

    She was afraid that she might disappoint them¡ªshe was doing this for their sake.

    Ruan Keshan felt blessed to have such apassionate girl as his niece.

    ¡°In that case, when are you free? We¡¯ll do the DNA test. Your grandpa¡ª¡± As if trying to convince Ruan Danchen that he was telling the truth, Ruan Keshan said ¡®your grandpa¡¯ instead of ¡®my dad¡¯.

    The moment Ruan Danchen heard that, her heart was moved¡ªshe had someone she could call Grandpa. Moreover, he was such a respectable old man. Her joy could not be put into words. Without her realizing, her sincere admiration for him was unveiled in her eyes.

    When Ruan Keshan saw this, he felt gleeful and reassured.

    ¡°Your grandpa has to fly to the US tomorrow to attend a seminar¡ªhe won¡¯t be back till next Friday,¡± Ruan Keshan revealed. ¡°Nheless, it¡¯s not difficult to obtain his DNA sample¡ªthe house is riddled with his personal belongings.¡±

    ¡°Then... will tomorrow work?¡± Ruan Danchen proposed. She wanted to get the results as soon as possible.

    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Ruan Keshan was no different.

    Ruan Danchen wiped away the tears on her face with her fingertips. She stood up and put on a relieved smile. ¡°Rest well tonight. We¡¯lle to fetch you tomorrow. Whatever that needs to be resolved, let¡¯s wait until the resultes out. We¡¯ll talk about it after the elephant in the room is addressed.¡±

    Ruan Keshan was a man¡ªmen were usually more inattentive. After a short conversation, Ruan Danchen could already tell that he was a man who paid little attention to details.

    Looking for his niece was a matter of utmost importance, so they could not afford to be reckless and omit this DNA test. She did not want Ruan Keshan to periodically doubt whether she was his real niece, afraid that the real one was still out there alone.

    Ruan Keshan was a man who valued morals and ethics highly. He would never do anything that would hurt Ruan Danchen¡ªit would be like torturing himself.

    He did not want to dishearten, so he did not want to suggest a DNA test. On the other hand, he wanted to investigate further into this¡ªit was always better to know the whole truth with confidence than to guess. He also wanted to eliminate any doubts in his mind.

    Moreover, judging from Chen Minxia¡¯s reaction, she agreed with Ruan Danchen too.

    ¡°Rest assured, we¡¯ll take care of the repairs for the car,¡± Qi Chenglin affirmed. Seeing Ruan Keshan¡¯s earnest behavior toward Ruan Danchen, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression softened.

    ¡°Is there anything else you need? We can get it for you.¡± Ruan Danchen thought that they must¡¯ve had dinner before Ruan Zeer called her to inform them of their visit.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we don¡¯tck anything necessary. We¡¯re only staying here for one night, so there¡¯s no need for you to go through all that trouble,¡± Chen Minxia turned down politely.

    Ruan Danchen contemted it and insisted on getting them some essentials. She instructed Qi Chenglin to head to a supermarket to get some toothbrushes, toothpaste and a thin nket¡ªthe ward was air-conditioned but the weather was warm so a thick one was not necessary.

    Ruan Danchen scanned the ward. Ruan Keshan had the privilege to upgrade to a premium ward, but because of the suddenness of the ident, he was admitted into a normal ward. Since it was only one night, they did not bother to request for an upgrade.

    However, the ward was not big. There was only one sofa on the side, which could barely fit a person lying down.

    Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia was a married couple, so they could share the bed.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen proposed, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe home with us today, Zeer?¡± You have sses tomorrow and we have a driver who can send you to school.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. It¡¯s alright,¡± declined Ruan Zeer, waving his hand and scratching his head.

    However, Chen Minxia ordered, ¡°You have school tomorrow. Go home and rest. There¡¯s no point in you staying here anyway.¡±

    Ruan Zeer did not need to take the university entrance exam anymore; nevertheless, Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia would never let him skip school.

    Worse yet, Chen Minxia taught in the high school that Ruan Zeer was in, so she could monitor him twenty-four seven. This made Ruan Zeer feel even more agonized.

    ¡°In that case, we¡¯ll send you home,¡± said Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Zeer yearned to see the DNA test result with them tomorrow, but he did not dare to voice it out.

    Before they left, Ruan Danchen turned to Ruan Keshan again and said, ¡°Rest well tonight. We¡¯lle first thing in the morning tomorrow.¡±

    ...

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen sent Ruan Zeer home. When Ruan Danchen saw him walking in alone with his hands on his head, Ruan Danchen asked tenderly, ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want toe home with us? Will you be alright alone?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m quite grown up now,¡± Ruan Zeer said bashfully. He was scratching his head again.

    He nces at Ruan Danchen. His lips twitched and with a flushed face, he mumbled, ¡°I... I¡¯m really d to have you as my sister.¡±

    He nced at Ruan Danchen quickly, then exined hastily, ¡°Please don¡¯t misunderstand¡ªit¡¯s not... it¡¯s not because of your status. I just¡ª¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m also d to have you as my little brother. I sincerely wish that we really are cousins. I¡¯m overjoyed to find out that I have a family¡ªa family as kind as yours, no less. It¡¯s like a dreame true.¡± Ruan Danchen stroked his head. He was nine years younger than her, and she saw him as both a little brother and a son.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to overthink this. There¡¯s no need to feel apprehension when you tell me such things¡ªI know you guys are good people. You guys don¡¯t care about status and money,¡± Ruan Danchen assured in a cheerful tone. ¡°Did you know my status when you first met me? You had always beenfortable around me; what changed? Why is it that when you find out that we are even more closely rted than we imagined, you act more distant instead of familiar? That¡¯s not right.¡±

    ¡°I may have been overthinking,¡± admitted Ruan Zeer shyly. His face was tinted red.

    ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it,¡± advised Ruan Danchen softly. ¡°Are you sure you¡¯ll be alright alone? You don¡¯t have to be shy.¡±

    ¡°No, really. There¡¯s no need,¡± Ruan Zeer insisted.

    After all, it was more convenient for him to head to school from here rather than having them drop him off at school after sending Qi Youxuan to his school. The detour would dy their arrival at the hospital.

    Ruan Danchen could only nod. Only after she watched Ruan Zeer go up the stairs and saw the lights in the house turn on did she head back to the car. Qi Chenglin drove home.

    ¡°So much happened tonight. Are you tired?¡± Qi Chenglin took his right hand off the steering wheel and held her hand. Ruan Danchen returned his grip and moved his hand onto her tummy.

    ¡°I¡¯m not tired. In fact, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to sleep¡ªI¡¯m too exhrated.¡± She pointed at her heart. ¡°Despite all, I still feel a little uneasy. I still don¡¯t know for sure that this is really happening.¡±

    ¡°No matter what happens, your health is a priority,¡± Qi Chenglin reminded, fearful that her emotions would affect her physically.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Gracefully, she leaned toward him and rested her head on his shoulder.

    She wrapped her arm around his and inteced her fingers with his. She let out a satisfied sigh.

    Driving, Qi Chenglin quickly glimpsed at her from the corner of his eyes, then returned his focus on the road. She was pregnant, so he was being extra careful. Besides that, Ruan Keshan was just in an ident that night¡ªit nted fear in him.

    He understood that Ruan Keshan must have been too overwhelmed by emotions to pay attention to the road.

    It served as a strong reminder for Qi Chenglin to keep his eyes on the road for the sake of Ruan Danchen. Thus, he did not dare to tease Ruan Danchen while driving as he did before.

    Even so, with Ruan Danchen so close to him, he could smell some hints of fragranceing from her face. The smell washed away all his anxiety, soothing and calming him.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it ufortable for you to lean on me like this?¡± inquired Qi Chenglin when they stopped at a red light. He turned to her and kissed her forehead. His lips lingered on her skin, rubbing back and forth as he breathed in the sweet scent of her. His voice was turning hoarse.

    His car was spacious as there was a huge gap between the driver and passenger seats. Bridging such a long distance to lean on him could not have beenfortable.

    ¡°It¡¯s ufortable, but I want to lean on you,¡± admitted Ruan Danchen. Her eyelids were half-closed as she rubbed against his shoulders kittenishly.

    Hearing that, Qi Chenglin kept quiet. He kissed the tip of her nose and continued driving carefully when the light turned green.

    ¡°Do you want to nap in the car for a while?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    In the limited space of the car, his voice was not too loud, yet it possessed some sort of maic quality, sending ripples through her heart. The car was moving, but they were surrounded by a cluster of cars due to a traffic jam. Lights from streetmps, cars, and high-rises flooded their space.

    In spite of that, Ruan Danchen felt that it was especially quiet inside the car. It was like a haven exclusive to the two of them. In the car, she could not hear anything but their breaths and Qi Chenglin¡¯s tender and harmonic voice, and smell the fresh scent emitted from his body.

    ¡°Having you is such a blessing.¡± Ruan Danchen wrapped her arms tight around his thick, muscr arm. It was nice and cozy to snuggle up to. ¡°Ever since you came into my life, I got a son, a kind grandma, and a great big family. You¡¯re all so kind to me. Now, I even found my uncle and auntie and even a little brother. I think these are all blessings you brought about. If it weren¡¯t for you, I might not have been able to reunite with my family.¡±

    Without Qi Chenglin, Qi Youxuan would not have existed, and without Qi Youxuan, she would never have met Ruan Zeer. Without Qi Chenglin, her every action would not have caught anyone¡¯s attention and she would never have been on the news¡ªher news would never have reached the Ruan family.

    Now that she thought back upon it, it seemed like her luck had gradually improved ever since she met Qi Chenglin.

    She felt that she was in safe hands. His breathing gradually calmed her down. Although she imed she could not sleep just now, her eyes shut without her realizing. Slowly, she dozed off without noticing the smug look on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face when she said those words.

    When Qi Chenglin parked the car in the garage, Ruan Danchen was already sound asleep.

    If the gap between the seats had been empty¡ªwithout the storagepartment and center console for her to lean on¡ªshe probably would have fallen onto hisp.

    Qi Chenglin turned off the engine. Carefully, he moved Ruan Danchen back to her seat. She did not wake up.

    He got out of the car and shut the door gently. Then, he went over to her side and carried her out, closing the car door with his leg.

    He gazed at her the entire way in. Although she said she was not tired, tonight was quite eventful and she was pregnant¡ªit was not surprising that she would fall asleep.

    When they reached the elevator, Qi Chenglin was contemting how he could carry her with one hand and press the elevator button with the other¡ªall without waking her up. While he was troubled by this, Ruan Danchen rubbed her face against his chest. She looked up and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t you just stand here and hold me for a little longer?¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked down. He tossed her upward a little. Ruan Danchen quickly held on tight to his neck. Even so, it did not scare her; in fact, she thought it was quite fun.

    When she was a child, she never had anyone to carry her high-up like this¡ªshe enjoyed it very much. Sheughed, wrapping her arms tight around him. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid you¡¯re scaring the baby?¡±

    Qi Chenglin was stunned. Suddenly, he regretted his impulsive action.

    Noticing this, Ruan Danchen teased, ¡°Why are you so easily startled? Our child is no scaredy-cat. In fact, it¡¯s quite fun. Rest assured, I¡¯m absolutely fine.¡±

    Ruan Danchen rested her cheek on his shoulder. ¡°Today was a good day. I¡¯m happy.¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t feel any difort?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyebrows knitted together as he stared anxiously at her belly.

    ¡°Not at all.¡± Ruan Danchen was not worried that Qi Chenglin would be tired from carrying her. She continued to liezily in his arms with her eyes half-open.

    Although already awake, she was still in a daze. Through her drowsy eyes, all she saw was his dazzlingly fair neck. Turning her face, her gaze moved down from his earlobe, along his angr jaw, to his striking corbone partially revealed through his shirt cor.

    This beguiling sight made Ruan Danchen swallow. She pulled herself closer to him and nted a kiss on his snow-white neck.

    When she moved away, she noticed his ears had turned red from the very top to the tip of his earlobes¡ªthey were the color of red jade.

    His neck, on the other hand, only had a light shade of pink tinted on it. He was too irresistible. She pouted and mumbled inaudibly.

    It was something along the lines of him being mean for seducing her like this even when he knew she could not do anything for three months.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows and grinned. He never nned to let her down even if she woke up¡ªhe continued to carry her princess-style. ¡°Since when have you been awake?¡±

    Ruan Danchen suspected that he was just trying to change the subject, yet she still answered, ¡°Since you moved me back to my seat on the car.¡±

    She chuckled when she saw him raising an eyebrow at her. ¡°I was just curious about what you will do if I was actually asleep.¡±

    Who would have guessed this man would have times where he was single-minded too although exhausted, he remained persistent about carrying her.

    ¡°Feeling cozy in my arms?¡± teased Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t even want to ask you to put me down.¡± She rested her head against his shoulder¡ªher eyelids drooping.

    He was delighted to know that she could rx in his arms and depend entirely on him. He bowed his head to kiss her.

    This time, Ruan Danchen was the one turning red. Subconsciously, she returned his kiss, raising her head higher to kiss him deeper. When he prated into her mouth, she entangled herself with him passionately¡ªscouring deep into his mouth. As her mouth filled up with the taste of him, she moaned and inhaled sharply.

    Qi Chenglin opened his eyes slightly. He saw that his kiss had washed away all her thoughts. Her flushed face was exceedingly bewitching. Indulged in his kiss, she even had beads of tears hanging at the corner of her eyes¡ªtears of pleasure.

    Just then, Ruan Danchen heard the elevator bell and recalled that Qi Chenglin never did press the elevator button.

    Then, she heard an awkward cough. She snapped out of it instantly and opened her eyes in shock.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips moved¡ªRuan Danchen heard some him grumbling something. When Qi Chenglin looked up and stood straight, Ruan Danchen was so ashamed that she could not utter a word.

 Chapter 442 - If I Enrage You, You Might Just Run Back to the Ruan Family

    <h4>Chapter 442: If I Enrage You, You Might Just Run Back to the Ruan Family</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Who on earth was leaving their house at such hours?

    From the corner of her eyes, Ruan Danchen caught a glimpse of the two people walking out of the elevator¡ªthey looked like the people living a floor beneath them.

    She did not get a good look at them. Immediately, she buried her face against Qi Chenglin¡¯s neck and pulled her hair to the front, covering her flushed face. She did not instruct Qi Chenglin to put her down.

    If he put her down, she would have to face her neighbors¡ªhow awkward would that be? She would rather y dead in Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms.

    Seeing her ¡®if I can¡¯t see them, they can¡¯t see me¡¯ attitude, her neighbors burst outughing.

    The people living beneath them was an elderly couple who had already retired. Their business had been handed over to their son while they enjoy retirement at home.

    They were going out tonight because they heard that their youngest daughter-inw was pregnant with a second child. Since their youngest son lived in the same residential area, the elderly could not resist rushing over to his home. Unexpectedly, they ran into this lovey-dovey young couple.

    The old man grinned. He did not feel like he had interrupted the young couple at all. In his usual booming and confident voice, he asked, ¡°Out here to y?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was speechless.

    Why was that old man not leaving yet?

    ¡°No, we¡¯re just out for a romantic time,¡± Qi Chenglin said calmly.

    The old man¡¯s eyes twitched. Initially, he wanted to tease Qi Chenglin more but it seemed like things were not going to n¡ªthe words could not leave his mouth. Before he could think of a wittyment, his wife dragged him away.

    While walking away, the old man turned around and shouted pridefully, ¡°My youngest daughter-inw is pregnant with her second child! I¡¯ll be sure to bring you some red eggs after the baby shower.¡±

    Qi Chenglin snorted softly. The old man did not hear him. Qi Chenglin asked, ¡°How many months in?¡±

    ¡°We just got the news today! Only one month old,¡± the old man answered joyously.

    Hearing that date, Qi Chenglin¡¯s mood brightened. He smiled and said courteously, ¡°Take care, mister.¡±

    The old man was astonished¡ªsince when was Qi Chenglin ever so polite? Even he knew that this brat was quite small-minded.

    When it came to business, his two sons had fallen victim to the Qi brothers countless times¡ªthe old man could not forgive and forget. He wanted to use this as a chance to make Qi Chenglin envious, yet Qi Chenglin¡¯s reaction was not what the old man expected.

    Qi Chenglin did not pay much attention to him either¡ªhe entered the already-open elevator door.

    The old man¡¯s wife pinched his arm. ¡°What are you bragging about? Don¡¯t you know you shouldn¡¯t jinx it in the first three months!¡±

    In the elevator, Ruan Danchen wanted to be put down, but Qi Chenglin refused. Still holding her in his arms, he instructed, ¡°Press the button.¡±

    Ruan Danchen reached out and pressed the button to their floor. Covering her face out of embarrassment, Raun Danchen muttered, ¡°They saw me. How humiliating.¡±

    ¡°Since they¡¯ve already seen you, there¡¯s no point in putting you down anymore,¡± Qi Chenglin pointed out. He was determined to carry her all the way back to their home.

    ¡°Am I not heavy? Where did u get all this strength from?¡± Ruan Danchen patted his shoulders and squeezed them¡ªthey were extraordinarily muscr.

    ¡°Just enjoy it while I can still carry you. When you be fatter and fatter, I won¡¯t even be able to pick you up anymore,¡± Qi Chenglin teased.

    ¡°...¡± Previously, Ruan Danchen thought that this man was quite the romantic, but after hearing that, she ground her teeth and grumbled, ¡°I don¡¯t need you to carry me around now either! I hate you!¡±

    She twisted and turned in his arms. In truth, Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms were already sore, but he was still reluctant to put her down. Even so, her struggling was making him lose his grip. Hastily, he pushed her against the wall and readjusted his grip¡ªwith the wall supporting her, he was not afraid of her falling anymore.

    ¡°Stop fooling around. Aren¡¯t you afraid you¡¯re going to fall and hurt yourself?¡± Qi Chenglin ordered firmly.

    Hearing that, Ruan Danchen did not dare to move anymore. She clenched her teeth and mumbled, ¡°When my tummy gets bigger, I¡¯ll ask you to carry me whenever I like.¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± Qi Chenglin answered with an I-will-do-anything-for-you smile.

    Influenced by Qi Chenglin¡¯s subtle coaxing, her anger subsided, but she still puffed up her little cheeks.

    ...

    The next morning, Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin headed to the hospital right after sending Qi Youxuan to school. Ruan Danchen had not revealed this matter to the little one yet as she wanted to settle everything appropriately before exining it to him.

    It was quite aplicated matter, so Ruan Danchen was still pondering how she could simplify it for the little boy.

    By the time they reached the hospital, Chen Minxia was out of the room going through the procedures required to get Ruan Keshan discharged. His injuries were not severe¡ªhe only stayed the night as a precaution. However, judging from the wreckage of the car, Ruan Keshan was exceedingly lucky to have escaped without major injuries.

    ¡°Have you two had breakfast?¡± inquired Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Yes, yes, we did.¡± Ruan Keshan was so nervous and excited to see Ruan Danchen that he became tongue-tied.

    When Chen Minxia came back in, she heard her husband asking the pointless question, ¡°Have... Have you two eaten?¡±

    Although it was a silly question, Ruan Danchen did notugh or mock him. With a soft expression, she nodded and replied earnestly, ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve eaten too.¡±

    Chen Maixia entered the room and announced, ¡°Everything¡¯s done. We can leave now, but before that, we have to drop by Dad¡¯s ce to get his DNA sample.¡±

    Chen Minxia had taken a day off from work and followed in Qi Chenglin¡¯s car to Grandfather Ruan¡¯s house.

    On the way there, Ruan Keshan unveiled many things about the Ruan family.

    He talked about everything that has happened in the family¡ªno matter big or small. He even told her about the minor details in their daily lives. However, he did not say much about their search for Ruan Danchen¡ªhe never revealed the hardship they went through to find her. Even so, this only made Ruan Danchen more upset¡ªit made her want to get closer to them.

    Nheless, she knew that Ruan Keshan did it because he did not want to upset her. He did not want to let her think he was just wanted to whine about those few tough years either.

    Ruan Danchen also understood that the fact that she was the granddaughter-inw of the Qi family made the Ruan family feel the need to be cautious when speaking to her. After all, she was a rtive they had not seen for twenty-seven years. They did not want to cause any misunderstandings at the slip of the tongue.

    There was nothing Ruan Danchen could do about it. She could only hope to tear down these walls of theirs by spending more time together and learning more about each other¡¯s lives.

    Ruan Lichuan had left for the airport with his assistant early in the morning. The only person at home was Liao Qiying, also known as Grandmother Ruan.

    Liao Qiying came from a well-educated family as well. Her father was the conductor of the National Orchestra. Liao Qiying was also a renowned pianist who had now retired. Rather than toiling as a piano instructor, she decided to devote all her time to her family and to searching for her long lost granddaughter.

    Many families had used their connection with the family to try to convince Liao Qiying to teach their children. Nevertheless, she rejected all of them.

    She was busy looking for her granddaughter¡ªshe had no time for others¡¯ children.

    Chen Minxia and Ruan Danchen had the same opinion¡ªsince this matter still had some uncertainties, they wanted to avoid revealing it to the elders just yet so it would not stress them out.

    Ruan Zeshan and Chen Minxia, on the other hand, did not mind at all. They had confidence in both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡ªthey had long seen her as family.

    Nevertheless, it was only natural for the elders to be a little skeptical. How could they just take Qi Chenglin¡¯s word for it when it was something so important?

    Thus, Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia did not inform Liao Qiying yet. Afraid that Grandmother Ruan will suspect something when she saw Ruan Keshan¡¯s injuredg, they decided that Chen Minxia should go up alone.

    After a short while, Chen Minxia came back down and produced a small stic bag from her handbag. Inside it contained a few strands of hair. ¡°Done.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan had curly hair while Grandfather Ruan¡¯s was straight, so they were easy to distinguish.

    The four of them headed to the DNA testb. With Qi Chenglin present, things were sped up significantly, as usual.

    Once they had submitted all their test samples, they went to a cafe and sat down to wait for the results, which would take approximately four to five hours before they could receive it.

    Since they had been apart for so many years, they did not know much about each others¡¯ lives¡ªtime flew by as they filled each other in about little details of their lives.

    As for Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin¡¯s past, she revealed it to them with Qi Chenglin¡¯s permission.

    ¡°That monster!¡± Ruan Keshan yelled after hearing Ruan Danchen¡¯s story. Needless to say, he was furious at Liu Ronghua.

    ¡°She... She... Monster!¡± Ruan Keshan clenched his fists. His body trembled with rage. ¡°We only found out that she was in B City through the news a while ago. It wasn¡¯t easy to find her and yet she dared to lie to my face! She told us that when she went back to the hospital, the child was gone and you have no rtions to us what-so-ever!¡±

    ¡°How could she be so devious! How could there be someone so vile?!¡± Ruan Keshan exploded.

    Liu Ronghua knew them; she knew Ruan Danchen was part of their family, yet she chose to force Ruan Danchen into a life of suffering instead of simply giving her back to them.

    In their home, Ruan Danchen may not be able to live asvishly as in the Qi family¡¯s home, but at least they could be confident that Ruan Danchen would be pampered and grow up without troubles, rather than suffer out there with Liu Ronghua.

    When Ruan Keshan, who was usually calm and well-tempered, heard about Liu Ronghua taking advantage of Ruan Danchen, he could not help but feel the urge to tear Liu Ronghua apart.

    Although Ruan Danchen¡¯s life had taken a turn for the better, who would atone for the anguish she suffered in the past twenty-six years?

    If the price for a good life was twenty-six years of agony, Ruan Keshan would rather have Ruan Danchen grow up in the Ruan family home¡ªgrow up under his love and care.

    Besides, was being part of the Qi family really so great?

    It was true that she had loving inws, a pampering husband, and a bright little boy; nheless, being part of the Qi family was immensely stressful¡ªas made evident by the countless attacks made against hertely.

    Moreover, those were only the ones that dared to show their hatred. As for the ones that secretly harbored animosity toward her, Ruan Keshan did not even have the heart to imagine how many there were.

    ¡°Why on earth would she do that?¡± Ruan Keshan could not wrap his head around Liu Ronghua¡¯s reasoning.

    What did she hope to achieve by being a single mother to a child who was not hers?

    ¡°I¡¯ve always thought that Liu Ronghua loved Keyu, but if that was the case, why didn¡¯t she take good care of his child? Why did she abuse you?¡± Chen Minxia questioned, knitted her eyebrows together tightly. ¡°Was it because she detested the fact that Yuehuan was Keyu¡¯s wife and mother to his child? Was it because Keyu never had other feelings for Liu Ronghua and never knew the love she harbored toward him? Was that why she wanted you? As a memento of Keyu? But perhaps when she saw you, she was inevitably reminded of Yuehuan, and so she could not help but take out her anger on you.¡±

    Needless to say, Chen Minxia was only able to analyze Liu Ronghua¡¯s thought pattern because she was a woman¡ªdespite how intelligent Qi Chenglin was, he never could have deciphered how the brain of an envious and self-contradicting woman functioned.

    Unknowingly, Chen Minxia had sessfully unraveled a huge portion of Liu Ronghua¡¯s mentality.

    ¡°Since we¡¯re talking about Liu Ronghua, your predictions seem quite usible,¡± Qi Chenglin admitted as he nodded his head in agreement. ¡°That woman¡¯s mind works differently from others¡¯. We can¡¯t understand her from a normal person¡¯s point of view.¡±

    ¡°She says she loves Keyu, yet she treats Ruan Danchen like this! She has no right to say she loves him!¡± raged Ruan Keshan before he gulped down a huge cup of cold water.

    Qi Chenglin checked the time and pointed out, ¡°The results should be out soon. We should go check. We can discuss the details after the reportse out.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded. The four of them headed back to the DNA testb.

    After waiting for nearly twenty minutes, a worker handed them two freshly produced reports.

    One was between Ruan Danchen and Ruan Lichuan while the other was between her and Ruan Keshan.

    Ruan Keshan was too anxious and excited to think about finding a ce to sit. Thus, Chen Minxia led him to an empty chair in the waiting area of theb and sat him down. Instantly, he took the report out of its envelope.

    He flipped through his report hastily and let out a wide grin at the end. Without having him say a word, the result was evident from the look on his face.

    Then, he went through Ruan Danchen and Grandfather Ruan¡¯s report. Immediately, he started to cry without caring about the strangers around them.

    He handed the reports to Ruan Danchen and took off his sses to wipe his tears. ¡°Danchen, you¡¯re our niece! You¡¯re our niece!¡±

    Tears rolled down Ruan Danchen¡¯s face as she read the report. She passed it to Chen Minxia and turned to hug Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin patted the back of her head and soothed her back. Droplets of tears fell on his shirt. He felt as if her tears were burning on his chest.

    Qi Chenglin looked down and kissed her temple and the corner of her eyes.

    ¡°Chenglin, I... I have an uncle, an aunt, a grandpa, and a grandma. I... I have so much now. I...¡± Ruan Danchen stuttered as she cried in his arms.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, you have so much now. Next time, I won¡¯t dare to bully you anymore. If I enrage you, you might just run back to the Ruan family,¡± Qi Chenglin teased softly as heforted her.

    Ruan Danchen tutted and smiled as she sobbed.

    Chen Minxia kept the report away and moved to Ruan Keshan¡¯s side. She hugged him gently. ¡°We found her. We can finally stop searching. Finally, we found Keyu¡¯s daughter. Danchen may have led a difficult life, but at least she¡¯s better off than we imagined. In the future, we won¡¯t have to worry about her anymore. We can live our lives in peace.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded relentlessly. He looked up and turned to Ruan Danchen, not minding his face full of tears.

    ¡°Danchen, can you... Can you call me ¡®Uncle¡¯?¡± requested Ruan Keshan timidly. His eyes were blood red.

    ¡°Uncle.¡± Ruan Danchen instantly leaned into Ruan Keshan¡¯s embrace.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s arms suddenly felt empty. He sighed helplessly when he saw his wife hugging her uncle and bawling her eyes out with him.

    Other customers in the waiting area stared at them strangely. Chen Minxia was bothughing as she sobbed, ¡°There are so many people watching us here. Let¡¯s find some other ce to talk.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s head back to Mom¡¯s ce,¡± Ruan Keshan said as he and Ruan Danchen finally let go of each other.

    Ruan Keshan took the tissue Chen Minxia handed to him and wiped his tears. He told Ruan Danchen, ¡°Your grandma will be overjoyed.¡±

    Having said that, Ruan Keshan started worrying again. He turned to Ruan Danchen. ¡°This is so sudden. Do you think it¡¯ll be too big of a shock for Mom?¡±

    Chen Minxia scolded, ¡°What else can we do? If we don¡¯t bring Danchen back to Mom right now, she¡¯ll kill you when she finds out.¡±

    Ruan Keshan giggled foolishly. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go. We¡¯ll hurry home and tell Mom about this.¡±

    Ruan Keshan was so thrilled that he lost all his senses. Chen Minxia, on the other hand, could still think clearly. She turned to Qi Chenglin and inquired, ¡°Do you two have any ns today? If you do, we can always do this some other time.¡±

    Although Ruan Danchen was extremely delighted and exhrated, she was worried that Grandmother Ruan might be distant toward her. After all, it had been twenty-seven years.

    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯ll have Xiao Yang send Youxuan and Zeer over too,¡± Qi Chenglin stated coolly. ¡°If it isn¡¯t intruding, we¡¯d like to stay for dinner as well.¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t be intruding! No, not at all!¡± Ruan Keshan nodded continuously. Of course they were weed to stay.

    After twenty-seven years, they finally found their long lost niece. Ruan Keshan guessed that Grandmother Ruan must want Ruan Danchen to stay for a few days. In spite of that, Ruan Keshan knew that Qi Chenglin would never agree so he did not bother to ask.

    Chen Minxia and Ruan Danchen helped Ruan Keshan into the car. Chen Minxia knew that Ruan Keshan had dreamed of finding his niece for decades, so she proactively sat at the front passenger seat, letting Ruan Danchen and Ruan Keshan sit in the backseat together to chat.

    Ruan Keshan kept staring at Ruan Danchen as if he was afraid she would disappear the moment he took his eyes off her¡ªhe could never let that happen to the niece he worked so hard to find.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted. Besides Qi Chenglin, she never had anyone else care so deeply about her.

    ¡°When we heard the news about your parents¡¯ incident, your grandma fell horribly sick. She got better eventually, but at that time, she was in critical condition. We thought she was going to leave us like Keyu¡ªit was truly terrifying. Back then, if it weren¡¯t for you and your grandma, your grandpa probably couldn¡¯t have held on much longer either. However, his resolve to find you acted like a pir of support he could grasp on, giving him a will to live. Surprisingly, it motivated him to be stronger. You were his purpose in life,¡± Ruan Keshan exined. Then, he proceeded toy out the details of Grandmother Ruan¡¯s condition.

    Chen Minxia called Grandmother Ruan from the front seat. ¡°Mom, we... We found Keyu¡¯s daughter!¡±

    Ruan Danchen could not hear what Grandmother Ruan was saying on the other side of the line. Chen Minxia replied, ¡°You¡¯ll understand when you see her. She looks exactly like Keyu. We came back this morning to get a sample of Dad¡¯s hair for a DNA test. She did it with Keshan as well. Mom, please don¡¯t me us for hiding this from you. We wanted to know for sure before informing you. We want you to be happy.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, we¡¯re bringing her home right now¡ªalong with your grandson-inw. And your great-grandson will arriveter today! That¡¯s right, you have a great-grandson!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t say that she had a good life in those past years. She suffered a lot¡ªall because of vile people. I¡¯ll tell you everything when we get home, but rest assured mom, she¡¯s living a blissful life now.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s right here, hold on.¡±

    Chen Minxia handed the phone to Ruan Danchen. With a smile, she said, ¡°Grandma wants to talk to you.¡±

    Ruan Danchen took the phone nervously. She opened her mouth and uttered strenuously, ¡°Grandma.¡±

    She had never seen Grandmother Ruan¡ªshe did not know what she sounded like, what she looked like or her manner and attitude.

    Right after Ruan Danchen called her Grandma, she heard Grandmother Ruan sobbing through the phone. As she cried, she whimpered, ¡°Good girl... My precious granddaughter... You¡¯ve been through so much...¡±

    ¡°Where are you all now? I¡¯ll go grocery shopping right now. Will you stay for dinner tonight?¡± Grandmother Ruan asked abruptly.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll all stay for dinner,¡± Ruan Danchen sniffled. Her lips curled up in bliss.

 Chapter 478 - Daily Lives of the Qi Family Â· The End

    <strong>Chapter 478: Daily Lives of the Qi Family ¡¤ The End</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning indicated that she was toozy to mber up the slide herself.

    Thus, Wen Xu picked her up again and ced her on top of the slide with the utmost care. His cautious and gentle behavior made others forget that he was merely eleven years old.

    Little Youning cheered joyously as she slid down. She asked Wen Xu to put her on top of the slide again and again; even so, Wen Xu was not the least bit annoyed.

    Although he was expressionless, he still fulfilled her every request.

    Little Youning stared at Wen Xu with her grape-sized eyes, making the cool and distant Wen Xu quite ufortable.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Little Youning abruptly.

    ¡°Wen Xu,¡± he replied. Despite his voice still being squeaky like that of any child¡¯s, his manner was extremely cold and aloof.

    He acted distant yet obedient¡ªthis reminded Little Youning of Little Muche. ¡°Are you... Are you willing to be my partner?¡±

    The undercover bodyguards watching from a dark corner stumbled forward when he heard the chubby baby¡¯s request. They were already astonished to see the young master of the house being ordered around by this chubby baby¡ªhow dare she ask such an absurd question.

    ¡°When I want to beat up someone, you¡¯ll be the one with the bat; when I¡¯m in an argument, you will always back me up; when I want to climb trees, you will be my stepping stool.¡± Little Youning stared at Wen Xu earnestly with her hands cupping her plump little face. ¡°Are you willing?¡±

    Wen Xu kept his mouth shut for a long while, then finally answered, ¡°I live in T City¡ªI can¡¯t follow you around.¡±

    Little Youning was caughtpletely off-guard. It was rare to find such a dignified yet obedient young boy¡ªhe was a lot more suited for the position than Little Muche.

    ¡°But I overheard my family¡¯s conversation the other day. It seems like they n to transfer me to Jixia Elementary School,¡± revealed Wen Xu.

    Wen Ren nned to have Wen Xu¡¯s Chinese Kungfu master move to B City with him. During the day, the boy was to attend sses in Jixia and practice his Chinese Kungfu when he gets home just as he did in Lanshan Courtyard. On weekends, he was to return home to Lanshan Courtyard.

    That was also the reason for Wen Ren and Fang Jiaran¡¯s visit; it was to discuss with the Qi brothers the procedures needed to get Wen Xu enrolled in Jixia Elementary School.

    Little Youning¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Jixia Elementary in the future too! You must wait for me! When I start school in Jixia, you must remember to be my partner!¡±

    Wen Xu¡¯s undercover bodyguards all had dark expressions as they stared wide-eyed at their young master¡¯s nk expression. It seemed as though he was seriously considering the chubby baby¡¯s ridiculous request.

    That could not happen!

    Just as Wen Xu was going to unveil his answer, he saw Ruan Danchen heading toward them to bring Little Youning back for lunch. Ruan Danchen heard from Fang Jiaran that her eldest son, Wen Xu, was also outside. Fang Jiaran even showed her a picture of him. Even so, Ruan Danchen never expected him to be ying with her precious little daughter¡ªhe was even holding her in his arms.

    In his arms, her daughter was squished into a big fat ball of flesh. She was impressed by the fact that Wen Xu could still move.

    ¡°How did you two end up ying together?¡± inquired Ruan Danchen smilingly. She extended her arms to take Little Youning from his arms. After all, she felt guilty that an eleven-year-old child had to carry the little fatty.

    To her surprise, Little Youningpletely ignored her extended arms. Instead, she patted Wen Xu¡¯s shoulders and announced, ¡°Mommy, this is my new partner I just recruited!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Both Ruan Danchen and Wen Xu were utterly speechless.

    Nheless, Wen Xu did not refute. Silently, he expressed that he had noments regarding Little Youning¡¯s im.

    On the way home, Little Youning did not ask to be put down. Thus, he carried her all the way home.

    Indulged in thefort of his arms, Little Youning did not feel like walking with her own feet anymore. She pointed her chubby finger at the sofa. ¡°Big Brother Wen Xu, carry me to the sofa.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Without a word, Wen Xu headed toward the sofa. However, instead of putting her down, he sat down himself and positioned Little Youning on hisp.

    Qi Chengzhi was dumbfounded by the fact that Wen Ren¡ªa loud and annoying man¡ªcould have a son so distant and reserved.

    Wen Xu was different from Chu Zhaoyang¡ªChu Zhaoyang was merely quiet and expressionless; Wen Xu, on the other hand, gave off an intensely intimidating aura.

    Naturally, Qi Chenglin was even more bothered by this. He red at the boy who had his precious daughter in his arms¡ªdisregarding the fact that he was only eleven.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Qi Chenglin coughed loudly as he eyed Wen Xu with much intensity.

    However, Wen Xu did not let go. Qi Chenglin wondered if he truly did not get the hint or was merely acting dumb.

    He was not bothered by her heaviness either.

    ¡°Ahem, Ningning,e. Let Daddy carry you.¡± Qi Chenglin extended his arms toward Little Youning with the most tender expression.

    Compared to Wen Xu, Little Youning was naturally closer to her own dad. Thus, without hesitation, Little Youning chose Qi Chenglin.

    Wen Xu¡¯s expression dulled instantly. He red at Qi Chenglin as he handed Little Youning over reluctantly. When Qi Chenglin reached to hold her, Wen Xu still did not let go.

    Left with no choice, Qi Chenglin clenched his teeth and warned, ¡°Let go.¡±

    Wen Xu blinked repeatedly, then finally let go. His arms felt empty without the chubby baby in them.

    Qi Chenglin ground his teeth as he carried his precious daughter away. Finally, he understood Wei Ziqi¡¯s feelings. He even decided to make his son hate Wei Ziqi even more¡ªhe could not be the only one suffering.

    Only when Song Yu came out of the kitchen to announce that the food was ready did Qi Chenglin put Little Youning down.

    ¡°Carry me... Carry me to the dining room.¡± Little Youning was already toozy to walk.

    Wen Xu¡¯s lips curled up. Just as he was going to pick Little Youning up, Qi Chenglin heard her voice and strode in with wide steps. He scooped Little Youning up instantly and even gave Wen Xu a menacing re.

    Qi Chenglin thought, ¡°Tsk, that eleven-year-old brat. How shameless of him to want to kidnap my precious daughter because of something so small.¡±

    Wen Xu¡¯s lips twitched. The faint smirk he had on vanished instantly.

    Fang Jiaran¡¯s attention was fixed on her son the entire time. Her lips curled up excitedly, twitching sporadically.

    ¡°What are you doing standing here so suspiciously,¡± Wen Ren asked as he approached her from behind. His slender fingersnded softly on Fang Jiaran¡¯s skull, gently rubbing her head.

    ¡°We¡¯re guests in someone else¡¯s home now¡ªwhat are you doing?¡± Fang Jiaran mumbled with a flushed face as she tidied up her slightly disheveled hair.

    ¡°Why were you smiling so smugly?¡± teased Wen Ren in a low voice. Subconsciously, he started smirking wider than her.

    Fang Jiaran was toozy to argue with him. She tugged on his sleeves, beckoning him to lower his head. She whispered, ¡°Xuxu seems to be very fond of Youning.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wen Ren raised an eyebrow. He noticed that their son¡¯s attitude toward Qi Chenglin¡¯s daughter was a little unusual, but he did not think Wen Xu liked her to the extent that Fang Jiaran suggested.

    Fang Jiaran rolled her eyes. ¡°You men are all so slow when ites to love. Looking at them now, I can¡¯t help but think, although I don¡¯t have a daughter, having a daughter-inw is almost the same thing! Look how adorable Youning is!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little too early to be looking for a daughter-inw for our son?¡± questioned Wen Ren as he red at her suspiciously.

    Wen Xu, who was entering the dining room, stopped in his steps. Fang Jiaran spotted him and beckoned him over.

    Wen Xu approached her with an expressionless face, making her quite troubled¡ªWen Ren was in no way a reserved man and neither was she. The two of them could talk endlessly¡ªthere would not be a single minute of silence with them around.

    Sometimes she wondered if it was because Wen Ren and she had too much to say, stealing away their son¡¯s words¡ªmaybe that was why their son came out to be this little ice cube.

    ¡°Xuxu, do you like Youning?¡± whispered Fang Jiaran, grinning ear-to-ear.

    Wen Xu looked at his mom, then nced at Little Youning, who was seated in a highchair. His expression softened and his lips curled up. In his child-like voice, he dered firmly, ¡°In the future, I will protect her.¡±

    Fang Jiaran¡¯s grin could not grow any wider. ¡°My son, that¡¯s all I need to hear! In the future, Youning will be part of our family!¡±

    Wen Xu smiled faintly. He nodded.

    Qi Chenglin, who was scooping food for his daughter, had no clue that his precious daughter just became someone¡¯s target. They were even shameless enough to n on dragging her into their family already.

    Wen Xu turned to Wen Ren. Wen Ren bit his lips, revealing a galling expression. ¡°Whoever our son wants to pursue, she¡¯ll naturally belong to our family now. I¡¯ll beat up whoever that tries to snatch her from us.¡±

    Assured, Wen Xu turned around and headed into the dining room and sat next to Little Youning.

    ¡°Ningning, when I move here to attend Jixia Elementary School, I¡¯ll be in a totally unfamiliar ce, so you have to protect me.¡± Although his expression was still nd, his voice made him sound terribly pitiable.

    Wen Ming, who had been sitting there eating silently the whole time, almost jumped out of surprise.

    Little Youning, who was clueless about herself being Wen Xu¡¯s target, pounded her chest proudly and gave herself out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was rendered speechless.

    ¡°It must be fate that brought these two children together!¡± Fang Jiaran grinned and said as she shook her head.

    Qi Chenglin was going to explode with rage. That rascal was eight years older than his daughter!

    ¡°Hmm, if I remember correctly, you¡¯re seven years older than Danchen, right?¡± Wen Ren inquired abruptly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words.

    ¡ª Daily Lives of the Qi Family ¡¤ The End ¡ª

 Chapter 444 - Your Iron-Hearted Attitude Has Made Your Son Feel Bitterly Disappointed

    <h4>Chapter 444: Your Iron-Hearted Attitude Has Made Your Son Feel Bitterly Disappointed</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, the meat was piled up like a small hill in Qi Youxuan¡¯s bowl, but now he was left with an almost empty bowl. Trying to weep but failing to shed tears, he shifted his gaze to Qi Chenglin who was munching the meat he snatched.

    He pouted and said pathetically, ¡°Dad, today¡¯s a good day for celebration because mom finally found her family, so please let me have some meat. I have grandparents and great-grandparents now which brings joy to me as well, and I want to eat meat whenever I feel happy.¡±

    Qi Chenglin peeked at Qi Youxuan from the corner of his eye, looking askance. Qi Youxuan figured that anyone would actpassionately toward him when he started making these piteous but cute expressions, but his father remained unconcerned, making him feel bitterly disappointed.

    ¡°That¡¯s why I left a few pieces of meat in your bowl. Usually, there wouldn¡¯t even be any.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone was calm and t as he ignored his son¡¯s desperate act of cuteness.

    It would be abnormal and weird if Qi Chenglin fell prey to his act of cuteness after seven years.

    ¡°Dad, your iron-hearted attitude has made your son feel bitterly disappointed.¡± The chubby kid took a huge bite out of the chicken drumstick indignantly. Tears even started welling up in his eyes as he blinked.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin kept quiet and responded by picking up a piece of sweet and sour pork ribs from the kid¡¯s bowl silently and putting it in his mouth gracefully.

    The kid was feeling aggrieved and indignant now. Despite being a grown-up, his father was snatching meat from his own son! What a shameful father!

    How could his father snatch meat from him? Looked at how thin he was now!

    Qi Youxuan quickly pulled his bowl closer to him and protected it with his chubby hands which were now covered in oil. Then, he stared vigntly at Qi Chenglin, determined not to let his cunning father snatch meat directly from his bowl again.

    There was a fair amount of meat left in those tes, why did he have to snatch meat from him?

    Qi Chenglin transferred a few vegetables into his bowl in a leisurely manner and soon enough, his bowl was piled up high with food again, but this time, they were all vegetables instead of meat.

    ¡°Do you really think that you can eat a lot of meat at school every afternoon without me realizing it? Every healthy lunch set in your school has meat in it, not to mention the afternoon tea too,¡± Qi Chenglin said as he raised his eyebrows and continued under the kid¡¯s surprised gaze, ¡°You went to the canteen again in the evening to buy fried patty and grilled chicken skin, right?¡±

    ¡°Dad, how do you know about this?¡± Qi Youxuan felt all hope was lost now. Perhaps his father knew how many bowls of rice he consumed in school every day too.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up in a way that radiated contempt at his son¡¯s intelligence. Such malevolence was so strong that even the kid could sense it with direct eye contact.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that the school is ours? Your principal is a responsible man.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s smile appeared gentle and elegant.

    Sh*t!

    Why did the principal even bother about such trivial matters?

    ¡°Dad, the principal has time to burden himself on such small issues, does it mean that he isn¡¯t really that busy at all?¡± Qi Youxuan had decided to take revenge on the principal who meddled in his affairs.

    The principal, who was now on his way back home, had no idea that he had offended the Qi family¡¯s eldest grandson in order to ingratiate the second Young Master of the Qi family.

    ¡°You can think of it as the principal has to spare his time for your trivial matters despite his busy schedule, so there¡¯s no need to burden your principal further,¡± Qi Chenglin answered while cing a piece of broli into the kid¡¯s bowl without batting an eyelid.

    Grandmother Ruan and Ruan Keshan were amused by the kid¡¯s intelligence and cheekiness. Qi Chenglin¡¯s job remained a mystery until now since they had not gotten the chance to question him after their reunion with Ruan Danchen.

    Judging by Qi Chenglin¡¯s refined apparel and extraordinary temperament, they knew that he was not amoner and would not let Ruan Danchen bear any hardships.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s current outfit, the rosiness on her cheeks, and her vitality were the best indications that she was living a wonderful life.

    Moreover, it was obvious that the kid was molded by good upbringing based on his mannerisms and intelligence, and he was not as introverted and timid as the other children of simr age. His enthusiasm and outgoing personality made him appear as if he was involved in social affairs for a period of time.

    Furthermore, Grandmother Ruan gave Qi Youxuan a thick red packet of eight thousand Yuan just now. Normally, this would excite other children who received such red packet. Even though Qi Youxuan was happy and enthusiastic upon receiving it, his expression appeared far too normal like he was used to receiving such an amount of money before passing the red packet to Ruan Danchen afterward.

    Grandmother Ruan was born in a musical family, and normally she would follow her orchestra to every country for musical performances. Inevitably, she was acquainted with various people and even the members of the European nobility.

    Qi Chenglin and the kid¡¯s temperaments were no less than those from the European nobility, so perhaps they were notmoners either.

    Now that Qi Chenglin mentioned that he owned an elementary school, Grandmother Ruan figured that he was not an ordinary man at all, but the feeling that he was more than that persisted in her mind. However, Grandmother Ruan fought the urge to question him any further out of courtesy and had decided to ask her son privately afterward.

    Then, she shifted her gaze to Qi Youxuan who was gnawing at the vegetable in agony. He appeared exactly like a little piglet gnawing the vegetable¡ªhe looked especially pathetic and incongruous¡ªand her heart almost broke for the fats in Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be the best if your grandpa is here with us, then it¡¯ll be a true family reunion today,¡± Grandmother Ruan said.

    ¡°Mom, don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ve set an rm to call him as soon as he turns on his phone after his nends,¡± Ruan Keshan assured.

    Ruan Danchen offered her assistance when Chen Minxia went to clean up the kitchen after dinner. Grandmother Ruan managed to locate her granddaughter and thus was reluctant for her to help with cleaning up, but Ruan Danchen could not let Chen Minxia work alone in the kitchen too.

    Chen Minxia prepared dinner all by herself, and if she was going to clean up alone without any assistance after dinner too, it would be extremely ungrateful, right?

    Grandmother Ruan did not want her actions to seem biased and unfair by her daughter-inw after reuniting with her granddaughter. Thus, she gave a few pieces of advice to Ruan Danchen before apanying the chubby kid happily.

    Chen Minxia asked Ruan Danchen to chitchat outside since they must have a lot to talk about after the long-awaited reunion.

    ¡°We¡¯re finally reunited today and there are more days of reunions ahead of us too, so just a few minutes won¡¯t be much different,¡± Ruan Danchen replied with a smile.

    Chen Minxia figured that Ruan Danchen had a point, so she started tidying up together with her niece while experiencing a whole new different sensation of cleaning up.

    In the old days, Chen Minxia and Grandmother Ruan were the only women in the Ruan family. Grandmother Ruan was aging, so it was inappropriate to ask an olddy to assist in household chores. Even though the housekeeper would assist asionally, she was still an outsider and the most Chen Minxia could do was just having a polite conversation with her, unlike now where the distance between her and Ruan Danchen was far but their hearts were closely connected.

    Even though Chen Minxia was not closely associated with Ruan Danchen yet, she felt that Ruan Danchen was an intimate niece who had the potential to be her daughter. Chen Minxia figured that the future would be glorious and beautiful once they became closely associated with each other and could perform household chores while having intimate conversations together.

    The cleaning process ended in the blink of an eye when the two of them worked together.

    Then, they saw a few photo albums, which were clean despite looking old,ying on the coffee table upon returning to the living room.

    Chen Minxia realized that all of these photo albums consisted of photographs of Ruan Keshan and Ruan Keyu. Grandmother Ruan would go through them from time to time since Ruan Keyu¡¯s death, so the albums were wiped clean and free of dust.

    ¡°Danchen,e quickly. These are photographs of your dad and uncle in their youths,¡± Grandmother Ruan urged.

    Ruan Danchen hurried forward with excitement after listening to Grandmother Ruan.

    Ruan Danchen was curious about his father whom she had never met before since Ruan Keshan and Grandmother Ruan imed that she looked just like Ruan Keyu.

    Ruan Keshan and Grandmother Ruan were telling stories about Ruan Keyu, and naturally, all the stories were about him in his youth since he passed away at a young age. Thus, when Ruan Danchen was listening to the stories, an image of a handsome and elegant gentleman formed in her mind.

    Sitting beside Grandmother Ruan and staring at the young Ruan Keyu, Ruan Danchen finally had a sense of realism, feeling at ease at the simrities between her and Ruan Keyu.

    Grandmother Ruan¡¯s half-empty heart for all these years was now full of joy as she shifted her gaze between the photographs and Ruan Danchen.

    Then, Qi Chenglin spoke slowly after they were done going through the photo albums. ¡°There¡¯s something you should know.¡±

    Qi Chenglin appeared calm and steady at normal times, and he remained expressionless when talking to his son too. Thus, the Ruan family realized the solemnity in his tone and shifted their gaze on him despite the unfamiliarity.

    Qi Chenglin then voiced out everything about Chang Jingqiu.

    Ruan Keshan was rooted to the spot due to shock. Even though the Chinesenguage remained broad and profound, he failed to find a suitable word to describe Liu Ronghua¡¯s shameless acts despite racking his brain.

    Not only did Liu Ronghua stole their niece and interfered with her life, she even changed the life Ruan Danchen was supposed to have!

    Originally, Ruan Danchen could be ady from a notable family even without the Ruan family, but Liu Ronghua¡¯s mind was wicked and nefarious. She actually reced Ruan Danchen¡¯s spot with a totally unrted girl and let her enjoy the fortunes which supposedly belonged to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to find Liu Ronghua and beat her to death!¡± Ruan Keshan gritted his teeth in anger but Chen Minxia stopped his attempt to stand up.

    ¡°You¡¯re wounded now, so where do you think you¡¯re going? I¡¯ll go with you once you¡¯ve recovered. That woman did too many immoral things. She¡¯ll go to hell for this!¡± Chen Minxia hissed through gritted teeth.

    Grandmother Ruan¡¯s eyes were flushed red due to exasperation. ¡°Keyu was acquainted with the wrongpany. He considered that wickeddy as a friend and ruined his own daughter¡¯s life.¡±

    ¡°The reason why I¡¯m telling you this is to ask for your opinions. Do you want to acknowledge the Chang family?¡± Qi Chenglin asked.

    Even though Qi Chenglin asked Ruan Danchen previously, he should respect the Ruan family¡¯s opinion too.

    Naturally, Ruan Keshan left the decision making to Grandmother Ruan since Grandfather Ruan was absent.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that Yuehuan is the daughter of the Chang family,¡± Grandmother Ruan sighed as she did not expect Yuehuan to elope with her son to Shuo City too.

    Grandmother Ruan was an intelligent woman, thus she figured out the reason why Keyu seldom returned to B City for the past few years.

    ¡°That disobedient son! Disobedient son!¡± Grandmother Ruan wailed involuntarily at the thought of her own son refusing to return home because of a woman.

    However, she realized that Ruan Keyu did not dare to return home in fear that his family would get hurt.

    That silly kid ran away without informing anybody. Did he ever wonder if his family was willing to let him suffer in such a way?

    If Ruan Keyu informed them about this, they were still a family even if the consequences would be disastrous. What was wrong with them getting their share of woe and weal in life?

    At least they would support and take care of him when he was facing the most difficult times instead of losing him for the rest of their lives.

    The sniffling Grandmother Ruan remained ufortable for a moment and epted a tissue paper handed by Ruan Keshan to wipe her tears.

    ¡°Danchen, what¡¯re your thoughts? After all, that¡¯s your mom¡¯s house, and your grandma and uncles are there too. It¡¯s human nature to acknowledge your mom¡¯s family. If that¡¯s your thoughts, then we¡¯ll apany you to visit the Chang family once your grandpa returns,¡± Grandmother Ruan said.

    That was Ruan Danchen¡¯s grandmother¡¯s house after all, so Grandmother Ruan figured that there was nothing wrong if she wanted to acknowledge the Chang family. However, Grandmother Ruan firmly believed that Ruan Danchen would not acknowledge the Chang family just for their money.

    Qi Chenglin appeared to be rich, judging by his outfit and temperament, and perhaps he may be superior to the Chang family too.

    To be honest, the Ruan family was unwilling to associate themselves with the Chang family.

    They did not belong in the same social circle so naturally, they were not acquainted with the Chang family, which was why they had not heard of Chang Yuehuan¡¯s name before this.

    However, the fact that the Chang family disowned Chang Yuehuan just because of their dissatisfaction toward Ruan Keyu¡¯s identity and even forced them to run away without any courage to return home induced hatred in the Ruan family toward the Chang family.

    The Chang family may assume that the Ruan family wanted to use this opportunity to im social connections with the Chang family if they visited the Chang family together with Ruan Danchen.

    Moreover, if it was not for the Chang family¡¯s coercion, Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan would not run off to Shuo City. Ever since the pair eloped, they could not even see their son once every year. The Chang family¡¯s persecution had led to Ruan Keyu¡¯s idental death in Shuo City and deprived the Ruan family of any chances to see him again.

    Even though the members of the Ruan family were reasonable, they were not saints either. It would be a lie if they did not loathe the Chang family.

    However, that was Ruan Danchen¡¯s mother¡¯s home after all.

    Grandmother Ruan felt guilty for her granddaughter whom she acknowledged not long ago. Since she owed her granddaughter so much, the Ruan family would not mind suffering losses or receiving unjust treatment if Ruan Danchen wished to acknowledge the Chang family. What could possibly go wrong by granting her granddaughter¡¯s small wish? They would not lose any meat after all.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°It¡¯s more than enough to remember my own mom. She traded her life for mine due to obstructedbor, so I¡¯ll only miss her and remember all the efforts she put in for me. To be honest, I have absolutely no feelings toward the Chang family if blood rtions are disregarded. In fact, I know the Chang family but we aren¡¯t close to each other, and the person I have the most association with is Grandmother Chang, who¡¯s also my mom¡¯s mother.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a very unreasonable olddy who hates and despises me a lot, and she had been criticizing me repeatedly for my identity,¡± Ruan Danchen was unconcerned at all, so she was able to exin the situation in a rxed manner.

    Then, she noticed Grandmother Ruan¡¯s exasperated expression and merely grabbed her hand gently. ¡°I supposed Grandmother Chang put in the most effort on the opposition of my dad and mom¡¯s rtionship at that time. She loathed my dad at that time, so she may loathe you if we visit the Chang family. You are different from Grandmother Chang, so I won¡¯t let you receive any unjust treatment from the Chang family.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan was so touched at her granddaughter¡¯s consideration for her own family and she was willing to pour her heart out to Ruan Danchen for her kindness.

    ¡°If I really want to acknowledge the Chang family, I¡¯ll visit them personally and won¡¯t let them humiliate you. Besides, I don¡¯t want to acknowledge them just yet. Disregarding the trust issue, even if she believes me and starts to treat me well, do you think that¡¯s because of my identity or me? How should I believe her when she belittled me like I was nothing previously but treats me well and kind after realizing my true identity?

    ¡°Besides, Grandmother Chang is very unreasonable. I¡¯m worried that she¡¯ll use this opportunity to demand unreasonable requests and ask the Qi family to give benefits to the Chang family. The Qi family treats me very well and I can¡¯t let them endure the Chang family¡¯s irrationality and suffer quietly,¡± Ruan Danchen frowned.

    ¡°The Qi family? Chenglin¡¯s family?¡± Grandmother Ruan understood what Ruan Danchen was trying to say. She meant that Grandmother Chang would fawn over the Qi family once she acknowledged the Chang family.

    Grandmother Chang would fawn over the Qi family urgently when she had the habit of belittling every family that was inferior to hers. How superior could the Qi family be?

    Since Grandmother Ruan did not have a daughter and her youngest son passed away at a young age, Ruan Keshan became the apple of Grandmother Ruan¡¯s eye and immediately started exining the Qi family¡¯s status in the society.

    Grandmother Ruan was taken by surprise as she did not expect her granddaughter to find such an outstanding man and live a good life after all those sufferings, and the inws were reasonable too which was quite rare.

    Nevertheless, Grandmother Ruan¡¯s gaze on Qi Chenglin remained honest and pure like she was merely looking at her son-inw, and this pleased Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Chenglin said Uncle Zhiyuan was quite close with my mom and he truly loves my mom¡¯s daughter. That¡¯s why he loves Jingqiu despite her atrocious personality just because of my mom. Even though Jingqiu gained benefits because of my mom, I haven¡¯t thought this through and only want to observe in the time being. If he stays true to his heart, I don¡¯t mind acknowledging him alone. To be honest, I¡¯m kind of selfish too,¡± Ruan Danchen squeezed Grandmother Ruan¡¯s hand gently.

    Ruan Danchen figured that if Chang Zhiyuan would not allow the Chang family to disgrace her, or even used her to im social connection with the Qi family, he really cared about his sister.

    However, Ruan Danchen was worried about the fact that Chang Zhiyuan was a businessman after all. What if he considered benefits as his top priority?

    Thus, Ruan Danchen wanted to observe first. Perhaps Chang Zhiyuan was willing to keep this a secret from the Chang family just for her sake.

    ¡°Not at all, who won¡¯t think of themselves first? Besides, judging from the current situation, it¡¯s best to stay away from the Chang family as of now. Your mom was willing to break off rtions with her family and ran away at that time, let alone you.¡±

    ¡°Besides, I don¡¯t want to visit them abruptly without solid evidence. Since I don¡¯t feel any intimacy with the Chang family, why should I reason and convince them on this identity issue?¡± Ruan Danchen pouted as the very thought of Grandmother Chang disgusted her.

    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± Grandmother Ruan gave her support to Ruan Danchen¡¯s decision without question since she disliked the Chang family too.

    However, Grandmother Ruan realized that Ruan Danchen had a soft heart and did not want matters to reach an impasse, thus she refrained frommenting further on this issue.

    Ruan Danchen smiled. ¡°To be honest, it¡¯s fortunate that I wasn¡¯t raised in the Chang family. Look at Chang Jingqiu and the grandchild, Chang Jianan. Chang Jianan is at the same age as Youxuan but he¡¯s a spoiled brat, and as for Chang Jingqiu...¡±

    Ruan Danchen shook her head before continuing. ¡°Just thinking about her attitude makes me not want to even talk about her. It¡¯s obvious that they were raised under the Chang family¡¯s excessive and unreasonable pampering which led to the people they are today. Chang Jianan is still young so there¡¯s still time to correct him, but Chang Jingqiu obviously thinks that she¡¯s wless. Even though there were tough times in my life previously, it wasn¡¯t that bad overall. At least I was self-reliant and didn¡¯t starve or suffered much, and the agony at work isn¡¯t really considered suffering at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m lucky that at least my mindset hasn¡¯t changed despite that kind of life I had. In my opinion, I think that kind of life is way better than life with the Chang family.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan nodded with a smile but remained silent. Thinking logically, Ruan Danchen would not necessarily end up like Chang Jingqiu if she lived with the Chang family since birth.

    At the beginning of life, man was innately good. It was education that could alter a human¡¯s nature. However, Grandmother Ruan figured that human nature was rted to his own foundation too. If there was something wrong with Chang Jingqiu¡¯s foundation, and she was born with an evil personality, how good could she possibly be when she grew up?

    Grandmother Ruan had immense faith in Ruan Danchen despite meeting her for the first time. She believed Ruan Danchen¡¯s nature would not change no matter how the Chang family pampered her.

    Moreover, how could a child, whose nature remained unaltered despite hardships or intense resentment, be led astray by mere pampering?

    Even though Grandmother Ruan had not met Chang Jingqiu before this, she firmly believed Ruan Danchen¡¯sment on Chang Jingqiu without misunderstanding it as an act of nder.

    Grandmother Ruan and Grandmother Chang shared the same intention to protect their own dear children, but Grandmother Ruan was more reasonable in her protection.

 Chapter 445 - Is That How You Cherish a National Treasure?

    <h4>Chapter 445: Is That How You Cherish a National Treasure?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin looked at the time and said, ¡°Grandma, we¡¯d like to stay overnight if you¡¯re alright with it. Tomorrow we¡¯ll depart to the Qi family manor and inform them about Danchen¡¯s situation.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan was exhrated when Qi Chenglin mentioned that he was willing to stay over at her ce.

    Initially, Grandmother Ruan found it embarrassing to ask them to stay despite the intense desire since her granddaughter had her own family, but she did not expect that Qi Chenglin would offer to stay overnight.

    Thus, Grandmother Ruan felt that her grandson-inw was absolutely perfect and it was extremely rare to find such a man in the current world. She was genuinely happy for her granddaughter who was blessed enough to marry Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll tidy up the rooms for you. Coincidentally, there are two empty rooms now¡ªKeshan and Keyu¡¯s, so both of you and Youxuan can have their roomster,¡± Grandmother Ruan replied.

    The Ruan family was not quite well-off when Ruan Lichuan was initially transferred to B City, but fortunately, the school arranged a housing unit for him at that time.

    Ruan Keyu was well and safe, and the property pricing in B City was not sky-high at that time. The school authorities even inquired Ruan Lichuan regarding his housing unit preference out of respect. Even though there were only hostels for teaching staff near the school, they had different sizes too, right?

    Ruan Lichuan missed his youngest son at that time and they needed a bedroom if Ruan Keyu returned home with his wife, so he requested for a four-bedroom housing unit.

    After that, Ruan Lichuan worked in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, slowly working his way up to the title of fellowship. The housing unit that he lived in at that time was given by the academy because naturally, the academy would not let Ruan Lichuan suffer in terms of housing. Ruan Lichuan was struggling to save money with his low ie despite having a good allowance, and with the addition of prize money, he barely had enough to buy a house with a private bathroom in every bedroom in B City. Moreover, the Ruan family had to continue their search for Ruan Keyu¡¯s child too.

    Fortunately, the house was given by the academy which lessened the Ruan family¡¯s burden.

    Even though Ruan Keyu passed awayter, Ruan Lichuan would leave room for Ruan Keyu habitually as a self-constion that his youngest son still lived in this world.

    Qi Chenglin had already made ns for this, so he instructed Xiao Yang to visit Prestige Residences, informed Aunt Zheng to pack up toiletries, a change of clothes, and pajamas and put them into the trunk before fetching Qi Youxuan that evening.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin went to the car to take the luggage. Ruan Danchen smiled when she noticed that everything was well prepared by him as it was obviously not spontaneous at all.

    They said that men were careless and sloppy, but this man was scrupulous and had thought of everything for her sake.

    One of the reasons why this thought did not cross Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was because of her mental confusion amidst the excitement. Besides, she had immense trust in Qi Chenglin. She knew Qi Chenglin would figure out the little details she missed, so asionally she would feelzy to use her brain just like what happened this time.

    She was gettingzier to use her brain after getting used to Qi Chenglin¡¯s pampering.

    The members of the Ruan family were taken aback when they noticed Qi Chenglin had prepared everything in advance.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze swept across their surprised expressions and replied honestly with a serious expression, ¡°I don¡¯t want to intrude abruptly without getting grandma¡¯s consent, but it¡¯s better to be well prepared so that it won¡¯t be troublesome to grandma and auntie.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Ruan and Chen Minxia were dumbfounded.

    Both of them looked at Ruan Danchen. Was her husband really that shameless?

    However, Ruan Danchen had immersed herself in tion and satisfaction because Qi Chenglin would settle every issue with efficiency for her sake and there was nothing she could add on in each of his ns, so there was no way she would take their gazes into ount.

    Instead, Ruan Danchen held onto Grandmother Ruan¡¯s hand in relief and praised softly. ¡°Grandma, look at Chenglin. He always ns everything for my sake.¡±

    It could not get any better than that.

    ¡°Now I feel my thinking ability is getting worse because Chenglin always ns everything for me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Grandmother Ruan was left speechless.

    ¡°We initially nned to visit the Qi family either tomorrow or the day after tomorrow, but your grandpa isn¡¯t here now. It¡¯s our first time visiting the inws so we can¡¯t cast your grandpa aside in such an important event,¡± Grandmother Ruan said.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, I¡¯ll exin everything when we¡¯re back home tomorrow. They¡¯ll understand,¡± Qi Chenglin nodded.

    Grandmother Ruan smiled in relief. ¡°We¡¯ll visit immediately after his return.¡±

    ¡°My granddaughter lived alone as an orphan since young, and yet the Qi family, who was so rich and influential, didn¡¯t give her the cold-shoulder at all and treated her as their daughter. Danchen is truly blessed and I really don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude on this,¡± Grandmother Ruan put on a grateful smile.

    Ruan Keshan was reluctant to leave her niece and wanted to apany her for a while longer, but there were no empty rooms at home now. He thought about sleeping on the floor somewhere in the house but was too embarrassed to voice out his suggestion. Thus, left with no choice, he returned to his own house with Chen Minxia in the end.

    However, Ruan Zeer chose to stay and y with the kid since there would not be any trouble sleeping with Qi Youxuan in the same room tonight.

    They discussed the Chang family¡¯s issues openly in the presence of the kid.

    That was due to his young age which could potentially make him fall prey to others¡¯ traps or may identally say something which could be used by others if he remained ignorant of worldly affairs.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin maintained a policy to always inform the children on anything that they were supposed to know. Moreover, this was not a big issue at all, so there was no need to keep this a secret from the kid. Since they were not in the wrong, they did not need to hide this fact from the Chang family on purpose too. In fact, they did not mind at all if this was brought to the Chang family¡¯s attention because Chang Jingqiu was the one who should feel nervous about this.

    Qi Youxuan and Ruan Zeer were on the bed, with the kid sitting with his small but chubby legs crossed, and one of his hands was holding a slice of ham Ruan Zeer sneaked from the refrigerator in the kitchen amidst the darkness just now.

    The fat kid could not resist his desire to consume meat. Thus, with teary eyes, he stared at Ruan Zeer with a shamelessly cute appearance that melted Ruan Zeer¡¯s heart, and Ruan Zeer immediately took on the mission of being a good brother afterward.

    Qi Youxuan chewed on the ham while enjoying the blessed sensation of having a good brother. No matter if he was at home, the Qi family manor, or his grandparents¡¯ house, all of them would ignore his cute pleas for meats.

    ¡°Uncle, you really have me in your heart,¡± Qi Youxuan took a huge bite from the ham and said with bulging cheeks.

    The handsome young man who was originally attractive and elegant was now looking extremely honest after he put on a wide grin after listening to the kid.

    Ruan Zeer then fell into the trap the kid nned for him. ¡°Let me know if you want anything in the future, I¡¯ll get them for you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes lit up immediately after hearing Ruan Zeer and pounced straight into his embosom. His lips and hands which were oily after eating ham rubbed against Ruan Zeer¡¯s pajamas without considering him as an outsider at all.

    Initially, the kid was very concerned about his image in Ruan Zeer¡¯s presence and purposely created an image like he was especially sensible, open-minded, and calm.

    In his opinion, he liked Ruan Zeer but Ruan Zeer was not his biological brother after all. Based on this fact, he needed to preserve his reputation in Ruan Zeer¡¯s presence.

    Well, Ruan Zeer was his own biological uncle now!

    What was an uncle? An uncle was an elder.

    In the fat kid¡¯s opinion, an elder existed so that he could take full advantage of them. There was absolutely no need to preserve his image and reputation in front of his uncle as a youngster. Instead, he needed to liberate himself and show his true self to the elders, since acting cute was the only way to get the attention and love he desired.

    Lying in Ruan Zeer¡¯s embrace while taking a bite out of the ham, the fat kid felt deeply that he was able to consume meat by staying with his uncle.

    The elegant and handsome young man lowered his gaze to his pajamas which were now stained with oil. His lips twitched but when his gaze met with Qi Youxuan¡¯s contented face, words failed toe out of his mouth..

    The corner of his mouth which appeared sorrowful initially cracked open to form a gentle smile.

    ¡°Uncle, I really like you guys,¡± the kid chewed the ham while saying with his mouth full.

    ¡°We like you too.¡± Ruan Zeer figured that the oil from the ham was nothingpared to the soft and fat kid in his embrace. Then, he lifted the fat kid¡¯s buttocks directly and let the kid sit on his thighs while hugging the softness.

    ¡°I don¡¯t like the Chang family. There¡¯s an extremely bad olddy living in that house. I don¡¯t want to acknowledge that family too because mom will get bullied if that happens,¡± the kid said miserably.

    Then, he took another huge bite out of the ham amidst the sorrow, and the ham no longer felt fragrant after his constant worrying.

    Ruan Zeer scratched his head as he had no idea how to proceed too. Left with no choice, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s just wait and see, since there¡¯s no intention to acknowledge the Chang family now, right? If that olddy dares to provoke my sister again, not only do we have my brother-inw¡¯s support, now we have the Ruan family¡¯s full support too. My sister has her own family now and we certainly won¡¯t stand aside while she¡¯s bullied.¡±

    The kid nodded vigorously in response as his confidence was boosted immediately after realizing that his mother had her own family now.

    Ruan Zeer gave it some thoughts. His brain, which was capable of solving mathematics questions with ease, fired up at that moment. Then, he lifted Qi Youxuan with narrowed eyes.

    Qi Youxuan felt curious immediately after noticing Ruan Zeer¡¯s expression looking as if there was a lightbulb over his head. The kid took a bite out of the ham and asked, ¡°Uncle, what kind of evil scheme do you have in mind?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer took a sorrowful nce at the kid. ¡°What do you mean evil scheme? Any idea that benefits us is a good idea.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Qi Youxuan nodded in agreement.

    ¡°My sister said my brother-inw mentioned that my sister¡¯s eldest uncle¡ª¡± Obviously, the kid was getting confused by theplicated seniority and rtives¡¯ titles by the look on his face, so Ruan Zeer exined to him in detail. ¡°That¡¯s the olddy¡¯s eldest son, my sister¡¯s eldest uncle. He¡¯s your granduncle.¡±

    After the kid nodded understandingly, Ruan Zeer continued, ¡°Didn¡¯t they mention that he treats Chang Jingqiu well because of his close rtionship with your grandaunt? In that case, he¡¯s actually a good guy.¡±

    The kid thought about it and nodded in agreement.

    ¡°I think it¡¯ll be good for you to have an eldest granduncle who loves you dearly too,¡± Ruan Zeer hinted.

    The kid¡¯s eyes lit up in an instant. He could imagine all the meat and money pouring out of his granduncle¡¯s pocket and going straight to him.

    ¡°We can¡¯t tar your granduncle with the same brush as the rest of the Chang family. You need to get close to your granduncle when necessary so that he¡¯ll stand on my sister¡¯s side and won¡¯t let that olddy bully my sister. We¡¯ll stay put for the time being since my sister has no intention to acknowledge the Chang family. When she finally decides to acknowledge them, we¡¯ll create good impressions so that your granduncle will stand firmly on my sister¡¯s side. That way, she won¡¯t receive unjust treatment any longer, right? We fight no battle unprepared, and we fight no battle we¡¯re not sure of winning,¡± Ruan Zeer exined.

    The kid¡¯s eyes lit up brightly as he stared at Ruan Zeer like a bosom friend, and the smile the duo gave each other harbored malicious intentions.

    Qi Youxuan nced at the ham in his chubby hand, bearing the agonizing pain as he tore off a small piece of ham and passed it to Ruan Zeer reluctantly. ¡°Uncle, this is for you. This is a disy of filial affection from your niece to you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The corner of Ruan Zeer¡¯s eye twitched when he noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression as if he was robbed, so he stroke the kid¡¯s hair gently instead. ¡°Good boy, have it to yourself. I¡¯ll treat you well too.¡±

    Thus, with a sigh of relief, the kid swallowed the rest of the ham without feeling any burden.

    ...

    ...

    It was three o¡¯clock in the morning when the rm clock to remind Ruan Keshan regarding Grandfather Ruan¡¯s arrival at the airport rang.

    Ruan Keshan was not in deep slumber due to excitement and thus, he jolted awake almost instantly and turned off the rm clock. Then, he whispered softly to Chen Minxia, who was awakened by the rm, to continue her slumber before going out of the room to call Grandfather Ruan.

    Grandfather Ruan nearly dropped his phone out of shock upon hearing that his granddaughter had been found.

    Grandfather Ruan¡¯s tone radiated disbelief and feared that this was just a dream, so Ruan Keshan exined everything that had happened in these two days without missing any details to Grandfather Ruan.

    After the exnation, Ruan Keshan heard Grandfather Ruan instructing his assistant urgently from the other end of the phone. ¡°Quick! Book a return flight ticket, I want to go back now!¡±

    ¡°Professor, you¡¯ve just arrived. There¡¯s a lot of people waiting for you to start the meeting andmunicate,¡± Ruan Keshan heard Grandfather Ruan¡¯s assistant¡¯s voice traveling across the phone faintly.

    ¡°What meeting? We have this kind of meeting every year, but I haven¡¯t seen my granddaughter for the past twenty-seven years! Who cares about the meeting now? Do you think these people we encounter every year would be more important than my own granddaughter?¡± Grandfather Ruan exploded with rage all of a sudden.

    If there was a table in front of Grandfather Ruan right now, he would flip it over in anger.

    Ruan Keshan was confused right now. Ruan Keshan and his brother were schrly and good-tempered, but why Grandfather Ruan was so much different than them?

    There were a few voices on the other end of the phone trying to advise Grandfather Ruan, and the Englishnguage was heard among the voices too.

    Grandfather Ruan¡¯s assistant was partly aware of the Ruan family¡¯s issue, so he advised, ¡°Professor, I know you¡¯re feeling anxious right now, but the others waiting for you aren¡¯t aware of this situation. We¡¯ve just arrived, so why don¡¯t we discuss this situation first and arrange the schedule ordingly before you return home?¡±

    Grandfather Ruan gave this some thought before nodding reluctantly at the end and hanging up the phone call.

    Grandfather Ruan wanted to speak with his granddaughter and great-grandson initially but Ruan Keshan reminded indirectly that it was three o¡¯clock in the morning for them.

    Grandfather Ruan loved his granddaughter dearly so he would not disturb her slumber and hence, gave up on his request.

    ...

    ...

    The next day, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and the kid back to the Qi family manor after bidding farewell to Grandmother Ruan.

    After exining everything to Grandmother Qi, she said, ¡°This is fate. This is destiny.¡±

    Then, she grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand. ¡°This is the connection between the loved ones. You have a deep connection with your family members, and that¡¯s why you can reunite with them after so many years of suffering.¡±

    Guan Liya sobbed in relief as she truly felt happy for her daughter-inw.

    The Qi family would not care about the daughter-inw¡¯s family background, as long as they were pure and innocent. Even though Ruan Danchen was born an orphan, outsiders may consider this a defect.

    However, Ruan Danchen officially had a family now and they were even respectable and well-educated research scientists. The Qi family¡¯s confidence would be boosted if they had such inws, right?

    ¡°The Chang family is a problem...¡± Guan Liya felt ufortable at the thought of that olddy in the Chang family.

    She nced at Ruan Danchen and said softly, ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem since we have your back and your grandparents won¡¯t stand aside when that olddy bullies or embarrass you too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen merely mentioned that she was not ready to acknowledge the Chang family at the moment. The rest nodded in agreement since they did not care about having the Chang family as their inws too.

    ¡°My grandpa reached United States in the wee hours of the morning. Grandma figured that they should visit the Qi family for the first time together instead of casting my grandpa aside, that¡¯s why they didn¡¯t visit today. They¡¯ll visit immediately after my grandpa¡¯s return,¡± Ruan Danchen exined.

    ¡°So that¡¯s why. Tell them to rx. There¡¯s no need to be overly polite. We¡¯re families by marriage now and will see each other frequently in the future, so don¡¯t be so polite,¡± Grandmother Qi said understandingly.

    Grandmother Qi knew Ruan Lichuan from the newspaper too and figured that he was a scientist who was devoted to research with exemry conduct and nobility. It was certain that such a family would not be involved in nonsense or shenanigans.

    Grandmother Ruan merely asked Ruan Danchen to convey a message without any intention to call and fawn over the Qi family. It was an indication that the Ruan family treated the Qi family with a normal demeanor which gave Grandmother Qi assurance as she nodded in agreement.

    Such a family was way better than the Chang family.

    However, Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya asked Qi Youxuan regarding the Ruan family¡¯s situation when Ruan Danchen went to take a nap.

    ¡°They¡¯re good people, I like them a lot. My uncle treats me very well too,¡± the kid replied while drinking milk.

    Since his uncle would let him consume meat.

    ¡°My great-grandma even cried. My grandparents are especially kind to me too. Great-grandma Qi, Grandma Guan, I¡¯ve a good eye for human nature, so don¡¯t worry!¡± The kid nodded vigorously.

    Both of them were relieved now, and Grandmother Qi stroked the kid¡¯s head gently in response.

    On the other hand, it was unexpected that Grandfather Ruan was howling about his intention to return home after receiving the phone call from Ruan Keshan in the wee hours of the morning. Even though his assistant tried his best to advise Grandfather Ruan, he failed to extinguish the raging fire of Grandfather Ruan¡¯s dedication toward his mothend and love toward his granddaughter.

    Thus, the first thing Grandfather Ruan did was to throw the speech script to his assistant and let the assistant record a video of him presenting the script, so that the assistant could just y the video recording directly in the meeting. The whole process took only two hours and after that, heined tearfully and sincerely to his international friends.

    How his granddaughter became homeless for twenty-seven years, and how much effort they put in for the search of his granddaughter for all these years. Countless hopes turned into countless disappointments, but this time they managed to locate his granddaughter and brought her home. Thus, how was it possible for Grandfather Ruan to stay put?

    The crowd shed tears and expressed their understandings as Grandfather Ruan burst into tears during his speech. Then, Grandfather Ruan reported to the leader of the country with the same story again. There was no way the leader would embarrass Grandfather Ruan, who was considered a national treasure in mathematics, on this matter. Moreover, the rest of themittee involved in the meeting did not mind Grandfather Ruan¡¯s absence at all too.

    The leader expressed his understanding and support on Grandfather Ruan¡¯s family issue. The leader also congratted him on his sessful search of his granddaughter and advised him to inform the leader if he needed anything.

    ¡°Hey, everyone¡¯s understanding pleases me!¡± Grandfather Ruan said. He had already instructed his assistant to check out and was on his way toward the main entrance, getting ready to depart for the airport.

    ¡°...¡± The leader was left speechless.

    ¡°Well, to be honest, you cane back to continue your meeting after seeing your granddaughter if time permits,¡± the leader said. That was his intention all along.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll consider. Flight tickets are hard toe by. They¡¯re very expensive,¡± Grandfather Ruan figured that he would not have time for the meeting after seeing his granddaughter.

    ¡°We¡¯ll pay for you!¡±

    ¡°Jetgs are agonizing. You¡¯re asking an old man in his seventies to fly back and forth for more than ten hours in a ne, and I have to deal with jetg too. After my jetg is cured and you want me to fly back to experience it again, how agonizing is that? Am I not a national treasure? Is that how you cherish a national treasure? Who¡¯ll bring glory to the country if a national treasure faced health issues?¡±

 Chapter 446 - Auntie, Did You Get Into University by Pulling Some Strings?

    <h4>Chapter 446: Auntie, Did You Get Into University by Pulling Some Strings?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± The leader felt that it was a test of mental fortitude just to try and look after his national treasure.

    No one would have expected that the renowned Mr. Ruan Lichuan¡ªtheir country¡¯s national treasure who did so much to expand scientific knowledge and human advancement¡ªwas such a shameless person.

    ¡°I haven¡¯t met her for twenty-seven years. My granddaughter misses her grandpa. I can¡¯t just leave after going back. It isn¡¯t good to let her feel sad. You can¡¯t expect me to decline a family reunion just because of a meeting, right?¡± Finally seeing his assistant arrive, the old man urged him on, ¡°Quick, start the car. I¡¯m anxious to go home and meet my granddaughter!¡±

    The leader was quiet. He twitched his lip and said, ¡°Come back soon.¡±

    The call was subsequently hung up, as he did not want to continue speaking with that old national treasure anymore.

    ...

    The Ruan family did not know that Grandfather Ruan was making his way back energetically. At that time, Qi Youxuan went out of the manor due to boredom, and he intended to head over to any one of the neighbor¡¯s houses to freeload on some meat.

    ¡°Youxuan!¡± A shocked voice called out, causing goosebumps to cover the little boy¡¯s skin.

    Turning to look, the voice was discovered to belong to Wu Qiaoyin, who began walking over leisurely once she saw him.

    The weather was warm, so she wore a loose pink sweatshirt. She specifically bought a size up, so the cor was a bit loose. Her cor bone was exposed and one wrong step would expose one of her shoulders.

    The sleeves were so long that only the tips of her three longest fingers were visible. The lower half of her body was d in a pair of skintight, washed-out light-grey jeans.

    She stood firmly in front of Qi Youxuan and bent down by cing her hands on her knees. She smiled coyly, ¡°Why are you out here alone?¡±

    The little boy hid his impatience and stared at her, saying, ¡°I¡¯m going to y with my friends.¡±

    ¡°But how could your mommy let youe out alone? It¡¯s so dangerous,¡± Wu Qiaoyin frowned and remarked disapprovingly as if Ruan Danchen was inept at taking care of children.

    ¡°Does your mommy know that you came out here to y alone?¡± Wu Qiaoyin asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± Qi Youxuan was not that happy to entertain her anymore.

    Wu Qiaoyin did not seem to sense that Qi Youxuan was getting annoyed. Instead, she put on a reproachful look and said, ¡°Last time, Big Sister Ruan said she¡¯s not okay with you being outside alone because she¡¯s worried that you¡¯ll meet bad people. Why is she now allowing you to be alone today?¡±

    Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes figuratively and saw Wu Qiaoyin looking suspiciously at him. ¡°You didn¡¯t sneak out without their knowledge, did you?¡±

    ¡°Auntie, did you get into university by pulling some strings?¡± Qi Youxuan was unable to bear with it any longer. His eyes shot a disdainful nce at Wu Qiaoyin.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s voice dimmed down; she was not happy.

    The little boy pursed his lip. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of people at home. How¡¯s it possible for me to leave without telling any of my family members? Even if I didn¡¯t tell my mom, I¡¯d have to tell Grandma, Grandpa, Great-Grandma, and Great-Grandpa. At least one of them will see me. Do you still need to ask this kind of question?¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin had never seen such an unlikeable kid before. He was nothing but an ignorant kid, yet he was determined to taunt her as if he was some adult. How did Ruan Danchen educate her children!

    ¡°See, my Auntie Song Yu is waving at me by the window.¡± The little guy pointed his stubby finger at the window. Song Yu saw his action and waved at him.

    Qi Chengzhi walked over after seeing her wave her hand. ¡°Who¡¯s outside?¡±

    ¡°Looks like the Wu family¡¯s granddaughter.¡± Song Yu looked out in disdain.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s unhappiness with how Wu Qiaoyin went to fetch Qi Youxuan behind the boy¡¯s parents¡¯ backs was voiced out when all the Qi family women talked amongst each other. Therefore, Song Yu knew about that as well.

    Song Yu also bumped into her before when Zhao Fengchun brought her to meet with Qi Chenglin at Qilin.

    Despite the courtyard separating them, Song Yu felt that the woman resembled Wu Qiaoyin.

    Qi Chengzhi became annoyed. ¡°Why are there so many shameless people nowadays?¡±

    Song Yu giggled. Despite having a child already, Qi Chengzhi would still meet women who would throw themselves at him whenever he had to attend social niceties or deal with work-rted matters. Slightly more reserved ones would covertly try to make their feelings known.

    In any case, those women came in waves, just like weeds that could never be burnt because a gust of wind would send them sprouting anew. Song Yu maintained the principle that ignorance was bliss since Qi Chengzhi was not going to let them touch him anyway.

    Out of sight, out of mind, but if she saw it happening before her eyes, she would still be disgusted. It was exactly how she felt when she saw Wu Qiaoyin having that same intention toward Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°I¡¯ll go have a look and stop her from bothering Youxuan,¡± Song Yu said.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded but did not show any intention to follow suit.

    It was best for a woman to handle such situations, and he did not want to get involved.

    Song Yu understood his thoughts and was amused by his somewhat beleaguered look. She surreptitiously pinched his fingers and saw his ears turn red. His handsomely thin lips perked up slightly and was as refreshing as the spring breeze.

    Just like the warmth which ensued after the snow melted, Song Yu looked at him and fell into a trance.

    Qi Chengzhi¡¯s face then turned smug, evidently due to his pride at being able to enchant his wife.

    ¡°...¡± His teasing prompted Song Yu to tiptoe. Qi Chengzhiplemented her by lowering his head, allowing her to ce a kiss on his lips. She then said, ¡°My man looks handsome when he smiles.¡±

    After saying that, her feet sprang back to ce and she left.

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    Xia Wenna came out of the bathroom and saw patches of red behind her son¡¯s nape, near his cor. He was standing still and looking out the window.

    When Song Yu went out, she saw Wu Qiaoyin holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous for you to go out alone. How could your family be so carefree about this? I¡¯ll send you back.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, can you please don¡¯t be like this? My family agreed to let me go out and y. It¡¯s just the neighbor¡¯s house. Why must you bring me back?¡±¡®Aren¡¯t you being a busybody?¡¯ he thought.

    The little boy was nearly stupefied by thatdy¡¯s moronic behavior. All of a sudden, a divine light illuminated his mind and he looked up suspiciously at Wu Qiaoyin. ¡°Are you nning on using me as an excuse to visit my great-grandpa¡¯s house, so you can get close to my dad and work hard to be a mistress?¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin, ¡°...¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin was fuming more and more as she looked at the boy. His thoughts far exceeded the typical thought processes of ordinary seven-year-olds. To have him hit the nail on the head with that statement out in public was equivalent to having her cloak taken off her.

    She nevertheless did not admit that her actions were that of a mistress. She believed that she was disregarding everything else in the name of love!

    ¡°You... Don¡¯t talk nonsense, I didn¡¯t!¡± Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s face reddened. She looked left and right, and seemingly realizing that there was no one, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I was just passing by...¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin paused and put on a shocked expression. ¡°Eh? This is the old madam¡¯s home? Such a coincidence! I didn¡¯t know. I...¡±

    Deep down, Qi Youxuan was feeling bitter as he red at her. He was very unhappy.

    He felt tremendous anger after such a nipoop treated him as though he was the idiot. Did Wu Qiaoyin really think that he was that stupid to fall for her tricks?

    Sensing an approaching person from the corner of his eye, he cried violently even though he did not know who it was. ¡°WAAAA! HELP! Don¡¯t bring me away! Don¡¯t bring me away! I have a family! Help me! This is a child kidnapping! I want to go home! Let go of me! You bad person! Help me! I¡¯m scared! Police! Save me!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s eyes widened in shock as she watched the hical boy cry at the drop of a hat.

    ¡°You... You... Don¡¯t say such nonsense!¡± Wu Qiaoyin was afraid to let go of him. What if he ran home and made wrong usations against her?

    Aunt Ge ran over and pped away Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s hand. She shielded the boy behind her and said, ¡°Who are you? What are you doing? You¡¯re such a pretty girl and yet you¡¯re doing such a terrible thing!¡±

    ¡°Granny Ge!¡± The little boy tugged on Aunt Ge¡¯s hand as if he had seen his own family. ¡°I was going to Granny Zhang¡¯s house to y with Zhang Mingming, but she suddenly grabbed my hand and didn¡¯t want to let me go. She said I was in danger and wanted to bring me home! I don¡¯t know her! I¡¯m scared!¡± he sobbed uncontrobly.

    ¡°Danger? We¡¯re all good neighbors with each other here. Everyone knows everyone here and we¡¯re just like family. What danger are you talking about? You, on the other hand, are so brave that you dare to kidnap children right in front of people¡¯s homes,¡± Aunt Ge said. She then took out her phone. ¡°Youxuan, don¡¯t worry, Granny¡¯s here for you. No one¡¯s taking you. I¡¯m calling the police now. We¡¯ll let the police catch her! Child trafficking is too vile! Such a cute child. You want to take him away from his own house? What kind of sick person are you!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin saw that the olddy had speedily dialed 110. She was so scared that she covered Aunt Ge¡¯s phone to prevent thetter from cing the phone to her ear.

    She was not afraid of a wrongful usation because she was not a child trafficker to begin with. It was an easy matter to deal with due to her status as the Wu family¡¯s daughter, but it would be unsavory if word got out.

    At that time, Wu Qiaoyin saw Song Yu walking slowly out from the Qi manor entrance.

    Song Yu heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s words and knew that the little boy would not find himself at a disadvantage. It was beneficial for him to throw a few snarky remarks at Wu Qiaoyin.

    Song Yu appeared at the most opportune time.

    ¡°Big Sister Song!¡± Wu Qiaoyin called out emotionally. ¡°Come and exin the situation. I¡¯m not a bad person. I¡¯m not trying to kidnap Youxuan.¡±

    She stomped her foot at Qi Youxuan. ¡°You... You¡¯re a small kid. How could you lie?¡±

    Qi Youxuan froze and his expression turned bleak.

    He had always been taught not to lie and he looked down at Chang Jianan¡¯s pathological lying.

    At that point however, he realized that he had just lied.

    Song Yu narrowed her eyes and looked unhappily at Wu Qiaoyin. She took Qi Youxuan into her arms and asked coldly, ¡°Who are you, Miss? I don¡¯t know you.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Wu Qiaoyin was speechless. She was not formally introduced to Song Yu before and had merely met in passing at Qilin. What she heard from others was that this Song Yu was Qi Chengzhi¡¯s wife.

    ¡°My mom is friends with Auntie Guan. We know each other!¡± Wu Qiaoyin said. She felt wronged and her voice was particrly feeble.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯ve never heard my aunt speak of you and I don¡¯t know you either. Please stay away from Youxuan,¡± Song Yu warned icily. ¡°Otherwise I¡¯ll call the police.¡±

    ¡°You... How could you do that? I¡¯m not a bad person! I really know him!¡± Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s voice was bordering on crying.

    ¡°Youxuan doesn¡¯t know you. Miss, please don¡¯t continue to stay here,¡± Song Yu requested coldly.

    ¡°He... He¡¯s lying!¡± Wu Qiaoyin was practically jumping in anger.

    ¡°Oh my, our Youxuan¡¯s a good kid. He never lies!¡± Aunt Ge remarked unhappily. ¡°Even good-looking people are criminals nowadays. You dress so nicely, youngdy, but why are you doing such terrible things.¡±

    Seeing Song Yue out, Aunt Ge hung up and chose not to actually make a police report. After all, the Qi family¡¯s issue was best left to themselves to deal with it.

    Wu Qiaoyin did not look like someone who knew her ce and Aunt Ge was not stupid. She knew that Wu Qiaoyin definitely knew both of them, but since neither admitted it, Aunt Ge understood that something was up and wondered what improper thoughts Wu Qiaoyin had.

    The Qi family¡¯s grandsons were all excellent people, especially the eldest and second eldest. Both of them were married, but women still went up to them. That wasmon knowledge to everyone.

    Aunt Ge realized that after seeing how Wu Qiaoyin was pestering Qi Youxuan.

    Once that thought urred to her, Aunt Ge shouted, ¡°Why is a youngdy like you kidnapping children? A dog has eaten your heart!¡±

 Chapter 447 - So White and Round Like Paper Cuttings

    <h4>Chapter 447: So White and Round Like Paper Cuttings</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Aunt Ge¡¯s shouting drew the attention of countless other people.

    ¡°Yo, this is too much!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Qi family¡¯s great-grandson? Thank God they didn¡¯t take him away.¡±

    ¡°Doing this in broad daylight? This is outrageous!¡±

    ¡°This is too heartless!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s face turned green, then red, and she anxiously said, ¡°I... I have money. Why should I kidnap children! I... I drove here! Big Sister Song, I¡¯m so disappointed in you. I treated you as a friend and I wanted to meet your elders, but you¡¯re using me like this!¡±

    Unable to bear with it any longer, she ran to the car crying as soon as she finished speaking, then drove off.

    The crowd dispersed after seeing her leave.

    Song Yu protected the little boy and thanked Aunt Ge. ¡°Sorry for troubling you.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. We¡¯re all neighbors, aren¡¯t we? If we see something amiss, we have to help.¡± Aunt Ge waved it off happily. ¡°It was a coincidence too. I just finished za dancing and I saw this when I came back.¡±

    Seeing Qi Youxuan hugging Song Yu¡¯s thigh listlessly, Aunt Ge thought that it was because the child was scared silly. She told them to hurry in.

    Song Yu then waved goodbye to Aunt Ge and brought the child into the courtyard before saying, ¡°Usually, you¡¯re not allowed to lie to good people, but when there are bad people, it¡¯s a way to save yourself. There are many types of lies, and if it¡¯s for a good reason, then it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re a smart child. Don¡¯t beat yourself up over this.

    ¡°Not letting her into our house is a good thing. And the only thing we can say about that is that you¡¯re smart,¡± Song Yu said.

    ¡°I know.¡± The little guy was still feeling bummed, but in a split second, he understood everything and puffed out his little tummy, eximing confidently, ¡°I¡¯m a really smart person!¡±

    ...

    Song Yu went back and told everything to Qi Chenglin, including the little boy¡¯s concerns.

    In the end, little Qi Youxuan received a look of approval from his dad. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Always do that to those kinds of women. If she¡¯s shameless, then we¡¯ll undermine her and shame her.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s vigor perked up and he immediately gave Qi Chenglin a thumbs up. ¡°Dad! You¡¯re absolutely right!¡±

    He tapped his fat little hand onto his chest and said, ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll definitely do my best! You¡¯ll have to reward me tonight by letting me eat some meat tonight, okay?¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked at him from head to toe and pointed at the digital scale by the wall. ¡°Go and weigh. Let¡¯s see how many kilos you¡¯ve shed.¡±

    Qi Youxuan felt briefly choked. He looked down at his own belly, then at the scale, before finally looking at Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, I just drank a big box of milk. I¡¯m filled with water now and it won¡¯t be urate! Measuring weight is most urate in the morning, before breakfast.¡±

    He looked at Qi Chenglin and narrowed his eyes, after which he threw himself into his great-grandmother¡¯s arms. ¡°Great-grandma! Have pity on your cute grandson! Look at how skinny I am! Dad only lets me eat vegetables every day, and I¡¯ve eaten so much that my face turned green. When I go to school like this, people think that my family¡¯s broke! Great-Grandma, Xuan... Xuanxuan¡¯s so misewwuhble...¡±

    Everyone else in the house was turned off by hisst three words.

    The olddy sighed helplessly and hugged the little ball of fat in her arms. She could feel his entire weight making her feel sore, and when he sat up, she could not feel the slightest trace of bone in that butt of his. He ought to be going on a diet!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be silly, our family¡¯s not broke. Letting you eat more vegetables is for your own good, and besides, it¡¯s not like we didn¡¯t let you eat any meat at all, right?¡± The olddy wanted to carry him up but was unable to do so. Her face muscles twitched and she said, ¡°You¡¯ve...really put on some weight now.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s heart was thoroughly hurt by the olddy, and his pinkish-tender face looked defeated once more.

    The olddy could not bear it. She looked guiltily at Qi Chenglin and then at Guan Liya. It was obvious she wanted Guan Liya to be the interceder.

    Guan Liya met with her son¡¯s gaze and giggled before abruptly looking away from the olddy.

    The olddy was speechless.

    Since Guan Liya was not helping, Grandmother Qi chuckled before saying, ¡°There¡¯s plenty of good food tonight to replenish your mom¡¯s nutrients. You can eat them too, but veggies must form the bulk of your meal!¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded tearfully. He decided that he would look for his uncle tomorrow at his mom¡¯s parents¡¯ ce, as his uncle would give him plenty of meat to eat.

    Nevertheless, the little boy¡¯s ns were disrupted. That night, Ruan Danchen received Grandmother Ruan¡¯s call, informing that Grandfather Ruan was already on a flight home. He ditched his meeting just to see her and would be arriving on Sunday.

    ¡°What your grandfather means is that we¡¯ll go visit the Qi family once hees back tomorrow,¡± Grandmother Ruan said.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect Grandfather Ruan to just fly home and leave the group of people behind. She felt warm in her heart, but at the thought of Grandfather Ruan¡¯s age, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve spoken with the elders today. Grandmother Qi says not to rush. Grandpa¡¯s old, and he has to deal with jetg after more than ten hours in the air. It¡¯s going to be unbearable. He doesn¡¯t need toe here immediately after arriving. Grandmother Qi says that there¡¯s plenty of time, and they all understand.¡±

    ¡°Their understanding is one matter. Whether we do it or not is another matter altogether,¡± Grandmother Ruan said. ¡°Dragging it too long is rude. This is our etiquette. Besides, your grandfather came back here without staying too long overseas. The jetg hasn¡¯t set in yet. He¡¯ll get enough sleep on the ne and it won¡¯t be a problem.¡±

    Therefore, when morning came, Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the Ruan family. Qi Chenglin called the manor and notified them that Grandfather Ruan was back and they would all visit the manor that night.

    The olddy heard that and immediately started preparing. After a headcount, she said, ¡°It seems like there are too many people now. Xiao Liu might not be able to prepare everything. Should we just make a reservation at Dynasty? We¡¯ll go there to have dinner after we sit around at home?¡±

    She called over Xia Wenna and Guan Liya to mull it over. After some thought, she still felt worried. ¡°Will they think that we¡¯re showing off our wealth if we go to Dynasty? But if we go to Shengyue, it doesn¡¯t feel good enough. We definitely can¡¯t make it if we prepare at home.¡±

    Beside them, Grandfather Qi ced down his morning papers. He huffed, red at them, and said, ¡°It¡¯s just meeting the inws. Why are you so anxious about it?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re scientists. How can I not be anxious? I¡¯ve never met true scientists before in my entire life!¡± The olddy pointed proudly at the television behind her. ¡°They¡¯re people who went on TV before!¡±

    Grandfather Qi, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Our family keeps a low profile. If we didn¡¯t, we¡¯d be on TV too!¡± Grandfather Qi said without mincing his words.

    Grandmother Qi chuckled, ¡°Hehe.¡±

    ...

    Leaving the raucous discussion at the old manor, Qi Chenglin had already brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the Ruan family home.

    As soon as they opened the door, the little boy threw himself into Grandmother Ruan¡¯s arms. ¡°Great-Grandma Ruan! I miss you!¡±

    ¡°Oh, my darling, my darling!¡± Grandmother Ruan felt incredibly content when that little round ball of fat hugged her. She stumbled back a couple of steps, but fortunately, Ruan Zeer was there to hold her, otherwise, her waist would not be able to withstand it.

    Grandmother Ruan did not mind too much because she was so busy holding up the little guy. She tried picking him up, but was unable to do so.

    Grandmother Ruan¡¯s mouth twitched with a smile, and she immediately made a second attempt, which failed too.

    Thus, Grandmother Ruan gave up and found a low chair to sit down, enabling Qi Youxuan to crawl onto herp.

    When Qi Youxuan used his little fat hands to prop himself on her legs, Mrs. Ruan felt that her old legs were giving way already.

    ¡°Great-Grandma Ruan, look at me. Do I look different?¡± The little boy stared at Grandmother Ruan eagerly and tried to suck in his cheeks.

    Scrutinizing the little guy from head to toe, Grandmother Ruan did not see any changes. She could only guess and ask, ¡°New clothes?¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡± Qi Youxuan twisted his waist. ¡°Guess again.¡±

    The olddy said, ¡°Oh dear,¡± and was struggling to hold the wiggling Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Is it... a hairstyle change?¡± she mumbled despite sensing nothing different.

    ¡°No, Great-Grandma Ruan. Your cute little Xuanxuan has slimmed down!¡± Qi Youxuan pointed to his own small face, ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice that I got thin? When I got up this morning to take a look, I saw that my face was blue.¡±

    After the little guy finished his sentence, he arched into Grandma Ruan¡¯s arms. ¡°I ate vegetables the entire day yesterday, and I have no energy!¡±

    ¡°This ...¡± Grandmother Ruan could not bear to look at the others.

    ¡°He drank plenty of Danchen¡¯s herbal soupst night,¡± Qi Chenglin said softly.

    That thought made Qi Youxuan feel sad. When he drank it, Guan Liya even said, ¡°Why are you drinking the soup that¡¯s meant for your sister?¡±

    He felt bitterness in his heart. He was sidelined like Little Cabbage<sup>1</sup> even before his sister was born.

    Grandmother Ruan touched his hair and froze for a long time before saying, ¡°This... This... it looks like...you¡¯re thinner?¡±

    Qi Youxuan rushed into Ruan Keshan¡¯s arms next. ¡°Granduncle <sup>1</sup>, your grandson is suffering!¡±

    Ruan Keshan was also red-eyed. ¡°Sigh, my little grandson, how could they not let you have rice?¡±

    Not have rice? It was only meat that they did not let him eat too much.

    He had plenty of vegetables to eat too!

    Seeing the old man and the young boy holding each other and crying, everyone¡¯s mouth began twitching.

    Ruan Zeer covered his face because he could not bear to look at the scene.

    When he was young, Ruan Keshan cried while holding him in the exact same way too.

    Rumor had it that when Ruan Keyu was younger, Ruan Keshan did the same as well.

    Qi Chenglin had enough of it. He carried Qi Youxuan by the shirt cor while sporting an unhappy expression. The boy was lifted out of Ruan Keshan¡¯s arms. ¡°Stand up straight and stop making a fuss! Don¡¯t think that you can eat more meat just because you have extended family members now. Haven¡¯t you seen how fat you are now? And you still have the decency to call yourself the best among your year. What do you take Dai Zhiyao for? Furniture?¡±

    The little boy moved his lips as if to say something, but he did not rebuff his father¡¯s words. Facts spoke louder than words, and as of that moment, Dai Zhiyao¡¯s poprity surpassed him just a little bit more.

    ¡°Muran¡¯s going to start attending elementary school too,¡± Qi Chenglin said casually.

    Qi Youxuan bit the handkerchief that Ruan Keshan handed over to dry his tears. After an inner tussle, he said, ¡°I... I¡¯ll work harder to slim down.¡±

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, Zeer, you can put away the roasted chicken we bought this morning.¡± Ruan Keshan did not want to dampen his grandson¡¯s zeal. ¡°The pork ribs and pork trotters too... Put them back in the fridge. We won¡¯t be eating them this afternoon.¡±

    As he said that, he felt that something was amiss. His shirt was wet and sticking to his skin.

    When he looked down, it was all due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s saliva.

    ¡°We... We were going to eat so much good food this afternoon?¡± the little boy¡¯s saliva was like a faucet and he asked with tears in his eyes.

    ¡°Sweet and sour pork ribs. Don¡¯t you like to eat them? Also, rock-sugar braised pork trotters. They¡¯ll be soft after braising. That melt-in-your-mouth skin and chewy tendons. The roast chicken was bought from a roasted meats shop in our nearby market. The chicken skin is thin, crispy, and the meat is smooth and tender. There¡¯s even juice when you bite into it, you know!¡± Ruan Keshan thought that it would be good to describe all that good food to him since he could not eat them.

    Ruan Keshan then gave him a regretful look. ¡°But if you don¡¯t eat. We¡¯ll keep them. We haven¡¯t started preparing anyway, so when you¡¯re not around, we¡¯ll eat them again.¡±

    The little boy was shocked. Did his granduncle really like him? Why did it seem like his granduncle was trying to anger him on purpose!

    Qi Youxuan crept down sorrowfully from Ruan Keshan¡¯sp. He turned to Chen Minxia and went into her embrace. ¡°Grandaunt <sup>1</sup>, I can¡¯t!¡±

    Chen Minxia patted his back and tested the waters by asking Qi Chenglin, ¡°How about we just let him eat some? Just a bit, for him to have a taste.¡±

    Qi Chenglin pondered for a bit and replied, ¡°Perhaps you can just cook it. We¡¯ll just let him have a bite to satisfy his cravings. We can¡¯t just let the entire family go meatless just because of him.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    Things turned out exactly as Qi Chenglin said. When lunchtime came, Qi Youxuan widened his eyes at therge portion of pig trotters, but Qi Chenglin merely gave him a small piece of skin. Ruan Danchen was still the one who felt sorry for him, so she took a piece of al dente tendon and gave it to him. Qi Youxuan was only given a small piece of chicken thigh meat, and not even the chicken wings were given to him. Another small piece of pork rib was allowed, but other than that, nothing else was given.

    After he finished his meat, he carried his bowl of vegetables and went over to sing Little Cabbage [1] in a corner. He would rather not sit at the table and look at all that delicious food when he could not even eat them.

    Once they had all eaten, Ruan Danchen and Chen Minxia did not do the cleaning up because the family¡¯s housekeeper was present to do all that.

    Ruan Danchen sat on the sofa and felt waves of nausea. She knew it was because of the nervousness.

    Her paling face prompted Qi Chenglin to hold her hand. Finding everything rather amusing, he asked, ¡°Nervous?¡±

    ¡°Mm. It¡¯s Grandpa we¡¯re talking about.¡± Ruan Danchen realized that her breathing was bing erratic, as if shecked oxygen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be nervous. He¡¯s not someone who¡¯ll make you feel nervous.¡± Grandmother Ruan¡¯s face twitched after she thought of the old man. ¡°His character, how I do I put it... You¡¯ll see it when you meet him. Don¡¯t be worried. When you see him, you won¡¯t even think about getting nervous.¡±

    ¡°Mm, don¡¯t just go along with him when ites to things. Your grandpa, he...can¡¯t be controlled.¡± Ruan Keshan¡¯s expression turned odd at the mere mention of Grandfather Ruan.

    Chen Minxia was not in a position to say anything, as she was merely the old man¡¯s daughter-inw. All she could do was drink tea. Ruan Zeer, on the other hand, looked as though he did not want to dwell on past happenings.

    Their expressions piqued Ruan Danchen¡¯s curiosity and she no longer felt that anxious anymore.

    Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan¡¯s constant banter made her rx tremendously.

    Not longter, the doorbell rang.

    ¡°Ah! Your grandpa¡¯s back!¡± Grandmother Ruan said and got up.

    Ruan Keshan moved faster than her and was the first to reach the door. Standing at the entrance was a white-haired old man, with a driver right behind him. The driver was specifically provided for by the academy. Since the old man¡¯s assistant remained in America to take the old man¡¯s ce in the meeting, the driver went down to the airport just to pick the old man up.

    Grandfather Ruan immediately pushed Ruan Keshan aside when he saw that his son was standing at the door. He ran into the house while shouting, ¡°Where¡¯s my granddaughter?!¡±

    His eyes swiftly scanned across the room. He knew everyone there except Qi Chenglin¡¯s family of three, so his eyes were fixed on Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen had already stood up. She looked at the old man emotionally.

    Grandfather Ruan knew it was Ruan Danchen the instant heid eyes on her. How could she not be his granddaughter when she looked just like Keyu!

    No wonder Ruan Keshan was so confident, even without a paternity test, that she was Keyu¡¯s daughter.

    ¡°MY GRANDDAUGHTER!¡± Grandfather Ruan shouted at the top of his lungs. With teary eyes, he ran over and hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s tightly, all while crying, screaming, and calling her his granddaughter.

    ¡°You¡¯ve suffered so much all these years! You suffered so much! Grandpa¡¯s little darling!¡± Grandfather Ruan hugged Ruan Danchen and cried so much that Ruan Danchen did not even have the chance to speak. ¡°You have Grandpa now. Grandpa will protect you! No one can bully you, if someone does, I¡¯ll beat him to death!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was stunned. ¡°Gra-grandpa?¡±

    Where was that so-called ¡®national treasure¡¯? Where was that so-called ¡®person of virtue and prestige¡¯? Where was the renowned scientist?

    All of a sudden, Ruan Danchen was enlightened as to why everyone else had such odd expressions on their face when Grandfather Ruan was brought up.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Grandfather Ruan acknowledged immediately. ¡°My good granddaughter, my good granddaughter!¡±

    Grandfather Ruan hugged him and cried for quite some time. It took a while for Ruan Keshan to pry the two apart. Upon seeing his old man cry, he cried too and gave Grandfather Ruan a bear-hug. ¡°Dad, we found her, we found her!¡± he cried even louder.

    ¡°Agh, let me go. Let me hug my granddaughter,¡± Grandfather Ruan said tearfully.

    His son, however, hugged him adamantly and cried.

    After some time, Grandfather Ruan stopped crying. He froze there as Ruan Keshan hugged him, with his clothes already soaked in tears.

    His son had numerous good qualities, among them honesty, filial piety, kindness, and responsibility toward wife and family¡ªthe one drawback was an abundance of emotions, well-developedcrimal nds, and a frail heart.

    Once Ruan Keshan finished crying, Grandfather Ruan calmed down significantly too. He felt as though his son had cried out all of his tears on his behalf. He pouted and plopped himself unhappily onto the sofa, looking intently at Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was getting unnerved by his stare, so she pulled Qi Youxuan over. ¡°Grandpa, this is my son, Youxuan. Say hi to your great-grandpa, Youxuan.¡±

    The first meeting was always a shy one for Qi Youxuan, but subsequent meetings would be no big deal for him.

    At that point, the little boy held his round tummy and blushed due to bashfulness. ¡°Hi, Great-Grandpa.¡±

    Everyone felt a bit uneasy when they thought of the things he did in the afternoon.

    ¡°Oh my, good little child. So chubby and likable, so white and round like paper cuttings.¡± Grandfather Ruan was grinning from ear to ear.

    Qi Youxuan turned to look at the huge, round paper cuttings at the window. ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Comee, let Great-Grandpa hug you.¡± Grandfather Ruan stretched both his arms eagerly at the boy, whose fair-skin and chubbiness was much cuter than Ruan Zeer.

    Ruan Zeer was too skinny when he was young. He was a handsome baby who grew up to be a handsome young man. Never once did he plump up.

    Grandfather Ruan had no chance to feed Ruan Zeer and fatten him up, as Chen Minxia kept a strict watch on his diet. Thinking of that made Grandfather Ruan look at Chen Minxia somewhat dissatisfied.

    Trantor¡¯s note:

    [1] Ð¡°×²Ë¨C tranted as Little Cabbage. It is a traditional songmenting the trials and tribtions of a daughter whose mother passed away and father remarried. In the song, the father had another child with the second wife¡ªa son¡ªand they both cared for the son more than the daughter, leaving the daughter with much less to eat (one of the verses said that she ate only soup while her brother had noodles). Youxuan may bementing hisck of meat by singing the song, as the song ends with the girl missing the mother. Our Youxuan already found his mother, so the only thing that is worthy of hismentations areck of meat (and by extension, good food) and an overabundance of veggies!

    [2] Íâ¹«¨C the author used this. It means maternal grandfather, but since Ruan Zeer is Qi Youxuan¡¯s uncle, that would mean Ruan Keshan is Qi Youxuan¡¯s granduncle.

    [3] ÍâÆÅ¨C It means grandmother and has simr logic to [1] but is actually referring to grandaunt. The author also used this.

 Chapter 448 - I Suddenly Know Where Youxuan Got His Attitude From

    <h4>Chapter 448: I Suddenly Know Where Youxuan Got His Attitude From</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chen Minxia ignored Grandfather Ruan¡¯s sudden stares.

    In reality, his reputation gained traction only in the past few years. When Chen Minxia married into the family, Grandfather Ruan was merely an ordinary teacher who did not attract that much reverence from the public.

    When she got married, she was slightly taken aback by the old man¡¯s demeanor, but she gradually became used to it and it reached a point where she was numb to it already.

    Even if the old man gained an abundance of veneration in public, they did not feel that he was that worthy of being revered. His individuality overshadowed whatever brilliance he had.

    Grandfather Ruan said to the boy, ¡°Come,e. Let Great-Grandpa hug you.¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Qi Youxuan chuckled somewhat maliciously. He threw himself over, causing the old man¡¯s back to hit against the sofa.

    ¡®Who told you to call me fat.¡¯

    ¡°Oh dear!¡± Grandfather Ruan rubbed his chest and held the little boy¡¯s meatiness. Heughed dryly and said, ¡°Our Youxuan is a very strong kid, hehe.¡±

    Grandfather Ruan had just returned home. He hugged his little son and dragged Ruan Danchen over to have a chat. Although Ruan Keshan had already told everything to him, he wanted to hear it from Ruan Danchen herself.

    The olddy looked at her watch and finally interrupted the two of them, ¡°Don¡¯t forget, we agreed to visit the Qi family tonight. We can¡¯t gote because it¡¯s rude.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes,¡± answered Grandfather Ruan. All of a sudden, he thought of something. He exerted plenty of effort to carry the boy and ce him down, and as he stretched his waist, he reached for his luggage and took out a stic bag with the airport¡¯s tax-free shop logo on it. From the bag, he fished out five different boxes of chocte.

    He gave them to the wide-eyed Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I came back in a hurry so I couldn¡¯t go shopping, except around the airport. I didn¡¯t know what to buy, but when I thought of Youxuan, I thought that kids would definitely like these,¡± Grandfather Ruan smiled and said. He puffed out his chest and looked as though he was eagerly anticipating some praise from the boy.

    ¡°Thank you, Great-Grandpa Ruan. You¡¯re my favorite person!¡± The little boy smiled immediately, turning his face into a little bun-like shape. The mere mention of food sufficed to make his face light up.

    ¡°You can only eat one piece a day,¡± Qi Chenglin voiced out suddenly from one side.

    Before the little boy could protest, Grandfather Ruan chuckled. ¡°Hehe, going on a diet?¡±

    Qi Youxuan, ¡°...¡±

    Why did he feel as though the old man was so annoying!

    ¡°Hehe, since that¡¯s the case, we¡¯ll leave the rest here. You can bring one box home, and when that¡¯s finished, you cane here and get another one. Great-Grandpa will keep an eye on you so you don¡¯t eat too much.¡± Grandfather Ruan ced the smallest box of choctes onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands, keeping the rest to himself. He opened one box in front of the boy and took out a shell-shaped chocte. Popping it into his mouth, he said, ¡°Oh my, melts in your mouth! Hehehe.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan took the box of choctes from him, including the already-opened box. ¡°I¡¯m worried about your diabetes!¡±

    She stored the choctes in the kitchen cab and came out to urge Grandfather Ruan. ¡°Go and change your clothes. We¡¯re going to meet the inws.¡±

    Grandfather Ruan chuckled and pinched the little boy¡¯s cheeks before heading into the room.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin ruminated silently, and out of the blue, he said, ¡°I suddenly know where Youxuan got his attitude from.¡±

    No wonder he could not find the source of it. After all, no one in the Qi family had Youxuan¡¯s attitude.

    Everyone was speechless.

    After some time, Grandfather Ruan came out to apletely silent living room. No one was speaking.

    The moment he came out, everyone¡¯s attention was directed to him.

    ¡°What are you looking at? Why is everyone so quiet? Grandfather Ruan looked left and right but found nothing wrong with himself.

    ¡°Hehe, let¡¯s get going.¡± Grandmother Ruan thought it best not to say too much.

    Ruan Keshan¡¯s car was still being serviced, but fortunately, Grandfather Ruan told his driver to wait downstairs. His car, plus Qi Chenglin¡¯s car, was enough to fit all eight of them.

    Grandfather Ruan sat at the back of Qi Chenglin¡¯s car, along with Qi Youxuan. He looked at Qi Youxuan and smiled constantly, making Qi Youxuan feel ruffled.

    ¡°Great-Grandpa Ruan, don¡¯t smile at me like that!¡± the boy said after finally having enough of it.

    ¡°Why?¡± asked the old man, confused.

    ¡°It¡¯s terrifying!¡± The boy rubbed his arms together and cowered behind.

    Grandfather Ruan, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    Grandfather Ruan¡¯s teasingsted the entire trip until they finally reached the old manor.

    Qi Youxuan was relieved. After getting out of the car, he exhaled heavily. The stress was too great after spending so much time with Grandfather Ruan.

    While the rest of them were still walking behind, Qi Youxuan ran into the yard and rang the doorbell.

    He did not expect the old Qi couple to be waiting at the door in person. They warmly weed Grandfather Ruan and Grandmother Ruan.

    The schrly scientist aura was very much prevalent despite Grandfather Ruan¡¯s silence.

    Grandmother Qi said respectfully to Grandfather Ruan, ¡°Look at you rushing here right after your flight. You didn¡¯t have to rush here. It¡¯ll be much better if you have some rest before our two families gather here. That¡¯ll be much more rxing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Grandfather Ruan shrugged it off with a wave of his hand. ¡°I slept throughout the flight anyway, so I¡¯m not tired. I¡¯m full of energy right now!¡±

    Everyone could see that Grandfather Ruan was full of spirit. He really did not look tired at all. They were also surprised that such a leading schr was so approachable. He definitely proved himself to be a scientist of high intellectual capacity.

    Even Guan Liya and Xia Wenna looked at him with admiration.

    Grandmother Ruan and Ruan Keshan¡¯s expressions twitched.

    Grandmother Ruan told Grandmother Qi, ¡°Our Danchen is lucky to marry a man as good as Qi Chenglin. You treat her well too, without paying too much attention to her status. We... We really don¡¯t know how to thank you.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t say that. It feels so distant. Danchen¡¯s our daughter-inw, she¡¯s like a half-daughter. Our Chenglin likes her, so we like her too. If we treat her badly, won¡¯t that make Chenglin feel bad too?¡± Grandmother Qi smiled and said.

    At that point, Grandfather Ruan¡¯s cell phone rang. It was a call from the leader.

    ¡°Old man, have you reached?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m at my inws¡¯ house,¡± Grandfather Qi answered honestly.

    ¡°I thought you went back to meet your granddaughter?¡±

    ¡°I did. I came back to meet her and visit her husband¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Well that progressed quickly.

    ¡°Since everything is settled already, are you stilling back to the States? We haven¡¯t started the meeting yet. You can stille back in time.¡±

    Grandfather Ruan heard that and groaned immediately. ¡°I¡¯m an old bag of bones. Don¡¯t you have a heart? Are you really willing to do that? Do you want me to risk my life for an annual meeting? I¡¯m telling you: death can be trifling, or it can be a serious matter. I can¡¯t let my death be an insignificant one just because of this small meeting! I want to serve humanity¡¯s growth and die a noble death as a scientist who struggles and strives endlessly for improvement!¡±

    The leader was speechless.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, is it?¡±

    The leader unwittingly said what he wanted to say.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad? I¡¯ve just met my granddaughter and my great-grandson. I haven¡¯t even gotten to know them better yet! Do you really have the heart to just separate me from my family? I¡¯ve cried my heart out at home. If you want me to leave now, my heart can¡¯t take it! I¡¯m old! I could suffer from any psychological illness! If something happens, what are you gonna do about it?¡± Grandfather Ruan was practically crying already.

    The leader, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Oh, Youxuan! Your Great-Grandpa is useless! He can¡¯t decide things for himself. He needed so much effort toe back and see you, but people already want him to go back!¡± Grandfather Ruan cried and eximed.

    The little boy ran over to Grandfather Ruan¡¯s embrace and groaned into the phone, sobbing like nobody¡¯s business. ¡°Great-Grandpa, don¡¯t leave me!¡± He sobbed even more. ¡°Don¡¯t go, Great-Grandpa. Your Xuanxuan only managed to meet you after seven years! I can¡¯t bear to be separated from you!¡± The sobs became more fervent.

    The leader could feel his head exploding after hearing the cries of the old man and the little boy.

    What kind of nonsense was that? Why did the two of them cry like it was a life-and-death scenario?

    ¡°Oh, Granddaughter! I can¡¯t bear to part with you!¡± Grandfather Ruan stretched out his hand to Ruan Danchen.

    That action was exactly like how Erkang <sup>1</sup>stretched out his hand [1], prompting Ruan Danchen to wonder if the old man frequently used the inte to keep up with the times.

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    She never expected his shamelessness to have no bounds, just like the little boy.

    While she was still stuck as to how she should react, Ruan Keshan ran over and began crying.

    ¡°Dad, Dad, you can go without worrying. I¡¯ll take care of Danchen. You just came back and you just met Danchen, but now you have to go back. It¡¯s too disheartening! Scientific researchers need to be flexible and have human nature, don¡¯t they? This is asking you to leave aside your family and your life just for scientific advancement! If you go, will we still be able to see you again next time?¡± Ruan Keshan threw himself at the feet of his father and cried wildly.

    The Qi family was speechless, and so was the leader.

    ¡®The hell is this nonsense?¡¯

    ¡°I... I was just saying that casually! Don¡¯t get anxious! Please don¡¯t let Professor Ruan get too worked up!¡± The leader knew the voice to be Ruan Keshan and felt that the father-son duo was making himself look like the bad guy.

    ¡°You see, I can¡¯t just let you be separated from your family, right? If you really can¡¯t make it, then don¡¯te. When Ie back, I¡¯ll let Xiao Jing report on the meetings¡¯ contents to you. You... Just set your mind at ease at home, have a good reunion with your granddaughter and your family. You¡¯ve already contributed so much to the scientific knowledge and advancement in our country. We can¡¯t possibly deny you this liberty, right?¡± the leader twitched his lip and said.

    ¡°I think so too.¡± Grandfather Ruan was all smiles. His grin from ear-to-ear, with his earlier grief vanishing into thin airpletely.

    The leader chuckled and hung up. His energy was thoroughly drained from speaking with the old man.

    Grandfather Ruan put the phone away after the call ended. He turned to the Qi family as if nothing had happened and said, ¡°Say, isn¡¯t it a bit too unreasonable to make an old man like myself cry?¡±

    ¡°Hehe.¡± Grandfather Qi ran out of words to describe Grandfather Ruan. He looked at the olddy with an expression that clearly stated, ¡®This guy? Going on TV and making the news?¡¯

    Grandmother Ruan was so embarrassed that her face turned red.

    Earlier, Aunt Liu had brought Little Youjin into the room to sleep, as there were too many people around and the noise might disturb the little guy. Little Youjin began crying and iling his arms about in search of his mother. Aunt Liu then carried him out.

    Grandfather Ruan was ted to see that little baby. Once Song Yu coaxed him enough that he stopped crying, Grandfather Ruan took the boy into his hands. A momentary loss of self-control prompted him to lightly pinch the boy¡¯s chubby little butt.

    Even though Little Youjin could not speak, he angrily retracted his bum and tossed around inside Grandfather Ruan¡¯s arms. He stretched out his hands miserably, seeking help from anyone to set him free from the naughty hands that pinched him!

    Seeing Grandfather Ruan light up with happiness, Song Yu did not feel too good about saving the boy. It was Grandmother Ruan who stared at her husband and carried the boy out from his arms.

    Sensing that he was out of danger, Little Youjin mumbled incoherently and stayed put adorably in Grandmother Ruan¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Is he thinner than Youxuan when Youxuan was a baby?¡± Grandfather Ruan was not at all ashamed for teasing a little baby. He poked Little Youjin¡¯s belly and received an angry kick in return, but that only made him even happier.

    ¡°Umm...¡± Guan Liya began confessing guiltily, ¡°When Chenglin brought Youxuan home, he didn¡¯t have a mother at the time. Chenglin¡¯s always busy with work, so Youxuan¡¯s with me, and I was worried that he would go hungry...¡±

    Since Youxuan had no mother to take care of him and Qi Chenglin was too busy, Guan Liya felt that her grandson was too pitiful. She could not stop herself from giving him the best things in life.

    The absence of mother¡¯s milk prompted her to give him lots of milk form. She was worried he did not eat well.

    In the end though, she identally turned that little ball into a tender, fair-skinned ball of fat.

    The little boy looked at Little Youjin and voiced out abruptly, ¡°Lil¡¯ Bro¡¯s too skinny. He needs to eat more!¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s thinking was very pure and simple. He wanted his younger cousin to grow fat, so they would then be able to go on a diet and eat vegetables together. He would not need to suffer alone, at least.

    Beside him, Grandmother Qi nodded. ¡°It¡¯s much more fun if a kid is chubby when he¡¯s young.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu did not know how to react.

    Little Youjin, however, seemed to understand everything. He stretched his arms out happily toward Grandmother Qi, asking to be carried. Once in the olddy¡¯s hands, he mumbled and drooled while reaching out to the strawberries on the table. His arms waved about but were unable to reach them, making him very frantic.

    Grandmother Qi took one for him. His tiny hands grasped on the strawberry and he chewed them continuously. It was so sweet that his lips curled into a smile¡ªhe was incredibly happy.

    After some more chit-chat, Grandmother Qi looked at the time and suggested that they go to Dynasty.

    She breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that the Ruan family acted normal without having too much of a reaction. That made her feel that the Ruan family had character¡ªnot only were they worthy of being called schrs, they were also very calm when faced with favor or otherwise.

    Qi Chengzhi lifted Little Youjin out from Grandmother Qi¡¯s embrace. The baby¡¯s hands were stained with strawberry juice and he wiped it on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s clothes, leaving a pinkish stain of strawberry extract.

    Qi Chengzhi stared at him and said solemnly, ¡°If you do this again, you won¡¯t be allowed to eat strawberries anymore.¡±

    Little Youjin was frightened by that. He grabbed onto the strawberry and was afraid to let go. He no longer dared to rub his other hand on Qi Chengzhi¡¯s sleeve. Instead, he flung his hand back a couple of times in an attempt to rid his hand of the strawberry juice.

    Then, he gnawed on the strawberry like a mole.

    Grandmother Qi and Grandmother Ruan went out just in time to meet a group of neighbors in the corridor. They were walking back after some za dancing and were dragging their carts after doing their grocery shopping. A good number of people were present.

    The crowd was curious after seeing the two olddies talking so affectionately, especially since there were a few unknown people behind the two old women.

    Just as they were beginning to wonder, they could hear Qi Youxuan¡ªwho ran over with his wiggling butt and held Grandmother Ruan¡¯s hand¡ªsaying, ¡°Great-Grandma Ruan, I¡¯ll go with you in your car.¡±

    A good cajoling would enable him to eat more meatter that night.

    As a result, everyone was surprised. ¡®Great-Grandma Ruan?

    ¡®Was that Ruan Danchen¡¯s family?

    ¡®Isn¡¯t Ruan Danchen an orphan? When did she have a family all of a sudden?¡¯

    ¡°This is... Danchen¡¯s grandmother?¡± Aunt Ge looked at Grandmother Ruan in shock.

    ¡°Why yes. Danchen¡¯s not an orphan. Her family was just separated and now they¡¯ve found each other!¡± said Grandmother Qi with great pleasure. She remembered the old Ruan couple¡¯s status and realized it was just perfect for showing off!

    Aunt Ge immediately believed it after hearing that, but there were those amongst the crowd who viewed the statement with suspicion.

    Some thought that the Qi family might have been worried that Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity was too in, therefore necessitating the Qi family to find a group of people to pose as Ruan Danchen¡¯s family.

    Although such thoughts would be regarded as strange by some ordinary people, the mindset of those great families were unconjecturable and different from the masses.

    At that time, Grandfather Ruan walked over as well. He maintained his air of solemnity in front of strangers.

    Holding that graceful posture, he looked exactly like what was shown on the news.

    ¡°This man... Why is he so familiar?¡± Beside Aunt Ge was Aunt Wang, who posed the question. The more he looked at the old man, the more familiar he was to her eyes, as though she saw him somewhere but could not put her finger down on where that was as she did not have too much of an impression.

    Grandmother Qi straightened her back and seized the moment as an opportunity to show off. She introduced warmly, ¡°Come here, let¡¯s all introduce ourselves. These are my inws. This is Danchen¡¯s grandfather, Ruan Lichuan. He¡¯s a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences. He¡¯s the one that was awarded the Fields Medal previously and made the news! He¡¯s supposed to be in a meeting in the US, but when he found out that Danchen was the granddaughter he had been looking for all this time, he flew back without further ado and just touched down today.¡±

    Although the olddy did not really put much importance on a person¡¯s background, she would still be happy if the family was a good family that could be shown off.

    It was just like back then when she was so worried about Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin¡¯s marriage-less status. Everyone was saying that the two of them might not get married for the rest of their lives, but Qi Chengzhi brought back Song Yu out of the blue.

    Grandmother Qi brought Song Yu for a walk around the neighborhood at once, introducing her to everyone and unting the fact that her grandson now had a partner. The same thing happened when Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen back.

    Her inws were so amazing, being the respectable scientists that they were. No doubt, the olddy would want to show them off eagerly.

    After the olddy¡¯s statement, Aunt Ge and Aunt Wang, including all the otherdies, began to have some recollection. By then, some of the old men were passing by¡ªthey usually had nothing much to do at home except watch the news.

    Celebrities were rtively unknown to them, but to them, a highly-intellectual person was exactly like how youngsters treated celebrities.

    That refresher by the olddy jolted the old men¡¯s memories.

    Uncle Ge and Uncle Wang dragged their buddies and huddled together. They each held Grandfather Ruan¡¯s hand without letting go, as if they were protecting a jewel.

    ¡°Grandfather Ruan, hello, hello. It¡¯s an honor, it¡¯s an honor,¡± Uncle Ge said.

    ¡°I never expected to see someone from the news right in front of me,¡± Uncle Wang was so emotional that he nearly cried.

 Chapter 484 - There Is No Reason for the Woman I Love to Protect Me in Turn

    <strong>Chapter 484: There Is No Reason for the Woman I Love to Protect Me in Turn</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Jiang Yuecheng had everyone split up. Wei Muran and Zhang Ming moved south along the vige, while Qi Youxuan quickly followed. They found an abandoned factory not far from the vige. The gate to the factory yard was locked. The iron railings, chains, and padlocks on the door were all rusted.

    Qi Youxuan looked at the padlock without touching it, then pointed and said, ¡°These padlocks were opened recently and frequently by someone. There¡¯s rust between the chains.¡±

    Qi Youxuan removed his handkerchief from his trouser pocket and gently wiped between the chains. Sure enough, the handkerchief was stained with a brownish powdery substance.

    ¡°However, the padlock is clean, as well as the part of the chain toward where the padlock is. Someone frequently touched these.¡± Qi Youxuan pointed to the lock. It was obvious even to the naked eye.

    ¡°The vige chief said the factory has been abandoned for two years, but there¡¯s a caretaker who has the key,¡± said Zhang Ming. He took out his cell phone and called Xing Jiadong. ¡°Jiadong, find the vige chief. Have him bring the factory caretaker to the factory.¡±

    Theyter notified Jiang Yuecheng and he quickly headed to the factory.

    Shortly after, Xing Jiadong brought the vige chief. Apanying them was a man in his fifties with grey hair, wearing an unbuttoned dark blue cotton jacket, exposing a white undershirt.

    ¡°He said he lost the keys,¡± said Xing Jiadong disgruntledly as he red at the caretaker.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhang Ming looked suspiciously at the caretaker.

    The terrified caretaker waved his hands frantically, ¡°Officer, you can¡¯t suspect me. I¡¯m an honest andw-abiding person. I¡¯ve never done anything bad. At most, I¡¯m just a cheapskate. I lost the keys three months ago. Although the factory had ceased operations, it originally was a chemical nt, so, they still had to keep an eye on it. I was paid eight hundred Yuan a month until they fully cleared out the ce. In fact, the clearing work waspleted three months ago. The factory is to be demolished and thend sold. I was responsible for bringing the interested parties to look at the ce prior to it being sold. I was afraid if they found out that I had lost the keys, they would fire me and I would lose eight hundred Yuan a month just like that.¡±

    ¡°How did you lose the key? Think hard, otherwise, you¡¯ll be brought to the police station for questioning. You¡¯ll be the main suspect,¡± said Zhang Ming. Zhao Yiyang had already called for a locksmith.

    The caretaker was so terrified that he choked and almost cried. ¡°Officer... officer, I¡¯m innocent... I wouldn¡¯t dare... Officer.¡±

    ¡°Then think hard,¡± said Zhao Yiyang in a serious tone.

    ¡°I... I remember now. Three months ago, apany sent a representative to inspect thend. They didn¡¯t n to demolish the factory and said that if it was suitable, they would also purchase the factory. The original owner was delighted. The factory itself can be worth a lot. The representative asked me to unlock the door and inspected the ce. After sending him off, I didn¡¯t bother to see if the key was still there. A few dayster, I nned to drop by and realized that the key was gone. I... I dared not tell anyone.¡±

    Everyone there smelt something fishy. Zhang Ming said immediately, ¡°Give us the contact information of thepany that contacted you that time, as well as the contact information of the original owner of the factory.¡±

    ¡°Aye...¡± The caretaker retrieved his cell phone and gave Zhang Ming the numbers.

    The locksmith arrived and pried open the padlocks. Jiang Yuecheng had his men set up police lines outside, and then lead them inside.

    The factory had been abandoned for two years and no one has ever cleaned it. There was a thickyer of dust on the ground and there were no lights. It was bright outside, but pitch-dark inside. Everyone raised their shlights, and the dust in the air was even more apparent under the beams of light.

    There was also a smell of mildew in the air. Wei Muran subconsciously leaned against Qi Youxuan, quietly tugged on Qi Youxuan¡¯s arm, and whispered, ¡°Am I imagining it? Or do I faintly smell blood?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not imagining it,¡± Qi Youxuan said calmly, ¡°I smell it too. This way.¡±

    Qi Youxuan unconsciously moved to the front and led the way. Wei Muran realized that he had not received any training whatsoever. Fearing that he would not be able to avoid any impending danger, she hurried towards him and moved to shield him.

    In the darkness, he grasped her by the hand and heard him whisper gently, ¡°There is no reason for the woman I love to protect me in turn. If you¡¯re hurt, it¡¯s my failure.¡±

    After he spoke, she was pushed behind him.

    In the dark, Wei Muran felt her face sweltering as if there was hot steaming out of her ears. Her mind was a hazy, and void of any cognitive ability.

    However, she did not pull away and allowed Qi Youxuan to lead her by the hand, sweltering ears and all. She had not even considered if anyone was watching.

    Zhang Ming saw everything from the start, smiled sneakily, and directed his shlight elsewhere. Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s expression was stagnant for a moment, then looked away.

    Wei Muran followed along and suddenly felt a scratch on her palm. She felt a slight tingling sensation from the palm of her hand.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan!¡± said Wei Muran warningly through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, we¡¯re here.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice sounded serious, so she did as he said. Her hand was being squeezed again by him, and his thumb rubbed back and forth teasingly against the back of her hand.

    Wei Muran wanted to jerk her hand back but was already in too deep. He held on too tightly.

    ¡°There¡¯s blood,¡± said Qi Youxuan suddenly.

    He directed his shlight toward the wall, there was blood where the wall met the ground. ¡°The blood hasn¡¯t dried!¡± said Qi Youxuan as he approached.

    Jiang Yuecheng reacted quickly and immediately informed his men outside via walkie-talkie, ¡°The person just left, search the perimeter!¡±

    The others continued their inspection with Qi Youxuan. Wearing white gloves, Zhao Yiyang picked up a piece of rope, ¡°There¡¯s blood on this rope.¡±

    Qi Youxuan crouched down suddenly, ¡°Does anyone have a clean handkerchief?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Muran both presented a handkerchief at the same time. The others did not even have paper napkins on them.

    Qi Youxuan was amazed. Jiang Yuecheng still had this habit. He looked at the handkerchief handed over by Wei Muran, skipped over it, and took the one from Jiang Yuecheng.

    Wei Muran pouted and put hers away unhappily.

    Qi Youxuan threw her a nce and stifled a smile, ¡°What we have here might be the stuff thates out after men and women are done doing it. You wouldn¡¯t want to get it on your handkerchief. You¡¯ll have to get rid of itter.¡±

    Wei Muran suddenly felt ufortable and did not retaliate. She watched as Qi Youxuan put on his gloves, then using Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s handkerchief, collected the liquid from the ground, and put it in the bag.

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuecheng watched his handkerchief being used to collect the liquid and felt ufortable.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your own handkerchief,¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Oh, it was already stained with rust. Won¡¯t it affect the forensic test results?¡± said Qi Youxuan extra seriously.

    Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°...¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s walkie-talkie crackled, ¡°Sergeant Jiang, we didn¡¯t find anyone.¡±

    ¡°Roger that. Let¡¯s head back. Bring the caretaker along,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    ....

    Back at the station, Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong continued to question the caretaker regarding the representative who came to inspect the factory three months ago.

    Qi Youxuan stood in front of the whiteboard holding a marker, talking and jotting down notes. ¡°Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui were kidnapped by the same person, but the substance we found in Zheng Xiaorui is unlikely from the kidnapper. Both victims had no other external injuries other than severe whipping scars. The factory was dirty but certain areas were clean, leaving obvious tracks.

    Qi Youxuan pointed to a photograph and said, ¡°Here, a chair was ced here previously. The kidnapper is obsessed with cleanliness, therefore the person that raped Zheng Xiaorui was not the kidnapper. It could be that he hired someone to rape Zheng Xiaorui, or had an aplice, or kidnapped another person and forced him to rape Zheng Xiaorui. I¡¯m leaning towards thetter possibility.¡±

    ¡°People who are obsessed with cleanliness are usually controlling in nature. When Zheng Wentao was killed, he didn¡¯t get his hands dirty; rather, he had Zheng Xiaorui kill her own grandfather. As for Zheng Xiaorui, he didn¡¯t do it himself either. He had someone else rape and kill her. A person of this nature would not team up with others.¡±

    Qi Youxuan tapped the desk softly with his pen. ¡°Zheng Xiaorui caused Li Anqi to be raped and thenmit suicide, but Zheng Wentao used his position to cover it up. So the murderer kidnapped Zheng Wentao and pitted his grandchild against him, threatening both their lives. If Zheng Xiaorui wanted to live, she must kill Zheng Wentao. Zheng Wentao must¡¯ve felt that since he¡¯s old, and if he must choose, he would¡¯ve given his granddaughter a chance to live. So Zheng Xiaorui stabbed Zheng Wentao. That¡¯s why the first two wounds were shallow. You can tell the attacker hesitated. After all, she was killing her own biological grandfather.¡±

    ¡°As for Zheng Xiaorui, she was raped and subsequently fell from a great height. This is the same as Li Anqi.¡± Qi Youxuan tapped his marker and turned back to the whiteboard and wrote, [The kidnapper is male, approximately twenty-five years old. Doesn¡¯t have any distinctive features. Has myopia and wears sses. He has obsessivepulsive disorder and has small habitual movements that maybe he has not noticed himself.]

    Qi Youxuan turned to Zhang Ming and asked, ¡°You mentioned that there was no record of Li Anqi¡¯s brother returning to China. At the time, who else was close to Li Anqi? The boy Zheng Xiaorui liked was very popr in school, which shows that Li Anqi must¡¯ve been popr as well. She would¡¯ve had many suitors. Check up on anyone close to Li Anqi at the time. Also...¡±

    Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes before continuing, ¡°Gossip and rumors spread easily in high school. You can start from this angle. Take Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s graduation photograph and check it out.¡±

    ¡°If the suspect is one of Zheng Xiaorui and Li Anqi¡¯s ssmates, the age approximate of twenty-five years old wouldn¡¯t be a match,¡± said Zhang Ming.

    ¡°Did Li Anqi have a boyfriend at the time? It¡¯s not umon for high school students to fall in love early,¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± Zhang Ming nodded and left.

    Xing Jiadong and Zhao Yiyang returned. Zhao Yiyang handed over aposite sketch to Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°This is theposite sketch of the suspect ording to, Li Fusheng, the caretaker¡¯s description.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s expression shifted. He then handed the sketch to Qi Youxuan. ¡°This matches the description you just said.¡±

    ¡°Is Li Fusheng still there?¡± asked Qi Youxuan as he looked up.

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Zhao Yiyang noticed both Qi Youxuan and Jiang Yuecheng imposing expressions and felt tense.

    Qi Youxuan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll question him again.¡±

    Surprisingly, Xing Jiadong did not make any rude quips. Zhao Yiyang followed Qi Youxuan into the interrogation room.

    Li Fusheng saw the two of them enter. ¡°Why can¡¯t I leave? I really didn¡¯t do anything,¡± he said anxiously and frantically.

    ¡°We know, but we still have some questions for you,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    Qi Youxuan sat down opposite Li Fusheng and asked calmly, ¡°Think carefully, the representative that came to you three months ago. Was there anything peculiar about his behavior? Any weird little details? Anything you think a normal person wouldn¡¯t do. Did he make a fuss regarding anything? Was there anything he did that you secretly thought he was being overly particr?¡±

    Li Fusheng was still confused initially, but after hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, he understood.

    He nodded his head as he remembered. ¡°There was something strange. He was a bit of a clean freak. There are many dirt roads in our vige, especially the road leading to the old factory. He frowned as he walked. As soon as he reached the factory gate, he wiped his shoes with a handkerchief, then threw the handkerchief away. Then, he took out a small bottle of hand sanitizer and applied it on his hands.¡±

    ¡°So the gate was locked, right? He then took out another handkerchief and moved it along the chain.¡± Li Fusheng pouted his lips and said, ¡°Not sure why he had so many handkerchiefs.¡±

    ¡°I identally touched him while unlocking the padlock, he immediately sprung away and shouted at me not to touch him,¡± snorted Li Fusheng. ¡°As if I wanted to touch him?¡±

    ¡°The lights weren¡¯t working, so I used a shlight. I kept hearing a pping sound. The guy kept brushing his sleeves and clothes with his hands. Then out came the hand sanitizer, then the brushing again. When we exited the factory, he looked sick. I pitied him and so I wasn¡¯t too hard on him. He was so obsessed with his cleanliness, I doubt he paid any attention to the condition of the factory.¡±

    Qi Youxuan left with Zhao Yiyang after the questioning and released Li Fusheng.

    Momentster, Zhang Ming came in with two photographs. ¡°This is the ss photo of Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s graduation. There¡¯s someone that matches your and Li Fusheng¡¯s description.¡±

    Zhang Ming pointed to a man sitting on the far left of the first row, then showed him a two-inch ID photograph. ¡°His name is Dong Zhengfeng, originally from The First Experimental High School, and was Zheng Xiaorui and Li Anqi¡¯snguage teacher. When Li Anqi jumped off the building, he was right below and saw the whole thing as shended in a pool of blood. ording to a teacher who¡¯s still teaching at the school, his first reaction was to try to catch Li Anqi. His hands and clothes were all covered in blood. Since then, Dong Zhengfeng seems to have developed an obsessivepulsive disorder. He must wash his hands several times a day. When using chalk in ss, he has to hold it with a handkerchief. This is considered a mental illness, so he went to see a psychiatrist but it seems that it didn¡¯t help much. Coincidentally, after Zheng Xiaorui graduated, he also resigned. Based on what another teacher who was close to him said, he didn¡¯t continue teaching after he resigned but instead joined a foodpany. Thatpany did consider setting up a factory in Nanshan not long ago.¡±

    ¡°Find Dong Zhengfeng at once!¡± Jiang Yuecheng dared not waste a moment and left with his men to Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s workce. Wei Muran joined them but Qi Youxuan stayed behind.

    The case was almost closed and he had to get his affairs in order.

    ...

    Wei Muran figured that Dong Zhengfeng would have definitely escaped out of fear and would not willingly be captured.

    Clearly, everyone else had the same thought. Jiang Yuecheng was especially shocked when he saw Dong Zhengfeng sitting at his office normally.

    When they exined why they were there, Dong Zhengfeng was even more surprised but did not panic. More urately, he looked puzzled. He felt like they must have made a mistake.

    Wei Muran thought that Dong Zhengfeng was either an excellent actor, or he was really framed. However, she also believed in Qi Youxuan¡¯s judgment. After seeing Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s reaction, she felt that there was no way he was faking it.

    Dong Zhengfeng did not resist and even cooperated fully with the police.

    Qi Youxuan did not personally interrogate him, but only observed through the one-way mirror.

    Dong Zhengfeng was not aware of the deaths of Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui and was even surprised.

    ¡°What can you tell?¡± Jiang Yuecheng stood next to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan frowned, ¡°He¡¯s not lying, but he did murder them.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng drew a nk. What was he saying?

    ¡°My deductions are never wrong, he¡¯s the murderer.¡± Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes then said, ¡°However, his bodynguage says that he¡¯s not lying.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong could not get anything out of him. Jiang Yuecheng had no choice but to get a polygraph test.

    Even on the polygraph, Dong Zhengfeng was calm and answered fluently. Jiang Yuecheng started to get impatient. ¡°Mr. Qi, we can¡¯t be wasting our efforts merely based on the fact that you think that your deductions are correct. At most, we can only detain him until the next morning. We¡¯ll have to release him by then.¡±

    Qi Youxuan frowned for a long time, then eximed, ¡°It takes an hour and a half to get from Nanshan to his office. The blood at the factory was still wet, and there¡¯s still another kidnap victim. He wouldn¡¯t have enough time to get rid of that stuff. Check his car.¡±

    Qi Youxuan observed Dong Zhengfeng through the one-way mirror and noticed that his feet were shuffling around ufortably.

    ¡°His shoes are dirty,¡± said Qi Youxuan. Jiang Yuecheng looked puzzled and did not know what he meant.

    ¡°There must be something on his shoes making him so ufortable,¡± exined Qi Youxuan.

    Immediately, Jiang Yuecheng informed Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong to remove Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s shoes.

    Dong Zhengfeng, who had been calm all along, suddenly resisted so much to prevent them from removing his shoes. Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong tried to hold him down and he went berserk. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Filthy, don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    Xing Jiadong twisted his arm behind him and pinned his body to the desk¡ªone hand sped his arm, the other pressing his head tightly against the desk.

    ¡°Let me go.¡± Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s voice changed suddenly. It was not frantic as before, it was calm, cold even. As if void of emotion.

    Xing Jiadong could not see it, but Zhao Yiyang saw that Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s facial expression changed.

    ¡°Unhand me. You don¡¯t need to remove my shoes,¡± said Dong Zhengfeng. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, but I did have them murdered. You don¡¯t need to investigate anymore. I confess.¡±

    Xing Jiadong was so shocked that he let go of his grip. Looking at the coldness and ridicule on Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s face, his heart turned cold.

    ¡°He¡¯s timid. He doesn¡¯t know what I did. You won¡¯t get anything from him,¡± said Dong Zhengfeng mockingly.

    ¡°You ...¡± Xing Jiadong looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Multiple personality disorder.¡± The door burst open as Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice was heard.

    Jiang Yuecheng came in behind him and closed the door.

    Dong Zhengfeng smiled and did not deny it.

    ¡°Does he know you exist?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Perhaps. I suppose he knows. As soon as he is asleep, I will appear. Sometimes when his emotions are unstable, I will also appear. When he controls this body, I¡¯m aware of his surroundings, but when I¡¯m in control, he will not know what I do not wish him to know.

    However, when I was in control, I did a lot of investigations regarding Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, including the rapist. There were many photographs at home, and he found them one day. He burned them all and then pretended nothing was wrong. But I knew that he knew the truth. He¡¯s just avoiding it.¡±

    ¡°Now that you have willingly confessed, you might as well tell us everything. Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, why did you kill them?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you figure it out? Zheng Xiaorui caused Li Anqi to be raped andmit suicide. Zheng Xiaorui didn¡¯t receive the punishment she deserved. Zheng Wentao connived and protected his granddaughter and justice was not served. Since thew was unable to punish them, I had to do it myself.¡±

    ¡°First, I had Zheng Wentao abducted, and then used him to draw Zheng Xiaorui out. I tortured them. I had them whip each other. Whoever whipped lightly will be beaten more severely by me. They wouldn¡¯t dare hold back. Each strike was harder than the next.¡± Dong Zhengfeng had a crazed look in his eyes.

    ¡°When the two didn¡¯t have an ounce of strength left, I threw them a knife. Whoever grabs the knife and kills the other can live.¡± Dong Zhengfeng sneered, ¡°Zheng Wentao really loves his granddaughter. Zheng Xiaorui madly grabbed at the knife, but Zheng Wentao didn¡¯t move an inch. It could be that he saw Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s actions, and decided to let Zheng Xiaorui kill him.¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaorui was really cold-hearted and selfish. She could even take her own grandfather¡¯s life. She was still afraid when she took the first two stabs, but from the third onwards, she became more and more crazed, almost unstoppable. One stab after another she plunged the knife into Zheng Wentao¡¯s chest, and blood sttered on her face.¡±

    Qi Youxuan twitched slightly. Bai Mo¡¯s report also stated that Zheng Xiaorui had traces of Zheng Wentao¡¯s blood on her.

    ¡°A coward like Zheng Xiaorui is afraid of death. She¡¯s a beast who can even kill her biological grandfather to save her own. How can she be allowed to live? She¡¯s a scourge to all. She tormented Li Anqi, and she killed her own grandfather. Who knows what she could do in the future? I pity Zheng Wentao, who raised such an ungrateful person. Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s death is my contribution to the world.¡±

    ¡°She will now experience what she did to Li Anqi. I found the bastard who raped Li Anqi years ago and abducted him. He deserved it too. I personally flogged him to the point of despair. He dared not disobey me if he wanted to live. I had him rape Zheng Xiaorui, then had him push her off the roof of the factory.¡±

 Chapter 450 - You Are the Most Beautiful Cloud in the Sky

    <h4>Chapter 450: You Are the Most Beautiful Cloud in the Sky</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes. Why must they run into their enemies so often?

    He stared dejectedly at the pile of mushy banana on the floor.

    Before the little boy could say a word, Chang Jianan was pointing at his box of takoyaki also sttered on the floor. Chang Jianan cried, ¡°Give me back my takoyaki!¡±

    The little boy scrunched his brows. He took a step back, wanting to stay further away from Chang Jianan.

    Ruan Zeer was also holding on to the little boy¡¯s shoulders cautiously, protecting him. Qi Youxuan rebuked, ¡°What are you crying about? You¡¯re the one that bumped into me on purpose, yet you¡¯re the one crying? You brought this on yourself. You even made me drop my deep-fried banana and you won¡¯t even apologize. There are so many people here¡ªdon¡¯t you feel ashamed?¡±

    Chang Jianan pointed at Qi Youxuan and wailed, ¡°No, you¡¯re the one who bumped into me! Qi Youxuan, what did I ever do to you? Why do you always attack me? I was forced to transfer schools because of you! How could you be so evil?¡±

    Just then, Chang Jingqiu hurried over with Grandmother Chang. Chang Jingqiu saw Qi Youxuan first¡ªher gaze then fell onto Ruan Zeer, but she did not know who he was.

    Immediately, Chang Jingqiuforted Chang Jianan as if nothing happened.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyebrows knitted tightly together. ¡°You two again? Why are you running around without adult supervision and causing trouble again?!¡±

    ¡°Old Madam, don¡¯t me us without knowing the whole situation first,¡± Ruan Zeer reproached, not allowing Qi Youxuan to take the stand.

    Although Ruan Zeer was only eighteen, he was still Qi Youxuan¡¯s uncle¡ªwhen it was just the two of them, he had to protect Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°How¡¯s this a false usation? Can¡¯t you see my grandson is crying? And you¡¯re still holding a grilled squid skewer!¡± Grandmother Chang shrieked. Her ear-piercing voice made Qi Youxuan and Ruan Zeer frown instantly.

    ¡°It¡¯s your grandson that bumped into Youxuan, not the other way around. There are so many witnesses here. If you want to lie, at leaste up with something believable,¡± Ruan Zeer criticized before continuing, ¡°Youxuan¡¯s the victim. He didn¡¯t do anything wrong. Your grandson, on the other hand, is already bawling his eyes out! He¡¯s the one in the wrong yet he tries to frame Youxuan? How ill-bred!¡±

    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t stoop down to their level. Just think about who this child¡¯s mother is¡ªa disgraceful woman who thinks her status is so high up just because she found her family. Even so, some things are carved in the bones¡ªjust because her status changed, there are some things she can never change,¡± condemned Chang Jingqiu. She nced at Qi Youxuan disdainfully as if she loathed the blood in his veins.

    Chang Jingqiu could not think of a way to get rid of this problem in one fell swoop yet, so she could only try to ruin Grandmother Chang¡¯s image of Ruan Danchen whenever she had the chance.

    As long as Grandmother Chang¡¯s hatred toward her continued to grow, it would reach a point where she would be disgusted just by the sight of her. She wanted Grandmother Ruan to despise her to a point of no return so that even if the truth came out, Grandmother Ruan could not forgive Ruan Danchen, despite the years of love and care she owed her.

    Ruan Zeer red at Chang Jingqiu furiously. He longed to retaliate with words just as hurtful as hers, but he was afraid that she might do something horrible to Ruan Danchen because of that, so he held it in and kept quiet.

    Maintaining hisposure, Ruan Zeer subtly squeezed Qi Youxuan¡¯s shoulders. Instantly, Qi Youxuan knew that was his cue. His eyes immediately turned red and tears pitter-pattered onto the floor. However, the way he cried was different from Chang Jianan¡¯s wailing.

    Qi Youxuan cried in a half-suppressed manner, making him look a thousand times more pitiable than Chang Jianan.

    Besides, it was true that there were many witnesses during the incident. Chang Jianan was the one who walked into them¡ªthe pretty boy and the chubby child did nothing wrong.

    Ruan Zeer held back his emotions and faced them collectedly. His lips curled up into a mocking smirk. ¡°Old Madam, you can¡¯t be bullying us kids just because you¡¯re an elder, right? Youxuan is only seven, yet every time you see him, you scold him and hurl insults at his mother. You always talk about how horrible his upbringing is, but what I want to know is where your manners are. I truly wonder who¡¯s the ill-bred one here. Today, I came out with Youxuan without an adult with us. I¡¯m merely a high schooler¡ªI may not be able to protect Youxuan, but I will still do my best and not let him be bullied by the likes of you. You only dare to attack us because you think we¡¯re just kids who don¡¯t have adults to save them, right?¡±

    The pretty boy spoke calmly andposedly, yet something about his tone made him sound awfully pitiable.

    Moreover, everyone favored pretty boys like Ruan Zeer¡ªespeciallydies. On the other hand, bitter old women like Grandmother Chang were usually shunned, especially when they bullied pretty boys and little children.

    Coincidentally, there were plenty ofdies on the street that day. All of them despised beautiful but rude women like Chang Jingqiu. Moreover, everyone saw what happened, so no one would tolerate Grandmother Chang¡¯s false usations.

    Instantly, words of condemnation rained on them.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s eyes shone with gratitude, making the strangers feel gleeful and aplished. When they gazed into Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes, their hearts melted.

    Ruan Zeer picked Qi Youxuan up and walked right past Chang Jingqiu.

    The little boy was still holding his grilled squid skewer. Hisrge, clear eyes stared straight at Chang Jingqiu.

    Only after Qi Youxuan lost sight of them did the little boy grunt, ¡°I don¡¯t want to let her live this lie anymore! Why should she live a good life in the Chang family?¡±

    Ruan Zeer put Qi Youxuan down. Seeing the little boy¡¯s dull and displeased expression, Ruan Zeer frowned.

    ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t want her to have a good life anymore,¡± dered the little boy, grasping firmly onto Ruan Zeer¡¯s hand.

    ¡°Are you sure?¡± Ruan Zeer squatted down to the little boy¡¯s eye-level and scrunched his brows together.

    The little boy nodded aggressively. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure! Let¡¯s think of a way to make Granduncle suspect her!¡±

    Ruan Zeer scanned their surroundings and pulled the little boy to a corner. He wanted to advise Qi Youxuan against it but he was afraid that if he was not on board, Qi Youxuan would start scheming behind their backs. He had to keep a close eye on this boy.

    ¡°But Sister doesn¡¯t want to go back,¡± Ruan Zeer pointed out, ¡°Not for now at least. It¡¯s not good to keep this from her.¡±

    The little boy pouted. ¡°We only need to let Granduncle know Chang Jingqiu is a fake¡ªhe doesn¡¯t need to know about Mommy!¡±

    Ruan Zeer rubbed his chin and pondered upon it for a long time. ¡°That may be possible. Moreover, we can use this as a chance to find out Granduncle¡¯s attitude toward all this.¡±

    Hearing that, Qi Youxuan¡¯srge eyes sparkled like stars. He stared at Ruan Zeer quietly and expectantly.

    In truth, Ruan Zeer was also contemting whether Chang Jingqiu already knew about this¡ªotherwise, why would she pester Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan so much?

    Even during the incident just now, Grandmother Chang was already losing the argument and had nothing left to say. Things could have ended there and they would each be going their separate ways. Nevertheless, Chang Jingqiu had to interject and drag Ruan Danchen into it. Although on the surface it seemed like she was advising Grandmother Chang to back down, Ruan Zeer doubted that that was her true intention.

    When Ruan Zeer gave it more thought, he realized that Chang Jingqiu¡¯s intentions must have been to tarnish Ruan Danchen¡¯s name and make Grandmother Chang hate her to the bone.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we don¡¯t have to be so straight forward. If we subtly arouse Granduncle¡¯s suspicion, he will look into it himself¡ªwe won¡¯t have anything to do with it then.¡± The little one nodded his head vigorously. He took a bite out of his grilled squid and chewed it delightedly. He even got sauce all over the corners of his mouth. ¡°Yum, this is so chewy.¡±

    Ruan Zeer thought hard about it. He truly could not stand Grandmother Chang and Chang Jinqiu anymore. Thus, he nodded in agreement. Nheless, he warned, ¡°Listen up, no matter what we do, we must discuss it with each other before taking action. No one can act on their own ord. If any of us disagrees with the n, we¡¯re not doing it.¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± The little boy nodded. ¡°Your nephew¡¯s a good boy.¡±

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips twitched as he red at his ¡®obedient¡¯ nephew. Just a moment ago, that boy was plotting revenge, yet now he was acting cute to gain Ruan Zeer¡¯s favor.

    Even though Qi Youxuan was his nephew, he could not deny that this nephew was devilishly skilled at manipting others.

    ...

    Over at the Ruan family¡¯s home, Ruan Keshan was frowning as he revealed, ¡°A few days ago, I went to see Liu Ronghua to find out if she lied to us, but she was not home. I asked the security guards there and they told me that they have not seen Liu Ronghua for a long time, or they simply did not notice her return. Moreover, when I called her home phone, no one picked up. I¡¯ve been there several times now but it was all for naught. Do you think that she knows about us finding out the truth and is avoiding us because of that?¡±

    Qi Chenglin grumbled and added, ¡°I¡¯ve hired someone to look for her too, but they came back empty-handed as well. It seems like the security guards are right¡ªshe might not have returned for a long time.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s brows knitted tightly together. He was not one to believe in coincidences, so it was only natural for him to be suspicious.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make them conduct a thorough search. We¡¯ll find her no matter what. Whether she ran off by herself or was forced to vanish, there must be a reason,¡± Qi Chenglin surmised.

    ¡°We must have our revenge when we find her!¡± dered Ruan Keshan furiously.

    Just then, the doorbell rang.

    Chen Minxia opened the door. It was Ruan Zeer along with Qi Youxuan.

    Before they went upstairs, Ruan Zeer conducted a thorough check on Qi Youxuan. Only when Ruan Zeer ensured that Qi Youxuan had no more squid sauce and gravy on his face did the two of them head upstairs.

    Despite that, Qi Youxuan felt guilty for eating meat so the plump child kept his lips sealed the entire time. Even when he was greeting the adults, he put on a shameful expression and smiled without showing his teeth. When he spoke, his lips only parted slightly and his voice was soft and sheepish, making him look exceedingly adorable.

    Grandfather Ruan waspletely bought over by cuteness. He beckoned his little great-grandson over and pulled him into his embrace, cuddling him lovingly.

    ¡°Ah, our little Youxuan is so adorable,¡± praised Grandfather Ruan as he grinned ear-to-ear. He poked the little one¡¯s chubby cheeks¡ªit felt as if he was poking a ball of mochi.

    As his finger sank into his fair, chubby cheeks, it was immediately bounced back out. They were oddly fun to y with.

    Grandfather Ruan waspletely entranced by his stic cheeks. The little boy, on the other hand, was growing slightly annoyed. Thus, he ran to Grandmother Ruan.

    Qi Chenglin, who was seated beside Grandmother Ruan, asked abruptly, ¡°What did you eat?¡±

    ¡°Nothing!¡± The little one widened his eyes and quickly buried his face against Grandmother Ruan¡¯s embrace.

    Qi Chenglin tutted, ¡°You¡¯ve got cumin stuck between your teeth.¡±

    Shocked, the little boy covered his mouth instantly. He ran his tongue all over his teeth but could not feel anything stuck anywhere. He even showed his teeth to Grandmother Ruan. ¡°Great-grandma, are my teeth clean?¡±

    ¡°It was clean from the start,¡± Grandmother Ruan spilled. She did not have the heart to lie to the young and naive little boy.

    Qi Youxuan loved eating barbequed food. If he were to eat anything behind their backs, it would, with no doubt, be his first choice. Even if his teeth were clean, Qi Chenglin could easily see through him.

    The little boy twitched when he realized he had been duped. With a vexed expression, he turned to Qi Chenglin. ¡°Dad, how could you lie to your own son!¡±

    He turned away and dived back into Grandmother Ruan¡¯s embrace. Sniffling, he whimpered, ¡°Great-grandma, these are the kind of horrible things Xuanxuan has to endure every day! Great-grandma, you have to stand up for me! I only had a grilled squid skewer today. My deep-fried banana was knocked over by someone on purpose.¡±

    With tears rolling down, the little boyined about Grandmother Chang, Chang Jingqiu and Cheng Jianan¡¯s condemnable actions.

    Grandmother Ruan had long known about the situation in the Chang family. She was furious to hear the little boy¡¯sint and yearned to march right up to the unreasonable Grandmother Chang and give her a piece of her mind.

    ¡°There had always been rumors about Grandmother Chang¡¯s absurdity, but I didn¡¯t know she could be so outrageous! If I have the chance, I¡¯d like to meet her face-to-face one day. No wonder she didn¡¯t ept Keyu back then! If I had known about her family¡¯s senseless personalities, I would never have agreed, even if they eloped! Who does she think she is? They¡¯re alwaysining about others, yet they¡¯re blind to their own ws. They even pointed their fingers at a child and denounced his mother. How vile!¡± Grandmother Ruan¡¯s entire body was trembling with rage.

    Chan Minxia quickly went to calm Grandmother Ruan. The little boy, still deep in her embrace, was also coaxing her. ¡°That¡¯s why I love Great-grandma Ruan and Great-grandma Qi the most. I don¡¯t like her at all! I¡¯ll never call her Great-grandma¡ªthat would be a horrible insult to you!¡±

    Hearing that, Grandmother Ruan¡¯s anger vanished instantly. With a newly brightened mood, she hugged the little boy tight and showered him with praise.

    ¡°Great-grandma, Xuanxuan¡¯s heart is filled with so many grievances!¡± cried the little one.

    ¡°Oh, my baby, you¡¯ve been wronged. Don¡¯t worry, Great-grandma will pamper you!¡± Grandmother Ruan pulled him into her tight embrace swiftly. She felt his weight crushing her thighs, yet she did not want to let go.

    The little boy wiggled his fleshy butt and pulled Grandmother Ruan¡¯s hand to his chest. ¡°Great-grandma, Xuanxuan was treated unjustly today. He¡¯s hurting right here. Tonight... Can you make up for it for your adorable little great-grandson? Please, Great-grandma, your great-grandson¡¯s soul has been deeply wounded!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched as she watched her child try to manipte Grandmother Ruan by acting cute and pitiable. She turned away, utterly speechless.

    ¡°Of course! Tonight, I¡¯ll let you have braised pork trotters for dinner!¡± At that point, Grandmother Ruan was sure to give Qi Youxuan whatever he wanted.

    Finally, Qi Youxuan gathered up his courage and turned to Qi Chenglin. His father was staring at him with a chilling smile. The chubby boy quickly turned away and buried himself back into Grandmother Ruan¡¯s arms. No matter what dreadful fate was awaiting him, his priority was to fill his tummy first. Otherwise, where would he find the energy to deal with it?

    ...

    The next Sunday, Qi Chenglin had to entertain a client, so he would bete to arrive at the Ruan family¡¯s home. Thus, Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan went ahead without him.

    When Ruan Zeer found out that the painfully troublesome Qi Chenglin was not here, he rejoiced and thanked the Gods. As expected, the little one joined in with his celebration.

    The two boys exchanged nces and while no one was watching and swiftly slipped into the bedroom meant for Ruan Keshan.

    Ruan Zeer shut the door. The two of them pressed their foreheads together as they squatted at the innermost corner of the room. Both the elder and the younger boy moved extremely suspiciously. Even Ruan Zeer¡¯s pretty face could not distract anyone from their fishy behavior.

    Although the door was closed, Ruan Zeer still lowered his voice cautiously. He whispered, ¡°I have intel that your granduncle is entertaining a guest in Shengyue this afternoon. All we have to do is stakeout at the front door.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes sparkled with anticipation. He grabbed onto Ruan Zeer¡¯s arm with his chubby little hands. ¡°Uncle, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    Hearing his nephew sing praises about him, the pretty boy¡¯s face lit up brightly. He cleared his throat and straightened his back subconsciously. ¡°Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be fit to be your uncle. It¡¯s only natural for an uncle to be worshiped by his nephew.¡±

    As he said that, the pretty boy lifted his chin proudly. He felt more triumph than when he got first ce in his exams.

    ¡°Uncle, uncle, how did you find out about my granduncle entertaining a guest today?¡± inquired Qi Youxuan excitedly.

    Ruan Zeer straightened his back even more. ¡°I have a junior who has a crush on one of my bros. Her sister is your granduncle¡¯s secretary. I told her I¡¯ll put in a good word to my friend in exchange for your granduncle¡¯s schedule.¡±

    ¡°Uncle...¡± The little boy gave Ruan Zeer a thumbs up. ¡°You¡¯re an awesome teammate!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was speechless.

    ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get going.¡± Ruan Zeer stood up with a nd expression. He pulled the little boy to his feet too. ¡°Otherwise we might miss our chance.¡±

    Hearing that, the little boy followed Ruan Zeer to the door hastily. Unexpectedly, the moment they opened the door, they were met with Grandfather Ruan¡¯s eerie grin.

    ¡°Hehehehe.¡± Grandfather Ruan might not know what was going on, yet he still grinned ear-to-ear with an expression cunning as a fox. ¡°What were you discussing in there? You two sure are close. Hehehehehe.¡±

    Grandfather Ruan¡¯s sinisterugh made the two boys feel immensely guilty. Ruan Zeer quickly ran to Ruan Danchen to tell her he is bringing the little boy out to y. However, he could still feel Grandfather Ruan¡¯s stare prating his skull. It made his hair stand.

    Finally, the two boys rushed out of the house in a haste. They called a taxi and headed for Shengyue.

    ¡°Uncle, are we just going to wait at the front door? Isn¡¯t that a little too suspicious?¡± The little one also thought that they would have too many targets to pay attention to if they staked out at the front door.

    ¡°Of course not!¡± Ruan Zeer took Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand with one hand and patted his pocket with the other. ¡°Uncle has money. This afternoon, I¡¯ll treat you to a scrumptious feast!¡±

    Hearing the word ¡®feast¡¯, the little boy pounced straight onto Ruan Zeer with his eyes sparkling like stars. Lifting his adorable little face, he sang, ¡°Uncle, you are the light of my life! In your nephew¡¯s eyes, you are the shiniest pearl in the sea. You are the most beautiful cloud in the sky! You are the one that your nephew worships! When I grow up, I will surely repay you! Whatever you want to eat, your nephew will buy for you. Even if it¡¯s the hardest restaurant in the world to make a reservation at; even if I have to stay on the waiting list for a year, your nephew will definitely get you a table! When you grow old, I will surely take good care of you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer waspletely speechless.

    The pretty boy¡¯s eyes twitched. His feet itched as he yearned to kick this nephew of his away.

    Nheless, the chubby child still held onto his legs like a ko. His round stomach and chest were stuck firmly onto Ruan Zeer and his ample buttocks were raised up high¡ªhis manner was extremelyical.

    Suddenly, they heard a loud snicker. Ruan Zeer was too embarrassed to find out the source of the snigger. With a flushed face, he turned to the sky, pretending that he did not know Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips twitched. His lips moved gently and he spoke without opening his mouth¡ªlike a puppeteer. ¡°Umm, my dear nephew... Please let go of your uncle first. Otherwise, how can Uncle bring you into the restaurant for a feast?¡±

 Chapter 451 - What Was Going On With Their Encouraging And Caring Gazes On Him?

    <strong>Chapter 451: What Was Going On With Their Encouraging And Caring Gazes On Him?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Zeer tried to move his legs, figuring if Qi Youxuan was unwilling to get down from his legs despite his pleas, he would piss into the wind and drag the kid into the restaurant instead.

    However, Ruan Zeer was not strong enough.

    Ruan Zeer let out a heavy sigh. His niece was really heavy!

    Motivated by the huge feast, the kid instantly climbed down Ruan Zeer¡¯s leg and walked hand-in-hand with Ruan Zeer into the restaurant.

    The table Ruan Zeer deliberately chose was inconspicuous but the entrance remained visible from that spot. Normally, the customers were unwilling to choose this table due to difficulty in getting the waiters¡¯ attention and it would be extremely troublesome if they required assistance.

    Ruan Zeer was lucky enough to have such a strategic location without prior reservation.

    The waiter came over with a menu after the duo sat down. Ruan Zeer passed the menu directly to Qi Youxuan for him to choose the dishes while he stared out of the window.

    After the child finished ordering dishes, Ruan Zeer asked the waiter for a bill straight away. That way, their actions would not be considered as dine-and-dash when they pretended to leave the restaurantter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t clean the table if we leave the restaurantter. We¡¯re just taking a stroll and will return for this meal afterward,¡± Ruan Zeer instructed.

    ¡°...¡± The waiter was dumbfounded.

    Why did the waiter feel that these two were unreliable?

    Ruan Zeer had at least paid for the meal, so the restaurant would not suffer any loss despite the unreliable sensation.

    The dishes were served one after another momentarily. The kid reached out for a piece of fried chicken wing directly with his sinful and chubby hand and started chewing, smearing oil and crispy crumbs across his face.

    ¡°He¡¯s here!¡± Ruan Zeer eximed before standing up.

    One of Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands grabbed the chicken wing he had earlier munched on while the other was held by Ruan Zeer as they walked out of the restaurant under Ruan Zeer¡¯s calction.

    The kid was curious when they passed by Chang Zhiyuan at the best possible location at the entrance. He was unsure if this was a result of his uncle¡¯s precise calction as a mathematical genius.

    The kid seized the opportunity and asked immediately, ¡°Uncle, Uncle, tell me more about my grandpa. His name is Ruan Keyu, so what¡¯s my grandma¡¯s name?¡±

    ¡°I think her name is Chang Yuehuan if I remember correctly. To be honest, our family knows nothing much about my aunt, because my uncle didn¡¯t speak much about this to my grandpa and parents. Her name is the only thing we know...¡± Ruan Zeer¡¯s tone was soft and calm, with a unique melodious tone of a youngster that sounded pleasant to others.

    Chang Zhiyuan froze immediately and turned to them, ignoring thetter half of Ruan Zeer¡¯s statement.

    ¡°You... What did you say just now?¡± Chang Zhiyuan grabbed Ruan Zeer¡¯s arm and asked in agitation.

    Chang Zhiyuan could not describe his current mood. He only knew Ruan Keyu was his brother-inw¡¯s name, but Ruan Keyu¡¯s other details remained a mystery to him.

    It could be a coincidence if Ruan Keyu¡¯s name was mentioned only, but how could Chang Zhiyuan exin when they could say Chang Yuehuan¡¯s name correctly too?

    Moreover, Chang Zhiyuan overheard a kid referring to Ruan Keyu as his grandfather clearly just now, but Chang Jingqiu was Ruan Keyu¡¯s daughter and she did not even have a child.

    Unless Ruan Keyu had two daughters, Ruan Keyu only had one daughter as far as Chang Zhiyuan was concerned.

    If this kid was referring to Ruan Keyu as his grandfather, what about Chang Jingqiu then?

    Chang Zhiyuan did not consider the possibility that Chang Jingqiu was a fake at all, or perhaps he refused or unwilling to think about it. This was mind-blowing and his mind was in a whirl at the current moment.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s first reaction was to stop these two youngsters. His next thought was, if the people they mentioned in their conversation were really his sister and brother-inw, then his brother-inw¡¯s family was probably deceived.

    The real child was living in the Chang family at the current moment.

    What was Chang Zhiyuan thinking about when he stopped the two youngsters?

    Chang Zhiyuan was unsure of his own intention too. Did he want to make things clear, clear up the misunderstanding and debunk the imposter, or was it... something else?

    With a chaotic mind, Chang Zhiyuan lowered his gaze to the child who referred to Ruan Keyu as his grandfather, and to his astonishment, he was Qi Youxuan!

    Naturally, Chang Zhiyuan recognized Qi Chenglin¡¯s son.

    ¡°You...¡± Chang Zhiyuan had a lot of questions in mind but he failed to voice them out as his throat went on a pause.

    If he was Qi Chenglin¡¯s son and referred to Ruan Keyu as his grandfather, then Ruan Keyu¡¯s daughter would be Ruan Danchen. If she was Ruan Danchen, why did she need to deceive others when she already had Qi Chenglin and the Qi family?

    Despite Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s biased thinking, he could not figure out Ruan Danchen¡¯s need to lie.

    Chang Zhiyuan froze after lowering his gaze to the kid.

    ¡°Anything I can help you with, mister?¡± Ruan Zeer shielded the kid before shifting his gaze to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s hand on his arm.

    Chang Zhiyuan frowned and asked without any intention of releasing his grip, ¡°The Ruan Keyu you mentioned just now¡ª¡±

    Then, someone interrupted before Chang Zhiyuan could finish his inquiry. ¡°Director Chang.¡±

    The voice sounded mellow, calm and cold, but it shuddered both Ruan Keyu and Qi Youxuan.

    The duo thought of the exact same thing after making direct eye contact¡ªthey were doomed!

    Chang Zhiyuan was stunned and shocked upon noticing Qi Chenglin and Jiang Yuan walking toward them. He quickly released his grip on Ruan Zeer and nodded. ¡°Director Qi.¡±

    ¡°Is there something wrong?¡± Qi Chenglin stood firmly beside the kid, fixing his gaze on both Ruan Zeer and the plump child before averting his eyes back to Chang Zhiyuan.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained calm but his gaze radiated warning, which made Chang Zhiyuan feel that he was protecting the youngsters firmly even though he was not standing in front of them.

    Finally, Chang Zhiyuan regained his cool and smiled while shaking his head. ¡°Nothing, I just ran into them coincidentally.¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded slightly and replied Chang Zhiyuan without asking Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan¡¯s intentions oning to this ce. ¡°After you.¡±

    Then, the two of them walked into the restaurant together. Ruan Zeer finally realized that the client Chang Zhiyuan was supposed to meet this afternoon was Qi Chenglin after all. Everything made sense right now. Qi Chenglin mentioned that he had an entertainment today too, right?

    Qi Youxuan merely felt that life was extremely difficult!

    He was caught by his father while trying to set the Thames on fire with his uncle.

    His father¡¯s ubiquitous existence made his life especially rough!

    Chang Zhiyuan turned around and took a nce at the two dispirited youngsters again before continuing forward.

    Qi Youxuan then shook Ruan Zeer¡¯s arm after noticing Qi Chenglin had walked further into the restaurant. ¡°Uncle, since we can¡¯t change the past now, we should go back and eat the meat first, or else they¡¯ll be cold.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was left speechless.

    Was it really good to think of food at this difficult moment?

    However, Ruan Zeer figured it was unwise to waste those foods since money had been spent. He thus nodded with a heavy sigh and returned together to their table.

    They failed to notice Qi Chenglin turning around to look at them when they returned to their table. Then, Qi Chenglin squinted upon noticing their dish-filled table at the corner before averting his gaze elsewhere with twitched lips.

    Chang Zhiyuan could not think of anything else when the conversation between Qi Youxuan and Ruan Zeer seared into his mind. There were numerous times when he wanted to bite the bullet and question Qi Chenglin, but would swallow it back after noticing Qi Chenglin¡¯s t expression.

    After they sat down in the private dining room, Chang Zhiyuan instructed his assistant to order food so that they would not receive disturbance from the waiter. Then, he started stammering. ¡°Just now... the young man with Youxuan...¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s my brother-inw,¡± Qi Chenglin answered calmly, knowing all too well what the youngsters were up to. They came here deliberately to talk to Chang Zhiyuan.

    Somehow, Qi Chenglin could guess the reason why they wanted to do this all of a sudden.

    Perhaps Chang Jingqiu was putting on airs and even provoked Qi Youxuan with Grandmother Changst week. Qi Youxuan was still young and could not tolerate them further, so he nned to disclose this information to Chang Zhiyuan.

    Qi Chenglin made no attempt to stop the youngsters¡¯ actions. Chang Jingqiu upied Ruan Danchen¡¯s ce as the precious daughter of the Chang family and calumniated Ruan Danchen, so even though Ruan Danchen had no intention of associating herself further with the Chang family, he did not n on letting Chang Jingqiu off the hook too.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin did not expose them until now.

    ¡°I heard Mrs. Qi found her long lost family...¡± Chang Zhiyuan did not expect the Ruan family was actually Ruan Keyu¡¯s own family.

    Who could have thought about it?

    Ruan Keyu¡¯s parents and older brother were just ordinary teachers in those days. They could not even afford to buy meat with their perilously few wages and had to buyrd in order to make more ptable dishes.

    To be honest, that was how mostmoners survive at that time, but such a life was too agonizing for the Chang family. Thus, Grandmother Chang and Grandfather Chang¡¯s oppositions on the marriage between Chang Yuehuan and Ruan Keyu at that time were unmable.

    However, who could have expected such an ordinary family achieved sess and was well-reputed today? Both father and son in the Ruan family worked in the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the father was even a fellow who was prestigious across the world.

    Perhaps their ies were not as much as entrepreneurs such as the Chang family, but money could not buy such identity status and reputations. Most rich and powerful families would be envious of such achievement in life.

    However, if Ruan Danchen was not the daughter of the Ruan family and she actually took over Chang Jingqiu¡¯s right in the Ruan family, Chang Zhiyuan figured that he would not let this mistake continue further.

    Even so, Chang Zhiyuan was in doubt. Would Qi Chenglin make such a silly mistake?

    Other families might harbor envy on the Ruan family¡¯s fame, but it was highly unlikely for the Qi family to do so. Judging how Qi Chenglin¡¯s pampered Ruan Danchen, it was improbable for Qi Chenglin to allow such a simple mistake as recognizing the wrong family. The pain would be excruciating if the truth was finally revealed at that time.

    Alternatively, perhaps Qi Chenglin nned on leaving the mistakes uncorrected for the sake of Ruan Danchen¡¯s dignity?

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind was in a whirl at the current moment. There were endless possibilities and all of them were negative thoughts.

    Qi Chenglin was unbothered about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s train of thoughts. He merely asked the waiter toe over and gave the waiter a few instructions in a soft voice.

    ...

    ...

    The kid and Ruan Zeer returned to their seats again. Qi Youxuan was the kind who would ignore everything in the presence of meat, so his philosophical belief was that the past could not be changed even if there was no meat consumption. Thus, there was absolutely no need for mncholy since it was just mental suffering in oneself.

    Since it was guaranteed that the next moment would not end well, it was better to enjoy the current moment happily.

    With that in mind, the kid continued to munch on the chicken wing carefreely.

    After listening to the chubby kid¡¯s exnation, Ruan Zeer felt that his perception level was not high enough and he needed to learn more from his niece in this aspect. Thus, Ruan Zeer started to consume those meat pieces in a rxing manner under the kid¡¯s encouragement.

    However, the duo took only a few bites out of those meat pieces before the waiter approached them and said, ¡°I apologize for the interruption, Young Master Lin invited you to dine with him.¡±

    The kid was about to devour a piece of short rib but stopped short, with the short rib almost touching his lips after listening to the waiter.

    ¡°We¡¯re not done with our food yet!¡± Even though the kid failed to realize the profound meaning behind this, his intense sixth sense told him not to dine together with his father.

    ¡°Young Master Lin said you can enter his room directly and dine together with them,¡± the waiter conveyed the message softly and politely.

    Qi Youxuan stared at all the meat on the table reluctantly. He wanted the waiter to carry all these dishes into the room initially but on second thought, he said, ¡°Take-away all these please.¡±

    Then, he turned toward Ruan Zeer and pleaded. ¡°Dad won¡¯t let me eat all these if we take them into the room, so I¡¯m taking these away. Uncle, you need to hide these and let me eat secretly.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer and the waiter were dumbfounded.

    The waiter could not describe his feelings at the moment and could only reply softly, ¡°Alright.¡±

    The waiter then took some takeaway containers and put all those foods¡ªwhich were basically left untouched¡ªinto the containers.

    Ruan Zeer carried the takeaway foods and followed behind the waiter into the private dining room with the kid.

    Qi Youxuan even made the best use of his time and devoured the short rib while they were on their way toward the dining room, swallowing it just in time when they entered the room.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s gaze on Qi Youxuan was a littleplicated when they met once again.

    Chang Zhiyuan opened his mouth in an attempt to inquire further, but there were so many questions in his mind and he had no idea which question to start first. Then, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Director Chang, let¡¯s finish our business first.¡±

    The absent-minded Chang Zhiyuan nodded in response and forced those questions down his throat again.

    Qi Chenglin instructed Jiang Yuan to order a few greens and put them in front of Qi Youxuan on purpose. Qi Chenglin would even shift his gaze to Qi Youxuan from time to time to supervise the kid¡¯s green-eating progress while he discussed business affairs with Chang Zhiyuan.

    The kid was dispirited instantly while chewing on the leaves. It was supposed to be a joyous day where he could attract Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s attention while having a feast in the meantime, but who would expect to meet his father on the same day too?

    The kid had no idea what kind of punishment awaited them after they were caught red-handed.

    The kid gave a doleful look on Qi Chenglin, ignoring the business discussion between Qi Chenglin and Chang Zhiyuan.

    After eating for quite some time, the kid noticed that Qi Chenglin seemed to be focused on the business discussion with Chang Zhiyuan and paid no attention to him anymore, so he seized the opportunity and got under the table secretly.

    All of a sudden, Ruan Zeer felt something pulling on his pants which gave him quite a shock. It was in the middle of the day and Yang energy 1 was at its peak at this moment, and there were lots of customers in the restaurant too. It should not be a frightening manifestation of the supernatural, right?

    The ashen-faced Ruan Zeer summoned up the courage to shift his gaze downward.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was dumbfounded.

    Ruan Zeer did not expect to see a chubby face emerging from under the table.

    Qi Youxuan ced his chubby index finger vertically over his lips to beckon Ruan Zeer not to speak. Then, he pointed at the chopsticks on Ruan Zeer¡¯s hand before pointing at his widely opened mouth and made a silent ¡°Ah¡±.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was dumbfounded.

    Oh, dear niece. Did you think you were a puppy?

    Qi Youxuan thought his hint was not obvious enough and pulled Ruan Zeer¡¯s pants again. Ruan Zeer noticed the anxiety on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face and shifted his gaze to Qi Chenglin and Chang Zhiyuan before cing a piece of squab drumstick on his te. Ruan Zeer quickly passed the squab drumstick to the kid when the adults were not paying attention to him.

    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m going to the washroom,¡± Qi Chenglin said suddenly and stood up. Coincidentally, he went around Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan on his way to the washroom.

    The kid was taken by surprise. He could not decide whether to back off and hide under the table or to return to his seat when he was in panic mode.

    When the squab drumstick was still in the kid¡¯s mouth, a pair of long legs appeared before his eyes.

    The petrified child lifted his head and saw the expressionless Qi Chenglin staring back at him with his eyebrows raised.

    The kid assumed a slouched posture and swallowed the squab drumstick in a blink of an eye before returning to his seat cowardly. Tears started welling up in his eyes as he put a piece of broli in his mouth before saying agonizingly and against his heart, ¡°Delicious!¡±

    Qi Chenglin sneered at him before going to the washroom.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s stress level reduced drastically in Qi Chenglin¡¯s absence. He could not deal with Qi Chenglin, but at least he could deal with the two youngsters, right?

    Chang Zhiyuan leaned closer to Ruan Zeer and the kid and asked, ¡°Er... Youxuan, he is your uncle?¡±

    The kid nodded innocently. ¡°Yes.¡±

    ¡°Hello, my name is Ruan Zeer,¡± Ruan Zeer introduced himself with a warm expression, acting like he was very well-educated.

    ¡°Well... you¡¯re Youxuan¡¯s mother¡¯s long lost family? I don¡¯t mean anything else and certainly not being rude, I hope you don¡¯t mind,¡± Chang Zhiyuan leaned in closer to Ruan Zeer again.

    ¡°Yes, we¡¯re cousins.¡± Ruan Zeer nodded as though nothing was wrong and he did not mind at all.

    On the other hand, the kid stared at Chang Zhiyuan with his big, sparkling eyes, which made Chang Zhiyuan wonder if he became a huge piece of meat. If not, why would the kid¡¯s gaze on Chang Zhiyuan be so bright that it almost became dazzling?

    ¡°Well... I really hope you don¡¯t mind my questions!¡± Chang Zhiyuan repeated again since he figured his next question would probably be rude.

    Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan rolled their eyes deep down. His granduncle was not being straightforward in his questioning; was it really reliable to hope that he would stand firmly at Ruan Danchen¡¯s side?

    Thus, the duo stared at Chang Zhiyuan honestly and sincerely, and their gazes even radiated warmth and encouragement.

    ¡°We won¡¯t mind, so you can ask anything you want,¡± Ruan Zeer replied and his gaze radiated even more encouragement.

    The kid was so anxious that he almost yelled, ¡°Dad¡¯sing back from the washroom if you don¡¯t shoot your questions!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan felt ufortable and weird under these two youngsters¡¯ gazes. What was going on with their encouraging and caring gazes on him?

    ¡°Well, I heard Youxuan¡¯s mother was born an orphan, so... how can you be so sure that you¡¯re her long lost family? Ha ha, I¡¯m just... just asking. I don¡¯t mean anything else and mean you no harm!¡± Chang Zhiyuan felt diffident for some inexplicable reason when he faced the youngsters¡¯ gazes which radiated sincerity, encouragement, and care.

    Ruan Zeer was worried that Chang Zhiyuan might not inquire about this, so his gaze became more gentle as he answered with a warm and calm voice. ¡°It¡¯s alright, anyone will have the same doubt too. My uncle and aunt passed away and thus eliminated the usage of paternity test, but my grandpa and dad did gic profiling to crossmatch with my cousin sister. It may not be as urate as paternity testing, but even paternity test isn¡¯t one hundred percent urate too. The gic cross-matching between my cousin sister and my grandpa and dad were more than eighty percent. It may be a coincidence if one of the results showed such a high percentage, but both? Besides, when my grandparents and parents first saw my cousin sister, they knew straight away that she must be my uncle¡¯s daughter, as my uncle and her really looked alike. If not ny percent alike, they looked at least eighty percent alike.¡±

    Then, Ruan Zeer took out his cellphone and searched for Ruan Keyu¡¯s picture saved in the phone beforehand before showing it to Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°Look, this is my uncle.¡± Ruan Zeer put the phone in front of Chang Zhiyuan.

    Chang Zhiyuan felt familiar at first nce but it was not due to the fact that he had seen Ruan Keyu almost thirty years ago. He was still a child when Ruan Keyu visited the Chang family for the first time, and as a minor, he was disallowed to join in the adults¡¯ affairs.

 Chapter 452 - Was This Home-packed Meal A Trade For Ruan Danchenâ€™s Hard Work?

    <strong>Chapter 452: Was This Home-packed Meal A Trade For Ruan Danchen¡¯s Hard Work?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Zhiyuan merely nced at Ruan Keyu secretly when he left the Chang family¡¯s house. However, that was almost thirty years ago, so how was it possible for him to recall Ruan Keyu¡¯s appearance?

    Ruan Keyu appeared familiar to Chang Zhiyuan, all because of Ruan Danchen!

    Ruan Danchen gave quite a deep impression on Chang Zhiyuan, not only because of Qi Chenglin but also due to Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu¡¯s criticisms on Ruan Danchen at home for no absolute reason. They acted as if they would fall sick if they did not release their anger on Ruan Danchen.

    Looking at the picture at the moment, Ruan Danchen really looked like Ruan Keyu.

    Then, Ruan Zeer scrolled the phone¡¯s screen again to the next picture. ¡°This is my cousin sister, do you think they look alike?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan was frozen on the spot, shifting his gaze from Ruan Danchen¡¯s picture to Ruan Keyu¡¯s again. They really looked simr the more Chang Zhiyuan nced at them.

    ¡°If the gic crossmatch wasn¡¯t enough to exin everything, the fact that my sister and uncle look really alike is enough for the exnation too, right?¡± Ruan Zeer remained patient as he exined to Chang Zhiyuan slowly and warmly.

    However, this warm voice conjured storms in Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind. The evidence before him was solid and unshakable, and he had to admit that it was the truth despite the reluctance.

    Once people started experiencing uncertainty, more doubt would follow; that was exactly how Chang Zhiyuan felt at the current moment. Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face started to appear in his mind, and now Chang Zhiyuan realized that there was absolutely no simrity at all between her, Chang Yuehuan and Ruan Keyu.

    From facial features to attitude and personality, none of it was simr to Chang Yuehuan and Ruan Keyu in any way.

    Chang Zhiyuan never had a doubt for all these years, even though Chang Jingqiu did not look like Chang Yuehuan.

    However, looking at Ruan Keyu¡¯s picture right now, how could a child have no simrity with his biological parents at all?

    Moreover, Ruan Danchen¡¯s picture was there forparison. Even an unrted stranger would assume that Ruan Danchen was indeed Ruan Keyu¡¯s daughter.

    Chang Zhiyuan appeared dazed as if he took a big hit when Ruan Zeer took his phone back.

    Ruan Zeer took a nce at him and smiled faintly. ¡°This is a big issue. We tried to locate my cousin sister ever since her disappearance after she was born at the hospital, and that took us twenty-seven years. This was indeed a very important matter, so how could we recognize simply without solid evidence? There were quite a few who imed to be my cousin sister during our search in these twenty-seven years, but all of them proved to be fake. We were actually quite experienced in this field too.¡±

    ¡°You... were searching all this time? Didn¡¯t you figure that perhaps she was in her mother¡¯s house?¡± Chang Zhiyuan asked in a trembling voice.

    Ruan Zeer answered without a change in tone as if he did not notice Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s abnormality. ¡°To be honest with you, my uncle brought my aunt back home only once at that time, so except for my aunt¡¯s name, we knew nothing about her family at all. We couldn¡¯t investigate this matter even if we wanted to. Besides¡ª¡±

    Ruan Zeer shook his head and sighed. ¡°My cousin sister was taken away secretly on purpose. She was my uncle and aunt¡¯s friend back in the day and we had no idea why she treated my cousin sister and our family in that way. She knew we were searching for my cousin sister at that time and separated us nheless.¡±

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s eyes reddened and he could not speak further anymore.

    Chang Zhiyuan understood everything right now, just as how he spected. No wonder the Ruan family never visited the Chang family after all these years.

    Chang Zhiyuan was impressed by the Ruan family because he realized that their financial status improved only recently. They remainedmitted in searching for their granddaughter despite their decent wages for twenty-seven years. This hardship was unimaginable indeed.

    This was exactly why the Ruan family would not simply believe anyone who imed to be their long lost granddaughter without solid evidence.

    Since it was confirmed that Ruan Danchen was Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan¡¯s daughter, who was Chang Jingqiu then?

    ¡°Who... who took her away?¡± a dispirited Chang Zhiyuan asked.

    Ruan Zeer sniffled and forced a smile. ¡°Look at me. I can¡¯t believe I told you my family issues, it¡¯s embarrassing.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan nearly suffocated as he did not expect Ruan Zeer to stop abruptly in his exnation.

    Young man, that was unkind of you!

    On the other hand, Qi Youxuan seized the opportunity and ate a lot of meat in Qi Chenglin¡¯s absence.

    Then, Qi Chenglin exited the washroom and returned to his seat. His gaze swept across Chang Zhiyuan calmly and rested on his child¡¯s oil-smeared lips.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart sank immediately. It would be a long and arduous battle to let the chubby kid lose his weight.

    Chang Zhiyuan found it unfitting to question Ruan Zeer further in Qi Chenglin¡¯s presence. Moreover, Ruan Zeer¡¯s current attitude suggested that it was inappropriate to discuss family affairs with an outsider, so it was impossible for Chang Zhiyuan to obtain further information even in Qi Chenglin¡¯s absence.

    The purpose of this meal was meant for business discussion, but Chang Zhiyuan ended the discussion with his mind preupied with troubles and paid for the meal.

    The kid pulled Ruan Zeer¡¯s hand again when they stood up and prepared to leave.

    Ruan Zeer lowered his gaze curiously and saw the kid gesturing to the meat that they took away previously on the table.

    This reminded Ruan Zeer as he hadpletely forgotten about it. He then grabbed the takeaway meat before leaving together with Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin bade farewell with Chang Zhiyuan when they reached the entrance. When they were searching for their vehicles respectively, Chang Zhiyuan overheard Qi Youxuan¡¯s yell. ¡°Dad, let¡¯s go to my Great-grandma Ruan¡¯s house quickly. I miss them so much.¡±

    Qi Chenglin merely uttered a simple ¡°Mm¡± in response to the kid. Then, an idea formed in Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind immediately. He entered his car quickly and trailed after Qi Chenglin¡¯s car cautiously.

    Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan were sitting at the back of the car. Qi Chenglin took a peek at the rearview mirror and saw Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s car behind him. The corner of his lips curled up as he spoke to the youngsters at the back, ¡°Don¡¯t act on your own next time.¡±

    The youngsters tensed up immediately and apologized quickly, only to sigh in relief after realizing that Qi Chenglin made no attempt in punishing them.

    The kid grabbed the back of Qi Chenglin¡¯s seat with his chubby hands and asked, ¡°Dad, are you supporting us on this?¡±

    ¡°I support this time. It¡¯s unreasonable to act arrogantly to Danchen when Chang Jingqiu is the one who took over Danchen¡¯s identity. Since Chang Jingqiu stole Danchen¡¯s identity, she should thank God for the wonderful days she had stolen and behave with her tail between her legs while living her life in fright, but she instead chose to act arrogantly,¡± Qi Chenglin answered calmly.

    ¡°We gave Chang Jingqiu the identity, so of course we can take it back too,¡± Qi Chenglin continued coldly.

    The kid and Ruan Zeer feltpletely relieved right now. After Qi Chenglin stopped his car before the red light, he turned around to look at the youngsters. ¡°Discuss with me first in the future, don¡¯t act on your own.¡±

    The youngsters promised Qi Chenglin immediately.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Zhiyuan followed Qi Chenglin¡¯s car all the way to Grandfather Ruan¡¯s house. The residents in this housing area were schrs and scientists since this area belonged to the Academy, so the atmosphere here was different from those ordinary housing areas.

    Chang Zhiyuan stayed in the car while Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Zeer and Qi Youxuan into the housing unit.

    Chang Zhiyuan did not leave either. He just sat there and waited. Then, at approximately five o¡¯clock in the evening, he received a phone call from Mo Yuxin asking if he was going home for dinner tonight.

    ¡°I still have something left to do, so I¡¯m not going back home for dinner tonight,¡± Chang Zhiyuan answered. It was gettingte and he realized it only now.

    ¡°Take care of yourself. Don¡¯t drink too much alcohol and return earlier tonight,¡± Mo Yuxin instructed.

    Chang Zhiyuan agreed before hanging up. Then, he opened a food delivery service app to check for avable nearby restaurants and ordered some food for delivery before leaning back into the car seat.

    Chang Zhiyuan had been thinking about this issue for the whole evening, and Chang Jingqiu became increasingly suspicious the more he thought about it. To be honest, he firmly believed that Ruan Danchen was actually his sister¡¯s daughter. He merely felt unwilling to admit the truth without seeing the evidence with his own eyes.

    Chang Zhiyuan had no idea how to face Chang Jingqiu at the moment. Once the seed of doubt had been nted and started to send out little roots and sprout, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s recent behaviors felt suspicious with peculiarities in some of her actions.

    Then, Chang Zhiyuan recalled Chang Jingqiu questioning him regarding the Ruan family and let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she did not get any answer from him since he really knew nothing about the Ruan family. He had no idea what Chang Jingqiu would do if she found out about the truth.

    Chang Zhiyuan was well aware that this youngdy was selfish and would do anything for her own benefits.

    Chang Zhiyuan started to put on a solemn expression. Was it possible that Chang Jingqiu asked him regarding the Ruan family because she was aware of the truth? Was that the reason why she appeared troubled as if something was going on recently?

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes snapped open, and without further dy, he dialed a phone number. ¡°Lao Liang.¡±

    ¡°Brother Chang? Why did you suddenly think of calling your younger brother now?¡±

    ¡°I want you to help me investigate Jingqiu,¡± Chang Zhiyuan replied.

    ¡°Jingqiu? Your niece, Chang Jingqiu? What happened to her, and why do you want to investigate her?¡± Lao Liang asked in surprise. It was rare for an uncle to hire a private investigator to look into his own niece.

    ¡°Lao Liang, I treat you as my own brother, so I¡¯m going to tell you the truth. You can¡¯t tell anyone what I¡¯m going to tell you next. Anyone including my family members except for me.¡± Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes were flushed red and his expression radiated solemnity.

    Lao Liang could hear the solemnity in his voice and replied seriously without joking further, ¡°Of course, we¡¯re brothers. Trust me.¡±

    ¡°I trust you, that¡¯s why I hired you instead of others,¡± Chang Zhiyuan whispered. ¡°I suspect Jingqiu isn¡¯t my niece. My real niece is, in fact, someone else.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s a fake?¡± Lao Liang let out a gasp of surprise; it was unexpected that Chang Zhiyuan hired him for such a bizarre issue.

    They were not even making a television show!

    ¡°That¡¯s why I want to look into her. Whoever she gets in touch with recently and in the future¡ª¡± Chang Zhiyuan gave this some thought and continued. ¡°I¡¯m not a professional so I¡¯m not sure about this, but it¡¯s best if you can investigate everything in detail. Look into anything you can think of. Anything from her personal issues to the people she has contact with. Don¡¯t miss out on anything you can possibly think of.¡±

    ¡°I understand,¡± Lao Liang promised.

    ¡°Lao Liang, I hope you can investigate this matter personally. I don¡¯t trust others. I¡¯ll pay you ording to the price you investigate personally. I won¡¯t let you suffer losses just because you¡¯re my brother,¡± said Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°Brother Chang, I won¡¯t be so calctive with you, so why are you even saying this? I¡¯ll look into this matter personally even if you don¡¯t mention it,¡± replied Lao Liang.

    Chang Zhiyuan chitchatted with Lao Liang for a while before hanging up.

    Chang Zhiyuan would hire Lao Liang not only because of their intimate rtionship and trust in each other but also due to Lao Liang being the elite in this profession. Lao Liang would carry out his investigation with scrupulous attention to detail and stubbornness too. He would look into anything suspicious no matter how difficult or inconvenient it was. There were many details which others would miss, but not him. Moreover, he was well-connected and had abundant resources. Any matter that was difficult for others would be a simple case for him.

    The food Chang Zhiyuan ordered was delivered to him after a while, so he gulped it down in the car.

    After a long wait until around eight o¡¯clock at night, Qi Chenglin and his family exited the house with three people following closely behind them. One of them was Ruan Zeer whom Chang Zhiyuan met this afternoon.

    Chang Zhiyuan rolled down the car window immediately. Then, he realized that they were Ruan Zeer¡¯s parents¡ªwhich were also Ruan Keyu¡¯s older brother and sister-inw¡ªafter hearing Qi Youxuan bidding them goodbye.

    ...

    ...

    Mo Yuxin noticed Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s unusual expression as though something had gone wrong after he returned home. After Chang Zhiyuan had a shower and finished tidying himself in the bedroom, Mo Yuxin asked, ¡°What happened today? You don¡¯t seem to be in a good mood.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan massaged his be and canthi before letting out a heavy sigh. He then told Mo Yuxin about what truly happened in the afternoon.

    Mo Yuxin covered her mouth in shock, and her eyes widened as her mind went into a state of confusion.

    ¡°Then... do you believe?¡± Mo Yuxin found her voice after a while.

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed. ¡°How about you? What are your thoughts after listening to all these?¡±

    ¡°I think I prefer Ruan Danchen,¡± Mo Yuxin hesitated before voicing out her concern. ¡°My opinion may be biased because as you know, I don¡¯t really like Chang Jingqiu. I won¡¯t treat her kindly if it wasn¡¯t because of you.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan patted her hand gently. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t like Chang Jingqiu too but she¡¯s my sister¡¯s daughter. Who knows if my preference toward Ruan Danchen is all because of my fondness toward her in my heart? Anyway, I passed this case to Lao Liang and he¡¯ll help me look into it. Let¡¯s see the resultter. Keep this a secret too and treat her as how you normally did, there¡¯s no need to change your attitude toward her now.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s wife usually treated Chang Jingqiu kindly without any exaggerated fondness, unlike how Liu Xiangwen normally did.

    Mo Yuxin nodded in response. Frankly speaking, she really hoped that Ruan Danchen was their own niece.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin did not keep the incident in the afternoon a secret from Ruan Danchen too. She was involved in this, thus she had a right to know about it.

    ¡°Don¡¯t me them for acting on their own, it was Chang Jingqiu¡¯s arrogance that provoked them. Besides, we gave this information to Chang Zhiyuan, so he¡¯ll investigate this matter himself. It¡¯ll be more convincing that way and saves a lot of trouble for us, we don¡¯t need to waste time bickering with him anymore. Chang Zhiyuan has a sense of propriety too, so he won¡¯t reveal it simply even to Grandmother Chang once the information is confirmed,¡± Qi Chenglin said while helping Ruan Danchen dry her hair.

    ¡°I won¡¯t me them.¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s smile was especially warm as she leaned slightly backward and rested her head on Qi Chenglin¡¯s firm lower abdomen. She could even feel the chiseled rectus abdominis muscles on his abdomen.

    Ruan Danchen reached out to Qi Chenglin¡¯s hand which was stroking her hair initially. Then, she leaned her face onto his palm and started nuzzling back and forth like a cat trying to please and ingratiate him.

    ¡°I know you guys were just protecting me. I used to fend for myself, but now I have a husband, a son and even a cousin brother to protect me, which warms my heart. It¡¯ll be ungrateful of me to be angry at them. Youxuan and Zeer merely thought that it was unfair for me, and besides, you guys will protect me and won¡¯t let me suffer if the Chang family realized my true identity.¡± Ruan Danchen was all alone initially, but now she had many who were willing to protect her. This very thought sent overwhelming warmth and pride in her heart.

    Ruan Danchen did not expect to be protected like the apple of their eyes when she was at this age group and even her son had grown up too.

    Ruan Danchen blushed at her own thought. She pounced straight into Qi Chenglin¡¯s embosom and encircled her arms around his waist. Then, she rubbed her face back and forth against his chiseled lower abdomen which aroused Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin asked with a croaky voice, ¡°Why this sudden act?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m blessed, yeah!¡± Ruan Danchen blurted out. Obviously, she was brainwashed by the kid.

    Nobody knew where the kid learned this ¡°yeah¡± from recently, and he had been saying it repeatedly in Ruan Danchen¡¯s presence every day. Now, even Ruan Danchen was brainwashed and identally blurted it out without her realizing it.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips twitched involuntarily at the impression that he raised two children at the current moment.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face felt slightly wet and cold after she was done nuzzling against Qi Chenglin, which made her realize that her hair was not dry yet. Thus, Qi Chenglin¡¯s shirt acted as a towel and absorbed the water that remained on her hair.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen released her grip amid the embarrassment. She tried to wipe the wet area on his shirt but her attempt was futile. Left with no choice, she lifted her gaze and gave Qi Chenglin an ingratiating smile.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows in response, figuring that Ruan Danchen had a tendency to be silly after her pregnancy.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s giggle even looked like Qi Youxuan to some extent.

    ¡°Were you this silly too when you conceived Youxuanst time?¡± Qi Chenglin could not help butined.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen¡¯s face darkened immediately. Using her fair and soft bare foot, she stomped on Qi Chenglin¡¯s foot which was within a slipper. However, she was unwilling to muster up strength due to possible heartache, so she tapped lightly on his foot instead. ¡°You¡¯re the silly one. Your whole family is silly!¡±

    ¡°Ha-ha,¡± Qi Chenglin mocked.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen finally realized that something was wrong in her previous statement. She was Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife, so she was actually scolding herself too with that statement.

    Ruan Danchen had multiple episodes of vomiting during the first trimester, so the Qi family and the Ruan family prepared tonic soups for her together. However, the nutrient intake was far greater than the nutrient loss through emesis. Thus, fat had started to umte around her face and gave her a chubby appearance now.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s initial oval-shaped face had a tendency to develop into a round shape. Her chubby face crumpled as she leaned backward pitifully and stared at Qi Chenglin in an upside-down position. ¡°I realized my intelligence is deteriorating now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s dejected expression appeared especially pathetic. The fair skin on her cheeks had an attractive rosiness to it, and it appeared more supple than before too. She was unsure if all of these were the effects of the tonic soups she consumed.

    Qi Chenglin noticed Ruan Danchen was more emotional now than before the pregnancy, and she made no attempt in hiding those emotions too. She would appear as if acting cute with her chubby face once emotions controlled her.

    This was cheating, and it was absolutely disgraceful!

    However, Qi Chenglin was overwhelmed and defeated by Ruan Danchen¡¯s cute expression.

    The benignity on Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face was indescribable. His gaze was soft as he pinched Ruan Danchen¡¯s chubby cheek with his long and delicate fingers, controlling his strength so that he would not induce pain in Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s huge emotional fluctuations during pregnancy made her appear especially delicate and fragile now; she would be moody and petnt if things did not go her way.

    Qi Chenglin felt like he was coaxing a child when he tried his best to please Ruan Danchen during this period without feeling annoyed. He found it interesting for her change in attitude and personality during her pregnancy and would like her to continue acting in this way from now on.

    Moreover, Qi Chenglin considered this as a prior training so that when Ruan Danchen gave birth to a baby girl, it would be easier for him to coax his own daughter.

    ¡°If your intelligence is deteriorating, we canbine our brainpower together, so don¡¯t you worry about it.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips curled up and his dark eyes radiatedughter.

    Even though Ruan Danchen admitted that her own mental agility was impaired, she still felt ufortable after listening to Qi Chenglin¡¯s reply.

    Ruan Danchen turned toward Qi Chenglin and poked his solid and firm lower abdomen with her soft index finger. ¡°They say one will get baby brain for three years post-pregnancy. I really think I was smarter before giving birth to Youxuan. Now that I¡¯m pregnant again, there goes my intelligence.¡±

    The good-tempered Qi Chenglin was helping Ruan Danchen to dry her hair. Her long hair was spread across his palm while he dried each and every part of her hair in small bunches while enjoying the smoothness that went through his fingers.

    ¡°What are you worrying about? Do you think I¡¯ll let you suffer in my presence?¡± Qi Chenglin smiled. He leaned forward and grasped Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand which was still poking at his lower abdomen and gave a few light pecks on her fingers.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s fingers were slender and soft without any callus formation or desquamation, which felt especially delicate.

    Ruan Danchen squinted. ¡°Others won¡¯t be able to bully me, but you¡¯re especially evil asionally.¡±

    Qi Chenglin made no attempt in denying as happiness red in his narrowed eyes. Obviously, his mood was lightened after listening to Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    What else could Ruan Danchen say when her man acted in this way?

    Qi Chenglin ced the hairdryer down and carried Ruan Danchen to the bed. Then, he frowned upon noticing her barefoot.

    ¡°Even though the weather is getting warmer, it¡¯s not warm enough to the extent that you can walk barefoot yet,¡± Qi Chenglin disagreed.

    Then, with his nice-looking and delicate hand, Qi Chenglin grabbed both of Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet. They really felt cold, so Qi Chenglin gave her a ¡®you were so disobedient¡¯ look.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen stared as her feet were grasped firmly by Qi Chenglin¡¯s delicate hand.

    Ruan Danchen felt uneasy when her feet were sped within Qi Chenglin¡¯s clean, elegant and especially warm palm too. She figured that they were dirty since it was not her hand which he was holding.

    Even though Ruan Danchen took a shower and every part of her body was clean now, she would still feel embarrassed when he grasped her feet.

    Ruan Danchen tried to retract her feet but Qi Chenglin¡¯s grip was too strong. He raised his eyebrows in response and saw Ruan Danchen avoiding direct eye contact with rosy cheeks. This gave Qi Chenglin a good mood as he loved watching her feeling helpless in his presence for some inexplicable reason.

    It was a terrible habit, but Qi Chenglin was unable to change it!

    Qi Chenglin gave a little massage on the soles of her feet with both of his thumbs and showed his disagreement with his eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t move, your feet are cold.¡±

    Ruan Danchen still felt uneasy. Normally it would be fine to use her foot to kick Qi Chenglin¡¯s calves, but she had never thought of using it to contaminate Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands were too refined, so they must be kept clean and pristine.

    ¡°My feet are dirty,¡± Ruan Danchen mumbled.

    However, Qi Chenglin seemed to take it seriously and examined her feet carefully. He even checked her toe web spaces which mortified her.

    Fortunately, Ruan Danchen washed her feet clean. It would be extremely embarrassing if they were left dirty!

    ¡°They¡¯re quite clean,¡± Qi Chenglin concluded after a thorough examination of her feet. Then, he gave some gentle squeezes on the soles of her feet again and put on a warm smile. ¡°Fat umted on your body but not on your legs.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lower limbs were still fair, slim and beautiful.

    Then, Qi Chenglin tucked both of Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet under his shirt. The soles of her feet were pressed against his lower abdomen, and she could even feel the smoothness and warmth on his firm muscles.

    Ruan Danchen gave up struggling and lifted up her shirt to reveal her erging abdomen due to fat umtion.

    Ruan Danchen was fortunate enough to go through an entire pregnancy and gave birth to Youxuan without developing striae gravidarum. Some women were born with different skin constitution and sticity which allowed them to go through pregnancy with no obvious changes except for further abdominal softness postpartum aspared to nulliparous women.

    Ruan Danchen squeezed the fat on her waist andined with teary eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not even three months yet and I¡¯m already this fat. What am I supposed to do now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet remained on Qi Chenglin¡¯s lower abdomen but he asked her to bent her knees. Then, he leaned forward and ced his palm on her soft abdomen. ¡°It¡¯s soft and feels good. You¡¯re too thin, you need to be sturdy so that it¡¯ll be easier to give birthter.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt like burying her face at the current moment. She pouted and countered, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the fetus will absorb mother¡¯s nutrients too. If there¡¯s excessive nutrient in the mother, the fetus will grow bigger and lead to difficultbor.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grabbed the corner of the nket and struggled with her thoughts. ¡°What should we do if our daughter bes too fat?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s such a thing too?¡± Qi Chenglin was indecisive now.

    Qi Chenglin took care of newborn Qi Youxuan before this, but he had never taken care of pregnant women. Thus, it was natural that he had zero knowledge on the care and particrs in pregnancy.

    ¡°Yes, there is!¡± Ruan Danchen nodded vigorously.

    Qi Chenglin pondered before nodding his head. ¡°Then I¡¯ll ask the doctor next time, and besides, aren¡¯t we going for routine antenatal checkup? Everything should be fine if we follow the doctor¡¯s advice strictly.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s feet were warmed under Qi Chenglin¡¯s shirt. Then, she rubbed them on his abdomen shamelessly since she had nothing to lose before taking her feet out of his shirt and buried them under the nket. After that, she turned around and rested her head on his thighs while ying around with the corner of his shirt.

    ¡°You promised to cook for me personally on my birthday initially,¡± Ruan Danchenined regretfully. Qi Chenglin even mentioned that his cooking skills improved too.

    Ruan Danchen nned to have a small birthday celebration with just the three of them only, but it was unexpected that Ruan Danchen recognized the Ruan family one week before her birthday. Thus, the Qi family and the Ruan family gathered together and organized a grand birthday celebration for Ruan Danchen instead.

    Even though they did not prepare a feast for Ruan Danchen¡¯s birthday celebration, they dined in together with thergest table avable in Dynasty.

    Ruan Danchen was excited to know how much Qi Chenglin improved in his cooking skills, but he seemed to have forgotten about his promise and made no attempt in raising this issue after her birthday celebration.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent and continued tob her hair while massaging her scalp.

    Ruan Danchen squinted and poked Qi Chenglin¡¯s thigh. ¡°Are you nning to break your promise?¡±

    ¡°You vomit everything you ate recently, so what am I supposed to cook for you?¡± Qi Chenglin seemed to be mocking Ruan Danchen and even squeezed her chubby abdomen before making fun of her in a distasteful manner. ¡°Besides, you¡¯re already this fat.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was left speechless.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart broke into shreds upon hearing the distaste in Qi Chenglin¡¯s tone.

    Ruan Danchen pouted and hissed, ¡°I hate you!¡±

    Then, Ruan Danchen moved away from Qi Chenglin and buried herself fully under the nket, failing to notice the warm smile on his face.

    Qi Chenglin fought the urge tough after seeing a huge bump on the nket. A doting warmth spread across his face as he buried himself into the nket silently and wrapped his arm around Ruan Danchen while pulling the nket down to reveal her face.

    ¡°Are you not worried about suffocation when you covered yourself so tightly?¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s mellow and husky voice rang beside Ruan Danchen¡¯s ear.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s thin and warm lips were pressed against Ruan Danchen¡¯s helix, his voice caressing her ear like feathers. asionally, it felt especially soft like the wind blew across the fine hairs on her helix; while other times it felt like Qi Chenglin ced his lips a little too close and almost engulfed her whole helix.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s amorous act sent shivers down Ruan Danchen¡¯s spine. Her ears were kissed pink and he could even feel the warmth on her skin wherever his lips went.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed before curling up into a ball and pulled the nket close to her chin to cover herself tightly. Even so, her body continued to tremble uncontrobly which was very annoying!

    ¡°Don¡¯t be naughty, I¡¯ll prepare home-packed meals for both of us tomorrow.¡± Qi Chenglin encircled his arm around Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist and pulled her closer to him.

    The delicate softness was lying right in Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace, but he was unable to release sexual tension ever since Ruan Danchen¡¯s confirmed pregnancy, thus his desire had grown so strong until he had trouble suppressing it at the current moment.

    Ruan Danchen could feel something poking at her too and tried to move away, but her body was roasting hot.

    Ruan Danchen braced herself toin with puffed cheeks. ¡°You made fun of my fat, best if I stop eating too much food now.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant, so fat umtion is inevitable. Besides, it¡¯s the fetus who grew well inside your womb instead of you bing fatter. Please don¡¯t be mad,¡± Qi Chenglinforted Ruan Danchen quickly.

    ¡°Humph!¡± Ruan Danchen expressed her dissatisfaction at her man who was telling a barefaced lie with a straight face.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head slightly and gave Qi Chenglin an annoyed nce. However, her expression appeared especially flirtatious when her face had a special sense of charm due to her current pregnancy.

    Qi Chenglin was having trouble trying to suppress his sexual desire, and the walls came crumbling down after Ruan Danchen gave him a flirtatious nce. He pushed Ruan Danchen closer into his embrace as he pleaded with a croaky voice, ¡°Are you still going to be mad at me when I¡¯m suffering right now? Do you want to punish me by sticking closer to me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words. She turned around and lifted her head, only to get shocked upon meeting his fiery gaze. Words failed toe out from her opened mouth and a few momentster, she mumbled. ¡°Just... just another half a month left. Besides, our marriage ceremony will be over by then and we¡¯re just in time for the wedding night. You¡¯ve just got to hold it in for a couple of days.¡±

    Watching Ruan Danchen¡¯s fair skin slowly flushed pink like a spring rose, Qi Chenglin could not hold back the urge to nt kisses on her cheeks, which turned into the color and temperature of a bad sunburn. Qi Chenglin took her hand and ced it onto his phallus. ¡°I can¡¯t hold it any longer, you¡¯ve got to help me tonight.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Blush seared through Ruan Danchen¡¯s cheeks as she buried her face into Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder, unable to speak due to the uncontroble quivers.

    Then, Qi Chenglin¡¯s deep and husky voice travelled to Ruan Danchen¡¯s ears. ¡°My palm isn¡¯t as soft and delicate as yours, so I won¡¯t feelfortable to release this tension myself.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice sounded especially pathetic at the moment.

    The ball of sweltering embarrassment had grown far too long and it was on the verge of explosion right now. Ruan Danchen was unwilling to let him suffer but did not want to promise him easily either since she would lose dignity that way. Moreover, Qi Chenglin might assume that it was easy to get whatever he wanted, so it would be unwise if Qi Chenglin requested for it persistently.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen tried to rack her brain which was bing inefficient during her pregnancy and replied, ¡°Prepare your home-packed meals nicely. I¡¯ll deduct a chance to help you if they don¡¯t taste good.¡±

    Qi Chenglin smiled and agreed to Ruan Danchen¡¯s requirement without hesitation.

    Then, with a reddened face, Ruan Danchen slipped her hand into Qi Chenglin¡¯s pants.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen was awakened by the rm clock in the next morning. When she reached out to turn off the rm, she felt an excruciating pain and soreness on the muscles around her wrist.

    Ruan Danchen frowned andined after recalling the reason for this soreness; even a simple task such as putting on a shirt felt extremely difficult.

    The empty slot beside hers on the bed that belonged to Qi Chenglin was empty and cold.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s mind was foggy despite being fully awake now. Not only did her cognitive function decrease ever since her pregnancy, her reaction had be poorer and even her memory had deteriorated too.

    It was only until Ruan Danchen washed her face to wake herself up when she recalled that Qi Chenglin promised to prepare home-packed meal for herst night.

    Ruan Danchen hurried downstairs to the dining room and noticed that breakfast had been served on the table by Aunt Zheng, but Qi Chenglin was nowhere to be seen. Then, she entered the kitchen and saw Qi Chenglin standing tall and straight in front of the countertop with lowered head, busy at his work.

    Qi Chenglin would always stand up straight without the slightest curvature in his spine despite his lowered head, appearing as if he would bow down to nothing. The way his body moved when he ced those meals into a lunch box looked very tall, handsome and graceful!

    Ruan Danchen was getting excited at such an amazing view. After noticing that Aunt Zheng had no intention to enter the kitchen, she pounced straight at Qi Chenglin and wrapped her arms around Qi Chenglin¡¯s lean waist from behind.

    Even though this man would torture her at night, his charm remained unambiguous.

    It felt great to be able to lean on Qi Chenglin¡¯s back and hug his waist tightly while inhaling the fresh fragrance emitted from his body!

    This was a man who usually attracted lots of women¡¯s fondness and admiration and this very thought excited Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen rubbed her face vigorously on Qi Chenglin¡¯s back and yelled all of a sudden, ¡°Prince Charming is mine!¡±

    Qi Chenglin was stunned and frozen to the spot at this exmation. Then, he turned around to see if his wife was having a seizure or something.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her soft, chubby face and grinned sweetly at Qi Chenglin. ¡°You woke up early in the morning just to prepare a meal for me. Thank you for your hard work, my dear husband.¡±

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows in response. Staring at her clear and round eyes, he put on a smile which made Ruan Danchen lose focus. ¡°Thank you for your hard workst night too.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen was at a loss for words.

    Was this home-packed meal a trade for Ruan Danchen¡¯s hard work?

    Ruan Danchen figured the cost to consume her man¡¯s personal home-cooked meal was a little too big. Moreover, Qi Chenglin promised that he would cook a meal for her birthday initially, so why did the terms and conditions changed all of a sudden?

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly as she tried to sneak a peek at the meal prepared by Qi Chenglin. However, he was closing the lid coincidentally and Ruan Danchen failed to peek at the inside of the lunch box.

 Chapter 453 - Who Did She Refer To As Big Sister Song, Their Relationship Was Not That Close!

    <h4>Chapter 453: Who Did She Refer To As Big Sister Song, Their Rtionship Was Not That Close!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What did you make? Show me,¡± Ruan Danchen said softly.

    ¡°Wait till noon,¡± Qi Chenglin replied while cing the lunchboxes into a tote bag. Taking the bag with one hand while holding Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand in the other, they went into the dining room for breakfast.

    Qi Chenglin smiled deeply and continued, ¡°Come up earlier this afternoon.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived at thepany in the morning. Ruan Danchen went to the design department before Qi Chenglin used the elevator to reach the top floor.

    A few colleagues who worked in the secretary room exited the crowded staff elevator and saw Qi Chenglin carrying a tote bag with what seemed to be lunchboxes inside it.

    A female colleague asked with glittering eyes, ¡°General manager, are these lunchboxes of love made by your wife?¡±

    Qi Chenglin choked in response to the question. There was absolutely no way he would admit to outsiders that he made all these. It would bring the impression that he was actually a henpecked husband who even became a househusband in the morning.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin nodded without feeling guilty. He even looked nkly inscrutable as he straightened his tie.

    ¡°My wife treats me well with meticulous care,¡± Qi Chenglin replied solemnly without any guilty conscience.

    ¡°General manager is really blessed.¡±

    ¡°General Manager Qi¡¯s wife is very virtuous.¡±

    Qi Chenglin stood proud and straight when endlesspliments came rushing toward him and overwhelmed him. They could even visualize his pride as he returned to his office.

    Qi Chenglin initially wanted to ce the lunchboxes on the table to show off, but on second thought, these were not made by his wife after all. What if he boasted a little too much and embarrassed himself in the end?

    Thus, Qi Chenglin ced the lunchboxes in a small refrigerator in his office silently.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s trick worked like a charm as Ruan Danchen was physically present in the design department for the whole morning, but mentally, her heart stayed with Qi Chenglin.

    Moreover, Ruan Danchen was considered an idler in the design department at present. The only reason why she insisted on working was because of her reluctance in loafing at home and be disjointed with society. At least she could keep up with the times despite being ayabout at work so that she would not run out of topics to talk about with Qi Chenglin when they returned home.

    Approximately eleven o¡¯clock in the morning, Ruan Danchen received a phone call from Jiang Yuan.

    Why would Jiang Yuan contact Ruan Danchen? The curious Ruan Danchen epted the phone call and heard Jiang Yuan said, ¡°Madam, the general manager is free at the moment. There¡¯s no business discussion with clients or meetings to attend.¡±

    In conclusion, the general manager was bored to death and waiting for Ruan Danchen to save his life.

    ¡°...¡± Even though Ruan Danchen¡¯s intelligence was deteriorating recently, she could understand the meaning behind Jiang Yuan¡¯s statement. ¡°I¡¯m heading up now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen packed her belongings and took her bag before leaving the design department while muttering to herself. Why did Qi Chenglin ask Jiang Yuan to convey his message when he could just call her personally?

    It was not lunchtime yet when Ruan Danchen reached the top floor. Everyone was busy at work and Ruan Danchen could even see someone running off with documents from time to time.

    Even so, everyone would stop and greet Ruan Danchen when they met. ¡°Madam, we saw the general manager carrying home-packed meals today.¡±

    ¡°Madam prepared home-packed meals for the general manager despite your busy schedule. You¡¯re a good wife.¡±

    ¡°Your rtionship with the general manager is very stable.¡±

    ¡°Lunchboxes of love!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen knew Qi Chenglin all too well; she figured Qi Chenglin must have been too embarrassed to admit that he was the one preparing home-packed meals for her.

    Ruan Danchen did not debunk her husband¡¯s lies out of sincere love, so she smiled and nodded in response. Since it was virtuous of her to prepare home-packed meals for her husband, she protected her husband¡¯s reputation in public was considered an act of virtue too.

    A virtuous and kind wife¡ªthat summed up Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen responded to all thepliments with a gentle and polite smile as she headed for Qi Chenglin¡¯s office. Upon entering the office, Qi Chenglin stood up immediately and brought her to rest on the couch.

    There were a few additions of cushion pads on the couch that were absent before this.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that pregnant women get lower backache easily, so these are for you to support your back,¡± Qi Chenglin exined while cing one cushion pad behind Ruan Danchen¡¯s lower back.

    Frankly speaking, Ruan Danchen¡¯s pregnancy had not reached the stage where backache becamemon. She could hardly feel the fetus¡¯s presence in her womb at the moment other than the recent excessive vomiting. Lower back pain would only start to get worse with erging uterus at thete stage of pregnancy.

    However, Ruan Danchen did not correct Qi Chenglin¡¯s mistake since this was his act of kindness and love after all. Moreover, she feltfortable with the cushion pad supporting her back.

    ¡°Are you tired? Do you want to take a short nap?¡± Qi Chenglin asked solicitously after recalling the torment he inflicted on Ruan Danchenst night. He was worried that it might be thest time Ruan Danchen helped him to release his sexual tension with her hand.

    Ruan Danchen pouted in response; she knew Qi Chenglin all too well.

    However, Ruan Danchen was unwilling to argue with Qi Chenglin as she nced at his handsome face, so she sighed and leaned closer to him. Then, she rested her head on Qi Chenglin¡¯s thigh after yawning. ¡°Wake me upter.¡±

    Qi Chenglin agreed happily.

    Ruan Danchen merely buried her face into Qi Chenglin¡¯s firm lower abdomen instead of actually falling asleep. There was no need for her to worry about staining Qi Chenglin¡¯s shirt with her makeup since she did not apply any ever since her pregnancy. Inhaling the fragrance emitted from Qi Chenglin that made her feel secure, she closed her eyes and pretended to fall asleep.

    When it was about time to have lunch, Ruan Danchen woke up automatically without needing Qi Chenglin to call her. Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart melted and fought the urge tough at the sight of the drowsy Ruan Danchen who had a red mark on her cheek due to pressure exertion upon lying down. He rubbed the red mark on her face slowly and gently before heading for the refrigerator to heat up the home-packed meals.

    A savory aroma wafted into the office when Qi Chenglin returned with the mealster.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s eyes lit up with anticipation. It was good enough to swallow the food prepared by Qi Chenglin, and there was never such a fragrant scent before this.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s anticipation gave Qi Chenglin joy as he thought that all the hard work was not all for nothing. The only thing left to worry at the current moment was herck of appetite and the possibility of vomiting.

    Qi Chenglin ced the lunchboxes in front of Ruan Danchen and opened them. All of them were Ruan Danchen¡¯s current favorite¡ªsweet and sour in vor. Even though there were frequent episodes of emesis recently, she craved for sweet and sour food and had quite a good appetite for them.

    Ruan Danchen tasted each and every food before smiling happily. They were not exquisitely delicious, but the taste was enough to give her thrills of joy. Ruan Danchen did not have high expectations of the current meal Qi Chenglin prepared when she recalled the food he cookedst time ended up being a paste. Surprisingly, this meal was an absolute sess which was beyond her expectations.

    ¡°Delicious,¡± Ruan Danchen praised her man which sent him into high spirits.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips were smeared with oil, but Qi Chenglin did not use a tissue paper to wipe them clean. Instead, he leaned forward and licked the oil off her lips before replying with a deep and husky voice apanied with a smile, ¡°My cooking skill isn¡¯t so bad after all.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t see you cook before this, so since when did your cooking skills improve?¡± Ruan Danchen gulped down the food happily. To be honest, her main purpose was to express her gratitude and motivate him so that he would put in effort persistently.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s ears were flushed pink. His gaze which was prating and imposing toward outsiders was now drifting without the usual temperament. Then, he answered after a few moments of hesitation, ¡°I only know how to cook these at the moment.¡±

    Ruan Danchen understood him immediately; Qi Chenglin basically mastered only a few dishes.

    This meal ended with great satisfaction. Ruan Danchen wiped her mouth with a piece of tissue paper before nting a kiss on Qi Chenglin¡¯s lips. ¡°My dear husband, how sweet of you to cook these so well. When you want... to release your tension, I... I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes lit up brightly after listening to Ruan Danchen. She figured it was unwise to promise him simply and added her terms and conditions quickly. ¡°Only once per night. It¡¯s unhealthy to release it multiple times a day.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s lips twitched as she squeezed her wrist in grievance. ¡°My hand will be sore.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart melted immediately after seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s pitiful expression. He took her hand quickly and started massaging it gently and cautiously. ¡°Still sore right now?¡±

    ¡°I feel better right now, but the sore was excruciating in the morning and I nearly dropped my chopsticks too.¡± Ruan Danchen had decided to use her left hand to help him released his sexual tension in the future during her breakfast just now.

    Even so, Qi Chenglin massaged Ruan Danchen¡¯s wrist seriously.

    The massage continued until Ruan Danchen said, ¡°Eat your lunch quickly. You were just staring at me without eating just now.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tested the food to make sure they were still warm before letting Qi Chenglin take the lunchboxes and started eating.

    Qi Chenglin gulped down all the leftovers in a blink of an eye until there was nothing left.

    Qi Chenglin woke up very early in the morning just to prepare a meal for Ruan Danchen, and he only had leftovers as his lunch in the end. Ruan Danchen felt a stinging in her nose as this sad thought struck her, figuring that her man really lived a difficult life.

    Ruan Danchen wiped the tears that threatened toe out from the corner of her eyes and nted a kiss again on Qi Chenglin¡¯s stuffed cheek due to his full mouth.

    After that, Qi Chenglin went to clean the lunchboxes. He instructed Ruan Danchen to take her nap in the office and return to the design department only after she had rested enough.

    Initially, Qi Chenglin went through the whole morning leisurely, but work came rushing toward him all of a sudden in the evening. There was a lot on his te which was a huge contrast with the idling in the morning.

    When it was almost time to get off work, Ruan Danchen received a call from Qi Chenglin stating that the meeting was not over yet. It was obvious that Qi Chenglin excused himself after taking a peek at the time and came out to report the situation to Ruan Danchen while they were still in the middle of the meeting.

    ¡°I¡¯ve no idea when the meeting will end so don¡¯t wait for me. Don¡¯t starve yourself, just go home and have dinner with Youxuan first,¡± Qi Chenglin said. Ruan Danchen could even hear the exhaustion in his voice through the phone.

    The meeting had been going on for over two hours. There appeared to be some critical and emergency situations in Chang City which required both Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi¡¯s immediate attention, and they muste out with a conclusion after the discussion on the same day.

    Ruan Danchen was aware that her presence would just make Qi Chenglin worried, so she agreed to his instruction.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Danchen returned home but did not consume much food during her dinner. She was not really hungry after eating a lot of food during lunch as an encouragement to Qi Chenglin.

    Ruan Danchen was having doubt at the moment. Was her erging abdomen due to the growing fetus or merely having too much food?

    Regardless, Ruan Danchen finished her dinner in a hurry and cleaned the food container before giving Jiang Yuan a phone call. Then, she was told that Qi Chenglin was still in the meeting.

    ¡°Did he have his dinner?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    ¡°Not yet. They thought everything would be settled quickly, but there was no conclusion yet even until this hour. I just asked the secretary to order food delivery right before you called me, but it was dinner rush hour right now. Every restaurant in B City, no matter the reputation, is having long queues at the moment and God knows when the food will be delivered to us,¡± Jiang Yuan exined.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll bring dinner to him personally,¡± Ruan Danchen figured that it would be faster for her to depart from Prestige Residences to Qilin than to wait for food delivery from the restaurants.

    Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi were picky eaters who definitely could not tolerate foods from those small restaurants, and Dynasty certainly could not save them from their urgent needs too. Moreover, the other colleagues who worked overtime in Qilin at the current moment would not order food delivery from Dynasty.

    Ruan Danchen was fully aware of the nearby restaurants¡¯ standards that prepared food of only decent taste. Restaurants with slightly better food qualities, on the other hand, would be too crowded without any hope for drastic food deliveries from them.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen hung up the phone call and called Song Yu afterward to exin the situation and asked if she needed to bring two dinner sets¡ªone for Qi Chengzhi as well.

    Song Yu might deliver dinner to Qi Chengzhi too, which was exactly why Ruan Danchen wanted to ask in advance, or else there would be too much food if she delivered two dinner sets directly without prior questioning. Fortunately, Ruan Danchen inquired Song Yu beforehand, because Song Yu was about to leave the house to deliver food to Qi Chengzhi at the moment.

    Thus, without further dy, Ruan Danchen filled the food container quickly. Then, she instructed the child to do his homework at home before leaving the house.

    However, the kid chased after Ruan Danchen and held onto her shirt firmly. ¡°Mom, I want to go too.¡±

    Ruan Danchen lowered her gaze and asked, ¡°Are you done with your homework?¡±

    ¡°There isn¡¯t much homework today and I¡¯vepleted them in school. I can bring my book for revision,¡± the kid answered, reluctant to stay at home alone.

    Ruan Danchen gave this some thought before agreeing to his plea.

    There was no one at the reception and only security guards were present at the main entrance when Ruan Danchen and the kid arrived at Qilin. This was because only a few rted personnel were working overtime and most of them worked in the upper management; whereas the rest of the staff had left thepany a long time ago.

    Ruan Danchen was wearing a pair of t shoes, and the kid walked silently like a ninja too. All of a sudden, they heard footsteps at their tails.

    Then, someone called out to them from behind. ¡°Danchen!¡±

    Ruan Danchen rxed immediately and turned around to see Song Yu walking toward them with a bag in her hand.

    ¡°Since Chengyue is in mid-pregnancy period, they didn¡¯t ask Dongge to work overtime and let him apany Chengyue at home instead,¡± said Song Yu as she walked toward them.

    Qi Chengyue took maternity leave from this month onward to rest at home. Even though there were four months left until the expected date of delivery, the elders at home were taking extreme precautions to avoid any potential idents to Qi Chengyue¡¯s pregnancy. Qi Chengyue did not insist on working too and was enjoying her rest at home in peace at the moment.

    Ruan Danchen and Song Yu went up and passed the dinner to Jiang Yuan without disturbing their husbands. It was obvious that Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi nned to have their dinner while continuing the meeting.

    Suddenly, the door to the meeting room opened just when they were about to leave. Then, Qi Chengzhi and Qi Chenglin walked out of the room together.

    They were pleasantly surprised upon seeing Ruan Danchen and Song Yu.

    ¡°Why did you guyse?¡± Qi Chenglin walked over immediately and stroked Ruan Danchen¡¯s already smooth and neat hair habitually with his long fingers.

    Qi Chenglinined despite his exhration. ¡°I thought I asked you to rest at home?¡±

    ¡°I missed you and worried that you¡¯ll have your dinnerte. Are you done with your meeting?¡± Ruan Danchen squinted in satisfaction andfort when Qi Chenglin massaged her scalp with his long fingers.

    ¡°Not yet, we¡¯re just out to get some air. We figured dinner should be delivered soon so we¡¯ll continue the meeting after our stomachs are full,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice sounded soft but tiring.

    The Qi brothers intended to continue the meeting while having their dinner but decided against it after noticing the exhaustion on everyone¡¯s face.

    ¡°The meeting is ending soon. There¡¯s still a little bit left to discuss, then everything will be settled.¡± Qi Chenglin took a nce at the time before taking Ruan Danchen and the kid back to his office. ¡°We¡¯re taking a forty-five minutes break.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi brought Song Yu along to Qi Chenglin¡¯s office for dinner since his office was nearer to the meeting room. That way, they could continue their discussion while having dinner together.

    Even though the kid had taken his dinner which mainlyprised of greens, he still felt hungry due tock of proteins and fats in his digestive system. Thus, he stared at the food both Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi were munching on with saliva pooling in his mouth.

    Ruan Danchen brought some pre-cut fruits for Qi Chenglin as desserts initially, but after noticing the gluttony in the kid¡¯s expression, she took it out to satisfy the kid¡¯s cravings.

    Even though Qi Chenglin and Qi Chengzhi were having their business discussion, they wanted their wives to apany them by their sides. Thus, thedies sat beside them and chit-chatting softly without disturbing their husbands.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s office had a pleasant and soothing ambiance initially, but all of it was destroyed when there was a sudden argument outside the office.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±

    The kid¡¯s big round eyes blinked in curiosity and without fear.

    Song Yu gestured Ruan Danchen to sit while she went to take a look at themotion. Then, the door opened to Wu Qiaoyin confronting Jiang Yuan outside the office. Jiang Yuan was blocking Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s attempt to barge into the office while calling the security guards.

    They could even hear Jiang Yuan¡¯s particrly cold and annoyed tone when Song Yu opened the door. ¡°Come up and show Miss Wu the way out. What¡¯s wrong with you guys? The upper management is very busy working overtime for a meeting today, and yet you allowed outsiders to barge in and cause further trouble. If you can¡¯t perform such a simple task, then you may as well quit this job.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin ignored the fact that Jiang Yuan was on a phone call and protested in grievance. ¡°How can you say so? I¡¯m not here to cause trouble! I know Big Brother Qi, you saw me when I came here with my momst time, so how can you defame me? Let me in, how can you stop me?¡±

    The impatient Jiang Yuan hung up the phone call. When he was about to shove Wu Qiaoyin to the ground floor, Song Yu opened the door.

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s eyes lit up immediately. ¡°Big Sister Song, it¡¯s me. I... I knew Big Brother Qi is working overtime tonight, so I brought dinner for him. I made them at home myself.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin lifted up the bag in her hand happily.

    Song Yu could not help but rolled her eyes in front of Wu Qiaoyin.

    Who did she refer to as Big Sister Song, their rtionship was not that close!

    Wu Qiaoyin was not even coveting Song Yu¡¯s husband, and yet Song Yu felt disgusted when Wu Qiaoyin referred to her as Big Sister Song. How disgusted would Ruan Danchen feel when Wu Qiaoyin referred to her as Big Sister Ruan?

    ¡°Sorry, who are you? I don¡¯t recognize you, so there¡¯s no need to greet me with such affection,¡± Song Yu replied harshly.

    Jiang Yuan spoke to Song Yu immediately, ¡°I¡¯ll take her down now.¡±

    Song Yu nodded and attempted to close the door without any intention in inviting Wu Qiaoyin into the office.

    A light bulb went on in Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s head as she bypassed Jiang Yuan in a sh and mmed her hand onto the door frame with great force until blood drained from the tips of her fingers.

    Qi Chenglin nearly choked after listening to Wu Qiaoyin just now.

    Ruan Danchen gazed scornfully at Qi Chenglin. ¡°Looks like someone will get the benefit if I didn¡¯t deliver dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°No such thing! I won¡¯t even let her pass through the door. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that I don¡¯t want to get near her, I¡¯ll take her dinner and throw it into the rubbish bin in front of her.¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s harsh statement broke Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s heart. She wept and said, ¡°Big Brother Qi, I¡¯m merely delivering dinner to you, I didn¡¯t mean anything else. How can you...are you really that disgusted when I¡¯m just delivering food to you? I¡¯m just trying to be kind since you must be exhausted after working overtime, plus the restaurants around here aren¡¯t hygienic too...¡±

    The kid took a nce at Wu Qiaoyin before feeding a strawberry to Ruan Danchen. ¡°Mom, I love you!¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt like she had just consumed a mouthful of love when she ate the strawberry in the kid¡¯s hand with a smile.

    Ruan Danchen and the kid¡¯s actions induced difort in Qi Chenglin, so he stood up and walked toward the door personally.

    Wu Qiaoyin forgot to reactpletely and instead, she fixed her gaze on Qi Chenglin¡¯s handsome face.

    Qi Chenglin had been working for a whole day and involved himself in a meeting for a long period of time. As a result, exhaustion was written all over his face but it brought a different sense of charm with his maturity, which made Wu Qiaoyin drunk in love.

 Chapter 454 - Your Hand Was Clipped by the Door, Yes?

    <h4>Chapter 454: Your Hand Was Clipped by the Door, Yes?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°My wife loves me dearly. What need do I have for you? I¡¯d rather let myself starve to death then let you dote on me.¡± Qi Chenglin shot her a merciless nce, with his eyes filled with evil intentions.

    Wu Qiaoyin did not look at him. Her heart shattered to pieces after hearing her Big Brother Qi¡¯s heartless words.

    ¡°Are you leaving, or not?¡± Qi Chenglin asked coldly.

    Wu Qiaoyin shook her head and presented the lunchbox. ¡°I... I¡¯ll leave, but Big Brother Qi, please keep this. It¡¯s from the heart. I made it myself.¡±

    Qi Chenglin seemed oblivious to what she said. He simply asked, ¡°You¡¯re really not leaving?¡±

    ¡°If... If you don¡¯t ept this, then I won¡¯t leave.¡± Wu Qiaoyin shuddered at the door like a little white flower. Her expression however, remained steadfast, and in that steadfastness was also a look of weakness, as if she was pitiable.

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯sugh was a happy one that came from the heart.

    Without saying anything further, he turned and mmed the door. Wu Qiaoyin scarcely imagined that Qi Chenglin would act so quickly despite smiling so genuinely earlier. She waspletely unable to react at all.

    Her hand was still ced on the door frame, so the door mmed painfully against her hand.

    Qi Chenglin did not need to exert any energy. The malicious glimmer in his eyes was actually lying in wait for her refusal to leave, after which he would then have a reason to m the door in her face.

    Since she could not understand his words and actions, the only option left was to scare her.

    Qi Chenglin had decided to leave the worst impression in Wu Qiaoyin so she would shudder at the sight of him and her infatuation would no longer manifest itself.

    The sound of Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s scream greeted his ear. It was so piercingly loud that it seemed capable of transmitting to the floor above. Qi Chenglin¡¯s face brightened up¡ªto him, her scream was practically the most wonderful thing to greet his ears.

    Wu Qiaoyin was in so much pain that she did not care about anything else. She retracted her hand immediately and could feel that her four fingers were no longer in her control. She did not dare to move them, and the searing pain made her entire body tremble.

    As she brought the injured hand to eye-level, she saw how it did not take much effort¡ªif any at all¡ªto make her fingertips turn reddish-purple. Each one of them was swollen, like a radish.

    Wu Qiaoyin was afraid to touch her fingers. She merely raised her hand while howling and wailing. Tears and mucus were streaming down her face and she waspletely unable to bear the pain.

    The lunchbox she held in her good hand dropped to the ground, with the cover cracking open and the contents spilling out. It was a miserable sight.

    Wu Qiaoyin did not care about how she looked anymore. She was already in so much pain that she could not even stand up. Falling onto the floor with a thud, she cried and wailed.

    When the door mmed onto Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s hand earlier, it bounced back. Qi Chenglin was still standing at the door. He cocked a brow, and looked heartless, so much so that he even sounded like he was reveling in her misfortune. He said crisply and gleefully, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t see your hand on the door frame. How could you be so careless? Even little kids know that it¡¯s not right to put it there.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin shuddered and cried. She gasped for air and said, ¡°I... I... I...¡±

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to bring Miss Wu away?¡± Qi Chenglin shot a look at Jiang Yuan. Qi Chenglin¡¯s face was all along unemotive, and it was rare that a hint of deviousness appeared in his expression.

    Jiang Yuan understood at once and began dragging Wu Qiaoyin out of the main entrance.

    Wu Qiaoyin cried in pain and waspletely unable to straighten her back, leaving it to remain like a prawn. Her silky-soft hair drooped over her shoulders and down the front of her body, shielding her face.

    As she walked, her hair was tousled, making her look like a lunatic. Those tears soiled her makeup too. Beneath all the hair sticking to her face was a ck smudge of makeup, turning her fair-skinned face into a frightening monstrosity that was not unlike a ck dahlia.

    Jiang Yuan let go of her and stopped holding her up. He watched as Wu Qiaoyin swayed as if she was going to tumble over.

    In a voice that was loud enough for bystanders to hear, he said, ¡°Sigh, why bother, Miss Wu? Our general manager has his wife to take care of him. Why must youe over and insist on sending food? Your hand was clipped by the door, yes? Don¡¯t do this again in the future. You¡¯re only injuring yourself bying here.¡±

    Jiang Yuan cleared his throat and said sincerely, ¡°Our general manager really didn¡¯t mean to do it on purpose. Is the injury bad? How about I give Mr. and Mrs. Wu a call and let them send you to the hospital?¡±

    He refrained from offering to bring her to the hospital.

    It was no joke that he still had to work overtime. If the general manager did not leave, he¡ªas the general manager¡¯s assistant¡ªcould not leave as well. He could not just skip his duties.

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s mind was no longer functioning properly. She could feel that Jiang Yuan¡¯s voice wasing in continuous waves, but they went in one ear and went out the other. Those words were heard, but not understood.

    Next, there came a raucousness from all around. Slowly but surely, she heard the discussion going on beside her.

    ¡°Did she try to be a mistress and was beaten up by the rightful partner instead?¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear the young man? The man doesn¡¯t like her in the first ce. The rightful partner doesn¡¯t even need to do anything. The man could just hit her like that.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sounds like it¡¯s an ident, but I think it¡¯s on purpose.¡±

    ¡°Tsk tsk tsk, the couple is on very good terms with each other and can¡¯t tolerate other people butting in. Thisdy is so young, but she¡¯s already learning all the bad things. She insists on being a homewrecker. Does it make you happy to do such an immoral thing?¡±

    ¡°This is a problem that has to do with family values. If the family did their part and taught her well, she wouldn¡¯t have done such a thing.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin could only feel her brain fill with blood and turn giddy. As she listened to what the surrounding people were saying, she thought, ¡®What do you know!¡¯

    ¡®All these olddies with nothing to do except to criticize people. What does it have to do with them!¡¯

    She then came to a sudden realization of what Jiang Yuan said earlier. She looked up suddenly and red at him.

    Those words all sounded nice, but in truth, it was tant smearing of her reputation in public! ¡°Don¡¯t think I don¡¯t know that!¡±

    Jiang Yuan was slightly taken aback by her viciousness, but after taking two steps back, he put on an earnest look and said, ¡°Miss Wu, our general manager¡¯s son is afraid of you. He¡¯s only seven. Please don¡¯t alwayse looking for him. He says that you put a lot of pressure on him and it makes him feel scared.¡±

    Jiang Yuan felt that Qi Youxuan would not mind him making that statement.

    After that sentence, murmurs were heard once again.

    ¡°Ah, so she used the child as a vessel for her intentions.¡±

    ¡°What the hell? Harming other people¡¯s children! Those whoy their hands on children have the worst heart!¡±

    Gao Xiaoyang originally heard about an incident at Chang City and came just to take a look. To her surprise, she was faced with that spectacle when she arrived at Qilin¡¯s door.

    Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s eyes lit up instantly since their newspaper also had an entertainment news department!

    It must surely be someone in their circle if that person dared toe over and try to be Qi Chenglin¡¯s mistress.

    Chang Jingqiu did the same thing in the past, did she not?

    Although the woman was unidentifiable due to tear-smudged mascara and long hair stuck to her face, Gao Xiaoyang felt that the girl was surely someone of status.

    If it could make the news, it did not matter if it was a topic that she was responsible for. It would still be good if she passed it to her colleague in exchange for a future favor.

    Just as she stumbled upon some newsworthy gossip, her colleagues at the entertainment news department might someday stumble upon some financial news!

    Moreover, those in the entertainment news department had vast connections. They knew all sorts of people and there was no drawback whatsoever in establishing a rtionship with them.

    Gao Xiaoyang thus took out her cell phone and opened the video recorder. From time to time, she would even take pictures from different angles. She then shuffled over to Jiang Yuan¡¯s side and said, ¡°Special Assistant Jiang, may I ask who is this?¡±

    Jiang Yuan realized it was Gao Xiaoyang and felt that she was a very persevering journalist. She phoned him every day to arrange a meeting with Qi Chenglin, and at times, she would even pay a personal visit to ask various questions and check whether there were any appropriate times to conduct an interview.

    He was not the only one she called. During a gathering between himself, Cheng Dongge, and assistants of Yan Beicheng and his circle, he found out that she called each of them once a day, giving all of them equal treatment.

    Jiang Yuan heard that Gao Xiaoyang was Ruan Danchen¡¯s high school ssmate, and although the two women did not have too close a rtionship, they still got along pretty well. Despite that, she never attempted to burden Ruan Danchen by trying to get thetter¡¯s help in things.

    Jiang Yuan regarded Gao Xiaoyang as someone with good character.

    It was not a bad thing to make new friends professionally and give oneself more options in the future.

    Seeing her resplendent gaze, Jiang Yuan knew what she wanted to do and felt that it was very doable.

    Special Assistant Jiang¡¯s expression turned warm as he answered Gao Xiaoyang, ¡°This is Wu Qiaoyin, or Miss Wu.¡±

    As a reporter who specialized in finance, she knew of those big bosses¡¯ families. ¡°Ohhhhh...¡± she answered immediately to show that she understood.

    ¡°May I ask what exactly happened, from start to beginning?¡± Gao Xiaoyang stared at Wu Qiaoyin.

    Knowing that Wu Qiaoyin was trying to interfere in Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s marriage, Gao Xiaoyang raised her voice instead of quieting down. She was determined to use all her resources to get one back for Ruan Danchen.

    Jiang Yuan was a smart man who got it immediately. In a loud voice, he recounted every single thing in precise detail.

    Wu Qiaoyin was surrounded by hordes and hordes of people. She could not step out, and all she was able to do was stand there to be horribly denounced by strangers.

    In addition, her hands were hurting very terribly. She swayed and struggled to stand upright, let alone walk. All she felt was her brain turning fuzzy as if she was going to copse at any moment.

    The crowd was already aware of what happened. A group of women, aged twenty to fifty, came over to show their disdain and spoke unpleasantly of Wu Qiaoyin.

    ¡°Hey! Girls! Can we talk!¡± Gao Xiaoyang noticed a group of students¡ªstill d in their high-school uniform¡ªshooting everything with their cellphones. She left Jiang Yuan and went over.

    The girl turned around while still raising her phone up. She looked curiously at Gao Xiaoyang and heard thetter ask, ¡°Can you please don¡¯t post this up just yet?¡±

    Through disheveled hair, Wu Qiaoyin saw Gao Xiaoyang¡¯s actions and felt grateful that there were still kind people out there.

    In the end though, her thoughts had yet to properly materialize when she heard Gao Xiaoyang say, ¡°Can you wait till the headline appears tonight before posting it on the web?¡±

    Since it was of no detriment to the girl, she happily agreed.

    At that point, Wu Qiaoyin looked resentfully at Gao Xiaoyang and merely stopped short of vomiting blood.

    Jiang Yuan fancied himself as an exceptionally good person. Although Wu Qiaoyin was crass, he did not stoop to her level and phoned Wu Chuanshu. ¡°Director Wu, yes, hello. I¡¯m Jiang Yuan, Qi Chenglin¡¯s assistant.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jiang Yuan was smiling ever kindlier as he held the phone. ¡°Well, here¡¯s the thing. General Manager Qi is working overtime tonight. Miss Wu knew about it and wanted to send him some food, but when our general manager showed her the door, he identally put pressure on Miss Wu¡¯s hand. She¡¯s currently in pain and can¡¯t walk. I have to work overtime too, so it¡¯s not appropriate for me to leave. How about you send someone over to fetch her?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    Jiang Yuan then hung up happily.

    Gao Xiaoyang wrapped up her video-taking and followed Jiang Yuan. ¡°Special Assistant Jiang, about Chang City...¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s settled. As for the specific means, please check tomorrow.¡± Jiang Yuan smiled and left.

    Gao Xiaoyang pouted and decided that she should first build rapport with her colleagues from the entertainment news division.

    ...

    At the other end, Qi Chenglin¡ªwho dealt with Wu Qiaoyin by himself and inflicted such damage to Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s soft, delicate, and injury-free hand¡ªfelt incredibly happy as opposed to feeling heartbroken.

    Qi Chenglin closed the door and straightened his suit before walking back handsomely. He earned looks of adtion from Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan.

    His wife and child¡¯s utter satisfaction with his actions made the little person in Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart tremble excitedly, making the man himself stand even more proudly.

    ¡°She interrupted our meal. Come eat, quick. It¡¯s gonna be cold.¡± Ruan Danchen waved at him and smiled beautifully.

    Qi Chenglin returned the smile and sat back down.

    The little boy¡¯s eyes glimmered. ¡°Dad, you¡¯re amazing!¡±

    Although it was not the first time he received praise from his son, it was the first time that Qi Chenglin felt incredibly proud. His handsome face became even more captivating.

    ¡°As a husband, I have to make my wife feel reassured.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s heart was overflowing with pride, but on the surface, he spoke very calmly.

    Qi Youxuan nodded with full of praise.

    ...

    Bystanders were soon growing tired of scolding Wu Qiaoyin since it was all centered around that one issue anyway. Everyone was rushing home, so the crowd dispersed.

    Wu Qiaoyin sat at the roadside near Qilin¡¯s entrance. She buried her head in her arms and cried mournfully.

    She cried until Wu Chuanshu arrived. He did not even bring his driver because his family¡¯s ugly public spectacle would be a source of embarrassment.

    ¡°GET UP!¡± Wu Chuanshu stood before Wu Qiaoyin and felt only anger after seeing how she was crying.

    Of all the terrible things she did, she just had to degrade herself by wanting to be a mistress. Was that something to be proud of?

    She was the one who brought it on herself and still had the decency to cry!

    Wu Qiaoyin raised her wretched face. It was as if she saw someone to rely on when she saw Wu Chuanshu. ¡°DADDY!¡±

    ¡°You still have the decency to cry? GET UP!¡± Wu Chuanshu got even angrier when he noticed that passers-by were looking in their direction. He grabbed Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s arm and pulled her up, and it just so happened that the arm he held was Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s injured hand.

    ¡°OWW! DADDY!¡± Wu Chuanshu shrieked.

    It was then that Wu Chuanshu noticed her purplish-red fingers.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± Wu Chanshu nced briefly at it and suppressed his anger. ¡°Go up the car first.¡±

    After helping Wu Qiaoyin into the car, Wu Chuanshu was furious. He was reminded of what Jiang Yuan told him, that Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s fingers were clipped by the door.

    Wu Chanshu huffed angrily. Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s head should have been clipped by the door!

    As he drove to the hospital, Wu Qiaoyin began wailing and telling everything.

    ¡°I was being kind. I heard about what happened at Chang City and I knew he would be very busy, so I brought some food that I made myself for him. Who knew...¡± Wu Qiaoyin was in so much pain that her voice was faltering. Time and again, she inhaled sharply, letting Wu Chuanshu feel as though she might experience shortness of breath.

    Wu Chuanshu was raging, but seeing his daughter¡¯s radish-like fingertips made him bear with it all for the time being.

    To his surprise, Wu Qiaoyin continued rambling, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for Ruan Danchen, Big Brother Qi wouldn¡¯t have refused my cooking! She¡¯s nothing but a jealous woman who controls Big Brother Qi so strictly. She doesn¡¯t even allow it if we interact normally. Big Brother Qi is married and I know I don¡¯t have a chance, but so what if I just want to be friends with him? I want what¡¯s best for Big Brother Qi. I¡¯m willing to sacrifice this by not taking him away from her, but she¡¯s the one that¡¯s notpromising. She even made her son tell lies and badmouth about me. And today she came and bullied me. She forced Big Brother Qi to send me off. Doesn¡¯t Big Brother Qi have any right to make friends at all?¡±

    ¡°SHUT IT! Stop referring to him like that. He¡¯s not even close with you. You don¡¯t need to be so disgusting!¡± Wu Chuanshu could not imagine how a proper person like him was able to raise such an idiot daughter like Wu Qiaoyin.

    Her actions, when shown in public, would do nothing more than cause them to be the butt of jokes!

    She would not be only one embarrassed¡ªhe would be too!

    ¡°DADDY!¡± Wu Qiaoyin felt so aggrieved that her own father did not defend her.

    Wu Chuanshu was irritated to no end. ¡°Don¡¯t think I¡¯m unaware that you¡¯re only plucking out the point-of-view that benefits you. Do you think people can¡¯t see whether you really want to be purely friends? DO YOU THINK THEY¡¯RE IDIOTS? Qi Chenglin¡¯s son has already taught you a lesson but you still aren¡¯t learning from it, are you? He doesn¡¯t like you. Even if you want to be friends, you can¡¯t go up and bother them if they don¡¯t like you. And with the intentions you have, you think no one knows? As a father, I feel ASHAMED for you. You still want to throw away our families¡¯ dignity and let others look down on us?¡±

    Wu Chuanshu was so enraged that he could not stop himself from punching the steering wheel.

    With one hand on the wheel, he pointed the other at Wu Qiaoyin, ¡°STOP BEING DELUSIONAL. You aren¡¯t fooling anyone, only yourself. Isn¡¯t that right? ¡®Just friends¡¯?¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s startled face prompted Wu Chuanshu to snicker. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about being ¡®just friends¡¯ in the future! BEHAVE!¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin felt insulted and began crying. ¡°Daddy, how could you do this to me!¡±

    ¡°What did I do? Qi Chenglin has plenty of friends, but why don¡¯t I see him treating them the way he treats you? Why does he dislike you that much? You really think I¡¯m stupid? You think you¡¯re the smartest person in the world, don¡¯t you?¡± Wu Chuanshu was seething with anger. He wanted nothing more than to cut open Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s head and see what was inside!

    ¡°You never stood a chance anyway, and I never hoped for you to do anything that would elicit praise from others, as long as you behave and stop giving our family so much trouble. Is that really that hard for you to fulfill that request?¡± Wu Chuanshu pointed at her and did not give a damn that Wu Qiaoyin was crying so miserably.

    If he were to care deeply about her, the family business would be in shambles because of her.

    ¡°I... How am I causing trouble for our family? I know you¡¯ve always thought of me as useless, but I¡¯m trying my best!¡± Wu Qiaoyin cried intively. ¡°You¡¯re my dad! How could you look down on me like this? How could you do this!¡±

    The flustered and aggrieved Wu Qiaoyin fell forward.

    Wu Chuanshu was a man who suffered much pressure in his work and had a bellyful of anger. Discussing business deals frequently caused him to suffer losses and be wronged, but he simply swallowed all of it down. He most certainly did not have the patience to straighten out Wu Qiaoyin.

    Besides, he thought of Wu Qiaoyin as someone who was too obstinate. If talking things out really worked, she would long been talked out of it instead of reverting to her old ways as soon as she had been scolded.

    Wu Chuanshu might as well skip the pleasantries with her. ¡°Behave yourself and don¡¯t look for Qi Chenglin ever again! Or any of his family members for that matter! If it¡¯s a public event and you can¡¯t avoid them, just say hi and don¡¯t do anything else! Stop pestering the Qi family and don¡¯t look for his son ever again!¡±

    Wu Chanshu hated offending people. He simply wanted to vomit blood after seeing how Wu Qiaoyin was acting all wronged.

    What was he going to do with such a moronic idiot in his family!

    ¡°If you still don¡¯t ept this and keep going on with your idiotic stupidity, I¡¯ll send you overseas! If you don¡¯t behave, I won¡¯t let youe back again!¡± Wu Chuanshu gritted his teeth in anger and was so enraged that his eyeballs were nearly going to pop out.

    He managed to breathe a sigh of relief only when Wu Qiaoyin was shaking in her seat.

    As he drove, he made a mental note to let Zhao Fengchun keep an eye on any suitable bachelors within the circle. If there was any suitable candidate, he would then wed her as soon as possible.

    Nevertheless, Wu Chuanshu frowned, because Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s stupid character might bring disaster to others. That would then lead to a feud. He came back to the country not to make enemies, so after some thought, he decided it was best to teach Wu Qiaoyin first before making a decision.

    Wu Qiaoyin remained quiet there, seemingly behaving already. Deep down however, she was actually feeling indignant! What right did her father have to say that about her! Which part of her was less than human!

    So be it if her father did not protect her and encourage her to pursue her true love, but he even looked down on her so despicably!

    She did not realize that she was that useless of a person in her father¡¯s eyes.

    ¡®He... How could he demean me to that extent!

    ¡®What did I do wrong?¡¯

    Wu Qiaoyin felt that her true love surpassed everything else! It was something both touching and inspirational!

    Wu Chuanshu did not know that she was thinking along those lines. If he did, he might immediately change course and drive straight to a mental institution.

    At the end of the day, Wu Chuanshu brought her to the hospital for an X-ray. Once it was confirmed that her bones were all okay, they applied medicine on it and bandaged it before dispensing some anti-inmmatory medication. After that, he pulled a long face and brought her home.

    Back home, heshed out at Zhao Fengchun for spoiling Wu Qiaoyin.

    Zhao Fengchun could only nod with a straight face. Seeing her daughter¡¯s fingers wrapped in thick bandages made her tear up.

    ¡°Mom, I... I¡¯m the one who was wronged!¡± Wu Qiaoyin whispered to her mother only when it was the two of them in her room.

 Chapter 455 - This Week Alone, She Did That Four Times

    <strong>Chapter 455: This Week Alone, She Did That Four Times</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Zhao Fengchun closed her eyes in deep thought and patted Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s shoulder to console the girl.

    ...

    The next morning, Guan Liya donned her sportswear and was about to head out for her morning exercise. As she turned the corner past the Wu family¡¯s vi, she saw Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin exiting from the entrance.

    Wu Qiaoyin raised her injured hand. The thick bandages were so eye-catching that Guan Liya could not pretend to not see it even if she wanted to.

    The night before, her talkative grandson gave him a call and boasted about Qi Chenglin¡¯s good deed.

    Guan Liya was therefore well-acquainted with how Wu Qiaoyin got injured.

    ¡°Liya!¡± Zhao Fengchun greeted happily. ¡°Such a coincidence! Going for your morning exercise?¡±

    Guan Liya feigned coincidence and said, ¡°Oh yes, such a coincidence. You guys woke up early.¡±

    Zhao Fengchun saw the opportunity and took it. She immediately raised Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s injured hand and showed Guan Liya. ¡°Qiaoyin¡¯s injured, so I have to bring her to the hospital to change her bandages. You have no idea how shocked I was when she came back. Her hand waspletely unrecognizable. She was in so much pain that she cried and couldn¡¯t sleep at night. She justid down on the bed shivering. Later on, I gave her some painkillers from the doctor, but it didn¡¯t have much of an effect. It was still very painful and she couldn¡¯t sleep the entire night. Looking at her eyebags, I feel so heartbroken.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen her grow up. She¡¯s not the kind who can endure such suffering.¡± Zhao Fengchun¡¯s body leaned forward unwittingly. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear any soundst night? That was all her cries. When our housekeeper went to buy vegetables this morning, she found out that everyone along this road heard it.¡±

    The corner of Guan Liya¡¯s mouth twitched. She began to really dislike Zhao Fengchun. Even though she never really thought that Zhao Fengchun was outrageous in the past. She did not know whether Zhao Fengchun changed drastically, or whether she used to be outrageous in the past herself, as that would then lead the two of them to click and be able to hold a conversation. Maybe that was why she thought Zhao Fengchun was a good friend back then.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it at all,¡± Guan Liya smiled on the outside. ¡°We don¡¯t usually go out at night either, and the soundproofing in our house is very good.¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Zhao Fengchun felt that Guan Liya was ying dumb.

    Guan Liya felt that Zhao Fengchun and Wu Qiaoyin were annoying her, so she decided not to be so passive. She said, ¡°Chenglin called me and told me everythingst night. I told him off for doing something so careless when he¡¯s already an adult. It¡¯s such a shame that he mmed the door on Qiaoyin¡¯s tender hands.¡±

    Guan Liya stepped forward and grabbed Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s injured hand. ¡°Is it still painful now?¡±

    As she asked that, she put on a very caring expression and began poking the bandages.

    ¡°AGHHH!¡± As soon as Guan Liya¡¯s fingernded on the bandage, Wu Qiaoyin let out a scream that was not unlike that of a pig going to the ughterhouse. It sent waves of pain into Guan Liya¡¯s ears.

    She endured it although the shout made her face turn pale. It looked as though she was being worried about Wu Qiaoyin.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Guan Liya touched Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s hand. It was so painful that Wu Qiaoyin was shuddering incessantly. Tears streamed down like a broken tap, and she did not consider whether it was rude or not when she flung away Guan Liya¡¯s hand. Her right hand held her left hand and she was in so much pain that she fell onto the floor and began crying.

    ¡°Oh dear, did... did I make it painful?¡± Guan Liya looked on helplessly and took one step forward as if wanting to take a look at Wu Qiaoyin.

    Wu Qiaoyin shuddered in pain and shrieked, ¡°DON¡¯T COME NEAR ME! DON¡¯T COME HERE! It¡¯s painful... It¡¯s too painful...¡±

    ¡°Oh dear, what are we going to do now?¡± Guan Liya remained where she was and was insistent on inflicting so much pain that Wu Qiaoyin could not walk.

    Before their eyes, there were more and more people who came out for their morning exercise. Some of the housekeepers were holding baskets and were heading to buy breakfast, as well as rush to the market and the supermarket. People began increasing in number.

    Everyone could not resist taking a look. People who lived there were usually reserved, so they did not crowd over them. Instead, they slowed their pace down as much as practicable so they can look longer if need be.

    Those who brought their dog for a walk began walking only around that area.

    ¡°Ah, Qiaoyin! Auntie didn¡¯t do it on purpose,¡± Guan Liya said nervously. Her voice was a bit loud, so those who pretended to just pass-by the ce¡ªand have, in fact, already circled them for God-knows-how-long¡ªwere sent into a frenzy and looked over in unison.

    Guan Liya remained rooted where she was. Zhao Fengchun waspletely exasperated and her eyes were seething with evil. Wu Qiaoyin may be stupid not to know what was going on, but Zhao Fengchun knew that Guan Liya did it on purpose!

    She used to have such a good rtionship with Guan Liya in the past, but in the end, Guan Liya fell out with her and even bullied her daughter in front of her!

    Guan Liya however, was so courteous and so caring toward Wu Qiaoyin that no one could say a bad word about her. It was like a lump of blood was stuck in one¡¯s throat.

    Zhao Fengchun took a deep breath and did not want to make a fool out of herself in public. She helped Wu Qiaoyin up and said, ¡°We¡¯ll go to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, yes! Go to the hospital!¡± Guan Liya eximed, but she did not move aside. ¡°Oh, Qiaoyin, please be more careful next time.¡±

    Wu Qiaoyin was shuddering and felt so much pain that she was going to copse. At that point, she really wanted to give Guan Liya a resounding kick.

    ¡°Our Chenglin¡¯s hands slipped, but next time, you shouldn¡¯t stubbornlyy on his office door frame. It¡¯s so dangerous!¡± Guan Liya advised sincerely. ¡°You see, when Chenglin closed the door, he identally clipped your hand!¡±

    Zhao Fengchun was so angry that she nearly fainted. Blood rushed to her brain and she rued not being able to drag Wu Qiaoyin up the car fast enough.

    Guan Liya said those words on purpose!

    None of the people around them were idiots. Guan Liya¡¯s words enabled them to quickly deduce what had happened, even going so far as to embellish their perceived notion of events.

    They did not reveal too much through their expression, but they were already looking at the mother-daughter duo with mockery and derision. Those who resided there were all legal wives; mistresses were all living at the ¡®mistress side of town¡¯.

    Wanting to be a mistress was all fine and dandy since plenty of people within their circle had mistresses. There were all kinds of interference to a couple¡¯s rtionship, from younger women snatching men, to men snatching women. For them, it was a mutual desire to outdo one another.

    With those in the older generation, their men kept mistresses and were coveted by even more younger women.

    Smarter ones would not grovel in the dirt and be the subject of ridicule since those who wanted to be a mistress would only hit up those who were willing to take them as such. Wu Qiaoyin was different¡ªQi Chenglin did not want her at all, and even Qi Chenglin¡¯s mother stood up for him and did not spare Wu Qiaoyin¡¯s blushes.

    Even if she offered herself to him, he still wanted to chase her out!

    If her name was already so tarnished, what was her future going to be like?

    Zhao Fengchun was embarrassed and angry at all the stares around her. Without bothering to be courteous and polite, she shielded Wu Qiaoyin and walked past Guan Liya without even saying goodbye.

    Guan Liya did not mind that. When the two women got into the car and left, Guan Liya stretched her limbs and loosened her neck before beginning the slow jog.

    ...

    Within those few days, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s skepticism toward Chang Jingqiu¡¯s status affected him greatly. He was particrly willing to observe each of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s movements. The more he scrutinized them, the more suspicious he became.

    On that day, he arranged to meet with Lao Liang at the Red Roof Club. That was the venue of choice because it was secretive enough and did not simply let outsiders in.

    For Chang Jingqiu at least, she could not enter the ce because she had no membership card, unless they were really unlucky and she came in under someone else¡¯s prestige. Chang Zhiyuan was confident though, that such a coincidence would not ur.

    It was not the first time Lao Liang went there either. As one of the few top-ss private investigators, many gentries requested for his services and arranged their meetings at the Red Roof Club.

    Inside the room was only Lao Liang and Chang Zhiyuan. Lao Liang took out an envelope that did not look too thin.

    Chang Zhiyuan opened the envelope without further ado and took out a stack of photos. There were not too many, so it could not be described as a thick stack, but all of them were on Chang Jingqiu¡¯stest movements.

    Most of it, however, was that of Chang Jingqiu parking her car at Qilin.

    Chang Zhiyuan found it odd. If Chang Jingqiu frequented Qilin that often, Lao Liang could have just told him that. Chang Zhiyuan could not possibly doubt what Lao Liang told him.

    On closer inspection however, Chang Zhiyuan saw Ruan Danchen in the photograph.

    Beside Ruan Danchen was Qi Chenglin, but he believed that Chang Jingqiu¡¯s focus of attention was on Ruan Danchen.

    Within the photographs, Ruan Danchen sometimes appeared in Qilin¡¯s entrance, while at other times she passed by Chang Jingqiu¡¯s Z4.

    ¡°I had someone tail her and noticed that every couple of days, she would go to Qilin¡¯s entrance. She doesn¡¯t do anything though. She just waits for Ruan Danchen and leaves once Ruan Danchen leaves. This week alone, she did that four times,¡± Lao Liang exined.

    Chang Zhiyuan looked closely at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s in-car expression. He did not know whether he was thinking too much because he was biased against her, but he had the feeling that he could see her resentment.

    What did Chang Jingqiu seek to achieve by stationing herself at Qilin¡¯s entrance every day? That resentful nce, could it be because she wanted to dispose of Ruan Danchen and ensure that no one else could expose her true status?

    Chang Zhiyuan unwittingly found himself feeding a conspiracy theory. Deep within his heart, he had long disowned Chang Jingqiu as his niece.¡¯

    ¡°These are all I¡¯ve managed to find out recently, but other than that, there are a few personal matters that are slightly problematic. I¡¯ll keep looking,¡± Lao Liang exined.

    After some thought, he decided to divulge what he could. ¡°I¡¯ve looked into her bank ount and noticed that there was quite some movementst month. She spent one-point-eight million alone on cheques. Eight-hundred-thousand was cashed in from J City, and the other one million from B City. On J City¡¯s side, it was to an ount by the name of Wang Lixia, but B City¡¯s remained untraceable. Whoever was able to do this must have good resources.¡±

    As soon as Chang Zhiyuan heard J City, his heart skipped a beat and his eyes widened. ¡°Lao Liang, if you still remember, our Chang family used to live in J City. When she was brought to us as a baby, we were still at J City.

    Lao Liang heard that and frowned slightly. He nodded and said, ¡°I know. I¡¯ll pay more attention to J City. From the way they took the money, they seem like normal people. It shouldn¡¯t be a problem finding them.¡±

    ...

    After bidding Lao Liang goodbye, Chang Zhiyuan was feeling dejected. He unwittingly drove his car to Grandfather Ruan¡¯s house and looked up at the lit windows.

    He noticed that pink paper was stuck onto manhole covers, while the character for ¡®double happiness¡¯ was pasted on the walls and the electric poles. After taking another look, he noticed that the ¡®double happiness¡¯ word was pasted on each door within Grandfather Ruan¡¯s block.

    It was then that he remembered Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding, which was to be held the next day.

    Many families received the invitations except for the Chang family. The reasons for that were well-known to everyone.

    During the period when invitations were received, the Chang family was made the subject of veiled mockery by the other families.

    That night, Ruan Danchen stayed at Grandfather Ruan¡¯s ce, as did Ruan Keshan and his family. Ruan Danchen had no elder brother, so Ruan Zeer would be tasked with carrying her the next morning.

    At that point in time, she was watching television in the living room with Grandmother Ruan. There was not a shred of nervousness regarding her wedding the next day.

    Ruan Danchen felt that there was nothing to be nervous about. After all, they were like an old couple¡ªshe had already gotten married to him long ago, and before they registered their marriage, they were already living under one roof for quite some time.

    Nevertheless, the old Ruan couple were very content. They did not expect to see a day where they could witness their own granddaughter¡¯s wedding ceremony.

    It was enough for them even though Ruan Danchen had already gotten married.

    ¡°Where¡¯s Zeer?¡± Grandmother Ruan looked all around and noticed that her grandson was nowhere to be seen.

    Chen Minxia blushed and said awkwardly, ¡°He¡¯s working out in his room.¡±

    Thed did not need to immerse himself in books, so when she sent some fruits over to Ruan Zeer, she wondered what her son was doing inside. When she finally went in, she saw that he ced his cell phone on top of a cell phone stand, and the entire setup was then ced on the table. Ruan Zeer was on the floor doing push-ups.

    The phone was on a video call, with the fat little Qi Youxuan on the other end of the line. He was very focused on counting for Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°Why does he want to work out all of a sudden?¡± Grandmother Ruan mumbled while getting up from her seat. She headed to his bedroom to have a look.

    Her grandson was a slim yet handsome young man with a personality that stood out prominently. Could he be thinking of training his body into a muscle man?

    After knocking on the door, she heard her grandson¡¯s voice panting from inside, ¡°Come in.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan went in to see her grandson catching his breath on the side of the bed. He held his phone in front of him and was speaking with Qi Youxuan.

    Despite their age gap, they seemed to have much to talk about.

    ¡°Grandma.¡±

    ¡°Great-Grandma Ruan.¡±

    Both kids greeted the olddy.

    Grandmother Ruan gleefully acknowledged them and asked Ruan Zeer, ¡°It¡¯s sote. Why do you suddenly want to work out?¡±

    ¡°Uncle needs to carry Mom tomorrow, so we have to work out in advance!¡± the little boy said from the video chat.

    ¡°Oh dear, does working out for one night have any effect?¡± Grandmother Ruan looked at her grandson¡¯s bony figure.

    Ruan Zeer pulled him his sleeves and flexed his muscles. ¡°There¡¯s some muscle.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan looked at those rather unnoticeable bulges and did not have the heart to put down her grandson. She looked at it and looked away, as she did not have the heart to look at it any longer.

    ¡°Uncle, how about you try it now? It¡¯ll be good for you to try and lift Mom so you can know her weight. Just in case you¡¯re not prepared for it and you can¡¯t carry her tomorrow.¡± He appeared to suggest that his mother was heavy. It was quite embarrassing.

    Ruan Zeer thought it was quite logical to do so. He nodded and handed the phone over to his grandmother without saying a word. The little boy voiced out his opinion, ¡°Great-Grandma, please help to hold up the phone so I can see.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan flipped the phone screen outward and followed Ruan Zeer out.

    Ruan Zeer smiled bashfully at Ruan Danchen, making her smile back in some confusion. She ced her apple down and asked curiously, ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Big Sis, how about I try and carry you up tonight?¡± Ruan Zeer blushed and asked.

    Ruan Danchen regarded it as no big deal, so she agreed happily. She moved to the edge of the sofa and thought a bit before saying, ¡°Is the sofa a bit too low? Is it a bit too troublesome?¡±

    Ruan Zeer nodded, to which everyone returned to the bedroom once more. Ruan Danchen sat on top of the bed and waited for Ruan Zeer to crouch down.

    ¡°I¡¯m going up now, get ready,¡± Ruan Danchen reminded.

    Ruan Zeer nodded, but Ruan Danchen was still somewhat embarrassed. She said, ¡°I¡¯ve gained some weight because I¡¯m pregnant.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, your Lil¡¯ Bro can do the job.¡± Ruan Zeer nodded earnestly at him.

    Ruan Danchen took it a deep breath and tried to minimize her weight as much as possible before attempting to get onto Ruan Zeer¡¯s back.

    The handsome youngd¡¯s face turned red immediately. She was heavy, and her weight made it hard for him to straighten his back.

    Ruan Danchen could see that, so she coughed awkwardly. ¡°Um, Zeer, if you can¡¯t do it, you have to tell me. Last time, Song Yu let Qi Chengzhi carry her up. I can tell Chenglin to do the same for me.¡±

    The handsomed shook his head determinedly. ¡°The bride¡¯s family must carry you.¡±

    Consequently, Ruan Zeer held in his breath and carried Ruan Danchen around the house. Having circled the house, sess was within reach, so he finally released his breath.

    With great effort, he brought her to the sofa. Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia prudently, but immediately helped Ruan Danchen sit down. They were afraid that Ruan Zeer¡¯s strength would not be insufficient, thus causing Ruan Danchen to fall or knock onto something.

    Before he could even breathe a sigh of relief, he heard some raucousness from the phone.

    ¡°The boy doesn¡¯t have enough strength!¡± Grandfather Qi¡¯s voice resounded.

    ¡°How about parking the car at the entrance of the building? Even if you¡¯re using the elevator, you still have to stand there for quite some time. Can you take it?¡± Qi Zhongxun¡¯s voice was heard too.

    ¡°His slim arms and legs are worrying,¡± said Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Uncle, how about you have a bit more to eat tomorrow morning?¡±

    Ruan Zeer was thoroughly embarrassed to see the entire Qi family on the screen. At some point, they were all looking at him panting and gasping for air.

    Ruan Danchen consoled embarrassedly, ¡°Well, it¡¯s all because I¡¯ve put on weight.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re pregnant. Isn¡¯t that supposed to happen?¡± Guan Liya asked. ¡°I really can¡¯t see the weight gain at all.¡±

    ¡°When Song Yu got marriedst year, her stomach was big already. Chengzhi still carried her without breaking a sweat.¡± Xia Wenna shook her head and looked at Ruan Zeer in encouragement.

    ¡®Youngd, you need to work out even harder!¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°When I carried Danchen, I didn¡¯t think it was heavy at all,¡± came Qi Chenglin¡¯s calm voice.

    Ruan Zeer blushed. ¡°I... I¡¯ll eat more tomorrow. It¡¯ll be okay!¡±

    Through the phone screen, the entire Qi family was making statements one after the other. It was Qi Chenglin that remained quiet as he looked through the screen and quietly watched Ruan Danchen.

    She had gone to stay with her family because the wedding was the next day.

    Other than the necessary business trips, Qi Chenglin had never been separated from his wife before. He was in so much pain due to not being able to see Ruan Danchen that night.

    Even if he was with the whole Qi family, he would still be missing her if she was not beside him.

    Whenever there were gatherings at the old manor every Saturday, she always sat beside him. A simple stretch of the hand was all it took for him to reach her waist, and if he exerted a bit more strength, he was able to pull her into his embrace.

    ¡°Mom! I miss you!¡± Qi Youxuan was at the foreground of the screen. He said those words pitiably, full of emotion.

    ¡°You¡¯ll see me tomorrow and you¡¯ll even be my flower boy,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said. ¡°Sleep earlier. You need to wake up early tomorrow. If you sleep now, you¡¯ll see me first thing tomorrow.¡±

    The little guy felt that it was quite logical to do so. He nodded andined about his troubles¡ªhe ate very little that day just so he could look good in his suit.

    Ruan Danchen yearned to caress the boy¡¯s face. ¡°Be good. You¡¯ll have a feast tomorrow at the wedding.¡±

    The little boy immediately realized that it was a good opportunity to eat lots of meat, as his father would be too busy being the groom.

    Qi Youxuan was too unwilling to part with Ruan Danchen. He went to sleep only when Ruan Danchen hung up.

    Grandmother Ruan urged Ruan Danchen to sleep as well. ¡°You need to wake up at four o¡¯clock tomorrow morning.¡±

    Ruan Danchen tidied everything up and went to the room to lie on her bed, but the instant her head hit the pillow, her phone rang.

    She saw that the caller was Qi Chenglin and he even used the video calling option.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and picked it up. She saw Qi Chenglin sitting on the bed, and it was certain that he rushed to the bedroom after just hanging up.

    When Ruan Danchen was with the Ruan family out in the living room, she really did not feel nervous at all. She was not at all self-conscious that she was going to be in a wedding ceremony the next day.

    After lying down on the bed alone, nervousness began to creep in.

    She was used to sleeping with Qi Chenglin on one bed, so it was hard for her to fall asleep when she was alone.

    She was so used to Qi Chenglin¡¯s embrace at night even if she could not sense it during her slumber. When she woke up, her back would be facing him and she would be at one end of the bed, but her back still felt incredibly warm because it was pressed to his chest. Being tightly locked in his arms made her feel like she was surrounded by a ball of silk.

    Even if it was summertime, Qi Chenglin would rather turn down the temperature on the air-conditioner so she would not feel hot. She would feel cold instead, and that would necessitate him bringing her into his embrace.

    If Qi Chenglin was on the asional business trip, Qi Youxuan would bring his pillow over to sleep with Ruan Danchen.

    She did not sleep alone too frequently ever since she moved into Prestige Residence.

    It became massively ufortable for her.

    Qi Chenglin noticed that she was already lying down, so he followed suit as well. He used his bent arm as a pillow and chuckled sexily. ¡°Miss me?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not used to sleeping alone now. I never felt that way before,¡± Ruan Danchen answered honestly. ¡°I¡¯m d it¡¯s only for tonight.¡±

    ¡°Husband and wife need to be separated just for a wedding. It¡¯s not good at all.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s thick brows frowned. He felt that such a move was inhumane. ¡°Do you want me to go there now?¡±

    Ruan Danchen rolled her eyes at him. ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m living alone now! If youe, you¡¯ll be stopped. Are you going to climb through the window? It¡¯s ten floors up!¡±

    Qi Chenglin pursed his lips and thought to himself, ¡®Thank Heavens it¡¯s only one night.¡¯

    He applied for leave and tossed all of his work to Qi Chengzhi and Jiang Yuan. After the wedding was done, he would bring Ruan Danchen on a honeymoon immediately and leave their little boy at the old manor.

    As he thought of that, he remembered how Qi Youxuan did not even attempt to conceal his happiness. Evidently, it was because the little boy was finally freed from continuous surveince and could eat meat as much as he wanted.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s frigid gaze swept over and made Qi Youxuan turn his expression into one that was reluctant to part with them.

    When that happened, Qi Chenglin chuckled. No one would believe the little boy!

    ¡°Let¡¯s hang up. Sleep earlier. You need toe over early tomorrow morning,¡± Ruan Danchen blushed slightly and said.

    Qi Chenglin smiled. All of a sudden, Ruan Danchen took the phone and ced it to her lower face. ¡°Let this be your goodnight kiss for now.¡±

    Once she said that, her screen turned ck, and after some time, the image cleared up again to reveal Qi Chenglin¡¯s face. It was obvious he had copied her and ced the screen to his lower face.

    He was smiling particrly warmly and handsomely then.

    After saying goodnight, Qi Chenglin hung up only after Ruan Danchen hung up.

    Instead of sleeping, he sat back up and narrowed his eyes in deep thought. He ran to find some paper and quickly wrote something down. He then took the paper and went to the living room.

    He then saw the supposedly-asleep, pajama-d Qi Youxuaning out of the room andining to the olddy that he was hungry.

    Qi Chenglin sniggered, and Qi Youxuan then shook his fatty stomach. ¡°I... I came out...to go to the toilet!¡±

    ¡°You came out at just the right time.¡± Qi Chenglin waved the A4 paper in his hand. ¡°I consulted a nutritionist and this is the menu that was given. During the ten days that we aren¡¯t here, eat ording to this. I heard it can make you lose five kilos after ten days. When we¡¯re back, I¡¯ll weigh you. If you are five kilos lesser, I¡¯ll let you have three days where you can eat meat in normal portions. If you put on more weight instead of losing it, HEHE...¡±

    Qi Youxuan shuddered. His miserable life shed before his eyes. His dad was going on a honeymoon but did not let him take it easy. At that exact moment, he felt as though he suffered much more than Little Cabbage.

    ¡°Youxuan, Youxuan, won¡¯t know when he¡¯ll go hungry or have food,¡± the little boy sang the theme song from The Adventures of Sanmao, but changed the lyrics slightly and ran off crying.

    Qi Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    Everyone else in the Qi family, ¡°...¡±

    ¡°He knows a lot of old songs,¡± Qi Chenglin remarked leisurely. ¡°When I went to the hospital, he sang Little Cabbage. Now he¡¯s singing Sanmao and even knows how to change the lyrics.¡±

    The enabler¡ªGrandmother Qi¡ªwas particrly proud. ¡°My grandson is truly smart!¡±

    Qi Chengzhi, ¡°...¡±

    QI Chenglin, ¡°...¡±

    ...

    The next morning, Qi Chenglin¡ªalong with Yan Beicheng and the others¡ªcame to the Ruan family home with gusto.

    The challenges were easily ovee and they soon went in to meet the bride. Qi Chenglin looked at Ruan Zeer¡¯s arms and was worried about Ruan Danchen¡¯s safety. He decided to let Ruan Zeer carry Ruan Danchen out of the room only and he would take over from there.

    Ruan Zeer breathed a sigh of relief after finally having the pressure lifted from his shoulders.

    Qi Chenglin pressure on his waist after taking Ruan Danchen onto his back. He noticed that she put on some weight indeed, and it was unfair to me Ruan Zeer for not being up to the task.

 Chapter 456 - Itâ€™s Pitiful to See You Out There Like A Little Cabbage

    <strong>Chapter 456: It¡¯s Pitiful to See You Out There Like A Little Cabbage</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Chenglin broke into a sweat, and since Ruan Danchen was practically sticking to his face, she could see the beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. Feeling guilty, she wiped it for him. ¡°Just hang on there.¡±

    Qi Chenglin lifted Ruan Danchen up and entered the elevator.

    Ruan Danchen saw that the elevator was empty because everyone was waiting for the next step. She said, ¡°How about you put me down for a while? No one¡¯s going to see anyway.¡±

    ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± Qi Chenglin hoisted her higher and chose not to let go. ¡°When receiving the bride, she can never touch the ground.¡±

    The man was quite insistent when it came to tradition.

    ¡°Then lean back. Lean me against the wall so you won¡¯t be so tired,¡± Ruan Danchen suggested.

    He agreed to it and did as told. It was quitefortable actually.

    When Qi Chenglin carried her out, firecrackers began crackling loudly, with kids running over from all directions to see the bride.

    From afar, Chang Zhiyuan watched as Ruan Danchen was carried on Qi Chenglin¡¯s back. He felt an unspeakable sorrow in his heart.

    Ruan Danchen was his sister¡¯s daughter, but he could not openly watch her get married and participate in the wedding. He looked on as Ruan Danchen smiled happily on Qi Chenglin¡¯s back.

    Behind them were the Ruan family, who were all smiling equally happily.

    The old Ruan couple got into the car with the help of Chen Minxia and Ruan Keshan. Ruan Zeer diligently held Ruan Danchen¡¯s dress from behind, and the entire family was bursting with happiness. They felt a sense of harmony with the unification of the two people.

    Chang Zhiyuan wiped his face and felt that the scene in front of him was just too eye-piercing.

    ¡°Big Sister, I¡¯m sorry... I let my niece...I let my niece suffer.¡± Chang Zhiyuan covered his face. His chest hurt and he felt a bitter taste at the back of his throat.

    ¡°Big Sister, don¡¯t worry. She¡¯s living a good life now. She¡¯s married to a good man. In the past...she suffered a lot, but from now onward, your little brother will definitely protect her. I¡¯m sorry, Big Sister...I¡¯m sorry...¡±

    ...

    Qi Chenglin carried Ruan Danchen up the car, but saw Qi Youxuan sitting opposite him in a child-safe seat. The boy wore a suit. His hairdo was very suave too.

    A wine-red bowtie was fastened on the cor of his crisp-white dress shirt, making him look especially reinvigorated. A pocket square, folded in a three-peak fold, was ced in the outer breast pocket of his suit.

    He had ample panache to his look.

    The little boy did not undo his seatbelt, so when he leaned over, he dragged the seatbelt along with him and reached out to Ruan Danchen. ¡°MOM!¡±

    Ruan Danchen had makeup on her face, so kissing him was not an option. She leaned over to hug him before cing him back down on her seat. ¡°Why are you here? Why didn¡¯t you follow Great-Grandma to the manor?¡±

    ¡°Lil¡¯ Sis wants to be with you, so I have to be with you too,¡± the little boy wiggled excitedly in his seat. ¡°I... I also want to follow you throughout the whole process.¡±

    Ruan Danchen shuffled inside so Qi Chenglin coulde in and sit too. She then asked Qi Youxuan, ¡°If you were at the manor, you would¡¯ve been able to sleep more, wouldn¡¯t you? Aren¡¯t you sleepy after waking up so early to head out with Dad?¡±

    ¡°I slept a while during the journey,¡± said the little boy. ¡°I¡¯m full of energy right now!¡±

    ¡°Are you hungry? Have you eaten breakfast yet?¡± Ruan Danchen asked again. She had forgotten her wedding jitters with him by her side.

    ¡°I had a bowl of noodles.¡± The little boy patted his own tummy. ¡°I¡¯ll wait for lunch.¡±

    Ruan Danchen chatted with the boy until they reached the manor. After picking up the Qi family, they headed to Dynasty.

    Chang Zhiyuan waited at Dynasty¡¯s entrance and looked inside without paying any mind to the odd gazes.

    Dynasty was particrly crowded that day. The Qi family booked the entire ce because of Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding, so they were not open for business. In spite of them, the sheer amount of people far outdid their regr clientele.

    Other than the wedding cars, most of the great families were in attendance too, which meant that plenty of rich cars stopped at the entrance for the guests to disembark, after which their drivers would then drive off. The car behind would then do the exact same thing, one after the other in an endless stream.

    Passers-by were inevitably halted in their footsteps. As they watched the bustling scene and discussed it, they finally realized which family threw such a grand event.

    In the midst of all the hustle and bustle, Chang Zhiyuan stood by the side of the road opposite Dynasty and watched on.

    When the cars lessened, he looked at his watch. The wedding was about to start.

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed, seeing a member of Dynasty¡¯s staff walk over from up ahead. Chang Zhiyuan did not think that the attendant was looking for him, so he did not react. He simply nced at the attendant and paid no further attention.

    To his surprise, the attendant stopped in front of him.

    Chang Zhiyuan was shocked, but it did not show much in his expression. The attendant then politely said, ¡°Mr. Chang, Young Master Lin invites you in.¡±

    At that point, Chang Zhiyuan could no longer maintain hisposure. ¡°Invite me? It¡¯s...¡±

    Was it because Qi Chenglin loathed him so much that he did not even let him watch secretly from the entrance?

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s feelings turned apprehensive almost immediately.

    The attendant did not say much, but remarked, ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly, but Young Master Lin told me to invite you in.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind went nk. Completely at loss for words, he simply followed the attendant across the road and into Dynasty.

    As they walked, he saw quite the crowd in Dynasty, with a few who just arrived at the entrance and were invited in by Dynasty¡¯s staff. They were personally escorted in the hall, since¡ªlike any other high-rated hotel¡ªa simple direction card was ced at a very inconspicuous ce. Guests would be hunting for it as if they were in a wild goose chase.

    Invitees to a Qi family wedding were people of high-status, naturally. Even if they were not on the same level as the Qi family, it was not as if any Tom, Dick, and Harry coulde in. One such example was Xia Zishan, who was simply regarded as a parvenu in the eyes of the Qi family.

    If she had a good rtionship with Ruan Danchen, the Qi family would not feel it beneath them to invite her, as she was Ruan Danchen¡¯s ex-ssmate from high school.

    However, she had previously made snarky remarks to Ruan Danchen. Even if she really did her best to be thick-faced and showed up, she would not be allowed in.

    Xia Zishan¡¯s parents had earlier found out that Xia Ziashan and Ruan Danchen were high school ssmates. The parents were very eager to participate, and unlike normal families that shied away from weddings, they relished giving therge sum of money in exchange for a spot.

    Nevertheless, the Xia family¡¯s status meant that they would not receive an invitation from the Qi family even if Xia Zishan had not offended Ruan Danchen.

    Mr. Xia was not aware of his daughter¡¯s asinine actions. When he remembered that Xia Zishan was ssmates with Ruan Danchen in high school, he ran happily over to Xia Zishan and persuaded her to get closer with Ruan Danchen in order to get an invitation. They would all then be able to meet with those of the upper-ss.

    They did not even need to know everyone at the wedding. It was good enough that they could interact with those who were at the same table with them.

    Xia Zishan dodged it, as she knew Ruan Danchen would not give her an invitation. The Qi family might not even agree to it if Ruan Danchen were to award them an invitation.

    She simply agreed nomittally, and after a few days, she went to Mr. Xia and said that Ruan Danchen did not invite them. She said that she was not really close with Ruan Danchen, and the tables were full. It was impossible to add any more chairs to any of the tables.

    Mr. Xia did not let it go that easily. He tried looking for people, but in the end, it still ended in failure. It was only then that he gave up.

    Although Chen Libai¡¯s family had some status, it was not enough for them to be invited to such a wedding. Chen Libai left an impression on Qi Chenglin, as the former liked Ruan Danchen in the past and really wanted something he could not get. Along the way, he also treated Qi Chenglin as a useless person, so Qi Chenglin thought it best to allow Chen Libai to gain a broader perspective. Qi Chenglin made it a point to tell the Grandmother Qi and Guan Liya to give the Chen family an invitation. That would kill off whatever intentions Chen Libai had, and it would make him feel ashamed of his own inferiority, ensuring that he would no longer dare to look at Ruan Danchen ever again.

    The Chen family had no idea of their son¡¯s anguish, so they happily brought their children over.

    Chang Zhiyuan saw plenty of familiar faces when he walked over. Most of them were shocked to see him. They all thought to themselves, ¡®Didn¡¯t Grandmother Chang and that dishonest grandson Chang Jianan offend the Qi family rather terribly? Why is Chang Zhiyuan still attending the wedding?

    ¡®What is up with the Qi family and the Chang family? Could it be that they did not have a true falling-out and their rtionship has already recovered?

    ¡®If that were the case, then why was Chang Zhiyuan the sole attendee?

    ¡®What attitude were they going to give the Chang family in the future?¡¯

    The Qi family¡¯s unclear stance was a torment!

    Those who met with their peers discussed their future stance toward the Chang family.

    Chang Zhiyuan heard the murmurings from all around him. Despite being unable to hear what was being said, he could easily divine the subject of those whispers. He smiled a self-mocking smile as he realised how low he had fallen.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s best we just keep an eye and watch the situation unfold!¡± someone offered. ¡°It¡¯s only Chang Zhiyuan that came here, right? If the two families mended their rtionship, it wouldn¡¯t be only him who is here. At least they¡¯ll let him bring his wife, am I right? Looking at Chang Zhiyuan, it doesn¡¯t seem like he was invited in the first ce.¡±

    ¡°I heard Qi Chenglin and Chang Zhoyuan had business dealings before. Their contract probably hasn¡¯t ended yet, so maybe they only allowed Chang Zhiyuan toe by himself. It must be because of their professional circumstances that he was invited.¡±

    After they discussed it among themselves, all of them calmly went over to find their respective seats.

    Chang Zhiyuan followed the attendant into the hall. His first thought was that Qi Chenglin would ce him in an unnoticeable corner. Being able to attend Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding was already enough for Chang Zhiyuan, as he felt that it was a blessing from his elder sister. He was subsequently shocked to see the attendant bring him deeper into the venue, and the main table was practically within reach.

    They finally stopped at the Ruan family¡¯s table.

    As members of the Qi family and the Ruan family were plenty, two tables were dedicated to them.

    The attendant pulled out a seat from the Ruan family¡¯s table and invited Chang Zhiyuan to take a seat.

    ¡°This...¡± Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mind short-circuited. He had no idea that Qi Chenglin would invite him to sit at the main table.

    In fact, if Ruan Danchen acknowledged him, he would rightly be sitting with the Ruan family, but he was not yet acknowledged, was he?

    For Qi Chenglin to willingly give him so much respect, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes reddened and nearly teared up.

    Grandmother Ruan watched him and said softly, ¡°Come and sit.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan nodded furiously and sat without a second thought. Despite his age, he turned childlike in front of the old Ruan couple¡ªa far cry from the ruthless businessman he was.

    ¡°Old mister, old madam, you...¡± Chang Zhiyuan did not know how to face the Ruan family.

    Truthfully speaking, he had never met the Ruan family before and was unable to understand their position. With Ruan Keyu, he was secretly watching them back then.

    Grandmother Ruan smiled kindly, ¡°We know you¡¯ve been following us. You wanted to watch Ruan Danchen get married, didn¡¯t you?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan nodded honestly.

    ¡°Hehe, it¡¯s pitiful to see you out there like a little cabbage,¡± Grandfather Ruan said in a tone that seemed to revel in misfortune. Not a single bit of pity could be heard from his tone.

    The old man really took joy in tragedy as his family had already reunited with his granddaughter, while the other family had not acknowledged her yet.

    His relish was more apparent as it was the Chang family; Grandfather Ruan really despised Grandmother Chang. Besides, Grandmother Chang was selfish. If not for her decision to keep the Ruan family in the dark about finding their granddaughter, they would not have raised someone else¡¯s child for nothing and be oblivious to the truth for so long.

    Grandfather Ruan really wanted to say, ¡®BAH! This is karma!¡¯

    He still pitied Chang Zhiyuan, of course, but that did not do anything to diminish his rejoicing in the Chang family¡¯s misfortune!

    Grandfather Ruan¡¯s words made the adult Chang Zhiyuan blush and look down.

    Grandmother Ruan smiled and shot a nce at the ever-teasing Grandfather Ruan, before pointing at Ruan Zeer and speaking in a soft tone so Chang Zhiyuan would not be shocked. ¡°This boy told us everything that happened that day. If you came here today, that means you believe Ruan Danchen is your niece?¡±

    Those who did not know would think that Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s earnestness stemmed from his fragile heart.

    ¡°Although I don¡¯t know the specifics, I believe it,¡± Chang Zhiyuan remarked solemnly. He looked at the entire Ruan family without any ill-will. ¡°I didn¡¯t think it would be like this. Old mister, old madam, I... I believe not because I want to be in the Qi family¡¯s good books. I believe because of my elder sister. I¡¯m a businessman, but when ites to family matters, I don¡¯t have any hidden intentions. This is even more the case when ites to my elder sister. She treated me better than my own mother did when we were children. I owe her a lot.¡±

    The Chang family¡¯s internal matters were not known to many outsiders. Grandmother Chang was a capable person¡ªshe fended off mistresses during her youth, fought off people who wanted to take advantage of her, and resisted her inws attempts to steal her family¡¯s assets.

    Thirty percent of that stemmed from Grandmother Chang¡¯s own subjective thinking. She was constantly suspicious and always felt that someone was out to get her. She treated all three of her children very strictly too.

    Chang Yuehuan had it slightly easier. Grandmother Chang believed that Chang Yuehuan would have to marry sooner orter because she was a woman, and therefore her education need not be tooplete, lest she be too good for her future inws. With Chang Zhiyuan, Grandmother Chang wielded an iron fist. The kind of strictness she imposed made one¡¯s hair stand on end. Chang Zhiyuan suffered plenty of hardship when he was younger, and it was always Chang Yuehuan who had protected him.

    As a result, Chang Zhiyuan never received motherly love from Grandmother Chang but he did feel it from his elder sister.

    When his elder sister was still alive, she would rather suffer herself than watch him suffer.

    If his elder sister was still alive, he believed that she would surely be like Chen Minxia, who¡ªdespite theck of youth¡ªwas very kind and gentle in temperament!

    Although Chang Zhiyuan was no child, the thought of his elder sister brought him back to his childhood. His eyes misted with tears and he pouted slightly, trying to hold them back.

    ¡°I believe you,¡± Grandmother Ruan responded softly.

    Chang Zhiyuan looked at Grandmother Ruan full of emotion. He was no dunderhead, and since the Ruan family knew about it already, he could roughly guess the intentions of the Ruan and Qi family, including that of Ruan Danchen.

    Since it was a rare chance for him to meet the Ruan family, he might as well say what he wanted to say. ¡°Old Mister, Old Madam, does...Ruan Danchen have no desire to acknowledge us?¡±

    Although he had anticipated that and could understand it fully, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes still disyed emotions of pain.

    Grandmother Ruan shook her head and said, ¡°Danchen¡¯s not someone who holds grudges. She just has doubts in her heart. Is your family willing to believe her even when she doesn¡¯t have any evidence? What would your family think when she announces that she is their biological granddaughter? Moreover, your mother doesn¡¯t like her. That¡¯smon knowledge to everyone. Who¡¯s to say that she won¡¯t think Ruan Danchen was lying to her? Although I¡¯m not that familiar with your mother, the things I heard about her from others...¡±

    Grandmother Ruan felt it was improper to be calling Grandmother Chang an unreasonable woman. All she could say was, ¡°If she does acknowledge Ruan Danchen as her granddaughter, would she sincerely treat her well? Perhaps your mother might not still like Ruan Danchen since she had always disliked her in the past. That probably wouldn¡¯t change just because of Danchen¡¯s status, would it?¡±

    In that respect, precedent alone made Grandmother Chang¡¯s actions far too easy to read.

    Even Chang Zhiyuan, her own son, might not be able to refute her.

    Grandmother Ruan then said, ¡°Ruan Danchen suffered too much all these years. If all that pain was piled onto a grown person, he or she might still be able to pull through with it. But she suffered since she was a young girl. Putting all that suffering on a child is just too pitiful. It breaks your heart. It wasn¡¯t easy for her to be reunited with her family today. And now that we have acknowledged her, we won¡¯t let Danchenallow her to be wronged. No one will be allowed to make her suffer, not even her own maternal grandmother.

    ¡°Your mother doesn¡¯t like her, and we won¡¯t let Ruan Danchen kindness be repaid with hostility, much less let a good child like her be insulted. If your side doesn¡¯t care for her, we¡¯ll do it. Her husband¡¯s family treats her like their own daughter, and with us, she won¡¯t need anyone who doesn¡¯t treat her kindly,¡± Grandmother Ruan dropped all courteousness and spoke candidly to Chang Zhiyuan.

    Grandmother Ruan was thoroughly exasperated after hearing from Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan about all the terrible things Ruan Danchen suffered at Grandmother Chang¡¯s hands. She had no intention of dealing with Grandmother Chang¡ªa woman who knew not of how to differentiate good and bad¡ªfor the rest of her life.

    ¡°I understand,¡± Chang Zhiyuan nodded and feeling dispirited.

    He wanted to say a few good things about his own mother, but there was absolutely no reason that could justify him doing that. Grandmother Ruan was correct¡ªGrandmother Chang was truly that terrible of a person.

    Grandmother Chang had clearly treated Ruan Danchen terribly. Even if Ruan Danchen was acknowledged by the family, Grandmother Chang would still not allow her to make a public appearance as she felt her to be uneducated. She did not receive the upbringing of a true member of the Chang family and was therefore considered to be uneducated.

    Chang Zhiyuan could already imagine what Grandmother Chang would say.

    If Grandmother Chang really did believe it, she might not refuse to acknowledge Ruan Danchen. The biggest worry was that the olddy would ¡®teach¡¯ Ruan Danchen a lesson and mould Ruan Danchen into someone who fitted what she wanted.

    After saying all that, Grandmother Ruan said softly, ¡°Ruan Danchen can differentiate things well. She never lets those who treat her well be sad. Aren¡¯t you invited to the wedding today? Grandmother Chang¡¯s mindset is not something we care for. If she doesn¡¯t like Ruan Danchen, we have to reason to just go up to herno reason to interact with her. Why would we want that? It isn¡¯t logical for one to willingly put themselves in a sufferable situation, is it? Qi Chenglin said that you and your elder sister were on good termsst time, and that you truly wanted the best for your elder sister¡¯s child. That¡¯s the reason you¡¯re invited here today.¡±

 Chapter 457 - Gave Him An inch, He Wanted A Mileâ€”A Businessman Through-And-Through!

    <h4>Chapter 457: Gave Him An inch, He Wanted A Mile¡ªA Businessman Through-And-Through!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°If you hadn¡¯t done a miserable job of hiding beneath our apartment unit and tailing us, we wouldn¡¯t have invited you here,¡± Grandfather Ruan clicked his tongue and said.

    Through that, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s sincerity in treating his niece well could clearly be seen. He did not care for the character or the standing that his niece possessed. All that mattered was that she was the daughter of his beloved elder sister; it was enough.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s pitiful appearance really made it heart-wrenching.

    Their gesture was something he understood.

    Ruan Danchen would acknowledge him, but he was his own person and Grandmother Chang was Grandmother Chang. The rest of the Chang family still required some slow and careful consideration.

    He nodded. ¡°I understand. I won¡¯t tell my family without getting your approval, but...it¡¯s enough if I can meet Danchen.¡±

    Grandmother Ruan nodded with a smile.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s back was facing the table behind, and the only thing everyone saw was the sweetly-smiling, gentle, and friendly Grandmother Ruan. At that point people were unable to keep theirposure.

    Although they had all decided to wait and see the situation unfold, they could not understand the swift manner in which it unfolded, nor could they understand the direction the events had taken? How did Chang Zhiyuan find himself seated at the main table?

    His seemingly amicable conversation with Grandmother Ruan did not suggest one who was in Ruan Danchen¡¯s bad graces. So, would Grandmother Chang too be forgiven?

    Then... How should the others treat the Chang family?

    It was not very nice for the Qi family to string them along so heartlessly!

    As the rest of them were still pondering about it, the wedding march began ying. Everyone kept quiet and turned around. The door to the entrance swung open, and two little children walked through the door.

    Qi Youxuann was wearing a suit that fitted snugly on his fat physique. He was exceptionally cute, and beside him was Little Muran in a Western dress. The two of them were carrying a small basket that contained rose petals. They grabbed a handful of petals and sprinkled it over the red carpet, doing so until they reached Qi Chenglin, who was standing at the end of the aisle.

    The little boy looked up at his father and smiled resplendently before the two children parted ways to head back with their respective families.

    Ruan Keshan led Ruan Danchen into the hall slowly, in sync with the music¡¯s rhythm.

    Halfway through, she saw Chang Zhiyuan sitting at the main table, looking at her. His eyes were red and his lips trembled before he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye.

    Ruan Danchen smiled at him, and that one smile set the floodgates loose for Chang Zhiyuan. He broke into tears and had to hide his face from prying eyes.

    Qi Youxuan got terribly excited, and pped his hands furiously at the exchange of rings. He felt immensely proud, watching his parents exchange their vows and rings.

    Ruan Danchen looked at her son and smiled, after which she looked up and gazed deeply into Qi Chenglin¡¯s soft and warm eyes. Before the master of ceremonies invited the groom to kiss the bride, she had already taken a step forward and tiptoed to kiss Qi Chenglin on the lips.

    The guests were all in shock. It was the first time that they had seen such an eager bride!

    Even those arrogant darling daughters would usually want to feign shyness during their wedding.

    Qi Chenglin had a big smile on his face after Ruan Danchen kissed him. He felt that it was evidence of how much she cared for him, how certain she was of him, and how much she loved him!

    In taking the initiative to kiss him before everyone, Ruan Danchen made him feel very happy, since it was her expression of love. Feeling contented, she wanted to break the kiss, but Qi Chenglin stopped her by grasping her waist. He kissed her passionately, and Ruan Danchen could not escape even if she wanted to.

    The guests below could not see it, but Ruan Danchen could feel his lips move and say, ¡°You can¡¯t be the only one taking the initiative. I need to take the initiative too.¡±

    Plenty of guests were feeling quite awkward, as the couple did not seem too bothered about their surroundings at all! A little kiss just for show was more than sufficient for a wedding, so why did they subject them to such a show when they could return home and kiss as much as they liked!

    None of the guests would admit that they were actually envious!

    Grandfather Ruan chuckled and was incredibly happy.

    ¡°AHEM!¡± Finally having enough of it, the master of ceremonies surreptitiously reminded them to break it up.

    Ruan Danchen blushed and was taken to change her wedding gown beforeing out again to make a toast.

    Qi Chenglin sat down calmly and scanned around with cold eyes. He was looking to see if anyone dared to make fun of his wife!

    The public felt that it was really unwise to provoke these Qi family men, considering they had mental deficiency when it came to their wives. The Qi family men forever saw their wives as being in the right. It was not something that would change despite the evidence in the contrary.

    Each of them turned around and pretended to talk to their neighbor, regardless of whether or not they actually knew their neighbor. That was better than being red at by Qi Chenglin.

    ...

    Beside Song Yu was Qi Youjin, who was ced in a child seat. A bib was wrapped around his neck and he was holding a slice of watermelon. His hands were already drenched in the fruit¡¯s red juice and the little table of his child seat bore a puddle of juice. His own parents were powerless to do anything but continue mopping at the mess with a wad of tissues.

    Little Youjin even reached out to touch the puddle. His sticky hands drew on the table, while drops of watermelon juice dripped down from his fair-skinned fingers.

    His hands pointed at the wedding sweets in front of everyone. He cooed frantically a couple of times, and his eyes, very much that of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s, sparkled with excitement.

    Song Yu could not look him directly in the eye. Qi Chengzhi¡¯s gaze was so prating that outsiders would shudder at the mere sight, and Qi Youjin had the same kind of eyes that truly disyed....

    Even Qi Chengzhi felt that his son was tarnishing his own image.

    ¡°Ah! Ahhh!¡±¡®Sweets, I want sweets!¡¯

    Qi Youxuan felt like the victor that day because he could participate in his parents¡¯ wedding. From that alone, Qi Youjin could neverpare to him.

    When Uncle and Auntie were getting married, Qi Youjin did not know a single thing, as he was still inside Auntie¡¯s belly!

    Little Youjin could feel Qi Youxuan¡¯s smugness but he did not know why his elder cousin was so smug. He ignored it without much thought and continued pointing at the candy box.

    ¡°Ah! Ah!¡±¡®Sweets! Sweets!¡¯

    Qi Youxuan was extremely dissatisfied. Noticing that he did not gain the attention of his cousin, he proceeded to take the box of choctes, open it and unwrap a piece of Godiva chocte.

    Little Youjin was now looking at him more intently, unlike the earlier nonchnt looks.

    Qi Youxuan chuckled and looked left and right. Everyone was busy drinking and eating as they pleased without worry of being too courteous.

    He climbed off his chair and hugged two boxes of chocte to his chest, protecting them well. He ran to Little Youjin and ate a heart-shaped chocte in front of the baby boy.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s closed his eyes in satisfaction, but it was not simply an act. A light bite was enough to fill his mouth with silky sweetness, and the rich taste of chocte made him narrow his eyes contentedly. He immediately popped another piece into his mouth. He did not chew it but rolled it around, enjoying the silky texture of the chocte.

    He then looked at his fingertips and saw that it was coated in some melted chocte. Immediately, he popped his fingers into his mouth.

    He did not care about Little Youjin¡¯s craving anymore. Qi Youxuaun truly felt deep in his heart that it was too delicious. Though he sucked on his fingers until they were clean, he still could not get enough and continued to savor it as much as he could.

    In the end, he felt that he had licked them clean. His mouth still held a small portion of chocte, and one of his cheeks was even puffed up.

    He swallowed the sweet, delicious amalgamation of saliva and chocte, and when he looked up, he was shocked by the scene in front of him.

    Little Youjjin¡¯s unconsciously left his mouth open and saliva flowed out in a continuous stream toward his jaw. His bib was wet as a result.

    He closed his mouth and swallowed his saliva, but when he opened his mouth again, his saliva flowed out even more vigorously than before.

    Qi Youxuan licked his lips and said gratifiedly to Little Youjin, ¡°So delicious, so delicious!¡±

    Little Youjin went bonkers. He became more and more frantic, and at that moment, he looked at Song Yu with a mixture of anxiety and solemness. His hands then pointed spiritedly at the choctes. It was rare that he showed such a serious expression to Song Yu.

    ¡°AH!¡±¡®Sweets! Your son wants sweets!¡¯

    Little Youjin grew more impatient.

    Song Yu watched him in silence.

    Her son¡¯s deadly earnest and especially imposing look was used only when it came to food.

    Song Yu found it hard to express what she was thinking at that moment. She speechlessly looked at Qi Youxuan¡¯s blessed expression as he at all those choctes.

    Her nephew seemed to have had a bad influence on her son.

    Feeling helpless, Song Yu opened a box and used the table knife to cut a small piece, which she then ced in Little Youjin¡¯s hand. ¡°You can only eat this much. It¡¯s too sweet, and that¡¯s not good for your teeth.¡±

    Although Little Youjin was not satisfied with it, he could at least have a taste. That tiny piece of chocte was stuffed into his mouth, and a few swipes of the tongue melted it into oblivion.

    Nevertheless, his eyes narrowed in delight from the sweetness of the chocte. He wiggled happily in his seat and iled his arms about, as if he had eaten a precious treasure.

    Qi Youxuan pouted and silently called his little cousin brother silly. He turned around and went off in search of the Ruan family.

    Little Youjin called out, ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± and pointed at the choctes with vim and vigor. Thoroughly spirited, he fervently requested more choctes.

    ¡°Yah! AH! Yah!¡±¡®Come on! Gimme summore!¡¯

    Before his mother could react, his pupils caught sight of his elder brother running over to the other table and trying to fawn over the older people there.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s fattened body thrashed about within Ruan Keshan¡¯s embrace. There was not much pressure though, as Ruan Keshan did not let out any expression that suggested his stomach was in pain due to the weight.

    Ruan Keshan was feeling remarkably happy. Qi Youxuan struggled onto hisp, and the first thing eyed by the little boy were the choctes on top of the table.

    Ruan Keshan¡¯s eyes lit up and he immediately shoved the choctes to Qi Youxuan. Chen Minxia fished out a stic bag from nowhere and ced the entire table¡¯s worth of choctes into it. She then gave it to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan returned to the table with a big grin. Little Youjin watched as QI Youxuan then ced the entire bag into his backpack.

    ¡°Ee-yah!¡± Little Youjin opened his eyes and pointed at the table behind. It was the Song family¡ªQi Youjin¡¯s maternal grandparents!

    Qi Youjin...he had maternal grandparents too!

    The child seat that Little Youjin sat in was with wheels. He tried his best to jerk his little butt and twist his waist, since he wanted to look for his maternal grandparents.

    Qi Youxuan fancied himself a good elder cousin brother, so there was no way he could neglect his little cousin brother¡¯s wishes. Thus, he ran over and pushed Little Youjin away.

    Song Yu looked as Little Youjin stretched his hand to Yu Qianying and beseeched a hug. The baby boy¡¯s look of admiration was nothing but sheer acting.

    Yu Qianying bought into it and happily called out, ¡°Darling, Darling,¡± while pulling him into her embrace.

    Little Youjin moved about in Yu Qianying¡¯s arms before swiveling his head toward the choctes. His saliva was streaming down uncontrobly.

    Yu Qianying saw that and hogged the entire table¡¯s choctes. She called the attendant and asked for a stic bag, then gave it all to Little Youjing. ¡°Here! I¡¯m giving them to you!¡±

    ¡°Eee-yaah!¡±¡®Your Grandson is really happy!¡¯

    Qi Youxuan turned around to look at Qi Chengzhi, then whispered to Little Youjin, ¡°Good food must be given to great-grandma. If your dad knows, he definitely won¡¯t keep it for you.¡±

    ¡°YAH!¡± Little Youjing agreed unequivocally to Qi Youxuan¡¯s statement.

    ¡°Then let Big Brother help you give them to Great-Grandma to keep!¡± Qi Youxuan said as insincere thoughts began to appear in his mind. On second thought, it was an idea that stemmed from how much he cared about his younger cousin brother.

    Little Youjin nodded happily. ¡°Yah! Ee-yah!¡±

    ¡®Big Brother is correct!¡¯

    ...

    When the wedding ended, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen had a change of clothes. The Qi family and the Ruan family went to the guest room upstairs to wait for the couple. Other guests left by themselves, but after some thought, Chang Zhiyuan followed behind the Ruan family.

    After Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin changed their clothes and came out, Ruan Danchen saw Chang Zhiyuan but did now know what to say. There was some kind of distance between them,

    The old Ruan couple were looking on in admiration. ¡®Our granddaughter...she¡¯s family with us!¡¯

    Chang Zhiyuan wanted nothing more than to call for her warmly, but he felt too embarrassed to say anything as he did not know what Ruan Danchen¡¯s stance on it was. Furthermore, the Qi family and the Ruan family were ring at him like tigers. Chang Zhiyuan felt rathercking in power and particrly guilty.

    ¡°You...¡± After seeing how he looked at her with ardently hopeful eyes, Ruan Danchen¡¯s heart melted.

    Chang Zhiyuan said immediately, ¡°I won¡¯t tell my family since you don¡¯t want them to know. I¡¯ll respect your decision. But as long as... As long as you acknowledge me as your uncle, that¡¯d be nice.¡±

    ¡°Uncle,¡± Ruan Danchen said and smiled.

    Chang Zhiyuan was the only person who made Ruan Danchen feel guilty about hiding her status from the Chang family. Hearing from Qi Chenglin about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s feelings toward Chang Yuehuan, Ruan Danchen felt that it was too selfish and unfair toward him.

    Since the chance was in front of her, she was not going to be unreasonable.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s face and eyes reddened after being addressed as such. He answered immediately, ¡°Yeah,¡± and followed up with, ¡°Then...next time, if we have the chance, can I bring your aunt toe and meet you too? Just your aunt, no one else; but if I can bring your little cousin sister too, then...¡±

    Both the Qi and Ruan families simultaneously shot a look that said, ¡®Gave him an inch, he wants a mile¡ªa businessman through-and-through!¡¯ Their looks guilted Chang Zhiyuan intoughing dryly.

    ¡°Sure,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and said. ¡°When we¡¯re back from our honeymoon, we¡¯ll go visit you at your ce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sure, sure!¡± Chang Zhiyuan was thrilled. He did not care much for the rest of the Chang family, since Grandmother Chang¡¯s temper would only offend Ruan Danchen even more. It was best not to let them acknowledge her.

    As for Chang Zhixing, his wife was unprincipled. Chang Zhiyuan did not feel the slightest pressure in hiding it from his own mother and younger brother.

    It was all good if he, his wife, his daughter, and his niece could be together happily.

    Chang Zhiyuan left happily and no longer felt the effect of the Qi family and Ruan family¡¯s stares.

    It was the first time in a long time that his mood was truly uplifted.

    That changed, however, when he returned home.

    Grandmother Chang was seated at the single-seated sofa in the living room, with the attitude of an old ancestor. From her expression, the situation did not look promising at all.

    The first person beside her was Chang Zhixing, with his wife Liu Xiangwen to his side. Opposite them was Mo Yuxin.

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s expression was not good either, but Chang Zhiyuan could see from afar that her dissatisfaction was not directed to himself, but rather, the olddy. In spite of that, Mo Yuxin still endured it because the olddy was her mother-inw.

    From time-to-time, the olddy would roll her eyes fiercely at Mo Yuxin. She felt that her daughter-inw¡¯s expression was a sore sight andpletely unfilial!

    Chang Jingqiu did not sit on the sofa. She took a chair from God-knows-where and sat beside Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°Mom, why are you here?¡± Chang Zhiyuan frowned and took a deep breath before asking with a controlled temper.

    Mo Yuxin looked to him. He walked over, and Mo Yuxin moved aside for him to sit down.

    Chang Zhiyuan held Mo Yuxin¡¯s hand and turned to Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°I heard you went to the Qi family¡¯s wedding today?¡± Grandmother Chang asked unhappily.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s originally joyous expression sunk at once.

    He nced at Chang Zhixing and Liu Xiangwen before telling the olddy, ¡°I just came back from Dynasty. News travelled pretty fast considering you all know about it already.¡±

    After saying that, his eyes shifted seamlessly to Chang Jingqiu. He overlooked that in the past, but after he paid close attention, he discovered that fear and tyrannical calctedness were indeed present in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes.

    Her expression came and went quickly, but the observant Chang Zhiyuan could see it clearly.

    He chuckled coldly in his heart. Chang Jingqiu was young after all, and she thought she could cover it so well that no one could see it at all. What she did not know was how she carelessly allowed some of her expressions to slip.

    Chang Zhixing shot Liu Xiangwen a dissatisfied nce and was angry at her talkativeness.

    No to be defeated, Liu Xiangwen pursed her lip before shing a pretentious smile to Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°Didn¡¯t our family fall out terribly with the Qi family some time ago? The Qi family is unreasonable and wants to suppress us. They pushed us to a very awkward spot. As long as the Qi family will be present in a public event or celebration, no one dares to invite our family. People are afraid to invite us even if it¡¯s only a private gathering with friends.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen had first-hand experience. She used to y cards frequently and had plenty of gatherings¡ªsuch was her enriched life. If she had nothing to do, she couldpare her fortunes with others. If someone showed off their million-yuan jadeite, she would show off her sapphire, one that was collected by sending a professional over to Sri Lanka. Liu Xiangwen trained her lips everyday by triumphing over others through verbal sparring. It was something she thought worthy of being proud of.

    Now, she could only stay at home in agitation. When she finally could not take it anymore, she put on a thick face and took the initiative to contact her past friends. Each one of them however, turned her down and said they had things to do, but in the blink of an eye, she saw those same friends posting pictures of their gathering on WeChat Moments, irking Liu Xiangwen thoroughly!

    ¡°Even saying a few extra words when bumping into them outside would give the Qi family a false impression that we¡¯re on good terms with them,¡± Liu Xiangwen said.

    Grandmother Chang was incredibly angry, more so when she recalled all the wrong that she suffered in recent times. She realized that the Qi family was the reason why all those younger than her werepletely disrespectful to her in public!

 Chapter 458 - There Was No Pressure To Express Distaste For Anotherâ€™s Child

    <h4>Chapter 458: There Was No Pressure To Express Distaste For Another¡¯s Child</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Even those who used to be close to Grandmother Chang had stopped contacting her.

    Besides, she was almost grounded at home by her own son and was not allowed to go anywhere!

    ¡°That Qi family, what is it then if it¡¯s not bully?¡± said Liu Xiangwen as she felt a growing sense of grievance. ¡°Before this, they forced us to transfer Jianan to another school because he had a fall out with Qi Youxuan. It was merely a brawl among the children. Even blood-rted siblings have fights with one another. Children never hold grudges. They always get along again soon after their fights. Yet the Qi family refused to let such a small conflict off...¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan had truly lost his patience. It was indeed merely a small conflict among children. So, was it not annoying to bring it up repetitively?

    ¡°What do you want to say? You haven¡¯t answered my earlier question. Why are you going over and over again on the past matter?¡± Chang Zhiyuan red at Chang Zhixing who was standing next to Liu Xiangwen. He felt so mad that he had disregarded his own identity to discipline his sister-inw on behalf of his younger brother. ¡°Have you forgotten the pain where gain follows? Who came back from school the other day, crying so badly that she couldn¡¯t even speak clearly? How long has it been since? Have you forgotten your lesson and are trying to cause more trouble now?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s face reddened as Chang Zhiyuan mocked her.

    Chang Zhiyuan was disheartened. No wonder Ruan Danchen had refused to be recognized as a part of the Chang family!

    Who would want to return to such a troublesome family?

    Chang Zhiyuan recalled how harmonious the Ruan family was. Then, he cast a nce across his own and felt his strength leaving him at theparison.

    ¡°As for the question I asked earlier, forget it if you don¡¯t want to answer me. Just stop beating around the bush!¡± said Chang Zhiyuan in exasperation.

    ¡°I only brought up the Qi family¡¯s strangeness in this incident.¡± Liu Xiangwen was pained by Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s words. ¡°My friend saw you at the wedding today and called me out of curiosity. You were seen sitting with the Ruan family at the head table. Didn¡¯t... Didn¡¯t the Qi family leave us out of the wedding? How did you even get in and be ced at such good seating?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s feelings were very contradictory. On one hand, she was very angry at the Qi family for ¡®bullying¡¯ them. She perceived the Qi family to be so petty and absurd that she could not hold back her hatred for them.

    On the other hand, she was very jealous to find out that Chang Zhiyuan had attended the Qi family¡¯s wedding whereas she was not invited. She yearned to attend the wedding because it was after all an honor to be associated with the Qi family.

    The contradiction between hatred and wanting to be on friendly terms with the Qi family was indeed indescribable.

    Then, Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression quickly changed into that of suspicion as she looked at Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°Brother Zhiyuan, could it be possible that the Qi family did send us an invitation but you kept it away from us and attended the wedding secretly?¡±

    Immediately after her question, Grandmother Chang red furiously at Chang Zhiyuan as though believing in Liu Xiangwen¡¯s usation.

    In fact, Grandmother Chang agreed that Liu Xiangwen¡¯s suspicion was rather usible.

    Chang Zhiyuan scorned in disdain. He was so enraged that he felt his viscera <sup>1</sup>crunching up in pain, especially when he noticed that Grandmother Chang had been taken in by the usation.

    ¡°Will you believe me if I tell you that I was invited by the Qi family when I happened to pass by the entrance of Dynasty?¡± Chang Zhiyuan sneered.

    Of course, they would not.

    ¡°Don¡¯t treat us like idiots!¡± Liu Xiangwen spat back at him.

    ¡°Ha!¡± Chang Zhiyuan let out a ridiculingugh. He would definitely not divulge the truth to his family. Earlier that day at the wedding, he had already made up his mind to protect Ruan Danchen, his niece, at all costs!

    The hostility and resentment toward Ruan Danchen that he caught in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes put him on his guard. Liu Xiangwen¡¯s meddling could perhaps lead Chang Jingqiu to begin to suspect Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity. Chang Zhiyuan was afraid that when pushed too far, Chang Jingqiu might do something extreme to hurt Ruan Danchen in order to keep her own identity and status.

    That was also a reason why he had agreed to not give away Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity to the Chang family.

    ¡°I know that our family has some conflicts with the Qi family. Nheless, even if we were to meet force with force, we¡¯ll still lose out. I¡¯ve nothing to say if you insist that you¡¯re right out of a false sense of pride. However, I¡¯m the eldest son in the family. I need to support Changhe¡¯s operation and take care of your daily lives. I can¡¯t afford to be as obstinate as you. Since you¡¯re unwilling to lower your head, let me be the one doing it. It¡¯s true that the Qi family didn¡¯t invite us and I don¡¯t think that I¡¯m in any way better to let them invite me alone to the wedding.¡± Chang Zhiyuan stared coldly at Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen.

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t have a fall out with the Qi family, with the Chang family¡¯s status even if we aren¡¯t close to each other, we would still receive their wedding invitation. Why don¡¯t...¡± Why don¡¯t you have enough decency to feel ashamed of yourselves?

    Chang Zhiyuan did notplete his sentence. Otherwise, Grandmother Chang would go at him in fury.

    ¡°I believe that you too have felt the hostility in our circle these days resulting from our poor rtionship with the Qi family.¡± Chang Zhiyuan continued to stare at Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen.

    Both Grandmother Chang and Liu Xiangwen were silently disgruntled. They were still piqued at the Qi family¡¯s absurd actions.

    Chang Zhiyuan noticed their disagreement but was helpless against it.

    Shaking his head, he sighed, ¡°Let me guess. Being isted by the circle, no more gatherings, and no one to tter you whenever you go out. You must have gotten fed up with this life. The Chang family, a first-rate family, has now be worse than amon small family in the circle. Do you still want to let it go on this way? Your friends in the past, have they evene to visit you?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen pursed her lips. Even Grandmother Chang who had refused to ept the truth could not refute him.

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want to continue living your lives like this, someone must lower their head to the Qi family, don¡¯t you agree? Today, I did so by waiting in front of Dynasty with a red packet. They were willing to let me in just because I was in their way.¡± Chang Zhiyuan tightened his lips. He hoped that they would believe in the excuse he gave or at least, let Chang Jingqiu lowered her guard.

    ¡°As for the Ruan family,¡± Chang Zhiyuan sneered, ¡°The other tables were full. Their table was the least upied with only five people. Besides, I was the one who set aside my pride to go and apologize. So, they did not ask me to leave.¡±

    While Chang Zhiyuan was exining, he caught a sh in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes as though letting out a sigh of relief.

    He felt slightly at ease and said, ¡°The Ruan family are kind and sensible. It is my privilege to be allowed to sit with them.¡±

    Grandmother Chang hit the armrest of the sofa hardly. ¡°Why did you apologize? We did nothing wrong! Why did you go and apologize? The others will assume that it¡¯s our fault if you go and apologize! If you lower your head to them, do it yourself! Don¡¯t represent us!¡±

    ¡°Even if we are in the right, the others will nevertheless assume that it is our fault. After all, we brought it on ourselves by offending the Qi family. In their opinion, whoever with higher authority is always right.¡± said Chang Zhiyuan coldly. Since his mother insisted that she was right, he gave up on the argument.

    If he could make Grandmother Chang admit her mistakes, then that must not be Grandmother Chang anymore.

    ¡°Hmph! It is only a group ofmon people. I can let it off for the Qi family. Yet you apologized to the Ruan family as well. Who are they to ept your apology?¡± eximed Grandmother Chang bitterly.

    Chang Zhiyuan chuckled, ¡°A wrong is a wrong. It has nothing to do with identity or status. If you could understand this principle, you would have understood it a long time ago.¡±

    He nced coldly at Grandmother Chang, Liu Xiangwen, and even Chang Zhixing who Grandmother Chang had no control of.

    He continued to mock frivolously, ¡°You want to continue living a good life but couldn¡¯t set aside your pride. You don¡¯t want to suffer any loss to your self-esteem or material. So, I¡¯ve chosen to forgo my pride on your behalf for yourfort. Has it now be my fault for meddling? As the eldest son in the family, I do bear the responsibility to care for you but I don¡¯t owe you anything. My sacrifices are not for you to step on! If you think that what I did is not good enough, you can try to figure something out yourselves. I would also like to know what other ways that you cane up with to preserve your self-esteem as well as your material!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan stood up from his seat. He did not want to speak any longer with Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°Where are you going? Stop right there!¡± bellowed Grandmother Chang harshly.

    Chang Zhiyuan gritted his teeth as he lowered his head to look at her.

    With a somber expression, Grandmother Chang said in seeming reluctance, ¡°We know that it is hard on you. However, as the eldest son in the family and the director of Changhe, everyone in the family and thepany is counting on you. Shouldn¡¯t you pay the price and carry the responsibility corresponding to your current status? Besides, I am your mother and Zhixing is your younger brother. We are both your family so wherees your grievance? Isn¡¯t it a must to act for our sake? If it¡¯s not for us, your family, who else can you care for?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan curled his lips into a sneer. He said nothing else.

    Mo Yuxin also stood up with him. She would stay by his side regardless of his decision without any questions.

    Still, Grandmother Chang¡¯s words were too shameless!

    Why did Chang Zhiyuan need to face injustice just because he was the eldest son in the family?

    He had done his best to provide themfortable lives but his efforts were not appreciated.

    Although one should not be too calctive with their family, their family should not be as ungrateful as her husband¡¯s.

    They were enjoying the fruits of hisbor while criticizing his efforts.

    Mo Yuxin trembled in anger. Suddenly, her hand was held in another.

    She lifted her head to see Chang Zhiyuan blinking at her. He was soothing her down and letting her know that he was alright.

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s eyes reddened. Then, she looked down after calming down.

    ¡°Since we have made up with the Qi family, go and negotiate with them so Jianan can return to Jixia Academy,¡± said Grandmother Chang suddenly.

    Chang Zhiyuan looked at Grandmother Chang in disbelief. Even if she was his mother, he was tempted to ask her, ¡®Are you still sane?¡¯

    When she noticed Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s silence, Grandmother Chang had thought that he was reluctant to do so. Thus, she pulled a long face and said, ¡°Jianan is our child, our one and only precious child. How can he not study in an aristocratic school? Isn¡¯t it lowering his status? It¡¯s a disgrace to let Jianan study with the children from those families with new money. That¡¯s unfair to him. Who are those children to be of equal footing with our Jianan?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s lips curled up cynically yet Grandmother Chang was not aware of it and spouted on, ¡°Since we¡¯ve made up and we were the one to lower our head first, the Qi family should return our sincerity with sincerity. They should properly, politely and earnestly invite Jianan back to Jixia Academy!¡±

    Upon hearing that, Chang Zhiyuan was no longer furious. He was horrified instead. Despite being unfilial, he had to admit that his mother was a fool!

    ¡°Tell them that. Additionally, we¡¯ll also get the short end of the stick and acknowledge Ruan Danchen¡¯s status. I¡¯ll hold myself back in the future even if I can¡¯t stand her.¡± Grandmother Chang felt that she had swallowed her humiliation and given in greatly. ¡°Let¡¯s... Let¡¯s just take it as acknowledging her status!¡± she said unwillingly.

    Chang Zhiyuan could not stop the chuckle from escaping his lips. ¡°Mom, Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t need your acknowledgment.¡±

    ¡°How can it be?¡± eximed Grandmother Chang. ¡°If she wants to keep a foothold in our circle, she needs to socialize with us. Does she want everyone to look down on her?¡±

    Then, Grandmother Chang lifted her chin and said proudly, ¡°You must be clear with my position in our circle. If I initiate our interaction, everyone else will be on friendly terms with her!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan realized then that Grandmother Chang was not a fool, she was only dreaming all along.

    ¡°Do you assume that Grandmother Qi to be incapable? Her words would work better than yours,¡± Chang Zhiyuan could not hold back ridiculing her, ¡°I heard that Grandfather Ruan and Grandfather Xiao are close friends. Perhaps, the Ruan family is not as wealthy as us but their reputation is definitely better. Grandfather Ruan often chats with our nation¡¯s leader over the phone and everyone out there always addresses him as our national treasure. Tell me, is there anyone as capable as him in our family?¡±

    Didn¡¯t Grandmother Chang prioritize a person¡¯s status the most? Didn¡¯t she feel that every other family was not up to par with the Chang family? She often considered the rich as new money and the less wealthy as poor as refugees.

    He would let her know that the Chang family was nothing in terms of reputation.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s face had be distorted from Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s scorn. Nevertheless, he did not stop upsetting her. ¡°Let¡¯s not mention how Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t need you to raise her status. Who else in the circle do you think can uplift their own status and scold her whenever they see her just like you?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan let out another scoff, ¡°Who doesn¡¯t try their best to treat Ruan Danchen politely and get on her good side? Don¡¯t you see the Qi and Ruan families backing her up? Only you would think that she is not worthy enough and requires your help to ce her footing in the circle.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was either mad or shocked for her chest moved up and down as she gasped deeply for breath.

    In fact, both feelings were bubbling inside her. Not only was she furious at Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s derision, but she was also shocked at the same time. She had never noticed the changes to the Ruan family. Her perception of the Ruan family had stayed the same since the past. Wasn¡¯t the Ruan family a group of normal research nerds? How could they be so great?

    Since when did the Ruan family solidify their background? Their reputation alone could only be measured up by the favorable Great Eight Families.

    ¡°When can you realize that you have no right to point your finger at the others? Their lives and statuses have nothing to do with you. The Qi family will be there for Ruan Danchen. Therefore, her status doesn¡¯t bring you shame,¡± advised Chang Zhiyuan earnestly.

    Who were you to worry about it!

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to discuss this anymore! Look at how you talk back to me! I¡¯m old now. My children don¡¯t respect me anymore! You¡¯re just the same as your wife, looking down at me all the time! Having a son like you to set such an example, how can she even respect me?¡± snapped Grandmother Chang.

    Mo Yuxin: ¡°...¡±

    Mo Yuxin was really an innocent caught in a crossfire. Grandmother Chang, on the other hand, was like a beacon that could never shine on its own base. She had never looked back at her own virtue. She should at least act in a respectful manner to earn respect from others.

    ¡°Just tell me, are you going to negotiate with the Qi family? Since they want to make up with us, they should not let us be the one to lower our heads all the time,¡± Grandmother Chang continued in irritation.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Zhiyuan pursed his lips before saying gently, ¡°Mom, it¡¯s my fault for not making it clear. Although I represented our family to apologize to the Qi family, they did not mention anything about making up with us. They just chose to take the high road and won¡¯t affect our future business rtionship.¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyes were wide open at that rification. ¡°What¡¯s the point of all the things that you have said to make yourself seem so pitiful! Aren¡¯t you ashamed to be standing here and criticizing us if you have not even solved anything?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen wiped away her tears next to Chang Zhixing. ¡°Brother Zhiyuan, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re willing to set aside your pride for our sake. However, you just left us and went to make up with the Qi family on your own. Do you... Do you intend to only bring sister-inw out to socialize with the people in the circle and abandon us?

    Her eyes were zed with tears as she continued, ¡°Brother Zhiyuan, you can¡¯t... You can¡¯t be thinking about splitting up the family, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuanughed out of anger, ¡°Sister-inw, your brain seems to becking usually but it has finally caught up now! How about it? Are you afraid that I would really want to split up the family and abandon all of you?¡±

    ¡°So, you can still be afraid that I¡¯ll split up the family. Why aren¡¯t you afraid of the consequences when you did those things earlier? Can¡¯t you work up your brain more?¡± Chang Zhiyuan shifted his gaze to Chang Zhixing while pointing at Liu Xiangwen. ¡°Keep a leash on your wife. I¡¯m your brother after all. I¡¯ll only admonish her here and won¡¯t harm her. If she still goes out with a loose mouth like this, who knows how many more people will be offended.¡±

    ¡°Mom, one day, I¡¯ll not be able to save us all even if I were to kneel and beg. I wonder if you¡¯ll only regret it when that timees,¡± said Chang Zhiyuan coldly.

    His family had always forgotten the pain after the wound was healed.

    When Jianan was forced to transfer to another school, they regretted their actions so much that even Liu Xiangwen was keeping herself under the radar for some time. Yet, how long had it just been for them to forget their lesson?

    ¡°I¡¯m tired. My head hurts. I¡¯ll go have a rest.¡± Chang Zhiyuan sounded truly worn out. ¡°Zhixing, send mom home will you?¡±

    Then, he left them on their own and went upstairs with Mo Yuxin.

    Right before he closed the door to his bedroom, he could hear Grandmother Chang¡¯s angry screech, Liu Xiangwen¡¯s adding-fuel-to-the-fire sobs, Chang Zhixing berating Liu Xiangwen, and Chang Jingqiu cating Grandmother Chang.

    ...

    After the wedding, both the Qi and Ruan families gathered at the Qi family mansion.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were leaving for their honeymoon in the early morning the next day. They had packed their baggage and kept them in the mansion.

    Qi Youxuan wriggled in Guan Liya¡¯s arms while observing Little Youjin crawling around happily on the carpet. Hisrge dark eyes rolled around as he saw Little Youjin crawling toward the coffee table. Little Youjin gripped the side of the coffee table with his small hands and attempted to support himself up. His eyes were shining brightly at the sight of the fruits and candies on the table.

    Qi Chengzhi frowned slightly at the sight and carried Little Youjin away from the coffee table. Little Youjin waved his short limbs anxiously, trying to flop toward the coffee table.

    ¡°Yayayi!¡±¡®Eat! I want to eat! Still... still hungry!¡¯

    ¡°Oh, look at how hungry the child is,¡± said Grandmother Qi with concern. ¡°Can¡¯t you two let the child enjoy eating more?¡±

    ¡°What if he bes as fat as Youxuan?¡± Qi Chengzhi said distastefully.

    Qi Chenglin: ¡°...¡±

    Ruan Danchen: ¡°...¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°...¡±

    Look at how he had no pressure expressing his distaste for another¡¯s child.

    ¡°That is your nephew. How can you say that?¡±

    Grandfather Ruan harrumphed and took Qi Youxuan into his embrace. ¡°Our Youxuan looks best like this. How soft and adorable he is! Children look better if they are chubby. It¡¯s not good for them to be too skinny. Skinny children look as though theyck fortune.¡±

 Chapter 459 - Uncle, Why Are You Here?

    <strong>Chapter 459: Uncle, Why Are You Here?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    While speaking, Grandfather Ruan also eyed disdainfully on purpose at Little Youjin who was maintaining the right figure and body weight at his age.

    ¡°A! Yayayaya! Yiyiyiya!¡±¡®Hey! What¡¯re you saying? I¡¯m very handsome!¡¯

    Little Youjin clenched his fist to particrly express his disagreement.

    ¡°Well, they¡¯re still children. They can start to lose weight when they¡¯re older.¡± Grandmother Qi took a slice of watermelon from the table and gave it to Little Youjin. ¡°You can eat more fruits but not candies. Too many candies are not good for your teeth.¡±

    As soon as Little Youjin took hold of the watermelon, he began to gnaw at it.

    Qi Youxuan quickly rolled into Grandmother Qi¡¯s embrace and said, ¡°Great-grandma, when dad and mom go on their honeymoon, I¡¯ll be left here alone. I¡¯ll be very lonely!¡±

    ¡°How about we let Youjin stay here as well?¡± Grandmother Qi understood the look in the little one¡¯s eyes instantly.

    The little one felt that his great-grandmother was indeed his best partner in crime!

    Qi Youxuan gazed at Grandmother Qi in great satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll no longer be lonely with Youjin¡¯spany!¡±

    Thus, Grandmother Qi turned around and looked eagerly at Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu. ¡°I heard that my dear Song is working on a new design recently. You¡¯ll be pretty busy, right?¡±

    Song Yu: ¡°...¡±

    The smile on Grandmother Qi¡¯s face grew warmer. ¡°How about we let Youjin stay here for a few days?¡±

    Qi Chengzhi: ¡°...¡±

    What was that malicious intent that he felt?

    Finally, Qi Chengzhi could only give in to Grandmother Qi. He might as well take this opportunity to enjoy Song Yu¡¯spany alone. It was not a bad idea after all.

    Little Youjin seemed to know that he could eat without restraint during those few days. So, he was not in the least sad to part with his parents.

    When Qi Chengzhi and Song Yu left the mansion, he even waved them goodbye from the carpet where he lied on his stomach.

    Such a heartless and shameless attitude broke Song Yu¡¯s heart to pieces.

    ...

    As Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen went on their honeymoon, Chang Zhiyuan and Lao Liang drove over seven hours to a county-level city in J City and spent a night there. The next day, they drove for over another hour before reaching the entrance of a vige.

    The vige was not small neither was it very well-off. At a nce, there were only about two or three families living in three-story houses and two other families living in double-story houses. Those western-styled houses were not beautiful. They looked just like two or three levels of rectangr boxes put together. There was no sense of design. Even the walls were onlyid with normal ceramic tiles.

    Chang Zhiyuan did not have the mood to study those buildings. He drove into the vige along the road and up a small slope. His car tires were covered in yellowish soil. One side of the roadid some single-story houses that came withpounds. On the other side was the hillside. Wild grass and flowers grew by the roadside. There were even some stones stuck firmly inside the muddy soil.

    The journey was bumpy. Finally, the Toyota jeep stopped halfway up the hill next to another intersection.

    The road after the intersection was too narrow and had many uneven potholes. They could barely drive along the narrow road with a small-sized sedan car. However, their jeep could not make it.

    Chang Zhiyuan and Lao Liang got out of the car and continued their journey on foot. Along the road were rows of houses withpounds. The doors of those houses also seemed rather durable.

    They could basically determine the financial ability of the families living in those houses from their doors alone. Some houses had their gates opened. They could see a ck or brown mutt tied to a leash in thepound. Other houses had a trishaw or tractor parked at the entrance.

    They walked until the end of the road and reached a house that looked out of ce in that area.

    The house had small brick walls. Its gate was run down. The thin wooden door could not block anyone or anything from entering. Those houses that they hade across along the road earlier suddenly seemed especially high-ended inparison.

    Chang Zhiyuan gave the house a cold nce and nodded at Lao Liang. ¡°Let¡¯s enter.¡±

    Lao Liang stepped forward to knock on the door. A woman¡¯s voice could be heard from inside the house asking, ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡±

    The voice was quickly followed by a fierce dog barking.

    After a short while, the wooden door cracked open. A woman with a slightly dark face and rough skin stood behind the door.

    Wang Lixia was surprised and hesitant to find two men standing in front of her house. Both men were dressed finely and did not seem like anymoner. Why did they appear before her house?

    Wang Lixia did not understand why she instinctively thought of Chang Jingqiu just then.

    She did not know who those two men were yet she could associate them with Chang Jingqiu. She remembered that Liu Ronghua also turned up in front of her house suddenlyst time, catching her off guard.

    Perhaps, those two men were simr to Liu Ronghua. They were dressed presentably and their aura was different from the vigers.

    ¡°Who are you looking for?¡± Wang Lixia¡¯s sight swept to and fro their faces.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± asked Huang Pinggui as he stepped out of the house, followed by a young man.

    Huang Pinggui was wearing a scruffy shirt and dusty ck trousers. The young man standing behind him was thin and weak. He had dark circles under his eyes and seemed to not have sufficient sleep.

    Wang Lixia turned around to look at them and answered, ¡°Strangers. Not sure what they want from us.¡±

    After that, she quickly said to that young man, ¡°Jincheng, why are you out here? Quick, go back and study. It¡¯s almost time for your university entrance exam. Don¡¯t waste any more time.¡±

    The young man uttered an ¡®Okay¡¯ and cast another nce at Chang Zhiyuan and Lao Liang before turning around slowly and headed back in.

    ¡°Are you Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°What do you want?¡± Huang Pinggui raised his voice as though it could make him seem more imposing and give him additional courage.

    ¡°Please rx.¡± Lao Liang smiled warmly. ¡°We¡¯re sent here by Ms Chang.¡±

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia looked at each other. Then, Wang Lixia asked without thinking too much about it, ¡°Chang Jingqiu sent you over?¡±

    Her response had confirmed Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s probe.

    Only uneducated people like Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia, who had some trickery in mind but not really smart, could be easily probed.

    Lao Liang nodded his head earnestly. ¡°Can we talk inside?¡±

    As his job required him to deal with people from all walks of life, his acting skills had been so polished that Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia could not rival him.

    Furthermore, Lao Liang was born with such a sincere and kind face which made him appear even more honest than the actual vigers in that vige. His natural advantage killed any doubt and sense of crisis in both Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    Looking at the well-dressed and seemingly well-off Chang Zhiyuan and Lao Liang, Huang Pinggui quickly invited them in without much thought.

    He straightened his back and told Wang Lixia in front of his guests, ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? Jingqiu will not stand to see us suffer. After all, she¡¯ll be shamed if we suffer, right? No matter what, we¡¯re still her parents. If she is unfilial, she can be struck by lightning!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡± Wang Lixia gleamed as she nodded continuously.

    Chang Zhiyuan was startled by their conversation and exchanged a nce with Lao Liang. They were only probing Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia earlier and had even prepared themselves to brace the difficulties in eliciting information from them. Who would have known that those two blurted out their rtionship with Chang Jingqiu on their own!

    During their discussion, Chang Zhiyuan and Lao Liang even presumed that Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia were either not aware of their rtionship with Chang Jingqiu or had possessed something against her. They did not expect that those two were, in fact, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s blood-rted parents.

    That had cleared up the reason why Chang Jingqiu sent them money. However, the woman who brought Chang Jingqiu to the Chang family had informed them that the baby was his sister¡¯s daughter.

    The only answer to that was the woman knew Chang Jingqiu¡¯s true identity but had purposely tricked them!

    It was detestable!

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression darkened. He almost lost control of his anger. His change of mood intimidated Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia. They had caught on that Chang Zhiyuan did not seem to visit them to send them money.

    ¡°You... Who¡¯re you?¡± stuttered Wang Lixia.

    ¡°Uncle, why are you here?¡± A panicked voice of a woman sounded from the gate. The voice was undeid with a hint of tremble.

    Chang Zhiyuan turned around to find Chang Jingqiu standing at the entrance. Her face paled as she looked at him in fear. Then, she turned her gaze toward Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia, wondering if they had let her secret out.

    ¡°Why are you here then?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan dully.

    In fact, he knew the answer even without Chang Jingqiu¡¯s response.

    He had attended the Qi family¡¯s wedding banquet and sat together with the Ruan family. How could Chang Jingqiu feel relieved about that?

    Therefore, she went to meet her parents to make sure that her identity would not be leaked.

    He would like to know how she intended to conceal her identity.

    ¡°I...¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes rolled around in nervousness. Then, she stepped into thepound and said, ¡°Uncle and Auntie are my friend¡¯s parents. I¡¯m helping her to care for them. So, I¡¯lle here asionally to visit them.¡±

    Huang Pinggui had instantly decided to get a sum of hush money from Chang Jingqiu after that. Since her uncle had found them at their house, he must have had his suspicion on her identity. Did she really think that they were stupid?

    She had only given them eight hundred thousandst time. He wanted more moneyter and was not afraid that she would refuse.

    Hence, Huang Pinggui nodded his head in cooperation with Chang Jingqiu. ¡°That¡¯s right! That¡¯s right!¡±

    ¡°Oh? It is different from what you said earlier,¡± mocked Chang Zhiyuan.

    Wang Lixia paled and shook her head continuously. ¡°We... We did not say anything!¡±

    Lao Liang fished out a voice recorder pen from his pocket. He pressed the button and Huang Pinggui¡¯s voice was yed, ¡®Didn¡¯t I tell you? Jingqiu will not stand to see us suffer. After all, she¡¯ll be shamed if we suffer, right? No matter what, we¡¯re still her parents. If she is unfilial, she can be struck by lightning!¡¯

    ¡°You said nothing?¡± Chang Zhiyuan curled his lips upward. ¡°I think that you¡¯ve told us everything you know.¡±

    ¡°Uncle, it was nonsense!¡± Chang Jingqiu took arge step forward and pointed at Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia. She appeared wronged by the usation. ¡°I take such good care of you. Why did you use me?¡±

    ¡°How did they use you? Didn¡¯t you give them eight hundred thousand? If you¡¯re not rted to them, why did you give them so much money?¡± Chang Zhiyuan interrogated coldly.

    ¡°Uncle, that.... That¡¯s because my friend has faced some troubles but is worried about her parents. She is a really good friend of mine. So, I agreed to help her care for her parents. I know that they are living a difficult life and could not even afford to send their son to a university. Since I had agreed to help, I gave them some money. Eight hundred thousand is sufficient for them to livefortably in this vige, send their son to the university, and renovate their house. As long as they don¡¯t spend their money unnecessarily, the money is enough tost them a long time even without having to work.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu red at Huang Pinggui and his wife. ¡°Why did you use me? I¡¯ve tried so hard to make your life better. What else are you not satisfied with so much that you spouted lies about me? You¡¯re truly a group of ungrateful people!¡±

    Resent shed past Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia¡¯s faces. Nheless, they schooled their expression and kept their silence.

    ¡°Uncle, let¡¯s go.¡± Chang Jingqiu grabbed Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s arms in grief. ¡°Many people are saying that we can¡¯t act kindly anymore in recent years. You may be sold off if you¡¯re being kind to someone. I¡¯ve never thought that helping a friend could result in such an usation. It¡¯s just like the story of the farmer and the snake!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu only wanted to quickly pull Chang Zhiyhuan away from that ce.

    ¡°That can¡¯t be. How can we let them use you?¡± Chang Zhiyuan stood unmoving no matter how hard Chang Jingqiu tried. Thus, she could only stand anxiously next to him.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s heart was lifted up to her throat. She wondered what Chang Zhiyuan intended to do next.

    She was not convinced that Chang Zhiyuan did not suspect her identity. Otherwise, he would not be there nor would he found out about the money she gave Huang Pinggui¡¯s family.

    With a thumping heart, she heard Chang Zhiyuan saying, ¡°I think we have to resolve this conflict once and for all. Go and perform a DNA test with these two. No one will be able to use you when the result is out. Otherwise, your reputation will be affected if they continue to spout nonsense out there.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s heart turned cold instantly. Her feet lost their strength and she stumbled backward. She could no longer hold onto the hope that Chang Zhiyuan was not aware of the truth.

    He was there because he knew everything.

    ¡°Un... Uncle...¡± called out the pale Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Don¡¯t you want to perform the test?¡± Chang Zhiyuan sneered.

    ¡°I...¡± Chang Jingqiu felt the blood drained out of her body. ¡°Uncle, I...¡±

    ¡°Am I really your uncle?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan faintly.

    Gazing at her pale face, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s face sullen. ¡°Do you still refuse to admit it? Do you really want me to p the evidence in your face?¡±

    ¡°Uncle!¡± Chang Jingqiu knelt down with a thump.

    She pulled on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Uncle, I don¡¯t mean to hide this from you. I just don¡¯t know what else I can do! Uncle, I don¡¯t want to do this too! I¡¯ve been a Chang for twenty-seven years. Suddenly, someone appeared and told me that you¡¯re not my family. They are my family instead! I don¡¯t know what to do. Uncle, I really think of you as my family. I don¡¯t know them at all! We¡¯re not familiar with each other! I only know that they sold me off for money in the past. Now, they look for me for money as well. How can I treat such people as my family?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu cried, ¡°In my eyes, only you and the Chang are my family! Even though I¡¯m rted to them by blood, I don¡¯t know them at all. They appeared out of nowhere and asked me for money. How can I be close to them? I¡¯m just afraid... Just afraid that you¡¯ll not want me anymore when you found out the truth. After all... After all, I¡¯m not your niece. I remember how well you and Grandma treated me all this time. I can¡¯t bear to leave your side. I really can¡¯t! I treat you as my family with all my heart and can¡¯t bear to leave you. I¡¯m truly afraid that you¡¯ll not want me anymore...¡±

    Chang Jingqiu choked with sobs. She seemed really pitiful.

    Chang Zhiyuan shook off her grip coldly. Did she think that he did not know her character after bringing her up for twenty-seven years in the Chang family?

    At that moment, did she still take him as an idiot?

    ¡°Is it us whom you can¡¯t bear to leave or is it the Chang family¡¯s wealth and the status of Ms Chang?¡± Chang Zhiyuan questioned. He pointed at Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia who were standing helplessly at a side. ¡°You were afraid to let others know that these are your parents because they may look down on you, isn¡¯t it true? You used to pick on Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity, causing Grandmother Chang to look at her in disdain. Now, you¡¯re the one with an unspeakable identity. So, you¡¯re afraid of retribution.¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m not!¡± Chang Jingqiu shook her head in desperation. ¡°I really think of you as my blood-rted uncle! I can¡¯t bear to leave Grandma and you! I know that both of you dote on me the most! I can¡¯t bear to be apart from you!¡±

    ¡°You know that I dote on you the most. Yet how do you treat me? You keep on whispering lies about my wife to Grandmother Chang. Is this how you repay me?¡± Chang Zhiyuan pushed on.

    Chang Jingqiu was stunned. She did not expect Chang Zhiyuan to notice that.

    Chang Zhiyuan let out a snicker. ¡°You can¡¯t bear to part from us but are you even concerned about my real niece out there? I treated you well because you were my sister¡¯s daughter. Therefore, even if you did something outrageous, I would stand by your side and cover it up for you. It¡¯s all for my sister, not you! Since you¡¯re not my niece, why should I still dote on you?¡±

    ¡°Uncle, even if we are not blood-rted, we¡¯ve lived together for twenty-seven years! Don¡¯t you have the slightest bit of love for me?¡± Chang Jingqiu grabbed his sleeves again.

    ¡°How could I not have any affection for you? Even after raising pets for some time, one would have felt affection for them,¡± replied Chang Zhiyuan. Before Chang Jingqiu could feel delighted, he continued, ¡°Since you¡¯ve known the truth, why do you hide it from us? We love you and will not abandon you even if you tell us the truth. However, you¡¯ve chosen to conceal it and let my real niece suffer out there while you take her ce in the Chang family. What are you up to? We¡¯ve raised you up into such a pampereddy and not done you any wrong. Is this how you repay us? Letting our real family wander outside and nning to keep it away from us forever?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re selfish! For your own benefit, you can cast aside our feelings. This is what you meant by twenty-seven years of affection for you! This is what you called your family! Even a dog would show his loyalty. How about you?¡± Chang Zhiyuan trembled in fury. ¡°If you¡¯re sincere with us, I¡¯ll treat you well as an adoptive daughter. To others, you¡¯ll still be our blood-rted daughter. Yet what have you done now!¡±

    ¡°Uncle, I know I was wrong!¡± Chang Jingqiu grabbed his trousers when her hands were once again shaken off by Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°Uncle, I know I was wrong. I really do. Uncle, I¡¯m selfish but who isn¡¯t? We just have different ways to express our selfishness. I was just at a loss when I first found out about the truth.¡±

    ¡°I admit that my choice earlier was not right. I¡¯ve let you down but I was just so scared. I was terrified. Uncle, I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. Please forgive me. Don¡¯t say that you don¡¯t want me. I beg you,¡± cried Chang Jingqiu. ¡°Can... Can you bear to push me away to these couples? They can sell off their children for a little money! You¡¯re pushing me off a pit if you send me to them, uncle! When they knew of my identity, they didn¡¯t want to recognize me as their child nor did they try to care for me. They just asked me for money. How can I acknowledge them as my family?¡±

    ¡°Uncle, I was not in my right mind earlier. I didn¡¯t have a clue what to do and made the wrong decision. I didn¡¯t mean it. I¡¯m sorry,¡± Chang Jingqiu cried shamelessly as she knelt on the floor and tugged on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s trousers.

    She knew that she must not be abandoned by the Chang family. Otherwise, she would lose everything.

    She could not stand being stepped on by others.

    As long as she could pass the crisis, she could seek her revenge slowly after that!

    Of course, Chang Zhiyuan did not believe in her. If what she said was true, what did Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia have against her?

 Chapter 460 - Save My Uncle First

    <strong>Chapter 460: Save My Uncle First</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia were fully aware of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s worry about the disclosure of her true identity, which was exactly why they could ckmail Chang Jingqiu for this matter.

    However, Chang Jingqiu was raised in the Chang family for twenty-seven years after all.

    The phrase Chang Zhiyuan mentioned was absolutely right¡ªnormal human beings would have feelings for their pet dogs or cats after raising them for more than ten years, not to mention raising, tolerating, and loving a child sincerely for twenty-seven years!

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed. ¡°Stand up.¡±

    ¡°Uncle...¡± The teary-eyed Chang Jingqiu clung to the hope and stood up.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home and tell your grandma about this. We need to decide about your future together. Anyhow, you can¡¯t upy my biological niece¡¯s ce and we need to recognize my real niece if we can locate her. Your grandma will make the decisions but don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t let you suffer as well,¡± Chang Zhiyuan stared at Chang Jingqiu indecisively.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s statement extinguished all hope in Chang Jingqiu. The ashen-grey faced Chang Jingqiu could not believe that her desperate plea and attempts in belittling herself to mere specks of dust ended up being futile, and Chang Zhiyuan merely gave her a perfunctory statement in return.

    Chang Jingqiu knew Grandmother Chang all too well since she had been apanying and ingratiating Grandmother Chang for all her life. Grandmother Chang was a heartlessdy who would throw her out of the house without hesitation when her true identity was disclosed. Grandmother Chang would not allow an outsider, especially a daughter of two lowlife vigers, to bring disgrace to the Chang family.

    Grandmother Chang may even give Chang Jingqiu the cold-shoulder for wasting the Chang family¡¯s food even if Chang Jingqiu¡¯s parents were not as unpresentable as Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s decision was basically sentencing Chang Jingqiu to death!

    Chang Jingqiu even thought that... that Chang Zhiyuan had feelings for her!

    Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia were so scared that they lost their courage to speak.

    They stood idly by when Chang Zhiyuan dragged Chang Jingqiu out of the house, but this time, Chang Jingqiu stood her ground and tried desperately to stop Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s actions.

    ¡°Uncle, uncle, please don¡¯t tell grandma. She won¡¯t ept me! She¡¯ll despise me since I wasn¡¯t born in the Chang family, so there¡¯s no way she¡¯ll ept me. Uncle¡ª¡± Chang Jingqiu was dragged out of the house to the courtyard by Chang Zhiyuan in the end despite using up all her strength.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s statement was stopped short at the look on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s face.

    ¡°What do you want with my real niece when you insist that I keep this a secret? Do you want her to stay outside without a chance to meet her family for her whole life while you enjoy the privilege that was supposed to be hers? Is there any difference between this and your initial thoughts? You said you were wrong, but I don¡¯t think you realize your mistakes yet based on your words just now.¡±

    At this moment, Huang Jincheng came out of the lodge beside the main house and stared anxiously at the ongoingmotion.

    Chang Jingqiu could not bother to exin further and shook her head vigorously. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that. Uncle, I¡¯m just afraid, afraid that grandma won¡¯t ept me anymore.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan sighed. ¡°What do you have to be afraid of? Your quality of life won¡¯t deteriorate at all even if Grandmother Chang chose not to ept you anymore. The money I had left for you when you were young was being kept in a trust. I won¡¯t reim that money and you can still withdraw them as usual. Besides, you have a job now with no worries in life. I bought a house for you in the city under your name and I won¡¯t ask you to return it to me. None of it is going to change except for the title of the Chang family¡¯s young madam. You don¡¯t even need to change your current name too.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s expression softened up gradually as heforted Chang Jingqiu. ¡°Besides, this is the worst possible oue for you. I¡¯ll help you persuade Grandmother Chang to let you continue your stay in the Chang family and keep the title of the Chang family¡¯s young madam. I¡¯ll just mention that we have another niece staying outside as an orphan. That way, you won¡¯t suffer any losses at all no matter the circumstances.¡±

    She would not suffer losses? How?

    Despite being rich, Chang Jingqiu was nothing without the title of the Chang family¡¯s young madam.

    Those who had a close rtionship with Chang Jingqiu initially would ignore herpletely. Once they realized Chang Jingqiu¡¯s biological parents¡¯ identities, they would despise her and her status would end up being lower than Xia Zishan!

    ¡°Uncle! Uncle!¡± The only thought that went through Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind was to stop Chang Zhiyuan at all costs.

    The duo was having a tug of war on their way to the car. Lao Liang was going to enter the driver seat while Chang Zhiyuan went around to get into the passenger seat.

    Chang Jingqiu was following closely behind Chang Zhiyuan throughout the journey, but he was getting annoyed at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s constant disturbance and shoved her aside.

    An idea formed in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind. She peeked at the slope beside her and through gritted teeth, she leaned backward, voluntarily allowing a freefall.

    ¡°Ah! Uncle!¡± Chang Jingqiu eximed. She reached out to Chang Zhiyuan, hoping that he would save her while her body tumbled backward.

    Chang Zhiyuan was taken by surprise and turned around quickly, only to see Chang Jingqiu rolling down the slope like a puppet suddenly released of their strings. Subconsciously, he tried to grab Chang Jingqiu¡¯s outreached hand.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Chang Zhiyuan yelled and finally held onto Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand amidst the panic. However, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s downward force was too much and with a trip, Chang Zhiyuan was brought down the slope by the momentum.

    Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu parted ways as they rolled down the declivity uncontrobly.

    Chang Zhiyuan only felt some rocks and unknown sharp objects stabbing and jabbing his body, and his head knocking against everything along the bumpy slope. He tried to scream for help, but words failed toe out of his mouth.

    All of a sudden, the back of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s head mmed into a huge rock. Then, darkness consumed himpletely as his consciousness faded away. Meanwhile, Chang Jingqiu continued to roll and flip down the slope.

    ¡°Brother Chang!¡± Lao Liang eximed after noticing Chang Zhiyuaning to a halt but ended up in an unconscious state.

    Finally, Chang Jingqiu came to an absolute stop when her lower back crashed into a thick tree trunk, screaming in pain as her body trembled in agony.

    Lao Liang was a well-reputed police officer who was a superb marksman, skillful in closebat, and had excellent crime-solving skills before he changed his career to be a private investigator. Thus, he regained his calm quickly after a slight moment of anxiety and called the police immediately.

    There was only one local police station in-charge of nearby viges, so the police officers needed some time to arrive at the scene. Lao Liang went to the edge of the slope and nced at Chang Jingqiu who was lying beside a tree with ashen-grey face and closed eyes. The mud, grit, and weeds had be enmeshed with her raw pink flesh spotted with blood as she was cut in multiple ces due to the rocks down the bumpy slope.

    ¡°Brother Chang!¡± Lao Liang had no idea if Chang Zhiyuan was able to hear him or not. ¡°Miss Chang, I¡¯ll save you guys, hang on! I called the police, so now I¡¯m going to ask the vigers for ropes first!¡±

    Then, Lao Liang took a nce at the duo to ensure that they hade to an absolute stop before borrowing ropes from each house.

    The police officers arrived shortly after Lao Liang returned with three long hemp ropes. Moreover, the vigers who borrowed ropes to Lao Liang had men in their houses too, and when they heard someone had identally fallen down the hill, they rushed to the scene to lend a helping hand.

    After they tied the ropes together, Lao Liang wrapped one end of the rope around his waist while passing the other end of the rope to two police officers before sliding down the slope cautiously.

    Chang Jingqiu wished to be unconscious rather than staying awake because an excruciating pain came from her lower back as if a knife was being twisted in her spine. The pain was so unbearable that she almost wished for death.

    Chang Jingqiu tried to move but quickly realized how futile it was as energy was drainedpletely from her body. Tears were welling up in her eyes. Every movement would cause a sharp pain tonce through her lower back and felt as if her spine was going to break into half.

    However, Chang Jingqiu had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. Even the slightest breathing would induce an agonizing pain, making her grunt.

    Never did Chang Jingqiu expect that she would ever end up badly wounded.

    Chang Jingqiu merely nced at the slope and concluded that it was not steep enough and certainly not a high cliff at all. She had decided to take a leap of faith since she would lose everything anyway when she returned to the Chang family.

    Since the situation was beyond saving, Chang Jingqiu came up with a rather ruthless idea¡ªa trick to secure Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s faith by inflicting pain on herself deliberately.

    Chang Zhiyuan would definitely feel guilty if he was the cause of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s physical suffering, and because of that, he would not act too harshly and might evenpensate for her agony.

    A small injury in exchange for persistent wealth and glory in the future. Totally worth it!

    There was a saying¡ªyou cannot make an omelet without breaking eggs. How could sess be achieved without sacrifices?

    Chang Jingqiu possessed such determination.

    Thus, with gritted teeth, Chang Jingqiu fought for her glorious future.

    However, it was impossible to calcte everything perfectly since this idea was merely formed spontaneously. One could consider her actions as a cornered beast acting desperately.

    The slope seemed to have a gradual incline to it when Chang Jingqiu observed it from above just now, so she assumed that it was not really a big deal to roll down the slope.

    However, Chang Jingqiu realized that there were many solid and unpleasantly jagged rocks embedded along the declivity upon rolling down.

    Chang Jingqiu mmed into every rock along the slope with uncontroble force, feeling the cut and jabs on all parts of her body¡ªarms, waist, legs and so on. The pain was so overwhelming that she started to feel regretful about her leap of faith.

    Chang Jingqiu even experienced a burning pain on her forehead when she identally knocked her head during the process. She could even feel a warm gush of fluid flowing down her forehead, but unsure if that was merely due to her psychological thoughts.

    Chang Jingqiu endured all of these physical sufferings through gritted teeth, but she did not expect thest hit to be her doom.

    Finally, Chang Jingqiu came to a halt by the tree trunk that stood in her pathway, but her lower back crashed right into it and the pain made her feel like her spine was shattered. Due to thatst hit, she did not feel like herself anymore.

    Chang Jingqiu stared anxiously at Lao Liang who was sliding down the slope slowly and cautiously. Then, he said after reaching Chang Jingqiu¡¯s side, ¡°How are you feeling? Where did you get hurt?¡±

    ¡°Lower back... my lower back... hurts... like hell...¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s body quivered with every word which appeared especially agonizing.

    Lao Liang fixed his gaze on Chang Jingqiu before shifting it to the unconscious Chang Zhiyuan who was lying nearby and said, ¡°Brother Chang is unconscious and I¡¯ve no idea where he got injured. I¡¯ll pull him up first ande back for youter.¡±

    Then, Lao Liang moved toward the unconscious Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°Save ... save...¡± Chang Jingqiu wanted Lao Liang to save her first. She could not care less about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s fate since he would be more useful dead than alive. That way, no one would be able to reveal her secret anymore. However, she was unable to think clearly as the overwhelming pain caused her mind to be inoperable.

    Chang Jingqiu was so scared at the moment. She wanted to live.

    Despite the excruciating pain in her lower back which sent Chang Jingqiu into uncontroble convulsions, she suddenly recalled that other than Chang Zhiyuan, Lao Liang was aware of the whole situation too. If Chang Zhiyuan regained consciousness and Lao Liang conveyed her thoughts to him, her ruthless n would fail in the end.

    Ideally, Chang Jingqiu would prefer if she fell down the slope alone while Chang Zhiyuan stood above ground safely. That way, Chang Zhiyuan would be the cause of her agony and give consideration to her welfare due to his guilty conscience.

    Unlike the current situation where both Chang Jingqiu and Chang Zhiyuan fell down the declivity together and no one had any idea how badly injured Chang Zhiyuan was.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face contorted but unsure if it was due to the possible failure of her scheme or the excruciating pain in her lower back.

    ¡°Save... my uncle... save... uncle first...¡± Chang Jingqiu stammered due to strenuous effort in voicing out words. Fortunately, it was not toote to correct herself since she did notplete her previous statement due to stammering.

    Lao Liang nodded before moving toward Chang Zhiyuan cautiously. He checked for breathing and listened for heartbeats before concluding that Chang Zhiyuan merely lost consciousness. Then, he did a thorough physical examination. Other than bruises after getting knocked by rocks along the slope, there was no obvious wound noted on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s body.

    Lao Liang felt a huge swelling on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s iput after slipping his hand carefully to the back of his head, which was an indication that his head was struck just now. It was fairly obvious that Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s current state of unconsciousness was rted to it. Fortunately, Lao Liang could not feel any obvious warm fluid around the swelling.

    Lao Liang retrieved his hand and noticed that only the pulp of his middle finger was slightly stained with blood.

    Then, Lao Liang lifted Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s head with extreme care. After noticing that there were only a few blood streaks on his hairline which were not obvious at all, Lao Liang rxed immediately.

    Lao Liang untied the rope that encircled around his waist and knotted it around Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s waist before asking the crowd above to pull the rope gently. During the process, Lao Liang followed closely behind Chang Zhiyuan to ensure that there were no further knocks on him.

    After Chang Zhiyuan was pulled up sessfully, they ced him on the back of the car, bandaged, and gave him first aid. Then, Lao Liang tied the rope around his waist again to save Chang Jingqiu.

    The frightened Chang Jingqiu was getting impatient after waiting for some time, worrying that she would be left alone in this ce. After seeing Lao Liang returning for her, she rxed immediately and waited eagerly for her life to be saved.

    Chang Jingqiu trembled as tears rolled down her cheeks. Lao Liang nned to untie the rope around his waist and knot it around Chang Jingqiu like what he did to Chang Zhiyuan and let the men above pull her to safety first. Then, they would throw the rope down again for him to get up, since it would be arduous to pull both of them at the same time.

    However, just when Lao Liang was about to untie the rope, Chang Jingqiu understood his intention immediately and rejected weakly, ¡°No... can¡¯t... my... lower back... hurts... badly... can¡¯t tie...¡±

    Doubt shed across Lao Liang¡¯s mind immediately, but he did not voice out his concern at that moment. He merely nodded to indicate that he understood the situation and yelled to the men above, ¡°Her lower back hurts so we can¡¯t pull her up. Are you guys okay to pull both of us together?¡±

    ¡°No problem! There are vigers who are willing to help,¡± the police officer responded.

    Lao Liang took a nce and saw two men joining the rescue attempt. Since five men were more than enough to pull just the two of them up, he nodded in response.

    Lao Liang slipped his hand under Chang Jingqiu¡¯s arm and just when he was about to lift her, Chang Jingqiu screamed at the top of her lungs. ¡°Cannot! My lower back! Argh! It¡¯s painful! Pain! Don¡¯t move! Don¡¯t touch me! Pain... boohoo... it¡¯s so painful...¡±

    Lao Liang frowned and peeked at Chang Jingqiu¡¯s lower back. He had a bad feeling about this.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got to hold on. You can¡¯t just lie down here forever. You need to get up quickly so that we can send you to a hospital. Your injury may worsen if you stay down here any longer, and you¡¯ll regret your decision,¡± Lao Liang replied calmly without feeling the slightestpassion for Chang Jingqiu.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face was a mess with mud and tears smearing across her face. She had a bad feeling about the unusual pain in her lower back but was unwilling to think further about it.

    Chang Jingqiu merely thought to herself that it should not be a big problem and she should not be scared out of wits since anyone who injured his waist would definitely experience an excruciating pain afterward.

    ¡°Save... save me... I¡¯ll endure... you... bring me up...¡± Chang Jingqiu wept.

    Lao Liang gave a gentle reminder before mustering up his strength. ¡°Hold on.¡±

    Then, Lao Liang slipped his hand under Chang Jingqiu¡¯s arm and lifted her without touching her lower back.

    Chang Jingqiu convulsed in pain and gritted her teeth as tears started to stream down her cheeks uncontrobly. The only thing she wished at the moment was to get up as soon as possible.

    Inevitably, Chang Jingqiu crashed into the rocks along the bumpy slope with each pull of the rope, which sent her crying in pain throughout the journey. Finally, she reached the surface and two police officers quickly took her to safety.

    Lao Liang reminded, ¡°She injured her lower back and we¡¯ve no idea how bad it is right now.¡±

    ¡°There aren¡¯t any decent hospitals around these viges, so she needs to go to the district to get herself checked,¡± said the police officer.

    Lao Liang nodded in response. Since Chang Zhiyuan was lying on the back of his car, Chang Jingqiu had no choice but to rest in a supine position in the police car.

    The police officers were fully aware of Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu¡¯s injuries, so they drove the police car at the front to make way so that the patients could reach the district hospital as soon as possible.

    Chang Jingqiu was in so much pain and the doctor had no choice but to order an X-ray immediately. Since Chang Zhiyuan remained unconscious, the doctor took a detailed history profile before arranging a cranialputed tomography scan for him.

    After that, a nurse came out while Lao Liang was waiting for the result. ¡°Who¡¯s the patients¡¯ family member?¡±

    ¡°The patients who arrived just now are uncle and his niece, and I¡¯m their friend. Their family members are in B City so they can¡¯t rush here in such a short time,¡± Lao Liang stood up and exined.

    The nurse nodded in response. ¡°Follow me please.¡±

    There was only a doctor and a nurse inside the consultation room with a film hanging beside the table.

    ¡°Doctor,¡± Lao Liang sat down.

    The doctor pointed at the film and exined. ¡°We did a cranialputed tomography scan for the patient named Chang Zhiyuan, and the result is normal so far, but we need to wait until the patient wakes up for further detailed investigations.¡±

    ¡°When can he wake up?¡± Lao Liang asked.

    The doctor shook his head. ¡°I can¡¯t give you a time frame. The problem right now is that everything is normal so far. It¡¯s better to have found something during our investigations and treat symptomatically. A brain injury can be disastrous. I¡¯m worried that there are some injuries at the cellr level and there¡¯s no manifestation of signs and symptoms yet, so we can only wait until he regains consciousness.¡± Lao Liang then asked, ¡°When can he wake up?¡±

    ¡°Truth be told, this is just a district hospital. Our facilities aren¡¯t as good as tertiary referral hospitals.¡±

    ¡°Is it alright to transfer Chang Zhiyuan to B City in his current condition?¡± Lao Liang asked again.

    The doctor mentioned everything should be fine and Lao Liang nodded to indicate understanding. Then, the doctor exined Chang Jingqiu¡¯s situation.

    ¡°You can see that there¡¯s an obvious fracture here. A huge traumatic impact fractured the patient¡¯s lumbar spine and damaged the associated nerves. There¡¯s a great possibility that she¡¯ll be paralyzed even after surgical repair.¡±

    Lao Liang was stunned after hearing that. Despite his dislike toward some of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s behaviors, he had never intended to let her suffer such a great loss.

    A young, healthy beauty who was alive and kicking with such a great future ahead of her ended up being paralyzed and had to sit in a wheelchair for the rest of her life?

    ¡°You said a great possibility, does that mean she can still recover as well?¡± Lao Liang asked hopefully.

    However, the doctor shook his head again. ¡°Let me tell you the truth. Even though this is just a district hospital that doesn¡¯t receive as many patients with intractable diseases as tertiary referral hospitals, and there aren¡¯t many patients too; as a doctor, I¡¯ve received many patients with various diseases, and in my experience, no one can recover with such a serious injury.¡±

    ¡°The only reason why we¡¯ll say this is because we need to take care of the family members¡¯ emotions and give them hope. We don¡¯t want the family members to copse before the patient even recovers. The patient needs his family members¡¯ guidance and support for closure too. I think you¡¯re not the type who needs others to deceive and give you false hope, and you seem to have a strong mind too,, that¡¯s why I¡¯m telling you the truth. I hope you¡¯re fully prepared,¡± the doctor continued.

    Lao Liang nodded in response. Even a bystander like him had trouble epting this information, so what kind of reaction Chang Jingqiu could possibly have after realizing this fact?

 Chapter 461 - Even a Pig Would Not Grow so Fast by Force-feeding

    <strong>Chapter 461: Even a Pig Would Not Grow so Fast by Force-feeding</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    However, Lao Liang figured that there was still hope. After all, it was just a district hospital. The doctors or facilities were iparable with the hospital in B City.

    ¡°Can we transfer her to the hospital in B City? Our home is in B City and it¡¯ll be more convenient to receive treatment there,¡± asked Lao Liang.

    There was no mention of Lao Liang¡¯s distrust in the district hospital.

    Moreover, Lao Liang could not make arbitrary decisions since he was not one of their family members. It was better to leave the decision making to the Chang family, thus, it was safer to transfer both of them to the hospital in B City.

    On top of that, the doctor understood the situation too. The doctors would still refer the patients from viges to tertiary referral hospitals when the district hospitalcked facilities to treat their diseases. The doctors¡¯ experiences and facilities in the district hospital were simply inferior to those ss Three Grade A Hospitals 1 in the cities. This was the truth and there was nothing to be unhappy about it.

    ¡°No problem, we¡¯ll immobilize the fracture temporarily so that she can reach the hospital in B City without further injury,¡± the doctor answered.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen went straight to the Qi family manor after they were done enjoying their honeymoon. They were fetched by Xiao Fan, who was instructed by Grandfather Qi, directly from the airport.

    Grandmother Qi pulled Ruan Danchen over and examined her carefully from head to toe the moment she stepped into the house. After noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s ruddyplexion and chubbiness, Grandmother Qi rxed immediately.

    ¡°How¡¯s the trip? Are you tired?¡± Grandmother Qi was worried about Ruan Danchen since her pregnancy was still in the early trimester.

    ¡°He brought me on a holiday. We slept in at the hotel every day before departing to our destinations by car. He would insist on resting after a short while of walking before going for food and drinks afterward,¡± Ruan Danchen squeezed her own cheek.

    ¡°I feel like my cheeks are getting chubbier even though I don¡¯t see much changes when I look into the mirror every day.¡±

    Grandmother Qi was exhrated after listening to Ruan Danchen. ¡°That¡¯s right! It¡¯s better to be chubby!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen squeezed her cheeks again before shifting her gaze to Qi Chenglin. There was something fishy going on with Qi Chenglin forcing food down her throat to fatten her up and it was notpletely due to her pregnancy too.

    Ruan Danchen could feel a conspiracy going on for some inexplicable reason, but the mystery remained unsolved even after racking her brain for quite some time.

    However, Ruan Danchen figured the conspiracy theory was just her imagination after looking at Qi Chenglin¡¯s calm and honest expression.

    Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows curiously after Ruan Danchen fixed her gaze on him for quite some time.

    ¡°By the way, where¡¯s Youxuan?¡± Ruan Danchen noticed that the living room was way too quiet. Not only was the kid nowhere to be seen, even Little Youjin, who was supposed to be the kid¡¯spanion, was absent too.

    ¡°They¡¯re taking a nap in the room. Judging by the time, they should wake up anytime soon. You guys just got back so you have to get adequate rest. I¡¯ll ask Aunt Liu to cook Fried Pork in Scoop tonight,¡± Xia Wenna answered.

    Ruan Danchen swallowed her saliva with a loud slurp and sat together with Qi Chenglin on the sofa. ¡°Great, I miss home-cooked meals. The architecture in Europe is splendid and it has an awesome environment. It was a very good experience to sum it up, but I wasn¡¯t used to their taste in food and drinks. Now I feel full whenever I smell the scent of bread and pizzas. I won¡¯t have an appetite even if I¡¯m famished because all of them have almost the same taste.¡±

    ¡°The food that I craved the most when we were in Europe was instant noodles, but it was a pity that I couldn¡¯t eat it yet.¡± While caressing her abdomen, Ruan Danchen figured that her sense of taste had deteriorated.

    ¡°Youngdy, you can have as much food as you want tonight,¡± Xia Wenna replied as she had no idea how to react appropriately after listening to Ruan Danchen.

    While Ruan Danchen was distributing the souvenirs she purchased in Europe to the family members, a clear and melodious sound of a child traveled to her ears. ¡°Mom, mom, where¡¯s mine? What did you buy for me? Is it chocte? Cheese? German sausage? Pork knuckle?¡±

    Ruan Danchen took out a box and answered, ¡°I brought chocte for you. There are various kinds in the box, but you¡¯re not allowed to eat so many at a time.¡±

    ¡°Youjin¡¯s still asleep?¡± asked Xia Wenna.

    Then, they heard a thunderous cry of a baby.

    ¡°Well, he knows somebody misses him, so he¡¯s awake now,¡± Song Yu replied and proceeded to carry Little Youjin out of the room.

    Ruan Danchen was frozen to the spot. They had been away for only ten days, what in the world did Little Youjin go through during this period?

    ¡°What have you done to your little brother?¡± The corner of Qi Chenglin¡¯s eyes twitched uncontrobly due to shock too.

    Little Youjin had gotten so chubby in merely ten days!

    A delicate pinkish baby had turned out to be a huge dango!

    Even a pig would not grow so fast by force-feeding!

    ¡°Nothing. I just want to share delicious food with my little brother.¡± The kid¡¯s response sounded especially innocent and pure. There was absolutely no way that he would admit his intention to fatten his little brother.

    ¡°My little brother¡¯s too greedy! He¡¯ll look at me immediately whenever I start eating my dessert, and he¡¯ll just keep on staring at me or start crying until I share my food with him. He¡¯s so scary!

    His drooling saliva can be very long when that happens too!¡± The kid gestured with his hands and continued, ¡°He seems to have some sort of superpowers too. He¡¯ll wake up immediately from his nap the moment I start having my food.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi was at the end of his forbearance and replied, ¡°He won¡¯t wake up if you stop eating food with strong aroma right beside him on purpose.¡±

    This brat fed his son with malevolence!

    Since this brat was growing chubby, he disallowed his little brother to be more handsome than him. Such an evil-minded boy!

    Little Youjin was getting a little too heavy for Song Yu to carryfortably at the moment.

    Little Youjin stared curiously at the beautifully decorated boxes of different sizes on the coffee table and waved his chubby arms restlessly as he reached out to them excitedly.

    Song Yu was almost drenched in sweat and quickly ced Little Youjin on the carpet out of worry that the burden may slip from her arms identally.

    The short-limbed Little Youjin crawled toward the coffee table, propped himself up with his elbows and stood up with his chubby hands supporting the edge of the coffee table. His eyes lit up brightly at the sight of those exquisitely designed boxes on the table.

    ¡°Ah! Ooh-ooh, ah-ah! Ooh-ah!¡±¡®Food! Was there any delicious food? Feed me, quickly!¡¯

    ¡°We bought some food which is suitable for Youjin¡¯s current age such as rice noodles and fruit-vored nutrition powder for kids,¡± Ruan Danchen said and then pointed at one of the bags beside the table which was full of food products. ¡°We bought formted milk powder for both Chengyue and my future babies too. It¡¯s preparation in advance.¡±

    Little Youjin seemed to have understood Ruan Danchen¡¯s statement. He released his grip on the coffee table and stumbled forward, falling on all fours onto the carpet.

    However, safety precautions had been implemented to prevent possible injuries to children, not only for Little Youjin but also for the future baby in Qi Chengyue¡¯s womb.

    All the Qi family members had reced their original carpets with thicker and softer carpets. The Qi family manor, both Xia Wenna and Guan Liya¡¯s houses, and even Qi Chengyue, Song Yu, and Ruan Danchen¡¯s houses had implemented the same method too.

    Thus, Little Youjin did not feel pain at all after falling down or perhaps he ignored the pain when there was delicious food right in front of him. With his chubby limbs, he crawled swiftly toward the bag, pushed it down and took the boxes of different sizes out of the bag.

    Brightly-colored and attractive food designs adorned the boxes of baby food products. Little Youjin¡¯s eyes lit up and his saliva streamed onto the boxes uncontrobly, making a few wet stains on them.

    ¡°Ah-ah-ah-ah!¡±¡®Hungry!¡¯

    Little Youjin took one of the smaller boxes into his embosom, which appeared especially big inparison with his small size. The box basically blocked all of him except for his limbs and small head. Fortunately, it contained powdery products only, so it was not heavy at all.

    Then, Little Youjin tapped the box and waved his hands with joy. ¡°Ah-ah-ah!¡±¡®Hungry. Fed me!¡¯

    Obviously, Qi Youxuan had formed an intimate friendship with his little brother after these ten days. Most of the time, the adults would not understand Little Youjin¡¯s babbling but Qi Youxuan could understand him perfectly.

    Thus, the kid moved to Little Youjin¡¯s side and pointed at the pink-colored box in his embrace. ¡°Aunt, Youjin¡¯s hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was left speechless.

    Normally, her son would not feel hungry. Her son¡¯s huge appetite was all thanks to her nephew!

    However, Song Yu must feed Youjin since he was hungry.

    No one could understand her sorrow.

    The gaze Song Yu gave Ruan Danchen was full of sadness and seemed to convey a message. ¡®Look at your son¡¯s work. My son has almost be a pig after your son¡¯s persistent feeding.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen coughed awkwardly and turned around to look at Qi Chenglin for help.

    Qi Chenglin merely replied Song Yu seriously, ¡°Youjin is hungry.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was at a loss for words.

    Song Yu had no choice but to take a bowl from the kitchen and open the box in Youjin¡¯s embrace. Then, she took out a packet and poured the powder and hot water into the bowl before mixing them into a thick and fragrant paste.

    Song Yu turned around to look at Youjin again, whose saliva burst forth like water from a dam.

    ¡°It¡¯s too hot right now. I¡¯ll feed you once it cools down,¡± Song Yu said grudgingly.

    Qi Youxuan took a spoonful of the paste and blew on it a few times before inserting it into his mouth. It had a savory aroma of strawberry. ¡°That¡¯s delicious!¡±

    ¡°Ah-ah-ah!¡±¡®That was mine!¡¯

    Little Youjin waved his arms frantically and anxiously.

    Thus, Song Yu blew the paste on the spoon and tested its temperature with the corner of her lips grudgingly before feeding Little Youjin.

    After Little Youjin tasted the sweet strawberry vored paste, he rubbed his legs on the thick carpet happily while putting on a joyful expression that appeared especially cute on his pinkish chubby cheeks.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you get some sleep? You need to get rid of jetg as well. Especially you, Danchen, you can¡¯t afford to be exhausted,¡± Guan Liya suggested.

    To be honest, Ruan Danchen had trouble falling asleep since her circadian rhythm was out of whack after her vacation, but she nodded so that the elders would not worry too much about her.

    However, Ruan Danchen dozed off in the end afterying on the bed for quite some time. After that, she felt a burden bowing on the bed beside hers and sensed a familiar scent from her man. Thus, she knew he was Qi Chenglin straight away without opening her eyes. Naturally, she leaned closer to Qi Chenglin and found the mostfortable spot to encircle her limbs around him like she was hugging a bolster.

    Qi Chenglin lowered his gaze to Ruan Danchen¡¯sfortable expression. He wanted to hug her in the same way too, but Ruan Danchen¡¯s move ahead of him was totally unexpected.

    However, Qi Chenglin felt ufortable being caged by Ruan Danchen. Thus, he slipped out one of his arms and legs cautiously and wrapped them around Ruan Danchen.

    Then, Qi Chenglin tightened his constriction around Ruan Danchen before falling asleep in satisfaction andfort.

    Both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen did not want to rest too much since prolonged naps may lead to insomnia during the night.

    Thus, the duo slept for approximately three hours before getting out of bed.

    Qi Chenglin slept in peace andfort when there was a delicate softness in his embosom, but hispression caused numbness over Ruan Danchen¡¯s limbs.

    When Ruan Danchen tried to lift herself with the support of her unaffected left arm, the movement sent tingles and pain to run underneath the skin of both her right limbs, which caused her to gnash her teeth in difort.

    Ruan Danchen kicked Qi Chenglin with her unaffected left leg after noticing his energetic and lively expression which was typical after adequate rest.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chenglin remained calm after noticing Ruan Danchen¡¯s difort.

    ¡°My right arm and leg are numb because of you,¡± Ruan Danchenined and started massaging her right leg.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin realized that his embrace was a little too tight just now, so he started massaging Ruan Danchen¡¯s right leg sincerely out of his guilty conscience.

    However, the initiation of blood recirction was very ufortable and even the slightest touch would induce an agonizing tingle and soreness in the affected area. Thus, when Qi Chenglin started massaging Ruan Danchen¡¯s leg, he could feel her calf muscles contracting uncontrobly.

    ¡°Hold on, you¡¯ll feel better after this,¡± Qi Chenglin had no choice but tofort Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen peeked at Qi Chenglin. Who was the cause of her current suffering?

    Qi Chenglin coughed awkwardly. ¡°My fault.¡±

    Ruan Danchen stared at Qi Chenglin who was massaging her leg with his long and slender fingers. Who could have thought the stern and reserved second Young Master of the Qi family was massaging his wife¡¯s leg earnestly and even apologized to her without the slightest unwillingness?

    Ruan Danchen felt much better after the numbness faded away gradually. Then, she gestured to Qi Chenglin to rest by moving her leg away from him.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her gaze and saw Qi Chenglin smiling faintly at her with a gentle and tolerating gaze. Such an awesome and elegant man was pleasing to her eyes, and her heart was at peace upon the realization that she was the apple of his eye.

    Ruan Danchen leaned forward and kissed him on the lips. Since the numbness in her leg had not fade awaypletely, she got off the bed and stomped her foot a few times before the sensation in her affected leg returned to normal again.

    Ruan Danchen nced at the clock which showed that it was approximately three o¡¯clock in the afternoon.

    The duo was on their way downstairs when Qi Chenglin¡¯s phone rang suddenly. It was from Jiang Yuan.

    ¡°Yes?¡± Qi Chenglin asked calmly.

    ¡°Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s wife, Mo Yuxin called me just now since she doesn¡¯t have madam and your contact numbers. She said Chang Zhiyuan and Chang Jingqiu were transferred back to B City this morning and are currently staying in Chutian Hospital at the moment.¡± Jiang Yuan hesitated before continuing, ¡°Chang Zhiyuan was unconscious and we have no idea about his current condition. She¡¯s hoping that you and madam can visit them in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°Why would Chang Zhiyuan lose consciousness?¡± Qi Chenglin asked with a frown.

    They had just returned from a vacation happily without expecting such a sudden event.

    Ruan Danchen lifted her head in surprise after listening to Qi Chenglin.

    Qi Chenglin held Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand to calm her before Jiang Yuan continued. ¡°She merely mentioned that this incident was rted to Chang Jingqiu without exining it in detail. Moreover, Chang Jingqiu was injured too, but her condition remained unknown as well. She said you¡¯ll understand everything at the hospital.¡±

    Qi Chenglin really disliked Mo Yuxin¡¯s unclear statement and cliffhanger.

    However, he figured that Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s injury was rted to an argument with Chang Jingqiu based on her statement alone too.

    Perhaps Chang Zhiyuan had found evidence that Chang Jingqiu was not born in the Chang family after all.

    ¡°Understood,¡± Qi Chenglin hung up the phone call and exined the situation to Ruan Danchen after noticing her worried expression.

    Before Ruan Danchen could muster a response, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to the hospital.¡±

    Ruan Danchen nodded in response. After informing the Qi family regarding this issue, they rushed to Chutian Hospital.

    Qi Chenglin gave Mo Yuxin a phone call while they were on their way to the hospital. Mo Yuxin was shocked after hearing Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice through the phone since she figured it was just a prank call when she noticed the unfamiliar phone number.

    ¡°I¡¯m at the hospital,¡± Mo Yuxin replied.

    ¡°How¡¯s Mr. Chang right now?¡± asked Qi Chenglin.

    Mo Yuxin nced at the unconscious Chang Zhiyuan on the sickbed and sighed. ¡°Not good. Investigation results are normal and yet he¡¯s still unconscious. I¡¯ve no idea when he¡¯ll regain consciousness.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way right now,¡± replied Qi Chenglin.

    After listening to Qi Chenglin, Mo Yuxin seemed to have found her pir of strength for some inexplicable reason and gave him Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s current hospital room number.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived at the hospital and searched for the hospital room number which Mo Yuxin gave them.

    The door was closed, so Qi Chenglin knocked on it and Mo Yuxin opened the door momentarily.

    Other than the unconscious Chang Zhiyuan on the sickbed and Mo Yuxin, there was a stranger in the room whom Qi Chenglin failed to recognize¡ªLao Liang.

    Mo Yuxin stared at Ruan Danchen with bloodshot eyes as they entered the room.

    ¡°He was well initially and even gave me a phone call yesterday, who could¡¯ve expected¡ª¡± Mo Yuxin wept, unable to finish her statement.

    ¡°What happened?¡± Qi Chenglin asked as he stared at Chang Zhiyuan, who was in a state of serenity, on the sickbed.

    Ruan Danchen walked toward the sickbed with a heavy chest. This was a man whom she just met on her wedding dinnerst time and he was acting with such extreme vignce just to avoid causing unhappiness to her. Chang Zhiyuan treated Ruan Danchen kindly not only because of his intimate rtionship with her biological mother or merely her character, but also due to his pure love toward his own family member.

    This sort of pure and innocent mind was exactly why Ruan Danchen was unwilling to reject Chang Zhiyuan. Ruan Danchen¡¯s kind attitude was enough to send him into a euphoric bliss, and yet he was cautious when taking her feelings into consideration and tried to prevent himself from over-demanding.

    Since Chang Zhiyuan was Ruan Danchen¡¯s family, it was reasonable for him to act affectionately. Whenever Ruan Danchen recalled his perturbed expression at that time, she would feel sad and med herself for not treating him better. She should have invited him to join them. She should not have given him a cold-eyed stare as he walked away at that time.

    Ruan Danchen made a promise ten days ago. They would visit Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin personally after they returned from their honeymoon.

    Ruan Danchen had already decided that she would treat Chang Zhiyuan differently and remained unconcerned about Grandmother Chang¡¯s affairs.

    However, a previously well and healthy man was currently lying on the sickbed without consciousness.

    Mo Yuxin was not in a good state of mind due to constant worry about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s condition.

    Lao Liang said, ¡°Hello, my name is Liang Xuebin. I¡¯m Brother Chang¡¯s friend and a private detective too. Brother Chang asked me to investigate Chang Jingqiu previously.¡±

    Then, Lao Liang exined everything from the beginning until the end.

    Ruan Danchen was digesting the information with difficulty, unsure how to react.

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu had undergone a surgical operation too. Initially, I was worried that the doctors in the district hospital had misdiagnosed or misinterpreted her condition since their facilities or physicians¡¯ experiences aren¡¯t as good as the hospital here. That was why I requested for her transfer to Chutian Hospital, but the result remained the same after consultation,¡± said Lao Liang.

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu is considered... disabled,¡± Lao Liang continued and shook his head. No matter how selfish Chang Jingqiu was, she was still a youngdy with a long future ahead of her, but now...

    ¡°She has to sit in a wheelchair in the future since her diplegia is incurable. The doctor mentioned that even the best physician will be helpless with her current condition.¡±

 Chapter 462 - Donâ€™t Even Think About Making Fun of Us

    <strong>Chapter 462: Don¡¯t Even Think About Making Fun of Us</strong>

    <strong>T</strong>rantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Mo Yuxin stared at her husband on the sickbed and her mind wandered to Chang Jingqiu who remained unconscious after the operation in the sick room opposite theirs. ¡°Who could¡¯ve expected things to turn out this way?¡±

    ¡°Why are you guys here?¡± Suddenly, the thunderous roar of an elderlydy traveled into the room. Her voice became high-pitched as anger and surprise fuelled her.

    Those in the room turned toward the door and saw Liu Xiangwen supporting Grandmother Chang at the doorstep with Chang Zhixing standing behind them.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Something in Grandmother Chang snapped the moment she saw Ruan Danchen, and she started acting like a rabid dog.

    Ruan Danchen frowned at the sight of Grandmother Chang¡¯s ferocious look. This elderlydy was Ruan Danchen¡¯s grandmother, but there was no way she could greet Grandmother Chang under such circumstances.

    Ruan Danchen could note up with an exnation because it was obvious that Grandmother Chang would not believe anything that came out of her mouth and may retaliate with harsher words toward her.

    Thus, Mo Yuxin wanted to disclose Ruan Danchen¡¯s true identity, but her attempt was interrupted by the ferocious, sharp voice of the elderlydy. ¡°You¡¯re here to make fun of us, right? My eldest son¡¯s unconscious and Jingqiu is badly injured, so you came here on purpose to make fun of us! Humph! You have such an evil mind at such a young age, karma will find you one day!¡±

    Ruan Danchen merely wanted to say that she had not done anything that gave her a guilty conscience, thus there was no need to worry about karma at all. However, it was obvious that karma seemed to have found its way to Chang Jingqiu at the moment.

    ¡°Mom, Danchen isn¡¯t here to make fun of us!¡± Mo Yuxin was fed up with Grandmother Chang. ¡°She¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you ungrateful woman!¡± The exasperated Grandmother Chang red at Mo Yuxin like she was an enemy of the Chang family and interrupted, ¡°My son is unconscious right now and Jingqiu¡¯s in the room opposite us, badly injured and unsure if she can ept her fate once she wakes up. Yet, you¡¯re speaking on Ruan Danchen¡¯s behalf? You allowed an evil-minded woman to enter the room, make fun of us and gloat over our misfortune;, can you face Zhiyuan in the future without feeling guilty?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any respect for me when you interrupted me before I¡¯m finished with my sentences? Is it because of Zhiyuan¡¯s unconsciousness that made you think that you¡¯re finally free from all restrictions and that¡¯s why you dare to bully an elderlydy like me right now? Since Zhiyuan is unconscious at the moment, decimate me all you want then!¡± Grandmother Chang glowered at Mo Yuxin.

    Grandmother Chang pressed on her chest and acted as if she was being treated very unfairly.

    ¡°Zhiyuan normally treats you so well and protects you to the extent that he was unwilling to hear my slightest criticism toward you. He would praise you every day in my presence so that you¡¯d make a good impression on me, and yet you treated me harshly right after Zhiyuan became unconscious!¡± the aggrieved Grandmother Chang yelled.

    Ruan Danchen was wondering whether Grandmother Chang would sit on the floor and wail like a kid ying tantrum.

    Grandmother Chang did not sit on the floor in the end. Instead, she held onto her youngest son¡¯s hand and wept, acting as if Mo Yuxin was an unfilial daughter-inw who tortured her after Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s death.

    Liu Xiangwen wasforting Grandmother Chang at the side, which made the situation a whole lot worse since her way offorting was utterly futile and merely added insult to injury.

    No, at least Liu Xiangwen¡¯s attempt fuelled Grandmother Chang¡¯s raging fire.

    Mo Yuxin pursed her lips tightly and refrained from arguing further due to the overwhelming anger which made her whole body tremble.

    Ruan Danchen was Grandmother Chang¡¯s biological granddaughter and Chang Jingqiu was merely a fake, and yet Grandmother Chang was scolding and criticizing her long-lost biological granddaughter for the sake of a totally unrted outsider at the moment. Mo Yuxin wondered if Grandmother Chang would regret her decision when she finally realized the truth?

    This was exactly the reason why Mo Yuxin wanted to interrupt Grandmother Chang quickly so that she would refrain from criticizing further which may bring deeper regret afterward.

    However, who could have expected Grandmother Chang to criticize Mo Yuxin with all those nonsense and balderdash?

    ¡°Mom, Zhiyuan is just unconscious and will wake up soon. Don¡¯t mention it like he¡¯s going to... going to... depart this life!¡± Mo Yuxin replied with red-rimmed eyes. Was that what a mother was supposed to do? Curse her own son?

    Even if Chang Zhiyuan was able to fully recover from his current condition, his recovery may fail after listening to his own mother¡¯s curse.

    ¡°Your constant bickering is of no use to Zhiyuan¡¯s recovery,¡± Mo Yuxin tried her best to contain her anger and continued, ¡°Danchen¡¯s here to visit Zhiyuan without any ill intention. It¡¯s impossible for her to treat Zhiyuan maliciously too. If Zhiyuan is awake right now, the person he wants to meet the most is definitely Danchen, because she¡¯s¡ª¡±

    ¡°Ah!¡± Suddenly, a loud, high-pitched scream pierced through the door of the opposite sick room and traveled into the room that they were in.

    None of them were prepared, thus all of them were startled by this sudden scream.

    Ruan Danchen even jumped at this unexpected scream. Qi Chenglin protected her quickly since she could not afford to be frightened.

    ¡°How do you feel?¡± Qi Chenglin was worried even though there were no obvious changes in Ruan Danchen¡¯s facial expression.

    Ruan Danchen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just a little bit shocked.¡±

    ¡°Mom, Jingqiu woke up. I think she realized¡ª¡± Liu Xiangwen hesitated before continuing, ¡°We should check on her and don¡¯t let her do anything stupid.¡±

    Grandmother Chang heard Liu Xiangwen and rushed to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sick room without continuing her argument with Mo Yuxin.

    Mo Yuxin nced at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. Then, Ruan Danchen said, ¡°We should go too.¡±

    Mo Yuxin nodded and led the way to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sick room. The door to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s room was left open so that they could react immediately if there was any sudden change in Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s condition.

    Lao Liang followed closely behind them too. Then, they saw an ashen-faced, fully conscious Chang Jingqiu upon entering the room.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? Why can¡¯t I feel anything? I can¡¯t feel my legs!¡± Chang Jingqiu tried to stand up, but she had undergone a surgical operation with her surgical incision sutured not long ago. Thus, her attempt to get off the bed was futile.

    The anesthetic effect had already worn off, but the doctor prescribed patient-controlled analgesics to Chang Jingqiu so that she would not feel pain on the surgical wound site. There was only a slight difort on the surgical incision but it was not obvious at all.

    Chang Jingqiu had no idea about her current condition at all. Despite the slight difort at her lower back, she did not know that there was a freshly sutured surgical incision on the site. Thus, the incision wound almost dehiscence after her sudden attempt to get up from the bed, and blood started oozing out of the wound.

    Chang Jingqiu could feel the pain in her lower back but it was not as important as theck of sensation in her lower limbs then. She could no longer care for anything else other than her legs at present.

    However, there was ack of energy in her lower back, which was fortunate because she stumbled back onto the bed after a failed attempt to get out from it.

    Chang Jingqiu tried to lift herself so that she could touch her thighs with extended arms.

    However, Chang Jingqiu could not feel her hands on her thighs at all. In reality, one could confirm that he had lost the sense of touch in his lower limbs without the need to use his hands for double confirmation.

    Chang Jingqiu was lying on the bed with a nket on her lower limbs, and yet she could not feel them at all. Even though her lower back was drained of energy, it did not require a strenuous effort to simply move her toes too.

    Even so, Chang Jingqiu failed to perform such a simple task. Her lower limbs were devoid of any sensations and felt like they were not hers anymore.

    Chang Jingqiu yearned for all of these which were natural instincts before this.

    Chang Jingqiu gritted her teeth and squeezed her thigh with all her might. The strength was enough to tear the muscles apart, and yet there was no pain at all.

    ¡°How could this be? How could this happen?¡± Despite theck of energy post-surgery, Chang Jingqiu summoned up all her strength, pinching and mming her fists vigorously on her thighs, but she felt nothing at all.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Grandmother Chang stopped Chang Jingqiu quickly after noticing her inflicting harm on herself upon entering the room under the support of Liu Xiangwen.

    ¡°Jingqiu, what are you doing?¡± Grandmother Chang walked toward Chang Jingqiu, who slumped down into the bed, drained of all energy.

    ¡°You had just undergone a surgical operation, so you need to get adequate rest. It¡¯ll be disastrous if the wound breaks down, so stop hitting yourself!¡± Grandmother Chang held Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand and advised.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen stood at the doorstep, hiding in in sight.

    Chang Jingqiu was not in the right mood at the moment, so she failed to notice them and merely stared at Grandmother Chang with an ashen-grey face.

    ¡°Grandma, what happened to me? What actually happened to me? Why is my lower back so weak? Why can¡¯t my legs feel anything right now?¡± Chang Jingqiu grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s withered wrist firmly with both her hands.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s grip strength was not enough to hurt Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang¡¯s eyes reddened at the thought of her granddaughter¡¯s future life and felt terribly sorry for her.

    ¡°Jingqiu, don¡¯t worry. There are no difficulties that can¡¯t be ovee,¡± Grandmother Chang stared at Chang Jingqiu lovingly while stroking her hair. Ruan Danchen had never witnessed such a loving gaze on Grandmother Chang¡¯s face before this.

    ¡°What does this mean? What do you mean actually? What¡¯s wrong with my legs? Is this the postoperative result? Is this due to the surgery itself? Grandma, tell me, my legs will recover after adequate rest, right? It¡¯s the anesthetic effect which causes thisck of sensation, right?¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face contorted out of fear and terror.

    Obviously, Chang Jingqiu was just fooling herself.

    How could Chang Jingqiu feel the wound on her lower back if this loss of sensation was due to the anesthesia¡¯s effect?

    However, Chang Jingqiu would rather immerse herself in lies than to face reality at the current moment. She wished someone would tell her that her loss of sensation was actually due to the postoperative anesthetic effect.

    Chang Jingqiu stared hopefully at Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang avoided making direct eye contact.

    Liu Xiangwen noticed Grandmother Chang¡¯s act and gestured to Mo Yuxin, but Mo Yuxin ignored her. There was no way Mo Yuxin wouldfort Chang Jingqiu since Chang Jingqiu was an ungrateful and viciousdy who did not deserve others to do good to her. Moreover, every word Mo Yuxin said would be wrong and Chang Jingqiu would forget every good that she did in an instant.

    Liu Xiangwen had no choice since she could not let Grandmother Chang be the bad cop.

    Coincidentally, Grandmother Chang gestured to Liu Xiangwen to exin the situation. Thus, Liu Xiangwen muttered. ¡°Jingqiu, the doctor said that your lower back was badly injured and the associated nerves were damaged, so... your legs...¡±

    ¡°No! That¡¯s impossible! I was fine before this! How could this...¡± Chang Jingqiu yelled.

    ¡°Your lower back received a huge traumatic impact¡ª¡± Liu Xiangwen was reluctant to continue the exnation but deep down, she did not feel much sympathy at all.

    Liu Xiangwen was merely trying to ingratiate Grandmother Chang when she treated Chang Jingqiu well and fawned over her. Since Chang Jingqiu would establish her superiority over Liu Xiangwen asionally, she would be out of her mind to like Chang Jingqiu sincerely.

    In any case, Liu Xiangwen was Chang Jingqiu¡¯s aunt¡ªan elder after all.

    Chang Jingqiu was frozen to the spot. Where there should be memories was nk space and her mind was in a whirl after waking up to such a shocking realization.

    After listening to Liu Xiangwen, memories started flowing back to Chang Jingqiu slowly but surely like broken memory shards piecing themselves together in her brain.

    Chang Jingqiu recalled the vige where Huang Pinggui stayed, how she inflicted harm on herself to gain Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s trust and rolled down the slope on purpose when Chang Zhiyuan shoved her aside near the declivity.

    It was supposed to be a good n, but who could have expected Chang Jingqiu to ram into a tree trunk with such a huge force.

    Finally, Chang Jingqiu recalled the excruciating pain in her lower back when she came to an absolute stop beside the tree, which sent shivers down her spine. She must have injured her lower back at that time.

    There was no way Chang Jingqiu would decide to roll down the slope on purpose if she knew this was the oue.

    Then, Grandmother Chang advised after a while. ¡°Jingqiu, you¡¯re still young. We¡¯ll live through this together. Besides, medical technologies are advancing every year. Look at the current medical technologies and equipment, they were invented only recently! There may be a cure for your condition a few yearster and you can finally walk at that time, so the most important thing right now is to get better yourself. That way, your recovery will be better when the opportunity arises.¡±

    However, Grandmother Chang¡¯s advice ended up being futile as Chang Jingqiu was immersed in her train of thought, fixing her mind on an image of her crashing into a tree trunk.

    ¡°It was uncle... uncle wanted to shove me aside, that was why...¡± Chang Jingqiu mumbled absent-mindedly. Then, she held onto Grandmother Chang¡¯s hand firmly and said bitterly, ¡°Grandma, what should I do? What will be of me? I¡¯m paralyzed! Not crippled, but paralyzed! Even a crippled man can walk!¡±

    Grandmother Chang sighed and tried to avoid direct eye contact while Chang Jingqiu continued, ¡°Is that how I¡¯m supposed to live in the future? Grandma, I¡¯m only twenty-seven years old, I don¡¯t want to sit in a wheelchair for my whole life! Who¡¯ll think highly of me in my paralyzed state? Uncle... how can he be so cruel toward me... what... what will be of me? Grandma, I don¡¯t want to end up like this! I don¡¯t want to sit in a wheelchair or lie down in bed my whole life like a useless person! I want my legs to be normal again so that I can stand up myself! Boohoo! How I wish I didn¡¯t roll down the slope, I want to go back in time to reverse everything! Boohoo... What should I do? What should I do! My legs! My legs! Let me stand up! Let me stand up!¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s heart wrenched at the sight of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s pathetic state, and she directed her anger at Chang Zhiyuan after realizing the reason why Chang Jingqiu rolled down the slope. However, she seemed to have forgotten the fact that Chang Zhiyuan remained unconscious with his fate unknown.

    On the other hand, Mo Yuxin was well aware of the situation.

    Mo Yuxin had enough of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s selfishness andined coldly, ¡°Since you mentioned Zhiyuan, did you ask about your uncle¡¯s condition after you woke up? He was trying to save you and ended up rolling down the slope together with you at that time.¡±

    However, Liu Xiangwen grabbed Mo Yuxin¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Sister-inw, don¡¯t make a fuss about this with Jingqiu. Understandably, she had forgotten to inquire about her uncle¡¯s condition since she had just taken a huge hit herself too.¡±

    Grandmother Chang expressed her dissatisfaction too, but Mo Yuxin sneered at Liu Xiangwen and mocked, ¡°Now you¡¯re siding with her, but will you continue your unfailing support on her after realizing that she isn¡¯t the granddaughter of the Chang family?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen was at a loss at the moment, puzzled at Mo Yuxin¡¯s baffling statement. ¡°Sister-inw, I know you¡¯re not in a good mood after big brother got into an ident, so why don¡¯t you take a rest and apany him in the meantime?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu stared at Mo Yuxin with shock and fear, and at that moment, she realized that Lao Liang was standing beside Mo Yuxin too.

    Lao Liang was at the scene when everything happened.

    Mo Yuxin stared disdainfully at Liu Xiangwen and scoffed, ¡°Jingqiu, why don¡¯t you exin the reason why your uncle shoved you aside? Why don¡¯t you exin the reason for your sudden appearance in a vige in J City? That¡¯s so far from here, and never once you went there ever since we came to B City, so why did you return suddenly after so many years to a vige that you¡¯ve never visited before? Your uncle cares for you and will try his very best to get everything that you like or want, so why don¡¯t you exin the reason for his sudden annoyance at you, your arguments and how he ended up rolling down the slope together with you?¡±

    Qi Chenglin lowered his gaze to Ruan Danchen, who may be affected emotionally after listening to Mo Yuxin.

    Since Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s love and affection was meant for Ruan Danchen all along.

    Ruan Danchen felt Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze and lifted her gaze to meet his. Then, she squeezed Qi Chenglin¡¯s palm gently and smiled softly to indicate that she was not bothered at all.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s gaze was soft as he stopped worrying about Ruan Danchen then.

    On the other hand, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze was bing flustered and unsettled. Her legs were not the main concern anymore since it was her glorious future that wasing to an end. She really had no idea how to survive with such a gloomy future ahead of her.

    ¡°Jingqiu, don¡¯t you n on exining? I think it¡¯s best for you to tell the truth yourself.¡± Mo Yuxin gave Chang Jingqiu a chance to confess since it brought a different meaning for self-admission than to hear the truth from others.

    The ashen-grey faced Chang Jingqiu¡¯s gaze drifted uncontrobly out of fear and worry.

    Chang Jingqiu stared at Mo Yuxin and nced at the confused Liu Xiangwen who had no idea what was going on before shifting her gaze to Grandmother Chang and ended up looking at Chang Zhixing, who was standing close to the door. Then, she froze.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were standing at the doorstep!

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s mock embedded in Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind. Chang Jingqiu shuddered and rolled her eyes before passing out.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Grandmother Chang yelled anxiously before Chang Zhixing pressed the nurse call bell at the head end of the bed. After the doctor examined thoroughly and concluded that everything was fine, Grandmother Chang red at Mo Yuxin.

    ¡°What are you doing? Don¡¯t you know she¡¯s badly injured? What was going through your mind when you provoked her? Can you ept it if you stay paralyzed for the next sixty or seventy years of your life?¡± Grandmother Chang stood up and pointed right at Mo Yuxin¡¯s nose. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Jingqiu and she certainly doesn¡¯t need you to like her, so if you don¡¯t have any sympathy toward her, get out of the room at once!¡±

    ¡°You!¡± Grandmother Chang turned toward Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen. ¡°Get out of the room! Don¡¯t even think about making fun of us!¡±

    ¡°Mom, are you sure you want them out of the room? You want your biological granddaughter to get lost for the sake of a fake granddaughter?¡± Mo Yuxin replied coldly.

    Grandmother Chang was an awesome woman during her youth, but unlike Grandmother Qi who remained unambiguous and clear-cut on any affairs. The phrase ¡®more hair than wit¡¯ perfectly described Grandmother Chang¡¯s awesomeness, but somehow she still assumed that she was an intelligentdy who contributed a lot to the family.

    Grandfather Chang was there to control Grandmother Chang at that time, but after he passed away, Grandmother Chang¡¯s behavior became more outrageous and unreasonable. Her sons would notin unless absolutely necessary due to filial piety, which resulted in her troublesome attitude.

    Grandmother Chang was stunned and confused after listening to Mo Yuxin as if the statement was difficult to understand.

    Words finally escaped Grandmother Chang¡¯s mouth after a while. ¡°What... what did you say just now? What do you mean?¡±

 Chapter 463 - I Beg You, Donâ€™t Disown Me

    <strong>Chapter 463: I Beg You, Don¡¯t Disown Me</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Don¡¯t you think that whatever happened in J City was a coincidence?¡± Mo Yuxin asked. ¡°Zhiyuan went to J City to look for Chang Jingqiu¡¯s parents and he found them. It just so happened that Chang Jingqiu found out. I think she¡¯s guilty and afraid of her true status being revealed, so she rushed there to get her parents to shut up. Who would¡¯ve known that she would bump into Zhiyuan there? Zhiyuan wanted toe back and reveal the truth, but she got into a tangle with him and fell off a cliff.¡±

    At that point, Lao Liang took out his voice recorder and yed back the conversation. He then spoke at great length about what happened, in far more detail than Mo Yuxin.

    Shocked, Grandmother Chang looked at Mo Yuxin, then at Lao Liang, and finally at the dazed Chang Jingqiu, though it was not known whether she fainted or was simply feigning it.

    ¡°IMPOSSIBLE!¡± Grandmother Chang shrieked. ¡°YOU¡¯RE ALL LYING TO ME! Mo Yuxin, you banded with a bunch of outsiders just to trick me! YOU SINNER! Why did Zhiyuan get married to such a toxic wife like you? Once he copsed, you attacked me and you¡¯re not even letting Jingqiu out of it! What¡¯s the meaning of this! Do you really want to cause trouble for our family!¡±

    ¡°Old Lady, if you don¡¯t trust us, we¡¯ll let Miss Chang do a DNA test with the couple. I¡¯ve already sent people to J City to bring the couple back,¡± Lao Liang said calmly.

    As a private investigator, Lao Liang met plenty of people before, and he encountered several weirdos during investigations. Despite his seemingly calm demeanor in front of Grandmother Chang, deep in his heart, he could not help himself frommenting on how Grandmother Chang was one of the craziest persons he had ever seen.

    Grandmother Chang felt choked. ¡°You... How do you expect me to believe it when it¡¯s alling from you? There¡¯s no such thing!¡±

    She could not refrain from looking at Ruan Danchen and suspecting whether it was Ruan Danchen who was trying to exact revenge on her!

    Qi Chenglin was truly incensed by the olddy. She still despised Ruan Danchen during such a time and did not even think about how Ruan Danchen had no intention of acknowledging her.

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to look at her like that.¡± Qi Chenglin¡¯s voice was biting cold. ¡°She doesn¡¯t value the Chang family¡¯s status. Your family can¡¯tpare to the Qi family and the Ruan family. Do you think Danchen wants to be known as Miss Chang? What she¡¯s doing is nothing more than a reciprocation of his kindness and good treatment of her. Within the family, Ruan Danchen is only worried about him. She doesn¡¯t care about others. She¡¯s always busy and doesn¡¯t have the time to cook up something just to annoy you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin shot a look of despise toward Grandmother Chang. ¡°You¡¯re the one who thinks you¡¯re the sh*t, and you think everyone¡¯s the same as you. If it wasn¡¯t because of this ident, she would¡¯ve never told you who she was.¡±

    ¡°YOU...!¡± Grandmother Chang grasped her chest in agony due to Qi Chenglin¡¯s words.

    At that point, a nurse came. ¡°The patient in room 605 is already awake. Family members are allowed toe and take a look.¡±

    Grandmother Chang stood up suddenly. Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin were at the door, so the two of them were the first to return to the opposite ward.

    Mo Yuxin pushed aside Liu Xiangwen and Chang Zhixing to catch up with them.

    Liu Xiangwen then helped Grandmother Chang up with Chang Zhixing before going to the ward opposite. None of them noticed it, but when they left, Chang Jingqiu opened her eyes slowly and began looking to the opposite in helplessness. Soon after, her mind began plotting a scheme.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen went into the ward first and saw Chang Zhiyuan with his eyes open. His condition did not look too good, but when he saw Ruan Danchen and Qi Chenglin, his face immediately filled with glee.

    ¡°You...¡± Chang Zhiyuan uttered weakly.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. You¡¯re not well after waking up, so in the meantime, speak less,¡± Ruan Danchen advised. She noticed that he wanted to get up, so she went over and adjusted the bed so his body was upright.

    ¡°ZHIYUAN!¡± Mo Yuxin ran over with reddened eyes. ¡°Do you feel unwell anywhere?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan shook his head. Such a slight movement was enough to make his head hurt and he frowned unwittingly.

    The doctor came forth to make an inspection. His brain was already scanned earlier and there was no problem, but such a scan should not be done too frequently.

    Therefore, the doctor checked his eyes and throat before examining other parts of his body. Chang Zhiyuan would need to stay at the hospital for further inspection, and the doctor subsequently left with the nurse.

    ¡°What¡¯s this all about? Your wife says Jingqiu isn¡¯t my granddaughter! Ridiculous!¡± Instead of asking about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s health, the first thing Grandmother Chang asked when she came in was about the Chang Jingqiu.

    Chang Zhiyuan frowned, as his mother¡¯s voice was so noisy that he felt his head ache.

    ¡°Mom, Zhiyuan just woke up. Let him rest,¡± Mo Yuxin said helplessly.

    At times, she wondered if Chang Zhiyuan was really Grandmother Chang¡¯s biological son.

    The olddy treated Chang Zhixing extremely well. He had good character and conformed with society¡¯s norms when it came to work-rted matters, but one w he had was his inability to control Liu Xiangwen and her constant ill-will.

    Grandmother Chang liked Chang Zhixing more, though. She treated him in an amiable manner, cared for his well-being, and thought of him whenever there was something good.

    Chang Zhiyuan, on the other hand, did the most for the family. Chang Zhixing was not particrly up to the task despite his good character and work ethic. Other than the Chang family¡¯s strong foundation, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s hard work was one of the reasons why the Chang family could be in such a position, and also why Grandmother Chang could live such afortable life.

    If not for Chang Zhiyuan, the Chang family would be doomed to spend all their wealth without generating any ie.

    In spite of that, a hardworking son like him earned nothing but dissatisfaction from Grandmother Chang, no matter what he did. If he did something good, it was considered as something that he ought to have done; if he did something badly, then he was med for being incapable.

    Grandmother Chang had that same attitude yet again, making Mo Yuxin feel incredibly unhappy.

    ¡°Water...¡± Chang Zhiyuan asked strenuously.

    Mo Yuxin immediately grabbed the bottle of mineral water that she bought earlier that morning, opened it, then took a straw so Chang Zhiyuan could drink slowly.

    Chang Zhiyuan drank a few sips only. The straw was thin thus requiring him to use more energy, and he truly did not have any energy left in him.

    A throbbing pain assailed his hindbrain, and after a while, he struggled and said, ¡°Yuxin¡¯s right.¡±

    Seeing that Lao Liang was present too, he said, ¡°Lao Liang knows everything in detail.¡±

    The olddy was in shock, and before she could even react, she heard a loud thump from the opposite.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Liu Xiangwen stood the furthest at that time.

    She turned around and looked at Chang Jingqiu sprawled on the floor.

    At that point, her waist was immobile. She plopped helplessly on the floor, and her lower back had some traces of blood.

    Chang Jingqiu looked at them and clenched her jaw. She ced her palms on the floor and wanted to crawl over to them.

    ¡°Jingqiu! What are you doing!¡± Liu Xiangwen screamed.

    Grandmother Chang saw it too, and while walking over, she said, ¡°Your injuries are too serious. Why don¡¯t you know how to cherish yourself right now!¡±

    ¡°Push...push me...over!¡± Chang Zhiyuan said after noticing that there was a wheelchair prepared.

    Qi Chenglin and Chang Zhixing helped Chang Zhiyuan onto the wheelchair. Grandmother Chang¡¯s cries were then heard. ¡°ZHIXING! COME HERE! Help Jingqiu up!¡±

    Chang Zhixing rushed over, but before he could carry her up, Chang Jingqiu had grabbed on tightly to Grandmother Chang¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Grandma, don¡¯t throw me away Grandma!¡± Chang Jingqiu cried and said. ¡°I don¡¯t care whose child I am, but I¡¯m only going to acknowledge you as my grandma. You¡¯re the one who raised me since I was young, to protect me, and to love me. I treat you as my only family in this world! Grandma, please don¡¯t leave me, I beg you. Please don¡¯t leave me, I¡¯m scared! I¡¯m really scared!

    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything. I don¡¯t know anything now. Since I was young, you were always there with me, even from when I was still a baby that couldn¡¯t remember anything. I was told that I¡¯m the Chang family¡¯s daughter, your granddaughter, but after twenty-seven years, I¡¯m suddenly told that it was all a mistake, and I¡¯m not your granddaughter. The family I thought was family is no longer my family. What am I going to do? What¡¯s going to happen to me?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu remained on the floor, raising her head and crying pitiably without letting Chang Zhixing touch her.

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ve always treated you as my closest family. You¡¯re all my family! You are, aren¡¯t you? All of a sudden, you¡¯re not, and you don¡¯t want to care for me anymore, don¡¯t you? You want to take away all that love you¡¯ve shown me in the past, don¡¯t you? Grandma, I can¡¯t bear to part with you. Look at me, I¡¯m your Jingqiu! I¡¯m your Jingqiu!

    ¡°When I was young, I was scared of the dark when I slept alone in my room for the first time. You were the one who got worried about me and came to see me, to coax me to sleep. You¡¯re the one who told stories to me every night. When there was thunder, you hugged me to sleep. You told me that I¡¯m your granddaughter¡ªthe granddaughter you love the most. No matter what happens, you said you¡¯ll love me and care for me always, and you¡¯ll never leave me alone by myself. You¡¯re the one who said that I still have you even though my parents are gone. Grandma, will I not have this anymore from now onward?

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the Chang family status, and I don¡¯t care about all the mor, but I care for my family! I care about you! In the future...will I not have the opportunity to call you Grandma again in the future? Will I be without family in the future?¡± Chang Jingqiu cried and eximed, with her entire body shaking terribly.

    ¡°Jingqiu.¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s heart was unable to take it after seeing Chang Jingqiu in such a state. ¡°Get up first. You¡¯re still injured.¡±

    Even Grandmother Chang was unable to do something so heartless.

    After all, she raised Chang Jingqiu for twenty-seven years and had always been loving the young woman as her own granddaughter.

    Grandmother Chang loved Chang Jingqiu so much because Chang Jingqiu was always beside her since thetter was young. Grandmother Chang ced a lot of effort on Chang Jingqiu, rivaling that of Chang Zhixing and Chang Jianan, even.

    One might say that Chang Jingqiu was never separated from Grandmother Chang when Chang Jingqiu was still young. They were always together, every single day.

    Grandmother Chang poured out her heart for Chang Jingqiu. One could have feelings for an ordinary adopted child, or even a pet of any kind, more so, when it was someone that she sincerely loved for twenty-seven years.

    As for Ruan Danchen, Grandmother Chang looked unfavorably toward her in the past, souring their rtionship. The dislike was genuine, and even if there was evidence saying that Ruan Danchen was her true granddaughter, the feelings could never bepared to how she weed Chang Jingqiu into the house early on.

    Even if Grandmother Chang did not have any sort of misunderstanding with Ruan Danchen, they were not close, especially not whenpared to Chang Jingqiu, whom Grandmother Ruan loved for twenty-seven years.

    Moreover, Grandmother Chang was genuinely unwilling to acknowledge Ruan Danchen as her granddaughter.

    Having entered into a deadlock during past interactions, Grandmother Chang did not want to meet her at all. It would be like a p in the face if the woman she so looked down on in the past became her granddaughter.

    Simply looking at Ruan Danchen¡¯s face invoked anger in Grandmother Chang, making her feel extremely moody. Deep down, she thought that it would have been better off maintaining the present situation, or treat it as though nothing happened in the first ce.

    Looking at Chang Jingqiu lying on the ground, grabbing her legs, and crying so fervently, Grandmother Chang could not bring herself to do it.

    ¡°Grandma, I¡¯ll be alone without you in the future. Those two people who gave birth to me... Those two... I won¡¯t acknowledge them! They¡¯re not good people. They don¡¯t treat me as their daughter. I won¡¯t have a family anymore. Grandma, I¡¯m scared! I¡¯m really scared! I just want to be beside you, to be filial toward you. Even if you don¡¯t want to acknowledge me, at least let me be by your side. I beg you, let me stay beside you, to care for you. As long as you let me... let me have a chance to stay beside you, I¡¯ll be content. Grandma...¡±

    Grandmother Chang wiped her tears and helped Chang Jingqiu up. ¡°You silly child. What¡¯s this nonsense you¡¯re talking about! How could I just leave you like that? This is twenty-seven years of feelings. Do you think they can be severed just like that? What kind of person do you take your grandma for? Your body can¡¯t take it now and your scar is open. How could you not take care of yourself better?¡±

    ¡°Zhixing, why are you staring so nkly for? Come and quickly help Jingqiu onto the bed,¡± Grandmother Chang said.

    Liu Xiangwen swiftly pressed the doorbell and called the nurses over. They then dealt with Chang Jingqiu¡¯s wound once more.

    ¡°Grandma, you won¡¯t disown me, right?¡± Lying on the sickbed, Chang Jingqiu grasped the olddy¡¯s hand. She looked as though she was yearning, and at the same time, there was apprehensiveness too.

    It clearly looked as though she wanted to get closer to the olddy, but current circumstances made her wary of doing so.

    Her demeanor made Grandmother Chang pity her. ¡°Silly child. Grandma won¡¯t disown you, of course. Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll be the same now as we were in the past. Take care of your body. Even if you can¡¯t recover from this, Grandma will take care of you for your whole life.¡±

    ¡°Grandma! I¡¯m so d I still have you. It¡¯s good to still have you! When Uncle told me about this, you have no idea how scared I was. I... I was afraid you wouldn¡¯t want me, and I was afraid I wouldn¡¯t have a family anymore. No one loves me like you do, and I¡¯m scared you¡¯ll hate me because of that. I¡¯m afraid you¡¯ll despise me instead of loving me. Grandma...¡± Chang Jingqiu hugged the olddy¡¯s arm and cried out.

    ¡°Silly child, don¡¯t think so much. Grandma still loves you,¡± Grandmother Chang said lovingly.

    Ruan Danchen watched the unfathomable sight before her. That unreasonable olddy showed that side of her and could even have such a good rtionship with someone that had no blood rtions with her at all.

    Ruan Danchen shook his head and felt that it was all up to fate. Some people were linked by fate and had no regard for blood ties, just like Grandmother Chang and Chang Jingqiu. Some were destined the opposite way, like how Grandmother Chang still did not like Ruan Danchen.

    It was then that Ruan Danchen calmed down. She continued to hold Grandmother Chang¡¯s hand¡ªjust like a three-year-old kid, afraid that the olddy would disown her.

    Grandmother Chang was not angry at all. She turned to re at Chang Zhiyuan and said, ¡°If you want to find those people, then find them! Why did you need to scare her like that! She¡¯s all good, but because of you, she¡¯s be like this now!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s face paled. He looked at the olddy, then at Chang Jingqiu, before lowering his gaze and keeping quiet.

    ¡°You can leave. We¡¯ll talk more when those two people from J City arrive,¡± Grandmother Chang said to Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen.

    The couple ignored her and treated it as though they did not hear what she said.

    Mo Yuxin pushed Chang Zhiyuan into his ward. Qi Chenglin, along with Chang Zhixing, carried Chang Zhiyuan up into his bed.

    Chang Zhixing looked at Ruan Danchen with a convoluted expression. He did not know what to say to a niece that somehow just popped out of nowhere.

    Who would have known that the wife of the Qi family¡¯s second young master was his niece?

    In fact, he was very ted deep down. After all, there were numerous benefits to being associated with the Qi family, and he would not mind Chang Jingqiu at all.

    However, Liu Xiangwen and Chang Jianan offended Ruan Danchen multiple times in the past. He would have to figure out a way to mend their rtionship. He ought to tell Liu Xiangwen and enlighten her to not continuously fawn over Chang Jingqiu so frequently.

    As he thought of that, Liu Xiangwen appeared right at the entrance, though she did not go in. She simply told Chang Zhixing, ¡°I¡¯ll take care of Jingqiu. Send Mom home.¡±

    Chang Zhixing frowned. Things had already escted to such an extent and Qi Chenglin clearly did not like Chang Jingqiu, so why the hell was Liu Xiangwen trying to curry favor with Chang Jingqiu?

    He turned to Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin, saying, ¡°Big Brother, I¡¯ll send Mom home ande visit you again.¡±

    When he went out, he saw that Grandmother Chang there, so it was inappropriate to be saying anything to Liu Xiangwen. He could only do so after sending Grandmother Chang back.

    It was then that Chang Zhiyuan sighed. He turned to Ruan Danchen and said, ¡°Don¡¯t take Mom¡¯s attitude to heart.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Ruan Danchen shook her head.

    Chang Zhiyuan saw that and realized that she had no feelings toward Grandmother Chang whatsoever. Nothing the olddy said or done would have any effect on Ruan Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen was also able to see the way Grandmother Chang treated Chang Zhiyuan. In her mind, she felt that he was unfairly treated, but she did not say anything because it was an issue within their family.

    If Chang Zhiyuan did not say anything, she had no right to be saying anything either.

    Mo Yuxin could not suppress the unfairness she was feeling, and it showed on her face. Chang Zhiyuan held her hand and said, ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m the one responsible for her paralysis. Since Mom doesn¡¯t intend to chase her away and still wants to take care of her, I can feel relieved. If Mom really did drive her away, to be honest with you, I don¡¯t think I would be able to just leave her like that.¡±

    Mo Yuxin did not want to be bothered by Chang Jingqiu. Chang Zhiyuan then said, ¡°From now on, you don¡¯t need to worry about her like how you didst time. She¡¯s now our niece and it¡¯s already kind of us to raise her as though she was part of the Chang family. She¡¯s injured and her body might not recover, but there¡¯s nothing we can do. To be fair, I don¡¯t think Mom will want to keep her if she wasn¡¯t in the state she is right now. It¡¯s a loss and a gain. You¡¯ve more than made up for it, and other than that, there¡¯s nothing else we can do.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan would have been alright with treating Chang Jingqiu as his niece just as before, that is if he did not know what kind of person Chang Jingqiu truly was.

    Back at J City, he saw her true colors, and at some point, she might betray them for her own interests.

    That was why he could not bring himself closer to Chang Jingqiu. Even if she was left in such a state, he felt that it was good enough that she was taken care of by the Chang family.

    ¡°I was told that you just got off from your flight today. You probably didn¡¯t sleep well because of the time difference. You should go home,¡± Mo Yuxin said.

    ¡°I¡¯ll leave my phone number here then. If there¡¯s anything, just give me a call,¡± Ruan Danchen said and left her phone number with them. ¡°We¡¯lle again tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Rest well. Don¡¯t worry about us, I¡¯m fine,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said.

    After urging Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen to go home, Chang Zhiyuan felt tired and went to rest.

    ...

    At the other end, Liu Xiangwen was keeping Chang Jingqiupany. Thetter has a wasted appearance.

    Liu Xiangwen had no idea how to treat Chang Jingqiu. Chang Jingqiu was no longer rted to the Chang family, but Grandmother Chang seemed to still care for her a lot. Ruan Danchen, on the other hand, did not receive so much as a look from the olddy.

    Notwithstanding that, Ruan Danchen was her true granddaughter.

    Liu Xiangwen did not care much for the Qi family. Grandmother Chang had thoroughly offended the Qi family, and from observations of Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s attitude that day, Qi Chenglin might not change his outlook of the Chang family even though Ruan Danchen was rted to them.

    Grandmother Chang hated Ruan Danchen too, and within the Chang family, Ruan Danchen had no value whatsoever. Qi Chenglin would not give them any benefit for Ruan Danchen¡¯s sake either.

    Liu Xiangwen was not magnanimous¡ªas long as she could haul whatever benefit she could get from the Chang family, that was enough for her.

    As she was thinking about whether she should try to build a good rtionship with Chang Jingqiu, a gentle voice resounded by her ear. ¡°Auntie, what¡¯s your n for the future?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± Liu Xiangwen snapped back to her senses and looked confusedly at Chang Jingqiu.

    Chang Jingqiu smiled and said calmly, ¡°Help me straighten the bed. I don¡¯t want to be talking to you like this.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen looked suspiciously at Chang Jingqiu. Barely moments ago, the youngdy was crying her heart out at Grandmother Chang. She looked so pitiable then, but all of that changed into calmness as if nothing happened earlier.

    Liu Xiangwen straightened the bed so Chang Jingqiu was almost seated upright. She then helped her position the pillow so the wound was not covered.

    ¡°What do you want to tell me?¡± Liu Xiangwen asked prudently.

    Chang Jingqiu looked at her own numb legs, with her eyes turning cold. ¡°What do you have in mind for the future? You want to fawn over Ruan Danchen?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression remained unchanging. ¡°Why do you say that?¡±

    Chang Jingqiu pursed her lips without care and said, ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten how terribly you offended her, right? Nannan kept on bothering Youxuan and was finally forced to change schools. I don¡¯t need to say much, but you said plenty of terrible things about her just to protect Nannan. Of course, there¡¯s Grandma, who scolded her plenty on Nannan¡¯s behalf. You saw how Grandma looks at Ruan Danchen. By all those earlier actions alone, her rtionship with Ruan Danchen is not going to be so warm. Think about it, aren¡¯t you incredibly angry if someone you hated so much became your family member so suddenly? That¡¯s not a feeling you can put in words.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen thought about it and realized that if she was put in that position, she would feel angry and disdainful toward the other party. For someone she hated to be her family member was like a thorn in her flesh, a dark blemish. She was wholly unwilling to ept that.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mouth curled in a smile. ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Ruan Danchen doesn¡¯t bear a grudge against you. The Qi family are people who act on their grudges, and even if they consider it even on the spot, it doesn¡¯t mean that they¡¯ll forgive you just like that. The Qi family has always been difficult to make amends with after they¡¯ve been offended. All the more when you go up to them and try to curry favor. The opposite effect will probably happen.

    Liu Xiangwen pursed her lip. From the very beginning, she did not think that there was any benefit for the Chang family if Ruan Danchen became a part of it. With Chang Jingqiu¡¯s analysis, that feeling got even stronger.

    Chang Jingqiu cocked a brow. She spoke rather weakly and without energy, but her words were forceful and struck deeply into Liu Xiangwen¡¯s heart.

    ¡°Besides, Elder Uncle is now obviously trying to strike up a good rtionship with Ruan Danchen. Just look at today. Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen took a flight here immediately after finding out. Everything thates out of Elder Uncle¡¯s wife¡¯s mouth sides with Ruan Danchen. They were the first to know my status, but they never told anyone even though they knew. Instead, they went and gathered evidence secretly. Auntie, tell me, what intentions do they have?¡± Chang Jingqiu sported a chiding smile on her lips.

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression changed dramatically and quickly, turning very sour indeed.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t they trying to seize the opportunity to distance themselves from me? You¡¯re the ones getting close to me instead. The intentions for that aren¡¯t going to be any good,¡± Chang Jingqiu curled her lips. ¡°I know you¡¯re close to me because Grandma pampers me. You want to be better than Elder Uncle and his wife.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen was not surprised. Chang Jingqiu was no idiot and would have known about it.

    ¡°They knew I was a fake, but they didn¡¯t tell you. What they did was strike up a rtionship with Ruan Danchen in secret. Looking at how Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen treated them today. It¡¯s clear that it¡¯s not as simple as a nod of the head when they meet. They¡¯ve already pulled their rtionship closer since early on. Now that I think about it, how did Elder Uncle exin his presence at Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen¡¯s wedding, when he was seated with the Ruan family? How could we have believed him? He was there to acknowledge Ruan Danchen as his niece! But he still wants to hide that from us! Why do you think that¡¯s the case, Auntie?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s afraid that your younger uncle would have a share of Ruan Danchen¡¯s kindness! He¡¯s afraid your younger uncle would be better than him!¡± Liu Xiangwen was already gritting her teeth and finishing the sentence without needing Chang Jingqiu to incite her further. ¡°Changhe¡¯s in his hands, and he¡¯s afraid that your younger uncle will stand out from the crowd, so he lets your younger uncle do idle things that are neither too important nor too trivial. All the big decisions in thepany are taken by your elder uncle, and no one in thepany listens to what your younger uncle says. That¡¯s his younger brother! How could he treat his own brother like that! As if that isn¡¯t enough, he¡¯s even plotting against us, he wants to make sure we don¡¯t stand out at all, right? Whenever something happens to our family, your elder uncle and his wife stand to one side andugh at us, even scolding us too!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why. You¡¯rete by one step in trying to get into Ruan Danchen¡¯s good books. Nannan already offended themst time, and no one knows if anything will happen to Nannan in the future. If you try to get on their good books now, you¡¯ll look like you¡¯re doing that only for the benefits it gives you. It makes you look like a lowly person who¡¯s ying up to powerful people.¡± Chang Jingqiu covered her mouth. ¡°Auntie, my words are direct, so don¡¯t take offense. My intentions are good.¡±

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve already said so much, why don¡¯t you just be straightforward with what you¡¯re trying to tell me.¡± Liu Xiangwen was no fool. She remarked coldly, ¡°You said that you¡¯re a direct person, so stop beating around the bush. You¡¯re terribly injured, and it¡¯s best that you say whatever you want to say so you can rest earlier.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu did not make a fuss since she had no right to be letting her temper loose.

    She looked down at her numb legs with a gaze filled with hatred.

    When she looked up again, her hate-filled gaze had been suppressed.

 Chapter 464 - Granduncle Is a Pure-Hearted Person

    <strong>Chapter 464: Granduncle Is a Pure-Hearted Person</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen how Grandma treats me. She treats me better than Ruan Danchen. Deep down, she hates Ruan Danchen. Even if Ruan Danchen was her real granddaughter, Ruan Danchencks that twenty-seven-years¡¯ worth of feelings between grandma and I. Since Elder Uncle¡¯s the one who took the first step of showing kindness to Ruan Danchen and disy such affection for her, there¡¯s no leeway for you to fight over it. Rather than following them, it¡¯s better for you to support me, isn¡¯t it? As long as you help me strike down Ruan Danchen and make Grandma thoroughly hate her, Elder Uncle won¡¯t have anywhere to stand within the Chang family, and all his efforts would go to waste.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu noticed Liu Xiangwen¡¯s ruminative expression and continued, ¡°Elder Uncle has already made his move. He thinks that Changhe will benefit after mending his rtionship with Qi Chenglin. What he doesn¡¯t know is that Grandma hates it if any outsiders interfere in the Chang family¡¯s affairs. Changhe belongs to the entire Chang family, not to Elder Uncle alone. As long as Grandma doesn¡¯t look kindly on Ruan Danchen, Qi Chenglin won¡¯t give Changhe any benefit. He¡¯s alright with giving Elder Uncle benefits, but Qi Chenglin will not give any benefit to other members of the Chang family. If Elder Uncle doesn¡¯t have that support from Qi Chenglin, what¡¯s it all worth, then? His hard work goes down the drain, and if I make a case for it to Grandma, there¡¯ll surely be a day that Younger Uncle gets to stand out.¡±

    ¡°Ruan Danchen has the Chang family¡¯s blood in her, so even if Mom doesn¡¯t like her, wouldn¡¯t this be too much?¡± Liu Xiangwen frowned and said hesitantly.

    Chang Jingqiu curled her lip. ¡°I have a n, of course. Come closer.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s eyes glimmered and she leaned over to Chang Jingqiu. After hearing what the youngdy had to say, Liu Xiangwen¡¯s eyes darted in all directions.

    ...

    The next day, Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan to meet Chang Zhiyuan. As they passed by Chang Jingqiu¡¯s room, the door was closed shut and there was no sounding from within. Ruan Danchen was quite surprised that Chang Jingqiu would be so quiet instead of making a big scene.

    Most people who suffered such a sudden change in fortune would vent their feelings thoroughly.

    She then thought about it for a moment and realized that Chang Jingqiu¡¯s status had changed. Grandmother Chang might not be too patient with repeated bouts of stubbornness¡ªif too much of a fuss was made, Grandmother Chang might not be too happy about it.

    Conversely, if she quietly epted that her misfortune was fated and was considerate of other people, Grandmother Chang might take pity on her.

    Ruan Danchen did not bother to take a look at Chang Jingqiu; she brought the little boy directly to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s sickroom.

    Mo Yuxin sliced up some apples and Hami melons for him. They were ced on the table for Chang Zhiyuan to poke and eat.

    ¡°Uncle looks much better, doesn¡¯t he?¡± Ruan Danchen came in with a smile and said.

    ¡°Yes. He¡¯ll be under observation for another night, and if there isn¡¯t any problem, he¡¯ll be discharged tomorrow night.¡± Mo Yuxin was really happy. ¡°We were lucky to get through this feeling more scared than hurt.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s parents will arrive today. Once they¡¯re here, they¡¯ll do the DNA test right away,¡± Mo Yuxin said.

    Ruan Danchen nodded. She did not take that matter to heart as she felt that it did not involve her at all. She did not want to be too close with the Chang family either.

    Her disinterest prompted Mo Yuxin not to say anything further.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and ushered Qi Youxuan in. ¡°Youxuan, this is your granduncle and grandaunt.¡±

    During the drive there, Ruan Danchen roughly exined everything to the little boy. Thus, the boy greeted Chang Zhiyuan happily.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes teared up and he looked at the little guy. He smiled, and hot tears welled up in his eyes. ¡°I didn¡¯t think...I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever hear Youxuan call me that.¡±

    He then looked to the ceiling and said, ¡°Big Sis, this is your grandson. Your grandson!¡±

    Mo Yuxin liked Qi Youxuan since long ago. Although she did not interact with the Qi family that much, the little one was quick-witted, lively, and far from annoying. He was a stark contrast from Chang Jianan, which made it all the better.

    Hearing Qi Youxuan call Chang Zhiyuan ¡®granduncle¡¯ was a whole new level of closeness.

    Mo Yuxin was attentive and had everything ready. She knew that Ruan Danchen would bring her kids after she had already acknowledged Chang Zhiyuan. That was why she brought a red packet with her all the time, and at that time, she took it out and handed it to the little boy¡¯s hands.

    ¡°This is your granduncle and grandaunt¡¯s present for our first meeting,¡± Mo Yuxin smiled and said.

    ¡°Oh my! This...Granduncle, Grandaunt, this is the first time we meet, it¡¯s not good for me to ept this!¡± The little boy pinched the red packet between his fingers and was extremely shy. He even twisted his waist although he did not give the red packet up.

    ¡°...¡± Mo Yuxin finally understood why those who met Qi Youxuan would make thements that they made.

    Anyone who talked about Qi Youxuan and knew him to some degree would sigh and say, ¡°This... this child is really... uncriticizable!¡±

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s feelings were also quite indescribable too.

    She let go of the packet and touched the boy¡¯s face. ¡°This is from Granduncle and Grandaunt! Don¡¯t be shy. When we¡¯re closer next time, don¡¯t feel too much pressure when you receive this okay! Granduncle just wanted... just wanted to give you this.¡±

    Mo Yuxin looked at the bedridden Chang Zhiyuan and looked again at the little guy. She wondered if her words had any other meaning behind them.

    ¡°In that case... Thanks! Thank you, Granduncle; thank you, Grandaunt!¡± The little boy tried hard to show an expression that suggested he did not want to take it but was forced by them to do so. He passed the red packet to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Mom, Granduncle, and Grandaunt spent plenty on this!¡±

    Ruan Danchen, ¡°...¡±

    Mo Yuxin giggled. ¡°Hehe!¡±

    Qi Youxuan felt that it was best to say some good things after receiving red packets from someone else, since that would make them hopeful, right?

    The little boy then said, ¡°Granduncle, Grandaunt, I¡¯ll make sure to save up all this money. In the future... in the future, I¡¯ll show my respect to you by buying good food for you!¡±

    As to when that time woulde, no one would know.

    Chang Zhiyuan knew that the boy was simply throwing an empty promise, but he bought into it delightedly.

    ¡°Granduncle will be waiting, then.¡± Chang Zhiyuan had a touching expression that made him look incredibly silly.

    Seeing Granduncle smile so widely, as if admitting defeat, made Qi Youxuan feel as though Granduncle was a pure-hearted person.

    On the other hand, Mo Yuxin had never seen the little boy¡¯s expression before. It was the first time she actually felt remorse in giving a red packet to a small kid.

    It was simply too amazing for someone to turn willingness into unwillingness in giving a gift.

    The little boy felt that he had coaxed his granduncle sessfully, and thus hid dly in a corner to count how many red packets he would get during the new year each year.

    Previously, he only managed to get it from the Qi family¡¯s side, and he had to cook up tremendous effort just to get more from his elder uncle and fourth uncle. The money he would get that year would probably be quite a sum, considering he would have money from the Shen 1family and the Chang family. He did not even need to think too borately, as he surmised that he would be given a hefty sum.

    The thought of that made him very happy, very happy indeed!

    Afraid that things might change, he looked up again and raised his voice, ¡°Granduncle, Grandaunt, this... this has nothing to do with new year¡¯s money, okay!¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, this has nothing to do with that. This is our first meeting, so it¡¯s a present for our first meeting!¡± Chang Zhiyuan said hurriedly.

    ¡°Mm, and... Next month¡¯s my birthday...¡± said the little guy, blushing, and halting his sentence after that.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be more for your birthday, there¡¯ll be more!¡± Chang Zhiyuan nodded as if he was pounding garlic. Seeing the little boy¡¯s cuteness, he felt that he would be more than willing to empty out his life savings for the boy.

    ¡°Granduncle, you know that Mom... Mom found mete, but Mom gave me presents for all the birthdays she missed in the past!¡± the little boy eximed. His big, round, dark eyes were shining bright.

    Ruan Danchen poked his meaty little cheeks and said, ¡°You can¡¯t be like this.¡±

    The little guy¡¯s cheeks turned red immediately, and straightened his little tummy, twisting it too. He hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs and treated it like a pole. His fat body hugged Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs with only his little head peeking out and looking guiltily at Chang Zhiyuan.

    ¡°...¡± Mo Yuxin was unable to continue standing. She dragged a chair and sat down, as it was a first for her to meet such an adorable child!

    ¡°Granduncle willpensate for it! I¡¯llpensate for all of it!¡± Chang Zhiyuan said it so fluently, as if he had practiced it many times before.

    The sight of his cute grandnephew made Chang Zhiyuan unable to refuse him. Chang Zhiyuan had no objections whatsoever. Mo Yuxin felt that Chang Zhiyuan might probably hand over Changhe¡¯s shares to Qi Youxuan if the little boy asked for it.

    At that point, Chang Zhiyuan was grinning from ear-to-ear, and Mo Yuxin could not bear to see her husband¡¯s silly look anymore.

    ¡°Granduncle, you¡¯re the best! Youxuan likes you!¡± The little boy released himself from Ruan Danchen¡¯s thighs and ran over to the side of the bed. He climbed up the sickbed as if he had done so a million times, then plopped himself into Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s embrace. The little boy then gave the man a salivaden kiss.

    It was as though there was absolutely no pressure in having a granduncle pop up after seven years of the little boy¡¯s life. There was no feeling of alienation, and within such a short amount of time, all feelings of closeness came back.

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled and closed his eyes. He hugged the little boy tightly because it was the first time in a long time that he felt that happy.

    Before he knew of Chang Jingqiu and Ruan Danchen¡¯s status, he was still treating Chang Jingqiu as his niece. Even so, the various upsetting things that Chang Jingqiu did made him very annoyed because he always had to clean up her mess.

    His nephew Chang Jianan on the other hand, was the same age as Qi Youxuan but was much more stubborn and immature. Nothing about his nephew was worthy of adoration, but Liu Xiangwen thought that Chang Jianan was better than anyone else.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s own daughter had grown-up. She was in senior high and they were not that close anymore; Chang Zhiyuan would have to hold back his tears whenever his own daughter was mentioned.

    Sadness gued Chang Zhiyuan constantly and he never once smiled so happily from the bottom of his heart.

    He was overjoyed upon setting eyes on Qi Youxuan.

    That child from another home became a part of his family.

    ¡°Youxuan, you must visit Granduncle often next time. Granduncle will give you whatever you want,¡± Chang Zhiyuan smiled and said.

    The little boy rolled around happily on the bed. The high-quality hospital bed was wide but not as wide as his bed at home. When the little boy rolled around, from time-to-time he would crush Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s body, exerting pressure on the man¡¯s stomach.

    Chang Zhiyuan felt as though the fruits that he ate were being squeezed out of his stomach. The one thought in his mind was, ¡®Damn, this cub of a boy is heavy!¡¯

    Qi Youxuan was rolling around happily on the bed while Ruan Danchen smiled and looked on from one side.

    Mo Yuxin thought, ¡®This is how a family is supposed to feel like.¡¯

    She wondered what was wrong with Grandmother Chang and why the olddy fancied an eye-rolling wolf like Chang Jingqiu. It was surprising that the olddy did not appreciate true goodness.

    Seeing Ruan Danchen being so carefree made her realize that Grandmother Chang was particrly unlucky.

    They remained there and spoke with Chang Zhiyuan for some time. Since the only reason he was still in the hospital was because he was under observation, he could still move around without anyone to keep watch over him beside his bed. The rest kept himpany by chatting with him.

    When noon came, Ruan Danchen personally went to the nearby hospital cafeteria and brought back food for everyone to eat.

    Chang Zhiyuan noticed that Ruan Danchen gave Qi Youxuan his own portion which waspletely filled with vegetables. It did not look appetizing, and the boy seemed to be struggling to eat his food. Chang Zhiyuan became quite ufortable when eating meat.

    ¡°Why... Why isn¡¯t the child allowed to eat any meat?¡± Chang Zhiyuan was afraid that Ruan Danchen would be annoyed with him if he asked too much since they only got to know each other recently. Nevertheless, he could not help but ask that question.

    Ruan Danchen turned her head and looked at the little boy¡¯s guilt-ridden face. She then turned to Chang Zhiyuan and exined, ¡°He exceeded his weight limit. We restricted his diet previously, but we still allowed him to eat some meat. But, when we left for our ten-day honeymoon, no one kept an eye on him, so he ate more and grew even fatter thanst time. We have no choice but to let him eat only vegetables, otherwise, in the future, he¡¯d be gasping for air after just a few steps.¡±

    Once he understood that it was for the boy¡¯s health, Chang Zhiyuan thought it imprudent to stop her.

    ¡°Youxuan.¡± Chang Zhiyuan looked at how the little boy¡¯s chubby face was struggling hard to eat those vegetables. He advised, ¡°You have to control yourself and do your best to slim down. Once you¡¯re at your normal body weight, there won¡¯t be anyone stopping from eating meat anymore, isn¡¯t that right?¡±

    The little boy chewed on his mustard greens and said, ¡°I... I¡¯ll do my best...¡±

    After lunch, Mo Yuxin saw how Qi Youxuan was feeling a bit sleepy. His little head was drooping low, so she told the couple to have some rest, surmising that it was probably about time for the little guy to have his afternoon nap.

    Ruan Danchen brought the little boy away. He seemed to believe that anyone who behaved openly with him was a good person, although it remained unknown whether that was a result of the money he received.

    At the entrance, he said sweetly to Chang Zhiyuan, ¡°Granduncle, I¡¯m going to school tomorrow. I¡¯lle visit you when I¡¯m on holiday.¡±

    ¡°Sure, sure!¡± Chang Zhiyuan nodded repeatedly. ¡°Granduncle will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, so juste straight to my home when you visit! Granduncle will...¡±

    He wanted to say, ¡®...buy lots of good food for you to eat,¡¯ but when he remembered that the boy was going on a diet, he said instead, ¡°...prepare all sorts of fun things for you!¡±

    Mo Yuxin sent them off and originally wanted to see them off at the hospital lobby, but Ruan Danchen advised her to head back to the ward.

    The instant Mo Yuxin entered, he heard Chang Zhiyuan say, ¡°Good kid! They¡¯re all good kids!¡±

    His eyes reddened as he said that.

    ¡°Sigh, you¡¯re already old but you¡¯re still being moody.¡± Mo Yuxin handed him a tissue and sat beside the bed. ¡°It¡¯s not toote to acknowledge her. We¡¯re lucky to be able to do so. Danchen and Youxuan are good, and we can finally experience the true meaning of a happy family.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan nodded contentedly, and then thought about all his ws. He held Mo Yuxin¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯ve let you down all these years. You had to endure Mom for my sake.¡±

    In fact, Mo Yuxin¡¯s family was a force to be reckoned with and Mo Yuxin was more than capable herself. She did not have to put up with Grandmother Chang, but she still did so for his sake.

    Mo Yuxin smiled and shook her head without saying anything.

    ¡°Next time, you don¡¯t need to hold it in anymore,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said. ¡°Although Mom hasn¡¯t truly shown her attitude yet, her demeanor yesterday shows that she probably wouldn¡¯t treat Danchen kindly. Mom¡¯s character is that of a person who never wants to admit her wrongs, and not only does she not admit it, she even steps up her belief that she¡¯s correct when she so much as gets an inkling that she¡¯s in the wrong. If Chang Jingqiu isn¡¯t in the picture, I would¡¯ve wanted us to acknowledge Danchen¡¯s status among ourselves only, since she isn¡¯t particrly interested in the Chang family¡¯s status. As of right now, I¡¯m worried she won¡¯t be treated well in our Chang family. You must side with her more in the future. If Mom doesn¡¯t show you any courtesy, there¡¯s no need for you to be patient anymore. Danchen has the Qi family to support her, and you have the Mo family. There¡¯s no need for patience.¡±

    Mo Yuxin nodded and grasped his hand. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ...

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan out of the room and chanced upon two peopleing from ahead. They looked like a couple, seemingly from rural areas, and were not dressed well.

    The couple had probably already put on their best clothes, but it was quite obvious that those clothes had not been worn for about seven or eight years. The colors may not have faded, but the clothing style was fairly dated.

    The design of their clothes was as if they were used for attending weddings. Dated though the style may be, the clothes still had a fairly elegant look.

    Both persons had skin that was dark due to years of being in the sun, thus making it extremely rough.

    Wrinkles abounded on the woman¡¯s face, likely a result of dryness andck of water. Those creases were prominent even when the woman did not show any expression. Her parched ck hair was interspersed with plenty of grey hair, and it was left undyed. Due to that, it was fairly hard to discern her age.

    The couple walked uneasily, and Ruan Danchen could even hear the middle-ageddy say to her husband, ¡°City hospitals are different. So high-ss. Look at the decorations, it¡¯s like a guesthouse. How is this a ward? Five-star hotels should look like this, right? Even our President doesn¡¯t get such good treatment when he¡¯s being weed by our country¡¯s headmissioner.¡±

    The man looked at Ruan Danchen before shifting his gaze downward and telling his wife, ¡°Don¡¯t act like a farmer! It¡¯s so embarrassing. When Dan¡¯eres here to study for university, then bes sessful after graduating, we can visit and let him book us a five-star hotel to stay in.¡±

    ¡°I...I heard there are even seven-star hotels in B City!¡± The woman extended seven of her fingers.

    ¡°Then let¡¯s stay in a seven-star hotel. It won¡¯t be much!¡± the man said arrogantly and was particrly smug. ¡°We¡¯ll let Dan¡¯er buy a house for us in the city, then we can enjoy ourselves here and never have to go back to the run-down house back in the vige. Hmph! When the timees, we¡¯ll make sure that those who look down on us will stare at us with their eyes wide open! By then we¡¯ll even be living better than them!¡±

    ¡°Exactly!¡± The woman nodded forcefully. ¡°Ah yes, someone brought us here again this time. I wonder what they¡¯re gonna do? Will it be the same asst time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a good thing if it¡¯s likest time. We can ask her for more money. She sent us on our way with only eight hundred thousandst time. See, now she¡¯s getting retribution! Hmph, if she gave us more money, we could¡¯ve bought a house in the city and her uncle wouldn¡¯t be able to find us, wouldn¡¯t he? This is all retribution!¡± the man said.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right!¡± The woman nodded in agreement. ¡°She has to be smarter this time. We¡¯ll even keep her secret if she gave us more money.¡±

    ¡°True.¡± In agreement with her, the man nodded.

    ¡°Yes, when her uncle came by the other day, he already knew about it. Will it still work if we hide it from them?¡± the woman asked.

    ¡°Who cares. It¡¯s not us who are going to suffer the loss,¡± the man replied nonchntly. ¡°We¡¯ll try to get as much money as we can, and if we can¡¯t, we¡¯ll just treat all this as a free trip. We already have Dan¡¯er¡¯s school fees anyway, so either way we won¡¯t lose out. What if shees up with some trick and tries to hide it again?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡± The woman nodded.

    Ruan Danchen did not halt her footsteps, although she did slow down her pace as she held Qi Youxuan. The couple¡¯s conversation enabled Ruan Danchen to figure out who they were looking for.

    They were likely Chang Jingqiu¡¯s parents, as mentioned by Lao Liang the day before.

    Ruan Danchen turned around and saw them opening the door to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sickroom.

    ¡°Why are you here? LEAVE!¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s ear-splitting voice rang out, followed by the loud thud of a cup that was thrown onto the floor.

    Chang Jingqiu then looked out to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s room, where Mo Yuxin was originally seeing off Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan from the door. At that point, Mo Yuxin did nothing to mediate the situation, but instead, closed the door without intending to interfere in the matter.

    Ruan Danchen lowered her head and told Qi Youxuan, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    ...

    Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan down to the ground floor and was about to head to the parking lot in search of Xiao Yang. However, the first person she saw when she stepped out was Grandmother Changing out of the car. Beside her was the Chang family¡¯s servant, who was holding a thermos that was probably filled with herbal soup for Chang Jingqiu.

    Ruan Danchen nodded and greeted, ¡°Old Madam,¡± instead of ¡®grandma.¡¯

    Grandmother Chang narrowed her eyes and told her servant, ¡°Send the soup up.¡±

    She then turned to Ruan Danchen, ¡°Let¡¯s talk.¡±

    Ruan Danchen frowned as she was afraid that Grandmother Chang might say something unpleasant. She was fine with listening to it, but she did not want Qi Youxuan to hear them too.

    In the past, Qi Youxuan was always beside Qi Chenglin when Ruan Danchen was not in his life yet. There was never an asion when people would just look down on him and scold him.

    It was due to her that Qi Youxuan had to suffer all those nasty insults.

    Ruan Danchen med herself and felt that she had let him down.

    ¡°I¡¯ll bring you to look for Uncle Xiao Yang. Let him send you home. I¡¯ll be home soon, too,¡± she lowered her head and said to the little boy.

    He grasped her arms and looked up, saying, ¡°No. I want to be with you.¡±

    ¡°Be a good boy and listen.¡± Ruan Danchen caressed his soft, chubby hands. She did not want him to hear what Grandmother Chang had to say.

    ¡°I¡¯m being a good boy by staying by you!¡± The little boy looked up at her and said naively, ¡°Mom, let me be with you.¡±

    Grandmother Chang was annoyed by their discussion and let out a cold huff. ¡°Such a big boy but still so ignorant. How was he even raised? No family upbringing at all! Why does a little kid like him want to be involved in adult matters!¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s face turned cold and she did not even try to hide her displeasure. ¡°His family upbringing was taught by Qi Chenglin and I. Since you¡¯re so dissatisfied with us, you don¡¯t have to lower your standards and talk to me. I¡¯m not fit to be sitting at the same table with you anyway, and it¡¯ll only tarnish your image if you¡¯re seen to be speaking with me.¡±

    To her surprise, Grandmother Chang even disyed an expression that seemed to be saying, ¡®It seems you understand.¡¯

    Ruan Danchen smiled icily but was at a loss as to what she was supposed to say. After thinking about it, stooping to Grandmother Chang¡¯s level was a truly undignified thing to do.

    ¡°Since that¡¯s the case, we won¡¯t be bothering you anymore,¡± Ruan Danchen curled her lips and said sarcastically.

    She then held the boy¡¯s hand and exited.

    ¡°Wait!¡± Grandmother Chang raised her voice without even being mindful that she was in a hospital.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your manners?¡± Grandmother Chang queried unhappily and shook her head while sporting a pejorative look. ¡°It seems like it¡¯spletely useless for you to have your new status. Simply uncultured!¡±

    Ruan Danchen pursed her lips and looked at Grandmother Chang. At that moment, all Ruan Danchen wanted to do was bring Qi Youxuan away, but the olddy was blocking her path and was being unreasonable. She could not push the olddy away too.

    ¡°Since you¡¯re now our Chang family¡¯s granddaughter, I can¡¯t let you be sowless in public and ruin our Chang family¡¯s name. Come over to the Chang family¡¯s house tomorrow, we¡¯ll have a proper talk.¡± Grandmother Chang acted as though she was conferring a favor on Ruan Danchen, believing that her actions of insisting on ¡®reasoning¡¯ with Ruan Danchen was a sign of her own patience.

    Regardless of how much she disliked Ruan Danchen, Ruan Danchen was still her granddaughter, so for Ruan Danchen¡¯s good, she would open her heart a bit more and teach Ruan Danchen properly. At the very least, Ruan Danchen would not look like a fool in front of all the other great families.

    Ruan Danchen was on the verge ofughing due to exasperation. ¡°So based on your opinion, Chang Jingqiu fits your standards particrly well, is that it?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± Grandmother Chang proimed proudly. Her face beamed with approval when Chang Jingqiu was mentioned. ¡°Besides, it¡¯s not proven yet, but even if there¡¯s evidence that she doesn¡¯t have any blood rtions with the Chang family, she was there beside me since she was small. I was the one who taught her. All of her mannerisms and upbringing conform to the demeanor of an influential family¡¯s daughter. No one can fault her in public.¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that it was best to treat Grandmother Chang as a senile olddy. There was no way she could treat the olddy seriously.

    Grandmother Chang looked at Ruan Danchen from head to toe. ¡°Since you¡¯re my granddaughter, I can¡¯t just leave you to your devices, since I can¡¯t be letting you embarrass yourself out in public. Your misbehavior will lead others to feel bad about the Chang family. You¡¯ve just only been acknowledged, and although teaching you now won¡¯t be as effective as a childhood upbringing, it¡¯ll be much better for you to learn a bit than not learn anything at all.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled softly, ¡°Well, since Chang Jingqiu is the benchmark for your standards, I guess I¡¯ll opt not to learn, then! If I became like Chang Jingqiu, you¡¯d be happy, but my husband won¡¯t be. Aside from Chenglin, the Qi family and my grandfather¡¯s family won¡¯t be happy either. I¡¯m worried that they¡¯ll cut me off. Chenglin might divorce me and Youxuan wouldn¡¯t like me anymore. I¡¯d much rather keep it this way and let you be the only person not to like me.¡±

    Qi Youxuan held on to Ruan Danchen¡¯s waist and looked as though he was massively afraid that his mother would suddenly be like Chang Jingqiu. In a loud voice, he said, ¡°I like Mom as she is now! If Mom bes like Aunt Chang, I... I... I¡¯ll be miserable!¡±

    Ruan Danchen smiled and nodded earnestly, ¡°So you see, it¡¯s best if I don¡¯t be like that. Besides, I never wished for you to like me. I¡¯m content as long as I have my uncle and his wife as my rtives from the Chang family. I can¡¯t be too greedy. Miss Chang has the privilege and luck of being unequivocally loved by you. I¡¯m lucky too because I didn¡¯t grow up beside you, otherwise I won¡¯t be fated to meet Qi Chenglin and Qi Youxuan if I were to grow up like Miss Chang.¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Grandmother Chang got so angry that she red widely at Danchen.

    Ruan Danchen seemed to be insinuating that she looked down on Chang Jingqiu.

    Looking down on Chang Jingqiu was the same as looking down on the olddy!

    Ruan Danchen even felt lucky that she did not grow up alongside Grandmother Chang.

    What of it, if Ruan Danchen was raised alongside Grandmother Chang? Did Ruan Danchen suggest that Grandmother Chang was not worthy of her, that Grandmother Chang would only humiliate her?

    Ruan Danchen was intimating that Grandmother Chang was teaching all the wrong things. It happened to Chang Jingqiu and Chang Jianan, and yet the olddy still remained oblivious¡ªpleased even¡ªin the false belief that her teachings were superior.

 Chapter 465 - Destined to Overpower Those Close to Her and Born to Be Ill-Fated with Her Family

    <h4>Chapter 465: Destined to Overpower Those Close to Her and Born to Be Ill-Fated with Her Family</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Ruan Danchen felt a lingering fear at that point. Although she did suffer injustice before, she was fortunate enough that her character did not undergo drastic change. It would truly be saddening if she turned into someone whom everybody hated, like Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°Old Madam, let me be honest. If the Qi family and the Chang family are put side-by-side, you can¡¯t deny the fact that everyone will look at the Qi family first, can you?¡± Ruan Danchen asked calmly.

    The olddy¡¯s line of thought was too out-of-the-ordinary, so Ruan Danchen felt that she needed to be more patient instead of being rushed with Grandmother Chang. The more Ruan Danchen tried to rush things, the less Grandmother Chang would understand, which would then prompt the olddy to believe firmly in her reasoning.

    Atst, Grandmother Chang kept quiet. She was obviously in agreement with it, though she was unwilling to say it out loud.

    Ruan Danchen did not mind it, but she smiled haughtily and said, ¡°Well, if I really did embarrass myself, the first thing that springs to everyone¡¯s mind is the Qi family. Women marry into their husband¡¯s families, and even until today, families like these will have this exact same line of thought. The only thing people would see is the Qi family¡¯s daughter-inw making a fool of herself. Whether they¡¯d even think of the Chang family is a different matter altogether.

    ¡°As I am now, the Qi family doesn¡¯t mind at all, so don¡¯t trouble yourself. The Qi family will be taking the blow for you, am I right?¡±

    ¡°You... You...¡± Grandmother Chang was trembling in anger. ¡°Are you saying that I can¡¯t control you?¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dare to say such a thing, but since I¡¯m married, only my husband and his family are allowed to point out my mistakes. The married woman¡¯s family will protect her, while her husband¡¯s family will be stricter. Isn¡¯t that the norm? Since my husband¡¯s family didn¡¯t chastise me and are quite happy with me, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve made any mistakes,¡± Ruan Danchen said calmly. She was asposed as conceivably possible, which contrasted greatly with Grandmother Chang¡¯s horrendous expression, rendering the olddy¡¯s unreasonableness and flustered demeanor even more obvious.

    ¡°Mom¡¯s never wrong! Normal people don¡¯t like Aunt Chang! If you don¡¯t believe it, you can ask!¡± the little boy looked up and said.

    Ruan Danchen shifted her gaze downward and patted the boy¡¯s head gently.

    ¡°Ruan Danchen! I¡¯m your grandmother! Is this how you treat me? Is this how you were taught?¡± Grandmother Ruan stared angrily at her, believing that Ruan Danchen was not filial at all!

    ¡°If your mother found out that the daughter she gave birth to was like this, how angry would she be?¡± Grandmother Chang pointed at the sky. ¡°She¡¯s looking from above! Are you going to anger her so much that she won¡¯t have a peaceful afterlife?¡±

    Ruan Danchen felt that those words were best used on Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°My mother never went back to the Chang family before she died. Maybe you should think carefully about who really made her angry. I remember you speaking negatively about my mother, but at that time I never knew that my mother was your daughter. Back then, I told you that it was okay to criticize me, but when ites to someone you¡¯ve never met¡ªsomeone who¡¯s already passed on¡ªit¡¯s best for you to show some respect. At that time, I asked that you not judge and criticize someone that you did not know. Now, you and I both know that the person you criticized was your own daughter. Perhaps you feel that you can say whatever you like about your daughter because she¡¯s your daughter, but I¡¯ll tell you the same thing I told you then: those who have passed away are no longer with us, so please don¡¯t bring up anything in her name anymore. It¡¯s not just because my mom is your daughter, but because it¡¯s still not good practice to bring things up in the name of another person¡¯s parent. It¡¯s nothing but an insult to the other person¡¯s family. In terms of upbringing and manners, that¡ªin my opinion¡ªis a true sign of improper upbringing and bad manners.

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s right, if you ce so much importance in upbringing, then why not go around and ask the public who they think is the better person between myself and Chang Jingqiu,¡± Ruan Danchen remarked curtly. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, you should go up and tend to Miss Chang. I won¡¯t hold you up.¡±

    ¡°Danchen?¡± a vaguely familiar voice called out from some distance away.

    Ruan Danchen turned and saw someone that looked quite familiar. On closer inspection, the woman seemed to be one Aunt Wu, whom she met at a banquet some time ago. During the event, Grandmother Qi dragged Ruan Danchen around and introduced her to everyone. Ruan Danchen spoke with those whom Grandmother Qi was closer to, and as for those that the olddy was not too close with, Grandmother Qi made a simple introduction before moving on.

    Since Ruan Danchen did not have that much of an impression on thedy in front of her, she figured that thedy was not exceptionally close to Grandmother Qi.

    Thedy looked like someone from the Eight Great Families, and Ruan Danchen recognized most of them well enough that she could greet them by name.

    ¡°Aunt Wu,¡± Ruan Danchen smiled and greeted.

    Qi Youxuan greeted sweetly from beside her, ¡°Granny Wu!¡±

    ¡°Ah, what a coincidence!¡± Aunt Wu was shocked that Ruan Danchen remembered her. ¡°This child, you¡¯re bing more and more polite. At this age, not many kids are like Youxuan.¡±

    Immediately after hearing that sentence, Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression turned incredibly unhappy. She had just criticized Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan for being rude earlier.

    Aunt Wu¡¯s attention was wholly directed on Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan. She did not even notice Grandmother Chang¡¯s presence. The urge to put on a good impression in front of Ruan Danchen meant that Grandmother Chang waspletely ignored.

    During the banquet, Aunt Wu was very casually introduced to Ruan Danchen and nodded at her since they were not at all close.

    Since Aunt Wu had chanced upon Ruan Danchen at the hospital, Aunt Wu greeted Ruan Danchen boldly. She was already prepared for the possibility that Ruan Danchen would not remember her.

    If that was the case, she could then make another proper introduction and reinforce Ruan Danchen¡¯s impression of her.

    The opportunity was a good one, as she never had the chance to talk to Ruan Danchen during most of the banquets. She did not even have the opportunity to sneak in a couple of sentences because the banquets were usually packed with people. Everyone wanted to talk with members of the Eight Great Families and it would be impossible for her to squeeze into the conversation since those were all popr people.

    ¡°I saw you from afar and I thought it was you. I¡¯m old and my eyesight isn¡¯t that great, so I wasn¡¯t too sure. When I came nearer, I realized that it¡¯s really you,¡± Aunt Wu smiled and said. She looked at Ruan Danchen with a deeply concerned expression and asked, ¡°Why are you at the hospital? Are you unwell? Or is it Youxuan who¡¯s not feeling well?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m visiting someone,¡± Ruan Danchen answered with a smile but did not borate.

    It was not because she did not acknowledge Chang Zhiyuan, but because saying too much might allow for news to spread quickly. People who caught wind of it woulde over in crowds to visit, albeit with ulterior motives. Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s rest and recuperation would be disturbed for absolutely no good reason.

    ¡°Your family member is sick?¡± Aunt Wu responded quickly. With Ruan Danchen¡¯s unwillingness to say anything, Aunt Wu asked another question immediately.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and asked a question of her own, ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, my grandson, he¡¯s got acute appendicitis and is hospitalized here. I came to visit him,¡± Aunt Wu replied with a smile. Seeing Ruan Danchen¡¯s demeanor, Miss Wu stopped asking questions for fear of being a nuisance.

    ¡°AHEM!¡± Grandmother Chang was fuming after being ignored so thoroughly. She was left with no choice but to utter a sound as a reminder.

    Startled, Aunt Wu then looked over and smiled awkwardly, ¡°Oh, Madam Chang¡¯s here too?¡±

    Aunt Wu was not unpretentious in front of Grandmother Chang since thetter was not a very nice person to interact with anyway. Most of their exchanges saw Aunt Wu simply putting on a fa?ade of politeness without truly taking Grandmother Chang seriously.

    Realizing that Grandmother Chang was speaking with Ruan Danchen, Aunt Wu became spirited and asked, ¡°You know Danchen? Are you close with her?¡±

    Aunt Wu¡¯s gaze turned rather friendly.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression turned ugly at once. From Aunt Wu¡¯s earlier obliviousness to her, she did not believe that the Wu-surnameddy really did fail to notice her.

    Once Aunt Wu realized that Grandmother Chang was speaking with Ruan Danchen, Aunt Wu¡¯s attitude turned cordial in an instant.

    Did Grandmother Chang really have to leach on to Ruan Danchen¡¯s prestige?

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s face tensed up, and the anger within her could not be contained anymore. Aunt Wu¡¯s snickering mien made her utterly exasperated.

    At what point did others need to defer to Ruan Danchen before showing respect to her?

    She was just about to speak up and begrudgingly acknowledge her rtionship with Ruan Danchen, but Ruan Danchen said, ¡°We bumped into each other and spoke a couple of times before this.¡±

    She did not directly state that she and Grandmother Chang were not close, but Aunt Wu caught on to her insinuation. Not a single word that came out from Ruan Danchen¡¯s mouth was a lie, though.

    Grandmother Chang wanted to retort but could only open her mouth without saying anything.

    ¡°Madam.¡± Xiao Yang came in through the hospital entrance just as Grandmother Chang was about to say something. His voice made her freeze immediately, and she had no choice but to close her mouth reluctantly. Her lips were tightly pursed, and her face tensed up into an ugly expression.

    ¡°When you called just now and said that you and Youxuan wereing, I waited for quite some time but didn¡¯t see anyone yet. I came to look for you in case something happened,¡± Xiao Yang said. His eyes shot Grandmother Chang a cold look.

    Grandmother Chang was turning flustered. Each one of them was treating her discourteously¡ªRuan Danchen was disrespectful toward her, and even the driver had the guts to give her that kind of look!

    ¡°Old Madam, I¡¯m sorry, we really need to go,¡± Ruan Danchen said coldly. Aunt Wu interpreted it to mean that Grandmother Chang pestered Ruan Danchen repeatedly and did not let her off.

    Evidently, their rtionship was nowhere as good as expected.

    Grandmother Chang was so angry that she could not say a single word. Ruan Danchen seized the moment and ushered Qi Youxuan away. Xiao Yang could be heard telling Ruan Danchen, ¡°Sir phoned earlier and said that he¡¯s already done with work.¡±

    ¡°Then let¡¯s go and pick him up,¡± Ruan Danchen said.

    With the three of them walking out and leaving behind only silence, Aunt Wu shot Grandmother Chang a cold look and said, ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be going now. Take it easy, alright.¡±

    After saying that, she left without turning back.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s anger was unparalleled. She pointed at Aunt Wu¡¯s disappearing silhouette and cursed, ¡°The hell is this! Coming up to fawn over someone younger than you. Do you have any dignity? I can¡¯t believe you look down on me! I¡¯m so mad right now! I¡¯m so angry right now! Who the hell are you! Next time... I¡¯ll show you next time! You think your Wu family is so great? I¡¯ll crush your Wu family!¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s outburst attracted the attention of many people.

    The hospital catered to plenty of outpatients, and everyone looked at Grandmother Chang like a madwoman. They were all wondering where the olddy came from and why she was so damn unreasonable.

    A couple came from up ahead. It was Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia, who just visited Chang Jingqiu but was chased out by Chang Jingqiu when she threw her cup at them.

    Her attitude prompted them to firmly decide against helping Chang Jingqiu, leaving her to get her own just desserts.

    At that moment, they chanced upon Grandmother Chang going nuts and did not know who she was as of then. Wang Lixia thought that the old citydy scolded just like one of their vige¡¯s farmgirls.

    Grandmother Chang saw those two people and sulked as she left. She felt that she was humiliating herself just by looking at them.

    ...

    Grandmother Chang went to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sickroom. The youngdy was lying on the bed with reddened eyes.

    ¡°What is it? Is the wound hurting again?¡± Grandmother Chang rushed up and asked.

    ¡°Grandma...¡± Chang Jingqiu called out pitifully.

    ¡°Mom, Jingqiu¡¯s birth parents came just now,¡± Liu Xiangwen sighed and said before continuing, ¡°You have no idea how unbearable those two are. Jingqiu was raised by you since she was young. Jingqiu¡¯s such a good-natured person. Neither her upbringing nor her manners are wed. But her parents... They¡¯re disgusting extortionists and are very uncivilized. They were willing to throw away their dignity and suck up to her just for money. Jingqiu is too mild-mannered, and if we let her stay with them, they¡¯ll definitely bully her a lot! We¡¯ve raised Jingqiu since young and she has never seen the ugly side of the world before, much lesse in contact with these kinds of people. She doesn¡¯t know the evil in a person¡¯s heart. It¡¯s unthinkable for such a pure child to be associated with those kinds of people.¡±

    Grandmother Chang listened to everything and said, ¡°No matter how you put it, I was the one who raised Jingqiu since she was little. After many years of feelings between us, I¡¯m certainly not going to let her be bullied by anyone. Jingqiu, tell me, do you feel anything for your parents? Do you want to acknowledge them? If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure you¡¯ll get justice.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu held Grandmother Chang¡¯s hand. Her eyes teared up as she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t want to. Grandma, I¡¯m scared of them. I don¡¯t feel close to them at all.¡±

    ¡°I understand. Don¡¯t worry, you won¡¯t have anything to do with them in the future. Grandma won¡¯t let them bother you anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mom,¡± came Liu Xiangwen¡¯s reluctant voice all of a sudden.

    ¡°What is it?¡± Grandmother Chang was getting irritated at Liu Xiangwen¡¯s hem-haw manner.

    ¡°Things in our family got heated up after Jingqiu¡¯s mishap with Big Brother and Ruan Danchen¡¯s status was revealed, so when our housekeeper took over my duties of keeping watch here yesterday, I went to visit the temple. I made some money offerings<sup>1</sup> to pray for blessings on Big Brother and Jingqiu. Coincidentally, there was also a master there who knew how to decipher her Ba-Zi<sup>2</sup>. He¡¯s a disciple of the abbot, although he doesn¡¯t show up that often. He onlyes out once a month at an undetermined time. It¡¯s all down to luck. Those who wanted him to decipher their Ba-Zi and ask about their fate or future would have to wait there every day. It was a coincidence that I met him, so I gave the monk Ruan Danchen¡¯s birth date to let him decipher. In my mind, she¡¯s still our family¡¯s granddaughter, but...¡±

    ¡°But what?¡± Grandmother Chang asked anxiously. Liu Xiangwen¡¯s hemming and hawing made Grandmother Chang incredibly anxious.

    Grandmother Chang was a profoundly superstitious person who believedpletely in Ba-Zi and fortune-telling.

    The burning of incense and worshipping of Buddha was done regrly to pray for her good health, long life, and riches for the Chang family. Plenty of money offerings were made to the temple, too. Before her two sons got married, she was introduced to a great fortune-teller, whom she provided with her sons¡¯ and their partners¡¯ birth dates for him to decipher. Once she was told that the couple¡¯s birth dates werepatible with each other, she gave them the green light to get married.

    Liu Xiangwen nced briefly at Chang Jingqiu. At that juncture, Grandmother Chang¡¯s focus was directed toward Liu Xiangwen alone, so the evil smile that crept over Chang Jingqiu¡¯s lips wentpletely unnoticed.

    Chang Jingqiu nodded at Liu Xiangwen, to which thetter then continued, ¡°The monk said Ruan Danchen¡¯s fate is very unyielding. She¡¯s destined to overpower those close to her and born to be ill-fated with her family. She has no father and no mother, so anyone close to her will be strongly overpowered by her.¡±

    Seeing the look of surprise on Grandmother Chang¡¯s face, Liu Xiangwen said, ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first when the monk said that. Even though his deciphering was quite urate, we can¡¯t just blindly believe those fortune-tellers in the current day and age, right? Although I didn¡¯t say anything at the time, I still took the fortune and left.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if afraid that anyone else would listen. ¡°But at the end of the day, I thought that I ought to let you know at least.¡±

    Before Liu Xiangwen could even do anything, Grandmother Chang¡¯s thoughts began veering off into negativity. ¡°How¡¯s that not urate? I think the monk was very urate! Huanyue died as soon as Ruan Danchen came to this world, and the father died in an explosion at the same time too. Her parents were gone as soon as she was born. If that¡¯s not considering ¡®oveing¡¯ them, then what is? Now that I think of it, my daughter died because of her! If it wasn¡¯t for her, Yuehuan wouldn¡¯t have died!¡±

    Grandmother Chang seemed to have been enlightened as to her daughter¡¯s cause of death. Her eyes turned red immediately, filled only with rage and resentment.

    Both Liu Xiangwen and Chang Jingqiu knew who those emotions were directed to.

    ¡°Mom, when you say that, I suddenly remembered something. Her adoptive mother is Liu Ronghua, right? I heard Liu Ronghua disappeared some time ago and no one knows her whereabouts until now. Qi Chenglin was looking for her too, I think. I believe she disappeared suddenly and no one knew where she went. I heard that she was all okay and normal a day before her disappearance. I have a friend whose friend is a neighbor of Liu Ronghua. The day before Liu Ronghua disappeared, the neighbor bumped into her and spoke with her about what happened in their recent lives. Liu Ronghua didn¡¯t say anything about leaving. She even suggested for the two of them to have lunch at one of the new French restaurants that opened in B City. Everything was fine, so how could she just disappear so suddenly?¡±

    Liu Xiangwen looked at Grandmother Chang. ¡°I now feel that Liu Ronghua¡¯s disappearance is quite fishy.¡±

    ¡°It must be Ruan Danchen that pressured her until something happened!¡± Grandmother Chang pped her thigh and said, ¡°Hmph! Qi Chenglin still treats her like a princess. One day, she¡¯ll turn the Qi family upside down, and they¡¯ll only regret it once blood is spilled!¡±

    Neither of them noticed that Chang Jingqiu flinched slightly when Liu Xiangwen brought up Qi Chenglin¡¯s search for Liu Ronghua. That slight change in expression was quickly hidden once again.

    Chang Jingqiu was thoroughly shaken nheless. She consoled herself immediately because she herself had no idea where Liu Ronghua was sold to. Furthermore, Qi Chenglin might not link it with a kidnapping, much less know who Brother Chen was.

    Qi Chenglin was a proper businessman who was not in contact with those shady people. He would not be doing anything illegal either. Even if he knew Wen Ren, it was only because of his status as a member of the Eight Great Families. He would not rely on Wen Ren¡¯s influence to do unconscionable things.

    Wen Ren was also being closely watched. Even if he were to do something hical, the country had already appointed him to his post, so he would not be undertaking it himself.

    Chang Jingqiu feared that Qi Chenglin would badger Wen Ren into helping him find out what happened to Liu Ronghua. The Wen family¡¯s machinery alone would enable them to find out whatever information they wanted. Brother Chen was no match for them.

    Frowning in thought, Chang Jingqiu wondered if she should contact Brother Chen in secret and check that not a single trace was left of the entire operation.

    ¡°Jingqiu, what are you thinking about? Are you feeling unwell?¡± Grandmother Chang asked.

    ¡°No. I was just thinking, if that¡¯s true, then Elder Uncle will be in a bad situation, right? His rtionship with Ruan Danchen is getting better, but we should prevent Ruan Danchen from burdening Elder Uncle,¡± Chang Jingqiu said gently.

    ¡°Hmph. Your elder uncle is an idiot.¡± Grandmother Chang was annoyed at the mere mention of her eldest son.

    ...

    Chang Zhiyuan was discharged from the hospital, and after his body hadpletely recuperated, he dragged Mo Yuxin and Chang Jingwan to buy toys at the mall. Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s excuse for bringing them along was that he was too old¡ªhe was afraid of buying something that did not suit the little guy¡¯s fancies.

    Although Chang Jingwan¡¯s age gap with Qi Youxuan was quite significant, she was much younger than Chang Zhiyuan. The twodies were able to advise him, at least.

    When Chang Jingwan was choosing those gifts, she still felt that everything was unreal. How could such a prestigious family like the Qi family be her inws so suddenly? How was it that Jixia Elementary¡¯s Little Master became her younger cousin brother?

    As she was picking out the gifts, Chang Jingwan was smiling silly as she was choosing a suitable one. Her status had changed and she was no longer an ordinary person!

    The family of three huffed and puffed before buying a big toy car.

    Sunday came. Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen brought Qi Youxuan over to Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s house. The Ruan family tagged along too, but Grandfather and Grandmother Ruan did not tag along.

    The old Ruan couple were technically the eldest there, and since Chang Zhiyuan was younger than them, there was no basis for an elder person to visit someone younger than them. They would simply wait for Chang Zhiyuan to bring his family to visit the Ruan elders.

    The Ruan familypletely ignored Grandmother Chang¡¯s side, so they treated Chang Zhiyuan as the Chang family¡¯s elders. They considered it the first time meeting their inws.

    Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan had already passed on, and since everyone there were the respective family members to the deceased couple, everyone thought that they should tell each other what they knew about the both of them. It would serve to cement their understanding of the Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan¡ªno one forgot about the two of them.

    The Ruan family only knew about Ruan Keyu and did not know much about Chang Yuehuan. It was an opportunity for Ruan Danchen to know more about Chang Yuehuan. Chang Zhiyuan was still young and na?ve when Chang Yuehuan was around. Grandmother Chang, on the other hand, did not even have the courtesy to give Ruan Danchen a pleasant expression, so the possibility of asking her about Chang Yuehuan was remote.

    When they arrived at the home, they were startled by the toy in the living room.

    ¡°Youxuan¡¯s here!¡± Chang Zhiyuan smiled with a face full of creases. He pulled the boy to him and pointed at the toys in the living room as if it was a pile of treasure. ¡°Your Granduncle bought this for you! y with them however you want, okay! If you get tired of it, Granduncle will buy new ones for you.¡±

    ¡°Granduncle, you¡¯re the best!¡± Qi Youxuan threw himself into Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s arms and rolled about before running toward the toys.

    Ruan Keshan stared from behind. Deep down, he felt that it was not unfavorable to have Chang Zhiyuan present, since thetter would vie for the little boy¡¯s affection with him.

    ¡°My dear inws, it¡¯s not good to do this. You¡¯ll easily spoil the child with material goods. Besides, Youxuan¡¯s not someone who ys a lot!¡± the unrelenting Ruan Keshan said. ¡°Your actions foster only extravagance and wastefulness in a young child. Once in a while is good enough, you know! We need to teach our children that things are hard toe by. A bit of pampering is okay, but not to this extent!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s face twitched after hearing what Ruan Keshan said. How could a visiting guest chastise the owner of the house like that!

    Deep down, Ruan Keshan huffed. His father was right¡ªChang Zhiyuan was an unscrupulous businessman who was always crafty in his dealings.

    That Chang Zhiyuan was too sly!

    ¡°I enjoy buying things for my grand-nephew. I¡¯llpensate for all the gifts I didn¡¯t manage to give in the past seven years, and in the future, I¡¯ll buy even more for him.¡± Chang Zhiyuan cocked his chin and proimed arrogantly, ¡°I have the money, so I¡¯ll buy, buy, buy!¡±

    Ruan Keshan was furious! ¡®You think I don¡¯t have money?¡¯

    Chen Minxia tugged at Ruan Keshan haplessly. ¡°Our inws are showing sincerity.¡±

    Despite those words, her eyes were actually warning him: ¡®Shut up!¡¯

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Keshan paled immediately.

    ¡°...¡± In trying to move past that, Mo Yuxin quickly said, ¡°Come in and sit.¡±

    Everyone went in, but Ruan Keshan deliberately ced himselfst. He pulled on Ruan Zeer and said, ¡°That businessman is too sly. Why didn¡¯t I think of it earlier! Since Youxuan¡¯s on a diet and can¡¯t eat meat, I can buy toys for him! When we go backter, we¡¯ll stop by the mall and buy a toy for him.¡±

    While saying that, Ruan Keshan shook his head. ¡°Simply buying a toy isn¡¯t enough. That¡¯s just copying Chang Zhiyuan. It¡¯s not sincere at all, and Youxuan would definitely be less happy than he is today.¡±

    Ruan Keshan¡¯s expression disyed some pain after watching the ted Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°You and Qi Youxuan are always together. Help me think of what else I can buy to make him happy,¡± Ruan Keshan said.

    Ruan Zeer found it rather imprudent to say, ¡®Youxuan¡¯s the happiest if you just give him money.¡¯

    Instead, Ruan Zeer nodded to indicate that he would think properly.

    The purpose of the visit was for a meal, but ever since Ruan Keshan sat down, he was continuously battling it out with each other.

    Neither men had ever vied excessively with their own brothers for their parents¡¯ attention. Chang Zhiyuan had been criticized by Grandmother Chang so excessively that he was never allowed to exin himself, yet on this asion, the two men¡ªwhosebined ages nearly reached a hundred years¡ªwere desperately trying to get the attention of a boy whose age was much younger than the remainder of that hundred years.

    Mo Yuxin and Chen Minxia were at a loss. They felt that their respective husbands were aplete embarrassment, and once both women¡¯s gazes met, they noticed the simrities of their mindsets and smiled knowingly to each other.

    Chang Zhiyuan said, ¡°Ah, Youxuan, what else do you want? Just let Granduncle know! Granduncle will buy em¡¯ for ya!¡±

    Ruan Keshan continued, ¡°Ah, Youxuan, you love The Avengers, don¡¯t you? Granduncle will head to the mallter and buy the full set of action figures for ya!¡±

    For the sake of keeping up with his grand-nephew, Ruan Keshan¡ªa man who cared about nothing else except math in the past¡ªeven managed to pick up trending phrases like The Avengers and action figures.

    Chang Zhiyuan proceeded to say, ¡°Ah, Youxuan, when you have your holidays, Granduncle will bring you to Universal Studios in the US! You can see many of your favorite film characters there in person.¡±

    Ruan Keshan was unyielding. ¡°Ah, Youxuan, when you have your holidays, Granduncle will bring you to Akihabara in Japan! There¡¯s plenty of anime figurines there, you can buy whatever you like!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan turned to Ruan Keshan and snickered. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say it¡¯s not good to buy too many toys for the boy?¡±

    Ruan Keshan steeled his expression. ¡°Mine¡¯s a just reward!¡±

    ¡°Hehe!¡± Chang Zhiyuan remained steadfast. ¡°If I buy toys for him, it¡¯s not good, but if you buy it for him, it¡¯s a just reward. You academics are really good with words.¡±

    With Iron Man in one hand and Optimus Prime in another, he ran to Chang Zhiyuan and Ruan Keshan. He looked at them one after another and said, ¡°Granduncle Ruan, Granduncle Chang, take your time buying them! Don¡¯t rush. I can wait, yeah! When I¡¯m on school holiday, I¡¯ll follow you to y!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled to the point where his eyes disappeared from view. ¡°So, Youxuan, do you wanna go to America or you wanna go to Japan?¡±

    Ruan Keshan leaned forward, ¡°Japan has so much fun! All the anime you like is there! Granduncle... Granduncle will buy the huge ship from One Piece, the figurine from Haikyu, and the shirts from Ace of Diamond!¡±

    Feeling unhappy, Chang Zhiyuan leaned over too. ¡°America is fun too! Granduncle will bring you to see R2-D2 from Star Wars and buy one for you. Granduncle will also buy you Minions and Baymax!¡±

 Chapter 466 - I Donâ€™t Want to Be Dragged Down by the Others

    <h4>Chapter 466: I Don¡¯t Want to Be Dragged Down by the Others</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan was put in a tight spot by those two men. It was a situation where choosing one option meant discarding the other!

    ¡°Can you be reasonable!¡± Mo Yuxin dragged Chang Zhiyuan back. ¡°How could you let him choose? You¡¯re putting a burden on the child, aren¡¯t you? If I were to decide, we¡¯ll go to whichever country that we get the Visa first. Japan¡¯s Visa is easier, so when the timees, it¡¯s still alright if we go to Japan first!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan got anxious. How could his own wife side with an outsider?

    All of a sudden, Chang Zhiyuan had a thought. He turned to Ruan Keshan and said, ¡°My dear inw, you work in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, right? You¡¯re a government man, you can¡¯t simply just leave the country, can you?¡±

    Ruan Keshan pursed his lips and straightened his back. ¡°We can, if we apply for leave in advance.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t need to apply for leave in advance. I can go whenever I feel like it, and my Visa is active for another seven years! Everything¡¯s set once Youxuan¡¯s Visa is done. I¡¯m definitely going to be faster.¡± Chang Zhiyuan puffed out his chest, feeling as though he had emerged as the victor.

    Ruan Keshan, ¡°...¡±

    The helpless Mo Yuxin hinted at the housekeeper immediately, then called everyone to have lunch. She was hoping that lunch would keep Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s mouth shut.

    To her disappointment, the two grown men continued their verbal sparring. Nevertheless, neither fed too much meat to Qi Youxuan, since both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen did not allow it.

    They were not afraid of Qi Chenglin¡¯s displeasure, but rather, that of Ruan Danchen¡¯s.

    ...

    Amid Ruan Keshan and Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s war-of-words, everyone finished their meals and no one thought of bringing up Ruan Keyu and Chang Yuehuan.

    Mo Yuxin and Chen Minxia talked to each other on one side and hit it off rather well.

    Before then, the two women were still able to control their husbands, but they soon found it hard to restrain them and subsequently gave up.

    After lunch, everyone spoke with each other, including Ruan Danchen. All of them ignored Chang Zhiyuan and Ruan Keshan¡¯s arguing.

    Ruan Zeer was used to it. After all, with Grandfather Ruan at home, Ruan Zeer would not be surprised by Ruan Keshan¡¯s antics.

    On the other hand, Chang Jingwan was utterly shocked. She never knew that her ever-strict father had such a childish side.

    Just as the Ruan family were getting up to leave, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were going to bring the little guy away too. Chang Zhiyuan waved to the boy and said, ¡°Ah, Youxuan,e here.¡±

    Qi Youxuan carried a big bag of gifts and went over.

    Another four stic bags were held by Qi Chenglin, Ruan Danchen, Chen Minxia, and Ruan Zeer, respectively. Since Ruan Keshan was not very pleased with all those toys, the little boy chose not to let him carry any. Qi Youxuan thought of himself as a very kind and considerate person, but he was oblivious to how miserable Ruan Keshan felt then.

    Ruan Keshan felt that it was a reflection of the little boy¡¯s trust and closeness to them. Could Qi Youxuan have chosen not to let him carry because he was angry at what Ruan Keshan said earlier?

    Throughout the ordeal, Ruan Keshan looked at the little boy quite destely.

    ¡°Granduncle,¡± the little boy called out sweetly, making Chang Zhiyuan feel as though he would be willing to give the boy anything at all.

    ¡°Come here. Granduncle¡¯s giving you some pocket money, okay!¡± Chang Zhiyuan took out a stack of bills from his pocket that looked too many to count.

    ¡°Just buy whatever you want to buy!¡± Chang Zhiyuan stuffed the bills into Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand.

    The little boy¡¯s eyes lit up. His chubby hand held the bills and he blushed while saying embarrassedly, ¡°I... I can¡¯t possibly take this!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan watched as the little boy said those words, but in the meantime, Qi Youxuan held all that money and fished out a wallet from his backpack. It was the same wallet that Qi Chengji used in the past. At the time, Qi Youxuan hinted very ¡®indirectly¡¯ that Qi Chengji should change to a new wallet. The quick-witted Qi Chengji then passed down the ¡®old wallet¡¯ that had only been bought a week ago to Qi Youxuan.

    Seeing the little boy keep all that money without much ado, Chang Zhiyuan was incredibly adept at finding excuses for his grand-nephew, and at that moment, could not bear it anymore.

    ¡°Granduncle, next time, don¡¯t spend so much okay. You can give a lesser amount, or maybe you can give more frequently?¡± the little boy spoke in a consultative tone, making everyone feel like gnashing their teeth.

    ¡°It¡¯s all good, you don¡¯t need to think about saving money for me. Granduncle will still give you more next time!¡± Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s creased face was all smiles.

    Mo Yuxin felt that her husband was emanating the aura of a money-hungry person.

    ¡°Granduncle, if you¡¯re like this... Your grand-nephew will like you a lot!¡± After putting away the money, he threw himself into Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s embrace and wiggled around smugly.

    ¡°You¡¯re definitely the best Granduncle on the face of the earth! I¡¯ll tell all my friends when I go to school tomorrow so they¡¯ll all be jealous. Their granduncles are definitely not as good as mine!¡± Qi Youxuan puffed out his chest and uttered crisply.

    He previously showed off Great-Grandfather Ruan and Ruan Keshan¡¯s status as eminent scientists. Now that he had another person to unt, he felt rather shy!

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled like blooming flowers¡ªthe boy¡¯s words werepletely spot on!

    Ruan Keshan huffed and felt even more resentful after beingpared.

    Ruan Zeer leaned over stealthily to Ruan Keshan¡¯s ear and whispered, ¡°See. Giving him money is more effective than anything else.¡±

    Ruan Keshan huffed again. ¡°I can¡¯t be as shameless as he is! I... I¡¯m a scientist of unyielding character!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan heard their exchange with crystal clear rity. She felt that her own worldview was turnedpletely upside-down.

    ¡®Are all scientists like this?¡¯

    ¡®Does a scientist¡¯s unyielding character apply to that kind of situation?¡¯

    Ruan Zeer¡ªthe young math genius who made the news and was set to enter into A University¡ªseemed like an equally unreliable person too!

    ¡°Granduncle will surely give you many opportunities to show off,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said.

    Chang Jingwan felt that the man was not her father at all, for her father would not be that much of a dunderhead.

    While Chang Zhiyuan was still trying to stroke Qi Youxuan¡¯s ego, he was interrupted by his ringing cellphone.

    Chang Zhiyuan looked at the caller¡ªit was Lao Liang.

    Chang Zhiyuan then stood up and picked up the phone. He listened as Lao Liang exined things before hanging up and turning to Ruan Danchen. ¡°The results of Chang Jingqiu and her parents¡¯ DNA test are out. Lao Liang¡¯s afraid that something might happen to it, so he¡¯s guarding it personally. He¡¯s now bringing Chang Jingqiu and her parents to my mother¡¯s ce. He¡¯ll wait for us toe before he leaves.¡±

    Regarding that matter, Lao Liang did his utmost best. One need not worry much, if at all, whenever he was tasked with doing something.

    At the crux of it, it was the Chang family¡¯s internal matter. Ruan Keshan and the others felt it improper for them to tag along, so they left first. Ruan Danchen left Qi Youxuan with them and went to the Chang family house with Qi Chenglin. Grandmother Chang would definitely throw a fit, and because it was highly likely that the olddy would go nuts along with Chang Jingqiu, it was best not to let Qi Youxuan watch the ordeal.

    Chang Zhiyuan, on the other hand, allowed Chang Jingwan to go with them. An adult herself, it was not wise to leave her in the dark when the Chang family was facing any issue.

    ...

    Everyone arrived at Grandmother Chang¡¯s ce, and Lao Liang was waiting in front of the vi entrance while holding a file.

    Other than Chang Zhiyuan, no one else in the Chang family had any dealings with Lao Liang. Recent interactions with those other Chang family members made Lao Liang dislike them. He was unwilling to be associated with them in any way and was content with dealing with Chang Zhiyuan alone.

    Once Chang Zhiyuan got down the car, Lao Liang walked over and handed the DNA report to Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°I won¡¯t interfere with your family matters.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan patted Lao Liang¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I¡¯m really, really thankful to you this time.¡±

    A heroic smile appeared on Lao Liang¡¯s face. ¡°Why so courteous, eh?¡±

    Lao Liang left without lingering any longer.

    Before going in, Chang Zhiyuan told Ruan Danchen, ¡°Just ignore whatever nasty things that the olddy says. If you don¡¯t wish to acknowledge the people in this family, then don¡¯t. Most importantly, you must remember to acknowledge us.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan had no other alternative. As a member of the Chang family himself, he hated those people too, and if only they were not bound by blood, he would not want to acknowledge them too. If he felt that way, then it was only natural that Ruan Danchen¡ªsomeone who had no feelings toward the Chang family and was made the subject of countless insults by Grandmother Chang¡ªdid not want to acknowledge them too.

    His words elicited a giggle from Ruan Danchen. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I wouldn¡¯t have brought Qi Youxuan and the Ruan family to visit you if I didn¡¯t acknowledge you.¡±

    ¡°Ay!¡± Chang Zhiyuan let out a smile of relief. He nodded, but added another sentence because he was still worried, ¡°I¡¯ll definitely treat Youxuan well! Don¡¯t choose not to acknowledge me okay! I don¡¯t want to be dragged down by the others.¡±

    Mo Yuxin, ¡°...¡±

    His words seemed to suggest that he was rearing to cut off all ties with the Chang family.

    After finally getting Ruan Danchen¡¯s half-giggling promise, Chang Zhiyuan pressed the doorbell. Momentster, the housekeeper opened the door and let them in.

    In the living room, Chang Jingqiu¡ªwho was discharged a day earlier¡ªwas sitting in a wheelchair. She wore an ankle-length dress that managed to cover her legs.

    Chang Jingqiu was actually injured at her waist, causing her paralysis. Both her legs were not injured, so it would not really matter if she did not cover them.

    Grandmother Chang, Chang Zhixing, and Liu Xiangwen were sitting on the sofa. Opposite them was a pair of chairs that were moved there for the time being. Seated on those chairs was the couple that Ruan Danchen saw at the hospital the other day¡ªHuang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    Obviously, there were still plenty of seats on the sofa, but the couple was not allowed to sit there. They were only allowed to sit in those chairs, akin to criminals being interrogated. Perhaps it was because the Chang family was afraid that they would soil the sofa?

    Ruan Danchen looked on coldly. Not a single positive feeling manifested inside her when it came to the Chang family.

    She then looked again at Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia sitting on the chair. They were both stiff, but Wang Lixia could not resist looking around in total admiration even though she was nervous. Meanwhile, Huang Pinggui had a cating smile on his face. He began voicing out his concern about Chang Jingqiu after seeing how the Chang family did not seem to despise her. Chang Jingqiu however, pursed her lips angrily and ignored him throughout.

    Huang Pinggui shut his mouth after failed attempts to get on her good books. Nevertheless, dissatisfaction was rife in his expression as he felt that his daughter waspletely heartless.

    Seeing Chang Zhiyuan and the resting in, Grandmother Chang noticed the file in Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s hands. It was the same file that Lao Liang was holding earlier.

    ¡°Hmph!¡± Grandmother Chang grunted angrily. ¡°He¡¯s finally willing to hand the report over? He even guarded it from us! What¡¯s the meaning of that! It¡¯s us who should be guarding it against him.¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s inability to distinguish right from wrong was something Chang Zhiyuan had long been ustomed to. He did not try to refute her but simply ced the document before them. ¡°This is the DNA report for Huang Pinggui and his wife with Chang Jingqiu. Take a look yourselves.¡±

    In truth, it did not really matter whether they read it or not. Chang Jingqiu had already admitted that she was Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia¡¯s daughter, but Grandmother Chang still took the document out to see the results for herself.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s face sunk and she tossed the report to the table. Chang Zhixing took it and read it himself, and beside him, Liu Xiangwen nosily joined in. She looked at the results and looked back at Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    Never did she expect that such ordinary-looking people could create a daughter as beautiful as Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°How do you wish to settle this?¡± Grandmother Chang coldly directed her question at Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    Huang Pinggui chuckled, ¡°Hehe,¡± and began rubbing his hands together out of habit. His wretchedness was revealed through his actions, making Grandmother Chang loathe them even more.

    Liu Xiangwen snorted disdainfully when she thought about how the grand Chang family had to be associated with people like them. Her entire body felt the repulsion.

    She rubbed her shoulders as if her arms hade into contact with some disgusting thing.

    Chang Jingqiu noticed all that and had a sudden thought. She willed her eyes to turn red. ¡°What do you actually want? You sold me offst time, so now our rtionship ispletely severed and we don¡¯t have anything to do with each other at all. Now you want to take advantage of me? You never once treated me as your own daughter! What else is there that¡¯s important to you besides money? Do you really want me to suffer that badly?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t put it that way. You¡¯re certainly unwilling to suffer alongside us. Look at you. You¡¯ve been raised by a wealthy family since you were little and you¡¯ve gotten used to being spoiled. Would you be willing to do join us in our suffering and stay in our broken-down house?¡± Huang Pinggui snickered in disdain. ¡°You say that there¡¯s no affection toward us, but isn¡¯t that because you¡¯re unwilling to acknowledge us? You¡¯re one of us. Even if you weren¡¯t raised with us, you still have the same character as us.¡±

    Was that a statement of how she was as selfish and gold-digging as they were?

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face reddened in anger, for she did not expect Huang Pinggui to have such a way with words.

    Huang Pinggui ignored her and folded his hands, saying to Grandmother Chang, ¡°Rich people like you have plenty of things to be concerned about. I know that your biggest concern is your reputation. I¡¯m sure you don¡¯t want outsiders to know that you¡¯ve raised the wrong child for twenty-seven years. I didn¡¯t study much and I¡¯ve never explored the world, but I¡¯m still capable of realizing that.¡±

    A cold chuckle was heard, followed by further remarks from Huang Pinggui, ¡°I know you look down on us. You don¡¯t want to be associated with us at all and you¡¯re unwilling to let anyone know about our existence. From what I¡¯m seeing today, it looks like you want to continue raising Chang Jingqiu. I never knew you could be so kind as to raise someone else¡¯s child. You know that she¡¯s the wrong child yet you¡¯re raising her so willingly.¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression sunk, while Chang Jingqiu was watching with ever-increasing nervousness.

    Huang Pinggui showed three fingers. ¡°We don¡¯t want much. Just give us three million and we¡¯ll promise not to say anything. We¡¯ll treat it as though nothing happened; like we¡¯replete strangers.¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s gaze turned vicious.

    Suddenly, Chang Jingqiu cried out, ¡°I can¡¯t let you threaten the Chang family like this! You said it yourself how you profited from selling me off and having the Chang family raise me all these years. You can¡¯t even begin to understand how much money, effort, and care the Chang family spent on me all these years. Rightfully speaking, you¡¯re the ones that owe the Chang family, and it¡¯s good enough that the Chang family didn¡¯t ask for money from you! It¡¯s nonsense for the Chang family to give you money when the Chang family raised your daughter on your behalf!¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t care,¡± Huang Pinggui said bluntly. ¡°We¡¯re not afraid of being ashamed. You are. If you don¡¯t want us to tell anyone, then shut us up using money. Don¡¯t all rich people say the same thing? A problem that can be solved using money isn¡¯t a problem anymore. We don¡¯t want anything else; we just want money!¡±

    ¡°Then bring me away!¡± Chang Jingqiu yelled mournfully. ¡°I¡¯m a useless person anyway. I¡¯m nothing without the Chang family. I¡¯m a handicap that can¡¯t do anything, not even my job from earlier. I¡¯ll follow you back to your old house and you can raise me there!¡±

    ¡°Why should we?¡± Huang Pinggui was angry after hearing that. ¡°You¡¯re useless but you want us to take care of you? We don¡¯t have the money to do that!¡±

    ¡°Then what right do you have in asking us for our money? Why should the Chang family give you any money? I¡¯m telling you, Huang Pinggui, if I leave the Chang family, I won¡¯t return again. I¡¯ll never give you any chance to ckmail the Chang family.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s eyes reddened as her tears flowed out. ¡°Grandma raised me through thick and thin, treating me better than anyone else ever did. I can¡¯t burden her like this. I can¡¯t let an old woman like her suffer, bow down to people like you, and just give you money. You and I both owe the Chang family!

    ¡°They raised someone that had nothing to do with them for so many years, and I won¡¯t let them suffer any more losses!¡± Chang Jingqiu pointed fiercely at Huang Pinggui. ¡°I¡¯m telling you, Huang Pinggui; to me, the Chang family is my real family, my true family members. You sold me off, and because of that, you have nothing to do with me anymore. I won¡¯t recognize the two of you!

    ¡°I¡¯ll drag my useless body to beg on the streets and I won¡¯t be from the Chang family anymore! From then on, I¡¯m no longer a member of the Chang family, and you can say whatever you want, but I won¡¯t admit to it! If I do that, what reason would you have to threaten the Chang family?¡±

    ¡°You...¡± Huang Pinggui stood up abruptly. His eyes were red too, but they were due to anger. At that moment, he wanted to hit out at Chang Jingqiu, seemingly rearing toy a hand on her at any given time.

    ¡°What are you doing? This is our house and you dare to act like a hooligan!¡± Grandmother Chang pped the sofa in anger.

    At that exact moment, Chang Jingqiu pushed down on her wheelchair¡¯s armrests and propped herself up. Her entire body then fell onto the floor in a loud thud.

    Her body, from waist-down, waspletely devoid of any sensation. She wanted to kneel but failed to do so, prompting her to justy there miserably.

    ¡°Jingqiu!¡± Grandmother Chang howled in shock. ¡°What are you doing?!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu crawled forward. Grandmother Chang turned to Chang Zhixing and said anxiously, ¡°Why are you staring so nkly for? Help Jingqiu up!¡±

    ¡°NO! NOBODY TOUCH ME!¡± Chang Jingqiu wailed. She grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s legs and looked up at the olddy. ¡°Grandma, just let me be like this! I can¡¯t feel anything in my legs, and I can¡¯t even kneel down for you. This is all I can do right now, so don¡¯t stop me.¡±

    ¡°My child, what are you doing? Your body hasn¡¯t even recuperated yet!¡± Grandmother Chang said heartbrokenly.

    Chang Jingqiu shook her head. ¡°Grandma, I want to kneel before you. Jingqiu hasn¡¯t been filial. I grew up to be a handicapped person after all you did to nurture me. I can¡¯t repay you. This is the first time I hate myself so much for being useless. The only thing I can do now is to stop myself from making things difficult for you and making you feel wronged.¡±

    ¡°My child, what are you saying?¡± Grandmother Chang asked with an aching heart.

    ¡°Listen to me,¡± Chang Jingqiu cried out with much emotion. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave you, but I can¡¯t let them take advantage of your kindness to ckmail you. It¡¯s not that our family can¡¯te up with three million, but why should we let them take advantage of us while we suffer from their threats? I can¡¯t let them do such a vile thing to you! If we give in this once, there¡¯ll be a next time. Today, they said they¡¯ll keep their mouth shut after having three million, but after having a taste of luxury, they might regret not taking more money. They¡¯lle back to ask for another five million in exchange for their silence, so when will it end?

    ¡°Grandma, you¡¯re old. You should be happily living the remainder of your days and no one should be giving you any stress. I can¡¯t let them take advantage of you. I was never from the Chang family to begin with, so even if I leave, it¡¯s something that ought to be done,¡± Chang Jingqiu cried and said. She looked up with a face that seemedpletely unwilling to part ways with the olddy. ¡°Grandma, Jingqiu hasn¡¯t been filial and can never be filial to you anymore. From today onward, I can¡¯t be your granddaughter anymore, but don¡¯t worry... Even if I leave, I won¡¯t go with them. I¡¯ll live happily myself. Even if I can repay my debt to you, I¡¯ll pray to Buddha every day to let you live a healthy, happy, and long life. But... but Jingqiu won¡¯t be able to kneel for you anymore, and that¡¯s why Jingqiu can never be filial.¡±

 Chapter 467 - Being So Agitated By A Person Like That, Really Wrenched My Heart

    <strong>Chapter 467: Being So Agitated By A Person Like That, Really Wrenched My Heart</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    As she spoke, she began to pout her lips. ¡°Look at me now,¡± she said, ¡°I can¡¯t even prostrate to you even if I want to.¡±

    ¡°What are you saying, you naive child? I¡¯m your grandma, I know you¡¯re a great child and had always ced your grandma first over anything. As long as you¡¯re this thoughtful, it¡¯s enough for me. It¡¯d mean the greatest respect to me. It¡¯s far better than those who don¡¯t even have the heart to reunite with their own grandma,¡± Grandmother Chang said while holding onto Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand. Even at that moment, she was adamant in criticizing Ruan Danchen.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡ªa mere spectator at the side¡ªchuckled out of pure anger as he was unsure if Grandmother Chang had truly forgotten who exactly was his eldest sister¡¯s true-born daughter. She actually could be so blind-sighted to have done so much for this abomination and had the heart to allow Ruan Danchen to suffer so much for thest 27 years.

    The Ruan family, on the other hand, had loved Ruan Danchen unconditionally. They had treated her like the most precious child in the world, yet Grandmother Chang had the audacity to devalue Ruan Danchen to such an extent.

    Chang Zhiyuan felt extremely embarrassed and guilty to the Ruan family as he would never have the courage nor did he know how to face the Ruan family.

    Fortunately for him, none of the Ruan family members were present here today, else he would not know how to face them!

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there frozen Zhixing, help Jingqiu up now,¡± Grandmother Chang ordered yet Chang Jingqiu shook her head as she intended to continue speaking her mind. Upon noticing that, Grandmother Chang said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your grandmother isn¡¯t that easily threatened.¡±

    Thus, Chang Jingqiu stopped resisting and was carried back onto the wheelchair by Chang Zhixing.

    Chang Zhiyuan who remained a bystander found the entire situationical as he, his wife and Ruan Danchen were present at the scene merely standing at the sidelines, observing. However, all Grandmother Chang did in their presence was merely making a statement early in the morning, seemingly ignoring them after she was done speaking her mind. It was as if the only family she had was Chang Zhixing and Chang Jingqiu.

    Grandmother Chang had a sinister cold look on her face while she stared at the married Huang Pinggui couple. She simply coldly stated, ¡°You people know nothing; our family has money and power. We want you both to zip up and we too don¡¯t want your lives. You want money? Of course, you¡¯d still need to think about if you both would be able to spend it in the first ce. Our family is more than capable of making sure both of you m up and not even receiving a single penny from us.¡±

    Grandmother Chang grimaced coldly and said, ¡°I know you have a son and was on his way to sit for a university¡¯s entrance test this year. Back then you both sold Jingqiu off in order to raise your son, yet you both had managed to give birth to a son after countless difficult attempts. Both of you had spoiled him rotten and struggled to raise him to the best of your abilities. What a shame, since you were only capable of reproduction but couldn¡¯t properly provide for your family. Now that you both had struggled so hard and were sessful in raising your son, and he¡¯s on his way to sit for the university¡¯s entrance test, you both assumed that good days will be ahead, right?¡±

    Grandmother Chang continued, ¡°I know plenty of people and my connections are far-reaching. Plenty of people out there are willing to do my bidding, and I¡¯m capable of failing your son and stopping him from ever pursuing higher education, ending his education in high school. It won¡¯t matter if he were to retake as many times as he could; it wouldn¡¯t change a thing. I believe your family won¡¯t have the money to allow your son to keep retaking the exams, right? Only having a high school diploma¡ªtell me what your son can do with that? Unfortunately for him, the only option left for him would be doing the same thing as you¡¯ve always done for a living; being a worthless, pathetic farmer for a meager sum in the city. How horrible were your current situation, well, you know the best. Would you be willing to allow your son to follow your current footsteps?¡±

    Grandmother Chang proceeded to cackle before saying, ¡°I heard your son was indeed an exceptional student, the best student in his ss. It¡¯d be a shame if he can¡¯t pursue higher education for the wrong reasons.¡±

    Huang Pinggui was shocked as his eyes were wide open at what Grandmother Chang had just said. ¡°You...¡± he gasped.

    ¡°What about me? Is it fair for you to threaten me and I can¡¯t? You want money; by all means, be my guest. However, you¡¯ll have to trade the money with your son¡¯s future. Would you be willing to make that trade? If you are, I¡¯ll be more than happy to do so,¡± Grandmother Chang replied with a sinister tone.

    ¡°We don¡¯t want the money! We don¡¯t want the money anymore!¡± Wang Lixia replied terrifyingly as her voice was shaky.

    ¡°So you don¡¯t want the money and you n to expose Jingqiu¡¯s matters?¡± Grandmother Chang replied provocatively.

    ¡°We won¡¯t say a thing. Not a word! We...We¡¯ll pretend this entire debacle never happened, never happened. We¡¯ve never met!¡± Wang Lixia nodded frantically with an extremely terrified look on her face. No amount of money was more important than her son¡¯s future.

    She would not allow her son to only possess a high school diploma and to be forced to work in horrible conditions in the city.

    Since her son was a ster student, he must work in a majorpany in the future in order to seed.

    ¡°If I hear any news at all...¡± Grandmother Chang said while squinting her eyes, ring at them.

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen! We won¡¯t say a word!¡± Wang Lixia replied while frantically grabbing onto her stunned husband¡¯s arm.

    It was baffling that her man could not stand his ground at this critical moment.

    As Huang Pinggui recovered, he too submitted to her will and promised to never say a word.

    ¡°Then what else are you both still doing here? Do you still assume that you both were invited to stay for dinner?¡± Grandmother Chang eximed coldly.

    The position Grandmother Chang stood within Huang Pinggui¡¯s heart was nothing more than a terrifying old witch. He would dare not to ever cross her again, hence they both fled thepound.

    Thus, Chang Jingqiu sat idly in her wheelchair as she copsed onto Grandmother Chang¡¯sp and began bawling.

    Qi Chenglin proceeded to mock her, ¡°Impressive demonstration of fake tears it seems.¡±

    Upon hearing that mockingment, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s body grew stiff as she turned around with an offended re through her eyes and said, ¡°What did you say to me?!¡±

    Grandmother Chang gently patted her shoulders and consoled her, ¡°Don¡¯t bother with what he said.¡±

    ¡°Take a seat.¡± It was only at this moment did Grandmother Chang noticed Chang Zhiyuan and the people present with him. She replied coldly, ¡°We¡¯re here to discuss important matters right now.¡±

    However, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen never moved an inch since they were unwilling to sit with any of these people.

    Chang Zhiyuan waspletely disappointed at that moment, however. Without much of a choice, he proceeded to take a seat.

    Upon witnessing theirplete reluctance, Grandmother Chang became unhappy as she thought if she would actually devour Ruan Danchen since it was as if all of them were protecting her.

    The more she thought about the whole situation the more she realized it was only Chang Jingqiu who truly cared about her.

    With such an old age, Grandmother Chang waspletely numb toward the cold rtionship with family, thus she thought she only needed a single person to treat her well.

    ¡°Since we¡¯ll all be family soon, you guys should respect me as your grandmother!¡± Grandmother Chang said coldly.

    Her gazended on Qi Chenglin as if she had deserved every bit of glory. If Qi Chenglin became her son-inw, no matter how much disagreements she had about him, she would still take a little pride in his power and status.

    However, Qi Chenglin seemed to ignore her as he was paired with a look ofplete arrogance. Ruan Danchen too was ignoring everything she had said.

    ¡°Who do you guys think you are! The audacity you guys have to not reunite with your own rtives!¡± Grandmother Chang said while mming her hands violently onto the armrest of the couch.

    Liu Xiangwen who was standing by her side attempted to calm her down. She said, ¡°Mom, please calm down, don¡¯t get mad. Perhaps Ruan Danchen isn¡¯t used to her new status. Our main goal here today was to straighten up some things.¡±

    Thus, Liu Xiangwen helped Grandmother Chang down some stairs. Grandmother Chang remained silent while maintaining a cold expression on her face.

    Liu Xiangwen then proceeded to say, ¡°Here¡¯s a thought Mom, just tell me what you think. Jingqiu being our family¡¯s granddaughter had been a fact all these years, and pretty much everyone had epted that fact. Besides, we had been treating her as part of our family too, so we shouldn¡¯t change that fact. We don¡¯t need to exin their identities to anyone. This still matters that only concerns our family, so there really isn¡¯t a need to let anyone know about it. Since what happened to my sister back then wasn¡¯t something pretty as well, it¡¯s better to keep this from anyone.¡±

    Ruan Danchen pouted as she hated what Liu Xiangwen had said.

    However, Grandmother Chan nodded in agreement. She replied, ¡°You have a point.¡±

    ¡°So I thought Jingqiu¡¯s identity would remain unchanged. We too shouldn¡¯t say a word of this incident to anyone else. Since if word got out about us mistakenly swapping two children at birth, we¡¯d be aplete joke to anyone.¡±

    ¡°Yes indeed.¡± Grandmother Chang nodded. She said, ¡°Continue please.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s also without a doubt we¡¯ll need to reunite with Ruan Danchen within our family. Hence we¡¯ll tell everyone that Ruan Danchen was our family¡¯s granddaughter after losing contact all these years, and we¡¯ve finally found her. We¡¯ll pay no mind to whatever everyone thought about this whole situation. Everyone else will soon ept Ruan Danchen¡¯s new identity after some time,¡± Liu Xiangwen exined.

    ¡°You¡¯repletely right.¡± Grandmother Chang nodded. She then said, ¡°It¡¯s decided, we¡¯ll do exactly that so Jingqiu would not be judged by anyone in public.¡±

    ¡°I recalled Lao Liang once said, Jingqiu is actually a couple of months older than Ruan Danchen, so that would mean the both of you will be sisters from now on.¡± Liu Xiangwen chuckled. She continued, ¡°Besides, they were both high school ssmates, so on a much deeper thought, wouldn¡¯t that mean they finally have a chance to grow even closer from now on?¡±

    Grandmother Chang too agreed to this proposal. She said while looking up toward Ruan Danchen, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, the both of you will be sisters then.¡±

    ¡°Who wants to be her sister?¡± Ruan Danchen said with an all-too icy tone.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t really matter if I reunite with your family or not, but you shouldn¡¯t be so forceful with your agenda. From how I see it, it would be just like in the past, nothing will change. Chang Jingqiu will still be your granddaughter and the Chang family will have nothing to do with me. I¡¯ll still be the daughter-inw for the Qi family and the granddaughter of the Ruan family. This in turn wouldn¡¯t affect your family¡¯s good name, and you wouldn¡¯t need to rack your brain oning up with an exnation to another granddaughter.¡±

    Upon saying that, Ruan Danchen nced over to Chang Zhiyuan with apassionate, gentle gaze. This meant to him that even though Ruan Danchen refused to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Chang family, she had at least acknowledged him as a better person. Hence, he proceeded to let out a sigh of relief.

    A little sense of pride washed over him as he was proud to know that his own niece was different than others. She was much different than his own heartless family.

    ¡°You...What on earth are you saying! How could you refuse to acknowledge the presence of your very own family? So now that you¡¯re Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife, you actually assume we¡¯re not good enough for you, and we only intended to suck up to you right?¡± Grandmother Chang replied furiously while violently pointing at her.

    Ruan Danchen chuckled sarcastically. She said, ¡°So you actually know you¡¯re not good enough for us?¡±

    The arrogance shown by Grandmother Chang was not her usual arrogance.

    ¡°You¡¯ve never once respected me in the past as Qi Chenglin¡¯s wife, so how would I even dare to suck up to you now!¡± Ruan Danchen mocked sarcastically.

    Qi Chenglin simply chuckled from the side. It seemed Ruan Danchen was truly furious at this moment.

    Thus, he immediately tried to calm her down. He said, ¡°Alright, don¡¯t get mad now. My heart wrenched from seeing you getting so worked up by these people.¡±

    ¡°You...You, You...brats!¡± Grandmother Chang was so furious at that point that she could not stand up right.

    Thus, Liu Xiangwen proceeded to hold onto Grandmother Chang. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t get so worked up Mom, I believe Ruan Danchen felt as if she had been wronged, thus prompting her to speak such awful things. To be fair, she had been separated from our family for so many years, so upon reuniting with us, we hadn¡¯t done anything grand to make it up to her. Perhaps she assumed she wasn¡¯t being respected.¡±

    ¡°Are you trying to ease the tension or are you trying to provoke everyone?¡± Mo Yuxin questioned coldly. Maintaining the same tone, she continued, ¡°Do you actually think Ruan Danchen would even want a grand wee? On the surface, it would seem that you were just trying to help out Ruan Danchen, however, every word you say was devaluing her as a person. So, what exactly are your intentions?¡±

    ¡°Sister...How could you say that?¡± Liu Xiangwen replied as her expression changed to a pretentious guilt-filled look. She proceeded to say, ¡°I know you and I have some disagreements in the past, but you can¡¯t say that about me.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s true what Auntie had said earlier. I don¡¯t need whatever grand wee you imed I do. We¡¯re not even close, so whatever I wished should never be your concern. You don¡¯t have to speak to me nor do you have to make a choice for me,¡± Ruan Danchen replied calmly. ¡°In all honesty, let¡¯s not talk about whatever grand ceremony you were talking about earlier. If it wasn¡¯t for my uncle, I don¡¯t even wish to have any sort of rtionship or ties to the Chang family.¡±

    Ruan Danchen smirked coldly. ¡°Be Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sister? Impossible!¡±

    ¡°Our main purpose here today wasn¡¯t for the results of her birth.¡± Qi Chenglin said, ¡°So whatever that had happened in the past or whatever that¡¯ll happen in the future, no one here today has the right to unt their status at Ruan Danchen¡¯s face. This is all that I¡¯ll leave you with. If you truly see Ruan Danchen as a member of your family and if there¡¯s even a single shred of guilt in your heart, then please be honest from now on. Stop doing things that would cause her any sort of harm and trouble. Otherwise, it wouldn¡¯t matter what the Ruan family tells me; there will be consequences.¡±

    At this point, Grandmother Chang¡¯s fury had reached beyond her boiling point as it was clear to her that everything Qi Chenglin had said earlier was all meant for her alone.

    As she stared at the two youngsters, she was not sure if they had a single shred of respect for their elders within the chambers of their heart.

    As she stared directly at Ruan Danchen, all she could think of was how cold-hearted and ruthless this woman was since she stood idle devoid of emotions, even when her husband¡¯s position was ultimately threatened.

    A woman so ruthless and cold; it would be natural for the absence of any sort of emotions toward family in her heart. A woman like her was extremely selfish!

    ¡°So you had no intention in reuniting with our family then?¡± Grandmother Chang said furiously while pointing directly at Ruan Danchen. She added, ¡°So through the very lens of both your eyes, do you think I¡¯m unworthy to be your grandmother then?¡±

    Ruan Danchen remained calm as she only had a cold, emotionless expression on her face. Growing tired of arguing with her, she told Qi Chenglin, ¡°Let¡¯s just leave now alright?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded. Without even ncing at anyone but Chang Zhiyuan and his wife, he said, ¡°We¡¯ll be taking our leave now.¡±

    With such attitude demonstrated in the face of the Chang family, this showed that Qi Chenglin only had room for Chang Zhiyuan and his family.

    This proved whatever Liu Xiangwen said to Chang Jingqiu back then waspletely on point.

    Just as she thought, since Chang Zhiyuan had such a tight and close rtionship with Qi Chenglin, he would have no position in their family in the future.

    ¡°You... Why do I have such a disrespectful granddaughter like you! Even if we hadn¡¯t been in contact or had met in-person for thest 27 years, you could never sever all ties with your blood rtives. How could you just leave like that? Even from the very second you set foot here till now, you¡¯ve not called me your grandmother. You really are ruthless and cold for not acknowledging your blood rtives!¡± Grandmother Chang ranted while pointing directly at Ruan Danchen. However, after that rant, she then proceeded to tell Qi Chenglin, ¡°Look at the person you loved, Qi Chenglin. You would actually choose someone so ruthless!¡±

    Qi Chenglin looked directly at Grandmother Chang without any form of emotion on his face, causing Grandmother Chang to grow increasingly frantic just by Qi Chenglin¡¯s sheer cold gaze.

    ¡°You keep badmouthing your own granddaughter to her own husband, just because you wanted nothing more but to destroy her own marriage. How could you expect her to respect you if this is how you treat her? Before you request something from anyone, you should really take a good look at yourself. If you had indeed treated her well yet she refused to respect you, that would mean that she truly is ruthless and cold. Before you knew her actual identity and background back then, you hated her with a burning passion. So all that I can say to you is you¡¯re despicable and extremely uneptable to anyone. Perhaps it was due to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s own matters that had caused you to dislike Danchen.¡±

    ¡°However even as of right now, after knowing Ruan Danchen was your true blood-rted granddaughter, you¡¯re still unrelentingly scolding her? Did you really see her as your granddaughter with an attitude like that? If she were to even grace you with a single shred of respect by the way you were treating her, I would abandon her,¡± Qi Chenglin coldly admonished.

    ¡°Everyone in the Ruan family loved her and treated her extremely well with the most respect, and with that, she repaid their respect and kindness by a thousandfold. Uncle treated her well, and she had never once discriminated against him because of his ties with your family. She could very clearly judge people on separate terms and was more than willing to acknowledge and respect him as her own blood-rted uncle, and even made Youxuan address him as his own granduncle.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan who was just listening from the sidelines was extremely moved by his words.

    From what he had heard, Qi Chenglin had actually called him uncle!

    This meant he too had acknowledged him as family.

    As much as Chang Zhiyuan was tempted to show off and celebrate with his wife and daughter, the tense situation at this very moment stopped him from doing so.

    ¡°...¡± Mo Yuxin was speechless as she noticed the grin on her husband¡¯s face. She knew exactly what he was thinking of so she rolled her eyes at her husband in response.

    She then heard Qi Chenglin¡¯s sudden loud cackle. He proceeded to say, ¡°I don¡¯t want my wife and child to suffer here all because of you. I am however bold enough to allow them to face whatever suffering that would eventuallye their way. Since you¡¯ve never treated Danchen as your own granddaughter and somehow expected her to treat you as her grandmother, tell me, how on earth are you worthy of that treatment? You could somehow love someone who had absolutely no blood rtion with you unconditionally, so this proves you¡¯re not as heartless as you seem. It¡¯s unfortunate you¡¯ve directed your love to a woman who fuels her mind with malicious schemes and other horrible intentions. A woman like that, you could still somehow assume she was anywhere pure and innocent, yet you¡¯re unwilling to pour even a single drop of love to your own granddaughter. So tell me, what exactly should I call you? Someone who¡¯s undyingly loyal, or someone extremely heartless?¡±

    ¡°How could I spare any form of love if she treated me so coldly?¡± Grandmother Chang replied frustratingly as she too felt she had been wronged.

    Hence, Qi Chenglin could only let out a sigh of disappointment as he waspletely done with arguing with her. Thus, he proceeded to leave with Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Wait just a moment, both of you!¡± Grandmother Chang called them from behind.

    Without even flinching, Qi Chenglin turned back to look at Grandmother Chang with a cold expression.

    ¡°No matter what you say, all of us are now family. So even if Ruan Danchen was terminally ill, I¡¯m willing to ept her, so it doesn¡¯t really matter. All I can do is teach her how to behave properly in the future,¡± Grandmother Chang said while frowning.

    However, from Qi Chenglin¡¯s perspective, she seemed reluctant and unwilling to say what she had just said.

    ¡°Danchen is amazing and there¡¯s nothing you could teach her, and I believe there¡¯s nothing she could learn from you either,¡± Qi Chenglin bluntly replied.

    Unexpectedly for Grandmother Chang, even though it was obvious that her fury was boiling violently beyond her boiling point, she had managed to keep herself under control. All she said was, ¡°Since we¡¯re all a family, how baffling it is for the children in our family to not study in Jixia High School? Our Nanan was having such a horrible time in a mediocre school. Could you get him into Jixia High School?¡±

    The tone of Grandmother Chang was as if she was ordering everyone to do her bidding for her without question.

    ¡°One more thing: I believe this entire debacle couldn¡¯t be hidden from everyone else out there. Since the Qi family and the Chang family had be inws, then it¡¯s only natural for the Qi family to stop butting heads with the Chang family right? Since you¡¯re also my grandson-inw and it¡¯s a fact that you and Zhiyuan were undoubtedly close to each other, then you should help Changhe out with his needs. You know, when other families out there be inws, they¡¯d always help each other with their needs and grew extremely close with each other. How uneptable for you to treat Changhe so coldly.¡±

    Grandmother Chang simply nced over to Ruan Danchen with a cold gaze. She said, ¡°Since I¡¯m your grandmother now, if you¡¯re to prove yourself, loyal to us and happen to respect me, I¡¯d also treat you well. We¡¯ll bury the hatchet here; whatever grievances and misunderstandings we had in the past, will be water under the bridge from now,¡± finished Grandmother Chang with an extremely entitled look.

    Ruan Danchen chuckled from pure anger. What did she mean by water under the bridge? It¡¯s unsurprising for Grandmother Chang not to realize till this moment that she was the one that had wronged her.

    Nheless, she never fought back since she did not wish to bring any unwanted trouble to Chang Zhiyuan.

    It was also at this moment, the joy and pride Chang Zhiyuan felt earlier immediately faded into pure anger as unchecked fury of boiling wrath radiated through his eyes as he listened to Grandmother Chang speak.

    He could not stand the entitled attitude from Grandmother Chang as she had never taken the wellbeing of her own granddaughter into consideration.

    Without the need for Ruan Danchen to worry, Chang Zhiyuan said, ¡°You may decide on what you want to do with the matters of Jianan since I¡¯m only his uncle, so I¡¯m in no position to care about his matters. However, whatever Changhe is going through, it¡¯s purely business, so there¡¯s no need for you to intervene, Mom. I¡¯m still in charge of the matters in Changhe, so I¡¯m much clearer than you are in running mypany.¡±

    ¡°Bold of you to say such things. Am I in no position to intervene with the matters of yourpany? Could I possibly bring any sort of harm to yourpany?¡± Grandmother Chang shrieked at him.

    ¡°Yeah Brother, you¡¯re wrong to say that. Although you¡¯re in charge of Changhe, thepany belongs to our family, you need to think about the benefits for our entire family,¡± Liu Xiangwen calmly exined.

    ¡°You may be in charge of thepany, but you still need to obey and listen to whatever Mom says!¡± Liu Xiangwen added.

    Chang Zhiyuan simply scoffed as he hadpletely seen through Liu Xiangwen¡¯s facade.

 Chapter 468 - Donâ€™t Ever Return

    <strong>Chapter 468: Don¡¯t Ever Return</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    He was not willing to exin any further to them. As he was still in charge of thepany, he found no meaning to take part in their petty squabbles.

    All Chang Zhiyuan did was tell both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen, ¡°Come on now, I¡¯ll be sending you both.¡±

    Mo Yuxin too found no meaning in staying any longer than she already did, hence she left along with Chang Jingwan.

    As they were leaving, they could clearly hear the loud ear-piercing maniacal shrieks of Grandmother Changing from behind them. She was yelling, ¡°Ruan Danchen, I dare you to leave now. You¡¯ll regret leaving today! Everyone will know how disrespectful you are to me, and when they do, they¡¯ll rip the spine out of your body.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan turned to Qi Chenglin and said when they were at the door, ¡°Pay no mind to what the olddy said earlier. There¡¯s no need for Jia Nan to return or else he¡¯ll only bring trouble to Qi Youxuan.¡±

    As Ruan Danchen listened to everything Chang Zhiyuan said to Qi Chenglin, she was touched by how selfless and loyal he was in helping an outsider like them.

    ¡°As for bing business partners, just do your part in managing yourpany. You don¡¯t have to give any sort of special treatment for Changhe. There are way too many businesses Changhe has that would¡¯ve never fit the business model of Qilin. I very much understand that fact, so there¡¯s no reason for Qilin to do anything to help Changhe. Besides, even if you were to take a loss and had decided to help Changhe, it¡¯s not like they¡¯d be grateful anyway. Regardless, their inted ego and fragile entitlement would make it seem they deserve every bit of it anyway.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen and Grandmother Chang were known for ying the victim. They would think that there was nothing wrong with cing the Qi family at a minor loss as their family was filthy rich and had other revenues in covering for the loss. Helping the Chang family was the only right thing for the Qi family to do. If they had chosen not to help the Chang family, they would think the Qi family was an unkind and ruthless bunch of people.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin remained silent and simply nodded in response.

    After Chang Zhiyuan had sent them off, he never bothered to return to his mother and simply left immediately with Mo Yuxin and Chang Jingwan.

    At this very moment, Chang Zhiyuan was beyond disappointed in his family. Although Grandmother Chang was also extremely biased and inhumanly unreasonable back then and had also put his own wife through hell before, he had no choice but to allow her tyranny to continue due to the maternal ties and status he held.

    However, he finally snapped as he noticed grandmother Chang truly had gone too far this time. After all, she dared to treat Ruan Danchen so inhumanly horribly and shamelessly expected her to do her bidding because she felt entitled to it.

    Chang Zhiyuan could put aside whatever horrible things that had happened to him in the past, but he could not stand to watch Ruan Danchen be treated so unreasonably poorly.

    ...

    Liu Xiangwen watched them leave with zero intention of returning to them as she peered through the windows. Rushing back to inform her mother, she said, ¡°Just look at Brother¡¯s attitude, Mother. He thinks he owns the entirety of our Chang family. Whenever he¡¯s in thepany, he¡¯s never allowed Zhixing to do anything regardless of how big or small the matters were. It was as if Zhixing waspletely useless and was forced to the sidelines. Every single person, even the lowest-paid staff looked down on him. Did you know that when thepany hired an intern, the senior supervisors even tantly told the intern to pay zero attention to anything Zhixing said.¡±

    ¡°What utter nonsense!¡± Chang Zhixing snapped back.

    He could not understand why Liu Xiangwen wanted to stir bad blood and chaos and was adamant in starting a feud with Chang Zhiyuan since he had done nothing to her before.

    ¡°I want to say, to speak the truth! Who would¡¯ve stood up for you if I hadn¡¯t said anything? I know you love your brother, but I can¡¯t bear to watch you getting taken advantage of.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare interrupt her. Speak now, Xiangwen!¡± Upon hearing the fact that her youngest son was being bullied, she frantically interjected and allowed Liu Xiangwen to speak.

    ¡°Mom, did you know that whatever Zhixing said in thepany would never be taken seriously and would often be disregarded. His older brother would pretend to get him involved inpany meetings, but he¡¯d never ask for his opinion. Even if he had spoken, his older brother would never take his words into any form of consideration. His older brother had given him a powerless position within thepany. Although his position may seem high and powerful on the surface, his position within thepany waspletely useless. We¡¯re both under your care now, Mom. Just because of that fact alone, his older brother dared not to do anything too drastic, simply putting on a show by cing Zhixing within the ranks of thepany. For now, his older brother still had room for Zhixing within hispany. However, what if... what if you¡¯re...you¡¯re... I¡¯m worried and afraid of what his older brother would do to Zhixing!¡± Liu Xiangwen¡¯s eyes gradually turned red as she struggled to speak her mind.

    ¡°Are you done speaking, Liu Xiangwen? Would you stop spouting nonsense to Mom? When will you learn to know your damn ce, woman?¡± Chang Zhixing snapped at her. ¡°I¡¯m more aware than you possibly could of what my strengths were and where I stand within thepany; those decisions were never up to me to decide. I¡¯d be damned if I make the wrong choices that would ultimately doom the entirepany, so I¡¯m more than willing to leave all important decisions and management to my brother.¡±

    ¡°How would you know if you¡¯ve never even given it a shot?¡± Liu Xiangwen snapped back.

    ¡°She¡¯s right!¡± Grandmother Chang said. She continued, ¡°You¡¯re pretty smart ever since you were little, don¡¯t you dare tell me that you¡¯re incapable of doing what your brother could.¡±

    Chang Zhixing was backed into a corner by his mother and wife. Left without much of a choice, he said, ¡°Mom, no matter what, make sure you never tell my brother what¡¯s spoken today! My brother had managed thepany extremely well, and I¡¯d be a heartless monster if I didn¡¯t even know my ce to be grateful.¡±

    ¡°And you!¡± Chang Zhixing furiously warned Liu Xiangwen. He told her, ¡°Stop thinking about stuff like these, would you! We¡¯re married. Are you unsatisfied that I¡¯m not as capable as my brother? If you think I¡¯m useless, you¡¯re more than wee to find someone else, stop obsessing over my brother¡¯s faults!¡±

    ¡°What are you saying? Chang Zhixing, you heartless monster. Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m only doing all of this for you? If I¡¯ve never cared about you, why would I even bother to care about petty matters like these! How could you paint me as some despicable, evil woman?¡± Liu Xiangwen cried.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Grandmother Chang grew tired and annoyed by their petty squabbles. She then proceeded to say, ¡°You have to know Xiangwen was doing all of this for your sake too, Zhixing. You truly weren¡¯t as bad as you think; you¡¯re as good as your brother, so I believe your brother should at least leave half thepany¡¯s decisions to you. How could he, as your older brother, act so selfish to the extent of keeping his guard up to his brother?¡±

    Chang Zhixing sighed in disappointment as he listened to his mother. ¡°Just drop it,¡± he conceded, ¡°and don¡¯t ever bring up this topic again.¡±

    Although Grandmother Chang remained silent, her eyes lit up with life as if she was plotting something.

    ...

    Qi Chenglin brought Ruan Danchen and Qi Youxuan to the Prestige Residences after the whole debacle. However, it seemed Ruan Danchen was not affected by what Grandmother Chang had said.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin went straight to his personal study then proceeded to give Jiang Yuan a call. He then gave his order, ¡°Find Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia, and when you do, tell them I have something good to offer them. Schedule an appointment with them, I¡¯ll meet them personally.¡±

    ...

    Ruan Danchen assumed this would be the end of this entire mess. Since Grandmother Chang was hostile toward her, she too would not acknowledge her as her grandmother. It would not bother her too much if she was being perceived as a heartless woman. After all, no matter what she did, she could never please Grandmother Chang. There was simply no need for her to continuously please her.

    She would not deliberately cause Grandmother Chang harm but she would never treat her well. All she had to know was she only had one blood-rted rtive left.

    So if she could not afford to face her head-on, the best for Ruan Danchen to do at this moment was to avoid her.

    However never did she expect, on the very next working day; and since there were some important documents that thepany needed, she had decided to deliver those documents herself.

    As she got ready to leave after handing the documents to Qi Chenglin, Aunt Liu had made an unexpected phone call to Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°Young master, could you return home now? Madam Qi told me to silently inform you that Grandmother Chang hade over and...she happened to be spouting extremely harsh nonsense. Madam Qi wanted you to return home to listen to her nonsense yourself. However, please don¡¯t let Ruan Danchen know about this as she¡¯s still pregnant, and we don¡¯t wish to add to her stress.¡± Aunt Liu exined.

    Qi Chenglin replied while frowning, ¡°Alright, I understand.¡±

    Ruan Danchen asked after Qi Chenglin had hung up the call, ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Did something happen back home?¡±

    ¡°Nothing too serious. I¡¯ll return home to see what¡¯s wrong,¡± Qi Chenglin replied. He then said, ¡°Just take a break and rx for a bit here, alright?¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s nothing too serious, why would you need to personally return home then? I¡¯lle with you,¡± Ruan Danchen said while grabbing onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s shoulder tightly. She then continued, ¡°If it¡¯s not serious, Aunt Liu wouldn¡¯t call you during office hours to get you toe home.¡±

    Qi Chenglin felt that Ruan Danchen was not even the slightest bit affected by what Grandmother Chang had said. At the very least, when she had gone home yesterday, she was not even bothered by it and had pretended as if nothing unusual had happened.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin said, ¡°Aunt Liu told me Grandmother Chang came over to our house spouting words of a madman, so she told me to return home to help settle this mess.¡±

    ¡°I know you no longer care about her, but I¡¯m worried that whatever she says would anger you, so let me handle this alone,¡± persuaded Qi Chenglin with a slight frown.

    ¡°Even if I¡¯m incapable of facing her head-on, this entire mess started with me, so how can I watch you handle this mess alone? As long as I¡¯m with you, there¡¯s nothing you should worry about. Rest assured, whatever she says will never affect me. Whatever she wants to say won¡¯t concern me. Why would I grace her with any more of my attention and anger, just to feel awful after the fact? She¡¯s not worth any of it.¡±

    After he was certain that Ruan Danchen was truly not bothered by any of this, he nodded and left for home along with her.

    ...

    When the duo arrived back home, Aunt Liu was shocked to see Qi Chenglin leading Ruan Danchen by the hand as she waited by the door. ¡°Why did Ruan Danchen follow you back?¡± she asked.

    Ruan Danchen knew Aunt Liu was only worried that she might be affected by what Grandmother Chang would say. She replied with a smile, ¡°It¡¯s okay, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll never be bothered by her. This entire mess concerns me as well, and I¡¯d very much love to see what thisdy intends to say foring all this way today.¡±

    Aunt Liu was still worried about Ruan Danchen even after her exnation yet she was powerless.

    Aunt Liu was able to hear Ruan Danchen telling Qi Chenglin as they calmly walked forward. She said, ¡°If only I was persistent enough to tell Uncle that it doesn¡¯t matter what happens, I¡¯ll never acknowledge her as my grandmother. Look at what mess this horrible rtive of mine had brought into our family now.¡±

    Qi Chenglin chuckled and replied, ¡°Just think of it as watching aedy unfolding.¡±

    Qi Chenglin squinted in response since he never expected Grandmother Chang to make her first move bying over so fast, hence he felt the urgency to meet up with the married Huang Pinggui couple.

    Aunt Liu proceeded to slowly open the door while she calmly brought them in. She had not informed Grandmother Qi about their arrival yet just to let them eavesdrop on their conversation.

    However, as soon as they entered, they could hear grandmother Chang¡¯s voice echoing from the living room, ¡°My dear Madam Qi, I don¡¯t really have much of a choice now. I can¡¯t possibly bear to watch her tear down everything your family has built now. Even if I could, I can never convince myself to do so. No matter what happens, Ruan Danchen is still our family¡¯s child. If anything were to happen to your family, our family can¡¯t stand idly by and not do anything to help. I can¡¯t convince myself to not at least give you a warning to everything that I know about her and that she¡¯d only bring harm to your family.¡±

    ¡°I still want the best for her since she¡¯s my granddaughter, but I just can¡¯t convince myself to.¡± Ruan Danchen could hear the genuine sincere emotions from grandmother Chang¡¯s voice.

    It was the first time in her entire life to have ever heard such genuine and sincere emotionsing from Grandmother Chang¡¯s mouth.

    ¡°What on Earth are you saying? What you¡¯re saying is extremely ridiculous, so don¡¯t me me for having a hard time believing you. Save your scare tactics, alright? Besides, who in their right mind would ruin their own granddaughter¡¯s reputation like this? From what I know, she was your family¡¯s twenty-seven-year long lost granddaughter. After all this trouble to reunite with her, not only did you not treat her well, but you dared to ruin her reputation like this by exposing all of her ws,¡± Grandmother Qi sounded furious as she ranted.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s looked slightly ashamed as she attempted to hide her face. She then said, ¡°Although my heart truly loves her, I can never allow my love for her to be built at the expense of someone else¡¯s tragedy. I¡¯ve never wished for her to cause coteral damage to anyone else, and even though I¡¯m very well aware of how unbelievable this may sound to anyone, but from how I see things, I¡¯d never take any chances.¡±

    Sighing long and deep, Grandmother Chang then continued, ¡°Besides, after everything that had happened, it¡¯s hard for me to not be convinced. After Danchen was born, both her parents met their end. After that, she was adopted by Liu Ronghua and from what I know, her life had plummeted downhill ever since. She had been trapped in a cycle of constant unstable marriages and divorces and had never had any luck in finding true love. However, after all of that uphill struggle, she painfully got into a rtionship with Shen Jialiang. Unfortunately for her, Shen Jialiang had no ns to marry her, and she had wasted her entire youth with him only to end up abandoned and disowned by the entirety of the Shen family. Now she¡¯s gone without a trace. My eldest son, Chang Zhiyuan had an amazing job, family and a smooth life before he had met her. However, as soon as he reunited with Ruan Danchen as her uncle, everything in his life went downhill. He was just in time to snap out of his daze, but I just can¡¯t help but feel that this was because he wasn¡¯t close enough to Ruan Danchen yet. Had they been closer, who knows if he could snap out of it? Who knows his life would continue to suffer to an even violent state?¡±

    ¡°All of these events were examples of how horrible of a tragedy the lives of people affiliated with her, so tell me, how could I not worry?¡± Grandmother Chang exined sincerely. She continued, ¡°Although it is without a doubt that the Qi family¡¯s financial state was indeed incredible and the foundation of your family is extremely wide and sturdy, I doubt it¡¯s still not enough to nullify her cursed life! It¡¯s true that your family is fine and happy now, but what if something horrible were to happen? You and your husband aren¡¯t young anymore, while Qi Chenglin is still full of youth. Moreover, Youxuan is still so young, and I¡¯m worried that they wouldn¡¯t be able to deflect her curse. I just can¡¯t bear to watch my granddaughter bring any form of tragedy into your family right?¡±

    Upon hearing her bold statements, grandmother Qi gritted her teeth in absolute fury since Grandmother Chang was bold enough to curse her family!

    ¡°I wish for an amazing life for her as well, but I can¡¯t bear to watch her bring chaos and pain to your family,¡± Grandmother Chang exined.

    Grandmother Qi¡¯s eyebrows were slightly twitching in response to her ims. She questioned with a confused tone, ¡°So what exactly are you suggesting that we¡¯re supposed to do?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s entirely up to your family to decide the next move. Although she¡¯s my granddaughter, this entire matter is still your family¡¯s concern and business, so it¡¯s up to your family to decide. The most important thing is that I¡¯ve done my part to warn you about her, so at the very least I won¡¯t be gued by my sense of guilt. It won¡¯t be my fault if something unfortunate happens to your family since I¡¯ve warned you already. This would lift any guilt that would potentially haunt me if I had to sit and watch something bad happen to your family, knowing full well who was the cause of all of this tragedy. So with that being said, I¡¯ve done my part.¡± At this moment, Grandmother Chang assumed she had sessfully persuaded and influenced grandmother Qi with her twisted sense of rationality. She straightened her back and was more confident with what she said.

    However, Grandmother Qi simply smirked and said in response, ¡°If I allow Qi Chenglin to divorce her, that would mean she¡¯d no longer have any ties with our family and would be forced to return to the Chang family. What would happen when she directed her curse at your family again? So you¡¯re freeing us from the curse she brought along, and indirectly deflecting the curse back to your family then, right?¡±

    Qi Chenglin held onto Ruan Danchen¡¯s hands firmly while giving it a slight squeeze. He calmly stared directly at her with his ck pearly eyes, indirectly calming her nerves.

    Worried this might cause some misunderstandings to her, he mouthed the phrase, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    Ruan Danchen replied with a smile while gently shook her head, indirectly telling him that she would never misunderstand whatever Grandmother Qi said. She had her full faith in the entire Qi family. If mere simple phrases would cause some feelings of misunderstandings to her, she would be unworthy of the unconditional love that was shown to her by the elders of the family. They would be extremely sad and hurt if they knew Ruan Danchen had misunderstood their intentions and words.

    Qi Chenglin smirked confidently, showing how happy he felt.

    Ever since they had been together, despite the constant sabotage and harassment on their rtionship by the horrible people they had to endure, it never once bothered him. As for their rtionship, she had never once caused much worry to him nor had she ever acted unreasonably. There were never any asions that could potentially cause any misunderstandings that caused arguments between them.

    This fact alone made him fall deeper in love with her as he wanted nothing more but to give her the entire world if he could. He felt that whatever he had given her was far too little.

    Now, all that he wished for was her to continue acting coquettishly toward him and flirt with him asionally.

    He smiled unconsciously and it was the warmest smile he had ever experienced. However, Ruan Danchen was curious as she noticed his odd behavior. She was unsure why exactly the gaze through his eyes looked quite innocent and pure at this moment. However, this brightened up Qi Chenglin¡¯s mood, thus no garbage Grandmother Chang would spout could never affect his mood.

    At the same moment, they could hear Grandmother Chang¡¯s voice once again echoed from inside. She said, ¡°I¡¯m truly touched that you¡¯d still think about our family. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ve already decided. Since this child had endured so much suffering all these years, I¡¯ll treat her well after she apologizes and acknowledge me as her grandmother and buy her a house in the southernmost city. She may live there and I¡¯ll take care of her; she¡¯ll have a life without any worries.¡±

    However, she would not be allowed to return since she would be confined in that tiny city.

    Unexpectedly, Grandmother Chang suddenly burst into maniacalughter as she promptly said, ¡°Since our Chang family had so muchpetition in the market, we¡¯ll pick someone we absolutely despise in future and have Danchen marry that person. This would at the very least make her contribute a little to our Chang family, so think of it as her way of showing some form of gratitude to us taking care of her. Besides, she¡¯s the granddaughter of the Chang family; it¡¯s only natural for her to think about our family¡¯s needs.¡±

    Even after hearing that, Ruan Danchen was not even the slightest bit bothered by her words. She used to think Grandmother Chang was just being a senile old woman, but at that moment, she truly felt there was something awfully wrong with that olddy¡¯s brain.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s irrational ims of her being a curse to her family could most probably be due to her superstitious nature, yet it was extremelyical when sheter imed she would marry Ruan Danchen to anypetitors to her family, obviously hinting at the idea of destroying herpetitor¡¯s family.

    Was Grandmother Chang truly convinced that Ruan Danchen had the ability to curse anyone?

    Such foolish wishful thinking for her to be convinced that all tall tales were true.

    Not a single person in their right mind would believe in superstition like that. Nheless, if Grandmother Chang was serious about it and had truly intended in using Ruan Danchen for her benefit, marrying her to the Chang family¡¯spetitors in hopes of gaining any form of benefit would be an act of pure cruelty.

    These statements she made were the result of her inhuman arrogance deeply rooted in her personality. She actually assumed these statements she made could be any form of leverage over Ruan Danchen. This senile olddy actually thought Ruan Danchen wouldply and bepletelycent with whatever the Chang family requested her to do.

    She assumed that when Grandmother Chang had proposed to move her to the southernmost city was the sheer limit of her idiocy, but Ruan Danchen never expected that this olddy was able to top her initial stupidity.

    Ruan Danchen felt that she should have never attempted to gauge the limits of this olddy¡¯s stupidity.

    Every time she assumed this olddy had reached the limit of how dumb her statements or actions could be, Grandmother Chang was able to reach a new low, far beyond her initial limits.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen would only perceive Grandmother Chang the same way she looked at any people suffering from a mental illness. Because of this, Ruan Danchen was no longer able to be angry at thisdy.

    She looked toward Qi Chenglin, hinting at him with her gaze alone, asking him if they should make their entrance now. As soon as she did that, they suddenly heard a powerful sound of a ss mug shattering.

    ¡°Madam Chang!¡± Grandmother Qi yelled. She then continued furiously, ¡°Danchen was your blood-rted granddaughter that was lost in contact for thest twenty-seven years. We know that you¡¯ve never liked her at all, and we don¡¯t really mind that even for the slightest bit. There are still plenty of people out there who love her very much, so not gaining any of your love makes not much difference to her life anyway. However, we can¡¯t stand a grandmother like you who treats her granddaughter so horribly awful. You had the audacity to go out your way to destroy the reputation of your granddaughter, and even go so far as to even attempt to destroy her marriage!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not just badmouthing her, no. You¡¯re cursing her, shoving a wedge between our family and her! Saying that her life curses her family?¡± Grandmother Qi wanted to tell her toe back and discuss this matter after Ruan Danchen had hexed her life to death, but she proceeded to scoff in her heart since it was just too ironic as Grandmother Chang was a strong believer of Buddhism yet could still be so vile.

    However, she could not quell her anger. She pointed directly at Grandmother Chang and started yelling at her furiously again, ¡°Although our family practices Buddhism as well, we stand by the principles of goodwill and only believe in kindness within our hearts. We¡¯ll never believe in the twisted and skewed principles you so strongly believe! Fortunately for our family, we had never believed in twisted superstition. If we do and had selfishly exiled Ruan Danchen out of our family, we¡¯ll just be doing your bidding. Isn¡¯t that what you wanted? Then you¡¯ll send her off to live on her own in the southernmost city? To marry her off to yourpetitors? I¡¯m appalled by how you were able to say something so vile and evil. I feel just as vile even as I repeat what you¡¯ve said word by word! Even if you hated her and resented her, you had no right to ruin her like this!¡±

    ¡°You kept saying that she¡¯s your granddaughter, but is this how you¡¯ll treat the only daughter left behind by your deceased daughter? You dared to ruin someone rted to your blood for an equally vile and evil outsider Chang Jingqiu? You think you¡¯re smart for doing so? Let me just tell you this, never in my entire life had I met someone so evil and wicked and at the same time so stupidly foolish such as you!¡±

    ¡°You...You...You...¡± Grandmother Chang stuttered as she stared in unbelievable shock at grandmother Qi. Grandmother Qi was extremely calm moments ago. Her entire expression earlier even looked as if Grandmother Qi was convinced by what Grandmother Chang had said, how could her entire mood shift so drastically to yelling at her so violently in just mere seconds?

    ¡°I wanted to yell at you for quite a while now; I¡¯ve no idea just how shameless of a person you truly are. You came all this way to your granddaughter¡¯s inws¡¯ house just to ruin her reputation. I haven¡¯t even traveled to your house just to yell at you, just to preserve your fragile inted ego! Why should I grace you with such respect?¡± Grandmother Qi had finally snapped and relentlessly unleashed her fury directly at her.

    ¡°You truly have a way with words now, keep babbling about the matters of your family and it¡¯s hard for you to even say these things, right? If I recalled correctly, before you even knew Ruan Danchen¡¯s identity, you weren¡¯t exactly keeping your mouth shut about her either. From the very reasons you¡¯ve stated earlier, Ruan Danchen had absolutely zero ties with your family, yet dared to ¡®educate¡¯ her every single time you¡¯ve met her? What right do you have to do so? She had no ties with your family back then, no connections to you, so who gave you the right to educate her? No matter how good or bad Danchen was, that only concerns our family, so why do you have to intervene?!¡±

 Chapter 469 - Granduncle, Congratulations On Getting Rid Of This Troublesome Life!

    <strong>Chapter 469: Granduncle, Congrattions On Getting Rid Of This Troublesome Life!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Initially, Grandmother Qi figured that Grandmother Chang was an utterly outrageous elderly woman after listening to all those ridiculous stories about her. She wanted to admonish Grandmother Chang but there was no chance of meeting each other, and she could not visit the Chang family for this issue either. She was not a shrew after all.

    After that, Grandmother Chang turned out to be Ruan Danchen¡¯s biological grandmother. Grandmother Qi figured she would let bygones be bygones and tried to live together in harmony since they were, no matter what, inws. That way, Ruan Danchen would not feel awkward and ufortable staying with the Chang family.

    No matter how Grandmother Chang disliked Ruan Danchen previously, Ruan Danchen had a different identity at present, and there was no way a grandmother would loathe her granddaughter.

    Still, who would have expected Grandmother Chang to behave differently?

    Grandmother Chang preferred to express her affection toward a totally unrteddy than to love her biological granddaughter whom she owed so much after all these years. She tried to frame Ruan Danchen by inducing disgust in the Qi family and even attempted to use Ruan Danchen to bring harm to others without bringing Ruan Danchen¡¯s happiness into consideration at all.

    ¡°I wanted to get along with you since you¡¯re Danchen¡¯s grandmother, but after seeing your attitude just now, forget about it! I heard that you believed in Buddha too, so how can someone who believed in Buddha have such an evil mind? What goes aroundes around; karma will find you one day!¡±

    Grandmother Qi gritted her teeth in exasperation and felt Ruan Danchen did not deserve this. ¡°Since when did Danchen provoke you until you wanted to ruin her life? You wanted her future to be gloomy and wished that she wouldn¡¯t have a husband and a son who¡¯d love her for the rest of her life. As a family, you merely wanted to be calctive with her. When she¡¯s no longer needed, you¡¯ll send her to a deserted ce, and then ask her to marry someone else only when she benefits you. Is there any grandmother on this earth who¡¯d treat her biological granddaughter in this way? You¡¯re a cruel and unscrupulous old woman!¡±

    Grandmother Qi was in so much rage that she pointed at Grandmother Chang¡¯s nose and reprimanded her with fiery eyes. ¡°Let me tell you this: you don¡¯t need to love Danchen and she certainly doesn¡¯t need your respect, so don¡¯t even think of using your identity as her grandmother to oppress her. Do you truly think you¡¯re amazing? You¡¯re merely a speck of dust underneath our fingernails. You¡¯re the only one who¡¯d think highly of herself and assume that she¡¯s far superior than the rest. Stay away from Danchen from now on, and she doesn¡¯t need to visit your house anymore. There¡¯s no need to use your ¡®grandmother¡¯ status tomand her; we won¡¯t stand idly and let you humiliate Danchen!¡±

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s wicked mind confused Grandmother Qi. Ruan Danchen was the only offspring left by her daughter!

    How could Grandmother Chang insist on humiliating her only granddaughter?

    It was understandable if Grandmother Chang had zero intimacy with Ruan Danchen since they had not met each other for the past twenty-seven years, unlike the unrted Chang Jingqiu whom she grew fond of after living together all these years.

    Grandmother Chang could treat Ruan Danchen coldly, but to humiliate Ruan Danchen was utterly uneptable!

    Grandmother Chang was ashamed after hearing Grandmother Qi¡¯s rebuke and her cheeks started to flush red with exasperation.

    ¡°I¡¯m saying these for the sake of your family! Are you repaying my kindness with such harshness? It just doesn¡¯t pay to be a nice guy after all.¡± Grandmother Chang refused to admit despite the guilty conscience.

    ¡°We don¡¯t deserve such kindness from you. Let me get this clear today: Danchen is my granddaughter-inw. Whatever you¡¯ve mentioned about Danchen having a harmful force was nonsense to us! I¡¯m alive and healthy right now! My husband, Lao Qi is well and strong too. Danchen and Chenglin had been together for so long, and our family is growing prosperous as the days go by. Danchen even conceived another baby at this moment, so where¡¯s this harmful force that you mentioned? If she does possess such force, I won¡¯t mind if she harms you.¡± Grandmother Qi smirked.

    Grandmother Chang nearly fainted out of exasperation after listening to Grandmother Qi.

    How could Grandmother Qi make such an evil curse?

    ¡°Okay, okay! I made a mistake by visiting you. My kind advice turned out to be an evil act from a wickeddy. Don¡¯t me me for not reminding you if your family suffers from bad luck in the future. It¡¯s your fault for not listening to me!¡± Grandmother Chang nodded vigorously while her body trembled in wrath.

    Grandmother Chang turned around and attempted to leave after finishing her sentence, but she was stopped by Grandmother Qi. ¡°Stop!¡±

    ¡°What is it, are you regretting your decision?¡± Grandmother Chang turned around with slightcency in her face.

    Grandmother Qi gasped in amazement after noticing the smug on Grandmother Chang¡¯s face. It was fairly obvious that Grandmother Chang was suffering from psychosis. Did she think she could make Grandmother Qi regret after blurting out those statements?

    ¡°I¡¯m just reminding you to stop speaking nonsense in public. If I hear anyone spreading whatever nonsense you mentioned today in public, bear in mind that we have a bad temper as well,¡± chastised Grandmother Qi coldly.

    ¡°Ha! It¡¯s my mouth. Do you think you can control me when I¡¯m merely speaking the truth?¡± Grandmother Chang pouted and wore a hideous smile as though she found an idea to disgust the Qi family.

    Grandmother Qi shook her head in response; the elderly woman before her was definitely out of her mind and in desperate need of psychological treatment. Was it such a joyful event to damage her granddaughter¡¯s reputation?

    Grandmother Chang assumed that the silence in Grandmother Qi was an indication of fear and smugly let out a ¡°humph¡±. She then lifted her head, all proud and almighty, as she walked toward the door.

    Grandmother Chang only realized that Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen were present when she reached the living room.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression was calm and t as though she was entirely unbothered by Grandmother Chang¡¯s words.

    However, Grandmother Chang assumed that Ruan Danchen was just putting up a show.

    On the other hand, Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression was as cold as ice. Grandmother Chang was unfamiliar with Qi Chenglin, or else she would realize that this sort of expression would indicate that something big was about to happen and she should fear it.

    ¡°Did you hear what I said just now?¡± Grandmother Chang asked. The smug on her wrinkled face made her look ferocious like cracks on parched earth.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained t as he replied with a deep and calm voice, ¡°Thank you for your consideration for our family.¡±

    Grandmother Chang seemed to have neglected the ridicule in Qi Chenglin¡¯s response. Instead, a hideous smile broke across her wrinkled face that made her appear especially terrifying.

    ¡°Since you¡¯ve heard it, best if you can give this some thought. Don¡¯t act rashly due to a moment of anger,¡± Grandmother Chang said enigmatically.

    Qi Chenglin made no attempt to respond further. Grandmother Chang let out a loud ¡°humph¡± before ultimately leaving the house.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen walked to the living room and saw Grandmother Qi on the sofa, gulping down two teacups full of tea to calm her rage, all while patting her chest gently as she gasped for air.

    The angry Grandmother Qi noticed the duo and asked, ¡°Did you hear what she said?¡±

    Qi Chenglin nodded in response and saw Grandmother Qi pointing toward the door that Grandmother Chang just exited from.

    ¡°Why do such people even exist in this world? What could Danchen have possibly done to her and induced such hatred in her toward Danchen?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t be angry, she¡¯s not worth it,¡± replied Ruan Danchen after sitting next to Grandmother Qi.

    Grandmother Qi nced at Qi Chenglin. ¡°I thought I asked you to keep this a secret from Danchen? This isn¡¯t a usual annoyance, and anyone who hears it will feel ufortable. Danchen is pregnant now, she can¡¯t afford to have emotional fluctuations for this sort of matter. Who do you think she wants to hurt more after listening to her?¡±

    ¡°I was with Chenglin at that time. Besides, this matter concerns me since it¡¯s rted to Grandmother Chang. I can¡¯t possibly be ignorant about this issue.¡±

    Ruan Danchen grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s arm and continued, ¡°To be honest, she doesn¡¯t bother me at all and I¡¯m not trying tofort you. It¡¯s fortunate that I¡¯ve seen her true color before realizing that she¡¯s my biological grandmother. I¡¯m already used to her constant nonsense too, so I won¡¯t feel shocked or sad no matter how she humiliates me. Who does she think she is for my child to get hurt because of her alone?¡±

    Grandmother Qi rxed in an instant after knowing that Ruan Danchen truly did not take this matter to heart instead of merelyforting her.

    Grandmother Qi tapped Ruan Danchen¡¯s shoulder gently and felt sorry for her after recalling Grandmother Chang¡¯s terrible attitude.

    ¡°Nheless, the Qi family is stained with the likes of Grandmother Chang because of me. If anything like this happens again in the future...¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t happen again,¡± Qi Chenglin promised calmly.

    Ruan Danchen shifted her gaze to Qi Chenglin, who looked entirely solemn with lips pursed tightly, and nodded in response. What was he going to do? Ruan Danchen made no attempt to ask.

    There was no way Ruan Danchen would allow the entire Qi family to suffer because of her alone, thus she did not n on stopping Qi Chenglin at all. Moreover, she trusted Qi Chenglin to have a sense of propriety and would not drag Chang Zhiyuan along with it too.

    Ruan Danchen coaxed Grandmother Qi until her mood lightened before they returned to thepany again.

    Little did Ruan Danchen know that Qi Chenglin left Qilin immediately after he sent her back to the design department and called Chang Zhiyuan along the way.

    After that, Chang Zhiyuan weed Qi Chenglin in his office and they had some discussion for over two hours before Qi Chenglin left his office.

    Chang Zhiyuan shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. Then, his expression became firm and steady as though he had made a decision.

    ...

    ...

    Liu Xiangwen was on her way out of thepany after visiting Chang Zhixing, all while expressing her dissatisfaction toward him like he was a babe in arms. She had been nning for Chang Zhixing, and yet he chose not to fight with Chang Zhiyuan. Everything was for his own good yet he scolded her just now.

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression darkened at the very thought. Her gaze then fixed on a tall and straight figure in front of her.

    Liu Xiangwen hurried forward until the man before he exited the building and turned around the corner before she saw the side of his face.

    Qi Chenglin!

    Liu Xiangwen was frozen on the spot and started her own conspiracy theory.

    Qi Chenglin must havee to cooperate with Chang Zhiyuan, and the discussion might involve other matters as well. It was obvious that Qi Chenglin had decided to give his full support to Chang Zhiyuan!

    Liu Xiangwen hurried off with a sense of crisis nted deep within her.

    A few momentster after Liu Xiangwen left thepany, Chang Zhiyuan exited his office and called Mo Yuxin to head straight to Grandmother Chang¡¯s house together.

    Mo Yuxin had already arrived and was sitting at one corner of the sofa when Chang Zhiyuan entered the house. On the other hand, Liu Xiangwen sat together with Grandmother Chang and wasforting her softly regarding some issues.

    Meanwhile, Chang Jingqiu was sitting in a wheelchair on the other side of Grandmother Chang.

    The trio ignored Mo Yuxin, and Grandmother Chang would re at her from time to time.

    Chang Zhiyuan frowned and walked toward them with a darkened expression.

    Grandmother Chang nced impatiently at Chang Zhiyuan. ¡°Why did youe here when you should be at thepany at this hour?¡±

    ¡°Mom, did you go to the Qi family manor today iming that Danchen had a harmful force toward her loved ones?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan. His voice was calm like the sea seemingly at peace before the raging storm.

    Mo Yuxin¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Grandmother Chang.

    What did this elderly woman attempt to do?

    What sort of nonsense was a harmful force toward loved ones, and Grandmother Chang even went to the Qi family manor for this nonsense?

    ¡°You came back on purpose for this matter and for what? Teach me a lesson? Do you think it¡¯s reasonable for you to ignore thepany¡¯s affairs for such a miniature issue?¡± The annoyed Grandmother Chang nced coldly at Chang Zhiyuan.

    This cleared Liu Xiangwen¡¯s initial confusion. Qi Chenglin actually went to Changhe personally to file aint against Grandmother Chang just now.

    Liu Xiangwen smirked at the very thought. Did Qi Chenglin truly think he was a capable man?

    The furious Chang Zhiyuan smirked. ¡°You think you¡¯re acting reasonably by visiting the Qi family manor to speak such nonsense? What do you think you¡¯re actually doing? I don¡¯t understand you anymore. Do you want them to divorce after listening to you? Then Danchen will be exiled, is that right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m merely giving the Qi family a piece of kind advice. Besides, ording to Ba-Zi[1], she indeed lives a hard life and brings bad luck to those around her. Since she¡¯s the daughter of the Chang family right now, we can¡¯t possibly let the rumor about her bad Ba-Zi spread publicly, right? What should we do if the Qi family truly faces trouble? We can¡¯t possibly bring harm to others too, and Jingqiu might get involved if others get to know about this.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s eyes were flushed red out of exasperation. ¡°Danchen is your biological granddaughter in any case, and she has never done anything wrong to you. The only problem is that she was never raised under your care for the past twenty-seven years, but this isn¡¯t her fault too, so why do you even insist on humiliating her? Why do you dislike her, and how deep is your resentment toward her? Why can¡¯t you just ept the fact that she lives a good life right now? Tell me! Answer me! Persuade me too, please!¡±

    ¡°Based on Ba-Zi, she lives a hard life and brings bad luck to those around her? Those are groundless superstitions and yet you mentioned them like they were absolutely real. You¡¯re afraid that Jingqiu might get involved, but why don¡¯t you consider your biological granddaughter¡¯s happiness too? You don¡¯t actually have much resentment toward her. It¡¯s hatred that causes you to bring harm to her. You... you...¡± Chang Zhiyuan hissed through gritted teeth. In the end, words failed to squeeze through his tightly gnashed teeth which were on the brink of shattering under such rage.

    ¡°You can stop any form ofmunication with her if you dislike her so much. What sort of resentment can make you bring harm to her to such an extent?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan experienced fear after giving this some thought.

    Fortunately, the Qi family was reasonable and remained unconcerned regarding superstitions and supernatural events. If this issue happened in other families, they would rather believe it to be the truth than to ignore it. Even though it might sound utterly ridiculous, they would still cast Ruan Danchen out just in case anything bad happened to them.

    If the rumor about Ruan Danchen¡¯s difficult life and brought bad luck to others based on Ba-Zi spread to the public, how could she stand firmly in society in the future? Who would be willing to get close to her?

    Ruan Danchen would be doomed for her whole life!

    Grandmother Chang was trying to bring Ruan Danchen down the drain!

    Grandmother Chang even wanted to send Ruan Danchen to a small town in the south and would marry Ruan Danchen to any rival family whom she disliked.

    Ruan Danchen was not recognized as Grandmother Chang¡¯s biological granddaughter; she was merely a weapon whom she could take advantage of at will!

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s statements sounded ridiculous, but Chang Zhiyuan was fully aware that she meant every single word.

    If Ruan Danchen was exiled from the Qi family, Grandmother Chang would definitely proceed as nned at once!

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression darkened with exasperation. She was rebuked by Grandmother Qi back in the Qi family manor and was scolded by Chang Zhiyuan again at home.

    Grandmother Chang felt that her status in the family was threatened at this moment.

    ¡°Big brother, I know you like and care for Danchen, but to return home and scold Mom isn¡¯t all too reasonable,¡± Liu Xiangwen peeked at Grandmother Chang and after noticing the satisfaction on her face. Liu Xiangwen then continued, ¡°I visited Zhixing in Changhe just now and saw Qi Chenglin on my way. I guess he went there personally toin to you? You threw your work aside and rushed back home to scold mom after listening to him alone, you¡ª¡±

    Liu Xiangwen shook her head. ¡°I¡¯m aware that you¡¯re trying to get along with Qi Chenglin, but you can¡¯t side with him every time!¡±

    Grandmother Chang understood what Liu Xiangwen meant and red at Chang Zhiyuan annoyingly. ¡°I¡¯m curious too. Since when did your friendship with Qi Chenglin had gotten so close? It was just a miniature issue and yet he visited you personally forint. Since you two are so close together, what were you up to when you disagreed on our n to let Qi Chenglin assist in looking after Changhe? Since he asked you to return home and argue with me afterining about such a small issue to you, why couldn¡¯t he give more business opportunities to Changhe? The decision of your disagreement came drastically at that time, so I assume that you¡¯re siding with the Qi family right now!¡±

    ¡°Qi Chenglin came to me today for private issues, and what¡¯s wrong with me having a good friendship with him privately? We don¡¯t mix business with pleasure, just like how Qi Chenglin won¡¯t request me to suffer losses so that Qilin can have all the benefits. What am I up to? I¡¯m behaving scrupulously in separating business from private issues.¡± Chang Zhiyuan squinted and asked, ¡°Are you doubting me?¡±

    ¡°Of course we can¡¯t suffer losses. Our involvement in business is to ensure that we gain benefits, and there¡¯s no such thing as acting considerate on others. Besides, can our family evenpare with the Qi family? It doesn¡¯t matter if the Qi family suffers some losses since they¡¯re wealthy. It won¡¯t have much effect on their overall ie if they give us one or two business opportunities, because for them, it¡¯s basically a small bunch of sand slipping through their fingers into our hands. We¡¯re different, we can¡¯t afford to suffer any loss. Besides, shouldn¡¯t he help us since we¡¯re families by marriage now? You always mentioned that I treated Ruan Danchen harshly, but never once did she consider us as her family,¡± Grandmother Chang pouted andined as if she was wronged.

    ¡°Their wealth is none of our business, and we don¡¯t need one or two business opportunities from the Qi family too. Are you imagining that you can upgrade the Chang family as one of The Great Nine Families?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan, tired of continuing the argument with her.

    Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s statement was meant to ridicule Grandmother Chang, but Grandmother Chang seemed to have the same thought in her mind as well as she started appearing excited, and it grated on Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s nerves even more.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t impossible either. Since we¡¯re families by marriage, we should let the Qi family lend us a helping hand in this matter.¡± Grandmother Chang grew thrilled at the mere thought.

    The vexed Chang Zhiyuan mocked, ¡°The Great Eight Families have many rtives. Disregarding the other Great Eight Families¡¯ marriages, the Qi family had nned many marriages with different families such as Grandmother Qi¡¯s family, the Xia family, the Guan family, and each of them is far superior than us. Do you see the Qi family upgrading their families¡¯ status? If the Great Eight Families help every inws¡¯ families in their status upgrading, they will be The Great Many Families right now. They didn¡¯t achieve the title of The Great Eight Families overnight, it was thousands of years of umtions that led them to such a title. If any family can simply reach such height, then the Great Eight Families are no more and don¡¯t deserve respect and envy from others anymore.¡±

    ¡°Mom, stop dreaming about such fantasy and live your life honestly and earnestly. You have everything right now, and more money won¡¯t make any difference in your life too,¡± replied the mentally exhausted Chang Zhiyuan.

    How could he say that there would not be any difference? At least others would respect the Chang family more.

    Exactly like Grandmother Qi. She could not summon up the courage to retaliate after getting scolded by Grandmother Qi.

    ¡°Why are you even giving me all sorts of excuses? Why can¡¯t you help thepany since you¡¯re close to Qi Chenglin? You¡¯ve clearly stated your disagreement twice, are you even caring for thepany with all your heart?¡± Grandmother Chang scolded.

    ¡°Mom, what do you mean?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan with a frown.

    Grandmother Chang pursed her lips tightly and raised her eyebrows slightly before replying coldly, ¡°I know you had registered another privatepany in public. Even though it¡¯s scale isn¡¯t as big as Changhe, it has grown quite well after you¡¯ve managed it for all these years.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan figured out what Grandmother Chang meant and scorned while Grandmother Chang continued. ¡°It¡¯s quite possible that you may be transferring some business projects in Changhe to your ownpany gradually after all these years. I was merely turning a blind eye before this since you¡¯re my son after all, I couldn¡¯t possibly argue with you on this matter. However, greed seemed to have consumed you. Are you thinking about letting yourpany swallow Changhe?¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan felt extremely disappointed at the elderly woman in front of him. She was his mother, and yet she would specte his intentions with the worst possible ways no matter how he contributed to this family.

    That was enough! Enough!

    The disappointed Chang Zhiyuan smirked. ¡°First of all, I set up my privatepany for Jingwan. I¡¯m fully aware that Changhe will end up in Nannan¡¯s hand in the future, and based on my dear sister-inw¡¯s mind, there¡¯ll be no ce for Jingwan once they take over Changhe. Take a look at recent events; it¡¯s like you have persecutory delusions and every time you¡¯ll find fault in me and even persuade my family to turn against me. I won¡¯t have the ability to protect Jingwan when I grow older.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fully aware that you love Jingqiu and Nannan the most. Even thepany is prepared for your grandson and has nothing to do with Jingwan at all. I¡¯m getting tired after taking endless mes and your constant calctive minds. I want to take my wife and daughter away to live a peaceful and harmonious life instead of arguing with you. My wife and I set up mypany together for years, and every business project is Yuxin¡¯s nephew¡¯s hard work. The money used to set up mypany and business projects are totally unrted to Changhe and the Chang family. To be honest, we took advantage of the Mo family to achieve such sess for mypany. Before Yuxin¡¯s nephew worked in the Mo family¡¯spany, he worked in mine as an intern to gain experience, so some of the business projects are given by the Mo family out of respect.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan sneered and continued, ¡°I didn¡¯t touch anything that belongs to the Chang family out of worry that you may assume that I was taking advantage of you, but who knew you had that thought in mind.¡± Chang Zhiyuan felt dejected when he thought about it.

    They were a family, and yet he had to be on guard at all times.

    ¡°Since you raised this issue out of worry that I was transferring all the benefits from Changhe to mypany, I¡¯ll return to Changhe and submit my resignation this evening. Zhixing will officially take over my position tomorrow and I¡¯ll focus on mypany¡¯s management instead.¡± Chang Zhiyuan then nced at Liu Xiangwen. ¡°We won¡¯t fight with you in the future. I¡¯ll keep my shares in Changhe and leave the rest to you. From now onward, there¡¯s no need for you to worry about me anymore or make the assumption that I¡¯m trying to seize full control of Changhe by getting close to Qi Chenglin.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen was shocked when she realized that Chang Zhiyuan knew about this too.

    ¡°Sister-inw, I won¡¯t care about Changhe from now on since it isn¡¯t my business anymore. Jingwan won¡¯t enter Changhe in the future too. I used my savings to set up mypany for Jingwan so she won¡¯t fight with you, and you don¡¯t need to go against her. Don¡¯t even think about putting a spoke on my daughter¡¯s wheel for Changhe¡¯s profit shares too.¡± Chang Zhiyuan inhaled deeply as he recalled the conversation he had with Qi Chenglin in the office beforeing back home.

    ¡°To sum it up, don¡¯te looking for me for any issues in the future. I won¡¯t care no matter what happens. I won¡¯t gain any advantage if you¡¯re sessful, and I won¡¯t help if you face any difficulty. My family will manage my smallpany and live our lives in peace. If mypany faces any trouble, I won¡¯t ask for your help either and certainly won¡¯t ask you to fund me,¡± Chang Zhiyuan announced coldly.

    This statement answered Liu Xiangwen¡¯s question in mind.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s gaze was doubtful. ¡°Are you really willing to give up on Changhe?¡±

    Grandmother Chang mentioned it like he was seizing full control of Changhe by hook or by crook, and Chang Zhiyuan merely scorned in response.

    Chang Zhiyuan was mentally exhausted at this moment. He did not expect all his hard work and contributions in the past were considered as a means to seize control of Changhe.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to be unwilling about, I¡¯m tired too. Mom, if you really trust Zhixing¡¯s ability, let him try. I¡¯ll be truly happy if he can bring the Chang family one step further. We¡¯ll leave if there¡¯s nothing else,¡± Chang Zhiyuan answered calmly.

    Mo Yuxin stood up and walked beside Chang Zhiyuan, nning to leave all this mess together.

    Mo Yuxin gave up serving this annoying family a long time ago.

    ¡°By the way, Danchen is none of your business too. I¡¯m devoting my full attention from this family issue to the only daughter left by my sister. I¡¯ll hand out Changhe and won¡¯t form a union with Qi Chenglin to threaten you, so don¡¯t even think about humiliating her in the future. From now on, Danchen has absolutely no rtion with this family anymore.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan was fixing his gaze on both Chang Jingqiu and Liu Xiangwen as he spoke.

    There was a slight shock registering on their faces despite their desperate attempt to hide it, as expected.

    Chang Zhiyuan smirked and spoke to Grandmother Chang coldly, ¡°Danchen is the only connection between this family and Qi Chenglin, and I¡¯ve managed to take some advantage from it. Both of us won¡¯t care about this family from now on, so there¡¯s no need to use the title of the Qi family¡¯s inws to blow your own trumpet and damage Danchen¡¯s reputation. Don¡¯t even think about using this rtionship to enjoy the benefits Danchen brings while humiliating Danchen at the same time. Don¡¯t me me for standing up to you when that happens.¡±

    ¡°The others won¡¯t believe youpletely when I speak for Danchen as a member of the Chang family. Besides, I¡¯m more reputed than you in public and my words carry more weight than yours.¡± Chang Zhiyuan squinted; he mentioned this out of worry that these imbeciles might not take his words to heart.

    Fortunately, there was anger, reluctance and fear on their faces, which rxed Chang Zhiyuan. He then walked out of the house with Mo Yuxin.

    ¡°Do you me me?¡± asked Chang Zhiyuan.

    Mo Yuxin shook her head and answered with a rxed expression, ¡°It feels better to stop caring about them. Besides, even though ourpany is iparable with Changhe, we¡¯ll still have enough to sustain our lives. Our quality of life won¡¯t be affected at all.¡±

    Mo Yuxin let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Does that mean I don¡¯t need toe over in the future?¡±

    With a smile, Chang Zhiyuan nodded his head.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Zhiyuan submitted his resignation letter on the same evening, which brought a huge impact on the industry. Mo Yuxin, Chang Zhiyuan and his assistant, and even Changhe¡¯s human resources department received endless phone calls from reporters for the confirmation of this news.

    This news remained unknown to Ruan Danchen, and she had only realized it after reading some unofficial news while surfing the inte at night.

    The news mentioned that Chang Zhiyuan submitted his resignation letter in the evening, but Changhe¡¯s staff had no clue regarding this issue and Changhe¡¯s upper management was unreachable too.

    This news was posted individually instead of posted by official Weibo management.

    However, many reporters posted the same news. This worried Ruan Danchen but Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s phone was unreachable too.

    Ruan Danchen wanted to visit Chang Zhiyuan to verify the truth personally but was stopped by Qi Chenglin.

    ¡°There¡¯ll be many reporters surrounding his house right now. We¡¯ll be adding more trouble if we visit them at this hour,¡± Qi Chenglin exined.

    Ruan Danchen thus gave up. However, she was worried that she was the cause of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation.

    Grandmother Chang visited the Qi family manor in the morning and Chang Zhiyuan resigned in the same evening? What a coincidence!

    It was inappropriate to question Qi Chenglin either since this news was yet to be confirmed.

    Ruan Danchen had no choice but to swallow her worry, which caused her to have insomnia. In the end, Qi Chenglin stopped her from rolling around in bed and pulled her into his embrace while speaking with an exhausted voice, ¡°Stop moving around. I have a meeting tomorrow morning. Do you want me to doze off in the meeting?¡±

    Ruan Danchenid still and tried her best to fall asleep. Then, Qi Chenglin continued. ¡°Trust me, we¡¯ll know if the news is true tomorrow morning.¡±

    Thus, Ruan Danchen was refreshing the news web page repeatedly in thepany the next morning.

    Suddenly, Ruan Danchen recalled that Gao Xiaoyang was in charge of this sort of news, so she must have first-hand information. Since she could not reach Chang Zhiyuan, at least she could give Gao Xiaoyang a phone call.

    At least it was more efficient to ask Gao Xiaoyang than to refresh the web page repeatedly.

    Gao Xiaoyang indeed had information regarding this issue, and Ruan Danchen could even hear the hecticmotion from the other end of the phone. ¡°Your phone call is just in time. I just came out of Changhe and the reporters are getting crazy over here. Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation was submitted yesterday and effective immediately, and he passed over his position to Chang Zhixing in front of thepany this morning. Chang Zhixing is the director of Changhe now. This is big news, and I¡¯m rushing back to post this news at once.¡±

    ¡°By the way, why did you ask about Chang Zhiyuan?¡± Gao Xiaoyang asked curiously.

    ¡°He¡¯s my uncle,¡± Ruan Danchen answered truthfully.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on? What happened? My instincts told me that Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s resignation was rted to you,¡± Gao Xiaoyang asked as she sensed that something was amiss.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, I wouldn¡¯te to you if I knew about it. As for Chang Zhiyuan being my uncle, that¡¯splicated. I¡¯ll tell you next time,¡± Ruan Danchen replied.

    Gao Xiaoyang was on her way back in a hurry to type out the draft and post it as soon as possible, so she hung up the call without asking further.

    The official news was announced after a while.

    During the interview, Chang Zhiyuan announced his official resignation in Changhe and the intention of focusing his full attention on managing his privatepany. He also mentioned that hispany would have no business conflict with Changhe due to the horizontalpetition use.

    After that, it was the official question-and-answer session. Chang Zhiyuan hoped Changhe would be sessful despite the fact that he was not involved in it anymore. Furthermore, he denied that it was discord with his family members that led to his resignation.

    Chang Zhiyuan merely mentioned that Changhe needed a few changes and he needed his well-deserved rest too. He also wanted to train the youngsters at home after he had devoted his full attention to his privatepany and would retire for good once the youngsters were experienced enough to take care of thepany.

    Ruan Danchen received Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s phone call in the afternoon. His voice was calm without any sorrow after getting exiled from Changhe, and he even invited them for dinner.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen brought the kid while Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin brought Chang Jingwan to attend the dinnerter at night.

    Since they had met with the kid previously, Chang Jingwan would find Qi Youxuan at school frequently and slipped some food to him. Slowly but surely, they became closer together.

    The kid seemed to be able to get along well with just anybody. He could y together with Ruan Zeer, and could even enjoy the moment with Chang Jingwan too. Chang Jingwan basically treated the kid like her little brother.

    They had decided to have dinner in Shengyue, and since Chang Zhiyuan had nothing to worry about after the resignation, he was the first to reach Shengyue with Mo Yuxin. Chang Jingwan had to attend school and her sses ended muchter than Qi Youxuan, who was a first-grader in elementary school. Thus, Chang Jingwan would depart from her school straight to Shengyue.

    Chang Zhiyuan had exined the whole situation to Chang Jingwanst night. Chang Jingwan was fully aware of the privatepany¡¯s existence, so she was not surprised at all and remained calm regarding the fact that Chang Zhiyuan resigned from Changhe. She had epted this situation calmly, which was unexpected for Chang Zhiyuan.

    Chang Zhiyuan was chatting happily with Mo Yuxin when Ruan Danchen and her family arrived. They were talking andughing without any signs of gloomy mood, and they did not seem to be acting on purpose for Ruan Danchen too.

    ¡°What sort of expression is that, like I received unjust treatment after getting exiled. Take a seat, this dinner¡¯s on me.¡± Chang Zhiyuanughed.

    The kid walked toward Chang Zhiyuan while twisting his buttocks, acting exactly like a piglet.

    ¡°Granduncle, congrattions on getting rid of this troublesome life!¡± The chubby kid made his right hand into a half-fist while using his chubby left hand to hold the right fist in front of the chest, assuming a fist and palm salute[2], which made Chang Zhiyuanugh in return.

    After noticing the kid¡¯s constant ying and joking around, Chang Zhiyuan stroked his head gently. ¡°There¡¯s no need tofort your granduncle, I¡¯m fine, really. In fact, I feel rxed right now.¡±

    Mo Yuxin turned toward Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen sitting opposite her and said, ¡°You saw how they treated us at the Chang family¡¯s house at that time. Grandmother Chang was indeed biased and focused everything only for Chang Jingqiu and Chang Zhixing. She wouldn¡¯t feel satisfied no matter how good Zhiyuan was or how much he contributed. We¡¯re tired right now. After your uncle realized that Grandmother Chang went to the Qi family manor and spoke such ridiculous words, he went straight to Grandmother Chang. However, she imed that your uncle didn¡¯t treat Changhe with all his heart, and that he wanted to transfer all the benefits from Changhe to our privatepany when he disagreed to request for Chenglin¡¯s assistance. The scale of our privatepany isn¡¯t huge, and its existence is for Jingwan¡¯s good. Based on Grandmother Chang¡¯s attitude, Jingwan will be left with nothing once Zhiyuan retires, and Liu Xiangwen may even bully her too. We might as well give up fighting with them.¡±

    ¡°Both of us are tired. We were getting impatient when they were constantly creating trouble for us, so that was why we used this opportunity to quit Changhe and your uncle wouldn¡¯t continue this thankless task. We can use this time to take care of our privatepany too. It¡¯s better than to receive doubts despite giving arduous efforts and treating Changhe with all his heart. In the end, Changhe will fall into Grandmother Chang¡¯s grandson¡¯s hands and won¡¯t have anything to do with us anymore, so why do we need to continue being a fool for our pain?¡±

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] The Four Pirs of Destiny, as known as ¡°Ba-Zi¡±, which means ¡°eight characters¡± or ¡°eight words¡± in Chinese, is a Chinese astrological concept that a person¡¯s destiny or fate can be divined by the two sexagenary cycle characters assigned to their birth year, month, day, and hour. Days, hours, months, and years are all assigned one of the ten Celestial Stems and one of the twelve Earthly Branches in the sexagenary cycle. A person¡¯s fortune is determined by looking up the branch and stem characters for each of these four parts of their birth time.

    [2] Fist and palm salute is one of the typical Chinese etiquettes with a history of more than 3000 years. Since West Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-BC 771), people had already used this etiquette when meeting peers (it is said that most Chinese traditional etiquettes originated from Zhou Li, created by the Duke of Zhou in early West Dynasty). In Modern China, fist and palm salute has already been one of themon etiquettes frequently used on traditional asions. Chinese people show their respect for others through distance, which is different from western people usually showing through physical closeness.

 Chapter 470 - Like a Bear Collecting Rice Stalks, Only Considering What Is before Its Eyes

    <strong>Chapter 470: Like a Bear Collecting Rice Stalks, Only Considering What Is before Its Eye</strong>s

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°The position belongs to Zhixing now. He¡¯s sensible, and Liu Xiangwen is unfortunately not the case. Zhixing just can¡¯t control his wife and mother. With thepany in his hands, it won¡¯t concern us anymore.¡± Mo Yuxin sighed. ¡°I just hope that thepany won¡¯t ask us for help again if it ever encounters any problem, and Zhiyuan needs to clean up the mess and still be disliked.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not my ce to say this.¡± Ruan Danchen thought about what she was about to say but could not hold it in. Chang Zhiyuan was kind to her, and she could not help but say what was in her heart. ¡°Even if they came back to look for Uncle, Uncle would just refuse. My guess is that the rtionship with Grandmother would be irreconcble since yesterday. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s another reason to refuse them. It depends if Uncle is ruthless enough to make this decision. Even though you¡¯re from the same family, they don¡¯t treat you guys like one. You guys hadn¡¯t done anything to harm them, but you still shouldn¡¯t let them step on you like that.¡±

    ¡°We can be ruthless if we need to.¡± Chang Zhiyuan sipped this tea. ¡°Grandmother can be so ruthless toward you. I¡¯m merely not involved in thepany¡¯s matters anymore. Whatever path thepany takes is entirely their decision; they can¡¯t expect me to shoulder the end results. Changhe¡¯s fundamentals are intact, and even if Zhixing failed to manage, he won¡¯t lose Changhe. Besides, the Chang family fortune is enough for them to livefortably their entire lives. I couldn¡¯t care less about their greedy hearts.¡±

    Seeing that both of them did not take the matter to heart, Ruan Danchen did not worry too much and did not bring up the matter further, until Chang Jingwan came in with her school bag and her Jixia Academy School uniform. She happily greeted her sister and brother-inw and called the little one over. She liked to rub both her hands on his chubby face.

    The little one¡¯s face was squeezed into a pig-like shape. Seeing that during her time in school, she already gave herself a good portion of this, so she held back.

    As the dishes were served and the adults were chatting and eating, Chang Jingwan whispered to the little one, ¡°I bought beef jerky along the way here just now. I¡¯ll bring it to your ssroom tomorrow.¡± The little one looked at his elder cousin with admiration. ¡°Aunty, you¡¯re the best!¡±

    The little one really thought highly of his uncle and aunt. One would secretly invite him to eat meat at a restaurant, and the other would secretly bring meat to him at school.

    Chang Jingwan saw that the little one liked her so much, and she felt really happy. She tried to hold back arge grin, restraining it at the corner of her mouth, her eyes formed into crescent-shaped eye-smiles.

    ¡°It¡¯s Aunty¡¯s pleasure to treat you well!¡± Chang Jingwan blushed happily. ¡°When I get my allowance next month, I¡¯ll buy you a good meal at the school cafeteria!¡±

    There are two types of meals served at Jixia Academy¡¯s cafeteria. The first would be a set meal, where different types of dishes would be arranged in arge tray. For 20 Yuan, one could choose one meat dish and two vegetable dishes.

    In order to control the little one¡¯s diet, Qi Chenglin strictly allowed him this 20 Yuan set meal. The monthly amount loaded into his meal card was the exact amount so the little one could not secretly order extra food.

    Every day at noon, he would have to act coquettishly toward the cafeteriady for extra meat; the cafeteriady kept falling for this trick. The little one had also been honing his cuteness skills.

    The second option would be ordering ¨¤ carte at the restaurant, Chinese stir-fried dishes, Western food, Japanese food, and even Southeast Asian cuisines¡ªthey had everything. This would also be the option that most students of Jixia Academy would choose. However, even if it was just a vegetable dish, one could not afford it with just a measly 20 Yuan. Although the little one yearned for this type of meal, he just could not afford it. This meal was what Chang Jingwan was referring to.

    The little one gulped his saliva. ¡°Aunty, I... I heard that the dishes at the restaurant are really delicious.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, pizza, pasta, steak, grilled prawns, ramen, eel rice, pepper fried crab, and many more.¡± Chang Jingwan nodded. ¡°It¡¯s a different dish each day!¡±

    The little one could not take it anymore. ¡°When would you get your allowance?¡±

    ¡°On thest day of the month. I¡¯ll buy you lunch on the first day of next month!¡± Chang Jingwan smiled as she patted the little one¡¯s head.

    ¡°Aunty, wait until the weekend. I¡¯ll ask Uncle Ruan, then we can hang out together! Let¡¯s...Let¡¯s go to a nice restaurant!¡± The little one swallowed another mouthful of saliva, shyly rocked his hips, blushingly looked up at Chang Jingwan and said, ¡°I heard from Zhang Mingming that there¡¯s a restaurant with super delicious Spanish Seafood Risotto.¡±

    ¡°You got it,¡± Chang Jingwan agreed with a smile.

    .......

    The next day, photographs of Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s family and Qi Chenglin¡¯s family dining together were exposed. Some were taken through the window of the private room, and some were of them leaving the restaurant.

    The public had suddenly discovered that Chang Zhiyuan and Qi Chenglin¡¯s rtionship had be this close.

    From the photographs, one could see that they looked well acquainted. Chang Jingwan was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand as they walked out. It was not known if the Qi family had early ess to the information as Qi Youxuan¡¯s face was blurred out when these photographs were published.

    As Chang Zhiyuan officially announced his resignation as President of Changhe in the morning then had dinner with Qi Chenglin¡¯s family that same evening, people could not help but specte the reason for Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s departure from Changhe.

    Liu Xiangwen put down her iPad, turned to face Grandmother Chang and said, ¡°Mom, can¡¯t you see that Elder Brother¡¯s resignation was deliberate? Why did he approach Qi Chenglin right after his resignation? What did he say about separating work and private life? Now I feel that my elder brother is in cahoots with Qi Chenglin. Maybe Qi Chenglin will cancel all contracts with Changhe and give it all to Elder Brother.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu, who rarely voiced her opinion regarding this matter, also said seriously, ¡°Grandmother, I feel something is wrong; Younger Aunt is right. Even though you were dissatisfied with Elder Uncle before, he never gave up on Changhe. Why now, and without notice? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of the rtionship falling-out this time. Were there no fewer falling-outs before this? I think Uncle is using this as an excuse for his own purposes.¡±

    Grandmother Chang sipped her tea, her expression grim. ¡°Jingqiu, you¡¯re clever. What do you think he¡¯s up to?

    Chang Jingqiu thought about it for a while before her expression changed drastically, and it made Grandmother tense.

    ¡°Grandmother, based on the rtionship between Elder Uncle and Qi Chenglin, he should be on Elder Uncle¡¯s side. Ruan Danchen clearly said that she only acknowledges Elder Uncle. Elder Uncle will definitely feel extremely wronged this time as we forced him out. He put it very nicely when speaking to the reporters, denying that there was infighting within the family, but nobody believed it. Everyone is saying that he was forced to resign. Now that he¡¯s close to Qi Chenglin, wouldn¡¯t this further solidify this spection?¡±

    ¡°Going forward, if Qi Chenglin no longer coborates with Changhe, but instead supports Elder Uncle¡¯spany, we¡¯d be in trouble. Previously, Qi Chenglin was only rumored to have severed rtionships with our family, and no one dared to approach us anymore. Now, it involves work matters. If Qi Chenglin is clearly opposing us, thepany will be in trouble. People know that we¡¯re not on good terms with the Qi family and ce importance on Elder Uncle. They¡¯ll rush to get on good terms with Elder Uncle, neglecting us. Whenever possible, they¡¯d award the contracts to him, and Changhe will only get the leftovers.¡±

    ¡°What can we do?¡± Grandmother Chang felt flustered and held on tightly to Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand.

    In the past, Chang Zhiyuan handled all matters. She never had to worry, but she liked to make her presence known. She would find opportunities to nitpick and criticize. Even if the criticisms were incorrect, she felt that she was in the right. Chang Zhiyuan was used to her temper and never corrected her. He would make decisions and manage behind the scenes.

    Since everything went smoothly, Grandmother Chang had no reason to think her decisions were wrong.

    Now when problems arose, without Chang Zhiyuan to hold firm and make the decisions, Grandmother Chang started to panic and could not make a single decision.

    Chang Jingqiu held on to Grandmother¡¯s hand and reassured her, ¡°Not to worry, the situation is easy to resolve. It seems like this will cause a lot of problems for our family. Nheless, no matter how smart Elder Uncle and Qi Chenglin are, they won¡¯t expect that there¡¯s an easy solution for the problem.¡±

    With much anticipation in Grandmother¡¯s eyes, Chang Jingqiu exined, ¡°We just need to put out some gossip that Ruan Danchen is the long lost daughter of our family, your biological granddaughter. Then it won¡¯t be strange that Qi Chenglin and Elder Uncle¡¯s family had dinner together. Just rtives having a meal together; what¡¯s there to conspire about? Even then, once they find out that the Qi family and we are inws, they won¡¯t look down on Changhe anymore, and the big business deals will be rolling in.¡±

    Grandmother Chang happily stroked the back of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s head. ¡°I knew you had promise. If you were to join Changhe, it¡¯ll surely be a big help to thepany.¡±

    Liu Xiangwen¡¯s expression changed. She had just gotten rid of Chang Zhiyuan and put Changhe in the hands of Chang Zhixing. Then this Chang Jingqiu appeared. When would Grandmother Chang let her have peace of mind?

    ¡°Since you don¡¯t need to work at the newspaper office anymore, and staying at home with Grandmother all-day isn¡¯t practical either, why not go help out in Changhe? What do you think?¡± said Grandmother Chang while patting Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hand.

    She liked this feeling of nning and manipting. Grandmother Chang felt that she has reached the peak of her life.

    ¡°Grandmother, are youining that I am an annoyance to you at home?¡± Chang Jingqiu asked coyly.

    ¡°Silly child, what are you saying? I¡¯m worried that you¡¯re held-back at home. Is there any meaning to not leaving the house and guarding this olddy?¡± Grandmother Chang then continued affectionately, ¡°You can¡¯t be staying here avoiding people, you have to leave the house sooner orter.¡± Chang Jingqiu lowered her head. ¡°I... I¡¯ll have to think about it.¡±

    .....

    The next day, news broke about Ruan Danchen being the daughter of the Chang family.

    Some reporters immediately contacted the Chang family, including Chang Zhixing and Liu Xiangwen. Even Chang Jingqiu received a call from the reporters.

    Obviously, they would not deny it. Chang Zhixing said, ¡°We were also looking for an opportunity to announce it to the outside world.¡±

    After this news broke, Chang Zhiyuan could guess who was behind it.

    ¡°Oh, the methods of a woman, always so ungenerous. Like a bear collecting rice stalks, only considering what¡¯s before its eyes,¡± Chang Zhiyuan said mockingly, tossing the iPad to the side.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s solution might have settled the immediate problem, yet it did nothing in the long run.

    He and Qi Chenglin have already anticipated Chang Jingqiu¡¯s move.

    ¡°That family really has no shame. They used to dislike Danchen, but when photographs of us and Danchen as a family were exposed, they rushed to acknowledge Danchen.¡± Mo Yuxin mentioned that the entire family was disgusting and now does not care about Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s

    feelings. Gauged by all the disgusting things they had done, Chang Zhiyuan was even more disconcerted than her.

    ¡°No matter, Qi Chenglin and I have expected this. Because of the rtionship with Danchen, they can be smug, but the more arrogant they are now, the more embarrassed they¡¯ll be in a few day¡¯s time,¡± said Chang Zhiyuan coldly.

    .....

    Changhe benefited a lot due to the exposed rtionship with Ruan Danchen. The public believed that the Qi family¡¯s punishment on the Chang family should have been lifted. The Chang family were no longer shunned from events big or small.

    Some of the coborations were even initiated by the other parties. Chang Zhixing was very proud of these achievements.

    Even with his average capabilities, it was sufficient to keep Changhe intact. Because of this rtionship with the Qi family, business deals had been rolling in. Being the president of Changhe was a piece of cake.

    When sitting down with Grandmother Chang and discussing the Company¡¯s recent achievements, Grandmother Chang was delighted. ¡°You see, you¡¯re just as good¡ªif not better¡ªthan your elder brother. Thepany¡¯s performance is even better than when your elder brother was here. Everyone here sees your capabilities.¡±

    Chang Zhixing was thrilled.

    Grandmother Chang also brought up the matter of Chang Jingqiu joining thepany again. In order to please Grandmother, Chang Zhixing happily agreed. Besides, he possessed the highest authority and did not fear of what Chang Jingqiu could do.

    Moreover, Grandmother Chang is fatuous; it was unlikely that she wouldpare an outsider like Chang Jingqiu to her biological son.

    Changhe was well off for quite a while, then came the invitations for Qi Youxuan¡¯s birthday.

    Qi Chenglin specially catered a buffet from the Dynasty and invited Qi Youxuan¡¯s friends for a party.

    In addition to the children, parents naturally apanied them to attend. Other than these people, the Qi family and the Ruan family obviously had to celebrate the little one¡¯s birthday together. However, on the Chang family side, Qi Chenglin only invited Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s family.

    The little one¡¯s party was not considered a grand fanfare.

    However, due to Qi Chenglin¡¯s ¡°unintentional¡± disclosure, everyone was made aware of it. Everyone was stunned for a moment. Why did the Qi family only invite Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s immediate family, when the whole extended Ruan family was in attendance?

    One could not help but recall that day when Chang Zhiyuan resigned, it was also just them and the Qi Chenglin¡¯s family that was at the dinner together.

    As far as hearsay goes, apart from the richdies¡¯ gossip, the gossip of the servants was also an important source of information. They knew more than employers.

    The source of the employer¡¯s gossip was mainly from the servants anyway.

    Especially recently, the main conversation topic when the servants are out shopping was that of the rtionship between the Chang family and Ruan Danchen.

    These days, Aunt Chen, Aunt Liu, and Aunt Zheng were the focus of attention.

    Even when taking out the trash, Aunt Zheng would encounter the people living upstairs and in the alley several times.

    Qi Chenglin lived at Unit 5, even those staying as far as Unit 25 would meet her below Unit 5.

    ¡°Oh, the Chang family! To be honest, our Madam only has a good rtionship with the Chang family¡¯s elder son¡¯s family. Elder Mr. Chang¡¯s family are good people, and they treat our Madam well unlike the others. Not sure why they dislike our Madam so much. Grandmother Chang even went to the old manor and talked bad about our Madam, and was thrown out by our Old Madam. Therefore, our Sir and Madam never visits the Chang family house and is only in contact with Elder Mr. Chang.¡±

    Aunt Zheng had repeated this so many times that she could recite it backward.

    As long as anyone hinted at the incident, Aunt Zheng would happily tell them.

    Thus, everyone now knew that the rtionship between the Qi family and the Chang family was still the same. Only the rtionship with Chang Zhiyuan was amicable.

    The people who originally had been on close terms with Changhe had be estranged one after another. Changhe lost a lot of business all of a sudden. Nheless, they were still very friendly toward Chang Zhiyuan.

    This was of no loss to them, as in the event that Chang Zhiyuan returned to the Chang family, they have not offended him in any way. The others in the Chang family were of not much use anyway.

    Chang Zhixing was still wondering why there was such a big difference.

    It was only not long ago that the other parties were lining up with promises of contracts. They have not had the time to actually sign the contracts. They were all verbal agreements yet they had already sent representatives to discuss the details of the contracts and implementation procedures. They were just awaiting the legal documents for signing.

    When the agreed date for the signing of the contracts arrived, the other parties pulled out one after another. Chang Zhixing had been constantly receiving reports from his assistants the past few days, stating whichpany would no longer go through with the signing. Somepanies seemed to have difficulties and canceled the projects. Some would just have their secretary bluntly notify them that the deals were off.

    Chang Zhixing had hit a dead end. His brows were twisted into a frown every day. He wondered what on earth was going on. He initially suspected that Chang Zhiyuan had a hand in it butter found out that Chang Zhiyuan was clean and only focused on running his ownpany. He had neither contacted former business partners nor used his influence to attract business.

    ¡°President Chang.¡± His assistant walked in.

    Chang Zhixing said depressingly, ¡°Who is it that canceled the contract this time?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that.¡± The assistant shook his head, but his expression remained serious. ¡°I heard that President Ch... Elder Mr. Chang¡¯spany had signed a bunch of contracts, many with thepanies that canceled with us.¡±

    ¡°So it WAS Big Brother that¡¯s behind this!¡± said Chang Zhixing as he angrily mmed his desk.

    ¡°No, Mr. Chang did not take the initiative to contact them. However, I don¡¯t know where they heard that Ruan Danchen wasn¡¯t on good terms with the Chang family and only had a good rtionship with Mr. Chang. They initially wanted to sign the contracts with us was also because of Ruan Danchen, but when they heard this, they canceled our contracts and went to Mr. Chang. Normally, the source of this hearsay would be unreliable. I don¡¯t know where they got the source from; they were sure it¡¯s urate. So they just canceled our contracts,¡± said the assistant.

    Chang Zhixing was startled. He nodded and said, ¡°Alright, you may leave now.¡±

    ....

    On the day of his birthday, the little one was very excited.

    As this was not a formal banquet but was something prepared for the children¡ªand the main objective was for the children to be rxed and happy¡ªthey were not so fussy.

    Also, considering that the children had to go to bed early at night, the party was set at noon.

    The little one held on to his father with his right hand, and his mother in his left, skipping happily into The Dynasty. Seeing that his friends had arrived, he felt ted.

    The little one¡¯s friends were all boys. Qi Youxuan expressed that he had to keep himself as pure as Jade for little Muran, and therefore would not y with girls.

    However, considering that Muran was the only girl invited, little Muran might be lonely and have no one to y with. So, if any of his friends had any sisters, and the age difference was not too big, he invited them all.

    Therefore, there were quite a number of cutely dressed little girls.

    ¡°Brother, Youxuan¡¯s parents are really good looking,¡± whispered Zhang Mingming¡¯s sister to Zhang Mingming.

    The little one overheard this and puffed his little chest. ¡°That¡¯s right. I¡¯m so good looking, they take after me!¡±

 Chapter 471 - Hey, Indirect Kisses Were Embarrassing!

    <strong>Chapter 471: Hey, Indirect Kisses Were Embarrassing!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was left speechless.

    After the kid finished showing off, he ran to Little Muran and said, ¡°Since I¡¯ll receive a lot of gifts today, don¡¯t forget toe over to my house and y!¡±

    Little Muran, who was eating a lollipop, nodded in response. She figured she should share anything that she liked to Youxuan, who was treating her exceptionally well.

    Thus, Little Muran took out the half-melted lollipop from her mouth and offered it to Youxuan. ¡°Brother Youxuan, I have a lollipop. We should eat together.¡±

    The exhrated kid¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons as he stared at the round and shiny lollipop that was enveloped in Little Muran¡¯s saliva, and without further hesitation, he put it into his mouth.

    Hey, indirect kisses were embarrassing!

    The kid sucked the lollipop intensely before passing it back to Little Muran. ¡°It¡¯s sweet. Mumu, here you go.¡±

    Little Muran figured that she was sharing happiness with Youxuan so she continued eating the lollipop with delight without thinking of it.

    Coincidentally, Wei Ziqi witnessed this scene and walked toward them with a darkened expression. He would definitely throw this brat out of the room if it was not his birthday today.

    Wei Ziqi was merely a few momentste and this brat had already taken advantage of his precious daughter. This brat surely knew how to seize every opportunity, and preventive measures proved to be useless against him!

    Ruan Danchen noticed that Wei Ziqi was on the brink of an explosion and wanted to direct his rage on the rascal who dared to take advantage of his daughter, and this rascal happened to be her own son.

    Thus, Ruan Danchen announced quickly. ¡°Let¡¯s head up, delicious food and entertainment are prepared. We even prepared many Disney cartoons and toys for ying house for the girls on purpose as well.¡±

    ¡°Yay!¡± The children yelled in joy and excitement as their parents brought them to the wondend, which slowed Wei Ziqi down.

    Ruan Danchen quickly seized this opportunity and dragged her troublesome son with her.

    Wei Ran held Little Muran¡¯s hand in the meantime. However, Qi Youxuan seemed to have a death wish when he turned around and yelled at Little Muran, ¡°Mumu,e over to my houseter to y house! I¡¯ll act as the father while you¡¯ll y as the mother, and Zhang Mingming will be our son!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Zhang Mingming and his mother were at a loss for words.

    ...

    ...

    The birthday boy blew out the candles after making birthday wishes and received a lot of birthday presents. Chang Zhiyuan even gave him seven birthday presents aspensation for missing out on his previous birthdays.

    The children had a piece of cake in each of their hands with creams smeared across their mouths and cheeks; it made them look like a kindle of kittens at the moment.

    On the other hand, the adults were chit-chatting in another corner. Since they were all parents of Qi Youxuan¡¯s friends, Qi Chenglin gave them the respect they deserved too.

    It was then when the manager walked toward Qi Chenglin and uttered with a normal tone, ¡°Young Master Lin. Grandmother Chang, Chang Zhixing, and Liu Xiangwen wish to attend Little Master¡¯s birthday party. They¡¯re sitting downstairs in the dining hall as we speak.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan raised his eyebrows curiously. He did not expect Grandmother Chang to swallow her pride for Chang Zhixing¡¯s sake.

    Since Dynasty¡¯s VIP card was registered under Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s name and in his hand as well, it was pointless for Chang Zhixing to bring his own VIP card. Thus, without a choice, the trio had to wait in the hall downstairs.

    ¡°Well, we didn¡¯t even invite them. If we agree with every family¡¯s demand on attending shamelessly, what¡¯s the point of invitation cards? Who¡¯ll hold the Qi family in high regard if everyone cane and leave as they wish? Let them wait if they¡¯re willing. Please convey my message to them without missing a word, and make sure everyone can see them.¡± Qi Chenglin ced his chopsticks down.

    The indomitable manager nodded before returning to the trio and conveyed Qi Chenglin¡¯s every word to Chang Zhixing. He was the manager of Dynasty; he had absolutely no reason to fret about the Chang family.

    Chang Zhixing was mortified. His cheeks were flushed red, and rage started to boil within him.

    Grandmother Chang fought the urge to run straight into the party and confront Qi Chenglin. Her only reason being here was because of Chang Zhixing, who returnedst night and exined the trouble Changhe faced recently. He begged Grandmother Chang to reconcile with Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen before Changhe was liquidated.

    Despite the reluctance, Grandmother Chang had no choice but to swallow her pride for the sake of her son and thepany.

    However, Grandmother Chang ended up meeting with a rebuff at this moment.

    Grandmother Chang lost her temper out of humiliation. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t want toe and yet you insisted. They¡¯re youngsters. An elder like me isn¡¯t supposed toe over personally!¡±

    ¡°Mom, the elders in the Qi family and Ruan family are here tonight, so it¡¯s more appropriate if you can attend personally,¡± Chang Zhixing tried his best to persuade Grandmother Chang.

    ¡°Appropriate? Well, here I am, but they refused to meet us and even asked an outsider to convey a message. It¡¯s very obvious that they want to embarrass us!¡± Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression contorted in wrath.

    Chang Zhixing was furious too. All this would not have happened if Grandmother Chang did not offend both the Qi family and the Ruan family.

    Grandmother Chang stood up abruptly. ¡°I¡¯m not going to embarrass myself further in this ce. I¡¯m leaving!¡±

    Chang Zhixing sighed. ¡°Why don¡¯t you instruct the chauffeur to send you home while Xiangwen and I continue our wait?¡±

    Grandmother Chang nodded reluctantly but Liu Xiangwen protested, ¡°I think I should apany Mom¨C¡±

    Before Liu Xiangwen could finish her sentence, Chang Zhixing red at her furiously. She took part in offending Ruan Danchen and even tried every attempt to push Chang Zhiyuan away from the Chang family, but she wanted to escape at this moment?

    ¡°Stay here! You created all this mess, and now you¡¯re thinking about running away? We¡¯ll wait here if they don¡¯t let us attend the party, and you¡¯ll apologize to them once they¡¯re done with their celebration.¡± Chang Zhixing red at Liu Xiangwen.

    Naturally, Grandmother Chang would not scold her son for the sake of her daughter-inw, and she would give her unfailing support no matter what Chang Zhixing said.

    Grandmother Chang even ignored Liu Xiangwen¡¯s desperate act of grievance.

    Liu Xiangwen then pondered in resentment. Chang Zhixing was ming her for everything at present, but why did he allow everything to happen in the first ce? He only knew how to speak righteously and pretended that he had never thought of fighting for possession with Chang Zhiyuan at all. However, he was not stopping her wholeheartedly at that time, so it was obvious that he had the same thought in his mind as well and was merely putting on a show. He wanted to be a good cop, so she had no choice but to be a bad cop instead.

    When everything had gone to hell at this moment, they put all the me on Liu Xiangwen.

    Grandmother Chang was unconcerned about this matter. When she was about to leave, the housekeeper at home pushed Chang Jingqiu into Dynasty.

    Chang Jingqiu was wearing a blue-white striped chiffon shirt with a high-waist milky white long dress to cover both of her lower limbspletely. The chiffon shirt was tucked into the dress which made her appear graceful and charming like an elegant angel.

    Moreover, Chang Jingqiu put on a light Korean-style makeup with a bitten-lips look. Pink-colored lipstick was applied on the inner part of the lips and a lighter colored lipstick applied on the outer aspect. Since she was sitting in a wheelchair, she appeared especially fragile and delicate like a sick beauty.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s every movement radiated pride when she was initially well and healthy, but after suffering from an injury and was forced to sit in a wheelchair, she appeared delicate and weak which could induce sympathy in others as well.

    ¡°Grandma, Younger Uncle, Younger Aunt,¡± Chang Jingqiu greeted and instructed the housekeeper to leave after she was pushed to the trio¡¯s front.

    ¡°Why did youe?¡± Grandmother Chang asked out of shock.

    Chang Jingqiu answered softly, ¡°I knew you came here to reconcile with Ruan Danchen, and since I took part in offending Ruan Danchen, why shouldn¡¯t Ie? We¡¯re a family in any case, so we should unite and face every trouble together. I¡¯m the cause of this trouble, so how can I hide at home while you stand on the front line? I¡¯ll apologize to Ruan Danchen and beg for her forgiveness. She won¡¯t embarrass me further since I¡¯m disabled now, right? We swallowed our pride to beg for their forgiveness, and if they continue their revenge on us, then they¡¯re¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªThey¡¯re heartless and without conscience!¡± Grandmother Changpleted the sentence coldly.

    Qi Chenglin and his family were fully aware of the conversation that was going on between the Chang family.

    Embarrassment was torturing Chang Zhiyuan. Both Grandfather Qi and Grandmother Qi were smoldering underneath their stony expressions. Steam hissed through Grandfather Ruan¡¯s nose as hemented without scruple, ¡°Bunch of imbeciles!¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan was mortified but words failed toe out of his mouth in response.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s expression remained cold and t. He merely dialed a phone number and said, ¡°Everyone¡¯s present. Let¡¯s begin.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The members of the Chang family, who were waiting in Dynasty¡¯s dining hall, failed to notice Jiang Yuan¡¯s car which was parked close to Dynasty. Then, two individuals exited the car momentarily¡ªHuang Pinggui and Wang Lixia.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go. You¡¯re experts in what¡¯sing soon, so act professionally.¡± The corners of Jiang Yuan¡¯s lips curled up in contempt.

    ¡°Mr... Mr. Qi needs to keep his promise. My son¡¯s future is at stake,¡± said Huang Pinggui out of worry.

    ¡°You¡¯re staying in B City recently so it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ve no idea what had happened back in your vige. You¡¯ll know once you give your son a phone call right now,¡± Jiang Yuan answered calmly.

    Joy started spreading within Huang Pinggui as he dialed his home number quickly.

    ¡°Dan¡¯er, how¡¯s everything at home?¡±

    ¡°Everything¡¯s fine. By the way, dad, I received an offer letter from University A yesterday, but the university entrance exam was over just recently and I haven¡¯t even started filing my application form yet. Why would University A send me an offer letter? Is this a fake? I¡¯ve heard that there are many fake offer letters recently too.¡±

    Huang Pinggui asked quickly, ¡°Where¡¯s the offer letter? Did you throw it away?¡±

    ¡°No, the offer letter is designed very beautifully. I don¡¯t feel like throwing it away even if it¡¯s a fake.¡±

    ¡°Oh, thank goodness. Don¡¯t throw it away, the offer letter is real,¡± Huang Pinggui advised.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Huang Jincheng was frozen on the spot.

    ¡°Well...¡± Huang Pinggui found it very difficult to exin, so he created an excuse instead. ¡°Didn¡¯t I work in town previously? I have a close friend whom I met coincidentally in B City this time. That friend of mine earned a fortune and is very sessful right now. He knew you were having a university entrance exam this time, so he asked a friend of his to get you into University A directly.¡±

    Huang Pinggui was not an educated man and this excuse had many ws in it. How influential his friend needed to be in order to instruct a well-reputed university to deliver an offer letter as he wished?

    Did Huang Pinggui think that everyone was Qi Chenglin?

    However, Huang Jincheng graduated from high school not long ago and was born in a vige, thus he was inexperienced in social affairs. Thus, this offer letter came as a pleasant surprise to him as he believed his father¡¯s exnation.

    Huang Pinggui could even hear the incoherence and quiver in his son excited tone as they continued chatting for a while.

    Huang Pinggui noticed the expressionless Jiang Yuan after hanging up the call and promised immediately. ¡°I feel at ease right now. Don¡¯t worry, my wife and I will do our bestter.¡±

    Jiang Yuan nodded and brought them to Dynasty¡¯s main entrance before gesturing them to enter.

    After Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia built up their emotions at the main entrance, they entered Dynasty and saw the Chang family¡¯s location straight away.

    Wang Lixia let out a thunderous sound of wailing as she ran straight toward the Chang family.

    ¡°Jingqiu, you¡¯re so cruel to disown your own parents. You were afraid that your true identity would be revealed, so you threatened us and wouldn¡¯t even let your brother further his study in a university. How could you do that?¡±

    The Chang family was caught off-guard and failed to react immediately when Wang Lixia pounced on Chang Jingqiu, grabbed her shirt and lifted her up.

    Wang Lixia was as strong as an ox since she was used to wielding hoe and shovel in the agricultural work, so she actually lifted Chang Jingqiu off the wheelchair at this moment.

    The ashen-grey faced Chang Jingqiu screamed at the top of her lungs and Chang Zhixing quickly came over to drag Wang Lixia away from her. ¡°What are you doing? Why did youe here acting like a barbarian?¡±

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, you¡¯re ruthless and cruel. You pushed Chang Zhiyuan down the slope which nearly cost him his life at that time, and now you want to harm us too. Whates around goes around; lightning will strike you one day!¡±

    There were many customers in Dynasty at the moment and Wang Lixia¡¯s voice was loud and clear too, so they were all taken aback after listening to Wang Lixia.

    ¡°This... this is hogwash!¡± Blood was drained from the bewildered Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face. She was framed this time, but unable to defend herself due to her soft voice since Wang Lixia was consistently shaking her body.

    ¡°You wanted to disown your own parents for wealth and prosperity. You¡¯re heartless and without conscience!¡± Wang Lixia released her grip and threw Chang Jingqiu onto the ground since Chang Zhixing was trying to pull her away.

    ¡°Ah!¡± Chang Jingqiu dropped onto the floor on all fours and her long dress was lifted up in the process, revealing a pair of legs that were devoid of all sensations.

    The pair of ballet ts flew off her feet and scattered onto the floor.

    Chang Jingqiu put the dress down quickly to cover up her exposed legs. It was not embarrassing to expose her lower limbs before this, but they appeared disgusting after she was paralyzed.

    She could not even reach her shoes since they were so far away.

    Then, she lifted her head and scanned the crowd in the dining hall. All of them seemed to be mocking her no matter how she looked at them.

    The shock that was registered on their faces appeared as if they wereughing at her current identity at the moment.

    When Chang Zhixing was about to help Chang Jingqiu, Wang Lixia turned around and grabbed Grandmother Chang¡¯s shirt. Grandmother Chang had lived her lifefortably and luxuriously, so there was no way she could dodge Wang Lixia. Before she realized what had happened, Wang Lixia held onto her shirt and shook her repeatedly, messing up her initial tidy hair as she was struck dumb with astonishment.

    ¡°What... What are you doing? You lunatic!¡± Grandmother Chang yelled in fear and surprise, but her opponent was strong and formidable. She was nothing but a dough whom Wang Lixia could handle at will.

    ¡°Let me tell you something. We¡¯re fearless and ready to risk everything so that the wicked like you won¡¯t have everything you wish!¡± Wang Lixia screamed angrily.

    Chang Zhixing had no choice but to leave Chang Jingqiu aside and protect Grandmother Chang. Chang Jingqiu remained a mess on the ground and she could not even sit up herself without the wheelchair¡¯s support.

    In the meantime, Huang Pingguiined to the customers in the dining room while Chang Zhixing was busy protecting his family. ¡°The Chang family is a bully! After Chang Jingqiu realized her true identity, she gave us eight hundred thousand Yuan to zip our mouths and disowned us. Grandmother Chang even threatened to destroy my son¡¯s future and he wouldn¡¯t be able to further his study in any university no matter how many exams he took! She was boasting! They tried to hide their hostility toward us from the public! Who did she think she was to disallow anyone from passing the university entrance exam? Is the Chang family really that powerful?¡±

    ¡°Even though we¡¯re Chang Jingqiu¡¯s biological parents, I can see that she¡¯s just a greedy and selfish white-eyed wolf. She¡¯ll leave the Chang family in an instant if there¡¯s a greater benefit elsewhere. The time wille, Chang family! However, Grandmother Chang was willing to disown her biological granddaughter for the sake of this white-eyed wolf. She spread rumors about her biological granddaughter and was eager to see her divorce so that she¡¯d live her life alone and helpless.¡±

    ¡°Everyone, our house is located in a vige in J City¡¯s district, and we perform our duty honestly and earnestly. Look at our clothes; we¡¯ve been wearing them for years. We¡¯ll only go to the market and buy a new set of clothes for a few Yuan which canst us for years. Do you know why? It¡¯s because we¡¯re poor! Chang Jingqiu despised us because of this and was worried that we¡¯d reveal her true identity that embarrassed her. This was exactly why Grandmother Chang threatened to cause my son¡¯s misfortunes if this secret was leaked out.¡±

    Huang Pinggui stomped his foot angrily and continued. ¡°Who do the almighty Chang family think they are to look down on us? There are more powerful families out there, but none is as outrageous as the Chang family! We stand here right now in front of everyone to debunk every dirty thing that the Chang family did! Do you have the courage to harm my son now? If anything happens to us, everyone will know this is the Chang family¡¯s doing! Don¡¯t you want respect? Are you looking down on us? You¡¯re worse than pigs or dogs!¡±

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, by standing here before the crowd, I announce that you¡¯re the daughter of two farmers. You don¡¯t have a noble identity, so you¡¯ve no right to act like you¡¯re Miss High and Mighty who¡¯s more superior than us! You¡¯re always looking down on others, right? You¡¯re the actual one who was born at the bottom of the pyramid! That isn¡¯t the problem frankly, but it¡¯s your self-abasement and guilty conscience that disgraced you! You dared to disown your own parents for identity and status!¡±

    ¡°Everyone, you¡¯re our witnesses right now. Take a look at these evil and wicked people of the Chang family!¡± Huang Pinggui yelled at the top of his lungs.

    The crowd discussed and pointed their fingers at the Chang family. The dotard¡¯s attitude with an incredible fatuity was totally unexpected at all.

    Chang Zhixing finally pulled Wang Lixia away and said, ¡°Stop making nonsense!¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t nonsense!¡± Huang Pinggui waved the document in his hand and continued. ¡°This is a report of a genealogical DNA test which proved that we¡¯re Chang Jingqiu¡¯s biological parents. She disowned us and made no attempt to visit us even once, so we¡¯re here today to seek justice for us and our precious son! Chang Jingqiu was willing to sacrifice her only brother for wealth and prosperity.¡±

    Wang Lixia copsed onto the floor and yelled, ¡°My poor son! We¡¯re good and honest people, but who knows we¡¯d give birth to a vile spawn. The Chang family is heartless and cruel to chase away the only granddaughter and eldest son for a couple of useless idiots and bully us! God, you must see that justice is served. You must punish them for their sins!¡±

    ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, you¡¯re all respectable individuals, so please help us! Is there anyone who¡¯ll punish them for their unreasonable bullies? The Chang family is outrageous to think that they¡¯re thew. Who do they think they are to destroy our lives as they wish? That¡¯s because we gave birth to a vile spawn named Chang Jingqiu. This is retribution; this is karma! She can punish us today, but the Chang family will suffer from her punishment tomorrow!¡± Wang Lixia tapped her thigh and wailed.

    Chang Jingqiu seemed to hear a voice among the crowd. ¡°No wonder Chang Jingqiu went off the grid recently. She¡¯s paralyzed.¡±

    ¡°I think these two are speaking the truth. It also exins why Chang Zhiyuan quitted Changhe.¡±

    ¡°Changhe without Chang Zhiyuan. Tut-tut.¡± A random stranger shook his head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Qi family organized a birthday party for the little master upstairs, so why is the Chang family still here?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that they haven¡¯t gone up, they¡¯re not invited at all. I¡¯ve heard that the Qi family only invited Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s family.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard everything while I was sitting beside the Chang family just now. The Qi family didn¡¯t wee these people, and that was the reason why they didn¡¯t receive the Qi family¡¯s invitation. They wanted to go upstairs shamelessly but the Qi family disagreed.¡±

 Chapter 472 - The Woman Who Rushed Into The Room Like A Lunatic Was Actually Liu Ronghua!

    <strong>Chapter 472: The Woman Who Rushed Into The Room Like A Lunatic Was Actually Liu Ronghua!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Changhe is facing difficulty at the moment. Most of the partners who had coborations with Changhe didn¡¯t continue their contracts since the Chang family didn¡¯t get along well with the Qi family. That was why Changhe suffered quite a huge loss.¡±

    Themotion was getting hectic and noisy, all thanks to Huang Pinggui and Wang Lixia. The teary-eyed Wang Lixia ran toward Chang Jingqiu again, grabbed her shoulders and wailed while shaking her repeatedly.

    Chang Jingqiu had lost her mind at the current moment. She no longer cared about reasons or theatricality and deceptions. Her hair ended up in a mess like a crazy madwoman after she was shaken consistently by Wang Lixia. The only thing she could do was to scream with a high-pitched tone, ¡°Let me go, you lunatic! I want to disown you. Who are you to demand my recognition? Let me go!¡±

    Chang Zhixing¡¯s cheeks were flushed red out of embarrassment and anger as he yelled for help. ¡°Is there a shortage of staff in Dynasty? Why did you even allow these lunatics to wreak havoc in this ce? Is there anyone who can control this situation?!¡±

    ¡°Hey, what¡¯s with all this noise? What happened?¡± A typical bystander¡¯s thunderous voice appeared out of nowhere.

    The Chang family had no time to search for the owner of the voice at this instant. However, someone else answered for them, ¡°Grandfather Ruan!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Xiao Liu?¡± Grandfather Ruan sounded pleasantly surprised.

    Anyone who recognized this ¡°Xiao Liu¡± would have their lips twitched since Grandfather Ruan might be the only one who dared to greet him as Xiao Liu.

    ¡°Why did youe here?¡± Another elderly man squeezed through the crowd and stared at Grandfather Ruan while blowing his mustache.

    ¡°You¡¯re here too?¡± Grandfather Ruan nearly jumped.

    ¡°I¡¯m having lunch with Xiao Liu!¡± Grandfather Xiao rolled his eyes and shifted his gaze to the busy Chang family. ¡°Aren¡¯t they your inws?¡±

    ¡°What inws¡ªwe don¡¯t even recognize them. My inws are celebrating Youxuan¡¯s birthday upstairs.¡± Grandfather Ruan pouted, and the crowds could hear their conversation very clearly too.

    Those who recognized Grandfather Xiao informed those who were clueless about his identity, and slowly but surely, the identity of Grandfather Xiao traveled to Chang Zhixing¡¯s ears, which gave him quite a shock.

    Even Grandmother Chang failed to realize that Grandfather Ruan was acquainted with many reputed individuals and that Chang Zhiyuan was telling the truth after all.

    ¡°Everyone, please be the judges! Boohoo! We¡¯re so unfortunate!¡± Wang Lixia would not let Grandmother Chang go.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s skin went pale as she pointed at Wang Lixia with a trembling finger. All of a sudden, her eyes rolled back and darkness consumed herpletely.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Chang Zhixing carried Grandmother Chang and rushed to the hospital.

    Grandfather Ruan clicked his tongue in response. ¡°What a disturbance. Well, I should return to continue Youxuan¡¯s birthday celebration.¡±

    Then, Grandfather Ruan left with his hands sped behind his back.

    Grandfather Xiao figured that if Lao Ruan was here, Lao Qi would be here too. Thus, he followed closely behind Grandfather Ruan. ¡°I¡¯m going too. Xiao Liu, prepare a set of chess. Hurry!¡±

    ¡°Why are you following me? I didn¡¯t invite you,¡± Grandfather Ruan joked with a tone of disgust.

    ¡°Who¡¯d chase customers out like you did?¡± Grandfather Xiao was not annoyed and instead followed Grandfather Ruan with perseverance. The crowd had a feeling that Grandfather Xiao was an obsequious elderly man at the current moment which was quite a rare sight.

    ¡°There¡¯s no problem in attending, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to attend Youxuan¡¯s birthday empty-handed.¡± Grandfather Ruan came to a halt and waited for Grandfather Xiao.

    Grandfather Xiao pouted in response. ¡°You¡¯re so materialistic. Fine, do I look like a stingy person to you?¡±

    ¡°I can see that you¡¯vee empty-handed.¡± Grandfather Ruan then took out a red packet from his pocket. ¡°This is for you and don¡¯t forget to make it thick. Youxuan is very practical and will be very happy if you give him money.¡±

    Grandfather Xiao almost choked and epted the empty red packet begrudgingly. ¡°Do you have more red packets?¡±

    ¡°Eh? You wish to give two red packets? How sincere of you, I feel embarrassed!¡± Grandfather Ruan¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons at the thought of an exhrated Youxuan when he received the money.

    Grandfather Ruan took full responsibility for bringing these moneybags to Youxuan!

    ¡°Dream on!¡± Grandfather Xiao hissed through gritted teeth and wondered if this elderly man had any moral principle left of a scientist. ¡°Xiao Liu needs to prepare a gift too, yes? He¡¯ll be embarrassed to attend the birthday party empty-handed, am I right, Xiao Liu?¡±

    Grandfather Xiao noticed Xiao Liu, who was actually a man of high authority, while he was answering Grandfather Ruan¡¯s question. A Dynasty¡¯s waiter was following closely behind Xiao Liu with two boxes of chess pieces and a chessboard in his hand.

    ¡°Ha ha.¡± Xiao Liu smiled begrudgingly before epting the red packet from the delighted Grandfather Ruan.

    ...

    ...

    The children had no idea regarding themotion with the Chang family and ended the birthday party with great satisfaction.

    Qi Chenglin received a phone call from Jiang Yuan stating that Grandmother Chang was sent to Chutian Hospital for treatment. Even though she was awake at the moment, her health deteriorated after receiving a huge psychological impact and required adequate rest to recuperate. It was spected that her condition would get worse if she received further emotional and psychological trauma.

    ¡°Then we should trigger her more,¡± Qi Chenglin replied before hanging up the phone call. He tapped gently on the table with the tips of his fingernails before making another phone call. ¡°Hi, Wen Ren...¡±

    ...

    ...

    Grandmother Chang was resting in a VIP sick room in Chutian Hospital,nguished after receiving emotional trauma which led to vasovagal syncope.

    Geriatrics could not tolerate physical or emotional triggers well. One¡¯s vitality would be damaged even if he was merely suffering from a normal disease, and his health would deteriorate immediately to the extent that his remaining life could be deducted by days with senescence clearly visible to the naked eyes.

    Grandmother Chang was lying on the sickbed with the head end of the bed raised, assuming a sitting position. There was a small over-bed table in front of her with a bowl of bird¡¯s nest on it. Despite the constant nutrient replenishment with ginseng and bird¡¯s nest, Grandmother Chang appeared weak with an ashen-greyplexion and sunken eyes, and even her lips were barely there. The wrinkles on her face were more visible at present too.

    ¡°Hey, Old Madam, why haven¡¯t you recovered after consuming all those tonic soups and nutrients?¡± A woman greeted while walking like the wind into the room and sat on the chair beside Grandmother Chang¡¯s sickbed.

    Grandmother Chang¡¯s expression darkened at the sight of this woman. She was Aunt Wu, the woman who witnessed Grandmother Chang having a conversation with Ruan Danchen at the entrance of Chutian Hospital¡¯s outpatient departmentst time.

    Aunt Wu¡¯s grandchild was discharged from Chutian Hospital after his sessful treatment for acute appendicitis not long ago, but her second daughter-inw was hospitalized forbor and currently stayed in Chutian Confinement Center at this instant. After visiting her daughter-inw, she would take the trouble to visit and disgust Grandmother Chang daily and without fail.

    Grandmother Chang merely gave a fewments about Aunt Wust time, right? Thus, Aunt Wu came here every day to inform her about everything that had happened in the outside world.

    ¡°Aunt Wu.¡± Chang Jingqiu managed to squeeze a smile onto her face.

    Chang Jingqiu came to visit and apany Grandmother Chang every day too. Recent events had discredited the Chang family and Changhe¡¯s performance had gone downhill as a result. The troubled Chang Zhixing sighed and was forced to work overtime in Changhe every day.

    On the other hand, Chang Jingqiu could no longer tolerate the staff¡¯s peculiar gazes and nned to stay away from all those disgraceful matters for a few days.

    ¡°Hey, Jingqiu is here every day too!¡± Aunt Wu recalled something all of a sudden and covered her mouth while giggling. ¡°Well, it¡¯s troublesome for you to go out on these days anyway, and it¡¯s good that Old Madam is able to rest here without any disturbance. You¡¯ve no idea about thements they gave about the Chang family in the society right now. They said the Chang family failed to distinguish right from wrong, and you...¡±

    Aunt Wu pretended to twitch her lips awkwardly and continued. ¡°They said you were a malicious woman who attempted to harm your biological granddaughter. The outrageous rumors went flying thick in the social circle, stating that your youngest daughter-inw and youbined forces with Chang Jingqiu¡ªan outsider¡ªto coerce your eldest son¡¯s resignation from Changhe, and even tried to defame Ruan Danchen by spreading the news about her overpowering those close to her and attempted to demand her divorce.¡±

    ¡°Tut-tut.¡± Aunt Wu shook her head. ¡°Are these for real? There¡¯s evidence supporting these rumors! Tut-tut... If the rumors are true, how unusual would your mind be to perform? Did your son return to tell you all these? Those within the social circle ceased any form ofmunication with the Chang family because of these rumors except Chang Zhiyuan since they only considered Chang Zhiyuan to be the person in charge of the Chang family.¡±

    Grandmother Chang pursed her lips tightly out of exasperation but Aunt Wu ignored her and continued. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that Chang Jingqiu offended the Shen family as well. What happened at that time? Care to enlighten me?¡±

    The curious Aunt Wu shifted her gaze to Chang Jingqiu, who avoided direct eye contact, before continuing, ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Shen family contributed to the trouble Changhe faced at the moment too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s enough!¡± Grandmother Chang mmed the half-empty bowl of bird¡¯s nest on the table. ¡°You¡¯re not wee here.¡±

    ¡°Hey, why did you be angry?¡± Aunt Wu stood up. ¡°Old Madam, there¡¯s no need to act like a boss here, it doesn¡¯t work on anyone anymore. Do you still think you¡¯re the same Grandmother Chang of the Chang family? No one recognizes your side of the Chang family now.¡±

    Aunt Wu smiled faintly. ¡°I think you failed to realize that to the outsiders, your side of the family is considered a poor coteral branch of the Chang family. You need your eldest son to continue the wealth and status of the Chang family.¡±

    ¡°Get out!¡± yelled Grandmother Chang, who had reached the end of her forbearance.

    Aunt Wu remained unbothered and left the room with a smile.

    Then, Aunt Wu met with Chang Zhixing and Liu Xiangwen at the doorstep. It was obvious that they had overheard their conversation and Grandmother Chang¡¯s furious roar because Chang Zhixing was smoldering underneath his stony expression.

    Aunt Wu pretended as if nothing had happened and greeted the duo before leaving.

    The rxed Aunt Wu hummed softly while she was on her way toward the confinement center and dialed a phone number at the same time. ¡°Mrs. Qi, it¡¯s me, Xiao Wu.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. I¡¯ve been reporting to Grandmother Chang every day. She wants to rest peacefully? Ha ha.¡±

    ¡°Sorry to trouble you for these few days. Let¡¯s y mahjong together next time,¡± replied the satisfied Guan Liya who was holding the phone in one hand with a slice of watermelon on the other hand.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not troublesome at all since I¡¯m quite bored as well. It¡¯s just a small issue anyway. Let¡¯s y mahjong together next time, that¡¯s a deal,¡± Aunt Wu replied with a smile.

    ...

    ...

    Chang Zhixing frowned and sat opposite Grandmother Chang, who was coughing and hacking continuously after getting insulted by Aunt Wu. Her initial pale skin was flushed red after the constant tussis but it was not a sign of good health.

    Liu Xiangwen and Chang Jingqiu were by Grandmother Chang¡¯s side. One of them tapped her back gently while the other held a ss of water to feed her.

    Grandmother Chang finally regained her calm after a while. After noticing Chang Zhixing¡¯s wish to speak but stop on second thought, her expression softened and gaze full of love. ¡°Are you tired after handling the problems in thepany?¡±

    ¡°Mom, I think...we...should ask for Big Brother¡¯s return.¡± Chang Zhixing¡¯s tightened fist rxed momentarily. He appeared dispirited, reluctant to voice out his opinion, but more importantly, he was helpless when the trouble overwhelmed him.

    ¡°What happened? Zhixing, I trust you. I believe you can solve the trouble Changhe is facing currently. You¡ª¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Chang Zhixing interrupted. He nced at Grandmother Chang for a brief moment before shifting it elsewhere and sighed. ¡°A shipment of solid wood furniture was detained recently due to disqualification, but it¡¯s an urgent and huge shipment. It¡¯ll be a breach of contract if we fail to deliver the shipment on time. Thepany paid a lot of money just to expedite the production process, so we can¡¯t afford to suffer losses. We really need the rest of the shipment payment to solve the current situation, but now we can¡¯t receive the bnce amount and the shipment can¡¯t be delivered on time. Not to mention that we have to return the down payment and pay an indemnity ording to the contract too. Thepany can¡¯t afford to suffer such a huge loss.¡±

    ¡°To be honest, this shipment has the same quality as all the previous shipments. Not all the goods will have the same qualification if these cargos are checked randomly and they usually turn a blind eye toward it. Everypany will face the same issue no matter what kind of goods they sell. That¡¯s why there are frequent consumers¡¯ints regarding some faulty products. It¡¯s fortunate that we aren¡¯t selling electronic products and there won¡¯t be much of an effect if the products fall slightly under the approval standard. Everything should be fine unless there is obvious adulteration or change in material.¡± In all honesty, there were many unscrupulous merchants who camouged the adulterated products into seemingly perfect goods.

    ¡°We¡¯ve no idea what happened this time. They were strict in the quality assessment of our products and wouldn¡¯t certify us in any case. We tried every method but the authority acted just and stern all of a sudden,¡± ended Chang Zhixing.

    ¡°Could this be the Qi family¡¯s doing?¡± Grandmother Chang was annoyed after this thought urred to her.

    Chang Zhixing¡¯s gaze at Grandmother Chang bbergasted since it was a rare sight for her to figure things out intelligently.

    ¡°I¡¯ve tried asking around. Do you remember Mr. Liu who was with Grandfather Xiao in Dynasty at that time? Well, he mentioned this issue to the authorities.¡± Chang Zhixing peeled an apple for Grandmother Chang before continuing, ¡°Grandfather Xiao is a good friend of Grandfather Ruan, who¡¯s also Ruan Danchen¡¯s grandpa.¡±

    Chang Zhiyuan had reminded them about the intimacy between Grandfather Ruan and Grandfather Xiao, but none of them took this to heart.

    Grandfather Ruan seemed to be rted to this issue no matter how they looked at it.

    ¡°He... He...is an unfilial son!¡± The exasperated Grandmother Chang pressed on her chest, which felt painful whenever rage consumed her ever since she suffered from vasovagal syncopest time.

    ¡°Mom, I think Big Brother was expecting this oue. Didn¡¯t he mention before leaving the house that he won¡¯t be bothered if anything happened to Changhe? He won¡¯t care if we prosper or fail. I think he must be waiting for this exact moment,¡± Liu Xiangwen reminded while supporting Grandmother Chang.

    Chang Zhixing smiled out of anger. Liu Xiangwen wasining despite the fact that thepany was on the brink of copse. ¡°Shut up! Why are you preventing Big Brother¡¯s return in any case? Are you happy if thepany faces bankruptcy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I mean! I¡¯m just saying that his attitude is beyond measure. His words were sugar-coated when he said that he wouldn¡¯t go against thepany, but in mere days after he left, Changhe started to face trouble,¡± the teary-eyed Liu Xiangwen protested.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough! Grandfather Ruan is avenging Ruan Danchen in this issue and may not be rted to Big Brother after all,¡± replied Chang Zhixing.

    Liu Xiangwen smirked. Chang Zhixing¡¯s words sounded nice and just but he could not refrain from defaming Chang Zhiyuan too.

    ¡°Mom, we need topensate for the breach of contract and pay for the disqualification of products¡¯ penalty charges. If Big Brother doesn¡¯te back to solve this problem, thepany won¡¯t really go into bankruptcy, but half of our assets will be gone,¡± Chang Zhixing hissed the truth through gritted teeth.

    Grandmother Chang was truly surprised at this moment. How huge the loss would Changhe suffer if Changhe had to bear half of the losses based on its strong foundation?

    Frankly speaking, this was partly Chang Zhixing¡¯s fault too. Many canceled their coborations with Changhe previously and caused Changhe¡¯s performance to decrease for almost forty percent instantly. Chang Zhixing¡¯s reputation was at risk at the moment.

    There were voices of disagreement in thepany recently too, stating that Chang Zhiyuan should not resign from thepany and that he was more capable of managing thepany than Chang Zhixing ever could.

    Work stress had overwhelmed Chang Zhixing during this period, and when this shipment order arrived at Chang Zhixing¡¯s doorstep, he epted the order without thinking this through. Who could have expected this to end up disastrously?

    ¡°Why...why aren¡¯t you careful in making decisions?¡± Grandmother Chang pressed on her chest again due to dyspnea.

    ¡°Everyone seems to be chatting happily.¡± All of a sudden, a male voice that radiated contempt traveled into the room.

    The Chang family turned toward the door and saw Qi Chenglin wearing a business suit set, standing tall and straight at the doorstep with his head almost touching the top of the door frame. Despite his slim and tall build, his presence seemed to have upied every space the door had to offer.

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s aura was too strong!

    Even though Qi Chenglin wore a t expression, they could see the contempt on his face as if he was taking pleasure in their misfortunes.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Grandmother Changined harshly since she did not wee Qi Chenglin at all.

    Qi Chenglin remained silent and simply stepped aside. Then, a woman rushed into the room.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face turned chalky in an instant upon seeing the woman and tried to move her wheelchair backward subconsciously.

    The woman who rushed into the room like a lunatic was actually Liu Ronghua!

    Liu Ronghua looked so much different than her usual self. Previously, Liu Ronghua appeared delicate with smooth, tender and fair skin, and looked at least ten years younger than her actual age. Her name fully described her temperament¡ªelegant and graceful. Her delicacy felt as if she could not lift anything with her shoulders or hands at all.

    However, Liu Ronghua wore handwoven cloth and her initial glossy hairs had be a fractious mess of tangles with white hairs visible among the heap of dried grass, tied behind her head at the current moment. Her initial fair and smooth skin had turned shriveled and sallow, with mnin overproduction underneath her skin that appeared as though coal was smeared across her skin, obviously due to prolonged exposure to sunlight without proper ultraviolet ray protection.

    There was no delicate makeup on Liu Ronghua¡¯s face. Her eyebrows were so thin that they were barely there. The crow¡¯s feet were long and deep, with obvious cracks on her lips due to prolonged dehydration.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s fingernails were usually beautifully polished, but they were currently cut short and appeared dull due tock of care. Her exposed wrists and hands were especially dark too.

    Liu Ronghua currently appeared like a woman who lived in a vige in a remote mountain area at first nce.

    ¡°Chang Jingqiu, you¡¯ll feel my wrath!¡± Liu Ronghua rushed forward, grabbed Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hair and pulled her off the wheelchair single-handedly. Even the wheelchair could not escape its fate of smashing onto the floor.

    A delicate woman who could not open a bottle cap herself initially had be strong like an ox.

    Liu Ronghua yearned for Chang Jingqiu¡¯s death. On the same day she was sold to Crippled Wang in the vige, she woke up to see the unfamiliar mother and son in front of her.

    The mother, who looked tough and fierce, merely told Liu Ronghua that she was sold to them and that she would teach Liu Ronghua a lesson if Liu Ronghua disobeyed them.

    Liu Ronghua did not sign up for this, so there was no way she wouldply. She yelled and screamed for help like a lunatic for quite a while but the mother and son merely stared at her coldly. The mother allowed her to scream as much as she wanted since her attempt would be futile anyway and merely sat on the wooden chair with her leg over another, enjoying the scene with an icy cold and cruel smile on her face.

    However, Liu Ronghua was famished and dehydrated, and she ended up losing consciousness again after a while.

    Liu Ronghua was drained of energy when she regained consciousness. They made no attempt in feeding her in fear that she would try to escape.

    When the mother and son went to the field for work after the sun had risen, Liu Ronghua tried to escape since she was alone and met with a few vigers after a while.

    The female vigers recognized Liu Ronghua and said, ¡°Are you the wife Crippled Wang bought? Where are you going?¡±

 Chapter 473 - Season Finale (Part One)

    <strong>Chapter 473: Season Finale (Part One)</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Liu Ronghua hastily begged for the female vigers¡¯ help, figuring that they should sympathize with her since they were all women. They could at least provide her with some food so that she could regain some energy to continue her escape.

    The teary-eyed Liu Ronghua pleaded for food; even a sip of porridge would help greatly. She even mentioned that she would reward them handsomely if they could assist in her escape.

    However, the women became angry after realizing that Liu Ronghua attempted to escape and dragged her back to where she belonged.

    Hunger and thirst gnawed at Liu Ronghua and she barely had enough energy to even walk, so how could she fend off these women?

    Thus, they took Liu Ronghua back to the house and one of them even went to the field to exin Liu Ronghua¡¯s attempt to flee.

    This raised an uproar, and Crippled Wang and his mother rushed back home in an instant. The ferocious mother entered the house and fed Liu Ronghua with punches and kicks. She even tightened her grip on Liu Ronghua¡¯s hair and mmed her foot onto Liu Ronghua¡¯s abdomen with all her might.

    A woman¡¯s abdomen was very fragile and could be damaged fairly easily. The constant kicks made Liu Ronghua feel nauseous, but nothing was ejected from her mouth due to an empty stomach after prolonged fasting.

    Crippled Wang did not want to miss all the fun. He walked over with the aid of his walking stick and smashed the crutch on Liu Ronghua¡¯s body. Liu Ronghua had never suffered such physical torture before this and there was nothing she could do except to curl herself up like a prawn while tears and snots smeared across her face.

    On the other hand, the women who took Liu Ronghua back home showed no sympathy at all. They merely stood aside and nced coldly while scolding that Liu Ronghua was a discontented wife.

    They alsomented that Liu Ronghua was a foxy woman who did not behave like a wife and merely knew how to hook up with other men.

    Liu Ronghuacked the energy to beg for mercy at that time. In fact, she was too weak to cry or even sniffle. Thus, tears and snots streamed down her face like a river escaping a dam.

    The mother continued her reprimand, ¡°Go ahead and run! Come on, run for your life! We¡¯ll teach you a lesson every time you try to escape. Let me tell you this, once you¡¯re in, you can never go out of this vige anymore, so ept your fate and work for us. Serve us well and we can let you have your meals. No one will bat an eye if you¡¯re beaten to death! For your information, many wives have died after suffering from tortures, but none came to punish us. Even the police could do nothing against us!¡±

    Liu Ronghua lost consciousness again.

    It was midnight when Liu Ronghua woke up, disturbed by the strange sensation on her body. It almost felt like her world was spinning and her reaction time was a fraction slower due to prolonged hypoglycemia, and it was after her conscious mind asserted control again when she realized that someone was humping her crazily.

    Liu Ronghua could even hear the disgusting pant of ecstasy and smell the foul stench of long term tobo usage mixed with halitosis. All these made Liu Ronghua feel like throwing up.

    Liu Ronghua felt an excruciating pain down her body but she was too exhausted to resist. Tears rolled down her cheeks due to overwhelming humiliation as the man on top of her continued his exercise to release his sexual tension.

    In the end, Crippled Wang let out a foul breath of euphoric bliss before turning over from Liu Ronghua¡¯s side and started snoring.

    The duo finally gave Liu Ronghua food the next day, but it was just a bowl of rice water with a few rice grains floating on it. It was pathetic to even consider it as a bowl of porridge.

    The mother went to the field after finishing her meal while Crippled Wang stayed at home to watch Liu Ronghua, who was expected to wash all the dirty clothes and prepare lunch.

    However, these were all Greek to Liu Ronghua. When there was any slightgging in her movement or even a mere expression of reluctance, Crippled Wang would punish her with more beating with his crutch.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s previous injuries had not healed with no medication to hasten the healing process, and she had to endure Crippled Wang¡¯s sexual assault in the middle of the night. How could she possibly endure more beatings?

    Liu Ronghua yielded without a choice, but the desire to escape this hellhole persisted. She lived a wonderful life in B City previously and was forced to endure inhuman tortures in this god-forsaken vige at present. How could she possibly find peace at such a huge contrast?

    Any normal human being would not spend all of his life in such a deste ce, not to mention being touched by that wretched man.

    Liu Ronghua was disgusted and nearly puked after taking a good look at Crippled Wang in broad daylight. Never in her life had she been touched by such a grotesque man!

    This routine persisted for a few days with the mother working in the field while Crippled Wang stayed at home as a guard. She would consume a bowl of rice water for three meals each day and Crippled Wang would dip his wick on her every night.

    The mother mentioned that there was not enough rice for the three of them, but Liu Ronghua figured that they disallowed her to eat her fill on purpose so that she would not have enough energy to flee.

    On the other hand, the mother and son would always have a full bowl of rice to consume each meal with no meat but a te of greens as the main dish. Even so, Liu Ronghua was craving for a bowl of in white rice after drinking rice water all this while.

    After living such a miserable life for quite some time, the mother figured that Liu Ronghua gave up her attempt to escape and instructed Crippled Wang to work in the field together with her. Liu Ronghua, who appeared ten years older than her actual age, sallow and emaciated due to prolonged hunger, had not given up on fleeing this ce. She would not beg for those women¡¯s assistance anymore as her consequence would be disastrous once she was caught.

    Thus, Liu Ronghua had no choice but to fight the urge to escape. An escape n needed to be formted beforehand and if possible, she would scout for escape routes personally.

    Liu Ronghua pretended to have given up hope and epted the fate that she was going to live here for the rest of her life. She performed her work in the day honestly and would eat some rice or a few vegetables stealthily while she was preparing lunch.

    After the mother and son dropped their guards, Liu Ronghua seized the opportunity and tried to stop by each house to grasp the routes on this mountain.

    However, it was unexpected that the women considered Liu Ronghua¡¯s behavior as trying to hook up with their men at home. They remained silent in her presence but wouldin to the mother and son secretly instead.

    Thus, the mother and son resumed their beating on Liu Ronghua every meal and scolded. ¡°Hook up with men! Not perform your duty well! Horny! Lustful!¡±

    Liu Ronghua pleaded for forgiveness and begged for mercy. ¡°I won¡¯t do it again!¡±

    However, Crippled Wang and his mother refused to believe Liu Ronghua. She would receive a beating from them if she shifted her gaze ever so slightly to the side even though they were alone outside.

    If someone dropped by the house and the visitor was unfortunately a man, Crippled Wang and his mother would still torture Liu Ronghua if the man nodded or even peeked at her for a very brief moment, not to mention if it was just a simple chitchat.

    Although Liu Ronghua became sallow and emaciated after constant tortures, she was still the most beautiful woman aspared to other women in this vige as she took care of herself well before this. Even though there were young women aged between eighteen to twenty years old in the vige, none looked as pretty and delicate as Liu Ronghua.

    All the women had be rough after living in this vige for so long.

    Thus, the men could not help but nced at Liu Ronghua subconsciously, which Crippled Wang and his mother remained silent about this in the visitors¡¯ presence. Instead, they would punish Liu Ronghua terribly once the male visitors left the house.

    Liu Ronghua suffered from physical tortures in the day and aggravated sexual tortures by Crippled Wang at night.

    Those physical injuries left Liu Ronghua drained of all energy to escape and nearly descended into insanity.

    Days went by and Liu Ronghua was driven to the edge of lunacy, but on the bright side, she became tough and hardy with a tremendous increase in her physical strength after all those training sessions.

    Finally, a group of people visited the vige yesterday and insisted on bringing Liu Ronghua home.

    Initially, fear struck Liu Ronghua since she had no idea who these people were, worrying that they were kidnappers or human traffickers in charge of bringing her to a worse hellhole.

    In the end, Liu Ronghua was informed by the leader that they were from the Wen family and responsible for bringing Liu Ronghua back to B City.

    Even though Liu Ronghua did not encounter the Wen family before this, she had heard rumors about them. At least none dare to impersonate the Wen family to swindle and bluff nowadays.

    Tears of joy and excitement rolled down Liu Ronghua¡¯s cheeks. All the emotions which umted within her after all those tortures¡ªgrievance, agony, peace and various emotions¡ªexploded at that instant.

    Liu Ronghua returned to B City this morning. Those from the Wen family brought her straight to Chutian Hospital¡¯s main entrance without providing her with any change of clothes.

    Qi Chenglin, who was waiting for Liu Ronghua at the main entrance, gave her a chance to seek revenge on Chang Jingqiu, who was present in this building at the moment.

    Liu Ronghua recalled all the humiliation, tortures and inhuman treatment during her period of stay at that hellhole.

    If it was not for the fact that Liu Ronghua feared death, she wouldmit suicide if she had any courage to end her life.

    The nightmares gave Liu Ronghua post-traumatic stress disorder, and any shbacks would give her the urge to vomit and wee death. Her eyes would glow red with fiery rage whenever she recalled Crippled Wang and his evil, wicked mother. Even Chang Jingqiu¡¯s life could notpensate for the terrors she endured during that period and calm her rage.

    No, Liu Ronghua wanted Chang Jingqiu to experience the same hell she walked through. Chang Jingqiu needed to suffer a hundred or a thousand times worse than the torment she endured even though her hatred would not be satisfied.

    Liu Ronghua was once a woman of fashion in high society in B City but ended up in that deste vige to be tortured by the grotesque Crippled Wang. She could not wait to skin those who bullied her alive, cut their tendons, and chop their bones and flesh to mere pieces.

    Liu Ronghua even wanted them to enjoy her sweet revenge while still being alive!

    Even though Liu Ronghua was always in the receiving end during the beating, she became experienced and learned Crippled Wang¡¯s mother¡¯s powerful whacking skill.

    Even the likes of Wang Lixia was iparable to Crippled Wang¡¯s mother. They were not in the same category after all.

    Everyone in the sick room at this moment was used to afortable and luxurious life since young, so they merely knew how to retaliate with words to those they disliked. None of them would solve an argument with a fistfight, let alone using the fighting style of a shrew.

    Chang Jingqiu could not take such a beating even in her best condition, not to mention in her current disabled state too.

    There was no delicacy or feminism noted in Liu Ronghua¡¯s face at this moment, only a cruel ferocity when she fed Chang Jingqiu with punches, ps, and kicks.

    ¡°B*tch! B*tch! B*tch!¡± Liu Ronghua roared through gritted teeth, fighting the urge to bite every piece of flesh off Chang Jingqiu at this instant. One of her hands which was holding Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hair shook violently as if trying to separate the cranium off of the cervical spine.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s lower half was incapable of movement and her lower limbs rested powerlessly on the floor, but her body was in the air, attached to the hair which was entangled within Liu Ronghua¡¯s fingers, and her head seemed to be on the verge of disconnecting from her body at the current moment.

    Grandmother Chang was frozen to the spot, afraid and surprised. This was the first time she witnessed such a crazy beating style, and there was nothing she could do but to scream at the top of her lungs with a chalkyplexion.

    ¡°Let me go! Let me go!¡± Chang Jingqiu eximed. Her usual image disappeared into thin air as she waved her arms frantically in the air, but failed to connect with Liu Ronghua¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Let her go!¡± Chang Zhixing yelled, attempting to step forward and stop Liu Ronghua.

    All of a sudden, two men rushed into the room and closed the door. One of them darted toward Chang Zhixing and pinned him down while the other stood still in front of Liu Xiangwen, who was too afraid to move a muscle.

    ¡°Who are you people? Qi Chenglin, what the hell are you doing?¡± Chang Zhixing struggled but his attempt proved to be futile when the stranger seemed to have blocked his acupoints by pinning his wrists down.

    ¡°I borrowed them from Wen Ren and mean you no harm. You only need to stay calm and listen to what Liu Ronghua has to say,¡± answered Qi Chenglin in a calm voice as he stood close to the door. ¡°Why did she bear such a huge grudge for no reason?¡±

    Perhaps the term ¡®Wen Ren¡¯s people¡¯ worked like a charm. Chang Zhixing stopped struggling instantly after hearing that term and stared at the two strangers with fright and doubt.

    The duo wore t expressions and their auras radiated icy cold of death.

    Was this a usual aura radiated by those trained in Lanshan Institute?

    Grandmother Chang pressed on her chest again, helpless to stop Liu Ronghua. Even if there was no one guarding Liu Xiangwen, there was no way she would fight with Liu Ronghua for Chang Jingqiu¡¯s sake too.

    Liu Xiangwen was reluctant to lose her dignity, and she was too weak inparison with the enraged Liu Ronghua.

    Thus, all of them watched helplessly as Liu Ronghua rampaged like a tough and ferocious wild woman with their eyes widened in disbelief. What sort of resentment caused Liu Ronghua to acquire an entirely new appearance and attitude?

    Since no one dared to stop Liu Ronghua, she enjoyed her sweet revenge while making sure that Chang Jinqiu was alive to experience the agony.

    Most of the time, Liu Ronghua grabbed a bunch of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hair and tore it apart from the scalp, leaving the bloody hairs scattering on the ground in a mess.

    Whatever Crippled Wang and his mother did to Liu Ronghua at that time, she gave Chang Jingqiu the exact same way.

    asionally, Liu Ronghua would pinch Chang Jingqiu¡¯s flesh with all her might while connecting her foot with Chang Jingqiu¡¯s lower abdomen fiercely from time to time, attempting to damage Chang Jingqiu¡¯s uterus so that she would be incapable of conceiving in the future.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s scream of agony echoed in the room, but the outside world remained clueless due to superb sound instion in every sick room in Chutian Hospital.

    Qi Chenglin kept this a secret from Ruan Danchen since the gore and violence was not a pleasant sight for the pregnant Ruan Danchen. Moreover, the Chang family was her mother¡¯s home. No matter what became of the Chang family, the outsiders would give derogatoryments about Ruan Danchen if she took part in any events rted to the Chang family.

    Some people would give criticisms from a moral standpoint on issues which were none of their concerns. Those were the people who liked to put themselves in the opposing party and find fault in others no matter what choices were made. However, they failed to realize that they might consider the same choice too if they put themselves in others¡¯ shoes. It was despicable that they assumed that they were the only sensible parties with their words always right and just.

    Other than Chang Jingqiu¡¯s body, Liu Ronghua did not spare her face too. Initially, Chang Jingqiu was able to guard her head with both her arms, but after Liu Ronghua¡¯s constant punches, kicks and ps, Chang Jingqiu went limp like a doll whom Liu Ronghua could punish at will.

    Chang Jingqiu¡¯s initial pretty face became badly mutted. Her lips were swollen like two dark purple sausages with blood oozing out of split flesh.

    The pain numbed Chang Jingqiu¡¯s face, and her eyes were swollen and painful. Her vision blurred as everything seemed to be badly pixted.

    Her insensitive lips felt warm and wet, with a metallic taste at the tip of her tongue.

    Crimson fluid trickled down her body and sttered onto the ground. Chang Jingqiu was dumbfounded.

    Everyone in this room except Qi Chenglin and two undercover bodyguards from the Wen family were frozen to the spot.

    Chang Jingqiu felt something hard with blood pooling in her mouth. Since she could not swallow them, she spat them out.

    An audible click followed; it was a broken tooth sitting among the pool of blood on the ground.

    Liu Ronghua¡¯s raging fire showed no sign of extinguishment. How she wished Crippled Wang coulde over and decimate Chang Jingqiu as he wished.

    During those days, Liu Ronghua received physical punishment every meal daily and was sexually tortured by Crippled Wang at night. The beating Chang Jingqiu received at this moment was nothingpared to those miseries.

    Liu Ronghua was fully aware that this was her only chance to seek revenge on Chang Jingqiu, so how could she feel satisfied with only one round of beating?

    After Chang Jingqiu was left devastated without any ability to resist further, Liu Ronghua yelled while delivering whacks on her. ¡°B*tch, I gifted you wealth and prosperity when I delivered you to the Chang family, or else you might be sold to some shabby viges in the mountain and left to suffer.¡±

    The exasperated Liu Ronghua regretted her decision to buy Chang Jingqiu initially and should have let her suffer hardships and tortures somewhere in the mountain at that time!

    ¡°I merely asked you for some money. Even if you were reluctant toply, you didn¡¯t have to be ruthless and cruel by selling me to the human traffickers who traded me to a remote vige in the mountain. The tortures I endured during that period were unimaginable. Even your death can¡¯t get rid of the hatred I have for you!¡± Liu Ronghua howled while sending fists and kicks to Chang Jingqiu.

    Finally, Liu Ronghua¡¯s energy was used up, and she threw Chang Jingqiu¡¯s head onto the ground angrily.

    Theteral side of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s head mmed onto the floor which was covered by a thick carpet, so there was no loud sound produced from the knock.

    However, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mind had fogged up after receiving constant blows. Even though her head was knocked against a soft carpet, she still experienced a dull ache in her scalp.

    The exhausted Liu Ronghua panted and pointed toward Chang Jingqiu while speaking to the emotionally unstable Grandmother Chang, ¡°I bought this piece of sh*t from a couple in a vige, but I think you¡¯re aware of this by now. I sold them to you, which there¡¯s no need for you to know the reason, but at least I gave her wealth and prosperity. I encountered some financial difficulties so I told her the truth. If she gave me the money I requested, I wouldn¡¯t bother her anymore or tell you the truth, but she had a guilty conscience. I don¡¯t know from where she was acquainted with those people, but she sold me to a remote vige and let me suffer!¡±

    ¡°She realized that she wasn¡¯t born in the Chang family but chose to keep this a secret from you; she didn¡¯t want to leave all this wealth and status behind after all. If Chang Zhiyuan didn¡¯t suspect that she was a fake, she would continue to impersonate your granddaughter and lie to you for the rest of your life! She was a malicious and wickeddy and yet, you treasured her so dearly.¡± Rage consumed Liu Ronghua again as she delivered another kick on Chang Jingqiu.

    ¡°You assumed that she was a kinddy but in fact, she was crueler than any of us! Initially, she wasn¡¯t aware that she had an identity exchange with Ruan Danchen. She was just jealous of Ruan Danchen and for that reason alone, she tried to get close to me and ingratiate me on purpose so that I would provide information about Ruan Danchen¡¯s past. Then, she exposed everything to defame Ruan Danchen.¡±

    ¡°Humph!¡± Liu Ronghua smiled coldly. ¡°She gave quite a few bad remarks on Ruan Danchen to you, right? She pretended to do good to you and made you believe that you shared amon enemy. Only an old fool like you would believe that b*tch. Did you truly think she did it for your own good? She was jealous of Ruan Danchen initially, and you were her weapon to defame Ruan Danchen. Since Qi Chenglin didn¡¯t ept her, she didn¡¯t want Ruan Danchen to live a good life either. It was for the best if she could destroy their rtionship with your own hand.¡±

    ¡°What about you? Stupid old fool who was used by her every single time. You even scolded your biological granddaughter for that b*tch! I¡¯ve heard that you scolded your daughter at that time too, is it true? Ha ha, don¡¯t pretend that you¡¯re not a stupid old fool.¡± Liu Ronghua smirked.

    ¡°After that, she realized that Ruan Danchen was the actual young madam of the Chang family, so she tried her best to nder Ruan Danchen in your presence so that your hatred toward Ruan Danchen would grow stronger. She was afraid that she could no longer stay in the Chang family once the truth was discovered, so she nted the impression that she was far better than Ruan Danchen in your mind. On the other hand, you were so conceited that you were unwilling to admit your mistakes. You rather made the whole situation worse and hypnotized yourself that you weren¡¯t in the wrong. Thus, you had walked yourself into inhumanity and injustice, all thanks to her.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t treat Ruan Danchen well since she wasn¡¯t my biological daughter after all. I caused her to lose her identity as the young madam of the Chang family since birth and used her to brighten up my future path in the Shen family, but I raised her instead of allowing her to live her life in the street. I guess we don¡¯t owe each other anymore by now, but you tried to harm her when you didn¡¯t even raise her yourself after all these years. You won¡¯t have the courage to face your daughter when you die!¡±

 Chapter 474 - Season Finale (Part Two)

    <strong>Chapter 474: Season Finale (Part Two)</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The moment Liu Ronghua mentioned Chang Yuehuan, Grandmother Chang¡¯s face turnedpletely nched. Even so, she could not bring herself to believe Liu Ronghua¡¯s words; she was still trying to run from the truth. She mumbled weakly, ¡°No... That¡¯s impossible...¡±

    ¡°Impossible?¡± Liu Ronghua stomped on Chang Jingqiu again. ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell her yourself? Tell her that you did all those sinful things!¡±

    Chang Jingqiu refused. She could not muster up enough strength to say a word anyway, merely lying down lifelessly on the floor.

    Liu Ronghua tugged on her hair, pulling her limp body up from the ground.

    Chang Jingqiu waspletely disheveled, her face swollen beyond recognition. Her eyes were so swollen that they were merely two thin lines and was even blood dripping from the corner of her eye.

    Her swollen lips made it impossible to close her mouth. They were drenched in blood and more was oozing out of her parted lips.

    Her appearance right now would make anyone¡¯s stomach turn.

    ¡°Come on, spit it out!!¡± Liu Ronghua yanked Chang Jingqiu¡¯s hair aggressively, making her head spin.

    Finally, Chang Jingqiu could not bear this torture anymore. ¡°That¡¯s right! I did it! I did it all! What did Ruan Danchen do to deserve such a good fate? She had men drooling over her since high school! She¡¯s clearly a cunning vixen, yet she pretends to be as pure as a white lotus. I can¡¯t stand her deceitful act! She¡¯s a b*tch! Even if she¡¯s lucky enough to marry Qi Chenglin, she shouldn¡¯t have toyed with me! She¡¯s already living a good life with Qi Chenglin, yet she never bothered to tell me; she wanted me to lose all my dignity and ridicule me for it.¡±

    As Chang Jingqiu spoke, she sprayed out a mixture of saliva and blood.

    Qi Chenglin scoffed coldly. ¡°It was your own fault for looking down on her. You¡¯re the one making all the assumptions, thinking that she¡¯s so useless she can¡¯t even get a man. You never verified any of that with her, yet you were confident that it was the case. If you¡¯ve never asked her, how can you me her for not telling you? You two aren¡¯t even close, so why would she tell you something like this? Even if she does tell you, you¡¯ll use her of showing off anyway. No matter what she does, you¡¯ll still find a way to hate her, so stop making petty excuses.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, nonsense!¡± Chang Jingqiu¡¯s expression was that of a maniac. ¡°The worst thing she did was stealing my identity! She already has everything, so why does she want to take away what¡¯s mine? Why should she sit so high up above me? Why must she be part of the Chang family while I¡¯m the daughter of those two vigers? Why? Why?! Why am I born into such a lowly life? Why must she be better than me?!¡±

    ¡°If we¡¯re talking about stealing identities, you¡¯re the one who stole hers,¡± Qi Chenglin mocked, scoffing disdainfully. ¡°She never nned to let the Chang family find out about this. She knows Grandmother Chang¡¯s personality full well, and since no one in the Chang family knew, she was going to leave it be. She merely wanted to find her true parents. You may treasure the ¡®Miss Chang¡¯ title deeply, but she barely bats an eye to it. If it weren¡¯t for you being such an ingrate, stealing her identity and tainting her name, she would¡¯ve taken it to the grave.¡±

    Chang Jingqiu paused for a while, then resumed her lunatic screams. ¡°Stop putting her up on such a high pedestal¡ªshe doesn¡¯t deserve it! All she does is act to deceive!¡±

    ¡°Hehehehehe!¡± Chang Jingqiu turned to Grandmother Chang with a petrifying bloody grin. ¡°Why do you all have to ruin this for me? I wouldn¡¯t have ended up here if it weren¡¯t for all of you exposing me! Don¡¯t say I took advantage of this olddy¡ªit¡¯s her own fault for being so stupid!¡±

    Grandmother Chang could not believe those words came out of Chang Jingqiu¡¯s mouth; she prayed that she misheard it.

    However, Chang Jingqiu, who was spitting out bloodced foam, shrieked, ¡°She¡¯s so dumb that she can¡¯t even recognize her own granddaughter. If it weren¡¯t for her stupidity, how could I have used her? Besides, all these years, I¡¯ve been by her side, enduring her temper, ttering her and making her happy. I must deserve some repayment! Her helping me exert revenge on Ruan Danchen should¡¯ve been mypensation!¡±

    Beaten to a pulp, Chang Jingqiu¡¯s thinking was slightly impaired; she thoughtlessly spat out every word that came to mind. Like a drunk madd, all she cared about was the sense of satisfaction screaming it all out brought.

    Grandmother Chang stared in disbelief. How could someone she cared so genuinely for thought she was a mindless fool? How could Chang Jingqiu see her as a burden and was only using her this entire time?

    ¡°You...¡± started Grandmother Chang, but when she saw Chang Jingqiu¡¯s guiltless and deranged expression, she abruptly felt breathless.

    Her chest tightened¡ªit hurt awfully.

    Grandmother Chang opened her mouth, yet she still could not breathe. Just then, her vision turned pitch ck and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

    ¡°Mom!¡± Chang Zhixing yelled frantically.

    This time, the undercover bodyguards did not stop him. Chang Zhixing bolted to her bedside and pushed the call bell immediately.

    Qi Chenglin was not going to linger around anymore. He strode out of the ward with his two undercover bodyguards following close behind him. Seeing this, Liu Ronghua quickly followed them out too.

    Just then, the doctor and nurses came rushing into Grandmother Chang¡¯s ward.

    ¡°Qi Chenglin,¡± called out Liu Ronghua as she finally caught up to him.

    Qi Chenglin stopped and turned around to hear Liu Ronghua reminding him, ¡°You promised to put Chang Jingqiu in jail.¡±

    ¡°Rest assured, she¡¯s the one who broke thew,¡± Qi Chenglinmented coolly, then walked away.

    ...

    Ruan Danchen only found out about Grandmother Chang¡¯s incident a few dayster.

    It was Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s birthday, but he did not want a grand celebration¡ªhe was in no mood for it anyway. All he wanted was a warm and cozy meal with his family.

    Thus, he called Ruan Danchen¡¯s family of three over. Mo Yuxin even cooked personally for this special asion.

    Everyone gathered around the dining table. Just as Chang Zhiyuan blew out the candle, the doorbell rang.

    His housekeeper announced, ¡°Sir, Madam, it¡¯s the second Mr. Chang.¡±

    A momentter, Chang Zhixing walked in.

    ¡°What brings you here today?¡± questioned Chang Zhiyuan, not even standing up to greet him.

    ¡°Well, what else could it be besides to celebrate your birthday?¡± answered a somewhat abashed Chang Zhixing.

    When he saw the two families gathered around the table, a strong sense of unbelonging overcame him. It made him feel rather miserable.

    Chang Zhiyuan smiled at him. ¡°If you¡¯re truly here for my birthday, you wouldn¡¯t havee alone.¡±

    Chang Zhixing chuckled awkwardly. Chang Zhiyuan offered, ¡°Come, have a seat.¡±

    Cheng Zhixing took a seat beside Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°So, what¡¯s the matter? You already came all the way here, no need to be shy.¡± Chang Zhiyuan ordered the housekeeper to bring an extra bowl and set of cutleries for him.

    Chang Zhixing¡¯s face flushed red as he revealed, ¡°Mom had a stroke due to the emotional shock, and she¡¯s now bedridden. Chang Jingqiu was involved in human trafficking, and although not convicted yet, there¡¯s a high chance she¡¯ll end up in jail.¡±

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s confusion was evident on her face. ¡®It has only been a few days¡ªhow have so many things happened?¡¯ she thought.

    Seeing this, Chang Zhixing was going to exin. However, he received intimidating res from Qi Chenglin and Chang Zhiyuan, warning him to keep his mouth shut. He did.

    Grandmother Chang was severely depressed. She lied still on the sickbed, unable to move. Chang Zhixing had employed someone to look after her. As for Chang Jingqiu being taken into custody, Grandmother Chang could not care less about it. After all, Chang Jingqiu used her as a tool without a shred of guilt. Grandmother Chang regretted the years of care she bestowed upon that ingrate; Chang Jingqiu deserved to be punished.

    Sadly, Liu Xiangwen, who had always ttered Grandmother Chang to make her happy, was nowhere to be seen since she was admitted into the hospital. Even her dearest grandson, Chang Jianan, never came to visit.

    Grandmother Chang yelled and cried out of rage every day. She hated herself for raising all those ingrates.

    ¡°I know.¡± Chang Zhiyuan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll visit Mom.¡±

    Chang Zhixing stared at him as if he had something to say, but could not force the words out of his mouth. Finally, he gathered up enough courage and begged, ¡°Big Brother, pleasee back to Changhe¡ªthepany can¡¯t be without you. Thepany is suffering from immense lossestely, and you know full well that I¡¯m not right for this position.¡±

    Although thepany was being attacked deliberately, he was still at fault for not being cautious.

    When Chang Zhiyuan was in charge of thepany, there were still countless attacks targeted at theirpany. Nevertheless, he never slipped up. Thus, Chang Zhixing could not use it as an excuse for his failure.

    Chang Zhiyuan shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, I¡¯m not going back. Changhe is yours now, and no matter good or bad, it¡¯s none of my business.¡±

    Chang Zhixing opened his mouth, but before he could utter a word, Chang Zhiyuan interrupted, ¡°Listen, I¡¯m not throwing a tantrum or anything like that; I¡¯mpletely serious. I want to retire. I¡¯m already half-retired now, and my children handle most of the matters in mypany¡ªI merely supervise them asionally. I know about Changhe¡¯s losses, but it¡¯s not something that it can¡¯t bear. Just be more cautious next time. Even if you can¡¯t help Changhe return to its original state, I¡¯m confident that thepany won¡¯t go bankrupt under your watch. It¡¯s possible to maintain the position it is in now. Bottom line is, you shouldn¡¯t take too big risks anymore. Don¡¯t be so fixed on achieving grandiose things. This only happened because Danchen¡¯s grandfather wanted to stand up for her, and I wholeheartedly agree with his decision. As long as you don¡¯t hurt Danchen again, you don¡¯t have to worry about it happening again.¡±

    ¡°Take this loss as a chance to learn from your mistakes¡ªit¡¯ll benefit you,¡± advised Chang Zhiyuan.

    This matter hurt the Chang family¡¯s position in their social circle quite badly. Nheless, Chang Zhiyuan was not bothered by this at all. After all, he was already retiring¡ªhe need not socialize with those powerful families anymore.

    As for Chang Jingwan, with Ruan Danchen around, she would never be at a disadvantage. Moreover, no one would look down on Chang Jingwan just because of Changhe.

    Hence, Chang Zhiyuan truly had nothing to worry about.

    Although Chang Zhiyuan spoke calmly, Chang Zhixing knew that he was serious. Thus, he did not try to convince him anymore.

    In the end, Chang Zhiyuan asked him to stay until the end of his birthday celebration.

    ...

    In the evening, Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen went home with the little one. On the way, they received a call from Guan Liya.

    ¡°All of you must hurry to the hospital! Chengyue is going intobor!¡±

 Chapter 475 - Little Youjinâ€™s Anniversary Party

    <strong>Chapter 475: Little Youjin¡¯s Anniversary Party</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It was a brisk winter in December and a lively time in the Qi family household.

    It was Christmas eve the night before and although the elders of the family do not fancy western holidays, they still celebrated it for the children¡¯s sake. The number of children in the family seemed to be growing; there was Qi Youxuan, Little Youjin, on top of the four-month-old child of Qi Chengyue and Cheng Dongge, and an additional unborn child still in Ruan Danchen¡¯s womb.

    Even the decorations around the house were specially made for the children.

    Stickers were scattered and stuck on pretty much every corner in the house by Qi Youjin¡ªthere was even a Spider-man sticker stuck on the wall by Qi Youxuan. Piles of toys were scattered around both Little Youjin and Little Xi Cheng¡¯s cribs that were arranged side by side against each other.

    Since Ruan Danchen was thirty-two weeks pregnant with her unborn child, the elderly Madam Qi prepared an extra crib for her future great grandkid in a separate room. After Ruan Danchen birthed her child, she would then take the crib out and have it ced in the living room with Little Youjin and Little Xicheng.

    Since it was Little Youjin¡¯s first year old celebration that day, the entire family ced an extremely tall Christmas tree in the living room tomemorate such a special asion along with celebrating Christmas. The Christmas tree was decorated with loads of lights and streamers, and there was even a tiny little angel ced on the very top of that tree. ced under that tree was a couple of adorable little boxes of gifts, waiting for the children to open themter.

    They were waiting for Little Youjin to be brought over for the anniversary party set up just for him.

    Since Ruan Danchen was pregnant, she could not bear the cold; she was also afraid that the cold was freezing Little Youjin and Little Xi Cheng. Although the heater was already on in the house, the elderly Madam Qi proceeded to warm up the house even more by setting the air conditioner to heater mode, causing the internal room temperature of the house to feel exactly like a summer day. Every single person had their shorts on indoors.

    Not long after, Qi Chengzhi carried Little Youjin into the room with Song Yu, and Song Donglin and Yu Qianyin following behind them. Not long after they were all seated, both Qi Chenglin¡¯s family and Cheng Dongge and his wife entered the room.

    Since Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents hade a long way from Li City, they were absent yesterday to greet the elders. Qi Chengyue had arranged for them to stay at Dynasty, thus their absence that day. They will be heading to Little Youjin¡¯s anniversary party immediately from the guest room to the banquet hall.

    Chang Zhiyuan along with the Ruan family would not be present too as they were heading over to Dynasty directly.

    Due to the freezing weather outside, Qi Chenglin was worried about his wife, and thus he gave her two extrayers of clothing to keep her warm.

    Since Ruan Danchen was thirty-two weeks pregnant at that moment, she felt as if she was a giant ball rolling as she walked.

    The instant she entered the room, she was greeted by the lively environment indoors. As she entered the house, she waspletely soaked in her sweat, and thus, she proceeded to remove the manyyers of clothing, leaving behind only the thin maternity top which instantly relieved her.

    The elderly Madam Chang had gone through a serious stroke, in addition to her astoundingly horrible temper, on top of being used and thoroughly betrayed by Chang Jingqiu; and since she was crippled, her daughter-inw, Liu Xiangwen hadpletely disregarded her respect, on top of the drastic downfall of Changhe making her temper exponentially worse, hence causing her to unleash her unchained fury upon her caretaker.

    Any ailment would undoubtedly cause anyone to lose their temper, hence the doctor¡¯s advice to stay calm and ride out the storm. However, the elderly Madam Chang was constantly uptight and upset¡ªit was as if she had be addicted to anger.

    Ruan Danchen visited her once before. However, she was greeted by the elderly Madam Chang¡¯s coldness andplete ignorance of her presence, thus since then, Ruan Danchen had never once gone back to visit.

    Chang Zhiyuan and Mo Yuxin only asionally visited her since the elderly Madam Chang had a horrible temper and she tends to scold them every time sheid her eyes on them. Hence it was only natural for the married couple to visit her less frequently. They only visited her two to three times a month.

    Chang Jinqiu however, was sentenced to five years in prison, and crippled Wang, on the other hand, was also sentenced since he was also involved in kidnapping then raping Liu Ronghua. As for the organization that Chang Jingqiu sought after, since both Chang Jingqiu and crippled Wang were merely an external party in the entire debacle, hence there was no information that crippled Wang could provide.

    The only information Chang Jingqiu knew was a person only known as Brother Cheng. However, she ultimately decided to hold on to that piece of information since she had contacted Brother Cheng previously and he had already found a scapegoat, shouldering all the me for him.

    Chang Jingqiu had also known that before Brother Cheng had said anything, and if she dared to even speak anything else about him, she would never live in peace.

    Even if Chang Jingqiu was in perfect health, her days in prison would be spent in fear for the squabbles and arguments at night; not to mention she was currently a drug addict. It would be uncertain how horrible she would be treated upon entering prison.

    At that moment, the only person she could rely on was herself. Even though she was on friendly terms with Liu Xiangwen in the past, that woman hadpletely dismissed her existence and Chang Zhiyuan would never spend any time or money to ensure the conditions in her cell would be somewhat better. Chang Jingqiu could only hope Brother Cheng would spare some resources to make her living conditions slightly more bearable and arranged some people for her own safety and protection by the merits of her interesting personality alone.

    Even by that fact alone, she was merely a piece of trash. Whoever that was assigned for her safety would be just as worthless and miserable as she was.

    However, all Chang Jingqiu could do was bide her time and not rat Brother Cheng out. What misery life in prison was for her, would be a mystery to Ruan Danchen since she had not taken the time to even ask about her wellbeing.

    Even more so, Qi Chenglin would never even be bothered to spend an ounce of his energy, time or wealth on a woman like her. He would only ask about her asionally and he knew how miserable life would undoubtedly be for her since she had never once gone through anything rtively close to being a struggle, hence life in prison would be a living hell for her to bear.

    Knowing that woman was having a miserable time made Qi Chenglin extremely relieved.

    Since Ruan Danchen was carrying a huge belly at the moment, she found it difficult to sit down, hence, Qi Chenglin immediately ced a pillow behind her seat to support her back.

    The instant Little Youjinid his eyes upon Qi Youxuan as he entered, the toddler¡¯s eyes instantly opened wide as he proceeded to swiftly crawl toward Youxuan, trailing behind him.

    Little four-month-old Xicheng, however, was seated beside Qi Chengyue gleefully pping her hands.

    ¡°Er Cheng, you should learn from your big bro here. Hurry up and learn to crawl. That way, you¡¯d get to y with us!¡± Qi Youxuan said while pointing his chubby hands at Xicheng.

    ¡°Guu gaa!¡± Little Xicheng extended both her arms seemingly wanting to join in on their fun.

    Cheng Dongge initially wanted to name his daughter Qi Chengyue, so that she could carry his wife¡¯s name. However, since it was not appropriate for ady, hence he decided to name her Xicheng.

    However, when Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen visited Qi Chengyue the very next day after she had given birth, Qi Youxuan unexpectedly pointed at his cousin and simply said, ¡°Oh! This is Er Cheng! My dear sister, you will be nicknamed Er Cheng from now!¡±

    It was unfortunate that Little Xicheng still could not grasp theplicated lessons of life. While she was still sound asleep in her mother¡¯s embrace, her nickname was already given by Qi Youxuan.

    Little Xicheng was wiggling her tiny butt while attempting to stand upright as she grabbed onto the edge of the coffee table. Her tiny, short arms were reaching for the center of the coffee table since she wanted to eat the pear that was ced on top of the table. Sadly, her arms were too short and she could not reach it.

    Thus, Qi Youxuan extended his arms to grab a slice of pear for her. Little Xicheng held onto the pear fruit with both her chubby hands, as she felt that the fruit was slightly heavy.

    It was difficult for her to take a bite out of the fruit with her tiny baby teeth. After several difficult attempts, she could only bite off the peels from the pear as she suckled on the watery juices from the fruit itself. She smiled widely and looked extremely happy from that bite.

    Upon seeing such a messy look on his daughter, Qi Chengzhi became annoyed since his child looked normal only moments ago, and all it took was for her to y along with Qi Youxuan for a mere moment to have made such a mess.

    ¡°Is all the preparations for the ceremonyter, there shouldn¡¯t be any food in the pile right?¡± Song Yu asked with a concerned voice.

    Since there was an ocean of people watching the anniversary ceremonyter and Song Yu admitted she tended to be greedy, there should not be any food to tempt the little glutinous kid during the ceremonyter. If food was present, this kid would without a doubt be tempted andpletely ignore the ceremony nned for him.

    Qi Chengzhi nodded seriously and said, ¡°Orders were given already. There¡¯ll be no food allowed.¡±

    After hearing his reply, Song Yu finally let out a huge sigh of relief. However, she looked at her son with a heartbroken expression as she worried how her son would act in the future.

    Thus, everyone got ready and was heading out to Dynasty. She had even arranged a huge table in the actual venue where the ceremony would take ce so during the ceremony, every single person would have a clear view from the table.

    At this moment, Qi Youxuan was pushing the baby stroller while Little Xicheng was seated in it. She was holding onto a box wrapped in a red piece of paper with the words ¡®Box of Red Packets¡¯ written on it.

    It was obvious that Qi Youxuan was the person who wrote those words since they were written in horrible handwriting.

    As Qi Youxuan pushed the stroller with Little Xicheng inside, they both stood by the entrance of the elevator, seemingly resembling two guardian deities. Little Xicheng was obviouslypletely oblivious to what exactly they were doing here, but since she was handed a box to hold onto, she did so without question.

    Seeing that it was a rare asion for her big brother to only bring her out to have fun, and did not bring Little Youjin along with them, she felt the need to live up to the high expectations of fun.

    The instant the elevator doors opened, Yan Beicheng was instantly stunned the moment he walked out from Dynasty as he was greeted with Little Xicheng¡¯s innocent face staring right back at him while holding onto a tiny boxbeled ¡®Box of Red Packets¡¯.

    ¡°Uncle Yan, today just so happens to be Little Youjin¡¯s anniversary party, so it¡¯s only natural for me to collect some red packets,¡± Qi Youxuan said while repeatedly blinking as if hinting at him that if he refused to hand him a red packet, he would be bullying an innocent child. Yan Beicheng waspletely befuddled at this point.

    Thus, Yan Beicheng took out a red packet and ced it in the box. While walking away, he noticed Qi Chengzhi from a distance and proceeded to say, ¡°Say, a red packet after birth, one more when the baby is one month old, another one during Chinese New Year, one more during the baby¡¯s hundredth day, and one more during the child¡¯s anniversary. We¡¯re only two months away from Chinese New Year, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯re taxing me with red packets every one to two months!¡±

    ¡°Hehe,¡± Qi Chengzhi chuckled while carrying Little Youjin in his arms. He then said, ¡°Can¡¯t me me for having a son earlier than you.¡±

    After saying that, he looked down at his son and said, ¡°Say hi to your uncle Yan. He¡¯s giving you money.¡±

    Little Youjin gleefully extended his chubby arms at Yan Beicheng and began waving merrily. It was almost as if he was actually greeting him. Every single guest that came after Yan Beicheng did not look too happy.

    Since every single person was stopped by Qi Youxuan the instant the elevator¡¯s doors opened. It was almost as if they were being ambushed and robbed. They did not look too happy.

    Before the ceremony began, Song Yu carried Little Youjin and ced him on top of the huge table. It seemed Little Youjin had indeed be heavier as Song Yu was almost unable to carry the little child up the table.

    All around Little Youjin was a book, a calctor, a pen, a drawing block, and a tiny wooden sword. Each with its own meaning.

    In all honesty, it did not actually matter what Little Youjin picked, since his future was already determined by the Qi family since being born in the Qi family meant he would be amongst the best. No matter what he chose to be in future, his journey would be incredibly smooth.

    ¡°Go ahead and take your pick Youjin. Just pick anything you like,¡± Song Yu said in a whisper. In preparation for the actual day, they had already practiced and rehearsed at home beforehand, and it was extremely smooth during the rehearsals.

    Staring at three items ced in front of him while he sat on the table, the child proceeded to stand up with his tiny legs, as he turned around to look at the remaining two items behind him, it seemed to him that nothing caught his attention.

    Thus, he proceeded to sit down on the same spot, without moving an inch.

    Every single guest present witnessing the event waspletely shocked by his actions.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chengzhi proceeded to gently nudge his son and said, ¡°Be a good kid now, go on, pick one. Anything will do.¡±

    Every single item was ced with good will and held a deep intricate meaning behind. Hence, choosing anything would not be embarrassing at all.

    However, Little Youjin was staring directly at a couple of dishes ced on the table in front of him. He mumbled, ¡°Gaaaaa.¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and pick first, we¡¯ll eat after that,¡± Song Yu said while blushing.

    Unexpectedly to everyone¡¯s surprise, Little Youjin refused to cooperate as he was incredibly tempted by the presence of food.

    While gently rubbing Ruan Danchen¡¯s belly with his tiny hands, he softly whispered, ¡°I¡¯ve told you earlier, we can bait him with food by pointing the food at the direction of whichever item we desire.¡±

    Before Ruan Danchen could even stop Qi Youxuan, that little kid ran off with some snacks in his hands the instant he was done speaking.

    ¡°Come on now, little brother!¡± Qi Youxuan proceeded to wave the snacks at him.

    Upon noticing the tempting snacks, Little Youjin immediately crawled toward him while arching his tiny little butt. The little kid then snatched the snacks from Youxuan¡¯s hands and shoved it directly into his mouth,pletely stuffing his tiny mouth full.

    Worried that the kid might choke after such a huge bite, Song Yu proceeded to pour out a ss of warm water for him.

    Qi Chenglin noticed the growing fury of Qi Chengzhi and proceeded to forcefully grab his son back to where he was.

    ¡°Hurry up and take your pick since you¡¯ve already had your snack,¡± Qi Chengzhi said in an increasingly annoyed tone.

    Little Youjin was stunned as he turned back to nce at Qi Chengzhi¡¯s ck pearly eyes. The child felt as if something was pricking his tiny butt as he swiftly crawled back to where he was.

    He paused directly in front of a book, Song Yu stared at her son excitedly but remained silent.

    Thus, Little Youjin proceeded to extend his little chubby arms and grabbed onto the book, and then under the staring gaze of every single person, he shoved it in his mouth only to realize it tasted exactly like paper.

    ¡°Bwaah!¡± Little Youjin violently spat out everything from his mouth and tossed the book onto the ground.

    The little kid then proceeded to pick up the pen. However, once again, he shoved it in his mouth and started eating it like a lollipop. As expected, once again, the kid spat it out and tossed the pen onto the ground while screaming, ¡°Bwaaah!¡±

    The remaining items could not escape the fate of being shoved into the child¡¯s mouth. Soon, the only thing left on that table was Qi Youjin.

    It was unknown which child startedughing first. ¡°Hahaha! It¡¯s my first time seeing something like this. Hahaha!¡±

    Hence, Song Yu¡¯s cheeks instantly turned red. As Little Youjin noticed that there was nothing left for him to grab, he started to crawl toward Qi Chengzhi while wiggling his tiny butt and shamelessly grabbed onto Qi Chengzhi¡¯s belt and climbing onto him like a tree.

    Qi Chengzhi stared coldly at him and said, ¡°You want cuddles after not picking any items?¡±

    Hence, he stood idly unmoving, not willing to carry his son.

    At that moment, Little Youjin was standing on top of Qi Chengzhi¡¯s belt on his toes while frantically screaming as he was at the brink of tears.

    Song Yu could not bear as she noticed her son gradually tearing up, thus, she carried the kid in her arms.

    At that moment, the toddler was only able to sneakily peek at his father¡¯s furious expression. Upon noticing how angry his father looked, he recoiled his neck back slightly while nervously pointing at the ground saying, ¡°Gwaaah... Gwaaah....¡±

    ¡°Do you wanna go down buddy?¡± Song Yu asked.

    ¡°Gaaaah!¡± Little Youjin responded while violently nodding his head.

    Thus, Song Yu ced the kid on the ground. However, the little kid could only manage to walk a couple of steps as he found it difficult to walk. Like a penguin, he waddled his way to where the calctor fell earlier, then suddenly he lost his bnce and tipped over with a bang onto the ground.

    Fortunately for him, the ground below wasid with a thick carpet, thus the fall was not hard at all.

    It did not matter if it were the Jade Field Park, Imperial Terrace, Zhijing Garden, the Prestige Residences or even Cheng Dongge¡¯s home. They were allpletelyid with carpet floors to make sure the kids do not get hurt when they fall.

    Since Little Youjin had a habit of not sitting still and was not patient enough to sit down slowly, it was normal for the little kid to stumble and fall frequently. However, since it wasid with a thickyer of carpet, the little kid never gets hurt.

    Not feeling much pain, Little Youjin extended his tiny chubby hands and proceeded to grab onto the calctor and started waving it around while eximing, ¡°Gwaaaah!¡±

    It was only after that did Qi Chengzhi felt better as his expression changed to a much lighter mood. He then proceeded to carry his son while nodding with incredible satisfaction, he said, ¡°Yes, outstanding. This means he indeed has the heart to inherit the family business.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Every single person present waspletely speechless.

    In order to conclude in a much brighter note, Qi Chengzhi did his best to convince everyone of the deeper meaning of that choice.

    ...

    s, once again the spring festival approached and Ruan Danchen¡¯s expected delivery date was in a few days, hence making everyone extremely nervous.

    It was to the extent of Qi Chenglin calling Chu Zhaoyang every single day to make sure every single doctor in the Obstetrics and Gynaecology department was on standby and were actually working. In addition to that, he had even requested for the full schedule of staff rotation and inquired about how these doctors worked.

    However, he felt the doctors that were scheduled during the entire spring festivals were ipetent, hence he said, ¡°Could you schedule more shifts for DIrector Lee since it¡¯s quite uncertain when exactly Ruan Danchen would deliver her baby. I¡¯ll have to make sure when she arrives, someonepetent and reliable was on duty.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chu Zhaoyang was speechless at hisment.

    Chu Zhaoyang could not care less at his ridiculous request since every single doctor in his hospital was extremely reliable, hence it would be ridiculous to mess up the entire schedule just for him.

    Hence, Qi Chenglin started spamming his Wechat texts.

    [Gui Zhiqian : Could you stop bullying old Chu here Qi Chenglin! Do you actually think Chutian Hospital is your backyard?]

    [Han Zhuoli : So what if your wife is giving birth? Who hasn¡¯t?]

    [Qi Chenglin : You.]

    [Han Zhuoli : ...]

    After Qi Chenglin¡¯s relentless persistence, Chu Zhaoyang finally caved in and agreed to change the schedule for him. Hence, he had to go through countless rants and yelling from Director Lee. Sadly for him however, he did not have an outlet to vent his frustrations.

    However, Qi Chenglin shamelessly called him during the eve of the Spring Festivals to confirm if Director Lee was actually still working there.

    Even as a man of few words, Chu Zhaoyang finally snapped, ¡°The actual day of when your wife would deliver your child is still very much uncertain. Could you not force Director Lee up against a wall here, to spend countless days on standby.¡±

    ¡°Since it¡¯s within these few days, so the best option is for him to be on standby,¡± Qi Chenglin replied shamelessly as he did not feel even the slightest hint that he was actually bothering people.

    Hence, Chu Zhaoyang hung up on him furiously.

    Little Youjin was already a year and two months old. Although he still did not know how to properly speak yet, he was able to say simple phrases.

    Phrases like daddy, mommy, and cuddles.

    However, he was much better at walkingpared to the anniversary party a while ago. He waspletely attached to and would tail Qi Youxuan, following behind him anywhere he went like his own tail.

    Since he was not able to walk too fast, and every time he attempted to speed up, he would ultimately stumble and fall, Qi Youxuan matched his pace when he walked instead.

    The courtyard was filled with children ying around with firecrackers ever since morning. However, they were not ying with anything too dangerous as it was merely simple sparkles and other small explosives.

    Qi Youxuan told his dad to buy some fireworks that would explode into a blooming flower. It was only after that, he gave his father a tight hug.

    ¡°Uncle, uncle, bring us outside to y with some fireworks!¡± Qi Youxuan said while grabbing onto Qi Chengji¡¯s leg. His chubby belly was squeezing up against Qi Chengji¡¯s legs.

    Thus, he brought the children out to y after cing everything that he had been carrying down.

    Ruan Danchen was seated on the couch while watching the spectacr colorful disy of fireworks while she listened to the children yfully screaming as they enjoyed themselves.

    However, suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her stomach. Ruan Danchen grunted slightly.

    Qi Chenglin was watching her like a hawk for the past couple of days. Every time she felt her stomach hurting, he would look at his watch while he calcted how long the painsted.

    However, Ruan Danchen¡¯s expression changed. While he looked at his watch, he said, ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t today...¡±

 Chapter 476 - Youâ€™re an Amazing Sister, the Only Problem Is Youâ€™re Too Naive

    <strong>Chapter 476: You¡¯re an Amazing Sister, the Only Problem Is You¡¯re Too Naive</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I think I¡¯m going intobor now...¡± Ruan Danchen said in a slurred tone. She added, ¡°This child really does know when to see the world!¡±

    Thus, Qi Chengji immediately called the three kids that were ying outside back indoors; Cheng Dongge, on the other hand, took his car keys and said, ¡°I¡¯ll drive, you stay with her at the backseat.¡±

    It was the very first time in Qi Chenglin¡¯s life to have apanied his pregnant wife who was going intobor. This was an entirely different feeling inparison to when he was waiting outside for Song Yu to give birth to her child.

    If it was not for his own wife, he would not be as anxious as he was at that moment.

    Fortunately, it was the eve of the Spring Festivals and every single member of the family was present; Qi Chenglin however, was surprisingly dull at the moment and he was just nodding to everything Cheng Dongge told him.

    Thus, he immediately carried Ruan Danchen with both his arms and proceeded to follow Cheng Dongge out the door.

    It was ironic since it happened to be the eve of the Spring Festivals where the house would be filled with people. Instead, the entire house was empty since everyone else was hastily putting on their coats and rushing to the hospital.

    While they were on their way to the hospital, Qi Chenglin made a phone call to Chu Zhaoyang to give him the heads up in order for him to get ready for their arrival.

    Upon receiving Chu Zhaoyang¡¯s phone call, Director Lee was relieved to know he would not be required to be at work tomorrow. If luck happened to be on his side, and the delivery was a smooth one, he would be able to return home and enjoy a reunion dinner with his family.

    ...

    Since Ruan Danchen¡¯s uterine opening was dted, she was immediately transported into the operating room.

    Qi Youxuan however, was spinning around in the hallway with his short tiny legs. He noticed the terrifying dark look on Qi Chenglin¡¯s face, hence the little kid dared not disturb his father.

    ¡°Youxuan, can you stop spinning around. Your grandma... I¡¯m getting dizzy too just by watching you spin around,¡± Guan Liya said as she pulled Qi Youxuan toward her. However, she noticed the worried look through her grandson¡¯s teary eyes. It was obvious that he was worried about Ruan Danchen.

    ¡°Grandma, how does my sistere out from mommy¡¯s belly? Will the doctor split mommy¡¯s belly open?¡± The moment Qi Youxuan thought about the graphic and bloody image, he began to tear up while gripping onto Guan Liya¡¯s shirt tightly. He said, ¡°Did... Did I alsoe out from mommy this way?¡±

    ¡°No, God no,¡± Guan Liya replied. She was extremely worried about Ruan Danchen¡¯s current condition in the operating room while also unsure of how exactly she could exin to her grandson. She nced over to Qi Chenglin and noticed her son had not even once looked toward them as both his gaze waspletely focused and fixed at the doors to the operating room.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, that would only be ast resort, however, even so, the opening for that would not even be that huge, the thing is...¡± Guan Liya felt slightly conflicted as she would not wish to lie to her own grandson just because of his age.

    Since her grandson was not too young anymore, he was already in the first grade of elementary school and he would be going to his second-grade ss after another semester. If he was to tell anyone what he had imagined in any normal conversations, he would undoubtedly be made fun of.

    Everyone present was trying to preserve Qi Youxuan¡¯s self-esteem.

    Upon noticing how hard it was for Guan Liya to exin to Youxuan, Song Yu proceeded to pull him toward her. She said, ¡°My dear Youxuan.¡±

    Qi Chengzhi was seated next to her and Little Youjin was cuddling up with him. However, that little toddler wanted to get down from him in order to y, since it was still a mystery to him as to what the adults were doing there.

    ¡°Giving birth is an extremely painful thing to go through. However, auntie here gave birth naturally and it was quite a smooth process. I believe your mother will have a smooth natural birth too,¡± Song Yu said in a soft tone. ¡°Well you see, natural birth happens down there.¡±

    Song Yu pointed downward as she exined, ¡°We¡¯ll have to push real hard for the baby toe out down there. Although the baby is tiny, for it toe out from there, we¡¯ll have to go through an extremely painful process. However, if that was not an option or was ineffective to push the baby out, only then will the doctor split the belly open. Just like regr surgery. If you want to know more about the more detailed stuff, well, you¡¯ll have to wait till you¡¯re older. The only thing you have to know now is childbirth is extremely painful for your mother.¡±

    Upon hearing such an exnation, Youxuan could no longer sit still and he started pacing anxiously in the hallway.

    Little Youjin was seemingly able to sense the anxious and tense atmosphere in the hospital as he tried his best to cuddle up with Qi Chengzhi while extending his tiny chubby arms tofort Qi Youxuan.

    Ruan Danchen¡¯s birth was quite a sessful and smooth one since the entire childbirth had only taken an hour. Inparison to when she had given birth to Qi Youxuan, this was indeed an extremely smooth delivery.

    When she was only four months pregnant, they had already gone over to the hospital to get a checkup done. It was a girl.

    As expected, the child was a girl, and although it was not much of a surprise anymore, every single member of the family was still ecstatically happy.

    At that very moment, both the Ruan family and Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s family arrived. Both Grandfather Qi and Grandfather Ruan were present. They wanted nothing more than to cuddle up with their newborn granddaughter. However, that wish was not something that could be fulfilled in a short span of time thus, the only thing that could please them would be to have all four elders cuddle up with their granddaughter first before everyone else.

    Even so, both Grandfather Qi and Grandfather Ruan were arguing with one another about who got to cuddle up with their granddaughter first. None were willing to back down.

    However, this argument ended when both Grandmother Qi and Grandmother Ruan told both of them to stand in a corner, not letting either of them to cuddle up with their granddaughter.

    Just like that, after a full round of passing around the newborn baby, it finally returned to its father, Qi Chenglin¡¯s hands.

    When Qi Youjin was born, Qi Chenglin had the opportunity to carry and cuddle up with him. However, he realized how wrinkly and ugly he looked. His skin had a slightly yellowish tint to it¡ªit was not an adorable child at all.

    However, it was his daughter¡¯s turn, and he too, realized there was not much of a difference either, but he felt that his daughter looked slightly better than Qi Youjin.

    Hence, he proceeded to exim, ¡°Truly, she looks better than Qi Youjin.¡±

    ¡°Yaaaah Yaaaaah!¡± Little Youjin who was seated in the stroller protested while iling his arms around.

    Ruan Danchen looked at her daughter with the widest smile on her face, while gently brushing her soft, slender freshly trimmed tip of her fingers on her daughter¡¯s round cheeks. She felt as if her daughter was extremely fragile and weak, a simple graze could seemingly cut her.

    ¡°We decided to name her Youning, Qi Youning,¡± Qi Chenglin told the elders.

    ¡°Wonderful, Youning sounds wonderful,¡± Grandmother Qi said with an extremely wide smile while nodding her head.

    It was a special and different Spring Festival for the Qi family, as even the reunion dinner was sent to the hospital after being prepared by Aunt Liu. Every single moment was spent in the hospital.

    Thus, everyone left after eating some dumplings, leaving only Qi Chenglin behind to apany Ruan Danchen.

    ...

    The maternity matron was employed for the month of maternity confinement when Qi Youxuan was born.

    This time was no exception, as Guan Liya had once again employed the maternity matron to tend to Ruan Danchen¡¯s needs. During the night however, her needs were tended by Qi Chenglin himself. This time was exceedingly blessedpared to thest time since even during the day, Guan Liya and Chen Mingxia took turns visiting and tending to Ruan Danchen¡¯s needs.

    The little toddler came by to visit every single day since he was still in his winter break.

    School had resumed for Qi Youxuan the moment Ruan Danchen was released from the maternity confinement center.

    The first thing Qi Youxuan used to do after he had returned home from school in the past was watch cartoons, and he would require Ruan Danchen¡¯s constant attention to make sure he finished his school assignments.

    However, things have changed for the little guy as the first thing he would do after returning home from school was to look for his sister.

    ¡°Ningning! My dear Ningning, your brother has returned!¡± Qi Youxuan eximed as he bolted straight toward Qi Youning¡¯s crib while staring at her huge eyes, which immediately made him smile widely.

    Little Youxuan¡¯s heart was instantly melted by his sister, as he immediately carried his sister out the crib when he noticed his sister reaching both her arms toward him.

    ¡°Sister... My dear sister, wait till you¡¯re able to eat better. Your brother will make sure to feed you the best food you¡¯ve ever tasted. Both your uncle and aunt will always sneak some good stuff for us,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he climbed onto his bed and then proceeded to carry his sister and gently ced her on hisp.

    All Little Youning knew how to do was giggle.

    ¡°Oh boy... Sister, you¡¯re amazing at everything. The thing is, you¡¯re a little silly and naive!¡±

    ...

    Hence just like that, Little Youning naively grew up to be a year and a month old. Little Youjin was already two years and three months old at that point in time. Little Xi Cheng on the other hand, was a year and seven months old.

    The slightly older than two Little Youjin was having the time of his life by spending most of his day ying like an unhinged kid. Qi Youxuan who was eight at that time however, had to go to school every single day, and whenever he had a chance to take a break, he was forced to attend several different sses, thus causing Little Youxuan to feel extremely jealous of the trio of kids.

    One day, Qi Youxuan had just finished his piano lessons and was brought home by Xiao Yang. However, upon reaching the front door of his own house, he was greeted by a bawling Little Youjin while the kid bolted toward him.

    The instant the little toddlerid his eyes on his big brother, just like a damsel in distress, he leapt into Youxuan¡¯s arms and proceeded to bawl as his tears and snot flowed uncontrobly.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s bullying me big bro!¡± Little Youjin said while grabbing onto Youxuan¡¯s shirt tightly as he stained his shirt with streams of his tears and snot by wiping and rubbing his face against Youxuan¡¯s shirt. It was extremely dramatic the way he acted. However, it was extremely convincing too.

    After wiping away every drop of tears and snot cleanly off the little toddler¡¯s face, he was staring at a huge ck stain on Qi Youxuan¡¯s shirt hence, he was reluctant to continue rubbing his face against his shirt any longer. After doing so, he looked up with his teary eyes to stare directly at the stunningly, good looking Qi Youxuan after being on a painful journey in losing weight for thest two years.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless as his face dimmed to a much frustrated expression while he lowered his head to stare at the wet, ck stain on his shirt; he shivered and cringed. He then said, ¡°Alright just let me get changed then slowly tell me what happened.¡±

    Then, Little Youjin tailed behind Qi Youxuan while grabbing onto his shirt with his tiny chubby hands as both of them entered the house.

    The instant they entered the house, every single person that was in the house was shocked and surprised by how awful Little Youjin looked.

    ¡°Oh my, what happened?¡± Guan Liya asked.

    However, none of them assumed that it was Qi Youxuan who had bullied him since Qi Youxuan loved all his brothers and sisters as much as they do. There was never an asion where Qi Youxuan had ever bullied his brothers and sisters.

    Little Youjin only pouted as he felt there was no need for him to tell the adults, hence he proceeded to gently shake his head; all while he remained pouting and teary-eyed like a little girl.

    Thus, Little Youjin followed Qi Youxuan up his room while he changed into a T-shirt. Little Youjin said, ¡°It was Zhao Ranran. She¡¯s always so clingy and obsessed with me. She was here today but I ignored her. She then started running home while crying. Who knew her brother would¡¯vee over in just a few moments. He punched me and he even said if I refused to y with Zhao Ranran, he would punch me again! Waaaaah! Boooohoooooo! He¡¯s already six, how could he bully me!¡±

    After hearing what Little Youjin had said, Qi Youxuan¡¯s fury was boiling with the purest form of wrath. He said, ¡°The audacity! Whose house doesn¡¯t have a brother! Come on now, let¡¯s go get your revenge with your big bro!¡±

    Thus, the little toddler immediately stood up and followed behind his big bro.

    That older brother of Zhao Ranran was six years old, right?

    Since his big bro was eight, that would be amazing!

    However, the instant they turned around, both Little Xicheng and Little Youning were both gathered by the door. Little Xicheng was now able to stand firm, but Little Youning, on the other hand, did not have the strength yet. Hence, after standing for a short while by the door, she proceeded to sit down while grabbing onto the wall and staring directly at both her big brothers.

    After overhearing what both their big brothers were talking about, Little Youning and Little Xicheng were both furious. As they were thinking about how could anyone be as shameless to cling onto their brother, and even had the audacity to get her brother to threaten their big brother.

    Just like that, both toddlers were waving their balled fists around in the air while protesting.

    Although Little Youning was not able to talk and could only say simple words like daddy and mommy, she was capable of expressing herself quite well, even though the adults had a difficult time understanding what she was trying to phrase.

    This was true especially when both kids were together, phrasing stuff together. It almost seemed as if they were actually having a conversation since they both were phrasing words excitedly.

    At this moment, Little Xicheng was iling her balled fist in the air furiously while saying, ¡°Zhao Ranran, bad! Help... Help brother!¡±

    ¡°Sister, you know how to care for me the most!¡± Little Youjin was touched by his sister¡¯spassion and thus he gave her a huge bear hug.

    ¡°I... I... Cuddles!¡± Little Youning was frantic and anxious as she spoke. It would be rare for her to speak so much in a single day, however, she cared too much for her brother!

    ¡°Yeah yeah, I know Little Ning loves brother.¡± Little Youjin was extremely touched by his sister¡¯s gesture of love, hence he proceeded to give her a really tight hug.

    Just look at how thoughtful and caring both his sisters were, unlike that Zhao Ranran.

    ¡°Big bro, Er Cheng wannae with.¡± Little Xicheng grabbed onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s legs coquettishly.

    Ever since Qi Youxuan nicknamed her Er Cheng, Little Xicheng was not even aware that her name had ¡®Er¡¯ added into it, in fact, she naively epted that the little nickname her brother had given her.

    ¡°No, both of you walk way too slow. It would be troublesome to bring both of you along,¡± Qi Youxuan protested.

    ¡°Bring me along!¡± Little Xicheng grabbed onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s leg tighter.

    ¡°I wannae along! I wannae along!¡± Little Youning would not let go of Little Youjin as she proceeded to start climbing onto him.

    ¡°Do you both not want vengeance for your brother?¡± Qi Youxuan said as he tried his very best to muster a convincing stern look on his face.

    Ever since he was sessful in losing weight, Qi Youxuan had be an extremely stunning and elegant looking boy, and when he had put on a stern and serious demeanor, he had somewhat reflected a little bit of Qi Chenglin¡¯s ferocity through his gaze.

    ¡°I do!¡± Little Xicheng loudly eximed.

    Little Youning too nodded strongly to express her strong desire for vengeance.

    ¡°Then you both should wait patiently for us big bros to return, or else if Zhao Ranran called for reinforcements and bullied you both, what would happen if we are unable to protect you two then? Both of us will be enough for vengeance,¡± Qi Youxuan exined.

    Thus, Little Xicheng let go of Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°Goodluck and godspeed big bro!¡±

    After saying that, Little Youning got down Little Youjin¡¯s body, and thus, hand in hand Qi Youxuan and Qi Youjin walked forward, while the two little toddlers waddled behind them.

    Upon reaching the exit of the stairway, Little Xicheng intended to crawl her way down the flight of stairs. Little Youning on the other hand, turned around while facing her back to the flight of stairs and proceeded to climb her way down the stairs.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless.

    It seemed these little kids climbed up the flight of stairs earlier just like that.

    Thus, Qi Youxuan proceeded to carry Little Youning in his arms and the four of them got down the flight of stairs together. The girls walked their brothers to the door, then somehow the both of them mysteriously took out a piece of handkerchieves each and proceeded to wave at their heroic brothers¡¯ goodbye.

    Little Xicheng said, ¡°Goodluck big bro!¡±

    Little Youning said, ¡°Luck! Luck!¡±

    Thus, the girls watched from within the house as the boys left. They were anxious as their hearts were beating at a fast pace.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan brought Little Youjin to a nearby mall. It was a minute away from their house on foot. Little Youjin felt odd as to why his big bro would bring him to a mall for vengeance.

    However, since he had full faith in his big bro, Little Youjin proceeded to follow closely behind his big bro. To his surprise, he noticed Qi Youxuan bought a full bucket of pure pitch-ck paint. He had also bought a brush and a foldabledder. Upon extending to its full length, it was not extremely tall and was also quite light.

    Thus, following behind his big bro, they carried thedder together. Qi Youxuan was carrying the bucket of paint while leading Little Youjin out of the mall.

    ¡°Zhao Ranran¡¯s house should be nearby. You can show me the way from behind alright,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Both children were sessful in locating Zhao Ranran¡¯s house in no time.

    The houses in the area were designed in old-fashioned traditional Chinese style courtyard. The only difference was, these houses differed in sizes.

    The house was indeed huge¡ªa luxurious mansion nheless. It was left behind by the Zhao family¡¯s ancestors. However, it was not as huge as it seemed since it only had a courtyard and three rooms.

    Thus, both children went into the courtyard. Qi Youxuan proceeded to ce the bucket of paint down then extended thedder. He told Little Youjin, ¡°Keep a lookout by the door.¡±

    Little Youjin nodded in response and thus, he went to stand by the door.

    Qi Youxuan then opened the lid of the paint and as he carefully climbed up thedder, he held onto the bucket of paint with one hand, then proceeded to paint the windows of that house with his paintbrush. The entire pane of ss had been painted ck.

    However, with a single pane of ss left, Qi Youxuan¡¯s arm began to turn sore, it was also at this moment, Little Youjin came bolting in and said, ¡°They¡¯re back big bro!¡±

    Without saying another word, Qi Youxuan threw the entire bucket of paint onto the ground and left thedder there. He proceeded to grab Little Youjin by the hand and bolted back home.

    The married Zhao couple had just returned home after getting some groceries from the local market. As they were just casually walking toward their house, they noticed the silhouette two children bolting out thepound.

    Father Zhao said, ¡°Those kids lool familiar.¡±

    Mother Zhao replied, ¡°That¡¯s what I thought as well. They look like the kids from the Qi family.¡±

    Father Zhao said, ¡°Why are they running for? It¡¯s as if they¡¯re up to no good.¡±

    Thus, oblivious to what those children had done to their courtyard, father Zhao held mother Zhao by her hand and proceeded to walk her in their house.

    However, within the next instant, the courtyard was filled by father Zhao¡¯s furious yelling. He yelled, ¡°Where¡¯s the damn broom! Get me a damn broom!¡±

    At the final pane of ss, before Little Youjin had given the warning, Qi Youxuan could only manage to hastily paint a written message on the ss window. It wrote, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare bully my brother again!¡±

    When brother Zhao returned home with Zhao Ranran, he was instantly beaten violently by his father and then brought directly to the Qi household.

    When the elderly Grandmother Qi saw the extent of how badly beaten the Zhao¡¯s kid was, she felt guilty for not punishing Qi Youxuan.

    However, both grandmother and grandson were all bark no bite because even though it seemed like his grandmother was merciless in spanking her grandson and would hit hard, she gave him a light touch when her palmnded on his tiny butt.

    Qi Youxuan too was keen on acting, as he forced a couple drops of tears out his eyes while screaming in pain every interval.

    As Little Youjin stood on the side, he waspletely terrified by the ¡®fierce¡¯ look on his grandma¡¯s face, and thus, he began bawling. He screamed, ¡°Stop beating big bro grandma! Waaaaah, stop beating big bro grandma! Big bro only wanted to help me, waaaaaah!¡±

    As the little toddler cried, he felt that his big bro had been treated unjustly.

    ¡°Boohoohoo, big bro is innocent grandma! It was Zhao Chengwei who had beaten me first, so it serves him right to be beaten by his father. Big bro didn¡¯t even beat him, all he did was paint the ss windows. He didn¡¯t even cause any harm to their family, how unfair it is to have hurt big bro now! Boohoohoo!¡±

    Both girls, Little Youning and Little Xicheng, who were watching from the side started bawling as well as they felt the main viin was the two adults who had just showed up.

    Since it was them who had forced their grandma to beat their big bro up.

    They too had heard what the boys had spoken earlier and it was this kid who had bullied their brother.

    Thus, both girls ran toward father Zhao and started punching his leg pathetically with four tiny hands.

    Although it was not painful at all and the girls¡¯ strength was extremely weak, it was not a pretty sight regardless.

    At the same time, Xia Wenna and Guan Liya both immediately scrambled to grab both girls away from his leg, while staring at father Zhao remorsefully, making father Zhao feel slightly awkward and guilty.

    He was tempted to say, their grandmother was all bark no bite since the way their grandmother spanked their brother was not even close to inflicting any pain, and their brother would undoubtedly feel absolutely zero pain at all.

    Him, on the other hand, had in fact mercilessly beaten his son.

    The truth was, he felt awful about the costs for cleaning up their window panes!

    It was unfortunate for them to have just reached home and were greeted with ayer of pitch-ck paint on their windows, and was even more uncertain which brand of paint was used to have so effectively prevent even a single ray of light from entering his house, making the interior of the house as dark as the night sky was.

 Chapter 477 - Little Youning Felt She Had Been Roughed Up

    <strong>Chapter 477: Little Youning Felt She Had Been Roughed Up</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It would be a shame to waste such an impable talent for the eldest grandson of the Qi family¡¯s talent in painting!

    Thus, the entire debacle ended with Guan Liya paying for the repairs and damages for several window panes, since it was all caused by her grandson.

    Father Zhao refused to ept her money several times and said, ¡°We¡¯re not here for your money.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s okay, please ept the money, since our kids were at fault here,¡± Guan Liya said.

    Upon hearing her response, father Zhao¡¯s face was slightly blushing since it was Zhao Chengwei who started the entire trouble first.

    After refusing the money several times, father Zhao reluctantly epted the money then proceeded to leave along with his son.

    ...

    Thus, it was all due to Little Youning having Qi Youxuan as a brother and ever since she was able to eat normal solid food, she had been repeatedly fed amazing food by him. On top of his continuous feeding, she was wholeheartedly encouraged by Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan, making them essentially Youxuan¡¯s aplice.

    Hence, Little Youning who was barely three years old then, had be a chubby little kid.

    The gene pool from both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen was amazing. Ever since her birth, Little Youning had been extremely stunning and elegant looking.

    However, ever since she became chubby, she could no longer be called elegant looking even though her facial features were still visible¡ªthe nicest way to describe her would be a living plushie. ording to grandfather Ruan, she was uncanny to the characters that were stuck on the walls as decorations by Qi Youxuan during the spring festivals back then.

    Since Little Xicheng was raised by both her parents, she did not be a victim of Qi Youxuan¡¯s crimes, hence, Little Xicheng looked normal¡ªalthough there were some baby fat that still lingered on her. However, whether or not their appearance was normal was not too important to a child. She had the most tender and glistening, smooth white skin, and she had also inherited the dimples from Qi Chengyue on both her cheeks. Whenever she smiled, she looked extremely adorable.

    Little Youning and Little Xicheng were in the same ss in their kindergarten. They spent most of their time ying together.

    On that very day, both of them were ying together during their outdoor activity session. As Zhao Ranran and a couple of her friends walked by, she noticed Little Youning squatting on the ground. She resembled a tiny ball from a distance.

    Thus Zhao Ranran proceeded to provoke her as she mocked, ¡°Qi Youning, if you keep growing fatter, sooner orter, you¡¯d be rolling on the ground to get around ces.¡±

    There was nothing more Little Youning hated than being called fat since the only thing she loved and enjoyed was eating. Her brother had always told her, since her body was still healthy at the moment she should be enjoying food or else, when she was old and extremely ill, she would not have the opportunity to enjoy any good food even if she wanted to. As humans, everyone should appreciate great awesome things that they had, so when she could still eat, she should never turn down food and eat as much as she desired.

    Hence, Little Youning hated food going to waste because any good food should always be eaten. Just like that, she had been fed by her brother into a chubby adorable little ball.

    However, her great-grandpa also said that a little girl would look extremely adorable when they looked like a tiny round ball and her great-grandpa told her she was the most adorable little kid ever. A kid who was skinny looking would be as if that child was not properly fed hence that child would not be adorable at all.

    Little Youning felt Zhao Ranran was the skinny-underfed child her great-grandpa told her about hence, she was not even the slightest bit adorable.

    Thus, Little Youning snapped back at her coldly, ¡°I¡¯m not fat, I¡¯m adorable!¡±

    ¡°Only ugly looking people would say they¡¯re adorable since they have no idea what else to call themselves,¡± Zhao Ranran replied mockingly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Little Youning replied furiously as she stood up.

    ¡°It¡¯s true. Has anyone ever told you that you¡¯re pretty? I think not! That¡¯s because you¡¯re ugly!¡± Zhao Ranran replied snarkily.

    ¡°B*tch, what the f*ck are you saying!¡± Little Xicheng immediately stood in front of Little Youning protecting her. She said, ¡°My sister looks better than your b*tch *ss! You¡¯re just jealous of her since you¡¯re totally crushing on my brother but he hates your f*cking guts.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. You¡¯re lying. You...¡± Zhao Ranran was furious.The edges of her eyes gradually grew red. She was iling her arms around and it was not very clear what exactly she was up to.

    However, she was seemingly ready to punch Little Xicheng from the looks of things .

    At that same moment, Little Muche, who was two years older than Little Xicheng was having outdoor activities too and had witnessed their argument as he walked by. Upon seeing such a heated argument, he immediately rushed toward the girls.

    ¡°Chengcheng is she bullying you? I¡¯ll beat her up for you!¡± Little Muche said as he began rolling up his sleeves.

    To have such an odd father such as Wei Ziqi, it was only natural for little Muche to inherit his odd antics.

    The only women in Wei Ziqi¡¯s eyes were his wife and daughter. Any other women out there was simply no one to him, hence he would not hesitate to beat those women without any discrimination if any women were to provoke him. There would not be much difference from the way he treated men.

    Thus, in Wei Muche¡¯s eyes, he too had the same principles as his father since the only women in eyes were his mom, his sister, and Little Xicheng. The other women and men out there would be treated equally.

    Since Wei Muche did not seem as if he was joking about what he imed, all he needed was Little Xicheng to say the word and he would without doubt swing at her. However, Zhao Ranran rambled for a short moment and suddenly, she started to bawl her eyes out while wailing and screaming, ¡°Wei Muche is bullying me!¡±

    Little Youning who was merely spectating from the side waspletely used to this incident.

    She had once seen her sister merely mention about beating someone up and Wei Muche actually went ahead and picked up a brick. From the looks of it, he was serious about assaulting someone.

    She was so shocked when she had first witnessed such an act, but after several simr asions, she hadpletely got used to such impulsive acts.

    ...

    Little Youning was extremely envious since Little Xicheng could have someone so loyal to the extent of doing her bidding and beating someone up just for her. A servant socent was the subject of pure envy. Anytime Little Xicheng pointed at a specific target, Wei Muche would without question beat up that target and no one else. The instant Little Xicheng picked up a stick to beat up someone, Wei Muche would pick up a brick to help her.

    At that moment, Little Xicheng was in the mood to do something mischievous, and without question, little Muche was getting ready to help her out. Little Xicheng¡¯s favorite game was pretend princess, hence Wei Muche proceeded to wave around a white cloth behind her.

    On that day, Wei Ziqi, Yan Beicheng, and several other people were gathered at Qi Chenglin¡¯s house. Wherever Wei Ziqi went off to, he would bring his wife along with him. However, unfortunately for Yan Beicheng and the guys, they were all very single.

    As the adults were busy talking in the living room, the kids wandered off to y in Little Youjin¡¯s room.

    The only problem was, Little Youjin was ying with some toy robots, all the other girls werepletely uninterested in that. Thus, Little Youjin and Qi Youxuan were ying together in a corner. Little Xichen began to point at the curtains and bedsheets behind Little Youjin and said, ¡°Brother Muche, I want it. Hurry up and take it down for me.¡±

    Thus, little Muche immediately scrambled off to rip the curtains and the bedsheets out just for her. It was almost as if he wanted to destroy the house thus making Little Youjin extremely nervous just by watching him.

    As Little Xicheng grew older, she was gradually growing into a little tyrant with little Muche as her personal manservant encouraging her tyranny. Little Youjin felt his future days would be miserable judging from how Little Xicheng had be.

    As they tore apart Little Youjin¡¯s room, and as a loving brother to his younger siblings, Qi Youxuan had no grievances toward their unreasonable actions. However, Little Youjin as the main victim felt slightly annoyed by their behavior, but before he could speak his mind, Qi Youxuan simply stared at him. Thus, he kept his opinions to himself.

    Feeling slightly nervous, he stuttered and said, ¡°Are these enough for you? If it¡¯s not, my parent¡¯s room has some left.¡±

    Fortunately, Little Xicheng felt she had enough to y with. She was recently really into an ancient Chinese fantasy drama on TVB [1] but it was confusing for her to understand the plot of the drama. The only thing captivating to her was the silk drapes and fleeces on the costume design for the drama that looked pretty to her.

    Hence, she proceeded to wrap the curtains around her body. While staring at the curtains, it somewhat resembled a dress and was long enough to be dragged on the ground! Thus, she was impressed by it.

    She then proceeded to drape Little Youjin¡¯s bedsheets on her shoulders, acting like it was a fleece coat. While staring at her reflection through the mirror, she was extremely satisfied and happy by how she looked.

    Since it was still winter, there was not a single fan present in the house. It was unclear where little Muche managed to find himself a fan, as he proceeded to squat underneath Little Xicheng then began violently fanning her curtain dress, causing the dress to flutter in the wind.

    Little Xicheng felt like an actual deity¡ªshe was extremely happy and satisfied with herself.

    ...

    Aunt Yang was done preparing lunch and Wei Ziqi proceeded to walk up the second floor to Little Youjin¡¯s room to get the kids down for lunch.

    However the instant he opened the door, he was greeted by his very own son, squatting next to Little Xicheng, violently fanning her. It was an awkwardly dumb sight for him causing him to not even be able to look at his son in the eyes.

    Little Youning was recording the whole ordeal with a phone. Upon closer inspection, one would find out that it belonged to Qi Youxuan, which was a birthday gift by Grandfather Ruan to rece his previous ¡®Totoro¡¯ phone.

    ¡°Brother Muche, fan harder. I wanna see the skirt fly higher!¡± Little Youning said excitedly.

    Hence, Little Muche proceeded to fan with both his arms.

    It waspletely eptable to watch other children do extremely dumb things. However, watching his son do something so profoundly stupid, Wei Ziqi was tempted to beat his son right there and then!

    ¡°That¡¯s enough fun. Let¡¯s have lunch downstairs.¡±

    As he said that, all the kids began to put down their toys obediently.

    However, Little Xicheng on the other hand, looked up as she cleared her throat and proceeded to say, ¡°Ready my carriage little one. Make haste for we shall take our leave now!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Ziqi waspletely speechless by what he had just heard.

    However, never did he expect his son to actually take a slight bow while gently holding onto Little Xicheng¡¯s hand and said, ¡°It shall be done, your grace!¡±

    ¡°ng!¡±

    Wei Ziqi was seemingly able to hear his heart shatter as he decided to give his own son a thorough and violent beating when they got home. This would undoubtedly guarantee his son to never utter anything close to ¡®Your grace¡¯ again.

    Little Youning was unsure how hard of a beating little Muche received since he was still unfazed and had even grown more extreme in tailing behind Little Xicheng.

    Little Youning was extremely jealous of her, and she too wondered when exactly would she get a man who would be willing to do her bidding for her.

    Since she knew how adorable she looked, it would be impossible to not have a single boy going after her!

    Little Muche waspletely oblivious to what Little Youning thought about him. If he had known that Little Youning simply thought of him as Little Xicheng¡¯s servant, he would be extremely angry!

    ...

    As Little Youning got out of her kindergarten, she was surprised to see both her parents standing by the gate waiting for her.

    Little Youning was ecstatic as she bolted out immediately. Qi Chenglin could not bear to watch as he noticed his daughter looked exactly like a tiny little ball when she bolted directly to them. From a distance, it almost seemed as if a very brightly colored ball was rolling directly to them. After he spent so much effort getting his eldest son to lose weight, he had to repeat the uphill arduous struggle to get his daughter to do the same. The only difference was, he could no longer implore the same methods he had been using on his son to his daughter since he could not bear to be as strict with his daughter as he did his son.

    No matter how coquettish Qi Youxuan tried to be, it would result in vain. However, all Little Youning had to do was look up and stare at her father with her adorable cute face and call her father once, and Qi Chenglin would undoubtedly cave to her request.

    Qi Youxuan was partly to me for her weight and size,since it was partially his fault for feeding her so much, but Qi Chenglin himself was allowing his son¡¯s unconditional spoiling of his sister. If he never allowed him to do so, there would never be a chance for him to even feed his sister. During Qi Youxuan¡¯s uphill battle of weight loss, no amount of snacks he had attempted to hide could escape the ring eyes of Qi Chenglin.

    However, upon staring at his daughter¡¯s watery puppy eyes, he could not bear to watch his daughter eat so little. Now that he was staring directly at his daughter, he could feel his heart progressively grow cold as he was exhausted by thinking about his daughter¡¯s future.

    ¡°Daddy, mommy why did you bothe to pick me up together today?¡± Little Youning said as she carried her tiny backpack on her back. Before both of them could stand straight, Little Youning immediately plunged herself into both of them.

    Ruan Danchen was no longer able to carry her daughter and hadpletely left that task to Qi Chenglin alone.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin proceeded to wee his daughter with open arms. Even by doing so, as he carried his daughter, both his arms were weighed down by his daughter. It was only after a slight push was he able to lift his daughter up.

    Hence, Qi Chenglin silently reflected in his mind; he too agreed and was willing to ept the fact that it was time for his daughter to lose some weight.

    Ruan Danchen, who was standing on the side, proceeded to answer her daughter¡¯s question first. She said, ¡°Your uncle is hosting some guests in his house and has invited us toe along.¡±

    ...

    Little Youning never bothered much about the guests that were invited to her uncle¡¯s house since it had nothing to do with a child.

    They arrived at Zhijing Garden, and the instant they opened the door, they were greeted by an extremely arrogant voice as swears and curses were being spouted every interval of every sentence. However, her father had an extremely curious and intrigued look on his face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve traveled all this damn way and you arrogant a*s intend to send me off to Dynasty? I¡¯m goddamn bored of Dynasty¡¯s food. All I goddamn wanted was a home-cooked meal!¡± Wen Ren ranted as he sat on the couch as if it was his own home.

    Seated beside him was a stunningly beautiful youngdy. Her eyes looked sharp and pretty¡ªnot a single speck of dust was even present on her eyes, and her cheeks were slightly blushed. A young boy was seated beside her and he looked like he was almost the same age as Little Youjin. Judging from his look, he seemed like a hyperactive young boy but was taught well enough to behave.

    Although he seemed as if he was unable to sit still, he forced himself to do so with the sheer force of his willpower alone. The only thing was, his eyes were wandering off to every single corner of the room. It was an intriguing sight to see indeed.

    Upon seeing Little Youning and her family¡¯s arrival, Qi Chengzhi proceeded to introduce everyone to them. It seemed Fang Jiaran and Wen Ren had been trying hard and struggling for all these years and they had finally conceived two children together.

    Ever since her son¡¯s birth, Fang Jiaran wished for nothing but to have a daughter of her own especially after she met Ning Wan¡¯s daughter, who very much resembled a living doll¡ªshepletely adored her.

    Unfortunately, her second child unexpectedly turned out to also be a son. Since her sons were all so young, there was no need for her to rush things. If her third child turned out to also be a boy, only would she be devastated and not know what to do.

    Now that she had seen Little Youning who looked like a tiny ball, Fang Jiaran waspletely in love with that little kid, thus, she proceeded to call her over.

    However, as she attempted to carry her, she was surprised to find out that even though she used all her strength, she was unable to lift Little Youning up.

    ¡°...¡± Fang Jiaran was speechless and let out an awkwardugh. After that, she did not attempt to carry her again. However, she proceeded to take out a tiny box from her bag. She opened it to reveal a jaded leaf shaped ne in the box. It was as big as a penny and it seemed as if the jaded leaf ne was filled with water. The design was extremely intricate and even more so when it almost seemed as if it was glimmering on its own.

    The moment Fang Jiaran took that jaded leaf out the box, the intricate webbed vein-like design was visible from the top side of the jaded leaf.

    The leaf was threaded by a chain of silver. Fang Jiaran proceeded to put it around Little Youning¡¯s neck with a huge smile on her face. As Fang Jiaran stared at that jaded leaf shaped ne on Little Youning¡¯s white tender skin, she thought that she looked extremely beautiful in it.

    Thus, Little Youning gleefully thanked Fang Jiaran, making her even happier than she already was at that moment. It was also at that time that Little Youjin was done with his Wushu ss and had just arrived. He greeted Wen Ren and Fang Jiaran, and then headed upstairs for a change of clothes.

    After he was done and finally got out of his room, Wen Ming, who was seated quietly on the side, looked toward Little Youjin excitedly as his eyes lit up with pure joy. He really wanted to y with Little Youjin at that moment but was too shy to do anything.

    However, it was unsure what Fang Jiaran had whispered to his ears that made the little kid¡¯s eyes light up once again as he instantly climbed down the couch and went straight for Little Youjin.

    ¡°Hey, let¡¯s go y,¡± Little Youjin said as he held Little Wen Ming by the hand.

    Since Little Youning felt no meaning in staying there alone, she headed out over to the children¡¯s y area after getting permission from her parents.

    Little Youning loved ying in her uncle¡¯s children¡¯s y area within her uncle¡¯s garden. There were tunnels and obstacles. There was even a spiraling slide, a see-saw, and a car-shaped spring-loaded rocking chair.

    Since the children¡¯s y area was only downstairs, hence it was not very far. All she needed to do was walk out a single door and she would arrive after a couple steps. Both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen never had to worry since Little Youjin would bring her out to y.

    In addition to that, Wen Ren was present today. Although it did not seem too obvious, the entire area was filled with undercover bodyguards watching over them, so they could not be any safer than that. Having a secret guardian watching over them was safer than any personal bodyguard.

    Thus, Little Youning proceeded to run off over to the children¡¯s y area on her own.

    There were a ton of children ying on the slide. There were even kids who had brought along their own battery-operated toy car, hence, she could never join in on the fun.

    However, there was a spring-loaded rocking chair that was shaped like a car that all the children were ignoring. She was tempted to sit on it.

    Sadly, it was unfortunate that she was a little too short and that car-shaped chair that was stacked on the spring was as tall as she was.

    Little Youning proceeded to stiffen her tiny face as her chubby little hands grabbed onto the edge of the tiny car, cing her entire body weight on the tiny car, causing it to lean entirely on its side.

    Little Youning was shocked upon seeing that happen.

    She... she knew she was weak! How was it possible for her topletely push the tiny car all the way down!

    Thus, Little Youning immediately let go of her grip and watched as the tiny car sprung back and forth violently.

    Thus, she pretended it was not her fault after looking at both directions and making sure no one saw her pull that off. She let out a sigh of relief.

    However, never did she expect that the moment she turned around, she saw a teen boy standing on top of a flight of stairs staring directly at her.

    The teen was extremely quiet, and judging from the way he looked, he seemed to be the quiet type and was not keen on socializing.

    The teenage boy looked handsome, as his skin was elegantly white while his brows were neatly trimmed paired along with his ck pearly dreamy cold looking eyes, making him seem unapproachable.

    Judging from his appearance alone, Little Youning assumed he was slightly older than her brother¡ªperhaps eleven or twelve judging from his looks. At that very moment, he was staring directly at her with a nk and emotionless face. However, he was not leaving the scene as well; merely staring and watching directly at her.

    Little Youning was conflicted since she was unsure if he actually saw her pushing the tiny car all the way down with her bodyweight alone. How embarrassing that would be for her!

    ¡°What... What exactly did you see earlier?¡± Little Youning walked toward the stairs as she questioned while looking up directly at him.

    Wen Xu looked down, as he stared at this chubby kid pinching her waist with her tiny waist. However, he remained silent.

    He had seen everything, however he would not say. Since his mother once told him to never make any girl cry. He was unsure why he knew that if he had told her the truth, she would undoubtedly cry.

    Wen Xu merely stared at the tiny car as it rocked back and forth then proceeded to nce back at this chubby girl. He was speechless. Since, it was impressive for a little girl to push the car all the way down since the thickness of the spring was extremely thick as well.

    Although the tiny chubby girl was slightly overweight, she still looked quite pretty. Thus, his cold demeanor warmed up quite a bit.

    Seeing that he would not speak, Little Youning mustered up all her courage and said softly, ¡°I... I

    Can¡¯t get up that car, can you... You carry me up there.¡±

    Hehe, there goes your tiny waist!

    A slight glimmer of joy reflected through Wen Xu¡¯s eyes as he jumped off the stairs, then proceeded to lift her up, seemingly without much effort.

    Little Youning groaned a little as she opened up her tiny mouth. She waspletely shocked.

    Mom... Mom could not even lift her up!

    Wen Xu stared at her innocent look. She had a round tiny pale face. There was a slight scent of milk emanating from her body. It was extremely adorable. Her cheeks were slightly blushed but it was also as soft as dough.

    Wen Xu swallowed nervously, as he felt hungry. Then he proceeded to lower his head...

    Bite!

    He took a bite on Little Youning¡¯s tiny face.

    ¡°!!! ¡± Little Youning felt she that had been vited!

    Looking at that ruffian, it was baffling he could remain so calm. He simply looked back up then proceeded to carry her over to the tiny car as if nothing abnormal had happened!

    Little Youning was seated in the tiny car. She then pointed at him with her tiny chubby hands and said, ¡°How could you kiss me? My daddy told me to never allow any boy to ever kiss me.¡±

    ¡°... ¡± Wen Xu was speechless.

    After waiting for a really long while, it seemed likely she would not get a response from him and he did not seem like he was leaving as well. She pouted in response as she was unwilling to lose. She then proceeded to say, ¡°Then... Rock the car for me. ¡±

    She had seemingly heard as if Wen Xu whispered ¡°Sure¡± then proceeded to begin rocking the car for her.

    However, Little Youning rolled her eyes and said, ¡°I wanna y on the slide. Carry... Carry me up there!¡±

    Trantor¡¯s Note:

    [1] TVB stands for Television Broadcast Limited and is a broadcastingpany in Hong Kong. It is where most Hong Kong dramas are shown.

 Chapter 478 - Daily Lives of the Qi Family Â· The End

    <strong>Chapter 478: Daily Lives of the Qi Family ¡¤ The End</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning indicated that she was toozy to mber up the slide herself.

    Thus, Wen Xu picked her up again and ced her on top of the slide with the utmost care. His cautious and gentle behavior made others forget that he was merely eleven years old.

    Little Youning cheered joyously as she slid down. She asked Wen Xu to put her on top of the slide again and again; even so, Wen Xu was not the least bit annoyed.

    Although he was expressionless, he still fulfilled her every request.

    Little Youning stared at Wen Xu with her grape-sized eyes, making the cool and distant Wen Xu quite ufortable.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Little Youning abruptly.

    ¡°Wen Xu,¡± he replied. Despite his voice still being squeaky like that of any child¡¯s, his manner was extremely cold and aloof.

    He acted distant yet obedient¡ªthis reminded Little Youning of Little Muche. ¡°Are you... Are you willing to be my partner?¡±

    The undercover bodyguards watching from a dark corner stumbled forward when he heard the chubby baby¡¯s request. They were already astonished to see the young master of the house being ordered around by this chubby baby¡ªhow dare she ask such an absurd question.

    ¡°When I want to beat up someone, you¡¯ll be the one with the bat; when I¡¯m in an argument, you will always back me up; when I want to climb trees, you will be my stepping stool.¡± Little Youning stared at Wen Xu earnestly with her hands cupping her plump little face. ¡°Are you willing?¡±

    Wen Xu kept his mouth shut for a long while, then finally answered, ¡°I live in T City¡ªI can¡¯t follow you around.¡±

    Little Youning was caughtpletely off-guard. It was rare to find such a dignified yet obedient young boy¡ªhe was a lot more suited for the position than Little Muche.

    ¡°But I overheard my family¡¯s conversation the other day. It seems like they n to transfer me to Jixia Elementary School,¡± revealed Wen Xu.

    Wen Ren nned to have Wen Xu¡¯s Chinese Kungfu master move to B City with him. During the day, the boy was to attend sses in Jixia and practice his Chinese Kungfu when he gets home just as he did in Lanshan Courtyard. On weekends, he was to return home to Lanshan Courtyard.

    That was also the reason for Wen Ren and Fang Jiaran¡¯s visit; it was to discuss with the Qi brothers the procedures needed to get Wen Xu enrolled in Jixia Elementary School.

    Little Youning¡¯s eyes sparkled. ¡°I¡¯ll go to Jixia Elementary in the future too! You must wait for me! When I start school in Jixia, you must remember to be my partner!¡±

    Wen Xu¡¯s undercover bodyguards all had dark expressions as they stared wide-eyed at their young master¡¯s nk expression. It seemed as though he was seriously considering the chubby baby¡¯s ridiculous request.

    That could not happen!

    Just as Wen Xu was going to unveil his answer, he saw Ruan Danchen heading toward them to bring Little Youning back for lunch. Ruan Danchen heard from Fang Jiaran that her eldest son, Wen Xu, was also outside. Fang Jiaran even showed her a picture of him. Even so, Ruan Danchen never expected him to be ying with her precious little daughter¡ªhe was even holding her in his arms.

    In his arms, her daughter was squished into a big fat ball of flesh. She was impressed by the fact that Wen Xu could still move.

    ¡°How did you two end up ying together?¡± inquired Ruan Danchen smilingly. She extended her arms to take Little Youning from his arms. After all, she felt guilty that an eleven-year-old child had to carry the little fatty.

    To her surprise, Little Youningpletely ignored her extended arms. Instead, she patted Wen Xu¡¯s shoulders and announced, ¡°Mommy, this is my new partner I just recruited!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Both Ruan Danchen and Wen Xu were utterly speechless.

    Nheless, Wen Xu did not refute. Silently, he expressed that he had noments regarding Little Youning¡¯s im.

    On the way home, Little Youning did not ask to be put down. Thus, he carried her all the way home.

    Indulged in thefort of his arms, Little Youning did not feel like walking with her own feet anymore. She pointed her chubby finger at the sofa. ¡°Big Brother Wen Xu, carry me to the sofa.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Without a word, Wen Xu headed toward the sofa. However, instead of putting her down, he sat down himself and positioned Little Youning on hisp.

    Qi Chengzhi was dumbfounded by the fact that Wen Ren¡ªa loud and annoying man¡ªcould have a son so distant and reserved.

    Wen Xu was different from Chu Zhaoyang¡ªChu Zhaoyang was merely quiet and expressionless; Wen Xu, on the other hand, gave off an intensely intimidating aura.

    Naturally, Qi Chenglin was even more bothered by this. He red at the boy who had his precious daughter in his arms¡ªdisregarding the fact that he was only eleven.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Qi Chenglin coughed loudly as he eyed Wen Xu with much intensity.

    However, Wen Xu did not let go. Qi Chenglin wondered if he truly did not get the hint or was merely acting dumb.

    He was not bothered by her heaviness either.

    ¡°Ahem, Ningning,e. Let Daddy carry you.¡± Qi Chenglin extended his arms toward Little Youning with the most tender expression.

    Compared to Wen Xu, Little Youning was naturally closer to her own dad. Thus, without hesitation, Little Youning chose Qi Chenglin.

    Wen Xu¡¯s expression dulled instantly. He red at Qi Chenglin as he handed Little Youning over reluctantly. When Qi Chenglin reached to hold her, Wen Xu still did not let go.

    Left with no choice, Qi Chenglin clenched his teeth and warned, ¡°Let go.¡±

    Wen Xu blinked repeatedly, then finally let go. His arms felt empty without the chubby baby in them.

    Qi Chenglin ground his teeth as he carried his precious daughter away. Finally, he understood Wei Ziqi¡¯s feelings. He even decided to make his son hate Wei Ziqi even more¡ªhe could not be the only one suffering.

    Only when Song Yu came out of the kitchen to announce that the food was ready did Qi Chenglin put Little Youning down.

    ¡°Carry me... Carry me to the dining room.¡± Little Youning was already toozy to walk.

    Wen Xu¡¯s lips curled up. Just as he was going to pick Little Youning up, Qi Chenglin heard her voice and strode in with wide steps. He scooped Little Youning up instantly and even gave Wen Xu a menacing re.

    Qi Chenglin thought, ¡°Tsk, that eleven-year-old brat. How shameless of him to want to kidnap my precious daughter because of something so small.¡±

    Wen Xu¡¯s lips twitched. The faint smirk he had on vanished instantly.

    Fang Jiaran¡¯s attention was fixed on her son the entire time. Her lips curled up excitedly, twitching sporadically.

    ¡°What are you doing standing here so suspiciously,¡± Wen Ren asked as he approached her from behind. His slender fingersnded softly on Fang Jiaran¡¯s skull, gently rubbing her head.

    ¡°We¡¯re guests in someone else¡¯s home now¡ªwhat are you doing?¡± Fang Jiaran mumbled with a flushed face as she tidied up her slightly disheveled hair.

    ¡°Why were you smiling so smugly?¡± teased Wen Ren in a low voice. Subconsciously, he started smirking wider than her.

    Fang Jiaran was toozy to argue with him. She tugged on his sleeves, beckoning him to lower his head. She whispered, ¡°Xuxu seems to be very fond of Youning.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Wen Ren raised an eyebrow. He noticed that their son¡¯s attitude toward Qi Chenglin¡¯s daughter was a little unusual, but he did not think Wen Xu liked her to the extent that Fang Jiaran suggested.

    Fang Jiaran rolled her eyes. ¡°You men are all so slow when ites to love. Looking at them now, I can¡¯t help but think, although I don¡¯t have a daughter, having a daughter-inw is almost the same thing! Look how adorable Youning is!¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it a little too early to be looking for a daughter-inw for our son?¡± questioned Wen Ren as he red at her suspiciously.

    Wen Xu, who was entering the dining room, stopped in his steps. Fang Jiaran spotted him and beckoned him over.

    Wen Xu approached her with an expressionless face, making her quite troubled¡ªWen Ren was in no way a reserved man and neither was she. The two of them could talk endlessly¡ªthere would not be a single minute of silence with them around.

    Sometimes she wondered if it was because Wen Ren and she had too much to say, stealing away their son¡¯s words¡ªmaybe that was why their son came out to be this little ice cube.

    ¡°Xuxu, do you like Youning?¡± whispered Fang Jiaran, grinning ear-to-ear.

    Wen Xu looked at his mom, then nced at Little Youning, who was seated in a highchair. His expression softened and his lips curled up. In his child-like voice, he dered firmly, ¡°In the future, I will protect her.¡±

    Fang Jiaran¡¯s grin could not grow any wider. ¡°My son, that¡¯s all I need to hear! In the future, Youning will be part of our family!¡±

    Wen Xu smiled faintly. He nodded.

    Qi Chenglin, who was scooping food for his daughter, had no clue that his precious daughter just became someone¡¯s target. They were even shameless enough to n on dragging her into their family already.

    Wen Xu turned to Wen Ren. Wen Ren bit his lips, revealing a galling expression. ¡°Whoever our son wants to pursue, she¡¯ll naturally belong to our family now. I¡¯ll beat up whoever that tries to snatch her from us.¡±

    Assured, Wen Xu turned around and headed into the dining room and sat next to Little Youning.

    ¡°Ningning, when I move here to attend Jixia Elementary School, I¡¯ll be in a totally unfamiliar ce, so you have to protect me.¡± Although his expression was still nd, his voice made him sound terribly pitiable.

    Wen Ming, who had been sitting there eating silently the whole time, almost jumped out of surprise.

    Little Youning, who was clueless about herself being Wen Xu¡¯s target, pounded her chest proudly and gave herself out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will protect you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was rendered speechless.

    ¡°It must be fate that brought these two children together!¡± Fang Jiaran grinned and said as she shook her head.

    Qi Chenglin was going to explode with rage. That rascal was eight years older than his daughter!

    ¡°Hmm, if I remember correctly, you¡¯re seven years older than Danchen, right?¡± Wen Ren inquired abruptly.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was at a loss for words.

    ¡ª Daily Lives of the Qi Family ¡¤ The End ¡ª

 Chapter 479 - Two in the Room but Only One Will Survive

    <h4>Chapter 479: Two in the Room but Only One Will Survive</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The cemented wall in the pitch-ck room had a stale putridity in addition to its icy cold humidity. Water droplets leaked from the corner of the ceiling, forming a dirty mud pool as they dribbled onto the floor, creating gentle plops that sounded especially creepy and eerie.

    An elderly man and a youngdy were sitting at both ends of the room respectively. The elderly man appeared dazed and drained of all energy, meanwhile, the youngdy ignored the filth and leaned against the wall weakly.

    Both of their mouths were taped shut. The elderly man¡¯s eyes reflected the charcoal clouds, muddy and dispirited; whereas the youngdy¡¯s gaze was drifting in an uncontrolled fear, her breathingbored and heavy.

    A countdown seemed to be running in the youngdy¡¯s mind.

    Three... Two... One...

    ¡°Live or die, make your choice,¡± a harsh and horrible voice pierced through the eerie silence. They were unsure where the voice came from but it was obvious that there was a loudspeaker with a sound modtor attached to it hidden in the room. In the youngdy¡¯s opinion, the voice was basically the final nail in the coffin.

    ¡°Two in the room but only one will survive after tonight,¡± the voice, which sounded delighted and joyful, paused briefly before continuing, ¡°The dagger before you is your only path for survival, but only one of you may live. The rules are simple, the first who uses the dagger to take your opponent¡¯s life will survive. The choice of whom falls upon you.¡±

    ¡°On the count of ten, you can start fighting for the dagger and your life.¡± The voice stopped momentarily before initiating the countdown. ¡°Ten... Nine... Eight... Seven... Six... Five...¡±

    The youngdy, whose hands were tied with rope and was mentally overwhelmed by anxiety and terror, rushed toward the dagger and picked it up quickly by the fifth count.

    The elderly man remained on the floor without moving a muscle. His gaze on the youngdy was full of despair.

    The youngdy darted toward the elderly man with the dagger in her hands. Her body trembled at the sight of the elderly man¡¯s familiar face, and tears started to stream down her cheeks uncontrobly.

    The elderly man seemed to have recalled something. His expression softened and his gaze was full of encouragement and forgiveness.

    ¡®Sorry... Truly sorry...¡¯

    The youngdy held the dagger high and stabbed down with all her might.

    ...

    ...

    The rm clock woke Wei Muran up. Her eyes snapped open and she felt something underneath her cheek instantly. She reached out to the unknown object with a cloudy mind only to realize that it was a book.

    After rubbing the remainders of sleep from her eyes, Wei Muran recalled her eagerness in reading a newly purchased detective fiction novel before identally falling asleep at night. She had not even finished reading the first case yet.

    However, the first case was already bloody and gory, involving the internecine fight between an elderly man and a youngdy, and caused her to have the same dream as well.

    Wei Muran sat up and rubbed the palms on her cheeks before tidying herself up in the washroom. She graduated from the police academy that year and worked as a cadet in the criminal investigation division. She was unsure if she would be permanently employed.

    Wei Muran and another female forensic pathologist were the only females in the department; since any youngdy with a sound mind would never consider working in such a dangerous ce. Plus, some cases were actually very gruesome, hence there were more men than women working in the profession.

    Wei Muran was told by her mother that she caught a handgun during her one-year-old catch[1]. She giggled at the thought of it before heading downstairs after she was done tidying herself up.

    In the meantime, Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran were having their breakfast. Wei Muche, who was still studying in university, was up early too. Since his ss started in the afternoon, he had to follow Wei Ziqi for practice in Wu Feng in the morning.

    Wei Ziqi nced at Wei Muran, who gulped down the porridge in a sh after sitting down.

    Wei Ziqi peeked at the time and raised his eyebrows curiously. ¡°There¡¯s more than enough time, so no need to eat in such a hurry.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m used to it.¡± Wei Muran slowed down after realizing that there was ample time. ¡°Cases cane to us during our mealtime and sometimes we¡¯ll receive cases right in the middle of our lunch. We¡¯ll have to get to the scene with an empty stomach if we eat slowly.¡±

    ¡°Bring food along with you next time,¡± Wei Ziqi advised grudgingly.

    The daughter whom Wei Ziqi pampered since birth went to further her study in a police academy without any prior notice after she grew up. His feelings were indescribable when he stared at his little princess who was able to endure every hardship at present.

    However, Wei Ziqi loved his daughter very dearly. His daughter was wildly enthusiastic about this profession, so he did not oppose her decision despite the reluctance. Instead, he requested the chief of the department to take care of Wei Muran as much as possible.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I brought food with me,¡± Wei Muran finished her breakfast hastily and took her bag before leaving the house. ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m going to work now!¡±

    ...

    ...

    Wei Muran was acting low profile in the department with the chief being the only one who knew about her true identity, but Wei Muran threatened him to keep this a secret even though Wei Ziqi had asked a favor from him.

    Wei Muran graduated from the police academy all by herself, but others would assume that she merely pulled strings for her graduation if her true identity was disclosed.

    Wei Muran merely wanted a Volkswagen Golf when Wei Ziqi suggested purchasing a vehicle for his daughter. It cost around two hundred thousand Yuan, which was considered low profile and to Wei Muran¡¯s preference.

    Wei Ziqi was reluctant toply since he figured that his precious daughter must drive an extremely cool and expensive vehicle but gave up on that thought after receiving Wei Muran¡¯s persistent rejection.

    However, Wei Ziqi delivered the car to T City after payment was done and let the Wen family modify it to the extent that it was almost beyond recognition with its original bodyshell reced with Volkswagen Golf¡¯s bodyshell. ording to Wen Ren, this modified vehicle could steamroll a humvee with ease.

    This was Wen Ren¡¯s exact words at that time. ¡°Why don¡¯t you just modify it to look like my Suzuki Alto if you want to stay low profile?¡±

    The corner of Wei Ziqi¡¯s eye twitched uncontrobly after hearing the question. It was very embarrassing for his beloved daughter to drive a fake Suzuki Alto no matter how low profile or godlike the car was.

    The Volkswagen Gold¡¯s limited interior space was fully utilized for a luxurious and yet low profiled design so that Wei Muran could drive happily andfortably.

    The vehicle¡¯s interior was deliberately designed like a small bedroom in consideration of Wei Muran¡¯s profession which required her to work overtime constantly which often resulted in ack of sleep. A mechanism was installed in the vehicle¡¯s seat which, with a press of a power switch, an extension would be drawn out of a hiddenpartment and would widen the seat. Additionally, the head restraint could be withdrawn into the seat and aligned perfectly with the back car seat once the seat was folded down, forming a super single bed.

    Below the seat was a drawer with Wei Muran¡¯s daily necessities and a few sets of clothes in it.

    Moreover, Wei Ziqi was worried about Wei Muran¡¯s safety when she was on duty, so the vehicle was heavily armored with the same superb bulletproof effect as Wen Ren¡¯s fake Suzuki Alto.

    At least no one in the police department realized that Wei Muran¡¯s inconspicuous vehicle was very powerful at present.

    Coincidentally, Wei Muran met with Bai Mo¡ªa twenty-seven years old female forensic pathologist who joined the forces four years earlier than her¡ªupon exiting the car.

    Wei Muran wore a normal T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and New Bnce sport shoes to work for convenience¡¯s sake. On the other hand, Bai Mo was dressed up in a printed shirt made of silk in addition to a skirt, which revealed her long and slender legs, with a pair of high heels on her feet. She would look professional and feminine after wearing a white coat in the department.

    Those who worked as police officers would put their busy work as their top priority, so it would be extremely difficult for them to get into a rtionship. Despite multiple matchmakings, many bachelors in the department failed in their rtionships due to their girlfriends¡¯ constantints regarding their busy schedules and theck of time forpanionship. Thus, many started to shift their attention to the females within the department and naturally, a few had a crush on Bai Mo.

    However, Bai Mo remained single after all these years and treated everyone with the same kindness. asionally there were rumors about her going for a meal with a random personnel, but that was all, the story ended straight away afterward.

    Wei Muran disliked Bai Mo for some inexplicable reason. She detested the way Bai Mo remained ambiguous in a rtionship despite theck of affection, but the male colleagues in the department fell for that nheless.

    Bai Mo¡¯s usual temperament and attitude felt insincere.

    Bai Mo greeted Wei Muran with a nod and a smile, so she addressed Bai Mo politely. ¡°Doctor Bai.¡±

    After that, Bai Mo walked alongside Wei Muran. Since Bai Mo wore high heels, Wei Muran felt ufortable instantly after noticing the height difference between the two of them.

    ¡°By the way, I heard that Mr. Qi came to file a police report again yesterday?¡± asked Bai Mo with a faint smile on her face.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was so embarrassed that she had no idea how to respond at that instant.

    ¡°Rumors were spreading in the department recently, stating that you brought your personal rtionship into your work which would bring a negative effect on your work efficiency,¡± Bai Mo continued with a smile. Her long, ck hair became slightly tangled as the wind blew softly on it, so she ran her slender and fair fingers through her hair to tidy it up, which appeared especially charming and attractive.

    On the other hand, Wei Muran merely tied her hair into a ponytail for the sake of convenience. She appeared immature since she was a fresh graduate after all, and the way she dressed up made her look much younger than her actual age; as if she was going to further her study in a university after graduating from high school.

    Moreover, Wei Muran seldom applied makeup since she preferred to use the time for more sleep. She would only utilize the time during traffic congestion on her way to work to put on ayer of CC cream and lipstick to appear more energetic, and that was all. Thus, she looked in and immature when she stood beside Bai Mo who wore delicate and attractive makeup.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] One-Year-Old Catch (zhu¨¡ zh¨­u ×¥ÖÜ) is a tradition with a long history in China. It was recorded even when it was in the Song Dynasty (s¨°ng ch¨¢o ËÎ³¯). One-Year-Old Catch is usually held before eating the long-life noodles when it is on the day when a baby is one year old. The family willy out sutras, brush pens, ink sticks, paper, ink bs, abacus, copper coins, ount books, pieces of jewelry, flowers, rouge, foods, toys, etc. For girls, scoops, scissors, rulers, thread, scissor-cut will be added. Then the parents put the baby in front of these articles and make it sit up. Nobody will give any instruction or cue to the baby so that it is left free to choose. Watching the baby catch the articles he likes, the family can then make predictions about his potential interests, future career and development.

 Chapter 480 - What A Shameless And Brazen Man!

    <h4>Chapter 480: What A Shameless And Brazen Man!</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Wei Muran remained silent since she was listless to exin her rtionship with Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang,¡± Bai Mo greeted all of a sudden. Her tone sounded the same but Wei Muran could detect the mellow and pleasant surprise in it.

    Wei Muran raised her eyebrows curiously and turned around to nce at Bai Mo, who was smiling affectionately while trying her best to express her charm.

    Wei Muran stared at Bai Mo dumbfoundedly before shifting her gaze to Sergeant Jiang. Something fishy seemed to be going on here.

    However, Jiang Yuecheng¡ªwho treated everyone indifferently¡ªmerely nodded faintly in response, a contrast to Bai Mo¡¯s enthusiasm. ¡°Doctor Bai.¡±

    Bai Mo stared at the handsome and phlegmatic man and walked beside him so that Wei Muran was separated from him, all while trying hard not to make her intention too obvious.

    Jiang Yuecheng was well-reputed in the department not only due to his handsomeness or good temperament but also due to his family background. Everyone in the department knew that Jiang Yuecheng came here for training and was due a promotion after a few years.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, we¡¯ve been colleagues for all these years and yet you¡¯re still addressing me as Doctor Bai. It sounds like we¡¯re unfamiliar with each other.¡± Bai Mo smiled faintly. Her voice sounded coquettish but it was not enough to induce disgust in others.

    On the other hand, Wei Muran was eager to leave since she felt like a third-wheeler, but Bai Mo called out to her when she was about to excuse herself. ¡°Muran, introduce your boyfriend to us some other time so that he won¡¯t find excuses toe here every day. He lodged a police report after losing his phone, but that¡¯s not part of our job scope too.¡±

    Wei Muran was confused at this instant. Bai Mo¡¯s intention to court Jiang Yuecheng was none of her business, so why did Bai Mo insist on dragging her into this matter? This was also one of the reasons why Wei Muran detested Bai Mo.

    Fate could be quite marvelous and intriguing at times. When the seniors introduced Wei Muran to the department on her first day reporting to duty, she disliked Bai Mo at first nce before they even started initiating conversation.

    This sort of aversion was rted to the first impression and intuition as well.

    ¡°He isn¡¯t my boyfriend,¡± Wei Muran answered calmly but felt ufortable after blurting out the response as if she was reluctant to admit it simply.

    She squinted before adding on, ¡°I¡¯ll tell him to not keep creating problems.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng remained silent and nced at Wei Muran before shifting it elsewhere.

    Bai Mo returned to the forensicb while Wei Muran followed Jiang Yuecheng into the criminal investigation department. Upon entering the office, they detected the fragrant scent of Tianjin-style Jianbing and Tofu brain[1] and saw Zhang Ming wolfing down the food on the table.

    Wei Muran did not expect Zhang Mingming, who had an intimate friendship with Qi Youxuan since young, to work as a police officer too. He was given the name Zhang Mingming since birth but figured that it sounded too childish as a grown-up and thus decided to take the extra ¡®Ming¡¯ out of his name. Even so, Zhang Ming reckoned his name remained in and dull.

    Zhang Ming mentioned that even his name was not used in primary school¡¯s English textbooks anymore and med his parents for not taking this seriously before bestowing the name to him.

    Zhang Ming¡¯s father was the chief of this department before he was transferred to the Ministry of Defense, so Zhang Ming might be following his father¡¯s footsteps when he became a police officer. Initially, Zhang Ming¡¯s mother intended to fund Zhang Ming for entrepreneurship without demanding him to earn a fortune. She merely wanted her son to live the rest of his life peacefully instead of involving himself in such a dangerous profession, but who could have expected Zhang Mingming to join the police force anyway?

    Zhang Ming and Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s family backgrounds were almost identical, but Jiang Yuecheng joined the police force earlier than Zhang Ming. Thus, ording to the seniority, Zhang Ming was assigned as the corporal of the department, a rank below sergeant. After that, he gave an order that everyone must address him as Corporal Zhang instead of calling his name directly due to the embarrassing name his parents gave him.

    Even so, everyone in the police department knew Corporal Zhang¡¯s full name, all thanks to Qi Youxuan who would still greet him as Zhang Mingming loudly. Zhang Ming was so exasperated at that time, he started an argument with Qi Youxuan immediately.

    Zhang Ming swallowed thest of Tianjin-style Jianbing and gulped down the Tofu brain after noticing Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Muran walking into the office together.

    Zhang Ming¡¯s gaze drifted across both Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Muran before he used rubbish disposal as an excuse to leave the office and dialed a phone number stealthily. ¡°Youxuan, Jiang Yuecheng and Muran came into the office together this morning.¡±

    If Wei Muran overheard Zhang Ming¡¯s report, she would have figured out the reason why Qi Youxuan knew everything about her whereabouts like the back of his hands. There was a spy in the department all along!

    ...

    ...

    After hanging up the phone call, Zhang Ming returned to the office and opened the windows so that the scent would not linger in the room.

    ¡°Sergeant, Corporal, we have a problem.¡± Zhao Yiyang fought the urge to quench his thirst and announced upon entering the office. ¡°We received a report stating that a corpse was found in Xijiao.¡±

    Then, Zhao Yiyang poured a ss of water for himself before continuing. ¡°The victim is an elderly man but other details remain unknown. The informant is a viger living nearby, but he was scared to death.¡±

    ¡°Tell everyone to suit up and head to the scene.¡± Jiang Yuecheng took his cellphone and car key before leaving the office.

    Wei Muran and the rest followed behind promptly.

    ...

    ...

    Bai Mo was examining the corpse in the meantime. Wei Muran started her work in the police force just recently and she did not expect her first case to be so gory and gruesome.

    The corpse was initially buried at the foot of the mountain but there was a downpour two days ago thatsted untilst night, which had probably washed away the mud and revealed the corpse underneath.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, the first witness is Zhao Zhengguo, a forty-one-year-old man who lives in the Zhao family in a nearby vige. He came here to catch some cicadas to sell in the market today and saw a section of a lower limb after the mud was washed away by the heavy rain. He noticed the corpse at seven o¡¯clock in the morning and ran back home out of fear to exin the situation. He was then told to report this incident to the police afterward,¡± briefed Zhao Yiyang.

    Bai Mo, who was wearing a surgical mask and a pair of gloves, knelt beside the corpse for a thorough examination. After that, she stood up, removed the surgical mask and reported. ¡°The victim aged between seventy to seventy-five years old. Estimated time of death was between eleven to one o¡¯clock, postmortem examination is required for the determination of an urate time of death. There are four stab wounds on the deceased¡¯s chest so far, but they¡¯re starting to fester and dpose. Detailed analysis will have to wait until we return, but this stab wound in the middle of the chest is the cause of his death. It¡¯s also obvious that this isn¡¯t the primary crime scene too.¡±

    Bai Mo frowned before continuing, ¡°Many pieces of evidence were washed away after the downpour.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded and instructed the corpse to be transferred back to the department first.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang.¡± Xing Jiadong returned after finishing the questioning with the vigers. ¡°I¡¯ve asked everyone and none of them recognized the victim. It seems like the victim doesn¡¯t live anywhere near this vige.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng was not expecting to identify the deceased here since Bai Mo mentioned that this was not the primary crime scene. ¡°Put him into the system for cross-referencingter.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The squad returned to the police department and saw the police technician, Yang Shaozhan standing in front of the office with a peculiar look on his face.

    ¡°Muran, he came to lodge a report again!¡± Yang Shaozhan yelled at Wei Muran like she was his lifesaver.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was stupefied.

    ¡°Hey, what did he lose this time?¡± asked Zhang Ming with a wink.

    ¡°...¡± The dumbfounded Yang Shaozhan then answered, ¡°Wallet.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t part of the criminal investigation division¡¯s job scope,¡± Zhang Ming¡¯s thunderous voice pierced into the office.

    ¡°...¡± A stupefied Wei Muran walked into the office and saw Qi Youxuan sitting on the chair in a rxed manner like he was enjoying himself at home.

    Well, Qi Youxuan came here daily with different excuses, so it was natural that he had already familiarized himself with this ce.

    Qi Youxuan lost his credit card two days ago, his cellphone yesterday, and his wallet today. He would lose one of his belongings every day anyway.

    Qi Youxuan would stille here to ¡°lodge a police report¡± even though he was informed that the criminal investigation division was not in charge of lost and found.

    Qi Youxuan had lost his chubby appearance at present. His facial features remained the same but he appeared stern and cold whenever he kept quiet. Well, it was only limited to the time when he did shut his mouth.

    ¡°Muran, a word please,¡± Jiang Yuecheng announced all of a sudden.

    Wei Muran nced at Qi Youxuan before leaving the office with her head lowered.

    ¡°Muran, I don¡¯t care about your rtionship with Qi Youxuan, but I hope you¡¯ll take this job seriously and as your priority in the police force. He¡¯s your friend, and that¡¯s the only reason why we didn¡¯t chase him out despite his daily visit. I hope this won¡¯t be an interference to the job, especially when there¡¯s a case right now and we won¡¯t have time for him,¡± Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s tone was calm and steady and yet it induced embarrassment in Wei Muran.

    ¡°I apologize for the trouble, Sergeant. This won¡¯t happen again,¡± replied Wei Muran while avoiding direct eye contact with Jiang Yuecheng. She then rushed into the office and dragged Qi Youxuan out again.

    Wei Muran was holding Qi Youxuan¡¯s tie like she was taking her dog for a walk, which left Qi Youxuan speechless.

    ¡°Mumu...¡± Qi Youxuan whined at the back.

    ¡°Can you please stop ying the fool?¡± Wei Muran pulled Qi Youxuan into a corner and rebuked, ¡°Don¡¯t disturb me ever again. I¡¯ve been very busy recently and there¡¯s a major crime case today. I really don¡¯t have time for your nonsense.¡±

    Qi Youxuan wanted to say that he was not ying the fool but before he could mutter a response, Wei Muran returned to the office without giving him a chance to defend himself.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Wei Muran¡¯s back as she hurried back to the office with narrowed eyes.

    A major crime case?

    ...

    ...

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, we¡¯ve identified the victim.¡± Yang Shaozhan passed the deceased¡¯s personal information to Jiang Yuecheng before continuing, ¡°The victim¡¯s name is Zheng Wentao, a seventy-two male who lived in unit fifty-two in Xiang Yang Street, Nancheng Subdistrict with his wife. He was blessed with a son, two daughters, a grandson and three granddaughters, but none of them lived together with the victim. He went missing a week ago and a police report was lodged at the local police station at that time, but his whereabouts remained a mystery until now. I¡¯ve notified his family members regarding this issue.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded and said, ¡°Jiadong, follow up with Doctor Bai to check if there¡¯s any postmortem examination report.¡±

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang can just give me a phone call.¡± Bai Mo, who had a white coat on her, walked into the office with a faint smile on her face and a document in her hands.

    ¡°The result came out?¡± Jiang Yuecheng was stunned.

    Bai Mo nodded and passed the document to Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°The time of death was between eleven to twelve o¡¯clockst night, and he was tortured for a period of time before his death. There isn¡¯t much food in his stomach which indicated that there was prolonged fasting before this. There are getion wounds and abrasions on his body, and some of the getion wounds were newly created yesterday. The stab wounds on his chest are the cause of death. There are a total of six stab wounds on his chest and the entrance of each wound is messy, suggesting that the assant was stabbing the victim in a panic state. The first two stab wounds missed the vital organs, but the third stab wound was the actual cause of his death. The following three stab wounds were created when the assant panicked and was unsure if the victim was dead.¡±

    ¡°He must be in so much agony to die in such a way,¡± replied Wei Muran with a frown.

    How spiteful could the assant be to torture a seventy-two years old man in such a way?

    ¡°Muran, since we¡¯re discussing the case, let¡¯s be serious here and allow me to finish my report, alright? You can express your sympathy after work.¡± Bai Mo was annoyed at the sudden interruption and expressed her dissatisfaction in a professional manner. It brought a message that Wei Muran was unprincipled in handling her work and used her personal feelings to aid the investigation.

    ¡°Haha, Muran was a fresh graduate and joined the police force for only a couple months. Everyone would experience this initially too.¡± Zhao Yiyang mediated a dispute and said, ¡°Doctor Bai, please continue.¡±

    Bai Mo shook her head at Bai Muran disappointingly before shifting her gaze to a stoic Jiang Yuecheng and continued, ¡°There aren¡¯t any signs of struggle other than the wounds inflicted on his body, but it¡¯s possible that the evidence on his body may be washed away by the downpour. I¡¯ve taken his clothes for analysis, hoping that we can find something else which can help in the investigation.¡±

    Then, a heart-wrenching wail pierced through the door and traveled into the office after Bai Mo finished reporting.

    ¡°Husband! My husband!¡±

    They went out and saw an elderlydy wailing under the support of her two daughters, on the brink of copse.

    The elderlydy shoved her daughters¡¯ hands aside and rushed forward after noticing Jiang Yuecheng and his squad. ¡°Police officer, you must catch the murderer and bring justice to my husband! Police officers!¡±

    Despite the constant sniveling, the elderlydy¡¯s emotion was stabilized when Wei Muran returned after preparing tea.

    ¡°We have some questions for you, so please try your best in providing details to us that could aid in our investigation to locate the murderer,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    The elderlydy continued to shed tears while nodding. ¡°Ask all you want, I¡¯ll tell you everything I know.¡±

    ¡°When did Mr. Zheng go missing?¡±

    ¡°Exactly a week ago. He usually goes to the market every morning and purchases ingredients for everyday meals, but he didn¡¯t return home after leaving the house that morning. If I knew... If I knew things would end up this way, I wouldn¡¯t let him leave the house on that day.¡±

    ¡°Was there anything suspicious about Mr. Zhengtely?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°No, it was the same as usual,¡± The elderlydy shook her head, looking nk.

    ¡°Did Mr. Zheng incur hatred from anyone recently?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked again.

    ¡°No, my husband has a good temper and won¡¯t even start an argument with others, not to mention any enmity that would take his life away.¡± The elderlydy hesitated before answering the question, looking confused and nk.

    Jiang Yuecheng threw a few more questions but the answers were not helpful to the investigation until Xing Jiadong came over and whispered something to him.

    Jiang Yuecheng froze momentarily before ncing at the elderlydy again. ¡°I think that should be all. We¡¯lle to you again if there¡¯s any problem.¡±

    ¡°When... When can we take my husband back home?¡± asked the teary-eyed elderlydy.

    ¡°When the case is closed. There might be clues that we¡¯ve yet to discover on the deceased,¡± answered Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Are... are you guys going to dissect him?¡± The elderlydy wailed after imagining the bloody scene. ¡°He passed away in agony, his soul can¡¯t leave this world in peace, and his corpse can¡¯t even be left intact.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can assure you that the corpse will be dealt with as intact as possible. I believe you¡¯ll find the murderer answering to his crime at the earliest more important than this issue,¡± Jiang Yuecheng replied in a professional manner without showing much sympathy.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, Mom, it¡¯s more important to locate the murderer in any case. Dad won¡¯t be able to rest in peace no matter how intact his body ends up.¡± One of her daughtersforted the elderlydy.

    The elderlydy gave up on her request and left the office with a howl.

    ¡°Which university did the victim¡¯s granddaughter study in?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Before Xing Jiadong could answer the question, Qi Youxuan walked into the department again.

    ¡°Why did youe again? We have a case right now and have no time for you.¡± Xing Jiadong was irritated at the sight of Qi Youxuan returning to cause trouble again andined without attempting to hide the detest on his face.

    It was tolerable for Qi Youxuan to visit the department when they were not caught in cases, and he was Wei Muran¡¯s friend after all, so they basically treated him as one of their colleague¡¯s family members.

    However, Qi Youxuan was acting without regard to priorities when he came over at this hour. Xing Jiadong even med Wei Muran as he eyed her annoyingly.

    Zhang Ming walked toward Qi Youxuan quickly to drag him away. ¡°We¡¯re really caught in a major crime case this time, and everyone is very busy at the moment. Jiadong wasn¡¯tining on purpose so don¡¯t take it to heart, alright? You¡¯re a busy man too, so stop visiting us every day, will you?¡±

    Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks were flushed pink with awkwardness and embarrassment when she walked toward Qi Youxuan, but before she could mutter a response, the department chief entered the office.

    ¡°Hey, why are you guys blocking the entrance?¡± The chief nced at Zhang Ming and Wei Muran kindly before shifting his gaze to Qi Youxuan with more fondness on his expression.

    ¡°Come, let me introduce him. He¡¯s Qi Youxuan, who¡¯s also my good friend¡¯s son. I¡¯ve heard about the case today and coincidentally, he has time to spare, so I swallowed my pride and invited him over to aid in your investigation,¡± exined the department chief.

    ¡°Chief, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s appropriate for an outsider to assist in our investigation,¡± Xing Jiadong frowned andined without attempting to hide his loath.

    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s natural that you¡¯ve not heard of the name Qi Youxuan, but at least you were aware of the major case that happened in Huai City, right?¡± The chief shifted his gaze to Qi Youxuan. ¡°Young man, still like to be low profile, huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m always acting low profile.¡± The smile on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face was extremely warm and gentle but somehow made the others wish to connect their palms with it.

    ¡°It¡¯s said that they received help from an expert to solve the crime in Huai City one year ago, but none knew his identity and he wasn¡¯t even a well-reputed expert throughout the world. Chief, do you mean¡ª¡± Zhao Yiyang¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Qi Youxuan.

    This young man appeared to be in his twenties, almost the same age as they were at present.

    ¡°I¡¯m here to help, but don¡¯t forget to keep this a secret. I prefer to stay low profile because the stress will be overwhelming if I be famous. To be honest, the reason why I came here to lodge police reports for the past two days was to test your investigation skills, haha,¡± Qi Youxuan exined with a grin.

    Bloody hell!

    What a shameless and brazen man!

    Everyone in this room roared silently in their minds at this exact moment.

    How could a lost cell phone and wallet possibly test the police officers¡¯ investigation skills?

    However, Qi Youxuan mentioned it like this was the truth. What a shameless bastard!

    ¡°Alright, Yuecheng, please exin the case to Youxuan,¡± the chief instructed before leaving.

    Jiang Yuecheng frowned slightly while Zhang Ming informed Qi Youxuan of every clue they had obtained so far. Then, he could not help butin after finishing the exnation, ¡°You¡¯re not being a good friend, mate. You didn¡¯t even inform me that you were the one solving the case in Huai City.¡±

    ¡°Why are youining when Mumu doesn¡¯t even know about this?¡± Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes in response.

    Everyone shifted their gazes on Wei Muran when Qi Youxuan blurted out her nickname affectionately.

    Blush seared through Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks at this instant.

    Qi Youxuan was the only one who would address Wei Muran as Mumu since young, but they were working in the department at this moment, so what the hell was he doing?

    Jiang Yuecheng nced at Qi Youxuan before shifting it elsewhere. ¡°The forensic science division reported that they found traces of Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s blood in the victim¡¯s blood. Zheng Xiaorui was the victim¡¯s granddaughter.¡±

    Then, Xing Jiadong added further information. ¡°Zheng Xiaorui, aged neen years old, studied in a fine arts course at Jiao Universityst year. Even though her house is in B City, she stays in the hostel and returns only on weekends.¡±

    ¡°Muran, follow me to Jiao University,¡± instructed Jiang Yuecheng while ignoring Qi Youxuan.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] Douhua (Chinese: ¶¹»¨; pinyin: d¨°uhu¨¡) is the short form of doufuhua (Chinese: ¶¹¸¯»¨; pinyin: d¨°ufuhu¨¡). It is a Chinese snack made with very soft tofu. It is also referred to as tofu pudding and soybean pudding. In northern China, douhua is often eaten with soy sauce, thus resulting in a savory vor. Northern Chinese often refer to douhua as doufunao (¶¹¸¯ÄÔ; d¨°ufun¨£o; ¡°tofu brains¡±, often shortened to ¶¹ÄÔ; d¨°un¨£o).

 Chapter 481 - He Was An Expert In Sophistry Since He Was Young

    <strong>Chapter 481: He Was An Expert In Sophistry Since He Was Young</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. Since I¡¯m involved in this case, I need to know every detail during the investigation,¡± said Qi Youxuan with a serious expression, an expression which Wei Muran and Zhang Ming were not familiar with.

    Jiang Yuecheng remained silent and departed for Jiao University. Qi Youxuan walked alongside Wei Muran, trying to put some distance between Jiang Yuecheng and them without making his intention obvious before winking at her.

    ¡°Why did you work here all of a sudden?¡± asked Wei Muran softly.

    ¡°I promised my dad to return to thepany at twenty-seven years old. One year left till the deadline.¡± The gaze Qi Youxuan gave Wei Muran was deep.

    A year left to ce Wei Muran under his protection.

    Qi Youxuan was worried when Wei Muran went to study in the police academy initially. It was extremely dangerous to work as a police officer, especially when she wished to work in the criminal investigation department.

    Qi Youxuan had minored in criminal psychology even though he could not work as a police officer, and was shameless enough to beg Wen Xu so that he could learn martial arts together with his master. Although he was not as skillful as Wen Xu, he was taught personally by a martial arts master from the Wen family. Thus, he was much stronger than normal people, and even the students who received proper training in the police academy.

    Qi Youxuan graduated sessfully and started working in thepany, but he made a deal with his father to take leave and protect Wei Muran once she graduated from the police academy. Qi Chenglin agreed to it on one condition¡ªQi Youxuan must return to thepany after one year.

    One year. That was more than enough for Wei Muran to gain experience and get used to the hectic life of the police force. That way, she would gain the ability to protect herself from harm in the future.

    Qi Youxuan utilized his time after work to make his crime-solving skills well known while Wei Muran was studying in the police academy. Many were aware that someone had solved a few major crime cases but had no idea who that someone was; exactly like what happened in the police department at this moment. Those in the police forces knew that the major case in Huai City was solved by an expert, but his identity remained a mystery except to a few in the upper management. That was more than enough as long as they could grant Qi Youxuan a favor when needed.

    That was the busiest moment of his life. Qi Youxuan did not even have much time to cotton up with Wei Muran. Moreover, Wei Ziqi took guard of his precious daughter very vigntly and devoid him of any chance to get close to Wei Muran.

    Wei Muran stared at the side of Qi Youxuan¡¯s face as her mind wandered. He treated her very kindly and loved to y with her during their childhoods, and even joked that he was going to marry her after they grew up.

    Well, they were adults now, but Qi Youxuan made no attempt to raise this issue again, and Wei Muran found it embarrassing to initiate the discussion on this topic too. Moreover, this was a joke made in their youths; she could not truly take it seriously.

    However, Qi Youxuan came looking for her rather frequently recently, and she had no idea how to respond appropriately to this man at present.

    All of a sudden, Qi Youxuan turned unexpectedly and looked at Wei Muran while she was lost in her own thoughts.

    Qi Youxuan raised his eyebrows curiously. ¡°Can¡¯t turn your gaze away from me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks were kissed pink as she replied defiantly, ¡°Shameless bastard. Do you think it¡¯s possible when I¡¯ve been watching you for the past twenty-three years? I was...thinking about some issues just now!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s alright to admit that you can¡¯t turn your gaze away from me; I know I¡¯m charming and I ain¡¯t a stingy person either,¡± Qi Youxuan responded while smiling faintly and even winked at her.

    ¡°...¡± The tease induced embarrassment and annoyance in Wei Muran. ¡°You¡¯re out of your mind!¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng turned around and looked at them, presumably disturbed by their conversation. Wei Muran was trying to stomp on Qi Youxuan¡¯s foot initially but had to put her foot down awkwardly at this instant. She then ignored Qi Youxuan and walked forward.

    ...

    ...

    The first person the trio visited after reaching Jiao University was the counselor in Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s ss.

    The counselor was taken aback after realizing their true intention. ¡°Zheng Xiaorui? She took leave.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng had a bad feeling about this instantly and Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression became stern and serious at this moment. ¡°How long?¡±

    ¡°Five days if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± The counselor was unsure about the time frame and flipped a book on the table before confirming. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m right. She applied for leavest Thursday and left school the next day, stating that she¡¯d return on Monday.¡±

    ¡°Today is Tuesday but she hasn¡¯t returned yet. Did you call her family members?¡± asked Wei Muran with a stern expression.

    The counselor was startled by the question and smiled. ¡°This isn¡¯t a primary or secondary school and everyone who turns eighteen years old is considered an adult, so there¡¯s no need to be so strict with the students. Who knows why they apply for leave? There are many students in this university and I¡¯ve to manage several sses alone, so how can I possibly take care of every single issue? She¡¯s responsible for her own actions since she¡¯s an adult now. I can¡¯t always keep an eye out for her like she¡¯s a child, right?¡±

    Wei Muran smirked and remained silent.

    ¡°Why did she apply for leave?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Feeling under the weather and in need of medical consultation,¡± answered the counselor.

    It was fairly obvious that Zheng Xiaorui made up this excuse simply and the counselor was aware of it too, but it was none of her concern.

    ¡°Please provide a name list of Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s ssmates and roommates to us,¡± replied Jiang Yuecheng.

    This information was stored in the counselor¡¯sputer, so she printed the name list and passed the document to them.

    When the trio was about to leave, Qi Youxuan turned around and said, ¡°Zheng Xiaorui was involved in a homicide. In my opinion, she¡¯s a victim and a murderer. If anything happens and this case is exposed, the reputation of this university will be affected and they¡¯ll put the me on you for not performing your duty well. Good luck and take care of yourself.¡±

    The blood drained from the counselor¡¯s face in an instant. Qi Youxuan was satisfied by this oue and followed behind Wei Muran cheerfully.

    ¡°You¡¯ll question Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s ssmates and we¡¯ll ask her roommates,¡± instructed Qi Youxuan after the trio exited the counselor¡¯s office.

    ¡°Mr. Qi, I¡¯m grateful for your assistance in the investigation, but I¡¯m the investigative lead. I should be one giving orders,¡± Jiang Yuechengined in a deep voice.

    ¡°Can you solve the major crime case in Huai City if you¡¯re the investigative lead?¡± Qi Youxuan grinned and appeared as if he was showing off.

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuecheng was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Follow my instructions if you can¡¯t.¡± Qi Youxuan grabbed Wei Muran and walked away without giving Jiang Yuecheng any chance to protest.

    Wei Muran turned around anxiously and nced at Jiang Yuecheng, who was fixing his gaze on her. After meeting Wei Muran¡¯s gaze, Jiang Yuecheng shook his head with a smile and walked away.

    Then, Wei Muran turned around again but was pulled into Qi Youxuan¡¯s embrace all of a sudden. Her cheek was bumped into Qi Youxuan¡¯s burning hot chest since his shirt did not provide good heat instion due to thin fabric material. His heartbeat echoed in her ears like a drummer sending strong and steady beats into her tympanic membrane.

    ¡°Mumu, what were you looking at? He¡¯s not as handsome as I am.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice traveled to Wei Muran¡¯s ears, embarrassing in her at this moment, unsure if it was due to some psychological effects.

    This man would normally have a frivolous tone in his speech, but his voice sounded surprisingly mellow and deep at this instant. The masculinity in his voice caressed her ears, seeping into the bloodstream and flowed to the apex of her heart.

    Wei Muran¡¯s ears were flushed red as if blood was going to ooze out of them. The helixes quivered uncontrobly when Qi Youxuan¡¯s breath flowed through the fine hairs gently.

    Wei Muran did not dare to lift her gaze and check how close Qi Youxuan was to her at present. Thus, she did not notice his triumph expression and an amused grin that revealed a row of perfectly carved out dazzling teeth.

    Qi Youxuan swallowed his saliva and inhaled deeply, trying to breathe in all the warmth and fragrance on Wei Muran¡¯s body into his nostrils.

    He could not even resist the temptation and stuck his tongue out, but hesitated due to ack of courage.

    The anxious Wei Muran tried to push Qi Youxuan away. Her physical strength increased tremendously after receiving proper training in the police academy, but her body felt weak and drained of all energy whenever she was in Qi Youxuan¡¯s embrace for some inexplicable reason.

    Even so, Wei Muran pushed Qi Youxuan away while backing off. Then, something wet and warm brushed against her ear helix gently when her head was leaned backward, and before she could figure it out, the sensation had disappeared into thin air. It could be an illusion, but she could not ignore the strange sensation that persisted on her ear.

    Qi Youxuan released his grip on Wei Muran, whose face became the color of a ripe strawberry. Wei Muran nced at him doubtfully but found nothing suspicious on him except for the fact that he was rubbing his chest repeatedly. ¡°Mumu, that collision was painful.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was left speechless.

    Since when did Wei Muran collide with Qi Youxuan? It was this man who pulled her into his embosom initially.

    He was an expert in sophistry since he was young, and the ability persisted despite the advancing age.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± yelled Wei Muran before running forward.

    ¡°Hey, wait for me!¡± Qi Youxuan yelled and followed closely behind her.

    Wei Muran could feel Qi Youxuan¡¯s presence beside her at a very close distance. asionally, there would be idental physical contact when she was not paying attention to her gait.

    Everything felt natural before this, but blush burned through her body like a hot oven at the current moment.

    Subconsciously, Wei Muran touched her ear helix, trying to locate the source of the previous strange sensation. Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes turned into crescent moons at the sight of Wei Muran¡¯s action and even licked the inside of his lips stealthily to enjoy the aftertaste.

    Qi Youxuan did not mean to lick Wei Muran¡¯s ear just now. It was an ident since Wei Muran¡¯s movement was sudden and totally unexpected at all.

    However, Qi Youxuan had made an assumption. This was destiny!

    Qi Youxuan made several phone calls to Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s roommates based on the information provided in the A4 paper and asked them to wait in the dormitory for their arrival.

    Wei Muran had regained her cool after Qi Youxuan hung up the phone calls and took a surreptitious look at him before asking, ¡°You told the counselor that Zheng Xiaorui was a victim and a murderer just now. What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaorui went missing right after Zheng Wentao¡¯s disappearance, that isn¡¯t a coincidence. We can assume that their disappearances are rted and they may be held captive together. The stab wounds on Zheng Wentao¡¯s chest were a mess, which proved that the murderer was panicking during the assault. The third stab was the lethal blow, but the murderer was unaware of it in panic and stabbed the deceased three more times. This exins that the murderer is inexperienced and may not intend to kill Zheng Wentao after all. If the murderer wanted Zheng Wentao dead, the killing blow would be swift and direct.¡±

    ¡°The murderer may be torturing the victim, right?¡± asked Wei Muran subconsciously.

    The corner of Qi Youxuan¡¯s lips curled up confidently as he answered calmly, ¡°The stab wounds wouldn¡¯t be focused at the same ce if the intention was to torture. It was obvious that the murderer wanted him to die immediately but failed due to inexperience. Have you heard of an ancient torture technique called The Lingering Death[1]? The executioner will remove portions of the body methodically over a period of time before delivering thest stab right into the heart, but if the person dies before thest stab, it¡¯ll be the executioner¡¯s fault punishable by death. If the murderer really intended to torture Zheng Wentao, he should¡¯ve stabbed other body parts first.¡±

    ¡°If the murderer is Zheng Xiaorui, I¡¯m guessing that she was forced to kill Zheng Wentao. Her life must be at stake if she was forced to murder her own grandfather.¡±

    ¡°Even if you say so, that sounds extremely ridiculous and unbelievable. If what you have said is true, how horrible will it be for Zheng Xiaorui to kill her own grandfather just to survive? I really wish whatever you mentioned just now is wrong.¡± Wei Muran shook her head in response.

    Qi Youxuan made no attempt to protest. He spoke the truth yet wished that it was not.

    The duo reached the dormitory and the dorm keeper permitted their entries after Wei Muran showed her identification card.

    There were two youngdies in the dormitory room. ording to one of them, the third youngdy who worked in the canteen was currently on her way back to the dormitory and would be arriving soon.

    Then, the door to the dormitory opened momentarily and a youngdy darted into the room with a smoke and fire scent lingering on her body.

    During the self-introduction, Han Qi stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s handsome and elegant face, lost in her own thoughts.

    Other than the celebrities on television, Han Qi had never seen such a handsome man standing right in front of her in her entire life. Thus, this pleasant sight gave her quite a shock and she could not even shift her gaze away from him afterward.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Wei Muran cleared her throat while moving toward Qi Youxuan, trying to stand in front of him to block Han Qi¡¯s gaze without making her attempt too obvious.

    However, Wei Muran¡¯s attempt proved to be futile since she was too slim and short inparison with Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan was exhrated after noticing Wei Muran¡¯s subconscious act. He brushed his nose gently with his finger while cing his other hand on Wei Muran¡¯s waist naturally, removing it almost instantaneously before Wei Muran could react to it.

    His movement was so swift that he seemed to have done nothing at that moment, but the softness his palm experienced just now had sent him into euphoric bliss.

    Wei Muran, who was standing beside Qi Youxuan, failed to notice the jubtion on his face. The trio opposite them, on the other hand, witnessed everything and expressed their understanding, assuming that both Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan were couples.

    Wei Muran stared at the trio¡¯s peculiar expressions doubtfully and shifted her gaze to Qi Youxuan, who had resumed his stony expression as if fully prepared to solve the crime.

    Wei Muran grunted in confusion and shifted her gaze elsewhere while the trio brought stools for them quickly.

    ¡°Zheng Xiaorui normally stays in the dormitory?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    Han Qi nodded. ¡°She¡¯ll only return home during weekends and holidays. It¡¯s a two-hour drive back home from university, so she¡¯s rather reluctant to waste time on such a long journey.¡±

    ¡°She applied for leave with your counselorst Thursday. Did you notice anything strange about her before that? Any behavior or emotional fluctuations that seemed suspicious or unusual?¡± asked Qi Youxuan while observing the trio¡¯s reactions.

    Liang Xuelei was slightly startled and Qi Youxuan caught it immediately. ¡°Anything went wrong?¡±

    ¡°I... I don¡¯t know, but Zheng Xiaorui was absent sincest Tuesday. She had probably skipped sses for two days and didn¡¯t want to apply for more leave. I¡¯m not sure if this was rted but the fact that she went to apply for leave felt strange to me,¡± answered the confused Liang Xuelei.

    ¡°Why¡¯d you say so?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    ¡°The management isn¡¯t stern, especially toward the fine arts course. To be honest¡ª¡± Liang Xuelei pouted in embarrassment before continuing, ¡°The fine arts course iscking in discipline and it¡¯s normal for the female students not to return to the dormitory at night. The university doesn¡¯t really care about the fine arts and music courses, so if we want to skip sses, there¡¯s no need to apply for leave on purpose; the counselor won¡¯t even ask questions about it. Some lecturers like to check for attendance but we can just ask someone else to take the absentee¡¯s attendance. Our seniors even mentioned that they had never applied for leave if they skipped sses and the counselor wasn¡¯t bothered at all. Everyone has reached a consensus about this. Even though Xiaorui lived in the dormitory, she would stay outte frequently but had never applied for leave previously, so I wondered why she¡¯d apply for leave with the counselor when she¡¯d never done this before?¡±

    Wei Muran understood the reason why the counselor seemed unconcerned when Zheng Xiaorui did not return to the university on time.

    ¡°Staying outte. Did she have a boyfriend?¡± Wei Muran concentrated on the crucial point.

    The corner of Qi Youxuan¡¯s lips curled up with satisfaction when he nced at Wei Muran, and his delighted expression appeared as if his little girl had finally grown up. This gave the trio goosebumps but Wei Muran seemed to be unaware of it.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve heard that he¡¯s the son of a rich entrepreneur who studied in University C,¡± replied Liang Xuelei.

    ¡°Have you seen him before?¡± questioned Wei Muran.

    ¡°He came to fetch Zheng Xiaorui previously but he parked his car in front of the main entrance and we merely saw him from afar, so we couldn¡¯t get a clear view of him,¡± answered Liang Xuelei.

    Wei Muran nced at Qi Youxuan, who remained silent and merely gestured to her to continue the questioning. ¡°Was there anything unusual about her before she left the university?¡±

    Kong Jing shook her head in response. ¡°No, she was the same as usual.¡±

    ¡°Did she inform you of the reason why she applied for leave?¡± asked Wei Muran again.

    ¡°She would normally inform us that she would be out for a few days with her boyfriend without giving us further details,¡± replied Han Qi.

    ¡°She received a lot of harassing phone calls a week before she left the university. I¡¯m not sure if this was considered unusual. To be honest, we usually received quite a few cold calls and they¡¯d end the calls fairly quickly, but the phone calls Xiaorui received at that period were persistent and the phone numbers would be different each time, so it was impossible to block them all. Whenever she epted those calls, the caller would just keep quiet too. We merely assumed that someone was pranking her at that time. After that, she got annoyed and wanted to inform her boyfriend in hope that he would be able to find that bastard. Perhaps the reason why she applied for leave was rted to this?¡± said Kong Jing all of a sudden.

    Wei Muran acknowledged this information and nodded. ¡°Do you have her boyfriend¡¯s contact details?¡±

    Han Qi shook her head in response. ¡°She took extreme precautions in this matter to prevent her besties from having an affair with her boyfriend, so she wouldn¡¯t give us any chance tomunicate with him. Besides, that¡¯s her boyfriend and we aren¡¯t closely acquainted, so there¡¯s no need for us to ask for his contact details too.¡±

    After their questions had been answered, Wei Muran then said, ¡°Thank you for your cooperation. We¡¯ll return if there is further confusion.¡±

    The trio nodded anxiously and asked, ¡°Is Xiaorui all right?¡±

    ¡°Not sure yet,¡± answered Qi Youxuan coldly before leaving with Wei Muran.

    The duo joined Jiang Yuecheng at the main entrance. Jiang Yuecheng did not acquire much useful information due to the unfamiliarity between Zheng Xiaorui and her ssmates, unlike her roommates who knew more about her after living together for a period of time.

    ¡°We can safely assume that Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui were kidnapped together.¡± In the car, Qi Youxuan tapped his knee with his long and slender finger repeatedly.

    Wei Muran was immersed in her own train of thoughts on Qi Youxuan¡¯s previous assumption at the moment too, but both of them did not exin this issue to Jiang Yuecheng.

    Qi Youxuan instructed after they returned to the police station, ¡°Please show me the video recording of Zheng Wentao¡¯s wife¡¯s inquisition session this morning.¡±

    ¡°Why? Are you worried that our questions weren¡¯tplete?¡± mocked Xing Jiadong, who was unhappy about Qi Youxuan¡¯s sudden involvement in the investigation.

    Qi Youxuan merely solved the major crime case in Huai City; was that supposed to make him a well-reputed individual?

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] Lingchi (Chinese: Áèßt), tranted variously as the slow process, the lingering death, or slow slicing, and also known as death by a thousand cuts, was a form of torture and execution used in China from roughly 900 CE until it was banned in 1905. In this form of execution, a knife was used to methodically remove portions of the body over an extended period of time, eventually resulting in death. The body is sliced like fish scales (ÓãÁÛ¸î), hence the knife¡¯s name ÓãÁÛµ¶.

 Chapter 482 - Do You Know This Is Actually A Character Flaw?

    <strong>Chapter 482: Do You Know This Is Actually A Character w?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Who the hell did Qi Youxuan think he was to act like a boss andmand them?

    ¡°Ha ha, I¡¯m truly worried that your questions were iplete,¡± mocked Qi Youxuan.

    How about that?

    Rage consumed Xing Jiadong instantly. ¡°Our leader asked the questions personally, so what do you mean by that? Are you saying that our leader is incapable?¡±

    Qi Youxuan blinked and nced at Jiang Yuecheng while pointing at Xing Jiadong. ¡°Is he your subordinate? Does he haveints about you? He¡¯s disobeying direct orders and trying to drive a wedge between us. I don¡¯t know about you but I¡¯m not going to tolerate this nonsense. I can¡¯t possibly allow the existence of a subordinate who always tries to disagree with his superior without focusing his attention on solving crimes. Am I right, Zhang Mingming?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuecheng failed to muster a reply.

    Zhang Ming hissed through gritted teeth. ¡°Delete the extra Ming!¡±

    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? You¡¯re the one trying to drive a wedge between us. Sergeant, that¡¯s not what I meant just now. I¡ª¡± Xing Jiadong was getting anxious.

    ¡°I understand. Take the video recording. I want to know if Mr. Qi can find anything else to add on,¡± replied Jiang Yuecheng calmly.

    Xing Jiadong red at Qi Youxuan before walking away.

    In the meantime, Qi Youxuan walked toward the whiteboard and started scribbling without wasting any time.

    ¡°Zheng Wentao went missing on Tuesday on the same day Zheng Xiaorui left her school, but the counselor received her leave application through a phone call only on Thursday. There are six messy stab wounds on Zheng Wentao¡¯s chest but the intention was to kill. The first two stab wounds are shallow, which means the assant was panicking during the assault without actually wanting to kill him, but there was another fear that was more intense and forced her to kill him. After stabbing him twice as a test round, the assant straight away delivered a killing blow and ended his life since he was already at hisst gasp and hopeless for survival,¡± said Qi Youxuan who was writing on the whiteboard while holding the forensic report in his other hand.

    ¡°Thus, the third stab wound was much deeper and actually took his life away, but the assant wasn¡¯t sure about this and delivered three more stabs for assurance. Judging from the wounds, the dagger was delivered in a straight path into his chest.¡± Qi Youxuan, immersedpletely in his own train of thoughts, seemed to have forgotten that he was not alone and continued his gestiction. ¡°If she was holding the dagger with one hand, the stab wounds would be nted to a certain degree. Using the right hand, for example, the wounds would be slightly nted to the right.¡±

    ¡°Thus, the assant was actually holding the dagger with both hands and stabbed downward, and that was the reason why the wounds were straight.¡± Qi Youxuan held his hands together while talking to himself. ¡°The assant who murdered Zheng Wentao is a female aged between eighteen to twenty years old, with the height between one hundred sixty to one hundred and sixty-five centimeters.¡±

    ¡°How can you be so sure that the dagger was delivered in a downward motion? You can actually do it with one hand if the dagger is delivered in an upward motion,¡± said Xing Jiadong, who returned with the video recording but hadpletely forgotten about it after listening to Qi Youxuan¡¯s exnation, obviously unconvinced.

    Qi Youxuan pouted disdainfully. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, ording to the forensic report, there are ligature marks on all of the victim¡¯s limbs. His limbs were tied at that time, so how could he even stand firmly when someone assaulted him? Besides, there are multiple serious getion wounds on his body and he had prolonged fasting during that period. Do you think you can stand firmly under such circumstances?¡±

    Qi Youxuan stared at Xing Jiadong with contempt. ¡°Even if you can, will you run when someone is chasing you with a dagger? When your feet are tied and you can only jump away from danger, how many steps can you take before falling down in the end? Besides, the victim is a seventy-two-year-old man. Other than that, the forensic report clearly stated that there were no signs of struggle before the victim died, which meant he had already epted his fate, so how would he stand up and attempt to escape?¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know about the assant¡¯s height?¡± asked the skeptical Xing Jiadong out of curiosity instead of causing trouble on purpose.

    ¡°Different heights will use different strengths to strike downward. I¡¯ve calcted the approximate height of the assant based on the depth of the wounds. I¡¯ve studied this art before and it¡¯s perfectly normal that you don¡¯t know about this with your intelligence,¡± answered Qi Youxuan while waving the forensic report in his hand.

    Then, Qi Youxuan threw the forensic report on the table and said, ¡°Tut-tut, judging by your intelligence alone, no wonder the clearance rate is so low.¡±

    ¡°You¡ª¡± The exasperated Xing Jiadong wanted to retaliate but failed to find any supporting reason. He was getting annoyed and dispirited after Qi Youxuan nced at him scornfully. ¡°How about the age?¡±

    ¡°I suspect that the assant who killed Zheng Wentao was Zheng Xiaorui, so it¡¯s reasonable to narrow the age group to this, and it makes me look professional at the same time.¡± Qi Youxuan stared at Zhang Ming with raised eyebrows. ¡°Did I look professional just now?¡±

    ¡°We must solve criminal cases seriously. How can you make guesses without evidence?¡± Xing Jiadong was exhrated that he finally caught the w in Qi Youxuan¡¯s exnation.

    ¡°Who said that I was making a guess? This age group is the result of my analysis. Your brain can¡¯t process this simple issue so don¡¯t waste my time by asking for an exnation. I rather utilize the time in solving this case. y the recording for me.¡± Qi Youxuan rolled his eyes in utter annoyance. Pulling out a chair, he stopped halfway before he sat down and waved at Wei Muran. ¡°Mumu,e and have a seat.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was extremely stressed, especially after Qi Youxuan attracted all the loathe and yet treated her solicitously. She started to feel butterflies in her stomach when all the gazes were fixed on her.

    Even so, Qi Youxuan was grinning while resting his hands on the back of the chair. Subconsciously, Wei Muran did not wish to embarrass him in front of the crowd, so she walked toward him under the intense pressure.

    Qi Youxuan smiled happily at his Mumu¡¯s consideration and understanding.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you do it yourself? You¡¯re the one requesting for it, not us,¡± replied Xing Jiadong, unwilling toply.

    ¡°I¡¯m the brain, and since you can¡¯t brain, might as well be the brawn. Otherwise, why do we even need you?¡± Qi Youxuan pouted and taunted Xing Jiadong.

    Xing Jiadong¡¯s cheeks were flushed red due to embarrassment and anger, but words of protest failed toe out of his mouth. He started doubting his own intelligence for some inexplicable reason ever since Qi Youxuan¡¯s arrival.

    However, he would feel embarrassed without attempting a refutation. Fortunately, someone came to save the day.

    ¡°You guys are still working on the case? It¡¯s twelve o¡¯clock right now, aren¡¯t you guys hungry? You can¡¯t just ignore your lunch too.¡± Bai Mo appeared at the doorstep.

    Jiang Yuecheng peeked at the time. ¡°My mistake. Let¡¯s order food delivery so that we can have our lunch while discussing the case. Stop your bickering and let¡¯s focus on the case, especially about Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s disappearance. We must find her as soon as possible, regardless of whether she¡¯s involved or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll order for food delivery, you guys can continue your discussion.¡± It was very considerate for Bai Mo to offer her assistance. She took out her phone and started searching for food delivery¡¯s phone number while moving toward Jiang Yuecheng without making her intention obvious.

    As Bai Mo was still searching for the phone number, someone yelled at the doorstep, ¡°Mr. Qi, your food is delivered.¡±

    They turned around and saw a waiter in Dynasty¡¯s uniform holding a huge insted lunch bag at the doorstep.

    The waiter walked into the office, opened the insted lunch bag and took the lunch boxes out of the bag.

    Qi Youxuan rested his elbow on the table with his face on his palm and stared at Wei Muran. ¡°Mumu, I¡¯ve ordered lunch for you and these are your favorites. Eat quickly while they¡¯re still warm.¡±

    Bai Mo hung up the call and shifted her gaze between Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran before asking with a polite smile, ¡°Muran, is he your boyfriend?¡±

    Wei Muran peeked at Qi Youxuan before answering reluctantly and softly, ¡°No.¡±

    Qi Youxuan lifted his gaze and noticed Jiang Yuecheng letting out a sigh of relief. Annoyance shed through his squinted eyes before he shifted his gaze on the silent Wei Muran, whose ears became the shade of ripe strawberries.

    Youning once mentioned that Qi Youxuan was too close with Wei Muran especially when they had known each other since childhood. Even though Qi Youxuan announced that he would marry Wei Muran once they grew up, she merely considered it as a joke and did not take it seriously. He desperately needed a chance to let Wei Muran know that he was being serious about this marriage. Otherwise, there was no way on Earth she would believe him if he repeated his intention constantly in her presence.

    Qi Youxuan was born with an active personality, and thus his words would sound insincere as time went by.

    The same happened when Qi Youxuan was at home too. His grandparents would assume that he was merely joking even though he was actually being serious.

    Thus, when heined to Youning in distress, Youning ced her hand on her waist and pointed at him. ¡°Do you know this is actually a character w? Take a look at Wen Xu. He took everything seriously since he was young, and everyone would believe his words even though he doesn¡¯t speak much. Trust me when I say that they¡¯ll believe him even when he says that a pig is flying. Brother, that¡¯s his charisma!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was left speechless.

    An active person like Qi Youxuan who was able to make friends was considered a character w, but Wen Xu who always wore a t and cold expression was considered a charismatic person?

    ¡°You can¡¯t possibly help an outsider in an exaggerated way!¡± yelled Qi Youxuan in annoyance.

    ¡°Anyway, you need to strike directly at her heart in order to seed. This issue requires a careful and long-term n.¡± Qi Youning waved her hand as if wanting to shoo Qi Youxuan away.

    ¡°I¡¯ve been nning this for the past twenty-three years!¡± said Qi Youxuan unwillingly.

    ¡°She merely assumed that it was a joke made during childhood, so how could she believe you? You¡¯re a smart person, but why are you acting like an idiot in this matter?¡± Qi Youning rolled her eyes in response.

    Qi Youxuan was staring at Wei Muran¡¯s reddened cheeks again while figuring out a n to strike directly at her heart when Zhang Ming took aptop and started ying the video recording.

    Qi Youxuan only ordered two lunch sets and Wei Muran was well aware of his attitude, but she found it embarrassing to eat in front of the crowd. Moreover, she could not share her meal with the rest as well.

    Jiang Yuecheng smiled after noticing Wei Muran¡¯s dilemma. ¡°You can have your lunch first. Don¡¯t worry about us; we¡¯ve ordered our lunch and they¡¯ll be delivered soon.¡±

    Qi Youxuan cleared his throat loudly all of a sudden. ¡°Watch the video first.¡±

    Wei Muran was enjoying her lunch while watching the video, but after noticing the immobile Qi Youxuan with his lunch box closed, she poked at him silently and said, ¡°You can watch the video while eating at the same time.¡±

    However, Qi Youxuan opened his mouth unexpectedly. ¡°Ah¡ª¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was at a loss for words.

    Wei Muran stomped on Qi Youxuan¡¯s foot stealthily through gritted teeth without using much strength, but Qi Youxuan yelled painfully in an exaggerated way before opening his mouth again. ¡°I¡¯m focusing on the video. Ah¡ª¡±

    Wei Muran was reluctant toply after realizing Qi Youxuan¡¯s deliberate intention. Then, an idea formed in her mind. She took a piece of broli and stuck it into his mouth.

    Qi Youxuan detested vegetables¡ªespecially carrot, bell pepper, broli and so on¡ªsince he was young. Naturally, there would be no greens in his lunch box at present.

    On the other hand, Wei Muran was not a picky eater, so it was extremely easy to prepare meals for her as she could basically eat anything.

    Sure enough, Qi Youxuan almost puked after tasting the broli in his mouth.

    Qi Youxuan fought the urge to spit the broli out of his mouth since Wei Muran was the one feeding him just now. He turned around and stared grudgingly at her, pouting his mouth in the most pathetic way possible. Then, his gaze rested on the chopstick in her hand. She used it before feeding a piece of broli to him. Somehow, the broli did not taste so bad after all.

    They...they were exchanging saliva just now!

    Exactly like how they licked the same lollipop together when they were young!

    Wei Muran failed to notice Qi Youxuan¡¯s delighted expression and smiled devilishly, which fueled the desire in his heart. If it was not for the fact that they were not alone, he would definitely catch Wei Muran and feed the broli back to her.

    Bai Mo ignored Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s darkened expression and smiled. ¡°You guys are so close together. Those who don¡¯t know you will assume that you¡¯re both in a rtionship.¡±

    Wei Muran peeked at Qi Youxuan with a reddened face. Qi Youxuan fought the urge to answer that he wanted to be Wei Muran¡¯s boyfriend out of worry that it might be a countereffect and she may not believe him in the end.

    ¡°Don¡¯t raise this issue anymore since Muran had already denied it. We¡¯re colleagues, so don¡¯t make the situation awkward in the future,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng who was paying attention to Wei Muran¡¯s reaction without noticing Bai Mo¡¯s stiffened expression.

    ¡°It¡¯s only temporarily,¡± replied Qi Youxuan coldly.

    Wei Muran was taken aback and nced at Qi Youxuan since he seldom spoke with such tone.

    ¡°I see that you¡¯re constantly talking. Are you even watching the video? Did you find anything wrong?¡± mocked Xing Jiadong.

    After swallowing some rice and meat, Qi Youxuan pushed the lunch box away and said, ¡°That elderlydy was lying.¡±

    ¡°When did you notice this?¡± asked Xing Jiadong. His expression changed immediately but remained unconvinced.

    ¡°No one will look right into your eyes when he¡¯s lying unless he¡¯s aware of this and tries to avoid this mistake on purpose. It¡¯s extremely difficult, and only a trained person can do it. Obviously, Zhao Peishu doesn¡¯t possess such ability. She was stunned momentarily when the sergeant asked if Zheng Wentao had incurred any enmity with anyone.¡± Qi Youxuan pressed the keyboard with his long fingers to skip the video backward before pausing it again.

    ¡°She was thinking if Zheng Wentao had incurred any enmity with anyone at that time, which is normal, but after that¡ª¡± Qi Youxuan yed the video for less than a second before pausing it immediately and erged the image at the same time. ¡°Her pupils were drifting to the right upper corners when she denied it. This is the most obvious sign of deception, but why was she lying? Did she recall something that may be rted to Zheng Wentao¡¯s death? If she suspected that whatever she recalled had something to do with Zheng Wentao¡¯s death, why didn¡¯t she say it?¡±

    Qi Youxuan leaned backward and added, ¡°I need to question Zhao Peishu personally.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng failed to hide his surprise and nodded with a heartfelt admiration for the first time before asking the others, ¡°Did you find anything about Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s boyfriend?¡±

    Right on cue, Zhao Yiyang came into the office and answered, ¡°Yes. He¡¯s studying a financial course at University C. He has sses in the evening that¡¯s taught by a strict lecturer, so he won¡¯t skip the ssester.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll split up. Mr. Qi will meet Zhao Peishu while Muran¡ª¡±

    Qi Youxuan continued Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s instruction. ¡°She goes with me, as always.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng pursed his lips tightly without attempting to argue in this matter. ¡°Yiyang,e with me to University C. Zhang Ming and Jiadong will investigate whether Zheng Wentao had incurred any enmity with anyone before or did anything that made him loathed.¡±

    Their food was finally delivered at the same time, so Qi Youxuan dragged Wei Muran and said, ¡°We¡¯ll visit Zhao Peishu first.¡±

    ...

    ...

    The duo had arrived at Zhao Peishu¡¯s home. They could even hear Zhao Peishu¡¯s voice when Wei Muran pressed the doorbell. ¡°Who is it?¡±

    The cover of the security door¡¯s vision panel opened momentarily. Then, Wei Muran¡¯s voice traveled across the anti-theft grills and gauze. ¡°Hello, Aunt Zhao, we¡¯re the police officers. We still have some questions to ask regarding Mr. Zheng.¡±

    Tears started welling up in Zhao Peishu¡¯s red-rimmed eyes as she opened the door. ¡°Can¡¯t you sympathize with me? I¡¯ve finally managed to calm myself today and yet your sudden appearance and intention reminded me of my husband¡¯s gruesome death again.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, but we wish to solve this case at the earliest so that Mr. Zheng can rest in peace,¡± persuaded Wei Muran.

    ¡°We¡¯ll spare you the sorrow if you could just tell us exactly what you knew for the first time,¡± replied Qi Youxuan coldly.

    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the teary-eyed Zhao Peishu after a brief moment of shock.

    Obviously, Zhao Peishu did not wee them, so Qi Youxuan straight away pulled Wei Muran into her house without waiting for her invitation and sat on the couch in a rxed manner. After gazing around the house for some time, Qi Youxuan concluded that the Zheng family was rather wealthy and lived a decent life.

    ¡°We¡¯re here to ask for confirmation. Did Zheng Wentao incur any enmity with anyone before?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    Zhao Peishu tried to avert her gaze since she was totally unprepared for the sudden question and answered immediately, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re lying. Your gaze aversion told me the truth,¡± replied Qi Youxuan harshly.

    ¡°How can you say so? I¡¯m not lying. You can¡¯t put the me on me just because of your failure in solving this case,¡± Zhao Peishu wailed.

    ¡°You¡¯re thwarting our investigation when your husband can¡¯t even rest in peace. Do you think your action is appropriate?¡± Qi Youxuan mocked before continuing. ¡°Zheng Wentao had indeed incurred enmity with someone, and justice wasn¡¯t on your side. That incident had attracted lots of attention, and it was Zheng Wentao who tried his very best to solve it.¡±

    Qi Youxuan then noticed the astonishment on Zhao Peishu¡¯s face due to the assumption that Qi Youxuan had known everything.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression remained t and continued. ¡°This incident was rted to Zheng Xiaorui as well.¡±

    ¡°Then why did you ask me when you already knew about it?¡± eximed Zhao Peishu, but she shut her mouth the second she noticed the smirk on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know initially, but you can start talking now,¡± replied Qi Youxuan calmly.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran returned to the police station and heard Xing Jiadong¡¯s annoying voice upon entering the office, ¡°Hey, did you get any new information?¡±

    Qi Youxuan ignored Xing Jiadong straight away. Thus, Wei Muran answered in order to prevent further bickering, ¡°A female transfer student came to Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s ss when she was studying in the second year of high school two years ago. High school female students usually have a few reasons for arguments, and one of them is definitely due to men. Zheng Xiaorui had a crush on a male student, but he was interested in the transfer student instead. Zheng Xiaorui had quite a reputation in the university due to her family background. Zheng Wentao used to work in a higher job position and had promoted quite a few people, so he had a decent socialwork even after his retirement. Those who were promoted by him appreciated his help and would definitely lend a helping hand on any issue that was within their sensible limits.¡±

    ¡°Thus, Zheng Xiaorui had a few female followers and formed a small gang since then. They brought the transfer student to a deserted area and taught her a lesson before leaving, but an ident happened to the transfer student when she was on her way back. She was raped. After that, rumors about her sexual assault spread in the university for some reason and she jumped to her death after giving in to the intense pressure. The deceased¡¯s family suspected that this was Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s doing, so the argument began. However, due to theck of evidence and the disappearance of the rapist, or rather the umitted search for the rapist due to Zheng Wentao¡¯s request, the case was left unsettled in the end.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve found it! I¡¯ve found it!¡± The excited Zhao Yiyang entered the office. ¡°I¡¯ve found the secret that Zhao Peishu was trying to hide. Here goes¡ª¡±

    Zhao Yiyang blurted out the story that Wei Muran had mentioned just now without giving others a chance to interrupt.

 Chapter 483 - This Person Has No Shame!

    <strong>Chapter 483: This Person Has No Shame!</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Why are you guys looking at me like that?¡± The others stared at Zhao Yiyang with such sympathetic and pitiful expressions that he felt uneasy.

    ¡°Oh, Yiyang.¡± Zhang Ming patted Zhao Yiyang¡¯s shoulder sympathetically. ¡°Muran has already discovered this. You came in as soon as she was done telling us.¡±

    ¡°Th... then why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡± Zhao Yiyang said indignantly, ¡°What a waste of my effort!¡±

    ¡°You were speaking so fast,¡± said Zhang Ming earnestly. ¡°We didn¡¯t have the chance to stop you. Speak slower next time.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang snorted twice, ¡°Did we find out anything from Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s boyfriend?¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaorui did not meet with him. He went to Pu for a vacation with his friendsst week, and just returned on Sunday,¡± said Xing Jiadong.

    ¡°Find out more regarding the transfer student¡¯s suicide,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    Qi Youxuan slouchedzily in his chair ying with his cell phone and suddenly realized that the room became silent. He looked up in surprise, ¡°What are you guys looking at me for?¡±

    ¡°Do you have any other instructions? Do you need to apany us to investigate the situation of the family member?¡± asked Zhang Ming, who seemed rather unustomed to Qi Youxuan having nothing to say.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you handle such a trivial investigation on your own?¡± Qi Youxuan looked at them with contempt. ¡°How did you handle the cases before I showed up? You can¡¯t be dependent on me for everything. What happens when I leave? You have to buck-up dearrades. I¡¯m not here to babysit.¡±

    ¡°Bloody hell, I shouldn¡¯t have asked!¡± Zhang Ming said remorsefully. ¡°You have not changed one bit since childhood. You¡¯ve always been so infuriating.¡±

    ¡°Everyone says that I have a wonderful and lovable personality.¡± Qi Youxuan was particrly dissatisfied. He waved disapprovingly, ¡°Hurry up, lives are at stake.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng said, ¡°Muran, you and I¡ª¡±

    ¡°She will attend to me,¡± Qi Youxuan interrupted quickly.

    ¡°Mr. Qi.¡± Jiang Yuecheng frowned and was about to refuse.

    ¡°I¡¯m helping you solve the case for free. If I¡¯m in a bad mood, I can curse you so that you won¡¯t be able to solve even one case in the future.¡±

    Bloody hell!

    This person has no shame!

    Xing Jiadong almost could not hold-back pushing up his sleeves to start a fight. In the end, they had no choice but to leave Wei Muran. Everyone else went back to work.

    Wei Muran was particrly embarrassed and felt like she had inconvenienced her colleagues.

    Qi Youxuan suddenly heard a loud ¡°bang¡± and looked toward the source of the sound. Wei Muran had mmed a ss of water next to his arm.

    Qi Youxuan shuddered and quickly looked up at her. ¡°Mumu, what¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Not much, I¡¯m just attending to you.¡± Wei Muran raised her eyebrows and put on a fake smile.

    She never realized that she was spoiled by Qi Youxuan from an early age. When did Qi Youxuan really let her do anything on her own? As long as it was delicious, she did not even need to mention it, Qi Youxuan would have brought it right to her. As long as Qi Youxuan was around, she did not even need to lift a finger.

    Therefore, Wei Muran did not believe for once that Qi Youxuan dared ask her to attend to him.

    Sure enough, Qi Youxuan stood up and asked her to sit down, ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous, it is I that should attend to you. What would you like to eat, to drink? Would you like to take a nap?¡±

    Wei Muran, ¡°...¡±

    Wei Muran ignored him and started sorting out the case materials.

    Qi Youxuan remained on one side, holding on to his cell phone, god knows what game he was ying. They were the only two people in the room. It was quiet.

    Finally, Qi Youxuan turned around and said, ¡°Just say what you have to say. You¡¯re making me feel embarrassed.¡±

    His face blushed as he spoke.

    From an early age, Qi Youxuan blushed easily. It was not a big deal when they were little, but they were grown-ups already. What could she have said?

    On the contrary, she thought him blushing like that was cute.

    Wei Muran thought she must be infatuated.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran hesitated for a long time but finally let it out. She lowered her head and asked a little reluctantly, ¡°What you said at noon, what did u mean by it? It may cause a misunderstanding.¡±

    ¡°What was it I said?¡± Qi Youxuan tilted his head and asked while rubbing his chin.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Wei Muran coldly and then continued to ignore him.

    Qi Youxuan smiled and asked, ¡°I¡¯m being serious.¡±

    Wei Muran stared nkly, and the pen she was holding fell to the desk with a ¡°ck¡±.

    ¡°You... What are you talking about!¡± Her mouth was grim, her face was a little flustered, her ears were burning, but her eyes remained fixed on Qi Youxuan.

    From the looks of it, she did not believe it.

    Qi Youxuan frowned secretly and said, ¡°Youning told me you might not believe it, thinking it was just something we said as children. However, I was being serious, and never wavered.¡±

    ¡°Have you ever wondered what this kind of feeling is? Maybe you like me, but is this love? We have yed together since we were little. I¡¯m the only other female person you¡¯ve been close with, other than your immediate family. I¡¯m afraid this familiarity may have confused you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan wanted to refute. He frowned and wondered how to convince Wei Muran. In fact, he did not know how to exin it either. Rather, he felt that, if it could be exined, it would not be what he felt.

    ¡°Moreover.¡± Wei Muran shook her head. ¡°I don¡¯t know how I feel about you either, and I dare not agree with you so rashly. Such an impetuous decision is neither good for you, nor me.¡±

    Qi Youxuan remained silent, got up slowly and walked in front of her, and ced both hands on the back of the chair she sat in. Unknowingly, Wei Muran was trapped between his arms.

    His chest suddenly looked magnified directly before her eyes¡ªit looked especially solid.

    Unconsciously, her breathing turned frantic.

    Seeing her reaction, the corner of Qi Youxuan lips curled up. Having more confidence, he lifted his clean and slender hands to approach her.

    Wei Muran was stunned and did not know how to react; she only watched as his fingers got closer and closer to her cheek. Her breathing became more and more frantic. He had not even touched her, yet, her body was sweltering.

    Qi Youxuan just picked up some stray hairs gently and tucked them away behind her ears. His fingertips inevitably brushed her ears, gently sliding down from the tip of her ears. This immediately caused a slight tingling sensation.

    Wei Muran felt that her ears were numb. This numbness traveled all the way to her cheeks, neck, and shoulders, and caused her to tremble uncontrobly.

    Did she not say she did not know how she felt?

    She was being protected by Wei Ziqi all this while and was naive in this regard.

    Qi Youxuan chuckled and said, ¡°Then I¡¯ll give you some time to think about it. You don¡¯t need to worry about my feelings. My feelings have always been clear. When I see you, I want to hug you, I want to kiss you, I want to bed you. I want to marry you and spend my whole life with you. I don¡¯t feel that way toward others. When I was a little, I just thought you were pretty and cute, and have a great personality, that¡¯s why I liked you. Maybe the feeling wasn¡¯t mature at that time. But as you grow older, this feeling has also be the feeling of adults. I like you, and it won¡¯t change. I won¡¯t study criminal psychology just for anyone, nor I will take a year off just to spend your rookie year by your side. I won¡¯t be reporting to the police station every day. Losing my wallet today and losing my cellphone tomorrow. I¡¯m very clear about my feelings and I¡¯ve never been disconcerted. Therefore, you don¡¯t need to worry about another womaning into the picture for me to realize that my feeling towards you was not that kind of feeling and make you sad. Because there won¡¯t be such a woman.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time to consider, but not too long. It¡¯ll be the duration of this case. I¡¯ll need an answer when the case is solved. If the answer is yes, I will be happy, if not, I will find a way to turn it into a yes.¡±

    Wei Muran, ¡°...¡±

    She was stunned and did not know how to react.

    This was clearly an affectionate confession of feelings, but she was still speechless.

    It was not a surprise that her father always said that Qi Youxuan¡¯s father was a rogue back in the day. His son was no different.

    She did not know what her father meant at the time, but she had finally witnessed it.

    ¡®To bed me?¡¯

    And thatst part. Regardless of her answer, the final answer was to agree?

    Wei Muran¡¯s thoughts were a mess and she could not think straight. She instinctively used what she learned at the police academy against Qi Youxuan and hit Qi Youxuan¡¯s stomach.

    Qi Youxuan did not guard against it. He could have blocked the blow but was willing to take the hit. When one¡¯s wife hits you, you have to take it willingly, and cry out even though it did not hurt.

    Wei Muran hit hard. She was inexperienced. During practice and exams at the academy, she put all her strength in it. It had only been a few months since she graduated and joined the criminal investigation team, so she had not encountered a situation where she needed to fight in close quarters.

    In addition, Qi Youxuan¡¯s words had her all fired up. She didn¡¯t bother to control her strength. It was a real blow. Qi Youxuan was not faking it, he was actually in pain.

    Bending over and clutching his stomach, his face turned pale, ¡°Mumu, you... didn¡¯t hold back at all! It really hurts! I¡¯m weak, unlike you who went through training... Ouch...¡±

    Qi Youxuan fell to the ground, rolling over clutching his stomach.

    ¡°You... I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to! I didn¡¯t control my strength.¡± Wei Muran looked at his pale face and felt hurt. She immediately kneeled down with regret and put her hand on his belly, ¡°I... I¡¯ll give it a massage, it looks like I didn¡¯t hit a bone.¡±

    ¡°Ouch!¡± As soon as Wei Muran¡¯s hand touched him, Qi Youxuan trembled, his body curled up, and convenientlyid down in Wei Muran¡¯s arms. ¡°Mumu, you¡¯re so ruthless. It hurts... It hurts... Ouch!¡±

    ¡°This... I... I won¡¯t strike you in the future. I really didn¡¯t expect it, and... Why did you say those things?¡± Wei Muran was also anxious. She struck Qi Youxuan. She felt guilty and wished that he could just return the favor and hit her.

    ¡°Whatever I said was sincere. I told you everything that¡¯s on my mind. I wasn¡¯t not lying,¡± said Qi Youxuan pitifully, yet took the opportunity to snuggle closer in her bosom, as if like a soft pillow¡ªhe felt extremelyfortable.

    Wei Muran felt something was off. She looked down. Qi Youxuan still looked half in pain, hisplexion rosy, his eyes squinted, his lips puckered.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan!¡± shouted Wei Muran angrily as she pushed him away and stormed out without saying another word.

    Qi Youxuan wanted to give chase, but he was not faking his pain. It hurt when he tried to move and he fell back down. Finally, he gave up the chase.

    ...

    Wei Muran was just passing the time outside until Zhang Ming returned. Only then she returned to the office.

    Qi Youxuan no longer seemed to be in pain and was sitting there looking bored.

    ¡°The girl whomitted suicide by jumping off the building was called Li Anqi. The family moved to G City a year after the incident. Later, because of Li Anqi¡¯s father, Li Huailiang, job change, he was sent to thepany¡¯s Singapore branch and took up permanent residence there. Li Anqi had an older brother, who was studying in Canada at the time and hasn¡¯t returned for years.¡±

    ¡°If we don¡¯t find Zheng Xiaorui soon, she¡¯ll be in trouble,¡± said Qi Youxuan frowning.

    ¡°Find out who Zheng Xiaorui was in contact with before she disappeared,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng in a deep voice.

    ¡°Those harassment calls she received before she disappeared, although they¡¯re from different numbers and could¡¯ve been disconnected by now, but check on those as well in case there¡¯s a clue.¡± Qi Youxuan said, ¡°We¡¯ll have to follow up on every little clue.¡±

    ...

    The girl looked in horror at the man in front of her. The naked man shuddered and did not dare to move forward. Suddenly a whip struck his back, and a voice murmured, ¡°If you don¡¯t go, then cut your thing off yourself!¡±

    The man flinched at the pain and had no choice but to continue moving toward the young girl. The young girl leaned weakly against the wall, her body fully exposed. Her originally fair and delicate skin was covered with whip scars and some fresh bloodstained wounds.

    Her lips trembled so badly, she was terror-stricken, yet there was nowhere to hide.

    ¡°Don¡¯te over, I beg you. Please don¡¯te over, please ...¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I¡¯m sorry... if I don¡¯t, we will die. We will both die,¡± the man murmured then engulfed the girl.

    Only the girl¡¯s screams could be heard.

    ...

    It has been three days since they started to investigate Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s whereabouts, but they still had no leads.

    They even released a photograph of Zheng Xiaorui, requesting those who had seen her to contact the police. Only one person contacted them in three days, and the leads provided were not useful.

    ¡°Someone called and said that she was spotted in Nanshanst Wednesday. It was thedy owner of a grocery store. There¡¯s a vige at the foot of Nanshan. Zheng Xiaorui went there to buy something as not many frequent the ce. Apart from the vigers, the grocery store is mostly empty. Therefore, thedy owner particrly remembered Zheng Xiaorui. The vige is remote so the photographs we distributed only reached the vige yesterday,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    ¡°Nanshan...¡± Qi Youxuan muttered, ¡°I remember the forensic report mentioning that a piece of soil between the toes of the deceased Zheng Wentao didn¡¯t match those found in the West Suburbs. The West Suburbs was not the first crime scene, fortunately. The body was buried, so the storm didn¡¯t wash away what was on the body.¡±

    Qi Youxuan looked up abruptly. ¡°Has the forensic science divisionpared the soil sample from the deceased¡¯s toe that did not match the West Suburbs with the soil from Nanshan.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang did not look at Jiang Yuecheng this time, and quickly nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll get them on it at once.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been three days, I¡¯m afraid it will not be good for Zheng Xiaorui.¡±

    The forensic science division came back with the results very quickly. When Zhao Yiyang came back with the report, he was very excited. ¡°It¡¯s a match, the same as Nanshan.¡±

    ¡°Head out to Nanshan,¡± ordered Jiang Yuecheng immediately.

    Qi Youxuan also tagged along. As Jiang Yuecheng took some men with him to investigate, Wei Muran also followed but someone grabbed her ponytail.

    Wei Muran turned, and Qi Youxuan did not let go. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡±

    ¡°To do my job of course,¡± said Wei Muran awkwardly.

    She did not think much about their rtionship since she was busy with the case for the past few days. Qi Youxuan also did not bring it up, but it was still awkward to be alone with him.

    Whenever her mind was not busy, she could not help but think about what he said the other day. She dared not even look him straight in the eyes the past few days.

    ¡°Those guys are going to be traversing in the mountains, you don¡¯t need to go. Come with me to the grocery store.¡± Qi Youxuan let go of her ponytail and grabbed her wrist.

    Wei Muran gave in and reluctantly followed.

    ...

    ¡°There weren¡¯t many customers that day. The youngdy was well dressed, had fair and delicate skin, and also had a western look. You could tell immediately that she was from the city. Our vige is small and the viges know each other. Nanshan is also not a tourist destination, apart from the strawberry season where people wille pick strawberries. It isn¡¯t in-season now, so it¡¯s pretty quiet here. Therefore, I remember this girl very clearly,¡± said thedy owner of the grocery store.

    ¡°Did she buy anything?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    He had surveyed the store when he walked in. The store was small and the three walls in it were stacked full of shelves of daily necessities. Thedy owner stood behind a ss counter, which contained cigarettes, bread, some chocte, sausages, and instant noodles.

    ¡°She bought a fruit knife. She didn¡¯t have much on her, just a small backpack. It¡¯s really weird. She didn¡¯t look too good either.¡±

    ¡°Other than the girl, were there any other outsiders recently?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    Thedy owner thought for a while and shook her head, ¡°No, not that I know of. Other than the girl, I haven¡¯t seen any strangers.¡±

    There was nothing more to be found here. Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran headed back to regroup with the others.

    About halfway back, Wei Muran received a phone call, and her expression changed. She turned to Qi Youxuan and said, ¡°They found Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s body.¡±

    When they arrived, a perimeter had already been set up around Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s body. Zheng Xiaorui was lying naked in a pit, and there was some freshly dug dirt beside her.

    Half her face was smashed in. Her hair was soaked in dried blood which made it clump together with the mud.

    Just like Zheng Wentao, her body was covered in whip scars, old and new. Wei Muran took one look and could not bear to look any longer and averted her eyes.

    Bai Mo and her colleagues from the Forensic Science Division rushed over. She only nced at Wei Muran, then proceeded to inspect the body.

    The Forensic Science Division retrieved their samples and left. Only after Bai Mo thoroughly inspected it was the body removed. She came over to Jiang Yuecheng and said, ¡°The deceased had been raped prior to her death. There were obvious signs of injury to her lower body. We also found male semen. The time of death was between twelve to one in the morningst night. The cause of death was a high fall.¡±

    ¡°The killer intentionally left us clues. Whether it¡¯s the semen in Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s body or the marks on her neck, we can trace it back to the killer,¡± Qi Youxuan said before continuing, ¡°He¡¯s provoking us. He wants us to find him. There must be a clue left here intentionally by the killer nearby. Find it at once.¡±

 Chapter 484 - There Is No Reason for the Woman I Love to Protect Me in Turn

    <strong>Chapter 484: There Is No Reason for the Woman I Love to Protect Me in Turn</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Jiang Yuecheng had everyone split up. Wei Muran and Zhang Ming moved south along the vige, while Qi Youxuan quickly followed. They found an abandoned factory not far from the vige. The gate to the factory yard was locked. The iron railings, chains, and padlocks on the door were all rusted.

    Qi Youxuan looked at the padlock without touching it, then pointed and said, ¡°These padlocks were opened recently and frequently by someone. There¡¯s rust between the chains.¡±

    Qi Youxuan removed his handkerchief from his trouser pocket and gently wiped between the chains. Sure enough, the handkerchief was stained with a brownish powdery substance.

    ¡°However, the padlock is clean, as well as the part of the chain toward where the padlock is. Someone frequently touched these.¡± Qi Youxuan pointed to the lock. It was obvious even to the naked eye.

    ¡°The vige chief said the factory has been abandoned for two years, but there¡¯s a caretaker who has the key,¡± said Zhang Ming. He took out his cell phone and called Xing Jiadong. ¡°Jiadong, find the vige chief. Have him bring the factory caretaker to the factory.¡±

    Theyter notified Jiang Yuecheng and he quickly headed to the factory.

    Shortly after, Xing Jiadong brought the vige chief. Apanying them was a man in his fifties with grey hair, wearing an unbuttoned dark blue cotton jacket, exposing a white undershirt.

    ¡°He said he lost the keys,¡± said Xing Jiadong disgruntledly as he red at the caretaker.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± Zhang Ming looked suspiciously at the caretaker.

    The terrified caretaker waved his hands frantically, ¡°Officer, you can¡¯t suspect me. I¡¯m an honest andw-abiding person. I¡¯ve never done anything bad. At most, I¡¯m just a cheapskate. I lost the keys three months ago. Although the factory had ceased operations, it originally was a chemical nt, so, they still had to keep an eye on it. I was paid eight hundred Yuan a month until they fully cleared out the ce. In fact, the clearing work waspleted three months ago. The factory is to be demolished and thend sold. I was responsible for bringing the interested parties to look at the ce prior to it being sold. I was afraid if they found out that I had lost the keys, they would fire me and I would lose eight hundred Yuan a month just like that.¡±

    ¡°How did you lose the key? Think hard, otherwise, you¡¯ll be brought to the police station for questioning. You¡¯ll be the main suspect,¡± said Zhang Ming. Zhao Yiyang had already called for a locksmith.

    The caretaker was so terrified that he choked and almost cried. ¡°Officer... officer, I¡¯m innocent... I wouldn¡¯t dare... Officer.¡±

    ¡°Then think hard,¡± said Zhao Yiyang in a serious tone.

    ¡°I... I remember now. Three months ago, apany sent a representative to inspect thend. They didn¡¯t n to demolish the factory and said that if it was suitable, they would also purchase the factory. The original owner was delighted. The factory itself can be worth a lot. The representative asked me to unlock the door and inspected the ce. After sending him off, I didn¡¯t bother to see if the key was still there. A few dayster, I nned to drop by and realized that the key was gone. I... I dared not tell anyone.¡±

    Everyone there smelt something fishy. Zhang Ming said immediately, ¡°Give us the contact information of thepany that contacted you that time, as well as the contact information of the original owner of the factory.¡±

    ¡°Aye...¡± The caretaker retrieved his cell phone and gave Zhang Ming the numbers.

    The locksmith arrived and pried open the padlocks. Jiang Yuecheng had his men set up police lines outside, and then lead them inside.

    The factory had been abandoned for two years and no one has ever cleaned it. There was a thickyer of dust on the ground and there were no lights. It was bright outside, but pitch-dark inside. Everyone raised their shlights, and the dust in the air was even more apparent under the beams of light.

    There was also a smell of mildew in the air. Wei Muran subconsciously leaned against Qi Youxuan, quietly tugged on Qi Youxuan¡¯s arm, and whispered, ¡°Am I imagining it? Or do I faintly smell blood?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not imagining it,¡± Qi Youxuan said calmly, ¡°I smell it too. This way.¡±

    Qi Youxuan unconsciously moved to the front and led the way. Wei Muran realized that he had not received any training whatsoever. Fearing that he would not be able to avoid any impending danger, she hurried towards him and moved to shield him.

    In the darkness, he grasped her by the hand and heard him whisper gently, ¡°There is no reason for the woman I love to protect me in turn. If you¡¯re hurt, it¡¯s my failure.¡±

    After he spoke, she was pushed behind him.

    In the dark, Wei Muran felt her face sweltering as if there was hot steaming out of her ears. Her mind was a hazy, and void of any cognitive ability.

    However, she did not pull away and allowed Qi Youxuan to lead her by the hand, sweltering ears and all. She had not even considered if anyone was watching.

    Zhang Ming saw everything from the start, smiled sneakily, and directed his shlight elsewhere. Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s expression was stagnant for a moment, then looked away.

    Wei Muran followed along and suddenly felt a scratch on her palm. She felt a slight tingling sensation from the palm of her hand.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan!¡± said Wei Muran warningly through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move, we¡¯re here.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice sounded serious, so she did as he said. Her hand was being squeezed again by him, and his thumb rubbed back and forth teasingly against the back of her hand.

    Wei Muran wanted to jerk her hand back but was already in too deep. He held on too tightly.

    ¡°There¡¯s blood,¡± said Qi Youxuan suddenly.

    He directed his shlight toward the wall, there was blood where the wall met the ground. ¡°The blood hasn¡¯t dried!¡± said Qi Youxuan as he approached.

    Jiang Yuecheng reacted quickly and immediately informed his men outside via walkie-talkie, ¡°The person just left, search the perimeter!¡±

    The others continued their inspection with Qi Youxuan. Wearing white gloves, Zhao Yiyang picked up a piece of rope, ¡°There¡¯s blood on this rope.¡±

    Qi Youxuan crouched down suddenly, ¡°Does anyone have a clean handkerchief?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Muran both presented a handkerchief at the same time. The others did not even have paper napkins on them.

    Qi Youxuan was amazed. Jiang Yuecheng still had this habit. He looked at the handkerchief handed over by Wei Muran, skipped over it, and took the one from Jiang Yuecheng.

    Wei Muran pouted and put hers away unhappily.

    Qi Youxuan threw her a nce and stifled a smile, ¡°What we have here might be the stuff thates out after men and women are done doing it. You wouldn¡¯t want to get it on your handkerchief. You¡¯ll have to get rid of itter.¡±

    Wei Muran suddenly felt ufortable and did not retaliate. She watched as Qi Youxuan put on his gloves, then using Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s handkerchief, collected the liquid from the ground, and put it in the bag.

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuecheng watched his handkerchief being used to collect the liquid and felt ufortable.

    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you use your own handkerchief,¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng through gritted teeth.

    ¡°Oh, it was already stained with rust. Won¡¯t it affect the forensic test results?¡± said Qi Youxuan extra seriously.

    Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°...¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s walkie-talkie crackled, ¡°Sergeant Jiang, we didn¡¯t find anyone.¡±

    ¡°Roger that. Let¡¯s head back. Bring the caretaker along,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    ....

    Back at the station, Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong continued to question the caretaker regarding the representative who came to inspect the factory three months ago.

    Qi Youxuan stood in front of the whiteboard holding a marker, talking and jotting down notes. ¡°Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui were kidnapped by the same person, but the substance we found in Zheng Xiaorui is unlikely from the kidnapper. Both victims had no other external injuries other than severe whipping scars. The factory was dirty but certain areas were clean, leaving obvious tracks.

    Qi Youxuan pointed to a photograph and said, ¡°Here, a chair was ced here previously. The kidnapper is obsessed with cleanliness, therefore the person that raped Zheng Xiaorui was not the kidnapper. It could be that he hired someone to rape Zheng Xiaorui, or had an aplice, or kidnapped another person and forced him to rape Zheng Xiaorui. I¡¯m leaning towards thetter possibility.¡±

    ¡°People who are obsessed with cleanliness are usually controlling in nature. When Zheng Wentao was killed, he didn¡¯t get his hands dirty; rather, he had Zheng Xiaorui kill her own grandfather. As for Zheng Xiaorui, he didn¡¯t do it himself either. He had someone else rape and kill her. A person of this nature would not team up with others.¡±

    Qi Youxuan tapped the desk softly with his pen. ¡°Zheng Xiaorui caused Li Anqi to be raped and thenmit suicide, but Zheng Wentao used his position to cover it up. So the murderer kidnapped Zheng Wentao and pitted his grandchild against him, threatening both their lives. If Zheng Xiaorui wanted to live, she must kill Zheng Wentao. Zheng Wentao must¡¯ve felt that since he¡¯s old, and if he must choose, he would¡¯ve given his granddaughter a chance to live. So Zheng Xiaorui stabbed Zheng Wentao. That¡¯s why the first two wounds were shallow. You can tell the attacker hesitated. After all, she was killing her own biological grandfather.¡±

    ¡°As for Zheng Xiaorui, she was raped and subsequently fell from a great height. This is the same as Li Anqi.¡± Qi Youxuan tapped his marker and turned back to the whiteboard and wrote, [The kidnapper is male, approximately twenty-five years old. Doesn¡¯t have any distinctive features. Has myopia and wears sses. He has obsessivepulsive disorder and has small habitual movements that maybe he has not noticed himself.]

    Qi Youxuan turned to Zhang Ming and asked, ¡°You mentioned that there was no record of Li Anqi¡¯s brother returning to China. At the time, who else was close to Li Anqi? The boy Zheng Xiaorui liked was very popr in school, which shows that Li Anqi must¡¯ve been popr as well. She would¡¯ve had many suitors. Check up on anyone close to Li Anqi at the time. Also...¡±

    Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes before continuing, ¡°Gossip and rumors spread easily in high school. You can start from this angle. Take Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s graduation photograph and check it out.¡±

    ¡°If the suspect is one of Zheng Xiaorui and Li Anqi¡¯s ssmates, the age approximate of twenty-five years old wouldn¡¯t be a match,¡± said Zhang Ming.

    ¡°Did Li Anqi have a boyfriend at the time? It¡¯s not umon for high school students to fall in love early,¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°I¡¯ll check.¡± Zhang Ming nodded and left.

    Xing Jiadong and Zhao Yiyang returned. Zhao Yiyang handed over aposite sketch to Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°This is theposite sketch of the suspect ording to, Li Fusheng, the caretaker¡¯s description.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s expression shifted. He then handed the sketch to Qi Youxuan. ¡°This matches the description you just said.¡±

    ¡°Is Li Fusheng still there?¡± asked Qi Youxuan as he looked up.

    ¡°Yes, he is.¡± Zhao Yiyang noticed both Qi Youxuan and Jiang Yuecheng imposing expressions and felt tense.

    Qi Youxuan nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll question him again.¡±

    Surprisingly, Xing Jiadong did not make any rude quips. Zhao Yiyang followed Qi Youxuan into the interrogation room.

    Li Fusheng saw the two of them enter. ¡°Why can¡¯t I leave? I really didn¡¯t do anything,¡± he said anxiously and frantically.

    ¡°We know, but we still have some questions for you,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    Qi Youxuan sat down opposite Li Fusheng and asked calmly, ¡°Think carefully, the representative that came to you three months ago. Was there anything peculiar about his behavior? Any weird little details? Anything you think a normal person wouldn¡¯t do. Did he make a fuss regarding anything? Was there anything he did that you secretly thought he was being overly particr?¡±

    Li Fusheng was still confused initially, but after hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, he understood.

    He nodded his head as he remembered. ¡°There was something strange. He was a bit of a clean freak. There are many dirt roads in our vige, especially the road leading to the old factory. He frowned as he walked. As soon as he reached the factory gate, he wiped his shoes with a handkerchief, then threw the handkerchief away. Then, he took out a small bottle of hand sanitizer and applied it on his hands.¡±

    ¡°So the gate was locked, right? He then took out another handkerchief and moved it along the chain.¡± Li Fusheng pouted his lips and said, ¡°Not sure why he had so many handkerchiefs.¡±

    ¡°I identally touched him while unlocking the padlock, he immediately sprung away and shouted at me not to touch him,¡± snorted Li Fusheng. ¡°As if I wanted to touch him?¡±

    ¡°The lights weren¡¯t working, so I used a shlight. I kept hearing a pping sound. The guy kept brushing his sleeves and clothes with his hands. Then out came the hand sanitizer, then the brushing again. When we exited the factory, he looked sick. I pitied him and so I wasn¡¯t too hard on him. He was so obsessed with his cleanliness, I doubt he paid any attention to the condition of the factory.¡±

    Qi Youxuan left with Zhao Yiyang after the questioning and released Li Fusheng.

    Momentster, Zhang Ming came in with two photographs. ¡°This is the ss photo of Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s graduation. There¡¯s someone that matches your and Li Fusheng¡¯s description.¡±

    Zhang Ming pointed to a man sitting on the far left of the first row, then showed him a two-inch ID photograph. ¡°His name is Dong Zhengfeng, originally from The First Experimental High School, and was Zheng Xiaorui and Li Anqi¡¯snguage teacher. When Li Anqi jumped off the building, he was right below and saw the whole thing as shended in a pool of blood. ording to a teacher who¡¯s still teaching at the school, his first reaction was to try to catch Li Anqi. His hands and clothes were all covered in blood. Since then, Dong Zhengfeng seems to have developed an obsessivepulsive disorder. He must wash his hands several times a day. When using chalk in ss, he has to hold it with a handkerchief. This is considered a mental illness, so he went to see a psychiatrist but it seems that it didn¡¯t help much. Coincidentally, after Zheng Xiaorui graduated, he also resigned. Based on what another teacher who was close to him said, he didn¡¯t continue teaching after he resigned but instead joined a foodpany. Thatpany did consider setting up a factory in Nanshan not long ago.¡±

    ¡°Find Dong Zhengfeng at once!¡± Jiang Yuecheng dared not waste a moment and left with his men to Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s workce. Wei Muran joined them but Qi Youxuan stayed behind.

    The case was almost closed and he had to get his affairs in order.

    ...

    Wei Muran figured that Dong Zhengfeng would have definitely escaped out of fear and would not willingly be captured.

    Clearly, everyone else had the same thought. Jiang Yuecheng was especially shocked when he saw Dong Zhengfeng sitting at his office normally.

    When they exined why they were there, Dong Zhengfeng was even more surprised but did not panic. More urately, he looked puzzled. He felt like they must have made a mistake.

    Wei Muran thought that Dong Zhengfeng was either an excellent actor, or he was really framed. However, she also believed in Qi Youxuan¡¯s judgment. After seeing Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s reaction, she felt that there was no way he was faking it.

    Dong Zhengfeng did not resist and even cooperated fully with the police.

    Qi Youxuan did not personally interrogate him, but only observed through the one-way mirror.

    Dong Zhengfeng was not aware of the deaths of Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui and was even surprised.

    ¡°What can you tell?¡± Jiang Yuecheng stood next to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan frowned, ¡°He¡¯s not lying, but he did murder them.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng drew a nk. What was he saying?

    ¡°My deductions are never wrong, he¡¯s the murderer.¡± Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes then said, ¡°However, his bodynguage says that he¡¯s not lying.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong could not get anything out of him. Jiang Yuecheng had no choice but to get a polygraph test.

    Even on the polygraph, Dong Zhengfeng was calm and answered fluently. Jiang Yuecheng started to get impatient. ¡°Mr. Qi, we can¡¯t be wasting our efforts merely based on the fact that you think that your deductions are correct. At most, we can only detain him until the next morning. We¡¯ll have to release him by then.¡±

    Qi Youxuan frowned for a long time, then eximed, ¡°It takes an hour and a half to get from Nanshan to his office. The blood at the factory was still wet, and there¡¯s still another kidnap victim. He wouldn¡¯t have enough time to get rid of that stuff. Check his car.¡±

    Qi Youxuan observed Dong Zhengfeng through the one-way mirror and noticed that his feet were shuffling around ufortably.

    ¡°His shoes are dirty,¡± said Qi Youxuan. Jiang Yuecheng looked puzzled and did not know what he meant.

    ¡°There must be something on his shoes making him so ufortable,¡± exined Qi Youxuan.

    Immediately, Jiang Yuecheng informed Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong to remove Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s shoes.

    Dong Zhengfeng, who had been calm all along, suddenly resisted so much to prevent them from removing his shoes. Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong tried to hold him down and he went berserk. ¡°Don¡¯t touch me! Filthy, don¡¯t touch me!¡±

    Xing Jiadong twisted his arm behind him and pinned his body to the desk¡ªone hand sped his arm, the other pressing his head tightly against the desk.

    ¡°Let me go.¡± Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s voice changed suddenly. It was not frantic as before, it was calm, cold even. As if void of emotion.

    Xing Jiadong could not see it, but Zhao Yiyang saw that Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s facial expression changed.

    ¡°Unhand me. You don¡¯t need to remove my shoes,¡± said Dong Zhengfeng. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, but I did have them murdered. You don¡¯t need to investigate anymore. I confess.¡±

    Xing Jiadong was so shocked that he let go of his grip. Looking at the coldness and ridicule on Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s face, his heart turned cold.

    ¡°He¡¯s timid. He doesn¡¯t know what I did. You won¡¯t get anything from him,¡± said Dong Zhengfeng mockingly.

    ¡°You ...¡± Xing Jiadong looked at him in surprise.

    ¡°Multiple personality disorder.¡± The door burst open as Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice was heard.

    Jiang Yuecheng came in behind him and closed the door.

    Dong Zhengfeng smiled and did not deny it.

    ¡°Does he know you exist?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Perhaps. I suppose he knows. As soon as he is asleep, I will appear. Sometimes when his emotions are unstable, I will also appear. When he controls this body, I¡¯m aware of his surroundings, but when I¡¯m in control, he will not know what I do not wish him to know.

    However, when I was in control, I did a lot of investigations regarding Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, including the rapist. There were many photographs at home, and he found them one day. He burned them all and then pretended nothing was wrong. But I knew that he knew the truth. He¡¯s just avoiding it.¡±

    ¡°Now that you have willingly confessed, you might as well tell us everything. Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui, why did you kill them?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you figure it out? Zheng Xiaorui caused Li Anqi to be raped andmit suicide. Zheng Xiaorui didn¡¯t receive the punishment she deserved. Zheng Wentao connived and protected his granddaughter and justice was not served. Since thew was unable to punish them, I had to do it myself.¡±

    ¡°First, I had Zheng Wentao abducted, and then used him to draw Zheng Xiaorui out. I tortured them. I had them whip each other. Whoever whipped lightly will be beaten more severely by me. They wouldn¡¯t dare hold back. Each strike was harder than the next.¡± Dong Zhengfeng had a crazed look in his eyes.

    ¡°When the two didn¡¯t have an ounce of strength left, I threw them a knife. Whoever grabs the knife and kills the other can live.¡± Dong Zhengfeng sneered, ¡°Zheng Wentao really loves his granddaughter. Zheng Xiaorui madly grabbed at the knife, but Zheng Wentao didn¡¯t move an inch. It could be that he saw Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s actions, and decided to let Zheng Xiaorui kill him.¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaorui was really cold-hearted and selfish. She could even take her own grandfather¡¯s life. She was still afraid when she took the first two stabs, but from the third onwards, she became more and more crazed, almost unstoppable. One stab after another she plunged the knife into Zheng Wentao¡¯s chest, and blood sttered on her face.¡±

    Qi Youxuan twitched slightly. Bai Mo¡¯s report also stated that Zheng Xiaorui had traces of Zheng Wentao¡¯s blood on her.

    ¡°A coward like Zheng Xiaorui is afraid of death. She¡¯s a beast who can even kill her biological grandfather to save her own. How can she be allowed to live? She¡¯s a scourge to all. She tormented Li Anqi, and she killed her own grandfather. Who knows what she could do in the future? I pity Zheng Wentao, who raised such an ungrateful person. Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s death is my contribution to the world.¡±

    ¡°She will now experience what she did to Li Anqi. I found the bastard who raped Li Anqi years ago and abducted him. He deserved it too. I personally flogged him to the point of despair. He dared not disobey me if he wanted to live. I had him rape Zheng Xiaorui, then had him push her off the roof of the factory.¡±

 Chapter 485 - [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xuâ€™s Childhood, Donâ€™t Order If Unacceptable

    <strong>Chapter 485: [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xu¡¯s Childhood, Don¡¯t Order If Uneptable</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    The truth was Little Youning met Little Wen Xu not when Little Youning was three; it was during young Youning¡¯s anniversary party as the Wen family were also present then.

    During that event, Little Wen Ming was merely a year and a month old. He was still a baby, nursed and carried in Fang Jiaran¡¯s loving arms. Seated beside her was her nine-year-old son, Wen Xu. His posture was impable as both his arms were ced formally on hisp while his back was incredibly straight. He had apletely stiff and emotionless yet slightly cold expression on his face. If he was topare his expression with Wen Ren¡¯s expression, both of them would beplete opposites.

    Every person sharing the same table with Wen Ren felt extremely ufortable. The main cause of their extremely uptight and anxious behavior was not due to them being afraid of Wen Ren. It was, however, single-handedly caused by his son¡¯s overreaction. This had made every single guest sharing a table with them to feel extremely nervous and uptight.

    It was difficult to pin down between both Wen Ren and Fang Jiaran as to who exactly was more ridiculous than the other. After their marriage, everyone from the Lanshan Courtyard felt there was no one more fitted to marry Fang Jiaran than Wen Ren. This very perspective that every single person from the Lanshan Courtyard had shared was sessful in influencing most of the outsiders, making everyone else feel the same way.

    However, it was baffling for a couple such as the both of them to have given birth to a child so cold and devoid of emotion. Could it be that opposing poles would result in something positive?

    The instant Wen Ren was seated, he requested for four sses of milk from the waiter. Thus, everyone who was sharing the same table as him felt extremely odd to see a ss of milk ced in front of each person of his family.

    Fang Jiaran proceeded to pour Little Wen Ming¡¯s ss of warm milk into a bottle for him to drink.

    Wen Xu looked around as if nothing was wrong while casually drinking his milk. He observed everyone that was sharing the same table as him was all looking directly at him, thus he nced back with his coldly, avoiding their stares. He noticed that everyone was tantly ufortable around him. Feeling somewhat guilty, he dared not to look at anyone there.

    However, Wen Xu¡¯s expression remained unchanged as his long natural eyshes gently pierced his forehead while he casually drank his milk.

    Suddenly, he felt as though someone was pulling on his pants.

    As he slowly nced downward, he was surprised to see a chubby Little girl sitting next to the leg of his chair.

    Since today happened to be the eve of the Spring festivals, they had arranged the anniversary party to take ce in the afternoon to prevent keeping everyone from any dys for any reunion dinner.

    It was still winter and the weather had been brisk. Dynasty had even switched on the heater in the restaurant, yet the toddler was still wrapped in severalyers of clothing.

    Since the small chubby child that sat next to the leg of his chair was already chubby, dressed in severalyers of clothing, not a single edge was visible from this Little girl as she looked very much like a Little round ball.

    At this very moment, this child was grabbing onto the edge of his pants with her chubby Little hands; even the tip of her fingers was round and chubby. From the very tip of her fingers to the joints of her palms had four adorable Little dimples.

    This tiny and plump toddler was having the time of her life as she violently yed with his pants. The toddler was so excited that she giggled merrily and mumbled in baby-talk as she yed.

    After noticing Wen Xu was staring directly at her, she proceeded to look up then smiled with the widest and sweetest smile at him.

    ¡°Cuddles!¡± The toddler said, letting go of his pants as she opened both her arms widely while iling around, gesturing for Wen Xu to lift her up.

    Wen Xu could not describe exactly what he was feeling at that moment, but the only thing he knew was being stared right by this cheerful young toddler warmed his heart. A slight smile gradually grew on his face as his cold and emotionless expression melted gradually.

    It was in that instant, he was seemingly able to see the fresh green sprout of life growing out from ayer of snow. It was as if spring was fast approaching.

    Thus, Wen Xu lowered his head while extending both his arms as he got ready to pick her up.

    ¡°Ning Ning!¡± A loud voice called out from behind suddenly as he noticed a silhouette of someone close to his age was approaching her.

    Sadly, before Wen Xu could pick her up, she was swiftly carried away from the ground leaving behind his empty palms.

    Wen Xu¡¯s eyes dimmed as he felt slightly unhappy. He proceeded to shake his empty palms around disappointedly, however, as he looked up, he noticed a Little boy roughly a year or two younger than him struggling with all his might to carry that Little girl. His entire face was flushed red and it was obvious that the toddler was heavy, but that Little boy would not let go of her.

    Upon seeing her brother, the chubby toddler proceeded to say, ¡°Gwaaaah!¡± while grabbing onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s shoulder.

    ¡°How could you wander off like that? Don¡¯t go grabbing onto other people, would you?¡± Qi Youxuan said. However, that toddler proceeded to peck his cheeks.

    The tubby toddler giggled with a mouthful of saliva. Just like that, she proceeded to bite down on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face.

    After all of that, Qi Youxuan told Wen Xu awkwardly, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, I¡¯ll carry her off now.¡±

    Wen Xu silently nodded even though he continued to stare at that chubby toddler reluctantly. He then proceeded to nce at the messy spot on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face. No longer able to hold back his impulse, he proceeded to stand up then gestured at the toddler by pointing at his face as if shamelessly telling her that it was alright for her to kiss him. However, just by this gesture alone, he shocked his mother Fang Jiaran.

    Naively, the toddler proceeded to extend her arm as she intended to generously offer a kiss to him.

    Upon noticing this absurd act, Qi Youxuan frantically pulled her back while taking two steps back. He said, ¡°No, no, no. Ning Ning, you need to listen to your brother here: guys and girls don¡¯t normally do that, except if that person happens to be family. You can¡¯t just go on casually kissing anyone, alright? You¡¯ll need to act like a girl now, okay?¡±

    After saying that, a fully guarded Qi Youxuan said, ¡°I¡¯ll leave with my sister now!¡±

    After saying that, he proceeded to bolt off while carrying the chubby toddler as if he was making his escape.

    Wen Xu frowned as he sat down in silence.

    Little Wen Ming, who was sitting in his mother¡¯s arms, noticed the disappointed look on his brother¡¯s face and proceeded to gently punch his brother in love. Thus, he extended his tiny, chubby arms at his brother.

    He felt as if his brother was disappointed because he could not win over that toddler¡¯s heart. Thus, he attempted to cheer up his brother.

    Hence, Little Wen Ming extended his shoulders toward Wen Xu, pouted and said, ¡°Cuddles! Cuddles!¡±

    Staring at the naive look on his brother¡¯s face, Wen Xu let out a soft sigh as he could not bare topletely ignore his brother¡¯s warm love so he proceeded to carry his brother over to himself. However, Little Wen Ming impulsively grabbed onto Wen Xu¡¯s shirt and began climbing on his brother¡¯s body. Wen Xu felt slight pain as the child¡¯s tiny feet stepped onto his belly.

    Thus, Wen Xu casually lowered his head allowing Little Wen Ming to give him a tight kiss. Feeling satisfied and happier after doing so, Little Wen Ming gleefully rushed back into Fang Jiaran¡¯s loving arms.

    ¡°Hey son, do you happen to have a crush on Ning Ning?¡± Fang Jiaran whispered.

    She was not anticipating her son to answer since her son was known to be exceedingly quiet. However, after hearing his mother¡¯s question, he surprised her by asking, ¡°You know who she is?¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s the main star of today¡¯s event, Qi Chenglin¡¯s daughter. Today¡¯s anniversary party was all nned for herm¡± Fang Jiaran exined.

    After hearing his mother¡¯s exnation, Wen Xu proceeded to look over to Qi Chenglin¡¯s table.

    After a brief moment, the ceremony was almost ready to begin. Before it began, everyone had to watch Little Youning pick an item.

    Just like when Little Youjin did before, there was a huge table ced at the very front of the hall, and Little Youning was then ced on the table.

    Since Little Youning was chubbier than Little Youjin, the moment she was ced on top of the table, she looked exactly like a tiny round ball from a distance.

    There were plenty of items ced around her on the table. There was lipstick, beautiful western-style clothes, a pen, a toy ring, and a coin.

    However, she never behaved the same way Little Youjin did back then when he did the same. She first stared directly at Qi Chenglin as it was Qi Chenglin who loved her the most. As long as Qi Chenglin was around, both her feet would never have the chance to ever touch the very ground beneath her since Qi Chenglin would carry her around.

    Thus, every single time she hadid her eyes on Qi Chenglin, it was almost second nature to her as she instinctively extended both her arms requesting for him to carry her around.

    However, Qi Chenglin was patient and never got mad at her. He simply smiled at herpassionately then proceeded to carry her in his arms. Little Youning giggled happily since she assumed she had sessfully gotten her way with what she wanted, however, unexpectedly, Qi Chenglin only carried her for a brief moment. After giving her a kiss, he proceeded to once again ce her down on the table.

    ¡°Be a good girl now, Daddy will carry you around after you¡¯re done picking,¡± coaxed Qi Chenglin.

    Little Youning pouted then proceeded to look directly at her mom. Ruan Danchen simply smiled at her, unwilling to spoil her daughter. She simply said, ¡°Just pick whatever you like, honey. After you¡¯re done, mommy will carry you to get some food, alright?¡±

    Thus, Little Youning pouted and proceeded to look away. She then began to look around the items around her. The first item she approached was the toy ring. She was tempted to pick the ring but after noticing there were no pockets on the outfit she was wearing, she proceeded to fold up her shirt then ced the ring in the folds. After doing so, she then began to crawl over to the coin, repeating her previous question; she ced the coin in the fold she made. She then nced over to the western-style clothes, and fully tempted by it, she proceeded to crawl toward it. However, she could not support herself with one arm, thus causing her to let go of her shirt, making both the coin and the ring from the folds to fall out.

    Fortunately for the ring, it had only fallen beside her leg, but the coin had rolled off to the ground beneath her.

    ¡°Gwaaah! Gwaaah!¡± Little Youning frantically screamed while pointing to the coin that had fallen off the table.

    ¡°I thought you wanted that ring earlier? Do you also want the coin?¡± Ruan Danchen asked.

    Little Youning pouted while screaming and pointing directly on the ground. As she was panicking, she noticed a tiny silhouette approached her. It was the boy she was ying with earlier.

    Wen Xu picked up the coin and ced it on her palms. He told her, ¡°Whatever you like to pick, I¡¯ll hold on to it for you, alright?¡±

    ¡°Aaaah! Gwwaaah!¡± Little Youning loved the proposal and she very much enjoyed and liked this big brother.

    Thus, Little Youning proceeded to ce every single item¡ªfrom the lipstick, art block, the western-style clothes, pen and everything else¡ªinto Wen Xu¡¯s hands. She left nothing behind as she had given every single item to Wen Xu for safekeeping.

    Wen Xu had a slight grin on him. He proceeded to take out the toy ring and proceeded to put it around Little Youning¡¯s finger.

    ¡°Gwaaah!¡± It¡¯s pretty!

    Little Youning excitedly waved her arms around then extended her arms to Wen Xu.

    As Wen Xu bent over, Little Youning generously gave him a kiss on his face.

    ¡°...¡¯ Qi Chenglin was speechless as he watched this entire exchange.

    The audacity of this damn kid. it seemed to him that he had a deathwish to take advantage of his daughter!

    He was tempted to beat that kid up violently!

 Chapter 486 - Confirmed Suicide?

    <strong>Chapter 486: Confirmed Suicide?</strong>

    Trantor: EndlessFantasy Trantion Editor: EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°It¡¯s tragic for Zheng Xiaorui to bawl so hard, but she had to pay the price for the things she had done. Why should Li Anqi¡¯s death be so humiliating while she could somehow enjoy an amazing life herself, even going so far as having a spoiled rich boyfriend? There was no reason for her to enjoy such a blissful life!¡±

    A smirk was formed on Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s lips. The smile on his face gradually grew wider and it progressively became even more maniacal. He then said, ¡°Then she was shoved down by that man. How Li Anqi met her end was exactly how that woman¡¯s life ended as well. I am Li Anqi¡¯s retribution! I¡¯ve avenged her! Hahahahahahah!¡±

    Dong Zhengfeng proceeded to lift his head up then beganughing maniacally. As heughed like a mad man, the tone of hisughter gradually grew softer, then finally, theughter faded awaypletely. After that manic episode, his entire face was covered in tears.

    ¡°It¡¯s me... I¡¯ve killed them...¡± Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s tone suddenly shifted, and through that change, everyone knew the normal Dong Zhengfeng had returned.

    Perhaps this entire debacle was caused by the other Dong Zhengfeng on purpose so he could find out the truth about everything. s, it seemed that the other Dong Zhengfeng had kept everything hidden from him on purpose.

    ¡°To be honest, I¡¯m actually extremely timid, and as much as I wished the person who had caused Li Anqi¡¯s death to die, I never had the courage to go through what I intended to. It was him... it¡¯s him that had helped me pull it off.¡± Dong Zhengfeng grinned, a hint of sinister intent reflected from his smile. ¡°I¡¯ve known of his existence ever since I found the picture of Zheng Wentao and Zheng Xiaorui. A few days ago, a pair of mud-stained boots appeared in the house along with extremely dirty and tattered clothes. I knew it was him; a cowardly escape, simply pretending to be oblivious.¡±

    ¡°I had just graduated from my university back then and had just entered that highschool. I knew I shouldn¡¯t even like Li Anqi since I was a teacher and she was my student. If anyone knew about how I truly felt, society would undoubtedly turn its back on me and would bring plenty of trouble to us both. Hence, I dared not let anyone know about how I truly felt, and as long as I get to look at her, it¡¯d be enough for me. I wanted to wait for her to graduate and enter university to confess my true feelings to her. Who would¡¯ve known that she actually liked me too.¡±

    Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s expression was slightly surprised as he recalled his past. He said, ¡°However, we had never dared to show anyone our intimate feelings with each other to anyone. We agreed that we¡¯d be a couple officially after she¡¯d graduate. Who would¡¯ve guessed Zheng Xiaorui would threaten Li Anqi just because the guy she liked never returned her feelings? It was never Li Anqi¡¯s fault to start. It wasn¡¯t Li Anqi¡¯s fault to cause him to fall for her, and she had never even once flirted with anyone before. It was all because Li Anqi was brought to a secluded spot and was vited by that animal!¡±

    ¡°However.¡± Dong Zhengfeng gritted his teeth tightly then proceeded to continue, ¡°Things will never be as coincidental as that, right? Why would she run into that animal the moment they left? It was all pre-nned by Zheng Xiaorui, so I¡¯ll never believe anything no matter what! Even if she hadn¡¯t pre-nned it, she had a hand in her death! She caused Li Anqi¡¯s death. She fell to her death right before my very eyes; her fall cracked her skull and bled profusely. She looked so naturally beautiful, but it was after her fall, her entire skull cracked open, her brains spilled out, she was covered in her own pool of blood. Someone so cheerful and would poke fun at me every day was lying in her own pool of blood,pletely devoid of even the slightest hint of life. I wanted to meet her when the rumors about her were spreading around in school. I wanted to tell her that these rumors never bothered me at all. And if she was worried about what others might think or say about her, she could apply to a university out of town after she¡¯d graduate and I¡¯d also resign from my job to head on to the same town she was studying in, to spend my life with her together. A ce where not a single soul knew about her past. However, it was unfortunate that these words were toote to reach her; she jumped off a building. How could she be so foolish? So foolish!¡±

    ¡°I was standing at that spot back then, I watched her fall to her death. She was seemingly looking directly at me as she fell, almost as if she was apologizing to me back then. Why couldn¡¯t she wait for me just a little longer? Why?!¡±

    Both Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s eyes werepletely red at that moment. It was when Qi Youxuan assumed the other Dong Zhengfeng would surface again, he simply blinked then proceeded to calm down.

    ¡°I believe you guys had asked around for information in the school. Ever since then, I¡¯ve be a germaphobe and can¡¯t ever stand even a speck of dirt. During the earliest phase as the symptoms started to surface, no matter how hard I washed both my hands, it was almost as if I could still feel the blood that stained both my hands. It felt as if her blood had seeped through my skin and would never wash off. The strong harrowing stench of blood would always linger on my hands. During that period, my hands were so violently washed that not a single drop of sweat would even appear from my hands. The doctors told me it was all in my head, a mental ailment when I went for a check-up. After the diagnosis, I had also met up with a psychiatrist. I just never expected that although I could control the symptoms and I wasn¡¯t as normal as I once was, I wasn¡¯t as suicidal anymore. I thought I had fully recovered, but I never expected I¡¯d develop a second personality.¡±

    The maniacal expression on Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s face was seemingly simr to another person¡¯s personality. He then bragged, ¡°Still, I regret nothing, they deserved to die! They all deserved to die!¡±

    Qi Youxuan got out of there and had someone lock him away. At the same time, Zhang Ming too had returned. He said, ¡°You were right, there was a male corpse found at the back of the trunk. We¡¯ve sent the body over to the forensics team to get an autopsy report.¡±

    ording to the autopsy report, it proved the fluid found in Zheng Xiaorui¡¯s body matched the male corpse¡¯s DNA. Thus, Dong Zhengfeng would officially be charged with murder. Although he had split personality disorder and had the official reports from the hospital, he would be sent to a mental asylum instead of prison.

    ¡°Within this vast ocean of people, how could Dong Zhengfeng, a person who had resigned from his teaching job and had be a regr samaritan, possibly find the rapist¡¯s true identity after all these years? All our leads turned out cold back then, and even if it were the both of us in charge of that case, it¡¯d be an extremely difficult task to pull off,¡± Zhang Ming pondered aloud.

    Jiang Yuecheng too had felt something off about this case. He said, ¡°Head out to the mental asylum at noon and keep an eye on his mental state. If circumstances were right and the situation would allow, please ask him to rify things for us. This case isn¡¯t as simple as it seemed. Something just feels off to me, and I just can¡¯t put my finger on it yet.¡±

    The case was now closed and the murderer was indeed Dong Zhengfeng, hence there was no reason at all to probe things even further. However, it seemed the conclusion raised more questions. What exactly was going on with thisplicated case?

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang.¡± Xing Jiadong walked in with a saddened, heavy look. He said, ¡°Dong Zhengfeng hadmitted suicide in the hospital.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng stood up in shock since they had just discussed heading over to the mental asylum to question him. He had actually died the very next moment, and if anyone was to tell him there was nothing sketchy about this case, he would never believe that person.

    ¡°So it¡¯s a confirmed suicide?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked.

    ¡°The hospital had confirmed it. As Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s mental state was stable, the staff never bothered to restrain him. He¡¯d even talk a walk at a fixed time every day and was even capable of striking up a conversation with the more stable patients. When the nurse went to check on him after his afternoon break, he was found dead unexpectedly. He had bit his tongue to end his life.¡±

    ¡°Only the boldest of men would choose to bite their own tongue as a method of suicide,¡± said a wide-eyed Zhang Ming. This method of suicide was not seen in years.

    Only people who were living in ancient times would choose this method of suicide. No modern people would even think about enduring such intense suffering. With that in mind, who would even want to die then?

    Anyone who had chosen this method would have to be absolutely determined to do so as the entire process was excruciatingly painful. This would be torture for anyone.

    There were only three main causes of death in this method of suicide.

    The first was after the tongue had been thoroughly bitten off, a part of the tongue got caught at the trachea that caused the victim to choke to death.

    The second was biting the rich and abundant blood vessels and veins in the tongue, causing a major loss of blood, thus ending the victim¡¯s life.

    The third would be, after biting off the tongue¡ªwhich in turn caused the victim to temporarily lose control¡ªsuch heavy streams of blood that got mixed with the victim¡¯s saliva pouring into the victim¡¯s mouth might get caught in the victim¡¯s trachea, asphyxiating the victim. As the victim struggled to breathe, the phlegm and blood could most probably be forced into the trachea, blocking the airways which would result in the victim passing out, causing much more severe suffocation. This would result in the victim passing out then, ultimately, the victim¡¯s death.

    The human¡¯s tongue was filled and rich with blood vessels; any damage to it would cause severe bleeding that would cause anyone to severely lose blood. In addition to that, since the tongue was extremely close to the human brain, the nerves on the tongue would also be plenty. Any serious damage to the tongue would also cause serious harm to the nerves, which could kill anyone.

    Anyone that was not a eunuch or an ancient handmaiden forced into a corner would have never chosen this method as the main method of suicide. After all, no sane person would choose to endure such torture.

    ¡°Could it possibly be that, since he was sessful in avenging Li Anqi¡¯s death, he was finally contemptuous with his own life, thus choosing to end his life in order to spend his afterlife with her?¡± Xing Jiadong said confidently as he hypothesized on the main motive of his suicide.

    He had observed how confident Qi Youxuan was in specting as if he had all the answers, and even though he had always butt heads with Qi Youxuan, he was also secretly admiring Qi Youxuan¡¯s keen mind. Hence, his current demonstration in order to satiate his lust for recognition. He felt amazing doing so.

    If that were the case before, Jiang Yuecheng would be impressed by this theory. However, it seemed too far-fetched as the entire case was extremely sketchy. Thus, he was not convinced by this theory and felt Dong Zhengcheng¡¯s apparent death was extraordinarily sketchy.

    However, since there were no leads in this case, he had no choice but to rest this case.

    ...

    Since Dong Zhengcheng¡¯s case was closed, Qi Youxuan no longer had a reason to drop by the station every day. Qi Youxuan had originally said that after this entire case was closed, he would want Wei Muran to give him an answer. However, never did anyone expect that it would only take Qi Youxuan a couple of days to solve this case.

    She had her entire focus on that case before and never had the time to seriously think and reflect upon Qi Youxuan¡¯s proposal. She waspletely unprepared to face him since the case was solved and close so unexpectedly fast.

    The only thing she was worried and afraid of was Qi Youxuan showing up to the station unannounced for her. As much as he wanted an answer, she had no idea what to say to him.

    However, it had been a couple of days and Qi Youxuan had not turned up to look for her. It was only natural for Wei Muran to be relieved about his absence, yet she felt extremely anxious and suffocating. It was as if something had been pushing against her chest.

    ¡°Everyone had pulled their weight and worked extremely hard these couple of days. Now that the case is officially closed, I¡¯d like to treat everyone for lunch today since everyone never had the time to seriously take a break. Lunch is on me, and everyone may leave after lunch today. It¡¯ll be a half-day, so go home and rest well,¡± announced Jiang Yuecheng.

 Chapter 487 - [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xu (Childhood Donâ€™t Order If Unacceptable)

    <h4>Chapter 487: [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xu (Childhood Don¡¯t Order If Uneptable)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning was currently four. She had be an extremely chubby four-year-old child. Her chubby, pale, smooth, healthy blushed face was extremely adorable. Anyone whoid their eyes on her would not be able to resist hugging her tight and rubbing against her chubby face.

    However, Little Youning was troubled as plenty of other children in her kindergarten would tease and make fun of her. They would always call her fat, especially Zhao Ranran as she would usually start the whole debacle.

    When Wen Xu arrived in B city back then, as he was transferred to Jixia Highschool, he would visit his mother Fang Jiaran in the Lanshan Courtyard once every week.

    However, it seemed that after he had gotten closer to Little Youning, he would forget about his mother. Thus, his schedule changed from once per week to once per month.

    Since Fang Jiaran was now exceedingly bored, and after gathering intel from her undercover bodyguard, she found out that Wen Xu was grooming Little Youning to marry her in the future and had ns to get her to move to T City from B city with him in the future.

    Wen Xu waspletely oblivious to all the research his mother had done on him.

    Wen Xu who was twelve back then had seemingly grown into a mature teenager. Wen Ren had also bought an estate for Wen Xu in B City. Plenty of undercover bodyguards, and even his Wushu master, lived with him in the estate. His safety was never going to be a concern.

    There was a special gym and a training room in that estate. There was also an additional smaller gym in the estate¡¯s backyard.

    It was Friday. Wen Xu had just finished his training and was walking out of the gym. After his training, he was nowpletely drenched in his own sweat and was getting ready for a shower.

    After his shower, he walked out with only his pants on since it was excruciatingly hot, thus he decided to be shirtless at that moment. However, it was unclear where the undercover had appeared from when he informed Wen Xu, ¡°Young Master, the Qi family had arrived.¡±

    Wen Xu nodded then proceeded to get dressed before greeting his guests.

    Since Wen Ren had sent Wen Xu off to live on his own in B City, he had asked Qi Chenglin to help him watch over his son for him. No matter how tough and headstrong his son was, he was still a twelve-year-old child, and living on his own made Fang Jiaran worry for her son¡¯s wellbeing.

    Thus, after Wen Xu had arrived and settled himself in B City, whenever Song Yu and Ruan Danchen would bring the kids out to have fun during the weekends, they would bring Wen Xu along so he would not be alone at home.

    Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen nned to bring Qi Youxuan and Little Youning to a newly opened Italian restaurant for dinner. Thus, they had decided to bring Wen Xu along with them as well.

    Since Wen Xu had to train after school, they did not pick up Wen Xu directly from Jixia Highschool at the same time they had to pick Qi Youxuan up from school. After calcting the time he needed to spend for his training, and after he was done, they would show up.

    The only problem was before Wen Xu could get to his room for a change of clothes, the door had opened.

    The instant the door opened, a colorful silhouette shot through the opening, bringing along a gust of wind.

    ¡°Waaah! Brother...brother Wen Xu... Bwaaaah!...¡± That chubby toddler leaped into Wen Xu¡¯s arms. Completely pretending as if her body weight was exceptionally light, she catapulted herself directly at Wen Xu.

    Worried that the chubby toddler would hurt herself, he had no choice but to grab onto her. He noticed that the toddler was bawling her eyes out as he hugged her. Sniffling, her eyes all the way down to her nose were exceedingly red from crying violently, all while trembling and sniffling in his arms. Watching how violently she sniveled, he frowned.

    ¡°What happened? Who bullied you?¡± Wen Xu said with a soft cold voice, all too monotone. Although his voice was soft for his young age, anyone would be creeped out just by listening to his voice alone.

    However, Little Youning would not let go of Wen Xu. Not being able to change, he had no choice but to sit her down while carrying her.

    ¡°Kin...Kindergarten, they...they bullied me, they called me fat.¡± Little Youning sniffled as she struggled to speak. She said, ¡°Am...Am I really fat?¡¯

    Little Youning looked up while nervously staring at Wen Xu.

    ¡°Who told you that? Those people need to get their eyes checked out. Good lord.¡± As Wen Xu spoke, he proceeded to hand her a taro puree¡¯ from the box of candies ced on the table.

    Thus, Little Youning proceeded to ept the snack. The taro puree¡¯ was huge and was the size of a saucer te, especially when it was in Little Youning¡¯s small hands. She could not hold onto it with a single hand, hence she held onto the snack with both hands.

    Her gaze lit up as she was extremely tempted to eat it, yet the guilt held her back. She felt conflicted as she sat on Wen Xu¡¯sp.

    ¡°You¡¯re not fat. Honest. You look extremely pretty right now, and I love how you currently look. It¡¯s amazing to hug you since you¡¯re so squishy.¡± As Wen Xu spoke, he proceeded to pinch the fold of fat from her waist then proceeded to pinch her tiny hands. He said, ¡°This is a taro puree¡¯, it¡¯s not too sweet. It¡¯s soft and fluffy on the inside, but it¡¯s wrapped with a crispy outer shell. The outer crispy shell would crumble with a single bite and mixed with the soft squishy texture from the pure taro filling. It tastes very refreshing and amazing.¡±

    Little Youning was literally drooling from the way he described the snack would taste like, causing her to swallow her drool. ¡°Then...then I¡¯ll take a bite¡ªno, more than a bite.¡±

    Wen Xu gently patted Little Youning¡¯s facepassionately. On the other hand, the trio standing by the door and were watching the entire exchange felt disgusted and was weirded out by the way Wen Xu looked.

    As Little Youning enjoyed her sweet and fluffy taro puree¡¯, she felt much better as her mood improved. It was only at this moment that she realized Wen Xu waspletely shirtless.

    She had always assumed a twelve-year-old boy would look skinny and frail, but judging from how fit and firm his muscles were, she was baffled by how muscr and fit this seemingly skinny Wen Xu looked. She could not even pinch his muscles no matter how hard she tried.

    Her crumb-covered fingers gradually inched upward to Wen Xu¡¯s chest, then proceeded to pinch.

    Whoa, it was indeed stiff!

    While Little Youning nibbled on her taro puree¡¯, she peeked at Wen Xu¡¯s extremely attractive body. She noticed his shoulders were also bulging. Although it was not obvious, it was undoubtedly firm. It was more firm than her brother¡¯s.

    There were seemingly hints of a couple of lines on his belly as his pale glistening skin was extremely smooth. As she looked up again, she stared directly at Wen Xu¡¯s attractive, cool, manly look. The only thing she thought of was how attractive and amazing he looked!

    Little Youning once again proceeded to swallow her spit while her eyes wandered and rolled around once. All of a sudden, she eximed ¡°Wow!¡± then calmly proceeded to bury her entire head into Wen Xu¡¯s chest.

    This time, she was merely pretending to cry. she was wailing loudly but no tears were visible on her face. Her messy and greasy mouth was rubbing all over Wen Xu¡¯s chest.

    She had even sneakily stretched out her greasy hands to pinch his shoulders, then slowly and secretly slide her greasy hands down his chest to give it another aggressive pinch.

    Little Youning proceeded to let out a couple of fake cries, then once again boldly shove her face into his chest. Her greasy mouth was now sliding across his entire chest while she snuck in a couple of hard pinches.

    She felt bad since Wen Xu¡¯s chest was extremely clean before she had ruined it with her greasy vitions. It was as if she had desecrated some holy artifacts.

    Thus, Little Youning proceeded to stretch her greasy hands out to help dust away the greasy crumbs from his chest.

    While she faked her crying, she could smell the faint yet amazing scent from the body wash he had used earlier.

    It was...astoundingly arousing!

    As Little Youning opened her mouth, she had unknowingly begun...drooling.

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu was speechless at her reaction.

    Wen Xu had a slight grin on his face as he noticed this young girl was obviously extremely attracted to him since she had also forgotten the fact that she was supposed to pretend she was crying. ¡°Do you like me, Youning?¡± he teased.

    ¡°I do!¡± Little Youning answered immediately without hesitation.

    ¡°Then does that mean you¡¯ll only like me from now?¡± Wen Xu questioned further.

    ¡°Only you?¡± Little Youning seemed conflicted as she also loved her parents, her brother, her grandparents from both sides of her family, her uncles and aunts as well. She loved them all equally much.

    Wen Xu¡¯s expression dimmed and said with a sad look on his face, ¡°If you can¡¯t promise me that, I¡¯ll have no choice but to go to my room and put my shirt on then.¡±

    Upon hearing what Wen Xu said, she frantically grabbed onto Wen Xu as tightly as she physically could. She said, ¡°Wait...wait... Just wait! Stay the way that you are right now...it looks good!¡±

    Wen Xu let out a sigh and said, ¡°Since Youning loves so many people, losing me alone wouldn¡¯t be much of a difference anyway.¡±

    ¡°No no! If that¡¯s the case, then... I¡¯ll love only you then!¡± Little Youning frantically replied while hugging him even tighter.

    This toddler waspletely stuck against his chest. She was enjoying herself as she could smell the captivating scent from his body while her soft tender cheeks rubbed against his smooth skin. Her mouth was wide open, hence once again, she began drooling.

    Qi Chenglin was fuming as he watched this entire scene. This brat was only twelve and he already knew how to flirt with his beloved daughter!

    He watched his naive little girl promising him to do whatever he told her to in his arms. He knew for a fact that this little boy was head over heels, drooling for his beloved daughter.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin swiftly walked toward them then proceeded to carry his daughter out from his arms. Upon closer inspection, this young boy had just gotten out from a shower and had ended up in such an unsightly messy state.

    There were drool and grease stains all over his body. There were even some purple taro stains on his body as well.

    Wen Xu¡¯s heart was beating extremely fast the instant he stared at Qi Chenglin as he carried his daughter in his arms. This meant he was not done taking advantage of that chubby toddler. He felt slightly regretful as without the heavy weight that was just moments ago on his body, he felt unnaturally empty.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be taking a quick shower now, I¡¯ll be quick.¡± After Wen Xu said that, he turned around and headed over to the washroom.

    Little Youning was literally drooling from her mouth. ¡°Daddy,¡± she called out, ¡°I need to wash my hands.¡±

    Little Youning lifted both her arms in the air, signaling to Qi Chenglin that she indeed had to wash her hands.

    Thus, Qi Chenglin ced her down. However, this chubby toddler proceeded to run off in the same direction that Wen Xu disappeared to. She was fully intended to head over to the washroom.

 Chapter 488 - Mumu, Do You Like Me?

    <h4>Chapter 488: Mumu, Do You Like Me?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Brilliant, Captain!¡± Zhao Yiyang praised excitedly while standing up as he immediately got himself dressed in a neat suit.

    ¡°You won¡¯t mind if Ie along since Sergeant Jiang is treating everyone, right?¡± Bai Mo said as she stood by the door while taking off her oversizedb coat. She was wearing a long white dress, it made her look extremely stunning and elegant.

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded generously with a smile,menting, ¡°You worked tirelessly these couple of days as well, Dr. Bai.¡±

    ¡°Such a blessing for Dr. Bai to join us. It¡¯ll surely increase our appetite to feast now,¡± Xing Jiadong replied with a chuckle.

    While he was the fittest man in the team, this personcked any brain capacity on a daily basis and would habitually speak out his mind as bluntly as he could. There were times the words he spoke would turn out offensive and hurtful. He tended to stir unwanted trouble.

    However, every single person in his team grew ustomed to his erratic behavior.

    Zhao Yiyang grabbed onto Xing Jiadong¡¯s arm and proceeded to tease him, ¡°What do you mean? Are you saying that our Wei Muran isn¡¯t pretty enough for you?¡±

    In all honesty, judging from Wei Muran¡¯s looks alone, she genuinely looked prettier than Bai Mo.

    Based on Wei Muran¡¯s parents alone, Wei Ziwei had a peculiar face of evil and although he was currently at his middle age, he would resemble someone who was in their thirties or forties and still looked devilishly stunning. The only difference besides his age was, he had be a much stable person who still possessed the ability to stun anyone with his looks.

    Wei Ran was only a couple of years younger than Wei Ziwei and she looked as equally as stunning as her husband and would make anyone assume this woman had never aged even by the slightest bit. This couple was the very personification of devilish beauty, as if they were incapable of aging.

    Wei Muran had inherited her mother¡¯s smooth, pale elegant face. Her soft and tender skin that had a slight hint of blush on her cheeks, her face was like a freshly peeled hard-boiled egg. However, her eyes looked identical to Wei Ziqi¡¯s; a pair of captivatingly flirtatious eyes, making her already elegant and pure angelic-like appearance even more charming.

    Perhaps it was due to her young age that made her beauty less obvious. Nheless, she would bring her natural charm¡¯s full potential if she was slightly older than her current age, and that would be a nationwide catastrophe.

    Wei Ziwei¡¯s face would cause anyone¡¯s heart to grow cold by the instant, but it was his charmingly flirtatious eyes that would cause anyone to unknowingly pay little attention to his other qualities.

    Bai Mo was well-loved as well since she was also naturally beautiful, and her elegance was something every man would yearn desperately for. It was different from Wei Muran since she was still young. Wei Muran paid very little to no attention to make up since she had not reached that stage yet.

    She enjoyed wearing a T-shirt and pairing it with jeans and sneakers. All she had to do was tie her hair into a ponytail and she would be ready to head out. Although she was absolutely stunning, her casual look would be overlooked by plenty of people.

    Since she would often interact with crudeds and was often busy working tillte at night, no one was keen enough to pay any attention to Wei Muran. The only attention she received was merely a quick nce. It was only natural for everyone to think that the most beautifuldy in the entire police department was Bai Mo, who invested her time in putting on makeup and dressed elegantly.

    ¡°Oh good lord, we see Muran every single day from the first light of the day to the very end of the night. I¡¯d see her every single time I look up from my desk in the office, so I¡¯m pretty used to the way she looks. It¡¯s not like Dr. Bai; thisdy is the embodiment of elegance and beauty,¡± Xing Jiadong replied.

    ¡°Bold of you to have said that,¡± Zhang Ming snapped back at him. He then joked, ¡°Muran, why don¡¯t you put on some makeup on your way to work tomorrow, just to educate the foolish.¡±

    What exactly defined a truly beautifuldy?

    He stopped before he could finish his sentence in order to not offend Bai Mo.

    Bai Mo was never Zhang Ming¡¯s type to begin with as he thought her portrayal of herself as pretentious. He wondered if the men of the police force were all blind.

    Judging from his rtionship with Wei Muran, they could technically be counted as half a childhood friend. He was never close with her when they were little, but since it was Qi Youxuan who had brought him along every once in a while to meet up with Wei Muran, he knew Wei Muran was already extraordinarily stunning even from back then. Bai Mo could neverpare to her beauty.

    However, there was one man whose eyes were not blind.

    Zhang Ming nced over to Jiang Yuecheng and noticed he was smiling warmly and graciously to Wei Muran.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough. I believe there¡¯s no need for Wei Muran to be flooded by such high praises,¡± Jiang Yuecheng jokingly replied.

    The smile on Bai Mo¡¯s face looked stiff. Xing Jiadong was just mere moments ago praising her and now Jiang Yuecheng had told Xing Jiadong he knew nothing of true beauty,pletely devaluing her worth along with Xing Jiadong.

    Although they were all joking and having fun, there were some truths to their jokes as well.

    As everyone walked out of the station, Wei Muran noticed Qi Youxuan who was absent for a couple of days.

    He was wearing a pitch-ck windbreaker, the sleeves of the windbreaker were fluttering slightly as the fall breeze blew. Both his hands were tucked away in the pockets of his windbreaker, anchoring the windbreaker to prevent it from fluttering messily as the wind blew. The front cor was slightly swaying along with the wind.

    The way he posed was not as inhuman as a statue, but since the windbreaker was fluttering with the wind, it made him more human-like.

    Wei Muran was slightly agitated at him. He had the audacity to not contact her for two whole days.

    As she nced over to look at Qi Youxuan, and before she had decided if she wanted to ignore him, she heard a surprised voice with a slight hint of shy nervousnessing from behind her. That voice shouted, ¡°Mr. Qi!¡±

    Wei Muran turned around to look back at who was yelling. She recognized thatdy. She was a journalist known as Zhao Ruiqi.

    She used to have a crush on Jiang Yuecheng as she would always drop by their department and was also on good terms with Bai Mo. However, it was unsure of what had happened down the line, and she had stopped showing up and judging from her behavior. She had not been close to Bai Mo ever since.

    However, she had a tiny reputation for herself in the station, and it was also unclear who nicknamed her as ¡®Tiny flower¡¯. It was as if the meaning behind that nickname within the station was meant to symbolize she was lower than Bai Mo.

    ¡°What brings you here Mr. Qi? Is there another case?¡± Zhao Ruiqi approached Qi Youxuan with a cheerful smile.

    Her natural look was an adorable cheerful one since she had a baby-face, which would gain plenty of attention and love from men.

    Zhao Ruiqi had noticed Qi Youxuan for quite a while, the only thing was, she was told that he had been recruited into the police force as a specialist, since he was the one who had cracked the Huai City case, and now, he was credited to crack the serial killer case.

    There were plenty of singledies within the station who absolutely adored him since he had amazing looks, young and most importantly, single.

    The only thing was, none of them dared to talk to him, but she was bold enough to make her first move by talking to him.

    ¡°I¡¯m here for someone,¡± Qi Youxuan calmly replied.

    ¡°It¡¯s noon now. Have you had your lunch, Mr. Qi?¡± Zhao Ruiqi asked. She continued, ¡°If you haven¡¯t had any yet, could you grace ady with yourpany by sharing a meal with me?¡±

    Zhao Ruiqi blushed as she had made the first move by hinting her feelings to a guy. Even though it was not her first time doing so, this was her first time feeling so anxious. It was even more severe than her confessing to her crush back in middle school.

    She could not exin why, and although she had a huge crush on Qi Youxuan, she felt immensely tense as she stood in front of him. It was not due to her jittery feelings of love that caused her anxiety; it was caused by her irrational fear toward him.

    Zhao Ruiqi could not exin to herself why she was afraid, even though she clearly loved that man.

    When Qi Youxuan noticed Wei Muran walking out alongside Jiang Yuecheng, he hadpletely ignored the fact that she was also walking out with Zhang Ming and the other guys. At this moment, he could feel the fury of his inner beast slowly unleashing its fangs as he was tempted to kick Jiang Yuecheng aside.

    Wei Muran nced toward his direction, but it was also as if she had not noticed him and was not looking at him. His face dimmed.

    It was unsure what exactly Jiang Yuecheng had told Wei Muran to cause her to chuckle lightly. Even her eyes lit up with joy.

    ¡°Mumu!¡± Qi Youxuan called out to her as hepletely ignored Zhao Ruiqi while he walked toward them after leaving Zhao Ruiqi behind.

    Wei Muran scoffed as she pretended to not hear his call while she continued to walk alongside Jiang Yuecheng.

    It took little to no effort for Qi Youxuan to catch up with them as he grabbed onto her shoulder then proceeded to say her name as his eyebrows twitched.

    Hence, Wei Muran proceeded to turn around and she noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s sorrow-filled sad face.

    What was he sad about?

    As Zhang Ming noticed the scene, he proceeded to grab onto Zhao Yiyang and Yang Shaozhan and said, ¡°You guys go on and chat, we¡¯ll head out first.¡±

    Wei Muran pouted while remaining silent.

    Jiang Yuecheng noticed Qi Youxuan then proceeded to ask Wei Muran, ¡°Do you wannae with us?¡±

    ¡°Mumu...¡± The tone of Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice was extremely low, it was almost like a sad pitiful plea.

    As she looked up at him, she was shocked to see that Qi Youxuan was showing a pitiful expression like he used to when he was a kid. It was the same sad expression he would show every time he wanted to eat some meat. Anyone who looked at such a sad look would feel bad.

    However, now that he was an adult, he had actually pulled off that look shamelessly. Could he even feel shameful at all?

    After all, Zhang Ming and the guys were watching as well!

    Wei Muran simply told Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°Go on ahead without me first, Captain.¡±

    However, Jiang Yuecheng seemed reluctant and simply said, ¡°Call me if anything happens, alright?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted as he thought to himself just what exactly could happen with him around her. Besides, why on earth should she call Jiang Yuecheng personally if anything were to happen?

    After Jiang Yuecheng and everyone else had left, Qi Youxuan brought Wei Muran to his car and had long forgotten about Zhao Ruiqi.

    As Wei Muran sat in the car, she could still see Zhao Ruiqi standing alone in disbelief and shock while staring directly at his car. Her face was blushing and it was probably due to embarrassment.

    Wei Muran¡¯s mood had seemingly improved as she had a slight grin at the edge of her mouth. Feeling slightly evil, she said, ¡°It¡¯s not too nice of you to just leave someone standing alone out there, right?¡±

    ¡°Who?¡± Qi Youxuan hadpletely forgotten about Zhao Ruiqi¡¯s existence so there was no reaction from him. For someone so smart, his current expression looked quite dumb.

    ¡°Pretending, go on ahead, keep pretending! I refuse to believe a beautiful-looking girl that had made her first move in getting your attention would have little to no effect on your feelings. She¡¯s quite popr in our station, and thepetition for her is fierce, so you truly felt nothing?¡± As Wei Muran continued to speak, she grew increasingly frustrated and agitated as she thought about how this man could just disappear without a trace for a few days.

    As Wei Muran was done speaking, she assumed she had angered Qi Youxuan by her outburst since she had not heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice. Thus, her heart began to wrench a little.

    She was known to quite the patient girl, yet she was also spoiled by Wei Ziqi when she was a child. This resulted in her unreasonable actions at certain times.

    Ever since they were little, Qi Youxuan had always made her happy. As long as she was happy, Qi Youxuan would do absolutely anything for her. Fortunately, she had never requested anything extremely drastic as she only had the asional mood swings, and it was always up to Qi Youxuan to cheer her up.

    She felt slightly guilty after she was done speaking as she thought she sounded unreasonable.

    As she began to look up with guilt, she was greeted by Qi Youxuan¡¯s smiling face.

    ¡°Are you jealous?¡± Qi Youxuan teased while squinting his eyes as he gently nudged her. ¡°Weren¡¯t you saying that you were unsure of how you feel about me before? So it should be clear now since you¡¯re jealous.¡±

    ¡°Who...who told you that?¡± Wei Muran blushingly admitted but her heart was still unsure. The longer she thought about it, the more she realized she was actually jealous, hence her blushing face.

    ¡°I¡¯ve told you before, I¡¯lle back for my answer after this case is closed.¡± Qi Youxuan leaned closer to Wei Muran without her realizing it.

    It would be better if he had not said that. The moment he brought that up, Wei Muran was angry again. She said, ¡°Yeah I¡¯ve said that, you said after the case was closed. How many days had gone by already? You¡¯ve never contacted me at all, and now you want my answer? It¡¯s toote now!¡±

    Qi Youxuan smirked and said, ¡°It¡¯s not because I didn¡¯t want to contact you; I was dragged back into my dad¡¯spany this past couple of days. I went to France, and I knew after I finished working there, it would¡¯ve been midnight here. I had just got off the ne four in the morning earlier today, I haven¡¯t even changed the timezone back. After a change of clothes, I immediately came over.¡±

    ¡°Why did you rush toe over then? You should be resting at home.¡± Wei Muran felt guilty.

    ¡°I¡¯m dying to know your answer, right?¡± Qi Youxuan grinned, and it was unsure when Qi Youxuan ced his arm around her seat.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran finally realized he was leaning closer to her thus she instinctively leaned back. Just like that, she was backed into a corner by the seats.

    ¡°Mumu, do you like me?¡± Qi Youxuan asked with a soft voice. He continued, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare y dumb, I know you know what exactly I¡¯m talking about in the context of liking.¡±

    It was not because he was rushing for an answer. It was because he was worried that she waspletely surrounded by his enemy.

    Since Jiang Yuecheng spent every single day with her, he would see her every time he looked up or nced down. It would be impossible for him not to keeping back just to check on her. He was worried that whenever he was not around, Jiang Yuecheng would force her into a corner.

    So time is of the essence; he had to seize every second to hug his loved ones close to him.

    Otherwise, the woman he waited for twenty years would be approached by someone else, so he had to force his own hand in solving this debacle.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran¡¯s lips began to twitch nervously. ¡°I¡ª¡± She was kissed on the lips by Qi Youxuan.

    As her lips were touched by soft but moist tender lips¡ªthe moment her lips made contact with his¡ªit felt like a caterpir was crawling on her lips, causing her to have goosebumps all over her body.

 Chapter 489 - [Interlude] Youning Vs Wenxu Donâ€™t Order If Unacceptable

    <h4>Chapter 489: [Interlude] Youning Vs Wenxu Don¡¯t Order If Uneptable</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning waited and waited; she had been waiting for the day she would enter elementary school. The first of September was the day she could finally proudly put on the Jixia High School uniform.

    Six-year-old Little Youning was no longer as chubby and round as when she was three or four after her father¡¯s painful and arduous struggle. However, she still looked slightly chubby and although she was not skinny, a kid at this age looked extremely adorable with a body shape like that.

    However, through the eyes of the children around her age, no kid was interested in the other gender as the boys who were around six or seven years old only enjoyed looking at girls who were skinny and white. Although Little Youning was white, she could not be considered skinny.

    Even the girls around her age loved girls who were white and skinny. However, they were not pretty enough for the boys. After all, they only cared about being skinny and their average looks never exactly bothered them. Little Youning never quite fit that group either.

    Although she was chubby, she was indeed pretty.

    Being trapped in the middle as she could not exactly fit in with these groups was quite awkward, but this never exactly bothered Little Youning. After all, Little Xicheng was in the same ss as her, hence she had a friend.

    Both Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen brought their beloved daughter to school together on the first day of school. Since Ruan Danchen had sent Qi Youxuan to school back then before, she was quite calm this time. She felt some feelings of motherly pride for finally sending her daughter to school.

    Both families had seemingly arrived at the same time.

    As they parked their car, Cheng Dongge was already there, and the entire family was walking toward them to send their kids to school with Qi Chenglin and his family.

    Both little toddlers were excitedly talking to each other as Little Xicheng gestured to Little Youning telling her toe closer. Both girls were facing each other as if they were whispering something.

    ¡°Let me tell you something, Ningning: Muche said to not judge Wen Xu based on his cold persona since he¡¯s apparently extremely popr in school. Who knows what girls these days are thinking. They somehow like guys like him, that cold demeanor, to the extent of actually making the first move in their pursuit of love. Love letters aren¡¯t a thing; they¡¯re bold enough to confess to him. They¡¯ve stopped him in the hallway, give him food and drinks then seize the opportunity to get closer to him. Of course, Wen Xu was never the type to actually be excited at anything, since Muche had witnessed this happen several times already.¡±

    Wei Muche was older than them by two years, so he was now in third grade in Jixia High School, so before Little Youning had entered this school, he had volunteered to be their spy.

    Upon hearing what Little Xicheng had said, Little Youning grew increasingly frantic as her tiny round face pouted. She then muttered, ¡°Weren¡¯t they, weren¡¯t they afraid at all? Since he never smiled, and people who didn¡¯t smile looked scary. I, I thought I¡¯m the only one who¡¯s able to handle that.¡±

    Little Xicheng, at least, was not too keen on getting close to Wen Xu.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know his true identity! Wen Xu¡¯s temper and his background alone would absolutely scare anyone. Have you not noticed even some adults are scared of him?¡± Little Xicheng exined.

    Little Youning nodded in agreement, it was all because of her, she was never worried about anything before.

    ¡°However, I heard from uncle Wen that in order to ensure Wen Xu¡¯s safety, only our family knew about his past and identity. All the other kids had absolutely no idea who he really is, so all they could see was his emotionless, cold face. Because of this, they¡¯re not afraid of him and instead, assumed he looked cool,¡± Little Xicheng whispered.

    Lil Youning was furious. He had agreed to be her servant before, did he not? He had also told her that he would only love her? How could he flirt with other women?

    What happened to agreeing to be her servant? What happened to only loving her alone?

    As Little Youning grew increasingly agitated, she too was increasingly frantic. While pinching her own belly, she said, ¡°Men aren¡¯t reliable at all! A little temptation would tempt them to extend their reach outward to more women.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Little Xicheng was speechless.

    Thus, their group walked toward the main entrance of the school. However, they noticed standing by the main door of the school was an elegant looking young teenager, donned on his body was the uniform of Jixia High School. The way he wore his uniform made him look extremely handsome; he could unt the elegance of a fourteen to fifteen-year-old teenage boy.

    As the ck Chinese Tunic Suit was draped on his skin, it made him seem even cleaner and whiter. His expression was as cold as the winter snow, as even his eyes seemed lifeless. It was cold and terrifying to anyone.

    Since it was the first day of the new semester, an ocean of people was gathered at the main entrance of the school. Plenty of parents sent their children to school as it was the first day of school. These parents were exceptionally worried and anxious so they gathered by the door, watching their children enter the schoolyard. It was only after that were they able to rx.

    Thus, these parents noticed an emotionless and cold person standing by the door of the school. They were curious as to who this kid¡¯s parents were as he had such odd behavior.

    It was even stranger since there was also a well-dressed man who had a serious look on his face standing behind this teenage boy. Although that man had amazing looks, it would be wise to not bother that man at all.

    Judging from the stance of this man, he seemed like a bodyguard.

    However, no matter how strong the family background of anyone who was studying in Jixia High School, no one in their right mind would bring their bodyguard along to school, hence it was strange.

    As strange as the situation was, when Little Youning noticed that odd-looking teenage boy, she immediately rushed toward him. Like a small tiger, she pounced at him.

    She was a lot skinnier than she used to, but there was still some mass left in her. Since she never enjoyed any sports, she could not jump too high, so she looked like a tiny ball bouncing on the pavement.

    Wen Xu was already used to that. The moment he noticed her lunging toward her, he would pick her up almost naturally and ce her on hisp.

    ¡°Tell me Wen Xu: have you flirted with anyone else before I came?¡± Little Youning pointed at him furiously with her chubby little hands.

    The six-year-old had an expression of ady hunting down her cheating partner. However, it was not in any way intimidating. It was moreical instead.

    However, Wen Xu neverughed as he simply replied, ¡°Nope. I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡±

    Little Youning was instantly charmed by that single reply. She opened her mouth with pride but instantly held back her smile and began pouting again. Once again, she asked with a furious tone, ¡°Don¡¯t you think for a second that by acting this way, I won¡¯t be mad? Tell me, have you held hands with anyone else?¡±

    ¡°Nope, only yours,¡± Wen Xu replied with an extremely honest look. Anyone would totally be convinced by whatever he said.

    The edge of Little Youning¡¯s mouth twitched a little to form a slight grin. She asked, ¡°What, what about hugs? Have you hugged anyone else?¡±

    Wen Xu shook his head once more and replied, ¡°Nope, only you. Not even guys. The only person I¡¯ve hugged was Wen Ming, but it¡¯s a rare thing as well.¡±

    ¡°Yes, so I¡¯m the only person that had received the most hugs from you then, right?¡± Little Youning felt proud asking that. She held up her head while her tiny waist was protruding outward, forcing her position in Wen Xu¡¯sp higher. She had even forced out her tiny belly.

    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Wen Xu nodded seriously. This was all the truth, he was not coaxing her.

    ¡°Then, then...you¡¯re not allowed to hug anyone else, touch anyone else, or be touched by anyone in the future, alright? If any girls wanna hold your hands, you...you¡¯ll...¡± After Little Youning contemted for a while, she said, ¡°Punch, punch her! You¡¯re skilled in martial arts, right? No mercy, punch anyone who dares touch you, do you understand?¡±

    ¡°Alright.¡± Wen Xu nodded.

    Little Youning was ecstatic at this moment, her eyes were literally squinting as she patted Wen Xu¡¯s head with extremely inted pride. ¡°Good boy,¡± she chirped.

    She truly had acent servant. He was even better than Muche.

    Her actions surprised Wen Xu as hints of life flickered through both his eyes. However, he remained silent. The only thing was the cold, emotionless bodyguard that was standing behind Wen Xu cringed a little. He felt Little Youning was being inhumanly unreasonable.

    ¡°I heard someone had confessed their feelings to you in school.¡± Little Youning had no intention of dropping this subject so easily.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, don¡¯t care,¡± Wen Xu casually replied.

    Little Youning smiled wider while her eyes were squinting harder. She knew this meant although the girls had confessed to him, he had actually ignored them all.

    ¡°I had also heard that someone pretended to bump into you, just to get a chance to fool around with you,¡± Little Youning said.

    Wen Xu took a quick nce at her. He already knew this little girl¡¯s mood had improved; she was simply asking to make herself feel even better, so he happily denied them all.

    Hence, Wen Xu proceeded to answer with an emotionless look on his face, ¡°I don¡¯t know, didn¡¯t see them.¡±

    Little Youning was incredibly satisfied. This meant that no matter how hard anyone tried to get his attention, he wouldpletely ignore them.

    Her servant truly was incredible!

    Little Youning giggled andughed in response. Her high-pitched voice was amazingly soothing. It was like beads of pearls falling on a jaded te. Anyone who had heard herughter would feel incredibly blessed and happy.

    Staring at his cold, emotionless face, Little Youning extended her tiny chubby hands to touch his face. She said, ¡°Then...then, show me a smile!¡±

    This sounded like a cringy couple who were flirting in broad daylight.

    Little Xicheng covered her face as she could not bear to watch this scene. Little Youning was into a Chinese fantasy drama series recently. She kept calling her at night to discuss the plot of the series.

    The edge of Wen Xu¡¯s mouth twitched a little. He never enjoyed smiling, but it was as if he hadpletely lost himself or for theck of a better word, gone insane. He was tempted tough whenever Little Youning had managed to tease him. He had always grinned. It was not even obvious.

    At this moment, he forced a smile. It seemed painful, as though his entire face was cramping up. It never resembled anything close to a smile.

    However, before he could go any further, Little Youning said, ¡°Alright, alright. Forget about it, don¡¯t smile. If you had to smile, smile at me in private, don¡¯t let anyone else see your smile.¡±

    There were too many people here at the moment. By having an emotionless face alone, he had already managed to attract way too many girls. If he had smiled, the entire situation would without a doubt spiral out of control.

    ¡°Alright,¡± Wen Xu answered without the need of hesitation. To Little Youning¡¯s requests, he had never once said no.

    Little Youning was extremely happy.

    ¡°Although you weren¡¯t in school back then, I¡¯ve never once flirted with another human. I¡¯ll never allow anyone to touch me in future. I¡¯ll never hug anyone else but you. Anyone who confessed to me, got close to me or flirts with me, will only be met with my brutally merciless ignore. So are you satisfied with my performance?¡± Wen Xu asked.

    ¡°Outstanding!¡± Little Youning replied as she nodded.

    ¡°Then, shouldn¡¯t you reward me?¡± Wen Xu pointed at his cheeks.

    Little Youning felt nothing wrong with kissing a beautiful, handsome young man since it was also indirectly a bonus for her. There was no reason for her to reject his offer!

    As she drooled and got ready to kiss him, she was suddenly carried away by someone.

    Qi Chenglin had an extremely murderous look on his face as he carried his daughter away from this kid. If he was a second toote, his daughter would have been taken advantage of already.

    He could only think about how much his daughter had been taken advantage of when he was not around. He was tempted to punch that kid!

 Chapter 490 - Itâ€™s Only Natural For Me To Kiss My Girlfriend

    <h4>Chapter 490: It¡¯s Only Natural For Me To Kiss My Girlfriend</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Do you like me?¡± Qi Youxuan asked in a whisper, though his voice became deafening as he whispered to the edge of her mouth.

    He was extremely close to her. It was close enough for him to actually kiss her lips whenever he spoke. The coarse, low echoes of his voice reverberated through her lips.

    Wei Muran¡¯s eyes were wide open as she blushed heavily while keeping her lips sealed tight.

    It was only when she was trapped within his tight warm cuddles did she truly notice the once chubby little kid had grown to be utterly attractive and elegant. The mild milky scent that once lingered on his chest had vanished too; it had evolved into a unique masculine personal scent, unique to him. His firm chest was extremely close to her eyes, fully disyed before her, causing her to almost suffocate from how firm it was.

    ¡°You...You need to ask more appropriately. Don¡¯te so close to me!¡± Wei Muran struggled to speak as she pushed Qi Youxuan away.

    However, her lips were once again sealed shut by a much heavier and stronger kiss. It was tighter and longer than before.

    ¡°Say you like me,¡± he never bothered to ask this time.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was speechless.

    Before she could even react, Qi Youxuan kissed her once more. ¡°Hurry up and say it,¡± he spoke with urgency. ¡°Say you like me, or I¡¯ll keep kissing you. I¡¯ll kiss you till you admit it.¡±

    The instant he finished that sentence, he gave her another tight kiss.

    Wei Muran¡¯s lips grew warmer from the series of unrelenting kisses, and even her ears felt warm. She proceeded to grab onto the cor of his shirt with both hands as she leaned onto his shoulder, burying herself into the nape of his neck.

    ¡°Stop kissing, stop kissing!¡± Wei Muran blushed heavily as she relented, ¡°I like you, I like you, alright? Stop kissing already!¡±

    However, he instead gently held her face and gave her a much heavier andpassionate kiss, his lips locked onto her lips tightly. Wei Muran felt he was pushing her down onto the seat as she felt the back of her head slightly hurting.

    He then proceeded to support her head with his hand while holding her with the other. She was resting on his palm while his palm was in between her head and the car¡¯s window. Thus, she would not be in pain as they kissed increasingly heavier and more passionately.

    His breath filled her entire mouth, and just like that, he hadpletely imed her to be his own as she mixed his saliva with hers. As of right now, there was no longer any difference between their saliva. His breath felt refreshing; it was as if he had chewed on some gum earlier before they began kissing. There was a mix of a slight hint of mint and his natural smell from his breath. It smelled nice to her.

    After a painful long while, Qi Youxuan released her lips. He still held her tight in his embrace; both her arms werepletely wrapped within his strong ones and she could not move an inch.

    He proceeded to kiss her from the edge of her lips to her earlobes, then down to her lips, eyes and ears. Needless to say, he kissed every inch of her face.

    Due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s flurry of kisses, she felt increasingly numb and an urge to scratch an itch. She was nervously embarrassed as not a single person had never treated her this way ever since she was little.

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you¡¯d stop kissing me?¡± Wei Muran stared at him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve already said you liked me, so that means you¡¯re now officially my girlfriend. It¡¯s only natural for me to kiss my girlfriend!¡± Qi Youxuan replied confidently. He then added, ¡°I¡¯m now allowed to kiss you however I want.¡±

    As he spoke, he proceeded to lean in to kiss her on her lips again.

    Feeling unsatisfied after he had just released her, he proceeded to kiss her again.

    Wei Muran could feel herself internally burning after his series of unrelenting kisses. As she noticed he was about to begin kissing her again, she immediately covered his mouth with her hands and argued, ¡°That¡¯s enough, that¡¯s enough. You...¡±

    As her hands were blocking the lower half of his face, he proceeded to unleash an extremely deadly gaze as he stared right at her. Those watery, adorable eyes. WIth that look alone, not a single soul would be able to resist this powerful expression of his.

    This man had the audacity to act so shamelessly as an adult!

    Seizing this opportunity, he grabbed onto her hands and proceeded to kiss her palm, then coquettishly cuddled to her while heid his head on her shoulder and nuzzled against her nape.

    Qi Youxuan would never admit he had learned this technique from his mother.

    His father would submit to his mother¡¯s will every time his mother used this technique. His father would promise her anything with that single technique alone.

    Hence, Qi Youxuan nuzzled Wei Muran¡¯s adorable sweet-scented nape with his amazingly handsome nose. Every nuzzle was filled with him releasing his warm, irresistible breath onto Wei Muran¡¯s neck, causing her to blush harder.

    Qi Youxuan then hugged Wei Muran in an extremely coquettish manner and said, ¡°Mumu, are you hungry?¡±

    Fighting through her blushing state, she anxiously replied, ¡°Yeah.¡± Qi Youxuan immediately said, ¡°Let¡¯s look for Zhang Ming and the guys.¡±

    ¡°I initially intended to join everyone for a decent meal since Sergeant Jiang wanted to reward us for working so hard for thest couple of days, but if you¡¯re toe along though, I¡¯m just worried it might not be appropriate though, right?¡± Wei Muran looked at Qi Youxuan hesitantly, since Xing Jiadong would explode like a funeral pyre the instant heid his eyes on Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°How would it be inappropriate? I¡¯m now already part of your family.¡± Qi Youxuan replied confidently but his expression suddenly morphed into a depressed look. He said, ¡°Do you not intend to acknowledge me at all now? Do you intend to hide me away from them, secretly dating me as a cheating couple would? Mumu, you need to be responsible now, you can¡¯t sin so far!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was speechless.

    In Wei Muran¡¯s silence, Qi Youxuan proceeded to push on his sad, depressing facade even further. He covered his mouth and recoiled back a couple of inches while staring at her with an extremely depressing look. He said, ¡°Mumu, is this really how you think? How sad for me to think all my hard work and effort actually paid off finally. It¡¯s depressing to think, after 23 years of me patiently waiting, and you had finally acknowledged me as your boyfriend, only to...unexpectedly...be...¡±

    Qi Youxuan turned around as his shoulders began to tremble.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran waspletely speechless at this point. She said, ¡°Please don¡¯t let anyone look at how pathetic you are now. No one would believe you¡¯re actually working in a professional field...¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re not ¡®anyone else¡¯!¡± Qi Youxuan said in a pouting tone. He added, ¡°I don¡¯t find the need to act all manly and put on a masculine show just for you. I don¡¯t care, Mumu. Whenever I¡¯m with you, I¡¯m never gonna be someone else. I¡¯ve never put on a false persona in front of you, so you know my true self now. You can¡¯t abandon me now!¡±

    As he spoke, a sudden thud could be heard as he suddenly lunged into Wei Muran before hugging her extremely tight. He was nuzzling violently against Wei Muran¡¯s neck. He then said, ¡°Oh my god, Mumu, look at how sad my life is! My girlfriend never wanted to officiate our rtionship. I¡¯ll be drowning in shame if anyone knew about this. I, a tall, strong man will forever be living in shame! How can I possibly show my face in public now?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran had no words to say to him as she pushed his face away. She then said, ¡°I¡¯ll tell you this. Look at how much you¡¯ve said to me, would it be okay if I bring you along with me then?¡±

    Upon hearing that, Qi Youxuan immediately released her and instantly started his car and said, ¡°Lead the way.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was speechless.

    ...

    Wei Muran was unsure where the spot would be herself. She initially intended to follow Jiang Yuecheng yet all she could do right now was call Zhang Ming for the restaurant¡¯s exact location. It was near the station.

    ¡°Strange, I thought you¡¯d be eating with Qi Youxuan? I thought you weren¡¯ting,¡± Zhang Ming said.

    ¡°Sigh, I had to go.¡± Wei Muran took a quick nce at Qi Youxuan as she was unsure how exactly she would be able to exin the situation to everyone. She felt this meal would cause a lot of hate among everyone.

    ¡°Youxuan was willing to release you and allowed you to join us?¡± Zhang Ming¡¯s voice sounded skeptical.

    ¡°Where exactly is that spot?¡± Qi Youxuan spoke louder on purpose.

    Zhang Ming squirmed and said, ¡°I heard Youxuan¡¯s voice. Are you guys together?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯lle by together.¡± Wei Muran frantically replied and before Zhang Ming could probe further, she hung up the call.

    ...

    As the duo arrived at the restaurant, Wei Muran told the receptionist Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s name and was led to a private room. Everyone was shocked when they noticed the duo was holding hands as they walked in.

    Bai Mo grinned and stared directly at Jiang Yuecheng who was sitting beside her.

    ¡°It¡¯spletely fine for me to shamelessly join you guys, right?¡± As Qi Youxuan said that, he led Wei Muran to her seat and proceeded to sit down next to her. His question seemed insincere.

    Xing Jiadong had saved Wei Muran a seat next to him yet it was taken by Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Could you move to your side slightly, Lil¡¯ Xing, Mumu needs a seat as well,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Xing Jiadong snarkily replied, ¡°We never invited you though.¡±

    He was older than Qi Youxuan, and to be called Lil¡¯ Xing by him was extremely insulting!

    ¡°Good lord, you can¡¯t say that,¡± Qi Youxuan responded arrogantly. He then added, ¡°Besides, it was me who had helped you guys crack that case. Who knew how long it¡¯d take if you were in charge? Also, I¡¯ming over as Mumu¡¯s family today. Oh my god, you¡¯re so petty! Right, Lil¡¯ Jiang?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng cringed. Him being here was boring enough, and being called Lil¡¯ Jiang was quite inappropriate.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang is older than you,¡± Xing Jiadong snapped at him.

    Qi Youxuan acted surprised and said, ¡°Oh really? How much older then?¡±

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang is 29 now,¡± Xing Jiadong replied casually.

    ¡°God damn, that¡¯s old!¡± Qi Youxuan acted mockingly surprised while ncing toward Wei Muran. That nce meant Jiang Yuecheng was much older than Wei Muran.

    It would be fine if he was as dull as Zhao Yiyang and Yang Shaozhan. Although Xing Jiadong was dull, it was no secret he was unbendingly loyal to Jiang Yuecheng. Zhang Ming was cunning and it was also no secret, Bai Mo, on the other hand, would only fall victim to these bunch of thirty bachelors. What Qi Youxuan had meant was incredibly obvious; it was obviously mocking Xing Jiadong to be too old for Wei Muran.

    The only thing was that Wei Muran was oblivious to how Jiang Yuecheng felt, hence she nudged Qi Youxuan.

 Chapter 491 - Murder In The Secret Room Of The Dormitory

    <h4>Chapter 491: Murder In The Secret Room Of The Dormitory</h4>

    Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan arrogantly said, ¡°Mumu, remember to respect Sergeant Jiang even more next time. Remember to call him Uncle Jiang when you meet him again!¡±

    Every single person fell intomon silence.

    It seemed they had underestimated the extent of how truly shameless Qi Youxuan could be.

    As the meal was served, Qi Youxuan immediately served Wei Muran some food and had even picked out the tiny fish bones for her. As long as Wei Muran could eatfortably, it never bothered him much. There was no need for Wei Muran to do anything on her own other than using her chopsticks and drinking water.

    Wei Muran felt guilty and whispered, ¡°It¡¯s fine, go ahead and eat, alright?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s my sole responsibility to take care of my girlfriend,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he picked out the tiny fish bones for Wei Muran while shamelessly tilting his head to the side. ¡°I know Mumu cares about me the most,¡± he added.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran could no longer contain herself, pinching him with all her might and rebuked him, ¡°You... Behave yourself now!¡±

    Everyone else witnessing this scene cringed extremely hard. Zhang Ming felt like puking but knew nothing he said would even go through Qi Youxuan¡¯s head, so he had no choice but to continue resisting the urge to do so. Of course, he kept staring at Qi Youxuan with an unrelenting judgemental gaze.

    Qi Youxuan never noticed his stares and instead nced over at Wei Muran with an extremely depressing look. ¡°It¡¯s an arduous journey for me to gain this official acknowledgment from you,¡± whined Qi Youxuan, ¡°can¡¯t you allow me to show off a little?¡±

    ¡°You...you had your fun now!¡± Wei Muran red at him. She then said, ¡°If you keep this up, I¡¯ll ignore you!¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, alright.¡± Qi Youxuan frantically ced some food on her te. He then coaxed, ¡°Don¡¯t get mad alright, Mumu?¡±

    ...

    After that meal, everyone proceeded to head back home.

    Since Wei Muran knew Qi Youxuan was still suffering from jeg and that he was extremely tired, she vehemently told him to rest, adamant on not going on a date with him at this moment.

    On the other hand, Qi Youxuan was aware of how hard Wei Muran had worked on this case, all the all-nighters she had pulled, and the hectic schedule which forced her to wake up extremely early. He never objected too much so he drove her back home.

    Wei Ziqi was still working in his office at this moment so she was not worried about Wei Ziqi running into them.

    As the car was parked by the entrance of her home, and the instant Wei Muran unbuckled her seatbelt, Qi Youxuan suddenly hugged her tightly.

    It was as if Qi Youxuan was hugging a body pillow, literally cuddling up to her and nuzzling against her entirely. He then said, ¡°Mumu, why don¡¯t you sleep with me in the car for a bit? It feels too good hugging you, I really wanna sleep now.¡±

    The tone of Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice sounded really exhausted and tired. He did not move an inch the instant he hugged her, copsing into Wei Muran¡¯s body.

    Wei Muran actually assumed he was asleep at this moment thus she did not dare move an inch, allowing him to cuddle with her. Nheless, she was ufortable in this state.

    As she tried to move to a slightly morefortable position, Qi Youxuan would crawl up to her, making her even more ufortable.

    Qi Youxuan had only intended to act coquettishly to her, but he noticed Wei Muran had not moved an inch. It was incredibly quiet and after smelling the amazing scent that was emanating from Wei Muran¡¯s body, he genuinely fell asleep.

    This nap alone was two hours long; Wei Muran too had napped for a little while.

    Qi Youxuan was the first to wake up. He noticed Wei Muran¡¯s eyes were shut tight and was sleeping peacefully. He noticed her soft, tender white skin had a slight subtle hint of blush. It was as if her skin waspletely transparent.

    Qi Youxuan chuckled before sneakily kissing her lips.

    As she felt a slight itch on the edge of her lips, she gave it a gentle scratch before slowly opening her eyes. The instant she opened up her eyes, she was greeted with Qi Youxuan¡¯s incredibly close-up face.

    Startled, her face blushed almost immediately as she shoved his face to the side. ¡°What the hell are you leaning so close to me for? You scared the life outta me.¡±

    Qi Youxuan shamelessly leaned back at her while puckering his lips, begging for a kiss. However, after doing so, his expression morphed into a strange look.

    Wei Muran felt odd as she noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s line of sight was a little weird, so she turned around to find Wei Ran standing beside the car with arms crossed, seemingly teasing them as she stared.

    Wei Muran immediately shoved him aside and got out of the car. The instant she got down, she rushed to grab onto her mother¡¯s arm and said, ¡°Heheh, mom, what are you doing out here?¡±

    ¡°I was about to do some work in organizing my garden when I saw a car that resembled Qi Youxuan¡¯s parked right out the door when I did, so I decided to head outside to investigate.¡± As Wei Ran exined, Youxuan had also got out of his car.

    Qi Youxuan proceeded to walk toward her. He said with an extremely sweet voice along with a clean and wide smile, ¡°Mom!¡±

    Wei Ran smirked but there was not exactly a huge reaction from her. After all, she was used to Qi Youxuan calling her mother-inw. She was unsure if he had done it on purpose, but it was no-brainer she was brainwashed by the way he addressed her ever since he was little.

    Fortunately for them, Wei Ziqi was not present with them. If he had noticed them, this shameless brat would end up beaten and bruised all over before sending him back home.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯ve already sent her home, you¡¯ll need to head on back for some rest too, you know?¡± Wei Ran said. She added, ¡°Your father returns quite early from work recently, and he¡¯ll run into you both the longer you two stand out here.¡±

    Wei Muran stuck out her tongue at Qi Youxuan. Qi Youxuan was also aware that he should not rush things with Wei Ziqi so he walked over to Wei Ran¡¯s side and proceeded to grab onto her shoulders and whined in a sad, depressing tone, ¡°Mom, when Dades hometer, you¡¯ll have to put in some good word for me, okay? You¡¯ll have to hurry up and help me officiate our rtionship okay. Otherwise, I¡¯ll be left without any official status within our family, and I¡¯d feel so conflicted!¡±

    Staring at Qi Youxuan¡¯s sad look, Wei Ran could not help but grace him with some motherly love.

    She patted Qi Youxuan¡¯s hand and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you worry. No matter what happens, it¡¯s best for me to give him some prep time and some heads up first. This will allow him to be fully prepared, so when the timees, he wouldn¡¯t react too drastically.¡±

    As he thought about his father-inw, Qi Youxuan felt slightly anxious. He said, ¡°You¡¯re the best, Mom. Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ll make sure I¡¯ll treat you extremely well in the future.¡±

    Wei Ran chuckled as she waspletely charmed by Qi Youxuan.

    After sending Qi Youxuan, Wei Ran brought Wei Muran home as they walked side by side. She proceeded to gently poke Wei Muran¡¯s nose and said, ¡°I knew it! I¡¯ve always known he¡¯d win your heart.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god, Mom. Was I truly... that easy to be won over? I¡¯ve made him wait for over 20 years now, you know!¡± Wei Muran replied with a pride-filled tone.

    Wei Ran nodded in content. She said, ¡°That¡¯s great that he¡¯s decided on you since he was a child. Otherwise, judging from your dad¡¯s attitude and temper, I believe he¡¯d actually want you to not marry anyone.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was speechless.

    That possibility was not too far-fetched.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan returned home in order to retune his body¡¯s natural circadian rhythm. Of course, it was never a one-day recovery as he had taken a long nap at noon, coupled with his flight back home from Europe. It was morning over in Europe, and he had also taken a nap in flight since he was bored. He thus became wide awake in the middle of the night. He only felt tired when it was three in the morning.

    He was gued by severe insomnia yet was too afraid of disturbing Wei Muran. Eventually, he fell asleep after a long and painful struggle. He was too tired to wake up in the day.

    The ring of his ringtone woke him from his slumber, and he initially intended to ignore the call and wanted to just hang up. His hands had already reached his phone but as he seemingly recalled something, he immediately struggled to open his eyes. Before his vision focused, he could see the name ¡®Mumu¡¯ disyed on his screen. Hence, he immediately picked up the call.

    ¡°Mumu, do you need to head to work? Just wait for me, I¡¯ll drive you there.¡± Qi Youxuan got out of bed to collect himself as he spoke.

    ¡°No, Sergeant Jiang called me earlier, told me a male victim had died in University A.¡± Judging from Wei Muran¡¯s tone, she too sounded groggy, a proof she had also been awakened by a phone call.

    He knew for fact that she had also been told about this incident and had called him immediately. Qi Youxuan¡¯s smile was wide enough to touch the very edge of his ears.

    ¡°We¡¯re leaving now, and we¡¯ll be gathering in University A,¡± said Wei Muran.

    ¡°Just wait for me, I¡¯ll pick you up from your house,¡± Qi Youxuan replied as he jumped off his bed and started to get ready.

    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. Jiang Yuecheng told me that he¡¯s going to University A with me since he¡¯s going the same route,¡± Wei Muran replied.

    ¡°Colleague, Wei Muran!¡± Wei Muran was startled by the serious tone Qi Youxuan used on her. Although Qi Youxuan could not see it, Wei Muran sat up from her bed the instant she heard that tone through the phone call.

    ¡°What...what¡¯s wrong?¡± Wei Muran was shocked; he had never used that tone with her, even from when they were children.

    ¡°You have a boyfriend now, how could you allow another man to drive you?¡± Especially when that man had clear feelings for you.

    However, he had only kept thest bit of the sentence to himself, since he dared not to tell Wei Muran. If Wei Muran knew about how Jiang Yuecheng felt about her, he would have done him a favor.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang told me he¡¯d also be picking up Xing Jiadong. It¡¯s on the same route anyway,¡± Wei Muran replied in a soft tone. However, she had never doubted anything Qi Youxuan had told her ever since she was little. Most of the time, whatever he said turned out to be true, which resulted in her currentck of resistance.

    ¡°Heheh,¡± Qi Youxuan chuckled. He knew Jiang Yuecheng would be alone in that car when he would arrive.

    When that happened, he would have said that something turned up for Xing Jiadong, so he took off to University A first.

    Such a pathetic, shameless man to push someone into a corner.

    ¡°I¡¯ll call him and tell him you¡¯ll be picking me up then,¡± Wei Muran said.

    Feeling extremely satisfied with her reply, Qi Youxuan swiftly got ready then proceeded to drive over to Wei Ziqi¡¯s house. However, upon his arrival, he was shocked to see Jiang Yuecheng had still shown up at the door.

    Wei Muran was awkwardly waiting with him, thus, Qi Youxuan immediately got out of the car with a huge smile on his face.

    ¡°What a coincidence, Sergeant Jiang,¡± Qi Youxuan said with a huge smile.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s on the same route anyway, so I decided to drive Muran to University A with me,¡± Jiang Yuecheng replied with a cold expression.

 Chapter 492 - How Shameless To Have Reacted With Such Joy After Being Kissed By A Man

    <h4>Chapter 492: How Shameless To Have Reacted With Such Joy After Being Kissed By A Man</h4>

    ¡°Yes indeed, Mumu told me earlier, and I¡¯ve also told her that I¡¯ll be driving her instead, I didn¡¯t expect Sergeant Jiang to be someone so stubborn.¡± Qi Youxuan said with a chuckle. Ignoring himpletely, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go, Mumu.¡±

    Wei Muran looked at Jiang Yuecheng with regret as she felt Jiang Yuecheng had wasted his timeing over, however, she ended up following Qi Youxuan.

    However, a voice could heard that had indirectly chilled Qi Youxuan¡¯s heart to the core. The voice said, ¡°Wait just a second!¡±

    As he turned around, he saw Wei Ziqiing out of the house. Following behind him was Wei Muche who was ready to carpool to school. Upon noticing Qi Youxuan, he winked at him with a smile, then sneakily gestured behind Wei Ziqi¡¯s back as a signal to face his father head on.

    ¡°The both you can stop fighting now, she¡¯s my daughter and I¡¯ll be sending to school.¡± Wei Ziqi stared at Qi Youxuan as if he was stopping a thief. He added, ¡°Since Muche will be heading over to University A anyway.¡±

    Qi Youxuan dared not to call Wei Ziqi ¡®father¡¯ yet, since Wei Ziqi had traumatized him as a child, hence he had been emotionally scared.

    However, Qi Youxuan was unbending, he shamelessly said, ¡°If that¡¯s the case, I can send both Muche and Mumu to school, since we¡¯ll be going to University A anyway.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s mouth was slightly twitching as he held back the urge to call Wei Ziqi ¡®Dad¡¯, he then said, ¡°You can head over to your office directly, how awesome is that.¡±

    ¡°Heheh.¡± Wei Ziqi chuckled with a smug look on his face. All while unwilling to allow Qi Youxuan to have his way. He told Wei Muran and Wei Muche, ¡°What are you two still standing there for? Get in the car.¡±

    Wei Muche smirked teasingly at Qi Youxuan, Wei Muran on the other hand gave him a sympathetic look as she followed Wei Ziqi into his car.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Wei Muran with an extremely sad look as he watched Wei Ziqi drive her away from him.

    Wei Ran walked toward Qi Youxuan and patted his shoulders. She said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll talk to him when he gets back.¡±

    Last night, she had only hinted at the idea of them dating to Wei Ziqi, she never even mentioned Qi Youxuan¡¯s name and Wei Ziqi replied, ¡°Qi Youxuan, that brat must be dreaming to think he¡¯ll be able to date my daughter!¡±

    ¡°Mom, you¡¯ll need to help out!¡± Qi Youxuan pleaded with a sad tone.

    Wei Ran¡¯s heart was instantly melted as she stared at Qi Youxuan¡¯s sad look. Hence, without even hesitating, she agreed to help him.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan, Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Ziqi had all arrived at the main entrance of University A. Since Wei Ziqi was an outsider, he was unable to drive his car through the gates. However, all Jiang Yuecheng had to do was show his ID and he was able to drive through without a hitch.

    Hence Wei Ziqi looked frustrated, he grunted and reluctantly allowed Wei Muran get onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s car

    Qi Youxuan stood in front of him with an awkward smile as he looked at how furious Wei Ziqi looked, it was as if Qi Youxuan was trying to suck up to him after he had benefited from him!

    ¡°How could you not even tell me that you¡¯reing over to University A, brother? You could¡¯ve offered me a ride since it¡¯s on the same route anyway, you¡¯re so awful!¡± A high-pitcheddy-like voice could be hearding from behind him. Judging from the tone of the voice, thatdy seemed furious.

    The instant Qi Youxuan turned around to look, he noticed an SUV was parked next to his car and Qi Youning had just got down the car and was staring at him furiously.

    As Qi Youning grew older, her body was no longer as chubby as she once was, since she had slimmed down significantly. She was now truly an elegant and stunning youngdy as she seemed to be an active and cheerful person.

    He then noticed a young man also was getting out of the car at a painfully slow pace. He was wearing a suit, making his body stand out even more. As it would be a rare sight for anymon-folk to see an elegant looking young man paired along with an exceptionally handsome look.

    Qi Youxuan proceeded to take a quick nce at the young man. He then said, ¡°Isn¡¯t that your ride?¡±

    If he was to rob Wen Xu of his girl, Wen Xu would stop at nothing to stop him.

    The sheer mention of that emotionless, cold young man, Qi Youning¡¯s mood instantly improved as she held her head high and said, ¡°Of course! Only Ah Xu treats me the best!¡±

    Wen Xu who was standing behind her cracked a gentle smile while his eyes were solely focused on Qi Youning, as if everyone else was never present in the first ce.

    However Qi Youning was quick to go back on her words.She proceeded to reply, ¡°But, you can¡¯t just go on your day without even mentioning! Even if Ah Xu was sending me to school, you should also care about your sister you know?¡±

    ¡°Alright, alright, alright. I¡¯ll care for you better next time.¡± Qi Youxuan replied in attempts tofort her while shooting a look to Wen Xu who was standing behind Qi Youning at that moment, assuring him that he would never even think about stealing his girl from him.

    Wen Xu who had a frustrated look on his face just mere moments ago, grew into a much delightful look the moment he noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s subtle hint.

    Thus, Wei Ziqi could finally drive back to his office with his own car as both Wei Muran and Wei Muche got onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s car. Since Wen Xu too was unable to drive past the gate and into the campus, Qi Youning proceeded to catch a ride in Qi Youxuan¡¯s car as well.

    Before he got in his car, Wen Xu silently stared at Qi Youxuan without saying a word, causing Qi Youxuan to feel extremely nervous.

    ¡°Well then...you...just drive safe now!¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Wen Xu never moved an inch, however, Qi Youning proceeded to turn around, tiptoed and gave him a kiss on the cheeks. She said, ¡°I, I¡¯ll miss you!¡±

    After receiving a kiss from Qi Youning, Wen Xu grinned with pure satisfaction, as he nodded and nced down at Qi Youxuan; as it would take half a step forward to hug her into his arms.

    He streched out his hands and proceeded to gently squeeze her hands, after doing so, he lowered his head and swiftly gave her a kiss on the lips before getting into his car.

    Qi Youning was blushing heavily as she frantically covered her mouth while both her eyes were wide-opened like a bunny as she immediately squinted her eyes nervously. After waving at Wen Xu and watching him leave, she got onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s car.

    Qi Youxuan was able to look at the delightful, guilty smirk on his sister¡¯s face from the back mirrors. He pouted as he thought about how inappropriate his sister was behaving after being kissed by another man.

    As the group finally entered University A, they noticed the entire dormitory was beingpletely locked down and it waspletely surrounded by arge group of students that were gathered outside the dormitory.

    There were also students from another dormitory block, that had heard rumors about the incident, however, since these students had not experienced that incident personally, they werepletely fine at this moment.

    The students who were residents of this particr block on the other hand were scarred and traumatized, however, there were also a few students who looked fine. The students who shared the same floor as the incident urred were shocked beyond recognition as all their faces were inhumanly pale. The students who shared the same room as the victim though, these people were indescribably shaken to their very core.

    If it were not for the support that was given by each other, these students would have ended up hospitalized.

    Even the students from a room directly above where the incident urred, were traumatized as they feared whenever they had to walk past that floor, a ghastly apparition of a haunted spirit would appeared, since there was a suicide on that floor, hence these people dared not to even look in that direction.

    The officers on duty who were in uniform proceeded to scatter the crowd, in order to allow Sergeant Jiang¡¯s vehicle to park by the main lobby of the dormitory.

    As everyone got out of the car and entered the dormitory, the officer in charge informed them of the situation. The officer said, ¡°The deceased is Feng Haoli. It was the third year students who had discovered the deceased by the door of their room. As they woke up this morning, the instant they opened the door, they were shocked to discover the deceased was hanging on full disy directly in front of their room. These people werepletely traumatized. The forensics teams are conducting their search as we speak.¡±

    The body of the deceased victim was discovered on the fourth floor in this six floor old dormitory. Since this entire building was old and it had stood for thirty years, the rooms in this building were not equipped with an attached washroom. The washrooms were on each ends of every floor.

    ¡°We¡¯ve questioned the students already, they were too afraid of using the washrooms in the middle of the night, since they imed it was scary. Everyone has a ¡®piss bucket¡¯, it¡¯s for them to use in the middle of the night in case they were unable to hold it in. They¡¯ll take care of it the very next day in the washrooms. Another notable thing would be, this dormitory was not equipped with any sort of surveince system internally.¡± The officer exined.

    ¡°The interior of the dormitory was not equipped with any surveince system, hence it¡¯s uncertain who the perpetrator was and when this entire incident had urred.¡± The officer exined.

    The officer in charge was only a low rank district officer and was in no position to intervene with any major cases, after bringing the main person who had reported this incident over, he proceeded to contact the special operations team. Since it was better to leave it to these professionals to question the person themselves.

    Sergeant Jiang nodded as his team went up to the fourth floor immediately. The moment they arrived on the fourth floor, they noticed the body was already ced on the stretcher while Bai Mo was doing a final sweep, while the rest of the forensics team were gathering samples of blood and fingerprints from the surrounding area.

    As she proceeded to examine the body for a brief moment, she stood up while tucking her hair at the back of her ear as she gently sighed. She seemed exhausted.

    ¡°The cause of death for the deceased was suffocation. The time of death is between one to two A.M. There were two lines around the deceased¡¯s neck that were both caused by the rope.¡± Bai Mo pointed at the bruised marks at the bottom of Feng Haoli¡¯s nape with her gloved up hands. She said, ¡°This one though, this was caused by someone strangling him from behind.¡±

    She then pointed at the mark slightly above the victim¡¯s mandibles. ¡°This one was caused when the deceased was being suspended on the door frame, since this mark has an upward angle and was rubbing against the back of the deceased¡¯s ear. Another notable thing would be the joints of his fingers showed clear signs of friction burn caused by the rope, possibly it was caused by a struggle. However, it¡¯s hard to determine in detail at the moment, however, it¡¯s uncertain if the victim was strangled to death by someone then suspended on the doorframe, or was simply unconscious after being strangled before being suspended and were left for dead.¡±

    ¡°The marks on the victim¡¯s fingers were caused during his first struggle from being suffocated, and he was dead the first time he had been strangled. It was after he was dead did the assant suspend him on the doorframe.¡± Qi Youxuan said as he approached the side of the body then proceeded to examine the body while squatting next to the deceased.

    Everyone present stared at him confused, as Bai Mo looked at Qi Youxuan with a surprised look on her face. She said, ¡°How do you know? Even if were to examine this entire incident in great detail when we get back, the conclusion would still be uncertain.¡±

 Chapter 493 - I Know What Youâ€™ve Done

    <h4>Chapter 493: I Know What You¡¯ve Done</h4>

    ¡°A person would struggle if they¡¯re being suffocated to death, both legs will be kicking about,¡± Qi Youxuan exined. ¡°Even if that person was unconscious before, that person would undoubtedly regain consciousness if the oxygen supply gets cut off, just like when a person passes out after being hit on the head. After throwing the person into any body of water, that person would bepletely aware and conscious under these circumstances. If that person wasn¡¯t dead before, being suspended like this, as he struggled by kicking both his legs, he¡¯d be able to kick on that door. After all, he was almost attached to that door as he was being suspended mid-air. It¡¯d be impossible for the students to not hear that loud banging sound in the dorm.¡±

    Bai Mo was stunned for a second. After collecting herself, she nodded.

    ¡°You may continue.¡± Qi Youxuan stood up as he examined the corpse.

    ¡°Nothing too special about it, no clues were left behind with the corpse. It was exceptionally clean. We¡¯ll be carrying out further detailed analysis in order to look for any clues when we return to the station,¡± said Bai Mo.

    The entire floor was on lock-down as the corpse was carried away. Qi Youxuan noticed Wei Muran was not startled or scared by the horrifying state of the corpse. He was sad since he had missed the chance tofort her.

    Wei Muran was just speechless. Their entire department had zero cases before and suddenly they were swamped with a series ofplicated cases.

    As they made their way out of the dorm, they noticed a cop walking toward them with four other people.

    ¡°These were the people who had discovered the corpse in the room. Everyone¡¯s here,¡± reported the cop.

    Qi Youxuan noticed a male student who was standing on the side. He had an excruciatingly nauseous expression on his face. He could not even bring himself to stand up straight as he waspletely hunched over, supported by his roommate. He looked sick and was as if he would be able to throw up at any given moment.

    ¡°Feng Haoli wasn¡¯t your roommate, right?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned.

    ¡°How do you know?¡± a man answered with a surprised tone.

    Qi Youxuan pouted and said, ¡°Your rooms contained four bunks, one for each student, and if all four of you are here, the only logical exnation would mean Feng Haoli wasn¡¯t your roommate.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The man was speechless as he felt that his question was incredibly stupid.

    After some questions were asked, they knew the first person to have found the corpse was the student who had been extremely terrified by the discovery. He was the same nauseous student from before. His name was Chen Yuke, a local from B City.

    The student that was helping him was Sun Lixue from R City. He was wearing shades. The shortest person among the group was Zhou Yubo from Nanshan. Standing beside him was the tallest person of the group; Zheng Jiaxu, also from B City.

    ¡°Which room belongs to Feng Haoli?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°The room opposite ours,¡± Sun Lixue answered.

    ¡°Was he close to anyone in your room?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°We¡¯re in the same ss, our friendship is pretty close I¡¯d say. Since our rooms were awfully close, we¡¯d see each other a lot. We hang out together, drink together and y cards together,¡± Zhou Yubo replied.

    Zheng Jiaxu shook his head and said, ¡°Nope, we had asional squabbles and it¡¯s all within our basketball game. Since when we y basketball, we don¡¯t exactly like what the other person does sometimes, so asional squabbles tend to ur. But to the extent of murder though, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s that serious.¡±

    ¡°Was he behaving strangely for the past couple of days?¡± Xing Jiadong questioned.

    Qi Youxuan nced over at him as he seemed like he was hiding augh. Since when was Xing Jiadong capable of learning?

    As Zheng Jiaxu began to shake his head, Chen Yuke suddenly interrupted him and said, ¡°Yeah! Two days ago, he seemed extremely on edge, he was behaving in a way as if someone was actually following him when he walked. That night when he was studying in the library, he came back with an inhumanly pale expression. He kept rambling about someone following him. He had even said that someone had been sending him text messages, iming that they knew what he had done.¡±

    ¡°So he was on edge when he received the texts?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned.

    After giving it some thought, Chen Yuke said, ¡°Yeah, probably.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t give me a ¡®probably¡¯. Yes is yes, no is no, alright?¡± reprimanded Xing Jiadong.

    Thus, Chen Yuke anxiously recalled. This time, he nodded and said, ¡°Yeah, since he was just suddenly on edge out of nowhere. He was never like this back then. Something felt off to me and I asked him about it. He told me he was fine, but that night after he returned from the library, he slept over in our room since his room was empty and was afraid of being alone. There were only the two of us in that room back then. However, after he had received an unexpected text message, he only took a quick nce before throwing his phone to the ground. It felt off since he had just bought this new phone and he absolutely loved it. He was still in the honeymoon phase of using that new phone and was absolutely in love with it. I noticed just how panicked he looked back then, so I asked him what¡¯s wrong, but he remained silent. Since I wasn¡¯t getting a response out of him, I picked up the phone to look at the text. It was only then, he told me, he¡¯ll receive one every day.¡±

    ¡°Did he ever tell you what¡¯s up with that text?¡± Xing Jiadong asked.

    Chen Yuke shook his head and exined, ¡°Nope, his lips were absolutely sealed. I¡¯ve asked him about it several times already, but he grew agitated and annoyed. The sheer mention of that incident alone would trigger him tosh out like a madman, so I¡¯ve never asked since. Besides, our friendship was never extremely close anyway. He has his secrets and I¡¯ll respect his boundaries.¡±

    ¡°Now that¡¯s strange. Since he wasn¡¯t living in your room, why is he hanging by the door of your room?¡± Jiang Yuecheng questioned.

    Chen Yuke chuckled. ¡°Officer, Sir, when I found him this morning, his tongue was stretched all the way out and even eyes were about to pop out. That look alone scared the living cr*p outta me. Being able to answer your questions was already our limits, how could we possibly think about that in the first ce?¡±

    ¡°Do you guys know Feng Haoli before all of this?¡± Qi Youxuan asked as he nced at every single student then proceeded to nce back at Chen Yuke.

    Every single person shook their head as Zheng Jiaxu said, ¡°We grew close after our rooms were assigned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve no further questions left.¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Jiang Yuecheng proceeded to release them then gave them his contact information. If they recalled any information, they had a way to contact him and his team.

    After that, they proceeded to meet up with Feng Haoli¡¯s remaining roommates. In a four-man room were threeptops each ced on each respective desks. Only one desk was empty.

    Qi Youxuan gently tapped his finger on the desk as he asked, ¡°Is this Feng Haoli¡¯s desk?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it is,¡± a roommate of his named Huang Chengfeng answered. He said, ¡°We had never taken anything from his desk. Everything there was left untouched, since...we don¡¯t dare to touch anything.¡±

    Qi Youxuan ran his fingertips across the surface of the desk. It felt powdery but it was not dusty. There was not much on his desk, unlike the desks of a girl. A girl¡¯s desk would have makeup, plushies and other decorations.

    There was only a simple facial cleanser, a mirror, a model figurine, and a rather messy lunch box. It was greasy on the inside, and a pack of tissue. These items were ced close to the wall, and there was arge empty space on the desk.

    The bookshelf next to the desk had a few magazines in it. Among the magazines was an adult magazine.

    On the surface of these magazines was a thickyer of dust. It was as if it had been left untouched for quite some time.

    ¡°When exactly did Feng Haoli go missing?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned.

    ¡°I saw him yesterday morning,¡± Li Guozheng said nervously since death had urred in this room. None of them had recovered, and even as they went out, they did not dare to even nce at the door. A corpse was hung there!

    Huang Chengfeng nodded. He said, ¡°I saw him yesterday morning when I went out to the cafeteria to buy some bread and some salted vegetables for him. He had ss at around ten in the morning yesterday, and I haven¡¯t seen him since he left for ss. I wasn¡¯t in the room back then, so I don¡¯t exactly know. I went out with my girlfriend after ss.¡±

    Huang Chengfeng felt a little awkward but after Qi Youxuan nodded, he felt normal.

    ¡°I was in the room then,¡± Liu Xiangliang said. ¡°Still, he never returned, but he dide back to sleep in his bed at night.¡±

    ¡°So that means he was still in his roomst night?¡± Qi Youxuan asked skeptically.

    The remaining three students nodded, but Meng Haoran suddenly raised his hand and said, ¡°That...well, I saw him walking out of the room in the middle of the night. I¡¯m not sure if he left the dorm or not.¡±

    ¡°What time in the middle of the night?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked instantly, almost as if he was rushing for an answer.

    ¡°About eleven-thirty I think, since lights out is at eleven for our dorm. I was lying in bed, reading a Read with my phone. It was then when I heard some movements from my top bunk.¡± Meng Haoran then added, ¡°Feng Haoli sleeps on the top bunk, I saw him climb down the bunk beds. He noticed me back then but didn¡¯t say anything. I assumed he was going to use the washroom, so it didn¡¯t exactly warden for a cause for any rm.¡±

    After he finished his statement, Meng Haoran began to violently tremble. He never expected the person he had seen in total darkness was murdered.

    As he thought about the dark shadow that stood by his bed, Meng Haoran became extremely terrified as he felt the silhouette fromst night was literally works of horror.

    When Cheng Yuke found the body of Feng Haoli literally dangling at his door during the day, his screams alerted every single person.

    Since everyone felt odd, the most natural response for anyone during that situation was to open the door to investigate what exactly was going on. However, plenty of people were greeted by a hanging corpse first thing in the morning.

    Fortunately for him, he had only seen the back of the corpse, but this was terrifying enough since this was unlike anything from any horror movies. Everything depicted in the movies was fake while this, as a matter of fact, was all too real.

 Chapter 494 - Notepad and Cellphone

    <h4>Chapter 494: Notepad and Cellphone</h4>

    Even if they had called the cops, the cops would not be able to make it in time for them. As they waited for the cops to arrive, not a single soul dared to even touch Feng Haoli, as they hid in their dorm rooms feeling inhumanly terrified.

    As the cops arrived at the scene and had ced Feng Haoli¡¯s corpse down, Meng Haoran noticed Feng Haoli¡¯s eyes were protruding outward as if they would pop out at any second. Even his tongue was stretched out and that look alone was extremely terrifying.

    Meng Haoran felt that he would not be able to sleep at night.

    Feng Haoran sleeps on the upper bunk, and when heid on his bed at night, he would think about the look on Feng Haoli¡¯s horrifying face as he stood by his bed. Actually, the most terrifying thing would be if he had identally witnessed a dark apparition manifestingte at night.

    Meng Haoran nodded as he replied, ¡°Probably... Since I didn¡¯t exactly pay attention to the time and fell asleep reading my novel. Even when I woke up, my phone was on my chest.¡±

    As Jiang Yuecheng questioned, Qi Youxuan was focused on Feng Haoli¡¯s desk and at this moment, Qi Youxuan calmly asked, ¡°So Feng Haoli never had aputer right?¡±

    Every single person was stunned, as Qi Youxuan pointed at the three remaining desks. He said, ¡°I know every single one of you have aptop or aputer, and it¡¯s umon for a university student to not have one these days. From what I know, Feng Haoli¡¯s family is not doing that badly financially.¡±

    Li Guozheng was seemingly unable to recover as he nodded in confusion. He said, ¡°He had one; it¡¯s aptop. It was always on his desk before, when exactly did it go missing though?¡±

    He noticed Li Guozheng turned around to look at him, and it was also at the same time, Huang Chengfeng said in a suspicious tone, ¡°I seriously haven¡¯t noticed when did theptop that was always on his desk went missing, so I have no idea that it was missing.¡±

    ¡°Try to think carefully to this morning. Was theptop still there?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    Li Guozheng thought about it for a long time, then proceeded to shake his head.

    However, Huang Chengfeng frantically said, ¡°Hisptop was still there this morning. I remembered when I brought him breakfast this morning. It was still on his desk. I remember because theptop took up way too much space, and I had to slightly move it to the side in order to ce his breakfast on the desk.¡±

    ¡°What about yesterday then?¡± Qi Youxuan probed further.

    Huang Chengfeng frowned and replied, ¡°That, I seriously have no clue.¡±

    At that moment, Li Guozheng started to speak in extreme uncertainty, ¡°That... I... I think I saw Feng Haoli return yesterday.¡±

    ¡°What does that mean? Be more specific,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said in a serious tone.

    ¡°I¡¯m not too sure. Since Haoran said Feng Haoli left at around eleven-thirty at night, I was still awake then, and I was downloading some videos to my Ipad, so I was able to see him leave. However, after binging a couple episodes of a drama series, I was feeling slightly tired, and if I recalled correctly it was around one in the morning, so I ced my Ipad down as I got ready to call it a day. Then, it was also at that moment that I saw him return, but the entire dorm was pitch ck by then, so I never got a good look at that person¡¯s face, only the shape of that person who resembled him, so I just assumed it was Feng Haoli. But somehow, I¡¯m not so sure now,¡± Li Guozheng exined uncertainly. He then said, ¡°You guys said the time of his death was between one and two in the morning, then that means the person that I sawst night was...¡±

    As Li Guozheng focused on his thoughts, he began to panic.

    ¡°Could be the murderer as well,¡± Qi Youxuan said calmly.

    Every single person present began to panic as well.

    He could not help but think that he had actually shared a roof with a murderer as he slept. This thought terrified him. Fortunately for him, he was not murdered as well. The only thing that concerned him was from that day onward, he would not be able to sleep in peace.

    Qi Youxuan felt as if he was missing some details but he could not put his finger on what exactly was amiss.

    At that moment, Xing Jiadong¡¯s phone rang and had indirectly made Qi Youxuan remember what exactly he missed.

    ¡°Cellphone!¡± Qi Youxuan shouted suddenly, and then proceeded to ask Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°Was Feng Haoli¡¯s cellphone found on his body?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng frowned as he gave it a deep thought then calmly replied, ¡°No.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember either,¡± Zhao Yiyang replied.

    One person began searching Feng Haoli¡¯s desk and another was searching through his bed. At the same time, another person was flipping through his closet, and that person had even gone so far to look through every pocket in every single clothing item that were in that closet.

    ¡°Nothing,¡± Zhang Ming said while shaking his head.

    ¡°There¡¯s nothing here either,¡± Zhao Yiyang said.

    Xing Jiadong shook his head and said, ¡°Nothing.¡±

    ¡°What brand was Feng Haoli¡¯s phone?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    Huang Guofeng replied, ¡°It¡¯s an Apple phone.¡±

    ...

    After that, they went to look for the dorm¡¯s warden.

    Since it was the male¡¯s dorm, the warden was not strict. The only restrictions the warden enforced was not letting any girls in the dorms. However, if a guy wanted to sneak a girl in, there were methods to do so as well.

    The warden of the male¡¯s dorm was a forty-year-old skinny looking man.

    They proceeded to enter a small room on the warden¡¯s floor. It was a tiny room with only a single bed, a closet, and a desk. There was a tiny sliding panel window, simr to the ones that were used in a normal office. This was made so he could watch the students enter the dorm rooms when he sat on his desk.

    At the corner of his tiny desk was a small fifteen-inch television. It was switched off at that time.

    The warden sat by the door; Li Niancheng carefully stretched his head out to observe the situation outside the room.

    The dorm that was under his supervision and was his sole responsibility had something this horrible and serious happened, so he was worried about his job. Although the pay for this job was not high, it happened to be a rxing one, since there was nothing specific he had to do from day till night, and ever since he had taken the job, he had worked in the position for four to five years now. In the span of four to five years, he never encountered anything that happened in this particr dorm.

    As he noticed Qi Chenglin and his team walking toward his direction, he immediately stood up nervously.

    ¡°Take a seat. We¡¯re only here to ask a few questions,¡± Qi Youxuan said while pointing at his chair. He had also pulled up a tiny bench for Wei Muran to sit. Everyone else had to look for their own spot to sit.

    However, Qi Youxuan had no ce to sit down, thus, he proceeded to lean against the table.

    ¡°So, what time does your work begin and end? Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°I work twenty-four hours,¡± Li Niancheng said. ¡°I¡¯ve always stayed here. I lock up at eleven at night, not letting any students in, then I¡¯ll be able to sleep. I wake up at five-thirty in the morning every day to open up the doors.¡±

    Qi Youxuan recalled Dr. Bai Mo determined the time of death for the victim between one to two in the morning. It was way after Li Niancheng had locked the doors.

    ¡°What time did you lock upst night?¡± Qi Youxuan probed further.

    ¡°Last night was eleven-ten at night, since I can¡¯t be exactly precise on when exactly I lock up,¡± Li Niancheng said. He continued, ¡°Since there were two students that were just returning from the library when it was extremelyte. They were yelling at me, so I had to wait until they made it back to lock up.¡±

    ¡°So that means those two students watched you lock up the doors right?¡± Jiang Yuecheng questioned.

    ¡°Yes exactly!¡± Li Niancheng felt slightly better, as he felt as if someone was able to be his witness, hence he would not be entirely responsible for everything that had happened.

    ¡°What were the names of those two students and which room do they live in?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked.

    Since he had years of experience watching over these students, he knew every single student in the building like the back of his hands. Hence, Li Niancheng was able to tell them the names of both students and which room they lived in. Jiang Yuecheng then proceeded to nce over at Xing Jiadong, signaling him to go on ahead to confirm his story.

    ¡°Did you hear any peculiar sounds or noises from around one to two in the morning?¡± Jiang Yuecheng questioned.

    ¡°No,¡± Li Niancheng answered. He continued, ¡°I live so close to the doors and if you¡¯re asking me if I had heard anyone open up the doors to sneak in at night, I can confirm that no one snuck in. Since the locks on these doors aren¡¯t easy to lock up and every time I lock these doors, I have to use some force to do so. I¡¯ve done this every day for four to five years now, and I¡¯d say I have plenty of experience in that. Anyone without experience would never be able to open up these doors. Besides, these doors would make a really loud noise when I open or lock up the doors, so it would be impossible for me to miss it.¡±

    ¡°What about other sounds?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked.

    Li Niancheng shook his head. However, it was unsure if he was trying to deflect any responsibilities thus leading to him lying.

    After a brief moment, Xing Jiadong returned. He told Jiang Yuecheng, ¡°Sergeant Jiang, we had just confirmed those two students saw him lock up.¡±

    ...

    After they returned to the station, everyone stared at Qi Youxuan right after he sat down.

    ¡°What are you guys staring at me for?¡± Qi Youxuan asked in a shocked tone.

    ¡°Waiting for your brilliant analysis dude,¡± Wei Muran replied while making him some milk tea.

    In the process of making milk tea, using factory-made milk tea powder would not be eptable. Milk and red tea leaves were a necessity, in addition to some honey. Never use sugar.

    The red tea had to be extremely thick in order to smell and taste the pure scent of the tea. However, milk should not be too thick either, since it would be too heavy for the tea. He never liked the milk tea from any stalls out there, since heined about not tasting any hint of the tea, hence making it not taste genuine.

    Thus, after Qi Youxuan was employed as their team¡¯s external specialist, without him even mentioning, Wei Muran would have already prepared his milk tea and everything else he needed. It started before they were dating.

    On a much deeper thought, Wei Muran had long decided to date Qi Youxuan. The only thing she was worried about was how Qi Youxuan thought of her.

 Chapter 495 - [Interlude] Youning vs Wenxu

    <h4>Chapter 495: [Interlude] Youning vs Wenxu</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    It took Little Youning no time to get used to her first-grade school life since there was not much homework. Hence, Little Youning was able to remain extremely cheerful and contemptuous.

    Her father forced her to watch her diet and lose weight at home, but the instant she was at school, Wenxu would replenish all the weight she had lost. Qi Youxuan¡¯s lunch allowance waspletely monitored and controlled by his parents while Wen Xu, on the other hand, was not.

    Wen Xu was following the diet ns that were given to him by the Wen family in Jixia High School. His diet consisted of a mix of fruits, vegetables, and some meat. There would be no chance for him to be undernourished, and he could also enjoy as much meat as he desired.

    However, it was because Wen Xu was unlike Qi Youxuan and his sister who were extremelyzy and hated sports. Every day when he returned home from school, he would be doing some high-intensity training in the gym, thus, as a result, not only was he not fat, he was extremely fit as all his muscles were obviously showing.

    As a fourteen-year-old, his shoulders were toned with obvious muscle lines and he looked amazing. His eight packs were lined on his belly like a bar of chocte.

    Science ss had just ended and the next ss would be P.E. Hence, plenty of students were walking toward the outdoors. After the ten minute break, the next P.E. ss was about to begin, hence they were not required to return to their ssrooms.

    It was extremely lucky that both Little Youning and Little Xicheng were in the same ss, as both of them cheerfully walked alongside each other while talking gleefully.

    Both of them were quite popr in schooltely, and not a single person in Jixia High School was unaware of their names. On top of that, it was never because of their family name.

    It was because on the first day of school, Wen Xu hugged Little Youning at the door, and they seemed cheerful as they talked. Since Wen Xu was also popr in school, everyone was aware of everything he did. Coincidentally, there was a crowd of people walking by the door of the school and plenty of students witnessed this scene, hence they were aware of this young girl¡¯s existence in Wen Xu¡¯s life.

    The only thing was that Little Youning was still a young kid. If they had been older, perhaps everyone else would not feel that the age gap was obvious. However, since both of them were still children, and it was obvious that Wen Xu was way older than her, not a single person thought that they were dating.

    Thus, plenty of students who were having a crush on Wen Xu would shift their focus on Little Youning. From there, they knew who she was and what her family ties were. Thus, they would assume it was all because both their families were close friends with one another and since they have known each other ever since they were little, they assumed Wen Xu was merely talking to his sister.

    Thus, ever since school started, plenty of other female students would gather outside her ssroom in an attempt to bribe her with any possible way, hoping they would indirectly grow closer to Wen Xu.

    Little Youxuan was extremely furious from all of the shameless acts. How could these girls bepletely oblivious to the fact that both she and Wen Xu were extremely close to one another? The audacity of these girls to show up so shamelessly in her face just to rob Wen Xu from her.

    They would be dreaming if they assumed they could even use her!

    It was extremely rare for her to not be swayed by the many temptations of good food and toys. However, she actually epted those gifts with zero intention of helping them.

    Thus, every single person knew that Little Youning would only ept gifts and had no intention of actually helping them.

    Little Xicheng was known to follow behind Little Youning, although she usually kept an extremely low profile. However, she could no longer keep on that facade since Little Muche was being quite arrogant in school. He was following her everywhere in school, and if any boys were to bully her, Little Muche would pick up a brick before assaulting these bullies.

    Hence, just like that, Little Xicheng was no longer bullied by anyone.

    At that very moment, as both of them were walking outside alongside one another, Little Muche pulled Little Youning aside and whispered, ¡°I... I have to tell you. We¡¯re having P.E. ss next right? Wen Xu would be having P.E. as well.¡±

    Little Youning¡¯s eyes lit up almost instantly, but she heard Little Xicheng continue, ¡°But he¡¯s not joining us.¡±

    Little Youning looked disappointed. Although she never directly teased her, Little Xicheng found this situation hrious, thus her heart was incredibly happy. She watched Little Youning¡¯s face shift from agitation to disappointment then back to being agitated again. It was funny since she looked like she was putting on a show of masks¡ªshe found it fun.

    ¡°You, why can¡¯t you just say everything all at once!¡± Little Youning pouted and said, ¡°If he¡¯s not joining us, why tell me then?¡±

    ¡°Good lord, oh no, no. That¡¯s not the point.¡± Little Xicheng grabbed onto Little Youning¡¯s shoulder and said, ¡°Just let me finish what I have to say. But when I do, promise me you won¡¯t get mad.¡±

    Thus, Little Youning remained silent as she stared at Little Xicheng with her ck pearly eyes, waiting for her to finish what she had to say.

    Little Xicheng winked with her huge eyes since this six-year-old girl had a star-struck dreamy look on her face.

    ¡°I¡¯m telling you... Muche you listen closely as well. They¡¯re gonna have an indoor swimming session. The lesson that they will be havingter is swimming.¡± Little Xicheng winked. She continued, ¡°So, you know.¡±

    Before Little Youning and Little Xicheng entered this school, Little Muche was their spy in school. Even though they were both already there, Little Muche still took his role very seriously.

    In order toplete the task Little Xicheng had assigned Little Muche, he went so far as to even befriend the teachers in school. It had be a terrifying fact that his connections in school¡ªregardless of friends or teachers¡ªcould not be matched by a single teacher.

    Wei Ziqi was well aware of the web of connections Little Muche had formed. However, it was odd for him to not even bother to care about what Little Muche had done.

    Wei Ran was once gued by her nagging curiosity and had asked him about it. However, Wei Ziqi simply said, ¡°No matter what the reason is, him having some sort of motivation to make so many friends is a good thing. Just look at him, any news would undoubtedly make its way to him, isn¡¯t this awesome? When he eventually takes over thepany in the future, he would be able to support his sister. We¡¯ll encourage him and train him from this young age. It¡¯s such a rare opportunity for him to get hands-on experience now. Such a great opportunity indeed.¡±

    Thus, Little Muche was being ¡®trained¡¯ under the full supervision and knowledge of Wei Ziqi.

    Without the need for Little Xicheng to exin the full n, Little Youning nodded excitedly and said, ¡°I know, I know!¡±

    All he would be wearing was his trunks, and he would be shirtless¡ªsuch a beautiful and hot topless young boy!

    Little Youning could still recall when she was in Wen Xu¡¯s house back then. He was topless once and she had even buried herself in his chest,pletely rubbing against his smooth skin. He truly looked extremely hot and handsome!

    ¡°I... I really wanna watch!¡± As Little Youning replied, she seemed as if she was about to begin drooling.

    Little Xicheng rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Oh good lord, I¡¯ve told you already, we¡¯ll be letting you watch! Don¡¯t forget, there are a whole lot of girls in his ss and there are also girls in his ss who are absolutely crushing on him. So when ss startster, girls in his ss will also be able to watch him swim topless, totally benefiting those female perverts!¡±

    Little Youning nodded violently, ¡°Yeah you¡¯re right!¡±

    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be goingter. Remember to help me out if the teacher asks about me alright,¡± Little Youning said.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you worry.¡± Little Xicheng patted her shoulders. ¡°You¡¯ll need to remember which girl was watching Wen Xu the most. That girl would totally be bad for Wen Xu!¡±

    Little Youning nodded with an extremely serious look on her face. It was as if she had to shoulder an extremely important responsibility in taking on this task, thus she left while holding onto her tiny belly.

    As Little Youning¡¯s ss stood in a line, her spot was empty, so it was extremely obvious.

    Thus, the P.E. teacher who looked quite dark and was also extremely fit asked, ¡°Where¡¯s Qi Youning?¡±

    Since both Little Youning and Little Xicheng never enjoyed the P.E. ss, they were not exactly their teacher¡¯s favorite students. Besides the fact that they never actually liked to exercise.

    Her father and uncles were known for their amazing looks, not to mention their other amazing qualities. Even Yan Beicheng and the other uncles looked really good. Thus, these two kids had a great start in life, building up their inhumanly high expectations. It was also partially due to the fact that these kids did not have a huge social circle, and had always interacted within their tiny circle of people. Hence, it made them perceive the world in a false light to assume good and handsome looking people were amon thing, and ugly looking people was an anomaly to society.

    The only thing that could make this worse was that these kids were so focused on the illusion of the drama series they were watching since they were extremely young that the only people they saw were the extremely good looking celebrities on TV, further reinforcing their odd perspective.

    However, when they entered kindergarten, they noticed some kids who looked quite unfortunate, and even the security guard in the school was average looking.

    Thus, as they finally stepped out to interact with the world a little more than before, they realized that handsome men were extremely rare since the majority of the people they met on the streets were average looking as these people did not exactly look too bad or too good. People who actually looked like her father at home were extremely rare.

    Thus, both of them had attended school filled to the brim with unexined skepticism. However, after theyid their eyes on their P.E. teacher, they had finally seen a new low for pure ugliness.

    Since he was a P.E. teacher, he had a fit body and was filled with muscles. However, if Little Youning had topare, she would prefer Wen Xu¡¯s body. Although he had muscles as well, the tone lines on Wen Xu¡¯s muscles were stunningly beautiful. It was not too firm but it was also quite strong¡ªanyone would feel safe around him.

    The P.E. teacher, on the other hand, had a dark skin tone, a square face, squinty tiny ASIAN eyes, wide lips ,and a nose shaped like a clove of garlic.

    Little Xicheng and Little Youning could not bear to even look at his face.

    Since Little Youning was called, Little Xicheng raised her hand and said, ¡°Sir, she had a bad case of diarrhea and she¡¯s currently in the washroom.¡±

    The P.E. teacher frowned as he wanted to say something, Little Xicheng interrupted by saying, ¡°Boy her diarrhea was insane. She got out once earlier, but before she was able to say anything else, she bolted right back into the washroom while clenching her belly tightly.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The P.E. teacher was speechless.

    ¡°Go ahead and report this to your homeroom teacher, hurry up and get her to the infirmary,¡± the P.E teacher replied.

    Thus, Little Xicheng ran toward the office block, while repeatedly turning back to look over her shoulders to make sure the teacher was not looking directly at her. After making sure the coast was clear, she turned around and bolted to the indoor pool.

    As she looked around to locate where Wen Xu¡¯s ss was, she noticed Little Youning suspiciously standing by the door while periodically sticking her entire head in to look inside. There was a puddle of water underneath her feet.

    Little Xicheng gently patted Little Youning¡¯s shoulders and whispered, ¡°So did you see anything?¡±

    However, Little Youning was fueled by her guilty conscience; while she was blown away and got lost in absolute blissful beauty, she was worried about getting caught and this feeling of being on edge was difficult for her to describe as her heart was pounding rapidly.

    Little Youning was startled by Little Xicheng¡¯s pat on her shoulder, and she shivered slightly. Since she was unable to tell who was speaking to her, she screamed for a brief moment.

    ¡°Hey, hey. It¡¯s me. Don¡¯t have to be afraid,¡± Little Xicheng frantically exined.

    Little Youning patted her chest and said, ¡°You scared the living outta me. What are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°The P.E. teacher was asking about you earlier, I told him you¡¯re having an awfully horrible case of diarrhea,¡± Little Xicheng replied awkwardly as she looked at Little Youning¡¯s furious face. She frantically exined, trying to cheer her up, ¡°I panicked and didn¡¯t have time to think of a better excuse. But I think this was an awesome excuse since the teacher totally bought it. He told me to look for our homeroom teacher, to get you to the infirmary, hence I¡¯m here.¡±

    After Little Xicheng exined the whole situation, she proceeded to swiftly change the topic. She asked, ¡°Did you see him?¡±

    ¡°You bet I did! He¡¯s, he¡¯s way too charming. He¡¯s so hot!¡± As Little Youning replied, she proceeded to forcefully slurp her drooling saliva and then said, ¡°Ah, Ah Xu was wearing long swim pants, it stretched all the way to his knees. His legs were so long, so dreamy, so hot!¡±

    ¡°Which ss do both of you belong to?¡± Suddenly a man with extremely hairy legs appeared right in front of both of them.

    As they looked up, they were shocked to see Wen Xu¡¯s P.E. teacher. Both his arms were holding onto his waist while he stared down at both of them.

    ¡°What are you two doing here when you two should be in ss studying?¡± The P.E. teacher asked with an awfully furious face.

    Little Youning nced at Little Xicheng; they were thinking the same thing and saw it through their eyes. Hence, without saying a word, they started to run for their lives away from the teacher.

    However, unfortunately for them, since their legs were short and they were not exactly running very fast, the teacher instantly grabbed onto both their cors stopping them from running away.

    ¡°Ah Xu!¡± Little Youning called out as she noticed a bunch of boys walking out of the room.

    Wen Xu had a towel over his shoulders as he walked toward Little Youning who proceeded to grab her over to him from the teacher¡¯s hands. That force alone as he grabbed her back stunned the teacher.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± Wen Xu asked with a soft tone.

    ¡°We¡¯re also having P.E. and I thought I¡¯d drop by to see you.¡± As Little Youning answered, her gaze drifted downward staring at Wen Xu¡¯s white glistening skin. He had a hint of pool chlorine scent on his body. However, since it was emanating from Wen Xu¡¯s body, Little Youning thought it smelled good.

    Since she was staring at the white smooth, glistening skin of Wen Xu, she began to drool.

    ¡°Head on back to ss, I¡¯ll treat you to some good food for lunchter,¡± Wen Xu said. He then proceeded to lower his head to whisper into her ear, ¡°If you really wanna see, I¡¯ll show it to you in private, you don¡¯t have to sneak in you know.¡±

    ¡°Then... can I see itter at lunch?¡± Little Youning¡¯s eyes lit up instantly.

    ¡°Lunch... I¡¯m afraid someone else might see it.¡± However, as he noticed the disappointed look on Little Youning¡¯s face, he said, ¡°But, just for a little while alright.¡±

    Little Youning nodded excitedly as she grabbed onto his towel with her tiny chubby hands tightly, only allowing him to expose his neck and vicle.

    ¡°Then... You can¡¯t have anyone else look at you alright. Next time when you have swimming ss, you¡¯ll need to get a diver¡¯s suit okay, so you¡¯ll be able to cover your entire body!¡± Little Youning exined as the seeds of jealousy were starting to sprout in her tiny heart, as she looked at him with an extremely jealous face. ¡°I noticed there were a ton of girls staring at you earlier!¡±

    ¡°Alright, I won¡¯t show it to them. I won¡¯t be swimming today then. I¡¯ll change back into my clothester,¡± Wen Xu replied while nodding seriously.

    ¡°...¡± The P.E. teacher was speechless.

    ¡®I¡¯m still standing here you know. How could you just decide on your own that you would not be partaking in swimming lessons. That¡¯s not right!¡¯

    Finally, the teacher was worried that these two girls would be skipping ss again, hence he decided to send them back himself. Then, proceeded to inform their homeroom teacher.

    Although the homeroom teacher never called for a meeting with their parents, the teacher spoke to Ruan Danchen directly through a phone call. Even though it was nothing too serious, the teacher wanted her to at least know about the situation that was going on. After that, the teacher did the same thing with Qi Chengyue.

    The entire conversation was obviously kept from both Little Youning and Little Xicheng, hence they had no choice but to return to their P.E. ss.

    Wen Xu¡¯s P.E. teacher on the other hand was, shocked to see that Wen Xu actually changed back into his clothes.

    ¡°...¡± The P.E. teacher was speechless.

    ¡°Do you actually not n to join the rest of the ss in swimming?¡± the P.E. teacher questioned him.

    ¡°Yep. Besides, I already know how to swim anyway,¡± Wen Xu replied. He continued, ¡°My fastest record for a hundred-meter swim was forty-nine point one-eight seconds, fifty meters was twenty-three point seven-two seconds, and a thousand five hundred meters was fifteen minutes thirty-two point one-two seconds.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The P.E. teacher was once again speechless.

    ¡°I¡¯ll join after I get myself something else to wear,¡± Wen Xu replied with a serious tone.

    ¡°...¡± The P.E. teacher was silenced.

    ...

    Little Youning had finally waited till her lunch hour. The moment she got out, she noticed Wen Xu waiting by the entrance to their building with Qi Youxuan.

    Shepletely ignored her brother¡¯s stupidly dumb behaviors. This scene alone was extremely attractive and charming for anyone since two inhumanly stunning teenage boys were just standing there.

    The girls in the sixth grade were already focused on jittery feelings of love. They would have a crush on anyone who looked extremely stunning. As both Little Youning and Little Xicheng got out, they noticed a bunch of girls from the fifth and sixth grade staring at their brothers from a distance.

    ¡°Chengcheng!¡± Little Muche ran over as he got down the third floor.

    As Little Xicheng noticed the relentless stares from the girls around them, she grunted and pouted, then proceeded to tell Little Muche, ¡°If this many people wanted to look at you, you¡¯re not allowed to let anyone look at you alright. No mercy! You¡¯re only allowed to let me look at you, not them!¡±

    ¡°Alright!¡± Little Muche answered without even hesitating. He then said, ¡°There¡¯s a girl in my ss who was crushing hard on me. I made her cry by scolding her without hesitation. So don¡¯t you worry, Chengcheng!¡±

    Wen Xu never bothered about them, as he immediately went over to hug Little Youning. However, Little Youning rejected his hugs, and simply extended her tiny chubby hands and held hands with him.

    Wen Xu smirked and held onto her hand as the five of them made their way to the school¡¯s cafeteria.

    Before Little Youning entered his school, Qi Youxuan could only eat vegetables in pure sorrow-filled sadness.

    However, since Little Youning came, Wen Xu would bring Little Youning along for amazing meals and awesome drinks. Qi Youxuan felt that since he would be Wen Xu¡¯s future uncle, he was entitled to join his sister and his sister¡¯s future husband for an equally awesome meal. Since Wen Xu¡¯s future father-inw did not exactly like him, Qi Youxuan felt entitled to him, as his future uncle to grace him a chance to suck up to him.

    Hence, ever since then, Wen Xu had no objections to Qi Youxuan joining them on their awesome meal. Wen Xu had nothing to say whenever Qi Youxuan looted their food since he was able to fully satisfy Qi Youxuan¡¯s lust for food.

    While Qi Youxuan ate together with them that afternoon, he repeatedly nced over to Wen Xu and Little Youning. He knew that Little Youning snuck into the swimming pool just to get a look at When Xu¡¯s body.

    This news had already spread throughout the school.

    His sister had no self-control!

    While he chewed on his fried chicken, he kept ncing around his table, then he noticed Wei Muran walking along with her friend while carrying her lunch te.

    ¡°Mumu!¡±

    He was jealous that everyone around him had found their partners. On the other end of the table was Little Muche and Little Xicheng. Looking at this made Little Youning happy.

    ¡°Feed, feed me!¡± Little Youning looked up with her tiny face while saying nervously.

    Wen Xu looked happy, as he fed Little Youning her favorite food.

    She tilted her tiny cheeks as she supported them with both her tiny chubby arms. She looked extremely adorable.

    After they were done eating, Little Youning excitedly grabbed onto Wen Xu¡¯s arms and said in an awkward, nervous tone, ¡°I wanna see... I... wanna... see...¡±

    Wen Xu nodded then proceeded to hold onto Little Youning¡¯s hands while he stood up, then proceeded to walk away.

    Noticing this scene, Qi Youxuan, as a worried brother immediately stopped them and said, ¡°Where are you guys going? There¡¯s a limit to how a man and a woman should behave.¡±

    Little Youning grabbed onto Wen Xu¡¯s shoulder tightly and threatened Qi Youxuan, ¡°If you insist on stopping us, I¡¯ll stop treating you meat, brother.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was stunned as both his eyes werepletely wide open. He said, ¡°Oh well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing to start developing a good rtionship from a young age. I... I¡¯ll go look for Mumu now.¡±

    After he was done speaking, this kid bolted straight for Wei Muran.

    Little Youning was impatiently nudging Wen Xu. She said, ¡°What are you waiting for. Hurry up now!¡±

 Chapter 496 - Riding Club

    <h4>Chapter 496: Riding Club</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan gleefully smiled at her as he grabbed the milk tea from her hands while pinching her fingers. Wei Muran simply red at him since they were at work!

    Qi Youxuan then proceeded to wink at her and said, ¡°The people in Chen Yuke¡¯s dorm are hiding something from us. The only thing I¡¯m not sure about is if they were hiding something from us or were they unaware as well. Since the murderer knew Feng Haoli¡¯s phone number and had murdered him, then the murderer will never mistake where Feng Haoli¡¯s dorm was located.¡±

    Qi Youxuan proceeded to take a sip of the milk tea and squinted his eyes in pure bliss. He said, ¡°Mumu, you truly know how to make an amazing milk tea.¡±

    ¡°...¡¯ Wei Muran was speechless.

    Could he focus on analyzing the case?

    ¡°I believe the murderer hung Feng Haoli¡¯s body outside of room four-zero-three for the sole purpose of showing someone from that room, or perhaps a group of people,¡± Qi Youxuan said as he held on to the mug since it was not too hot. His right hand was holding onto the handle of the mug while his index finger of his left arm was knocking on the edge of the mug.

    ¡°Look into the background and identity of the four residences in room four-zero-three to determine if there were any ties to Feng Haoli. Besides the fact that they usually yed basketball and drank together, gather any other information, if there are, as well... Something else that they weren¡¯t telling us.¡± As Qi Youxuan spoke, he calmly took another sip of his milk tea.

    Zhao Yiyang gently rubbed his chin and said, ¡°I just can¡¯t seem to understand. Since the doors to the dorm were locked, and I know for a fact from my investigation that the windows were grilled to prevent burries, plus there was no trace of someone attempting to break in; how did the murderer ce an entire corpse in the dorm?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s another possibility; the murderer is one of the students,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    Every single person in that room was stunned.

    ¡°Jiadong, look into the details of the four students that were living in room four-zero-three; Yiyang, you can investigate who was absent in that dorm during the time of the victim¡¯s death,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said.

    Those students had a habit of going to bed extremelyte at night. Even if there was a ckout or the lights of the entire dorm went out, it did not mean these students had actually gone to bed yet.

    Xing Jiadong and Zhao Yiyang returned to the station at around noon.

    ¡°I¡¯ve looked into the rtionship between the four students of room four-zero-three and I found out that besides the asional basketball game and poker match, they never really interacted with each other that much. I¡¯ve also looked into the clubs and society these students were involved in. The victim, Feng Haoli, was only taking part in the school¡¯s track team, and the remaining three people however, other than Zhou Yubo being a member of the mathematics research team, none of the other roommates were part of any clubs. The three people who were sharing a room with Feng Haoli; one was a member of the Wushu society, another was in the drama society, and the remaining one was not a part of any societies,¡± Xing Jiadong exined.

    ¡°Judging from that, there isn¡¯t anything that rtes to the victim. What about during the semester breaks? Do they stay in contact with one another?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked.

    Zhao Yiyang shook his head in sorrow and frustration. ¡°Nope, I¡¯ve asked them, and there isn¡¯t much difference from what their normal lives on campus were.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°I¡¯m not too sure if they were just covering for one another since boys on campus take loyalty very seriously.¡±

    From the looks of things, their leads were running cold.

    At this moment, Zhang Ming proceeded to enter the room. He said, ¡°The forensics report had just been released, and it determined that the bottom of the victim¡¯s shoes had a chuck of paint, but it¡¯s not very obvious.¡±

    ¡°I remember that the entire building had just been repainted recently.¡± Jiang Yuecheng had a surprised and excited look on his face. He then said, ¡°Yiyang, Jiadong. Both of you should follow me back to the campus. We need to find out exactly how the victim got stained with paint.¡±

    As the trio departed to the campus, Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran went directly to Feng Haoli¡¯s house, which looked like a middle-ss house A normal middle-ss home within a middle-ss area. This family seemed financially stable.

    Feng Haoli¡¯s parents were notified of their son¡¯s death by the cops. Hence, when both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran visited them, they noticed Feng Haoli¡¯s father, Feng Qingzhe, looking inhumanly depressed andpletely drained of life. His eyes were bloodshot and his body looked extremely shriveled¡ªnot a single hint of life could be seen from this husk of a man. His mother, Sun Zhiyuan, was still wiping away her tears as she escorted both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran in her house. She waspletely devastated.

    ¡°Feng Haoli is our only son. How could his death be so horrifyingly violent! He¡¯s now dead, what can we do now? We¡¯re already so old, and he¡¯s our only son!¡± Sun Zhiyuan bawled as she struggled to speak while showing Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran to their son¡¯s room.

    ¡°How often does your son return?¡± Wei Muran asked as she noticed the daily supplies were still ced on the table as if it had not been touched for a long while.

    ¡°Since the distance was quite close, he¡¯ll return every weekend. If he had some activities, or if he¡¯s hanging out with his friends, he wouldn¡¯t return that week,¡± Sun Zhiyuan answered as she continued crying.

    Qi Youxuan noticed a picture frame that was ced on top of the desk. It was a picture of a trip Feng Haoli had embarked on. In that picture, he was carrying a huge campers bag¡ªit was huge with a couple of pouches strapped onto the bag, and strapped down with a paracord was a thick and long object¡ªit was a tent.

    Besides the camping picture, every other picture that was disyed was a picture of a bicycle, just like the one they saw in the corridor before they went in.

    ¡°So he tends to travel with a bike on trips quite frequently right?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°Yeah, he joined some donkey friends in some club thing that I don¡¯t know much of. It¡¯s a cycling club though. He would cycle with a huge backpack and go on frequent trips. We don¡¯t really encourage him to go on trips like that since he had to cycle from home to some secluded area in the middle of nowhere. It¡¯s just too dangerous, since there¡¯s always a risk in encountering who knows what throughout his journey. But he never seems to listen, and is always so enthusiastic and interested in extreme sports. Last summer, he and a couple of friends even cycled from B city all the way to Tibet. He even said something about going to Everest and some ce called Medog. It¡¯s totally fine if he had just gone to Lhasa since people actually live and go there. But Everest and Medog... No one in their right mind would even go there, and it¡¯s not even a developed area so there has to be a whole lot ofplications. Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s extremely dangerous though? To head out to a ce so far and steep. Even the hignds were in the middle of nowhere. Not even a single person lives there. From what I¡¯ve heard, there¡¯s not even cell reception up at the peak. If something were to happen, they had no means to call for help,¡± Sun Zhiyuan exined as she cried harder.

    ¡°But at the very least, his trips were incredibly smooth. No idents ever happened and he always arrived safely. The only thing is, I could¡¯ve never expected, even in his dangerous trips before, he was able to safelye home. I can¡¯t believe... he.... he was....¡± Sun Zhiyuan cried hysterically and was unable topose or collect herself. She held onto her face as she proceeded to bawl.

    Feng Qingzhe was wiping his face as well, and he simply hugged his wife in silence without saying a word.

    Qi Youxuan simply watched and did not ask any followup questions immediately after. They used this little window of time to look through his room. Thus, Qi Youxuan simply walked wherever the wall led him, as he looked at the furniture that was ced by the wall.

    There were photos of Feng Haoli¡¯s cycling trips on the desk¡ªthey were of extremely difficult to get to ces such as The Great ins of Ada, and some tourist hotspots areas like the Shennongjia district and the Chang Bai Mountain. Judging from those pictures, the locations were extremely exotic and umon¡ªmost of them were not open to the general public, and no tour group would be willing to take any tourists to thosends. Only capable hikers and adventurers would be able to trek into those ces to challenge their limits.

    However, not a single photo that was ced on the desk had a picture of Tibet, that was mentioned by his mother earlier.

    ¡°So all the pictures of his trip would normally be ced here?¡± Qi Youxuan casually asked.

    Feng Qingzhe shook his head and said, ¡°Only the ones he feels extremely proud of and meaningful would be ced there.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded signaling he understood, hence he asked, ¡°Why isn¡¯t the picture of Tibet ced there then? Not many would venture out to thend of Medog. He should feel proud to have been there right?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re not sure why, but when he returned home from that trip, he seemed devastated and annoyed. Back then, he would talk about these ces with us for at least a couple of days, and talk about the things he encountered on his journey. He would even post his pictures on WeChat,¡± Feng Qingzhe exined. ¡°However, after that trip, he seemed very discouraged and depressed; he didn¡¯t even bother to mention a single word about his trip. The pictures with his friends ended with his trip to Lhasa. He has never posted since.¡±

    Qi Youxuan had seemingly thought about something as his face lit up with life. He said, ¡°Do you still have those pictures from those trips?¡±

    ¡°These... these... were all a year ago...¡± Feng Qingzhe answered reluctantly. However, he noticed Qi Youxuan would not budge and was simply staring at him, waiting for those pictures.

    Hence, Feng Qingzhe reluctantly took out his cellphone and got ready to look for those pictures.

    ¡°His WeChat ID is all I need,¡± Qi Youxuan replied.

    Since Feng Qingzhe did not know Feng Haoli¡¯s WeChat ID, he proceeded to give Qi Youxuan his instead.

    ¡°Do you happen to know the name of the cycling club he often went to?¡± Wei Muran asked after taking note of Feng Qingzhe¡¯s WeChat ID.

    ¡°There¡¯s a name card.¡± Sun Zhiyuan who was crying all this while finally spoke. ¡°I found it when I was cleaning up his stuff,¡± she said while sobbing uncontrobly.

    Thus, she proceeded to take out a huge paper bag, and inside the bag was a mix of other stuff. She said, ¡°These were intended to be thrown away.¡±

    As she spoke, she flipped through the contents of the bag to look for the name card and proceeded to hand it over to Wei Muran.

    ¡°Besides these activities, does he enjoy any other hobbies? Who was he close to?¡± Qi Youxuan questioned.

    ¡°There are a few students he knew back in high school. He¡¯s extremely close with a few of them, but he never tells us anything about high school, so regarding their names and how they contacted each other, we¡¯repletely oblivious to any of that,¡± Feng Qingzhe exined. ¡°Our son is all grown up already, there are plenty of things he doesn¡¯t share with us.¡±

    ¡°If... If... If only he had told us, that would be so much better. At the very least, tell us what¡¯s going on right? So when the copse by to investigate, we¡¯ll be of much better help. Now he¡¯s dead and I can¡¯t even tell you who he usually hung out with!¡± Sun Zhiyan cried as she grabbed onto Feng Qingzhe¡¯s arm. She said, ¡°You know ma¡¯am, our boy is an honest boy. Besides hanging out with his friends during the semester break, he would also have asional karaoke sessions with his friends. He never went out besides those times. How deep must the grudge be to push someone to murder? To cause someone to die so violently?¡±

    Wei Muran was focused onforting her while Qi Youxuan spoke to the more collected Feng Qingzhe. ¡°Has he returned home recently?¡±

    ¡°Last week he did.¡± Feng Qingzhe nodded.

    ¡°How was he? Was he behaving in any way strange?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°Nothing peculiar. Since my boy is all grown up now, he no longer enjoys talking to us. He kept everything to himself and would spend most of his time with theputer in his room alone,¡± Feng Qingzhe exined. However, as he spoke, his entire expression suddenly changed and proceeded to say, ¡°That¡¯s right, I heard him speaking to someone through his phone. He sounded extremely on edge. He said something about asking if ¡®someone¡¯ had already known, and getting a lot of texts recently. I believe it¡¯s rted to that event, since judging from the tone of his voice, he sounded really scared. I overheard him when I was calling him down for a meal.¡±

    ¡°I was worried if he had met some sort of trouble since I¡¯ve never heard him this frightened before. It was pure fear, since even from his voice, he sounded shaky. I was worried, so I asked him, but he denied everything. When I probed deeper, he snapped at me so we began to argue and fight. After that, he returned to his campus without even eating his meal. I was furious then, but I didn¡¯t expect...¡±

    The seemingly calm and collected Feng Qingzhe immediately bawled. He said, ¡°I didn¡¯t expect that was thest time I¡¯ll ever see him. If I had known this would happen, I would¡¯ve never snapped at him. I¡¯ll be patient with him. I¡¯ll patiently ask what¡¯s wrong and get him to tell me everything. Maybe then, he¡¯ll never... he¡¯ll never... Our final moments together were so violent and tense, I¡¯ll regret it my entire life.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan took a couple of steps back as he was caught off guard and surprised by his reaction. He was never too good atforting people.

    Since whenever he was cheering anyone from his family up, he was able to act like a child and simply y dumb. However, to strangers on the other hand, he would never do something so embarrassing to his reputation.

    Finally, it was up to Wei Muran tofort the grieving parents. At the very least, they seemed a lot more stable.

    After that, Qi Youxuan requested for their son¡¯sputer since there were a few social media apps installed in theputer. It should contain some clues if they were to go through the chat logs.

    Feng Haoli¡¯sputer at home was a desktop, thus, Qi Youxuan carried a monitor and the CPU, and went back to the station along with Wei Muran.

    However, not long after they returned to the station, Jiang Yuecheng and his team had also finished their investigation on the campus.

    ¡°So what did you find?¡± Zhang Ming looked toward Jiang Yuecheng excitedly hoping for any progress from their search.

    ¡°We found a couple of paint buckets on the roof of the dorm and it had been confirmed it was the same paint used for the dorm. It was temporarily stored on the roof,¡± Zhao Yiyang exined. ¡°We brought some paint to the forensics team to confirm if that paint matches the ones found on the bottom of Feng Haoli¡¯s shoes.¡±

 Chapter 497 - [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xu

    <h4>Chapter 497: [Interlude] Youning Vs Wen Xu</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning followed Wen Xu to a small garden at the back of the school. As they entered, Little Youning felt like a modern-day degenerate!

    Why? How were there so many people dating!

    Some were even kissing!

    Wen Xu¡¯s expression was calm as he calmly walked by the side of the garden with Little Youning to a little forest-esque location as they turned a corner.

    Little Youning was surprised the moment she saw this area. ¡°There¡¯s no one here. I didn¡¯t know this ce even existed!¡±

    ¡°Back then when I was annoyed by how loud it was during lunch break, I would drop by here for some peace.¡± What Wen Xu actually meant was he found the attention he received from many girls during lunch too overwhelming.

    Little Youning chuckled a bit as she noticed there was not a single soul present in that area. She stretched out both her short tiny arms to Wen Xu and said, ¡°Hurry up and cuddle up with me!¡±

    Wen Xu grinned then proceeded to grab her into his arms, hugging her.

    Little Youning then proceeded to use her tiny hands to inch and climb her way up to his chest, while her mouth was literally wide open unconsciously, as she could not keep her hands to herself. She started rubbing up against his chest, viting him to her heart¡¯s content. She then said, ¡°Hurry, hurry up and let me see!¡±

    With a huge grin on Wen Xu¡¯s face, he carried her to a nearby tree as he sat himself down on a branch while keeping her in his warm loving embrace. As he supported her with one arm, he proceeded to slowly unbutton his shirt with another, exposing his smooth, white vicle.

    Little Youning was literally drooling from the edge of her mouth as she excitedly slurped her drool back in, she said, ¡°Yes, go on, go on!¡±

    There was an obvious hint of joy reflecting through Wen Xu¡¯s ck pearly eyes. He used his long, slender finger to unbutton his shirt while Little Youning stared contentedly, without even stopping to blink once, as his buttons slowly and gradually, one by one came undone, exposing his smooth white skin below the vicle.

    Little Youning could no longer contain herself as she stuck her hands into his shirt, viting him even further from within.

    ¡°One, one more button!¡± Little Youning rushed impatiently.

    Thus, Wen Xu proceeded to unbutton the remaining three buttons, slowly exposing his bare chest.

    Little Youning pulled apart his shirt from both sides using his tiny chubby hands, as she immediately shoved her tiny face into his chest, rubbing against his smooth, bare chest. She had even taken a huge sniff from his chest, smelling the scent that was emanating from his body.

    There was a slight hint of pool chlorine from his body, however it was mild. Smelling it from his body somehow made him seem cleaner than ever.

    ¡°When I left earlier that day, did you put your clothes back on?¡± Little Youning asked.

    ¡°I did, immediately after you left, no one had a chance to even look at me,¡± Wen Xu answered.

    ¡°Not bad, not bad!¡± Little Youning praised gleefully, as her tiny face was blushing incredibly red, her eyes looked exceptionally bright. Suddenly, she proceeded to nibble on his chest.

    As she looked up, she noticed Wen Xu¡¯s eyes lit up with life. Still blushing, she said, ¡°I¡¯m rewarding you!¡±

    ¡°Here too.¡± Wen Xu pointed at his cheeks, as he leaned closer to her lips.

    Staring at this naive chubby little six-year-old girl, he felt no shame nor guilt.

    Little Youning was naively happy since she would seize any opportunity to do anything for him in broad daylight, hence she kissed the exact spot Wen Xu was pointing at, as she sneakily brushed against his lips.

    Wen Xu could not bring himself to sin even further for this six-year-old. However, he noticed after this girl had kissed him, she was smiling extremely widely as if she had sessfully taken advantage of him.

    Wen Xu too was extremely happy as a sinister grin could be seen reflecting from his eyes. He proceeded to lower his head then kissed her on the cheeks.

    Little Youning was blushing heavily after that kiss. It was appalling to see the little girl could actually feel shame. She then said, ¡°Oh good lord, you, you kissed me. You¡¯ll have to be responsible for kissing me now!¡±

    ¡°Alright,¡± Wen Xu replied with a hidden grin. Although it was not too obvious, judging from the tone of his voice, he was extremely happy.

    Little Youning was ecstatic, hence her little chubby hands proceeded to once again rub against his chest. She then said nervously, ¡°Then... Do you know... What sort of responsibility did I mean?¡±

    Wen Xu gave it a good thought as he was now fourteen and she was now six; ince he was eight years older than her, he should know much clearer than her.

    ¡°What sort of responsibility do you understand then?¡± Wen Xu asked with a soft tone.

    Since he was going through puberty, his voice had not fully cracked yet. Although his voice had not yet reached the stage of sounding extremely low and dreamy, he had already gone through the awfully ear-piercing cracked voice stage. Hence, at the moment, he sounded like an elegant teenager¡ªalthough it was not deep, it was still captivating.

    ¡°Oh my god, stop teasing me!¡± Little Youning iled her arms around pping his chest, as she tried to hide away her blushing face.

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu was speechless.

    He wondered what sort of TV drama series this young girl had been watching.

    ¡°The responsibility that I meant was... after you¡¯ve kissed me, you¡¯ll need to marry me. My brother told me that a girl should never allow any guys to just casually kiss her, so you¡¯ve already taken advantage of me, do you understand?¡± It was her who had taken more advantage of Wen Xu first, and somehow she was bold enough to subvert all responsibility on him then.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯ll be responsible.¡± Wen Xu nodded.

    As he spoke, he proceeded to kiss her on the other cheek. ¡°I hereby stamp thee. When you¡¯re older, I¡¯ll marry you.¡±

    ¡°Oh my god... why... How are you saying this now? I¡¯m still young, and you¡¯ve decided on me so early, you meanie.¡± As she spoke, she proceeded to dive into his arms.

    Wen Xu felt her nibbling on his chest again.

    ¡°Oh good lord, Wen Xu, I didn¡¯t expect to run into you here.¡± At that moment, a girl walked by. She noticed Wen Xu was hugging Little Youning in hisp. She smiled and said, ¡°The both of you sure are close. Do you still remember me Youning?¡±

    ¡°Put your shirt back on! Hurry! Don¡¯t let this pervert look at you.¡± Little Youning snarled while showing her ferocious teeth.

    Although Wen Xu was acting really slow, the speed of him buttoning up his shirt was impable.

    Little Youning adjusted his shirt to make sure it was straight and tidy. After a thorough inspection and the only exposed part of his body was his neck, she pouted and asked with her soft tiny lips, ¡°Who on Earth are you?¡±

    Wen Xu turned around, and with only a single nce, he frowned then proceeded to turn back to face Little Youning. Slightly rxing his tense brows, he said, ¡°I don¡¯t know this girl.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The girl was speechless.

    She was his ssmate, they had been ssmates for several years!

    The girl¡¯s smile was stiff. She said, ¡°How could you not know who I am, Youning, I treated you to some chicken wings.¡±

    Little Youning rolled her eyes and said, ¡°There are plenty of girls who have treated me to plenty of food. I don¡¯t remember all of them!¡±

    Wen Xu was intrigued as his eyebrows were slightly raised. He asked, ¡°How did you get so many girls to treat you food?¡±

    Little Youning felt guilty as she dared not look into his eyes. She only buried her face into him. It was her only defense mechanism, because every single time she was guilty of something, she would do the same thing to Ruan Danchen, Qi Chenglin, and him. She had done this countless times before.

    It was at that moment, Wen Xu¡¯s confusion faded away, as he used his neatly trimmed nails on his long slender fingers to gently brush against Little Youning¡¯s cheeks. He said, ¡°If you wanna eat any good food next time, just tell me, I¡¯ll buy it for you. You¡¯re not allowed to take anything from them next time alright. There¡¯s no need for you to diminish yourself to their standards.¡±

    Little Youning was ecstatic. She blushingly replied, ¡°Alright!¡±

    That girl who was standing at the sidelines was growing increasingly furious, as she felt the way they interacted with each other was getting increasingly weird. She felt this was not how siblings usually interacted with each other.

    A six-year-old chubby girl, really?

    Hearing that out loud sounded wrong!

    As the girl collected herself, she forced a natural smile and said, ¡°You both sure are close, but I know the both of you are extremely close, just like brothers and sisters, so I don¡¯t mind. I¡¯m telling you this, the way you behave now will cause plenty of misunderstanding to anyone you know. Although Youning is still young, this isn¡¯t exactly a good thing...¡±

    Little Youning could no longer listen to this girl, so she interrupted by saying, ¡°You liking Ah Xu is also wrong since you¡¯re also young!¡±

    As she spoke, Little Youning proceeded to grab onto Wen Xu¡¯s waist with her tiny chubby legs. Since she was still young, doing so would not cause anyone to think it was a gesture of love. Her tiny chubby arms were wrapping around his shoulders.

    ¡°Ah Xu is mine! However we choose to love each other, is entirely our business, you have no rtionship with Ah Xu, so what right do you have to intervene with our rtionship!¡± Little Youning snapped at the girl furiously as she buried her flustered face into Wen Xu¡¯s chest,pletely ignoring the girl, not bothering to even look at her.

    ¡°You... You guys... Disgust me! I¡¯m telling the teacher!¡± The girl stormed off furiously while pointing at them as she stomped her feet on the ground before leaving.

    While staring at the girl¡¯s furious departure, Little Youning¡¯s mouth formed an ¡®O¡¯ shape.

    ¡°She... She...¡± Little Youning was gobsmacked.

    Wen Xu did not put her down since she was wrapping tightly around him. He could save some strength, and only used a single arm to hug her tightly, as if she was not a chubby little girl.

    His other hand reached into his pocket to pick up his phone. He proceeded to make a phone call. He said, ¡°Dad, you need to get here quick, I need you to help me face the wrath of my homeroom teacher and my future father-inw.¡±

    ...

    As expected, not long after the girl stormed off, both Wen Xu and Little Youning were called into the teacher¡¯s office.

    The moment they entered, they noticed that girl sitting next to the teacher¡¯s desk with a flustered look.

 Chapter 498 - God Will Punish You for This

    <h4>Chapter 498: God Will Punish You for This</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°What information have you gathered in Feng Haoli¡¯s house?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Wei Muran briefly summarized the information they had gathered from Feng Haoli¡¯s parents.

    ¡°That means we didn¡¯t get anything useful from his parents too. What has been going on recently. Why are the cases so troublesome?¡±ined Xing Jiadong with a distorted expression.

    ¡°That¡¯s not true. At least we have some clues,¡± Qi Youxuan walked toward the whiteboard and took a whiteboard marker pen. ¡°We can find some connections if we piece the information we obtained today together.¡±

    Qi Youxuan then pointed at Xing Jiadong. ¡°Tell me everything that you¡¯ve learned about Feng Haoli so far.¡±

    Xing Jiadong was not expecting Qi Youxuan to choose him to initiate the discussion since Qi Youxuan would always analyze the case alone without giving them a chance to voice their opinions.

    Xing Jiadong snapped out of his thoughts immediately after Qi Youxuan shifted his gaze to him curiously and said, ¡°The victim Feng Haoli, a twenty-one year old male and an electrical engineering student from University A, left his dormitory at half past elevenst night and suspected to have returned to the dormitory at one o¡¯clock in the middle of the night. He was found hanging in front of room number four-zero-three. Time of death between one to two o¡¯clock. He only joined athletics events in the university and a cycling club off-campus.¡±

    After a few moments of silence, Qi Youxuan asked, ¡°That¡¯s all?¡±

    Xing Jiadong replied after making sure that he did not miss anything else, ¡°That¡¯s all.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded in response. He had already jotted down every information Xing Jiadong mentioned just now on the whiteboard clearly and systematically.

    ¡°Anyone who wishes to add on, please do so,¡± announced Qi Youxuan without making any attempt to voice his opinions.

    Coincidentally, the Forensic Science Division delivered the forensic identification report at that moment. The paint on the soles of the victim, Feng Haoli, is the same as the paint ced at the top floor of the dormitory. One of the tangerine-colored paint containers was stained with mud and itsponents matched the mud on the victim¡¯s soles too.

    ¡°The paint on Feng Haoli¡¯s soles matches the paint ced on the top floor of the dormitory, which means the victim went to the top floor and it was highly likely that the paint got onto his shoes before he died, which also means that he went to the top floor before someone killed him. His roommate also mentioned that he left the dormitory at half past eleven. ording to the dorm keeper, he locked the entrance to the dormitory at ten past eleven and window grills were installed at every avable window in the dormitory, so it was impossible to climb out of the window. We can safely assume that Feng Haoli had probably gone to the top floor to meet the murderer after leaving his room at half past eleven and was killed afterward. The fact that his roommate saw his return at approximately one o¡¯clock without getting a clear view of him but a vague outline doesn¡¯t really mean that the person who returned was Feng Haoli,¡± said Wei Muran.

    ¡°It¡¯s possible for the murderer to arrange a meeting on the rooftop to kill Feng Haoli on the spot and return to the dormitory by impersonating Feng Haoli amidst the darkness. Feng Haoli¡¯sptop went missing and no one had any idea since when, but at least theptop was still there when his roommate brought breakfast for him in the morning. I¡¯m guessing that the person who returned to the dormitory at one o¡¯clock in the middle of the night was the murderer. Theptop probably contained evidence or clues that may lead us to the murderer¡¯s identity and that was the reason why the murderer entered room number four-zero-two when everybody was asleep. Even if someone was still awake at that time, it was impossible for him to take a clear view of the murderer¡¯s face after the power failure. The fact that the victim was hanged in front of room number four-zero-three probably meant that someone inside that room was rted to the victim¡¯s death but highly likely that the murderer just wanted to divert the attention.

    ¡°Chen Yuke¡¯s scream after noticing the corpse in the morning had attracted the attention of most students in the dormitory. When the students in room four-zero-two rushed out to see what had happened in panic, none of them would notice that the person lying in Feng Haoli¡¯s bed was actually a stranger, and he could even leave the dormitory amidst the chaos without anyone noticing too. Of course, this is just my hypothesis. The murderer must be fearless if he really did whatever I had mentioned just now,¡± analyzed Wei Muran slowly but systematically.

    ¡°He wouldn¡¯t murder if he wasn¡¯t fearless. Your analysis is logical!¡± praised Zhang Ming.

    Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks flushed pink after hearing thatpliment. This was her first time summoning up her courage to voice her opinions ever since she joined the police force, and it was the improvement in her analyzing skill after constant observation of Qi Youxuan¡¯s investigation method that fueled her courage.

    Wei Muran shifted her gaze to Qi Youxuan, unsure about his thoughts on her hypothesis. Shecked confidence in her own hypothesis since the evidence was not enough to support it, hence making it sound a little naive.

    However, Qi Youxuan was smiling warmly with a soft glimmer in his lucid eyes, which radiated the same innocence and honesty that persisted since he was young. His eyes were like limpidkes which brought calmness to those who gazed upon them, and none would be heartless to speak lies when they were met with such crystal clear eyes.

    Thefort andpliment Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze conveyed gave Wei Muran an indescribable excitement.

    Qi Youxuan expressed hispliments by grinning at Wei Muran, revealing a row of perfectly carved out dazzling teeth, as if agreeing to her hypothesis.

    Wei Muran merely felt that she was of use to the police department by contributing ideas that may aid in the investigation when Zhang Ming praised her, but exhration consumed her when Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze on her conveyedpliments. Subconsciously, her eyes shone brightly and a wide grin broke across her face, and she could even feel her heart pounding at an incredible speed then.

    To be honest, Wei Muran did not mean to grin in jubtion, but she could not resist the temptation when she met with Qi Youxuan¡¯s joyful gaze and wide grin.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s reaction was a sign of acknowledgment to Wei Muran. Her heart almost broke out of her ribcage in triumph as if hispliment was the single most important sign that only mattered to her.

    ¡°Mumu, you¡¯re absolutely right! My Mumu is very smart indeed!¡± Qi Youxuan gave Wei Muran a thumbs up.

    ¡°...¡± Blush seared through the exhrated Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks instantaneously.

    How could she forget Qi Youxuan¡¯s personality?

    Wei Muran felt guilty after receiving Qi Youxuan¡¯s praise. Obviously, he was biased! Thus, thepliments that came out of his mouth sounded exaggerated in any case.

    The red-faced Wei Muran red at Qi Youxuan so that he would control his behavior.

    Xing Jiadong felt ufortable then too. Qi Youxuan appeared disgusted when he finished his report on the victim¡¯s details, and the question ¡®That¡¯s all?¡¯ seemed to be mocking his intelligence as well.

    However, Qi Youxuan¡¯s grin was so wide right after Wei Muran voiced her opinions, which was in striking contrast with the reaction Xing Jiadong received just now.

    ¡°Hey, both of you, can you stop showing your love and affection in front of the bare branches? God will punish you for this!¡± Zhang Ming hissed through gritted teeth.

    Moreover, everyone in this room was a bare branch, and Wei Muran was included initially too, but Qi Youxuan had solved that issue ever since his arrival.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Wei Muran coughed awkwardly with embarrassment burning deep inside her.

    Qi Youxuan nced at Zhang Ming sadly. ¡°That¡¯s why you must put in more effort and observe how I usually treat my girlfriend. That way, your chances of getting one will increase drastically, am I right?¡±

    ¡°Haha!¡± Zhang Mingughed scornfully.

    ¡°Continue with your analysis! We¡¯re working on this case right now!¡± Wei Muran red at the bickering duo.

    There was no need for Wei Muran to treat them kindly ever since they were young.

    ¡°Ahem!¡± Qi Youxuan coughed into his fist and regained his stern feature. ¡°Anyone has anything else to add on?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng felt that Qi Youxuan was stripping him of his position as the squad leader unconsciously, and he had no idea since when did everybody start to follow Qi Youxuan¡¯s instructions without the slightest hesitation.

    Jiang Yuecheng could only perform his duty as a squad leader whenever Qi Youxuan felt toozy to manage the situation.

    Exactly like what happened at that moment. Qi Youxuan was basically leading the investigation!

    Jiang Yuecheng was caught in a dilemma. He felt like he was Qi Youxuan¡¯s subordinate who would obey everymand Qi Youxuan instructed if he voiced his opinion, but at the same time, his presence would be hardly noticeable if he remained quiet.

    Zhao Yiyang did not give Jiang Yuecheng, who was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly as if still caught in the dilemma, a chance to make a decision and asked, ¡°You mentioned about a cycling club just now. Was there anything wrong with the club?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded his head without providing an answer. Instead, he turned around to look at the information on the whiteboard and started analyzing by drawing lines to connect and dissect the information.

    Then, with the use of a ck marker pen, he wrote the name of the cycling club and added a dash behind it. ¡°ording to Feng Haoli¡¯s parents, Feng Haoli liked to attend any activities organized by the cycling club and would ride his bicycle to challenge his limit in deserted and impoverished areas before boasting to his friends. He would definitely post his journey on social media or start a live video on Weibo, and share details of his trip to his parents once he returned home. He also liked to develop photographs of the trip and ce the most symbolic photograph on a conspicuous location in the house.

    ¡°His parents also mentioned that Feng Haoli wasn¡¯t the sort of person who would initiate conversations with his parents. He would hide in his bedroom and yputer games during weekends, and only became slightly talkative whenever he returned from his cycling trips. However, after he returned from M¨ºdog Countyst summer, he never mentioned a single word regarding the trip and there weren¡¯t any photographs of that particr trip in his house. His social media was only updated until he reached Lhasa and that was it. This indicates that something went wrong during his trip and it was probably very serious or disgusting that he ceased talking or even thinking about it when he returned home.¡±

 Chapter 499 - Heart

    <h4>Chapter 499: Heart</h4>

    ¡°Feng Haoli¡¯s father mentioned that he once overheard Feng Haoli talking about an issue with someone on the phone and Feng Haoli lost his temper when his father questioned him about it. His reaction was exactly the same as how Chen Yuke described. I suspect that these two issues were actually the same issue.¡± Qi Youxuan drew two lines to connect both the trip to M¨ºdog County and the threat message together on the whiteboard before ying the whiteboard marker pen with his slender fingers. ¡°This is the cycling club¡¯s name card. You guys can contact them and ask about the details of the trip to M¨ºdog County. Get a name list about the involved participants and if possible, get their photographs too.¡±

    ¡°Besides, all of you missed a point just now.¡± Qi Youxuan ced the whiteboard marker pen down before continuing, ¡°Not only did Feng Haoli¡¯sptop go missing, but his cellphone had disappeared too. Smartphones nowadays are very convenient to use but they aren¡¯t safe either. Many will turn on Cloud¡¯s automatic backup system, so even when the users delete the content in the cellphone by ident, they can still retrieve the data on Cloud.¡±

    ¡°Yang Shaozhan, decrypt Feng Haoli¡¯s Apple ID password after you¡¯re done decoding his WeChat password,¡± instructed Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Okay,¡± Yang Shaozhan acknowledged the instruction while decrypting Feng Haoli¡¯s WeChat password, but deep down he was criticizing Qi Youxuan for mentioning the password decoding process like it was as simple as a thief breaking into a safe.

    Yang Shaozhan, who was working behind aputer screen, raised his hand after a while. ¡°I have the WeChat password.¡±

    Then, he jotted down a bunch of numbers and passed it to Jiang Yuecheng beforeunching his attack on Feng Haoli¡¯s Apple ID password.

    Subsequently, they used a cellphone and logged into Feng Haoli¡¯s WeChat ount. After scrolling the screen for a while, they finally found the pictures of Feng Haoli¡¯s trip to Tibet which were posted one year ago.

    The first photograph was taken when a group of three males and two females were assembled and ready for departure. All of them wore uniform outfits and equipment and were sitting on their bicycles respectively with the tip of their left feet pointing toward the ground. The shooting was done while facing the sun, creating faint halos around their hazy backs which appeared especially stunning, like a poster.

    The following photographs mainly consisted of scenery along the journey and overnight stays in local residents¡¯ houses or tents.

    The rest of the photographs were mostly of infinitely greened hills and empty roads when they had reached some deste areas.

    These photographs were not posted daily, obviously due to unsatisfactory cell phone reception which disallowed Feng Haoli to get awork connection.

    The captions became depressing with the initial excitement disappearing into thin air as the scenery became more magnificent and vast but barren at the same time.

    Feng Haoli posted his status on the third of July. ¡°I feel heavy emotionally. I figured that the trip would be tough and exhausting but I didn¡¯t expect it to end up like this.¡±

    On the fifth of July, a photograph of a campfire built on a soiled cemented floor in a courtyard was posted with the following caption attached. ¡°Heart.¡±

    Subsequent posts became more and more dispirited afterward.

    Finally, the photograph revealed that they had arrived at Lhasa on the eleventh of July.

    Instead of Pot Pce which was the iconic symbol of Lhasa, Feng Haoli shot photographs of believers kneeling with utmost sincerity and a row of prayer wheels at the Jokhang Temple. One of the photographs showed a man¡¯s hand spinning the prayer wheels, and based on the angle the shot was taken, it was fairly obvious that Feng Haoli was the one taking the photograph.

    The attached caption stated. ¡°Is it toote to purify my soul?¡±

    This was thest photograph Feng Haoli posted regarding that journey.

    Qi Youxuan had a feeling that they must have reached M¨ºdog County in the end. Two monthster, when the semester had begun, Feng Haoli started posting in his WeChat stories again but the updates were lesser inparison with the past.

    ¡°Looks like something definitely went wrong during that trip and it wasn¡¯t a small issue either. Those captions he posted were depressing as hell,¡± Zhang Ming rubbed his chest and tried to get rid of the goosebumps even though the captions were not as exaggerated as they were.

    ¡°Did you notice that there wasn¡¯t any selfie or wefie after the third of July? There were a lot of group photographs or selfies before that,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    Then, everyone in the department noticed that not only were there group photographs or selfies before the third of July, but each of them had a delighted smile on their faces too.

    ¡°I¡¯ve hacked into Feng Haoli¡¯s ount,¡± Yang Shaozhan let out a sigh of relief.

    The crowd went to have a look immediately and found out that there were a few additions of group photographs in the Cloud system.

    ¡°Weren¡¯t these the photographs of Feng Haoli¡¯s trip to Tibet on the phone just now?¡± yelled Wei Muran surprisingly as she pointed at the screen.

    ¡°Why were these uploaded two weeks ago? Judging by the captions on his WeChat, it was obvious that he didn¡¯t want to see any of these photographs again, so why did he re-upload them into his phone after one year? The analysis just now also mentioned that he didn¡¯t even put any photograph of that trip at home, so why would he put them into his phone to look at?¡± asked the curious Zhao Yiyang.

    ¡°These weren¡¯t taken by him,¡± answered Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan exined himself after everyone turned toward him in shock. ¡°These shots were taken by a different person. Perhaps it was a little difficult to conclude from group photographs since they could just ask someone else to take the shot, but take a look at these selfies. The one taking the selfie will definitely stand right in the middle at the forefront position, but these photographs showed a different person at this exact location, so obviously Feng Haoli wasn¡¯t the one taking these shots with his phone.¡±

    The group of five had nted a deep impression in the crowd¡¯s minds after ncing through Feng Haoli¡¯s photographs just now. Thus, they had preconceived assumptions that these were taken by Feng Haoli as well, but after listening to Qi Youxuan¡¯s exnation, they found the differences atst.

    ¡°Besides, the effective pixels are different, which means the cellphone used to take these shots was different too.¡± They had no idea when did Yang Shaozhan transferred the photographs from Feng Haoli¡¯s WeChat ount and Cloud into theputer and started analyzing andparing between the photographs from these two sources.

    ¡°Pixel and brightness are different too,¡± said Yang Shaozhan while pointing at the screen.

    ¡°Someone sent these photographs to Feng Haoli¡¯s phone two weeks ago. Judging from his behavior, he must¡¯ve deleted them immediately but had forgotten about the fact that the photographs would be uploaded to Cloud automatically,¡± said Qi Youxuan confidently.

    ¡°Thisdy... seems familiar,¡± Wei Muran muttered with a frown.

    ¡°You¡¯ve seen her before?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng immediately.

    Wei Muran shook her head in response. ¡°No, I¡¯m very good at recognizing faces, so I won¡¯t forget anyone whom I¡¯ve seen previously. She looks familiar even though I¡¯ve never seen her before, perhaps she looks simr to someone else.¡±

    Wei Muran frowned as she failed to identify thedy despite racking her brain for quite some time.

    In the meantime, Yang Shaozhan started messing around with the desktop Qi Youxuan brought back from Feng Haoli¡¯s house, while Zhang Ming called the cycling club based on the contact number on the business card. Then, he realized that it was way past office hours at that time after the phone call went unanswered.

    Qi Youxuan received a phone call from Qi Youning when he was stretching himself. ¡°Brother, why haven¡¯t you guyse out yet? We¡¯ve been waiting outside for quite some time.¡±

    Qi Youxuan stood up abruptly. ¡°What are you doing here? Why are you troubling me?¡±

    ¡°How can you say so? You were regarding me as an outsider when you didn¡¯t tell me about your sessful rtionship with Muran. It was alright if I didn¡¯t know about this, but I saw both of you together this morning, so here I am. Let¡¯s grab dinner tonight, shall we?¡± Qi Youning¡¯s voice sounded soft but Qi Youxuan knew that she was fighting her urge tough by listening to her voice.

    ¡°Today is my first official date with Mumu, so why are you following us for? Be a good girl and enjoy your sweet time with Wen Xu,¡± Qi Youxuan coaxed.

    Qi Youning was exasperated after realizing that Qi Youxuan was actually coaxing her like he was coaxing a child when he was young. Was she really that stupid?

    ¡°Ah Xu is with me right now. It¡¯s perfectly fine if you¡¯re unwilling to join us, I can just ask Muran out alone too. I¡¯ll always ask Muran out in the future and you¡¯ll learn the truth whether Muran prefers to follow me or you!¡± replied Qi Youning happily with an innocent and cute tone.

    ¡°You... you!¡± Rage was boiling deep inside Qi Youxuan. He would have lost his cool if it was not for the fact that he had to protect his image in the presence of Jiang Yuecheng and his team. He ran toward a corner after peeking at the crowd and whispered, ¡°Your brother had just courted hi wife sessfully, so you can¡¯t possibly put a spoke in my wheel right now. Are you still my little sister?¡±

    Qi Youning rolled her eyes in response. ¡°I¡¯m trying to develop intimacy between my future sister-inw and I. How can you say that I¡¯m putting a spoke in your wheel? The development of intimacy between your wife and sister is of utmost importance! Why are you so annoyingly talkative anyway? Fine, I¡¯ll just give Muran a phone call. Bye!¡±

    ¡°Wait!¡± yelled Qi Youxuan immediately, holding his breath and finally letting it out in disappointment. ¡°What do you want for dinner? If you promise that this disturbance will be the first andst time, I¡¯ll pay for your dinner tonight.¡±

    ¡°Humph! Humph!¡± Qi Youning did not give her word on this.

    ¡°You... If you insist on disturbing us and the intimacy between Mumu and I can¡¯t grow further, don¡¯te looking for me when Wen Xu and you face any trouble in the future!¡± Qi Youxuan threatened.

    ¡°Humph!¡± Qi Youning expressed her dissatisfaction and exasperation clearly.

    Qi Youxuan persuaded again. ¡°Your brother isn¡¯t a stingy person and loves you dearly! You should treat me kindly in return too, right? I know you¡¯ve been eyeing up a set of emerald pendant and earrings. I¡¯ll buy them for you!¡±

    Qi Youning¡¯s eyes shone brightly and her face was flushed pink in an instant. Wen Xu¡¯s gaze on her became gentle at the sight of her attractive rosiness.

    Wen Xu could not help but reach out to poke Qi Youning¡¯s pinkish and tender cheek.

    Pink tint seared through Qi Youning¡¯s cheeks instantly. She buried her face in her palms and stared at Wen Xu with her big, round eyes, trying to tell him to knock it off.

 Chapter 500 - Zhang Ming Could Not Resist the Urge to Snicker

    <h4>Chapter 500: Zhang Ming Could Not Resist the Urge to Snicker</h4>

    The corner of Wen Xu¡¯s lips curled up faintly and a smile formed in his initial cold gaze. Instead of withdrawing his hand, he started caressing Qi Youning¡¯s cheek repeatedly with his long and slender fingers.

    A pink tint burned through Qi Youning¡¯s cheeks as her mind went into a whirlwind. Left with no choice, she tried to push Wen Xu¡¯s hand away but was grabbed by his hand again in the end.

    Qi Youning mumbled, ¡°He wasn¡¯t like that when he was young!¡±

    The young Wen Xu was an energetic, apathetic, and restrained pretty boy!

    When... When did he learn to behave with such indecency?

    ¡°Pardon?¡± Qi Youxuan was unable to hear Qi Youning¡¯s mumble through the phone clearly.

    ¡°N... Nothing,¡± the red-faced Qi Youning stuttered in anxiety and embarrassment. Since she was unable to focus on the conversation and was worried that Qi Youxuan might notice that something was off, she immediately replied, ¡°D... Deal!¡±

    Qi Youning¡¯s cellphone was snatched away right after she hung up the phone call hastily.

    She turned around in surprise but before she could mutter a protest, Wen Xu pressed his lips against hers.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning was dumbfounded.

    Where was the minion that was promised to her when she was young?

    Where did the obedient Wen Xu go?

    Where did this indecent scoundrele from?

    Qi Youxuan had no clue that Wen Xu was treating his beloved sister with eroticism at that moment. Well, he would not even give a damn about it even if he was fully aware of Wen Xu¡¯s behavior. This was bound to happen sooner orter, right?

    Qi Youxuan was unconcerned even if a new life popped in Qi Youning¡¯s womb because that was exactly what Wen Xu yearned for.

    Thus, Qi Youxuan put his little sister out of his mind heartlessly and nonchntly before returning to the office. Everyone was preparing to go home after work and Wei Muran was tidying up her belongings.

    Jiang Yuecheng wanted to initiate a conversation with Wei Muran but was interrupted by Qi Youxuan. ¡°Mumu!¡±

    ¡°Can we leave now?¡± The excited Qi Youxuan grinned and walked toward Wei Muran while squeezing Jiang Yuecheng away from her.

    Wei Muran turned around and smiled at Qi Youxuan without noticing Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s attempt to speak. Then, Qi Youxuan linked his fingers into her hand.

    Since the bare branches had no date after work anyway, they remained in the office to discuss dinner ns without any intention of running back home. Thus, jealousy gleamed in their eyes when they noticed Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran holding hands in the office.

    This was a form of mental abuse!

    Wei Muran could even hear the pride in Qi Youxuan¡¯s mock. ¡°Suck it up, losers!¡±

    ¡°...¡± The crowd was dumbfounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s it, we can¡¯t let him enjoy himself so happily,¡± Xing Jiadong hissed through gritted teeth and nudged Zhang Ming with a wry smile. ¡°Aren¡¯t you close to him?¡±

    Zhang Ming understood Xing Jiadong¡¯s hint immediately. To be honest, as a vanguard and a spy in the Criminal Investigation Division who assisted Qi Youxuan in finding his true love, he was very displeased at Qi Youxuan¡¯s deliberate public disy of affection.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s ungrateful attitude had induced great dissatisfaction in Zhang Ming.

    Thus, Zhang Ming nodded vigorously and stepped forward. ¡°Hey, Youxuan, Muran, are you guys going for a date?¡±

    Red seared through Wei Muran¡¯s cheeks when she heard that. Since she had a close friendship with Zhang Ming and was an open-minded person too, she was not particrly concerned about courtesy at the moment. Thus, she cleared her throat and avoided direct eye contact with Zhang Ming.

    ¡°I won¡¯t bring you guys along, so don¡¯t even think about it. We¡¯re going for dinner with another couple, Youning and Wen Xu, soe along if you don¡¯t mind getting your eyes blinded by the lovebirds,¡± responded Qi Youxuan without giving them a chance to speak.

    Qi Youxuan gave up trying to enjoy his sweet moment with Wei Muran for the rest of the day, since bringing two gooseberries or a bunch of gooseberries along made no difference at all.

    Zhang Ming became a wimp immediately after hearing the name ¡°Wen Xu¡±.

    He dared to create trouble for Qi Youxuan but did not have the nerve to disturb Wen Xu. ¡°Haha, who wants to follow you when we¡¯re going for dinnerter anyway? Petty-minded man.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha,¡± sneered Qi Youxuan.

    After that, he left the office with Wei Muran.

    Xing Jiadong nced at Zhang Ming disdainfully and mocked, ¡°Why¡¯d you give up so quickly? At least you should be persistent for a while!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re going to have dinner with Wen Ren¡¯s eldest son tonight, so go ahead if you have the guts. There¡¯s no way that I¡¯m going with them.¡± Zhang Ming rolled his eyes before walking away.

    Xing Jiadong recognized Wen Ren even though he had no idea who Wen Xu was, so he swallowed his jokes and remained silent.

    Bai Mo overheard this statement when she entered the office and turned around to look at both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran doubtfully.

    After that, Bai Mo averted her gaze instantly and walked into the office with an elegant smile. ¡°What¡¯s all the fuss about?¡±

    ¡°Hey, Doctor Bai got off from work too? We¡¯re going for dinnerter, do you want to tag along if you¡¯re free?¡± asked Xing Jiadong, who was always a few bricks short of a load.

    Zhang Ming rolled his eyes in response. Why was Bai Mo everywhere they went?

    What the hell was wrong with Xing Jiadong¡¯s brain to invite Bai Mo for whatever event they had? Why did he even want Bai Mo to join a group of men for dinner?

    Moreover, how could they speak freely in the presence of Bai Mo who had such a reserved attitude?

    Even though Zhang Ming was born in a well-reputed family, he earned himself a reputation as a tough guy by working in the police department all these years. It was inevitable for him to blurt out vulgarity or make dirty jokes whenever he joined Xing Jiadong and the rest in a chat.

    However, Bai Mo acted as if she was a white lotus [1] who could not afford to have her ears stained by words of profanity, so there was no way they could enjoy themselves in her presence.

    Since Bai Mo was a colleague in the police department, Zhang Ming could not possibly express his disapproval despite his aversion toward her, but at least he could try his very best to avoid asions which involved her.

    After-work entertainment was meant for rxation instead of torturing oneself, so why would Zhang Ming think of Bai Mo first when he did not owe her anything?

    Zhang Ming was unconcerned about any potential criticism for not participating in outdoor entertainment since his family background was kept a secret to the police department except Wei Muran and a few limited personnel.

    The fact that Bai Mo wore an elegant smile induced disgust in Zhang Ming, but at least his current maturity prevented him from gagging and embarrass Bai Mo like what he usually did when he was young.

    Judging by Bai Mo¡¯s expression, Zhang Ming assumed that she was going to agree with Xing Jiadong¡¯s suggestion.

    Sure enough, Bai Mo answered, ¡°I¡¯m free, so count me in if you don¡¯t mind.¡±

    The idiot, Xing Jiadong even replied, ¡°Of course we won¡¯t mind, it¡¯s our pleasure to bring a beauty along for dinner too!¡±

    ¡°Haha,¡± Zhang Ming could not resist the urge to snicker but regretted as soon as he was done sneering. He was so hot-tempered at times!

    It was unwise and inappropriate to express his dissatisfaction openly, so he added, ¡°I received a call from home just now asking me to return home tonight, so I¡¯m not going for dinnerter.¡±

    Not only was Xing Jiadongcking in intelligent quotient, his emotional quotient was evidentlycking too as he asked in shock, ¡°Since when does your family call you? Why didn¡¯t I hear it? Your voice was the loudest too when you urged everyone to eat hotpot just now.¡±

    Zhang Ming clenched his teeth and red at Xing Jiadong.

    ¡°Why are you ring at me?¡± asked the innocent Xing Jiadong.

    ¡°...¡± Zhang Ming was at a loss for words.

    The smile on Bai Mo¡¯s face froze instantly. Carefully and softly, she asked, ¡°Corporal Zhang doesn¡¯t favor my participation?¡±

    ¡°No, I really have other matters to attend to,¡± Zhang Ming denied quickly. They would meet with each other rather frequently so there was no way he would admit his loathing for her.

    Then, Zhang Ming red at Xing Jiadong. ¡°Do you have a crush on me? Do you know every move or n that I have in mind? Did you pay your full attention to me just now?¡±

    Xing Jiadong finally understood the situation and answered, ¡°Not really.¡±

    ¡°I received a phone call from home when you weren¡¯t paying attention to me just now,¡± replied Zhang Ming annoyingly, but deep down he reprimanded this imbecile for his stupidity.

    Bai Mo was aware that Zhang Ming was merely giving an excuse but she preferred not to make the situation a whole lot worse by demanding the truth since it would not benefit her in any way. Thus, she put on her usual elegant smile in the end.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, let¡¯s go,¡± Bai Mo stared at Jiang Yuecheng with a smile.

    As expected, Jiang Yuecheng received an ambiguous gaze from Xing Jiadong.

    No wonder Xing Jiadong wanted to invite Bai Mo every single time. He acted as a matchmaker and tried to initiate a romantic rtionship between Jiang Yuecheng and Bai Mo. Zhang Ming started to pity Jiang Yuecheng for having such an idiotic teammate¡ªXing Jiadong.

    Xing Jiadong only noticed that Bai Mo had a crush on Jiang Yuecheng, but he failed to realize that Jiang Yuecheng had actually developed a fondness for Wei Muran.

    It was fortunate that Xing Jiadongcked brainpower. If he was smart enough to make a match between Jiang Yuecheng and Wei Muran, he would surely feel Qi Youxuan¡¯s wrath.

    Jiang Yuecheng smiled faintly. ¡°Elderly guests of a friend will visit my house tonight, so excuse me for not joining the dinnerter. Enjoy.¡±

    Bai Mo¡¯s smile froze immediately when Jiang Yuecheng announced his absence from the dinnerter. She had nothing to chat with the idiotic Xing Jiadong and was not interested in both Zhao Yiyang and Yang Shaozhan either.

    However, Bai Mo agreed to join them and it would seem like she participated for a purpose if she reneged upon her words. Left with no choice, she swallowed her reluctance and watched grudgingly as Jiang Yuecheng and Zhang Ming left the department.

    ...

    ...

    The way Qi Youxuan held Wei Muran¡¯s hand appeared especially frivolous.

    Even though Bai Mo was considered the prettiest and most popr girl in the police department, some with discerning eyes actually had a crush on Wei Muran. However, they could not possibly visit the Criminal Investigation Division daily and court Wei Muran openly. Thus, they had no choice but to just develop a ¡®closer friendship¡¯ whenever the opportunity arose.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] The lotus flower blooms most beautifully from the deepest and thickest mud. Each flower color also has its own symbolism. For Buddhist practitioners, a white lotus symbolizes purity.

 Chapter 501 - Donâ€™t You Remember That We Vowed to Always Help and Love Each Other?

    <h4>Chapter 501: Don¡¯t You Remember That We Vowed to Always Help and Love Each Other?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Unfortunately, Wei Muran was born insensitive to this sort of issue and merely considered them as extremely friendly colleagues without realizing their true intentions. It was the fact that Qi Youxuan had known Wei Muran since they were young, and dered repeatedly and shamelessly that she was going to be his girlfriend in the future that acted as stepping stones for him to find his significant other. Moreover, with the help of a spy, Zhang Ming, he was brazen enough to visit the Criminal Investigation Division every single day to lodge police reports about his missing wallet that had contributed to his progress. He even exined his true intention to Wei Muran very clearly and thus, Wei Muran had be his girlfriend sessfully.

    Even so, Qi Youxuan figured that it was necessary to extinguish the hopes of those interested individuals so that they would no longer disturb his Mumu anymore.

    The innocent Wei Muran had no idea what was going through Qi Youxuan¡¯s mind. She merely assumed that the public disy of affection was a form of mental torture for the male bachelors in the police department and was unable to bear the thought of them suffering in agony.

    Embarrassment gnawed at her throughout the journey. After noticing someone¡¯s gaze on her, Wei Muran figured that she should act honestly and sincerely to express her well-mannerism, and there was absolutely no need for her to act like she had a guilty conscience since she was not a thief after all.

    Thus, she put on a polite smile and made direct eye contact.

    Little did Wei Muran know, she identally threw her smile to one of her secret admirers and prated his fragile heart mercilessly. She even had no clue what had happened when the secret admirer walked away in sadness.

    Wei Muran averted her gaze doubtfully and asked Qi Youxuan, ¡°What happened to Senior Le? Why did he look as if he was deeply resented when he saw me?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pretended to process this issue seriously before answering, ¡°Perhaps due to food poisoning.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Senior Le was left speechless.

    ¡®Did you ever consider my feelings at all? T.T¡¯ he thought.

    ...

    ...

    A ck Mercedes SUV was parked across the road. The door of its passenger seat opened at the same time as the duo exited the police department.

    Qi Youning got down from the car and waved at the duo. ¡°Brother¡ªyour sister, Muran¡ªyour sister-inw, is here!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was dumbfounded.

    ¡°Haha, I really have no idea how Wen Xu tolerates her,¡± Qi Youxuan mocked.

    Wei Muran agreed with Qi Youxuan even though Qi Youning was his sister.

    It was an understatement to say that Qi Youning¡¯s personality had not changed after all these years, but to put it frankly, her maturity was not directly proportional to her age and she was basically a child in disguise at present.

    Since Qi Youxuan had his own transportation, they drove toward Qi Youning and parked behind Wen Xu¡¯s car before greeting them.

    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Dynasty,¡± replied Qi Youning with a melodious tone.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Hey, are you worried that your future father-inw is going to Dynasty to punish you?¡± Qi Youning raised her eyebrows and gloated over Qi Youxuan¡¯s misfortune.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan took out his cellphone silently. ¡°Dad called me today and asked when can you return home and have a meal together.¡±

    Qi Youning reached out and held onto Qi Youxuan¡¯s phone quickly. ¡°Brother, brother, don¡¯t you remember that we vowed to always help and love each other? Since we agreed to have dinner together, I believe my absence will greatly disappoint you guys!¡±

    Qi Youning rolled her eyes and said, ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going to Dynasty, I was joking with you just now. I¡¯ve made reservations and we¡¯re going to have Hangzhou cuisine tonight!¡±

    Qi Youxuan pouted and put on a ¡®you were no match for me¡¯ facial expression which made him look like he was gloating with pride.

    Qi Youning puffed out her cheeks, thinking that her brother was bing less cute the older he got.

    ...

    ...

    After the quartet reached the Hangzhou restaurant, both Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning rubbed their hands excitedly when they were about to ce an order.

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Braised Pork Belly!¡±

    Qi Youning: ¡°West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy!¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Tea-scented Chicken!¡±

    Qi Youning: ¡°Dragon Well Tea Shrimp!¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Braised Duck!¡±

    Qi Youning: ¡°Meat-stuffed Field Snail!¡±

    Qi Youxuan: ¡°Stir-Fried Beef with Pineapple!¡±

    Qi Youning: ¡°Minced Beef with Egg!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran, Wen Xu, and the waiter were dumbfounded.

    When was thest time these two consumed meat?

    Finally, both Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning closed the menu. ¡°That¡¯s all. We¡¯ll order again if there¡¯s not enough food.¡±

    The waiter said doubtfully, ¡°I think there¡¯s too much meat for the four of you, so do you want to rece a few with vegetables or desserts? Otherwise, you may feel sick after eating so much meat.¡±

    ¡°We can finish them!¡± yelled both Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning which gave the waiter quite a shock. Their agitations appeared as if the removal of a few meat dishes would annihte them.

    Wen Xu remained silent, so Wei Muran, who almost lost her appetite after hearing all the meat dishes, took the menu and ordered two vegetable dishes to get rid of the greasy feeling after eating meat.

    The duo had developed psychological trauma from constant weight loss since they were young, and even at present, they were forced to have vegan meat as side dishes whenever they returned to Prestige Residences for meals. Moreover, Qi Chenglin would definitely instruct them to consumerger portions of greens since they were born carnivores, otherwise, they could bid those meat goodbye for the rest of their lives. Left with no choice, they had to swallow the greens in agony.

    Thus, they would act like they were willing to trade their lives just for a taste of meat whenever they were having meals outside their home, and would always binge eat despite knowing they may very well gain ten kilos after eating like that.

    Inevitably, Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran started discussing the criminal case during the meal. Qi Youxuan mentioned that he had a year left before returning to Qilin next year, so Wei Muran wanted to use this opportunity to learn more from him.

    Wei Muran could not possibly rely on Qi Youxuan every single time to solve criminal cases. She had to learn how to investigate the cases independently. Thus, she tried her best to learn as much as she could during this period of time.

    Qi Youning was reaching out to the West Lake Fish with Vinegar Gravy when the duo was describing Feng Haoli¡¯s proptosis. Staring at the bulging eyes on the fish, somehow Qi Youning found it difficult to consume the fish any further.

    Qi Youning nced at Wen Xu pitifully. ¡°My brother must be doing it on purpose! That way, he¡¯ll be able to eat more meat than me!¡±

    Wen Xu merely replied calmly, ¡°Close your eyes.¡±

    Red tint seared through Qi Youning¡¯s cheeks as she stared at Wen Xu, dropping her chopsticks and burying both her cheeks and eyes into her palms. ¡°Hey, we¡¯re in the restaurant. I hate you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu remained silent.

    He took a pair of serving chopsticks and transferred the fish head to his empty bowl, which was left aside.

    ¡°Open your eyes, you can eat now,¡± said Wen Xu with an extremely t tone.

    Qi Youning¡¯s eyelids flickered open to a headless West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy which pleased her eyes. At least she would not rte the fish with the corpse no matter how Qi Youxuan described the cadaver.

    Then, she shifted her gaze to the bowl beside Wen Xu¡¯s hand. There it was, the fish head.

    Wen Xu noticed Qi Youning¡¯s gaze and covered the bowl quickly. ¡°Don¡¯t look at it, weren¡¯t you afraid of it just now?¡±

    Qi Youning finally realized that Wen Xu was actually removing the fish head when he asked her to close her eyes just a few moments ago.

    Honestly, Qi Youning was expecting Wen Xu to kiss her, and she was so cooperative too. Wen Xu did not even think about kissing her after removing the fish head.

    Qi Youning peeked at Wen Xu bitterly before munching on the fish, which tasted less savory than usual.

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu was left speechless.

    Was Qi Youning ming him for not kissing her earlier?

    Wen Xu watched silently as Qi Youning chewed on the fish. Then, without prior warning, he grabbed her chin suddenly and turned her head to face him before nting a kiss right on her lips and licking the vinegar around them.

    After that, Wen Xu released his grip on her and nodded. ¡°You can eat now.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning was at a loss for words.

    Did this man assume that she would lose her appetite without getting his kiss?

    The duo¡¯s public disy of affection disgusted Qi Youxuan. He turned around to look at Wei Muran, who nced anxiously to the sides before muttering a response. ¡°You... You behave yourself!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan figured that Wen Xu¡¯s way of stealth assaults seemed like a good strategy after all.

    However, Qi Youxuan had to give up since Wei Muran was alert at the moment. Thus, he took a piece of fish meat, removed the fish bones carefully and patiently, and put some sweet and sour sauce from the serving te before cing it into Wei Muran¡¯s bowl.

    Since kissing was a no-go, this modified public disy of affection was considered equally effective too. This was called cognitive flexibility!

    Qi Youning was disgusted by Qi Youxuan¡¯s gaze which felt like an act of confrontation, so she turned around and stared at Wen Xu¡¯s handsome face instead. However, Wen Xu misunderstood her intention and nted another kiss on her lips again without hesitation.

    Qi Youning was totally unprepared for this. How could she expect Wen Xu to have some convulsions and kiss her again?

    To be honest, Wen Xu¡¯s current sovereignty could satisfy every woman¡¯s fantasy about men, especially after the introduction of a few romance novels regarding bossy presidents by Qi Chengyue. Wen Xu was basically a natural-born bossy president; he did not have to act.

    Qi Youning was greatly satisfied with this quality, and his asional sudden kabe-don [1] would always send her into euphoric bliss.

    However, they were not even halfway into the dinner and yet Wen Xu had already kissed her multiple times publicly and unexpectedly. Even with her thick boundary, she could no longer withstand such embarrassment, especially in public areas.

    Qi Youning covered her mouth andined, ¡°We... We¡¯re in public right now. It¡¯s... It¡¯s very embarrassing if you keep on doing that!¡±

    Wen Xu asked doubtfully, ¡°Were you not thinking about kissing me when you stared at me just now?

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning was left speechless.

    She figured that Wen Xu was putting all the me on her for his indecent acts.

    ____________________________________________________________________________

    Notes:

    [1] Kabedon or Kabe-Don (Japanese: ±Ú¥É¥ó; Kabe, ¡°wall¡±, and Don, ¡°bang¡±) refers to the action of pping a wall fiercely, which produces the sound ¡°don¡±. One meaning is the action of pping the wall as a protest which urs in collective housing like condominiums when the next room makes noise. Another meaning often appears in sh¨­jo manga or anime when a man forces a woman against the wall with one hand or leans against the wall and makes the sound of ¡°don¡±, and this has be popr as a ¡°clever move of confession¡±.

 Chapter 502 - The Face on the Car Window Was Actually His Father-in-law

    <h4>Chapter 502: The Face on the Car Window Was Actually His Father-inw</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s public disy of affection and Wen Xu¡¯s shameless act left Qi Youning with no choice but to focus her attention on the food in front of her.

    ...

    ...

    It would be close to ten o¡¯clock by the time Qi Youxuan fetched Wei Muran home due to traffic congestion, and since she had to work early the next morning, Qi Youxuan brought her home directly after the quartet had finished their dinner so that she could rest earlier.

    Little did they know, Qi Youning had instructed Wen Xu to follow Qi Youxuan¡¯s car afterward. Wen Xuplied with Qi Youning¡¯s every order since they were young and would never object to any of her decisions. Moreover, Wen Xu firmly believed that such behavior would not pose any trouble to both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran.

    When Qi Youxuan parked his car in front of the Wei family¡¯s manor, Qi Youning was kind enough to ask Wen Xu to park his car slightly further from Qi Youxuan¡¯s car¡ªapproximately the distance of two parking spaces.

    Qi Youxuan gritted his teeth after noticing the Mercedes SUV via the rear-view mirror which was loud enough to travel to Wei Muran¡¯s ears.

    ¡°She¡¯s definitely not my sister. My sister used to be so cute before this!¡± Qi Youxuan hissed through gritted teeth.

    Traveling back to their childhoods when Qi Youxuan¡¯s sister was still a cute little child, she would always call out to him sweetly while pulling the back of his shirt, and even waved her handkerchief sadly at the doorstep whenever he went out.

    Wei Muran giggled at Qi Youxuan¡¯s reaction beforeforting him. ¡°Well, they¡¯re two parking spaces away from us. They won¡¯t be able to see whatever we¡¯re doing in the car anyway.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a different issue. Wen Xu and my sister will drive away together but I have to drive back alone after you return home. I¡¯ll feel so lonely and isted when I stare at the empty passenger seatter.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was at a loss for words.

    That was his point after all?

    Then, Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression changed suddenly. He stared at Wei Muran proudly and flirtatiously with his eyebrows raised. ¡°You mentioned that they won¡¯t be able to see whatever we¡¯re doing in the car just now. What exactly were you thinking when you mentioned it?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran stuttered in embarrassment. ¡°I... I didn¡¯t... mean it, so don¡¯t... don¡¯t overthink this issue! I wasn¡¯t... wasn¡¯t thinking about anything!¡±

    Despite the darkness in the car, Wei Muran could clearly see the light shining brightly in Qi Youxuan¡¯s eyes. Embarrassment gnawed at her, so she averted her gaze elsewhere with a guilty conscience.

    Coincidentally, Qi Youxuan leaned forward, attempting to kiss her when she turned her face away. In the end, his soft and wet lips pecked on her ear lobe and sent her trembling with a chill down her spine.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking about this...¡± The fact that Qi Youxuan may have misunderstood her as a female pervert induced anxiety in Wei Muran as her face went into a shade of a ripe strawberry.

    Qi Youxuan turned Wei Muran¡¯s face over and pressed on her lips with his. ¡°It¡¯s me. I¡¯m thinking about this.¡±

    Contrary to the calm and confident tone in the day, Qi Youxuan¡¯s current voice sounded eager and impatient, and the warmth radiated from his lips made Wei Muran feel helpless in the current situation.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s kisses were fiery and demanding. His arms which were constricting Wei Muran and her arms tightened to the extent that pain started registering in her body. Her chest was pressed against his with such force until there was no longer enough space for her ribcages to expand freely.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s ferocious kisses appeared as if he wanted to devour Wei Muran right at that moment.

    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±

    Wei Muran seemed to have heard someone knocking on the car window but unsure if the voice was actually part of her imagination amidst her mental confusion.

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan was busy kissing Wei Muran and thus, failed to notice the knocking sounds on the car window.

    Subsequent knocks on the car window seemed to be faster and stronger.

    Wei Muran could hear the knocking sounds better and tried to push Qi Youxuan away. ¡°I... heard something.¡±

    ¡°Knock! Knock! Knock!¡±

    The knocking sounds traveled into the car, and this time, they were much louder and faster.

    Finally, Qi Youxuan was snapped out of his euphoric bliss.

    He released his grip on Wei Muran with extreme reluctance and med Qi Youning for disturbing them without considering his desire.

    When Qi Youxuan located the source of the knocking sounds, a magnified face that was almost squeezed onto the car window with a shlight illuminating from the bottom of his chin entered his eyesight. His chin, mouth, the tip of his nose, and part of his forehead appeared especially bright under the effect of the shlight. What a terrifying sight!

    His high nose bridge created shadows, and even the area beneath his eyes and part of his forehead, his mentbial area, and cheeks had melted into the darkness.

    The light cast by the shlight shone brightly on the man¡¯s facial features, and at the same time entuating the darkness where the light failed to touch.

    Holy sh*t! What the f*ck!

    Qi Youxuan fought the urge to scream at the top of his lungs while shielding Wei Muran so that she would not gaze upon such a gruesome sight.

    Then, Qi Youxuan recognized the owner of such monstrosity after regaining his cool. The face on the car window was actually his father-inw, Wei Ziqi.

    Based on Qi Youxuan¡¯s childhood memory, he found it difficult to imagine Wei Ziqi performing such an act. Did Wei Ziqi go through a seizure during his middle age?

    Finally, Wei Ziqi regained his handsome face after turning off the shlight, but he put on a stern expression again as he mmed his palm onto the car window repeatedly.

    Wei Muran¡¯s jaw dropped instantly upon noticing her father after turning around.

    Wei Muran unbuckled her seatbelt and got down from the car quickly. Wei Ziqi red at her and yanked her to his back the moment she stood still in front of him.

    Qi Youxuan exited the car and walked toward Wei Ziqi, who was exasperated at the fact that all preventive measures proved to be useless against this brat.

    Wen Xu wanted to drive away since it was inappropriate to observe other family¡¯s affairs and it was none of his business too, but Qi Youning held onto his arm and stopped him.

    ¡°Hey, this is where the fun begins, so don¡¯t go! We can leave once the fun is over,¡± whispered Qi Youning in fear that her voice may be heard by the crowd outside the car.

    In all honesty, no one would be able to hear anything that was going on inside a normal vehicle, not to mention Wen Xu¡¯s car which was modified in the Lanshan Institute.

    Wen Xu retrieved his hands which were holding the steering wheel initially and remained immobile like a rock. Then, he pressed a button that activated an amplifier and increased the volume of the outside world like they were watching a movie.

    ¡°Ah Xu, you¡¯re so considerate!¡± Qi Youning hugged Wen Xu¡¯s arm and nted a kiss on his cheek without thinking this through.

    Wen Xu stared eagerly at Qi Youning, who swallowed her saliva anxiously in return. ¡°It¡¯s... it¡¯s movie time!¡±

    ¡°When it¡¯s over, just you wait,¡± replied Wen Xu calmly, which made Qi Youning¡¯s heart skip a beat and she could no longer enjoy the show in peace.

    ¡°Dad,¡± Qi Youxuan stood before Wei Ziqi and greeted shamelessly.

    Contrary to the usual brazen attitude toward Wei Muran, Qi Youxuan was standing tall and straight with the utmost decorum at that time.

    Wei Muran poked her head out of Wei Ziqi¡¯s back to peek at Qi Youxuan and was stunned upon witnessing his pretentious seriousness.

    Wei Ziqi¡¯s expression went as dark as the pitch-ck sky above him. Obviously, he was disgusted as well, unsure if it was due to Qi Youxuan¡¯s fake seriousness or the shameless greeting of ¡°Dad¡±.

    ¡°Who did you refer to as your Dad? Go back to Prestige Residences if you¡¯re looking for your father!¡± said Wei Ziqi, clearly annoyed.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Wei Ziqi in grievance without anyints.

    Qi Youxuan had be a master in acting cute since he had been practicing from a very young age. The grievance in his eyes, which appeared especially brightpared to the world, was etched in charcoal and could easily induce pity in those who sympathized with him.

    ¡°What are you doing? Can¡¯t you behave kindly toward him? It¡¯s not easy being a child too,¡± Wei Ran, who appeared out of nowhere, walked toward Wei Ziqi and pinched his forearm.

    Wei Muran grabbed Wei Ziqi¡¯s other arm. ¡°Dad, isn¡¯t it better that we¡¯re together right now? You knew him since he was just a child, and that makes him better than those men who we¡¯re unfamiliar with. Besides¡ª¡±

    Wei Muran nced at Qi Youxuan shyly before shifting her gaze back to Wei Ziqi. ¡°I really like him too. He never bullies me and always takes care of me with all his heart. No matter what I say or do, he¡¯ll give his unfailing support too. I¡¯m really blessed to have someone who treats me dearly like how you guys do. Dad, when I was just a child, you told me not to marry anyone unless I found the man who would love me as you did, but I think... I found him.¡±

    ¡°Mumu,¡± Qi Youxuan was so touched that he almost shed tears as he stared at Wei Muran.

    Mumu was actually fond of him and even had the intention of marrying him. Was that considered a green light for Operation Marry Mumu?

    Anger boiled deep inside Wei Ziqi after listening to his beloved daughter.

    They had just started a rtionship not long ago and his daughter was already thinking about marrying that bastard. Where was the reserved mannerism ady was supposed to possess?

    ¡°Marriage isn¡¯t urgent!¡± hissed Wei Ziqi.

    Wei Ran figured that Wei Muran sounded a little too eager for marriage too. It was inappropriate for the bride¡¯s side to rush for marriage after all.

    At the very least, Qi Youxuan should be the one feeling eager about the marriage. Thus, Wei Ran agreed with Wei Ziqi¡¯s statement and said, ¡°Your Dad¡¯s right. You¡¯re still young, so there¡¯s no need to rush for marriage.¡±

    The response shocked Qi Youxuan. Why did his mother-inw hinder his n instead of helping him?

    Qi Youxuan learned from his mistake this time. He attacked Wei Ran with an innocent yet pitiful gaze rather than greeting her as ¡°Mom¡±.

    Wei Ran admitted defeat under such gaze which radiated grievance, but her love for her daughter was too strong. ¡°Youxuan, patience.¡±

 Chapter 503 - Kaimu Cycling Club

    <h4>Chapter 503: Kaimu Cycling Club</h4>

    ¡°Dad,¡± Wei Muran begged with a flushed face before continuing, ¡°I¡¯m not in a rush to get married¡ªI want to stay here longer with you guys too, but... but I just don¡¯t want you to be against up being together. You... you just have to be nicer to him. Please don¡¯t be so fierce toward him...¡±

    Qi Youxuan took the chance to act out the manner of a little daughter-inw, making Wei Ziqi¡¯s blood boil.

    ¡°Humph!¡± grunted Wei Ziqi, ¡°Next time, besides to do overtime, you must be home before 10. You can¡¯t let that little brat take advantage of you, you hear me?¡±

    ¡°Dad, you don¡¯t oppose us being together anymore?¡± Wei Muran asked astoundedly.

    Wei Ziqi was awfully unwilling to answer a question which would mean handing her daughter out to another man¡ªespecially when he had to do it face-to-face. Hence, he did not answer her but instead red menacingly at Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°How dare you kiss my daughter in front of our house! You¡¯re getting gutsier!¡±

    Qi Youxuan did not dare to let out another grumble. If he were to enrage Wei Ziqi any more, he might ban him from seeing his daughter forever.

    Wei Muran too, who understood her father¡¯s personality well, did not utter a word.

    ¡°Humph! Go home!¡± Wei Ziqi ordered fumingly. He grabbed Wei Muran¡¯s hand and dragged her into the courtyard.

    The metal door mmed shut right in front of Qi Youxuan¡¯s face.

    Wen Xu shook his head expressionlessly. He felt empathetic toward the pitiful Qi Youxuan. Just as he was going to drive off, Qi Youning stopped him again.

    ¡°My brother doesn¡¯t give up so easily. Watch what he¡¯s going to do,¡± exined Qi Youning.

    Thus, Wen Xu sat quietly and observed Qi Youxuan from afar. Qi Youxuan stood there staring at the Wei family¡¯s mansion for an eternity. Suddenly he went to the trunk of his car, popped it open and produced a foldabledder from it. He plodded to the Wei family mansion¡¯s backyard while lugging the foldabledder.

    Wen Xu¡¯s vision was sharp like a hawk¡¯s¡ªfrom a distance away, he could spot a figure mbering up the wall in the mansion¡¯s backyard.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning and Wen Xu were both rendered speechless.

    At that moment, Wen Xu felt that Qi Youxuan had just opened up the window to a whole new world for him.

    If Qi Chenglin did the same as Wei Ziqi, he might follow in Qi Youxuan¡¯s footsteps and do the same too.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± Qi Youning said.

    Wen Xu nodded and finally drove off. However, in his heart, he had secretly made the resolution to talk to Qi Youxuan more from then on.

    ...

    After entering the house, Wei Muran coaxed Wei Ziqi and made him happy. After that, Wei Ziqi quickly made her return to her bedroom and rest as she had a long day.

    Wei Muran entered the bedroom, took a kimono, and was heading to the bathroom. Just then, she heard a series of loud bangs on her window.

    She turned to the window and was bbergasted to see Qi Youxuan pressed against her window with one hand holding on to the ss and another one knocking.

    Wei Muran opened the window hastily. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±

    Only after Qi Youxuan crossed over the window frame and entered the room did Wei Muran realize that he climbed up using adder.

    Where did he get thedder from?

    ¡°I¡¯ve always had it in my car trunk¡ªjust in case,¡± Qi Youxuan exined.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was at a loss for words.

    Just in case? In case of what? This?

    ¡°We¡¯re still going to see each other tomorrow¡ªwhy do you have to climb up here?¡± questioned Wei Muran with a flushed face. She harbored mixed feelings about his absurd action.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get to give you a proper goodbye just now,¡± whimpered Qi Youxuan as he stared at her with puppy-eyes. ¡°We haven¡¯t had a proper conversation before you were dragged in.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran suddenly felt like her room had shrunk. She felt terribly ufortable when alone with him in this tiny space.

    ¡°Well, now that you¡¯ve seen me, you can leave. Please don¡¯t do this again. It¡¯s so dangerous,¡± muttered Wei Muran.

    Even so, Qi Youxuan did not move a muscle. Instead, he whimpered coquettishly, ¡°Mumu,e give me a hug.¡±

    This man sure knew how to flirt!

    Wei Muran could not resist at all. She mumbled, ¡°Okay... but just a hug, okay?¡±

    Having said that, Wei Muran abruptly came to the realization that she was bing more and more shameless.

    Hearing that, Qi Youxuan pounced straight onto her and wrapped her tight in his arms. Before Wei Muran could react, her feet were already off the ground.

    Wei Muran¡¯s heart pounded and her face reddened. She felt as though her room was flipped upside down and everything was spinning round and round. In an instant, she was pressed onto the bed with him pressing firmly on top of her.

    ¡°Qi Youxuan!¡± Wei Muran yelled, but not too loudly to avoid attracting Wei Ziqi¡¯s attention. If Wei Ziqi were to see Qi Youxuan in her room, she had no doubt he would snap his legs in half.

    ¡°No... Don¡¯t... Don¡¯t mess around!¡± Wei Muran whimpered.

    ¡°I¡¯m not doing anything. I just want to hold you like this,¡± replied Qi Youxuan as he buried his face in the hollow of her neck.

    As he spoke, he breathed out puffs of hot air, making Wei Muran¡¯s neck itch. She yearned to scratch it.

    Qi Youxuan sighed softly. ¡°I want to hold you in my arms like this every night. I want you to be the first thing I see every morning.¡±

    Judging from Wei Ziqi¡¯s attitude toward all this, there was no way he would allow them to live together. All they could do was get married quickly, yet Wei Ziqi had no intention of marrying his daughter off anytime soon.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s heart was in anguish. Thus, he decided to seek Qi Chenglin¡¯s aid.

    With a face redder than a rose, Wei Muran whispered, ¡°Even if you want to, you can¡¯t stay here for the night.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    His Mumu just read him like an open book!

    Qi Youxuan moved his face closer to her neck. He tucked her long hair away. Immediately after, his warm lipsnded right on her neck, making her tremble.

    Qi Youxuan held on to her tight. His lips slowly worked their way up her neck and onto her lips. He sucked hard on her lips.

    Their breaths were unsteady. Both of them were at an age where they easily get aroused. Moreover, they were lying on a bed. Qi Youxuan was very close to losing control. He kissed her passionately, with no intention of stopping.

    Qi Youxuan could not restrain himself. When he kissed her, it was as his brain stopped functioning.

    Wei Muran noticed his change so she pushed him off hastily.

    Qi Youxuan did not want to scare her, so he let go. His charming face was glowing red as he sighed heavily.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m leaving now,¡± Qi Youxuan stammered.

    Wei Muran stood up and tidied her clothes a little. She walked Qi Youxuan to the window. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t do such rash things again. Don¡¯te in like this again; it¡¯s too dangerous.¡±

    ¡°But I miss you.¡± Qi Youxuan held Wei Muran¡¯s hands and stared at her without uttering another word.

    ¡°I... I¡¯ll try to convince my dad,¡± Wei Muran said.

    ¡°Mumu, I¡¯ve waited for so long. I¡¯ve been so patient because I want to make you my wife.¡± Qi Youxuan smiled softly. His eyes were filled with fondness toward Wei Muran. ¡°I was overjoyed when you said you feel assured being married to me.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran¡¯s face flushed red. She was too embarrassed to continue the conversation. She nudged him gently. ¡°Be careful on the way down.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded. He opened the window and climbed down thedder.

    Only when he reached the ground safely could Wei Muran rest assured. The more she stared at him lugging thedder away, the more she wondered what kind of odd situation she got herself into.

    ...

    The next day, Qi Youxuan, Wei Muran, and Zhang Ming went to the cycling club.

    The three of them stood in front of the club, staring at the signboard: Kaimu Cycling Club.

    Zhang Mingpared the name on the sign with the name on the business card. ¡°This is the ce.¡±

    They had already made a call to reception before going, thus, they merely had to show the receptionist their documents and was immediately led to the drawing room.

    Just seconds after they sat down, the cycling club¡¯s general manager came in.

    They had done background research on the cycling club before¡ªthe club was established five years ago by the son of a rich entrepreneur. However, the reality was that the son only provided the capital needed to establish the club¡ªhe had no hand in managing the club. Instead, he employed someone to manage it for him¡ªthe general manager standing in front of them now.

    ¡°I apologize for the wait.¡± The general manager sat down and handed them his business card with both hands.

    Zhang Ming took the card and examined it. On the card, it was written: Yu Zhijie, General Manager of Kaimu Cycling Club.

    The night before, Yang Shaozhan did overtime to investigate the cycling club, but he could not find much. He merely found out that the owner was the son of a rich entrepreneur and was named Wei Guangzheng. As for Yu Zhijie, he was thirty-two years old, not married but had a stable girlfriend. He started working since the establishment of the club¡ªhe was only twenty-seven back then. From his conduct, it was clear that he has been a notable man from young.

    ¡°Are you the boss?¡± Zhang Ming inquired as if they did not know the answer.

    ¡°Our boss doesn¡¯te here often. He¡¯s only responsible for distributing our sries. The club is managed by me,¡± Yu Zhijie rified.

    ¡°Oh? How did your bosse up with the idea to open a cycling club? If it¡¯s just for fun, there are so many different paths he could have taken. What drew him to this? It¡¯s such an unusual field,¡± Zhang Ming pointed out.

    As the son of a rich entrepreneur who had virtually unlimited amounts of money, Zhang Ming understood his want to venture into multiple fields and make random investments everywhere just to fill time¡ªregardless of whether his investments were making profit or loss. What mattered was the facade that he had many investments, making others think he was a highly sessful man. Besides, smallpanies like this did not require much capital. Even if it made losses, it would not be anything he could not endure. Moreover, it was something he could do to ease his mind.

    ¡°Well, our boss is passionate about traveling the world on a bike. He has the time and money to do so, so he frequently travels with a group of men who are also sons of rich entrepreneurs. At first, he traveled with his friends to a nearby destination to get a feel of what it¡¯s like. After that, our boss fell in love with the activity. Nheless, his friends could not ustom themselves to this mode of traveling. They were too used to their luxurious first-ss seats and private jets. They could tolerate it that one time but were not willing to go through that suffering on a regr basis. Later on, he met a group of rich men from overseas and they would travel together but not often. Hence, he decided he might as well open his own club. When there are interesting events, he would sign himself up,¡± Yu Zhijie exined thoroughly, not hiding a single thing from them.

 Chapter 504 - [Interlude] Youning VS Wen Xu

    <h4>Chapter 504: [Interlude] Youning VS Wen Xu</h4>

    When the teacher saw Wen Xu holding Little Youning¡¯s hand, she did not think much about it. She merely thought that Wen Xu was like a loving older brother.

    ¡°Ahem, just now, Gao Yange told me you two are dating. Is that true?¡± The ss teacher felt weird asking that even as the words left her mouth.

    In reality, dating was not banned in Jixia Academy. Due to the students¡¯ backgrounds, it was not unusual for many of them to be engaged for the sake of establishing alliances between families. Although the kids may not understand what exactly a rtionship was yet, the school did not mind the engaged couples getting to know each other and staying close to one another.

    Most schools did not allow students to date because they were worried that these children might be tempted to taste the forbidden fruit and make mistakes that would ruin their lives. Moreover, it would usually affect their academics. Nheless, the students in Jixia Academy all had family businesses to inherit¡ªno one really cared about studying hard and finding a good job.

    As for their private lives, they have their families to take care of that; the teachers barely had any say in those matters.

    ¡°She must¡¯ve misunderstood,¡± replied Wen Xuposedly.

    ¡°Nonsense! That¡¯s not what you said just now!¡± Gao Yange pointed at them panickedly.

    Wen Xu blinked slowly. ¡°Teacher, she has a crush on me¡ªshe¡¯s always sticking on to me. The Qi family has good rtions with my family¡ªit¡¯s only natural for me to take care of Youning in school. This is none of her business.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The ss teacher was at a loss for words.

    How could this boy be so blunt?

    Even if it was the truth, it still was not ideal to say these things out loud!

    ¡°I know your families have good rtions. It¡¯s also true that you should take care of your juniors.¡± As the ss teacher, she had been informed by the principal about Wen Xu¡¯s status and thus did not dare to say much to him. ¡°If it¡¯s just a misunderstanding, this can all be resolved by simply exining the situation.¡±

    ¡°No, it can¡¯t! Teacher, he¡¯s lying!¡± yelled Gao Yange. ¡°I saw it with my own eyes¡ªQi Youning was sitting in hisp! His shirt was even unbuttoned and the two of them were kissing!¡±

    They kissed, but not on the lips. However, Gao Yange decided to keep that to herself.

    The ss teacher¡¯s expression changed abruptly¡ªher panic was evident on her face.

    All she wanted to do was let this incident pass as quickly as possible¡ªboth the Qi and the Wen family were not people she wanted to enrage. Even the thought of the name ¡®Wen Ren¡¯ sent shivers down her spine. Besides, the principal had hinted at the possibility of this being an alliance between the Qi and Wen family through marriage. Moreover, Qi Youning was too young to have anything happen to her¡ªshe probably just liked being around Wen Xu.

    Right now, the only thing preventing this matter from being over was Gao Yange¡¯s persistence. How annoying!

    Nevertheless, now that things have escted to this point, the ss teacher had to say something. ¡°Well umm... Although Youning is still young, next time you should be more careful. We don¡¯t want this to affect her negatively in any way.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, but I¡¯ve decided that Youning will be my future wife, so I want to develop our rtionship from now,¡± revealed Wen Xu coolly. His tone did not change at all.

    The teacher was staggered. She was growing impatient toward Wen Xu, who was still unwilling to take a step back so the matter could be resolved.

    ¡°Even if that¡¯s the case, you should still be cautious about how this will affect her. Besides, isn¡¯t it a little early for Youning? Does she understand any of this?¡± inquired the ss teacher as she tried her best to hold down her rage.

    Little Youning blinked a few times. She felt that she understood¡ªbeing Wen Xu¡¯s wife meant living with him like Daddy and Mommy. Wen Xu will listen to her everymand¡ªjust like Mommy and Daddy. Daddy never refuted anything Mommy said¡ªeven when she was wrong. If Mommy made a mistake, Daddy would do anything to make it right.

    ording to her big brother, that was the customaryw between a daddy and a mommy. However, reality was far from that!

    Little Youning turned her head up to look at Wen Xu¡ªshe felt that he still had much space for improvement.

    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter whether she understands or not¡ªshe will know eventually anyway. Besides, I only kissed her because I thought she¡¯s cute; she kissed me because she likes me. It¡¯s the same as her kissing her dad and her brother¡ªyou¡¯re blowing this out of proportion.¡± Wen Xu red at Gao Yange irritatedly. ¡°Whatever your name is, who do you think you are to meddle in our families¡¯ business?¡±

    Gao Yange¡¯s face flushed red. She had been in the same ss as him for so long, yet he did not even know his name.

    She did not suspect that he merely pretended to not know either¡ªif he said it that way, that meant he truly did not know her name.

    In the end, the ss teacher insisted, ¡°Despite all that, Youning is still young. I¡¯ll have to let her parents know about this.¡±

    Having said that, the ss teacher called Little Youning¡¯s ss teacher and reiterated the entire incident to her. This morning, Little Youning slipped out of P.E. to see Wen Xu swim. Now, she got into trouble again. Hence, her ss teacher called Ruan Danchen immediately.

    Coincidentally, Ruan Danchen was resting in Qi Chenglin¡¯s office at that time¡ªhe heard every word through the phone.

    When Ruan Danchen hung up, she noticed Qi Chenglin¡¯s fuming expression. He insisted, ¡°I¡¯ll go with you. That boy is dead meat!¡±

    ...

    When Qi Chenglin and Ruan Danchen arrived at the school, they ran into Wen Ren on the first floor of the teaching building.

    ¡°Yo, my inws,¡± Wen Ren greeted as he grinned irksomely.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was absolutely disgusted. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    Wen Ren smiled. ¡°I miss my son, so I came here to see him.¡±

    ¡°Haha.¡±

    Who on Earth would believe that?

    The three of them entered the office. Little Youning¡¯s ss teacher was there too.

    In one breath, her ss teacher unveiled everything that happened that morning and also that afternoon.

    Qi Chenglin felt that he was slowly, but surely, losing his precious daughter.

    ¡°She¡¯s still young, so I think it¡¯s better to keep an eye out,¡± suggested her ss teacher euphemistically. Compared to Qi Chenglin, she was much more afraid of Wen Ren.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need. That¡¯s my future daughter-inw. They¡¯re just trying to develop their rtionship. What do you care?¡± Wen Ren pouted.

    ¡°...¡± The ss teacher was rendered speechless.

    Just then, Wen Xu¡¯s ss teacher came back from the washroom. She was stunned the moment she saw Wen Ren. ¡°Mr. Wen, what brings you here?¡±

    ¡°My son told me that you guys aren¡¯t letting him spend time with my daughter-inw, so I came to see who¡¯s this brave soul trying to ruin their beautiful rtionship. Those are the kinds of people I hate the most.¡± He thought back on the time when his uncle forbade him from seeing Fang Jiaran for the longest of times¡ªit was a traumatic experience he would never forget.

    ¡°...¡± Both the ss teachers were dumbfounded.

    Beautiful rtionship? They were only children!

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin ground his teeth and spat, ¡°Who¡¯s this daughter-inw you keep bbering about? Since when has my daughter be your daughter-inw?!¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯ll happen sooner orter,¡± Wen Ren dismissed shamelessly.

    ¡°Sooner orter my foot,¡± Qi Chenglin discontentedly.

    ¡°Just think about it¡ªweren¡¯t you and your son just as shameless toward Wei Ziqi? Why are you so against me then? This is double standards.¡±

    ¡°Haha, double standards indeed. You don¡¯t have a daughter. You won¡¯t understand,¡± Qi Chenglin scorned disdainfully.

    His words stabbed deep into Wen Ren¡¯s heart. Wen Ren had everything¡ªa blissful marriage and a happy family¡ªexcept a daughter.

    When Fang Jiaran was pregnant with Wen Ming, they prayed wholeheartedly for it to be a girl. Unfortunately, when she went for a check-in four months into her pregnancy, it was revealed to be a boy. Their feelings back then could not be put into words.

    They could not be upset with the oue¡ªit was their own flesh and blood after all¡ªyet, inevitably, there were still some feelings of disappointment.

    However, Wen Ren was to be med most. After Wen Ming was born, Wen Ren just had to blurt out, ¡°It¡¯s all your fault for reading dirtyics when you were pregnant.¡±

    Infuriated, Fang Jiaran instantly announced she was not going to bear a third child for him. Let him be envious of others for the rest of his life!

    Even until now, Wen Ren could not convince Fang Jiaren. He was so frustrated that he contemted poking holes in his condoms.

    Thus, before he could get his own daughter, he focused all his envy onto Qi Chenglin¡ªexpending all his might to drag Qi Chenglin¡¯s daughter into his family.

    ¡°Hehe, I¡¯ll have a daughter-inw soon.¡± As Wen Ren said that, his eyes darted onto Little Youning.

    Wen Xu took the chance and instructed Little Youning, ¡°Youning, call him ¡®Dad¡¯.¡±

    Qi Chenglin could not tolerate them anymore. He scooped Little Youning up and stormed out of the office. That father-and-son duo was too shameless!

    He yearned to beat up both of them!

    ¡°...¡± The two ss teachers stared with open mouths as they watched Qi Chenglin ¡®fleeing¡¯ from the father-and-son duo. Were they really so terrifying?

    His daughter was only so young. What was he worried about?

    Ruan Danchen smiled at the teachers bashfully. ¡°It seems like this conversation can¡¯t go on any further. If you¡¯ll excuse us... My child caused a lot of problems today. I¡¯ll be sure to have a proper talk with her when we get home.¡±

    ¡°Is it really unnecessary?¡± Wen Ren interjected.

    Ruan Danchen pretended that she did not hear a word. She was not happy about them trying to steal her precious daughter from her either.

    She smiled at the father-and-son duo. ¡°We¡¯ll take our leave first. Let¡¯s chat another time.¡±

    Having said that, she speed-walked out of the office.

    Wen Ren quickly took Wen Xu¡¯s hand and chased after them. ¡°There¡¯s no need to wait for another time! We¡¯re already here anyway. We¡¯ll go to your house for dinner! Ah, my inws, please don¡¯t leave in such a hurry! I love you all! Why are you running faster and faster? I know your address! Running is futile!¡±

    Ruan Danchen did not care. She dashed to Qi Chenglin¡¯s car as swiftly as possible and hopped in. ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go! Wen Ren is right behind us!¡±

    The author wrote Ruan Danchen instead of Fang Jiaren in the chinese text but most likely meant thetter. It had been rectified here for continuity sake.

 Chapter 505 - The Second Victim

    <h4>Chapter 505: The Second Victim</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Oh? This is rather interesting,¡± Qi Youxuan replied as though he was deep in thought, smiling.

    ¡°Do you know Feng Haoli?¡± Zhang Ming asked.

    Yu Zhijie paused for a moment before answering, ¡°I don¡¯t recall such a person. Should I know him?¡±

    ¡°When I called yourpany earlier this morning, they mentioned the deceased, Feng Haoli, was a member of your club,¡± Zhang Ming exined as he took out a photo of Feng Haoli before his death and ced it on the table, showing it to Yu Zhijie.

    Yu Zhijie replied very quickly, ¡°Our club has many members. I¡¯m not the one in charge of the memberships. Would you please wait a moment?¡±

    Yu Zhijie made a direct phone call to his secretary, asking her to search for Feng Haoli¡¯s files immediately.

    After a moment, the secretary delivered Feng Haoli¡¯s information to them. It turned out that Feng Haoli joined the cycling club two years ago.

    ¡°Joining our club does not require a hefty fee. You only need toe in for registration and fill in these forms with your personal information. After that, you can follow us on our official WeChat ount. Some of the more active members will directly add our club employees as friends. That way, they can keep track of ourtest activities and their respective deadlines via our employees¡¯ WeChat Moments. If they¡¯re interested, then they can just register with us and we¡¯ll manage the participants¡¯ arrangements and grouping. We¡¯re just a different form of tour group. Once you¡¯ve paid the group fees, we¡¯ll proceed to n the trip, lodgings, and provide any assistance in difficult situations. Compared to an actual cycling trip, this is actually much better in terms of safety and cycling enjoyment,¡± Yu Zhijie exined.

    Wei Muran picked up Feng Haoli¡¯s files. Apart from his personal information, there were also records of his participation in the club¡¯s activities.

    Since his joining of the club two years ago, including the trip to M¨ºdog county, he had participated twice. Once every year. From the perspective of a cycling trip, with it being such a unique way to travel, this frequency is not low.

    Qi Youxuan remained quiet all the while. He just kept himself busy on his phone, doing his own things.

    Wei Muran took a peek, realizing that he had followed the club¡¯s official WeChat ount without them realizing and was then browsing through the past advertisements. There were plenty of pictures showing their cycling activities. Paired with catchy slogans¡ªit looked like a st.

    ¡°Do you always post pictures every time you organize a cycling activity?¡± Qi Youxuan shifted his gaze from the phone and asked with a slight twitch of his lips.

    ¡°Yes, this is also a form of advertising,¡± You Zhijie replied.

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then you should have photos of the trip to M¨ºdog county that Feng Haoli took part in right?¡± Qi Youxuan asked.

    ¡°Er...¡± Yu Zhijie was stuck for a moment. ¡°If you¡¯re talking about the trip to M¨ºdog county, I do have some recollections. However, they only posted some photos during the early part of the trip. As for theter part of the trip, they stopped posting that much as they were reaching the destination. That¡¯s why we¡¯re unable to post any. The photos that we post are taken by the participants themselves and posted on WeChat. Our employees are following them, so we select the better pictures, do some editing, and then post them. For the M¨ºdog county trip, our employees only saved one pretty interesting picture.¡±

    Yu Zhijie sent the secretary to search for it. In just a short moment, the secretary came back holding an iPad. On the screen was a picture of five persons¡¯ backs. They were facing the sun so even their backs were unclear.

    That was a picture that they had already seen before.

    ¡°Are there any more?¡± Zhang Ming asked, frowning.

    Yu Zhijie looked at the secretary, only to have her shake her head, ¡°At that time this was the only photo saved as we thought that the journey was a long one and we could take plenty more towards the end. The main attraction was after Tibet, hence we did not save any before that. We didn¡¯t expect that after Tibet they would stop posting.¡±

    Zhang Ming looked towards Qi Youxuan, seeing him nod his head, then Zhang Ming proceeded to take out a group photo of five persons taken from the front. That photo was a group photo taken before Feng Haoli had started posting negative messages, where all five disyed charming smiles.

    ¡°These five people, please identify them,¡± Zhang Ming said.

    ¡°Ourpany has someone in charge of posting photos for advertising. He will be more familiar with the club members. I¡¯ll call him over,¡± the secretary exined, then went out of the room.

    After a short moment, she came back with a young man in his twenties following behind her. That person seemed young and was most likely still in university.

    ¡°He is Qiu Mingchao, currently a third-year student at our local city university. He¡¯s working part-time here in our club,¡± the secretary exined. As they were only working with background operations, mostly focusing on Weibo and WeChat promotion by uploading photos, their workload was not heavy. However, due to arge number of minor things that needed to be settled, other part-timers could not take on more work, and it was a waste to open up a new position for it. Therefore, they decided to hire a university student.

    Zhang Ming signaled Qiu Mingchao with a nod to have a seat, and then showed him the picture. ¡°These people are members of your club. Do you recognize them?¡±

    ¡°Yes.¡± Qiu Mingchao nodded. ¡°I remember these people. Due to the number of club members, I can¡¯t recall their names off the top of my head. Let me go dig for their information.¡±

    Qiu Mingchao quickly searched for their information, then lined them up neatly from left to right for them.

    ¡°Why are there only three sets? There should be a total of five sets including Feng Haoli¡¯s information,¡± Wei Muran eximed.

    ¡°The one in the middle is our boss, Wei Guangzheng. His information is not in our database,¡± Qiu Mingchao exined.

    Zhang Ming immediately looked at Yu Jiezhi, ¡°Why did you not mention this when we asked you earlier?¡±

    Yu Zhijie was stunned for a moment, then saying, ¡°I do recognize our boss. However, since I did not recognize the other three, I might as well not say anything and let those who know him introduce him altogether. I didn¡¯t hide it on purpose.¡±

    Yu Zhijie¡¯s exnation was not a good one, but they had nothing to refute him with.

    Only that Zhang Ming was unable to hold back and snickered.

    Qi Youxuan asked Yu Zhijie for Wei Guangzheng¡¯s phone number andpany address. Although Wei Guangzheng had founded thepany, he currently worked for his ownpany as a marketing manager.

    Three of them left the club. Wei Muran held onto Wei Guangzheng¡¯s name card that Yu Zhijie passed to them.

    ¡°Weihao Co.,Ltd. Have you guys heard of it before?¡± Wei Muran asked out of suspicion. She was doubting if she was unclear due to herck of interactions with the financial world.

    Turned out that even Qi Youxuan and Zhangming were at a loss.

    ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s a smallpany,¡± Zhang Ming exined, ¡°but the name Wei Guangzheng is... too virtuous...¡±

    ¡°Pfft!¡± Wei Muranughed, while Qi Youxuan dissed, ¡°However, based on his creepy appearance, it should be ¡®Wei¡¯ of ¡®Xu Wei<sup>1</sup>¡®, Wei Guangzheng.¡±

    Zhang Ming nodded in agreement, ¡°Now that¡¯s a name reflecting the personality. His parents¡¯ ideals were great, but their genes werecking.¡±

    Zhang Ming notified Jiang Yuecheng with a phone call that they were heading to Wei Guangzheng¡¯spany.

    However, when they reached Weihao¡¯s marketing department, they found out that Wei Guangzheng was not in the office.

    ¡°Manager Wei took a leave of absence yesterday afternoon and didn¡¯te in today,¡± Wei Guangzheng¡¯s secretary informed them.

    ¡°Did he contact you today?¡± Wei Muran asked.

    The secretary shook her head, ¡°I tried calling his mobile phone this morning but nobody answered.¡±

    ¡°Is he always like this?¡± Zhang Ming questioned.

    ¡°No,¡± answered the secretary. ¡°Our Director Wei, father of our manager, has strict requirements for his son, and makes sure he punches in every day. Even if the manager doesn¡¯te in, he would always find an excuse to take leave, not to be out of contact like this.¡±

    The secretary looked around, and then whispered, ¡°If the manager misbehaves, Director Wei will cut his pocket money, so the manager doesn¡¯t act as he likes.¡±

    At that moment, Zhang Ming received a call from Jiang Yuecheng. His expression changed, and he quickly ended the call. He then signaled towards Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran with a look and the three left. Only then did Zhan Ming tell them, ¡°Wei Guangzheng was found dead from hanging in his house.¡±

    ¡°Captain Jiang and his team are already there. He¡¯s asking for us to hurry over.¡±

    ...

    The trio rushed over to Wei Guangzheng¡¯s house. Bai Mo was in the midst of examining the corpse.

    When Zhao Yiyang saw them arriving, he went ahead and told them everything he knew.

    ¡°Wei Guangzheng, deceased. Twenty-eight years old. We received a police report from the neighborining about their bathroom leaking all the way to the lower floor. Nobody answered when they came knocking, so they proceeded to make a police report. As we came in, we discovered Wei Guangzheng was already dead,¡± Zhao Yiyang exined.

    The floor was still covered with a thinyer of water.

    Qi Youxuan did not examine the body straight away but instead went to the bathroom first.

    Wei Guangzheng¡¯s unit had three bedrooms and two living rooms, located in a decent area. The pricing for this ce should be at least a hundred thousand per square meter.

    Qi Youxuan opened the bathroom door and saw that water from the bathtub was overflowing. The condition of the floor was much worse than outside.

    ¡°The bathtub¡¯s tap was turned on by someone. Piping had no problems. When we came in, the tap was flowing fully,¡± Zhao Yiyang exined as he followed behind Qi Youxuan.

    Ever since he witnessed Qi Youxuan¡¯s ability, Zhao Yiyang had already nned to stick close to Qi Youxuan whenever he can whenever there was a case, hoping to learn as much as possible.

 Chapter 506 - I Think You Look Quite Beautiful Too

    <h4>Chapter 506: I Think You Look Quite Beautiful Too</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Our colleagues from the Forensic Science Division said a lot of evidence was washed away by the water on the floor,¡± Zhang Ming borated.

    ¡°So the killer did it on purpose?¡± Wei Muran asked. ¡°The tap was left running on purpose to cover up the trail, at the same time diverting someone¡¯s attention to discover the body here.¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded, then patted Wei Muran¡¯s head with pride. ¡°Mumu is such a fast learner.¡±

    Wei Muran coughed embarrassingly.

    ¡°Since the victim was hung all the while, the corpse suffered no altercation.¡± They heard Bai Mo exining as they walked up to Wei Guangzheng¡¯s body in the living room.

    ¡°Victim¡¯s time of death is somewhere between nine to tenst night. His abdomen was stabbed several times before he was hung up,¡± Mo Bai rified.

    They saw that Wei Guangzheng¡¯s abdominal area had obvious knife wounds, all cut up. His shirt was stained dark red with blood, all the way from the abdomen to his chest area, including his lower back. It was to the point where they could not distinguish the original color of his shirt.

    ¡°With an abdominal wound, the cause of death can only be from loss of blood. The entire process willst fifteen minutes,¡± Qi Youxuan said, ¡°To have him hung at this point, the hatred must¡¯ve run deep.¡±

    ¡°Victim¡¯s nails show signs of strangtion, an obvious sign of his struggles while being strangled. This shows that he didn¡¯t immediately die from the abdominal wound,¡± Mo Bai further justified Qi Youxuan¡¯s ims.

    ¡°The room had signs of a fight breaking out,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said. ¡°The victim had retaliated prior to his death.¡±

    ¡°The back of his head also shows signs of injury,¡± Bai Mo added.

    ¡°Putting aside how he died, the result is the same as Feng Haoli,¡± Qi Youxuan said thoughtfully.

    ¡°The doorway shows no signs of a brawl or struggle. We¡¯ve asked the neighbors, and they confirmed to be home before and after nine o¡¯clock at night. They did hear movements around the door, but there were no sounds of conflict or fighting so they thought it was just a normal visit from a friend.¡± Zhao Yiyang borated, ¡°The neighbors aren¡¯t really close to the victim and they hardly meet each other. asionally they¡¯ll greet each other as they meet while riding the elevator. The neighbors from the other floors are unfamiliar with him.¡±

    ¡°This is a high-ss residential area. The wholemunity totals to only six buildings. As the area was a high priority rushed construction project, the price point is definitely above average. Apart from rich kids like that of our victim, the others will be rather busy. It¡¯s no wonder they don¡¯t run into each other that often,¡± Qi Youxuan rationalized.

    ¡°Jiadong, you go with Muran to thepany Wei Guangzheng worked at and ask around for his social behavior to see if he crossed anyone,¡± Jiang Yuecheng ordered. ¡°Yiyang, you go with Zhang Ming to that club once more.¡±

    The four of them split up. Jiang Yuecheng and Qi Youxuan returned to the patrol, leaving Yang Shaozhan to investigate further on Kaimu Cycling Club¡¯s information.

    Along with that, Yang Shaozhan was also tasked to investigate the information on the remaining three people from that M¨ºdog county trip.

    When Zhang Ming and the rest returned, Xing Jiadong started, ¡°I¡¯ve asked the people in hispany. Wei Guangzheng doesn¡¯t socialize much with the normal employees. However, the finance manager does try to get close to him and managed to carry a few conversations with him. Unfortunately, he hardly knows anything about his private life. Wei Guangzheng¡¯s father, Wei Yuefei<sup>1</sup>, provided a list of people who were close to Wei Guangzheng. They¡¯re mostly rich kids simr to Wei Guangzheng.¡±

    ¡°Heh, this Wei family is rather interesting. Their name sounds so righteous. The dad¡¯s name is Yue Fei[1], the son is Greatness, Honest, and Righteous,¡± Zhang Ming could not help but chime in.

    Xing Jiadong rolled his eyes at Zhang Ming, and then said in a flustered manner, ¡°I¡¯m not done yet!¡±

    ¡°Go on, go on.¡± Zhang Ming smiled as he made a sweeping gesture.

    ¡°ording to his father, Wei Guangzheng loved to hang out at night clubs. The father seems disapproving of his social circle, referring to them as wine and meat friends. Wei Guangzheng spends most of his time having fun, showing no motivation to improve his life. Him working in thepany was also forced, and hardly showed any result working within thepany,¡± Xing Jiadong added.

    ¡°There was hardly any information from the club. Apart from showing up at cycling events that he has an interest in, he wouldn¡¯t appear at thepany. Most of the normal employees didn¡¯t recognize him. The only one that gets in touch with him more frequently would be the club¡¯s general manager Yu Zhijie, but he ims to know nothing. I still feel that he¡¯s hiding something.¡±

    ¡°We should approach this from the perspective of the M¨ºdog county trip. Two out of the five that took part in that event are dead, and they all died hanging. This is definitely not a coincidence.¡± Qi Youxuan then continued, ¡°Go investigate the three others in the picture. Apart from their personal information, check those they are close to, family, and friends. Start fromst year and see if there are any major changes.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang was extremely excited and motivated as he took the initiative to take up this task.

    At that moment, a female officer unexpectedly brought a young woman around twenty-five or twenty-six years old into the room.

    ¡°This young woman ims that she has some information to provide,¡± the female officer exined.

    Zhang Ming shot a nce at Qi Youxuan and immediately urged the young woman to enter.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m an employee at Weihao. This afternoon you were there for questioning,¡± the young woman said, quickly identifying Xing Jiadong and Wei Muran.

    Xing Jiadong had no recollections of her as the female employees were questioned by Wei Muran.

    ¡°Right, I recognize you.¡± Wei Muran was in thought for a bit, sifting through her memories. A name came up, ¡°You¡¯re Li Ruan from the marketing department, Miss Li.¡±

    Li Ruan nodded, not expecting Wei Muran to actually remember her.

    ¡°Marketing department. Isn¡¯t that the department Wei Guangzheng is in?¡± Xing Jiadong asked.

    Li Ruan nodded.

    Wei Muran frowned, then asked, ¡°When we were there for questioning this afternoon, didn¡¯t you say that you¡¯re unclear about Wei Guangzheng¡¯s incident?¡±

    Li Ruan looked at her apologetically, ¡°That¡¯s because there are many eyes in thepany. If I told the truth and someone brings it up to Director Wei, I¡¯ll lose my job. Wei Guangzheng¡¯s personality is known to everyone in thepany. We¡¯re just trying to keep our jobs so we dared not speak up. Also with this being none of our business, who would willingly go against our employer?¡±

    ¡°Then why are you here?¡± Xing Jiadong pouted, unconvinced.

    ¡°That¡¯s... because my friend had been taken advantage of. I can¡¯t let it slide, so I came here secretly without letting my colleagues know,¡± Li Ruan said with her head lowered, not daring to meet Xing Jiadong¡¯s eyes.

    Zhang Ming led Li Ruan to take a seat, then threw a pack of Lipton tea into a disposable paper cup and made a cup of tea for her.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± Li Ruan epted the paper cup, and then said, ¡°I don¡¯t know what Director Wei told you about Wei Guangzheng, but everyone in ourpany knows that Wei Guangzheng is a good-for-nothing wastrel. He does nothing in thepany, and spends his time there checking which female employee looked better. Even rabbits don¡¯t eat the grass around its nest, yet he had no such regards. When he meets a beautiful employee, regardless of whether she had a boyfriend or not, he would try to have sex with her, yet wouldn¡¯t bear any responsibilities after that. Furthermore, using his authority, if the female party was unwilling, he would have thepany fire her and drag her name through the mud, making it very difficult for her to find a new job.¡±

    ¡°If the female party agreed to it, then it would not be just once. He would take photos and use them to ckmail her. As long as he wants it, she has to be avable anytime. As those pictures are in his hands, regardless whether his threats are real or not, the female party will never take such a risk unless he¡¯s grown tired of her and moved on to a new target. However, with the photos still in his hands, they wouldn¡¯t dare to act rashly. Even if he¡¯s no longer looking for you, there¡¯s the risk that he could just think of you out of the blue.¡±

    Li Ruan took a sip of the hot tea. ¡°You see the female employees of thepany acts as though nothing had happened on the surface. In truth, those that you find pretty had most likely done it with him or maintained an improper rtionship with him. From what I know, he had maintained a rtionship with more than two female employees at the same time. Sometimes he would even have two or three of them go to his house or a hotel. Because of Wei Guangzheng, thepany is unbearably filthy.¡±

    ¡°At first, my friend was skeptical of this and stuck to her decision to resign. In the end, she was ndered by Wei Guangzheng, causing all thepanies within the same industry to not hire her. Running out of options, she had to move out of state.¡± Li Ruan¡¯s face filled with disgust, ¡°Thepany is now a horrible ce thanks to him.¡±

    Li Ruan looked at Zhang Ming, ¡°When you came over this morning, didn¡¯t you talk to Wei Guangzheng¡¯s secretary? She too had rtions of that sort with Wei Guangzheng.¡±

    ¡°You asked if he had any bad blood with others?¡± Li Ruan sneered, ¡°If he could behave like that in thepany, he will definitely be worse out there. Who knows if he pissed someone off, or some boyfriend or husband of his victims were seeking vengeance.¡±

    ¡°Miss Li, I think you look quite beautiful too,¡± Qi Youxuan suddenly piped up.

    His words stunned everyone. Xing Jiadong then stared at Qi Youxuan then at Wei Muran disapprovingly.

 Chapter 507 - Yao Shangfeng

    <h4>Chapter 507: Yao Shangfeng</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    That expression was obviously trying to say, ¡®How dare you utter such words in front of Muran and us. Muran, dump him!¡¯

    Li Ruan did not think much of it. She focused on Qi Youxuan¡¯s elegant features and blushed from hispliment.

    Surprisingly, Wei Muran did not show much of a reaction and remained calm. She noticed Qi Youxuan¡¯s facial expression and noticed that things were not as Xing Jiadong thought it to be.

    Qi Youxuan could not be bothered to entertain a person that was handicapped in both EQ and IQ like Xing Jiadong. He instead faced Li Ruan and said, ¡°With Miss Li¡¯s looks, how would Wei Guangzheng overlook your presence? Furthermore, Miss Li, you work right under him.¡±

    ¡°You... What are you hinting at!¡± Li Ruan was utterly embarrassed and flustered.

    ¡°You said so yourself. Those that we consider pretty had an eighty percent chance of being in or have been in dubious rtions with Wei Guangzheng,¡± Qi Youxuan exined slowly. ¡°I think you fit that standard. What do you think?¡±

    At that moment, even Xing Jiadong understood Qi Youxuan¡¯s meaning.

    Those of simple minds were always thoughtless. Xing Jiadong nodded enthusiastically, ¡°Mhm, I think so too.¡±

    ¡°You... Stop your bullsh*tting!¡± Li Ruan¡¯s face turned scarlet as she gave an unsettled response.

    Jiang Yuecheng spoke up, ¡°Miss Li, it¡¯s a crime to give false statements. We will investigate this, and if we find that you¡¯re hiding something¡ª¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng dragged his words and Li Ruan¡¯s face had already turned pale before he could finish the sentence. ¡°The... The colleague I mentioned that resigned is real. We got along quite well but... Wei Guangzheng had indeed approached me.¡±

    Li Ruan gritted her teeth and spoke in a low voice, ¡°It was because of my colleague¡¯s example that I didn¡¯t dare to resign. I could only give in to his demands only to find out that was the beginning of my nightmare.¡±

    Li Ruan¡¯s expression was filled with anger, ¡°He¡¯s a beast! No, he¡¯s worse than a beast! My biggest regret in this life is to have entered Weihao.¡±

    ¡°The scenarios you were describing earlier was what he did to you,¡± Qi Youxuan said with full confidence.

    Li Ruan kept silent for a long time before finally nodding her head reluctantly.

    ¡°It was a nightmare!¡± Li Ruan screamed with anguished, ¡°His death is justice. This is his karma. He deserves to die horribly. This way no one else can be destroyed by him.¡±

    Wei Muran consoled her and then asked her for information about the employees in thepany that had a thing with Wei Guangzheng. At the same time, Wei Muran assured her that the victim¡¯s privacy will be protected. Only then did Li Ruan rxed and left.

    Yang Shaozhan pulled out photographs and personal information of those female employees and Qi Youxuan took a look.

    ¡°I remember in the M¨ºdog county trip photo with the five people, there were two females in there. One of them should fit Wei Guangzheng¡¯s beauty standards.¡± Qi Youxuan had learned from the earlier mistake. He dared not directly mention that one of them looked good.

    Even if he did not mean anything else and Wei Muran was not showing any hint of anger, it was better to err on the side of caution.

    ¡°This one?¡± Zhang Ming pointed at a woman wearing pink sportswear in the photo while putting on an expression of ¡®I¡¯m not sure, I don¡¯t think so.¡¯ That managed to trigger Qi Youxuan, and he almost was unable to hold back from pping him right there and then.

    ¡°Go investigate her situation,¡± Qi Youxuan said through gritted teeth, and proceeded to exin, ¡°I feel that she looks simr to Li Ruan and those female employees. They¡¯re all innocent looking but vying for a chance to climb up the ranks, unsatisfied with their current situation. Even though Li Ruan imed that she was coerced into it, she forgot that her colleague would rather resign and work in a different state rather than submitting to Wei Guangzheng. Why couldn¡¯t she do the same? That¡¯s because she felt that moving out for work had less potentialpared to B City, causing her to be unwilling to give up the perks of being in B City. In truth, no matter how great Wei Guangzheng can be, he¡¯s only a rich kid. His powers are limited. If she really wanted to retaliate, it wasn¡¯t impossible. It¡¯s just a matter of how she feels about it.¡±

    ¡°Gong Yanfei.¡± Qi Youxuan pointed at the woman in pink sportswear in the photo. ¡°The sportswear she¡¯s wearing can be considered branded, but she¡¯s still young. ording to the information Yang Shaozhan found, she had barely graduated high school when she joined the M¨ºdog county cycling tripst year. She had already gotten University C¡¯s admission letter and joined that cycling trip as a celebration. Only the eye-catching sportswear she had on her was branded. Meanwhile, her helmet, wrist guards, and sunsses were all cheap stuff bought online. She¡¯s from an average family but loves luxury brands. She loves to read fashion magazines and watch how the celebrities dress themselves, and would then make online purchases of simr styles to mimic them. However, due to her unwillingness to purchase ripoff copies, even though the helmet and other essories were cheap, they weren¡¯t cheap copies of name brands.¡±

    ¡°She loves these things, yet was unsatisfied with her current situation, hoping for more and better stuff. She also had an innocent look. These are all traits that fit the other female victims that Wei Guangzhengid his hands on.¡±

    Qi Youxuan barely finished exining when Zhao Yiyang returned.

    He rushed in excitedly with an expression that screamed, ¡®ask me, ask me quick!¡¯

    ¡°...¡± Jiang Yuecheng sipped his tea and said calmly, ¡°Just say it.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang rolled up his sleeves, took a sip of tea and said, ¡°M¨ºdog county trip is definitely fishy.¡±

    Xing Jiadong unreservedly rolled his eyes at him and said, ¡°That¡¯s for sure. We know that already. Do we need your exnation?¡±

    Zhao Yiyang paid him no heed, then looked at the five persons¡¯ group photo on the table, picked it up, and pointed at Gong Yanfei. ¡°That five-person trip to M¨ºdog county, only four returned. Gong Yanfei died along the way. On the Szechuan-Tibet highway, they had an ident when they reached a bridge. At that time, Gong Yanfei was cycling right behind a truck and fell off the bridge with it before reaching Lhasa. At that time it was also reported in the news. Quite a number of cyclists met a simr fate.¡±

    ¡°I somehow feel that Gong Yanfei¡¯s death is not as simple as that,¡± Zhang Ming stated.

    ¡°Exactly.¡± That response was from Zhao Yiyang instead of Qi Youxuan. ¡°Do you know who is Gong Yanfei¡¯s father?¡±

    ¡°For heaven¡¯s sake, just get to the point,¡± Xing Jiadong urged.

    ¡°You won¡¯t believe this. Her father was the dorm keeper, Li Niancheng,¡± Zhao Yiyang said, full of himself. ¡°Gong Yanfei¡¯s mother and Li Niancheng had divorced. Her mother gained custody of Gong Yanfei and remarried. Gong Yanfei took up thest name of her stepfather. However, Gong Yanfei got along well with Li Niancheng all the while. Gong Yanfei¡¯s mother divorced Li Niancheng because of hisck of achievements. Although Gong Yanfei yearned for name brands, she didn¡¯t find her father repulsive. Even though she was ruled to be under the mother¡¯s custody, she still interacted frequently with Li Niancheng, seeing him at least once a week without fail.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng responded quickly, ¡°Let¡¯s go find Yao Shangfeng immediately!¡±

    ¡°Yao Shangfeng moved to Lijiang after he returned from the M¨ºdog county trip and opened up a small bar over there,¡± Zhao Yiyang exined.

    ¡°Make a phone call to University A and ask if Li Niancheng is there,¡± Jiang Yuecheng urged.

    Just as Jiang Yuecheng was giving out orders, Zhang Ming had already made the phone call. After a short conversation, he quickly ended the call and hurried, ¡°After we finished questioning Li Niancheng that day, he hadn¡¯t shown up at the university from the next day onward.¡±

    ¡°Captain Jiang, there are flight records of Yao Shangfeng arriving at B City at eleven at night yesterday,¡± Yang Shaozhan replied immediately.

    ¡°Go find out if Li Niancheng purchased any ne or train tickets to Lijiang,¡± Jiang Yuecheng directed them in a hurry.

    Very quickly, Xing Jiadong voiced out, ¡°It¡¯s verified that he had indeed purchased ne tickets to Lijiang, and he also purchased another ticket to return from Lijiang today.¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s Li Niancheng, then this incident would make sense. During Feng Haoli¡¯s death, the students imed that the boys from the same dorm didn¡¯t leave the dorm. Furthermore, the dorm gates were closed and the windows on both sides of the walkway had reinforced ss. It was impossible for someone outside to break in. If the students within the building aren¡¯t suspects, then there¡¯s only Li Niancheng remaining. As the dorm keeper, he fits the bill. That was why when we asked if he heard anything in the middle of the night his answer was no. Even if there were any sounds, it was made by him,¡± Zhang Ming borated.

    ¡°Zhang Ming, you bring along Jiadong and head to Li Niancheng¡¯s house. I¡¯ll take Yiyang and Muran along to Yao Shangfeng¡¯s house,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said. ¡°If we¡¯re lucky, perhaps we can get him right at his own ce.¡±

    Zhang Ming and Xing Jiadong left. Due to his rtionship with Wei Muran, Qi Youxuan eagerly requested to follow along.

    The trio reached Yao Shangfeng¡¯s house. Yao Shangfeng was not surprised when he saw them showing their police documents.

    Yao Shangfeng invited them into the house, and then calmly said, ¡°I thought that as long as I came back, you¡¯ll definitely look for me.¡±

    ¡°You know that the reason we came looking for you is regarding Feng Haoli and Wei Guangzheng¡¯s death right?¡± Jiang Yuecheng replied.

    Yao Shangfeng was visibly stunned for a moment, and then pointed weakly at the sofa, ¡°Have a seat.¡±

    ¡°What happened during the M¨ºdog county trip?¡± Wei Muran asked.

    Yao Shangfeng¡¯s expression showed that he was struggling, gritting his teeth indecisively.

    ¡°You better tell us the truth. There are already two murders and the next one will be you,¡± Jiang Yuecheng stated. ¡°The suspect booked a ticket to Lijiang yesterday, yet he immediately purchased a returning ticket today. I think you know why, right? You just came back yesterday. He traveled there and realized that you¡¯re back, so he followed you straight back. It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re the next target. No matter how you hide, he¡¯s out to get you. Are you nning to hide your entire life?¡±

 Chapter 508 - You Follow Youning, Iâ€™ll Follow Muran

    <h4>Chapter 508: You Follow Youning, I¡¯ll Follow Muran</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yao Shangfeng immediately became agitated. ¡°Who¡¯s the killer? Since you guys already know who the killer is, why aren¡¯t you going after him!? Isn¡¯t heing back today? Go get him now! What are you doing here!?¡±

    ¡°Our colleagues are already headed to the suspect¡¯s house, but he might not be there. If he¡¯s not there, then he¡¯s most likelying after you. That¡¯s why we need your cooperation,¡± exined Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°So what exactly happened? You bettere clean,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    Yao Shangfeng struggled for some time before speaking up. ¡°Since you¡¯ve already investigated the M¨ºdog county trip, you should know that there were five of us. But a girl, Gong Yanfei, didn¡¯t make it back due to an ident.¡±

    ¡°ording to your statements aftering back, she died from an incident with the copsing bridge,¡± said Wei Muran with a straight face.

    ¡°You guys have most likely concluded that the truth was different,¡± said Yao Shengfeng. ¡°Regarding Wei Guangzheng, how much do you know about him?¡±

    Zhao Yiyang scolded him immediately, ¡°It¡¯s us asking you, not you asking us questions. It doesn¡¯t matter how much we know. You just tell us what you know. Stop asking so many questions!¡±

    Yao Shangfeng pouted and then softly said, ¡°Can¡¯t you see I¡¯m just trying to save some time?¡±

    ¡°Stop asking so many questions if you really want to save time. Just tell us the entire story,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°The suspect has his eyes on you.¡±

    Yao Shangfeng quivered and became a lot more obedient, spilling all the beans.

    ¡°I¡¯m well acquainted with Wei Guangzheng. We¡¯re students, and he¡¯s rich. Say what you may, but my family was just average. I got close to him in order to gain favors, and I have indeed benefited much from that, hence I went along with his wishes, to which Wei Guangzheng was quite happy about as well. If there were anything, he would always call me along, just like that M¨ºdog county trip.¡±

    ¡°Wei Guangzheng was a pervert and a very irresponsible one at that. His pervertedness had no limits. Countless women suffered under his hands. He¡¯s smart about it too. Targeting people without a powerful background and creating dirt to threaten them with. Without anyone to help them, they could only sumb to Wei Guangzheng¡¯s maniption.¡±

    ¡°During that cycling trip, there was another woman named Zheng Huaijin apart from Gong Yanfei. Her appearances were just average, so Wei Guangzheng set his eyes on Gong Yanfei instead of Zheng Huaijin. However, Zheng Huaijin took the initiative as Wei Guangzheng¡¯s identity was very alluring to her. Before he got his hands on Gong Yanfei, Wei Guangzheng made do with Zheng Huaijin. It was quite an arduous journey, so the evenings needed some entertainment. With it being delivered to his doorsteps, Wei Guangzheng won¡¯t reject it. As per his words, ¡®ignore the face with the clothes off and it¡¯s all the same.¡¯¡±

    Wei Muran scowled. ¡®What did these people think women are!?¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°Gong Yanfei was also very money-minded, but because of Wei Guangzheng¡¯s looks, she acted all righteous and cold. Even if Wei Guangzheng didn¡¯t have the looks, he was a smart person. He was fully aware of what Gong Yanfei had in mind so he gave up shortly after trying to court Gong Yanfei for a while. He couldn¡¯t stand Gong Yanfei¡¯s act. One night we were camping outdoors and Wei Guangzheng took that chance to trespass into Gong Yanfei¡¯s tent. It was inevitable that he raped Gong Yanfei.¡±

    ¡°Your tents should be pitched next to each other,¡± said Wei Muran.

    Yao Shangfeng nodded, ¡°What about it?¡±

    Wei Muran gave a cold smile, ¡°Why? Since you¡¯re just in the next tent, why didn¡¯t you guys stop Wei Guangzheng as he did that but instead just stood by and watched it happen? Don¡¯t you have any conscience?¡±

    Yao Shangfeng sneered, ¡°What could we do? Compared to Wei Guangzheng, we¡¯re just peasants and I was still hoping for Wei Guangzheng to invest in my business. Feng Haoli did try to help as he was just a student, but I stopped him. By that time, Wei Guangzheng already had what he wanted so it made no difference even if he went in then. Going inte and not going at all makes no difference. Gong Yanfei had already been raped by Wei Guangzheng.¡±

    ¡°Furthermore, Feng Haoli was not as dedicated anyway. He was hesitating on the fence to start with. Our group was following Wei Guangzheng¡¯s lead all the way, so Feng Haoli was afraid of going in. He only felt that his conscience might not sit well if he doesn¡¯t show his stance. In the end, he didn¡¯t do it after my simple advice.¡±

    ¡°Zheng Huaijin was unhappy. She had taken up the role of Wei Guangzheng¡¯s girlfriend along the trip. Seeing that scene suddenly unfold in the night, she went bonkers. She crashed into the tent and used Gong Yanfei of being a slut. However, we had no idea how Wei Guangzheng consoled her and she ended up agreeing to serve Wei Guangzheng along with Gong Yanfei. Wei Guangzheng could not change his old habit and took a video of it with his phone. After that, Wei Guangzheng would go look for Gong Yanfei every night and Gong Yanfei could be heard crying, cursing and begging. After a few more times, she seemed to have gone numb and we no longer heard any sound.¡±

    ¡°One day, when we cycled to the copsed bridge, it happened in an instant. Gong Yanfei dashed right over on her bike. She fell down along with the chaos of people and cars. It¡¯s not inurate to say that she died in that ident. All in all, it was not by our hands.¡±

    ¡°However, Wei Guangzheng knew the reason why Gong Yanfei lost it. He was afraid of us being a bbermouth, so he gave us each a sum of money. I actually don¡¯t feel so well about that incident. I¡¯m quite reluctant to face Wei Guangzheng and those he¡¯s close to. That incident did turn into my nightmare that will stay with me forever if I stayed in B City, so I¡¯ve decided not to stay in B City anymore. I took that money Wei Guangzheng gave me and opened a small bar along with an inn, having money to spare.¡±

    ¡°Smack!¡±

    A resounding p unexpectedly came from Wei Muran on Yao Shangfeng¡¯s face.

    Yao Shangfeng was dazed from the p, holding his face for some time.

    By the time he recovered from the shock, he felt a hot burning pain on his face. He snapped and rushed directly at Wei Muran.

    Qi Youxuan reacted quickly and immediately ced himself in front of Wei Muran, protecting her.

    Jiang Yuecheng came forward and held onto Yao Shangfeng in an instant, twisting his arm behind him and pushing his face down on a table.

    ¡°Behave yourself. You¡¯re trying to be violent?¡± Jiang Yuecheng exerted strength, causing more pain to Yao Shangfeng¡¯s twisted arm.

    ¡°She started it! Why are you hitting me without any reason? Are you allowed to hit someone as you like just because you¡¯re a police officer?¡± Yao Shangfeng struggled and twisted around.

    Hearing that, Zhao Yiyang gave him a kick. ¡°Thising from you? How did you treat a human life? A girl faced such humiliation, and you ignored it just because of some money. Nightmare? With your cold heart, I really can¡¯t see how you¡¯re regretful of what happened. You even took the money and went off to Lijiang to develop your career. You ask why you were hit? I think she should hit you harder! You¡¯re the enabler, and also an aplice to Gong Yanfei¡¯s murder!¡±

    Zhao Yiyang let off the words on her chest, leaving nothing for Wei Muran to add.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± Jiang Yuecheng had Zhao Yiyang stand down and spoke calmly to Yao Shangfeng, ¡°You behave yourself.¡±

    Yao Shangfeng¡¯s expression was filled with unwillingness, but he did act more obediently.

    ¡°What are you nning to do next?¡± Yao Shangfeng put on a face that screams ¡®I¡¯m the victim so I¡¯m the boss¡¯. That triggered Zhao Yiyang to give him another kick.

    ¡°If we didn¡¯t lose our element of surprise, Li Niancheng will being after you very soon. We will station lookouts nearby,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you just wait in my house?¡± Yao Shangfeng asked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to protect my safety up close? That¡¯s what it shows on TV.¡±

    ¡°TV shows promote liberating the righteous and vanquishing evil. Why didn¡¯t you do that?¡± Wei Muran replied sarcastically.

    Yao Shangfeng was red at.

    ¡°We still need to n this, and your ce is quite small. Where do you expect us to hide? We need evidence and also to catch him in the act to make an arrest,¡± exined Jiang Yuecheng.

    Yao Shangfeng was indignant from the sarcastic treatment. ¡®Why are the police so snarky now?¡¯

    He was never rich, but he did manage to make a small fortune from when the government purchased hisnds for development. The demolished house was reimbursed with two units and his parents let him stay in one. Looking at his house, it was true that it could not hide anyone.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be keeping watch nearby. Don¡¯t worry. You just need to be careful,¡± Jiang Yuecheng exined.

    ¡°Don¡¯t think about running. We¡¯re onto you. If you run, that would be interfering with our investigation. Along with that incidentst year, hiding the truth would be on the light side. Worst case would be counting you as an aplice,¡± Zhao Yiyang sneered.

    Yao Shangfeng thought of running but dismissed the thought after hearing that.

    They left Yao Shangfeng¡¯s house. As they were descending the stairs, Wei Muran spoke up, ¡°Sorry, I lost my temper.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s understandable. I wanted to beat him up too,¡± Zhao Yiyang consoled. ¡°That guy is useless.¡±

    ¡°Next time try to hold it in. It¡¯s easy to give them leverage. If he makes aint about you, you¡¯ll be in trouble,¡± Jiang Yuecheng exined.

    Wei Muran nodded and honestly admitted her mistake, ¡°I understand.¡±

    The moment they exited the gate, Jiang Yuecheng received Zhang Ming¡¯s phone call. On the phone, Zhang Ming could be heard speaking, ¡°Captain Jiang, Li Niancheng had sold his housest year. As he had been staying within the university dorm, he didn¡¯t rent any ce. After he left the university that day, he rented a cheap motel. It was those within the suburbs that consist of one small room with a metal frame bed. However, before he left for Lijiang, he had already checked out. We went to his room in University A dorm and found Feng Haoli and Wei Guangzheng¡¯s photos and information.¡±

    ¡°Have Jiadong stand guard there. You go look for Zheng Huaijin. Don¡¯t leave out the possibility of Li Niancheng going after Zheng Huaijin,¡± Jiang Yuecheng ordered.

    The rest of them examined the vicinity in pairs and proceeded to hide in corners. Around six in the evening, Yang Shaozhan delivered dinner to them as Li Niancheng had never seen Yang Shaozhan before. Even if he ran into Li Niancheng that would be fine.

    Yang Shaozhan went back to the car by the road to remain on standby after delivering dinner.

    By twelve-thirty midnight, the four of them were feeling cold. Finally, Yang Shaozhan¡¯s voice could be heard on their earphones. ¡°Attention. Target has appeared. Target has appeared! He¡¯s heading towards Captain Jiang¡¯s direction.¡±

    Shortly after, Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s voice could be heard from the headphone, ¡°Target spotted.¡±

    Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan¡¯s location was directly opposite of Yao Shangfeng¡¯s unit. They saw a shadow entering the gate of Yao Shangfeng¡¯s unit.

    A little over a minuteter, on the floor of Yao Shangfeng¡¯s unit, the walkway lights were turned on, visible from the windows of the walkway.

    ¡°Target has arrived,¡± Wei Muran reported, then snuck out.

    Qi Youxuan followed suit. The four met up at the unit gate. Without pause, they tacitly formed pairs. Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan went in the elevator while Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang went up the stairs. Luckily Yao Shangfeng¡¯s unit was only on the sixth floor.

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran arrived first. They heard the sound of a heavy object falling to the floor. Qi Youxuan raised his leg and kicked the door in.

    Fortunately, Yao Shangfeng was prepared and paid attention to detail. The security door was not shut, and even the inner door was not fully closed.

    Both of them rushed in, witnessing Li Niancheng looping rope around Yao Shangfeng¡¯s neck. Yao Shangfeng was obviously knocked out, totally unconscious.

    This time they caught Li Niancheng in the act Wei Muran quickly rushed up to him.

    Li Niancheng was stunned seeing them crashing in suddenly, not expecting the police to be here. He did not think the police would be able to trace his connection to this case. That was why he would be brave enough toe over directly.

    With this one more murder, he would be done. Just a little more, just that little bit more.

    Wei Muran knocked Li Niancheng down with a kick, ¡°Freeze!¡±

    Maybe it was his obsession with revenge, but Li Niancheng was only stunned for a short moment. After being kicked down by Wei Muran, he snapped out of the daze and climbed up immediately. Seemingly overpowered by bloodlust, he ignored Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan in his nervousness. He flipped out a flip knife from his waist, exposing the de and dove towards Yao Shangfeng¡¯s body.

    Wei Muran¡¯s reaction was quick. With a forceful kick on his wrist, Li Niancheng¡¯s wrist turned numb and almost lost his grip on the knife. Wei Muran took this change and grabbed the knife from him.

    However, Li Niancheng did not give up. He lunged over to grab the knife in Wei Muran¡¯s hand.

    Wei Muran quickly sheathed the knife. Qi Youxuan positioned himself between Li Niancheng and Wei Muran, protecting her and blocking Li Niancheng¡¯s assault.

    Li Niancheng was on the verge of his sanity. In his despair, he managed to muster a miraculous amount of strength. However, without training, it amounted to nothing. He waspletely held down by Qi Youxuan. Wei Muran made a quick and precise kick on the back of Li Niancheng¡¯s knees.

    Li Niancheng¡¯s knees buckled and fell kneeling. Qi Youxuan twisted his arm behind his back while Wei Muran tacitly took out her handcuffs and cuffed Li Niancheng in a clean, swift move.

    Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang also rushed into the scene. Seeing how things were already settled, they were somewhat embarrassed.

    Zhao Yiyang called for an ambnce and apanied Yao Shangfeng to the hospital. Wei Muran and the rest, on the other hand, brought Li Niancheng to the police station.

    On the way, Zhao Yiyang called to inform them that Yao Shangfeng had only inhaled some knockout drugs and would wake up naturally in a while.

    Li Niancheng was led to the interrogation room with the cuffs still on his hands and his eyes red.

    Faced with his own infractions, Li Niancheng admitted to all of it.

    ¡°They deserve to die! Wei Guangzheng¡¯s actions were worse than an animal. Those who stood by and watched deserved to die too! It¡¯s them that killed Feifei! Feifei called me the night before she died, crying to me. I asked her why, but she wouldn¡¯t tell the truth. Instead, she told me she missed home. At that time, I told her that I¡¯d prepare her favorite yam ribs for her when she got back. Who would¡¯ve thought she would die the very next day? She was still fine the day before and called me on the phone! A few dayster, I received a letter from her. It was sent the day before she died, telling me the truth. She said she couldn¡¯t stand the constant torture. She knew that even if she returned, it was impossible to bring justice to Wei Guangzheng. She lost her will to live. Do you know how I felt when I received this letter?¡±

    ¡°At that moment I wanted nothing more than to have these people killed! They killed my daughter! With that, I used a year to put everything together. I checked on their identity, then came up with a n to have them killed before you guys found out the truth. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more! Why! Why must you stop me!¡± Li Niancheng mmed his cuffed hands on the table in anger. ¡°Just a little more and I would¡¯ve killed him! By that time you can arrest me. I¡¯ll pay with my life! I¡¯ll pay any price! Yao Shangfeng just stood there and watched without stopping Wei Guangzheng. He¡¯s an aplice! If he stepped in, Feifei wouldn¡¯t have died so horribly!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m only giving them their just desserts! Why can they do all those evil deeds yet live their lives in peace? One gets to enjoy his life as a rich child, while the other used my daughter¡¯s death to gain riches and live his dream in Lijiang. One more still enjoying his university life while my daughter died before she could enter university! She¡¯s only eighteen years old! Those animals! She should be happily enjoying her university life, then fight for her dreams after graduation. Now that¡¯s all gone, right when she¡¯s eighteen. Her life came to a halt, and such a terrible death at that!¡±

    ¡°Since you guys aren¡¯t going to deliver justice and avenge my daughter, I¡¯ll just have to do it myself! Amoner like me is no match for those rich people. I don¡¯t care how heavy a price I have to pay, I must avenge my daughter! They deserve to die!¡±

    Li Niancheng admitted to all his infractions. He was convinced that his actions were not wrong and had no regrets.

    Based on Li Niancheng¡¯s statement, after he had learned of Gong Yanfei¡¯s death, Li Niancheng suffered a heavy blow. He could hardly hold it together, spending his days in a daze, unable to live past the pain.

    At the behest of a friend, he went for psychiatric counseling. However, he learned of the truth behind Gong Yanfei¡¯s death. That set him on a path of no return. Even counseling did not help. All he could think of was vengeance.

    ...

    The group worked all the way till morning as they waited at Yao Shangfeng¡¯s house until midnight before they managed to arrest Li Niancheng. Additionally, they also had a lot of wrapping up to settle.

    At the hospital, Zhao Yiyang sent news that Yao Shangfeng had awakened and made his statement.

    Even though Yao Shangfeng already knew that Li Niancheng was looking for him and was mentally prepared, he was still scared despite being alert. Unfortunately, his preparations were insufficient.

    When he noticed that it was Li Niancheng standing at the door, he subconsciously wanted to close the door. However, Li Niancheng was much better prepared than he was, rushing in immediately and covering his nose with a cloth. Yao Shangfeng could only detect a sourish pungent smell.

    When Li Niancheng saw Yao Shangfeng¡¯s eyes narrow, seemingly passing out, he grabbed Yao Shangfeng by the hair and mmed his head hard on the ground until he was out cold.

    Even after the ordeal, the back of Yao Shangfeng¡¯s head was still swollen, causing him great pain.

    Jiang Yuecheng sent them home to rest up before having theme in the next day to finish up the reports for submission.

    After that case, the Criminal Investigation Division enjoyed a period of peace, somehow allowing them to adhere to the standard office hours.

    Within the blink of an eye, National Day and its week-long holiday starting from the first of October was quickly approaching.

    Based on the Criminal Investigation Division¡¯s schedule, Wei Muran was scheduled for her shift on the fifth and sixth. The first four days off could be spent on a vacation.

    Just one week before the holiday, Qi Youning and Wen Xu visited them to ask them for a joint holiday to T City.

    The reason behind this was due to the long holiday. Wen Xu had no good reason to continue staying in B City, so he had to return to T City and Qi Youning misses him too much, but she would never admit it.

    If she went over by herself, Qi Chenglin will definitely say no. Therefore, she could only drag Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran along.

    ¡°There¡¯s a resort with a great hot spring in T City. It¡¯s filled with natural minerals, unlike those hot springs they created using sulfur. Taking a soak there is especially great for women. Beautifying, expelling the cold, and even helps with backache and arthritis,¡± said Qi Youning as she marketed it to Wei Muran.¡±ess Read.live if you like watching mangaics.

    To convince Qi Youxuan, one had to start with Wei Muran.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was speechless.

    She somehow felt that Qi Youning¡¯s sales pitch sounded like a certain chinese medicine factory¡¯s TV advertisement.

    Wei Muran turned around to look at Qi Youxuan with an empty look. Whether to agree or not, she already subconsciously passed Qi Youxuan the right to make the call.

    Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes, seemingly scheming something. A whileter, he signaled for Qi Youning toe over with his finger.

    Qi Youning behaved the same way she had since young and subconsciously followed behind Qi Youxuan and headed to a corner nearby.

    ¡°Brother, what¡¯s up?¡± Qi Youning asked innocently.

    Qi Youxuan chuckled, ¡°It¡¯s not impossible to go.¡±

    He had thought it through. Since they were probably going to justze around for the National Day holidays, might as well have everyone go on a vacation, including Wei Ziqi.

    As long as Wei Ziqi was home, he woulde up with ways to prevent Wei Muran from dating Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan was disappointed. He had never seen a father that was so against his daughter getting married!

    Obviously, Qi Youxuan had automatically ignored his father.

    If he had a chance to officially bring Wei Muran out for a vacation, then it would solve that problem.

    If he brought it up to Wei Muran, she will definitely question his intentions and might be hesitant to go with him alone. Now that Qi Youning had brought this up, it was too convenient.

    Hearing that Qi Youxuan was not against it, Qi Youning¡¯s face brightened up. Qi Youxuan gave a faint smile and said, ¡°I¡¯ll settle it on our father¡¯s end, and you help me settle my father-inw¡¯s side of things. We¡¯ll help each other out.¡±

    ¡°No problem!¡± Qi Youning happily agreed.

    When both of them returned, they put on their serious face. Qi Youxuan asked Wei Muran, ¡°You wanna go?¡±

    ¡°Since there¡¯s nothing to do, it¡¯s not a bad idea to go have some fun.¡± Wei Muran gave him a nod. Since it was Qi Youxuan¡¯s idea, Wei Muran did not think much of it.

    Qi Youxuan gave an especially innocent smile. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡±

    Four of them were having a double dinner date. After the dinner, Qi Youxuan went off to settle the bill and Wen Xu tacitly followed along. Qi Youning, on the other hand, asked Wei Muran along to the washroom.

    ¡°Room distribution,¡± Wen Xu quietly uttered those words as he walked up to Qi Youxuan¡¯s side.

    Qi Youxuan understood it immediately. He retrieved his card from the waiter, then turned around, ¡°You follow Youning, I¡¯ll follow Muran.¡±

    Absent of the thought to protect his sister. Qi Youxuan went by the principle that his sister has grown up and he, as the brother, should learn how to let go. His sister was no longer the fat, snot-nosed brat with a ponytail who pulled at the edge of his shirt.

 Chapter 509 - Xiang Haorui And Xiao Yiqing

    <h4>Chapter 509: Xiang Haorui And Xiao Yiqing</h4>

    Since the year Qi Youxuan¡¯s sister met Wen Xu, she started drifting away from him.

    Qi Youxuan internally expressed a QQ goodbye emoji.

    Wen Xu was very satisfied and it showed on the corner of his lips that did not curl up often. Noticing Qi Youning and Wei Muran on their way out, he tidied up his clothes and put on a ssy front while awaiting Qi Youning¡¯s arrival.

    Qi Youning and Wei Muran were still in the dark about the ns those two had. They were excitedly discussing how they were spending the night staying together.

    She brought this up to Cheng Xicheng when Qi Youning was attending ss in A City. When asked if she wanted to go together with Wei Muche, Cheng Xicheng immediately pped the desk, shouting, ¡°We¡¯re going!¡±

    ¡°Er Cheng, you¡¯re such an angel!¡± Qi Youning eximed as she hugged her.

    Back when Cheng Xicheng was young and naive, she did not know that the name Er Cheng was a malicious name given to her by her older brothers. She had always thought that it was an endearing name. By the time she found out about it, she was already used to it and had no aversion to them calling her so. However, that was limited to her family. Outsiders were forbidden to call her that way.

    ¡°Get lost.¡± Cheng Xicheng pushed Qi Youning aside.

    ...

    On the thirtieth of September, Qi Youxuan waited for Wei Muran at the gates of the police station the moment her shift ended.

    In the trunk were both their luggage, her luggage being smuggled out by Wei Ran. Had Wei Ziqi found out, he would have said no.

    All six of them met at the airport and settled for dinner at a simple restaurant there. They were not fussy people with extremely high standards for food who looked down on airport restaurants.

    They were rather easy-going and settled for four bowls of ramen at a fast-food restaurant.

    Their flight was scheduled to depart at eight p.m. with an estimated arrival time of nine-thirty p.m. at T City.

    As they imed their luggage and exited the airport, a man and a woman were waiting for them.

    The man was tall and slender, sporting a khaki-colored windbreaker with his hands in his pockets. He stood there casually but his back was straight as a board, possibly well-trained.

    The woman beside him was of much smaller stature. While the man was tall and slender, she gave off a small, soft feeling. Her appearance was very doll-like, a little too beautiful.

    To a stranger, she could easily be an enemy to all women. In just one nce, one could tell she had very little luck with friends of the same gender. Her appearance made it easy for her to be rejected by another woman.

    Some women looked beautiful but were also popr among other women, having lots of female friends that harbored no animosity against them but instead wanting to befriend them. Others looked beautiful yet caused others of the same gender to feel threatened, feeling that beauty to be very slutty and pompous, all for the purpose to seduce men. Although having done nothing, they would stir up animosity within those of the same gender.

    Needless to say, the doll-like woman waving at them belonged to thetter category.

    Qi Youning and Wei Muran did not resent her. That woman was waving and shouting excitedly, ¡°Muran, Youning, Xicheng!¡±

    Her actions and her appearance did not match at all.

    ¡°Yiqing!¡± Wei Muran excitedly ran forward with Qi Youning and Cheng Xicheng, leaving the three hunky men behind them with the luggage.

    That person was Xiao Yiqing. Ning Wan was rescued by Wei Ziqi back when she was pregnant. Ning Wan proceeded to stay in B City up until Xiao Yiqing was three years old before returning Xiao Yiqing to Xiao Yunqing¡¯s side in T City.

    In those three years, Ning Wan and Wei Ran became close friends. Xiao Yiqing and Wei Muran naturally became buddies as well. Even after returning to T City, Xiao Yiqing frequently followed her parents to B City for gatherings with the Wei family as Xiao Yiqing was favored by the Wei family elders from young. Given that, her rtionship with Wei Muran was well-maintained.

    After finding out that they were visiting T City for holiday, Xiao Yiqing just had to tag along with them. She even made Xiang Haorui follow her.

    Seeing Qi Youxuan and the guys, Xiang Haorui nodded in their direction. While he was closer to Wen Xu, the two of them did not show much enthusiasm in seeing each other due to Wen Xu¡¯s personality.

    Ditching the guys to chat among themselves, Wei Muran grabbed onto Xiao Yiqing¡¯s arm. ¡°Why are you two still the same?¡±

    ¡°Shut it.¡± Xiao Yiqing wrinkled her nose. ¡°He¡¯s yet to confess and I¡¯m so pissed. He¡¯s nice to me and follows me around all the time. I don¡¯t see him following any other girls or getting close to them. Even the public thinks that both our families are having a political marriage, yet he said nothing about it. However, even with such rumors, there are quite a lot of aggressive girlsing after him. Disregarding his reputation, the words he used on them were so uncouth, it makes them seem pitiful.¡±

    ¡°Stop!¡± Qi Youning waved her arms to stop. ¡°Hold it. Are you trying toin or praise him now? You¡¯re just trying to show off your love indirectly.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Xiao Yiqing squeaked, feeling a little guilty. ¡°It¡¯s his fault for not making it clear to me.¡±

    ¡°Men are dull. They won¡¯t think about it in such a detailed fashion.¡± Wei Muran used herself as an example. ¡°If you like him, just ask. Even...even Qi Youxuan thought he was being obvious, that I should know, he doesn¡¯t know that I¡¯m actually unsure deep down.¡±

    Wei Muran unconsciously turned around to look at Qi Youxuan as she mentioned him, only to find that Qi Youxuan was staring straight at her. Seeing her looking at him, he immediately shed her a wide grin.

    Wei Muran blushed and shifted her gaze, not daring to look over again. She muttered softly towards Xiao Yiqing, ¡°They have a different way of thinking than us.¡±

    Xiao Yiqing controlled her urge and did not take a look at Xiang Haorui.

    The gang drove toward the resort. The resort belonged to Xiang Haorui¡¯s father Xiang Yichen, and it was currently under the management of Xiang Haorui, making it convenient for them to have their vacation at the resort.

    What started as two couples now turned into four, with the remaining couple Xiao Yiqing and Xiang Haorui still unconfirmed. Nheless, to Qi Youxuan and Wen Xu, they were considered an item already.

    Or at least Xiang Haorui thought so.

    Regardless, Qi Youxuan and Wen Xun¡¯s original n to stay in their rooms were foiled. With that, both of them strongly requested individual rooms.

    On the other hand, thedies wanted to be together and were looking forward to a sleepover party. Xiang Haorui finally decided to make a phone call and had them clear up the empty vi within the resort. It had a total of six bedrooms, nicely allowing each couple their own room.

    As to Qi Youxuan¡¯s ns with the rest, Xiang Haorui understood clearly and he was willing to amodate them. That way, he could also gain allies to assist in his rtionship with Xiao Yiqing.

    Each vi was managed by a housekeeper who had undergone standardized training procedures and certified. Only those with certification were hired without a fixed term. The resort hired mystery guests to the resort for secret evaluations of the housekeeper¡¯s service and professionalism. The results would determine if the housekeeper would receive a reward, continue employment, retraining, or termination.

    The housekeeper of the vi they were staying in, An Feiru was already waiting for them at the door. She was a woman that appeared to be around twenty-seven to twenty-eight years old in the housekeeper uniform, looking very professional.

    The bellboy at the door helped them with the car doors. Seeing Xiang Haorui descending from the car, An Feiru put on a smile that looked more sincere than her usual professional smile as she weed him. ¡°Director Xiang, the ce has been tidied up. We wee your stay.¡±

    Having said that, An Feiru¡¯s gaze shifted to Xiang Haorui¡¯s body, walking beside Xiang Haorui at the front and slowly closing their distance expertly.

    Xiao Yiqing wrinkled her nose, then whispered to the girls, ¡°See? They just keeping!¡±

    As she barely finished the statement, Xiang Haorui stopped in his tracks and turned around. Xiao Yiqing felt guilty and went on alert. ¡®Was that coincidental? I just finished my statement and he turned around. Did he hear what I said?¡¯

    She estimated the distance between them. ¡®Even if Xiang Haorui had trained with the Lanshan Institute from a young age, his hearing shouldn¡¯t be this good!¡¯ She then saw Xiang Haorui waving at her. ¡°Why are you so slow? We¡¯re the host tonight. Come here.¡±

    Before Xiao Yiqing could move, Wei Muran and Qi Youning gave her a shove and pushed the dazed Xiao Yiqing up to Xiang Haorui¡¯s side.

    Xiang Haorui¡¯s lips curled upward then grabbed onto Xiao Yiqing¡¯s hand, extremely satisfied with how An Feiru¡¯s smile just froze on her face.

    An Feiru led the six of them to inspect each bedroom then said, ¡°If there¡¯s any question, you can just get me.¡± She then made her leave.

    It was as though all six of them were staying in the same house, stirring much excitement among thedies.

    Qi Youning was with Cheng Xicheng, running up and down all over the three-storied vi, checking through each room multiple times.

    ¡°Wow... What should we do next? Soak in the hot spring?¡± Qi Youning mentioned excitedly.

    Cheng Xicheng insteadidzily on the sofa. ¡°We rushed over here tonight and I¡¯m tired. I want to sleep early and refresh myself before I start soaking tomorrow.¡±

    ¡°Your stamina is reallycking!¡± said Qi Youning as she pointed at Cheng Xicheng, then turned around to look at Wei Muche. ¡°You¡¯re making it difficult for Muche, even though Muche doesn¡¯t look very strong.¡±

    Hearing that, Muche red at her and rolled up his sleeves to disy his arm muscles. ¡°Are you blind? I¡¯m the type that looks slim when clothed and well-toned without them. It¡¯s the best body type! All the weight training I did in the past wasn¡¯t a waste of time!¡±

    Wei Muran fell silent.

    Thinking back at all the stupid things Wei Muche did back in school, Wei Muran was of a mind of cutting ties with him.

    Luckily, Wei Ziqi was oblivious to this. Otherwise, even Wei Ziqi might cut ties with him.

    Cheng Xichengzily opened her arms at him. ¡°It¡¯s time to test your strength. I don¡¯t feel like getting up.¡±

    The intention was to have Wei Muche carry the great Miss Cheng.

    Wei Muche wasted no time on words, lifted her horizontally and headed to the bedroom.

    Aside from Xiao Yiqing, Wei Muran and Qi Youning were both rather tired so they headed back to their rooms.

    Qi Youning and Wen Xu¡¯s room were right across the hallway. Wen Xu followed closely behind Qi Youning. When Qi Youning reached her room, she poked her head out of the door and greeted Wen Xu goodnight with a blushed face.

    Wen Xu stood at the door, having no intention of returning to his room. As his gaze softened, he took a big step forward and stood right before Qi Youning. Not saying anything, he pecked a kiss on her lips. ¡°Goodnight.¡±

    Qi Youning¡¯s face turned red. ¡°You...you sleep well!¡±

    Following that, she scrambled to close the door and shut Wen Xu outside.

    With her face still burning, her legs gave way as she fell on the bed.

    In truth, Wen Xu had never officially confessed to her. It all started when she first saw her as a kid, and he had never left her side from that day onward. Of course, those few days that he took off to visit T City did not count.

    Even if he visited T City and the distance kept them apart, he would always video-call her. As he was of little words, she would do most of the talking. No matter what she said, he would amodate her.

    As they had kissed each other since childhood, Qi Youning thought nothing of their difference of gender back then. To her, it was like her parents and brother. asionally stter his face with saliva, showing him how close they were and how much she liked him.

    That was because whenever she did that, her parents and brother were extremely happy, which led her to believe that Wen Xu should also be happy with it.

    Furthermore, every time she kissed him, Wen Xu would return the kiss with his squinty eyes, making Qi Youning believe that he was really happy about it.

    However, before she was 18 years old, both of them would only kiss each other¡¯s cheeks. Qi Youning would always bury herself in his chest and take advantage of him, rolling around on his chest.

    Up until her 18th birthday, the Qi family internally threw a warm and momentous birthday party for her. They did not invite many guests; it was just her family celebrating hering of age.

    Fresh in her memories, it was eleven-thirty that night. With only thirty minutes remaining, her birthday would be over.

    That night, Qi Youning felt that her birthday was missing something. It was iplete.

    After some thoughts, she finally realized that Wen Xu who would always be by her side was not there. Her eighteenth birthday without him felt iplete.

    At that moment, Qi Youning sat cross-legged on the bed staring at her phone, feeling a small resentment within her. Her birthday was almost over yet Wen Xu did not even give her a phone call¡ªnot even a text message sending his blessings for her.

    Eighteenth birthdays were, after all, important days.

    He was there for all her previous birthdays, yet he was not there for her on this most important one.

    She was mentally debating with herself if she should give Wen Xu a call to lecture him on how he was failing as her loyal fan by being unprofessional for not even sending her a birthday greeting. Right at that moment, Qi Youning¡¯s phone started ringing.

    Looking at the caller ID, it wasbeled ¡®Ah Xu¡¯. Oddly enough, Qi Youning started feeling nervous.

    She picked up the call, then nervously answered in a stuttering manner, ¡°Ah, Ah Xu!¡±

    Just as she said that, Qi Youning scolded herself internally for being such a pushover.

    ¡°Come outside,¡± said the monotonous voice from within the phone, yet to Qi Youning¡¯s ears, it was overflowing with warmth.

    Qi Youning once again scolded herself for being a pushover, saying, ¡®You¡¯re going outside just because he asked you to.¡¯ She quickly put on a jacket then grabbed her phone and keys and headed outside.

    At that time, her parents were busy having some loving time in their bedroom. They would not be out catching her.

    Who would have expected that the moment she left her bedroom, she would bump into Qi Youxuan?

    ¡°Where are you going at this hour?¡± Qi Youxuan gave her a quick look from head to toe.

    ¡°What are you doinging out at this time?¡± Qi Youning narrowed her eyes and asked.

    ¡°Am I not here trying to protect my sister?¡± Qi Youxuan pouted. ¡°Wen Xu¡¯s outside?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be out for just a moment.¡± Qi Youxuan stared at Qi Youxuan, then snickered, ¡°You help me and I¡¯ll help you! Uncle Wei is keeping a tight watch on Muran, huh?¡±

    Qi Youxuan narrowed his eyes then whispered, ¡°Only for half an hour. You must be back by 12!¡±

    ¡°Quiet, don¡¯t let Mom and Dad hear you!¡± Qi Youning said as she ran outside.

    Qi Youxuan fell silent.

    Wen Xun parked his car right outside their house. Even though the security guards of Prestige Residences were nice people, they would not allow a non-resident to enter at suchte hours.

    When Qi Youning came down, she was rather happy. Wen Xu had just seen her grinning. In the end, she suddenly tightened her face and took a few small steps, stopping right in front of him. She pointed her finger at him. ¡°Ah, you finally remember toe over? Today¡¯s an important day for me!¡±

    Wen Xu remained silent and turned around. Behind him, the window on the driver seat was open. He stretched his long arm in and retrieved a square t box.

    ¡°Happy birthday,¡± Wen Xu greeted.

    If it were anyone else, they would have found his tone insincere. However, Qi Youning happily received the box. Upon opening it, she found that it contained a ne.

    The ne and pendant came in a set. It was neither very creative nor was it an innovative design, just the type with a string of letters.

    The lights in the courtyard were not too bright, but it was sufficient to clearly see the letters on the pendant. It was ¡®WENNING¡¯. With just a nce it looked like a regr English word.

    Upon closer inspection, Qi Youning immediately understood.

    It was hisst name added onto her first name. She felt warmer the more she read it. It was as though he had softly brought her under his name.

    Under the streemp, Qi Youning¡¯s face was scarlet. Combined with the silvery-white moonlight, it made her face shine a soft glow, glistening in the night.

    He had never officially made the statement, ¡®Youning, be my girlfriend.¡¯

    However, that ne clearly conveyed his thoughts. Qi Youning raised her head and stared at him in full anticipation.

    Wen Xu quietly removed the ne from the box and put it on her.

    Both hands around her, his hands wrapped around her back, partially hugging onto her. Qi Youning could not help but lower her head, not daring to look up straight at him.

    As he approached her, she smelled the familiar and pleasant scenting from him. Her heartbeat hastened and she was at a loss of what to do.

    Earlier she was at home ready to retire to bed after a shower. Now without her makeup, her hair was also tied up forfort. As she lowered her head, the fair skin on her neck was exposed. When Wen Xu came up close, he could detect the sweet scent of her shower gel on her¡ªsweet and fresh.

    Her soft silken skin was fair as white tofu, irresistibly triggering his appetite.

    He failed to hold it back. After putting the ne on her, his fingertips ¡®unintentionally¡¯ slid across her skin. As they were so close together, he did not miss seeing the goosebumps rising on the back of her neck, along with the instant she quivered.

    Wen Xun¡¯s lips hooked upward uncontrobly, causing his facial muscle to look like it was spasming.

    ¡°Birthday present?¡± Qi Youning asked out of nervousness, trying to make a conversation as she questioned the obvious.

    Wen Xu cooperatively acknowledged it with a low hum. His slender fingers trailed down to her corbone, fingertips lightly touching the string of letters. At the same time, he unavoidably touched her skin, sending another shiver through Qi Youning.

    Wen Xu continued as though not noticing the reaction. She flipped the letters over, seemingly oblivious that his fingers were constantly touching her skin along with the movement of his hands, continued to caress her skin.

    ¡°I¡¯ve added Lanshan Institute¡¯s GPS in here just in case. In case anything happens, I can immediately locate you through this. Please don¡¯t lose this ne,¡± exined Wen Xu in a calm tone.

    ¡°I won¡¯t lose it. Even if without that, it¡¯s your gift. I¡¯ll carry it with me. I won¡¯t lose it,¡± Qi Youning replied quickly, as if in a hurry. Only after she finished her sentence did she realize that she sounded too rushed, unreserved. With that, she immediately added, ¡°I...I¡¯m the type that treasures the thoughts of others! You...you know that!¡±

    ¡°Mhm, I know.¡± Wen Xu nodded in acknowledgment.

    ¡°As the chip inside is made to order, it isn¡¯t mass-produced and stocked there. It was only supplied to the internal members of Lanshan Institute. To get one requires an application ahead of time, then match it with the user¡¯s fingerprints before it is embedded into the pendant. If you need to activate it, just touch this pendant. That¡¯s why it took so much time. At least it¡¯s done by today. I took a trip to T City today so I can deliver this to you before your birthday is over. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t make it to your birthday party,¡± Wen Xu exined. His voice monotonous yet clearly exining everything in detail to her.

    Qi Youning grinned, her eyes all narrowed from the smile. ¡°Considering your sincerity, I¡¯ll forgive you. I love this gift.¡±

    Wen Xu pointed at his cheek without saying anything.

    Qi Youning¡¯s face turned red. She was no longer a little girl. How could she just simply kiss him?

    Wen Xu nonchntly loosened his internal cor, quickly shing his corbone in the cold wind, then went back to being hidden under his cor as he took his hand away.

    Qi Youning¡¯s eyes were staring straight at him, almost wanting to pull his cor open with her hand. With a slurp, she gulped down her saliva while still trying to actposed. ¡°Considering your gift to be overflowing with sincerity, I¡¯ll...I¡¯ll give you a kiss.¡±

    Wen Xu secretly twitched his eyebrows but remained silent. He lowered his head and exposed his cheeks to her.

    Qi Youning wanted it badly too so she did not try to put on the act for much longer. She licked her lips and tiptoed toward his face. Just as she was almost there, Wen Xu suddenly turned his head and her lipsnded squarely on Wen Xu¡¯s lips.

    It was soft, and tasted clean, seemingly carrying the scent of the night breeze.

    Qi Youning felt the warmth spread outward from her burning lips. She quickly backed off then covered her mouth in shock with her eyes wide open in shock.

    ¡°You...why did you move?¡± Qi Youning used.

    However, Wen Xu revealed an innocent expression as though he had been taken advantage of.

    His facial expression did not change much, but those eyes gave her that feeling.

    In the next second, Wen Xu took a step forward and removed her hand from her mouth. While Qi Youning was bbergasted from the shock, he lowered his head and went straight for her lips.

    Wen Xu caught her hand and moved it behind her, finally pinning it to the back of her waist. Then, in a sweeping motion, he pushed her into his tight embrace.

    He eventually released her after some time but his arms still wrapping her in his embrace.

    ¡°You¡¯re of age now, and I can finally do that,¡± Wen Xu¡¯s voice was filled with satisfaction, unmistakably so.

    ¡°You..you...you...you...you...you...you...¡± Qi Youning could not ept that reality. How did the loyal follower suddenly turn into someone else?

    Wen Xu¡¯s lips finally disyed a more obvious curl. He gave her another quick kiss, then spoke softly, ¡°Go back.¡±

    Qi Youning forgot how she got back home, but she was thankful that Qi Youxuan did not wait for her at the door. Her brains were having problems functioning, most likely unable to handle him.

    She did not know how she went to bed. From that day on, she never doubted Wen Xu¡¯s intentions.

    Both of them just followed the flow.

    Qi Youningid in bed in the holiday resort¡¯s room in the vi, thinking back of her first kiss, then covered her face as she rolled around.

    That first kiss was so forceful and embarrassing!

    While her face was still burning, she heard a knock on the door.

    Qi Youning got off the bed and went to the door, asking, ¡°Who is it?¡±

    ¡°Me,¡± said Wen Xu¡¯s ever-constant monotonous voice from the other side of the door.

    ¡°...¡± Hearing Wen Xu¡¯s voice, Qi Youning¡¯s ears turned a darker shade of red. Opening the door, she could see him standing straight outside the door.

    ¡°Why are your ears flushed?¡± Wen Xu asked while stealthily moving forward, sneakily moving into her room.

    ¡°Are you asleep? Why did youe here?¡± Qi Youning had yet to realize. As Wen Xu walked forward, she unconsciously moved backward without a clue.

    ¡°I¡¯m bored so I came over to have a look. I¡¯m afraid you might not be able to sleep alone.¡± Wen Xu calmly took a seat on the bed.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning was speechless. ¡°I¡¯m fine sleeping alone. I¡¯ve done so for many years. Why would I have difficulty falling asleep?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ve just changed to a new ce, right?¡± Wen Xu stared at her. ¡°You¡¯re picky with beds.¡±

    ¡°How would I not know myself?¡± Qi Youning eximed. Upon seeing how Wen Xu sat there calmly, she concluded, ¡°Ah, don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re here to be shameless?¡±

    Right as she finished the sentence, she was dragged into Wen Xu¡¯s embrace, tightly held by him as he said matter-of-factly, ¡°Actually I¡¯m picky with beds.¡±

    ¡°Wen Xu!¡± Qi Youning shouted at him.

    Wen Xu¡¯s eyebrows twitched. Before Qi Youning could say a thing, she was lying down sideways on the bed in his embrace.

    ¡°Ah...Ah Xu, ah!¡± Qi Youning said nervously, ¡°I¡¯m sleepy.¡±

    ¡°Then sleep.¡± Wen Xu replied.

    ¡°Then you go back to your room and sleep!¡± Qi Youning gave a light kick to his thigh.

 Chapter 510 - The Corpse in the Hot Springs

    <h4>Chapter 510: The Corpse in the Hot Springs</h4>

    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep back there.¡± Wen Xu cuddled her with all four limbs. He buried his face in her neck and smelled the sweet scent of her skin. The calmness he felt was indescribable. ¡°Don¡¯t move, let me sleep like this for a while.¡±

    ¡°Am I just a pillow to you?¡± Qi Youjing poked his abdomen with her fingers. It was all hard muscles.

    Wen Xu looked at her pitifully. ¡°Your dad is so strict all the time that it¡¯s hard to find a chance to have fun. Just let me cuddle.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youning wrestled for some time before breaking into a smile. ¡°You behave now. You¡¯re only allowed to cuddle.¡±

    Right after Wen Xu mumbled his agreement, he ced a kiss square on her lips. Qi Youning gave him a kick. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you only wanted to cuddle?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu kissed her again. ¡°I promise not to do anything else.¡±

    Blush seared through Qi Youning¡¯s face. ¡°I... I¡¯m sleepy... You...you better go to bed!¡±

    Wen Xu¡¯s eyes sparkled. That night they only kissed and did nothing else.

    ...

    There was not much to do after breakfast the following day, so Qi Youning dragged them to the hot springs. The resort was surrounded by the hills and the sea, and there was also a newly opened deep-sea hot spring.

    After rinsing off, Wei Muran¡¯s party of four was getting ready to enter the hot spring when they suddenly heard horrified screamsing from inside.¡±readics on our Read.live¡±

    Wei Muran quickly wrapped herself in a towel and rushed in. She saw approximately seven or eight women standing next to the hot spring pool while three others were crying and scrambling to climb out.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    The women were obviously scared; they were crying and screaming. Everyone ignored her.

    ¡°Calm down, I¡¯m a police officer!¡± Wei Muran shouted.

    By now, some of the women had calmed down a little and the cries had somewhat died down. A young woman roughly the same age as Wei Muran built up the courage and moved closer, her frightened eyes still fixed on the hot spring pool.

    ¡°There... there¡¯s a dead body...¡± the woman cried.

    As soon the words left her mouth, someone puked. As the sound of vomiting reached their ears, it was immediately followed by the sound of gasps and of puke hitting the floor.

    Everyone moved away.

    ¡°Everyone stay calm, nobody leave. Gather to one side and don¡¯t approach the corpse. Talk to each other but remain where you are. Yiqing, get the staff to call the police. While the police are on their way, stay put,¡± instructed Wei Muran calmly.

    Qi Youning and Xiao Yiqing have not entered the pool and have not seen the corpse. They did not experience soaking in the same pool with a corpse thus they did not feel too grossed out, but they were still a little anxious.

    Xiao Yiqing went out and quickly put on her clothes before she called the police with her cell phone and informed Xiang Haorui.

    Wei Muran, together with Qi Youming and Cheng Xicheng, ushered the female customers from the hot springs to the dressing room to change into their clothes. The staff of the resort then brought them to the salon next door and gave them each a cup of hot cocoa while waiting for the police to arrive.

    ¡°Qingqing!¡± Xiang Haorui rushed over. His hair was a mess. He and Qi Youxuan were in the male hot spring next door when they received Xiao Yiqing¡¯s message. They did not even have time to put on their clothes properly. Their shirts were untucked, and even the buttons were incorrectly fastened.

    Xiao Yiqing barely stood up and was already dragged into his embrace. ¡°Were you scared?¡±

    Xiang Hairui wrapped his arms around her waist and stared nervously down at her face. Her face was a little pale. He cupped her face, his warm palms caressing her pale and cold cheeks.

    Xiao Yiqing only felt that his palms were getting hotter. His palms were much rougher than hers. Caressing her face, it tingled and felt like tiny critters crawling across her face.

    Xiao Yiqing¡¯s face grew hotter and hotter and also felt numb. Her face visibly turned red and glowed, all too obvious on her pale fair face.

    ¡°I... I¡¯m fine. I didn¡¯t actually see it,¡± whispered Xiao Yiqing. Her voice quavered as she was anxious from being held so tightly by Xiang Haorui.

    Xiang Haorui misunderstood and thought she was terrified and was just putting on a brave face. He held on even tighter. ¡°It¡¯s alright, it¡¯s alright. I¡¯m here.¡±

    Xiao Yiqing was wrapped tightly in his arms and suddenly felt something moist and tender on her forehead.

    She looked up in surprise. The tip of her nose brushed across his soft and dry lips. She froze. Her face flushed red down her neck and to her cor.

    Xiao Yiqing was shocked speechless. Xiang Haorui smiled warmly, lowered his head, and kissed her on the cheek again.

    Xiao Yiqing was stupefied, her facepletely blushed. ¡°You... What... What the hell are you doing?¡±

    ¡°What am I doing? I¡¯m kissing you,¡± said Xiang Haorui softly.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough, you two. Where¡¯s Mumu?¡± Qi Youxuan asked impatiently. He thought he should alsofort his woman.

    Xiao Yiqing was so stunned by Xiang Haorui¡¯s kisses and hugs that she forgot that there were still so many people around. Qi Youxuan¡¯s remark snapped her back into reality. She tried to push away but was trapped in Xiang Haorui¡¯s embrace. She could not break free.

    ¡°Muran went back into the hot spring,¡± said Xiao Yiqing while blushing.

    The hot spring had been cleared of people so Qi Youxuan went in.

    Xiang Haorui sat down while still holding on to Xiao Yiqing. Xiao Yiqing twisted and contorted trying to break free. Xiang Haorui was still clueless. ¡°Don¡¯t move, you¡¯re afraid.¡±

    Xiao Yiqing was silent.

    She was not afraid.

    ¡°President Xiang.¡± An Feiru rushed over and saw Xiang Haorui and Xiao Yiqing in an embrace. She froze for a moment but quickly recovered. ¡°Are you all right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m alright, my girlfriend is just a little scared,¡± Xiang Haorui replied. Based on the position they were in, Xiao Yiqing was almost sitting on hisp.

    She might already be if not for there being so many people around.

    cing a cup of hot cocoa in her hands, he lowered her head and asked intimately, ¡°Would you like anything else?¡± Hepletely ignored An Feiru.

    An Feiru stood there stunned and awkward. Seeing how Xiang Haorui treated Xiao Yiqing, she desperately tried to conceal her jealousy.

    Xiao Yiqing was so skittish that she did not pay any attention whatsoever to An Feiru. She only blushed and shook her head.

    It took a long time to react. Recalling what Wei Muran had told herst night, she struggled for a long time before gathering the courage to say, ¡°Who...who¡¯s your girlfriend?¡±

    Xiang Haorui looked at her with a pitiful expression. ¡°Are you not going to take responsibility? I¡¯ve protected you since you were little. I preserved my virginity for more than twenty years. You actually won¡¯t admit it?¡±

    ¡°Wh... What? When did you say that?¡± Xiao Yiqing muttered but did not dare look him in the eye. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know if you don¡¯t tell me. Besides, you¡¯re dering that I¡¯m your girlfriend. We¡¯ve never discussed this.¡±

    ¡°So you don¡¯t like me?¡± Xiang Haorui¡¯s feeling was hurt and he wanted to leave. ¡°Wen Xu and Qi Youxuan both said you liked me, I¡¯ll have to confront them.¡±

    ¡°Hey, where are you going?¡± Xiao Yiqing grabbed onto him. ¡°I.. I¡¯ve yet to reply. Moreover, would you just leave me here?¡±

    ¡°Then do you agree?¡± Xiang Haorui hugged her again.

    Seeing that Xiao Yiqing¡¯s lowered face was as red and glowing like the head of a cigarette, Xiang Haorui smiled from ear to ear, parted his lips and nted a big kiss onto her.

    ¡°Do you agree? I¡¯m so pathetic,¡± Xiang Haorui whispered.

    The other female guests at the hot springs had forgotten about the repulsiveness of soaking in the same pool with a corpse. They were now nauseated by Xiang Haorui and could think of nothing else but to burn the two lovebirds to death.

    ¡°Don¡¯t make a scene, I¡¯ll answer you...¡± Xiao Yiqing was so nervous that she found it difficult to breathe. She felt as though she was going to pass out due to theck of oxygen. ¡°I agree,¡± her voice was stuck in her throat.

    Xiang Haorui grinned happily and ruthlessly nted another one on Xiao Yiqing.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan hurriedly entered the hot spring. Wei Muran was surveying the scene. As he was fully clothed, it felt hot and ufortable.

    ¡°What¡¯s the situation?¡± Qi Youxuan asked as he walked in.

    Wei Muran turned and smiled a little. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We heard screams just as we were about to enter. When we came in, the guests had already exited the pool iming there was a corpse in the pool. We haven¡¯t seen it though.¡±

    The hot spring water is reddish-brown and opaque. There was no way to determine the condition under the water.

    ¡°The corpse hasn¡¯t surfaced, so the time of death should be quite recent.¡± Wei Muran took a good look around. ¡°The room is sealed from all sides, and there¡¯s only one exit through the dressing room. There are air vents on the ceiling, the size of which arerge enough for an adult to crawl through.¡±

 Chapter 511 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts (Buyer Beware)

    <h4>Chapter 511: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts (Buyer Beware)</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Wen Ren felt very depressedtely because he received another invitation; it was Qi Chengyue¡¯s son¡¯s full moon celebration. Qi Chengyue¡¯s son, Cheng Xiyue was born when Little Xicheng was in his second semester of elementary school.

    Wen Ren was very bitter. Qi Chengyue¡¯s second son had been born yet Fang Jiaran refused to have another daughter.

    Clutching the invitation in his hand, he looked at Fang Jiaran.

    Fang Jiaran was lyingzily on the banana-shaped couch reading an adultic book while rocking back and forth on the banana-shaped couch. Wen Ren¡¯s eyes fell on her lower abdomen. He suddenly chucked the invitation aside, strode over to Fang Jiaran¡¯s side and proceeded to squeeze himself onto the narrow banana-shaped couch.

    The banana-shaped couch only had room to amodate one person. Without hesitation, Fang Jiaran lifted her feet and sent Wen Ren off the couch with a kick.

    Wen Ren was dumbfounded.

    In the past, she could not wait to see him, and when she did, she blushed and buried herself in his embrace. She also proposed to him. It has only been a few years and she already disliked him?

    Wen Ren looked downward. During his prime, girls swooned over him. He still had his rock hard eight-pack abs, that did not change, but he was now disliked?

    Wen Ren got up unabashed and moved closer, this time not on the couch but sat cross-legged on the floor next to it. He encircled Fang Jiaran in his arms.

    ¡°What are you reading?¡± Wen Ren took a nce, and it seemed like it had something to do with the triads. He pouted his lips and said, ¡°Why are you reading aic? Isn¡¯t your man here the real-life version? Decent, cool and gangsta!¡±

    Fang Jiaran was speechless.

    Heh... Her manpletely destroyed her fantasies of what a cool gangsta was.

    She had not seen many decent triad leaders as Wen Ren had shielded her from getting involved in these matters. However, she also knew that these people would not have the same character as Wen Ren.

    Fang Jiaran nced at him and said, ¡°Yes, so when I¡¯m reading thisic, it is easier to fantasize.¡±

    Wen Ren was thrilled when he heard it, his heart was full of pride, his chest ballooned, ¡°Did you fantasize about me as the main character in theic?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Fang Jiaran could not help but tell the truth as she blurted, ¡°I reced you with the main character.¡±

    Wen Ren was stupefied.

    Wen Ren got up, went and took out all the Durex and Okamoto condoms they had and poked holes in them one by one.

    ...

    On the day of Cheng Xiyue¡¯s full moon celebration, not only did Wen Ren bring Fang Jiaran and his two sons, but as Grandfather Xiao and Grandfather Ruan¡¯s rtionship were getting closer, resulting in his rtionship with Grandfather Qi too was getting better, Xiao Yunqing and Ning Wan also brought along Xiao Yiqing and Xiao Anzhe to B City.

    As soon as Xiang Haorui, Wen Ren¡¯s apprentice heard that Xiao Yiqing would be in B City, he begged Wen Ren to bring him along.

    Wen Ren was more than happy to bring him along and even praised him. ¡°You have your eyes set on a woman at this young age, very promising. I¡¯ll help you.¡±

    They headed to Dynasty as soon as they arrived in B CIty.

    Xiang Haorui followed Wen Ren as they got out of the car. As soon as they entered the banquet hall, he began looking for Xiao Yiqing and quickly spotted her with Qi Youning, Wei Muran and Cheng Xicheng.

    Xiang Haorui strolled coyly toward Xiao Yiqing but after a few steps realized that someone had beaten him to it.

    Fourteen-year-old Wen Xu¡¯s legs were much longer than his. He did not even notice him walking so briskly, strode gracefully forward. Each stride equaled several steps of his own.

    Xiang Haorui felt anxious. Although his legs were shorter, he had his mouth. ¡°Qingqing!¡± he shouted.

    Not just Yiqing turned, but all her friends did as well. Xiao Youning ran over immediately upon seeing Wen Xu.

    ¡°Ah Xu! Why were you away for so long?¡± Xiao Youning rushed into Wen Xu¡¯s arms. Even Wen Xu was knocked back a couple of steps.

    This little meat-ball has some heft to her.

    Qi Chenglin still struggled for his daughter to lose weight. He barely maintained his daughter¡¯s weight from increasing rapidly and gradually sustained it within the normal range.

    Due to her having an elder brother who would slip her snacks in secret, the results were not significant. She was still chubby.

    ¡°I had exams back home,¡±ughed Wen Xu. Afterpleting his examination, he could spend a little more time in B City.

    ¡°What are you waiting for? Hug me!¡± Little Youning extended her stubby little arms. She was dissatisfied that Wen Xu did not immediately hug her when they met. She was tired of standing.

    Wen Xu obediently lifted her off the ground. Xiang Haorui looked at both of them, then at Qingqing. He pondered a while and was a little vexed that he was not tall enough to lift little Yiqing like that.

    Who knew where Cheng Xicheng found the Step-mother¡¯s costume, which was the Evil Queen¡¯s dress in <Snow White>. Disney did not sell those.

    Cheng Dongge and Qi Chengyue were also speechless because of this.

    Other daughters thought of themselves as little princesses. At Disnend, they would have bought Cindere¡¯s costume, Snow White¡¯s costume, Sleeping Beauty¡¯s costume. Since <Frozen> became so popr, they would have bought Elsa¡¯s sky-blue costume.

    Cheng Dongge¡¯s parents went to Japanst month for a holiday. Since Qi Chengyue had just given birth and could not move about conveniently, she was more than happy to let Little Xicheng apany her grandparents to Japan.

    The three of them had no fixed itinerary. Cheng Dongge was worried that both of them would lose their way due tonguage barriers and them being elderly. He found a tour guide to apany them to act as an interpreter.

    The two elders even did not want to be driven around and wanted to experience the local public transportation.

    During one of those days, the two elderly folks took Little Xicheng to Disnend.

    There are souvenir shops everywhere in Disnend. One would have to exit through a souvenir shop for every ride that sold all kinds of Disney cartoon character dolls, essories, and clothes.

    It was imperative that Cheng Zhaohui and Sun Shaoyun spoiled their granddaughter with tonnes of gifts. They had already decided that they would spend to their heart¡¯s content at Disnend as long as their granddaughter liked it.

    However, even after some time, Little Xicheng did not see anything she liked.

    Finally, Sun Shaoyun could not hold back and said, ¡°Chengcheng, tell us which one of these do you like. Grandpa and Grandma will buy it for you! Whatever you want, we¡¯ll get it for you. Don¡¯t worry about the money!¡±

    Little Xicheng looked up at the two elders¡¯ distressed and worried faces and was speechless for a while.

    ¡°I¡¯m not worried about money! Mom and Dad are rich,¡± said Little Xicheng.

    The two elders nodded in relief. The child knew!

    ¡°We visited so many stores, didn¡¯t you see anything you wanted? Crystal ornaments, pencils, pens; you¡¯d need those for school. You can put dolls on your bed, and Mickey Mouse cards! And also princesses costumes... ¡±

    ¡°I want clothes, but they don¡¯t have it,¡± said Xiao Xicheng finally.

    ¡°They don¡¯t? Which one did you want? They have Elsa,¡± said Sun Shaoyun, surprised.

    ¡°I want the Evil Queen¡¯s costume.¡± Little Xicheng pursed her lips disappointingly.

    ¡°...¡± Sun Shaoyun suddenly felt life was going to get difficult. ¡°Which Evil Queen?¡±

    ¡°The Step-mother in <Snow White>, the one who keeps asking the magic mirror who is the fairest of them all,¡± said Little Xicheng hopefully. From her point of view, adults must be more knowledgeable. They would know where they sold them, right?¡±

    The two elders were overwhelmed.

    They searched every store but could not find the Step-mother¡¯s costume that Little Xicheng wanted. Sun Shaoyun decided that they would ask Cheng Dongge to have the costume custom-made for her. Little Xicheng was so thrilled to return home.

    As his daughter wished, Cheng Dongge did not hesitate and went online to find <Snow White>. He cut out every costume the Evil Step-mother wore for Little Xicheng to choose. Little Xicheng picked her favorite, then Cheng Dongge had the costume custom-made.

    Therefore, at today¡¯s full moon celebration, Little Xicheng wore a brand new Step-mother costume with a little crown. As she turned, she swung her ck cloak. It rippled like waves in the air momentarily before draping back onto her body.

    ¡°Magic mirror on the wall, who¡¯s the fairest of them all?¡± asked Little Xicheng in a clear voice while raising her chin.

    Little Muche even held a mirror in his hands. Immediately after he heard Little Xicheng cue, he announced, ¡°Of course it¡¯s Xicheng!¡±

    Little Xicheng beamed gleefully. She raised her head, adjusted her golden crown, and walked toward Little Yiqing with grace.

 Chapter 512 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 2

    <h4>Chapter 512: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 2</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Not long afterward, Qi Chengyue came out with a baby stroller. Little Xiyueid in the stroller and waited with a pair of curious pitch-ck eyes. The guests were also curious regarding Little Xiyue¡¯s appearance. After all, the guests were not strangers but were rtives and close friends.

    Not many guests were invited even though Dynasty¡¯s banquet hall was entirely booked; only those close to the Qi family were present.

    Before being together with Qi Chengyue, Cheng Dongge as Qi Chengzhi¡¯s assistant was already familiar with Yan Beicheng. As their rtionship got moreplex, they got even closer.

    Another reason they chose the banquet hall was to have room for the children to y. This was the age where children could let loose and should not be restrained. It was a fact that there were only a limited number of guests. ording to Grandmother Qi, they were all her family.

    Therefore, everyone crowded around without fear of positions or reputations beingpromised.

    Everyone was stunned when they saw Little Xiyue.

    No one knew where Qi Chengyue found the child-sized Snow White¡¯s costume for Little Xiyue. Little Xiyue¡¯s hair was thick and jet ck; it matched the costume perfectly.

    What was more cringe-worthy was that Little Xiyue had a big red apple ced on his body. The apple probably felt very heavy on him as his little hand impatiently pushed the red apple aside. He then stretched out his arms to express his desire for his mother to hold him.

    Little Xicheng ordered, ¡°Magic mirror,e.¡±

    Little Muche obeyed immediately. Little Xicheng stood all queen-like next to Little Xiyue. The Evil Step-mother¡¯s costume, whenpared to Little Xiyue¡¯s Snow White costume, was quite unbearable to look at.

    While everyone¡¯s attention was fixated on Little Xiyue, Little Youning received a phone call. ¡°Yes, Auntie?¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    No idea what Chang Jingwan said to her on the phone but Little Youning was drooling.

    ¡°Alright, alright! Auntie...wait for me. Don¡¯t go anywhere, I¡¯m on the way!¡± Little Youning hung up and shoved the cellphone into her pocket, then tugged on Wen Xu¡¯s suit and whispered, ¡°Hurry, hurry to the rooftop garden. Auntie saved me some meat!¡±

    She then cried, ¡°I haven¡¯t eaten meat for such a long time! Dad watches me so closely and doesn¡¯t even allow me to eat a chicken drumstick!¡±

    So fortunate to have Auntie and Uncle!

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu carried her as he walked and said, ¡°I brought back two cases of seafood from T City. Come over to my house, I¡¯ll cook for you.¡±

    Little Youning¡¯s eyes glowed, ¡°I...I¡¯ll be there tomorrow!¡±

    The corner of Wen Xu¡¯s mouth curled and he nodded. They quickly found Chang Jingwan. Qi Youxuan was already there munching on a chicken drumstick.

    Unfortunately for him, even though he had seeded in losing weight, Qi Chenglin asked the dietitian for a fixed meal n so he would not rpse. He had to maintain a bnced diet, where each meal was vegan with fruits. This resulted in Qi Youxuan¡¯s drastic decrease in meat intake, and he desperately needed the support of his Uncle and Auntie.

    Little Youning gaped at the huge chicken drumstick and was green with envy. ¡°Brother, you didn¡¯t even save one for me!¡±

    Qi Youxuan could not care less about sibling love. When he saw this bear-like child¡¯s posture hinting that she wasing for his chicken drumstick, he stuffed the chicken drumstick further into his mouth while running away.

    ¡°Ah Xu, go! Chase him! You don¡¯t intend to save even a bite for your little sister, Brother! Where¡¯s your love for your sister? Didn¡¯t you promise to share any meat dishes?¡± Little Youning cried angrily.

    ¡°Brother is also suffering, Sis! I¡¯m still growing, I need nutrition!¡± Qi Youxuan whined with eyes filled with tears as he gnawed on the chicken drumstick.

    He was still half a head shorter than Wei Muran. It even hurt to admit it.

    His mother told him that a boy¡¯s growth was slower than that of girls. By next year, his growth would be more rampant. His mother also said that prior to her second year of junior high, her male deskmate was much shorter than her. Still, her male deskmate had a growth spurt and grew a full head taller than her after the second year.

    Not just her deskmate, but the other boys in her ss were the same as well. Ruan Danchen was considered tall for a girl. Not many boys in her ss were taller than her at first, yet nearly half the boys in her ss grew taller than her by the second year of junior high.

    Based on Ruan Danchen¡¯s words, Qi Youxuan still had hope. Moreover, Qi Chenglin told him that milk and vegetables would make him taller, thus he ate those as well albeit with reluctance.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan stared at the two siblings dumbfoundedly. They usually were very close. Qi Youxuan would move mountains and oceans for his little sister except for one thing¡ªmeat. Neither one would yield.

    ¡°Youning, Auntie has kept one here especially for you,¡± said Chang Jingwan. She nced backward guiltily to ensure no one was there, then took out another chicken drumstick from her bag.

    Little Youning held it in her hands; it was still warm. The paper-thin chicken skin was grilled to a slight crunchiness, almost translucent under the sunlight.

    ¡°Auntie, I must¡¯ve umted blessings over several lifetimes to have you as my auntie!¡± said Youning gratefully. She motioned for Wen Xu to set her down by the fountain.

    Chang Jingwan was speechless to be praised so highly. Little Youning¡¯s hands were too small and had trouble grasping therge greasy chicken drumstick.

    Better to have Wen Xu tear off little strips of chicken for her.

    Little Youning mouth glistened with grease. Wen Xu¡¯s clean and fair hands were also covered in grease. Gone was his previously well-groomed appearance.

    Seeing that the crisis had been averted, Qi Youxuan returned, still gnawing on his chicken drumstick. He sat opposite Little Youning while swinging his short legs back and forth.

    Just as Chang Jingwan prepared to check if anyone else came up, she saw the door to the rooftop swung open.

    Chang Jingwan quickly rushed to block the door but saw that it was Ruan Zeer and Wei Muran.

    ¡°I happened to meet Muran while she was looking for the restroom, so I brought her up,¡± said Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°Did you see anyone else?¡± said Chang Jingwan, relieved.

    Ruan Zeer smiled. ¡°No.¡±

    He led Wei Muran over to Qi Youxuan before he dug out six packets of beef strips from his pocket and gave Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning three each.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t fit much in my pockets. Any more and brother-inw would find out,¡± exined Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°Ah Xu, please keep them for me. I¡¯ll eat it secretly when I¡¯m home,¡± said Little Youning.

    Wen Xu nced at Ruan Zeer and cleared his throat. ¡°I bought lots of snacks, duck tongue, duck neck, fish tofu, duck wings, and salted chicken wings. I¡¯ll bring it to school the day after tomorrow. You can keep them in your ssroom to enjoy at your leisure. They¡¯re vacuum-packed for easy storage.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re the best, Ah Xu!¡± Little Youning threw her arms around his neck, acting lovey-dovey in his arms.

    Wen Xu did not mind one bit of the grease on Little Youning¡¯s mouth staining his dress shirt. His lips trembled slightly. Others might not have noticed, but for Qi Youxuan and his close friends, these slight changes in expressions were obvious to them.

    Wen Xu was delighted but tried to hold back. This made the corners of his mouth twitch.

    Wen Xu tilted his head slightly and did not even need to point. Little Youning understood.

    As Wen Xu lowered his head, Little Youning extended her neck and nted a kiss on his face.

    Qi Youxuan was dumbfounded.

    Her elder brother was right there. Could Wen Xu be a little more restrained and not brazenly seduce his sister in front of him?

    Qi Youxuan was furious and took an angry bite out of his chicken drumstick.

    It was then Wei Muran offered him a bottle of orange juice. ¡°I secretly took it from the banquet hall.¡±

    ¡°Mumu, you¡¯re so virtuous!¡± Qi Youxuan was very touched. He had Ruan Zeer unscrew the cap and took a few gulps. ¡°The chicken drumstick was getting a little salty.¡±

    Qi Youxuan gulped down the chicken meat with the juice while he stared unblinkingly at Wen Xu for a long time. He then put away his ego and called, ¡°Dear Brother-inw<sup>1</sup>!¡±

    Wen Xu, Ruan Zeer, and Chang Jingwan were startled.

    Wen Xu was all too embarrassed to be called ¡®brother-inw¡¯ by someone younger than himself.

    Qi Youxuan seemed to not notice that Wen Xu was annoyed. He merely smiled and said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your brother-inw<sup>1</sup> over here. I also need those to supplement my nutrition.¡±

    After hearing it, Wen Xu felt that it was not so bad and he could ept being called brother-inw. ¡°If you acknowledge me a few more times as your brother-inw in the presence of Father-inw and Mother-inw, I¡¯ll give some to you.¡±

    Qi Chenglin was still unaware that for mere a few pieces of meat his son forsaken all strength of character and nodded. ¡°No problem, Brother-inw!¡±

 Chapter 513 - 513 Still Looking At Him With Appreciation

    <strong>513 Still Looking At Him With Appreciation </strong>

    Wei Muran frowned. Due to the nature of the ce, the ground was wet and she could not see much.

    The police arrived quickly. As it was a murder case, T City¡¯s Criminal Investigation Division was dispatched.

    Fortunately, Wei Muran habitually brought along her police ID badge. When T City¡¯s policemen arrived, Wei Muran shed her badge and ryed the general situation.

    ¡°A colleague I see,¡± said Sergeant Yang Shaoqun, smiling. His eyes then fell on Qi Youxuan. ¡°And this is¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªHe¡¯s an expert consultant recruited by our Criminal Investigation Division. He recently helped solve the two serial killings in B City,¡± exined Wei Muran, lest the T City folks cast Qi Youxuan aside and prevented him from being involved.

    It was evident that they knew of him and immediately became enthusiastic. ¡°Mr. Qi! Your reputation precedes you!¡±

    Qi Youxuan was courteous. He nodded calmly but did not say much.

    Xiang Haorui then entered apanied by a police officer.

    ¡°This is the person in charge of the resort,¡± said the policeman apanying Xiang Haorui.

    Xiang Haorui presented his business card.

    ¡°The corpse is in the pool. No one had moved it prior to your arrival,¡± said Wei Muran.

    Yang Shaoqun nodded. ¡°Please drain the water from the pool.¡±

    Xiang Haorui called for the hot spring staff. The personnel from the Forensic Science Division then collected some of the hot spring water for testing. Wei Muran had earlier instructed the resort to stop pumping in fresh hot spring water. The remaining water was drained.

    Slowly, the body at the bottom of the pool was revealed.

    The corpse was weighed down with rocks, preventing it from floating even if putrefaction took ce.

    The police officers untied the rocks and carried out the body.

    ¡°The water temperature in the pool is a constant forty-one degrees celsius. Factoring in the effect of the temperature on the deceased, the time of death is approximately two to three o¡¯clock. The victim was first suffocated, then dumped into the pool,¡± exined the forensic pathologist.

    ¡°Take the body back. Mr. Xiang, please check the resort¡¯s customer register to find out the deceased¡¯s identity,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

    Xiang Haoruiplied and gave the instructions.

    They then went to the salon where the eyewitnesses were gathered. Yang Shaoqun asked his colleagues to record their statements.

    As Wei Muran was also an eyewitness, she was also questioned.

    Wei Muran did not know much but conveyed all that she knew. As this was THE Qi Youxuan, Yang Shaoqun also wanted him to help with the investigation. Wei Muran could be said to have borrowed some of Qi Youxuan¡¯s fame and was also asked to observe the case, even though she was from another precinct.

    Wei Muran thought that Yang Shaoqun was doing a good job even though she had only been with the Criminal Investigation Division for a short time.

    When they were still at the police academy, the academy would often invite alumni to share their experiences on the cases they encountered after entering the police force.

    There were a few alumni that were close to them before they graduated. After the guest lectures, they would privately have meals with them.

    There were fewer scruples during these private meals.

    She had heard about xenophobia between police precincts. In fact, there were many major incidents that ur every year, but because they were not reported, nobody knew about them.

    Often when assisting in cases of other cities, the local police force would not have a liking for outsiders. They were courteous on the surface, but when it came to actually working on the case, they would not allow one to intervene on grounds that they were only there to assist and did everything themselves. One would often return to their respective teams feeling depressed.

    You obviously wanted to help, but they just would not involve you. You were treated as an outsider. It was a rather ufortable feeling.

    Could it be by a rare chance that Yang Shaoqun did not harbor such feelings?

    Although it was outside her jurisdiction, Yang Shaoqun had not excluded her from gaining an understanding of the case. Wei Muran also knew her boundaries. After all, this happened in T City. She was there just out of curiosity and also because she was an eyewitness. She wanted to know more but she would not intervene and join the investigation.

    However, Wei Muran felt that the reason Yang Shaoqun did not tantly draw a line with her was only because of Qi Youxuan.

    She overheard an eyewitness. ¡°We were in the hot spring pool. The pool wasn¡¯t deep, merely reaching our shoulders when we were seated. When I stretched my legs, I felt some hard rocks. I frequent this hot spring quite often, so I knew that there shouldn¡¯t be such things in the pool. As I was still figuring out if something was off, someone next to me bumped into another guest and apologized.¡±

    ¡°Who was it that bumped into it?¡± asked the police officer.

    ¡°Me...¡± a woman timidly raised her hand. She was shivering, obviously still terrified. She cried as soon as she raised her hand.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked the officer called Zhang Shanfei.

    ¡°My... My name is Yang Yumin,¡± babbled the woman.

    A female officer next to her saw the situation and said, ¡°Please have a seat and tell us what happened.¡±

    After helping Yang Yumin to her seat, she proactively introduced herself to Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan, ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Feng Songwei. I report to Sergeant Yang.¡±

    Wei Muran greeted her politely. Qi Youxuan just nodded indifferently but that did not deter Feng Songwei from still looking at him with appreciation.

    ¡°Please tell us in detail about the situation at that time,¡± said Zhang Shanfei in a soft voice, afraid of upsetting her as he sat across from Yang Yumin.

    Yang Yumin paused for a moment before she replied, ¡°At the time, we were all in the hot spring pool. The hot spring water was a reddish-brown color and was opaque, we couldn¡¯t see the bottom of the pool. When I stretched my legs, I felt that I bumped into someone. The pool wasrge and I alsoe here often. Even if everyone kept their legs outstretched, we still wouldn¡¯t touch one another. I didn¡¯t think much about it at the time; I just thought I bumped into someone and apologized but nobody replied. The other guests in the pool just looked at each other, not knowing who I was talking to. I didn¡¯t think much about it... I identally bumped into someone so I withdrew my legs but others started to bump into it as well. I heard others apologizing. We felt something was amiss; no one was being bumped into but we kept bumping into someone.

    As more guests entered the pool, we moved along the sides of the pool. Someone started moving to the middle of the pool and stepped on the corpse. Only then did we realize that there was a corpse at the bottom of the pool.¡±

    Just as Yang Yumin finished, someone retched beside them. After some questioning, they found out that it was the person who sat on the corpse.

    Previously, when Wei Muran and friends heard the screams as they entered, they saw a few people crying and scrambling to get out of the pool. Those were the guests that had sat and stepped on the corpse.

    Due to the incident, the hot springs were closed to the public until further notice. As Wei Muran¡¯s party of four were eyewitnesses to the case, they were informed not to leave for the time being.

    They were supposed to be on vacation anyway and had intended to stay at the resort, so they had noments on the matter.

    Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan went to the police station together, but Wei Muran felt that her being there was just incidental. Before they left, Yang Shaoqun fervently requested Qi Youxuan if he could help with the investigations.

    ¡°I know that Mr. Qi is here on vacation. It¡¯s very embarrassing to ask this of you, but I truly hope that Mr. Qi can lend a hand and we¡¯ll solve the case as soon as possible,¡± persuaded Yang Shaoqun.

    Qi Youxuan was unwilling. It was not that he had no sense of justice, but him joining the investigations would only result in the case being solved slightly earlier. If the police worked on it themselves, it was not impossible to solve. At the very worst, it would just take a little longer. Wei Muran only had four days of leave before she had to go back to B City. He wanted to make the most of these four days to improve his rtionship with Wei Muran.

    It was obvious that Yang Shaoqun had foresight. In only a short period of contact with them, he figured out that he should target Wei Muran. Wei Muran was eager to participate, so he proactively asked her if she wanted to go down to the station to help out. After all, she was also an eyewitness.

    Wei Muran tugged at Qi Youxuan¡¯s sleeves. Qi Youxuan saw that she was all too eager to go and could only agree.

    Yang Shaoqun was delighted. Wei Muran was also ted and dragged Qi Youxuan to the police station.

    ¡°The deceased is Xiong Shishi. Female. Thirty-two years old. Married with no children. She worked in logistics at an import-exportpany in T City. Normal family background. Her mother has retired and her father is a civil servant. She isn¡¯t rich but gets by. Just your regr citizen. Her husband is a quality inspector of apany in T City. The ie isn¡¯t much¡ªabout four thousand yuan a month. Neither of them are natives of T City. They rented a ce in T City and also bought a seventy square meter house on loan. The house isn¡¯t ready, so they were still living in the rented ce. The rented ce is a one-bedroom house with a monthly rent of two-thousand yuan and also the monthly loan repayment of three-thousand-five-hundred yuan. Theirbined wages only add up to nine-thousand. Their monthly rent and loan repayments are more than five-thousand-five-hundred. The remaining three-thousand-five-hundred had to cover all other expenses, so they dared not spend as they please. Therefore, they had no ns to have children.¡±

 Chapter 514 - 514 Alibi

    <strong>514 Alibi</strong>

    ¡°The expenses at the resort are very high. The resort is designed with the sea on three sides and is a five-star resort. There are no standard rooms in the resort. Other than the pricier vis, the main building houses sea-view suites. It¡¯s now the National Day Holiday peak season; it costs more than four thousand five hundred for a night¡¯s stay, and you need to pay another three hundred yuan to enter the hot springs. Excluding meals, the amodation and hot springs have exceeded Xiong Shishi¡¯s monthly sry. Most people won¡¯t spend a month¡¯s sry just to stay a night in this high-end hotel without food or drink. Her family¡¯s financial situation can¡¯t afford such spending,¡± stated Zhang Shanfei.

    ¡°I enquired at her workce. There were rumors that she had a vague rtionship with Shi Chenzhong, the sales department manager. The rumors were there but no one really talked about it. The employees in the sales department typically earn much more. The salesmissions are the envy of the other departments. The sales manager¡¯s yearly base sry is two-hundred-thousand. Moreover, there are salesmissions. Eachrge contract basicallyes with hundreds of thousands inmissions. The lesser ones also carry around forty to fifty-thousand in salesmissions. Xiong Shishi, being in the logistics department, often works closely with the sales department. One thing led to another and the two got together. Shi Chenzhong is forty-five years old and has a family. Therefore, if the rtionship between Xiong Shishi and Shi Chenzhong¡¯s is true, then she¡¯s his lover,¡± said Zhang Shanfei.

    ¡°If their rtionship is known throughout thepany, then it wouldn¡¯t be surprising if Xiong Shishi could stay and spend at the resort,¡± Zhang Shanfei continued.

    ¡°Could Xiong Shishi havee to meet Shi Chenzhong? It¡¯s unlikely that Xiong Shishi came alone during the National Day holidays. She would¡¯ve checked in beforehand, then Shi Chenzhong would¡¯vee to meet herter,¡± guessed Feng Songwei.

    ¡°Chengwei, find out where Shi Chenzhong is. Songwei, talk to Shi Chenzhong¡¯s wife and see if she knows anything. Shanfei, find Xiong Shishi¡¯s husband,¡± ordered Yang Shaoqun.

    Zou Chengwei agreed as he ran to get his car keys and jacket. He then left together with Feng Songwei and Zhang Shanfei.

    At noon, Xiao Yiqing, Qi Youning, and Cheng Xicheng came over with the three men from their families and invited Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran to lunch.

    Cheng Xicheng ordered a table-full of seafood and said while munching on a crab, ¡°Muran, howe you¡¯re solving crime even though you¡¯re on vacation?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a bad habit...¡± replied an abashed Wei Muran.

    ¡°Mumu, let¡¯s discuss something. Don¡¯t do this during our honeymoon. Give me a chance to spend time with you, just the two of us!¡± Qi Youxuan hugged her as he rested his head on her shoulder.

    Wei Muran was dumbfounded.

    She was too embarrassed to rebuke him. They have not even gotten Wei Ziqi¡¯s blessing but were already thinking about the honeymoon. Is that not too optimistic?

    After lunch, Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan hurried to the police station.

    Not long after they arrived, Zou Chengwei, Feng Songwei, and Zhang Shanfei also returned.

    Zou Chengwei brought Shi Chenzhong back with him and prepared to take him to the interrogation room. ¡°I found him outside the resort. The resort was sealed off. The people inside can¡¯t leave and the people outside can¡¯t enter. He was wandering outside.¡±

    Zou Chengwei said sarcastically, ¡°It¡¯s quite infatuating.¡±

    Yang Shaoqun took Zou Chengwei to the interrogation room. Wei Muran, Qi Youxuan and the others were in the next room, observing through the mirror.

    Shi Chenzhong was not like Wei Muran imagined. Even if he was not handsome, she imagined he would at least be a presentable middle-aged man.

    Shi Chen¡¯s looks were nothing to shout about. Although only forty-five years old, he looked like a little old man. He was thin and short. Wei Muran estimated that he was slightly above one-hundred-and-sixty centimeters tall. Thin and lean, yet very astute. Wearing a pair of gold-framed sses, the wrinkles on his face were very obvious.

    At the age of forty-five, he looked more like a man in his fifties.

    Wei Muran thought that it was probably rted to his job. Being in the international trade business and working withpanies from Europe and the United States, it was necessary to amodate the time zone differences. He would often have to get up in the middle of the night to discuss business matters, check emails, etc. Having insufficient rest and still having to go drinking during the day would affect one¡¯s body and would result in looking much older than one¡¯s actual age.

    ¡°Officer, why am I here?¡± asked Shi Chenzhong nervously.

    ¡°Why were you wandering outside the resort today?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°Why does it matter to you if I¡¯m taking a stroll there?¡± Shi Chenzhong looked surprised.

    Zou Chengwei mmed the desk fiercely and hissed, ¡°Stop beating around the bush like you do in your business meetings! Just answer the question!¡±

    Shi Chenzhong was taken aback and said, ¡°I had an appointment to meet someone at the resort but when I arrived, I found that the resort was sealed off and I couldn¡¯t enter. I had to wait outside because of that.¡±

    ¡°Who were you meeting?¡± Zou Chengwei asked.

    Shi Chenzhong frowned. ¡°This is a personal matter, officer. Why did you bring me here?¡±

    ¡°Tell us! You¡¯re here to assist in a case, stop with the nonsense!¡± said Zou Chengwei impolitely.

    ¡°Did you n to meet with Xiong Shishi?¡± asked Yang Shaoqun coldly.

    Shi Chenzhong¡¯s expression finally changed. He saw that Yang Shaoqun was so sure of it, he could not deny it. ¡°Yes, I nned to meet her this afternoon. When I arrived, I found that I couldn¡¯t enter the resort, so I called her but there was no answer.¡±

    ¡°You should know why the resort is sealed off,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

    Shi Chengzong nodded.

    He got to know from the crowd that someone had died inside and felt uneasy. Even if he had not seen it personally, he felt something amiss.

    ¡°The deceased is Xiong Shishi. Based on our investigations, you¡¯re her lover,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

    Shi Chenzhong¡¯s expression changed drastically and his face turned pale. ¡°How...how could she... How did she die?¡±

    ¡°The cause of death was asphyxiation. The body was found at the bottom of the hot spring pool,¡± said Zou Chengwei. ¡°When did you agree to meet Xiong Shishi?¡±

    Shi Chenzhong was still reeling from the revtion. His mind was nk and could only speak truthfully, ¡°We just talked on the phonest night. As it was the November holidays, I nned to spend two nights here with her. She checked in firstst night because I was going to take my wife and son back to my parents¡¯ house for lunch today. I told Shishi that I woulde here after lunch. I told my wife that I was entertaining a client these two days. I sent my wife and son home after lunch and hurried over. I didn¡¯t expect...¡±

    Shi Chenzhong¡¯s face was pale. ¡°Everything was fine. I just spoke to her on the phonest night. Why did she die? Why did she die?!¡±

    ¡°Where were you betweenst night and one o¡¯clock this afternoon?¡± asked Zou Chengwei coldly.

    Shi Chenzhong did not give him a good impression. He was not honest when speaking and his words had a deceitful undertone. He had a wife and child but is still messing around at this age.

    ¡°As I won¡¯t be home for the next two days, my wife might get suspicious, so I went home right after work yesterday. We then went back to my parents¡¯ house for lunch. I was with my wife and son all the while,¡± answered the subconscious Shi Chenzhong, still considerably shocked.

    The statements of people close to someone sometimes could not be trusted, such as Shi Chenzhong¡¯s wife and child, as well as his parents. They might lie to cover for him.

    ¡°Besides them, is there anyone else that can vouch for you?¡± asked Zou Chengwei directly in an unfriendly tone that Shi Chenzhong could sense it, even in the state he was in.

    ¡°Officer, am I a suspect?¡± Shi Chenzhong¡¯s face was taut and said warily, ¡°You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Why would I kill Xiong Shishi! I haven¡¯t yet lived my life to the fullest! I have a wife and child. I make good money. I have a great life ahead of me. Moreover, Xiong Shishi is sensible, all she wants is money. As long as she gets her money, she won¡¯t tell my wife and make trouble. I have the money. Why would I trouble myself with this?¡±

    ¡°This is just your side of the story. We¡¯ll investigate the state of your rtionship with Xiong Shishi,¡± sneered Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°It¡¯s better you investigate Xiong Shishi¡¯s husband, Liu Mingyue. He¡¯s more suspicious than me!¡± said Shi Chenzhong anxiously.

    ¡°How so?¡± Yang Shaoqun asked.

    ¡°He knew about Xiong Shishi and I. Even when Xiong Shishi seduced me. She told him about it. He knew,¡± scoffed Shi Chenzhong.

    On the other side of the mirror, Wei Muran was shocked and nced at Qi Youquan.

    ¡°It¡¯s unsurprising. Based on Xiong Shishi and her husband¡¯s ie, after rent and loan repayments, it¡¯d be hard to sustain the standard of living in T City. Xiong Shishi is a typical person who isn¡¯t satisfied with her current situation and admires a life of luxury, but her current position doesn¡¯t allow for it. If she just had more money, she¡¯d want to enter high society. Three-thousand-five-hundred yuan is barely enough for one person, let alone two people. They don¡¯t even have a car. So factoring in transportation, food, electricity, water, and other expenses, there won¡¯t be any left for savings. They may still need financial support from their parents,¡± said Qi Youxuan calmly.

    ¡°Xiong Shishi is already thirty-two years old but still dared not have a child. When she gets pregnant, it¡¯d be consideredte in life. I doubt they wouldn¡¯t be anxious about their situation. Living such a difficult life long term would smother all feelings. They just had enough. Liu Mingyue sacrificed his wife for material possessions. Xiong Shishi also sacrificed herself for material possessions, not afraid of being found out by Liu Mingyue. For the two of them to make such a choice, although not entirely natural, it isn¡¯t beyond expectations.¡±

    Wei Muran¡¯s jaw gaped open for a long time then said, ¡°How would you know about the trifles of life?¡±

    Although she chose the busy and dangerous profession of a police officer, Wei Ziqi raised her like a princess at home. She had never experienced hardships in life apart from work.

    It was embarrassing to say that although her work was very down-to-earth, she did not really know much about life. Those things that Qi Youxuan mentioned, she never had to worry about. She did not know what it meant to be poor nor did she know how much it cost for transportation, food, electricity, and water. Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran took care of it for her.

    Even cooking can only be regarded as a mere interest and not something to truly worry about. asionally cooking for special asions already made Wei Ziqi and Wei Muche extremely happy.

    Growing up, she was never exposed to these.

    She thought Qi Youxuan was the same. The Qi family did not need him to worry about these matters.

    ¡°When I studied psychology, I have to study all kinds of personalities as well as the environmental factors, etc. that led to the creation of certain personalities. These little details of life are essential,¡± said Qi Youxuan, smiling.

    Wei Muran felt very ashamed after hearing that and whispered, ¡°It seems like I don¡¯t know anything.¡±

    Qi Youxuan smiled and pinched her nose gently. ¡°You needn¡¯t know. Before marrying me, you were the princess of the Wei family. After you marry me, you¡¯ll be the queen of our family. You needn¡¯t worry about any of these at any point in your life.¡±

    Wei Muran blushed. There were others in the room, strangers nheless, and the T City police officers. She secretly pinched Qi Youxuan¡ªthis was not the appropriate time to be mushy.

    They then heard Shi Chenzhong say, ¡°Xiong Shishi doesn¡¯t want to live a hard life and Liu Mingyue also had enough. Liu Mingyue acquiesced to her seducing me. I bought her gifts, brought her to high-end establishments. Her clothes, make-up, shoes, and bags¡ªI bought all of them. I took her for meals every day, which is equivalent to feeding Liu Mingyue¡¯s wife for him. The allowance I gave her, she spent it on her household expenses and improved their lives. I¡¯m financially supporting their family, and in return, Xiong Shishi became my lover. She wouldn¡¯t want to be my legitimate wife and wouldn¡¯t make trouble for my family. We both get what we want. Even if it¡¯s more money they want, I¡¯m willing to fork out as long as it saves me the trouble.¡±

    Shi Chenzhong¡¯s lips curled. ¡°Don¡¯t assume that Liu Mingyue is indifferent even though he knew about us, even if he took the initiative to make room for us. Sometimes when I call Xiong Shishi, even when she¡¯s at home, she answers my calls in front of Liu Mingyue. Liu Mingyue doesn¡¯t seem to care, but a man can¡¯t stand being cuckolded, especially right to his face. He can push his wife away for money, but it doesn¡¯t mean he epts it. I know he must hate it. We¡¯re both men. I know what he must be thinking. He¡¯s ipetent but hates Xiong Shishi and me.¡±

    ¡°Truth be told, I quite enjoy this feeling of toying with the wife in front of her husband. I sometimes visit her at their rented one-bedroom house and do it with her on their bed. When they move into their new house, I¡¯m thinking of paying it a visit as well. The feeling when the husband is helpless to do anything although he knows fully well what¡¯s going on¡ªthere¡¯s a very special sense of satisfaction.¡± Shi Chenzhong smiled proudly.

    Zou Chengwei almost could not hold himself back from punching him. Such a despicable man.

    ¡°What a twisted mentality.¡± Wei Muran frowned, clearly disgusted by Shi Chenzhong. ¡°Liu Mingyue is also a piece of work. He doesn¡¯t have the talent and doesn¡¯t want to work hard, but pimped out his wife for money. Still, it does take more than one to tango. Nothing more can be said about these three.¡±

    Qi Youxuan patted her head gently like a puppy.

    He does not tease her and be clingy while at work but rather acted like a big brother to appease her.

    ¡°Shi Chenzhong didn¡¯t have much sess in his career when he was younger. Only rather recently did his career rapidly take off, which caused his ego to be inted that he grew proud and arrogant. He wanted everyone to know that he¡¯s rich and capable. Merely earning a little bit more money made him feel particrly rich, even not minding to fund his mistress¡¯s husband and enjoy others¡¯ envy. As evident from his words, he doesn¡¯t have much experience. He¡¯s only slightly better offpared to previously, but he thinks he¡¯s high-end.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s ustomed to bowing his head to others when doing business. In order to sessfully negotiate a business deal, he¡¯s willing to stoop as low as he can go. Thus, outside of work, he wants others to be beneath his feet. Faced with someone inferior, his pride and ego are exacerbated. While bowing down to others when doing business, others will bow down to him in other aspects of his life,¡± said Qi Youxuan inly.

    ¡°How can you tell that he only has gotten better off recently?¡± Zhang Shanfei finally asked after holding back a while. He had been standing there silently like a dimmp.

    Qi Youxuan spun his head around with a surprised expression on his face, realizing only now that there were still others in the room.

    Zhang Shanfei was quite dejected. Was his existence so insignificant?

    Feng Songwei also felt unpleasant. She was quite attractive and well known at their precinct. When they were in need of a face for any promotional campaigns, she was the go-to person. Her presence was alsopletely oblivious.

    From the very start, other than being focused on the interrogation room, Qi Youxuan stole little strokes at Wei Muran¡¯s hair, patted her shoulders and touched her waist when she did not notice. These little antics caused Wei Muran to blush crimson but she was hesitant to call him out in public.

    Not wanting to be ignored like this, Feng Songwei took a few steps forward and stood next to Zhang Shanfei. ¡°Yeah, how do you know this?¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s face had ¡®oh, you¡¯re here too¡¯ written all over it. Feng Songwei instantly did not want to continue.

    Zhang Shanfei¡¯s whole face expressed a thirst for enlightenment. Qi Youxuan curled his lips and said, ¡°If he was well to do all along, would he be looking like a withered old man at the age of forty-five?¡±

    Zhang Shanfei was dumbfounded.

    ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± Zhang Shanfei blinked. He thought that this was a rather unscientific assumption. Was Qi Youxuan really an expert?

    Wei Muran understood Qi Youxuan, he was toozy to exin in detail, thus merely exined the simplest reasoning.

    ¡°I want to know too,¡± she said, tugging at Qi Youxuan¡¯s sleeve.

    Presented with Wei Muran¡¯s query, Qi Youxuan was much more patient. He pointed to Shi Chenzhong through the mirror and said, ¡°Although Shi Chenzhong was reluctant to answer the questions, he wasn¡¯t lying. In the beginning, his feet and legs were syed out. He sat rxed until he heard that the deceased was Xiong Shishi, when he was surprised and anxious. His legs were close together, and his toes dug into the ground, his heels slightly raised pointing toward your colleagues and not toward the doorway. He was really anxious as his body leaned forward.¡±

    ¡°When mentioning his rtionship with Xiong Shishi, his pupils were looking straight at your colleagues and didn¡¯t flutter. He didn¡¯t think about what he said. He was still in shock, so what he said hadn¡¯t gone through his thoughts, just subconsciously saying what he knows and what came to mind. He mentioned giving Xiong Shishi money and taking Xiong Shishi to high-end establishments. That¡¯s not something a person who¡¯s been wealthy all his life would say. Don¡¯t ask me why I know this¡ªI just do. A person who¡¯s always been wealthy will think that the ces where they frequent are normal and won¡¯t think of it as high-end. He wouldn¡¯t have it at the tip of his tongue. When Shi Chenzhong mentioned it, he was very proud of it. These behaviors are only disyed by someone who just recently came into wealth.¡±

    ¡°Because he has been oppressed for a long time, he found a sense of belonging in receiving Liu Mingyue¡¯s jealousy and hate and oppressing Liu Mingyue and Xiong Shishi. His suit is Armani, and there¡¯s a very prominent letter H logo in the middle of his belt. His shoes are LV. When he entered, the toe of his shoe touched Zou Chengwei¡¯s heel. After he sat down, he rubbed the tip of the shoe with his hand, cherishing it. The cost of the shoes still caused him heartache.¡±

    ¡°He may just be a clean-freak,¡± countered Zhang Shanfei.

    ¡°A clean-freak would carry around handkerchiefs, paper towels, wet wipes, hand sanitizers, and the likes, but not him. Would a clean-freak prefer to get his hands dirty to keep his shoes clean? He wiped his shoes with his bare hands. His shoe wasn¡¯t even dirty, it wasn¡¯t stepped on by Zou Chengwei, yet he still felt it was dirty and rubbed it anxiously, indicating that he cares about these things which he thinks are expensive. The gifts he bought for Xiong Shishi, he remembers every one clearly.¡±

    ¡°After he sat down, he dashingly and deliberately set the keys of his newly purchased Land Rover on the desk. The car keys are new as there¡¯s little trace of wear and tear. He changed his car not too long ago. You can find out if his previous car was an economical model, approximately a hundred thousand, Japanese or South Korean made. As he¡¯s making more money now, he reced it with a Land Rover,¡± added Qi Youxuan.

    Without saying another word, Zhang Shanfei picked up the phone. After a while, he nced back at Qi Youxuan with a surprised expression while still on the phone.

    After hanging up, dumbfoundedly he stuttered, ¡°You... How did you know it was a Japanese or South Korean made car?¡±

    He had called Shi Chenzhong¡¯s workce and asked what car he drove before. Shi Chenzhong was not always in a managerial position at thepany. He was initially an ordinary employee in the sales department, responsible for the domestic market at first. The domestic market was more tiring than the foreign markets. Although there was no time zone difference, he had to apany customers for drinks and meals and even to some entertainment outlets. It was also a struggle.

    Heter found a mentor who was in charge of international trade and slowly worked his way up to a managerial position. Previously for all sessful business deals, themissions went to his mentor. Whatever he earned was up to the mentor¡¯s discretion.

    If his mentor was generous, his cut would be slightly more. Otherwise, he would have to endure some hard times.

    His previous mentor was not entirely inhumane but his cut was really small. Shi Chenzhong could only write it off as tuition fees.

    He has a house and a car then. The house was a little two-bedroom house that did not even have a living room. His car was a small KIA he bought on loan when he started doing international trade.

    He could make approximately six to seven-thousand yuan a month. About half was used to entertain clients and to buy gifts for his mentor to build a good rtionship.

    Finally, he managed to reach a managerial position a couple of years ago. He quickly moved to a bigger house and afterpletely repaying the loan, he purchased a new car and got a mistress.

    Upon hearing Zhang Shanfeng¡¯s question, Qi Youxuan replied in contempt, ¡°Because Japanese and South Korean cars are affordable.¡±

    Zhang Shanfei fell silent once more.

    He felt as if his IQ was suddenly in deficit.

    ¡°So if you suspect me, your time may be better spent investigating Liu Mingyue. He may no longer be able to bear Xiong Shishi tantly cuckolding him, and finally snapped and killed her.¡± Shi Chenzhong then continued, ¡°After all, I visit their home very often. Many people in their small neighborhood have seen me. There were a lot of rumors. Neighbors who were more familiar with them knew of Xiong Shishi¡¯s rtionship with me. Liu Mingyue couldn¡¯t even lift his head in that neighborhood. I guess he felt that he¡¯d be moving out soon and wouldn¡¯t live there forever, thus not making a fuss and just endured it temporarily. He probably couldn¡¯t bear it anymore.¡±

    Shi Chenzhong was starting to get anxious. ¡°Don¡¯t try to pin what he did on me!¡±

    After the interrogation, as Shi Chenzhong was being led out, he saw a police officer apanying Liu Mingyue, who was brought in to identify the body.

    Liu Mingyue looked ordinary. Wearing a pair of sses, he looked decent; nothing stood out about him. Shi Chenzhong had always looked down on him. He knowingly allowed his wife to be someone else¡¯s lover for money. What a worthless person.

    It might be fuelled by Xiong Shishi¡¯s death, but when he saw Shi Chenzhong¡¯s obvious contempt for himself, Liu Mingyue suddenly lurched forward and grabbed Shi Chenzhong¡¯s cor and pinned him to the wall.

    ¡°He killed her! Officer, arrest him! He¡¯s the one that killed Xiong Shishi, it¡¯s him!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Shi Chenzhong was afraid that the police believed him and rambled, ¡°I think you¡¯re the one that killed her! Because she was with me, you couldn¡¯t bear to be cuckolded and killed her in anger! You can¡¯t afford to feed your own wife. Not only did I financially support your wife, but I also supported you as well. A man like you should be too embarrassed to be alive. You couldn¡¯t bear it anymore. You¡¯re such a useless person but still discontented, you killed Xiong Shishi and framed me instead.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± Liu Mingyue¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. ¡°No, Nonsense!¡±

    Liu Mingyue was not articte. He was a quality inspector and was usually couped up in ab. It is not like Shi Chenzhong who would meet business clients all day, and whose mind and mouth are more agile.

    Noticing that Liu Mingyue was flustered, Shi Chengzhong regained hisposure and sneered, ¡°Did I get it right? You imed that I killed Xiong Shishi. What¡¯s my motive? I have money, a family, a sessful career, a bright future. Ick nothing. Xiong Shishi¡¯s rtionship with me is mutually beneficial. I give her money, she makes me happy. She has a family and won¡¯t make trouble for mine. We take get we want out of our rtionship. She didn¡¯t provoke me, so why would I kill her? You, on the other hand, have plenty of motive. Although you acquiesced to her being with me, you were ashamed and hateful. After you killed her, you framed me, killing two birds with one stone!¡±

    ¡°Nonsense! Don¡¯t use me!¡± Liu Mingyue thrust Shi Chenzhong¡¯s neck harder against the wall.

    ¡°Let go, both of you!¡± Zou Chengwei pulled the two apart and hissed at Shi Chenzhong, ¡°Wow, you¡¯re good and you can infer. You should be a detective! We¡¯re the ones investigating, you¡¯re still a suspect. Don¡¯t go using others.¡±

    ¡°And you!¡± Zou Chengwei was not very polite to Liu Mingyue as well. He did not have a good impression of this piece of work either. ¡°Do you have proof that Shi Chenzhong did it? Well, hand it over. We¡¯ll ept it.¡±

    Liu Mingyue blushed and said not a word. Zou Chengwei shoved him forward. ¡°Get moving, we still have some questions for you.¡±

    ¡°Hmmph!¡± Shi Chenzhong sneered at Liu Mingyue and left.

    Yang Shaoqun motioned to Zhang Shanfei. ¡°Follow up on Shi Chenzhong¡¯s alibi.¡±

    After that, he went to interrogate Liu Mingyue with Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°Where were you from midnightst night until noon today?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    Liu Mingyue was more honest than Shi Chenzhong who kept beating around the bush at first, but he seemed reluctant to speak. His head was lowered with a muddled expression.

    ¡°Answer truthfully or you might be charged with obstruction of justice. The penalty is quite severe,¡± emphasized Zou Chengwei.

    Liu Mingyue gritted his teeth and finally relented, ¡°Last ... Last night Xiong Shishi told me that she wasn¡¯ting home. I knew she was going to see Shi Chenzhong again. I didn¡¯t question her further. I was used to it anyway.¡±

    ¡°You knew about Xiong Shishi and Shi Chenzhong?¡± asked Zou Chengwei, raising his eyebrows.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Liu Mingyue gritted his teeth. ¡°I can¡¯t give her the life she wants but Shi Chenzhong can. Still, she alsoins that Shi Chenzhong is old and still needs me to satisfy her in bed. I¡¯m useless anyway, so I won¡¯t stop her if she¡¯s willing to use Shi Chenzhong¡¯s money to subsidize my family financially. She disappoints me but I won¡¯t stand up to her.

    We¡¯re just two separate people that happen to live together! Aren¡¯t open marriages all the rage now? I told myself that since she can¡¯t bear to live a hard life, then I¡¯ll just treat it as an open marriage and not interfere with one another. We¡¯re like friends with benefits that have a marriage certificate. Those women that go looking for one-night stands are not much different. They¡¯re with a different partner each day, they might not even be single. Therefore, I¡¯ve learned to ept it.

    Since he started talking about it, Liu Mingyue seemed to open up and did not care about shame anymore. He looked up at Yang Shaoqun and Zou Chengwei. ¡°Shi Chenzhong said that I was jealous and killed Qi Xiong Shishi because she was unfaithful, but it really wasn¡¯t.¡± Liu Mingyue chuckled. ¡°Why would I stick my neck out for such a whore? Besides, she made the first move. Even if we were to get a divorce, I¡¯m the victim here. I¡¯ll get a bigger share of the assets than her. Why would I kill her? Moreover, I can still spend Shi Chenzhong¡¯s money. That¡¯s such a good deal, so why can¡¯t I live with myself? Killing Xiong Shishi doesn¡¯t benefit me at all.¡±

    ¡°Shi Chenzhong has been to your neighborhood many times. The people there know him and his rtionship with Xiong Shishi.¡± Yang Shaoqun continued, ¡°The people in your neighborhood areughing at you behind your back.¡±

    Liu Mingyue turned pale for a moment but said, ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that I couldn¡¯t bear the shame and killed her in anger?¡±

    ¡°I seldom go back there anyway. We¡¯ll be getting the keys to our new house soon and we¡¯ll be moving. I couldn¡¯t care less about what they say. Officer, I¡¯m useless, don¡¯t make much and can¡¯t support my wife financially, but I¡¯m not so stupid as to lose my sanity over something like this,¡± concluded Liu Mingyue.

    ¡°He¡¯s a little tense, but this is within the eptable range.¡± Qi Youxuan observed Liu Mingyue through the mirror and said, ¡°He doesn¡¯t care for Xiong Shishi, maybe because Xiong Shishi derailed his life. He has no feelings for Xiong Shishi anymore. Therefore, even though Xiong Shishi was murdered, he didn¡¯t portray any sadness, only shock. The wedding ring on his left hand had been removed for some time. When he was tangled up with Shi Chenzhong in the corridor earlier, he smelled of women¡¯s perfume. However, there are no signs of gifts from a single romantic partner. He doesn¡¯t have a steady girlfriend, mostly one-night-stands. The clothes on him were worn yesterday. His jacket is wrinkled and the cor of his shirt is also a little trampled. He wore this outfit yesterday, his necktie still tucked in his trouser pocket. He didn¡¯t go home after work and went directly to the nightclub. When he received a phone call from the police today, he was either still in a hotel or at a femalepanion¡¯s ce.¡±

    ¡°You could deduce that much in such a short time?¡± Feng Songwei gasped in awe, her ck eyes shining. She did not even try to conceal her admiration and worship of Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan only nodded indifferently and took no notice of her. He continued observing the situation in the interrogation room.

    ¡°So where exactly were you at the time?¡± Zou Chengwei then added, ¡°If you don¡¯t have an alibi, it doesn¡¯t matter what you say.¡±

    Liu Mingyue hesitated a moment then said, ¡°I went to the hotel with someone I met in the barst night. Since Xiong Shishi was unfaithful, why should I be? I went out with my friends after work and went our separate ways after that. My friend saw me leave with a woman. The hotel should also have a record.¡±

    After Yang Shaoqun and Zou Chengwei exited, Yang Shaoqun asked Zou Chengwei to check out the hotel Liu Mingyue mentioned.

    Zhang Shanfei returned and said, ¡°Shi Chenzhong¡¯s wife said that he was with her the whole ofst night until noon today. He was grocery shopping with her at the supermarket this morning. ording to the time stamp on the supermarket receipt and the surveince video at the supermarket, it showed that he was there. Moreover, Shi Chenzhong¡¯s wife said that at midnight yesterday, their son had food poisoning. Shi Chenzhong drove his son to the hospital for an IV drip. He left the house at two o¡¯clock and returned at four o¡¯clock. This was during the approximate time of death. Shi Chenzhong had an alibi.¡±

    After Zhang Shanfei read Liu Mingyue¡¯s statement, he said, ¡°Weren¡¯t they buying a house? Could Liu Mingyue have killed Xiong Shishi for the house? The house is joint ownership and registered to both their names. Since Xiong Shishi betrayed Liu Mingyue, Liu Mingyue didn¡¯t want to share the house and killed her.¡±

 Chapter 515 - 515 Return to B City

    <strong>515 Return to B City</strong>

    ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± Zhang Shanfei spread his arms innocently. ¡°Does it not make sense? You often hear this on the news: siblings squabble and some even disowned their parents over properties, forcing the parents to buy houses. To kill for a house, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was reported in the news.¡±

    ¡°My God, who will save him from his views!¡± Fang Zhitong from their team covered his eyes with his hands. He could not bear to look at Zhang Shanfei.

    ¡°What¡¯s the matter? Just because the killer¡¯s a pervert doesn¡¯t mean that one wouldn¡¯tmit murder for a house!¡± Zhang Shanfei bared his teeth. ¡°Mr. Qi, what do you think?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded slightly. ¡°There are countless reasons for someone tomit murder. Some domit murder over trivial matters, so it¡¯s hard to say for sure.¡±

    Zhang Shanfei did not say anything else but smugly tilted his chin and raised his eyebrows at Fang Zhitong with a what-do-you-think-of-me-now look on his face.

    ¡°Let¡¯s wait for Chengwei to return. If Liu Mingyue¡¯s alibi pans out, these spections are worthless,¡± concluded Yang Shaoqun.

    Zou Chengwei returned soon with the surveince video footage and the check-in register from the hotel. Both confirmed Liu Mingyue¡¯s alibi.

    ¡°I interviewed Shi Chenzhong¡¯s wife, Li Weixin. She knew about Shi Chenzhong and Xiong Shishi. She¡¯s been a full-time housewife for the past seven years, and if she were to reenter the workforce, it¡¯d be hard work and for low wages. She won¡¯t make it; she doesn¡¯t have high-ie skills. The allowance that Shi Chenzhong gave her is quite substantial, so her material needs were well taken care of. She pretended not to know about Shi Chenzhong¡¯s affair and bore with it¡ªas long as Shi Chenzhong provides for the family. She also knew that the other woman had a family of her own. She wouldn¡¯t get a divorce and marry an old geezer like Shi Chenzhong; the woman just wanted money to support her family. It¡¯s because of this that she turned a blind eye to it.¡±

    ¡°Li Weixin thought she wouldn¡¯t have the financial means to divorce Shi Chenzhong. She wouldn¡¯t be able to bear the legal costs. The Shi family values her son a lot and won¡¯t surrender custody that easily, even if Shi Chenzhong is in the wrong. The legal battles will inadvertently affect her son. If custody is awarded to Shi Chenzhong, it¡¯ll be hard to even see her son again. It¡¯s better to live like this. They¡¯re also getting old. Why court trouble?¡± said Feng Songwei, shaking her head.

    ¡°I have to say, they¡¯re both made for each other. They both have the same bizarre mentality,¡± Zhang Shanfei tutted.

    ¡°Having said that, she¡¯s still suspicious. Love kills,¡± spected Fang Zhitong while rubbing his chin.

    Feng Songwei shook her head. ¡°She went with Shi Chenzhong to the hospitalst night with their son. I confirmed that both she and Shi Chenzhong were at the hospital at the time. She didn¡¯t have time to go to the resort to murder Xiong Shishi.¡±

    ¡°Then the three people with the most likely connection to Xing Shishi all have alibis. What else is there to investigate?¡± said Zou Chengwei irritably.

    ¡°Although Xiong Shishi did have some colleagues that she didn¡¯t get along with, there wasn¡¯t enough resentment to murder someone,¡± said Fang Zhitong.

    It had been three days and not much progress has been made with the case. It was about time for Wei Muran to return to B City for duty¡ªshe could not stay in T City.

    Qi Youxuan undoubtedly would be going with her. No matter how much Yang Shaoqun pleaded, Qi Youxuan had made up his mind not to stay.

    Nheless, since they did coborate, at least Yang Shaoqun considered it. On the day Qi Youxuan and the gang were due to leave, Yang Shaoqun and his team came to personally send them off at the airport.

    Xiao Yiqing was very reluctant for them to leave so quickly and hugged Wei Muran and the other girls. The four girls were cuddled together in a group, it looked a little weird.

    ¡°You¡¯ve only been here for a few days! And Muran didn¡¯t even enjoy much at all and worked on a case,¡± grumbled Xiao Yiqing.

    Wei Muran also felt sorry for identally detaching herself from the group, inadvertently ruining the fun for the others.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get together again during the Spring Festival!¡± said Wei Muran.

    Cheng Xicheng had always loved traveling and immediately suggested, ¡°Why not go out of the country during the Spring Festival Holidays? We¡¯re already too familiar with T City and B City. We won¡¯t know what to do even if we got together, so might as well visit other destinations. Let¡¯s go to an ind, maybe Pu. Even cell phone signals are poor there, we won¡¯te across any murders there.¡±

    Being Cheng Xicheng¡¯s best friend and ssmate throughout kindergarten to high school, Qi Youning nodded her head enthusiastically. ¡°Er Cheng¡¯s suggestion is excellent. You guys would have seven days of vacation. Er Cheng and I would be on winter break, which is even longer. We can leave on the second day of the Spring Festival. We can even stay a few more days. You guys just need to apply for a few extra day¡¯s leaves.¡±

    ¡°Okay, let¡¯s discuss more on WeChat when we get back,¡± chirped Xiao Yiqing.

    Xiang Haorui suddenly appeared out of nowhere and gently rested his hand on Xiao Yiqing¡¯s head and rubbed.

    Feng Songwei detached herself from the police group and walked in front of Qi Youxuan. Flustered, she whispered shyly, ¡°Mr. Qi, would it be convenient for you to leave me your contact information. I¡¯d like to learn from you.¡±

    Behind her, Feng Songwei¡¯s police colleague¡¯s expression changed slightly and some were even uneasy.

    It was clear that Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran were a couple, yet she had proactively asked for his number. Was she trying to break them up? It was bad enough if one intended to steal a person¡¯s boyfriend behind their backs, let alone to Wei Muran¡¯s face.

    This gave others the impression that one possessed poor characteristics. It would be disgraceful to seduce a married man. It does not matter if they are married or not, this behavior was disdainful. Not to mention, although Wei Muran was not officially on the case, she also spent a few days in the same office with them and shared her thoughts which resulted in a few breakthroughs for them.

    It had only been a few days but everyone has gotten to know each other. Although Qi Youxuan¡¯s personality was not too likable, Wei Muran was really congenial. Everyone liked to befriend her. She was willing to help with anything. She was not treated as an outsider from a different precinct, or that she poses any threat.

    As her friend, it made it even harder to ept Feng Songwei¡¯s behavior. They never took Feng Songwei for such a person.

    Was it not distasteful of Feng Songwei?

    Stealing a friend¡¯s boyfriend. What if it cost them their friendship with Wei Muran?

    Feng Songwei was embarrassing their entire team.

    Usually, Feng Songwei was just a little coy. It wasmon for them to do the heavy lifting. These macho-men also thought that it was not good for girls to perform these types of tasks. As men, they looked out for her. When working on cases, Feng Songwei was straightforward and did things neatly.

    Who would have thought that she was such a person?

    After all, they were only her colleagues hence they cannot really say much. However, perhaps they might be more wary of how they would treat Feng Songwei in the future.

    This girl¡¯s character was way off!

    Qi Youxuan looked at her coldly and wanted to ignore her. Just as he was about to decline, Wei Muran rushed over and stood next to Qi Youxuan. She then took out a pen and paper from her bag and jotted down an eight-digit number and handed it to Feng Songwei. ¡°This is my direct line. If you encounter any cases that you don¡¯t understand, just give me a call.¡±

    Feng Songwei was shocked.

    She smiled stiffly and epted the phone number. Wei Muran then said, ¡°If you need to look for my boyfriend, I can help to convey it.¡±

    Qi Youxuan, who originally had a cold expression, grinned and wrapped his long arms around Wei Muran¡¯s shoulders. He highly appreciated and praised her for being protective of her husband. His fingertips bounced atop her shoulders as if ying the piano.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s a custom in my family to not give out our phone numbers to random women,¡± Qi Youxuan snarked.

    Since Feng Songwei had no shame, he did not mind humiliating Feng Songwei.

    Sure enough, Feng Songwei froze, her face green and pale, obviously humiliated.

    Wanting to regain some dignity, she opened her mouth and stammered, ¡°I just want to learn so that it¡¯ll help me with cases in the future. Don¡¯t... Don¡¯t get me wrong.¡±

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran smiled but remained silent. They made it obvious that they did not fall for her words and shut her down.

    This behavior further cemented her attempt to seduce Qi Youxuan.

 Chapter 516 - 516 Father-In-Law Sir, I Have Not Eaten as Well

    <strong>516 Father-In-Law Sir, I Have Not Eaten as Well</strong>

    Wei Muran continued to ignore her and turned to Yang Shaoqun¡¯s group. ¡°Thank you for your hospitality these past few days and for allowing me to participate in the investigation.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. You guys have helped tremendously,¡± said Yang Shaoqun as he waved his hands. It was a situation convenient to both parties¡ªno point making it into something ufortable.

    Yang Shaoqun had not understood the xenophobia between some police precincts.

    ¡°If you have any questions regarding the case, you can contact Muran. We¡¯ll also pay attention to the case in City B. We¡¯ll definitely help if we can,¡± Qi Youxuan said.

    After hearing Qi Youxuan¡¯s words, Yang Shaoqun was really happy.

    The group apanied them right to the security checkpoint before leaving.

    ...

    Qi Youxuan sent Wei Muran home, but as soon as the car stopped, before he had a chance to kiss her, Wei Ziqi came out and rapped on his car window.

    Qi Youxuan regrettably got out of the car and was red at by Wei Ziqi. Wei Ziqi said with a stern face, ¡°You have a lot of nerve. You actually dared to take my daughter away for so many days!¡±

    ¡°Dad!¡± Wei Muran quickly pulled Wei Ziqi away coquettishly. ¡°We went to T City and ended up only staying one night. We didn¡¯t even get to go to the hot springs when we happened upon a murder. I was working on the case with T City¡¯s Criminal Investigation Division these past few days. I didn¡¯t even have a good vacation.¡±

    ¡°Murder? Did it involve you?¡± Wei Ziqi¡¯s attention had been firmly diverted. His daughter was given top priority, ¡°What happened? Were you bullied?¡±

    ¡°No. We just found a body. We were assisting the police as eyewitnesses,¡± Wei Muran exined before continuing, ¡°I saw that they were getting nowhere with the case, so I decided to understand more about the case with the T City folks.¡±

    ¡°You two... sigh!¡± Wei Ziqi realized that they were still outside. Although there was no one else around, it was not appropriate and said, ¡°We¡¯ll talk inside.¡±

    ¡°Ok.¡± Wei Muran was worried that Wei Ziqi would continue to harp on Qi Youxuan, so she willinglyplied.

    Qi Youxuan tried to take advantage to fish in troubled waters and followed them through the Wei house gate.

    Wei Ziqi was not so easily fooled and red at him, ¡°Did I say you coulde in?¡±

    Wei Muran did not dare to defend Qi Youxuan at the time. Wei Ziqi was still angry, the more she spoke-up for Qi Youxuan, the more Wei Ziqi would be against Qi Youxuan.

    With such a difficult father, Wei Muran asionally felt tired as well.

    Wei Muran secretly winked at Qi Youxuan and signaled for him to leave.

    Qi Youxuan no longer insisted and just said with a smile, ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving now, Dad. Bye. Mumu, have a good rest. I¡¯ll call youter tonight!¡±

    Wei Ziqi wanted to shout, ¡®I¡¯m not your Dad! Don¡¯t call her phone!¡¯

    He raised his foot to kick Qi Youxuan¡¯s backside. Qi Youxuan wanted to let his father-inw let off some steam. He purposely turned toward the direction of his feet and obediently took the kick. He then brushed the seat of his pants, got into his car, and drove off.

    Wei Ziqi expressed that he was still upset, snorted, and then took Wei Muran back home.

    ¡°That little brat. Did he... did he take advantage of you?¡± asked Wei Ziqi awkwardly upon returning home.

    Wei Muran froze for a moment, still wondering if making-out was considered being taken advantage of?

    Looking at Wei Ziqi¡¯s expression, she understood what he meant.

    She blushed and said, ¡°Dad, what are you thinking! We... We were staying at the resort vis. We had our own separate rooms. Nothing happened.¡±

    Wei Muran¡¯s voice softened as she spoke, she was quite embarrassed and lowered her head, ¡°Moreover, he has always respected me and has never initiated any demands to... to do that stuff.¡±

    Wei Ziqi¡¯s expression finally improved a little. He felt that Qi Youxuan at least had some redeemable qualities, but only a little.

    In his eyes, all men that caught his daughter¡¯s eye were scums.

    They both were future sons-inw but Wei Muche¡¯s treatment was far better. From an early age, Wei Muche obeyed Cheng Xicheng. From Cheng Dongge¡¯s perspective, this son of Wei Ziqi was meant to be part of his family.

    If Cheng Xicheng points to the east, Wei Muche will not go west. Cheng Dongge was not worried that his daughter would be bullied.

    Therefore, when Wei Muche sent Cheng Xicheng home, Cheng Dongge invited Wei Muche into the house and generously discussed his experiences regarding taking care of one¡¯s wife. Determined to brainwash Wei Muche.

    He thought Wei Ziqi was being stupid. His daughter would be married sooner orter, what good would it do to guard against Qi Youxuan as though guarding against a thief.

    It would be better to be like him, brainwashing Wei Muche from the beginning as well as every time they met. To the point that he was very reassured. He was simply preparing a good husband for his damsel. He was not afraid of a change of heart.

    In terms of the rtionship, he had already transformed Wei Muche into an honest man.

    While poor Wei Ziqi was so obsessed with protecting his daughter, he did not realize that his son was being turned by Cheng Dongge.

    Cheng Xicheng returned after changing into her morefortable home clothes and sat right next to Wei Muche. Wei Muche stood up immediately and said, ¡°Chengcheng, let me make you some fruit juice!¡±

    Er Cheng does not like to drink tea and does not like unvored drinks. Wei Muche thought that store-bought fruit juices had too many additives and it was not good to drink too much of those. Therefore, as long as he was around, he would make freshly squeezed juice for Cheng Xicheng.

    Under Cheng Dongge¡¯s tutge, Wei Muche was extremely familiar with the Cheng family¡¯s kitchen. He slid into the kitchen, took out the juicer from the cab along with a variety of fruits and proceeded to make Cheng Xicheng a fruit and vegetable juicebo.

    ...

    Wen Xu sent Qi Youning back to Prestige Residences. As soon as he found out that they would be returning, Qi Chenglin sat in the living room scrolling away on his iPad. However, Ruan Danchen, who sat beside him sipping tea, could clearly see that he was just scrolling on the home screen. asionally, he would tap andunch the browser by ident, but would just close it and continue scrolling.

    Ruan Danchen silently observed him doing that for two hours.

    As he scrolled, he would nce at the clock on the iPad from time to time, and while frowning, he said, ¡°Why hasn¡¯t Youning returned yet?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen reached out and rubbed his brows, reminding him silently not to frown.

    He calmed down a little after being massaged by her soft fingers¡ªhis brows rxed. The expression on his face also softened. He raised his hand and grabbed Ruan Danchen¡¯s hand, pulled it towards his lips, and kissed it a few times.

    They had been married for decades. Except for a few more wrinkles on his face, Qi Chenglin did not change much. He still looked good after so many years, as though only a day had passed.

    Ruan Danchen felt a little embarrassed to be kissed. She rested her head on his shoulders and gently poked his shoulder with her other hand. She did not lift her head but heard the low sound of Qi Chenglin¡¯sughter.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Youxuan is with her. He¡¯s not the kind of person to sit back while his sister is being taken advantage of. Besides, this is Wen Xu. I¡¯m quite relieved,¡± said Ruan Danchen smiling.

    Although Qi Chenglin regarded Wen Xu as an enemy who wanted to snatch his daughter away, Ruan Danchen treated Wen Xu as her prospective son-inw. She watched Wen Xu stay by Qi Youning¡¯s side all this time while watching her grow up. He could maintain it for so long, so Ruan Danchen did not have anyints. To have someone like this protecting her daughter, they could rest easy.

    What if Wen Xu had a change of heart in the future? If someone who had protected Qi Youning for more than ten years could have a change of heart, then she was afraid to think what other men would be like.

    Besides, she believed in Wen Xu.

    Ruan Danchen smiled and held onto Qi Chenglin¡¯s arm, ¡°Although she¡¯s my daughter, I have to admit that she was really fat as a child. Even then, Wen Xu still liked her and treated her so preciously. I thought then if Youning couldn¡¯t reduce her weight and continued to get fatter, it would be a blessing to have someone like Wen Xu. Think about it. At the time Youning was a little fatty, Wen Xu was still able to admire her. To find a son-inw like this is very rare!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Chenglin was speechless.

    Although he did not want to admit it, why did he feel that what his wife said made sense?

    Hence, when Wen Xu brought Qi Youning home and rang the doorbell, Qi Chenglin chucked the iPad aside, rushed over, opened the door, and pulled Qi Youning inside.

    Wen Xu stared at an expressionless Qi Chenglin and addressed him earnestly, ¡°Father-inw Sir, I¡¯ve brought Youning home safely.¡±

    Qi Chenglin had nothing to say.

    How could he quickly get rid of this brat?

    Qi Youning wisely embraced Qi Chenglin and said, ¡°Dad, I missed you so much!¡±

    Qi Chenglin¡¯s originally cold expression softened immediately. He smiled at Qi Youning and said, ¡°Are you hungry? Your Mom cooked and prepared some delicious food for you this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°Yes! The meals on the ne weren¡¯t nice, so I didn¡¯t eat.¡± Qi Youning thought of nothing else when she heard of food.

    ¡°Father-inw Sir, I have not eaten as well,¡± said Wen Xu calmly.

    ¡°Then, get home quickly for dinner!¡± said Qi Chenglin, who then shut the door.

    ¡°...¡± Wen Xu was speechless.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Danchen had nothing to say as well.

    Qi Chenglin had already ushered Qi Youning inside. Ruan Danchen quietly opened the door again and said, ¡°Ah Xue in and join us.¡±

    The corner of Wen Xu¡¯s mouth curled, although not a big change in his expression but his eyes were like that of a loyal puppy looking up. Ruan Danchen almost wanted to pet his head and say, ¡°Sit, good boy, shake hands.¡±

    Fortunately, Ruan Danchen held back the urge to do so and only invited him in for dinner.

    ...

    After returning to B City, Wei Muran kept in contact with Yang Shaoqun, but there seemed to be no progress made with the case.

    On the eighth of October, the holidays officially ended.

    In the morning, Wei Muran received a call from Yang Shaoqun.

    ¡°Muran, we received a report early this morning. They found another female body. The cause of death is asphyxiation. She was found dead in the bathtub which was filled with water at home. What¡¯s different this time is that the body had multiple needle-like puncture holes. ording to the forensic pathologist, the thickness of the holes is simr to that of barbeque skewers. Could you please inform Mr. Qi and have him make a trip to T City. This is not a simple matter.¡±

    Something shed across Wei Muran¡¯s mind, it was something rted to the case but she could not quite grasp it at the moment. On the phone, Yang Shaoqun kept pleading for her help, causing Wei Muran to not be able to think clearly.

    ¡°I¡¯ll talk to him.¡± It was the only thing Wei Muran could say.

    Yang Shaoqun happily thanked Wei Muran. After Wei Muran hung up, she gave Qi Youxuan a call.

    As there were no cases recently, Qi Youxuan did note over.

    Wei Muran did not insist that he must go but let him decide the matter for himself. She knows that Qi Youxuan has his own work to attend to. It was a little overboard to have him constantlye to the police station at her request. After all, this was not his job.

    Qi Youxuan said he will finish up what he was working on and if they still had no solution by then, he woulde over.

    Wei Muran hung up the phone, then frowned and thought about what came to her mind when she was talking to Yang Shaoqun a moment ago.

    ¡°Muran, what are you thinking about?¡± Tech geek Yang Shaozhan finally took his eyes off hisputer screen for a moment. He saw Wei Muran immersed in her thoughts, unsure of what she was thinking about. She had been thinking for some time¡ªher brows scrunched tighter and tighter. There was no movement in her posture from the beginning.

    Yang Shaozhan could not stand it and finally got up and walked to Wei Muran and asked her.

    Xing Jiadong did not see Wei Muran¡¯s face but only overheard Yang Shaozhan¡¯s question and said loudly, ¡°What else could she be thinking of. Must be the boyfriend!¡± Having worked with Qi Youxuan on solving the two cases, Xing Jiadong no longer resented Qi Youxuan as he did in the beginning. He secretly quite admired him.

    Wei Muran suddenly stood up startling Yang Shaozhan.

    Wei Muran apologized and quickly rushed to Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s office.

    ¡°Ah, did she want to meet him that badly?¡± asked Xing Jiadong sluggishly.

    Yang Shaozhan could not be bothered with these two. He waved his hand and went back to hisputer.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, I have something to attend to. I¡¯ll be right back,¡± said Wei Muran.

    Jiang Yuecheng stared nkly, ¡°What¡¯s the rush?¡±

    There was not much to do recently, so if someone leaves to attend to errands, he did not mind.

    However, observing Wei Muran¡¯s actions, he just asked nonchntly.

    ¡°Hard to say at this point. I¡¯ll tell you when I¡¯m certain. It¡¯s only such a hunch.¡± Wei Muran frowned with a solemn expression.

    Jiang Yuecheng saw this and presumed that it had to do with work and that Wei Muran was not attending to a private matter, so he nodded. ¡°Alright, you may go.¡±

    Wei Muran did not return home. Her house was too far a distance, by the time she got back, her colleagues would have gotten off work.

    There was a bookstore not far from the precinct about a quarter of an hour away. Wei Muran sprinted and got there in less than ten minutes.

    She went straight to the best-sellers area and browsed quickly. She instantly found the book she was looking for, ¡®Killer of the Heart¡¯. It was a book she used to read every night before going to bed.

    As she was previously busy with cases and often stayedte working overtime, she was mentally tired and went to bed immediately. Thenter, she was busy dating Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan was even busier. Apart from dating and his own job, he still had to fight a battle of wits with Wei Ziqi. Avoiding Wei Ziqi¡¯s eyes and ears and climbing into her bedroom.

    He would not listen, no matter how many times she told him not to do it anymore.

    Although they did not do anything particrly overboard in her bedroom, being hugged and kissed like that made her blush and sent her heart racing.

    Whenever he left, she still could not calm down enough to read.

    Until now, she had only read half of the third case in the book and stopped there. She did not even know the ending.

    Wei Muran quickly flipped to thest case and read the ending. She made a general summary, paid for the book and rushed back to the precinct.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, I have a hunch. It might sound crazy, but I think it¡¯s too simr to just be a coincidence.¡± Wei Muran took the copy of ¡°Killer of the Heart¡± back to the precinct and directly went to Jiang Yuecheng.

    Jiang Yuecheng was working on a report. When he heard someone speaking, he saved his document and put away the work at hand. He then had Wei Muran take a seat, ¡°What seems to be the matter?¡±

    ¡°I bought this book at the store just now. I have one at home as well,¡± said Wei Muran as she handed the book to Jiang Yuecheng.

    The new book was still wrapped in stic. Jiang Yuecheng looked at her, confused. Wei Muran said, ¡°Open it. It¡¯s a mystery suspense novel. Each case is connected and makes up the whole story. Almost all the cases are serial killings. Sergeant Jiang, can you quickly read the first three cases? I might not be able to exin it clearly. It¡¯s better if you have a look yourself.¡±

    ¡°Is this rted to our case?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng keenly.

    Wei Muran nodded, ¡°It wasn¡¯t clear to me during the first two cases, but since the case in T City, I immediately associated it with this book. The two cases our team solved recently, plus the ongoing case in T City, are all very simr to this book. They¡¯re not exactly the same, but the way the victims died is the same.¡±

    ¡°In the first case, Dong Zhengfeng kidnapped the three victims and had them kill each other like in a food chain. One killed the other, then was in turn killed by another. I remembered from Dong Zhengfeng¡¯s statement that he was seeing a psychiatrist, but thenmitted suicide in the psychiatric hospital. This is the same as the first case in the book, the modus operandi and the fate of the killer. The killer was also treated by a psychiatrist but had yet to be cured.¡±

    ¡°For the second case, Li Niancheng avenged his daughter who was raped andmitted suicide, killed two people, and then attempted to kill a third. The first victim was strangled, hung outside the dormitory, and then spotted by students. The second victim had a wound on his abdomen but was still alive. He was hung in the living room and died of asphyxiation and excessive blood loss. The body was discovered because the killer turned on the faucet in the bathtub. The water leaked downstairs and was reported by the neighbors. These two deaths are exactly the same as in the book. ording to Li Niancheng¡¯s statement, he was also seeing a psychiatrist.¡±

    ¡°For the third case, it¡¯s still under investigation in T City. During the National Day holidays, I was on vacation with my friends in T City. I was one of the first people to discover the first victim. The first victim also died of asphyxiation and then submerged in the resort¡¯s hot spring pool. The second victim was discovered this morning with the same cause of death and was found in her water-filled bathtub at home. However,pared to the first victim, the body had multiple needle-like puncture holes. ording to the T City¡¯s Criminal Investigation Division¡¯s Sergeant Yang Shaoqun, the puncture holes are roughly the thickness of barbeque skewers. It¡¯s not known whether the victim was punctured after death, or was tortured and pierced prior to death. However, if it really does follow what the book describes¡ª¡±

    Wei Muran found it difficult to vocalize, ¡°Then it would be prior to death.¡±

    ¡°I quickly read the ending when I was at the bookstore. As we can¡¯t exactly follow what happens in the book. Moreover, the motives of the first two cases were different¡ªonly the modus operandi was the same and that the killers had seen a psychiatrist. Therefore, for this third case, we can¡¯t entirely rely on the book¡¯s plot to find the killer,¡± said Wei Muran, frowning.

    ¡°However, at the conclusion of the third case, the killer also mentioned that he was seeing a psychiatrist.¡± Wei Muran continued, ¡°I briefly took a look at the ending of the book. In the end, these series of cases were all orchestrated by a psychologist. He used his position to influence his patients tomit all these murders.¡±

 Chapter 517 - Interlude A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 3

    <h4>Chapter 517 Interlude A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 3</h4>

    Ruan Zeer took notice of the time. The two little ones had finished eating their meat and he reminded them to return to the banquet hall, otherwise, the adults would be worried if they could not find them.

    Qi Youxuan held up a pair of greasy hands and looked up at Chang Jingwan. ¡°Auntie, what do I do about my hands?¡±

    ¡°Give me a minute!¡± Chang Jingwan took out a pack of paper towels, a pack of wet wipes, and a small bottle of hand sanitizer from her bag.

    While taking thest bite out of her chicken drumstick, Qi Youning said with her eyes shining, ¡°Auntie, you¡¯re just like Doraemon!¡±

    Chang Jingwan, ¡°...¡±

    ¡®Can I not bepared to that blue fatty?¡¯

    ¡®That body figure just causes me anxiety!¡¯ she thought.

    ¡°You can make so many things appear at once. Your bag has everything!¡± said an impressed Qi Youning.

    Chang Jingwan smiled and said, ¡°These are just the essentials. Don¡¯t exaggerate.¡±

    Firstly, Chang Jingwan wiped the grease off Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands with a paper towel and then wiped them again with wet wipes. After that, she squirted some hand sanitizer on his palms to get rid of the remaining grease and wiped them again with paper towels. Qi Youxuan¡¯s hands were now clean and fragrant.

    Little Youning¡¯s hands were not dirty from the start¡ªthey were still fair, tender, and clean. However, Wen Xu, while feeding Little Youning, had grease all over his hands.

    Although Wen Xu was usually cold, as her niece¡¯s boyfriend, Chang Jingwan also treated Wen Xu as one of her own nephews and nieces. She did not take notice that Wen Xu was already in junior high and was almost an adult.

    Therefore, she subconsciously wanted to grab Wen Xu¡¯s hands and wipe down Wen Xu¡¯s hands just like she did for Qi Youxuan.

    Before her fingers could touch Wen Xu¡¯s hands, she was blocked by Ruan Zeer. Ruan Zeer quickly shoved the paper towels, wet wipes, and hand sanitizer into Wen Xu¡¯s hands. Chang Jingwan did not even notice when Ruan Zeer took them.

    ¡°Hurry and clean up,¡± said Ruan Zeer.

    Wen Xu obediently wiped his hands, picked up Qi Youning, and walked ahead with Qi Youxuan following closely behind.

    Chang Jingwan took up the rear. She was a little startled. When Ruan Zeer blocked her a moment ago, he identally brushed across her fingertips. They only touched identally, but Chang Jingwan felt as if there was a small electrical current tingling across her fingertips as they touched.

    She lowered her head to look at her fingers where he touched her. They were not tingling anymore but there remained a faint warmth.

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s ears suddenly turned red, and a numbness started to spread from her scalp to her ears and down to her neck.

    ¡°Why are you spacing out? Let¡¯s go,¡± a clear voice suddenly said from above her head.

    Chang Jingwan lifted her head in surprise and looked right into Ruan Zeer¡¯s smiling face.

    Not sure if she was being amorous, or because the strange emotions that she was feeling caused her to think too much, but she felt that Ruan Zeer was standing a little too close. She looked up and saw his face was within easy reach, looking gentle andfortable like his voice.

    As for Chang Jingwan, her mouth hung open nervously and her breathing was frantic. Her face flushed red and she unconsciously took a half-step backward. Due to her nervousness, she was a little unstable.

    Ruan Zeer gently held her elbow for just for a moment¡ªbarely a second¡ªand then let go. Chang Jingwan felt that her elbow was warm.

    She could not even speak for she feared that she would stutter and only uttered a soft ¡°hmm¡±.

    Ruan Zeer walked ahead, opened the door, and waited for her. Chang Jingwan reached out to hold the door but was careful to ce her hand slightly further away from his. Somehow, when Ruan Zeer let go, he brushed her hand again.

    She was not paying attention just now, but once she did, Chang Jingwan became more and more sensitive. A mere touch caused her to shiver.

    Ruan Zeer looked down, the corner of his mouth curled slightly. He then pretended to not know anything and walked forward.

    Chang Jingwan followed behind with her head lowered and her face flushed.

    Her heart was anxious. Even without looking into a mirror, she knew that her face blushed crimson as she could feel it burning. She was afraid that Ruan Zeer turned and saw her like this¡ªshe would rather die.

    She and Ruan Zeer were both at University A. She was a senior in year four and was preparing for her postgraduate examinations. Ruan Zeer had already graduated. While studying for his Master¡¯s degree and Doctorate, he joined Ruan Keshan¡¯s Mathematics Research Group and doubled as a teaching assistant at A University.

    Rumor had it that he was preparing to take over Ruan Keshan¡¯s sses at the University once he obtained the title of Professor. Soon, he would also enter the Chinese Academy of Sciences and join Grandfather Ruan and Ruan Keshan.

    She, however, knew that Ruan Zeer did not intend to focus on research as he had told her in private. While serving as a teaching assistant at the university, he also set up apany with Li Yiming in private to develop online games.

    Li Yiming returned home after graduating from university. Much like Ruan Zeer, his family was rather well off. So, it was not difficult to fork out the money to set-up apany for both of them.

    After Ruan Danchen found out about Ruan Zeer¡¯s idea, Ruan Danchen did not doubt her brother¡¯s ability and gave him a check to support his entrepreneurship. It was partly due to Ruan Danchen¡¯s support that Ruan Zeer and Li Yiming averted many difficulties at the start of their entrepreneurship journey.

    Li Yiming studiedputer programming and Ruan Zeer was responsible for the huge calction processes in the game.

    Both of them were tactful. Although they had big ambitions, they never took on anything beyond their ability. During the setting up of theirpany, they did not choose to develop games that required arge amount of manpower, materials, or financial resources, but instead chose to develop mobile games that were now flourishing.

    In the beginning, they had to work very hard and were very busy. They slept at the office and ate instant ramen for every meal. They slowly got on track andunched their first mobile game on the App Store, which garnered a good response. The game was free to download but had in-app purchases for additional equipment. You could y it however you liked but of course, you needed to purchase the additional equipment to get a better experience of the game.

    Because the graphics, game settings, as well as the gamey were good, it was very popr and attracted some advertisers and investors.

    The two of them also gradually relieved themselves from their busy schedules, recruited a few employees, and began to get thepany on track.

    They nned to develop a few more mobile games. After that, they would try their hand in developing online games. This would test their skills even more, and made them even more eager to try it.

    She was thest to enter the elevator. She kept her head lowered to prevent Ruan Zeer from seeing her blushed face.

    However, she did not realize that even her neck was red. With her head lowered, her fair and exposed neck was especially red.

    Ruan Zeer chuckled silently. He waited for Chang Jingwan to enter, then released the ¡®door open¡¯ button and pressed the ¡®door close¡¯ button.

    The five of them reentered the banquet hall. The two little ones were full and all the guests had almost arrived. Everyone took their seats. As well educated children, it was natural that they did not run about during the banquet.

    Wen Xu went back to the Wen family table. Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning obediently returned to the Qi family table.

    As soon as Qi Youxuan sat down, he heard Qi Youjin sighing beside him. He looked a little further aside, Qi Chengzi¡¯s mouth twitched and Song Yu had her hand brought to her forehead.

    ¡°Little brother, what happened to you?¡±

    Qi Youjin looked at him sadly, and then looked at Qi Youning. ¡°You guys, didn¡¯t you know that I broke up? You keep parading in couples in front of me. Where¡¯s the love?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was speechless.

    This fe was only a year older than Youning. What was there to break up?

    ¡°I¡¯ll introduce you to someone new!¡± Qi Youxuan consoled.

    Qi Youjing looked at Qi Youxuan resentfully.

    ¡°Elder brother, I¡¯m not a casual person. I can¡¯t just change the object of my affections just like that. This is sphemous of my love!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was dumbstruck.

    ¡°Moreover, I have to wait for my girlfriend. Before she returns, I must be celibate like jade!¡± said Qi Youjin clenching his fist.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan continued listening.

    ¡°Then what were you sad about!¡± said Qi Youxuan angrily.

    ¡°There¡¯s no one to apany me, no love. You guys went to go y and left me here alone,¡± said Qi Youjin resentfully. ¡°Brother, Ningning, Er Cheng, do you guys think that I¡¯m in the way?¡±

    ¡°...¡± All three of them, Qi Youxuan, Qi Youning, and Cheng Xicheng were at a loss of words.

    It was obvious that Qi Youjin did not feel hurt but was just faking it to throw a tantrum. However, as good brothers and sisters, the three of them could not bear it.

    ¡°No, no!¡± Qi Youning said immediately. ¡°Elder brother, we¡¯re always with you!¡±

    Cheng Xicheng nodded vigorously and said, ¡°Elder brother, you don¡¯t have to be in love. Just getting to know more female friends will be good for you!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Song Yu was speechless listening to all that.

    If by chance Qi Youjin grew up to be a womanizer, then it would be traced back to this point and Cheng Xicheng¡¯s reasoning.

    To avoid this, Song Yu decided to have a good talk with her son when she got home.

    What made Song Yu give a huge sigh of relief was that Qi Youjin did not pay attention to what was said. He was distracted long ago.

    He leaned towards Qi Youxuan, stuck out his nose and sniffed. ¡°Elder brother, you ate meat!¡±

    Busted!

    Qi Youxuan quickly covered his mouth, but it was toote, Qi Chenglin already heard it.

    ¡°Meat?¡± Qi Chenglin raised his eyebrows.

    Chang Jingwan, who was sitting at the table next to them, retracted her neck and looked away into the distance, pretending not to hear anything.

    Qi Chenglin knew that Chang Jingwan and Ruan Zeer had been sneaking food to the siblings. The corners of his mouth twitched slightly, and he said, ¡°You and Youning will have your weight taken when you return home.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan and Qi Youning had nothing to say.

    ¡°Both of you, when I have no meat to eat and be skinny, I¡¯ll have no energy and won¡¯t have the strength to y with you. You can continue being heartbroken, sad, and lonely!¡± sulked Qi Youning. These two elder brothers of hers were really peas in a pod.

    Qi Youxuan also leaned weakly onto Qi Youning¡¯s body. ¡°I¡¯m hungry, and I don¡¯t have any meat to eat. I¡¯m flustered and short of breath. I¡¯m not in the mood to y!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youjin covered his mouth and blinked his eyes. He realized that he had implicated his brother and sister. He then tried to make up for it. ¡°I¡¯ll bring meat to school for you guys!¡±

    ¡°Youjin, you have to whisper softer than that,¡± said Qi Chenglin trying not to smile.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youjin stayed quiet.

    Qi Chengzi was vexed. He was such a wise person, but his son was so innocent and cute.

    He could not help but nce at Song Yu.

    ¡°What kind of look is that?¡± said Song Yu annoyed.

    Qi Chengziughed lightly and stroked her hair.

    ¡°I have quite a high IQ!¡± Song Yu proimed.

    ¡°Hehe. Right you are.¡± Qi Chengzi patted her head.

    That made Song Yu speechless.

    They cannot even have a decent conversation!

    ......

    Jixia Academy¡¯s sports day was segregated between the elementary, junior high, and high school sessions respectively.

    Due to the different events and intensity of the sports, it was unreasonable for elementary school students topete with high school students in the one thousand five hundred meter race. They also cannot withstand an entire day of sporting events.

    Little Youning¡¯s sports day was only for half a day. The school was closed for the second half of the day as the children were tired from the morning¡¯s activities. The children were allowed to go home.

    Qi Youxuan and Wen Xu¡¯s junior high sports day was to be held on the second day. When Little Youning was resting at home, they were still in ss.

 Chapter 518 - Wei Muran Is so Reliable

    <h4>Chapter 518 Wei Muran Is so Reliable</h4>

    ¡°I was thinking...¡± Wei Muran was so anxious that her lips were dry.

    She pursed her lips to wet them. ¡°If we were to follow the book, the killer in the third case would¡¯ve also seen a psychiatrist. These three killers would¡¯ve been influenced by this psychiatrist and are being controlled by this psychiatrist tomit these murders. I¡¯m not sure if the psychiatrist was inspired after reading this book or¡ª¡±

    ¡°That he was the author of this book all along,¡± a familiar voice said from the direction of the door.

    Wei Muran turned to look. Qi Youxuan was standing at the entrance of Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s office. It was a hot day but he was d in a suit and leather shoes. He obviously came straight from Qilin.

    Previously, when Qi Youxuan was assisting the police, he naturally was dressed forfort. Wei Muran rarely saw him dressed like this.

    Wei Muran was a little shocked to see him standing there like that.

    The sunlight shone through Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s office window, illuminating the walls, the ground, the desk, and the doorway.

    The golden rays fell on Qi Youxuan¡¯s body at an angle. Half of his long body stood in the light, the other half, hidden in the shadows. Half bright and half dark.

    The side of his body that was exposed to the sunlight was outlined by ayer of golden light, which resulted in a sort of halo effect around his face causing the shadowy part of his body to seem even more mysterious.

    Seeing Qi Youxuan¡¯s cheeky smile, Wei Muran suddenly snapped back to her senses, only then did she realize that she was staring at him.

    She cleared her throat and stood up, still a little flustered, and asked, ¡°Why are you here? I thought you were busy?¡±

    ¡°After I received your call, I took care of the immediate matters at hand and came over,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    Wei Muran naturally did not conceal her discovery from Qi Youxuan. On her way back from purchasing the book, she gave him a call and briefly exined the situation.

    She also asked for his opinion on the matter as she did not know if her hunch was right and it seemed too unbelievable.

    She did not think that Qi Youxuan would actually agree with her hunch. This gave Wei Muran the confidence to bring the theory to Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°You know about this book?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Qi Youxuan sat down familiarly and nodded, ¡°I, too, have purchased a copy of the book and browsed through it on my way here.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded and said, ¡°I¡¯ll have to read this.¡±

    His reaction acknowledged that he epted Wei Muran¡¯s hunch.

    The two of them left Jiang Yuecheng in his office to quickly read the first three cases and the conclusion of the fourth case. He did not read the overall process of the cases, he only read the description of the cases in detail, including the way the victims died, the autopsy report and the statements of the murderers.

    After approximately an hour, Jiang Yuecheng finally emerged. ¡°Gather up everybody. I have something to say.¡±

    Everyone huddled together in a semi-circle for a meeting.

    ¡°Muran, you¡¯ve read this book in detail. Could you please repeat your previous assessment?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Wei Muran nodded and repeated what she told Jiang Yuecheng earlier.

    ¡°Which means this is basically a serial case and it¡¯s entirely based on this book,¡± Zhao Yiyang eximed in surprise before continuing, ¡°I would really like to meet the author. What a brilliant mind.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m more curious about the psychiatrist. If he really does exist and turns out to be the murderer.

    To be able to turn a fiction novel into reality, and we were totally clueless about it. That¡¯s amazing,¡± sighed Yang Shaozhan. He thought it was too imusible.

    ¡°This... is just crazy,¡± said Xing Jiadong unconsciously and blinked.

    ¡°Have a look.¡± Jiang Yuecheng handed the book to Xing Jiadong. ¡°After reading the book, it¡¯s hard not to believe it. It¡¯s too much of a coincidence. Even if it was a coincidence, it can¡¯t be this simr.¡±

    Xing Jiadong obediently flipped open the book and read it. His frequent changes in expression when reading it was quite amusing.

    ¡°Muran, are they still working on the case in T City?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Wei Muran nodded. ¡°They found another body this morning. I¡¯ve yet to ask for details on the second body.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll request permission from the Director General to see if we canbine the third case with the previous two cases. We¡¯ll go to T City to assist with the case,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng as he got up to leave.

    Wei Muran suddenly thought of something and hurriedly called out to him, ¡°Sergeant Jiang, hang on a second.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng turned back and Wei Muran quickly said, ¡°The murderer in the first case, Dong Zhengfeng. Didn¡¯t hemit suicide in the psychiatric hospital?¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded and Wei Muran¡¯s expression became solemn. ¡°The murderer of the first case in the book alsomitted suicide in a psychiatric hospital. The murderer in the second case died in prison. I remember from the book, it was determined that the second murderer was killed in an ident when arguing with another inmate. The police suspected foul y, but they could only specte as there was no proof. Only after the psychologist was finally arrested, that they could prove that it wasn¡¯t an ident. He had him killed to eliminate any evidence the second murderer had against him.¡±

    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then Li Niancheng¡¯s life is in danger,¡± responded Zhao Yiyang quickly.

    Wei Muran nodded.

    ¡°Yiyang, take Jiadong with you to find Li Niancheng and ensure that he¡¯s safe. Ask him who was his psychiatrist. I¡¯ll request permission from the Director General,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng hurriedly and left without dy.

    If approved, they would have a legitimate reason to make contact with T City and officially be involved in the case.

    Wei Muran and Yang Shaozhan remained in the office. Yang Shaozhan did not remain idle. He did not need to be ordered by Jiang Yuecheng and had started checking up on all registered psychiatrists in B City. It was too broad to check nationwide, but from the previous two cases, Dong Zhengfeng and Li Niancheng were born and raised in B City. They had not lived elsewhere for long periods of time, nor did they regrly visit other ces. The psychiatrist should be based in B City.

    Moreover, it is unlikely that those two would go to an unlicensed psychiatrist.

    Wei Muran had nothing to do and was restless. It would be better to assign her some work to distract her.

    Qi Youxuan saw this and said, ¡°I¡¯ll give Yang Shaoqun a call. He wanted me to help. If I asked him, he would tell me the details.¡±

    Wei Muran perked up as soon as she heard that and looked at him with twinkling eyes.

    Qi Youxuanughed and massaged her hair. Wei Muran blushed but did not get angry. She coyly took out her cellphone, pulled up Yang Shaoqun¡¯s number, and dialed.

    It seemed quite busy over there, the phone rang for quite a while before Yang Shaoqun answered. Qi Youxuan heard him called out familiarly, ¡°Muran ah!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s me, Qi Youxuan,¡± said Qi Youxuan inly.

    Yang Shaoqun was extremely excited!

    ¡®Wei Muran is so reliable. I just called her this morning and am already received Qi Youxuan¡¯s reply in the afternoon¡¯ he thought.

    ¡°Mr. Qi!¡± said Yang Shaoqun excitedly. It was like finally meeting the anonymous person that saved your life. This caused Qi Youxuan to feel a little sweaty.

    ¡°Muran told me you¡¯ve found another female body, could you tell me the details?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    Even though Qi Youxuan could not see it, Yang Shaoqun still nodded his head vigorously at the other end of the phone, anxiously wanting to spill out everything he knew.

    ¡°Yes, yes, of course,¡± said Yang Shaoqun. Everyone was out investigating then, and it had been a very busy day. When Yang Shaoqun answered the phone, he was questioning the victim¡¯s mother. Only Zhang Shanfei was left to question her.

    ¡°The victim¡¯s name is Cao Keya, a nurse at Cihui Hospital¡¯s internal medicine department in T City. The cause of death was asphyxiation. Her body was found this morning in her bathtub at home. ording to the forensic pathologist, her mouth had traces that it was covered with tape. There were many fresh needle puncture holes on her body, about the thickness of knitting needles or barbeque skewers. Based on the blood patterns, the forensic pathologist determined that the wounds were inflicted prior to her death and that the victim was conscious at the time. Then, the tape was wrapped around her nose and mouth, and her body submerged in the bathtub. She didn¡¯t drown but was suffocated by the tape.

    ¡°The victim was naked when she was discovered submerged in the bathtub. The bathtub was filled to the brim with water, but there was only a thin stream of water from the faucet. ording to the forensic pathologist, the time of death was approximately twelve-thirty midnight to one-thirty. The water was left flowing overnight. As the flow of water was slow, it didn¡¯t fill the bathtub quickly. In the morning, the downstairs neighbor realized that it was leaking and came up and rang the doorbell but there was no response. They then called maintenance and the police.¡±

    ¡°Apart from the puncture holes, there were no signs that the victim was vited. There were also no traces of the killer¡¯s DNA. We just received the autopsy report and we¡¯re now investigating the victim¡¯s rtionships, but we have no lead so far. We¡¯re at the victim¡¯s mother¡¯s house right now,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

 Chapter 519 - Is This an Essential Reading Material in Criminology?

    <h4>Chapter 519 Is This an Essential Reading Material in Criminology?</h4>

    ¡°Hmm, this is weird. Looking at the condition of Cao Keya¡¯s parents¡¯ house, although it has three bedrooms and is located in a satisfactory location, it¡¯s actually a rtively old building. It¡¯s one of the houses divided from units about twenty years ago when the area was not well-developed and had low housing prices. ording to my investigation, Cao Keya¡¯s parents owned no other property besides this one.

    ¡°ording to Cao Keya¡¯s parents, there have been rumors spreading around their neighborhood that the houses there are going to be demolished. Thus, the Cao family is waiting forpensation from the government. With that money, they can buy at least two new houses in other areas. Looking at the situation, the Cao family is not all that well off. Her father is a construction worker and her mother has retired with a low pension of two thousand and five hundred RMB a month. Money is quite tight for their family. Despite that, Cao Keya could live in a house with three bedrooms and two living halls. Moreover, the area she lived in is considered mid-to-high range.¡±

    From the moment the body was found in the bathtub, Qi Youxuan knew that Cao Keya lived in quite a luxurious house.

    ¡°You can look into her personal life. She could be just like our first victim, Xiong Shishi, who came from a middle-ss family but found a rich lover to improve her life.¡±

    Yang Shaoqun, along with Wei Muran and Yang Shaozhan who were in the same office, heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s words over the phone and their lips all twitched at the same time.

    To improve her life...

    What an implicit yet urate way to put it.

    ¡°Based on the MO, we can conclude that this is the work of the same murderer. The only thing is he¡¯s upping his game,¡± Qi Youxuan deduced.

    Yang Shaoqun let out a sigh of relief over the phone. ¡°The truth is, I had hoped for it to be the same murderer. Although serial killers are absolutely detestable, at least they only have one motive, and we won¡¯t have to run down two separate roads. Hearing you say that brings such relief to me.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm.¡± Qi Youxuan agreed with him on this. ¡°When two murder cases happen within such short intervals, there¡¯s very low chances of it being unrted. Although his methods had improved this time around, the style is still the same¡ªit has to be the same guy. Just like an old building, at first, the walls look tattered and torn, but after putting on a fresh coat of paint and painting on a beautiful mural, it appears much more elegant than before. Nevertheless, only it¡¯s outer appearance changed. In reality, they¡¯re still the same tattered and worn cement walls.¡±

    ¡°Then how did you know to check Cao Keya¡¯s personal life first?¡± Yang Shaoqun inquired.

    Yang Shaoqun put a hundred percent trust in Qi Youxuan¡¯s predictions¡ªhe would follow them blindly anywhere. He merely asked this question to learn more from Qi Youxuan, which would benefit in future cases.

    ¡°Does Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya know each other? Are there any rtions between the two victims?¡± Qi Youxuan asked instead of answering.

    ¡°No,¡± Yang Shaoqun replied.

    ¡°The two of them had no rtions, yet they were murdered by the same person. Or they could simply be killed for the same reason. The three of them may not know each other, but the two women may coincidentally fit the murderer¡¯s ¡®victim profile¡¯. Serial killers will always kill based on a certain criteria. His victims all fit this profile. Some kill simply based on the color of garments they were wearing or the style of clothes; some may kill based on the people their victims associate with or based on certain habits of their victims,¡± Qi Youxuan expounded.

    ¡°Cao Keya came from a middle-ss family. She was a nurse, so her sry was not that high either. Even if she rented instead of buying this house, there was no way she could afford it. That¡¯s why I want you to look into her personal life¡ªwhether she had a shady rtionship with a man just like Xiong Shishi. Look into the owner of this house, or find out who¡¯s renting it for her,¡± Qi Youxuan instructed.

    Yang Shaoqun showered Qi Youxuan withpliments over the phone. His admiration for him ran deep.

    Naturally, Qi Youxuan would not reveal that the main reason he could make all those deductions because of the novel ¡®Killer of the Heart¡¯. The third case in the book was also a serial murder. Although the murderer had a different motive than the one in the novel, both murderers had specific criteria when it came to choosing their victims.

    Based on that simple concept, it was possible to deduct that what tied Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya¡¯s cases together was the fact that both victims had a secret lover.

    However, Qi Youxuan was afraid that Yang Shaoqun would not believe in theories derived from a crime novel.

    ¡°Have you heard of the novel ¡®Killer of the Heart¡¯?¡± Qi Youxuan finally asked.

    Yang Shaoqun was perplexed. He felt that he could not keep up with Qi Youxuan¡¯s racing thoughts.

    Was this what was known as the IQ gap?

    ¡°No, I haven¡¯t. Why?¡± the confused Yang Shaoqun inquired.

    ¡°The book can help you in your investigations. You should check it out,¡± Qi Youxuan advised.

    If nothing out of the ordinary urred, these three cases would be closely simr to the ones in the book. It would definitely benefit Yang Shaoqun if he read the novel during the investigation.

    Only after he finished the book would Qi Youxuan reveal to him how the cases in the book were connected to the cases they have. That way, Yang Shaoqun might be able to ept his deduction methods better.

    Despite only spending a short time with him, Qi Youxuan believed that Sergeant Yang seemed to be quite open to new concepts.

    Yang Shaoqun¡¯s first reaction was to ask, ¡°Is this an essential reading material in criminology?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan started to wonder if Yang Shaoqun was promoted to sergeant solely due to his wild imagination. ¡°Just read it, then you¡¯ll know.¡±

    ¡°Umm...¡± Yang Shaoqun hesitated. ¡°Mr. Qi, can youe over to aid us?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll be there as soon as possible,¡± Qi Youxuan replied. He decided to check if Jiang Yuecheng could apply to go down to T City with him for this case; otherwise, he would have to go alone.

    Nheless, he had started to develop an interest in this case.

    In the beginning, he took up criminal psychology for the sake of Wei Muran. However, as he dived deeper into the field, he fell in love with it. Despite specializing in acting cute to get what he wanted when he was a child, Qi Youxuan was actually incredibly intelligent. After all, he had the Qi family¡¯s exceptional genes.

    He learned things at lightning speed, making everything boring for him.

    When he worked in Qilin, he weed challenges with open arms. He enjoyed solving problems that stimted his mind,ing up with new technologies and improving their products year after year.

    Moreover, he adored solving these mind-bending cases¡ªit was like solving riddles. It was something that he would never find tedious. When working on the case, he was fuelled with energy and when it was finally solved, not only would he feel relieved, he would also feel a strong sense of aplishment and satisfaction.

    Hence, the more he learned about the case, the more entranced he became. Qi Youxuan was more than willing to take on the challenge. He craved the mental stimtion.

    Yang Shaoqun was in disbelief. Qi Youxuan actually said yes? Exhrated, Yang Shaoqun stuttered, ¡°R-r-r-r-really? M-m-mister... Mr. Qi...¡±

    ¡°Calm down,¡± Qi Youxuan quickly reminded. He had to repeat this several times before Yang Shaoqun could collect himself.

    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll stop talking now. I... I¡¯ll dig out all her rtions, gather information, and record testimonies right now. When you, Great Master, arrive, I¡¯ll hand you all that I¡¯vepiled and we can crack this case in no time!¡± Having said that, Yang Shaoqun hung up.

    Qi Youxuan stared at his phone in silence. Yang Shaoqun was quite creative too; how did he start from calling him Mr. Qi to ¡®Great Master¡¯?

    ...

    Meanwhile, Jiang Yuecheng was in the chief of department¡¯s office requesting permission to head down to T City to help with the case. The chief sighed loudly. Evidently, he was troubled by his request and did not seem willing to grant him permission.

    ¡°Yuecheng, how should I put this? You see, this is not something I can decide on alone. I need to discuss with the folks down in T City and only when they agree, will you be able to go. But what reasoning should I give them? Tell them about this novel you read? Who would believe in something so far-fetched?¡± the chief exined, shaking his head.

    ¡°Not only are you determining the nature of a crime ording to a novel, you want jurisdiction over another department¡¯s case? Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s too inappropriate? Do you think this is a joke?¡±

    ¡°Chief, I¡¯ve exined everything in detail just now. The facts are all here,¡± Jiang Yuecheng countered patiently. ¡°The first time may be by chance, the second, a coincidence, but what about the third? Besides the motive, everything else about these cases is simr¡ªthe MO, the oue et cetera. Or perhaps you think that three killers read the same book, held a meeting and decided to kill three people in the exact same sequence as in the book? You¡¯ll mimic the first case, I, the second, and him the third?¡± he rationalized.

    The chief¡¯s expression darkened. Jiang Yuecheng was practically mocking him.

    ¡°The third case hasn¡¯t been confirmed, right?¡± the chief reminded.

    ¡°It¡¯ll be toote by the time they confirm it. If the third case is exactly the same as the scene from the book, will you finally believe me? Even so, by then, it would be toote. How will we find the man behind all these murders? By then, we would be two steps behind. Or do you wish to wait until the fourth case emerges? This is our chance, Chief. Before more bodies appear, we have to find this murderer. We can¡¯t sacrifice any more innocent civilians.¡±

 Chapter 520 - Interlude A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 4

    <h4>Chapter 520 Interlude A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 4</h4>

    Five little children, Little Youning, Xicheng, Youjin, Muche and Muran, were dismissed from school early. Little Youning and Little Xicheng did not want to go home so early since they had no one to y with at home.

    Their daddies were at work and although their mommies were home, they were both busy working on designs and should not be disturbed. Hence, the two of them wanted to stay out and y instead.

    Qi Youxuan and Wen Xu were not around so Little Muran was the eldest in the group. All the little fes wanted to y¡ªLittle Muran did not feel like going home alone either. Thus, she decided to stay with them.

    Little Youning furrowed her brows, forming olddy wrinkles on her tiny face. Suddenly, she pped her hands and proposed, ¡°Let¡¯s go to A University to see Aunty and Uncle!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only suggesting that because you want them to treat you to some meat, right?¡± Little Youjin exposed Little Youning¡¯s true intentions without hesitation.

    Little Youning was enraged. With her hands on her hips, she puffed up her cheeks at Little Youjin. ¡°If you keep telling the truth like this, I won¡¯t bring you out to y anymore!¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    What kind of logic was that?!

    ¡°Actually... Actually, there¡¯s also Youning¡¯s grandpa. He gives us yummy food too,¡± Little Xicheng added.

    Thus, the five little kids agreed to head to A university to see the three food-givers. The children called home to report their little excursion, and then they all got into Chang Lai¡¯s car. As for the other children¡¯s drivers, they followed behind Chang Lai with empty cars.

    On the way there, Little Youning called Ruan Zeer. Unfortunately, Ruan Zeer was in ss so his phone was switched off. Thus, Little Youning called Chang Jingwan instead.

    Coincidentally, Cheng Jingwan was in Ruan Zeer¡¯s ss!

    Luckily, Chang Jingwan was not that interested in maths. She sat in a corner of the room¡ªa ce her good friend, Xu Lele, saved for her.

    Previously, the two of them stayed in the same dorm while studying at the university. Nearing their graduation, two of their other dormmates found jobs and moved out, leaving only them in the dorm.

    Chang Jingwan was local. Moreover, she did not have many sses¡ªthere were even days where she had none. Thus, she did not live on campus anymore.

    Xu Lele, on the other hand, was interning part-time. Therefore, she moved out too and rented a room outside the campus.

    Although they did not live together anymore, they were still as close as ever. They would go out together during weekends and still sat together in ss.

    Sometimes, Xu Lele would be so busy with work that she would not make it to ss. Chang Jingwan would mark Xu Lele¡¯s attendance for her and note down important notes for her. Whenever she was absent, Xu Lele would do the same.

    Further maths was a dry and boring subject¡ªno one would attend these sses if not for the exams. Nheless, Ruan Zeer¡¯s sses were always packed. Moreover, more than half of the ss were girls.

    Chang Jingwan was not trying to be stereotypical, but ever since young, girls had always done rtively badly in maths and were generally uninterested in the subject¡ªwith some genius female students as exceptions.

    Other further maths lecturers never saw such high attendance rates as Ruan Zeer¡¯s ss. Evidently, all the girls were under the spell of the alluring Ruan Zeer. They all loved to tease and flirt with him.

    When Ruan Zeer first joined A University as a student, the news spread like bushfires across the school. Before he graduated, he was already famous in A University even though he never joined any clubs or societies, applied for student council or done anything that drew attention to himself.

    Nevertheless, the genius-kid vibe he gave off and his exceptionally attractive appearance attracted arge horde of fans. Chang Jingwan was confused as to why thesedies preferred boys like Ruan Zeer over those hot boys in the football and basketball team.

    Back then, Xu Lele had already pointed out the extraordinary vibe Ruan Zeer emitted. He seemed like someone with a pledge of abstinence, tempting the girls to flirt with him even more¡ªa forbidden fruit.

    Many girls in the university admitted that they often fantasized about what it would feel like to kiss Ruan Zeer.

    This uniquely elegant vibe was not something those ordinary sportsmen possessed.

    ording to Xu Lele, the vibe he gave off was that of a studious man dressed in long white robes as seen in dramas set in ancient China.

    As a result, on the first day Ruan Zeer started teaching at the university, it became an exceptionally grand asion. No one knew who was the original source of this information but nheless, the ssroom was packed early in the morning. Unfortunately, the students who were actually interested in the subject were forced to sit at the back.

    From that day on, Ruan Zeer¡¯s ss had been packed, with most of the students being girls who simply wanted to stare at him.

    Boys in school would often mock, ¡°Other teachers have to be considered skillful to be a good teacher while Ruan Zeer only has to look pretty.¡±

    Ruan Zeer had an odd way of taking attendance¡ªhe only called out three random names each day. Hence, even if the student was not present, their friends could just reply ¡®present¡¯ for them. After all, there was no way Ruan Zeer remembered who was who.

    However, he had another weird practice¡ªwhen he called out the three names, the first name would always be Chang Jingwan. Always.

    The ss had already grown ustomed to this. Each morning, he would call out, ¡°Chang Jingwan, XXX, XXX.¡±

    Moreover, the sequence never changed.

    Hence, to the other students, it meant Ruan Zeer only checked the attendance of two students among them.

    In the beginning, everyone thought it was merely a coincidence, but after a few more sses of Ruan Zeer doing the exact same thing, they knew that something was up.

    Not long after that, rumors about Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan began to spread, taking Chang Jingwan by surprise.

    Luckily, no one knew about their connections outside of school. Additionally, besides calling Chang Jingwan¡¯s name every ss, Ruan Zeer never made any other explicit moves.

    While Ruan Zeer speaking in front of the lecture hall, Chang Jingwan¡¯s phone vibrated.

    To avoid embarrassing herself during Ruan Zeer¡¯s lectures, Chang Jingwan had always taken extra precautions to ensure her phone was on silent mode. Nheless, she rarely received any calls. Despite being the daughter of the Chang family, Chang Jingwan was quite the introvert and did not socialize much. Besides taking pictures and surfing the web, her phone had pretty much no other uses.

    When she saw Youning¡¯s name on her phone screen, she could not help but smile. She nced at the front¡ªRuan Zeer was not looking at her direction.

    Besides, the hall was gigantic so Ruan Zeer probably could not see the students at the back clearly. Thus, Chang Jingwan bent down, hid her face behind her hair and picked up the call. ¡°Hey, Youning.¡±

    ¡°Aunty! We¡¯re on the way to your school right now. Let¡¯s have lunch together! Invite Grandpa too! Is there anything good near your university? Let¡¯s eat there!¡±

    ¡°I heard that there¡¯s some amazing street food near A University!¡± Little Xicheng added excitedly.

    Chang Jingwan could not help but chuckle. What a gluttonous little bunch!

    ¡°It¡¯s only noon, don¡¯t you have sses this afternoon?¡± inquired Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°We had sports day today so school ended early. No sses in the afternoon,¡± Little Youning exined.

    ¡°How many of you areing?¡± Chang Jingwan asked.

    ¡°Er Cheng, Muche, Sister Muran, my brother, and me,¡± Little Youning counted with her fleshy fingers. ¡°Five! There are five of us!¡±

    ¡°Where are you guys now?¡± asked Chang Jingwan as she tapped Xu Lele¡¯s phone to check the time.

    Little Youning asked Chang Lai where they were but in the end, she decided to hand him the phone instead and let him tell Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be done with my sses too by then. I¡¯ll see you at the school gate,¡± Chang Jingwan said, smiling gleefully.

    Through the phone, Chang Jingwan could hear Little Youning shouting for her phone back. Not long after, Chang Jingwan heard her voice again. ¡°Aunty, why are you speaking so softly?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m in ss right now,¡± Chang Jingwan whispered. She felt extremely guilty for picking up a call in Ruan Zeer¡¯s ss.

    Suddenly, Xu Lele grabbed her elbow. Chang Jingwan turned to her perplexedly. Suddenly, an arm reached out from behind her and she felt a warm sensation on her back as if someone was standing close behind her.

    A shadow was cast down on her and she felt warm breathsnding on the top of her head.

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s heart raced. A familiar scent surrounded her¡ªa fresh lemony fragrant that Ruan Zeer usually possessed.

    Then, she saw his fair and slender hand reaching for her desk, knocking his knuckles on her desk.

    ¡°Aunty? Aunty, why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± Little Youning asked persistently through the phone.

    At that moment, Chang Jingwan¡¯s expression can be summarized into the emoticon: w(?§¥?)w

    ¡°Student, who are you talking to over the phone?¡± Ruan Zeer asked in his cool, emotionless voice, yet Chang Jingwan trembled as if she was being interrogated.

    She yearned to reply, ¡®I was talking to your niece!¡¯

    However, before she could utter a word, Ruan Zeer grabbed her phone.

 Chapter 521 - You People Who Toy With Othersâ€™ Minds Have the Ugliest Hearts!

    <h4>Chapter 521 You People Who Toy With Others¡¯ Minds Have the Ugliest Hearts!</h4>

    The chief was stunned for a while. He sighed. ¡°Yuecheng, you... Ay!¡±

    The Jiang family were family friends of the chief¡ªhe had watched Jiang Yuecheng grow up. Hence, there was no way he could spit merciless words at this nephew of his.

    Just then, Jiang Yuecheng received a call from Zhao Yiyang.

    Zhao Yiyang¡¯s voice was deep, making the atmosphere extremely tense. ¡°Sergeant Jiang, Li Niancheng has passed away. ording to the prison guard, he was engaged in conflict with other prisoners and hit his head on a sharp edge of the wall during the fight. He was killed instantly.¡±

    ¡°...¡±

    ¡°Noted,¡± Jiang Yuecheng replied in a gravelly voice. He hung up and called out, ¡°Uncle Zhao.¡±

    Chief Zhao sighed again. Jiang Yuecheng never called him uncle in the police station¡ªnot even when they were alone. That was because he did not want to take advantage of their rtionship.

    However, now that Jiang Yuecheng brought it up, there was no way Chief Zhao could refuse his request.

    ¡°In the second case in the book, the killer died in prison. It was caused by an argument with his prison mates which escted into a fight, eventually leading to his idental death. Just now, I just received a call from Zhao Yiyang¡ªLi Niancheng, from the case we just resolved, is dead. The cause of death is exactly the same as described in the book.¡± Jiang Yuecheng took a deep breath and spat it out again. ¡°Uncle Zhao, is this evidence still notpelling enough? The guys over at T City still don¡¯t know about this. They¡¯re treating this case individually. We have to inform them about this or they¡¯ll never figure out the fact that there is another murderer behind all this.¡±

    ¡°Uncle Zhao, even if you don¡¯t believe me, can you do this as a favor for your nephew?¡± Jiang Yuechengpletely stepped out of his professional role. ¡°If it ister discovered that our assumptions are wrong, I¡¯m willing to apologize to those at T City personally. However, if we¡¯re right, we can prevent other murders from urring.¡±

    Chief Zhao sighed deeply. In the end, he could not reject his nephew¡¯s request. ¡°You...!¡±

    Nheless, apart from Jiang Yuecheng¡¯s pleading, Chief Zhao was also convinced by the phone call received from Zhao Yiyang, who reported Lee Niancheng¡¯s death.

    With Jiang Yuecheng still present, Chief Zhao made a call to T City¡¯s chief of department but did not mention the book.

    Jiang Yuecheng brought the book to Chief Zhao and showed him some pages that were rted to their case. Nevertheless, he still had his reservations. Needless to say, the chief over at T City would harbor more doubts as many things could not have been exined clearly through the phone. Moreover, those who have not read ¡®Killer of the Heart¡¯ would not know about the previous two cases and would surely feel that their assumption was absurd.

    Hence, Chief Zhao only exined that the third case in the book had rtions to the two cases they were faced with previously and that there were a few details in those cases that were present in the book. He expressed his desire to send people over from B City to assist with the case. Needless to say, the team from T City would still be the lead¡ªthey would not snatch this case from them.

    Once the chief in T City epted the request, Chief Zhao hung up. ¡°Alright, you should go get ready. Leave your work here to the other teams.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Uncle Zhao,¡± Jiang Yuecheng said with a smile.

    ¡°Ah, you little brat. You only call me that when you want to beg for something,¡± Chief Zhao scolded in a joking manner.

    Jiang Yuecheng returned to the office. Although they lost Li Niancheng as a key source of information, at least Jiang Yuecheng was sessful with this request.

    When he told Wei Muran and the others about the news, Wei Muran could finally let out a sigh of relief.

    Not long after, Zhao Yiyang came back with Xing Jiadong. Intensely vexed, the two men had glowering expressions.

    A new lead was discovered that day and the two rushed to the prison immediately, just to be told that Li Niancheng had died.

    It would have been alright if he had died a long time ago, but to be told that he just died yesterday, meaning they were literally only one step behind, making the two extremely exasperated. If they had gone there just one day earlier, would they have been able to save Li Niancheng and get the psychologist¡¯s name from him?

    Bang! Xing Jiadong pped the table violently, giving the unsuspecting people in the office a shock. Even so, no one criticized him for it.

    Due to this incident, the atmosphere in the office was awfully tense.

    ¡°We¡¯ve asked about the incident in detail and found out the men who Li Niancheng engaged in conflict with yesterday. They¡¯re a group of men who had been in prison for a long time. They¡¯re like gangsters of the prison. Their confessions are wless, showing that they have not been instructed by anyone to kill Li Niancheng. The prison guard had also assured that no one visited the group of inmates recently¡ªthe most recent contact was already two months ago; it was one of the inmates¡¯ sisters who came to visit.¡±

    ¡°That inmate is rtively new to the gang¡ªhe only joined a year ago. In order to survive in prison, inmates often join powerful groups to rely upon. That man is quite young¡ªonly twenty years old. He was convicted of stealing a total of a hundred thousand RMB from a contractor he worked for when he was distributing the workers¡¯ pay. Although he was young, he knew a few teenage gangsters who warned him about the importance of finding a pir he could rely on if he gets put in jail. That was why he joined the group,¡± expounded Zhao Yiyang, who was more level-headed than Xing Jiadong, who was too furious to even utter a word.

    ¡°Both when this man joined the gang and when hest had a visitor was way before the murder took ce¡ªwe can¡¯t find any connections here,¡± Zhao Yiyang pointed out.

    Qi Youxuan tapped his fingers on the table. Oddly enough, he uttered a long ¡®hmm¡¯ in a high tone, conveying that his interest was piqued. His voice made Wei Muran slightly aroused.

    She felt pins and needles all over her body. Her face was a little flushed and subconsciously, her eyes darted toward Qi Youxuan, who was slouchingzily on a chair.

    As if he had predicted her reaction, Qi Youxuan turned to Wei Muran with yful eyes. He raised his eyebrows at her and smirked teasingly.

    With a reddened face, Wei Muran red at him. Qi Youxuan¡¯s lips curled up even more. He acted out a series of expressions teasing her before finally asking Zhao Yiyang, ¡°Did you say that the inmates answered the interrogation questions wlessly?¡±

    Zhao Yiyang nodded. Unexpectedly, Qi Youxuan pped his hands in joy.

    Everyone stared perplexedly at him. Qi Youxuan exined, ¡°I was afraid that there would be faults in their statements¡ªif there was none, it must mean that there¡¯s someone puppeteering them. The man behind this incident must¡¯ve predicted the involvement of police officers so he instructed them on what to say beforehand. He wrote a script for them to memorize.¡±

    Xing Jiadong nodded mindlessly. ¡°That¡¯s right! Now that I think about it, they answered all the questions suspiciously smoothly!¡±

    ¡°So, it must¡¯ve been scripted,¡± Qi Youxuan concluded. ¡°Since Li Niancheng is already dead, we know that this case is progressing identically as in the book. We may not be able to bring him back to life, but we can use his death as a new lead. There are more and more details emerging that mimic the ones in the book. Consequently, we can assume that the man behind the curtains is a psychologist.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not surprising for a psychologist to be able to influence others¡¯ minds. The fact that he could manipte three men into executing murders exactly as he wished only further demonstrates his skills. Men like him don¡¯t make mistakes. If there had been any loopholes in the inmates¡¯ answers, I would suspect that the psychologist nted it there on purpose. We can¡¯t fall into his traps. On the other hand, what if he didn¡¯t? What if he actually made a mistake? We won¡¯t dare to believe that it¡¯s the truth. Ah, the hardest task is always to identify what¡¯s real and what¡¯s not.¡±

    ¡°He gave us a wonderful lead¡ªwe can¡¯t confirm his identity without having to guess. Isn¡¯t that great? At least we got rid of one question,¡± Qi Youxuan said optimistically.

    Xing Jiadong¡¯s fists hit the table. ¡°You people who toy with others¡¯ minds have the ugliest hearts!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan did not know what to say.

    ¡°On one hand you¡¯re allowing me to help, yet on the other, you¡¯re insulting me? Come on...¡± Qi Youxuan grumbled dejectedly.

    ¡°...¡± Xing Jiadong smiled shamelessly. ¡°You¡¯re the kind of talent we need!¡±

    Haha, this dense fellow finally got it!

    ...

    After a long discussion, Jiang Yuecheng decided to let Zhang Ming, Xing Jiadong, and Yang Shaozhan stay at the station and dive deeper into the psychologist and the group of inmates. The rest of the team would head down to T City.

    Although Yang Shaoqun was not a xenophobe, he was still a little skeptical about it. After all, this was T City¡¯s case. Why were people from B City trying to meddle?

    Over at T City, a handful in the team was slightly displeased by this.

    Luckily, Qi Youxuan called T City and informed them that he would be going too. He also told them that this case was a little tricky and promised to exin the situation to them in detail once they arrive.

    The next day, Jiang Yuecheng, Zhao Yiyang, Wei Muran, and Qi Youxuan set off to T City. By noon, they arrived at the station.

    Yang Shaoqun drove there personally to wee them. To avoid humiliating Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran, Yang Shaoqun was polite to Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang as well.

    ¡°Since it¡¯s already noon, let¡¯s have lunch together. You can reiterate details of the case with the team in the evening,¡± Yang Shaoqun said in the car.

    ¡°When we have lunch with your respectable team, I¡¯ll exin our purpose of being here. Sergeant Yang, we¡¯re not here to meddle in your case. The truth is, this case is connected to two cases we resolved previously. Although the three murders were performed by different killers, we suspect that there¡¯s amon puppet master behind all three murders. When everyone is here, we will expound it in detail. As for the current case in T City, we will not meddle¡ªall we ask for is permission to follow this case closely and be updated at all times. I know our involvement would cause some displeasure but I hope you all can bear with us for now,¡± Jiang Yuecheng requested earnestly.

 Chapter 522 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 5

    <h4>Chapter 522: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 5</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s movement was stiff when she turned around to look at Ruan Zeer.

    Chang Jingwan had to twist and lift her head like she was making a braided dough due to the height difference between her in a sitting position and the standing Ruan Zeer, which felt slightly painful.

    Ruan Zeer smiled faintly and stared at Chang Jingwan with raised eyebrows. At that instant, thedies in the lecture hall were infatuated with such a warm smile and even Xu Lele, who was sitting beside Chang Jingwan, failed to avert her gaze away.

    A random voice emerged out of nowhere. ¡°You¡¯re so handsome!¡±

    Ruan Zeer was giving a lecture initially, but the fact that Chang Jingwan was caught using her phone in the middle of the ss had attracted the attention of all students. There was a pin-drop silence and none of them uttered a word while waiting for the show to continue.

    The whole room burst intoughter upon hearing the random and sudden voice.

    The corner of Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly in response. He nced at Chang Jingwan, whose face had turned into the color of a ripe strawberry, before shifting his gaze to her phone¡¯s screen which showed Qi Youning¡¯s name. Then, with a smile, he ced the phone on his ear. ¡°Youning.¡±

    ¡°Uncle! Why¡¯re you there too? Are you with Aunt Jingwan? Are you guys dating?¡± Little Youning blurted out the questions in excitement.

    The other kid¡¯s eyes shone brightly as they stared at Little Youning.

    The thrilled Little Xicheng yelled all of a sudden, ¡°Suspicious!¡±

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips twitched before replying, ¡°I¡¯m giving a lecture and coincidentally, your Aunt Jingwan is in my ssroom right now.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Ruan Zeer¡¯s response dampened Little Youning¡¯s enthusiasm.

    Ruan Zeer found Little Youning¡¯s response funny and asked, ¡°Why did you disturb your aunt when she¡¯s in the ss?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re on our way to your school right now! Bring... bring some money and prepare to wee uster!¡± answered Little Youning on the main topic.

    ¡°Okay. I¡¯m in the ss right now so I¡¯ll give you a call when we¡¯re done,¡± said Ruan Zeer.

    Ruan Zeer made no attempt in returning the phone to the owner after ending the call. Instead, his expression became stern as he put the phone into his pocket and said, ¡°Student, please don¡¯t use your phone during the lecture. Is my handsomeness iparable to your phone?¡±

    1

    This was Chang Jingwan¡¯s reaction at that instant: ¡°w(?§¥?)w¡±

    ¡°...¡± The rest of the students were dumbfounded.

    Xu Lele was aware of Chang Jingwan¡¯s rtionship with Ruan Zeer. When Ruan Zeer was returning to the podium, she pulled Chang Jingwan¡¯s sleeve repeatedly and finally pulled her mind back into reality.

    ¡°Look at your phone,¡± whispered Xu Lele after Chang Jingwan turned to look at her.

    The lecturers would usually deliver their lectures using the microphone on the podium in a huge lecture hall. Thus, it was difficult for the students tomunicate with each other, since the lecturers might hear them if their voice was too loud, and they would be unable to hear each other if the voice was too soft.

    This was the reason why Chang Jingwan and Xu Lele would still use WeChat formunication purpose even though the duo were sitting very closely to each other.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan whispered, ¡°My phone has been confiscated.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I forgot. I¡¯m used to chatting with you on WeChat during the lectures,¡± replied Xu Lele. She put this matter aside and continued her gossip. ¡°Whatever Ruan Zeer mentioned just now sounds like there¡¯s something fishy going on between you two.¡±

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s voice through the microphone was loud enough to conceal Xu Lele¡¯s whisper. Thus, no one heard her voice except Chang Jingwan who was leaning against her head-to-head.

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly. ¡°You wanted me to look at my WeChat message because of this?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± Xu Lele nodded innocently.

    Chang Jingwan failed to muster a response out of embarrassment. Suddenly, a bad hunch gnawed at her, and she stared at the podium quickly and vigntly while resting her head on both arms on the table.

    ¡°Hey, what are you doing?¡± asked Xu Lele softly, since Chang Jingwan¡¯s current position appeared especially unnatural and awkward.

    ¡°Stop messing around. What do you think will happen if he sees us?¡± replied Chang Jingwan furtively.

    ¡°...¡± Xu Lele could not refrain from criticizing Chang Jingwan¡¯s current brainpower silently. How could an intelligent girl act like an idiot?

    ¡°You¡¯re in a lecture, so it¡¯s only natural for you to sit up straight and look at the lecturer, alright?¡± said Xu Lele while feeling speechless. She had forgotten to lower her voice and thus, a male student beside her overheard this statement.

    The male student snorted and covered his mouth quickly with his fist, pretending to listen to the lecture attentively when Xu Lele shifted her gaze on him.

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s muscles stiffened instantly when she noticed Ruan Zeer reaching into his pocket to take her phone out, perhaps after feeling its vibration in the pocket.

    Blush started to burn through her cheeks as she stared at her phone which was transferred from Ruan Zeer¡¯s pocket to his clean and elegant hand.

    Her phone was merely a thin fabric away from direct skin contact when it was in Ruan Zeer¡¯s pocket, and she could even feel the warmth radiating directly from his body at this moment.

    Not only did her face feel hot, but Chang Jingwan could also feel the heat spreading throughout her entire body. She tried to hide her rosy features behind her slim fingers and merely allowed her gaze to go through the gaps between her fingers and the heads of all students before her. Then, she noticed Ruan Zeer pressing his thumb on her phone¡¯s Home button for a while and seemingly unlocked it sessfully with his fingerprint.

    Wait, how could Ruan Zeer unlock her phone with his fingerprint?

    This was Chang Jingwan¡¯s reaction at that point in time: (¡ã©`¡ã¡¨)

    An attractive smile formed on Ruan Zeer¡¯s face as he poked on the screen multiple times after unlocking the phone.

    Then, Chang Jingwan felt Ruan Zeer¡¯s gaze on her but unsure if it was merely her imagination. Despite the assumption that she was decently protected by the students before her, the guilty conscience persisted in her heart when Ruan Zeer shifted his gaze over as if she was locked-on on his radar.

    After that, Ruan Zeer pretended as if nothing had happened and ced the phone back into his pocket before continuing the lecture. Perhaps the gaze Chang Jingwan felt just now was just an illusion after all.

    Curiosity overwhelmed a female student as she raised her hand and interrupted the lecture. ¡°Senior Ruan.¡±

    Ruan Zeer scanned through the crowd calmly and said, ¡°Please address me as Teacher Ruan during lectures.¡±

    ¡°Yes, Teacher Ruan.¡± The female student was particrlypliant with instructions.

    ¡°Any question?¡± asked Ruan Zeer.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s kindness and elegance fuelled the female student¡¯s courage and she asked loudly, ¡°Teacher Ruan, can you exin your rtionship with Chang Jingwan? Both of you seem very closely associated.¡±

    Rumors about them were spreading in the university ever since Ruan Zeer called out to Chang Jingwan¡¯s name when taking attendance in every lecture. This habit persisted for quite a long time and thus, every student, no matter the courses, recognized her eventually.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s act basically made Chang Jingwan well-known in the university.

    Chang Jingwan had no choice but to swallow her tears silently. She did not desire such a reputation, alright? ©Ñ©Ò©n©Ñ©Ò

    1

    To be honest, the whole ss was curious about Ruan Zeer¡¯s rtionship with Chang Jingwan especially after the incident just now.

    Ruan Zeer did not feel offended by the question and smiled in response. ¡°Our rtionship isplicated and it¡¯s a long story, so best if we don¡¯t waste time here. Back to the lecture¡ª¡±

    Xu Lele winked at Chang Jingwan. ¡°I think he¡¯s actually trying to muddy the waters on purpose so that the crowds will continue the misunderstanding further.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Perhaps it isn¡¯t a misunderstanding after all. Look at how he must check for your attendance in his every lecture, and he recognizes your voice too! You can¡¯t hide from him, because he¡¯ll definitely know when someone else takes your ce and marks for your attendance. Besides, he always looks at you from afar during the lectures. Hey, I think he actually wants to make sure that you¡¯re present in his lectures so that he can take a good look at you. That¡¯s why he calls out to your name every time. Come to think of it, I think he¡¯s actually covering up the fact that he wants to see you whenever he scans through the crowd,¡± continued Xu Lele.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan failed to muster a reply.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just keep quiet, I really think it¡¯s true. Hey, it¡¯s quite romantic if you guys keep it that way,¡± said Xu Lele happily.

    ¡°Have you been reading romance novels recently?¡±ined Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was so smart at times, but there was no way Xu Lele would admit the truth. ¡°Don¡¯t change the topic!¡±

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to, but your brain is so full of romance fantasy right now. It¡¯ll be a pity if you don¡¯t jot down your fantasy quickly,¡± replied Chang Jingwan calmly.

    ¡°F*ck you!¡± said Xu Lele.

    ...

    ...

    Ruan Zeer took an unprecedented act by sitting on the chair in a rxed manner after the ss was over instead of packing up his belongings and leaving the lecture hall immediately.

    Ruan Zeer would usually dash out of the lecture hall as soon as the ss was over out of worry that the female students may chase after him for yful teases or confessions.

    However, none of the female students went to tease Ruan Zeer after the unusual romance that happened then. The only reason they took their time lingering in the lecture hall instead of leaving was to watch the follow-up progress of that particr romance.

    Stress overwhelmed Chang Jingwan. She took her bag and dragged Xu Lele away quickly, trying to escape such intense pressure through the back door of the lecture hall.

    When Chang Jingwan was walking toward the back door, a gentle tap on the microphone brought her into a halt. Then, an amplified voice from Ruan Zeer traveled to her ears. ¡°Jingwan, don¡¯t you want to wait for me?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was at a loss for words.

    ¡°Your phone¡¯s still with me,¡± said Ruan Zeer calmly.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan remained speechless.

    ¡°I told Youning that we¡¯ll be waiting for her at the main entrance together,¡± Ruan Zeer continued.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan admitted defeat.

 Chapter 523 - Any Woman Who Tries To Court Me Will Not Give Me A Good Impression

    <h4>Chapter 523: Any Woman Who Tries To Court Me Will Not Give Me A Good Impression</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Since Jiang Yuecheng exined the situation very clearly, Yang Shaoqun could not possibly reject the coboration with his team any further.

    In fact, it sounded rather serious.

    Yang Shaoqun made a phone call during the journey and asked his subordinates to wait at the restaurant directly.

    They chose to have lunch at a small restaurant that served home-cooked meals just beside the police station. As they would usually order food deliveries from this restaurant whenever they were busy, they became familiar with the restaurant¡¯s staff members over time.

    Zhang Shanfei and the rest were already waiting in the private dining room when Jiang Yuecheng and his team arrived. The private dining room was decently sized that could only fit ten people at most, so it was the perfect size for them to dine in.

    Yang Shaoqun made an introduction between these two teams but mainly introduced Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang to the team as they had already familiarized themselves with both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran.

    Feng Songwei was on the scene as well, yet she seemed calm and showed no sign of awkwardness as though the incident at the airport had never happened before. Wei Muran was actually quite impressed with Feng Songwei¡¯s psychological endurance.

    All of them then sat down around the table. After cing the orders, they started chatting for a while before the discussion of the main topic.

    Jiang Yuecheng exined the situation from the very beginning while Zhao Yiyang passed the novel for them to have a look.

    ¡°I know it sounds ridiculous, but there are too many coincidences and we¡¯re forced to believe it too. When Dong Zhengfeng¡ªthe murderer on our first casemitted suicide in the psychiatric hospital, we knew something was definitely wrong. The psychiatric hospital has stern management and takes care of the patients well, so they wouldn¡¯t allow Dong Zhengfeng to move freely if his mental condition wasn¡¯t under control. Dong Zhengfeng was diagnosed with dissociative identity disorder, so he stayed alone in the sick room with all of his limbs restrained when he was initially transferred to the hospital.¡±

    ¡°After that, his mental condition improved and the second personality didn¡¯t resurface again. Only then did the doctors allow him to leave the sickroom periodically but on close monitoring. Besides, the psychiatric hospital is a special ce where you won¡¯t be able to find anything that may injure the patients or inflict self-harm, and yet Dong Zhengfeng was dead. The hospital management couldn¡¯t even exin his death.¡±

    ¡°Doubt persisted in our minds but we were out of ideas, until yesterday when Muran took this novel for us to read. First of all, the first case was the exact same as how the novel described it¡ªhow the victim died and the murderer¡¯s final moment¡ªexcept that the motive was different. Besides, the murderer in the novel mentioned the existence of a psychologist as well. When we were dealing with the first case initially, we had no idea about this novel and thus failed to make further connections or even rte this case to the psychologist,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    Yang Shaoqun nodded, unsure if he was merely assuring Jiang Yuecheng. ¡°This is normal. We won¡¯t be able to make such rtions too if we¡¯re in your position. Besides, Dong Zhengfeng was diagnosed with a mental disease, so it¡¯s reasonable for him to consult a psychologist.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve finally rted the case with the novel yesterday, so we rushed to the prison immediately to look for the second murderer, but he was dead the day before yesterday. Argument with inmates and died identally; just as the novel described. Now, about the third case, we can¡¯t get any hint about the motive for murder from the novel but coincidentally, the first victim was found dead at the bottom of a spa in a resort.¡±

    ¡°Meanwhile, the second victim¡ª¡± Jiang Yuecheng continued the exnation.

    ¡°¡ªDied the exact same way as how the novel described,¡± Yang Shaoqun finished the sentence.

    Yang Shaoqun scanned through the table of contents, eager to find the third case and searched for the second victim¡¯s death description in haste. The blood was drained from his face after reading through the contents in the novel.

    ¡°That¡¯s unbelievable,¡± said the overwhelmed Yang Shaoqun after lifting his head.

    Wei Muran and the team rxed immediately after Yang Shaoqun believed in their story.

    ¡°That was the reason why we requested toe here and asked for your assistance. We hope that we can locate the mastermind through this case,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    ¡°No problem! Don¡¯t regard yourselves as outsiders. Our very existence is to punish every evil force, right? There¡¯s no discrimination here and everything will be fine as long as we can catch the bad guy!¡± announced Yang Shaoqun enthusiastically.

    Doubt rose in Qi Youxuan¡¯s mind again. How did Yang Shaoqun give his blood, sweat and tears to be a sergeant with his innocent but enthusiastic personality?

    The sergeant and corporal in Wei Muran¡¯s team¡ªJiang Yuecheng and Zhang Ming¡ªwere reputed individuals with strong family backgrounds!

    The atmosphere in the private dining room became rxed and peaceful instantly after the situation was exined clearly. Yang Shaoqun and his team were friendly and natural socializers, so they were able to chat happily with Zhao Yiyang after a while.

    Jiang Yuecheng was an exception as he was a sergeant and they dared not to be too friendly with him.

    Meanwhile, Qi Youxuan, who had eyes only for Wei Muran at all times, was busy transferring food into her bowl.

    Although B City was more developed with fresh seafood airlifted on the same day, T City still had the freshest seafood of various choices as it was situated along the coast.

    Thus, this lunch mainly consisted of seafood which was fine by Wei Muran. Instead of swallowing those delicious dishes, Qi Youxuan was removing the shells of prawns, crabs, mantis shrimps, and even sea snails without letting Wei Muran do all the dirty work. However, the bachelors in the room were getting jealous of their public disy of affection.

    The marinated sauce was ced beside the sea snail¡¯s serving dish on thezy Susan<sup>1</sup>, and it was inappropriate to constantly rotate the sauce to Wei Muran¡¯s front. Thus, Qi Youxuan asked the waiter to provide ramekins of marinated sauce for everyone but mainly for Wei Muran so that there was no need for her to reach out for the sauce on thezy Susan every single time.

    ¡°I almost forgot that Mr. Qi treats Muran very well after a few days of not meeting each other,¡± Feng Songwei piped in all of a sudden after being a quiet invisible woman for quite some time.

    Feng Songwei¡¯s words felt like criticism.

    Yang Shaoqun and his team tried to keep a distance from Feng Songwei after the incident at the airportst time. Even though they were not trying to discriminate against her, at least they would refrain from joking with her or even introducing men for initiation of romantic rtionships.

    They were genuinely sincere when they attempted to introduce men for Feng Songwei initially, but after realizing her true character, they would be scourging the men if they continued being matchmakers.

    Thus, none of them raised this issue afterward.

    Feng Songwei could feel some differences even though there was no discrimination during work.

    Nheless, Feng Songwei remained unconcerned about it since she was not the least bothered about others¡¯ opinions. There was nothing wrong about her finding the love of her life.

    Moreover, Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran were not even married, and she had the right to choose her future spouse. Since Qi Youxuan had a crush on Wei Muran, perhaps he could develop fondness toward her too.

    Besides, it was normal to find one¡¯s true love only after going through twists and turns in life, and that included being in a rtionship or even after marriage.

    What if Feng Songwei was Qi Youxuan¡¯s true love and he missed his opportunity? That was the reason why she put effort into this matter.

    Qi Youxuan had no idea about Feng Songwei¡¯s theory of true love, but it did not stop him from expressing his annoyance toward her.

    He merely replied coldly, ¡°I still have room for improvement.¡±

    Words failed toe out of Feng Songwei¡¯s mouth. Yang Shaoqun was worried about her bringing down the team¡¯s good image and interrupted quickly, ¡°Your public disy of affection is mental torture to all the bachelors in this room.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang had no clue regarding Feng Songwei¡¯s issue and her words did not sound inappropriate just now, so he replied, ¡°Hey, let me tell you something. All of us are single and yet this pair of couples always irritate us in the office. It¡¯s fine when there¡¯s no case because Youxuan will return to hispany and Muran will stay alone in the department. We can still be friends that way, but when there¡¯s a case, Youxuan will surelye and torture the bare branches. It¡¯s so annoying!¡±

    ¡°Eh? Sergeant Jiang is single too?¡± asked Feng Songwei as she stared at Jiang Yuecheng with slight interest.

    Qi Youxuan had a girlfriend. On the other hand, Jiang Yuecheng was a good candidate as well, since he was a sergeant at such a young age and had a bright future ahead of him.

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran stared at each other, speechless. Feng Songwei was basically boy-crazy!

    Yang Shaoqun and his team were ashamed but Feng Songwei remained unconcerned about it and smiled politely. ¡°I thought Sergeant Jiang should be engaged at this age, that¡¯s really unexpected. Besides, you¡¯re the ideal type for most women and there¡¯ll be lots of women trying to court you, and yet you¡¯re still single.¡±

    Even Zhao Yiyang figured that Feng Songwei gave too manyments on this issue. Judging by the awkward looks on Yang Shaoqun and his team¡¯s faces, Feng Songwei seemed to becking in poprity in the team.

    It was understandable that Qi Youxuan showed no respect toward Feng Songwei since he had a girlfriend. However, Feng Songwei did not expect Jiang Yuecheng to speak harshly toward her, despite being single and was coborating with Yang Shaoqun¡¯s team.

    Jiang Yuecheng replied coldly, ¡°Any woman who tries to court me won¡¯t give me a good impression.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The corners of Feng Songwei¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly and she failed to muster a response since then.

    After that, Yang Shaoqun and his team devoided Feng Songwei of any chance to speak in order to prevent further embarrassment.

    They would interrupt Feng Songwei whenever she had any attempt to speak.

    The crowd finished their lunch in a hurry and returned to the police department without wasting any time since they had a case to solve.

    Yang Shaoqun instructed Zou Chengwei to distribute detailed information about the case to Qi Youxuan and his team before saying, ¡°ording to Mr. Qi¡¯s reminder yesterday, we¡¯ve investigated the victim, Cao Keya¡¯s personal life. We found out that she had an affair with Wang Jianlei, a director in the internal medicine department.¡±

 Chapter 524 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 6

    <h4>Chapter 524: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 6</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Thoughts of contempt and reprimand ran through Chang Jingwan¡¯s mind. Left with no choice, she dragged Xu Lele and attempted to walk toward the podium. However, Xu Lele shoved her hand away without any sense of personal loyalty toward her.

    Yes, Chang Jingwan¡¯s hand was shoved away by Xu Lele in disgust!

    Chang Jingwan stared at Xu Lele dejectedly and yet Xu Lele¡¯s smile remained innocent. ¡°He only called you, so be a good girl and go ahead. I¡¯ll head to work in the meantime.¡±

    ¡°You can walk with me to the front door before you head to work,¡± coaxed Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°I love going through back doors,¡± replied Xu Lele.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was at a loss for words.

    In the end, Chang Jingwan was defeated by Xu Lele¡¯s shameless response and watched as Xu Lele waved goodbye before leaving the lecture hall happily.

    Surprisingly, none of the students left the lecture hall except Xu Lele, and even the male students who would usually dart out of the hall at the earliest acted unprecedentedly by sitting in their seats at that instant.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was left speechless.

    They came for lectures instead of watching a movie, so why were they acting as if an interesting show was going to y? Í¹(Ü³ÃóÜ³)

    A female student even took out a bag of green peas from her bag and offered it to her deskmate while Chang Jingwan tottered toward the podium.

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s expression was t and her mind was scattered.

    Quickening her pace, Chang Jingwan reached the podium. After Ruan Zeer turned off the microphone and ced his book into his bag, he stood up and said, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±

    Chang Jingwan began to speak, attempting to take her phone back but was stopped short after noticing the huge crowd that remained in the lecture hall.

    Rumors about Chang Jingwan and Ruan Zeer¡¯s secret romance would probably spread in University A and the students¡¯ imaginations would start to run wild after what happened in the lecture hall just then.

    Chang Jingwan figured that the best possible solution at this instant was to limit any sort of potential gossip topics that could arise in this situation.

    Chang Jingwan fought the urge to demand her cellphone during the journey and only reached out to Ruan Zeer after they arrived at the main entrance. ¡°I want my phone back.¡±

    Ruan Zeer smiled and reached into his pocket to take Chang Jingwan¡¯s phone before cing it on her palm. His fingernails, which were cut neatly, seemingly brushed against her palm gently by ident.

    Chang Jingwan failed to realize that her palm was coated with ayer of sweat. Thus, other than the numbness in her palm, she felt extremely embarrassed upon the realization that her sweats were smeared across Ruan Zeer¡¯s fingertips on physical contact.

    Since when did Chang Jingwan start to take care of her own image and was particr about every tiny detail in Ruan Zeer¡¯s presence? She had no idea.

    Chang Jingwan quickly transferred her phone to the other hand before cing her sweaty hand behind her back to dry it without making her intention obvious.

    Ruan Zeer noticed her reaction and merely smiled faintly in response.

    Coincidentally, Chang Jingwan noticed Ruan Zeer¡¯s somewhat teasing expression as she lifted her gaze and was sheepish in an instant.

    The warmth radiating from the cellphone and the thought that it was buried in Ruan Zeer¡¯s pocket for thetter half of the lecture made her left hand quiver in embarrassment.

    ¡°Uncle, Auntie!¡± A melodious and excited voice of a child traveled to their ears. The duo turned around and saw Little Youning and four other children running toward them after exiting the car.

    While running, Little Youning shifted her gaze between Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan to figure out who had the better endurance to wee her impact.

    Obviously, Ruan Zeer was the winner in this category. Thus, after gaining considerable speed, Little Youning pounced right into Ruan Zeer¡¯s embosom.

    Being an adult, Ruan Zeer was slightly stronger than average junior high students even though he was not physically trained like Wen Xu, hence holding Little Youning in his embrace was not exactly a difficult task.

    Little Xicheng who was following Little Youning closely pounced into Chang Jingwan¡¯s embrace and chirped, ¡°Auntie, I miss you!¡±

    Although Chang Jingwan was not directly rted to Qi Chengyue, Cheng Dongge figured that they were a family and allowed Little Xicheng to follow Youxuan and Youning¡¯s way of addressing Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan.

    Chang Jingwan had developed a fondness for these cute little children. She knelt down and hugged Little Xicheng while nting kisses on her soft cheeks.

    A tiny head suddenly popped beside Chang Jingwan out of nowhere. Surprise, surprise¡ªit was Wei Muche who wanted Chang Jingwan to kiss him as well.

    Chang Jingwan grinned but before she could lean forward and kiss him, Ruan Zeer called out to her all of a sudden, ¡°Jingwan.¡±

    Chang Jingwan looked at Ruan Zeer subconsciously while Little Xicheng red at Little Muche with a hands-on-hips pose. ¡°My Dad used to say that action like yours was considered as two-timing! How could you ask other women to kiss you? You can¡¯t do that even...even if she¡¯s your aunt! Do you know how to maintain your chastity? Learn from Uncle Chu if you don¡¯t. He has a nickname called Chu Ruyu<sup>1</sup>!¡±

    A smug formed on Little Muche¡¯s face. He smiled innocently and leaned his face closer to Little Xicheng while staring at her with his glittering eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll let you kiss me then.¡±

    Little Xicheng wanted to seize this opportunity and teach Little Muche a lesson without realizing that this was actually a trap. Thus, she leaned forward foolishly and kissed both sides of Little Muche¡¯s cheeks respectively.

    Ruan Zeer sighed at Little Xicheng¡¯s current naivety.

    It seemed like Little Xicheng¡¯s intelligence was used up by her father.

    ¡°Uncle, where¡¯s my granduncle?¡± asked Little Youning after she was put onto the ground.

    The muscles on Ruan Zeer¡¯s arms were sore after carrying Little Youning for quite some time, and they were still trembling despite shaking his arms. Thus, the idea that he should encourage his niece¡¯s weight loss appeared in his mind for the first time.

    ¡°Your granduncle is in the Chinese Academy of Sciences today, so he won¡¯t be able to meet us in this school. Come, I¡¯ll take you guys for some delicious food,¡± said Ruan Zeer.

    The children surrounded the duo happily and scampered off into food heaven.

    Ruan Zeer scanned through the children and concluded that his niece was thergest and heaviest among all.

    ¡°Youning, are you hungry?¡± asked Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°Yes, I am! We had a sportspetition this morning but my Dad didn¡¯t allow me to bring any snacks except shredded konjac for weight loss purpose. He even asked me to take a few bites if I started feeling hungry after watching other children eat. Uncle, it was agonizing! I could only watch as Er Cheng swallowed a pack of potato chips, two assorted fruit-vored puddings, and a drinkable jelly! Me? Shredded Konjac only! How I wish my Dad... Dad would give me a packet of enokitake, too!¡± Little Youning whined to her uncle who knew her all too well.

    ¡°Youning, I gave you a pack of potato chips, two puddings, and a drinkable jelly when I was eating my food too! You had exactly the same food as I did plus three packets of shredded konjac! I¡¯m not good in Mathematics but I sure know how to count!¡± Er Cheng counted with his fingers very seriously and attentively before continuing, ¡°I asked my Mom to pack double for each food without letting my uncle know.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer was left speechless.

    ¡°You¡¯re still hungry right now?¡± asked Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°Yes, of course! My hunger won¡¯t be satisfied without meat,¡± answered Little Youning while giving her belly a gentle rub.

    Thus, Ruan Zeer brought the children to a vegetarian restaurant without hesitation. Frankly speaking, this restaurant served mainly bean curds and they were specialized in creating bean curd dishes with fragrance and taste of meat. Despite the inevitable mouthfeel difference with actual meat, it did serve as a decent substitute to satisfy cravings.

    Little Youning¡¯s face turned green in an instant. ¡°Uncle, are we seriously having this for lunch?¡±

    ¡°Protein is good for our health.¡± Ruan Zeer had decided to help his niece to lose weight, thus he offered his answer as he stroked his niece¡¯s hair gently before tipping Chang Jingwan the wink.

    Chang Jingwan tried to carry Little Youning but the child did not even budge at all. The corners of her eyes twitched uncontrobly at her niece¡¯s massive weight increase since she could only lift Little Youning off the ground for a very brief momentst time. Thus, she agreed silently with Ruan Zeer¡¯s decision that it was time for her to lose weight.

    However, in order to prevent Little Youning¡¯s sorrow and psychological stress, Chang Jingwan remained silent and pretended as if she did not intend to carry the child at all.

    Little Youning had always assumed that her body mass index was ideal at her current age.

    ¡°Youning, this restaurant can make bean curds taste exactly like meat and is very delicious. You like to eat braised pork, yes? This restaurant can cook braised pork-vored bean curds that can melt instantly in your mouth. I remember that you love Braised Pork but the greasy feeling sickens you after eating too much. You won¡¯t have that feeling right here.¡±

    Little Youning started slobbering after listening to the description, so Chang Jingwan took a piece of tissue paper to clean her up. However, Little Youning grabbed her hand straight away and dragged her into the restaurant eagerly. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Food will be served earlier if we make our orders earlier. I¡¯m so hungry right now!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was left speechless.

    ¡°Senior Ruan?¡± A female voice traveled to their ears just when they were about to enter the restaurant.

    The voice brought them to a halt. The children¡¯s eyes were shining brightly since they could detect something suspicious from that voice.

 Chapter 525 - Police Officer, Are You Suspecting That I Murdered Her?

    <h4>Chapter 525: Police Officer, Are You Suspecting That I Murdered Her?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°Wang Jianlei, a forty-eight-year-old married man, has a wife who works as a matron in another hospital and a neen-year-old son who¡¯s currently studying in a university in France. He¡¯s the main surgeon in the hospital and his wife has a busy schedule as a matron, so both of them have not much free time to meet together in a week. Even though no one had any idea when Wang Jianlei started an affair with Cao Keya, Wang Jianlei maintained a good reputation in the hospital and was very skilled in his work as well. They said that he was willing to train house officers and was extremely patient in conducting lectures with medical students, too.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve asked the doctors and nurses about their impressions on Wang Jianlei, and they said his rtionship with his wife was very stable. Despite his friendliness, he usually kept a distance from female doctors, nurses, and patients but would asionally make jokes that weren¡¯t offensive, so he was quite popr in the hospital as well.¡±

    ¡°Moreover, he would prepare gifts meticulously for his wife on every festival and anniversary. No one in the hospital had a clue regarding Wang Jianlei¡¯s affair with Cao Keya, and they only knew the truth when we went to the hospital for inquiry after Cao Keya¡¯s death. They didn¡¯t believe this initially because Wang Jianlei had a solid positive image and reputation in the hospital and they had never seen him closely associated with any female before this. Even though Cao Keya was an internist nurse, she worked in a different department without frequent close contact with Wang Jianlei. Nheless, Wang Jianlei admitted the truth in the end.¡±

    ¡°The nurses in the same department with Cao Keya also mentioned that she had a boyfriend named Zheng Xiaogong. They were in a rtionship from the start of their course until graduation from their nursing school. After that, Cao Keya started her work in the hospital while her boyfriend went into the Ministry of Health¡¯s disease control and prevention department using his family¡¯s connections. However, after further investigation, we¡¯ve found out that Cao Keya actually broke up with her boyfriend four months ago.¡±

    ¡°Even though Zheng Xiaogong started his work in the Ministry of Health using his family¡¯s connections, they actually spent quite a fortune and even borrowed money from his rtives since his family wasn¡¯t that wealthy. He also mentioned that they had less time to meet with each other after their work had started. Nurses usually worked in shifts and their working schedules aren¡¯t exactly fixed, whereas his work usually started at nine o¡¯clock and ended at five o¡¯clock with weekends off and no need for overtime as well. They would try to find some time for a date asionally but after a while, Cao Keya started to get impatient with him.¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaogong¡¯s starting sry was merely three thousand Yuan with an increment of five hundred Yuan afterward. Meanwhile, Cao Keya wasn¡¯t well paid either as a trainee nurse without reditation. Thus, they had limited budgets during dates and this was exactly the reason why she started getting impatient with Zheng Xiaogong as time went by.¡±

    ¡°Whenever Zheng Xiaogong gave Cao Keya phone calls, she would always give excuses that she was studying for examinations. Because of this, both of them hadn¡¯t met each other ormunicated much since then. On Cao Keya¡¯s birthday four months ago, Zheng Xiaogong wanted to give her a surprise and waited for her in front of the hospital. However, he noticed Cao Keya exiting the hospital and checked her surroundings very carefully as if trying to find someone.¡±

    ¡°Zheng Xiaogong started following Cao Keya out of curiosity and saw her entering a BMW on a street close to the hospital. Thus, he hailed a taxi and started tailgating them to a residential area which he knew wasn¡¯t Cao Keya¡¯s house. Cao Keya wasn¡¯t born in a rich family, and she only had a shared housing unit with her parents in T City.¡±

    ¡°Fortunately, the management in that residential area wasn¡¯t stern and the security guard allowed the taxi to enter the area, and that was when Zheng Xiaogong noticed Cao Keya and Wang Jianlei exited the car rather intimately. Both of them even started kissing before they entered the house.¡±

    Zhao Yiyang shook his head and said, ¡°You really can¡¯t judge a book by its cover.¡±

    ¡°That was when Zheng Xiaogong broke up with Cao Keya. Both Zheng Xiaogong and Wang Jianlei had alibis based on the time of Cao Keya¡¯s death. These were what we¡¯ve gathered until this morning, and we¡¯re nning to visit Wang Jianlei¡¯s wife, Lu Zhengmeiter in the evening for further questioning. Lu Zhengmei moved out on the same day Wang Jianlei¡¯s affair with Cao Keya was exposed and was currently going through the divorce procedures. She¡¯s living separately from Wang Jianlei at the moment,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

    Since the trio had nothing to do in the evening when it was impossible for them to investigate the case alone, they followed Zhang Shanfei to visit Lu Zhengmei together.

    Lu Zhengmei stared at the quartet and wondered if four police officers were a bit too much just for a simple questioning session.

    Were they suspecting Lu Zhengmei to be a potential murderer?

    ¡°Mrs. Lu, do you know anything about the rtionship between your husband and the victim, Cao Keya?¡± asked Zhang Shanfei.

    Lu Zhengmei shook her head in response. ¡°The matron in charge of the internal medicine department informed me after your investigation at that hospital, and that was when I finally realized the truth. She used to be my colleague before she was transferred to that hospital.¡±

    A self-mocking smile formed on Lu Zhengmei¡¯s face. ¡°It¡¯s really funny. Everyone, from doctors to patients, knew this and even discussed this issue publicly but Wang Jianlei still kept it a secret from me. I knew he didn¡¯t have the guts to tell me in person.¡±

    ¡°Coward!¡± Lu Zhengmei snickered without attempting to hide her disgust and contempt toward Wang Jianwei in front of Qi Youxuan and the rest.

    ¡°I was eventually told the truth by others instead of him, so I moved out of the house immediately afterward,¡± replied the exasperated Lu Zhengmei with red-rimmed eyes.

    ¡°Where were you from ten o¡¯clock at night on twenty-fifth until nine o¡¯clock in the morning on twenty-sixth?¡± asked Zhang Shanfei.

    Lu Zhengmei was stunned after listening to the time frame and answered, ¡°My birthday was on the twenty-fifth, so Jian... Wang Jianlei arranged the schedule on purpose and transferred his surgical operations to other surgeons so that he could get off work on time and celebrate my birthday. He made reservations in Yi Pin Tang so the surveince camera, receipt, and credit card record should be able to prove our alibis.¡±

    ¡°I had no clue that he already had an affair with a nurse from the same hospital and probably did quite a lot of things that hurt my feelings. It¡¯s ironic when I recalled his kindness toward me and I even expressed my heartfelt gratitude toward him for tolerating, supporting and loving me after all these years during our dinnerst night. I also posted pictures of the dinner and us on WeChatst night, and my friends even gave their blessings and that they were jealous of our stable rtionships.¡±

    Fu Zhengmei smiled scornfully. ¡°I thought I was blessed and disyed our affections publicly when in fact, I was living in his lies all along. Well, I guess they¡¯re sympathizing with me now. What a joke.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean Wang Jianlei was with you the whole time from ten o¡¯clock at night on twenty-fifth until nine o¡¯clock in the morning on twenty-sixth?¡± asked Zhang Shanfei.

    Lu Zhengmei nodded. ¡°Yes, it was my birthday after all. He couldn¡¯t possibly leave me alone and went on a date with his lover, right? Unless, of course, he wasn¡¯t afraid that I would get suspicious.¡±

    ¡°Do you hate Wang Jianlei?¡± asked Qi Youxuan all of a sudden.

    Lu Zhengmei was obviously taken by surprise, and after a few moments of absent-mindedness, she answered, ¡°Of course, how can I not? I trusted a man whom I had been living with for more than twenty years and he was close to retirement too, but he betrayed me by having an affair with a youngdy. Our son is an adult now¡ªwon¡¯t he feel embarrassed at all? I hated the fact that he cheated on us with a mistress and betrayed our trust despite having a family. He could even do all those dirty things outside and return home appearing like he loved this family, and act like a well-mannered and honest doctor in the hospital.¡±

    ¡°That nurse is more than twenty years younger than him! How could he be so disgusting? Plus, the nurse worked at the same hospital with him! Didn¡¯t he know that the fox preys farthest from his hole? I know it¡¯s inappropriate to criticize a dead person, but it takes two to make a quarrel. Wang Jianlei was at fault, but why would Cao Keya¡ªa youngdy in her twenties with a bright future ahead of her¡ªdestroy another family by being a mistress? Wang Jianlei was old enough to be her father, so it was obvious that she became a mistress just for his money. Wang Jianlei had the guts to betray us just for the sake of this indecent and immoraldy.¡±

    ¡°Cao Keya passed away, and this issue has attracted lots of attention right now. Not just those around me but even my son¡¯s friends were aware of his father having an affair with a mistress merely five years older than him! My son is currently studying in France so it¡¯s not a big issue yet, but what will happen when hees back during the holiday? My son has to face our neighbors and his previous ssmates. Should he stop any form ofmunication with them just to avoid the shame? Wang Jianlei¡¯s act basically pushes us to suffer in embarrassment! Did he ever think of us when he was enjoying his happy moment with the mistress outside? Was there any guilt at all?¡±

    Lu Zhengmei paused momentarily before smiling faintly. ¡°Well, I guess he did, and perhaps that was the reason why he treated me so well. He felt sorry for hurting his family and thus tried his very best to be the best possible husband and father for this family. You asked me if I hate him? He destroyed our life; how could I not hate him for that?¡±

    Qi Youxuan nodded and remained silent, but Zhang Shanfei could not help but ask, ¡°What about Cao Keya?¡±

    ¡°Police officer, are you suspecting that I murdered her?¡± Lu Zhengmei¡¯s lips trembled in fear. Any normal human being would feel scared when considered as a suspect.

    Moreover, this was a homicide case!

    ¡°No, it¡¯s just a routine.¡± Zhang Shanfei smiled while trying to calm Lu Zhengmei down.

    Lu Zhengmei answered with a stern expression, ¡°I hate him, and I hate Cao Keya too for destroying our peaceful family. Busy work life isn¡¯t an eptable reason for having an affair. I believe that I¡¯ve done a great deal for this family. I don¡¯t know if his previous kindness was fake or not, but at least I did a lot of things for his own good.¡±

 Chapter 526 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 7

    <h4>Chapter 526: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 7</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Little Youning and Little Xicheng shifted their gaze from Ruan Zeer to Chang Jingwan before looking at the owner of the voice walking toward them.

    Even though the other young trio were acting calmer than Little Youning and Little Xicheng, they all had their eyes fixed on thedy with glittering eyes.

    ¡°What a coincidence, Senior Ruan,¡± greeted Zhou Feiyi with a smile before peeking at Chang Jingwan and the children. ¡°You guys...are having a jolly time!¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re my nieces and nephews. I¡¯m bringing them for lunch today,¡± Ruan Zeer replied curtly.

    Even the children could feel the difference between Ruan Zeer¡¯s attitude toward thisdy and Chang Jingwan.

    Despite the well-mannerism, Ruan Zeer was obviously unfamiliar with thisdy as though there was an invisible wall standing between them, unlike how he usually treated Chang Jingwan and the children yfully. He would annoy Chang Jingwan asionally but it was evident that they were close to each other.

    Chang Jingwan recognized Zhou Feiyi who worked in University A after passing the postgraduate examination with a rank lower than Ruan Zeer. Postgraduates were normally discouraged to work in a university due to insufficient educational background, and a doctoral degree was the minimum requirement to work in University A. Ruan Zeer, a man of ability and took a sessive master-doctor program, was qualified for such prerequisite and University A had invited him over for work. However, Ruan Zeer rejected the offer and became a guest lecturer instead.

    On the other hand, Zhou Feiyi was merely a minister in the university¡¯s organization department of the student council without any direct rtion to the faculties. Even so, she frequently put in an appearance in the university¡¯s leaders¡¯ presence and had a strong family background with a considerable amount of money donated to the university.

    Those who wished to work in the university were usually capable men with decent family backgrounds and intended to have stable jobs. Moreover, it added on to their reputations as well to be able to work in University A.

    Thus, Zhou Feiyi basically forced an addition of job vacancy in University A when she had more wealth than ability. Frankly, her overall strength was indeed stronger than average since she was ratherpetent with goodmunication skills, and her family background could attract sponsorships for the university¡¯s sake.

    Zhou Feiyi was originally assigned as a counselor, but due to her desire for a higher job position, she underwent training as an assistant professor so that she could attain her master¡¯s degree sessfully.

    Everyone who attended sses would recognize Zhou Feiyi.

    Zhou Feiyi was aware of the rumors about the secret romance between Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan, but she was unfamiliar with Chang Jingwan¡¯s family background.

    Chang Jingwan would not usually follow Chang Zhiyuan to attend any banquet or business entertainment except for the banquets organized by the Great Eight Families.

    Chang Jingwan was not being snobbish. Rather, she found it rxing and felt like she was actually attending her own family¡¯s banquets as she had already familiarized herself with the Great Eight Families due to her rtionship with Ruan Danchen. On the other hand, Chang Zhiyuan¡¯s business entertainments or banquets were humdrum where she could only stand idly without much conversation topics to chat with random strangers. Thus, she would rather stay at home and y games than to join such boring events.

    This was exactly the reason why Zhou Feiyi did not recognize Chang Jingwan. It was the rumors between Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan that went flying thick in the university that piqued her curiosity, and she started paying attention to Chang Jingwan ever since. She noticed Chang Jingwan in lecture halls and knew what she looked like but did not know of the rtionship between the Chang family and the Qi family.

    Miss Zhou Feiyi would not dare to belittle Chang Jingwan if she realized the superiority in Chang Jingwan¡¯s family background.

    Contempt started to well up in Zhou Feiyi¡¯s heart due to ignorance but her expression showed an amused interest when she looked at Chang Jingwan. ¡°This must be Junior Chang Jingwan, right? You¡¯re Senior Ruan¡¯s niece too?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan and the children were left speechless.

    Zhou Feiyi obviously had no idea about the incident in the lecture hall this morning. Otherwise, she would not be at ease at that instant.

    ¡°Hello, Sister. She¡¯s our aunt,¡± replied Little Youning softly while holding onto Chang Jingwan¡¯s hand with her chubby little hand.

    The fact that Little Youning addressed Zhou Feiyi as sister made her feel exhrated. This cute little girl was so sweet!

    On the contrary, Little Youning had another thought in mind. If Ruan Zeer was her uncle, she would be giving an excessive amount of respect to Zhou Feiyi to refer to her as an aunt, whereas Zhou Feiyi¡¯s seniority would be the same as these children if she was addressed as a sister!

    ¡°Hello!¡± greeted Zhou Feiyi with a coquettish tone and a sweet smile on her face.

    Little Xicheng rolled her eyes after turning toward Wei Muche, who smiled and stroked her head in return.

    Why would some of the adults speak to children with a deliberate coquettish tone? The children could understand the adults who spoke with normal tones too.

    ¡°Uncle, I¡¯m hungry. When can we have our lunch?¡± asked Little Youning while pulling Ruan Zeer¡¯s arm.

    ¡°Please excuse us. The children are hungry so I¡¯m going to take them for lunch now,¡± replied Ruan Zeer calmly before attempting to leave.

    ¡°Wait!¡± yelled Zhou Feiyi. ¡°I¡¯m here for lunch too. Do you mind if I join you guys?¡±

    ¡°Sister, we¡¯re having a family gathering today. We¡¯ll invite you when there are outsiders with us next time, alright?¡± answered Little Youning with a smile.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, my granduncle ising soon. Are you using this opportunity to meet my uncle¡¯s parents?¡± Little Xicheng¡¯s smile was so sweet, and the way her dimples crinkled appeared especially cute and innocent. Such a smile was inherited directly from her mother, Qi Chengyue.

    Well, Little Xicheng was telling the truth. Ruan Zeer gave Ruan Keshan a phone call just now and Ruan Keshan had promised to join his cute little grandchildren after realizing that they were having lunch at a restaurant near University A.

    Zhou Feiyi¡¯s smile froze immediately andined affectionately, ¡°Naughty kids!¡±

    The restaurant was ying a song called The Joyous-Treasures<sup>1</sup> in the background, and Little Youjin started following the music and sang, ¡°Uncle and Aunt are a happy~ family~!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan and Zhou Feiyi were at a loss of words.

    Little Youning was truly amazed. Little Youjin was indeed Uncle Chengzhi¡¯s son who normally acted cool and quiet but could always strike a critical hit at crucial times.

    Ruan Zeer merely stroked Little Youjin¡¯s head and praised him, ¡°You sing well, the musical tones are on point.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan almost yelled, ¡°That isn¡¯t the point!¡± (#`O¡ä)¡±

    Ruan Zeer seemed to be ignoring the embarrassment in Chang Jingwan¡¯s face and held her hand directly while urging the children, ¡°Let¡¯s go for lunch!¡±

    Chang Jingwan could feel the heat radiating from Ruan Zeer¡¯s palm and wanted to retrieve her trembling hand, but her attempt was stopped by the increased grip strength in Ruan Zeer¡¯s hand. Thus, she had no choice but to let Ruan Zeer lead her into the restaurant.

    This was the first time Chang Jingwan walked hand-in-hand with an unrted man in her lifetime...

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s ears were flushed red into the shade of ripe strawberries.

    Ruan Zeer fought the urge tough after he noticed Chang Jingwan¡¯s reaction. The first time when Ruan Zeer met the daughter of Ruan Danchen¡¯s uncle, Chang Jingwan gave him a feeling that she was a quiet introvert who acted with sincerity and without the pride and arrogance of ady from a wealthy family. Thus, even though they were not closely associated with each other, he knew Chang Jingwan was much better than Chang Jingqiu at first nce.

    They got in touch with each other rather frequently afterward. When he realized that Chang Jingwan always sneaked in delicious food for both Youxuan and Youning, this youngdy raised his interest instantly. She looked so silly when she bought meat for the kids whenever possible and treated them with all her heart by giving them everything that she could possibly afford.

    They developed intimacy between each other after that and Ruan Zeer noticed more interesting facts about Chang Jingwan at that time. She was an introvert when she was around strangers, but there were additions of various funny expressions the moment she was around close friends or family. It almost felt like she was acting silly anywhere, anytime, and she totally had no clue about it too!

    Chang Jingwan¡¯s mentality would asionally downgrade to Little Youning¡¯s level, and they could y together so well that there was absolutely zeromunication barrier between them.

    Ruan Zeer really liked to see Chang Jingwan¡¯s silly acts.

    Exactly like what she was doing at this moment. ¨r(¨s¨Œ¨t)¨q

    When The Joyous-Treasures song started repeating its chorus, the children sang together while scampering happily, ¡°Uncle and Aunt are a happy~ family~!¡±

    The awkward Zhou Feiyi remained frozen to the spot, and the fact that both Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan were walking hand-in-hand almost blinded her senses.

    Zhou Feiyi had no desire to have her lunch here and darted out of the restaurant in an instant.

    It was only until Zhou Feiyi returned to the university did she learn about the scandal that was going on in Ruan Zeer¡¯s lecture earlier.

    A few momentster, Ruan Keshan arrived at the restaurant and was just in time to pay for the children¡¯s lunch. Despite a stomach filled with bean curds, Little Youning was quite satisfied with the lunch that tasted exactly like smooth and meltable meat.

    After the children promised to text the adults upon reaching home, they stood by and watched as the children entered the cars and were brought home by their chauffeurs respectively.

    Then, Chang Jingwan followed Ruan Zeer and Ruan Keshan back to the university.

    Chang Jingwan intended to walk alone, but it would be rude and strange since both Ruan Zeer and Ruan Keshan were close acquaintances, so she had no choice but to follow them.

    ncing at Chang Jingwan who was walking with her head lowered, Ruan Zeer fought the urge to hold her hand in his father¡¯s presence.

    Even though Chang Jingwan was staring at the road, she was not actually paying attention and almost fell down after being tripped over.

    ¡°How did you stumble when you¡¯re staring at the road while walking?¡± Ruan Zeer caught Chang Jingwan right in the nick of time as he slipped his other arm around her waist and pulled her into his embrace.

 Chapter 527 - He Came Here to Relieve Himself Instead of Solving This Case

    <h4>Chapter 527: He Came Here to Relieve Himself Instead of Solving This Case</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°I admit that I hate them, but at the same time, I have a son to take care of,¡± confessed Lu Zhengmei before sipping a cup of tea to calm her rage. ¡°While I may have my limit, I won¡¯t kill anyone just because they hurt me. Besides, if I really wanted to kill someone, Cao Keya won¡¯t be alone because Wang Jianlei is far worse in my opinion. He¡¯s the one who hurt us the most! He knew how much damage his action would cause us once we realized the truth yet he did it nheless, and that was the reason why he still didn¡¯t have the courage to inform me personally after everything was exposed.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not him, after all. What¡¯ll happen to my son if I act rashly? I¡¯m not smart enough to kill anyone with a perfect n and leave no evidence behind, so what¡¯ll happen to my son if I¡¯m caught? He has to endure hardship not just from life but from the criticisms around him as well. His father had an affair with a mistress who was murdered in the end, and the murderer turned out to be his mother. I¡¯d be destroying my son¡¯s future if that¡¯s the case.¡±

    ¡°Wang Jianlei can ignore his son but I can¡¯t. Perhaps you won¡¯t understand to what extent a mother¡¯s forbearance can go for her own child¡¯s sake. Naturally, I won¡¯t provide fake testimony just to frame Wang Jianlei. I hate him, but I¡¯m not despicable,¡± added Lu Zhengmei.

    The crowd left the house afterward. Zhang Shanfei called Yang Shaoqun and exined the situation before heading toward Yi Pin Tang to investigate and verify the evidence. Thus, Lu Zhengmei¡¯s alibi was confirmed.

    They were anxious about theck of progression. Then, Jiang Yuecheng gave Zhang Ming a phone call.

    ¡°Shaozhan had identified all licensed psychologists in B City but there¡¯s too many of them. We didn¡¯t expect that there would be so many psychologists at present. Are mental illnesses really thatmon right now? Anyway, we¡¯re going through their details at the moment.¡±

    Qi Youxuan wasparing both Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya¡¯s information to check if there was any simrity between them, other than the fact that they were both mistresses.

    ¡°Eh? Both Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya lived near each other.¡± Qi Youxuan was flipping through their information when he noticed the addresses. ¡°Both of them lived in Ningxia street two, with Xiong Shishi staying at area twenty-five and Cao Keya at area twenty-six. These two areas are neighboring areas.¡±

    ¡°Ningxia street two is considered an old city subdivision. The housing area which Cao Keya lived in is a newmercial housing area built after the demolition of old houses, whereas the house Xiong Shishi rented is almost twenty years old. The new and old housing areas are neighbors, but there¡¯s no high-end grocery store or mall due to theck of purchasing power among themunity. Thus, anyone who¡¯s financially stable won¡¯t normally buy houses in this area unless it¡¯s for investment purposes. The house Cao Keya lived in was actually rented by Wang Jianlei. I guess the sector quality wasn¡¯t a primary concern after all,¡± exined Yang Shaoqun since Qi Youxuan and his team were unfamiliar with T City¡¯s condition.

    ¡°Both the victims lived rather closely. Is it possible that the assant lives or works nearby too?¡± asked Wei Muran after turning her gaze toward Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll talk, you¡¯ll write.¡±

    Wei Muran rushed toward the whiteboard immediately and took a whiteboard marker pen.

    Qi Youxuan, who was sitting in the swivel chair, turned toward Wei Muran with his right elbow resting on the armrest while rubbing both his right thumb and index finger together.

    ¡°The assant is a married man in his thirties. His wife cheated on him with another man and ended up in a divorce. He¡¯s just a general staff with a low paycheck, which is the reason why his wife betrayed him. He started a rtionship with his wife a long time ago, probably since they were studying in university.¡±

    Qi Youxuan paused momentarily before narrowing his eyes. ¡°The assant used to work in B City, but came here after his wife¡¯s betrayal.¡±

    ¡°How do you know about this?¡± asked the surprised Zou Chengwei.

    Qi Youxuan stared at Zou Chengwei and thought that he could really be Xing Jiadong¡¯s best friend fairly easily.

    ¡°You¡¯ve read the novel, right? Three murderers consulted a psychologist beforemitting homicides. The first two murderers were local citizens of B City without any record of long-term stay outside B City. The second murderer, Li Niancheng wasn¡¯t exactly wealthy and his only record of leaving B City was to murder his victim in Lijiang City. Otherwise, he had been staying in B City since then. The first murderer, Dong Zhengfeng was a teacher initially with a stable financial condition. He asionally went on vacations for three to four days but after Li Anqi¡¯s death, he didn¡¯t leave B City anymore. You can¡¯t actually cure a mental disease after one or two consultations, and a regr checkup with the psychologist is actually required for improvement. I¡¯ve concluded that the murderer once lived in B City but came to T City in the end, probably under the psychologist¡¯s instruction.¡±

    Qi Youxuan ignored the oh-I-see look on Zou Chengwei¡¯s face and continued, ¡°The murderer looks like a gentleman despite the ordinary facial features. None will actually remember him since he doesn¡¯t appear outstanding. His home or workce should be in one of those housing areas, or at least somewhere nearby with less than fifteen minutes walking distance.¡±

    ¡°Why would the walking distance be less than fifteen minutes?¡± asked the dumbfounded Yang Shaoqun.

    Qi Youxuan exined patiently, ¡°First of all, the murderer must understand the two housing areas¡¯youts in detail, and was aware of both Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya¡¯s issues as well. Shi Chenzhong and Wang Jianlei always visited the housing areas where Xiong Shishi and Cao Keya lived, even though these men¡¯s legal wives didn¡¯t know about the mistresses¡¯ existence. There was a huge difference between the men and the mistresses¡¯ ages, so those busybodies around the area would discuss this issue at the back and could easily guess their rtionships after detailed observation.¡±

    ¡°Gossips are spread near the source, so how can the murderer get ahold of them if he works or stays somewhere far away? Plus, the murderer often appeared around the housing areas and got along with those busybodies very well, thus knowing about the gossip in detail. I¡¯m guessing that a lot of aunties aged forty and above should recognize the murderer, so he either lives or works in the areas or somewhere nearby, and would always stroll around in the housing areas. If he works outside the housing areas, it¡¯s highly likely that he works as a property agent. That way, he can visit these two housing areas frequently to search for avable properties or bring the customers for site viewing, and thus can get ahold of everything that happens in the areas with ease.¡±

    ¡°Those areas are pure residential areas without any decentpany around them. There are only a few shophouses at the roadside mainlyprised of restaurants and some clothing stores. Well, a few franchised housing agencies are there, too. Moreover, there¡¯s a children¡¯s early learning center and a foreignnguage tuition center at the main entrance of Cao Keya¡¯s housing area, and a few branches of travel agencies in Xiong Shishi¡¯s housing area as well.¡± Zou Chengwei frowned and continued. ¡°Xiong Shishi¡¯s housing area isn¡¯tplicated since there aren¡¯t manypanies inside it¡ªmaybe aundry shop and so on at most. However, there are a few agencypanies, Korean supermarkets, restaurants,w firms, beauty salons, and somepanies even rented the houses as their offices in Cao Keya¡¯s housing area. There are just too many of them!¡±

    ¡°Well, we¡¯ve narrowed down the range. At least it¡¯s more efficient than citywide investigation without any clue or idea. We can still finish our investigations no matter how manypanies are there in the spected range. Let¡¯s start investigating the restaurants first since they¡¯re usuallyte to get off work,¡± concluded Yang Shaoqun.

    Qi Youxuan and his team did not intervene with T City¡¯s police department¡¯s investigation since they were only here to follow up on the case and were also unfamiliar with this city as well. Thus, they left the office when it was time to get off work.

    ¡°Hey, since we¡¯ve nothing to doter, why don¡¯t we grab dinner together? Let¡¯s search if there¡¯s any reputed restaurant around this area. We need to rx tonight because there¡¯ll be a tough battle waiting for us tomorrow,¡± suggested Zhao Yiyang while stretching himself.

    This was a perfect moment for a date even when they were in T City, so there was no way on Earth that Qi Youxuan would bring two gooseberries along on a date.

    Besides, there was no need for Qi Youxuan to fetch Wei Muran back home before nine o¡¯clock and they were not under his future father-inw¡¯s constant supervision. In all honesty, he came here to relieve himself instead of solving this case.

    However, someone yelled before Qi Youxuan could reject the offer. ¡°Muran!¡±

    Qi Youxuan turned around and saw Xiao Yiqing running past him like wind and gave Wei Muran a bear hug. On the contrary, Xiang Haorui, who was following behind Xiao Yiqing, walked toward them in a slow and steady pace.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to meet you so soon! I was so happy when I received your WeChat messagest night!¡± said the excited Xiao Yiqing with a reddened face. ¡°By the way, where are you guys staying?¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re staying in Home Inn<sup>1</sup> because we¡¯ll get a reimbursement of travel expenses when we¡¯re on duty,¡± answered Wei Muran.

    Xiao Yiqing did not belittle hotel chains since she faced many hardships when she lived in B City with Ning Wan during childhood, even though she was still young at that time without much memory of the suffering.

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t regard yourself as outsiders. You don¡¯t have to stay in the hotel when you¡¯re in T City. Come to my ce instead¡ªwe¡¯ve got lots of empty rooms and we can even talk togetherter!¡± Xiao Yiqing¡¯s mind wandered as she was still hugging Wei Muran. ¡°How wonderful would it be as we wear pajamas and tucked into the same bed while telling stories all night!¡±

    Qi Youxuan disliked anyone who tried to take Wei Muran away from him no matter the gender, and had reached the end of his forbearance when the kidnap was done right in front of him.

    ¡°The hotel is good enough, and best if we don¡¯t get special privileges since there are other colleagues as well,¡± rejected Qi Youxuan while dragging Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang over. ¡°Look, Muran¡¯s squad leader is here too.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nced at Qi Youxuan calmly and smiled faintly. ¡°It¡¯s not that strict. I won¡¯t mind if you stay at your friend¡¯s house or the hotel as long as the case progression isn¡¯t dyed.¡±

 Chapter 528 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 8

    <h4>Chapter 528: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge Of People Of All Sorts 8</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Chang Jingwan felt soft in Ruan Zeer¡¯s embrace. If he already feltfortable with her in his sideway hug, what sort of feeling would he feel if he hugged Chang Jingwan tightly?

    The wind carried Chang Jingwan¡¯s hair upward and almost tickled Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips, bringing the sweet fragrance of her hair into his nostrils.

    Ruan Zeer then inhaled the fragrance deeply like a pervert.

    Chang Jingwan could feel the intense heat radiating from Ruan Zeer¡¯s palm on her waist and tried to move away from him. Ruan Zeer detected the slight movement and remained silent, only retrieving his palm after enjoying the sensation on his palm for an extra three to four seconds.

    Ruan Zeer¡¯s action was so smooth, calm and natural like he was merely supporting Chang Jingwan kindly from falling down and injuring herself. She almost felt like he was doing this for her sake without asking anything in return.

    The extra few seconds Ruan Zeer¡¯s palm spent on her waist felt unreal, and perhaps she was merely being oversensitive after all.

    Chang Jingwan could not refrain from turning around and stared at Ruan Zeer¡¯s face from the side. Looking at the gentleman before her, Chang Jingwan finally understood Xu Lele¡¯spliment on him¡ªa handsome man in a white garment in ancient China.

    Sure enough, it was just her imagination!

    Ruan Zeer seemed to have noticed Chang Jingwan¡¯s gaze and turned around to meet her eyes. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. Thanks for helping me just now,¡± Chang Jingwan blurted without a choice.

    Ruan Zeer nodded in response. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, just pay attention when you¡¯re walking. How did you stumble when you were staring at the road just now?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan failed to muster a reply.

    She could note up with a good excuse at this instant.

    ¡°You can¡¯t stare at the road at the same time you¡¯re looking at me,¡± added Ruan Zeer.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was left speechless.

    They would encounter a few lecturers even though the campus was humongous.

    Exactly like what happened at this moment. The trio met Associate Professor Hua from the Mathematics department, sporting coffee-colored square-rimmed spectacles with a wool vest on top of his shirt, strolling around the campus with his arms on his back.

    This associate professor liked to go for a walk on the campus after meals to aid in digestion.

    A smile broke across the associate professor¡¯s stern expression and the wrinkles on his face almost crinkled into a bouquet of flowers the moment he saw Ruan Keshan.

    ¡°Hey, Lao Ruan! Aren¡¯t you at the Chinese Academy of Sciences today? Why did you return so soon when you don¡¯t have a lecture to conduct in the evening?¡± asked the smiling Associate Professor Hua as he walked toward the trio with arms behind him.

    ¡°No, I came back to join my grandchildren for lunch this afternoon, so now I¡¯m here to take a walk after having my stomach full,¡± replied Ruan Keshan as he returned his smile.

    ¡°Hey, aren¡¯t you here to visit your daughter-inw?¡± Associate Professor Hua teased yfully and fixed his gaze on Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°Daughter-inw?¡± Ruan Keshan stared at Associate Professor Hua doubtfully with his innocent eyes.

    ¡°Still ying the fool, huh? The whole campus knew about the incident in this morning¡¯s lecture. You¡¯re so blessed! Let us know when Zeer starts distributing wedding candies<sup>1</sup>!¡± said Associate Professor Hua happily.

    Ruan Keshan had no clue what was going on at the moment. Associate Professor Hua simply shifted his gaze between Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan and chirped, ¡°Both of you are perfect for each other!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan was at a loss for words.

    Chang Jingwan merely left the lecture hall with Ruan Zeer after ss. Why did the rumor escte instantly to wedding candies distribution?

    Chang Jingwan did not expect that the elderly professors in the university would have wild imaginations either. Where was the high moral standard and prestige expected in these professors? Where was their devotion andmitment to better education and development of mothend? ©µ(£þ§¥£þ)©±

    Ruan Keshan might be naive at times, but even a blind man could notice Associate Professor Hua fixing his gaze persistently between Chang Jingwan and his son.

    Ruan Keshan remained silent and yed the fool again before bidding Associate Professor Hua goodbye.

    Chang Jingwan could no longer withstand the intense pressure from all the gazes around the campus and fled the scene immediately.

    Ruan Keshan nced at Ruan Zeer before bringing him to the office.

    After the door was closed, Ruan Keshan eagerly asked without the usual strictness a father was supposed to possess, ¡°My son, what¡¯s going on? My daughter-inw is... Jingwan?¡±

    Ruan Keshan¡¯s son was good in every aspect¡ªhandsome, well-mannered, and superb academic performance¡ªand had never troubled his parents since childhood.

    The only thing was that Ruan Zeer had never fallen in love before!

    Ever since Ruan Zeer started attending kindergarten, Grandfather Ruan had been asking him persistently if any cute girl had attracted his attention.

    However, the idea of getting into rtionships sounded ridiculous as Ruan Zeer was still young, and Ruan Keshan merely assumed that Grandfather Ruan was just too bored and wanted to joke with his grandson at that time.

    The same assumption persisted even when Ruan Zeer started attending primary school.

    When Ruan Zeer started studying in junior high school, Grandfather Ruan even went to his school furtively and surveyed beautiful girls in his free time so that Ruan Zeer¡¯s betrothment could be decided in advance. ording to Grandfather Ruan, it was extremely difficult to find a suitable spouse and most wonderfuldies would be engaged to toads by the time Ruan Zeer had a sessful career.

    Chen Minxia resigned to Grandfather Ruan¡¯s exnation without any courage for refutation but would take time to warn Ruan Zeer not to y ¡®puppy love¡¯ at such a young age. Quite frankly, that was exactly what Ruan Keshan had in mind too. The child was still young without any experience or knowledge of the adult world, and education was the main priority in his age group.

    Fortunately, Ruan Zeer was too busy solving various academic problems and puzzles to have that intention in mind. Many girls had actually handed love letters or even confessed directly to Ruan Zeer in high school, but he basically ignored or rejected them straight away.

    The same thing persisted when Ruan Zeer started to further his study at university. He was still single after graduation. He appeared to have no intention of finding his true love even when his doctoral degree wasing to an end! This issue started to trouble Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia since then.

    They merely disagreed with puppy love instead of not loving at all!

    Ruan Keshan tried to use a different approach by inquiring his colleagues in the Chinese Academy of Sciences or their friends for potential youngdies and introduced them to his son without making his intention obvious. However, his attempts ended up in failures.

    Chen Minxia tried to introduce a few youngdies to Ruan Zeer as well. Many youngdies from wealthy families were present in the banquets Ruan Zeer and Qi Chenglin attended, and some actually expressed their affections toward Ruan Zeer. Even so, Ruan Zeer ignored every one of them.

    Ruan Keshan and Chen Minxia were worried sick while their son merely acted calmly like it was none of his business at all.

    Finally, there was a rumor about Ruan Zeer¡¯s future spouse which gave Ruan Keshan hope and energy instantly.

    ¡°Yes, Dad. You think she¡¯s good too, right?¡± asked Ruan Zeer with a smile.

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Keshan was dumbfounded.

    His son answered everything for him before he could muster a reply. Even though Ruan Keshan felt that Chang Jingwan was a wonderfuldy, he had a feeling that he was forced to ept this information for some reason.

    ¡°Good, good! Dad will support you as long as you can find your future spouse, regardless of gender,¡± replied Ruan Keshan.

    1

    ¡°...¡± The corner of Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly before hemented, ¡°Dad, I didn¡¯t expect you to be so fashionable.¡±

    Ruan Keshan grinned in response. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s because you made your mom and I anxious about your future.¡±

    Ruan Zeer nodded and replied, ¡°I really like Chang Jingwan and want to marry her into the Ruan family.¡±

    Ruan Keshan nodded vigorously. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s good! That¡¯s really good! Son, go for it. Let us know if you need any help. Hahahahaha, Chang Zhiyuan always tries to fight with me for Youxuan and Youning, but now we¡¯ll snatch his daughter straight into our home. He¡¯ll be so pissed when that happens. Hahahahaha!¡±

    4

    ¡°...¡± Ruan Zeer smiled wordlessly even though Ruan Keshan¡¯s words sounded like he was a human trafficker.

    ...

    ...

    New rumors appeared out of nowhere and started spreading in University A soon after; Ruan Zeer was going to marry Chang Jingwan very soon! Both families had reached a consensus that the Ruan family fancied Chang Jingwan as his future daughter-inw since a long time ago, and Ruan Zeer had indeed epted her identity as his fianc¨¦e.

    The incident about the duo¡¯s secret romance in the lecture hall had established the authenticity of this rumor, which started small at first but had somehow spread like wildfire across the campus like a snowball effect.

    Chang Jingwan had no clue about this issue until she went for a lecture with Xu Lele one day when a female lecturer in her fifties fixed her gaze on Chang Jingwan the moment she walked past the podium.

    The female lecturer nicknamed ¡®Devil¡¯ grabbed Chang Jingwan¡¯s hand affectionately, an entirely unexpected move. ¡°You must be Jingwan! You and Zeer are really a pair of lovely couples! No wonder Lao Ruan was acting so happily in front of us recently. You guys aren¡¯t even married but he¡¯s been giving us wedding candies every single day. I¡¯m actually worried that my glucose level will increase recently.¡±

    This was Chang Jingwan¡¯s reaction at that point of time: ¦²(¤Ã¡ã§¥¡ã;)¤Ã

    Blush seared through Chang Jingwan¡¯s cheeks and she had no idea how to reply to the female lecturer.

    ¡°Teacher... Teacher Zhou, I think you might have misunderstood something. There¡¯s absolutely zero rtionship between Ruan Zeer and I! Well, not exactly zero. Our families are rted by marriage, otherwise there¡¯s nothing else between us. Why...¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s alright, I understand you perfectly. It¡¯s a rare sight for youngsters to be so low profile these days. Don¡¯t worry, everyone knows the truth and you don¡¯t have to hide it any further. Principal Hao was aware of it and had agreed to attend your wedding in the future. He¡¯ll represent Lao Ruan¡¯s department to give a speech on stage even if he can¡¯t be the chief witness of your marriage, and he¡¯s already started writing the script. There¡¯s really no need for you to be embarrassed now!¡±

    What... What did Teacher Zhou understand so far?

    She... She was not hiding anything!

    Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan were merely rted as inws and nothing else!

    What wedding ceremony? What speech? ¦²(¡ã¡÷¡ã|||)¦õ

 Chapter 529 - This Murderer Is Trying Something New and Creative Every Single Time

    <h4>Chapter 529: This Murderer Is Trying Something New and Creative Every Single Time</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    ¡°That¡¯s uneptable. What happens if there¡¯s an emergency? Manors are usually situated in remote areas.¡± Qi Youxuan shook his head vigorously.

    Xiao Yiqing replied in a cheerful tone, ¡°We aren¡¯t staying in a manor! The whole top floor of Dynasty Hotel is our home so we have lots of empty rooms to offer, and the elevator can take us straight to our home without stopping at any floor too!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan could not argue with that.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s re to Xiang Haorui conveyed the message: ¡®Can you please control your wife?¡¯

    Did Xiao Yiqing know destroying two lovers¡¯ fate to be husband and wife would end up in quicker death?

    Xiang Haorui merely gave an innocent look of ¡®my wife¡¯s words are mymand¡¯ to Qi Youxuan.

    Wei Muran had no choice but to drag Qi Youxuan away and smile at Xiao Yiqing. ¡°We¡¯ll stay at your ce then.¡±

    Xiao Yiqing was exhrated by this statement but Qi Youxuan¡¯s expression was contorted in disappointment. After that, he pulled Wei Muran¡¯s hand quickly and said, ¡°I¡¯ll bring her for dinner first before sending her to Dynasty Hotelter.¡±

    ¡°What are you talking about? Of course we¡¯ll have dinner together when you¡¯re here.¡± Xiao Yiqing held onto Wei Muran¡¯s other arm and added, ¡°Why do you not love your friends anymore? You used to be so cute when you were young!¡±

    Qi Youxuan was reluctant to speak with Xiao Yiqing any further and merely red at Xiang Haorui with resentment.

    Xiang Haorui was forced to suggest, ¡°Qingqing, why don¡¯t we invite Youxuan to stay at our ce tonight as well? Four of us can gather together and have a chatter too.¡±

    Xiao Yiqing was actually aware of the source of Qi Youxuan¡¯s mncholy, so she quitted joking and fought the urge to smile while nodding her head. ¡°Alright!¡±

    Qi Youxuan sneered at Xiang Haorui and thought, ¡®You brat. Don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t realize that you¡¯re actually using this opportunity to infiltrate the enemy¡¯s...oh, sorry...father-inw¡¯s base!¡¯

    Frankly, Qi Youxuan envied Xiang Haorui.

    The Xiao family and the Xiang family had joked about the engagement between these two kids since they got along with each other so well during childhood. Thus, when the kids had grown up and actually started a rtionship together, their families acknowledged them happily and satisfactorily instead of stopping them.

    It was a far contrast to Qi Youxuan¡¯s situation, whose father-inw guarded against him vigntly like he was a thief. It was very depressing.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go for dinner. Police officers,e and join us too!¡± Xiao Yiqing chirped to both Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang.

    Qi Youxuan gritted his teeth very tightly.

    ¡°Stop it! I¡¯ve already allowed you to stay at my ce tonight. You¡¯ve been dating Muran daily and now that you¡¯re in T City, can you at least allow us to meet just for a night? Judging by your constant refusal, do you actually have some ill intention in mind tonight?¡±ined Xiao Yiqing while she red at Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°...¡± Qi Youxuan was at a loss for words.

    If Qi Youxuan could go back in time, he definitely would not be acquainted with Xiao Yiqing.

    Dejected and left with no choice, Qi Youxuan joined Xiao Yiqing and the rest¡ªfrom the initial two-men group to a six-men group¡ªfor dinner in order to prove his innocence and kindness.

    ...

    ...

    In Jinxiu Community appeared a gentleman in histe twenties with ck-rimmed spectacles, a white formal shirt underneath a ck suit, and aptop bag worn on one side while the strap was looped over the opposite shoulder. He was walking toward themunity entrance when he saw two aunties in their fifties walking toward him while pushing their shopping carts.

    ¡°Auntie Yang, Auntie Li, back from grocery shopping?¡± greeted the gentleman with a smile.

    Home Love Property Agency Company situated in Jinxiu Community happened to be the gentleman¡¯s workce. He would meet with these retired aunties constantly whenever he brought customers for site-viewing or strolling around themunity to check for avable properties for rental or sales purpose. asionally, he would join these aunties for chit chat and got ahold of gossip that were spread around this area.

    Moreover, the gentleman gave a favorable impression to these aunties due to his honey-mouthed attitude and willingness to listen to them. Soon, he became integrated with them and there was rarely any retired auntie who did not recognize this gentleman.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s cheaper to buy ingredients when the night market is closing soon,¡± replied Auntie Yang with a smile. ¡°Getting off work so soon today?¡±

    ¡°No, I¡¯m going to pick up a customer for site-viewing at Mountain View Communityter before going home straight away,¡± answered the gentleman.

    ¡°Off you go then. Oh, by the way, I¡¯ve made baozi<sup>1</sup> for dinner tonight. I¡¯ll give you a few tomorrow afternoon,¡± said Auntie Li.

    ¡°Oh, good! I miss the baozi Auntie Li made. They¡¯re so delicious and iparable to those baozi sold outside!¡± replied the gentleman.

    ¡°Hahaha, you¡¯re so sweet!¡± said the delighted Auntie Li. A woman at this age did not have much interest but she would surely like to be praised for her good cooking skill.

    ¡°Hey, I¡¯m being sincere!¡± replied the smiling gentleman.

    After bidding farewell with these two aunties, the gentleman finally left themunity.

    ...

    ...

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran went their separate ways with Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang after dinner. Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang returned to the hotel while Qi Youxuan brought Wei Muran to the Xiao family¡¯s home that was also in Dynasty Hotel.

    Approximately four o¡¯clock in the morning, Wei Muran received a phone call and Xiao Yiqing who was sleeping right beside her was awakened by the sudden ringtone too.

    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯ll go out and talk so you can sleep again,¡± said Wei Muran.

    Xiao Yiqing could not hear Wei Muran¡¯s words clearly due to a foggy brain and merely flipped over to continue her slumber.

    Wei Muran, who was still wearing pajamas, walked toward the living room and turned on the lights before epting the call.

    The night was still young with the outside world etched in charcoal. The sudden bright light forced Wei Muran to squint until her pupils adapted to the brightness after a while.

    ¡°Sergeant Jiang, what happened?¡± asked Wei Muran directly after epting the call. No one would make phone calls in the middle of the night unless it was an emergency.

    ¡°Yang Shaoqun called me just now saying that they found another female corpse at Mountain View Community, which is just nearby Jinxiu Community Cao Keya once lived. Yiyang and I are on our way now. You and Youxuan need to head there as soon as possible,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng.

    After Wei Muran hung up the phone call, she darted toward the opposite room and pressed the doorbell without noticing that she was merely wearing pajamas at the moment.

    A sleepy voice emerged from within the room after a few moments. ¡°I¡¯ming.¡±

    The door eventually opened after some time.

    Wei Muran was taken by surprise and words failed toe out of her mouth.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s cket was basically wide open and revealed the chiselled chest within the bathrobe. Wei Muran assumed that he must be sleeping naked just now, and that was probably the reason why the cincture was tied hastily when he put on the bathrobe provided by the hotel before answering the door.

    Fortunately, the bottom part was covered rather firmly and only a small portion of his legs was exposed. He was even wearing a pair of disposable slippers provided by the hotel.

    This pretty boy who had just woke up was too attractive and gave Wei Muran quite a shock. She hadpletely forgotten about her main purpose ofing here and waking this dashingd.

    After Qi Youxuan rubbed the remainders of sleep from his face, he put on a sweet smile instantly before pulling Wei Muran into the room and further into his embrace. ¡°Mumu, you actually miss me! Come, let me hug you and we¡¯ll sleep togetherter!¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was left speechless.

    Wei Muran finally regained her calm and tried to push Qi Youxuan away. Coincidentally, half of her palm was pressed against the bathrobe while the other half onto his smooth and firm chest.

    The back of Wei Muran¡¯s head was sped by Qi Youxuan and her cheek was pressed firmly on his chest that radiated intense heat onto her palm and face, and it caused her blush to burn throughout her entire body.

    ¡°Let me go and stop messing around. There¡¯s a new case.¡± Wei Muran tried her best to lift her gaze.

    Wei Muran¡¯s mind was currently in a whirl and gave Qi Youxuan the perfect opportunity to taste her scent. Thus, without further hesitation, Qi Youxuan cupped her cheek and nted fiery and passionate kisses on her lips that overwhelmed her logical thinking.

    When Qi Youxuan finally wanted to listen about the new case, Wei Muran was unable to think straight and failed to muster a response.

    A devilish grin formed on Qi Youxuan¡¯s face as he pulled Wei Muran into his embrace again for another round of kissing. ¡°Do you want to tell me about the case? If not, we¡¯ll head back to sleep for a while. You¡¯ll sleep on the bed and I¡¯ll sleep with you.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was dumbfounded.

    Even in her blurry state of mind, Wei Muran was reluctant in causing Qi Youxuan pain and thus stomped on his foot rather gently.

    Qi Youxuan released his grip in the end andbed Wei Muran¡¯s messed-up hair after his constant fondling before saying, ¡°Head back to your room and get dressed first. You can start talking about the case on the roadter.¡±

    After Qi Youxuan turned Wei Muran around and pushed her out of his room, he stood there and watched as she tottered back to her room safely before closing the door.

    It was only until Wei Muran took off her pajamas when she realized that there were no undergarments covering her private parts. Qi Youxuan must have felt everything when he hugged her so firmly just now.

    Wei Muran felt ufortable in that instant and was reluctant to face reality even after she got dressed. It was just her luck that a corpse was waiting for them.

    Left with no choice, Wei Muran summoned her courage and went out of her room. There Qi Youxuan was, leaning against the wall in a tidy outfit and looking lively without any sign of drowsiness at all. On the contrary, Wei Muran was so sleepy that she even covered her mouth and yawned. She was left to wonder if Qi Youxuan¡¯s brain was made with special constituents to get rid of the sleepiness so easily.

    Naturally, Xiao Yiqing¡¯s slumber was disturbed since Wei Muran was awake, so she took the time to see Wei Muran out of the room and lent a car to Qi Youxuan who requested for it.

    Wei Muran exined the situation while the duo were on their way toward the crime scene. However, she did not know much about this case since both Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang were unsure about the details as well. All of them knew basically the same information and additional information might be obtained only after they reached the crime scene.

    Eventually, the duo reached the crime scene without making any mistake after Wei Muran turned on the navigation system.

    They passed Jinxiu Community during the journey and concluded that Mountain View Community was merely slightlyrger than Jinxiu Community despite being in the same ss.

    After searching around themunity based on the building number provided by Jiang Yuecheng on the phone, they located the building where the victim lived.

    Three police cars were parked in front of the building¡¯s main entrance with police cordons around the block that was also under tight security by police officers in their tidy uniforms.

    Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan exited the car and showed their identity cards to the police officer on guard. ¡°Hello, we¡¯re from the Criminal Investigation Division from B City and are currently in coboration with the Criminal Investigation Division from T City.¡±

    The police officer was aware of this and allowed them to enter the crime scene.

    After realizing that the victim stayed on the fourth floor, Wei Muran figured that the number four<sup>1</sup> really sounded inauspicious whenbined with death, even though it was just a simple number at usual times.

    The duo exited the elevator afterward. There was no need for them to inquire the victim¡¯s unit number since there were only three units on this floor and only the door to the left unit was opened with a police cordon in front of the entrance, which was also guarded by a police officer. Judging by the various conversations and noises, it must be crowded inside the unit.

    The other two families on the same floor were disturbed by the hecticmotion outside their units. Geriatrics usually suffered from sleep problems such as light sleeps and frequent night awakenings, so an elderlydy opened the door slightly to identify the source of themotion furtively.

    The elderlydy overheard from the conversation vaguely that someone passed away in unit four-zero-one and told her family members anxiously. ¡°Quick,e and have a look! Someone died in unit four-zero-one! Oh my God, that¡¯s so scary!¡±

    The neighbor that lived in the middle unit poked his head out and overheard this statement. ¡°There¡¯s only a youngdy living in unit four-zero-one alone, right? What a pity. That¡¯s why it¡¯s not advisable to live alone in a house. It¡¯s very dangerous!¡±

    ¡°Who said she lived alone? Didn¡¯t a middle-aged man alwayse to visit her? He usually visits her at night two to three times a week before leaving the unit in the middle of the night. Don¡¯t you know about it?¡± asked the elderlydy from the right unit.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t,¡± answered the middle unit, ¡°I didn¡¯t hear any noise.¡±

    The elderlydy tried to conceal the awkwardness and replied, ¡°Hey, elderly people usually have less sleep and I can¡¯t fall asleep after hearing some disturbances.¡±

    The elderlydy once noticed inadvertently that a middle-aged man came to visit the unit on the left before leaving a few hourster and had overheard an argument between the man and the youngdy at one time, and that peaked her curiosity. Since then, she paid a lot of attention to any sort of activity in the left unit to get rid of her boredom after retirement.

    The elderlydy would surely peer through the security peephole in the door whenever she overheard any sound in the left unit, and even opened the door to eavesdrop when the man entered the house. She would also pay attention to the time when the man left the unit.

    This was the exact reason why the unit in the middle knew nothing but the elderlydy knew it in detail.

    Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran overheard the elderlydy¡¯s statement which surprised Wei Muran. Qi Youxuan merely turned around to nce at the elderlydy for a brief moment before entering the crime scene with Wei Muran.

    The elderlydy¡¯s curiosity was diverted instantly and said to the man in the middle unit, ¡°Hey, the young man who entered the crime scene just now is a cop too? He¡¯s so handsome. I need to ask if he has a girlfriendter. If not, I¡¯ll introduce my granddaughter to him.¡±

    ¡°...¡± The man in the middle unit was at a loss for words.

    He could no longer handle this elderlydy¡¯s powerful mental toughness.

    Yang Shaoqun noticed the duo and led Qi Youxuan into the crime scene immediately¡ªthe toilet.

    ¡°She died the same way; pierced multiple times before her death with the piercing wounds almost the size of a barbeque skewer or knitting needle as Cao Keya did. Still, we¡¯re unsure if the weapon used is the same, and we need to wait for the Forensic Science Division to extract samples and identify the weapon. Other than that, there¡¯s an additional feature to this case. The victim¡¯s head was shaved this time.¡±

    Yang Shaoqun recalled the same thing Qi Youxuan had in mind. ¡°She died exactly the same way as the novel described. In the novel, the third victim in the third case was killed just like the second victim with the addition of a shaved head.¡±

    No one would assume that the victim was bald since she was a youngdy who took care of her image well. It was highly unlikely that she would shave her head. Moreover, the photographs at the house or in the victim¡¯s cell phone had indicated that the victim was a beautiful woman with long hair.

    ¡°There are wounds on the victim¡¯s head, presumably inflicted when the assant was shaving the victim¡¯s head,¡± Qi Youxuan described while examining the victim with narrowed eyes.

    The colleagues working in the Forensic Science Division transferred the corpse from the cold water-filled bathtub very carefully to the stretcher before moving her to the living room.

    Qi Youxuan pointed at the naked corpse and said, ¡°There are ligature marks on her neck, arms, wrists, lower abdomen and ankles. Theteral sides of her neck show obvious bruising and there are scratch marks in between her vicles. The rope was tied from behind her neck to the front crossing the vicles, showing that the victim struggled fiercely before her death which led to injuries in those areas.¡±

    ¡°The assant killed Xiong Shishi directly before sinking her into the water for the first time. In the second case, the assant pierced Cao Keya with needles multiple times before killing her and sinking her into the water. Following such abductive reasoning, this time the assant tied the victim first and shaved her head which caused the victim to struggle fiercely and inflicted serious bruisings and scratch marks in the process. The assant then pierced the victim with needles and made her suffocate before sinking her into the water in the end,¡± proposed Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°What the f*ck! This murderer is trying something new and creative every single time!¡± eximed Zou Chengwei irritably.

    Wei Muran walked around the house and added, ¡°This house is quite small with one bedroom only, but theyout is good and designed delicately, so it doesn¡¯t feel narrow and crowded despite the small area. The living room is decently sized as well, so the price won¡¯t be cheap even in this smallmunity. I¡¯ve examined the area just now and there was no sign of struggle or fight from the door to the living room and bedroom. We can assume that either the assant has a key or he¡¯s acquainted with the victim.¡±

    ¡°ording to the forensic pathologist, the time of death was between twelve to one o¡¯clock at midnight. What sort of rtion did the victim, a youngdy living alone in this house, have with the assant to grant him ess without the slightest vignce?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    ¡°Her lover?¡± answered Zou Chengwei under the impression that the victim must be a mistress without proper investigation.

    ¡°I¡¯m more inclined toward the hypothesis that the assant has the key,¡± replied Wei Muran before turning around and nced at Qi Youxuan after voicing out her opinion as usual.

    Qi Youxuan nodded in response. ¡°My previous analysis suggested that the assant wasn¡¯t closely acquainted with the victims, and based on this victim¡¯s condition, I stand firm on my previous analysis.¡±

    ¡°That auntie from the neighboring unit seems to know something,¡± suggested Wei Muran.

    Qi Youxuan nodded and the duo left the crime scene. Sure enough, the elderlydy still had the door opened to pry into the case instead of returning for her slumber.

    The elderlydy remained in the same posture¡ªwith the door ajar which was just enough for her head to pass through¡ªfrom the moment of the duo¡¯s arrival until this point of time.

    Wei Muran actually sympathized with this elderlydy¡¯s back after bending for so long.

    ¡°Auntie, we¡¯re the police officers. We have some questions about your neighbor, Liu Peipei,¡± greeted Wei Muran with a polite smile.

    The elderlydy eyed both Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran up before letting her guard down. However, her first question took both of them by surprise. ¡°Young man, do you have a girlfriend?¡±

    ¡°...¡± The dumbfounded Qi Youxuan was truly amazed about the emotional endurance these aunties possessed nowadays. ¡°Thisdy next to me is my fianc¨¦e.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s response dampened the elderlydy¡¯s enthusiasm but she opened the door nheless. She then peeked at themotion opposite her and said, ¡°Why don¡¯t youe in and have a seat? I¡¯ll make tea for both of you and we can have a chat after that. We got sunflower seeds here. Do you guys eat pistachio nuts?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran was left speechless.

    How much information did this elderlydy like to obtain from them?

    ¡°Auntie, your family members aren¡¯t awake yet at this hour, so we¡¯ll just ask some questions right here instead of troubling you further. Besides, we¡¯re still on duty and won¡¯t be able to stay for long too,¡± Wei Muran spoke, gently turning down her offer.

    ¡°Oh.¡± The elderlydy was disappointed and there was an obvious decrease in her enthusiasm at present. ¡°What do you want to ask?¡±

    ¡°Do you know what Liu Peipei works as?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    ¡°Ah, I know this one. She¡¯s a white-cor worker at Xi... some branch office called Xijian Corporation in T City, situated in Haier Street. That was what she told mest time, but my daughter said it¡¯s not a branch office but just a small office rented in an office building called Argentum One in Haier Street. Xiao Liu receives a small paycheck every month but she did find herself a rich old man. My daughter also heard that normal designers get better paycheck at Xiao Liu¡¯s office but she isn¡¯t a designer. If I¡¯m not mistaken, she¡¯s just a normal clerk in her office who earns roughly two thousand Yuan a month.¡±

    The elderlydy pouted and added, ¡°Even though the housing area we¡¯re living in isn¡¯t really a top-notchmunity, each household price isn¡¯t exactly cheap either. I¡¯ve asked the agencypany several times, and let¡¯s not focus on the sales part¡ªthe rental fee for a housing unit is around three thousand Yuan a month. She¡¯s just a clerk who earns two thousand Yuan a month. How can she rent a unit in this area when she has a thousand Yuan deficit? Even if her housingyout is smaller, she still needs to pay two thousand three hundred Yuan as rental fee. Does that mean she only pays for the rental fee without eating, drinking or entertainment?¡±

    The elderlydy then continued disdainfully, ¡°I was suspicious until I saw a man enter her house one day. Tut-tut, he looked almost the same age as my husband; around fifty to sixty years old. He arrived at eight o¡¯clock and left at approximately eleven o¡¯clock at night. What do you think he was doing at that period of time?¡±

    ¡°He might be Liu Peipei¡¯s father,¡± suggested Wei Muran.

    ¡°Impossible. Her family lives elsewhere and she came to this city alone. I recognized her parents when they came to visit her that one time. Besides, I¡¯ve seen that man kissing Xiao Liu! Tut-tut, her mentality must be very strong to be able to enjoy kissing a man old enough to be her father. I even used this issue to warn my granddaughter not to perform such wretched and immoral matters since it would bring embarrassment to the family,¡± replied the elderlydy.

    The elderlydy then added, ¡°That man returned again the night before yesterday, and they started arguing rather loudly a few momentster.¡±

    The corners of Wei Muran¡¯s lips twitched uncontrobly. ¡°You heard them while your neighbor in the middle heard nothing. You have excellent hearing.¡±

    Embarrassment gnawed at the elderlydy. ¡°That¡¯s because I¡¯m healthy.¡±

    It was actually curiosity which fuelled the elderlydy¡¯s courage to ce her ear against the door to eavesdrop on the argument.

    ¡°What did you hear about their argument?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    ¡°Something about divorce, responsibility, and a baby, but I couldn¡¯t hear them clearly to be honest. The man¡¯s voice was soft so I wasn¡¯t sure what he replied, but Liu Peipei¡¯s yell was quite loud though.¡±

    The elderlydy then leaned closer to Wei Muran and whispered, ¡°I made my own assumption after returning home. I¡¯m guessing that Liu Peipei conceived a child and tried to threaten the man to divorce and marry her instead, but I¡¯m not sure if she really was pregnant at that time.¡±

    ¡°Auntie, you¡¯ve... provided a lot of useful information for us,¡± replied the surprised Wei Muran.

    The elderlydy covered her smile and said, ¡°Haha, it¡¯s my responsibility to aid in police officers¡¯ investigation.¡±

    ¡°Oh, by the way, what¡¯s your name?¡± asked the smiling Wei Muran.

    ¡°My surname is Zhou. Zhou Pinghui,¡± emphasized Zhou Pinghui.

    ¡°Please let us know if you have any new information,¡± said Wei Muran.

    ¡°Of course, I will!¡± Zhou Pinghui was especially enthusiastic in her response.

    ...

    ...

    They returned to the police department afterward to wait for the forensic report. Doctor Guo¡ªa decorous male forensic pathologist in his forties who wore spectacles and appeared more experienced than Bai Mo¡ªcame over personally with the forensic report a few momentster.

    ¡°We¡¯ve found something. The samples on the victim¡¯s piercing wounds contained DNA from the previous victim Cao Keya, which indicates that the weapon used in these two cases were the same without any proper cleaning. That was the reason why Cao Keya¡¯s blood still remained on the needle tip,¡± exined Doctor Guo.

    ¡°Judging from the previous murder methods, the assant wasn¡¯t really a careless man,¡± replied Zhang Shanfei.

    Qi Youxuan nodded in response. ¡°That¡¯s right, the assant did it on purpose. The assant didn¡¯t leave any of his DNA on the weapon except for Cao Keya¡¯s DNA on the needle tip. He detested any woman who became a mistress just like Cao Keya and assumed that the blood flowing through these women¡¯s veins were filthy. This exins why the assant wanted to mix Cao Keya and Liu Peipei¡¯s blood, so that their blood could stain each other¡¯s souls.¡±

 Chapter 530 - Youâ€™re Dressed in Civilian Clothes, You Must Be in Charge of Major Cases, Right?

    <h4>Chapter 530: You¡¯re Dressed in Civilian Clothes, You Must Be in Charge of Major Cases, Right?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    They returned from Mountain View Community. Yang Shaoqun nced at the time and noticed it was still early.

    ¡°It¡¯s almost time for our office hours. Xiao Song, Chengwei, Shanfei, investigate Xiong Shishi, Cao Keya, and Liu Peipei¡¯smunities respectively. Each of you is in charge of onemunity, and try your best to locate anyone who matches Mr. Qi¡¯s description.¡±

    ...

    ...

    Zou Chengwei asked the shops and offices one by one but failed to locate any potential suspect. He started to doubt Qi Youxuan if he had made a wrong guess.

    Qi Youxuan was just a man after all. He did not possess the ability to predict the truth like a God. Hope had started to fade away as Zou Chengwei stepped into a property agencypany.

    Before entering the office, Zou Chengwei even lifted his gaze to check for the office¡¯s name¡ªHome Love Property Agency Company.

    ¡°Mister, are you here to check for a property? Do you intend to purchase or rent a house?¡± A youngdy in her twenties weed Zou Chengwei¡¯s arrival.

    ¡°Police.¡± Zou Chengwei showed his identification card which gave the youngdy quite a shock. ¡°I¡¯m here to ask some questions.¡±

    Anxiety was inevitable when police officers visited without prior warning.

    ¡°What... What happened? Erm... Police officer, please take a seat. I¡¯ll bring you a ss of water,¡± said the nervous youngdy.

    ¡°There¡¯s no need for such trouble,¡± replied Zou Chengwei while he scanned around the office.

    Thepany rented this single-bedroom unit in themunity as an office, so theyout size was considered small with six tables ced in the living room as the property agents¡¯ office desks. There was another table ced in the only bedroom in this unit, which presumably belonged to the office manager of this property agencypany.

    ¡°Where are your colleagues? Are you the only one in this office?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°They¡¯re bringing customers for a site viewing,¡± answered the youngdy.

    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± asked Zou Chengwei again.

    The youngdy was wearing a neat ck uniform, which seemed to be thepany¡¯s formal dress code.

    ¡°My name is Cui Xiuya, and this is my business card,¡± replied Cui Xiuya before passing a business card to Zou Chengwei.

    Zou Chengwei epted the business card and peeked at it momentarily before keeping it. ¡°Do you have the personnel records for this office?¡±

    ¡°Yes, please wait for a moment.¡± Cui Xiuya went into the bedroom which served as the shop manager¡¯s office. After searching for quite some time, she returned with six file holders in her hands. ¡°Mine is included as well.¡±

    Zou Chengwei nodded and praised the youngdy for her consideration.

    Each personnel record was thin since it only consisted of basic information such as their address, the institution which the individual graduated from, and so on.

    Zou Chengwei scanned through the pages very seriously despite theck of high hopes. Then, his eyes widened in disbelief when he started reading the third staff¡¯s personal information.

    First and foremost, the passport-sized photograph on the personnel record matched the description provided by Qi Youxuan. Even though Qi Youxuan merely gave a rough idea of the suspect¡¯s appearance, Zou Chengwei had a feeling that the suspect should look like this man for some inexplicable reason.

    This feeling was almost simr to the time when Qi Youxuan came up with so many characteristics, personality, and even background of the suspect with only some clues during the profile analysis, which felt incredible to say the least.

    Zou Chengwei finally had a grasp of this feeling at present.

    The excited Zou Chengwei stood up abruptly while reading which startled Cui Xiuya.

    ¡°Police officer, is there a problem?¡± asked Cui Xiuya.

    ¡°Fan Yansong used to stay in B City and came here to work a year ago, yes?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°Yes. He was the third batch<sup>1</sup> of undergraduate in a bachelor¡¯s degree in B City and came to T City a year ago. I don¡¯t even know why he came to work as a property agent. My colleagues and I graduated with an associate¡¯s degree since this job required only great eloquence and hard work instead of a high educational background. He graduated with a bachelor¡¯s degree, and even though he was the third batch of undergraduate, he didn¡¯t have to work as a property agent. Well, at least a property agent can earn a lot by gettingmission from selling a property. I guess that was exactly what he had in mind when he chose this profession,¡± replied Cui Xiuya.

    ¡°Is Fan Yansong married as far as you know?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    Cui Xiuya shook her head in response. ¡°No, he¡¯s still single and doesn¡¯t have a girlfriend yet. He was closely associated with those aunties in themunity and some introduced youngdies to him too. If I¡¯m not mistaken, he had two girlfriends before this but broke up in the end.¡±

    ¡°He came here for only one year and already had two rtionships before this?¡± asked the curious Zou Chengwei. Damn, Fan Yansong was indeed a man of ability!

    Zou Chengwei was still a bare branch even at present!

    ¡°They were introduced by the aunties in themunity. He actually met with quite a few youngdies but these two raised his interest and he wanted to give it a try. After dating a few times, he figured that the rtionships wouldn¡¯t work out and broke up in the end. Each rtionship ended in less than a month, which sounds like he actually had many girlfriends before this,¡± answered Cui Xiuya. ¡°Police officer, what happened to Fan Yansong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I was just here to investigate a case. Where¡¯s Fan Yansong right now?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°He went to search for avable nearby properties this morning and should be back in the afternoon. I met with an auntie in themunity just now and she said she¡¯ll deliver Baozi for him in the afternoon,¡± replied Cui Xiuya.

    ¡°He¡¯s really that close with the aunties in themunity?¡± asked the surprised Zou Chengwei.

    Cui Xiuya was smart enough to speak without reserve since it was fairly obvious that Fan Yansong must be involved with the case the police officer was investigating. ¡°Yes. Other than cooking, those aunties usually have nothing to do and will take their grandchildren, if they have any, to gather around for chit chat. Fan Yansong joins them a lot and always tells jokes to make them happy, and he¡¯s willing to hear the gossip from those aunties too, which gives them great satisfaction. Whenever there¡¯s anyone interested in selling or purchasing properties, the aunties will surely introduce to him since they¡¯re so close together. Since this property agencypany is just a branch, the main office will usually assess each branch office¡¯s profits and sales every half-year, and Fan Yansong had won prizes several times before this. He has the best sales not just in this office, but in all branches in T City as well.¡±

    ¡°Other than that, do you know if he was married or had a serious rtionship before this? After all, he would¡¯ve thrived in B City and had more room for development than in T City. He¡¯s currently thirty years old and came to T City a year ago, which meant that he stayed in B City for five years after his graduation. His personnel record also stated that he was a local citizen in B City and his house is situated in B City, so he didn¡¯t have to leave his work and home behind toe to T City for further development. That¡¯s a really difficult process,¡± said Zou Chengwei.

    Cui Xiuya gave this some thought and gave an uncertain answer, ¡°Last time when we were having a year-end party, I remember that he got drunk and mentioned something about having a girlfriend in a stable rtionship for four to five years and they were even engaged at that time. His girlfriend didn¡¯t live in B City but she moved into his house directly and started living together with his parents after both of them had decided on marriage. Even though they hadn¡¯t received any marriage certificate, his parents had already considered her as their daughter-inw. However, she started cheating on him with her department manager in herpany one year before they broke up just for the sake of easier job promotions. Besides, the manager was quite wealthy too.¡±

    ¡°He noticed that his girlfriend¡¯s belongings were getting expensive and she even had a few luxury handbags. That was the time when he realized that his girlfriend had cheated on him and demanded to breakup. That issue came to him and his family as a huge beating and caused him to move to T City afterward. He blurted it out after having too much drinkst time, otherwise we wouldn¡¯t know about his suffering too,¡± replied Cui Xiuya.

    Cui Xiuya hesitated momentarily before asking, ¡°Police officer, please tell me if he did something wrong. At least I¡¯ll be prepared and won¡¯t give myself away when the timees. If hemitted a crime, I¡¯ll need to stay away from him so that I won¡¯t identally provoke him which may result in my injury. I can¡¯t believe it. He looks like a gentleman and gets along well with anybody. What sort of crime did hemit for you to ask in such great detail? Judging by your reaction, the case must be huge and serious. You¡¯re dressed in civilian clothes, you must be in charge of major cases, right?¡±

    ¡°...¡± Zou Chengwei was left speechless.

    ¡°Lady, it¡¯s a waste that you¡¯re not studying criminology. You¡¯re good at careful observation and reading microexpressions!¡± Zou Chengwei fought the urge tough.

    Cui Xiuya smiled and replied, ¡°Haha, my job requires me to observe customers¡¯ expressions very carefully.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t want to tell you, but I¡¯m worried that you might behave unnaturally when you face Fan Yansong after realizing the truth. That way, he might notice that something is wrong. Besides, we¡¯re just finding possible suspects at the moment. We can¡¯t me any good man when we don¡¯t have any confirmation,¡± said Zou Chengwei.

    A shock was registered on Cui Xiuya¡¯s face all of a sudden. ¡°Police officer, is this about the murder case in Mountain View Community?¡±

    Cui Xiuya was shuddering under intense fear.

    ¡°...¡± There was no way Zou Chengwei would admit the truth.

    ¡°Lady, don¡¯t be ridiculous. Your imagination is running wild right now. Come to think of it, you know about the murder case in thatmunity?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°Of course, that issue attracted lots of attention. How could we not know about it? Besides, my profession requires me to observe the property trends at all times. Someone just died in that unit, so it¡¯ll be extremely difficult to rent or sell it in the future,¡± said Cui Xiuya while shaking her head.

 Chapter 531 - Hostage-Taking

    <h4>Chapter 531: Hostage-Taking</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Zou Chengwei did not attempt to chit-chat further. He nced at the time and said, ¡°Give Fan Yansong a call and ask him toe back using whatever excuse you can think of.¡±

    Since Fan Yansong was confirmed as a suspect, Zou Chengwei needed to bring him in for further questioning.

    Cui Xiuya figured that her guesswork was on the right path, but the police officers were sworn to keep the cases¡¯ confidentiality. Thus, there was no way on Earth that Zou Chengwei would tell her the truth even though her assumption was correct.

    Fortunately, Cui Xiuya had remarkable mental toughness. She was able to conceal her feelings when making a phone call to Fan Yansong using the excuse that a customer, who was introduced by his friend to deal with Fan Yansong directly, was interested in purchasing a pre-owned house.

    Fan Yansong seemed to be exhrated on the other end of the phone.

    Cui Xiuya hung up the phone call and told Zou Chengwei, ¡°He was bringing a client for site viewing just now and is on his way back here now. He should be arriving real soon.¡±

    Fifteen minutester, a gentle voice emerged behind Zou Chengwei. ¡°Hello, are you the one looking for me? My name is Fan Yansong.¡±

    Zou Chengwei stood up immediately and grabbed Fan Yansong¡¯s wrist before showing his identification card. ¡°Police. I need you toe with me to the police station for further questioning on a case.¡±

    Fan Yansong was stunned and in shock briefly before nodding his head. ¡°Alright, may I ask what the case is?¡±

    Zou Chengwei nced at Cui Xiuya momentarily before answering, ¡°The murder case in Mountain View Community.¡±

    Fan Yansong nodded in response. ¡°Even though I¡¯ve no idea why I¡¯m rted, I¡¯m more than willing to help.¡±

    After observing Fan Yansong for a few moments, Zou Chengwei grabbed his wrist for precaution and spoke to Cui Xiuya. ¡°Miss Cui, pleasee with me to the station for further questioning too.¡±

    Cui Xiuya nodded and took her bag.

    There was not the slightest guilt in Cui Xiuya¡¯s mind since she did notmit any crime at all.

    After that, the trio exited the office together. When Cui Xiuya was attempting to lock the door, Fan Yansong shoved Zou Chengwei¡¯s hand aside and slipped his arm around Cui Xiuya¡¯s throat before dragging her back.

    Cui Xiuya was caught off guard and staggered. If it was not for the fact that Fan Yansong was clutching her neck, she would definitely stumble onto the ground. However, the force of gravitypelled her to slump downward like she was hung off the ground whichpressed her airway, causing difficulty in breathing and extreme difort in her.

    Cui Xiuya¡¯s tongue slipped out of her opened mouth as she tried desperately to break free of Fan Yansong¡¯s grasp, but failed when energy was drained from her body due to theck of breath.

    ¡°Fan Yansong, let her go!¡± yelled Zou Chengwei while aiming at Fan Yansong with his pistol.

    A switchde appeared in Fan Yansong¡¯s hand out of nowhere with the sharp tip of the de touching Cui Xiuya¡¯s neck.

    ¡°Let me go and I¡¯ll let her go! You can open fire but even if you shoot me directly in the heart, I believe I can cut her artery at the same time too.¡±

    ¡°Fan Yansong, you¡¯re just a suspect and nothing will happen to you if you just follow me back to the station for further questioning, but you¡¯ve basically confessed to your crime when you pulled this move. You¡¯re wanted for murder and hostage-taking. You can¡¯t run away,¡± said Zou Chengwei coldly.

    Cui Xiuya dared not to speak when the cold steel was pressed against her flesh. She just stood there, shuddering and trembling uncontrobly as tears started rolling down her cheeks in terror.

    ¡°I want you to let me go now! Throw the gun away if you don¡¯t want her to be a corpse,¡± The agitated Fan Yansong applied some pressure to the de and pierced through Cui Xiuya¡¯s flesh slightly, causing crimson fluids to slide down her neck like azy river.

    Cui Xiuya wailed after feeling the warm fluid trickling down her skin.

    ¡°Fan Yansong, please let me go. I beg you, let me go! We¡¯re friends and colleagues. I¡¯ve never done anything to hurt you. You...¡±

    ¡°Never done anything to hurt me? You helped this police officer and lied to me, and you said that you¡¯ve never done anything to hurt me?¡± Fan Yansong sounded like a maniac.

    Cui Xiuya failed to muster a reply and continued to shed tears.

    Zou Chengwei replied calmly, ¡°She didn¡¯t know about my true identity. I came here as a client and lied to her that a friend introduced me to you. That was the reason why she called you toe back. She didn¡¯t lie to you.¡±

    However, Fan Yansong no longer cared about the truth and yelled, ¡°I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re telling me the truth. I came back because of her! Put the gun down!¡±

    Zou Chengwei narrowed his eyes and heard Fan Yansong¡¯s agitated words. ¡°Put it down now! Don¡¯t even think about messing around with me! Otherwise, I¡¯ll stab her right now! Can you allow an innocent hostage to die because of you?¡±

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll put the gun down. Don¡¯t act recklessly.¡± Zou Chengwei fixed his gaze on Fan Yansong while bending down slowly to put his pistol onto the ground.

    ¡°Kick your gun to me!¡± instructed Fan Yansong.

    Zou Chengwei nced at Fan Yansong before kicking his pistol to Cui Xiuya¡¯s foot.

    Fan Yansong¡¯s elbow was struck hard from behind just when he was about to move, causing his entire arm to go numb. He tried desperately to grasp his switchde firmly but failed in the end.

    Fan Yansong¡¯s first reaction was to turn around and identify the assant, but the assant kicked his arm again with a stronger force, which almost broke Fan Yansong¡¯s arm. Thus, he had no choice but to release his grip on Cui Xiuya.

    The wailing and howling Cui Xiuya seized this opportunity and ran toward Zou Chengwei, who asked Cui Xiuya to hide in the corridor first while he walked forward to assist the suspect¡¯s arrest.

    The assant who struck Fan Yansong was actually Zhang Shanfei, who was quick in his investigation since themunity he was in charge of had fewer shopfronts. He also failed to locate any potential suspects in hismunity and thus, had decided toe over and lend Zou Chengwei a helping hand.

    Zou Chengwei gave Zhang Shanfei a phone call before he entered Home Love Property Agency Company, so Zhang Shanfei knew where to find him upon arrival at thismunity. However, he did not expect to find Zou Chengwei confronting a young man who had taken a youngdy as a hostage.

    Zou Chengwei noticed Zhang Shanfei creeping toward Fan Yansong and made eye contact with him tacitly. Fan Yansong failed to realize the imminent danger that was lurking behind him and thus, was taken down fairly easily under the duo¡¯s cooperative efforts.

    Zou Chengwei picked up his pistol to prevent any possible ident while Zhang Shanfei proceeded to handcuff Fan Yansong. After making sure that Fan Yansong could no longer attempt his escape, Zou Chengwei went to check on Cui Xiuya¡¯s condition.

    Fortunately, Cui Xiuya merely suffered from a simple flesh wound even though blood was oozing out of her split skin.

    Zhang Shanfei took Fan Yansong back to the police station for interrogation while Zou Chengwei brought Cui Xiuya to themunity clinic for wound disinfection and bandaging before returning to the police station.

    ¡°Fan Yansong entered the interrogation room not long ago but refused to say anything. Sergeant Yang and Shanfei are questioning him right now,¡± said Fang Zhitong after noticing Zou Chengwei¡¯s return with Cui Xiuya.

    ¡°This case must be his doing based on his reaction. He can¡¯t run away from this,¡±ined the annoyed Zou Chengwei.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mr. Qi is here to get everything he wants to know from him,¡± Fang Zhitong smiled before bringing Cui Xiuya for a statement recording with Zou Chengwei.

    Instead of watching Fan Yansong¡¯s interrogation scene in the observation room with Qi Youxuan, Jiang Yuecheng followed Zou Chengwei and Fang Zhitong for Cui Xiuya¡¯s statement recording.

    After Zou Chengwei and Fang Zhitong were done with their questions, Jiang Yuecheng asked, ¡°Normally when Fan Yansong brings clients out for site viewing, does he possess the key to the owner¡¯s house if the owner is absent?¡±

    Cui Xiuya nodded and answered, ¡°He definitely has the keys if the house is empty, but the owner usually won¡¯t pass the keys to us if the house is upied. Who¡¯ll pass the keys to outsiders when there are valuables in the house?¡±

    ¡°How about rented houses? The keys are with thendlords, but somendlords will still pass the keys to you even though there are tenants in the house, yes?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Cui Xiuya nodded her head in embarrassment. ¡°That normally happens when the tenancy agreement is expiring soon and the tenants don¡¯t wish for contract continuation. Thendlords will urge the tenants to pack uppletely in advance and move out of the house on the day of lease expiration. Before that, thendlords will usually engage us to rent out their properties. Since the houses are for rental purposes, somendlords don¡¯t care about the tenants¡¯ losses and will pass us the keys in advance so that we can bring clients for site viewing. Even so, we¡¯ll contact the tenants and make appointments beforehand. We can¡¯t afford to bear the responsibility if the tenants really suffer losses.¡±

    COMMENT

    Zou Chengwei understood immediately and said, ¡°The house in Mountain View Community that the victim, Liu Peipei rented belonged to Yue Yifan whose husband, Yu Chaosheng had an affair with.¡±

    ¡°Yu Chaosheng asked Liu Peipei to rent the house owned by his wife in Mountain View Community initially, and he would help Liu Peipei pay for the rental fees. I suppose he was reluctant to let otherndlords earn his money. That way, he wouldn¡¯t earn money or suffer any loss, which was basically a win-win situation,¡± continued Fang Zhitong.

    ¡°I¡¯ll contact Yue Yifan immediately,¡± replied Zou Chengwei.

    Yue Yifan was a tall, big-boned, and muscr woman who looked like an athlete. She was even a head taller than Yu Chaosheng. ording to the investigative data, Yue Yifan used to be a volleyball yer in the national team, but she was merely a substitute without any fame or reputation and was retired from the team after her marriage.

    ¡°Do you know about the rtionship between Yu Chaosheng and Liu Peipei previously?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

 Chapter 532 - Youâ€™re Nervous

    <h4>Chapter 532: You¡¯re Nervous</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Yue Yifan nodded in response. ¡°I realized the truth about two months ago. I didn¡¯t visit Liu Peipei directly because the mess would be extremely unpleasant and I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself publicly. I engaged a property agency in Jinxiu Community to rent out that house previously, so I went ahead and checked on her tenancy agreement. After realizing that her contract would end three monthster, I told my agent that I would rent that house to someone else instead of renewing Liu Peipei¡¯s tenancy agreement. Just in case Liu Peipei demanded to know the reason, I instructed my agent to convey my message that I would never rent that house to her. That way, she would understand the meaning behind this.¡±

    ¡°The property agent in charge of your property rental is Fan Yansong?¡± asked Zou Chengwei.

    Yue Yifan was taken by surprise. ¡°Yes. How did you know?¡±

    ¡°Please continue,¡± said Zou Chengwei while ignoring her question.

    Curiosity gnawed at Yue Yifan but she continued nheless. ¡°Sure enough, Liu Peipei understood the situation and started demanding Yu Chaosheng to divorce me. Yu Chaosheng was so afraid after realizing that I became aware of his affair, but divorce was an impossible solution for him. He wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew Liu Peipei merely wanted his money and would definitely run away when something bad happened, so there was no way he would live the rest of his life with Liu Peipei. He promised that he would break up with Liu Peipei and wouldn¡¯t rent the house to her any longer, but I couldn¡¯t chase her out of that house either due to the tenancy agreement. That was when I started urging Fan Yansong to arrange frequent site viewing. I passed my keys to Fan Yansong and gave him my word that it was alright for him to bring clients for site viewing without considering whether Liu Peipei was at home or not. It was simply her misfortune if she lost some valuables. Besides, most of those valuables were bought by my husband. Those were my money even if she lost them.¡±

    Jiang Yuecheng nodded toward Zou Chengwei, who went to the interrogation room afterward.

    Feng Songwei brought her team back to the police station after a while. ¡°Sergeant Yang, we found a blood-stained barbeque skewer in Fan Yansong¡¯s house. The blood sample extracted indicates that the bloodstain belongs to both Cao Keya and Liu Peipei.¡±

    ¡°Do you want to confess? We¡¯ll find more evidence,¡± said Yang Shaoqun coldly.

    Fan Yansong started mming his handcuffed fists onto the table unexpectedly. The handcuffs knocking on the table produced loud rattling sounds while cutting his wrists, causing blood to flow through the exposed wounds and stter onto the table.

    ¡°Hey, behave yourself!¡± Zhang Shanfei subdued Fan Yansong immediately and handcuffed both of his wrists onto the chair so that he could not attempt to express his agitation. ¡°Confess to us honestly!¡±

    ¡°Go ahead and find evidence if you¡¯re so smart! What do you want me to confess without any evidence? What, your evidence is just a barbeque skewer? Well, the murderer nted it in my house so that I would be the scapegoat! Is my fingerprint on the barbeque skewer? Any DNA on it that belongs to me? You found it in my house, does that mean it belongs to me?¡±

    Someone knocked on the door to the interrogation room right at that moment. Zhang Shanfei gave a warning re at Fan Yansong before answering the door and saw Qi Youxuan standing at the doorstep.

    Zhang Shanfei quickly invited Qi Youxuan to enter the room while he stepped backward and offered his seat to Qi Youxuan.

    Qi Youxuan sat opposite Fan Yansong and observed him silently for a while before saying, ¡°You¡¯re nervous.¡±

    Fan Yansong was stunned briefly before mocking, ¡°I¡¯m nervous? Why do I need to feel nervous? I didn¡¯t murder anyone. Don¡¯t even think about pinning the crime on me in order to solve the case earlier.¡±

    Qi Youxuan said calmly, ¡°You¡¯re nervous. Your pupils erged instantly when I mentioned that you¡¯re nervous. You tried to emphasize that you weren¡¯t nervous again by raising your voice, thinking that it¡¯s a disy of innocence but in fact, it¡¯s the other way around. When you said that you didn¡¯t murder anyone, your eyes were shifted upward and to the right, exactly like how a person who tells lies will react.¡±

    ¡°When you were mming the table just now, your legs were moved toward the door subconsciously because deep down, you had an intense desire to escape. Your feet are pointing toward the door even at this moment. You¡¯re afraid. You want to escape from this ce.¡±

    Fan Yansong¡¯s first reaction was to look at his feet and shift their position afterward, taking extreme vignce not to perform these subconscious acts any further.

    He clenched his fists tightly and pursed his lips firmly out of anxiety. He averted his gaze and tried to avoid direct eye contact so that Qi Youxuan could no longer read anything from his expressions.

    Qi Youxuan did not mind his gaze aversion and continued, ¡°You had a girlfriend once, but she acted just like the three victims who betrayed her husband or boyfriend and became mistresses to those married elderly men just for money. Your girlfriend hurt you deeply, and you were very depressed at that moment. You felt like everyone wasughing at your misery and your colleagues¡¯ gazes were sympathizing with you. You assumed that their thoughts conveyed messages that you were useless after your girlfriend cheated on you. Your family med you for finding a terrible spouse and reprimanded your ex-girlfriend in your presence repeatedly. Their constant reminders for you to search for a better spouse carefully annoyed you immensely.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t even continue your stay in B City anymore. You consulted a psychologist afterward, who suggested you change a new environment, forget the past and start with a clean te. That was the reason why you came to T City. Your professionpelled you to meet with people of all kinds and acknowledge various gossip and secrets. When you were getting along with those aunties in themunities, you overheard their discussions about the three victims¡¯ private lives. That brought back your sad memories.¡±

    ¡°You recalled your girlfriend¡¯s betrayal, the mocks from those around you, and theints your family had against you. Everything that happened before this started troubling you again and they fuelled your anger. That was the time when the bloodlust emerged in your mind. You assumed that your mentality would recover with their deaths,¡± said Qi Youxuan while staring at Fan Yansong¡¯s expression which was getting unnatural.

    Qi Youxuan added. ¡°Thus, you ughtered all three of them. Xiong Shishi¡¯s death gave you slightfort but failed to calm your rage. You thought that her death was too simple and direct, and a lustfuldy like her without any sense of loyalty doesn¡¯t deserve a quick death.¡±

    ¡°Cao Keya¡¯s appearance gave you another chance. Since Xiong Shishi¡¯s death exhrated you, you assumed that this was a good method to vent your rage. Only their deaths would end your suffering, enlighten your mood, and return you to normality. You were so happy that you finally found a solution. You learned from your mistake from Xiong Shishi¡¯s death, so when it was Cao Keya¡¯s turn, you tortured her with a barbeque skewer before ending her life. You experienced the pleasure of torturing the victim in different ways, so when it was Liu Peipei¡¯s turn, you shaved her head and pierced her body with a barbeque skewer before taking her life.¡±

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s words reconstructed the scenes and events in Fan Yansong¡¯s mind. Qi Youxuan even reenacted Fan Yansong¡¯s girlfriend¡¯s betrayal as if he had witnessed this tragedy with his own eyes.

    Fan Yansong¡¯s mind started wandering down the memoryne. Every scene¡ªthe gazes and attitudes from his rtives, friends, and colleagues, and theints, constions, and warnings from his parents in B City¡ªreemerged in his brain and floated past his mind like a movie on fast-forward.

    Fan Yansong wore a puzzled expression with a dull look on his face. His mind was still a surging perplexity as he failed to distinguish between memories and reality. He wanted to reach forward and m his palms onto the table but was unable to do so when his wrists were handcuffed to the back of the chair and produced loud rattling sounds during the process.

    The trip down memoryne gave Fan Yansong intense agony, but his upper limbs were restrained and prevented him from venting his rage. Thus, he went as far as summoning all his strength and rammed his forehead onto the table forcefully. Those in the room could actually feel the vibration that traveled along the floor too.

    Zhang Shanfei immediately pressed his arm on Fan Yansong¡¯s chest and forced him to lean against the chair. After struggling for a few moments, Fan Yansong finally regained his cool.

    ¡°I detest them so much! Do they ever think of the potential harm they¡¯ll cause others when they¡¯ve decided to be mistresses? The damage that they¡¯ll cause to the involved families? The sufferings that they bring on their husbands or boyfriends? Can¡¯t they work harder to earn better paychecks? Why must they choose to go down such a wicked path? They hurt so many people just for their own benefits! How many families have broken apart because of such wretched women? Do they ever think about those whom they harmed or betrayed?¡± yelled the agitated Fan Yansong.

    ¡°I was exterminating the vermins! The legal wives will no longer be kept in the dark after killing the mistresses. They will realize their husbands¡¯ true colors and can choose to continue the rest of their lives happily or demand a divorce. That way, the mistresses¡¯ boyfriends will realize their true unfaithful personalities earlier without bing a father whose child doesn¡¯t even belong to him! Those three women didn¡¯t deserve to live at all! They will tear apart many other families in the future if they¡¯re still alive!

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with me exterminating pests? There wasn¡¯t the slightest regret at all when I killed them! If you guys failed to arrest me, I¡¯ll definitely continue annihting these vermins! I can finally feel at ease when these shameless women are eradicated from this world.¡±

    ¡°You mentioned that you¡¯ve consulted a psychologist. Did you know that your mental disease had rpsed?¡± asked Qi Youxuan calmly.

    Fan Yansong clenched his teeth tightly. He knew the truth but was reluctant to admit it.

    ¡°You knew it, didn¡¯t you? After realizing Xiong Shishi¡¯s true colors, you detected something wrong within you immediately. The agony when your girlfriend betrayed you initially gnawed at you again. You almost considered Xiong Shishi as your girlfriend and wanted to question her, but your remaining rationalitypelled you to resist your urge,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

 Chapter 533 - Hypnotism

    <h4>Chapter 533: Hypnotism</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    There was a slight change in Fan Yansong¡¯s expression, and even Yang Shaoqun and Zhang Shanfei noticed it. Thus, they knew Qi Youxuan was correct in his spections.

    ¡°You knew that something was definitely wrong, so you called your psychologist immediately for a chat and advice. You thought that the psychologist was a good doctor who would listen to you attentively and counsel you even though you couldn¡¯t return to B City. The psychologist even encouraged you to call him whenever you face any difficulty. You were thankful for him and always gave him phone calls, and you would definitely feel better afterward.¡±

    Fan Yansong¡¯s lips quivered uncontrobly as he stared at Qi Youxuan fearfully as if he was staring at a monster. ¡°How... How did you know about this?¡±

    ¡°In fact, there weren¡¯t the slightest signs of recovery at all. Why would youmit homicide if your mental condition was improving? Why would you kill in order to calm your rage? Your condition actually deteriorated after listening to his counsellings instead of improving. You were suffering in B City initially, but the agony gnawed at you alone only. You had no desire to kill and certainly wouldn¡¯te up with the idea of murdering others just to vent your rage. Homicide was something that you wouldn¡¯t dare to think at that time,¡± said Qi Youxuan calmly.

    Fan Yansong¡¯s lips trembled in fear as he nodded slowly. ¡°I... I didn¡¯t know what happened... I just couldn¡¯t control it. The agony was too much and I couldn¡¯t bear it any longer. Only their deaths would alleviate my agony, so I gave in to the desire. I...¡±

    ¡°The agony shouldn¡¯t be this intense and your disease should be well controlled if your psychologist fulfills his responsibility and prescribes treatment ns for your own good. It¡¯s easy to cure depression at the early stage of symptoms manifestation by counseling and medications. Well, it was obvious that the psychologist whom you believed in the most didn¡¯t deserve your trust after all. He actually worsened your condition instead of treating your symptoms ordingly. That was exactly the reason why you didn¡¯t see any sign of recovery in your disease until now.¡±

    ¡°Impossible! Doctor Xu is a good man. He won¡¯t hurt me! He treats me very well and has been helping me ever since. I¡¯ve never seen such a responsible doctor in my life! In fact, I actually felt better beforeing to T City. My condition only started to get worse after listening to Xiong Shishi¡¯s indecent acts,¡± replied Fan Yansong while shaking his head.

    Qi Youxuan fixed his gaze on Fan Yansong. ¡°Really? Then why can¡¯t you face your rtives and friends if you imed that your condition improved? He merely let you think that your condition improved and gave you hope that you were able to recover fully before making your condition worse again. He then discontinued your treatment n temporarily and guided you to work toward a better goal. That gave you an illusion that your condition was stabilizing. He was the one suggesting you to start over in T City. When you started detecting a rpse in your condition, you contacted him again and that was when he started hypnotizing and controlling you. He guided you step-by-step and prompted you to start a killing spree.¡±

    ¡°No! Impossible! It can¡¯t be! Why would he do that when I didn¡¯t even provoke him?¡± Fan Yansong shook his head vigorously in disbelief.

    How could Fan Yansong believe that his future was destroyed by a psychologist whom he had never met before in his lifetime?

    ¡°Besides, when he was chatting with me, his tone sounded normal without any sign of hypnotism! Do you think I¡¯ll fall for such obvious hypnotism? Am I really that stupid to do everything that he says? If he can control people with just a few words, he can manipte hackers to hack into others¡¯puters or phones to obtain their bank ounts¡¯ details, or better yet, he canmand others to rob a bank without any worry of getting caught! The ie is better and quicker that way,¡± replied Fan Yansong, obviously unconvinced.

    Qi Youxuan smiled in response. ¡°That¡¯s creative. You still have time to imagine using hypnotism for robbery.¡±

    The agitated Fan Yansong still could not believe that this was a set up all along.

    ¡°Why don¡¯t we y a game? It¡¯s an experiment to let you learn the effects of hypnotism,¡± suggested Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Sure,¡± replied Fan Yansong who remained unconvinced.

    Qi Youxuan took a handkerchief out of his pocket and passed it to Zhang Shanfei. ¡°Can you please cover his eyes?¡±

    Anxiety gnawed at Fan Yansong because he had no idea if Qi Youxuan was actually performing the experiment on him or it was just a disguise for punishment or torture.

    However, resistance was futile since Fan Yansong¡¯s wrists were handcuffed, so he had no choice but to let Zhang Shanfei cover his eyes with the handkerchief.

    Zhang Shanfei returned to Qi Youxuan¡¯s side after ensuring that Fan Yansong was blindfoldedpletely.

    ¡°Where are you guys? Have you started the experiment?¡± asked Fan Yansong nervously since all he could detect was an eerie silence and pitch-ck darkness before him.

    No answer. The only response Fan Yansong received were some messy footsteps in the room and the sound of the door opening and closing before him.

    Then, Fan Yansong heard Yang Shaoqun¡¯s panicked voice. ¡°Mr. Qi, are you alright? Why did you cut your arm all of a sudden?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± replied Qi Youxuan weakly.

    ¡°What do you mean you¡¯re fine? You¡¯re bleeding! There¡¯s so much blood!¡± yelled Zhang Shanfei worryingly.

    ¡°Ow! Why did you poke my wound? That¡¯s painful!¡± eximed Qi Youxuan suddenly but Fan Yansong was unsure who or what had caused him pain.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I didn¡¯t manage to control it due to anxiety,¡± Zhang Shanfei¡¯s voice traveled to Fan Yansong¡¯s ears.

    Then, Fan Yansong heard Qi Youxuan¡¯s pants of painful agony.

    ¡°You¡¯re pale. I think you should go to the hospital,¡± suggested Yang Shaoqun.

    Fan Yansong figured that Qi Youxuan was shaking his head despite the temporary blindness. ¡°No need. I may consider it after this interrogation is over.¡±

    Silence followed afterward. A few momentster, Fan Yansong heard some footsteps again but this time, the footsteps were closing in on him.

    ¡°What are you going to do?¡± asked Fan Yansong nervously before someone rolled his sleeve.

    His question went unanswered again and his vision was obscured too. Then, he felt a cool breeze touching his left forearm as his sleeve was rolled upward like a rubber band constricting his arm.

    The sleeve wrapped around his arm tightly and restricted blood flow to the distal part of his left arm, which felt cold and numb in mere seconds. He also had difficulty in clenching his fist tightly as energy started to drain away from the affected arm.

    Suddenly, an unknown object scratched Fan Yansong¡¯s exposed forearm. The object felt cold like it was made of metal, so his first assumption was that he was cut by a de.

    An agonizing pain shot through Fan Yansong¡¯s arm. He shrieked horribly and wanted to apply pressure on the wound, but failed to do so since his wrists were handcuffed to the back of the chair.

    Fan Yansong could even feel some warm fluid oozing out of the painful spot and trickled the fine hairs on his forearm, inducing itchiness which felt ufortable whenbined with pain at the same time.

    Fan Yansong yelled in fear. ¡°Blood! I¡¯m bleeding! It¡¯s so painful! Stop the bleeding, quick! The pain is unbearable! Faster! I¡¯m dying. You guys are going to kill me! Hey, police officers are murdering me!¡±

    The scream continued for quite sometime before the handkerchief was finally removed. However, he continued to yell in pain before opening his eyes, and if circumstances permitted, he even had the desire to roll on the floor repeatedly to soothe the pain.

    ¡°Open your eyes and have a look before you continue screaming painfully,¡± a voice traveled to Fan Yansong¡¯s ears suddenly.

    Fan Yansong was taken by surprise when he realized that the voice belonged to Qi Youxuan. He sounded calm and mellow without any previous sign of him enduring pain.

    The curious Fan Yansong opened his eyes and saw Qi Youxuan sitting opposite him with a tidy outfit and healthyplexion without any injury on his arm.

    ¡°Take a look at your forearm,¡± instructed Qi Youxuan calmly.

    Fan Yansong lowered his gaze doubtfully. Surprisingly, he did not find any wound or even a bruise on his exposed forearm where the intense pain originated.

    Fan Yansong stared at his left forearm in disbelief for a very long time.

    What happened to the intense pain that he felt just now?

    It felt so real after all.

    Qi Youxuan smiled and exined when Fan Yansong nced at him oddly. ¡°This is hypnotism. It works by obscuring your vision and giving you auditory hints only. When you felt that your forearm was scratched after hearing that my arm was injured, you assumed that you were attacked exactly the same way as I did, but in fact, the object that scratched you just now was actually this.¡±

    Yang Shaoqun waved the notebook, which was used for recordings during Fan Yansong¡¯s interrogation, in his hand at this instant. ¡°I merely used a piece of paper to scratch your forearm gently just now.¡±

    ¡°Your reaction was exactly how I predicted after giving you hints during the hypnotism. That¡¯s beyond your expectations. You may even die due to intense pain if I didn¡¯t stop you just now,¡± Qi Youxuan leaned forward slightly and added. ¡°Let me give you another example. It¡¯s a real case that happened in another country.¡±

    ¡°A prisoner was sentenced to a death penalty. After his limbs were restrained and his eyes blindfolded, someone informed him that he was going to be executed by exsanguination. After that, the executioner merely used a leaf to scratch his wrist very gently,¡± Qi Youxuan pressed his thumb and index finger together and made a cutting movement on his wrist.

    ¡°Naturally, there wasn¡¯t any injury on his wrist. Beside the prisonerid a container with water droplets dripping from it, and guess what, the prisoner died one dayter. Postmortem autopsy revealed that the cause of death was indeed exsanguination, but in fact, he didn¡¯t even lose a single drop of blood. The reason was that the prisoner strongly believed that his artery was cut and that his blood was oozing out by hearing the dripping sounds from the water container. He firmly believed that his death was certain and thus, died with signs and symptoms of exsanguination.¡±

 Chapter 534 - Mei Shiyu

    <h4>Chapter 534: Mei Shiyu</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Seeing the shocked look on Fan Yansong¡¯s face, Qi Youxuan said, ¡°Now you believe in the effect of psychological suggestion.¡±

    Fan Yansong did not say a word but his facial expression said it all.

    Qi Youxuan was in no hurry and calmly spoke, ¡°Now you tell me, from the beginning, what this Dr. Xu told you.¡±

    Yang Shaoqun felt something amiss when he listened to Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice. It seemed hypnotic. It had a calm, non-undting tone, like an ethereal voice in a dream.

    Turning again to Fan Yansong, he did not realize when his expression became calm and even sluggish-looking.

    Fan Yansong began talking about his treatment in B City and continued until he came to T City. What he could remember was iplete and could not repeat it word for word. He could only express in general what Dr. Xu told him at the time. It was also out of sequence.

    This caused Qi Youxuan to exert more effort in his judgment. After all, the words used by a psychiatrist at times¡ªespecially like this Dr. Xu¡ªwas always thought out in advance. Each word and its sequence had a specific purpose.

    ¡°I felt that I may have rpsed and it was more serious than before. I became very irritable and violent. It was unbearable to be with others. It was even more unbearable to be alone. I knew that it was bad, but I didn¡¯t know where to find a reliable psychiatrist in T City. I had no one else to turn to. I¡¯m afraid that others will think that I have mental problems, that I¡¯m a freak, and that I¡¯m crazy. So I thought of Dr. Xu, and I called him again.¡±

    ¡°I told him about my emotional problems. He said that sometimes emotions can¡¯t be continually supressed and need to be vented properly. It¡¯ll feel better once vented. For example, certain urges that I have can be followed through. He tells me little by little each time. I now realized that I was just in a violent mood at first, but not to the extent as to kill. It was he who encouraged me to vent my emotions a little bit. Soon, those failed to satisfy me. I wanted to kill.¡±

    ¡°I only felt happy after I killed Xiong Shishi, but I was scared at the same time. I was scared I had be a pervert. I told him but I had no guts to tell him that I had killed someone. His voice was very gentle then, just like yours.¡± Fan Yansong nced at Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°He said it was good that I had found a way to rx. This will be a good method. If I stick to it, I¡¯ll be better. I actually did feel much better. Due to his words, a huge burden was lifted. He also said to find more ways to rx, as long as it was effective.¡± Fan Yansong¡¯s expression suddenly became perplexed. ¡°He told me something more but I can¡¯t remember. I think I was a little absent-minded then.¡±

    ¡°Quite often when chatting with him, there will be a period of time where my mind goes nk. I feel veryfortable and rxed. Even though I don¡¯t remember anything, I rather liked the feeling.¡± Fan Yansong¡¯s expression then morphed into the look of terror. ¡°Give us the contact information of that psychiatrist,¡± said Yang Shaoqun.

    ¡°His cellphone number is in my phone contacts, the address of his clinic is recorded in my cell phone¡¯s memo,¡± said Fan Yansong.

    Zou Chengwei, who had been listening next door, immediately went to get Fan Yansong¡¯s cell phone and found a contact named Dr. Xu. After confirming with Fan Yansong, he wrote down the number and found the address of his clinic.

    Sure enough, the address was in B City, Room 1301, Block A, Jinbao International Building, 58 Jianguo Road.

    The doctor¡¯s name: Xu Heyou.

    They had already arrested Fan Yansong. As to what charges to press, this would depend on his mental state. Qi Youxuan¡¯s party had no say in it.

    They packed and prepared to return to B City.

    Jiang Yuecheng had sent Xu Heyou¡¯s address and contact information to Zhang Ming. They booked the earliest flight the next day back to B City.

    It was alreadyte night when they finished questioning Fan Yansong. Because of that, they had no time to meet Xiao Yiqing and Xiang Haorui.

    They turned off their cell phones when they got on the ne.

    When theynded and turned on their cell phones, Jiang Yuecheng saw that he had a missed call from Zhang Ming.

    He called back. After listening to Zhang Ming and hanging up, he told Qi Youxuan and the others, ¡°ording to Zhang Ming, the psychiatry clinic at the address had been closed down. He checked with the building¡¯s security guards and found out that there was a clinic there previously but it was closed down a month ago. Shaozhan also found that no psychiatrist in B City goes by the name Xu Heyou.¡±

    ¡°Have Zhang Ming ask the building¡¯s security guards, the people who work in the building and the people who had contact with Xu Heyou and get a police sketch of Xu Heyou based on the descriptions from them.¡± Qi Youxuan then instructed, ¡°Also, have Yang Shaozhan find the author of the book, <Killer of the Heart>.¡±

    In the car, Wei Muran did a search on the inte with her cell phone. ¡°This book was initially published on the Jiangshi Chinese Network and was then licensed to Jinzheng Publishing for publication. Jiangshi Chinese Network is located in B City, 21 Guangbo Road, Block A, Haidong Building, Room 1001-1010.¡±

    After they returned to the police station, Zhang Ming and Jiang Yuecheng went to the Jinbao Building; Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran to the office of Jiangshi Chinese Network; and Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong went to Jinzheng Publishing.

    At the office of Jiangshi Chinese Network, Wei Muran presented her badge and found the editor for <Killer of the Heart>.

    ¡°What seems to be the matter, officer? Have youe to check for pornographic content? This book by Mei Shiyu is a Detective Fiction novel. There¡¯s no pornographic content in there. Our website has rectified all books to ensurepliance. The content is good. There is no indecent content. Officer, are you here to arrest me? Is it toote if I resign now?¡± said the editor while clutching her employee ID tag, hiding her identification from Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran.

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran took a quick nce at the employee ID tag clutched in her hand and said, ¡°We¡¯re from the Criminal Investigation Division. We¡¯re responsible for major crimes like murders, arsons, and bank robberies. We¡¯re not responsible for fighting pornography.¡±

    The editor breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. ¡°If that¡¯s the case¡ª¡±

    Before she could finish, she got scared again. ¡°Then it doesn¡¯t concern me!¡±

    ¡°Please calm down, Miss. We¡¯re here to inquire about Mei Shiyu, it¡¯s not directly rted to you,¡± assured Wei Muran.

    ¡°What happened to Mei Shiyu? Did one of my authorsmit a crime?¡± asked the editor nervously.

    ¡°Just answer the questions that I ask, alright?¡± said Wei Muran with a wooden expression.

    ¡°Sure, sure.¡± The editor¡¯s shoulders loosened and she no longer covered her employee ID badge.

    Wei Muran saw the name on her employee ID badge: Pu Qiuping.

    ¡°Madam Pu Qiuping?¡± asked Wei Muran again.

    ¡°Yes, yes, I¡¯m Pu Qiuping.¡± Pu Qiuping shifted her buttocks and adjusted her posture. ¡°Not Madam. Miss. I¡¯m unmarried.¡±

    ¡°...¡± Wei Muran ignored the second half of what she said. She wondered if the editor has read too many novels which caused her brain to be crookedpared to others. ¡°Mei Shiyu is one of your authors. Do you have a way to contact him?¡±

    ¡°I only have his QQ number, and we usuallymunicate via QQ,¡± answered Pu Qiuping. She then took out her cell phone from her jacket pocket, logged in to QQ, found Mei Shiyu¡¯s QQ number and told Wei Muran.

    ¡°Still, we haven¡¯t been in contact for more than half a year. After his novel was published half a year ago, he said he wanted to take a break. There was nothing much happening during this time, so I haven¡¯t contacted him,¡± informed Pu Qiuping.

    ¡°How much do you know about Mei Shiyu¡¯s real identity? Did you need an identification card to sign the contract?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    ¡°Just a minute, I¡¯ll find our contract editor and get a copy of Mei Shiyu¡¯s contract,¡± said Pu Qiuping. She then sent a QQ message to the contracted editor with her cell phone. ¡°It¡¯s a little troublesome to find a contract and it may take a while.¡±

    ¡°How much do you know about Mei Shiyu? Could you tell us? I saw your website. Does he only have one series on your website?¡±

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure if he has vested in other websites. This is the first time he hase to our website. We posted our editors¡¯ posting submission emails and genre of submissions on our website. I¡¯m in charge of suspense, supernatural, online games, and science fiction. He submitted his work to mest March. I saw that it was really good, so I contacted him and quickly signed the contract. This detective fiction novel isn¡¯t long, approximately three hundred thousand words. It waspleted within two months.¡±

    ¡°Our website has a dedicated publishing department responsible for rmending suitable books on the website to publishers. Our colleagues in the publishing department rmended this book to Jinzheng Publishing. It so happened that detective fiction novels were particrly popr at the time, and the publishers were more than willing to sign on novels of this genre. This book of his was highly popr on our website. Although short, it had a huge amount of readers and Mei Shiyu¡¯s name also gained fame. The publishers signed the contract and the royalties were considerable. We¡¯re recently preparing to rmend it to make a movie out of it,¡± Pu Qiuping added.

    ¡°Have you ever met?¡± asked Wei Muran.

    Pu Qiuping shook her head. ¡°His book was very well-received. The theme was new and original. We wanted to cultivate him as the face of our website. At the author¡¯s annual meetingst year, he was specially invited to attend. He was to be presented with a particrly important award, which came with generous bonuses. This will also help to boost the poprity of this book. I contacted him and exined clearly but he still didn¡¯t agree; he just didn¡¯t want to reveal himself.¡±

    Pu Qiuping felt helpless and even a little sullen. He just passed up such a good opportunity.

    ¡°There were other events held, big and small, yet he declined them all. The book sold very well and he even built up a fan base. The publisher wanted to do a book signing event, he declined. The publisher was willing to cover all travel and lodging expenses, he still declined. They requested that hee over to sign some copies of the book and sell them as special signature editions, he refused as well. He only had the publisher send him a stack of A4 papers and sent them back after he signed them.¡± Pu Qiuping shook her head. ¡°Still, it turned out alright as the publisher used the mystery angle as a selling point. The results turned out pretty good.¡±

    After a while, a girl who looked like she had just graduated came bearing a contract.

    Wei Muran flipped open and photographed Mei Shiyu¡¯s signature, identification card, and real name.

    Later, Qi Youxuan asked Pu Qiuping to contact Mei Shiyu with her office number.

    They both followed Pu Qiuping to her desk. They stood behind her as Pu Qiuping found Mei Shiyu¡¯s name from the author¡¯s category of her QQ friends, and sent two words: [You there?]

    There was no reply even after they waited a while.

    Pu Qiuping looked at them regrettably and said, ¡°We haven¡¯t contacted each other for more than half a year. He¡¯d respond just as slow back then when we were in contact. Most of the time, I contacted him in the morning, and he¡¯d only respond in the afternoon. It was considered very fast if he responded within one to two hours.¡±

    ¡°Do you use this work number for personal use?¡± asked Qi Youxuan, frowning.

    Pu Qiuping shook her head. ¡°No, it¡¯s used only during office hours. The ount number and password are provided by thepany.¡±

    ¡°Very well, give us the ount name and password. If it¡¯s not convenient to reveal the password, you may change it. You can change it back after we return the ount to you,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    Pu Qiuping shrugged. ¡°It¡¯s not inconvenient, it was all set-up by thepany.¡±

    As she spoke, she retrieved a random sheet of A4 printer paper, wrote down the ount number and password, then handed it to Qi Youxuan.

    On the way back, Wei Muran said, ¡°Not sure what¡¯s the connection between Mei Shiyu and Xu Heyou.¡±

    She stared at the picture Mei Shiyu¡¯s identification card photo on her cell phone. The real name was printed right there, amon name: Song Pengfei.

    However, because of <Killer of the Heart>, Wei Muran was used to using the pen name.

    ¡°We¡¯ll have the identification card checked out, but I don¡¯t have high hopes,¡± said Qi Youxuan after ncing at Wei Muran¡¯s cell phone screen at a red light while driving.

    ¡°The identification card is a fake?¡± asked a shocked Wei Muran.

    ¡°Not necessarily. Even if the identification card is legit, I suspect that the person may not be the real Mei Shiyu,¡± said Qi Youxuan. The light turned green and he drove. ¡°You asked what¡¯s the connection between Mei Shiyu and Xu Heyou. There¡¯s definitely a connection but he won¡¯t let us find it so easily.¡±

    Back at the police station, Zhao Yiyang and Xing Jiadong had also returned from the publishers.

    Unsurprisingly, they did not find any information about Mei Shiyu that was of use at the publishers.

    ¡°The editor at the publisher who was in contact with Mei Shiyu also said that he had never met him. Mei Shiyu just wouldn¡¯t participate in any events; they don¡¯t have his cell phone number; he usually contacts him via QQ. If unlucky, he might not be online for a few days. Important matters will need to be dyed because of this. Even the signing of the contract for the publication of <Killer of the Heart> was conducted by Mei Shiyu via the editor at Jiangshi Chinese Network,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    Yang Shaozhan spun in his chair. ¡°Mei Shiyu thinks he¡¯s such a big shot!¡±

    Wei Muran transferred the photographs on the phone to Yang Shaozhan via the cloudwork.

    Very quickly, Yang Shaozhan leaned back on his chair and said, ¡°Such a person exists and is in B City.¡±

    At this moment, a notification rang from Pu Qiuping¡¯s editor number that they had previously logged into on theirputer. The initially grey avatar lighted up. Upon closer inspection, they realized that the avatar was of Van Gogh¡¯s painting, <The Starry Night>.

    Wei Muran opened it quickly. Yang Shaozhan moved over to aputer that seemed to have lots ofplicated attachments connected to it and gave Wei Muran an ¡®OK¡¯ hand signal.

    Only then did Wei Muran officially begin her conversation. Mei Shiyu only responded with one word, [Yes.]

    Wei Muran considered for a moment then wrote, ¡°The website is now in talks about the movie rights for <Killer of the Heart>. The people at the movie studio want to meet and discuss with you in person. Other than the movie rights, there¡¯s also the adaptation of the book to the big screen. A movie adaptation is a very important matter. There are also other trivial matters. You muste over this time.¡±

    Wei Muran waited a while, and when there was no reply, she added, ¡°This is rted to your future. This isn¡¯t child¡¯s y. You better take this seriously, or else it¡¯s no use for us to be anxious for you.¡±

    Wei Muran felt that she was really into the role of ying the character of an editor.

    ¡°Tell him that if the book can be sessfully adapted into a movie, the poprity and influence will be iparable to what it is currently. Many more people will read the book, many more people will know the plot and will know of his thinking, and be attracted by his ideas. They don¡¯t even have to make the movie. As long as they sign the contract to adapt it, and once promoted online, the number of readers would increase tremendouslypared to before,¡± borated Qi Youxuan.

 Chapter 535 - Could It Be That He Also Has An Insufferable Past?

    <h4>Chapter 535: Could It Be That He Also Has An Insufferable Past?</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Wei Muran could not fully grasp the purpose behind this but sent the message ording to what was said.

    After a long while, they finally received a reply, ¡°I¡¯ll consider it.¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t be too anxious. He¡¯s very cautious and may sense that something is amiss. Fortunately, his editor was also very attentive towards him and was also very anxious when requesting him to attend the events, so he¡¯s suspicious this time.¡± Qi Youxuan then continued, ¡°Tell him that the movie studio has contacted the website and hopes tomunicate directly with the author as soon as possible, and that he needs to consider it quickly.¡±

    Qi Youxuan thought for a moment then said, ¡°There have been fewer movies with this subject matter recently. Moreover, the National Radio and Television Administration has more restrictions on the subject matter for movies. It¡¯s difficult to find a subject matter that will smoothly obtain approval and won¡¯t be dyed for years before it can be released. This book is an opportunity as it meets all the criteria.¡±

    Wei Muran typed and sent the messages over as Qi Youxuan spoke.

    Someone tapped her on the shoulder. Wei Muran turned and saw Yang Shaozhan giving her another ¡®OK¡¯ sign.

    Wei Muran nodded. Qi Youxuan unconsciously drummed his fingers rapidly on the backrest of the chair and said, ¡°Tell him that our website has previously contacted you numerous times in order to promote you but you declined every time. To be honest with you, you¡¯re not the only choice as we¡¯re also negotiating for the movie rights for two other books. The movie studio is also very interested in one of them. The website will give priority to the author easiest to work with. They¡¯ll need the author¡¯s cooperation for future promotional activities. Honestly, we don¡¯t have high hopes. Even if youe in person to discuss and sign the contract, is there any guarantee that you¡¯ll cooperate during future promotional events? I feel that the opportunity will go to those that seize it. Don¡¯t waste this chance.¡±

    Wei Muran typed and sent exactly what was said.

    This time Mei Shiyu¡¯s reply was quicker.

    ¡°I ept. When can Ie to discuss it?¡± replied Mei Shiyu.

    Wei Muran looked at Qi Youquan.

    Qi Youxuan stared at the chat window and drummed his fingers unconsciously on the back of the chair.

    ¡°The day after tomorrow,¡± said Qi Youxuan after deliberating for a moment. ¡°Tell him it¡¯s the day after tomorrow. The movie studio said that if they can¡¯t make it on the day after tomorrow, then they¡¯ll have to arrange it in the next month. They have some time avable the day after tomorrow. We can¡¯t ask him toe immediately; he¡¯ll be suspicious. If we dy too long, he might change his mind. The day after tomorrow is a safe time.

    Wei Muran nodded and replied with the words, [The day after tomorrow.]

    The other party replied promptly with [OK], then the avatar turned grey.

    Wei Muran closed the chat window before exiting QQ.

    Yang Shaozhan then said, ¡°The other party¡¯s IP address is shown to be in Jinshi City when I was on QQ but when I checked, Song Pengfei is in B City.¡±

    Yang Shaozhan pulled up Song Pengfei¡¯s information, showing that he was from Shenzhen City. Simr to most non-Beijing natives who find their way to Beijing, he came to B City and lived a hard life. At first, he lived in a very remote ce and was sharing a house in a house with others. It took an hour and a half to travel to work every day.

    He moved within the Fifth Ring Road two years ago and rented an apartment on his own. The information discovered by Yang Shaozhan was clearly shown, including his rental agreement, address of his previous residence, current residence, thepany he works for, and even his workce number. Even his social security card number was disyed.

    Song Pengfei¡¯s cell phone number was also out in the open.

    Zhao Yiyang called the front desk of Song Pengfei¡¯s workce and asked if Song Pengfei was there. The front desk said he was but before the call was transferred, Zhao Yiyang hung up.

    ¡°If Mei Shiyu is in Jinshi City right now, then Song Pengfei can¡¯t be Mei Shiyu,¡± said Zhao Yiyang.

    ¡°Is it possible that it¡¯s a fake IP address? Isn¡¯t there some software to mask IP addresses?¡± asked Xing Jiadong.

    Yang Shaozhan shook his head. ¡°The other party isn¡¯t using any.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll first need to find Song Pengfei at his workce. I¡¯ll follow up with the application, then Jiadong and I will go to Song Pengfei¡¯s house to investigate. Zhang Ming, take Yiyang with you to detain Song Pengfei at his workce and bring him back here. Shaozhan, continue to check on Mei Shiyu¡¯s IP address in Jinshi City. It¡¯ll be good if it¡¯s at his house. See if you can find out his real identity and actual location,¡± ordered Jiang Yuecheng.

    Zhang Ming and Zhao Yiyang¡¯s operation went smoothly. When they arrived at Song Pengfei¡¯s workce and met him, Song Pengfei was confused and totally unaware of what was going on.

    When they told Song Pengfei about <Killer of the Heart> after they brought him back, he was puzzled. ¡°What is that book? What is it about? What does it have to do with me?¡±

    Wei Muran showed him a photocopy of the contract. ¡°That is a copy of your identification card, right?¡±

    Song Pengfei¡¯s eyes widened and even retrieved his original identification card, checking each number one at a time.

    After a long while, he nodded nkly. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s mine, but what is this? Copyright contract? When did I sign this?¡±

    ¡°This is the author¡¯s electronic contract for the book rights to <Killer of the Heart>,¡± Wei Muran exined.

    Song Pengfei was even more shocked and immediately shook his head, looking very puzzled. ¡°I¡¯ve never written a novel. Myposition skills were bad since childhood, and I¡¯ve always been an academic theory person. The work I do for thepany I work for is my professional field, which is software engineering. As you know, they¡¯reining about people in the IT industry online. It¡¯s really not an exaggeration. We¡¯re really busy and would work all day long and overtime. Where would we find the time to write novels?

    Qi Youxuan did not express an opinion and asked, ¡°Do you usually read novels?¡±

    Song Pengfei shook his head. ¡°I used to read when I had free time during my university days but not anymore.¡±

    ¡°Are you usually under a lot of stress during your busy work life?¡± asked Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Sigh!¡± Song Pengfei let out a heavy sigh, nodded and said, ¡°It¡¯s really stressful. I was thinking that since it was B CIty, there would be many job opportunities and promising prospects. I was young and aggressive, so thought I¡¯d give it a shot. My family isn¡¯t considered well-off, middle-ss, but I can¡¯t be still asking my family for money, even though I have a job. I¡¯m a man. If I ask my family for money, my parents would be theughing-stock of the people around them.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I rented a ce in a remote location when I first got here. The advantage was that it was really affordable; my wages were not high at the time. I was almost depressed. As my wages increased, I gradually moved closer and my living conditions improved a little.¡±

    ¡°Thepany also knows that we face a lot of work-rted stress, so we¡¯d regrly be visited by a psychiatrist.¡± Song Pengfei was afraid they would overthink thus he quickly waved his hands and said, ¡°It wasn¡¯t a formal consultation. It¡¯s like to advise us on ways to relieve stress. He would make usfortable and rxed a little. Of course, he also left us a business card. If we have any questions, we can also contact him privately.¡±

    ¡°A while ago, my family faced some difficulties. My parents invested in a fundraisingpany¡ª loan-sharking¡ªto earn a higher interest. The operations sadly went south and the owner disappeared, and they lost two hundred thousand yuan. My family is considered middle-ss; my parent¡¯sbined pension amounts to about seven thousand yuan but they¡¯re not working full-time anymore. Their bank ount bnces are decreasing little by little. During that time, they couldn¡¯t help but to find fault with each other and got into arguments often. My mom woulde crying to me in secret.¡±

    ¡°I really wanted to help but I just couldn¡¯t; I¡¯m drifting over here. It was considered pretty good that I didn¡¯t have to ask my family for support, but I didn¡¯t have any savings. I was particrly anxious at the time and felt that I wasn¡¯t a filial son. My parents were in trouble but I can¡¯t even help. I felt like I was going crazy. So I secretly went to see the psychologist hired by thepany before.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the name of that psychiatrist?¡± Even Xing Jiadong sensed this was bad and asked anxiously.

    Song Penfei was a little stunned but still said, ¡°Xu Heyou. However, this was more than a year ago, almost two years. I got better and better at work and went home during the holidays to advise my parents. I even sent money home but my parents didn¡¯t want it and put it in my savings. Anyway, the days are getting better and those unpleasant memories will naturally be forgotten. My mood got better, so I didn¡¯t visit him again. I don¡¯t know how he is now.¡±

    ¡°Yourpany didn¡¯t ask him toe for psychological counseling anymore?¡± asked Zhao Yiyang.

    Song Pengfei shook his head. ¡°No. Not long after I stopped seeing him. Ourpany also changed to a different psychiatrist. As I¡¯ve spoken to Dr. Xu before, it felt strange, so I asked thepany. Thepany said that Dr. Xu went to Jinshi City. The new psychiatrist was rmended by Dr. Xu.¡±

    Jinshi City. Everyone there nced at each other.

    ¡°Do you need an identification card to see the psychiatrist?¡± asked Zhao Yiyang.

    ¡°Yes, of course,¡± said Song Pengfei.

    This exins why Mei Shiyu had Song Pengfei¡¯s identification card to sign the contract with.

    After letting Song Pengfei go, Wei Muran contacted Jiangshi Chinese Network. Informing them that they will temporarily requisition Pu Qiuping¡¯s editor ount number. She also told them about their contact with Mei Shiyu. The website did not reveal any inconsistencies.

    When she hung up, she heard Jiang Yuecheng asking Qi Youxuan, ¡°What do you think?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no doubt that there is a connection between Mei Shiyu and Xu Heyou.¡± Qi Youxuan then said, ¡°However, I don¡¯t know if they¡¯re the same person, partners, or is Mei Shiyu another person being controlled by Xu Heyou.¡±

    Qi Youxuan drummed his fingertips on the desk. ¡°Jinshi, Jinshi... I¡¯m more inclined to think that Xu Heyou and Mei Shiyu are the same person.¡±

    ¡°We have to find a way to secure Mei Shiyu. If he really is Xu Heyou, then this person will have an excellent grasp of human psychology. I¡¯m afraid he¡¯ll see through our intentions and get suspicious,¡± said Jiang Yuecheng worriedly.

    Qi Youxuan shook his head. ¡°Xu Heyou orchestrated so many things, I¡¯m afraid that he wants to let the world know of his genius. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t have agreed toe over when we told him we had someone else to promote.¡±

    ¡°He didn¡¯t reveal himself before because he was afraid he won¡¯t be able to continue if his identity was known. At the same time, he longed for his book to be sessful and be more well-known. It would be best if it would be a sensation. If it could be bolder, he would¡¯ve wanted these three homicides to be exposed and have the public make the connection between these three homicides and <Killer of the Heart>, so as to admire his borate thoughts.¡±

    ¡°Previously, we told him that the website wouldn¡¯t promote him anymore. He knows the power of publicity and therefore hurriedly agreed. I fear that he¡¯d want us to reveal the three homicides and associate it with his book,¡± said Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± eximed Xing Jiadong. ¡°Could it be that he also has an insufferable past?¡±

    Qi Youxuan pursed his lips, ¡°Sometimes there¡¯s no reason for someone to be insane. There are some who do research on psychiatry who eventually get pulled into it. It¡¯s not unheard of.¡±

    Xing Jiadong stared at him in all seriousness, as though this was thest time they would ever see each other and said bitterly, ¡°You take care.¡±

    Qi Youxuan was speechless.

    Yang Shaozhan managed to find out the location of the IP address used by Mei Shiyu to login to his QQ ount. It was a cybercafe in Jinshi City.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that like looking for a needle in a haystack? There are so many cybercafes. He may have just gone to a cybercafe far away to avoid detection,¡± said Xing Jiadong bitterly.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we can only wait for him toe.¡± Qi Youxuan then went on saying, ¡°He¡¯s very conceited. The first three cases have been solved. He¡¯s a little bit tempted. He wants the cases in the book to continue, to let the world know and not be obscured. He didn¡¯t want people to think that it¡¯s just a novel. He wanted to let people know that the cases in the book were realized. He¡¯ll surelye.¡±

    There was no way they would find a needle in a haystack in Jinshi City but as a backup n, Jiang Yuecheng still had Yang Shaozhan investigate little by little, even if it was inefficient. In the event that Mei Shiyu went back on his word and turned out to be a no-show, they would not have to start from scratch.

    Fortunately, the next afternoon, Wei Muran, who was logged in to Pu Qiuping¡¯s editor number, received a message from Mei Shiyu. He stated that he would arrive at the B City airport at ten am the next day and would be able to arrive at Jiangshi Chinese Network¡¯s office at about eleven am.

    [Great, I¡¯ll treat you to lunch tomorrow.] Wei Muran then typed, [Do we need ourpany to send a driver to pick you up? It¡¯s the boss¡¯s car.]

    [It¡¯s alright.] The other party then added, [I¡¯ll take a cab.]

    [Okay, this is ourpany¡¯s address.] Wei Muran sent him the address of Jiangshi Chinese Network which she had prepared in advance.

    Wei Muran then informed Jiang Yuecheng.

    Jiang Yuecheng arranged for Zhang Ming, Xing Jiadong and Yang Shaozhan to go to the airport to stake out the ce and be wary of anything that could go wrong.

    The others headed directly to Jiangshi Chinese Network to set an ambush.

    Both groups took Xu Heyou¡¯s police sketch as Qi Youxuan felt that Xu Heyou and Mei Shiyu were the same person.

    Around half-past ten in the morning, Qi Youxuan and Wei Muran were waiting at Jiangshi Chinese Network¡¯s office. In the event that Mei Shiyu called Pu Qiuping, they would know.

    Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang waited at the entrance of the building. If all went well, they would surround Mei Shiyu as soon as Mei Shiyu entered.

    Qi Youxuan received a call from Zhang Ming and he confirmed that Mei Shiyu was Xu Heyou. The person they saw at the airport was the exact same as in the police sketch.

    Qi Youxuan immediately told Jiang Yuecheng. Both Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang could not help but tense up.

    At eleven fifteen, when Mei Shiyu, also known as Xu Heyou walked into the building, Jiang Yuecheng and Zhao Yiyang immediately walked in front of him. Zhang Ming¡¯s party of three blocked Xu Heyou¡¯s escape route from behind.

    Jiang Yuecheng showed his identification. ¡°Police, we suspect that you are involved in three homicides. Pleasee with us to assist in investigations.¡±

    Xu Heyou¡¯s eyes shed and he understood. He chuckled softly. ¡°So the promotions, the movie adaptations were all just ploys to bait me?¡±

    ¡°No, indeed your book was to be adapted into a movie. It¡¯s just that the meeting wasn¡¯t today,¡± said Qi Youxuan calmy. He and Wei Muran suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

    Wei Muran observed Xu Heyou.

    Whether as a psychiatrist or as an author, Xu Heyou met everyone¡¯s image of him.

    He wore an elegant well-fitted suit, gold half-rimmed sses and carried aptop bag in his hands.

    He looked like an elite, very trustworthy, pleasing to one¡¯s eyes.

    It was strange how Qi Youxuan¡¯s words made Xu Heyou look so satisfied. He neither resisted nor tried to escape nor deny any wrongdoing. His eyes were brimming with satisfaction. ¡°Very well, I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

 Chapter 536 - [Interlude] A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 9

    <h4>Chapter 536: [Interlude] A Hodgepodge of People of All Sorts 9</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Teacher Zhou held Chang Jing¡¯s hand publically and tenderly blessed her and Ruan Zeer. The normally iron-faced teacher smiled like a flower during this particr moment, as gentle as water. The students who came to the ss were shocked and felt uneasy.

    Teacher Zhou did not seem to think that there was anything wrong with this and continued chatting casually with Chang Jingwan. The ss bell had not yet rung.

    The students witnessed the tragedy that was Chang Jingwan conversing with the demondy.

    It was mostly Teacher Zhou doing the talking; Chang Jingwan had no chance to refute. It was because of this that the students were casually brainwashed to think that Chang Jingwan had consented.

    Xu Lele thought that not only was Ruan Zeer god-level academically, but even his way of getting the girl was also god-tier.

    Staying calm and collected further established Chang Jingwan¡¯s identity. There was no doubt about it.

    Chang Jingwan finished the ss under tremendous pressure. Teacher Zhou was particrly disgusted with students who get distracted in ss. For even such arge ss, she would not allow students to fall asleep in ss and whoever fell asleep would be asked to answer questions.

    The Iron-faced Demon Lady was by no means a title bestowed without merit.

    During this particr ss, however, all the other students¡¯ attention was focused on Chang Jingwan but Teacher Zhou did not get angry. She did not even take attendance. They breezed through the ss without incident.

    It was after ss that the rumor-mills started working. Initially, it was only said that Ruan Zeer and Chang Jingwan had an ambiguous rtionship.

    It had then turned into Chang Jingwan having a crush on Ruan Zeer.

    There were also rumors that the earlier rumors were started by Chang Jingwan because Chang Jingwan had a crush on Ruan Zeer. Moreover, they were acquainted and saw each other regrly. Despite this, Chang Jingwan still could not snatch Ruan Zeer.

    Therefore, Chang Jingwan deliberately started a rumor that she was in a rtionship with Ruan Zeer to deter any girls interested in Ruan Zeer.

    Chang Jingwan was instantly known as a scheming b*tch.

    As neither Chang Jingwan nor Xu Lele lived on campus, they really had no first-hand knowledge of these rumors.

    When both of them were in ss one day, there were people talking about this behind them. Although they were talking in a low voice, Chang Jingwan and Xu Lele could make out clearly what they were saying.

    It was not known if it was intentional but they did not care that the volume of their voice gradually got louder. It was just a tad softer than their normal talking voice, as though wanting Chang Jingwan to hear it.

    ¡°When did this happen?¡± Xu Lele was shocked. When did the gossip in school evolve this rapidly and this drastically?

    Chang Jingwan: (¡Ñ?¡Ñ)

    Chang Jingwan sighed out loud helplessly, especially since she had Ruan Zeer¡¯s ss tomorrow. She hoped that Ruan Zeer would be busy with work and took the day off so that a substitute teacher would take over. It was not the first time anyway.

    However, as Chang Jingwan was still praying, Xu Lele could not take it anymore.

    The gossipers were sitting directly behind them. Xu Lele turned and stared at them. ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°What? We were just chatting, why are you interrupting us?¡± said the girl wearing sses as she stared back at Xu Lele and the back of a dazed Chang Jingwan.

    Obviously, she did not know that Chang Jingwan was in a daze. She thought that Chang Jingwan felt guilty and dared not refute. This gave her a boost in confidence.

    Xu Lele chuckled. ¡°Were you just chatting or talking behind someone¡¯s back? If you were just chatting, I wouldn¡¯t be bothered to interject. I don¡¯t know you so I have no reason to chat with you. However, you¡¯re now backbiting to the person¡¯s face. If you had lowered your voice, we would¡¯ve pretended not to hear it. Did you think we¡¯re that easy just because we¡¯re not saying anything? Your conversations got louder and louder, didn¡¯t you think we¡¯d hear it? You were talking about us, so can¡¯t the person concerned be allowed toment? Talk about being impolite. It¡¯s more impolite to talk behind a person¡¯s back!¡±

    ¡°Who are you? We weren¡¯t talking about you. Why are you so anxious?¡± sassed the ponytailed girl next to the girl wearing sses.

    She paused then suddenly snorted, ¡°Could it be that you like Senior Ruan too? Are you trying to establish your presence here? Give it up!¡±

    Chang Jingwan barely snapped out of her daze, not knowing what was going on. She heard the argument and confusingly turned to look.

    After a while, Chang Jingwan realized what was happening and pulled Xu Lele back. It was her personal matter; there was no need for her friend to defend her while she hid behind.

    She initially thought she would just bear with it. If she had been alone, she would have just pretended nothing happened.

    Although she was the heiress of the Chang family, Grandmother Chang had an iron-willed and unreasonable personality so she was used to tolerating and giving way. Even though she was an only child, she did not have the spoilt nature of an only child due to the family environment. On the contrary, her temper was a little cowardly, and she was not considered a brave person.

    However, when she heard what the other two girls said were getting more and more overboard and even scolded Xu Lele, she could not bear it anymore.

    ¡°This fellow ssmate, do you know me well?¡± asked Chang Jingwan calmly.

    Although normally a peaceful person with little disputes with others, she was also a person who had experienced various aspects of the world. If Chang Jingwan really wanted to show her imposing character, she was still quite an intimidating Paper Tiger<sup>1</sup>.

    The two girls choked on their words. Chang Jingwan then sneered, ¡°I believe you didn¡¯t even know what I look like prior to this. What right do you have to be talking about my business? I don¡¯t know where these rumors came from. Did you verify it? Do you know me? If you don¡¯t know anything, don¡¯t speak about unconfirmed rumors.¡±

    ¡°You think you¡¯re so self-confident that you¡¯re in the right, that you can say these things behind my back but still refuse to apologize when I hear it. Do you mean that I¡¯m guilty?¡± mocked Chang Jingwan. She tauntingly pursed her lips and added, ¡°I¡¯ll return what you said to my friend. If you like Ruan Zeer, please confess to him yourself and don¡¯t try to establish your presence here. He won¡¯t know. You wouldn¡¯t expect me to praise you in front of him, that you were so fearless?¡±

    Chang Jingwan was quite angry at this moment, as it was also fueled by her anger toward Ruan Zeer as well.

    If it were not for him, there would not have been so many rumors in school.

    She did not n to continue her studies after graduating, could not even leave her in peace for two years.

    It was all because of Ruan Zeer¡¯s poprity in the school, Ruan Zeer pulling off that one stunt in ss, and the many misunderstandings by the teachers. There would not be so many problems if these did not happen!

    ¡°You ...¡± The ponytailed girl was rendered speechless by Chang Jingwan.

    Chang Jingxuan pulled Xu Lele up. ¡°There are other seats avable. We¡¯re moving.¡±

    Chang Jingyi nced back coldly. ¡°It¡¯ll be more convenient for both of them to continue talking bad about me.¡±

    It could be that Chang Jingwan was too imposing. When Chang Jingwan dragged Xu Lele to the three empty seats in the middle, she did not even ask the ssmate sitting at the outer seat to make way. The other party had already stood up very consciously and was still trembling when Chang Jingwan passed by.

    Chang Jingwan was silent for a moment.

    Dear ssmate, was I that terrifying? (¨s¨F¡õ¡ä)¨s¦à©ß©¥©ß

    After they sat down, Xu Lele quietly gave Chang Jingwan a thumbs up. ¡°You usually have such a good temper yet you¡¯re very imposing when angry! ssmate Xiao Chang, keep it up!¡±

    Chang Jingwan failed to muster a reply.

    ...

    After ss, Chang Jingwan began to pray that Ruan Zeer would miss his ss tomorrow. Not to curse him to the point where he met with an ident, but just be too busy!

    God apparently did not hear Chang Jingwan¡¯s prayer.

    To be on the safe side, Chang Jingwan came extremely early to reserve a seat. She had chosen the corner seat of thest row near the window. The sun shone in and it was warm and suitable for sleeping.

    Xu Lele cameter but also arrived before ss started.

    On her way here, she received Chang Jingwan¡¯s text message specifying the location of her seat. Otherwise, in such arge ssroom, It would be difficult to find Chang Jingwan curled up in the corner.

    From the moment Xu Lele sat down, she heard Chang Jingwan mumbling something.

    After carefully listening for a long while, she finally made out that she was mumbling, ¡°Please don¡¯te to ss. Please don¡¯te to ss. Please don¡¯te to ss...¡±

    Xu Lele was speechless.

    She wondered how she was best friends with this piece of work.

    Unfortunately, Ruan Zeer stepped into ss just as the bell rang.

    As soon as he entered, the ss turned silent. The students¡¯ eyes scanned the ssroom for Chang Jingwan like radars.

    The high-level gossipers had already locked on to Chang Jingwan¡¯s position way before ss started and had revealed her position to their fellow neighbors around them.

    Chang Jingwan was discovered and her hard work to find the most inconspicuous location was in vain.

    In a ss of over a hundred students, that humble corner had be the most conspicuous ce at this moment.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan flipped open her brand-new, rarely opened textbook, grasped the edges with both hands and shielded her face with it like a screen.

    It was self-deception. Let them stare; she would act as though nothing happened as long as she did not see them.

    ¡°ss is now in session. I¡¯ll now mark attendance,¡± Ruan Zeer began as he usually would.

    He did not even need to search; he found Chang Jingwan easily just by following the other students¡¯ gaze.

    The upright book was useless!

    The corner of Ruan Zeer¡¯s lips curled. He nced toward Chang Jingwan¡¯s direction. His eyes softened.

    Chang Jingwan did not see it, but everyone else did.

    The other students¡¯ hearts could not take it. What a flirtatious gaze!

    Ruan Zeer took out the name list but did not even look at it. The first name he called out was, ¡°Chang Jingwan.¡±

    Chang Jingwan thought she was hearing things. Otherwise, how could she have even heard a hint of a smile in his voice?

    However, the looks from her other ssmates indicated that she was not hearing things.

    Most of the students in the ss had no targets of affection. Faced with Ruan Zeer¡¯s one-sided public disy of affection, they were highly unsatisfied and condemning it.

    This flirtatious gaze and name-calling... Are you sure you are here to teach, Teacher?!

    Someone started a ¡®wooing¡¯ noise as though it was a ser match.

    Ruan Zeer did not get angry; his expression showed that he did not mind. This resulted in the other students chiming in as well.

    Chang Jingwan wanted to hide under her desk. She turned red.

    The person sitting in front of her even turned around and said to her face, ¡°Chang Jingwan, Teacher Ruan is calling you!¡±

    Chang Jingwan retracted her neck. Even if she shouted ¡°present¡± now, it would be drowned out by the noise.

    She was so embarrassed that she did not even have the strength to open her mouth anyway.

    No idea if Xu Lele had undergone Chicken-blood Therapy<sup>1</sup>, but she suddenly grabbed her hand and shouted, ¡°Present! Present! Chang Jingwan is present, Teacher Ruan!¡±

    Chang Jingwan was appalled.

    Can someone please get this piece of work away from her? She does not want to be in ss with Xu Lele.

    As her hand was suddenly yanked away by Xu Lele, the A4 sized book lost support on one end and was about to fall. Chang Jingwan narrowly grabbed it, keeping herself hidden behind the book.

    Although it was extremely embarrassing and unpoised, she preferred it this way. QAQ.

    Ruan Zeer tapped the microphone, signaling for everyone to be silent. He let out a slight chuckle from his throat.

    It was this kind of loving sound that almost made every girl in the ssroom intoxicated.

    Someone made an Erkang¡¯s outstretched hand gesture and said to Ruan Zeer, ¡°Teacher Ruan, can you not be so flirtatious? We can¡¯t take it anymore!¡±

    Ruan Zeer chuckled softly and ignored her, only to stare towards Chang Jingwan¡¯s direction. ¡°Let Chang Jingwan answer herself, I might think that someone else was impersonating her in ss.¡±

    The ssroom became surprisingly silent. The students were extremely cooperative. No one made a sound and uniformly looked at Chang Jingwan.

    ¡°...¡± Chang Jingwan quietly set down her book, raised her hand, lowered her head and blurted, ¡°Present!¡±

    Only then did Ruan Zeer start taking the attendance of the next person.

    Fortunately, all was normal during ss. No students jeered and Ruan Zeer did not intentionally pick on her.

    The ss could not have ended any sooner. The ringing of the bell sounded heavenly to Chang Jingwan¡¯s ears.

    She stood up sullenly and dragged Xu Lele to leave. Even when Ruan Zeer called out to her, she did not listen. The more he called, the faster she walked.

    Ruan Zeer stared nkly. What was going on?

    So with all gossiping eyes on him, Ruan Zeer gave chase.

    ¡°Jingwan!¡± Ruan Zeer caught up from behind. ¡°Jingwan!¡±

    She did not want to listen to anything. Ruan Zeer yelled, ¡°Chang Jingwan!¡±

    Fortunately, there was still Xu Lele. As Chang Jingwan ran forward, Xu Lele dragged her backward, dutifully providing resistance.

    Chang Jingwan finally stopped. Xu Lele whined, ¡°Hey Jingwan, I still need to get back to work. You can¡¯t just drag me along like this!¡±

    After she spoke, she abandoned Chang Jingwan. As she turned to leave, she did not forget to give Ruan Zeer an ¡®I support you¡¯ hand gesture.

    Chang Jingwan was speechless.

    Seeing that she was no longer running away, Ruan Zeer walked toward her in an orderly and rxed manner.

    Chang Jingwan just ran blindly, she had not even noticed that there was no one around anymore.

    When Ruan Zeer was chasing Chang Jingwan, there were still many prying students who wanted to tail them. Coincidentally, there were other teachers who came out after dismissing their sses. They quickly used their model teacher¡¯s prestige and halted these students.

    ¡°Don¡¯t mess with our nephew¡¯s love life!¡± said one of the teachers.

    Chang Jingwan did not know this. She only saw Ruan Zeering towards her with a smirk on his face, ¡°There¡¯s a rumor going around that you like me?¡±

    At the mention of this, Chang Jingwan was riled up. ¡°I wonder who has such an ulterior motive. Don¡¯t take it to heart. If it weren¡¯t for you¡ª¡±

    ¡°¡ªI did take it to heart,¡± Ruan Zeer interrupted her softly.

    Chang Jingwan: (¡Ño¡Ñ)

    Ruan Zeer continued, ¡°I said I did take it to heart. I wanted to give you an answer. Are you telling me it was a lie?¡±

    Chang Jingwan: £¨¡ä§¥`£©

    Her face turned scarlet. ¡°You... You... What do you mean...¡±

    ¡°Are you not taking responsibility?¡± asked Ruan Zeer, raising an eyebrow.

    ¡°Respo...¡± Responsibility?

    ¡°Very good. I knew you were a responsible girl.¡± Ruan Zeer nodded happily.

    Wha... What? What did she say?

    There was no chance for Chang Jingwan to say anything further. A shadow loomed over her head. A pair of soft lips were ced onto hers.

    So soft...

 Chapter 537 (END) - Finale

    <h4>Chapter 537: Finale</h4>

    <strong>Trantor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion <strong>Editor: </strong>EndlessFantasy Trantion

    Wei Muran thought it was incredible that Xu Heyou just got out of the car and elegantly entered the police station. He was not anxious one bit.

    Is this what a person that toyed with one¡¯s psyche looked like?

    In the interrogation room, Jiang Yuecheng tossed a copy of <Killer of the Heart> down on the desk. ¡°Did you write this book?¡±

    Xu Heyou did not answer but turned to Qi Youxuan. ¡°You said that my book will be adapted into a movie, is that true?¡±

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s true. The adaptation will be based on the book, not your identity. Even if you go to prison, it¡¯s not going to stop the book from being made into a television series,¡± rified Qi Youxuan.

    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m Mei Shiyu,¡± said Xu Heyou, smiling generously. It was quite surprising.

    ¡°Why did you use Song Pengfei¡¯s identity?¡± asked Jiang Yuecheng.

    Xu Heyou chuckled. ¡°Of course I don¡¯t want people to know who I am. The purpose of writing this book is to turn all the cases I write into reality. Of course, I can¡¯t be discovered too quickly. Otherwise, how would I continue? Even now, I¡¯m quite surprised. You solved the first three cases quickly, and discovered my identity earlier than I expected.¡±

    Xu Heyou¡¯s eyes fell on Qi Youxuan again. ¡°I¡¯m guessing that it¡¯s because of you.¡±

    Qi Youxuan did not respond whatsoever. Jiang Yuecheng asked, ¡°So you admit that you orchestrated these three cases?¡±

    ¡°Orchestrated? I guess you can say that. Dong Zhengfeng, Li Niancheng, and Fan Yansong; they all came to me for treatment. As I talked to them, I slowly started to control them. They all had reasons for their illness. I drew them out, expanded on them, made it more agonizing for them until they needed to find a way to vent,¡± said Xu Heyou lightly.

    ¡°What was your purpose for doing this?¡± Jiang Yuecheng asked. ¡°You¡¯re a psychiatrist. You have a good career, social status, a high ie, a widework, and a good reputation in your industry. Why risk it all on a joke? After investigating, we found that you¡¯ve no connection with the three murderers and the victims. Before the three murderers went to see you for treatment, you didn¡¯t know each other. Not to mention the victims¡ªthey¡¯ve never even heard of you their entire lives.¡±

    ¡°Of course it was for the greater good of psychiatry.¡± Xu Heyou then continued lethargically, ¡°I wanted to let everyone know of the great mysteries of psychology and it¡¯s endless uses and possibilities. I want the world to know the extent of my knowledge of the subject. I can control people¡¯s hearts and control them to do my bidding. How wonderful is this?¡±

    ¡°Just because of this, you manipted others to kill innocent people. Those who were controlled by you were even more innocent,¡± growled Zhang Ming, clenching his fists.

    The victims might have done things that hurt others in a way, but the three murderers did nothing wrong before the murders. They only hurt their loved ones. Fan Yansong was hurt by his lover but they had not intended to hurt others.

    They could have prevented their misery but were manipted by Xu Heyou, drawing out the negative emotions in their hearts and constantly amplifying them to the point where they could not control it anymore. They werepletely provoked by Xu Heyou, turning them into actual psychotic patients.

    ¡°Hehehehehe,¡± Xu Heyou lowered his head and chuckled softly. His sses reflected the light and obscured his eyes.

    He slowly looked up. ¡°So what about it? They were all ill anyway. It would be better for them to contribute to a medical cause. My talents shouldn¡¯t be buried. I¡¯m a genius and I know that. Everyone should know my name. I want my talents to be exhibited to the world!¡±

    Xu Heyou¡¯s original indifferent expression suddenly became agitated, showing a look of madness on his face. ¡°If only this book is well-known, they¡¯ll only treat it as a fiction novel and won¡¯t be taken seriously. However, if all the plots in the book were replicated in real life, they¡¯d know how powerful I am.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s why I want my book to be published and then adapted to television, movies. I want to expand its influence. I¡¯ve guessed this might be a trap but still agreed toe; I can¡¯t let any opportunity to expand its influence slip away.¡± Xu Heyou nced at Qi Youxuan. ¡°From the speed and precision of solving the cases, I knew that you would have expert help. In fact, I really want to go head to head against you at least once. Unfortunately, I¡¯ve more important things to tend to. Compared to ying against you, revealing my greatness to the world is more important.¡±

    ¡°I knew that I¡¯d be caught sooner orter. In fact, I have factored this into my n. I needed to be caught to expand my influence. I¡¯ve already nned for it; my book will be adapted into a film and television series. Moreover, the author of this book nned a whole series of killings and was imprisoned. The novel is bound to blow up, and the media will surely dissect it. Maybe I could still write an autobiography and basically write about my knowledge and applications of psychiatry.¡±

    Everyone was tired of hearing of his ambitions. Just admit that you orchestrated these crimes and be done with it.

    When exiting the interrogation room, Xing Jiadong still had goosebumps and rubbed his arms. ¡°He also has mental problems right? Did he n these murders just to gain fame? That¡¯s insane!¡±

    Nheless, they found the mastermind behind the murders. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and could now rest.

    Jiang Yuecheng reported to the higher-ups that Xu Heyou had been taken into custody and had to go through professional psychiatric testing to determine his mental state.

    This case was so unreal, therefore it finally reached the newspapers.

    Naturally, Jinzheng Publishing and Jiangshi Chinese Network could not let this golden opportunity for publicity slip through their fingers. Regardless of whether it was good or bad publicity, there were plenty of gimmicks around it. Plus, there were actual cases to deduce. Sales of the online and physical editions of the book were taken to a new high.

    If Xu Heyou had notmitted the crime and did not go to prison, he would probably be included in the list of top authors this year. Then again, if he did notmit a crime and did not go to prison, there would not be such gimmicks and sales might not be as it was.

    The film adaptation also signed, striking when the iron was still hot. The producers wanted to take advantage of this attention wave to publicize while the news was still a hot topic. Therefore, the male and female protagonists were quickly determined, and it was not long before they announced the full cast members list.

    Some reporters also wanted to make an appointment to interview Xu Heyou but were told that Xu Heyou¡¯s mental state was under evaluation. As Xu Heyou was also a psychiatrist and a highly capable one at that, the psychiatrist was having a hard time assessing anding to a conclusion.

    However, Wei Muran and Qi Youxuan could not be bothered about these. Xu Heyou¡¯s fate only had two oues; either prison or an asylum.

    The highly tense nerves they had before were rxed. Everyone felt tired. Fortunately, the weekend wasing up and everyone could use a vacation.

    Wei Muran slept deeply and only woke up at ten the next morning. She then received a call from Qi Youxuan at around eleven o¡¯clock.

    She thought that Qi Youxuan was going to ask her out for lunch, but he asked if Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran were at home.

    Wei Muran answered that they were home, and as soon as the words left her mouth, she heard the doorbell rang on the other end of her cell phone.

    ¡°Tell me quickly. Are you doing what I think you¡¯re doing?¡± said Wei Muran, her mouth twitching.

    ¡°Mumu,e down quick, Father-inw is too terrifying. I¡¯m afraid I can no longer handle him. Boo-hoo,¡± Qi Youxuan¡¯s voice can be heard from the phone.

    Wei Muran was speechless.

    What forum has he been lurking in recently?

    Boo-hoo?

    Wei Muran quickly hung up the phone and rushed downstairs, just as she saw Qi Youxuane in carrying a whole bunch of stuff. Wei Ziqi¡¯s face turned dark as if crude oil was about to ooze from his face. Wei Ran, however, was thrilled from the bottom of her heart. She smiled sincerely and treated Qi Youxuan as if he was already her son-inw.

    ¡°Dad, Mom, I¡¯m officially visiting today.¡± Qi Youxuan set the things down and stood in front of Wei Ziqi and Wei Ran with a serious expression.

    Wei Ziqi did not get a chance to utter the words ¡®who are you calling Dad and Mom¡¯ as Qi Youxuan continued, ¡°It¡¯s my first official visit today. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Qi Youxuan, twenty-six years old. I¡¯m the deputy general manager of Qilin Property. My side job is as an advisor to the Criminal Investigation Division. I¡¯ll be officially returning to work at Qilin next year and will be assuming the general manager position. I¡¯ve never had a girlfriend prior to Mumu and I wanted to take her as my wife since I was little. I drink but don¡¯t smoke, I don¡¯t indulge in any bad hobbies. I can doundry, cook, act cutesy and beat up bad guys.¡±

    ¡°If Mumu is in danger, I¡¯ll rush in front of her. If Mumu is unhappy at home, I¡¯ll take the initiative to extend my hand for her to hit.¡±Qi Youxuan then continued, ¡°Dad, Mom, I implore you to give your daughter to me. Rest assured, I won¡¯t let her suffer one bit for sure.¡±

    ¡°Dad, I remember you told Mumu previously that if she can¡¯t find someone who treats her better than you, you¡¯d rather she not get married. I can¡¯t promise that I can do better than you, but I¡¯ll strive to emte you,¡± assured Qi Youxuan.

    This remark made Wei Ziqi¡¯s expression look much better.

    If this brat dared say that he could do better than him, he would immediately throw him out.

    Qi Youxuan reached into his trousers pocket and fumbled around, then came up with a delicate square box. Kneeling down on one knee, he opened it toward Wei Muran. ¡°Mumu, I have thought about it, and I can¡¯t think of any romantic proposal that is worthy of you. Being able to meet you has already been the most romantic thing in my life. All I can do is to serve you my heart in the simplest and most uvish way. It may not be the most sensational, but it¡¯s the most sincere. I want Dad and Mom to bear witness. Mumu, will you marry me?¡±

    Wei Ziqi was dumbfounded.

    Filthy brat, he should have thrown him out just now!

    Wei Muran was so touched; she had never experienced much of the world. Just these few words caused her to be teary-eyed!

    Wei Ran nced at the dark-faced Wei Ziqi and only sneered, ¡°He¡¯s more sincerepared to you previously. At least he proposed.¡±

    Wei Ziqi was speechless

    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare give me that look again!¡± she added. ¡°You can¡¯t even keep up with Youxuan, yet you dare toin about him?¡±

    Wei Ziqi failed toe up with a reply.

    The man silently took a small step back, his face no longer dark, only gently and secretly tugging on Wei Ran¡¯s sleeves.

    Wei Ran turned and looked at this pathetic man, and finally smiled. ¡°That settles it.¡±

    Wei Ziqi also breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. He held onto Wei Ran¡¯s hand and no longer dared show any dissatisfaction toward Qi Youxuan, at least for now.

    Wei Muran stepped forward and stretched out her hand. ¡°This... This is fine. Really, it¡¯s very good! It¡¯s the proposal I want. I don¡¯t want it to be sensational or shy. I just want to be in.¡±

    Qi Youxuan breathed a sigh of relief. He stared at Wei Muran and slipped the ring on her.

    ......

    At this same moment, in Prestige Residences.

    Qi Chenglin looked at the young couple sitting opposite him on the sofa, and said in a heavy voice, ¡°She¡¯s still in university.¡±

    ¡°Yes, I know. We¡¯ll get married after she graduates.¡± Wen Xu held onto Qi Youning¡¯s hand and touched the diamond ring on her middle finger, the very ring he gave to herst night.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to have her for a few more years!¡± Qi Chenglin firmly told him.

    ¡°Yes, she still has two years to go before she graduates,¡± said Wen Xu.

    Qi Chenglin was silently fuming.

    He really wanted to throw him out!

    What should he do now that he regretted letting Wen Xu in!

    ...

    That night, Qi Youxuan stayed at the Wei family¡¯s house for dinner.

    At nine o¡¯clock, Wei Ziqi started to chase him out.

    As he escorted Qi Youxuan out the door, he nagged at him outside for a while. Wei Muran returned to her bedroom and took a bath. She lied on her bed but was still too excited. She tossed and turned but could not fall asleep. Her face was hot.

    Qi Youxuan¡¯s ferocious kiss just now still lingered on her lips.

    She touched her lips; it was still swollen.

    Wei Muran could not fall asleep anyway. Her gaze fell on her copy of <Killer of the Heart>.

    The case was over. The book was really well written and became a legend. She would like to read it until the end.

    She had read part of itst night. She flipped open the book, took down the bookmark and continued reading. In the end, the killer in the book was a psychiatrist and also an author of a novel. The book¡¯s finale, including the hot sale of the novel, were exactly the same as the oue of the case!

    ¡®Crash!¡¯

    Wei Muran was so shocked and stunned that she dropped the book to the ground.

    She could not help but think: was it that simple that the killer was Xu Heyou?

    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and

    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!